>Eventually, you begin to feel yourself coming out of your unconscious state
>You feel much better this time around, and sit up quicker than you did the first time
>Looking up at the sky, it's unbearably bright out
"It must be afternoon......did I seriously stay the whole night and half the day here knocked out?"
>You just hope that nothing was inserted into you while you were asleep
>You glance over to your side, what's left of Carl's obliterated jar is still there. But no sign of your bug bro
>You struggle to fight back the tears. He wouldn't want to see you this way
>Taking about a minute to shakily get to your hooves, your left arm still has a tinge of pain every now and then from the shrapnel cuts
>You feel a burning anger building up inside
"Carl....I promise that I will find who did this and avenge you. I promise..."
>With that, you begin to slowly walk away from the area, back to the trail
>You're feeling weak. You're probably dehydrated
 
 
>Taking a few more steps, you begin to stumble
"Something is defiantly not right..."
>You need to find a water source soon, or you may not be able to make in back into town like this
>Mustering what's left of your energy, you put on your Jean disguise, making sure that it appears that you look totally healthy
>Slinking along the path, you can see a stream up ahead
"Come on Biggs....just keep it together a little longer"
>Hauling yourself steadily forward, you finally make it to the clear, inviting water
>Simply collapsing, you stick your face in the stream and begin to drink, making sure not to take in too much at once, throwing up is the last thing you need
>After a few minutes of alternating between drinking and resting, you get up, feeling much stronger
>You may not be at %100, but you defiantly aren't going to kill over
"I've got to get home, get cleaned up, and get some rest for tonight"
>You mentally assure yourself that this is the last straw. You're walking away injured, and Carl has been killed. This ends tonight
>Mustering yourself to a jog, you exit the park
 
 
>As you go along the streets, you notice that there are increased patrols of guards nearly everywhere you go. There's also less civilians than usual out in the town
>Has something happened while you were unconscious? You've never seen so many guards patrolling as there are now
"I'll figure it out latter, I gotta get cleaned up first"
>You're still a few blocks away from the bakery, but are making good time considering how banged up you are
>Some ponies that you pass by seem to be eyeing to quizzically. Maybe your your disguise doesn't look as healthy as you thought?
>You'll deal with that latter too, you're almost home
"I never bothered to ask if the Cakes had any first aide supplies. I sure as hell hope that they've got some laying around."
>Finally, you make it to the front step
>Unlocking it, you walk inside and shut the door behind you, making sure to carefully re lock it
 
 
>The front room is empty. Maybe nobody is home?
>Before you go any further, you put your ear against the front door
>Those ponies looked a bit suspicious, so you need to make sure that a lynch mob isn't following you home if someone figured out the truth
>A few minutes of silence. That's good, maybe they were just wondering why you looked to be in such a hurry?
>Turning back around, you begin to sneak into the house
>You can't let anyone notice you before you get cleaned up, lest you give something away
>As you snoop around the first floor, and make your way up the stairs, you confirm that no one is home
"Well, that's good for now, but I've got to find some medical supplies"
>Now where would they be?
 
 
"Well, this is a bakery, so is does have some bladed hazards. Maybe the Cakes have a large first aid kit in the kitchen?"
>You begin to trot back downstairs
>If nothing's there, you consider checking the bathroom, and possibly where Carl's spare jar was
>Entering the kitchen, you look at the multitude of cabinets and drawers
"Lets see now......"
>You start at the end of the room closest to you and begin searching
"Pans.....cutlery....cans......"
>You're almost out of drawers to check
>Turning around in dismay, you notice a medium sized cabinet on the wall
>"That might have something in it..."
>Opening it, you find the elusive medical kit
>You open it up, and search through it, pulling out the various supplies that you need. Bandages, rubbing alcohol, medical tape
>You sit down and begin to work on yourself
"Oh Biggs, you've really banged yourself good this time" You state as you wash the two shrapnel cuts
>As this is going on, your mind begins to wander to last nights events
 
 
>You think about what you've encountered the last few hours
>The crime scene, the explosion, Carl
>Oh Carl.....
"No. No, now's not the time. I gotta finish this up quickly"
>Figuring out what the hell happened last night is important, but you'll do that afterwards
>You focus back to the task at hand; patching yourself up
>Wincing as you give your wounds a final rub with the disinfectant, you begin to place sterile bandages on them
"Now where's that medical tape......."
>Digging around a little in a pile of supplies, you locate it, and begin to wrap it around your left arm
>It's looking good so far, you'll be done in no time
>Then that's when you hear it
>You nearly leap as you hear someone placing a key in the front door's lock
 
 
>Your mind begins to race
>You begin to pack up the supplies, desperately stuffing them in the bag
"Almost......there!"
>You quickly throw the first aid kit back in it's original location, making sure that you keep the tape out, you'll need that
>The door opens, and you can hear hoof steps in the other room
>Ok Biggs, not to worry, just come up with a believable back story. You tripped and got a couple cuts or something
>"Jean? Jean are you here?"
>It's Pinky
 
 
>You clam yourself down
"Hey Pinky, I'm in the kitchen"
>You hear her turn around and begin to trot to you
>Soon, she appears through the doorway
>"There you are! I've been so worried"
>You see her eyes shift to your half finished tape job on your left arm
>She recoils in surprise
>"Jean your arm! What's going on?"
>You consider your options
>You could tell her about the mine exploding, but you're unsure of how she'll react
>You decide that you'll just lie, you yourself still haven't figured out what exactly happened, and you don't want her to panic or jump to conclusions
"Oh this? I uh, I was just walking through the park last night. I felt something hit me and I just kind of blacked out. But it isn't bad! Just a cut. But I'm not sure exactly what happened"
>She eyes you worriedly
>"You don't know what happened? That sounds very disturbing Jean. What were you even doing at the park?"
"I was still looking for Carrot Top"
>"Oh! Carrot Top. Well you'll be happy to know that we rounded up a search party, and Twilight was able to get the Royal Guard into high gear to find her"
>That's reassuring
 
"Pinky.....when I woke up today in the park.....Carl was gone. I couldn't find him anywhere"
>"Carl? Are you sure that he just didn't crawl away after you got hurt? He must have been scared"
>Not possible, you saw the jar after the blast. There was barley anything left
"I...I don't know Pinky. But I hope you're right."
>"Oh Jean, come here"
>She embraces you in a hug, and there you two sit for a few minutes
>Finally you speak up
"Listen Pinky. I think that somethings seriously wrong with Auckland. I think he might be behind Carrot Top's disappearance"
>She looks at you with a mix of curiosity and disbelief
>"What do you mean?"
"Look, he was spending a lot of time with her before she went missing, and I don't want to jump to conclusions, but that should be considered a prime suspect in any situation"
>"But Jean....Auckland has been indispensable in the search for her. He's probably covered more ground than me and my friends combined. He looks genuinely concerned for her safety"
 
 
>You're sure that all his "effort" is just a ruse to throw the ponies off
"Pinky, once again, I don't want to accuse anyone. But he told me that he walked her home the night before. When I checked out her house the next day, nobody seemed to have been there recently. The bed didn't even look like it was slept on"
>"Now, now Jean. I know that you're very concerned for her, but I find that hard to believe. Maybe she was kidnapped after he left? I don't know, but what I do know is that Auckland has been straining to find Carrot Top the past day"
>It's no use, she's not going to change her mind. Time to switch tactics
"Maybe you're right.....I'm just stressed out and confused. I'm sure that Auckland is trying his best to find her."
>With that, she brightens up and smiles
>"It's alright Jean, I understand that you're upset. But I promise that we'll find her. But did you find anything while you were out?"
>You can't tell her about your run in with the IED. But wait...you've still got that cigarette butt from a few days ago! It's in your torn and tattered saddle bag
 
 
"Hang on, I actually have something that might help track down the culprit"
>You reach over to your destroyed saddle bag, praying that the discarded butt wasn't lost in the blast
"Come on, I know you're in here......"
>You're hoof touches something small and paperish
"Got it!" you exclaim, pulling it out and holding it in front of Pinky
"I found this at one of the murder scenes. But I have no idea where it came from. I've never seen the brand before, and it looks like most of the name is burnt off"
>She eyes it before speaking up
>"A,L,D,E,L......what's an Aldel?"
"I don't know, but I think it's some type of rare brand maybe. I wish we had the full name though. The killer must smoke a very particular type of cigarette."
>She looks at you hopefully
"Jean, that's actual a good find! Listen, I'm going to meet up with my friends to look for Carrot Top before the meeting at city hall tonight. I'll tell them about this when I see them"
>......city hall meeting?
 
"City hall meeting? What's going on?"
>"Well it actually was just announced about an hour ago. Supposedly it's an emergency meeting, the whole town should be there. Mr. Auckland requested it
>Fucking Auckland..... you know that he's up to something
>"But I have to go to meet up with my friends. Here, just take the cigarette, look up what Aldel is, maybe you'll find an answer to where it came from"
>That's not a bad idea, you've got a few dictionaries laying around, you'll defiantly do that
"Alright sounds good Pinky"
>You attempt to stand up, but she gentle pushes you down again
>"Now Jean, you stay here, and try not to move around much. You need to heal up. I'll see you after I get back when the meeting ends at 10"
>10? That gives you a few hours, it's only 6
"Well.....alright. Stay save"
>She kisses you on the head and trots out the door, yelling "I love you!" as she shuts it
>You resume wrapping up your arm. You need to find out what 'Aldel' is
 
 
>You soon finish dressing up your wounds
>They actual are starting to feel much better after getting cleaned out
"There we go, nothing can slow Biggs down"
>You place the medical tape back
"Now it's time to get some answers"
>Running upstairs, you pull all the dictionaries off of your bookshelf
"Let's see now.....Aldel....where could it be?"
>Looking down the entire page of the first one, you can't find anything that resembles the word, let alone starts out with the letters
>You groan and throw it aside, reaching for another
>After about 20 minutes, you expended all of the books, to no avail
"This is odd.....I couldn't even find a word that started out with 'Aldel'......"
>Wait. Idea.
"Maybe a store in town has the brand!"
>You know of at least one place that carries a few unusual brands
>It's better than nothing
>Grabbing a spare saddle bag, you place the cigarette into it, and walk downstairs
>Making sure that the coast is clear of any potential enemies outside, you open the door, and lock it behind you
>Now where was that store?
 
 
>Racking your memory, you recall some pony mentioning that is down on the East End of town
>Not surprising, there's some exotic clothing and other odd shops down that way
>You begin to sprint in that direction. It's going to take a while to get to, it's on the edge of town
After a few minutes of running, you flag down a rough looking stallion
"Hey, I was in the mood for some exotic smokes. I know that there's a store on the east end that sells them, do you happen you know what street it's on?"
>He eyes you intently
>"Heh, well, you look like the kind of guy that enjoys a good smoke. But yeah, it's on Remora Avenue. Little ways past the wine shop."
"Thanks mister, you take care"
>"You take care yourself....it's a rough neighborhood"
>And with that, he walks off
"Alright, Remora Avenue, past a wine shop. Sounds easy enough"
>You run off towards the east yet again
>After a few minutes, you decide to take a shortcut down the alley, it might take a few minutes off of your trip
>As you hear the rhythmic echos of your hooves making contact with the ground, you become aware of another sound, similar to something running a little distance behind you
>Turning around, you stop and scan the alley way
>You hear one last echo of movement...and then nothing
 
 
>You take a couple of steps forward
>.......Still silent
>You consider bolting around the corner and ambushing whatever is following you, but decide that it isn't a good idea.
>There could be a whole gang back there, you don't want to go out like a punk
"Fuck this, I'm out" you whisper
>You begin to slowly back away, looking behind you every so often
>Still no signs of life.....maybe you were just imagining it?
>You begin to run down the alley way again, listening for a pursuer
>No further strange echos. Whatever it was, it's gone
>You rocket out the end of the alley, into a dingy looking part of town
"There's the wine shop!"
>Looking down the street, you spot Remora Avenue and run over to it
>Looking up and down both sides of the road, you spot the corner store
"That's it" you mutter, walking over to it
>You look in the window. It's a dark, and dirty looking place. But you can see racks of smokes behind the counter pony
>You open the door and walk in
 
 
>You walk over to the counter, ready to figure this mystery out
>The counter pony is a mean looking stallion. Unkempt coat and mane, eye patch, the works
>He eyes you, well, with his one good eye, as you casually approach the counter
"Excuse me, do yo-"
>"Ya here for the hookers?"
>Nigga what?
"Uhhh"
>"They're right back there" he gruffly says, pointing to a back door
>Dude, no. You aren't here to catch PIV
"Actually no. I just came for some cigarettes"
>"Oh sure, we've got plenty of those. What's your brand?"
"Well that's the thing, I'm not sure"
>"That's fine, we've got a fine selection. A lot of foreign stuff to, only place you can get it in town"
>You reach into your saddle bag and pull out the cigarette butt
"Well here's the thing, my brother loves to smoke this brand, but I never bothered to ask him what it was exactly. I'd like to surprise him with a pack, but all I've got is this butt with half the name burnt off. Do you happen to have any brands that start with 'Aldel'?"
>He just stares at the butt for a couple seconds
>"Aldel? I've never heard of that. Give it here son"
>You comply and he takes a good look at it
>He suddenly throws his head back and lets out a hardy laugh
"What's so funny?"
>The stallion lets out a few more chuckles, leaning up against the back wall before facing you again
"Ohhh son. You've made a mistake, this doesn't say 'Aldel' at all"
>What?
 
 
"It doesn't say Aldel? What do you mean?"
>"Looks like this butt was dropped in some dirt, son."
>He takes his other hoof and gentle scratches at it
>"Ya had a streak of dark soil between the A and the D. There ya go."
>He hands the butt back, now clearly reading ADEL
>"I don't blame ya though, the dirt was about the same shade as the letters. Ya'd have to look real close to catch that"
>You mentally face hoof, you never considered to actually get a closer look at the lettering
"Oh...well my mistake....So what exactly is Adel?"
>"Well it's short for Adelaide brand. Pretty uncommon, you brother must have some expensive taste"
>He reaches under the counter and digs around for a few moments
"Ah! I knew we had a couple boxes laying around. Here ya are"
>He shoves the box over to you
>You pick it up and examine it
>It's got a picture of what appears to be some brush on the front
"So where exactly is this stuff from?"
>"Well from Adelaide of course! It's a port in the southern Griffon Empire. Lots of dry grassland and brush and whatnot inland around it
>Griffon Empire? Brush land?
>You knew it. You fucking knew it!
 
 
>You snap out of it, and look to the clerk
>You consider telling him all about the murders and asking him for possible protection, he must know a few gangs, right?
>Biggs, what are you doing? That'll take at least an hour to wheel and deal with, you have to do something now
"So uh, how much does this pack cost?"
>"Well that there is 30 bits"
>30 freaking bits? You can't afford that. Besides, you don't want anyone connecting you to buying these cigarettes, you might end up getting blamed for the killings
"Woah! I can't believe that my brother spends so much on smokes! Sorry man, but that's too rich for my blood"
>"Well, suit yourself. Anything else you need?"
>Yeah, a solid axe to drive into a bird's skull
"No, I don't believe so, but thank you anyway"
>He gives you a grunt and a nod, and you quickly move out the door
>You've got to find Pinky
>You look at a street clock
>6:55. She should be home by now
>You sprint off towards home faster than you've ever gone before
>Even on your hurt leg, you must be setting a land speed record, adrenalin pumping through your veins
>Making sure to stick on the main road to avoid confrontations with the wrong crowd, you rocket through town
>You'll just meet her at home, tell her what you found, and you can bust Auckland before the town meeting. It's fool proof
>After about 15 minutes of running you're only a block from home
"Don't worry Pinky, I'm coming"
>You screech to a halt on the sidewalk
>As you walk up to the door, you notice something is wrong
>A window is smashed in
 
 
>No. No this is not happening
>You begin to think about what that griffon is doing to Pinky in there
>Most likely torturing her for info, or worse
>You don't care if it's a likely trap, you've got to get in there
>You run towards the back of the house, and retrieve a decent sized hatchet that you bought to go along with your lumberjack ruse when you first moved in
"Nobody messes with my mate...."
>Stealthily heading back to the front of the house, you carefully step through the broken window, attempting to avoid breaking anymore glass
>Soon, you're inside
>There's glass all over the floor in front of the window
>All the lights are turned off
>Gripping your hatchet tight, you listen in for movement
.........dead silence
 
 
>You take a few steps inside
>You briefly consider getting help, but your attachment to Pinky tells you that you need to act now
>You sniff the air your any out of place odors
"Nothing...."
>At least nothing inside is dead....yet
>As stealthily as you can, you move into the kitchen area
>Nothing here. Not a pan out of place
>You turn the corner and search several other downstairs rooms. All yield nothing
>You turn your attention to the stair case
>You notice that there's a fallen picture on the steps that was previously on the wall
>Someone went up there
>You slowly head up the stairs, which softly creak beneath you with every step
>You reach the top of the stair case and peak around the corner
>Bathroom looks shut. Office is shut. The storage room looks secure
>........Bedroom door is slightly ajar
 
 
>You move slowly through the hallway, stopping short of the door
>You try to get a peak through the crack but can't see anything
>Maybe you should shout a warning? No, forget that. This isn't like when you attacked Royal Guard during the invasion, there could very well be a larger, more experienced hunter in there
>You need some shock and awe
>Alright Biggs, now or never. 1.....2......3!
>You kick open the door with all your might and rush in, hatchet at the ready
"Don't move griffon!!!"
>Looking this way and that in your rage, you attempt to locate a target
>Nothing. Not a living soul
"Well.....shit"
>You now focus on the state of the bedroom
>Mattress flipped over, closet contents thrown everywhere, book pages ripped out
>There must have been one hell of a struggle, or someone was looking for something
>You lift your head up to check the window
>It's closed....but what's that on the wall next to it.....
>It appears to be a note hammered into the wall......with a large changeling fang
".......f-fuck.....this isn't....this can't be happening"
 
 
>You slowly walk over to the note
>It feels like you're about to pass out
>You take a good look at the fang. It's almost as large as yours
>Getting a firm grasp on it, you begin to yank it out slowly
>Finally, the fang gives way, and the note falls to the floor
>You just stare at it for a second
"Snap out of it man..."
>You shakily reach down and grasp it, pulling it up to eye level
>You reluctantly begin to read
>"Hello 'Jean". If you're reading this, you've obviously seen my handy-work and probably know who this is, but I'll keep this short for both out sakes. I have something of yours. Actually, a couple of things. One boss, and one lover. You will follow my directions to the dot if you want to have them returned to you alive. Now read this carefully, you will arrive at 55 Deadlight Lane by 8 PM. Any later, and lets just say that your friends will regret your tardiness. You know how the orange one is strict about being on time. Also, if you attempt to tell anyone about this meeting, or attempt to bring someone with you, even to keep a watch over the outside, you will find that those decisions would be a grave mistake. In short, show up to the address, alone, by 8 tonight, if you know what's good for the one's you love
>............
>You just drop the note and lock up, not moving a muscle
 
 
>Finally finding the strength to move, you fearfully turn towards the alarm clock
>7:34
>If you need to show up by 8 PM, you need to leave. Fast. Deadlight Lane is off in a lonelier part of the town, out of the way from other residences
"Biggs....you can do this.....you can do this" you continue to mutter
>You begin to have flash backs to all the times you spent with Carrot Top
>Getting the job, walking her home after work, harvesting carrots
>Soon your thoughts wander to Pinky. Sweet, sweet Pinky.....
>You feel a tinge of anger
>You can see Carl crawling innocently on his twig right before the booby trap's explosion......
>Taken. Too soon.
"That's enough. That is enough!"
>You stomp your hoof down and turn, grabbing your hatchet once more
You nearly run into the wall as you sprint down stairs, and out onto the sidewalk
>Looking both ways, you decide to take a right
>Deadlight Lane, here you come
 
>It's starting to get dim as the sun begins to set
>A cool breeze causes the trees to shudder
>All details that you might have noticed if you were not rocketing down the street like a rabid animal
>You've only seen a few pedestrians, they seem to be making their way to the town hall
>They all give you frightened looks, but you don't care
>You're a bug on a mission
>After 15 solid minutes of sprinting, you arrive on Deadlight, totally winded
>Now where is 55?
>You run down the street, looking at house numbers
>49......51.......53......57
>What?
>You back track, to see what happened to 55
>And that's when you see it, a trail between addresses 53 and 57, leading off to a large home in the distance
>You take off down the trail, straining for energy
>Finally, you make it
>It's a nice, 3 story home. Several lights are on
>You knock on the impressive oak door
>After about 30 seconds, the door opens seemingly on it's own, revealing a dimly lit front room
 
>You're tired of the cloak and dagger crap, it's time for a beat down
>You leap into the front room, hatchet in one hand, fang in the other
>You immediately face the other side of the open door
"Stop right there criminal scum!"
>Nobody there
>You take note of your surroundings
>A large front room, with a staircase leaving to the upper floors off you your right
>A fireplace with a roaring, crackling fire to the left
>The walls are coated in mounted animal heads, with everything from dragons to manitcores.....and a changeling
>You gulp and move forward a few feet
>The door shuts behind you on it's own
"What have I gotten into....?"
>Where do you go from here?
 
 
>You decide to hang a right, there might be something on the other levels
>You slowly creep forward, eyeing the mounted heads and paintings
>You swear that a few of their eyes seem to follow you as you move
"This is fucking surreal...."
>You finally make it to the stairs, and decide to put the fang away, so that you have a steadier base when moving upwards
>You continue to check out the paintings on the way up the wood and carpet stairs. Most of them are paintings of Auckland, posing with trophy kills
>Some of the creatures that he stands over triumphantly look like the stuff of nightmares
"If this all planned, he's a master at physiological warfare....and pretty sick in the head"
>You finally make it to the dimly lit second floor
>Lots of shut doors, and a hallway that splits off left and right at the end
>You locate a light switch, and activate it
>Several lights from the ceiling turn on
"Still not too bright, but better than nothing...."
 
 
>You go off down the hallway, passing several doors
>You think of the impending fight that could be behind any of those doors
"I'm gonna need all the energy I can get for this"
>You drop your disguise to conserve love energy, feeling a little stronger afterwards
"Well, I guess any door is as good as the other"
>Kicking open the first door, you find nothing but an office, with a desk and file cabinets
>You shut the door and move to the next
>Kicking it open as well, you find a walk in closet with all sorts of khaki vests and other bush related items
>You turn around and consider your next move
"Maybe I shoul-"
>"Jean! Jean help! He's around the corner! It's a trap!"
>That was Carrot Top!
>She sounded like she was muffled after she got out that warning
"Oh you're in for a beating birdy" you yell as you run down the hallway
>You eventually reach the corner, and pull out your fang, standing on your hind legs
>You can't hear anything around the bend
 
 
>You take in a deep breath, knowing what you must do
>You begin to disguise, but something isn't right
>You must be lower on love then you thought, you can only keep it up for a few seconds at a time
>Screw it, Carrot Top wont recognize you at first, but she eventually wont care what rescues her....you hope
>At this point, you figure that Auckland is a bit mentally unstable
>You need to make him angry to cloud his sense of logic
"Hey birdy, how about a shrimp on the barbie?"
>You await his most likely rage induced response, but nothing comes
>Enough waiting, it's time
>You jump around the corner and raise your hatchet
>"Let go of Carrot.....Top?"
>You're face to face with her
>She looks unharmed, and not restrained at all
"Oh thanks god you showed Jean!"
"Carrot Top, what are yo-"
>Wait, you're undisguised.....how does she recognize you as Jean?"
"....Carrot Top....What are you doing here?"
"Oh you know, just distracting you for Rupert"
>HOLY SHIT WHAT
>Something stirs behind you
>You attempt to turn but something hard hits the back of your head, and you fall to the ground in pain
>You look up in your dazed state to see Carrot Top and Auckland standing side by side over you
>"Ya did good, sheila, ya did good"
>He gives her a quick kiss
>Oh my god this isn't real life
>"And now for you....."
>He raises the butt of his crossbow above your head
"W....wait..."
>That's all you get off as the butt of the bow descends, knocking you out cold
 
 
>You feel a cold splash across your face
>Jolting awake, you try to make sense of what's around you
>You're vision is still cloudy, you can only make out outlines until it gradually improves
You feel as though you're sitting down
>Attempt to stand up, you find that you're chained to a chair
>"Well, well. What a specimen we have here"
>You start to freak, thrashing around to no avail
>"Oh don't hurt yourself too much mate, you're chained to a chair. Which is chained to a radiator"
>You eventually concede defeat and stop struggling
>At least your vision is improving, you can now make out your killer's face
>He puts a claw under your chin and forces your head up to look him in the face
"Just...just kill me. Finish it you feathered freak"
>You see him smile
"Oh don't you worry, there'll be plenty of time for that. But for now, I need you alive mate"
 
 
>You can't take this any more
"Listen here, Its bad enough you chained me, you aren't going to humiliate me and parade me around town as a big accomplishment"
>He bursts out laughing, stepping a few feet away to a bar table
"I'm serious!"
>He just continues laughing
>He's a grade A psychopath
>Eventually he stops his chuckling, and breaks out a bottle of wine
>"Oooooh mate. You really don't get it, do you?"
>He pours himself a glass of wine and downs it
"What are you going on about, Auckland?"
>Your vision is almost 100 percent again, you can clearly see the large griffon stroll over to you
>"I'm going on about how you haven't figured it out yet. I figured that someone like you could have seen what was going on"
>He pulls out a cigarette and lights it, taking a deep breath and blowing it into your face
 
 
>You continue to stare into his eyes
>When he realizes that you weren't going to respond, he holds the cigarette in front of your face
>Adelaide
"You....you murdered all those ponies! Why?"
>He just smirks
>"Well let me just make something perfectly clear....do you even have a proper name ya bug?"
"My friends call me Biggs" you mutter out, grinding your teeth
>"Well, Biggs, I'll let you in on something. From the moment I saw you exit that bar with the pink mare, I knew what you were. I knew that I had you"
>Your jaw drops
"Th-then why didn't you just end it right there? Do what you were hired for and collect the bounty? What the hell caused you to commit those murders? Why any of this?!"
>"Biggs....you obviously don't know much of my back story, do ya?"
 
 
"Well, I never watched that Saturday morning cartoon they made about you, so no."
>He grins a little
>"Snippy little one aren't ya?"
>You just give him a hiss in return
>"Well here's the deal, bug. I spent most of my life in seclusion. I never really....fit in, you could say. When the Griffon Civil war begin, I was recruited into a sniper unit, using crossbows to stalk and kill high profile targets. It was a good time, I got some awards for my skills. But after the war ended, I was left with just that. Skills. I had no other abilities. All it seemed I was suited for was hunting."
"Oh, so you're just a social reject. Boohoo, get over it"
>A hard slap is all you get in return
>You glares at you with flames in his eyes
>After a few seconds, he appears to get a grip on himself, and his anger subsides
"Biggs, you're totally right. I was an outcast. Couldn't adjust back to society after the war. So I took up the only job that I was good at; dangerous game hunting. I spent years out in the bush, making a name for myself, slaughtering some of the most ferocious beasts in the brush-lands.....yet, all I ever received was a few bits at the market for every beast that I slayed. Nothing more."
>He begins to pace back and forth
>"Do you know what all that time alone does to a griffon Biggs? Do ya? Anyway, one day I was offered a job to rid a small town of a pest. You. And that's when I realized what must be done"
 
 
"So what are you getting at?" you ask, out of patience at his ranting
>He turns back to you
>"You see Biggs, this was my chance. My one chance to make a better life for myself. Sure, I could have tracked you in within a couple days. Sure I could have just slashed you down for the money. But in the long run, how much is 10,000 bits really? Enough to live for 8, maybe 10 months maximum. Oh no, that isn't good enough. Because you know where that places me? Right. Back. In. the. Bush."
>You think you're begin to see where this is going
>"So! I figured, if society couldn't change for me, I would change society. I initially raised the ponies fears with speeches at the town hall, about how dangerous you were. That you were capable of utter destruction. As soon as they were good and frightened, they started to give me a stipend, this house. Diplomatic immunity even."
"So why all the murders?"
>"Well Biggs, although all that stuff is nice, it still isn't enough to live off of forever. I had to intensify my plans, killing off a pony here and there, puncturing their necks with old changeling fangs to shift the blame onto you. It was then that the public really began to panic. They looked up to me, pleading for me to destroy you. Ready to give me anything that I wanted...."
>He puffs out another cloud of smoke
>"And that's why you must remain alive, for a few more hours at least. Because as long as they think that you're out there, killing civilians, they'll be willing to deal with me to a point that I'll have no financial worries. In short, I'm settling down finally. You're the start of something great Biggs, something great indeed.....my retirement plan"
 
 
>This guy is fucking nuts, he actually believes that he can get away with this?
>Maybe you could strike a deal with him? He might be crazy enough to agree to it
"Listen Auckland...I know how you feel. In a way, we're both kind of the same. We don't belong here. I'm living a charade, and so are you. In the end all we really want is a better life, to settle down. Maybe we could help each other to achieve that? I could play the monster, while posing as Jean, and you could vanquish me every few months or so. What do you say?"
>He just eyes you. He looks like he's on the verge of tears
>"Biggs. I'm sorry, but it's much too late for that. The only thing that could be done to increase my influence at this point is murdering. Murdering until I've got them in a position where they'll support me for life."
"But what about me then. How do I fit into this?
>He perks up as soon as you say that
>"After today, you'll be nothing but a pest. You see, tonight at town hall, they'll be giving me a contract that will guarantee a life long stipend after I kill you. So after that's signed, I'll "discover" you and take you out. Securing my life here"
>Fuck
"But what would Carrot Top think?"
>"Oh, she already knows everything mate. Besides, I'll need every penny to help support my future wife"
 
 
>What the hell Carrot Top?!
>You need to think of something before the lunatic leaves for the town hall
"Auckland, please. Can't you just give them an old kill and say that it was me? You've got to have something like that around here"
>"Haha, you're right Biggs, I do have some old changeling bodies here. But the problem is, that even though I've killed probably a hundred of you bastards, I've never quite had the privileged of finding one as large as you. The ponies would know that something was up if I gave them a normal sized changeling"
>Well there goes that plan
>"Besides, I know your species, give you an inch and you'll take a mile. You're back stabbers by nature. I'm not stupid enough to let ya go, even if it might benefit me. It aint worth it in the long run to set ya free"
>So that's that, you're fate is sealed
"......what about Pinky?"
>"Pinky? Oh! your mate......well, I'm afraid she knows a little too much."
>He gives you a pat on the face
>"I still need a couple more victims to pull this off"
>NO. Fucking no!
>You can't let him do this, there's got to be another way
 
 
>If only you could shape shift into something more muscular. But you're low on love, and besides, that violates the laws of conservation of mass
"Look Auckland, you can do whatever you want to me. Anything. Drive my head onto a stake in public for all I care. Just please don't hurt her"
>"Look, I'm sorry that the poor mare had to get involved. I truly am. But I've come too far to not cover up all possible sources of evidence against me. It's what has to be done"
>With that, you begin thrashing about, desperately trying to unchain yourself
>"It aint gonna work mate, you're stuck here"
>Suddenly, the door opens
>"Rupert dear, we're going to be late if we don't hurry up and get to town hall"
>Fucking cunt
>Auckland turns back to you
>"Heh. You were right about her diligence with time mate. Anyway, me and my marefirend have business to attend to, so I'll leave you here. Be back in a few hours"
>With that he begins to walk to the door
"No! No! You get back here you feathered bastard! Don't you dare leave! AUUUUCKLAND!"
>The door shuts, the only thing illuminating the room is the faint glow of the fireplace
>You're running out of ideas
"I know it's a long shot....but maybe somehow Carl survived?"
>You try to focus your brain waves, sending out a message
"Carl. Come in Carl. Are you there? Carl I'm trapped at 55 Deadlight Lane. Situation critical. Help is immediately required. Please respond"
>...Nothing. Not even static
"Damn it!"
You try to fight again, only hurting yourself in the process
>You begin to sob uncontrollably. It shouldn't have to end like this. Pinky didn't do anything
>Looking at a wall clock, it's 8:40 PM
>The meeting starts at 9, ends at 10. And then, he'll be back to finish the job
>You close your eyes, and let the tears flow. You aren't going anywhere
 
 
 
>It's been about 20 minutes since Auckland and Carrot Top left for city hall
>Despite your thrashing around, you couldn't accomplish much
>You even attempted to break one of the chair legs, but your leg is at too awkward of an angle to properly kick and push on it
>Damn, you wish you could somehow change into something smaller, but that's not how it works. All the disguise does is distort the viewers senses, like sight and touch, nothing more. It can't literally physically alter your body
>Even though it seems hopeless, you have no other option but then to keep trying to find a way out, because the only other alternative is you and Pinky's deaths
"That sadist isn't going to get a hold of her. Come on Biggs, think. There has to be something that you haven't tried yet"
>Then it hits you: you never bothered to check what was locking up the chain
>Twisting and turning ever so slightly, you eventually work the shot of chain that lock is clamped to unto your stomach
>It's a key lock
>You can just barley touch it with your right arm's hoof
"Maybe I could find a way to pick this thing?"
 
 
>You quickly search the room for your saddle bag, maybe you could use some magic to pull it over?
>The room looks a bit like a smoking room, lots of furniture, fire place, mounted heads. You hope that he actually left your stuff in here
>Glancing over to the far corner, you have trouble making out what lies over there, due to the low light intensity
>But finally, you determine that your bag is propped up against the wall, along with your hatchet
>The fang in your bag should be thin and strong enough to do the trick
"Alright, just gotta focus in on it..."
>Your horn's magic doesn't respond
>Glancing up, you notice that the griffon placed some type of metallic ring over it, nullifying it's use
"This bird doesn't take any chances....now what?"
>You really wish that you had hidden a bobby pin in your ass
>Maybe you could use your own fang?
>You begin to strain yourself to reach your head to the lock
"Come on...just...a little...more!"
>You're about an inch away, but you can't lean your head down any farther
 
 
>You continue to try push your upper body downwards to no avail
>Eyeing the lock, you steadily attempt to push it a little closer with your hoof
>You begin to nudge it a little
>But it isn't enough, your hoof is just too tied up to continue to push
>You groan and throw yourself back into the chair in frustration
"Maybe.....maybe this is it? Maybe Auckland left no room for failure..."
>Your thoughts flash back to the murder scenes that you investigated
>The police tape flutters like a ghost in the wind
>The outlines of mercilessly killed ponies, contorted in agony
>The dried blood spilled on the dirt
>You raise your head in a new found determination
"No. That will not be what Pinky has to look forward to."
>Twisting your head to the left, you eye up the head rest of the chair and take a deep breath
>You can't believe that it's come to this
Closing your eyes, you throw your head with great speed into the wooden headrest
>You fight back the tears as pain bursts through your mouth
>Your left fang has loosened a little
 
 
>You fight through the pain and slam your head once again into the headrest
>The fangs loosens even more
>You cock your head back a third time
"I might loose this fang, but Auckland's gonna loose his anal virginity when I drag him back to the hive"
>With that, you shut your eyes, and launch your head as hard as possible
>*CRACK*
>You scream in agony, bucking your legs in response to the pain
>Tears are openly flowing, obscuring your view
>Feels like someone rammed a railroad spike up into your jaw
>You notice green blood begin to trickle down your torso, signalling your success
>Even through the burning sensation in your jaw and head, you look down. The fang is laying in your lap
 
 
>No time to let pain slow you down, you need to get out and stop the deranged catbird
"Now how to go about this?"
>You might able able to gently roll your body to the right, close enough for your right hoof to nab it
>You begin to shift your weight to the right
"Slowly.....slowly"
>The fang begins to move a bit as you raise your left half higher
"Come on. Roll for me"
>You nervously eye the broken tooth as you raise just a tad higher, readying your right hoof to grab it as it skitters by
>A little higher should do it
"This is my only shot at this. No mistakes"
>with that, you lean ever so slightly
>The fang gives it's position up, and flies over to the right
>You reach with your hoof to make the catch
"NO!"
>Damn it! You raised up too fast! The fang shot past your hoof and now lays on the floor
>You desperately begin to paw at it with your back hoof
>It's no use, it's out of range
"For fuck's sake!"
>You begin to thrash around once again in rage, spewing curse words left and right
>You're seeing red from the anger as you attempt to break your bonds
>A few minutes latter however, you collapse back from exhaustion
"It's over....Auckland won"
 
 
>You feel as though you're going numb
>The loss of blood combined with your rapidly dwindling love energy is taking its toll
>The cock your head back, preparing to break the other fang
>But at this point, you can't even find the strength to even damage it on the wood
"Maybe....maybe one of my comrades can home in on me?"
>You attempt to focus in on hive mind
>There's a few seconds of static, but you can't hold the signal, you're just too tired
"Couldn't even get a message off...."
>You desperately look around the room for something, anything that could help
>Nothing
"Pinky......I'm so sorry. I should have known that I was a danger to you just by association"
>You're feeling more and more tired
>You begin to shut your eyes, knowing that soon, you'll pass out from lack of love
>Right before you do so however, you notice a line slither under the door at the opposite end of the room
"Great....now I'm hallucinating"
>You watch the line steadily trudging it's way to you, ever so slowly
>You can see it clearer now that it's almost to you
>Wait a minute
"C.....Carl?"
>The line stops, and raises it's upper half to look up at you
"Carl! It's you! You're alive!"
 
 
"Carl.....the fang. I need the fang Carl"
>You desperately kick your back hoof towards it
>Carl begins to crawl towards your fallen tooth
"Hurry Carl, I'm running out of energy!"
>With that, the caterpillar strains to place the fang, virtually the size of his body, perpendicular across his back
>Slowly but surely, your bro crawls up the chair and into your lap
"Alright, hand it here man, I need to pick this lock"
>The bug obliges, and maneuvers the fang into your hoof
>you immediately fall upon the lock, working in quick, precise movements
>Lock picking is standard training for all changelings
>Finally you hear a snap
"Got it!"
>The lock opens, and you begin to work the chains off of you, each shot falling to the floor
>Eventually, you're free and stand up
>You pick up Carl and walk over to your saddle bag, placing him inside
>You grab your weapon and open the door
"Come on bro. We've got a mare to save"
 
 
>You begin to trot down the hallway, your mind dead set on finding Pinky
"Where could she be?"
>You begin opening doors, finding nothing that would disclose her location
"Let's try the third floor Carl"
>You need to find her fast, the meeting at city hall is already in motion
>Plus you'll collapse soon from lack of love energy
>Arriving at the top floor you walk down the hallway
"Pinky? Pinky where are you? I'm here to bust you out!"
>You listen for a few moments
>Then you pick up on what sounds like chains rustling behind a door
>You run over to it
"Pinky are you in there?"
>You hear a response from the other side of the closed door
">J-jean? Is that you? Get me out of here! Auckland's gone mad!"
>Yeah, no kidding. You figured that out on your own
 
 
>You have to get in there and make her give up some love fast, it's getting critical
>Quickly remembering the ring on your horn, you throw it off to the side
"Yeah.....yeah It's Jean. Listen, before I come in, just know that I have something to confess after I free you"
>"Jean just hurry up! Please"
>You're not one to keep a mare waiting
>You muster as much energy as you can and kick the door open
>There she is, chained to a chair in a fashion similar to how you were
>She's also blind folded
>"Jean?"
"I'm here, just hang on"
>You need to work fast, you feel like you're about to black out
>Pulling out your broken off fang, you get down to business on the lock
>Within a couple minutes it snaps open, the chains beginning to fall
>You help her throw them off, and back up, waiting for her to take off the blind fold
>Hurry up girl, even standing is becoming a hard pressed task
>She hops off the seat and begins to pull the cloth from her eyes
>"Oh Jean! I knew that you'd come for me. Listen! Auckland is going to the town hall to discuss the Ch-ch-changeliiiiiing!"
>As soon as her eyes fell on you, she jumped back into the corner and presses against the wall, fear encompassing her as she stares at you with wide eyes
>"P-please just stay back. I'm not helping the bounty hunter. J...just tell me where Jean is. Please!"
>Oh boy, this isn't going to be easy
 
 
>You just don't know what to do
>Should you lie to her and somehow make this seem less painful than it is?
>A tear begins to roll down your cheek
"Pinky, just let me explain"
>You laboriously walk to her, every step hurting as your body uses to last of it's energy
>"No! Just stay back! Please! I don't want to die!"
"We'll both die if we stay here"
>She see to clam down a bit at that, and proceeds to observe you quizzically
"Pinky....I am Jean. I've been him this whole time"
>She begins to well up with tears
>"N-no. I know Jean. I love Jean! You can't be him! You're lying"
>Your heart begins to break
>Wait, Carl. Maybe she'll believe you if you show her something that she connects with Jean
>You pull him out to show her the pet that you two raised together
>"Carl? How did you get a hold of him you monster?"
"Pinky, I was the changeling that got lost in town. I tried to find a way out, but I couldn't. So I decided to stay with you. But I eventually felt some connection to you while I was trapped in town. Something I've been instructed to live off of, but never really experienced. True Love."
>She continues to peer at you, tears falling freely to the ground
"I didn't mean for anything like this to happen. But we've got to stop Auckland, he's been behind all the murders. He wants the town to keep paying him money so that he can retire. He's going to kill both of us after that meeting"
>You fall down on your side, unable to support your own weight anymore
>You give her one last pleading look
"Please...just.....trust me"
>Your vision fades
 
 
>It's dark. You feel like you're drifting in a way. Kind of like a dream
>Soon, you'll be out for good. No changeling can survive without love
>But suddenly, you can feel something. Something.....energizing
>Your entire body begins to warm up
>You're starting to feel much better, most of the pain is receding
>It almost feels like something is powering your love levels back up
>You open your eyes slowly, to reveal Pinky embracing you, her lips locked with yours
>You return the favor, noting that at the rate that she's transferring love for you, you'll be back to good in no time
>After what seems like an eternity, she break the kiss, and just stares into your eyes
>Damn, you feel good. You're jaw has stopped hurting, your aches have gone away.
>You feel as good as you can ever remember, maybe even better
>Love is a hell of a drug
>Eventually she speaks
>"I guess you aren't really Jean. Jean never existed........But, you're still something to me. The bug that stole my heart"
>You stand up with renewed strength
"Pinky, I'm so sorry for not telling you earlier. It's just that you were one of the only people that I could trust, and I knew that if I showed you what I truly was.....you'd leave me and inform others"
>She props your head up with a hoof
>"Listen....uh..."
"Biggs. My real name is just Biggs"
>"Biggs....you don't have to worry about that now. I'm willing to go to the end of the world with you. Besides, we've got a bird to stop!"
>You give her a nod and pick up your hatchet
"Follow me, babe"
 
 
>Leading her down the flights of stairs, you explain the whole situation to her
>Everything about Auckland's plan, Carrot Top's betrayal, the missing fang
>Soon, you both on the ground floor
"Pinky, head outside and wait for me on the street"
>She nods and runs out the door
>You run over to an alcohol cabinet and use your fresh strength to crack in open
>Taking all the booze you can grab, you dump it all over the carpet
"So much for the house, mate"
>You smash a bottle of whiskey into the fire and run, sparks leaping of of the fireplace
>Soon, the whole place is ignited in an inferno as you make your way to the street
"Pinky, what time is it?"
>"It should be about 9:30"
>Damn, the meeting's halfway over
"We've got to hurry. We've got to make it to city hall"
>You both take off into the night, side by side with renewed vigor for your mission
 
 
 
>"Jean- Oh um Biggs?"
"Pinky, you can call me whatever you like. You fell in love with stallion named Jean, I'm cool with you calling me that"
>"Well alright. But do we have a plan?"
>Huh, never though you'd get this far. Should have thought of one of those
"Where are all your friends?"
>"They should be in the crowd at the meeting"
>Good, at least they'll be on scene
"We're going to run up unto that stage and confront the maniac. Hopefully the crowd will realize what's going on and assist"
>You really hope that this will work, otherwise, the crowd and guards could turn on you in a moment and it'd be over
>After rounding a couple more blocks, you're approaching the center of town
>You can make out the town hall now, illuminated brightly against the dark, night sky
 
 
 
>Both of you are now outside the town hall, making sure to avoid guard patrols
"Lets make our way around back"
>You can here applause and cheering coming from inside the building
>You can only imagine what that lying son of a bitch is telling them
>Finally sneaking to the back exit, you take off your bag and set down Carl
"Watch my back bro, it's gonna get ugly"
>He seems to understand well enough
"Pinky"
>"Yes Jean?"
>You grab her tight and passionately kiss her
>She replies in kind, and rubs her hoof around your chest, one leg cocked in the air in pleasure
"Let's finish this"
>She gets her game face on
>"After you, stud"
>With that, you stealthy open the door, trying not to alert any lurking guards
>Shutting the door behind Pinky, you two begin to walk through a dark hallway, and come to a stop in front of a staircase labeled STAGE
>You slowly walk up the stairs, Pinky in tow, and press your ear against the door
>You can hear the bastard from the other side
>"......And that's how I was able to save this poor mare from the fangs of the predator. Although it was quick enough to dart off into the night as I was tending to her, the most important thing is that she's alright"
>He must be referring to Carrot Top
>That prick is telling every pony that he must have saved her from you, and that's why she's been missing
>Nobody slander's Biggs' good name
>As Auckland finishes talking the crows erupts into cheering once more
>Gullible idiots
>You turn to Pinky
>She nods without a word, signifying that she's ready
 
 
>No more deceptive games. No more sneaking around. This is ending right here, right now
>"Jean?"
"Yes Pinky"
>"No matter how ugly it gets out there, I've got your back"
"....I know"
>With that, you draw your axe and summon all your might
"Hereeeeee's Biggs!"
>You kick the door open harder than you ever have before, an ear shattering *bang* resonating through the entire auditorium as the door is almost ripped off of it's hinges
>Auckland and Carrot Top fling around to face you
>Auckland's wings flare out as he assumes a defensive stance, taken back by the sudden brutality with which the door was flung open
>You take a few steps in, finally revealing yourself to the crowd as you step out from behind the curtain on the side of the stage
>You can hear a collective gasp, followed by screams for help and "It's the changeling!"
>The clearly surprised and frightened looks on the griffon and small, orange mare standing next to him are obvious
>They know that they've fucked up. Big time.
"Rupert Auckland, you are under arrest for multiple accounts of murder!"
>The crowd continues to talk among themselves, but it mostly sounds confused now
>All eyes are transfixed upon you and Pinky as you stroll up to the podium in front of your two enemies
 
 
 
>You take the podium, Auckland and Carrot top taking a few steps back, unsure of what to do
>Pinky stares them down intently as you postion yourself at the stand
>You give the room a sweeping glance
>Looks like most of the town is here. Off to your left, you spot the rest of the Elements of Murde- Harmony. About 10 rows back.
>The room is decently lit from the ceiling with lanterns on the walls every 10 yards or so
>You snap back to the task at hand, the ponies look like they're becoming restless
"Citizens of Ponyville. You have been cheated and lied to"
>Off in the crowd you swear you can here an old pony yell "I knew it!" slapping an elderly stallion beside her
>Weird
>Suddenly the whole crowd ceases their confused chatter and go silent
"It's true that I am the changeling that's been roaming the town. It's true that I did suck some love out of a pony at a bar one night, and ran out the back. Hell, it's even true that I'm responsible for arson"
>You turn to Auckland and point out one of the large windows, and watch his jaw drop when he notices the billowing smoke from he assumes is his home
"But one thing that isn't true, is what Rupert Auckland claims that he's been doing for this town."
>The crowd begins to once again mutter in confused tones
>Auckland takes a panicked step forward
>"N-now slow down there mate, ya don't know what you're saying!"
"No Auckland! Back up! These ponies need to know the truth!"
>You hear several in the crowd yell "Get on with it!"
 
 
"You hired Auckland to rid your village of me, but what he's been doing this whole time has been quite the opposite. He's been letting me roam the streets, while he schemed to make everyone of you his personal pawn"
>It's time to pour your heart out to these ponies
"Changelings feed on love, this you all know. For what purpose would I start to murder my victims? I'm a god damn love bug, my life revolves around seducing my victims, and taking the energy from them without them having a clue. Murdering them serves no purpose and would only intensify the pressure to find me......which is something that Auckland wanted"
>You pause and look to the silent crowd, starring at you in curiosity
"Further more, I was disguised for the majority of the time as "Jean Hatchet" Pinky Pie's roommate...and lover. She, and the Cakes know that after work, I would usually come home to be with her. The nights of the murders were no different. I wasn't out roaming the city. But guess who was?"
>You glance over to Aukland. He's sweating bullets. Carrot Top just stands there with a shocked expression
>Someone in the crowd yells
>"So what's he got to do with all this? I don't suppose you have any proof to seriously accuse him of murder, bug"
 
 
"Pinky, if you'd please pass me the cigarette butt"
>"Sure thing Jean"
>She digs around her bag and pulls it out, handing it to you
"I found THIS at a crime scene. It may be just a discarded smoke to most of you, but if you look at it more closely, you'll find that it's a particularly rare brand. Adelaide. From the southern Griffon Empire. You can't find these in many places in Equestria. But we all know who comes from a foreign land, with his own personal packs of cigarettes."
>Another glance at Auckland confirms that he knows that you've got him now, he just looks at you with pleading eyes
"And another thing, if Pinky and the Cakes could back up my story of being home when the murders took place, then how would those ponies die to fang marks?"
>The crowd begins to look over at the griffon, muttering in surprised, yet angry voices
>They're starting to get it
"That's right. Rupert Auckland. The only creature in this town bold enough to own changeling fangs, let alone wear them as hat decorations"
>You step off the podium
"Pinky dear, it's all yours"
>"Thanks Jean"
>As she takes the podium, you turn and check out the criminals. Carrot Top has broken down into tears. Auckland seem to have gotten a grip on himself, he just stares daggers into your eyes
>Pinky begins to talk
>"Earlier today, I was brutally kidnapped by Mr. Auckland in an attempt to bait Biggs, well, Jean into a trap."
>The crowd gasps at this, they looked pretty shocked
>"And let me tell you, he would have murdered me no less if it hadn't been for Jean! Auckland's been killing all those ponies in order to bend you to his will. He milked a house, payments, diplomatic immunity out of you. And it wasn't enough. He was going to murder until you were willing to basically pay enough for him to retire for life. And Carrot Top was in on it too!"
>Oh boy that crowd looks pissed
>"And he almost succeed here tonight. Signing over that life long stipend to him at the end of the meeting is exactly what he wanted."
 
 
>You walk over and place yourself between Auckland and the podium
>He's a good 20 feet away, but that'd be no distance at all if he made a lunge at her
"Just tell me Carrot Top. Why? Why did you go along with all this? You didn't you just say no to his lies?"
>She raises her head, still weeping and quivering
>Birdy boy shoots a look down at her
>"I....I just loved h-him so much. W-we only wanted to....settle do-own. Not have to worry about the f-f-future"
>You walk back to the podium, Pinkie stepping behind you
"She just wanted to settle down and not worry about the future....sounds a little similar to Auckland's goals. He milked a house out of this town. He needed it so he wouldn't have to go back to the bush. And he also was looking for an easy retirement....exactly what he planned to get here tonight"
>The crowd begins to go into an uproar
>"Hey, he's right! All we've been doing is giving him support!"
>"That prick slashed my cousin with a freaking sword!"
>"Somepony call the cops! Make sure that Griffon doesn't leave"
>Success. You've done it Biggs. You woke up this town
>Looking over to Auckland, he's nervously eyeing the 6 guards that just walked in through the front of the room, steadily making their way to the podium
>The crowd is still in an uproar at your discovery
>Maybe now is the time to make anything else clear to them?
 
 
 
>You can't think of anymore evidence to give, nor anything that would make you seem more innocent
>But you can think of something that everyone needs to know
"Pinky?"
>"What is it Jean?"
>You pull her back to you and embrace her
>You both peer lovingly into each other's eyes, and then you go for it
>You plant the deepest kiss you can muster upon her
>You hear the crowd collectively "Awww"
>You look back to the crowd, most of them are tearing up from what you can tell. The guards are only a few rows away from the stage to get the griffon
"As a sign of good faith to this community, I will now be turning in myself to the authorities until the whole situation is clear, and....maybe be able to visit freely after I return home"
>Much of the audience just nods, a few clap, some more just stare at Auckland and his mare
>Heh, you can only imagine the look on his face
>That's when you see the ponies in the crowd all face to your right and gasp
>Oh crap
>You turn your head to your former hunter, still embracing Pinky
>"Not. So. Fast, mate....."
>OH GOD NOT GOOD
>He's shouldering his crossbow, taking aim at you
 
 
 
>There's no time to focus magic, he's already got a bead on you two
>Quickly thinking, you reach back and grab the first thing that you can get a hold of off of the wall, a lantern
"Catch this!"
>Throwing it with all your might, you strike him in the head, his shot gliding off and embedding harmlessly into the wall behind you as he recoils
>The lantern bounces off stage, while Auckland holds his heads, muttering curses
>Heh, not such a bad shot Biggs.....Hey, what smell like something's cooking?
>You glance to where the lantern fell off the stage, a roaring fire in full swing
"What have I done?
>The crowd begins to panic, and makes for all of the nearest exits. You can see a couple of the Elements being swept away in a sea of confusion
>And there go the guards bolting for the doors, attempting to escape the rapidly expanding flames
>"I've had about enough of you, and you're whore!"
>Oh shit, Auckland's up again, kukri in hand
>"And I'ma make you regret ever crossing my path, ya bug!"
>Just then, you see an orange flash whiz by you
>Carrot Top is on Pinky, both of them rolling around the stage pulling at each other's hair, desperately trying to punch each other in the face
>Cat fights man
>"And if I'm going into the big house, I'm making sure that you're going into the ground, Biggs"
 
You begin to charge up a shot from your horn, but he anticipates it as he runs forward
>You send forth your blast, only to have the griffon dodge it quite expertly
>You desperately begin to charge up again, but he's already on top of you
>Attempting to duck away, a firm punch knocks you down
>Your horn has a couple of sparks shoot off, but nothing else happens
>Shit! He knocked it out of the fight
>You feel a strong grip pull you up
>He just hold you up with one arm, standing on his hind legs, forcing you to look into his eyes
>You don't know if it's just the flames finally rising unto the stage, but his eyes seem to be burning with anger
>"And this is how it ends. You should have know what was good for ya and stayed chained up like the mutt ya are!
>You smirk in response
"Oh I don't think so, bird"
>Summoning those 5 hive wrestling championships, you set up a move to get him to release you
>And swiftly kick him in the crotch
>"Ahhh! damn it!"
>He lets you go, and attempts to nurse his bruised balls
>You make a break for the hatchet that you brought
>Carrot Top and Pinky are still wrestling around, yelling at each other
>"Bug bitch!"
>"Bird cocksleave!"
>"Chitin cunt!"
>Geez ladies get a grip
>You finally firmly grasp the axe, and turn to Auckland, now beginning to causally walk over to you with his kukri
>The flames have consumed most of the auditorium, and are beginning to really creep up onto the stage
>"Have at it....mate"
>He raises the blade
 
 
>You dodge his initially swing, probably due to him still having a slowed reaction time from nut pains
>As he attempts to turns to you, you deliver a solid kick into his side
>You swear you could hear a rib or two crack
>He begins to back up, one arm wrapped around his side where you hit him
>A little more maneuvering and you can get him with his back against the flames
>You spent 10 days pretending to be a lumberjack, surely those skills will transfer, right?
>You take a mighty swing with your axe, to which Auckland parries with the lighter kukri
>You circle him a bit, preparing to drive him to the flames
>Taking another swing, he backs up even more, before quickly taking a few slashes at you, which you manage to dodge you the most part
>The last swing nicked you, but you're fine due to your exoskeleton
>Suddenly, the griffon stands up tall on his hind legs, kukri gripped in both hands above his head
>"Taste steel, ya drongo!" He yells at the top of his lungs, the words fused with pure rage
>You quickly dive, barley getting out from under the bone crushing swing
>The kukri hits the floor and splinters the boards
>Now's your chance
>You take a side swing with the axe and feel it connect
>All you can hear is a gruesome cry of pain bellowing from your adversary
>You withdraw your weapon, to which Auckland desperately backs up even more, his left wing crushed, bloodied, and limply hanging
>He just looks down at his shattered wing, and then up at you in shock
"So where's all that "bush training" now, Aussie?"
 
 
>He just continues to stare at you, his beak slightly agape
>Enough is enough, you've waited too long for this moment
>You go in for the kill
>As you raise your axe, he quickly dives in and thrusts much to your surprise
"Ah! Fuck!"
>A burst of pain erupts throughout your body
>His kukri has embedded into your right arm quite deeply
>You immediately smack him off of you with the wooden grip of the axe
>He seems to be getting more sluggish, looks like he's loosing a lot of blood and beginning to stumble
>He just grins at his handy work
>"Why such a pained look son? I thought your kind was used to having holes in your arms?"
>Ass
>The kukri comes free with a couple good tugs
"Laugh it up, I'm not the one about the be killed with my own knife"
>You toss aside the axe, wanting to make sure that this kill will be book marked for generations as the ultimate irony
>He backs up some more, but stops, his tail being singed by flames
>He's got nowhere to run
"Just give it up Auckland, you're finished. Maybe the ponies will show you mercy if you just surrender"
>He sharpens his eyes
>"Not on your life, mate"
>With that he cocks back and takes a wild swing at you
>Big mistake
>You slash him up his stomach
>It was a shallow cut, but the damaged is gone; Auckland collapses before your feet, still very much alive though
>You raise the stolen blade ready to end this fiasco
>But then you hear a cry for help
>"Biggs! Jean! W-hatever! Heeeelp!"
>Carrot Top has straddled your marefriend, about to stab her with a knife
>Auckland begins to stir
>Do I kill the bird, or save the girl?
>Another scream from Pinky is all you need to make your decision
>Running over to the mares, you blind siding Carrot Top, sending her flying and knocking her out
>Shit, Pinky looks hurt. She's bleeding
 
>Good news is, it doesn't look like a major wound, just a glancing stab
>Bad news is, she begins to fade out of conscious
>It's probably from all the smoke in the room
>You're starting to feel light headed too
>You attempt to pick her up and carry her to the exit to get out of the building, but your damaged leg causes you to collapse
"Come on, work....work with me here damn it"
>No response, she's passed out
>You try dragging her one armed, but you're still a good distance from the door
>You crawl with her for a few more seconds and then tire out
>The blood loss and smoke is weakening you too much
>You keep trying to tug on her, but you're only moving a few feet at a time
>Eventually, you just collapse again, coughing and wheezing.
>You hear Auckland stirring once again
>Fuck, you're defenseless.
>You hear him crawling his way over in your direction slowly
"You...you wont hurt my mare without a fight...bird"
>You're seriously loosing energy fast, you might not be able to fend him off
>The movement stops. He must be right behind you
>You wrap yourself around Pinky in a final embrace
>Glancing over, you expect to see your attacker standing over you, ready to slice you open
>But he's not there
>Looking a few yards back you see him, cradling Carrot Top on the floor, sobbing.
>A bright red trail of blood shows how far he crawled to get to her
>"I...I'm so sorry Carrot Top. I failed us.....I failed us"
>He starts stroking her mane, you can see him begin to pass out, still holding onto the small mare as his energy fails him too
>So, this is how it ends. You, your mortal enemy, and your mares cuddling
>You're all going out making love. Not war.
>You realize that deep down, maybe you and Auckland really aren't that different
>You begin to shred a few tears, laying down as you're vision becomes cloudy, as your wound bleeds out and the smoke encompass you
>It seems like an eternity, the area around you is really heating up, the flames can't be too far away now
>That's when you hear it
>The back door has been kicked open
>"Is anyone in here?!"
 
 
>You painfully sit up a little
"H-ere! On the stage!"
>You hear multiple hoof steps down the hallway
>Pretty soon you can hear ponies barking orders, and clambering up the stairs
>"Sir! Are you up here?"
"Yes! Yes, please....help"
>Several ponies run out of the stair well, all wearing some type of respirators
>The helmets say P.F.D.
>Ponyville Fire Department
>A couple of them lift you up, and begin to drag you towards the exit
>Glancing back, another pony is carrying out Pinky in a similar fashion
"W-wait, there's still...a couple more....back there"
>"We know sir, we've got some of the squad pulling them out right behind us
>With that, you go limp in their arms
>Soon, the heat becomes less intense
>You're taken outside, and set on the grass, Pinky is laid down next you you
>They place oxygen masks over both of you and start first aide
>You glance around at the outside
>It looks like most of the town's citizens are watching on a ways back behind some wood barricades, guards making sure that they don't get too close
>Fire ponies are throwing water onto the inferno, pegasuses making dive bomb runs with buckets from above
>Then you see a team pulling out an unconscious griffon and mare from the building
>They made it
"Sir....h-how did you know that we were in there?"
>"Hm? Oh, a caterpillar actually crawled over to us and kept using his body to gesture over to the door. It was pretty odd"
>With that explanation you put your head back on the grass and smile
>Carl, you magnificent bastard. You did it
>You continue to sport the widest grin you've ever had as you're being loaded onto a stretcher that they placed beside you
>Taking one last look at Pinky, you let off a small chuckle, and blackout, your body too exhausted to stay awake
 
 
>It's been about 2 months since the whole town hall fiasco
>You were in the hospital for a three of those weeks
>That kukri cut actually nicked an artery, you needed intensive care immediately
>If it wasn't for the fire departments rapid response time getting you to the medical center, you would have died
>While you were there, they actually replaced your broken fang with a gold replica in the operating room. Pretty swanky
>As for Pinky, she was released after a couple of days. All she had was some smoke inhalation, and a shallow cut
>Lucky mare. At least she visited you every day in the hospital
>As for Auckland and his mate, they survived, but obviously didn't get quite the heart warming, get well welcomes that you did
>Auckland is still in the hospital, they had to totally reconstruct his wing from the axe strike
>The Griffon Empire refused to take him back to stand trial, so he'll be staying locked up for a looooong time in Equestria after he's released from the hospital
>At least him and Carrot Top will get to be with each other behind bars everyday!
>As for you? Currently, you're acting as the official changeling ambassador to Equestria
>This whole conflict allowed them to set aside some some of their differences with the hive
>It's a pretty sweet gig, you're in Ponyville 3 weeks a month, back at the hive the rest of the time
>Carl eventually metamorphosed into a monarch butterfly, and is currently on a cross country trip with some others looking for milkweed, but he visits every couple of weeks
>"Biggs, come on! We're going to be late for our dinner reservations!"
"Hang on dear! Just cleaning up some files"
>She's high maintenance, but you're proud to call Pinky your marefriend, going pretty steady
>She eventually took to calling you Biggs, something about it being a new name for a new chapter in life or something
"Biggs! Come ooooon!"
>Best not keep her waiting
>You stand up, wave goodbye to your framed picture of Carl on the way out, and shut your office's door, ready for a hot night with your mare
>The End?