For Whom the Bewitching Bell Tolls p9

You are Anonymous
>And you had hoped that this topic could have waited for another day or so at least
>However, Fluttershy had come straight to you about Discord's condition not so long after she had left with him
>Apparently your weapon was more effective than you had given it credit for
>Not only did it leave a really nasty wound that the doctors couldnt properly mend with their magics, nor that his arm was unusable from the cut, but he could possibly die a slow and agonizing death if what magic they use to stabilize him falls through.
>After telling you all of this, Fluttershy was about to tell you how he could be helped, but you decide to interrupt her.
"So what?"
>Buttershush's eyes widen as she clams up
>"Umm.....excuse me?"
"So what, Fluttershy?", you repeat "Why should I help him? Why should I show him mercy?"
>Your tone isnt filled with venom or spite, things Fluttershy likely assumed you had harbored considering what you had done
>It was a genuine inquiry

>In truth, you didnt like the idea of someone suffering till their end came. You wouldnt wish it on anypony, or human yourself. However, you wanted her to justify helping this monster masquerading under the guise of a friend
"He's betrayed your kind with Tirek willingly. He constantly badgers and bothers your friends just to get attention, and now he manufactured a problem to you and Equestria's greatest peril yet, nearly damning three otherwise hapless individuals to a terrible fate had I not acted.
>With each sentence, you take a step forward and she scoots back in response
>You could tell that she knew your words were truth.
>She feared facing the facts just as much as she feared facing someone willing to do harm to set things right
>Her gaze only meets yours when you've stopped after another step, and her ears press hard against her head when she looks upon your face
"Fluttershy. Why shouldn't I just put him out of his misery with my blade?"

>Though your presence and eerily restrained demeanor intimidated her, Fluttershy quickly finds her spine and speaks up
"B-because...everycreature deserves a chance...", she squeaks
>You know that isnt the end of it, so you wait patiently
>"I....I know he's not been a very good friend. Even if he means well, he cant help but cause trouble or raise problems"
"Yeah, who needs enemies with friends like that guy?"
>She winces at that, but continues on
>"Still, I didnt expect 'reforming' him to be something that just happens in a day. Even after he apologized for the Tirek incident, he still hasn't grown a lot, but he IS changing for the better, Anon. Slowly but surely "
"Fluttershy, you have no idea whether he's really changing or just using you to get away with his schemes. I bet that none of you even considered punishing him for this mess despite it all being a problem he created."
>"You're right....it hadnt come to mind - and its true that Discord did make up a lot of issues for us. Still, just because he's problematic doesnt mean that I should give up on him, should it? What sort of friend would I be then if I did?

>Fluttershy offers a small smile, relaxing a little as she believed herself to be making a point that got through to you
>It quickly vanishes when you chuckle a bit before laughing at her while holding half of her face in your palm
"Fluttershy, you're truly the Element of Kindness if you're willing to give him a free pass no matter how shitty he is to you and your friends. You're just -too- damn kind."
>But your mirth quickly runs dry as you focus on her again
"I wonder where that kindness was when a filly nearly sucked the magic out of your world and got sent to Tartarus without a second thought. I wonder whether you would have stopped the Princesses yourself to give them a chance, too."

"It sure would have saved me the restless nights and everything that came afterwards if you and the others would have spared some kindness for generosity's sake; if you all had made an honest effort to help your enemies change, ultimately gaining their loyalty so you could all share in the laughter and magic friendship brings."
>Fluttershy is looking away from you now, hiding her face behind her mane
>Stopping to her level, you turn her head to face you, eliciting an eep of surprise
"I agree with you that everyone deserves a chance to be better. Nopony, or creature should be left behind just because they mess up, especially if why they fail is never dealt with. I dont agree with letting stuff like this go time and time again, though."

>You pick up the Pegasus in one arm as you start walking.
>"A-anon, where are we going? What are you going to do?"
"We're going to Ponyvlle's hospital. I'm going to finish what was started."
>At this, she struggles free and blocks your path
>"P-please...wont you reconsider hurting him further?", she whimpers
"I'm not going to hurt him, but if you want to ensure that I dont change my mind, perhaps you can answer some questions for me along the way about him."
>"Anything! I'll answer as best as I can if you promise not to."

>As unfortunate as it were, after all of this, you couldnt trust the ponies to completely leash that monster. One day, he will likely come after you, maybe even sooner rather than later
>But if you were untraceable, and vanished from Ponyville without a lead, you could still live peacefully
>You dont give her a yes or no, but go straight to your question
"How does he find you or anypony specific from his dimension?"
>"Oh....well, he's really good at finding magical traces of other beings. Its how he could track down Tirek when he was on the loose"
"So if it has magic, it can be found by him, huh?"
>"I think so. Thats what he told me, anyway..."
>You glance to your ebony blade as an idea comes to mind

>Ever since you had come to this magical world, the magic itself was this esoteric and foreign force to you.
>You could sort of see and feel it when someone used it on you, but you never really had any of your own to speak of
>Even the wildlife had some innate magical properties of some kind, from the unassuming cattle to the literal constellation creatures made of the stuff
>It took a few years living here for you to start developing a proper sense of the arcane, and even now, the most you could do was will the release of the magic within objects like the jewels or stones you found
>It was still a nice feeling to have some magical ability though, even if it amounted to less of that than the ponies
>Your growth in that area even led to food being made or grown by earth ponies tasting better than you remembered, too
>Though you were used to doing without, you did employ it in your day to day as a minor convenience where you could with the above means. Sometimes you wondered how much further you could develop over the years or with aid from others if you looked into it seriously.

>Now, however, there was no question that if you wanted to hide from Discord once he reawakens and recovers, you would have to strip yourself of any trace of magic
>Or at least enough that he cannot find you if he looked
>It wouldnt be a huge loss, but you would be lying to yourself if you denied that a part of you was deeply angered by this
>To think you would not only have to leave this place and your friends again, but also lose a fundamental connection to this world
>All because they cannot truly control him

>Even if you kept the Bell as leverage, there's no telling whether or not he or anypony else couldnt make off with it sooner or later and cause problems for you or anyone else.
>No. It would be best to put it back where it belongs, sealed away from the rest of the world and forgotten to all but myth.
>You end your silent musing to glance at Fluttershy, who was keeping pace with you. Her eyes were filled with caution and worry, likely trying to imagine what you could be thinking about
"Fluttershy. What would you do if Discord killed me?"
>The question stops her dead in her tracks as her eyes widen in abject horror of the idea
>"D-Discord would never do something like that!"
"Yeah, maybe you're right. He's the kind of sick fuck who would probably torture me for all eternity in some pocket dimension and blame my disappearance on something else. Nopony would be any wiser and believe his story fully."
>"Anon, why do you think the absolute worst of him like this? He's childish at times and not the ideal friend but he isnt....he isnt pure evil"
"Its just a question Fluttershy, but if you wont just humor me, maybe its because I find it hard to take your words at face value considering what he's been willing to do so far. What you see is a troubled soul who doesnt really understand how to function normally in your society. What I see? Its an eldritch abomination that doesnt care to truly fit in. He just plays along in song while exercising his powers to fulfill his own interests."

"Now, however, I've ended the charade, the game he was so used to playing. I've shown him that there's someone on the stage who can cut the strings of the puppets he plays. I've shown him what pain is. You called him childish just now, so tell me: what do foals do with toys that they dont like? They're discarded or broken for their amusement. I will never let myself be someone else's toy or pawn to be messed with, and I hope you dont let him string you along after today, too"

----

>Fluttershy is gradually goes quiet after your diatribe, which suits you just fine. The last thing she admits openly was that she had no way of proving you wrong, and you've said all you wanted to on this.
>The two of you arrive at the hospital where you're briefly stopped by the staff
>They wanted you to disarm yourself of your sword, but you just push pass them, stating that its for your protection should Discord try anything
>Fluttershy also assuages them that you're here to help, and they...comply, mostly
>When you enter the ER with the Bell in tow, you find the comatose fucker in a stasis bubble being handled by 3 unicorns while a Doctor observes his condition
>He quickly acknowledged the two of you on entry
"I'm here to give this fucknoodle his magic back. Sort of"
>"Anon, language..."
"Whatever, how are we going to do this?
>"As we've never had a case like this before, we'll have to do it the only reasonable way we can: The shield will be lowered and he'll gradually wake up. From there, you'll have to give him his magic so that he can undo the damage done himself. It....will be distressing. If you want to leave the operating room while this transpires, Ms. Fluttershy-"
"N-no, I'll stay...." she replies quietly, putting on what you would call a brave face if she had one.
"Whatever, lets get this over with."

>The nurses look at each other anxiously, but nod in agreement when they see you have the bell primed, gradually lowering the stasis magic field
>Discord practically snaps away after the first unicorn powers down
>"Oh, I've had the most frightful dream-....wait, this isnt my abode.", he slurs
>"....Fluttershy? Is this....?"
>His eyes fall on you and immediately narrow
">You! Just what are you doing at my bedside?! I didnt expect nightmares to follow me into the waking world unless I had pizza flavored pineapple for breakfast before bed!"
"Better start snapping your fingers to fix your lost arm. The pain's coming real soon", you state flatly.

>As if on cue, the second nurse powers down, and his eyes bulge outward as the sharp and alien sensation of mortal pain floods his body
>Discord lets out a terrible scream as he spams and rapidly snaps his fingers on his remaining hand, attempting to make the feeling go away.
>Its at this point that you start using the Bell to restore his magic to him....slowly.
>Sure, you could will the Bell to release all of his magic in a surge instead of a stream, but he doesnt deserve that sort of mercy in your eyes
>It takes him almost 4 minutes of constant agony before he has just enough magic to undo the loss of his limb, and the act renders him comatose from exhausting what magic he had gained, on top of the stress of the pain he endured.
>You immediately stop the flow of magic afterwards and start make for the exit

>The doctors and Fluttershy took a moment to recover from the scene of the god of Chaos flailing around screaming like a wounded wild animal, but Fluttershy was able to reach you before you left the building
>"Um....I know it wasnt a simple decision to make, but thank you for helping him heal...", she starts
>"But what about the rest of his magic?"
"This? He wont be needing it. Twilight and the other Princesses didnt get all of their magic from it either, but they can recover the rest of theirs over time from this world's ambient ether. I'm sure he'll do the same, too."
>Fluttershy is about to inquire more of you, but a certain speedster descends quickly before the two of you, interrupting her.
>"There you are! I knew I should have checked this place first. Fluttershy, Twilight wants to see you and the rest of us about today, and our teaching going forward..."
>She gives you a look for a moment before rolling her eyes and focusing on her friend again
>"The others are already there, so I came to get you."|
>Fluttershy gives you a "we'll talk later" before leaving with her friend

>You weren't planning on sticking around for "later".

----

>You spent the rest of the day getting food for your journey and any other supplies you might need
>The ponies were more wary of you than ever after today's events, with some openly showing reluctance to serve you
>It wasnt unexpected, but it was another hassle you didnt need.
>Afterwards, you would gather whatever else you had in your home that you could stand to carry and make for the trains again
>They were on the right path now. The ponies you knew would help the three change for the better.
>Discord will try to find you eventually, but once you've climbed the mountain, you intended to use the Bell to take what magic you had away from you before putting it back into its prison
>It was better this way, you thought. Your adventure began with you departing this land in haste to make things right, and now this chapter of your life would close with you exiting silently.
>Even though you had to say a wordless goodbye to your home and life in Ponyville for now, you may one day yet return to these lands, if only to see just how things are...armed to make things right once more if needed.
>But for now, you had one final task to do
>And there was somepony special waiting for your return, too.
>A promise is a promise.

---

>A letter was found in your home when the ponies came looking for you that night. A simple poem you had left behind:

"I've done my best to make things right
And trust you all to follow through
I pray you all share the friendship you've learned
To make any who still oppose become better, too

I leave you here, just like the rest
Confusion crosses your faces
'This is how it is,' I say
And vanish without any traces

But know that should chaos or evil overtake this world
That someone will always be there if need be
To tip the scales where friendship had failed
Just as this day the Bewitching Bell had tolled for thee."

~End...?~