Author's Notes:

HELLO!

Sorry for the delay on this. I had some issues to get through all this. But everything is all right and I think we are getting somewhere!

Please let me know what you think of it!!! I'm glad for my editors and my brainstormer!!!

And mostly, I'm grateful for all of you that read this tale!!!!!!!!!!!!

Be warned that I have some other chapters in the works for the remaining stories!

(???)

Arden walked up the steps. The end was drawing near. His struggles to get rid of his rejection was just as about to end. His chance to head back into the real world and fulfill his promise was just a few steps away. He didn’t have a reason to stop. Arden would not let Zecora’s efforts to save him go to waste.

As he continued he realized that the steps grew darker. Vines crept down the walls as if he was wandering through a decrepit building. Moss covered some spots on the walls. Fragments of columns and rubble began to litter the steps.

It was then something that didn’t belong among those steps of cold stone appeared. Shinning green ink was sprayed on the walls. The onomatopoeia for laughter was written in that ink, exaggerated smiles were painted alongside it. Dentures that seemed more like a child’s toys were laughing on the floor as they clattered their teeth.

Cold sweat ran down his back. Those items belonged to someone he knew. The Prince of Crime, also known as the Joker.

‘As much as I liked those games. I am not looking forward to dealing with that insanity. I’m sure I can’t talk or outsmart that freak.’

Arden continued his ascend. Then he saw a big, fancy door stand before him. It looked familiar and out of place.

‘This is from the blimp. Why is this here? Arkham shut down after the events of Asylum. The blimp appears only on the third entry. What is going on here?’

Arden was curious enough to try and twist the doorknob. Much to his surprise the door opened. The pre-requisite for him entering a room was the presence of Nightmare along with him. However, she had yet to catch up with him. And that led to one explanation.

‘She is already inside!’ Arden thought before dashing into the room. ‘Of all the places for her to be granted a head-start it had to be here!’

Arden managed to take a few steps in before he felt something sharp piercing his neck. Arden reached for the area and pulled it out. The sensation came from a needle. There was only one character who used needles in this series. And that made Arden’s eyes widen. He was in deep trouble now.

‘Fear Toxin. Scarecrow is here. I am so fucked. I remember what I was scared of when all of this began. But what about now?’

Arden looked around him. After seconds of silence, Arden fell to his knees. The toxin was kicking in. Arden was going to be taken to the ‘Horror Land’ ruled by Scarecrow in just a few moments.

“Well, well,” an echoing voice whispered in Arden’s ear. “A new test subject. The one who led me here gave clear instructions to add something to your medicine. I believe you shall have company real soon.”

The floor beneath Arden began to move. The room became liquid and began to mix itself deforming and bending like some twisted painting. Arden tried to get up but his body wasn’t working properly. He began to feel drowsy, cold sweat running down his back. His body began to shiver and his vision blurred. Arden was on the brink when the world around him stopped moving. Arden slowly got up. His body was heavy and he felt sore.

‘How did Batman endure this? He took several doses of it. I’m barely standing after one.’

Arden looked at the room. The place had changed, no doubt the effects of the fear toxin. In front of him was a glass window displaying a figure he recognized. It was Nightmare, was tied to a chair and remotely-controlled weapons were set around her.

Arden rushed to the window. “Nightmare! I’ll get you out! Hang on!” He shouted while striking the glass.

It wasn’t before long that Arden felt someone tapping on his shoulder. He turned around and saw nothing. The room was empty. Arden stepped towards the center of the room. Once again he felt someone tapping on his shoulder, Arden turned around as fast as he could.

“G-gah!” Arden exclaimed as he fell backward. The one standing behind him was a vision from hell. The one standing behind him had their body slowly deteriorating. Their face had rotten partway through. On their chest a sword wound, their body shriveled due to the festering making their ribs visible as well as the rest of their bones. “Z-Zec-cora?”

“Don’t you remember this one?” the decrepit corpse asked walking like a puppet towards Arden, who was scrambling away from it. “Cerulean. Come back. You’re hurting this one. Why are you hurting this one? Why did you kill this one?”

“Y-you’re not real! T-this isn’t real!” Arden said getting up and pointing his sword at the puppet.

“You’re hurting this one,” The corpse said. Arden blinked once and the corpse was pierced by his sword. “Why would you hurt this one? You said you loved this one.”

The rotten flesh was easily torn apart by the blade. The corpse fell to the ground with a loud thud. Arden quickly fell to his knees and tried to pick Zecora up in his arms. But with each attempt, her body crumbled more and more.

“Stop...you’re hurting this one,” the corpse pleaded as Arden continued to piece her back together. “Please, stop!”

Arden continued his fruitless efforts ignoring the pleas.

“I’ll save you this time! Zecora, you’ll be alright. Just hang on!”

“You’re...hurting this one...” Zecora’s voice was fading. Her body began to turn into dust. Arden desperately tried to fix it, but it was to no avail. Her body crumbled into a pile that disappeared seconds after while Arden tried to gather the dust.

“N-no...n-not again,” Arden said while tears fell on the floor beneath him. “I-I...I k-killed her again!”

Arden got up and looked at the window. Nightmare disappeared again. Arden turned around and the first thing he saw was a gun pointed at the center of his head. The one holding the gun was none other than the Prince of Crime.

“Enjoying the show?” he asked before pulling the trigger.

“You are so infuriating,” Chrysalis said while she stared at the unconscious unicorn. “You are weak, but you going even if when things go wrong. You have a tool for manipulating others but you are insecure about your capabilities. You feed the one who wants to use you with a smile. You have selfish thoughts and desires. But you keep them to yourself out of fear. Why? Why do you put so much effort into being like that? One thing is to desire to be better. Another is to suppress everything you want.”

Chrysalis had been poking around Arden’s mind after he was forced into a coma. The experience gave her insight into what he thought of them. She gained access to all the melodies Arden knew. Chrysalis also found her way into his memories. In other words, Chrysalis knew more about him that she wanted to.

“You throw everything I knew about other beings on the air. You made me have a friend. You are a weird thing turned pony. There are so many things about you out of place that nothing makes sense. Yet you find yourself in this mess and go on your merry way. Urgh! WHY?! I just want to slap your stupid face over and over. Why do you get me so infuriated?!”

Chrysalis got up and went to the table room. ‘What is taking Zecora so long? I thought she just had to pick some herbs nearby.’

The usual books were lined up in the old bookshelf. The same order, colors, and letters. Chrysalis had been in that hut long enough for her to see those simple things as part of her life. A sensation she hadn’t felt since she left her home. Chrysalis had been hiding from place to place until she found the cave, and then she found them. Two beings who insist on helping her. Two beings that kept on helping her even if it placed them on harm’s way.

‘Two foolish dreamers...and the giant bug. Such an odd combination,’ Chrysalis thought before looking over her shoulder at Arden. Chrysalis’ eyes scanned his body until she reached his scarred arm. The darkened and spiky fur was still there. ‘He didn’t have a single mark on him until we entered his life. He was wounded and beaten. But we were the cause of both of the wounds that didn’t heal completely...’

Chrysalis sighed and returned to the room where Arden was sleeping. She sat down by his side and looked at the wounded arm. The more she looked at it, the angrier she got.

‘Why I couldn’t fix this? Healing the mind and body is what we had to learn in order to survive in the badlands. I should be better. I can DO better.’ Chrysalis thought as her horn fired up.

Magic flowed through her body. The energy slowly reached for the palm of her hands. The emerald green glow illuminated the room. Chrysalis touched the arm and began to think about what she wanted to do. The image of how his arm was before the night he ran after Zecora with his forearm set ablaze. Chrysalis closed her eyes and focused on the memories she had of him.

As the memories returned to her, Chrysalis began to piece the image of how the limb looked in all the different angles she could remember. The soft fur, the blue color, the gentle touch.

‘I think this should do it. Ok...let’s see the results.’

When she opened her eyes, Chrysalis saw that Arden’s arm had been partially restored. The difference in tone was barely visible. Chrysalis smirked at the feat she had just achieved. She had managed to improve her healing spell beyond closing up injuries.

Chrysalis tried to get up but felt her legs shake. She looked at her body and realized that she had shrunk considerably.

‘Stronger spell...steeper toll.’

BAM, BAM, BAM

“ZECORA! OPEN UP NOW! I KNOW YOU’RE IN THERE! IT DIDN’T TAKE MUCH TO ‘CONVINCE’ THE VILLAGERS TO GIVE YOUR LOCATION!”

‘WHAT?!’ Chrysalis shouted in her mind. ‘I can’t fight a pony like this! I need to hide. And hide Arden!’

Chrysalis quickly cast a spell over Arden’s body. The illusion created made the bed he laid in look empty. Then she used her disguise to make her body shift into Zecora’s shape. At the very least in that form, Chrysalis would have some way to trick this intruder.

The door burst open at the very moment her transformation had ended. Chrysalis didn’t have time to react. Around her neck, something began to choke her. The feeling wasn’t like fingers touching her skin. It felt like links of a chain tightly wrapping around her neck.

‘Submit, submit, submit, submit submitsubmitsubmitsubmitsubmit...’

The words kept repeating without end. Chrysalis kept fighting, but it was to no avail. Her body going numb and the world got darker.

‘Mind control.’

Under normal circumstances, Chrysalis would have been able to push back a cheap trick. However, she used a big chunk of her reserves to heal Arden’s arm. And that meant she was weaker.

Images of submission kept popping on her mind, followed by the chanting of the word submission. Chrysalis made one last attempt to keep her persona from being rewritten, she quarantined her Ego and Id. That procedure would make her lose control over her body but would prevent her original self to be lost to the spell.

From that moment on, Chrysalis would be under mind control. Her only hope was Zecora. But as Chrysalis’ consciousness faded, she remembered that Zecora should have already returned by then and that she would not be able to do a proper search while Arden remained in a coma. That was it, she had lost. At the very least, somewhere inside her, she would be able to...

‘Zecora...I guess I’ll make you one last fav...’

(??????)

“Wakey, wakey!” the annoying and playful voice of the Joker echoed through Arden’s throbbing head. “There are plenty of us trying to kill you right now! And I do enjoy a bit of fun from a fight!”

Arden’s eyes shot open as a chorus of voices laughed maniacally around him. He could see multiple purple shoes hopping and dancing in front of him.

‘No! No, no, no, no!’ Arden thought as he got up as fast as he could and felt cold sweat spine running down his back. 'Ten, seventeen, twenty-five. Twenty-five of them?!'

“Look at that! He is terrified!” The crowd around Arden screamed with joy.

Arden searched for a path to leave. He was not about to face twenty-five of those psychos. As he turned around, he saw that there was a glass cage of sorts around him. The transparent surface reflected a faint image of Arden’s body. Arden’s terror grew considerably when he managed to see his reflection. His head now had a thin line almost like makeup, like he was grinning.

‘Please, don’t move.’ Arden pleaded before trying to open his mouth.

The mouth moved.

“See that?! He’s laughing!!! Just like us! Hehe-hehe-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HO-HO-HO-HA-HAAAAAAA!!! Do all of you think he will like our little gift?!”

Arden turned towards the one talking. Pressed against the glass cage, Arden saw a familiar face. He felt a frown forming on his face before it turned into a scowl.

‘What is Celestia doing here?!’ Arden thought as he saw the Princess face pressed against the ground. He gritted his teeth when he saw that something was missing from Celestia’s forehead. ‘Her horn...’

“H-help...” The princess begged with a low voice, barely audible through the sea of laughter around them.

Arden felt his torso expand in a rapid rhythm. His mouth opened and what came out was laughter. Terrible and terrifying laughter that made him shiver. His hands trembled as Arden raised his hands and began to claw his own head and face.

“Haha-HAHAHA-AAHHHHHHHHHH-HA-HA!!!! You know what?! Joker, you are used to playing mind games with the broken bat!! HO-HO-Hehe-he! However, you should be more aware of who you’re playing with! After all...” Arden said with a serious voice as he walked towards the Princess.

Arden placed his hand on the glass surface. “I will kill if I need to.”

As soon as Arden said those words the glass shattered. Celestia fell into Arden’s arms. He spun around the moment she made contact with him. Arden placed her on the ground while his free hand shifted into a blade. The clown that held her fell near them. Arden didn’t flinch before sinking his weapon to the clown’s skull.

“24 meat bags remain,” Arden said while his blade shifted back into his hand.

The other clowns dashed at him. Arden spun the corpse that was stuck in his hand with all the force he had. The clowns fell down while the corpse went flying towards the crowd. Arden ran towards the group while shifting his head into a wolf. With his mouth wide open, Arden bit down at the throat of an opponent that was in front of him.

Blood ran into Arden’s mouth. He felt someone jumping on his back. Arden imagined his body turning into a cloud and moving behind the person on his back. In a blink of an eye, Arden was the one behind the clown. Arden’s hand gripped the Joker’s skull and pulled it back while Arden kicked the criminal’s spine. The sound of bones breaking made Arden laugh.

Arden then bashed the clown’s head on the ground.

BANG! BANG!

‘That sound...this pain...’

Arden saw a clown fall to the floor after the second sound. He looked back towards the sound and saw Celestia on the floor, with a small puddle of red liquid forming around her. Her dress began to turn crimson. He didn’t feel his heartbeat after that.

He couldn’t tell if it all took a second or minutes. But eventually, the world was made out of gray, black, white, red, and green. Arden dashed at the clown with the gun.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

The clown took four more shots at Arden. Arden could tell that they connected because of how he felt his body shake. He reached the clown’s arm and twisted to make the weapon point at the user. Arden looked at the grinning maniac and pulled the trigger. There was no sound, but there was a burst of crimson colors that painted those around them.

Arden grabbed hold of the revolver and held it against his head.

“The weapon is empty,” Arden muttered pulling the trigger.

Click

A group of clowns jumped him and tried to pull the weapon off his hand. Arden felt his body shaking as if he was being hit by something.

“The weapon is loaded,” Arden whispered before pulling the trigger.

BANG!

More paint sprayed everywhere. His assailers began to pierce Arden’s body with something.

‘I should return the favor,’ Arden thought as he imagined thorns sprouting out of his body.

Arden’s thoughts became real, black vines covered in red thorns pierced the clowns. Red paint covered the plants as the corpses gave out their last muffled laugh.

“Such a beautiful color...”

Arden looked around him. All the Jokers were armed and ready to fight. Guns, knives, batons, broken bottles, anything that could be used to attack. Some of them followed the clown’s profile by using circus themed weapons.

“Eighteen left...” Arden whispered.

It was a blood bath. The jokers would stab, strike, shoot, and die. All their efforts to break Arden bore no fruition. Arden laughed as he sliced them into bits, painted the room red. his laughter got mixed with the copies of the clown as they all rejoiced in the fight.

There was even a point where the Jokers began to fight amongst themselves. Arden took this opportunity to break them in groups. The last one that was left standing smiled at Arden while pointing a revolver towards him. Arden did the same, however, the clown suddenly raised the weapon to his chin.

“You can’t save a single life.”

BANG!

The clown prince fell to the floor on top of another corpse. Arden stared at the work of art he had created. And then a stinging pain began to pierce his skull. Arden fell to his knees and he began to hear again. The sound of blood dripping from the piled up bodies echoed in the room.

"*Pant, Pant*"

The sound of breathing caught Arden’s attention. His sight began to return to regain its colors. The bodies were gone and underneath him…

“H-help...” A weak voice pleaded him.

Arden forced himself to look at the source. A white hand was reaching out for him. Breathing rapidly, she gave everything she had to reach him. Arden felt his eyes moving repeatedly to the sides as if he was having an episode of nystagmus.

“C-Celes...” He muttered as his hand hesitantly reached for Celestia’s hand.

The moment he touched her hand. The princess’ breathing stopped. Her body began to whiter at an accelerated pace as blood kept advancing towards Arden.

“I did it again...” Arden said as his body hit the floor.

The blood advanced towards him. Then it moved past him. Arden heard cracking. He rolled over and looked at the source. More to run away from the image of the withering corpse than anything else. What he saw made the urge from the fight return.

A huge gate made out of red metal stood in front of him. On top of the gate, golden words shone brilliantly.

“Safe...Heaven...” Arden muttered as he read the words before they lost their color.

He gritted his teeth. Slowly rising from the floor, he walked towards the gate. Arden kicked it open and then began laughing loudly before rushing towards the interior. A humongous city brimming with life appeared before him. People walked by completely ignoring him. It was as if Arden had returned to his home.

“I will destroy it all!!! NO MORE! No more rooms! No more hiding! I’ll break it all!!!!”

“Good! Good! Open up the way so I can waltz right in!” The familiar voice of the clown echoed in Arden’s head. “Break everything you see! Destroy and kill for the joy! There is no value in life! There is no meaning in death! All that matters is having fun while you live free from all your shackles!”

Arden didn’t bother to reply. He began to kill every being that came into his line of sight. Young, old, criminal, innocent, it didn’t matter. It was a product of his mind and it was a fantasy. Their lives meant nothing, just like his. Sneaking up on a group of robbers, Arden imagined himself taking the form of a serpent crushing them to death. They squirmed and screamed in terror as Arden broke their bodies.

‘LIES! THESE BUILDINGS AND PEOPLE ARE LIES! THESE WORLDS ARE NOTHING BUT LIES!!!!’

“YES! Kill to your heart’s content! Rip and tear this place apart! Take away the one shield you have! Expose your core and I’ll take over!”

Their victims ran in terror. Arden gave chase, devouring each one. The screams of terror soon took over as Arden imagined himself larger and larger. The sky above them turned black as lighting strikes began to burn the citizens and criminals alike. Arden returned to his original shape while keeping his size and began to destroy the buildings surrounding him.

‘ENOUGH RIDDLES! ENOUGH GAMES! ENOUGH RUNNING! I REFUSE TO RUN ANY LONGER! LET ME HEAR! LET ME SEE! I WANT TO UNDERSTAND MYSELF! I DON’T CARE WHAT THIS IS! I WILL FACE IT ALL! SHOW IT TO ME!’

“YES! YES! Look at them go! They are all so frightened! And I’ll have all of this! You already lost it, kid! You’re a madman!!! WE ARE TWO OF A KIND! UNSOUND OF MIND! LET US BRING WASTE AND DESPAIR TO ALL OF THEM!!!!”

The world began to fall apart. Disappearing. And he was the cause of it.

“THIS IS MY MIND! AND I WANT THIS TO END! JUST LET ME HEAR! LET ME UNDERSTAND! SHOW IT ALL! SHOW IT TO ME! SHOW IT! SHOW IT! SHOWITSHOWITSHOWITSHOWITSHOWIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!”

With that last roar, Arden raised his hands and punched the floor. The entire place area began to crumble, and he felt his body beginning to diminish in the middle of that sea of darkness. There was nothing left, just that empty black void.

“Would you look at that? There was nothing here after all! Those were your last defenses. You lost, kid.”

Arden turned towards the voice. There was only a mirror, and in its reflection, Arden saw something he recognized.

“Like what you see? I thought of changing up our look. I think we can both agree that purple, white, and green suit me better than black!”

The image in the mirror was the Joker. He prepared his ragged tie, groomed his hair and tried to make the battered suit look better. He had to be presentable after all. He was finally free. The world was about to know him and he was about to give them all a taste of the power he had.

The Joker got closer to the mirror and stared at the image. The nearly invisible image of the previous owner was there. Staring at him with a blank expression. What joy! The owner was trapped inside, he would watch all the madness and pain unfold powerless to stop it.

“Don’t look so gloomy! Oh, wait...you can’t! HA-AH-HAHA!!! You don’t have a face anymore!!”

The clown kicked the mirror down. There was no reason to worry, he was back. He had a body. All the havoc and chaos he wanted was at the tip of his fingers. The Joker looked at the empty room and imagined his fun house. The perfect house to play with all the poor citizens.

The building manifested before him. Every detail just as he had imagined. Windows, colors, doorknobs! It was PERFECT!

“Just a dream right now. But soon...I will build it!! Then it will be Joker Land!” He let out a burst of maniacal laughter. He was about to—

“The clown began to hop around as if testing his body.” As the voice proclaimed those words the Joker began to move exactly as described.

“What?”

“The confused clown scratched his head. Thinking that maybe he was listening again to the screams or maybe some other psychiatrist trying to ‘heal’ his mind. He dismissed the thought by reaching for his pockets.”

“STOP!” Everything kept going exactly as the voice spoke. But the voice was getting louder and clearer.

“From within one of his suit’s pockets, the Joker pulled out his revolver. Then he tossed it away with all force. There was no need for that now. His body could shift into anything he desired. Weapons were meaningless. One by one the Joker relinquished his weapons. Just as the final piece of weaponry was out of his reach, stones emerged from the ground. All of them covered in moss.”

“Upon closer inspection, the Joker realized that he was looking at...”

“Yeah! They are graves! What about them?!”

“You tell me then.” The voice was clear now. The Joker looked around and saw the foggy creature sitting on top of a tombstone.

“Tell you what? These are just rotting corpses. There is no story here. Unless you want a diorama with them. OH! I like the way you think!”

“You mean the way you think,” the fog creature said hopping off the tombstone. “I’m standing here. Right in front of you. Nothing more than a remnant. But still a different being.” It phased through the Joker.

“Now that’s a bore. I was hoping you pull some sort of trick to regain control.” Joker turned to follow the creature’s movements.

“When did I lose control?”

“Oooh! Both of your eyes are the same now. Scaryyyy. Go to a Halloween party, kid. Grown-ups need to get around killing and spreading chaos. I can already hear them crying.”

The sound of children crying began to echo through the cemetery. Then the screams of men and women alike. Their cries marking of their meaningless lives being brought to a horrifying conclusion. Oh, how he longed for those feelings. The joy of creating perfect chaos.

However, something felt off. Joker felt the sensation of being watched closely. VERY closely. It was the same as when his friend kept trying to break through to him while breaking his arms or knocking him unconscious.

“Getting a bit bold, aren’t we?” Joker said in an annoyed voice. “You should know better and anyone that no one can get in this little box,” he continued while making a finger gun and pointing it at his own temple.

“It’s true. You have an alien mind. You moved beyond the concept of good and evil. Your mind doesn’t accept the concepts created by those around you as true. Only what you create is your truth. In other words, your MIND is completely closed off.”

“Why even bother then?” the clown replied without being able to shake the feeling of something trying to pry him open.

“You said before that the city was my last defense. You were right. Now everything is flowing in. I can feel everything again. I can SEE again. Your mind might have been closed off. But your heart can’t be locked away that easily. And it’s much easier to crack when you are unstable.”

“What? The heart? I don’t have anything in there but joy! Why should that threaten me?”

“On the surface, you are filled with joy. But deep down the only thing you have is fear. I can feel it. You’re more terrified than I am. Let me out! I need to make my mark! I need to be remembered! I will be the wound on this world that no one will forget! I will live eternal as a fear that will plague the lives of any who still hope for a better day.”

The Joker’s eyes widened. A scowl appeared on his semblance while his smile grew. He felt his bloodlust increase. The had to kill that thing. It was boring, it was annoying, it was meaningless.

“You really know how to yank someone’s chain, don’t you?” The clown said before rushing towards the fog creature.

“You can’t hit something made out of a fog,” The creature said while the first attack went through him causing the Joker to fall. “I will be remembered! I will be the eternal scar marking the world! You are constantly running from that fear. I don’t blame you for feeling it. I can’t blame you for being afraid when I am terrified of myself. However, I can’t let you off the hook.”

“And what exactly do you plan to do with me? Kill me? You should know that I am not afraid of dying. I laugh at the face of death. Life itself is nothing but a big joke. And I am here to deliver the punchline!”

“Yet you’re terrified. Because you know what will happen if you die here. You’ve seen my memories, you know that this isn’t the world in which you were created. You want so desperately to take over that you even forgot what will happen to me if I don’t get through this.”

The Joker gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. He felt his smile disappearing.

“In the end, I’ll end up six feet under anyway. So I might as well take you down with me.” The fog creature moved towards him.

The Joker began to run. That thing wasn’t going to play the game the way he wanted to. A game is only fun when the parts play the way it’s supposed to be played. The Joker kept running as fast as he could. The Bat tended to have problems catching him sometimes. And this guy wasn’t anywhere near the same level as Bats.

‘That idiotic child should be way behind me now. I can probably stop and try to figure some way to turn this around. The mind is mine now.’

“You do realize that you aren’t moving forward, don’t you?” The voice of the host came from behind him.

The Joker looked behind him and saw the fog creature. He then looked down and saw that the ground was moving like a treadmill.

“You don’t need to worry about finding your grave. Since you have no one to remember you but me, I prepared an unmarked grave for you.” The creature began making the joker float. “I didn’t have time to make you a coffin. But I guess it won’t matter. At least the worms will be thankful for the food.”

“WHAT?! I NEED TO GET OUT! DON’T!” The Joker screamed and fought against it. But nothing happened.

The Joker was forced on to the grave. Ropes wrapped around him, then chains, and then a lock was placed.

“YOU CAN’T DO THIS! THIS MIND IS MINE! THIS BODY IS MINE! LET ME OUT! THIS ISN’T FUNNY! A BAD JOKE! A BAD JO—”

The room around Arden began to shift as the sound of the clown choking became more and more muffled. Arden had left that bastard’s grave behind. The room around him kept changing causing him to hit a wall. Arden leaned on it and sat down. ‘Please, no more. No more fighting. Let this madness end. I’m afraid of what will happen if I go any further.’

Arden opened his eyes. The room had returned to its original form. He gave out a sigh of relief as his body fell to the side. Arden felt as his limbs weighted tons. There were no signs of any doors. But then again, he couldn’t see them without Nightmare Moon by his side. ‘She isn’t here, huh? Not very surprising considering her record these past floors.’

Arden saw a piece of paper in the distance. The shining blue paper was on the floor. Arden didn’t bother to get up, he crawled his way up to it. When he picked up the note he rolled over and stared at the ceiling. Arden lifted the note in front of his face.

So, you got to the end. Did you find what you were looking for?

“I dragged myself here. And the thing I find is this little joke.”

Did you like your torments?

“What is your problem? This is ridiculous. I wanted to find...”

I know you saw the truth. You called it out and broke it. You know what you were searching for.

Arden stopped when he read that line. He already knew the answer? Of course, he did, Arden began to laugh at the idiot he was. Arden continued to laugh as loud as he could. This time, however, he wasn’t doing it because of the Joker. No, this time he was genuinely laughing.

“I’m so stupid! Leave to me to make things harder for myself. Good lord! My parents were right when they said I’m slow on the uptake when it comes to myself. I’ve been creating more and more layers to distance myself. Like I did back then. Sending myself to dungeons where I can shut myself from the world surrounding me. That’s pathetic. Such a stupid little habit made me nose-dive into insanity. In any case, there is no need to wait. I know what to do. The game is over, and I’m breaking this habit tonight.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLQs0OrHiPY

Arden slowly got up, the melody echoed in his mind. The lyrics flowed naturally from the wind that began coursing in the room. He took a step forward. The ceiling cracked with every step Arden took until it collapsed. The carefully decorated room turned into nothing but a pile of rubble.

Arden was at the very edge of the tower, he gazed at the chasm before him. He allowed the wind to carry the letter away, his body leaned forward until he found himself free-falling at high speed.

He kept picking up speed and then shape-shifted into a big black bird. Arden circled around the tower, watching it fall as he flew towards the floor. The sky above him broke like it was made out of glass, there was no end to the destruction. All the hours he wasted running deeper and deeper into the dungeons were gone in a matter of seconds.

“No more. I am the main character of my story. We all are. I’ve been running away from something that was a part of me. And then I got addicted to fleeing. I’m sorry for the trouble I caused Zecora, but I’m glad since it got me to meet you. I can’t regain the time I wasted in these halls, but I can make the rest of my time worthwhile.”

Arden landed on the floor as the base of the tower collapsed causing it to fall like a tree. The building slowly dispersed into a flock of colorful birds that flew into the horizon. Arden felt his heart get lighter, he was afraid, but his heart was calm and his mind clear.

He kept moving through each of the rooms, each one being reduced to dust just with his presence. The destruction spread faster with each room he passed by.

“Even though this place put me through hell, I can’t deny I will miss it. Every experience is precious to our growth, and these are no different. And in the end, everything we do matters. Even if it is something small. That’s what you’ve been expecting me to say? Probably not. What you wanted me to say is that I don’t need a safe haven from something that is a part of me, isn’t that right?”

“Finally,” the familiar voice from what seemed ages ago replied. “You did take your time.”

“You should have known I would do that. Right, Aimeé?” Arden said in a joyful tone.

“I guess you are ready to do it now,” the faceless human said before turning into Arden’s pony form. “Prepare yourself.”

The pony flew away while Arden took the last step that completely destroyed the last room. The pony rushed toward Arden, a sword manifested in the pony’s hand. It looked sharp enough to cut through metal like it was flesh. The pony bore an expression of anger while he rushed, ready to impale Arden.

Arden’s response was simply opening his arms. The pony ran the sword through Arden’s torso.

“So, you finally figured the easiest way, huh?”

“There was never any need to fight you. You are a part of me, just like your name suggests, you are my friend. I’ll never fight this again, and this is how it ends. You were looking out for me from the beginning, that’s why your weapon can’t hurt me. The one who hurt me back then was myself. We are free. We can learn how to use this to help others. We can go home now.”

“Indeed we can,” Aimeé replied as she disappeared slowly into a burst of light.

The black void surrounding Arden began to waver as a forest began to sprout from underneath his feet. The old ruins he was helping rebuild emerged from the floor. The sky above was filled with constellations and a big full moon. That was it, he was free.

“Well done, my boy!” The voice from the mad god accompanied the sound of clapping. “You are free and you were touched by insanity. Meaning you are a wildcard.”

Arden didn’t give the god a second to continue his speech. A direct hit straight to the jaw sent the mad god flying into a wall. “I should bash your skull into the floor. Give me one good reason not to do it.”

“Because I am your counterpart? The part of you that is supposed to keep you safe?”

“But...Aimeé was...”

“No, she was a part of me. I made something more user-friendly so to speak. I’m not really a people person.” Sheogorath’s eyes glow.

“Do tell,” Arden replied rolling his eyes.

“Before we continue, might I suggest that we do something about our guest?” The god pointed toward something behind Arden.

“Oh, it’s Moon. For a second I thought we were in trouble,” Arden replied after looking over his shoulder.

Sheogorath floated away.

“Good to see you got my back,” Arden replied shrugging.

“I demand that you submit to me!” Nightmare cried, her mane was wriggling wildly.

“So, your mane moves depending on your emotions, that’s a neat little detail,” Arden replied without much worry for the animosity directed at him. “Could you please tell me what the hell have you been up to? You come to me, throws a tantrum, summon up dogs to kill me, then makes me worry and finally disappears.”

“I don’t need to satisfy your curiosity! You belong to me! You are MY subject! Submit to me now!” Her eyes turned white as her voice got louder.

“Sorry, but I’m no one’s property. However, I want to BE with somepony. But that’s not important right now. What’s important is...is...” Arden stopped and reached for his chest, he felt something running down his face.

“I don’t want to be alone! Please, I need somepony who won’t leave me! I need to have somepony in who I can trust! I don’t have a choice! I don’t have a choice! I don’t have a body! I’m not real! I want to be real! Tell me I’m real!”

“W-why so uncertain? I’m your friend. You opened up to me. I opened up to you. You can trust me!” Arden continued to sink his fingers into his body.

Nightmare’s eyes widened. The white light began to be invaded by some sort of black substance.

“I KNEW IT! YOU’VE BEEN MANIPULATING ME! YOU WILL PAY!! I WILL MAKE YOU MINE AND MAKE YOU BEG FOR MERCY!!”

“TRAITOR!TRAITOR!TRAITORTRAITORTRAITORTRAITORTRAITOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Arden felt his heart get heavier and heavier. A deafening scream was the last thing Arden heard from Nightmare Moon before she disappeared into a cloud of a dark whirlwind of stars. The weight on his chest began to lift, however, Arden felt sadness and concern towards what had happened.

“You’re too soft,” The god commented from behind Arden.

“That’s just who I am towards those I care about. But then again, maybe it’s just you who are too harsh,” Arden replied while turning to face the god. "Get rid of that copyrighted face before someone begins to ask for its rights. We both know that you're just using my memories to change your shape."

“Whatever you say, boss. But I have to say that I think both of us are correct in that aspect. And I don’t blame you. But I had to make you hasten things up. I think you had one or two days left before kicking the bucket,” The figure replied trying to defend himself.

“Right, well...I guess it’s about time I woke up. I’ve slept long enough.”

“That you have. Now, go on ahead. Your mind was broken and it was then mended back into shape. You will be way harder to control, my friend. Go on and live your life.”

“So dramatic. Let’s just skip the theatrics and move on. I need to make something clear before that though.”

“Oh, and what is that?”

Arden suddenly made his arms stretch and wrap themselves around the mad figure. He then pulled the being towards him and turned it upside down.

“Just try and pull another stunt like the one you did with Zecora. And I promise you this: I will end you without even flinching.” Arden’s playful expression shifted into a scowl.

“I seek only to co-exist. I apologize for the disturbances my actions have caused, but I needed to ensure our survival. I would not hesitate to eliminate or push you beyond your limit just so we both can survive or to protect those we care about. And since we are both being honest, I do NOT have any interest in taking over your body. Your life seems problematic enough to make me just want to stay here. On a side note, get rid of me, and we both die.”

“You should be aware by now that I would do that,” Arden replied with his head slowly shifting into that of a serpent. "We are one and the same after all, isn't that right 'Sheogorath'?" Arden added with an ironic tone to his voice.

“And that, my boy, is why I love the idea of being your counterpart. I won’t have to do anything unless things get a bit chaotic. If you don’t understand, I believe someone eventually will explain it to you.”

“Wake me up now. I don’t feel like waking up after eating up rotten flesh.”

“Heard ya loud and clear, boss.”

‘This harvest was more troublesome than expected,’ Zecora thought as she collected a bouquet of Heart’s Desire. A crafty little flower that she used in her lust-suppressing potion. ‘This could be a nice product to sell in the village. This one does not require it any longer, thanks to the cerulean. And this one can make some more experiments with this flower.’

Zecora tied up the flowers using some strings she had made using leaves and vines. The forest offered plenty of resources for those willing to see them, or brave enough to search. That was how Arden found her after all. He was brave, or crazy, enough to enter the forest. And she was glad he had done it.

The companion that had appeared out of nowhere blasted his way into her life was a welcomed addition to Zecora’s life. And now that he was in danger, more so than before, Zecora couldn’t help but worry about him. However, deep down she believed with all her heart that he would be alright.

And it wasn’t as if Zecora was alone now. The changeling had become a dear friend as well. The creature who Zecora held such animosity at first, was the target of pranks and regular conversations. So much had changed in the span of one year and Zecora welcomed it all. The loneliness she felt for so long was replaced with a wonderful friend and a lover.

The new companions also made her experience new things. Sleeping with a lover, treating an extremely dangerous disease with an equally dangerous treatment. Envying another female. Chrysalis had a lot of confidence in her body and was really aware of how to use it to her advantage. The way she sat down, the way she wore her clothes. Even her voice seemed to be designed to lure any being to her. Zecora often found herself staring at Chrysalis, mimicking Chrysalis’ movements. Trying somehow to capture that unique ability. Zecora wanted to be that confident. Using every tool at her disposal could be very convenient.

Standing up, Zecora began her trip back. The quiet forest made an uneasiness crept into her mind. She began to pick up her pace, in the back of her mind Zecora felt as if something was whispering to her. Warning her to head back as fast as she could.

When she was almost there, Zecora heard something in the distance.

“ZECORA! OPEN UP NOW! I KNOW YOU’RE IN THERE! IT DIDN’T TAKE MUCH TO ‘CONVINCE’ THE VILLAGERS TO GIVE YOUR LOCATION!”

‘Oh, no. It can’t be!’ Zecora thought as she hid by a fallen tree.

Carefully peeking over the rotting bark, Zecora saw her hut. The front door was open. Her hunting instincts kicked in. Zecora’s breathing got slower, she lowered her stance to the point she could barely be seen. The foliage covered her body. Zecora fastened her grip around her spear. If that was who she thought it was, Zecora would need to be fast. The element of surprise was her best chance of getting through that.

‘This one just needs one shot. One chance and it is over. Just put your—’

Zecora’s mind went blank. That face, she thought that she would never again see that damned face.

A male zebra with deep dark brown eyes. Short mane, tattered cloak, a sword with a bronze handle at his hip. Large build on the upper body and slightly smaller lower body. On his neck, the mark of a lion’s head was proudly exposed.

Zecora’s hand began to tremble. Her grip on her spear began to loosen up. Zecora began to breathe faster, her heart racing as sweat began to form on her forehead.

‘W-why t-this o-one c-can’t...’

Zecora’s legs began to shake. A strong pain began to assault her chest. She felt her ears go down as her muscles began to fail. As the situation worsened, Zecora saw something come out of the hut. However, her vision began to blur due to her ineffective breathing. A black and white silhouette came out of the hut. At the figure’s neck, Zecora could see an eerie green glow.

“Let’s go, mare! You wasted long enough in this dump.”

The voice stirred an urge to vomit from Zecora. That damned zebra, she hoped that he would stay away. Why did he come to her? Why couldn’t she be free of him?

‘Why did Gamba come back?’

“Pretty soon you’ll be bearing my children. OUR children.”

Each word that Zecora heard caused her stomach to hurt. Each sound coming from that bastard made Zecora want to run. In the first time in a long while, Zecora felt the need to flee and never return.

“They are still there. Are you going to leave them?”

The faint voice made Zecora’s legs become a bit more stable. A familiar sensation, a warm and welcoming sensation began to take over. It was as if her parents were by her side. That was right, she had ponies she wanted to protect. She had to find a way to see if they were safe. Zecora closed her eyes. She forced herself to think of the fond memories from her old family, and then the memories of her new family.

Zecora felt her breathing slow down, her heart rate became steady. Her muscles tensed up as she tightened her grip at the spear’s handle. Every scene of her new life with those two put her mind at ease. And with the newfound peace Zecora opened up her eyes. Her vision had returned to normal and the two figures were gone.

‘Better check on the bedridden first,’ Zecora thought as she dashed as quietly as she could.

Zecora’s front door hadn’t been opened. The damage on it made it look like a battering ram had been used on it. Carefully checking the entrance for any traps Zecora stepped in. There weren’t signs of struggle, only the damaged door. There was something else missing too.

‘Where is Arden?!’

Zecora approached the bed where the cerulean pony had been resting. There were no signs of blood there. Actually, it seemed as if the bed had been neatly prepared for somepony.

‘Could it be?’ Zecora thought as she reached for the sheets.

Before she could touch them, Zecora’s hand collided with something. The green flames Chrysalis generated whenever she shapeshifted appeared. The emerald glow gave a radiant burst before disappearing into nothing. Before Zecora’s eyes, Arden’s body manifested, safe and sound.

‘Chrysalis must have hidden him. But where is she?’ Zecora began to use her tracking skills.

On the floor, near Arden’s body, she saw hoof marks. They trailed away from the body and back to it. A handful of mane strands were lying on the floor.

‘The changeling must have been doing something with Arden,’ Zecora thought before inspecting the unconscious body. The burnt limb seemed to have healed considerably. ‘Chrysalis must have done this. Before any of this happened.'

Zecora got up and began to scan the room. Another set of hoof marks appeared on the floor. These were bigger, probably from Gamba. Then the two sets of hooves left the room.

‘Chrysalis must have been trying to manipulate Gamba. The blurry figure this one saw must have been her using my disguise. She must be looking for a chance to escape. However...’ Zecora remembered that chrysalis at full power could have handled Gamba very easily. Changelings could be very terrifying when fully fed. ‘If she healed Arden’s arm...she might have used a good portion of her reserves.’

Zecora’s eyes widened. She looked at the open door leading to the forest. Her friend was out there, and if her theory was correct, Chrysalis’ life was hanging by a thread. Gamba had come for Zecora and if he found that he had been tricked, Chrysalis would pay with her life.

Zecora felt as if a flame had begun to burn deep down her. She gritted her teeth, she clenched her fist hard enough to feel a stinging pain on her fist. Zecora felt something she hadn’t felt in a long while.

“This one...This one is going to...THIS ONE IS GOING TO KILL GAMBA!” Zecora rushing out the front door, but not before picking up her belt with brews for hunting.

That feeling on her heart was bloodlust. She had experienced that before, in hunts when Gamba used to be on her side, she could feel that whenever the hunt pinned her in a bad situation. The tracks were fresh and the scent was still strong. Gamba wasn’t so far ahead, Zecora could still reach them.

Her body was slowly remembering the rush from that sensation. Zecora’s muscles tensed up making her movements more precise, her sight began to filter the information and ignore unnecessary data. Her ears were moving sharply to detect any sounds that didn’t belong to the forest critters. She had been there so long that Zecora could tell the sounds they made, the routes they took. Like a good huntress, she committed them all to memory.

The trail became fresher, she was closing in on them. Zecora felt her blood boil, as the trail got stronger, her urge to kill grew wilder.

Zecora reached for her brews, three vials flew off her hands and straight at the target of her rage as she jumped off a bush. In regular situations, Zecora would drench the weapon with the brews, just so the concoctions would act way faster by reaching the bloodstream. However, the vials could also be thrown to cover the target. Slightly slower action, but just as effective.

After Zecora's vials found her target, she rushed to the wretched creature. Her prey was caught by surprise by both of her actions. The wretched male was struck by Zecora’s lunge. The huntress sunk her spear into the ground using it to break her movement. The spear’s polearm broke after Zecora landed. Using her free hand, Zecora reached for the spear’s tip and launched it with all her force at the target that had just hit a tree.

“GAAHH!!” The stallion’s voice made her rage get stronger.

“This one will make you pay for all you did!” Zecora cried out as she made a dash straight at the wounded stallion that seemed to be in shock.

“HOW DID YOU?!” The stallion was pushed back by Zecora’s flurry of attacks.

All of her grace was mixed with the storming wrath that consumed Zecora’s mind. The combination of brews and the surprise flurry of attacks allowed her to turn the battle into a one-sided slaughter. A lotion to reduce muscle strength, one to overload the pain receptors, one to overload the senses of smell and hearing.

“You robbed this one’s happiness back then! You will not do it again!” Zecora’s body bent and moved around as he tried to retaliate. That fight was a one-sided massacre. However, the bastard managed to connect one hit that pushed Zecora back for long enough so that he could place himself behind Chrysalis.

“I...do not...know how. But...you got yourself...a...a copy cat,” Gamba said while grabbing Chrysalis’ neck. The changeling didn’t even move, she was acting like a puppet. “I will...end her...and then...then...I’ll take you back...to where you belong.”

“This one is already where she belongs!” Zecora shouted grabbing her knife and tossing it in the blink of an eye.

The blade flew through the air. Zecora witnessed Gamba widen his eyes as he tried to push Chrysalis in front of the blade.

“HA! This is proof that you shouldn’t have wasted your time trying to become a hunter!”

“This one wasn’t aiming at you.”

“What?” Gamba replied right before green flames burst forth. He let go of Chrysalis and in his panic lost his balance. Zecora took this chance to rush the bastard. Chrysalis seemed to be very quick on the uptake. As Zecora was about to rush past her, Chrysalis used her magic to fling the knife to Zecora.

The pathetic warrior tried to scramble away, however, Zecora pinned him to the ground and then placed the knife at his throat. Zecora was ready to finish him, her hand began to slowly move to press the blade before pulling it to the side. Just one more second, that was all it would take.

‘It would be so easy. Just one move and he would be gone. Just...one...simple...’

“STOP!” another voice cried from behind Zecora. “You’ll regret it later!” Zecora’s hand faltered, but her movement wasn’t completely stopped. “You already moved beyond him! You can live on without him pestering you! Look! You faced him! You defeated him!”

Zecora’s hand completely froze. ‘That is right. This one is free...This one can finally...’

“Are you insane?! She belongs to me! You can’t speak to us like that, you wretched monster!” Gamba cried out, gritting his teeth.

“What did you just call this one’s friend?” Zecora asked with a cold voice.

His rant came to an immediate stop. Zecora saw his pupils shrink as he tried to speak. Zecora raised her knife and then sunk it at his left shoulder and twisted it. Gamba shrieked in pain as he tried to break free from Zecora. Gamba was left-handed, and Zecora had just severed his nerves and tendons. The twist had just made it so that if he managed to heal, there would be an issue.

“You won’t be able to use this arm ever again to wield a weapon. Leave now and never come back,” Zecora got up and walked away.

“Good. That means I can pay back for the troubles he just caused me,” Chrysalis said walking past her.

“Don’t kill him. That rotten body could kill a good portion of this forest.”

“Oh, no need to worry. I just want to plant a little something in his head. He will live.” Chrysalis’ horn was lit up like some kind of light tower.

“NO! STOP! STAY AWAY! NO! I’M STRONG! I AM NOT AFRAID! I AM NOT AFRAID!”

Gamba kept repeating those cries as he ran. His blood left a trail leading deep into the forest.

“Looks like we won,” Chrysalis said with a cheerful tone, however, it didn’t take even one second she began to sob and Zecora saw tears roll down Chrysalis’ face.

Zecora rushed to her friend and embraced her. The mighty changeling was crying like a baby. Zecora remembered Chrysalis’ story, her entire family was brainwashed and robbed of their will. And based on the fact that Chrysalis had returned to her old self after shattering the necklace. She must have been a victim of brainwashing herself.

“T-Thank you! I...I thought that I would be alone! I thought I was done for!” Chrysalis said in between sobs.

“It’s okay. This one promises to help you whenever you need. You are a dear friend to this one. You are part of this one’s family.” Zecora gently caressed Chrysalis’ cheek.

“Family?” Chrysalis asked backing away to look at Zecora. “You must be insane, you know that?”

“What is so odd about it? This one made your clothes, we both live under the same roof. We shared secrets, we saved each other’s lives. We even fought side by side. Isn’t that what families do? Watch out for each other?”

Zecora’s legs began to shake and then she fell down on her back. It didn’t take long for Chrysalis to appear in front of Zecora’s face. That was the backlash of using the brews in that manner. Through direct contact with the skin, the brews could also act on unwanted targets.

“What happened to you?! Are you ok?!”

“This one is fine. It would seem that all the tension from the hunt finally caught up to this one,” Zecora put on her best smile, she was free now. Truly free, and she pulled herself out of the fear. Even if there was help from somewhere, Zecora managed to break free.

“There you go again...both you and him...both breaking every piece of knowledge I have. Trying to learn from me. Who would even try to learn from a monster?”

“Too bad. This one doesn’t see a monster here. Just like the cerulean told you once before. You are beautiful. You should be more proud of your appearance,” Zecora stared at the sky.

‘The sky is so blue today. A nice day to lay on the grass.’

“Both of you...he doesn’t act like a pony around one of their predators. And you are a zebra that is really kind to me. And if any being in that hut can be called beautiful...that would be you. Strong enough to break through the habit of running away, kind enough to give a chance to others. Loving enough to put her life on the line to protect those you care about. I can only wish to be half the mare you are.”

“If you’re worried about that, you can rest easy. This one already knows you are all of those things as well.”

“You need to stop with the compliments,” Chrysalis replied before a low growl made her grab hold of her stomach. “I guess all the spells I used must have drained me. Arden is all the way back at the hut, right?”

Zecora moved her head positively.

“Do you think you can help me out?”

Arden grunted in pain as he opened his eyes.

His eyes hurt as the light from the sky entered his retina. Arden covered his face using his hand. Then he rolled over, that was when he realized about his whereabouts.

‘This isn’t Zecora’s hut...this...these are stones...am I at the ruins?’ He thought as he felt the ground around him.

Wait.

He had been under the influence of Zecora’s potion to stay in the trance state. In other words, he had been unconscious during that event. He wasn’t awake. The scene was a lie! Just like everything else!

Arden looked down at his neck. The accessory Celestia had given him when he arrived was still there. Arden smiled at the small object, the intent of it was help him live in this new world. But the end result was it protecting him against his own mistakes and the assumptions others made about him.

Of course, the ideal scenario would be not having to need that protection. Which now was the scenario he found himself in. Arden didn’t need the protection from the crystal, he didn’t need to fear his talent. He just had to use it on his own terms.

‘Let’s put it to the test!’

Arden reached for the necklace’s lock. He had gotten through the maze, but that didn’t mean he had already fully recovered. His hands trembled for a second as they touched the lock. Arden held his breathing as he slid the lock open. As if by instinct, Arden closed his eyes while bracing himself for the pain and the hallucinations.

He felt the necklace slide down his torso. Arden stood still while the feeling of the accessory’s chain against his neck disappeared.

Nothing.

The sound of the necklace hitting the ground underneath him made Arden wince. Opening his eyes, Arden saw the ruins, exactly as they were before. The world wasn’t melting, there was no pain, he was fine.

He was fine.

Arden clenched his fists as he began to flex his arms and legs. His hands trembling with the amount of force he used. Then he extended his legs pushing himself towards the sky as he raised both his arms to the blue sea above him.

“I DID IT!!!!!!!”

Arden jumped around with joy as if had just won a competition. After a few moments of skipping around, Arden reached for the necklace and picked up off the ground. His next goal was clear...and a bit scary.

‘OK! Time to find Zecora.’ Arden thought as he gulped at three possibilities.

Number one: since he had woken up in the ruins, he could have been sleepwalking. And if that was the case, he could have done things during his sleep. Which...included Zecora being hurt by his hand.

Number two: Zecora brought him there for a reason. She was more than strong enough to carry him around. Meaning that she could have left him there because something happened to the hut or something of the sort.

Number three: He was sleepwalking. He left without Zecora noticing. And now she would be searching for him.

He pleaded that either the second or the last possibility was the one to prove themselves real. Arden squeezed the crystal on his hand as he braced himself for the next step.

‘I want to understand.’

Suddenly the world turned red once more. Much more vivid and detailed this time around. There were lights shining everywhere, but the forest was quiet.

‘Too far, perhaps?’ he concluded as he scanned the vicinity.

Arden kept looking around him for a few moments before something came to him. A single feature he was acquainted with that happened whenever his talent began to function.

There was no pain. His head and eyes didn’t hurt before the change occurred. Arden only noticed the change because of the color the world assumed, not because of his pain.

‘Even that was a sign of my rejection? I was in very deep...’

Arden continued to scan the area around him until he heard a couple of voices that made his body stiffen.

'This one is glad. It's finally over. And this...this one didn't expect this...'

Arden felt warmth mixed joy take over his chest. That voice...it could only be...

'I have a family. I have creatures that care for my well being. And I...I...'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkpG-_v0yPc&t=145s

The feeling got stronger. Those two voices could only belong to them. Arden felt tears forming in his eyes as his body began to move on his own. His pace slowly picking up as the song rose. He was free, he felt free. Their voices breaking through the fear that had taken over him during the dream.

There were no restraints, Arden moved through the forest as if he had wings. Those two beacons showing him the path towards them. Arden didn’t feel hunger, he didn’t feel the weight from before whenever he used his eyes. He was glad.

Glad that he could hear them, glad that he could understand them, could see them. His training though incomplete allowed him to swiftly move around. Some mistakes here and there caused him to tumble and lose his balance. But he didn’t stop.

Or rather, Arden couldn’t stop.

His body wanted to run freely in that forest. His mind wanted to fly through the wilderness. His heart demanded that he kept going towards the lights. Every fiber of his being was focused on the task of reaching those beams. All of the parties signaling that he could do it, he HAD to do it.

The wind seemed to be following Arden. Propelling him forward, making him travel faster, while also making his task all the more difficult. More stumbling and a slight touch of nausea accompanied by a faint headache came as he gained the forest.

He was nearly there.

The voices becoming clearer with every single step. The feelings getting stronger, threatening to crush his heart as they mixed with his own emotions. Arden’s heart rate increased with every inch he gained on the lights. The run seemed to last forever in his mind, but he was well aware that he was running for just a couple of minutes.

There they were. Past the tree, over the rocks, around the fallen log. Finally, he could reach them. Finally, he could hold Zecora in her arms.

He jumped out of a big bush. His vision returned to normal seeing the clearing beyond and stopping the song. And before him, the ones that led him there. And they were…kissing?

Chrysalis heard the sounds of heavy breathing. Her eyes shot open as she began to scan the area around her. That’s when she saw him.

‘No way...’

Chrysalis’ ears dropped as her pupils shrunk.

There he was. Arden was wide awake, tears were streaming down his face. His shoulders were moving up and down without stopping. He seemed to be out of breath.

‘Did he finish the treatment? Is he back to normal? Why is he smiling at us while crying?!’

Cold sweat ran down her spine as she broke away from Zecora as fast as she could.

“What is it? Did you get enough?” The zebra asked as she tilted her head, a faint blush tinged her cheeks.

Chrysalis tried to speak. She could feel her jaw moving up and down, however, no sound came forth. Chrysalis’ eyes kept darting between the zebra and the unicorn non-stop. Zecora must have picked up on that because she turned her head toward Arden.

‘What am I going to do?! Zecora likes him and he likes her back! I was kissing her! It was a ‘heat of the moment’ thing! He is going to break down! I-I have to do something!!!’

Chrysalis raised both her arms as if she was surrendering. Arden’s body began to move. In her mind, time seemed to slow down. She braced herself for the worst and closed her eyes.

“YOU ARE BOTH OK! HA-HA-HA-HA!”

What she felt, however, was her body being lifted off from the ground. Chrysalis’ eyes shot open to see that both her and Zecora were being hugged by the stallion while he spun them around. He was still crying, but his laughter and smile were clear signs of how he felt.

“Y-you’re n-not angry?” Chrysalis managed to ask.

“Are you kidding?! Up until a few minutes ago, I thought I had killed Zecora!” He placed them on the ground.

Then he proceeded to hold Zecora in his arms as if he hadn’t seen her in decades. Chrysalis would have been in utter shock if it hadn’t been for his last statement.

“Wait, what?” Chrysalis asked before he lunged at her too.

“Sorry,” he said chuckling. Then he let go of her. “During the whole trance thing, I was forced to fight and defeat Zecora! I did something stupid, then Zecora picked up my sword and stabbed herself...”

His expression turned dark after saying that. His shoulders dropped and he stared at the ground for a few moments. But he suddenly sprung back to his usual self just as Zecora placed her hand on his shoulder.

Chrysalis watched him smile and grab hold of Zecora’s hand. His eyes seemed to glow as he looked at her.

“So...you’re not angry about the...you know,” Chrysalis asked while preparing herself for a quick escape.

“You two kissing? I will admit the sting of jealousy. But...” Chrysalis’ eyes widened as she witnessed Arden’s eyes shift. “I kinda got the gist of what was going on. Of course, I don’t know the details. Just something about being free and loving the zebra that had just become your family. I apologize for that. I wanted to see if I was in the clear. Then I accidentally overheard you two.”

“Y-You’re ok then?” Zecora asked rushing to Chrysalis’ side. “You’re healed?!”

“Thanks to you two, yes!” he exclaimed raising both of his arms to the sky.

Chrysalis looked to Zecora, hoping to see her smiling and probably crying. However, what she saw was the zebra looking at herself.

“Uh...what’s wrong?” The unicorn asked tilting his head.

“This one was under the influence of toxins she used for...never mind! The issue is that this one is now moving normally,” Zecora stated looking at her own body.

“I’m the culprit,” Chrysalis intervened, scratching her neck. “I used a spell while we were...you know. And I cured you.”

“I am slightly concerned about this thing with the toxins,” Arden said with a frown. “But you two can fill me in when you’re willing to do so. The vibes I’m getting right now tell me that you two been through something that still needs to be digested. So, back to the hut!” He said while pointing straight at the hut’s direction.

Chrysalis just sighed and gestured him to lead the way. Arden walked past them, Chrysalis followed. She took a few steps before realizing a set of hooves were missing on their march. Chrysalis looked over her shoulder and saw Zecora standing still with a horrified expression in her face.

“What’s going on, zebra?” Chrysalis asked while using her magic to also stop Arden.

“The village. Gamba said he did something to make the villagers give away this one’s location! We must go there, now!”

“Who’s Gamba? And what do you mean by ‘did something to the villagers’?”

“We don’t have time! He could have poisoned them or worse! They may need help!” Zecora concluded, grabbing hold of Arden’s shoulders, but then, her ears dropped. “However, they might deny this one’s help...just like they deny any interactions...”

‘Damn those villagers! She could easily help them if they just allowed her to do so! And they even gave away where she was...they don’t deserve her concern!’ Chrysalis thought as she began to fume. Those bastards could die for all she cared.

“In that case,” Arden said walking past them once more. “Why don’t we break this habit of theirs?”

“W-what?” Zecora stuttered while he continued on his way, this time towards Ponyville.

“Let’s make them see who you really are, what else?” he said, looking over his shoulder. “Are you coming, Chrysalis?”

“And what disguise should I use?! I don’t have any idea of what ponies that aren’t there now! I’ll be caught!”

Arden shrugged. “Just disguise yourself as Zecora and say you’re her twin, Zephyr. That should be a decent name, right?”

“Why should I help them?! They put us in danger!”

“Because it’s this one’s fault,” Zecora intervened, “this one rescued you, she will rescue the others Gamba has hurt!”

“Besides, if we don’t take the steps to break bad habits, who will?” Arden said while heading out the clearing with Zecora following them.

“B-but—FINE! But only because Zecora wants to help!” Chrysalis huffed, activating her disguise and turning into Zecora.

(Ponyville)

A huge group of ponies was gathering at the city hall. All of them bearing all the weapons they could find. They had done that once before, but back then was because of fear. Now?

Now it was out of rage.

“You are all pathetic creatures. None of you could ever hope to defeat a superior warrior like myself.”

There was no question that the zebra in the forest was the cause. She brought that misfortune upon them. They would make her pay.

The zebra would pay.

“Dear citizens! The mares, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity are currently in the hospital. Rest assured, the three are receiving the best treatment we can provide! So, for now—”

“LISTEN UP!” Rainbow Dash rushed in front of the mayor. “That freak attacked our friends! All because he wanted the witch Zecora! I say she is the cause of this problem! Are we going to stand and watch her bring misfortune to us?”

“NO!”

“Will we stay hidden in fear once more?!”

“NO!”

“Will we fight and defeat her?!”

“YES!”

Fluttershy watched from the sidelines as Rainbow continued her speech. The hospital window allowed her to see the scene unfolding at the town. Her acute hearing allowed her to even hear the smallest rats was serving her immensely right now.

‘Things are repeating again. Just like Arden a year ago. Sure we were dealing with a zebra, but that doesn’t mean we can assume they were aligned with Zecora. The way he talked...he sounded like he was hunting Zecora.’

“My precious possession. She fled to this rundown place. I will return Zecora to where she rightfully belongs. These three are just the beginning. Tell me where she is or even the children will meet the same fate! NOW!”

Fluttershy tried to remember how Zecora used to act. She would come to town, stop in front of some stores. The clerks wouldn’t open, she sat down and waited for several minutes before leaving without causing any trouble. That stallion, however, was crazy about showing off and attacking others. He even took the time to select three mares that were surprised by his rampage to show his point. Then he did something with a needle and the three were on the ground.

‘I think he wasn’t with Zecora. I think I have to stop them! But...but I can’t. I would need to stand in front of them. I would need to speak my mind to all of them! I-I can’t! I can’t do it!!’

“Fluttershy, would you be so kind as to close that window?” Nurse Redheart asked from behind her causing Fluttershy to jump a little. Fluttershy caught a low purr coming from the nurse, her tail moving to the sides in a cat-like manner.

"U-um, Red Heart. Y-you're..." Fluttershy stated pointing at her own throat.

“Sorry about that. I just got through that little 'inconvenience'. I'm glad to get back to work. Though I wish I came back at a more peaceful time," Red Heart replied as she cleaned her throat causing the purring to stop, just like her waggling tail. "But the villagers are being really illogical right now. The violent noises won’t do well for the patients. Until we figure out what to do, we can only offer rest and treatment for the symptoms as they come.”

“I-I understand...” Fluttershy muttered closing the window. “W-what do you make of Zecora?”

“The so-called witch? I can’t say she has done much to earn the hostility she gets.” Redheart replied, covering Rarity, who was shaking.

“Y-you think so too?”

“Well, I worked a bit on the borders of Equestria before coming here. During that time, I met a few zebras. They seemed rather peaceful. Sure, their habits and customs are different from ours. But who am I to judge?”

“D-do...d-do you think t-they are making a mistake?”

Redheart ministered something to Pinkie who seemed to be in pain. “Probably. If a zebra did this to them. It will probably take a zebra, or at least someone with the knowledge of a zebra to undo it. They are going in for the kill. That attitude only brings more injured to hospitals. And usually has a bittersweet end. They got the revenge, but end up losing something in the process.”

Fluttershy watched her three friends breathing heavily while shifting underneath their sheets. With the corner of her eye, she saw Redheart opening the door for the room. Fluttershy began twiddling with her thumbs. “W-what would you do then? I-if you could do something that is.”

“If it was up to me. I would try to either reason with the crowd or try to warn Zecora and have her lay low for a bit. I’ll be back in thirty minutes.” Redheart said before closing the door behind her.

“A pony will never stand a chance against a Zebra. You’re ignorant to the weapons around you. You flee instead of facing the danger. Your species is doomed to fail. These three are just the first ones to fall six feet under.”

‘I need to warn Zecora! Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie need her help! If I help her...she might be able to undo this!’

With a mixture of courage and hesitation, Fluttershy opened her wings. She walked up to the window, opened it, jumped out, closed the window again, and flew toward the Everfree while trying to avoid the crowd’s eyes.

“Fluttershy?! Don’t go in there!!!

Unluckily for her, Rainbow Dash had begun to fly while riling up the group of armed ponies. Which meant that Rainbow Dash had gotten much more observant. Ignoring the cries of her friend, Fluttershy landed by the edge of the Everfree. She closed her eyes so that she would not be stopped by her own fears and dashed into the wild forest.

‘Keep going! Keep Going! KEEP GOING!’

Fluttershy’s eyes shot open as she let out the loudest scream she could muster, “DON’T STOP!”

Then she bumped headfirst into something, causing her to fall on her back.

“O-ow...” she grunted almost whispering.

“Hey! It’s...um...Fluttershy! That was it, right?” a voice she had heard once before said.

She looked up and saw Arden.“A-Arden?” she heard before something hit the top of her head. “Ow!”

“That’s for assuming I was possessed and making the ENTIRE city come beat me up! You could have asked what was up!” The stallion was wrapped up in bandages and looking like he had been through a lot. Fluttershy kept rubbing the area he smacked. “I didn’t hit too hard, did I?”

“You know this yellow pegasus?” Another voice called out from behind him. “This one will see if you hurt the mare.”

Much to Fluttershy’s surprise, the second voice was Zecora! That was the very first time she ever heard the zebra’s voice. It was calm and she seemed to talk in a weird manner. The zebra approached her and gently examined the area. Her touch was delicate and Zecora was very through with the examination. Fluttershy could feel Zecora stretching the skin very slowly, then moving Fluttershy’s mane to the sides without pulling it.

“There. No injury has been done. Here this one will help you up,” Zecora said with a warm smile, offering her hand.

“T-thank y-you,” Fluttershy took Zecora’s hand and got up.

“What are you doing here?” A third voice asked, this one much similar to Zecora’s voice.

Fluttershy looked behind Zecora, only to see another Zecora with blueish eyes standing up with a stern look on her face.

“U-um...” Fluttershy stammered trying to figure out what to say.

“This one is called Zephyr, we are twins,” she said crossing her arms.

“Oh, ok,” Fluttershy replied before remembering the reason for her entering the forest. “Z-Zecora! Y-you need to h-hide! T-the villagers t-think that the zebra that a-attacked our friends was w-with you! T-they are coming here to...to...”

“They’re going to do what they did to me, right?” Arden asked walking past them. “Let’s get going. You were right about that Gamba causing some sort of trouble at Ponyville.”

“W-who is Gamba?” Fluttershy asked, turning to Arden.

“Don’t know. And right now we should concern ourselves with the mob coming towards us. They are very angry.”

Fluttershy could see his eye, they had changed just like that day, the very reason that led to him leave the town. Back then he had called those eyes damned. She could remember the look of pain he bore when he first used them in public. Now, however, he looked proud of them.

“Are you sure, Cerulean?” Zecora asked walking up to him. “Are you ready to go back?”

“Yep, both to face them and help you get things sorted out,” he replied, walking towards the village. Then Fluttershy heard he say something else in a low tone. “Besides, I think I should give them a piece of my mind about this mob mentality.”

Fluttershy watched Zecora follow Arden. Then she heard Zephyr walk past her mumbling to herself. “The reason as to why she needs to help those ungrateful ponies is beyond this one! They do not deserve Zecora’s kindness.”

Fluttershy watched the three figures disappear in the foliage while she stood there confused as to what to do next. That was when she heard leaves rustling behind her. Her entire body stiffened in response to the sound. Then she felt something fall on her neck.

“EEP!” she squealed rushing back to the village.

That caused her to tackle Arden and that, in turn, led to them rolling out of the forest and stopping right in front of the crowd.

“Fluttershy!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed pushing the stallion away before examining her. “Are you ok? Are you hurt?!”

“I-I’m ok,” Fluttershy replied still a bit dizzy because of the fall.

“Don’t do that again! We already had three of our friends hurt because of Zecora! I don’t want you—OW!! What gives?! Y-you?!” Rainbow exclaimed while rubbing her head.

“Zecora didn’t do shit, knucklehead! And that was for beating me up and then ganging up on me on false charges! Consider yourself lucky I stopped after just a strike on your head! This village, along with a little help from the princess and myself, nearly killed me! So your punishment just now was really light if you ask me!”

Fluttershy couldn’t help but laugh at the annoyed expression in Rainbow’s face.

‘Just like when she got scolded back at the flight-camp.’

“What are YOU doing here?” Rainbow asked as she got up while glaring at the unicorn. “I thought you had some issues to take care of and couldn’t come back!”

“If I’m here it means that I already dealt with that problem,” he said while walking past Rainbow and heading towards the villagers. “I’m gonna do the exact same to all of you later on! But right now, drop your weapons.”

Fluttershy felt a shiver run down her spine. Arden’s voice had turned cold, VERY cold. She watched the villagers slowly lower their weapons with their ears hanging low. She didn’t recall Arden being that intimidating back when he first visited the town. And she could see Arden’s back now, multiple bandages converged to the center of his torso. His shoulder blades were exposed, but the area in between them, where wings usually were, was completely exposed.

“HOLD ON A MINUTE!” a voice called out from the crowd.

‘That’s Big Mac, right?’ Fluttershy thought after connecting the voice with the face.

The bulky red stallion pushed the scared villagers to the sides while he glared at Arden, who was standing still during the scene.

“I don’t know who do you think you are. And I don’t care if the Princess is worried about you! That zebra came into town looking for Zecora and put my sister in the hospital! You have no right to defend that witch!”

“YEAH!”

“HE HURT RARITY TOO!”

“PINKIE AS WELL!”

“DEATH TO THE WITCH!”

“SHE CURSED OUR VILLAGE!”

“SHE IS A MONSTER!”

Fluttershy began to sweat as she remembered that Zecora was following Arden. And if Fluttershy had tackled Arden, Zecora could not be very far from them. If the rioters saw her, Fluttershy was certain that Zecora would be killed.

“THERE SHE IS!” Big Mac screamed as he pushed Arden to the side, or at least tried to. “WHAT?!”

Fluttershy watched in utter shock as Arden grabbed hold of Big Mac’s hand and pushed him back. What was more surprising was the gauntlet he wore. A blueish and nearly transparent piece of armor appeared on Arden’s right arm. A simple push and the red stallion fell on his behind. Then the gauntlet dispersed into multiple blue spheres.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRw9sLGPxuQ

An eerie and ominous melody began to sound around them. Fluttershy watched as Arden’s mane begun to float along with some small pebbles that were surrounding him. She couldn’t shake the feeling something bad was about to happen.

“All of you should calm down. We don’t want this situation to develop into a bigger problem, do we?” Arden’s voice made Fluttershy shiver violently as the villagers held their weapons close to their chests.

‘W-what is he going to do?’

“Arden! Stop it!” Zecora rushed to his side, ignoring the mob that wished her harm. “We are here to help the ones Gamba hurt! Not to hurt others!”

“Who said anything about hurting them?” Arden replied as a shield appeared behind Zecora and blocked an attack from Big Mac. “I just want them to stop being irrational.”

“IRRATIONAL?!” Rainbow Dash screamed as she attempted to hit them with a flying kick, only to have it blocked by another shield. “That zebra made our friends end up in the hospital! They don’t even know how to treat them!”

‘I-I need to do something! Rarity and the others aren’t going to get any better while they argue!’

“Yes, irrational. Zecora has come here to help your friends. She WANTS to help. You should at least give her a chance.”

“S-stop!”

“How exactly do you want us to believe you when you’re pulling stunts like that?!” Rainbow inquired while trying to attack from different angles, all of them blocked by the shields that had taken the form of a round bubble.

“S-stop!”

“You should have learned by now that I am not a bad pony! You should at least try to listen!”

“STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!!!!!!!” Fluttershy screamed at the top of her lungs causing every last pony in town to look at her. “Rarity and the others are in danger! Zecora is offering help! STOP BICKERING AND LET HER HELP OUR FRIENDS! RAINBOW DASH! STOP ATTACKING AND GET TO HELP HER GET WHAT SHE MAY NEED! BIG MCLNTOSH! YOU SISTER IS GETTING WORSE BY THE MINUTE AND YOU’RE THREATENING THE ONLY PONY THAT CAN HELP HER! GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF!”

Arden looked in utter shock at the yellow mare. That was not the sort of attitude he expected from her. However, what came next was.

Fluttershy’s eyes widened as she stared at all of them. Her face slowly turning red as a tomato. She lowered her head and tried to cover her face with her mane, then she began fidgeting, a LOT. Suddenly she let out a small ‘EEP’ and bolted to a random building shaped like a cake and locked the door.

“I kinda expected that last part...but the first half I didn’t see coming,” Rainbow Dash said staring at the building where Fluttershy hid.

“What she said,” Arden said smiling and dismissing the bubble. “How exactly do you want to tackle this Zecora?”

“First, This one needs to see the ill. Based on the symptoms and what was used this one can try to isolate whatever was used on them and see if it has an antidote.” Zecora replied with certainty.

“Ok, then. Rainbow!” Arden shouted getting the attention of the mare. “Do you know what the zebra did to your friends?”

“I-I do! He stung them with some weird white needle! Then the three fell down unconscious!”

“Unconscious you say?” Zecora said scratching her chin. “A white needle that led to instant slumber...He must have used Black Mamba. This one will need some flowers, purple vines that grow at the edge of the Everfree, and a bit of sugar.”

“OK, Zephyr!” Arden called to the woods causing Chrysalis to come out. “Go with Zecora to get the flowers. Is there a flower shop here in town?” Arden asked the crowd that was still dumbfounded by Fluttershy’s scream.

“Y-yes!” A mare with a red mane and cream colored coat answered dropping her weapon, a sharp knife. “My friends and I run a flower shop. I’ll take you there.”

“Rainbow! Go get the sugar. Big Mac, come with me to get the roots. I’m slightly drowsy and I think I may pass out,” Arden admitted placing his hand on his forehead.

“Ok,” the big stallion said, shaking his head.

“The rest of you, clear out the way and help the others if you can!” Arden ordered with conviction.

“OK!” The crowd replied before splitting up.

Arden headed back to the wood followed by Big Mac. The ground was moving around a bit, making it harder for him to move around and seeing what was around him.

‘This feels more like waking up from anesthesia. I think I’m going to throw up.’

Arden hunched over and tried to get his bearings. He was about to throw up when he saw the vines he had been looking for.

“Big Mac! I found them!!!!” Arden screamed causing the red stallion to come up like a freight train. “We need to...get...this to...Zecora...” Arden managed to say before everything went black.

'Great! He passed out! Now I have to get both of them to the hospital!'

Big Mac picked up the flimsy stallion and carried over his shoulder. Then he grabbed hold of the vines and pulled them out. The thorns weren't big enough to get through his skin, so he didn't even flinch. Big Mac placed the vines on his pocket and rushed out of the forest.

It didn't take very long for them to make it to the hospital. Working on the farm helped him keep in shape. As soon as he stepped into the building, Red Heart came running to him.

"Your friends have already arrived. Let's head there quickly," She said leading the way.

"What about this one?" Big Mac asked gesturing to Arden, who was still unconscious.

“There is an empty bed in the room we’re heading to. We can put him there. Now come!”

Redheart guided him through the halls, making sharp turns and climbing stairs until she led him to a room. She pulled them inside, Zecora and Zephyr were there as well as Rainbow. The two zebras seemed to be mixing something in a vial while Rainbow was pacing around staring at the sisters.

“Make haste! We need the sap from those vines! Have them crushed and then make the sap fall into the mix.” Zecora explained while shaking the vial gently.

Big Mac didn’t hesitate, he handed Arden’s body to Redheart and walked up to Zecora and Zephyr.

“Are these the ones you need?” He asked, pulling out the vines, which Zecora snatched without hesitation and began to manipulate.

“Thank you,” Zephyr said as she walked past Big Mac. “Zecora can handle the rest of the potion. I’ll go check on our patient.”

The new zebra pulled one of the curtains preventing Big Mac from seeing what she was doing with Arden’s body.

‘How in Tartarus did that weak little stallion push me back? I put enough force to send him flying. But he was the one to send me flying like a piece of paper! I am not going to let that go. I’m gonna get stronger than that unicorn!’

The sudden sound of the curtains being pulled back made Big Mac jump a bit.

“Out little idiot over here was not in the condition to be running. He was mentally exhausted, and coming back here on such short notice only made him crumble much faster. This one wouldn’t recommend any magic casting for about two days or so. But other than that, his symptoms have completely receded. His mental health was restored, plus there is no more pain, apparently at least. Congratulations, Z, you saved the cerulean.”

“Good! This one is glad. Nurse, could you be so kind as to give these potions to them? Just make sure they drink the entirety of the liquid.” Zecora’s tone was polite as she handed three small vials to Redheart.

“No problem. Big Mac, can you administer the potion to your sister?”

“Sure.”

Big Mac picked the vial before heading towards his sister. He lifted her head, then opened her mouth and finally made the potion enter. Big Mac slowly made sure that all of the vial’s content was ingested by his little sister.

‘Please work! Save my sister!’

A few seconds after taking in the potion, Big Mac watched his sister breathing return to normal. Big Mac looked to the side, Pinkie’s pained expression diminished. And Rarity didn’t seem to be shaking anymore.

Zecora walked up to Applejack and examined her. “The response was too quick. Gamba must’ve diluted the poison with quick paralysis solutions. The idea of this poison was causing a quick death. Now, it has been converted into a torture poison.”

“Will she be ok?” Big Mac asked.

Zecora replied with a warm smile. “The poison was dealt with quickly. Give them a few hours. They will be ok in no time, this one is sure of it.”

Big Mac stared at the scene for a moment. A tall and strong looking mare with a gentle smile. Emerald green eyes that seemed to be the same color as the leaves on their apple orchard. Her body seemed to be built up by her life in the jungle, curvy, beautiful eyes, caring. He had only seen her under that hood. Now that the hood was gone he could see a lot about her he was too scared to even notice before.

‘Maybe I can offer to put up a good word for her around town? That should start to make up to her, right? I could even get a bit closer and learn more about this witch.'

“You are a good brother. Take care of her and she will be up soon. This one is going to see the-”

“The cerulean?” The familiar voice of the blue stallion called out from the other corner of the room. “I’m fine. Just a bit winded. Thanks for the concern, Zecora.”

Big Mac watched as Zecora walked up to the banged-up stallion. She began to examine him before hugging him. Big Mac reacted immediately by clenching his fist. Which caused him to look at his own hand.

‘W-What am I doing?’

“Hey. I think that once everypony here is back on their hooves we should gather the citizens. Then we need to do something about this mob behavior.” The stallion said while returning the gesture, which caused Big Mac to repeat the fist clenching.

Zecora broke away from the gesture, causing Big Mac to relax. “This one agrees. There are habits that all beings need to break free from.”

Then she kissed Arden.

A slight sting began to bother Big Mac. First, the little blue pops up out of the forest and pushes him like he was made of paper. He then proceeds to order Big Mac around as if he was in charge. Big Mac had ignored that moment since Arden was offering help to his sister. Still, it was quite the blow for his ego in both events.

Big Mac had always been proud of his strength. He had worked hard on all of his traits, manual labor with some exercises. Daily work that he had done religiously for at the very least eighteen years. He was built like a brick wall. No pony in town could ever hope to match up with Big Mac in terms of raw power. He could carry at least five big iron anvils on his back without breaking a sweat.

He was clearly the superior male in terms of strength. Arden could not match up with that. Not with that puny body.

Then why?

'Why did I lose to that little unicorn?'

(In another place, at another time)

The terrifying blur began to fade, he fell on flat on his muzzle. Excruciating pain on his arm, every sound, every light, every touch was a painful experience. But that terrifying sight was fading, and his heart was beginning to go back to normal. The dirt and foliage stuck to him.

He had been beaten. He had been humiliated. He forced himself to stand up. He could not tell where he had come from. His mind had been in a haze since he saw the black monster.

“What did they? Those bastards. I am going to get them for that. They are going to suffer.”