Chapter 20

>Rainbow Dash stands over you and Moondancer, arms crossed
>"You guys can't just lie down in the middle of the hallway, you know."
>Lying on the floor in a public space is pretty autistic, but you don't have much in the way of energy to do much about it
"Too tired to move..."
>"As am I..."
>Rainbow Dash sighs
>"Well, we're all thinking of heading to the food court to eat, so... Please don't make me carry you guys again, man. It's tiring."
>You mutter under your breath
>"Trixie can help Miss Sparkle and Moondancer!"
>Trixie leans down and offers both of you a hand
"Th-Thanks..."
>"Are you both done fighting now?"
>You and Moondancer nod
>"For now."
"Y-Yeah, it's just a momentary truce is all..."
>Trixie pulls both of you up to your feet
>Guess she's a lot stronger than she looks, or you just weigh nothing
>Probably more the latter
>Standing is a bitch, but you think you can deal with it
>Your chest is still rising and falling quickly, out of breath as fuck
>Moondancer doesn't seem to be in great shape either...
"OW OW OW OW!"
>Lyra throws an arm around you, and you're forced to start walking as you notice that the whole of the Anime Club, along with Trixie's Redditor friends, moving down the hallway
>"I've never seen a fight in real life before, Twilight. That was so cool! And don't worry about the whole 'breasts broadcast to the whole internet' thing. Doesn't matter. Fight was still awesome!"
>You'd almost sort of forgotten...
>Bon Bon walks along the other side of Lyra looking grouchy, though, she tends to look that way, you feel
>"Anyways, did you say you went on /x/? I don't remember. But man, it's so—"
>Ugh
>You try to drown her out
>Hearing about the SCP Foundation again would hurt you mentally as much as you've already been hurt physically
>After a few minutes, you and the huge gathering of autists make your way to the Food Court, which is bereft of people
>Probably because everyone at the con's still at that rave
>Not a huge amount of choices here; dingy little Mexican outlets, Italian, Thai stuff...
>You realize that you're pretty fucking hungry, so you just take a random pick of food
>Everyone's sitting, eating, talking...
>Not a lot of open spots that wouldn't be by yourself, and the ones that are there would be next to disgusting spergs
>Walking around the tables, you try and find a good place to sit
>This reminds you of lunch at school before you settled into the girls' table...
>"Miss Sparkle!"
>Trixie waves you over to her table, an assortment of neckbeards and anime cosplayers filling it up
>And next to the empty space was Moondancer
"Um, I-I don't know—"
>Trixie smiles brightly at you
>Ugh
>It's shit like this that makes you almost regret warming up to her
>Almost
>You decide to take your seat at the table
>Looks like one of the Redditors is cosplaying as a stereotypical neckbeard, with the unshaven, patchy facial hair, the fedora, the fingerless gloves, the—
>'—just wish I'd had the time to make a cosplay!'
>Even when you give them the fucking benefit of the doubt
>Not feeling horny anymore, which is good, but maybe it's the E that's keeping you from blowing your lid
>That, or just the fact that you're so exhausted that anger isn't swelling within you quite so easily
>'I totally know what you mean! Everyone using facebook and stuff, they're just sheeple, man. They haven't discovered critical thinking. Just look at television here in the west versus the east! Look at how philosophical animes like Bleach are, then compare that to HBO garbage like Game of Thrones.'
>'Yeah, everyone here's such baka gaijins. Anime is the one true art form!'
>Most at the table nods in agreement
>Just
>Stay
>Cool...
>You hear a low 'REE' off to your side
>Turning, you see that Moondancer is sitting glumly, beaten, eyes twitching as she seems to be focusing on the conversation of the others at the table
"Ree?"
>Moondancer turns to you and frowns
>"It's a meme, you dip."
>You laugh
>Of all the people...
"Have you heard of that Pepe meme from Reddit?"
>Moondancer's eyes flare
>"Oh of COURSE you think that, Sparkle..."
"What, you use Reddit, don't you? It's where all the dankest memes are made! Or... Are you a baka gaijin?"
>On the inside, you cackle, but, on the outside, you try your best to hold composure
>Moondancer, on the other hand, looks like she's going to pop a blood vessel
>She opens her mouth to speak, but stops herself and sighs
>"I shouldn't have expected any better from you."
>Oh
>OH
>You're not going to let Moondancer sit around thinking she's superior to you
"I was being sarcastic. I go on the slash-b all the time."
>"Ironic shitposting is still shitposting..."
>The cackling on the inside moves outward, and you burst out laughing
>JESUS FUCK LAUGHING HURTS
>Moondancer chuckles along with you
>This is literally the first time in your life you've ever met someone with similar sensibilities
>And it was a disgusting autist
"Why are you such a fucking sperg if you know how fucking terrible that is?"
>"ME?! You're the one who acted like our duel at the Game Shop was an episode of Yu-Gi-Oh! And Trixie told me all about what you did to her at that party."
"You're the one who was acting like it was some dumb anime, Miss 'I dedicated my life to vengeance'."
>Both of you cross arms
>Thinking back... You know you've spaghetti'd a lot
>And with the way you've acted in front of her, well, you were usually at your worst...
>Maybe it was the same with her
>You honestly can't imagine a Moondancer that ISN'T a total sperg
>All her encounters with you, well, most people think you're autistic
>Anon literally asked you if you were autistic
"We really are retarded."
>Moondancer shrugs
>"I guess we might be. This never would've happened if you'd just came to my party."
>This AGAIN
"That was forever ago! How can you care so much about that?"
>"I told you why!"
>You don't remember that
>Oh, wait...
>No, you just didn't listen to her
>You squint at Moondancer, and remember that Trixie and Sunny were literally tearing up over whatever her sob story was
>Well, why would you have listened?
>Moondancer was this total sperg who'd attached herself like you to a parasite as a child, and you'd held a bit of a grudge against her after—
>Ohhhhhh
>No, okay, holding grudges since childhood was exactly why you thought she was a sperg
>More and more you see that, maybe, you were both being a little autistic
>Or, no, maybe that's just the ecstasy and its affect on your mind
>You hold up a finger in front of you
"Maybe I acted a bit like an autist towards you. I'm not exactly sorry, but... I don't know."
>Moondancer rolls her eyes
>"Okay, well, I'm not sorry either."
"Are we even?"
>She sits still for a few moments before she nods and you give her a slight smile
>You're just glad that you have one less problem to worry about
"Seriously though, all this over one birthday party? I know it's both of our faults, in a way, but why did it matter so much to you? You're a big girl."
>Moondancer groans
>"/tv/ memes? Really?"
"Fuck you, baneposting is transcendent."
>Moondancer leans onto the table with her elbows, holding her head up with her hands
>"It just meant a lot to me, is all. I thought about it a lot afterwards, and... Seeing that I'd been so hung up, for years, over a complete autist... That made me go crazy."
"I'm not the autist! And I literally just had no idea what you were talking about."
>"You seemed pretty fucking autistic at the Game Shop, Sparkle. I thought you were pulling an 'M. Bison from the Street Fighter Movie' on me on purpose... That it didn't matter at all to you still hurts a little, but it was mostly your autism that made me mad."
>You shrug
>Truth be told, Moondancer's explanation makes enough sense to you
>Hatred of autism burns deep
>'The world would be such a better place if I had a Death Note!'
>The two of you sigh
>Something begins to buzz in your shorts, causing you to jump as it vibrates against your thigh
>You shoot your hands into your pockets and pull out a...
>Pager?
>[Bring your catch to 324-G after costume contest]
>Fuck, Discord's stupid hunt
>Whatever, it doesn't matter
>Just a fucking harmless gag competition conjured up by that asshole...
>"What's that?"
>Moondancer has one of her eyebrows raised
>Sheesh, you'd never really realized how fucking bushy those things were
"Do you want to be my Sperg Prime?"
>She looks insulted
>"'Sperg Prime'?"
"Just... It's a dumb thing, but you could be my, uh, catch. Or whatever. We could head up to one of the rooms upstairs, 324-G. After the costume contest tonight."
>Moondancer's face turns from insult to confusion
>"Y-You want us to what?"
>Is she deaf or something?
"Head to a room. Upstairs. Me 'n you. After the costume thing."
>"I... What? I-I-I thought we were still sort of, I don't know, not on good terms or something..."
"Yeah, I know. That's point."
>Does she not understand that you're making her your Sperg Prime as a joke?
>Light Fagami is probably the worst offender here, but it might be something to chuckle about
>'Ha ha, yeah, you're the worst!'
>Or is she taking it seriously and thinking you've gone back to that autistic rivalry between the two of you?
>Moondancer shakes her head
>"That's the point?"
>You can see clearly that she's thinking pretty hard about this, though you don't know why
"Do you want to do it or not? I can find someone else if you don't, it's fine."
>"No, no... No, I guess I can... Yeah..."
"Cool, sounds good."
>Moondancer blushes, though you don't notice; her face is already pretty red from the fight
>You turn to your food and begin to eat
>Fuck, it's cold now
>Not really looking forward to the contest
>Bunch of spergs in what's essentially a cosplay pageant?
>Yuck
>But this should be a show of good faith between you and Moondancer
>AND you'll have played Discord's stupid game
>You finish up your food, or, at least what you can eat of it
>Which is about half
>Cold Asian food is disgusting if it's not supposed to be that way
>"Miss Sparkle, are you participating in the costume contest?"
"Nah, I'm just going to watch... I don't want to get up in front of a bunch of people after the rave."
>Trixie nods
>"It will be much fun! Even if just to watch."
>You shrug
>At best, you're not going to hate yourself and the world while it's going on
>Trixie smiles at you before going back to talking with the Redditors and the Anime Club fags
>You wonder how she can tolerate all these people
>Guess that's just Trixie being Trixie
>Moondancer on the other hand has been keeping to herself, letting out small "REE"s after particularly heinous statements by the other spergs at the table
>She turns to you, pushing some of the hair away from her face
>"Um, so, Twilight... I was wondering—"
>"DUDES, THE CONTEST IS HAPPENING SOON, WE GOTTA GO!"
>Rainbow pulls you out from your seat
>"YOU HAVE TO BE THERE WHEN I WIN!"
"You? You're cosplay is just a suit."
>"Uh, it's HIGHLY show accurate, and so is my hairstyle. Rainbow Dash doesn't do half-assed. I'm gonna win, you're gonna watch."
>Moondancer frowns as you're dragged away, the rest of your now huge group getting up for this stupid contest as well
>This is gonna be cringey as fuck, isn't it?
>Dash pushes you along the convention floor, thrusting you into an auditorium with a fuckton of chairs
>The smell in this place is AWFUL
>Rainbow sits you down next to her, near the front
>Spergs everywhere, and...
>You spot Discord off in the corner, talking to someone
>It's hard to make out, but you're almost certain that she's dressed as Shinobu from No More Heroes...
>Wait, Zecora?
>Why would the queen of the homeless be at Canter Con?
>Unless... That was the whole point of Discord coming here
>Being able to talk to her on neutral, public ground
>Somewhere no one would look
>"Dude, are you even listening?!"
"What?"
>"Man, never mind..."
>Rainbow frowns
>Maybe you should pay better attention to the shit people say to you
>It seems to cause you problems
"S-Sorry, I was just... Distracted."
>"It's fine, Egghead. I just don't really have people to talk about this nerd shit to."
>Nerd shit?
>Now she's sounding like Anon
>Why even be here if you just think of anime as 'nerd shit'?
>Fucking normies
>"I just thought, you know, you being YOU and all... You'd want to just talk about anime or something?"
>What's she think you are, some fucking autist?!
>Anime is for...
>You sigh
>Right
"So, what was it exactly you wanted to talk about, then?"
>Rainbow shrugs
>The ambient noise in the auditorium rises as it begins to fill up with people
>"I just wondered what you thought about Ouran High School Host Club. You know, since I 'm cosplaying as Haruhi."
"Um... I secretly like it, but I would never tell anyone."
>Rainbow nods
>"Sort of my feelings too, but it's okay when I'm at cons, I guess."
"You... Go to cons? Regularly?"
>She nods again
>"People here aren't as judge-y about your hobbies. Kind of nice to not have to be Rainbow Dash, the girl everyone man wants and every woman wants to be, 24/7."
>You can barely hear her now
"I... Guess that might make sense."
>"What?"
"That makes sense!"
>"WHAT?! Fuck, sorry Egghead, gotta go head to backstage!"
>As Rainbow gets up to leave, you notice that Moondancer takes the other seat beside you
>"H-Hey, Twilight..."
"Hey!"
>Oh man, are you, like, friends now?
>Today's been a fucking weird day
>"Twilight, I just... I just wanted to ask you if—"
"WHAT?!"
>So fucking loud in here!
>Music begins to play, and some sperg with a lisp begins announcing the start of the contest
>"I JUST WANTED TO—"
"WHAT?!"
>Moondancer shrugs
>You turn your eyes to the stage
>Oh God this is going to be cringe
>At least you have someone to laugh about it with
>As the contest goes on, you realize this is far, far worse than anything you'd have imagined
>You thought, hey, just some autists walking out in front and showing their cosplay off
>No
>It's that, PLUS a lot of the autists doing little skits "in character"
>About four rasengans later, you're beginning to feel suicidal ideation come on
>Somewhere around thirteen autists in, a fat man in a shitty Super Saiyan Goku outfit comes on stage
>He takes center stage, squats, and begins screaming
>Jesus fucking Christ
>'KAAAAAME...'
>You grit your teeth
>'HAAAAAAAAME'
>Why are these people allowed to live...
>The guy throws his hands forward
>'HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA'
>You feel the urge to vomit
>Moondancer recoils along with you, and you can almost hear her whimpering
>And the fucking announcer has the GALL to ask for a round of applause after that
>Your Prime Sperg turns to you, and pretends to gag
>You let out a laugh, which neither she nor you can hear, and she joins in
>Moondancer reaches her hand out and grasps yours, smiling
>What?
>Well, you know girls as friends can be a little more touchy-feely than you might think is normal
>Girls hold hands all the time
>That, you're pretty sure of
>Though, after the slumber party, you know that's about the extent of it
>'Making out' isn't a normal friend thing
>And, obviously, you and Moondancer aren't exactly on great terms
>So what else could this be than a friendly hand-hold?
>Like, the two of you disgust each other, but now it's just in a fun way
>You turn back to the contest, and, Jesus fuck, this is the worst thing in the world
>'I'll take a potato chip... AND EAT IT!'
>Oh God, it's that fat Light Yagami idiot
>Moondancer leans to your ear, practically yelling
>"I THINK HE'S BEEN EATING A FEW TOO MANY POTATO CHIPS!"
"THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WAS THINKING!"
>Man, your guys' humor is so on par
>Maybe you've even shitposted with each other and not known it
>The contest goes on, and, while cringe as all fuck, it's at least fun to basically 'MST3K' it with someone
>Makes it bearable
>And, SOME of the cosplay is actually pretty amazing
>Even if cosplay is still pretty spergy
>Rainbow Dash's odds don't look very good, honestly
>She did fine when she came up, but you still just think she's not a lot more than a girl in a nice suit
>You and Moondancer continue to make snide comments as the contest goes on, until, FINALLY, it seems to come to a close
>'And now, to announthe the winner... BUT, before that, let'th give out the contholoathion awarth!'
>UGH
>You don't think you can sit through a bunch of fucking 'wacky' prizes
>No, you're done with this
>You lean over to Moondancer's ear
"HEY, WANNA GET OUT OF HERE?"
>"N-NOW?"
>You nod, and she looks away from you girlishly
>Man, when she's not acting as autistic, it seems like she's awfully girly
>Wouldn't expect that from a memelord
>You stand up to leave, Moondancer still holding onto your hand, red in the face
>The two of you leave the auditorium as the announcer gives out the 'Most Kawaii' prize to some fat uggo bitch dressed as Hello Kitty
>Moondancer rolls her eyes and giggles
>As you exit, you can finally hear again
"Fuck was it loud in there! Man, fuck spergs."
>"I know, right?! Did you see Cheeto Dust in that Nia outfit? I wanted to scoop my eyes out of my head!"
"Same, man."
>The two of you share some laughter, walking through the empty halls towards the room Discord had paged you about
>Eventually, the topic of 4chan comes up, though, you wonder why Moondancer is being so coy right now
>Nervous about the Sperg Prime thing?
>"—don't even know why I go on /mu/ anymore... Everything's just shitposting, and you're not actually allowed to like anything."
"That's every fucking board! Liking shit makes you gay and autistic."
>"Y-Yeah... M-Maybe it's okay to like things, though."
>She smiles slightly and looks into your eyes
"That's what I've been thinking."
>You've said it before, but it's true every time
>This place is fucking huge
>Eventually, you and Moondancer make it to an elevator
>Assuming 324-G is on the third floor, and all
>Stepping inside, Moondancer seems awfully jittery
>And her palms are sweaty
>One could assume her knees were weak, and her arms heavy
"Something wrong?"
>"Um... No, not wrong, just... Today's just been so crazy. We were basically fighting to the death not that long ago."
>You shrug
>Body still hurts like fuck
>Face?
>Still stings
"You definitely punch harder than I thought you would."
>"Y-You too..."
>She squeezes your hand
>The elevator stops on the third floor
>Shouldn't be too far now, the two of you making your way to the room
>Moondancer's just shaking more and more, and it's honestly starting to annoy you
"Moondancer, what are you so nervous about?"
>"I... I've never done anything like this before... It's n-not like I d-don't want to, I've th-thought about this a lot, but... It just seems so sudden..."
>Why would she have thought about being the biggest sperg at Canter Con 'a lot'?
>"After... I know I focus on it too much, but after you didn't come to my party, and once you just stopped talking to me altogether, I..."
>Moondancer shakes her head and looks away from you
>Now you actually are feeling a bit sorry for being a shit to her back at the Game Shop
>You've really got zero idea why the party meant so much to her
"It's okay, Moondancer. I'm not going to just brush you off this time. I'll listen to what you have to say."
>"Well... It just made me feel... Worthless... I know it's stupid, but, you just meant so much to me."
>You're starting to see the importance of friends, so you get that
>"I never really thought you'd ever... Feel the same way."
"The past is in the past, I guess. I like you just fine, Moondancer."
>She squeezes your hand again
>Man, imagine what Sunny would think, this is more than making up!
>Maybe you can coordinate shitposting for fun after all this
>The two of you turn into a hallway, which you think is the G section—what with all the 'G's and everything—and begin approaching Discord's room
>308-G
>310-G
>312-G
>Moondancer's shaking so much it's starting to make YOUR arm tired
>Don't judge her too much, Twilight
>You've been like that when doing social things
>Huh, it's strange to think that you might be the more socially prepared in comparison with, well, anyone
>Odd feeling, really
>"T-Twilight... I-I'm not sure I can do this?"
"What? Be my Prime Sperg? You know I don't think you're actually a Prime Sperg, right?"
>"N-No, I know, but... D-Don't you think this is... Too fast?"
>You laugh
"There's no need to be so worked up over this, Moondancer."
>She blushes, which you notice now as the redness of her face has died down
>That's... Odd
>"I... I guess... D-Do I look okay?"
"What? You look fine. Still a bit roughed up, but fine. Why, do I look bad?"
>"N-No..."
>Moondancer smiles at you, coyly
>Hm...
>Nah, it's nothing, Twilight
>Don't make this weird
"Well, here we are!"
>You push open the door, opening it up into a hallway, a door on one side, a closet on the other, and a door at the end
>The one on the end is probably the one you want
>You move forward, and find yourself stopped in place by Moondancer
>She's still standing outside the door, holding your hand tightly, looking sheepish
"C'mon, Moondancer."
>"O-Okay..."
>You tug her along with you and open the door into the next room
>Inside, you spot Discord, Fluttershy, and—
"W-What the fuck?! W-What's going on here?!"
>"Simon! Welcome!"
>There's some dudebro looking guy in the room, popped collar and everything, along with a massive hamplanet in a Yoko cosplay
>Both are bound and gagged on the floor, looking at you with muffled screams for help, Discord sitting on the bed, watching TV and waving to you
>Fluttershy walks briskly over to you, ripping Moondancer's hand from yours and pulling her into the room
>Moondancer yelps
>"T-Twilight, w-what's going on?! Help!"
>Fluttershy smirks
>"I remember you. Good pick, Twilight."
>Discord scratches his chin as Fluttershy violently shoves Moondancer to the floor
>"Isn't that Moondancer? You know, Simon, typically I wouldn't allow the catch to be someone I'm hanging over someone else's head, but... I can make an exception for you!"
>You stand, frozen at the door as Fluttershy begins tying Moondancer up next to the other
"Y-Y-You never said anything bad would happen to the people we picked!"
>Discord looks at you with incredulity and laughs
>"What did you think would happen? This isn't fishing! We don't just throw 'em back into the water all willy-nilly! The whole point is to remove these things from the gene pool and let off steam."
>Moondancer whimpers as Fluttershy manhandles her on the floor
"Stop! I... I brought her here as a joke. Sh-She's not really that bad!"
>You spot the knives on the nightstand next to Discord
>What the FUCK were you thinking?!
>Of course Discord would do some fucked up shit, but... You're not the kind of person who'd even fucking THINK this shit up
>Discord points to the dudebro
>"You'll love this, Twilight. I can't believe you can even find people like this at Canter Con, but it's the genuine article. I hated guys like this back in my college days."
>Fluttershy, finished with Moondancer, kicks the hamplanet in the gut
>"She told me to 'eat a hamburger'. I fucking hate these kinds of people," she says, spitting on her face
>Your whole body feels as though it's shutting down on you
"I-I-I don't want anything to happen to Moondancer. I quit this stupid shit! This is just... Fucked up!"
>Discord groans and crosses his arms
>"You're being a real bummer. I brought you here so you could lighten up! You've seen Footloose, with Kevin Bacon, right? It's like that! Loosen up, man!"
>He stands up, a doting smile on his face, and walks over to you
>"Maybe you don't believe you can do this, but I do."
>Discord puts his hand on your shoulder
>"Listen up, Simon. Don't believe in yourself. Believe in me! Believe in the Kamina who believes in you! Let's carve up some pigs! They deserve it, don't they? I mean, after having to deal with Moondancer at the Game Shop, I can see why you chose her."
>You push him away from you, and his demeanor instantly changes from that friendly, fire-blooded Kamina act to a dead stone face
"NO! I... I didn't bring Moondancer here because she deserves to-to die! It was, you know, like a joke! Like, 'ha, you're SO bad'!"
>"Well, the whole point of this exercise was to get you to stop being such a pussy. Sometimes that means getting rid of people you might not want to."
>Discord's circling you now, his eyes peering down on you, sending chills through your body
>"If you don't do it, I will. AND then, oh, I don't know. You know, I never liked that Treehugger. Always seems to be stealing away my girls. I think I'll go for her first."
>You drop to your knees and clasp your hands together
"PLEASE! Please don't! This is wrong! Just... Just killing people for being, what, the kind of people you don't like?!"
>Discord shrugs dramatically, throwing a forearm across his forehead
>"Oh how terrible! Just get up, Twilight. It's embarrassing."
>Fluttershy is sitting on the bed, eyeing her prize, flipping a knife in her hand
>"Can you two wrap it up? I'm getting bored."
>Discord kneels down in front of you
>"CAN we wrap this up?"
>You look over to the bound sacrifices
>Unlike the others, Moondancer isn't screaming, but just peering through teary eyes at you, through you...
"Discord... If you really think we're anything alike, if we ARE alike, then... Then you have to know this is wrong! That... That just holing yourself up, and-and letting your misanthropy fester... It's not what we really want! It's just... Easier to distance yourself, to the point of thinking everyone else is shit, but... You have to see that this is wrong! W-What about Fluttershy and I? W-We're y-your friends, and d-doesn't that prove that—"
>Discord bursts out laughing, louder than you've ever heard him
>It echoes throughout the room
>"Are you seriously giving some monologue about, what, the power of 'friendship' or something? That's rich. It really is."
"B-But... I-If I'm wrong, th-then you're wrong about me!"
>"No, all you have to do is loosen up. You're drinking the kool-aid of the masses."
>FUCKING THINK, TWILIGHT
"Sh-She's the daughter of someone who works for you! Th-That's bad for business or something!"
>"I never liked her anyways, and Safety Dancer still has a wife to worry about, too."
>Fluttershy stands from her seat on the bed and scoffs loudly
>"This is taking too long!"
>She flips the knife in her hand, smiling, and eyes the hamplanet
>Next thing you know the knife in her hand comes slamming down into—
>You turn away and close your eyes, the sound of muffled screaming and a hilt meeting flesh over and over filling your ears
"STOP!"
>Fluttershy cackles, sitting atop the bulbous now-corpse
>"I told you she was a pussy."
>Discord pats you on the shoulder and stands up
>"You're up, kid!"
"NO!"
>"I'm getting awfully tired of this, Twilight."
>Fuck, what the fuck can you do?!
"L-Let me substitute someone else for her! Please! I-If I have to do this, at least give me that!"
>Discord scratches at his chin, and you hope he's actually thinking it over now
>"I guess we CAN take baby steps..."
"G-Great!"
>Fluttershy shrugs and crosses her arms, caked in blood
>"You're always giving her outs..."
>"Baby steps, Fluttershy... But—"
>Discord turns back to you
>"—If you don't come back with someone, and if you don't get some hands on experience... Well, I would hate to be your friends and family."
>You nod grimly
"Great..."
>"Fluttershy, untie Moondancer, please."
>She gives a minor tantrum before complying, cutting the duct tape from Moondancer's wrists and feet and removing her gag
>Once her mouth is free, Moondancer begins to cry out, heavily and loudly, a sort of mixture of screaming and sobbing
>Discord raises his eyebrows at you
>"Well? Get her out of here. And I want you back here quick. No dilly-dallying, young lady."
>He turns to Moondancer
>"And you. No talking about this. I'm sure you can think of the reasons why it would be a bad idea."
>You crawl over to Moondancer, and she swipes your hand away when you try to help her up
>"G-Get away from me!"
"Moondancer, please, I'm trying to help!"
>She curls up into the fetal position, unable to deal with the situation, her back covered in the blood seeping from the body lying next to her
>Discord shrugs
>"I'm going to change my mind soon..."
"Moondancer, please!"
>No response, she simply continues to sob wildly
>Not knowing what else to do, you try and scoop her up in your arms
>She kicks at you
>God damn it, just let me save you!
>You're going to fucking die if you don't let me do this!
>You grab a hold of one of her arms, and begin dragging her across the floor
>"Why?! W-What the fuck?!"
>Moondancer mutters to herself as you pull her, every muscle in your body threatening to shut down from the exertion and bruises of earlier
>Fluttershy rolls her eyes
>"This is just pathetic."
"Moondancer, please!"
>You try to get a better hold of her, wrapping your arms below her armpits, finally dragging her out of the room as she goes limp, no longer willing or able to fight you
>Pushing your way through the door to the outside hallway, you finally free Moondancer from room 324-G
>She's still in hysterics, though there's no one around to hear her
"Moondancer, please, you have to calm down... I know... I know this was fucked up, but you have to calm down for both of our sakes!"
>"Why?! I-I-I thought y-you, w-we... But..."
>She continues sobbing
>You kneel down to try and comfort her, but she pushes you away
"Moondancer, please, let me help—"
>She clutches her head in her hands and shrieks.
>"I-It's like you fucking exist just to torture me! Just get away from me!"
"Moondancer—"
>"STOP!"
>You fall back onto your rear, Moondancer splayed out and crying before you, her cosplay covered in blood
>Fuck, if she just stays here... That could make your attempt to save her moot
>And she definitely has to get rid of the bloody clothes
"Moondancer... You have to pick yourself up. If you're wailing like this, if you bring attention to yourself, if you ever tell anyone about this... Your family, your friends, YOU will be in danger... You HAVE to pick yourself up!"
>"Twilight, p-please. Just leave me alone. I can't... I can't even..."
>You stand up and grab her Simon the Driller coat, and begin trying to remove it from her
>"S-Stop!"
"Moondancer, you have to! I'm trying to keep you fucking safe, okay?!"
>The coat comes off over her head, leaving her with her undershirt, which isn't too obviously coated with anything
>Fuck this is so fucked up
>You bundle the coat up into a ball, and plan to throw it away in the next garbage can you can find
"Now you have to get out of here. Please!"
>"I-I can't. I can't!"
>She just mumbles that over and over to herself
"If... If you don't, then I'll have to bring you back in there!"
>"NO!"
"I'll have to!"
>Face stained with tears, Moondancer is finally fear-stricken enough to stumble onto her feet, running away without looking back
>Bluffing with something like that... You didn't have a choice, did you?