The Number 22

by Blazing Shadows

Chapter 22

Author's Note: I'm cancelling Twilight Sparkle, as well as my Elements franchise. I don't think I'm cut out to write that kind of action. But, hey, at least I got other ideas......Now, the moment you've all been waiting for.

Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic or The Number 23, the cool movie this story is based on.

THE NUMBER 22

Chapter 22

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How could it stop on Chapter 21?! I mean, the book was called The Number 22! That made absolutely no sense!.....There had to be an explanation.

"Where did Topsy Kretts hide the 22nd chapter?!"

Then I remebered: I was Topsy Kretts. I hadn't really put much thought into it until then. It hit me like a ton of bricks....I was the writer of the very book that had put me through hell for the past nine or ten days.

".....But, why?.....Why would I write this book?!....And, now that I know what I did,....what do I do?!"

"Isn't it obvious?"

"You! Why are you here?!"

"You called, didn't you? You asked, "What do I do?" And, since I am a part of you, I have to help you in any way I can...or want."

"No more tricks! I want a straight-out answer. Where's the next chapter?!"

"Alright, I'll give you a hint, Hoofling-"

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!"

"Alright, Twilight. It is hidden somewhere in this very room."

With that, he left me alone.

"In this room?....That doesn't help a whole lot...."

I immediately started looking everywhere. I checked under the bed, in the closet, in the trash can, in the bedside desk, and even in the bathroom. But, after about fifteen minutes, I finally gave up.

"Oh, this is hopeless! I've searched every inch of this room and I haven't seen a word of that chapter!"

I don't know how, but, right then, the wall caught my eye....Well, not the wall, exactly, but the wallpaper. A bit of it was peeling off in the corner of the room. And, behind it, I could barely make out some kind of black markings. I walked over to get a closer look.

"Hmm....It's still kinda hard to see....Maybe if I just pull it back a bit..."

However, I accidentally pulled back a bigger piece than I had intended. The piece I pulled off was about as big as me. The wallpaper must have been old. But the size of the piece wasn't what got me.

"These black markings are......words."

I used my magic to yank all the wallpaper off the wall. What was left was a wall full of words scribbled in black,...and in my hoofwriting.....I had found the 22nd chapter.

"Very observative of you, Twilight. With an eye like that, you're sure to make it well....in the afterlife."

"I thought you were gone."

"I like to pop in and congratulate you when you get one step closer."

"One step closer to what?"

"....The end...."

With that, he left again. Ignoring his last comment, I focused my eyes on the wall. Time to find out Hoofling's choice,....and perhaps mine.

Chapter 22
The End

Note to Reader: I'm writing these events before they happen,...and before I forget them....Why would I forget them, and how do I know them to begin with?.....The curse told me so....

Have you ever had your life flash before your eyes?....Your past comes rushing at you at the speed of light, faster than you can comprehend....Yet, at the same time,....you feel a state of peace......That's what I was going through right then.....I had decided to trust the demon and jump.....And, he was right. This was the one and only way to get out of this. Not only was the curse dying with me, but my life was flashing back to me, revealing everything I wanted to know.

My dad had inherited the curse, possibly getting it from one of his customers he talked to as an accountant. The curse had done just like it did to me: It drove him crazy, tempting him every day, until, finally, it took him over and made him shoot my mom. Overridden with guilt and sadness, he shot himself.....right after talking to me. Just like he had in my vision....He hadn't only shot himself because of the guilt....He did it so the curse wouldn't get me......After growing up, I started my career as a researcher. However, because of my father, I became obsessed with the number 22. It had taken him away from me and I wanted to know what it was. During my later years, I met a female named Laura Toffee. We became friends easily, both of us liking the same things and enjoying each other's company. Back then, because of my research, I hadn't had any time for romantic relationships. So, because of that, I started having feelings for her.....That's right. Back then, because of my lack of experience,....I figured anypony counted, no matter which gender. When I asked her out, she was shocked at first, but, after a few minutes of talking, accepted. We had a fun time and, after finishing dinner, went back to my place. We slept together that night, immediately securing a tight relationship. I gave her an ankle bracelet as a present. I told her to wear it every time we were together. However, I eventually began to notice the number 22 in my life....a lot. I began seeing it everywhere......and that's when it happened. I became even more obsessed with it than before. So obsessed that it cut into my relationship with Laura. So, not liking the new me, she began sleeping with her professor. I didn't catch on until later,....when I caught them in the act. I told her that, because of the curse affecting my mind, that it would force me to go after her. She stood her ground and dared me to kill her, saying that she didn't love me anymore. I wasn't going to, but, when I saw that she had been wearing her ankle bracelet while sleeping with the professor, my dark side took over and I stabbed her repeatedly. Nopony was watching,....but,....there was a dog watching from outside.....Ned was his name. The professor was the first to walk into the room. He picked up the knife, putting his hoofprints on it. With that evidence, the police convicted him of the crime. The police tried to find the body, but I had made off with it before even the professor got there. I buried her in Celestia's Park, a forbidden area where nopony would think to look.....I didn't realize that Ned had followed me there.....I didn't bother going to the funeral, but I'm sure Ned was there. Eventually, I regained my sanity. Feeling horrible for what'd I'd done, I traveled to The Fancy Place hotel, wrote The Number 22, placing the 22nd chapter on the wall of the room, and then jumped off the balcony......However,...I survived. I was found by some random civilian and taken to the emergency room. Eventually, though, I was transported to the local mental institution. I was placed under the care of the Whooves brothers, the town's leading doctors. I had suffered severe head injuries and, because of that, had developed memory loss. I couldn't remember anything past my childhood. I forgot about Daddy's suicide, Laura,....and the curse.....And, unfortunately, I had left my mark on the hospital....Particularly, the Whooves brothers. For the police had searched my hotel room and conviscated everything that was mine,....including the book. Upon showing it to the doctors, the Whooves brothers became intrigued by it and decided to look into it. However, upon beginning it, they became obsessed with the number and started going into a secret cell under their office to calculate some formulas that would equal the number. They eventually had it published under the name "Topsy Kretts.".....Upon leaving the institution, I met Orlando and began my life over.

Amazing what life gives you,.....isn't it?

22

I couldn't believe it.....Everything was so clear now.....All my questions had been answered,.....except whether to kill myself or not.

"TWILIGHT!!"

I couldn't recognize the voice at first,....until I really thought about it. It was a voice I hadn't heard in a while....Then, I remembered.

"Orlando?"

The door burst open to reveal the tall, handsome stallion....My past lover.

"DON'T DO IT!! THIS ISN'T THE WAY!!"

At first, I was overjoyed to see somepony I knew.....But, then, my joy was replaced with rage as I remembered what he had done to me.

".....HOW DARE YOU SHOW YOUR FACE IN FRONT OF ME!!"

"Wh-What?!"

"How could you?! I loved you and gave you a second chance to impress me...To love me back.....And you betrayed me by having an affair with Lori!!"

"Tw-Twilight,....that's one reason I came.....I-I've come to tell you that....it wasn't all me..."

"OH, SURE!! LIKE I'M GONNA BELIEVE ANYTHING YOU SAY!!"

"It's true, Twilight."

That statement came from another voice....One I also knew all too well.

"Rarity?!"

"Yes, Twilight....Me and the girls are here for you..."

I saw her come throught the open door, followed by the other four. Once she stepped into the light, I noticed her swollen jaw...where I had punched her....Where I had hurt my friend.

"As I was saying, Orlando is telling the truth, Twilight. We ran into him just the other day. After calling him numerous names and telling him just how mad he'd made us, we found he had no memory of cheating on you. So, using a spell I learned, we all discovered he was telling the truth. The curse had taken him over and made him do it to trip you up."

"You gotta believe me, Twi....I would never do anything like that.....Not to you....I'm not the same guy I used to be.....I've changed. Because, now,....I think I'm in love with you..."

I didn't know what to think about all of this. It was all coming to fast. Part of me wanted to embrace them all with a hug while the other wanted me to jump off the balcony.

"....I....I can't do this! None of you can come back into my life! You'd be putting yourselves in danger just being around me!...It'd be best if you all just left me alone!"

"But, Twilight, we-"

"I DON'T WANNA HAVE TO KILL YOU!!"

Saying this, I started sobbing tremendously, striking the girls with fear....Orlando, however, had a firm look on his face. He stepped right up to me and stood his ground.

"Fine, then.....If you think you could do that to somepony you love,....then kill me."

"....Orlando, no!"

"This is the only way to prove who's stronger: you or the curse. So, come on. Do it!"

I couldn't. This was all too much....and I didn't have a way out.

"Oh, there's always a way out.....You just have to trust me...."

"NNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

Letting that scream escape from my lips, I ran past Orlando and toward the door. Using my magic to push them aside, I rushed past my friends and headed downstairs. I could hear them calling for me, but I just ignored them. I needed to get away....Away from it all.....Once outside, I began running across the street...That's when I saw it....The bus that had almost ran over Applejack the other day...The Number 22 bus....It was coming right at me. I was about to be killed.....And I was glad.....I could finally rid myself and everypony else of this curse once and for all....So what if I had to die for it? It's all for a good cause.

"TWILIGHT, NO!!"

I kept ignoring them and waited. As the bus drew closer, I could feel it....This was the right thing to do..........But, then,...it was as if time stood still,....because I noticed sompony standing on the side of the street, across from the hotel.......It was Rainbow Dash.

"What am I doing?!!"

I leapt out of the way at the last second, the bus zooming past me. I fell onto the curb, landing in a puddle. I looked up at the sky, only to have the stars blocked by a cyan blue pegasus.

"I'm proud of you, Twi."

Immediately, I stood up and tackled Rainbow Dash with a hug. I didn't know how it was possible, but she was here,...alive and real! My friends rushed over to see me, but stopped in their tracks when they saw Dash. Rarity almost fainted, but I caught her with my magic. After a few minutes of recovering, which involved lots of hugging, I finally got down to asking Dash the big question.

"What happened to you, Dash? How are you still alive?!! I saw you jump off the balcony! You were pronounced dead!"

"Yep, I was....But, because of all my years as an athlete, it seems my body's a heck of a lot tougher than you'd think. It's true that my heart stopped when I was placed into the ambulance, but a few shocks of the defibulator got my blood pumping again. Although, after they got me awake, they put me on a ton of medication and kept me in the hospital a few days, most of the time me being asleep. They wouldn't let me use the phone to call my friends because, for some odd reason, they didn't think I was "phone-able.".....Doctors can be dumb sometimes. So, anyways, I got out of the hospital just a few hours ago and came looking for you guys. But, when I tried your houses, they were all locked. So, I came looking for you here, thinking Twilight might've been having another episode.....Looks like I was right."

"Yeah...And, I'm sorry, Dash."

"Why are you apologizing? You haven't done anything. You've been a victim, Twilight, just like everypony else. We still love you and will help you anyway we can,....because-"

"We're your bestest friends in the wholey, woley, wide world!" yelled Pinkie Pie, who seemed to have gotten her spirit lifted.

"Well, looks like the curse ain't as smart as it thought, eh Dash?" asked Applejack.

"Heck, no! That dumb demon thought he could kill me? As if!"

I laughed at that statement, finally having the real Dash back.

"Well,....then I guess it's over...."

"Perhaps," spoke Orlando, "But,...not for everything."

"What do you mean by tha-"

He interupted me by kissing me. After keeping our lips locked for a few moments, embracing every second of it, we released each other and stared lovingly into each other's eyes.

"You're right......This could be the start of something."

Everything ended well that night. It was all over. The curse, the sadness, and the mystery. We had our friend back, I had my love back, but, most of all, we all had our lives back.....But, still,...it seemed like there was still something missing.

"OH MY GOSH! We forgot about Mrs. Cake!"

Everypony gasped, looking at each other worringly. Finally, Rainbow Dash spoke up.

"Eh, she can survive another day in prison."

Hearing this, we all burst out laughing,...ending the night of February 10th.....and starting a new life.

End of Chapter 22!

Author's Note: THIS ISN'T THE END!!! I WILL MAKE AN EPILOGUE AND POST IT SOON!!! DON'T MISS IT!!!

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