Chapter Twenty: The Everfree Invasion Comes to a Close and Anon Makes His Final Choice
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// Chapter Twenty: The Everfree Invasion Comes to a Close and Anon Makes His Final Choice// Story: Living the Good Life// by Aetherpony//------------------------------//
Rarity and Mocha’s fight finally comes to an end after the final house in the area crumbles to the ground in a heap of broken wood and metal. When they calmed down, they started blaming each other for the damage that was done. At least they were until both noticed your group surrounding a gray pony.
That caused them to form a truce of sorts, after all they found who they were looking for; at least they hoped. When they approached and saw that you had managed to find Rainbow Dash they were ecstatic. Any hostility in the air seemed to vanish at that very moment. Now the ten of you wait on Rainbow to awaken. While she sleeps you drag her away from the rubble and onto an open patch of grass. She stirs after some time has passed; she lets out a low groan before rubbing her head with her hooves.
“Wha, what happened? I think I got hit by a train?” When Rainbow sees you she is on her hooves in an instant, “Whoa, what the heck are you?!” Rainbow screeches in surprise. Twilight and the others take this time to keep Rainbow grounded. “Not you losers! Lemme go!” she wriggles in hopes of breaking free. Her hopes are dashed when Twilight’s magic comes into play.
Without any way to gain leverage, Rainbow is forced on to her back and her wings are stuck to her sides. She still grunts and groans in hopes of somehow breaking out of Twilight’s hold. When you see the unicorn start to sweat you realize that time is not on your side in this venture. You have Macintosh and the others give you some room so you can kneel next to the Pegasus.
As you take the top off of your flask you try to calm Rainbow down. “Hey Rainbow, my name is Anonymous. Don’t worry, I’m here to help you get better.” The fearful gaze Rainbow casts your way tells you that you are doing a poor job of doing that.
“Like I’d believe that you freaky buckin’ monkey! You’re with those lame ponies over there! I know you’re bad news!” She shouts as she tries to escape again.
“Well, looks like we’re going to have to do things the hard way. Probably the worst first impression I’ve made on a pony since, well, since I got here.” You say more to yourself than to the others. “I know this looks bad, but I need you to keep your mouth open,” you motion to your flask. Rainbow instantly shuts her trap and gives you a defiant glare. “Twilight,” you sigh.
“I got it, just hurry up.” Twilight voice sounds strained, she’s sweating bullets, but she’s able to help. Slowly but surely, Rainbow’s jaw is lowered enough for you to pour Zecora’s concoction down her throat. You waste no time in tilting the flask and pouring the contents into Rainbow’s open maw. She tries to turn her head in order to spit the liquid out but Twilight forces her mouth shut.
That’s when you come in. You lean in and squeeze her nostrils shut. The two of you stare each other down for a few moments.
“If you don’t swallow what I gave you then you’re going to suffocate.” You say calmly. Rainbow moans out a response but the meaning is lost since she can’t actually speak. You assume she told you to kiss her flank and that she can hold her breath for a long time or something. You can play the waiting game with her. Within a minute the redness in Rainbow’s eyes becomes more and more apparent. Her gray face turns a darker shade from the lack of air.
When you hear Rainbow gulp the liquid down you let go of her nostrils. Immediately Twilight loses her grip on Rainbow, and the Pegasus tries her best to take off into the sky. All the while she’s wheezing up a storm and clutching her throat in agony. Just like you she has to deal with the overwhelming burning that comes with drinking that medicine.
She makes it a good twenty feet into the sky before her entire body goes slack. She hits the ground back first and makes no motion to stand after that; everyone except you and Zecora rush to Rainbow’s aide. You’re a little shocked by this turn of events. Sure it was easy to get Rainbow to drink, but you weren’t expecting her to take off. You hope she didn’t break anything. Though there is one thing on your mind that calls your attention.
“Zecora?” The little zebra turns your way. “How long do you think it’ll take for Rainbow to uh, get rid of her impurities?” You motion to the incapacitated Pegasus.
“The time it will take I cannot tell, it may take longer considering she fell.” Zecora answers before slowly making her way over to the group. She has them part for her so she can examine Rainbow. After a few moments of Zecora examining her skull and listening to her heartbeat she nods. “Rainbow is fighting inside, this much is true,” Zecora turns your way and raises her voice, “Anonymous, we may not have to wait for as long as I did for you!”
You pray that Rainbow will take less than eight hours. You doubt this town will last that long at the rate it’s going. Those animals will only be entertained by the ruins of the outer area for so long.
“Guys! Look!” Pinkie exclaims before pointing to Rainbow Dash. Curiosity getting the better of you, you make your way over to the group. What you see shocks you. The color has started to work its way down Rainbow. They start from the tip of her mane, and it works its way down at an agonizingly slow pace. Within a minute a few locks of hair regain their multiple colors. At the rate it’s going Dash here should have fully recovered within an hour, maybe two or so tops.
You can see why her friends call her Rainbow Dash. Her mane is quite the sight and only a few locks have regained their color, though you can’t marvel for long. The sound of animals growling around you calls your attention. As you look around the area you discover timber wolves, manticores, and many other variations of Everfree creatures. Without wasting any more time you pick up Dash and throw her on your shoulder. When she’s set you turn to Twilight and the others.
“We need to get back to Town Hall now.” You tell them. You do not wait for a response. You break out into a jog and head towards the center of town. The others are hot on your trail.
While it would have been great if you were able to avoid conflict your luck wouldn’t allow it. Five minutes into it you have to duck under manticore swipes. Timber wolves that run alongside you take turns biting at your legs. As you run you realize that more creatures have joined in on the chase.
Desperation sets in as magic and hooves start flying in hopes of knocking away some of the creatures. Applejack’s legs, Twilight’s magic, Big Mac’s strength, they use everything they have at their disposal. Finally Town Hall is within sight; your bastion is within reach. You’re the first to run past the guards, followed by Twilight, Big Mac, Zecora, Mocha, and the others.
The town guards positioned at the front of each bridge retreats to the center of town. When the guards watching over the center of town see the stampede coming for the bridges they spring into action. Every available unicorn guard works together to erect a translucent cyan dome that encases Town Hall and the rest of the immediate area. The towns ponies within the dome look on in shock. All of the Everfree creatures that attacked the town concentrate on doing everything they can to get through the dome. Claws join razor sharp teeth as the animals throw everything they have at it.
You have no idea how much power six unicorn guards have at their disposal. You can only hope they can keep this barrier erected long enough for Rainbow to recover. You and the rest of the Mane Six wade through the crowds and over to Town Hall, where the mayor awaits. She ushers you into the building. You don’t bother trying to take in the décor of the interior. Your only point of focus is on the solitary brown couch that sits on the right side of the room.
Once you place Rainbow upon it you make your way past Twilight and the others in order to go back outside. You stop in the middle of the room and remove your backpack from your shoulders.
“Here,” you say before casually tossing your backpack to Twilight. You watch as her magenta aura surrounds the bag. She carefully sets it next to the couch. “As soon as Rainbow gets with it you get that element of hers around her neck and get outside.” As you turn to head out you cast one last glance upon Rainbow. The entirety of her rainbow colored mane and half of the fur covering her face have regained their rightful colors. You never thought her fur would be cyan, it suits her.
“What are you going to do?” Twilight asks as starts to remove the artifacts from your bag. Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy take hold of their respective elements.
“I’m gonna go out there and see if I can find Lyra or Bon-Bon. I didn’t spot either of them in the crowd.” You state before opening the door and stepping out.
“I hope you find them Anon, and be careful.” Twilight calls out to you. As you shut the door behind you Twilight and the others turn their attention back to Rainbow Dash…
You take your time, looking over every pony you could within the immediate area. You spend a good half an hour scanning over the droves of pastel colored equines. While a few ponies seemed to share a similar color scheme to both Bon-Bon and Lyra, you were disappointed with the fact that you failed to spot either of them.
“Anon!” you hear a familiar voice call; you turn to the source to find Bon-Bon galloping towards you. She comes skidding to a stop a few feet from your legs.” Have you seen Lyra?! Turner and I have been looking everywhere!” She starts looking over the ponies around you.
“I’ve been looking, but I haven’t had any luck,” you trail off. Bon-Bon’s expression turns to a look of pure horror.
“Oh no, what if she’s still out there?” You nearly jump when she latches on to your leg, “Anon, we have to do something!” Her eyes start to line with tears as she waits for you to say something, anything that can put her at ease. You sigh to yourself before looking towards the guards.
“I-I could probably get them to let me out of here. If they do I’ll go out and find her,” Bon-Bon’s hug on your leg gets tighter.
“Oh thank you thank you thank you!” She squeals with joy. Her sudden cheerful demeanor stops as she looks to you questioningly. “Wait, you mean WE will go out there and find her,” Bon-Bon tries to correct you. You had it right the first time. You’re not having Bon-Bon go out there.
Without wings or a horn, you don’t see her lasting long against those Everfree animals. You shake your head and Bon-Bon’s expression turns angry before she lets go of your leg.
“Anon, she’s my friend too! I’m not going to just sit here on my plot and do nothing while you go out alone!”
“Bon-Bon, this isn’t up for discussion. You can’t do magic and you can’t fly. I’d say you could just beat em with your hooves, but you’re a candy maker Bon-Bon.”
“Wha, but, but I,” she tries to come up with an explanation but you cut her off.
“I don’t want to risk you getting hurt, I know you want to be out there with me,” Bon-Bon gives you a hopeful smile. ”But you can’t do anything to help me if a manticore or something tries to stop me, what can you do other than make it harder on me?” You kneel down to her level.
“You,” Bon-Bon sighs, “You’re,” She’s trying to find the right words to say, you place a hand upon her withers.
“I know I’m being an insensitive prick, but I’m right.” You say sternly before adding, “If I find her, I’ll let her know I had to have guards drag you away kicking and screaming cause you wanted to come along.”
“Alright fine, just hurry back okay? You don’t have any wings or a horn either dummy.” Bon-Bon says before poking your chest with a hoof.
“No, but I’d have a damn fence post if I was smart enough to keep it with me,” you say under your breath before getting to your feet. You walk over to two of the unicorn guards that were starting to strain under the pressure of the constant assault against their dome.
The closer you get to them the louder the sounds on the outside become. You can hear the claws as they rake across the barrier, and the gnawing as the creatures try to chew through it. As you approach one of the guards that aren’t working to keep the barrier turns to face you.
“What is it Anonymous?” asks a Pegasus. You point to the bridge you’ve left your fence post lying against.
“I need to get back out there.” The guard gives you a bewildered expression.
“I’m afraid I can’t allow you out of the barrier. If we open it for you we risk letting those creatures in.” The guard turns back to face the dome.
“What, that’s it?” you cross your arms. “You know there are townsfolk here who could probably help. You know, volunteers?” you motion to the pony crowds.
“Indeed there are, and I can see where you’re going with this, but there aren’t that many unicorns in town that use their magic past levitation and short range teleportation.” The guard explains. “If we open up a portion for you to go through we’d need to have unicorns that can use offensive spells. Then we would have a way to keep these creatures from getting in.”
Teleportation or levitation, why didn’t you just think about that in the first place? You don’t have to fight your way out at all.
“Wait, why not get a unicorn to teleport me outside the barrier?” The guard takes your suggestion into consideration.
“Hmm, we could, but then you’d have no way back in.” the guard turns back to you, “If you could find some place to hunker down for a while…”
“I could find a place, if the parasprites haven’t gotten to it, plus the one I’m going out to rescue is a unicorn.” You look over the crowds and cup your hands around your mouth. “HEY!” a chunk of the ponies silence themselves and turn your way when you yell, “ANYPONY OUT THERE WILLING TO TELEPORT ME TO LYRA’S?!”
You put your hands back to your sides and wait. You swear you could hear crickets chirping if it wasn’t being drowned out by the animals outside of the barrier.
“Anyone at all?” You’re hoping that at least one unicorn would come your way. You slump in defeat when a few seconds pass. You’re about to walk back to Town Hall but the sound of two ponies arguing stops you in your tracks. You watch as Bon-Bon drags a unicorn over to you. The unicorn shouts in protest all the while Bon-Bon pulls harder.
“Let me go, you crazy mare!” the mare cries while struggling.
“No! You’re helping,” Bon-Bon places the unicorn in front of you, “Him.” The unicorn looks you over for a few moments before turning to her captor.’
“He’s too big! I can’t cast anything on him!” She says while motioning to you. Bon-Bon grabs hold of the unicorn by the throat and pulls her uncomfortably close. The two lock eyes.
“You are going to find a way or so help me I will destroy you!” Bon-Bon screams her threat to the poor pony. The unicorn yelps in fear before looking to you again.
“O-okay scary candy pony,” Her horn begins to glow with an orange aura, “H-hold still, L-Lyra’s place right?” You nod. Bits of orange light spark her horn as she concentrates. You watch as your body is slowly encased by the light.
“Thanks Bon-Bon,” you flash the beige mare a smile, “I’ll have Lyra back here before you know it!” Before Bon-Bon can say anything you feel yourself lurch in a random direction. As you’re pulled towards your destination your vision of the known world blurs. The colors that seem to mix together as you’re teleporting does little for the force being emitted on your stomach.
You start dry heaving when everything finally comes into focus again. It looks that you lack the energy to stand. The labor your body went through is more than enough to bring you to your hands and knees. It takes about a minute for your body to finally stop acting up from the spell; you hope this gamble on location plays out in your favor. You know that there’s a high chance Lyra was somewhere else when the Everfree animals went crazy, but you might as well start where she lives first.
Luckily the mare that brought out you here was able to get you relatively close. You can see the rooftop of Lyra’s home from here, or what’s left of it.
Parasprites have eaten at least half of the thatched roofing of their home. When you’re able to stand you make your way over to the building in question. And what you find causes you to freeze in your tracks. You see that Lyra is alright, but she’s unconscious and bleeding. A timber wolf is slowly dragging her out of her broken doorway and into the street.
Without putting any thought into it you make your way over to them. It doesn’t notice your approach until it’s too late. You punt the timber wolf as hard as you can. It lets out a loud yelp from the impact and the beast goes sailing through the air. When it hits the side of a nearby building the creature bursts into a pile of broken sticks. With the creature being dead, at least you think its dead; you turn your attention to the mint green mare lying on her welcome mat. You kneel down and check for a pulse.
You breathe a sigh of relief when you feel the familiar pulse of life beat under your fingers. You take this time to check over her wounds. While the front hoof the timber wolf was holding shows little damage other than teeth indentions, her hind legs seem to be in bad shape. Walking for Lyra would be difficult and fairly painful.
Both her right and left hind hooves sport various bite and claw marks. She’ll need stitches or at least something to wrap her wounds up. That only makes things harder on you. How are you going to carry this mare all the way back to the dome? Would that be the best course of action?
The pain she may be experiencing would have her unable to focus. As you continue to look her over she lets out a soft groan. Finally her eyes start to flutter open. When she turns her head to look your way her eyes widen.
“A-Anon?” She attempts to stand but when she moves her hind legs she lets out a high pitched shriek of pain. She makes no attempt to stand after that.
“Lyra, I need to wrap up your wounds, do you guys have a first aid kit?” Lyra weakly points towards her broken doorway.
“Second floor… Bon-Bon’s mirror…” She murmors. You get to your feet and walk carefully inside. You have no idea just how much damage the parasprites could have done to this house. Each step up stairs is taken with caution, the creak that echoes from each step does little to put you at ease. As you near the top part of the stairs the last few steps collapse forcing you to make take a leap. Lucky for you this house isn’t that large, you manage to grab hold of the top of the stairs and pull yourself up the rest of the way.
With that little surprise out of the way you enter Bon-Bon’s bathroom. Like Lyra tried to tell you, her mirror doubles as a medicine cabinet. When you open it you see a small white box. Opening it you find items with which to take care of Lyra’s cuts. A few gauze pads, some adhesive tape, and the disinfectant bottle are all it contains. It should be more than enough for you to take care of her.
It’s a labor getting back to her, due to the stair case’s condition, but you manage. Unfortunately, as soon as you hit the last step what remains of the stair case collapses separating you from the top floor.
“God I feel sorry for these ponies. Taxes taken out to fix all this is going to suck.” You look over the damage one last time before heading to the front door. When you make your way outside you see Lyra glaring at you.
“What did you break?” she asks while crawling over to you.
“Oh, uh, the stairs broke themselves. Heheheh…” you kneel down. Lyra shakes her head before you begin your work…
Ten minutes of applying, reapplying, and squirming later you’ve managed to disinfect and dress Lyra’s cuts and bites.
“Thanks…” Lyra looks over the job you’ve done, “I feel much better.” She adds before giving you smile. “So what brings you out this way Anon?”
“You,” As you lean in and bring your arms out you notice the red tint in her cheeks. She squeaks like a rubber duck when your arms wrap around her mid-section. As you pick her up you continue. “Bon-Bon and I were worried sick about you so I made my way here.”
“What about Bon-Bon? I don’t see her anywhere.” Lyra looks around, “What, did she stay with Time Turner or something?” You didn’t like the malice her tone had when it came to those two.
“Let’s just say the guards at Town Hall dragged her back kicking and screaming. She wanted to come by, but I told her it’d be better if she stayed. I didn’t want to risk her getting hurt too.” You explain as you bring Lyra inside. You make your way into her living room and gently set her upon the couch.
“What are we gonna do on the couch Anon?” she giggles. Choosing to ignore the obvious innuendo you answer.
“We’re gonna stay here for a while. The guards have a barrier around Town Hall because most of the animals moving in. We can’t get in until it clears up.” You take a seat next to Lyra.
“So we’re be stuck in my house?”
“Yes.”
“Just you and me?” You nod. Lyra takes this time to smile before setting her head in your lap. ”That’s fine by me.” She breathes a sigh of relief before snuggling into your lap…
Over the next half an hour you spend your time setting up a makeshift barricade around her front door. That way any timber wolves or manticores would have to go through junk if they wanted you. The sudden sound of your stomach grumbling catches Lyra’s attention, and it catches yours. Thankfully Zecora’s medicine did get rid of the magic within after all. You never thought you’d be happy to hear that noise.
“We’ve got some pepper jack chips in the kitchen cabinet, and some bottled water in the fridge.” Lyra calls out from the living room.
“Alright then.” Within five minutes both you and Lyra have a large bowl filled with her pepper jack chips, cheddar cheese pieces, pretzels, wheat crackers, and plenty of water. Lyra winces from discomfort as you try to sit her up straight so she can eat. “Are you okay?” She nods before waving a hoof dismissively.
“I’ll be fine I’ve had worse.” She uses her magic to slide one of the tables over, “So, Anon, what do you wanna start on first? I’m starving.”
“You grab what you want, I’m gonna put everything I can find at the front door. Might as well feel extra safe.” You state before grabbing a few chairs…
After the final piece of furniture you can use is in its proper place you go back into the living room to find that Lyra has eaten a good half of the snack mix bowl by herself. You shake your head in disgust.
“What?” she asks; her mouth full of chips, “I was hungry!” bits of food spills out of her maw. When you take a seat next to her yet again you chuckle.
“I’m just joking, calm down.” You start trailing your fingers through her mane, “Just save some for me will ya?” You watch as Lyra picks up some of the snack foods in a magical glow.
She throws the bits she’s picked up in your face. “What was that for?!” you cry before wiping away bits of pretzel.
“That’s for implying that I’m a fatty.” She sticks her tongue out at you.
“I told you it was a joke!”
“Yeah, a mean one.” Lyra retorts, “And I believe you need to make up for it.” You watch her roll onto her back and place her head in your lap. You can see where this is going.
“Let me guess, you want a tummy rub?” you grab a handful of chips and shove them into your mouth while waiting for Lyra to answer.
She nods, “Uh huh. If you give me one I just might forgive you,” she flashes a smirk your way. You raise a brow while looking down at her. She in turn stares up at you. The two of you stay locked like this for about a minute before you concede. You sigh out of defeat.
“Fine, I’ll do it.” Lyra still lets out a squee of victory, as your hand trails through her coat she sighs happily before nuzzling the back of her head into your leg. “You were desperate for one of these things, weren’t you; especially if you had to pretend to be mad to get one.”
“Don’t judge me because I like your hands.” With that she shuts her eyes and relaxes while your hand works its magic. It isn’t long before the sensation of your fingers starts to loll her to sleep. It’s a few minutes before her voices breaks the silence.
“Hey Anon?” she asks softly before opening an eye.
“Yeah, what’s up?” you look her way.
“Thanks for coming back for me, and I’m sorry about what happened the other night…”
“When I found you lying there with a timber wolf gnawing on your hoof; it kinda made me forgive you for that.” You laugh nervously, “Besides it wasn’t that big of a deal now that I think about it.”
“That’s good…” she snuggles into you yet again. With that she’s silent, content with letting you rub her tummy in peace. Soon she’s off to sleep. You continue your tummy rubbing for a few minutes longer before Lyra’s soft, steady breathing starts to take a toll on you.
Running around for the majority of the day, beating Everfree creatures senseless, and helping to escort ponies has left you without energy… Your eyelids can’t help but get heavy; your petting becomes sluggish and slow. Soon you’re leaning your head back and falling right to sleep…
“GAME OVER!” an otherworldly voice shouts. The echoing of those words startles you from your sleep. It does the same to Lyra. You end up holding her out of fear while she shivers.
“What was that?!” she yelps before clinging to you, “It was so loud!” When you’re able to find your voice you answer in hopes of calming her.
“I don’t know, but I think it may have been Discord?” While the voice was thunderous and carried the tone of a raging storm, it did have familiarity to it. You and Lyra find yourselves being yanked from her couch in a forced teleportation. When your vision returns to you, you see that you’re standing in front of Town Hall with Lyra in your arms.
You scan the crowds and they all stare at you from a good distance away. You look down to find that the earth is scorched from your appearance. Looks like those ponies wanted to give you enough room to appear. When you go back to looking around you find Discord floating before Town Hall.
Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy all stand ready to go. Each carry a look of determination and the group has their respective elements on. Though your gaze is torn away from the site when Bon-Bon comes galloping up.
“Minty!” she cries before coming to a stop in front of you.
“Bonnie!” Lyra cries with joy. You kneel and set Lyra down in front of the candy mare. The two share an embrace before Bon-Bon looks her over.
“Are you okay?! What happened?” Bon-Bon looks over the adhesive tape and gauze pads. Lyra points to you and smiles.
“Oh I’m fine thanks to awesome guy right here; you know the one with the fingers? Yeah, he kicked the Tartarus out of a timber wolf and patched me up. You shoulda seen it; it was soo cool!” Lyra squeals and her grin gets ever wider.
“He did?” Bon-Bon looks to you in question. When you nod she unleashes a deafening squee before leaping to your chest. You see your feet leaving the ground as you’re forced into a tackle/hug.
“Thank-you-thank-you-thankyou!” She wraps her hooves around your neck. You quickly find yourself being unable to breathe. As luck would have it, Discord is torn away from his little showdown to see you losing air. He sighs.
“Anonymous, you’re ruining the moment,” he snaps his griffin talons, “Honestly stop trying to steal the show.” You take in a lungful of air when Bon-Bon is forcibly separated from you. Then you watch as your body lights up in a purple aura. Discord raises you into the air and brings you over. He has you floating helplessly a few feet off the ground, and a few feet from his face. He gives you a cocky smirk before clearing his throat.
“You’ve done quite a lot of damage haven’t you? You’ve turned those infernal ponies back to normal. But if you think I’m just going to sit here and wait you’re sorely mistaken.” Discord says with a sadistic grin. You feel his aura tighten around you, causing you to yelp from the sudden sensation. It’s as if the air itself is trying to constrict you like a snake.
Relief washes over you as you realize you’re encased in a mint and magenta bubble of magic. Both Lyra and Twilight synchronized a shield spell to save you from Discord’s wrath. They gently bring you away from him and over to the Mane Six. When your feet touch ground and when the shield dissipates you thank them both.
“We got your back Anon!” Lyra cries from her place in the crowd.
“We won’t let Discord mess with you again.” Twilight adds before glaring his way. Discord laughs manically.
“Oh Twilight, you’re adorable! You honestly think you can… you can…” he stumbles over his response. He has no idea what to say. “Hold on a moment,” he snaps his claws. A stack of paper is brought into existence. For about thirty seconds he flips through the pages. He squints when he comes across a certain page. “Wait, he has me saying that? Well that’s unbecoming of me.” Discord says more to himself than to those around him.
He shrugs before setting the paper ablaze. “I’ll just wing it. I’m great at doing that.” He smiles, “Pre-written dialogue is so boring.” He adds before chuckling and tossing the burning paper over his shoulder. He looks to the sky before sporting a cocky smirk. When he shakes his head at it he only further confuses the crowd.
“What in tarnation was that?” Applejack asks. Discord ignores the apple farmer’s question and goes right back to speaking with Twilight.
“Take two. Oh Twilight you’re, adorable! Do you honestly believe that you alone can stop me?” Discord shakes his head in disappointment, “I thought you smarter than that.”
“That’s cause she’s not alone!” you hear Rainbow Dash exclaim before trotting over to Twilight, “The six of us are gonna kick your flank as a team, right guys?” she turns to the rest of her friends.
“Yeah, wouldn’t be right lettin a friend try and stop ya all by their lonesome.” Applejack adds before moving in front of Twilight. Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie all take their respective places in front of her, as if to block Discord from getting to her.
“So that’s it? Is this the part where you use the Elements to encase me in stone yet again?!” Discord’s grin widens.
“That’s the plan.” Twilight states as her eyes begin to glow with a bright white light. As she floats into the air the others around her start to mimic her. The gems on their respective elements begin to glow; the immediate area darkens to a near pitch black. The air around you begins to heat up as the magic wisps of white light dance around the Mane Six. You find yourself covering your eyes as the light being emitted becomes unbearable to look upon.
The brilliant display of power has you backing away from the group. It appears as though you’re afraid to be near them, lest you be affected by what’s to come.
“You’re being too hasty!” Discord shouts, “What about your precious pony princesses!?” As the question dons on the Mane Six the elements begin to power down. When the light fades and when they touch ground again Discord laughs triumphantly. “Oh yes, you know that they will be forever imprisoned if I’m taken out of the picture! But,” he adds with the snap of his claws. You watch as the moon takes its position in the sky. The sudden loss of light comes as a surprise to you and the denizens of Ponyville.
It isn’t until now you realize that the Everfree animals and the dome are no longer here; did Discord send the animals away upon his entrance? Your thoughts are interrupted as a brilliant column of white light connects with the ground its origin: the Moon. You watch as two silhouettes travel through it.
When they stop at the ground the light dissipates, and you’re subjugated to a sight you never thought you’d ever get to see. From the descriptions and pictures Twilight showed you back when you first came to Equestria, you know you’re looking upon Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.
Twilight described the two with magnificent qualities. She told you that Celestia’s coat was of the purest white, and her ever flowing mane was a wonder in and of itself. The prismatic colors that shone from her mane and tail was said to be a marvel to those who would get to witness its beauty…
As for Luna, she was described to be the embodiment of the night itself. Midnight blue coat, coupled with dark clouds around her cutie mark, were to show both the illustriousness and elusiveness the night brought.
The thousands of tiny bits of light that made the stars in her forever moving dark blue mane and tail were rumored to be its own splendor. That looking upon it would bring you a sense of peace…
Twilight also told you that both Celestia and Luna carried themselves highly, yet were humble enough to not think themselves above those they rule over. All in all, they were the textbook definition of fairytale figures of authority.
In reality, from where you’ve grown up, you’ve learned in history classes that most monarchies revolved around propaganda and corruption. These two were supposed to be the exact opposite… But looking upon them now, you can’t say that Twilight’s enthusiastic interpretations of the two are accurate. In fact they looked downright pitiful.
Their coats are matted with gray spots of dirt from the excessive moon dust they’ve been forced to sleep on. The purple shadows under their baggy eyes show that they’ve been subjugated to sleepless nights upon that giant orb. Their crowns, necklaces, and shoes are in a state of disrepair. You can see the missing gems and deep scratches that run along their jewellery.
Both seem so disoriented from being brought here neither seem to have the strength to even lift their heads and look upon their subjects. In fact Luna appears to be shaking, almost as if she were going to collapse in a heap of exhaustion. You hear Twilight gasp.
“P-Princess Celestia!” Twilight shouts with worry. She points a single hoof Celestia’s way. When you look to where she’s pointing you spot a single trail of blood running down the side of her head. It looks like she conked her head pretty hard on something up there. When devastation seems to consume the Mane Six and the towns ponies Discord starts laughing yet again.
“What’s wrong, girls, have you lost the will to fight?” He asks in between fits of laughter, “Well that’s just too bad isn’t it?” As he finishes you find Eris and Screwball standing upon opposite sides of the Princesses. This is the first time you’ve ever seen the two looking what you’d describe as wicked.
Eris’ irises seem to be glowing in the night, her dishevelled hair seems even more so than usual. The claws she sports seem razor sharp; and that grin, it’s like looking into the maw of a shark.
Screwball’s once goofy grin appears to be twisted into a psychotic smile that’s too big for her face. Her wild swirling violet eyes glow with an eerie light. As you watch this standoff you can’t help but wonder how you were friends with things that seem so intimidating? They really are monsters born from chaos itself...
The hair on the back of your neck stands on end and chills running throughout your very being as Eris’ eyes lock with yours. She winks and in return you start backing away. The wall of Town Hall stops you from moving any further.
“As you can see, I hold all the cards. If you try to imprison me you can kiss your rulers goodbye, but I’m willing to make a small trade.” Discord says calmly before snapping his claws. A tear in space forms next to him, looking inside you can see… your city. The one you were staying in before Discord brought you to Equestria. Numerous people walk on by as if nothing’s there. How can they not see this?
“What are you playing at Discord?” Twilight is obviously suspicious.
“You let me go on my merry way. I’ve grown tired of this place, and I’d love a change in scenery. You may not know it, but these humans… I’ve yet to see anything so chaotic…” Discord looks into the rift in fascination.
“Do you think we’d let you go to Anon’s world and mess with it?!” Twilight cries angrily, “We aren’t going to let you destroy where he came from!”
“Brave words coming from a foal, but are you willing to risk your princesses for a human you barely know?” Twilight looks to you, then to the princesses. She hesitates.
“I,” Twilight starts.
“Choose wisely girls. Let my daughters and I go, and your princesses shall be free. You’ll finally be rid of me.” He motions to Celestia and Luna. “Or you can try to imprison us, and in turn lose your rulers for good.” His smile widens as she sees the helpless expression on Twilight’s face.
“Since he’s the reason why we’re to this point, why don’t we let Anonymous make the decision? Go on Anonymous, choose.” Suddenly a glowing hand of purple wraps around your shirt. It tugs you so you’re stuck in between him and the Mane Six.
When he releases you, you stand there mouth agape. As you turn to face your options you look from Discord; to his two daughters that were holding the Princesses hostage; and finally to the ponies you’d come to know as your friends and neighbors.
Your little plan is in shambles. Discord stopped you before you could enact it. You were hoping that you could have both remain. You wanted the princesses to be able to get along with Discord. You wanted Eris and Screwball to stay despite how they’re coming off now. And you wanted Twilight and the others to remain as they are now. You want so many things you don’t even realize just how childish you really are.
Life is full of choices. As you’d learned over the years not all of them are easy. And more often than not you realized you can’t have the benefits from both. A sacrifice must be made. That’s a part of becoming an adult, learning how to make necessary sacrifices.
Admittedly coming to this colorful world, being around all these smiling faces, you feel as though you’ve regressed a bit. The childlike wonder you never got to truly experience arose the longer you stayed in this place. You turn your gaze to your shoes. Even now you feel as though you can’t make a decision. Everyone’s waiting on you Anonymous. It’s time to weigh your options.
If you let Discord stay then there’s no doubt that things will go back to the way they were when you first arrived. You’ll probably get to spend more time with Eris and Screwball since the ponies will consider you a traitor. Your little thing with Eris might turn into something greater. Screwball herself, despite her over the top pranks, is an absolute joy to be around. She’s goofy and she knows how to have a good time, as does Eris. Discord himself might in turn be your friend, one that doesn’t string you along like some puppet. In a way you’re saving him from his stony fate by doing this, would he be grateful?
You turn to face Twilight and the others. To see them disappointed or to see them hate your very existence tears into you. If you side with them, you may be given a home along with citizenship status. You’ll get to build a house here; which will in turn allow you to live like one of them.
With that, you’ll be able to strengthen the bonds you’ve made. If what Pinkie asked you back when you danced with her was an honest question, then she might be the one you spend the most of your time with. These ponies seem to hold you in high regard; you’ve notice that these equines lack the cynicism humans have in abundance.
Were they humans you doubt you would even have friends here. They connected your appearance to the world getting better, rather than becoming hostile and suspecting Discord’s trickery. You’ve proven that you care for them with the various acts you’ve done. You saved Derpy, you helped the Mane Six return to normal, and you rescued ponies for the majority of your day today. You could see a bright future in siding with these ponies. You can have fun with Discord and his daughters too.
You nearly slap yourself when you didn’t even bring Earth into the equation. If Discord, Eris, and Screwball leave there’s a good chance you’ll never see any of them again. If you don’t choose them they’ll be gone from your life for good.
“I-I chose,” you start. Everyone around you starts to lean in, hanging on your every word. You just hope you don’t come to regret your choice. You turn to Twilight and the others and give them a grin. “The ponies that I’ve come to call my friends…”
You’ve made your decision. You should be happy, but why do you feel full of regret? Why does it pain you so to choose Equestria over Discord? The crowd is silent as your announcement sinks in; before erupting into a loud chorus of cheers.
Eris and Screwball look on sadly while Discord seems happy with your choice. You still can’t seem to face any of them. You cringe when you feel Discord wrap an arm around you as he leans in.
“I can see you’re hurt by all of this, but I will not apologize for it. I’ve given you the tools to start over and improve. Do you feel you have a better life here?” Discord asks with earnest. After a few seconds you nod. He gives you a genuine smile, “You’ve made the right choice in siding with Equestria. With me gone everything here SHOULD return to normal. And I’m glad you’re living a good life here. It’s all I wanted out of you in the end. What I asked, or rather demanded of you has been fulfilled.” With that Discord makes his way past you and over to the rift. He turns to you and offers his parting words “Make it last… my friend.” He says with a small wave before snaking his way through it and out of sight.
“Bye, Anon,” you hear Screwball say sadly before she comes over to you. You kneel down and wrap the little purple pony in a tight hug. “I wish you could play with us some more, that stuff in Canterlot was so much fun,” her lower lip quivers. You rustle her mane a bit before getting back to your feet.
“I know you do, but you’ll have lots of fun on Earth.” You say in hopes of reassuring the little pony. You still don’t see how any of these creatures got so attached after such little time.
“If you say so,” she doesn’t sound convinced. Before slinking over to the rift she shouts, “Cannonball!” She suddenly leaps into the rift curled up in a ball.
“Heh, she got over it pretty quickly.” You chuckle before turning to find Eris floating at eye level with you. She’s back to her normal form, and like Screwball she doesn’t look happy to leave. “Oh come on, not you too. I didn’t think you’d get all sappy with me at the end,” you give her a smile, but your eyes betray how you truly feel. If only there was a way to keep her and the others around. “I guess that date was a waste of time?” you shrug. She shakes her head before coming closer.
“Nah, I had fun, and I know you did too.” She leans in and whispers, “Don’t worry, I’ll be paying you a visit from time to time.” She gives you a quick peck on the cheek, “I’ll see you around Anon.” With that she joins her father and sister in the rift.
The ponies in town continue to cheer as the rift begins to close and the remaining purple and black wisps of chaos quietly fade from existence. It doesn’t take long for it to dawn on everyone that the god that caused them so many headaches has finally left for good. The Mane Six rush to greet you after they deem it safe to approach.
“You did it Anon!” Twilight jumps with joy.
“Good show darling!” Rarity chimes in.
“Ah knew you’d choose us!” Applejack exclaims.
“Oh my gosh Anon we should totally have a party to celebrate!” Pinkie suggests while bouncing around you. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash are the last to approach.
“Um… yay?” she asks before moving her mane in front of her face to hide. You can’t help but laugh at her shy demeanor. When it comes to Rainbow Dash she sits on her flank and stares at you blankly while you in turn stare back. Why does this feel so awkward… oh right first impression.
“So, you held me down and forced some nasty, burning stuff down my throat.” Dash says in a flat tone. You suck in air through your teeth before sighing.
“Yeah, I kinda did. Sorry about that,” you chuckle nervously, Rainbow smiles and waves her hoof dismissively.
“You did kinda save Equestria, so I think I can look past it. But you’re totally buying me some cider after all this is over.”
“I can probably get some more cider from Big Mac,” you suggest before pointing to him. He looks away nervously.
“Nooooope. Ah don’t have none o’ that stuff.”
“Ha, that’d be so awesome!” she says before lifting her hoof to you. Your eyes widen in surprise when you realize she actually knows the gesture. Without hesitating you bump your fist with her hoof. For a few moments, all seems right with the world. You may have given up a few friends… but in turn you’ve gained the approval of a lot of friends, and the good graces of a nation…
Celestia takes this time to make herself known to the masses. She lifts her head up high and slowly she trots over to you and the others. Silence overtakes the crowd yet again as they watch her move. When she’s close enough she clears her throat to get yours, and the Mane Six’s attention. They turn and bow to her while you stare on.
While her weary eyes, ruined attire, and disheveled mane would make her seem unapproachable. Her tired smile gives you the relief necessary to put you at ease. It’s as if years of stress had started the process of melting away from the Princess of the Sun. As she gets close, you couldn’t help but notice as her once dirty coat begins to brighten bit by bit…
She rivals you in height, which to you is breathtaking. She virtually towers over her subjects. Her muzzle comes to the center of your chest, though her horn makes her a tad larger than you. She may be unkempt but she still held an air of superiority, of regality. She stands with a posture that commands authority despite her present condition.
You find yourself unable to stand straight in her presence. As if your own body was working against you, you bow before her. The others do so in turn. When she speaks, the soft harmonious manner in which she speaks plays a beautiful tune to the ears.
“You may rise, my little ponies. I apologize for interrupting, but Anonymous and I have a few things we need to discuss.” Your eyes widen as you stand straight yet again. She offers you a warm, almost motherly smile, “Anonymous, take a walk with me.”
She doesn’t order you, she doesn’t demand it, she simply requests it. And you are more than willing to oblige. You turn to your friends and all of them motion for you to go. Your celebration can wait…
“As you wish, Princess.” You bow. As you rise she moves to the side so you can join her, which you do. As the two of you make your way through the crowds Celestia turns to Luna,
“Sister, would you be so kind as to take care of things here for me?” Luna nods in response. “Thank you sister.” Celestia turns to you, “I believe a stroll through the park shall do.” As you walk with her something dawns on you.
“Ponyville has a park, your highness?” Celestia giggles.
“Yes it does Anonymous. I see you haven’t taken in all the sights, let us rectify that…”
As you and Celestia make your way through Ponyville, Discord, along with his daughters, are currently hiding in the shadows of a skyscraper. Their current location: New York City.
“So daddy, what are we gonna do now?” Screwball asks.
“Well, I’ve always wanted to try leading a country as a president. Being a king is quite fun, but letting others pretend to make decisions is even more delightful.” Discord laughs heartily before shaking his head. “But there is one thing I need to take care of first.” He turns his head to the east, and then he snaps his talons…
Neither of his daughters will realize what he’s done. Neither will you, but on that cold autumn day, a certain relative of yours has regained something she has been without for so long. Just like you she’s been given a second chance to live a good life…
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Ah very good. The only thing I found a little annoying was his instant bowing to the princesses. It felt like he would've treated them like regular folks instead of the deific figures they are.
yay!
it was beautiful
squeal.....NOW
please
good ending but you left it to open for more things and complications to happen
soooo squeal
ಠ_ಠ
Sequel?! HECK YEA!
I DEMAND MOARRRR!!!!!!
Also, meh pinkie and anon, rainbow dash ftw
We request an EPILOGUE! If you so choose to make one.... please?
Wow. Anon is an arsehole. Granted, he was in a no win situation with being forced to pick that either Discord stays in Equestria or Discord goes to Earth, but his thought-process wasn't anything about minimising damage; it was all about maximising his profit.
While it turned out well for him and Equestria, having a creature like Discord on Earth is potentially horrific... I really can't help but think that this is not the good ending, but instead must be a less-bad ending instead.
2223912
Well yeah, Anon is an asshole. He's been alone and having to fend for himself for so long he's stuck in that mindset
Though, in the sequel, that will change over time. He'll still be an ass, but he'll be an ass that cares.
2222457
Well, from the way Twilight described them, as explained in the final chapter, he felt the need to be courteous.
2222528
thank you very much. just waiting on approval so chapter one of the sequel can be posted.
2222635
indeed.
...
...
[youtube=V3YMRp36Ad8] (my reaction...)
Well, that's a thing.
First off, I gotta commend you on the speed of releases for this fic. Considering each of the chapters was a good length, I find this to be an epic feat!
Second, sequel? Yes please
And finally, review for this chapter. While overall the chapter was good, it felt kind of rushed. I know a lot was happening very quickly, but it kind of felt like some things were glossed over. I was going to comment on the way Discord ended things, but honestly after I thought about it, it does seem like the best ending. We've become too invested in the Discord family to just see them imprisoned, but the Ponies needed their freedom. While the delivery was a little flat, I still think it was fitting.
Anyways, this has been an awesome ride, and I'm eagerly looking forward to the sequel!
I have no words... Except YAY SEQUEL!
2226371
Keep going, make a marathon out of it you crazy bone guy!
I finally finished my editing! It's taken me about a week, but I did it. I hope you guys like the fully edited version, I certainly worked hard on it, and I did what I could. Also I'm editing the sequel currently and I hope I can do this story justice.
Alright, you've officially gained my undying praise and attention towards this marvelous story. I was pulled deeper into it the more I read. Today was well spent indeed. The ending was just...right in every aspect. I am DEFINITELY reading the sequel!
Holy gauchomole, I finally finished this story.
I gotta hand it to you, I was really into this story to the point of sleep deprivation.
Rage has never been so touchingly useful.
2248162
Well, I allow you guys to see what he doesn't for a few reasons.
1. While you're putting yourself in Anon's shoes, you're not at the same time. I know some readers love knowing something the character doesn't, even if you are supposed to be that character.
2. It helps to build suspense, you know what's coming, but at the same time you don't. As you read you want to do your damndest to stop it, but having it happen anyway despite the fact that you don't want it to adds a bit of realism. Bad things do happen, and there's nothing you can do for the most part. Even if you know its coming, if it's something unavoidable you have to learn to adapt and deal with it in order to overcome it.
The main point of this story is to show the human's ability to adapt to a situation it's thrown in.
We as a species can have the worst shit thrown at us, whether we know it's going to happen or not, and we can still stand up and keep going.
Anon gets hurt in this story, he makes a lot of mistakes, but he still finds a way around it and improves.
This story was fantastic breath taking even! Im so reading the sequel
Man... that ending.
but then the happy feels 
By the way, you just cost me almost an entire night of sleep. I honestly cant think of anything bad to say about this story though. Good Show Sir.
2298509
2299488
Still can't believe I make people cry with that chapter.
Bravo. This was a good read. It's not perfect, have some flaws but I had a good time, feel anger and happiness and things I should while reading a story ;)
2449719
glad you like it so far, let me know what you think by the end.
Nice story all in all, i kinda wish for more since it ends kinds of abruptly.
-edit omg there's a sequel!
2453271 I call it Planet Harmony, after the planet from the Halo series.
I just read this entire story in the course of a night,
and it was so goddamn worth it. I just wish we had seen more interactions between "Me", Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash. Actually, it feels like a lot of the main characters didn't get enough screentime.
Either way, I patiently await what will be a glorious sequel. Unless it's out already.
2457748
The lively adventures of anonymous is the sequel
2525246
Did I do the crazy well?
I give it a 9/10. Everything was wonderful. the main character was WONDERFUL and his anger was wonderful. I must say though, i have never been so happy to see fluttershy hurt in a story, that shows how much i was into it. On another note i was happy to see fluttershy hurt
you monster
This was an awsome tale, but the end.... Please, let us know if you really think on making a sequel, if yes? I can't wait, I really want to se something between Anon and Eris, they made such a great couple
2534764
I already made a sequel that's six chapters in. The Lively Adventures of Anonymous.
2525357 very well
. The main character is probably my favorite human in any of the fanfics 
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ITS OVER D: D:
2554774
The Lively Adventures of Anonymous picks up where this story left off.
i need more like this. please help
Well, time to get in trouble at work for spending more time reading then working.
By the comments, it'll be worth it. See you all at the end! 
Well, finished!
Was well worth reading this at work(
) Great story this is, and already finished what of the sequel that's already up. Looking forward to more! 
that was an awesome ending, and Discord for president? seems legit
2641886 well now I feel bad for giving away spoilers
but I couldn't help it 
2670013
Was there an instance where he wasn't under the influence of chaos magic?
Also, I believe Eris made him breakfast at some point, I'd have to go through and read it again.
2717958
Thanks for pointing that out. Added her in, I swear she's my least favorite and most forgettable.
Don't hate me on this but I truly think Anon made a mistake. Look at Equestria it has magic, the elements of harmony, and acknowledge Discord as a threat. However if you look at earth, it isn't even aware Discord exist, let alone have any means to fight him. While he helped out his pony friends, he practically doom earth with endless chaos. Still it's a great story, GOOD JOB!
DAT ENDING.
Why does Discord wish for you to befriend equines?
Because it suddenly occurred to him.
Why did he choose you of all the other humans out there?
Because he saw you first.
How many friends will you make?
However many you don't kill.
Why are the ponies he introduces you to gray and hostile?
Because he's an ass like that.
Great story.
Pretty good, pretty good. One of the better fics I have read. Honestly I'd seen this one before, but put it off because it didn't really look interesting. I was wrong, this was amazing.
Some follow up in a sequel would be nice, though ^,^
2942896
There is... The Lively Adventures of Anonymous
2943673
Eheh... I knew that!