Title: Ch.10 Choice Author: BeardedRedMane Pastebin link: http://pastebin.com/QHtnbraj First Edit: Tuesday 16th of July 2013 08:16:36 AM CDT Last Edit: Tuesday 16th of July 2013 08:16:36 AM CDT                 Celestia's horn ceased its glow and for a half second she could be seen frowning before she resumed her "All is well in Equestria" face. Celestia had sensed what she had thought to be the problem briefly as her magic wrapped around Anon but if her sister wanted to solve the matter she wasn't going to undermine her efforts. Still, she couldn't help but wonder as to the reason why… Perhaps she felt usurped from her place as Mare of the Night by this being and its strange dream ability. Shaking her mane lightly she resolved to carefully question her later, as of the moment there was a matter of equal if not greater importance.                   "Twilight Sparkle… First I wish to express my deepest gratitude to you and your friends. Once again you have put your life on the line and protected Ponyville from evil. Which makes what I'm about to say… harder." Princess Celestia, a being whom time had no effect on, choked briefly on her words before resuming her normal tone.     •             •             •                   "Uhm… So, you're trying to find your way out of this---" again the scenery suddenly shifted as trees phased into existence and grass sprouted under their feet, "…forest." Anon replied with a grunt as his walking cane he had been using to traverse the desert they were in only moments before transformed into a scimitar to cut through the brush. Luna wasn't sure what unnerved her more, that the landscape rapidly kept changing or that Anon failed to realize it in the slightest, she had thrice before questioned him about it and each time Anon replied with a 'What are you talking about?' "So, where are you trying to get to, after you get out of this forest, I mean."                   This time Anon ceased his slashing and turned to face her, wiping sweat from his brow. "Well isn't that obvious? I've got to go home. I just got off work and I have to let my dogs go out to pee." Luna was at even more of a loss than she was moments before, she could just wake him up and be done with it but that wouldn't solve the mystery as to why he didn't remember her but the other one did.                   "And.. what of that thing from earlier that looked like-- looked weird." She said deciding to try to gage his reaction.                   Anon turned back to the task at hand and continued his assault on the brush, "Him? Dunno, annoying bastard though. Every time I almost get home he puts up another detour but what're you gonna do? They're working on the road so I have to go around."                   Luna sighed deeply as she knitted her brows in concentration, Anon wasn't making much sense and they weren't getting much of anywhere at this rate. In the back of her mind she could also feel her sisters' presence and the multitude of questions on her mind; she couldn't keep everyone waiting with the exit they pulled. Closing her eyes she began concentrating her horn faintly glowing searching for anything. Moments later she felt the tiny whispers she had heard earlier, "Anon." she said firmly, causing him to pause his advance. "This way."   •             •             •                   Throughout the hundreds of possible punishments Twilight Sparkle had thought of none of them compared to this, so absurd was Celestia's response she literally couldn't comprehend it. "You mean, you can't send him back at the moment right?" Twilight blurted out without regard to the way she addressed her Princess. Celestia only shook her head sadly before taking a stern tone with her student.                   "The spell you used wasn't as simple as teleporting somepony across a set distance, Twilight." the Princess began. "To begin with the power it takes to teleport an object over the distance of a mile is a great feat in and of itself for said unicorn. The power needed to accomplish such a task doubles as does the distance."                   "But I-- there's no way that I had enough power to pull a being his size over the distance of the world, let alone countless galaxies!" Twilight interrupted.               Celestia's brows furrowed in thought, Twilight's statement was valid… If applied to anyone but her, still there would be no way to explain it to her without revealing everything. Hardening her resolve Celestia looked down upon Twilight not as her student but as a ruler of an entire nation. "Twilight Sparkle, it is fact that due to your actions all of Equestria has been spared a terrible fate… Though through your actions and reckless use of magic a being has been translocated from his home world against his will with no current way to return. You will hereby be placed under arrest and stripped of your title until such a time where we can come to an agreement with Anon the Human."   •           •           •               "So.. that's it…" Luna stood unmoving as she watched Anon fight a ghoulish version of himself wielding nothing but a tower shield and a dagger.               "Yo!, what's with that tiny ass dirk you're tryin' to stick me with?" laughed the doppel version of Anon as he easily avoided Anons' attacks while raining a barrage of his own on, "Really-- you're going to have to throw away that shield if you even want to graze me!"               "Screw that, last time you tickled me with one of those claws I nearly wet myself." Anon retorted while swinging in vain. All the while Luna concentrated her gaze on the hole in the doppelgangers chest. A black substance oozed from the hole and gave off an aura that was all too familiar to Luna. It was the same aura of darkness that she felt when the nightmare first struck days ago.               Luna's mind was racing over the implications and possible resolutions. On one hand it would be a simple matter to just obliterate the remnant of darkness subsequently curing Anon and then return with him, but it would come at a price. The nightmare seemed to have latched onto a piece of Anon's soul, erasing the remnant would at the least obliterate a portion of Anon's soul that still remembered her.   And at most kill him.   Soon she would have to make up her mind, Anon wasn't getting anywhere in his fight and the shade would only run off again. Biting down on her lower lip Luna, Mare of the Night gathered her resolve.               "Seriously, why is the shield so large and the sword so tiny? Does it mirror the size of something private of yours?"               "You… Oh I'm going lodge this prick so far into your rectum!"               "Enough!" Luna cried out using the Royal Canterlot voice, "Your terror ends here." Lunas' horn shone brightly causing the doppelganger to shrink back. Anon ceased his attacks as Luna approached them with her eyes glowing white with power. "You will cause no more harm to Anon, Nightmare!"               Gasping for air the doppelganger managed to smile before he spoke, "So that's… how it's gonna be eh? Must be pretty nice, to conveniently cast away someone after he isn't useful anymore. Guess you were just toying with me back then under that tree in the grassy field."               Luna grimaced as she let the light of her horn overtake everything.   • • •   Anon sat up slowly as he brought a hand to his forehead, probably the right one. Splitting headache, huge gape in memory, lights being way too bright and sounds not working properly, Anon hadn't had a hangover before but he imagined that it would be like this. Blinking through the pain Anon focused his eyes to where he thought he heard voices and was able to make out six small colorful shapes and two larger ones.   The six smaller ones were most likely his new friends but what the fuck were those two large ones? As his mind slowly cleared he was finally able to make out the two large shapes of-- "Yo… What the fuck?" Eight mares turned toward Anon giving him his attention. Oh fuck, is that Princess Celestia? She's huge, You'd think the Princess of Ponyland would-- Well be a pony. Not a horse... And who's the second one? Wait-- fuck! I come to and the first thing I do is yell obscenities in front of a Princess. Wait-- the sceneries fucking changed I'm in Twilight's--Quick! Damage control Anon! Think of something to good to say!   "uh…..Sup?"