//------------------------------//
// Epilogue 
// Story: Questions: Alternate Ending 
// by Kryptonian 
//------------------------------//

Saturday
Silence, is all I hear, and it is all I want to hear.  Murderer, I spit on the idea of that.  Yet, they see that as if I'm trying to shine it.  All they hear, is what they want to hear.  Once the "benevolent" guards returned me to Canterlot, all of the ponies looked at me.  They looked at me, just as the ponies from Ponyville.  They found out too.  They escorted me to a room.  The term "room" meant as a room one uses to store random objects, like a garage, or a basement... or a prison.  I slept, on the cold floor, remembering my life.  If felt as if my tears had frozen on my cheek.  The next morning, they escorted me to a courthouse.  I saw no point in a trial, for whatever I said would only fuel their rage.  Unjust rage.  Rage that forces ponies to preform irrationally.  Rage, that they believe I used as a weapon.

"The pegasus, designated as Krypton." the judge told me, "You have been accused with the murders of eight ponies in their residence here in Canterlot.  Do you recognize this crime?"

I grew more impatient.  "You are going to have me say yes either way."

The trial, was a test.  A test, which they had already decided I had failed.  When the final piece of evidence was presented, and the verdict was concluded.  The judge asked me I had anything to say.  I asked the bailiff if I could walk up to the stand.  He nodded, odd.  It seemed he trusted me.  I deemed him worthy of being the only one in this society who believed I was innocent.  I walked up to it, and began my speech, "I hope all of you know, that the colt that stands before you, is innocent.  I hope all of you know, I was wrongly accused.  I say this, not to appeal to the pity that all of you monsters feel deep inside of you, but to let you know, that the guilt you feel, for giving an innocent pony a punishment of one of the highest degree, will corrupt your mind, it will consume your heart.  You have not only ruined my life, but you have also ruined your own.  No further comments."  I looked at the jury.  They all looked shocked, as if a bombshell exploded in the middle of town.  I did not look at them long, for such ponies who condemn the innocent, don't deserve even the slightest respect a dignified glare gave them.  Soon, one of them shouted an insult.  Then another, and another, until the entire jury was just peanut gallery shout cat-calls and jeers.  I rolled my eyes at the attempt.


Thursday
I cannot survive these harsh conditions.  My body, and mind are slowly deteriorating.  I have hallucinations due to the lack of nourishment.  I see the farm on which I broke my leg, and when I look down, I see the splint still attached to my leg.  I see the bustling town, and I walk to the market. I order my regular groceries, and the vendors smile as they hoof me the food, instead of glare coldly.  I walk around town, and I see everypony.  But they don't see me.  I am somewhat relieved by this hallucination.  Finally, no one looks at me, no one wants to know who I am.  Then I walk to the library, where I made my first friend, who invited me to a party.  And finally, I walk to the field.  The field, with the stream adjacent to it, and a bridge crossing it.  And a cottage that the bridge led to.  I always know these are hallucinations, but, I try to forget that.  I try to picture in my mind, that I am there, and I don't have any fears, or worries.  The doctors at the prison all have been telling me that I have to drink all of the water they have been giving me.  I laughed, and told them I couldn't drink it, until they held it up for me.  They seemed worried, which puzzled me, because if they wanted to cure me, they could of course let me go.  They told me, that if I didn't drink all of the water they gave me, then I couldn't survive.  That made me laugh too.

"This is a funny conversation we're having." I told them.

They shook me hard, "This is serious," they sternly said, "You may not live any longer."

I cut my joker attitude.  It looked them both in the eye.  "My life ended a long time ago."  I looked away, and they ceased to try and make me drink any more water.  I do think they find away to give me water, though, or, I wouldn't still be here right now.


Wednesday
They let her see me today.  They thought that it would help me recover from my so called, "insanity".  I didn't trust their motives, but I trusted their actions.  She walked through the door of my cell.  And I looked up and saw her.  I grew a wide smile, but she only looked at me with shock.  She ran out.  And I tried to run after her, but the doctors forced me to stay.  What could have happened? I thought, Why did she leave me?  I looked at the mirror on the wall.  I saw myself, for the first time.  I had grown mad.  I looked behind me and saw the doctors galloping towards me to restrain me.  I looked away.  She ran, because she could not stand to see what I had become, how I lost faith, how I had given up.  I wanted to run, I wanted to run after her, back to Ponyville.  Back to my job assisting Cheerilee, or helping with apple season, or helping Vinyl, or anything else the people of that town wanted me to do.  But I couldn't.  And I knew I couldn't keep running.  All of the places I had been.  All the failed attempts at new lives.  My attempts ended at Fluttershy, at Ponyville.  Tears slowly ran down my face that night.  And each one of contained a memory of my life.  Memories I wanted to forget, memories that I couldn't forget.  Today was the last time I saw Fluttershy, the last time, I felt hope.