Chapter Twentyone

> Rage boiled inside you, it took every ounce of your willpower not to shoot Twilight immediately
> But first you needed answers
“How did you find me?” you demand, tightening the grip on your bow
> “The arrows at the market,” Twilight explains, her voice cold, “You’re the only one who uses a weapon like that.”
> “Being so far north, it only made sense you were heading to Gryphonia. After teleporting to the market, I simply had to follow the remains from your camps north.”
> “It was easy really, you left a lot of evidence.” she elaborates, “Pretty sloppy work Anon, your father taught you better than that.”
“You don’t get to talk about my father!” you snap, anger building
> “You’re going to pay for what you did Twilight.” Gilda threatened, claws digging into the dirt
> “Oh, hello Gilda.” Twilight said dismissively, as if noticing her for the first time, “It figures you would team up with it, you have so much in common.
> There it was again, that damn ‘it’
> “I can’t believe I actually welcomed you into P0nyville,” Twilight continues, sounding disgusted, “If I had known what a monster you really were…”
> “I’m going to flay you alive for that.” Gilda sneered
“No Gilda.”
> Gilda turns toward you, confused
“I need you to stand out on this one.”
> “What?” she exclaims, outraged, “Are you trying to showboat here Anon? I’m not going to stand aside and let her-“
“Gilda,” you cut her off, your voice stern, “I need to do this myself.”
> You look her in the eye, those golden irises full of determination and fury
“Please Gilda.”
> She meets your gaze, silent for a few moments
> “Alright, fine.” She consents
> “But if you kick the bucket on this,” she continues, jabbing your chest with one claw, “I’m never going to forgive you.”
 “I got this.” You nod
> With a mighty flap from her wings, Gilda launches herself straight up into the air, disappearing above the branches
> “Aw, how touching.” Twilight taunts
“Shut up.” You answer, drawing your bow, “Get ready.”
> “I should have done this a long time ago.” Twilight sneers, leveling her horn, “Sparing you even for a moment was a mistake.”
“Funny. I was just thinking the same thing.” You reply, taking aim
> Twilight fired first, sending a blast of magical energy straight at your chest
> The guard unicorn’s attack paled in comparison to this. While his was a bolt, Twilight’s was a veritable lightning blast.
> The air burned and ionized as it arced toward you, but you held your ground, trusting the stone in your pocket to do it’s job
> Sure enough, mere inches before impact, the spell fizzled out into nothingness
> Twilight stared in shock, seeing her attack fail so completely
“Sorry! No magic!” you taunt, releasing the arrow
> The arrow flew forth, heading straight for her throat
> Twilight reacted quickly, forming a magical barrier around her, stopping the arrow and letting it fall harmlessly to the ground
> Damn, you should have expected her to have magical defenses. At least she can’t attack, you’ll break through eventually
> Twilight glared at you, her horn lighting up once again
> Instead of another magical bolt, multiple large stones and logs lifted themselves from the ground, hovering around her.
> Oh fuck, she may not be able to effect you, but she can still effect the things around you
> Twilight began launching the makeshift projectiles at you in a thick barrage
> You dodge desperately, fist sized rocks whizzing past your head at deadly speeds
> You roll for cover, diving into the thick foliage for protection
> The barrage stops as Twilight loses track of you, her eyes scanning the brush for the slightest sign of movement
> A direct approach isn’t going to work here, you need to surprise her, get past her defenses.
> You slowly draw another arrow, stealthily working your way around for a better shot
> “You can’t beat me Anon!” Twilight taunted, levitating more ammunition around her, “I know everything about you! I know you better than you know yourself!”
> “For example,” she continued, “That is a recurve bow, draw weight of fifty pounds. You built it when you were sixteen with wood from a tree in your back yard. You can shoot an aimed shot once every seven seconds.”
> Your gut wrenches. She was right, she had seen all of your memories. She knew everything about you
> “Right now you’re relying on stealth in favor of a direct attack. You’re stalking me like prey being hunted. But I’ve noticed something even you haven’t about the way you hunt.”
> She turned suddenly, looking straight at you
> “You always circle to the right!”
> She resumes the onslaught, sending rocks and debris tearing through the brush
> You duck and stumble awkwardly, caught off guard by the sudden attack
> The projectiles hammer into your body, knocking the breath out of you. It felt like your ribcage was being shattered.
> A rock smashes into your forehead. Your vision swims as blood begins running down your face
> You stumble backwards, desperately clinging to consciousness
> You barely make out Twilight levitate your fallen arrow into the air, sending it straight at your face
> You turn your head to dodge, the arrow missing your eye by mere centimeters
> But it was still several centimeters too little
> You howl in pain as the broadhead slices through your ear, shearing off cartilage and tearing flesh
> Another rock smashes into your wrist, sending your bow flying from your grasp
> No! You can’t lose your bow!
> You clumsily dive for your weapon, arm outstretched
> Just before your fingers brush against the smooth wood, the bow is snatched away in a faint purple aura
> You watch as the bow floats over to Twilight, stopping above her head
> Twilight grins as the bow begins to slowly flex, bending farther than it was ever intended to.
> It physically hurt to watch. You had that bow for years. Thousands of hours of shooting had made it an extension of your body. This was like watching your own arm being cut off.
> With a sickening *CRACK*, the bow snaps in half, the two limbs falling to the floor.
> Pure dread takes over. You lost your bow. Without it, what could you do?
> You could call for Gilda, but she would be at Twilight’s mercy without the meteorite’s protection.
> You dive behind a tree as Twilight resumes her bombardment, the projectiles thundering against the trunk
> You’re body was beaten and bruised. Hot blood ran down the side of your face, staining the shoulder of your coat
> You couldn’t run, you’d never get far in this condition.
> You slowly come to a cold realization
> Twilight had you completely at her mercy
> There was nothing you could do
> It was inevitable from the beginning
> You were going to die here
> No
> No, you refuse
> Fuck you, fate
> FUCK YOU, DESTINY
> You unsheathe your knife, clenching your teeth
> You’re not done, not yet
> You still have some fight left in you
> You grip the hilt tightly as Twilight continues to shoot debris against the trunk, the wood beginning to chip and splinter
> A crazy plan forms in your head, but you’ll take crazy at this point
> Twilight may know everything about you, but she’ll never understand you
> You turn around and begin climbing the tree, your beaten body groaning in protest
> You push through the pain, you need to be a just the right height for this to work
> Twilight sees your movement, halting her barrage
> “You won’t be able to hide up there Anon!” she calls out
> True, I normally only climb tree to hide, but I’m not hiding this time.
> You continue to work your way upward, the abused trunk creaking beneath you from the added weight
> Twilight closes her eyes in concentration, the large boulder you sat on earlier slowly rising into the air
> With visible strain, she hurls the boulder at the base of the tree
> The trunk shatters in a shower of wooden splinters
> The tree sways precariously as you cling to the branches.
> You lean forward, using your weight to direct the fall
> Your stomach shifts as the tree accelerates, falling to the ground
> Twilight’s eyes go wide as she realizes your plan, but it’s far too late now
> You leap from the falling tree, sailing through the air with your knife raised high, unleashing a mighty war cry
> Twilight raises her magical barrier as you plummet down on her
> You bring down the blade at the last moment, focusing all your strength and momentum into this one strike
> The metal clashes against the magical shield, sending arcs of energy in all directions
> The shield held for a moment, before shattering with a sound like breaking glass
> The released energies send you flying onto your back as the tree crashes into the ground, shaking the earth around you
> Twilight stumbles backwards, her eyes unfocused and her head rolling
> You leap back onto your feet, running forward and closing the distance
> Before Twilight regains her composure, you tackle her, smashing your left fist into her face
> You pin her under your arm as she falls onto her back.
> She struggles, trying the get off a spell, but she’s too close to you and the stone.
> You press the knife against her throat, stopping her protests
 “Why…” you hiss, blood from your wounds dripping into her face
> She remains silent, her eyes full of hate and loathing
“Why?” you repeat, your voice growing firmer
> She refuses to speak, her gaze challenging you
> You life her up by the scruff of her neck, slamming her back into the earth
“Dammit, why?” you shout, your composure breaking, “Why can’t you and Celestia just leave me alone? I was leaving! I don’t want anything to do with you damn p0nies!
> “Celestia…called off the search... weeks ago.” Twilight wheezed out from under your choking grasp
“Then why are you here? What do you want?” you demand, loosening your grip so she can talk
> “I wanted you to pay for what you did,” Twilight sneers, “For what you caused.”
> You raise her into the air again and slam her down
“I have done nothing!” you scream into her face, “I never did anything to you!”
 > “You took Rainbow from me!” Twilight shouts back
> Her response renders you speechless for a few moments
“Explain. Now.”
> “You couldn’t have escaped on your own. You must have had help.” Twilight elaborates, beginning to rant, “It didn’t take long to pin down Rainbow.”
> “She confessed too. At her trail she yelled at Celestia! She was charged with treason!”
> Tears begin forming in her eyes, from both grief and hatred
> “I watched her hang! I watched her die because of you! It’s your fault!”

> You were stunned. Rainbow Dash was executed? For helping you?
> And Twilight blamed you… was it really your fault?
> No, Rainbow knew the consequences of her actions, it was her choice
> It wasn’t your fault
> But it still filled you with rage. Rainbow was killed for doing the right thing. She was the first understanding p0ny you ever met.
> You owed your very life to her, and now she was dead
“You could have done something to stop it.” You growl at Twilight.
> “But she confessed!” Twilight shouts, “What could I have possibly done?”
“Something! Anything! You stood by and let it happen!”
> “I didn’t just stand by! I testified! I told everyone what you were! I told them what horrible monster she unleashed!”
> If you were angry before, it didn’t hold a candle to your seething fury now
> You tighten the grip on her neck, nearly squeezing the lie out of her
“You testified against your own friend, and you blame me for what happened!?!” you scream into her face, “You’re a sick bastard Twilight!”
> You raise your knife high into the air, the gleaming blade catching the sunlight
“I’m putting an end to this once and for all!”
> You couldn’t force yourself to bring down the knife all those months ago
> Now, it was so easy.
> Twilight howls in pain as you strike her with the knife
> You raise it into the air again, bringing it down in another savage strike
> Twilight squirms and struggles beneath your grip, but she can’t escape from under your weight
> You continue to strike again and again, letting your anger and fury take over
> You hated her, you hated her so much
> She tortured you
> She twisted your memoires into nightmares
> She tried to kill you
> She let your savior die
> You wanted to make sure she could never harm anyone again
> Tears of grief, pain, and anger stream down Twilight’s face
> It doesn’t move you. You were far beyond having any pity for her
> The knife became stuck, refusing to budge
> You work the blade back and forth, trying to free it
> The movements cause Twilight to enter another bout of painful wails
> Finally, with a loud *CRACK* the blade comes free, Twilight’s severed horn falling into the dirt.
> You stand up, pocketing the broken and cracked horn
> You don’t know if they could reattach it, better be sure they can’t
> Twilight looks at you with bloodshot and ragged eyes, her face streaked from tears
> “Why?” she asks, gingerly rising to her feet, her voice hoarse
“I’m not going to become the monster you think I am Twilight.” You answer, collecting the remnants of your bow from the ground
“Not matter what you do to me. No matter how much you torment and push me, I will never give in.”
> You point at her forehead, at the cracked stub that was once her horn.
“I want you to remember, every moment of every day, that I could have killed you. I want you to never forget that you were wrong about me.”
> Twilight glares at you with that same burning hatred, but there’s something else, resignation
> She knows the can’t do anything now, it’s over
> It’s finally over
> With a defeated sigh, she turns to walk away
> She only makes a few steps before you hear something above the canopy
> The soft flapping of wings, followed by an avian screech of fury and rage
> A brown blur pierces through the branches, pouncing upon Twilight.
> Gilda holds Twilight up by the base of her neck, her other talon closed around her throat
> “No!” Gilda shouts, “She doesn’t get to walk away from here!”
“Gilda! What are you doing?” you ask, running over to her
> Twilight kicks feebly in the air, gasping for breath
> “I’m not letting her get away!” Gild continues, raising her claw behind her, “She’s going to pay for what she let happen to Rainbow, and for what she did to you!”
“Gilda, no!” you command, grabbing her wrist
> Gilda turns toward you, murderous intent in her eyes, “Let go of me Anon! She deserves to die!”
“Don’t you think I know that?” You answer, holding her wrist firm, “Don’t you think I wanted to kill her?”
> You look into Gilda’s eyes, trying to reach her.
“But we’re better than this,” you continue, your voice growing soft, “You’re better than this Gilda.”
> Gilda’s struggles against your grip slowly grow weaker as you stare into each other
“Don’t prove them right. Please” you plead, “This isn’t what Rainbow would’ve wanted.”
> You could see the anger slowly melt away in Gilda’s eyes
> With a cry of frustration, she drops Twilight unto the ground
> Twilight coughs and sputters, trying to regain her breath
> “Leave” Gilda commands, her voice impassive
> Twilight slowly rises to her feet and begins awkwardly walking away
> “I said scram!” Gild shouts, sending Twilight running into the foliage

> You stand up, sheathing you knife and painfully cracking your back
> Your bout with Twilight seems to have opened old wounds, and well as give you some new ones
> You had accumulated countless black bruises all over your body, and almost all the cartilage of your left ear had been torn off.
> You take a few steps back and inspect your work
> You were in small grassy clearing at the crest of a hill. You had a sweeping view of the pine forest, the mountains of Gryphonia standing majestically behind you
> You and Gilda both agreed this was a good spot
> In the center of the clearing was a large boulder, a simple inscription etched into the surface
RAINBOW DASH
981L.B. – 01A.B.
A TRUE AND LOYAL FRIEND
> Traitors in Equestria don’t get graves. Rainbow deserved to have this at least
> You shift your feet awkwardly, you were always bad at these sort of things
> Clearing your throat, you begin
“Hey Rainbow Dash, it’s Anon. I know we never got the chance to know each other… but I wish we did.”
> You take a deep breath. You can get through this.
“I never truly got to thank you either. I don’t think I could ever thank you enough for what you did, for what you gave up for me.”
> You reach behind you, taking out a small bundled of broken wood and string
“I wanted to give you this… it’s my old bow. I know it’s broken, but it got me through a lot. Maybe it will give you luck…wherever you are.”
> You kneel down, placing the bundle at the base of the boulder
“I promise you Rainbow, I won’t waste what you’ve given me. I promise.”
> You stand up, walking over to where Gilda stood a few feet away.
> She kept her gaze fixed on the horizon. She hadn’t spoken in for a long time.
“You going to be ok Gilda?” you ask
> “Griffons… Griffons don’t cry” she croaks, her voice breaking
> Her voice was like a stab to your heart. She was putting on a brave face, but you could hear the great pain and sadness in her voice
> You didn’t know Rainbow, her passing still hurt you, but that couldn’t compare to the grief that Gilda was facing right now.
> You wanted to help. You and Gilda watched out for each other, that’s just what you did. You needed to do something to ease the pain.
> You look upwards at the sunny, flawless blue sky
“Looks like rain.” You comment
> Gilda looks at you, confused
> “What…What are you talking about?”
“Yup, looks like it could rain any second now.” You repeat, keeping your eyes turned toward the sky
> Gilda turns away, divining your meaning
> You keep looking upward, listening to the rain begin to fall