It was an insult. A mockery. Flicker Light could feel his mouth drying up and his hooves trembling as he stared slack jawed at the massive flickering screen before him. How dare they… How dare they take his art and twisted it into something with such vile, malicious intent. It made him feel sick.

Beside him, he could see Shadow Silhouette looking around the theatre uncomfortably, unsure if she should continue to watch or flee before the impending violence and backlash would begin. Many others in the crowd were similarly looking around, fully aware of what was about to come.

But not all the crowd. Most of them started on in wonder. In amazement. Grinning as if they had just been shown the secret to life.

D.W. Griffin’s film, ‘The Birth of an Empire’ had been three hours of tantalizing hatred towards zebras. A powerful call to arms against their involvement in the upcoming election. A visual spectacle warped into a convincing world of hate that made even Flicker Light question his political stance. It had made out zebras to be vile and untrustworthy, unworthy of the same compassion and equality ponies shared amongst each other.

But worst of all, the film had the audacity to be good.

It was a cinematic masterpiece, far beyond anything Flicker Light had been able to achieve so far. With shots and acting and stories more in depth and dynamic than Flicker had even though fully possible.

Despite the horrors of what the film depicted, it seemed to pass all too quickly. And when the flickering images faded to blackness and the credits began to roll, the theatre was filled with silence. Then, the silence was replaced with an overpowering boom of noise, a mix of cheering and out roar.

Flicker closed his mouth, only for it to fall back open again. What was somepony even supposed to say after watching something like that.

The crowds seemed to be turning on each other. Friends that had once sat together turned to their neighbors in fits of screaming. Flicker saw the few zebras that had come to the show either backing away nervously or sprinting to the exits as ponies chased them out, shouting angry and hateful words.

“What are all of you doing!” Somepony shouted from the crowd, standing up on their seat and towering over everypony. “Are you all just going to sit there while Zebras take our power and control our government! I’m going to march right to town hall and demand zebras votes are removed from the election!”

Their outburst was met with a terrifying roar of approval. More ponies began jumping from their seats, rushing for the doors in rage and demanding retribution. Retribution for what was any ponies guess.

Flickers eyes flashed back to the stage where he could make out the forms of D.W. Griffin giving the mayors hoof a sturdy shake. They were saying something, though Flicker couldn’t hear it over the booming crowd that had been a near silent and attentive audience only moments before.

Mustering up his courage, Flicker pulled himself from his seat and took a step towards the stage. Shadow reached out, her eyes wide as she held him back. “What are you doing? We should get out of here… now...”

Flicker took a deep breath, his eyes still fixed on Griffin and the mayor. “I’m going to go give Griffin a piece of my mind…”

He took another step forward, removing himself from Shadow’s grasp, and continued to advance towards the stage. Shadow gulped nervously, but fluttered her wings and followed after him, her eyes darting around as the arguing crowds began to move their arguments out to the streets.

As he neared, the Mayor finished talking with Griffin and politely trotted off the stage. Flicker cast him an angry glare before stepping up onto the stage and approaching D.W. Griffin. The monochrome griffin straightened his suit for a second before turning to look over at Flicker Light. His beak broke into a large smile as he saw him.

“Ah, Flicker Light. I was worried you wouldn’t come. I know we have not agreed in the past on things, but I do hope you enjoyed the show,” The griffins voice was strangely optimistic and hopeful, Flicker could have sworn the bird was actually being genuine. He opened his two front legs as if offering a hug.

“Enjoyed the show!?” Flicker scoffed, coming to a stop a few feet away from the griffin. “That was horrible! Do you have any idea how many ponies and zebras are going to be hurt because of what your film has done!”

D.W. Griffin put a talon to his breast and took a small step back. His beak clucked slightly as if he were trying to think up a proper response. “Flicker, it is merely me stating my opinion. I had hoped that the two of us could appreciate this art form together, not bicker about petty politics.”

Flicker simply gaped at him. “Petty politics?” He gestured at the last of the crowd as they stormed out into the street. “Does that response look like petty politics to you?”

Griffin sighed. “Perhaps not, but change requires drastic action. I did what needed to be done to ensure equilibrium here in Coltifornia. Had you been in my horseshoes, perhaps you would have done the same.”

Flicker grit his teeth and stomped his fore hoof aggressively on the ground before him. “You don’t get it do you! What you’ve done is going to ruin everything ponies and zebras have been working for for years!” Flicker took a step back, D.W. Griffin’s film flashing through his mind. “I don’t know how… but I’m going to fix this mess… I started this cinema mess, and I’m going to find a way to make all of it right…”

“You’re going to do nothing of the sort…” a calm, yet intensely headstrong voice spoke up from behind them. Flicker and Shadow turned around to see the Nightmare Gang Mob Boss trotting up the steps of the stage to stand next to Griffin. Shadow gave a terrified whimper as he came to a stop before them. “I do hope you both remember our initial agreement about interfering with our work. We’ll leave you alone, even help you if you comply… but if you don’t…” He didn’t bother finishing the sentence, letting his threat dangle in the air above them.

Flicker felt himself growl before he made the conscious decision to make a noise. “Maybe I wouldn’t have made that deal if I had known you were going to do something like this!” He thrust his hoof at the blank screen for emphasis.

Shadow winced, grabbing Flicker’s outstretched hoof and trying to pull him back. “F-flicker… Maybe we should just g-go…”

The mob boss smirked. “Perhaps it would be wise to listen to your fillyfriend, before you say something you regret,” His hoof brushed past his suit as he spoke, giving Flicker a quick view of the revolver that rested just beyond.

Flicker was too angry to bother blushing or objecting to the fillyfriend comment. With one last growl he spun around, dragging Shadow with him. “You haven’t heard the last of this!” Flicker shouted back, quickly making his way to the door. He had had enough of those two monsters.

“For your sake, you had better hope that it is the last time,” the mob boss darkly chuckled back. Flicker didn’t give him another glance as he pushed his way through the doors.

Almost immediately, Flicker walked head first into both of the Bits brothers that were in the middle of arguing about something. Many Bits jumped back a little, turning to look at Flicker and Shadow. “O-oh, Flicker. We are just about to see if you were still inside-”

“What do you want? I’m not exactly in the mood at the moment,” Flicker grunted back, trying to push past them. Shadow hovered a few inches behind him, trying not to make much of a scene.

Golden Bits gave a small grunt. “We’re cutting your funding.”

Flicker abruptly pulled up short. He quickly spun around to face them, his eyes wide. “Y-you’re what? But… I thought you had agreed to fund my movie? I thought you thought that film was the thing of the future!”

Many Bits bit his lip nervously. “Well, we did… we still do… but I’m afraid you are simply taking too long, and D.W. Griffin seems to be making films that are much more profitable.”

Flicker’s jaw dropped for the second time since the film had ended. “You’re… You’re going to fund Griffin instead…” He could feel a hollowness slowly building up in his chest, threatening to consume him. "You're cutting my funding so that you can fund that monster?"

Golden Bits gave a gruf nod. “The simple truth is Flicker, that D.W. Griffin has proved that he gets results. His fame has surpassed yours in a matter of hours and he is commenting on something that's relevant. There is money to be found in cinema regarding the world of politics, but no pony is interested in hearing an old foals tale about the mare on the moon. You’re old news, and we need to keep our sights on where the bits are at.”

Flicker could feel his eyes growing wider and wider. The painful hollowness in his chest was quickly expanding, the tips of his hooves going numb. “But… But my movie…”

“What if you funded both,” Shadow offered. “Surely that would make more bits, right?”

Golden Bits scoffed at her. “Clearly you don’t understand how to get ahead in the world of economics. We’re cutting your funding. That is final.”

Many Bits stepped forwards and put a hoof on Flicker’s shoulder gently. “We’re sorry Flicker. We really were rooting for you. But I’m afraid we need to look out for ourselves. We do wish you the best of luck of course,” He turned back to Golden Bits, gesturing for him to follow. “Come on brother, we have much to discuss.

The two bits siblings pushed past them, moving back into the theatre to talk to Griffin. As they disappeared behind the doors completely, Flicker felt the hollowness fully enclose around his heart.

“You want something that comments on the world… you want something that’s not just old news?” Flicker scowled, glaring daggers at the door the two bank ponies had marched through. His eyes narrowed, a strange fire seemingly burning behind them. “I’ll show you… I’ll show all of them!”

“F-flicker…? You’re scaring me… Can we go back to the-” Shadow started, but she was cut off with a frightened eep as Flicker grabbed onto her and pulled her forwards as he began marching forwards at a rapid speed. “F-flicker, slow down… Where are you going!?”

“We’re going to finish my film!” Flicker growled back, not bothering to look at her. “We’re going to finish my film and fix all of this!”

The streets were practically a war zone.

Ponies were rushing up and down the streets, screaming and waving hateful signs advocating for zebras to be removed from the election. Torches were pitched and ponies seemed to be flooding from their houses to join in on the growing crowd. Flicker spotted a few shop windows that had been shattered by ponies that had been throwing rocks, and one building seemed to be on fire, black smoke spilling from its shattered windows and curling up into the air to blot out the overcast sky.

A small group of zebras had been corralled into the centre of the road where multiple angry ponies were shouting and screaming at them. There were a few ponies around that didn’t pitch in on the rioting, but they either kept their heads low or ran for safety as quickly as possible, not one of them stopping to help the zebras as the ponies closed in around them.

By the time Flicker and Shadow reached their theatre, Flicker was fuming. He burst through the entrance way, the double doors slamming against the walls with a loud bang. Inside, both Swindle and Popcorn were talking furiously with each other, both of them suddenly jumping with fright as the doors crashed open.

“What in the name of Celestia is going on out there!” Swindle gawked, giving Flicker and Shadow an annoyed glare before casting his gaze to the rioting ponies outside the window. “The whole city just broke into freaking Tartarus! And whatever is going on is spreading fast. And I just got news from Los Pegasus that there are riots breaking out there too!”

“It’s D.W. Griffin and his darn film!” Flicker shouted, making everypony in the room flinch from the angry tone of his voice. “He poked the hornet's nest and now he’s got half the city fighting against zebra rights!”

“The whole city,” Swindle corrected gravely. “And maybe even more than that. With the speed these riots have been spreading, I’d be surprised if it doesn’t reach Canterlot by tomorrow morning.”

Shadow slowly touched down beside Flicker. “But what are we going to do? We can’t fight the Nightmare gang, they’d kill us!”

“We’re going to finish my movie,” Flicker ordered bluntly. “But this time, it’s going to be a little bit different. If Griffin can cause all this hatred with his film, maybe we can undo some of that with our own.”

Swindle Gyp gave Flicker a confused cock of his head. “I don’t even know what that means.”

“We’re going to turn ‘A Trip To Luna’s Moon’ into a commentary on tolerance. Maybe if we can show everypony that it’s better to get along, then we might be able to stop some of this atrocity before it's to late! If it's not already...”

Popcorn’s eyes went wide at the idea. “Flicker, that’s crazy! You can’t just fix all of this by telling ponies what they’re doing is wrong.”

Flicker whirled on her and snarled. “Why not! Griffin did it, and it worked perfectly fine for him!” he spun back around and glared at Swindle. “Where is the rest of the cast and crew? We need them working ASAP!”

Swindle’s eyebrows knitted together slightly. “They’re already in the auditorium. Some were already here when the riots broke out, and the rest came straggling in shortly after hoping to get away from all the violence. But perhaps we should-”

“Good, we need to get to work now!” Flicker grunted, cutting him off and turning towards the doors leading to the auditorium. “The election is only in three days, and I’ll be darned if we don’t have this film finished by then.”

Swindle and Shadow nodded worriedly, slowly following behind Flicker. Popcorn held back and hesitated for a second as they approached the doors. “I, uh… I have something I need to do quickly. I’ll be with you in a second.”

Flicker paused and glared back at her for a second before shaking his head and pushing himself the rest of the way into the auditorium. “Just hurry up. We have work to do!”

Inside, the rest of the cast and crew were talking worriedly to each other in hushed voices. Flicker noticed one of the zebras in his cast had a drizzle of blood rushing down their head which his camera pony was tending to. It looked as if somepony had bashed them over the head while they were on their way here.

“Alright everypony, listen up!” Flicker shouted, storming towards them. “Get to your places! We have a lot of work to do!”

The camera operator looked up from the zebras side and gave Flicker a confused look. “Can we have a few minutes? Clavo is really hurt.”

Flicker growled, glaring down at him. “We don’t have time! Now get up and start rolling the camera before I do it myself!”

The cast and crew took a surprised step back, glancing around at each other as Flicker shouted at them. The white coated unicorn that played Celestia took a daring step forward. “Flicker, there are more-” she silenced herself as Flicker gave a loud huff of frustration.

Shadow stepped forwards and gently placed a hoof on Flicker’s shoulder. “Maybe we should take a quick breather. Help clear our heads. Please Flicker, you need to slow down.”

“How about you stop annoying me and get into your Tartarus condemned costume! Maybe we’d already be done this movie if I hadn’t spent so much freaking time with you and didn’t need to constantly fix all your darn problems!” Flicker snapped back, slamming his hoof down on the ground. Shadow flinched back at the retort as if his words had physically struck her. Flicker felt the ice that had grasped his heart melt away just long enough for a stab of guilt to wash over him. what ha he just said... why had he said it. “S-shadow… I didn’t mean that… I… I'm just angry right now, I shouldn't be taking it out on you... I don’t know what came over me… I...”

Shadow stared at him for a moment. Then, slowly, a tear crept into the corner of her eye and raced down the side of your face and her usually timid expression changed to something Flicker had never seen on her before. Anger.

“Fine!” She spat, taking a step back, her brows furrowing. “If I’m annoying you so much, I’ll just leave! Then I can’t get in the way of your freaking movie! Cause that’s all you’ve ever cared about, isn’t it! Your movie and your vision and your theatre! I’m always just second! I just… Agh!” She aggressively flapped her wings and spun around, flashing out the door before Flicker could get another word in.

Flicker put a hoof out to stop her, but she was long gone, out the door and out of sight. After a painfully long second, the hollow coldness in Flickers chest closed back over his heart and he gave off another frustrated scream. “Then don’t come back! I don’t need you anyway! I don’t need any of you!” He spun around, snarling at the gathering of ponies. "I'll make the whole movie myself if I have to!"

Flicker could feel his hooves trembling more and more, his breaths were coming out in quick, angry pants. Why couldn’t they all just see that he was trying to fix things!

Everypony stared at him in shock for a few moments, before one by one standing up and walking out. Each one of them marched past him, not even bothering to give Flicker a final look. With each pony that passed him, Flicker felt his resolve crumble away just a little bit more.

The actress for Celestia paused slightly as she passed him, looking straight ahead and at the doorway out. She opened her mouth, trying to think of what to say. When nothing came to mind, she shook her head and trotted out, head hung low.

As the door swung shut, Flicker let a long breath escape his lips. What had he done…

“What was that!” Swindle blurted, glaring at Flicker as he trembled. “Generally when you want ponies to work for you, you don’t go telling them they’re not wanted.”

Flicker turned and looked back at him for a second before his shaking legs gave out from under him and he collapsed to the floor. “Swindle… what have I done…”

“You’ve made a bloody mess out of an already messy situation is what you’ve done!” Swindle growled, looming over him.

“Are… are you going to leave me too?” Flicker asked nervously, looking up at the raging con pony before him.

Swindle Gyp looked down at him for a long moment, before sighing and sitting down on the floor next to him. “No… I’m not... I figure you don’t have anypony else right now, so I suppose somepony needs to look out for you.”

Flicker tried to force a laugh but it was obscured as his body was wracked with the first wave of sobs. “Sticking with me isn’t the most financially sound decision right about now…”

“Apparently,” Swindle grumbled, looking up at the door everypony had just walked out of. “But… well I guess we’re kind of like family now you and I… and I reckon family doesn’t abandon each other, no matter how badly the other messes up.”

Flicker forced a smile onto his face, though the tears that streaked his cheeks didn’t make it very believing. “Is that what we are? Family?”

“Well we certainly aren’t a business anymore. I like you Flicker Light. Whether we make any bits out of it or not, I’ll try to see this whole thing through. To the very end...”

The door to the auditorium swung open, causing both stallions to look up. Both of them froze as they saw the ponies that were marching in.

Ten tough looking stallions, all dressed in dark blue suits trotted in, each one a unicorn wielding a deadly looking revolver beside them in their magic. Flicker spotted a dark red stallion with a thin scar on the clip of his eye trotting in with the rest of the gangsters, his own gun pointed down at the two of them.

Both Flicker and Swindle quickly pushed themselves back up to their hooves as the ponies surrounded them, moving back to back as they were suddenly faced with the ten lethal firearms.

Swindle held up his hooves, gesturing for everypony to calm down. “Now hold on there, let's put the guns away. We haven’t done anything to the Nightmare gang. Why don’t we all just sit down and talk this out. There's no need for violence...” He put on his most winning smile, showing off his teeth. All the thugs stared back at him with blank expressions, clearly unamused with his proposition.

“I’m afraid that is where you’re wrong,” A calm tone spoke up. Flicker felt a shiver pass through him as the silky voice reached his ears. Pushing through the door, the grey and black mob boss trotted in after his goons, a sly looking expression scrawled across his face. Popcorn slowly slinked in after him, her head low and her eyes darting around to look anywhere but at Flicker and Swindle.

Flicker felt his eyes narrow. “Popcorn? What is going on here?”

The mob boss chuckled, patting Popcorn gently on the head as if she were a dog. “Your friend Popcorn here works for me you see. I had her apply for a job here so she could update me on what you were up to. Wouldn’t want the founder of Coltifornia’s newest and most promising industry acting out against me, now would I?” He gave a smug chuckled and ruffled Popcorn's hair, making her whimper slightly in fear. “Just imagine my surprise when she called me to say you had decided to go against our little deal.”

Flicker Light growled at him. “We haven’t gone on your deal, what are you talking about?!”

The mob boss took a second to take a puff of his cigar, the thick, silvery smoke swirling around his head, before lazily looking back at Flicker with a roll of his eyes. “The deal, if I remember correctly, was that you were not to interfere with my plans… and I must say, conspiring to make a film to undo all the hard work I did to allow Griffin to make Birth of an Empire sure sounds like interfering with my plans to me.”

Flicker backed up and gulped nervously. "Th- that's what this is all about?"

The mob boss grinned and straightened his bowtie. "I had my suspicions this whole film business could be rather profitable. I have a good thing going with Griffin's work. I can't have you trying to undermine that success," He glanced down at his dark blue suit, his smirk growing and a small chuckled escaping his lips. "I heard your little film is about Celestia reuniting with princess Luna. I have to wonder... did you ever question why we're called the Nightmare gang?"

Flicker took a second to steady himself before giving a small shake of his head. "I... No, I didn't..."

"Because we were formed after Princess Luna was sent to the moon... or rather... Nightmare moon," The mob boss took another drag from his cigar, stealing himself for a moment. "Ponies fear us because they have no hope of beating us. We were born from the schism that shaped Equestria and grow and thrive off of ponies by keeping that schism alive. No pony can beat us because I make sure they are always to busy trying to beat somepony else... So long as ponies are divided, we'll always be on top.

"And yet here you are, making a movie about princess Celestia and princess Luna coming together despite their differences. despite the hatred and space between them. Unfortunately for you, this I cannot allow," The mob boss continued, his eyes seeming to twinkle with a strange emotion that Flicker couldn't recognize. He turned and nodded towards the scarred, red stallion beside him, his expression suddenly serious. "I'm a pony of my word Flicker Light, and I keep my promises. Say goodbye to your theatre."

The dark red stallion stepped forward, pulling out a large drum of gasoline. The mob boss tossed his cigar aside and pulled out another, striking a match and holding the small, flickering flame up before his eye. The firelight danced across his features, the burning glow blazing in the reflection of his eyes.

Swindle quickly took a protective step in front of Flicker. “Well we haven’t made that film yet, so since we haven’t exactly interfered yet, perhaps it would be best to simply let us off with a bit of a warning. What do you say?” He diplomatically raised his hoof to the mob boss, offering for a more peaceful solution. "We can keep this civil still, right?"

The mob boss looked at Swindle’s raised hoof for a second with a raised eyebrow before letting his gaze flicker back up to Swindle’s face. A sly grin slinked across his face. “Perhaps you’re right,” The mob boss cooed, his words dripping with a sickening amount of honey. He flicked the match, putting out the flame. The red mobster slowed, standing down. “Perhaps letting you off with a little warning instead is the right way to go about this…”

He was simply so fast that neither Flicker or Swindle had enough time to react. In the blink of an eye, the mob boss's gun was up, it’s muzzle bursting with a bloom of fire and smoke and a deafening bang filling the air and echoing in Flicker's ears.

Flicker flinched back, his eyes scrunching shut as he expected pain to flare across his body. When the pain never came, he peeked an eye open and looked about. For a moment everypony was still, then Swindle dropped to the floor, blood slowly seeping from his body and pooling around his limp form.

A scream escaped Flicker mouth. He was at Swindle’s side in an instant, pressing his hoof up against the oozing bullet wound, his tan coat quickly turning black from Swindle’s blood as it soaked into his hide. Through his coat, Flicker could feel Swindle’s chest slowly rising and falling as he took painful breaths. Flicker glanced up at the mob boss fearfully, his pupils dilated and trembling with fear. “What have you done...!”

“I’ve shown you just what happens when you cross the Nightmare gang,” The mob boss chided, lifting his chin and glaring down at him. “Be thankful I was so generous and did not burn down your theatre. I won't show such generosity next time.”

Flicker could feel more tears leaking from his eyes. He opened his mouth to scowl, to give the mob boss a retort, to simply scream, but nothing would escape his lips. The mob boss looked down on him pitifully for a moment before turning around and trotting out of the theatre, the rest of his goons quickly following him out.

Popcorn hesitated for a moment, looking down at the two of them on the floor before slowly taking a hesitant step back, the look in her eyes just as fearful as Flickers. With a quick shudder, she spun around and darted out the doors after the mob boss.

With trembling breath, Flicker tried to wrap Swindle’s vest around the wound, in a hope to stop the bleeding, but there was simply too much blood. “I… I need to get an ambulance…” Flicker whimpered, raising Swindle’s fore hoof and trying to get him to apply pressure to his own wound. “Hold on Swindle, I’ll be right back…”

Before Flicker could get up, Swindle grasped onto his hoof and pulled him back down. “N-no point. I know every inch of this city. Ambulance won’t get here in time,” He gasped, his whole body shuddering as he pushed the words out.

“D-don’t say that. You’re going to be fine, I promise!” Flicker insisted, more tears streaking down his face and dripping from his chin. “You can’t die… I… I won’t let it!”

Swindle chuckled, only for blood to sputter from his lips. “Makin’ promises you can’t keep isn’t going to do either of us any good right now I’m afraid,” He had to paused to cough out a wad of blood. He weakly turned his head to look back up at Flicker, his eyes suddenly sparking with fear. “I know you and my boys don’t get along well, but somepony needs to be lookin’ out for them, you got me? Those rascals have talent, but they won’t last long on the streets alone. They tried it once and it almost killed them… you’ll look after them for me, won’t you?”

“I...I’ll try,” Flicker said, his heart pounding faster in his chest. He buried his face in Swindle’s side as if covering his eyes would magically make everything better. “I’ll find someplace safe for Film and Flam. A home... I will…”

“Good… Good…” Swindle sighed, his whole body relaxing a little. “Now you listen to me Flicker Light my boy, and you listen to me good. Ever since I met you, I’ve seen a passion and imagination in you stronger than I have in any other pony. You have a story you wanna tell and if ya tell it right, you might just save a few lives. You don’t give up on that, you understand me?”

Flicker nodded, clutching to Swindles shivering form even tighter. “I… I won't. I Promise.”

Swindle smirked. “Now that there is a promise you can keep,” he raised his hoof and placed it firmly against Flickers chest. “You get that crew of yours back together and you make that movie, understand?”

“I doubt they want to see me again,” Flicker whimpered. His vision began to grow blurry with tears. “I don’t even know where Shadow went… I don’t think I’ll ever see her again.”

“Yeah, you messed up...” Swindle agreed, his voice flaring with pain for a second as he spoke. “...But don’t let that stop you. Why should you? Equestria’s been throwing all it could against you from day one and you haven’t let it stop you yet…”

“But Shadow-”

Swindle’s hoof flew up and slapped Flicker across the face. It wasn’t hard, Flicker doubted Swindle still had the strength to do anything more than a light tap, but Flicker recoiled back in shock anyway. “You’ll find Shadow and you’re going to make things right between you two. And don’t you give me any of that ‘she doesn’t want anything to do with you’ bull. I’d have to be blind to not see how you two constantly look at each other. You’re head over hooves for that mare and you know full well she feels the same, now stop wallowing in guilt and fix this mess.”

Blushing through his tears, Flicker nodded again, wrapping Swindle in a tighter hug. “I will. I’ll fix everything Swindle, I swear. I’ll make all of this right…”

Swindle let his charismatic grin stretch across his face from ear to ear. “Thatta boy. And when you finally kick the bucket, I expect you to split all your earnings with me fifty fifty, got it?”

Flicker actually found the will to laugh at that. “I’ll give you all of it. I never was in it for the bits.”

“Ha!” Swindle laughed, his laugh sounding more like a pained wheeze. “I knew working with you was the right choice,” Coughing, Swindle leaned his head back and found himself staring up at the roof with hazy eyes. “I rather liked this little business of ours my friend, I had hoped to work here for a long time I think. But I suppose a business man can never stay in the same place for long… I just never thought this would end so soon… Now it’s time for my next big thing… My next big thing…”

Flicker felt Swindle’s body slump against him, the tense muscles in Swindle’s back relaxing as he swiftly drifted away. Swindle’s eyes fluttered closed and with one final exhale of breath, he went still.

...And with that, Swindle Gyp was gone from this world forever...

Author's Note

I swear, I conceptualized this chapter ages ago... This fic comments on and mirrors things that happened over a hundred years ago. The similarities this chapter has to modern day politics are purely coincidental.

And so it was that all the pieces were set for the final, only one more chapter before the big concussion!

Hope you have a great day and a happy holidays!