CYOA: Next in Line

by David Silver


36

Sweetie Drops cocks her head, surprised when you politely refuse her proposition to enlist with the covert defenders of Equestria. She scrutinizes you closely.

"Might I ask what gives you pause? Most visitors find joining our cause deeply meaningful."

You explain that while you admire their mission, such cloak-and-dagger work seems ill-fitted to who you hope to become in this new world. Your talents lean more creative than combative.

"I see..." Sweetie taps her chin thoughtfully with a hoof. "Well, I won't twist any arms. "Forcing the role would only breed misery."

She gestures you to follow towards a different tunnel. "If you seek a gentler purpose here, I know some ponies who should meet a soul of your sensibilities."

You walk in amiable silence until emerging in a vibrant forest glade dappled with sunlight. Vivid birds flutter as Sweetie introduces you to a group of artists crafting imaginative nature sculptures.

One gives you a block of marble and chisel. "Care to try?" she asks with a smile. As you take the tools, you feel possibilities awakening. This land offers many paths to meaning - some yet unimagined. But now, where creativity and community converge, your true calling stirs...

It may not be the art, but it wouldn't be S.M.I.L.E.

The end.