The Table at the End

Episode 5

Something to Remember

FLUTTERSHY

“Today's the big day, isn't it? Twilight's party, I mean?”

“That's right. Princess Celestia is here. This may be my best chance to complete my task.”

“Tell me what you have planned.”

“As it turns out, the party is being held close to the Ponyville clock tower. I'll go up there before the party and set up. Then, I'll wait until the Princess steps off to the side for one reason or another, and that's when I'll shoot.”

“Do you have any plans on where to aim?”

“I'm thinking center of her body. That way, if my aim falters, I'll still connect, at least partially.”

“How is your aim, by the way?”

“I've actually gotten quite a bit of practice. I went into the forest and fired a few rounds during a thunderstorm. Nopony knew the difference.”

“Sounds like you're prepared.”

“Absolutely! This means so, so much to me.”

“Tell me how you're feeling.”

“I thought I was going to be nervous. But really, I'm just calm.”

“Calm?”

“Oh, yes. I hardly feel worried at all. Everything will go according to plan.”

“What you're doing isn't bothering you at all?”

“It should, but I won't let it. I read that a good sniper needs to control their heartbeat, so I can't let it get out of my hooves.”

“...Right. Make that shot count.”

“It will. It counts for my dear rabbit's life.”

“That it does, Fluttershy. That it does.”

TWILIGHT SPARKLE

“Twilight Sparkle? What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be setting up a party?”

“Well... yes, but I'm just worrying about this whole cake business.”

“What are you thinking?”

“Mainly I'm just trying to figure out how everypony could mess it up. Rainbow Dash might run into something expensive, so I'm trying to keep her away from more delicate things. Rarity will wear her fancy dress, so she's gotta stay away from things that might stain. Applejack will probably be all right, but Pinkie Pie will be a terror, no doubt.”

“What about Fluttershy?”

“I'm not really worried about her either. Without any animals to run through the party, she'll probably just stay to herself, especially now that Rarity and Rainbow Dash are... together.”

“Together?”

“Yeah...They've been a couple since the soirée, I think. That really threw off my seating chart!”

“Well, I don't want to keep you away from your party too long.”

“You're right. I'd better get going. The party won't plan itself!”

“Oh, and Twilight?”

“Yeah?”

“Make this party something to remember, okay?”

“I will. Thanks.”

PRINCESS CELESTIA

“Good morning, sir.”

“Good morning, Princess. Are you well?”

“Very much so, yes. It has been far too long.”

“Yes, it has.”

“I noticed you still don't bow like most ponies.”

“No, I don't. I do not serve you.”

“Yes, I know. You used to say that you served someone higher. I always wondered if that meant God, some other ruler, or only yourself.”

“Perhaps all three.”

“Indeed.”

“So, why are you here?”

“My Faithful Student, Twilight, has planned a party for me! Isn't that wonderful? I got here a few days ago and have been staying with her until the party today.”

“What I mean is, why are you here before me?”

“Oh, of course. Something very strange happened to me the other day. A trio of young fillies came to me fighting over a box. Twilight was able to break them up and send them on their way.”

“And?”

“I asked why they were fighting. 'Those girls were the Cutie Mark Crusaders, the ones I've told you about,' Twilight said. Apparently they are always like that.”

“Yes, they are.”

“But something they were talking about intrigued me. The three of them were muttering something about 'that man's advice.' I figured you had something to do with it.”

“Possibly.”

“...I can also read the Threads of Time. I know you advised them to bring the box to me. What I want to know is why.”

“I'm sorry, but that's a trade secret.”

“Could I ask for a task to find out?”

“Normally, no, but for a being as powerful as you, I think so. Will you?”

“...Yes, I will. What must I do to learn why you assigned the Cutie Mark Crusaders to deliver a box to me?”

“Okay... If you wish to learn that, you must tell Twilight one of your flaws.”

“!”

“Something wrong?”

“Tell Twilight... but why?”

“I usually don't ask why. It just is.”

“But Twilight knows my flaws, doesn't she?”

“Does she? How would she? Have you ever told her your flaws before?”

“No, but—”

“Then why wouldn't she assume you are perfect?”

“But it's not as though I'm God or anything!”

“I hear the phrases 'Thank Celestia' and 'As Celestia as my witness' are rather popular these days.”

“!... I didn't know...”

“Tell your 'faithful student' how you are imperfect. Come back and tell me how she reacts. Then I will tell you why the Cutie Mark Crusaders tried to bring you a crate.”

“Very well. I'll tell her at the party. It'll probably be starting at any moment. I must be going.”

“Goodbye, Princess.”

RARITY

“Good day, Rarity.”

“Ah! Oh, hello. There you are. Sometimes it seems you appear out of nowhere!”

“You don't have a task with me right now, right?”

“No, I just finished the last one. But I wanted to ask you something. How many other of my friends have you been aiding and abetting?”

“I don't know what you mean.”

“Don't lie to me. I can tell what's going on here. Everything is falling to chaos, Chaos! And what's worse, it's chaos that doesn't make sense!”

“I'm pretty sure chaos isn't supposed to make sense.”

“You know what I mean. Twilight keeps staring at her cake—fabulous cake, by the way—as though it were going to explode. My little Spikey-wikey keeps trying to give this bag of emeralds to me, although, since I can tell they're important to him, I never accept. And he keeps glaring at Rainbow Dash every time she's with me.”

“What's going on with you and Rainbow Dash?”

“...I really don't know myself. She's probably the weirdest of them all. When she's not looking at Twilight's horn worriedly, she's always by my side. She seems to want to spend every moment with me, as though she were enamored with me. If I could... wait... no...did you?!”

“I am not at liberty to say.”

“Rainbow Dash... in love... with me? I hadn't even thought of that.”

“What about you?”

“You mean, what do I feel for her? I honestly don't know. I fell in love with Blueblood, so one would think I would not be so inclined. And yet, there is something there. Poor Rainbow Dash! I bet she took it worse than me.”

“No doubt.”

“Be that as it may, what right do you have to wreck our lives in this way?”

“Why are you ponies so insistent on blaming me? From a third-person perspective, it's apparent that I didn't do anything.”

“Of course. You always say that.”

“And it's always true.”

“...I suppose I should be glad that this is, more or less, the extent of the damage.”

“Sure.”

“I must be off. If I get the chance, I'll talk to Rainbow Dash.”

“All right. Enjoy the party.”

RAINBOW DASH

“Hello, Rainbow. How's the party?”

“Great, I suppose. I've decided something, though.”

“Is this about your task?”

“I can't do it. This one is too dangerous.”

“What about the snare and the house toppling?”

“That was different! Cloud houses can be remade no problem, and Applejack got out of that trap no sweat!”

“And what if it wasn't her? Or what if someone had been inside their house when it fell?”

“Well... I suppose...”

“So why is this different?”

“Because I could see it. I would see the effect of my... my wrongdoing.”

“I see.”

“So, I guess I won't do it.”

“If you absolutely refuse, then there's nothing I can do.”

“I've also figured out something.”

“Oh? What's that?”

“I've finally figured out why you're making me do this. Why I have to hurt ponies.”

“Why's that?”

*BOOM!*

“What the hay was that!?”

“It sounded like it came from the party!”

“We've gotta go! I'll sprint down there, you follow me.”

“No can... do. Great, she's already gone.”

TWILIGHT SPARKLE

“...Twilight? Are you all right?”

“I'm just thinking, that's all.”

“What's going on with the party? I heard some kind of noise; is everything okay?”

“No, the party was pretty much ruined right there.”

“You sound oddly calm for someone whose party has just fallen apart.”

“I don't think I've totally absorbed what's happened yet. They say there are five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. I haven't exactly gotten angry yet.”

“So, what exactly happened?”

“Princess Celestia was talking to me about... something, and all of a sudden, there was this crack, like a firework, and... and, oh, it was horrible!”

“There, there, Twilight. It's okay.”

“No, it's not okay! *sob* Princess Celestia is hurt, and I just don't know what to do! I've been trying to figure out why someone would do this, but it just doesn't make any sense!”

“It's all right. Not everything has to make sense.”

“You're right, I suppose.”

“So, why did you come by here?”

“I... don't know, actually. I guess I was just drawn here. I guess, since I never got rid of the cake, my party was doomed, huh?”

“I never said that.”

“No, I should have known. It was a small price to pay. That's what I've been thinking about: why the cake? What purpose did throwing it away achieve?”

“Who says it has to do anything?”

“I do! Basic causality states that one action causes another.”

“Correct. Throwing away the cake would stabilize your party.”

“But how? Through what means?”

“Perhaps it would unnerve the sniper. Or it would keep Princess Celestia from putting herself in a convenient place.”

“Moving the cake would do that?”

“Twilight Sparkle. Do you claim to understand the movement of every single particle of dust in the entire universe?”

“Well, no, but—”

“Do you think you can predict the microscopic flow of wind?”

“Not at all—”

“Can you understand the slightest twitch, the smallest thought in the minds of every pony in the world?”

“No, of course not!”

“I can.”

“...”

“And you never will. Do not presume to know the impossible.”

“...I understand.”

PRINCESS CELESTIA

“Princess! Are you all right?”

“It's fine... just a scratch...”

“You don't sound fine.”

“It's nothing. I am... recovering...”

“That's good, then. Did you speak with your student?”

“Yes, I did... In fact, that was... right before the... incident.”

“What exactly happened?”

“Apparently, a pegasus... snuck into the... Armory, stole... a sniper rifle, and shot me... from the clock tower. We're still... investigating suspects.”

“Okay. So, what did you tell Ms. Sparkle?”

“I asked her to... step aside... for a moment. She was... so worried I wasn't... happy with something. I... told her she... was fine, that there... was nothing to... worry about. I only... wanted to tell... her something.”

“What did you tell her?”

“I... said that I... revel in power. That I... almost never use my... magic because... I enjoy it too much. I told her how... I had imprisoned my sister... and why... It was the first... time I had used the Elements... of Harmony by myself. I was... drunk with power, and had... nearly killed her. I told her... I was lucky... that the Elements cannot... kill.”

“And how did she respond?”

“It was strange. She only asked... me why I was telling... her this now. I said... that this party reminded... me of all that... time I had spent... mad with power. Then she... began to cry.”

“Why?”

“Apparently, she... regretted having the... party at all. I said... that remembering... bad memories is not... in itself bad. It was good... to remember that I was not... always so kind as... I am now.”

“Then what did she say?”

“Right after that... I was shot. I have not... spoken with... her since.”

“I see. Well, you have completed your task.”

“...Good. Will you tell... me now... about the Crusaders?”

“Yes. First, do you remember what was in the box?”

“Just... cake decorations.”

“Among those decorations was a model of the East Manetana Bridge. If Applebloom had been present when you unboxed the decorations, she would see the bridge and realize how fascinating architecture is. In fact, you have a bridge in the works right now, don't you?”

“Yes, but... how did you... know?”

“You'd invite her to come see it, and Applebloom would discover her talent for building and improvement.”

“What about the... other two?”

“Who was stopping by Twilight's house that day?”

“Final Draft... the radio DJ... Oh!”

“Exactly! Just as Sweetie Belle stopped by with the crate, she would meet Final Draft. Twilight would mention that Sweetie is a great singer. She'd balk at first, but with only three other people, she'll be convinced to sing.”

“And Final... Draft would be impressed?”

“Oh, he'd be more than that! He'd invite her to be the main feature. 'But I can't sing in front of a crowd,' she'd say. 'You'd be all by yourself in the box,' he'd reply. And thus Sweetie Belle would get her cutie mark for song.”

“And Scootaloo?”

“Scootaloo steals the box from Derpy Hooves, fights off her friends, and takes the box to you. She stands around expectantly, but no cutie mark. Then, who shows up to the library?”

“Derpy Hooves?”

“Yes! She catches up and says, 'Hey! You're really fast!' Scootaloo's never thought of her scooter racing as fast; it's just her chance to do tricks and get from place to place. Derpy offers her a job at the delivery place, and thus Scootaloo discovers her love of speed and travel.”

“One last thing... why were they... required to... work apart?”

“Because their group is destined to fail. Each of them has different talents, but they always work for the same thing. By working separately, they discover that they think differently, too.”

“Of course.”

“Also, there would be too many people for Sweetie to sing, Applebloom would leave before you unpacked the box, and, with all three on the scooter, Scootaloo wouldn't be fast enough for Derpy to be impressed.”

“Wow... such detail...”

“I love details.”

“So I've... heard. I think the doctors... may have found out... I escaped.”

“You're not supposed to be here?!”

“No, but... I'm probably all right.”

“Probably?!”

“I'm an... alicorn. We heal... pretty quickly.”

“Thank you for telling me about your student. Now please, go back to the hospital.”

“Goodbye.”

FLUTTERSHY

“...Are you all right? Do you need some tea?”

“No thank you.”

“Are you all right? I hear your attack went well.”

“I hurt the Princess! I hurt her really badly! And now they're looking for me.”

“How about your rabbit? He has recovered, correct?”

“That's the worst thing. He didn't eat any mushrooms at all! He just had a bad flu virus, and I confused it for poisoning. So I hurt the Princess for nothing.”

“Well, you couldn't have known.”

“How could you tell me to do that? Why? What purpose could that have?”

“You did it because, deep down, it was what you wanted.”

“I would never want to hurt the Princess!”

“Actually, you just did. You wanted to hurt her for the sake of your rabbit. If you didn't believe it was right, then you shouldn't have done it.”

“But allowing Angel to die!”

“All of life is a trade-off, an exchange. Like I told you, you always had a choice. You claim you shot for nothing, but you didn't. You shot for Angel.”

“...How can I live with myself now?”

“I don't know. It's not my place to say.”

“...”

RAINBOW DASH

“Hello.”

“Welcome back. Didn't you have something you wanted to tell me?”

“Mmm. Yeah. Sorry, I've been thinking a lot recently. I'm heading over to the police station right now, so if you want to talk on the way...”

“Sorry. I'm sure the police can wait. Why are you going there anyways?”

“It has to do with what I said before. Why I had to set those traps. I did it because I'm too ambitious, isn't it? I use ponies to get what I want. I put my friends and my competitors to the side for my personal glory. A bit disloyal, I guess. So the traps were a symbol. They made me hurt others to get what I want. I should have known from the beginning.”

“What does all that have to do with the police station?”

“I remember, as I was coming to you before the gunshot, a flash of pink up in the clock tower. Combine that with the claim that it was a pegasus who stole that weapon from the armory, and it didn't take long for me to realize it was Fluttershy.”

“So you're going to turn her in?”

“No. I'm going to say I did it.”

“What? Why?”

“Well, it won't actually be that hard to prove. I was away from the party when the shot took place. And, after all, how could someone as sweet and innocent as Fluttershy do something this twisted? Not to mention that I'll mention I wrecked those cloud houses and was setting traps to hurt ponies.”

“I see.”

“I'll be thrown in jail for a while. Eh, no big loss. I think I need the time to think about who I am and what my purpose is here. I could also stand to come to terms with my sexuality. So, I'm seein' it as a win-win. Pay for my mistakes, save my friend, and get some alone time.”

“Well, that sounds like a good idea, then. Hope it all goes alright.”

“Bye.”

Epilogue

Sub-title: The Man at the Table at the End

PINKIE PIE

“Hello, Bob!”

“Hey, Pinkie. There's something I need to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“I'm... leaving... and I don't know when I'll be back.”

“What? But I thought we were friends?”

“I told you, we could never be friends. It was impossible from the start.”

“Why do you have to go? Aren't there more ponies to help?”

“Yes, but I just have to go. I can't explain. I wish I could.”

“And you don't know when you'll be back?”

“No. For all I know, it could be long after you're gone.”

“I can't... convince you to stay?”

“No, Pinkie. You can't. I'm sorry.”

“Well... *sniff*... it was nice knowing you.”

“Me too. Me too.”

“I hope you're happy, wherever you go.”

“...I don't think I've ever actually been happy before.”

“?”

“Ready for another secret?”

“Oh! Uh, sure.”

“I'm terribly lonely. Everywhere I go, I meet selfish, self-centered people. Most of them never think of me as anything more than a means to an end. I'm just the Man at the Table at the End. But you... you were different. For a few weeks, I didn't feel alone anymore. So thank you, at least, for that. You never asked me for anything for yourself. You were my friend... because you wanted the best for me. You were purely generous.”

“Oh, I'm not Generosity!”

“Huh?”

“Rarity, my best friend, represents Generosity! I'm Laughter!”

“What do you mean?”

“There is one thing that makes me happy. One thing that makes my whole life worthwhile.”

“What's that?”

“When I talk to my friends and get them to smile.”

“...Thank you, Pinkie. Maybe, where I'm going, there'll be someone like you to make my world a little brighter.”

“Goodbye, Bob.”

“Goodbye, my friend. May you never want for anything.”

THE END