Branded - Chapter 10

>You are Twilight Sparkle, protege of the great Princess Celestia.
>And the most heartbroken mare in all of Equestria.
>Why?
>Why had Anon said those things?
>Had he really forgotten you?
>And Fluttershy…
>Your rage swells at the thought of her.
>She did something to Anon, you know it.
>He would never stay in the same room as her, let alone be her special somep0ny.
>You limp back to town while trying to stop your tears.
>Anon needs you, you have to be strong for him.
>When you enter the outskirts of Ponyville, you see Spike walking with Sweetie Belle.
>"Hahaha- You think Rarity's bad, you should see Twilight in the morning! If I didn't wake her up, I don't think she would know what morning even is!"
>Sweetie Belle giggles at the purple dragon's boast.
>It relieves some of the pain to see Spike happy.
>"And that's not all, sometime-" *Buuuuurp*
>Spike belches out a scroll with Celestia's seal wrapped around it.
>Your assistant looks at the scroll then to Sweetie Belle and blushes.
>"Heh heh…  Better get this to Twilight before-"
>You interrupt his recovery attempt by levitating the scroll towards you.
>Spike relaxes when he sees that you are the one stealing the message.
>He soon becomes worried again when he notices your broken down state.
>"Whoa, are you ok Twilight?"
>Wordlessly, you open the letter and read it.
>------------------------------------------------------------------
>My dearest pupil, Twilight,

>It has recently come to my attention that you checked out a book from the restricted section of the Canterlot Library.
>While I normally would trust your judgement in your pursuit of knowledge, this time I feel that I must intervene.
>If I'm correct in my assumptions, the spell you attempted to cast is called "Soldiers Heart".
>The result of the spell is a marking appearing on the subject's chest.
>Twilight, you must tell me. Did you succeed? Was the spell casted successfully?

>Urgently awaiting your reply,
>Celestia
>------------------------------------------------------------------
>The color drains from your face.
>Not only had the princess found out that you had taken a restricted book, but she was angry at you for casting that spell.
>…
>Maybe she would know what it does.
>Perhaps it's the reason Anon is acting so strange…
>You bite your lip, weighing your options.
>The sight of Anon defending Fluttershy enters your mind.
>You've made your decision.
"Spike!"
>The little dragon snaps to attention.
>"Yes'm?"
"Take a letter, and it's urgent."
>Spike pulls out a quill and paper, awaiting your dictation.
"Princess Celestia, I have indeed performed the spell, on Anonymous in fact. The marking you speak of has appeared, though I do not understand it's meaning. What exactly does the spell do?"
>The dragon continues to write as you finish your reply.
"Please respond quickly, Anon has been behaving…"
>You pause, not wanting to alert Spike or Sweetie Belle.
"Erratically… Your faithful student, Twilight. That's it Spike, send the letter."
>Spike obeys, rolling up the scroll and breathing fire onto it.
>The stream of smoke rushes off towards Canterlot as you await a response.
>You apologize to Sweetie Belle about stealing her company, before walking back to the library with Spike in tow.
>"What was all that stuff about Anon? Is he ok?"
>You haven't told him about you and Anon yet. Now doesn't seem like a good time.
"No, he's fine. Celestia is just worried about him."
>The dragon scoffs at your answer.
>"The princess is too wound up, she needs to mellow a little now and the-" *Urp* *Buuuuurp*
>Another scroll materializes from your dragon's breath.
>You hastily unwrap it and begin reading.
>------------------------------------------------------------------
>Twilight

>This is grave news. You must bring Anonymous to Canterlot as soon as possible.
>The marking forces him to obey the mare he perceives as dominant.
>If the wrong p0nies were to discover this, his reputation, his life, and even his very being could be corrupted or lost.
>I will attempt to find a way to remove the spell, but I may need your help upon your arrival.

>Celestia.
>------------------------------------------------------------------
>'Obey the mare he perceives as dominant…'
>So that's it!
>Fluttershy must have ordered Anon to forget about you!
>And…
>Ordered him to love her.
>Poor Anon…
>This was all your fault.
>If you could have just told him your feelings, and not found some stupid reason for him to stay with you longer…
>Maybe he'd still love you…
>You tap your head, reminding yourself of what's important.
>That's all just speculation.
>The only thing you know, is that you need to get Anon to come with you to Canterlot.
>…
>Even if you must force him.

>You are now Anon.
>The events of this morning have left you a little drained.
>Despite Fluttershy's protests that you should stay home today, you decide to return to the Apple farm and resume working.
>The whole Applejack Rainbow Dash double team incident was probably just a one time thing… You hope.
>But you need the bits, and as they say: Money makes the world go round.
>As Sweet Apple Acres comes into view, you can make out Applejack carrying some apples into the barn.
>She notices you approaching and drops her apple buckets running over to greet you.
>"H-hey there, Sugarcube…"
>The farmp0ny stares at you for a moment before awkwardly shifting her weight around.
>"Look, Ah'm real sorry about what Ah did to ya. Ah needed relief something' fierce and, well… Ya'll could give it ta' me worrying about makin' some more mouths ta' feed."
>And~ this conversation got really awkward, really quick.
>Applejack hangs her head, trying her best not to tear up.
>Confound these ponies, they drive you to drink.
*Sigh* "Don't worry about it, Applejack. You're not the only one whose been acting up."
>She looks up at you, a small smile appearing on her face.
"Now, if you promise not to pull anything, I'd be happy to finish what I started earlier."
>She blushes, causing you to quickly clarify your statement.
"What I started in the cellar!"
>A deeper shade of red colors her face.
"…"
>"…"
"I'm just going to finish the paperwork."
>"Yeah, sounds great."
>You walk to the cellar entrance and descend the staircase, ready to complete what little work you had left.

>After about an hour of filing, the paperwork is completely sorted and just needs Applejack's signature for a few things.
>Stepping out of the small office, you see the barrel you used for relief in your desperation.
>Next to it is a dark blotch on the ground.
>Most likely from the puddle of juices that escaped Applejack that night.
>You shake your head, ridding yourself of images of the past.
>Heading back up, you see Applejack talking with someone in the distance.
>You can't see who it is though, they seem to be wearing a cloak of some sort.
>As you approach the pair of p0nies, Applejack's visitor disappears.
>The orange earthp0ny turns to you and smiles nervously.
>"Well howdy there, Anon! All finished up in the cellar?"
>You look around, trying to find the p0ny she was speaking with.
"I thought I saw you talking with someone, was I interrupting something?"
>The orange mare avoids your gazes she answers.
>"Who, me? Nah, Ah was- uh- Ah was just talking to ol' Suntan here!"
>She motions towards the apple tree near her.
>"Now ya'll be good now, ya here?"
>Applejack shouts at the tree, attempting to convince you.
>You have to say, it almost works, minus the whole, you saw her talking to a p0ny and also…
"Trees can't talk, Applejack."
>"Well of course, not. But that don' mean they can't listen!"
>…
"Right…"
*Thud*
"Ow!"
>An apple falls from Suntan and bounces off of your head.
>You stare at the apple, then the tree.
>"She's sensitive."
>Applejack whispers, trying to hide her voice from the tree.
>No way.
>…
>Fuck it, you've seen weirder, might as well try to not get on the orchard's bad side.
"Heh, sorry Suntan."
>Another apple dislodges from the tree, this time seeming to fall at a slower rate.
>You catch it and look it over, then smile at the apparently sentient fruit-barer.
"Thanks, I'll eat it later."
>You return your gaze to Applejack and inform her of the cellar situation.
>"Hoo boy, Ah can't thank ya' enough, Anon. If Ah wasn't an Element of Harmony, who knows what could'a happened ta' us?"
>Poor Big Mac, never getting the credit he deserved.
"Anyway, I just need your signature on a few things and you're all caught up."
>"Well alright then! Go ahead and get those things ready and Ah'll be down in a little bit."
*Thump-thump*
>You nod and return to the cellar.
>This should't take more than a few minutes for Applejack to finish.
>As you set out the papers, you hear hoofsteps descending the stairs.
>Popping your head out from the cellar office, you see Applejack carrying some drinks.
>She smiles when she sees you.
>"Ah thought ya might be thirsty, Ah know Ah am!"
>The mare passes a bottle of cold apple juice to you.
>In that moment, you realize that you must have just crossed a vast desert, or ate a bucket of salt, or even-
>Thirsty is what you are, no need to come up with clever analogies.
>Who are you trying to impress anyway?
>You gulp down the bottle's contents and sigh contentedly.
"That hit the spot."
>Applejack laughs and enters the office.
>"So what do Ah have to do here?"
>You walk Applejack through the necessary procedures.
"Sign here, initial here. We need this in duplicate, this in triplicate, and this in dodeclicate."
>Several redundant forms later, Applejack looks like she's about to pass out from all the signing she's been doing.
>"Whew, is that all of it?"
"What's the matter, not used to this kind of work?"
>You chuckle at the worn out farmp0ny in front of you.
>"This ain't work, this is torture."
"Yeah, I guess that's true. The people who did this back home were always unhappy, very, very, very, very, very, very, VERY unhappy."
>You clean up the desk and file the forms in a neat folder before handing them to AJ.
"Anyways, do you mind if I head out now. Fluttershy's worried about me, and I'd like to let her know I'm ok."
>Applejack averts her eyes for a moment.
>"Right, Ah heard about ya'll… Uh- well Ah guess it's fine. Let me get ya your pay for today."
>As you follow her to the stairs, your legs give out from under you.
>You're suddenly very tired.
>A cloaked figure appears in the cellar with a flash of purple light and speaks with Applejack.
>"Is he gonna be alright?"
>"Yes, the drug you gave him just put him to sleep, though it took longer than I thought."
>You know that voice…
>"He is pretty big."
>"Come on, help me get him back to the library."
>It's that crazy purple unicorn! What is she going to do to you?
>With you're last ounce of strength, you attempt to plead with Applejack.
"Ap…ple…jack…"
>The orange p0ny looks at you with eyes begging for your forgiveness.
>"Ah'm sorry, Anon. But this is for the best, Ah-"
>Her words muffle as you fade into unconsciousness.

"Ah! Ha- ha- haa-"
>You wake up strapped to a table in a dimly lit room, gasping for air.
>Soft orange light strains through a small window, indicating the coming twilight.
>"You're finally awake…"
>The all-too familiar voice makes your blood run cold, even while your chest burns.
>Turning your head, you can see the purple unicorn you met this morning.
>She looks like she's seen better days.
"Why did you bring me here? How did you convince Applejack to do this?!"
>The mare becomes disheartened from your questions.
>"I'm sorry, Anon. This was the only way I could get you here in such a short amount of time."
"For what?"
>Your captor looks at you, an expression of pain slowly beginning to show.
>"Anon, I'll ask again: How did you get the brand on your chest?"
>This again.
"I don't remember."
>The unicorn pauses before continuing.
>"When did you and Fluttershy begin seeing each other?"
"She's had an interest in me for a long time."
>"Yes, but when did you start to love her?"
"That's…"
>You think hard on this.
>The only date that comes to mind is yesterday, but surely you've loved her longer than that?
>Love doesn't just happen in a day, it takes time.
>…
>Why can't you remember when it happened?!
>Was it when she made all those cute advances on you?
>No… For some reason that wasn't it.
>Actually, you can't remember a single moment aside from those passes Fluttershy made at you.
>Thinking back on it, her propositioning you could easily have been misconstrued as rape, if you didn't love her already.
>None of this matters! The important thing is that you love her…
"It doesn't matter when I started doing it, what matters is that I do love her."
>The unicorn sighs.
>"I see. Anon…"
>You look away from her.
>"Anon, look at me."
 *Thump-thump*
>Your head faces the purple p0ny.
>"Celestia told me about the spells effects."
"Spell?"
>Your confusion caused you to accidentally articulate your thoughts.
>"Anon… I'm going to order you to do something."
>FUCK, FUCK, FUCK, FUCK, FUCK, FUCK!!!
>She knows about the brand!
>You struggle against your bindings, twisting your limbs in an effort to free yourself.
>"Anon-"
"Dun-da-da-daaa-da-da-DAAAAAAAAAA!"
>In your desperation, you bellow the Star Trek theme.
>"Anon!"
"Da-da-da-da-Da~Da~Da~dadada-DAAAA!"
>The unicorn raises her voice.
>"Stop!"
*Thump-thump*
>Your voice ceases going where no man has gone before.
>The mare recoils at your sudden inactivity.
>"Celestia, it is true…"
>She looks at you, tears welling in her eyes.
>"I'm so sorry, Anon. You wouldn't be like this if it weren't for me."
"Strapped to a table in a dingy room? No, I guess I wouldn't…"
>Her look of sadness grows worse.
>"Please, forgive me."
*Thump-thump*
>You open your mouth to comfort her, but she cuts you off.
>"Anon… Remember me. Remember us."
>…
*THUMP-THUMP*
>Your chest feels like it's going to burst.
>Pain fills your head as veins throb, causing you to become nauseous.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!"
>You thrash about on the table, banging your head repeatedly, adding to your already immense suffering.
>Twilight backs away slowly, horrified at the effects of her pursuit of magic.
>Your body burns with agony, nerves flooding your mind with pleas to escape this hell.
>The table is unable to withstand your spastic movements and begins to crack.
>Soon it gives way and shatters, freeing you from your imprisonment.
>You clutch your head as memories force their way into your mind all at once.
>*************************
>"A human? I've never heard of them before!"
>*************************
>*************************
>"I suppose I could try using my magic on that phone thing…"
*Beep*
>"Did it work?"
>*************************
>*************************
"What kind of spell turns hair into cheese?!"
>"A gouda one."
>*************************
>*************************
>"Everyp0ny knows that the sun orbits our planet!"
"Not where I come from. You see, the sun has a larger mass than our planet…"
>*************************
>*************************
>"Celestia has some kind of test for me. What if I fail it?!"
"Don't worry, she'll think you're great."
>"How do you know?"
"Because I think you're great."
>*************************
>*************************
>"I'm so sorry Anon. I- I didn't mean-"
*Cough* *Cough* "It's better than a newt at least."
>*************************
>*************************
>"Go home Anon."
>*************************
>*************************
>"Ah!"
>"Ah!"
>"Ah!"
>"Ah~!"
>*************************
>*************************
>"I love you… Anon."
>*************************
>*************************
>"Forget about Twilight."
>*************************
>Drool leaks from your mouth as you scream.
"RAAAAAAAAAGH!"
>Your fist collides with the ground, cracking the solid wood from the force and gashing open your knuckles.
>Blood seeps from your wounds and splatters the room as you swing.
*Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack*
>A small crater now stares back at you from the floor.
>You stop pounding the ground, and cry.
>Seeing your newly subdued self, Twilight slowly walks up to you.
>"Anon?"
>You throw your arms around her and cry into her mane.
"What the fuck is wrong with me, Twilight? Am I just some cosmic plaything? Do I want this? I can't tell what this thing made me do and what I would have done regardless…"
>Twilight wraps a hoof around you and nuzzles you.
>"Shh~ It's ok."
>A wet warmness dampens your back.
>Twilight is crying as well.
>You burry yourself deeper in her neck while the sadness purges itself from you.
"I'm just so… fucked up."
>You wish you could hold each other in this comforting embrace forever, but slowly, you pull yourself away from her.
>The light has dimmed since you last saw it.
>You look out the window to gauge it more appropriately.
>…
>It hasn't dimmed, it's just being blocked.
>A dark silhouette prevents the light from entering the window fully.
>It stares at you with teal eyes.
"Ah- ah- AAAAAAHHHHHH! AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!"
>You scramble away from the window.
>The teal eyes pierce your mind, your soul.
>They surround you, mocking in their sight.
>"Love me~"
>"He he he!"
>"Love me~"
>"Love me~"
>"Love me~"
>"He he he he he he!"
"T-Twilight! Help!"
>You tremble behind your only source of protection. The only thing you have left in this world.
>Twilight snaps her head towards the window.
>There's nothing there. The eyes are gone…
>Your protectors gaze slowly returns to you.
>"Anon, we have to go to Canterlot. Princess Celestia said she would help us find way to lift the spell…"
>You stare at the window while you speak.
"Y-yeah…"
>The purple protector helps you up and begins to ascend a staircase.
"Twilight…"
>"Yes, Anon?"
>She stops and looks back at you.
"Please don't leave me alone until this is over… I don't think… I could go through that again."
>Twilight backs up to your side and smiles up at you.
>"I'll stay with you, always."
>Her reassurance calms you, and together, you begin the journey to Canterlot.