A/N: I'm sorry about chapter 3 I feel like I dropped the ball on you guys. Something about how it uploaded messed up some things.
I'm sorry about the accent though not very good at that aspect.
As Applejack got closer her look eased to a subtle smile. "I finally found this place. You're not an artist thats fer' sure." she said. I just laughed a little.
"Never said I was." I said scratching the top of my head, "Thank you for getting everything I needed." I gazed back at the broken house.
"You're gonna fix that thing up?" She looked at me, I just nodded, "You can't do this by yourself, let me help you." she tossed what was left in the bag of bits at me.
I caught it while shaking my head.
"I know I'm taking on a burden but I won't be doing it all alone I'm just going to get it so it's safe to live in for now."
I said grabbing the wagon and pulling it into the front gates. As I'm unloading everything I hear a yelp I look over to see that Applejack had tried to walk in.
"I may have forgot to mention you can't come in without my permission. It's a sort of magic barrier just hang on I'll get the wagon back out to you."
I said turning my attention to unloading the supplies.
"I'm not gon-" I interrupted Applejack.
"Yes you are, now I'm going to give you this wagon and you're going to take the path you did to get here." I ordered more than stated.
"Fine but I'll be back with everyone, just you wait." Applejack said waiting for me to finish pulling the wagon out.
"No, you have to promise me you won't bring anyone here for at least 3 and ½ hours. Just that long no more no less. Promise me."
I said jumping in front of Applejack looking her in the eye. She looked a little scared at how serious I had gotten and just nodded her head.
I stepped out of the way to let her pass. "I'll see you later then" I called after her.
I walked back in closing front gate behind me picking up the woodcutter axe. I held onto it like I was ready to swing and I started to open the front door really slowly.
Examining the room as I soon as I could see it. All of the wood planks seemed rather sturdy I started to slowly walk into the house. I looked around the entry room.
What appeared to be a entertainment room at one point or another.
I slowly crept to the doorway to the hallway. Looking through the doorway I noticed something was off.
All the boards were sturdy nothing like they should be for how old this mansion is suppose to be. 'A lot less work for me' I thought.
Still creeping around with axe in hand. I peer into some doors that lingered open all of them seemed to be clear. I got to the stairwell and decided to go downstairs first.
I slowly crept with my back against the outside wall of the stairs what I saw next I was not expecting.
"I'm glad you could make it." A black hooded pony like figure said. 'I guess he knows I'm here' I thought getting ready to walk out from the stairs.
"So am I, this place was easier to get into than I thought it was going to be." A feminine voice said. 'Did Celestia give us this mansion knowing I was a cult meetup spot,
it does make sense I suppose. I wish I wouldn't have said to stay gone for so long.' I thought. I guess its time to get started.
I lean out so only my left eye can see around the corner allowing my to see the whole room. There was about 20 of them all around a table like thing.
I looked all around noticing the basement was metal layered. I had a plan, Hoping I can pull it off before they all notice.
I slowly walk upstairs and over to the pile of supplies. I grab the 20 buckets of paint and read the labels.
'Good' I thought. I leaned down grabbing a box of matches and just in case I got my knife out and ready. It wasn't the biggest but it wasn't the smallest it was around 5 inches.
I crept over with the paint cans in a bag holding it so they wouldn't clank together. As I was about to walk down the stairs I heard a loud plea for help.
'My job just got more complicated.' I thought. I grab one paint bucket and pull the lid off. I threw a glob of paint on the ground a couple of feet away from the closest cultist.
I slowly set down the paint can as though not to make a sound. I pull out a match and I get ready to light it.
'I only get one chance, thankfully the leader has a red star on his cloak.'
I light the match and light the rest of the box off of the one and toss it to the paint. As the girl who is by it starts screaming and people flooding around here.
I grab my knife and sprint for the man with the star. He sees me and tries to run but it was too late I stand right next to him arm over the base of his neck and
knife next to middle of his neck "Order them to stand down and let the girl go or you die." I whispered in his ear.
"Listen now my friends." The leader says getting all their attention. They look at me with distaste but stay their ground.
"It would appear we have been stopped. Let the sacrifice go." They didn't seem to like the idea.
"How about we trade her for him that's what you're after right." One girl shouts out holding the dagger over the girl.
"If you're going to try to negotiate with somepony I don't even know." I said smirking still holding their leader.
"But you're a royal guard or some kind of official aren't you?" She questioned.
"I'm afraid not. Nor would it affect me too lose somepony I don't even know. Talk is cheap." I said pressing my knife into his throat a
little making him scream and a small trail of blood run down my blade.
"Fine just don't hurt him anymore." She sobbed. Undoing the bindings on the mare who was going to be a sacrifice.
"What's her name?" I asked the cultist. They all just look at each other confused.
"My name is Vinyl Scratch." The white unicorn said looking at me.
"That's a nice name come over to me." I ordered as she slowly walks over to me. I start walking over to the stairwell entrance.
"Vinyl would you be so kind as to grab the paint cans from the top of the stairs?" I asked. She just nodded and levitated them to the bottom next to me.
"Would you happen to know any fire like spells?" I questioned.
"Yeah the one I use for candles." Vinyl responded. I ripped the hood off the pony I was holding wrapped my it around my knife and dipped it in a
little paint I put more pressure around his neck making sure he couldn't run.
"If you would splash the paint all around the room Vinyl." I said. She proceeded to do so until there was none left. "Light this and run."
I gave her one last order. she lit my homemade torch. I waited until she ran upstairs.
"I hope you've enjoyed your stay at my house, if you see death tell him we're even and thanks." I said while dropping the torch to the
floor running up stairs to the door and closing it and holding it shut Vinyl was standing there staring at me.
After a little smoke started to bellow out from under the door I think she finally got it. She sat there and started to cry.
"It's okay, it wasn't any bit of your fault. So don't blame yourself for the evil of others." I said looking at her still holding the door as
it was wildly thrashing they wanted out really bad but I couldn't allow that. So I sat there bracing the door shut. "Need a shoulder to cry on?"
I asked and she just nodded. "Alright come over here and don't tell anypony I was this nice." I said laughing.
"As long as you don't tell anypony I cried like a foal." She said nuzzling her head into my shoulder.
"It sounds we have a deal." I said using a hand to run through her mane. There wasn't too much smoke coming out here considering there was a small
little fireplace like thing down there letting most of the smoke escape the chimney. After an hour or so I had little to worry about the cultist but
I only had 1 and ½ hours remaining.
"I guess it's time to bid you farewell." I said she got up and started to walk towards the exit but what got me is she turned into one of the rooms
I went to the doorway and watched her she picked up what I assumed to be hers. She put on a pair of glasses, which was a shame because her eyes were beautiful.
"So how did you know people were here you seemed awfully prepared?" She asked before turning around to see me.
"There wasn't any dust on anything, as well as the boards being too sturdy for them to have been here for 100 or more years." I said looking out the
same window she was. As she turns around she seems startled.
"I didn't realize you were that tall." She said walking up the me.
"I get that alot actually, anyway I guess I'll just see you around sometime if you would though wait until everypony knows about me before talking about me."
I said following her to the front door.
"So what are you going to do with them?" She questioned, she seemed like she didn't really want to know the answer.
"I'm going to clean up my mess, what about you?" I asked her while looking over her to the gate.
"I'm going to try and continue life but hey if you ever want to come by and see a show I will get you a ticket to all of my shows backstage. I'm grateful for
what you did. Even though it seemed you didn't care who I was at the time I assume that was just a negotiating strategy." She stated.
"Are you sure you want to know if that was one or not?" I ask with a smirk on my face.
"Well I will one day just not for now." Vinyl said walking away. As soon as she was almost out of sight I looked up and saw 10 royal carriages coming out of the sky.
As soon as they landed I saw the two princesses in the lead carriage.
"We just got word there were cultist here what happened." Luna asked looking at me to see if I had been hurt.
"I took care of them. Do you have body bags?" I asked the princesses. Who both looked appalled at the question.
"How could you there was an innocent among them they had kidnapped her!" Celestia shouted.
"You mean Vinyl Scratch?" I questioned scratching the back of my head.
"Tell us where she is, this instant." Luna demanded.
"Well she left here about 20 minutes ago to go get me I think it was a lifetime backstage pass to her shows." I said. They stared at me in disbelief are we suppose
to believe you took 20 cultist to save somepony you didn't even know?" Celestia asked, "We read your mind and concluded you wouldn't do it
to save somepony you didn't even know." Celestia stated matter-of-factly.
"Sometimes a good deed comes out of the woodwork just so I can live with the bad ones. Now guards follow me. Somebodys maybe a little crispy others not so much."
I said turning around walking towards the basement. I opened the door and a horrible stench swept out of the basement causing a couple of the guards to throw up.
I just turn around, "I am not cleaning that up." I said gesturing to the puke. I took a couple big steps to avoid it and walked back to the front door where the
princesses were still standing in the same spot just thinking.
"After thinking about what you said it does make sense." Celestia said.
"Alright then well now to the matter at hand." The Princesses look like they were about to throw up on the lawn as the guards started bring from
totally charred to hardly charred at all, "Yeah some of your guards threw up in my hallway." I said sitting down on the stairs. Luna walked over to
me and sat down next to me trying to get her attention off the bodies.
"You just killed 20 ponies how can you be so composed?" Luna asked, this question seemed to get Celestia's interest because she perked up and got a little closer.
"Well it depends on what you want me to tell you. I could say a lot of things that put your mind at ease. Like 'It was them or me' but that wouldn't be the truth.
I didn't give them the option to surrender. They didn't attack me because I held their leader hostage. If it would make you feel better you could read my mind again.
I'm guessing since this wasn't big on my mind at the time you didn't see it. Be warned though you won't always get the answer you want." I said looking at Celestia with
an intense gaze.
"I will look, because I feel it will put my mind at ease." Celestia said walking over to me and lowering her head so her horn could touch my head. As soon as she did
she regretted it she jerked back with a tear in her eye and turned towards the carriage.
"Sister what's wrong? What did you do to her?!" Luna looked from Celestia to me and yelled the last part. The guards now point weapons at me.
"Lower your arms, he didn't do anything and he warned me." Celestia said she looked a lot more composed than she did earlier.
"All of the bodies are in the carriages." One guard reported to Celestia.
"Could you possible use some magic to remove the stench from the basement?" I asked and Celestia just nodded and summoned something that looked like a piece of
paper with a match box next to it.
"Just burn this in the basement and it will void all the current smells." Celestia said getting on to the carriage and waiting for her sister.
"Are we still on for chess in two days?" I asked Luna and she just nodded and climbed into the carriage with Celestia. "Feel free to stop by anytime."
I said waving them off. I walk back into the house and to the basement I was relieved to see the puke was cleaned up. I open the door and walk to the center
of the room and set the paper down. I pull out one match and light it and set it on the paper. I exploded in a white poof and the putrid smell was gone.
As I was walking out I noticed my knife still on the ground. The hood gone now it was just my pocket knife laying on the ground as I pick it up I tap the blade
with my thumb to make sure it was still sharp I got my answer when a little blood came from where I tapped it on my thumb if anything it was sharper than when it started.
As I'm leaving the basement I hear a shout from outside.