Glimglam doth Flimflam the Green Man(7)

>Be Starlight Glimmer
>You’ve been staring into this maw of metal, tubes, and flesh for over an hour while Anonymous has been casually leaning on his own entombed corpse.
>Your mind has been struggling to process the function of this biomechanical horror.
“How… how does it work?”
>A grin paints itself across Anon’s face.
>”I’m so glad you asked…”
>Anon walks past you and in front the door.
>”Before I show you, I need you to promise to do something for me.”
“What?”
>”When my body falls to the ground, throw it into the machine before the door closes. These cybernetics are a pain to install.”
>Before you can ask what he meant by that, Anon whips out an object, something you remember him calling a Kinetic Repulser, and puts it to the side of his head.
>Then, his other arm grabs the one holding the device and slams it into the wall behind him.
>”OH NO YOU DON’T, YOU TRICKY DEVIL!”
>”Aww whats the matter? This solves BOTH our problems~!”
>”STARLIGHT, KEEP ME AWAY FROM THE MACHINE!”
>Without thinking, you throw Anon out into the main hall you both came down.

>Be…
>ME!
>(No-no-no, I’m the one in control here.)
>[YOU CONTROL NOTHING!]
>Oh don’t be like that, if you just let me—
>[NO!]
>The Repulser fires off a round when… you(?) drop it from the impact.
>(How rude of you, throwing a tantrum when things don’t go your way. You nearly broke it!)
>I’d break my own neck if it meant stopping you…
>(Why thats a WONDERFUL IDEA~!)
>Your[?] hands shoot to your neck, but the ingrate refuses to let you end your shared pain and be reborn separate.
>He just ends up choking you both.
>(Oh you ARE kinky~!)
>[SHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUP—]
>We’re not even going to die this way, just pass out.
>Then it can all start again~
>You[?] get to your feet.


>Be Starlight
>Fear runs through your veins like ice water.
>Anon’s face has become a split mask of primal fear and psychotic glee.
>You back away slowly as he moves towards you with sharp, jerking movements.
>A noise that can’t decide if its weeping or giggling emanates from Anon as he lurches closer.
>He whips an arm forward, then reaches down and picks up the Repulser, and presses it to his temple.
>Spinning to face you, he walks backwards into the doorway of the disturbing machine.
>In a calm voice, he says to you these words that made you feel as though the world was about to become a barren void.
>”See you on the other side~.”

*Click*
*THOOMP*

>Before his body could even fall, an arm of flesh wrapped around metal snatched him into the machine.
>But thats not what made this whole situation a nightmare.
>No…
>What has left you marked, what has scarred itself into your mind is the expression on Anon’s face as his brains painted the wall.
>The smiling half dominated.
>The metal doors seal before you.
>A gurgling noise like an upset stomach mixed with a train screeching to a halt bellows from the metal box of horrors.
>You bang on the heavy metal doors, screaming for Anon to be returned.
>Your eyes burn with tears.
>Eventually you collapse in front of the door.
>Amidst the mechanical grinding and gurgling, you hear something from beyond the door.
>Arguing, fighting…
>You jump back when a loud impact is followed by an imprint of Anon’s face dents the door from behind.
>More loud bangs are heard, then doors fly off their hinges.
>Two Anons, one in white and gold, the other in black and purple.
>The Anon in black is digging his boot heel into the white one’s back while strangling him with what appears to be some kind of umbilical cord.
>”St-Star… light… H-help…”
>”Stay back… The monster must die.”

>You muster all the power you can and launch the dark Anon into the ceiling.
>The Light Anon gets up after removing the flesh-rope from his neck.
>”Thanks for that…”
>Anon walks up to you and pets your head.
>”Knew you could do it, Kiddo.”
>You are extremely scared and Anon’s words are kinda helping.
>You’re mostly focused on keeping the Dark One pinned to the ceiling.
“What… or who is that?”
>”A doppleganger, corroded data, who knows? All that matters is that he is properly disposed of.”
>The Dark Anon, as you focus on him, is staring at you from above.
>”So, once that thing is mulched, you want to go out for that candy Tartar?”
“I… I can’t even think about food right now…”
>Something’s wrong.
>”Fair enough. Though, I will say that at some point we’re gonna have celebrate this momentous occasion~!”
>Something is wrong.
>”I’m thinking we could all go out for… Hm… I wonder what Trixie would want… Hey Starlight, think Trixie would like me?”
>Water drops land on your face from above.
>Something is VERY wrong.
“She already has?”
>”Hm? Oh yeah, she thinks I’m a dangerous psychopath and a monster. Nothing some quality time can’t fix with the new me~.”
>At that your magic changes targets, slamming the Light Anon into a wall.
>The Dark Anon falls to the ground.
>”Well… Gosh-and-Golly-Gee, aren’t I just the Loose-Lipped-Lucy~!”
“Who are you?”
>”The correct question… is, 'WHAT is he?’ Sorry, but in this game there ain’t no partial credit.”
>You look the Anon wearing the black and purple hardsuit.
>”And the answer to the question is… I have no idea.”
>”Aww, thats not true. I’ve been with you since the very beginning.”
“Was he?”
>”Not gonna lie, I may have gone crazy at some point. Its not like I usually went to people’s home with sonic cannons out of the blue.”
>You ease up on the magic, letting the other Anon down.

>He takes a step forward, then somehow projects his arm at the Dark Anon, slamming his head into the ground.
>”Computer, be a dear and initiate the Janus Protocol.”
>At that, the air became thick with the smell of ozone, crackling could be heard.
>The Dark Anon stiffened, then leapt as a bolt of energy struck the spot he once stood.
>”You… You dandy FIEND!”
>More bolts strike at Anon while the other one just, sort of, titters.
>”Language~!”
“WHAT IS GOING ON!?”
>Both stop in their actions as do the energy bolts.
>”What? What isn’t clear?”
>”I’d say it’s pretty obvious, but if she wants an explanation, we’d have to give her one.”
>”…I hate it when you’re right.”

>Be Anon
>No, the other one.
>The one who isn’t super absorbed in himself.
>Dammit, that describes both of you still.
>Okay, you’re the one who’s wearing the black armor with the skulls like the tool you are.
>Yeah, that works.
>Self-deprecation is your only friend right now.
>”Lets start from the top…”
>Poor little pone is tired of this insipid farce.
>”…Why are there TWO of you?”
>”Do you want short version or the long version?"
>Little does she realize that this is a rabbit hole of of infinite, unrelenting, shaving madness.
>”Short, please for the love Celestia, let the short one be the right one.”
“He’s my Eviler Twin.”
>”Guilty~!”
>”…You’re making this difficult on purpose, aren’t you?”
“You wanted the short version.”
>”Okay… Explain how ‘Eviler Twin’ is EVEN A THING!”
>”Well, basically-“
“Gonna stop you right there. Aight, look, you know how when a super hero gets hit with like a mirror laser or some kinda energy splits him into two different people, one good, the other evil?”
>”Yeah…?”

“Well Super Villains don’t get that. We don’t get a ‘Good Twin,’ we get a more evil version of ourselves that’s supposed to teach us some malarky about morals or empathy or something.”
>”Basically, he’s supposed to become a better person from this.”
“Yeah. All-in-all, this is pretty standard fair.”
>You both just stand there awkwardly as Starlight reboots.
“So, uh, you supposed to be like a paladin or something?”
>”Hmm? Oh- Devil in White, decided I should go with a classic.”
“Can’t argue with that…”
>You kick the floor in the hopes time will somehow move faster.
>It does not.
>”Is… is she alright?”
“Glimglam? Yeah, she does this whenever something conflicts with her definition of reality. You know the drill for these social outcast-types.”
>”Super Villain…”
>You both look at Glimmy.
>”You’re a Super Villain…”
“Graduated top of my class.”
>”Top of your…”
>Your doppleganger snippily claps his hands.
>”As much fun as it is watching the hamster wheel turn in Starlight’s head, I believe we’re behind schedule.”
>He’s right, spent way too much time with these shenanigans.
“Alright Glimmer, let’s go. We got some scheming to do and plans to thwart!”
>You carry the pony on your arm like a cat that likes to hang.
>Picking up the Repulser, you blow a hole in the ceiling.
“Ahem…”
>You lesser jumps.
>Amateur.
>”R-right! Uh… Death To Poochy!”
>Turrets hum to life and massive, rotary grinders start spinning.
>Click your heels three times and like that Kansas girl, you’re rocketing off into the sky.
>Narrowly avoiding laser fire and big, crushy, spinny, sharp things… OF DEATH!
>You thought you saw a few missiles here and there, but when you’re risking kissing plate-steel walls at mach-4, you can never really be sure of what you saw.