Chapter Seven

> Your thoughts are interrupted as you hear something upstairs
> A faint, slow rhythmic thumping
> It sounds familiar, but you can’t quite place it…
> Music, there was music upstairs
> Why were they playing music?
> You strain your ears, focusing on the faint noise
> Yup, definitely music
> The music goes on for a couple hours, changing songs every couple of minutes
> Occasionally you make out the sounds of laughter
> So there was a party upstairs?
> A party for what?
> Were they celebrating your imminent demise?
> No, that’s not right. You recognize the melody of this next song
> It was “Happy Birthday”
> So it was a birthday party upstairs
> You find it a bit ironic, celebrating birth on the eve of your execution
> You lean back against the wall, listening to the faint melodies come and go
> You’re interrupted as the lights flash on, stinging your pupils
> The music is loud and clear for a moment, before the closing basement door cuts it off again
> Great, Twilight’s back. What could she possibly want?
> You’re surprised to see it’s not Twilight descending the stairs
> It’s that cyan pegasus with the rainbow mane from a few days ago
> she keeps glancing behind her as she quietly works her way down, as if worried someone is following her
> reaching the bottom, she turns to look at you, her eyes filled with the same grief as before
> “Hey.” she says, taking a few tentative steps toward you
> “You can understand me, right? You can speak? My name is Rainbow Dash”
> Of course, the pink pony is named ‘Pinkie’, and the one with the rainbow mane is named ‘Rainbow’.
> The names here are terrible
> That white unicorn was probably named ‘Ivory’ or ‘Milk’
> “Look,” she continues, “I know you probably don’t trust me, but believe me when I say I want to help you.”
> She takes a few steps forward, now within the radius of your chain
> “Do you trust me?” she asks, her eyes pleading
> You grunt and nod in affirmation
> “Okay,” she says, sounding relieved “Can I remove your gag?”
> You nod and turn around, allowing her to reach the back of your head
> You feel her grab it in her teeth, and shortly after the cloth is pulled away
> You turn back to her, only a few feet away
> It’s been so long since you spoke, the movements feel strange and foreign in your mouth
“Why?”
> “Because I don’t just know what you are, I also understand what you are” She explains
> “I know the difference between a carnivore and a monster. An… old friend taught me the difference a long time ago.”
> She becomes solemn and distant, lost in her own thoughts
> Another burst of laughter from upstairs snaps her back to attention
> “Listen, I can’t stay here long, I have to get back to the party before I’m missed. But I can get you out of here.”
“What? How?”
> “I spiked the punch bowl upstairs. Twilight’s a real lightweight, so she’ll be out like a candle all night”
> “Also,” she continues, reaching behind her into the fold of her wing, “I was able to swipe this while everyp0ny was distracted”
> She produces a small iron key, placing it on the floor between you
> Your eyes go wide at the sight of it. That was the key to your freedom!
“What are you waiting for then? Get these things of me!”
> “Not yet” she says, her expression growing serious, “I need you to do something for me first”
> What? What could she want from you while you’re imprisoned like this?
> “I need you to promise you won’t come after any of my friends. Twilight included.”
> “I let you go and you leave. You don’t seek revenge, you don’t ever come back. You just leave and go live your life”
> You can’t help but feel outraged at her demand. Did she have any idea what you’ve been through down here?
> You’ve been humiliated, violated, and starved. And now she’s asking you to just move on?
> Reluctantly, you realize you have no choice but to agree
“Alright, fine. I promise”
> She narrows her eyes, searching your expression for any signs of deceit
> “Alright then.” she says, apparently satisfied
> She grabs the key in her mouth and moves behind you
> You sigh in relief as the manacles drop away from your ankles and wrists
> You painfully and slowly rise to your feet, working through days of constant cramps and discomfort
“Thank you. What do we do now?”
>”Now, I have to get back to the party, I’ve been down here far too long already.”
> “You stay down here for now, wait for an hour or two after the music stops to make sure no p0ny is still around, then you’re free to go”
“Alright, got it” you affirm as Rainbow moves to the stairs
> She stops on the first step, looking back at you
> “You know, I never did learn your name”
“Anon”
> “Well then, goodbye Anon, and good luck.”
> The party continues upstairs for about another hour
> you pass the time stretching, reveling in the ability to move your limbs freely again
> Eventually the music upstairs ends.
> It won’t be long now, you’ll finally get out of here
> The next hour is the longest of your life as you wait until the coast is clear
> When you think enough time has passed, you creep your way up the stairs
> You wince as a few of the steps creak under your weight, but you seem to be undetected
> At the top of the stairs, your press your ear against the door, listening for the slightest noise
> Hearing nothing, you push open the door and step outside
> You find yourself in a small, deserted library, the walls lined with bookshelves filled to the brim
> In the center is a large circular table with a wooden equine statue in the middle
> This room was definitely the site of a party, confetti covers the floor and several punch glasses rest on the table
> A long banner hangs on the wall, with ‘Happy Birthday Twilight’ written in large bold letters
> And on the floor lies the purple unicorn herself
> She’s sprawled on her back, mouth hanging open and snoring slightly
> First things first though, you want your bow back
> Remember the instructions Twilight gave the guard on the day you arrived, you make your way over to the nearby closet
> You open the doors and begin rummaging through multiple sets of dresses, saddles, and boots
> Finally you find your bow, arrows, and knife tucked in the back
> You give your belongings q quick glance over, checking for damage
> Satisfied with their condition, you sling your bow and quiver over your shoulder and attach the knife sheath to your belt
> With your weapons back in your possession, you turn your attention back to the sleeping Twilight
> You hate her
> You hate her and Celestia so much
> They tried to take your life from you
> They tried to take your future from you
> And they didn’t even care
> Look at her! She partied on the eve of your death!
> Your rage builds as you watch her sleep
> You meant nothing to her
> You were just an ‘It’ to her
> She felt no remorse
> Why should you?
> Your hand falls to your knife, sliding the blade from its sheath
> You wanted to hurt them both, you wanted them to SUFFER for what they did to you
> For what they were going to do to you
> For what they tried to take from you
> You remember when Celestia introduced Twilight to you
> You saw the way she looked at her, loving, motherly
> You knew Celestia loved Twilight dearly
> Hurting Twilight would hurt her too
> It would be easy
> Oh, it would be so easy
> You crouch down next to her sleeping form, raising the knife high in your hand
>She deserved it
>You know she deserved it
>You could do it, it would be so easy!
> You hold the knife over her chest, hand shaking with anger
> come on, come on, DO IT
> You try to bring it down, you try with all your might the plunge the blade into her
> But you can’t. As much as you want to, as much as she deserved it, you couldn’t bring yourself to do it
> You won’t betray Rainbow
> You won’t become the monster they think you are
> You’re better than this, you’re better than them
> With a heavy sigh, you lower the knife, rising to your feet
> You walk to the center of the room and stand over the wood table
> With the knife, you strike the wooden surface over and over
> You want them to know, you want them to know you had the chance and didn’t take it
> You want them to know they were wrong
> Satisfied with your work, you sheath the blade back to your belt
> You open the front door and enter the cool night, leaving a message etched into the table

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TWILIGHT
	-ANON