Mute Anon 14: Finale

>Your mind is racing with anticipation
>You are fatigued and tired
>But anger fuels you as you walk
>Your fists clench and unclench constantly
>You’re getting impatient
>Every step feels sluggish to you
>Yet you’re walking at a very brisk pace
>Something has nested within your mind
>It guides you to your destination
>Towards justice
>The world around you is silent
>The only sounds you hear are your breathing and the echoes of your footsteps
>You are just now exiting Canterlot Castle
>Luckily, Princess Luna
>None of your friends…
>No guards
>No one encountered you on your way out
>You’re glad for that
>You don’t need to see the ones you’re about to condemn
>All these ponies
>You’re sick of them
>Sick of being treated like a child
>Being told you don’t know what you’re doing
>Acting as if you aren’t there
>Always judging you
>Assuming because you couldn’t speak that it reflected the quality of how you expressed yourself
>Even your friends did this to you
>That somehow was worse
>Sure they liked you and it may be unintentional at times, but they never trusted you or tried to help when it mattered
>Oh sure there was one who always saw you as an equal
>And she’s the worst of all
>She deceived you
>Made you feel safe
>And then left you a wreck
>Treated you like the others did when it benefitted her
>You grit your teeth
>She is going to pay for this!
>They all will!
>And yet
>This feels wrong
>In fact….
>A small part of you is telling you that this is very wrong
>To turn back now
>You’ve learned that two wrongs don’t make a right
>You almost smile
>When did you truly learn that?
>From who…?
>As you walk onwards your mind wanders to that moment

>Sometime in the past….
>You’ve only been in Equestria for a few weeks
>But you feel safe here
>She said you wouldn’t come to harm here
>So far you haven’t
>Though you aren’t really happy
>Today you’re helping Fluttershy give breakfast to the animals
>Fluttershy is filling bowls full of feed
>She asked you to feed the other half
>You complied, may as well do something around here
>Anything to keep you from thinking about home
>At the moment you are about to feed a white rabbit
>He was rather cute, but looked very impatient
>You reach out your hand to pet him
>Hoping to put him at ease
>He doesn’t appreciate this and bites your hand
>Hard
>You grunt in pain and pull back sharply
>It actually drew blood
>You glare
>Maybe he doesn’t know better
>But the recent and drastic changes to your life has not helped your mood
>Fluttershy said to feed him, but no
>You will not
>Fluttershy finishes feeding the rest of the animals
>You feed the other half except that one rabbit
>He looks quite pissed now
>You don’t care
>Fluttershy notices this
>”Oh dear, Anon you forgot Angel.”
>Shake your head
>This puzzles her
>Show her your now scabbed bite
>”Angel Bunny!”
>She frowns at him
>But she then turns to you
>”I know he wasn’t very nice, but it’s not good to do something mean as well….”
>You cross your arms
>”You won’t solve anything by fighting, mister.”
>She smiles sweetly
>”S-sometimes we all just need to be shown a little kindness.”
>You would shrug that off, but she took you in
>And you’re grateful for that
>Fluttershy motions you to a corner
>You follow her
>She whispers to you
>”Angel can be a bit naughty at times, but I think you’ll both be good friends.”
>”If you wouldn’t mind, I think you should make him a special treat.”
>You really don’t want to
>But you’re a guest here so you nod
>It takes quite a while to prepare, and this rabbit was apparently picky eater
>Whip cream?
>A cherry on top?
>All the time you spent making this with Fluttershy has ebbed away at your temper
>Although this bunny better appreciate all of this
>You carry the fancy salad over to him
>He hasn’t moved but you’ve never seen a rabbit look so angry
>You set the bowl down in front of him
>Angel looks absolutely shocked
>He quickly eats the whole thing and appears quite calm now
>You look to Fluttershy
>She nods at you
>You pet Angel and he nuzzles your hand
>You smile and sit down while petting him
>To your surprise he jumps onto your lap
>Fluttershy beams at the two of you
>”See? Two wrongs don’t make a right.”
>She giggles
>”I’m so glad to see you two warm up to each other!”
>You roll your eyes as you rub behind Angel’s ears
>Yeah…Fluttershy kind of has a point…..

>Present day
>You sigh heavily
>Two wrongs don’t make a right?!
>SHE told you that!
>Screw her
>You growl
>Some values she turned out to have
>That traitor…
>She probably still doesn’t think she committed anything wrong
>But she’ll see
>You’ll make her see
>The statues are in sight
>You scan the area
>The Statue of Victory is in sight
>Discord should be nearby
>You run in that general direction
>This is it!
>You sprint past the many statues…
>Only to see that Discord’s statue isn’t where it should be
>What the hell?!

>You are now Twilight Sparkle
>This is terrible!
>Catastrophic!
>Terrifying…
>What is driving Anon to do this?
>You know is he’s been very unhappy recently
>But what pushed him too far?
>You don’t have time to ponder this
>You need to alert the princess immediately
>It hurts
>First, Fluttershy turns out to be not the pony you thought she was
>Now Anon is betraying all of you
>Can you trust anyp0ny now?
>To get through this you’re going to have to
>You gallop through the halls of the castle
>Not quick enough
>You focus your mind
>It’s a bit hard to do with all the worry and fear you’re experiencing
>But you soon feel power course through you
>You begin to imagine the Princess
>Where she is
>What she is doing
>Away from here
>Each thought is accompanied by a tugging feeling
>It gets stronger and stronger until you’re pulled through
>A bright flash emits all around you
>The scenery changes
>It is dim in here, but the room is large
>The floor beneath you has a large sun emblem
>You’re in a bedchamber
>It definitely looks like Princess Celestia’s
>She’s still sleeping, but she’s starting to stir awake
>Normally you’d feel very nervous about interrupting her sleep
>Not now though, this is too important
>”Princess! Please…”
>”T…Twilight Sparkle?”
>”Yes it’s me! Listen, your highness Anon has gone crazy!”
>The princess is now very alert
>You continue
>”I can feel him through his enchanted necklace.”
>You inhale sharply
>”He’s …going to free Discord.”
>Princess Celestia quickly gets out of bed
>Her eyes are wide
>”Are you sure?”
>You nod
>”I-I just don’t know what why.”
>You attempt to hold back the hurt in your voice
>The princess hangs her head
>She sighs deeply
>She looks almost …guilty?
>”My dear student, I must tell you later. What is important right now is that we stop Discord before it is too late.”
>You nod with no enthusiasm
>”Every moment he gets strong and I was afraid something or somep0ny may try to tamper with Discord. So I had his statue moved after your last attempt to seal him.”
>That’s the princess, always cautious
>”It will only buy us time.”
>She then gains a more commanding tone
>”Gather the rest of your friends.”
>You nod
>The princess gives you a look
>”All of them.”
>You nod again this time with a bitter expression
>”Be prepared for anything Disocrd may try. He will most likely try to hinder your progress in anyway he can.”
>You shiver
>You know that all too well what he’s capable of
>Maybe Discord is exploiting Anon’s anger with something
>You surely hope so
>”Anon, please fight it.”
>You mutter under your breath
>”Don’t let your desire for some desire for revenge rule you.”
>You gallop out of Princess Celestia’s bed chamber
>You head towards the rooms where your friends are sleeping
>You need to hurry
>To save all of them
>To save Equestria
>And to save Anon
>If he can still be saved…

>You are now Anon
>You are quickly looking around the area
>There isn’t a Discord statue
>You groan loudly
>It should be right there!
>Maybe it was there
>There may just be an illusion
>You can see where it used to be
>You reach out a hand
>You don’t feel anything
>Still not giving up on this theory
>You walk onto the spot where it was once located
>Nothing
>It really isn’t there
>No illusions
>If it’s not here then where is it?
>You can’t have come this far for nothing at all!
>You hear the rumbling of thunder
>You look over at the hedge maze
>The entire maze is surrounded by low hanging dark clouds
>You’re taking that as a sign
>Something within you urges you to enter the maze
>You give in to that urge and begin to walk again
>Despite it being very dark because of the clouds you seem to know where you’re going
>Each turn you make without hesitation
>You look a bit above you
>The clouds remind you of the ones on Earth
>He’s not even free yet and he’s capable of doing this
>Well, at least you’re sure this is his work
>You know he’s capable of anything
>Of making Fluttershy sorry
>For her to be put to justice
>That motivates you again
>You breath out sharply
>Then you walk a bit faster
>On the other hand he’s capable of ruining this place
>This world
>Sure, you’re angry at the ponies
>Even you didn’t know you were angry with the majority of them until now….
>You shake your head
>There definitely are things you don’t want gone from this world
>Remembering the time you befriended Angel makes you wonder how he’s doing right now
>How he’ll be doing along with the other animals
>A part of you really worries what will become of all of them when you go through with this
>Many of the animals here cannot take care of themselves
>You usually helped them with that
>It was something you actually enjoyed during your time here
>You were no expert, but you got quite good at it
>You liked all of them
>They at least treated you with some respect
>And they were nice to you…
>You try to push these thoughts out of your mind, but they flood back into you
>You begin to recall when you really appreciated caring for them….

>Sometime in the past…
>Spring just came recently
>You didn’t know how serious they were about changing seasons
>It amazed you that they were capable of doing it at all
>There are many new additions to the cottage now
>Some are baby animals
>Others are animals just returning after napping all winter
>And some have flown back for spring
>Fluttershy is doing a check up on all of the birds
>All of them
>She invited you to watch and possibly help out
>You enjoyed helping her, but tended to pass up larger and more advanced tasks
>It intimidated you actually
>What if you screw something up?
>What if the animals don’t like you anymore?
>Fluttershy insisted this time
>When she insists you listen
>You owe her a lot
>You just hope she isn’t making a mistake by doing this
>The both of you walk out of the cottage
>Fluttershy brought a large perch
>There’s nothing outside
>You raise an eyebrow at her
>She smiles and then clears her throat
>She sings a little tune skyward
>At first nothing happens
>But then you hear birds repeat the tune
>A few of them land on the perch
>Fluttershy hovers over to them and mumbles calming things to them
>She performs a few check ups
>You’re amazed the birds aren’t freaked out
>Each one is done quickly and efficiently
>After the first ten birds are done they fly into the air
>Singing that tune
>You look up and your eyes widen
>Above you both there are all kinds of birds
>A few were familiar sites, but you saw a toucan
>A flamingo even
>And is that a falcon and an eagle?
>Different birds of all shapes, colors and sizes fill the air
>You’d expect chaos but they land ten at a time on the perch
>Fluttershy checks up on them and they take off
>You watch this for some time until she turns to you
>Uh oh…
>”Anon would you like to do this next row?”
>You shake your head
>”How come?”
>You sign to her, nervous.
>She gives you an encouraging smile
>”I’ll show you.”
>You slowly walk over to her
>Making sure not to alert the birds
>They still react to your presence but do not take off
>Fluttershy begins to guide you through the process
>She told you to remember their age, name, species and gender
>This was a male blue jay named Breezy
>She’s memorized just about all of them
>If you hadn’t known her for some time now you would dismiss that claim
>But she is very dedicated to what she does
>She helped you through the actual check up
>First you checked his eyes for any running
>The bird didn’t struggle at all
>You went through the rest of physical examination with Fluttershy to help you every step of the way
>From skin, feathers, nares, beak, ears, oral cavity, bones, muscles, and ….ew even the vent
>You went through the others faster each time
>None of these birds had any health problems
>They circle around you happily and take off
>That wasn’t so bad
>The two of you switched between checking up on them
>Fluttershy took care of a bird if it really did have a health problem
>Overall this was actually a nice experience
>About a couple hours later and it’s finished
>The birds have still hung around though
>It amazed you that they seemed grateful for this
>A few landed on your shoulder even
>The animals here really are smarter than the ones back at home
>You smile up at them
>Fluttershy nuzzles your leg
>”Would you like to hear the birdies sing for us?”
>You nod
>She flies into the air and organizes them in some sort of pattern
>All of them were perched somewhere
>Then she motions to them with her hooves
>They begin to sing a sort of marching song
>There were many different sounds from the birds, but it all worked somehow
>Did she practice with them?
>You assume so
>You can’t wipe this smile off of your face
>The animals here truly are amazing

>Present day
>Now is not the time to think about that!
>You’re making things right!
>And of course who brought out your interest in animals?
>Fluttershy
>It’s always her
>You purse your lip
>Damn it!
>Why did you allow her to become such a big part of your life?
>Fresh fury courses through you
>The pulling gets stronger
>The presence within your mind is more vivid
>You can feel him now
>Guiding you through this maze
>You can barely see in here, but you aren’t lost
>You’re getting closer
>It would be a bad idea to turn back now
>Everything is going the way it’s supposed to
>There is no need for distractions
>You don’t owe anyone anything!
>Not even the animals
>A traitorous part of your brain asks you
>Then why, do you have so much doubt now?
>You don’t attempt to answer that
>You just clench your fists as you keep walking
>They may know something is wrong now
>The ponies
>Most likely your “friends”
>Under the orders of Celestia
>You feel a bitterness wash over you
>Yeah they’re going to “help” you alright
>Help you become a naïve idiot all over again
>Let Fluttershy off free
>Hopefully they cannot find you in time
>That would be the worst thing that could happen to you
>Not to mention
>You’re not sure if you can face your friends before you can go through with this
>You cast away that doubt
>Even though you haven’t stopped moving towards your destination you still feel doubts
>Nagging and digging away at you
>Your anger begins to seep out like blood from an open wound
>But your determination hasn’t

>You are now Twilight Sparkle
>You and the girls are right outside the hedge maze
>Discord is truly confident in becoming free if he is using so much of the little power he has to prevent you from intercepting Anon
>Rainbow Dash attempted to fly through the clouds only to end up back where she started
>You tried teleporting but your mind becomes filled with confusing images and conflicting ideas when you attempt to
>You look to your friends
>Everyp0ny is not looking forward to entering this maze again
>You can see it on their faces
>Not even Pinkie Pie is smiling
>This place held so many bad memories
>It looks like it will bear a few more now
>You’re wearing your crown
>They’re wearing their necklaces
>You explain to them how you can track Anon
>”You may have noticed Anon has been wearing a necklace recently.”
>Everyp0ny nods
>Fluttershy winces
>”It’s enchanted and runs off of my magic.”
>You could feel it draining from you
>No fatigue from it yet, but you needed to hurry
>”We can use that to find him within the maze or wherever he may be.”
>”He seems to be distracted enough not to notice it is activated.”
>”Just follow me and this time we do not want to get separated.”
>Everyp0ny did not need to be told twice
>Not after what happened last time
>You stare at Fluttershy
>She looks the most miserable out of everyp0ny
>Good
>Because of her you’re not even sure you can stop Discord if he is free
>The princess has specifically ordered you not to tell your friends about her crime
>So you haven’t
>But it irritates you to see your friends treat her as if she did nothing wrong
>Rarity notices Fluttershy is shaking
>She gives her friend a sympathetic look
>She sighs
>”Fluttershy I’m sure Anon will see reason.”
>”You love each other very much. It may not be his fault.”
>Rarity seemed to be reassuring herself as much as she was trying with Fluttershy
>Nop0ny has been taking the betrayal well at all
>Fluttershy is still shaking
>Her mane is hiding her expression
>She begins to hyperventilate
>Rainbow Dash hovers over and interjects
>”I’m pretty sure he knows what he’s doing!”
>”Isn’t that what some of you all say anyway?”
>”That he’s like us! Let’s face it he’s gone off the deep end!”
>Rainbow grimaces
>She stops shouting
>”He’s abandoning us…..he wasn’t always so great….but I liked him…”
>Fluttershy raises her head
>She had no tears in her eyes, but there was sorrow displayed on her face
>She raises her voice to a volume you rarely heard from her
>”It’s my fault! All of it!”
>Her hooves shake weakly but she looks everyp0ny in the eyes
>Rarity looks confused
>Her mouth gapes for a few moments
>”What do you mean Fluttershy?”
>Fluttershy is silent for a few moments
>Lost in her own thoughts
>”I d-don’t deserve your sympathy Rarity, not from any of you…”
>She shuts her eyes tightly
>Rarity looks extremely concerned
>”Oh Fluttershy, it’s not your fault w-“
>”No! It is! You knew it back then too! You know what I did! You told me you were disappointed in me!”
>What?
>Did Rarity know about this?
>Fluttershy moves over to Pinkie
>She puts a hoof on Pinkie’s withers
>”Pinkie, I promised to you and I broke it! I d-didn’t know I was breaking one, but I did…”
>Pinkie Pie looks confused
>She puts a hoof to her chin and frowns
>”What promise?”
>”Uuh you didn’t promise anything to me.”
>Fluttershy sighs
>”None of you remember….”
>Remember….
>Then it hits you
>You were all memory wiped…
>That has to be it
>What happened before?
>Only Fluttershy seems to know
>Maybe Anon knows now too
>Is that what drove him to do this?
>You and the others give Fluttershy a confused look
>Applejack clears her throat
>”Sugarcube I know you’re very shaken up by all of this, bu-“
>”I’m sorry, but there’s just no time!”
>Fluttershy rushes inside the maze before anyp0ny can respond
>”I have a promise to Anon, and I need to make things right!”
>You all gasp
>A few of your friends want to go after her
>”No! Don’t!”
>”Fluttershy will have to meet with us later.”
>”We need to stick together this time!”
>Everyp0ny nods reluctantly
>Thanks Fluttershy
>It wasn’t like this was bad enough
>You still wonder what she meant by a promise
>Is she realizing her mistakes?
>With the girls close behind you enter the maze
>Your horn illuminates your path
>You’re not sure if it’s a good thing if Fluttershy encounters Anon first

>You are now Anon
>You’re nearly panting in anxiousness
>Justice will be served
>You keep assuring yourself that
>But is it really going to be worth it?
>Despite you deciding the animals aren’t worth saving you still find doubt within yourself
>You still care about them
>That they may not have proper homes
>That they may become twisted
>No…
>Why do you care?
>About this world?
>You never wish you came to this world
>Especially after everything that’s happened
>The lack of humans
>The embarrassment
>The strangeness of it
>With impossible creatures
>Magic
>Yet you’re the strange one
>It’s a world full of ponies that see you as some sort of odd creature
>When it should have been the other way around
>You frown
>It’s not your world!
>It never was!
>It never has been!
>It can burn for all you care
>That traitorous part of you begins to stir again
>You didn’t always feel that way about this world
>You don’t really mean that….
>You try to ignore it, but it resurfaces memories within you

>Sometime in the past…
>It’s dark outside
>It’s incredibly quite
>With the exception of the occasional cricket the only sounds that can be heard are your footsteps
>And her hoof steps
>You’re holding a picnic basket in your arms
>Fluttershy has a lantern in her mouth
>You could carry both, but she felt that she should carry something
>Neither of you talk
>Sure, you couldn’t and she wasn’t talkative either
>But she said no words to you
>You both were looking forward to this
>A late night picnic
>She made your favorite foods
>You can’t wait to have smoked salmon
>The two of you have been walking for a few minutes now
>Luckily, the cottage is already on the outskirts of Ponyville
>So the walk to a particular spot in the meadow was much shorter than if you lived in the middle of Ponyville
>There it was in sight
>A hill far from Ponyville
>It was very dark and the only light around the area was the moon and the lantern
>You open up the basket and help Fluttershy lay down a large blanket
>She made it herself, and it has many intricate patterns on it
>You eagerly sit down and she rests beside you
>You open the picnic basket
>You grin widely at the smoked salmon, and was that…bacon?!
>She hardly ever got you bacon
>It was hard to stuff to get
>You hug her and she giggles
>”Only the best food for my sweetie.”
>You pet her mane and pass her a cucumber, lettuce, and tomato sandwich
>She begins to eat it
>You dig into your salmon and bacon
>It was delicious
>The two of you enjoy each other’s warmth and the good food
>Before you knew it all the food was gone
>But you didn’t mind you had your fill
>”Let’s look at the stars Anon.”
>You nod
>She puts out the lantern
>It’s pitch black now
>You lie down and look upward
>Fluttershy gets onto your stomach and observes with you
>You lightly pet her back as you look in wonder
>The constellations here look pretty much identical to the ones back on your world
>The Ursas, the Dippers, even Orion seems to be up there
>You feel a bit of sadness
>So much like your world
>But it’s not…
>Still you are happy to see the stars
>And so many of them
>It’s beautiful and you can see more here now that you’re farther from Ponyville
>Each one shines brightly in the sky
>Some brighter than others
>Some different colors
>You’ve actually never seen so many before
>You can’t hide your amazement at it all
>Fluttershy studies your expression
>She waits a moment before asking
>”You really like the stars don’t you?”
>You nod
>”I’m wondering though, it looks like you haven’t seen them before.”
>You nod again
>She cocks her head
>You sign to her, tell her you couldn’t see stars like this back on your world
>Fluttershy looks surprised
>”Are there fewer stars where you’re from?”
>You think for a moment
>It may be difficult to explain light pollution
>Instead you sign to her, there were the same amount of stars, but you cannot see them from where you used to live.
>Fluttershy gives you a very sympathetic look
>She looks very shocked actually
>”Th-that’s so very sad sweetie…”
>You guess
>You sign to her, It wasn’t so bad you actually liked that place
>You sigh
>You lose your smile
>Fluttershy presses herself closer against you
>”Do you miss your world?”
>You nod
>You breathe out again
>You’re beginning to feel melancholy again
>You sign to her, this world is beautiful though
>Fluttershy gives you a warm look
>”It’s your home and world too.”
>She nuzzles your neck
>You think about that
>You can’t go back to Earth
>So you guess it is your world
>You smile in agreement
>She then looks at you
>Her eyes glisten
>”You always have a place here, sweetie.”
>Fluttershy pecks your cheek and you chuckle
>”I love you, I care about you, and nothing is going to hurt you.”
>Present day
>You shake your head frantically
>Damn it!
>No!
>You can’t get hung up on this!
>Not now!
>You’re at the statue of Discord
>Well, he’s in sight anyway
>In this large open area within the maze
>This is it
>You’re about to take another step forward, but you hesitate
>If you go through with this you would be taking everything away
>This place’s beauty….
>Innocent ponies….you can’t really blame all of them…
>The animals you cared for….
>Nothing is going to be spared from whatever Discord has store
>Do you really have the right to do this?
>This deal with Discord
>Justice for his freedom
>What guarantees that he’ll really help?
>These deals with the devil never go right
>You’ve come this far
>It’s either this or whatever the ponies have planned for you
>You bitterly sigh
>This is the point of no return…
>You feel something within you urging you forward
>So you do so
>You walk up to the statue of Discord
>The statue begins to move slowly
>It’s pose changes
>His claw is outstretched
>As if asking you to shake it or hold onto it
>You gulp and step closer
>Discord speaks to you
>The statue’s mouth doesn’t move, but his voice is projected
>”Ah, Anon it’s good to see you.”
>”It’s getting really cramped in here. Why don’t you help me out?”
>”Just give me your hand, your anger, all of those emotions.”
>”Then I can be free!”
>You nod
>You slowly move your arm towards the stone claw
>You’re still uncertain
>”I think you should hurry up. It looks like we have a special guest.”
>You comply, but the you hear it
>Two loud stomps one soft one
>You withdraw your arm and turn your head
>Fluttershy
>Oh perfect
>What is she doing here?!
>Something tells you she just knows you too well
>How to find you
>You shiver and growl loudly
>She approaches you without fear
>Just in time for her judgment
>You glare at with an intense anger
>Her ears flatten but she begins to speak
>”I’m sorry Anon, for everything.”
>You clench your fists
>Oh now she has to be truly sorry?!
>When everything is on the line?
>You begin to turn your head away and continue
>She then speaks up loudly and begins to cry
>”I raped you Anon! I didn’t want to admit it, but I raped you!”
>”I was so *snf* wrong to do those things to y-you!”
>Fluttershy gets closer
>”I just *gasp*couldn’t handle the rejection, I love you Anon!”
>”And I always will!”
>Your hurt feels heavy with many emotions
>You’re glad she’s admitting it
>Shocked even
>You feel a big weight off your heart
>However, you’re still angry
>That she still seems to love you even when you’re doing this
>She never seems to give up on you
>Fluttershy is now beside you
>You move your hand towards Discord’s claw but you wait for her
>She looks like she has more to say
>”I took your choice away from you….”
>”*snf* That was so awful of me.”
>”Th-that’s why I’m going to let you choose.”
>Your eyes widen
>”I’m not going to stop you, mister.”
>She sniffles and tears run down her face
>”I just want to *snf* keep my promise to you, that’s all I want.”
>”I’ll accept anything you think I deserve!”
>Discord grows impatient
>”Don’t pay attention to her, just hurry up!”
>But you listen to her words
>A choice
>You actually smile a little
>Finally someone is giving you a choice again
>Just like she used to
>Before all of this happened…
>Everyone always wanted something from you or thought what was best for you
>Back on your old world everyone tried to make decisions for you
>The local ponies always wanted you to be a pet or to listen to their advice
>Your friends always though they knew better than you did
>Celestia wanted you to live in peace with Fluttershy as if nothing happened
>Always trying to undo things to maintain the status quo
>Discord wants you to free him so he can spread chaos throughout Equestria
>Even Fluttershy one of the few who has given you choices before
>Well she betrayed you too
>She had acted like the others when it benefitted her
>To pretend you didn’t reject her and to assure herself
>No one ever asked what you wanted
>You look at Discord’s statue
>This isn’t you
>You’re not that person
>You’ll have to find another way…
>You’re going to do what you really want
>And that doesn’t include being Discord’s pawn
>”Give me your hand Anon!”
>He sounds genuinely angry now
>”These ponies deserve it!”
>”I can give you anything you desire!”
>”I can give you a voice!”
>You almost do so
>But you don’t
>You’re still conflicted, but you’re not going to do it because he offered you something like that
>”Free me! NOW!”
>Fluttershy is pressed close against you
>From behind you a loud sound emits
>A bolt of purple nearly hits you
>The others are here!
>Shit
>How?
>You notice it
>The Canvas!
>It reads: “Uncertainty.”
>You deactivate it, but it’s already led them to you
>How could you have been so forgetful?
>You hear Twilight call out to Fluttershy
>”Get out of the way Fluttershy!”
>You turn around to see the others with Twilight at the front of the group
>Her horn is glowing
>”I had to see it to believe it! Anon is going to betray all of us!”
>Fluttershy is blocking Twilight’s shot at you
>”No! He needs to make his own decision!”
>Twilight glares, but Fluttershy doesn’t move
>You look at the faces of all your friends
>They look shocked and confused at all of this
>Discord booms
>”RELEASE ME BOY! GIVE ME YOUR HATE!”
>You sigh
>With them here it seems obvious
>You just can’t release Discord
>You’re just going to have to find another way
>To negotiate with the princess
>Anything
>For everything
>Everyone
>And especially for yourself
>You look at the statue and shake your head
>The ground begins to shake
>”Oh you’ve done it now Anon!”
>”I was hoping you’d not be such an idiot, but now I’m going to do this the easy way!”
>”Well, easy for me.”
>”If you won’t give it to me….”
>”I’LL TAKE IT FROM YOU!”
>Using whatever energy he had left the statue moves quickly now
>Everyone gasps
>His claw swipes at you
>You shut your eyes
>But nothing happens
>You open your eyes
>Fluttershy is in front of you
>She’s shaking now
>You cover your mouth
>The claw impaled her
>It withdraws
>Then the statue stops moving
>Fluttershy falls onto the ground
>You’re in shock, but everyone rushes to her
>”Fluttershy!”
>They gather around her
>She speaks to them while you stand there stunned
>Shaking
>Trying to process what just happened
>Some time seems to pass
>Twilight approaches you
>With tears in hers eyes
>”A-anon, she wants to speak to you now…”
>They all give you some space as you rush over to her
>Her stomach is seeping blood at an alarming rate
>Oh nononono
>You motion to Twilight
>To save her!
>Anything!
>Twilight shakes her head
>”Anon, that’s no ordinary wound….”
>She sobs
>”She’s going t-to…”
>You kneel down next to Fluttershy
>She’s in very bad shape
>Her coat is matted with blood
>She’s weezing and shivering
>Some dark substance seems to be eating away at the wound
>Fluttershy sees you with tears in her eyes
>”Anon….”
>”I’m *unf*  s-so sorry.”
>Tears begin to run down your eyes
>”Isn’t this what you wanted though *snf*?”
>You frantically shake your head
>Your hands begin to shake
>You sign to her, you wanted her to be punished and have her realize her mistake.
>You weep a little more
>You sign to her, you never wanted her to die
>She looks at you sadly
>A hoof slowly and gently strokes your cheek
>”I love you, I c-care about you, and nothing is going to hurt you….”
>”D-did I *agh* keep my promise Anon?”
>You feel now that she did, this time…
>You nod
>Fluttershy smiles through the pain
>”I’m so *snf* glad…”
>You sign to her, the world may be doomed now…
>Without her Discord still wins
>Fluttershy doesn’t lose her smile
>”Listen to me sweetie, *unf* I’ve taught you that you can make things right….there’s always a way.”
>”I know you can find a way Anon *wheeze* you’re so k-kind, resourceful, smart, and I believe in you ….”
>You begin to sob now
>”Sssssssh sweetie, please.”
>”Please….smile for me…”
>You cradle her in your arms
>She wipes away your tears
>You slowly smile at her
>She smiles more warmly now
>”Someday we’ll meet again *unf* I know we will…”
>You shake your head
>She can’t die
>She can’t leave you here!
>”I know it’s hard, but I’m….I’m going away for a little while okay sweetie?”
>She sniffles a little
>”I love you Anon and I will love you forever.”
>”*unf* Th-think of this as going to sl-sleep….”
>”I’ll even s-sing you a lullaby.”
>She wheezes and looks at you
>”H-hush now, quiet now~”
>You hold back your tears
>”It's time to l-lay your…. sleepy head~”
>You maintain your smile despite it faltering
>Her body begins to glow her essence is fading away
>”Hush….. now, q-q-quiet now~”
>”It’s time to…go to b…”
>She’s gone
>Her essence fades away completely and she disappears in your arms
>You stop smiling
>You begin to sob
>Everyone does
>You gather around
>Trying to confirm if this just happened
>It begins to rain
>You look up at the statue of Discord
>It’s cracking
>So that’s it
>He still wins
>You look at your self
>Your shirt is soaked in her blood
>The only thing in your hands now is her necklace
>The Element of Kindness is dead
>Equestria is done for…
>You look at the only remnant you have of her
>Your hands shake
>Your tears fall freely
>Everyone seems to have lost hope
>You stare at her necklace
>You hear her words to you
>”Listen to me sweetie, you can make things right….there’s always a way.”
>”I know you can find a way Anon you’re so kind, resourceful, smart, and I believe in you.….”
>You look around you
>You’re not sure if you should or could do this
>Slowly and carefully you put on the necklace
>It’s a tight fit, but it’s secure around you
>At first nothing really happens
>Then you feel a warmth run through you
>As if she were still here
>Like the days when you trusted her
>It’s a wonderful feeling
>Your eyes widen when you feel the necklace shift and glow
>It is now an emblem of two butterflies
>You’re shaking
>Everyone is looking at you
>All of you are displaying sorrow
>Twilight speaks slowly
>”*snf* Y-you….you?”
>”The Element of Kindness?”
>You’re surprised too
>Every looks uncertain
>They don’t entirely trust you
>Rarity speaks slowly through her sobs
>”Sh-she told us everything….about what she did to you….”
>She sighs sadly
>”B-but I don’t feel it excuses you for trying to release Discord!”
>”And now she’s gone!”
>She whimpers
>”She’s gone.”
>You shake your head
>She’s not gone, at least not entirely
>You motion to your necklace and to your heart
>Rarity seems to understand, but hangs her head
>Discord’s statue begins to crack even more
>You point to the statue
>Rainbow Dash nods and stands beside Twilight
>You all slowly stand beside each other
>You hear Discord laugh
>”Is that your best plan? Finding a monkey to replace her?”
>None of you respond, your faces are expressionless and empty
>You all close your eyes
>United in your sorrow, and determination
>You can feel them
>The ones you call your friends
>All of them
>A connection that transcends your bodies
>It fills you and power rushes in to your minds
>You begin to rise from the ground
>You are not alarmed
>You glow along with everyone else
>”Oh no…he really is a replacement…”
>From all of you a rainbow of light shoots out
>It engulfs the statue
>It’s pose goes back to becoming terrified
>The stone repairs itself
>You all float back down to the ground
>It’s done
>The clouds are gone
>And you see a beautiful sunrise shine down on all of you
>But you don’t feel like celebrating
>None of you do

>ONE YEAR LATER
>”Dear Princess Celestia,”
>”I’ve been meaning to write this to you for some time now. Things have gone back to normal since the incident. None of my friends were happy with me or Fluttershy. But we’re learning to forgive each other, we’re still friends. That’s what I want to write to you about. I’ve been wondering almost every day since she left us. Why did I become the Element of Kindness? I didn’t know what I felt when I refused Discord, and what followed after. But it was something I learned some time ago. Revenge is not path that solves our problems. It’s about being the better person and the need to forgive each other.”
>”Your subject, Anon.”
>You put the quill down
>You’ll deliver this later
>It’s time to visit her
>You exit the cottage with Angel close behind
>Fluttershy left you behind her entire property
>You’ve since taken over caring for the animals
>You’re not as good as she was, but you’re trying and getting better
>You walk along the meadow until you arrive at her headstone
>At the spot you two used to picnic together
>Her headstone has her cutie mark engraved with her name displayed on it
>You smile and begin to sign to her
>You sign: “I don’t know if you can see this, but I want you to know that you gave me everything here.”
>You sign: “You wronged me, but I love you and you redeemed yourself….I didn’t want to admit it but I never really hated you.”
>You sign: “Two wrongs don’t make a right, and that’s why….”
>You pull out a picture frame from your coat
>It’s the picture of you and Fluttershy hugging
>You place it next to her headstone upright
>You feel your mouth open
That’s why I forgive you.
>You nearly gasp
>Tears run down your eyes
>You hope she heard you
>For some sign
>Anything
>Angel nudges your leg
>You look up to see many butterflies fly closely
>You smile
>You set off with Angel to take care of the animals and the worlds many wonders
>End