Caverns & Cutie Marks: High School, High Stakes

by TheColtTrio

Chapter 36: The Note

The girls turned to look at each other. Eventually, Sunset took a seat on the school stairs. “Well...”

You scroll down, only to find a banner ad for some pony-related service. Confusion washes over you like a wave of moderately cool water as you scroll back up. Surely, surely, you’ve missed the conclusion to this story.

Stubbornly, the conclusion remains absent.

In irritation, you step away from your preferred fanfiction-reading-device. They can’t have done it again. They can’t have ended on a cliffhanger again. They can’t keep getting away with this, damnit! You consider punching a wall, but decide against it. It’s a bit extreme of a reaction for a fanfiction, after all.

You do settle for a deep breath in and out through your nose, though. That gesture of disappointment and anger makes you feel a little better, as you imagine how the authors would feel if they only knew how disappointed you were in them. After all, it was bad enough that the previous chapter ended on a cliffhanger, but to follow up with a chapter in which nothing happens? Un. Believable.

Hang on. You look back at the glow of your screen. This is obviously setting up for something. They wouldn’t intentionally end on a cliffhanger if they didn’t intend to resolve it with a third story, right? It’s not like this is a movie franchise or moderately successful anime series. They must already be writing the conclusion, even as you’re standing there!

A smirk crosses your face. They’re not gonna pull a fast one over you this time. In fact, you’re gonna tell them so. You’re gonna leave a comment on that last chapter! Maybe “Can’t wait until Caverns & Cutie Marks: the Return of the Kings”! Or “Gosh, I wonder how our heroes will get out of this one in C&CM 3: the Search for More Plotlines”. You take a seat, hands hovering over the keyboard.

You hesitate. There’s another chapter already? Was that just a bluff from the authors? You hesitate before opening the link to the new chapter. Maybe the smug comment can wait. After scrolling past another pony-related ad, you start reading.

“The girls turned to look at each other,” the voice in your head that sounds an awful lot like Ryan Reynolds today reads for you. “Eventually, Sunset took a seat on the school stairs.”

Hang on. Didn’t you read that in the last chapter? And what’s this next part about you scrolling past a banner ad? You skim through the short set of nine paragraphs to find the current one, which is talking about how you skimmed nine paragraphs to find the current one. As you read it, it becomes more and more obvious that this chapter isn’t about the three self-insert colts, or the girls of the Mane Six, but that it’s about you, and what you’re doing right now.

And then, because you read it on the next paragraph, you become aware that yes, the authors are working on a threequel. You, like the authors, have no idea when it’ll be finished, but it is in-progress, and that’s what matters.

You step away from the screen again. On the one hand, it’s nice to know that you’ll be getting a conclusion to the cliffhanger. On the other, what the FUCK was it you just read? Are they just writing what you’re doing? Or are you actually a metafictional construct meant to represent the viewing audience? Do you have free will? Or is it all just the whims of three authors who think they’re way cleverer than they actually are? What happens when this chapter ends? Will you cease to exist? Or will you be free to live your own life?

Slowly, you lie down on the floor on your back, and stare up at the ceiling light. It doesn’t matter what time it is; it’s too early in the day to deal with this right now.

As suddenly as the chapter began, it ends.

Comments

[Valiant Knight]

It’s too early in the day to deal with existential crises. I’m gonna go have some ice cream instead.

See you all in the threequel.

o/

[Lotharin]

Awesome! Glad to have my question answered! Also, I didn't like the main character of this chapter (me). I just felt they were a bit of a loser... Y'know?

[Charedfirescale]

I did not lie down on the floor, so it was only partially me

[bluemoon1996]

What in the! A sequel! and its been going on almost a year now!

AND ITS DONE! Well, now i know what im reading later!