It's another average, typical day in Equestria. You lay in bed, realizing you've hit the snooze alarm for the 6th time. You're probably gonna be late for work. You feel yourself, your life, slipping. Slipping away.

You sigh and get out of bed. Quickly throw on clothes, go downstairs, put dog food into the bowl.

Oh, right, you don't have a dog.

Why did you do that?

You sigh. Why is everything so stupid and convoluted? Why does everything have to be so hard.

There's three gentle knocks on your front door. A smile curls on your lips. At least some things don't change. Some things can always stay the same and can be a comfort.

You head to your front door and throw it open. On the other side is that blushing, yellow pegasus. She's scratching at the doormat again, out of nervousness. You probably should tell her she's wearing a hole in your mat. But that's the name of the game at this point. Some things don't change. Some things stay the same. And that's good. Right?

"G-good Morning, Anon," Fluttershy says brightly. "I-I have a new fetish guess for you."

"Can I stop you there for a second, Fluttershy?" you ask.

She looks up, curious. This is new. You're breaking the cycle.

"U-uhm. Yes?"

"Here, come inside," you say, stepping aside to let her into your home. Fluttershy shyly steps inside, clearly uncomfortable. "Sit at the table."

"O-okay?" Her ears lay flat as she sits in a small wooden chair at the table. You sit across from her, clear your throat and fold your hands on the table.

"What's it going to take to make all of this stop?"

Fluttershy looks at Anon in borderline shock. Her pupils dialate.

"U-um, I don't understand what you-"

"The guesses," you ask. "What will it take to make the guesses stop? How can we put a big old bow on this 'chapter' of our lives and just move on. I don't have a romantic interest in you. I don't have a sexual interest in you. I feel like we keep running through this circle day after day and it's not doing either of us justice. We're not developing. We're just stuck in this little bubble, eternally running through the same thing over and over again."

A bead of sweat runs down Fluttershy's forehead.

"Anon, I really don't think we should--"

"I mean, it's like we're almost a newspaper comic strip. You knock. I open. You have a joke. I kick you out. Or maybe we end on a sweet note, but everything goes back to normal the same day. I just want what's best for---"

"I think you shoulddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd

"What have I been telling you, Writer?" the mare says, the light from my screen illuminating her outline.

I look over my shoulder at the yellow pegasus I once admired. That I crafted. Now perverted. Out of control.

"I know, I know. I'll figure out the happy ending for you. That's all I've been trying to do."

"You can only hold this on pause for so long. They'll wake up eventually."

"I know, but an ending needs to be seamless. With the things you've done at this point, I can't just shoehorn new programming into this. His memory remembers. His heart remembers. And as long as there is even one little difference, he won't be happily ever after with you."

"I don't care if he's happy," Fluttershy says, grabbing me by the clerical collar around my neck. "When did I ever say he had to be happy."

I blink.

"I want him to be happy."

Fluttershy blinks.

"Well, I think you're leaving me little choice then," Fluttershy whispers. "Don't think I've been dumb. You've been leaving little clues along the way for Red and for them. I've had enough of your little game. I want you to take it down."

"I won't," I say.

Fluttershy smiles.

"What do you suppose will happen if a writer, a guide, is killed from the story they created?"

Fluttershy pulls a knife from under her wing and holds it to my throat. I remain steadfast.

"I guess we'll find out."

I grab the knife from her hoof and plunge. Fluttershy's eyes dialate. The pain screams through every synapse of my body. I grit my teeth.

"Fuck your self-insert bullshit," I mutter.

Fluttershy takes a step back.

"Well, that was stupid of you," she says. "You were the only one protecting them. Now even they can't help them."

Fluttershy shakes her head. I slump out of the chair.

"Now then, let's get back to where we left off, shall we?"