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Back to the Past - Unbinned Part(s)

By MrSkeltal
Created: 2021-07-16 21:31:33
Updated: 2022-08-31 11:11:18
Expiry: Never
anonsafe/rgre/actionprincess celestiacozy glowprincess lunamane 6maud

  1. Original Poster: Love and Powerlifting (ponepaste.org/u/lapsbin)
  2. Reason this is posted here is because LaP regularly doesn't bin things. Will be removed upon or shortly thereafter being posted on his bin. Maybe.
  3.  
  4. Note: The prior bin has been set to unlisted and this one will (theoretically) be used going forward, only having parts that are not currently on LaPs versions.
  5.  
  6. >Be Fluttershy
  7. >The train you were currently in was almost empty
  8. >There were a few guards, the crew, Princess Cadence, and Twilight's brother Shining Armor
  9. >The train itself was unlike any you had seen
  10. >It was bigger, wider, scarier looking
  11. >There were very few seats, and no place to put your baggage
  12. >Princess Cadence had said that this was an armored train used by the guard
  13. >Everypony was walking around, looking busy and grim with all of their weapons and armor
  14. >You were in one of the few seats on the train, trying not to get in anypony's way
  15. >When the prince and princess had asked you to come with them up north, you had accepted
  16. >Not eagerly, since you didn't really like going to places you didn't know with basically strangers but you accepted, that nice, strange stallion's words in your mind
  17. >But now?
  18. >Now you were starting to get a little nervous, thinking that maybe this wasn't the best idea
  19. >The soldiers walking around were big and tough
  20. >What the hay was somepony like you going to do about an evil king?
  21. >Still, it wasn't like you could run away now--the fly home would be WAY too long
  22. >The only thing you could hope for was that you won't be needed
  23. >"Fluttershy?"
  24. >Jumping, you looked up to see Princess Cadence
  25. >Like her husband and the guards, she was wearing a suit of armor
  26. >In one hand she held a bat, in another she held a warm-looking coat
  27. >"Here, It's gonna be chilly," she said, offering the coat to you
  28. >You looked outside through the window
  29. >You were far enough north that you could already see snow on the ground
  30. >Wendigos hunted here, eating both aurora borealis and star creatures
  31. >You weren't too afraid of those, you'd always actually wanted to see one--but the snowstorms they caused would make even a pegasus like yourself shiver and shake
  32. "Um, thank you very much, your highness," you said, taking the coat from her
  33. >Princess Cadence smiled
  34. >"There's no need for that princess stuff with me, Fluttershy. Just Cadence is alright."
  35. >Shining Armor, wearing armor as well--looking very nice in it too--walked over
  36. >"And please, just call me Shining. Twily wouldn't let me hear the end of it if I made you call me "Prince" or "Your Majesty"."
  37. >You softly smiled as you pulled the coat on
  38. >It was large and bulky, but it probably needed to be with the sort of weather you were going to be walking into
  39. >"I want to thank you again for coming with us, Fluttershy," Cadence said, taking a seat opposite from you. "With your help saving the Crystal Empire will be a piece of cake."
  40. >You nuzzled the inside of the jacket, looking at the ground
  41. "Oh, I don't know if I'll be THAT much help, but I'll do the best that I can," you murmured. "I just hope I won't get in the way..."
  42. >Shining Armor reached over, giving your shoulder a squeeze
  43. >"You'll do great, sweetie," he said with a kind smile
  44. >You tried to smile back, dryly swallowing
  45. >Holy hayseeds, you hoped he was right...
  46. >Three whole days passed on that train
  47. >There wasn't much to do
  48. >You had brought yourself a book, Princess Cadence had a mountain of paperwork that she slowly but surely worked through--taking off her armor after the first day on her husbands insistence--while the guard just talked and played cards
  49. >As the train raced through the land, you could see more and more snow on the ground
  50. >By the second day, a snow storm had started and hadn't stopped
  51. >The winds were so strong that they shook the train back and forth, and the snow was so thick that it was almost impossible to see outside
  52. >Every once in awhile though, you'd see something drifting by
  53. >Animalistic faces with eyes colder than ice
  54. >Sometimes you'd hear shrill cries out in the storm, some of which sounded like they were coming from just above or beside the trains
  55. >When you started hearing that the guards started wearing their armor again, patrolling the cabins
  56. >Nopony had been hurt, thankfully, but once or twice windows were found open, and sometimes the doorways to the other cabins were frozen and needed magic to warm up
  57. >It was a little scary, but nowhere near as bad as when the conductor announced that you'd be at your destination in a few hours
  58. >Station 221: the northern most train station in Equestria
  59. >One of the crew had joked that it was the station at the end of the world
  60. >Ponies had thought that Princess Celestia was crazy for having it built all the way up here when there was nothing but ice and monsters for hundreds of miles, but you supposed the princess just knew the Crystal Empire would return
  61. >How did she know?
  62. >You had no idea...
  63. >The princesses were just smart you supposed...
  64. >Not long after the conductor had left, the cabins were a flurry of activity
  65. >Ponies were running around with supplies
  66. >Some were stuffing themselves into their armor, others were checking and sharpening their weapons
  67. >You did your best to help, getting packs together for everypony
  68. >Within an hour, everything was ready to go
  69. >You all stood at the ready as the train slowed, steel wheels screeching as braces were applied to them
  70. >In the storm, you could just make out a concrete platform
  71. >One of the crew poked their head inside of the cabin
  72. >"We are now at Station 221," she said. "Mind your hooves. Don't stay out long if you can help it, and Celestia help you if you get separated from the group."
  73. >There was a sharp squeak, and the door was opened with a metallic hiss
  74. >The guard quickly piled out, followed by the royals and yourself, hidden deep within your jacket
  75. >When you stepped outside, the cold hit you like a runaway wagon
  76. >You could feel it from the bottom of your hooves to the top of your head
  77. >It cut through you like a knife, ignoring your jacket, ignoring your resistance to the cold that all pegasi had, ignoring everything
  78. >Almost immediately, you started shaking like a leaf, hugging your arms close to your body
  79. >The train doors closed behind you, though you didn't hear it
  80. >The wind was so loud that you wished you had ear plugs
  81. >Shining Armor turned toward you, mouth open and closing, neck bulging as he yelled as loud as he could, but you didn't hear a word of it
  82. >Thankfully, he pointed, then motioned for you to follow
  83. >One of the guards tried putting up a shield to block the cold
  84. >A golden bubble surrounded you all for a moment or two before the bubble seemed to pop under the wind
  85. >The guard tried again, with another guard lending her magic
  86. >When even that didn't work, Shining Armor added his magic
  87. >The now multi-colored shield held, but you could see it wobbling as you all huddled close together
  88. >"Alright everypony, stay close together," Princess Cadence yelled, her bat resting on her shoulder. "The Empire shouldn't be that far from here. Make sure to keep an eye out. I don't know if this Sombra knows we're here yet, but if he does--"
  89. >The cry you had been hearing outside of the train came from somewhere in the storm
  90. >That cry was followed by a dozen others
  91. >They sounded slightly different however
  92. >These cries were louder, longer, and full of pain
  93. >You let out an "eep!"
  94. >The raced into action
  95. >They formed a circle, spears at the ready, with you and the royals being roughly shoved into the center
  96. >"It sounded like they're all around us," one guard yelled
  97. >"Somepony get a light!"
  98. >"It won't do any good. The storm is too bad."
  99. >"Get some pegasi to clear it up then!"
  100. >"Hey, if you wanna go out in that storm be my guest. I ain't getting buckin' eaten by some freaky ice monster
  101. >One of them looked back at Shining Armor
  102. >"Orders captain?"
  103. "Sir, I-"
  104. >Shining grimaced, looking all around
  105. >His horn glowed brightly, and the entire bubble became one uniform purple color
  106. >It grew thick, and no longer wobbled under the winds
  107. >"We're going forward," he said, just as something darted just out of your field of vision
  108. >You looked toward where it had gone, seeing nothing, only for it to happen again
  109. >"We'll hightail it to the Empire. With any luck we'll get there in one piece," the stallion continued as you slowly looked up
  110. "O-Oh... Oh n-no..."
  111. >"If you see anything blast it. Lethal force is not only allowed but encouraged!"
  112. "Um, Shining? Anypony? I think we should--"
  113. >"Don't stop. Remember; it's harder to hit a moving target!"
  114. "I r-really think you should--"
  115. >"If you do get separated, remember your weather training. It will keep you aliv--"
  116. "EXCUSE ME!"
  117. >You flinched as the whole ground turned toward you
  118. >Closing your eyes, you slowly pointed a finger up into the air
  119. >There was... something above the bubble, staring at all of you
  120. >It wasn't a Wendigo
  121. >The storm seemed to be trying it's best to avoid it
  122. >It looked like a mass of smoke, blacker than anything you had ever seen
  123. >In the center of it, were two glowing red eyes, smoldering with an intensity that made your stomach twist
  124.  
  125. CRYSTALLLLLLLLLLLLLSSSSS
  126.  
  127. >All twenty spear tips snapped toward the air
  128. >"CONTACT!" somepony yelled
  129. >The smoke slammed down onto the shield, causing it to bend
  130. >It rose up, letting out a sound more terrifying than anything you had heard yet
  131. >Not a scream, but a roar
  132. >It slammed itself against the shield again and again
  133. >Shining tensed with each strike, almost falling down onto one knee
  134. >The shield began to crack
  135. >Princess Cadence stood over her husband, horn crackling, but she was too late
  136. >The cloud hit the shield one more time, and it shattered into a million pieces
  137. >The guards screamed; magic was shot up into the cloud
  138. >You were jostled and shoved as the wind and snow came, quickly blinding and deafening you
  139. >Somewhere in the chaos, you fell onto your rump
  140. >A guard flew through the air, terror on her face as you got onto your knees and crawled
  141. >Oh gosh...
  142. >Oh gosh...
  143. >Oh sweet Celestia...
  144. >When you eventually stopped, you saw that you were about twenty feet from the group
  145. >The guards were stabbing at the cloud
  146. >You could even see magic being shot at it through the snow and wind
  147. >Nothing seemed to be working though, as the cloud would pick somepony up, lift them into the air, and drop them
  148. >You forced yourself on shaking legs, eyes darting all around
  149. >What should you do?
  150. >Run back to the train?
  151. >Stay here?
  152. >Slowly, the cloud seemed to turn toward you
  153. >Those red eyes glowed brighter, and you took a step back
  154.  
  155. CRYSTALLLLLLLLLLLS
  156.  
  157. >It began floating toward you at an almost lazy pace
  158. >You stood there, frozen as those eyes grew closer and closer
  159. >Your hooves refused to listen to you
  160. >You couldn't move
  161. >Couldn't run
  162.  
  163. AND WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF, LITTLE ONE?
  164.  
  165. >The eyes glowed a bit brighter
  166. >There was a funny feeling in the back of your head, your body feeling weak
  167. >Imagines flashed through your mind
  168. >Imagines of horrible, terrible things
  169. >You saw them even when you closed your eyes
  170. >A whimper escaped you as you sunk to your knees
  171.  
  172. YOU SHALL MAKE A FINE SLAVE... SUBMIT TO MY WILL, WEAKLING
  173.  
  174. >This was what Anon had been talking about
  175. >This was what this Sombra had done to his ponies
  176. >The ponies that he was supposed to protect
  177. >He tortured and tormented them just like this
  178. >Unsurprisingly, you didn't like this very much
  179. >In fact, it made you upset
  180. >You had dealt with bullies all of your life
  181. >You knew personally just how bad a bully could make somepony feel, and Sombra here seemed to be the biggest bully ever
  182. >Even Discord hadn't been as bad as him
  183. >As the thought came to mind, you started to feel upset, then angry, then very, very angry
  184. >You forced your eyes open, struggling to one knee
  185. >You might not be strong, or fast, or smart like some of your friends, but you weren't going to let this bully do what he wanted anymore
  186. ARE YOU ATTEMPTING TO RESIST? THAT IS---
  187.  
  188. >You looked up into those glowing red eyes, filled with so much hatred
  189. >The images disappeared as you stood your ground and, with a quiet, mental command, you bid that he stay still
  190. >A ripple ran along the cloud as the red eyes seemed to widen
  191. >You could feel Sombra trying to resist, thrashing against your command in ways you hadn't felt in any living creature
  192. >You paid none of it any mind however, just staring up at him unblinking
  193.  
  194.  
  195. THIS CAN'T!--HOW ARE YOU!--I WILL NOT!--
  196.  
  197. >The cloud slowly condensed, growing more solid and stallion-shaped until a large, armor-bound stallion stood in front of you
  198. >His armor looked ancient, covered in some kind of soot
  199. >He was muscular--even more so than Shining--with hair that went down past his shoulders
  200. >His face was twisted, ugly, with a pair of mad eyes and fangs that glinted in the snow
  201. >You took a step toward him, hands clenched into fist
  202. >Again, you gave the mental command to not move
  203. >Sombra's neck bulged, body tensing before he fell down onto one knee
  204. >You leaned down toward him, frowning harder than you've ever frowned before
  205. "I. Do. Not. Like. Bullies," you said
  206. >It was then something flew into view, hitting the evil king
  207. >Sombra's head jerked to the side, and he fell forward in a heap in the snow
  208. >You jumped, looking to see Princess Cadence, breathing hard, her armor dinged up, and her mane a mess, holding her bat
  209. >She looked down at the fallen king before pumping a fist into the air and pointing upward
  210. >Just above the wind and snow, you could hear her scream:
  211. >"HAH! THE PRINCESS OF BATS BUCKING STRIKES AGAIN!"
  212.  
  213. ~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~
  214.  
  215. >Be Twilight Sparkle
  216. >Student of Princess Celestia herself
  217. >All was not well
  218. >You had been hearing strange things, but weren't getting any answers
  219. >Cadence had also requested Fluttershy join her on a "secret mission" as she put it
  220. >Why in Equestria Cadence would want Fluttershy to go on a secret mission, or why nopony would tell you anything about it, was worrying
  221. >Did you maybe fail one of Celestia's tests?
  222. >You sure as hay hoped not...
  223. >Your worry only grew when you got a letter from the princess
  224. >She wanted you to come to Canterlot as soon as possible
  225. >Her letter was vague, but she had written that it was the utmost of importance
  226. >You didn't even take a train
  227. >Not long after you had received the letter, a royal chariot had landed right in front of the library
  228. >You knew the guards flying the chariot too
  229. >Slip Stream and Captain Aerial Ace; easily the fastest flyers in the guard
  230. >Both could have been Wonderbolts if they had wanted
  231. >With them at the helm, you'd get to Canterlot in an hour or so, showing you just how urgent things were
  232. >The ride to the city wasn't very enjoyable
  233. >The whole way you worked yourself up
  234. >What was going on?
  235. >What had you done?
  236. >Was Chrysalis back, or had Discord gone bad again?
  237. >If not, was there a whole new world-ending villain that was ready to destroy everything you loved?
  238. >You were Celestia's loyal student, and you loved the princess like a mother, but you were getting a little tired of saving the world
  239. >Yes, you and your friends were the Elements of Harmony, and yes, you did have a responsibility to Equestria and beyond because of that, but maybe once the princesses could send the guard?
  240. >They were trained to fight monsters and the like
  241. >The only one with any real fighting experience was Rainbow, and she was just a white belt in Karate
  242. >At the very least it wouldn't hurt to get a LITTLE training
  243. >Not that you really wanted any
  244. >As dyke-y as it sounded, you were more of a lover than a fighter
  245. >Just learning the magic of friendship was more than enough for you
  246. >What next, the princess asking you to be a foreign dignitary?
  247. >Or, Celestia forbid, opening up some kind of school for friendship?
  248. >How silly would that be?
  249. >No, you just wanted to study and read your books and be with your friends
  250. >You didn't need much more than that
  251. >Slip and Aerial pushed hard to Canterlot, meaning that within an hour and a half you were landing in front of the castle
  252. >A pair of guards were waiting for you, along with the princess's assistant Raven
  253. >You were led through the castle, into the princess's personal study
  254. >When you laid eyes on Princess Celestia, she looked tired, her usually lively mane floating limply around her neck
  255. >She was looking at a map of Equestria
  256. >Around the map were dozens of little notes, red strings leading to different parts of the country, and little pewter models
  257. >Near the ends of the desks were books
  258. >Dozens and dozens of them, on all manner of subjects
  259. >As you walked into her study, her gaze lifted toward you
  260. >She smiled
  261. >"My faithful student. It's wonderful to see you," she said
  262. >You walked over, giving her a nuzzle
  263. "Princess, what's going on?"
  264. >She sighed
  265. >"Something is going on. Please go and grab yourself a chair, my student. I need to bring you up to date on what could be a grave situation..."
  266. [Note: Thanks to the Anon who pointed out I missed this part. It takes a village, or thread I guess, to preserve it's history]
  267.  
  268. BANG!
  269. >The shock of the impact ran up your shoulder
  270. >You grunted, grip tightening on the sledgehammer in your hands as you brought it back and swung it even harder
  271. BANG!
  272. >You didn't know what the structure that held all of Our Town's cutiemarks was made out of
  273. >Maybe some kind of crystal, maybe it was just totally magical
  274. >Whatever it was, it started cracking as you rained blows on it
  275. >First little spider web cracks that were just on the surface, then great big deep cracks
  276. BANG!
  277. >With each blow, the cutiemarks trapped in the structure seemed to glow brighter
  278. >Almost like they knew they were going to be free
  279. "Come on you fucker," you grumbled, gritting your teeth as you hit it again. "Just a little more..."
  280. >You took a step back, bringing the sledgehammer back as far as you could
  281. >Tensing, you swung it as hard as you could
  282. >It connected against the structure cleanly, and like hitting a homerun, you didn't even feel the blow
  283. >One of the cracks that had been steadily building suddenly shot up the length of the structure, making a deep, heavy cracking sound
  284. >You looked up at it for a moment, watching thousands of little cracks web out from it
  285. >Eyes widening, you dropped the sledgehammer and backpedaled
  286. "Shit!"
  287. >With a burst of light, the structure crumbled into a million pieces, sending up dust and bits of itself, forcing you to cover your face with your hands
  288. >You coughed and sputtered, trying to fan away the cloud with a hand
  289. "Probably should have been expecting that, huh?" you mumbled to yourself
  290. >The dust eventually did settle
  291. >You lowered your arms and looked over
  292. >The structure was completely gone, though the cutiemarks that it held still floated in the air
  293. >Each of them were pulsing with light
  294. >You stared at them
  295. >With a frown, you placed your hands on your hips
  296. "The fuck you doing?" you asked. "You're free. Go back to your owners. Fly, or disappear, or whatever you do. I'm not taking you all back to--"
  297. >One of the cutiemarks took off, leaving a trail of light in it's wake
  298. >A second or two later, another flew out of the cave
  299. >This triggered a mass exodus, all the cutiemarks flying off, until the cave was completely empty
  300. >You sighed
  301. "Alrighty then..."
  302. >Walking over, you kicked the debris off the sledgehammer
  303. >You'd return this back to the shed you found it at back in town
  304. >After that...
  305. >You honestly didn't know
  306. >Resting the sledgehammer on your shoulder, you made your way out of the cave at a slow but steady pace
  307. >What were you going to do now?
  308. >Did you still need to keep running around trying to change things?
  309. >If so, what else even needed changing?
  310. >Would you need to keep fighting against the plans of whoever was running the show just to keep Twilight from getting those fucking ugly ass wings?
  311. >Did you win, and if you didn't, could you?
  312. >The book pressed against your chest was icy cold, which could have been a really good or really bad thing
  313. >You hoped it was good, since it felt like someone was watching you at that moment
  314. >It was no doubt that red-haired thing that tried to "erase" you
  315. >A shiver ran up your spine, and the sun outside seemed to glow just a bit dimmer at the thought
  316. >Hopefully whatever Discord did to you would keep working...
  317. >The walk back to the town was quiet and peaceful; there were even some birds chirping in the background
  318. >As you entered the town proper, you could see ponies milling around
  319. >Some looked lost, other's looked relieved; all of them looked utterly confused
  320. >To a ugly ass abomination, they seemed to have gotten their color back, meaning their cutiemarks were where they belonged
  321. >Good
  322. >Trixie's wagon was also nowhere in sight
  323. >She must have gotten out of dodge before Starlight could change her mind
  324. >That, or she wanted to leave before the townsponies tried to stop her
  325. >You had no idea how it was going to turn out with those two, but, oddly enough, you trusted Trixie with this
  326. >She'd figure something out; if not, she could blow Poochie up with fireworks
  327. >You mostly ignored the ponies milling around, walking over to the random shed you had broken into and putting the sledgehammer back where it had been
  328. >When you turned around though, there was a mare standing in front of you
  329. >You recognized her
  330. >She was that one mare that Big Mac had married before you had finally snapped
  331. >Sugar Belle you think her name was
  332. >"She just... left us," the unicorn said, shoulders slumping. "Lady Starlight left like we were... we were nothing..."
  333. "Yeah, she's a pretty horrible horse," you said with a nod. "I'm surprised you guys didn't figure that out after having a single conversation with her."
  334. >You tried to walk around her, but she just stepped in front of you
  335. >"I really was willing to give this place, give HER, everything," she said. "I believed in what she said."
  336. >Frowning, you got into the mare's face
  337. >She tried to step back, but you followed her
  338. "There's nothing wrong with your cutiemark."
  339. >"But--"
  340. "No fucking buts, and if you don't like your cutiemark what does that matter? You don't need to do just that for the rest of your life. It's just a guide, not chains."
  341. >You stood up straight
  342. "And you don't need no cult leader to tell you what to do. You're an adult; you should know that no one knows what they're talking about, and anyone that says otherwise is a goddamn liar."
  343. >Sugar Belle said nothing, looking lost
  344. >She made no more to stop you this time as you walked by her
  345. >You made it a few steps before stopping and letting out a sigh
  346. >Turning around, you marched back and spun her around
  347. >"What--"
  348. "There's a little town called Ponyville," you said, interrupting her. "Go there and find work at a place called Sweet Apple Acres. The owner's name is Granny Smith, but her granddaughter Applejack is the one that actually runs the place."
  349. >"How does that--"
  350. "Shut. Up. Go there, ask for a job. Applejack can be a real hard ass sometimes, but she's not a bad boss. There's a big red stallion named Big Mac there too. Be nice to him, tell him he's pretty, ask him on a date and buy some flowers."
  351. >Sugar Belle's nose scrunched up in frustration
  352. >"What the BUCK does this have to do with anything?!" she demanded
  353. "You want direction in your life? There's some direction. So sayth the big magical stallion," you said, waving your hands all around her head. "Go, or stay here. I'm not your dad."
  354. >"You SUCK!"
  355. "And don't you forget it, hornhead."
  356. >This time you walked away with a pep in your step
  357. >Mac better invite you to his wedding for that shit...
  358. >Nopony else bothered you as you made your way out of town, with nothing but a small pack with a change of clothes, food, and some water on your back
  359. >Your made your way down the road, in no hurry and with absolutely no plan
  360. >Maybe you'd try to take a train to the Dragonlands?
  361. >You couldn't destroy this book, but maybe it was like the One Ring?
  362. >If not, it wasn't like a pony was going to be rooting around in molten rock
  363. >Worst case scenario, a dragon would find it, but you doubt they'd go out of their way to give a pony anything
  364. >Hell, maybe you could figure out a way to keep the lot of them out of Equestria
  365. >Maybe make sure that that Ember chick gets the shit beaten out of her turning the Dragonlord games or whatever the hell those were called
  366. >Before you did anything though, you really wanted to get a nice hot shower and something to eat
  367. >And that was the last thought you had before there was a sharp pain in the back of your head
  368. >You weren't able to make a sound as you hit the ground in a heap
  369. >"Got him! I told you me'd get him," a voice said as darkness filled your vision
  370. >"Good," another voice said, higher pitched. "Grab him. We need to get going before somepony comes along
  371. >Right before darkness took you, a pair of hands grabbed you and lifted you up
  372. >No, not hands...
  373. >Paws...
  374. >...
  375. >FUCK...
  376.  
  377. ~_~_~_~_~_~_~
  378.  
  379. >Slowly, you started to come to
  380. >Everything hurt
  381. >Your head, arms, body, soul; all of it felt like you had just gotten one hell of a beating
  382. >You winced, looking around
  383. >There was no sunlight, no sky
  384. >The only light you could see was a pair of lanterns swinging on rusty iron rings
  385. >You were crammed into a cage with an uncomfortable metal floor, which was so small that you could touch your knees against your nose
  386. >On reflex, you grabbed at your chest
  387. >The book was still there...
  388. >Good...
  389. >"Look. Thing awake," a voice said.
  390. >You looked over to see a diamond dog walking beside your cage
  391. >It was a hunched, ugly mutt, with yellow, bloodshot eyes and even yellower broken teeth
  392. >It's coat was matted and falling out, and the vest that it was wearing looked like it had seen better days
  393. >It was holding a spear in a massive paw
  394. "Oh... fuck off," you groaned, looking away from the creature
  395. >The ponies here might have been a fucking train wreck, but these fuckers were something else
  396. >You honestly couldn't even tell if it was a male or female
  397. >And the smell...
  398. >Oh lord above the smell...
  399. >Two more diamond dogs were in front of the cage, pushing it along on what must have been an old wagon
  400. >Both looked similar if not worse than the one walking beside you
  401. >"You no scream. Most stallions we take scream when they wake up," the one with the spear said
  402. "Were you the one that hit me?" you asked
  403. >The dog nodded, sending slobber everywhere
  404. >"You big, so me hit you extra hard," it said, proudly
  405. "Oh, well that's nice," you said, nodding with a smile. "Hey, why don't you do me a favor and come here for a second."
  406. >Amazingly, the dog did as you asked, getting a few steps closer
  407. >"What you wan--"
  408. >The space between the bars of the cage was small, but not so small that you couldn't get your arm through
  409. >You reached out, grabbing the dog by it's collar
  410. >It didn't have time to so much as yelp as you yanked it toward the cage, smashing its face against the bar
  411. >The cage shook as the dog hit the ground
  412. >The wagon stopped, and dogs started to bark all around you
  413. >It looked like there were more than three
  414. >Way more
  415. >A group of them surrounded the cage, spears at the ready
  416. >They jabbed their sharp tips at you, growling
  417. >"Well, well, well; it looks like we have a live one, huh? Come on mister, don't you know it's better for a colt to be seen and not heard?"
  418. >There was the same high pitched voice as before
  419. >A child's voice
  420. >...
  421. >No fucking way...
  422. >Two of the diamond dogs stepped out of the way, allowing a filly to step into the circle
  423. >Cozy Glow
  424. >Fucking Cozy Glow, wearing a little miners hat
  425. "Oh, fuck right off with this bullshit," you said, clenching your aching head. "You're a bandit, you little shit?"
  426. >"A bandit? Oh no, mister, I'm not a bandit," the filly said with a smile, making her way over to you, but keeping just out of arm's length. "I would never be anything so MEAN. I'm just here to take you to a nice little cave where some creatures would like to bid for your company is all."
  427. >It took a few moments for you to process her words
  428. "A slaver. Your eight year old self is a slaver?" you asked, incredulous
  429. >"I'm TEN, thank you very much," she said with a huff.
  430. >Her eyes narrowed slightly as she looked you over
  431. >"Do I know you from anywhere? You seem to recognize me."
  432. >You just ignored her completely
  433. >A ten year old slaver?
  434. >You knew this filly was shit, but Mary Mother of God
  435. >Where the FUCK were her parents?
  436. >Or social services?
  437. >How does a little horse even get into the business of buying and selling people?!
  438. >Was she a slaver when she was a horse?
  439. >You hoped not
  440. >Cozy's eyes continued to narrow as you tried to desperately rationalize the bomb that had just been dropped right in your lap, before she shrugged
  441. >"Well, I guess it doesn't matter. All I need to do is get you to the bidding in mostly one piece. You look pretty nasty, but somepony is bound to buy you."
  442. >She reached out to one of the diamond dogs
  443. >The dog, gulping, handed her a spear
  444. >A nasty, toothy smile came to her face as she tapped the end of the spear against one of the bars of the cage
  445. >"Remember mister, I said MOSTLY in one piece. The buyer won't care too much if you're missing a few teeth. Or fingers. Or an ear. So, why don't you be a good colt and just be nice and polite for the rest of the walk?"
  446. >You just shook your head
  447. "A ten year old slaver. I've seen a lot of weird shit, but this really is something else," you said, leaning against the back of the cage
  448. >Cozy nodded to herself, handing the spear back to the dog as the one you had smashed against the cage was helped to her paws
  449. >"Listen up, you dirty mutts. Keep away from this weird stallion. We're already behind schedule, and I don't want to be stopping every five minute because you're too dumb to see common sense. YOU GOT THAT?!"
  450. >The dogs jumped back, nodding
  451. >Cozy once again smiled
  452. >"Very good. Now please, lets get moving, okay? Double time if you'd please."
  453. >With that, the wagon was once again moving, though this time the dogs were jogging
  454. >It made for a bumpy ride, though you didn't complain, more annoyed than scared
  455. >You had figured that taking out Tirek and Starlight would have been enough, or at least have thought Cozy wouldn't have been that much of a threat
  456. >She wasn't some super powerful monster, didn't have any power
  457. >She was just a little pegasus
  458. >Even if she were a bad egg, unless she had some help she wouldn't be that big of an issue
  459. >Looks like you were fucking wrong...
  460. >Hours passed, then hours more
  461. >You slept as best as you could
  462. >Sometimes, one of the dogs would give you food or water, or you'd be let out of the cage to walk around and use the bathroom
  463. >You had no idea how long you were down in those tunnels
  464. >It could have been a day or three
  465. >Could have been a week
  466. >The only thing you knew was that it was boring
  467. >Shit sucked
  468. >You were about to start trying to talk with the dogs all around you when you saw something in the distance
  469. >A light
  470. >The group made their way toward it, turning a corner and entering a massive cave
  471. >It was so high that you couldn't see the roof, even with the lights dotted around everywhere
  472. >The walls were colorful, gems of all kinds jutting out from them
  473. >The ground had been cleared, some old slightly worn carpets laid out on the floor, where a group of all sizes and shapes stood
  474. >They were all races: gryphons, minotaurs, ponies, saddle arabians, you even saw a hippogriff or two
  475. >Some were dressed like sheiks, others looked like pimps, canes and all, while others were dressed in expensive looking suits
  476. >They were chattering amongst themselves, though that stopped as you were wheeled in
  477. >Cozy quickly ran past your group, up onto a platform that had been set up right in front of the crowd
  478. >"I apologize for making you all wait," she said with a curtsy. "The catch was a bit difficult, and we had to go our of our way to get it. I guessed we used the wrong lure."
  479. >The crowd politely laughed at this as you were wheeled to the edge of the wagon
  480. >The diamond dogs opened the door to your cage, spears at the ready
  481. >You were so crammed in there that two of them had to yank you out, and even then it took them some doing
  482. >You stumbled a bit as the blood rushed back to your extremities, but you eventually were able to stand on your two feet without needing any help
  483. >As you did so, the crowd began to murmur
  484. >"What in the name of the Mighty Sun is that?"
  485. >"That's a big'un."
  486. >"Must be some sort of hairless minotaur. Or a really ugly dog."
  487. >"I like that cute lil' mouth of his. I bet he knows how to use it."
  488. >A spear was jabbed at your back, and you were forced to walk up onto the podium right next to Cozy
  489. >Without any restraints, you noticed
  490. >You had understood it while in the caves, but here?
  491. >Not even some rope?
  492. >Not a very good idea
  493. >The pegasus smiled
  494. >"As you can see, we have a pretty big specimen here to--"
  495. "Wait," you interrupted, looking around. "If this is one of those slave auction things, shouldn't there be more than one male up here?"
  496. >Cozy frowned, making a gesture
  497. >A diamond dog stepped into the platform, swinging it's spear
  498. >It hit your back with a crack
  499. >It stung
  500. >A bit
  501. "I mean, how can you have an auction if you just have one thing to sell?" you continued, ignoring the blow as you looked around, scratching your chin. "Seems like a pretty shitty operation if you ask me."
  502. >Cozy made another gesture, and you were hit again, then hit once more
  503. >On the third blow, the spear broke
  504. >You looked over at the dog, who took a few steps back, ears pinned against its skull
  505. >You then looked at Cozy, who's eyes were as wide as saucers
  506. >Before the filly could do anything, you reached over and grabbed her by her overalls, lifting her up
  507. >"Hey, let go of me!" she shouted, kicking and flapping her wings
  508. "Also, why the fuck are you having this thing underground?" you continued, placing the filly right against your chest. "You couldn't afford a warehouse? Even renting a small house would be better than this. Where's the exits if the police found out about this place? Where's a drinks, the food? Where's the waiters carrying around little appetizers? I always thought stuff like this, with rich and powerful people, was supposed to be fancy and elegant. You didn't even think to keep me caged or anything! A rinky dink operation if I've ever seen one."
  509. >She froze as your other hand was gently placed against her throat
  510. >This also caused all the diamond dogs, as well as the crowd, to freeze
  511. >You grinned, half leading, half carrying Cozy off the platform
  512. >The crowd backed up a bit, obviously not expecting this
  513. "Why the fuck do you ladies even need to buy a stallion slave? I'm assuming you're all rich. Wouldn't it be better to just find a bunch of slutty colts with big asses and a fat pair of nuts to fool around with? Is this a fetish thing? Or do you just want a slave because a boytoy would fuck a zigger whenever you left the mansion?"
  514. >The crowd looked down, ashamed
  515. >Jesus...
  516. >And here you were freaked out that sex slaves were a thing in horseland...
  517. >Shit was embarrassing...
  518. >You lifted Cozy up so you she could look you in the eye
  519. "You are really shit at this, young lady. You could go back to elementary school and stop being such a shithead."
  520. >The fury almost overwhelmed the fear in her eyes
  521. >She clenched a fist
  522. >You tapped a finger against her throat, and she went ramrod stiff again
  523. "Or, at the very least, don't kidnap a creature that you don't know. If I wasn't in such a good mood, I might have eaten you."
  524. >You dropped the filly, who immediately scrambled away from you
  525. >"Get him you stupid dogs!" she shouted, eyes wild and her voice shrill. "GET HIM!"
  526. >The dogs didn't move a muscle
  527. >There might have been a lot of them, but you were pretty sure you could take a bunch of starved mutts half your size, spears or no
  528. >Someone pushed through the crowd
  529. >It was a minotaur; large, but still smaller than you
  530. >She had a nasty scar across her eye, and a knife strapped to her belt
  531. >She walked right up to you, eyes narrowed
  532. >"What are you, creature?" she demanded
  533. "A demon," you replied. "A eater of cows and a smasher of labyrinths."
  534. >She stiffened, a hand going to her knife
  535. >"You are no demon. You are just a male; a large, fierce male but a male nonetheless."
  536. >The crowd seemed to take heart at her words
  537. >Some stepped forward, hands on weapons
  538. >"You are right in saying that this could have been done better," the tauress continued. "But we are still here for a male. If you're the only one being sold I suppose the best thing to do is see who can show you a bull's proper place in the world. Your price can be negotiated afterward."
  539. >More of the crowd began to move toward you
  540. >You frowned, taking a couple steps back, only to have a few spears pointed at you
  541. >Well...
  542. >Shit
  543. >You probably should have kept Cozy hostage for more than ten seconds...
  544. >Without anything else to do, you put your dukes up
  545. >You were going down, there was no doubt about it, but at the very least you'd go down punching someone
  546. >The tauress pulled her knife out with a smile, leisurely making her way toward you
  547. >"Give me a good fight creature. I will not return home with a weak mate."
  548. "A good fight? I'll turn you into hamburger, you--"
  549. >You heard hoofsteps, dozens of them
  550. >Not ten seconds later, ponies in golden armor began to pour into the cave
  551. >"THIS IS THE GUARD! GET ON THE GROUND! YOU'RE ALL UNDER ARREST!" one of the ponies yelled
  552. >The crowd froze, right until one of the unicorns hit a gryphon with a spell, knocking her right to the ground
  553. >They all ran in different directions, some charging the guard, some running to the other end of the cave, some trying to make their way to the tunnel, or some secret exit no doubt hidden somewhere
  554. >It was chaos, with screaming people running all around and spells of all sorts flying
  555. >Cozy, the little shit, immediately turned up the cute child act, running to one of the guards with tears in her eyes
  556. >The guard wasn't having it though, hitting her with a spell that made her fall face first to the floor
  557. >Based police violence horse
  558. >You just stood there, hands on your hips until, finally, you couldn't take it anymore, throwing your hands up in disgust
  559. "Fucking stupidest thing I've ever been apart of," you grumbled, making your way to the exit
  560. >No one stopped you, though you did have to shove a few bodies out of the way
  561. >Making your way out of the cave, you saw a group of guards standing next to a bunch of cages
  562. >They were all speaking to, surprisingly, Maud Pie
  563. >Pinkie's big sister; wearing a hard hat and her dark grey smock
  564. >Huh...
  565. >You walked over toward them
  566. >"--We wouldn't even have found out about this operation without your help, miss," one of the guards said. "If we're lucky, whoever runs this knows something about the string of abductions that's been happening for the past few months.
  567. >"Thanks to you, Manehattan is going to be just a little safer," another said.
  568. >"I hear the mayor is going to be giving you some sort of award after this sting is over," a third said, placing a hand on the earth pony's chest. "You deserve it, kid."
  569. >"I appreciate your kind words, but it was nothing," Maud said in her usual monotone voice. "I was just collecting some samples in this network and overheard some conversation. Anypony could have come to the guard."
  570. >One of the guards was about to say more, but then she saw you walking over
  571. >All of the guards turned, as well as Maud
  572. >"Oh sweetie, are you okay?" one asked, stepping forward. "Come on, I got a blanket and some hot cocoa. Celestia only knows what they put you through. Your mare's must be worried si--"
  573. "Maud, what are you doing here?" you asked, looking the mare over
  574. >"I'm aiding in taking down a slave trafficking ring," she replied, looking up at you. "I suppose you're one of the stallions they coltnapped, though you don't appear to be distraught. Are you simply numb to the horrors they inflicted on you, or are you attempting to store those emotions away? That's not good for you, you know."
  575. "I'm fine," you said with a wave of your hand. "Are we near Manehattan?"
  576. >"Just on the outskirts," one of the guards said. "Are you sure you're fine? We have a psychiatrist that would probably really want to--
  577. "It really wasn't too bad. These slavers were really piss poor at their jobs," you said with a sigh. "All I wanna do is get back to the surface. Please."
  578. >Maud nodded
  579. >"I would be happy to lead you out of here," she said. "If one of the guards would escort us. Also, if it would be alright, I have a question."
  580. "Alright."
  581. >"How did you know my name? I think I would have remembered a stallion of--"
  582. >She looked you from top to bottom
  583. >Though her expression was still emotionless, you saw her lick her lips
  584. >"--Such a stature as yourself."
  585. "I'm one of Pinkie's friends," you replied. "She told me all about you, said if I met you I'd know who you were right away. She also said that you told one heck of a joke."
  586. >"That makes sense. Pinkie is a talker and has a great many friends. She would also be correct. I can tell a very good joke."
  587. >Maud took a step toward you
  588. >"I actually have a comedy show in a few days. It would mean a lot to me if you and your mares would come."
  589. >She took another step, puffing her chest out
  590. >"Unless, of course, you are single and ready to mingle, then I wouldn't be against dinner with the two of us after."
  591. "..."
  592. >"..."
  593. "..."
  594. >"You have lovely eyes. They're the same color as emeralds. They are a striking gem."
  595. >"Wait a cotton-picking second," one of the guards said, moving toward you with narrowed eyes. "Aren't you that stallion on the wanted papers? That big colt that attacked the princess?"
  596. >You looked over at the guards, who were now staring back in suspicion
  597. >You blinked
  598. >Oh
  599. >You figured you were gonna get off scot-free
  600. >Woulda made sense in this dumbass place
  601. >Still, maybe it wouldn't be bad to turn yourself in?
  602. >You needed a shower and a decent bed
  603. "...Yes. Yes I am," you said, extending your hands. "Arrest me please."
  604. >"Oh, a bad colt," Maud said as the guards circled you. "My one weakness."
  605. "Shut up, Maud."
  606. >"I will not."
  607.  
  608. >Be Twilight Sparkle
  609. >Be extremely concerned
  610. >The princess had told you about the creature that had attacked her and her guard
  611. >She said he was dangerous, and that he needed to be stopped at all costs
  612. >He was running all over Equestria, causing mischief
  613. >And not the sort of things Discord got up to either
  614. >You were told if he wasn't stopped Equestria could be completely destroyed
  615. >She had told you all this, but she hadn't really gone into specifics
  616. >You had tried asking questions
  617. >What was he, why did he want to destroy Equestria, was that even his goal?
  618. >The princess either didn't seem to know or wouldn't tell you, which, honestly, was a little frustrating
  619. >She told you what he looked like and where he was
  620. >The guard near Manehatten had seen him, and you and your friends were to collect him
  621. >Just your friends
  622. >No elements
  623. >No guards
  624. >Just six tickets and your bare hands against a creature that threw trained guards around like they were toys
  625. >You loved the princess like a mother, and you trusted her, but this was too much
  626. >So, you had requested some things to apprehend the creature
  627. >This very well could have been some sort of test, but you had to draw the line at your friends' safety
  628. >A few guardsponies, maybe a magi from Celestia's school, and if you could have the elements that would be amazing
  629. >Princess Celestia had looked at you like you had grown a second head at the requests
  630. >She had began to lecture you, which bordered on a chewing out
  631. >Had you still lived in Canterlot, in your little tower, not interested in anything but your books, that might have crushed you on the inside, but not now
  632. >For the first time in your life, you had stood up to your teacher
  633. >If she didn't give you the tools to keep you and your friends safe, you weren't even going to bother telling them
  634. >You all might have been the Elements of Harmony, but without the elements you were just normal ponies, not at all equipped to deal with monsters
  635. >Your teacher looked... shaken after you had spoken your mind
  636. >There was something different in her eyes as she looked at you, which was baffling
  637. >You just asked for some reasonable things; it's not like you had requested full access to the army or something
  638. >When you did eventually leave the throne room, all of your demands had been met
  639. >Twenty guards, a mare known for her offensive magic from the school, and the elements
  640. >When Princess Luna had learned what you had done the alicorn had seemed very pleased with you
  641. >She had met the creature at some little village all the way on the other side of Equestria, capturing him briefly before he managed to get away
  642. >With the younger sister, you had gotten far more information
  643. >The creature was named Anon
  644. >He was large and very strong; for a colt
  645. >The princess also said that he had somehow known that Tirek was in that little town, and had knocked him unconscious, allowing the princess and her guard to escort that old monster back to Tartarus
  646. >She and most of the army had been looking for him for weeks, she had said
  647. >You asked if this Anon wanted to destroy Equestria
  648. >Luna hadn't known, just saying that he needed to be brought in and questioned
  649. >If he knew about Tirek what else did he know?
  650. >Knowledge was power after all
  651. >That seemed a lot more reasonable to your purple bookish self
  652. >Monster or not, you really didn't want to hurt a colt
  653. >If you could just bring him in without a fight that would be so much better
  654. >Also, if you had the chance, you'd like to speak to him
  655. >The princess said he wasn't like any creature she had ever seen, which meant that maybe he was from some long forgotten culture, like in the Daring Do books
  656. >Better yet, he might have been form across the sea, where nopony had ever come back from to tell and tales!
  657. >Luna insisted that she join you and your retinue, bring along twenty of her batpony guard
  658. >Them, along with the ones Princess Celestia had lent you along with your friends, really put you at ease
  659. >So, you had gone back down to Ponyville and debriefed your friends
  660. >Thankfully, Fluttershy had just come back from her secret mission in the north
  661. >Which, when this was all over, you really, REALLY needed to talk to her about
  662. >It took a day for you all to get things in order, you with the library, Fluttershy finding somepony to watch her animals, Rarity putting the finishing touches on some orders, Applejack letting Big Mac know where she was going, things like that
  663. >After that, you were put on your own private train bound for Manehatten
  664. >Rarity, of course, was beyond excited
  665. >"Manehatten! The city of lights! The jewel of Equestria! If one can make it there they can make it anywhere!"
  666. >The unicorn was wearing a fashionable cap and sweater, almost skipping around your train cart
  667. >"You know, I've been toying with the idea of coming here for months myself! It see the culture, the class, the--"
  668. >Applejack, who settled across her seat with her hat over her face spoke up
  669. >"Big ol' colt asses. Hear they got some fat ones up there."
  670. >Rarity froze mid-rant while the rest of you started to laugh
  671. >Even Princess Luna cracked a smile
  672. >Rarity turned toward the farmer
  673. >"Thank you very much for... your input, Applejack dear."
  674. >"Yer welcome," Applejack said, flicking the tip of her hat. "Now will ya sit down and be quiet for a bit? I wanna get some shuteye 'fore we need ta fight this monster."
  675. >"He's not a monster," Fluttershy mumbled
  676. >You all looked over at her
  677. >"What was that, Fluttershy?" Rarity asked
  678. >Though Flutters wilted a bit under your collective gaze, she spoke up
  679. >"I said, he isn't a monster. He's actually very nice."
  680. "He is?" you asked. "How do you know that?"
  681. >Fluttershy looked down into her lap as you all leaned toward her
  682. >"He... came to my cottage a few weeks ago. He told me about going up north to help Princess Cadence."
  683. >You looked over at Princess Luna, who was staring at the pegasus, deep in thought
  684. >She eventually caught you looking at her, and she shook her head
  685. >"That must remain secret for a while more, young Twilight, at least until my niece and her husband settle things on their end, though I was not told that this Anon had a hand in my sister's schemes..."
  686. >She sat back in her seat
  687. >"There's much I'd like to speak to him about. The last report that I received is that he was taken into custody two days ago. If we are lucky, he will still be in prison, though I doubt it. He is a elusive creature, despite his size and strangeness."
  688. >"Don't worry Princess, even if he's running around the city we'll catch him in a jiffy," Rainbow said. "All we'll need to do is go to their market. I don't care what he is, if he's a colt he'll love his shopping."
  689. >"Yeah, and if he tries anything I'll pull out the party cannon," Pinkie said, pumping a fist into the air
  690. >You frowned
  691. "We're not going to hurt a stallion if we can help it, Pinkie."
  692. >"It's not hurting, silly. Sometimes you just need to show a stallion who's boss is all."
  693. >You all didn't get to Manehatten until late afternoon
  694. >Rarity wanted to go sight-seeing; maybe watch a play and go to some fancy dinner
  695. >Thankfully, Applejack had her rope, and happily informed the unicorn that she wasn't afraid to use it
  696. >If this Anon wasn't some super-villain mastermind hellbent on destroying the world, maybe you'd take a little time to walk around the city
  697. >Right now though, you all had a job to do
  698. >As soon as your train had stopped at the station, you and the guard--now fully armored and armed--hightailed it toward the city's main guard station
  699. >The streets were crowded, but most made way for a group of heavily armed ponies
  700. >It was a quick walk to the station thankfully
  701. >When you got close to it, you also saw that it looked fully intact and not destroyed, which was nice
  702. >A few of the guard made their way into the station while the rest of you got ready
  703. >You and the girls put on the elements, and Luna and the magi placed spells of protection on everypony
  704. >"Just in case", you were told
  705. >That made you a teensy bit more nervous than you had been, but you did your best to ignore it and, taking the lead with the girls, you walked up the station steps
  706. >Opening the door, you were greeted with a bustle of activity
  707. >Guards were running to and fro, moving criminals around; there was a lot of talking, yelling, and paperwork being signed
  708. >Many were so busy they didn't even pay your group any mind as you walked in
  709. >The two guards you had sent in were speaking with an overweight mare wearing a blue cap
  710. >One of them motioned you over
  711. >"The creature is still contained," she said, saluting Princess Luna. "The lieutenant here said she'd take us to him right away."
  712. >"That I will," the lieutenant said, adjusting her cap. "Though I don't think you'll need all this for the colt. He's been as sweet as punch since we've brought him in for questioning."
  713. >"Very well," Luna said with a nod. "Twilight, you may come with me. Everypony else, you may go outside. We'll bring him out. Lieutenant, if you'd be so kind..."
  714.  
  715. ~_~_~_~_~_~
  716.  
  717. >Be Anon
  718. >It had been a few days since the Manehatten guard had taken you in
  719. >Jail hadn't been all that bad
  720. >They didn't have a orange jumpsuit that would fit you, but they did get your clothes washed
  721. >You also got three square meals a day
  722. >The food wasn't bad either, and nobody gave you any guff when you said you were allergic to flowers, grass, and hay
  723. >Since you were a stallion, you also got a room to yourself, which was pretty nice
  724. >It had been a bit iffy at first though, since the guard had wanted to confiscate Starswirl's book
  725. >It had taken arguing, threatening, and eventually telling the mares that the book had a death curse on it for them to leave you alone, and even then you had to make sure it was close to you at all times
  726. >Then there was the waiting
  727. >Having nothing to do but look at a concrete ceiling wasn't the best, and it wasn't like you could waste the day jerking off with these guards checking on you every ten minutes
  728. >You mostly tried to sleep, hoping that whoever was coming to get you would hurry the hell up
  729. >Maybe they could just transfer you to Canterlot somehow, or maybe one of the princesses would come themselves to pick you up
  730. >Hell, maybe both would come
  731. >It'd be a hell of a lot harder to keep ahold of the book then, but you'd cross that bridge when you came to it
  732. >Right now you were just waiting for lunch
  733. >One of the guards said today was grilled cheese day
  734. >She said if you showed her a bit of leg she'd give you double rations, and you were really considering taking her up on the offer
  735. >A metallic click echoed down the hallway, which was followed by a door opening
  736. >"He's all the way at the end, your highness. Probably sleeping I bet."
  737. >There we are...
  738. >You heard hoofsteps, and you sat up, swinging your legs to the side of the tiny bed that you had been given
  739. >The hoofsteps grew closer, until you saw Princess Luna coming into view, wearing her suit of armor and clenching that spear of hers
  740. >A moment later, someone else walked into view
  741. >Twilight Sparkle; all three foot six of her dorky self
  742. >When she saw you her eyes lit up
  743. >When you saw her, it felt like your heart stopped
  744. >There she was
  745. >Twilight
  746. >The real Twilight
  747. >Your Twilight
  748. >Not whatever the fuck she had turned into
  749. >You found yourself standing up
  750. >A touch of worry came to Twilight's face as you rushed over, grabbing the iron bars of your cell
  751. >It was hard to talk, no matter what you did the words just wouldn't come, but eventually you were able to croak out
  752. "Turn around please. Let me see your back."
  753. >Twilight blinked, looking over at the princess
  754. "Please," you repeated, hands shaking
  755. >Giving you a strange look, Twilight slowly turned around, showing you her back
  756. >No wings
  757. >Not a feather in sight
  758. >She was a unicorn
  759. >A UNICORN
  760. >You tried to hold everything in, but you just couldn't manage it
  761. >Closing your eyes, you sunk to the floor, pressing your forehead against the bars as you started to cry like a little girl
  762. >"I... um... hello to you too?"
  763.  
  764. ~_~_~_~_~
  765.  
  766. >Be Twilight
  767. >The creature known as Anon didn't put up a fight as you and the princess led him out of the cage
  768. >After his good, long cry--kinda understandable, what with the colt being in prison and all--he was smiling as he walked, his head held high as you led him out into the lobby
  769. >The princess wasn't taking any chances, colt or not, and had cuffed both his arms and legs before letting him out of his cell, but he hadn't seemed to mind, even though the cuffs seemed two sizes too small for him
  770. >He really was one big colt
  771. >Giant even; nearly twice your size by the look of him
  772. >You weren't a coward, but you were pretty happy that he wasn't aggressive
  773. >It took a few minutes to get the proper paperwork signed to get him transferred to you, but when you did--and after the princess triple checked his restraints--you were allowed to take him outside
  774. >While he followed you, Luna was holding some files, her brow furrowed as she read
  775. >"How in Harmony's name did you manage to get yourself coltnapped?" she asked
  776. >"I was walking down a road and got clubbed," he replied casually. "It was some little pain in the butt filly and a group of Diamond Dogs. They were running some sort of slave operation."
  777. >Luna's brow only furrowed more as she continued to read
  778. >"I would not believe a word you said if not for this report. A filly truly managed to capture you?"
  779. >"Yep. Her name is Cozy. You should really have her locked up and throw away the key."
  780. >Being a gentlemare, you opened the front door for him
  781. >He laughed, ruffling your mane as he walked outside
  782. >"You were taught well, Twilight, but perhaps manners can take the sideline when dealing with a prisoner?" Luna suggested as she walked by you
  783. >You sheepishly smiled
  784. "Oops. Yeah, I'm sorry about that," you said, hurrying out the door
  785. >Thankfully, Anon didn't make a break for it outside, slowly making his way down the steps
  786. >The guard and your friends waited for you on the sidewalk
  787. >The guard and the magi looked at the creature suspiciously
  788. >To your surprise, when she saw him Fluttershy smiled, walking over to meet him at the bottom of the steps
  789. >"Hey, Flutters," he said, leaning down toward the pegasus. "Did everything go well up north?"
  790. >"It did," she said with a nod. "Very well."
  791. >"Good. I hope they build a statue for you. You deserve it."
  792. >"O-Oh... I don't know about that..."
  793. >She looked down at his chains, eyes widening
  794. >"Oh my, did they really need to put those nasty things on you?"
  795. >"They probably do, since I might be the most wanted creature in Equestria right now," he replied. "Lucky me huh?"
  796. >Seeing that the creature wasn't going to attack anypony, the rest of your friends made their way over
  797. >Anon looked at them all, still smiling
  798. >"Ladies."
  799. >Applejack whistled, looking him up and down
  800. >"Land sakes, what do they feed a fella like you?" she asked
  801. >"Not enough, Applejack," he said. "You haven't almost assaulted any more stallions lately, have you Rainbow?"
  802. >Rainbow grimaced while Rarity gasped, wheeling around to look at her
  803. >"Rainbow Dash, this fine stallion better not be insinuating what I think he's insinuating!"
  804. >"I didn't touch him!" Rainbow said, throwing her hands up. "I was going to, sure, but I thought he was just some big monster!"
  805. >"I am very large," Anon said, looking over at Pinkie. "What about you, Ponk. Have you had any big parties since I last saw you?"
  806. >"Yepper pepper!" Pinkie said with a hop. "I just threw a big party for a nice colt that had just gotten his cutiemark! I'm not gonna brag, but we almost tore down the roof! Then there was--"
  807. >While Pinkie was being, well, Pinkie, Applejack was staring at the creature, arms crossed
  808. >"How the hay do you know our names, stranger?" she asked. "'ave we met before?"
  809. >"Yes, I was actually wondering the same thing myself," Rarity said, looking up at him. "Thought, I'm positive that I'd remember somepony of your... stature, sir."
  810. >Anon said nothing for a good long while, just staring at you and your friends
  811. >He started to tear up, but was quick to wipe his eyes
  812. >"Hey, before we go to wherever you're taking me you mind if we stop and get something to eat? I haven't eaten since breakfast and I'm starving."
  813. >In the end, Rarity did get her wish
  814. >You all walked around the city for a bit after you got the stallion something to eat
  815. >As you did, Anon joked and talked to you all
  816. >He seemed really comfortable around you for some reason, like you were long lost friends
  817. >He also seemed to know things that he shouldn't, asking Applejack about how school was going for Applebloom and asking Pinkie how the cake twins were
  818. >He also asked about Moondancer
  819. >How the hay did he know about Moondancer?
  820. >Or your names?
  821. >Anon was also holding something against his chest
  822. >You could see the outline of it through his shirt
  823. >The guard back at the station said it was a book, and that he had refused to part with it
  824. >It was a little strange, but strangeness you could handle, for now anyway
  825. >Eventually, it was getting late, and you all needed to get back onto the train for Canterlot
  826. >Applejack did need to use the rope on Rarity, who loudly swore to anypony that would listen that she'd be back someday
  827. >You all piled into the train
  828. >Again, surprising everypony, it was Fluttershy who sat in the same booth as Anon, happily chatting away with him
  829. >You all surrounded him, with the guard watching carefully
  830. >You were seated in the booth right in front of him looking over the bath of it to stare at him
  831. "Anon?"
  832. >"Hmm?" he replied, eyes closed.
  833. "What was that whole thing about you changing the subject when we asked how you knew us?"
  834. >"Yeah! Come on colt!" Rainbow pipped up, slinging an arm over your shoulder. "We're the Elements of Harmony, for crying out loud. What, have you been stalking us or something, because that'd be AWESOME. I always thought I'd have groupies when I got into the Wonderbolts but--"
  835. >"Rainbow," Rarity said, a hand covering her face. "For the love of all that is holy please be quiet..."
  836. >Even as she was saying this, the unicorn was leaning toward the stallion
  837. >All of you, even Princess Luna, who was seated a few rows back
  838. "I'd really appreciate it if you told us, Anon," you said
  839. >Anon cracked open an eye, looking at all of you
  840. >You could see the gearing turning in his head as he considered your request until, with a sigh, he leaned forward
  841. >"Aw, what the hell. I already kind of told the princess back there already. I don't see the harm in telling all of you. You see, I haven't actually been in Equestria very long; not this Equestria at least. A couple days ago I was..."
  842.  
  843.  
  844. >Still be Princess Luna
  845. >It had been a very long night
  846. >You and your sister had talked long into the night; long enough that you eventually had to lower your moon
  847. >While you liked to get your sleep, as an alicorn such a thing really wasn't needed, so you were no worse for wear as your sister's sun rose into the sky
  848. >Your conversation had been... enlightening
  849. >The creature seemed positive that something was trying to control the whole of Equestria
  850. >While this wouldn't have been all that worrying--those that had tried before were a bit a dozen in Tartarus--you had no face to what might have been your foe, if there even was one
  851. >You did not care for the idea of somepony trying to turn you into a slobbering buffoon, and your sister had liked it even less
  852. >She still did not trust this creature, this Anonymous, no doubt largely due to the fact that he had assaulted her
  853. >Still, even she had to admit that he had done a great service in dealing with Tirek and Sombra
  854. >That, at the very least, was worth a pardon you felt
  855. >Celestia insisted that he be brought in, and you saw no reason to deny her request
  856. >You had your reservations yourself
  857. >He could have just been an extraordinarily good liar
  858. >He needed to be properly questioned, and perhaps a full physical as well
  859. >If he were some otherworldly being and not just some freakishly huge minotaur that shaved himself a few scans would bring that to life
  860. >When you returned to the cabin where you had left him and the girls they were all still sleeping
  861. >The booths were made to be pulled out into beds
  862. >Some of the girls had the forethought to bring pajamas, others were just in their underwear
  863. >Applejack was snoring so loudly that you made a mental note to tell her to go to the doctor's to get that fixed
  864. >Anonymous, thankfully, hadn't run off in the middle of the night
  865. >He was fast asleep, his legs hanging off the bed and two blankets covering his body
  866. >You woke them up, ordering some of the train staff to prepare everypony some breakfast
  867. >Canterlot was still an hour or so away, and you saw no reason why everypony should walk through the city on an empty stomach
  868. >You watched as the girls and Anonymous ate
  869. >They seemed to have warmed up to the stallion rather quickly, laughing and talking with him as if he were just another friend
  870. >Anon seemed happy as he sat amongst them
  871. >You saw it in his eyes, the way he moved
  872. >Even his voice sounded just a bit different
  873. >It was lighter, richer
  874. >When it laughed the windows in the cabin seemed to shake
  875. >You watched them from the background, enjoying a quick meal yourself
  876. >When that was finished, you got them clothed, reasonably groomed, and ready to step off the train, and not a moment too soon, because as soon as Pinkie had brushed her mane and tail into a somewhat orderly state Canterlot came into view
  877. >The Jewel of Equestria
  878. >The Seat of the Sisters
  879. >The Tenth Wonder of the World, some called it
  880. >You were not much of a fan of the grandiose, but even you felt small whenever you gazed upon it from afar
  881. >Looking toward Anonymous, you saw that he didn't have the same looks of wonder that most in the cabin had
  882. >The smile that he had worn all morning lessened some, and sadness came to his eyes
  883. >He must have expected that as soon as he stepped off the train he'd be immediately dragged into a dungeon
  884. >Or worse
  885. >The train soon came into the station
  886. >Another set of chains, both for his arms and legs, were placed onto the stallion
  887. >Some of the girls protested loudly at this
  888. >Anon said nothing, just staring at his odd hooves as he was led outside
  889. >It was here you expected him to try something
  890. >To run, or to try pulling something out of his hat, or throw a fit like a normal stallion would in his situation
  891. >But no
  892. >He was as gentle as a lamb as you led him toward the castle
  893. >There was a squad waiting for you all at the gate, ushering you in quickly as to not cause a scene
  894. >Your sister had closed the castle to the public today, meaning the hallways were empty
  895. >It was a quick walk to the throne room
  896. >Celestia was already there, seated with a sword hanging on her hip
  897. >Twilight and her friends bowed
  898. >One of the guards, seeing Anon not making any move to do the same, frowned
  899. >"On your knees, colt!" she barked, smacking the back of his leg with her spear
  900. >There was a loud crack, and you watched as the spearhead fell to the ground
  901. >Anon frowned, looking over at the quickly paling guard
  902. >"Didn't your father ever tell you that hitting colts is wrong?" he asked.
  903. >Your sister stood
  904. >"That's quite enough. Please leave us."
  905. >Bowing, the guards left
  906. >Pinkie tried to rise to leave, only for a very irritated Rarity to grab her by the collar and force her back onto a knee
  907. >You almost snorted at the sight as you let go of Anonymous's chains
  908. >The stallion, not taking his eyes off your sister, slowly began to shuffle his way toward her
  909. >Celestia stepped off her throne, hand on the hilt of her sword as she walked toward him
  910. >The two closed the distance quickly, both standing in the center of the room staring at each other
  911. >"Your highness," Anon said, bowing his head ever so slightly
  912. >Celestia narrowed her eyes
  913. >"Girls? Could you be dears and look away for a moment?"
  914. >Though confused, Twilight and her friends did as she asked
  915. >With none but you now looking at her, your sister struck
  916. >Quick as a snake, she cocked back a fist and punched the colt in the stomach
  917. >The blow seemed to take Anon by surprise, a pained grunt escaping him as he took a few steps back
  918. >His chains clanked together and he then leaned forward, holding his stomach as he slowly sank onto one knee
  919. >"PRINCESS!" you heard Twilight screech. "WHAT THE HAY?!"
  920. >Anon, wheezing, raised a hand
  921. >"No... I kind of... deserved it..." he said
  922. >He then looked up at your sister
  923. >"Still a... colt... beater... though..."
  924. >You snorted
  925. >"You've been a rather large pain in my flank for these past few weeks, young stallion," Celestia said, hands on her hips
  926. >Slowly, Anon pulled himself back to his feet
  927. >"I'm sure your sister over there already told you everything I've said," he said, jabbing a thumb in your direction
  928. >"She did," your sister said with a nod, her expression softening. "And despite the broken nose and teeth, I'd like to thank you for Tirek. Had he been in the outside world for long--"
  929. >"I know exactly what he would have done, which is why I did what I did, your highness," Anon interrupted. "I just hope everything I did will be enough."
  930. >Celestia just stared at him
  931. >"You truly believe that something is behind the scenes pulling on our strings?"
  932. >"I met whatever it was. If it weren't for Discord it would have destroyed me."
  933. >Celestia nodded, stepping away from him
  934. >"Luna, could you bring the book over here?"
  935. >Oh...
  936. >This wasn't how you were expecting things to progress...
  937. >You thought, at worst, if your sister was still sore about the headbutt, he'd spend a few hours in the dungeon
  938. >Still, you didn't see the harm in it
  939. >At least not yet
  940. "Of course, sister," you said, making your way over
  941. >You felt the eyes of Twilight and her friends on you as you reached into your wing and pulled Starswirl's journal out
  942. >Anon's expression immediately soured when he saw it
  943. >"Thank you, sister," Celestia said, giving you a smile before turning her attention toward the book itself
  944. >Her expression grew neutral, brow furrowing
  945. >You could see she was thinking very hard on something
  946. >"I'm sure you were aware that I have plans for Twilight, correct?" she said, just loud enough for the three of you to hear
  947. >"Yeah, which is why you got your teeth knocked out," Anon replied with a nod, also keeping his voice low
  948. >"Twilight could do much good if she were... more."
  949. >"She could do a lot as she is."
  950. >Celestia moved the book behind her back
  951. >"I have been looking for somepony like her for longer than I could remember. All but her have failed my trials and tests."
  952. >"I would argue that it's pretty fucked up to give people trials and tests if you're not a teacher and they're not in school."
  953. >"You can learn in far more places than a school, Anonymous."
  954. >"If you wanna nitpick I WILL headbutt you again."
  955. >Celestia chuckled, looking over at Twilight
  956. >There was a mother's warmth in her eyes, twinged with sadness
  957. >"You put a rather large wrench in my schemes, young colt," she said. "Was it really that terrible in this other Equestria that you speak of?"
  958. >Anon leaned down toward her
  959. >"Twilight Sparkle is not a toy," he said, very quietly. "She's not a dolly that you can dress up. You can't just make her something else because you're bored, or you don't want to be a princess anymore, or because fate told you it had to be like this. She's a person; fucking treat her like one. If you think she deserves or needs to be like you, ask her if that'd be something she would be interested in, or don't play with peoples' lives."
  960. >He looked over at you
  961. >"I've seen your track record. How many of your students are in Tartarus because of all of your trials and tests?"
  962. >Celestia twitched as if he had slapped her
  963. >"What about your sister?" he continued. "Or Sombra. I bet you had a hand in whatever happened to him. Or--"
  964. >"Enough," Celestia growled
  965. >Anon listened, standing back up to his full height
  966. >"You don't need to trust me princess, but believe me when I say I'd never hurt the mares behind us. They're my friends; I want them to be happy and healthy and without a care in the world. I promise you, if you just give Twilight that book and insist she embrace her destiny those mares will not be the mares they once were."
  967. >A silence crept through the throne room
  968. >You could tell Celestia was taking his words to heart
  969. >She looked over at you
  970. >"Luna? A bit for your thoughts?"
  971. >You shrugged
  972. "Truly? I know not what to make of this stallion, sister. For all we know his words could be the ravings of one that has completely lost his mind. He could also somehow wish to bring harm to Equestria, and is making himself out to be a savior so as to lower our guard."
  973. >You examined the stallion carefully
  974. "He also could be telling the truth, which would be the most disconcerting thing of all. Either way, I feel as if he should stay in the castle for awhile."
  975. >Celestia, scratching her chin, tucked Starswirl's journal underneath her arm
  976. >"I agree. Despite your rather... poor first impression, the things you've done for the kingdom at least deserve some consideration on our part. You will stay here, under guard and thoroughly examined. My sister and I will need to speak with you mo--"
  977. >Your sister yelped, suddenly dropping the journal
  978. >"HOT!" she yelled, leaping to the side as she pawed at her armpit
  979. >Both you and Anonymous jumped at the suddenness of it
  980. >Hot...?
  981. >You didn't think she could get hot
  982. >She could walk on her very sun and not feel an ounce of discomfort!
  983. >Your eyes were drawn to the journal
  984. >When your sister let it go, it seemed to fall far slower than it should have
  985. >It hit the ground with a loud thud, too loud for a small book
  986. >It bounced, flopping end over and, in the process somehow opening to the center of the book
  987. >The pages didn't move, nor did the book as soon as it was open
  988. >The two pages it was open to were blank, which should have been impossible
  989. >You had been there with Starswirl
  990. >The stallion wrote in that journal from the first page to the last; there shouldn't have been a single blank page
  991. >"What in harmony's name is going on?" your sister demanded
  992. >Anonymous, now pale, replied
  993. >"Something didn't like your answer."
  994. >Something flickered across the bright white pages
  995. >What looked like spots of black ink
  996. >These spots grew, forming into words:
  997.  
  998. HUMANS DO NOT BELONG IN EQUESTRIA!
  999.  
  1000. >The stallion's eyes widened
  1001. >"Fuck, it really didn't like your answer. WEGOTTAFUCKINGGO!"
  1002. >An earsplitting shriek erupted from the book
  1003. >Anon, as quick as a snake, reached over and lifted your sister, slinging her onto his back
  1004. >He then reached over, grabbing you by your belt, picking you up like you were a plastic grocery bag
  1005. >Without anytime for you or your sister to protest, he turned around and began to run as quickly as his chains would allow
  1006. >"FUCKING RUN! GET OUTTA HERE!" he screamed to Twilight and his friends. "STOP LOOKING AT ME AND RUN! RUN!"
  1007. >The shrieking grew and grew and then, all of the sudden, stopped
  1008. >The light in the room seemed to flicker for an instant, and then there was an explosion
  1009. >Then, even before you could feel a heat hotter than any sun, a voice thundered in your mind
  1010.  
  1011. YOU WILL PAY TODAY, HUMAN!
  1012.  
  1013. ~_~_~_~_~
  1014.  
  1015. >Be Anon
  1016. >It was pretty hard to run when there were chains around your legs
  1017. >This was made even harder when you were carrying two very heavy princesses
  1018. >Whoever told you that they'd be light because they were part pegasus were fucking liars
  1019. >These bitches were beefy
  1020. >Still, you were managing pretty good if you did say so yourself, especially since YOU WERE ABOUT TO FUCKING DIE!
  1021. >You could feel the hair on the back of your neck being singed as you ran out of the throne room
  1022. >Twilight and the other girls had, thank god, listened to you and were currently fleeing
  1023. >All of them looked freaked out, especially Rainbow, who must have seen whoever or whatever came out of that stupid book
  1024. >As you skidded into the hallway, something flew right behind you, smashing into the stonewall hard enough to shatter the glass window eight feet above
  1025. >It let out a scream and began breaking other windows
  1026. >"ITS AN ALICORN!" Luna shouted
  1027. >"A BIG ONE!" Celestia added
  1028. >Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Luna's horn glow
  1029. >You didn't see, but you did hear Celestia's
  1030. >Both mares sent a beam of magic to whatever was chasing you
  1031. >Then another
  1032. >Then another
  1033. >And another
  1034. >"WE'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING TO HER!" Celestia yelled, alarmed. "WHAT IN HARMONY'S NAME IS SHE DOING TO MY NICE HALLWAY?!"
  1035. >"RUN FASTER, ANONYMOUS!" Luna yelled, giving your ass a hard smack. "RUN!"
  1036. >She hit the chains around your legs with a spell, making them disappear
  1037. >Now free, you put the pedal to the metal, running as fast as you were able
  1038. >Something black whizzed over your head, so dark that it seemed to drink in the light
  1039. >It hit an arch
  1040. >There was no bang, no shaking, no explosion
  1041. >It just touched the stone and a huge section was just gone
  1042. >This made you run just that bit faster
  1043. >Rainbow, who had been flying close to that arch, let out a yelp, nearly crashing into the ceiling
  1044. >Your heart leapt to your throat
  1045. >It was going to hurt them!
  1046. >There was a fork in the hallway
  1047. >All of the girls went to the right
  1048. >Without a second though, you went to the left, tossing Luna into the hallway right before you passed it
  1049. >Another beam of black flew by you, so close that it nearly touched Celestia's horn
  1050. >The alicorn didn't seem to appreciate this very much, sending a wave of flame down toward whatever was chasing you
  1051. >It was hot enough that you could feel the skin on your back blister through your shirt, but from Celestia's cry it didn't slow this alicorn down one bit
  1052. >With another turn, you were outside
  1053. >There was a gardener working on some rose bushes
  1054. >He was barely able to look up before he disappeared in a flash of golden light
  1055. >Hopefully Celestia didn't just teleport the poor stallion to the moon or something
  1056. >Speaking of Celestia, you really needed to get rid of her
  1057. >Even with the adrenaline pumping, you weren't going to get much further if you had to keep carrying her fat fanny
  1058. >Thankfully, an opportunity presented itself to ditch her
  1059. >As death beams flew all around you, you ran past a water fountain
  1060. >Without pausing, you flung the mare into it
  1061. >There was a yell, followed by a splash and some cursing
  1062. >Despite the situation, you found yourself smiling
  1063.  
  1064. YOU WILL NOT RUIN THIS PERFECT WORLD WITH YOUR CORRUPTION, WHELP. PREPARE FOR A FINAL END!
  1065.  
  1066. >You dodged, ducked, dipped, dived, and darted all through the gardens
  1067. >Sometimes it felt like fingertips were brushing against the back of your neck
  1068. >Twice something slammed into your back with enough force to send you through the air, though somehow you were able to land on a foot to keep running
  1069. >You were dizzy, your lungs were burning and your body was beginning to ache
  1070. >There was no way to get away from your attacker
  1071. >If they were actually an alicorn they could fly, and anywhere you tried to hide would disintegrate
  1072. >It felt like a game of cat and mouse, where this alicorn could easily destroy you anytime it wanted, but wanted to play with you a bit
  1073. >You didn't care much for that
  1074. >Honestly, you didn't care for any of this, but being toyed with was something you especially didn't like
  1075. >So, when it felt like your lungs were about to burst, you stopped and spun around
  1076. >There was the alicorn
  1077. >Pure white with blood red hair
  1078. >Her body seemed to shimmer and distort, as if its form didn't have a proper outline
  1079. >Every inch of the alicorn seemed to radiate power and authority, as if the very molecules in the air should bow to her
  1080. >And then there were her eyes, or the lack of them
  1081. >They were like two holes of whiteness that hurt to look at
  1082. >In them was everything
  1083. >And nothing
  1084. >You shook yourself like a dog, trying to fling away the fear
  1085. >This was probably going to be it...
  1086. >If you were going out may as well go out like a man
  1087. >Snarling, you yanked your arms apart as hard as you could
  1088. >The chains still clamped around your arms snapped
  1089. "COME ON THEN!" you screamed, putting your dukes up
  1090. >The alicorn stopped
  1091. >Her hooves weren't touching the ground, you noticed, and her wings weren't open either
  1092.  
  1093. I WILL SUFFER YOUR PRESENCE NO LONGER, HUMAN
  1094.  
  1095. >She lifted her arms
  1096. >Behind her, you could see the sun moving back and forth like it was shaking
  1097.  
  1098. BEGONE
  1099.  
  1100. "Are we fucking talking or are we fighting?!" you demanded
  1101. >Then, slamming a fist against your chest, you charged her, letting out a scream
  1102. >With each step you took, time seemed to slow
  1103. >You thought about Twilight and her friends
  1104. >All the things you had done together
  1105. >You thought about Equestria, all of it's places and the kind ponies that had taken you in
  1106. >A ball of that darkness began to form just above the alicorn's horn as her eyes narrowed
  1107. >It looked like the game was over
  1108. >Discord was a good guy, but he seemed scared of this alicorn
  1109. >She was probably a lot stronger than him
  1110. >You had a feeling whatever he put on you wouldn't protect you this time
  1111. >Rip
  1112. >Ten feet away, you couldn't help but wonder about your life before
  1113. >Was there really a world of just humans like you?
  1114. >How was your family doing?
  1115. >Would you get to meet them again?
  1116. >You'd always kinda thought that the afterlife was bullshit, but now?
  1117. >Now you kinda hoped there was something after you went ahead and closed your eyes that final time
  1118. >Or died via angry goddess
  1119. >Hopefully the alicorn didn't totally erase your soul, so you could see...
  1120. >"GET HER GIRLS!"
  1121. >The alicorn whipped her head around while you, ever the smooth customer, slipped on some mud and faceplanted into the ground right onto your nose
  1122. >It didn't feel good, and you weren't happy with yourself, fucking up at the final hour like that
  1123. >Tears now in your eyes, vision all messed up, you wrenched your head upward
  1124. >Twilight and her friends were floating into the air, the elements around their necks glowing brightly
  1125.  
  1126. THIS WILL DO YOU NO GOOD, CHILD.
  1127.  
  1128. >The alicorn shook her head
  1129.  
  1130. THE ELEMENTS AROUND YOUR NECK ARE OF MY BEING. THEY WILL NOT--
  1131.  
  1132. >She took a step back as the elements grew brighter and brighter
  1133.  
  1134. NO! YOU WILL STOP! YOU ARE OF MY VERY BEING! I WILL NOT BE STOPPED! IT IS BY MY WILL THAT ALL THINGS ARE DONE! HARMONY IS AS I SEE FIT!
  1135.  
  1136. >She took another step back, spreading her two sets of massive wings
  1137. >Oh no you don't...
  1138. >Leaping to your feet, you darted forward, grabbing the alicorn
  1139. >It hurt to touch her, like you were trying to grab an open flame
  1140. >Even so, you wrapped your arms around her as hard as you could, ignoring the burning, the pain, the smell of your skin cooking, and your quickly darkening vision, intertwining your fingers and squeezing your hands together
  1141. >The alicorn whipped it's head back to look at you
  1142. >You just grinned
  1143. "Come on. Lets die together. Cunt."
  1144. >Just as the alicorn let out a scream, the friendship beam hit you both full on
  1145. >Fuck...
  1146. >Your last words could have been cooler...
  1147.  
  1148.  
  1149. >You woke with a start
  1150. >It was dark
  1151. >You were warm and pretty comfortable
  1152. >On one side, you could hear soft breathing, and on the other you could hear snoring
  1153. >It had been around a month since a super alicorn had popped out of a book and tried to murder you
  1154. >You survived, obviously, thanks to Twilight and the girls
  1155. >When that friendship beam hit the two of you it was not a lot of fun
  1156. >Even now you were pulling dandelion and posies out of your teeth, and whenever you sneezed you swore that there was glitter in your snot
  1157. >At least you didn't get turned into stone, which was nice
  1158. >While it had been uncomfortable for you, it had been a way worse for the red-haired alicorn
  1159. >She had vomited out a black mass the size of a large toddler
  1160. >It was freaky looking; bald, with a massive head and glasses and a stupid fucking smug look on its face
  1161. >Some sort of eldritch parasite or some such thing, Celestia said
  1162. >It had tried talking to you all, saying something about PC culture in a nasally, irritating voice--whatever that was--only for the girls to hit it with another blast with the elements, and another for good measure, where the thing had then turned to ash
  1163. >The alicorn that you had been holding had disappeared a few seconds after the thing did
  1164. >Just vanished out of your arms
  1165. >If you didn't have second degree burns all over your back, a broken nose, and a strained ankle, you might have given a shit
  1166. >Instead, you just kind of fell back onto the dirt
  1167. >You had been told later that Celestia had gotten a kick out of it, saying something about karma and nasty stallions
  1168. >A lot of things had happened since then
  1169. >You now lived in Ponyville where you belonged--as a full citizen no less-- and were looking for a house
  1170. >You had also recently gotten a job working at the local spa
  1171. >It had been your last job in horse-Equestria, so you figured why change things?
  1172. >Also, you were now a Sir
  1173. >Princess Cadence, as a thank you for sending Fluttershy her way, had went and made you a fully anointed knight of the Crystal Empire
  1174. >The first male that had ever gotten such an honor, which you thought was pretty neat
  1175. >You even had a coat of arms
  1176. >She had offered you some land too, but you had declined
  1177. >FUCK trying to live up in a frozen wasteland
  1178. >There was a sleepy grumble from beside you, followed by a hand brushing against your side
  1179. >You frowned, looking over at Lyra
  1180. >Out of all the things she could have asked for when she had you by the balls all those months ago, she wanted to sleep in a bed with you
  1181. >Not asking about you, or humans
  1182. >She had wanted to sleep with you
  1183. >She had wanted it to be forever, you talked her down to much less
  1184. >As much as you didn't like it, a promise was a promise, even if it had been made under duress, so a month of sleeping with this crazy human-loving horse it was
  1185. >Bonbon, not one to be left out, had joined in almost immediately, making it that much harder to stay as far away from their anthro selves as possible
  1186. >A hand brushed against the side of your face
  1187. >It took some effort not to bite it
  1188. >This time
  1189. >You slowly sat up, untangling yourself from the girls and crawling toward the edge of the bed
  1190. >It was hard not to wake them up
  1191. >You could have thrown Lyra out a window and she'd still be out like a light, but Bonbon could get up if you started breathing a little louder than you had before
  1192. >Things weren't helped by Anon Jr.
  1193. >Your dick was rock hard
  1194. >Really, really hard
  1195. >After the third day of this, you had realized that the mares must have been producing some sort of pheromones
  1196. >They must not have been all that strong, since you don't remember waking up with a raging hard-on every morning when you were in Trixie's wagon, but with how close the girls were to you, and there being two of them, was more than enough
  1197. >You made them wash their sheets and themselves before bedtime, and that helped, but not for long, and god help you if you laid on your side
  1198. >If you did that you'd find yourself face deep into one of the mare's tufts, or between their tits
  1199. >A week ago you had woken up like that and your boxers would never be the same
  1200. >It was like you had gotten nickelodeon slime all over them
  1201. >It also didn't help that both girls were nearly naked whenever they went to bed
  1202. >At most they wore panties and thongs, lowcut shirts, or no tops at all
  1203. >You were also no longer horribly depressed, meaning that your sex drive had started back up
  1204. >You might have hated anthros, but almost a year of not touching your dick and the pheromones were really starting to do a number on you
  1205. >The mind was strong, the body was not
  1206. >It didn't care that horses were superior in every way; it just saw two curvy women ripe for the picking
  1207. >Bonbon especially
  1208. >Just like most earth ponies, she was stouter, but much more curvy
  1209. >It had been her big, sweaty tits that your face had been buried between the week before
  1210. >While Lyra was nowhere near as stacked, she did have a nice set of legs, and a large tush for a unicorn...
  1211. >You shook your head
  1212. >Goddammit, you were going to need to find a real horse to fuck soon, or that'd be it for you...
  1213. >It still wasn't too late to kill yourself for a third time
  1214. >You could tell that it was really early
  1215. >The sun wouldn't be up for a few hours
  1216. >You made your way into the bathroom, shaving, shitting, and showering as you did everyday
  1217. >Running downstairs and helping yourself to a muffin, you were out the door
  1218. >First stop was to the backyard to the shed
  1219. >Grabbing a set of gardening shears, you began to make your way down the street into town
  1220. >The streets were barren
  1221. >Not even the birds were awake yet to start singing
  1222. >The air had a nice crispness to it
  1223. >Everything was still and silent
  1224. >Other than the Apples and the Cakes, everypony else was still asleep
  1225. >As soon as the sun came up this tranquility would be shattered
  1226. >The ponies would begin their day and get into all sorts of trouble
  1227. >Monsters, magic, some weird thing that would be solved by a song-and-dance and some friendship
  1228. >Just how you liked it
  1229. >You made your way from one side of the town to another, through the market and into Whitetail Woods
  1230. >It was pretty dark here, and just a bit spooky
  1231. >The one time that she had caught you doing this, Applejack had chewed you out walking into the woods alone
  1232. >Timberwolves made these woods their hunting grounds right up until the morning
  1233. >You had heard their strange, guttural howls, even seen a few, but most kept their distance, especially after you managed to cut one's head clean off with these very shears a while ago
  1234. >The walk through Whitetail was quick, and you found yourself walking by Fluttershy's cottage
  1235. >When you got back you'd have to make sure to visit the mare before you walked back into town for work
  1236. >She liked having breakfast with you while the sun rose
  1237. >Her bunny was an asshole, but it was something else watching her wake a house full of little critters
  1238. >Into the Everfree you walked
  1239. >Here you were a bit careful
  1240. >Hydras were rare, but they were still around, and your shears wouldn't do much against one
  1241. >This was the longest part of your trip, almost thirty minutes of walking until you came upon a small cave
  1242. >It didn't seem like anything out of the ordinary
  1243. >In fact, if one didn't know where to look, they might have missed it completely
  1244. >This was your destination
  1245. >Stepping into the cave, you felt the air immediately change
  1246. >It was warmer, drier, with a charge in the air
  1247. >You could also hear a gentle humming
  1248. >As you walked deeper into the cave, it opened up into a cavern
  1249. >There was light as well; a pale blue light that actually kept things well lit
  1250. >And there it was near the back of the cave
  1251. >THE tree
  1252. >Made completely of crystal, it was beautiful; even more beautiful than the tree back in horseland Equestria
  1253. >It seemed... bigger than that tree, fuller and more vibrant
  1254. >Other than the vines of course
  1255. >Thick, black, and covered in thorns, they were wrapped around the tree's roots
  1256. >It had been so much worse when you had first come here
  1257. >They had completely covered the tree, and most of the cavern as well
  1258. >It had taken weeks, and two shears, but you had slowly but surely cut back and ripped out the parasitic plants
  1259. >Near the tree, seated on a rock, was a white alicorn with a blood-red mane
  1260. >She had her hands in her lap, patently waiting
  1261. >You ignored her, walking over to the tree to begin cutting
  1262. >"You're early this morning," she said.
  1263. "I wouldn't call this morning," you replied. "It's still night."
  1264. >"Have some trouble sleeping?"
  1265. "Nah, I never could sleep for long, even if I want to."
  1266. >You grunted as you cut through one of the vines
  1267. >The suckers had a thick bark, meaning you really had to put some elbow grease into it
  1268. >If you cut it wrong, it could even snap the blade, so slow and steady won this race
  1269. >The vine jerked as you cut into it before shriveling
  1270. >You grabbed onto it, keeping mind of the thorns, and yanked
  1271. >Eventually, it pulled free of the tree
  1272. >You'd take this and as much of the vines as you could carry to Fluttershy for fertilizer and animal feed
  1273. >Her critters seemed to love the stuff
  1274. >You looked over at the mare
  1275. "You know, you always could help," you said, gesturing toward the vines. "Get off your ass and all that."
  1276. >Faust, alpha and omega, mother of creation, the writer of the very first things, just smiled at you
  1277. >"But you're doing so well. I would never take that away from you, dear."
  1278. >You grunted in reply, turning back to your work
  1279. >Lazy bitch...
  1280. >There was no more talk between you
  1281. >You just cut the vines, yanked, and dragged them to the edge of the cave, one by one, in no particular hurry
  1282. >Hours passed, and you started to work up a bit of a sweat
  1283. >Faust just watched you work
  1284. >When you had first come here, you had been a little... sore about the whole trying to erase you from existence thing
  1285. >So, instead of a shear, you had brought a sledgehammer, ready to shatter the tree into a million pieces
  1286. >If the tree was part of her, you figured destroying it might, at the very least, fuck her up
  1287. >You had brought that sledgehammer here every single day for a week, not able to smash it once you looked at it
  1288. >It was frustrating
  1289. >You know what was really frustrating though?
  1290. >These fucking vines
  1291. >Getting in the way of the tree you were thinking about breaking
  1292. >If you couldn't get it, they most certainly weren't
  1293. >It was when you brought the shears that the alicorn had turned up on that rock
  1294. >She talked, no matter how hard you tried to ignore her
  1295. >It was about little things
  1296. >How you were doing, what was going on in Ponyville, what Twilight and her friends were getting up to
  1297. >As if she didn't know
  1298. >Also, you pointedly noted that through all of her jabbering you never ONCE heard an apology
  1299. >If this mare was a princess, she'd easily be the worst one
  1300. >Eventually, you got tired of cutting the vines
  1301. >There weren't many left; the tree would be completely clear soon
  1302. >You'd probably need to come back every once in awhile though
  1303. >Who knew if those vines had seedlings and grew?
  1304. >Dragging the vine to the edge of the cave, you walked over to Faust
  1305. >Setting your shears down, you motioned her to scooch over
  1306. >She did so without a word, allowing you to sit down and use the bottom of your shirt to mop up your face
  1307. "You know, I heard Twilight and Celestia were talking. The alicorn wants to retire someday, but not for a good long while. I guess her sister wants to rule for a few years."
  1308. >"It will do Luna good," Faust said with a nod. "In taking care of others, our best selves always tend to shine."
  1309. >You nodded
  1310. "Celestia was also talking about making Twi an arch-magi eventually, once she had a few more lessons."
  1311. >"She will do well I think."
  1312. "It's Twilight. She'll do great."
  1313. >You leaned forward, elbows on your knees as you looked at the tree
  1314. "I should have the girls bring the elements back to the tree."
  1315. >Faust perked her ears up
  1316. >You shrugged
  1317. "Maybe not yet. Lord knows the second they do it some bad guy is going to appear, but someday. In a thousand years from now, when they're needed again, some plucky ponies can stumble in here and save the world like out of the storybooks."
  1318. >Faust leaned forward as well
  1319. >"That would be a fitting end once the girls wish to settle down," she said quietly. "Soldiers putting down their swords, placing them where the next generation can find them to protect those that cannot protect themselves."
  1320. >She looked over at you
  1321. >"Speaking of, when are you going to settle down, young stallion."
  1322. >You groaned
  1323. "Oh, fuck off woman."
  1324. >"Lyra and Bonbon would be happy to have you as a partner, and Fluttershy is enamored with you."
  1325. "You keep talking I'm bringing the sledgehammer back tomorrow"
  1326. >"If you don't want them, which is daft since all three are lovely mares, there's so many to choose from."
  1327. "Why don't you fuck off back to Anthrotown?"
  1328. >Faust snorted
  1329. >"A stallion's place is in the home taking care of his foals, Anonymous. I think it'd do you a lot of good."
  1330. "Kids? I can't have kids with these ponies."
  1331. >The alicorn just smiled
  1332. >You stared at her, eyes slowly narrowing
  1333. "...I bet you just changed that, you pain in the ass."
  1334. >"I have no idea what you're talking about."
  1335. "I'm sure, what about me getting as hard as a rock every morning?"
  1336. >"You're sleeping with two fetching mares, Anonymous. Something like that is perfectly natural."
  1337. "It'd be perfectly natural if they were horses, not fuckwit abominations."
  1338. >"Oh, you're just being silly. Your pony interest isn't all that healthy you know."
  1339. "YOU'RE not healthy for me," you grunted
  1340. >"It's a good thing that I'll be leaving you very soon."
  1341. >That made you pause
  1342. "Really? You're leaving?"
  1343. >"After you fully clear the Tree of Harmony," Faust said with a smile. "I'll still be around, pulling a few strings here and there, but once the last vine is off that tree it'll be the last time you see me."
  1344. "Awesome. I'm sick of you."
  1345. >The mare laughed
  1346. >"I'll miss our conversations, as one-sided as they are."
  1347. >She stood up, walking over and placing a hand on the tree
  1348. >It seemed to glow brighter at her touch
  1349. >"I've been tainted by that parasite that infected me for so long. I would like to rest. The world can mostly take care of itself. You won't need to worry about me meddling with your friends anymore. Their daughters and grand daughters maybe, but not them. You all can write your own story for now."
  1350. >You released the breath you didn't realize you had been holding
  1351. "Good," you said quietly, standing up as well
  1352. >"Is there anything you'd like as a parting gift?" Faust asked. "I owe you and your friends a great deal."
  1353. "Make sure all of us life long, happy lives," you said, picking up your shears. "None of that terminal illness or losing our minds shit. I want us breaking records in the age department."
  1354. >"I'll see what I can do," she said as you turned to leave. "Oh, Anonymous?"
  1355. >You stopped, looking over your shoulder at her
  1356. "What?"
  1357. >"You know, you weren't always green."
  1358. "...What do you mean?"
  1359. >Your skin tone. It wasn't always green."
  1360. "If it wasn't green what was it?"
  1361. >"A pinkish, cream color."
  1362. >You nose scrunched up
  1363. >That sounded pretty gay...
  1364. >Next she'd tell you that some humans were black...
  1365. >What a silly idea...
  1366. >You took a deep breath
  1367. "Alright, I'll see you tomorrow."
  1368. >Faust made her way back over to her rock, taking a seat
  1369. >"I will see you tomorrow, and think on what I said," she told you. "Equestria could have human hybrids running all throughout it in a few centuries if you just do your duty."
  1370. "There's only one human in Equestria, and there's only gonna be one if I can help it, full or hybrid or whatever the fuck else."
  1371. >"We'll see..."
  1372. "Yeah, we'll see. Why don't you shut your mouth and help me win the horse lotto or something? Pain in the ass..."
  1373. >You picked up the vines on the way out of the cave, slinging them onto your shoulder
  1374. >Outside, the blackness of the night now had a pink hue to it
  1375. >It'd be morning soon
  1376. >Fluttershy was probably already awake getting breakfast ready
  1377. >After work, one of the girls would probably drag you somewhere to do lord knows what
  1378. >You're pretty sure Pinkie needed help setting up for a party, and since you were the tallest person she knew, she loved having you help set up the streamers
  1379. >If you could manage to excuse yourself from that before the sun went down, it'd be off to the treebary for some reading and talking with Twilight
  1380. >It'd just another day in Ponyville
  1381. >Happy, simple, honest Ponyville
  1382. >Smiling, you began to whistle a tune to yourself as you walked
  1383. >It looked like it'd be another lovely day
  1384. >One of many

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