>About a half an hour passes by of you just sitting there stroking her mane as she sobs.
>You know you don't have much time to work with if you want to get the fuck out of here.
>”Twilight, we need to move now, okay?”
>You try to move, but she's clinging to you very tightly.
>You manage to get up on your knees.
>”Twilight, I know everything is out of sorts right now, but we need to get out of here. We need to move.”
>She just grabs onto your tighter.
><”Maybe you can carry her? Like, on your back?”
>>”For how long? We're not exactly in a good place right now. We need to move.”
>You place your hands on her forelegs, which are still wrapped around your shoulders.
”Twilight, I'm sorry, but I need to move now.”
>Twilight brings her head down from your shoulders and looks up at you.
>”I...I don't think I c-can get out of th-this c-age b-b-by my-s-self.”
>Her eyes are huge and watery.
>She looks like a wounded puppy.
>Quite possibly one of the saddest faces you've ever seen.
>Considering what's been happening, you can understand.
>You sigh as you wrap your left arm around Twilight.
“Alright.  Let's get you out of this cage.”
>Twilight wraps her hind legs around your waist as you stand, hunching over.
>The six smaller ponies only stand at about two thirds your height.
>Looking at them outside of the cages was deceptive about their actual size, however.
>And their actual weight...
>You start slowly shuffling backwards toward the door, Twilight still holding onto you.
>Getting out of the cage with Twilight hanging off your chest is no small feat.
>Eventually, you wriggle out.
>And promptly drop three feet to the floor as you stumble to get your footing.
>You forgot about the hulking body that you left there as well.
>With a horse being grabbing onto you for dear life, you stumble onto and over the body.
>You sort of land on a foot, but end of dropping hard on one knee.
>The extra weight did not make that fall feel good.
“Okay, we're on the ground. Could I please set you down so I can help the others?”
>Slowly, Twilight loosens her grip on you as you let her down as gently as possible.
>Her eyes are fixed on the corpse of her tormenter.
>Hatred and fear and sadness are in those purple eyes.
>You look at the corpse and contemplate moving it.
>No time.
>You need to get the others out.
>When you unbolt “Rainbow's” cage, she immediately scrambles out.
>She stands on her hind legs and stretches.
>”Man it feels good to be out of that box. Hey, can you bust my wings outta these binds?”
>Her voice seems completely different from what it was inside the box.
><”Quick turnaround.”
>>”Yeah.”
“Uh, sure.”
>You pull out another knife from your apron and make quick work of the wraps.
>This apron is kinda handy.
>She breathes a sigh of relief as she spreads her wings to their full length.
>”That feels SO good.”
>She hovers up to eye level with you, then looks you up and down.
>”So, you say you're here to help us, Mr. Fake-Anonymous?”
“I'd like to think of myself as the real Anonymous taking over for the fake, Ms. Rainbow.”
>”And how can we be sure that you aren't him?!”
>She moves an inch away from your face, fore-hooves ready to fight.
“Uh... I let you and your friend out of your cages and killed three guards? I'd like to think that maybe that's a step in the “I'm here to help” department.”
>You move back a step as she lowers herself to the ground.
>”I suppose that's good enough... for now!  I've got my eyes on you!”
>She makes a motion with here hoof and her eyes that would work much better with fingers.
>You slowly nod your head and work on opening the... pink... one's... cage.
>She's gone.
><”Anon?”
>The chains are completely empty, slumped around the cage.  
>The door is slightly ajar as well.
>All of the bolts are unbolted.
>>”How did  she get out?  And why didn't she do this earlier?”
><”Uh, Anon, you might wanna-?
“Did anyone here see what happened to the pink one?”
>You look around at the others, who are staring above you.
>You look up just in time to see a pink thing drop on your face.
><”Tried to warn you, bro.”
>>”Fuck you, construct.”
>The unexpected weight, combined with your recently twisted ankle, cause you to collapse.
>Upon falling, you something dull and painful collides with your cranium.
>The last thing you see before passing out are surprised blue eyes.
 
…
 
>”You're sure we can trust him?”
>Your head feels like a ton of bricks just landed on it.
>Status Check: Initiated.
>”Absolutely! He doesn't have any marks where I branded him last time!”
>That was the pink one's voice.
>It sounds... happy?
>Status: Hanging by your legs, upside-down.
>”Darling, that only tells us that he's a different Anonymous.  What if he is still the same? What if he's >still a monster.”
>Status: Can't get more information until you open your eyes.
>But it hurts...
>”Rarity's right. He might have cut me loose, but it could be a trick to...to...”
>Why would he go to tha trouble of lettin' us out just to lure us outta his work room? That doesn't make sense!”
>Status: Apparently you're being talked about.  
>Thanks, I didn't catch that bit.
>”He saved me from... from... I think we should trust him.
>”I don't know, Twilight, what if he just has something worse in store...”
>”We see a different being before us. He acts different. We... trust this new one.”
>”I won't trust him, Luna, but he's the only chance we've got. I say let him go.”
><”Open your damn eyes, puss ass.”
>>”Fine.”
>You open your eyes to see six of the small horse beings and the two big ones surrounding you.
>The pink one is bouncing, Twilight is defending you, and Rainbow is glaring at you, still eye level.
>The two big ones are still in chains in the center of the room.
>That puts you between the door and them.
>You're hanging upside-down by ropes attached to a hook.
>And it appears that your fate is being discussed.
“Don't I get a say in this discussion?”
>The eight look up at you.
>The big white one speaks up.
>”We've already decided to work with you, Mister Mitchell.”
>Right.
>That name.
“You... believe my story?”
>”For now, we will put faith in your story and you.  For what choice do we really have?”
>Icy dagger pierce your soul as she says that last bit.
“I... I understand that you all have every reason to hate the name and face of Anonymous. And I understand your skepticism. If we had more time, I would try to redeem my namesake, but right now we need to all get out of here.”
>You wriggle a little bit.
“Could I get cut loose, please?”
>Rainbow obliges, cutting the ropes, which cause you to fall flat on your face on the ground.
“Thanks...”
>You stand up and glance at the clock.
>You've got a half an hour before the alarms get reactivated.
>Well, according to Rapey McHorse Rapist, anyway.
“Alright, we don't have much time.  We need to get the big horses out of these chains and-
>The small white pony gasps in horror at the word horse.
“Is there a problem with the word horse here?”
>”It is completely uncouth to address anyone as a horse, let alone the ruler of Equestria. We are Ponies, Mr. Mitchell, not... horses.”
>She shudders at tat last word, as all of the other “ponies” stare at you.
>You can't help but grin at the name “Equestria.”
“...Right.  Ponies.  And this world is called Equestria. That's... that's perfect.  Alright, so we need to get these larger Ponies out-
>”We are not large! We are normal sized for-”
“Alright!  Ponies! Chains! Bad! Free the ponies in chains!”
>We have names, you know!”
>That's when you notice the pink one, bouncing up and down.
><”Another fast recovery.  These ponies are tough or completely mental.”
>”I'm Pinkie Pie! And these ponies are Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy >Princess Celestia and Princess Luna! Pleased to meet you, not-Anonymous Anonymous!”
“Uh... didn't you just knock me out a second ago?”
>”Of course, silly-filly! I had to make sure you weren't the other you!”
>She looks less terrifying and more bubbly.
>If this were any other time, you'd be bouncing around with her.
>Right now, you need to focus.
“Good idea, but I'm... me. Last time I checked, anyway. Very pleased to meet you all – I wish it were in better circumstances – Ponies in chains.”
>You motion to Celestia and Luna, who are still bound.
>Twilight: ”We don't have the keys to unlock them, and the chains are binding their magic. I can't cast anything either.”
“Magic is a thing here.  Right.  I overheard the guards say something about poison Joke being fed to the unicorns. That's apparently stopping your magic as well.
>Twilight: “No magic? How do you do research?
>Rarity: “That would explain your atrocious attire.”
>Applejack: “Some people get bah just fine without it.”
“I would love to expound upon the virtues and possibilities of a non-magical life, but we have a very short time to to a lot of things. I'll bet that the key to these chains in his room, but I have no idea how to get around the castle, and I have no clue where that room I woke up in is.
><”I have a plan.”
>>”I knew you were being unusually quiet.”
><”You want to hear it or not?”
>>”I'm all ears”
“Alright, friends, I have a plan.”