The library of the castle, of course Twilight would pull you in there.
Spike stood behind Twilight, as she paced silently forward and back. She hadn’t said anything to you since you all entered, and it was starting to unnerve you. You had a lot to think about already. You knew how this all happened, you knew most of it was your fault, and yet you also knew that for the most part, you were doing the right thing with some of the things you were accused of. And even then, enough of your friends knew about it, which meant the burden of guilt wasn't meant to be judged by Twilight. “Twilight, I know you’re upset, and-”
But she finally says something, shooting a sharp inquisitive look as she huffs. “I’m more than upset, Anon.” She begins to pace again as she rolls her eyes. “I thought, I really did think, that you were better than this. All the progress you have shown, your better understanding of friendship, all the new friends you were making. I had so much faith in you, and yet, nothing really changed, did it? More secrets, more lies? Do you understand what you could have caused?!”
God, this shit again. Just like with Starlight way back when. You weren’t some damn kid, and fucking dammit, you understood this time, you understood everything, She didn’t understand, and you really felt Luna was on to something in keeping the fact you had the Storm King lodged inside Jimmy a secret. The only ones who should judge you are your friends who were waiting outside. “I understand everything I could have caused, Twilight. I know what I did wrong, and I know to what extent. You may be the princess, and the headmare, but you’re treating me like I’m a criminal and a dumb kid at the same time. I already feel enough guilt as is, I don’t need this.”
“Do you really? You understand all the consequences of your actions? What you could have caused? Well, then enlighten me, Anon, I’m listening.” Twilight said as she plopped her ass down, staring at you with disbelief. Oh, she was waiting, waiting to tell you everything she felt, and to cast judgement on you.
“So, it’s like that, huh? Ok, first, regarding the changeling, or as you probably know him as right now, the X-Captain. Yeah, I kept him outside my window, and taunted him, but I didn’t outright torture him. I had to keep him there, the guy was a menace, he was dangerous and wanted to scorch Equestria with everypony in it. Now, I know what you’re thinking, ‘Why Chrysalis, but not her old captain? Doesn’t he deserve redemption? Same as her?’. Well, guess what, he didn’t, he was too dangerous to even be around, he tried to kill me every chance he got. But, and here’s the kicker, the chaos that was actually causing him to be insane has left him, and he’s pretty much a guest at the house. That’s right, he’s living inside the house, as a roommate. He’s still a bit crazy, but I can handle him. Now, as for the Storm King? I admit I messed up with him, I should have sealed him away or threw him into Tartarus. But Twilight, I really hated that guy’s guts. Maybe it was a pride thing, for what he did to me. Or maybe it was the fact he was willing to blast my aunt, no, Canterlot into smithereens, just because he could.” You took a moment to compose yourself, looking Twilight dead in the eyes. She seemed a little surprised, still silent, waiting for you to finish. She had to be waiting for something you possibly were going to miss… Possibly.
“The way he escaped, the things he did. I know what I could have caused. Silverstream and Cozy could have gotten hurt, or worse, maybe some of our other friends too. But beyond that, it could have spelled trouble for the school, the reputation of the elements, and even caused a war with the hippogriffs. You don’t think I thought about that? You don’t think I had that guilt hanging around my neck like a noose? Twilight, it’s not like I was like Discord and just didn’t give a crap. I nearly died myself having to fight the Storm King a second time when he somehow escaped where I put him. Afterwards, though, I did my very best to make sure he was gone. I investigated personally, with Lyra and Bon Bon, I’m sure you know them. I only found the Storm King’s arm and some old apples. Even before that, Starlight was loo-” And that’s when Twilight had her spaz moment.
“Wait” It was like it just clicked in her pissed off little head, with the mention of Lyra and Bon Bon somehow just skipping it entirely. “Starlight?! A-and Lyra and Bon Bon?! But, wait, Starlight?! Woah, woah, wait! There is no way that can be right! Starlight would have told me about something like that!”
“Yeah, no, we were all pretty sure you’d spaz the moment you did find out. Even Aunt Fluttershy was mostly calm about it, kinda. And-” And once again, she spazzed, even Spike was surprised.
“Woah, woah, even Fluttershy knew? And she didn’t say anything?! Twilight, I don’t know about this.” Spike said, as he seemed to become more unsure with the whole thing.
“What? What do you mean, Spike? Because I don’t even know what to think about this! Why wouldn’t my friends tell me about this?!” Twilight asked, stammering in her speech, her mane already starting to split out of place.
“...Also Princess Luna.” You let out as you just look up at the ceiling. Ooook, this was getting dicey.
“Also Princess Luna. Wait, WHAT?!” Twilight said, double taking for a moment before her frantic gaze locked onto you. “Are you kidding me?! You can’t be serious! You’re going to tell me Princess Luna knew and she didn’t do anything about it?!”
You shrug. “I mean, yeah? She actually agreed with my methods, for the most part. She told me how she and her sister, and even you, Twilight, don’t exactly have this whole ‘punishment’ thing for villains down to a science. Y’know, considering they usually escape, and come back for revenge, and stuff? Nopony wanted to tell you any of this because, well, look at you, you’re spazzing out, you practically want my head for what happened. Which is fine, I get it, but dammit, Twilight, I’m telling you the truth. I’m really sorry about what happened, that’s why I went to save Silverstream, on my own, the moment it happened. Look, even Discord tried to detect the Storm King, and wasn’t able to. So yeah, I take full responsibility for just writing it off, no matter how reliable my investigations were. Am I missing anything else, Twilight? Because, if I’m not, I’d like to hear from my friends. I want to know what they think, how they feel I should be handled. I did them wrong, Twilight, so I deserve whatever they decide.”
Spike just looked to Twilight, walked over to the stunned mare, and gave her back a quick rub. “Relax, Twilight, it is how it is. I was with you before, but if even Princess Luna knew? Well, y’know, kinda hard to be mad at him when she was encouraging him in the first place. On top of the fact that he pretty much hit the nail on the head about everything else. I got the latest issue of Power Ponies at the castle, and er, we could go read it and stuff, forget about all this and-” But Twilight began to speak, bringing her hoof slowly to Spike’s mouth to shut him up.
“So that’s it then? Everypony just didn’t want to say anything to me, because they thought I’d overreact?” Twilight said, in a much softer, defeated tone. Removing her hoof from Spike to let him speak.
“Well, I didn’t know, so, er, uh.” Spike shrugged with a fake smile “At least we were together on that, right?”
“Yeah…” Twilight then looked over at you, her eye twitching from the madness of it all. “And do you think I’m overreacting, Anon? Don’t stop being honest now, just tell me how you feel.”
“Honestly? Er…” God, she looked so off. You were somehow afraid she was going to attack or something. “Yeah? A little. But, uh, since I’m getting everything out in the open now. Er, welp, you remember the rumor about Neighsay’s spy?”
“Y-yes, but what-” But before Twilight could even really get a word in, Spike just blurts his own words out in utter astonishment.
“Woah! What?! Anon, you’re the spy?!” Spike yelled out as he pointed at you.
Twilight eye twitched at the accusation. But then, suddenly, as if she came to the realization she was acting nutty, she realized Spike just instantly blaming you sounded as crazy as she was being right now. “Spike, now that sounds crazy. And I should know, because I’m apparently crazy.”
“Twilight, he’s right. I’m the spy.” Oooooooh, ok, here we go.
“WHAT?! WHAAAAT?!” Twilight was so blown away that she actually fell back, nearly flying back, onto her side in utter surprise and panic. She suddenly took flight, zoomed over to you, and pointed at you as she yelled. “And you called me insane?! Anon, I know he isn’t a villain, but he is looking for any reason to shut the school down! Why would you work with him?! How did you even end up working for him?! I don’t… Why?!”
You gulped and stepped back. And yet, somehow, you felt like you were on top despite fearing Twilight’s brain cracking in two. Jimmy really was right, breaking the trope of lying and telling the truth… Damn, how, how could you just forget the tropes? How could you not counter what should be so easily beaten? Had you really become so complacent as a pony that you simply forgot that this world still seemingly follows said tropes due to how everyone is in Equestria? Fucking Jimmy, never in a million years did you think you’d have to be reminded of the human factor from a being that was never a human, and just decided to pretend to be one. “Because he offered me the job, with the payment being schooling opportunities for me and Diamond, among other things. And Twilight, you’re right, he is, or at least was, looking for a reason to shut down the school.”
“Was?” Spike said, confused for a moment. He began to rest his head on his claws as he scratched his forehead. “Was? Wait, Anon, have you been… Woah, a double agent, I thought those only existed in comics.”
“That’s right, Spike. Me and Starlight have been working together to make sure we can convince Neighsay to stop his crazy crusade with, and I can say this without hesitation, the truth. Although I shouldn’t really have told you guys. Because if he finds out Twilight knows, then he may find out everything else. He may even think that since Twilight knows, that I've been betraying him this entire time. But, to be honest, I kinda also needed to let you both be in the know because there’s sort of a new issue.” You then notice Twilight just hovering there, her expression unsettling as she almost seemed frozen in place. “Twilight, are you ok?”
“Ooooh, I’m just great. Seems like you and Starlight got everything handled. The fate of the school, and everypony in it, at the tip of a metaphorical cliff, and here I am, waaaaaaay down here, clueless about everything. And even after my own students were put in danger, I’m somehow wrong about how I approached things. Is there a princess of madness title I can take? Because everything is nothing right now.” Twilight said, in a horrible haze of miscalculations and skewed viewpoints.
“Give me a second, Anon.” Spike said as he walked under Twilight, gently pulled at her hanging tail to get her back to the ground, walked up in front of her, and grabbed her cheeks as he began to shake her. “Twilight, you gotta get a grip! Seriously, you’re starting to even freak me out! Relax, will ya?!”
“Huh, wha?! U-ugh…” Twilight pulled her head back, then began to rub under her horn with her hoof. “Ngh, I have such a headache. I… Ugh! How?! How did I lose my mind so easily?! Even worse, even Princess Luna saw it coming. Which means Princess Celestia probably didn’t tell me at all about anything because maybe…” Twilight looked towards you, then down at the ground, in shame. “Just like when I was angry with Starlight. I was just, angry. Finding out any of my students were in danger, I guess it clouded my judgement. I…” Twilight then looks over to Spike. “Spike, do you think I’m still fit to be the Princess of Friendship? I mean, everypony thin-” But Spike wasn’t even going to let her finish that sentence.
“Twilight, you gotta stop right now. You’re putting yourself down because of something I think you can fix. I mean, you yourself used to not like being around anypony at all, with your nose always in the books. Look at you now, you are the Princess of Friendship, and just because you overreact sometimes, doesn’t change all the good you’ve done! Just ask Anon! Just because you both butt heads a lot doesn’t mean he thinks you should stop being a princess either. We all believe in you, Twilight. Right, Anon?” Spike asks you as he looks to you for backup.
Ah, dammit, fine. All in all, despite it being stupid in the first place, you’d rather Twlight be hopeful and back to her old self than losing her fucking mind. “Yeah. There really isn’t anypony else for the job. There’s still a lot of ponies who need a princess like you, Twilight.”
“See? Come on, Twilight. You’re super logical, so you should know acting like this makes no sense. Please, Twilight, relax, I hate it when you get like this.” Spike pleaded.
“Spike…” Twilight began to grumble, then fell to her belly as she brought her forelegs over her head. “It’s just. I mean. Look, it’s just. I…” She sighed. “It just seems nopony is coming to me for help anymore, because I just make things worse. Even thinking about it, if I had known about Cozy just before this happened, then I’d be yelling at Anon about the compass. But then, why would I yell? Because I’m upset he cheated? Why? The reason he gave the compass to her was to help her, like a friend would do. Am I overreacting, Spike?”
Spike seemed a little nervous at this point. But he pulled himself together and tried to answer the best he could. “Yeah, but, well, you had a reason to overreact about the whole Storm King thing, that was some real dangerous stuff! But Anon already gets what he did wrong, and the situation itself was just really bad luck. And besides, it’s over now! Everycreature is ok and… Wait.” Spike looked back at you “Anon, what did you do with the Storm King?”
“Oh, uh, I pulled the old Starswirl maneuver and threw him into another dimension.” You answered.
“Woah, aside from the Pony of Shadows thing, I can’t think of anypony else coming back from another dimension. You really went hard on him, huh?” Spike asked.
“Well, yeah, he was a threat. Well, sort of, he was actually kind of pathetic this time. I don’t think I even needed my magic to beat him.” You say as you pondered on it a little.
“Hm? Pathetic?” Twilight raised her head. The last she remembered about the Storm King, he was a huge threat. “As in, weak? Are you saying he couldn’t touch you this time?”
You nod. “Yeah, he was back to his normal self. Well, maybe less than that. He was missing his arm, and he seemed a little malnourished. I think I could have beaten him with the regular magic Discord gave me.”
“So that’s what Cozy meant by him not looking scary.” Twilight said as she began to ponder to herself, thinking hard on the situation. “Then what about the staff? She said he was complaining about it, but she wouldn’t go further than that.” Twilight grimaced at her own words. “Mostly because I was yelling.” Twilight admitted as her ears folded. “She was too afraid to talk after that.”
“Oh, you heard about that too, huh? That’s the weird thing. We all saw him when he was fused with the staff back in Canterlot, and there was this time when he was like, super fused with it. But then when he ended up back in Equestria, he separated from it. Apparently, according to Discord, it absorbed all the chaos inside him and just… unfused. Then, as it turns out, the staff just disappeared. Apparently it collapsed on itself or something since Discord couldn’t detect it.” You say, repeating the information Discord told you.
“Discord couldn’t detect it? That’s weird. Even weirder, if the Storm King was as weak as you said, then what was he planning to do with Silverstream? Did he say anything about that? You know, before you sent him away.” You could tell Twilight wasn’t too keen on your method of disposing of the Storm King, but she didn’t seem to want to question it either. Did she think it was justifiable at this point? You couldn’t tell, but you could guess the reason she wasn't verbally upset about it was already due to others being on your side and keeping info away from her.
“That was the really weird thing. He wanted to use her as leverage to trade for a ride out of Equestria. In fact, something he told me irks me.” You say.
“What he told you? Anon, are you seriously going to be bothered by what that guy says? The guy is just some sleazy loser, isn’t he?” Spike asked, perplexed as to why you were irked.
“Well, it’s what he said about the staff. He said something about, get this, Cozy Glow being evil, taking his staff, and working with somepony else. It wouldn’t bother me that much if he was just lying about it, which he could have been. But it bothers me that he was so adamant about it. If it wasn’t for Discord, I may have actually thought Cozy was evil or something. In fact, I think he was being delusional, there was no way he wasn’t crazy from all that chaos exposure. He probably thought Cozy stole his staff simply because he couldn’t find it.” You explain.
“Cozy being evil? And working with somepony else?” Twilight furrowed her brow as she shook her head. “That monster, I don’t know if he was crazy, but I know he would have said anything to get his way. No wonder Cozy was so easily fooled by him, he must have been really convincing if he was able to even make you second guess yourself.”
“Well, Anon kinda always does that.” Spike said with a shrug, until suddenly he blinks while freezing in place, then points at you. “Er, but, I gotta admit, that kinda lie seems kind of specific. Anon, are you sure Discord never detected the staff?”
“Yeah. He was being difficult with helping me though, I kinda had to throw Aunt Fluttershy into it just to get him to help me at all.” You explain.
“Spike? Do you know something we don’t?” Twilight asked, worried as Spike seemed to think deeper and deeper.
“Uh huh… Hoo boy, Anon, I have a feeling Discord wasn’t exactly telling you the full truth either.” Spike said, as he began to rub the back of his head. “Yeeeah, I think it’s more than a feeling actually. I know you live with the guy, but I’ve seen him work his magic for a long while, especially in O&O, and him not detecting a staff made of chaos, like, at all? Yeah, that doesn’t add up.”
“I know what you’re saying, Spike. But that’s why I used Aunt Fluttershy, to make sure he told the truth.” You explain to him. You had that trope on your side, as he pretty much thought of you as family, and his care for Fluttershy was absolute.
“And he probably did. But, dude, seriously? You can’t force Discord to do anything and expect him to cover everything just because you used Fluttershy to convince him. He’s the spirit of chaos, so he had to sense the staff at some point.” Spike explained. “And don’t think I’m suspecting Cozy Glow or anything, I’m not. But what if the staff was around, right? And what if somepony took the staff from him? If Cozy showed up a little later, coincidentally of course, then he may have thought she was working with whoever tried taking his staff. It’s totally something that would happen in the Power Ponies comics. Make it look like one guy did it when really it was another guy… Or maybe the staff really did disappear. Either way, just saying, there is no way Discord never sensed the staff. That guy could sense magical anomalies from miles away.”
“I…” Oh good lord, did he really just not tell you the truth? Even after using Fluttershy to convince him, he still held information from you? “I could just contact him. I, er… Yeah, just give me a second.” But as you raise your hoof, a voice suddenly comes from high up on the library ceiling.
“No need, Anon, I’ve been eavesdropping ever since you made me lose a bet.” Discord said as he snarled, letting himself flow down like water between the three of you as he looked at you in disappointment. “Telling Twilight the truth, really? Knowing full well she could lose her mind and punish you in such horrid ways, you do it anyway. Well, I’m here to tell you that was not the way you should have done things. Especially since I had bet with that changeling that you would do things your usual way. An entire nightclub, Anon, down in the basement for him to enjoy. One, mind you, he already blacklisted me from.” Discord said with a childish whine. “Whhhheeeenn did everypony suddenly think I was uncool? Rubbish, I say, absolute rubbish judgement from all of you.”
“What?!” Twilight said with a gasp. “You made a bet on if Anon would tell me the truth?! And you bet against it?! Anon is your friend! You consider him family! Why would you bet against him doing the-” But Twilight stops herself as she rolls her eyes. “Nevermind, I somehow forgot that it’s you. Well, Discord, I am actually proud of Anon, despite everything that happened. Telling the truth is so much better than telling lies.”
“Tch, you were almost ready to send him to Tartarus. The real reason you’re ‘proud’ is because he made you look the fool. Which I admit, was amusing, but not exactly what I needed to win.” Discord said as he suddenly tossed a bunch of betting tickets at Twilight’s face. “Last time I follow the trends. Anyway, I heard a certain purple dragon was doubting my word. Spike, I thought we were friends, why would you doubt my word?”
Spike crossed his arms as he raised a single eyebrow at him. “Because being difficult is your shtick?”
“Poppycock! Anon, tell them being difficult is not my shtick.” Discord asked of you, fakely shocked at Spike’s accusation.
“Discord, I can’t believe it, you did lie to me, didn’t you? Even after all that, what the Storm King did to me, what he tried to do to Aunt Fluttershy. Actually, I should have believed it, I don’t know why I thought I could trust you.” You say, staring directly at him, shaking your head.
Discord recoiled from those words, and from your expression. “Anon, don’t say that, I would never lie about something so important.”
“Oh no, Discord.” Twilight groaned. “This is one of your ‘I didn’t tell the full truth’ things, isn’t it? You do know not telling the full truth, especially in moments like this, is almost the same as lying, right?”
“I’d say it’s not, since it’s still not lying. And who asked you, anyway? Stay on track, Twilight, the current subject is Anon going against the odds for all the wrong reasons.” Discord said as he turned to Twilight, sticking his tongue out at her.
“DISCORD!” All three of you yelled, all at once, directly at him.
Discord once again recoiled, and looked towards Spike with pained shock. “Et tu, Spike?”
“One, I dunno what that means. And two, Discord, come on, bro, Twilight has a point. Don’t you think Fluttershy would be proud to know Anon told the truth?” Spike asked, staring down Discord the best he could.
“Is everypony going to use Fluttershy against me now? How would you like it if I used Rarity against you, or Diamond Tiara against Anon, or… Hmm…” Discord stopped to think, then looked towards Twilight inquisitively. “I don’t know if threatening to burn a library is going too far or not. But given it’s you, perhaps having you read a letter with egregious spelling and grammatical errors should be enough to bend you to my whim.”
“Discord! Holy crap! I can’t with you, alright?! Do you know how serious this is?! Forget using Fluttershy against you, I’ll just go live with her and you can deal with Jimmy by yourself, how does that sound?!” You threatened, getting tired of his bullshit.
“Anon, don’t sink down to his level, you d- Wait, Jimmy? The changeling’s name is Jimmy? Isn’t that the same name as that evil human from that documentary?” Twilight asked. “Why would he have the same name as him?”
“He thought donning the name would earn him respect. Instead, he became a know-it-all ingrate with no appreciation for my home. He thinks he’s always right, when in reality, the world and everything in it has been so wrong that it doesn’t even seem to understand that I’m right. Hence the whole losing the bet thing.” Discord explained as he tried to shift the topic away from the staff.
“Discord, stop that! Just tell me the truth! Stop it, or I’m serious, I’ll… I’ll…” You lift the necklace bearing your horn off from you and hold it up. “I’ll stop caring about chaos. No, I’ll do worse, I’ll make sure to get the best grades in all my classes… And hang them on the refrigerator door.” Despite how silly that sounded, you were angry enough to do that, as you knew Discord would not be able to stand you embracing harmony and displaying Twilight’s superiority in his own home.
“Alright, alright!” Discord said as he nearly gagged from your words. “Just stop already, you needn’t go that far. Tch, who would have thought you were capable of that kind of evil.”
“Excuse me? What’s so evil about embracing harmony, Discord?” Twilight said, insulted Discord would treat her schooling like it was a bane.
“Personal experience, that’s all. Most every time I had to embrace it, it was always with a stone cold reception.” Discord said, before slapping his knee, cackling. “Get it? Because when you, well, what? Nothing? Oh come on, that was a joke at MY expense! Ugh, you’re all really serious about that staff, aren’t you? Ugh, very well, very well. Fine, allow me to tell you my side of things then.”