“Now, my dear Sweetie Drops, shall I show you one more thing? If you, have the time.” Slither said to me.

That snake-eyed unicorn, dressed in a tuxedo the wannabe dictator gave another smile to me.

“Now that Omega is no more, I have all the time in the world,” I tell him.

“Yes, that’s true. It’s a pity though. Not for me, but for you.”

Is that what you think?

“All those years, dedicated serving your princess, only to be cast aside the moment you became inconvenient,” said Slither “So spineless. I would have fought for you, as I have fought to obtain you, my dear Drops.”

No, it was because it was her only choice.

“And then what became of you, the faithful servant cast aside. How much have you lost, how low have you become because of her, my dear?”

“Baker’s assistant,” I said. “It’s humiliating.” I say what he wants to hear. I’ve saved the world, and living in that world is a reward I never thought I’d live to see.

We stop at the door to a large hanger. If you truly think you can recruit me...

“I was never interested in her,” I lie “Power is what I want. I was ontop of the world, only for that bugbear to steal it from me. Revenge would be nice… but this… is so much better.”

I brush up next to him, and give him a smile that cuts rock and hearts alike.

“You say the Rot will destroy Celestia and put you ontop of the world. I want to be there, right along aside you.”

“And I would want nothing less.” Slither took my hoof and gave it kiss. “My dear.”

“My love…” I say back, giving him those bedroom eyes, I could see his lust for me barely able to restrain itself. He believes he is seducing a former enemy to his side. But it’s I who is playing him. I eternally serve Celestia’s crown. In the shadow of her light, or on my own. You’ll be dead before you realize that.

“Before we get to my lovely Rot, I have one loose end that needs dealing with,” he said, before opening the door. We walked in and I saw, my contact who got me into this mess.

Her uniform had been stripped, her face beaten and bloody with a black eye. I could see her left wing bent the wrong way, and bruises all over. Slither’s handiwork.

“Yes yes, that lovely mare who helped you get in. You see, in my new world order I cannot allow… traitors,” Slither says, as he two of his goons following us present us with a pair of boxes. Slither opens the first box. Shot glasses and scotch. He pours them.

“One of your favorites, is it not?” Slither takes a drink.

“Indeed.” The honest truth, as I drink mine.

As He goon refills our drinks, the second box opens. Hoofguns. Slither takes one and his drink, and walks to my contact.

“I need to show my soldiers what the Rot does to a pony. Showing what I do to traitors is a nice bonus. But first, why not have some fun first? One last hurrah.” Slither walked up to her and placed his shotglass onto her head.

“Don’t move, ok? We don’t want to hurt you just yet,” Smiled the serpent of a pony. Slither walked back, and gave me the second hoofgun.

“Let’s see, who will be the first to knock the glass off her head. Allow me to show you.”

He took aim with his gun, and fired. It grazed her left ear. She flinched, the glass almost falling off. Slither caught the glass in his magic, and re-adjusted it back on her head.

“All yours love.”

He’s eating out of my hoof. Just a little more and I’ll have his full trust.

“Fire when ready.”

My contact’s eyes beg me to save her.

My choice is simple: shoot Slither, or shoot that glass.

Slither’s death changes nothing. These people will use the Rot against Equestria, Slither or no Slither. I need to find the Rot and destroy it. I need to go deeper.

I see her eyes look for salvation, to kill him and save her. But I know it’s a false choice. There’s only one way to save her.

I take aim and pull the trigger, it’s gunshot sounding throughout the hanger.

A glass of scotch shatters on the floor.

“I win.”