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Protagonist

By Writefag_Roulette
Created: 2021-07-16 21:31:33
Updated: 2021-01-20 14:27:30
Expiry: Never
rarity/pone/8chan

  1. 1.
    https://web.archive.org/web/20190219013458/https://8ch.net/pone/res/322000.html
  2. 2.
     
  3. 3.
    >you suppose you've never really been the main character of the story you've been living in
  4. 4.
    >to be sure, you've been in situations like this more times than you can count
  5. 5.
    >but those stories have always been about...
  6. 6.
    >her
  7. 7.
    >a beam of dim starlight shines bright white through a gap in the forest canopy
  8. 8.
    >it lights up the woods just enough for you to pick out the purple in her coat
  9. 9.
    >Twilight Sparkle
  10. 10.
    >she's effortlessly beautiful
  11. 11.
    >brilliant
  12. 12.
    >favored by the princesses
  13. 13.
    >actually, she's a princess herself now
  14. 14.
    >or, technically, she was
  15. 15.
    >you see, that's just the reason you're watching over your sleeping friends in this forest tonight
  16. 16.
    >nothing unusual in the course of your life
  17. 17.
    >some artifacts you've never heard of were stolen by some megolomaniac
  18. 18.
    >the megolomaniac escaped into the Everfree Forest
  19. 19.
    >and now the six of you are sleeping in the dirt
  20. 20.
    >except for you
  21. 21.
    >it's your turn to stand watch
  22. 22.
    >not that you're eager to sleep in the dirt
  23. 23.
    >annoyingly enough these artifacts you've never heard of couldn't even have to decency to be jewels this time
  24. 24.
    >no
  25. 25.
    >they're some sort of apples
  26. 26.
    >but apparently, if they aren't sitting in a jar somewhere in Canterlot Castle
  27. 27.
    >then alicorns can't exist in Equestria
  28. 28.
    >frankly, you find the whole premise highly unlikely
  29. 29.
    >weren't Princesses Celestia and Luna supposed to have been alicorns when they first arrived in Equestria?
  30. 30.
    >you're sure if you asked Twilight Sparkle she'd have an explanation for you
  31. 31.
    >you're not really interested
  32. 32.
    >so it was a pair of perfectly ordinary unicorns, one white and one blue
  33. 33.
    >who commissioned another perfectly ordinary unicorn
  34. 34.
    >this one purple
  35. 35.
    >with the task of retrieving these apples
  36. 36.
    >and this perfectly ordinary purple unicorn asked her five best friends in the whole wide world to help her
  37. 37.
    >ah, but there are a few major complications that come from this
  38. 38.
    >in the first place, since ordinary unicorns Celestia and Luna have only ordinary unicorn power, they cannot raise the Sun or the Moon
  39. 39.
    >you seem to recall learning that before the two of them, ordinary unicorns would combine their powers and raise the Sun and Moon together
  40. 40.
    >but what do you know?
  41. 41.
    >so right now, neither the Sun nor the Moon are in the sky
  42. 42.
    >and your journey thus far has been lighted only by horns and stars
  43. 43.
    >in the second place, without the magical effects of the magic apples, the former alicorns are aging rapidly in a bizzare reversal of their immortality
  44. 44.
    >that's not such a problem for Twilight Sparkle
  45. 45.
    >she was barely an alicorn for four years, so the most she can age is another four years
  46. 46.
    >though you can't help noticing a pair of thin lines beneath her eyes
  47. 47.
    >but Celestia and Luna
  48. 48.
    >they're somewhat over one thousand years old each
  49. 49.
    >Twilight gives the two of them about a year to live
  50. 50.
    >and that's why you're sitting in the woods in a darkness that might be midnight
  51. 51.
    >but it could be noontime
  52. 52.
    >and there's mud on your hooves
  53. 53.
    >it's not the first time something like this has happened to you
  54. 54.
    >and it won't be the last
  55. 55.
    >and this isn't your story
  56. 56.
    >it's...
  57. 57.
    >where did she go?
  58. 58.
    >you see only four ponies asleep on the forest floor
  59. 59.
    >none of them are purple
  60. 60.
    >you stand on all fours
  61. 61.
    >and wheel around
  62. 62.
    >looking in all directions
  63. 63.
    >but a hoof gently lands on your shoulder
  64. 64.
    <"Rarity."
  65. 65.
    >oh
  66. 66.
    >there she is
  67. 67.
    <"It's my turn to stand guard. Get some sleep."
  68. 68.
    >you sigh
  69. 69.
    "Thank you."
  70. 70.
     
  71. 71.
    ~"Rise and shine, ladies! It's mornin' time now!"
  72. 72.
    >Applejack quints her eyes in the dim starlight
  73. 73.
    ~"Er, uh, probably. Maybe. Jus' gettup, y'all."
  74. 74.
    >you've learned the art of packing lightly
  75. 75.
    >just an ordinary pair of saddlebags seated on your rump
  76. 76.
    >they're bulging and heavy
  77. 77.
    >but if this had happened a year or two ago, you'd be pulling a wagon loaded high with frivoloties
  78. 78.
    >this is about as minimalist as you're going to get
  79. 79.
    >even now, you can see the sillhouette of one of your friends stooping to take a mouthful of grass
  80. 80.
    >don't they know creatures step on that?
  81. 81.
    >sometimes they even… do other things on that
  82. 82.
    >it's much too icky to think about at this time of day
  83. 83.
    >or… night?
  84. 84.
    >fortunately, you don't have to worry about it
  85. 85.
    >with the blue glow of your magic, you whisk a scone out of your saddlebag
  86. 86.
    >you make quick, yet polite, work of it
  87. 87.
    >pretty soon the six of you are trudging through the near total-darkness once again
  88. 88.
    >except for hornlight, of course
  89. 89.
    >the magenta of Twilight's horn compliments the blue of your own in a way that fascninates you here in the dark forest
  90. 90.
    >maybe you can copy this effect in some of your works when you return
  91. 91.
    >it's a sort of introspective feeling
  92. 92.
    >too introspective
  93. 93.
    >you'd go so far as to call this silence somewhat grim
  94. 94.
    "Oh, Twilight."
  95. 95.
    <"Hm? Yes?"
  96. 96.
    "Doesn't this feel… poetic?"
  97. 97.
    <"What do you mean?"
  98. 98.
    "You're a unicorn, the Princess is in danger, Equestria is threatened with eternal darkness, and here the six of us are adventuring through the Everfree Forest once more. Doesn't it all sort of… rhyme?"
  99. 99.
    <"Uh…"
  100. 100.
    >a bounding figure appears at Twilight's side
  101. 101.
    >awash in the pink glow of magic, you'd almost imagine that she was actually white
  102. 102.
    /"Yeah! It's like destiny!"
  103. 103.
    >Twilight sighs
  104. 104.
    <"Pinkie, be quiet. This is serious. We don't know what could be out there listening for us."
  105. 105.
    >well
  106. 106.
    >just because it's true doesn't mean you can just out and say it like that
  107. 107.
    >they say that an artist's creations are only an outlet for the art she cannot live herself
  108. 108.
    >someone who actually lives art won't have much of an appreciation for it
  109. 109.
    >the thought makes you want to groan
  110. 110.
    >Twilight extinguishes her horn
  111. 111.
    >then looks at you and silently bids you to do the same
  112. 112.
    >the forest is dark once more
  113. 113.
    /"Whoah! Who turned out the-"
  114. 114.
    <"Quiet. Something is coming."
  115. 115.
    >sure enough, up in the canopy
  116. 116.
    >an orange light grows closer
  117. 117.
    >the forest grows imperceptably warmer
  118. 118.
    >as the sound of firey wings grows nearer
  119. 119.
    >somehow, you're not really worried about it
  120. 120.
    >it's much too early in the story for anything truly horrific
  121. 121.
    >indeed, when the creature comes into view, you feel
  122. 122.
    >at peace
  123. 123.
    >and you know that you're right when you hear Fluttershy squeal
  124. 124.
    _"Philomena!"
  125. 125.
    <"It is Philomena!"
  126. 126.
    >"And Spike!"
  127. 127.
    >yes, there he is
  128. 128.
    >dangling from the claws of the majestic phoenix
  129. 129.
    <"What? Spike!"
  130. 130.
    >"You didn't think you could just leave me behind, did you?"
  131. 131.
    <"I-, errr, this is dangerous!"
  132. 132.
    >"Relax, I've been on tons of adventures with you guys. Besides, the Princess wanted me to bring you this."
  133. 133.
    <"A… nut?"
  134. 134.
    >"Yeah, I don't really get it either. But the Princess said you'd find it useful…"
  135. 135.
    >their conversation turns to background noise when something fuzzy lands on your neck
  136. 136.
    >oh, ew! is it a bug?!
  137. 137.
    >it's a…
  138. 138.
    >a feather?
  139. 139.
    >yes, what you've grabbed off of your neck is a feather
  140. 140.
    >it's glowing a soft orange
  141. 141.
    >like a sunset
  142. 142.
    >or like coals in the dark
  143. 143.
    >Philomena is perched on a branch above you
  144. 144.
    >staring at you
  145. 145.
    >if you didn't know any better, you'd say she winked at you
  146. 146.
    >but you don't have time to tell for sure before she takes wing and disappears
  147. 147.
    >"Hey, wait! Philomena! You're my ride!"
  148. 148.
    ~"Oh? I thought you wanted ta come along."
  149. 149.
    >"I-I do, it's just…"
  150. 150.
    >giggles
  151. 151.
    >you study the feather in your hoof
  152. 152.
    >it's very lovely
  153. 153.
    >you stick it in your bag
  154. 154.
    >maybe you'll be able to weave it into a piece after you get back
  155. 155.
     
  156. 156.
    _"Ah! What was that?"
  157. 157.
    ~"It's nothin'. Pipe down already."
  158. 158.
    >Rainbow Dash coughs
  159. 159.
    #"Isn't it kind of weird that we've been wandering abound the Everfree Forest for so long and still haven't met anything that wants to eat us?"
  160. 160.
    /"But why would we want to meet anything that wants to eat us?"
  161. 161.
    <"Rainbow's not saying she wants to meet any monsters. She's just saying it's strange that we haven't. And she's right. It's almost as if-"
  162. 162.
    *"-As if I was right behind you this whole time?"
  163. 163.
    #"Ha! Knew it!"
  164. 164.
    >from behind, a section of the woods lights up as bright as day
  165. 165.
    >and in the light stands a shadow
  166. 166.
    >a unicorn mare, a bit too tall to be perfectly ordinary
  167. 167.
    >her coat is glossy black like ebony
  168. 168.
    >her mane is a flowing mass of gold, emitting light like the Sun
  169. 169.
    >hm, yellow on black…
  170. 170.
    >it's eye-popping to be sure…
  171. 171.
    >but it's so unorthodox as to be jarring
  172. 172.
    >there's no way those are her natural colors
  173. 173.
    >there's no mistaking it
  174. 174.
    >this menacing figure is the maniac of the week
  175. 175.
    >now what was her name again…?
  176. 176.
    <"Idun!"
  177. 177.
    >right
  178. 178.
    >Idun
  179. 179.
    <"Give us back the apples!"
  180. 180.
    >Idun laughs
  181. 181.
    *"Why? So you can have them? No, I think I can put them to much better use."
  182. 182.
    >Twilight's horn lights up with arcane power
  183. 183.
    <"Then we'll have to take them."
  184. 184.
    >Idun laughs again
  185. 185.
    >why do they all laugh?
  186. 186.
    >always the same laugh, too
  187. 187.
    *"I own more magical artifacts than you own tiaras, princess. Did you really think I'd come unprepared? Be a good girl now and settle down. I'd hate to do anything drastic before you've led me to the Elements of Harmony."
  188. 188.
    <"You want the Elements?"
  189. 189.
    #"Never!"
  190. 190.
    >a blue blur races toward Idun at face-smashing speed
  191. 191.
    >but it never connects
  192. 192.
    >where did that sceptre come from?
  193. 193.
    >what was that noise?
  194. 194.
    >it's pitch black now
  195. 195.
    >and windy
  196. 196.
    >are you… falling?
  197. 197.
    >something hurts
  198. 198.
    >and then…
  199. 199.
    >nothing
  200. 200.
     
  201. 201.
    >the first thing you see is green on the ground
  202. 202.
    >is the Sun back up?
  203. 203.
    >did you sleep through the whole adventure already?
  204. 204.
    >ah, no, if only
  205. 205.
    >the green is, in fact, not grass, but dragonfire
  206. 206.
    >a burning branch held aloft in Spike's claw is casting an eerie glow through what seems to be some sort of cave
  207. 207.
    >"Rarity! Guys, she's waking up!"
  208. 208.
    _"Oh, Rarity, thank goodness!"
  209. 209.
    /"Have a good nap, silly-head?"
  210. 210.
    >hm
  211. 211.
    >Spike, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie are crowding around you
  212. 212.
    >but where are the others?
  213. 213.
    "Mm, indeed not. I'd say it was a very dreadful nap indeed. Where is everyone else?"
  214. 214.
    >the cavern wall speaks
  215. 215.
    <"We're over here, on the other side. Now that you're awake, we can work on moving forward and regrouping."
  216. 216.
    "Oh, dear. However did we get separated?"
  217. 217.
    <"Another one of Idun's toys. I knew she had an extensive collection of artifacts, but I never guessed that she had the Staff of Sysyphus."
  218. 218.
    "The staff of who now, darling?"
  219. 219.
    <"The Staff of Sysyphus. It transports the victims to a monstrous underground realm."
  220. 220.
    "Oh, that's wonderful. How do we get out?"
  221. 221.
    <"As long as the victims are in the underground realm, the caster has to be there too. Idun is down here somewhere with us. If we can find her and get the Staff, we can go home."
  222. 222.
    "And I suppose you already have a plan?"
  223. 223.
    <"Well, it's not much of a plan, but we only really have one option. On either side of this wall, there's only one way to go: forward."
  224. 224.
    "So we just move along and hope for the best then?"
  225. 225.
    <"More or less. There's probably a junction somewhere further down where our tunnels come together. It might even lead us straight to Idun."
  226. 226.
    "And if, instead, we come across winding and treacherous paths that separate us?"
  227. 227.
    >Twilight pauses
  228. 228.
    <"We'll figure that out if we come to it. But there's really no choice but to keep moving until we find each other and then Idun."
  229. 229.
    "Well, in that case, I'm about as ready to be done with this week's adventure as you are. Let us proceed."
  230. 230.
    <"Agreed, let's go. Rarity, you're in charge over there."
  231. 231.
    "What? Me?"
  232. 232.
    <"Who else?"
  233. 233.
    >oh
  234. 234.
    >Twilight
  235. 235.
    >Applejack
  236. 236.
    >Rainbow Dash
  237. 237.
    >they're all on the other side of that wall
  238. 238.
    >oh, dear
  239. 239.
    >for all the adventures these friends of yours have gotten you caught up in
  240. 240.
    >this is one thing that's never happened before
  241. 241.
     
  242. 242.
    >beyond the combined light of your horn and Spike's makeshift torch, the darkness is impenetrable
  243. 243.
    >pop
  244. 244.
     
  245. 245.
    >the solid wall of black obscures the origins of a thousand subtle noises
  246. 246.
    >pop
  247. 247.
    >indeed, Twilight had called this place a "monstrous realm", and what monsters could be lurking just out of sight is a question you dare not imagine the answer to
  248. 248.
    >pop
  249. 249.
    >a sound of moving air could be merely a draft, or it could be the breath of some massive abomination
  250. 250.
    >pop
  251. 251.
    >a sound of dripping water could simply be a leaky aquifer, or it could be the drool of a horrific creature
  252. 252.
    >poppop
  253. 253.
    "Pinkie Pie!"
  254. 254.
    /"Whaaaat?"
  255. 255.
    "Stop that!"
  256. 256.
    /"But it's soooo quiet down here!"
  257. 257.
    _"T-too quiet…"
  258. 258.
    <"Quiet over there! I think I hear something!"
  259. 259.
    >you hold your breath
  260. 260.
    #"Aw, come on, it was noth-"
  261. 261.
    >the cavern
  262. 262.
    >trembles
  263. 263.
    <"There it is!"
  264. 264.
    ~"Hwat in tarnation!"
  265. 265.
    "Twilight! What's happening over there? How can we-"
  266. 266.
    >you're cut short by a very, very un-subtle noise
  267. 267.
    >some sort of roaring shriek, presumably from whatever the girls on the other side of that wall are seeing
  268. 268.
    <"Rarity! Keep moving forward! Try to stay near this wall, but staying out of harm's way is your number one priority. If you see any monsters, r-uagh!"
  269. 269.
    >"Twilight! Twilight!"
  270. 270.
    >a large chunk of boulder is loosed from the cavern wall and lands mere inches away from you
  271. 271.
    >you don't need to be told twice
  272. 272.
    >unceremoniously, you toss the panicking Spike onto your back
  273. 273.
    >then you shove the frozen Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy
  274. 274.
    >and the three of you run
  275. 275.
    >as fast as you can
  276. 276.
     
  277. 277.
    >all
  278. 278.
    >is quiet
  279. 279.
    >gone are the drips
  280. 280.
    >the winds
  281. 281.
    >the subtle clackings in the distance
  282. 282.
    >even the suggestion of a constant roar in the background has given way to an oppressive wall of silence
  283. 283.
    >even your own hoofsteps have been muffled to the faintest sound of shuffling as the cave floor has graduated from rocky to earthen
  284. 284.
    >the path, at least, has been fairly straight
  285. 285.
    >your plan right now is to come to a point where your side of the cave merges with Twilight's
  286. 286.
    >and to wait
  287. 287.
    >and hope
  288. 288.
    _"You really think…"
  289. 289.
    >Fluttershy hesitates
  290. 290.
    >as though she's unsure if she really wants to break the silence
  291. 291.
    _"… they're okay?"
  292. 292.
    >you take a few silent steps before answering
  293. 293.
    "Of course, darling. Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow Dash… they're all… very, very strong."
  294. 294.
    >the worst thing about the silence?
  295. 295.
    >Pinkie Pie is the number one source of it
  296. 296.
    >you regret telling her to stop making annoying sounds earlier
  297. 297.
    >you wish she'd tell her silly little jokes
  298. 298.
    >or do that bouncing-walk thing she always does
  299. 299.
    >or something
  300. 300.
    >claws wrap around your neck
  301. 301.
    >"Hold up, Rarity. It looks like the path splits off here."
  302. 302.
    >you stop looking forward for a second and see what's in front of you for once
  303. 303.
    >the path to your right would keep you nearest to the dividing wall that's separated you from the others
  304. 304.
    >but…
  305. 305.
    >it's strange
  306. 306.
    >it feels as though…
  307. 307.
    >it feels as though the silence is pouring out of that tunnel
  308. 308.
    >it makes you feel uneasy
  309. 309.
    >but a feeling is only a feeling
  310. 310.
    >rationally, that's probably the wiser path to take
  311. 311.
    "I suppose we'll have to-"
  312. 312.
    _"Wait."
  313. 313.
    "Hm?"
  314. 314.
    _"Sh."
  315. 315.
    >something like a lizard comes scampering out of the right-hoof tunnel
  316. 316.
    >there's nothing monstrous about it
  317. 317.
    >it's certainly small enough to be non-threatening
  318. 318.
    >but where are its eyes?
  319. 319.
    >Fluttershy crouches down in its path
  320. 320.
    >and lets it smack into her face
  321. 321.
    _"What's wrong, little guy?"
  322. 322.
    >the creature lets out a panicked chattering sound
  323. 323.
    _"Oh… my…"
  324. 324.
    >the creature chatters some more
  325. 325.
    >and then scampers past Fluttershy
  326. 326.
    >and vanishes from sight
  327. 327.
    _"Something down the right-hoof tunnel has been terrorizing the animals. Something has been…"
  328. 328.
    >Fluttershy looks at her hooves
  329. 329.
    "Something has been what, darling?"
  330. 330.
    _"… hurting them."
  331. 331.
    >the silence pouring out of the right-hoof tunnel intensifies
  332. 332.
    >it feels like something is getting closer
  333. 333.
    >it feels like something is only just out of sight
  334. 334.
    >and you're starting to trust in feelings
  335. 335.
    "We need to move. Down the left-hoof tunnel. Now, there isn't a moment to waste."
  336. 336.
     
  337. 337.
    -"Rarity."
  338. 338.
    >you press onward
  339. 339.
    >quickly
  340. 340.
    >panickedly
  341. 341.
    >Spike is sitting on your back
  342. 342.
    >whispering into your ear:
  343. 343.
    -"Rarity."
  344. 344.
    "What?"
  345. 345.
    >"Something is following us."
  346. 346.
    >you know
  347. 347.
    "I don't hear anything behind us."
  348. 348.
    >"I don't hear anything either. But I see it."
  349. 349.
    "What do you see?"
  350. 350.
    >"It's kinda hard to explain. You should look at it for yourself."
  351. 351.
    "I can't very well stop and turn around if there's something frightening following us, now can I?"
  352. 352.
    >"I didn't say it was frightening."
  353. 353.
    "Is it not, then?"
  354. 354.
    >"No, it is."
  355. 355.
    "It's smiling at us, isn't it?"
  356. 356.
    >"Yeah. How could you tell?"
  357. 357.
    "I can feel it."
  358. 358.
    -"Rarity."
  359. 359.
    "Yes, Fluttershy?"
  360. 360.
    _"Um… that wasn't… me…"
  361. 361.
    >you know
  362. 362.
    "Oh, wasn't it?"
  363. 363.
    _"No."
  364. 364.
    -"Rarity."
  365. 365.
    "Pinkie Pie, darling, is that you?"
  366. 366.
    >your eyes are trained straight forward
  367. 367.
    >but you can feel PInkie Pie shake her head no
  368. 368.
    -"Rarity."
  369. 369.
    "Spike…"
  370. 370.
    >"Rarity…"
  371. 371.
    -"Rarity."
  372. 372.
    >you're not listening
  373. 373.
    -"Rarity."
  374. 374.
    >can't
  375. 375.
    -"Rarity."
  376. 376.
    >hear
  377. 377.
    -"Rarity."
  378. 378.
    >you
  379. 379.
    -"Rarity."
  380. 380.
    >you wheel around as though having a fit
  381. 381.
    >and you shout
  382. 382.
    "What? What do you want?"
  383. 383.
    >and it smiles
  384. 384.
    >and it waves
  385. 385.
    >and it says
  386. 386.
    -"Hi."
  387. 387.
    >and you see it for what it is
  388. 388.
    >it's the criminal who commits unthinkable crimes
  389. 389.
    >but it's also the nasty little school filly who annoys her teacher
  390. 390.
    >what you see is Cruelty
  391. 391.
    >you look at Fluttershy
  392. 392.
    >she sees it too
  393. 393.
    >and she knows what to do
  394. 394.
    >Fluttershy takes one step toward Cruelty
  395. 395.
    >Cruelty's smile falters
  396. 396.
    >how little did Cruelty expect to find its natural predator in a place like this
  397. 397.
    >Kindness embraces Cruelty in the sweetest hug you've ever had the privilege of witnessing
  398. 398.
    >and Cruelty whithers away pathetically
  399. 399.
    >Fluttershy giggles
  400. 400.
    >as though she's just witnessed a foal make a silly mistake.
  401. 401.
    _"Let's keep moving on."
  402. 402.
     
  403. 403.
    >Fluttershy is glowing
  404. 404.
    >not literally, of course
  405. 405.
    >ever since Spike's torch went out, the only thing that's been glowing down here has been your horn
  406. 406.
    >but Fluttershy is standing a little taller
  407. 407.
    >walking forward with a quiet confidence
  408. 408.
    >Pinkie Pie, however…
  409. 409.
    >for lack of a better way of putting it
  410. 410.
    >she's still in a bit of a funk
  411. 411.
    >eyes downcast
  412. 412.
    >mouth closed shut
  413. 413.
    >all in all, she's being very un-Pinkie-like
  414. 414.
    >it's not so hard to understand
  415. 415.
    >Pinkie Pie develops very strong affections for almost everyone she knows even incidentally
  416. 416.
    >and she knows Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack much more than incidentally
  417. 417.
    >more than likely, the fact that the last she's heard from them was the three of you…
  418. 418.
    >well…
  419. 419.
    >abandoning them to some sort of giant moster
  420. 420.
    >that's probably what's got her feeling so gloomy
  421. 421.
    >truth be told, you're more than a little uneasy about the fate of your friends yourself
  422. 422.
    >your sense of reason is trying to tell you the three of them can more than handle most monsters
  423. 423.
    >but you've got a bad feeling
  424. 424.
    >and bad feelings can't be reasoned with
  425. 425.
    _"Why hello there, little one."
  426. 426.
    >hm?
  427. 427.
    >oh, you've been lost in thought again
  428. 428.
    >Fluttershy is crouching down to smile at…
  429. 429.
    >a little blue filly?
  430. 430.
    "Um, Fluttershy, I'm not sure that's quite a good idea…"
  431. 431.
    >the child begins to sniffle
  432. 432.
    _"Oh, don't say that, Rarity. You're hurting her feelings."
  433. 433.
    "Um…"
  434. 434.
    >the filly opens her mouth
  435. 435.
    >and begins to wail in earnest
  436. 436.
    _"Oh, there, there. Are you lost? We'll-"
  437. 437.
    >a stone strikes Fluttershy in the head
  438. 438.
    >a laurel of stars and birds whirls around your poor dazed friend
  439. 439.
    >and she stumbles her way back to you
  440. 440.
    _"I may need a moment to rest."
  441. 441.
     
  442. 442.
    >the situation as far as you can tell:
  443. 443.
    >the little blue earth pony crying on the cave floor before you probably isn't, strictly, speaking an earth pony
  444. 444.
    >you say this because her crying seems to be causing rocks to fly about in the air
  445. 445.
    >your immediate reaction would be to turn around and try to go down the other side of that fork in the path you came to earlier
  446. 446.
    >however
  447. 447.
    >Fluttershy is dazed and confused from being hit with a rock
  448. 448.
    >she's currently leaning against the cave wall, her head swaying and her knees shaking
  449. 449.
    >she's not exactly in any shape to be making a speedy escape
  450. 450.
    >Spike is sitting on your back and screaming into your ear
  451. 451.
    >and if Pinkie Pie has any ideas, she certainly isn't voicing them
  452. 452.
    >that little filly needs to be cheered up
  453. 453.
    >you duck your head and barely dodge a stone that would have probably ruined your facial
  454. 454.
    >she needs to be cheered up immediately
  455. 455.
    >you use your magic to rummage about your saddlebags
  456. 456.
    >you should still have a few…
  457. 457.
    >pastries!
  458. 458.
    >this muffin should do the trick
  459. 459.
    "Ah, excuse me. Little filly? Are you hungry? I've got a nice banana nut muffin here for you, if you'll be a dear and stop crying for a moment."
  460. 460.
    >and for a moment
  461. 461.
    >she stops crying
  462. 462.
    >she looks at the muffin for a moment
  463. 463.
    >and then
  464. 464.
    >an ear-piercing wail
  465. 465.
    >and the rocks come flying again
  466. 466.
    >and for an instant everything is white
  467. 467.
    >and then everything is blurry
  468. 468.
    >and your head hurts
  469. 469.
    >you groan
  470. 470.
    "Ah, I'm sorry… You must be watching your weight…"
  471. 471.
    >you stumble over near Fluttershy
  472. 472.
    >did Spike fall off of your back?
  473. 473.
    >spinnking around, you catch a glimpse of Pinkie Pie
  474. 474.
    >it looks like she's smiling again
  475. 475.
    >that's… good…
  476. 476.
    >the next few minutes are odd
  477. 477.
    >you're definitely conscious
  478. 478.
    >but you can't really focus on anything beyond keeping your hoof on the spot where the rock hit you
  479. 479.
    >but you think you can hear…
  480. 480.
    >laughter?
  481. 481.
    >eventually, the pain dulls to tolerable levels
  482. 482.
    >you find yourself facing into the tear-stricken face of Fluttershy
  483. 483.
    >she's still cradling what looks like a nasty bruise on her forehead
  484. 484.
    >you force your hoof to the cave floor
  485. 485.
    >and you turn your body to see what's going on
  486. 486.
    >the rocks are all strewn about, but all calm
  487. 487.
    >Pinkie is sitting in the middle of them
  488. 488.
    >and the sad little filly
  489. 489.
    >not so sad anymore
  490. 490.
    >is sitting between Pinkie's forelegs
  491. 491.
    >giggling
  492. 492.
    /"And I said, 'That's no racehorse, that's my mother!'"
  493. 493.
    >the filly's laughter turns to squeals of delight
  494. 494.
    >and then
  495. 495.
    >she's gone
  496. 496.
    >she leaves behind a fleeting echo of merriment
  497. 497.
    >and that passes too
  498. 498.
    >Pinkie Pie smiles and waves at you
  499. 499.
    /"Hi, Rarity! Sorry I've been such a debbie-downer today. That joke you told earlier really cheered me up!"
  500. 500.
    "Joke?"
  501. 501.
    /"You know, the one about watching your weight."
  502. 502.
    >you scoff in disbelief
  503. 503.
    >then you grin
  504. 504.
    >and then
  505. 505.
    >you laugh
  506. 506.
     
  507. 507.
    >maybe it was minutes ago
  508. 508.
    >maybe it was hours ago
  509. 509.
    >maybe it was yesterday
  510. 510.
    >but at some point you started hitting forks in the path rather frequently
  511. 511.
    >at the first fork there was something of a lengthy discussion as to which path to take
  512. 512.
    >which one was most likely to lead to Twilight's group
  513. 513.
    >which one had more air flowing from it
  514. 514.
    >which one sounded like it might have monsters in it
  515. 515.
    >which one looked the prettiest
  516. 516.
    >the second fork had a rather similar discussion
  517. 517.
    >the third might have as well
  518. 518.
    >but at some point the discussions stopped
  519. 519.
    >and at some point after that you lost track of how many paths you had to choose
  520. 520.
    >maybe it's been dozens
  521. 521.
    >maybe it's been over a hundred
  522. 522.
    >somehow you're not worried about it
  523. 523.
    >it's not that you've despaired of all hope
  524. 524.
    >no, you feel quite hopeful that you'll be home quite soon
  525. 525.
    >nor is it that you've lost your sense of reason
  526. 526.
    >it's as though you're operating on a sense of reason operating on a different level from your conscious thought processes
  527. 527.
    >the feeling of an arch in your back reminds of you of your cat, Opalescence, as she creeps toward an unfortunate pony's tail to claw at it
  528. 528.
    >there's just something about this place
  529. 529.
    >it makes you know exactly what to do, somehow, without telling you what exactly you need to do
  530. 530.
    >this is a realm of beasts
  531. 531.
    >and within it, you possess a beast's instinctual reason
  532. 532.
    >you're on the prowl
  533. 533.
    >you know that you've passed your last fork
  534. 534.
    >and that just around this next bend is…
  535. 535.
    "Idun!"
  536. 536.
    >a tall, garishly colored unicorn sits upon a shining throne, and pulls her chin away from her hoof
  537. 537.
    >she's seated in a vast chamber surrounded by what seems like hundreds of impressive magical artifacts
  538. 538.
    >and she's laughing
  539. 539.
    *"So it was you three who found me first. I'm so glad. I'll use you as hostages against the stronger three, and hopefully I can get my hooves on the Elements without anyone getting hurt."
  540. 540.
    >"Uh, there are four of us."
  541. 541.
    >Idun chuckles
  542. 542.
    *"Even better. The four of you then, be dears and get in that cage over there."
  543. 543.
    /"What?"
  544. 544.
    >Pinkie Pie leaps to her hind hooves and jumps about in exaggerated mock-fisticuffs
  545. 545.
    /"You think we're just gonna get in some cage and give up? What's with you? Most bad guys would at least do it themselves, you lazy-flank!"
  546. 546.
    *"You'd be foolish not to. None of you have the strength that the others possess, and you couldn't hope to defeat me. I'd much prefer to do this the easy way, so that noone has to get hurt."
  547. 547.
    _"I don't want anyone to get hurt…"
  548. 548.
    "Neither do I, but we aren't getting in any cage. Idun, I'll make a bargain with you."
  549. 549.
    *"Oh?"
  550. 550.
    >what are you saying?
  551. 551.
    >you're rummaging about in your saddlebag, looking for…
  552. 552.
    >a feather?
  553. 553.
    >oh
  554. 554.
    >oh!
  555. 555.
    >a shining, scarlet feather floats in the air, surrounded by your sparkling, blue magic
  556. 556.
    "This is the Feather of Philomena. With it, you may live forever just as surely as you could with Celestia's golden apples. I'd like to trade."
  557. 557.
    >Idun is blinking
  558. 558.
    *"The Feather… what? If it can make you live forever then why do you need the apples?… Is this a trick?"
  559. 559.
    >you're staring into her eyes
  560. 560.
    >and she's sweating
  561. 561.
    *"I can just take it from you without any trade. How will you stop me?"
  562. 562.
    "I'll trample this feather under my hoof, Idun, unless you give me the apples and send me and my friends home."
  563. 563.
    *"You wouldn't! You can't just trample… I won't let you!"
  564. 564.
    >the phoenix's feather is wrenched from your grasp
  565. 565.
    >Idun is smelling it
  566. 566.
    >rubbing it against her face
  567. 567.
    >salivating over it
  568. 568.
    "Idun. Will you let me have the apples now?"
  569. 569.
    >Greed glares at you with hatred, and its horn shines with ominous power
  570. 570.
    *"Of course not!"
  571. 571.
    "Very well then."
  572. 572.
    >with one hoof you grab Spike by the tail, and with the other by his neck
  573. 573.
    >"Whoah, Rarity, what are you- gak!"
  574. 574.
    >you yank on poor Spike's tail
  575. 575.
    >and a stream of dragonfire hits the Feather of Philomena
  576. 576.
    >and for a moment
  577. 577.
    >everything is green…
  578. 578.
     
  579. 579.
    >six mares stand in a nighted forest
  580. 580.
    >with them is one baby dragon
  581. 581.
    >one jar of golden apples
  582. 582.
    >one magic staff
  583. 583.
    >and one newborn foal, with a pink coat and a silver mane
  584. 584.
    >you smirk
  585. 585.
    >you knew her hair was dyed
  586. 586.
    >Twilight's mane is mussed up and singed
  587. 587.
    >Rainbow Dash is splattered with some sort of green substance across her chest
  588. 588.
    >Applejack is breathing heavily and matted with sweat
  589. 589.
    <"Huh? What? Who? Where? Rarity? Pinkie Pie? Fluttershy? Spike! What happened?"
  590. 590.
    "Oh, nothing much, darling, I just defeated Idun for you."
  591. 591.
    >"With some help…"
  592. 592.
    <"What? You? But-"
  593. 593.
    "Why, I get to be the hero sometimes, don't I?"
  594. 594.
    >Twilight blinks
  595. 595.
    <"What happened?"
  596. 596.
    >you and your erstwhile companions explain the trials you all had to face
  597. 597.
    >Fluttershy's encounter with Cruelty
  598. 598.
    >Pinkie Pie's conquest of Tears
  599. 599.
    >and how Idun, when you got right down to it, was Greed
  600. 600.
    >and how you deafeated her
  601. 601.
    >with Spike's help, of course
  602. 602.
    >apparently, the adventure's of Twilight's group weren't nearly so poetic
  603. 603.
    >they mostly just had to fight with giant monsters
  604. 604.
    >Twilight scratches her chin with her hoof
  605. 605.
    <"But… there's one thing I don't understand."
  606. 606.
    "What's that?"
  607. 607.
    <"The thing you did with the dragon fire and the phoenix feather. I've never heard of that. How did you know it would work?"
  608. 608.
    >you shrug
  609. 609.
    "I suppose I just had a feeling."
  610. 610.
     
  611. 611.
    >after a trip to Canterlot, the Princesses are young again and the Sun graces the sky once more
  612. 612.
    >after a train ride back to Ponyville, all you want to do is take a nap
  613. 613.
    >folks always suppose that these stories end with a quip, or a group laugh, or even a musical number
  614. 614.
    >but really, they end with about six additional hours of beauty rest
  615. 615.
    >adventures are exhausting
  616. 616.
    >you're about to push open the door to the Boutique when something tickles your neck
  617. 617.
    >oh, ew! is it a bug?
  618. 618.
    >it's a…
  619. 619.
    >a feather?
  620. 620.
    >you grin
  621. 621.
    >perched on the sign displaying the name of your business is a majestic, orange bird
  622. 622.
    >she winks at you
  623. 623.
    >you giggle
  624. 624.
    "Good night, Philomena."

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