Almost everyone managed to get an okay sleep. It wasn't the best ever sleep they ever had, but it was enough. Derpy though couldn't get much sleep. The thing that had spoke to her had been bothering her. Either way, everyone had met up at the market area in the kingdom for breakfast. Derpy didn't want to keep on using her new abilities. There was no doubt she adored and loved the aspect she could make as many muffins at her own will, but having Madness Steve's abilities within her reminded her of everything he has done, to her, Dinky and everyone around her who was killed by him. It made Derpy feel uncomfortable thinking about it. So, Time Steve and Dark Steve went out to the wheat farms to collect wheat that could be made into bread. M meanwhile managed to find some salmon in Professor Red's lab, and by there were some, there were lots.
Meanwhile, Assistant Steve was able to gather some apples for everypony, as although on tiny occasions and if there was no choice they'd have meat, ponies usually preferred to avoid meat if possible, and there were other food options available and not just meat. Everyone had their breakfast, Sabre, Time Steve, Dark Steve and M had bread and salmon to go with it. The mane 6, the CMC and Cadence had bread and instead of the salmon, had the apples to go with it.
"Thanks for breakfast, Assistant Steve, and you Time Steve and Dark Steve," Said Fluttershy. They all nodded.
"It's alright Fluttershy, it's no problem. This is like the fifth time you said now. It's okay, don't worry about it," Dark Steve responded.
"You okay Apple Bloom, from uh... you know, yesterday? That must of been... terrifying, for you," Sabre asked.
"Yeah I'm good thank you Sabre. We have each other and that's all we can ask for," Apple Bloom replied.
"Well, everyone else is still in that armour, are they not? Our next task is to figure that out, how we're gonna get everyone outta there," Time Steve stated as he gets up on his feet.
"I don't really know how man. The only ones out of all of us that can go in is me and you Time, because of the equipment we have, and Derpy could go into the armour too as she has Madness' abilities," Sabre responded to Time Steve.
"Discord was able to go into that red suit of armour right? Knowing him, he's probably taken over and got control of it by now," Rarity stated.
"I don't really know about that Rarity. After he freed you six, he became frozen too, just like everyone else... that's in there. He sacrificed himself, just for you all, most likely motivated for Fluttershy, but he freed you all nevertheless," Sabre responded.
"Sabre, as much as Discord cares about us, he thinks logically- Er hmm, most of the time. Discord wouldn't blindly go somewhere he knows he'd get trapped unless he has a plan, a scheme. I wouldn't underestimate Discord, especially when it comes down to schemes," Said Fluttershy.
"I agree with Fluttershy here Sabre. With Discord AND Hypno Steve in that armour TOGETHER... that's... that's a double whammy. What sorts of chaos they're brewing together in there right now- Errrrrrr- Ah ha... I can just picture it all in my head," Said Pinkie Pie.
"Yeah, both Discord and Hypno do have that unique... chaotic spark to them, but it doesn't matter. We have to do what we can do to help- I mean, Madness is close to leaving the Madness Dimension, and the only one who can really fight him or at the very least slow him down is..." Sabre turns his head and looks over to a grey pegasus.
"...Derpy."
"Wha- No! I can't fight him!" Derpy exclaimed.
"I'm just a mailmare! I can't do all this... 'saving all of whatever' stuff you all can do! I'm just your ordinary pony who delivers mail, not some... hero or something!"
"It won't just be you Derpy, you'd have me backing you up- I have a thirst for revenge after he destroyed Elemental... as you probably also do for what he did to Dinky. I'll be there with you," Time Steve said as he walks over to her.
"I- I- It's just that... evweything he said to me... me getting abelities... he was right..." Derpy murmured.
"Who is it that spoke to you Derpy?" Twilight asked.
"This... thing... it has won eye and that... echoey voice. It had red body... purple marks all over and... saying evewything will end and that I have a part in it or something- I'm not a goddess okay! I'm just a mailmare who delivers your mail! This magic... and the knowledge on top... it's forcing me into becoming a goddess and I HATE IT!" Derpy shouted, her meer voice alone shaking the ground, but luckily only just that, and not warping or breaking reality.
"That Hypno Steve guy with the whole... 'can't change slash avoid the end' thing? Ugh," Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes as the thought of Hypno Steve clouded her mind.
"Everyone, we're steering off track. Whatever Hypno said to Derpy, it doesn't matter. Hypno... was most likely talking nonsense, and... Derpy, it's okay. Once we've put an end to Madness for good, we can look at helping you get rid of those powers. But for now, can you locate Madness Steve for us?" Said Sabre.
"I can take us all to wherever he is, without even needing to know his location. Fwom the seems of it, I just tap my hoof and... it just does whatever I want- I hate it, I hate his magic I hate it I hate it," Derpy replied, muttering towards the end.
"On more important matters- Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Rarity, do you want me to take the CMC to my dimension, for the moment at least?" Time Steve asked. Those 3 nodded. The CMC also nodded.
"You three, gather around me," Said Time Steve. The CMC gets close to Time Steve, who then summons lightning, the 4 teleporting to the Time Dimension.
"I have an idea what could work, to buy us more time," Said Cadence.
"Yeah Cadence, what's your idea?" Sabre asked.
"Cadence, if you're thinking of, these six using their abilities to turn Madness Steve's False Form to stone, and then Derpy smashing the stone to pieces, I've also thought about that, and the chances of instantly destroying his False Form, is quite high," Assistant Steve stated.
"Uh... how- What? Does he read minds too?" Cadence stuttered, looking blankly at the robot.
"Yeah he can think faster than we can, which gives the illusion of reading minds," M responded to Cadence.
"Okay, you four, Dark, M, Assistant and Cadence. You four, just stay here, and keep an eye over the kingdom. We can't let Madness in here, not again," Sabre instructed as he then looks over to Derpy and instructs her what to do.
"Okay Derpy, take us to Madness- When you do, you need to teleport us so we're behind him, letting these six get the jump." Derpy lightly taps her hoof, and she teleports herself, Sabre and the mane 6.
Sabre, the mane 6 and Derpy are in a room with a long dark oak dining table, red fabric running across in the middle. The floor beneath everyone's feet is made of black concrete powder. On each side, there's 2 netherite slits, lava being in those slits and a beam of nether bricks running across the middle and arching over at the top. Ahead at the end of the long dark oak table is a throne made of blackstone, a red banner dangling on the front. Sabre immediately recognizes where they all are. He sees someone familiar sitting on the throne, who is wearing a dark grey cloak, and is entirely black, with 2 tiny red eyes in the horizontal centre of the face.
"Impossible..." Shadow Sabre said in slow motion.
"No... no no- It can't be! Void!? I destroyed you, twice as well!" Sabre exclaimed.
"Great, who's this?" Applejack sighed, rolling her eyes to the side.
"Welcome home Sabre, I've been waiting for you," Said Void Steve.
"Void!? How... are you here!? I destroyed you, back in the world below- How do you have that form back too in that form- How is ANY of this possible!? If any Blue Steve is destroyed, they're just gone! How... are you here!? This doesn't make ANY SENSE!" Sabre exclaimed.
"You see Sabre... I chose to appear like him, in this place, to remind you of everything that happened AH HA HA HA HA HA!" Void Steve's voice slowly changes tone as he looks down and summons lightning, changing appearance to Madness Steve, and then looks back up, facing Sabre, the mane 6 and Derpy.
"Ooooh... very funny Madness!" Sabre sarcastically muttered at the steve on the other end of the table.
"You know, I do wish it was Void now! What he done compared to what you have done, Void looked completely innocent!"
"I knew you'd try and do something- Ah... so you figured out how to uncorrupt beings from my essence..." Madness Steve slowly said with genuine surprise as he walks close to Derpy.
"Stay... the literal buck... BACK!" Derpy muttered before screaming as she sticks up her left forehoof, and erases the entirety of the above with some form of force, sharply directed at Madness Steve. In response, Madness Steve creates a force field, stopping his False Form from being literally yeeted several generations into the future. Madness Steve then lowers his force field, and blankly glares at Derpy, who is scraping her right back hoof.
"You all think I'd let you just use those abilities again!? You're all fools to come and find me-" A ball of regular and crying obsidian. Then, lightning began striking in the middle of the table.
"There you are... Madness Steve..." After the lightning died down, a figure appeared. This figure is completely black and has 2 shining, glowing purple eyes. The figure is wearing a red outfit made of ribbon over their shoulders and head, the bottom of which has gold outlining. The same red ribbon is around their torso, which the left side ends higher up, above their left knee. The bottom of the ribbon has the same gold colour outlining. On each wrist, there is a shiny blue bracelet. The obsidian ball then shatters, followed by an explosion, which Derpy protects everyone else by forming a force field just by hovering up, and extending her forehooves outwards. Meanwhile, Madness Steve and the figure are now just glaring at each other, exchanging looks.
"Who... is that?" Derpy asked.
"Is that... the Unnamed- Huh, he really is helping," Said Rainbow Dash, who is genuinely surprised.
"Yes Rainbow Dash, the First Curse, he's on our side now," Sabre responded.
"Ahhhhhh... I sense it. The curse has worked. Many days of work... one has finally been placed- I can sense it," The First Curse stated, walking over to Madness Steve.
"You're an interesting steve, I'll give you that but... you have made a grave error, underestimating my curses. For a few days... I've been working on a curse to stop your False Form, and now it's been placed..." The First Curse began hovering up.
"I've got the energy to contend against you from that curse that was on Sabre. I have all the energy I need. Now... show me what you've got!" Madness Steve laughs at the First Curse's rant as his False Form hovers up to match level.
"Whatever you did, I'll remove if it affects me... once I'm done with you!" Madness Steve yelled back as he and the First Curse starts exchanging attacks, starting off with lightning.
Derpy still has that force field up, protecting herself as well as everyone else as Madness Steve and the First Curse began using more power. The First Curse tries to spread a curse throughout this reality, but Madness Steve doesn't allow it. They continue exchanging attacks. The extra power the First Curse had, he brought his obsidian balls off of the ground, and flings them towards Madness Steve, who stops them with his balls made of bedrock, magma, those pitch black blocks as well as obsidian too.
"Huh? What has the Unnamed done? It's looking like a tie," Said Fluttershy.
"He must've placed a curse that works against Madness Steve's False Form. Why else wouldn't Madness just outright destroy him already?" Sabre responded.
Madness Steve and the First Curse continue to fly higher, and higher. They began circling each other, with Madness Steve shooting fireballs and energy beams, the First Curse shooting obsidian balls and lightning, attempting to give the curse on Madness Steve's False Form more power, to try and weaken the False Form.
"The curse in your False Form... it's making that form fail, I can sense it! Once I've defeated you, I'll take back my armour... and then I'll take you in it and we can have a loooonnngggg chat. You may not follow all the rules of this reality, but you're a steve... and once I've brought you below me, I'll place another curse... making these rules apply to your False Form," The Curse Curse yelled as he began summoning more obsidian balls and lightning.
"Oh really? Then I'LL FINISH YOU HERE THEN!" Madness Steve yelled back as he summons a supercharged redstone fireball at the First Curse, hitting him, immediately lowering him.
"This curse... it's- It's not letting my False Form gain more power- I'LL FINISH YOU OFF RIGHT NOW!" Madness Steve angrily yelled. He creates a portal using supercharged redstone with his abilities, pushing the First Curse through it with a supercharged redstone beam. Madness Steve created a pocket dimension, made entirely of redstone blocks. The entire sky is just pitch black.
"Arrrrgh..." The First Curse grunted. Being in this newly created pocket dimension is already having its toll on him.
"I've underestimated you!? You've underestimated me!" Madness Steve yelled as he warps the dimension. The First Curse tries to fly away, away from Madness Steve and the redstone blocks. However, because Madness Steve just warped everything, as the First Curse thought he was about to escape, he goes through an area in the space which leads him straight onto the redstone ground, weakening him even more.
"No... you're- Your abilities are... are so... Arrgh- So pesky..." The First Curse growled, weakened by the redstone alone. Madness Steve then supercharges the redstone blocks by summoning several supercharged redstone lightning bolts on the First Curse. These lightning bolts were bright red in colour, almost pink even, but were just about a shade of red. Either way, the First Curse is getting weaker with the more of these kinds of lightning strikes Madness Steve summons on him. The First Curse now can't fly even. He really is in trouble now.
"You're pointless, and have no use, especially as the loop as been fixed into a more fixed timeline, because of my interference in it. First Curse, this is the end of the line for you... ah ha ha ha HA HA HA HA HA HA!" Madness Steve chuckled as he gets out his sword, and approaches the First Curse. Right as he swings it directly on him, a grey blurred beam flies by, directly hitting Madness Steve, pushing him away from the First Curse. The grey blurred beam then flies back to the First Curse, landing next to him. Once on the ground, the blur cleared, and a grey pegasus appears, who offers their left forehoof to the First Curse.
"Come with me," The pegasus spoke.
"Who... are you?" The First Curse questioned as he grabs the left forehoof of the pegasus and pulls himself up.
"Derpy," The pegasus replied.
"Derpy- Ah, yes... Sabre spoke of you," The First Curse responded.
"Sometimes evweypony awound me call me by my real name, Ditzy. I just earned the nickname Derpy- Enough about me, let's get you out of here," The pegasus said as it taps its left forehoof on the ground, teleporting herself and the First Curse of out of the pocket dimension right before Madness Steve teleports back and destroys them.
Derpy and the First Curse are back at what was left of Void Steve's volcano lair.
"I appreciate your assistance... Derpy," Said the First Curse.
"It's no pwoblem," Derpy responded.
"So uh... First Curse, did you actually place a curse?" Sabre questioned.
"Yes... since we parted at that swamp, I've been working on a curse in upmost secrecy. It's no conventional curse though. This curse... is different to the other curses. This curse... unlike being placed upon the person themselves... it's placed upon the thing that the person is using. Madness Steve himself is untouchable with a curse... but he didn't expect a curse to be able to be placed upon his False Form, and now it's been placed. Another thing that sets this curse aside from the rest is that... I don't feed off of it's energy with this curse, and I can only amplify it," The First Curse replied.
"Wait, sa ya n our side now?" Applejack questioned the First Curse.
"Yes, we were adversaries against each other, but with Madness Steve out there, he's a threat... to all of us," The First Curse replied.
"With that curse placed upon his False Form... it should delay him. That... should buy us a little more time."
"What does that curse do?" Twilight asked.
"The curse prevents you gaining power. That's the best my abilities with the curses could muster against him... for the moment, at least," The First Curse answered.
"First Curse, you do know that, if we do get back your armour, you're to release every steve- Everyone from it is to be released, no one is to be left behind in there," Sabre said firmly.
"Yes... as you've helped me, and you kept to your end of the bargain... I'll repay you Sabre... by doing that," The First Curse responded.
"So basically, all we need to is just find Madness right? So, what's the plan? First Curse, have you came up with an idea of your own as well?" Sabre asked.
"Madness Steve... is no regular steve. The laws of this land don't apply to him, or his False Form. However though... if made weak enough, I can place another curse, forcing his False Form into following the rules of this land... and as he's a steve, I should be able to trap his False Form within the armour once I claim it as my own again," The First Curse explained.
"Sweet! For him trapping us in there, let's trap him there back! Oh yeah!" Rainbow Dash cheered.
"First Curse, your home doesn't allow anyone to teleport in and out, right?" Pinkie Pie double checked.
"I seriously don't know how you know so much of my existence. While yes... Pinkie Pie, the building doesn't allow anyone to teleport to and from, I doubt it will stop Madness Steve," The First Curse replied.
"I uh... maybe I could help with that?" Derpy offered.
"Ah, yes Derpy... that would be of great assistance. If you could give my home more energy, we could potentially contain Madness inside," The First Curse instructed.
"So, what will us six need to do Sabre? How can we help you?" Twilight asked.
"You six, just be at the ready with the Elements of Harmony, incase things go south," Sabre ordered the mane 6. They nodded.
"Okay, if that's the plan, Derpy, take us there- Wait, I'll take us all there as Derpy hasn't been there before," Sabre said as he uses the Shadow Sword, intentionally channelling as much lightning with it to get Madness Steve's attention as he, the First Curse, the mane 6 and Derpy teleports back to the swamp.