In river drown

By storm be bound

Wednesday

Top of the Barrel

10:02 AM

Fusion Wing placed a camera in his saddlebag and puts on his neon green scarf.

"Why are you bringing a camera?" Asked Vida as they galloped outside.

"Who knows what we'll see? Probably some people tearing up? Reeee'ing at our faces? I wanna record those moments, they'll be perfect for my next Brony Bucks video" Answered Fusion Wing with a huge smile.

Vida rolled his eyes and focused on the sidewalk. He looked back at his bar. "It's only a quick visit, we'll question them fast, we don't want to cause any trouble" Said Vida.

"Aw, come on Vida, that's not how you've been handling drama lately, what's up?" Fusion asked as he double checked his saddlebag.

"You know exactly what's going on, we could end up like everyone else if my suspiction is right" Vida said as he looked at a billboard above. Fusion ignored this and kept his smile. They made their way from downtown to the center of the city.

Back in Barrel, a small foal passed by in his flying bike and stops in front of a wall with various ads. He sticks a small usb in one and the image updates to advertise an upcoming event. Tuna and Step go outside and look at the new ad with curiosity.

The Cosmic Eternity Festival!

Enjoy one of the most important cosmic events

of the year as the Cosmic Eternity

Comet passes through our beautiful night sky!

Festival starts on Friday April 20th

and ends when the comet passes by on Sunday April 23!

Only at Cape Canaveral!

2:34 AM

The time is now 2:35 PM

Blue clothing time!

The buildings got progressively taller and taller as they galloped, at the same time security getting more and more aggresive as they passed the damaged research lab that was raided the day before. Guards and ambulances started to swarm the area as they kept going. Vida and Fusion just kept going forward, Vida puts his hood up to avoid being noticed by any guard that may still remember him. After some galloping and taking the occasional alleyway to avoid any troube, they finally managed to reach their destination.

Central Manehattan

The Rift Cafe

"Alright" Vida approached the front door. "Do not fuck this up, faggot" He looked at Fusion with pure rage in his eyes, ready to snap his neck for the slightest mistake. He calls that 'banning', other ponies would call it 'murdering someone in cold blood'. He turns the knob and pushes the door. The slight cold from outside turns into a more welcoming warm temperature. "I always hated that they can afford their own air-conditioner" Vida had to use a bunch of servers he found laying around that had bits of something called 'The Journal of the Two Sisters'. "Stupid-ass name" according to him.

The interior of the Cafe was decorated with red walls and floor, matching chairs and tables. The counter was also red with 6 chairs in front of it, of which had 3 ponies already seated and enjoying a drink. The cafe wasn't all that full, given it's still not rush hour, although, most of the time the cafe's only costumers are the ones who already live there. A secret corridor that extended for miles and miles, dubbed 'The Secret Rift' houses the cafe's inhabitant's. 'The Analysts'.

The bottom of the barrel of scum in Manehattan, with close connections to Mayor Rarity these people have never known defeat and have cheated their way through every challenge.

"Well well well, if it isn't Vida" Called a voice from a nearby table

Chapter 4: A complicated case Part 2: Infinite questions

Part 2: Critiques better left untold

Vida rolled his eyes, he recognized that voice, he pulled Fusion's scarf and kept galloping forward. Stopping at the counter. A red dragon with a grey trenchcoat and a grey hat was serving drinks.

The dragon slides a small shot glass towards him. "Hello there Vida, you came back to-"

"Just tell us where they are faggot!" Vida smashed the shot glass with his hoof. "The only who could've pulled that off was one of you guys! You guys are disgusting"

"What are you talking about?" Said the dragon confused.

"You guys took them all! One way or another! And I'm gonna get to the bottom of this" Screamed Vida, getting the attention of everyone in the room.

Fusion tried to get Vida's attention. "Vida, I think you should-"

"SHUT UP! I'M GETTING OUR FRIENDS BACK!" Screamed Vida.

"Ah, those good for nothings, word on the rift is that the guards captured them" Said the red dragon.

"Now that is fucking absurd, the guards are fucking useless, I know because I WAS ONE!" Exclaimed Vida.

The dragon chuckled. "Didn't you hear? The Diamond's grew some balls and managed to transfer Empress Moon's very own 'Dream Team' here. Apparently her own son is also with them"

Vida couldn't move. He was shocked. He heard the rumour before but he didn't believe it, it made so much sence, he heard about the Elite's exploits in Canterlot. But... the Dream Team, here... in Manehattan?! "Fus..." He wasn't there. "Fus?...!"

Fusion had galloped off on his own. He sneaked his way into The Secret Rift and admired how far the hallway extended. The entire hallway was red, each door was also red with the initials of whoever owned that room on the door. He stopped at a door with the initials 'MM', he could hear whispering inside.

Curiosity got the best of him. The camera was recording, he turned the knob and pushed.

The room inside was just a bunch of canvases scattered around with very hideous art in them, small price tags were sticked to each canvas, with prices ranging from 22 bits up to 225 bits.

"All this art looks pretty bad..." Whispered Fusion.

"Oi..." Said a female scottish voice. "What in the bloody tartarus did you say about my art?" A pair of red eyes lit up a dark corner of the room.

"I said this art is bad"

"Fucking faggot, where did you go?! Fusion!" Vida was looking everywhere.

"REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE"

Fusion crashes into Vida as the entire place begins to violently shake.

"Fusion, what did you do?!" Vida couldn't stand up.

"I... had an opinion"

The other patrons began to leave as the earthquake calmed down. Vida picks Fusion up and pulls him towards the exit while he talks to himself. "Bring Fusion with you, we're gonna smoke some weed, fuck you Sheldon"

BOOOOOM!

A wall is torn apart by a blue earth pony mare with a red hat.

"And of course you had to trigger fucking Maddie, a being who can't take fucking negative opinions without calling them 'bullying'" Vida slipped outside with the crowd with Fusion right behind him. As they step outside they already see some billboards instantly update to a photo of Fusion with a horrified expresion and a bounty of 1400 bits.

It'll be a long road home.

2:34 PM

Rarity's Diamonds

A bag on a table started to shake.

The bag had a tag:

Sentient remains of a plush toy - DO NOT APPROACH

NECESSARY CLEARANCE NEEDED TO HANDLE DANGEROUS SPECIMEN

SEND TO SCIENCE DIVISION ASAP FOR FURTHER STUDY

The bag managed to push itself down from it's table and kept rolling towards the nearest door, losing it's tag on the way. The bag started to bump into the door, knocking it. It kept rolling back and forth, trying to get the attention of somepony outside.

KNOCK

KNOCK

KNOCK

A faint voice is heard. "Huh?" Some seconds later a silhouette is seen in the door's window. "Is someone in there? Gosh! Are you trapped? Wait a second while I get this door open" The swipe of a card is heard.

BEEP BEEP!

The door swings open and a yellow pegasus enters the room. "Lucky for you, I have clearance for this ro-"

SQUEAK

The stallion stepped on the bag. "Oops" He picks it up. "Sorry about that, I hope I didn't step on anything importa-"

Something lunges from the bag right into the stallion's mouth. It has a knife.

GULP

"WH- AAAAAAHHH- GAAAAAAAHHHHHH"

REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

The Ree had drowned out his scream.

The knife popped-out on the back of his neck and retracted. The stallion tries spitting it out but whatever it is has completely filled his mouth, he can't breathe. "UUUUUHHHHH UUUUUUUUUGGGGG" He wailed.. or tried to. He tries to escape the room but he bumps his face right on the door frame. "MMMMMMMMMM!" The knife popped out again on his throat, he felt all the clutter in his mouth going down... and so does the knife.

His vocal cords were the first to go. Not like he could scream at this point anyway. Blood was spewing out on the floor as the knife made it's excursion through the front part of the stallions body. It was at this point his wings began to wildly flap, in this winged anarchy he bumps his head on the ceiling, pushing the knife even further down, making it lose it's perfectly straight line.

"Fine, have it your way"

His lungs were completely closed off by something. The knife kept going, stomach acid began to trickle out of the stomach as the knife... somehow carefully dodged it, making a weird shape.

slice

The last cut has a bunch of purple colored materal escape and roll away from the stallion. The knife dropped to the ground soaked with blood.

The stallion remained standing with a socked expression. His intestines fell and he finally dropped dead.

From it's mouth came out more strange materials and joined the others. Each piece began to attach itself to the other along with white polyester.

"Now, to finish this"

It picks up the knife and leaves.

2:56 PM

Vida and Fusion had to take a detour as guard activity has increased since the 'Ree that heard around the world' was done by someone with close ties to Mayor Rarity. The only one they searched for was Fusion though. Vida could just walk away.

"You just.. had to.." Vida was bucking a brick wall. "Goddamnit Fusion, now we're in hot water, this didn't need to happen!"

SLAP

Fusion was slapped. "Ow..."

"Say 'ow' when we get riddled with bullets, we just have to get to barrel and we'll be safe" Vida looked around for any guard activity and made sure his hoodie covered most of his face and body.

"But hey... I got it all on camera!" Fusion showed a still image of Mad Munchkin's face moments before she ree'd. Vida grabs his face and makes him look at a billboard with Fusion's terrified face.

"Guess what, so did they" Vida said. "Takes this as the time you went to war with the Speed Stacking community... but this time... they're actually a threat"

BOOOOM!

An explosion went off behind them. "Fucking run!" Screamed Vida. Unbeknownst to them the explosion went off on the very top of the Diamond tower...

?

Sky was slowly sinking again on a ocean of blood.

BEEP...

BEEEP...

"..ste. to .e Sky!"

BEEP...

BEEEP...

"y.u.e i. ..nger!"

beep...

beep...

"W..e .p!"

"Wake up!"

beeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-

"WAKE UP! I'M COMING!"

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

Sky jumped out of his bed just in time as a knife struck the pillow he was resting on.

Rarity's Diamonds

2:56 PM

The knife was pulled out of the pillow by the same plush toy he destroyed in his mindless rampage, completely fixed as if nothing ever happened to it.

Vida ran faster than Fusion.

"Wait! Don't leave me behind!" Fusion flaps his wings and hovers as he records everything in his camera. "See? This is what happens when you have an opinion! They make a fucking ponyhunt-"

BANG!

Fusion's right wing was shot.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! FUUUUCK!" The camera slips out of his right hoof and rolls towards Vida, the camera points back at Fusion. He slides on the ground with a bleeding wing.

Vida turns around in horror. "Fu-" He covers his mouth and quickly rolls into cover. He peeks out to spot three ponies dressed in pitch black clothing. All earth ponies.

Fusion was cowering in fear, the pain of his wing didn't allow him to move much without bursting in pain. "I just... had an opinion"

One of the strangers takes off part of their mask. "And we got paid without consequences" Said the stranger.

BANG!

Right to the head.

Vida closes his eyes for a second to process what just happened. He fucking lost another one, he can't believe it. He looks down and spots the camera... it's still recording. He steps out quickly to grab it and stops recording.

beep beep!

"Ah fuck"

In lesst than a second, the three earth ponies surrounded Vida.

"Well well well, If It isn't Vida" Said one of them, it's voice was male. "Looks like it's the end of the rebels huh?"

Vida had managed to conceal the camera. "And why are you faggots doing jobs for little perfect miss diamond"

"Simple, we picked a side, and we pick winner everytime" Said another pony. This time the voice was female.

"Ha, so much for being rebels" Vida said.

"You really think Rarity is even royal?" Said the third pony. Male voice. "Food for thought" They run away, leaving Vida alone with Fusion's corpse.

Vida looks at his now dead companion.. who was alive and happy this morning. He could've just left him behind at any point. It's not like Vida actually cared for him. Or anyone. He pulls out the camera, everything up that point was recorded. He could... "Ugh, who am I kidding?" He runs off.

Downtown Manehattan

4:25 PM

Vida was galloping as fast as he could, he was on the neighborhood, he could see Barrel in the distance. Almoat the-

BOOOOOM!

A huge explosion engulfs...

"FIRE!"

BOOOOM!

"Move! Move! Move!" A squad of guards had destroyed the entrance to the Barrel. Kick was with them.

As the squad advanced through the rubble, Kick stayed behind, he had heard a voice.

"Uhhh..." A grunt, somepony's in the rubble. Kick removes the rubble and- "Wh-who... Kick?"

"Hello, Stalin" Said Kick to a green earth pony dressed as a communist.

"What the... fuck... What are you doing here?" Said Stalin. "No... don't tell me... you're with then?!"

"Look around you Stalin, I wouldn't be able to live like this forever, think about Jack-"

"Don't you fucking dare say his name" Exclaimed Stalin in disgust.

"I was the one.. who did it" Whispered Kick while pulling out a small gun on his left hoof.

"And you've come to do the same to me? This is how ABA ends?" Stalin didn't show fear. He could hear gunshots on the other side of a wall.

"This is how ABA ends, for the both of us"

BANG

BANG

"No..." Vida sood there motionless.

Barrel was gone. He could see a squad of guards enter the demolished bar. Vida had managed to avoid capture once again, but at what cost.

All this for a fucking opinion

He receives pats on his head.

"The road is long and dark but I know where we are going" A voice whispered to him. "I... will complete my mission" Someone is heard walking away but Vida doesn't pay attention.

3 down, 5 to go.

Author's Note

Are you figuring it out?