"Wewewww willwlwlwlll needededrdrr... Derpyeye Hooves."
"Hypno, she's corrupted. Plus, Derpy could potentially destroy all of us with one clean swoop," Sabre responded. Then, they all hear lightning right beside them. The First Curse teleports to the group.
"Sabre, there you are. I have found a book. I believe it will be of great importance," The First Curse said as he hands the book to Sabre.
"Wow, I really weren't expecting you to help. Thank you," Sabre responded, looking at the book. The First Curse nodded.
"We'll have to read this book later- Oh, and the other book from Celestia and that too, almost forgot about that- Anyway, what do you suggest we do, Hypno? You say we need Derpy, right? So, where are you going with this?" Sabre asked.
"I can create illusions. But I can do more than that. Remember what I did when I was messing about with your head? I could've took control of your mind but, there was no need. Plus, it would've took a lot of energy to do so. Also, I'm not sure if I can, but it's worth finding out," Hypno Steve replied, explaining his plan clearly, and his voice not echoing.
"I will need to gain control of Derpy for this to work," Hypno Steve stated.
"You can't just... take control of Derpy! She's been through enough as it is! That just... it- That just feels wrong to do, Hypno! Especially after how Madness has been controlling her!" Sabre exclaimed. The CMC agrees with Sabre on this, and stands by him.
"You wantantnt myiyiyi help orwrwrr nototrtrr!? This is going to be how we do it. We doinging thisisws? Because if wewe areareareare, we're doing it my way," Hypno Steve responded.
"There has to be another way right? There has to be! You could probably find another way Hypno! There has to be another way!" Sabre responded, still not agreeing with Hypno Steve's idea.
"Nowowo! You wantantnt my helpelpelpwlpwlp, wewe dowowo itdowowo thisisis waywayayayay! Wewewe do it this wayay, ororwrwrr I back out! Sowowo, whatat willilwlwl it be!? Choose," Hypno Steve responded, giving his ultimatum.
"I suggest we go with his plan. Sabre, this is our only chance," Assistant Steve said with his input.
"Now thinking about it, I'd rather Hypno Steve has control of Derpy than Madness Steve. At least we'd know she would be... safe, in a way," Sweetie Belle quietly said, now siding with Hypno Steve on his plan. The rest of the CMC does too. Between Madness Steve and Hypno Steve, the CMC rather have Hypno Steve controlling Derpy. Right now, Madness Steve could kill Derpy if he really wanted to. But he's making her do all this to psychologically hurt everyone, and Derpy herself.
"Fine..." Sabre eventually murmured in response, grudgingly agreeing to Hypno Steve.
"But how will we even approach her, Hypno? Derpy could just teleport away, or even worse, Madness comes in- Hang on, wait a minute..." Sabre then came up with a potential idea. Sabre then looks to the First Curse.
"First Curse, you can place curses, right? Can you place curses on those that aren't steves as well?"
"I am known as the First Curse for a reason... although the armour was originally designed to take in just steves, I can still place a curse upon any of you if I wish to do so," The First Curse replied.
"Okay. First Curse, I need you to place a certain curse on me. I need you to place the Curse of the Faceless. My idea behind it is if I can mimic Madness, and although I'd gain the weakness- Well, I don't think Madness Steve has any weaknesses- Anyway, as the Shadow Sword here has his essence, and I can use some of Madness' abilities, with me being able to make myself appear as Madness, I'd be able to get Derpy's attention. After we've done this, I can just remove the curse with the abilities in the sword," Sabre explained as he then looks over to Hypno Steve.
"Now you, Hypno, while I get Derpy's attention, you enter her mind and you take control of her, off of Madness. Then we can figure out what to do from there."
"There is only one problem Sabre. How do you plan on us not getting caught by Madness Steve himself? Didn't think about that did you, moron," Assistant Steve bluntly stated.
"I have an idea," The First Curse replied to Assistant Steve as he turns around. To the left of the path as you wouls come up to the observatory, the First Curse summons lightning on the grass. Parts of the grass that was nearby the lightning became bright white blocks, nothing.
"First Curse, what is this?" Sabre asked.
"This... is nothing, literally..." The First Curse answered. Sabre then sees Discord backing away from the bright white blocks. Being near the nothing made the Lord of Chaos feel drowsy, weak even.
"You okay Discord? What's wrong?" Sabre asked.
"He's a beinginging of chaosaososos. Thatat thereatatatrtrtrr, is nothing, like the First Curse said. Discord thrivesivesvsvs wherere therereerwr cananan bebewewewwr chaosaosos. But in nothingingng... there can be no chaos," Hypno Steve answered, explaining to Sabre.
"Okay... but how is that going to help? I mean, if we get in trouble, we'll need Discord to get us out of there. If that stuff stops Discord and Madness catches us, we'd be in... hhuuggee trouble," Sabre asked, looking to the First Curse.
"This here will prevent Madness from teleporting to us directly on the spot. Once Hypno Steve here takes control of this... Derpy you speak of, the next plan can be set in motion," The First Curse replied.
"Is everyone okay with this? If you all are, I am too," Sabre asked everyone. Everyone nodded.
"First Curse, whenever you're ready, place the Curse of the Faceless on me," Said Sabre. The First Curse nodded, and walks up to Sabre, and began summoning lightning, placing the curse on him.
Sabre is now cursed with the Curse of the Faceless. Sabre's appearance changed completely. Sabre's body didn't look exactly like how the Red Steve who had the same exact curse looked though. Sabre's clothes looks all roughed up, and is all different shades of light grey colours. Sabre's hair stayed the same shape, just that it's all grey. But Sabre's face does have no facial features, just a grey square, the darkest shades being on the edges of his face, and a white square in the middle, like the face of the original Faceless.
"Sabre... are you... okay?" Scootaloo slowly asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine Scootaloo. Hang on, let me just test this out," Sabre replied. Sabre changes forms, lightning striking each time he did. Sabre first first changes his appearance to look like Apple Bloom, then to Dark Steve, then back to his Faceless form.
"So, whoever has this curse is basically like a changeling?" Said Apple Bloom.
"I guess that's one way to put it," Scootaloo responded.
"Okay- Now, just a heads up, I'm changing my appearance to Madness," Sabre warned, summoning lightning, and changing his appearance to look exactly like Madness Steve. Even though the CMC knew it is just Sabre, they couldn't help but still shake at seeing what he looks like.
"How do I look?" Sabre asked.
"You look like... well, him..." Sweetie Belle stuttered as she is shaking, nothing but fear flowing through her mind as Sabre's appearance as Madness Steve.
"It's good just please switch back!" Apple Bloom exclaimed, fear keeping her from outright screaming, only letting her do a small cry. Scootaloo meanwhile has nothing to say, fright scrambling her words, stopping her forming even a simple sentence.
"Okay, I'm gonna mimic his voice now, three, two, one..." Sabre said as he gave a countdown, before trying to mimic Madness Steve's voice.
"Okay... how does this sound?" Sabre asked, with the exact same voice Madness Steve has.
"Sabre, you're scaring those three ponies, you moron!" Assistant Steve snapped, walking up to Sabre in a very aggressive manner.
"I... I'm- I'm sorry, I'll change back now..." The only response Sabre could give, and only able to give that response in a quiet murmur. Sabre now felt bad, very very bad. It's if it's part of the curse he has. He's not entirely sure where this sudden rush of the emotion came from, other than his guilt of him appearing as Madness Steve scaring the CMC. Sabre summons lightning and changes back to his Faceless appearance.
"Okay... well, I think that definitely worked," Sabre said to himself inside of his head, looking at the CMC, who are barely just starting to calm down their nerves. Sabre also notices something else. The guilt and emotion almost died down immediately. He still felt bad of course, but the guilt, and the powerful emotions, they are nowhere near as strong when he was making himself appear as Madness Steve. Sabre doesn't think too much of it, there's much bigger things to do at hand.
"You three, I'm sorry that I scared you," Is the first thing Sabre said, immediately apologizing.
"It's alright, you didn't mean it. It's just that... even though we knew it was you, it was still... a bit scary. The voice as well made it... eerie as well," Sweetie Belle responded, still a little shaken by it, but nevertheless, pretty much calmed down, and relaxed.
"It's okay... but, what will we be doing next Sabre?" Scootaloo asked.
"Cutie Mark Crusaders, you've done plenty. You three can have a break for the moment," Sabre replied, and then looks over to Discord.
"Um, Discord, can you keep those three safe for us please? I'll call you four once we're done."
"Yes of course Sabre," Discord replied. He snaps his eagle claws, and takes himself, and the CMC to his dimension, where they are safe. Now it's just Sabre, Dark Steve, Hypno Steve, Assistant Steve and the First Curse by the observatory.
"So, do we have an actual plan, or are we going with the flow?" Dark Steve asked the group.
"We need a plan for this sort of thing. Back in my original time, I never encountered him myself. It was only until now I have done. He is no ordinary steve. He may be a steve but... a curse can't be placed upon him- Well, they can, just that curses give his False Form more power, basically negating the whole point of the curses, and a curse won't do anything to Madness directly. I also don't have the means to destroy his False Form with brute force... unless it's brought to a very weakened state," The First Curse replied, not really answering the question.
"That doesn't really tell us what we need to do alright. Everyone, we need to come up with a plan," Sabre responded.
"Well, do you have any idea on how we're supposed to do this? Go ahead, we're all waiting," Assistant Steve sharply responded.
"Wait, I may actually do. Everyone, listen up, here's how we're gonna do this," Sabre said as he came up with an idea. He began explaining it to the group.