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// 36 
// Story: CYOA: Next in Line 
// by David Silver 
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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.