Reckoning, Act 2

Part 1:

>you are Anonymous
>Ruby says you always seem down around this time of year
>the weeks leading up to the holiday formerly known as the Summer Sun Celebration
>you always forget what it's called nowadays
>today is the thirteenth anniversary of the...
>"accident"
>when the anniversary rolls around, Ruby always invites you out to eat with her
>Ruby is seated across from you at some new bistro, situated only a block away from the...
>castle
>on her plate lies a subtle arrangement of daisies and daffodils, lightly drizzled with honey and served with a side of lightly crisped hay
>she's eating daintily in between witty comments and tinkling laughter, in a manner befitting a full-fledged member of the Canterlot social elite
>which, you suppose, is a position she's earned by now
>despite the fact that she's pushing her mid-30s now, she still looks great and you can't help but compare her to a fine wine, perhaps because of her well-groomed red mane
>she's rocking a tight, black dress which would have positively bewitched your old self
>but the dress was designed by a pony named Rarity, who you've been given to understand is a close friend of...
>her
>the outing was originally going to be just you and Ruby
>but Ruby's little sister, Red, just so happened to be in the country
>same creme coat, same red mane, but an earth pony
>she's not as well-manicured as her sister, but she is noticeably more toned from what you presume is a more active lifestyle
>Red is a sailor of some sort, though she's vague when questioned on what sort exactly
>you can't quite remember what Red ordered, as she all but inhaled the tiny serving on her plate within a minute of its arrival
>wearing nothing but an old, ratty neckerchief, she alternates between telling sea stories and looking bored
>of course, when Silver Locket found out that Ruby was having a social outing, she just had to come and invite herself
>Silver Locket is the mare who replaced you after the...
>accident
>powder-blue coat, silver-grey mane, and a light, slightly-frilly, silk dress that goes with her mane
>an earth pony like you, you're not entirely sure what she can do with jewelry using her hooves that you can't
>she started off her career in the fashion industry as Ruby's assistant, and worked her way up to the position of partner as Ruby's little shop grew into a thriving franchise
>Silver Locket's dining habits mirror her mentor's exactly, from the dish on her plate to the way she alternates between delicately eating and politely chatting
>though her plate of flowers is drizzled with a sort of raspberry sauce instead of honey
>and then there's the mare who introduced herself as Sketchy
>shaved head, shaved tail, cutie mark dyed white to match her coat
>you're pretty sure she's one of Ruby and Locket's ARTISTE friends
>she's as naked as you are, and staring at the last bit of seaweed on her plate as though she expects it to move or something
>and then, of course, there's you
>though thirteen years have passed, you still wear the body of a small filly, and have to all but stand on your seat when you want to take something from your plate
>you've ordered a plate of lavenders, lightly fried til the petals had crisp, black edges, and drizzled - extra drizzled, you asked - with a thick, red cranberry puree
>you're engaged in stabbing the flowers with a butter knife when Ruby addresses you
>"Anon? Are you all right? You seem lost in thought."
>Red snickers
>"She's probably thinking about how the bird brain chef overcooked her lavenders."
>you groan
"Sun, Red."
>"Oh, what? You're such a big respecter of griffon culture? They're carnivores, of course they don't know how to cook flowers. You wanna eat some pony rump to show off how much you love griffon cuisine?"
>you make a show of gagging
"No. Just... cool it with the anti-griffish remarks."
>oh!
>that reminds you of that one line from American Psycho
>good movie, fantastic book
>you should adapt that one next
>maybe give the Bateman-equivalent a name like Midnight Purple...
>Red rolls her eyes
>"Oh, right. I keep forgetting you're Princess Twilight's butt buddy."
>Ruby shoots a glare at her sister
>though nobody knows what really happened between you and Twilight Sparkle
>Ruby, at least, has been given to understand that you had some sort of falling-out before moving out of her home
>your butter knife is embedded in the table
"I... was... NEVER... friends... with Twilight Sparkle!"
>and now the whole bistro is silent and Silver Locket is cringing and pointing at something behind you
>you turn around
>standing there in the doorway is Princess Twilight Sparkle, sole ruler of all Equestria, accompanied by some kind of griffon diplomat
>you stare into her eyes
>she stares into yours
>her horn lights up
>and she disappears from the bistro with a flash
>the restaurant erupts into a flurry of scandalous whispers and furtive glances in your direction
>your appetite, for both food and company, is ruined
>without a word, you slide out of your seat and head for the door
>Ruby calls out to you
>but it's too late
>you'd be outside already if not for the dumb fucking griffon blocking the doorway
"Move it, bird brain."
>though she obliges you quickly enough, you make a point of stomping on her claws as you walk past her
>and you disappear into the grey Canterlot evening

>you are Twilight Sparkle
>your teleportation spell drops you off in your bedchamber
>it was on this day 13 years ago that you…
>you…
>all at once, your legs grow weak
>and you collapse onto your bed
>13 years, and she still hates you
>and why shouldn't she?
>no matter how many bits you send her
>no matter how many times you promote her books
>there's nothing you can really do to make up for…
>for…
>one of the first things you did upon ascending to the throne was to destroy the Restricted Archives
>unlike your predecessor, you have no emotional attachment to the ponies who wrote those works
>and no matter how many times you channel the awesome healing power of light magic
>you don't think you could ever trust yourself with those books
>in all of Equestria, there's only one remaining trace, so far as you know, that dark magic ever existed
>her
>the poison in her heart and in her mind
>the poison you put there
>Anonymous, the victim of an unearned hate
>your hate
>Celestia always considered the matter wrapped up once you were saved
>but every time you see Anon
>in the crowd
>in the street
>in that bistro
>you know that nobody ever thought to save her
>as an earth pony, it's true that she's unlikely to get into dark magic
>but you know what it's like to feel an all-consuming hatred
>you've felt it in yourself
>you've seen it in others
>it's a miserable way to live
>your crimes will never truly be undone til Anon is healed on the inside
>but how, you wonder
>can you make that happen?

>you are Anon
>your rebirth, all those years ago, was founded on three basic assumptions
>one, you would be big one day
>two, she would be old one day
>three, when that day came you could claim your revenge
>ah, the rage you felt, then
>the sheer, mouth-frothing wrath
>when, less than a year later, she was promoted to the rank of alicorn princess
>and the grinding disappointment that came when you understood that you weren't growing older
>whatever vile spell she cast on you didn't account for the process of growing up again
>you're a fucking little filly, deep into your 30s
>that's two of your basic assumptions out the window right there
>she's the one who got big
>and you're the one who got old
>well, not old, in the strictest sense
>but you've grown tired
>less potent, so to speak
>you wouldn't be surprised if you were somehow still hurtling toward death by old age
>despite the fact that you can't age
>you have, however, gained a cutie mark by this point
>a simple, black question mark
>most ponies assume that this is because you're a novelist
>you know it's because you're a fraud
>you've wormed your way into Canterlot society by ripping off Earth stories to the best of your memory
>currently, you're adapting Dosoevsky's Demons for Equestrian readers
>the original is the tale of a son who destroys his home town to avenge himself on his neglectful father
>there were some other plot-lines in the story too, and you're honestly putting too much emphasis on that one in particular to have a faithful adaptation on your hooves
>but it can't be helped
>what you're writing is largely the tale of a daughter who returns to utterly destroy her violent-but-repentant mother
>does it need to be spelled out why this appeals to you?
>Twilight Sparkle is untouchable in real life
>but on the printed page, you've destroyed her dozens of times
>you've been Kriemhild and Hagen
>the monster and Frankenstein
>Smerdyakov and Fyodor Pavlovitch
>and much, much more
>the best part?
>you've managed to guilt her into promoting every single story you've stolen
>though, somehow, each time she obliges you in this only increases your hatred for her
>it's the same way with the large stipend of hush money you receive every month
>you'd give back every bit to just feel that giant horn crack under your little hoof
>a drop of rain falls from the sky to interrupt your train of thought
>breaking free from the spiral of your thoughts, you see that you've wandered off in exactly the wrong direction
>your home is clear on the other side of Canterlot
>and now it's raining
>a low, guttural growl erupts from your throat
>fucking Twilight Sparkle

>you are still Anon
>your rebirth, all those years ago, was founded on three basic assumptions
>one, you would be big one day
>two, she would be old one day
>three, when that day came you could claim your revenge
>ah, the rage you felt, then
>the sheer, mouth-frothing wrath
>when, less than a year later, she was promoted to the rank of alicorn princess
>and the grinding disappointment that came when you understood that you weren't growing older
>whatever vile spell she cast on you didn't account for the process of growing up again
>you're a fucking little filly, deep into your 30s
>that's two of your basic assumptions out the window right there
>she's the one who got big
>and you're the one who got old
>well, not old, in the strictest sense
>but you've grown tired
>less potent, so to speak
>you wouldn't be surprised if you were somehow still hurtling toward death by old age
>despite the fact that you can't age
>you have, however, gained a cutie mark by this point
>a simple, black question mark
>most ponies assume that this is because you're a novelist
>you know it's because you're a fraud
>you've wormed your way into Canterlot society by ripping off Earth stories to the best of your memory
>currently, you're adapting Dosoevsky's Demons for Equestrian readers
>the original is the tale of a son who destroys his home town to avenge himself on his neglectful father
>there were some other plot-lines in the story too, and you're honestly putting too much emphasis on that one in particular to have a faithful adaptation on your hooves
>but it can't be helped
>what you're writing is largely the tale of a daughter who returns to utterly destroy her violent-but-repentant mother
>does it need to be spelled out why this appeals to you?
>Twilight Sparkle is untouchable in real life
>but on the printed page, you've destroyed her dozens of times
>you've been Kriemhild and Hagen
>the monster and Frankenstein
>Smerdyakov and Fyodor Pavlovitch
>and much, much more
>the best part?
>you've managed to guilt her into promoting every single story you've stolen
>though, somehow, each time she obliges you in this only increases your hatred for her
>it's the same way with the large stipend of hush money you receive every month
>you'd give back every bit to just feel that giant horn crack under your little hoof

>you are Twilight Sparkle
>you've just woken up from the nightmare where you're sucking Anon's eye out of her head
>your eyes snap wide open as you feel violently ill
>in the darkness of the early morning, nobody sees you stick your head out the window
>nobody witnesses the cascade of black vomit that splatters into the palace garden
>you slump to your knees back in your chamber
>a quick glance at the ornate grandfather clock in the corner tells you that it's a few hours yet before you'll have to raise the Sun
>every single day since you teleported out of that bistro
>this has been your morning
>it's getting to be intolerable
>you don't think you can survive an eternity of this
>in the back of your mind
>an idea has been developing
>you know it's a bad idea
>"creating problems to solve problems is wrong" is a lesson you learned years and years ago
>and you voice this objection every time your mind presents this idea
>but the idea always comes back later
>more polished
>with better risk management
>and it's starting to have all the trappings of a…
>well, not a good idea
>but a reasonable one
>if you could just expose Anon to a little light magic
>just one little friendship-beam
>she'd be healed
>right?

>you are Anon
>you've just woken up from the dream where Twilight Sparkle is sucking your eye out of your skull
>the harsh glare of the Sun through your dirty window tells you that it must be past noon
>you groan and fall from your bed
>you hunkered down and finished your Demons rip-off in about 3 days
>you even went back and included the famous "deleted scene"
>your publishers called you a sick little pony, as usual
>but they'll publish it anyway
>they think you're sick now
>just wait til they get Equestrian Princess a few months from now
>as always, you skip breakfast and head straight for your typewriter
>but you pause when you sense something that's not part of your home's usual clutter
>someone's slipped an envelope through the letter-slot in your door
>without ceremony, you grasp the thing with your hooves and teeth and tear it open
>a letter flutters to the grease-stained floor, its ornate horn-writing facing up
>"Come see me when you're feeling better. ~ Ruby"
>the letter is promptly trod on til it's grey with dirty hoofprints
>she's your ex-boss
>not your fucking mother
>in spite of that, you'll probably visit her today anyway

Part 2:

>you are Chrysalis, immortal Queen of the changeling race
>for an eternity, you have languished in stone
>here in the garden, the sun shines
>the birds sing
>the ponies smile
>you hate it
>the monotony is broken, however, when a tall, purple creature cautiously steps into view
>she eyes you up and down grimly
>but cringes when her gaze lands on Cozy Glow at your shoulder
^"You know, showing off a scared filly as a vanquished enemy isn't a great look."
>she tilts her head
^"I'll, uh, get around to seeing about reforming you at some point. Soon. Probably."
>delicately, she brushes a leaf off of your companion's face
^"I, uh, promise. Maybe I'll try to get a hold of Tirek's brother to see what he wants with him at some point too."
>that voice…
>could it be?
>it is!
>it's Twilight Sparkle!
>why, she's taller than you are!
>how long…
>how long has it been?
>is it too late to claim your revenge on Starlight Glimmer?!
>you could scream right now, if only you could breathe
>Twilight Sparkle's gaze grows stern again as it falls on you
^"But right now, I'm just here for you, Chrysalis."
>her horn lights up as she attempts to pluck you from the pedestal
>failing that, she sighs
>picks up the whole statue
>and walks off with you and your companions
>you're angled up and staring at the sky
>so you can't see quite where you're going
>but sky turns to marble ceiling
>and marble ceiling turns to cobblestone ceiling
>the room you're set down in is dank and dark
>which is, frankly, much more to your tastes than the garden
>the first thing Twilight Sparkle does is produce a familiar, black bell
>the Bewitching Bell
>she taps it once with her metal-shod hoof
>and a little bit of green magic flows into you
>it's not enough to break you out of here
>but it feels good
^"Now… they did this with ordinary magic, so I should just be able to…"
>a flash
>you're free!
>you're lunging for her throat
>but something knocks you backwards
>and now you're pinned to wall
^"I gave you just a little bit more power than a strong unicorn would have, and by this point I have just a little bit more power than Celestia. That wasn't going to work."
>whatever words you had planned a few minutes ago slip away as you hiss furiously at her
^"Besides, I'm not the one you really hate anyway."
>what is she, baiting you?
>if so, you bite
"I DO hate you."
^"Yeah, I know. And you hate Thorax, and my brother, and my brother's wife, and I'm sure a dozen other ponies and non-ponies to boot. But none of them are quite the same as Starlight Glimmer, are they?"
>an involuntary snarl escapes you at that
"Is she even still alive?"
^"Sure, it's only been 10 years."
>relief washes over you in an awesome wave
>Starlight Glimmer is alive
>which means you can put a stop to that yourself
>however, you don't want Twilight Sparkle to see just how relieved you are
>so you put up some snark
"So, what? Has she turned against you? You want me to destroy her for you because you're too squeamish do it yourself?"
^"Sun, no! Starlight is still one of my closest friends!"
"Then what-"
^"Look. You don't need to know what I'm doing. Let's just say I'm taking a long, hard look at my life and I want to set a few things right before it's too late. I have a deal for you. Are you interested?"
>you are
>but you can't be too obvious with it
"I'm listening."
^"I'm going to allow you to capture Starlight Glimmer."
>what
"What."
^"There's a few strings attached, obviously. First thing is, no hurting Starlight. You can make her uncomfortable, make her work, whatever, but you can't harm her in any way. Got it?"
>you obviously disagree with this
>but you're not going to ruin this chance by saying so
"Go on."
^"Second thing is, no hurting anyone. Period. You can trap anyone in your way with that green stuff, but that's it."
"Anything else?"
^"Third thing. No stealing love, or trying to gain power in any way. Remember, I'm the most powerful alicorn on the planet right now, and you're barely more than a unicorn. I can deal with you all by myself. You'll have to steal a lot of love to overpower me, and believe me when I tell you that I'll know if you're breaking our deal long before that happens."
>curses
>what is she, tracking you somehow?
>there's got to be some way to outwit her, if only you can get out of here
"And what do I get out of this?"
^"Well, depending on how things go, I might let you leave Equestria. You could start a new hive if you wanted, cause a bunch of trouble, just so long as you do it somewhere else."
>you really, really cannot believe your ears
>she's a fool to trust you even this much
>you've lived for centuries
>she's barely a hatchling compared to you
>you'll find some way to make her regret this
>but in the meanwhile…
"I accept your offer."
^"Excellent."
>she drops you, and you elegantly buzz down to the floor
^"Now, if you have no further concerns, I believe you know the way out."
>you take on the form of an unassuming guardpony
"Better than you realize, princess."
>she smiles menacingly
^"Remember, Chrysalis. I'm watching you."

>you are Twilight
>once the changeling queen is gone
>the mask slips
>this was a really, really bad idea
>it's not that you particularly mind taking advantage of Chrysalis
>she's been blasted with light magic no fewer than three times in her life
>if that couldn't dig up anything redeemable in her, there's probably nothing to dig up
>though you suppose this technically counts as a fourth chance for her
>and on the really, really off-chance that she actually comes out of this a better changeling, you'll keep your word and let her go free
>it's also not that you haven't taken every precaution
>you've already isolated the wavelength of Chrysalis' ego, and can latch onto her mind at any time
>you doubt if you could actually take over her mind without her noticing
>but you already tested hitching a ride on her senses before freeing her, and she doesn't seem to have noticed
>you should be able to step in if things get out of hoof
>but what if there's something you failed to account for?
>you can't come up with anything, no matter how hard you rack your brain
>but in the back of your mind, you know that there's always something to overlook
>in any case, you've already let her go
>you'll give her about an hour
>and then
>you've got a summons to give

>you are Anon
>you prepared a cup of coffee
>stuck a harsh rock record in the phonograph
>sat down at your typewriter
>and proceeded to not write anything at all as you fumed over Ruby's letter
>it didn't take long to realize that you weren't gonna be able to focus til you paid her a visit
>so, without so much as turning off the music or finishing your coffee
>off you went
>now a jingling bell announces your entry into Ruby's jewel shop
>a different location from the one 13 years ago
>bigger
>in a nicer part of town
>more customers
>customers who she happily abandons when she sees you walk in
>"Ah, Locket, can you take care of these lovely ponies for me?"
>Silver Locket clicks into place behind the display counter as Ruby comes out to meet you
>"Anon! Did you get my letter?"
>there's a brightness in this mare's smile that causes you to squint and turn away
"Y-yeah."
>"Well come on upstairs. I've got brownies and hot cocoa for you."
>she opens a door, and bounces up the stairs beyond with the vitality of a mare ten years her junior
>you sigh and trudge on up after her
>Ruby is already sprawled out on her couch by the time you make it upstairs
>you clamber up into the armchair (hoofchair?) on the other side of the coffee table, where the brownies and cocoa lie waiting
>"Try some, I'm very proud of this recipe."
>the sweets give off an overpowering odor of sugar that twists your stomach in knots
"Unh, no thanks."
>"Not hungry?"
"I'm not saying that I stayed up til 3 in the morning drinking again, but I'm also not saying I didn't."
>"Oh, drinking? A little fine champaigne? Some Cristal Empire, perhaps?"
"Well, no. More like a lot of cheap vodka. Sweetka."
>"Ah, with a little cranberry juice, I suppose?"
"No… more like, uh, straight out of the bottle."
>Ruby smiles sympathetically
>"Goodness. If you wanted to drink acid, I keep some big bottles of solvent right here in my shop."
"Oh, whatever. What did you want?"
>"I just wanted to see how you were doing. You know, a social call."
"Why?"
>"Because friends have a funny habit of cheering each other up when they're in a bad mood. Come on now, how have you been?"
"I'm starting a new book about a psychopathic serial killer inspired by Twilight Sparkle."
>"Ah… you're still, ah, shaken up, then."
"You could say that."
>Ruby levitates a cup of cocoa to her lips for a moment
>"You'll feel better come winter time. You always do."
"Sure, sure. Hearthswarming and all that. Good times, yeah."
>"You know I've always felt so bad about the accident. I just wish there was some way to cheer you up faster."
"Well don't feel bad. It's not your fault. It's hers."
>Ruby, of course, knows better than to push the issue any farther than that
>she sips on her cocoa some more
>and lets the smile fade from her lips
>and suddenly, she looks very, very tired
>you honestly don't know why Ruby still bothering herself over you
>even you can see that you've been nothing but a shitty friend to her these past 13 years
"So… is Red not staying with you right now?"
>"No, no, she is. For at least a few more weeks, anyway. She's probably just out…"
>she grimaces
>"Drinking right now."
"Oh. Well, she could probably use the time off."
>"Couldn't we all?"
>more sipping
>more silence
>no, not silence
>there are hooves trotting up the stairs
>the door opens
>Silver Locket pokes her head into the sitting room
>"Ah, Ruby. There are some ponies downstairs asking for you. They're from the Royal Guard."

>you are Chrysalis, mistress of the Hive
>disguised as an ordinary townspony, it didn't take you long to figure out that Starlight Glimmer was living in the hideous tree-castle at the center of Ponyville
>yes, you intend to stick to the deal Twilight Sparkle offered you
>for now, at least
>it's true that there are certainly strings attached that she didn't tell you about
>but you need to find out what those strings are before deviating from the deal
>you also need to find out how she's keeping tabs on you
>so far, you haven't detected any tracking enchantments on your person
>so she's most likely subverting minds - yours or otherwise - to watch you
>one of those horrific deeds so typical of creatures who think of themselves as "the good guys"
>if you could just gather up enough love, you could muster the mental strength to catch her in the act of - and eventually block her from - infiltrating your mind
>but the prospect of doing that unnoticed seems unlikely at best right now
>so for right now
>it's all you can do to take as much revenge on Starlight Glimmer as you can get away with
>wouldn't it be just delicious to tell her that her dear friend Princess Twilight went so far as to give you permission for this?
>after all, Twilight Sparkle never made you agree not to do that
>you cackle under your breath as you assume the form of a tiny fruit fly and slip inside through the cracks

>you are Anon
>waiting in the sitting room with the brownies and cocoa is getting awkward
>you decide to head downstairs to see what's going on with Ruby and the guards
>but as you reach the shop area, the guards are already on their way out
>Ruby stands stone-still, awe written on her face
>you reach up over your head to wave your hoof in front of her eyes
"Hello? What's going on?"
>Ruby blinks
>"Princess Twilight wants to see me in her palace right away over a matter of the gravest importance."
>immediately
>unstoppably
>you begin to tremble all over
>Ruby shakes herself from her dumbfounded state
>"Er, ah, apparently she said that if I happened to have any friends over I was encouraged to bring them. But, ah, I don't suppose you're interested in coming."
>hot talons wrap themselves around your heart
>your jaw moves all on its own
"Actually, I'd love to come."

>you are Chrysalis, Mother of the Swarm
>no doubt it must seem a little odd to see an unassuming earth pony lining the windows and doors of Ponyville Castle with changeling wax
>fortunately, the castle's lone occupant hasn't seen you at your work yet
>by the time she does, it'll be too late
>you'll have captured her without a single soul noticing
<"Um, excuse me. Who are you?"
>speak of the devil…
"Hi! You must be Starlight Glimmer. I'm Good Housekeeping, pleased to meetcha!"
<"Uh huh… and what are you doing here?"
"Oh, I'm just here to clean up some filth."
>and a great gob of green wax puts a stop to her questions

>you are Twilight Sparkle
>it's done
>you're glad that she at least managed to do it without raising any alarms in Ponyville
>one thing you now realize you failed to account for was the possibility of your friends reacting to Chrysalis on their own
>but that seems unlikely now
>and you're now aware of a possibility that this whole incident could blow over completely unnoticed
>that would be ideal, to say the least
>you doubt if most ponies would understand what you're doing here
>let alone why you have to do it
>Starlight, would have to be kept quiet, of course
>you wonder though, if you could confide your entrust your secret to her
>she of all ponies should be able to understand coping with an unpleasant past
>right?
>a twinge of discomfort strikes you as your thoughts feel eerily similar to the ones you had when you first found the Restricted Archives
>so analytical and detached, yet defensive at the same time
>not for the first time, you reflect that this was a really, really bad idea
>but it's too late to turn back
>even now, your guard is announcing the arrival of Ruby Ring and her friend
>after some brief surveilance on this mare's small network of friends, you expected to see her assistant
>or maybe her sister
>you certainly didn't expect to see…
>Anon
>obviously, this whole affair was designed for Anon's benefit
>but you didn't think she'd ever respond to a direct summons to your court
>that's why you reached out to Ruby instead
>but no, there she is
>glaring at you from the base of your throne
>does she know this is about her?
>you clear your throat
"You must be Ruby. It's an honor to meet you."
>the creme-coated unicorn, slightly older than your friends, kicks at the floor like a nervous schoolfilly
>"Oh, no, princess. The honor is all mine."
>and then, bashfully
>"Ah, you must not remember me, but actually, we've met a few times before."
>have you?
>you rack your brains for a moment
"Oh, of course. You must have owned that… jewelry shop… on… Mare Street."
>the realization of who this mare actually is sinks in slowly
>Anon is staring at the floor now, and trembling
>Ruby glances down at this and looks back up nervously
>"W-well, yes, but, um, I-I was also a few grades ahead of you at the School for Gifted Unicorns."
"Oh, that's interesting. How are you with magic?"
>"Well, I'm not so special when it comes to spellcasting, but I'm precise, and I can do wonderful things with gemstones."
"So I've heard. But you must be wondering why I've called you here."
>"Heavens, yes. I can't imagine why you would ask for me, of all ponies, for a matter of the gravest importance."
"Then I'll cut to the chase. Chrysalis, queen of the old changelings, has escaped to Ponyville-"
<"How?"
>Anon's interjection catches you off your guard
>that, apparently, is another thing you failed to account for:
>uncomfortable questions
"I… um… don't know yet. But… she's kidnapped my friend Starlight Glimmer, and Ruby, I think that your friends are the ideal candidates to stop her-"
<"Why? Don't you already have friends in Ponyville you use for this sort of thing?"
"Y-yes, but, um… I'd like to… use this as an opportunity to, um, train more groups of friends in the art of… um… stopping bad guys. It's a program called the… Friendship Rangers."
>"Friendship Rangers? Oh, my!"
<"So you're risking the safety of Equestria on the off-chance that an untrained clique of middle-aged mares can be made useful?"
>"I'm not middle aged!"
"Y-you should have more faith in your friends…"
>Anon's dull glare pierces your defenses and digs up feelings best left forgotten
"…little filly."
>no!
>why did you say that?!
>she looks like she could kill you now!
>even Ruby is cringing
"Anyway, um… if you'd like to get started, just pick out four or five of your closest friends and head on down to Ponyville. Chrysalis is waiting for you in the big, tree-shaped castle; you can't miss it."
>without waiting for a response, you teleport up to your bedchamber
>and proceed to throw up again

>outside the castle, Ruby keeps smiling shyly at you
"What? What is it?"
>"Well, I just, erm. Obviously, I'd like to ask you to come with me first?"
"What, to Ponyville?"
>"Well, yes."
"Come on, you can't actually trust her, can you?"
>"Why not? I realize she was involved in the accident, but-"
"There is so much more she-"
>the words clog in your throat
>"What? What else happened?"
>despite the large payments of hush money you receive every month
>this isn't the first time you've tried to blurt out your secret
>the sights
>sounds
>sensations
>all swarm in to overwhelm your consciousness
>the flash of metal
>the splurt of veins
>the taste of flesh
>"Anon? You're shaking again."
>the perfectly ordinary Canterlot street snaps back into your reality
>you fling your head to shake off the memories
"She's- she's clearly hiding something. Did you see the way she ran out on us?"
>"I'll grant it was a bit unprincess-like."
"You have no idea what she's capable of. I don't trust her, and neither should you."
>"I don't know about all that, but how often does a princess charge you with saving Equestria?"
"Exactly! Why you? Why us? It doesn't make any sense."
>your friend's smile falters
>"I don't know why, but… haven't you ever felt like life sort of… slipped past us, Anon?"
>once more, she looks very tired
>"My sister has been telling me about her adventures ever since she ran off to the sea, but me… I was always too busy with work to do anything exciting. Why, I never even started that family I always wanted."
>she sighs
>"I suppose you're going to stay young forever at this rate, but me… why, soon I'll be too old to do anything exciting like this. How could I just say no?"
>the realization, so obvious in hindsight, that you're not the only one with emotional needs smacks you in the face
>after all these years, don't you owe her a little support?
"I'll-"
>"Whoah, am I walking in on a mid-life crisis?"
>Ruby jumps
>"I'm not middle aged!"
>Red has sauntered up behind you with a grin on her face
>"Yeah, yeah, what's this about an adventure?"
>elegant again
>proud again
>Ruby touches her hoof to her breast and sticks her nose in the air
>"Oh, nothing much, my dear little sister. It's just that Princess Twilight has entrusted me with an adventure of the utmost importance."
>Red's eyebrows raise, genuinely impressed
>"Whoah, look at you."
>Ruby flashes her sister a 24-carat grin
>"I was trying to convince Anon here to come with me, but she doesn't seem interested. I'll extend the same invitation to you. That is, if you're not too drunk already."
>Red waves dismissively
>"Psh. Too drunk? Please, I've only had sixteen."
>"Eh, sixteen whats exactly? Shots?"
>"Shots, glasses, pints, bottles, kegs, who cares? I work better this way."
>Ruby blinks
>"Kegs? Well, in any case you seem remarkably lucid. We just need to find a few more ponies, and we-"
>eyes shut tight, you interject
"Wait. I'll go."
>Ruby's smile glows like the gems she trades in
>"Excellent. We'll only need two or three more ponies then."

>you are Chrysalis, conquerer of Glimmer
>you're starting to think you should have waited a bit to drop the news on her
>she's taking it surprisingly well
<"Well, if Twilight gave you permission, I'm sure she had a good reason."
>you can tell she'd be scratching her chin right now if her hooves weren't trapped in green wax
<"Maybe she's trying to get you to undergo metamorphoses."
"Meta-what?"
<"You know, the process by which changelings learn to give love, and thereby grow up to their full adult stage."
"Ugh! You mean become one of those pastel abominations?"
<"I'm pastel."
"Exactly."
>Starlight Glimmer shrugs
<"Look, I think it's worth considering. All the research on the matter shows that changelings aren't really mature until they change."
"I have terrorized this land for centuries, and I will not be told that I am 'immature' by a 40 year old pony!"
>Glimmer frowns
<"I'm still in my 30s."
"Exactly!"
>you groan
>the threat of reprisal from Twilight Sparkle has left you with no way to vent your hatred
>much to your chagrin, that hatred is now beginning to atrophy
>come to think of it, she did say something about "redeeming" Cozy Glow before she woke you up
>great Mother Below!
>she really does want to turn you into a rainbow deer!
>you scowl and set your resolve in stone
>if you can't find some way of dodging Sparkle's surveillance
>then you've at least got to excercise your hate
>and you've got to hurry, before it all wastes away

>you are Anon
>Ruby bursts into the shop before you and Red
>"Locket, close the shop! We're going on an adventure!"
>the younger mare, who had been chatting with Sketchy at the counter, jumps
>"An adventure?"
>Ruby flashes her assistant, somehow, a 25 carat smile
>"That's right. The Princess has entrusted me any my friends to stop the dreaded changeling queen!"
>Silver Locket immediately goes for the shop's keychain
>"How utterly horrifying. I'll close up right away."
>Ruby giggles like a little filly
>"Now we only need one more… Ah, Sketchy! We're friends, right?"
>the stunned ARTISTE taps herself on the chest
>"Uh, I guess so."
>"Perfect! Want to come on our adventure?"
>the weird little bald mare scratches her chin contemplatively
>then shrugs
>"Okay."
>seconds later, four giggling mares trot in place in a circle just outside the shop
>it's a surreal sight for you, given the context
"Uh, you guys know this isn't a social outing… right?"

>you are Chrysalis, terror of her foes
>a few minutes ago, you walked out of the room you've been keeping Glimmer in
>but you snuck back in as a spider
>and now you're hanging over her by a thread of silk
>she has no idea of the terror you're about to inflict upon her miserable soul
>in a flash, you've assumed your true form
>you're roaring in her face with all the ferocity of the rightful mistress of the changeling swarm
>you land on your hooves cackling
>but, much to your irritation, Starlight Glimmer doesn't seem very terrorized
>she's just sort of grimacing and shaking her head
>probably due to all the spittle you sprayed in her face
"Wha- why aren't you terrified?"
>she's only half-focused on you as she continues to grimace at the flecks on her face
<"Well, you did already tell me that Twilight had told you not to hurt me, so…"
>you hiss
<"Look, this is really gross. Could you, like, wipe my face off or something?"
"Really? You're asking me for a favor? Me, your mortal enemy?!"
<"You know, I never really felt that way about you."
>without moving a muscle, you magically rip a flowing, purple banner from the wall
>and roughly towel off your mortal enemy's face with it
>your NON-MUTUAL mortal enemy, apparently
<"Thanks."
"I'm so tired of this."
<"You wanna talk about it?"
>you flinch as though you've been slapped
"I- what?!"
<"Well, you know, I just… Has anyone ever really asked you about your feelings before? Your story?"
>you hesitate
"It just so happens I have an extremely tragic backstory."
>Starlight Glimmer smiles up at you encouragingly
>lights up her horn
>and teleports a tub of ice cream to you
>you eye the dairy treat suspiciously
>but you take it
>and you collapse to your knees on the verge of tears
"It all started when I was an egg…"

Part 3:

>you are Anon
>did you need another reason to not trust Twilight Sparkle's odd request?
>well, you got one
>nobody in Ponyville seems to know anything about any changeling queens running around
>they're happy to give you directions to the big, tree-shaped castle though
>even though you can see it from the train station
>getting there is only a short walk
>getting inside, however is…
>Ruby grunts as she pushes at the door with her magic
>"I think it's locked."
>Red rolls her eyes
>"What? Did you think the bad guys were just gonna leave the door open for us? Hang back a second, I'm what you might call an experienced adventurer."
>Red produces a pair of long, thick needles from behind her ear and proceeds to jam them into the lock
>Locket cocks her head
>"Did… you have those on you this whole time?"
>Red frowns as she focuses on her work
>"Yeah. They're good to have. You know, for lockpick emergencies."
>a second later, and the lockpicks disappear once more in the tangled rat's nest of the sea-farer's mane
>"I don't think it's locked."
>she rears on her hind legs and pushes into the door with all her might
>it gives
>just a little bit
>but it gives
>"It's stuck on something. Hang on, you guys come over here and push the door in as hard as you can."
>with three pairs of hooves and one teal aura on the door, Red shakes something out of her matted, dirty tail
>a long, thin knife
>you inhale sharply at the sight of it
>Red shrugs at you
>"You know. For knife emergencies."
>with both hooves, Red plunges the blade into something inside the door crack
>the wet splorching noises of the cutting make you nauseous
>but she finishes her work in just a few minutes
>and the door opens
>you can now see that the door had been sealed shut from the inside with a viscous, green fluid
>Red eyes the green gunk on her knife
>"Changeling wax. She's here, all right."
>above the Sun is beginning to turn a darker orange as it readies itself to be lowered beneath the horizon
>below, your companions are a bit more reserved than they were when they first set out
>and you enter the castle

>you are still Anon
>as you lag behind the taller ponies through the the wax-lined castle
>it occurs to you that you do not understand them in the slightest
>you have spent the past 13 years hopping between the searing cold of the tundra and the scorching hot of the desert
>the gentle warmth radiating from the mares who have decided to call you their friend - like a nice spring day in the park - lies beyond your ability to comprehend
>nor, in this moment, do you particularly care to understand
>you've also ceased to wonder about why Twilight Sparkle would ask them to undertake a task like this
>in fact, you've gone so far as to decide that if a fanged, black form were to lunge from the shadows and tear your throat out…
>you simply would not care
>you can't quite remember why you agreed to come to this
>and that's the question that's bothering you right now
>the mares ahead of you come to an abrupt halt for some reason
>once you've caught up with them, you can see that the tall, thick wall of green wax ahead of you is actually plugging up the entire passageway
>Red laughs
>"I told you we were going the right way."
>Ruby grimaces at the wax
>"It looks like the wrong way to me."
>Red shakes her knife out of her tail, along with a knotted curl of dirty, red hair
>"It wouldn't be blocked up like this if it were the wrong way."
>she plunges the rusted blade into the green substance
>but after a few wiggles
>it snaps
>Locket raises her hoof tentatively
>"Perhaps there's a way around?"
>Red looks mournfully at her broken knife
>"If there's another way up, it's blocked too."
>you're looking at the window, acutely aware that you could jump out of it at any time
>that's when Ruby's hoof lands heavily on your shoulder
>"That's it! What if we could climb past this on the outside of the castle? Red, do you have any rope in that rat's nest you call a mane?"
>Red touches her mane defensively
>"What? How would I fit a rope in there?"
>Sketchy is engaged in uselessly poking at the wall of changeling wax
>"Cool…"
>Locket makes a noise like a yelp, reaches up, and breaks a green stalactite from the ceiling
>experimentally, it seems, she bends it in her hooves, her eyes lighting up when it bends around to a full circle without breaking
>"Ruby, do you remember that silver ring mail we made for the duchess' Nightmare Night party last year?"
>"Ugh. How could I forget? But say, you aren't suggesting…"
>"Oh, I don't figure on a whole sheet of mail, but…"
>another stalactite is broken
>the two are then looped through each other and nimbly bent into circles
>but Locket seems at a loss for what to do next
>Red scoops a bit of wax, less hardened than the stuff from the ceiling, from the floor
>and she glues the wax-rings into position while Locket holds them
>Locket grins and holds up the rings
>"Look! We could make a chain!"
>Sketchy's contribution to this process is about as meaningful as yours:
>"Cool…"
>Red nods
>"But we've gotta hurry; this stuff is hardening fast. Sketchy, you're with me; first we'll force that window open before the wax on it hardens, then we'll break off as much wax from the ceiling as we can. Ruby, Locket, you two bend it into chainlinks. Anon-"
>she actually fucking smacks your ass here
>"-you look for wax that's still wet and use it to stick the links in place."

>you are Twilight Sparkle
>you've just now raised the Moon, but you're not quite sure how long you've been alone in your chamber when a gentle knock flows through your door
>all at once, you leap to your hooves
>who would presume to be knocking on your-
>the door clicks open, and softly swings inward
"P-Princess!"
>the intruder smiles and shakes her head
^"You're the princess, Princess. I'm just Celestia these days."
"What… what are you doing here?"
^"With the Feast of the Two Sisters coming up, I figured I'd stay in Canterlot for a while. At least until after the holiday. Naturally, I wanted to see my favorite princess while I was here, but I've heard you're feeling a bit under the weather."
"No, no, I'm…"
>you are now acutely aware of the crumpled tissues which lie scattered about the darkened room behind you
"Well, I've been better."
^"If you're feeling unwell, I'll come see you when you're better. In the meanwhile, is my guest room still waiting for me?"
"N-no, no, I mean, yes, it's always ready, but… I'd love to talk."
>the merest hint of concern enters the wisened, violet eyes of your teacher
>she enters the room and shuts the door behind her
^"If you'd love to talk, Twilight, then I'd love to listen."

>you are Anon
>you went about your task without feeling
>like a machine
>but the chain of changeling wax was made in fairly short order
>it's waiting on the stuff to finish hardening that's taking forever
>it's already dark out by the time Red taps on a green chainlink and nods
>"This should be good. One of us is gonna have to swing across the outside and look for a way in."
>it occurs to you that you would not care in the slightest if the makeshift chain broke while this was going on
>"Anon, you're the smallest. You're up."
>and suddenly
>you care a lot
"Huh? Me?!"
>Red loops one end of the chain around the ornate window frame and sticks the other end in your hooves
>"Yup. You should have the easiest time using of of these windows as a hoof-hold, and if you slip from that, you'll be the least likely to break the chain."
"Uh, just how likely is that? The chain breaking?"
>"Changelings use this stuff to hang ponies from ceilings all the time. You'll be fine. Probably."
>Ruby decides to offer some encouraging words of her own
>"We're only three stories up, you'll do great!"
"Oh fuck, just let me do this before I have a chance to think about it."
>refusing help, you clamber up onto the ledge and peer out
>why are you doing this again?
>you're not really sure
>though you think it might be peer pressure
>about ten feet forward and on the same story, in white light of the full moon, there is indeed a window you could grab
"Hey Ruby, I need some magic for this."
>"Anon, you know I can't teleport you there."
"No, no, just pick me up so I can swing over to that window."
>lifting you out of the way, the unicorn sticks her head outside to see the other window
>"Oh, I see. Okay, let me just…"
>the chain is stretched out to its fullest as you rise up to an angle where, you hope, you'll be able to reach the other window
>that's when something horrible occurs to you
>"Ready?"
"Hang on, I think we're forgetting someth-"
>but you guess she doesn't hear you
>as you fall, another horrible thought occurs to you:
>why didn't you just have her levitate you out to the other window?
>you're about to start meditating on the sheer futility of this whole endeavor when, by reflex, your free forehoof darts out and catches the ledge of the far window
>you stick the chain in your mouth and begin the struggle to open the window somehow
>but you remember the horrible thought that occured to you just before you were dropped:
>the changeling wax on the other side of the window must be hard by now
>your grip slips a little as you scramble to get your rear hooves onto the ledge
>but it's just too narrow
>and you're panicking now
>hyperventilating as you realize you're about to be hanging from the chains again
>and now SHE'S standing over you, an ordinary purple unicorn once more
>grimacing that awful that grimace at you
>and you hate her
>and even as you scramble from the fall, you raise one hoof
>glass and green stuff flies past you as her face shatters under a blow fueled by desperation and wrath
>some of it cuts you, but the cuts aren't bad, and you crawl inside the broken window and flop onto the floor anyway
>for some reason, you loop the chain around the ornate window frame
>and you go curl up in your corner

>you're still Anon
>by the time other ponies start clambering in through the window, you've returned to your senses
>but you're still curled up in the random corner you picked out as "yours"
>first comes Red
>she doesn't seem to notice you
>Sketchy and Silver Locket climb in after her, following her pattern of neither apparently seeing you nor apparently caring to
>then Ruby enters
>"Talk about a workout. Where's Anon?"
>Sketchy points directly at you
>"Over there in her corner.
>Red wheels around in your direction
>"Whoah, I thought you went on without us."
>Ruby trots right up to you
>"That was some good work, Anon. Though, it occured to me as I was climbing over, I could have just floated you over to the window."
"I thought of that while I was falling."
>while Ruby is scratching the back of her head, Red interjects
>"I didn't know if you were actually gonna be able to get through. I thought for sure the wax over here would have hardened by now."
"It did."
>"No way. You couldn't have busted hardened changeling wax like that."
"Sometimes I get… stronger… when I think of her."
>Red cocks her head
>"Huh?"
>and now Ruby is waving the others out of the room
>"Ah, why don't you girls move on for a bit? I want to, uh… look at Anon's cuts."
>three earth mares shrug and trot into the next room
>and Ruby lies down on the sticky floor, just in front of you
>"You thought of… the princess?"
"She wasn't a princess at the time."
>"Right. But… are you all right? Really all right?"
"I'm almost never not thinking of her, really."
>"That's not what I asked."
>it occurs to you that, in this moment, you are capable of unloading everything onto this mare
>that the words wouldn't clog if you tried to… spill your secret
>but you also remember why you agreed to come here in the first place
>it was for her
>she's got anxieties too
>and you wanted to be the one to support her, for once
>it was something to that effect, anyway
"Yeah, I'm good. Just a little tired."
>"Really?"
>instead of answering, you jerk your neck forward to catch her by surprise with a nuzzle to the face
>giggling, Ruby pulls her head back and playfully bats you away
>"What was that?"
"The, uh, magic of friendship or whatever."
>Ruby all but jumps to her hooves and begins to hum in that nonchalant way that always comes off as very, very chalant
"What?"
>"You're smiling."

>you are Chrysalis, vanquisher of her feelings
"And then… and then they all ran off with HIM!"
<"Aw…"
"A-and… and every single one of them… I was their MOTHER!"
<"I'm sorry. I never thought about it like that."
>and there's that noise again
>like careless hoofsteps
>and careless chatter
"Look, I'm sorry, but I definitely hear ponies in the castle besides you. Are you sure Twilight Sparkle didn't send a rescue your way?"
<"I didn't know about any of this until you told me. I have no idea."
"Starlight, I've enjoyed your company far more than I expected, but I've got to check that out."
<"Sure, sure. I think we've made some real progress here. Go ahead and check it out, I'm not going anywhere."
"Ah, I get it!"
<"Because you glued me to the floor…"
>a chuckle passes between captor and captive
>but you remember, for a moment, that this is your mortal enemy you're laughing with
>so you regain your composure
>and turn your nose up at her
"Right, well. I'll be back in a bit."
>you're acutely aware of the sheer elegance of your stride as you gracefully walk out into the passageway
>out here, you can smell the intruders
>they're over that way
>maintaining your proud stride, you head over in their direction
>and, just around that corner…
>stand five ponies you've never seen before
>a white earth pony without any mane sees you first
>"Cool…"
>a blue earth pony with a silver mane follows her gaze and shrieks
>"Oh! Oh! Is that her? I think that's her! Is she the changeling queen?"
>a creme earth pony with a red mane slaps herself in the forehead
>"Giant, evil changeling with a little crown on her head? Yeah, I think that's her."
"Ah, excuse me. Who are you?"
>a creme unicorn, also with a red mane, looks around excitedly
>"Oh! Anon! Anon! What was that thing Princess Twilight called us?"
>a nondescript, glum little earth filly cringes
>"Friendship Rangers?"
>the unicorn lights up like a candle
>"That's it! Changeling queen, we are the Friendship Rangers! We're here to stop you!"
>the glum filly interjects
>"Uh, weren't we supposed to rescue someone, too?"
>even in your weakened state, you could eradicate all five of these imbeciles easily
>but Twilight Sparkle's threat was probably made specifically with them in mind
>on the assumption that the pony princess has even the vaguest concept of honor, that probably means that these ponies can't do much to hurt you anyway
>in about five seconds, you've secured all of them to the floor with big gobs of changeling wax
>"Ew!"
>"Cool…"
>"Well, congratulations, you got us caught. What's the next step of your master plan?"
>"Ah, they usually start shooting friendship lasers at this point, according to the news."
>"The princess give you any instructions for shooting friendship lasers?"
>"Well…"
>you roll your eyes
>this might be interesting for about one more minute
>quite frankly, you'd like to get back to dumping the tragedy of your life onto Starlight Glimmer
>you haven't even started on the years of isolation in the wilderness before your ultimate betrayal by Discord
>"Just… everybody focus… um, thoughts of friendship, or something, on me."
>"Why you?"
>"I'm the unicorn, and also I'm standing in the middle."
>amazingly, thin beams of white light actually begin to flow from the four earth ponies into the unicorn
>though the beam from the glum filly seems somewhat tenuous
>"Oh! It's working! It's working!"
>and you're rooted to the ground
>as a massive rainbow begins to spew from the unicorn's horn

>you are Twilight Sparkle
>even though you're taller than Celestia now
>lying on your bed, curled up next to her, is just as comforting now as it was when you were a tiny little filly
^"Well it certainly sounds like things are moving along very nicely. I think it was wise to send Luster Dawn to Ponyville."
"Thanks."
^"But I sense that you still haven't told me just what it is you actually wanted to talk about."
"Well, I…"
>the words trail off
^"Hm?"
>you sigh
"I sort of… sent Anonymous to Ponyville, too."
>Celestia squints in thought
^"Anonymous? Anonymous… The, um…"
>and her eyes grow wide
^"The creature from another world."
>you nod
^"Who you transformed into a small filly."
"Yes."
^"And who you…"
"Tortured. For no reason."
>Celestia cringes
^"I see you can… confront your past now."
>you nod
>a pause
>and then
^"But why did you send her to Ponyville?"
"Um, I… well…"
>you sigh
>and explain the whole plot to Celestia
>the freeing of Chrysalis
>the rules you placed on her
>the mental surveillance
>the way you reached out to Anon through her friend
>your hopes for healing the scars you left on her
"I mean, light magic has incredible healing powers for this sort of thing, right? Just one little friendship beam, and…"
^"And?"
"And maybe she can be happy again."
^"Is Anonymous' happiness the only thing you were thinking of?"
"Of course. Well… maybe. No."
>Celestia holds her tongue as she waits for you to continue
"I don't want to be hated. I don't want HER to hate me anymore."
>Celestia looks away from you
>and she thinks
^"It could work, Twilight."
>and she sighs
^"But there's a risk."
"A risk?"
^"I think, perhaps, you might have sought a more mundane way of earning Anonymous' forgiveness. By talking to her about it."
"Wh… what's the risk?"
^"In order for the 'friendship beam,' as you call it, to heal her, she must CHOOSE to let go of her hate."
"Well… of course. I remember making that choice, when it happened to me."
^"Twilight."
>and now you're flinching like a frightened schoolfilly
>because your teacher is glaring into your eyes
^"She might not make that choice."

Part 4:

>you are Chrysalis, the larval immortal
>it seems that you could easily dodge the great, searing rainbow
>but is it odd to say that you feel… calm, even as it races toward you?
>you're enveloped by the light
>the pain is…
>not there?
>this isn't like the last time this happened at all
>something deep within you is struggling…
>struggling to change
>you rear up on your twisted back hooves to shriek your terror
>but there's a voice from… somewhere
>it's telling you not to be afraid
>it's telling you that, in this moment, you have a choice
>it's asking a question
>could you forgive Starlight Glimmer?
>and not just her
>the pony princesses
>the changelings who left you
>your children…
>and you wonder
>could you?

>you are Anon
>a beam of light the color of blood is spewing from your heart
>it comes back with other colors
>to choke you
>to dislodge something from the very core of your being
>the light is forcing something out of you
>and it's excruciating
>in your mind's eye, you see it fly from your mouth as a blackish-purple… thing
>or do you see it with your real eyes?
>you're not sure
>but you recognize it immediately for what it is:
>the very essence of your personality
>the center of who you are
>your primary reason for living
>it's the dream that, one day, you'll have your revenge on Twilight Sparkle
>the lights want to take it away
>the lights tell you that it's not good for you
>so what do you do?
>there, in that swirling, burning vortex
>you lunge for your hatred
>you grab onto it with both hooves
>hug it close to your body
>and refuse to let go
>once your ball of vengeance is safe in your clutch, you realize something
>everything around you is now perfectly still
>the lights don't swirl and roar anymore
>curious, you examine your surroundings
>you're still in the tree-shaped castle in Ponyville, that much is certain
>the green wax that had restrained you and your companions is nowhere to be seen
>and all five of you are now, in fact, suspended several feet above the floor
>Red, Locket, and Sketchy are frozen in what looks like a sort of uncomprehending bliss
>and Ruby is in the center of you all
>she looks more alive than ever before
>her grin is wild and wide
>her eyes are focused and clear, without a single bag or wrinkle beneath them
>it's as though all the years that have passed since you first met her just never happened
>and she's still just a spry little pony with great, big dreams
>the flare of gold on her horn, from which the light proceeds, lights up her face like divine flame
>and she looks like some kind of goddess
>on the other end of the hall, the changeling queen stands
>she's rearing like a frightened horse
>but her eyes are closed in some sort of ecstasy
>and her face is turned up toward the heavens
>as though she's about to accept some kind of gift from above
>the only other occupant of the hall is the man
>he's been leaning against the wall, hands in his pockets, waiting for you to notice him
>now that you have noticed him, he's walking toward you with a soft smile on his face
>"Hey."
>you tighten your grasp on the little blob of hate
"Hey yourself."
>"Neat sight, huh?"
"Sure."
>"Wanna see how it ends?"
"I would. But I feel like there's a catch."
>"Not much of a catch. All you have to do is let go of that thing."
"It's a little bit more complicated than that, isn't it?"
>"Sure. To put it another way, all you have to do is forgive her."
>you scowl
"No way."
>"Why not?"
"I've… I've earned the right to hate her. This isn't some petty spite I'm holding here. What she did to me is literally unspeakable."
>"Well… sure."
"So why should I let go of it?"
>the man shrugs
>"You'd be happier that way."
>clutching your hatred tighter, you find that it's covered in small barbs
"Maybe I don't want to be happy."
>to prove your point, you pull the thorny blob closer
>and you pull it closer still, til you look down and see that you're bleeding
>the man, for some reason, doesn't seem disturbed by this in the slightest
>"Why not?"
"Because fuck yourself, that's why."
>the man throws up his hands mock-defensively
>"Whoah, rude."
>you merely scowl at him
>"All right, fine. So you won't do it for yourself, sure. There's probably not much hope in telling you to do it for Twilight Sparkle, is there?"
"Why the fuck-"
>"Because she stopped. Because she apologized. Because she's spent the past 13 years trying to make it up to you in every way she could."
>you lash out to strike the man
>but your hoof passes through his phantom image harmlessly
>so you scream at him instead
"Get out! Get out! Get away from me!"
>"All right you little shit. How about…"
>rough hands are grasping your head
>turning your gaze
>the man makes you look at Ruby
>"Her? How about your only friend in the whole world? How about the one sentient creature you know who puts up with your bullshit?"
"What the fuck does she have to do with this?"
>"She's worn down because of you! Because she cares about-"
"No! Her job-"
>"This magic can heal her, but it's only going to work if you-"
"You're so full of shit! This is between me and Twilight Sparkle, and nobody else. Ruby will be just fine."
>"Then what about me?!"
>stunned into silence at last, you stare into the man's eyes blankly
>"I'm the one she killed, aren't I?"
"You… you're…"
>you're stammering now
>desperate to say something
>but you're not sure what
>"We were never the type to hold a grudge."
>your hatred is heavy
>it's searing cold to the touch
>it's covered in hundreds of little barbs that eagerly dig into your flesh and make you hurt
>you can't deny that your life would be… happier without it
>nor can you deny, deep down in your heart, that letting it go now would make for a beautiful experience
>but you frown
>because, even so
>your hatred is yours
>and the blade of your gentle whisper slips through the man's ribs and pierces his heart before you
"No. That was you."
>a triumph at last
>the man's eyes grow wide
>he steps back, his arms raised as though to ward off your words
>you twist the knife
>and drive your victory home
"But I'm not you, am I?"
>finally, the man looks down
>"No."
>and he turns around
>"I guess you're not."
>and he walks away
>you watch him til he disappears through the wall
>time begins again
>things start to move almost faster than you can think
>your hate plunges into your chest like a dull blade
>and it spills back out of your heart
>tainting the red light
>tainting all of the lights
>the lights, which you've only just noticed formed a rainbow, are all rapidly darkening
>all around you swirls the incomprehensible sight of black light
>and on the other end of the hall
>a shriek

>you are Twilight Sparkle
>as soon as Celestia leaves your room, you dive back into Chrysalis' mind
>you need to know how things are progressing
>but when you find her senses
>something is wrong
>everything is loud and black
>and everything hurts
>within a few seconds, you're sent flying back into your own senses with a painful jolt
>frantically, you search for her ego in the aether
>but it's not there
>and cold drops of sweat roll down your face as you wonder…
>what just happened?

>you are Anon
>your companions are stumbling about the hall
>staggering and groaning as they try to make sense of what just happened
>Ruby, with grey streaks in her mane and thick, black rings under her eyes, rubs her head in pain
>"Is that… what friendship is supposed to do?"
>Red, cradling a fresh, deep cut over her eye, manages to growl out a reply
>"Yeah… I don't think so."
>Silver Locket points a cracked hoof at the object at the other end of the hall
>"I think we won, though."
>Sketchy has already trotted up to the object and begun poking it, with a manic grin plastered on her ghostly face
>"Cool…"
>the object at the other end of the hall is a smoking, charred husk of some hard, black material
>it's definitely not alive

Part 5:

>after the little adventure in Ponyville, everyone went their own way
>Ruby and Locket went back to their shops
>in unrelated news, the owners of a certain jewelry franchise are facing criticism after laughing off complaints about a new line of rings which leave green marks on their wearers
>Red went back to the sea
>in unrelated news, the clock tower in Trottingham was struck by a cannonball fired from a pirate vessel off its coast
>Sketchy went back to her art
>in unrelated news, a controversial pencil sketch depicting a mare with sharp teeth graphically eating a little filly has been banned from the Canterlot Art Gallery
>you are Anon
>since the moment you were reborn a second time
>it has been 18 days
>23 hours
>and 12 minutes
>the black rainbow did something to you
>you can do things now
>things you never dreamed were possible
>the creature which stalks Canterlot in your place is effectively not you
>though it looks as you've looked these past 13 years
>and though you can hear all of its thoughts
>it is not you
>it is better than you
>it has the power to avenge you upon your enemy
>and you submit to it gladly
>because tonight
>it will happen
>you ascend the steps to Canterlot Castle

>you are Twilight Sparkle
>Night Court has been a rare occurrence since Princess Luna stepped down
>after all, you're only one princess
>you barely have time for Day Court alone
>but you haven't been able to sleep for over two weeks now
>so you stay up late
>and you try to take your mind off of your own problems by helping others with theirs
>it's surprising just how many ponies are willing to stay up deep into the night just to levy their concerns onto you
>Equestria must be a place with a lot of problems
>you're only half focused on the pair of pegasi as they argue over...
>what? a cloud?
>"Ah, Princess?"
>oh
>they expect input from you now
"Hm..."
>you put on a thoughtful face
>and you take a long sip from a giant coffee mug befitting a giant alicorn
>Sun, do you need the caffeine
"I think you both have some valid concerns. Have you tried looking at this from each other's point of view?"
>you try to focus on the issues this time as they descend once more into a shouting match in your court
>but your mind keeps drifting to that night
>it's not that you're particularly upset over what happened to Chrysalis
>sure, it's shocking and it's definitely not what you wanted for her
>but she was, after all, a lost cause
>it's just that...
>friendship magic doesn't... do that
>no form of light magic does
>the question that's keeping you up at night is
>if that wasn't light magic
>what did it do to Anon?
>you haven't heard from her even once since it happened
>not even to request an endorsement for her latest novel, which hit bookstores about a week after it happened
>you did have a copy picked up, hoping to glean something about her mindset
>it was, as always, far too dark for your tastes
>but it seems like the book was actually written before it happened
>you shudder
>if that was how she thought before that day...
>then how does she think now?
>of course, there's no guarantee that the violent, black light you saw through Chrysalis' eyes was necessarily...
>dark magic
>right?
>but what if it was?
>if you were hoping that light magic would help Anon to forgive you...
>what would dark magic have done to her?
>around and around your thoughts go
>riding the same merry-go-round they've ridden for 18 nights in a row
>always arriving at the same, useless conclusion:
>if only you'd never experimented with dark magic
>if only you'd never been cruel to Anon
>your mistake cannot be erased
>cannot be ignored
>the prospect of living with it forever bears upon your shoulder like a lead weight
>at the far end of the court, a ruckus arises and shuts down the carousel in your mind
<"Trust me, she'll see me."
>that voice
>for some reason, it fills you with nameless dread
>there some scuffling noises as your guards apparently wrestle with someone who's cut the line
<"Hey Twilight! It's me, Anonymous! I wanna talk, let me in!"
>your response comes instantly and without thought
"Send her in!"
>the sound of scuffling stops
>and a small figure makes its way toward your throne
>you're not sure why she's wrapped in a dark brown cloak
>as far as you're aware, it's not scheduled to rain tonight
>the pegasi who came to petition you aren't very happy about the turn of events
>"Hey, princess, what about us?"
"Uh... yeah... so, just, uh, cut the cloud in half and whoever's not okay with that gets to keep it."
>you don't give them a chance to respond
"Uh, guards. Escort these two out of here, please. Actually, everyone out. Night Court is closed."
>you take wing and glide down to the floor below
"I need to speak with this filly. Alone."

>you are Anon
>you didn't need Twilight Sparkle to clear the court room
>her guards can't stop you now
>however, you're not opposed to being alone with her for this
>after all, there's no need for anyone else to get caught up in your judgment
>so you wait for the last of the guards to trickle out
>and for the great doors to slam shut behind them
>finally, you look up into her eyes
>carefully, so the hood of the cloak doesn't slip back to reveal your "gift" too soon
<"H...hey Anon."
>she's smiling now, a futile attempt to seem intimate
>you can't help noticing that her gaze is aimed more at your hooves than your face
"Hey, you."
>a single nervous chuckle convulses from her throat
<"You seem... more cheerful than usual tonight."
"I feel more cheerful than usual tonight."
<"That's... that's good. Did the, uh, adventure go well? I never got a chance to ask."
"Man, it went great."
<"Really?"
"You have no idea. I think I finally know who I'm supposed to be."
>at last, her gaze slides up, into your eyes
<"Anon, that's wonderful. Who... who do you want to be?"
>oh, FUCK yes
>her eyes
>they're wide as saucers
>shimmering with tears
>spiderwebbed with thin, red veins
>she's so...
>vulnerable
>it goes straight to your head in an almighty rush
>like the finest, strongest cocaine
>you can't contain yourself for an instant longer
"Your reckoning."
>you grasp your cloak with your teeth and tear it from your body
>your "gift" blazes with pitch black light
>she doesn't even have time to scream

>you are Twilight Sparkle
>you wake up sprawled on the floor of your court room
>why are you here?
>you're not sure
>but you pull yourself to your hooves with a groan
>looking around, everything seems...
>strange, somehow
>then you see her
>that's right
>Anon came to you tonight
>apart from her shuddering breaths as she stares at you with pinprick eyes, she is now sitting perfectly still some five feet away from you
>the fact that she's spewing green smoke from her eyes is worrying enough
>even worse, there's a smooth, black horn jutting from her forehead that was definitely not there before
>but the part that really scares you?
>she's taller than you
>she's still a filly
>but she's taller than you
"Anon? What... what... what did you do?"
>there is no response
"Anon? Did you make yourself bigger?"
>outside, the wind can be heard howling against the castle walls
>which is odd, because there wasn't a storm planned for tonight
"Or did you... make me shorter?"
>did her eye twitch?
>is that a yes?
"Anon... you're going down a dangerous path here. I've been there. You should... stop... before you do something you'll regret."
>why won't she answer you?
>ice cold talons wrap themselves around your heart
"I don't want to hurt you, Anon. I know this isn't your fault. But I'll defend myself if I have to!"
>she's... just...
>sitting there!
>you can't take it anymore
>you have to get out of here
>gather up your friends
>put a stop to this
>you'll have to spill your secret
>but you can't let your past mistakes threaten Equestria like this
>hopefully your friends can forgive you
>because Anon definitely can't
>you gather up your energy
>and focus it into a teleportation spell
>and...
>nothing happens?
>again and again the spell fails you
>your knees are shaking
>it's getting hard to breathe
>you're desperate
>so, in the back of your mind
>you tear down the wall
>and you reach for your old, hidden hatred
>you reach for dark magic
>hopefully you don't fall too hard if you only use it to escape
>but again
>even with dark magic
>the teleportation spell fails
"Why... why..."
>you touch a stubby hoof to your forehead
>and
>there
>is
>no
>horn
"You... you turned me into an earth filly?!"
>no
"No."
>no
"No..."
>in your heart, you have already failed
>when your moment of weakness came, you sought to repeat your greatest mistake
>you reached for dark magic
>and
>it
>was
>all
>for
>nothing
>but even without dark magic to accompany it...
>hate floods your heart
>and you can't hold your tongue any longer
"It wasn't my fault! You laughed at me! You're a monster!"
>you stamp your little hoof to emphasize your meaningless wrath
>finally, Anonymous stands
<"There she is."
"Y-you..."
<"The real you, at last."
>and, even as she immobilizes you
>procures a long, thin blade from nothing
>advances menacingly
>there is only one thought you can think:
"Y-you laughed at me..."
>a flash of magic, and your lips are sealed shut
>glossy, black wings like bones unfold from Anonymous' body til they fill the whole court room
>and there
>in the great, empty chamber
>she laughs at you

>you are Celestia
>these past couple weeks in your old palace have proved a relaxing break from your travels
>you woke up this morning before the Sunrise
>which you found odd, since it was past 9 o' clock
>poor Twilight must have overslept
>but at least that means she finally got some sleep last night
>the poor thing has been worried sick over that errand she sent Anonymous on a while back
>you admit, you giggled a little as you seized the opportunity to raise the Sun yourself
>but afterwards, you decided to check on your old student
>for some reason, she wasn't in her bed chamber
>and now you're wandering the castle a bit aimlessly, wondering where she might be
>finally, you pass by the great doors to the court room
>a pair of guards stand watch at the door, saluting you as you look at them
"At ease, gentlecolts. Have either of you seen Princess Twilight?"
>"Guys we relieved said she canceled Night Court and kicked everyone out. As far as anyone knows, she's been in the court room since last night."
"That's odd. Was it passed down to you why she did that?"
>the guard shakes his head
>"They said some filly barged in, and the princess just wanted to be alone with her."
>your heart skips a beat
>you can actually feel the soft smile slide off of your face
>there's only one filly they could be talking about here
"I need to get in there."
>without waiting for the guards to permit you, you grab both doors with your magic
>and fling them open
>and you scream
>the court room
>is red
>and there
>in the center of it all
>a filly stands atop an indistinct pile of red and yellow mush
>clenching a strip of something long and purple in her teeth
>shaking it like a dog
>snarling like one, too
>when, after several seconds, she notices you, she doesn't spit the object out
>but she smiles and waves
>and she speaks with her mouth full of crimson slush and purple hairs
^"Oh, hey, princess. I didn't know you were in town."
>a happy little giggle
^"I, uh, think there's an opening for your old job."
>in the back of your mind, a dam breaks
>huge, black waves come crashing into your consciousness
>power surges into your horn
>there's going to be a reckoning