Endeavorance. part VII

Part VII
>The next day
>Dash Knocks on Twilight’s door
>no answer
>she opens it Slowly
>Dash: “Twilight?”
>steps in
>Dash: “Twilight, are you in here?”
>Silence
>Dash swooshes to the top of the staircase
>Sees twilight standing on the top floor staring at her shelves in dispassion
>Dash: “Twilight, you missed the funeral”
>Twilight stands unresponsive to dash
>Dash: “Twilight?”
>Twilight: “…I gave him the means to use magic”
>the coldness in her voice is nearly tangible
>Twilight: “I lent him books, I taught him a few things myself. I gave that monster, Anon, a way to kill Princess Celestia”
>Dash: “Twilight, its not your fault. You Didn’t know he was going to…Do what he did. Become what he did”
>Twilight continues to stare at the shelves
>Twilight: “I should have known better. I should have seen this coming”
>Dash: “How could you have seen this coming?”
>Twilight: “Anon told me what the human race is like. Did he ever tell you?”
>Dash: “N-no?”
>Twilight: “They’re just…Machines”
>Dash: “Don’t beat yourself up over it, You had no way of knowing what would happen. that’s all there is to it”
>Twilight continues to face her shelves, unresponsive to Dash’s attempts to comfort
>Dash’s voice goes timid
>Dash: “Twilight…”
>Twilight finally breaks her fixed gaze on the shelves and turns to Dash
>Dash: “Thank you for being concerned about me. I should have listened to you from the beginning. I was lucky that I didn’t meet up with Anon. They could have been burying me today, Along with all the others”
>Twilight: “…Your welcome, Dash”
>Twilight turns back to her shelves
>Dash steps close to Twilight
>gives her a hug
>Twilight remains unresponsive
>Dash swoops down to the front door
>opens it
>steps out
>looks at twilight one last time
>shuts the door

>out in the sticks
>walking along the train track
>hoping it’ll lead to a town you can rest at
>still carrying the gun
>in an intensely despondent, detached, and vacant state
>brought on by a mix of worry, trauma, confusion, an ongoing adrenaline rush and not having slept for 2 nights
>staring into the abyss
>brain wont turn off
>reflecting on everything that happened over the past 3 days; finding the horn, evading the guards, using magic, making the gun, assassinating Celestia
>all these events running through your head at once
>feeling your shoulder wound still aching, stomach growling from hunger, feet hurting from walking, a headache from dehydration and a vibration on the ground
>wondering what to do from here on; stay on the run? Turn yourself over? Go into hiding? try and leave Equestria ? seek refuge in a neighboring country?
>the vibration from the ground is getting more intense
>regretting picking up that horn
>Regretting going out in the forest that day
>wish you would have stayed home
>none of this would have happened
>yet it seems inevitable
>look at the horn resting in your palm
>contemplate how things would have gone if you hadn’t found it
>the myriad alternative scenarios run through your head
>having trouble focusing on one for more than a few seconds
>the vibration is getting really intense
>think about your encounter with Celestia: Why did she apologize?
>the vibration gets too intense to ignore
>snap out of your entranced stupor
>realize the train is less than 15 feet in front of you
>react to it like a dear in the headlights
>collide with it head on
>get knocked off to the side tracks
>land on the ground
>tumble over and over and finally land on your back
>hear the train passing bye
>the splintered remains of the gun land all around you
>attempt to catch your breath
>cough
>blood spurts out
>feels like your organs have been replaced with broken glass
>blood is leaking out from your ribcage and fast
>start breathing slower
>dizziness sets in
>look around for the horn
>it’s laying an arm’s reach from your hand
>try to grab it
>no good, your arms broken
>can barely move it at all
>roll over
>bite your tongue in pain
>dizziness takes over
>feel the blood pooling all around you
>try and reach for the horn with your other arm
>still out of reach
>inch your way over to it
>try and reach it again to no effect
>attempt to inch over a little closer
>black out before you can make it
>bleed to death near the tracks


>Back in Canterlot
>Luna is sitting on the throne
>having just been crowned the new ruler
>she stares at the empty chamber unhappily
>Shining Armor enters
>Shining: “Princess Luna”
>Luna: “Greetings, Shining Armor. To what do I owe this unannounced visit?”
>Shining: “I have a letter for your, from myself”
>Luna: “What does it concern?”
>Shining: “My resignation from the position of captain of the guard”
>Luna attempts to respond as calmly as possible
>Luna: “Shining, I would tremendously appreciate you holding off your resignation until further notice”
>Shining: “There’s plenty of members of the royal guard who would be happy to take my spot, they can fill in for me”
>Luna: “Yes, but the guard is experiencing a severe shortage of members at the moment.”
>Shining: “Severe?! we only lost…”
>The rest of the sentence prompts Shining to hesitate
>Shining: “…19”
>Luna: “the guards lost 19 to the likes of Anon. As of today, there have been 87 members who voluntarily quit, and still counting. I apologize, but I cannot accept your resignation at this time”
>Shining: “Princess Luna, please just let me leave.”
>Luna: “Why are you choosing to leave now of all times?”
>Shining responds in frustration
>Shining: “if you want to know, its in the letter.”
>Shining carelessly tosses the letter to the ground in front of Luna
>he leaves the chamber
>steps out into the gardens
>Luna rolls her eyes and reads the letter
>raises her eyebrow as she sifts through it
>steps outside and sees shining standing over of Celestia’s tomb
>approaches Shinning
>Luna: “You are feeling outmatched?”
>Shining sighs and turns to her
>Shining: “After what happened over the past days, I don’t think I’m fit to do the job”
>Luna: “What brought you to such a conclusion?”
>Shining looks down in shame
>Shining: “19 guards were lost under me, I failed to protect the princess. And even after all that, I still couldn’t catch…him. I don’t want to do this anymore”
>Luna responds in a sympathetic tone
>Luna: “…If its any comfort, I understand your frustration”
>Shining turns to back Luna
>Luna: “I am trapped in a career I do not enjoy”
>Shining looks at Luna intrigued
>Luna: “When I was in my thousand year exile, there was not a day that passed that I did not so greatly wish to be the true and only ruler of Equestria”
>Shining continues to listen to Luna intently
>Luna: “But on my return, I was so happy to see my sister and so happy be freed from my other self, that I accepted her as the supreme leader without further disagreements. Now…she is no longer with us. And I have inherited her title, Her kingdom and all of her responsibilities. You cannot fathom how greatly I wish I could give my problems to Somepony else.”
>Shining continues to listen passively
 “I am dealing with the world in a panic from the scar left by our criminal. I am challenged to be as beloved of a ruler as my predecessor. I have guards quitting in ever growing numbers. Also, I am required to raise and dismiss the sun every day. that is not a task to be taken lightly. Now please lighten my woes by reversing your decision to resign.”
>Shining: “But I‘ve failed as a captain…”
>Luna: “Do not allow our recent tragedy to sway your nerve, Shinning. You have not failed anyone, not even yourself. As a member of the royal guard, you’re mettle is measured not by what you can accomplish but by what you can withstand. If anything, These past days have only made you stronger”
>Shining Meditates on Luna’s words, renewing his spirits somewhat
>Shining: “Alright, I‘ll stay for now”
>Luna: “Thank you, what do you plan to do about our fugitive?”
>Shining: “…I plan to Label him as escaped and hope we may catch him if he ever returns”
>Luna: “you are not continuing your pursuit?”
>Shining: “It doesn’t seem like its worth losing more lives only to end up not finding him”
>Luna: “I sympathize with your decision, I agree with it, And I understand if you feel Anon has you bested ”
>Shining responds in a very nebulous tone
>Shining: “To be completely honest, Princess Luna, I don‘t even think Anon is real”
>Luna listens to shining curiousley
>Shining: “I’ve never Met him, He disappears when I need to find him, I’m only able to learn about him from others, I went all over searching for him and I didn’t find anything. The only thing I did find was just an obscure trail…and it seems Anypony who has met him hasn’t lived to talk about it. Putting all that together makes me question what he really is”
>Luna pauses in uncertainty over what shining is conveying
>Luna: “What do you think he is?”
>Shining shakes his head in thought
>Shining: “He‘s just a rumor to me”

The end

"Hey Sunset, why'd you call me out here?"
>"Oh hi Anon, I'm so glad you could make it out here. I was just thinking, we're friends right?"
"Sure, especially after you blackmailed me into licking your vagina for a month."
>Sunset smiles nervously blushing a bit.
>"W-well, I.. I want you to know I've changed, and I feel bad about all the terrible things I've done in the past."
"That's great, because you were bad and you should feel bad." You said bitterly.
>"Aww, come on don't be like that." She says smiling walking over to you. She slings her arms around your shoulder from behind.
"W-what are you?"
>She leans in close, her chest slightly pressed against your back. In a more serious tone she says,
>"I'm sorry, for everything.. I know you'll probably have a hard time finding in yourself to forgive me, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make it up to you."
>You blush intensely when she says this.
"A-anything... Y-you'll really do, anything?" You can feel tears streaming down her face onto your neck.
>"Of course, and you know, I just thought of how many times we've had our differences, but deep down, I always knew that you were a really nice guy. S-so, I'm sorry for getting all emotional, but it just hurts to know what a terrible person I used to be."