What do you know about insanity

The jungle was alive with the sound of nocturnal creatures and the rhythmic drip of water from the trees above. But in the small clearing where Vaas and Derpy crouched, there was a tense silence. A small fire flickered weakly, casting long shadows on the ground. Derpy’s eyes were fixed on the fire, her face expressionless, while Vaas leaned casually against a tree, his knife in hand, cleaning it with slow precision.

“Loyalty, kid,” Vaas’s voice cut through the still air, “It’s a funny thing, isn’t it?”

Derpy glanced up at him, her eyes wide but unfocused. She had learned not to question him anymore. His lessons, dark and twisted as they were, had become her world. The way he saw the world—through a lens of manipulation, fear, and control—had become hers too.

“It’s not just about following orders. It’s about knowing who’s worth your loyalty, and who isn’t. And when you can see that, you can do things you never thought you could do,” Vaas continued, his tone light but edged with something darker.

Derpy nodded, her small body sitting still, but her mind racing. She had learned the brutal truth: loyalty wasn’t about love or friendship. It was about power. Power over others, power over yourself.

Vaas stood up abruptly, his boots crunching against the earth. “We’re going to test that tonight, kid. See how far you’ve really come.”

Derpy didn’t flinch. She was used to his sudden shifts in mood, his unexpected turns. If he wanted to test her loyalty, she would prove it. She had nothing else. No family. No friends. Only Vaas.

They moved through the jungle as silently as shadows, the thick foliage surrounding them in an almost suffocating embrace. The mercenaries’ camp wasn’t far ahead. Vaas had been tracking them for days, waiting for the right moment to strike. Derpy felt the familiar weight of a weapon in her hooves, the cold steel of a knife she had learned to wield with precision.

“We’re not here to play games,” Vaas said as they approached the camp. “You’ll follow my lead, but you’ll also do what you need to do. You’ll decide who’s useful to us, and who isn’t. Can you do that?”

“Yes, Vaas,” Derpy answered, her voice quiet but steady. She had learned to adapt to his methods, to think like him. There was no hesitation in her voice.

Vaas stopped, signaling for her to crouch low. The sound of drunken laughter carried through the air, followed by the clink of metal. The mercenaries were unaware of their approach. Derpy’s eyes flickered to the campfire, the shadows of five men clearly visible. They were a ragtag group, all too relaxed, too sure of their own superiority.

“They don’t even know what’s coming,” Vaas murmured with a grin, his eyes gleaming with malice. “This is what happens when people forget that power isn’t given, it’s taken.”

He moved first, his body blending into the shadows with a fluid grace. Derpy followed, her movements precise and deliberate. The first mercenary didn’t even see Vaas until it was too late. A swift blow, and the man was down, a knife buried in his throat. The camp erupted into chaos, and Derpy knew this was her moment.

She sprang into action.

The second mercenary, a bulky earth pony with a scar across his face, swung his fist toward her. She dodged easily, her training kicking in as she aimed her strike. Her hooves found his chest, and with a sickening crack, his ribs shattered beneath her weight. He gasped for air, clutching his chest, but it was too late. A quick twist of her hooves, and his neck snapped.

Two down, three to go.

Vaas was already working on the next target, a lean stallion with a jagged knife. His movements were quick, the blade slicing through the air with deadly accuracy. Derpy hesitated for only a moment, but in that moment, she heard Vaas’s voice in her mind.

"Don’t hesitate, kid. You wait, and you die. This is about loyalty, about control. If you hesitate, you’ll lose both."

Her body moved of its own accord. She darted to the next mercenary, a young stallion with wild eyes, his gun raised in her direction. But he was slow. She was faster.

The gunshot rang out as she lunged, but the bullet missed by inches. She slammed into him, knocking him to the ground. The knife was in her hooves before he could react. A quick slash, and the blood poured freely. He gasped, his eyes wide with terror as life drained from him.

Vaas stepped over the last mercenary, a smirking mare with a twisted, sadistic grin. She had been watching them, waiting for the moment to strike. But Derpy was faster. With a well-timed kick, she sent the mare crashing to the ground, knocking the breath out of her. Before the mercenary could recover, Derpy was on top of her, holding her own knife to the mare’s throat.

The mare’s eyes went wide with shock. “You—You’re just a filly... What are you doing?”

Derpy’s eyes were cold, emotionless. She hadn’t hesitated. She hadn’t shown mercy. She was just like Vaas had taught her.

“Loyalty is power,” Derpy whispered, her voice calm, her heart steady. “And you’re not worth mine.”

She ended it quickly, the blade cutting through the air.

Vaas approached her, his grin spreading wider as he surveyed the bodies around them. “Well done, kid. I told you this was a test. And you passed it. You didn’t hesitate. You didn’t question anything. That’s loyalty. And loyalty means power.”

Derpy stood among the fallen, her heart racing but her face impassive. She had done what was necessary. She had done what was asked of her. And in that moment, she understood. Loyalty wasn’t just about following orders—it was about making the hard decisions, the ones that no one else would.

She had become like him.

And there was no going back.