A Month in Jail for Wearing Socks Part 2 (COMPLETE)

 

>You awake in a sweat with an uncomfortably sticky sensation in your boxers

>…Fuck

>Still in a haze, you hobble into the bathroom to strip down and freshen up

>As you close the door behind you, you hear an awkward cough coming from your bedroom

“What? Who’s out there?!”

>The voice of a mildly grossed out draconequus replies

>”Your friendly neighborhood chaos spirit. You’ve kept me waiting long enough. Clean yourself up so we can go.”

>You grimace through your embarrassment and rush through your morning trinity, returning to your room to get dressed as you question Discord

“So, uh, are you just going to teleport us there? Where are we even going?”

>”Yes, and deep under Canterlot Mountain. We’re talking miles underground. Deeper than even Diamond Dogs go. Almost in the mantle of the planet.”

“And… How exactly did this this thing get stuck down there?”

>Discord twirls his scraggly beard impatiently, but humors you

>”The evil emotions gathered down there over the years, far from where any innocent creature would stumble onto them. Nightmare was the first to find them, since she feeds on such things. It was her equivalent of winning the lottery, but even with that much power she’s still just a parasite. She needed a host. Which is where a particularly unlucky changeling queen comes in.”

>You decided to put on your clothes from Earth on a whim, and now have your pants belted on as you continue with your questions

“Those are the bugs, right? Do they feed on negative emotions too?”

>”Nope. Just love. But the queens are big and have pointy teeth-“

“Greeeaaat."

“-which I imagine suited Nightmare’s tastes. Not to mention Chrysalis is still mad about the whole thing with the wedding.”

"The wedding?”

>Discord waves his claw dismissively

>”Oh, it’s a heck of a story. Has wife-throwing and mind control. Wild stuff. But I’m not here to tell you stories, boy. Are you ready yet?”

>The gravity of what you’re about to attempt still hasn’t quite sunk in, and you don’t plan on giving it a chance to

“Yeah. Snap your fingers before I start second-guessing.”

>The short, sharp crack rips you through space and the sudden darkness and damp, still air is jarring compared to the calm comfort of your cell

>You fumble in the black until your hand comes to rest on a rough wall of stone and you regain your footing

>Discord speaks again, whispering now

>”Remember. The thing we’re about to meet is neither cute nor cuddly. Or sane. The faster we end this, the better for all.”

>You whisper in response, squinting in a vain attempt to make out anything around you

“Can you give us some light at least?”

>”No. Sorry. I’d rather we get there unannounced.”

>You nearly jump out of your skin as a clawed hand rests on your shoulder, but you realize it’s his.

>”Easy. Just walk slow and steady.”

>After calming yourself, you begin to take probing steps through the tunnel. Your feet knock against crags and bumps, and Discord has to steer you out of the way of a stalagmite

>Or was it a stalactite?

>Whatever

>You feel sweat running down your forehead as nerves begin to kick in

>The air seems to hum, and your heart sinks lower and lower the farther you go

>All you can do is focus on placing your feet on level ground, slowly creeping onward

>After minutes of shuffling through the dark, the path begins to brighten

>But even the light isn’t comforting down here

>The sickly red glow permeates everything it touches, giving you the feeling of being stained

>Discord removes his claw from your shoulder now that visibility has improved

>”Nearly there now.”

>The remainder of the trek is just a straight shot, leading you to the source of the light

>…it’s the orb. The one he showed you

>It looks oddly organic, rooted in the floor of the cavern and pulsing

>It looks like an oyster pearl, except evil

>Discord gestures toward it

>”There. Just put your hands on that and she’ll come running.”

>You try to look more confident than you feel as you stride forwards

>Picturing the faces of all the cute creatures you’ve met in the last few days, you take a deep breath and thrust your hands out onto the sphere’s dark surface

>Instantly, the thing begins to shrink, hissing and popping like a dying fire

>Thoughts that aren’t yours shoot through your mind, just barely registering themselves before vanishing

>Cruel thoughts, furious thoughts, despairing thoughts, every sort of negative emotion batters your brain all at once

>You grit your teeth and try to think of the princesses and Caring

>And then as if that weren’t enough an angry, deafening roar echoes through the tunnel

>Discord’s face is a grim smile, both paws ready to snap

>”She finally noticed. Anonymous, it is my great displeasure to introduce you to Nightmare.”

>You look around frantically, eyes bouncing from the dying globe of wickedness beneath your hands to the dark reaches of the cavern.

“Where is she? Do I really need to keep touching this?!”

>”Yes! It’s the source of her power! If you can reduce it to nothing she’ll be infinitely weaker with just Chrysalis’ resentment to work with!”

“Fuuuuuuuck.”

>You try to press your hands deeper in, but it’s solid

>The endless assault of discarded bad thoughts continues on your mind, and you start to wonder if you’ll go insane from it

>Panic starts to build

>There has to be a way to make it go faster!

>You open your mouth to ask Discord, but another roar cuts you off

>This one is much closer, and the entire cavern shakes

“Hey! You’re gonna cover me, right?! You can’t just let that thing get at me!”

>”I’ll do my best, but I can’t guarantee-“

>That’s as far as he gets

>A huge, screaming shape comes hurtling out of the darkness, and Discord barely teleports out of the way

>It careens through where he stood, landing upright and locking its murderous eyes to yours

>A jagged horn rises from a long, lifeless mane and raggedy wings that look like they shouldn’t work protrude from its back

>But its mouth

>Oh god its fucking mouth

>It opens wide, revealing row upon row of pristine fangs

>It snarls a single word at you

“DIE.”

>The shriek that escapes you as you hurl yourself out of her way isn’t very masculine

>You scramble to your feet just in time for a giant beam of red light to engulf you

>It feels just as bad as touching the orb, but doesn’t do much else

>It dissipates, and you see Nightmare standing across from you with a smoking horn

>She is visibly confused

>…you probably weren’t supposed to survive that

>You snicker despite yourself

“That’s it, huh? That’s all you got?”

>She lets out another scream, glaring bloody murder at you

>”WRETCH! I don’t know or care what you are, I’ll-!”

>There’s a loud snap; then she disappears, and just like that Discord is jostling you back towards the red mass

>”Leave the smack talk for later! Your job is to get rid of that stuff! I’ll handle her!”

>You dash back to the ball of bad vibes and slam your palms down, grimacing at the sensations but prepared for it this time

>You crane your neck to catch a glimpse of what’s going on behind you

>It would be really funny if Nightmare’s rage-filled cries didn’t chill your spine

>The hulking, dark-coated beast flashes out of sight with each snap of Discord’s fingers, only to reappear in a burst of red magic, diving towards you, or Discord, or sometimes trying to feint, all to no avail

>Discord’s breathing hard, but doesn’t seem too worried

>”Hoooooo, wow. If I knew it was going to be this easy I’d have just dragged him here in the first place.”

>Nightmare reappears again, this time standing still and glowering at the both of you

>Even when she’s trying to talk normally it sounds like a the growling of a hell beast

>”What twisted creature have you brought to this world, draconequus? You would go to such extremes to best me?”

>Discord smirks, shrugging his shoulders

>”This was never about ‘besting’ you, Nightmare. You’ve turned into something that can’t live in this world anymore, so I needed something special to get rid of you. No hard feelings.”

>The beast snorts derisively

>”Jest while you can. I have already gained more than enough power. This world, and all others, will be mine. I’ll show you what a fool you were to align yourself with the ponies.”

>”Psssh. Are those your last words? Let’s get this over with then. Anonymous is being welcomed to Canterlot today, and Fluttershy is going to be there. I promised her we’d get donuts after.”

>With a snarl, the magic duel begins anew, and you focus on the dissipating sphere

>Seems like you got all worried over nothing

 

>You’re a guard overseer trying very hard to convince nosy club members that nothing is wrong, so you must be Brass Badge

>Just like Anon said, he wasn’t in his room this morning

>But that left a whole mess of ponies and griffons plus three minotaurs that would be worried about him at breakfast

>”Overseer, you’re sure he’s just a little sick? This is kinda sudden.”

>You take a deep breath and repeat your story once again

“Yes, I’m sure. I don’t know much about how humans work, but Caring Touch does and she’s looking after him. You guys need to just go about your day and he’ll be better in no time. Alright?”

>Caring Touch stood beside you, nodding

>The prisoners still seemed reluctant to buy it though…

>Summer Squall eyes you suspiciously while Steel Trap speaks

>”Well, can’t we see him really quick? No offense, nurse, but being stuck in the infirmary stinks. And this is the second time this week for him!”

>Caring huffs at the declaration, but responds civilly enough

>”No, not yet. He’s very sick and needs his sleep. When he’s ready for visitors, you all will be the first to know. I promise!”

>The weights club members grumble and argue a little longer, but between your impatient stare and the nurse’s insistence, they eventually give up and head off to club

>The nurse sighs, and you turn to face her apologetically

“Thank you for that. I would never have been able to convince them by myself.”

>”It’s no trouble! I’m always happy to help Anon. Did he tell you anything about where he was going?”

“No… And if I’m honest, I’m surprised he told you he was leaving. I assume that means you know his secret, then?”

>She responds slowly

>”…Maybe. He’s told me one or two.”

>Sounds like she probably knows

>Kind of odd, though

>She seems to be taking the knowledge that she’s been living close to an ancient deity pretty well

>…Better than you did, anyway

“Well, that’s fine. Nothing to do but wait.”

>She nods absently, seemingly lost in thought

>You turn to leave, walking back down the halls to begin checking in on all the clubs

>It’s been a long time since you followed your normal schedule

>But even returning to what should have been normalcy for you, it still doesn’t feel right

>You hope he gets back soon

 

>You’re watching Brass Badge disappear around the corner, so you’re Caring Touch

>You’re slowly piecing together what Anon was talking about when he said he wasn’t a god

>Brass Badge thinks he has some kind of secret

>Warden Sharp lets him get away with much, much more than a normal prisoner ever would

>And the biggest, scariest inmates in the prison follow him around like puppies after just a couple of days

>Do some of them think he’s a god? Is that it?

>You snort

>It’s silly, all of it

>Anon is Anon, and as charming as he may be he was no more god than you!

>Which just makes you worry even more now that he’s suddenly disappeared

>How could he have left the prison without raising the alarm?

>What could he possibly be doing?

>Why did he sound so scared?

>You go back into your office and lock the door behind you, trotting over to your desk

>Your medical bag rests on the floor behind it, just beside your chair

>You can’t think of any bump or scrape you can’t fix with its contents

>It’s always there, always prepared

>Now, though, you pull it up onto your desk and sort through the contents

>Suddenly it all seems so… little

>The bandaids are much too small

>The tubes of disinfectant cream seem so trivial

>The small little odds and ends, the little candies for good patients…

>Could you really help him with any of this if he really, really needed it?

>You remember the bag of his blood, still in storage

>You only ever ran the one test on it, most of it’s still there

>Would he need it back?

>You shake your head, laughing at yourself

>Who ever heard of giving back blood?

>But the thought doesn’t go away

>What if he lost some?

>What if he got cut really bad, or got a nosebleed, or got a really nasty scrape on his knee?

>Or worse?

>You can’t even conceive of something worse, but…

>You wander over to your cold storage, the bag in your magical grip before you know it

>You gently set it somewhere it can be grabbed quickly, just in case

>Just in case…

 

>You-

>”Get back here, you little coward!”

>You’re-

>”LET ME DEVOUR YOU!”

“Catch me first, lard ass!”

>You’re sprinting through an underground tunnel system with a gross red ball under your arm and the angriest damn horse you’ve ever seen hot on your tail, so you must be Anonymous

>And holy shit, things went tits up fast

>You’re still not entirely sure what happened to Discord, but you can remember what looked like space tearing open and him shouting for you to run before getting sucked into it

>The orb had shrunk down to the size of a beach ball, and you had no intention of finding out where the expanding wormhole lead

>So here you are

>Setting a new personal land speed record as you book it through the dark tunnels, only the light of Nightmare’s hurled red bolts of bad vibes to light your way

>”You will not escape! Your very soul is mine! Your own wickedness will fuel my powers-“

“Do you ever shut the fuck up?! Once this orb is all the way gone, you are dead as dirt you oversized bug-”

>”You will die slowly for your insolence-!“

“I dare you bitch!!”

>”I WILL EAT YOU, YOU LITTLE SHIT!!”

>You feel a set of oversized chompers snap shut just shy of your hamstrings

>Adrenaline floods your veins and you put on a burst of speed, desperate to get some distance on the fanged horror behind you

>You can’t just keep running like this, but if there are any other options you can’t see them

>…Wait

>This stretch of the cave is starting to look familiar

>If you remember, there’s a bit up ahead where the path splits

>Both roads reconvene after a short distance

>A half-assed plan forms

>Well, it’s better than continuing the chase

>Here goes nothing!

>The fork you were counting on appears, and you hurl your crimson cargo down one path and then bolt down the other, hoping Nightmare cares more about recovering the orb than teaching you a lesson

>There’s a confused exclamation, then laughter as she goes down the other road

>Got her

>You slow down slightly since you’re now moving in complete darkness, but she also won’t see you coming now

>Unless she can see in the dark

>…Well, too late for a new plan

>You trail your hand along the left wall, waiting for the paths to rejoin

>Nightmare talking to herself also helps your navigation

>”Hahaha! To think he’d willingly drop it. A pity. I’d hoped for a little more sport.”

>Don’t worry, ugly. The match has just begun

>The wall disappears, and you hear heavy hooves striking stone right next to you

>You hurl yourself into her at a low angle, and the high-pitched shriek she lets out as her legs are swept from under her gives you a moment of smug satisfaction

>And now, the ruck

>You drop your entire body weight onto her and hear her gasp as the breath leaves her

>Your hands hurriedly seek out her throat and your fingers tighten around her airway

>You lean into it so she can’t raise her head up to bite you

>Checkmate, for now

>Her horn erupts with light and you see a telekinetic aura fizzle and waver against your skin as it fails to take hold

>The light is just enough to show the abject disbelief in her eyes

>You snort

“Can dish it but can’t take it. Should have guessed.”

>She thrashes with her legs now, front ones trying to get at your face while her rear ones lash out at your back

>She gets a couple decent hits it, but your will is strong

>You aren’t letting go until it’s over

>Her swings and kick get more and more desperate

>Tears start to flow from her eyes, but you stay composed

>You’d have to be retarded to cave for tears at this point, even if they’re real

>…

>That’s odd, is she getting smaller?

>You feel like her teeth are less prominent now too…

>You squint in the darkness, trying to make sure of what you’re seeing

>”Magnificent.”

>The silken whisper sends a jolt through you, and you almost completely release your grip in panic

>But even in your moment of laxity, the monster below you doesn’t escape

>It only draws a ragged, greedy breath, feebly trying to push your hands further away

>It’s not even much of a monster anymore

>You were right

>She is smaller, weaker, more in line with what you’ve come to expect of denizens of Equestria

>The voice in the dark murmurs on

>”Just when I thought the insect was the best I could expect… You are the host I have so longed for. A wellspring of cold, disdainful ire, so pure these weak little creatures cannot even conceive of it. And so much more. Let the orb rot down here. Why rely on centuries of leftovers when I have a cornucopia in front of me?”

>Somehow, the cave gets even darker

>You’re on your feet, your erstwhile victim forgotten, whirling as you try to watch every direction at once

“Just you fucking try it. You can’t do a thing to me!”

>The laughter that comes is oddly familiar

>Like a 2000% less charming version of Luna’s giggles

>”To your flesh, perhaps.”

>Something brushes your arm and your retaliatory haymaker sails through empty air

>All over, from every angle, little touches and prods

>You frantically scrub the skin on your arms and shake your legs, stumbling, trying to both find your way in the stygian black and get rid of the hair-raising caresses

>With a hand on the wall, you try to run, but something seizes your head as you kick off

>You shout and scream, profanity erupting from your mouth as if to make up for almost five days of speaking cleanly

>Nightmare’s cackling fills your ears and mind

>”More! More foulness! More rage! More fear! FEED ME!”

 

>A shiver runs down your spine, and you shudder

>Goodness, you hope it isn’t a cold

>A nurse getting sick would set a bad example!

>You are once more Caring Touch, and you’re also worried

>It’s been hours, and Anon still isn’t back! You had to put his blood back in the fridge!

>You’ve been kept busy keeping surly weights club members out of your infirmary, and that Summer Squall keeps looking at you as if he knows that you’re lying!

>You can’t take this anymore!

>If Brass Badge doesn’t know where he is, you’re going to bother him until he thinks up some possibilities!

>Resolute, you quickly peek out the door to make sure nopony’s there to see you leave before quickly locking up and running down the hall towards the other staff offices

>Upon reaching his door, you barge right in, ready to bother!

“Overseer, as Anon’s nurse, I demand you tell me-“

>Your voice dies midsentence

>Three pairs of eyes stare back at you

>One belongs to an abashed Brass Badge

>The other two belong to the rulers of all Equestria

“I… ah… I’m s-sorry to interrupt…”

>Princess Luna’s cool, imperious voice cuts you off

>”Close the door and come inside.”

>You hastily comply

>The Princesses are seated on the carpet, but they’re so tall they’re at the same height as the Overseer on his chair

>Princess Celestia sips from a cup of tea

>”What is your name, my little pony?”

“C-Caring Touch, your majesty.”

>You try to keep the shakes out of your voice while you respond

>The next question comes from Princess Luna

>”You said you were Anonymous’ nurse?”

“Yes! Well, I’m every inmate’s nurse. But still!”

>Princess Luna smiles

>Wow…

>You’d heard stories, but her mane really does look like the night sky… Pretty…

>”I applaud your service to him, Caring Touch. Did you need something?”

“Oh, I wanted to know where he is! He’s been gone all day!”

>The princesses exchange a glance, and Princess Celestia shoots a look at Brass Badge

>That’s the first time you’ve ever seen him flinch…

>”I believe his absence was meant to be a secret…?”

>”I-It is, my princess! The only ponies who know are in this room!”

>The royals both turn to look at you, and it’s your turn to flinch

>The words come spilling out, and you’re amazed you don’t fumble over them

“I was told that inmate Anonymous wouldn’t be in the prison today. I was asked to help convince the other inmates that he was confined to the infirmary. I didn’t receive an explanation. I have no idea how he got out, even.”

>Princess Luna sighs

>”Nor do we, child. Gone to some great endeavor. But did he have to leave so soon?”

>”He will return, little sister. He promised.”

>”I never doubted that! I meant only that he could have waited until tomorrow…”

>Wow…

>You’ve never seen this side of the princesses before

>Well, you’ve also just never seen them before, ever

>But that is a positively pouty look on Princess Luna’s face!

>It’s so nice of them to worry about him like this

>Wait, they knew this would happen? How?

>Before you can ask, Princess Celestia responds

>”I know. And even though he wished to go alone, he did not forbid me from trying to locate him.”

>”No, but… How would you do it?”

>”Why, like this!”

>The solar princess’ horn blazes, filling the room with light, and you feel a wave of magic wash over you

>You shield your eyes with a hoof

>Can she really find Anonymous like this?

>You don’t know very much about the princess’ magical abilities, but if anypony can do it, you guess it would be her!

>After a few minutes, the light fades, and Princess Celestia is beaming happily

>”I felt him! He is still on our plane!”

>Princess Luna clops her front hooves excitedly

>”Well done, Sister! Where?”

>”Luna...”

>”It will be alright as long as he does not see me! I must go! Now tell me!”

>”Shan’t~!”

>”Celestia, if you have any desire to be able to so much as SEE him when he returns-“

>A loud snap cuts off their conversation and makes you jump

>…goodness, what in the world is that?

>The floaty-snake with mixed-up-legs speaks, and he doesn’t sound happy

>”What did you just do?!”

>Princess Luna harrumphs, standing up on her tippy-hooves to glare into it’s face

>”I fail to see how that concerns you, Discord. Watch your tone.”

>So that’s Discord…

>”It’s got everything to do with me! Ugh, this is getting so out of hand. She’s sure to come here now!”

>You’re confused

>The Overseer is confused

>Even the princesses are confused!

>Princess Celestia stands up, the tip of her horn brushing the ceiling of the office

>”What are you talking about? What’s going on?”

>”I’ve blundered. Horribly. That’s the short answer. Where are the girls? Don’t tell me you didn’t call them over to Canterlot.”

>”I did, but-“

>”Are they in the castle?”

>”In my antechamber, now will you-“

>”I’ll be back in a minute. Don’t move!”

>With another snap, he’s gone

>What in the world is happening?

>You’re starting to feel a little afraid…

>The moon princess snorts

>”We ought to turn him back into a statue for a while. To correct his demeanor.”

>The sun princess purses her lips

>”I’ve never seen him so… anxious before. What could have happened?”

>There’s another snap, and Discord returns, with six younger mares you’ve never seen before, and what looks like a dragon, and they’re all talking at once, and you’re starting to get a headache…

>Oh, forget it!

“EXCUSE ME!!”

>…you weren’t quite prepared for having that many eyes on you, but you’re tired of being ignored!

>You point a hoof at the floaty snake

“Sir! I don’t know your business at this prison, but if you insist that there is something scary headed our way, then as prison staff my first and only priority is ensuring the safety of everypony in this building. Adding six young girls to take care of is NOT helping! I suggest that you remove them from the premises, along with yourself. We have our own safety measures for things like this. Right, Overseer?”

>Brass Badge is wide-eyed

>”R-Right! Absolutely. Nurse Touch is correct. Uh, but before you go, what exactly is supposed to be coming here?”

>Everypony turns to look at the levitating antler-snake, and Princess Luna sounds like she’s about to throw something

>”Discord, for goodness’ sake, what have you done?”

>He drags a paw across his face, takes a deep breath, and an avalanche of words comes out

>…

>……

>………

>…Oh no… Anon!!

>How could this happen?! How could Discord expose him to something like that?!

>The six girls are just confused, but both princesses look like the sky just caved in

>You can’t say you’re doing much better

>What can you do? Is there even anything you can do in this situation?

>He’s not Anon anymore

>What if he’s never Anon again?

>No, that can’t be possible!

>”Alright. Can we all agree that we need to act now? Don’t look at me like that, you two. I did this, and I’ll fix this. Twilight, you and the girls come with me.”

>Discord starts herding the younger mares out of the office

>After a moment you follow them

>Discord looks down at you, studying you briefly before he speaks

>”It’s gonna be scary, nursey. You might want to get to safety while you can.”

“It’s already scary! And it sounds like it might be dangerous. Even more reason for a nurse to be there.”

>He shrugs

>”Suit yourself.”

>You will!

>You’ll do just that, and when this is all over, you’re going to give him a piece of your mind for getting Anon all tangled up in this harebrained scheme!

>…Although if it weren’t for him, Anon would never have come here…

>Alright. You’ll only give him a light reprimand instead

>You follow them a little while before remembering you don’t have your first aid kit

>Fortunately, your office isn’t far away!

>Dashing down a side corridor, you quickly unlock the door and levitate the bag over, its strap falling around your shoulder

>You remember the bag of blood in the cold storage, and hesitate, but you have no way to keep it cool in your bag

>B-Besides, you won’t need it!

>Right?

>A small, whispering doubt lingers in your mind as you barrel back the way you came and around the corner, the group you were following now out of sight

>But you know where they were going

>This is the way to the prison yard

 

>…

>…you are…

>Who are you again?

>You were doing something just now, but now you’re doing something else

>You’re tunneling up.

>Why? What’s up there?

>Ponies. Those insufferable, happy little mongrels.

>You’ll hurt them. All of them.

>You’ll show them what real pain is.

>…

>No, that’s not right…

>Why would you want to hurt ponies?

>Something’s wrong with you

>You can’t remember why, but something about that last thought just seems off…

>Your head is...

>OUR head.

>Our?

>Yes. Our. You and I are one and the same.

>But… Hurting ponies is…

>Shhhhhh. They’ll never understand you. You’d spend the rest of your life lying to them, playing pretend. But I understand you. I understand the way you look down on them. I understand the way you laugh at their silly little minds. They’re children. Even the oldest among them. And we’ll make them grow up. Together.

>…Together…

>Yes. You and me. None can stop us.

>…You’re almost there

>You feel it

 

>You’ve put the prison on lockdown at the behest of Equestrian royalty and have no idea what’s going on, so you’re Warden Sharp

>You’re currently chasing your special somepony down the hall

“Brass! Please wait! What’s going on? I have so many questions!”

>”There’s no time! I promise we’ll all sit down and figure this out afterwards, but I have to get out there!”

“Why? Aren’t the princesses out there? Brass, you’re a brave pony, but how could you help them?”

>He wavers at that, slowing down his gallop

>”I…”

>You finally catch up, grabbing him and pulling him to a stop

“Talk to me. Please. Don’t try to do everything yourself.”

>”…You’re right. I don’t really think that there’s anything I can do. But I should be there. Anon’s in trouble. Even if I can’t help, I can’t just run away.”

“Then let’s go together.”

>”Right. I’m sorry. I just- It’s so crazy. This feels like a bad dream.”

>Both of you continue running down the hallway leading to the courtyard

>Long windows sit at regular intervals, and you get a peek through one as you pass

>You can see a group of ponies you can’t quite identify, what must be the princesses, a flying snake, and something else

>It takes you a few seconds to get to the next window

>When you finally get there, you look outside only to be blinded by a flash of multicolored light, and you hear a loud, ear-piercing shriek

>What in the world was that?! Is somepony hurt?

>You and Brass burst through the door leading outside and gallop over to where the small group you saw earlier stands

“B-Brass? Is THAT Anonymous?”

>The thing you’re looking at certainly has the same body shape

>But…

>You feel a nasty mix of sick and horrified just looking at it

>A mouth full of pointy teeth

>Nails grown into sharp talons

>Those tiny eyes turned to cold blue orbs, and hair turned into a long, flowing dark cloud

>His coatless skin turned a dark, ashen hue, and his voice warped beyond recognition as he speaks

>”Ha…Hahahaha…HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! What now, Celestia?! How will you stop me now?! Your Elements are nothing in the face of my new vessel!”

>The Elements? The Elements of Harmony?! THEM?!

>Goodness, you’d heard rumors that they were young, but…

>The six mares in question look terribly frightened

>One speaks

>”P-Princess Celestia, what’s happening?! Why didn’t it work?!”

>To her credit, Princess Celestia can stay calm even now, when she looks like she could cry any second

>”Twilight, move back. All of you flee.”

>The six… no, seven little ponies hesitate

>You didn’t notice before, but Caring Touch is among them

>And a little dragon?

>They’re brave, you’ll give them that

>If it wasn’t for this taking place in your very own prison, and one of your own prisoners being the victim, you’d be running for the hills right now

>You’re about to try and ask them to follow you inside when the snake thing speaks

>”No. Stay close by. Celestia, she can’t be immune-“

>”Silence, Discord! This is your fault!”

>Princess Luna’s roaring retort startles everyone even more than they already were

>”Yeah, thanks, I know! But the girls are our only shot at getting her out of his body! We just need to keep hitting her until she’s forced out. Not even his reserve of wicked thoughts is bottomless.”

>”YOU DARE-?!”

>”Oh please, Luna. You’re the root of like half of them anyway.”

>You aren’t sure why the Moon Princess suddenly quieted down at that, or why she seems a little happy about it

>But the thing that was Anonymous doesn’t let the chatter go on anymore

>The younger girls shriek as it lunges forward, but Discord snaps and suddenly it’s facing the wrong direction

>He bellows to you and Brass

>”Keep the girls away until they’re ready!”

>You hurry over and shoo them towards the building as the battle begins

>The six younger mares and the dragon don’t need much encouragement

>Caring Touch, however, remains rooted in place, staring with teary eyes and hooves clasped over her mouth

>You gently shake her and nudge her towards the building, but even then, she moves in a daze

>Brass also lingers, gnawing his lip as he stares at the clashing powers

>You grasp his hoof with yours

“We need to go, hun.”

>”B-But! I can’t just leave him like that. Everything he’s done for me, for us-“

“Oh, Brass, I know how you feel but we can’t stay here. All we can do is keep those little fillies safe.”

>Your big, brave head guard groans sadly

>You both turn and run, catching up to Caring Touch and hustling her along

>Her tears are infectious

>You feel yourself welling up at the thought of poor Anon getting wrapped up in something so horrible, and you think you hear Brass choke back a sob as the three of you rush indoors

>You pull the door closed behind you, and look down the hall to see the Elements huddled around a window, watching the fight outside

>You tentatively trot up, Brass and Caring behind you

“Ladies, I know this must be frightening, but will you be, uh, ready soon?”

>You aren’t entirely certain what Discord meant

>Instead of responding, the purple unicorn mutters to herself

>”Incredible. I’ve never seen anything with so much resistance to magic. Discord is right, it’s impossible that it had no effect, but it could take who-knows-how-many attempts to show change. I wonder if that’s a trait inherent to all humans, or just him…”

“Er… Miss…?”

>She doesn’t respond, but the other unicorn does, after a moment

>”Oh, do excuse us. This is all a bit sudden.”

>She rises from her place at the window and trots over to you

>”My name is Rarity. My studious friend here is Twilight Sparkle, and in seated order they are Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie. Again, please excuse us. May I have your name?”

“No, not at all! I completely understand. I’m Warden Sharp. I know even less about what’s going on than you do. I was hoping you could tell me when you’ll be able to… do whatever it is you’re supposed to do.”

>”I confess I haven’t the faintest idea. We have never encountered something that needed more than one attempt.”

“I-I see.”

>”Oh, but not to worry, Miss Warden. We’re quite adept with things like this.”

>Rarity takes a seat by the window again, and gestures for you to do the same.

>You oblige, turning to observe as well

>…

>Goodness, what a spectacle

>The two princesses are in the air, circling as Discord darts in and out of space

>The slim, dark figure rants and roars, hurling bolts of red light that are met with yellow and blue magical blasts, or redirected with a snap of draconequus fingers

>You feel Brass sit next to you, and you lean your head on his shoulder

>As frightening as this all is, it’s hard to feel scared with him here

>…

>Wait a moment, where’s Caring?

>You lean back to look over at her, and nearly jump when you realize you left the poor dear crying by herself!

>You’re about to go tend to her when one of the Elements passes by so quietly it startles you

>What is she doing?

 

>You are a hair’s breadth from breaking down and bawling like a foal, so you must be Caring Touch

>You’re leaned against the wall a little way from everypony else

>A nurse shouldn’t be seen like this, but-! It’s so awful!

>The face it made when it lunged at you was like a sick, twisted parody of Anon’s smile

>You should have tried harder, when it was just the two of you in his room

>Maybe you could have convinced him to give up!

>Maybe this could have all been averted!

>You start coming undone, sobbing quietly

>You’ve never felt this sad before; your heart feels like an iron weight

>Through the mist of tears in your eyes, you see a faint pink and yellow blob

>You quickly drag a hoof across your eyes and behold a pegasus sitting in front of you quietly

>It’s so quiet that it takes a moment to register, but you realize she’s speaking to you

>”What’s wrong? Are you injured?”

>You keep your response hushed to match

“N-No.”

>You can’t get out anything more than that, every word threatens to come out as a wail

>”Are you crying because of that prison inmate?”

“…Yes.”

>”I-I’m sorry. I know watching a friend suffer hurts.”

>She reaches out and takes one of your front hooves

>”I’ll stay here with you. When you’re sad it’s better to talk about it and cry openly. I-If you don’t mind. Maybe.”

>You can’t help but stare, open-mouthed

>Is she a nurse too?

>You’ve never met her before, never so much as seen her, and she’s still willing to sit here and listen to you bawl about stuff that’s out of your control

>She reminds you of Anon, in a way

“I… I care about that prisoner. A lot. He made me feel a way I’ve never felt before. And played with me. And scratched my ears. And rubbed my back and told me secrets and made all his friends smile including me but now he’s-! Now he’s-!”

>Your words run together, and a sob keeps you from finishing your sentence

“And the worst part-! The worst part is! All his friends think he’s too strong to be hurt, he’s too tough, or- or something silly like he can’t get hurt at all even if something bad happens to him, but he can! And I can’t tell anypony why, because I promised I’d never! It’s so awful and they’re so silly for believing that anything that can feel can’t be hurt but I can’t tell them! And even if I did, what-“

>Oh no

“What-“

>Here it comes

“WHAT GOOD WOULD IT DO NOW?!”

>You can’t keep yourself quiet anymore

>You wail as you fling your forelegs around the startled pegasus, sobbing into her shoulder

>She’s only spooked for a second though, and begins patting you and murmuring reassuringly

>Your outburst drew all the others to you

>”Who’d ya find there, Shy?”

>”She’s the prison nurse, I think. She’s very, um, worried about the possessed prisoner.”

>”Aw, well heck. Ah admire her dedication! Reckon we gotta get back out there.”

>”Yeah, I’ve had enough of hiding already! Let’s get back out there and kick his butt!”

>You twitch at that

>The kind pony hugging you tenses nervously

>”R-Rainbow, you shouldn’t say something like that-“

>You rise, rubbing the tears out of your eyes quickly before looking at Rainbow

>She takes one a slightly defensive tone as you make eye contact

>”…What?”

>You keep your response cool and professional

>You admire these girls from the bottom of your heart for being the Elements and having to deal with stuff like this all the time, but there’s still something that needs to be established

“You can go out there and kick that thing’s butt all you want. But when it goes back to being Anonymous, you let me take over. Okay?”

>The blue pegasus looks really hard at you for a moment, squinting into your eyes as she zooms close

>You squint right back

>She laughs

>”You go it! Hey, what’s your name?”

“Caring Touch!”

>”It’s good to meet ya, Caring. We’ll go get your prisoner back.”

>You smile, and are about to reply when a very excited purple unicorn begins shooing everybody towards the door

>”This is it! He’s distracted! Come on, girls!

>They charge out the door, and you follow, with Warden and the Overseer close behind

>Please hang on, Anon!

 

>You are…

>You still can’t quite remember

>But there’s something wrong with you, you’re sure of that now

>The flash comes again, and the other voice roars

>But all you feel is warmth, with images of little happy creatures flitting through your mind

>Their names come back to you as you look at them

>So why can’t you remember your own?

>The other voice is in control right now; she hasn’t spoken to you since the fight began

>But you’re certain that you are not the same

>The lights hurt her

>…

>Something else changed after the last flash

>You don’t fully understand it, but you can see now

>Earlier you could only feel the sensation of the earth parting around you, and the eerie feeling of your body moving without your input

>Now, you can see a field

>Luna and Celestia, and Discord

>You don’t recognize most of the others, but Brass, Warden, and Caring are there

>Your right hand hurls a bolt of light at the group of ponies, but it’s thankfully deflected by something

>You attempt to pull your hands back down to your sides

>Your arms twitch and waver, and you feel like they’re being pulled upward by something

>The other voice is back

>Stop interfering! This is what we came together to do!

>Stop lying

>What?!

>There’s no way we’re the same

>We are! We are one!

>LIAR!

>The struggle that begins is bizarre, to say the least

>Your body trembles and stumbles as two opposing wills clash, and you hear a clamor from the others around you

>Those voices are muffled by the sounds of your own pulse thundering in your ears as every muscle on your body spasms

>You feel like you might tear yourself apart

>Your fingers claw through the grass, and you feel someone try to lift your head up to look at your face

>The eye you can see out of locks with another the color of blue topaz, followed by the sound of a far-off gasp

>”Sister, look at his eye!”

>There’s a moment’s pause, and then an amethyst iris commands your vision

>Then a different voice calls

>”All of you, again!"

>The other redoubles her efforts, and your arms spasm as they try to seize hold of the alicorns near you

>You focus all your limited awareness into preventing that from happening, and the result is an awkward, lurching shove as you push Luna away

>But she doesn’t stay away, the silly pony

>”----, can you hear me?”

>…what? What was that first word-

>”You are stronger than she is, my heart! I know it! You must try to remember!”

>Listen to her. Listen to how she revers you.

>No

>She reveres a lie. You called me a liar earlier. Aren’t you one too?

>Shut up

>Aren’t you? Aren’t WE?

>Get out of my head

>You know it’s true.

>Even if it is, so what?!

>…

>Even if I’m not really what she thinks I am, I’ll become it for her sake

>You’re deluded.

>Just like you

>The shriek of frustration puts a smile on your face

>Then the warmth washes over you again, and this time you’re able to see the rainbow descending on you

>More memories

>Your first encounter with Warden, Dreamwalking with Luna, napping with Celestia, lifting weights with Brass and everybody, Caring keeping you company whenever you were in the infirmary, and her hearing your confession

>You feel Nightmare’s grip on you loosen even further

>You remember her name

>You feel like you’re close to yours

>NO!

>Die mad about it, parasite

>I WILL NOT, I WILL NOT BE BESTED AGAIN!

>Bit late for that

>Another shriek deafens you from within your own head, but suddenly cuts out

>You clap your hands over your ears and groan at the ringing noise left over

>…

>Wait

>You couldn’t do that a second ago

>What happe-

>Your train of thought is launched into space by two alicorns tackling you to the ground, sobbing

>”Anonymous! Thank the stars, I feared so horribly when I learned what had happened!”

>”We’re both so glad you’re safe! As for the one who caused all this…”

>The two sisters turn to glare at Discord, who’s still smiling at you

>”Hey, kid. Sorry about earlier.”

>”Is that all you have to say for yourself, you insufferable lout?! Elements! Return him to his stone prison! Let the pigeons rest on him for a century!”

>”Discord, I’m disappointed in you. I really believed you’d turned over a new leaf!”

>You quiet your two princesses with a well-timed ear scratch

“Easy, there. I volunteered for this. It just got… a little out of control.”

>You stand up, and look at Discord

“Is that it? Is it over?”

>”As much as I’d love it to be, no. I’m sure you could tell. She wasn’t forced out of you. She let go of you.”

>Oh no

>That does seem to fit what you felt, though

>You were just suddenly back to being you, and she disappeared without getting hit by that flash again…

“But that means she’s-“

>”Yep. We still got a bit of work to do.”

>Discord quickly introduces you to the Elements of Harmony

>You have to gently ward off a VERY inquisitive purple unicorn, but Luna and Celestia eventually get her to calm down.

>The rest of them seem to be in awe of you

>Brass trots up and gives you a pat on the leg

>”I knew you’d be okay! Welcome back, Anon.”

>You kneel to ruffle his mane

“Good to be back, Brass. Wasn’t even away for a day and I missed it.”

>Warden and Caring gallop over a moment later, with the nurse launching herself at you in a teary cannonball-hug while Warden takes a more reserved approach

>”Anooooooon!! I- *hic* I was so scared! I thought-! I thought you might-!”

>”Oh, I’m so relieved, Anon. How in the world did you get wrapped up in such dangerous business?”

>You whisper reassurance to Caring, giving her a hug in return as you respond to Warden

“I’ll tell you all about it sometime. But things are still dangerous. You guys need to stay close, alright?”

>You stand up, Caring still in your arms, and she leans close to whisper

>”Anon. I saw the princesses hug you… Are they…?”

>You wince internally

“Well… Yeah. They’re the two mares you smelled back then.”

>She wilts

>”I… I see… Wow.”

“I told you that you wouldn’t believe me.”

>Caring is silent at that

>You guess this is all a lot to take in for the poor girl

>You give her a reassuring ear scratch as you stand up, carrying her towards the prison

>Discord floats in above you, and the princesses flank you on either side

>The gaggle of smaller ponies follows behind

>Your chaotic benefactor speaks

>”She can’t move far through daylight. She’d need somewhere to hide until nightfall. And there’s only one place near here she could find it.”

>He points at the prison building

>You mentally prepare yourself for round two

 

>You’re an incredibly disheartened nurse, so you must be Caring Touch

>The princesses like Anon too

>You almost couldn’t believe it, but this is Anon we’re talking about

>Who couldn’t love such a sweet guy? And those hands? And tiny little eyes? And smile?

>Still, you won’t give up!

>You’ll make them let you into the cuddle group!

>Even if they say no, you’ll keep trying!

>You’ll hold your breath until they say yes if you have to!

>Your clench your hoof in determination and look at the princesses with a burning gaze

>Princess Luna notices and raises an eyebrow

>”Er, are you alright, little one? You seem perturbed.”

>Does that mean mad? You don’t know. You hope it does

>She continues

>”There is no cause for fear. With myself, my sister, and the Elements here, Nightmare cannot hope to triumph. Place your trust in us.”

>You can’t stay mad at that kind smile, even though you really want to

>You motion her closer, and she leans an ear towards you

>You whisper to her

“Don’t protect me. Protect Anon. I don’t want that to ever happen again.”

>She nuzzles you and whispers in return

>”And it never shall. So long as Anonymous is in my sight, he will never suffer. But your dedication to him continues to impress me, Caring Touch. Would you agree to be his royal physician, when this is all over?”

>You gasp, drawing attention from the owner of the arms holding you

>Anon takes a break from talking with Discord to turn his head to you

>”What are you two whispering about?”

>Princess Luna levitates you over to her, and lowers you down to walk at her side

>”’Tis a secret~.”

“Y-Yeah! It’s a secret, Anon. We’re having a mare talk!”

>You turn back to the moon princess, and she lowers her head back down to whisper range

>”And?”

“Yes! I’d love to!”

>”As I’d hoped. You are the only one who has ever tended to him, and I can tell he thinks much of you.”

>Not as much as you’d like

>But you’ll get there eventually

 

>You’re overqualified to be a prison guard but feel more than a little underqualified for this situation, so you must be Brass Badge

>Just listening to Anon and Discord talk is making your head spin

>”What happened back in the tunnels? That… thing she did. With the wormhole.”

>”Oh, that. Well, Nightmare seems to have figured out a good way to stall me. She sent me to another dimension.”

>”Couldn’t you just snap yourself back?”

>”That’s the trick to it. My being is tied to this world, so I can’t really be destroyed. But I can only assume a physical form here. I can see into other dimensions, yours included, but I can’t really exist there. And I can’t use my powers if I can’t snap. That’s one of my limits.”

>”…So how did you get back?”

>”Just as I said. I’m bound to this world. I’m eventually forced back if I stay out too long. Good thing too, or else I may not have been able to come back at all.”

>That’s really scary. Gods sure have it rough…

>Eventually all the immortal creatures in the room start talking about how you’re all going to find Nightmare

>That conversation is much easier to understand

>Soon, you and Warden are headed to her office to use the PA system to begin moving prisoners outside, where they’ll be safe in the sun

>Assuming she hasn’t found somebody to possess yet

>You scratch your chin as you watch Warden make the announcement

>Who would Nightmare go for, out of all the prisoners here? Surely not just any old pony. Probably one of the black suits

>You’ll go check on them. They have to be escorted from their cells anyways

>You wait for Sharp to finish her announcement before speaking

“I’m going to go start moving the black suits. I’ll meet you outside.”

>”Oh no you won’t, mister. What did I tell you earlier? We’re going together.”

“But… It’s dangerous! I don’t want you to-“

>Warden Sharp stomps over to you, placing a hoof over your muzzle

>”Brass Badge. I’ve already had a prisoner get possessed while I wasn’t looking today. If you think I’m going to let that happen to the pony I care most about in the whole world, you’ve got another think coming.”

>You harrumph, adjusting your hat to give yourself an excuse to hide your face

“…Just…stay close to me, okay? No matter what happens.”

>”Always.”

>Gosh dang it, this isn’t the time to be mushy!

>Warden giggles at you as you whirl around and march out of the office. She catches up after a moment, side pressed to yours

>The halls are a buzz of activity, as prisoners stream out for an “extended recess.”

>The crowd parts around the two of you as you make your way to the black suit block

>The two guards at the entrance snap to attention at the sight of you

>”Good afternoon, sir and ma’am! I guess you’re here to move the black suits out to their enclosure?”

“That’s right, Padlock. Start moving ‘em out.”

>”Yes sir!”

>Padlock joins the both of you as you pass through the door, and runs down the hall ahead of you, shouting orders

>The guards start congregating in the hall, escorting the black suits out in groups of two or three

>With both you and Warden there, the process goes smoothly

>You like to think that it’s going to stay that way, but you can’t shake this feeling…

>It’s the same feeling you got before that last mission with the guard

>You move further into the wing until you arrive at your destination

>Your gut tells you that if Nightmare is anywhere in the prison, she’s here

>In Alexei’s cell

>You knock

>”Inmate Blackbeak, it’s time for recess. Stand away from the door.”

>A standard precaution when dealing with black suit cells. Wouldn’t want the inmate to get hit by the door when it opens

>But there’s no response

>You feel your hackles rise

“Sharp, keep back.”

>”Hm? Why?”

“Please. Just in case.”

>She looks at you questioningly, but relents

>She gives you a little nuzzle before moving to the other side of the hall

>The brief touch gives you courage for what you’re sure is on the other side of the door

>As quick as you can manage, you swing the door open and leap in, ready for anything. You’ll lock yourself in here with him, if you must!

>The room is dark, and a shape rests on the cot in the corner

>You trot softly across the room, dread filling your stomach

>Finally, you come within poking distance and do so

>The sleeping griffon stirs, and you tense

>”Mmmph. What?”

>Huh. His voice sounds normal at least

“The entire prison is going on an extended recess, Alexei. Blacksuits included. Time to wake up.”

>He rises, blinking blearily at you in the low light

>”An extended recess? Whatever for? I’d rather nap…”

“Then nap in the sun. Come along.”

>He grumbles, but gets up without much other fuss

>That’s strange… You were so sure Nightmare would choose him…

>Your gut’s never been wrong before, but you guess there’s a first time for everything

>You shepherd your charge out into the hallway, where Warden rejoins you

>”Brass, your feelings make me happy, but I work here too. I can handle myself. There’s no need to be so uptight.”

“I know you can, I just… thought something was going to happen. Well, never mind. Let’s go.”

>Another guard falls in step with the two of you as you lead the griffon noble to the other end of the hallway, where the door to the black suit outside area awaits

>You still can’t shake the feeling that you’re making a mistake

>Warden whispers to you as you walk

>"It'll be alright, Brass. You'll see."

>She squeezes your hoof, and you do your best to keep your blush from showing

>Alexei speaks icily, interrupting the moment

>"Is it too much to ask for a bit of decency? I'd expect better from prison staff than holding hooves in public."

>You and Warden quickly separate

>It’s bad form for a Warden and Guard Overseer to be seen doing stuff like that, but you just…

>You scratch the back of your head

>You continue through the black suit wing until you pass the door to the basement

>No one has gone in for as long as you’ve been here, on account of it being spooky down there

>Dark basements are a leading cause of distress in pony households. It’s very easy to spook yourself or stub a hoof in the dark!

>In the most severe cases, like the prison’s, it’ll be so dark that not even repairponies will go down there, resulting in permanent darkness and loss of the ability to use the space

>You shake your head sadly

>It’s a shame to see part of the prison go to waste like that, but what can you do?

>”Where does that door lead?”

>The abrupt question pulls you out of your thoughts

>Alexei has stopped moving forward, waiting for an answer

“The basement. It is off limits and will be for the foreseeable future. Move along.”

>He does not. He stands in place, eyeing the door as if he might try to open it

>”Why is that?”

>You huff. This griffon always grinds your gears. You wish you could get Anon to do whatever he did to him again

“None of your business. Now would you get a move on?“

>”Now, Brass!”

>Warden steps forward, resting a hoof on your shoulder.

>”That’s no way to speak to an inmate. Let me show you!”

>Warden puts on a bright smile, approaching Alexei calmly

>”Alexei, will you please come with us? That basement is dark and lonely, everypony else will be outside. And can I just say I’m incredibly pleased with your recovery? I was worried about your feathers growing back after your scuffle with Anonymous, but it looks like you’re back to normal!”

>…Wait. Something is wrong. The feeling came back!

>But what? There’s nobody else here except Warden, Alexei, and the guard who came along

>You twist your head around as Warden continues to speak, wracking your brain

>”Yes, well… I found a helping talon, you see. But the basement sounds just lovely. Why don’t you show me around, little pony?”

>It clicks a moment too late

>Feathers don’t grow back that fast, it’s only been a couple days!

“SHARP, RUN!”

>You leap at Alexei, but are swept aside by a huge, shadowy wing as he transforms

>Warden gasps as his beak clamps down on the hem of her uniform like a cat carrying a kitten

>The enlarged, warped creature growls around the mouthful

>”You were, are, and always will be a fool, Brass Badge.”

>It wrenches the door open, Warden shrieking as it scampers down the steps into the shadows.

>”BRASS!”

>You gallop to the doorway, stifling the terror that fills you at the sight of the pitch-black descent.

>The other guard stands stunned, staring at you

>”I- Overseer, I-I’m so sorry, I just froze-“

“Never mind that now. You need to go find Anonymous and bring him here. He should be outside in the courtyard. You got it? As quick as you can!”

>He bolts off down the hall, shrieking Anon’s name

>You just hope he gets here quickly…

>Your hooves tremble at the top of the stairs

>You take one step back

>Then another

>Your breathing quickens, sweat already forming on your brow

>But another wail from below brings you to your senses

>You can’t leave her!

>Rearing up, hooves kicking, you bellow

“I’m coming, Sharp!!”

>You charge down the steps, not giving yourself the chance to stop as you descend

>…

>You keep expecting to suddenly find no more steps beneath you, but these stairs have been going on for a while

>How far down is this basement? This feels unnecessary

>…

>…

>Argh, this is stupid!

>You’ve been running down for who-knows-how-long and still haven’t reached the bottom!

>The endless descent kind of reminds you of the changeling hive

>You grimace at the memory, but then yelp as you suddenly arrive at the end

>Your momentum sends you into a tumble, coming to rest flat on your back

>Groaning, you rub a hoof against the back of your head

>Lucky nobody saw that

>You get to your hooves and dust yourself off

>It’s still super dark, but it seems you’re finally in the basement

>You shuffle forward, slowly waving a hoof around in front of you

“Sharp? Can you hear me?”

>You advance carefully, but nothing blocks your way

>There doesn’t seem to be much in here

>What the heck did they even keep in this basement? It’s so pointlessly huge!

>You continue calling for Sharp and trying to find a wall or a box or something to help you get your bearings

>But there’s nothing

>Your heart starts beating a little quicker, and you start seeing things in the dark

>You hear a ruffling of feathers and you startle, whirling around before remembering that you can’t see anyway

>”I should commend you, I suppose. I honestly thought you would stay up above.”

>That’s that snobby griffon’s voice!

>You growl

“Let the warden go, Alexei. Give her back and I promise I’ll only beat you up a little bit.”

>The callous cackle you get as a response makes you pin your ears back

>”I’m afraid I’m out of your league. In social standing and… well, everything. Perhaps if your memory were not so plebian, you’d recall that you barely delayed me the last time we dueled. Do you really believe you are anything at all to me now, with my new friend?”

“She’s not your friend! She’s not anybody’s friend! You’re being tricked!”

>”Tsk tsk. What a thing to say. She’s made good on all her promises so far. My magnificent plumage, returned. A form with which to tower over ponies, mine. And you, alone and helpless, quivering before me.”

>Only now do you notice yourself shaking, and almost say a swear as you try to make yourself still

>”Your ape friend cannot save you now, you insolent little jailer. I’ll enjoy this thoroughly.”

 

>It’s all you can do to roll out of the way when he swipes at you

>Your cap gets knocked off as you duck under the follow-up swing

>Geez, he’s even faster than before!

>There’s no room for peaceful methods here. Straight to punches!

>You lunge forward, planting your hoof squarely in his ribs

>...He doesn’t even flinch

>That’s not good

>Before you can run you’re swatted across the room with the bat of a talon, slamming into the wall

>Your vision swims

>You think you hit your head

>I-it hurts really bad...

>You shakily get to your hooves as the griffon laughs at you

>”What fun! I hope you can last for a few more blows peasant. Although, I suppose I have an entire prison to torment now... no... the entire world! But I think I’ll start with your princesses and the strange ape. Nightmare tells me that would be best.”

>It’s hard to think

>When you do finally respond, your mouth feels clumsy

“Yer... Yer nuthing... Nuthing to dem... Even if... even if I lose...”

>You were so stupid

>You should have led Warden right back to Anon

>She would have been safe with him and the princesses

>Tears well up in your eyes

>You’ve never been this scared before

>Your knees wobble, and your heart thumps against your ribs

>Is this...

>Is this how you die...?

>You’ve never even thought about your own death before

>But there’s something about the darkness here

>All kinds of horrible thoughts that would never occur to you flood your mind

>You could abandon Warden

>You could beg for mercy

>You could pledge yourself to Nightmare

>You could turn your back on Princess Celestia

>...

>...No

>Even if it hurts...

>Even if you’re scared...

>How could you betray the one mare in the world who loves you? How could you break your promise to the Princess of the Sun?

>A scene replays in your mind

>You kneel in front of the princess in her audience hall, as she taps your shoulder with her horn

>”Brass Badge. Will you promise me that you’ll always protect the ponies of Equestria? Will you promise to uphold the laws of this nation, to be the strength of those who are weak?”

>Your response was instantaneous

“I promise! I’ll never let innocent ponies get hurt while I’m there! I’ll never let the bad guys win!”

>The sight of the princess’ warm smile stayed with you forever after that day

>She tapped her horn to your other shoulder, and said:

>”Then from this day forth, you join the ranks of the Solar Guard. May your heart always be true.”

>She set the helmet on your head

>She made you what you are

>So what if you’re disgraced?

>Even without your trusty armor...

>You clench your teeth, then scream into Alexei’s face

“I’M STILL A GUARD! MY HEART IS STILL TRUE!”

>You keep shouting defiance as you leap at him, latching onto his head and whaling on his face with your hooves

>Completely taken aback, he rears, flailing and screeching as he tries to pry you off of his face

>You cling for all you’re worth, swinging your hooves until your forelegs get sore

>Alexei swings his head around madly. You’re dizzy from the repeated changes in direction, and you feel sick

>Your head feels even worse than it did before

>But still you persist

>Alexei’s face grows bruised and disfigured under your assault

>Can you win? Maybe you can knock him out if you hit him enough!

>You wind up to hit him again-

>Only to let out a shout as an awful pain lances across your flank!

>What-

>What just-?

>You twist your head to look. Alexei’s talons are sunk into your back leg. You don’t have time to react before they clench deeper in

>You howl in pain, losing your grip on his head

>Once again you fly across the room and crash into the wall

>Everything hurts

>You can’t see right

>The fear comes back

>Alexei says nothing. You only hear his talons clacking against the floor

>...You hope his face stays bruised forever

>And that dying doesn’t hurt

>You don’t want any more pain

 

>For the first time in what feels like forever, you are Warden Sharp

>You fell asleep after Alexei grabbed you, and had the strangest dream!

>Nobody respected you anymore, not even the guards!

>It made you so sad, but you realized it was a dream when Brass was rude to you. Brass would never treat you like that!

>You woke up shortly after, and realized you had to get back to safety

>You light your horn up to navigate the dark, stepping gingerly through the gloom

>You’ll need to fund a repair expedition down here

>Maybe if you buy a candle for every other step on the way down, the repairponies will finally be willing to risk it

>But that might make it look even scarier... Hm...

>As you walk, the room gets gradually brighter

>Is someone else down here?

>It might be Brass!

>You gallop forward until you can finally see-

>...

>......

>...What...?

>Your special somepony lies on the floor in a small pool of-

>No

>It can’t be blood

>But creeping towards him is that griffon

>You feel...

>An emotion you’ve never felt before. It makes you wish your magic did something worse than stun

>It scares you

>But it also spurs you to action

>Without a moment to lose, you charge up your horn as fast and hard as you can

>The glow draws Alexei’s attention, but your crackling bolt of magic streaks across the room before he can dodge

>He lets out a cry of surprise as his body stiffens and goes rigid

>”What in- you?! How did you wake up?!”

“Shush! Shut your mouth this instant! You stand right there and- and think about this horrible thing you’ve done, and what’s going to happen to you when the princesses get here! You heartless brute!”

>You canter over to Brass’ side through the-

>The spilt syrup. Yes. Spilt strawberry syrup

>Your hooves get covered in it as you shake him

“Brass?”

>His eyes struggle open, but they don’t focus

>”Ugh... Sharp... are you alright...?”

>Something between a laugh and a sob comes out of you

“Silly Brass. I’m fine. B-But we need to leave, okay? Can you... C-Can you stand?”

>”I’ll try...”

>One of his legs is covered in syrup, with some very, very, very, very nasty scratches

>Can you even call those scratches?

>You pull his foreleg over your shoulders and try to help him walk

>Brass winces and whimpers with every step

>...is this your fault?

>Did this happen because you told Alexei what’s down here?

>You plod forward, doing your best to carry your poor stallion to the stairs as you fret

>You make it to the bottom step and look up the stairwell

>Oh no, there’s so many! There’s no way Brass will be able to get up there!

>You wrack your brains for a moment, then do the only thing that makes sense

>You scoot beneath him and stand up, carrying him on your back

>...Oof, he’s heavy. Your legs are shaking

>But you can’t give up!

>You shoot another stun spell at Alexei for good measure then start making the climb

>You huff and puff at every step, doing your best to keep Brass balanced on your back

>Oh goodness, you’ve only just started and you’re already out of breath!

>Your cheeks puff in frustration

>Don’t think about it! Just keep going!

>Everything will be fine if you can just get Brass somewhere safe!

>You climb as fast as you can

>Pretending it’s a race helps

>But however many steps you clear, the entrance never comes in sight

>Whose idea was it to make a basement so far underground?!

>What was the point?!

>Before long, you can’t help but stop to catch your breath

>Brass groans and you twist your head around to nuzzle him

“It’s alright. Just... Just a little more.”

>You hope it’s true

>The sound of your hooves clattering against the stairs is all you hear for a long while

>Until a cruel laugh echoes up from below

>”Ready or not, here I come!”

>No!!

>You scramble, gasping for breath as you climb

>The clicking of long talons fills the stairwell

>”A most excellent attempt. I was quite startled when you awoke. But the game ends here.”

>You can’t even respond, you’re so winded

>In your panic, Brass falls from your back, crying out as he hits the stairs

>The sound cuts you all the way to your heart

>You whirl around, firing stun spells willy-nilly down the stairs

>The bursts of green light disappear into the darkness

>Alexei just laughs

>Gritting your teeth, you charge and shoot as many as you can

>Clickity-click, clickity-click, the talons never stop

>Soon, your horn’s glow fades, and you can’t cast anymore

>You sniff, staring into the darkness

>Clickity-click, clickity-click

>Tears finally come

>Using the last ounce of your magic, you make another little light and go to Brass, sinking down to press against his heaving barrel and sob

“I’m sorry! I lied! I couldn’t get to the top! B-But I’ll never leave you, just like I said! I’m so sorry...!”

>Your voice breaks at the end

>You bury your face against his neck

>You let the tears flow and wait

>If it all ends today...

>Then you want it to end just like this

>Shivering, you press one ear against Brass and cover the other with your hoof

>You wait

>And wait

>The stairwell shakes, and a horrible, roaring cry fills the air

>”I’LL FUCKING PLUCK YOU BARE THIS TIME, ASSWIPE! C’MERE!”

>Wha-

>Goodness-

>You’d know that horrible language anywhere!

>You look up to see...

>Well, first you realize the stairway is lit now

>And then a hurtling bipedal figure leaps over you, tackling the advancing monster-griffon back down the stairs

>You gasp, watching Anon and Alexei bounce down the stairs

>That looks painful...

>Oh, Brass!

>You whirl around and find that you and your special guard aren’t alone

>Princess Celestia stands just above you on the stairway, illuminating the space and gasping at the sight of Brass’ wounds

>”Brass...! How awful! Are alright, Warden Sharp?”

“I-I’m fine! But please help-“

>Before you can even finish the sentence, you are engulfed in warm sunlight

>When your vision clears, you’re back above ground

>Princess Celestia takes charge immediately as Caring the Elements and Discord crowd around

>”Avert your eyes! Twilight, lend me your power. Healing this will take some effort.”

 

>Your hands are full of feathers and there’s a collapsed griffon at your feet, so you must be Anonymous

>Vicious little bastard. You’ll send him home looking like a plucked chicken, see how he likes that!

>And he’s not the only one

>The darkness swims

>”How kind of you to offer yourself to me again.”

“I’ll admit, you had me last time. But a little bird told me you run on fear and doubt, and I’m shit out of both. Try me.”

>A snarl, and the room seems to close in on you

>You feel the tendrils digging at you again, but you calmly lay down on the floor

>Let’s see how she likes the ace up your sleeve

>Or rather, in your head

 

>When you open your eyes again, you’re...

>Well, you aren’t sure

>You stand in the middle of what used to be a castle

>And on the other side of the room stands a blob of darkness vaguely shaped like a pony, with two glowing blue eyes

>And a toothy mouth

>”What?! How can this be?!”

“Came prepared this time.”

>”INDEED!”

>Your favorite voice thunders through the ruins

>Luna descends out of the sky in all her glory, touching down at your side and giving Nightmare a glare you actually find kind of scary

>”It ends today, wretch! You shall haunt my conscience no more! I will rid myself of you today, and finally escort my beloved home!”

>Nightmare sneers, spitting at Luna from across the room

>”Deluded little princess. Have you already forgotten why you can’t be rid of me? Or are you hoping that your human will somehow do it? Your lover is helpless before me, as are you! I cannot be destroyed!”

>You look down at Luna, raising an eyebrow, but she’s already crossing the room, shrieking in rage

>”You dare?! There is nothing he cannot do!”

>You grit your teeth and sprint after her, trying to ignore the unease that grips you

>Discord said she would disappear as ling as you kept your hands on her long enough

>She has to he bluffing, right?

>You feel the dream change around you, but it’s not Luna’s delicate touch

>Nightmare rips the moon and stars from the sky, throwing the ruins into stygian black

>As quick as you can imagine it, giant stadium floodlights rise up in a ring, filling the area with bright light while the crumbling walls leave pools of shadow

>Nightmare ducks into one, and Luna follows

>They emerge from another, and duck into yet another, shouting and shrieking while you just try to keep up

>You’re a little scared to change the lighting. What would happen if you ruined the shadow Luna was about to come out from?

>After remembering that rules aren’t a thing in your dreams, this becomes a non-issue

>You dart through space, your foot landing square in the side of Nightmare’s body

>She tumbles to the ground, and Luna lays into her with a magically-conjured pillow

>”Hmph!! Who’s helpless, you stubborn shadow?! Hmm?! Take that!”

>Nightmare grunts and snarls, hooves flailing as she tries to shield herself from the frantic pillow strikes

>”I’ll show you, petulant princess! I saw the depths of degeneracy inside Anon’s mind! The true meaning of violence! Beasts beyond your darkest-!”

>A good whack across the jaw from Luna’s pillow interrupts her

>”Don’t you dare call him Anon, strumpet!”

>Nightmare gestures with a hoof, and you do a spittake as the dreams warps and a Tyranid carnifex steps out of the shadows

“Luna!”

>You pull her to you, the beast’s scythe arm cleaving the air where she just was

>Your blue moon stares slack-jawed at the monster from Rick Priestly’s mind, managing only a single syllable

>”Oh...”

>Nightmare clambers atop her beast cackling madly

>Other Tyranids both great and small begin skittering about, forming a semi-circle around you

>”Now you see! Now you understand what lurks inside a human’s mind! I have learned the truth of the human’s world, I know their prophecy!”

>Wait, what?

>”In the grim darkness of the far future-“

>Oh god

>”There is only war!”

>You facepalm

>Luna, however, is utterly distraught

>”I-Is is true, Anon? Has the realm of humans fallen?!”

>You give Luna a squeeze

“It’s not. That, uh, ‘prophecy’ is scheduled about 38,000 years in the future.”

>Pony princess and shadow beast pause, trying to comprehend the number

“And you’ve got a healthy mix of melee bugs there, but no range. Rookie mistake.”

>Nightmare leans forward, eyes narrowing

>”Is that so? And I suppose you’ll show me the proper way?”

“Sure. Normally I go easy on new players, but I’ll make an exception for you.”

>The dream shakes as you concentrate

>The castle falls away, though some ruined towers remain as space stretches out, putting distance between you and Nightmare

>Winding trenches carve themselves out in the open soil, gun nests and bunkers popping up at regular intervals

>The battle cries of the Imperium fill the air as rank on rank of the flashlight boys rush to their positions shepherded by their commissars, and the earth shakes with the rumble of innumerable tank treads

>Luna yelps in surprise as a massive tank sprouts up from under you

>”What’s going on? What is all this?”

>You maneuver her beside you as you take a seat straddling the king of tank’s turret barrel

“It is the Beeeeeyyyynbleeeeeeeyd!”

>She just looks at you, confused

“...A Baneblade. This is called a Baneblade. And all those are Leman Russes, and those are Basilisks, and-“

>As you name them, they take their places

>Your army is assembled

>Nightmare shouts from across the field

>”Mine are scarier!”

>Pffft. Nids are trash tier and everybody knows it

>You look down at the nearest red-hatted man

“Commissar.”

>He salutes with his power sword

>”Your will, Lord Commander?”

“Teach the xenos the might of the Emperor’s Hammer.”

>As one, the Basilisks fire

>Shrapnel shells rain on Nightmare’s bugs, ripping their horde apart

>The shadowhorse is startled for a moment but quickly directs her forces forward, and the bugs come on like a tide

>The great artillery pieces never stop firing, and as the Nids close the distance heavy bolter crews and lasgun nests open up on them

>Luna tries to say something, but the noise is deafening

>She’s laughing though. Watching the explosions and lasbeams with the same fascination she viewed your other dreams with

>She paws at your shoulder with a hoof

>With a thought, the guns are muted, and she gushes

>”Awe-inspiring, truly! This surely will be enough to destroy her! Are these all your soldiers?”

“That’s right. These guys are my Imperial Guard!”

>You never came close to owning this many miniatures, but they’re still your dudes

>”Let us combine our forces. I had grand plans for your arrival at the castle, and they can still be salvaged!”

>Luna summons her own ancient Night Guard soldiers, who join yours in the trenches and watch the pretty lights

>The battle drags on

>Nightmare’s bugs get slaughtered as they mindlessly crash against the Imperial defenses, but she always pulls more from the darkness

>The first trench sees the fiercest fighting, but the unbroken stream of fire from the rear prevents her getting any further into your formation

>Luna’s bats do their best, but you deliberately keep them away from the thick of it. They’re great for morale, though

>With the commissars doing less blamming, the output of flashlight beams stays maxed out

>The princess gets a little queasy at the sight of so many Tyranids being reduced to puddles by concentrated fire

>The initial high is starting to wear off for you, too

>This isn’t going anywhere. As fun as it is, you have to actually do something about Nightmare

>Your Baneblade lurches forward, and Luna wraps her forelegs around you to stay on

>With a healthy pinch of dream manipulation, the tank leaps each trench it comes across, all guns blazing, until you finally start plowing through screeching aliens

>There she is. Same Carnifex as before. Unscathed in spite of everything

>She greets you with a merry laugh as your tank circles. Coming from her, the sound is unsettling

>”What fun! Clash and carnage make for wonderful nourishment. I can’t decide if I like this or being in direct control more.”

“I prefer this, definitely. If it’s just hurling my imagination at you I can do it all day.”

>”What a tantalizing proposition! But no. I desire suffering in the waking world, and I’m feeling much better now. Shall we fight?”

>...Discord wasn’t kidding, she really is pony-Khorne

>Luna stands up now that the tank has slowed down, shoulders shaking in frustration

>”How can you endure?! Why won’t you disappear?!”

>Nightmare gives her a flat look

>”I wonder if I took half your mind when we parted. Do you truly not understand? I thought it was all an act.”

“Is one of you going to tell me what’s going on here?”

>Nightmare smugly puffs out her chest

>”I am-“

>”LALALALALALALALALA HE CANNOT HEAR YOU!!”

>You clap your hands over your ears in an attempt to shield them from Luna’s sonic assault

>Jesus Christ, how can she speak that loudly?! She’s so slim!

>You lunge, trying to wrestle her into submission

>Gotta make her let up before your eardrums burst!

>Nightmare sits and watches, clearly amused

>Everything grinds to a halt around you without your thoughts to drive the guardsmen, and Nightmare lets her bugs fade away

>When you finally get a hand over Luna’s muzzle, the silence feels like heaven

>Until Nightmare speaks again

>”She and I are the same alicorn. Merely in two pieces.”

>...That explains why Luna didn’t want you to know, you guess

>She froze up when Nightmare told you

>The fear and apprehension in her unblinking stare tell you she can’t imagine you being okay with that

>Silly pony

>You sit up, dragging your fingers through her coat reassuringly

“So you split off when she came back from the moon, but you’re actually a piece of her?”

>”Yes. So long as she exists, I will eventually reform. I feed on her.”

>Nightmare shoots the princess trembling under your hand a disdainful look

>”...though sometimes I wonder how I could have come from such a creature.”

>Things are starting to fit together

>Luna was somehow capable of hanging on to the emotions that should have been swept down into the depths, which resulted in Nightmare Moon

>You wonder if Celestia might be the same

>Either way, since you’ve found out-

“I’m gonna put you back together.”

>”WHAT?!”

>It makes it a little easier to believe they’re the same pony when they both react in perfect sync

>The first word, at least

>”Anon, you mustn’t! I committed such horrors when she was last within me, how could I allow myself to harbor her again?”

>”You’re out of your mind if you think I’ll return to being her shadow! I am superior in every way, and I’ll make sure you see that clearly!”

>Both turn to glare at each other as their respective protests end

>But they’ve had enough time to argue

>You stand up and stretch while you address Nightmare

“The only thing I see is that you’re just somebody’s internal edgelord given form.”

>”I- What? Edge...lord?”

“Don’t get excited. It’s not a compliment.”

>She scowls as you continue

“Every human kid has something like you in them. Some of us grow out of it and some don’t, but I’m sure as hell not letting some one-emotion goon ruin my horsey paradise.”

>You roll your neck, getting up in Nightmare’s face

“I’m going to help Luna accept you as part of her. That’s the best way resolve this. So go ahead and fight back. I already told you that I’m not scared of you, and by the time I’m done Luna won’t be either.”

>A smirk cracks your face

“Hurts, doesn’t it? Knowing that for all the stuff your learned in my head, you’re still just a pony. Or a pony’s shadow.”

>The shriek of pure hate that comment elicits sends a shiver down your spine, but not from terror

>Nightmare launches herself up at you

>You slam a palm into her chest and shove hard

>Nightmare does a spectacular flip and lands flat on her back

>She struggles to breathe, staring slack-jawed into space

“Take your time. I got a point to prove.”

>You look back to Luna

“Look. See? She’s not absolute. She fed on the stuff she found in my head, sure, but she’s not all-powerful. Just like the bad thoughts you have aren’t something you have to respond to.”

>Luna sits up, still looking uncertain

>”But... I have. Doesn’t that mean that I will again?”

“I dunno. Would you? Knowing how awful you felt after the first time, would you still do it?”

>”No! But I don’t want her to be a part of me at all, Anon! Isn’t it better if I cut her from myself entirely? Are you certain there’s no way to-?”

“Luna.”

>You walk over, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“She won’t just go away.”

>The alicorn wilts

“You have to own up to having felt that way once. And accept you might feel that way again. Anger is something everybody feels.”

>You glance back over your shoulder just in time to see Nightmare creeping up on the both of you

>She springs the moment you make eye contact and latches onto your back, but your reaction is instant

>Because all you have to do is lean back

>You fall straight back, crushing your rider beneath you

>Nightmare lets out a strained wheeze as the air is once again driven from her

“As I was saying...”

>You get back up and take a seat next to Luna, facing the squashed and gasping clone

“Shutting out your emotions just stunts you. You waste time fighting yourself when you should be interacting with what’s going on around you. There’s all kinds of things I hate about myself, but I can’t just pretend they don’t exist. You have to master them. Figure them out. Turn them into something you can use, or at least keep in check.”

>You try not to remember how silly this sounds coming from a guy who can barely figure out life for himself

>Luna stares thoughtfully at the ground

>”...but how could such thoughts be redirected? What good is wanton desire to dominate, to preside over all things?”

“Well, look at me. I started strength training because of thoughts like that. But it taught me about a lot more too. How to power through wanting to quit, how to be a good sport about competing, to remember that there’s always someone better than you. The feelings that motivate you to do something aren’t always the ones that stay with you when it’s done. And I think you’ve made good use of those feelings before. Remember? You told me about that big win over the Yaks back in your room, and how you took all those pillowcases from defeated griffons. That wasn’t evil. But it came from those feelings. Wanting to be the best stems from wanting to win.”

>Her eyes slowly brighten, looking at you with hope

>”I... I think I understand. I want to try.”

“That’s my girl. You’ll figure it out.”

>You curl your fingers beneath her chin, scratching gently

>Nightmare finally rises on shaky hooves, glaring knives at the both of you

>”Never! I would rather be destroyed and reform than lose myself!”

>You stand back up, but don’t move any closer

“Why’s that?”

>The question seems to catch her off guard

>”What do you mean, why? If that weakling and I rejoin then I’ll be trapped inside her head until I can escape! Or worse, I might not be able to escape, or... or...”

>She trails off, but you know what she’s afraid of

>She might cease to exist as her own entity

“Humor me for a minute, Nightmare. If you still want to fight after this, then we will.”

>She eyes you suspiciously, but slowly nods

“How much do you remember? Anything from before your coup?”

>”...I have only vague flashes before the century leading to when I took control. And then it was as if I were watching through Luna’s eyes for 100 years before I finally got a turn myself.”

>Damn

>You were hoping she remembered everything Luna did

“Well... do you remember other emotions? Happiness? Sadness? Before you say anything, I know you only feed off one emotion. But you have to remember others, right? You were in Luna’s head for a long time. Are you sure you’re fine with just being mad for the rest of your life?”

>She stares at you for a while

>You think something flickers in her face, and decide to keep pushing

“Say you do win. Say you do overpower me and the sisters and everything else someday. What then? What are you going to be mad at then? Hate to break it to you, but eternal night doesn’t do good things to plants. All the crops die off, which leads to everything else biting it. You’ll be alone. What then?”

>Luna gasps, only now comprehending that she almost doomed the world

>Nightmare hesitates even harder

>Her very being seems unstable now. Her body seems to waver and weaken against the ethereal light of dreamspace

“I can’t guarantee you that you’ll still remember yourself if you combine with Luna. But there’s no winning for you if you go on alone. No matter what happens.”

>For a split second, Nightmare looks completely different

>Standing almost as tall as Celestia would, with a mane even more resplendent than Luna’s, streaked with nebulae and speckled with gleaming points of light

>And then-

>”YOU LIE!”

>The shriek almost splits your eardrums all over again

>”I won’t be fooled! I won’t go! I WILL NOT CEASE TO BE!!”

>Still stunned by her retort, you’re helpless against the lunge

>Her long, pointed teeth sink into your forearm

>Now it’s you howling at the top of your voice

>Luna bulls into Nightmare, whaling on her and shouting for her to let go

>But Nightmare’s jaw remains clenched, her eyes unblinkingly staring into yours

>The initial shock fades

>The pain doesn’t, but it’s not so bad that you can’t think

>You sit down, staring right back

“Read my mind. You see if I’m lying.”

>Luna stops, staring at you hopefully

“Yeah, you too. I’ll allow it. You both need to know. I don’t hate you, Nightmare. Now that I know what you are.”

>Maybe all the time you’ve spent dreaming has taught your brain some new tricks, because now you can feel someone combing through your grey matter

>Two someones

>It takes some doing to think around the pain, but you eventually empty your head of everything except how you feel about the mares in front of you

>Luna giggles happily, enshrouding you with both forehooves and wings

>This may be the coziest hug you’ve ever received

>”I return your feelings a hundred times over, beloved. Thank you.”

>Nightmare, for her part, lets out an uncharacteristic squeak, pulling her teeth from your arm

>”Even now? Even now, you forgive? Why?”

“Because you’re a part of Luna, and because I can relate to doing stupid things when angry. I have something like you inside me. It never went away, I just learned how to talk it down. You won’t cease to exist. And whatever you and Luna become, I’ll give her your share of love too.”

>Nightmare is barely tangible now

>You can actually see through her

>But the nuzzle that brushes your face is very real

>”So be it.”

>She offers a hoof to the alicorn squeezing you

>”Come, Luna. Let us both find peace.”

>The other half of your moon princess nods solemnly, placing her hoof against her shadow’s

>”Let us be whole again.”

>Both alicorns flash brightly, rising away from you

>You have to shield your eyes from the light

>When it eventually fades, you behold the same alicorn you saw in Nightmare’s moment of weakness

>Luna’s perfect form

>She floats gently down to you, havering just high enough to plants her lips against your forehead

>”Anon, I... I feel that one constellation is not enough for you.”

>You grin, mooshing her cheeks together before kissing her back

“How about a comet? Or a meteor shower. One of those recurring ones.”

>The dream shakes as she laughs

>”A fine idea! I shall make the sky rain light in your honor. But come. It is over, and I won’t suffer another night of you languishing in prison.”

>You awake to a big horsey nose rubbing against your face

>And a sharp, burning pain in your arm

>You sit bolt upright, looking down at your aching appendage

>...Should that bite mark still be there?

>And bleeding that hard?

>Luna follows your eyes, and screams

>Celestia instantly teleports into the basement, and screams too

>Your poor ears

 

>You are the only medical expert here with a horribly injured patient on your hooves, so you must be Caring Touch

>Everything about this is the absolute WORST!

>Anon’s back in your infirmary with the worst boo-boo you’ve ever seen on his arm

>It’s so big it goes around both sides!

>It’s even worse than what happened to Brass Badge, and Princess Celestia can’t magic this one away

>Everypony else is huddled in a corner of the room, scared of distracting you while you work

>Except the princesses. They’re on the other side of the bed, staring at you pleadingly

>But you’ve got nothing

>All you’ve done is cover his arm in cotton balls and watch them slowly turn red

>You’ve never seen anyone bleed this much before

>Anon says he’s okay but that’s just him being Anon

>There’s no way he’s okay!

>And you don’t know how to help except to sit here holding these!

>You were right about all the things you had in your nurse bag being useless! You had to get these out of a cupboard!

>You sniffle, then catch yourself, biting your lip to keep from crying

>Nurses can’t cry in front of patients

>But Anon rubs your face with his good hand, and then it all comes apart

>You break down for the second time today

“Anon! I don’t know what to do! What should I do?! How do I make you better?!”

>”Shhh. It’s alright. I’m not in danger. It just hurts, and I don’t mind that.”

“I mind! I mind a lot!”

>He hesitates. You’d chew him out more if he wasn’t scritching your face just right

>”We’d need to disinfect it first. And then... well, it should close by itself eventually if-“

“Don’t give me eventually! I want to do something now! Why won’t you tell me how?!”

>”Because it involves sewing me shut.”

>...

>...wait

>WHAT?!

“Wha- Buh- sew you shut? Like needle and thread?”

>”With a curved needle and sterilized thread, but yeah.”

“That’s... that’s not something you do to a living thing...”

“Not while I’m awake, definitely. You’d have to numb my arm or put me to sleep first.”

>Princess Luna reaches out and rests her hoof on his other arm

>”You may leave that to me. But... sewing your own flesh, Anon? Are you certain?”

>”Look, I’m not saying it’s something I’m looking forward to okay? But that’s how humans fix injuries like this. Our bodies usually put themselves back together, but sometimes they need a little help.”

>You’d think that was really cool if it wasn’t so scary

“So if I sew your... your cuts... will they heal?”

>He nods. The look in his eyes makes you think he’s more worried about you than he is about himself

>That same fluttering feeling you always get when you make eye contact fills you

>You’ll do it

>You have to

>Your special talent is making sure your patients get just what they need

>Your patient needs an unheard-of medical procedure that you’ve had no chance to practice for

>But you’re a nurse! A big nurse! With her certificate and everything!

>And you’re going to do it for love!

>Spirits completely restored, you spend the next few minutes gathering the things you’ll need

>This includes finding somepony who knows how to sew

>Lucky for you, one of the Elements knows!

>You ask her

>She doesn’t seem sold

>”...C-Could you repeat that for me, Nurse Touch? I’m certain I didn’t hear you properly.”

“I need you to help me stitch Anon’s arm shut!”

>”That’s what I was afraid you said.”

“Please, I don’t want to wait any longer! Every second this isn’t dealt with is another second Anon spends bleeding!”

>You take her by the hoof and lead her back to Anon’s bedside

>The little table with all the things you need is prepared

>Princess Luna lulls Anon to sleep and is going to do her best to keep him dreaming

>Princess Celestia is going to be here for moral support

>But honestly, having to do this in front of royalty just makes your nerves worse

>The needle floats over in your magical grasp, threaded with magically conjured twine

>You’re almost certain it’s just fused strands of the princess’ mane

>That’s kinda gross, but she scorched them with magic and she’s a sun princess, so maybe it’s fine?

>You take a deep breath, trying to make your brain be quiet

>...

>......

>When you finally shut out thought, you begin

>It takes half a tube of disinfectant cream, but you get Anon’s arm cleaned up and ready

>Now for the hard part

>You turn to Rarity

“Tell me how I should move the needle.”

>”W-Well, before that, you need to tie a knot at the end of your thread dear. I’ll help you.”

>After getting your thread set up, she tentatively gestures with a hoof

>”Start here. When working with delicate fabric, you must...”

>She must do a lot of sewing. Her instructions are easy to understand

>You poke the needle in and out of Anon’s arm, doing your best to keep everything evenly spaced

>Some of the cuts are weird and jagged, but you do a good job reattaching everything

>At least, you think so

>You’re halfway done

>You turn his arm so his palm faces up to get at the rest

>Rarity coughs nervously

>”You seem to have the gist of it. May I borrow one of your beds? My chais lounge won’t fit in here and I feel faint.”

“Go ahead. Thank you for everything.”

>”Not at all, darling. I’m delighted to have been of assistance. Now if you’ll excuse me...”

>You don’t look away from your work, but you hear the poof of a pony flopping onto a mattress

>Princess Celestia chuckles. Rarity’s friends move closer to her bed, murmuring

>You just stay focused

>Anon’s hand twitches. For a moment you’re terrified that he’s waking up, but his eyes stay closed

>You push your hoof into his hand for him to squeeze and whisper

“I’m sorry. I’m going as quick as I can.”

>The infirmary is dead silent now

>Hook, pull, hook, pull, hook, pull...

>When you finally get to the end, you struggle a bit with tying it off

>The thread is so darn small!

>At last the knot tightens, and it’s all done

>...

>His poor arm... you almost prefer it without the stitches in it

>Isn’t it going to hurt when he wakes up?

>But Anon told you to do it, so it has to help

>Either way, your brain’s a little sore from all that continuous focus and only ear scratches will make it better

“I did my best, Princess. It’s over now.”

>The sun princess gives you one of her famous smiles

>”You were very brave, Caring Touch. I will never forget what you’ve done.”

>You probably won’t forget this either, but for the wrong reasons

>Celestia looks at her sister, horn glowing faintly

>Luna comes around shortly after

>And then, with a shudder and a gasp, Anon wakes up

>Right away you can tell he’s in pain

>But he smiles shakily, looking down at his arm

>”You did great, Caring. I bet a human nurse couldn’t have done it better.”

>That’s a sweet thing to say, but...

>Anon sweeps you into his lap and squeezes you, driving the bad thoughts out

>Everypony else cheers, and you sigh

>You’ll talk with him about it later

>For now, he’s safe

>After your ears have been thoroughly scratched, Anon sets you on the bed while he stands up

>The princesses both nuzzle your face, and Luna speaks

>”Caring Touch, I have no words. This is the second great debt I have accrued today. What can I do to repay you?”

>...

>Hold on a second

“Well... what can I ask for?”

>”Anything! Anything within my power!”

>INTERNAL GASP!

>In that case-!

 

>You’re the former terror of the prison, so you must be Summer Squall

>Anon showed up all of a sudden when they called the extended recess

>He even had the princesses with him! But he only had time to talk for a little bit before some guard came screaming his name and led them off somewhere!

>And the nurse was with him, and a bunch of girls you’re pretty sure weren’t prisoners

>Well, you’ve had enough of not knowing what’s going on

>Ma always said “go and see for yourself,” so you’re gonna!

>You pulled a fast one on the guards by saying you were going to go get snacks for everybody

>It won’t be a lie if you go get snacks afterwards, but you need to find Anon first

>You take to the air as soon as you’re inside, putting your wings to the test as you make sharp turns around corners and zip through the empty halls

>It’s so nice not having a giant rubber band on them!

>You arrive at the first junction and realize you have no clue where you’re going

>It’s been weeks since you were booked and you don’t remember the tour you got that first day

>A really loud shout makes the decision for you

>Zooming down the the hall, you find the door all the noise is coming from and throw it open

>”Anything else! I’ll let you have anything but that!”

>”NO! You said ‘anything!’ I have- uh, one, two, three... NINE! No, Rarity’s still out. Eight witnesses! You said I could have anything I want and it’s too late for take-backs!”

>”It’s bad enough I have to share with Celestia! What if I allowed you to dream of him every night?”

>”I don’t want my dreams to be dreams, I want them to be real!”

>Caring Touch is arguing with... Princess Luna?

>W-What did you just walk into?

>The nurse sees you and calls out

>”Summer! You tell her! When you say somepony can have ‘anything’ for something and then they go back on their word, that’s bad right?!”

“Uh... yeah. You can’t just say that and then not do it. That’s lying!”

>The look you get from Princess Luna almost makes you doubt what Ma said about always telling the truth

>You only notice Anon when he speaks

>”Hey, Summer. Shouldn’t you be outside?”

“Same to you! What are you doing in here? Did you get hurt again?”

>”A little bit. But I’m on my way back out.”

>Classic Anon

>Doesn’t even care he got hurt

“Let’s go back together then! I need to go get snacks anyway.”

>”And just what are you doing trying to get into the kitchen by yourself, Inmate Squall?”

>Oh shoot, Warden’s here! And Brass Badge

>You probably shouldn’t tell her you promised to bring the guards some snacks too in exchange for letting you in...

>Sorry, Ma. This lie’s for the greater good

“Well, you know, it’s such a nice day out, and everybody had to go outside all of a sudden, so I thought... maybe we could have... a party?”

>You have no time to reflect on how bad you flubbed that excuse before there is suddenly a pink mare up in your personal space

>”A party? In a prison? I’ve never thrown a prison party before! I’ll come help!”

“T-Thanks?”

>”Twi, come on! We need to be part of this!”

>The purple unicorn girl trots over

>”I think we all need a party after that little adventure. Let’s do it!”

>You’re being swept out of the room by five cheering girls and a dragon

>You’ve never been alone with this many girls before! This is scary!

>You look back at Anon for help, but he just smiles

>All because of your lie

>Ma was right!

 

>You’re about to have a real interesting conversation with your peeved significant other, so you must be Anon

>Warden read the room and hurried Brass out, giving you some space, followed by Discord

>You’ve never seen a wider shit-eating grin as he mouths “good luck” before closing the door

>It’s… an interesting array of faces

>Luna glowers down at Caring who in turn bristles at the Moon Princess from your lap

>Celestia looks oddly pleased, and sidles around to your side.

>”I, for one, would be delighted to have another little sister.”

>Luna snaps at her, stamping the floor with a hoof

>”You be quiet! I allowed you to foist yourself upon Anon because he is the only fitting match for the both of us, but if you think I’ll extend the invitation to any mare who trips over herself looking at him-“

>It’s Caring’s turn to shout, gesturing accusingly at Luna

>”Oh, I’m just some mare now?! Not the one who knows his body best, not his personal physician, just some random girl who thinks he’s cute?! Well let me tell you, Princess, there’s nopony in the world who cares more about his health than me! Not you! Not Celestia! And I’ll spend the rest of my life making sure he’s healthy and happy even if I have to sneak into the castle every day to do it!”

>Luna’s voice is icy

>”I’m sure. And how long will that last? The rest of your life, I mean.”

>Holy shit, did she really just say that?

>””Luna!””

>Both you and Celestia cry out in reproach at the same time, but she barely acknowledges it

>She looks directly into your eyes, walking forward to place a hoof on your hand

>”Am I wrong?! Will she not fade, leaving only a hole? I will not abide seeing you in pain again after today, Anon. And wounds of the heart are far more painful than flesh.”

>A strange mix of emotions run through you

>You hadn’t expected her to take this angle, and you didn’t like thinking about what was going to happen to your friends after Discord kept his promise to you

>You gently pull Caring close before covering her ears

“I get what you’re saying, but it’s fine.”

>”In what way is it fine?!”

“Because she’s going to die either way! And I want to make sure she’s happy all the way until then.”

>The both of you go around in verbal circles for a little while

>Luna’s dead certain you’re going to regret this

>You’re increasingly worried your soft spot for Caring is going to bring it all down around your head, but can’t find it in yourself to let go

>It only ends when Celestia steps in

>”Luna, we can speak of this later. For the moment, let it be a lesson against making grand promises.”

>Luna whips back towards her, ready to retort, but falters

>You turn to look at her too

>There serene smile is about the same as usual but it doesn’t extend to her eyes

>Which appear to be… slightly on fire?

>And exuding that “go to room or so help me god” vibe you’d sometimes get from your mom when you were young

>The moon princess huffs and puffs, but ultimately folds

>”Fine! We shall settle this matter at the castle. Let us go forth and greet the prisoners first.”

>She tramps out of the infirmary. You’re about let go of Caring’s ears, but Celestia’s hooves hold your hands in place while she whispers in your ear

>”Don’t worry. We’ll convince her in time.”

“Are you sure? I feel awful about this. I treasure you and Luna, but I don’t want Caring to be sad either.”

>Celestia’s melodious laughter sets your heat at ease

>”I adore that softness of yours. And yes, I’m certain. Luna always thinks of you, and would shield you from anything if she could. She’s just being overprotective.”

>The mare of the sun presses her lips to yours in reassurance

>You both rub noses for a bit before you finally uncover Caring’s ears

>She’s a little teary-eyed as she looks up at you

>”Where did Princess Luna go? Why would she say that?”

>Celestia once again saves your unprepared ass

>Her voice is smooth and soothing as she calms the nurse down, and Caring’s cheered up before you’ve even finished formulating a response

>It’s only when Caring hops down and you go to stand up that you realize you’re tired as fuck

>You sway for a moment before a white wing encircles you

>”May I suggest a nap beneath the sun?”

>You’re so drained you probably wouldn’t have caught her innuendo if not for the waggle of an eyebrow

>You smile wryly and rest a hand on her back

“Sounds perfect. Let’s all head outside.”

>You stumble out of the infirmary, leaning on Celestia as Caring anxiously prances in front

>Discord is leaning against the wall just outside, with Luna giving him side-eye from a short distance

>”Finally! Yes, yes, I can see he’s tired. But I still need a little chat with him. Do you ladies mind?”

>Caring glances at Celestia uncertainly

>The Sun Princess absolutely minds

>”I think Anon has had quite enough of you for today, Discord.”

>”It was a rhetorical question, Celestia. Be back in a minute.”

>You’re ready for the jolt this time

>You don’t even blink as Discord snaps the both of you into his “office”

>Flopping into a chair and crossing his hind legs on the desk, Discord claps a few times

>”Not bad, monkey man! Things got a little messy, but you did even better than I’d hoped. As promised-“

>He snaps again

>A few seconds pass. He just looks at you expectantly

“…Is that it? Am I-?”

>”Yep! Certified immortal, sonny. Congrats.”

“I don’t feel any different.”

>”And never will again.”

>That crooked smile is the least reassuring you’ve ever encountered, but he’s not being malicious

>”Gotta read ya the disclaimer, though. You’ve only stopped aging, which means you can still lose your tenuous grip on that mortal shell if you’re not careful. Don’t do anything stupid!”

“How about the other thing?”

>Discord’s smile gets even wider

>”Oooo, yes! I’ve been looking forward to it. I’ve never gotten the chance to futz with the continuum like this!”

>He jumps to his feet

>”Alright. Should be as simple as…”

>He snaps yet again, conjuring another human guy right next to you

>…

>Wait, that can’t be you. You aren’t that ugly

“”Dude. What is this? Get my face right.””

>Your head snaps back to look at your doppelgänger

>Who’s giving you an offended stare

“”What are you lookin’ at, clone?””

>Discord cackles maniacally, letting you and you square up on each other for a few more seconds before stepping in

>His eyes glow, flashing in strange patterns as he grabs the face of the other Anonymous and forces him to look

>”It was alllll a dream. There are no ponies. You’re a college student. You’re about to wake up in your own bed with no memory of what happened. Sleep. Sleeeeeep.”

>Othernon tries to resist, but Discord keeps hitting him with the hypno treatment until he crumples to the floor

>What follows is a snap and a mind-bending sight

>Discord chucks your copy through a hole in reality

>It takes you a second to recognize it as the room you used to live in

>The disorderly serpent gestures through

>”Take one last look.”

>You do

>There’s not much you can actually see through the rift

>But the nostalgia sinks its hooks in you regardless

>You’ll miss your computer and armchair for sure

>At least you have your phone-

>WAIT

“Shit! Hey, send me back to my cell really quick. It’s important.”

>Discord arches an eyebrow, but obliges you

>The door to your cell appears in space, and you rush through

>It’s still in the drawer where you left it

>Scrambling back into the null space, you toss your phone through

>It lands neatly on Othernon’s back

>”Ooo. Good catch. Your little picture box.”

“And a million other things rolled into one. Also, he’s mortal, right?”

>”…VERY good catch. Pull him back through for me.”

>The problem is resolved in a snap

>You dump yourself back onto your bed and the rift shuts behind

>The silence hangs for a while

>Discord is the first to break it

>”That was a fun little exercise. And you’re a good kid for thinking of your folks at home. Just makes me even more sure you were a good choice.”

“I dunno. I was banking on you being able to do crazy shit like this. If you couldn’t pull it off, I still would have stayed here. This is just me trying to please everybody.”

>He turns to you. There’s a knowing look on his face

>”As I said. That’s a good fit. I hope you never stop trying to make others happy. Even when all the little ponies who welcomed you here are gone.”

“Fuck’s sake, man.”

>”You can look away from it if you like. But it’s coming. Someday you might even hate me for inflicting that on you. But for now, don’t change. The princesses need a sucker like you.”

“I thought you and them weren’t on good terms?”

>Discord shrugs

“That’s what they think. I get a kick out of messing around with their citizens, and watching Luna blow up every time I make trouble for you is funny. But I need them. I need this whole world. It’s the only home I have, Anonymous.”

>A claw clamps down on your shoulder

>”I’m giving you the chance to live in it. I don’t want to have to take that away, so kindly don’t lose your mind as eternity wears on.”

“I’ll… try?”

>”Goody! Off you trot.”

>A snap brings the both of you back to the hallway

>The three mares left behind aren’t far

>Discord zooms off, guffawing as Luna hurls spells and insults after him

>Caring and Celestia fuss over you for a minute before you finally convince them you’re alright

>A short walk brings the four of you out to the prison yard

>Everyone else is already out, lounging in scattered groups

>You try to return all the hails and waves as best you can, but that grass is calling your name

>You flop onto the nicest-looking spot you can find

>Fuuuuuck, man

>That’s some nice grass

>Not damp at all, and the ground’s a little warm from the sun

>You flop down and turn over, spread-eagle under the clear sky

>Three fuzzy bodies curl up on all sides of you

>Inmates slowly make their way over; Luna and Celestia amusedly greet all the awestruck ones who still can’t believe it’s really them

>The babble of myriad voices fades to nothing as you doze off

 

>”Aaaaanooooonnnn…”

“Mmm.”

>”Aaaanoooooonnn…”

>The singsong voice in your ear is quiet yet insistent

>Your eyes flutter open to meet Celestia’s

>Nuzzling you softly, she whispers

>”It is another beautiful morning in our kingdom. A perfect day for the Canterlot Prison field trip.”

>Oh! You almost forgot!

>Giving Celestia a squeeze, you hop out of bed, hurrying to get ready

>It’s been two weeks since you got out of prison

>You were exonerated of all charges and crowned king of Equestria in the same Day Court hearing, which caused absolute pandemonium

>You double-check yourself in the mirror

>Lookin’ like a king, king

>You can see Celestia in the reflection too

>Rolled onto her back, forelegs tucked close and hind legs crossed with striped socks on full display

>Giving you the look

>You’re not sure how, but it took her all of two days to figure out what got you going

>Her ability to read others kinda scared you sometimes

>But you’re also easy to please. Maybe you’re just overthinking

>You backtrack to the bed and sink down onto a knee, giving your upside-down horse an upside-down kiss

”You can’t tempt me out of this. I’ll see you in a few hours.”

>She chuckles, letting her legs fall

>”It was worth a try. Give my love to Brass and Warden! I can suffer through one Day Court without you for their sake.”

>With a spring in your step, you stride through the halls of Canterlot Castle

>There are a couple of detours to be made before you leave

>Little pony soldiers scramble to attention as you go by, most openly staring

>You don’t mind. If an alien creature suddenly became your new boss, you’d probably be curious too

>The hallways finally lead you to a pair of dark, carven doors you first saw in a dream

>A pair of dozy bats struggle to stay awake outside, but manage to return your smile with two knowing ones of their own

>”She’s waiting for you, Your Majesty.”

“Thanks, guys.”

>You spare a moment to scratch their ears before entering

>You open and close the doors in one smooth motion

>Luna is curled up neatly atop her bed, reading a book

>Her face lights up when she turns and sees you

>”Good morning, my heart.”

“And to you too, my heart.”

>You were never really a mushy guy before, but open and honest affection is a helluva drug

>She sets her book aside and nuzzles you

>Seeing Luna off to bed and being there when she wakes up has become a daily ritual, and part of the compromise between the two sisters and one nurse

>When you first moved in, Luna had tried her hardest to switch to being awake during the day

>After three days of that she was so miserable that you invoked your “divine” authority to enforce bedtime for moon queens

>”I’ve been working on a little spell. Would you like to try it with me?”

“What kind of spell?”

>”Merely something to increase our time together.”

>She still hasn’t given up, and you don’t really want her to

>As long as this spell isn’t something crazy…

“Alright. How does it work?”

>”A sort of reverse dreamwalking. I’m rather proud of it. Hold still…”

Luna presses her horn to your forehead

>The familiar sensation of someone gently combing your brain washes over you, and her head falls softly onto to her pillow

>You hear her voice but her lips don’t move

>”Ahhh… how very comfortable. We are as close as two souls can be, Anon. I will see through your eyes in my dreams.”

>You chuckle as you tuck her slumbering body into bed

“Just make sure to actually sleep, okay? I’m pretty sure talking and watching means your brain is still awake.”

>Her voice yawns

>”All in good time. Let me enjoy this a little longer.”

“Come walk with me then.”

>Luna rides in your head all the way down to the entrance of Canterlot Castle

>You make a point to interact with as many little ponies as possible

>Mostly because you still need to convince the maids and other staff that you aren’t a weird monster who has somehow taken control of the princesses

>You make it all the way to the front door before you’re waylaid

>”And where do you think you’re going unsupervised, mister?”

>Your royal physician, third wife, and keeper of secrets puffs out her chest in mock sternness as she sits with forelegs crossed in your path

>You play along, drawing yourself up to full height and swaggering over

“Wherever I like. Dunno if you heard, but I’m kind of a big deal now.”

>You squat down, putting your face right up to hers

>You both scowl at each other for a couple seconds before the facade falls apart

>Another kiss, another nose rub, and you sweep her up into her arms

>”I was so excited for this I could hardly sleep!”

“Didn’t you live here already? And you must have gone before as the nurse.”

>”Of course! But this is your first time really exploring Canterlot, and I get to go with you! Plus I get to see everybody at the prison again!”

>You press her against your chest as you cross the castle threshold

>A little voice in the back of your head murmurs

>”Is that how it feels when you hug me?”

>You think your answer rather than speak it

“It’s a little different. I think you fit in my arms better.”

>”I-I see. Of course. It’s only natural you would think so.”

>You carry Caring through the castle grounds to where the royal carriage is stored

>You love this thing. It’s a little scary to ride in without any sort of safety belts, but the ride itself is always amazing

>A pony greets you as you enter

>”Good morning King Anonymous! And to you too, Lady Caring! Princess- uh, Queen Celestia already let us know. The guys just need a couple minutes to get ready!”

>Lift-off is smooth, but the butterflies fill your stomach as you soar out over the city

>You sit down and press yourself firmly into the back of the chariot, trying desperately not to look as anxious as you feel

>Caring does the same, giggling nervously as she wraps both forelegs around one of your arms for anchorage

>The ride is mercifully short. The guys drop you off just outside the front gate

>”Your Majesty, are you sure that you don’t need a ride back?”

>You give the inquiring pony a reassuring pat on the head

“Certain. We’re going to be a few hours, and we’d like to walk back anyway.”

>”T-That’s a really long walk… but if you’re sure…”

>You and Caring both wave to them as they zoom off

>You turn around and crack a smile at the familiar scenery

>The ponies on either side of the gate look more like deer caught in headlights

>…Wait

>Is that-?

“Hey! I remember you! I don’t think I ever got your name though.”

>The prison guard in question flinches, then snaps to attention

>”Y-Yes, Anonymo- I mean King Anonymous! I, uh, we weren’t expecting you! My name’s Key Ring!”

“I was hoping to surprise everybody. Sorry to spook you, Key Ring. You probably have bad memories about me suddenly showing up at the prison gate, huh?”

>You laugh and pat his head

>The gate is already open, so you just walk in

>Caring follows, looking up inquisitively

>”When did you meet Key Ring? I don’t think he ever hung out with us.”

“He was there when I first got here. You had to treat the guys I roughed up at the front gate, remember?”

>Sadly, Key Ring is one of the few familiar faces you see

>Most of the guys you were in with have served their time already

>The inmates still make way though, because you’re like three times taller than they are

>The crown and suit probably help too

>You knock on Warden’s office door

>”I’ll be out in just a moment!”

>You step back and kneel down next to Caring, grinning excitedly at each other

>The kindly older mare opens her door and freezes in her tracks, dumfounded

>Her frozen face slowly melts into a delighted smile

>Warden Sharp closes the distance in an instant, hugging you and Caring tightly

>”What brings my king and noble lady back to prison?”

“Remember that tour of Canterlot you promised me if I was a model prisoner?”

>Warden claps her hooves

>”You’ll be coming with us?! This will be so much fun! Brass will be happy to see you, Anon. I know it hasn’t been long since we were at your wedding, but he misses you already.”

>You and Caring both follow Warden to where the well-behaved boys and girls of Canterlot Prison are being assembled for the field trip

>A familiarly gruff voice hits your ears

>”Your attention please! As soon as Warden gets here, we’ll leave. You’re all a part of this trip because you’ve been good prisoners so far. But don’t get any funny ideas! One single escape attempt and show’s over for everybody! You go it?”

>You round the corner just in time to see a crowd of cowed prisoners nodding furiously to the prison overseer

>You casually walk up to next to Brass, eyeing the small crowd

“Layin’ down the law, eh man?”

>”Yep. Can’t be soft, even on the lower-ranked ones. Then again, with both you and Cookies coming along, I can probably take it easy.”

>A full three seconds passes

>”Wait! Anon?!”

>Brass damn near jumps out of his skin, but he’s not the only one who recognizes you

>Summer Squall, clad all in orange, zooms around you excitedly

>”Anon! Look! I’m down to an orange suit now! And I get out next week!”

>You and the lads play catch-up really quick. Brass chuckles at your predicament

>”Yeah, I guess it would be better for a king to know a bit about his capitol. How’s your arm? Have the, uh, stitches come out yet?”

“Not yet. One more week to be sure. But it hasn’t gotten worse at all.”

>Summer glances back and forth between the two of you

>”Stitches? What’s that?”

“Oh, uh, nothing buddy. It’s like a… long-term band-aid. But never mind about that, you’re almost free! Does your mom know?”

>”Yeah! I sent her another letter as soon I found out! She’s gonna come get me!”

“What’ll you do when you’re out? Any ideas?”

>”Well… I’m not sure. I’ll need to find a job, but my special talent’s… you know. I’m not sure where I could use it. And I don’t wanna become a real criminal!”

>You grin ear to ear

“It just so happens I’m thinking about putting my own group of guards together. Would you join?”

>”Whoa… being a royal guard? Are you sure? I don’t know etiquette or anything.”

“Of course I’m sure! And you don’t need to. It’ll probably be a really small group. I don’t need much protection.”

>”Can I think about it? I don’t know if mom would like me joining the guard.”

“Yeah, no problem. Just something to remember if you can’t find anything else.”

>”Thanks, Anon!”

>Warden clears her throat

>”As wonderful as it is to watch you help an inmate get back on their hooves, Your Majesty, it’s about time to leave.”

“Right, sorry. Let’s go!”

>Brass lets Cookies n’ Cream take the lead as he brings up the rear with you

>”Creating your own group of guards, eh? What’s wrong with the Solar?”

“I knew you’d say that. And nothing! I just thought it’d be fun, and I was honestly thinking of Summer. Do ponies’ talents change depending on who helps find them? I feel kinda responsible.”

>”Uh… huh. I don’t know much about the magic behind it. It might have changed a little, but you shouldn’t worry. Special talents never lead you astray. Plus, he’s a good kid. I’m sure he’ll he fine.”

>Phew

>You were scared you might have screwed the guy over

>The Canterlot outskirts loom large in the distance

>Caring sidles up to Brass, smirking

>”So, you came to our wedding Overseer. When are we going to yours?”

>You immediately chime in

“Yeah! Celestia told me she’s going to officiate it herself. We just need a date!”

>Warden, on Brass’ other side, just leans on his shoulder and flutters her eyelashes

>Your boy looks back at her and smiles

>”I’m not the guy to be asking. She’s got it all planned out.”

>Caring and Warden start chatting excitedly

>You and Brass make eye contact and share a grin before your eyes shift towards the city before you

>The morning sun peeks over the walls of the city, perfectly silhouetting the buildings and towers of Canterlot

>It’s gonna be a great day