Hurt (12): Epilogue

>Ugh. Where am I?

>You try to sit up.

>"Hello, Anonymous."

>Celestia?

>You're laying on a bed. From the look of the room, you're somewhere in the palace.

"Why can't I move?"

>"Well, you've been in bed for almost a month now. You're probably very stiff."

"A month? What happened?"

>"Well, there's no way to sugarcoat it. You were possessed."

>You manage to sit up.

"Possessed? By what?"

>"A particularly nasty entity. Twilight noticed the signs after your... encounter. We believe it was in the cave you and Fluttershy sought shelter in."

>Twilight?

>Fluttershy?

>The events of the past few months hit you like a bull.

>If you had any food in your stomach you'd have puked.

 

----

 

>You fall to your knees and begin to sob.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" You manage to wail in between your inelegant blubbering.

>"I'm sorry, Anonymous," Celestia says. "But I'm not the one you need to apologize to."

>The large door on the other side of the room opened.

>There stood all of your old friends.

>All of your victims.

>The sight made you ill.

>Rainbow Dash's eye was still somewhat swollen, her wings in splints.

>Rarity was limping.

>You broke down again.

>You wished you could just will yourself to die.

>You feel something nudge you.

>You look up.

>It's Twilight.

>"Anonymous."

>You sit up and try to stop crying. You prepare for the worst.

"We forgive you."

"What?" Is all you can say, dumfounded.

>"We know you weren't yourself when you did those... things. So we forgive you. Because that's what friends do."

>You stare at her, wide eyed for a moment, then hug her.

>She jumps at the action.

>You don't blame her.

 

----

 

>It's been about a year.

>It seems things have gotten back to as normal as they're going to get.

>You never forgave yourself for what happened.

>And despite their claims, you get the feeling the girls never did, either.

>Twilight and Pinkie Pie seem to have mostly gotten over it.

>Although, Pinkie now has somewhat frequent bouts of depression.

>And neither of them will be alone with you anymore.

>Rainbow Dash and Apple Jack are much colder to you than before, and neither stay around you very long.

>Rarity insists she's forgiven you, but you can hear the hatred in her voice on the rare occasions you talk.

>You just avoid going near her.

>The worst of all is Fluttershy. She hasn't uttered a word to you since that day in the cave.

>She'll go out of her way to avoid you if she sees you in town.

>Most of the ponies do, really.

>You rebuilt your house.

>You don't leave it unless you have to.

>You're out of food again.

>You don't think you'll be buying more.