AGC

Fluttershy stood again in the white void, now looking at the three gods which governed her life and everypony else’s.

The infidel...

Infidel?

Traitor.

She knew all three spoke, but could not tell which was which: as a collective, their imperfections cancelled out, and they spoke in identical tones and registers. The only identifying features of each were the ideas held in their comments.

To punish her?

    Punishment.

        Reprimand.

    Punishment.

Punishment seems wise.

        Compromise. A valuable asset: not worth losing.

Indeed. Compromise.

    Compromise is not advised: she has betrayed in the past.

Past betrayal does not imply future transgressions.

        The infidel must be given another chance.

PEGASUS.

One of the voices shouted, getting her attention. “Y-yes, my liege?”

Thou shalt be once more given flesh.

    Another body with which to serve.

        A second chance.

“Th… thank you! I won’t fail this time!”

Patience;

We are not yet done with thee.

There is more to be done.

“And… wh-what would that be?”

Thou art no longer the same pony.

Thou canst not be a dead horse.

Another thee must be born.

“Wh… why?”

The pony ‘Fluttershy’ is no more.

    Thine old self is expired.

        Another pony thou must become.

“But… I don’t want—”

Before she could voice protest, Fluttershy felt something draining from her. She looked down and saw her own pale yellows and pinks seeping off into the void. At the same time, her mind was opened to who she really was: she saw herself, her past selves, future selves, alternate selves, and anti-selves, all in her mind’s eye watching her die.

Her view focused on one iteration in particular: pale white coat, dark black mane, and obviously mentally scarred. Laconia, she knew.

As she gazed upon the horde of Doppelgängern within her own mind, and allowed them to gaze back, fear overtook her. She was to be no more. Was to die.

Thou art at thine end.

    Submit to thy fate, Pegasus.

        Allow another form to come into being.

“I… I can’t!” she screamed.

Resistest thou us?

    She resists.

        She has doubts.

“I... I can’t be somepony else. I can’t allow myself to be violat—”

Before she could argue any further, a horrible surge passed through her mind. Just like that, the myriad look-alike ponies were gone, and she was alone in her mind with this ‘Laconia’.

Thou willst conform.

    Thou hast no choice.

In Fluttershy’s mind, Laconia stared at her with fear.

“Hello.” she managed, shy even to a figment of her own imagination.

“H-hello…” the apparition responded. “Do you know what this is about?”

“Yes, I’m afraid. I’m so very sorry, Laconia.” Fluttershy said. “I don’t want to do this.”

“Do what?” she asked, now terrified.

Become one with the next form.

    Consume her.

        Embrace her being.

Fluttershy shook her head, shattering the noumenon.

“Why do I have to do this?!” she screamed, confronting the gods.

She challenges us.

    She is threatening us.

        She is confused.

“You’re buckin’ right I’m confused. Why do I have to kill an innocent pony - myself, at that - just to continue your twisted little glue factory?!”

She questions the cause.

    She is clouded by morality.

        She does not understand our cause.

    Her morality clouds her judgement.

Morality blinds her the truth of the cause.

        Her morality overpowers our truth.

    The morality is the danger.

The pegasus’ confusion endangers the cause.

    Alter her.

        Educate her.

Alteration provides higher chance of success.

        She may be damaged in the process.

Either way, there is risk.

    She will be altered, then.

“Oh, thank you. I promise I—”

She heard a squeak from within her head, and stopped mid-praise.

“But… what of Laconia? She can’t just stay in my mind forever.”

An acceptable loss.

    She can, in fact, stay in thy mind forever.

        Thou canst become her mentor, and she serve in place of thee.

Living arbiters cannot be replaced.

They can take one another’s place, and work as apprentice and master incumbent.

    This has never been done before.

        It cannot fail.

They are effectively one and the same.

No risk would be taken in doing so, only a more experienced arbiter.

Very well. She is also spared.

    She is to replace thee.

        Thou art to serve as her mentor.

Fluttershy frowned. “So… we don’t get to go home?” Within her mind, Laconia mirrored the frown.

Your roles are to be reversed: thy world now hers, and her mind to be thy new world. Thou willst take her as an apprentice, and teach her the way of Order.

“No… I don’t want this.” Fluttershy said. “I can change, I can work better, I can—”

Silence. Thou art to be her mentor, and she thy student.

    Rejoice that we have chosen to spare thee.

        Thou canst now more influential than ever before be.

“But… that’s not true. I hold no power without a name.”

        Thou hast a name. Thou art ‘Lac’—

“No. I am not. Take my accomplishments, my life, my friends, but leave me my name.”

    Enough.

Suddenly, her mind was overcome with an inside-out sensation. She watched herself pull back into the recesses of her own psyche, and watched the other pony come forth and inhabit her body. For a brief but all-too-long instant, the two consciousnesses overlapped, and their thoughts, fears, and memories overflowed into each other’s minds.. And then they were once again seperate

Laconia came to in a familiar house, though this one was… different. As she gained control of the body, grief overwhelmed her. Not only had she just murdered that ‘Flutterfly’ pony, but she had lost her own life as well, now resident—

I’m right here. said a voice within her head.

“Who... who’s there?”

My name’s Fluttershy— used to be Fluttershy. She sounded forlorn. I believe we’ve met.

“So… this is your…?”

Yes, you’re now living in my body. And I’m now living in my own mind. Fair trade, no?

“Look, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to, I couldn’t help it, it ju—”

I don’t really care anymore. You just need to know that this was part of an arrangement, and you’re going to be made to do things you don’t like. I’m here to help you.

“Okay… what do I need to do?”