What The Future Holds (Archie Various x Reader)

~ Chapter 57: Endangered Species Pt. 2 ~

Y/N stood up to find herself in a strange, ethereal space full of stars and nebulae.

"Hello? Anybody? Julie-Su? Lara-Le? Kneecaps??"

There so replies from anyone as she felt even more worried. Just then, a bright light appeared before it and revealed a beautiful alicorn. She has a white coat and wings, her mane & tail is striped of pink, purple, aqua blue, & green with sparkles around, her eyes are light grayish-magenta she wears a golden necklace with a purple gem on it, wears golden hoof shoes, and also has a sun mark on the side of her hip like Luna's but it's a moon.

"Hello, dear. I'm Celestia, who can control the sun, the princess and ruler of Canterlot. And I'm sure you've met my sister Luna."

"Whoa... Another beautiful creature..."

Celestia giggled, feeling flattered.

"How kind you are. Thank you. And I'm sure you've had a question. It's about the echidnas."

Y/N nodded, remembering why she's here.

"Have you seen them? Why aren't they here?"

"I had used my magic to save you before you get hurt. I tried doing the same with the rest of the echidnas, but they all are beginning to disappear one by one."

She looked down in shame.

"My magic wasn't enough to save them all... But I can only manage to save one more. Though there's a cost... That's why I brought you here. To make a choice."

She then guided to her to glass shards to show her the images, which is Julie-Su and Kneecaps. Y/N gasped in horror.

"I... have to choose?"

"I'm afraid so. Life can be unfair, but there's nothing we can do about it. We can't change it. It's your choice, Y/N. Choose wisely. I had managed to have a talk with the family as they entrust me to tell you that they trust you to take care of one of them and be there for your friend Knuckles. You wouldn't want him to be the last of kind."

Celestia nodded to Y/N as she had a long thoughtful look. If she chooses one of them, then they would be able to live like everyone else but then one will be gone with the rest of the echidnas that don't deserve that kind of punishment. This is a hard choice for her as she doesn't want to leave any of them behind. Celestia waited patiently for Y/N, knowing this will be a lot to take in. She looked back at those echidnas from the shards one last time before turning to Celestia.

"Celestia, I choose..."

Y/N then said something that truly surprised her and smiled in understanding. Then, one of the shards disappeared while one remains.

"See you later, Y/N."

Suddenly, a shifting blob of light blue energy emerges from Y/N's chest and begins to swirl around her while a pulsing white light grows from her very center. Y/N is lifted into the air, the whirls of light blue and white blanket her, and she disappears in a brilliant flash, like the supernova of a star.

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Meanwhile on Angel Island, Knuckles has been chasing after Thrash while fighting him as they teleport from warp ring after warp ring. They jumped out from another warp ring they went through as a pile of snow hit the grassy ground. Knuckles was about to attack Thrash when he made the warp ring fly towards him as he caught it and made it go down on the sky below. He jump off the cliff and dive towards the warp ring that was enlarged with Knuckles on his tail. Just as he was about to go through after Thrash went in first when the warp ring began to shrink back to normal size, shocking him. Knuckles quickly catch it and fly back on Angel Island and enlarged it, but all that's left is an empty warp ring with no glowy portal for him to get through again. He was completely shocked and angry that he lost Thrash.