”It is so easy to just relax Anon. Just relax…” He releases another wave into his mind tap. Blistering agony weaves itself into your form. Please girls… You close your eyes, putting all your effort into keeping out Discord. Hurry… A surge of energy hits you, one you’ve felt before. You open your eyes, Discord still focused on you. The mane 6 are levitating as they embrace the elements. You’re almost there Anon. You’re at the home stretch now.
You open your mouth to speak, a few guttural sounds escaping. The lack of air hinders your ability to speak. ”Famous last words? So be it.”
He eases his grip, fresh air filling your enflamed lungs. You gasp taking in what may be your last breath. “Our jimmies… are eternal…” Twilight opens her eyes, a white light sparkling from them. You feel your body weaken, moments from retuning to the black void. “None can rustle the triumvirate…” Darkness takes you, a rainbow engulfing you in your final moments.
It’s done. Discord is finally gone, his voice no longer a plague upon your mind. The void awaits you at last, the final step in your journey. You can rejoin your parents, following them to where their souls reside. This may not be the peace you sought, but its peace nonetheless.
A beep rings through the blackness. What? *beep* Pain streams through your body forcing you on your knees. You bring your hands to your throbbing chest, your ribs wincing with each breath. Blood seeps back through your shirt, a gash reappearing on your chest. A torrent of light fills the void. Nothing is over…
Your heart feels like its going to burst out of your chest, the incessant beeping that rings in your mind growing erratic. ”Hold him down!” Hooves press down against your body. You jolt up, opening your eyes. ”I said hold him down!” Masked figures surround you as they try and restrain you. Your adrenaline fades, allowing another bolt of pain to course through you. You let out a muffled grunt before being forced back down to the bed. A sharp ting is felt in your arm, cool fluid calming your aching muscles.
”Is he going to be ok doc?” you hear somep0ny ask. Your eyes drift back to sleep.
”He was shocked is all; he’ll be up in no time.” You fall to sleep, the beeps serving as your lullaby. Your living lullaby.
A tingle forms at your finger tips, cascading up your body. Roused from your sleep, you reopen your eyes. You’ve been here before. These white walls all too familiar. The last time you were here… You don’t want to remember. “Hello?” you manage to crack out. A nurse enters your room and smiles at you.
”Well look who’s awake, it’s nice to see you calm again.”
“W-what happened?”
”Well, it appears you suffered some contusions along with several broken-“
“No no no! Discord, what happened to Discord?” you ask, a part of your mind still not at ease.
”I don’t know exactly, but word down the olive branch is that he’s as good as stone.” You let out a sigh of release and relax. She walks over and sets down a tray of food next to you. “You have some visitors you know…” Your friends. ”Would you like to see them?” You give her a nod.
“Yes, I would like that very much.”
The nurse walks over to the other curtain. ”And how are you this morning princess?” Princess?
”WE- hmm, I am fine. Thank you.”
”Alright then, I’ll be sure to tell your guests that you’re ready.” She leaves the room and trots down the hall. Silence.
You sit up, fighting the pain in your chest. “Princess?” you call, pulling back the curtain. Luna is in the bed beside you, a few bandages around her. She seems to have taken quite a beating.
”What is it you want, human?” She doesn’t look at you and you don’t blame her.
“I was uh, wondering if you were ok is all?”
”How do you think we are doing?” The bitchiness has doubled!
You close the curtain, knowing all to well that she just wants to be alone. “I’m sorry.”
”You should be.” Here we go… ”It is because of you that we became this way.”
“I know…”
”No, you don’t. You forced this upon us.” Bitch doesn’t know what she speaks of. “He tried to turn me as well Luna. Don’t think you’re the only one who’s suffered because of Discord.”
”You did not turn, I did.” Naïve isn’t she.
“He turned me against my friends, when all they did was help me.” You calm down a bit, you won’t let emotion control you again. “I might as well have turned…”
You give her time to think about what you said. She never thought of it that way before. ”I- may have misjudged you.”
“Don’t worry about it. Your anger is understandable.”
”Perhaps, you could speak of it to me?” Now that’s something you didn’t think of. Communicating with someone who’s been on that same beaten path as you, it sounds nice. You open the curtain and look at her.
“Sure…”
The door opens slightly and you can hear the nurse. ”Here we are.” Cue Rainbow Dash.
The door slams open, Dash flying in at you. Anon: The Fortune Teller. She lands on your bed settling down. Ribs, oh the ribs.
“Rainbow, the ribs…”
”Oh sorry Anon.” She jumps off and lands beside you while the others make their way inside.
“So… I heard you gave Discord what he deserved.”
”We sure did,” Pinkie exclaims, “That meanie got it good.”
”Nothing we couldn’t handle,” Rainbow boasts.
”We couldn’t have done it without you Anon.” Twilight says.
“All in a days work I guess.” *cough* Fuck your lungs still hurt, but at least your friends are here with you. You look back to Luna who appears a bit sad. She doesn’t have any visitors. You remember how you felt when no one was there for you. You nudge your head to your neighbor, Twilight taking the hint and talks to her with a few others.
“So Dash,” you ask, “any idea how long until I can get out of here?”
”Doc said you’ll be in here for a month at the most. Why? You ready for another race?” You laugh, broken ribs be damned.
“Something like that…” What the hell are you going to do for a month? They don’t have television in Equestria.
”You know, I figured you’d be cooped up here for a while,” Dash says. ”So I got you a present that helped me.” She hands you a gift, poorly wrapped, but the effort is what counts. You tear open the gift.
“Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone.”
”I figured an egghead like you would appreciate it.”
“Didn’t you read this?”
She blushes, “I might have…”
Twilight comes back, holding another book herself. ”Here…” She sets down a copy of Marelin’s Magistrate on the table. ”I still expect you to finish it.”
“I’ll get right on that,” you smile at them. “Thank you all, for staying with me.”
”What else are friends for sugarcube?” It’s good to have friends…”
You spend the next two months in the hospital. A few complications made the doctors hold you back. This gave you more time to spend with Luna, who has been sharing her experiences with you. She’s turned into a kind of sister to you, replacing the one you lost. You managed to finish both Marelin’s Magistrate and Daring Do, though the first one took a bit longer on account of causing you to sleep. Rainbow visited frequently, always dropping off the next chapter of the series. The rest of the mane 6 also visited, though not as much. There was a lot of cleaning up to do after the battle with Discord. A memorial was built for the castle guards who were turned into Husks. The black knights were eventually hunted down and slain. Mr. Stay Puft was found in pieces, Pinkie Pie made sure to not let him go to waste. Wuten is staying with Fluttershy, though only a few know of its whereabouts. That big ball of spaghetti sure made an impression on her.
So here you are, back at home, going over memories past. You moved back to Ponyville, the people here now a part of your family. You make your way up your stairs and to your bedroom. This place, Equestria, has given you the peace you needed. You set an apple down on your nightstand and sit down on the bed. Even after all that’s happened, with Discord and beyond, you wouldn’t change a thing. You brush the hair out of Rainbow’s eyes, smiling down at her sleeping figure. “Not a thing…”
You slip-on your leather jacket and head on out, bag full of bits. Rainbow Dash is making sure to save you a booth at the Broken Record. What better way to celebrate your first year of living in Equestria then getting wasted with your favorite mare. To think that you’d tried to run away from this life. Even with the whole Discord thing this hasn’t been that bad. You do miss how powerful you used to be. It seems after Discord was frozen your powers weakened drastically. You can use simple telekinesis, but your super strength and other powers just dissipated. But it’s alright, you have Rainbow Dash. And as long as you have her, you don’t need anything else.
Twilight greets you as you enter the club and leads you to the booth. ”About time you showed up slow poke.”
“Me? I was waiting for a good hour before deciding to head home.”
”I’m sure, I’m sure.” You scoot on in and give Dash a peck on the cheek.
“Good thing I came back.” The waiter brings over a tray of drinks. You raise your glass high. “To good friends.”
”To good friends.”
You take your time, not wanting to go hard on the booze. Regardless, you feel a sharp pain in your head and the lights hurt to look at. You can’t be hung-over already, the night’s still young. You excuse yourself to use the restroom, the lights cutting into your eyes. The door slams shut behind you and you lean against the sink. It hurts like hell; every fiber in your being wants to claw away at your skull. You shut off the lights, but the intensity stays strong, only getting worse. What’s… wrong…
The light engulfs you, and when you open your eyes, you’re gone. You stand up, your jacket damp with moisture. ”Anonymous!” You turn around a human stomping towards you. But- it can’t be. He should be home.
“Anon?”