The Future Will Change

While Luna had swooped in to rescue Carpenter and Ambrosia before they could be harmed any further, Pinkie’s body had swollen as she took on the form of a boar with tusks and all. Seeing red, she charged at one of the lion men with a flying kick that sent him across the room! She then charged after him and was intent on taking on two of them by herself.

Aidon had focused his efforts on one of them. Dodging a claw swipe, he grabbed the lion man’s arm and flipped him over. Since these were likely innocent people who had been affected by a curse put out by the Masked Figure, Aidon didn’t want to kill them.

“We just need to subdue them long enough so we can figure out a way to reverse this,” he thought to himself.

Though it was easier said than done.

Aidon dodged a sweeping kick from the lion and retaliated with an open palm strike to the feline’s chest. That wasn’t enough though, as he started throwing punch after punch at Aidon. All the hellhound man could do was dodge each one until he had found himself another opening and caught the lion’s fist out of midair, swiftly spun him around, grabbed him, and suplexed the lion into the floor!

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Aidon called out as the lion man tried to slowly get up, “You’ve been corrupted by someone that wants to ruin your life. You have to fight it. Trust me. We aren’t your enemy.”

“Rrrgh…” the feline man grumbled.

Aidon quickly subdued him by raising his hands and conjuring chains of darkness that would slowly suppress all of the magic in the lion man’s body. “Stay there.” He then turned around to check on the situation with Pinkie…

The giant pink boar woman had successfully taken down both lions with explosive punches that released sprinkles from her palms. Her unstoppable rage had her to where she had beaten them within an inch of their lives--the lions were bruised and bleeding from their mouths as Pinkie tossed them aside and prepared to charge at them one more time…

“Pinkamena!” Aidon shouted to get her attention, “They’re regular people who have been corrupted just like you! Cease your assault!”

“Rrrgh…but…they…hurt…my friends…” she grumbled in a low voice as she thought about Ambrosia and Carpenter. “Can’t…forgive…”

“Pinkie! It’s not their fault!” Aidon shouted once more, “If you hurt those men, you’ll be no better than the one who started this nonsense!”

With her hands on her head, she tried to fight off the urge to attack. Pinkie’s mind was eating away at her. “Grrgh…Professor….!”

“No! You listen here, young lady!” Aidon rushed in front of her, standing between her and the remaining lion beastmen, bearing his canine fangs, “Stop right now before I make you! And I don’t think you want that!”

Seeing the conviction of the hound-man’s aura resonated with Pinkie. The last thing she wanted to do was anger one of her former teachers and potentially hurt him…or herself. Now wasn’t the time to be petty.

“...fine.”

And with that, Pinkie’s size regressed down to normal, and her form reverted to that of an anthropomorphic domestic pig.

“I just hope my friends are okay,” she muttered.

“They are,” Luna spoke up as she hurried back into the auditorium. “The paramedics are outside treating their injuries. But the police are on their way as well. We need to leave immediately.”

“But…Carp and Amber…” Pinkie lamented.

Aidon put his hands on her shoulders. “Ms. Pie. We need to leave immediately or else the police will be after us and make this into a larger ordeal than it has to be. There’s no time and we are in no position to argue about this.”

“...alright,” Pinkie had given up, emotionally detached from the entire situation by this point.

Suddenly, they were greeted by a familiar face and voice. “...dammit! I didn’t make it in time. Bugger off…”

They all turned to see Aoife having arrived with her compass device.

“Ms. Aogami?” Aidon looked at her, “What’s going on?”

The blue oni sighed and went on, “There’s been a lotta readin’s ‘round these parts. You lot would do well to get on home by this point.”

“That’s just what we were about to do,” Luna replied with a nod. “Come, Aidon. Pinkie. It’s best we get away from here as quickly as possible.