Emptiness Pt. 5 (Finale)

>You gather up all the scattered pieces of paper and neatly tuck them in the record book
>This needs to be seen
>What happened here… it needs to be known
>…they need to be remembered
>You hold the book under your arm and relight your torch
>You approach the false wall
>And make your way through
>…You’ve returned to the dark, cavernous dungeon
>You sigh
>It’s time to find your way out of here
>Out of this whole mess…
>You walk out from the dead end hallway and around the corner, continuing down the direction the phantom mare was taking you
>The pathway continues straight, passing by many more caged off areas sunken in darkness
>Your light briefly and partially returns these relics of devices and tools to the world of the visible
>…there’s a lot of them
>How many p0nies were sent here…?
>Not to mention all the fillies and colts…
>…
>You turn your head away from them, trying to get it out of your mind
>How could this injustice go unnoticed for so long?
>…
>Well…
>You look down to the book and papers under your arm
>…you’re going to change that
>But who could you show it to…?
>Who could you tell?
>…Twilight of course
>She’ll take this seriously, and study these notes
>Probably can come back for the rest, too
>Although… Celestia is her teacher
>Whose side would she take…?
>…
>Twilight would do what’s right
>You could count on her…
>Right…?
>The pathway begins to twist slowly to the right
>As you gradually round this corner, your eye catches the grand stone steps at the end of the path
Finally…
>From the main part of the mansion, you could surely find a way out easier
>You pick up your pace, eager to escape
>Your peripherals still picking up the cells of torture around you
>Only a few more steps until—
>…wait
>You halt, and step backwards a bit
>From the side of your eyes…
>You swear…
>You walk up to the cell--
>One of the final cells here
>--And shine your torch into it
>It eats away at the darkness inside, making it a little easier to see
>It’s still hard, but you can definitely make it out
>That minty green and banana yellow stand out against the dull, metallic hues of the chamber
Bloody hell…
>You can’t fit your arm in any further, you can’t see the damage these two have undergone
>Are those two p0nies taking a lively nap?
>Or are you gazing upon two fresh p0ny corpses…
>…
>Only one way to find out
>You approach the gated cell door
>…It’s rusted shut completely
>Probably hasn’t been opened in decades…
>…
>Well, rust is weak, right?
>You back up a bit, get a walking start, lift up your leg, and kick hard
>The rusty, whiney clang grates against your ears, and swirls down the halls throughout the entire dungeon
>You back up once more and deliver another strong kick
>You hear what sounds like bolts snapping
>One more time, you deliver
>The gate cracks under the pressure, and caves into itself
>You grip its corners and push it in more, giving you more room to enter with
>You hold up your torch, and offer this room the full benefit of your light
>All kinds of things: knives, clamps, chains; rest on various tables
>A pendulum hangs from the ceiling in the back corner of the room
>But these are not your concern
>You approach the area you saw the pastel colors
>On a table rests Lyra
>She’s unbinded, but has several fresh, shallow cuts carved all across her body
>Some in various, recognizable shapes
>But the significance of these shapes are lost on you
>You approach her and place your hand on her chest
>…
>Up…
>Down…
>…Yeah, she’s alive
>You turn your head to the yellow one
>Fluttershy is strapped to a vertical table, upside down
>She has suffered much the same fate as Lyra
>But she’s still breathing
>You glance over to these two p0nies
>These two antagonistic rapists
>What were their motives…?
>Why you?
>You hardly even know them…
>…
>Well, a great impression they’ve made on you
>And now, here they lie
>Broken, unconscious
>In a deep, forgotten dungeon connected to P0nyville’s past
>A dungeon used for torture and punishment…
>…
>How fitting…
>You glance over their bodies
>…
You deserve this…
>You mutter
>You run your hand across Lyra’s body
I ought to just leave you two here to rot…
>You move your eyes to Fluttershy’s inverted state
>…
>You squat down…
>And move Lyra’s body onto your left shoulder
>You tuck the book and notes into the front of your jeans
>You approach Fluttershy and undo her bindings
>She drops down into your hands, and you hoist her over your right shoulder
I ought to…
>You sigh
But… I won’t.
>You stand still for a moment, thinking over your actions
>You break out in a smile, and let loose a single, breathy laugh
What am I doing…?
>You say, shaking your head and smiling
>You breathe deeply
I better not regret this…
>With an arm over Lyra for support, and just letting Fluttershy slump on her own, you leave the cell with the two mares on your shoulders
>You grip the torch in your right hand firmly as you approach the stairs
>Tripping… would be bad
>You carefully place one foot on the first step
>Then the other on the next
>And proceed up the steps
>After about fifteen minutes of careful, balanced climbing, you emerge at the top of the steps
>They lead up to a dead end, very similar to the one you started from behind the bookcase
>The torch you carry brilliantly illuminates the small area you’re in, and you easily notice a lever to the right
>You take your hand off of Lyra, grip the handle, and crank it down hard
>You hear gears and cogs turn behind the walls
>And the dead end in front of you slides to the right
>It grinds onto the floor below it, kicking up dust that gathered from ages upon ages of neglect
>As it opens, and the loud groan of stone-on-stone friction halts, the heavy rain once again becomes audible
>Ahh…
>Back to the first floor
>You step out of the hidden passage and lift up your torch
>You appear to be in some kind of storage area
>In relation to where you are in the mansion, you haven’t the slightest
>But you best get moving
>You weave around a few cabinets and shelving units, until you’re out a door, back into the main corridors
>They unsettle you a little bit
>…
>But…
>As you step into them…
>…And glance up on your shoulders…
>…You realize there’s not nearly as much reason to fear these halls as there was earlier
>You let out a single sigh of relief
>And continue down aimlessly though the mansion
>There are no windows
>And everything looks the same
>How did any of the children staying here even know where they were?
>Maybe they didn’t
>Those poor fillies and colts…
>…
>You try to put the thought out of your mind
>You’ll be doing them justice
>You’ll bring their case to the light
>The public will see…
>You nod to yourself
Yeah…
>”…uhhh…”
>A groan comes from your left shoulder
>You bolt your head in that direction
>Lyra’s head moves slightly
>Well… look who might be waking up
>You bob your shoulder up and down, shaking her
Hey.
>You call in a whisper
Lyra. Lyra, wake up.
>She stirs just a little, then lies motionless again
>You shake her some more
>But she doesn’t respond
>You sigh
>Not yet, you suppose…
>You continue pressing on
>Each lift of the leg seems harder than the last
>You’re exhausted after this whole ordeal
>You trudge along
>Leg after leg
>Until
>You step in something… cool
>Like your leg was placed in front of an air conditioned for a second
>You glance down quickly
>But nothing looks out of the ordinary
>…
>There it is again
>A cold feeling around your leg
>You stop in your tracks, and focus
>Looking around
>…
>…
>There…
>…a white wisp
>About the size of a young filly
>It fades in and out of visibility
>You look down to your feet
>It wraps around your legs a few times
>…it’s so cold
>You think you hear a soft giggle
>And it disappears
>…
>It reappears a few feet in front of you, making its way down the hall
>…
>You begin walking again
>Picking up the pace
>You make lengthy strides, keeping up with this odd wisp
>It disappears and reappears constantly
>But you always seem to know where it’s going
>It rounds a few corners
>You follow it intently
>Could it be…?
>You think you see other wisps pass you by
>Standing around, or heading the other direction
>Are these…?
>You continue following it
>Windows start appearing at the sides of the corridors
>Moonlight pours in once more
>The little wisp swirls around the squares of light that shadow each window
>…how playful…
>After a few minutes of walking, the hallway begins to open up
>You see a grand staircase to your left
>Large windows to your right
>Over a large door
>You stop, and look up
>Observing this magnificent hall
>…
>Yes…
>This is the main entrance
>The one Fluttershy used
>You’re back…
>You glance over to the door
>…
>A small shape is perched in front of it
>…you smile
>You walk slowly over to the door
>The green maned filly slowly becomes more visible
>Her yellow fur shines brilliantly, yet eerily, in the moonlight
>You approach her, and do your best to kneel down to her level
>Her eyes meet yours
>…
>”…you’re helping mommy, aren’t you?” she asks, twisting her body back and forth
>You nod at her
Yes. Not just her, though.
>You motion to her
You.
>You turn your head away from her, to the main hall
All of you.
>Your voice echoes into the vast space
>You think you hear various murmurs and giggles
>But over the rain, it’s hard to hear
>You turn back to the filly
>She’s smiling
>”Thank you, mister.”
>You smile back
And thank you.
>She closes her eyes and giggles
>She slowly begins to lose her color
>Her shape becomes less solid
>She fades to white
>Then becomes clear
>And fades away completely
>…just like that… she’s gone
>…
>A sound echoes throughout the hall
>The sound of a turning lock
>You look up to the grand door in front of you, and stand
>Grabbing the handle, you squeeze and push
>It creaks open slowly
>It’s a heavy door
>And with that, you step onto the front porch of the mansion
>Finally free…
>At last…
>You drop the torch down in front of you
>The impact puts out your trusty flame
>You step over to the edge of the wooden awning above you
>The rain is still coming down, hard as ever
>Beyond it lays the thick, dark woods of the Everfree Forest
>You grit your teeth
>…
>You dip your left shoulder, shifting the weight of the unconscious Lyra
>It briefly moves to your arm, and you use that moment to push her
>She less than gracefully falls from your possession, into the rain, and hits the muddy ground with a thwap
>She groans again
>The thick drops of rain pelt her and splash upon her face
>Eventually, she’s brought back to the world of the waking
>She groggily opens her eyes
>Then, they shoot wide open
>Her pupils shrink, and they dart around
>She starts hyperventilating
>She finally notices you, and her eyes meet yours
>She screams at the top of her lungs, covering her face with her hooves
>”N-No! P-Please! Leave me alone!!”
>You place Fluttershy down next to you, less than gently, and step into the rain yourself
>You grip Lyra by her neck fur and shake her
Lyra!
>She looks at you, panicked
>You slap her across the face
Lyra! Wake the fuck up!
>You backhand her the other way
>She’s letting out pants and silent whimpers
Lyra!
>You say again, finally getting her attention
We’re out! It’s done, we’re gone! We never have to set foot in there again!
>She’s still whimpering
>…
>Come to think of it…
>You don’t even know what’s happened to her
>She may be traumatized
>…
>You’d be lying if you said you cared immensely
>Not that you’re heartless, but…
>…she deserved it
Lyra!
>You call again
>You have her full attention
>She look at you, panting
>…you calm down a little
>…
Get us out of here. Take us to P0nyville. Now.
>She looks to you surprised for a moment
>Then nods
>You walk back over to Fluttershy, pick her up, and get next to Lyra
Let’s go.
>”O-Okay…”
>And with a flash, you leave the porch of the mansion forever

>You reappear in P0nyville square
>It is only a light drizzle this far out
>Lyra stands next to you shaking
>You hold Fluttershy in your arms
>You look down to her
>Her eyes meet yours
>You dig them deeply into hers
>Her eyes contort a bit…
>She whimpers
>…shame
>…yes, shame
>She knows
>She knows what she did
>And what YOU did
>She knows very well
>She opens her mouth, but no words come out
>You shake your head
Here.
>You place Fluttershy on her back.
Take her home. Then get out. I don’t ever want to see you again.
>Lyra looks shocked
>Her mouth opens again
>…but she gives up
>She droops her head to the ground, ears falling flat
>”…o-okay.”
>And with that, she walks slowly off, head hanging
>You watch her go into the distance
>…
>Right
>You reach into your pants and pull out the book
>You tuck it under your shirt to protect it from rain
Alright…
>The library isn’t far
>Time to get going

>You don’t bother knocking
>You grip the handle and head right inside
>The room is lit so nicely, every inch illuminated
>It’s nice to finally be in a room not obscured by eerie darkness
Twilight.
>You call, as you close the door behind you
>You hear a shuffling from the other room
>”A-Anon!?”
>Galloping hooves sound off closer and closer
>Twilight rounds the corner, and sees you
>Beat up, muddy, wet, a curved bloodstain on your shirt by your chest
>She gallops over and hugs your stomach
>”Anon! What happened!? I was so worried!”
It’s okay, Twilight. I’m alright.
>”Where did you go!? I’m sorry, I just panicked! I had no idea what I was doing, and—“
Don’t worry.
>You say sternly
>She releases you from her hug and backs up a bit
>She can tell in your voice
>You have something of importance to say
>You take a breath
Twilight, we really need to talk. Where I went… I—
>”Actually, Anonymous…” you hear from the other room, where Twilight came from
>Hooves clop slowly toward you
>They get closer and closer
>Until…
>Princess Celestia emerges
>…
>”WE need to talk.”
>Your heart sinks
>You put on a stern face
>And you glare at her
>She looks no more happy to see you
>Twilight looks at you both
>”It’s okay, Anon. She’s here to help.”
>You look down to her
>”When I teleported you, I… I panicked. I wrote a letter to Princess Celestia about it, and she came right away. She’s been trying to locate you ever since.”
>”And I had located him.”
>You glance over to her
>”Y-You did…?” Twilight asks
>She nods
>”Twilight Sparkle… please, may Anonymous and I have a moment to talk?”
>She walks closer
>”Alone?”
>You stare daggers into her
>You could cut the tension with a knife
>Twilight notices this
>”Oh, um. O-Okay…”
>She trots over to the other room
>She looks back at you one more time, then leaves
>…
>You hold the book in your hand, glaring right into the eyes of the Princess herself
>Celestia does not look amused
>”…I know where you were, Anonymous.”
So you say.
>She squints her eyes more
>”…how Twilight sent you there, I have no idea. I’d like to believe it coincidence.”
Probably was.
>You grip the book tighter in your hand
>…
>Celestia notices this
>”But… it seems it was no coincidence you found that.”
>She glances down to the book in your hands
>You let out a sarcastic laugh
Found more than just this. There’s a whole record of them.
>You crouch down just a little, to get to her eye level
I know, Celestia.
>She doesn’t flinch
I know. And these p0nies need to know too.
>She scoffs
>”And what was your plan? To come here, and share this book? With who, Twilight? My student?”
>You glare at her
>”Who would she believe? Me, the Princess of Equestria and her mentor? Or you, some monkey who strolled in, unannounced and unwanted?”
>You grip the book tighter
I have proof.
>She smiles
>A sinister smile
>”So you do. And you’ll give it to me.”
>Your heart skips a beat
>You stand up, and hold the book behind your back
…no. No, I won’t.
>”You will.”
>Celestia gets closer
>”You know, Anonymous…”
>She starts pacing around you
>”That mansion… its basement, more specifically… has been out of use for some time. I’m sure you’ve noticed.”
>You don’t say anything
>”But… that doesn’t mean…”
>She gets right to your ear
>”Its practices are…”
>Your eyes widen a little
>”Now…”
>She paces away, not facing you
>”You can give me that book now… and maybe I’ll forget about this whole ordeal.”
>You’re still silent
>”Or…”
>She turns to face you
>”I can have you, or anyp0ny you love, sent back to that age of torture.”
>Your heart pangs a great shock
>It rattles your soul
>She smirks, and glances away
>To the room Twilight retreated in
>”Are we in agreement…?” she asks, turning back toward you
>…
>You’re… speechless
>How could you let this happen?
>How could Twilight bring her into this…?
>…she didn’t know
>How would she…?
>”Are we?” she asks again
>A yellow aura has surrounded the book in your hands
>It softly tugs away from you
>You hold on to it
>Just barely
>Your eyes are wide, mouth hanging slightly open
>You look up
>…
>and sigh
>You release your grip
>The book slowly floats over to Celestia
>She smugly smiles
>”…good. I’m glad we’re seeing eye-to-eye, Anonymous.”
>You squint your eyes at her once more
>She’s got that shit-eating grin on her face
>”I don’t think I need to remind you to stay quiet about this.”
>You say nothing
>…
>…
>”…goodbye, Anonymous.”
>And with that, she teleports
>Disappearing, with your evidence, away from the library
>…
>…
>You’re really shaken up
>Your body trembles slightly
>You walk slowly over to the couch and sit down
>And bury your face into your hands
>…
>Twilight trots out from the other room
>”Did… did the Princess leave?”
>You don’t respond
>She noticed your state
>She quickly trots over
>”Anon… are you alright?”
>You move your hands from your eyes
>Cupping your nose and mouth, you gaze over to Twilight
>She has such a look of concern on her face
>…
>She’s trying to read you
>You take a silent breath
>…
Yeah, Twi. Yeah, I’m alright.

>You are Princess Celestia
>And that was too close of a call
>You teleport into the study of your castle
>The ancient book Anonymous had brought back from the manor hovers in front of you
>You crack it open, and quickly glance over all of the papers and notes inside
>You laugh
>You walk over to your sitting area
>Tossing the book into the fireplace as you do
>It lands onto the wood, and quickly, the flames engulf the pages
>Cleansing it from existence
>Removing it from reality
>…
>Good
>You sit down, and begin thinking
>Why did Twilight take him there?
>Was it accidental?
>It must have been
>She has no knowledge of the history of P0nyville, other than Granny Smith’s tales
>And we all know how reliable those are
>…
>Still…
>She gave Anonymous power, however unintentionally, that he shouldn’t have had
>…
>And knowledge that he shouldn’t have
>…
>She needs to be punished
>…but how…?
>Physically?
>…
>No, too extreme
>Mentally?
>…
>No, her mind is brilliant, it would simply be a waste
>Emotionally…?
>…
>Yes, perfect
>An emotional lashing will do her well
>And keep her in line
>…
>And this Anonymous…
>…
>…you’ve taken a serious risk letting him live here in your land
>And look what it’s brought you…
>Nothing but trouble…
>He’s nothing… nothing but a nuisance…
>…
>…it’s time to get rid of him
>He’s stuck around long enough
>…and how will you go about this?
>…
>You smirk
>A devilish idea comes to mind
Ahh…
>Why not kill two birds with one stone?
>Yes… it’ll be perfect
>You hover a quill and paper over to you
>…
>You know a student of yours can never deny your orders
>No student can or will
>Not even Benedine did…
>…You smile maliciously
>And press quill to paper

To my Faithful Student Twilight Sparkle…

End of Emptiness