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Gothmarriage

By Glimbrain
Created: 2023-12-07 20:03:38
Updated: 2023-12-31 20:15:00
Expiry: Never
anonapplejacktwilight sparklefluttershypinkie pieraritystarlight glimmerlyralunaromanceslice of lifensfwrainbow dash/flutterrape/maud piemayor marevarious charactersberry punchhearth's warminginky rosenew year's evephoto finishmoonlight ravenlily lacestarstreak

  1. Synopsis: Don't let a goth pony sleep in your bed after midnight.
  2.  
  3. *** Day 1 ***
  4.  
  5. >"Arise from your grave, ariiiiise."
  6. >Next to your bed, a pale grey, lanky pegasus mare with a grey, braided mane chants passages from a tattered tome.
  7. "Inky, it's three in the fucking morning, can't it wait?"
  8. >"I want you to model for me."
  9. "I repeat. Three. In. The. Fucking. Morning."
  10. >"That's when I work best."
  11. "And this is when I sleep best. Go make your emo fashion, alone."
  12. >"It's goth."
  13. "Same thing."
  14. >"No it's not."
  15. "Ugh, whatever. What do you even want me to model?"
  16. >She holds up a design in her forehooves.
  17. >"I'm coming up with a new line of human ball-bras."
  18. "But I'm the only human."
  19. >"Yes."
  20. >A silence hangs in the air.
  21. "…I'm going back to sleep."
  22. >As you close your eyes, she starts chanting again.
  23. >"Ariiii—oh, it's working."
  24. "Huh—what—OH SHIT, WHAT THE FUCK?!"
  25. >Opening your eyes, you see that you're levitating in the air, held up by your "horn."
  26. >It glows in a green aura, of course.
  27. >Now that that you are *fully* woken up, you question Inky Rose.
  28. "Where the hell did you get this book from?"
  29. >"Fluttershy lent it to me."
  30. "Of *fucking* course."
  31.  
  32. *** Day 2 ***
  33.  
  34. >It's the start of another beautiful day.
  35. >You yawn, stretch your limbs and open your eyes.
  36. >And come face to face with a pair of half-lidded, blue eyes staring back at you.
  37. "SHIT!"
  38. >There is a horse in your bed.
  39. >You always knew you'd eventually piss off the wrong people, or ponies.
  40. >Wait, ponies—this horse is alive.
  41. >And goth.
  42. "I-inky?"
  43. >"Hey."
  44. "Why are you here?"
  45. >"You said I could measure you while you sleep."
  46. "Did I? Fuck…"
  47. >The shit you say at three in the morning.
  48. "Wait—no, why are you still here? Don't you have your own house? Your own bed?"
  49. >"I do, but your bed was closer, and comfier."
  50. "Oh."
  51. >You are way too groggy to argue right now.
  52. >She continues to stare at you.
  53. "Look, you didn't…uh…do anything else, right?"
  54. >She's silent, and the blue colour of her iris appears to fade away.
  55. "B-because I'm not…I'm not a horsefucker, you know?"
  56. >Only to be replaced with the deep ebony abyss of her pupils.
  57. "And—and if you did I'd be…I'd be…
  58. >The abyss slowly lurches outwards, black tendrils surface and reach out—
  59. "OkaynevermindI'mjustgonnagetouttabednow."
  60. >Hastily hopping out of your bed, you get ready to start your day.
  61. >Step 1: go through your motions—the Triple S.
  62. >Step 1.5: try to ignore the grey shape standing on the other side of your shower curtain.
  63. >Step 2: grab a bowl of delicious Oat Flakes.
  64. >Step 2.5: eat said bowl of delicious Oat Flakes next to the grey pony beside you.
  65. >Step 3: leave the house—
  66. >"Where are you going?"
  67. >You turn to look at Inky Rose, casually lounging on your couch.
  68. >The question takes you off-guard; why does she care again?
  69. "I…I'm going to work."
  70. >"Okay, see you when you get back."
  71. "What? This isn't your house."
  72. >"Yes it is."
  73. "No, you live over in…I don't even know, Rarity's closet, I guess."
  74. >"I live here now, we're gothmarried."
  75. "Uh, whatmarried?"
  76. >"Gothmarried."
  77. "You what?"
  78. >"You let me sleep in your bed after midnight. The pact has been sealed."
  79. "Pact, my ass! I can't get married! I'm gunning for Equestria's most eligible bachelor! I'm the *only* human one!"
  80. >"We could get a gothdivorce."
  81. "Obviously I'm gonn—"
  82. >"But it means I get to keep your soul."
  83. "Y-you can't be serious."
  84. >She stares right at you, expression unchanging.
  85. >She's bluffing, right?
  86. >You want to say that she is, but she's one of *those* ponies—you know the ones.
  87. >The ones you'd never want to play poker against.
  88. >You've also had enough of staring into the abyss for one day.
  89. "Fine, you can stay. But this isn't over."
  90.  
  91. *** Day 3 ***
  92.  
  93. >Another day, and Inky Rose is still in your house.
  94. >She doesn't actually…do anything to you, other than stare at you while you sleep.
  95. >You're heading home after another day of work, and you spy a curious, but oh-so-common sight in the distance: Fluttershy—resident fetishist, is walking up to your front door.
  96. >The yellow pegasus is wearing a pair of saddlebags, and you see a can of worms peeking out from one of them.
  97. >Yeah, she's about to open a can of worms, alright.
  98. >Using all of the simian stealth you can muster, you sneakily step behind one of the bushes near your door, crouching down to conceal yourself.
  99. >She gives the frame her signature soft trio of taps…and Inky Rose answers.
  100. >Fluttershy's ears flatten when she sees Inky.
  101. >"Um…"
  102. >"Here's your book back."
  103. >Inky presents Fluttershy with that weird bonermancy book she was using a couple nights ago.
  104. >"Oh, thanks?"
  105. >Fluttershy takes the book, storing it in her unwormed bag before turning back to Inky.
  106. >"Um, Inky Rose? What are you doing in Anon's house?"
  107. >"I live here now."
  108. >She flicks her mane.
  109. >"Gothmarried."
  110. >"M-married?!"
  111. >"No. Gothmarried."
  112. >Inky pauses.
  113. >"It's deeper, more intimate. Binds us together on a spiritual, emotional, and karmic level."
  114. >Fluttershy staggers a step back as some strands of her mane stick out.
  115. >"That's even worse!"
  116. >She swiftly shakes her head.
  117. >"I-I mean, I'm happy for you, really, I am!"
  118. >She turns around.
  119. >"I…I just need some time alone…"
  120. >As she takes off and flies past your bush, you hear her muttering to herself.
  121. >"Gothmarried…"
  122. >You stand up, exiting your cover, and walk over to Inky.
  123. "You just made Fluttershy gothgone."
  124. >"That's not a real term."
  125. "Oh."
  126. >The corners of her mouth upturn very slightly.
  127. >"Now gothcome-inside, already."
  128. >And so you do.
  129. >If gothmarriage can keep Fluttershy at bay, maybe it isn't so bad.
  130.  
  131. *** Day 4 ***
  132.  
  133. >Inky leads you into the basement of your house.
  134. >She has somehow repurposed it into a Gothic-themed designer studio during the few days she's been staying here, so you get the feeling she's here to stay.
  135. >The area is lit up with a pale purple glow thanks to magical lanterns that are hanging off of the ceiling.
  136. >There's a decent amount of room in here—room that Inky has haphazardly filled up with clothing stalls, a table with a sewing machine, rolls upon rolls of black fabric, and various bins stuffed with refuse.
  137. >The place is a bit of a mess, but it is admittedly in a better state than when you had last left it.
  138. >And it's not like you had anything of worth down here anyway, but still.
  139. >Fucking gothmarriage.
  140. >Apparently, it's the duty of the gothhusband to assist the gothwife in her fashion-related endeavours.
  141. >You'd protest, but you're still a bit wary on disturbing the sanctity of this whole gothmarriage business; you need to gather more intel.
  142. >You'd prefer your soul to remain under your ownership, and she hasn't tried anything *too* outlandish yet.
  143. >Plus, you kind of owe her for the Fluttershy thing.
  144. >Inky stops in front of a clothing stall.
  145. >The clothes on display are in a wide display of colours, such as black, black, and black.
  146. >And for the especially daring: black.
  147. >She gestures a hoof to two particular pieces of clothing—a shirt and pants, fit for humans.
  148. >"Now try these on."
  149. "I don't suppose you installed a changing room anywhere?"
  150. >"No, just strip here."
  151. >You squint your eyes at her.
  152. "Fine. Don't look."
  153. >"I won't."
  154. >You turn away from her and disrobe yourself, dropping your current combo of shirt and pants to the floor.
  155. >"Much."
  156. >For the sake of your own sanity, you ignore that last part and focus on putting on your new garments.
  157. >There are zippers where there shouldn't be zippers, and enough buttons to fill a jam jar, but eventually, you get them on.
  158. >Finished, you turn back to her; she looks up at you with an expectant gaze.
  159. >"How are they?"
  160. "They're a bit tight."
  161. >"Hmm."
  162. >She gestures to another set of clothes on the stall.
  163. >"Try these."
  164. >You do as she asks, ignoring any lecherous gazes while you disrobe.
  165. >Once you put the new goth garments on, she asks you again.
  166. >"How are they?"
  167. "These ones…aren't bad, pretty comfy, actually."
  168. >"Good."
  169. "Way too many buttons though."
  170. >"I'll keep that in mind."
  171. >You start to take them off to put on your old clothes but she stops you, gently prodding you with a hoof.
  172. >"Keep them."
  173. >You're briefly taken aback, but you're not gonna turn down free clothes; Rarity has you by the balls in that sector.
  174. "Oh, thanks."
  175. >Especially when a certain yellow menace has a habit of breaking into your house and stealing what few articles you do have.
  176. >Sure, these ones are a bit on the gloomy side, but they're surprisingly comfy to wear.
  177.  
  178. >She turns around, walking up to a nearby supply closet.
  179. >"One moment, let me find your fetish."
  180. "Wait, what?"
  181. >She disappears into the closet.
  182. "I fucking knew it!"
  183. >It was only a matter of time before she made a move; you have to hand it to her, she lasted a lot longer than Fluttershy.
  184. "This was your plan all along, wasn't it? Leading me into my basement, I bet you thought I'd be helpless to resist whatever vile scheme you had planned! But you forget, Inky, I'm a proud basement dweller! This is my turf and—what is that?"
  185. >And reappears with something in her mouth. It's a necklace; she holds it out to you on her forehoof.
  186. >"Here, it will match your outfit."
  187. "Uh."
  188. >Taking a closer look, you see that it's adorned with a talisman shaped like a crescent moon.
  189. >Oh, that kind of fetish, right.
  190. "I…guess I kinda jumped the gun there, my bad."
  191. >You put the necklace on.
  192. >She examines you up and down for a few moments.
  193. >"Let me help you with your kinks."
  194. "What—wait, don't you dare—"
  195. >She straightens out the kinks and creases in your shirt.
  196. "Oh, yeah, I guess I did put my clothes on pretty sloppily."
  197. >"Are you aroused right now?"
  198. "What?! No!"
  199. >She frowns.
  200. >"Oh. I was hoping you could do some modelling for me."
  201. >The gears in your head start turning.
  202. "Oh, you—you meant awake, right?"
  203. >She nods.
  204. "I mean…yeah, sure. I've got some free time, I suppose."
  205. >You sit down on a nearby chair.
  206. "Sorry, it's just…after years of dealing with Fluttershy, I gotta keep my guard up, y'know?"
  207. >She responds with a empathic nod.
  208. >"That's fine."
  209. >She strides over to you, cupping your face in her forehooves.
  210. >"Now tell me what makes your penis hard."
  211.  
  212. *** Day 5 ***
  213.  
  214. >It's time to get to the bottom of this.
  215. >You knock on the doors to Carousel Boutique.
  216. >After being given a not-too-distant go-ahead, you head on in.
  217. >Within the interior, you see a white unicorn—Rarity—sitting down on a chair, working with one of her sewing machines.
  218. >She turns her head to you as you enter.
  219. >"Oh, if it isn't Anonymous!"
  220. "Hey, Rarity."
  221. >She hops off the chair and trots over to you, and you crouch down and let her do that cheek kissing thing.
  222. >"How have you been, darling?"
  223. "I've been good, or as good as one can be when Fluttershy shows up on my doorstep daily to try and shove bucketfuls of eels down my pants."
  224. >You stand back up and scratch the back of your head.
  225. "Actually, that's not great, is it? It isn't easy being a desirable bachelor in Ponyville."
  226. >"Oh, I know the feeling. I can hardly keep them off of me, myself!"
  227. >She clears her throat as she quickly corrects herself.
  228. >"I-I should specify that I meant suitors—stallions, not eels. Just so we're clear."
  229. "Sure."
  230. >"Well, anyway! What brings you here, Anonymous? Are you in need of some new 'threads' as you do so like to put it?"
  231. >Ever the entrepreneur, Rarity shifts gears onto business matters quite quickly.
  232. >It gives you room to wonder: do Fluttershy and Rarity have some kind of deal going on? Fluttershy steals your old clothes, Rarity sells you new ones?
  233. >Actually, it's more likely she assumes you're here to buy because that's really the only reason you come here anyway.
  234. >But not today.
  235. "I'm not here for new threads today. I'm here to ask you something."
  236. >"Oh? Do go on."
  237. "Inky Rose is living—"
  238. >Wait, back up.
  239. >This is Rarity you're talking to.
  240. >Rarity: Town Gossip.
  241. >If she catches wind of this, the entire town's gonna know of your gothmarriage, and you're not ready for that kind of public committent just yet.
  242. >"Inky Rose is living…?"
  243. "Yeah."
  244. >"Um?"
  245. "That's right."
  246. >You two stare each other down as you wait for the storm of scrutiny to pass.
  247. >"She."
  248. "Uh huh."
  249. >"Is living."
  250. "Indeed."
  251. >"At your house?"
  252. "Nope."
  253. >"So she's just…living, then?"
  254. "Right on."
  255. >"I see… Well, that's…good, I suppose."
  256. "Agreed, one hundred percent."
  257.  
  258. >She tilts her head.
  259. >"Why are you telling me this?"
  260. "Because…"
  261. >If you can't get the details from Rarity, perhaps you can interrogate Inky's co-workers instead.
  262. "I'm interested—interested in the clothes you are selling here. You've just got such a wide variety of clothing on display, and I was interested in meeting in the minds behind them and uh…maybe getting their thoughts on designing clothes for humans?"
  263. >"Oh, you are, are you? Well, why didn't you say so in the first place, Anonymous? I am quite proud of the guest designs we have on display here. They're the up and coming in the world of fashion!"
  264. "Right, exactly."
  265. >"Are there any in particular that catch your eye?"
  266. "Yeah, like uh—this one, for example."
  267. >You point towards a mannequin displaying a…saddle and bridle, you think; you're not sure, the arrangement bears a passing resemblance to the riding gear you'd expect to see on the horses back from your home.
  268. >However, the straps are in completely unconventional places, and the saddle is positioned on the underside of the belly.
  269. >"Hmm, this piece of art here is the work of one Starstreak. He has quite the eye for the 'future' as he says."
  270. "Ah yes, it's very…avanty guard."
  271. >She rolls her eyes and gives you a tour of the rest of the display.
  272. >Trotting past a stall of familiar black dresses, she gives you a brief glance.
  273. >"And you already know Inky Rose, apparently."
  274. >You respond with a nervous smile.
  275. >Rarity stops at a hat stand; the hats on display are heavily plumed and feature a variety of bright colours.
  276. >"So that leaves my other guest designer—a unicorn by the name of Lily Lace. She's quite the free spirit, an aspect that she expresses quite eloquently in her designs, if I do say so myself."
  277. "Hmm, yes, extremely birdy—exquisitely birdy, even."
  278.  
  279. >You turn back to Rarity.
  280. "So Starstreak, Lily Lace, a-and Inky Rose, obviously. Thanks Rarity. That'll be all."
  281. >"Yes, of course."
  282. >Walking back to the entrance of the boutique, you open the door, ready to leave.
  283. >You're about to pass through the door frame when Rarity calls out to you.
  284. >"One last thing, Anonymous."
  285. "Yeah, what's up?"
  286. >You turn around to face an inquisitive-looking Rarity.
  287. >"I like your shirt."
  288. "Oh, thanks."
  289. >"It's very Gothic."
  290. "I—"
  291. >Fuck.
  292. >You look down and it is indeed the same shirt that Inky gave you yesterday.
  293. >"I don't remember selling you this, which could only mean somepony else made it for you."
  294. >Looking back to Rarity, you see a gleam in her eye.
  295. >"Somepony like Inky Rose, perhaps?"
  296. "N-no! Why would she mak—why would I buy anything off of her? We barely even know each other!"
  297. >"Because it says Inky right there on the fabric, Anonymous."
  298. >Fucking designer logos.
  299. "That's because Inky—uh…"
  300. >Your eyes frantically dart around, soon settling on the curtains hanging from the window in the boutique.
  301. "Curtains made it!"
  302. >Rarity raises an eyebrow in disbelief.
  303. >"Inky Curtains?"
  304. "From Saddle Arabia. Met her at the markets the other day. She sells minotaur clothing."
  305. >"From Saddle Arabia, right. Who just so *happens* to specialise in the same genre of fashion as Inky Rose."
  306. "Small world, right?"
  307. >"Using the exact same materials as her."
  308. "Very common over there."
  309. >"And has the exact same signature."
  310. "Yes!"
  311. >She blinks at you a few times.
  312. >You don't think she's buying it.
  313. >"…May I meet her?"
  314. >You let her question hang for a moment.
  315. >A cold breeze blows against your back; winter has arrived to Ponyville not too long ago.
  316. >Outside the boutique, you hear a group of fillies playing around in the snow.
  317. >Deeper within the Boutique you can hear some distant meowing; you figure that Rarity's pet cat, Opalescence, will want to be fed soon.
  318. >Finally, you respond.
  319. "No."
  320. >You close the door.
  321.  
  322. *** Day 6 ***
  323.  
  324. >Nighttime in Ponyville, and your liver quivers in anticipation.
  325. >It's a quivering of fear, but also impending joy.
  326. >For what is the purpose of one's liver, but to enable oneself to get as sloshed as possible?
  327. >This is why you're walking into the local Ponyville Pub, ready to drink your woes away.
  328. >You open the door, and a familiar voice calls out to you.
  329. >"'eeeey Anon, wassup?"
  330. >You turn towards the voice's origin—a purple earth pony, sitting on a stool next to the bar counter.
  331. >She waves at you as you approach her.
  332. "By the end of tonight, hopefully the ceiling, Berry Punch."
  333. >Not only is she a great drinking buddy, but she's also responsible for stocking most of the drinks here.
  334. >"That's Berry mofuckin Punch to you—did I use that word right?"
  335. "Close enough."
  336. >"Naaaiiiled it. Score one for the Berry."
  337. >Ponies—even the drunk-off-their-ass ones—aren't very big on cussing, bless their pastel hearts.
  338. >But your arrival into the night-life of Ponyville has set some changes in motion.
  339. >Big changes.
  340. >Drunken changes.
  341. >"C'mon, monkey man, let's get drunk off our flanks."
  342. >You sit down on the empty stool to her left, and get ready to whittle the night away.
  343. >…And whittle it away you do.
  344. >You chuck back another shot of Berry Punch's Berry Punch.
  345. >You've got a sneaking suspicion that the Apple Family Cider isn't alcoholic at all.
  346. >But this purple drank right here? This is the real deal.
  347. >"I'm…I'ma sho drunk right now, Anon."
  348. "Yeah…I know."
  349. >"You KNOW I know, right? Cause…cause right now, I'm seeing two o' ya."
  350. "They call that—uh…bilocation, I think."
  351. >"But you know? The thing is—the WEIRD thing is…"
  352. >She points a wobbly hoof at you.
  353. >"There's like, a HUMAN you, right?"
  354. "Yeah…?"
  355. >"And a PONY you."
  356. "Huh."
  357. >"And the pony you is goth."
  358. "Wait."
  359. >You turn around and see Inky Rose seated on your left.
  360. "Holy shit!"
  361. >"Hey."
  362. >It turns out sudden goth sightings are very sobering.
  363. "How long have you fucking been here?!"
  364. >"Long enough."
  365. "You…drink?"
  366. >"No."
  367. "Oh."
  368. >She gives Berry a very brief side-eye.
  369. >"I'm here to keep an eye on you."
  370. "Well then, eyes away, I guess."
  371.  
  372. >Berry gives Inky a curious look.
  373. >"That yer mare, 'Non?"
  374. "No, she's not. Just a friend."
  375. >"Y'sure? 'Cause I been seeing—looking wit' these peepers o' mine and seeing her enter your house for hoursh on end."
  376. "…You stalking me, Berry?"
  377. >"No…'coursh not! I just got real good eyes is all, honed em back in the war."
  378. "You never fought in any wars."
  379. >"Did too! The great Berry-Cherry feud of 'sixty nine… 'Non, you shoulda been there. There was so much blood…or was it fruit juice? Can't 'member."
  380. >You're about to tune out before Berry starts her usual rants about griffons or some shit, but she knocks some clarity back into you with a hoof jab.
  381. >"Anywho! You didn't answer me question…this here mare's clearly somethin' to ya, and don't give me that friend baloney. I know you're not the kinda guy to keep a mare in your house that long as just friends, 'cause you never done it before."
  382. >Her interrogative tone catches you off guard, but you decide to nip this in the inky bud before she gets any further ideas.
  383. "Ugh, fine, it's complicated, alright? It's—uh…"
  384. >Finally, Inky Rose decides to speak up your behalf.
  385. >"Gothmarriage."
  386. "Yeah, that."
  387. >"Got-the-whuh-now?" Berry questions you.
  388. "Basically, she either gets to stay in my house or she gets to keep my soul."
  389. >She sputters.
  390. >"Whoa—okay then. 'Non, there are easier ways to get laid than selling your soul."
  391. "Look, we haven't even done it, I ain't no horsefucker, y'know?"
  392. >"That's what they ALL say…'til they fuck a horse."
  393. >Berry resumes her shots in earnest.
  394.  
  395. >"She'sh very black—NOT that I'm saying there's anythin' wrong wit bein' black. Some of my best friendsh are black…or grey…or purple…"
  396. >Inky nudges you with a hoof.
  397. >"She was planning to molest you while you were drunk."
  398. "Wait, what?"
  399. >Berry spits out her drink.
  400. >"Wha—? Naw, naw! I'd…I'd never do that t'ya, 'Non."
  401. "See, Inky? Berry's a good mare. She's no Fluttershy."
  402. >But Berry continues to ramble.
  403. >"I only played with it the ONE time, th-the onceler, that's all."
  404. >Your eyes widen.
  405. >"An' I bounced on it th'other."
  406. "What?"
  407. >"But itsh alright, you didn't cum. Mofuckin whiskey dick, am I right?"
  408. "Berry that's not—"
  409. >"I sure did though, WOWZA!"
  410. >She begins humping the bar stool she's seated on, moaning out all the while; if the attention of the other bar patrons hasn't been drawn yet, you sure-as-shit know all eyes are on your group now.
  411. >"And a one-uh, and a two-uh, and a three-uh, and a I-lost-count-uh."
  412. "I can't believe you."
  413. >"Come on, 'Non—heh, 'come'—Whatsh a bit of harmlesh drunken fun between buds, huh?"
  414. >Steadying herself, she playfully bats a hoof in your direction.
  415. >"I mean I know y'got a mare now an' all…"
  416. >She flashes a grin at Inky; Inky's expression remains neutral, but you feel a strange tension in the air.
  417. >"You aren't drunk. You're faking it." Inky states.
  418. >Berry's eyes flicker for a moment.
  419. >"…Shay again?"
  420. >"You're Ponyville's leading producer, supplier, and consumer of alcoholic drinks. Your alcohol tolerance is beyond most. There's no way you would've gotten drunk from—"
  421. >She casts a glance at Berry's side of the counter.
  422. >"Three bottles."
  423. >Berry's brows furrow as she stares deep into her drink; she bears a look of concentration you wouldn't expect from the rowdy mare you just witnessed earlier.
  424. >"…Huh."
  425. >She hops off her stool and gives you a brief glance before turning to the exit.
  426. >"Your mare's a real buzzkill, Anon. See ya."
  427. >You watch Berry leave the pub as your mind slowly registers what had just transpired.
  428. "Think I'm sticking with Apple Cider from now on."
  429.  
  430. *** Day 7 ***
  431.  
  432. >"Say, Anon."
  433. "Yeah, AJ?"
  434. >"Ah've kept quiet these past few days, but Ah have to ask…"
  435. >The farm pony shoots you a look of concern.
  436. >"What in the hay is going on with your clothes?!"
  437. >You are with Applejack, working in the orchard; although right now, you are currently on break, snacking on company rations—apples, of course.
  438. >The garments you wear are shrouded in the darkest of shadows—in other words, they're very black; they've been tailored by Inky, naturally.
  439. >They're very gloomy looking, but also very comfy; surprisingly warm, too.
  440. "You don't like them?"
  441. >"It ain't Nightmare Night! An' what's with all these buttons!"
  442. "Inky Rose made them for me."
  443. >She holds up a forehoof to her chin.
  444. >"Inky? You mean that, uh, fashion pony of Rarity's?"
  445. "That's the one."
  446. >"The…broody one?"
  447. "Broodiest."
  448. >"Right!"
  449. >She raises an eyebrow at you.
  450. >"But what in tarnation are you doin' wearing this stuff to the farm? She payin' you to advertise? Should Ah be worried about losin' one of my key workers?"
  451. "Nothing like that, it's just that these clothes are comfier than they look."
  452. >"They're makin' me *uncomfy* just lookin' at 'em!"
  453. "Don't knock it 'til you try it."
  454. >"Think Ah'll pass, thank you kindly. All Ah need is this here hat of mine."
  455. >She tips her stetson to you.
  456. >"Top-of-the-line Apple Family fashion!"
  457. >She gives your clothes another look over and chuckles to herself.
  458. >"Still too many buttons though."
  459. "There were actually a lot more a few days ago."
  460. >She laughs.
  461. >"That sure sounds like her, alright. Careful, or she'll be putting holes in 'em next."
  462. >You match her laughter.
  463.  
  464. >"Still…always figured you were more of a 'whatever works' type."
  465. "Hey, it just so happens that goth is that 'whatever' which works."
  466. >"Right, right…and it ain't cause you're head over heels over this Inky of yours. No siree."
  467. "What? No! We just live…together, that's all."
  468. >"Mmhmm…"
  469. "And as part of our living arrangement, she makes clothes for me—free ones."
  470. >"For free? Can't imagine Rarity's too pleased with losing her one-of-a-kind customer."
  471. "Probably. I haven't told her yet. Don't want her blowing things out of proportion."
  472. >"'Cause she'd know, right?"
  473. "She'd *suspect,* key difference. There's nothing going on between us."
  474. >She scoffs.
  475. >"You saying she'd 'suspect' somethin' over two of her most reclusive clients suddenly livin' together in the same house, sharin' clothes between one another?"
  476. "…Okay, yeah, when you put it that way, that does sound kind of intimate."
  477. >"Eeyup."
  478. >She's Big Mac'ing you now. It's over.
  479. >Just as you begin brainstorming plans to skip the country, Applejack gives you a few playful jabs to the side, laughing all the while.
  480. >"You're a hoot, Anon! Ah'm just messin' with you."
  481. >She gives you one more gentle nudge.
  482. >"Your secret's safe with me! As long as Rares doesn't ask me directly, that is. Lying ain't my strong suit."
  483. "Thanks, AJ."
  484. >"Don't you worry none, Anon. Ah ain't gonna start houndin' you on your love life."
  485. >Applejack suddenly shoots you a very ominous glare.
  486. >"Just as long as you ain't sharin' beds with any of those Strawberries. We got a reputation to uphold here."
  487. "N-no, wouldn't dream of it."
  488.  
  489. *** Day 8 ***
  490.  
  491. >You're sitting on your couch at home, and hear a set of three soft knocks at your door.
  492. "Wonder who that could be…"
  493. >"I'll get it."
  494. >As you turn to face your front door, you see that Inky is already there.
  495. >Might as well let her handle it, then.
  496. >She opens the door…
  497. >And Fluttershy is on the other side, as expected.
  498. >What's not expected, however, is her outfit.
  499. >Her mane has a black streak running through it to contrast her usual pure-pink curl; the curl droops a bit more than usual, covering one of her eyes.
  500. >She's wearing a spiked choker around her neck, and spiked bracelets around each hoof; they look uncomfortably tight, as you see them digging into her skin in a way that makes your skin crawl.
  501. >Her face is contorted into a miserable grimace, as if she really doesn't want to be here; you know that's a facade, though, because she wouldn't be here to guess your fetish otherwise.
  502. >The two mares stare each other down in an awkwardly-bleak stand off.
  503. >Inky is the first to break the silence.
  504. >"Hey."
  505. >"…Can I speak to Anon?"
  506. >"He's busy."
  507. >"But he's…"
  508. >Fluttershy cranes her neck around Inky to peek at you.
  509. >You shift your gaze to busily look at one of the paintings on the wall.
  510. >"Busy," Inky states.
  511. >Fluttershy looks over her withers back to your front yard, and for a moment you think she's gonna give up right then and there.
  512. >But she turns back with what you assume to be a look of determination, and she sits down.
  513. >"I can wait, I guess…"
  514. >"Okay."
  515. >"'Cause I'm gonna be living here soon, anyway."
  516. >"Why's that?"
  517. >"'Cause, I'm here to, like, get my gothhusband in a gothmarriage, y'know?"
  518. >Inky gives Fluttershy a brief look over.
  519. >"You're emo, not goth."
  520. >"Same thing, really…"
  521. >"No it's not."
  522. >Fluttershy opens her mouth to form a rebuttal, but no words come out.
  523. >Giving you another glance, she attempts to bypass her Gothic gatekeeper.
  524. >She sidesteps to the left, so does Inky.
  525. >She then sidesteps to the right, so does Inky.
  526. >You know Fluttershy doesn't have the courage to rush a pony head on, so you watch her awkwardly lock eyes with Inky as she speaks up once again.
  527. >"Th-then I'll…"
  528. >You can see sweat forming on her brow.
  529. >"I'll get my emohusband in a emomarriage, yeah?"
  530. >Inky doesn't respond, so Fluttershy continues to spin her yarn.
  531. >"B-because to get my emohusband I have to…get him to answer the door at…right now, yeah."
  532. >The metaphorical spaghetti is spilling out of her metaphorical pockets at this point.
  533. >"The emotio—emo energies th-they…they—"
  534. >"Fluttershy."
  535. >Inky leans in close.
  536. >"Get your own."
  537. >"U-um…"
  538. >Fluttershy's ears flatten as she looks off to the side.
  539. >And without another word, she turns around and walks away, head lowered in defeat.
  540. >Inky closes the door soon after.
  541. "Wow."
  542. >You've never seen Fluttershy subdued so soundly.
  543. >You almost feel a little bad for her.
  544. >But then you remember that one time she thought sounding was your fetish.
  545. >It wasn't.
  546.  
  547. *** Day 9 ***
  548.  
  549. >You're at Town Hall in Ponyville.
  550. >You've been searching the archives for any sort of legal documentation regarding "gothmarriage," or if you've been involved in any kind of marriage at all; predictably, nothing has come up.
  551. >There are a lot of restraining orders in your name, though; it takes you back, back to the simpler times when you thought the law could stop an Element of Harmony.
  552. >You decide to knock on the door to the Mayor's office; maybe she can help.
  553. >An bespectacled, pale amber earth pony with a curly white mane answers the door—Mayor Mare; she looks up at you.
  554. >She audibly winces when she notices who you are.
  555. "Spare a minute?"
  556. >"Oh, Anonymous. It's so…great…to see you."
  557. >You hold up your hands to try and allay her fears.
  558. "It's not about Fluttershy."
  559. >Her demeanour quickly shifts into a more positive tone.
  560. >"Oh…oh! Well why didn't you say so? Come in, come in! What can I help you with?"
  561. >She ushers you into her office.
  562. "I'm in a bit of a pickle here, Mayor. Turns out, I'm married now."
  563. >"Congratulations! Who's the unlucky mare?"
  564. >You roll your eyes.
  565. "A mare by the name of Inky Rose. The thing is—we never had a proper ceremony. She just showed up in my bed one day and said I was her 'gothhusband,' whatever that is."
  566. >She blinks at you, bemused.
  567. >"So, to be clear, you're complaining about a mare who suddenly appeared in your home and claimed to be your new wife? A lot of stallions would envy your position, Anonymous, some mares, too."
  568. "Do I need to start going through the shit a certain *other* mare pulls to get in my pants? I know we have a ledger somewhere."
  569. >"I…alright, fair enough. But what's so bad about this new mare of yours? I can't imagine she's nearly as feisty as Fluttershy is. Surely you can just turn her away if need be."
  570. "I'm no horsefucker, and she'll take my soul if I try to divorce her."
  571. >"…And she has this in writing?"
  572. "No, but I'm not gonna take that risk. Equestria has got too much freaky magic bullshit going on all over the place and I don't know what I'm dealing with here. I need to find out how to safely get out of this 'gothmarriage.'
  573. "My soul's one of the few things I have left in this world, so I really don't want to lose it, especially after learning that I lost my dignity a few days ago."
  574. >Fucking Berry Punch.
  575. >Mayor flashes you a look of sympathy.
  576. >"Very well, Anonymous, you have my support."
  577. "Thanks, Mayor. I'll remember to vote for you in the next election."
  578. >She titters.
  579. >"However, I'm afraid I'm not too knowledgeable in the goth scene. I was more of a groovy mare back in my wilder days."
  580. "Damn it, should've known. Thanks anyw—"
  581. >"But!"
  582. >She proudly raises a forehoof.
  583. >"As it so happens, I may know a mare well versed in such matters!"
  584. "Really? Who? Where can I find her?"
  585. >She points her hoof forward.
  586. >"She's right behind you."
  587.  
  588. "Huh—"
  589. >You turn around.
  590. "SHIT!"
  591. >And are greeted with a unicorn mare with a pale blue coat and a dark blue swirl for a mane.
  592. >Her striking amber eyes make contact with yours; her expression is positively neutral.
  593. >"Sorry, wasn't sure when to cut in."
  594. "It…it's fine."
  595. >Are all of these gloomy-ass ponies required to spook the shit out of you?
  596. "…Who are you?"
  597. >"Moonlight Raven."
  598. "Sounds…very…"
  599. >"Goth. Yeah."
  600. "You work here?"
  601. >"Yeah, Mayor's aide."
  602. >Mayor Mare walks over to Moonlight's side.
  603. >"She had 'Raven' in the name! Just like my dear Inky! How could I *not* hire her?"
  604. >Mayor attempts to nuzzle Moonlight, but the goth casually sidesteps out of her reach, causing Mayor to stumble and fall to the floor.
  605. "Wait, you knew Inky? And she worked here?"
  606. >Moonlight opens her mouth to answer but Mayor cuts her off.
  607. >"Yes! Raven Inkwell, my previous secretary. She was an absolute dream to work with, Anonymous. She was punctual, organised, friendly, and *oh* so eager to please."
  608. "Oh."
  609. >You get the distinct feeling that this was a different Inky.
  610. >"The two of us would spend many long nights together, working on the paperwork, working on our finances, working on…interpony relations. It was wonderful, u-until…"
  611. >Mayor stares at the ground, growling out her next words.
  612. >"That…that BITCH Celestia took her from me."
  613. >Her sudden cuss causes you to recoil; this Mayor has got some deep-seated issues.
  614. >"She—she left for Canterlot. We parted on good terms, of course. But I…I always…I just wanted to know—what was I missing?"
  615. >Mayor looks up with tears in her eyes; she's no longer talking to either of you at this point, choosing to scream at the nearby wall.
  616. >"Raven! Why did you leave me?! Why!? Was I not good enough?! I let you top me half the time! Did you want more?! You could have just asked! I would have given you the world!"
  617. >Mayor continues to rant about her lost lover, leaving you and Moonlight awkwardly standing there.
  618. >"We should find a different room," Moonlight whispers to you.
  619. "Yeah, good call."
  620. >You both exit the room and leave Mayor to her hysterics.
  621. >As the two of you walk down the hallway, Moonlight makes small talk.
  622. >"So, Anonymous, right?"
  623. "That's right."
  624. >"And you're like, the last of your kind, right? The lone traveller from another world?"
  625. "Basically, yeah."
  626. >Her eyes light up.
  627. >"That's really cool…"
  628. >You're beginning to understand what Inky sees in you if another goth pony can warm up to you this quickly.
  629.  
  630. >Moonlight stops in front of another door.
  631. >"This room shall suit our needs."
  632. >She opens it, and the both of you head inside.
  633. >The space is of moderate size; it must be a meeting room of some kind.
  634. >All of the obstructions such as chairs and tables have been neatly arranged to the edges of the room, providing ample area to manoeuvre in the middle.
  635. >Moonlight turns to you.
  636. >"What did you want to know about goth culture?"
  637. "Everything, basically."
  638. >"'Everything?'"
  639. >She scoffs.
  640. >"You could write books on this, Anonymous. I wouldn't have enough time to tell you everything."
  641. >Books, huh? That might be an avenue worth looking into later.
  642. "Alright, could you just give me the quick rundown, then? How did it start?
  643. "There was a similar goth scene back in my home world, but I can't imagine it's the exact same over here."
  644. >She nods.
  645. >"Perhaps."
  646. >She closes her eyes in concentration.
  647. >"Very well. Be ready to open your mind's eye to our way of life."
  648. >Her horn lights up with a dark blue glow and the room around you shifts in appearance; this must be a type of illusory spell.
  649. >"You've been in Equestria for a while now, haven't you, Anonymous?"
  650. "Yeah…"
  651. >God, how many years has it been, now?
  652. >How many years of Fluttershy walking up to your door and pestering you with whatever stray thought enters her mind?
  653. >It feels like you've been living here for more than a decade, but also like you've been here just a few weeks.
  654. >Equestria's passage of time is weird. You might even say the flow of time itself is convoluted; you're a strange being in a strange land, after all.
  655. >"When you first arrived here, how was your initial reception?"
  656. "They were suspicious of me at first, naturally. But it didn't take too long for them to warm up to me."
  657. >She nods.
  658. >"That's to be expected. Ponies are naturally inclined to be friendly to one another. It's in our nature."
  659. "What about freaky bipedal aliens? They 'inclined' to be friendly with those, too?"
  660. >"It depends how friendly he is."
  661. "I can be plenty friendly, as long as you aren't a yellow-and-pink pony who refuses to respect personal boundaries."
  662. >"Heh."
  663. "How about you? You scared of the big bad human?"
  664. >You flash her a taunting, toothy grin, emphasising your canines.
  665. >She looks at you inquisitively, and soon gives you a small smirk.
  666. >"Hmm, show me more of those teeth of yours, and we'll see."
  667. >You're not gonna take that bait; you quickly retract your chompers back where they belong.
  668. "I'll take that as a no, then."
  669. >Looking at your surroundings, the room has shifted to resemble the outside world; specifically, a warm sunny day in Ponyville.
  670. >"The truth is, Anonymous, is that beneath this world's harmonious surface, sinister shadows lurk just out of reach, shadows that we are taught to fear."
  671. >Illusory ponies mill about around the two of you, going about their day; you see a few of them arguing with each other.
  672. >You can't hear what they're saying, though; this spell doesn't come with audio.
  673.  
  674. >"We're taught from a young age to be harmonious with one another, to bottle up our prejudices, our darkest emotions, or else…"
  675. >More ponies start arguing, and the sky gradually turns greyer and greyer, until a blizzard runs through the area.
  676. >Spectral, see-through horse-like creatures soon descend from the heavens, spewing cold mist and putting all of the ponies on ice—literally.
  677. "Oh, I recognise these. They're uh…wendigos?"
  678. >"Close, windigos—creatures of cold cruelty. They prey upon those with no love in their heart, and doom them to an eternal prison of ice."
  679. >Within moments, most of the town has turned into a winter wonderland—frozen in time.
  680. >But all is not lost, some ponies remain unfrozen, huddled together to conserve their body heat.
  681. >Even in the utmost despair, they don't give up, and soon they sing a song—a silent song to your ears, but a powerful one nonetheless.
  682. >It thaws the ice, thwarting the windigos and sending them back where they come from.
  683. >The gentle rays of the sun grace the village once more; friendship has prevailed.
  684. "I always liked this story. Very festive timing, too."
  685. >"Festive?"
  686. "It's the tale of Hearth's Warming, right? And that holiday's coming up soon."
  687. >"Oh, right, yeah."
  688. "So you ponies are friendly to each other because you're all afraid of turning into popsicles, right?"
  689. >"That's one reason. Fear of that which can't be controlled."
  690. >She clears her throat, turning away from you.
  691. >"Personally, I think windigos are rather…"
  692. >She pauses, building up the suspense.
  693. >"Cool."
  694. >Goth pony or no, you have to leave her hanging for a bit on that one.
  695. >But you're not a total villain; after a few seconds pass, you speak up.
  696. "Oh, good one."
  697. >She doesn't verbally respond, but you see her exhale a deep breath she must have been holding in.
  698.  
  699. >The vision continues; ponies resume their day-to-day just as before, but there are no ponies arguing this time.
  700. >"Stories like these teach us to fear monsters like windigos, and they also shape us into how society expects us to act: good and harmonious. Just like our heroes."
  701. >A group of six ponies come into view—ones you recognise quite well; they were among the first to greet you when you arrived to Equestria, and among the first to help you adjust to your new life.
  702. >Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash…
  703. >And her—Fluttershy; it takes no small amount of effort to suppress your fight-or-flight instincts upon seeing her illusion.
  704. >But it wasn't always like this.
  705. >Back then, she really was the model pony to represent the Element of Kindness; she still is, in a way, but her obsession over you has caused that Kindness to manifest in unfortunate ways.
  706. >Depraved, fetishistic ways.
  707. >Moonlight looks at you with the barest glimmer of concern.
  708. >"You look like you've seen a monster, yourself."
  709. "You don't know the half of it. Or maybe you do, depending on how long you've been here in Ponyville."
  710. >"I arrived here not too long ago. I'm from Canterlot, originally."
  711. >She turns her head towards Fluttershy's fake.
  712. >"But still…I've heard stories in passing—of the Element of Kindness and the human that she can't help but chase after."
  713. "Believe me—the less you know, the better, unless you want to end up as traumatised as your boss."
  714. >"I'll take your word for it."
  715. >She straightens her stance and channels more magic through her horn.
  716. >"That aside, most of Equestria considers these ponies and the Elements they represent to be the paragons of Ponykind's principles. But even then, there are still those of us who reject this saccharide. Tell me, what would you say is the opposite of Harmony?
  717. "…Discord?"
  718. >A spectral draconequus pops up in front of you. He gives you a boop on the nose with his lion paw; chuckling to himself, he disappears into smoke soon after.
  719. >"Correct, and what would you say is the opposite of 'good?'"
  720. "Evil, right?"
  721. >"Right."
  722. >Looking around, you notice that your scenery has changed; you no longer stand in a verdant village, but a barren wasteland.
  723. >There are tall cliffs that tower above you, and on top of those cliffs stand malicious entities that have threatened Equestria time and time again.
  724. >Nightmare Moon, Chrysalis, Sombra, Tirek, and a few more you don't recognise.
  725. >"So what about ponies like us? Ponies who are fascinated by that which we should rightly fear? Ponies who lurk in the darkness, yet refuse to strike at the light? Are we discordant? Evil?"
  726.  
  727. "You ponies are just doing your own thing, I guess. Nothing bad about that."
  728. >She smiles.
  729. >"Exactly, we do not blindly accept Harmony, yet neither do we fall to Discord. We do not suffer ourselves to become the utmost good, yet neither do we indulge our evil desires. Outcasts like us…we follow a third path."
  730. >You find yourself in a cave; the walls are lined with prison cages.
  731. >"We sleep in Tartarus."
  732. >A large dark-blue creature lumbers in the distance; it's shaped like an equine and appears to be made of stars.
  733. >"And we walk in the shadow of the Tantabus."
  734. "The Tantabus…? You mean that monster over there?"
  735. >Moonlight nods.
  736. >"Yes, the Tantabus is a creature of dreams—of nightmares. It takes all of our deepest, darkest emotions and lays them bare in their truest form."
  737. >Blue wisps float around the two of you.
  738. >"It's guilt. It's anger. It's despair. It's jealousy. It's spite. It's everything that we bury deep within us, everything that we try to forget exists, but emotions like these never truly leave us."
  739. >The wisps turn red, expanding in size.
  740. >"The deeper we repress our feelings, the more erratic and uncontrollable they become, until eventually…"
  741. >She pauses.
  742. >"They burst."
  743. >The wisps explode, covering your vision in red mist.
  744. >The red mist clears, and you suddenly find yourself face to face with the Tantabus, craning its neck to meet you at eye level.
  745. "Ah—shit!"
  746. >You stumble backwards and fall onto your ass; you soon hear a light giggle near your side.
  747. >Fucking goth ponies.
  748.  
  749. "I'm getting the distinct feeling you really dig this Tantabus thing."
  750. >"Of course, it's the perfect representation of our inner darkness. Not only that, but it's a creation of Princess Luna herself."
  751. "Sounds like something she'd do. Is Luna the goth leader, then?"
  752. >"She's our patron princess, but we accept no leaders, only the endless abyss in which we all inhabit."
  753. "How very nihilistic of you."
  754. >You steady yourself back onto your feet.
  755. "So basically, you're saying the Tantabus gives you nightmares, right?"
  756. >"Only if you let it."
  757. "You can *let* a nightmare creature decide to give you bad dreams or not?"
  758. >"Nightmares are formed from our innermost fears. They reflect what we repress. Accept everything that you are—good, bad, everything in-between—and you will have nothing to fear."
  759. "That's a lot easier said than done, though."
  760. >"Right, even Luna struggled to overcome this trial. She created the Tantabus to draw out her true feelings, and she sealed it away once she had conquered them."
  761. "If she sealed it away, doesn't that make it bad? Anti-goth?"
  762. >"Luna may be our preferred princess, but that doesn't mean we agree with everything she does. The Tantabus may be gone, but its legacy lives on within us."
  763. >The Tantabus fades away.
  764. >"For this is what it means to be goth. We embrace the dark emotions that society demands we shut away; we see the world for what it truly is; and we express ourselves through our devotion to the macabre, through our art, through our fashion, through our music, through our very souls!"
  765. >She strikes a pose, so you assume her presentation is over.
  766. "Right, I think I get the gist of it, now."
  767. >The gist being that this pony is a total dork; a gloomy dork, but a dork nonetheless.
  768. >"Good."
  769. >She quickly deflates after she finishes her pose; you guess that show took a lot out of her.
  770.  
  771. "One more question, Moonlight—how do I get out of this gothmarriage?"
  772. >"You can't."
  773. "Really? I can't 'embrace my emotions' or whatever to get a more reasonable gothalimony?"
  774. >"There are only two paths you can take—staying with her, or…"
  775. "Divorcing her and giving up my soul."
  776. >"Yeah."
  777. "Alright, I'll bite—what does giving her my soul entail?"
  778. >"The sanctity of a Gothic bond cannot be understated. The moment you two decided to share the same bed when the Tantabus's influence is the strongest, your souls became inextricably linked. You became hers, and she became yours."
  779. "Wait, are you saying I'm stuck with her no matter what I do?"
  780. >She nods as she weaves more magic into her spell.
  781. >The illusory room becomes active once again; you're still in Tartarus, but you see the formation of two figures a short distance in front of you.
  782. >They're copies of you and Inky.
  783. >"If you reject her love, then you also reject your rights as an individual. No longer will you have any agency in your relationship, as you submit your will to hers."
  784. >The other you is magically stripped of his clothes, leaving only his boxers.
  785. >"A gothdivorce will herald the end of your current dynamic, but it will also signal the birth of a new one."
  786. >A collar forms around his neck, with Inky holding the leash around a hoof.
  787. >"One more akin to a mistress and her slave."
  788. "Uh…"
  789. >Is this demented mare really setting up a magical play of you getting raped?
  790.  
  791. >"As the owner of your soul, she'll be able to call upon you at any time."
  792. >Your clone collapses to his knees, meeting Inky at eye level.
  793. >"Every command she gives, you'll be compelled to fulfil."
  794. >Another Inky walks in from the left—wait what?
  795. >"No matter how debased."
  796. >A third Inky walks in from the right.
  797. >"No matter how immoral."
  798. >The three mares circle the poor human like a pack of hyenas ready to pounce on their prey.
  799. >"No matter how utterly humiliating it could be."
  800. >The Inky in front of him suddenly pushes him down to the floor, and the three goths loom over him with hunger in their eyes.
  801. >You can't believe you are about to watch your ghostly doppelganger about to be gangbanged by a pack of Inky Roses.
  802. >"You'll have to satisfy her every need, her every desire, her every fetish—"
  803. "Okay! You've convinced me—no gothdivorce."
  804. >Your clone and the Inky Roses disappear; Moonlight looks a little disappointed.
  805. >"Are you sure? In some circles it can be considered quite romantic to offer up your soul in such a fashion. It might make the two of you closer than ever before."
  806. "Very sure. Thanks anyway, Moonlight. This talk was very enlightening, even if I still have no clue how to handle my predicament."
  807. >"No problem."
  808. >You're still not sure how much of that was goth, and how much of it was just her trying to sound cool; you were also half-expecting her to start talking about the demonic power that resides inside one of her eyes at some point, but what you got was entertaining enough.
  809. >Moonlight's magic finally dissipates, and the room returns to its generic-looking self.
  810. "By the way, those were some seriously impressive special effects you had going on there. Are you some kind of magical movie producer or something?"
  811. >"Nothing like that. It's just a hobby of mine."
  812. "Well it's a damn impressive hobby. Keep at it. You could definitely make a career out of spells like that."
  813. >You catch her cheeks reddening slightly.
  814. >"…Thanks."
  815. >You yawn.
  816. "Think I'll head out. My brain's all gothed out for today. Good luck with your crazy boss."
  817. >You wave to her as you make to exit the building.
  818. >"See you around, Anon."
  819.  
  820. *** Day 10 ***
  821.  
  822. "So Inky…"
  823. >"Yeah?"
  824. >As the two of you stand in the kitchen of your house, there comes a point in every gothhusband's life where he has to ask his gothwife that one, age-old question.
  825. "What's up with that cutie mark?"
  826. >"What do you mean?"
  827. "I mean, it's an inky rose…and your name is Inky Rose. That's trippy, dude."
  828. >"Righteous, dude."
  829. "Get out of my house, Tree Hugger"
  830. >"You said the 'D' and the 'T' words, my man. Now you gotta give me the D in my T."
  831. "Your…'T?'"
  832. >"Tussy. Tree-Hugger-pus—"
  833. >Inky grabs the stinky green hippie mare.
  834. >"W-whoa…you've got a *vibe* to you. I dig it."
  835. >"Thanks."
  836. >And she chucks her out of the open kitchen window; she lands in a nearby bush.
  837. "Thanks for that."
  838. >"Sure."
  839. "Now where were we? Your cutie mark—there's just something…magical about it."
  840. >"Indeed! But not as magical as the Great and Powerful Trixie!"
  841. "What—what the fuck are you doing here, Trixie?"
  842. >"What *isn't* Trixie here for? But I digress, Trixie has come to *come!* Specifically, she intends to perform a disappearing act! Your penis in my pus—"
  843. >Inky grabs the less-stinky-but-still-pretty-stinky blue showmare.
  844. >"H-hey! Unhoof Trixie right this instant!"
  845. >"Okay."
  846. >And she chucks her out of the kitchen window; she lands in the same bush.
  847. "T-thanks."
  848. >"Sure."
  849. >You almost open your mouth to speak again, but you keep it closed.
  850. >You remain silent, paranoid of drawing in any more sudden home invaders.
  851. >Locking eyes with Inky, you attempt to discern the meaning of her cutie mark through eye movement alone.
  852. >…Yeah, you got nothing.
  853. >Her eyes slowly drift downwards to your side; gingerly, you trace their target and—
  854. "Oh for fuck's sake, Marble."
  855. >Marble Pie looks up at you with a hopeful smile.
  856. >"M-mmhm?"
  857. "No, I'm not gonna fuck you in your pus—"
  858. >Inky grabs you.
  859. "I-inky."
  860. >She releases you.
  861. >"Oh, sorry. Reflex."
  862. "But anyway, Marble, you can leave—oh."
  863. >Marble Pie has already positioned herself on the kitchen windowsill.
  864. >The surprisingly-not-stinky-at-all grey rockmare then launches herself into the same bush the previous two mares were thrown in.
  865. >She does a flip.
  866. >Pretty cool, but also pretty sad.
  867.  
  868. >The two of you share a moment of silence, before you turn back to Inky.
  869. "Okay Inky, just tell me what your cutie mark means."
  870. >"Okay." She nods.
  871. >"When I was a filly, I lived with my family back in Manehattan. We were all florists."
  872. "You, selling flowers? Would've loved to see that."
  873. >"Mmm, I was never as good at taking care of flowers as my sisters, though."
  874. >Inky walks over to a table in your kitchen where there's a flower vase filled with lilies; she peers into it.
  875. >"They could speak to flowers, ask them how they felt, what they wanted. My sisters were able to bring out the beauty in any kind of bloom.
  876. >"But I never had that 'voice' to ask how they were feeling, and the flowers in my care would always end up wilting, sooner rather than later.
  877. >"Every time I tried to follow in my sisters' hoofsteps, I would always fail. I…I didn't know what to do.
  878. >"Eventually, it became too much for me. I locked myself in my room, surrounded by dead flowers, surrounded by my failure."
  879. >She looks at you.
  880. >"I stayed in there for several days."
  881. "Several days!? What did you eat?"
  882. >"I was surrounded by dead flowers."
  883. "Oh, right. Were they crunchy?"
  884. >"Very."
  885. >She smiles.
  886. >"Also, my family left dinner by my door."
  887. "Ah."
  888. >"But one day, inspiration struck me in my deepest despair."
  889. >She looks back to the vase.
  890. >"Even in death, roses can be beautiful. And so I started working."
  891. >She takes some of the flowers from the vase, holding them in her mouth—a part of you worries that she's about to chow down, but she gently sets them down beside the vase.
  892. >Opening a nearby drawer, she gathers some additional materials—wire and tape.
  893. >"They were simple designs at first, one flower linked into another, and then another, until eventually…"
  894. >She wraps the lilies around the wire, tying them together with the tape.
  895. >Once she's finished, she shows off her product to you, holding it around her forehoof.
  896. >"This was my first design, a crown of wilted roses."
  897. >You stare at the flower crown she had just made out of those poor flowers that had once peacefully meandered in your vase.
  898. "Those are lilies."
  899. >"You know what I meant."
  900. >She gives you a playful nudge.
  901. >Inky shifts her gaze to her cutie mark—the inky rose.
  902. >"That's when I got my cutie mark: a rose, steeped in the abyss. That's when I knew my calling. It wasn't nurturing new life, but honouring death.
  903. >"And that's when I decided to set out on my own into the world of fashion."
  904. "Wow, that's…"
  905. >Pretty cute.
  906. "That's a really touching story, but you're still gonna have to replace those flowers you just took out."
  907. >She glances at the flowers and faintly chuckles.
  908. >"Okay, hold still."
  909. >She flutters up to meet you at eye level and reaches up, placing the flower crown on your head.
  910. "O-oh, thanks."
  911. >It's a touching gesture, but being this close to her causes you to recoil slightly; there's an odiferous problem you need to address.
  912. "…You could also use a shower. You still got that fireworks and ganja smell stuck on you."
  913.  
  914. *** Day 11 ***
  915.  
  916. "So, Pinkie."
  917. >"What's up, Nonny?"
  918. "Which one do you think will break the silence?"
  919. >"That's the best part! I don't know! This is so exciting!"
  920. >Maud Pie and Inky Rose are having a stare down in Sugarcube Corner.
  921. >You and Pinkie Pie are also in Sugarcube Corner, seated a fair distance away and looking very inconspicuous behind your shared newspaper.
  922. >The two grey mares are communicating exclusively in nods, head shakes, head tilts, and "hmm"'s.
  923. >It's an esoteric language that you and your bubbly bosom buddy hope to decipher one day.
  924. "What do you think is going on between them? Feud of the grey mares? Do they do that?"
  925. >Pinkie gasps.
  926. >"You can't just *judge* a mare on her coat colour, Nonny! She's more than that!"
  927. "Oh shit—right. My bad."
  928. >"And besides, there would never be any bad blood between two mares just because they have the same colour coat! Although there was that one time Limestone and Maud got into a fight because Limestone said that Holder's Boulder was more important than Maud's Boulder and Maud was like 'nuh-uh' and Limestone was like 'yeah-uh' and Maud was like 'nuh-uh' and Limestone was like—"
  929. "I get it, Pinkie."
  930. >"Weeellllll anyway, they didn't speak to each other for months! So big-little sister Pinkie Pie had to step in and set up a Limestone party, a Maud party, a can-you-two-please-be-in-the-same-room party, an all-boulders-are-special-in-their-own-way party, and then finally a let's-let-bygones-be-bygones party! Phew! Let me tell ya, Nonny, that was a tough day to be Pinkie Pie!"
  931. "That didn't sound like it had anything with their coats, though."
  932. >"Oh, you're right. I guess it didn't, huh."
  933. >You glance back at the two grey—sorry, the goth and the rock mare; they're still just standing there.
  934. "Still nothing…"
  935. >"Hmm…they've gotta be communicating somehow! Maybe we're just not close enough to hear them? I'm gonna call up Gummy, see how his recon's going."
  936. >Pinkie holds up her right forehoof to the side of her face and starts mumbling into it.
  937. >Inky nods with just the slightest bit more enthusiasm compared to the other nods; your bones are telling you something big has just happened.
  938. >You hear a heavy sigh from Pinkie, and she lowers her hoof.
  939. "Anything from Gummy?"
  940. >"The alligator has left the building, Nonny. We're on our own out here."
  941. "Damn."
  942.  
  943. >The two of you sit in boredom for about five seconds before Pinkie speaks up.
  944. >"So how did you and Inky meet?"
  945. "She showed up one night and forced me into a demonic pact where I have to be nice to her or she'll take my soul."
  946. >"But isn't that every romantic relationship?"
  947. "What?"
  948. >"Nothing."
  949. >You squint at Pinkie for a bit, but you know better than to try and discern the inner workings of her mind, so you change topics.
  950. "I wonder if Maud is goth."
  951. >"Well—"
  952. >"She's not." Inky states.
  953. >"EEEP!"
  954. >A startled Pinkie catapults straight up and through the ceiling, leaving a Pinkie-shaped hole behind.
  955. >You look upwards—the hole reaches all the way through the building; you can see the clear sky on the other side.
  956. >Just how far up did Pinkie go…?
  957. >In any case, she doesn't seem to be coming back down any time soon, so you turn to look at Inky Rose, who is now standing close by; Maud is nowhere to be found.
  958. "Where did Maud go?"
  959. >"She had to go pick up her pet rock from the vet."
  960. "Ah, did you win your staring competition, then?"
  961. >"I won…"
  962. >She pauses, clearly revelling in the dramatic suspense.
  963. >"A trade deal, she wants a dress."
  964. "You…you two were *talking?*"
  965. >"Yeah."
  966. "But I didn't hear either of you say anything."
  967. >"You don't always need words to express your feelings. Maud gets it."
  968. >Inky turns and makes to exit Sugarcube Corner, opening the door.
  969. >But just before she leaves, she looks over her withers at you, giving you a slight smile.
  970. >And you follow her out.
  971.  
  972. *** Day 12 ***
  973.  
  974. "Hey, Inky."
  975. >"Yeah?"
  976. "Why is Photo Finish in our basement?"
  977. >"For the photo shoot."
  978. "…Right, of course."
  979. >Inky Rose has invited Photo Finish into your basement for a photo shoot.
  980. >You are the lucky model, of course.
  981. >You're doing it because it's your gothhusbandly duty, and you don't want to have your soul taken away.
  982. >That's all. That's the only reason you're helping her, despite that annoying little voice in your head trying to convince you otherwise.
  983. >Dressed up in your gloomiest of garbs, you step in front of the cameras.
  984. >Standing off the staging area are two ponies: Inky Rose, and the photographer herself—Photo Finish.
  985. >She's an earth pony with a blue coat and a white, bowl cut mane; she wears an extravagant dress and her eyes are obscured by a pair of violet goggles.
  986. >She raises a forehoof.
  987. >"We start!"
  988. >The sudden flash of the cameras causes you to shield your eyes in response.
  989. >Photo Finish retrieves the photos from the camera; she examines them, and a frown forms on her face.
  990. >She grumbles and throws the photos at you.
  991. "Hey!"
  992. >"No! Nein! You must pose! You must bring out…the magics!"
  993. "Right, sorry I'm just not used to—"
  994. >"Pose! Pose now!"
  995. >You pose like a character from your Japanese cartoons as the camera flashes go off.
  996. >"Ja! Gut! Another!"
  997. >You flex into another pose for another flash of the camera.
  998. >"More!"
  999. >You're not actually sure how to pose as a model, but Photo Finish seems happy enough.
  1000. >Being the only human in Equestria gives you some leeway on how your species can be vogue, you figure.
  1001. >You continue like this for several more poses, trying to make sure you can show off all of your outfit.
  1002. >"Enough! We break!"
  1003. >Photo grabs a drink of water and quenches her thirst while repeatedly mumbling "hydrate" to herself.
  1004. >Inky walks up to you.
  1005. "Crazy bitch…"
  1006. >"She's good."
  1007. "She's unhinged."
  1008. >"Thanks for doing this."
  1009. "Sure…"
  1010. >She's gonna ask you for something else, isn't she?
  1011. >"The next part of the shoot will feature the ball bras."
  1012. >Right, the fucking ball bras, you knew these would come up eventually.
  1013. >That's why she had you wear them today, after all.
  1014. "So that means I'm gonna have to—"
  1015. >"Continue!" Photo shouts.
  1016. >Inky walks away and positions herself behind the cameras.
  1017. >Photo looks at you.
  1018. >"Why do you wait? Strip!"
  1019. "Alright, alright! I'm doing it!"
  1020. >You take off most of your clothes—shirt, pants, shoes, socks.
  1021. >There's just more article of clothing you need to remove: your boxers.
  1022. >"Strip! Now!"
  1023. "Yeah, yeah…"
  1024.  
  1025. >You take them off, exposing your naked snake to the air.
  1026. >Your testicles are partially covered by two black, silken cups covering the bottom of your sack—Inky's designer "ball bra," fitted especially for humans.
  1027. >"Gut! Now pose! Show Photo Finish everything!"
  1028. >Your poses are less confident this time, naturally; you're not too comfortable being so compromised around a loud Austrian-esque mare who looks liable to fly off the handle at any moment.
  1029. >But if it keeps Inky happy…
  1030. >A-and lets you keep your soul, of course.
  1031. >"Photo Finish must inspect!"
  1032. "Huh?"
  1033. >Photo stomps up to you, her expression hard to read on account of her goggles.
  1034. >"Hm."
  1035. >She moves her goggles up, exposing her analytical indigo eyes; what is she—
  1036. >She suddenly presses her snout into your crotch and inhales.
  1037. >"Sniff!"
  1038. >You stagger a step backwards.
  1039. "W-what the hell!"
  1040. >She gasps.
  1041. >"These are the best balls I have seen in a long time!"
  1042. >Photo turns to Inky, lowering her goggles back into position.
  1043. >"Where did you find him? Tell me!"
  1044. >"At his house."
  1045. >"His house…? Yes! Very direct! I like it!"
  1046. >Turning back to you, Photo cups your testicles in her forehoof.
  1047. >"Such power! Such virility! Watch them move!"
  1048. "What—"
  1049. >She lightly slaps your balls, causing them to swing from left to right.
  1050. >"Jiggle!"
  1051. "Ah!"
  1052. >Her head turns to follow the swaying of your nuts, her mouth slightly agape.
  1053. >"Oh! Look at them jiggle! It's gut!"
  1054. >She continues slapping your balls, each jostle more forceful than the last.
  1055. >"Jiggle! Jiggle! Jiggle! Jiggle!"
  1056. "S-stop jiggling my fucking balls!"
  1057. >She stops and gives you a brief glance; her goggled visage is expressionless, and her thoughts are a mystery—
  1058. >She slaps your balls again.
  1059. >"Jiggle!"
  1060. "Ow! Fuck!"
  1061. >The pain sends you reeling to the floor; Photo turns to Inky.
  1062. >"Inky Rose! Zis photo shoot vas outshtanding! Five stars! Your clothes shall make the front page! Ja!"
  1063. >Inky gives a curt bow.
  1064. >Photo walks towards the entrance of the basement; she turns around to face the two of you, adopting a wide stance.
  1065. >"Now—I go!"
  1066. >She claps her hooves.
  1067. >And soon, two mares descend down the basement stairs carrying a palanquin.
  1068. >They gently set it down at Photo's side; she steps onto the palanquin, and her two slaves(?), manage to carry her back up the stairs, somehow, and out of sight.
  1069. >Meanwhile, you are still lying on the floor in excruciating pain.
  1070. >Inky walks up to you, looking down at you with a small measure of sympathy.
  1071. >"I'll give them more padding next time."
  1072.  
  1073. *** Day 13 ***
  1074.  
  1075. >You and Inky walk through a meadow near Ponyville at noon.
  1076. >Inky wears a fashionable black sun hat and black sundress, protecting her fragile Gothic complexion from shrivelling up in the sun—or so you think.
  1077. >In one of your hands you hold a basket filled with flowers.
  1078. >The two of you were able to find a nice patch of purple blooms to use in Inky's next designs, and now, the two of you are making your way back home.
  1079. >It's a fairly unremarkable task, but it beats going balls out in front of a deranged photographer.
  1080. >Along the way, you pass by a lone tree; something strange is hanging off of its branches…
  1081. >It's a banana, attached to a rope connected further up.
  1082. "Really? Again?"
  1083. >You hear raspy giggling from above you.
  1084. "Dash, I know that's you."
  1085. >The giggling stops momentarily.
  1086. >"There's no Dash here, Anon! Just a floating banana! A *tasty* floating banana!"
  1087. >You squint your eyes at the fruit.
  1088. >Yeah, you know how this one goes; you wish you didn't, but when a man desperately craves his potassium, his situational awareness is not what it should be.
  1089. >Luckily, you know just how to cut this prank short.
  1090. "That's a shame, I guess I'll just read this latest—still officially unreleased—issue of Daring Do, personally signed by A.K. Yearling herself, right here, out in the open."
  1091. >"WHAT?! WHERE?! Show me!"
  1092. >A blue mare crashes into the ground in front of you from the branches of the tree; her messy rainbow-coloured mane flows in the breeze, and her wings are outstretched, ready for take-off.
  1093. >You know her as Ponyville's premium prankster—Rainbow Dash; her eyes flit around frantically.
  1094. "Oh, I forgot to mention the book is allergic to rainbows, my bad."
  1095. >She scrunches as she floats up to meet you at eye level, forelegs crossed.
  1096. >"Hah, hah, very funny, Anon."
  1097. "Says the one trying to recycle an old prank."
  1098. >"It's not 'old!' The banana trick's a *classic!* It's so good that even the victim wouldn't mind falling for it again! Let me go set it back up!"
  1099. "You go do that, we'll be going."
  1100. >"Hey, you can't leave! You gotta—wait, 'we?'"
  1101. >Dash's eyes flick to your side as she finally notices your goth companion.
  1102. >"And who's *this* mystery mare? Huh?"
  1103. >Inky removes her hat, craning her neck upwards to look at Dash.
  1104. >"I am Inky Rose."
  1105. >Dash raises an eyebrow.
  1106. >"Whoa, she's a little…"
  1107. "Goth?"
  1108. >"I was gonna say 'depressing' but that works too, I guess."
  1109. >A part of you wants to admonish her for that remark, but you hold your tongue.
  1110. "We're gonna get going."
  1111. >You turn back to the path but Dash quickly flies in front of you.
  1112. >"Wh—hey! Did I say something wrong? What's the big deal, Anon? You aren't usually this busy."
  1113. "Just gotta get home, is all."
  1114. >"With her?"
  1115. >Dash's eyes slowly widen in realisation.
  1116. >"Ooooooh."
  1117. "No."
  1118. >"Yep."
  1119. "No."
  1120. >"Yep."
  1121. "Yep."
  1122. >"Glad you admit it."
  1123. "Wait—you were supposed to say 'no.'"
  1124. >"That's a low-level prank, Anon. You're speaking with"—she gives her right bicep a quick kiss—"the Dashmaster, here."
  1125.  
  1126. >Dash's eyes drift to Inky.
  1127. "Can you move—"
  1128. >"Hush hush! Mares are talking here!"
  1129. >She floats down to Inky's level.
  1130. >"So how did you and Anon meet, huh? I see you're a pegasus. You any good at flying? Hey—you and me should race! Right now!"
  1131. >"Race, me?"
  1132. >"Yeah! You're on!"
  1133. >Rainbow immediately shoots off in a seemingly random direction.
  1134. >After about ten seconds, she zooms back, giving Inky an unimpressed look.
  1135. >"Hey, you were supposed to race me just then."
  1136. >"Oh, let me just…"
  1137. >Inky hops up into the sky.
  1138. >And lands back down.
  1139. >The moment she touches the ground, she drops her wings, like a lizard dropping its tail when threatened.
  1140. >That's freaky.
  1141. >Inky looks at her fallen wings.
  1142. >"Oh."
  1143. >"W-what?! Dude, your wings! Th-they…they just…!"
  1144. >"Fell off, and now I'll never fly again."
  1145. >"I…"
  1146. >Tears begin to form in Dash's eyes as she touches down.
  1147. >"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it! I…I just wanted to see you fly! That's all! I-I didn't want you to…!"
  1148. >Dash is bawling her eyes out now; she clearly understands the fear of losing her wings well.
  1149. >Inky gives Dash one pat on the withers.
  1150. >"It's okay. It was bound to happen at some point."
  1151. >"W-why's that?"
  1152. >"Chronic Gothitis. I was diagnosed from an early age."
  1153. >"I'm sorry…I didn't know. L-look, I didn't mean it with the 'depressing' thing, okay? I was just…jealous, I guess. I'll go. I know you two are busy and I…I don't wanna mess things up any further."
  1154. >"Bye."
  1155. >Rainbow soars off in the direction of Cloudsdale, leaving the two of you behind.
  1156. >You turn to Inky.
  1157. "Wow, Inky, I—"
  1158. >And you see her unfurling her wings from underneath her dress.
  1159. "Wait, your wings are back!"
  1160. >"They never left. They were just hiding."
  1161. >You pick up one of the fallen wings.
  1162. "Huh? So these are…"
  1163. >"Fake wings."
  1164. "…Do you always keep a pair of fake wings around for situations like this?"
  1165. >"It's a classic."
  1166. >She smiles at you and puts her sun hat back on; you turn to glance at where Dash flew off.
  1167. "So…uh, are you gonna tell Dash about these fake wings?"
  1168. >"She'll figure it out by herself, probably. Let's go."
  1169. "Um…right."
  1170. >The realisation suddenly hits you.
  1171. >This gloomy mare just pranked Rainbow Dash, clowned on her, even.
  1172. >That's cool. She's cool.
  1173. >…You're allowed to think that, right? She's cool, in a platonic, non-lover way.
  1174. >Yeah, totally.
  1175.  
  1176. *** Day 14 ***
  1177.  
  1178. >Knowledge is power.
  1179. >Incidentally, reading books is a good way to gain knowledge.
  1180. >Following this train of thought to its logical conclusion, you wander the halls of Twilight Sparkle's Castle of Friendship, looking for the library.
  1181. >Said looking turns into finding, then reaching, and now entering.
  1182. >You're not the only one in the library, though. There are two purple mares conversing with each other a short distance away; one of them has wings and a horn, while the other has just the horn.
  1183. >You walk up to them to greet them; they turn to notice you on the way there.
  1184. >You start with the alicorn.
  1185. "Twilight Sparkle."
  1186. >"Hey, Anon!" she greets you back.
  1187. >You turn to the other purple pony beside her.
  1188. "And…Twilight Shimmer."
  1189. >"It's 'Starlight Glimmer.' How did you get both parts of my name wrong?"
  1190. "I thought you two were sisters."
  1191. >Starlight Shimm—Glimmer sighs.
  1192. >"So what brings you here, Anon?" Twilight questions you.
  1193. "I'm looking for books."
  1194. >"Well…"
  1195. >She looks around, glancing at the walls surrounding the room that also double as bookshelves; they're all stacked to the brim with books.
  1196. >"I think you've come to the right place."
  1197. "Great. You mares got anything about the dark arts?"
  1198. >They both sputter.
  1199. >"Um, Anon…" Starlight begins, "I don't think you're going to find anything like that in here. Books like those tend to be stowed away deep within Canterlot's restricted archives."
  1200. "Can one of you take me there, then?"
  1201. >Twilight shakes her head.
  1202. >"Nopony is gonna let you in there, especially after that time you summoned a white version of the Smooze in Ponyville."
  1203. >God, the fucking Cum Smooze, that was hell; it also wasn't you who summoned it.
  1204. "That wasn't me. That was Fluttershy's fucking fault and you know it."
  1205. >"Perhaps, but that still doesn't change the fact that the princesses don't trust you around any kind of literature that could give you the means to disrupt Equestria's peace."
  1206. "Damn it."
  1207. >"I don't make the rules, Anon, I just follow them. *I* know you're trustworthy, for what it's worth."
  1208. >…Wait, is she implying something there?
  1209. >You squint your eyes at Twilight; her gaze is neutral, seemingly impartial.
  1210. >Examining your surroundings, you take note of just how many books must be stashed away in this place.
  1211. >This is Twilight's Castle, and this is *the* book horse you're talking about here; there's no way she doesn't have books that violate the pony version of the Geneva convention stashed somewhere.
  1212. >But they won't be in here.
  1213. >You stand at attention and wet your lips; it's time to bring out the big guns.
  1214. "Twilight, I'm going into research, and I want only your strongest books."
  1215. >She raises an eyebrow.
  1216. >"My books are too strong for you, Anonymous."
  1217. "Twilight, I'm telling you right now—I'm going into research and I need only your strongest books."
  1218. >"You don't know what you ask, Anonymous. My strongest books would overload Starlight, let alone a man."
  1219. >"H-hey! I'm right here!"
  1220.  
  1221. >This isn't working; time to switch gears.
  1222. "Twilight, I am no longer fucking asking. Give me your strongest books."
  1223. >"Anon, you could really use some lessons on how to ask nicely."
  1224. >You kneel down in front of her, clasping your hands above your head in a gesture of exaggerated beggary.
  1225. "I beseech you, O' Intelligent One: bless me with your strongest books."
  1226. >"That's…better, but what makes you think I can help you? All of my books here are above the board."
  1227. >Looking back up at her, you see that she's smirking at you; you know she's playing coy.
  1228. "Just tell me what you want, Twilight. We both know you've got the good shit stashed away somewhere in here."
  1229. >Twilight raises a forehoof up to her chin, deep in thought.
  1230. >"Come on, Anon, I've lived in this castle for ages," Starlight states. "If there really were any forbidden books hidden away here, I would've found out by now. Right, Twilight?"
  1231. >"Hm," is all Twilight offers in response.
  1232. >Twilight glances around, perhaps checking that no-one else is in the library to listen in to your upcoming conversation.
  1233. >She then lowers her hoof, looking up at you.
  1234. >"Alright, Anon. I want you to owe me a favour—just one."
  1235. "I'm not gonna fuck you for 'science.' Just getting that out of the way."
  1236. >She recoils in exasperated shock.
  1237. >"No! I wouldn't ask you for that! What kind of mare do you take me for?!"
  1238. >While Twilight isn't Fluttershy levels of freaky, you have been around her long enough to notice some red flags in your interactions with her.
  1239. >When you first arrived to Equestria, you offered to partake in her experiments to help her learn more about humans; you figured it was only fair to repay her kindness in helping you get settled into this new world.
  1240. >They were harmless trials at first—simple records of your motor functions, checking your body's reaction to low-level spells, analysing how your body digests the local food, and so on.
  1241. >But then they got weirder, more intrusive on your personal space; her stares grew uncomfortably intense, and she kept insisting that you partook in the experiments in increasingly compromising states of undress.
  1242. >In hindsight—maybe she thought the time you two spent together was some strange substitute for dating, but you were no horsefucker.
  1243.  
  1244. >It was about the time she brazenly asked you to masturbate onto her chest to test "absorption levels" that you called it quits, deciding it was best to withdraw from further "experimentation" and minimise your future interactions with the purple pervert.
  1245. >Unlike Fluttershy, Twilight took your rejection with grace and left you be, which you're incredibly grateful for.
  1246. >You really don't want to imagine a world where a magically-overpowered alicorn is gunning for your dick; a pegasus is bad enough.
  1247. >In fact, in the few interactions you have had with her since then, she has been surprisingly placid, seemingly having gotten over her initial crush.
  1248. >You might even go as far as to call her a friend—when she isn't being roped into one of Fluttershy's schemes, that is.
  1249. >But you're still wary of owing this nerd a "favour" at any rate; unfortunately, it seems sacrifices will have to be made for the sake of gaining knowledge against the Gothic arts.
  1250. "…Fine then, a favour."
  1251. >She excitedly opens her mouth, probably to squee in joy that she's getting the go ahead to subject you to one of her suspect experiments, but you raise a finger to silence her.
  1252. "However! The favour's only valid if I actually find when I'm looking for, capiche?"
  1253. >Her excited expression quickly shifts into a sterner one; nonetheless, she turns away and motions for you to follow.
  1254. >"Very well. Follow me."
  1255. >And so you do. Starlight silently tags along; you're guessing the magical NEET doesn't have anything better to do.
  1256. >Twilight takes you to a secluded corner in the library and faces the closest bookshelf.
  1257. >Her horn lights up in a purple glow.
  1258. >"Right, it should be…this one."
  1259. >Twilight magically pulls a specific book from the shelf; it doesn't leave the shelf, instead remaining in an angled position.
  1260. >You hear a click as it locks into place.
  1261. >The section of the bookshelf to the right of the book shifts backwards and then to the left, revealing a passageway on the other side with just enough room to squeeze through.
  1262. >That book must have been a lever of some kind; to conceal a passageway hidden away for this long—it must have been one that no-one would have thought to check.
  1263. >You glance at the book's title: "How to Treat Spike with Respect and Dignity."
  1264.  
  1265. >The three of you make your way through the hidden passage with Twilight taking the lead; it's a long, winding, descending staircase that gives you the sensation of heading deep within the earth.
  1266. >With no natural or artificial light flowing into this area, it's near-pitch black; the only visual clarity you are afforded is in the form of magical lamps conjured up by Twilight and Starlight.
  1267. "This doesn't make any sense. How are we still in the castle at this point? Surely we'd be able to see this place from the outside."
  1268. >"This section of the castle is under the effects of a spatial distortion spell, " Twilight replies. "To the outside world, this is just a small, inconsequential room off to the side."
  1269. >You instinctually gulp; just where is Twilight taking you?
  1270. >The trek goes on for several minutes; you think you've found the answer to how Twilight staves off the carbs from all the hayburgers she eats.
  1271. >"Are we there yet, Twilight?" Starlight moans.
  1272. >"We are, actually." Twilight stops, lifting up her lamp.
  1273. >In front of the three of you is a large, stone double door—roughly twice your height in size; there's a symbol of Twilight's cutie mark engraved in the middle.
  1274. >Casting a spell, Twilight generates a projection of her own cutie mark and aligns it with the symbol on the door, merging the two together.
  1275. >The door then glows, opening on its own; one half slides to the left while the other slides to the right.
  1276. >There's a short, candle-lit hallway on the other side which leads to the opening of another room; the three of you proceed onwards.
  1277. >You enter the room and look around; it's well lit and resembles the throne room of Twilight's castle—a circular room with a circular table in the centre.
  1278. >Stocked bookshelves line the walls.
  1279. "Are those books…?"
  1280. >"That's right—forbidden tomes of all kinds."
  1281. >Twilight proudly walks forward.
  1282. >"Here it is. Welcome to the Secret Book Society, Anon."
  1283. "Wow. How long have you had this room?"
  1284. >"I created it a week after I got this castle."
  1285. >"So, Twilight," Starlight asks with a tinge of resentment, "is there any reason why you never thought to tell me about this place?"
  1286. >"You never asked about it."
  1287. >Starlight facehooves.
  1288. >The sound of a stallion clearing his throat catches your attention, and you realise that you're not alone in here.
  1289. >Tracing the source of the noise, you see an elderly unicorn stallion seated at the table; he has a grey coat, a white mane, and a white beard.
  1290. >He's currently reading through a book; you step forward.
  1291. "Wait, aren't you Star Swirl the Bearded?"
  1292. >He sighs, looking up at you with a disinterested gaze.
  1293. >"Yes, now please do remember to be quiet. This is still a library, after all." He quickly refocuses back on his book.
  1294. >"And it's not just Star Swirl, there are others here too. The greatest minds in all of Equestria converge here," Twilight adds on.
  1295. >You look around and see two others seated around the table, reading their own literature.
  1296. >Discord.
  1297. >And Derpy Hooves.
  1298.  
  1299. >The mailmare gives you a friendly wave when you look at her—one you are compelled to return.
  1300. >Discord, on the other hand, is fully engrossed in his book, not paying any attention to the world around him.
  1301. >He flips a page of his book, and as his eyes settle on the new page, his head suddenly explodes.
  1302. >Literally, it explodes in violent chunks of gore, Discord's brain splattering the table; you've never seen anything so violent in all of your years in Equestria.
  1303. >His headless body collapses onto the table, unmoving.
  1304. >You and Starlight are the only ones who show any reaction to this gruesome display.
  1305. "J-jesus."
  1306. >"Um…"
  1307. >His body begins twitching; sporadically at first, but the twitching steadily increases in frequency.
  1308. >Then, something starts to emerge from Discord's stub of a neck—something that looks like his head.
  1309. >You have to avert your eyes; the spectacle reminds you of someone giving birth.
  1310. >The sickening squelching sounds of meat churning through meat are all that you have to speculate on what's happening.
  1311. >"Ooooooh!" a Discordly voice exclaims.
  1312. >You turn your head back—Discord's head is as good as new; though it still looks a bit red and fleshy.
  1313. >He performs a stretch.
  1314. >"Now when they said that this book will 'blow your mind,' I didn't expect them to mean it quite so literally!"
  1315. >He casually tosses the book behind him, yet it magically re-orients itself to neatly fit back into the bookshelf.
  1316. >"Well, I think that's enough light reading for one day!"
  1317. >He hops off his chair and strolls by, stopping when he finally notices your presence; he gives you a short wave.
  1318. >"Oh, Anonymous! Fancy meeting you here!"
  1319. "H-hey."
  1320. >A tiny Discord floats up to your ear and whispers in it.
  1321. >"Pro-tip! Don't read that book! It's a real head-popper!"
  1322. >Snapping his fingers, he generates a chaotically-coloured portal in front of him; he saunters through it and the portal closes behind him.
  1323. >You turn to Twilight.
  1324. "That…that was just Discord being Discord, right? Th-these books don't *actually* do that, yeah?"
  1325. >Star Swirl looks up from his book and squints at you.
  1326. >"Twilight, are you sure this one is worthy of these halls?"
  1327. >Starlight nervously laughs behind you.
  1328. >"Yeeeaaah, I think I'm gonna take a rain check on this book club. I prefer to keep my brains *inside* my head. Good luck, Anon!"
  1329. >Starlight trots off towards the exit.
  1330. "Pussy."
  1331. >Not like you—your soul has been tempered in Gothic fire.
  1332. >You're not terrified of losing your head, not one bit.
  1333.  
  1334. >Twilight offers you a nervous grin.
  1335. >"It's not *that* bad, Anon. As long as you remember to follow my rulebook on etiquette and safety to the letter, you'll be fine!"
  1336. "How big is this book?"
  1337. >"Five hundred and twenty four pages, why?"
  1338. "No reason. I think I'll skip the rulebook, if you don't mind. I'd like to learn what I need *before* I die of old age."
  1339. >"Oh, okay…"
  1340. >Disappointment flashes across Twilight's features, but she quickly shakes her head to recover, addressing you again.
  1341. >"Anyway, what are you looking for?"
  1342. "Got anything on dark rituals?"
  1343. >"Sure!"
  1344. >Twilight trots over to one of the bookshelf walls.
  1345. >"The section on dark rituals start here, and they end riiight over"—she points a hoof to a bookshelf in the far distance—"there!"
  1346. >You squint your eyes in the distance where she's pointing.
  1347. "Isn't that half the room?"
  1348. >"Yep!"
  1349. >This was also the side where Discord tossed his book; you wish you had made a mental note of where he threw it now.
  1350. "Right…well, thanks. Might as well get to work."
  1351. >"Let me know if you need anything, Anon."
  1352. >You take a book at random; it's titled "Top Ten Love Spells That Will Blow His Mind and Destroy His Penis."
  1353. >You quickly place it back; better hope Fluttershy never finds out about this place.
  1354. >Another book is drawn from the shelf: "How to Bind Sexy Human Mans to Your Will."
  1355. >It's a very ominous title with equally ominous implications, but there might be something of worth in there; you take the book and head to the table.
  1356. >There's a seat next to Derpy; you take it.
  1357. "Hey, Derpy."
  1358. >"Hiya, Anon!"
  1359. "What are you reading?"
  1360. >"Nuclear physics!"
  1361. "Right."
  1362. >She's holding the book upside down.
  1363. >But you dare not attempt to correct her.
  1364. >She is one of the masters here; you are but a humble disciple.
  1365. >Gingerly, you open your book to the page of contents.
  1366. >Your brains are still contained; so far so good…
  1367.  
  1368. >Many, many books later, and you are no closer to finding what you were looking for.
  1369. >You're not sure how long you've been in this place, but Star Swirl and Derpy have already left.
  1370. >Pretty much everything you've read about thus far is completely bogus; although, you did learn a few nice vegetable casserole recipes along the way, so it wasn't a total loss.
  1371. >A clopping sound alerts you to Twilight walking up to you.
  1372. >"Still haven't found what you're looking for, Anon?"
  1373. "Unfortunately, no."
  1374. >You set your current book down.
  1375. "Twilight, I…"
  1376. >"Hmm? Yeeesss?"
  1377. >God, that fucking smirk. She knows, she fucking knows what you're about to ask.
  1378. "I don't think…I don't think I can research this all on my own."
  1379. >"I see! And?"
  1380. "And…I think I need your help."
  1381. >"You 'think' you need my help? Hmm…"
  1382. "I…I *know* I need your help."
  1383. >"You need my help…?"
  1384. >She motions for you to say that special word.
  1385. "Please."
  1386. >"To think our local human would finally ask *me* for help, and so politely, too!"
  1387. "Better me than Fluttershy."
  1388. >"Oh, you're not still bitter about the tentacle thing, right?"
  1389. "You bet I fucking am."
  1390. >You sigh.
  1391. "But…not bitter enough to be above asking you for help, Twilight. Don't make me say the 'P' word again. I'm already over my limit."
  1392. >She giggles.
  1393. >"I won't, but my help doesn't come free, you know."
  1394. "I already owe you a favour if I find out what I need. Isn't that enough?"
  1395. >"That's true, but you still haven't told me exactly what it is you're looking for."
  1396. "Ah, right."
  1397. >You clear your throat.
  1398. "So, a mare showed up in my house one night and 'gothmarried' me while I was asleep, binding our souls together. I'm trying to figure out a way to get out of this without relinquishing my soul to her and becoming her slave."
  1399. >"Fluttershy?"
  1400. "Surprisingly, no."
  1401. >Twilight hums in thought.
  1402. >"Well, if you need her gone right now, we could always banish her to a different dimension. She shouldn't be able to reach your soul from there."
  1403. "Jesus Christ, Twilight, going for the nuclear option already?"
  1404. >"Hey, I'm just laying out all of your options here! This room is a safe space for discussing unorthodox and potentially-immoral solutions to our problems!"
  1405.  
  1406. >You roll your eyes and think to yourself about your current situation.
  1407. >Banish her? You don't want to do that.
  1408. >You're definitely not happy about your soul suddenly being taken hostage; you miss being able to call yourself a free spirit.
  1409. >But forced betrothal aside, Inky is…alright, you suppose; at least when she's not forcing you to strip down to less than your skivvies in your basement.
  1410. >You'd like to remain friends with her after this is all over.
  1411. >And maybe…
  1412. >You rapidly shake your head to dispel any more thoughts.
  1413. "I'm just looking to find a way to safely separate our souls, if possible."
  1414. >"Hm, right. This mare must really be special if she could pull something like that off."
  1415. "No, she's just goth."
  1416. >"I…see. Well, I may not know anything about this 'gothmarriage' ritual, but I'm sure one of these books has something on the subject. Leave it to me, Anon! I'll help you look for a way to break out of this!"
  1417. "And? What do I owe you?"
  1418. >She floats a scroll and quill over to you.
  1419. >"I'll just need you to sign this document to give me your consent in cloning you."
  1420. "Cloning me?! For what?!"
  1421. >"Don't worry about it. Deal?"
  1422. >Hours of monotonous book turning have dulled the warning sirens in your head; a more perceptive version of you might have wondered if she had planned this.
  1423. >Still, occult knowledge waits for no-one. That's how it goes, right?
  1424. "I…fuck, fine."
  1425. >"Great! Sign here, here, aaand…here!"
  1426. >For the second time in a month, you sign your soul away; that's got to be a new record.
  1427. >She retrieves her scroll and smiles at you.
  1428. >"Don't worry, this was all a part of your favour, anyway."
  1429. "Thanks, that makes me feel a *lot* better."
  1430. >"Glad I could help!" she says, ignoring your sarcasm.
  1431. >You stand up and stretch your legs.
  1432. >"You should head home, Anon. It's already past midnight."
  1433. "Shit, already? Time flies when you're bored as hell reading books, I guess."
  1434. >"I'm just gonna ignore that remark and teleport you out."
  1435. >Her horn begins to glow.
  1436. >"I'll let you know when I find something out, Anon. Bye!"
  1437. >One quick flash of purple later, you find yourself standing just outside the Castle of Friendship's entrance.
  1438. >The cool winter air prickles your skin, sending shivers through your body; you don't want to stay out here any longer.
  1439. >You head home; the trek back is uneventful.
  1440. >Making your way into your bedroom, you see that Inky is already in your bed, fast asleep.
  1441. >Didn't she use to stay awake during these hours? Something about working better at night?
  1442. >You're too tired to ponder this any further, though.
  1443. >And so you turn in for the night.
  1444.  
  1445. *** Day 15 ***
  1446.  
  1447. >That visit to Rarity's finally paid off.
  1448. >Starstreak and Lily Lace have agreed to chat with you over some drinks.
  1449. >You knew these millennial-ass ponies couldn't resist free coffee.
  1450. >You're paying, but you don't mind; all the free clothing that Inky has supplied you with has left you with a generous amount of spare bits to spend on shit like this.
  1451. >The three of you are seated at a table near a window in a coffee shop in Ponyville; they are seated on the side of the table opposite yours, and the window is on your left side.
  1452. >To your left is Starstreak—an earth pony stallion with an orange coat; his mane is a mix of red and blue while his manestyle is some kind of freaky curly mohawk.
  1453. >He has sharp, green eyes, and his tail has been trimmed near to the base, leaving only a stub of red and blue; this guy is definitely "avanty guard," alright.
  1454. >To your right is Lily Lace—a unicorn mare with a pale yellow coat and a flowing, pale pink mane; with her kind-looking, blue eyes, she actually reminds you of—no, let's not go there.
  1455. >After taking a sip of your own caffeine, you address the two of them.
  1456. "Thanks again for agreeing to hang out. I hear you two are based outside of Ponyville?"
  1457. >Starstreak nods.
  1458. >"You're right on the bits. In my opinion—Manehattan is *the* place to be! It's a bustling metropolis of culture, of forward thinking! Just the other day I went to see a trial run of a self-driving wagon. No ponies pulling the wheels, no magic, either! It floored me with inspiration! I'm thinking of incorporating those same ideas into my next design."
  1459. "…A self-driving shirt?"
  1460. >"Exactly! Just imagine—in the future—an Equestria where your motion is handled entirely through the fabrics you wear. Heading to Ponyville? Put on these rustic horseshoes. Crystal Empire? We'll have a gleaming corset ready to take you there. And that's just the start of what I'm envisioning!"
  1461. "Think I'd rather have a winter coat if I was travelling to the Crystal Empire, to be honest."
  1462. >He scoffs.
  1463. >"That's so utilitarian of you. If one plans to make *real* waves in the fashion industry, you've got to forgo the normal—you've got to have eyes on what *will* be popular, not what *is.*"
  1464. "Uh, right."
  1465. >He holds a forehoof up to his chest.
  1466. >"Oh, Manehattan, what you *will* do to me!"
  1467. >Lily scoffs.
  1468. >"Manehattan? Blegh, I can't even with that place. There are *literally* no birds, no nature, nothing, I mean—ugh!"
  1469. "So where do you live, then?"
  1470. >"Canterlot, obviously! It is *literally* the most natural place in Equestria. Do you know they hold songbird choir concerts in the royal gardens? *Literally* anypony can go, and I go to *literally* every one, and every time I see those birds sing I just. Can't. Even. Like—wow! I'm *literally* in the process of adopting one of them, I'm so excited!"
  1471. >You take another sip.
  1472. "Fascinating stuff."
  1473. >Thank God you have copious amounts of coffee to keep you awake through this.
  1474.  
  1475. "So, I was wondering if I could ask you two about Inky Rose. You three have worked together in the past, right?"
  1476. >"Inky Rose?" Starstreak starts. "Perhaps I knew of her, perhaps not. I'm not one to dwell on the past, you see. I'm all about the *future.* And with Inky, it looks like you've got it all covered on that front."
  1477. >You should have figured this fucking hipster wouldn't give you a straight answer.
  1478. "What about you, Lily?"
  1479. >"Yeah, me and Inky go waaay back. Like, *literally* all the way back to the beginning of time back. So all three of us in the same class together in Manehattan Fashion College, right? And one day, me and Inky were working together on a team project and Suri—ugh, don't even get me *started* on Suri. Like, *literally.* Don't. Even. Like, seriously, if you ever want a buzzkill among buzzkills, go hit up Suri. Can you believe that she *literally* stole my dress design while I was *literally* still drawing it up?! Like I went out one morning and *literally* saw one of my dresses being sold in one of the shops, but the clerk said it was Suri who designed them! Can't. Even. Can you believe that? I *literally* couldn't even, and I was *literally* right there! Ugh!"
  1480. >You blink, taking a few seconds to register all of that.
  1481. "That's um…great, but I was asking about Inky, not this Suri."
  1482. >"Oh, right, my bad, so Inky and I were working on a team project where we were making these little black coats for the birds to keep them warm for the winter and they were *literally* the cutest thing ever. Inky had this *vision,* you know? Like I couldn't even—hey guys, speaking of Inky, there is a goth mare *literally* staring at us right now."
  1483. >Your eyes shoot open at that last part.
  1484. "Inky? How did you—"
  1485. >Pivoting your head to the right, you see a yellow pegasus; you wish you didn't, but this is not a perfect world.
  1486. "Oh, it's just you, Fluttershy."
  1487. >"Hey."
  1488. >Fluttershy is, once again, wearing a costume.
  1489. >She's wearing a black dress with a white collar and a blue necklace; her make-up consists of a very generous amount of black eyeshadow and eyelash extensions.
  1490. >"I'm goth now."
  1491. "O…kay."
  1492. >"Actual goth. Not emo."
  1493. "I see."
  1494. >Fluttershy shifts her gaze to Lily.
  1495. >"This your new squeeze?"
  1496. >"Ugh—I *literally* can't believe you just—ugh!"
  1497. >"Give it up while you still can. My abyssal-black gash is the only one that can handle his sweltering slab of meat."
  1498. >Her choice of wording sends you reeling.
  1499. "Fluttershy, that's…that's so fucking nasty, man."
  1500. >"My holes are deep and gaping only for you, Anon. I can show you…" She slowly rotates—
  1501. "God no! I believe you!"
  1502. >She turns back to you.
  1503. >"We can get gothmarried now."
  1504. "Uh huh."
  1505. >The room is quiet, and Fluttershy's eyes drift off to the side in thought.
  1506. >After a few moments, she looks back at you.
  1507. >"How do we get gothmarried again?"
  1508. "Um…"
  1509. >She's asking you?
  1510. >Wait, perhaps you can turn this around in your favour.
  1511. >The ball is in your court, Anon. It's time to do this.
  1512.  
  1513. "…So, yeah, that's all you need to do to get gothmarried."
  1514. >Within her hooves, Fluttershy holds a notepad with several pages filled; she also holds a pen in her mouth that she used to write your "gothmandments" down.
  1515. >She places the pen down on the table, looking up at you with an uncertain frown.
  1516. >"She…she really did all this?"
  1517. "Yep, it's not too much for you, is it?"
  1518. >"I-I…"
  1519. "'Cause I mean if you wanna give up…"
  1520. >"No! I mean—no. My soul is ready for this."
  1521. "Well, good luck."
  1522. >"Yes, thank you. See you soon, I…hope."
  1523. "Right."
  1524. >"And then we can get gothmarried."
  1525. "Sure."
  1526. >Fluttershy walks away with her notepad and leaves the coffee shop.
  1527. >Lily raises an eyebrow at you.
  1528. >"Inky *literally* did none of that."
  1529. "That's right."
  1530. >The tasks you gave her were equal measures insurmountable and inconceivable; there's no way she'll be able to complete them.
  1531. >At the very least, she'll be out of your hair for a good while.
  1532. >Lily's eyes widen in realisation.
  1533. >"…You are *literally* the most evil human ever."
  1534. >"Personally, I respect the initiative. A creative bout of misdirection can be just what you need to keep things fresh and exciting!"
  1535. "Believe me, I get enough 'fresh and exciting' bullshit from her as it is. I'm not in the market for any more."
  1536. >You take another sip of your coffee; you'd rather switch topics away from Fluttershy as soon as possible.
  1537. "So, Inky used to live in Manehattan, then?"
  1538. >Starstreak nods, taking a sip of his coffee.
  1539. >"For a time, yes. From what I remember—Inky has always been somewhat of a solitudinarian. While Manehattan is a wondrous, bustling hub of innovation, it's not for everypony. Some of us"—he glances at Lily—"move on to try their luck with the blue-bloods, while others travel elsewhere in search of their inspiration. Inky, though? It sounds like she's finally found a place to belong."
  1540. "And just what are you implying there?"
  1541. >"Hah! It's nothing that you don't already know—I'll put it that way."
  1542. >"If he isn't gonna say it, I totally will," Lily chides. "The two of you are *literally* in love, no questions asked. And don't. Even. The both of us can tell."
  1543. >The two chuckle among themselves; you've given up on trying to convince them otherwise.
  1544. >No-one wants to listen to your cold hard facts and logic on how your relationship with Inky is merely a transactional one.
  1545. >So as you look out the nearby window and watch the snow fall, you ponder to yourself.
  1546. >Manehattan, huh? Her family lived there too, you recall.
  1547. "Maybe I'll go for a visit myself, one day."
  1548. >Just to look at that self-driving wagon, though.
  1549. >Not because it's where Inky used to live, no way.
  1550.  
  1551. *** Day 16 ***
  1552.  
  1553. >It's a perfectly normal day in your house.
  1554. >Or at least it would be if you weren't hearing ominous chanting sounds coming from your basement.
  1555. >You head down the stairs, curiosity piqued.
  1556. >And find the basement awash in a strange crimson glow, the cause is which is thanks to the various coloured lamps and candles laid out through the area.
  1557. >All of the equipment and clothing stalls have been moved to the sides, leaving the middle of the room free for Inky's latest project.
  1558. >Said project is a large red glyphic circle that has been drawn onto the floor; similarly-coloured candles decorate the drawing itself.
  1559. "What in the fresh hell is this?"
  1560. >There are two ponies sitting near the edge of the circle: Inky Rose and…Moonlight Raven—that goth pony you met back at Town Hall.
  1561. >Fuck, you should have known they were in cahoots.
  1562. >You walk over to the edge of the circle—a fair distance away from the goths; you don't want to catch satanic-cultitis.
  1563. >Both ponies turn to look at you with indifferent expressions; as if drawing up a fucking summoning circle in someone's basement is just another day in the life.
  1564. >"Hey, Anon," Moonlight greets you.
  1565. "Don't 'hey, Anon' me! What the fuck are you two doing? Why the hell is there a demonic circle down here?"
  1566. >"We're summoning another human," Inky states.
  1567. "Wh-what the fuck? Why?"
  1568. >"For Moonlight."
  1569. >"Humans are the only beings who can even begin to understand the crushing darkness weighing our souls down," Moonlight says. "That's why we need to get more."
  1570. "That's a pretty big leap to make after the one chat we had."
  1571. >"You get it though, right? This world is, like, a miasma of crushed hopes and false positivity. Humans complete it. They complete us."
  1572. >Jesus, this mare has got it bad.
  1573. "In any case, couldn't you do this *literally* anywhere else?"
  1574. >Inky raises an eyebrow.
  1575. >Fucking Lily Lace is literally living in your head rent free now; you're gonna need some time to recover from that coffee outing.
  1576. "What I meant to say was—why here?"
  1577. >"This house is the site of where a gothmarriage took place," Moonlight explains, "which means that the Tantabus's influence is felt at its second strongest in the basement."
  1578. "Second?"
  1579. >"Inky wouldn't let me use your bedroom."
  1580.  
  1581. "Good. But what's the Tantabus got to do with this? Isn't that thing a creature of dreams? We're talking about the human world here."
  1582. >"If the Tantabus is capable of traversing between the real and the dream world, who's to say it can't do the same with our world and the human one?"
  1583. "I don't think it works like that."
  1584. >Suddenly, as if the universe itself wants to prove you wrong, the candles light up with an intense crimson blaze, and the glyph begins to glow.
  1585. >A light headache wracks your brain as your vision distorts and flickers.
  1586. "What—what's happening?!"
  1587. >Inky turns her head towards the circle.
  1588. >"Something's coming through."
  1589. >Moonlight excitedly stands up.
  1590. >"M-my human!"
  1591. >That "something" slowly begins to form in the circle's centre.
  1592. >It bubbles up from the earth like a muddy cyst, growing in size and shape.
  1593. >Once it reaches the size of a beach ball, it stops growing.
  1594. >Two appendages jut out of it—one for each side, as its features become more defined.
  1595. >The main body looks like a depressurised blobfish, but those appendages quickly form two disturbingly-human-looking arms at its sides.
  1596. >Newly-formed eyeballs peak out from newly-formed eyeholes, rapidly rotating around the room at random, before settling on the two mares who summoned it.
  1597. >And then it starts screaming.
  1598. >An ear-piercing wail resounds throughout the room, sending a otherworldly chill down your spine.
  1599. "Jesus!"
  1600. >Inky immediately stands up, narrowing her eyes and flaring her wings out; she raises one of her forelegs in front of Moonlight to shield her from the intruder.
  1601. >Moonlight, on the other hand, appears to be paralysed by fear; her pupils have shrunken to pinpricks and she is hyperventilating.
  1602. >Using its arms, the creature slowly pulls itself towards the two mares.
  1603. >"K…i…Ll…m…eEeE…" the creature gurgles.
  1604. >"Ah! G-get it away!" Moonlight cries out.
  1605. >A visceral instinct grips your very being; without thinking, you rush towards the unknown assailant—
  1606. >And you stomp that fucker out with your black shoes.
  1607. >You stomp and you stamp, ignoring the blood, guts, and whatever else that stains your lower body; ignoring the wretched stench of rotting flesh that singes your nostrils; ignoring the blood-curdling screams of agony the demon emits in response to your assault.
  1608.  
  1609. >Mercifully, it doesn't take long to kill it—that, or you blacked out during your rampage; either way, you are finally able to regain your composure and look downwards.
  1610. >The only tangible remains of the beast is that of a bloody pile of flesh lying at your feet.
  1611. >"Thank you…" it whispers with its last breath.
  1612. >With that, the creature dissolves back into the earth, leaving no trace behind; the same goes for the viscera occupying your lower body.
  1613. >At least you don't have to worry about getting the satanic stains out of your clothes.
  1614. >You hope that wasn't a human, for the sake of your—well, everything, really.
  1615. >Looking around, you see that the summoning circle is a mess, most of the candles have burnt out, and the glyph itself has become faded and smudged.
  1616. >"It…it…Anon, you…"
  1617. >You turn to face Moonlight, who is shakily looking back at you, wide-eyed, and mouth slightly agape.
  1618. >"That was…whoa, you killed that thing…to protect me. I…"
  1619. >She fidgets around as her tail swishes about; forget "got it bad," this mare has got some serious issues.
  1620. "Don't get any weird fucking ideas. I just don't want demons being summoned in my God damn house."
  1621. >Moonlight gazes at the floor as her ears flatten and movements still.
  1622. >"Sorry," she whimpers out.
  1623. >She looks completely downcast; she's taking this a lot worse than you thought she would.
  1624. "Hey, it's fine. What's done is done, right? Look, I'm gonna go. You can continue with your goth meeting or whatever, but please—no more summoning."
  1625. >You exit the basement, heading back up the stairs and leaving the two mares by themselves.
  1626.  
  1627. >Moonlight and Inky continue to chat for a bit longer, but it's clear their summoning stint is at an end.
  1628. >"I think Anon was right, Inky. This was never going to work. Thanks anyway, though."
  1629. >Moonlight sulks, gazing at what little remains of summoning circle, but Inky gives her a few gentle pats on the withers.
  1630. >"You'll find your special somepony someday, Moonlight."
  1631. >Inky looks to the stairs of the basement with a faint smile.
  1632. >"Just like I found mine."
  1633.  
  1634. *** Day 17 ***
  1635.  
  1636. >It's another day of working at Sweet Apple Acres.
  1637. >With winter in full swing, a layer of snow blankets the orchard, and there isn't much in the way of harvesting to be done.
  1638. >So instead, you're currently at one of the storage silos, loading up a wagon with apple-filled crates that are to be taken back to the barn.
  1639. >Applejack is with you, loading up a wagon of her own.
  1640. >On any other day, this would be an uneventful task, with perhaps some uneventful small talk interspersed throughout.
  1641. >But this is not "any other day."
  1642. >"Say, Anon, how're things going with your belle?"
  1643. "I make a habit of staying away from any bells I see after last Nightmare Night."
  1644. >She scoffs.
  1645. >"You're always makin' it about Flutters, ain't ya? Y'sure you don't have any feelings for her?"
  1646. "Never mentioned her—and no, absolutely not."
  1647. >To Applejack's credit: pretty much everyone in Ponyville knows about Fluttershy's "Bellmageddon" at this point.
  1648. >"Anyway, Ah was talkin' about Inky. Y'know, that broody pony you got stayin' in your house?"
  1649. "Oh. Well, she's still staying."
  1650. >"An' that's all she's doin', no nothin' else happenin'?"
  1651. "That's right."
  1652. >"'Cause you *do* remember you're speakin' with the Element of Honesty here, dontcha?"
  1653. >You squint at her, and she smirks back; no more words need to be said.
  1654. >Applejack isn't the first pony to think you and Inky have got something going on, and she clearly won't be the last, either, so you might as well get used to it.
  1655. >All that matters is that *you* know that your relationship with her is strictly platonic.
  1656. >Right?
  1657. >"Pretty sure your clothes've got more buttons on 'em since last time, too."
  1658. "Hey, there's a delicate balance in the art of button placement. You've got to factor in temperature, time of day, uh—the weather, and a bunch of other things to keep your…chakras flowing."
  1659. >You internally wince at that last part; you hope you didn't draw in any hippie ponies.
  1660. >"Uh huh, uh huh, yup, sure. And it's not 'cause she thought you'd look cuter with an extra button or two."
  1661. "No, of course not!"
  1662. >"Well, why don't we get the answer straight from the pony's mouth, see what's her take on all this."
  1663. "Huh? But she—wait, don't tell me…"
  1664. >"Yup, she's behind you right now."
  1665. "Oh."
  1666. >Feeling like a tried and true movie cliche, you slowly turn around, and sure enough—Inky Rose is standing there, expressionless as always.
  1667. >"Hey."
  1668. "Hey. Why are you here?"
  1669. >"To come pick you up."
  1670. "What? Why?"
  1671. >"We're going to the markets to buy more fabric."
  1672. "Can't you do that yourself?"
  1673. >"I want your opinion on what looks good."
  1674. >You raise an eyebrow; she really came all this way just for that?
  1675. "Uh, right. Well, in any case, I'm still at work."
  1676.  
  1677. >"Now hold on there, Anon," Applejack cuts in, "let's not milk our cows 'fore we feed 'em."
  1678. >Applejack walks up to Inky, waving a hoof in greeting.
  1679. >"Well howdy do, Inky Rose! Been a while, hasn't it! You—uh…*do* remember me, right?"
  1680. >"You were one of the judges of Couture du Future."
  1681. >"Heh, pleased as apple pie you remember me fondly. A-at least Ah'm hopin' it's fondly. Ah know Ah didn't exactly make the best first impression."
  1682. >"You didn't, no."
  1683. >Applejack nervously chuckles.
  1684. >"Hey, remember when Ah helped you turn your clothes into a poncho? That was pretty funny, right?"
  1685. >Inky silently blinks at Applejack in response.
  1686. >"'Cause it's all winter-like right now an'…an' well…'tis the season and all, h-heh…"
  1687. >Inky continues to wordlessly stare at Applejack.
  1688. >"An' Ah mean, uh…shoot, where was Ah going with this?"
  1689. >"The clothes."
  1690. >"R-right, that's the one."
  1691. >"That was pretty funny, actually."
  1692. >"R-really? Ah'm—uh, right glad you think so!"
  1693. >"I don't make ponchos, though."
  1694. >"O-oh, that's all good. Ah'm more of a hat-pony, myself. 'Cause Ah wear a hat, eeyup…"
  1695. >At this point, you're assuming goth ponies have the supernatural ability to put any other being they come across on tilt.
  1696.  
  1697. "So, Inky—really appreciate you coming here and all, but I'm still clocked in for a few more hours."
  1698. >"That's okay, I'll wait."
  1699. "Wait, really? In this cold?"
  1700. >"Now hold on just an applebuckin' minute!" Applejack interjects. "Ah ain't about to be the pony responsible for keepin' a belle from her beau. Ah'd be happy to give Anon an early finish and give y'all some time alone. Just need him to help me get these here apples back to the barn first."
  1701. >"I'll help."
  1702. >Applejack chuckles.
  1703. >"Not to say Ah don't appreciate your enthusiasm—Ah do, but this right here's a job for the Apple Family, an' the occasional human." She gives you a friendly nudge, before continuing.
  1704. >"No offence, Miss Rose, but you don't seem like the type for manual labour. These here wagons'll be a mite too heavy for you, Ah reckon."
  1705. >You're inclined to agree with Applejack; Inky is many things, but you don't see a lanky pegasus like her pulling wagons any time soon.
  1706. >Nonetheless, Inky flies over to Applejack's wagon and hitches herself up to it; she gives Applejack a brief glance.
  1707. >"These wagons, right?"
  1708. >"Yup, those wagons. An' trust me, you ain't…gonna…move…"
  1709. >Inky casually walks off towards the barn, crate-filled wagon in tow.
  1710. >"Whuh?" Applejack blurts out.
  1711. >She shakes her head in disbelief.
  1712. >"Anon, tell me Ah'm not goin' crazy right now."
  1713. "Nope, I see it too."
  1714. >"…Well Ah'll be."
  1715. >The two of you watch dumbfounded as Inky moves further into the distance without showing any signs of slowing down.
  1716. >"There's just somethin' about them grey ponies…"
  1717. "Applejack, did you just…?"
  1718. >Applejack's eyes widen in stark realisation; Pinkie would surely riot if she had heard what was just uttered.
  1719. >"Wh—No, no! Of course not! You know Ah ain't that kind of pony, Anon! You know Ah ain't!"
  1720. >You break out into a fit of laughter.
  1721. "I'm just kidding, AJ, lighten up."
  1722. >Applejack, however, is clearly not amused.
  1723. >"…Ah'm puttin' you on pigsty duty tomorrow for that one. An you're helpin' me load up another wagon while you're at it, too."
  1724. >Worth it.
  1725.  
  1726. *** Day 18 ***
  1727.  
  1728. >"Absolutely splendid work, Anonymous! I can tell you right now—ponies all around Equestria will be pleased beyond compare to see these!"
  1729. "Great. Inky will be glad to hear that."
  1730. >You have just finished another stint of modelling; for this particular bout, you've gone out on your own to strike some fabulous poses in Gothic gear.
  1731. >This time, it's on your terms—no ball shots.
  1732. >The venue of choice? A studio of sorts in Ponyville.
  1733. >The studio is owned by a very vogue pony known as Hoity Toity; he's most famously known as a fashion critic, but he's also a major player in the all aspects of the industry.
  1734. >With Ponyville becoming somewhat of an iconic locale in recent years, it's only natural that a pony like him would set up a base of operations here.
  1735. >Even if it is the equivalent of a small, one floor apartment.
  1736. >Most ponies would say this place is cramped, but you're an experienced basement dweller-slash-modeller, and unlike Photo Finish, Hoity doesn't slap your balls.
  1737. >Well—not yet, anyway; some of the looks he's been giving you have been putting you a little bit on edge.
  1738. >But with the extra publicity gained from this modelling session, you hope that more ponies out there will learn about Inky's line of fashion, and thus—she'll get more commissions.
  1739. >This is all purely to strengthen your business relationship with her, of course.
  1740. >You walk off the set and up to a grey-coated stallion with an extravagant snow-white pompadour for a mane—Hoity Toity himself; he's outfitted in a fancy vest and wears violet sunglasses that partially cover his eyes.
  1741. "Thanks again for agreeing to this, Hoity."
  1742. >"Of course! I'm always happy to help spread the word of Inky Rose's superb fashion line. Her designs exemplify elegance in its purest form! And not only that…"
  1743. >He looks you over, a smile building on his face.
  1744. >"When I heard the only human in Equestria was asking to model for me,"—he laughs—"how could I *not* say yes?"
  1745.  
  1746. "I'm glad you think so highly of me."
  1747. >"Oh, absolutely! There are many out there who would pay top bits just to get a glimpse of you."
  1748. >He grabs a nearby photo and presents it to you on his forehoof—it's one of you posing.
  1749. >"Especially when you look like this! Tell me—have you ever considered a career change? There's good money to be made, if you're interested!"
  1750. "What, you mean like a full-time model?"
  1751. >"Oh, yes! Canterlot is host to quite the collection of eccentrics—*rich* eccentrics who are eager to see the one-of-a-kind biped strut his stuff on the big stage."
  1752. "I don't know about that. I'm really only doing this to promote Inky's works."
  1753. >"While Inky's vestments certainly do wonders to bring out your—ahem—natural talents, there's a larger market than you'd think when it comes to seeing the human baring his all to the world. *Especially* after witnessing those delightful stills that Miss Finish published not too long ago."
  1754. >Human-lust spreads disturbingly fast within the Equestrian elite; you're gonna have to remind yourself to hire a bodyguard or two the next time you plan on visiting Canterlot if you don't want to end up kidnapped and chained up in some obsessed pony's basement.
  1755. >…You're gonna have to vet the bodyguards too, at this rate.
  1756. >"If the money doesn't entice you, perhaps the fame and glamour will?"
  1757. "I'm not interested in getting ogled by ponies, Hoity."
  1758. >"Nopony is, at first."
  1759. >He lowers his glasses, gazing up at you with topaz eyes.
  1760. >"But give it time—you might end up liking the attention. You've certainly got a fan right here."
  1761. >He gives you a wink, and you shudder in revulsion.
  1762. >You know it's revulsion, since you're not gay.
  1763. >You've got a goth gf.
  1764. >…Wait, you do?
  1765. >As you try to rationalise your innermost thoughts, a posh voice calls out to you.
  1766. >"You and Hoity Toity? Well, you certainly get around, Anonymous."
  1767. >Your blood runs cold.
  1768.  
  1769. >In another case of cosmic comedy, it seems that Rarity *also* has business with Hoity Toity.
  1770. >In the exact same studio.
  1771. >On the exact same day.
  1772. >Just after you had finished your modelling session.
  1773. >She walks up to the two of you, inquisitive as always.
  1774. >The smile she wears is self-assured, radiating the utmost confidence that she has caught your hand in at least ten cookie jars of debauchery.
  1775. "What, are you jealous?"
  1776. >"No, no. I just can't help but notice how popular you've suddenly become in the industry."
  1777. "I mean, I *am* one of a kind."
  1778. >"Yes, quite right. You *are* making the front pages, after all."
  1779. >Rarity twirls a forehoof in the air.
  1780. >"And that's not even mentioning the more…'risqué shots,' shall we say."
  1781. >You squint your eyes at her; you're never going to be able to live the ball lingerie down.
  1782. "You're an avid fan of 'risqué material,' I take it?"
  1783. >"Just simple market research, darling, nothing more."
  1784. "Well, this is just a simple side gig for me."
  1785. >"Of course, simple as can be. Just…"
  1786. "'Just' what?"
  1787. >"Well, you've certainly been wearing a lot of black lately, haven't you?"
  1788. "…What are you implying?"
  1789. >"What, indeed?"
  1790. >Rarity has the smuggest fucking smirk right now.
  1791. >Hoity backs up a little bit as his eyes flick to the exit, clearly nervous about being caught in the upcoming crossfire.
  1792. >"Perhaps this is a bad time—"
  1793. >"No, Hoity, this is a very good time. The best time, in fact."
  1794. "Really now?"
  1795. >"Really, because now the truth comes out!"
  1796. "And what truth is that?"
  1797. >"Well, why don't you tell us, Anonymous. It's your relationship, after all."
  1798. "My relationship? Wait, you don't mean…!"
  1799. >"Yes, yes I do!"
  1800. "Rarity, I'm flattered, but I just don't see you that way, I'm sorry."
  1801. >She rolls her eyes.
  1802. >"…I'm talking about Inky Rose, Anonymous. *You* and Inky Rose."
  1803. "Oh. Nothing going on there."
  1804. >"So you're going out of your way to model for her on a lark? What kind of fool do you take me for?"
  1805. "This is…a business transaction."
  1806. >"For 'Inky Curtains's' garments, I suppose."
  1807. "…Yes, exactly. Glad you understand."
  1808. >"Well I'm glad we cleared that up."
  1809. "Right."
  1810. >"There's just one more thing that has been bothering me, however."
  1811. >You should've figured this mare would bring extra ammunition for this.
  1812. "Y-yeah?"
  1813. >"Word around Ponyville is that, well…"
  1814. >She briefly glances to the left and then to the right; she then leans in, lowering her tone.
  1815. >"There have been some…"
  1816. >She meticulously draws out each word she utters, slow and methodical in her interrogation.
  1817. >"Noise complaints, regarding your humble abode."
  1818. >You offer no response, struck by speechlessness as the realisation hits you:
  1819. >That godforsaken demonic summoning from a couple days ago.
  1820. >Fucking Moonlight.
  1821. >"Screaming and moaning, among other things."
  1822. "W-well I—"
  1823. >Rarity stares you dead in the eye as she unleashes her coup de grâce.
  1824. >"Is Inky Rose a screamer, Anonymous?"
  1825.  
  1826. "I—u-um, that is…well, you know—one thing I should—"
  1827. >Your mind is in full panic mode as it tries to find a lifeboat in this sinking ship.
  1828. >In a moment of instinctual self-preservation, you fall back onto the ol' reliable.
  1829. "F-fluttershy!"
  1830. >"Fluttershy?"
  1831. "Yes! It…it was one of her crazy fetish guesses! Screaming loudly in front of my house! You know how that mare is—she just can't stop pestering me, eheh."
  1832. >"So you're saying it was Fluttershy, then?"
  1833. "Yep!"
  1834. >"Interesting."
  1835. >Sweat runs down your forehead as Rarity raises a forehoof up to her chin.
  1836. >"Hmm, no. I know it can't be Fluttershy. She told me on the day before this had all started that she was setting out on a journey of 'spiritual enlightenment,' and nopony has seen her since."
  1837. >Fluttershy is "enlightening" herself? What the fuck is she up to?
  1838. >…Oh, the gothmarriage thing, right.
  1839. >"Curious, isn't it? Your account means that Fluttershy would have had to be in two places at once, and the last time I checked—Fluttershy doesn't have the ability to duplicate herself."
  1840. >She doesn't know about the Mirror Pool incident, but that's fine; that's one fetish guess that you and Fluttershy will take to your graves.
  1841. "M-might have been a—"
  1842. >"A changeling? Be very careful with your words, Anonymous. A nighttime affair is one thing, but the presence of a rogue shapeshifter in our very midst? That would be cause for a swift escalation into a state of national emergency, and we wouldn't want that over a little fib, would we? Just tell me the truth—it'll be easier on the both of us."
  1843. >Shit, she's got you.
  1844. >There's no way you can bullshit your way out of this one.
  1845. >Unless…
  1846. >You decide to give her the "truth."
  1847. "…I've been summoning demons."
  1848. >"Excuse me?"
  1849. "Those noises? Demonic screams from an unholy summoning."
  1850. >"…And why on Equestria have you been summoning demons?"
  1851. "To get rid of Fluttershy, obviously."
  1852. >"Do you have the slightest idea how utterly ridiculous you—"
  1853. "And I succeeded."
  1854. >She pauses, and you place your hands on your hips to—hopefully—put an extra air of confidence on your claims.
  1855. "His name…is Larry."
  1856. >You point a finger at her—her mane, specifically.
  1857. "One of his powers is to make ponies completely bald—mane, tail, even the fur."
  1858. >She staggers a step back, but quickly scoffs in retaliation.
  1859. >"Summoning demons, really, Anonymous? Do you think I was born yesterday?"
  1860. >You don't answer that.
  1861. >She gingerly runs a hoof through her mane as she frowns to herself.
  1862. >"That being said, I…happen to have an important spa date coming up soon, and I want to make sure I'm in top form. So—I'll leave you to it, but this"—she narrows her eyes—"isn't over."
  1863. >She power walks out of the studio, and you do a small fist pump in victory.
  1864. >You turn around.
  1865. "Sorry about that, Hoity—"
  1866. >He's gone.
  1867. >…
  1868. >Fucking Rarity.
  1869.  
  1870. *** Day 19 ***
  1871.  
  1872. >You're lost; you're not sure how you got lost, but you are.
  1873. >Thin blades of grass crumple under your feet as you traipse through a forest at midnight.
  1874. >Tall trees of pure ebony rise up to the very heavens, their thorned branches blocking out the moon and most of the starless sky.
  1875. >Everything feels unnaturally still—even the air itself; it's as if the locale is frozen in time.
  1876. >What is this place? Why did you come here? *How* did you come here?
  1877. >All you know is that you need to get back home as soon as possible.
  1878. >The forest is deathly silent, as if you're the only living creature present for miles on end.
  1879. >And yet, there's a sensation you just can't shake—you're not alone out here.
  1880. >You stop for a moment to catch your breath.
  1881. >If the only sounds you hear of those of your own—why are your nerves so certain that something's watching you?
  1882. >Your answer comes almost immediately after that errant thought—in the form of a sharp stinging pain around your left ankle.
  1883. >Immediately jolting your gaze downwards, you see a vine—a thorned one—attempting to wrap around your foot.
  1884. >You reflexively shake your left foot in a bid to free yourself; thankfully, the grip that the greenery had was tenuous, and you quickly break free of your bindings, sprinting away to create some distance from your attacker.
  1885. >Yet your act of defiance does little to deter the perilous plant life, as it slowly slithers along the ground to try and reach out to you once more.
  1886. >Movement in your peripheral vision catches your attention—more spiked stolons creep through the short grass towards you.
  1887. >You quickly rotate about in place to scan your surroundings; they're coming in from every direction.
  1888. >This forest is alive.
  1889. >And it wants you dead.
  1890. >So you run.
  1891.  
  1892. >The direction you sprint towards doesn't matter—anywhere is better than here.
  1893. >You perform a desperate leap over the autonomous undergrowth blocking your path, trying your best to ignore the sounds of them snapping through the air to try and grasp at you.
  1894. >By some stroke of luck, you've managed to escape their little ambush, but you need to remain a moving target if you want to survive.
  1895. >Eyes forward, and one foot in front of the other, that's all you need to keep doing to prevent yourself from turning into plant food.
  1896. >And so you do so for what feels like several minutes, eventually rewarding yourself the respite to slow your sprint to a steady jog.
  1897. >Your eyes flick to your sides as you examine your surroundings, your thoughts once again drift to those of finding a way out of this place.
  1898. >It's a brief distraction from your motion at hand; brief though it may be, it's enough to—
  1899. >Trip.
  1900. >You fall face first onto the grass; you try to pull yourself back up, but something has once again wrapped itself around your ankles—both of them, this time.
  1901. >You manage to twist your torso, getting a better look at your assailant—it's those same thorned vines from before.
  1902. >They restrain you with greater force this time; you attempt to kick and struggle—anything to free yourself, but it's hopeless.
  1903. >More plant life bursts out of the earth, wrapping around your torso, your arms—your neck.
  1904. >The thorns puncture your skin, the piercing pain making it harder to breath—to think.
  1905. >You feel yourself being dragged downwards into the dirt.
  1906. >Is this how it ends? Buried alive in an unknown forest?
  1907. >You had always thought that you'd go out from being violated by Fluttershy, not by vines.
  1908. >The only consolation you can afford yourself is that the Moon high above will bear witness to your end.
  1909. >The Moon…and the alicorn that is flying out of it.
  1910. >Wait, what?
  1911.  
  1912. >In the light of the full moon, you see the silhouette of an alicorn descend close to your position.
  1913. >It hovers a few metres above you—the gales generated from its wingbeats seem to weaken the vines, causing them to loosen their grip on you.
  1914. >The alicorn's horn then glows with a cobalt light, and it shoots a beam of starlit energy right at you.
  1915. >It leaves you unharmed, but the beam instantly vaporises the vines keeping you bound, giving you the chance to steady yourself back onto your feet.
  1916. >Not only that, but you find that your wounds have miraculously healed, as well.
  1917. >The alicorn touches down a metre away from you; she has a dark blue coat, and her starry blue mane ripples in the air with a mind of its own.
  1918. >While you're not too familiar with the alicorns of Equestria outside of Twilight, you do know that they are few in number, and that there are fewer still who would show up unannounced in a dark, spooky forest.
  1919. "Princess…Princess Luna?"
  1920. >She raises her head to look up at you; she carries a air of dignity with her, and addresses you much the same way.
  1921. >"Indeed, well met, Anonymous."
  1922. >Your unexpected arrival in this perilous forest, and Luna's sudden appearance—it's all starting to make sense now.
  1923. "This…this is a dream, isn't it?"
  1924. >She nods.
  1925. >"However, right now, it would be more akin to a nightmare, as I'm sure you would agree."
  1926. "Yeah…sorry you had to see me like this, my dreams aren't usually this dark."
  1927. >"That is because this realm isn't one of your making."
  1928. "What? Is it yours?"
  1929. >"No, it is not. Survey your surroundings, and you will find your answer."
  1930. >You do as told, looking around.
  1931. >A thorny motif has been ever present throughout this dream, from the branches on the trees to the undergrowth lurking beneath the dirt.
  1932. >And now that you finally get the time to properly examine your locale, you notice flowers among the blades of grass; you have to squint your eyes to confirm their presence, explaining why you must have missed them earlier.
  1933. >But you can see that they are…roses—wilted roses.
  1934. "…Inky Rose?"
  1935. >"Correct, this forest is one born of her deepest thoughts and feelings."
  1936. >You crouch down, peering at a section of thorny vine that had somehow survived Luna's dream beam; thankfully, it's stopped moving.
  1937. "THIS is what Inky dreams of? Holy shit."
  1938. >"Not quite—this is what she used to dream of."
  1939. >You stand back up.
  1940. "Then why does this place exist?"
  1941. >"These dark corners of our mind never truly disappear, Anonymous. I know this all too well."
  1942.  
  1943. "But why am *I* here, then? I don't remember signing up for a dream-sharing session. Much less one on the outskirts of someone's mind."
  1944. >"To that, we can only theorise."
  1945. >Even the Princess of Dreams doesn't know?
  1946. "Maybe it's to do with the whole 'gothmarriage' thing I've got going on with her."
  1947. >"Gothmarriage?"
  1948. "I guess you ought to know, seeing as you're the Goth Princess and all."
  1949. >She looks at you with a curious expression.
  1950. >"…Goth Princess? I'm afraid I do not understand."
  1951. "You don't know? Goths are all about dressing black and embracing the darkness in the world."
  1952. >"I see. Be that as it may, I have broken free from my own evil shadow long ago. I am no 'Goth Princess.'"
  1953. "It's not necessarily evil they're into. They're mostly into stuff that goes against the grain—monsters, dark magic, the endless void within their pastel souls—and you're all about the inner darkness that resides within ponykind, right?"
  1954. >She raises an eyebrow.
  1955. >"While I do represent the night, I'm…not so sure about representing the 'inner darkness of ponykind,' considering my past."
  1956. "But that's exactly why they love you: you've got that dark past—that aura of edge and mystery to you that a regular pony princess doesn't."
  1957. >She doesn't look convinced, so you add in one extra zinger.
  1958. "They also really love the night sky."
  1959. >A small smile begins to form on her face.
  1960. >"They…do? That is indeed heartening to hear."
  1961. "Yeah, they also really dig that Tantabus thing you made. They wouldn't mind having it back, even."
  1962. >She gasps in shock and you quickly realise that you have said too much.
  1963. >"You say they desire the return of the Tantabus?! Do they not realise the myriad dangers it poses to Equestria?! I must dissolve this 'goth' sect at once before things get out of hoof!"
  1964. >Her wings flare up and she looks ready to take off—
  1965. "Wait!"
  1966. >"Make it quick, Anonymous! For every second I spend lingering here, one of those misguided 'goths' could be bringing about the end of the waking world as we know it!"
  1967. "J-just hold on a second! They don't 'desire the return of the Tantabus.' They just think it looks cool. You don't have to worry about anything, Luna. Goths are completely harmless. They wouldn't summon a fly—let alone the Tantabus."
  1968. >That's a straight-up lie; you're gonna need to put on your best Inky-style poker face for this one.
  1969. >She narrows her eyes at you, wings still flared.
  1970. >"…Do you speak the truth?"
  1971. "Yeah, trust me, I've hung out with some of these goths, and they completely freeze up if there's something *actually* dangerous appears right in front of them. I don't think they're gonna be unleashing any nightmares any time soon."
  1972. >It seems you were successful in talking her down, as she folds her wings and switches to a more relaxed stance.
  1973. >"Oh, I see."
  1974.  
  1975. "Still, I'm surprised you had no clue about goths."
  1976. >"While it has been quite some time since I have rejoined my sister on the throne and reintegrated into modern society, I must admit…there are still facets of Ponykind that I have yet to fully understand, such as this 'goth.'"
  1977. >Oh, that makes sense—she's an out-of-touch boomer.
  1978. >Can boomers be goth?
  1979. >You ponder this salient question as Luna mumbles to herself.
  1980. >"Goth, you say… That might explain Sister's…strange choice of wardrobe."
  1981. "…Your sister?"
  1982. >Luna's eyes widen for a very brief moment. Then she turns to you with a neutral expression.
  1983. >"Ah, idle musings, pay me no mind."
  1984. >One does not simply "pay no mind" to the imminent mental image of goth Sunbutt.
  1985. >(Un?)fortunately, Luna speaks up once again before such images can fully form.
  1986. >"Nonetheless, for you to be present within Inky Rose's dream, it's clear that you and her must share a special bond."
  1987. "Has this kind of thing happened before? Sharing dreams or whatever?"
  1988. >"There is a school of magic dedicated to the manipulation of the dreamscape—sharing dreams included. However…"
  1989. "Inky is a pegasus, not a unicorn, right?"
  1990. >"Correct. That being said, all life in Equestria is born with a magical affinity of some kind, horn or no. While she may not be able to cast magic outright, there is the possibility that she may have utilised a physical object augmented with magic to bring you here."
  1991. "Enchanting physical objects…you mean—like clothes?"
  1992. >She nods.
  1993. >"Perhaps."
  1994. >Could Inky be weaving clothes imbued with dream magic?
  1995. >After all you've seen her do, you wouldn't put it past her.
  1996. "Still, if it was something I wore, I imagine this would've happened earlier. I've had these clothes for a while now."
  1997. >"The clothes you wear are just one of the suspects. Tell me, has Inky Rose acted in a peculiar manner recently? In particular, have you seen her in the possession of any magical artefacts?"
  1998. "Well…"
  1999. >You know Inky's capable of some freaky shit—like suddenly drawing up a demonic circle in your basement; that's not something you necessarily want Luna to learn about, though.
  2000. >Outside of that, you haven't really seen her do anything weird, but that's because you haven't actively been scrutinising her.
  2001. >…When did you start letting your guard down around her?
  2002. "I'm not sure, actually."
  2003. >She shakes her head in disappointment.
  2004. >"You should pay more attention to your spouse, Anonymous."
  2005. "Hey, she's not my spouse. Gothmarriage isn't an actual marriage."
  2006. >"Are you certain about that?"
  2007. >Great, even the boomer princess doubts you.
  2008.  
  2009. "Very certain, she just showed up one day and said I was 'gothmarried' to her, and if I try to get rid of her, she'll take my soul."
  2010. >"Your…soul? Hm…"
  2011. >Luna looks you over for a few seconds.
  2012. >"Tell me, Anonymous: why do you think Inky Rose revealed herself to you on that fated day—why she…'gothmarried' you, as you say?"
  2013. "I don't know, ask Fluttershy and the rest of Equestria why they keep trying to get into my pants. I've just got that sexy human vibe, I guess."
  2014. >She rolls her eyes, unimpressed.
  2015. >"I, for one, think this 'sexy human vibe' is subjective, at best."
  2016. >You're able to pinpoint the exact moment your pride is ripped in half from that remark.
  2017. >"Nay, Anonymous, take yourself back to just before your bond was made. What were her motivations for visiting you?"
  2018. "Uh…she wanted my help with modelling, I guess? Also, I think she held me in the air by my dick."
  2019. >"I…see."
  2020. "Then I let her sleep in my bed and she held my soul hostage. The rest is history."
  2021. >"You let her sleep in your bed? Why?"
  2022. "I was sleep deprived. I tend to not make the best decisions without my Z's."
  2023. >"I have reason to believe your decisions run deeper than that."
  2024. >You cross your arms.
  2025. "Well, go on then—enlighten me with your facts and logic."
  2026. >"The two of you are more alike than you would think."
  2027. "Does she *also* have a yellow pegasus trying to get in her metaphorical pants?"
  2028. >"I was referring to your lifestyles, the two of you are loners by nature. And yet, deep down, the both of you desire companionship."
  2029. "What? I'm not lonely. I can't go five minutes without tripping over one of you ponies."
  2030. >"What I speak of is the loneliness of the heart. You've been a denizen of this land for quite some time now, and while you've formed some friendships among our kind, I can see that you've struggled to fully open up to anypony."
  2031. "Yeah, well…it's a bit harder than I imagined socialising in earnest when you're one-of-a-kind. Especially when most ponies see you as a sex object instead of, well, a person."
  2032. >"And Inky Rose? How does she see you?"
  2033. >Your eyes drift to the side as you think to yourself.
  2034. >It's true that Inky has been holding your marital status hostage, and she is a bit of a control freak at the best of times. But outside of a few crass jokes, she still hasn't propositioned you during all this time, which is more than you can say of a certain other winged admirer.
  2035. "She…sees me, I guess. But whatever the case may be, how does Inky factor into this? She never struck me as being bothered by loneliness. And if she wanted companionship, there had to be easier marks than the reclusive alien living on the outskirts of town."
  2036. >"Perhaps, but the whims of one's heart rarely chooses the 'easier' road."
  2037. >Luna channels magic through her horn, and the forest is bathed in a moonlit glow.
  2038.  
  2039. >"As one who patrols the dreamscape, it is my duty to travel into the dark dreams of distraught ponies to offer my aid, and Inky Rose has been one such pony who's nightmares I have observed more than most."
  2040. "Inky has frequent nightmares?"
  2041. >"Indeed. Yet she has always declined my assistance, believing that this inner darkness is what sharpens the quality of her work."
  2042. "Goth fashionistas go hard, I guess."
  2043. >"However, her nightmares have sharply decreased in frequency as of late. This is a joyous occasion for any of my subjects, of course, but my own curiosity was piqued enough to look into the root cause of her jubilations."
  2044. >The cogs in your head are turning.
  2045. "Let me guess—it's when she met me, right?"
  2046. >"Her recent dreams have been filled with those of you for quite some time, I'd wager far before she 'held your soul hostage.'"
  2047. >Even the Moon Princess is trying to set you and Inky up as a couple, unbelievable.
  2048. >But thinking about it: it's true that you've interacted with Inky before all of this started, but to you—she was an acquaintance at best.
  2049. >A taken measurement or two at the Canterlot Carousel here, a brief chat at the marketplace there, but nothing you could construe as romantic on your end.
  2050. >Has she really held a candle for you all this time?
  2051. >"Tell me, Anonymous, even though her nightmares have abated—has her work suffered for it?"
  2052. >You recall the various shirts and other apparel that she's made for you.
  2053. >When you first tried them on, they *were* a bit uncomfortably tight and unnecessarily complicated to put on, but she took your feedback seriously, quickly adjusting them to your liking.
  2054. >She even made you a winter coat recently. You never knew goths dressed for the winter; you thought they just went into hibernation.
  2055. "No, hell, I think her designs have been getting even better, lately."
  2056. >She smiles at you, probably persuaded that she's converted you to Inky-ism.
  2057. "But…anyway, I make her happy, I get that, but I'm still not entirely sold on her. I've got my own life to live, here."
  2058. >"That you do, but do you intend to spend the rest of that life alone?"
  2059. "Well I…I mean maybe not 'the rest' of it, but these things take time, you know?"
  2060. >"Then give Inky Rose time. You may find a kindred soul within her."
  2061. "I am giving her time—it's not like I have much of a choice in the matter, anyway."
  2062. >"Is that so?"
  2063. "Obviously, don't you remember what we just talked about?"
  2064. >"Ah yes, that binding ceremony of yours."
  2065. >She nods self-assuredly.
  2066. >"I'm confident that the threads of destiny are what brought you two together, not this 'gothmarriage.'"
  2067. >You sigh—you're clearly not going to be able to convince this moon mare otherwise.
  2068. >…You're having a hard enough time convincing yourself.
  2069.  
  2070. "Quite the poetic one, aren't you? Are you sure you're not goth?"
  2071. >"I only speak the truth—you are her muse, Anonymous, the one who lights up her world with inspiration."
  2072. >She continues, her tone steadily increasing.
  2073. >"The yang to her yin; the stars in her night sky; the wings that keep her afloat over the abyss; the—"
  2074. "Okay Luna—I get your point."
  2075. >"Then what are you waiting for? Go to her. She awaits you."
  2076. "I would if I knew how."
  2077. >"You forget, Anonymous, that this is the realm of dreams."
  2078. "Oh."
  2079. >She gives you a nod.
  2080. >You stare at her.
  2081. "I'm still lost, sorry."
  2082. >She raises a eyebrow to you, before suddenly leaping backwards into the air and exploding into stardust.
  2083. "W-whoa, wait!"
  2084. >Her voice echoes throughout the forest.
  2085. >"Go forth, Anonymous! Let your thoughts of Inky guide you to her!"
  2086. >Fucking Moon Princess.
  2087. >How does she expect you to find your way in someone else's dream? You can barely stay lucid in your own.
  2088. >All you have is this trail of wilted roses leading deeper into the forest.
  2089. >…Actually, that might be a good place to start.
  2090.  
  2091. >Several rounds of "follow the rosy road" later, you find yourself in a clearing.
  2092. >It leads to a wide open lake overcast by the moon.
  2093. >Part of you assumed that the "good" part of her dream would be a little more colourful, but then the rest of you realised that she's a goth pony.
  2094. >At least nothing's trying to kill you here.
  2095. >You see a pony sitting near the edge of the lake, facing away from you.
  2096. >One you know all too well.
  2097. >Inky Rose.
  2098. >As you steadily make your way over to her, you notice her ears perk up, swivelling around to track your every move.
  2099. >You sit down next to her right side, and the two of you gaze upon the moonlit vista.
  2100. >The next few moments are spent in a dreamy silence; the lake is perfectly still, with not a ripple to be seen.
  2101. >Eventually, Inky speaks up.
  2102. >"Hey."
  2103. "Hey."
  2104. >"You're late."
  2105. "Sorry, got caught up in traffic."
  2106. >"Traffic?"
  2107. "Yeah, they were a prickly bunch."
  2108. >"…Sorry about that."
  2109. "So you knew I'd come here?"
  2110. >"I wanted to try this out at least once."
  2111. "How did you do it, then?"
  2112. >"Do you remember the necklace I gave you? A couple of weeks back."
  2113. >Couple of weeks back…? It must have been that "fetish" necklace she gave you back then.
  2114. "Oh, that one with the crescent moon?"
  2115. >She nods.
  2116. >"It's made with a special type of rock. Legend says that two individuals who each wear that same kind of necklace would share in the same dream."
  2117. "You had a second one?"
  2118. >"I made the other one. Maud helped me get another stone to craft it."
  2119. "Maud…ah, you mean that 'trade deal' of yours?"
  2120. >"Yeah."
  2121. >You see a necklace adorned with a hanging around her neck; it's adorned with a familiar crescent moon.
  2122. >As you rub around your collarbone to check if you're wearing anything similar, you note that there's nothing there—just like how you remember.
  2123. "Pretty sure I wasn't wearing mine when I went to sleep, though."
  2124. >"I put it on you while you slept."
  2125. >Clever girl.
  2126.  
  2127. "You could've asked, you know."
  2128. >"I…"
  2129. >She's silent for a good few seconds, so you turn your gaze towards her.
  2130. >There's a guilty frown on her face as she lowers her head, staring downwards.
  2131. >After a few more seconds, she lifts her head to look at you, eyes slightly misty.
  2132. >"I should have, yeah. Sorry."
  2133. >Wordlessly, you turn your head to look at the lake once more, deep in thought.
  2134. >She may have slipped a strange magical artefact on you while you slept.
  2135. >And said tampering almost resulted in your dream self being crushed to dream death by dream vines.
  2136. >…But strangely, you're not too worked up over it.
  2137. >Maybe it's because of what Luna said back there, or maybe it's because of something else—feelings deep within you that you had once thought laid dormant.
  2138. >Feelings that slip through your mind's eye whenever you try to take hold of them—to identify their intent.
  2139. >Whatever the case may be, you soon find yourself wrapping your left arm around her body, earning you a slight gasp from her in return.
  2140. >She reciprocates by slowly leaning into you, gingerly draping one of her wings over you.
  2141. "This place is nice."
  2142. >"Yeah."
  2143. "You come here often?"
  2144. >"When I need a break."
  2145. "Beats getting strangled by plants, I suppose."
  2146. >"Next time I can guide you."
  2147. "Next time?"
  2148. >"I…um…well…"
  2149. >Her breath hitches slightly, and she turns her head to look up at you.
  2150. >"Would…would you like to come here again?"
  2151. >You turn to look at her once more, at those uncertain sapphire eyes.
  2152. >And you already have your answer.
  2153. "Yeah, I would."
  2154. >A sincere smile from her, and no more words need to be said.
  2155. >And so you two stay like this for a good while, sharing in the same dream.
  2156. >It is a good dream.
  2157.  
  2158. *** Day 20 ***
  2159.  
  2160. >It's another wintery day in Ponyville, and you're outside, wearing your fashionable Gothic winter coat.
  2161. >Right now, you're on a reconnaissance mission, so perhaps you should've instead worn something white so you could blend in with the snow.
  2162. >Part of your mission involves hiding in a bush with Pinkie Pie.
  2163. >Why? It's because—
  2164. >"It's because we're snooping on Maud and Inky!"
  2165. "…Yeah, sure. Also, don't do that. This is my narration."
  2166. >"You were taking too long to get to the point, Nonny!"
  2167. >You are indeed snooping on Maud Pie and Inky Rose in Pinkie's latest scheme to uncover their secrets.
  2168. >They're having lunch together in a cafe, seated in one of the outside tables.
  2169. >Inky is wearing a winter coat of her own, with a fuzzy cap to keep her ears warm.
  2170. >Maud is wearing her trademark Maud Smock, no more, no less; you don't think she's even capable of feeling the cold.
  2171. >And Pinkie is…
  2172. "Pinkie, what are you wearing?"
  2173. >"Insurance."
  2174. "Against…?"
  2175. >"Surprises."
  2176. >Pinkie is wearing a safety helmet, and what appears to be a bulletproof vest.
  2177. >She's also wearing an eyepatch, and is holding a crutch on her right foreleg.
  2178. >You recall that she shot up into the sky when Inky greeted her last time, but you didn't expect that she'd be *this* messed up.
  2179. >But you figure that a sudden drop can mess up any pony, even the likes of Pinkie Pie.
  2180. >"It was a lot worse than a 'sudden drop,' Nonny. A *lot* worse."
  2181. >She shudders.
  2182. >"The bats… The bats…!"
  2183. >She's also repeatedly intruding on your precious fourth wall, so you know something's definitely got her tilted.
  2184. "Well, in any case, what are we looking for, again?"
  2185. >"Something."
  2186. >You look at the duo of mares over yonder, eating in silence.
  2187. >Once again, there are no words to be spoken between the two, other than the occasional "hm" and "uh huh."
  2188. >The absolute mundanity of it all threatens to send to you to slumbertown right then and there; Pinkie, on the other hand, is one hundred percent engaged in viewing the scene through her binoculars.
  2189. >"Look at them, Nonny. Nodding and humming at each other, not a single spritz of confetti in sight! It doesn't make any sense!"
  2190. "Tons of ponies talk without spraying confetti over each other, Pinkie."
  2191. >"But that's the extra-super-duper weird thing! They're NOT talking! They're just…staring at each other! And somehow—some way they both know what's what! And neither of them are unicorns so it can't be a mind-reading spell."
  2192. >Pinkie hums in thought.
  2193. >"Oh! What if it's a mind-reading POTION? Quick, Nonny! Get me a sample of their drink!"
  2194. "I don't think there's any mind reading involved. Those two ponies have just got their own set of social cues, that's all."
  2195. >"Really? But there's only two of them! That's not much of a queue."
  2196.  
  2197. "Cues, not queues, Pinkie. Inky once told me that you don't always need words to express your feelings."
  2198. >"But feelings are so *fun* to express with words! Are you saying they've never had the chance to say that they're 'happylicious' or that they're performing in a 'sadstravaganza?!'"
  2199. "I've never heard Inky say either of those things, so…yes."
  2200. >"Aw…"
  2201. >She sighs, lowering her binoculars.
  2202. >"How do they do it? I have to know, Nonny."
  2203. >Upon seeing Pinkie pout in rumination, an epiphany strikes you.
  2204. "Oh, I think I get it now."
  2205. >"Huh?"
  2206. "You're just jealous of Inky."
  2207. >"Am not!"
  2208. "She's found a way to talk with your sister in a way you can't. It's alright, Pinkie, I understand."
  2209. >"Nope! Nuh-uh! I *never* get jealous, ever!"
  2210. >She raises her binoculars, resuming her investigation.
  2211. >"And even if I *was* jealous—which I'm definitely not, just to be absolutely crystal-pony clear on this—it doesn't matter, because I can FEEL a breakthrough coming, Nonny! Any moment now, I'm gonna reveal their secrets and learn the long-lost art of not-talking-talking!"
  2212. "Uh, right."
  2213. >Several moments pass.
  2214. >"Any moment now."
  2215. >Several more moments pass.
  2216. >"Aaanyyy moment now."
  2217. >An eternity pas—
  2218. >"Hey! Stop that!"
  2219. "But nothing's happening."
  2220. >"But it will! We just need to be patient! Any. Moment. Now! Say it with me! Any. Moment. Now!"
  2221. "Any moment now…"
  2222. >You try to be patient—really, you do—but eventually, your mind begins to drift towards the fatuous.
  2223. "Hey, Pinkie."
  2224. >She lowers her binoculars.
  2225. >"Yeah, Nonny?"
  2226. "You ever think about how Inky kind of sounds like your name, just without the 'P?' Weird, right?"
  2227. >"Huh, that is a bit—"
  2228. >"Hey," Inky greets Pinkie.
  2229. >"AAAAAH!"
  2230.  
  2231. >Pinkie drops her binoculars, raising her forehooves up to her face in reflexive shock.
  2232. >However, since she has a crutch attached to one of her forelegs, she ends up striking herself directly in the face with the implement, somehow managing to avoid hitting her helmet.
  2233. >"Owow!"
  2234. >The force sends her reeling backwards out of the bush; she rolls backwards a few times.
  2235. >She begins flailing about to try and remove her crutch from her foreleg.
  2236. >She succeeds, tossing it away, but in her reckless flailing about, she also somehow manages to unstrap her helmet and vest, flinging them to the side in the process.
  2237. >Afterwards, she trips on a pile of snow and falls onto her back.
  2238. >"U-urgh…"
  2239. >Slowly rising back to her feet, Pinkie stumbles a few steps back…
  2240. >And falls into a passing carriage with an open door; the door suddenly closes on its own after she enters.
  2241. >Pinkie's head pops into view from behind the carriage door window with a half-dazed expression.
  2242. >"Huh? Where am I…? And why does this all seem strangely familiar?"
  2243. >Behind her, you see several pairs of red eyes reveal themselves within the dark interior.
  2244. >The creatures in the carriage produce a low hissing sound, prompting Pinkie to look behind herself; she gasps in shock.
  2245. >"N-no! Not the bats! NOT THE BATS!"
  2246. >The symphony that soon graces your ears is a scuffed synthesis of Pinkie's screams, bats screeching and various crashing sounds as a white cartoonish smoke cloud quickly forms within the carriage.
  2247. >The carriage continues to move throughout all of this, causing the ensuing cacophony of sound to slowly fade away with time.
  2248. >You step out of the bush, staring dumbfounded as the carriage disappears into the distance, continuing on its destination.
  2249. >Several questions run through your mind—none of which you're ever sure will receive a satisfactory answer.
  2250. >Why was there a carriage filled with bats passing through Ponyville? Why was one of the doors left open? Who needs that many bats?
  2251.  
  2252. "I…I don't understand. What just happened? Why?"
  2253. >"That's Pinkie's only weakness," a voice monotones out.
  2254. >You turn around to see Inky and Maud standing close by.
  2255. >Maud looks up at you with the utmost dispassion.
  2256. >"Goth."
  2257. >She speaks with such powerful monotone that you can't help but accept her answer as the sole reason for everything that had just transpired.
  2258. >Inky tilts her head.
  2259. >"What were you two doing?"
  2260. "We were just trying to figure out your Gothic secrets through continuous observation."
  2261. >"Oh. Did you figure them out?"
  2262. "I somehow know even less than before, if that counts."
  2263. >You take another glance at The Maud Smock.
  2264. "So…speaking of goth, I'm surprised you're not wearing your dress, Maud."
  2265. >"What dress?" Maud replies.
  2266. "The one that Inky made for you. I was looking forward to seeing her design."
  2267. >Inky's cheeks gain a very pale shade of red as she looks away, faintly smiling.
  2268. >"That dress wasn't for me," Maud states.
  2269. "It wasn't? But it's a goth dress. I thought that was your jam."
  2270. >"I'm not goth."
  2271. "So what are you then, emo?"
  2272. >She blinks at you—it's one long, asymmetrical, drawn out blink that takes several seconds to resolve.
  2273. >There is a crushing silence that follows; you feel like you just said something you really shouldn't have.
  2274. >Is your vision shaking?
  2275. >Even Inky looks nervous, flitting her eyes between you and Maud.
  2276. >Eventually though, Maud responds, deadpan as always.
  2277. >"I like rocks."
  2278. "R-right, of course."
  2279. >You feel like you just barely escaped with your life intact.
  2280.  
  2281. >"The dress was for Boulder."
  2282. "Boulder? Your…pet rock?"
  2283. >She nods, pulling a flat-bottomed rock out from a pouch on her side; she rests the rock on her forehoof.
  2284. >Said rock has a small black veil fastened around the middle; it's kind of cute, actually.
  2285. >"He's going through a goth phase right now."
  2286. "Rocks do that?"
  2287. >She nods again, extending her hoof out to you.
  2288. >"Tell him, Boulder."
  2289. >You look at the small stone.
  2290. >Does it look back? You don't know; it doesn't have eyes.
  2291. >Doesn't have a mouth either, so it can't say anything.
  2292. >Still, you might as well be polite; you raise a hand in greeting.
  2293. "Uh, hi."
  2294. >It doesn't respond.
  2295. >Because it's a rock, obviously.
  2296. >You continue to stare at Boulder in an attempt to discern its (his?) secrets.
  2297. >There are no secrets; it's just a rock with a black dress.
  2298. >Is this how Pinkie felt when she was spying on Inky and Maud?
  2299. >It's like trying to squeeze blood out of a stone.
  2300. >But the blood in this case is enlightenment.
  2301. >But enlightenment over what?
  2302. >It was goth, you think.
  2303. >So then—what *is* goth?
  2304. >It's not emo, apparently.
  2305. >It's…whatever Inky is about, and maybe Moonlight Raven.
  2306. >Maud isn't goth, because she likes rocks.
  2307. >Luna isn't goth, because she's an out-of-touch boomer.
  2308. >Celestia might be goth—jury's still out on that one.
  2309. >Fluttershy is…trying to be goth in her latest scheme to get into your pants.
  2310. >So then what about you?
  2311. >You've been wearing a lot of black lately; are you goth?
  2312. >You're a man who appreciates free clothes; that's for sure.
  2313. >Even if your tailor is one who placed a soul-binding hex on you and nearly trapped you in a thorny nightmare.
  2314. >Boulder is a grey rock with a black veil; that *is* pretty goth.
  2315. >But goth isn't just about colour, right?
  2316. >It's about…appreciating darkness or something.
  2317. >Embracing the less socially accepted parts of life and finding enjoyment in them.
  2318. >Not in an evil or a rebellious way, but in a venerating way.
  2319. >And occasionally summoning demons.
  2320. >You don't summon demons, but you *were* summoned to Equestria in a freak accident, once upon a time; that kind of makes you like a demon.
  2321. >Does that make you goth? Or just goth-compliant?
  2322. >You look to Boulder once more for answers; predictably, he doesn't respond.
  2323. >He physically can't respond, but he doesn't have to.
  2324. >His stony visage tells you everything that you need to know.
  2325. >With no eyes to speak of, he perceives the world in complete darkness, yet he accepts his lot in life with grace.
  2326. >As a literal goth rock.
  2327. >That is pretty hardcore.
  2328. >Maud pulls her hoof back.
  2329. >"Did you get it?"
  2330. "Yeah…I think I do, damn."
  2331. >Boulder is the uber goth.
  2332.  
  2333. *** Day 21 ***
  2334.  
  2335. >You are once again modelling for Inky Rose, perhaps against your better judgement.
  2336. >Because Photo Finish is once again in your basement for a photo shoot.
  2337. >Apparently, the "modelling monkey" was such a smash hit with the Canterlot elite, Photo had to practically beg Inky for another round of photography.
  2338. >Thankfully, Inky actually listened to you when you demanded to keep some measure of dignity in front of the psycho photographer.
  2339. >On a side note: hearing Photo whimper "no balls?" when she learned there were going to be no ball bra shots was pretty hilarious.
  2340. >So here you are—fully clothed this time, striking your usual poses in front of the camera.
  2341. >"Yes! Sehr gut! Hold that pose! The magics—they are *flowing!*"
  2342. >Or at least as fully clothed as a human in black, skin-tight jeans can be.
  2343. >The rest of the photo shoot proceeds smoothly with no hiccups.
  2344. >Relaxing your stance, you see Photo and Inky talking with one another off the set.
  2345. >Is this it? Is this the first uneventful day you've had all month?
  2346. >You're fine with that; you could use an off day.
  2347. >It's a sobering feeling—one that has you blissfully unaware that Photo Finish has trotted up to you during your reverie.
  2348. >Wait, why is she standing in front of you? Why is her forehoof raised?
  2349. "Don't you even fucking—"
  2350. >"JIGGLE!" She slaps your nuts.
  2351. "AH FUCK!"
  2352. >You fall onto your depressed-looking ass, cradling your poor jewels.
  2353. >"I go!"
  2354. >God damn! You fucking felt that one even through your jeans; has this mare been working on her ball-slapping technique all this time?
  2355. >You watch Photo mount her slave-driven palanquin and exit the basement once more.
  2356. >Inky soon walks over to you and helps you back on your feet; she flashes you a look of concern.
  2357. >"Are you alright?"
  2358. "At this point, I like to think I've gotten used to the universe busting my balls. I'm imposing a strict 'no touching' rule for future photo shoots, though."
  2359. >She nods.
  2360. >"That's a good idea. I'll let her know next time."
  2361. >She pauses.
  2362. >"If…you're okay with a next time, that is."
  2363. >Cock and ball torture is absolutely not your fetish, but bruised balls aside—you're actually beginning to enjoy helping Inky out.
  2364. >So you give her a thumbs-up.
  2365. "Sure, I'm cool with it."
  2366. >She hums, and the two of you begin to walk towards the exit of the basement.
  2367. "So, what's next on the agenda, then?"
  2368. >"I'm going to be attending a poetry club in Ponyville later tonight."
  2369. "How broody is the vibe gonna be?"
  2370. >"Very."
  2371. >She smiles at you.
  2372. >"I was wondering if you'd like to come with me. I think the ponies there would love to see you."
  2373. "And you?"
  2374. >"I'd…"
  2375. >You catch a very pale rosy red forming on her cheeks.
  2376. >"I'd love to see you there, too."
  2377. "That sounds—"
  2378. >Your conversation is cut short by two voices at the top of the basement stairs.
  2379. >One of them belongs to Photo Finish.
  2380. >"Oh! You have a powerful energy! Is gut!"
  2381. >"Thank you."
  2382. >The responding voice sends chills down your spine.
  2383.  
  2384. >Its tone is so soft, so gentle, yet there's an air of authority in there that sets you at unease.
  2385. >You hear the light clopping sounds of a pony descending down the stairs.
  2386. >The steps sound demure, yet resolute in their movement; they come in sets of three, as if this intruder is daring you and your nerves to announce their true identity ahead of time.
  2387. >But you hold your tongue—you need to confirm who they are with your own two eyes.
  2388. >The temperature in the room slowly rises as they come closer.
  2389. >As their shadow comes into view, you begin to hear boss music—no, *final* boss music.
  2390. >Soon enough, you see their—or rather—her physical form descend down the stairs; she brings an incandescent glow with her.
  2391. >She stops at the base of the stairs, gazing at the two of you with an adamant expression.
  2392. >She's yellow, winged, and has a trio of butterflies as her cutie mark, but…something's different about her.
  2393. "F-fluttershy? Is that…you?"
  2394. >"Yes. It's been a while, Anonymous."
  2395. >She takes a few steps forward, stopping to leave about two metres in distance between the two of you.
  2396. >The mare in front is clad in imposing, ornate armour; there is a ephemeral yellow horn that juts out of her forehead, which, combined with her natural wings—essentially makes her a faux-alicorn of sorts.
  2397. >Said horn is aglow with a golden radiance, lighting up the entire room and making it very taxing to look at her directly.
  2398. >Several dangerous-and-rare-looking artefacts float behind and besides her; all of their appearances ring vaguely familiar to you in some fashion.
  2399. "I-it's been less than a fucking week, Fluttershy!"
  2400. >"And each day I spent apart from you tore through my very being—like a princess torn away from her destined prince! Six days of purest agony did I suffer through! Six times did I perish from loneliness! Yet six times did I arise from the ashes, stronger than ever before!"
  2401. >She strikes a pose and her horn ignites, setting the room alight in a grossly incandescent glow.
  2402. >You and Inky shield your eyes to avoid permanent blindness.
  2403. "Jesus Christ! I can't see shit!"
  2404. >"Oh, um, sorry. Let me turn that down."
  2405. >Fluttershy's hypernova of a light show is slowly reduced in luminosity to something more akin to a desk lamp gently radiating out of her.
  2406. >"Is this better?"
  2407. >You hesitantly open your eyes, seeing Fluttershy looking at you with concern.
  2408. "Y-yeah, a bit."
  2409. >She smiles.
  2410. >"Okay, good."
  2411. >You gotta hand it to her—she's still surprisingly considerate even as a godlike uber-pony.
  2412.  
  2413. "A-anyway, how the hell did you get in my house?!"
  2414. >"By using the powers of Hell."
  2415. "What, Tartarus?"
  2416. >"No, Hell, capital 'H.' I've seen things no mortal mare should have seen, Anonymous."
  2417. >She briefly closes her eyes and clicks her tongue, as if recalling all of the crazy bullshit she must have gone through to get here.
  2418. >After opening her eyes, she addresses you again.
  2419. >"And I've seen them all for you."
  2420. "Wait, d-does that mean…?"
  2421. >"Yes, I have recovered all the artefacts that you have requested—the Sceptre of Eternal Dreams, the Idol of Boreas, the Sword in the Stone, the Elixir of Truth, the Infinity Horseshoe, every single one. I have gathered them all behind me." She gestures to the objects floating behind her.
  2422. >She takes a deep breath, and continues.
  2423. >"I have domesticated the yaks; I have opened a portal to Hell and journeyed deep within; I have slain the Cyberdemon; I have usurped Lucifer; I have communed with the Great Old Ones; and I have ascended unto the divine."
  2424. >She puffs out her chest with pride.
  2425. >"And now, finally. We can get gothmarried—nay, we *must* get gothmarried. Anonymous, take me to your bed right this instant."
  2426. >You are deeply regretting telling her about the one part of gothmarriage that wasn't bogus.
  2427. "But I…it's the afternoon."
  2428. >"I will summon Luna if I must, I know the incantations."
  2429. >Fluttershy strides up to the two of you.
  2430. >"I can and will make you submit if I have to. Do not resist, for both of our sakes. And you—!"
  2431. >She shoots a glare at Inky.
  2432. >"Do *not* try anything. I'm watching you."
  2433. >Inky gives Fluttershy a brief glance over; she then raises a forehoof and opens her mouth to speak.
  2434. >Fluttershy stomps her own hoof in anger; the reverberation feels like it shakes not just the room, but reality itself.
  2435. >"What did I just say?!"
  2436. >"That staff."
  2437. >Fluttershy pulls her "Sceptre of Eternal Dreams" from her assortment of artefacts and levitates it in front of herself.
  2438. >It's an ornate-looking staff with a silver sheen; one end holds a large blue gemstone.
  2439. >"What about it?"
  2440. >"It's fake."
  2441. >Fluttershy scoffs in disbelief while Inky walks into the nearby supply closet.
  2442. >"No—that's simply not possible. I had to travel to the Moon, journey deep within the Old Moon Palace, and battle through the last remaining remnants of the Nightmare to claim this."
  2443.  
  2444. >Inky walks out out of the closet, holding an identical staff in her mouth; she spits it out, grabbing it with a hoof and resting it against her shoulder.
  2445. >"I have the real one right here."
  2446. >"That—you're bluffing."
  2447. >"I'm not. Watch this."
  2448. >Inky taps her staff on the floor; the gemstone on it glows, generating a thick mist all throughout the room.
  2449. >You feel the temperature in the room drop to near-freezing levels, the sudden chill sending a wave of lethargy through your body.
  2450. >Were it not for the adrenaline surging throughout your system due to being in the same vicinity as God-Fluttershy, you'd probably fall asleep then and there.
  2451. >The mist way soon vanishes and the temperature returns to normal; Inky turns back to Fluttershy.
  2452. >"Only the real staff can do that."
  2453. >Fluttershy grits her teeth.
  2454. >"Oh yeah?! Watch and learn!"
  2455. >Fluttershy magically slams her staff into the floor, the force slightly embedding it into the ground.
  2456. >It makes a unnervingly high-pitched noise, vibrating in place like a tuning fork.
  2457. >And then the gemstone on it shatters.
  2458. >Several seconds pass, and it becomes increasingly clear that nothing else is going to happen.
  2459. >Fluttershy looks at her staff in shock.
  2460. >"W-what? But it…I…"
  2461. >"See? Yours was a fake."
  2462. >Fluttershy blinks at Inky several times, mouth agape in an expression of utter incredulity.
  2463. >You also notice her right eye twitching.
  2464. >Suddenly, her translucent horn vanishes in a puff of smoke, taking her incandescent glow with it.
  2465. >"Oh."
  2466. >Her magical aura dissipates, and her magical artefacts disappear with them, presumably being returned to their respective resting spots.
  2467. >"Right. My mistake."
  2468. >As if in response to her crushed resolve, her armour falls apart at the seams, the various plates and pauldrons collapsing to the floor.
  2469. >"I'll just go then."
  2470. >Without another word, Fluttershy turns around and leaves the basement the way she came.
  2471. >The room is once again silent, with no more incandescent glow lighting up the vicinity, and the threat of impending god-rape passed.
  2472. >And yet…even though she's gone, there is a foreboding feeling that you just can't shake—you doubt you've seen the last of her.
  2473. >As you stare at the exit for a few moments, you find yourself left with more questions than answers.
  2474. >So you tentatively ask the one at the forefront of your mind.
  2475. "What the fuck just happened?"
  2476. >…
  2477. >The poetry club was pretty dope, by the way.
  2478.  
  2479. *** Day 22 ***
  2480.  
  2481. >Fluttershy's behaviour yesterday has you spooked.
  2482. >She's unhinged, unreasonable, and unpredictable—at least to your eyes.
  2483. >You have a gut feeling that she's going to flip her lid and come for you again very soon, but you have no idea what angle she's going to attack from.
  2484. >It's gotten to the point where seeing the colour yellow instinctively makes you flinch; you can't keep living with this paranoia.
  2485. >So you've hired a private investigator to look into it for you.
  2486. >Said investigator is also a literal glow-in-the-dark agent, but they're corrupt enough to keep their silence—given the right amount of bribery.
  2487. >You sit on a nondescript bench in Ponyville park, waiting for your contact to arrive.
  2488. >Being out in the open like fills you with a measured amount of unease, but your contact refused to meet you anywhere else; you just have to hope that being in a public space will deter Fluttershy from assaulting you.
  2489. >A unicorn mare sits next to you; she adopts an unconventional humanoid slouching pose.
  2490. >She has a green coat of fur; a short, pale green mane; a lyre for a cutie mark; a trench coat; and a comically oversized pair of sunglasses which she likely thinks is the perfect way to conceal her identity.
  2491. "Hey L—"
  2492. >"Agent Green."
  2493. "…Wasn't it Agent Heartstrings last time?"
  2494. >"Agent Heartstrings is gone. Agent Drops caught her OD'd on salt licks in the office for the fifth time in a row, so she had to flee the country."
  2495. "Uh, sure, whatever, 'Agent Green.'"
  2496. >"First thing—payment. You got the 'digits?'"
  2497. >You reach into one of your pockets and pull out a stack of photos; you hand them to her.
  2498. "Here."
  2499. >She lifts them out of your hands with a yellow aura and floats them over to her; as she lowers her sunglasses to examine them closely, you see a wide smile form on her face.
  2500. >The photos are essentially creepshots of your bare hands, with some close-ups of your fingers—just the way "Agent Green" likes them.
  2501. >"Good, good."
  2502. >She turns back to you, pursing her lips in thought as she lingers on your hands for a few moments.
  2503. >"You wearing gloves?"
  2504. "It's winter."
  2505. >"You've never worn gloves before."
  2506. >She's right; you've always been more of a "hands tucked in pockets" kind of guy, but you roll your eyes at her regardless.
  2507. "You're the sleuth, you figure it out."
  2508. >"Huh, so…"
  2509. >She magically re-raises her sunglasses.
  2510. >"You like 'em grey, huh?"
  2511. >She pauses.
  2512. >"Very…extraterrestrial of you."
  2513. "I'm beginning to see why you're on the run."
  2514. >She opens her mouth to retort, but she closes it soon after, opting to scrunch in silence.
  2515.  
  2516. "Anyway, I'm not here to talk about her. I'm here to talk about—"
  2517. >Agent Green hushes you.
  2518. >"We're not alone."
  2519. "Really, here?"
  2520. >She nods.
  2521. >"Hear that?"
  2522. >You don't hear anything.
  2523. "No."
  2524. >"Exactly. It's a beautiful, calm winter day, isn't it?"
  2525. >She leans in, lowering her tone to a quiet whisper.
  2526. >"Ten o'clock, don't stare."
  2527. >Ten o'clock? That's…north-west, isn't it?
  2528. >You briefly flick your eyes in that direction, catching a glimpse of some songbirds perched on a tree branch.
  2529. >They're not making any noise; they're just…staring in your direction.
  2530. "…I agree, beautiful day."
  2531. >If it's the birds you have to worry about, then that only strengthens your initial suspicions.
  2532. "So, what's the news?"
  2533. >"Well, I went for a jog through Ponyville the other day."
  2534. "And?"
  2535. >"I happened to come across…"
  2536. >She raises a hoof up to her chin, considering her next choice of words carefully.
  2537. >"A Banana."
  2538. "Right, and?"
  2539. >"It was a very ripe banana."
  2540. "Oh…"
  2541. >Assuming you're following this analogy correctly, that can't be a good sign.
  2542. "Can I get that in non-fruity terminology?"
  2543. >"Nope. I can tell you this, though."
  2544. >She clears her throat.
  2545. >"That Banana is gonna bruise yours. No more monkeying around."
  2546. >You sigh—your worst fears have been confirmed.
  2547. "Do you know how, though? Any hints?"
  2548. >"Nope, but I have been hearing reports all throughout this morning—docile critters going haywire; puppies chasing down the mailmare; chickens egging houses with their own eggs; rabbits holding up shops at carrotpoint; the list goes on."
  2549. "Jesus."
  2550. >What the hell is this Banana planning?
  2551. "Can't you do something about this Banana? After all of these years, why hasn't your organisation pruned it?"
  2552. >"You know we can't do that. The Banana is part of the Fruit Bowl. They're the most delicious fruit in all of Equestria."
  2553. "Taste is subjective."
  2554. >"Maybe, but you can be the one to tell the Chef that."
  2555. >You shudder.
  2556. "I'll pass, thanks."
  2557. >You slump into the bench, hands resting at your sides.
  2558. "I'm fucked, aren't I?"
  2559. >"I've got a plan."
  2560. >You give her a curious glance, waiting for her to continue.
  2561. >"I forge you a fake identity, then we both escape Ponyville and start new lives over in Klugetown. Nopony will follow us in there."
  2562. >As tempting as that idea is, you shake your head, knowing its futility.
  2563. "Thanks for the offer, but you don't know her like I do. I don't think I'll ever be able to escape her. Might as well face my fate head on."
  2564. >"Brave. Stunning. Inspiring. Can you leave me the deed to your house in your will?"
  2565. "Only if you leave me your lyre in *your* will when 'Agent Drops' finally catches you."
  2566. >She scoffs.
  2567. >"Not a chance."
  2568. >You stand up.
  2569. "Well, thanks for confirming my worst fears. See you never, probably."
  2570. >"Sure."
  2571. >You turn to leave.
  2572. >"Wait. One last thing."
  2573. >You turn back.
  2574. "What?"
  2575. >She lightly sniffs the air.
  2576. >"Those gloves."
  2577. >She fidgets in place.
  2578. >"I'll buy them. Name your price."
  2579. "Fuck off, Lyra."
  2580.  
  2581. *** Day 23 ***
  2582.  
  2583. >"Wake up, Anon."
  2584. >A familiar voice beckons out to you in the darkness.
  2585. >You slowly open your eyes, greeting the waking world once more.
  2586. >Only to snap them shut at the sight of the harsh, bright sunlight that flows in through the nearby window.
  2587. >Your eyes feel like they're burning.
  2588. >Not only that, but something feels off, yet it's hard to parse exactly what through your lethargy.
  2589. "Urgh…what time is it?"
  2590. >"It's the afternoon."
  2591. "Afternoon? Man…did I sleep in again…?"
  2592. >"…Yes, you slept in, but it's okay. You don't have work today."
  2593. "No work, huh…? What day is it?"
  2594. >"It's the day when we finally consummate our love for each other."
  2595. >Your brows reflexively furrow.
  2596. "Huh…? I don't…I don't remember signing up for that."
  2597. >"We've put this off for far too long. We're past the point of 'signing up.'"
  2598. >Even through your daze, you can hear clear frustration intoned into every word she speaks.
  2599. "If you say so…"
  2600. >Your body shivers as you feel a cold chill creeping into your bare skin—wait, are you naked?
  2601. >You think you still have your boxers on, but everything else is gone.
  2602. >You're pretty sure you were wearing more than that…earlier?
  2603. >It's hard to move your body for some reason; you can't figure out why.
  2604. "Nngh…where did the rest of my clothes go?"
  2605. >"You don't need them."
  2606. "I don't know…it's kind of cold. Did you leave the window open, or—wait…"
  2607. >You try to open your eyes once more, managing to reach a very narrow squint—not enough to see the pony in the room with you, but enough to survey some of your surroundings.
  2608. >You're in your room—on your bed; you can tell that much.
  2609. >Through your blurred, half-awake vision, you see a gaping hole in the window pane; very little of the glass remains.
  2610. "Is the window…broken?"
  2611. >"Yes. I broke it."
  2612. "Whuh…why?"
  2613. >"The front door was locked."
  2614. >Did she lose the key?
  2615. >…Did you give her a key? You think you did, at one point.
  2616. >As you continue your attempts to get move your body, you notice that you can do little more than wiggle around in place.
  2617. >Whatever is holding you in place has you in a spread eagle position.
  2618. >There's a tight pressure around your wrists and ankles—is something binding them?
  2619. "Sorry I…I can't move my arms or legs for some reason. I think I'm tied up…?"
  2620. >"Oh, I did that, sorry."
  2621. >Sleeping in, broken window and getting tied up? Strange start to a day.
  2622. >Well, at least she's sorry, right?
  2623. "Oh, it's okay, I guess…"
  2624. >You close your eyelids again.
  2625.  
  2626. >For some reason, your vision still hasn't cleared up; perhaps you slept funny.
  2627. >Why would she tie you up, though?
  2628. >Maybe…
  2629. "Are you into that?"
  2630. >"Are you?"
  2631. >Answering a question with a question, huh?
  2632. "Not really…"
  2633. >"I see. That's okay."
  2634. >It's okay?
  2635. >Well if she's okay with it…sure.
  2636. >Wait, what is she okay with, again?
  2637. >Consummating love?
  2638. >Hold on, doesn't that mean…
  2639. "Hey, by consummating our love, do you mean…?"
  2640. >"Sex. We're going to have sex."
  2641. "Whoa…don't you think we're moving a bit fast, here?"
  2642. >"After all we've been through. I *need* this, Anon. I can't wait any longer."
  2643. >The desperation in her voice rings in your mind.
  2644. >Maybe…maybe she's right?
  2645. >You two *have* been together for a while now; if your celibacy has driven her to these lengths, maybe it's time.
  2646. "If that's how you feel, then I think I…feel the same way. We've danced around this subject for too long, haven't we?"
  2647. >She takes a while to respond.
  2648. >"…Huh?"
  2649. "It's like you said: we've known each other for a while now, but we never…bridged that gap, so to speak. I've always come up with excuses like me 'not being a horsefucker' or whatever."
  2650. >She remains silent, so you continue.
  2651. "But I…I like you. Sure, we had a rocky start, but the more I've come to know you, the more I've come to realise…I wouldn't mind spending my life with you, you know?"
  2652. >"You…really?"
  2653. "Yeah. I think it's time to take our relationship to the next level, if you feel the same way."
  2654. >You hear her sigh after hearing your words.
  2655. >"I…I've waited so long to hear you say that, Anon."
  2656. >You hear a gentle clopping sound as she moves to your side; she rests a tender hoof on one of your wrists.
  2657. >"Maybe I was too rash about all of this. Sorry for…tying you up."
  2658. "It's all good… It's partially on me for not noticing how frustrated you must have been."
  2659. >She massages your wrist with her hoof.
  2660. >"Um…do you need any time to prepare or…?"
  2661. "Actually, I think I'm good to go now.
  2662. >"Oh, great!"
  2663. "Yeah, let's have sex, Inky."
  2664. >She lifts her hoof, and a deathly silence pervades the room for several seconds.
  2665. >And then she screams.
  2666. >"INKY?!"
  2667. >Your eyes shoot open, and your dumbass brain finally registers.
  2668. >That's not Inky's voice.
  2669.  
  2670. >Enough adrenaline is in your body to ignore the stinging sensation in your eyes, so you turn your head towards the left side of your bed.
  2671. >And you see a yellow pegasus—a pissed off yellow pegasus.
  2672. "F-fluttershy?! That was you?!"
  2673. >"Oh, it was ME alright! I…I can't believe you, Anon!"
  2674. >You can't believe you, either.
  2675. >Then again, this probably isn't the best time to reflect on what you mutter out when you're half-lucid.
  2676. >What's more important right now is that you are completely naked, tied to your bed, and in very close proximity to the Equestria's most dangerous natural predator of the human sausage.
  2677. "W-why am I here? *How* am I here?"
  2678. >She huffs in frustration, but a lecherous leer forms on her face as she looks you over.
  2679. >"I think you already know why you're here. But if you need a reminder…"
  2680. >She climbs onto the bed, crawling up to your side with hunger in her eyes.
  2681. >She grinds along your bound arm, resting her head against yours, and wiggling her rump around on your hand, making sure your fingers feel the slick wetness of a hole desperate for release; you can feel it undulating against your digits, desperate to draw them in.
  2682. >"M-mmph…if you want to move them a little, that's fine…"
  2683. "No, I—"
  2684. >Using her forehooves, she holds your head in place, resting a hoof on each cheek.
  2685. >Her face inches ever closer, and her lips soon meet yours with an audible "mwah!" sound from her end.
  2686. >Your faces are settled together; she closes her eyes, and you feel a tender prodding against your own lips…
  2687. >And then she forces her tongue down your throat.
  2688. >She takes control of your mouth with ease, giving you no chance to fight back; her equine tongue subdues your human one in every way, forcing you to be a spectator of your own submission.
  2689. >She shifts her hooves around to wrap them around the back of your head, pressing yours against hers.
  2690. >Her lower body slips forward off your hand, content to just grind against your arm in her rapidly-building excitement.
  2691. >She moans into your mouth all the while.
  2692. >It's wet, it's suffocating, it's humiliating.
  2693. >This is no kiss, it's an expression of dominance—of *her* dominance.
  2694. >More than ever, you become distinctly aware of just how much control she has over the situation.
  2695. >You can't escape.
  2696. >She's going to rape you.
  2697. >And there's nothing you can do about it.
  2698.  
  2699. >After what feels like an eternity of Fluttershy plundering your throat, she pulls back, a thick string of saliva still connecting you two together.
  2700. >Noticing this, she quickly moves in and presses her lips against yours again, licking and greedily slurping up what extant fluids she can.
  2701. >After she pulls back once more, she licks her lips, a dopey smile forming on her face.
  2702. >"Mmm. That was nice."
  2703. >You gag and gasp for breath.
  2704. >"You think so too? There'll more where that came from, don't worry."
  2705. "Y-you crazy fucking—"
  2706. >She silences you by stuffing a hoof into your open mouth.
  2707. >"Shh…shh… No back talk, mister, unless you want to keep sucking on my hoof—or maybe that's your fetish? I'm fine with that."
  2708. >You know that biting down will just shatter your teeth, so you shake your head as best as you can.
  2709. >"Then if you want to keep your speaking privileges, you'll behave, alright?"
  2710. "M-mhmm," is all you manage to mumble out.
  2711. >She retracts her hoof and gives it a few licks, maintaining eye contact with you.
  2712. >"Good boy. Now as for *how* you got here…"
  2713. >She flutters off the bed and to your left, moving to your bedside table and picking something up with her hooves; she dangles it in front of you.
  2714. >It's a see-through bag with a cloth rag in it.
  2715. >"I'm sure you recognise this."
  2716. "…Chloroform, how could I not."
  2717. >"It was a favourite of mine, at least until you managed to get it outlawed."
  2718. >That was one of your greatest victories over her—one of the few reprieves you could afford when it came to dealing with her antics.
  2719. >Until today.
  2720. "Why?"
  2721. >She raises an eyebrow.
  2722. >"Why? Why what?"
  2723. >You glare at her; there are a lot of "why"'s in this situation, but she damn well knows what you're referring to.
  2724. "Why use this?"
  2725. >"Because I love you."
  2726. >She places the bag back on the the table, fluttering back onto the bed and straddling your stomach.
  2727. >"I love you enough to stop caring about what's 'right' and what's 'wrong.' All's fair in love and war—I think is the phrase."
  2728. "This is illegal."
  2729. >"I prefer the term 'thinking outside the box.'"
  2730. >She leans in close to your face, stroking your cheeks with a hoof.
  2731. >"It was just a matter of waiting until you left the house this morning. You really make it too easy nowadays, Anon. I wonder why that is." Her last few words carry a harsh, bitter undertone with them.
  2732. >She gives one of your temples a gentle rub.
  2733. >"I also got some in your eyes during the struggle, sorry about that."
  2734. >Fucking chloroform.
  2735. "If you're really sorry—"
  2736. >She silences you with a hoof in your mouth.
  2737. >"Nice try, mister, but I can be as sorry as I like *after* I get what I want—what I *need.*"
  2738. >She takes her hoof out; this time, she sniffs her saliva-laden hoof, and she moans out in abject pleasure.
  2739. >"Mmh~ and once you were out cold, I had all the time I needed to prepare."
  2740. >She sighs, looking back to your broken window.
  2741. >"If only you didn't lock your door, you could have saved yourself a window." She turns her head back to you. "That one was on you."
  2742.  
  2743. >She gives her hoof a few more licks, savouring your lingering taste.
  2744. "Just you wait until someone finds out about—"
  2745. >Her hoof stuffs your mouth once again.
  2746. >"They won't, because you're not going to say anything, and do you know why?"
  2747. >She slowly takes out her hoof, trailing it down your chin, down your neck.
  2748. >"Because I am going to break you, Anonymous."
  2749. >She lazily circles her hoof around one of your pecs, sighing in contentment.
  2750. >"I'm going to make you addicted to my body, to my scent, to my voice, to this—"
  2751. >Her hoof continues to trail down your torso, moving towards the point where her lower body is straddling your stomach, and where—
  2752. >You avert your gaze, shifting your eyes to stare at the ceiling.
  2753. >"Ah-ah, don't be shy now…take a good, long look."
  2754. >With both of her forehooves clasping your cheeks once more, she forces your gaze downwards to look at her crotch.
  2755. >There, in all of its glory, is Fluttershy's horse pussy; Fluttershy spreads her legs as wide as she can in order to give you the best possible view of her puffy, darkened lower lips.
  2756. >It winks outwards in response to your gaze, revealing its clitoris to you in short, swift bursts.
  2757. >Said winking appears to increase in frequency as Fluttershy begins panting in earnest.
  2758. >"Mmf, even when you're just staring it's just so…a-aahh…haah~"
  2759. >She throws her head back as she suddenly squirts her juices onto your chest; a heady musk soon pervades the air.
  2760. >"O-oh my… Did…did you see it, Anon? Do you see how…how *needy* am I right now? O-oh…"
  2761. >She releases her grip around your head and rides out the rest of her orgasm, bucking her hips onto your belly.
  2762. >Afterwards, she takes a deep breath to compose herself, and soon stares at you with heated passion.
  2763. >"Mmm…I'm going to *ruin* you. I-I'm going to *ruin* myself. When the both of us finally walk out of this room together, we're going to be completely co-dependant on one another—as we should be."
  2764. >She affectionately rubs her hoof around the area where her marecum splashed your torso, making sure to rub it into your skin.
  2765. >"I'll make sure you'll never be able to imagine a life without me. I don't care what it takes."
  2766. >Does this stupid pegasus think this is some cliche porno? You can't mindbreak people with horse pussy.
  2767. >…Not that you're lining up to test her theory, at any rate.
  2768. "Fluttershy, please, there's still time to—"
  2769. >"ENOUGH!"
  2770. >No hoof-to-mouth that time, but her commanding tone shuts you up all the same.
  2771. >"No more games! No more running! I have you right where I want you, just as you'll soon have me~"
  2772. >She snorts in self-assured victory.
  2773. >"I. Am going. To fuck you."
  2774. >And she flares out her wings in a show of utmost control.
  2775. >"And you. Are going. TO LIKE IT!"
  2776. >Today really is going to mark the end of your horse-virginity, isn't it?
  2777. >That time with Berry didn't count, fuck off.
  2778.  
  2779. >As you remain stuck in your room with a crazy rapist horse that's about to fuck the living daylights out of you, you figure it's a good time for some last-minute reflection.
  2780. >Maybe if you had gone out more, made some more friends, had someone who'd care enough to watch your back, you could've avoided this.
  2781. >Wait, no…there is someone, isn't there? Somepony, even.
  2782. >She'd care.
  2783. "Inky won't like that."
  2784. >"Inky isn't here."
  2785. "You don't know…you…"
  2786. >Your breath catches in your throat; she knows something, or worse.
  2787. "…Where is she."
  2788. >"I just told you—she's not here. She's busy."
  2789. "What did you do?"
  2790. >She smirks at you, resting her cheek on a forehoof.
  2791. >"*I* didn't do anything. My sweet animal friends on the other hand—well, they've been in a real bad mood lately. I can't be held accountable for every little thing they do. Especially if they're protecting my house while I'm away."
  2792. "If anything happened to her I'll fucking—"
  2793. >"You'll what, Anon? Assault an Element of Harmony? I'm sure that'll go over well in the royal courts."
  2794. >She giggles mockingly.
  2795. >"But don't worry, I'll make sure to visit you when you get thrown in the dungeons. I-I can even live in there with you and be your personal punching bag—if that's what you want. I'll always be there for you, and I'll always love you, unlike her."
  2796. >You're long past the point of questioning what the fuck is wrong with this mare.
  2797. >"If she's smart, she'll realise that she's not worth your time and…and flock off before anypony gets hurt. She doesn't deserve you. I deserve you. I do!"
  2798. "You listen—"
  2799. >She suddenly grabs you, wrapping her forehooves around your shoulders—and she shakes you relentlessly.
  2800. >"No—YOU LISTEN! Do you have ANY idea how long I've pined for you—ANY idea how long I've spent trying to get you to love me back?! Do you? DO YOU?! Only for some…some FLOOZY to steal you from right under my nose?! If this is what being 'PATIENT' and 'KIND' gets me, then I'm DONE with being Miss NICE Fluttershy! From now on, I'm TAKING what I want, starting with YOU!"
  2801. >She releases you, leaving you in a daze as you try to stop seeing stars.
  2802. >Through your dizziness, you can hear a low, cathartic chuckle from her.
  2803. >"Oh, it felt *so* good to finally get that out."
  2804. >Your vision clears up, and you see Fluttershy smiling at you.
  2805. >"Hey, Anon. This is as good a time to ask as any."
  2806. >She leans in, caressing your cheek with a hoof.
  2807. >"But is rape your fetish? Because I think it might be mine."
  2808. "F-fuck you."
  2809. >Her smile widens.
  2810. >"You will, don't worry."
  2811. >She flutters her eyelashes at you.
  2812. >"Oh, cheer up, Anon. I think you'll come to enjoy this, I know I will."
  2813.  
  2814. >"Ah~" She arches her back in a stretch, wiggling around in her seated position all the while. "Get comfy, Anon, because we're going to be busy all day—all the way until midnight."
  2815. "…Midnight? Wait—"
  2816. >You stop yourself as you realise what she's inferring.
  2817. >She nods.
  2818. >"Quick on the uptake, aren't you? Smart boy. Once midnight comes, so will we. Then we can drift off to sleep together as our bodies and souls become one in Gothic matrimony."
  2819. >Even now, she's trying to get "gothmarried" with you; she must really want to one-up Inky.
  2820. >…Inky. You hope she's okay.
  2821. >"Well then, there's just one more thing we need to take care of before we get started."
  2822. >Fluttershy shuffles backwards, sliding down your body.
  2823. >She stops once her rump meets your boxers, making sure to grind against them and thoroughly coat your undergarments in her fluids.
  2824. >"Mmm…"
  2825. >She shuffles backwards a bit more, positioning herself in the open space between your bound legs; this gives her ample room to ogle your body.
  2826. >She starts by giving your bulge a lecherous leer, one which morphs into a look of mock shock.
  2827. >"Oh my! Look how *dirty* these clothes are! We'll have to remove them, don't you think?"
  2828. >You don't respond; you're not giving her the satisfaction any more.
  2829. >She lowers her snout to your crotch, nostrils flared in anticipation.
  2830. >She works her nose around your bulge, nuzzling against it and gratuitously sniffing as she goes.
  2831. >"A-ah…s-such a lovely human musk, *my* human's musk. These smell *so* much better when you're still wearing them."
  2832. >As she raises her head, she runs a hoof through her mane in thought.
  2833. >"It's almost a shame we have to take them off, really."
  2834. >She lowers her snout to your boxers once more, giving them one final, drawn-out whiff, before lightly biting around the hem of your boxers, pulling them down enough to fully expose you.
  2835. >"Then again, once we're husband and wife, I won't really need your underwear any more, will I?"
  2836. >She softly giggles to herself.
  2837. >Then she eyes your exposed genitals with a lustful half-lidded gaze, exhaling deeply.
  2838. >"Mmph…finally. I hope you're as happy as I am, Anon."
  2839. >You're not.
  2840. >And neither is your penis, for that matter.
  2841. >You're as flaccid as can be, despite the earlier foreplay; you're not complaining, though. It's nice when your penis *isn't* betraying you for once.
  2842. >Fluttershy gives at your droopy dick a bemused smile, remaining undeterred in her affections.
  2843. >"Aw, still a little shy, are you? Don't worry, Momma Fluttershy's here now."
  2844. >She lowers her face to your scrotum, nuzzling it and peppering it with light kisses.
  2845. >"There, there…" She takes a deep inhale of your musk, suddenly gasping out, "O-oh…!"
  2846. >There's no reaction from you, but Fluttershy's body shudders as she rubs her snout on your ballsack, and the heady musk that pervades the room smells just that slight bit stronger.
  2847. >You really don't want to know how many times she has came already.
  2848.  
  2849. >"Just a little more…"
  2850. >She continues her ministrations in earnest.
  2851. >"No need to be shy now…"
  2852. >But the lack of arousal on your end is slowly beginning to take its toll on her.
  2853. >Her brows begin to furrow.
  2854. >"You're…hm…"
  2855. >No matter how much she licks, you stay limp.
  2856. >"Why aren't you…?"
  2857. >No matter how much she rubs, you refuse rigidity.
  2858. >"I don't understand."
  2859. >And no matter how much she whispers sweet nothings, your wimpy willy waits worthlessly.
  2860. >"I…"
  2861. >She stares at your placid penis, frustration building on her face.
  2862. >"Get up!"
  2863. >Shouting at your wang definitely doesn't work; it reminds you of when Photo Finish was hoofing your poor testicles.
  2864. >God, you hope she doesn't try that next.
  2865. >Luckily, for now, she's content to rub both of her hooves together with your dick in the middle like she's trying to start a fire.
  2866. >The only thing that arouses your attention is the potential friction burns that you might get from this.
  2867. >"Come on…! Come on…!"
  2868. >The flaccidity of your tallywhacker cannot be understated.
  2869. >"I…why? Why aren't you aroused? What am I doing wrong?!"
  2870. >She looks up at you, her eyes are puffy and red, and her nose is runny.
  2871. >"I-I did everything right! I did! I deserve—I…deserve this…"
  2872. >She looks back down, sniffling quietly.
  2873. >This is probably one of the worst ways you could have found out that you may have some form of erectile dysfunction.
  2874. >Just moments ago, she looked so confident—so dangerous, but now? She just looks so…pathetic.
  2875. >…Despite everything, you can feel the tiniest spark of pity from within you, as you remember how she was before this whole fixation on fetishes started.
  2876. >She puts up a domineering front, but deep down she's still the same old Fluttershy who crumples under pressure.
  2877. >So against your better judgement, that pity compels you to speak yours.
  2878. "M-maybe it's the cold—"
  2879. >Her head shoots up to glare at you, tears in her eyes.
  2880. >"SHUT UP!"
  2881. >Her eyes widen in realisation of her outburst.
  2882. >"Oh!"
  2883. >She quickly raises her forehooves up to her mouth, as if condemning her own words.
  2884. >"No! I—no, I mean, sorry, I didn't mean to—I just…"
  2885. >She sighs, looking back at your dick.
  2886. >"I-I can work with this. I—we can fix this."
  2887. >She begins psyching herself as she inches forward, positioning herself atop your penis.
  2888. >"Even if it's not…ready…I am! We can still make this work! I know we can!"
  2889. >She drops down onto your dick, but as it lays lax against your ballsack, it doesn't enter her.
  2890. >"Nngh…! Just…just get in there!"
  2891. >She grinds and winks and grinds some more against you, spraying enough lubrication over your groin to supply a whole factory, but not enough to make your peepee hard.
  2892. >"C-come on…please…pleasepleaseplease…! I've waited for so long, why…why…?"
  2893. >She stops.
  2894. >"…Why? U-uuurgh…"
  2895. >Your rapist is now openly sobbing, wiping away tears and snot with the side of her hoof.
  2896. >Any sympathy you'd have for her left the building a while ago.
  2897. >So you continue to glare at her.
  2898.  
  2899. >"Anon…don't look at me like that… I tried my best…for the both of us… I really did…"
  2900. >She collapses onto your torso, sniffling into your chest and spreading her disgusting horse-mucus all over your body.
  2901. >It's a truly pathetic sight, but all you can think of right now is whether Inky is safe or not.
  2902. >You're the reason she's in danger right now. Why did she get involved? Why couldn't you protect her? Why does this accursed yellow rapist ruin everything she touches?
  2903. >"P-please speak to me. I…I don't know if…"
  2904. >You don't speak.
  2905. >If you can hold out for just a bit longer, maybe she'll crack and untie you.
  2906. >Then you can kick her out of your house, move on with your life, and hopefully never have to see her again.
  2907. >But of course, fate has other plans for you, as Fluttershy suddenly gasps and shoots upwards.
  2908. >"Wait! I-I just remembered!"
  2909. >She flutters off your body, moving to a section of the room unseen from your bound position.
  2910. >But soon, you hear her rummaging through a bag of some kind—perhaps extra supplies for the nighttime of debauchery she had planned.
  2911. >"I-it must be this! That's why I brought it here! Ahaha!"
  2912. >She returns, reappearing on the left side of the bed. She grins manically, and holds a familiar book in one of her hooves.
  2913. >You remember it well—it's the book Inky had when she invaded your home at three in the morning.
  2914. >"T-the book! She must have cast a curse on your penis! But if I can just…"
  2915. >She rests the book on your bedside table and begins frantically flipping through the pages.
  2916. >"Ah—this spell! This one right here! It has to be the one!"
  2917. >She stops on a certain page, and studies the contents with fervour for a few minutes.
  2918. >After which, she hums to herself in satisfaction.
  2919. >"O-okay! I got it! We can still fix this, Anon!"
  2920. >She turns to you, takes a deep breath, and begins chanting at your penis.
  2921. >"Arise from your…grave?"
  2922. >Nothing happens.
  2923. >"Arise from your grave!"
  2924. >Zilch occurs.
  2925. >"From your grave, arise?"
  2926. >Nihil ensues.
  2927. >"Um, arise, please?"
  2928. >Nix betides.
  2929. >"It won't respond to you."
  2930. >Bupkis—wait, that's not Fluttershy's voice.
  2931. >"His horn has already been claimed by me."
  2932. >You turn your head to your right and…and…you see her, by the bedside.
  2933. "I-inky?"
  2934. >She smiles at you.
  2935. >"Hey."
  2936.  
  2937. >Her mane looks a bit frazzled and her signature vest is tattered in some places, but she looks none the worse for wear, thankfully.
  2938. >Fluttershy whimpers out.
  2939. >"What…what are you saying? I-I don't…"
  2940. >Inky turns her to Fluttershy, frowning.
  2941. >"I said his horn has already been claimed by me. Watch."
  2942. >She leans in towards your exposed penis; her hot breath washes over your member.
  2943. >And she whispers—nay, she commands.
  2944. >"Arise."
  2945. >Oh shit. And arise it did.
  2946. >With that singular word—your penis immediately springs to action despite the cold.
  2947. >Fluttershy stares at your raging erection with a dazed expression.
  2948. >"But that…but I…"
  2949. >And then her eyes shoot open as she suddenly becomes aware of her current situation; she turns to Inky.
  2950. >"Y-you! How did you…you were supposed to go to my house!"
  2951. >"I did, but you weren't there." She flicks her head to you. "He wasn't there, either, so I came back."
  2952. >"B-but—but that's not possible…unless…unless…!"
  2953. >She gasps.
  2954. >"W-what did you do to Harry!?"
  2955. >"He is now…"
  2956. >Inky pauses, narrowing her eyes at Fluttershy.
  2957. >"Was."
  2958. >The room is silent for several moments.
  2959. >Until Fluttershy wails out.
  2960. >"No! N-not Harry! H-he's a good bear! Why did I…no…"
  2961. >Fluttershy buries her head into the bedside, sobbing quietly.
  2962. >But Inky isn't done yet; she glowers at Fluttershy.
  2963. >"And Fluttershy…"
  2964. >Fluttershy shakily raises her head, struggling to make eye contact with Inky.
  2965. >"Y-yes?"
  2966. >"If you ever try something like this again…"
  2967. >Inky suddenly flares out her wings.
  2968. >Fluttershy quickly staggers backwards, hitting her head against a wall.
  2969. >"E-eep! I-I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
  2970. >And she swiftly flies out of the open window, leaving you and Inky alone in your bedroom.
  2971. >Inky turns to you.
  2972. >"Sorry I took so long."
  2973. "It's fine, I'm just glad you're okay."
  2974. >There's a question burning a hole in your mind that bears asking.
  2975. "Inky, did you really…you know…?"
  2976. >She shakes her head.
  2977. >"I didn't kill him."
  2978. "Ah."
  2979. >"I just snapped his neck."
  2980. "Oh, that's uh…probably fine, then."
  2981.  
  2982. >You could gaze into your saviour's azure eyes for eternity.
  2983. >Yet the frequent chills that wrack your body continue to drag you back to reality.
  2984. "Hey, if it's not too much trouble, could you undo my bindings now? I think I might be losing circulation to my limbs over here."
  2985. >She nods, walking over to the rope binding your right ankle.
  2986. >"Right, I'll…"
  2987. >Along the way, she notices your rod, still at full mast—still pulsating in the cool air.
  2988. >"O-oh, it's still…"
  2989. >Her gaze lingers, her eyes slowly widen, and you're certain you see her expression change, it's subtle, but…
  2990. >"Hmm."
  2991. >There's a primal hunger in those eyes, something you've never seen from her before.
  2992. >It scares you, but…it also fascinates you.
  2993. "Uh—Inky? You okay there?"
  2994. >She blinks a few times, and the hunger in her eyes quickly dissipates.
  2995. >"Oh, right."
  2996. >Wordlessly, she unties the rope binding your right ankle, and then the one around your right wrist.
  2997. >She moves to the left side of your bed to do the same, and soon you find yourself fully in control of your appendages once more.
  2998. >You sit up on your bed, stretching your limbs and pulling your still-dirty boxers off of your body.
  2999. >Yeah, you're definitely burning those boxers.
  3000. >Inky tosses you a discarded duvet which you hastily use to cover yourself up—swelling pride included.
  3001. >You turn to face her.
  3002. "Thanks for that."
  3003. >"Sure."
  3004. "And uh—thanks for not…you know, back there."
  3005. >She smiles at you.
  3006. >"You have no idea how much self-restraint it took to do that."
  3007. "Yeah, well…I appreciate it."
  3008. >There's an tiny, irritating part of your mind that doesn't, though.
  3009. >Why did she hold herself back? What didn't she just take—
  3010. "So! Um…I think…I think I'll be needing a shower soon."
  3011. >"Yeah, you smell awful."
  3012. >God, do you have a "being raped" fetish?
  3013. >You really hope you don't.
  3014. >Shit would be so unmanly of you.
  3015. >You gaze at the gaping chasm that was once your window.
  3016. "Can't believe she put a fucking hole in my window in the middle of winter."
  3017. >"We can sleep in the basement while we get it fixed."
  3018. "Pfft, that's a good—"
  3019. >You turn to look at Inky, her expressionless expression telling you everything.
  3020. "Oh, you're serious."
  3021. >"I'm a proud basement dweller, of course I am."
  3022. "Hah-hah…"
  3023. >The situation looked pretty bleak back there.
  3024. >But somehow, some way, you were able to get through it, without—
  3025. >Fucking Fluttershy.
  3026. >Thanks to your extremely picky penis.
  3027. >Thinking about it—the enigma surrounding your earlier erection was likely due to the cold rushing through the room.
  3028. >But still, it gives you room to wonder…
  3029. "…Hey, Inky."
  3030. >"Yeah?"
  3031. "Did you really cast a curse on my penis?"
  3032. >She stares at you for a few moments, expression unchanging.
  3033. >But suddenly, she breaks into a soft giggle.
  3034. >"I think you just have a type, Anon."
  3035. >You take a moment to reflect on her words.
  3036. >Are goth girls your fetish?
  3037. >…Maybe.
  3038.  
  3039. *** Day 24 ***
  3040.  
  3041. >Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again.
  3042. >And so is that catchy song, stuck in your head.
  3043. >After yesterday's emotional roller coaster, you made a solemn vow for today.
  3044. >No crazy adventures, no Gothic summonings, and *especially* no rape attempts.
  3045. >Today is a (You) day, and (You) are spending it in complete relaxation.
  3046. >Couch status? Sat on.
  3047. >Fireplace status? Close by, and it's lit, fam.
  3048. >Cup of joe? Equipped and sipped.
  3049. >Lanky goth mare? Sat right next to you.
  3050. "Oh, hey."
  3051. >"Hey."
  3052. "You know, back in my world, they called this holiday Christmas."
  3053. >"Oh, really?"
  3054. "It was about some dude being born. He was like…my world's version of Twilight Sparkle, basically. Real big shot."
  3055. >"Did he have his own Elements?"
  3056. "He kind of did but…one of his fellow Element-bearers wasn't too keen on him, unfortunately. He was betrayed, sold out for a bag of bits."
  3057. >"What happened to him?"
  3058. "Once the authorities caught up with him, they had him publicly executed for doing too much good in the world."
  3059. >"That…sounds cruel."
  3060. "It does, doesn't it?"
  3061. >You turn your head to look at Inky; she's leaning in slightly, hanging on your every word.
  3062. "We don't have any fire-breathing lion-snakes or ice-breathing ghost-ponies breathing down our necks, so humans aren't inclined to be as friendly with each other like you guys are."
  3063. >"Really, no monsters? Sounds peaceful."
  3064. "Not exactly."
  3065. >"Hm?"
  3066. "Well, the thing is, Inky…the monsters back on Earth, they're not on the outside…"
  3067. >You lean in close, your face a hair's breadth away from hers, and you lightly tap your chest a few times.
  3068. >Her breath quickens.
  3069. "They're on the inside."
  3070. >"W-wow, that's…"
  3071. >You quickly pull back, leaving her breathless and blushing.
  3072. >You're surprised that you can fluster her this easily by talking up humans; it's not like ponies are completely innocent—especially after witnessing the Fluttering.
  3073. >But what surprises you more is just how much you're enjoying flustering her—something you never would have considered back when this month started.
  3074. >You clear your throat.
  3075. "Anyway, I was wondering…"
  3076. >She recomposes herself.
  3077. >"Yeah?"
  3078. "Goth ponies, you don't—you know, call this holiday something different? Something like 'Goth's Warming' or 'Gothmas,' right?"
  3079. >She very lightly huffs, turning her head away from you.
  3080. >"Of course not."
  3081. >Then she turns back to you with a slight smirk.
  3082. >"Gothmas is five months away."
  3083. "Right…of course."
  3084. >That's a very "Inky" answer from her: shrouded in mystery—just like the mare herself.
  3085. >Can you trust her answer?
  3086. >Can you trust her?
  3087. >She *did* save you from Fluttershy yesterday; that has to count for something, right?
  3088. >Still…
  3089. >Inky hops off the couch, making her way to the kitchen.
  3090. >As you listen to her walk away, another question springs to your mind, and you stand up to face her.
  3091. "Wait, Inky."
  3092. >She stops in the doorway, turning back to you.
  3093. >"Yeah?"
  3094. >You walk up to her.
  3095. "There's something I gotta know."
  3096. >"What is it?"
  3097.  
  3098. "What was the deal with the eye thing you did at the beginning of the month?"
  3099. >"The eye thing?"
  3100. "Yeah, when they turned all—well, inky."
  3101. >"Back then, huh?"
  3102. >You crouch down, gazing deep into her eyes at this moment—those two pools of azure.
  3103. >A far cry from how they were back then—yet there's something enchanting about them all the same.
  3104. >"Maybe…"
  3105. >She pauses, and you realise that you're the one now hanging on *her* every word—how the tables have turned.
  3106. >"Maybe it was just a sleep-deprived hallucination; maybe I'm a soul-sucking demon from another dimension; maybe you saw the depths of my nihilistic soul, as I saw yours; or maybe…"
  3107. >With every word she speaks, you lean in towards her, drawing closer and closer…until…
  3108. >She suddenly lunges forward, pressing her lips to yours.
  3109. >It lasts but a brief moment, but it's not an unpleasant one.
  3110. >She pulls back as suddenly as she came.
  3111. "Wha…?" is all you can muster, dumbfounded.
  3112. >"Mistletoe."
  3113. >You look upwards and see a sprig of mistletoe hanging off the top of the door frame.
  3114. >"Got you."
  3115. >This sly goth mare got you again.
  3116. >Yet…you're not mad about it.
  3117. "…Well played."
  3118. >She softly giggles to herself.
  3119. >You suddenly boop her on the nose, making her gasp in surprise.
  3120. "But don't think you're getting out of answering my question that easily."
  3121. >She recovers from your interjection, humming in thought.
  3122. >"…I guess I do owe you one answer after that kiss."
  3123. >She smiles at you.
  3124. >"It was one of the spells from that book I borrowed."
  3125. >It all comes back to Fluttershy's God damn book—she left it in your bedroom when she fled the scene.
  3126. >You're still internally debating whether you should chuck it through her cottage window to return it, or just burn the cursed thing.
  3127. "Was is it the 'scare the shit out the nearest human' spell?"
  3128. >She shakes her head, and looks to the side.
  3129. >"It was an illusionary spell. I thought it'd be…cool."
  3130. >Cool? What, was she trying to impress you?
  3131. >As much as you respect the gesture…
  3132. "In the future, do let me know before you cast any more 'cool' spells."
  3133. >She nervously chuckles.
  3134. >"I will—promise."
  3135. "And while we're here, any other enigmas you wish to unravel? Like how and why you're stashing mythic relics in our basement?"
  3136. >She ponders your question for a moment, then half-lids her eyes at you.
  3137. >"I could tell you, but then you'd have to relinquish the rest of your soul to me."
  3138. >You roll your eyes.
  3139. "Fine, keep your secrets."
  3140. >You were able to get something out of her today—you consider that a victory.
  3141. >It gives you the slightest hope that you'll be able to figure out the rest of this mare one day, too.
  3142. >The two of you spend the rest of the day together with no surpri—
  3143. >Lyra suddenly teleports into your living room, levitating some bags.
  3144. >"Anon! You have to help me hide my salt licks! Bon Bon's coming after me and—oh no!"
  3145. >You hear a loud banging on your front door.
  3146. >"LYRA! GET THE FUCK OUT HERE RIGHT NOW! I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE!"
  3147. >…Well, almost no surprises.
  3148.  
  3149. *** Day 25 ***
  3150.  
  3151. >Hearth's Warming is finally here.
  3152. >This would be cause for celebration, had your current situation not be so dire.
  3153. >For you are descending into the belly of the beast for this year's celebrations.
  3154. >No, not the yellow beast, the other one.
  3155. >The white whale.
  3156. >Not that you'd ever call her that to her face; she'd obliterate you.
  3157. >Anyway, you and Inky stand in front of Carousel Boutique.
  3158. >In your right hand, you carry a bag containing gift-wrapped presents for the inhabitants.
  3159. >You've been standing in front of the door for a good few seconds.
  3160. >Steeling yourself.
  3161. >Inky glances at you.
  3162. >"Do you want me to knock?"
  3163. >You shake your head.
  3164. "I…I can do this. Just give me a few."
  3165. >"Okay."
  3166. >You close your eyes; if you can't see the treacherous fate that lays ahead, then it can't harm you, right?
  3167. >Slowly reaching your hand towards the Boutique's door, you gingerly knock…
  3168. >On air.
  3169. >"Uh, Mister Anonymous? What are you doing?" a filly's voice asks you.
  3170. >You open your eyes to see an opened door and a concerned-looking unicorn filly.
  3171. >With a similar-looking white coat to her sister, you only need one guess to her identity.
  3172. "Oh, Sweetie Belle! I was just—uh, getting some isometric exercises in."
  3173. >"Nope, I'm pretty sure you were trying to knock on our front door, but you ended up knocking on air instead because your eyes were closed and I opened the door before you could knock on it."
  3174. "Uh…hey! How are you doing, Sweetie? You heading out?"
  3175. >"Yep, just got my presents from my sis, so I'm gonna go hang out with my fellow Crusaders over at the farm!"
  3176. "Gotcha, you have fun, then."
  3177. >"Thanks! You have fun with your special somepony!" She beams at Inky.
  3178. "Wha—"
  3179. >Sweetie rushes past you before you can interrogate her, and within moments she's already a speck in the distance.
  3180. >She's surprisingly quick for a little filly.
  3181. >Inky turns to you.
  3182. >"Let's head in."
  3183. "Yeah."
  3184. >The interior of the boutique is adequately decorated for the festivities, with wreaths, stockings, and appropriately-coloured lights generously plastered all over the walls.
  3185. >Rarity is nowhere to be found in the main showroom.
  3186. >"They'll be upstairs."
  3187. "Right."
  3188. >The two of you head upstairs, and you can hear the familiar chattering of a few ponies as you proceed; you recognise one of the voices as belonging to Rarity.
  3189. >It's only a matter of time before the two of you clash once more.
  3190. >The chattering increases in volume as you grow closer, and the two of you find yourself standing in the doorway to a large family room where the chatty ponies reside.
  3191. >There's a large festive fir placed on one side of the room, and a lit fireplace on the other.
  3192. >You recognise the three ponies sitting down on comfy-looking pillows around a low table on the floor: Rarity, and the other two guest designers in the Carousel Boutique—Starstreak and Lily Lace.
  3193.  
  3194. >The room grows silent as you two enter; Rarity stares you down.
  3195. >"Inky and Anonymous, I see you've arrived."
  3196. "Yep."
  3197. >"Together," she continues.
  3198. "'Cause we're co-workers."
  3199. >"Yes, of course."
  3200. >She turns up her snout.
  3201. >"Well, you two certainly seem to be doing a lot of 'co-working' together, hm."
  3202. "You've got a dirty mind, Rarity."
  3203. >"And why would I have a dirty mind, Anonymous? I never implied anything…uncouth."
  3204. >A slight smile forms on her face.
  3205. >"Perhaps it is *you* who has the dirty mind, jumping to such conclusions, hm?"
  3206. "Hey, I'm here as a big-shot model, now. I'm pretty popular over in Canterlot."
  3207. >You don't plan on quitting your job at Sweet Apple Acres, but you're more than willing to flex your modelling stints in Rarity's face.
  3208. >"Yes, quite right. I must say—you looked to be *very* comfortable wearing Inky's fabrics."
  3209. >Rarity narrows her eyes.
  3210. >"It gives one ample cause to wonder…what *else* are you comfortable with regarding Inky, hm?"
  3211. >You narrow your eyes back.
  3212. >You and Rarity are locked in a battlefield of verbosity, each of you waiting for the other to slip up.
  3213. >At this point, you're pretty sure everyone in town *except* Rarity knows about you and Inky.
  3214. >But you refuse to submit to her; you refuse to give this prissy horse the satisfaction of *knowing.*
  3215. >Your pride is on the line, here.
  3216. >Starstreak clears his throat.
  3217. >"As much as I'd love to see the *future* of this debate, I think I speak for all of us when I say we should focus on the *presents* of today, hmm?"
  3218. >Starstreak, you're a bro.
  3219. >Inky steps forward.
  3220. >"We brought gifts."
  3221. "Oh right, yeah."
  3222. >The two of you soon grab yourselves some spare pillows and seat yourself around the table; you set the bag to your side and begin rummaging through it.
  3223. >You locate two of your prizes, pulling them out.
  3224. "Starstreak, Lily Lace—these are for you."
  3225. >Gratitudes are exchanged as you hand one gift box each to both ponies.
  3226.  
  3227. >Lily Lace is the first to open hers, tearing through the wrapping of her present like an excited puppy.
  3228. >She *literally* chews through the wrapping in such an aggressive manner that you wonder if she's even aware that she's a magical unicorn.
  3229. >"Oh my gosh, I can't even!"
  3230. >Miraculously remembering her horned heritage, she lifts out her gift in a light blue aura.
  3231. >It's a tiny black dress, too small to fit a pony.
  3232. >"This is…! This is…! Oh, you didn't! But you totally just did!"
  3233. >Inky smiles at Lily.
  3234. >"It's a dress for your new bird. A little bird told me you're getting another one, so I thought you might like to play dress-up."
  3235. >You hold your tongue at the thought of "another" one; just how many birds does Lily own, you wonder?
  3236. >Part of you can't help but imagine Lily as some crazy bird pony now; the Fluttershy parallels are becoming more and more apparent.
  3237. >At least you (probably) don't have to worry about her making moves on you; she seems far too birdbrained for that.
  3238. >"I *literally* can't even believe you remembered! Oh my goooosh!"
  3239. >She lowers the dress back into the box, giggling to herself all the while.
  3240. >"You guys are *literally* the best! Thank you"—she reflexively scoffs—"so, so much!"
  3241. >Starstreak, despite being magicless, opens his gift box in a far more civil manner.
  3242. >He pulls out a thin, rectangular object, and examines it with a intrigued expression.
  3243. >"Fascinating, what *is* this?"
  3244. "It's…the future."
  3245. >He raises an eyebrow at you.
  3246. >When you had first arrived to Equestria, you had scant on you—save your clothes.
  3247. >Fortunately, this meant that the smartphone that you kept in your pockets was also brought with you.
  3248. >Unfortunately, whatever freaky ju-ju that brought you to Equestria also completely fried the circuitry in your phone, leaving with you nothing but a fancy brick.
  3249. >Still, you kept it with you, as a memento of sorts—and as a last ditch projectile against Fluttershy should she have managed to breach all of your defences.
  3250. >Those plans fell flat after the rapening a couple days ago, so you've come to realise that whatever remains of your phone might be better off in the hooves of ponies who can appreciate it far better than you can.
  3251. >And you're not sure you trust Twilight with the thing, so you figure a Manehattanite is the next best contender.
  3252. "It's a one-of-a-kind relic from another dimension—mine."
  3253. >There were magic words somewhere in your reply, as you see his eyes sparkle; he places the phone back in the box and gives you an appreciative nod.
  3254. >"Oh! Why—thank you. I'll be sure to treasure this!"
  3255. >Perhaps he'll use it to bring about the future.
  3256. >But it's more likely he'll just use it as a fancy belt buckle.
  3257. >It's not like you expect these ponies to be capable of reverse engineering your dead phone and thus start mass producing them for commercial use; that would be crazy.
  3258.  
  3259. >With the two millennial ponies satisfied, you turn your attention to your part-time nemesis.
  3260. "Rarity, here's yours—a collaborative gift from two acquaintances."
  3261. >You pull out the last gift from your bag, holding it out to her.
  3262. >"Yes, my thanks to the co-workers." Rarity smirks at you as she accepts your gift.
  3263. >After delicately unwrapping her box with magical precision, she pulls out a familiar-looking blue gemstone.
  3264. >"Oh-ho! What's this?"
  3265. >"It's from the Sceptre of Eternal Dreams," Inky answers.
  3266. >Seeing that Inky's getting rid of it, you figure now is as good a time as any to ask her about that relic.
  3267. >You lean in and whisper to her.
  3268. "Where did you get that staff, anyway?"
  3269. >"Thrift shop."
  3270. "What kind of shop sells ancient, potentially-world-threatening artefacts on a whim?"
  3271. >"Good ones."
  3272. >"This Sceptre sounds…terribly important, are you quite certain it's okay for me to have this?" Rarity asks with concern.
  3273. >"Yeah, it was sending me to sleep, anyway."
  3274. >Inky smiles at you, lowering her tone to just the faintest of whispers, the earshot of which only you are privy to.
  3275. >"And I have my dreamboat right here."
  3276. >That was ludicrously corny, but you can't help but smile back.
  3277. >Rarity's attention is completely focused on the gem, her eyes sparkling; you get the feeling she wouldn't have heard Inky even if she spoke up.
  3278. >"Well now, I'm not one to deny such a heartfelt, fabulous, and—quite frankly—gorgeous-looking gemstone!"
  3279. >She beams at the two of you, lowering the sapphire back into the box.
  3280. >"Very well! I accept your gift! My sincerest appreciation to the both of you! Ooh, I'm already coming with ideas of dresses with this wondrous jewel as the centrepiece! How does 'Rarity's Raiment of Royal Reverie' sound to you all?"
  3281. "Sounds dreamlike."
  3282. >"Wonderful! I'll get started right away!"
  3283. >Rarity stands up for a few seconds, then quickly sits back down, blushing in embarrassment.
  3284. >"…Ahem! As soon as we finish up the rest of the Hearth's Warming celebrations, naturally!"
  3285. >Good-natured laughter resounds throughout the room as the light-hearted banter continues between the five of you.
  3286.  
  3287. >But soon, conversation once turns back to the gift of giving.
  3288. >"You guys! We still gotta give Anon and Inky their presents!" Lily exclaims.
  3289. "Ah, right. They'll be by the tree, right? I'll go get them."
  3290. >"Mm-hmm, they'll be labelled with your names on them." Rarity answers. "Oh, but please do feel free to admire my beautiful fir up close and personal in all of its grandeur while you're there! I spent oh-so many tireless nights bringing out its inner beauty!"
  3291. "Will do, thanks."
  3292. >You walk over to the tree to retrieve the presents.
  3293. >"Fir trees are so last moon. the way of the future is in palm, I say," you hear Starstreak say.
  3294. >"And just how do you plan on hanging the decorations off of a palm tree, Starstreak?" Rarity questions him.
  3295. >"Oh, we wouldn't be hanging the decorations of the tree, perish the thought! We'd have them hanging off the ceiling! Imagine—a veritable starlit sky, right here, in the family room! And that's just a glimpse of the future!"
  3296. >"Right, of course. I shouldn't have expected any less."
  3297. >You return with the presents, sitting down next to Inky.
  3298. "Let's see what we've got here…"
  3299. >Opening Starstreak's present first, you pull out a white sleeveless vest; it looks to be appropriately sized for humans to wear.
  3300. "Oh, you made me a vest? Thanks, Starstreak."
  3301. >"Not just any old vest—it's a mood vest."
  3302. >You raise an eyebrow as he continues.
  3303. >"It's weaved from a silk produced by the passion silkworms that inhabit White Tail Woods. The silk they produce possesses the most curious properties when interwoven into one's clothes."
  3304. >You gaze upon the clothing with intrigue, noting that the undergarment has changed colours from the dull white that it once was.
  3305. >"The silk reflects our innermost feelings through the fabric itself."
  3306. >The colours continuously shift throughout the fabric; rather than stay as one flat colour—it displays a veritable kaleidoscope of varying pigmentation.
  3307. "So it changes colour based on your emotions—is that it?"
  3308. >"Correct! From ennui to entertainment; from tranquillity to terror; from love to hate—"
  3309. >"Now hold on one moment there, Starstreak! Did you just say 'love?'" Rarity has somehow procured an oversized magnifying glass while you weren't looking.
  3310. >"That's right! Such affections—concealed or otherwise—make themselves clear through the wonders of the silk. Love, in particular, makes a rather pleasant pink pigment, should you have the eye to spot it!"
  3311. >It is only now that you've realised the carefully laid trap that you've stumbled into.
  3312.  
  3313. >"Is that so…?" Rarity turns her head to your held vest—a gleam in her eye.
  3314. >Starstreak bro status: rescinded.
  3315. >"Hmm…" Levitating her magnifying glass, Rarity begins to scrutinise the multicoloured fabric in your hand with every ounce of her being.
  3316. >So you quickly put the vest back into the box.
  3317. "Uh—thanks, I'll save it for later."
  3318. >"Are you sure you don't wish to model it for us, darling? I think you'd look rather fetching in it!"
  3319. >You squint your eyes at Rarity.
  3320. "Very sure."
  3321. >"Oh, spoilsport." She pouts.
  3322. "Plus, we've still got the other gifts to go through."
  3323. >You waste no time in opening up Lily's present, pulling out a set of two crystals.
  3324. >They're both coloured violet, smooth to the touch, diamond-shaped, and large enough to fill the palm of your hand.
  3325. >You figured you'd get gemstones from Rarity—not the bird-lover, but you're not complaining when it comes to free jewels.
  3326. "Thanks for the gift, Lily, they…look pretty."
  3327. >"Oh they do a lot more than just look pretty! Go on—give one of them a tap!"
  3328. >You set one of them down next to Inky and you do as Lily says, using your finger to tenderly tap the surface of the one you still hold.
  3329. >The gem briefly glows and produces a loud cawing sound in response, startling you.
  3330. "Whoa!"
  3331. >"Just like an actual bird, right? It's a crow's caw!"
  3332. >You give the crystal in your hand another look-over and a few more taps, listening to the repeated cawing.
  3333. "That's impressive. How did you manage to trap a crow in here?"
  3334. >"Pfft, I didn't trap any birds in there, silly! That's an echo crystal! You use them to record sounds and then you can play them back later. Inky—give the other one a try!"
  3335. >Inky taps the other gem, and it produces a low croaking sound.
  3336. >"That one's a raven!"
  3337. "Raven and a crow, huh? Very goth-minded of you, Lily."
  3338. >Lily grins with her head held high.
  3339. >"You guys have *literally* no idea how long it took to get close enough to record those sounds, but it was sooo worth it!"
  3340. >Inky smiles at Lily.
  3341. >"I like these. Thank you, Lily."
  3342. "Yeah, these are great."
  3343. >Both Starstreak's and Lily's gifts were indeed great, and with the Element of Generosity's gift coming up, you're hoping you saved the best for last.
  3344.  
  3345. >…Rarity got you deodorant.
  3346. >Actually, looking around, you see that she gave everyone a mix of deodorants and perfumes.
  3347. >Fucking Rarity; of course she'd be one of *those* gift givers.
  3348. "…Thanks, Rarity, always wanted one of these."
  3349. >"Oh, there's no need to be so morose, Anonymous!" Rarity chides. "You should always be prepared to present yourself at your best, and that includes being ready to *smell* your best, too! Especially when it comes to impressing your fellow co-workers, hm?"
  3350. >You open your mouth to form a retort.
  3351. >"He smells great already," Inky states with a smile.
  3352. >And you close it; it's over.
  3353. >Rarity smirks at you with first-class smugness; you need to change topics—fast.
  3354. "So, Rarity, how are your other branches doing? Business going well?"
  3355. >"Oh they're doing just fabulously, darling! Sassy Saddles is working wonders over at the Canterlot Carousel! It truly warms my heart to see her embrace the Time, Love and Couture mantra that helped get me where I am today."
  3356. >"Yes! Sassy is amazing!" Lily adds. "I had the chance to hang out with her a few times back in Canterlot and she's, like, so knowledgeable on dresses but, like, so approachable at the same time! Rarity, you've *literally* got the best eye when it comes to finding the best ponies in the business!"
  3357. >Rarity titters.
  3358. >"Well, it wasn't always sunshine and rainbows when it came to working with her—especially back when we first met. But she's come a long way since then. Speaking of coming a long way…"
  3359. >She clears her throat.
  3360. >"My 'Rarity for You' branch back in Manehattan is also performing splendidly. Coco Pommel and the others are doing a wonderful job keeping the place in tip-top shape. But the most curious thing happened recently. I was overseeing the place myself the other day, and guess who showed up at my doorstep?"
  3361. >She leans in.
  3362. >"Suri Polomare!"
  3363. >Lily scoffs.
  3364. >"Suri? Ugh—don't even get me started on Suri. Like, *literally.* Don't. Even…"
  3365. >And that's the perfect time to tune out of the conversation.
  3366. >The rest of the Hearth's Warming celebration at Rarity's house passes by in a blur, with light banter, some nice food and drink, and a few carols that Inky was more than content to just silently observe.
  3367. >Rarity, thankfully, stopped needling you on the nature of you and Inky's relationship; you briefly wonder if she's figured it out yet, or perhaps she eventually took the gemstone gift as a bribe for her silence, but that's a question for another day.
  3368. >Good times were had by all, and you're pooped.
  3369. >After exchanging farewells with the fashionistas, you and Inky head home.
  3370.  
  3371. >The two of you stand side-by-side in your living room once more.
  3372. >Both of you then exchanged gifts of your own.
  3373. >Inky gave you a grey feathered hat.
  3374. >…You're pretty sure she made it using her own feathers.
  3375. >Is it considered a sweet gesture to give someone clothing made from your own feathers? Or is it more akin to gifting someone your own discarded hair trimmings?
  3376. >That's the trick with goth ponies—it could mean both.
  3377. >For your own gift, you called in a favour from the Cakes, and you were able to help bake a few batches of Nightmare Night–themed cupcakes for Inky; you operated on the assumption that spooky confectionary was in-season for goths all year round.
  3378. >She certainly seemed to appreciate the gesture.
  3379. >There's still one more gift you want to give her, as you covertly hide your right hand behind your back.
  3380. "So what about your family, Inky? Not visiting them this year?"
  3381. >"I sent them a post card."
  3382. >She looks up at you.
  3383. >"And I like it here."
  3384. >She brushes against your side.
  3385. >"With you."
  3386. >You smile at her.
  3387. "Hey, about your family… Maybe we can visit them next year."
  3388. >She smiles at you.
  3389. >"I'd like that."
  3390. >Her eyes drift to the side in thought.
  3391. >"…I'll warn you in advance, though—they can be a bit…intense."
  3392. "I'll keep that in mind. One more thing, Inky…"
  3393. >You crouch down to meet her at eye level; she looks at you curiously.
  3394. >"Yeah?"
  3395. >You reach your right hand upwards…
  3396. >And you quickly close the distance between the two of you, meeting your lips with hers.
  3397. >Her eyes shoot open in surprise.
  3398. >"Mmm!"
  3399. >You pull away after a few seconds, leaving her dazed.
  3400. >"W-wha…?"
  3401. "Mistletoe."
  3402. >She wordlessly looks upwards.
  3403. >In your right hand, you dangle a thistle of mistletoe above the two of you.
  3404. "Got you."
  3405. >She lowers her head to look back at you, still wide-eyed and mouth slightly agape.
  3406. >You grin at her, but her expression remains unchanged over the next several seconds.
  3407. >A slight pang of worry washes over you.
  3408. >Did…
  3409. >Did you break her?
  3410. >Before that worry can build into full-blown panic, however, you notice her mouth quivering; the movement is incredibly subtle at first, but she can't suppress her inner joy forever.
  3411. >The dam soon breaks, and she starts giggling.
  3412. >She giggles and snorts with as much nihilistic energy as she can muster.
  3413. >And then she suddenly lunges at you, wrapping her forelegs and wings around you, and nuzzling her head on your shoulder.
  3414. >"Happy Hearth's Warming, Anon."
  3415. >You return the hug and wrap your arms around her.
  3416. "Happy Hearth's Warming, Inky."
  3417.  
  3418. *** Day 26 ***
  3419.  
  3420. >It's Boxing Day.
  3421. >Wait, do ponies have Boxing Day? You never asked.
  3422. >In any case—it's the day after Hearth's Warming, and you're in the markets, buying new supplies on the cheap.
  3423. >Currently, you stand in front of a stall, ready to address the tall, lithe mare in charge.
  3424. "Hey there, got any curtains with an anti-rapist field? I'm thinking of upgrading my old ones."
  3425. >"We have nothing so advanced, but…oh! Try these ones!" She lifts a red curtain roll up from below and displays it to you. "Embroidered with the fierce faces of dragons, these ones are!"
  3426. >You take a look, and they are indeed patterned with the mugs of some mean looking dragons.
  3427. "These look real nice. You got any in black?"
  3428. >"We do!"
  3429. "I'll take those ones."
  3430. >You place some bits on the counter, and she passes you a black dragon-blessed curtain roll in exchange.
  3431. >"Here you go. May your nights be free of fluttering fiends!"
  3432. >You pick up the curtain roll, carrying it under your shoulder.
  3433. "Hah, thanks, Inky."
  3434. >"Any time, Anonymous!"
  3435. >You can always count on Inky to hook you up.
  3436. >Inky Curtains—from Saddle Arabia, that is.
  3437. >She sells curtains, obviously.
  3438. >After waving her off, you continue on your way.
  3439. >The markets are bustling with activity. Even on Equestria, ponies love a good bargain when they see it.
  3440. >You see Lyra and Bon Bon selling boxes of sweets over yonder; Lyra is wearing what appears to be a shock collar around her neck.
  3441. >Poor mare.
  3442. >Over in another direction, you see a trio of mares selling flowers by another stall.
  3443. >They remind you of Inky Rose, and how she tried to care for flowers at one point.
  3444. >In your reminiscence, you nearly trip over another pony in your path.
  3445. "Whoa!"
  3446. >Thankfully, you stop yourself before any collisions can happen.
  3447. >"Sorry, wasn't looking," the pony mutters.
  3448. "It's fine—wait."
  3449. >You recognise this pony—with her pale blue coat, and that standout, dark blue swirl of a mane that curls around her horn.
  3450. "Hey, Moonlight. It's been a while."
  3451. >She looks up at you, neutral as always.
  3452. >"Oh, Anon. Hey."
  3453.  
  3454. >Her tone sounds somewhat sombre, more-so than usual.
  3455. >Wait, how do you know this? Are you some kind of goth-voice expert now?
  3456. >You cut your thoughts short; it's probably just your typical goth gloom.
  3457. "How's it going?"
  3458. >"I'm just doing some last-minute shopping before I head back to Canterlot. The whole secretary thing with the Mayor didn't pan out."
  3459. >She looks around, presumably checking that no Mayors are lurking nearby; then, she whispers to you.
  3460. >"Really clingy."
  3461. "Ah, you're leaving, then? I'll miss you, and I'm sure Inky will, too."
  3462. >"Y-you will? Uh…"
  3463. >"Did you hear that, Moony? He'll *miss* you! Are you still sure you wanna leave?" a cheery voice enters the fray.
  3464. "Hm?"
  3465. >You scan the area, seeing a unicorn mare trotting up to the two of you; she makes her way over to Moonlight's side, beaming up at you.
  3466. >She has a pink coat, and a bright yellow mane in a style that can best be described as perpetual bedhead.
  3467. >She waves at you.
  3468. >"I'm Sunshine Smiles! Ohmygosh it's so nice to finally meet you! Anonymous, right?"
  3469. >The contrast between these two mares is giving you whiplash.
  3470. "I-I am, yeah. But wait—you and Moonlight are acquainted?"
  3471. >Sunshine pulls Moonlight in close for a one-armed hug
  3472. >"We're super duper bestie sisters! I'm the Sun—she's the Moon! Best duo ever! Am I right?"
  3473. "Oh, so you're kind of like the Lily to her Inky, right?"
  3474. >She ponders your question for a brief moment.
  3475. >"Yep! Exactly! See, Moony! This guy *gets* it!"
  3476. >"Ugh…"
  3477. >Sunshine releases Moonlight and looks you over, examining you up and down.
  3478. >"Oh! Oh! Moony! You never told me the human looked like such a *snack!*"
  3479. >Moonlight sighs.
  3480. >Sunshine flutters her eyelashes at you.
  3481. >"Seeing you close up—the poems really don't do you justice…"
  3482. "Poems?"
  3483. >Moonlight sharply jabs Sunshine in the side with a hoof.
  3484. >"Owie!" Sunshine yelps. "What was that for!"
  3485. >"She was talking about the…Pro Ens. They're a newspaper outlet who…printed a bad story about you and…it was an injustice, yeah."
  3486. >"That…that was really bad, Moony."
  3487. "Yeah, that *is* bad! What did they say?"
  3488. >"Uh…they said you smelled goo—bad, very bad."
  3489. >You sigh.
  3490. "God damn it, I knew Rarity's deodorant was giving me bad ju-ju. Thanks for looking out, Moonlight."
  3491. >"Um, sure."
  3492.  
  3493. >Sunshine watches this exchange with an bemused smile.
  3494. >"Hey, Anonymous, have you ever heard of herding?"
  3495. "What, you mean like farming? Yeah, I do a bit of that over at Sweet Apple Acres."
  3496. >Moonlight facehooves, and an excited grin forms on Sunshine's face.
  3497. >"Oh. My. Gooosh! You never told me he was so *innocent* as well!"
  3498. >Sunshine slowly saunters past you, brushing against your left side.
  3499. >"See, when I say herding, I'm talking multiple mares—one stallion."
  3500. "Oh."
  3501. >She circles around your back—like a predator eyeing up her next meal.
  3502. >"And that stallion *could* be you."
  3503. "Uh huh."
  3504. >She brushes past your right side, giving your leg a gentle flick of her tail as she struts back to Moonlight's side.
  3505. >Then she turns around to face you with a half-lidded gaze.
  3506. >"Because me and Moony are running a two-for-one deal on mares, if you're interested."
  3507. >"Sunny!"
  3508. >"What? It's true! We need to get you laid, sister! And we already know this gentle giant likes his girls *Gothic.*"
  3509. "Uh…"
  3510. >"And not just that, but Moony really lik—"
  3511. >"That's enough, Sunshine!" Moonlight shouts out; she then looks away, sulking.
  3512. >"But Moony…"
  3513. >Sunshine gazes at Moonlight with concerned for a few moments, and then looks up at you with a smile; it's a friendly smile—yet you can see a fire burning within her eyes.
  3514. >"Hey Anon—I can call you Anon, right? I think you could really benefit from herding."
  3515. >You cross your arms, putting on your best "unconvinced" tone.
  3516. "Really?"
  3517. >"Yep yep! Think about it, isn't it lonely being all cooped up in your house by yourself?"
  3518. "Not really. I've got Inky."
  3519. >"But she's just *one* mare, and you're a big guy—"
  3520. "For you."
  3521. >Shit, your baneposting reflex fucked you over.
  3522. >She giggles.
  3523. >"And I can tell you have equally *big* needs, too. I can *smell* your frustration from here, you know!"
  3524. "No, that's the deodorant, sorry."
  3525. >She blinks at you blankly.
  3526. >"…But what about Inky? What if *she's* lonely?"
  3527. "I don't know about that. Either way, I don't think she'd be too happy with…sharing."
  3528. >"Oh, don't think of it as 'sharing.' Think of it as us being one big happy family! Mares in a herd support each other through thick and thin! And think about it—you, Inky, and Moony will be able to hang out together every day! Doesn't that sound super fun?"
  3529. >You raise an eyebrow at this pushy mare.
  3530. >Chancing a glance at Moonlight, you see that she's still silently sulking; she's probably mentally tapped out at this point.
  3531. >"So? How about it, big guy?" Sunshine asks. "Can I start calling you my big Nonny-nums yet?"
  3532. "Well…"
  3533. >You ponder on this, but it doesn't take long for you to figure out your answer.
  3534.  
  3535. "To be honest, I've got enough on my plate as it is dealing with one mare in my basement. I'm not sure I can handle two more."
  3536. >Sunshine recoils.
  3537. >"You…you seriously keep her in your basement? That's—um…"
  3538. >"Yeah, and it's my basement, too," a familiar voice states from behind Sunshine.
  3539. >"Whah! W-who are you?!"
  3540. >Sunshine is the latest in a line of victims when it comes to getting suddenly spooked by goth mares; Inky Rose has somehow made her way directly behind Moonlight and Sunshine without any of you noticing.
  3541. >You still have no clue how she does that.
  3542. >She stands tall, glaring down at Sunshine with abject disapproval.
  3543. >You never realised just how tall Inky is compared to most other mares; she's no Celestia, but damn.
  3544. >"I am Inky Rose."
  3545. >"Y-you're Inky? But you're so…tall! Ahaha…ha…"
  3546. >"And?"
  3547. >"A-and…we…we were just about to leave! C-come on, Moonlight! We've got a train to catch!"
  3548. >"Alright…" Moonlight answers.
  3549. >Sunshine hurriedly trots off in the direction of the train station.
  3550. >Moonlight isn't as quick to leave; she turns her head to address the two of you.
  3551. >"Bye, Anon. Bye, Inky."
  3552. >Inky's gaze softens as she turns to face Moonlight.
  3553. >"Bye, Moonlight."
  3554. "Yeah, see you."
  3555. >Moonlight walks away in the same direction as Sunshine.
  3556. >She makes it several metres before she looks behind her withers, giving you one last glance before she heads to the train station.
  3557. >It's a look of longing, but it's not one that you'll be able to fulfil.
  3558. >Not in this life, anyway.
  3559. >You wave to each other and you turn away, ready to head home.
  3560. >"Those curtains look nice," Inky comments as she walks beside you.
  3561. "Oh, thanks."
  3562. >As you and Inky walk through the markets, you decide to make small talk.
  3563. "So, Inky: how do you do that thing where you suddenly show up behind ponies—or humans? Like how you did with Moonlight's sister earlier. Secret goth teleportation technique?"
  3564. >She snerks.
  3565. >"No, I just walk there." She gives you a playful smirk.
  3566. "Ah, right."
  3567. >You don't know why you expected any other answer from her.
  3568. "Another question, then."
  3569. >"Hm?"
  3570. "Back at the start of this month—you said you work better at night."
  3571. >"Yeah."
  3572. "But I always see you work in the day now."
  3573. >"Because that's when you're awake."
  3574. "Oh."
  3575. >"That's when I work best."
  3576. >She nuzzles into your side in a brazen display of public affection.
  3577. >Well, brazen for a goth, anyway.
  3578.  
  3579. *** Day 27 ***
  3580.  
  3581. >Somewhere in Ponyville, Inky and Maud are hanging out.
  3582. >They're probably having a grand old time together, doing whatever it is silent ponies who mostly communicate in nodding their heads do.
  3583. >And then there's you, standing on this snow-covered hill overlooking Ponyville—standing far away from any conceived notion of "fun."
  3584. >"Nonny, the telescope fell over again!"
  3585. "Yeah, I got it."
  3586. >And next to you is Pinkie Pie.
  3587. >She's in a wheelchair this time; most of her body is wrapped up in casts, aside from her right forehoof which is left free to adjust her telescope.
  3588. >The telescope is mounted onto a tripod that she keeps clumsily knocking over; who knows—maybe she's doing it intentionally so you don't die of boredom in this cold.
  3589. >You pick up the telescope and upright it once more, bringing it back within hoof-reach for her.
  3590. >"Thanks, Nonny!"
  3591. "Uh huh."
  3592. >She begins recalibrating her telescope for the…sixth time, you think.
  3593. >You had to wheel this mare all the way up here; thankfully, you didn't have to carry the telescope, as she was somehow able to store it in her poofy mane.
  3594. >And you're here to…to…
  3595. "Remind me why we're here again?"
  3596. >"We're here to observe Inky and discover how she talks *without* actually talking!"
  3597. "…And Maud, right?"
  3598. >"Right! And Maud!"
  3599. "And *why* are we so far away, this time?"
  3600. >"Because"—she lowers her tone to a whisper—"bad, batty things happen when you're too close."
  3601. "The bats, right. And why am *I* here? Other than the wheelchair thing."
  3602. >"Because I need somepony—or somehuman—to be my witness when I finally discover her secret!"
  3603. >She looks into her telescope.
  3604. >"Aaand I picked you because you still owe me a Pinkie Promise of a favour from when I let you hide in my basement when Fluttershy turned into Flutterzilla and tore through Ponyville to try and find you that one time!"
  3605. "Ugh, right."
  3606. >Every inconvenience in your life can be traced back to Fluttershy, somehow; that is your one constant.
  3607. >"Oh! Inky spotted!" Pinkie eagerly leans forward into her telescope.
  3608. "I'm normally fine with entertaining your antics, Pinkie, but don't you think this is a bit much?"
  3609. >"Whaddya mean?"
  3610. "You're in a wheelchair, for Christ's sake! Don't you think it's about time you cut your losses and give up the ghost?"
  3611. >"Nuh-uh! My ghost is firmly grasped! And besides…"
  3612. >She purses her lips.
  3613. >"It's personal, now."
  3614. "Personal? Why?"
  3615. >"Don't you think it's really REALLY weird, Nonny?"
  3616. "Yeah, spying on a couple of ponies from the top of a wintery hill *is* pretty damn weird."
  3617. >"I'm not talking about that! I'm talking about Inky Rose."
  3618. >You raise an eyebrow.
  3619. "What about her?"
  3620. >"There's something…*strange* about her!"
  3621. "Pinkie, you are the absolute last pony on this planet with the chops to call someone else 'strange.'"
  3622.  
  3623. >"But…but think about it, Nonny! How is she able to able to read minds? How is she able to sneak up on me without me noticing? HOW IS SHE ABLE TO BUY A TRIPLE FUDGE SUNDAE SURPREME JUST LIKE THAT?! THOSE ARE ALWAYS SOLD OUT WHENEVER I GO TO BUY THEM!"
  3624. >You wince at her extra-outdoor voice.
  3625. >Luckily, you were able to cover your ears with your hands just in time, thus sparing your eardrums from violently bursting as a result of Pinkie's hysterics.
  3626. "Probably because they can hear you coming."
  3627. >She ruffles her mane with her free hoof.
  3628. >"And not just that! But do you know how long Inky has been living in Ponyville?"
  3629. "Not really, no."
  3630. >"Neither do I!"
  3631. "So?"
  3632. >"That's the thing, Nonny! I *always* know how long a pony has been living in Ponyville because I *always* plan a 'welcome-to-Ponyville!' party for each new friend I make and then I *always* keep a file on their likes, dislikes, greatest fears, favourite colour, birthday, and signature song! I've got files on ALL of my friends in Ponyville, you included, but NOT Inky!"
  3633. "This is raising more red flags about you than it is for her."
  3634. >"And another thing! My Pinkie Sense has gone completely kaput when it comes to detecting her presence, no twitches, Nonny! NO. TWITCHES! Can you believe that?!"
  3635. "I can, surprisingly enough."
  3636. >"It's like she's a…a ghost! A ghost who seems to have a sweet tooth for ice cream. I should note that down, just in case."
  3637. >She pulls a notepad and pen out of her mane, quickly scribbles something down in the notepad with the pen in her mouth, then stores both objects back in her mane.
  3638. >"Okie dokie, all good! So, Nonny—what's your take on all of this?"
  3639. >You are suddenly thrust back into reality at the idea of Pinkie actually valuing your opinion in her mania.
  3640. "My take? On Inky, you mean?"
  3641. >"Yep! You're in the running for one of Ponyville's biggest grumpy grumps!"
  3642. "Oh, thank you, I try my best."
  3643. >"So you agree that Inky's up to no good, right? She took your soul, remember?!"
  3644. "Sure, and I'm still looking into getting it back, but…"
  3645. >"Buuut…?"
  3646. "I mean, she's a bit of an enigma, yeah. But at this point she's saved my sausage more times than I can count. She leaves me with a lot more questions than answers, but I don't think she's a bad pony."
  3647. >Pinkie's ears flatten.
  3648. >"Oh no… Not you too, Nonny…"
  3649. >She sighs in frustration.
  3650. >"It's like everypony and everyhuman in Ponyville has fallen under her dark spell! But not Pinkie Pie! Something smells hooey here, *extra* hooey!"
  3651. >You give yourself a cursory sniff—God damn, is Rarity's deodorant *still* lingering on you? What was even in that shit, horse piss?
  3652. "That might be my deodorant, Pinkie, sorry."
  3653.  
  3654. >"It's not a smell you sniff with your nose, Nonny. It's a smell you sniffa-sniff-sniff with your brain! And let me tell you, my Pinkie matter can smell that Inky is up to something—something big!"
  3655. "Like what?"
  3656. >You immediately regret entertaining her delusions as Pinkie takes a deep, foreboding breath.
  3657. >"Once she has all of Ponyville under her thrall, she'll STEAL EVERYPONY'S SOULS and leave them as EMPTY HUSKS who will be forced to FOLLOW HER EVERY COMMAND! And taking over Ponyville is just the start! She'll make her next move on Canterlot, STEAL the princess's magic and take over the castle! And from there she'll plot to TAKE OVER the rest of Equestria! Nopony will be able to resist her—nopony except a mysterious pink pony who used to plan parties for everypony but now she can't because they're all enslaved by an evil vampire pony and evil vampire ponies don't like having fun! Our brave hero will bravely infiltrate the castle, battling through a horde of undead minions to finally confront the vampire queen on her throne in an epic confrontation that will decide the fate of Equestria!"
  3658. >She takes another breath.
  3659. >"And that's just one of my theories on what she's up to! I'm still in the process of coming up with a backup plan for each of them. So I'll get back to you on that one!"
  3660. >You blink a few times.
  3661. "Pinkie, I think the cold might be making you a little—"
  3662. >"I'M NOT CRAZY! I'm not! *She's* the crazy one! Look, she's buying TWO triple fudge sundae supremes! Why would a pony need TWO triple fudge sundae supremes!? What do you think, Nonny?"
  3663. "You're the one with the telescope."
  3664. >"Ooh, yeah, let's see here—looks like she's buying one for somepony else! Now who's it being made out to…?"
  3665. >After intensely perusing through her telescope, she suddenly gasps.
  3666. >"And who's this 'Anon,' Huh? Are they her accomplice?"
  3667. >She pauses, briefly glancing at you.
  3668. >"Oh, right. Never mind."
  3669. >So Inky is buying some ice cream for you, huh? That's nice of her.
  3670. >It's a shame you've been strong-hooved into spying on her at this very moment.
  3671. "Hang on, if she's buying stuff, that means she's talking to the shopkeeper, right?"
  3672. >"Oh, yeah, she is."
  3673. "Isn't that mission complete, then? She speaks just like any other pony. We can go home now."
  3674. >"Nope!"
  3675. "What? Why not?"
  3676. >"Because Inky STILL hasn't revealed her master plan to me, and until she does, we have to keep looking!"
  3677. >There's a question that's been fermenting in your mind for a while now; it needs to be asked.
  3678. "Is…is Maud even still with her?"
  3679. >"She left about thirty minutes ago!"
  3680. >Of fucking course.
  3681. "So this is just stalking then."
  3682. >"This is a super-duper important investigation! The fate of Equestria hangs in the balance!"
  3683. >If you could roll your eyes any more, you'd have invented a new form of turbine.
  3684. >This horse has gone batshit.
  3685. >And so will you if you stay here any longer.
  3686. >What was it that Maud said back then? Goths are Pinkie's weakness?
  3687. >Yeah, you're beginning to see why now.
  3688.  
  3689. >At least Pinkie's stopped breaking into your fourth wall, but you're not sure if that's a good sign or a bad sign when it comes to her.
  3690. >An irregular clopping sound breaks your concentration; it's coming from behind you.
  3691. >Looking back, you see the dirt path that runs past your vantage point—the same one you wheeled Pinkie up to get here; there's a pony staggering along it with drunken, slurred movements.
  3692. >It's an easily recognisable purple mare—with wings and a horn; one you haven't seen in a while.
  3693. >You call out to her.
  3694. "Twilight? Is that you?"
  3695. >She looks up at you, surprised.
  3696. >"Huh? Anon, what are you doing—"
  3697. >Her eyes widen.
  3698. >"Oh…oh! Of course you'd be out here! Doy! Silly me!"
  3699. "What, were you expecting me?"
  3700. >"Uh…yep! Let's go with that!" She grins, seemingly convinced that that's all the answer you need.
  3701. >Twilight excitedly stumbles her way over to you and Pinkie, tripping and falling on her face several times along the way.
  3702. >As she moves in close, you get a better look at her.
  3703. >Her mane is matted, with so many strands sticking out of place you'd think she was going for a fashion statement of some kind.
  3704. >Her fur is clumped in several places, most notably around her flanks.
  3705. >Her eyes are bloodshot; with the bags under them indicating that she hasn't had a good night's sleep in a long time.
  3706. >And are those bite marks on her neck?
  3707. "Twilight, are you alright? You look a little…messed up."
  3708. >"Oh I *am* messed up, Anon. In a good way, though."
  3709. >She smells like urine and fish.
  3710. "What are you doing out here?"
  3711. >"I'm just…walking, I think."
  3712. "I can see that, but why?"
  3713. >"I…don't know? Hah! I don't know! That's a good one!"
  3714. "Uh…"
  3715.  
  3716. >"Aaanywaay, what are *you* doing here, Anon? Are you walking too?"
  3717. "No, I'm just helping Pinkie spy on Inky."
  3718. >"Oh! Inky Pinkie! Good one!"
  3719. >Upon sighing to yourself, you realise that this pony must have left her brain cells at home.
  3720. "Inky Rose, not 'Inky Pinkie.'"
  3721. >"Riiight, I getcha."
  3722. >She stares at you blankly for a couple of seconds, then tilts her head.
  3723. >"…Who's Inky Rose?"
  3724. "The goth mare?"
  3725. >"Uh huh…"
  3726. "The one who entrapped me in a soul-binding ritual?"
  3727. >"Right, right…"
  3728. "The one I had you help me research ways on how to break out of said soul-binding ritual so you could clone my ass?"
  3729. >Her ears flick upwards at the end of your question.
  3730. >"Clone?! Yes! Right! Of course! That one!"
  3731. >You raise an eyebrow.
  3732. "Have…have you actually done any reading on gothmarriage—like, at all?"
  3733. >"I did some! But then I got sidetracked and ended up *doing* something else, eheheh…"
  3734. "For fuck's sake, Twilight."
  3735. >"Ooh, say that again." She dopily smiles at you.
  3736. >You glare at her.
  3737. >"I-I mean, I'm working on it! I'll have the results back to you—uh, tomorrow!"
  3738. "You better, or else."
  3739. >Her tail flicks around and she bites her lip.
  3740. >"Mmph, yeah…or else…"
  3741. >Your empty threat had the complete opposite effect of what you intended.
  3742. >It's not like you'd actually be able to do anything to the Princess of Magic and Friendship if she doesn't deliver, anyway.
  3743. >You're just going to have to trust that there's still some academic desire remaining in that degenerate brain of hers.
  3744. >Pinkie turns her head to look at Twilight.
  3745. >"Twilight, you look awful," she tells it how it is.
  3746. >"I look *satisfied,* there's a difference."
  3747. >"I guess so. One has you smell like shame, and the other has you smell like shame AND Nonny!"
  3748. "Wait, what about me?"
  3749. >Pinkie opens her mouth to answer but is interrupted by Twilight's manic laughter.
  3750. >"Ahahahaha—so Pinkie, Anon said you're spying on Inky Rose?"
  3751. "It's more like stalking, at this point."
  3752. >"You're both wrong, I'm observing!" Pinkie corrects you both. "Inky's up to something, and I'm not leaving this spot until I figure out what it is!"
  3753. >Twilight and Pinkie have both completely fucking lost it in their own unique ways.
  3754. >And you're standing here right next to them in the cold.
  3755. >What are you doing with your life?
  3756.  
  3757. >"Hey, Anon?" Twilight addresses you.
  3758. "Yeah?"
  3759. >"You've been staring into space for about five minutes now."
  3760. "Yeah…"
  3761. >"Lost in thought?"
  3762. "Yeah."
  3763. >"And that's why you didn't answer Pinkie when she asked you to stop her from slipping down the the hill?"
  3764. "Yeah—wait what?"
  3765. >You look at Pinkie's last known location and see nothing but a knocked-over telescope.
  3766. >Distant screaming from below brings your attention downwards to the hill's slope, and you see Pinkie's cast-covered body careening down the snowy slide towards Ponyville, having already been ejected from her wheelchair.
  3767. "Holy shit!"
  3768. >Pinkie has already created a large amount of distance between you two; there's no way you can catch her in time.
  3769. "T-twilight! What the fuck are you waiting for? Grab her with your magic!"
  3770. >"I can't, she's out of my range."
  3771. "What—why the fuck didn't you grab her when she started slipping?!"
  3772. >She blinks.
  3773. >"…Oh, right, yeah. I probably should have done that. Oops."
  3774. >You two of you watch helplessly as Pinkie continues to roll down the hill, covered in an ever-increasing amount of snow as she descends into the town.
  3775. >At some point, you lose sight of her body as she becomes completely encased in snow, turning into a giant snowball.
  3776. >Upon reaching the bottom of the hill, she soon crashes into the side of a nearby house at Ponyville's outskirts.
  3777. >With the mobile snowball becoming a stationary snow pile, you see Pinkie's head popping out of the centre.
  3778. "Oh thank God, she's okay. Quick, let's head down there and help—"
  3779. >And then a piano falls down on her from the sky, crushing her.
  3780. "H-holy fuck, Pinkie…"
  3781. >You quickly re-stand the telescope and use it to zoom in and examine the damage.
  3782. >The piano has a bat insignia on it.
  3783. "Wh-what the hell…?"
  3784.  
  3785. >Where the fuck did that piano come from?
  3786. >You look up and see a few pegasi hovering above next to an aerial delivery truck.
  3787. >The back doors are open, so the piano must have come from there, but could this really have been an accident?
  3788. >You use the telescope to identify the pegasi.
  3789. >Among them is…
  3790. "Derpy…?"
  3791. >Somehow noticing your presence even at this distance, the mailmare turns and squints at you, both eyes locked on.
  3792. >You quickly look away; you saw nothing.
  3793. >Next to you, you hear Twilight losing herself in hysterics.
  3794. >"P-pfffft, ahaha!"
  3795. "She…she just died."
  3796. >"I know, right?"
  3797. "Pinkie's dead, and you're laughing."
  3798. >"And did you *see* that piano? Hi-larious!"
  3799. "What…what the fuck is wrong with you, Twilight?"
  3800. >Twilight's giggling fits turn into occasional spurts of snickering as she slowly calms herself.
  3801. >"Phew… You had to be there, Anon. You had to be there."
  3802. >All you can do is stare at her in disbelief as she somehow continues to find endless amusement in her friend's untimely demise.
  3803. "…You're one fucked up little Twiggy, you know that?"
  3804. >After a few more extended bursts of laughter, Twilight eventually calms down, turning to face you.
  3805. >"Oh, this was a riot! Good stake out, Anon. I'll be seeing you soon."
  3806. "Sure, I guess, so you can tell me how to break out of the gothmarriage thing tomorrow, right?"
  3807. >"Huh? Oh right—yeah, sure."
  3808. >She teleports away before you can interrogate her further, leaving you by your lonesome.
  3809. >You take one last look at the site of Pinkie's tragic end and you think to yourself.
  3810. >You've always thought that it was just Fluttershy.
  3811. >But no.
  3812. >All of the ponies in this town are fucking crazy.
  3813.  
  3814. *** Day 28 ***
  3815.  
  3816. >"—So then she hooked herself right up to that apple-filled wagon, an' carried it all the way to the farm without breaking a sweat! Hoo-wee! That Inky Rose is something else, alright." comes a southern drawl.
  3817. >"That's not too surprising, because—get this—she's only *pretending* to be a pegasus! She's actually an earth pony! Those wings she has? Total fakes! Crazy stuff, right?" comes a raspy reply.
  3818. >"…Say what now?"
  3819. >You gotta hand it to Dash, she managed to decipher *most* of the prank by herself.
  3820. "You girls all seem fairly jovial, considering Pinkie is dead."
  3821. >You are at Pinkie's funeral.
  3822. >Clear blue skies and chatty ponies set a positive mood on what is an otherwise sombre scene.
  3823. >Cupcakes line the tables, and an old record player plays pop music.
  3824. >Only you, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack and Rainbow Dash bothered to show up—possibly due to the short notice.
  3825. >The four of you stare at Pinkie's closed casket as Twilight magically lowers it into the grave.
  3826. >Applejack chuckles.
  3827. >"Oh don't you worry about her none. She's just Pinkie-dead. She'll come back eventually."
  3828. >You have your doubts; you're the one who had to place her lifeless body into the casket.
  3829. "If that's true, then why the fuck are we even here?"
  3830. >"Are you kidding? Pinkie funerals are the best funerals!" Dash replies.
  3831. >"Ah don't know how she does it, but even from up on high—Pinkie manages to deliver on top-notch caterin'. Ah swear—those obituary cupcakes get tastier and tastier every time she runs one of these shindigs."
  3832. "You're making it sound like she's pulled this before."
  3833. >Dash nods.
  3834. >"She doesn't do them often, but when she does—she goes all out! I'm not surprised you've never heard of them, since you usually keep to yourself anyway."
  3835. "Well, shit, you got me there, I guess."
  3836. >It's true that you've never been one to keep up-to-date on the happenings around town—party-funerals included.
  3837. >It's not that you were actively trying to be a social outcast; it's just that you never saw the need to match the explosive extroverted energy that every pony here exhibits.
  3838. >That, and the ever-present threat of being accosted by Fluttershy in a public space turned you off to the idea of going out more than what is absolutely necessary.
  3839. >Surprisingly, this whole business with Inky Rose has actually gotten you to go out and reconnect with some old friends and make some new ones while you're at it.
  3840. >It's strange to think that losing your soul actually helped you in some way; should you be thanking her for stealing it?
  3841. >The answer is no, obviously; you want that shit back.
  3842. >So speaking of said dark rituals, it's time to finally get the answers you've been seeking.
  3843. >Moving away from the the tomboyish duo, you walk over to address your keeper of knowledge, who has finished lowering the casket.
  3844. "Okay Twilight—"
  3845. >"It's Starlight."
  3846. "Huh?"
  3847. >You take a closer look at the purple mare.
  3848. >She has a horn, a star on her butt, and a multicoloured mane.
  3849. >But no wings.
  3850.  
  3851. "Ah right, you're—uh…"
  3852. >"Starlight Glimmer?"
  3853. "Oh, I thought Twilight would be here."
  3854. >"She's busy with a…research project over at her castle."
  3855. >You roll your eyes.
  3856. "Really? She's so busy that she can't come to her own friend's funeral? Or tell me about her findings?"
  3857. >"Well, that's why I'm here."
  3858. "And you're fine with being her gopher?"
  3859. >"Oh, it's not all bad. She said I could have one of my own if I did this."
  3860. "One of your own what?"
  3861. >"Uh—"
  3862. >She nervously grins at you.
  3863. >"N-nothing! So, how about that goth, huh?"
  3864. "Fine, lay it on me."
  3865. >"Oh I'll be laying—"
  3866. >She clears her throat.
  3867. >"Right! So you're still looking into a way to get your soul back, right?"
  3868. "I would indeed prefer it to be back in my possession, yes."
  3869. >She nods.
  3870. >"To understand what we're dealing with here, you have to understand what goth is."
  3871. >She stares at you for a few moments.
  3872. >Oh, she's probably expecting you to answer.
  3873. "Well, I asked around and didn't get anything conclusive. They like darkness and black clothes, I guess?"
  3874. >"Close, but there's a bit more to it than that."
  3875. >She runs a hoof through her mane.
  3876. >"I actually went through a bit of a phase myself when I was younger, back when I was—uh, well, you know."
  3877. >You don't know; you barely know this mare, but you nod anyway just to keep the conversation going.
  3878. "Sure, but was it an actual goth phase? Or an emo phase? Or maybe even a rock-loving phase?"
  3879. >"Rock…loving?" She tilts her head.
  3880. "Long story, but—point is, there's a difference."
  3881. >"That's the thing—there isn't! Goth, emo, stealing other ponies' cutie marks to form an equalised society, they're all variations on a fundamental concept! Rebellion!"
  3882. "Rebellion? Against what?"
  3883. >"Against society! Against ponies telling us what to feel and what to do! Against ponies who *still* think that you're evil just because you practice your villainous laugh in the mirror every morning! And *especially* against Twilight telling me that I have to complete ten friendship lessons by the end of the week when all I want to do is stay in my room and study magic! Fight the power, Anon! Fight the power!"
  3884. "Um, okay."
  3885. >"I knew you'd get it, Anon. That's why I like you."
  3886. >Who the fuck is this mare again?
  3887.  
  3888. "…Anyway, how does this tie into the soul-binding pact?"
  3889. >"Okay, so from what Twilight and I have both gathered on the subject: there's a forbidden magical ritual that can interlink two souls together, much like how you've described your current situation."
  3890. "Okay, great. You got any counterspells for it?"
  3891. >"Before I get to that, I should mention that spells that modify the soul on this level are *very* taxing on a pony's magical reserves. And not only that, but both parties need to agree to partake in the ritual or else it will fail."
  3892. "I'm guessing agreement can take the form of letting them sleep in your bed."
  3893. >"Maybe."
  3894. "But hold on, if both ponies need to agree to the ritual, why is it forbidden?"
  3895. >"Meddling with a pony's soul is considered quite taboo, even if you have their consent."
  3896. "And 'rebellious' ponies such as yourself scoff in the face of taboo, right?"
  3897. >She nervously laughs.
  3898. >"I suppose so."
  3899. >She raises a hoof up to her chin.
  3900. >"Still, take it from me—this spell is hard to pull off. It's to the point where all recorded usages of this spell has been between two magically gifted unicorns pooling their mana together to cast it."
  3901. "I'll 'take it from you,' I guess."
  3902. >"Yeah, you will."
  3903. "What?"
  3904. >She coughs.
  3905. >"Y-you will find that—um, even the most powerful unicorn will struggle to cast a spell like this."
  3906. "I can see that being a problem, seeing as Inky is a pegasus."
  3907. >"So she *isn't* a unicorn? That explains a lot."
  3908. "Do pegasi have even more innate magic than unicorns?"
  3909. >"No, it means that she definitely wouldn't have been able to cast such a spell herself."
  3910. "So then maybe she got the help of a particularly magical unicorn? Or maybe she used a powerful artefact? Or both?"
  3911. >She shakes her head.
  3912. >"Even with all that, it'd still be a stretch to gather enough magic to cast the ritual."
  3913. "Well then…what if human souls are easier to handle? Less taxing?"
  3914. >She shakes her head again.
  3915. >"If anything—it would be the opposite. I think there's a far more reasonable explanation for all of this, one that doesn't need a counterspell."
  3916. >She lowers her hoof, looking up at you.
  3917. >"And…I think you have a pretty good idea of what it is."
  3918. >You want to open your mouth to deny her claims.
  3919. >…But you can't, because she's right.
  3920. >The truth is—you've had a growing hunch for a while now.
  3921. >You've just been running from the facts—from your own feelings.
  3922. >Gothmarriage is…
  3923. >"Hey Anon!" Dash interrupts your introspection. "We're gonna head out, yeah? But we gotta hang out again sometime—if your"—she smushes her cheeks—"marefriend is okay with that, that is!"
  3924. >You roll your eyes.
  3925. "Yeah, sure. See you around, Dash."
  3926. >Applejack tips her hat to you.
  3927. >"An' be sure to let Inky know that she's always welcome to help out on the farm if she's lookin' for more work, y'hear?"
  3928. "I think she's more of a frou-frou mare than a wagon-pulling one, but I'll let her know."
  3929. >You wave to Applejack and Rainbow Dash as they head off on their separate ways.
  3930.  
  3931. >"So, case closed, then?" Starlight asks you.
  3932. "Not a single one of you lot have given me an iota of useful information throughout all of this."
  3933. >She frowns.
  3934. "But at this point: I just want to move on with my life. So yeah—sure, case closed."
  3935. >Her frown turns upside down.
  3936. >"Great! Well, see you soon!"
  3937. >You raise an eyebrow.
  3938. "Why do you ponies keep saying that? Twilight said something similar yesterday, and she didn't even show up today."
  3939. >"O-oh, it's a unicorn joke! Don't worry about it, ahaha!"
  3940. "But Twilight's a—"
  3941. >"Okay bye!"
  3942. >One turquoise-tinted teleportation later, and she's gone, leaving you by your lonesome—you, and Pinkie's grave.
  3943. >On the off chance that she actually is gone, you take a moment of silence to remember all of the good times you had together.
  3944. "Sayonara, Pinkie. I'll miss you, you crazy-ass pink pony."
  3945. >Yeah, I'll miss her too, Nonny.
  3946. "Huh?"
  3947. >I said I'll miss her too, Nonny.
  3948. "Wait."
  3949. >That's not your inner monologue, what the hell's going on here?
  3950. >That's because it's my *outer* monologue! Hi Nonny!
  3951. "W-what the fuck?"
  3952. >Whatever this is—it *feels* like Pinkie Pie! But this isn't right. How is she doing this?
  3953. >Oh, that's easy—I figured it out! I finally figured out how to not-talk-talk! All you gotta do is—
  3954. "Get the fuck out of my head!"
  3955. >You flail your arms about in defiance.
  3956. >And you strike pink.
  3957. >"Ow!"
  3958. >The back of your hand sends a nearby pink pony tumbling to the ground; you'd feel bad for her if she wasn't violating your mindspace mere moments ago.
  3959. >She quickly recovers, springing back up into a standing position and looking back up at you with a pout.
  3960. >"Hey! What was that for?"
  3961. >You ignore her rhetorical question so you can start asking the real ones.
  3962. "Pinkie? Is that really you?"
  3963. >She strikes a pose.
  3964. >"The superest and duperest of party ponies!"
  3965. "How did you survive? I dug your body out from under the piano myself! The doctors confirmed you had no pulse!"
  3966. >"Oh, that wasn't me. That was a stunt double!"
  3967. "You…you have stunt doubles?"
  3968. >"Yep! She was the one who took the fall for me!"
  3969. >You glance back at the casket.
  3970. "But…doesn't that mean the stunt double died?"
  3971. >She giggles.
  3972. >"Of course not, silly! She had her own stunt double!"
  3973. "But that doesn't—"
  3974. >You pinch the bridge of your nose; you're about to divide by zero here, and you don't like it.
  3975. "You know what—never mind. I'm just gonna leave you to it."
  3976. >"Wait! Don't you wanna know how I talked to you without talking?"
  3977. "Believe me, Pinkie, the less I know about how you do things, the better."
  3978. >"Aw, okay."
  3979. "Are you still gonna be stalking Inky after this?
  3980. >She shakes her head.
  3981. >"Not any more! It turns out she wasn't the reason all of those bad things were happening to me!"
  3982. "Wait, really? Why did they happen, then?"
  3983. >"I'll give you a hint! What did we learn this month, Nonny?"
  3984. "Goths are the anti-Pinkie?"
  3985. >"Nope!"
  3986. "Remember to double-check your wheelchair brakes?"
  3987. >"Nope!
  3988. "Never call Maud emo?"
  3989. >"Obviously! But nope!"
  3990. "Well go on then—elucidate me."
  3991.  
  3992. >"Always remember to pay off your protection fees to the Bat Mafia!"
  3993. "Oh."
  3994. >You double take.
  3995. "Wait, the what?"
  3996. >"Here they come now! Act natural!"
  3997. >Pinkie puts on an incredibly forced grin and looks upwards.
  3998. >You look in the same direction, and see what looks like an limousine-shaped chariot being pulled through the air by two overworked pegasi stallions.
  3999. >As they move in closer, you notice that the pegasi's wings are unlike you've ever seen—they look like bat wings.
  4000. >The chariot lands in front of you and Pinkie, and an ominous silence follows.
  4001. >One of the chariot doors slowly opens, sliding to the side.
  4002. >And three pegasi mares step out.
  4003. >Much like the stallions outside, their wings are like that of a bat's.
  4004. >Their gazes are piercing, with their eyes possessing unnaturally slit pupils.
  4005. >They're all well-dressed, wearing high-end pony-fit suits, with the one in the middle rocking the flashiest threads; you're guessing that one's the boss—the Bat Boss.
  4006. >Despite being around half your size, the intimidating scowls these mares wear and the imposing aura that surrounds them is enough to send shivers through your spine; you feel like you really shouldn't be here.
  4007. >The Bat Boss addresses Pinkie with a cold, sharp tone.
  4008. >"Pinkie Pie."
  4009. >"H-hey there! What a totally strange coinky dink it is to see you her—"
  4010. >"Enough chit chat. You got the cash?"
  4011. >"Y-yeppy yeppers! Right here, Aha!"
  4012. >Pinkie reaches into her mane and pulls out a briefcase; she holds it out to Bat Boss.
  4013. >Bat Boss quickly flicks her head to the bat mare on her right, who moves up to take the briefcase.
  4014. >After moving back to her boss's side, she opens the briefcase up and silently scrutinises the contents inside for several tense moments.
  4015. >The underling closes the briefcase and nods to her boss; the boss nods back, turning to face Pinkie.
  4016. >"Everything looks to be in order. We'll let you off for now, Pinkie Pie. Don't be late on your payments again, or else."
  4017. >Pinkie nervously laughs.
  4018. >The other two bat mares head back into the chariot with the briefcase, while Bat Boss lingers for a moment, turning her gaze onto you.
  4019. >"Hey, you Anonymous?"
  4020. "Uh, y-yeah."
  4021. >"Seen you in the Canterlot mags. Nice balls, bro."
  4022. "T-thanks."
  4023. >She winks at you, and heads back into the chariot; the door closes after her.
  4024. >The chariot takes off once more and soon disappears into the clouds.
  4025. >Pinkie exhales loudly once they're completely gone, dropping her grin and adopting a smile that's just as wide.
  4026. >"Phew, that's that! See you around, Nonny!"
  4027. "Yeah, take care, Pinkie. Try not to piss off any more bats."
  4028. >"Now that's something I can't Pinkie Promise on, tee-hee!"
  4029. >You wave Pinkie off as she bunny hops into the distance.
  4030. >There are far too many unanswered questions running through your head, but sometimes—you've just gotta go with the flow.
  4031. >Just another day in Ponyville, you guess.
  4032.  
  4033. *** Day 29 ***
  4034.  
  4035. >You're out for a stroll in Ponyville to clear your head after recent events.
  4036. >But also because it's a nice day for it, you know?
  4037. >The sun shies down upon you as you walk through the streets, sociable ponies greeting you as you walk by.
  4038. >It's nice being able to go out for a casual walk in the open without being accosted by Fluttershy; it's enough to make you wonder what happened to her since the…incident.
  4039. >As you pass by Town Hall, a familiar voice calls out to you.
  4040. >"Ah! Anonymous!"
  4041. >You turn around, finding that the voice belongs to none other than Mayor Mare, who trots up to you; another mare skulks behind her—one you don't recognise.
  4042. "Hey Mayor Mare, long time no see."
  4043. >"It's been a frighteningly long time since we last spoke, hasn't it? I can't believe I'm saying this, but I *almost* missed you!"
  4044. "Heh, you better get used to it. I foresee a lot less fetish-related problems in our shared future. In fact, you can even start getting rid of those restraining orders, I don't think I'll be needing them any more."
  4045. >She gasps.
  4046. >"Say it isn't so! Did you finally accept her advances?"
  4047. "The opposite, actually. I think she finally got the hint."
  4048. >She recoils back in an exaggerated manner, eyes wide.
  4049. >"Sorry, did I accidentally warp into a parallel version of Ponyville where Fluttershy *doesn't* upend the town every other day in service of her attempts to bed you?"
  4050. >The two of you laugh in shared reminiscence for a little while longer.
  4051. >"By the by, did you ever manage to sort out that goth problem of yours?"
  4052. "Yeah. Everything turned out just fine, I think."
  4053. >"Oh, that's wonderful! As it so happens, I had a goth problem of my own to sort out. I had to lay off dear Moonlight."
  4054. "Let me guess, she was too dark and broody for you?"
  4055. >"I'm perfectly fine with 'dark and broody.' It's just that she—well…she was certainly good at paperwork, but she was so…distant, you know? She never even let me cuddle, Anonymous."
  4056. "Um…right."
  4057. >It's only now that you notice the mare standing next to the Mayor; she's a bespectacled earth pony with a white coat, a dark brown mane, and quill plus inkwell combo for a cutie mark.
  4058. >She avoids eye contact with you—seemingly finding the laundry line hanging off a nearby hut to be much more interesting.
  4059. "So you've hired a new secretary, then?"
  4060. >"Mhmm, that's right! This one, oh~! Let me tell you—she's already made up for the month-long dry spell I've had to suffer through when Moonlight was around! She has a real 'silver-tongue' where it counts!"
  4061. >Mayor hums happily to herself while you slightly shudder at the implications.
  4062.  
  4063. >The secretary turns to scowl at Mayor with equal measures of shame and scorn; most likely due to the Mayor's public bragging of her wanton history of sexual exploitation at the workplace.
  4064. >Even if you're not the direct recipient, you can still feel the harsh judgement behind those familiar purple eyes.
  4065. >Wait, familiar?
  4066. >You circle around to her side while she's focused on Mayor.
  4067. >As you examine this secretary closely, you realise that's not the only thing that's purple about her; you see a hint of purple hiding under her mane—is she wearing a wig?
  4068. >Her cutie mark is strange, too; upon closer inspection—you see that it's not a cutie mark at all, but a sticker that has been haphazardly applied to her flank.
  4069. >The sticker has a crease, and underneath that crease you think you can see an image of a grape.
  4070. "…Is that you, Berry Punch?"
  4071. >The secretary sharply turns her head to you, eyes wide and ears flat.
  4072. >"N-no! I'm—uh, Raven Inkwell, the sexiest secretary this side of town!"
  4073. "S-sure."
  4074. >Mayor clears her throat.
  4075. >"It's 'Writing Desk' now, my dear, don't forget."
  4076. >She nuzzles into her secretary's side, causing her to tremble in response.
  4077. >"Because I'm going to be *writing* you all over my desk tonight! Ohoho!"
  4078. >"Hah-hah…" The secretary grimaces.
  4079. >"Now come along now, we need to buy you those brown eye contacts!"
  4080. >"Okay."
  4081. >"Okay…?" Mayor nudges her.
  4082. >Writing Desk gives you a pitiable look before addressing the Mayor.
  4083. >"Okay, m-mistress."
  4084. >The two walk off to their next destination; you watch them for a few moments.
  4085. >There's a story to be told here, but it's one you could live without hearing.
  4086. >And so you continue on your stroll.
  4087.  
  4088. >You pass by the cafe where you and Pinkie spied on Inky and Maud hanging out; that brings back memories—of Maud and her goth rock.
  4089. >But her pet rock isn't the only mineral that you remember her for—she also helped Inky procure another type of stone which ultimately allowed you and Inky to share in the same dream.
  4090. >You and Inky have shared a few dreams since then; nothing particularly noteworthy has happened in them, but that's what exactly what you like about them—they're relaxing, a nice change of pace from worrying about rapists or reading books that may-or-may-not rupture your head.
  4091. >You make a mental note to thank Maud for that rock the next time you see her—maybe a belated Hearth's Warming present.
  4092. >Speaking of familiar faces, there's another one seated near the outside of the cafe right now—an elderly unicorn stallion reading a book.
  4093. >You walk up and greet him.
  4094. "Fancy seeing you here, Star Swirl."
  4095. >"Don't speak to me."
  4096. >His reply is sharp and biting, stopping you dead in your tracks; you're obviously not welcome here.
  4097. >You're about to just leave him to it when you hear him grumble to himself.
  4098. >"Waste of a perfectly good reading space… I can't believe she's using it for *that* now."
  4099. "'That?'"
  4100. >He lowers his book to look up at you with a tired, disappointed scowl.
  4101. >"Why did you let her clone you, Anonymous?"
  4102. "…Oh."
  4103. >"'Oh' is right. Ugh, just looking at you is making me retch. I'm leaving."
  4104. >With that, he teleports away, book and all; honestly, you can't fault the guy for his reaction.
  4105. >Part of you wonders if you should do something about…that, if you even can, but a greater part of you never wants to set foot in Twilight's Castle ever again.
  4106. >What ever happens in Twilight's Castle can stay in that damn castle.
  4107. >And so you resume your stroll through the town.
  4108. >Walking along the path, you recognise one of the buildings to your left as Hoity Toity's Ponyville studio, where you once went of your own volition to model with some of Inky's clothes.
  4109. >You like to think that you helped bring some manner of positive publicity to Inky's clothing line.
  4110. >As for your own publicity, well, you *know* you've got a…fanbase of sorts in Canterlot, and it's not one you're particularly keen on further interacting with; those posh perverts will just have to make do with those old photos of your balls cupped in black silk, because you're not doing any more.
  4111. >"Anonymous! You scoundrel!"
  4112. >An elegant, yet-oh-so-judgemental voice yells out to you.
  4113. >You're given little time to theorise on who it belongs to, as the white unicorn herself quickly trots into your line of sight, making her presence known with a pouty "Harumph!"
  4114. "Hey, Rarity."
  4115. >"You've been hiding your relationship with Inky from me for all this time?! How could you!?"
  4116. "'Cause I know what you're like, Gossipity."
  4117. >"I—no. I do not gossip."
  4118. >She turns her nose up.
  4119. >"I am a purveyor of relevant information."
  4120.  
  4121. "Well, you can gossip all you like, now. I'm pretty sure the entire town knows at this point."
  4122. >"Yes, I'm not sure how you managed *that,* Anonymous, but congratulations on keeping me out the loop for this long," she says with a tinge of bitterness.
  4123. >You're internally gobsmacked that she somehow didn't realise you and Inky were an item on Hearth's Warming.
  4124. >Then again, even you were still in some level of denial at that point.
  4125. >Who eventually clued her in, you wonder? Sweetie Belle? Yeah, it was probably Sweetie Belle.
  4126. "Aw, hey, don't be like that, Rarity. I was planning on asking you to be my best mare and everything."
  4127. >Her ears shoot upwards in a state of maximum alertness.
  4128. >"W-what? You two are getting married? Already?!"
  4129. >Your eyes slowly widen as you suddenly remember who you're talking to.
  4130. "No—um, you see it was a joke on how me and Inky are gothmarried and—"
  4131. >"Say no more, Anonymous! I shall work on sending the invitations out, post-haste!"
  4132. "Wait!"
  4133. >But it's too late; she gallops off, leaving you behind.
  4134. "No! Rarity! Come back!"
  4135. >It's so over.
  4136. >You watch her speed off into the distance.
  4137. >Is this how your bachelorhood truly ends? Not with a quiet Gothic ritual, but with an overeager white unicorn thrusting you in the trials and tribulations of paying for an overpriced wedding venue, overpriced clothes, overpriced caterers, overpriced everything?
  4138. >You're not ready for this!
  4139. >Rarity stops on the horizon and turns back to you, waving a hoof.
  4140. >You can't quite make out her expression due to how far away she is, but you're sure it's one of her infuriatingly smug smirks.
  4141. >She soon trots back to you, giggling all the while.
  4142. >We're so back.
  4143. >"Oh, the look on your face! You really should start carrying a mirror around!"
  4144. >You cross your arms, putting on your best unimpressed tone of voice.
  4145. "Really?"
  4146. >"Never fear, Anonymous, it was just a harmless bit of fun, but it was oh-so-worth it to see your reaction!"
  4147. "If I suffer a heart attack within the next week—I'm sending you the hospital bill."
  4148. >"Is that so? I'm sure you could handle the payments yourself—successful model that you are. And let's not forget all of those free garments that dear Inky has gifted you with."
  4149. "Hey—they're good garments."
  4150. >"I'm sure they are, darling. But don't forget about Rarity's Carousel Boutique, will you? I've missed working on clothing fit for Equestria's only human. I could certainly use the change of pace from"—she leans in, lowering her tone to a whisper—"all of these dreadful 'ball bras' that have been all the rage recently."
  4151. "I'll…I'll think about it. Don't tell Inky, but I'm actually getting a bit tired of wearing black all the time. I could use some of your threads."
  4152. >She titters.
  4153. >"Well, I should leave you to it. It looks like somepony else is vying for your attention."
  4154. "See you around, Rarity."
  4155. >She trots off, and you ponder on her last words.
  4156. "Somepony else…?"
  4157. >You turn around.
  4158. >Photo Finish is right there, forehoof raised high.
  4159. "NO—"
  4160. >"JIGGLE!"
  4161.  
  4162. *** Day 30 ***
  4163.  
  4164. >No-one has heard from Fluttershy in days.
  4165. >This is great news by all accounts, especially yours.
  4166. >But yet…you can't help be be a little worried about her, considering how things ended last time.
  4167. >So against your better judgement, you find yourself walking towards the Den of Sin—also known as Fluttershy's cottage.
  4168. >Along the path to her house, you pass by a bear slumped against a tree; it wears a neck brace—so you have a pretty good guess as to which bear it is.
  4169. "Hey Harry, aren't you supposed to be in hibernation right now?"
  4170. >He looks at you, growling irritably.
  4171. "Oh, right, my bad. Hey, is Fluttershy in?"
  4172. >He points a paw towards her cottage and huffs.
  4173. "Okay, thanks."
  4174. >You continue along the path.
  4175. >Along the way, you notice that the atmosphere surrounding the cottage feels abnormally bleak—as if all the positive energy has been sucked out of the nearby vicinity and dumped elsewhere; you also notice that all of the cottage windows have been boarded up.
  4176. >Soon enough, you find yourself standing in front of her house's front door.
  4177. >You hesitate.
  4178. >Maybe Harry lied to you and the house is actually abandoned?
  4179. >This is the perfect time to turn back; no-one will ever know.
  4180. >And even if they did—no-one would judge you after everything you've suffered at her hooves.
  4181. >…
  4182. >You sigh.
  4183. "Fuck it. Here goes."
  4184. >You rest your hand on the door, and to your surprise—it opens with no resistance.
  4185. >Must have already been unlocked, huh.
  4186. >The interior of the house is dim, no doubt due to the boarded windows shutting out most sources of light.
  4187. >You cautiously call out into the darkness.
  4188. "Fluttershy? You in there?"
  4189. >There's no response.
  4190. >…There's still time to leave, you can still—
  4191. >No, you're doing this, you're entering this depressed-looking quasi-zoo.
  4192. >If not out of some sense of pity, then at least to make sure that she isn't up to some manner of depraved villainy.
  4193. >And so you pull open the door and enter the cottage; you leave the door wide open to provide an extra source of light, and just in case you need to make a quick getaway.
  4194. >You move into the main room.
  4195. >Much like the outside—the inside of the house looks destitute; couches have been overturned, animal fixtures are carelessly strewn about across the floor, the carpets are shredded, and there's not a single animal to be seen.
  4196. >More than anything, you're surprised that the building managed to devolve into this state in only a week.
  4197. >Maybe guilt fucks up ponies really hard; at least, you hope it's guilt.
  4198. >Birdhouses and small beds aren't the only thing littering the house, you also spy articles of clothing throughout the room—shirts, pants, socks and the like; they look to have been haphazardly tossed throughout the room, with some draped over the cabinets and shelves.
  4199. >It doesn't take a genius to guess the identity of their previous owner, nor does it take a genius to guess the source of the off-colour splotches that stain them.
  4200. >She can keep them, for all you care.
  4201.  
  4202. >A sudden rush of wintery wind slams the door shut behind you.
  4203. >Fuck—should've pushed the door open, not pulled it; rookie mistake, Anon.
  4204. >Thankfully, you're not left in complete darkness; some rays of light shine through the boarded windows, but you're still not too keen on fumbling through Fluttershy's house in the dark.
  4205. >You turn around and begin to make your way back to the entrance; you step on a old floorboard, which makes a loud creaking sound and snaps under your weight, making you stumble a little bit.
  4206. "Ah, shit."
  4207. >You'll send her a reimbursement for the damages later—if she even lives here any more, that is.
  4208. >You're about to move again when a sudden hissing sound resounds throughout the room, startling you.
  4209. >Did one of the critters not get the "abandoned cottage" memo?
  4210. >The noise came from somewhere above you, so you look up at the ceiling.
  4211. >You notice that some pieces of clothing are even stuck to the ceiling; you don't want to linger on how.
  4212. >But they're not the only thing stuck to the ceiling; over in one of the corners, you see what looks to be a bat hanging upside-down.
  4213. >Its eyes slowly open, revealing crimson irises that groggily scan the area; the cracked floorboard from moments ago must have disturbed it.
  4214. >Heh, bats. Takes you back to a couple days ago when—hold on.
  4215. >Bats don't usually have yellow fur, or pink manes.
  4216. >…Shit, she's gone feral.
  4217. "Fluttershy…? Is that you?"
  4218. >Her eyes shoot open upon hearing your voice, laser-focusing on your current position.
  4219. "It—it's been a while since anyone's seen you and…and…"
  4220. >Her wings unfurl and she detaches herself from the ceiling, quickly re-orienting herself and hovering right-side-up in the air.
  4221. "You seem a little different, y-you know? I was wondering wha—"
  4222. >And she screeches, rearing herself up as she prepares to lunge at you.
  4223. "Oh fuck!"
  4224. >You duck just in the nick of time as she sails over you, slamming against a wall.
  4225. >Quickly turning around, you see that she's recovered from the impact near instantaneously; she rears up, ready to charge you once more.
  4226. >You see pure, rabid hunger in those crimson eyes of hers.
  4227. >In a panic—you grab the nearest object to defend yourself: a discarded pillow; it's no baseball bat, but it'll have to do.
  4228. >She launches herself at your face and you raise the pillow to protect yourself.
  4229. >You succeed in blocking her, but the force sends you fumbling backwards; you can hear her chewing through the cotton in a desperate bid to get to you.
  4230. "Jesus fucking Christ, Fluttershy! This isn't my fetish!"
  4231. >The biting against the pillow suddenly stops.
  4232. >"…It isn't?"
  4233. >Wait, fucking what?
  4234.  
  4235. >You ever-so-slowly lower your mangled pillow to see a batty Fluttershy hovering in front of you, looking at you pensively.
  4236. >She touches down on the floor, sitting down on her haunches.
  4237. >The glare you give her is all the answer she needs.
  4238. >And so she spits out her bat fangs, lowering her gaze to the floor.
  4239. >"Of course it isn't… Why did I ever think otherwise."
  4240. >You stand up, crossing your arms.
  4241. "You mean you were just fucking pretending to be a feral bat? What the absolute shit is wrong with you?!"
  4242. >She winces at your words.
  4243. >"I…"
  4244. >She sniffles, eyes quickly tearing up.
  4245. >"I don't even know any more."
  4246. >She sobs to herself, burying her face in her forehooves.
  4247. >But you…you're speechless.
  4248. >She sees you again after a week, and the first thing she does is try to assault you yet again?
  4249. >Why the fuck did you even bother? Why the hell did you even care about what happens to her?
  4250. >You glance at the door; you should just leave, let her wallow in her misery.
  4251. >You should…but…
  4252. >Damn it.
  4253. >Fluttershy eventually looks back up to you, tears staining her face.
  4254. >"Why did you come here, Anon?"
  4255. >You take a deep breath, gathering all of the remaining good will that resides in your being.
  4256. "You haven't left your house in a week. Your friends were worried about you."
  4257. >She blinks at you and looks off to the side.
  4258. >"You don't have to try and lie to me to make me feel better. I don't deserve it."
  4259. "What do you mean you don't deserve it?"
  4260. >While no-one has asked you about her directly, you have received a few light-hearted jests from various ponies about the whereabouts of your "Yellow Yearner" in light of her absence.
  4261. >It got you thinking about how your shared escapades must have changed the public's perception of not just you, but her as well.
  4262. >She was considered a hero, once.
  4263. >And now…
  4264. >"Because nopony came to visit me. Nopony wants to see me, and I can't blame them, after everything I've done."
  4265. >You don't have a response for that; after everything that's happened, you agree with that sentiment.
  4266. >But still, there's still a part of you that can't bear to see her like this.
  4267. "Your house is a mess, Fluttershy. What about your animals?"
  4268. >"They're all over at the animal sanctuary not too far from here."
  4269. "You…you have an animal sanctuary?"
  4270. >She looks back to you.
  4271. >"Yes…I suppose I never told you about it, did I? I was always too busy trying to…to…"
  4272. >She sighs in defeat.
  4273. >"I'm…I'm stuck in the past, Anon. My animals and everypony else…they're all moving forward. You're moving forward, too, with…her."
  4274. "With Inky, you mean."
  4275. >"I…yes."
  4276. >She winces at your utterance of her name, but nods slightly.
  4277.  
  4278. >"As for me…I'm a complete laughing stock. All these years of making a utter fool of myself, a-and what do I have to show for it? Nothing. Couldn't even…couldn't even win the heart of the p-person that I love."
  4279. >It's true; she destroyed her own reputation, and damaged yours by association.
  4280. >And she did it all in order to feed her unhealthy obsession with you.
  4281. >It's enough to make you wonder—why?
  4282. "Why did you do it, Fluttershy? Back when I first rejected you—why didn't you just give up?"
  4283. >She looks off to the side.
  4284. >"I thought that if…if I had just kept trying, you'd eventually understand how I felt…and we'd finally be able live happily ever after."
  4285. >You're about to open your mouth to say something, but you hold your tongue and wait for her to continue; you get the feeling this is something she needs to let out.
  4286. >"No matter how long it took to convince you, I was certain that this would eventually be something we could look back on fondly—together.
  4287. >"But then she…Inky showed up, walking around in your house like she'd lived there all along."
  4288. >Her brow furrows.
  4289. >"I couldn't believe it: everything that I'd worked towards over all these years—and she just showed up and took it all in one day."
  4290. >You feel your gaze softening somewhat.
  4291. >"I…I didn't know what to do, I tried to copy what she did—I tried everything, but it wasn't working, nothing was. It tore me up inside, seeing the two of you get closer and closer by the day, knowing that you were slipping through my hooves."
  4292. >Her mouth quivers.
  4293. >"So then I…then I tried to r-rape you. Tried to take what I wanted by force.
  4294. >"I threatened you, demeaned you, said you were going to rot in the dungeons.
  4295. >"But it wasn't enough—I tried to get rid of Inky Rose too.
  4296. >"I tried to split you two up—so at the very least things could return to the way they were. That's what was going through my mind during…then. But I know that's no excuse for how I treated you—how I treated her.
  4297. >"When Inky confronted me in your room, I felt awful. I was terrified at what I'd become—what I was willing to sacrifice for you."
  4298. >Her face contorts into a grimace.
  4299. >"But…what terrified me even more was that…was that there was a part of me that didn't feel awful at all. It…"
  4300. >She gulps, shaking her head.
  4301. >"The truth is…I'm the one who deserves to rot in the dungeons. I'm a monster—a terrible, horrid excuse of a pony."
  4302. >She turns her head back to you.
  4303. >"So please…please just leave me be, Anon. Even looking at you now…it…it hurts so much. I won't bother you again, I promise."
  4304. >She lowers her gaze, staring at the floorboards.
  4305. >Fluttershy has just given you the go-ahead to exit the stage; she even said she won't bother you any more.
  4306. >You won, right?
  4307. >…So why are you sitting back down?
  4308.  
  4309. "Hey, Fluttershy?"
  4310. >She doesn't answer.
  4311. "I think I figured out why you were doing that bat thing earlier."
  4312. >You know she's listening, so you continue.
  4313. "We've been doing…this shit—this song and dance for so long now, I'm guessing you're just falling back onto a routine."
  4314. >"Routine?" she finally answers.
  4315. "Yeah, despite everything that's happened—everything that's changed, it's hard to kick those old habits, you know?"
  4316. >"…I guess."
  4317. "Bats aren't my fetish, by the way."
  4318. >"You said that already."
  4319. "Great, now you can write that one down."
  4320. >She raises her head to look at you with a perplexed expression.
  4321. >Eventually, she sighs, bringing in a topic of her own.
  4322. >"I just don't get it, Anon."
  4323. "Hm?"
  4324. >"What does she have that I don't?"
  4325. >She sniffles as she stares straight at you, teary-eyed.
  4326. >"What did I do wrong?"
  4327. "Do you want the list? I've got it back home."
  4328. >"…No, that's fine."
  4329. >She frowns to herself as she stares back at the floor.
  4330. >You still don't forgive her for what she's done, but talking with her like this brings back old memories—memories of a different Fluttershy.
  4331. "Hey, do you remember when we first met?"
  4332. >She closes her eyes and a small smile slowly forms on her face.
  4333. >"Of course I do."
  4334. "Big, scary, never-before-seen creature stumbled out of the Everfree and into the middle of Ponyville one day. I still remember the screams of terror."
  4335. >You chuckle.
  4336. "I never really understood it—you guys have got giant fire-breathing dragons and chickens that turn you into stone, but it's the hairless monkey that freaked you ponies out the most."
  4337. >"I can't speak for most ponies, but maybe it was because you were from a different dimension?"
  4338. "Maybe. Anyway—I was wandering through town, losing my marbles and trying to talk with one of you skittish horse-things."
  4339. >"And then we showed up."
  4340. >She opens her eyes and her smile widens ever so slightly.
  4341. >"To stop the 'latest threat to Equestria's harmony.'"
  4342. "Heh, I wasn't exactly a gracious visitor back then, was I?"
  4343. >"You weren't, but nopony could blame you for how you acted back then. You had just been thrown into an entirely new world—with no known way to get back to your old one. You had lost everything—you had nopony. I…I couldn't even imagine what that must've felt like."
  4344. "Yeah…if you didn't…well, if you didn't stand up for me back then, things might have gone differently."
  4345. >"I'm sure it would have turned out fine. It would have just taken a little bit longer to get you settled in, that's all."
  4346. "I dunno, I remember your friends looking just about ready to blast me with that rainbow beam of death. I'd say being petrified for a thousand years would've been more than a 'bit longer.'"
  4347. >"Even if they did, I know it wouldn't have done anything to you. The Elements of Harmony only affects those with evil intentions—and everypony knows you're a good person, especially now."
  4348. >A solemn frown slowly forms on her face.
  4349. >"But me…I wonder what the Elements would do to me now."
  4350.  
  4351. >A pensive frown forms on yours.
  4352. "I'm not gonna sugarcoat it, Fluttershy. What you did back there a week ago: it wasn't right—it was fucked up."
  4353. >She winces.
  4354. "And that's not even counting the harassment, stalking, and God knows whatever psychological trauma that you've put me through all these years."
  4355. >She opens her mouth to speak but you cut her off, continuing.
  4356. "But…at the same time, I don't want you to forget the kind pony that you are, the one that helped me get my shit together in Equestria when I had first arrived and lost everything."
  4357. >"I'm not that pony any more. I've changed."
  4358. >You have to agree—the Fluttershy that you encountered a week ago wasn't anything like the pony you once knew.
  4359. >After everything that has recently happened, part of you does wonder why you never gave her a chance in the first place.
  4360. >And then you remember how quickly she escalated her freaky-ass fetish game; you were already struggling with the concept of getting with a horse as it is.
  4361. >Methods aside, a part of you does understand why Fluttershy went to the lengths she did.
  4362. >She's afraid of losing what she's obsessively chased for far too many years, and she's fallen so deep down the rabbit hole of depravity that she struggles to climb back out.
  4363. >But despite everything that's happened, there's still a kind mare in there who regrets what she's done.
  4364. >And…if the Fluttershy you knew was able to change into the Fluttershy you know now, then maybe…
  4365. >Maybe she can change back?
  4366. >You take a deep breath—it's gonna take a lot of willpower to utter these next few words.
  4367. "…Hey, wanna start over?"
  4368. >A few moments are spent in silence as she registers what you had just said, then her eyes suddenly shoot open.
  4369. >"H-huh? Whuh—what?"
  4370. "You know, back before everything between us became so…strained."
  4371. >"B-but…but what about everything I've done? To you, Inky and everypony else?"
  4372. "We could go on and on about all that's happened between us, if you want."
  4373. >You take a pause, briefly reflecting on all that's transpired.
  4374. "But I don't think that's gonna be good for either of us. Both of us—we're gonna have to learn to move on and look forward."
  4375. >She stares at the floor.
  4376. >"I…I don't know if I can, or if I even I deserve it."
  4377. >You shake your head.
  4378. "Shit may have changed, for better or for worse. And it's no doubt gonna keep changing, too, but that doesn't mean you've gotta be left behind with the times."
  4379. >She looks up at you.
  4380. "And for my part, I'm willing to give you another chance—as a friend, provided you don't try any weird shit."
  4381. >"As a…friend?"
  4382. >You nod.
  4383. >After a few quiet moments of considering your words, she gazes off to the side in thought.
  4384. >"…What if I relapse, Anon? What if I…what if I try to hurt you again?"
  4385. "I'm not too worried about that any more."
  4386. >"Huh? Why's that?" She looks back at you.
  4387. "Because Inky will kick your ass if you try anything."
  4388. >"O-oh, right."
  4389.  
  4390. >Having a pony like Inky on your side is a pretty big confidence boost when dealing with the likes of Fluttershy.
  4391. >It's actually a big part of the reason you're extending this olive branch to her right now; as it turns out—goth mares make excellent insurance.
  4392. >"You're thinking about her right now, aren't you? I can see it in your smile."
  4393. >You make a mental note to keep training your poker face.
  4394. "O-oh, yeah."
  4395. >She smiles at you wistfully.
  4396. >"You love her, don't you?"
  4397. >It's simple question, yet it still manages to catch you off guard nonetheless—especially coming from her.
  4398. >It takes you a few moments to respond, but you have your simple answer ready.
  4399. "Yeah, I do."
  4400. >"You do…"
  4401. >She silently repeats your words to herself.
  4402. >"That's…okay."
  4403. >These creaky floorboards are beginning to chafe your ass, so you stand up.
  4404. >Fluttershy looks up at you.
  4405. >"Hey, Anon?"
  4406. "Yeah?"
  4407. >"Is herding your—"
  4408. "It's not, Fluttershy."
  4409. >"Oh."
  4410. >Her ears flatten.
  4411. >"I hope that didn't um…you know, turn you off the whole 'starting over' thing."
  4412. "Don't worry about it. I'm not expecting you to change overnight."
  4413. >A faint smile returns to her face.
  4414. >It is kind of a cute smile—when you forget the myriad of depraved intentions that it usually brings with it.
  4415. >You clear your throat.
  4416. "So, Fluttershy, friends?"
  4417. >In truth, perhaps the term "friends" is too optimistic to start off on, considering everything that has happened.
  4418. >Yet the word carries a hint of hope with it—the feeling that everything will turn out just fine.
  4419. >And with the New Year peeking around the corner, the hope for a fresh start feels stronger than ever.
  4420. >Part of you believes that inviting this mare back into your life will only spell more trouble down the line—you agree with it.
  4421. >Another part of you believes in her—believes in her capacity to change; you agree with that, as well.
  4422. >And a third part of you…misses the routine; you agree with that one, too.
  4423. >You hold out your hand.
  4424. >She holds out her right forehoof, her smile growing.
  4425. >You briefly retract your hand.
  4426. "Other hoof, I know where *that* one usually goes."
  4427. >She nervously grins and holds out her left forehoof, and you reach out to shake it.
  4428. >"Friends."
  4429.  
  4430. "By the way, I'm afraid I won't be returning that book you left at my house—I decided to burn it."
  4431. >"That's fine, it was probably for the best."
  4432. "Where did you get it? Twilight's library?"
  4433. >"Oh no, Discord gave it to me."
  4434. >You rub your forehead.
  4435. "…I should've known."
  4436.  
  4437. *** Day 31 ***
  4438.  
  4439. >The end of the current year is upon you, as is the beginning of the next.
  4440. >Trixie has organised a fireworks show in Ponyville to welcome in the new year.
  4441. >The fireworks smelled a bit dank though, so you have decided to watch the show from a safe distance—a very safe distance.
  4442. >You sit on top of a small hill—high enough to give you a good view, but low enough that you don't risk accidentally rolling down it to end up getting crushed by a piano.
  4443. >You're not the only one sitting here; a grey pegasus also sits beside you.
  4444. >One who has shaken up your life quite a bit during this past month.
  4445. >Inky Rose.
  4446. >The fireworks haven't started yet, so the two of you sit together in silence, staring at the night sky.
  4447. >You're reflecting on everything that has happened up to this point—and perhaps she is too.
  4448. >"Anon," Inky suddenly speaks up.
  4449. >You turn to look at her, she's looking back at you.
  4450. "What's up?"
  4451. >She purses her lips, perhaps psyching herself up for what she's about to say.
  4452. >"Gothmarriage isn't…well…"
  4453. >You place a finger to her snout.
  4454. "I know. I'm cool with it."
  4455. >As you remove your finger, she slowly blinks, mouth slightly open.
  4456. >And then she smiles.
  4457. >"Thanks."
  4458. >She takes a deep breath.
  4459. >"Sorry for not being upfront. I just…I've admired you for a while now. I just didn't know how to approach you."
  4460. >She briefly pauses.
  4461. >"So I thought I'd try what Fluttershy was doing. Be…assertive."
  4462. "Did that include trapping me in a dark ritual to bind my soul?"
  4463. >"She never tried that one."
  4464. "You're right, she didn't."
  4465. >You smirk at her.
  4466. "It's not my fetish, though."
  4467. >She chuckles.
  4468. >"I'm glad I worked up the courage. And…thanks for putting up with me."
  4469. >You reach out and give her a few scritches behind one of her ears; she leans into your hand as you do, humming quietly.
  4470. "I'm glad, too."
  4471. >Despite all the crazy shit that's happened, nothing got *too* out of hand, so you can't find it in you to hold it against her.
  4472. >As long as you ignore whatever cursed fuckery is going on in the Castle of Friendship.
  4473. >…You're probably going to have to deal with the repercussions of that at some point.
  4474. >But that's a problem for the Anonymous of Next Year.
  4475. >You retract your hand and briefly glance at the night sky once more, but you can hear Inky shuffle ever-so-slightly closer to you.
  4476. >Turning back to look at those blue eyes of hers, you're reminded of when you first woke up to them.
  4477. >And a question springs to mind.
  4478. "By the way—how did you get in my house in the first place?"
  4479. >She takes a couple of seconds to answer, an embarrassed blush building on her face.
  4480. >"…I snuck in through an open window and hid in the basement until you went to sleep."
  4481. "Ah, of course."
  4482. >You're not even surprised at this point.
  4483.  
  4484. >She nervously chuckles.
  4485. >"You can probably guess I'm not good at…romance."
  4486. "Neither am I, to be honest."
  4487. >You shuffle closer to her.
  4488. "But gothromance?"
  4489. >And she shuffles closer to you.
  4490. "I'd say we're pretty good at that."
  4491. >She smiles.
  4492. >"We are."
  4493. >Between all the shuffling that you two have been doing, it's only now that you realise how close you are to each other—how close your faces are.
  4494. >How one of her wings tentatively wraps around your back; how one of your arms wraps around hers.
  4495. >And how your lips meet.
  4496. >Right on cue—you hear fireworks going off in the background, and the faint cheers of ponies welcoming in the new year.
  4497. >Your eyes close, your lips part, and your tongues intersect, dancing around each other in harmony—or at least in as much harmony as a horse tongue and human tongue can get.
  4498. >The two of you lose yourselves in each other for what feels like aeons, but in reality—it can't have been more than a few minutes.
  4499. >You eventually pull back slightly, the both of you catching your breath—the both of you inadvertently sharing it as you do.
  4500. >"Wow."
  4501. "So…gothkiss, huh?"
  4502. >She squeaks out a light giggle.
  4503. >"I think that was just a kiss, Anon."
  4504. >She flutters her eyelashes at you, biting her bottom lip.
  4505. >"The gothkiss comes later."
  4506. >She leans in, resting her head on your shoulder.
  4507. >"Happy New Year," she whispers.
  4508. "Yeah…Happy New Year."
  4509. >The two of you watch the rest of the fireworks together in a comfortable silence.
  4510. >It's been a hell of a month.
  4511. >You've learned some very uncomfortable truths about the town you live in, and you almost got raped a couple of times.
  4512. >But you got a goth gf out of it, so it wasn't all bad.
  4513. >"Hey."
  4514. "Yeah?"
  4515. >She pulls back, giving you a smirk.
  4516. >"Wanna have gothsex when we get back home?"
  4517. >You return her smirk with one of your own.
  4518. "Yeah. Let's."
  4519. >The fireworks show has ended, and the new year has begun.
  4520. >Ponies head back to their homes, ready to sleep.
  4521. >Some of them no doubt wonder how they'll tackle things differently this year—how they'll greet the new day when they wake up.
  4522. >For your part—you already know how you're going to start the new year:
  4523. >Gothfucking Inky Rose.

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