>You open your eyes slowly to the sound of knocking.
>"May I come in, sir?" says a soft feminine voice.
"Sure, I guess?" you mutter. "Come in."
>Still half-asleep, you sit up and watch as the door opens.
>A female earth pony in a maid uniform comes in quietly.
>She pushes a little food cart inside with her mouth.
"Oh, is that breakfast?"
>The mare freezes on the spot when she sees you.
>You sigh as you remember yesterday's events.
"Please don't-"
>"AIIIIEEEE!"
"-scream."
>The maid panics as several tentacles sprout out from the shadows.
>Before she can run, they shoot out and entangle her legs tightly.
>You put your hoof to your head as they pull her closer to you.
"Not again..."
>The tentacle-vine things hold her down spreadeagle in front of you.
>One of them wraps itself around her mouth, silencing her.
>"Mmmph! Mmmph! Mmmph!"
>While another slowly starts loosening her uniform.
>"Mmmph~"
>Nope. Nope. Nope.
>You shake your head and force away your sleepiness.
>While a part of you is thankful for the show,
>You better stop this before it gets worse.
"Stop, vile creatures!" you cry out.
>The tentacles stop moving at your command.
>You get off the bed, raise your hoof and stand tall.
"Return to the shadows, from whence you came!"
>The creatures slowly set the mare free,
>And vanish as they return to the shadow,
>Your shadow, that is.
"Figures."
 
---
 
>The maid looks up at you with fearful eyes.
>She shakes nervously, unable to move.
>"A-Are you going to eat me?"
"Of course, not! That's crazy!"
>She covers her hooves over her face in response.
>Looking closer, your eyes fall upon her slender form.
>Her uniform is partially undone, exposing her pale coat.
"..."
>"..."
>The pony maid peeks at you from her hooves and notices your gaze.
>In a very quiet voice, she whispers slowly.
>"Are you going to 'eat' me, instead?"
"..."
>It takes a few seconds for you to realize what she means.
"N-No! O-Of course, not!"
>You quickly clear your throat and look away.
"T-That's crazy!"
>"..."
>An awkward silence follows.
>After what seems like eternity, you hear her get up.
>She doesn't meet your eyes as she puts the breakfast tray on your table.
>And without another word, she bows curtly and pushes the cart out of the room.
"Phew!"
>You wait a few minutes, half-expecting the Royal Guard to come rushing in.
>But nothing of the sort happens.
>That actually ended better than you expected.
>Are things finally returning to some form of normalcy?
>With a shrug, you eat your breakfast and prepare for the day.
 
---
 
>You step out from your room, surprised that there are no soldiers standing guard.
>In fact, you don't see any other ponies at all along the hallway.
>They're probably all afraid of you. Not that you can blame them.
>With a sigh, you start wandering around aimlessly.
>After a few minutes, you bump into a lone guard.
"Ah!"
>"Huh? Ah! I-IT'S YOU!"
>Despite being heavier built and armed, the guard takes a couple of steps back.
>He doesn't run away screaming though. You take that as a good sign.
"Good morning."
>"U-Uh, sure. Good morning, sir!"
>The guard swallows nervously and averts his gaze.
>Well, you better find a non-background pony and move the plot along.
"I'm a bit lost. Do you know where I can find Princess Celestia?"
>At those words, he suddenly salutes.
>"The Princess is waiting for you in the throne room."
"I see. Any chance you can show me the way?"
>He quickly shakes his head. You raise an eyebrow.
>After clearing his throat, he gives his excuse,
>"I-I need to finish my morning patrol."
"Oh, I see."
>But before he leaves, he gives you clear directions to the throne room.
>That is pretty damn decent of him, you think.
>A few minutes later, you find yourself in front of the throne room.
>Guards on either side of the door nod slightly for you to enter.
>They remain silent as you go through the large double-doors.
 
---
 
>Princess Celestia smiles as you approach.
>"Good to see you again. Did you sleep well?"
"Last night was very restful. Thank you very much, Princess."
>The Alicorn giggles and shakes her head.
>"No need to be so formal," she says.
"Eh? But-"
>To your surprise, she stands up from her throne.
>"You must have had a very difficult journey to get here."
>She takes a few graceful steps toward you.
>"Why don't you stay here in the castle a little longer?"
"Stay here? B-But-"
>You cannot hide your surprise at Celestia's offer.
>However, her smile widens ever so slightly at your reaction.
>"That is, unless you have somewhere else to go?"
"Somewhere else," you repeat.
>She's got you there. You take a moment to think.
>You barely remember how you got here.
>You don't even know if it's possible to return.
>And your current form will likely get you killed or worse.
"I'll gladly take your offer, Princess-"
>"Just Celestia will be fine."
>She gracefully holds out her hoof towards you.
>You hesitate for a moment before shaking it politely.
>"Welcome to Canterlot," she says.
"Y-You too," you mumble nervously. "Oh! You can call me-"
>Without warning, she suddenly covers your mouth with her hoof.
>She gives you a worried look and shakes her head.
>"We'll call you Anonymous, for now."
"Anonymous? But I'm-"
>"Anon, for short."
>Celestia holds her hoof to her mouth and gives you a wink.
>"Let's keep things simple, shall we?"
 
---
 
>Celestia quickly collects herself and clears her throat.
>"And now that we are in agreement. I hope that you can assist us a bit."
"In return for letting me stay in the castle?"
>"Of course not," she says. "You may stay here as long as you like."
"..."
>"However, it is very rare for us to have guests with your..."
>She pauses for a moment to choose her words carefully.
>"... talents."
"Talents," you repeat.
>"Yes. We will not force you to assist us with certain..."
>She pauses once more to choose her words carefully.
>"...tasks."
>"However, we would be very grateful if you choose to help."
"I see."
>You pause for a moment to consider her request.
>Helping her seems to be the obvious option.
>Celestia saved your life, and she does seem to be sincere.
>However, you can't help but feel that she's hiding something.
>Something important. Something VERY important.
"Hmm."
>She waits patiently for your response.
>You smile and decide to cooperate for now.
"I'll be glad to help you if I can."
>Celestia sighs in relief.
>"That is excellent news. I'll be counting on you from now on."
"Alright. So is there anything you need right now?"
>The Alicorn nods solemnly.
>"For today, I'd like you to head to the castle library."
>"I have sent a pony there to retrieve some books, but she has not returned."
>"Could you check up on her and make sure that everything is alright?"
"Sure thing, Celestia."
>And with that, you leave the room and prepare for your first task.
>At least this doesn't sound like anything dangerous.
 
---
 
>You find yourself in the castle library.
>Rows of bookshelves stretch endlessly in all directions.
>Looking up, you see several more floors filled with bookshelves.
"Huh? Was the castle library always this big?"
>You pause and try to remember, but these details were never clear back home.
>With a shrug, you head inside to find the librarian.
>However, the front desk seems empty.
"Uh, is anyone in here?"
>The whole place is quiet. Too quiet.
>Almost like there isn't any other pony in this place.
"Spooky."
>"Spooky... spooky... spooky..."
>Your voice echoes ominously against the walls.
>Nope. Something definitely doesn't seem right here.
>You turn around to retrace your steps back to the exit.
"What the-"
>However, you can't seem to find your way.
>In fact, you can't even recognize where you are right now.
"What happened to the way out?"
>"No way out... no way out... no way out..."
>You quickly tell yourself that your mind is playing tricks.
>But your gut tells you that this has "Bad End" written all over it.
"Okay... I'm going to stop talking now."
>"..."
>This time, no echo. You swallow nervously.
>Left with no other choice, you head deeper into the labyrinthine library.
>You get the feeling that you are being watched from afar.
>But every time you check behind your back,
>You find yourself very much alone.
"..."
>Several minutes pass as you wander around the aisles.
>You notice that it is slowly getting dimmer.
>Window curtains are shut, and fewer candles are lit.
>However, you feel strangely calmer while walking in the darkness.
>Perhaps, it's because you seem to be some kind of creature of darkness yourself.
>At the very least, you probably won't get eaten by a Gru-
"Ow! What the-"
>Something small and soft suddenly bumps into you.
>"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't see where I was going and-"
>Huh? Isn't that-
 
---
 
>Twilight Sparkle stares at you with mouth agape.
>"AH! AH! AAAAHHHH!"
>Before you can react, her horn starts glowing.
>Several heavy books levitate from the shelves and fly towards you.
"Ow! Ow! Stop it!"
>You shield your face with your hooves, but the volley doesn't stop.
>From the side of your eye, you see the purple pony run off at full speed.
>"G-G-Get away from me!" she cries.
"Wait! Ow! Don't go! Ow!"
>You give chase, intent on finding her.
>Celestia must have sent you to check on her student.
>Besides, she's the only other pony you've seen in this empty library.
"Come back! I'm not-"
>As you turn the corner, you see Twilight aim her horn at you once more.
>"I said, GET AWAY FROM ME!"
"-dangerous!?"
>Her eyes glow white for a split-second as she focuses her magic.
>Without warning, she shoots a beam of pure white light straight at you.
>You suddenly lose your balance and fall face-first on the floor,
>And to your horror, both of your left legs plop off your body,
>Severed cleanly from your torso by her magic.
"ARGH! MY LEGS! ARGH!"
>"S-Serves you right, you monster!"
>Before you can reply, the pony runs off once more.
"GAH! I can't feel my legs! I can't... huh?"
>Oh wait. Actually, you CAN still feel your legs.
>You stare in wonder and disgust as your severed limbs melt into black ooze.
>The formless dark mass slowly crawls toward your torso, sealing your wounds.
>And in seconds, it reforms into a new pair of legs.
"Now that's really handy."
>Or leggy. Whatever. The pain is gone, too.
>You quickly stand yourself up, but Twilight is nowhere in sight.
>For a nerdy bookworm, that pony sure knows how to run.
 
---
 
>You gallop forward, checking each aisle for the purple pony.
>As you go deeper into the library, your surroundings get even darker.
>While this makes you feel even more at ease, you can't help but worry.
"Come back! I-I don't think we're supposed to be here!"
>You hear a faint squeak from your left.
>Quickly, you turn and run towards the sound.
>With a yelp, you hear her start fleeing once more.
"Stop running, Twilight! I'm here to help!"
>At those words, her hoofsteps slow down slightly.
>She answers back from a few bookshelves away.
>"W-Who are you? And h-how do you know my name?"
"...umm."
>You think for a moment.
"My name is Anon. Celestia sent me here to find you."
>Not the whole truth, but not exactly a lie, either.
>But now that you think about it...
>Why wasn't Celestia surprised that you knew HER name?
"..."
>Twilight's hoofsteps slow down a bit more.
>"Anon, huh? Why should I believe you?"
"She told me that you were sent here to retrieve some books."
>"And why exactly would the Princess send YOU to find me?"
"...umm."
>She has a good point. Why DID Celestia send you here?
"I don't really know," you admit. "But I promised that I would do this for her."
>"You promised? What exactly did you promise, then?"
"That I would find you and make sure that you're alright."
>"..."
>At those words, her hoofsteps come to a halt.
>Suddenly, you see Twilight teleport some distance in front of you.
>She narrows her eyes and whispers darkly.
>"And why should I trust you?"
"Umm..."
>Think fast! Think fast! Think fast!
"Because, friendship is magic?"
 
---
 
>Twilight raises her hoof to her mouth and gasps.
>She stares at you blankly, unsure of how to react.
>Did you just solve this encounter with diplomacy?
"Oh shit."
>Without warning, the expression on her face changes to one of pure disgust.
>She angrily spreads her wings and flies high up in the air.
>"How DARE you speak those words!"
"Shit. Shit. Shit."
>You made a huge mistake. How did you not notice?
>This isn't unicorn Twilight. This is alicorn Twilight!
>You got careless and somehow managed to piss her off.
"S-Sorry, Princess. I just-"
>"Spied on the private lives of my friends and I?"
>"Tried to use this information to manipulate and deceive me?"
>"And thought that I would just BEFRIEND you, just like that?"
"Err.. n-not exactly."
>Actually, she is pretty spot on. What the heck?
>That probably would have worked if you didn't look like this.
>You take a few steps back cautiously. Maybe you should just run?
"Well, seeing that you're alright, I'll just be going now and-"
>"I don't think so."
>Her horn glows brightly. In an instant, you feel yourself lifted from the ground.
"W-What the-"
>"Seeing as you have some kind of regenerative capacity,"
>"It'll be useless to use conventional spells on you."
>Twilight smiles smugly as her horn glows once more.
>A spherical purple shield forms around you.
 
---
 
>"Who are you working for?" asks Twilight.
"Umm, Princess Celestia?"
>"Wrong answer!"
>The spherical shield starts to rapidly shrink around you. Your eyes widen in fear.
>If you don't get yourself out of this, you'll certainly be crushed to death!
"A-Are you crazy? This is torture!"
>"This is an interrogation," she says coldly.
>"Now let me ask you again,"
>"Who are you working for?"
"I told you! I'm working for Celestia!"
>The shield shrinks even faster. You try hitting it with your hooves,
>But your efforts are futile. Her magic is clearly resistant to physical attack.
>"I'll ask you only one more time," says Twilight.
"..."
>Thinking fast, you come up with a dangerous idea. But you'll only have one shot.
>You calm yourself down and focus your thoughts on your shadow on the ground.
>"Who are you working for?"
"..."
>You don't answer. Instead, you whisper your commands under your breath.
>Sure enough, several vine-tentacles start sprouting up from your shadow.
>They silently shoot up towards the crazy purple pony princess...
 
---
 
>The spherical shield continues to close in on you.
>Twilight clicks her tongue irritably.
>"No answer? Well, then."
"Wait!"
>She raises her eyebrow curiously.
>However, she doesn't stop her magic.
>"Yes, go on..."
"I-"
>Soon, there isn't enough space for you to move your legs.
>You desperately curl yourself up into a ball.
>"I'm listening."
"Im-"
>You start having difficulty breathing. Is this spherical cage airtight?
>It takes all of your remaining strength to stay conscious.
>There's no more time. It's now or never!
"IMMOBILIZE HER!" you cry out.
>"Wait, what?" she says. "That's not-"
>Your vine-tentacles shoot out at the alicorn with terrifying speed.
>Before she can react, they entangle her legs and body.
>"AH! GET THEM OFF ME! GET THEM OFF-"
"Nope."
>Twilight tries to fly off, but it is no use.
>In seconds, even her wings are wrapped by your shadowy pets.
>She turns to you and contorts her face in an expression of pure rage.
>"I knew you were a monster! Let me go, this instant!"
"I will if you release your shield!"
>"And then what? You'll capture and eat me?"
"Of course not! I'm just defending myself!"
>She narrows her eyes and hisses.
>"Likely story," she says. "Unfortunately, I can't take any chances."
>Her horn glows brightly. The sphere shrinks even faster.
>You instinctively push back with your limbs, but it is no use.
 
---
 
>"Serves you right, you.. URK!"
>The sphere stops shrinking for a moment.
>Despite your agony, you manage to glance at her.
>The vine-tentacles have started tightening their grip on Twilight.
>"L-Let go off me!"
>Your eyes widen in horror as they start wrapping around her neck.
>She desperately grabs at them with her hooves.
"Don't hurt her!"
>The creatures immediately stop moving at your command.
>However, Twilight just growls at you.
>"Y-You fiend! Your dark magic reveals your true colors!"
"I don't want to fight you!"
>"I knew you were evil from the moment I saw you!"
"Stop it, Twilight!"
>"And I won't let you hurt anypony else-"
>Her horn glows bright once more as she cries out defiantly.
>The sphere starts closing in rapidly around you,
>Your bones crack as it starts crushing you.
"AARRGGHH!"
>"I'll stop you," she says. "Even if I have to take you down with me!"
>Your whole body screams in pain as the sphere closes in,
>And you're pretty sure your legs aren't supposed to bend that way.
"GAH!"
>Your tentacles start wriggling anxiously, awaiting your command.
>There's no choice now. If you don't stop Twilight, you'll definitely be killed.
>With the last of your strength,
"..."
>You whisper your (possibly) final instructions.
>"W-What are you doing! D-Don't come any closer!"
>The shadowy tendrils slide quickly around Twilight's body.
>"S-Stop it! D-Don't touch me like that! Y-You can't just-"
>They position their tips at their individual targets.
>Twilight squeaks in fear as she realizes their intention.
 
---
 
"...do it."
>You cringe and close your eyes tightly as your pets execute your command.
>She shrieks and screams as they come from all directions.
>In just a few moments, her horn stops glowing.
>The shield shatters instantly.
>You fall unceremoniously to the ground,
>Breaking whatever bones remain unbroken.
"AAARRRRGGGHHH!"
>It takes a minute, but you somehow recover.
>Black ooze seeps out from your wounds as you quickly regenerate.
>In fact, you notice that the darkness of the library seems to help.
>But your suffering is nothing compared to Twilight's.
>"Ah... N-No... S-Stop..."
>You can barely watch as your pets continue their assault.
>Her voice echoes loudly along the walls and ceiling.
>You fear that she might pass out at any time,
>So you call out for your minions to pause.
"Do you yield, Twilight Sparkle?"
>"Y-Yield? N-Never!"
"Then, so be it."
>"N-No! P-Please don't-"
"I'm so sorry," you whisper under your breath.
>The vine-tentacles continue their relentless assault,
>Tickling each of her hooves, her belly, her spine, her neck,
>None of the purple pony's sensitive spots are spared
>From your heartless TenTickle attack!
"..."
>You shake your head at that horrible pun,
>And turn your attention to the now helpless alicorn princess.
>"Y-You won't...ha ha ha... get away with... ha ha ha... this... ha ha ha!"
>You can't help but grin slightly.
"I already have."
>This continues for several minutes more,
>Until finally, she taps her hoof in surrender.
 
---
 
>"So, let me get this straight," says Twilight.
>"You appeared in the middle of Canterlot,"
>"You were attacked by the Royal Guard,"
>"Princess Celestia saved you,"
>"She gave you a room in the castle,"
>"And now you're doing errands for her?"
"Yep. That's pretty much it."
>She stares at you blankly for a moment before shaking her head.
>"I still can't believe it," she says. "That's crazy!"
>You nod solemnly in complete agreement.
"It is crazy," you say. "But it's the truth."
>"Ugh! Stop saying things like that!"
"Why not?"
>"It's just not... normal, alright?"
>The purple pony paces back and forth, still trying to figure this all out.
>"In fact, NONE of this is normal!"
"..."
>You just shrug and wait patiently. As much as you'd like to help, you have no idea what's going on.
>Heck, you're just thankful that you're alive. Battle-mode Twilight is crazy scary.
>Mental note: DO NOT PISS HER OFF EVER AGAIN.
"So, what now?"
>Twilight stops pacing and gives an exasperated sigh.
>"Guess I have no choice," she mutters. "I don't have enough evidence right now..."
>She turns to you and frowns.
>"You are coming with me. No funny business."
"Alright. Where are we going?"
>"I need to finish gathering the books Princess Celestia requires."
>Twilight turns around and starts walking deeper into the library.
>As you follow behind her, she pauses and glances at you with an odd look.
>Blushing slightly, she points her hoof at your tentacles.
>"A-And would you PLEASE put those away, already?"
 
---
 
>Twilight leads you to a brighter part of the library.
>She trots over to a small book cart and starts pushing it with her magic.
>Curious, you glance at the books in the cart.
>None of the titles are particularly familiar to you.
>However, you get the worst feeling as you read the covers.
"If you don't mind me asking," you say. "What are these books about?"
>The purple pony pauses for a moment.
>She frowns a bit and stares at you.
>"Dark magic," she whispers.
"Wait, what?"
>Twilight sighs and starts pushing the cart forward.
>"Most ponies aren't allowed anywhere near these books,"
>"But Princess Celestia asked me to collect them for her today."
"Hmm. But why?"
>"The Princess didn't tell me."
>She glances at you suspiciously.
>"How about you?"
"Huh?"
>"Do you know why she wants these books?"
"N-Nope! She didn't tell me anything, either. Honest!"
>The pony frowns at you hard.
>With another sigh, she starts walking again.
>"What is going on? None of this makes any sense..."
"..."
>Both of you fall silent, but you continue following her obediently.
>After a few minutes, she leads you to a small display case.
>Inside is a heavy-looking old tome.
>There is no title on the cover.
>A small sign beside it reads, "DANGER. DO NOT REMOVE."
 
---
 
>Twilight leaves you with the cart and walks towards the display.
>"This is the last one."
"..."
>She closes her eyes and aims her horn at it.
>The display case starts glowing and shaking violently.
"Um, Twilight? Are you sure this is a good idea?"
>The moment you say that, the purple pony is thrown back by an unseen force.
>You somehow manage to catch her in your hooves.
"Gotcha!"
>She is surprisingly light. And soft.
>"T-Thanks," she mutters weakly.
"Careful, now. Are you alright?"
>The pony grimaces as she gets back on her feet.
>"Another barrier," she says. "How many of these are there!?"
"Huh?"
>She raises her voice, clearly irritated.
>"I've about had it! Do you even know how much magic it takes to disable these things!?"
"S-Sorry?"
>Twilight plants a hoof on her face and shakes her head.
>"Never mind. I guess I'll have to come back for this one later."
"..."
>She starts heading back when you find yourself approaching the display.
>"Eh? What are you doing?"
"For some reason, I think we need this book."
>Before you realize it, your mouth starts whispering words on its own.
>Words that you don't know. Words that you don't recognize.
"..."
>Almost immediately, a pair of tentacles sprout from your shadow.
>They slowly lift the glass display and remove the book from its place.
>And without hesitation, they add it carefully to Twilight's book cart.
>She stares at you, open-mouthed.
>"H-How did you get past the barrier?"
"Actually, I have no idea..."
>And you're not sure if you want to find out.
 
---
 
>The purple pony asks you several questions as you make your way back.
>Who are you? What are you? Why are you here? Etc.
>None of which you manage a satisfactory answer.
>You do share more about how you first arrived.
>Minus almost violating a couple of innocent mares, of course.
>She nods slowly when you mention Celestia.
>"If the Princess is helping you, then I suppose I can give you chance, as well."
"Thank you, Twilight."
>"But, this is strange. The way you describe things, it's almost as if she-"
>She stops and stares at you curiously.
>Then, she blushes and quickly shakes her head.
>"Nah! It couldn't be! Could it?"
"What are you talking about?"
>"N-Nevermind. Just a silly thought..."
>She laughs nervously and changes the subject.
>Still, you can't help but ask yourself,
>Why is Princess Celestia going out of her way to help you?
"..."
>Some time later, you find yourselves at the exit.
"Phew! I thought I'd never get out of here."
>"But why? The Canterlot castle library is one of my favorite places!"
"Huh? Oh, I didn't mean it that way! Earlier, I-"
>Twilight shakes her head disapprovingly.
>"Hmph! I guess that someponies just can't appreciate a good read!"
"..."
>You open your mouth to argue, but decide against it.
 
---
 
>The guards salute when you arrive at the entrance of the throne room.
>"At ease," says Twilight. "I'm here to visit Princess Celestia."
>"Go ahead, Princess Twilight," says the left guard.
>"She is expecting you," says the right guard.
>The double-doors open as the purple pony pushes her book cart inside.
>You try to follow, but you are blocked by a pair of spears.
"Huh?"
>The two guards try their best to look stoic and fail miserably.
>"W-We can't let you pass," says the right guard.
>"T-This is a private audience," says the left guard.
>Twilight turns around and shakes her head.
>"Sorry, but this could take a while."
"It's alright. Guess I'll just wander around the castle."
>The purple pony gives you a worried look.
>"Be careful while you're here," she says.
"..."
>The double-doors close behind her.
>Huh? Be careful? What did she mean?
>Isn't Canterlot castle the safest place in Equestria?
>You uneasily trot back to your room as you take in her words.