Sabre, Dark Steve, and the CMC are about to push the left button. They counted down, and were now ready to push it.
"WAIT!" Dark Steve yelled.
"I change my mind. I want to go with right."
"What- Wait wait- Okay, stand to the left of me for left, and stand to the right of me for right," Sabre sighed. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle went to stand by the left, Dark Steve and Scootaloo went to stand by the right.
"So now it's up to me, wonderful," Sabre muttered to himself.
"Go with right," Shadow Sabre kept repeating. Sabre shook, and the shaking didn't help when Assistant Steve said this.
"We all now have an ETA of fifteen seconds until the core self destructs." Dark Steve takes a look at his surroundings, appreciating he got to see the light. The CMC held onto each other with their forehooves, and closed their eyes, the sheer panic and fright that death is 15 seconds away, stunning them in place. Assistant Steve kept counting down.
"Press the right button. Do it... do it..." With Shadow Sabre keeping saying to push the right button to Sabre, he does so, right as Assistant Steve got down to a singular second before the core blew up. The right hand button, was the correct button. Weird noises began to be created from pressing the button, then lightning, to now just a humming, and rumbling in the ground.
"We survived?" Dark Steve questioned himself, still seeing that he's very much alive. The CMC opens their eyes, and notice they're alive too.
"Sabre you saved all of us!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed as she, as well as Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, one by one, put their forehooves around Sabre.
"I... I know... we, we did it!" Sabre stuttered, the relief in him releasing all the heavy anxiety and weight off of him, slowly sitting down on the floor and puts both arms around the CMC.
"Congratulations! You successfully restarted the core, and not destroy us in a fiery blaze of destruction!" Assistant Steve congratulated.
"Look at these white particles. It's like the night sky," Dark Steve stated. Sabre and the CMC got up off of the floor and walk to Dark Steve, and look at the different particles.
"Some are also red, but this... is amazing... as it now won't kill us," Said Sweetie Belle.
"Yeah I agree Sweetie Belle, it's like we're in space," Sabre responded.
"Why would the Professor make such a powerful energy source?" Dark Steve wondered.
"The Professor, like the Red Leader, is one of the oldest Red Steves to ever exist. He has witnessed civilizations come and go, change, and stay the same. The Red Kingdom may look like it stayed the same forever, but it hasn't. He has always progressed it forward, past any other steve civilization. He hopes to bring the steves together, and since meeting the ponies, hopes to form a future, where steves and ponies coexist, and build towards a future, together. This is the future, here, at the core of everything. The core, power for all steves, ponies, and civilizations. Professor Red met Twilight, and I know for a fact that Twilight, as the ruler of Equestria, also wants her civilization and all steve civilizations to come together, united in prosperity and friendship. This core here, is but a mere prototype. The final product will be even better," Assistant Steve replied.
"Hats off to Professor Red, this is amazing. Again, it's like we're in space-"
"Ah yes, a side effect of it being a prototype. That is the pollution that will slowly kill you," Assistant Steve stated, interrupting Sabre. Assistant Steve was talking about the white particles that are being created by the core. Everyone immediately backs away, and heads for the elevator.
"Okay that just ruins the image. I'm getting out of here," Sweetie Belle responded. Apple Bloom, Scootaloo nodded, agreeing with her.
"Yeah I agree let's go. We fixed it and I just want to go out now," Sabre sighed, agreeing with Sweetie Belle as well. Everyone then got in the elevator, Assistant Steve getting in last as he had to close up all the security measures, pushing the button nearest to the door in the elevator to close it.
"Do not worry, none of you were exposed long enough to be in any long term danger. Short term, you may feel weird though," Assistant Steve stated.
"Just get us back to the top," Sabre requested Assistant Steve, sighing as he did.
"The whole core possibly blowing up, and the pollution, you could've WARNED us about!" Apple Bloom exclaimed at Assistant Steve.
"You would've slacked behind more than you did, and not fix the core... aaand it would've blown up. So, I did what I had to do. Now, we are going to the top, going up," Assistant Steve responded as he pressed the top button, taking the elevator up. After a minute, the doors open, and everyone steps outside, and the door closes back up.
"Sweet, fresh, air!" Sabre said as he inhales the outdoor air, as if he never had any fresh air.
"Thank goodness you changed your mind last minute Dark Steve. Crazy to think that we came close to uh... yeah. I don't really want to think how close of a call that was," Said Scootaloo, looking at Dark Steve.
"Yeah, tell me about it," Dark Steve responded.
"So, if Assistant Steve lost track of this armour that apparently has everypony in it, how will we find it now?" Apple Bloom asked.
"Oh... that's... a good question Apple Bloom- How are we gonna find the armour now, Assistant?" Sabre asked.
"I mean, could Discord do something? Can't he deal with Madness Steve himself?" Apple Bloom wondered.
"Oh... I think I forgot to tell you all about that- So uh, Discord and Madness fought a few days ago... and basically what happened- Just to sum it up, Madness Steve almost destroyed Discord, so yeah..." Sabre replied slowly to Apple Bloom.
"If he wanted to, Discord could just snap his fingers and make Madness Steve into a balloon and then pop it. He got to of went easy on him surely... rriigghhtt?" Scootaloo respond to Sabre. Scootaloo as well as Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle doesn't understand how powerful Madness Steve actually is. Sabre sighs before he began explaining.
"Well... maybe he could've done something when Madness Steve just remade his False Form- Well, Madness also blackmailed Discord that'd he'd painfully torture Fluttershy for an eternity and make him watch. With him obviously caring a lot about her, he didn't take action. Even if he did, Madness would just come back-"
"I just heard Fluttershy being mentioned," Discord interrupted as he teleports to the group.
"So, where is she?"
"Well, we were close to finding her, as well as all the ponies along with all the steves. But then, Assistant lost track of the armour which has all of them. He kept saying the armour was moving quickly," Sabre explained.
"It's just us seven now man-"
"Just a reminder, there is eight of us," Assistant Steve interrupted Sabre.
"No there isn't-"
"Untrue, please, don't be a moron. It is us seven, and the Red Leader," Assistant Steve again interrupt Sabre. Sabre sighs before he responds back.
"But he's lost his mind, and it's not like he wants to help. Anyways, he's not the Red Leader anymore man, he's Hypno Steve, and he hates me, my friends as well as basically all of Twilight's friends! He won't help... that's for sure."
"But he helped you before, has he not?" Assistant Steve responded to Sabre.
"Yes, I guess," Sabre mumbled in his reply.
"The Red Leader, cares, about this kingdom, and his apprentice. If we use that against him, we can get him to help," Assistant Steve suggested.
"Are you saying that we... bribe Hypno Steve!? You can't be serious about that-"
"Who's Hypno Steve?" Dark Steve asked, interrupting Sabre
"Oh- You'll know who he is when you see him," Sabre replied to Dark Steve.
"Right... guess we go to talk to Hypno Steve," Sabre mumbled under his breath, not to keen on speaking to Hypno Steve. Everyone began following Assistant Steve over to the destroyed observatory.
Sabre, Dark Steve, Assistant Steve, Discord and the CMC began walking up the stony path to the blown up observatory. Near the top, they see a red figure, with purple marks over their body facing away, looking at the cobblestone stairs that leads into the observatory. At the top of the path, where there is spruce fencing on either side, a tree on either side on the grass, the red figure is standing roughly in the middle of the path.
"Hey, there he is. Why is he just standing there-"
"Hellolowowowo youyou sevenonwonwonwn," Hypno Steve interrupted Sabre, turning around to face the seven with his single red eye. His appearance and voice alone definitely made the CMC feel uneasy.
"Iyiyiyi knowow you all wish to speak to me. Whatwhatatatt is itrrrr?"
"Um... Hypno, we... need help," Sabre quietly said as he looks to the floor, waiting for Hypno Steve to mock him.
"You need my helpelp againananan!? Haveaveave I notot helpedelped enoughoughrrrr!?" Hypno Steve snapped in response.
"Irrr just wish to be leftefteft in peace. Is thatatat towo muchawawa to askawa for afterererr everythingingng Iyiyi been through?"
"Maybe it is, I don't know okay!" Sabre replied.
"But us eight are the only ones left existing... other than Madness Steve and Derpy, who is corrupted... and the First Curse I guess- Although he ain't doing too much at the minute."
"Ah yes, therere Firstrst Cursesese. I waswaswsws originally intrigued by how he would now play out. But, I guess he's got not much of a part in this, not like how he would've done if Madness didn't mess with everything," Hypno Steve responded, the echoing in his voice being minimal.
"Okay, so there's Madness Steve, now Hypno Steve, and now there's this... First Curse?" Sweetie Belle sighed.
"It doesn'tntntnttt matterer Sweetie Bellelwlwl. Iyiyi knowow howow thingsngsngs are gonnana end, othererer thanan things that occurerer inin my ownownwn path," Hypno Steve replied.
"Wait... the end? He doesn't mean-"
"I wouldn't worry about it Apple Bloom," Sabre responded.
"I wouldld worryeyeye about that though, Applewlwl Bloomwmwmwmwm, because it willwillwlwl affect you- As a matterererr of fact, everyone," Hypno Steve countermanded Sabre in response.
"Anyway- How does Madness have control of the armour in the first place anyways? I thought if any steve touched it, or made contact with it, they'd be destroyed or absorbed. Shouldn't that armour of destroyed or absorbed him?" Sabre wondered.
"Madness wasws createded beforeforefore thisfore realityeyeye was a thingingng, as a matterer of fact, any reality for that matter. So, most ofwvwv thethethe rules of all the realitiesiesies technically don'tntntwntwntnt applyiyiyiyi towowo him, and even if they did, it's still only his False Form. He'd just start over, until he succeeds at his goal. The reasonon the armour absorbededd not justustus steves is that Madness modified it, to do his bidding, to absorb everything. I masked my presence, which is why I'm still here. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, otherwise known as the Cutie Mark Crusaders, they weren't anywhere near any other beings, so that's how they didn't get absorbed into the armour," Hypno Steve explained, his voice echoing less throughout this long explanation. The CMC felt even more uneasy at how much knowledge Hypno Steve has.
"Well, what do we do? Assistant lost track of the armour, which I assume Madness took the armour out of this reality. Hypno, I know you want to be left alone, but do you truly want to be this alone, with no one else here?" Sabre asked.
"It is true, M, or the new Red Leader, your apprentice, has been taken as well. I know for a fact that you have an emotional connection to him, and wish for him to return-"
"Whatwhatwtwt didididd youyou just saywywy!?" Hypno Steve snapped, interrupting Assistant Steve.
"Iyiyi haveave anananan emotional connectionon to himim? Youyou thinkink youwowo memememe littlewl assistantrr robotrtrtrt, I knowowow theowow Professorrrrr createdededed youededed! I alsoso knownwonwo that hethatha creatededed parametersersers for youyou to be kind to me, butut Iyiyiyi don'tntnt wantntnt your kindness. I don't needdrrr your kindnessesrrr. Plus, of course I want the leader, my apprentice to return. I'm not tryingyinginging towowowo hideide thatatatatatwtwtwt! But, do I want him to returnurn enough to workworkork withith a robotot, five morons and anothererwrwr beinging whowo hasas noasas sanityeyeyeyeyeye? I don't know."
"Can you guys stop insulting us?" Sabre requested. He then continues on what he was about to say.
"We have to get him back, all of them. You know that just as well, Hypno."
"It is true, Red Leader. You must help us, and assist us. My systems cannot help them anymore than I already have. You have knowledge beyond all of us. Please, assist us, and return my creator back to me," Assistant Steve requested Hypno Steve.
"Hypno, there's got to be a way, right? You know it- Of course you know it. You know what the outcomes of everything are right? So, please... you have to help us," Sabre said as the desperation in his voice got more noticeable.
"Look Hypno Steve, I care about Fluttershy as much as you care about your apprentice! We can get all of them back if you help us. Your knowledge is beyond all of ours, even mine," Discord stated.
"If you can help, please do! We need any help we can get!" Apple Bloom said as she stared at Hypno Steve, seriousness in her attitude being very noticeable, especially to the steve with that singular red eye. Hypno Steve looks away from everyone, and to the floor.
"And in returnurnurnurnurnurn... whatwhatatat dowowowo Iyiyiyiyi getetetwtwtwrwrrrrr?" Hypno Steve responded as he faces everyone again.
"You get... your apprentice back. I know you'll do it, for him- I know that's enough for you!" Sabre sharply responded.
"You shouldn't expect anything in return for helping! You should help because you care about your apprentice- No, you should just help because you care about everybody!" Scootaloo exclaimed, taken by shock at how blatantly selfish Hypno Steve is sounding.
"Lookook Scootaloowowowowwrrr, I don't careareare whetherererrr youyou thinkink I'm selfish or not, I'mimimwm sayinginging howowwr I thinkinkinknk," Hypno Steve responded before he went on what he was about to responded.
"Anyway, even if I do help him... evenen ifif I dowowo help you, allwlwlwl of youyouyouyou, I don't haveave a guaranteeyeeyeyeye and a solution. Butwutwutwutrtrtrtr, I dowowowrwrr haveavewvwv some ideas."
"Like what?" Dark Steve asked.
"We havehaveave towo gowo into the armour. Thingsings haveave becomeaveave a lot moreoreore dangerous and complicated with Madness in contrololwlwlwl of the armourourour instead of the Firstirst Curseurseurse. It can now absorb anyone. But, I have an idea to counter that," Hypno Steve replied.
"How? Like you said, the armour will absorb us. How do you plan on countering that?" Sabre asked.
"We need to useuseuse someoneoneonewnwn... someponyeyeye to be exactactact. We need to snatch her off ofofovovwv Madnesseswsrwrr," Hypno Steve replied, pausing before he said who they will need to take off of Madness Steve.
"Derpyeyeyeyeye Hoovesvesvesvsrsrrrr."