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A Very /pone/ New Year's

By Writefag_Roulette
Created: 2021-07-16 21:31:33
Updated: 2021-01-20 14:38:14
Expiry: Never
anonymous/aie/aryanne/pone/8chanrubyredsketchyearth pony twilightnew year's eve

  1. 1.
    ==1000==
  2. 2.
    <"Anoooooooooon! Come down here, I need your help!"
  3. 3.
    >your eyes crack open
  4. 4.
    >you can see that the attic you call home is awash with the white light that's flooding in through your window
  5. 5.
    <"Anoooooooooooooooooooon! I need you now!"
  6. 6.
    >damnit
  7. 7.
    >you stretch
  8. 8.
    >you swing your legs out of bed
  9. 9.
    >the clothes you were wearing last night are strewn on the floor
  10. 10.
    >you throw them on
  11. 11.
    >on the window, you can see Trottingham covered in a layer of snow about an inch or two thick
  12. 12.
    >ponies wearing top hats and scarves trot about with a spring in their step and cheerily chat
  13. 13.
    <"Anoooooooooooooooooooooooooon!"
  14. 14.
    "I'm coming, I'm coming!"
  15. 15.
    >you find Ruby in the kitchen
  16. 16.
    "What's the deal? You said you weren't gonna make me work on New Year's Eve."
  17. 17.
    <"Oh, this isn't work, sweetie. This is a favor."
  18. 18.
    "What's the difference?"
  19. 19.
    <"I don't pay you for favors."
  20. 20.
    "Damnit, Ruby."
  21. 21.
    <"Oh, you love me."
  22. 22.
    "I don't. What do you want?"
  23. 23.
    <"Could you reach up on that shelf and grab me that jar of sugar?"
  24. 24.
    "Don't you have magic that can reach up there?"
  25. 25.
    <"Yes, but I can't see up there. What if I grab the wrong jar?"
  26. 26.
    >you sigh and get her the jar
  27. 27.
    <"Oh, thank you so much!"
  28. 28.
    >Ruby takes the jar over to a pot of what appears to be berries in boiling water and pours in a measured amount
  29. 29.
    "What's that?"
  30. 30.
    <"Oh, it's just a little something for dinner tonight."
  31. 31.
    "Oh? Who all's coming to that?"
  32. 32.
    <"I'm just planning on my sister this year."
  33. 33.
    "Not your mother?"
  34. 34.
    <"No, no. I'm afraid she's gotten a bit too old to be staying up til midnight. Red and I will visit her tomorrow."
  35. 35.
    >Ruby smells her concoction and groans in nosmic ecstasy
  36. 36.
    <"Anon, sweetie, would you be a dear and tidy up the jewelry shop for me? Red should be here in about an hour."
  37. 37.
    "As a favor?"
  38. 38.
    >Ruby giggles
  39. 39.
    <"Yes, please."
  40. 40.
    "All right."
  41. 41.
    <"Thank you! I'll make us some breakfast while you're doing that."
  42. 42.
     
  43. 43.
    ==1100==
  44. 44.
    >Ruby's breakfast turned into a brunch
  45. 45.
    >on the table in the kitchen is a bountiful feast consisting of pancakes, eggs, potatoes, and fruits
  46. 46.
    >there are some grasses and flowers too
  47. 47.
    >unfortunately, you're not at the table
  48. 48.
    >you're in the shop area
  49. 49.
    >staring at the door with Ruby
  50. 50.
    >the smell of brunch torturing your appetite
  51. 51.
    "Looks like your sister is running a little bit late."
  52. 52.
    <"Oh, well, you know Red. She's always late to things like this."
  53. 53.
    "Yeah."
  54. 54.
    <"The seas near Trottingham are a little bit rough around this time of year. She's probably just waiting for a safe time to moor."
  55. 55.
    "She pulls in at the Trottingham harbor?"
  56. 56.
    <"Yes. Why wouldn't she?"
  57. 57.
    "Because she's a pirate?"
  58. 58.
    <"Oh, sweetie. Half the ponies in this town have pirates in their families. If the coast guard didn't turn a blind eye around Hearthswarming and New Year's, it would simply ruin the holidays."
  59. 59.
    "That's awfully polite. And don't call me sweetie."
  60. 60.
    <"Sweetie."
  61. 61.
    >outside, it starts to snow
  62. 62.
    >a fried potato with your name on it sends a telegram to your nose
  63. 63.
    >Ruby sighs
  64. 64.
    "So...?"
  65. 65.
    <"All right, Anon, we'll start eating without Red."
  66. 66.
     
  67. 67.
    ==1200==
  68. 68.
    >no sooner are the last leftovers in the icebox than there's a knock on the door
  69. 69.
    <"Ah! Finally!"
  70. 70.
    >Ruby cheerily trots over to the door and opens it
  71. 71.
    _"Hi, Ruby."
  72. 72.
    <"Oh. Sketchy. How do you do?"
  73. 73.
    _"I do well."
  74. 74.
    >the wind picks up, blowing frozen confetti into Ruby's face
  75. 75.
    >Sketchy smiles
  76. 76.
    <"Would you like to come in?"
  77. 77.
    _"Yes please."
  78. 78.
    >the wierd little bald mare enters the jewelry shop and closes the door behind her
  79. 79.
    >she notices you and jumps a little before flashing you an awkward smile
  80. 80.
    "'Sup, Sketchers? What brings you here?"
  81. 81.
    _"I-I was just in the area for my job. And I wanted to ask if I could come in and warm my hooves up for a little bit before heading out."
  82. 82.
    >job?
  83. 83.
    "What exactly is it you do for a job again?"
  84. 84.
    _"Well, I, um, uh... I, uh... travel."
  85. 85.
    >there's a giant battle axe conspicuously strapped to her back
  86. 86.
    "Well, right. What do you do for money?"
  87. 87.
    >there are some sort of mysterious dark stains on the blade
  88. 88.
    _"Odd jobs?"
  89. 89.
    <"Sketchy, sweetie, do you have some place to stay tonight?"
  90. 90.
    _"Well... no."
  91. 91.
    <"Why don't you spend the night here, with us? If I had known you'd be in town I would have invited you to anyway."
  92. 92.
    _"Oh, could I?"
  93. 93.
    <"Certainly! You can share Anon's bed with him."
  94. 94.
    >Sketchy gasps
  95. 95.
    _"I-I'd... like that."
  96. 96.
    <"Good. Now, we've got a little brunch in the icebox. It's probably still hot. Please, help yourself to some."
  97. 97.
    _"Oh, thank you, Ruby!"
  98. 98.
    >Sketchy heads off toward the kitchen
  99. 99.
    >Ruby winks at you
  100. 100.
    >you [wut] internally
  101. 101.
     
  102. 102.
    ==1300==
  103. 103.
    _"Checkmate!"
  104. 104.
    "No, Sketchy. That's my pawn."
  105. 105.
    _"Well I checkmated it."
  106. 106.
    >you move the pawn diagonally one space and capture Sketchy's bishop
  107. 107.
    >she pouts
  108. 108.
    _"This game is stupid."
  109. 109.
    >there's a knock on the door
  110. 110.
    <"Anon, can you get that?"
  111. 111.
    >Ruby's working in the kitchen again
  112. 112.
    >you get up
  113. 113.
    >and open the door
  114. 114.
    >and almost fall flat on your ass
  115. 115.
    >standing in the doorway is a powder-blue mare with a silvery mane
  116. 116.
    >for a second you thought it was somebody you used to know
  117. 117.
    >but a second glance reveals that you've never seen this pony before in your life
  118. 118.
    >thank fuck
  119. 119.
    >"Why, hello there. I'm looking for a Miss Ruby, does she still live here?"
  120. 120.
    <"Anon, what was that girlish squeal? Who's there?"
  121. 121.
    >"Oh, she is still here!"
  122. 122.
    >the stranger squirms past you, and Ruby meets her in the entrance to the kitchen
  123. 123.
    <"Locket! What are you doing back here?"
  124. 124.
    >"Oh, well, I'm home for the holidays and I figured I'd pay my favorite ex-boss a visit."
  125. 125.
    <"Well, I'm certainly glad to see you."
  126. 126.
    <"Oh, ah, Anon, Sketchy, this is Silver Locket. She was my assistant before I hired you, Anon."
  127. 127.
    <"And Locket, this is Anon, the, erm... creature I hired after you left. And Sketchy, my, uh, friend."
  128. 128.
    >creature, huh?
  129. 129.
    >this bitch is about to get a civil rights case up her ass
  130. 130.
    <"Now, do you want some cocoa or something, Locket?"
  131. 131.
    >"No, no, this is only a quick visit. I've got a catch a train back to Canterlot before this snow blocks up all the tracks."
  132. 132.
    <"Oh. You-you've got a store in Canterlot now?"
  133. 133.
    >"Oh, yes. It's only just opened."
  134. 134.
    <"Well, that's lovely. What would that be, your third location?"
  135. 135.
    >"My tenth."
  136. 136.
    <"Well... that's... wondeful."
  137. 137.
    >"I certainly think so. Not that there's anything wrong with the whole 'local business' thing, but I always knew I was destined for bigger and better things."
  138. 138.
    <"Apparently... you... are."
  139. 139.
    "Didn't you try to open a store in Canter-"
  140. 140.
    <"No."
  141. 141.
    "But then it f-"
  142. 142.
    <"No. That never happened."
  143. 143.
    >"You opened a second loc-"
  144. 144.
    <"Certainly not. I love my little local business."
  145. 145.
    >"Oh, I know you do. But I'm sure you could make it on the nationwide market if you tried. After all, you taught me everything I know!"
  146. 146.
    <"And I'm so... very... very proud of you."
  147. 147.
    >Locket glances out the window
  148. 148.
    >"Well, I really do have to be going. It was lovely chatting with you, Ruby. Give Red my best when you see her. Ta-ta!"
  149. 149.
    >Silver Locket blows a kiss at her ex-boss and disappears into the thickening snow
  150. 150.
    _"I like her!"
  151. 151.
    >Ruby falls to her knees and opens her mouth really wide
  152. 152.
    >is she screaming... silently?
  153. 153.
     
  154. 154.
    ==1400==
  155. 155.
    >at last, Ruby finally comes out of the kitchen
  156. 156.
    <"All right. I've got a nice big hay casserole slow-cooking in the oven for us. And a little one without hay, for the assistant who claims he can't digest grasses."
  157. 157.
    "What do you want from me? I've only got one stomach."
  158. 158.
    <"Right. Now what exactly are you two doing?"
  159. 159.
    _"Slaps."
  160. 160.
    <"Slaps?"
  161. 161.
    _"Mm hm. It's this game Anon just taught me. We hold our hooves out like this, mine above his, and then he tr-"
  162. 162.
    >you whip your hands up and smack Sketchy's hooves into the fucking floor
  163. 163.
    _"Ow!"
  164. 164.
    <"And what, he just hits you? How is that a game?"
  165. 165.
    _"Well, I'm supposed to dodge it."
  166. 166.
    <"I see. Do you ever change roles?"
  167. 167.
    "Holy crackers, no. My soft, fleshy hands getting pulverized by rock hard hooves? I might never be able to set a diamond for you ever again!"
  168. 168.
    <"Riiiight. Well, I'll leave you two to it then."
  169. 169.
    >Ruby goes over to the window and stares out
  170. 170.
    >the snow's really coming down now
  171. 171.
    >she sighs
  172. 172.
    "Worried about Red?"
  173. 173.
    <"A little."
  174. 174.
    "Aw, she's a big girl. I'm sure she's all right."
  175. 175.
    <"I suppose."
  176. 176.
    >while you're distracted, Sketchy zips her hooves under your hands and smacks them into your face
  177. 177.
    >the noise you make is a little bit less than dignified
  178. 178.
    _"I win!"
  179. 179.
     
  180. 180.
    ==1500==
  181. 181.
    >there's a knock on the door
  182. 182.
    >Ruby springs to her hooves and opens the door
  183. 183.
    <"Finally! There you- oh."
  184. 184.
    /"Mein freund, you sound unhappy to see me."
  185. 185.
    <"Oh, I'm not, I'm not. I've just been expecting my sister all day. Please do come in."
  186. 186.
    /"I shall. Thank you."
  187. 187.
    >Aryanne stomps her hooves on the welcome mat before crossing the threshold
  188. 188.
    >and then she sees you
  189. 189.
    >currently, your body is wrapped around Sketchy's
  190. 190.
    >no, not like that you fucking perv
  191. 191.
    >she's got you in a chokehold, and all contorted with your face near the ground
  192. 192.
    /"Vhat are you two doing?"
  193. 193.
    "Wrestling! You want in? Sketchy's an animal!"
  194. 194.
    /"I do so enjoy martial sports... but first, I must ask our gracious hostess for one small favor."
  195. 195.
    <"Favor?"
  196. 196.
    /"Yes, if you would be so kind."
  197. 197.
    <"This isn't anything like the time you had me leave that suitcase outside the griffin community center, is it?"
  198. 198.
    /"No, nonononononononono! No trouble, I am promise."
  199. 199.
    <"Ah... all right then. What do you need?"
  200. 200.
    /"I vas travelling to my native Germaneia to spend the New Year vith family. Alas, my train vas stalled here in Trottingham, most likely for the night. I have come to beg sojourn in your home."
  201. 201.
    <"What?"
  202. 202.
    /"Can I spend the night here?"
  203. 203.
    "I didn't know you had a family, nazi horse."
  204. 204.
    >somehow she heard you, despite the fact that you were muffled by Sketchy's leg in your mouth
  205. 205.
    /"There is much you do not know about me, Anonymous. I have two sisters, and one little niece. And I love them very dearly."
  206. 206.
    >Sketchy stops biting your arm long enough to make a comment
  207. 207.
    _"That sounds adorable."
  208. 208.
    >Aryanne looks pleadingly at Ruby
  209. 209.
    <"Well of course you can stay. If Red gets here tonight, we'll have the whole merry band together!"
  210. 210.
    /"I hope she comes soon. They vill probably close the port before long in this veather."
  211. 211.
    "Like the law's ever stopped Red before."
  212. 212.
    >Sketchy skillfully twists your arm
  213. 213.
    _"I already have dibs on Anon's bed!"
  214. 214.
    >Aryanne shrugs at Ruby
  215. 215.
    >and then throws herself upon you and Sketchy
  216. 216.
     
  217. 217.
    ==1600==
  218. 218.
    >you and Sketchy are panting heavily
  219. 219.
    >again, not like that you fucking perv
  220. 220.
    >Aryanne rears up to her hind legs and poses like a mighty goddess
  221. 221.
    /"I am a prime specimen of Equaryan fitness and martial prowess. Do not feel bad, the two of you could not have hoped to defeat me."
  222. 222.
    "I mostly just feel bad out of physical pain right now, to be perfectly honest."
  223. 223.
    _"W-we can give each other massages tonight."
  224. 224.
    "Might take you up on that, Sketchers."
  225. 225.
    _"Eep!"
  226. 226.
    <"Are you quite done fighting in my shop?"
  227. 227.
    "Yeah."
  228. 228.
    <"Excellent. Anonymous, could you do me a favor and grab some firewood from the cellar? It's starting to get dark."
  229. 229.
    "Aye aye, cap'n."
  230. 230.
    >you groan dramatically as you pull yourself to your feet and stumble away
  231. 231.
    >and out you go into the freezing cold blizzard
  232. 232.
    >who the hell still has cellar doors outside of their homes?
  233. 233.
    >Ruby Ring, that's who
  234. 234.
    >fuckin rustic bitch
  235. 235.
    "Hey what are you looking at?"
  236. 236.
    >a pony has stopped outside of Ruby's lawn and is staring at you
  237. 237.
    >he screams eerily at you
  238. 238.
    >and then trudges off into the night
  239. 239.
    "Yeah, you better run!"
  240. 240.
    >now
  241. 241.
    >where's that cellar door?
  242. 242.
    >there it is
  243. 243.
    >you open it and hop down out of the wind
  244. 244.
    >you grab as much firewood as you can carry
  245. 245.
    >and you rush back into the house
  246. 246.
    >it's official
  247. 247.
    >this weather is completely nasty
  248. 248.
     
  249. 249.
    ==1700==
  250. 250.
    >the fire is warming your back very nicely
  251. 251.
    >Sketchy has curled up into a little spoon position in front of you and seems to be asleep
  252. 252.
    >there's absolutely no light coming in through the window
  253. 253.
    >and Ruby decided it wasn't worth it to light any candles or lamps
  254. 254.
    >Aryanne has chosen to take advantage of the atmosphere by telling a traditional Germaneian ghost story
  255. 255.
    /"...And vhen she voke up... she vas a zebra! The end..."
  256. 256.
    "But who was phone?"
  257. 257.
    /"Vhat?"
  258. 258.
    >Sketchy snores loudly
  259. 259.
    >you scratch the weird papery skin behind her ear
  260. 260.
    >she nudges in closer to you
  261. 261.
    <"Never mind him, sweetie. That was a... uh, lovely story."
  262. 262.
    /"It vasn't supposed to be lovely though?"
  263. 263.
    <"I mean, uh, it was awful."
  264. 264.
    /"You didn't like it?"
  265. 265.
    <"Erm..."
  266. 266.
    "She's trying to say it was pretty spooky."
  267. 267.
    /"Yes, the spooks, quite. Mein little niece Luftkrieg always tells me that one gives her the spooks."
  268. 268.
    >Ruby buries her head into her hooves and sighs
  269. 269.
    <"Red probably isn't coming tonight."
  270. 270.
    "Probably not."
  271. 271.
    /"Ah, I know your struggle. Mein own sisters are probably fretting over me in that same way."
  272. 272.
    "My family is in another reality, and I haven't been able to visit them in over eight years."
  273. 273.
    <"All right this isn't a competition."
  274. 274.
    "No. It isn't. But Red will be here as soon as the storm clears up. So cheer up."
  275. 275.
     
  276. 276.
    ==1800==
  277. 277.
    >Sketchy stretches and yawns
  278. 278.
    _"Did I miss the New Year?"
  279. 279.
    "No, I would've woken you up. We've still got a while til New Year's."
  280. 280.
    _"Did Red show up yet?"
  281. 281.
    <"No..."
  282. 282.
    _"Oh."
  283. 283.
    "I don't think she's coming til tomorrow."
  284. 284.
    _"Oh... That's too bad."
  285. 285.
    >Sketchy thinks for a moment
  286. 286.
    _"Hey Aryanne?"
  287. 287.
    /"Ja?"
  288. 288.
    _"Do you think you can stick around til Red shows up tomorrow?"
  289. 289.
    _"Sketchy, I have mein family to see."
  290. 290.
    _"Oh, yeah. It's just been so long since we all hung out together."
  291. 291.
    /"Mmmnh, it has been long..."
  292. 292.
    >Aryanne scratches her chin
  293. 293.
    /"I maybe can vait for noontime train."
  294. 294.
    _"Yay!"
  295. 295.
    >Sketchy gets up, trots over to Aryanne, and gives her a big hug
  296. 296.
    >Ruby pulls her face out of her hooves
  297. 297.
    >her eyes look a little bit red
  298. 298.
    >but she's smiling now
  299. 299.
    <"That sounds like a wonderful plan."
  300. 300.
    >there's a knock on the door
  301. 301.
    "Well that might be Red now."
  302. 302.
    <"Maybe."
  303. 303.
    >Ruby opens the door
  304. 304.
    >a pony wrapped in cold weather gear pitches forward and collapses
  305. 305.
    <"Red?"
  306. 306.
    >"I can't... I can't... I can't run anymore."
  307. 307.
    <"Who are you? Are you okay?"
  308. 308.
    >the stranger doesn't respond
  309. 309.
    <"Anon, this mare is positively frozen! Help me get these clothes off of her, then carry her to the fireplace!"
  310. 310.
     
  311. 311.
    ==1900==
  312. 312.
    >the stranger is a lavender mare
  313. 313.
    >her mane is a dark midnight blue with one purple stripe and one pink stripe
  314. 314.
    >she is an earth pony
  315. 315.
    >and she's beginning to wake up
  316. 316.
    >Ruby, who's been standing by with a cup of hot cocoa, rushes over
  317. 317.
    <"Here, sweetie, try to drink some of this."
  318. 318.
    >the stranger stares at the cup for a second
  319. 319.
    >then frowns
  320. 320.
    >then sits up and awkwardly grasps the cup with her hooves
  321. 321.
    >"That's good. Thank you."
  322. 322.
    <"What happened to you? Did you get caught in the storm?"
  323. 323.
    >"I've been running from the storm all day, ever since it started in the Everfree Forest."
  324. 324.
    <"The Everfree Forest?"
  325. 325.
    "The one near Ponyville?"
  326. 326.
    >"Yeah. Where am I now?"
  327. 327.
    <"Trottingham."
  328. 328.
    /"A very impressive journey."
  329. 329.
    _"Aren't you Twilight Sparkle?"
  330. 330.
    "No, Twilight Sparkle is a unicorn."
  331. 331.
    <"And she's a princess now, with wings and everything."
  332. 332.
    "Ugh."
  333. 333.
    >"I was Twilight Sparkle."
  334. 334.
    <"Was?"
  335. 335.
    >"Yeah. I guess I'm just Earth Pony Twilight now. And I won't even be that for much longer."
  336. 336.
    <"Why don't you tell us what happened?"
  337. 337.
    >"The world is coming to an end."
  338. 338.
    "That's awful dramatic."
  339. 339.
    <"I'm sure she doesn't mean that literally. Why don't you tell us what happened to you, from the beginning?"
  340. 340.
    >"I was there when it started. I thought I'd pay a visit to the Tree of Harmony-"
  341. 341.
    "The what?"
  342. 342.
    >"It's a... tree. If you know what the Elements of Harmony are, that's where we've been storing them."
  343. 343.
    _"Those gemstone thingies that saved the world a couple times, right?"
  344. 344.
    >"Right. I was there when the Elements were stolen."
  345. 345.
    <"Stolen? By whom?"
  346. 346.
    >"She looked... well, actually, she looked a lot like you, Miss..."
  347. 347.
    <"Ruby."
  348. 348.
    >"Ruby. I tried to stop her, but she threw a substance at me which I believe as a magical powder from Zebrica, and it turned me into an earth pony."
  349. 349.
    >"Almost immediately, some sort of ancient evil from the forest was unleashed. A horrible blizzard consumed the forest and spread into Ponyville. I found my friends and we chased after the thief, but..."
  350. 350.
    "Did something happen to them?"
  351. 351.
    >"Yes. As the storm caught up with us, my friends began to freeze, and when they froze, they turned... strange?"
  352. 352.
    "Sort of ambling, shuffling, trudging strange?"
  353. 353.
    >"Yes. Yes, that's exactly it."
  354. 354.
    "Sort of like zombies?"
  355. 355.
    >"Yeah, like zombies. How did you know?"
  356. 356.
    "Well, I'm not all that good at celebrity trivia, but I think those are your friends out there about to break through the window."
  357. 357.
    >glass clatters onto the floor
  358. 358.
    <"Everybody into the attic!"
  359. 359.
     
  360. 360.
    ==2000==
  361. 361.
    "You ever get the feeling that your life is a bad fanfiction?"
  362. 362.
    <"Only every single day."
  363. 363.
    >for once, you're glad Ruby's house-shop is such an old fashioned building
  364. 364.
    >the trapdoor entrance with its retractable ladder is all but impervious to zombies
  365. 365.
    >but just to be on the safe side, you've piled all of your stuff on top of the door
  366. 366.
    <"So, to be clear, Miss Twilight, you're convinced that there's absolutely no way to save Equestria from this?"
  367. 367.
    >"Well, if I could get my hooves on the Elements of Harmony, I might be able to cure my friends with them and then use them to defeat the ancient evil."
  368. 368.
    _"Well that's not so bad."
  369. 369.
    >"I don't know who it was that took the Elements or where she is. And without my magic I can't locate her."
  370. 370.
    >Earth Pony Twilight scratches at her chin
  371. 371.
    >"Unless... Are you a powerful spellcaster, Miss Ruby?"
  372. 372.
    >Ruby's face scrunches
  373. 373.
    <"N-n-no..."
  374. 374.
    >"Right. So it's more or less hopeless."
  375. 375.
    /"Vell, maybe yes maybe no. Let us be rational, like equines. Vhat do ve know about the thief? I think ve may identify her."
  376. 376.
    <"Uh, she looks a lot like me."
  377. 377.
    "She stole priceless magical artifacts?"
  378. 378.
    /"And she has had dealing vith zebras!"
  379. 379.
    <"Red!"
  380. 380.
     
  381. 381.
    ==2100==
  382. 382.
    >"Okay, so to be perfectly clear, your sister is a bloodthirsty pirate?"
  383. 383.
    <"I wouldn't say... bloodthirsty, exactly."
  384. 384.
    _"Yeah, Red likes orange juice, not blood!"
  385. 385.
    >"And you think that she may be the one who stole the Elements of Harmony and unleashed this world-ending ancient evil upon us all?"
  386. 386.
    /"And backed up the trains."
  387. 387.
    <"I'm sure she didn't... mean anything by it."
  388. 388.
    >"And she may be coming here with the Elements?"
  389. 389.
    <"Possibly."
  390. 390.
    >"Well, I guess there's a chance that this could turn out all right."
  391. 391.
    _"Really?"
  392. 392.
    >"Maybe."
  393. 393.
    >there's an uncomfortable silence in the air
  394. 394.
    <"Um, what about... I mean... You're not going to do anything to my sister, are you?"
  395. 395.
    >Earth Pony Twilight sighs
  396. 396.
    >"That's a pretty serious question. I don't think it'll even be in my hooves."
  397. 397.
    <"Oh..."
  398. 398.
    >there's a pounding on the trapdoor
  399. 399.
    "Oh fuck it's happening!"
  400. 400.
    >the pounding stops
  401. 401.
    >silence
  402. 402.
    >hoofbeats on the roof
  403. 403.
    >the sound seems to stop directly above the attic window
  404. 404.
    >Sketchy nuzzles into your chest
  405. 405.
    >this is the end
  406. 406.
    >a head pops down in front of the window, its seeing eyes gleaming in the dim light of the single candle in the attic
  407. 407.
    >it's over
  408. 408.
    >it's time to die
  409. 409.
    >it's...
  410. 410.
    <"Red?"
  411. 411.
    >it's Red
  412. 412.
    >Ruby groans and opens the window with her magic
  413. 413.
    >Red lithely swings her body inside
  414. 414.
    ~"Hey guys! Sorry I'm late, you won't believe the crazy day I've had today."
  415. 415.
    "I might."
  416. 416.
    ~"I didn't know Aryanne and Sketchy were gonna be here! And is that... uh..."
  417. 417.
    <"Red... did you steal about six gemstones from some sort of tree near Ponyville today?"
  418. 418.
    ~"I mean, you can't really steal from a tree, you know?"
  419. 419.
    <"Red!"
  420. 420.
    ~"Geez! Chill out! I missed Hearthswarming and I figured I'd get something special for you and Mom, what's the big deal?"
  421. 421.
    <"The big deal is... uh... I think Miss Twilight Sparkle here explained it pretty well."
  422. 422.
    ~"Oh, so that is... wow, I could have sworn we met somewhere before."
  423. 423.
    >"We met this morning."
  424. 424.
    ~"Right."
  425. 425.
    >"When you turned me into an earth pony."
  426. 426.
    ~"Memory's a little hazy on that."
  427. 427.
    >"And you unleashed an ancient evil that's threatening to doom Equestria."
  428. 428.
    ~"What?"
  429. 429.
    <"She's talking about the blizzard."
  430. 430.
    "And the zombies."
  431. 431.
    ~"Uh, no, all I did was take these jewels."
  432. 432.
    >Red dumps her bag on the ground, and sure enough, six gaudy gemstones tumble out
  433. 433.
    >Earth Pony Twilight sighs
  434. 434.
    >"Just help me clear all the stuff off the door so I can fix this."
  435. 435.
     
  436. 436.
    ==2200==
  437. 437.
    >there were some noises and flashy lights
  438. 438.
    >but tl;dr it stopped snowing and all the zombies turned back to normal
  439. 439.
    >Twilight even got her horn back
  440. 440.
    >wings too, unfortunately
  441. 441.
    >she's glaring at Red
  442. 442.
    >"Okay, so here's what I'm thinking."
  443. 443.
    >"What you did was totally and completely wrong!"
  444. 444.
    >"But..."
  445. 445.
    >"Going so far out of your way, putting yourself in that much danger, and walking all those miles, just to deliver a gift..."
  446. 446.
    >"I think that could have only been done for the right reasons."
  447. 447.
    >"Furthermore, I am, as far as I know, the only government employee who knows that this whole mess was your fault, and I really don't feel like doing paperwork over the holidays."
  448. 448.
    >"So... if you can promise to NEVER EVER do anything like this ever again..."
  449. 449.
    >"I can just go back to Ponyville and forget that I ever saw you, and you won't go to the Moon."
  450. 450.
    ~"Sounds good."
  451. 451.
    >"Do you promise?"
  452. 452.
    ~"Cross my heart and hope to die."
  453. 453.
    >"Good. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to see if I can salvage the Ponyville New Year's Eve party."
  454. 454.
    >with that, Twilight Sparkle leave's Ruby's jewelry shop, most likely never to return
  455. 455.
    ~"Dude, what a bitch."
  456. 456.
    <"Red!"
  457. 457.
    ~"What?"
  458. 458.
    <"You almost ended the world!"
  459. 459.
    ~"Psshhh, that's just Tuesday for me."
  460. 460.
    _"But it's Monday."
  461. 461.
    ~"The important thing is that nobody died and the gang's all here. Also, I've been running all day, what's for dinner?"
  462. 462.
    >Ruby gasps
  463. 463.
    <"My casserole! It's been sitting in the oven for eight hours!"
  464. 464.
     
  465. 465.
    ==2300==
  466. 466.
    >thank fuck, the casserole was mostly edible
  467. 467.
    <"Well that's the nice thing about slow-cooking. It's a merciful process."
  468. 468.
    >for a vegetarian meal, it's all right
  469. 469.
    >your enjoyment is probably enhanced by the somewhat stressful night you've just had
  470. 470.
    >you're sitting cross-legged by the fireplace
  471. 471.
    >and Sketchy is, once again, curled up and asleep in your lap
  472. 472.
    >you scratch her head
  473. 473.
    "Heh, sleepy pone."
  474. 474.
    <"You know if we don't wake her up soon she'll miss the New Year."
  475. 475.
    >Aryanne unleashes a mighty yawn
  476. 476.
    /"If ve don't do something to stay up, ve shall all miss the new year."
  477. 477.
    ~"Yeah, that was a lot of food."
  478. 478.
    >Red rubs her eyes
  479. 479.
    ~"Hang on, I've got an idea. Everyone grab your coats and meet me in the attic."
  480. 480.
    >as it turns out, Red wants to show you all how to climb onto the roof from the window
  481. 481.
    >you go up last after helping to lift Ruby and Sketchy up to Red and Aryanne
  482. 482.
    >Red holds her hoof out to you
  483. 483.
    "Bitch please, my ancestors lived in the trees."
  484. 484.
    >you grab the gutter
  485. 485.
    >the gutter is covered in ice
  486. 486.
    >you land on your ass in the snow some twenty feet below
  487. 487.
    >the second time around you take Red's hoof
  488. 488.
    >the five of you lie down on the snowy roof and look up at the sky
  489. 489.
    ~"There. We won't fall asleep up here."
  490. 490.
    "Speak for yourself. Sketchball here is out like a light again."
  491. 491.
    _"No... I'm not... asleep yet. Don't let me fall asleep Anon."
  492. 492.
    >she says as she snuggles into your side
  493. 493.
    >Red sighs
  494. 494.
    ~"Damnit. Now I don't have a present for you and Mom, Ruby."
  495. 495.
    <"Oh, don't worry about that."
  496. 496.
    ~"Are you sure?"
  497. 497.
    <"Quite. You weren't here for Hearthswarming, so I didn't get you anything either."
  498. 498.
    ~"Wow."
  499. 499.
    "Maybe the greatest gift of all is the lesson we learned today."
  500. 500.
    ~"Oh yeah? And what's that?"
  501. 501.
    "I have no fucking idea."
  502. 502.
     
  503. 503.
    ==0000==
  504. 504.
    "Hey, Sketchers, you awake?"
  505. 505.
    _"Mm hm."
  506. 506.
    "Well be more awake, it's about to happen... now!"
  507. 507.
    >in the center of Trottingham is a massive clocktower
  508. 508.
    >every hour it tolls out the appropriate amount of bells, like a right proper clock tower should
  509. 509.
    >once you get used to it, the bells go almost unnoticed
  510. 510.
    >but not this time
  511. 511.
    >now that the storm has stopped, it's actually a pretty bright night
  512. 512.
    >and you've been watching the clock
  513. 513.
    >waiting for the timing to be perfect
  514. 514.
    >and now it starts
  515. 515.
    >Sketchy sits upright at the first toll
  516. 516.
    >so do you
  517. 517.
    >you can see everyone else sitting up too
  518. 518.
    >the second bell rings
  519. 519.
    >a lonely whoop emanates from somewhere in the city
  520. 520.
    >the third bell rings
  521. 521.
    >a single firework goes up nearby
  522. 522.
    >it almost seems like it's rushing
  523. 523.
    >the fourth bell rings
  524. 524.
    >the shouting and fireworks are coming in a small but steady trickle now
  525. 525.
    >the fifth bell rings
  526. 526.
    >Ruby is gazing out toward Canterlot Mountain
  527. 527.
    >for a mare in the fashion industry, you know that Canterlot represents all kinds of ambitions and dreams
  528. 528.
    >in the far distance, you can see the high city illumined with colorful magical lights
  529. 529.
    >you're sure that someday she'll see that light show up close
  530. 530.
    >the sixth bell rings
  531. 531.
    >Red is staring dead straight at the clock tower
  532. 532.
    >and she's doing something you never thought possible for her
  533. 533.
    >sitting perfectly still
  534. 534.
    >the seventh bell rings
  535. 535.
    >Aryanne is looking out through the wooded north
  536. 536.
    >from here, it's possible to make out the Black Forest
  537. 537.
    >not nearly as dangerous as the Everfree you've heard, despite the ominous name
  538. 538.
    >you know that just beyond the Black Forest
  539. 539.
    >there lies Germaneia
  540. 540.
    >the eighth bell rings
  541. 541.
    >Sketchy is staring down at her hooves
  542. 542.
    >and pressing her head into your arm
  543. 543.
    >how in the world did this happen?
  544. 544.
    >the ninth bell rings
  545. 545.
    >you don't really have a direction to look toward
  546. 546.
    >the tenth bell rings
  547. 547.
    >your home might be on the other side of the universe
  548. 548.
    >or another universe altogether, for all you know
  549. 549.
    >no real ambitions here, either
  550. 550.
    >Equestria is a good place to just live
  551. 551.
    >the eleventh bell rings
  552. 552.
    >well
  553. 553.
    >there might be something you can look at
  554. 554.
    >the final bell tolls
  555. 555.
    >all the ponies on this roof top
  556. 556.
    >they're your friends
  557. 557.
    >and you look at them
  558. 558.
    >and they look at you
  559. 559.
    >and they look at each other
  560. 560.
    >Red coughs
  561. 561.
    ~"All right this is getting pretty gay. New Year's here, I'm going to bed."
  562. 562.
    "The hell you are!"
  563. 563.
    ~"Huh?!"
  564. 564.
    >you bound toward the pirate pony and scoop her up in a big hug
  565. 565.
    >Aryanne pounces on the two of you from behind
  566. 566.
    <"D-don't jump so much, you'll damage the r-"
  567. 567.
    >Sketchy shoves Ruby into the group hug, and then joins in herself
  568. 568.
    >it's so warm and cuddly
  569. 569.
    ~"Yeah, okay, now this is super gay."
  570. 570.
    "Yeah, kind of. Let's go to bed."
  571. 571.
    >the ponies all clamber back inside through the attic window with your help
  572. 572.
    >you do one more group hug before they all exit the attic to the various places they've chosen to sleep
  573. 573.
    >you pull up the attic door and look out window again
  574. 574.
    >you can see Trottingham covered in a layer of snow about a foot or two thick
  575. 575.
    >ponies wearing top hats and scarves trot about with a spring in their step and cheerily chat
  576. 576.
    >and then you look at your bed
  577. 577.
    "Heh."
  578. 578.
    >Sketchy is lying down on it
  579. 579.
    >already fast asleep
  580. 580.
    >carefully
  581. 581.
    >oh, so carefully
  582. 582.
    >you slide under the blankets
  583. 583.
    >and you cuddle up to Sketchy
  584. 584.
    >and you fall asleep with the weird little bald mare breathing slowly in your arms

Horse Confessions

by Writefag_Roulette

Anon Tried to Kill Himself

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Rubehog Day: Ruby Destination (/pone/ CYOA)

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The Skintrotter

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Legend of the Wandering Autist

by Writefag_Roulette