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# The Last Son of Dublin -Chapter V- Finale

By: PaleNarrator on Jul 26th, 2012 | syntax: None | size: 24.84 KB | hits: 721 | expires: Never
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1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDSud7vAH_0&name=Flogging+Molly+The+Worst+Day+Since+Yesterday
3. >This was a lot earlier than you would prefer waking up, but your body seemed rested enough for the time being.
4. >Well, rested and beaten to shit, for the most part.
5. >Your whole torso ached from last night’s fight, and the bruise under your eye screamed at you every time you blinked.
6. >Not a good morning so far, then.
7. >You glance around, taking in the library around you.
8. >You were still in Twilight’s bed.
9. >And Twilight herself was still here with you, in fact.
10. >Seems she must have curled up for the night after she read to you.
11. >Her breathing is gentle and the tips of her bangs sway slightly with each exhale she gives.
12. >Cute.
13. >You carefully shift out of the bed, careful not to disturb her as she sleeps.
14. >You needed a drink to make the ringing in your ears fucking stop.
15. >As you groggily make your way down to the basement, you think about the day ahead of you.
16. >Twi was going to be dragging you to Canterlot for a meeting with the princess, and knowing Twilight she was going to be stressing over it the moment she wakes up.
17. >You didn’t like it, but what the hell were you going to do? Just skip out and not even show up?
18. >…
19. >No, you were an ass but you weren’t THAT much of an ass.
20. >Rubbing the pain in your shoulder as best you could, you finally make it back into your room, and you rummage around in one of your drawers for your nearest bottle of liquor.
22. >Holding the half empty bottle bourbon in your hands, you find yourself pausing.
23. >Your other hand rubs your cheeks, the scruff of a budding beard scratching at your fingers, and you stare at the bottle.
24. >The sun had hardly began to rise, and here you were about to empty this bottle to start your day.
25. >Normally you would have already opened it up and begun downing it.
26. >But this morning…
27. >This morning felt… different.
28. >Damn, Iron Will must have beat you harder than you thought.
29. >Telling yourself that you weren’t thirsty to begin with, you walk back upstairs and across the threshold of the library.
30. >A picture on the wall catches your attention, and you stop in your tracks for a second.
31. >Huh. She hung up the painting is seems.
32. >Nice frame, too.
33. >It’s kind of funny when you think about it.
34. >You gave her so much shit. Day in and day out, you just fucking harassed her.
35. >But still she put up with you. She dealt with your arrogance and your brutish behavior.
36. >Did she actually care about you?
37. >Or was she just dealing with your flaws in order to keep the royalty in the know?
38. >Either way, you owed her.
39. >Maybe it was the ringing in your ears and the aches in your spine, but you guessed you could give her one day of peace.
40. >After all, she would probably go utterly insane if you caused some sort of fit at Canterlot.
41. >Then again, the idea of Twilight throwing a fit in front of her beloved princess seemed intriguing.
42. >…
43. >Nah. Just go easy on her today.
45. >From below the balcony you stood under, you could hear Twilight stirring in her bed slightly as she finally began to wake up.
46. >Walking back upstairs and sitting on the bed, you gently stroke Twilight’s mane.
47. “Christ you have bad bed head.”
48. >”Mmhmmrr.”
49. >Yep, she was still dead tired it seems.
50. >You give a smirk and softly scratch behind one of her ears.
51. “We still have a trip to take today, Tink.”
52. >”Mmmr… just a few more minutes…”
53. “Funny, you seem to like to wake me up whenever you damn well please.”
54. >She shifts under the covers, a small smile on her face as she motions for you to move closer to her.
55. >You up and just lie next to her and she crawls over to you, still half asleep.
56. >She moves her face close to yours, sniffing you.
57. >She smiles.
58. >”You don’t smell like liquor…”
59. “Yeah well… I’m taking a break today. No drinks.”
60. >”Mmmh? Why’sat?”
61. “Well… you’ve got yourself enough to worry about today. I’m just doing this as a favor to you.”
62. >She rubs her eyes as she sits up in the bed and looks to you.
63. >”And the smoking?”
64. “Uh… well…”
65. >Twilight looks to you with hopeful eyes.
66. >Giving a defeated sigh and a rub of your eyes, you concede.
67. “Fine. No smokes. I’m clean for the day.”
68. >Twi gives a tired grin and nods, leaning her head onto your shoulder.
69. >”Thank you.”
71. >You wrap an arm around her and squeeze out a hug.
72. “Only for you, Tink. No promises when we actually get to Canterlot, though.”
73. >”But-“
74. “Twi, if we get there and the princess offers me smokes and booze, I will take her smokes and booze. That is the deal.”
75. >”Ugh… fine. She’s not going to do that, you know.”
76. “Never know.”
77. >She rolls her eyes and you ruffle her mane as you get yourself out of the bed.
78. >”Where are you headed?”
79. “I’m meeting your precious princess today, Tink. I need a suit. I’ll be back here soon, I just need to drop by Rarity’s for a bit.”
80. >You throw a quick wave her way and head out of the house, still in your boxers and tee shirt.
81. >Honestly you were so sore that you didn’t even care you were walking through town in your underwear.
82. >Your hand reaches up to where you would normally keep a pack of cigarettes in a shirt pocket, but you have to pull your hand away in frustration.
83. >Anon, you had no cigarettes on you today.
84. >You were not smoking today.
85. >…
86. >Fuck this was a horrible idea.
87. >You were going to go mad soon, and it was only morning.
88. >Do it for Twilight, Anon. Just do it for her, and then tomorrow you can smoke and drink yourself into a liquor and nicotine based coma.
89. >You finally make it to Carousel Boutique, pushing your way through the front doors as a bell rings to signal your entrance.
90. >Rarity dashes gracefully from her sewing room and greets you, a smile on her face.
91. >Then she recognizes you.
93. >”Oh! Anon! Well this is very pleasant surprise! What can I… do for you, today?”
94. >She bats her eyes at you, s sultry grin on her face.
95. “Save it. I’m not here for anything like that.”
96. >”Why whatever do you mean?”
97. “Listen lass, I’m just here for a suit. I got my money, you have the know-how.”
98. >She pouts a bit when you brush her off.
99. >”Just so you know, I’m not at all upset at our last little “encounter.” We were both very intoxicated that night, and for the most part you were a very charming gentleman, and I was an elegant and sophisticated lady.”
100. “Elegant and sophisticated?”
101. >”Indeed.”
102. “Do elegant and sophisticated mares leave bite marks on necks then?”
103. >Crossing your arms at her, you see that she glares at you while blushing.
104. >”What is it you needed again?”
105. “A suit.”
106. >”Yes. Well. I can do that.”
107. >With a wave of her horn, she levitates measuring tape, sewing needles, string, and other various sewing materials.
108. >She takes your measurements and exits to her sewing room and gets to work, but not after she hovers over a glass of wine your way.
109. >”It’s a vintage bottle, actually. I’ve had this one bottle of red wine for years now. Care for a drink?”
110. “Ah… no. No, I’m fine actually.”
111. >She looks back at you, an incredulous expression painted on her face.
112. >”You’re serious? You don’t want any?”
113. “Want? Trust me, I want some. Badly. But I won’t have any today. Thanks anyway.”
115. >Her mouth hangs open for a second, but she shakes her head to get a grip of herself, and trots away to make your suit.
116. >You sit down in a nice red chair by the door, tapping your foot on the ground occasionally in impatience.
117. >Your eyes kept darting over to the glass of red wine Rarity left for you up on the counter.
118. >You don’t need it.
119. >You don’t need it.
120. >You DEFINITELY don’t need it.
121. >…
122. >You spring to your feet but smack yourself in the face.
123. >NO.
124. >Fucking RESIST it, mate.
125. >You sit back down in the chair, rubbing your stinging cheek and give a sigh.
126. >This was going to be much, MUCH harder than you thought.
127. >Half an hour passes, and you eventually doze off in the chair you were sitting in when Rarity finishes.
128. >”Anon? It’s all finished!”
129. >You wake up, rubbing your black eye as you look to the suit that Rarity is floating in front of you.
130. >It’s a good looking set of clothes, that’s for sure.
131. >A simple set of black dress pants, a white dress shirt with matching black coat.
132. >She even made you a green tie.
133. “I thought you hated green, lass.”
134. >”I do, but you… well, it seems to suit you.”
135. >You rise and rifle through your pouch of bits, handing a handful to Rarity before taking the suit in your hands while Rarity levitates it into a bag.
136. “Thanks love. Take care of yourself.”
137. >”No drinks and now he’s being polite. Tell me, are you feeling alright?”
138. “Shut up, bitch.”
139. >”Ah. That’s more like it.”
140. >You give a wave and leave the boutique, heading back to the library to see if Twilight was ready to leave yet.
142. >A gust of wind next to you lets you know a certain cyan pegasus has shown up to see you.
143. “Rainbow. Morning.”
144. >”Hey Anon, how are you feeling? You kind of… well, you kind of got your ass handed to you last night.”
145. “Gee thanks Dash. I would never have remembered that, what with my body constantly reminding me every time I take a fucking step.”
146. >”Yeah, you don’t look so good.”
147. >She pokes your ribs and you let out a pained gasp.
148. >”Oh wow, sorry.”
149. “The fuck was that?!”
150. >”I- sorry I just wanted to see if you were hurt there.”
151. ”Dash, I got into a fight with a fucking minotaur. I HURT FUCKIN’ EVERYWHERE.”
152. >She cringes at your snap and you rub your face.
153. “Do me a favor: DON’T poke my body right after I got pummeled by a mythical creature. Alright?”
154. >”You alright? You seem a lot angrier than usual.”
155. “Did you miss the whole, “got knocked the fuck out by a giant horned cunt” bit?”
156. >”It seems more that that.”
157. >Giving a sigh, you turn to her.
158. “Look, I have to meet the princess today. Twi wants be on my best behavior, and for her I will TRY to meet her expectations. Because of this, I’m not having a smoke or drink the whole day.”
159. >Dash cocks her head to the side, confused.
160. >”You’re not drinking or smoking today?”
161. “No.”
162. >”You’re… you’re serious?”
163. “Yes.”
164. >”And you’re doing that for Twilight’s sake?”
165. “Yes.”
166. >She stares at you for a bit, then smiles to herself.
168. >“Good luck man. My heart goes out for to you. I’ll make sure to have a drink in your name.”
169. “Fuck you.”
170. >She cackles at your misery, punching your shoulder lightly and playfully.
171. >”Hahaha, oh gosh this will NOT end well for you. Like I said, good luck.”
172. “Yeah, thanks.”
173. >With that she flies off and away from you.
174. >She was probably right. You were already getting agitated from the change in your daily routine.
175. >Would you really be able to get through an entire day without liquor or tobacco?
176. >Hell, you already wanted to hit something and it wasn’t even noon.
177. >You were a drunken ass who was refusing to drink, and you were about to go meet the ruler of the entire land.
178. >And you wanted to fight something.
179. >…
180. >Fuck.
181. >Shuffling your way into Twilight’s library, you can already spot her racing around the room while sorting all of her books, frantically tidying up the library.
182. >She spots you and smiles.
183. >”Oh, there you are! Was beginning to worry you wondered off down to the bar.”
184. ”I’m a man of my word. What are you doing?”
185. >”Cleaning up the place. I can’t find Spike anywhere, so I’m guessing he spent the night somewhere else. Oh, is that the suit you’re going to wear?”
186. >She looks to your bag and you toss it over to her, Twilight catching it with her magic.
187. >She pulls it our and examines it closely, but seems pleased over all.
188. >”This will do perfectly!”
189. “What about you? You going to get all dolled up and fancy for the big meeting?”
190. >”Oh, it’s not JUST a meeting. It’s basically a gala.”
192. >She continues to examine your suit, while you look at her with serious, tired eyes.
193. “Come again?”
194. >”The meeting. It’s like a big dinner party.”
195. “Since when was it a fucking dinner party?”
196. >”Since I got the letter.”
197. “So you knew this was some sort of big, drawn out affair, and you didn’t tell me?”
198. >”Does it matter really? We go to Canterlot, we have dinner with Princess Celestia, stay the night, and come back in the morning.”
199. >You rub your temples while muttering under your breath, your exacerbation reaching new limits.
200. “Fucking hell, this is just perfect. Now I have to sit down at a table and be cordial with them?.. wait, please tell me it’s JUST dinner with the Princesses.”
201. >”I think it’s a royal gala for privileged guests.”
202. “So I have to mingle with rich bastards. Fuck me, Twilight, why didn’t you tell me about all this shit?”
203. >Twilight looks at you confusedly.
204. >”What’s the problem?”
205. “The problem is that you know I don’t like royalty, especially when said royalty is in HIGH fucking numbers and trying to get to know me. I don’t like it. I don’t like it one fucking bit, and now I’m not drinking or smoking to make you happy and that’s giving me the WORST headache and temper I’ve had in a real long time. That, Tink, is the fucking problem.”
206. >You trudge over to a large chair by the fireplace and slump into it, groaning to yourself.
207. >Twi trots up next to you, resting her hooves on one of the arms of the chair as she frowns at you, worriedly.
209. >”I’m sorry, but this dinner is important to me, Anon. You know that. I was just trying to make sure that… you know… that you’d go with me.”
210. >You raise an eyebrow to her, your puzzler puzzling.
211. “Tink… did Celestia request to see me?”
212. >”What? O-of course she did! That’s why we’re going to Canterlot!”
213. >Something was up.
214. >”Twilight.”
215. >She shifts her eyes from side to side, trying to avoid your gaze.
216. >Mother of god.
217. >Really?
218. >She didn’t…
219. >Oh bloody hell she did.
220. “There never was a meeting with the princess, was there?”
221. >”Uh-“
222. “Celestia just invited you to a banquet, and you didn’t have a date.”
223. >”UH.”
224. “Twi.”
225. >Twilight gives a loud groan and darts away from your chair.
226. >”Fine! Princess Celestia asked for me to come to a dinner gala, and I had no one to go with. She didn’t give me enough tickets like last time, so I had to choose someone, and I run enough experiments on you as it is so I thought that maybe you could go with me, but I got nervous when I thought about asking you out to a dinner party so I decided to tell a little white lie and let you think it was just some meeting with Celestia on a purely scientific basis, but in actuality I was just too nervous to ask you out because-“
227. “Stop.”
228. >You get out of your seat and walk over to Twilight, a nervous expression on her face.
229. “I don’t know why you had the fucking need to lie to me, but you did. That’s in the past now. Can we just focus on the present and just GO to the gala… dinner… banquet, thing?”
231. >”You… aren’t mad at me?”
232. “I don’t fucking CARE, Twi. You need a date for this dinner, so be it. I’ll be your company for the night.”
233. >She smiles wide at you, but then her expression grows serious.
234. >”We have to set some ground rules.”
235. “Fine. Just get this over with so I can get into my suit.”
236. >”No drinking or smoking.”
237. “Tink, I’m already not doing that.”
238. >”It’s a banquet, Anon. There’s going to be champagne and wine.”
239. “…I’m not allowed to have that?”
240. >”No.”
241. “…fuckin’ harpy.”
242. >She stares at you hard and you roll your eyes.
243. “Fine. What else?”
244. >”No fighting or bad mouthing the princesses.”
245. “Okay, NOW you’re asking for far too much.”
246. >”Anon.”
247. “What is someone starts being a cunt? How am I supposed to just sit there and let the cunt keep being…being… a cunt?!”
248. >”You will sit there and bare through it. Also, no swearing.”
249. “Oh FUCK you. I will swear all goddamn night, you fuckin’ ridiculous wench.”
250. >”Now you’re just trying to swear a lot.”
251. “Fuck you.”
252. >”Anon, please.”
253. >Giving yet another annoyed and frustrated groan, you run your hands through your hair and give a swift grunt.
254. “Fine.”
255. >Clapping to herself a bit, she smiles brightly at your and looks back to you hopefully.
256. >“Oh, one more thing.”
257. >She darts back up to her room, rummaging inside a small closet while various articles of clothing.
258. >A few minutes pass, and Twilight emerges wearing a bland, yellow dress.
259. “What’s that?”
260. >”It’s my dress. For the banquet. I wanted your opinion of it.”
262. “You’re wearing that for the banquet?”
263. >”…yes?”
264. “Huh. Alright then.”
265. >”Wait, is it bad?”
266. “No. Not bad at all. It’s… well it certainly IS a dress.”
267. >Twilight’s ears turn downward, and she furrows her brow in disappointment.
268. >Well shit.
269. “It looks nice on you.”
270. >”R-…really?”
271. “Aye.”
272. >She perks up at that.
273. “So… how are we getting to Canterlot? Are you going to do your nifty little teleportation thing and bam, we’re there?”
274. >Twi shakes her head from side to side, walking over to some of her books and filing through various pages.
275. >”Actually, we’re getting picked up by a small chariot in a few hours. Then we take a flight over there and enjoy our evening.”
276. “But you could still teleport us there… right?”
277. >”Yes?”
278. “Then why don’t we just do that?”
279. >”Because we’re being sent a chariot! It’s just polite to- You seem really agitated.”
280. “Oh, really? What gave it away? My charming demeanor?”
281. >She gives a deadpan stare as you walk over to the couch, lying down and covering your face with a book.
282. >”Are you taking a nap?”
283. “No. I’m just reading this book, and I want to read so, FUCKING, closely.”
284. >”…”
285. “…”
286. >”…really?”
287. “No Tink, I’m taking a nap. Wake me when it’s almost time to ship out.”
288. >Rolling her eyes and giving a small chuckle, Twilight trots over to her desk and pulls out a small piece of parchment.
289. >As you try to fall back to sleep, Twilight taps you lightly with her hoof.
290. “What?”
291. >”Well… remember that one song you sang? When you were painting?”
293. >You lift the book above your eyes to look at her, and she gives you a hopeful expression.
294. “…what about it?”
295. >”Well I was just… you said your mother would sing it to you.”
296. “That I did. Now I’ll repeat my last question. What about it?”
297. >She shifts a bit, unsure how to approach this topic.
298. >”Well… I wrote down the lyrics. I.. kind of memorized them.”
299. >You take the book off your face completely now, staring directly into her eyes.
300. >”It’s a beautiful song, Anon… but it’s also a sad song. It’s about death, and fighting, and betrayal.”
301. >You can see a twinge of sadness in her eyes now, as she dissects your song further.
302. >”It got me thinking. You don’t like to talk about where you come from. You say that it’s not really any of my business, and maybe you’re right… but I think I may know a little bit more about you than you think.”
303. >Sitting up on the couch and leaning forward on your knees, you look her dead center with an expressionless face.
304. “Alright then, what have you got?”
305. >Twilight swallows back a bit of air, but dons a look of determination before beginning.
306. >You admired that look.
307. >”My first thought was why a mother would sing a song of such… anger and beauty to her son. Then I got to thinking about your hatred for authority. How you don’t really care for anyp0ny who’s in charge of things.”
308. >She was starting to get it.
309. >God be damned… she was actually fucking getting it.
311. >”Anon… you never told me how you got to Equestria from Earth. You never talked about it. Did… did it have something to do with all the violence in this song?”
312. >You say nothing back to her, instead choosing to look back into her violet eyes.
313. >You hands reach out to her, taking her front hooves in them as you cradle them gently.
314. “Come all you young rebels, and list while I sing…”
315. >Nodding to her, Twilight blushes a tad, but you stare at her long enough for her to join you.
317. >”The love of one’s country is a terrible thing.”
318. “It banishes fear with the speed of a flame.”
319. >”And it makes you all part of the Patriot Game.”
321. “…My mother sang that to me as I died, Twilight.”
322. >”…what?”
323. >You find yourself staring at the floor, rather than her eyes now.
324. “I’m not a religious man. Mom and Dad were, but I was too young to really get it. They would sing me to sleep, and it was always songs about being true to yourself and fighting for what you believed in. Songs about standing up to tyranny and not giving a damn what others think about you.”
325. >You find yourself smiling now.
326. >Funny how that worked.
327. “When I was three, I got sick. I got very, very sick. My family… we were poor. We couldn’t afford a doctor. So my parents did the best they could… and one night, my mother sings me this song. She had never sung it before to me. Just… just that night. And then I just… slipped away. I slipped away like barley in the wind.”
328. >Raising your head, you lock eyes with Twilight once more.
329. “I slipped away, and then woke up in a rain covered alleyway in Manehatten. No lights. No choirs. Nothing. Just darkness, and then a city.”
330. >Twilight looks at you, bewilderment and wonder in her eyes mixed with fear.
331. “Like I said, I’m not a religious man. I don’t know if this is some sort of fucked up joke from the lord or if I’m living out my final days in some coma induced fever dream. All I know is, I’m here. I’m here and I don’t plan on going anywhere soon.”
332. >The two of you sit there in silence for a bit, when Twilight speaks up.
334. >”I think I get it.”
335. “It?”
336. >”You. I think I get you now. You are the way you are because that’s who you were always meant to be. You can’t be changed. You won’t be changed. You don’t want to change, because then you would be someone you’re not. That’s why you drink in the morning and smoke as soon as you wake up. That’s why you fight others and put yourself in harm’s way. You’re just… you’re just being…”
337. “Me.”
338. >”…yeah.”
339. >You give her a faint smile, and ruffle her mane.
340. “Is it bad? Being me?”
341. >Twilight thinks to herself, and laughs.
342. >”You can be pretty unbearable sometimes, Anonymous.”
343. >A hoof lightly touches your cheek and she smiles.
344. >”But… despite it all… I wouldn’t wish you to change.”
345. >Both of you are smiling now, and you find yourself holding Twilight’s face in your hands, softly caressing her cheek.
346. “Thanks Tink.”
347. >You bring her close and kiss her on the forehead.
348. “Now then. I think we have a banquet to get ready for.”
349. >You jump to your feet, grabbing the bag with your suit in it and heading for your room.
350. >”Anon.”
351. “Hm?”
352. >”Remember. No drinking, smoking, swearing or fighting. Promise?”
353. >A short laugh escapes your chest.
354. “I promise.”
356. Three Hours Later
358. >You were going fucking mad.
359. >You were going FUCKING mad.
360. >BLOODY
361. >FUCKING
362. >MAD
363. >This blonde motherfucker has been sitting at your table going on and on and fucking on about how god damn wonderful his life is.
364. >Twilight’s been keeping you away from the good liquor, Princess Luna’s been giving you bedroom eyes from across the table, Celestia won’t stop asking you about your thumbs, and god dammit this pompous son of a bitch named Blueblood would not shut the fuck up.
365. >Twilight glances over to you and mouths out a quick “sorry.”
366. >Seems she could see the pain written all over your face, along with the bruises and cuts from the actual, physical pain.
367. >Of course if Blueblood kept going on about how wonderful it was to have a butler that personally spoon fed him spaghetti, then you think your body would actually begin to feel real pain from his words alone.
368. >”Oh, and let me just tell you how dreadful it was last year at the Grande Galloping Gala! There were just these mares that absolutely ruined the evening!”
369. >Blueblood shudders as he begins to complain about yet another thing in his life he could do without.
370. >”Oh, Twilight! You were there, were you not?”
371. >Twilight hides her face in embarrassment, nodding to Blueblood.
373. >”Yes, yes, just dreadful. Utterly dreadful! Ugh, the common fold can be quite the nuisance.”
374. >Oh god you wanted to punch this fucker.
375. >Just a quick right hook, that’s all you asked for.
376. >But… you promised Twilight.
377. >”Oh, Twilight? I don’t mean to be rude, but in the future you might want to dress in something not so… well, ugly.”
378. >The entire table is staring at Blueblood as he continues to laugh his stupid laugh and eat his food.
379. >You look to Twi, your eyes pleading.
380. >She grimaces.
381. >Then nods.
382. >The grin on your face could silence angels with its happiness.
383. >You snatch a bottle of wine, popping it open and downing it at you rise form your seat and walk over to Blueblood.
384. >You tap his shoulder.
385. >”Yes?”
386. >You raise the bottle.
387. “Cheers.”
388. >And crack it across his face.
390. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcLpNP8jwRo
392. ~END~

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDSud7vAH_0&name=Flogging+Molly+The+Worst+Day+Since+Yesterday >This was a lot earlier than you would prefer waking up, but your body seemed rested enough for the time being. >Well, rested and beaten to shit, for the most part. >Your whole torso ached from last night’s fight, and the bruise under your eye screamed at you every time you blinked. >Not a good morning so far, then. >You glance around, taking in the library around you. >You were still in Twilight’s bed. >And Twilight herself was still here with you, in fact. >Seems she must have curled up for the night after she read to you. >Her breathing is gentle and the tips of her bangs sway slightly with each exhale she gives. >Cute. >You carefully shift out of the bed, careful not to disturb her as she sleeps. >You needed a drink to make the ringing in your ears fucking stop. >As you groggily make your way down to the basement, you think about the day ahead of you. >Twi was going to be dragging you to Canterlot for a meeting with the princess, and knowing Twilight she was going to be stressing over it the moment she wakes up. >You didn’t like it, but what the hell were you going to do? Just skip out and not even show up? >… >No, you were an ass but you weren’t THAT much of an ass. >Rubbing the pain in your shoulder as best you could, you finally make it back into your room, and you rummage around in one of your drawers for your nearest bottle of liquor. >Holding the half empty bottle bourbon in your hands, you find yourself pausing. >Your other hand rubs your cheeks, the scruff of a budding beard scratching at your fingers, and you stare at the bottle. >The sun had hardly began to rise, and here you were about to empty this bottle to start your day. >Normally you would have already opened it up and begun downing it. >But this morning… >This morning felt… different. >Damn, Iron Will must have beat you harder than you thought. >Telling yourself that you weren’t thirsty to begin with, you walk back upstairs and across the threshold of the library. >A picture on the wall catches your attention, and you stop in your tracks for a second. >Huh. She hung up the painting is seems. >Nice frame, too. >It’s kind of funny when you think about it. >You gave her so much shit. Day in and day out, you just fucking harassed her. >But still she put up with you. She dealt with your arrogance and your brutish behavior. >Did she actually care about you? >Or was she just dealing with your flaws in order to keep the royalty in the know? >Either way, you owed her. >Maybe it was the ringing in your ears and the aches in your spine, but you guessed you could give her one day of peace. >After all, she would probably go utterly insane if you caused some sort of fit at Canterlot. >Then again, the idea of Twilight throwing a fit in front of her beloved princess seemed intriguing. >… >Nah. Just go easy on her today. >From below the balcony you stood under, you could hear Twilight stirring in her bed slightly as she finally began to wake up. >Walking back upstairs and sitting on the bed, you gently stroke Twilight’s mane. “Christ you have bad bed head.” >”Mmhmmrr.” >Yep, she was still dead tired it seems. >You give a smirk and softly scratch behind one of her ears. “We still have a trip to take today, Tink.” >”Mmmr… just a few more minutes…” “Funny, you seem to like to wake me up whenever you damn well please.” >She shifts under the covers, a small smile on her face as she motions for you to move closer to her. >You up and just lie next to her and she crawls over to you, still half asleep. >She moves her face close to yours, sniffing you. >She smiles. >”You don’t smell like liquor…” “Yeah well… I’m taking a break today. No drinks.” >”Mmmh? Why’sat?” “Well… you’ve got yourself enough to worry about today. I’m just doing this as a favor to you.” >She rubs her eyes as she sits up in the bed and looks to you. >”And the smoking?” “Uh… well…” >Twilight looks to you with hopeful eyes. >Giving a defeated sigh and a rub of your eyes, you concede. “Fine. No smokes. I’m clean for the day.” >Twi gives a tired grin and nods, leaning her head onto your shoulder. >”Thank you.” >You wrap an arm around her and squeeze out a hug. “Only for you, Tink. No promises when we actually get to Canterlot, though.” >”But-“ “Twi, if we get there and the princess offers me smokes and booze, I will take her smokes and booze. That is the deal.” >”Ugh… fine. She’s not going to do that, you know.” “Never know.” >She rolls her eyes and you ruffle her mane as you get yourself out of the bed. >”Where are you headed?” “I’m meeting your precious princess today, Tink. I need a suit. I’ll be back here soon, I just need to drop by Rarity’s for a bit.” >You throw a quick wave her way and head out of the house, still in your boxers and tee shirt. >Honestly you were so sore that you didn’t even care you were walking through town in your underwear. >Your hand reaches up to where you would normally keep a pack of cigarettes in a shirt pocket, but you have to pull your hand away in frustration. >Anon, you had no cigarettes on you today. >You were not smoking today. >… >Fuck this was a horrible idea. >You were going to go mad soon, and it was only morning. >Do it for Twilight, Anon. Just do it for her, and then tomorrow you can smoke and drink yourself into a liquor and nicotine based coma. >You finally make it to Carousel Boutique, pushing your way through the front doors as a bell rings to signal your entrance. >Rarity dashes gracefully from her sewing room and greets you, a smile on her face. >Then she recognizes you. >”Oh! Anon! Well this is very pleasant surprise! What can I… do for you, today?” >She bats her eyes at you, s sultry grin on her face. “Save it. I’m not here for anything like that.” >”Why whatever do you mean?” “Listen lass, I’m just here for a suit. I got my money, you have the know-how.” >She pouts a bit when you brush her off. >”Just so you know, I’m not at all upset at our last little “encounter.” We were both very intoxicated that night, and for the most part you were a very charming gentleman, and I was an elegant and sophisticated lady.” “Elegant and sophisticated?” >”Indeed.” “Do elegant and sophisticated mares leave bite marks on necks then?” >Crossing your arms at her, you see that she glares at you while blushing. >”What is it you needed again?” “A suit.” >”Yes. Well. I can do that.” >With a wave of her horn, she levitates measuring tape, sewing needles, string, and other various sewing materials. >She takes your measurements and exits to her sewing room and gets to work, but not after she hovers over a glass of wine your way. >”It’s a vintage bottle, actually. I’ve had this one bottle of red wine for years now. Care for a drink?” “Ah… no. No, I’m fine actually.” >She looks back at you, an incredulous expression painted on her face. >”You’re serious? You don’t want any?” “Want? Trust me, I want some. Badly. But I won’t have any today. Thanks anyway.” >Her mouth hangs open for a second, but she shakes her head to get a grip of herself, and trots away to make your suit. >You sit down in a nice red chair by the door, tapping your foot on the ground occasionally in impatience. >Your eyes kept darting over to the glass of red wine Rarity left for you up on the counter. >You don’t need it. >You don’t need it. >You DEFINITELY don’t need it. >… >You spring to your feet but smack yourself in the face. >NO. >Fucking RESIST it, mate. >You sit back down in the chair, rubbing your stinging cheek and give a sigh. >This was going to be much, MUCH harder than you thought. >Half an hour passes, and you eventually doze off in the chair you were sitting in when Rarity finishes. >”Anon? It’s all finished!” >You wake up, rubbing your black eye as you look to the suit that Rarity is floating in front of you. >It’s a good looking set of clothes, that’s for sure. >A simple set of black dress pants, a white dress shirt with matching black coat. >She even made you a green tie. “I thought you hated green, lass.” >”I do, but you… well, it seems to suit you.” >You rise and rifle through your pouch of bits, handing a handful to Rarity before taking the suit in your hands while Rarity levitates it into a bag. “Thanks love. Take care of yourself.” >”No drinks and now he’s being polite. Tell me, are you feeling alright?” “Shut up, bitch.” >”Ah. That’s more like it.” >You give a wave and leave the boutique, heading back to the library to see if Twilight was ready to leave yet. >A gust of wind next to you lets you know a certain cyan pegasus has shown up to see you. “Rainbow. Morning.” >”Hey Anon, how are you feeling? You kind of… well, you kind of got your ass handed to you last night.” “Gee thanks Dash. I would never have remembered that, what with my body constantly reminding me every time I take a fucking step.” >”Yeah, you don’t look so good.” >She pokes your ribs and you let out a pained gasp. >”Oh wow, sorry.” “The fuck was that?!” >”I- sorry I just wanted to see if you were hurt there.” ”Dash, I got into a fight with a fucking minotaur. I HURT FUCKIN’ EVERYWHERE.” >She cringes at your snap and you rub your face. “Do me a favor: DON’T poke my body right after I got pummeled by a mythical creature. Alright?” >”You alright? You seem a lot angrier than usual.” “Did you miss the whole, “got knocked the fuck out by a giant horned cunt” bit?” >”It seems more that that.” >Giving a sigh, you turn to her. “Look, I have to meet the princess today. Twi wants be on my best behavior, and for her I will TRY to meet her expectations. Because of this, I’m not having a smoke or drink the whole day.” >Dash cocks her head to the side, confused. >”You’re not drinking or smoking today?” “No.” >”You’re… you’re serious?” “Yes.” >”And you’re doing that for Twilight’s sake?” “Yes.” >She stares at you for a bit, then smiles to herself. >“Good luck man. My heart goes out for to you. I’ll make sure to have a drink in your name.” “Fuck you.” >She cackles at your misery, punching your shoulder lightly and playfully. >”Hahaha, oh gosh this will NOT end well for you. Like I said, good luck.” “Yeah, thanks.” >With that she flies off and away from you. >She was probably right. You were already getting agitated from the change in your daily routine. >Would you really be able to get through an entire day without liquor or tobacco? >Hell, you already wanted to hit something and it wasn’t even noon. >You were a drunken ass who was refusing to drink, and you were about to go meet the ruler of the entire land. >And you wanted to fight something. >… >Fuck. >Shuffling your way into Twilight’s library, you can already spot her racing around the room while sorting all of her books, frantically tidying up the library. >She spots you and smiles. >”Oh, there you are! Was beginning to worry you wondered off down to the bar.” ”I’m a man of my word. What are you doing?” >”Cleaning up the place. I can’t find Spike anywhere, so I’m guessing he spent the night somewhere else. Oh, is that the suit you’re going to wear?” >She looks to your bag and you toss it over to her, Twilight catching it with her magic. >She pulls it our and examines it closely, but seems pleased over all. >”This will do perfectly!” “What about you? You going to get all dolled up and fancy for the big meeting?” >”Oh, it’s not JUST a meeting. It’s basically a gala.” >She continues to examine your suit, while you look at her with serious, tired eyes. “Come again?” >”The meeting. It’s like a big dinner party.” “Since when was it a fucking dinner party?” >”Since I got the letter.” “So you knew this was some sort of big, drawn out affair, and you didn’t tell me?” >”Does it matter really? We go to Canterlot, we have dinner with Princess Celestia, stay the night, and come back in the morning.” >You rub your temples while muttering under your breath, your exacerbation reaching new limits. “Fucking hell, this is just perfect. Now I have to sit down at a table and be cordial with them?.. wait, please tell me it’s JUST dinner with the Princesses.” >”I think it’s a royal gala for privileged guests.” “So I have to mingle with rich bastards. Fuck me, Twilight, why didn’t you tell me about all this shit?” >Twilight looks at you confusedly. >”What’s the problem?” “The problem is that you know I don’t like royalty, especially when said royalty is in HIGH fucking numbers and trying to get to know me. I don’t like it. I don’t like it one fucking bit, and now I’m not drinking or smoking to make you happy and that’s giving me the WORST headache and temper I’ve had in a real long time. That, Tink, is the fucking problem.” >You trudge over to a large chair by the fireplace and slump into it, groaning to yourself. >Twi trots up next to you, resting her hooves on one of the arms of the chair as she frowns at you, worriedly. >”I’m sorry, but this dinner is important to me, Anon. You know that. I was just trying to make sure that… you know… that you’d go with me.” >You raise an eyebrow to her, your puzzler puzzling. “Tink… did Celestia request to see me?” >”What? O-of course she did! That’s why we’re going to Canterlot!” >Something was up. >”Twilight.” >She shifts her eyes from side to side, trying to avoid your gaze. >Mother of god. >Really? >She didn’t… >Oh bloody hell she did. “There never was a meeting with the princess, was there?” >”Uh-“ “Celestia just invited you to a banquet, and you didn’t have a date.” >”UH.” “Twi.” >Twilight gives a loud groan and darts away from your chair. >”Fine! Princess Celestia asked for me to come to a dinner gala, and I had no one to go with. She didn’t give me enough tickets like last time, so I had to choose someone, and I run enough experiments on you as it is so I thought that maybe you could go with me, but I got nervous when I thought about asking you out to a dinner party so I decided to tell a little white lie and let you think it was just some meeting with Celestia on a purely scientific basis, but in actuality I was just too nervous to ask you out because-“ “Stop.” >You get out of your seat and walk over to Twilight, a nervous expression on her face. “I don’t know why you had the fucking need to lie to me, but you did. That’s in the past now. Can we just focus on the present and just GO to the gala… dinner… banquet, thing?” >”You… aren’t mad at me?” “I don’t fucking CARE, Twi. You need a date for this dinner, so be it. I’ll be your company for the night.” >She smiles wide at you, but then her expression grows serious. >”We have to set some ground rules.” “Fine. Just get this over with so I can get into my suit.” >”No drinking or smoking.” “Tink, I’m already not doing that.” >”It’s a banquet, Anon. There’s going to be champagne and wine.” “…I’m not allowed to have that?” >”No.” “…fuckin’ harpy.” >She stares at you hard and you roll your eyes. “Fine. What else?” >”No fighting or bad mouthing the princesses.” “Okay, NOW you’re asking for far too much.” >”Anon.” “What is someone starts being a cunt? How am I supposed to just sit there and let the cunt keep being…being… a cunt?!” >”You will sit there and bare through it. Also, no swearing.” “Oh FUCK you. I will swear all goddamn night, you fuckin’ ridiculous wench.” >”Now you’re just trying to swear a lot.” “Fuck you.” >”Anon, please.” >Giving yet another annoyed and frustrated groan, you run your hands through your hair and give a swift grunt. “Fine.” >Clapping to herself a bit, she smiles brightly at your and looks back to you hopefully. >“Oh, one more thing.” >She darts back up to her room, rummaging inside a small closet while various articles of clothing. >A few minutes pass, and Twilight emerges wearing a bland, yellow dress. “What’s that?” >”It’s my dress. For the banquet. I wanted your opinion of it.” “You’re wearing that for the banquet?” >”…yes?” “Huh. Alright then.” >”Wait, is it bad?” “No. Not bad at all. It’s… well it certainly IS a dress.” >Twilight’s ears turn downward, and she furrows her brow in disappointment. >Well shit. “It looks nice on you.” >”R-…really?” “Aye.” >She perks up at that. “So… how are we getting to Canterlot? Are you going to do your nifty little teleportation thing and bam, we’re there?” >Twi shakes her head from side to side, walking over to some of her books and filing through various pages. >”Actually, we’re getting picked up by a small chariot in a few hours. Then we take a flight over there and enjoy our evening.” “But you could still teleport us there… right?” >”Yes?” “Then why don’t we just do that?” >”Because we’re being sent a chariot! It’s just polite to- You seem really agitated.” “Oh, really? What gave it away? My charming demeanor?” >She gives a deadpan stare as you walk over to the couch, lying down and covering your face with a book. >”Are you taking a nap?” “No. I’m just reading this book, and I want to read so, FUCKING, closely.” >”…” “…” >”…really?” “No Tink, I’m taking a nap. Wake me when it’s almost time to ship out.” >Rolling her eyes and giving a small chuckle, Twilight trots over to her desk and pulls out a small piece of parchment. >As you try to fall back to sleep, Twilight taps you lightly with her hoof. “What?” >”Well… remember that one song you sang? When you were painting?” >You lift the book above your eyes to look at her, and she gives you a hopeful expression. “…what about it?” >”Well I was just… you said your mother would sing it to you.” “That I did. Now I’ll repeat my last question. What about it?” >She shifts a bit, unsure how to approach this topic. >”Well… I wrote down the lyrics. I.. kind of memorized them.” >You take the book off your face completely now, staring directly into her eyes. >”It’s a beautiful song, Anon… but it’s also a sad song. It’s about death, and fighting, and betrayal.” >You can see a twinge of sadness in her eyes now, as she dissects your song further. >”It got me thinking. You don’t like to talk about where you come from. You say that it’s not really any of my business, and maybe you’re right… but I think I may know a little bit more about you than you think.” >Sitting up on the couch and leaning forward on your knees, you look her dead center with an expressionless face. “Alright then, what have you got?” >Twilight swallows back a bit of air, but dons a look of determination before beginning. >You admired that look. >”My first thought was why a mother would sing a song of such… anger and beauty to her son. Then I got to thinking about your hatred for authority. How you don’t really care for anyp0ny who’s in charge of things.” >She was starting to get it. >God be damned… she was actually fucking getting it. >”Anon… you never told me how you got to Equestria from Earth. You never talked about it. Did… did it have something to do with all the violence in this song?” >You say nothing back to her, instead choosing to look back into her violet eyes. >You hands reach out to her, taking her front hooves in them as you cradle them gently. “Come all you young rebels, and list while I sing…” >Nodding to her, Twilight blushes a tad, but you stare at her long enough for her to join you. >”The love of one’s country is a terrible thing.” “It banishes fear with the speed of a flame.” >”And it makes you all part of the Patriot Game.” “…My mother sang that to me as I died, Twilight.” >”…what?” >You find yourself staring at the floor, rather than her eyes now. “I’m not a religious man. Mom and Dad were, but I was too young to really get it. They would sing me to sleep, and it was always songs about being true to yourself and fighting for what you believed in. Songs about standing up to tyranny and not giving a damn what others think about you.” >You find yourself smiling now. >Funny how that worked. “When I was three, I got sick. I got very, very sick. My family… we were poor. We couldn’t afford a doctor. So my parents did the best they could… and one night, my mother sings me this song. She had never sung it before to me. Just… just that night. And then I just… slipped away. I slipped away like barley in the wind.” >Raising your head, you lock eyes with Twilight once more. “I slipped away, and then woke up in a rain covered alleyway in Manehatten. No lights. No choirs. Nothing. Just darkness, and then a city.” >Twilight looks at you, bewilderment and wonder in her eyes mixed with fear. “Like I said, I’m not a religious man. I don’t know if this is some sort of fucked up joke from the lord or if I’m living out my final days in some coma induced fever dream. All I know is, I’m here. I’m here and I don’t plan on going anywhere soon.” >The two of you sit there in silence for a bit, when Twilight speaks up. >”I think I get it.” “It?” >”You. I think I get you now. You are the way you are because that’s who you were always meant to be. You can’t be changed. You won’t be changed. You don’t want to change, because then you would be someone you’re not. That’s why you drink in the morning and smoke as soon as you wake up. That’s why you fight others and put yourself in harm’s way. You’re just… you’re just being…” “Me.” >”…yeah.” >You give her a faint smile, and ruffle her mane. “Is it bad? Being me?” >Twilight thinks to herself, and laughs. >”You can be pretty unbearable sometimes, Anonymous.” >A hoof lightly touches your cheek and she smiles. >”But… despite it all… I wouldn’t wish you to change.” >Both of you are smiling now, and you find yourself holding Twilight’s face in your hands, softly caressing her cheek. “Thanks Tink.” >You bring her close and kiss her on the forehead. “Now then. I think we have a banquet to get ready for.” >You jump to your feet, grabbing the bag with your suit in it and heading for your room. >”Anon.” “Hm?” >”Remember. No drinking, smoking, swearing or fighting. Promise?” >A short laugh escapes your chest. “I promise.” Three Hours Later >You were going fucking mad. >You were going FUCKING mad. >BLOODY >FUCKING >MAD >This blonde motherfucker has been sitting at your table going on and on and fucking on about how god damn wonderful his life is. >Twilight’s been keeping you away from the good liquor, Princess Luna’s been giving you bedroom eyes from across the table, Celestia won’t stop asking you about your thumbs, and god dammit this pompous son of a bitch named Blueblood would not shut the fuck up. >Twilight glances over to you and mouths out a quick “sorry.” >Seems she could see the pain written all over your face, along with the bruises and cuts from the actual, physical pain. >Of course if Blueblood kept going on about how wonderful it was to have a butler that personally spoon fed him spaghetti, then you think your body would actually begin to feel real pain from his words alone. >”Oh, and let me just tell you how dreadful it was last year at the Grande Galloping Gala! There were just these mares that absolutely ruined the evening!” >Blueblood shudders as he begins to complain about yet another thing in his life he could do without. >”Oh, Twilight! You were there, were you not?” >Twilight hides her face in embarrassment, nodding to Blueblood. >”Yes, yes, just dreadful. Utterly dreadful! Ugh, the common fold can be quite the nuisance.” >Oh god you wanted to punch this fucker. >Just a quick right hook, that’s all you asked for. >But… you promised Twilight. >”Oh, Twilight? I don’t mean to be rude, but in the future you might want to dress in something not so… well, ugly.” >The entire table is staring at Blueblood as he continues to laugh his stupid laugh and eat his food. >You look to Twi, your eyes pleading. >She grimaces. >Then nods. >The grin on your face could silence angels with its happiness. >You snatch a bottle of wine, popping it open and downing it at you rise form your seat and walk over to Blueblood. >You tap his shoulder. >”Yes?” >You raise the bottle. “Cheers.” >And crack it across his face. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcLpNP8jwRo ~END~