The Renegade Heroes

The Call

Button slowly opened his eyes, yawning a bit and looking around sleepily. "Uuuugh, what happened...?" He rested a hoof against his groggy head, and started walking forward, passing by a bunch of flying dodo birds, giant mice hiding from tiny elephants, Zomponys building a house out blocks...

...Button blinked once.

"...This is a dream isn't it?"

All of sudden, the dreamscape shifts and warps, crude laughter emanating from all directions. "̷́͘͞A̷̴̵̛w̶̨͘͜w̶͠w͘͞͞ẃ̢,̷̨̕ ̷̧̛̕͝a̸̕͡n̵̛̕͢d̢͏͟͝ ͏͟͝͝͏ḩ̵͢͠e̛͠r̶̡e̵͝͠ ̷̧̀̀Į̴̶ ̨̕͜͠͝ẃ̶̶̀́a̢͟͢͞s̀͟͞ ̷͜҉́͜h͠o̶̕p̧͘͟͡͠i͏̧̛n͘͠ǵ̴̨ ͜͏t̵h͞͝a̢̡t̷́̕͟ ͜͠I͢͞͏ ̶̀c̕͏͏̵̴o͏̴̸͢ù̸̢͘͜ļ̶d́͝͏̶͞ ̡͘p̵͡͞l̶͜͡a̷̡̢͜y̶̵͘ ̴̡́ẁ̶̡i̷̸͘̕͞t̴͡h͠͝ ̡͠͠͏y̵o̸̕u̕͟͠ ͏҉͢͠a̵͡ ̛́͜͢͠b̀́ít̕͜ ̸̨̧m͞͝ǫ̷̡̀ŗ̸́͝e̸͢.̷̶́͝ ̶B͡ų̕͢͝t̕͞͡ ҉̨̡͠I̛̛͢͝͠ ̷̨̀̀͘c͟҉̷̢a̸̷̛͜͟n̶͏̛͘ ̷͟҉͘͢s̵̢̨̀͢e̢҉e͞͏ ̴̡͜͝y̴̴̛̕o̶̧u̧͘͜͠r̡̕͏ ̸̨̨͡a҉̴́͜ ̸̢̧́͠p҉̷̢͟͡ơ̕n̸͝y͟͝ ̷̸͡ẃ͝͡͠h͏͢͝͏̧o̧̕͟ ͡͏̨ĺ̛̀͝i̢ķ̶̸̛͘e͜͡s͟͜҉̧ ҉̴̨͘͠t̡͘҉͘͝o̵͠ ̸̨g̸͢͝e̴̕҉̕t̛͘ ͏̵͘͢͏t̴̷́̀̀o͜͢ ̴̛͜͜͞t̶̨̀h̡͢ę̕͠͏͞ ̴҉͢p̵̨̢̛o͝͏̀i̷̧̧ņ̵̡͟t͜͞"̢̀͘ Button blinked rapidly as a sudden flash of light blinds him for a second.

"̧́V̴̛͏e̴r͜y̕͡ ̢̛҉w͘͟el̡l̸͟͜.̸̀͘ L̸e͟t̕'s̛̛͢ ̢́ģ́̕e͢ţ̷̵ ͠d̸͘͝o͠w̡̛n ̶t́҉o̡̕͞ ̶b̵̛͝u̢͜͞si͘͝͞n͝ȩ̕ś̴s͟,̵ s̶͢h̵̡a̡͠ll̴ ͏w̷͞e?͢"

Button suddenly found himself in front of an office door. He blinked a couple times and looked around the door, and then everywhere else. It was just a door in the middle of nothing. He scratched his head a bit before trying to open the door. To his surprise it open inwards to reveal a plain office room, complete with the oak desk.

Button gulped a bit before cautiously trotting in. "U-Uhhh h-hello? What's g-going on?"

"̷̡Oh̸̕͏ ̨Į ͞t͏͘͞h̸͡o̶͠ų͟g͜h̀͡͡t͝͠ ͞yó͟͟ư̸'̧͠d̵̀ ̴̀ņ̀e҉̧͟v̢͠e͘͟r̛ ̢a͜s̢k!́̕͞"͢ Button jumped as the door slammed shut behind him, suddenly sitting on the chair that wasn't there a second ago.

The demonic voice suddenly echoed from all around him. "͘҉͘͟҉Ĺ̵́̕͟e̸͜͡͠t̵̀̕͞͝'̷̵̧͘s͢͡͡ ̸̨̧͘p̡̧͝l̵̴̛͜a̷̧͘͞y̶̧҉̨ ̵͡͡a̡̛ ̀̀̕͡͞ǵ̡̕͜͡a̷͞m̵̛͝e҉̛́͘ ̶͢͡s̡̡̛̕h̴͘̕͏̀a̷͞͏͜l͏̷͘͠l̕͘͞͠ ̀̀͟͡w̶̛͟͢͡e̡͟͜?̡́͘͢ ̴̨͏̕͘Y͝o͘͡u͝҉̵͘ ͝҉̢ḑ̢̀o҉̀͟ ̷̵̛͟͠l̡͘̕͟͡i̡͏̧̀͟k̵̢͜e͝͝ ̵̵ǵ̶̡̛͝àḿ̨͞͠e̵̸̡̕͟s͏̛ ̷̨̀̀d̷̶̛̕ơ̸͘n̵̸͟͠'҉҉̛ţ̴ ̶̸͝y̸̴̢̧o͏҉̧̢̡ų̷̵̴̕ ̡̢́͏B̛͢ú̵t̢͢t̡͘͘ò҉̴ņ̀͟͝?̛͏"̷̡̢͡

Button shivered a bit and shakily nodded, silently praying that Luna would come to his rescue.

"̸̵̨̢́O̡͡͏́͘h̶̡̕͟͏ ̵͡w̴̨̛h̨̨a̢͢͜t̴̢͢ ̢̛á͘ ̛c̸̛̛͞ǫ́͡i͜͞n̶̴͜͡c̸̵͝҉͢i̡̨̨͜ḑ́̀e̡͜͜͡n̵̸̕͜c̨͜ȩ̵̧͟!̸͜ ̶̧Ś̕͞҉h̢͟é̵̴'̵̴͞s̀͜͡ ̷̴̧͡t͟҉͜h̴̡͟͡͏e̷͘͡͠ ̷͞f̵̨͝͡i̸̡r͠s͘͏͜͝t̸̷́ ̷͞t̶̴o͘̕͡p̵̷͜҉į́͠c̢̡̛ ̢̀o͝f̢͠͏̸ ҉d̡͟͠͠i҉͘͝͝ś̵̶͜͟c̨͟͞u҉̴s͘͟s̢͝i̡͟͟͝o̸̡͢͜n̕̕͡ ̨́͏̡f҉̧̧ǫ̶̢͢r͟͡ ̵̢́͠t̵̵̛͡͝ḩ̶́͡͡i҉̷̡s̸͜͠ ͟͠͡g̷̨ą̴̛͞҉m̧͢e̴̛!̴̷́"̡͘ A loud snap reverberated through the dreamscape, causing it to ripple and morph. Suddenly, Button was looking into a glass window showing an unconscious Princess Luna strapped to a shiny, metal table. Button's eyes shrink into pinpricks as a large, shiny metal machine quickly moved down from the cieling. The machine split apart into multiple segments, each one featuring it's own unique device, ranging from needles and buzz saws, to belt grinders and tazers. The most prominent one being the giant needle in the middle, filled with some sort of growing green liquid. The maniacal voice came back, as if it was from a loud speaker. "̶̸̢͜L̵͘͟e͢͡͏̷͘t͠͞'̵͏s̶͟͠ ̡̀͞s͜͡͡͠e҉͡e̴҉́ ̶̡̡͠ẃ̨͜h̡̀a҉̶̢͟͜t̶͞ ̴̴̸̡̧h̸͏a͞͝p̴̵̸̴͟p̸̵̡͟͡e͢͠͏͢n̴̡̕ś͜ ͘w̶͡h̵̢e̸̷̡̕ń͠҉̶͞ ̴́ẁ̷͜e͠҉̢̕ ͘͞͏́͞i̡͢n͟͝j͡҉͜ȩ̸̀͏ć̷͡t́̕͞ ̸á͢n҉͏̷̛ ̡͘͜͝͝A̸͟͝ļ̴͜҉̕ì̸͟͡c͏͜͡ǫ̢r̷̨ń̡͝ ̢͡҉̨w̷̷̕i͏̸̧̨̕ţ̧̀́ḩ́͜ ҉̛T̸h̵̢͘é̛ ̴̴̢͘S̛͟͞m̶̨̀́͝ớ̸̸͝o̢͘͢͠z͏̡ę͡~̧̡͜!̸̵̨̢͢"̨̨͝

Button gasped and watched in horror, his legs no longer listening to his silent brain, as the giant needle drove itself sharply into Luna's stomach, snapping her eyes open in agony. Her mouth opened to scream but the glass had been sound-proofed. The green liquid started to drain from its canister, causing Luna to spasm and jerk around violently, her body starting to bulge in various spots. The needle retracted back into the machine, causing the other parts to whir up and activate.

Luna suddenly arched her back, her eyes swollen with green taint as her chest started to bulge out greatly, until it burst in a shower of blood and guts, splattering the window.

Button just stood there, speechless. He stayed there for what felt like hours. He had seen many a horror from his past of video gaming, but never something like this. Slowly, tears started to form in his eyes. But just as he was about to start crying, the voice returned, sounding like it was inside his head. "͡D͘͘͟o̵̢ ͏́҉͘͘y̧̕͢͢҉ò̢̨͟u͢͞͝ ̵́́́w̧a̷͢͠n̶͢͟t́͠ ̧̨̕ţ̴̸̛o̡͠͠ ̧̀́͢͞s͘t̵̶͏͠ó̵̡́͞p͘ ̸̧t̕͡h͏́́i̢͡s̕͜͞ ̸̡á̶̕̕n̵͘͟d̵҉ ̛͝͝m̵̷̸͞o̶͞r̶͟͠͝ȩ̧ ̢͡f̡͞r̢͠͠o̴̡͜m̵̕͢ ̸̵͜h̴̛͟͠a̸̸̵̡͢ṕ͢͟͡p̢͟͠é̛̛͢͡ņ̷̴͠i̵͝ņ̴́͞g̸̛͘͜ ̶t̷ò̀҉ ̛a҉̴̨̀͞l̵̸͜͢͡ĺ̨͝ ̡̡͜͢o͞͝f͜͠ ̵̸̷E͘͡q̀u̸̕ȩ͞ş͢t̀͟r̀́͘i̷̕a͏҉̨?̵͘"҉̨̡̧͟

Button frantically nodded, tears streaming down his cheeks. "̸̀͟T̵̸̡͡h̶̵̛e̵̕̕͢n̴̵̡ ͏͏f̶̨͜͞i̷̶ń̴̴̨̛d̡͟͜ ̨͝͏t̢͘͢h̴̶͜͢͡ȩ̶̶̕ ̶҉͏E̛͞҉̕l̵̵̀͠e͢͞m̴̵͟e͡͞ǹ̷̵̨͡t̷̕͝s̴̷͠͝ ̷͜͜͝ǫ̸̧͝f̕ ̶͟͜͡͠H͏͏̵á̶̵̢͠ŗ̨́͝m̴̶̀͠o͘͝҉́͟n̷͝͝y̧͘.̨.̴̡͠.̨҉̢͜͏ ̸Ą̸̧̨͢ŃḐ̴ ̴̶͜͠D̢͢E͞͝Ş́Ţ͟҉̷͝R͡O̷͠͠͏Y͏͢ ͏T̷H̕͟҉Ȩ͘M̶̕͜͞͠!̀҉̧̨̡"̢́͠

Buttons pupils shrank to pinpricks as he heard those words. Purposefully destroying the Elements was a crime akin to that of trying to kill Celestia! It was High Treason! He gulped as he considered his options, silently shifting from one leg to the other. After a small bit the voice came back. "͡҉Ḩ͘̕m͡҉ḿ̡̕m̨̀͞m̶̸̛m͜͏͜.̡͜.̴.́ ḿ̨aý҉̵b̷̡e̷ ҉͝s͘̕om͜eone̢ ̸̨él͢s͏͝e͘͠ ͘c̶̛a͞n͏ ͡c̷on̶̢̧v̡̡͡ì̀nć͘͟e̸͘ y̵o̢u͝҉͠. ̀͢A̡͘ǹd ͘Í͞҉ th͏i͞n͘ḱ̷̢ I̧͠͏ k̢n͡oẃ̵̕ ̵̶j́͞us͞t́͞ ̸̧͘t̷͘h͏́҉é ̧̕p̶̴on̶y ̵̨͜t͠o̵ d͘o̸̸͟ ̧͏s̸̀o!̡͢ ̶O͏h͞ S͏w̛͠͞e̶͜͏eti̡̧e͢͠ ̀B̛e̢̢̕e̵eȩ͜e̴͜l̸̡l̨͟e͏~̶!"͡҉

Button Mash gaped as he heard the sound of hooves clopping against metal. He turned around to see his fillyfriend standing there, clad in a loose fitting white gown, accentuated with dark purple embellishments and a large centerpiece of a star with eight arrow points, as well as donning an unnaturally wide grin on her face. She giggled a bit and tilted her head. "King Folie told me that my little Button Wutton has been having a hard time coming to a decision! H̸̕͝͞e̶̡l̀͏p̷͝͏͡ ̧̕͘͠͝m̵̴̧̛͝ȩ̡̧͞͠.̡.̷͜.̢͘͞͝͝ So I came down here to help you decide!" She giggles a little bit and saunters up to Button, her eyes becoming half lidded and her smile turning coy. "After all, if youD̢͝ó̡͘n͝͏͡'́͢t̡҉͏ ̷͘͟ĺ̸͘ì̵ş͠͠t̛͏̴ę̴n͟͠͝ ̡̛̕͠t̵̸̀o̧͘͘͝͠ ̢h҉̡e̸͞͝r̴͡!͜ help out Lord Folie, there might be a bit of a reward for you~..." She leaned right up to Buttons ear and whispered softly, "ThatY͞͠o̸̸̡u͢͠ ̨͠h̷a̧͢v̷̨̀́͡e͏̸̨̕ ̵̀͠͝͝t̕͝͡o̵̵͜҉̢ ̴̧͢҉s̢t̨̀ó̢̧̀͢p̴̵͞ ̨̡͟͞͠h̡̡͟͏í͘m̛͠!̶͢ reward just might even be me~"

Button recoiled, scowling and glaring at this mockery of his fillyfriend. It was at that moment that he remembered what happened before he appeared in the dream. "...What did you do to her... WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY SWEETIE BELLE!?" He grit his teeth, glaring defiantly at the ceiling.

The voice came back, sighing a bit "҉̵̨̕Ẃ̨͡͞e̴ļ̶͢͝l̷͝͝ ̡̕t҉̵́͘͟h̵͡͏i̢̕͢͜͝s̷̶̡͘͠ ̷́͠͠t̡̧͜͡͡r̴u̧l̸͘͡ý͘͏ ̧̕͏͢h̕͢͠͠a̶̢̡̨͠s̢͝ ̨҉̴͘b́͡͝e̴̢҉e̵̵͘n̷͜ ̸̡f̴̸͝u͡͏̨͜n̶̷͠,̴͜ ̢̛̛͟b̢̨ù̡̕͜t̴͢͠͠͝ ҉̧̛͟I̧͜͜͠͝'̸͜d̡̕͠͏̶ ̛͞͞s̷̡á̡̛́͟y̧҉̸ ̶̀̀i̶̴̕̕͝t҉̧'̀͜͝҉s̛̀̕͡ ̶̀͠͠b̶̛̕͡é̴̛ę̶̕͢͢n͘͘͡ ̸̧̛́͢a̴̡̨̢͘ ̸̷̡͟b́̀̕͏i̷̴t͏̶҉͏͘ ̴͜͡c͟͝҉̴̨ǫ̡̛͜u̧̨n̕҉̵̢̀t̶̵̕͢͟e͟͡r̴̸-͜ṕ̶̨̀͞r͢͠ǫ̵̴̴́d̨͜u̕͞c̴͢t҉͘i͡v͠͝ȩ̷̢ ̵̢҉͝d͏̡̀ò̴͘͟͡n͏̡͟͢'̨̡͢t̨͡͝ ͞y̛͞o͏̀͟͏u̷͘͠ ̶̢̢ţ̷h҉̸̢í̶҉̛n̸̛k̕͞ ̶̨̧̀S̢̡͝͞͝ẁ̡e҉̢̀͘͠e̶̸̛t̶̢҉̴i̧҉e̴̴͢͝?̸"̸̨̢ Sweetie Belle nodded once, her smile disappearing and her eyes turning dull. She lifts her hoof up to walk away before the hoof starts quivering, like it's unsure what to do. It slowly reaches for the centerpiece of her gown and pulls the medallion off, throwing it to Button and letting the gown burn and shrivel up, along with the rest of her body.

Button Mash could swear he could hear a faint voice as the last of the ashes flew off into the depths of the dream, "Button Mash... Find the others... Save the Multi-verse... The Medallions will guide you..."

Button Mash blinks a little bit before picking up the medallion, the dream starting to collapse around him. He gripped it tightly and growled into the blank, fading sky. "I will find you Folie... Mark my words."

"And I will make you pay."

And then the dream collapsed.