Title:           House of Horses (Part 5)
Author:          InstantCoffee
Pastebin link:   http://pastebin.com/CYdFiAxt
First Edit:      Tuesday 25th of November 2014 12:07:53 AM CDT
Last Edit:       Last edit on: Sunday 13th of March 2016 03:04:21 AM CDT

"Good morning," you say to the hungover mare when you hear your office door finally open. Looking at the clock, you notice that it's a little bit before noon, much later than when she usually comes in for work. It's probably the first time you've clocked in before her.
>"Morning," Finch mumbles as she collapses on one of the couches.
"You're late."
>"Sorry. Had a little too much last night, I suppose."
"Well, I did tell you that you couldn't possibly hope to out-drink me. You should have listened when you had the chance."
>"Doesn't mean I shouldn't have at least tried," she says as slouches in her seat, looking at you with her half-awake eyes, her head tilted to one side.
>You can't help but smile as you hand her a cup of coffee. Usually it's her duty to get caffeine for the both of you, but you knew that today was going to be an exception. She got so drunk last night that you had to carry her home. Thankfully, she didn't vomit on you on the way there.
>She accepts the cup and takes a sip.
"You better enjoy that coffee while you can, because I don't tolerate tardiness. You're fired."
>Finch takes another sip of her drink before looking you in the eye, a smirk on her face.
>"Go to town, Anon."
>The both of share a hearty laugh, only to be interrupted by a knock on the door.
>You get up and answer it. A messenger is outside.
>"A letter, sir," she says matter-of-factly, the letter in her teeth..
"Thank you," you respond with a smile, getting grabbing it and closing the door. That's interesting. There's a royal seal on the envelope. And not just any royal seal; it's Celestia's. Has she finally gathered the courage to speak with you? No, there has to be something else.
>Breaking open the envelope, you pull out the letter and go over it. The further you read, the more serious your expression becomes.
>"What is it?" Finch asks, finishing her coffee.
"It's Celestia. She wants to speak with you. Today."
>And you thought that all her appointments were booked. Perhaps Celestia's schedule is a little more flexible than she lets on.
>"P-princess Celestia? But why?"
"Your guess is as good as mine, but I can't imagine it to be good."
>Celestia can't bring herself to have some facetime with you, but wants to talk with your assistant? The very nerve. You'd attribute it to cowardice, but no one who has managed to rule Equestria for as long as she has could have possibly stayed in power through running from her enemies. No, she has something in mind, and you have to figure that out as soon as possible. But for now, you'll let her make her move. The both of you know that you're getting closer to putting her king in check.
"Go to the meeting and play along. I want you to find out what she's trying to do."
>"Got it. But one question."
"Yes?"
>"You think she knows something?"
"Probably, but if she had ample evidence for her suspicions, then she'd be talking to me, not you."
>If anything, this is a good sign. Celestia's probably in the dark, and wants to know where to find the light switch. But you trust Finch to keep her blind for at least a little while longer.
 
>You are Finch.
>And right now you're having tea with none other than Princess Celestia. She's a lot larger up close than you expected. Perhaps it's because you're so used to seeing her from afar where she doesn't seem to be so tall.
>"Thank you so much for coming today, Finch."
"The pleasure is all mine, Princess."
>She takes a sip of tea.
>"How are you doing?"
>You hold your teacup in your hooves, swirling the liquid around gently as you wait for it to cool.
"I'm doing fine, thanks."
>"That's good to hear," Celestia says as she gives a smile that could melt stone. It probably has. "What you did at the recent hearing was very brave of you. Your actions gave a voice to survivors everywhere."
"I'm flattered, Your Highness."
>"Please, call me 'Celestia.'"
"Thank you, Celestia."
>She grins as you call her by that name.
>"Funny. Anonymous can never drop the formalities around me. Too much respect for the throne, he says."
>You only smile in response, drinking some of your tea instead of speaking.
>"How is he, by the way?"
"He's good. Trying to do his duties to the best of his abilities. He sends you his wishes."
>"As I do to him," she says in her motherly tone. You can begin to understand why many believe that she thinks of her citizens as her own children. You also wonder if she does.
>"Well, I'm afraid that I may have misled you earlier," Celestia says apologetically, refilling her teacup. "The reason why you and I are here is to discuss your boss. More tea?"
>Just as expected.
"Yes, please."
>She refills your cup, holding the teapot with her magic.
>"Has Anonymous been kind towards you?"
"Of course."
>"He hasn't mistreated you or used you in any way?"
"No, he hasn't."
>"Those dreams that you've had some time ago. I'm hoping they've gone away now?"
"They have. Thanks for asking."
>"That's a relief. I know that this is a lot to ask of you, but would it be okay to discuss them? I perfectly understand if you don't want to."
>You can't help but shift a little in your seat.
"It's not a problem, Celestia. Ask away."
>Celestia pauses a little.
>"You see, in the past there have been nightmares similar to yours. Most of them experienced by survivors of assault, such as yourself. And Luna and I work together to help these ponies heal and bring justice to those who caused them harm."
"I'm healing fine, and Mr. Swirl's dead," you respond. "I don't know how much you could do to punish the dead."
>She chuckles a bit at the joke.
>"It's not Mr. Swirl I'm talking about," Celestia states, suddenly very serious in tone despite the smile still on her face.
"Then who?"
>Celestia drinks more of her tea before dabbing her mouth with a napkin.
>"Finch, I've ruled this land for far too long to know the ins and outs of what's going on. You know very well who I am talking about."
"With all due respect, Celestia, I don't."
>"No need to play dumb, Finch. You know I'm talking about Anonymous."
>You hesitate a bit, taken aback by what she said.
"Anonymous would never have put me in that position if he knew what was going to happen."
>"Put you in that position? You mean he wanted you to speak with the late Mr. Swirl? Not exactly what you testified in court, Finch."
>Shit. You gave away too much.
>"Relax, Finch. I'm not going to have you thrown away for perjury. You know why? Because I care for you. I truly do. None of this is your fault, and I don't blame you for what you did. You're just trying to do what is right. And I'm saying that not as your Princess, but as a friend."
>You remain silent, looking at your cup.
>"So do what is right, Finch. I'm not going to tell anyone what we discussed here today. You have my word. I'm afraid we're out of time. I have to leave, but please feel free to finish your tea before taking off."
>She gets up, and you stand up from your seat to give her a bow.
>"Remember, Finch. Good things happen to those who do good things."
"Thank you, Celestia. Have a nice day."
>"You too."
>Celestia leaves the room, escorted by her guards.
>As soon as the door closes, you sit back down and try to recollect yourself. You can feel your heart pounding away at your chest, threatening to break out.
>At least you know what to tell Anon.
 
>You are Anonymous.
>And you are going over Celestia's meeting with Finch.
"'Good things happen to those who do good things?' Did she really say that?"
>"She did."
>Not exactly a subtle way of asking someone to switch sides. You always suspected that Celestia isn't afraid of playing dirty, or at least as long as she has someone else to get mud on their hands for her. Now that you know for certain that Celestia's onto you, there's little doubt that you don't have much time before your window of opportunity closes.
"Has the thank you note to Twilight been sent yet?"
>"Not yet."
"Well don't send it. Schedule an appointment with her as soon as possible. I'm going to thank her personally."
>"On it."
>Celestia seems to be familiar with the art of having the enemy betrayed by those closest to him. Well, two can play at that game.
 
>How does one rob a child of his last piece of candy, assuming you can't take it by force? It's an interesting question, you must admit. Children can seldom be reasoned with, and they have a tendency to almost never stick to their commitments. Even if you can successfully take his candy in an established agreement, five minutes probably wouldn't pass before he throws a tantrum on how you wronged him. Just in case it isn't obvious, you hate children.
>You enter Twilight's study once again. It is just as messy as before, perhaps even worse. It's often difficult to judge how messy a pig's pen is without being acquainted with it for long enough. Hopefully things won't have to come to that.
"Hello, Princess Twilight."
>"Head Chair Anonymous! So GOOD to see you! Please, come in!"
>Closing the door, you begin the familiar journey of navigating the mess in the room. You're having noticeably less trouble getting to the other side this time.
>You take a seat across from her, separated only by the desk.
>"What brings you here today?" she asks, the same crooked grin on her face.
"I just wanted to check on you. I got your present."
>"How do you like it? I made it just for you!" she almost screams excitedly, her shaky hooves clopping together.
"It's fantastic. I'm flattered that someone like you would take the time to make me something like that. Thank you."
>She giggles a bit, some spit flying out.
>"Oh, it's not a problem. Anything for a GOOD FRIEND!"
>You wipe the spit from your face, not breaking your smile. Then, your expression lowers with a sigh.
"Princess, I'm afraid that we haven't been completely honest with each other."
>She cocks her head to one side, a few joints cracking.
>"Oh?"
>You bring your hands together on the table and look her in the eye.
"You know that I'm your friend, and that I care for you, right?"
>Her wide-eyed expression remains the same.
>"Of COURSE, Anonymous!"
"Then why are you lying to me? And to yourself?"
>Twilight doesn't respond.
"No one else probably had the courage to say this to you, but as a friend, I have to tell you. You are not okay, Princess."
>She breaks into a small laugh, her grin as wide as ever.
>"Oh, don't be silly! I'm perfectly fine!"
"You're not!" you almost shout, causing her to freeze in shock. "Look at you! You're a mess! You haven't been performing your duties! You haven't been taking care of your citizens! You haven't even been taking care of yourself!"
>Twilight's eyes widen a bit more, her smile suddenly appearing to be threatening.
>"Be careful about what you say, Anonymous. You can't speak to a PRINCESS like that! It's against the rules!"
"And neglecting your duties is against the rules!"
>"No it's not! I checked!"
>Pinching the bridge of your nose, you pause to take a deep breath.
>Of course there's no law saying a ruler has to take care of his citizens. It's more of a...suggested obligation.
>If you're going to convince her, you'll need to even the playing field. She won't listen to you if she can talk down to you. And you have no time to gradually shift the earth until you can talk on her level. The only one who can bring sense into her is...herself.
>As if in defeat, you raise you hands.
"I apologize, Princess. I was way out of line."
>You point to the tall mirror at the side of the room.
"May I?"
>Twilight continues to stare at you with those hollow eyes of hers.
>"Of course."
>Slowly, you get up from your seat and head over to the mirror. It's almost as filthy as its owner. With a sigh, you pull out a handkerchief and wipe the dust and grime away as best as you could. After you can finally see your reflection in the glass, you grab both sides and lift it up.
>One of Twilight's eyes twitches.
>"What are you doing, Anonymous?"
"Consider this an experiment."
>This mirror is incredibly heavy. You'd drag it to her, but that's impossible given all the books on the floor. If you didn't exercise regularly, perhaps this would have been impossible.
>Finally, you reach her and set the object down, facing the Princess.
"Please look into the mirror."
>"I do not like this experiment, Anonymous. Please put it back."
>You kneel down beside the seat she's sitting on and rotate it towards the mirror.
"Look."
>Twilight turns her head to the side, her smile gone.
>"No. Anonymous, I command you to stop. Put it back."
>With a sigh, you do something that you usually would consider rash, even stupid. Perhaps it is, but your patience is dwindling and you don't have time to play this game.
>You place one hand on her chin and turn it towards the mirror. Twilight predictably protests, closing her eyes and trying to get out of her seat.
>"Anonymous! Release me at once before I call the guards!"
>No going back now. Using your fingers on both hands, you pry open her eyes and keep her head in place, forcing her to look into her reflection.
>"ANONYMOUS! LET GO!"
>Her horn charges with her purple aura. Whether it's to blast you away or teleport, you do not know. However, you don't intend to find out.
>Letting go of one of her eyes, you flick her horn, canceling the spell. You then place that same hand over her mouth to prevent her screams from escaping the room.
>If anyone else walks into the room right now, you'd be sentenced to life in prison for your crimes.
>She's getting desperate now, her kicks flying in all directions, her head still trying to turn away. But you continue to hold her there, keeping her left eye open, forcing her to face herself.
>But soon enough, Twilight's struggling subsides. Perhaps it is out of fatigue, or maybe she just gave up. Either way, her resistance fades as her attention grows on her reflection.
>When she finally ends her physical and verbal protests, you gently let go. Silence fills the room as tears begin to form on her bloodshot eyes, no longer as wide as before.
>"Who..."
>She gets down from her seat and approaches the mirror, her image finally getting to her. You wonder when the last time she's looked in the mirror was.
>"Who am I?"
>You only watch.
>"What...have I become?"
>The tears finally start to fall as she looks at her undone mane, her dirty coat, the heavy bags under her tired, lifeless eyes.
>She reaches out a shaking hoof and touches the mirror.
>"Is this me? Really me? No, it can't be...but it is."
>Defeated, she collapses to the floor, her body convulsing with sobs.
>"Anonymous, what's happened to me? I'm a monster."
>You kneel down pull her into a hug. She cries into your shoulder, your suit becoming wet with her tears. Perhaps they can help wash away whatever filth Twilight left on you from touching her.
>A guard enters the room, but upon seeing what is happening, he quietly backs away and closes the door.
>After several minutes of Twilight letting out all her anguish, her crying dies down, reduced to only sniffing and wiping away the last bit of tears.
>"What happened to me, Anon?"
>Anon. Not Anonymous. Anon.
"You got a little lost is all, Princess."
>"Anon, I'm scared."
"Don't be. I'm here for you."
>Gently, you rock her back and forth, the neither of you saying anything. Looking down, you notice that at least for now, you don't have a criminally insane Princess in your arms. Her crooked smile is nowhere to be seen, her eyes no longer boring themselves into your soul. Eventually, she speaks up.
>"I can't do this anymore, Anon."
"What are you talking about, Princess?"
>"Please, call me Twilight."
>You have her in your grasp now. She's vulnerable, and she's opening up to you. The playing field is now even.
"Okay, Twilight."
>"I don't want to be a Princess anymore, Anon."
"Don't say that, Twilight. You're just upset right now is all."
>She sniffs.
>"I never asked for this. Never wanted this. It just...happened to me all those years ago."
"Why?"
>"I solved some stupid spell by Starswirl the Bearded and the next thing I know, I got a crown and a pair of wings."
"Who made you a Princess?"
>You and Twilight both know the answer, but you have to make her say it. You have to plant that seed.
>"Celestia," she spat out, her voice cracking. "Didn't even ask me if I wanted to become royalty. I just accepted it at first. Like it was another test for me to pass. Then time went by and I had to watch my friends die one at a time while I remained the same. I knew that it was hopeless to try and save them, but I still tried. I tried and...failed."
>So the stories are true. Twilight used to be a normal unicorn with a normal group of friends.
"I'm sorry."
>"No need to be. It wasn't your fault."
>Some silence passes.
>"Ever since then, I tried to become the best Princess I could possibly be, as if to make up for their deaths. I know it's not my fault they're gone, but I can't help but feel responsible somehow."
"Well, if you ask me," you finally speak up. "You have been the best Princess I've ever had the pleasure of serving."
>Twilight laughs a bit.
>"Thanks, Anon," she weakly says, a normal smile on her face for once. "That means a lot to me. You might be the only friend I have left."
"But what about the other Princesses?"
>"Forget them. They didn't visit me as much as you did. They didn't help me finally come to my senses."
"Maybe they just wanted to give you space."
>She scoffs.
>"At least they have something."
>More silence. You start to pet her mane a bit, smoothing out the stray bits.
>"I'm quitting."
"Don't say that, Twilight."
>"Well, I am. And I'm not changing my mind. I'm giving up this stupid crown. All I want to do is go back to Ponyville and do my studies at the library, just like I used to."
"But then who'll take your place?"
>Here it comes.
>"You, Anon."
"Twilight, I couldn't possibly accept. I'm flattered that you think of me that way, but I don't know if I could possibly hope to fill your shoes."
>"You're the only one I can count on to do what I hoped to do, Anon. You clearly demonstrated it at the summit. I'm certain you'll do just fine."
"I...I don't know what to say, Twilight. Thank you."
>"No, Anon," Twilight responds, nuzzling you and pulling you into a hug. "Thank you."
>You return the hug. After you let go, you get up.
>"I'm going to announce it soon, so prepare yourself," Twilight says. "I'm sure Equestria's going to be in good hooves, er, hands."
>Laughing a bit, you stand up.
"I'll do my best to honor your name, Twilight."
>"I'm sure you will."
>You take a bow and make your way to the exit. As soon as you leave, you can't help but smile. Yes, you may have put Twilight back together, at least for now, but in doing so you've earned something priceless: loyalty.
>So back to the question, how do you take the last bit of candy from a child? You make him grow to hate it, offer something better, then make him blame his mother for liking candy in the first place.
 
>You're standing in the Royal Hall, standing next to Twilight as she's giving her address to the audience.
>To be completely honest, you've never cared much for speeches like these. They're too long, too boring. You almost wish that you're somewhere hidden in the crowd, so you can at least not have to pretend to be excited by it all.
>At least you have Finch next to you. She's wearing a light, plain dress, similar to the one she's worn at the gathering. The fabric hugs her form quite nicely, but she doesn't seem to mind. Simple seems to be her style, and it suits her very well. It's almost unfair.
>"Lately I've felt that I've been unable to perform my duties as your Princess. Serving you all has been the greatest privilege of my life, but there's no point in feeling special when I can't deliver on my promises and keep my responsibilities. I swore to protect you. To guide you. And with a heavy heart I admit that I have failed to keep those vows. I can only hope that at some point in the future, you'll find it in your hearts to forgive me. I'd like to thank my friends, my citizens, the Court, and the Princesses..."
>Her eye twitches a bit.
>"...for guiding me and helping me serve this kingdom with all of my heart. My reign might be over, but I leave you in capable hooves. As Princess, my last act is to crown my replacement. I'm confident that he'll do a better job than I have and keep this kingdom thriving and strong. Please welcome Head Chair Anonymous!"
>You smile and bow as the audience cheers, applause filling the air. A pony comes up with a crown in a red pillow. It's a simple crown, like you asked. Minimal jewelry and weight. You were never one for extravagance. You often find that those who show off too much often have something to compensate for.
>Twilight lifts your crown from the pillow and you take a knee, facing her. She slowly places the crown on your head.
"Thank you," you whisper.
>She gives you a wink.
>With the crown on your head, you rise to your feet. Twilight speaks up.
>"Please welcome, Prince Anonymous!"
>The crowd shouts out.
>"All hail Prince Anonymous! All hail Prince Anonymous!"
>You smile and wave, keeping with tradition. Turning to Finch, you find her smiling at you, giving you a slight nod.
>With a raise of your hand, the cheering dies down. It's time for you to speak.
"Thank you, everyone. First I'd like to thank Princess Twilight Sparkle for having faith in me as a leader and as a friend..."
 
>With tired arms, you push open the doors to your office and enter, with Finch right behind you.
>"Man, that was tiring," she says as she sits down on the couch, still wearing her dress. "My hooves are sore."
>You walk over to your desk, taking out a bottle and a couple glasses and setting them on the main table.
"Well, it's worth it. I'm not the only one who's benefiting from this," you say as you pour into the cups. "You're getting a pay raise as well."
>"Pssh. I'm not doing this for the money, Anon. You should know better than that."
>She takes a glass.
"I know."
>"So...cheers, to Prince Anonymous."
"And to Finch, my loyal assistant."
>You clink glasses with her and down your drinks.
>Finch examines her empty cup.
>"So what now? Does everyone get to go home?"
"Not quite," your say, pouring some more liquor into your cup. "Celestia and Luna are still in the picture."
>"They've been ruling for thousands of years. You can't dethrone them as easily as you did Twilight."
"Maybe not, but it doesn't mean that I can't try."
>"And if you fail?"
>You shrug.
"Then we fail."
>Finch holds out her empty glass, which you refill.
>"Then here's to...not failing."
"How elaborately put."
>"Oh hush and drink up."
 
>You are Twilight, and you're in your personal office, packing your things.
>You're humming an old song to yourself when you notice a strange light coming from within your closet.
>Opening it, you find a brewing pot with glowing red contents.
"Oh, completely forgot about that," you think to yourself. Originally you were going to use it to find out what really happened at that fateful summit long ago, but that was when you were insane. Now you're all fixed up, thanks to Anon.
>You smile as you think of him. What a true friend. What he did was courageous. He pulled you out of your bottomless pit, and you couldn't be happier.
>The mixture in the pot is starting to glow a deep red, illuminating the room. Quickly, you close the curtains to make sure none of the light can be seen from outside.
>The brew in front of you is a potion you read about in the Book of Blood Magic. Such practices were banned millennia ago, but the books are kept in the Hidden Canterlot Archives for historical purposes. As a Princess, you had access to everything there, including the book.
>As you near the smoking pot, you can feel strong waves of heat emanating from it. It's almost as if it is a portal to Tartarus itself.
>Next to the pot is a solution containing a drop of Anon's blood you got when you pricked him. The potion requires blood from the person whose actions you want to observe for a single event, and takes a long time to make. Looks like it's pretty much ready for use at this point.
"Well, it can't hurt just to try it this once. After all, I went through all this effort to make it..."
>Opening the vial, you pour the solution into the pot. A hot flash of yellow smoke comes out of the mixture, which then turns a bright shade of green before returning to red.
>Cautiously, you look into the potion. Chills are sent down your spine as you realize what you're about to do.
"Show me the day of the summit."
>Smoke forms around you, then transforms into a sort of screen, replaying what happened at the summit. There's Anonymous knocking at one of the doors before being allowed in. It looks like he's meeting with...the minotaur leader? But why? That's not allowed.
>"You do realize that you're not supposed to be here."
>"I know."
>You can't believe your eyes. Did Anonymous really do those things?
>"Well, I don't think the Princess is comfortable just giving the griffons the majority of the water because...because she thinks that minotaurs...aren't intelligent enough to know what a majority is.""
>"SHE WHAT?"
>He's twisting your words and using them to backstab you!
"No! That can't be true!"
>"What exactly do you have in mind, er..."
>"Anonymous."
>"Right, Anonymous."
>"That's not important. But what's important is that you have two options to choose from. I hope for your people's sake that you make the right choice. Farewell, sir, and goodnight."
>The scene shifts to Anonymous and his assistant in one of the guest rooms.
>"This is really happening, isn't it?"
>"It is. No turning back now."
>"To a peaceful compromise...and a happy ending."
>They clink glasses and finish their drinks before the scene transitions to the summit the next day.
>It's utter chaos, with both sides yelling at one another.
>There's you turning to Anon in desperation.
>"Anon, please help me!"
>"I'm sorry, Your Highness. This is beyond me."
>And then there's you running out of the room, tears in your eyes.
>"Was that too much?" one of the gryphons asked.
>"No, it was just the right amount. Now, let's move on to business..."
"That...that LIAR!"
>With your magic, you blast at the pot with all of your strength, sending the contents everywhere. The potion soon turns a harmless clear color as it splatters everywhere, the pot fragments still steaming a bit.
>Right now you're on the brink of tears. Anonymous betrayed you and lied to your face. He played you, and you gave him your position with open arms.
>Anonymous, what exactly are you?