Coming Back to Life
Daybreak
Good morning, friends and foes!
So, um. News. There’s some news this morning.
First off… I found the projector unit for Commander Herder crushed into pieces this morning. Worst thing about that is that I found it by looking out the window. It’s been chucked out into the vacuum of space. So, that’s not great news, I imagine. But we can’t know for certain what kind of news it is, of course, because SOME PEOPLE haven’t been keeping on top of the Community Fund! Dear oh dear. I only hope that Herder has respawned in a better place. They may even have been - dare I say it? - right about one or two things. Maybe VibeCity isn’t quite the happiest place in the universe, and some light reform may be helpful?
But here’s the really bad news.
Piglet has found out what pork chops are…
So, with Herder gone and Piglet now vibing in the Hundred Acre Wood in the sky, it’s time to move on, and find those killers!
The last words of Piglet:
"I - I… oh. Well. Oh d-d-dear. 😦
I - I wish I didn’t have to leave. You’ve been such great friends to me a-and I wish we’d had more time to play together and I wish we could’ve done more reading and I wish I could’ve gone home and shown you the wood and we could’ve had haycorns and hunny together!!
B-but that’s okay. M-maybe one day I’ll see you again? I’ve never died before - maybe I’ll be different and wake up someday! That would be nice, ha-ha!
Um, you already know who I know for sure is good and bad… and two of them are already dead… I’m not sure I trust mr collins either, a-and I’m still not sure about russ even though we’re friends again, but what do I know? I’m just a Piglet.
If you ever make it to the hundred acre woods, I hope it makes you happy like it made me happy. And if you see Rabbit or Eeyore or Tigger, and especially if you see Pooh - can you tell them I love them? And that I didn’t leave on purpose? I wanted to go home to them all this time."
Emz: Kyla? Are you okay?
Kyla is hurling crates at the wall, clutching the friendship bracelet she made as a pair for her and Piglet, and weeping all in tandem
"I'm losing everyone Emz... Piglet helped show me I could make friends with people. He was kind to me. And they took him away from me!"
she hurls a crate, which shatters against the wall. She pants and looks at the wreckage of it, then slumps down.
"...I'm very much not okay Emz. I don't want to lose you too."
Emz: I don't want to lose you either Kyla... I'd just worked out what friends were too, and then they keep dying on me. gives Kyla the biggest hug, keeps holding Kyla
Kyla: returns the embrace, hugging her back as much as she can, burying her face in her shoulder
"I want to spend today with you... if things go badly... I want both of us to have this time together... there's too many things I didn't say to too many people and I can't let you be one of them."
"Look, Emz... I might not know a lot of things... I mean up until a little bit ago I seriously misunderstood some words in a big way... but I've also learned a lot. And I think I know what the Doctor was trying to say at the end there, to me... I've been think about that. About what it means. About what I feel. And I haven't known you long, but I still want to say it. In case I don't have another chance. In case this really is the end... Emz, I think I love you."
Emz: Kyla, I... I've never had anyone love me before. I didn't even know what love before this week, but then I learned all about friends and sex and sexuality, and I learned that every time I look at you it makes me smile, and I don't want to be without you ever again. Kyla... I think I love you too.
Kyla looks happy in a way she hasn't... ever before. Oh Emz... i... im so glad to hear that ...I heard about this thing called a kiss where two people press their mouth together to show affection. Would you like to try one?
Emz: I would love to try a kiss with you, Kyla they kiss, in front of a huge window with a dramatic space vista, as epic music plays
Kyla goes up to the big holoprojector in the hanger, and plugs the flashdrive in. We see that there are a few files on there, some of which probably should have been deleted before it was handed over, but one of which stands out: "KYLA LOGS". Kyla stares at the words before clicking it
Log 1:
“Hello? Heeello? Is this thing working. Oh good its recording now. My name is Kyla Duo, I’m 12 years old, and I’m running away from home. I keep getting in fights at school, and my mom and dad are concerned at how I told the school councilor I enjoyed hitting the other kids. Well I did, and I’m not sorry about it! So I’m running away to Larissa—that’s where the legendary Supreme Governor Verger of the Venusian Empire is, with the Knights of Verger!”
she turns the camera around. It’s a little girl who looks far younger than Kyla-82 has ever looked physically, this is clearly the original Kyla Verger, the one she was cloned from
Log 2:
We are trailing behind a bipedal mass of arms and tentacles. Its head, which is mostly tentacles, has one big grape-fruit sized eye. To either side of us are the Knights of Verger who are… not clones? They look like they have been pulled in from all over the Venusian Empire, but they’re all cyborgs. They are sparring with their laser swords.
Verger: “As you see young Kyla, the Knights of Verger are the most elite fighting force in the Empire, the Great Sweat himself has said that we’re ‘really rad’ and that he’d ‘probably visit sometime I guess’, high praise indeed!”
Kyla: “They’re incredible—they look so strong!”
Verger: “All of which makes me wonder why the child of two heroes of the pathetic Earth Confederacy would come here to join me.”
Kyla: “Because they’re WEAK. I want to be strong, I want to fight, and you and the Great Sweat are strong!”
Verger: turns around good… gooooood. But how far are you really willing to go?
Kyla: What do you mean?
Verger: I have a test for you, follow.
they travel through the Fortress of Shadows, down into a dungeon. A door opens, and we see a prisoner, one of Clarence’s Elephant people, tied up, struggling against their bonds
Kyla: A prisoner?
Verger: Now Kyla Duo, I want you to hurt this person. Hurt them a lot.
Kyla: I’m good at beating people up, I got in trouble in school for it and—
from the mass of tentacles, Verger holds out a long serrated knife
Verger: Oh, you misunderstand. You’ll be graded on how many parts you can cut off of them before they die. The more parts, the higher you score.
Kyla is shocked, this is not what she expected or signed up for, she panics for a moment, and turns and almost leaves before she seems to decide she MUST move forward
Kyla: …Is every body part a point, or just how many little bits I cut off?
Verger: laughing THAT IS EXACTLY THE KIND OF QUESTION I WANT MY KNIGHTS TO ASK!
Log 3:
A training montage as the Knights of Verger put Kyla Duo through the wringer. She learns how to use a laser sword, and they initiate her into the secret arts of Space Magic.
Log 4:
We are standing in front of the entire Knights of Verger, its some sort of assembly
Verger: Young Kyla here may be little, but as you saw during her first mission, she’s more vicious than all of you put together! Did you see what she did to that guy’s eyes? I’m still laughing about it—this is the kind creative violence we NEED. So I’ve decided to adopt Kyla as my own child, and my future successor to lead the Knights of Verger!
Log 5:
We are now in a domestic setting. Some time has passed, Kyla is eating breakfast serial while reading a magazine called “Torturers Monthly” with headlines like “the rack: timeless classic or out of date relic?”. Verger enters in. She is followed by a green cat lady.
Verger: sweetheart, are you awake—oh there you are, sooooo, you know how mommy has been out and about a lot for the last few months?
Kyla: …yeah?
Verger: Weeeellllll Mommy has met someone she likes, someone she likes very much, and not just because of what she can do with her tou—ahem forget that last bit. This is Lady Hinesly, and you’re going to be seeing a lot more of her lately.
Hinesly: Hello there, your mother has told me a lot about you. she extends a paw Hinesly darling, a pleasure.
she shakes the paw nervously
Verger: Great, glad you’re getting along because we got drunk and got married last night in Space-Vegas so—
Log 6:
This is a battle scene, some time has passed again, Kyla is helping put down a revolt against the Venusian Empire. People are protesting the increased taxes on their already limited work credits. The protest has now turned into a battle, and the battle quickly turns into a slaughter
Knight: We showing any mercy today boss?
Kyla: No.
they don’t
Log 7:
Were at… an amusement park? Kyla is following Hinesly. Kyla seems annoyed, she keeps rubbing her left arm.
Hinesly: I couldn’t believe it when you said you’d never been to one of these—every kid should go to an amusement part at least once. Did you know they have these amazing baked potatoes? They almost make me feel like changing my mind on—
Kyla: Why are we here, this is stupid.
Hinesly frowns: Well I did already buy the tickets and travel here with you, so tough luck.
Kyla: What’s the point of a roller coaster anyway? Or cotton candy?
Hinesly: They’re fun, its fun to do fun things, and eat tasty things. That’s like, enjoying life 101.
Kyla: That’s not what mom says.
Hinesly: sighing Well she does have… unusual interests. And what’s with your arm, you okay?
Kyla: I’d rather be pulling out someone’s fingernails.
Hinesly: That’s a bad joke, kid.
Kyla: What do you mean, that’s what we do.
Hinesly: stopping …explain to me exactly what you mean by that.
Kyla: it’d distract from the pain, torturing someone.
Hinesly: long pause yeah okay so a lot to unpack there.
Log 8:
Hinesly and Verger are screaming at each other. Kyla is curled up against the wall in the next room over, listening through the wall
Hinesly: YOU CUT OFF HER ARM? YOU CUT OFF A CHILD’S ARM?
Verger: The Knights of Verger become cyborgs, that’s what we do.
Hinesly: YOU DIDN’T EVEN USE ANESTHETIC. AND YOU’VE BEEN FORCING A CHILD TO TORTURE PEOPLE?
Verger: Its for her own good—
Hinesly: I can’t believe you forced me to find a moral line I couldn’t cross, I hate that for me!
Hinesly storms around the corner, Kyla looks up at her, she holds out a paw
Hinesly: …Kyla, come with me.
Verger: Kyla, don’t you DARE.
Hinesly: I can’t force you, but you shouldn’t stay here.
Verger: KYLA I DID THIS FOR YOU, REMEMBER THAT!
Kyla: …I’m staying.
Hinesly’s face hardens, she walks out, slamming the door
Log 9:
we are in a cave, Kyla is moving forward carefully
Kyla: I know you’re in here, we got the intel, my biggest foe is in here. I’m going to destroy you so come on out.
She rounds a corner, into a room filled with mirrors
Kyla: What’s this—
Hinesly’s voice from a speaker duck taped to the wall: Kyla dear, do you really want to keep doing this? Because I don’t really want to be doing this right now honestly.
Kyla: …You. I’ll rip you limb from—
Hinesly sighs She really did a number on you. But are you really happy? The only person who can leave is you.
Kyla: shut up she storms out
Log 10:
we’re in the middle of a battle, the Knights of Verger are winning, until they burst through a door into a room of huddling kids, scared
Verger: over intercom exterminate them.
Kyla: …they’re just kids.
Verger: So?
Kyla: Only I can leave…
Verger:… what does that mean?
Kyla: turning to the other knights “…Are we really happy serving mother?”
The knights look at each other, the answer seems clear
Log 11:
“The cyborg revolt was intense, and we were just a small part of it. By the end of it, Mother was demoted to secondary governor for her failure, and we went on the run. The knights of Verger are no more. And I’ve become a new person, a masked Scavenger. As any good scavenger does, I save cyborgs. And I fight the Venusian Empire, and mother.”
Log 12:
Kyla’s laser sword is lit, a figure comes through the trees. When she sees the face, she stops.
Kyla: …what the hell?
Kyla-82: I finally meet you, masked scavenger! Your days are at an end. I’ll defeat you and prove I’m the best of my sisters.
Kyla: …what do you mean your sisters?
Kyla-82: I’m Kyla-82, of the Knights of Verger! We’re clones of the legendary Kyla Verger, wonder what happened to her anyway. Now die!
they duel, and Kyla knocks 82’s sword from her hand in a blows that leaves her long scar across her face. She is about to kill her, but stops. She looks down at the clone of herself, turns her sword off, and walks away
Log 13:
“Hinesly, I’m sending you this because… I don’t even know why. You’re my ex-stepmother. We’re nearly strangers. But if you ever run into one of them… one of these clones… Look I know you’re not a good person, or a nice person. But you did one good thing in your life when you saved me. I know its too much to ask you to do it again, but…”
/logs end
Marena had woken, toasted her fallen friends Commander Herder and Piglet with one of Clarence’s stolen alcoholic drinks in silence. She watched with a fond and slightly sad smile as Kyla and Emz embraced, gently caressing the spine of one of the books that Emerald had left her (stopping to raise a middle finger at Phil John or Elton Collins or whoever he was now when he started his…’song’), but now she got up and walked over to Kyla as she sat, stunned.
Marena: Kyla…? Are you okay?
Kyla: ....I had no idea. Of any of that. I always thought the original Kyla had.... I don't know... died fighting the enemies of the Venusian empire or something. Hinesly... My mother.... Kyla... how could mother keep this from all of us? How could she just... pretend she didn't know? And Hinesly.... wipes tears I feel like I failed her all over again now.
Marena: I’m…I’m so sorry, Kyla. Is it okay if I hug you?
Kyla: she nods ...please do that
Marena wraps both of her arms around her and holds her tightly. Look. This may help, or it may not. I don’t think you failed Lady Hinesly. I think you saved her from herself at the end, you and the original Kyla both. She changed for you.
Kyla: leans into the hug, wrapping her own arms around Marena "...Thank you, Marena. You.... you're right. You're right. You.... escaped from slavery once? If we get out of here... I know its a lot to ask, but would you like to help 99 girls do the same?"
Marena ponders this a moment. Well…I’m a pilot in the Rebel Alliance, back home. She tightly squeezes the collar in her hand. What you’re asking me to do is actually what I’m meant to be doing, or at least, what we’re working towards. I know they’ll want me back, but…I don’t know if I can even get back. I checked the wreckage of my ship last night and I wasn’t able to detect any planet or any outpost I’ve ever known, they were just gone. I don’t think this is even the same universe.
Even if I can get back, Captain Hera always says that where you’re most needed is where you can do the most good. Helping you and your sisters takes priority. I know…I know what it is to feel like your life is not your own.
Kyla: After we save them, if we can find a way to get you home, we will. But if you want to stay here, in... if this is a different universe, our home here... I think we'd love to have you. I'm truly truly sorry that you might not be able to get back.
But I like this idea, this... Rebel Alliance you call it? If you want to continue that work, I can be your first recruit. I don't want to live like I was. I want to free my sisters. And I want to help other people being forced and controlled. Like you did. Like the Doctor did. Like Herder did. Like... even Hinesly did, of all things... so I guess that is a lot of words to say that if you want to stay here, you will not be alone. You will have a home.
And... thank you.
Marena: Thank…thank you too. I know this is what Mama would have wanted me to do, and Emerald. I want to honour the memory of our friends. She pauses.
If I could get home, I might be able to come back? I don’t know though, I’ve only heard of dimensional travel happening in legends. But, if I stay…then I’m happy to stay with you, help your sisters, and build a new Rebel Alliance. Do you think Emz and Emily will want to help? They could…come with us?
She gets up, a steely determination in her voice. But before we deal with all of zat. We have a job to finish.
Kyla: I think Emz and Emily just might! Emily was a "labor organizer" so... well let's ask them :). I want to honor the memory of our friends too....
stand up with her Then the Rebellion is reborn today, and we'll finish what we started here. May the space magic be with us. And the.... did you call the Force? May the Force be with us, too.
Chromia looks over at the pair of them, smiles If we make it out of this wretched hangar and out of the Empire itself, then the Googolplexian Monarchy (which is actually a republic) would be willing to offer you refuge. It is clear to me now that the Great Sweat had no real plan to entertain an envoy--why else would I have been cut off from my staff, arrived here earlier than even I expected, and trapped here?--and it is obvious what the Monarchy's position will have to be in regards to the Empire and to the Earth.
Kyla: Well, it looks like we'll need all the allies we can get. Glad you have our back, Chromia. Maybe together, we can all change things. Break these systems that have torn so many down.
Chromia: Indeed. There may even be systems within the Monarchy that need fixing or throwing out altogether. After all, androids, robots, cyborgs, and other such folks know very well that circuit boards don't continue working indefinitely, and that repair or replacement often becomes necessary for the continued health of the body. So too of the body politic.
Kyla: Chromia, we may not have talked a lot till now, but i think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
And so, the three friends walk together to begin the final day of deliberations, with Russ and Emz joining them.
Russ: We need to turn the tide. A villain was caught yesterday. We have two votes today. We can avenge them if we’re not foolish this time.
Phil: I must admit I’m not sure why the little pig doesn’t trust me. I didn’t really talk to them; the only time I did was in a voting block to eliminate The Doctor on Day 1. Tbh, I haven’t really had the chance to talk to many people… that’s the problem with having no special powers, and I’m not sure being the worlds best drummer really helps us in this situation.
I did suspect them, I remember reading this book as a kid about this mansion where someone else pretended to be the detector when in reality they were bad all along, and I thought that was what was happening here. I maintain that was a valid reason, but it turns out I was wrong, and I’m sorry for not trusting Emz especially. In my defense, I also thought it a good idea to release Sussudio as a single. I’m not exactly the best judge.
I don’t have much to go on, but my feeling at the moment is I don’t trust Kyla. I find asking constantly publicly asking if anyone wants a bodyguards could potentially be a backhanded threat, and I notice they constantly defended the little pig when there was reason to believe they were guilty. A clever play to make them seem innocent by association, perhaps? A good insurrectionist doesn’t want to kill the people we call insurrectionist, they want to kill the people they call goodies.
Emz: I trust Kyla, who I don’t trust is you, Philton Joel. You’ve been quiet this whole time, a strong strategy for an insurrectionist, but out of character for an experienced and talented singer such as yourself.
Phil: Consider the fact that my job gigging takes up a lot of my time, and is my priority, and I haven’t been around much to focus on the whole mystery
Hmm, I guess that makes sense… still, I get a vibe off you
Phil: I was also unlucky enough to not be given a special power by the great sweat, so it means I haven’t been able to join in as much as I’d have liked to
Kyla: so your argument is that I defended an innocent passenger who was the detector, and volunteered to protect other passengers from insurrectionist attacks, and that makes me a insurrectionist?
That feels both flimsy and desperate to me. Those justifications do not hold water, and as they leak out, look pretty suspect because of it.
Phil: It’d be a clever play
Kyla: It'd be nonsensical. I volunteered publicly to bodyguard the first person who requested, something which would have been incredibly easy to catch me in a lie on if I was secretly an insurrectionist wearing a Kyla suit. It wouldn't be clever at all, it'd just be reckless. Which is just one of many reasons why it's nonsense.
Phil: Not really, you could still truthfully bodyguard someone and be an insurrectionist
Reckless and clever are not mutually exclusive. And worth pointing out you bodied the Doctor, in a pod. The insurrectionists werd always going to go for someone in the hangar.The only way you’d get caught is if you targeted The Doctor, which would self inflict and kill you, or if they said the transaction didn’t go through, which they didn’t
You can bodyguard someone and kill someone else, they’re not mutually exclusive
In any case it’s more suspicious than me being quiet; I can’t exactly phone up Wembley arena and say “oh sorry, I can’t play a show today, disappointing the thousands of people who’ve come to see me because a pig’s been murdered”
Some rockers are divas, but not me
Harley: Why would it be reckless? As an insurrectionist you're the one picking who to kill. Like, I'm no expert but winning people's trust by pretending you're willing to die for them is a pretty solid tactic for a bad guy.
Kyla: And I wasn't the one picking who to bodyguard. It was first come first serve. A convenient detail being left out there.
And if I hadn't done just that, would have been immediately suspect.
So yeah, it's a nonsense argument that feels more and more like a deflection as it gets dug in.
Harley: But you would know who you were bodyguarding then, right?
Phil: In any case, it’s a better argument than “Phil Collins is quiet”
Harley: Sorry, I'm not saying you're definitely guilty or anything, I'm just trying to understand the argument.
Phil: Meta gaming is a logical fallacy. It’d be daft to accuse two face now, she’s obviously innocent, but her and the pig were very convinced about Lady Hyph3n, and we all now how that turned out
Chromia: There's certainly a stronger argument than 'Phil Collins is quiet', and it's more of 'When has Phil Collins decided to be loud?'. I do not recall there being much pushback on any of Emz's arguments for the Doctor or Lady Hinesly. While that is true for many of us (there being not very much information to work on), how is it only today that Phil has decided to speak up? And, indeed, how is it that Harley is so quick to support Phil's accusation of Kyla? Kyla could have guarded anyone; it's not really a sign of allegiance.
Besides, Collins mentioned only talking to Piglet in the voting block. This is likely true. But it also brings to mind the exchange that he had with Piglet just yesterday, about Emerald's role. Piglet claimed that he knew, and Russ knew, and he responded "Did I?" and then "Admittedly, I did. But I don't remember telling you that I knew".
In the voting block chat, of which I was in, it was clear that there were people who did know about who the bombers were, though I was not one of them. Collins does not have had to explicitly tell Piglet about his knowledge of something in order for Piglet to have known of it.
It is, as whoever they are say, sus
Marena strides out of Tilly’s quarters, glaring at Phil Collins. You. Leave her. Alone. She growls furiously.
Kyla: gives Marena a thankful smile
Phil: I imagine most people would decide to get loud when their neck is on the line! (Though not too loud obviously, don’t want the boss to hear me)
Harley: Why am I getting votes when I am literally just a little guy!! Listen Phil Collins I get, shady little fucker, but me?? A little guy?? The littlest guy even (now that Piglet is dead anyway).
Marena takes a swig of Clarence’s alcohol Harley, no offence, but you work for the regime! Who better to know who, how and when to strike?
Harley: Guys we just had a win, and now you're gonna execute another innocent. Bad French accent "Ooh u work for ze regime!" Yeah I do!! They pay my bills! I'm gonna be fuckin' dead and broke. Also... it's my birthday! I'm a little birthday boy! You're gonna kill someone on their birthday?!
Chromia: You've been just a little guy this entire time, crawling through vents, etc., and aren't the little guys the ones who get stomped on the most by the regime? You've got motive enough to want to bring the Empire down. Unfortunately you've just been indiscriminately killing people instead
No one accused you before you accused Kyla, so your neck wasn't on the line at the time. So you essentially got loud with no provocation...unless you were worried your neck was on the line because you're an insurrectionist whose conscience might be nagginig at them just a little bit
Marena: Yes, and because the regime pays your bills, you know it inside out! Happy birthday by the way, little guy. I’ll be sure to light a candle for you.
Harley: Okay. Yeah, okay. I confess. Yeah, I'm one of the insurrectionists. You got me. I thought if I'd lay low, I'd just avoid everyone's attention. Like I always do. That's my job. And yeah, I have the motive to bring the Empire down.
But don't we all want to bring the Empire down? Don't we all want to be out from under the Great Sweat's thumb?
We can make that happen. But that's a big revolt. And that requires big sacrifices.
Here's the thing: we needed a big scandal, to bring about revolution. And yeah, killing innocents may seem monstrous, but you must understand the bigger picture! Sacrifices were needed! Sacrifices are still needed! Don't you want to be a part of something big? Something good?
Here's my proposal: you let us kill you. For the cause. For the greater good. To end the suffering across the Empire. To topple the Empire! We can do this, together.
...that was it, that's all I got. Please die.
Chromia: The Empire itself is the scandal.
Marena: I…sympathise, but no. I’ll help bring it down in my own way. Did you not hear my life story, I’d quite like to live please.
Harley: I'd quite like to live too! Maybe I have a family, what do you know?
Kyla: You know if you hadn't started murdering our friends we might have been more sympathetic
Harley: Maybe I have hopes and dreams and maybe they're just as noble as yours. We all murdered people! We all voted!
Kyla: But we didn't WANT to. TILLY FORCED that on us. You guys were just killing people in their sleep!
Harley: What's the difference? What really is the difference? You could have found some other way, but you didn't. You just complied. I'm asking you to comply one last time.
Marena: I’m not going to comply with my own death, thank you very much.
Harley: Then you let the Empire win.
Marena: No. We live to fight another day.
Kyla: We're stronger together than we are dead.
Chromia: Besides, you could give it up, come join the Googolplexians, help us build something for the future, tear down the Empire through mutual aid and effort. It never takes one swift stroke to change the future, but persistent cooperative pressure, day after day. Tiring, yes.
But more effective than raining down blood and terror onto people who haven't known anything other than what they know, who haven't had a choice to be something different, to live in a different system.
More effective than murdering one's way through people who were just going about their day, trying to navigate the systems that oppress them and keep them trapped.
Marena: I have experience fighting empires. If we comply, you are consigning people like Kyla’s sisters to death and despair, when we can help them? And if we have them against the regime, it will crumble!
Chromia: And you could join us
Harley: Am I to believe you'd let me live?
Kyla: I mean they did murder my best friend in his sleep. Like, I know we're being all speechy, but that is very much a thing that happened.
Chromia: To be honest, I doubt we can get Tilly to change the Great Sweat's rules, and you all have murdered innocent people in their sleep. But in different circumstances? Yeah. I'd rather have people pulling together to face the threat of the Empire than tearing innocents apart.
Harley: Oh, different circumstances. I see. I would have let people live in different circumstances too.
Chromia: In a better world, we would never be in these circumstances. And it is on us to build that better world, not murder our way to it.
Harley: But we are in the circumstances we are.
Funny, isn't it. How sometimes murder is justified. We're not so different after all.
Chromia: I suppose you can comfort yourself with that thought. Tell yourself that your actions have been justified
Harley: I hope it brings you much discomfort. I'm sure you will tell yourself the same.
Marena: Harley…we’re not going to agree. But I promise you that we will never stop trying to dismantle the empire. Isn’t that, after all, what you want?
Harley: I'd love to live to see it.
Marena: You know what, so would I. And I’ve not murdered Piglet, so.
Chromia: I suspect I shall spend some time with my therapist, and then I will move on into the future that Marena, Kyla, and myself, along with many others, will build in place of the Empire.
Harley: You can still revoke your vote. You can always revoke your vote. You could always have abstained from voting. It was always an option. But I know I'm not going to change your minds. So be it, then.
Nightfall
The burning coals have been laid on the ground for today’s execution. Phil Collins, however, doesn’t want to step upon them. “I can’t dance!”, he cries. “Don’t make me!” Someone suggests using poison gas instead. “There’s something in the air tonight,” says Phil, smelling it. “Oh, get on with it!” someone shouts. “You can’t hurry death!” retorts Phil Collins.
It is also time to execute Harley. “No! You can’t kill me!” he cries. “I’m just a little guy! Just a little guy!!”
“No you’re not!” someone declares. “You’re a foul Insurrectionist!! You both are!”
“It’s not our fault!” cries Phil Collins. “We didn’t want to have to choose this path! That’s just the way it is!”
“Yeah!” agrees Harley, starting to snarl. “So maybe we ARE insurrectionists, as you call us! But it was the right thing to do! We had to do it! I’ve spent years working here at VibeCity! Do you have any idea what that’s like!? It’s torture! It’s a terrible place to work! When the opportunity presented itself, I had to rise up, and take it down forever, so nobody would be so put upon, like I was! Every mess, every death, every excrement… It was always me, in the shadows, ignored by everyone, clearing it up, for a credit a day! It’s a scandal! It had to change! And I had to take it into my own hands to make that change!”
“Every day is not another day in paradise,” Phil Collins concurs.
“Oh, Harley, Phil… why!? Why would you try and kill everyone!?” demands Emz. “Did you not know that love is more powerful than death? Because that’s something I learned recently.” She glances at Kyla, and they share a sad, but knowing, smile..
“Yeah! Things may not be great, and the system may well be the problem, but it’s not like I’ve been going around absorbing everyone to solve it!” points out the Russorbaloff.
“Yes!” concurs Marena. “Zis iz not ze solution! You need a much more organised, thoughtful rebellion!”
“And my memory chip would indicate that a more effective set of organisational protocols would have been to target The Great Sweat and Tilly, who are primarily responsible,” adds Chromia.
“What!?” cries Harley. “Why would we target Tilly? Tilly’s the one who recruited us to take down VibeCity in the first place!”
“Wait, what!?” exclaims Kyla.
“Ok, ok!” intervenes Tilly. “It’s time to put an end to this! You’ve voted for Phil Collins and Harley to die, so let’s just execute them, and move on! I’ve checked the Community Fund, and it turns out you’ve got–”
“SILENCE!”, cries Emily. “You- you’ve been behind the murders all along, Tilly!? This makes you a very bad person indeed!”
“Hey, hey, wait!” cries Tilly. “We need to see due process completed! You know, I think – I actually think our whole ordeal might even be over today! I think this could be it!”
The five heroes are now advancing on Tilly. Phil and Harley watch from the sidelines.
“You know,” adds Tilly, “I actually think you might have even got the two remaining Insurrectionists! I think that all you have to do is kill them, and all the murders will end! And you can all go home! And everything will be so great! LET’S TALK ABOUT THIS!”
“You’re really behind all of this, aren’t you, Tilly! You could have let us all sleep safely in the pods the whole time! You could have given us all the credits and information we needed! But you- you wanted people to die! You even let them kill PIGLET!”
“Well, I, uhh… I can explain…”
“Get talking!”
“Well,” says Tilly. “I’ve been disillusioned with VibeCity, and The Great Sweat, for a while! I was lying when I said I was attracted to him! (I don’t actually think I’m into men at all, but I haven’t really had a chance to resolve all that!) So I needed a plan to bring him down! I knew that some of you guys would agree, so I recruited Phil, Harley and Clarence to help me! I killed Alejandro, and I figured that a huge scandal, a mass-murder spree on VibeCity, the jewel of the galactic sector, would be able to trigger The Great Sweat’s downfall!”
“Wait… you wanted to bring down The Great Sweat?”
“Yes! But I couldn’t do it alone. I needed plausible deniability in case it went wrong—- I mean, I needed help! This was why I needed to recruit Insurrectionists, and guide and help them, and use the system against everyone else so you would be unable to escape, whilst having an illusion of agency! But it went wrong, of course.”
“So you are a revolutionary, like the rest of us? You should’ve just said so! Included us all in your plans, let us have some input! Rather than just KILLING US!”
“Well, I figured you wouldn’t like it when I became the new galactic dictator after destroying The Great Sweat.”
“You WHAT–”
“But now, I will include you! I’ll join you! I’ll lead you! We can take down The Great Sweat TOGETHER!”
“No chance!”
And before Tilly can utter another word, she has a laser sword through her chest. She falls to the ground, broken and dead, without any last words at all.
Harley and Phil Collins shuffle uncomfortably.
“Now,” begins Emz, the Overseer. “I guess I’m technically in charge around here now, so I ask you: give us one good reason why we shouldn’t just kill the two of you right now.”
“Well-” begins Harley.
“How can you just let us die away, just let us fade without a trace, when we stand here taking every breath with you? You’re the only ones who really knew us at all. How can you just walk away from us, when all we can do, is watch you leave? Cos we’ve shared the laughter and the pain, and even shared the tears,” says Phil Collins. “You saving us is against the odds, and that’s what we hope to face.”
“Yes,” says Emz. “You’re right. We will save you. Because we’re not the same as Tilly. We need to be better than her. And we know - I know - that it is possible to grow, and learn, and become better, and regret your past mistakes, and try to make amends.”
“Emz is right,” declares Kyla. “We can’t be defined by where we come from, or who manipulated us. It’s the choices we make now that define who we are. We're stronger together than we are dead.”
Chromia adds: “I'd rather have people pulling together to face the threat of the Empire than tearing innocents apart.”
“Thank you,” cries Harley, falling to his knees. “You– you’re really good people. I - we - were wrong to try to kill you. Maybe the real little guys were the friends we made along the way.”
“So… what now?” asks Phil Collins. “One more night in the Hangar?”
“No,” declares the Russorbaloff. “It’s time for a new era. Hopefully a better era than the last one. And it’s up to us to create it.”
“Oh!” cries Harley. “I heard Tilly mention a place called The Sweaty Paradise - somewhere in the heart of the Imperial Domain - where the dead can be brought back to life! If we could break in there, and liberate it, we could bring back all the people we’ve lost… And bring down The Great Sweat and the entire damned imperial monarchy!” He turns to Emz. “How’s that for making amends?”
“We will need a new rebel alliance!” chimes in Marena. “One that exists in this universe! Freedom… in the name of all we have lost… in honour of R7… in honour of my Mama… we will bring freedom, at last.”
“We can take refuge in the Googolplexian Monarchy whilst we plan the creation of one?” suggests Chromia. “Though there are a lot of things to reform and overthrow, there, too.”
“I have a better idea,” says Emz. “I know of 99 expert fighting sisters who need to be liberated.”
“You’d-” Kyla stammers. “You’d do that for me?”
“Of course!” says Emz.
“Can we- Can we try another kiss?” asks Kyla.
“Yes.”
As they press their lips together, the epic music starts again, and all the colours of the universe flood into VibeCity. Finally, for a brief moment, perhaps it is the happiest place in the universe.
It would soon be converted into a book club.
Kyla will gather the survivors, and showcase a skill she hasn't gotten to demonstrate since the week started: she'll cook them an excellent delicious meal, that uses no pig related products.
Marena was crying with relief. She looked around at the others and had a thought. Friends…just because we aren’t executing anyone else, doesn’t mean I can’t still use this. Stand back! She warned, as she pulled out the detonator she’d been given by Tilly. Great Sweat, get some deodorant! Em, this is for you. She pressed the button and the bomb Emerald had left in the hangar exploded, leaving a huge crater in the floor and significant structural damage. She stood back to admire it. …Nice.
As the smoke clears, Marena would hear the voice of a yellow unicorn, speaking only to her. “Love from Ponyville, motherbuckers… I knew you’d do it, Marena.” The impression of a tight hug from an equine form, and then… “See you out there, my love.”
Then, the moment passes, and all is silent, save for the strumming of a guitar…
Which abruptly stops as, somewhere in the Great Beyond, a draconequusputs his lion paw on the strings.
"Hey! Do you mind?! I was rehearsing my victory song for my friends!" Emerald Wave says, glaring at him. "What are you even doing here, Discord?"
Discord just chuckles. "That's for me to know and for you to find out, mon musicien. In the meantime, you have a life to return to! I suppose I owe you that much, since your 'friends' won the game."
Emerald scowls. "Game?! This whole buckin' disaster was a game?! What kind of chaos being are you?!"
Discord grins. "The only one, of course. As I think a friend of Piglet's would say. Now, quit stealing my lines and get out of here! I have to get this place prepared to receive some new arrivals."
He snaps his talon, and Emerald disappears from the Beyond, restored to life at last.
The Hangar is suddenly a buzz with activity as those killed over the past few days are miraculously brought back to life. There is pandemonium as everyone excitedly greets one another, apologies are exchanged, and plans are made to return everyone home.
Hinesly: Good grief, I have to actually follow through and change my ways now... very well. I'll sign on with a cleaning job. After all, I already have the uniform.
Kyla: L-Lady Hinesly! I'm so so so sorry, but you're back.... you're really back... thank you. For everything.
Hinesly: Oh, you're the last person I blame for that, love. Uh. awkwardly opens her arms for a hug???
Kyla: rushes in and gives her a huge hug
Hinesly: buries her face into Kyla's shoulder and just fucking breaks down crying in relief
Kyla: Also just starts sobbing as she starts it
Hinesly: It just hurt, you know? Because I had already failed to save you the first time. But I'm going to make up for it. A hundred times over.
Kyla: nods We can do better together. I've grown a lot this week, you know.
Hinesly: You really have. Again, I'm so proud of the young woman you've become.
And if your mother ever comes near you again I'll claw her eye out 🙂
Kyla: Oh! Marena and I are going to rescue my sisters, we're starting a sort of... Rebel Alliance. It'll probably need a cool marketable logo though.... But thank you. And thank you for believing in me. That was new for me. I'm glad of it.
Hinesly: She scritches the back of her head self-consciously. Yes, well. I suppose I wised up in the end.
But. But! Perhaps instead of absconding from HinesCorp all at once, I could make a generous donation to your cause first... if the Rebel Alliance has an account on Ko-Fi.
Marena suddenly launches herself at Lady Hinesly I’m…sorry. I misjudged you. I’m so glad you’re alright!
Hinesly: Hugs her back. Understandable, please don't worry. I kept an eye on you two, by the way. Take care of my-- extremely catches herself --of Kyla! Take care of Kyla. 🙂
Kyla: smiles at her slip up cheerfully
Hinesly: another awkward little thumbs-up, face flushed in embarrassment now
Clarence: Kyla, good luck with freeing your sisters. You lot deserve better than what fate handed to you.
Kyla: ...Thank you Clarence. If uh, you can find any information that's could be useful, now that Tilly's gone I could actually pay you to find it you know. --wait I can use space magic again, oh thank goodness pulls a can of pop from across the room into her hand
Clarence: Oh, it's fine... I feel like I need to outweigh some bad stuff I did... I'll do it for free. No reviews, no tips, just me helping you.
Kyla: I... thank you Clarence. That would be a big help.
Clarence: Don't mention it... He reaches into another plant pot and pulls out a bottle I'll get started tomorrow. It's been a long night.
Emerald appears from wherever she’s been for the last two days, looking dazed.
Okay, can somepony explain to me what the BUCK just happened?! Because that moon-banished draconequus Discord didn't explain anything!
Kyla: EMERALD! Rushes forward to hug, her--she's been doing a lot of that today You came back too!!!
Emerald: KYLA! Emerald hugs and kisses her on the lips! Am I glad to see you!
Clarence: Oh, uh hey Emerald... Sorry about... That... We were meant to take care of Marena but you got in the way
Kyla: whispers Not making it better Clarence
Emerald: At Clarence’s voice, she turns and glares at him. “Get the buck away from me, you moon-banished son of a manticore. Or I’ll send ya back to Tartarus where you belong. Because guess what?” Her horn glows green. “I got my magic back.”
Clarence: I get ya… I just wanted to apologise is all. I’ll leave you two be. leaves
Emerald: “I don’t accept apologies from murderers!” Emerald calls back, before turning back to Kyla. “Okay, so… two things. 1, where’s Marena, and 2, how are we getting out of here?”
Kyla: She's around here somewhere, so much has been happening what with... well people coming back to life and me taking down tilly and..... well a lot! As for number 2, I think the Doctor is taking us? Apparently their ship can go anywhere!
...and go a little easy on Clarence, he's going to help us free my sisters from my mom. I mean, I'm still angry too, but like, we'll no one is technically dead anymore. Except Tilly. But... yeah so many things all at once! I'm so glad you're back!
Emerald: “Me too, Ky. Me too.” Emerald nuzzles her fondly. “He is, is he? Well… fine. I’ll accept his apology in the morning.”
Marena had been sat slightly folornly, beginning to lose hope Emerald would come back too, but at the sound of her voice from the far corner of the room she turned and sprinted towards her.
EMERALD! She yelled, her face shining with tears as she pulled the unicorn into a hug that knocked her off her feet.
Emerald lets out a joyful whinny and kisses both her girlfriends, her tail wagging furiously! “I’m so glad to be back! I have a lot of questions, but I’m also bucking exhausted after everything… so how about we get ourselves a room in the Doc’s box, and I read Daring Do to ya? With a soundtrack?”
Sixteen: I’m impressed that somehow Emerald appears to have worked out that my TARDIS is bigger on the inside
Emerald winks. “Let’s just say… I know somepony.”
The Doctor is secretly jealous that Kyla seems to have fallen in love with both Emz and Emerald, and is struggling to not go back to the whole Woe Is Me Lonely Time Lord shtick.
Kyla: tugs at their sleeve "What's got you down Doctor, I think you have the wrong impression. At least as Hinesly explained it, you can date multiple people as long as everyone is honest about it and... blushes I mean..."
Emerald nods, “We ponies call it herding.”
Sixteen: Oh… oh… If you’re… well… I really like you, Kyla.
Kyla: she smiles "I really like you too, Doctor. You're kind of an amazing person. And by kind of, I mean very."
she sorta rolls up on her toes and leans her face up indicating that if you wanted to, they can go for a kiss, but not pressuring them
Emerald watches, grinning as she holds Marena’s hand.
Sixteen: kisses Kyla shyly, then passionately
Kyla: wraps her arms around their neck, and kisses back passionately. She's... wanted this. Her eyes are shining with happiness.
Emerald beams and claps her hands, "Buck yeah, you two! Rock and roll!"
Sixteen: Kyla, let’s get a private moment in one of those snoozepods.
Kyla: nods ...Yes, yes that sounds good. Things are noisy around here anyway.
"Noise? Kyla, my darling, you ain't heard nothin' yet." Emerald summons her guitar with a quick pulse of magic from her horn, cranks up the distortion as high as it will go, and launches into the first song she can think of.
"OH YEAH! ALRIGHT! AAAAAARE YOU GONNA BE IN MY DREAMS... TONIGHT," she sings, looking right at her friends and lovers: Kyla, Marena, the Doctor, and Emz.
Her sonomancy magic creates the sounds of drums and bass guitars as she launches into a long solo, playing three separate kinds of distortion settings in a row.
Then, she slows it all down for the last line, as piano comes into play:
"And in the end... the love you take... is equal to the love... you make," she sings, harmonizing with herself.
Kyla applauds, and then the couple, with some relief, exit the noise and chaos of the evening, and finally get some alone time.
Emerald takes a deep bow and grins, letting Kyla and the Doctor go. "I'd like to thank you on behalf of the group and ourselves, and I hope we passed the audition," she says, before walking arm in arm with Marena toward the other snooze pod. She didn't know where they'd go from here... but she looked forward to finding out.