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[COMPLETE] Pursuant, Forgotten

By Hearthsong
Created: 2026-03-27 14:44:27
Updated: 2026-04-12 16:21:16
Expiry: Never
sunset shimmeranonsafeanonymouseqgequestria girlsself indulgent tripe

  1. 1.
    I'm going to be a little real before we get going with this one: While I write most of my stories with the idea of them hopefully being something you guys enjoy, this one is incredibly self-indulgent. It is purely for me... as evident by the fact that the first part alone already has as twice as many words as some of my other projects (4600, for future viewers). I'm going to go ahead and post it anyway, on the off-chance someone else will like it too. Some further background: I've been listening to a lot of AnokoVA's work on YouTube (and probably damaging something in my mental from binging that kind of girlfriend experience content), and got in the mood for something angsty born from their Sunset videos. Some dialogue and situations are lifted from those videos as a result as a forewarning before you start going "I've seen this before!". And while CosmicButthole says that Norman isn't his personal creation, I do still inclined to credit him in some fashion for his work being a huge factor in making me want to write my own texts to start with.
  2. 2.
     
  3. 3.
    Part Two:
  4. 4.
    >Saturday night has rolled around once again
  5. 5.
    >The bells have long since rang to free Canterlot High's populace from its' confines, and the kids are already putting their two days of freedom to work in the best way they know how:
  6. 6.
    >Picking one of them at random and completely trashing their house with the wildest party Pinkie Pie can put together in a day's notice
  7. 7.
    >Which may not sound like a lot
  8. 8.
    >If you're not familiar with the girl in question
  9. 9.
    >As it stands the music, something peppy with plenty of bass, is thumping hard enough to probably cause some damage to the foundation
  10. 10.
    >An entire spread's been sourced from who knows where in the kitchen
  11. 11.
    >And even though it's not her house, Pinkie's managed to finagle some strobing lights
  12. 12.
    >They really give some much needed ambiance to the current dance floor (formerly some poor soul's living room) that a bunch of high schoolers are literally tearing up a rug on
  13. 13.
    >In the midst of this chaos is someone you're only vaguely familiar with darting here and there, trying to dissuade rowdy teenagers from elbow dropping each other on the couch ("It's delicate!")
  14. 14.
    >Stop the more athletic kids from racing up and down the stairs ("We just had them waxed!")
  15. 15.
    >And do anything in his power to get them to not get frisky in his parent's bedroom ("Mom is going to kill me!!")
  16. 16.
    >If you were a betting girl, you'd wager that that's the unlucky soul who got picked to play 'host'
  17. 17.
    >You observe the guy for a few more moments and then take a long drink from the solo cup in your hand
  18. 18.
    >You smack your lips, trying to figure out if the punch has been spiked yet
  19. 19.
    >Pinkie almost never does it at the same time every party
  20. 20.
    >Sometimes she does it right at the start, and it definitely shows
  21. 21.
    >Rarely she'll do it right as things are winding down
  22. 22.
    >Those late-night buzzes get weird, everyone gets all emotional
  23. 23.
    >Kind of like right now, where one kid takes his shirt off
  24. 24.
    >Swings it around like a flag
  25. 25.
    >And screams "THIS IS THE BEST YEAR OF MY LIFE"
  26. 26.
    >Before leaping off the couch and slamming his entire body weight onto the coffee table, absolutely destroying it ("Why?!")
  27. 27.
    >A roar of laughter peels through the air, followed by a cheer for this display of fortitude
  28. 28.
    >Yeah, she's definitely spiked it already
  29. 29.
    >"Yo, Sunset! Killer party, right?"
  30. 30.
    >Someone calls out to you to your left
  31. 31.
    >You glance over but immediately know you have no idea who this guy is
  32. 32.
    >Judging by the height you want to say Freshman?
  33. 33.
    >Unless something tragic happened in the womb and he got overcooked
  34. 34.
    >Still, you flash him your usual lopsided grin and raise your cup up in agreement
  35. 35.
    "Definitely one of Pinkie's best this year!"
  36. 36.
    >You pour as much cheer into that as you can, and of course, he eats it up
  37. 37.
    >"Totally! Hey, me and the guys were gonna try and get a punch pong game going, do you wanna join?"
  38. 38.
    >There it is
  39. 39.
    >Get the 'coolest girl in the school' to join their game and folks will flock to it, right?
  40. 40.
    >You think you should get credit for holding back the sigh of disappointment you want to let out
  41. 41.
    >But you'll settle for being satisfied with yourself for the achievement
  42. 42.
    >Scale back that grin into an apologetic smile, aaaand, perfect
  43. 43.
    "Sorry guys, but I'm actually looking for Pinkie Pie right now. I'll try and swing by for a few rounds, alright?"
  44. 44.
    >They're crestfallen, and one of them in the throng outright 'boos'
  45. 45.
    >Who does that?
  46. 46.
    >But the gaggle of Freshies recovers in short order
  47. 47.
    >"Don't take too long, then! Good luck with Pinkie!"
  48. 48.
    >Their lead Freshman waves as they gather up and go looking for a surface that currently isn't being danced on or in danger of getting elbow dropped through to set up their game
  49. 49.
    >Leaving you alone again
  50. 50.
    >Perfect
  51. 51.
    >If it wasn't already apparent, (You) are Sunset Shimmer
  52. 52.
    >And (You) are absolutely not sulking
  53. 53.
    >Just... grumbling
  54. 54.
    >By yourself
  55. 55.
    >Completely different
  56. 56.
    >...
  57. 57.
    >... Fuck!
  58. 58.
    >You still can't believe Dash got one over on you like that
  59. 59.
    >Someone in the halls had mentioned the seniors experiencing 'Senioritis'
  60. 60.
    >You'd never heard of it before
  61. 61.
    >And when you went to ask about it, unfortunately the only person around was Rainbow
  62. 62.
    >She sounded so serious when she was talking about it!
  63. 63.
    >"Oh yeah that's something all the senior classes get, the pressure makes the whole year act crazy."
  64. 64.
    >You distinctly remember noticing how a lot of your upperclassmen got... irrational during the years when you were ruling the school
  65. 65.
    >Twitchy, anxious, jumpy
  66. 66.
    >It made them incredibly easy to lean on to get what you wanted out of them
  67. 67.
    >You had tried to look up more information about Senioritis in the library before finally asking Twilight about it near the end of the day
  68. 68.
    >She just looked at you like you were trying to play a lame prank on her
  69. 69.
    >Before explaining that it wasn't a REAL disease, just a turn of phrase
  70. 70.
    >And of course Rainbow had to be nearby to hear that you had taken her so seriously, who practically choked on her laughter
  71. 71.
    >Fortunately you split up to get ready for tonight shortly after
  72. 72.
    >Though you were so frustrated you may have torn some of your favorite clothes in the midst of dressing up
  73. 73.
    >Hopefully Rarity doesn't mind the sudden repair requests...
  74. 74.
    >(Who are you kidding, she'll probably jump at the chance to make alterations, she's always got new ideas just waiting to be used)
  75. 75.
    >Either way it's got you avoiding your friends tonight
  76. 76.
    >You just know that Rainbow's gloated about being able to fool you for once to the rest of them
  77. 77.
    >And you really don't want to spend the night getting reassured or teased, depending on who finds you
  78. 78.
    >Hopefully she just forgets about the whole thing by tomorrow
  79. 79.
    >Setting yourself apart from your friend group has left you with a new problem though
  80. 80.
    >That group of freshmen is hardly the first gaggle to approach you tonight
  81. 81.
    >And you're fairly confident it won't be the last
  82. 82.
    >Ever since the Battle of The Bands the school's really embraced you
  83. 83.
    >The half-year of awkwardness left between you and the student body finally a thing of the past after you and the Rainbooms helped save the school from the Dazzlings
  84. 84.
    >People fully acknowledge you in the halls
  85. 85.
    >They invite you to hang out
  86. 86.
    >You're treated like someone they want to spend time with
  87. 87.
    >And at first that thrilled you, really
  88. 88.
    >But over time, doubt started to creep in
  89. 89.
    >You can trust your closest friends
  90. 90.
    >Even if they were sometimes insensitive they invited you into their lives at your lowest point
  91. 91.
    >Sure, it was born out of promises to Princess Twilight, but that was just to get your foot in the door
  92. 92.
    >They made time for you
  93. 93.
    >Stuck by you even when others thought they shouldn't
  94. 94.
    >Whether they realize it or not they're practically family to you now
  95. 95.
    >Even Twilight, a late addition from the recent debacle with the Friendship Games
  96. 96.
    >She slots in to that unit like she was always meant to be there
  97. 97.
    >But everyone else?
  98. 98.
    >While again, you're grateful their collective opinion on you 180'd as it did
  99. 99.
    >Part of you is terrified
  100. 100.
    >Convinced that it could do so again and leave you right back where you started
  101. 101.
    >Humans and Ponies aren't much different in that regard
  102. 102.
    >In Equestria you status as the Princess's Personal Student practically made you the tastemaker of the castle
  103. 103.
    >Even ponces like Prince Blueblood knew better than to challenge you, and he absolutely outranked you on the social totem pole
  104. 104.
    >In this new world, you kept up the same game
  105. 105.
    >It was so easy to get the students to shun anyone who earned your ire
  106. 106.
    >Even if it was just to make sure they didn't get subjected to it themselves
  107. 107.
    >Especially then
  108. 108.
    >This fear started out as a small niggle in the back of your mind
  109. 109.
    >But as time has gone on you can't help but feed it
  110. 110.
    >So whenever someone outside of your core group invites you to things
  111. 111.
    >If you can't get one of the girls to join you, you almost always decline them
  112. 112.
    >And now, here you are
  113. 113.
    >Sulking along the wall in the house of some kid who's name you never even learned
  114. 114.
    >(You're pretty sure you saw him clutching part of that coffee table and sobbing earlier)
  115. 115.
    >Trying to avoid the eye of your closest friends because you don't want to get roasted
  116. 116.
    >And trying even harder to avoid the attention of someone trying to use you for your clout before it turns sour
  117. 117.
    >Great job, Sunset
  118. 118.
    >For a moment you let the stress on your mind show in your face as you survey the room
  119. 119.
    >The dance party's still raging on
  120. 120.
    >If you lean to the side you can see into the kitchen, it looks like half the food's gone
  121. 121.
    >Means less mess to help Pinkie clean up later, at least
  122. 122.
    >Aside from that though, it's a typical high school party
  123. 123.
    >Everyone's convinced they're the main character and they're all trying to be the center of attention as a result
  124. 124.
    >Whether it by being the loudest, the funniest, or just outright making a spectacle of themselves
  125. 125.
    >Except...
  126. 126.
    >Someone across the room catches your eye
  127. 127.
    >Set apart from the throng of dancers, daredevils, and social butterflies
  128. 128.
    >Someone, like you, that's parked away from the groups and goings on
  129. 129.
    >In the dim, constantly changing lighting provided by Pinkie you can't really tell much from here
  130. 130.
    >When the light flashes yellow you can make out someone trying to make themselves smaller and a mass of hair that wouldn't be out of place on Fluttershy's head
  131. 131.
    >It's covering part of their face much like hers, but then the light cycles through the darker colors and they're difficult to make out
  132. 132.
    >But what really caught your attention was their singular exposed eye
  133. 133.
    >Making contact with your own, but also... not
  134. 134.
    >You wait for the cycle again and when the lights are bright enough to stare again
  135. 135.
    >Yeah, they're just staring at you... albeit with a bit of a glaze overtaking their vision
  136. 136.
    >Lost in thought?
  137. 137.
    >Honestly, you could dismiss them as a wallflower
  138. 138.
    >Plenty of students come to Pinkie's parties just to say they did, even if they huddle up and keep to themselves the whole time
  139. 139.
    >But you feel an odd bit of curiosity
  140. 140.
    >And before you know it, your feet are moving to cross the room and meet this stranger
  141. 141.
    >Others greet you and try to hail you down, but you just give them the bare minimum polite greeting you have to as you beeline
  142. 142.
    >As you get approach, you can really identify this person, now
  143. 143.
    >He's either a very tall Freshman or just a Sophomore
  144. 144.
    >Clothing is a bit loose so it's hard to get an idea for his build, but you're going to go with lanky
  145. 145.
    >When the light briefly cycles to white you can identify his skin as a lively forest green and his hair, bounding just past his shoulders, as a solid black
  146. 146.
    >A pretty average face, though you're not entirely sure if you're the best judge of character
  147. 147.
    >It took you a few weeks to figure out which humans were the mares and which were the stallions
  148. 148.
    >And their aesthetics are still something you're figuring out
  149. 149.
    >You're aware that you're attractive, and so are your friends
  150. 150.
    >With mostly a good idea of what you all have in common that would make people think that
  151. 151.
    >Guys...
  152. 152.
    >Still working on that
  153. 153.
    >You picked Flash as your trophy boyfriend because of his popularity and the inherit status that would afford you than anything actually about him
  154. 154.
    >He could've had the personality of dirt and you wouldn't have cared
  155. 155.
    >Honestly it probably would've been better if he had, then he wouldn't have dumped you like he did
  156. 156.
    >Wait
  157. 157.
    >You're getting completely sidelined here
  158. 158.
    >And when you pump the brakes on your mental tangent you realize that this guy's stopped staring into space and is actually regarding you, a surprised expression drawn clearly across his face
  159. 159.
    >Shit, it wasn't that long, was it?
  160. 160.
    >Quickly, you let your brain run on auto-pilot for just a bit more to address the stranger
  161. 161.
    "Hey! Um... hi! Sorry."
  162. 162.
    >Stellar start
  163. 163.
    "I don't mean to be weird, but you've been looking at me for the past... minute? Not in a creepy way, but it looked like it you had something on your mind... so, I thought I'd come over and say hi before we end up staring at each other all night. I'm Sunset. What's your name?"
  164. 164.
    >Now that you've gotten your introduction out of the way, the guy seems less weirded out
  165. 165.
    >But he's still visibly...
  166. 166.
    >Guarded would probably be the word for it
  167. 167.
    >You almost wonder if he's just plain not going to respond before his lips part
  168. 168.
    >"Right, sorry. I'm... Anonymous Tip."
  169. 169.
    >He almost doesn't sound sure of that, but you don't immediately have a reason to believe he's lying about his name to you
  170. 170.
    >You can't help but take a brief glance around again
  171. 171.
    >You wouldn't say this part of the room is isolated, but there's definitely some distance between you and the closest guests
  172. 172.
    >Two more strangers challenging each other to chugging as much punch as fast as they can
  173. 173.
    >Definitely going to need to make sure they're laying on their stomachs when the night's through
  174. 174.
    >And then there's Anonymous here, observing
  175. 175.
    "You... seem a little out of place."
  176. 176.
    >This close you can see his posture shift at that, arms tightening across his chest, mouth turning downward
  177. 177.
    "Not in a bad way! Just... y'know, different from a lot of the people here."
  178. 178.
    >You move to join Anonymous against the wall, lifting one of your legs to press the sole of your boot against it
  179. 179.
    >There's a brief moment where you're worried about getting shoeprints on it, but honestly, the guy has a lot more things to worry about right now
  180. 180.
    "So, are you actually enjoying this party, or are you hiding near a back wall like I've been trying to for the past hour?"
  181. 181.
    >Anonymous shuffles over to give you room, and at your question, stares at the back wall you're both very much resting against
  182. 182.
    >Then back at you
  183. 183.
    >At some point his singular eyebrow is raised - it doesn't quite work given that you can't see the other one to tell if he's properly Dreamworks Facing you, but you get the message
  184. 184.
    >The absurdity of it forces a small laugh out of you
  185. 185.
    "Yeah, same. It's a little too loud, and everyone's trying their hardest to be interesting in a way that makes them all just blur together."
  186. 186.
    >You help yourself to a deep drink from your cup, and give it a little shake
  187. 187.
    >Running low, but you just know you'll run into Pinkie if you go to the kitchen
  188. 188.
    >Continued conversation with a stranger it is
  189. 189.
    "So, you had this look on your face. Like you were thinking really intently about something. What's up?"
  190. 190.
    >Anonymous simply shrugs at that
  191. 191.
    >"To be honest, I was wondering if it was my cousin Norman's idea to ditch me the second we got here, or if he's legit being held up somewhere."
  192. 192.
    >He gestures around the room, his brow furrowing
  193. 193.
    >"He spent all week convincing me to come out to one of these, said we'd have a good time. I think some guys from his AV Club nabbed him. That was about two hours ago."
  194. 194.
    >It's his turn to take a drink
  195. 195.
    >He must've been savoring it because his pull's a lot deeper than yours
  196. 196.
    >Honestly, you kinda feel for the guy
  197. 197.
    >If Pinkie or Rainbow prodded at you to join them at some event and they just bailed on you the first chance they got...
  198. 198.
    >That would suck
  199. 199.
    "... Y'know, it's pretty loud here. What do you say we step outside? I think I saw a balcony on the second floor when I was coming in. I'm, well. I'm avoiding some people, your lifeline got cut. What do you say to keeping each other company for a bit? We can complain together."
  200. 200.
    >Anonymous... hesitates
  201. 201.
    >Honestly?
  202. 202.
    >It actually catches you off guard, after an entire night of people metaphorically tugging on your shirt sleeve and asking to hang out with you
  203. 203.
    >After a moment, 'spending time with Sunset Shimmer' apparently wins out against 'standing alone in a crowded room being miserable'
  204. 204.
    >"Sure, lead the way."
  205. 205.
    >And so you do
  206. 206.
    >Fortunately by this time the athletes racing each other on the stairs have either fully tired themselves out, or plain gotten bored
  207. 207.
    >Oof, those are some nasty scuff marks
  208. 208.
    >Probably on the lower end of the issues piling up but it is tragic to see wooden floors treated so badly
  209. 209.
    >Something to deal with later, though
  210. 210.
    >For now you duck and weave past various guests
  211. 211.
    >Some try to get your attention again but you give them just the most cursory greetings before continuing on to your destination
  212. 212.
    >When you find the sliding glass doors leading out to the balcony, you're relieved
  213. 213.
    >You literally didn't even consider the idea that someone else might be out there until you got within range to look outside
  214. 214.
    >Fortunately, it's empty
  215. 215.
    >You slide the door open for Anon, who steps outside
  216. 216.
    >And then follow him
  217. 217.
    >Just for privacy's sake you swing the latch to lock it
  218. 218.
    >As it clicks into place you just... stop
  219. 219.
    >Briefly shocked by the sudden transition from loud, thumping music and countless conversations to just... crickets, and just the most minor of bass-y shudders
  220. 220.
    >This is some serious glass
  221. 221.
    "Wow.. It feels nice out here, right? Perfect temperature, and without all the noise, it's like we're the only ones in the house. Like the world shrank down to just this balcony."
  222. 222.
    >Anon's already staring ahead out to the street below
  223. 223.
    >Flooded with cars reaching all the way from one end of the street to the other
  224. 224.
    >Fortunately none of the neighbors are losing their mind over it
  225. 225.
    >Or the noise
  226. 226.
    >At your musing he turns his head to acknowledge you
  227. 227.
    >"It really has. I can actually hear my own thoughts without any Sapphire Shores lyrics trying to break in and overtake them."
  228. 228.
    >That's happened to you at least twice tonight already
  229. 229.
    >Trying to brood about how much of an ass Rainbow is, then suddenly you're thinking about seeing stars, soul vacations, and dancing alone
  230. 230.
    >You lean against the doorway as you regard Anonymous, who's finally turned away from the street to look back at you
  231. 231.
    >The moon's at just the perfect height in the sky above to cast him in a deep shadow
  232. 232.
    >Just the barest hints of his green skin, the glint of his eye, and a band logo across his shirt that you can't read because of how jagged the typeface is
  233. 233.
    >You're suddenly reminded that you're sharing a balcony with a complete stranger
  234. 234.
    >So, you fire off the first icebreaker question you learned from Pinkie Pie that comes to mind
  235. 235.
    "So. What kind of person are you when nobody's watching?"
  236. 236.
    >At first you think it goes over like a lead balloon, as Anon stares at you quizzically
  237. 237.
    >"... Well, if I'm remembering the adage correctly, I guess I'd be the kind of person that makes no sound."
  238. 238.
    >You can't help but laugh at that
  239. 239.
    >Well played, Anonymous
  240. 240.
    >"I wouldn't say I'm too interesting whether someone's watching or not. I'm not terribly social, I struggle with small talk. If Norman hadn't gotten me out here tonight I'd probably be home, tuning my guitars for the eighth time this week."
  241. 241.
    >Wow, even Rainbow isn't that obsessed with calibrating her guitar
  242. 242.
    "I appreciate that - most people would give me some canned answer, or try and play themselves up, but you didn't hesitate to be honest. So, you're not really here for the party. I know you said your cousin dragged you here, but is there nothing you wanted to get out of tonight?"
  243. 243.
    >That gives Anonymous pause, cupping his cheek in his palm as he really gives it some thought
  244. 244.
    >"I guess... connection. I'm terrible at small talk, but that doesn't mean I don't want to fail at it with someone, you know?"
  245. 245.
    >You nod in agreement
  246. 246.
    "Me too. Honestly, I almost didn't come tonight. I had a small tiff with one of my friends, and I really considered just sulking in my bedroom about it all weekend - but with how crazy magical incidents have been getting lately, I thought 'what if something important goes down while I'm not there?'"
  247. 247.
    >You look over at Anonymous, who's pushed off from the railing of the balcony to take a few steps closer
  248. 248.
    "And now, here I am, standing on a balcony with you. Definitely feels like one of those moments you'll look back on later and think, 'that mattered', right?"
  249. 249.
    >You can tell he's a bit unsure of how to take that
  250. 250.
    >It does kind of sound like you're insulting him, when you give what you're saying more than five seconds of thought
  251. 251.
    "... Sorry. Honestly, I'm still trying to figure out how to talk with people who aren't in my immediate friend group, too."
  252. 252.
    >And even then, you still slip up
  253. 253.
    >A brief image of Twilight, eyes brimming over with tears as you finish screaming at her and her fleeing during the Friendship Games flashes to the forefront of your mind
  254. 254.
    >But hey lets not think about that right now
  255. 255.
    "Everyone's been stoked on us ever since the Friendship Games, they're all so friendly and welcoming... but I have no idea how to receive that and give it back. I guess I'm just waiting for the knives I'm so convinced are behind their backs. I don't want to be pretend to be cool, or mysterious, or anything but me."
  256. 256.
    >You pause to take in a deep breath, having talked away all the air in your lungs
  257. 257.
    "I want to be real with someone. And right now, I guess that's going to be you."
  258. 258.
    >Anonymous stares at you intently as you pour your heart out to him
  259. 259.
    >You aren't even sure if you're ready to be having this kind of conversation with Fluttershy
  260. 260.
    >Someone actually good at emotions who could help you navigate these feelings
  261. 261.
    >And here you are dumping it on a stranger, who instead of reassuring you, or anything like that
  262. 262.
    >... Takes another long drink from his cup
  263. 263.
    >The absurdity of it makes you shamelessly laugh out loud
  264. 264.
    "I'm sorry. This is too intense for a first conversation, isn't it? You just..."
  265. 265.
    >You think you're going to struggle to find the words, but it comes to mind pretty easily
  266. 266.
    "You're standing there, and you're actually listening, and... I don't feel judged. Anyone else out there I could've dragged out onto this balcony would probably be cringing and trying to make excuses to leave already. It's making me want to be more honest than I probably should be."
  267. 267.
    >Anonymous just shrugs
  268. 268.
    >"Norman's always said that keeping my mouth shut and letting people talk was one of my better traits. I... don't really know if he was framing that as me being a good listener or just a bad conversationalist, now that I say it out loud. So, what's really eating you?"
  269. 269.
    >If it was anyone else, you're not sure you'd be able to admit it
  270. 270.
    >But with this guy, you find yourself able to freely talk about your gaffe with Rainbow Dash
  271. 271.
    >Admitting that, hours later, you know it really wasn't that big of a deal, but you were so committed in the moment to being mad that you went and basically ruined the party for yourself all night rather than just take a few lighthearted jabs from people you know don't mean it maliciously
  272. 272.
    >All the while Anonymous listens patiently, as he rests against the sliding glass door with you, pressing his shoulder against it to get comfortable
  273. 273.
    "... I'm going to be honest, and I hope you don't mind. I don't often meet someone new and get comfortable like this so fast. You've been really cool, listening to me vent like this, and not judging me for being so petty."
  274. 274.
    >And it's true
  275. 275.
    >Pinkie, Rainbow, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy...
  276. 276.
    >Those initial five are your family now, but it took a lot of effort and patience between each of you to get to this point
  277. 277.
    >You had a lot of rough edges that needed to get sanded down, plenty of lessons to learn about friendship and the maintenance of it that you blatantly refused to learn at Celestia's behest
  278. 278.
    >Maybe it's just the benefit of him crossing your path after having those rough patches smoothed out
  279. 279.
    >Or the way you approached him and not the other way around for once
  280. 280.
    >But... this feels natural
  281. 281.
    >Important, like a step forward in your ability to comfortably interact with other people
  282. 282.
    >Or maybe just him, specifically
  283. 283.
    >You aren't sure yet
  284. 284.
    "Outside of my best friends, I don't always feel properly seen, or understood. But I'm feeling both right now. I'm really glad you caught my eye."
  285. 285.
    >You turn your head as some erratic movement catches your attention in the corner of your eye
  286. 286.
    >In the corridor leading up to the balcony, you see a blur of pink bolting between the groups of people crowding it
  287. 287.
    >You have the distinct feeling you're on the precipice of being discovered
  288. 288.
    "I think they sent out a search party already, unfortunately. We should probably go back inside, before Pinkie Pie tears the roof down."
  289. 289.
    >Anonymous follows your gaze to see your energetic friend frantically interrogating some poor freshman
  290. 290.
    >Part of you considers introducing Anonymous to Pinkie Pie
  291. 291.
    >But you get the feeling her energy and his malaise wouldn't quite mix
  292. 292.
    >It seems like he agrees with your assessment, as he pushes off the sliding glass door to rest against the railing again.
  293. 293.
    >"You go on ahead, then. I think I'm going to enjoy the night air for a little while longer."
  294. 294.
    >You shrug and offer the stranger -
  295. 295.
    >No
  296. 296.
    >You offer your new friend a helpless 'what can you do?' sort of smile
  297. 297.
    "Don't stay out too long, it's getting pretty chilly. And.. thanks, Anonymous. For listening. Lets talk again, sometime. I'll return the favor if you want."
  298. 298.
    >With a lazy wave with his free hand, you're dismissed, and you head back inside to save the poor people in the hallway from Pinkie Pie's questioning
  299. 299.
    >Reconnecting with her quickly leads to the seven of you all linking up
  300. 300.
    >Rainbow Dash is, of course, Rainbow Dash
  301. 301.
    >And while she does tease you, you find you don't mind as much
  302. 302.
    >Your chest feels a lot lighter than it has in the past few weeks after getting some of your insecurities out of it
  303. 303.
    >The rest of the night is spent with your best friends
  304. 304.
    >Gossiping, laughing
  305. 305.
    >You even make an appearance at that punch pong game as a group
  306. 306.
    >But the new friend you've made takes up a slot in the back of your thoughts for the rest of the night
  307. 307.
    >You hope Anonymous didn't end tonight alone
  308. 308.
     
  309. 309.
    Part Three:
  310. 310.
    >There was something one of your friends said recently
  311. 311.
    >"Why do these kinds of things always happen to us?"
  312. 312.
    >A bit quippier than you would expect from Fluttershy
  313. 313.
    >But as you finally tumble into bed after what's felt like the longest few weeks of your life
  314. 314.
    >Honestly sister, you're starting to wonder the same thing
  315. 315.
    >(You) are Sunset Shimmer
  316. 316.
    >A Pony in remission, now a Human
  317. 317.
    >Former Student of Princess Celestia
  318. 318.
    >Former Villain bent on revenge and conquest
  319. 319.
    >Current student of Canterlot High
  320. 320.
    >Current rhythm guitarist and backup singer for the Rainbooms
  321. 321.
    >And...
  322. 322.
    >Currently an Empath, apparently
  323. 323.
    >While you admit that you were thrilled to explore this new magic you and the girls stumbled upon once it proved malleable and not dangerous to you
  324. 324.
    >You will admit prior to that you were looking forward to just relaxing for a few days in nature like Applejack
  325. 325.
    >Instead your trip turned into another run-in with Equestrian Magic dwelling where it had no business being
  326. 326.
    >On top of the incredible stress of putting together a charity event like the Crystal Ball in so short of a time frame
  327. 327.
    >Maybe it wouldn't have been so bad to let Gloriosa do something about Filthy Rich?
  328. 328.
    >You scrunch your face and shake your head to jettison that line of thinking right out of your head
  329. 329.
    >Cathartic as it might have been, you and your friends did the right thing stopping Gloriosa as fast as you did
  330. 330.
    >Doing the right thing was its' own reward
  331. 331.
    >Aside from the obvious reward of taking the Geodes for yourselves
  332. 332.
    >And bagging Twilight a potential boyfriend
  333. 333.
    >... Maybe
  334. 334.
    >Honestly, how old even is Timber Spruce? He was co-running the camp, so wouldn't that suggest he's a grown man?
  335. 335.
    >You mentally add 'Find Timber Spruce on MyStable to make sure he's not a creep' to your to-do list
  336. 336.
    >For now though, you just want to be dead to the world for a few hours... or a few days
  337. 337.
    >Your brain isn't having it, though
  338. 338.
    >Beyond the hectic camp, even the aftermath of it wouldn't let up on you
  339. 339.
    >One of the alumni of Camp Everfree, Canter Zoom, had invited you onto the set of his current project, an adaptation of "Daring Do and the Marked Thief of Marapore"
  340. 340.
    >The series was more Rainbow Dash and, surprisingly, Twilight's thing
  341. 341.
    >But you all agreed to go as a group since that's how the invitation was laid out
  342. 342.
    >You didn't really have anything planned for that day anyway, so it was nice to spend time with your friends
  343. 343.
    >At least until the whole thing went sideways and turned into an episode of "Scooby Doo"
  344. 344.
    >If nothing else the whole experience taught the rest of the you (sans, fittingly, Rainbow Dash and Twilight) the importance of keeping the Geodes on your person at all times
  345. 345.
    >Actually having abilities to combat Rogue Equestrian Magic is an advantage you can't afford to just leave at home in your dresser
  346. 346.
    >... Though you could argue that your magic didn't help too much against Juniper Montage
  347. 347.
    >Instead, there you learned the importance of not just waltzing up to someone you think overpowered your magically-inclined friends all by themselves and confronting them like that
  348. 348.
    >You can only imagine Princess Twilight's response to that kind of report
  349. 349.
    >If you don't have nightmares about that white void tonight you'll be genuinely surprised
  350. 350.
    >Though you also gained a new friend in the form of Starlight Glimmer
  351. 351.
    >You really don't know what you and the girls would've done without her help
  352. 352.
    >Well
  353. 353.
    >You do know, but you also don't really want to think about that right now
  354. 354.
    >Or ever, preferably
  355. 355.
    >It's just a shame that she has to return to Equestria tomorrow
  356. 356.
    >Showing her around the city, helping her acclimate to her new body
  357. 357.
    >It's been really fun, and in your case, oddly nostalgic
  358. 358.
    >It hardly feels that long since you were stumbling around on two legs trying not to fall over and break your brand new little nose
  359. 359.
    >Or realizing what a McNugget was made out of and freaking out like Glimmer did
  360. 360.
    >It was a bit funnier now that you were on the other side of it
  361. 361.
    >While you have no doubt that Princess Twilight wouldn't especially mind letting Glimmer borrow her Journal if you wanted to speak to her
  362. 362.
    >It just won't be the same as being able to talk to her directly
  363. 363.
    >Besides, she's the first friend you've really made since...
  364. 364.
    >Since...
  365. 365.
    >Your eyes, previously on their way to getting sealed for the night with the Sand Man's sleep dust, suddenly snap open
  366. 366.
    "Anonymous Tip!"
  367. 367.
    >Holy shit, girl!
  368. 368.
    >You totally forgot!
  369. 369.
    >Is he alright?
  370. 370.
    >In all the chaos of stopping Gloriosa, keeping Twilight from going Midnight again, and then putting the Crystal Ball together, you didn't really stop and do a tally if anyone was hurt in all that mess
  371. 371.
    >Your body moves from comfortably splayed out across your mattress to a sitting position
  372. 372.
    >You rest one hand on the mattress to keep you steady while the other hand reaches out towards your Geode, draped over your nightstand
  373. 373.
    >But you stop just short
  374. 374.
    >You briefly had the idea of trying to use your Geode to sort through your own memories...
  375. 375.
    >But the errant thought of getting stuck in a loop reading your own mind
  376. 376.
    >The potential of overloading the Geode
  377. 377.
    >Or even your brain
  378. 378.
    >Or... any number of things that could go wrong with that suddenly spring to mind now that you've come to your senses
  379. 379.
    >You stare down at the orange necklace in your hand
  380. 380.
    >In retrospect you were incredibly reckless just putting this thing on and putting it to work immediately, huh?
  381. 381.
    >Princess Celestia taught you better artifact handling technique that that
  382. 382.
    >(Just ignore her own poor artifact handling in showing you the Mirror in the first place)
  383. 383.
    >Right, deep breaths
  384. 384.
    >Just use your brain the regular way, Sunset
  385. 385.
    >Do you remember him being on the bus?
  386. 386.
    >Not really, but you were preoccupied along with the rest of the girls trying to help Twilight after she had that nightmare...
  387. 387.
    >Then once everyone actually got to the camp grounds things kinda went by really fast
  388. 388.
    >Investigating Timber, all your powers activating one-by-one, Pinkie blowing up the dock
  389. 389.
    >Repeatedly...
  390. 390.
    >Still, amidst a bunch of perky, go-getter campers
  391. 391.
    >Someone like Anonymous would've stood out, surely
  392. 392.
    >But despite your solid memory, you don't remember a flash of green that wasn't attached to a tree
  393. 393.
    >Or the swish of long, black hair as anyone ran around enjoying the activities
  394. 394.
    >(Or later, when everyone was running around having significantly less fun trying not to get trapped in Gloriosa's cage)
  395. 395.
    >... He just totally ditched the entire trip, didn't he?
  396. 396.
    >Was that even an option?
  397. 397.
    >You have the distinct feeling you just worked yourself up into a panic for nothing
  398. 398.
    >With a great huff you 'fwump' back down onto your pillow, brow furrowed
  399. 399.
    >You slip your phone out from under your pillow and scroll through your contacts
  400. 400.
    >With how abruptly you ended up leaving him on the balcony that night you didn't get his number or email, either
  401. 401.
    >You'll just...
  402. 402.
    >Have to remember to badger him about handing one of those over next time you see him
  403. 403.
    >Either at school, or hey, maybe you'll get lucky and cross paths with him during summer vacation
  404. 404.
    >Canterlot City isn't THAT big, right?
  405. 405.
     
  406. 406.
    Part Four:
  407. 407.
    >So
  408. 408.
    >As it turns out?
  409. 409.
    >Canterlot City is in fact that big
  410. 410.
    >You'll be the first to admit this apartment isn't in the best part of town
  411. 411.
    >But between your friend group, who you spent the entire summer glued to in some configuration or other
  412. 412.
    >You could say confidently that you explored the entire city with them
  413. 413.
    >And not once did you catch sight of your erstwhile friend
  414. 414.
    >You resolved to just have to hunt him down during the first day of school
  415. 415.
    >Which, hey, look at that, here we are
  416. 416.
    >As you and your friends approach the statue portal, you stop to really take it in
  417. 417.
    >As of today, (You), Sunset Shimmer
  418. 418.
    >Are a Senior at Canterlot High
  419. 419.
    >Your time as a student is rapidly approaching its' end, and...
  420. 420.
    >You don't know how to feel about that, honestly
  421. 421.
    >From your time at Celestia's hooves to coming to this world, you've always been in the educational system in some capacity
  422. 422.
    >Back in Equestria you had your whole life planned out, even if it was a bit of a delusional goal
  423. 423.
    >Study at Celestia's hooves, learn everything you could about Magic, surpass your mentor by becoming an Alicorn as well and taking over dominion of Equestria
  424. 424.
    >Easy game, easy life
  425. 425.
    >Obviously, there were some missteps along that way
  426. 426.
    >And now that you're here in this human world
  427. 427.
    >Standing on the precipice of the last year of your compulsory education
  428. 428.
    >You realize you don't have that kind of long-term plan anymore
  429. 429.
    >Your first few years as a human you were intent on returning home as a conqueror
  430. 430.
    >You weren't sure how until your first recon trip back through the portal, where it all came together
  431. 431.
    >But now?
  432. 432.
    >You're committed to this place, this body, this life
  433. 433.
    >And... you have no idea what you want to do with it
  434. 434.
    >Before you can brood for too much longer, though, you yelp when someone slugs you in the shoulder
  435. 435.
    >Not hard enough to bruise, but it definitely jostles you out of your thoughts
  436. 436.
    >When you stop staring into space you realize Rainbow Dash is standing in front of you, resting her fist on your shoulder and grinning
  437. 437.
    >The rest of your friends are on the steps staring back at you, expressions caught between some level of concern and amusement
  438. 438.
    "Hey, what was that about!"
  439. 439.
    >Rainbow Dash just laughs good naturedly
  440. 440.
    >"Just a quick Senioritis booster, it looked like you're catching it early."
  441. 441.
    >You pull a face at Dash but there's no heat in it
  442. 442.
    "Thanks for looking out for me, doc. Sorry girls, lets get inside."
  443. 443.
    >Amidst your group of giggling girls you breach the school
  444. 444.
    >You actually kind of appreciate Dash teasing you like that
  445. 445.
    >That reminded you of one of your main goals today:
  446. 446.
    >Tracking down Anonymous
  447. 447.
    >You're fairly confident that he was a sophomore back during that party before the summer break
  448. 448.
    >So that would place him a year behind you as a Junior now
  449. 449.
    >Unfortunately that does mean you're not likely to have him in any of your classes
  450. 450.
    >But Canterlot High is only a finite space, after all
  451. 451.
    >You're confident that you'll spot him at some point
  452. 452.
    >For now though, you have to get through classes
  453. 453.
    >It's not too bad, almost every period is just an overview of the goals slated out for the year
  454. 454.
    >What they're going to cover for the year, potential "fail this and you're absolutely going to fail this class" projects on the horizon
  455. 455.
    >Though plenty of the faculty seem to be on the same wavelength as you
  456. 456.
    >Mr. Cranky Doodle, your Pre-Calculus teacher for the year, especially so
  457. 457.
    >"This class ain't one to fall asleep in, Miss Ditzy. All year is just prep for yer mathematics courses in college. If y'want nap time, step down to Algebra - I'm handin' you the building blocks to your career here, so keep these eyes open and them hands at the ready!"
  458. 458.
    >Thick accent and weird metaphors aside, Mr. Doodle isn't wrong
  459. 459.
    >This year is the stepping stone between yourself and what you'll be trying to do for the rest of your life
  460. 460.
    >During your lunch period the whole of you form a little roundtable, each taking turns discussing just that
  461. 461.
    >Applejack's going to run her family farm, though she did mention wanting to take a few years off from that to attend college
  462. 462.
    >At least long enough to get a Bachelor's in agricultural science
  463. 463.
    >Possibly a associate's in business
  464. 464.
    >She isn't keen on her older brother being the only one in the family "with a head for them fancy mathematics"
  465. 465.
    >Twilight of course wants to get a Master's in... basically everything
  466. 466.
    >Though her main focus is the Physical Sciences, namely Chemistry
  467. 467.
    >Fluttershy intends to try and become an actual employee of the local animal shelter, levying that as experience to try and land a job in a nature preserve
  468. 468.
    >Pinkie having a long term plan surprises you the most
  469. 469.
    >If only for the idea that she would be interested in scheduling her life in units of measurement past five minutes
  470. 470.
    >Though knowing she's got her eyes on the culinary art track is a lot less shocking
  471. 471.
    >Much like Rarity and her career track towards gaining at least a BFA in Fashion Design
  472. 472.
    >The only one in the same boat as you seems to be... Rainbow Dash
  473. 473.
    >It seemed like a pretty obvious track for her: "Sports, duh"
  474. 474.
    >But she's admitted that the idea of a musical career is incredibly appealing, too
  475. 475.
    >Both get in front of a huge crowd of people screaming her name
  476. 476.
    >And of course she has the talent for both
  477. 477.
    >Both...
  478. 478.
    >"Being awesome at everything you do is a curse, girls. Maybe I could be a musician AND an athlete... at the same time! I could totally sing songs and run the soccer ball down the field at the same time. Ooh man, the other team would hate me."
  479. 479.
    >Personally you're pretty sure even with her stamina she'd gas herself out pretty quick
  480. 480.
    >But it's good to have dreams
  481. 481.
    >You pat Rainbow on the back and she grins, taking it as support
  482. 482.
    >"Hey, I'll be back in a jiffy. Speaking of having people cheer for me, I just remembered something I wanted to check on."
  483. 483.
    >Meanwhile, when it comes to you...
  484. 484.
    >You know, more than anything, that your place here in the human world is to protect it from rogue Equestrian Magic
  485. 485.
    >The obvious issue is that... well, that isn't exactly going to keep the lights on, or give you a roof over your head in general
  486. 486.
    >The plus side is that all of the magic you've experienced has conveniently been focused around Canterlot City
  487. 487.
    >Owing to the majority of it leaking from the Portal Statue
  488. 488.
    >The furthest incident of it so far was in Camp Everfree, and hopefully it stays that way
  489. 489.
    >Though at the same time there's nothing local that screams 'commit to me for a lifetime'
  490. 490.
    >The idea of fighting magic all night and then going to clock in at your part-time job at Rollin' Sushi for the next few decades sounds... dire
  491. 491.
    >To say the least
  492. 492.
    >You can't help but sigh as the lunch period ends on an awkward note with that
  493. 493.
    >Everyone else has their lives mapped out with big, well thought out plans
  494. 494.
    >Exceeept you (and Rainbow)
  495. 495.
    >But that's fine
  496. 496.
    >You have a whole school year to figure yourself out
  497. 497.
    >You stand up a bit straighter
  498. 498.
    >Force a smile on your formerly worried face
  499. 499.
    >And are about to turn down the hall to make your way to Miss Hibiscus's class when you notice it
  500. 500.
    >A whip of dark hair turning the corner headed the opposite direction
  501. 501.
    >Hair that dark is honestly a bit of a rarity around these pastel parts
  502. 502.
    >So you don't hesitate to rush after it
  503. 503.
    >Hardly even thinking for a moment about what you're doing when you place a hand on the person ahead's shoulder
  504. 504.
    >Which is a shame, because the face that turns to meet you isn't green
  505. 505.
    >But a somewhat muted taupe grey, with wide, purple eyes
  506. 506.
    >This... isn't Anonymous Tip
  507. 507.
    >This is Octavia Melody
  508. 508.
    >You offer her a nervous, apologetic grin
  509. 509.
    "Sorry, you just looked like someone I was looking for from behind?"
  510. 510.
    >The noted musician 'huffs', slipping free of the hand you stupidly haven't moved yet and walks away with her chin pointed high
  511. 511.
    >Before you can feel like too much of an idiot, though
  512. 512.
    >"Seems a bit dramatic for a case of mistaken identity, isn't it?"
  513. 513.
    >Your head whips around to see the man of the hour a few feet away
  514. 514.
    >Anonymous crosses his arms across his shoulders, staring at you questioningly
  515. 515.
    >It looks like puberty wasn't quite done with him yet
  516. 516.
    >He's taken on an inch or two since you last saw him, placing his eyeline just slightly above yours
  517. 517.
    >Though otherwise, everything's as it should be
  518. 518.
    >Skin, a rich forest green
  519. 519.
    >Clothes, fairly shabby with a band whose name you couldn't read if you tried
  520. 520.
    >Hair crashing past his shoulders, bangs carefully coiffed to hide his right eye
  521. 521.
    >Without much in the way of thought (you're doing a bit too much of that lately) you step in closer to grab at his jawline and turn his head to inspect him
  522. 522.
    "I guess it was a little rude of me to just grab her like that."
  523. 523.
    >The irony
  524. 524.
    "Are you alright? Did you even go on the Camp Everfree trip?"
  525. 525.
    >Anonymous tenses as you touch his face, brow furrowing as his noggin is turned this way and that mid conversation
  526. 526.
    >"Nah, I took the chance to just stay in and relax at home. Kind of sounded like I lucked out. Is it true the camp owner made a deal with demons and your crew had to magic her out of it?"
  527. 527.
    >Your eyes narrow as you scrutinize him
  528. 528.
    "That's... close, though I didn't see any demons. We ran in to more Equestrian Magic out there in the woods and had to deal with it, yeah. Why didn't you go? Was that even allowed?"
  529. 529.
    >"Nothing about that permission slip said it was mandatory, so I just didn't feel like it. Are you about done trying to smoosh my cheeks?"
  530. 530.
    >You adopt a sheepish grin as you let go of Anonymous's face
  531. 531.
    >Before you forget, you pull out your phone
  532. 532.
    "Listen. I was worried about you after that Camp, and I really wanted the chance to just hang out. I spent time with all the girls during the last half of Summer, but I would've liked to do so with you, too. Mind sharing something I can reach you with?"
  533. 533.
    >You reach out and press your phone into Anon's hands
  534. 534.
    >He stares down at the tiny brick of glass and metal for a moment
  535. 535.
    >You feel oddly nervous as he scrolls through your apps before spotting what he was looking for
  536. 536.
    >Tap tap tapping away at it before handing it back to you, an unfamiliar 'ping' chirping from the device as he does
  537. 537.
    >Just before he can say something, though:
  538. 538.
    >"Hey dude sorry dude gotta borrow Sunset for a sec you'll have her in a jiff!"
  539. 539.
    >Now, those watching this conversation through text can likely parse what was just said with ease
  540. 540.
    >For those having to listen to it, though
  541. 541.
    >(Such as yourself and Anon)
  542. 542.
    >Rainbow Dash essentially just did a total driveby using her Geode while rapidly saying all of that in one breath
  543. 543.
    >It kind of sounded like a raspy raptor screech
  544. 544.
    >You dig your heels as Rainbow Dash pushes you through the hallways, having experience with this kind of travel before
  545. 545.
    >Sure enough when Rainbow is done placing you where she wants you, the soles of your boots slap the tiled stone flooring with an audible 'clap'
  546. 546.
    >As you get your bearings from being super-sped across the school you look around and notice the rest of the girls have also been taxi'd and are looking similarly dazed
  547. 547.
    >Rainbow, obviously, is just fine, standing in front of a wall and bouncing on her heels, grinning hard and biting down on her lower lip
  548. 548.
    "Rainbow! I was talking to someone! You could've at least given me a second to say goodbye."
  549. 549.
    >"I'll take you back, jeez! But you guys gotta see this! It's so AWESOME."
  550. 550.
    >Apparently with that the speedster can't take waiting anymore and steps aside, splaying her arms out and doing some jazz hands from sheer excitement
  551. 551.
    >Behind her on the wall is a very familiar poster
  552. 552.
    >Hot pinks, baby blues and soft yellows
  553. 553.
    >A guitar emblazoned across the middle
  554. 554.
    >And the phrase "CANTERLOT MUSICAL SHOWCASE" written across it, though the date underneath has obviously been updated to reflect the current year
  555. 555.
    >Rarity's the first of your group to really get her bearings back and read the poster
  556. 556.
    >"Oh! They're going ahead and doing the Showcase again this year?"
  557. 557.
    >Hearing someone else confirm it seems to kick Rainbow's excitement up a notch
  558. 558.
    >You swear she's starting to vibrate, if she Pony'd up right now you wouldn't be surprised
  559. 559.
    >"YEAH! Ohhh man this is going to RULE! I found Principal Celestia's personal number and I swear I called her like, every day during Summer vacation about it!"
  560. 560.
    >Oh, that poor woman
  561. 561.
    "I'm surprised you're excited about a mere Showcase. After the Battle of the Bands last year I figured you'd be more eager for something like that."
  562. 562.
    >Rainbow actually looks thoughtful for a moment, there
  563. 563.
    >"I mean, yeah. I love to compete, don't get me wrong. But I dunno, music doesn't feel like the place for it, y'know? Everyone should be able to show what they got without worrying about 'out doing' the rest. Music's all about self-expression."
  564. 564.
    >That was surprisingly mature of Rainbow -
  565. 565.
    >"Besides, I already know the Rainbooms are the best band in the school! We don't have anything to prove."
  566. 566.
    >There it is
  567. 567.
    >"That doesn't mean I don't wanna practice until our hands fall off, though. We got a few weeks to get the rust off. Since it's a showcase we only get one song, too. We'll have to really figure out what we wanna play..."
  568. 568.
    >Rainbow suddenly pauses and looks at the six of you
  569. 569.
    >"You guys are down for this, right? I did just kinda drag you all here."
  570. 570.
    >The resounding unanimous nods and verbal agreements put the pep right back in Rainbow
  571. 571.
    >"Awesome! Now, heh. Sorry girls. Lemme just get you back to where you were, okay?"
  572. 572.
    >Before any of you can turn down the taxi you're hurtling through the school again at breakneck speed
  573. 573.
    >Clamping your lips together and your eyes shut to keep your lunch in place and your eyes from drying out
  574. 574.
    >"And here's where the bus gets off! ... I think. Uh. It looks like your friend didn't stick around, Sunset. Sorry."
  575. 575.
    >When you open your eyes you find yourself back outside of your History class
  576. 576.
    >Sure enough, Anonymous has vanished
  577. 577.
    >That's not much of a surprise, though you still manage to be a little disappointed
  578. 578.
    >The strong gust of wind behind you tells you that Rainbow's zipped off too
  579. 579.
    >While you make your way to your next class you look down at your phone and remember the notification chime that had gone off just before you were carted away
  580. 580.
    >You open your phone and notice a new app on it
  581. 581.
    >A blue square with the weirdest icon you've ever seen
  582. 582.
    >It looks like the silhouette of some cartoon character's head, but what you assume are ears are mistmatched
  583. 583.
    >And also there might be a third one?
  584. 584.
    >There's two holes in the middle that you assume represent eyes
  585. 585.
    >Weirdness aside, you have a message already
  586. 586.
    >A DM from an icon you don't recognize
  587. 587.
    >Though the content makes it clear who sent it
  588. 588.
    >* [Anonononymous] This is the best you're getting out of me, take it or leave it.
  589. 589.
    >A grin crosses your face as you confirm that, if nothing else, you accomplished one of your main goals for the day:
  590. 590.
    >Get his contact information
  591. 591.
    >Before you can stew in that satisfaction for long, though, the bell for next period rings
  592. 592.
    >And... you're standing around in the middle of the hallway glued to your phone
  593. 593.
    >Shit!
  594. 594.
    >Damn it Rainbow...
  595. 595.
    >You curse your entire way to your next class
  596. 596.
     
  597. 597.
    Part Five:
  598. 598.
    >* [Anonononymous] Personally, if you ask me, it sounds like this Starswirl guy was using our world as his personal trash can.
  599. 599.
    >During your break you pull your phone out of your purse to check
  600. 600.
    >And sure enough, Anon responded to the story you sent him earlier
  601. 601.
    >Reading over the single sentence your several paragraphs of recap earned forces a slightly exhausted chuckle from you
  602. 602.
    >Of course that's his takeaway
  603. 603.
    >(Though honestly, you're starting to be inclined to agree with his assessment)
  604. 604.
    >You recounted the story of your latest magical artifact wrangling to him
  605. 605.
    >Honestly, you aren't sure if you and the girls are getting better at dealing with these sorts of things
  606. 606.
    >Or if the string of artifacts, relics, and oddments you've had to deal with lately are just that lame
  607. 607.
    >The last one was a manebrush that as far as you can tell was supposed to change the color of the user's hair without having to go through the hassle of dyeing it
  608. 608.
    >It honestly sounded useful, and Rarity certainly agreed, until it gained sentience and started turning everyone's hair it could get its' bristles on to... plaid
  609. 609.
    >Seeing it tear through the cafeteria and hallways bouncing on its' handle was funny
  610. 610.
    >The ensuing panic, not so much
  611. 611.
    >This one felt a bit overkill to use your Friendship Magic beam on
  612. 612.
    >The idea of giving one of those big dramatic speeches to a manebrush was just humiliating
  613. 613.
    >So Rainbow did the honors after chasing it down of snapping it in half
  614. 614.
    >The sad little sound it made as the enchantment faded...
  615. 615.
    >That's going to stick with you
  616. 616.
    >You're just about to start tapping out a response to Anon when Rainbow Dash calls out
  617. 617.
    >"Yo! Baconhair! Text your boyfriend later!"
  618. 618.
    >Right, so, the pithy little intro
  619. 619.
    >You've got hair that if someone calls 'bacon toned' one more time you're going to scream, you're the leather jacket aficionado, you're the pony in remission, yada yada
  620. 620.
    >Yes, (You) are Sunset Shimmer
  621. 621.
    >And while you were slightly annoyed with Rainbow Dash
  622. 622.
    >You did agree it wouldn't hurt to go through the routine one more time
  623. 623.
    >The past few weeks have been a total blur
  624. 624.
    >Between the doodads and whatnots from Equestria popping up and causing moderate amount of havoc
  625. 625.
    >Rainbow has been keeping her promise of 'practicing 'till our hands fall off!'
  626. 626.
    >You all didn't think she was serious
  627. 627.
    >You hadn't played in a few months, how bad could it be?
  628. 628.
    >Shockingly, you damn near busted your own guitar just trying to get that first practice to end early
  629. 629.
    >'We haven't stretched our musical muscles! Well. You girls haven't. I shred at least three hours a day just to keep my fingers limber.'
  630. 630.
    >You legitimately do not know where Rainbow Dash finds the time to do half the things she does
  631. 631.
    >(Though her grades give you a decent idea of what she's skimping out on)
  632. 632.
    >But she isn't wrong
  633. 633.
    >So, with the goal of never again making those nightmarish sounds with your instruments established
  634. 634.
    >You and the rest of the Rainbooms have been working hard to get back into 'fighting trim' as it were, when nothing magical was keeping you busy
  635. 635.
    >As much as you appreciated how little effort it was to get through a Heart Song back in Equestria
  636. 636.
    >There is something satisfying about working on a skill and making it your own
  637. 637.
    >"We'll go through this one last time and I think we should be ready for this evening, that last go sounded almost perfect!"
  638. 638.
    >All of you agree in some form of verbal fashion
  639. 639.
    >Yep, tonight's the night already
  640. 640.
    >The Musical Showcase is set about an hour after the end of the school day to let everyone do what they need to do beforehand
  641. 641.
    >Go home and get their gear, get into costume, etcetera
  642. 642.
    "It's going to be nice actually watching it this time. With the Dazzlings trying to sabotage it last year I was way too stressed out to pay attention to anything other than our opponents in the brackets. Hopefully nothing like them pops up tonight."
  643. 643.
    >In unison, the rest of the girls all rap their knuckles on the closest wooden surface, from the wall to their own instruments, while giving you a flat look
  644. 644.
    "Heh, sorry."
  645. 645.
    >You have enough decency to look abashed, and follow their lead on your guitar
  646. 646.
    >Knock knock
  647. 647.
    >After a lot of debate you all had decided to perform "Legend You Were Meant To Be" for the Showcase
  648. 648.
    >"Shine Like Rainbows" had been a serious consideration as well, but you already did that one last year and didn't want to just do a repeat
  649. 649.
    >And there simply wasn't enough time to write and then perform a whole new song
  650. 650.
    >Either way you could probably perform you part in "Legend" in your sleep, something this last practice only compounds on
  651. 651.
    >As much as you enjoy playing with the band, you'll be glad to see the back of this event
  652. 652.
    >Get back to a normal sleep schedule
  653. 653.
    >Let your poor fingers stop cramping and automatically clutching like you're holding a pick even when you're not
  654. 654.
    >And...
  655. 655.
    >Actually get to see Anon in person more
  656. 656.
    >With all that's been going on at best you can snatch a quick 'good morning' from him in the halls during the day, but otherwise?
  657. 657.
    >It's pretty much just been DMing him on the app he installed on your phone, Strife
  658. 658.
    >Apparently it's a fairly popular chatting app
  659. 659.
    >But since you already have all your best friend's phone numbers you'd never known about or needed it to keep in contact with them
  660. 660.
    >Anon's a bit too aloof sometimes...
  661. 661.
    >But that's fine
  662. 662.
    >Your new friend has been a bit of a lifeline, as you've alluded to
  663. 663.
    >As much as you love the girls there's something fascinating about talking to someone about your magical mishaps and the like that isn't directly connected to them
  664. 664.
    >While being a student of CHS has him tuned in to the idea that magic exists, he still has plenty of thoughts about the artifacts and the trials of dealing with them that you describe to him
  665. 665.
    >Mostly sarcastic thoughts, but they at least prove entertaining
  666. 666.
    >As you and the Rainbooms wrap up your last practice and get ready for first period, you realize there's an opportunity to see your friend right in front of you
  667. 667.
    >Your phone's in your hands and you're tapping away almost immediately
  668. 668.
    * [FunInTheSummerSun] You know, I just realized...
  669. 669.
    * [FunInTheSummerSun] I kind of took it for granted that you would come
  670. 670.
    * [FunInTheSummerSun] But seeing as you ditched the Camp Everfree trip, I should probably ask: are you coming to the Musical Showcase tonight?
  671. 671.
    >* [Anonononymous] I was originally gonna bail, yeah
  672. 672.
    >* [Anonononymous] Cousin Norman and a few of his friends twisted my arm about it pretty quick though
  673. 673.
    >* [Anonononymous] So rather than sit in the dark until morning I guess I'm gonna put in an appearance
  674. 674.
    >You snort at that
  675. 675.
    >Anon's always saying gloomy stuff like that
  676. 676.
    >Part of you wonders how much of it is a joke sometimes
  677. 677.
    >The rare times you see him he's always looking tired
  678. 678.
    >Hunched down a bit to try and look smaller
  679. 679.
    >You remember that from the party
  680. 680.
    >You had assumed that was just him attempting to go unnoticed like a regular wallflower
  681. 681.
    >But that just seems to be the default for him
  682. 682.
    >Hopefully the Showcase is fun enough to get him to stand up a bit straighter
  683. 683.
    >For now though, it's just a matter of getting through the day
  684. 684.
    >As if fully aware of the big event waiting at the other side of the last period
  685. 685.
    >This day will just
  686. 686.
    >Not
  687. 687.
    >End
  688. 688.
    >Every Period feels like it's taking twice as long
  689. 689.
    >Every lecture is like the teacher is talking at half speed
  690. 690.
    >The lunch line...
  691. 691.
    >Well, that's normally paced, but still
  692. 692.
    >The point is hurry up already and -
  693. 693.
    >BRRRRIINNNNGG
  694. 694.
    >You blink and your final subject for the day, World History, has come to an end
  695. 695.
    >With a grin on your face and far more pep than is wise in your step, you flee the school as fast as you can
  696. 696.
    >All of your group agreed to meet up at the Carousel Boutique to get dressed
  697. 697.
    >But knowing Rarity it's going to take most of your time to get your outfits on, knowing how complicated her ensembles can get when she's excited
  698. 698.
    >Today's theme is, apparently, Glam Rock
  699. 699.
    >A maze of tassles and leather and things being poofy where you wouldn't expect and tight where you would definitely prefer they weren't
  700. 700.
    >Rarity's gone for a minimum of color for the most part
  701. 701.
    >An overall palette of white, except for the left sleeves of the matching leather jackets you're all sporting
  702. 702.
    >Lined with 7 stripes representing each of you to make a rainbow
  703. 703.
    >Each one has been identified belonging to a certain member by their particular stripe being bigger than the rest
  704. 704.
    >Honestly this jacket is something else
  705. 705.
    >You don't usually rock white leather but you really dig the rainbow sleeve
  706. 706.
    >The torn up leotard is riding up in places you aren't going to mention
  707. 707.
    >But this jacket though
  708. 708.
    >"Oh, I do hope you girls like them! I've been very inspired by the era. Glam groups were so ahead of their time when it came to peacocking. Alice Cooper, Slade, Freddie Mercury. Pioneers, one and all!"
  709. 709.
    >Rarity titters as she applies the finishing touch, using her makeup kit to draw a symbol over each of the group's left eye
  710. 710.
    >A lightning bolt for Rainbow, a butterfly for Fluttershy
  711. 711.
    >No surprises here for the most part, though you have to bite down on your lower lip to not snicker at Applejack's apple
  712. 712.
    >When everyone's finally at a state of doted on that leaves Rarity satisfied, it's back into your various vehicles to return to campus
  713. 713.
    >And
  714. 714.
    >Wow
  715. 715.
    >You have to park your motorcycle in the student parking lot every day, so you have a pretty good idea of what the capacity looks like normally
  716. 716.
    >You're pretty sure the lot is thrice as full, near capacity
  717. 717.
    "Wow, and here I thought this'd be a smaller event as a friendly showcase."
  718. 718.
    >Rainbow Dash hops out of her car, crowing and laughing all the while
  719. 719.
    >"With the Rainbooms making an appearance? No way!"
  720. 720.
    >You just shake your head
  721. 721.
    >You really admire your friend's self esteem sometimes
  722. 722.
    >Inside the school, packed like sardines, you and the girls fight your way to the backstage of the auditorium to make your presence known and sign up
  723. 723.
    >You're taken by surprise when Principal Celestia admits she'd prefer your group be one of the last to perform for the night
  724. 724.
    >Rainbow Dash's smug grin points directly your way, and you roll your eyes
  725. 725.
    >Come to think of it, in addition to winning the Battle last year, you did collaborate with the Shadowbolts to win that Chance to Prance competition
  726. 726.
    >Okay, maybe the Rainbooms are a bit of a big deal
  727. 727.
    >Perhaps you should be capitializing the 'the' in there, too
  728. 728.
    >Just kidding
  729. 729.
    >With your placement in the setlist... well, set
  730. 730.
    >You're free to simply relax and watch the rest of the groups perform like you wanted to
  731. 731.
    >There's a few less bands than there were last year, you quickly notice
  732. 732.
    >If you remember right there were sixteen bands in total for the bracket
  733. 733.
    >Today only fourteen are in the Showcase
  734. 734.
    >Maybe a few groups were last-minute pairs due to the Dazzling's magic making everyone want to compete and win?
  735. 735.
    >Either way, you're thrilled to actually get to watch stress-free
  736. 736.
    >That doesn't stop your hands from reaching into your purse to pull out your phone, though
  737. 737.
    * [FunInTheSummerSun] We're here! Hanging out in the wings backstage waiting for our turn. We'll be going on last apparently or pretty close, so we're not out in the crowd, sorry. You're out there, right?
  738. 738.
    >"No, I'm behind you."
  739. 739.
    >Despite the quiet tone of Anonymous's voice, you still jump about a foot in the air hearing it so close to your ear
  740. 740.
    >Your phone leaps out of your hands and you swipe at it once
  741. 741.
    >Twice
  742. 742.
    >And manage to actually palm in on the third wild swing of your hands
  743. 743.
    >Whew
  744. 744.
    >"Nice catch."
  745. 745.
    >Taking a deep breath you turn to properly regard Anon, brow flat, though there's no real anger in your eyes
  746. 746.
    >You're surprised to find that he isn't alone, though
  747. 747.
    >Standing next to him is what you would at best describe as 'Anon, but in a funhouse mirror'
  748. 748.
    >If Anonymous is moderately tall and concerningly lanky
  749. 749.
    >This guy is a bit squat and stout
  750. 750.
    >He does share your friend's green skintone, though their facial features are a bit more varied
  751. 751.
    >You have a good idea of who this is already
  752. 752.
    "Heya, Anon. I'm going to take a guess and say this is your cousin, Norman?"
  753. 753.
    >You beam a smile at the pair
  754. 754.
    >Though it falters when Norman meets your gaze
  755. 755.
    >While Anon typically wears a guarded expression, his cousin...
  756. 756.
    >Very clearly doesn't like you, if his firm glare is anything to go by
  757. 757.
    >A chill lances down your spine
  758. 758.
    >Anon doesn't seem to notice, given that Norman is a step or two behind him
  759. 759.
    >"That is in fact a Norman."
  760. 760.
    >Without looking back, Anon jabs his thumb behind him, calling your attention to the other two guys in tow, who you realize are identical twins
  761. 761.
    >They're... well, they're not glaring at you like Norman is, but they are definitely giving you a look of suspicion
  762. 762.
    >"That's Stick Shift and Gear Grind. Don't bother asking which is which, they think they're cute."
  763. 763.
    >You offer the twins a polite wave, which they return in creepy perfect unison
  764. 764.
    >Right, you do not like the twins
  765. 765.
    "So you're part of the showcase? Why didn't you say so?"
  766. 766.
    >Anon just shrugs
  767. 767.
    >"You didn't ask."
  768. 768.
    >After a few seconds of waiting for a follow-up you realize you aren't getting anything more than that, and you huff
  769. 769.
    >"Unfortunately we're up pretty soon, so we're going to tune our gear and get ready. We'll see you later, Sunset."
  770. 770.
    >Waving goodbye you step aside to let the quartet pass
  771. 771.
    >When they get far enough you can see Norman turn his head towards Anon and whisper something pretty harshly at him
  772. 772.
    >Then glance back at you, briefly
  773. 773.
    >You quickly look away when you and he make eye contact
  774. 774.
    >You're not sure what that's about, but...
  775. 775.
    >You are curious what Anonymous is going to play
  776. 776.
    >With that dull tone, and his overall 'close to the chest' vibe
  777. 777.
    >You wouldn't be surprised if he tried to blow the auditorium away with something like industrial metal or rock
  778. 778.
    >You're suddenly assaulted with microphone feedback, followed quickly by the voice of Principal Celestia
  779. 779.
    >"Welcome once again, students and visitors, to the Canterlot Musical Showcase! We're playing a fair bit low key this year compared to the Battle of the Bands, but we've still got quite the array of talent to enjoy tonight!"
  780. 780.
    >The audience claps politely in anticipation, though you can tell they're just as eager to get started as you all in the back are
  781. 781.
    >The rest of the Rainbooms join you at this point, just as interested in observing the performances as they are to put on a show themselves
  782. 782.
    >"So, without further ado, lets get started! Our first act for tonight, MC Snips and... DJ.... Snazzy Snails."
  783. 783.
    >Her smile and enthusiasm, gone
  784. 784.
    >You similarly clench your everything in preparation for what you're about to have to endure
  785. 785.
    >"YO MY NAME'S MC SNIPS AND I'M HERE TO SAY"
  786. 786.
    >Oh sweet Celestia, no
  787. 787.
    >If you can give your former lackeys any credit, you will admit that it's slightly better than last year's effort
  788. 788.
    >They learned their lesson and didn't include the word 'orange' in any of their bars
  789. 789.
    >But they still deserve to be behind bars for subjecting you all to that
  790. 790.
    >From there, though, it's a lively show
  791. 791.
    >Octavia Melody and Vinyl Scratch wow the crowd with a fusion of classical and techno music that gets the energy back in the crowd
  792. 792.
    >Trixie and the Illusions prove that they earned their place in the finals last year and they haven't lost a beat
  793. 793.
    >Though her lyrics still don't seem interested in acknowledging that Trixie isn't the only member of her band
  794. 794.
    >At least the Illusions are having fun, you guess
  795. 795.
    >Even Flash Sentry and his "I'll Have Her Home By Eight PM Sir" pop can't put a dent in the momentum you're all building up
  796. 796.
    >The crowd roars with approval, and that energy keeps riding, until...
  797. 797.
    >"Thank you, Flash Drive! Lets keep this going, though. Up next, please give a hand for Anon and the Mooses!"
  798. 798.
    >Terrible name aside, you can't help but perk up as the quartet march onto stage
  799. 799.
    >Unlike most of your contemporaries tonight, the group isn't wearing a matching costume, opting instead for their regular clothing
  800. 800.
    >Their gear is more personal than unified
  801. 801.
    >They're almost an oversight
  802. 802.
    >And then, the first lick of Anon's guitar cuts across the crowd waiting in anticipation
  803. 803.
    >And it's nothing like what you were expecting (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbh_7JTOFFQ)
  804. 804.
    >The energy is too upbeat, the sound too light
  805. 805.
    >You were fully expecting Rammstein, and instead you're being served Arcade Fire
  806. 806.
    >Anon's voice doesn't match his usual tone, either
  807. 807.
    >All dull low ranges, a sarcastic edge at best
  808. 808.
    >His singing voice, though
  809. 809.
    >A bold tenor, warm
  810. 810.
    >Gentle...
  811. 811.
    >Though shaky at the start
  812. 812.
    >"Whenever there's a lull between the Void -"
  813. 813.
    >""""YOU FILL THE SILENCE!""""
  814. 814.
    >The sudden roar of the rest of his bandmates seems to startle Anon, if only momentarily
  815. 815.
    >But it also seems to stir more confidence into his vocals, and as he stands up straighter to better belt out his lyrics...
  816. 816.
    >You start to see something you didn't expect
  817. 817.
    >The shape of his happiness
  818. 818.
    >His neutral expression melding into a weary but bright smile as the crowd shouts their love
  819. 819.
    >His dull eye shining with life as he whales away on his guitar
  820. 820.
    >He still keeps half of his face hidden, and the circles indicating a poor sleep schedule are still very present
  821. 821.
    >It's like his joy has been trampled on
  822. 822.
    >But in this moment it still shines through and completely transforms him into someone you hardly recognize...
  823. 823.
    >Someone you find you really want to memorize
  824. 824.
    >"I could be, I suppose, someone you should get to know..." ("""Someone you should get to know!""")
  825. 825.
    >Maybe you are, Anon
  826. 826.
    >Maybe you are
  827. 827.
     
  828. 828.
    Part Six:
  829. 829.
    >With the Musical Showcase behind you, life finally quiets down a fair bit
  830. 830.
    >(Of course the Rainbooms blew the roof off of the place, but honestly, anything less than that would've been a huge letdown for yourselves and the audience)
  831. 831.
    >Rainbow finally puts down the whip and is thoroughly distracted by Soccer practice
  832. 832.
    >(To say nothing of the half-dozen other teams she's in charge of)
  833. 833.
    >Ensuring that you and the girls can focus on your own pursuits
  834. 834.
    >While for the majority of them this would mean their studies and hobbies
  835. 835.
    >For (You), Sunset Shimmer...
  836. 836.
    >You have your own personal project that's a bit more extracurricular:
  837. 837.
    >Studying one Anonymous Tip
  838. 838.
    >Ever since his surprise appearance in the Showcase, he's been taking up a lot more room in your mind
  839. 839.
    >Trying to reconcile the established dour mental image of your friend with the bright light that drove the crowd wild...
  840. 840.
    >It's like trying to imagine the Sun in the night sky
  841. 841.
    >Completely incompatible with reality
  842. 842.
    >Even meeting with him backstage after his set
  843. 843.
    >It was like an enchantment had been cast and broken once he was out of the spotlight
  844. 844.
    >The beautiful light in his eye faded once again
  845. 845.
    >His lopsided smile drew into a neutral line
  846. 846.
    >None of his bandmates seemed to notice the change
  847. 847.
    >Or maybe they were used to it?
  848. 848.
    >Anon stuck around with you and the Rainbooms for the rest of the Showcase at your behest
  849. 849.
    >The Mooses gave him a look that you couldn't quite identify but let him be
  850. 850.
    >They gave you a look too, but that one was a lot more easily understood:
  851. 851.
    >Hostility
  852. 852.
    >Mostly from Norman
  853. 853.
    >The way he went out of his way to glare at you behind Anon's back suggested to you that it wouldn't amount to much asking him about it
  854. 854.
    >So you let it slide off your back and enjoyed the rest of the show until it your band's turn
  855. 855.
    >It was a great night
  856. 856.
    >Though dampened by Anonymous politely turning down your invitation to go celebrate at Sugarcube Corner
  857. 857.
    >Apparently he was out late enough as it was and needed to get back
  858. 858.
    >So he hitched a ride with his crew and you split up
  859. 859.
    >You're fairly certain Rainbow teased you for the apparently 'disappointed' look on your face as you watched the quartet drive off into the night
  860. 860.
    >But honestly?
  861. 861.
    >You were too preoccupied mentally for that
  862. 862.
    >That version of Anon on stage...
  863. 863.
    >Even at his brightest his happiness seemed marred
  864. 864.
    >Like someone had stepped on it and left a dent
  865. 865.
    >You made a declaration to yourself that night that you were going to get closer to your friend
  866. 866.
    >You wanted to learn what happened
  867. 867.
    >So, when you could spare a few moments, you did your best to hunt him down in the halls between classes
  868. 868.
    >Strike up a conversation, even if they were brief
  869. 869.
    >Just try and put in the time
  870. 870.
    >Even if it would be easier to just message him over Strife
  871. 871.
    >(Though you did plenty of that during class, still)
  872. 872.
    >It just felt more substantial to make eye contact with him
  873. 873.
    >You noticed after the Showcase he was spending more time with Norman
  874. 874.
    >Which, while it did make things awkward for you
  875. 875.
    >Over time you came to appreciate Anon's cousin looking out for him
  876. 876.
    >As it turned out, you weren't the only person in the auditorium that night with a working set of eyes and ears
  877. 877.
    >Plenty of other people had come to take notice of your morose friend
  878. 878.
    >It was something you had plenty of experience with after last year's Battle of The Bands
  879. 879.
    >Plenty of people crowding you, demanding your attention now that you were no longer persona non grata
  880. 880.
    >Trying to claim your time, your friendship, get you to agree to be seen with them in some capacity
  881. 881.
    >You were grateful to the rest of the Rainbooms, who acted as a buffer between you and them to keep you from being overwhelmed
  882. 882.
    >And you felt a similar gratitude towards Norman as he performed the same task
  883. 883.
    >You weren't sure if Norman reciprocated it when you stepped in and tried to help do the same, but he certainly glowered a lot less when you were playing human shield for Anon
  884. 884.
    >Other times you fell back on some old habits
  885. 885.
    >Letting Norman run solo so that you could... observe
  886. 886.
    >You had kept watch over people plenty of times during your time at the top of Canterlot High's food chain
  887. 887.
    >Though back then you felt less awkward about the whole thing, because a magical rainbow laser hadn't cursed you with the concept of morality yet
  888. 888.
    >You rationalized it away as you just trying to get to know someone better
  889. 889.
    >And that worked enough for you
  890. 890.
    >You found that slowly, Norman calmed down his buffering and started letting some people through
  891. 891.
    >You thought at first he was just getting exhausted from it, but Anon either vouched for them or chided his cousin for being so overzealous
  892. 892.
    >Over time several faces had become known to you
  893. 893.
    >You didn't know who they were by name, but they had slowly become regulars in your friends orbit, and
  894. 894.
    >You were shocked to find at how... casually Anon interacted with them
  895. 895.
    >Conversations with them were languid and a bit one-sided, as they were with you
  896. 896.
    >But the air around them was just completely different, less tense
  897. 897.
    >The way Anon's shoulders hung loose, the way he let his gaze wander instead of keeping completely focused on them the entire time
  898. 898.
    >He'd known these people for significantly less time and yet he seemed so much more relaxed in their presence
  899. 899.
    >(You tried to ignore the odd sting in your chest)
  900. 900.
    >At times other people would still try take his time
  901. 901.
    >While a core group was forming that Norman took no issue with and Anon enjoyed their presence, there were still hangers-on and fans that tried to share in his limelight, or claim his clout for their own
  902. 902.
    >Underclassmen were the worst about this, you swore it was like freshmen simply didn't understand how to behave like human beings yet
  903. 903.
    >Maybe it was something to do with how tiny they all were
  904. 904.
    >(You were never that short, right?)
  905. 905.
    >Higher brain function just doesn't kick in until you're at least five feet five inches tall
  906. 906.
    >Twilight would probably know the answer to this
  907. 907.
    >You resolved to never ask
  908. 908.
    >During one of your hands-off observations you witnessed a gaggle of such freshmen girls trying to get Anon's attention
  909. 909.
    >It was kind of funny watching him try to navigate their combination of earnest praise and awkward, stilted flirting
  910. 910.
    >As much as you would love to watch your friend go through that, you start to stalk off to head to your next class
  911. 911.
    >When a sudden, abrupt, sharp bark of a laugh erupts behind you, causing you to jolt a foot in the air
  912. 912.
    >Your head whipped back so fast you're surprised you don't sprain it
  913. 913.
    >But you're just in time to see a mere glimpse of an embarrassed, genuine smile on Anon's face just as his hand jolts up to cover his mouth, smothering the rest of what was apparently his laughter
  914. 914.
    >You've never been able to get a reaction like that out of him!
  915. 915.
    >You're funny too, damn it!
  916. 916.
    >Maybe not Pinkie levels of hilarity
  917. 917.
    >Or any of those apparent comedic geniuses, those pint-sized hussies, but...
  918. 918.
    >You find yourself stomping away to your next class in short order, trying to ignore the burning feeling in your chest and the heat on your face
  919. 919.
    >Finally, as the month drew to a close, Anon surprised you again
  920. 920.
    >Amidst the moving from one class to another there was always some people that thought the world was going to end if they weren't on time
  921. 921.
    >Rushing down the halls, some outright running
  922. 922.
    >One of the Senior athletes that Rainbow Dash would surely know the name of completely plowed right through a Sophomore and tossed their books all over the hall
  923. 923.
    >Everyone else was too busy making their own way, and you had unfortunately chosen to try and chase down your fellow Senior to tell them off
  924. 924.
    >They were really booking it though, and you lost them in short order
  925. 925.
    >When you returned to the scene of the accident you were surprised to find Anon with the student
  926. 926.
    >One, now that you got a good look at, wasn't even one of those that had joined his circle
  927. 927.
    >A complete stranger to you and surely to Anonymous as well
  928. 928.
    >Yet there he was
  929. 929.
    >Slowly, methodically helping him gather his things
  930. 930.
    >Gently organizing everything back into their proper order, tamping their papers down, making sure the books hadn't creased their pages
  931. 931.
    >The whole time speaking to the younger student in a quiet, comforting manner
  932. 932.
    >While he didn't rush through putting his supplies back together
  933. 933.
    >Anon would probably be extremely late at the rate he was going
  934. 934.
    >But he didn't seem to care at all
  935. 935.
    >(You probably should've helped, in retrospect)
  936. 936.
    >(Instead of watching from around the corner like a weirdo)
  937. 937.
    >And so, as the first season of the school year shifted from Fall to the early frost of Winter
  938. 938.
    >You thought of your friend, who spoke comfortably with people who weren't you
  939. 939.
    >Who laughed openly, even if they tried to smother it and their smile as fast as possible
  940. 940.
    >Who helped complete strangers just because they could and took their time making them feel better, even to his own detriment
  941. 941.
    >You felt a small spark of something in your chest
  942. 942.
    >A little yearning (You wanted him to relax around you like he did everyone else)
  943. 943.
    >A little jealousy (You wanted to be the one who made him laugh, you wanted to see that smile he tried to hide)
  944. 944.
    >A little pride (You didn't expect him to be so caring and gentle, with the way he talks, but you wanted him to share that gentleness with you)
  945. 945.
    >And despite this whole exercise being merely a way to try and learn more about him
  946. 946.
    >You couldn't help it
  947. 947.
    >As that spark in your chest ignited into a flame of... affection
  948. 948.
    >Affection?
  949. 949.
    >Oh, no
  950. 950.
     
  951. 951.
    Part Seven:
  952. 952.
    * [FunInTheSummerSun] Hey, I'm sorry for the short notice, but do you think you could swing by the inner courtyard after school?
  953. 953.
    * [FunInTheSummerSun] I want to talk to you face-to-face, and it should clear out pretty fast what with this being Friday and all.
  954. 954.
    * [FunInTheSummerSun] Which is good, because... I want this to be for your ears only.
  955. 955.
    >You set your phone back in your leather jacket's pocket
  956. 956.
    >Though you know in about five minutes it's going to be in your hands again, whether you hear a notification chime or not
  957. 957.
    >It took a bit of a pep talk from the girls, but you managed to get the courage to arrange this meeting
  958. 958.
    >Anonymous read your messages, the little symbol near the last one says as such
  959. 959.
    >But he didn't respond to them at all
  960. 960.
    >You sent them a little after the lunch break
  961. 961.
    >So they went out least three hours ago, and...
  962. 962.
    >Nothing
  963. 963.
    >Your hand moves up to wipe at some sweat forming on your temple
  964. 964.
    >It's ridiculous, but yes
  965. 965.
    >(You), Sunset Shimmer, are sweating and fretting over a boy
  966. 966.
    >You try and calm yourself down
  967. 967.
    >If you really think about it, it's just you asking to hang out
  968. 968.
    >... One on one, where the likelihood that you hold hands is very high
  969. 969.
    >You can't help but think about how you haven't even spent time with Anon outside of school in a platonic sense
  970. 970.
    >Beyond meeting him at that party
  971. 971.
    >Is this stupid of you?
  972. 972.
    >Are you skipping steps?
  973. 973.
    >Maybe you should DM him again and cancel
  974. 974.
    >Your phone's in your hands and you're tapping away to say as such when you hear the crunch of frost and leaves approaching
  975. 975.
    >"Hey, sorry for taking so long. And not messaging back. Norman was looking over my shoulder when I was reading your messages and went a bit nuts. Took a lot to get him to back off and not try and crash this whole thing. So, what's up?"
  976. 976.
    >Anonymous Tip has arrived
  977. 977.
    >And for a moment you're a bit like a deer in headlights
  978. 978.
    >Too late to back out now
  979. 979.
    >You stand up a bit straighter, lift your head slightly to meet his gaze and
  980. 980.
    >Feel your bravado entirely spill out of your pockets like spaghetti when you do make eye contact
  981. 981.
    >Your hands, formerly ramrod straight at your sides, lift to rest on your chest
  982. 982.
    >One subconsciously toys with your Geode in a fit of nerves, tugging on the chain, twisting the actual geode around between your fingertips
  983. 983.
    >He's staring and you haven't said anything for about a minute now, girl
  984. 984.
    >Isn't this a fun reversal?
  985. 985.
    >Stop quipping in your head and SAY SOMETHING
  986. 986.
    "I-It's... uh. It's alright, I get how he can be sometimes."
  987. 987.
    >For the love of Celestia don't stutter right out of the gate
  988. 988.
    "Thank you for meeting me out here, I know he's probably waiting, right? So I'll try not to... stall. Even though I really want to."
  989. 989.
    >That feels a bit too honest
  990. 990.
    >Anonymous shifts his weight onto his left leg, arms crossing over his chest as he stares at you
  991. 991.
    >Seeing as you clearly have plenty to say, he's letting you carry on
  992. 992.
    >Very cruel, Anon
  993. 993.
    "Sorry. I'm just... a little nervous. I've never done this before."
  994. 994.
    >Technically true, when it came to Flash Sentry there was less of a confession and more a declaration
  995. 995.
    >'You're mine now, put your hand around my waist and make sure everyone knows who you belong to'
  996. 996.
    >Your eyes clench shut as you screw up your nerve and force what you've wanted to say all week out all at once
  997. 997.
    "So. You're probably wondering why I pulled you aside, and, I know this sounds weird, and out of nowhere, but... I've been noticing you a lot lately. That's probably obvious, right? We're friends, we talk all the time, of course I notice you. But I mean in a way more, um. More intense than that. Even when I can't find the time to talk to you, I still notice you around school. The way you talk to other people, relaxed and composed. Or how you'll stop and help other students, even when it cuts into your time and gets you into trouble."
  998. 998.
    >You choose to leave off how cute you thought his smile was, intent on not bursting into flame so early
  999. 999.
    >You feel like you're burning up as it is, even in this chilly winter air
  1000. 1000.
    >Either way, mercifully, this speech is getting easier to get through as you plow through it, though you keep your eyes shut
  1001. 1001.
    >It's easier to say this all without looking at Anon
  1002. 1002.
    "And... even though I wish you would look at me the way you look at others, I don't hate the way you do. You don't treat me like an idol, or act like you're only spending time with me to further your own social image, or anything like that. You're just my friend, and having someone like that who isn't one of the girls is just... refreshing."
  1003. 1003.
    >One of your arms wraps around your forearm, while you keep tugging away at your Geode as your nerves ramp up
  1004. 1004.
    "I've been trying to put myself out there for more people instead of just being on an island with my best friends, and that all started when I met you at that party last year. I took a gamble, and I'm really glad I did. I feel a lot less isolated and that's because you were willing to hang out with a complete stranger on a balcony and listen to her complain. You've always been a great listener. I hope you know how much I appreciate that."
  1005. 1005.
    >You feel the tension in your shoulders loosen
  1006. 1006.
    >Time to bring it home, girl
  1007. 1007.
    "Every day, people ask me for things. My time, praise, validation. But you've never asked me for anything like that. You've always just been... my friend. So it might be a little hypocritical, after complaining about that, but I want those things from you. I want to spend more time with you, outside of this place. I want you to praise me when I do great at things. And I... want you to validate my feelings. I want to go out on a date with you, Anonymous Tip."
  1008. 1008.
    >Finally, you let your cyan eyes open, a smile drifting across your face
  1009. 1009.
    "So... what do you say?"
  1010. 1010.
    >But as you meet Anonymous's gaze you quickly find you wish you hadn't
  1011. 1011.
    >He isn't smiling back at you
  1012. 1012.
    >He isn't even giving you his usual guarded expression
  1013. 1013.
    >He looks... upset
  1014. 1014.
    >A small frown worrying at his lips, his brow knit
  1015. 1015.
    >Already you can feel something in your chest tighten painfully
  1016. 1016.
    >"I'm... uh."
  1017. 1017.
    >He's just as tongue-tied as you were
  1018. 1018.
    >After a moment he seems to find the words he wants to say
  1019. 1019.
    >"I imagine that took a lot for you to say, but... I'm sorry."
  1020. 1020.
    >The feeling in your chest practically doubles in intensity
  1021. 1021.
    >You bite down on your lower lip now to stifle a noise you really don't want coming out right now
  1022. 1022.
    >"I've been humoring this since we met, but... I can't let this keep going if you're going to take it this far. I'm sorry, Sunset, but, no. I don't feel that way about you."
  1023. 1023.
    >The way he phrased that tears at you even worse than his rejection
  1024. 1024.
    >He's been... humoring you?
  1025. 1025.
    >Did he never even think of you as a friend?
  1026. 1026.
    "I... I'm sorry. Did I do something wrong? I don't know what I could've done to make you not want to be at least my friend, but I swear I didn't mean it. Please, just -"
  1027. 1027.
    >Your free hand reaches out to try and grab one of his hands
  1028. 1028.
    >And, uh
  1029. 1029.
    >Hey, remember how we established that you've been nervously tugging on your Geode this whole time?
  1030. 1030.
    >Pack your bags girl because your ass is going on a trip to --
  1031. 1031.
     
  1032. 1032.
    PART ONE:
  1033. 1033.
    >While the halls are fairly empty, given that it's already a few hours past the school day, what little students there are still panic and press themselves up against the lockers as you pass them by
  1034. 1034.
    >That's right, know your place
  1035. 1035.
    >Beneath (You), Sunset Shimmer
  1036. 1036.
    >And despite the expression of smug superiority on your face
  1037. 1037.
    >Underneath it is a very stressed out pony
  1038. 1038.
    >The Fall Formal is only a week away
  1039. 1039.
    >The culmination of your plans
  1040. 1040.
    >Literal years of preparation
  1041. 1041.
    >Not just for this stupid school function
  1042. 1042.
    >But for your true goal:
  1043. 1043.
    >Claiming your rightful place as the next ruler of Equestria
  1044. 1044.
    >You remember your initial return to Equestria two and a half years ago
  1045. 1045.
    >It was... a stupid risk, that initial push
  1046. 1046.
    >Perhaps it was your ego talking, but you were sure you would've been immediately caught when you fell on your suddenly much longer face
  1047. 1047.
    >That stupid bipedal body had completely warped your sense of gravity, so returning to your original pony shape had been... difficult
  1048. 1048.
    >Fortunately, there weren't even any guards posted around the Mirror
  1049. 1049.
    >This allowed you to stalk the halls of the Castle
  1050. 1050.
    >The sight of a new stained glass mural featuring ponies you didn't recognize had clued you in on the importance of doing some catching up on current events
  1051. 1051.
    >(The artistic nature of the mural left something to be desired but was that NIGHTMARE MOON?)
  1052. 1052.
    >(She was REAL?!)
  1053. 1053.
    >(What had been going on since you left home?)
  1054. 1054.
    >And so, you studied
  1055. 1055.
    >In addition to the Dark Goddess of the Eternal Night being an actual pony and not just an old myth/story made up to make foals eat less sweets, you were shocked to learn that the Elements of Harmony were real, too
  1056. 1056.
    >Found and used by five ordinary mares... and Princess Celestia's prized student
  1057. 1057.
    >Twilight Sparkle
  1058. 1058.
    >Your teeth grit at the idea of somepony other than you acquiring so much power or prestige
  1059. 1059.
    >That should be YOUR crown
  1060. 1060.
    >But your studies showed you how the Elements were already out of your reach
  1061. 1061.
    >Bound to the souls of their current bearers, only something as catastrophic as one of the bearers turning on the others and disrupting their Harmonic Resonance would be enough to break their hold
  1062. 1062.
    >But... you also found that the Elements did not host their artifacts
  1063. 1063.
    >Through observed gossip around the castle you learned that the relics were housed in Celestia's personal vault
  1064. 1064.
    >You questioned that - wouldn't it make more sense for the ponies to keep their Elements on hoof? If nopony else could use them, there didn't seem to be any real harm
  1065. 1065.
    >But if Celestia was going to make a mistake, then who were you to do anything other than benefit from it?
  1066. 1066.
    >Because you had a hypothesis:
  1067. 1067.
    >You could easily break in to the Princess's vault (it wouldn't be the first time)
  1068. 1068.
    >Take one of the Elements (preferably that bitch Twilight's)
  1069. 1069.
    >And take it back to the human dimension
  1070. 1070.
    >You theorize that, if taken from its' home dimension to an entirely different one, the bond between Element and Bearer SHOULD be severed
  1071. 1071.
    >Allowing you to claim it and the magic within for your own
  1072. 1072.
    >In your experience artifacts of that level of power usually required an attunement ceremony, though
  1073. 1073.
    >... Like say, the Fall Formal you just won?
  1074. 1074.
    >You already have so much influence in the school, even as a Freshman
  1075. 1075.
    >It wouldn't be hard to build on that, keep winning these events
  1076. 1076.
    >Lean just a bit harder on the right people
  1077. 1077.
    >Then when the portal opens up again in two-and-a-half-years time
  1078. 1078.
    >You can swipe it then (there simply isn't enough time to plan and execute a heist, especially after you wasted an entire night studying and spying)
  1079. 1079.
    >Force the committee to design the crown around the Element
  1080. 1080.
    >Then swap them out in time for it to be presented to you
  1081. 1081.
    >That should satisfy the attunement process
  1082. 1082.
    >And with how much power the Elements hold, let you finally use magic in the Human World
  1083. 1083.
    >Then, and only then, will you have the strength to make Celestia acknowledge the mistake she made in spurning you
  1084. 1084.
    >Back in the now though...
  1085. 1085.
    >There's so much riding on this years Fall Formal
  1086. 1086.
    >And while obviously these morons wouldn't understand that
  1087. 1087.
    >It still makes your blood boil like lava seeing them clearly not taking your coronation seriously
  1088. 1088.
    >Such as right now
  1089. 1089.
    >As you reach the end of the hall you see some students putting up posters to remind the student body about the Formal
  1090. 1090.
    >And even a cursory glance at their offering you can see several spelling mistakes (Did they seriously call it the 'Fail Formal'?)
  1091. 1091.
    >Grammar errors ("do what come to them there auditorium at X PM", what.)
  1092. 1092.
    >And honestly, the entire layout for the poster is just ugly
  1093. 1093.
    >So it shouldn't be anyone's surprise that you march up and start berating the assembled students
  1094. 1094.
    >Outright tear the poster off the wall, crumple it up, and throw it in their faces
  1095. 1095.
    "Get this garbage out of my sight and try AGAIN. Everything has to be PERFECT for MY ceremony, YOU GOT THAT?"
  1096. 1096.
    >The gaggle of kids scream and scramble past you to get out of the way of your wrath
  1097. 1097.
    >As irritating as their screw up was, the catharsis of seeing them flee before you puts a malicious grin back on your face
  1098. 1098.
    >Though, as you turn to keep heading to the student parking lot
  1099. 1099.
    >You catch sight of one student remaining
  1100. 1100.
    >Staring at you
  1101. 1101.
    >The locker by him is open, so you assume it's his
  1102. 1102.
    >Explains why he didn't run with the rest, he wasn't a part of them
  1103. 1103.
    >Lets get a good look at this guy
  1104. 1104.
    >You're assuming he's a freshman, going by height
  1105. 1105.
    >His eyeline's about four inches below yours
  1106. 1106.
    >His clothes are a bit grubby and torn
  1107. 1107.
    >Gray cargos, a black shirt with presumably a band's name across the front who thought making their logo as unreadable as possible was good marketing
  1108. 1108.
    >A scrawny build and forest green skin
  1109. 1109.
    >And moderately long, black hair
  1110. 1110.
    >Just barely grazing their shoulders
  1111. 1111.
    >Styled to cover up his right eye
  1112. 1112.
    "You got something to say, shrimp?"
  1113. 1113.
    >The freshman frowns at you, and it's there that you really catch his expression
  1114. 1114.
    >That singular eye, acid green, staring at you with a look... of concern
  1115. 1115.
    >Of pity
  1116. 1116.
    >Your mind immediately flashes a pair of violet eyes that used to stare at you in the exact same way to the forefront of your thoughts
  1117. 1117.
    >The back of your neck starts to itch
  1118. 1118.
    >"Someone really hurt you, didn't they?"
  1119. 1119.
    >You're startled from your sudden recollection by the freshman's question
  1120. 1120.
    >Who the fuck does he think he is?
  1121. 1121.
    >You take a few steps closer, feigning nervousness, rubbing at your left arm
  1122. 1122.
    "Gosh, that's very perceptive. You think you see right through me, huh?"
  1123. 1123.
    >You suddenly make eye contact and rush forward, palming the freshman's forehead and pushing him roughly against the lockers
  1124. 1124.
    "Maybe someone did. Maybe they didn't. But I bet I'm about to hurt you a lot worse."
  1125. 1125.
    >The freshman struggles against your grip
  1126. 1126.
    >Plenty of people do, but you're a fair bit stronger than they tend to expect
  1127. 1127.
    >In the squirming though, turning his head this way and that, you muss up his hairstyle
  1128. 1128.
    >Forcing his face to be fully exposed
  1129. 1129.
    >You're briefly startled at the deep, dark purple splotches and ugly yellows painted around his right eye
  1130. 1130.
    >You don't often see ugly shiners like this in school
  1131. 1131.
    >While there's some light jostling around, even the rougher kids around campus don't get this violent
  1132. 1132.
    "Looks like someone already beat me to making you regret mouthing off, huh?"
  1133. 1133.
    >Despite the clear fear in his eyes, the freshman tries to put on a brave grin
  1134. 1134.
    >"Y-yeah, just a bit. Don't suppose you'd let me go, since I'm used goods?"
  1135. 1135.
    >You mime a thoughtful expression, resting your free hand on your cheek and loudly humming.
  1136. 1136.
    "Nah. That just means I'll have to get creative."
  1137. 1137.
    >The freshman stares at you in confusion
  1138. 1138.
    >You let that expression hang for just a moment
  1139. 1139.
    >And then your knee rams into his stomach as hard as you can throw it
  1140. 1140.
    >Automatically doubling over, with all the air blown out of his lungs, it's easy to grab him with both hands and forcibly shove him into his own locker
  1141. 1141.
    >And then give the lock a little spin when you shut the door on him
  1142. 1142.
    >You chuckle darkly as you make your way to the student parking lot, the sound of his banging on the locker fading away the further you get
  1143. 1143.
    "Hope you learn to mind your own business this time, shrimp."
  1144. 1144.
     
  1145. 1145.
    Part Seven, Continued:
  1146. 1146.
    >As quickly as it suddenly began, your eyes stop glowing and the vision ends
  1147. 1147.
    >You stumble a few steps back from Anonymous, staring at him with a horrified expression
  1148. 1148.
    >You remember that now
  1149. 1149.
    >The story of a freshman getting stuck in his own locker had blown up across the school
  1150. 1150.
    >Everyone had been talking about it
  1151. 1151.
    >The student was trapped in there for several hours before the janitor came by doing their rounds and hearing them sobbing
  1152. 1152.
    >They never did figure out who did it to them, as they completely clammed up
  1153. 1153.
    >On top of them being unwilling to talk, the faculty found there was an unfortunate blind spot in the camera network in that area
  1154. 1154.
    >And then, a week later
  1155. 1155.
    >The Fall Formal happened
  1156. 1156.
    >You happened
  1157. 1157.
    >And for the rest of the school year, that was pretty much all anyone talked about
  1158. 1158.
    >For the rest of the school year, all you cared about was trying to make amends with, and forging connections with Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie
  1159. 1159.
    >It was a much bigger story to the student body
  1160. 1160.
    >A much more pertinent event in your life then some random instance of your cruelty
  1161. 1161.
    >And like one of those magic illusion paintings
  1162. 1162.
    >The pieces all full into place
  1163. 1163.
    >While everyone may have forgotten what had happened to Anonymous
  1164. 1164.
    >His close friends like the twins and his cousin Norman very much didn't... and judging by the way they looked at you, were much more successful at getting the story from him than the police and faculty
  1165. 1165.
    >Even the way he acted so tense and guarded around you made sense
  1166. 1166.
    >And that look of surprise when you first approached him at the party...
  1167. 1167.
    >WAS that surprise? Or was that fear?
  1168. 1168.
    >He said he was humoring you this whole time...
  1169. 1169.
    >Because suddenly, you were one of the most popular girls in school, and up until the Musical Showcase he was just a face in the crowd
  1170. 1170.
    >If you wanted to waltz on up to him and 'act' like you didn't even know him, what could he do?
  1171. 1171.
    >Spurn you? That'd be social suicide
  1172. 1172.
    >And while people may believe that's something you were capable of in the past, your social grace made it murky if people would even care anymore
  1173. 1173.
    >Or worse, take 'your' side
  1174. 1174.
    >"Sunset?"
  1175. 1175.
    >You realize now that you've just been standing there this whole time while you relived that memory
  1176. 1176.
    >Staring past him into the past
  1177. 1177.
    >When you properly look at Anonymous you notice he's taken a step back from you
  1178. 1178.
    >Made distance
  1179. 1179.
    >He still looks upset, but you can see concern on the edge of it
  1180. 1180.
    >Concern for you, or fear at what you might do now that he's turned you down?
  1181. 1181.
    >You feel sick to your stomach
  1182. 1182.
    "I... I.."
  1183. 1183.
    >You can't even string a sentence together without feeling like you're about to vomit
  1184. 1184.
    >When your body starts to tremble, you finally break
  1185. 1185.
    >With a cry of mingled frustration, disgust, and sadness
  1186. 1186.
    >You run
  1187. 1187.
    >You run, and you run, and you run
  1188. 1188.
    >But even if you had Rainbow Dash's Geode instead of your own
  1189. 1189.
    >You could never move fast enough to escape what you're feeling
  1190. 1190.
     
  1191. 1191.
    Part Eight:
  1192. 1192.
    >The spoon slips into your mouth again, and you immediately lap the ice cream on it off
  1193. 1193.
    >This time, dark chocolate with mint chunks
  1194. 1194.
    >A perfect blend of sweet and bitter
  1195. 1195.
    >As delicious as it is (you're pretty sure this brand is ludicrously expensive, but it definitely tastes worth the cost)
  1196. 1196.
    >Your brow still remains flat as you swallow and let out another sigh
  1197. 1197.
    >In the following silence Rarity stares at you, trying to be patient but clearly on the road to running out of nicety.
  1198. 1198.
    "Rarity, I really appreciate you letting me eat all of your ridiculously expensive ice cream, but this really isn't making me feel better."
  1199. 1199.
    >"Of course it isn't, darling, you're only engaging with part of the process! You need to fully embrace it for it to work."
  1200. 1200.
    >Your brow flattens
  1201. 1201.
    "I am not saying it, Rarity."
  1202. 1202.
    >"Come now, darling. I promise it will help!"
  1203. 1203.
    >Rarity outright bats her eyelashes at you, while scooping up more ice cream onto the spoon
  1204. 1204.
    >You sigh and open your mouth, accepting a helping of peanut butter swirl
  1205. 1205.
    >When you swallow, you also swallow down some of your pride, and...
  1206. 1206.
    "... Nom nom nom."
  1207. 1207.
    >Despite everything, a small grin defiantly tries to slip across your mouth. You wipe at your puffy, tear stained eyes
  1208. 1208.
    "This is so stupid."
  1209. 1209.
    >Rarity responds to you in a sing-song voice
  1210. 1210.
    >"It's not stupid if it works~"
  1211. 1211.
    >"If you two are done, y'mind lettin' us know why you called us over?"
  1212. 1212.
    >Rarity huffs at Applejack, though you understand her impatience
  1213. 1213.
    >Your friend, well meaning as she is, has been pretty insistent for the past ten minutes
  1214. 1214.
    >Though you wouldn't mind holding off a little longer, your gaze flits from friend to friend
  1215. 1215.
    >Applejack, Fluttershy, Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie
  1216. 1216.
    >All of them had dropped whatever they were doing just to come at Rarity's insistence on your behalf
  1217. 1217.
    >(You), of course, being Sunset Shimmer
  1218. 1218.
    >Completely floored by your relearning of your past with Anonymous, your mind went a blank for a bit there
  1219. 1219.
    >All you could think of was making distance from the truth
  1220. 1220.
    >But
  1221. 1221.
    >Silly Sunset, that knowledge is in your brain now
  1222. 1222.
    >You're not getting away from it no matter how hard you sprint
  1223. 1223.
    >By the time you had come to your senses
  1224. 1224.
    >(Coincidentally around the same time your lungs ran out of air and were screaming their protest)
  1225. 1225.
    >You collapsed on your knees on the sidewalk, panting openly
  1226. 1226.
    >Sobbing even more blatantly
  1227. 1227.
    >Just thanking your luck that at least no one you knew was witnessing you in such a state
  1228. 1228.
    >"Darling...?"
  1229. 1229.
    >Of course
  1230. 1230.
    >You lifted your head out of your hands to witness a very blurry Rarity
  1231. 1231.
    >After wiping at your eyes you realized that you had fled in the direction of her home
  1232. 1232.
    >She and Fluttershy were the closest to the school, so that tracked
  1233. 1233.
    >Your friend helped you off your knees, and from there things pretty quickly led to now
  1234. 1234.
    >You explained that things didn't go well with Anon, but didn't want to elaborate until everyone else was assembled so you didn't have to repeat yourself
  1235. 1235.
    >As much as you wanted to stall, you knew it wouldn't do you any good
  1236. 1236.
    >It wouldn't be the first time you had to confront a mistake from your past with them
  1237. 1237.
    >(Seriously, the amount of times they managed to 'accidentally' bring up your demonic transformation at the Fall Formal during those first few months of inserting yourself into their clique was suspicious, to say the least)
  1238. 1238.
    >You still couldn't find the will to look any of them in the eyes as you recounted your confession, Anonymous's rejection, and most pertinently, the Geode-assisted revelation in why he would do so in the first place
  1239. 1239.
    >When you finally stop staring at your feet you can see the conflict on their faces, each of them doing various levels of terrible at hiding it
  1240. 1240.
    >They looked among themselves as well
  1241. 1241.
    >Clearly trying to prompt another one of the group to speak up first
  1242. 1242.
    >This went on for an agonizing minute before you let a growl rumble in your throat
  1243. 1243.
    "I KNOW it's bad. You don't have to sugarcoat it. It's only by the grace of the security cameras not functioning in that part of the school that kept me from getting expelled, or worse."
  1244. 1244.
    >Rainbow Dash hums loudly, tapping at her chin
  1245. 1245.
    >"I wonder what stopped Norman from spilling the beans. The way that guy glares at you, he's not exactly being subtle about how he feels. Even I noticed."
  1246. 1246.
    >"Maybe they only got Anon to admit to it recently, and they think it's too late to try and do something about it?"
  1247. 1247.
    >It's not a bad theory by Twilight, but you really can't find yourself caring about Norman at the moment
  1248. 1248.
    >You simply groan and bury your face back in your hands
  1249. 1249.
    "Regardless of why Norman isn't trying to get me arrested, I don't know what to do about this. I like Anon. I can't stand the idea of him hating me or having been afraid of me all this time. That was probably one of the worst things I ever did to someone during that time of my life... aside from mind controlling everyone, anyway."
  1250. 1250.
    >You unbury your face to stare at your friends, your family
  1251. 1251.
    >Despite your best efforts you can feel tears pinpricking in the corners of your eyes again
  1252. 1252.
    "How do I make this right?"
  1253. 1253.
    >Thus began another roundtable between you and your friends
  1254. 1254.
    >And
  1255. 1255.
    >You know that you friends were trying to help
  1256. 1256.
    >But... most of these were terrible
  1257. 1257.
    >"Oh! We should throw him a "Sorry Sunset Beat You Up, Trapped You In A Locker, And Then Forgot All About It" party!"
  1258. 1258.
    "I'm pretty sure Anon wouldn't want to go to a party all about that. Besides, what would the decorations even look like?"
  1259. 1259.
    >"What if you challenged him to a one-on-one soccer game and if you win he has to forgive you?"
  1260. 1260.
    "Dash, that worked out in your favor once, you can't keep challenging people to sports contests when they're mad at you. Besides, what if he won?"
  1261. 1261.
    >"I don't know, give him your motorcycle?"
  1262. 1262.
    "Hard pass."
  1263. 1263.
    >"Maybe, um. You could take him to the animal shelter? Pets are very therapeutic, after all. Even if he doesn't take one home I'm sure just seeing all their precious faces would help make him feel better."
  1264. 1264.
    "Fluttershy, are you just trying to get us to come help you volunteer?"
  1265. 1265.
    >"...Maybe."
  1266. 1266.
    "We'll... we'll circle back to that."
  1267. 1267.
    >"Well, what if you gave him a gift to show your regret's sincerity? We could design something together that he'd absolutely love!"
  1268. 1268.
    "That's... a better idea, but we know how Anon prefers to dress. No offense, but I don't think you have the heart to design a pair of cargo pants, nor would Anon be interested in a jewel encrusted Wolf Parade shirt."
  1269. 1269.
    >"... Perhaps a jewel encrusted LCD Soundsystem shirt?"
  1270. 1270.
    "I think we should keep workshopping it, Rarity."
  1271. 1271.
    >"Apples."
  1272. 1272.
    "... Applejack."
  1273. 1273.
    >"Sorry, this really ain't my wheelhouse. I got nothin'."
  1274. 1274.
    "I appreciate your honesty, if nothing else."
  1275. 1275.
    >"What about a song?"
  1276. 1276.
    >The presence of a truly good idea caused the rest of you to perk up and collectively glance at the speaker, Twilight Sparkle
  1277. 1277.
    >Six people all staring at her at once startled the newest member of your friend group, but she recovered quickly enough to press on
  1278. 1278.
    >"I mean. Anon's got his band. Terrible name aside, he clearly appreciates music, like we all do. What if you wrote him something to convey how sorry you are?"
  1279. 1279.
    >For the first time since the roundtable began you felt something akin to hope in your chest
  1280. 1280.
    "That's a perfect idea, Twilight!"
  1281. 1281.
    >"A very lovely sentiment indeed, darling!"
  1282. 1282.
    >"Mhm!"
  1283. 1283.
    >The rest of the girls agree, as you slowly rise to your feet
  1284. 1284.
    >"Well, what are we waiting for? Lets get to work!"
  1285. 1285.
    "Actually..."
  1286. 1286.
    >The girls pause and now it's your turn to get collectively stared at
  1287. 1287.
    >Wow, that is weird, actually
  1288. 1288.
    "I think I want to do this one myself. I think it would mean a lot more if it was just from me, instead of a Rainboom Original. Maybe not even write anything beforehand, just do it off the cuff."
  1289. 1289.
    >Everyone agrees that it probably would come off better that way
  1290. 1290.
    "I just wish I'd gotten his address. I don't want to let this fester between us longer than it has to..."
  1291. 1291.
    >"I mean, I could try to find it."
  1292. 1292.
    >Twilight's ready for the group reaction, this time
  1293. 1293.
    >"Remember that whole deal at Equestria Land? I tried to talk Applejack through a hacking sequence to get us out of what we thought was cyberspace. Did we ever really talk about how weird it was that her phone just teleported us to a convenient room instead of doing something actually technology related? That still keeps me up at night sometimes, and I just-"
  1294. 1294.
    "Twilight! Focus, please."
  1295. 1295.
    >Twilight looks abashed for a moment, but mutters something you're pretty sure sounds like 'I'm bringing this up later' as she pulls her laptop out of her bag
  1296. 1296.
    >"The point is, rummaging around the school's database shouldn't be nearly as hard as trying to escape the internet. Really, I bet I could just put up these proxies, Turn on Nord VPN, blorp the VOIP, open Adobe Reader, and then..."
  1297. 1297.
    >"Magic, right."
  1298. 1298.
    >Applejack nods wisely as Twilight trails off, lost in her work
  1299. 1299.
    >You don't want to admit you lost Twilight somewhere around 'blorping' the VOIP, so you just nod along with your apple loving friend
  1300. 1300.
    >Everyone else follows suit
  1301. 1301.
    >You're not sure how long hacking a database is supposed to take, so you get ready to sit back down and wai-
  1302. 1302.
    >"Done!"
  1303. 1303.
    >What, really?
  1304. 1304.
    >Twilight huffs triumphantly to herself, looking up from her screen with a grin on her face
  1305. 1305.
    >"Easy as Trigonometry! They seriously just keep those records in an Excel file. I could've found that in my sleep! Anon's address is listed as..."
  1306. 1306.
    >Twilight squints at the screen quickly just to be sure
  1307. 1307.
    >"... 2150 Grand Trot Drive. Why does that sound familiar?"
  1308. 1308.
    >That address is quickly recognizable to you, as well
  1309. 1309.
    >Maybe not the exact number, but you know the street
  1310. 1310.
    >It's...
  1311. 1311.
    >Son of a bitch
  1312. 1312.
    "That's in my neighborhood! He can't be more than three blocks away from me!"
  1313. 1313.
    >And that would explain why none of you ran into Anon during the Summer Break
  1314. 1314.
    >None of the girls were especially keen on hanging out at your apartment, given the rough and tumble nature of the surrounding area
  1315. 1315.
    >It perhaps wasn't the safest place to be, sure
  1316. 1316.
    >But the landlord took cash and didn't ask uncomfortable questions
  1317. 1317.
    >Such as wondering where your parents were
  1318. 1318.
    >Once again fully rising to your feet, you flash your friends a genuine smile as you scrub at your eyes
  1319. 1319.
    "Thank you, all of you. I don't know what I'd do without friends like you."
  1320. 1320.
    >You bask briefly in their chorus of 'aw shucks', 'you'd do the same for us!', and 'no problem's before excusing yourself and rushing your way home
  1321. 1321.
    >You want to get started on this song ASAP...
  1322. 1322.
    >... And while you do feel like it's a bit rushed, by Saturday night you're confident this will get your feelings through to Anon
  1323. 1323.
    >You originally did want to just do it straight from the heart
  1324. 1324.
    >But this isn't Equestria, a Heart Song isn't going to leap out of your mouth just because you want it to here
  1325. 1325.
    >And there's nothing more important to you now than getting this right
  1326. 1326.
    >The trek across the few blocks separating you from Anon is a short one
  1327. 1327.
    >But every step feels heavy
  1328. 1328.
    >Your heart is practically roaring in your ears
  1329. 1329.
    >You can feel sweat pooling in your palms as you clutch your guitar tighter
  1330. 1330.
    >You're going for acoustics tonight
  1331. 1331.
    >You draw the instrument just a bit closer to you as you approach the house
  1332. 1332.
    >For all you consider your apartment building the 'bad part' of Canterlot City
  1333. 1333.
    >It's scary how much more... oppressive the neighborhood feels, barely going deeper into it
  1334. 1334.
    >Especially in the dark like this
  1335. 1335.
    >Just remember why you're here, Sunset
  1336. 1336.
    >And count those addresses so you don't overshoot
  1337. 1337.
    >2144, 2146, 2148...
  1338. 1338.
    >2150, here we are
  1339. 1339.
    >If nothing else, Anon's family actually has a house unlike you
  1340. 1340.
    >Though it's... definitely seen better years, you're sure
  1341. 1341.
    >The grass raises up to about your knees, and you swear something slithered by your shin
  1342. 1342.
    >The dull green paintjob for the wood is faded, chipped away entirely in parts to expose an even darker, dirtier shade underneath
  1343. 1343.
    >A concerning amount of the brickwork has been chipped or gouged away
  1344. 1344.
    >Are those bullet holes?
  1345. 1345.
    >Remember why you're here!
  1346. 1346.
    >Walking around the perimeter of the house, you try to peek inside the windows
  1347. 1347.
    >Almost all of them have fairly thick curtains, but in one of them near the front of the house you can see some light peeking through
  1348. 1348.
    >There's no real way to tell exactly if that's Anon's room, but...
  1349. 1349.
    >The house doesn't seem that big (single story, maybe 1800 square feet?)
  1350. 1350.
    >Surely he'll hear you regardless
  1351. 1351.
    >Taking a deep breath, you get your guitar ready and begin to strum (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ibh4XOzbDzg)
  1352. 1352.
    >Immediately you hear some odd thumping from inside, but pay it no mind
  1353. 1353.
    "Dream of anything, I'll make it all come true!"
  1354. 1354.
    "Everything you need, is all I have for yo~u!"
  1355. 1355.
    "I'm forever-"
  1356. 1356.
    >Before you can even finish the first verse though
  1357. 1357.
    >The front door bursts open
  1358. 1358.
    >The light from inside completely casts the person in the doorframe in shadow
  1359. 1359.
    >But just judging from the sheer size and bulk of the silhouette
  1360. 1360.
    >You're pretty sure that's not Anon
  1361. 1361.
    >The accompanying harsh, slurring voice screaming into the night certainly seals the deal, though
  1362. 1362.
    >"WHAT TH' FUCK IS THAT FAGGOTY CATERWAULING OUT HERE? IS THAT YOU, NORMAN?!"
  1363. 1363.
    >You're completely startled by this, stumbling into the grass
  1364. 1364.
    >You really hope whatever was slithering around in the lawn was also scared away
  1365. 1365.
    >Also, Norman?
  1366. 1366.
    >You're not sure what you're more offended by:
  1367. 1367.
    >This guy's language or that insinuation
  1368. 1368.
    >Norman had the lowest register in the entire band's chorus! Just what the Hell is he trying to imply, here?
  1369. 1369.
    >Just as you're about to go on another mental tangent, your eyes adjust to be able to better see this person and-
  1370. 1370.
    >Okay fuck stop trying to be funny, because that is clearly a fucking gun in that guy's hand
  1371. 1371.
    >You're suddenly very grateful that your composing took all day
  1372. 1372.
    >In the pitch black of a new moon, you're able to military crawl your way across the overgrown lawn and get away
  1373. 1373.
    >Whoever that is
  1374. 1374.
    >Their enraged screaming carries an almost impressive distance
  1375. 1375.
    >Even as you go down a block to put distance between yourself and him
  1376. 1376.
    >You can still faintly hear it
  1377. 1377.
    >....
  1378. 1378.
    >Oh man
  1379. 1379.
    >This was a stupid idea
  1380. 1380.
    >Or at least your impatience was
  1381. 1381.
    >You should've waited
  1382. 1382.
    >Maybe Anon would've had more time to stew in the fallout of your meeting but at least you wouldn't have been threatened with a gun like that
  1383. 1383.
    >Slamming the door to your apartment you slide down along it to the floor, grasping your guitar in one hand and your chest with the other
  1384. 1384.
    >Yeah
  1385. 1385.
    >He'll just have to wait to hear the rest of it
  1386. 1386.
    >...
  1387. 1387.
    >...
  1388. 1388.
    >Just one little complication to that plan:
  1389. 1389.
    >Anon doesn't show up to school on Monday.
  1390. 1390.
     
  1391. 1391.
    Part Nine:
  1392. 1392.
    * [FunInTheSummerSun] I know things are awkward between us right now.
  1393. 1393.
    * [FunInTheSummerSun] Maybe you don't want to hear from me at all, but...
  1394. 1394.
    * [FunInTheSummerSun] I'm worried. Your friends are too. Norman might be going a little insane.
  1395. 1395.
    * [FunInTheSummerSun] Please. It doesn't have to be me, but please reach out to someone.
  1396. 1396.
    >You set your phone down and slump against the wall of the cafeteria
  1397. 1397.
    >A despondent sigh rumbles in your throat as you look around the large room, again
  1398. 1398.
    >No flashes of his particular shade of green
  1399. 1399.
    >No wisps of long, dark hair (aside from Octavia, again)
  1400. 1400.
    >It is Wednesday, my dudes
  1401. 1401.
    >And Anonymous Tip is still absent from school
  1402. 1402.
    >You don't know what went down at that house after you left
  1403. 1403.
    >And it's only the fact that your friends physically stopped you from going back that stopped you from going and finding out after Monday came and went
  1404. 1404.
    >But they can't stop you all the time
  1405. 1405.
    >All you really need is a sportsball to distract Dash, and to lie to Applejack about Big Mac leaving the farm to do literally anything
  1406. 1406.
    >That would get rid of the biggest obstacles
  1407. 1407.
    >...Aside from Pinkie
  1408. 1408.
    >But you have no idea what you could use to distract her long enough to make a break for it
  1409. 1409.
    >A clown, maybe?
  1410. 1410.
    >Like, a really bad one
  1411. 1411.
    >So bad that she has to stop pursuing you and give it clowning lessons
  1412. 1412.
    >Yes, Sunset, you're a genius
  1413. 1413.
    >"Honestly, that would probably work, but I'm sure you could just as easily say the Cakes are behind on some orders at work and I'd go running. Much cheaper than ordering a clown."
  1414. 1414.
    >If you weren't in the middle of moping you might have leapt a foot or two into the air when Pinkie Pie's voice slithers into your ear
  1415. 1415.
    >As it stands you just jolt and knock your head against the wall
  1416. 1416.
    "Ow! Pinkie, what?"
  1417. 1417.
    >"Oh, I was just saying I know you're upset, Sunny, but I think you know how dangerous going back to that place is. So you're not gonna, right?"
  1418. 1418.
    >You stare into Pinkie's big blue eyes
  1419. 1419.
    >This girl...
  1420. 1420.
    >You know damn well that's not what she said, but you're just going to roll with it, sighing
  1421. 1421.
    "I know it's a bad idea. But I feel like my heart's about to burst. I'm worried, Pinkie. Why isn't he responding to anyone, at least?"
  1422. 1422.
    >In lieu of an answer, your friend simply pulls you in to a tight hug and a squeeze
  1423. 1423.
    >"We just gotta hope for the best, Sunny. I'm sorry that's not very satisfying."
  1424. 1424.
    >You bury your head into the crook of Pinkie's shoulder, and stay for a long while
  1425. 1425.
    >The rest of your day isn't especially eventful
  1426. 1426.
    >You're so distracted by Anon's absence that Mr. Doodle absolutely isn't getting any of his lesson into your head
  1427. 1427.
    >And Miss Feathers isn't much more successful than him, even if you do enjoy AP Biology
  1428. 1428.
    >You've one last class for the day: Language Arts with Miss Clippity Clop
  1429. 1429.
    >(You swear, the things the people of this world can get away with being named, you can only imagine how ponies back home would react to someone just straight up named 'Miss Masturbation')
  1430. 1430.
    >Her class is near the front of the school, a fair bit of a walk
  1431. 1431.
    >But it's when you're passing the main entrance that you spot him
  1432. 1432.
    >Resting his palm against the wall and moderately trembling
  1433. 1433.
    >But even with his head ducked down you still recognize that mass of black hair and the green skin on his exposed arms
  1434. 1434.
    "Anonymous?!"
  1435. 1435.
    >Anonymous Tip lifts his head, startled at someone yelping his name
  1436. 1436.
    >Your eyes immediately zero in to the massive bandage on his left cheek
  1437. 1437.
    >All thoughts of Miss Clippity Clop's ridiculous name are abandoned
  1438. 1438.
    >To say nothing of actually attending her class
  1439. 1439.
    >It's fine, Applejack has that period with you, she's usually cool about sharing her notes
  1440. 1440.
    >You dart towards your...
  1441. 1441.
    >Damn it, you're still calling him your friend, at least in your brain
  1442. 1442.
    >You dart towards your friend, stopping a foot away to give him a bit of distance
  1443. 1443.
    "We've all been really worried! Why haven't you been responding to anyone's messages?"
  1444. 1444.
    >Anon still seems pretty surprised by you, despite your precautions
  1445. 1445.
    >"Uh. Yeah, that really isn't going to be an option now. I don't really have a phone anymore."
  1446. 1446.
    >You eye him with a confused expression
  1447. 1447.
    "What do you mean? Did it get taken away from you? Why?"
  1448. 1448.
    >Anon's expression tightens at that, and he looks away from you
  1449. 1449.
    >"Something like that."
  1450. 1450.
    "Listen... Anon. Can we please talk?"
  1451. 1451.
    >He looks distinctly uncomfortable at that
  1452. 1452.
    >"I have to report in to Principal Celestia. I have been a bit of a stranger around here, after all."
  1453. 1453.
    "I can escort you? You look dead on your feet, I don't want you collapsing somewhere, especially since everyone's in class."
  1454. 1454.
    >You deftly avoid bringing up that YOU should be in class right now
  1455. 1455.
    >Anon squints at you with his singular visible eye, before letting his head dip, sighing
  1456. 1456.
    >"I can tell you're going to be very insistent, so lets just skip to the end and I'll say 'okay'."
  1457. 1457.
    >Smiling wearily, you nod in agreement and help Anonymous make his way to Principal Celestia's office
  1458. 1458.
    >He explains that he had a brief stomach bug, and that contributed to his absence
  1459. 1459.
    >You can tell Principal Celestia doesn't buy it for a second, between his lack of doctor's note
  1460. 1460.
    >The large bandage covering part of his face, which certainly suggests an ailment other than an illness
  1461. 1461.
    >And his otherwise healthy complexion
  1462. 1462.
    >But she simply sighs and welcomes Anonymous back to the school, and apologizes for him having to go through that 'bug'
  1463. 1463.
    >You can tell she's convinced she isn't going to get anything more out of him
  1464. 1464.
    >Like, say, the truth
  1465. 1465.
    >So you don't blame her really, but you're not giving up so easily
  1466. 1466.
    >As you leave the office you stare intently at your friend
  1467. 1467.
    "I don't think she bought that. I know I definitely don't. Anon..."
  1468. 1468.
    >Anon cuts you off at the pass, though
  1469. 1469.
    >"It's not a big deal."
  1470. 1470.
    "Anon, you were missing for almost three full days. I'm really surprised the police weren't called-"
  1471. 1471.
    >At that, he lets out that bark of a laugh you remember
  1472. 1472.
    >Though it's distinctly more... bitter, now
  1473. 1473.
    >Sharp
  1474. 1474.
    >"The police don't bother coming where I live. Would be a waste of their time."
  1475. 1475.
    >You wince
  1476. 1476.
    >You've never had a reason to call for them, but... you wouldn't be surprised if you were left hanging, honestly
  1477. 1477.
    >Anon stops in the middle of the hallway
  1478. 1478.
    >You immediately stop as well
  1479. 1479.
    >He stares at you
  1480. 1480.
    >You stare right back
  1481. 1481.
    >"So, who are you ditching right now?"
  1482. 1482.
    "Miss Clippity Clop, Language Arts."
  1483. 1483.
    >"And there's nothing I can say to get you to go back to class, is there?"
  1484. 1484.
    "I really doubt it."
  1485. 1485.
    >Anon stared at you with dead eyes
  1486. 1486.
    >Seemingly going over his options
  1487. 1487.
    >Eventually he sighed and started making his way towards the inner court yard once again
  1488. 1488.
    >"Alright, fine. Lets do this."
  1489. 1489.
    >Returning to the courtyard with Anon so soon was a little surreal
  1490. 1490.
    >You sat with him not 30 yards away from the tree you initially confessed under
  1491. 1491.
    >You wonder if he'd deliberately placed you near it on purpose, or if he even remembered at all
  1492. 1492.
    >For a moment you both enjoyed the silence of the empty area
  1493. 1493.
    >But it was clear he was going to let you take the lead on this
  1494. 1494.
    "Anon... I am so sorry. I wish I could think of an adjective strong enough to really convey that, but... all of them feel weak. I can't imagine how you've felt all year, having me hang around you, acting like nothing happened. I need you to know that as horrible as it sounds, I did forget about that day. I was never intending to lead you into something like that, or worse. I want to be your friend. I... wanted to try and see if we could be more than that, but I get that that's asking way too much. If you would still have me as a friend, though... I wouldn't push. I promise."
  1495. 1495.
    >Anon simply stares at you placidly the entire time you ramble, resting his palms flat on the concrete wall you were both leaning against
  1496. 1496.
    >No interruptions, no emoting
  1497. 1497.
    >If it weren't for the circumstances it would feel like just a regular conversation between you two
  1498. 1498.
    >You rambling on about whatever was on your mind while he simply digested it and offered some succinct insight
  1499. 1499.
    >When you finally run out of words to say though, he just keeps staring
  1500. 1500.
    >You can feel sweat building on your temple as your friend's brow flattens
  1501. 1501.
    >You don't know how long this lasts
  1502. 1502.
    >Five minutes? An hour?
  1503. 1503.
    >Every second is agonizing
  1504. 1504.
    >Scream at you, walk away, reject you
  1505. 1505.
    >Please do SOMETHING
  1506. 1506.
    >You're on the verge of vocalizing just that when he finally exhales
  1507. 1507.
    >"...At the start I was terrified, yeah. You really hurt me, and even if you did make that big face turn by dealing with those evil magic girls, I couldn't trust you like everyone else does. I was so sure when you were taking me up to that balcony you were going to throw me off it or something."
  1508. 1508.
    >Anon takes in a deep breath while you wince
  1509. 1509.
    >Knowing he was scared the whole time while you bitched about Rainbow Dash teasing you a little feels like a punch to the gut
  1510. 1510.
    >"We've known each other for months now. And you certainly haven't tried to stuff me in any lockers, though. While I was still pretty wary, I guess I bought what you were selling too. I wasn't going to take my eyes off you when you were around, but... I didn't hate having you around, either. Does that make sense?"
  1511. 1511.
    >You nod, though you're not entirely sure to be honest
  1512. 1512.
    >"When you asked me out, though... I couldn't keep up that pretense. I knew I had to be honest because a relationship like that would fail from the start. I don't know that I could ever feel that way about you, Sunset, but... I can be friends with you. If you're satisfied with just that."
  1513. 1513.
    >Your heart aches at that admission, but you still feel most of the weight caving in your chest pull away, letting you finally breathe for the first time in days
  1514. 1514.
    "Y.. yeah, Anon. I've always valued your friendship. I'll get over this, thank you."
  1515. 1515.
    >You offer your friend a smile, but it doesn't long last
  1516. 1516.
    >Staring at the bandage on his cheek
  1517. 1517.
    "Can I... Can I ask you about what happened?"
  1518. 1518.
    >Anon's expression darkens immediately
  1519. 1519.
    >"I don't want to talk about it."
  1520. 1520.
    >You grimace and stare at your shoes, feeling foolish
  1521. 1521.
    >He only just forgave you, of course he doesn't want to talk about something so heavy immediately
  1522. 1522.
    >After a few moments though, Anonymous clears his throat
  1523. 1523.
    >You look back up to see his hand being held out to you
  1524. 1524.
    >His face is very pointedly turned away
  1525. 1525.
    >Is he...?
  1526. 1526.
    >You know he knows how your magic works
  1527. 1527.
    >You gave him the full rundown of all the Geodes when you told him about your previous exploits with Juniper Montage and the string of Magical Artifacts that popped up last summer
  1528. 1528.
    >You get the distinct feeling that if you don't take this offer he isn't going to do it again
  1529. 1529.
    >Much less directly talk about the experience
  1530. 1530.
    >So, with one hand grasping at your Geode
  1531. 1531.
    >The other reaches out to intertwine your fingers with his, and...
  1532. 1532.
    >...
  1533. 1533.
    >...
  1534. 1534.
    >And your skin is a rich forest green
  1535. 1535.
    >Your hair is as black as a New Moon's night (which tonight coincidentally is)
  1536. 1536.
    >(You) are Anonymous Tip, circa Last Saturday Evening
  1537. 1537.
    >Currently laying in bed in your dark bedroom
  1538. 1538.
    >The only light within currently emanating from your busted up phone
  1539. 1539.
    >Doomscrolling through MyStable as you try and think about nothing
  1540. 1540.
    >As if sensing your effort, your cousin Norman DMs you a meme
  1541. 1541.
    >Some newspaper comic looking ass drawing of some dad giving his kid a snow shovel and making a joke about apps
  1542. 1542.
    >You love your cousin but he has the sense of humor of a fucking 60 year old man
  1543. 1543.
    >You humor him though, of course
  1544. 1544.
    >Fire off a quick 'lol' before continuing on your way
  1545. 1545.
    >Someone's posted a video of Pinkie Pie on your feed
  1546. 1546.
    >Drinking three Red Bulls and then trying to sing the Alphabet backwards
  1547. 1547.
    >That girl is... something else
  1548. 1548.
    >But seeing her freak out from all that taurine just makes you think of her friend, Sunset Shimmer
  1549. 1549.
    >Your friend?
  1550. 1550.
    >You aren't sure at this point
  1551. 1551.
    >Either way has you groaning and pressing your face against the cracked glass of your phone
  1552. 1552.
    >You really didn't see that confession coming
  1553. 1553.
    >At best you thought this was going to lead to some cruel prank
  1554. 1554.
    >Which, to be fair, it still could've
  1555. 1555.
    >But you had to put your foot down finally
  1556. 1556.
    >She hurt you
  1557. 1557.
    >You'd say she humiliated you but no one even remembers what happened to you to begin with
  1558. 1558.
    >And you couldn't let it happen again
  1559. 1559.
    >...So why do you feel like such an asshole?
  1560. 1560.
    >The sight of her horrified expression as she came down from presumably a vision of the incident flashes through your mind again
  1561. 1561.
    >The tears in her eyes
  1562. 1562.
    >The way she could barely even speak without looking sick
  1563. 1563.
    >It all looked real
  1564. 1564.
    >But so did your tears when that Janitor finally managed to get your locker combination right
  1565. 1565.
    >The aching and tenderness of your ribs for weeks after was real
  1566. 1566.
    >The terror of being alone with her in that person's house was real
  1567. 1567.
    >But despite how hard you try and hold on to that resentment
  1568. 1568.
    >You can feel it slipping through your fingers like sand
  1569. 1569.
    >You don't think you could ever feel for her like she supposedly does you
  1570. 1570.
    >But over the course of the year you went from waiting for her next attack...
  1571. 1571.
    >To enjoying her presence
  1572. 1572.
    >You'll have to talk to her on Monday
  1573. 1573.
    >Clear the air, set some boundaries
  1574. 1574.
    >Hopefully she'll-
  1575. 1575.
    >"Dream of anything, I'll make it all come true!"
  1576. 1576.
    >"Everything you need, is all I have for yo~u!"
  1577. 1577.
    >Through the thin walls of your bedroom you think you can hear someone singing
  1578. 1578.
    "What the Hell?"
  1579. 1579.
    >As you sit up to try and get out of bed and investigate, however
  1580. 1580.
    >You hear the distinct loud thumps of someone beating you to it
  1581. 1581.
    >Followed shortly by some crazed screaming
  1582. 1582.
    >Leaping out of bed you stumble through the house
  1583. 1583.
    >Much of it is as dark as your room, but you know the layout like the back of your hand
  1584. 1584.
    >As you approach the foyer that sound of a gun being fired goes off
  1585. 1585.
    "DAD!"
  1586. 1586.
    >You shout, and immediately slap your hand over your mouth
  1587. 1587.
    >Your father fires off a few more rounds into the night sky before turning to face you
  1588. 1588.
    >Immediately you're hit with a stench that wouldn't be out of place in a distillery
  1589. 1589.
    >Or a garbage dump
  1590. 1590.
    >"WHAT, BOY?"
  1591. 1591.
    >Deep down you might be impressed at how you father can scream like that for minutes at a time and still keep the bass in his voice
  1592. 1592.
    >"YOU GOT A PROBLEM?"
  1593. 1593.
    "I didn't mean to yell, I'm sorry. I just... don't you think it's a bad idea to be firing your gun like that? The police might ignore most of what goes on here but that was a lot..."
  1594. 1594.
    >"The police ain't SHIT, boy. Now that the fuck was that outside? That your faggoty ass cousin crooning out there? You been bitching about your 'awful life' again? BOY LOOK AT ME WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU."
  1595. 1595.
    >You had your eyes locked on your father the entire time, of course
  1596. 1596.
    >Like you'd look anywhere when he's in a mood like this
  1597. 1597.
    >"YOU BITCH AND MOAN BUT YOU'RE LUCKY I LET YOU LIVE UNDER THIS ROOF. 'OOH NORMAN MY LIFE IS SO BAD' AS IF YOU DIDN'T RUIN MINE, YOU LITTLE SHIT."
  1598. 1598.
    >He's practically spitting across the distance from you, now
  1599. 1599.
    >But he stops
  1600. 1600.
    >It's never a good thing when he stops screaming at you midrant like that
  1601. 1601.
    >You stare at your father apprehensively, trying to follow his gaze
  1602. 1602.
    >And then you look down
  1603. 1603.
    >At the phone still in your hands
  1604. 1604.
    >"So you mentioned the police, huh..."
  1605. 1605.
    "Ye-yeah, I was just concerned..."
  1606. 1606.
    >"CONCERNED THEY'RE TAKING TOO LONG? YOU TRYING TO SNITCH ON ME?"
  1607. 1607.
    >Before you can try and placate your father, he's suddenly crossed the distance
  1608. 1608.
    >And with a quick swing of his fist, cracks you across the face with his pistol and send you to the floor
  1609. 1609.
    >Your phone goes flying out of your hand and smashes into a wall, shattering it
  1610. 1610.
    >Nokia it ain't
  1611. 1611.
    >The metal's still heated from his repeated firing, causing it to burn your cheek, which makes you scream
  1612. 1612.
    >You cover your mouth instinctively but it's no use at this point
  1613. 1613.
    >Your father continues to scream invectives and hurl abuse (mainly about what an ungrateful, life ruining shit heap you are)
  1614. 1614.
    >And he punctuates it up with several stomps across your torso
  1615. 1615.
    >Somewhere nice and easy to cover up and bruises
  1616. 1616.
    >You're not sure if he missed his mark or did it on purpose
  1617. 1617.
    >But the feeling of his boot crashing down on your temple, ramming the side of your head into the wooden floor strips you of consciousness
  1618. 1618.
    >How considerate, now you don't have to be present for the rest of this
  1619. 1619.
    >...
  1620. 1620.
    >...
  1621. 1621.
    >The abrupt cut to black tosses (You) out of your vision
  1622. 1622.
    >Sunset Time is here to stay
  1623. 1623.
    >Your body must have been reacting prematurely while you were out because you can already feel hot tears streaming down your face
  1624. 1624.
    >Your grip on Anonymous's hand tightens before you're overcome with grief
  1625. 1625.
    >Suddenly lunging in to snare him in a hug that starts out tight, before you consider his ribs and loosen up a few shades
  1626. 1626.
    >Anonymous hisses and tenses up, his arms splayed out as he very much doesn't return the gesture
  1627. 1627.
    >You bury your face in his shirt for a few moments before pulling away
  1628. 1628.
    "I'm sorry. Probably anyone else would be more appropriate to be hugging you right now but I really feel like you deserve one. That was... awful. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for doing that to you."
  1629. 1629.
    >Anon frowns, but seems to just let you have this
  1630. 1630.
    >You appreciate it, you need this too
  1631. 1631.
    >Clinging to him, affirming that he's really there
  1632. 1632.
    >"I had a feeling that was you. And it's... I don't want to say fine, but I bet something would've made him flare up like that soon enough. He's been in a shitty mood for weeks."
  1633. 1633.
    >You release Anon with one arm and use it to scrub at your eyes
  1634. 1634.
    "I just... I had a song I wanted to sing to you. To let you know how sorry I was. I never thought it would result in that."
  1635. 1635.
    >Anon doesn't look like he really knows what to say
  1636. 1636.
    >"I only heard about a few seconds of it through my wall. It... sounded good for those few seconds, at least?"
  1637. 1637.
    >You shake your head and laugh weakly
  1638. 1638.
    "Obviously the police really don't care if you're here like this and not in their care or anything. Is there really nothing you can do? Or somewhere else you can go?"
  1639. 1639.
    >Your friend shrugs helplessly at that
  1640. 1640.
    >"I'm only 17, Sunset. I'm kind of obligated to live with a parent or guardian. As for somewhere to go... not really. My dad knows where Norman lives, and he and his parents are about the only family I got anymore. I don't want to inflict him on them."
  1641. 1641.
    >Your brow scrunches as you delve deep into thought
  1642. 1642.
    >There has to be a way to help Anonymous
  1643. 1643.
    >You consider your options
  1644. 1644.
    >You have... quite a bit of money squirreled away for a rainy day like this
  1645. 1645.
    >Ever since the portal opened permanently you may or may not have snuck a few Equestrian gems across the metaphorical border
  1646. 1646.
    >You never really had an eye for them but you bet you could pawn them off for a pretty bit
  1647. 1647.
    >Maybe you could buy him a ticket somewhere?
  1648. 1648.
    >But then, Anon is still underage, as he just said
  1649. 1649.
    >If he tried to get too far away without adult supervision they'd just deny him
  1650. 1650.
    >The girls could host him?
  1651. 1651.
    >Maybe not
  1652. 1652.
    >You don't know their financial situations for the most part
  1653. 1653.
    >(Aside from Twilight, who you're pretty sure could buy the entire town and still have thousands of bits left over)
  1654. 1654.
    >But you don't think most of them could afford to home an additional person
  1655. 1655.
    >(Maybe you could hide him in one of Twilight's spare bedrooms?)
  1656. 1656.
    >It has to be a place that can afford to host another person and won't have too many people inquiring about him...
  1657. 1657.
    >Your eyes widen
  1658. 1658.
    >You pull away from Anon to grasp both of his hands with yours, pupils glinting
  1659. 1659.
    "Stay with me."
  1660. 1660.
    >"What?!"
  1661. 1661.
    "Maybe he knows where Norman lives, but he doesn't know where I do. I've been there for six years alone and my landlord's never once asked me where my parents are. I'm pretty sure he thinks my name is Samantha. I don't think he'll notice if my place suddenly has an extra tenant..."
  1662. 1662.
    >"Sunset, I don't-"
  1663. 1663.
    "This isn't about how I feel! It's about what you deserve! You deserve to be safe! To not get viciously beaten for no reason! Please, Anon. Come with me. Let me give you that. Consider it me making up for what I did if you have to. Just... please."
  1664. 1664.
    >Anon looks away from you again, but you can still make out the conflicted expression on his face
  1665. 1665.
    >Now he's starting to sweat, too
  1666. 1666.
    >His teeth grit and a growl rumbles in his throat before he turns to face you again
  1667. 1667.
    >"You accept the fact that if Norman finds out about this he might try and kill you?"
  1668. 1668.
    "If it gets you out of that house I will gladly fight Norman."
  1669. 1669.
    >Anon dips his head and sighs defeatedly
  1670. 1670.
    >"I was really hoping you would hesitate even a little. Fine. But if you make this weird..."
  1671. 1671.
    "I swear it won't be on purpose."
  1672. 1672.
    >"I get the feeling that that's the best I'm going to get out of you. Alright."
  1673. 1673.
    "You really mean it?"
  1674. 1674.
    >"Yes, Sunset. You may have the honor of me taking up your space and eating all your food."
  1675. 1675.
    "Lets go, then!"
  1676. 1676.
    >"What, right now?"
  1677. 1677.
    "Your classes have already missed you two days, they can go a full third."
  1678. 1678.
    >You grasp at Anon's hand and start pulling him away, bee-lining for the student parking lot and your motorcyle
  1679. 1679.
    >This might be way too hasty
  1680. 1680.
    >It's absolutely not at all thought out
  1681. 1681.
    >But the dual relief of having your friend back and getting him away from that place has you not thinking even the least bit straight
  1682. 1682.
    >But you're sure things can only look up from here
  1683. 1683.
     
  1684. 1684.
    Part Ten:
  1685. 1685.
    >With a scratch of your hip and a loud, obnoxious yawn, you stumble down the stairs of your loft to the main floor of your apartment
  1686. 1686.
    >It's a rare occasion
  1687. 1687.
    >You've actually woken up on the first instance of your alarm instead of Snoozing it for an hour for the third time in a row this week
  1688. 1688.
    >This might be a new record!
  1689. 1689.
    >One of your eyes is still glued shut with sleep sand, so you're running on less depth perception than you're used to
  1690. 1690.
    >It takes three swipes at the handle of your bathroom door to actually make contact
  1691. 1691.
    >When you finally get a grip (literally)
  1692. 1692.
    >You push the door open and are met with quite the sight
  1693. 1693.
    >A bare, green skinned waist
  1694. 1694.
    >Scrawny and clearly a bit malnourished
  1695. 1695.
    >It could stand to be a few inches wider...
  1696. 1696.
    >Maybe you should suggest going out to eat today?
  1697. 1697.
    >It has been a few weeks since you last went to Burger Princess
  1698. 1698.
    >Your other eye finally opens to get a better look
  1699. 1699.
    >Gaze going upwards to admire a pair of nicely carved shoulder blades
  1700. 1700.
    >Though that doesn't last long before the owner of those blades turns
  1701. 1701.
    >Exposing a too-flat tummy and an undeveloped chest
  1702. 1702.
    >The soft pectorals lead up to a neck
  1703. 1703.
    >Or would, if it wasn't hidden by a rumpled shirt
  1704. 1704.
    >A pair of bright green eyes stare at you from the head hole of the shirt
  1705. 1705.
    >Briefly startled, but that quickly shifts into annoyance
  1706. 1706.
    >"Sunset, this is the third time this week, come on."
  1707. 1707.
    >The voice causes you to startle, brain kickstarting to realize what you're doing
  1708. 1708.
    "Sorry! I wasn't awake yet!"
  1709. 1709.
    >You slam the bathroom door shut and slump against the wooden pillar of your loft while you wait
  1710. 1710.
    >Rubbing at your face to try and encourage the heat in your cheeks to dissipate
  1711. 1711.
    >(You) are Sunset Shimmer
  1712. 1712.
    >... And you're still not quite used to having a roommate
  1713. 1713.
    >It's been about a week since you invited Anonymous into your home
  1714. 1714.
    >You don't regret opening up your apartment to your friend
  1715. 1715.
    >But there are growing pains
  1716. 1716.
    >Namely having to share a single bathroom
  1717. 1717.
    >You yawn again, and
  1718. 1718.
    >Y'know
  1719. 1719.
    >You never noticed how comfortable this wooden pillar was
  1720. 1720.
    >...
  1721. 1721.
    >"Sunset."
  1722. 1722.
    >Five more minutes, Princess...
  1723. 1723.
    >"Sunset!"
  1724. 1724.
    >You startle back awake again
  1725. 1725.
    "I'm awake Princess!"
  1726. 1726.
    >"Miracles'll never cease. The shower's open."
  1727. 1727.
    >You shake your head and get awareness again
  1728. 1728.
    >Anon's standing to your side, hand on your shoulder
  1729. 1729.
    >He's completely swallowed up by a massive pink bathrobe Rarity gave you that you rarely used
  1730. 1730.
    >His head peeks out from the egregiously fluffy lining
  1731. 1731.
    >Looking vaguely like he's being eaten by a soft blob
  1732. 1732.
    "Oh, okay. Thank you."
  1733. 1733.
    >You stumble into the bathroom and get your daily rituals out of the way
  1734. 1734.
    >Look away for a few minutes, narrator
  1735. 1735.
    >When you slip back out, clad in a much more sensibly sized red robe, you find that Anon's on the couch, already fully dressed and groomed
  1736. 1736.
    >You've seen this phenomenon all week and it still remains baffling
  1737. 1737.
    >How boys can get ready so quickly while you're going to spend ten minutes alone picking out today's outfit...
  1738. 1738.
    >Even now, the opposite sex holds many mysteries
  1739. 1739.
    >Your gaze ticks away from your friend to look around the apartment
  1740. 1740.
    >It's practically sparkling, as it has been all week
  1741. 1741.
    >You frown, thinking about how you're not the only one going through growing pains trying to get used to a shared living space
  1742. 1742.
    >Despite suggesting nothing of the sort, Anon was very insistent on 'earning' his place in your home
  1743. 1743.
    >The first morning that had been attempted by making you breakfast, but...
  1744. 1744.
    >You uh
  1745. 1745.
    >Don't exactly have a kitchen
  1746. 1746.
    >At all
  1747. 1747.
    >Just a minifridge for storage and a microwave for nuking leftovers
  1748. 1748.
    >You kind of live entirely off of takeout and cafeteria food?
  1749. 1749.
    >No, you don't know how you maintain this waistline either
  1750. 1750.
    >Regardless, with that avenue closed to him, Anon had taken to cleaning up the apartment instead
  1751. 1751.
    >And while you appreciated that
  1752. 1752.
    >You didn't want him to think he had to make himself useful to live here with you
  1753. 1753.
    >He wasn't a tenant, he wasn't a guest
  1754. 1754.
    >This was home as long as it needed to be
  1755. 1755.
    >Plus, you were really used to a lot of things being where you last left them or in certain piles
  1756. 1756.
    >You still didn't know where your nail clippers were
  1757. 1757.
    >Even though Anon's shown you where he stored them twice already
  1758. 1758.
    >You'd work on it
  1759. 1759.
    >Both relearning locations and trying to make him feel at home
  1760. 1760.
    >As you make your way to your wardrobe you glance over at Anon again
  1761. 1761.
    >He's scribbling away at some scrap paper
  1762. 1762.
    >At first you thought it might be an assignment, but when you peek over his head it's clearly lyrics
  1763. 1763.
    >Interest piqued, you read away
  1764. 1764.
    >They're interesting, of course
  1765. 1765.
    >And they certainly... rhyme?
  1766. 1766.
    >Honestly you've never been good at picking up on lyrical cadence without the accompanying music sheets
  1767. 1767.
    >Lyrics without a beat are just... poetry
  1768. 1768.
    >Which seems like something stupidly obvious to say, yes
  1769. 1769.
    >But hopefully it makes sense
  1770. 1770.
    >Either way, there's an easy fix for this
  1771. 1771.
    >You nudge Anon's shoulder to get his attention
  1772. 1772.
    >Jutting your chin in the direction of his notes when he looks up from them
  1773. 1773.
    "Hey, lemme hear."
  1774. 1774.
    >"I'm still tweaking them, it's not really ready yet."
  1775. 1775.
    "C'moooon."
  1776. 1776.
    >Anon rolls his eyes but that doesn't stop a pleased little smirk from making its' way on his face
  1777. 1777.
    >He takes a deep breath, and... (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBWeDAfF0f0)
  1778. 1778.
    >"It's getting out of view, give me the window next to you!"
  1779. 1779.
    >"I'll make a coffee, from the notes you leave around the room!"
  1780. 1780.
    >"I'll pour for two, then rinse it off me like-"
  1781. 1781.
    >"The shadow of an un-dis-cov-ered room!"
  1782. 1782.
    >A smile of your own flits across your face as you enjoy Anon's warm tenor
  1783. 1783.
    >Though you especially pay attention to the way his words flow, how some come out in a rush compared to others
  1784. 1784.
    >You can really get a feel for the cadence, now that it's out in the air rather than on the page
  1785. 1785.
    >"Punching! All the lights out!"
  1786. 1786.
    >"Life got me so stressed-out!"
  1787. 1787.
    >"Nobody wants to talk to me~e-"
  1788. 1788.
    >And with your understanding of the flow established,
  1789. 1789.
    "I want to talk to you!"
  1790. 1790.
    >You immediately jump in
  1791. 1791.
    >Like at the Showcase, Anon's startled by the addition, but he doesn't falter this time
  1792. 1792.
    >He holds his lyrics up so you can get a better look
  1793. 1793.
    >You trade off on the lines
  1794. 1794.
    >Though at times you purposefully belt out yours too slow or even too fast
  1795. 1795.
    >Just to tease him
  1796. 1796.
    >The cute, scrunched up face he makes every time you flub makes it hard to resist
  1797. 1797.
    >When you hit the final chorus you can't help but get a little greedy
  1798. 1798.
    >Fully joining him on the last lines rather than waiting your turn
  1799. 1799.
    ""I want to talk to you, I want to talk to yo~u!!""
  1800. 1800.
    >At the apex you both simply pant for a few moments
  1801. 1801.
    >It was only a two minute song but you did it all in one breath
  1802. 1802.
    >His face is a little red from the exertion, and you imagine yours is as well
  1803. 1803.
    >Despite that, you offer him a bright smile
  1804. 1804.
    >And you're delighted when he gives you one in return
  1805. 1805.
    >It's just a moment...
  1806. 1806.
    >But it feels like hours, and you find you don't mind at all
  1807. 1807.
    >At least until he stops staring into your eyes, gaze ticking to the side
  1808. 1808.
    >Taking notice of the clock hanging on the wall
  1809. 1809.
    >"Shit! How is it almost 7:40?!"
  1810. 1810.
    >You follow his gaze and practically feel your face blanch as you confirm it is indeed somehow 7:38
  1811. 1811.
    >Shit indeed! Fuck, even!
  1812. 1812.
    >You and Anon need to be out the door in like five minutes and you're still in your bathrobe!
  1813. 1813.
    >An incredibly un-ladylike, raptor screech exits your mouth as you grab a handful of clothes from your dresser on the ground floor
  1814. 1814.
    >And rush up to your loft, out of line of sight with your roommate to get dressed as fast as possible
  1815. 1815.
    >Rarity's probably going to pop a blood vessel seeing this incredibly mismatched outfit
  1816. 1816.
    >But like Hell you're going to be late, you've had a perfect attendance record all year!
  1817. 1817.
    >Still... if you are going to be late
  1818. 1818.
    >That was a very nice reason for it
  1819. 1819.
     
  1820. 1820.
    Part Eleven:
  1821. 1821.
    >Another day has come to an end at Canterlot High School
  1822. 1822.
    >Students are fleeing en masse to enjoy what little of the afternoon is left before they have to return tomorrow morning
  1823. 1823.
    >With practiced ease, you slip through the throngs of cliques and clubs while your face is buried in your phone
  1824. 1824.
    >A frown tugging at your lips as you stare at the listings displayed on your screen
  1825. 1825.
    >You had wanted to look into buying a retro console
  1826. 1826.
    >Maybe a Super Maretendo or a Ponystation 2
  1827. 1827.
    >But these prices are just ridiculous
  1828. 1828.
    >How can they justify those numbers on such old hardware?
  1829. 1829.
    >And that's nothing compared to some of the games you looked up
  1830. 1830.
    >You practically choked on your own spit when you saw how many zeroes Super Mareo World went for on average
  1831. 1831.
    >And gaming companies wonder why piracy is so rampant...
  1832. 1832.
    >You pause in your walk briefly to look around
  1833. 1833.
    >Your foray into the nightmare world of ancient gaming consoles got you a bit turned around
  1834. 1834.
    >You're on the opposite side of the building from the student parking lot
  1835. 1835.
    >Whoops
  1836. 1836.
    >Why are (You), Sunset Shimmer, trying to find such an ancient piece of tech anyway?
  1837. 1837.
    >Excellent question, narrator
  1838. 1838.
    >The answer?
  1839. 1839.
    >Educational purposes
  1840. 1840.
    >You've officially crossed the month threshold with your roommate, Anon
  1841. 1841.
    >For the most part things have settled
  1842. 1842.
    >Anon seems to understand that he doesn't have to be your maid to be allowed to stay
  1843. 1843.
    >And you punctuated that by actually helping him tidy up the apartment together rather than letting him do it entirely by himself
  1844. 1844.
    >This had the added benefit of you personally putting your things up around the place and learning their locations properly
  1845. 1845.
    >It felt a lot more equal
  1846. 1846.
    >Now you're left to deal with a new hurdle:
  1847. 1847.
    >Anonymous needs enrichment
  1848. 1848.
    >If he isn't doing homework or writing lyrics, or watching TV with you/observing you play video games
  1849. 1849.
    >Anon just kinda... sits around
  1850. 1850.
    >Daydreaming, presumably
  1851. 1851.
    >You remember him joking at the Showcase about how if he wasn't dragged there by Norman he'd likely just be sitting in the dark tuning his guitar
  1852. 1852.
    >It was kind of funny at the time but now you're pretty sure he actually meant it
  1853. 1853.
    >At home his options to pass the time were scrolling on his phone or the aforementioned instrument maintenance
  1854. 1854.
    >And, well
  1855. 1855.
    >His phone is currently in pieces back at his dad's house and his guitar...
  1856. 1856.
    >Much the same, though presumably in one piece
  1857. 1857.
    >Either way retrieving them isn't feasible
  1858. 1858.
    >(You offered to let him practice with your guitars in the meantime, but he just stared at it like it was a holy relic and politely declined)
  1859. 1859.
    >So, to give him something else to do you tried to introduce him to video games
  1860. 1860.
    >You briefly had a flashback to Fluttershy schooling the Hell out of you in that Squirrel game
  1861. 1861.
    >Despite some trepidation you invited Anon to a few rounds of the very same game, and...
  1862. 1862.
    >You destroyed him
  1863. 1863.
    >Every time
  1864. 1864.
    >Honestly at one point you thought this was some new way of him to earn his place, throwing on purpose
  1865. 1865.
    >But when you put him behind a single player run of "Rise of Tirek"
  1866. 1866.
    >(Obviously you had him play the original before "Revenge", otherwise he'd have no idea what was going on!)
  1867. 1867.
    >He really had no clue what he was doing
  1868. 1868.
    >You'd asked him about it and Anon admitted he never played any video games growing up
  1869. 1869.
    >And you definitely don't recall any consoles in his room during the brief view of it you got during the vision you shared
  1870. 1870.
    >Which is, in essence
  1871. 1871.
    >The long story of why you're scowling at your phone and cursing the greed of retro console sellers
  1872. 1872.
    >You figured something from a simpler time would be a better way to introduce Anon to the concept
  1873. 1873.
    >It doesn't look like it's meant to be, though
  1874. 1874.
    >You're just about to put your phone back in your pocket and make your way to the parking lot when the now-familiar Strife message noise chirps from your phone
  1875. 1875.
    >You open up the app, and
  1876. 1876.
    >* [RainbowRunner] yo girl u need to get ur mans
  1877. 1877.
    >* [RainbowRunner] he and his cuz are out here by the track field and i think they're about to start fighting
  1878. 1878.
    >* [RainbowRunner] fyi i think i heard ur name a few times
  1879. 1879.
    >You added a few of your friends to Strife, since you were using it so often already
  1880. 1880.
    >No prizes for guessing who that is
  1881. 1881.
    >Also
  1882. 1882.
    >WHAT
  1883. 1883.
    >You're almost grateful to have ended up on this side of the building
  1884. 1884.
    >It's much closer to the track field than if you had actually been paying attention to where you were going
  1885. 1885.
    >In just a few minutes of sprinting (and a few more of gasping desperately for air)
  1886. 1886.
    >You find Norman and Anonymous in the grass
  1887. 1887.
    >Rainbow may not be interfering with them but she's very helpfully breaking up the onlookers of their argument
  1888. 1888.
    >You appreciate that, at least
  1889. 1889.
    >As you get closer you can better make out what Norman is shouting about
  1890. 1890.
    >"...Of all the stupid things you could've done. You RAN away? What is that supposed to accomplish, exactly?! You've just got him running around like a wild animal! And her? Really. REALLY."
  1891. 1891.
    >Anon has crosses his arms across his chest, trying to present a tough front
  1892. 1892.
    >But even from here you recognize his tells;
  1893. 1893.
    >The way his brow wavers despite him trying to glare, how he shrinks in on himself despite trying to demonstrate strength
  1894. 1894.
    >Norman's shouting is getting to him
  1895. 1895.
    >Without much in the way of forethought you butt your way into the confrontation, standing at Anonymous's side, putting a hand on his shoulder while you glare more viciously at Norman
  1896. 1896.
    "What do YOU think you're accomplishing, screaming at him in public like this?"
  1897. 1897.
    >"This is a family matter, why don't you butt the Hell out? You're part of the problem anyway."
  1898. 1898.
    "Just because you're both related doesn't mean I'm going to stand by and let you do whatever you want. Anon's my friend... and my roommate, which I guess you found out about."
  1899. 1899.
    >"Yeah, I found out. Fucking second hand. He didn't even tell me. Didn't even tell me he ran away from home. Do you know what your dad's doing? He's LOOKING for you. Did you think he was just going to let you go? Get real, man. He came to MY house. He threatened my dad, his brother. I really thought they were going to kill each other, man."
  1900. 1900.
    >Norman's mostly kept his gaze on Anon this whole time, but that last revelation strikes you just as much as you know it does Anon
  1901. 1901.
    >Moving in with you was supposed to spare Norman's family from being threatened by Anon's dad, but... it sounds like it didn't work at all
  1902. 1902.
    >"...I'm sorry. I really thought if I wasn't at your place he wouldn't bother you. I guess I didn't think that that would be the first place he would look, anyway."
  1903. 1903.
    >You did press the issue pretty hard
  1904. 1904.
    >Neither of you gave it much forethought
  1905. 1905.
    >Norman, meanwhile, is still spitting mad
  1906. 1906.
    >"Damn right you didn't think. But y'know what? It worked out. The police actually give a shit about my part of town. When they started fist fighting out on the lawn in front of the whole neighborhood, someone called them. They took him away. Your house is empty. You can go home... or even better, stop fucking around and just move in with us already."
  1907. 1907.
    >Norman finally turns his gaze to you
  1908. 1908.
    >"Whatever gets you out of her place."
  1909. 1909.
    >You grit your teeth behind your lips and get ready to spout off some hot, angry nonsense
  1910. 1910.
    >Anon beats you to it, though
  1911. 1911.
    >"That's not fair, and you know it."
  1912. 1912.
    >Both of you pause to stare at him
  1913. 1913.
    >"Sunset offered me a place without even thinking about it, yes. But... I also accepted that with about as much thought, and every day she's gone out of her way to make me feel like I don't owe her anything for it, that I'm just... welcome."
  1914. 1914.
    >Anon plants his feet on the ground and stares Norman directly in the eye
  1915. 1915.
    >Not shrinking away anymore, he radiates irritation
  1916. 1916.
    >Irritation on your behalf
  1917. 1917.
    >"I'm sorry we didn't consider the consequences of our actions, and that my dad probably got in a few cheap shots on yours, but I'm not ditching her just because that dingy place doesn't have him in it anymore... and I'm not abandoning her for you, I'm sorry. Maybe you have more rooms, more stuff, more space, but... that single room apartment is home, now. And I want to go there. Sunset?"
  1918. 1918.
    >You jolt and stand up a bit straighter
  1919. 1919.
    >A stupid, wobbly smile draws across your face
  1920. 1920.
    >He actually called it home
  1921. 1921.
    "Yeah?"
  1922. 1922.
    >Your heart's doing some crazy dance in your chest, and its' tempo only goes more wild when he holds his hand out for you to take
  1923. 1923.
    >"Lets go home."
  1924. 1924.
    >You cup your palm in his (lets not get greedy and try to interlock fingers, now)
  1925. 1925.
    >And break off from Norman, making your way to the lot
  1926. 1926.
    >When you get a few steps away Anon's cousin just flips his shit and screams
  1927. 1927.
    >"SHE KICKED THE SHIT OUT OF YOU AND STUFFED YOU IN A LOCKER! HOW CAN YOU BE COOL WITH LIVING WITH HER?!"
  1928. 1928.
    >Now you're really grateful that Rainbow ran off the crowd
  1929. 1929.
    >That's still been kept under wraps, and...
  1930. 1930.
    >You're still not brave enough to face what the student body would say or do if they learned
  1931. 1931.
    >Anon pauses
  1932. 1932.
    >Glances back at his cousin
  1933. 1933.
    >And shrugs
  1934. 1934.
    >"She's changed."
  1935. 1935.
    >And that's enough for him, because he gets right back to walking
  1936. 1936.
    >...
  1937. 1937.
    >As you approach your motorcycle, the emotional high of Anon backing you up slowly peters out
  1938. 1938.
    >And you're left with the realization that he just had a falling out with his family for your sake
  1939. 1939.
    >Your heart, previously flying on cloud nine
  1940. 1940.
    >Sinks
  1941. 1941.
    "Anon, I'm sorry. You and Norman have been really close for awhile, haven't you? And I got in the way of that."
  1942. 1942.
    >Anon pulls your helmets off of the locked hook using the key you gave him
  1943. 1943.
    >He pauses, glancing back at the school, a thoughtful expression on his face
  1944. 1944.
    >"...Norman's always looked out for me, even when we were little kids. My dad's never been great, but he only got really bad when my mom left for milk and never came back. I think he was furious that she beat him to the punch."
  1945. 1945.
    >He hands off your helmet, fiddling with his own, but not putting it on yet
  1946. 1946.
    >"He was supposed to be someone, y'know? Starting quarterback for Cloudsdale High's football team. He was on his way... then he knocked my mom up, his college scholarship got pulled, and everything he was ever promised went up in smoke."
  1947. 1947.
    >You lean against your motorcycle, completely engrossed
  1948. 1948.
    >Your helmet is forgotten in your hands
  1949. 1949.
    >"Norman always tried to get me around his house as much as he could. But eventually the weekend would end, and I had to go back. He protected me as best he could. Maybe he's upset that I have someone else looking out for me, or he just doesn't trust you."
  1950. 1950.
    >Anon slips the helmet on his head, leaving the visor open
  1951. 1951.
    >"But I trust you. And I know he'll come around. So don't sweat it, alright? Lets go home already. I want to try that squirrel game again. I think I understand what I was doing wrong, now."
  1952. 1952.
    >You slide your helmet on and clap down the visor
  1953. 1953.
    >The dark plastic does an excellent job of hiding your extremely pleased expression
  1954. 1954.
    >He trusts you
  1955. 1955.
    >He chooses you
  1956. 1956.
    >Forget cloud nine, you're on cloud eighteen
  1957. 1957.
    >The drive home is quiet, but a comfortable one
  1958. 1958.
    >And when you get home...
  1959. 1959.
    >... You totally kick his ass at that squirrel game again
  1960. 1960.
     
  1961. 1961.
    Part Twelve:
  1962. 1962.
    >Your shoes slap loudly on the sidewalk
  1963. 1963.
    >This early in the morning every noise feels amplified due to the lack of traffic and the low pedestrian count
  1964. 1964.
    >Another pair of shoes make their presence loudly known beside you, but you're paying attention to what the person in them is saying more than that
  1965. 1965.
    >"...And their fritters are just the best. It's no Sugarcube Cafe, sure, but Perfect Zest's bakery has been an institution in this part of the city for decades."
  1966. 1966.
    >The sheer amount of enthusiasm in Anon's voice is infectious
  1967. 1967.
    >You can't help but grin in anticipation
  1968. 1968.
    >It's just a few days past three months of living with Anon at this point
  1969. 1969.
    >Your cohabitation continues to evolve as you learn more about each other
  1970. 1970.
    >The overall shape of the apartment is mostly the same still, though there are a few more additions
  1971. 1971.
    >With his old house abandoned the two of you were able to safely raid it
  1972. 1972.
    >So now your clothes mingle with his own in the wardrobe
  1973. 1973.
    >(Rarity was so disappointed to learn that he didn't need to be taken on a nice big shopping trip)
  1974. 1974.
    >His guitar hangs on the wall next to yours when it isn't in use
  1975. 1975.
    >You were able to find where his phone had landed
  1976. 1976.
    >The damage was... mostly superficial, though the speaker was damaged in a major way
  1977. 1977.
    >Making it less a 'telephone' and more a 'texting machine' now
  1978. 1978.
    >In the least you were able to get the glass replaced, so he can use it without risking cutting his fingers
  1979. 1979.
    >Most pertinently though was the pair of electric skillets he took from the house
  1980. 1980.
    >And has been rigorously been putting to use ever since
  1981. 1981.
    >While Anon was fine with most of the way you lived
  1982. 1982.
    >He had some very stern words about your diet
  1983. 1983.
    >Namely the fact that it's a miracle you're still alive after years of eating nothing but greasy Burger Princess burgers and cafeteria food
  1984. 1984.
    >So, at least three times a week, Anon's been making dinner
  1985. 1985.
    >Your hoard of fast food containers in your mini-fridge has been mostly replaced with like, actual food
  1986. 1986.
    >Vegetables, fruits, meat
  1987. 1987.
    >Things 'serious' people eat
  1988. 1988.
    >And...
  1989. 1989.
    >You've been finding yourself looking forward to it with every meal
  1990. 1990.
    >Beyond the fact that Anon's also eating, and visibly gaining weight to your relief (every week he looks less and less like a lanky corpse)
  1991. 1991.
    >You never really knew what you were missing out on before
  1992. 1992.
    >With a more balanced diet you just feel "better" overall
  1993. 1993.
    >More energy
  1994. 1994.
    >Less sugar migraines (how could all that coffee betray you?)
  1995. 1995.
    >Less irritation at the small things
  1996. 1996.
    >Still though
  1997. 1997.
    >All scrambled eggs and grilled chicken and no sugar make Sunset Shimmer a dull girl
  1998. 1998.
    >So you still talk Anon into something sweet at least once or twice a week
  1999. 1999.
    >Granted, it doesn't take much convincing, Anon still has a sweet tooth despite his menu
  2000. 2000.
    >Usually that results in you visiting Sugarcube Cafe, but your roommate suggested something different for this week's outing:
  2001. 2001.
    >A small, less well known cafe near the apartment complex
  2002. 2002.
    >'Zest's Bakehouse'
  2003. 2003.
    >It's caught your eye a few times as you went to school over the years
  2004. 2004.
    >But it also gave you that vibe of 'quiet cafe where old couples go to get away from all the young people'
  2005. 2005.
    >(You quickly quashed down any excitement about the implications of going there with Anon)
  2006. 2006.
    >(Stay in your box, feelings!)
  2007. 2007.
    >So to say you weren't sure what to expect would be accurate
  2008. 2008.
    >Though Anon was hyping the place up pretty hard
  2009. 2009.
    >Apparently his family came here a whopping total of 'once' before
  2010. 2010.
    >Y'know
  2011. 2011.
    >Everything happened
  2012. 2012.
    >You aren't sure if this place is really going to be that good or if it being one of the few good memories of his childhood is causing him to balloon his expectations up something fierce
  2013. 2013.
    >You hope he isn't let down
  2014. 2014.
    >As you approach the bakehouse you open up the door for both of you
  2015. 2015.
    >Glancing around at the vintage, tasteful decor
  2016. 2016.
    >Eggshell white marble tiling, deeply stained mahogany countertops and tables
  2017. 2017.
    >The whole aesthetic feels like you've stepped into someone's grandparent's kitchen
  2018. 2018.
    >Your appreciation for the decor is interrupted however by the dulcet tones of a displeased customer screaming at who you can only assume is Perfect Zest
  2019. 2019.
    >Given that there doesn't appear to be any other employees behind the counter
  2020. 2020.
    >"NOT ONLY IS THIS NOT THE RIGHT FILLING THAT I ASKED FOR, BUT THEY'RE BURNT! AND THESE DOUGHNUT HOLES ARE SMEARED WITH BUTTERSCOTCH INSTEAD OF CINNAMON, HOW STUPID CAN YOU FUCKING BE?!"
  2021. 2021.
    >Anon bumps into you from behind, startled by the sheer vitriol abuse being hurled at Zest
  2022. 2022.
    >Both of you feel like deer in headlights, observing this poor baker get screamed at, while she interjects with a 'sorry sir' or 'I'll fix that right away sir' when she can
  2023. 2023.
    >But...
  2024. 2024.
    >You can see it
  2025. 2025.
    >Underneath the submissive posturing there's a glint in that woman's eye
  2026. 2026.
    >Something's about to happen
  2027. 2027.
    >And when we reach about minute three of this continued verbal assault (you're kind of impressed at how long this guy can keep up that level of volume to be honest)
  2028. 2028.
    >Perfect Zest grits her teeth and slams her hands on the countertop
  2029. 2029.
    >"SHUT UP! SHUT THE HELL UP!"
  2030. 2030.
    >The customer, previously preoccupied with tearing down everything that came to mind about the establishment, actually startles and backs up a step
  2031. 2031.
    >"I'M JUST SO SORRY THAT YOUR ORDER WASN'T UP TO PAR, SIR, I'M SURE SCREAMING AT ME IN FRONT OF EVERYONE WILL REALLY FIX THAT UP FOR YOU. I'M ONLY THE ONLY EMPLOYEE WHO SHOWED UP TODAY, I'M DOING MY BEST HERE."
  2032. 2032.
    >Her volume drops to a sudden, deadly calm
  2033. 2033.
    >"Let me fix that error for you, though. I gave you raspberry filling when you wanted blueberry, right?"
  2034. 2034.
    >You notice her reaching for a whisk on the counter
  2035. 2035.
    >... Hey is that thing glowing?
  2036. 2036.
    >Oh fuck-
  2037. 2037.
    >The Enchanted Whisk gives off a sudden burst of magic, and the customer is transformed from a person into a blueberry filled doughnut
  2038. 2038.
    >It hangs in the air for a moment before hitting the floor with an audible splat
  2039. 2039.
    >Everyone in the cafe stares at the transfigured doughnut for a moment
  2040. 2040.
    >You could hear a pin drop
  2041. 2041.
    >Then, someone near the back screams and that triggers all Hell to break loose
  2042. 2042.
    >There's nearly a dozen people in the cafe and they all scramble for the door as Perfect Zest just starts laughing and firing off her whisk at them, at the furniture
  2043. 2043.
    >You and Anon are pushed to the side, forced into the store as a lucky few stampede out
  2044. 2044.
    >In a few moments the small store is filled with massive pillars of cookie dough instead of support beams
  2045. 2045.
    >Several of the chairs are now eclairs
  2046. 2046.
    >And a handful of doughnuts, cookies, and the like where you distinctly remember people being litter the floor
  2047. 2047.
    >Anon nudges you sharply and whispers
  2048. 2048.
    >"Ideas? This seems like your kind of thing."
  2049. 2049.
    >It HAS been awhile since you last dealt with Rogue Equestrian Magic, hasn't it?
  2050. 2050.
    >You tug at your Geode anxiously
  2051. 2051.
    >Normally you have the girls with you for these kinds of things
  2052. 2052.
    "I... I don't know! My Geode's great for information gathering, there aren't really many combat applications for it. And I don't know how many of us we need to use our Harmony Magic, but I really doubt that number's less than '2'."
  2053. 2053.
    >"Well, uh. fuck. Wait. Rainbow's a sports demon, right? She's totally got to be awake at this hour. Call her and have her superspeed your crew here."
  2054. 2054.
    >As you pull your phone out and start to do just that, however, Perfect Zest takes notice and fires off her whisk again
  2055. 2055.
    >Your phone is quickly replaced with an apple fritter
  2056. 2056.
    >Oh, fuck
  2057. 2057.
    >There goes that plan...
  2058. 2058.
    >... And all your photos! That bitch!
  2059. 2059.
    >Anon stares at you, deadpan
  2060. 2060.
    >"I'm not going to lie, I kind of thought you'd be better at this."
  2061. 2061.
    "There's normally seven of us! I'm not used to being frontline!"
  2062. 2062.
    >"Sure. Look, do you know her number at all? Or any of them?"
  2063. 2063.
    "Of course I know my friend's numbers, who doesn't memorize that kind of thing?"
  2064. 2064.
    >Okay now he's definitely staring at you like you're weird
  2065. 2065.
    >"There's probably a phone behind the counter. I'm going to try and distract her, get to it. Got it?"
  2066. 2066.
    "Anon that's stupidly risk-"
  2067. 2067.
    >"HEY ZEST THESE DOUGHNUT HOLES ARE DRY, DID YOU GET YOUR CERTIFICATIONS OFF THE BACK OF A BETTY CROCKER BOX?!"
  2068. 2068.
    >With a howl of rage Perfect Zest focuses her fire on Anon
  2069. 2069.
    >To his credit your friend is surprisingly agile
  2070. 2070.
    >Ducking behind tables (that quickly become huge mounds of misshapen dough)
  2071. 2071.
    >Throwing chairs in the way of her beams (quickly turning them into... pretzels? You're not even going to question the logic here anymore)
  2072. 2072.
    >You quickly gather yourself and leap over the counter and spot the landline
  2073. 2073.
    >Steady yourself to punch in Rainbow's number without screwing it up
  2074. 2074.
    >Ring, Ring...
  2075. 2075.
    >Come on, Rainbow
  2076. 2076.
    >Pick up pick up pick-
  2077. 2077.
    >"AUGH!"
  2078. 2078.
    >Your head jolts up as you hear Anon scream
  2079. 2079.
    >Just in time to witness Zest land a hit on his ratty backpack before it can fully get over the table he was trying to duck over
  2080. 2080.
    >You hear a thud, and...
  2081. 2081.
    >A gingerbread man slides out from behind the turned over table into the open floor
  2082. 2082.
    >Comes to a stop
  2083. 2083.
    >You vaguely hear Rainbow Dash yelling at you over the line but it's like all your muscles went rigid
  2084. 2084.
    >The phone creaks in your hand
  2085. 2085.
    "You... you killed him."
  2086. 2086.
    >"Oh dearie, no. I just made him more delectable! And listen to that, not a single complaint from any customer! How lovely."
  2087. 2087.
    >Perfect Zest turns to face you fully now, a truly heinous grin on her face as she slowly lifts her whisk again, getting ready to fire
  2088. 2088.
    >"What will you be, I wonder? With that hair I would guess bacon, but I don't really do any meat dishes around here..."
  2089. 2089.
    >That is it
  2090. 2090.
    >With a feral scream you throw the phone aside and charge at Zest, intent on ripping her apart with your bare hands
  2091. 2091.
    >Seeing you intent on actually fighting to the end the baker panics and lifts her whisk to fire more urgently, when
  2092. 2092.
    >KWWONNGG
  2093. 2093.
    >"-Ack."
  2094. 2094.
    >The sound of metal colliding with the back of a human head rings out through the bakery, and Zest collapses to the ground face first
  2095. 2095.
    >Behind her stands Anon, in all his fleshy glory
  2096. 2096.
    >Clutching a baking pan in both hands
  2097. 2097.
    >You stop short of your lunge and land on your knees
  2098. 2098.
    >You stare at Anon
  2099. 2099.
    >Anon stares at you
  2100. 2100.
    >"Good work, team."
  2101. 2101.
    >He announces, deadpan, before tossing the sheet aside
  2102. 2102.
    "But you... cookie... what?"
  2103. 2103.
    >Anon walks back over to the table where he supposedly fell
  2104. 2104.
    >And you finally notice that he isn't wearing his backpack as he lifts up a simply massive loaf of bread
  2105. 2105.
    >"The straps finally gave up the ghost when I did that last vault. Separated from me as she hit it. Now I really hope I left my history essay at home like I thought I did, because everything inside is just gone. As for the cookies..."
  2106. 2106.
    >Anon lifts a plate of discarded gingerbread cookies off the floor, presumably having been resting on the table before Anon knocked it over
  2107. 2107.
    >"Ta-daaaaa."
  2108. 2108.
    >You simply stare at Anon, bewildered
  2109. 2109.
    >The rapid-fire stress of everything you just had to endure causes something to snap in your brain, and you just start laughing
  2110. 2110.
    >And crying
  2111. 2111.
    >Then, mostly just crying
  2112. 2112.
    >When Anon approaches you reach out and grab him
  2113. 2113.
    >Pull him down to the floor with you
  2114. 2114.
    >And hug him tight enough that even Applejack wouldn't be able to pull you apart with her Geode
  2115. 2115.
    >Perhaps sensing you need this, Anon returns the hug with one hand while the other strokes your hair in a way you're going to need more of, thanks
  2116. 2116.
    >Murmuring assurances that he is, in fact, okay
  2117. 2117.
    >"Though if you squeeze any tighter I probably won't be."
  2118. 2118.
    >Eventually you calm down enough to do give him some slack, though you don't let go just yet
  2119. 2119.
    >Pulling back away to stare at his face
  2120. 2120.
    >Staring into his green eyes
  2121. 2121.
    >You never noticed the flecks of yellow in them, amidst all that green
  2122. 2122.
    >You never would have if he really had been transformed like that
  2123. 2123.
    >The knowledge of how close he came to dying is making you a bit reckless
  2124. 2124.
    >You slowly start to lean in, and...
  2125. 2125.
    >He's not pulling away
  2126. 2126.
    >Your mouth drifts closer to his
  2127. 2127.
    >And just as you get within a few inches of doing something foolish
  2128. 2128.
    >"Good morning, Perfect Zest! Rev up those fryers, Because I am sure am hungry for- GOOD LORD WHAT HAPPENED IN HERE?!"
  2129. 2129.
    >Both of you jolt away from each other's face, though you still remain a tangle of limbs as you stare up at the stranger who just entered the cafe
  2130. 2130.
    >Alabaster skin with poofy salmon-colored hair
  2131. 2131.
    >Clad in a blue suit with a pince-nez balanced on his nose
  2132. 2132.
    >"Wh-what is this?! Did you two kill Perfect Zest? Were you going to make out on her corpse? Is this some new ClipClop trend?!"
  2133. 2133.
    >Both you and Anon are so baffled by this turn of events that neither of you immediately respond to this guy
  2134. 2134.
    >And so he whips out his phone
  2135. 2135.
    >"I'm... I'm calling the police! Don't you two dare move!"
  2136. 2136.
    >That spurs Anon into action
  2137. 2137.
    >He releases you from the hug and lunges forward from his seated position to punch the stranger in the shin
  2138. 2138.
    >The strike causes him to scream and fall over
  2139. 2139.
    >His phone slides across the floor underneath the counter, out of reach
  2140. 2140.
    >"NO! THEY'RE GOING TO KILL ME FOR INTERNET CLOUT TOO! SOMEONE HELP!"
  2141. 2141.
    >Anon struggles to his feet, quickly snatching up your phone-turned-fritter and Zest's enchanted whisk
  2142. 2142.
    >Then reaches a hand to you to lift you off the floor
  2143. 2143.
    >He looks you directly in the eye and says the most romantic thing he could've in this moment:
  2144. 2144.
    >"CHEESE IT!"
  2145. 2145.
    >As you run out of the cafe, fingers interlocked with Anon's
  2146. 2146.
    >Leaving the stranger to scream about how he's dying and the overall ruin the cafe was left in
  2147. 2147.
    >Thinking about how you should probably avoid this general area for a few weeks
  2148. 2148.
    >There's nothing to it but to laugh at the sheer absurdity that is your life
  2149. 2149.
     
  2150. 2150.
    Part Thirteen:
  2151. 2151.
    >Life, as they say, goes on
  2152. 2152.
    >Winter finally gives way to Spring as months fly by
  2153. 2153.
    >Equestrian artifacts come and go (though thankfully with less of you needing to be saved by Anon, to your pride's relief)
  2154. 2154.
    >Classes are challenging but at the end of the day
  2155. 2155.
    >(You), Sunset Shimmer, were the personal student of your old world's strongest God (Sorry Luna)
  2156. 2156.
    >Pre-Calculus really doesn't stand a chance against studying ritual incantations
  2157. 2157.
    >Senior year is rushing towards its' conclusion, and...
  2158. 2158.
    >You're still not quite sure what you want to do with your career post high school
  2159. 2159.
    >College is a necessity, obviously
  2160. 2160.
    >You know full well that most places worth working at aren't going to even give you a second glance without some higher education
  2161. 2161.
    >But you can't plan for what courses to pursue without a longterm goal
  2162. 2162.
    >Your teeth subconsciously grit as you scribble away at your homework
  2163. 2163.
    >Writing getting progressively messier before a mug of cider makes itself present in the corner of your vision
  2164. 2164.
    >The sight of Sweet Apple Acres' finest draws a smile on your face, and when you look at to stare at the person offering you find he's smiling right back, before taking a drink from his own mug
  2165. 2165.
    >Right
  2166. 2166.
    >Even if you're not sure what you want to do with yourself, you can take solace that you've made progress with Anon
  2167. 2167.
    >Your roommate carefully steps over to sit on the couch with you after you take the mug, setting your homework down to take a brief little break
  2168. 2168.
    >He sets his own mug down and rummages through his backpack
  2169. 2169.
    >(To your relief, destroying the Enchanted Whisk reverted your possessions back to their previous forms)
  2170. 2170.
    >(Also the people who got turned into cookies, you were definitely worried about them)
  2171. 2171.
    >(Definitely not more relieved that you didn't lose three years worth of photos and videos you took with the girls and Anon)
  2172. 2172.
    >Anon pulls his own work out and starts reading it over, brow furrowing as he really considers the questions
  2173. 2173.
    >Without looking at you he speaks up
  2174. 2174.
    >"It might be time for a break, I think. You looked like you were about to tear that paper up with how hard you were writing."
  2175. 2175.
    >While it might be rude to some it and his open smile were just signs of how more comfortable he was around you now
  2176. 2176.
    >Able to conversate without looking directly at you and tracking your movements
  2177. 2177.
    >Smiling openly without trying to cover his mouth to hide it
  2178. 2178.
    >And when you took to tidying or moving things around the apartment, he stopped jumping at the chance to offer to help or do it himself to try and ingratiate himself
  2179. 2179.
    >You remember the warmth radiating in your chest when you noticed all these things for the first time and realized the significance of them
  2180. 2180.
    >Anon had called this place home but it wasn't until a few weeks ago that his behavior had changed
  2181. 2181.
    >Now you really believed it when he said it
  2182. 2182.
    >Though...
  2183. 2183.
    >That wasn't the only behavior you noticed from your friend lately
  2184. 2184.
    >Far from it
  2185. 2185.
    >He'd formed a bit of a staring habit, this Anon
  2186. 2186.
    >Gaze ticking towards your bathrobe wrapped form as you exited the bathroom every morning for a little longer than simple acknowledgement
  2187. 2187.
    >Just typical boy stuff, maybe
  2188. 2188.
    >But even at lunchtime at school or when he'd watch you playing video games at home
  2189. 2189.
    >You could bet you'd gaze over to find him quickly turning his head staring in any other direction than you
  2190. 2190.
    >Not very slick
  2191. 2191.
    >Whenever he handed you things his fingers brushed past your own
  2192. 2192.
    >Lingering just a little more than necessary to make sure you weren't going to drop it
  2193. 2193.
    >And... you couldn't help but wonder if Anonymous was starting to feel an inkling of what you still felt all this time
  2194. 2194.
    >It excited you
  2195. 2195.
    >It terrified you
  2196. 2196.
    >Pinkie would probably come up with some frankenword like 'terricited'
  2197. 2197.
    >But you enjoyed the English language too much to do that to it
  2198. 2198.
    >Regardless
  2199. 2199.
    >You hesitated to try and make another move
  2200. 2200.
    >Anon had made it clear before that he didn't feel that way
  2201. 2201.
    >So even if he was giving signals you thought it best to let him make the first overture
  2202. 2202.
    >Just to be safe
  2203. 2203.
    >It felt like you were both on the edge of something
  2204. 2204.
    >Dancing around the elephant in the room
  2205. 2205.
    >Fortunately, there was something on the horizon that could hopefully make him make eye contact with it
  2206. 2206.
    >Senior Prom was only a couple of weeks away at this point
  2207. 2207.
    >And you were getting antsy
  2208. 2208.
    >Everyone else was pairing off already
  2209. 2209.
    >To no one's great shock (except for perhaps Applejack's) Rarity had made a grand gesture of asking Applejack out to the dance
  2210. 2210.
    >Pinkie had paired up with what you swore was a male doppelganger of herself with brown hair and an identical sense of humor
  2211. 2211.
    >Twilight had Timber Spruce (you never did get around to MyStable Stalking him, but you trusted your friend's judgement)
  2212. 2212.
    >(Worst comes to worst Prom gets disrupted by police taking a grown ass man to prison?)
  2213. 2213.
    >In an ironic twist of fate everyone was too shy to ask Fluttershy out, which was bumming her out a bit, the poor thing
  2214. 2214.
    >And Rainbow Dash had already beaten a dozen different approaching suitors at one-on-one Soccer matches, ensuring that she was probably going to go alone by sheer force of finding every taker unworthy
  2215. 2215.
    >That girl really only had one solution to problems, didn't she?
  2216. 2216.
    >Maybe she could take Fluttershy as a friend date
  2217. 2217.
    >As for you...
  2218. 2218.
    >Not one taker
  2219. 2219.
    >You'd feel offended but given that you spend almost all your time around the school in the presence of six girls and precisely one guy
  2220. 2220.
    >Odds are good the student body thinks you're spoken for in some way
  2221. 2221.
    >Either with one of the girls (or more, it is current year after all) in your friend group...
  2222. 2222.
    >Or with Anon
  2223. 2223.
    >You chance a glance of your own at your roommate as he scribbles away
  2224. 2224.
    >Stopping every few questions to chew on his eraser, wearing a cute expression of concentration
  2225. 2225.
    >Right now, it is... Wednesday
  2226. 2226.
    >If he hasn't made a move on you or (Celestia forbid) anyone else by the end of the week, you make a promise in your heart here and now that you're going to go for broke and ask him yourself
  2227. 2227.
    >For now though
  2228. 2228.
    >Maybe Pre-Calculus has more bite to it than you were giving it credit for
  2229. 2229.
    >...
  2230. 2230.
    >...
  2231. 2231.
    >In the blink of an eye, the end of the week approaches
  2232. 2232.
    >You can feel sweat building up on your temple
  2233. 2233.
    >You had two whole days! How could it be Friday already?!
  2234. 2234.
    >Maybe you should give him more time
  2235. 2235.
    >Yeah, another week?
  2236. 2236.
    >Maybe two?
  2237. 2237.
    >No, Prom is in two weeks, it'll be too late by then
  2238. 2238.
    >... You haven't been projecting, have you?
  2239. 2239.
    >Were those glances normal? Those moments where your fingers brushed regularly timed?
  2240. 2240.
    >Before you can spiral, however
  2241. 2241.
    >Your phone chirps with a Strife notification
  2242. 2242.
    >* [Anonononymous] Hey, my backpack finally gave up the ghost. Mind helping me gather up all my stuff and maybe letting me borrow yours for the rest of the day? I'm in the inner courtyard
  2243. 2243.
    >You can't stop the sigh that escapes your lips
  2244. 2244.
    >You quickly find your friend fretting along the small wooded area of the courtyard
  2245. 2245.
    >As he said the straps of his backpack are in ruins, and there's a gaping hole in the canvas fabric
  2246. 2246.
    >He offers you a smile when he sees you, and despite your mood you return it in kind
  2247. 2247.
    >You help Anon gather up his books, pens, flown-away assignments
  2248. 2248.
    >Everything seems to be in order
  2249. 2249.
    >Despite that he's still pawing around at the ground
  2250. 2250.
    >Visibly distressed
  2251. 2251.
    >"Shit, where is it..."
  2252. 2252.
    >Rather than ask the obvious 'are you still missing something?'
  2253. 2253.
    >(Because, y'know, you have functioning eyes)
  2254. 2254.
    >You look around for anything out of place
  2255. 2255.
    >After a moment you see a folded up piece of paper stuck in some overgrown grass at the base of a tree
  2256. 2256.
    >Lifting it up, it looks like a letter
  2257. 2257.
    "Is this what you're looking for?"
  2258. 2258.
    >Anon perks up and stares at the letter in your hands
  2259. 2259.
    >Looking both shocked and relieved in equal measure
  2260. 2260.
    >"Yeah! Good job, Sunset."
  2261. 2261.
    >Anon hoists himself off the ground and takes the letter from your hands
  2262. 2262.
    >Stands there awkwardly for a few seconds
  2263. 2263.
    >Then hands it back out to you
  2264. 2264.
    >"It's kinda funny though, since this is actually for you."
  2265. 2265.
    >You give Anon a look, but decide to just open up the letter than waste time asking questions
  2266. 2266.
    >You recognize the stationary immediately, this is the kind of paper Rarity uses almost exclusively
  2267. 2267.
    >Scrawled across the page, in somewhat over-elaborate cursive (no guesses for whose influence that may have been)
  2268. 2268.
    >Is the phrase...
  2269. 2269.
    >'Will you go to Prom with me?'
  2270. 2270.
    >You stare
  2271. 2271.
    >You stare some more
  2272. 2272.
    >Really bring that paper in close until it's practically touching your eyes just to be sure you're reading that right
  2273. 2273.
    >You jerkily pull away and stare at Anon
  2274. 2274.
    >He's taken to leaning against the closest tree and trying everything in his power to appear nonchalant
  2275. 2275.
    >But he's also stealing nervous glances at you every few seconds
  2276. 2276.
    >Stopping like a deer in headlights when you catch him
  2277. 2277.
    >For a moment there's nothing in the universe but your eyes boring into his own
  2278. 2278.
    >Before you let out an undignified scream and lunge at him, pressing him into the tree and hugging him as tightly as possible
  2279. 2279.
    "YES!"
  2280. 2280.
    >Your sense of dignity reboots, to the relief of Anon's ribs as you pull away, wringing the letter in your hands as you give Anon a smile so bright it could double as a flashbang
  2281. 2281.
    >You cough quietly
  2282. 2282.
    "I mean. Yes, Anon, I would love to go out with you."
  2283. 2283.
    >Anon rubs at his torso, coughing though not nearly as delicately before flashing you a small grin
  2284. 2284.
    >"Your enthusiasm is noted. I was kind of afraid I'd missed my chance, to be honest."
  2285. 2285.
    >The question tumbles out of your mouth before your filter can stop it
  2286. 2286.
    "What made you change your mind?"
  2287. 2287.
    >Anon looks away from you, now
  2288. 2288.
    >A bit of color wells up in his face as he considers his answer
  2289. 2289.
    >"... Honestly, Sunset, these past few months have been a complete dream. Going from sitting in the dark, fearing my door being opened for any reason, to looking forward to waking up in the morning? Not living in fear of the person I live with? That alone would've just been totally unfathomable to me even half a year ago."
  2290. 2290.
    >Anonymous finds the courage to face you now, turning fully and reaching out
  2291. 2291.
    >His hands finds yours, gently cupping them
  2292. 2292.
    >Not outright interlocking fingers, but you'll live
  2293. 2293.
    >"It's not just a change of scenery, though. You've been the best thing that could've happened to me. There's the big things, of course. Your patience, your kindness, your willingness to compromise. But there's also the little things that I came to really like about you. Your corny jokes that make me laugh anyway. The funny way you lose your mind whenever you're losing in a game. The way you'll sleep through four alarms but get right up if I'm the one shaking you awake. Your manic energy, going from dragging me around town to explore one day and lazing around with me on the couch the very next. I learned your pace, and you learned mine, and eventually we met in the middle together. And that's right where I want to be... if you'll have me."
  2294. 2294.
    >Your heart stops as you listen to Anonymous
  2295. 2295.
    >Slowly realizing that this is way more than just an invite to Prom
  2296. 2296.
    >A much deeper commitment being offered out to you
  2297. 2297.
    >... And you don't even need to think about it for a second
  2298. 2298.
    >You pull one of your hands free to reach up and cup his face, eyes bright as you smile tenderly at your friend
  2299. 2299.
    >Well no, that's not quite right, is it?
  2300. 2300.
    >At your boyfriend
  2301. 2301.
    "Anon... I'm the one who pursued you first, silly. Of course I'll have you."
  2302. 2302.
    >You give his face a playful squeeze before pulling him forward
  2303. 2303.
    "Now come on, we have to tell the girls the good news! Especially Rarity. If we don't let her design something matching for the big night she might actually kill us."
  2304. 2304.
    >Anon laughs at that, though it falters when he sees the serious expression on your face
  2305. 2305.
    >... At which point you both burst into laughter, bounding away from the inner courtyard into the cafeteria proper
  2306. 2306.
    >You're a fair bit early for lunch to start and for the girls to be showing up
  2307. 2307.
    >But that's fine
  2308. 2308.
    >You've got just the perfect company to keep you preoccupied until then
  2309. 2309.
     
  2310. 2310.
    Part Fourteen:
  2311. 2311.
    >While there's only two weeks to go until Senior Prom, they still feel like an eternity
  2312. 2312.
    >Way worse than the wait for the Musical Showcase, without a doubt
  2313. 2313.
    >Still, there's plenty to keep (You), Sunset Shimmer occupied
  2314. 2314.
    >The girls for one were thrilled to bits for you and Anon
  2315. 2315.
    >Though there was far less surprise on their end
  2316. 2316.
    >"Darling, you've been living together for the past five months! Either it was going to happen or you were going to absolutely hate each other... but I absolutely had faith in you!"
  2317. 2317.
    >From anyone else that might have come off as a bitchy fake compliment
  2318. 2318.
    >But Rarity was just too sincere to say it like that
  2319. 2319.
    >"The outfits I make for you will be just stunning! Of course, all of ours will, but I feel inspired to make something truly great to mark the occasion for you two. Though I will admit finding a color palette that compliments green and orange at the same time may be a bit of a challenge... but not one I'll shy away from!"
  2320. 2320.
    >You admire Rarity's earnestness, truly, and have complete faith in her
  2321. 2321.
    >Beyond that, a key change at home awaits the end of the day
  2322. 2322.
    >You enjoy a quiet evening in with Anon
  2323. 2323.
    >Beyond your propensity to hold one of his hands, your dynamic is mostly the same
  2324. 2324.
    >Though admittedly when you make eye contact with your newfound boyfriend you both have started stopping what you were doing and just grinning like complete idiots
  2325. 2325.
    >You'd seen this sort of thing in other couples and scoffed, good-naturedly and sometimes not
  2326. 2326.
    >But now that it was your turn, you totally get it
  2327. 2327.
    >There's something incredibly calming and yet exhilarating to look into his eyes and see the affection in them
  2328. 2328.
    >... Though as the day draws to a close, there's soon to be a bit less affection and more panic in those green pupils
  2329. 2329.
    >Getting ready for bed, you'd swapped out into your pajamas in the bathroom
  2330. 2330.
    >(You weren't quite bold enough to change where Anon could see you. Yet.)
  2331. 2331.
    >Before coming out and finding Anonymous already getting comfortable under his blanket on the couch
  2332. 2332.
    >It was a comfy couch, to be sure, decently supportive enough that even almost half a year later Anon didn't complain about any back pain, but...
  2333. 2333.
    >As you approached the stairs that led up to your loft, you gave his ear a playful little tug.
  2334. 2334.
    "Uhp uhp uhp. None of that, now. No boy of mine's sleeping on the couch unless he's earned it."
  2335. 2335.
    >Anon swatted at your hand as you tugged on his earlobe, though he stopped to give you a confused look
  2336. 2336.
    >"Did you buy me a bed when I wasn't looking? It's only been a day, Sunset. Where are we even going to put it?"
  2337. 2337.
    >As Anonymous glanced around the apartment to try and find a decent enough space for even a Twin (Of which there definitely isn't)
  2338. 2338.
    >You take a quick moment to gather up all your courage, reaching down to cup his chin and bring his gaze back to you
  2339. 2339.
    "Of course not. You're right that there's no room for another bed in this place, but... there IS a bed already, y'know."
  2340. 2340.
    >Anonymous leaned subconsciously into your touch in a way that made your heart melt a little, though the expression of shock when he really registered what you said
  2341. 2341.
    >"Uh. That..."
  2342. 2342.
    >You watched his brow crease in that way it always did when he was thinking really had about something
  2343. 2343.
    >You just grinned and waited, trying to ignore the sound of your heart hammering in your ears
  2344. 2344.
    >"That's incredibly generous of you, Sunset, but that feels like we'd be skipping... a lot of steps, to put it mildly."
  2345. 2345.
    >You could see his point, sure
  2346. 2346.
    >But at the same time...
  2347. 2347.
    "I know it's a bit fast, but... we don't have to get too bold. We'll keep our hands above the waist, promise. Just a little cuddling?"
  2348. 2348.
    >Anon... hesitated
  2349. 2349.
    >It almost felt nostalgic, seeing him trying to puzzle this one out
  2350. 2350.
    >You liked that he was worried about moving too fast
  2351. 2351.
    >It definitely suggested he wanted to do this right
  2352. 2352.
    >And you did too
  2353. 2353.
    >Honest!
  2354. 2354.
    >But you had been pining for a fair bit longer than he had
  2355. 2355.
    "Anon... we don't have to if you aren't ready, but I just... I want you comfortable, rested, in a real bed. This couch is okay, but you deserve better. And I will admit that, selfishly, I really like the idea of opening my eyes and seeing you first thing in the morning."
  2356. 2356.
    >You think being honest really helped sell him on the whole idea, rather than just trying to make it all about his comfort
  2357. 2357.
    >You can see the cogs turning more smoothly in his head
  2358. 2358.
    >Then, he lets out a quiet exhale and nods
  2359. 2359.
    >"Alright. But you keep your hands to yourself, I'm a pure maiden you know - and I'd like to stay that way so I can get married someday."
  2360. 2360.
    >Anon stares at you, trying his best to put on a serious expression
  2361. 2361.
    >It crumbles almost instantly and you both burst out laughing as he picks up his pillow and follows you upstairs
  2362. 2362.
    >One small flight later and both of you stand at the foot of the bed
  2363. 2363.
    >Staring at the twin mattress
  2364. 2364.
    >More than enough for you alone, though with a second person...
  2365. 2365.
    >The word 'cozy' comes to mind
  2366. 2366.
    >So does 'intimate', but you mentally swat that one away before any heat can creep up on your face
  2367. 2367.
    >Glancing over at Anon you can see a bit of sweat on his temple
  2368. 2368.
    >He's clearly waiting for you to make the first move
  2369. 2369.
    >This all seemed so bold and easy when you were downstairs!
  2370. 2370.
    >Still, it was your idea, you should probably take point
  2371. 2371.
    >A few ideas to this approach come to mind
  2372. 2372.
    >Being coy, a flirty approach, something direct and vaguely cavepony-ish
  2373. 2373.
    >Before, in a fit of madness, a Pinkie Pie approach strikes your fancy
  2374. 2374.
    >With a laugh, you leap on to the bed
  2375. 2375.
    >(Praying and being deeply relieved when the frame doesn't break from that sudden, harsh stress on it)
  2376. 2376.
    >Bouncing a few times before coming to a halt
  2377. 2377.
    >You glance back at Anon and offer him a beckoning smile
  2378. 2378.
    "C'mon Anon, it's just a bed. It's not going to bite, I promise."
  2379. 2379.
    >Unless it gets infused with Equestrian Magic and decides to do that, but hey brain, shut up
  2380. 2380.
    >Anonymous stalls only for a few moments before crawling across the mattress, resting on all fours, staring at you with the exact expression a frightened cat would make
  2381. 2381.
    >"So, uh. How are we doing this, then? Head to foot, foot to head, or...?"
  2382. 2382.
    >You snort
  2383. 2383.
    >Undignified, unladylike, unabashed
  2384. 2384.
    "Anon, when I said that I wanted you to be the first thing I see when I wake up I very much did not mean that I wanted an eyeful of your toes. Come here."
  2385. 2385.
    >You gently pat the area beside you, laying down fully and resting your head on one of the pillows
  2386. 2386.
    >Anon, with all the eagerness of being told he was going to be the first one out of the boats at Normandy, crawls across the mattress to join you
  2387. 2387.
    >Face to face
  2388. 2388.
    >You reach out and wrap an arm around his shoulder, pulling him just a little closer
  2389. 2389.
    "It's alright. We aren't going to do anything rash, just... enjoy each other's presence. Don't sweat it, okay?"
  2390. 2390.
    >Anonymous nods slowly, and makes to mirror your movements
  2391. 2391.
    >His arm coils around your shoulders, a bit stiffly at first
  2392. 2392.
    >Don't you dare start hover handing, Anon!
  2393. 2393.
    >You squirm in nice and tight, dipping down to rest your forehead gently on his collarbone
  2394. 2394.
    >You use up all your willpower to not make this immediately weird and sniff him... hard, anyway
  2395. 2395.
    >At this proximity it's not hard to pick up the scent of his soap and what you had already suspected was your own Mane and Tail shampoo
  2396. 2396.
    >Not that you mind, but he's definitely pitching in for the next bottle, that stuff isn't cheap
  2397. 2397.
    >You do, however, fail to hold back the sigh of contentment that sneaks past your lips as Anonymous finally gets comfortable enough to rest his chin on top of your head
  2398. 2398.
    >Like two puzzle pieces snapping perfectly into place with each other
  2399. 2399.
    >This just feels... right
  2400. 2400.
    "Good night, Anon..."
  2401. 2401.
    >"Good night, Sunset.."
  2402. 2402.
    >Tomorrow will be another day that drags as you wait for Prom to get here
  2403. 2403.
    >Full of difficulties, annoyances, maybe even some Rogue Equestrian Magic if fate's feeling pretty vindictive
  2404. 2404.
    >But if you can end the day like this
  2405. 2405.
    >Embraced in Anonymous's arms and slotted in perfectly
  2406. 2406.
    >Listening to his heartbeat go from a nervous drum solo to a gentle beat
  2407. 2407.
    >You know you could face anything tomorrow and the day after that has to throw at you
  2408. 2408.
     
  2409. 2409.
    Part Fifteen:
  2410. 2410.
    >Good things come to those who wait, you think the saying goes
  2411. 2411.
    >And by Celestia, you have done plenty of waiting
  2412. 2412.
    >The last week had been truly grueling
  2413. 2413.
    >With Prom on the horizon it felt like every teacher had suddenly remembered what was just beyond it:
  2414. 2414.
    >Final Exams
  2415. 2415.
    >And as if they hadn't spent the past year cramming their students brains with as much knowledge as they could
  2416. 2416.
    >The faculty collectively kicked into maximum overdrive by trying to recap the entire year's curriculum in a single week to make absolutely sure everyone was prepared
  2417. 2417.
    >You're pretty sure your brain has scorch marks at this point...
  2418. 2418.
    >Still, today is the day!
  2419. 2419.
    >You're amazed you managed to get any sleep last night, but when it came time to it, you were out like a light
  2420. 2420.
    >When your alarm goes off you almost leap out of bed to turn it off
  2421. 2421.
    >Almost
  2422. 2422.
    >First, however... a bit of a new ritual
  2423. 2423.
    >You feel the blankets shuffle and the weight of the bed shift as something leans over to turn the alarm off after letting it get a few blares of sound off
  2424. 2424.
    >Before shuffling right back closer to you
  2425. 2425.
    >"Hmm... Not getting up, huh? Damn. Guess I need to manually start her. Where is that on button, again?"
  2426. 2426.
    >With your eyes closed you're completely unprepared to defend yourself against the finger that boops you right on the nose
  2427. 2427.
    >Despite being 'asleep' you can't help but grin
  2428. 2428.
    >"Well, there's some signs of life, but that doesn't quite look like that did the trick. Maybe... this?"
  2429. 2429.
    >Your brow furrows a bit as Anonymous gives your cheek a little pinch, but you're resolute in not reacting otherwise
  2430. 2430.
    >"On button isn't there, either? Ah, wait. I remember now."
  2431. 2431.
    >Finally, Anon ducks down to plant a kiss on your other cheek, at which point your eyes flutter open
  2432. 2432.
    >"Alright! I knew I'd get it eventually. Good morning, Sunny."
  2433. 2433.
    >You flash Anonymous a still-kinda-sleepy grin and lean up to return his affections, kissing him on the opposite side of the face he smooched you
  2434. 2434.
    >(You) are Sunset Shimmer, and your boyfriend is a bit of a dork
  2435. 2435.
    >But in a very charming way
  2436. 2436.
    "Right back at you, Nonny. You ready for today?"
  2437. 2437.
    >Despite his trepidation before, it was barely a few days into the new sleeping arrangements before he got good and comfortable sharing this space with you
  2438. 2438.
    >Having him up on the loft with you was helpful: you hadn't hit the snooze button once, unable to maintain that 'almost still asleep' state with him squirming to get out of the blanket burrito you often trapped him in
  2439. 2439.
    >It also clued you in that when he was good and comfortable...
  2440. 2440.
    >"You know it. I can't wait to see what Rarity's put together, she's been so cagey about even giving hints. Dibs on the first shower!"
  2441. 2441.
    >... Anon was a bit of a flirt
  2442. 2442.
    >He'd started 'turning you on' about three days into the week when you still tried to resist waking up on the first alarm
  2443. 2443.
    >You weren't entirely if he was teasing you by calling it that or if he really didn't get the double entendre
  2444. 2444.
    >Either way you got up and ready without having to rush to school in a panic
  2445. 2445.
    >And you started your day with a kiss
  2446. 2446.
    >Zero downsides
  2447. 2447.
    >- Wait, did he just steal the first shower?
  2448. 2448.
    >You squawk and try to crawl out of bed after Anon, but he's too clever for your own good
  2449. 2449.
    >He'd already slipped free of the blanket before he started doting on you, leaving you fully ensnared while he made his escape
  2450. 2450.
    >This aggression shall not stand, Anon!
  2451. 2451.
    >... Oh, who are you kidding, it absolutely will
  2452. 2452.
    >Beyond having to deal with less than ideal moderately warm water instead of the good heat that leaves your skin nice and pink
  2453. 2453.
    >The morning is brisk and comfortable
  2454. 2454.
    >Fortunately at school you find that most of the teachers agreed as a group that trying to cram any more knowledge into your noggins wasn't going to produce much results
  2455. 2455.
    >Either from being at too maximum capacity to absorb any more facts, or the fact that Prom was in less than eight hours and that's all anyone was going to be thinking about
  2456. 2456.
    >Some of them didn't even try to initiate a lesson, encouraging a 'study hall' that very quickly transitioned into gossiping and boasting about how well the night was going to go
  2457. 2457.
    >You're not sure what Trixie was crowing about, sounding all excited about riding a train tonight with the volleyball team
  2458. 2458.
    >Granted, you've never been on a train, so maybe they just rule?
  2459. 2459.
    >Trixie's night time plans aside, it's a breeze of a day and you're grateful for it
  2460. 2460.
    >When your final class is over it's straight to the Boutique with Anon and the other girls
  2461. 2461.
    >Like Anon said, Rarity has been incredibly tight-lipped about what she's been working on for the dance
  2462. 2462.
    >But in her home, surrounded by her work, the fashionista can't help but put on a little show of displaying her work
  2463. 2463.
    >As always, your friend's designs are immaculate
  2464. 2464.
    >Something sleek and cool for Rainbow, though the biggest miracle is how it doesn't clash with her hair ("Always a challenge, but one I'll gladly fight!")
  2465. 2465.
    >Twilight's powder blue dress almost invokes a classic fairy tale vibe to you, though Rarity kept it daring with a modern cut to keep your friend from looking like someone's grandmother, it pairs up nicely with her letting her hair down for once
  2466. 2466.
    >The sheer amount of frills and poof for Pinkie should make it a mess, but in motion it works perfectly - which works out, given that Pinkie is constantly in motion ("It's easy to design a still image, but how the cloth flows is even more important!")
  2467. 2467.
    >In comparison, the simple, understated number she made for Fluttershy almost looks incredibly plain, but draped on her, with her natural beauty and poise... you can definitely see how most people were intimidated to even approach her ("You're going to make everyone's heart simply burst with regret, darling...")
  2468. 2468.
    >Applejack's combination of a suit jacket and flowing skirt would likely seem out of place to anyone that didn't know her, but you all knew full well how she still liked to be seen as feminine, even if she could pick up a car and crush it like a soda can ("... And once they're done kicking themselves over Fluttershy, they'll be jealous of me and the dashing lady on my arm!")
  2469. 2469.
    >For Rarity herself, she may have gone a bit overboard
  2470. 2470.
    >Perhaps taking more inspiration from whatever well she sourced Twilight's idea from, she also has a classic princess vibe to it - something to work off her prince for this evening? The deep purple tones contrast nicely with her alabaster skin and match her hair perfectly
  2471. 2471.
    >When it finally comes to you and Anon's turn, she's practically vibrating with excitement
  2472. 2472.
    >"Now, I did mention trying to work with complimentary colors for you two - and I did, at first! But I really wasn't feeling the blue and pink palette, nor the white and violet. So!"
  2473. 2473.
    >Rarity steps back to unveil the sets, and you're floored
  2474. 2474.
    >Hanging off the mannequin is a breathtaking ballroom dress
  2475. 2475.
    >Tinted a deep green that could be confused for black in the right lighting
  2476. 2476.
    >Flared with acidic highlights across the hem, and especially apparent in the cloth designed to hang off your arms and flow with your movement
  2477. 2477.
    >You can't help but grin as you note the ridge of spikes along the left shoulder that completely go against the otherwise tender, flowy design
  2478. 2478.
    >Rarity always did her best to make sure the person wearing her designs was represented in them
  2479. 2479.
    >Gentle, graceful, with a bit of a spiky attitude
  2480. 2480.
    >She got you to a 'T'
  2481. 2481.
    >Anon's suit follows a similar color scheme as yours: a dark but warm burnt orange, pinstriped with impressively thin threads of black to break up the color nicely
  2482. 2482.
    >The dress shirt is a solid black, with a tie a nice yellow
  2483. 2483.
    >You're not sure if it's exactly the same shade as your hair, but it looks close
  2484. 2484.
    >"I do hope you two like them. I thought, if I wasn't going to do complimentary colors, what if I let you two borrow your color schemes? Really let everyone at the dance know who you're with!"
  2485. 2485.
    >Anon's already inspecting his fit, and you can see his gaze ticking between the tie and your hair
  2486. 2486.
    >Apparently he picked up on the similarity as well, and he nods approvingly
  2487. 2487.
    >"This is really handsome, Rarity. I can see myself wearing this often, if you'll allow me to have it after this."
  2488. 2488.
    >"Of course, darling! I would've insisted if you hadn't brought it up!"
  2489. 2489.
    >You join Anon in admiring your dress
  2490. 2490.
    >Admiring the soft, cool silk
  2491. 2491.
    >Grinning at the silvery spikes so lovingly arranged
  2492. 2492.
    >You can't wait to see yourself in it
  2493. 2493.
    >So you look out at all your friends
  2494. 2494.
    >Your family
  2495. 2495.
    "Lets get to it, then, girls!"
  2496. 2496.
    >The actual fitting is, of course, a bit of a nightmare
  2497. 2497.
    >But that's how these things usually go
  2498. 2498.
    >Rarity has your sizes all memorized by this point but that still doesn't stop the need for some incredibly last minute touch-ups, re-hemming, not to mention helping each other's hairstyling
  2499. 2499.
    >In the midst of this hurricane of preening, screaming, and sequins
  2500. 2500.
    >... Anon still managed to get dressed and primped at least forty minutes before even the first of you was done
  2501. 2501.
    >Simply observing the chaos with an expression of mild alarm and amusement
  2502. 2502.
    >Despite being envious of his ability to get dressed in under half an hour
  2503. 2503.
    >You felt a squeeze around your heart as you saw his face
  2504. 2504.
    >Fully saw it
  2505. 2505.
    >Around the house Anonymous didn't really bother with styling his hair
  2506. 2506.
    >But he'd still made a habit of wearing it over his face in public
  2507. 2507.
    >Even with his eye fully healed up it was just a habit for him
  2508. 2508.
    >So seeing him go out of the way to tie his hair back and fully expose himself was just another sign to you of his progress
  2509. 2509.
    >At least, you were enjoying that sight before Pinkie gave your errant hair a bit of a too-tight tug as she worked it into the elaborate braid you had asked for
  2510. 2510.
    >So you had best look back in that mirror to make sure everything's going as planned!
  2511. 2511.
    >...
  2512. 2512.
    >...
  2513. 2513.
    >...
  2514. 2514.
    >You're not sure which of you suggested a limo to get back to the school
  2515. 2515.
    >Rarity's house is literally just a ten minute drive away from Canterlot High, it's such a waste...
  2516. 2516.
    >... Is what you would say if you weren't currently settled in Anonymous's lap, looking very much like the cat that caught the canary
  2517. 2517.
    >Apparently during the Fall Formal two years ago the girls had rented this exact car, and it was already a tight fit with the seven of them
  2518. 2518.
    >Two years of growth spurts and the like later, and with a somewhat bulkier boy in tow, having all eight of you sitting comfortably in the back was simply not happening
  2519. 2519.
    >So! With a lot of puppydog eyes and a bit of assuring the driver of the statistical unlikeliness of them getting pulled over on this incredibly short drive in regards to this blatant safety violation
  2520. 2520.
    >You volunteered to take one for the team and sit pretty on top of someone
  2521. 2521.
    >You'd made a huge production out of deciding who to use as your seat before giggling and leaping into Anon's lap
  2522. 2522.
    >The boy in question was apparently finding the ceiling of the car very interesting, doing his best to weather yours and the girls teasing as his face lit up like a beacon in the night
  2523. 2523.
    >Fortunately for him, again, the drive was short
  2524. 2524.
    >Perhaps less fortunately you decided to be courteous and let the rest of your group go ahead before finally sliding off onto the seat next to him, giving his hand a little pat
  2525. 2525.
    >To which he responded by giving you a look that would likely chill even the hardiest around if his face wasn't reddened from ears to his neck
  2526. 2526.
    "Oh don't give me that face, it was just a bit of fun!"
  2527. 2527.
    >You leaned in closer, letting your nose brush against Anon's as you whispered conspiratorially to him
  2528. 2528.
    "Besides, I know better than the rest of them that you enjoyed that~"
  2529. 2529.
    >With a waggle of your eyebrows and a grin on your face you exited the limo with Anon, laughing as he carefully walked to try and ensure any attention he got was focused solely north of his personal equator
  2530. 2530.
    >... After a moment you decided to walk a little in front of him
  2531. 2531.
    >No sense in showing that off, ahem
  2532. 2532.
    >Inside the building, everything's already underway
  2533. 2533.
    >The auditorium has been renovated, Pinkie Pie style, of course
  2534. 2534.
    >She really went all out this year, though as you understand it she may have gotten some munitions from her equine counterpart
  2535. 2535.
    >(You're surprised they actually maintained their form going through, but much like Princess Twilight, you've learned not to question your pink, chaotic friend)
  2536. 2536.
    >With Anon and the Mooses and the Rainbooms taking the night off to actually enjoy the event, it's up to Flash Drive to perform live for everyone
  2537. 2537.
    >Flash's inoffensive pop goes in one ear and out the other as always, but it isn't terrible
  2538. 2538.
    >You just aren't going to remember a single lyric an hour from now
  2539. 2539.
    >That's fine, so long as the beat jumps just right
  2540. 2540.
    >Giving you something to groove with Anon to
  2541. 2541.
    >Despite having him you can't help but glance around the auditorium, keeping an eye out for your friends
  2542. 2542.
    >Rarity and Applejack are out on the floor already as well, swaying in each other's arms
  2543. 2543.
    >Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash are on the sidelines for now, though you're starting to question if their date is platonic or not, going by the way your shy friend is making eyes at Dash
  2544. 2544.
    >Twilight's only just found Timber Spruce in the throng
  2545. 2545.
    >One last chance to check his ID?
  2546. 2546.
    >No, no, you'll trust Twilight
  2547. 2547.
    >Pinkie and her genderbent clone are already at punch bowl
  2548. 2548.
    >You briefly wonder if she's going to be bold enough to try and spike it at a school event, but she's far too distracted talking quite animatedly with Cheese Sandwich
  2549. 2549.
    >At some point they both produce some props
  2550. 2550.
    >Pinkie Pie has an alligator plush that you absolutely don't recall ever seeing in her possession all evening
  2551. 2551.
    >Cheese responds with... a rubber chicken
  2552. 2552.
    >Honestly if those two sneak off for the rest of the night you wouldn't be surprised
  2553. 2553.
    >Satisfied that your friends are alright, you take both of Anon's hands in your own and flash him a warm smile
  2554. 2554.
    >"Ready to make a spectacle of ourselves?"
  2555. 2555.
    "I'm sure whatever moves you got can't be worse than Princess Twilight's all-fours dancing. Lets get out there, Nonny."
  2556. 2556.
    >You lead Anon out of the floor, bobbing your head as you let the beat wash over you
  2557. 2557.
    >Feel it in your feet
  2558. 2558.
    >You smile as you watch Anon start to bob his head, going through the same process
  2559. 2559.
    >And after a moment...
  2560. 2560.
    >... Both of you suddenly strike a pose
  2561. 2561.
    >Completely different poses
  2562. 2562.
    >Clearly both of you were under the impression you were going to be taking the lead on this
  2563. 2563.
    >For a moment you both just stare at each other, arms bent in wild angles before the realization crashes over you
  2564. 2564.
    >And you both just laugh like idiots, leaning forward to rest against each other for support
  2565. 2565.
    >"Lets take turns, how about that? You can start."
  2566. 2566.
    >Anon pulls away and grins at you, holding a hand out and waiting patiently
  2567. 2567.
    >You nod in agreement and take it, and after a few more moments of feeling the beat, you strike a pose again
  2568. 2568.
    >The exact same pose he had made
  2569. 2569.
    >Anon just laughs and mimics your stride
  2570. 2570.
    >"You're such a dork..."
  2571. 2571.
    >...
  2572. 2572.
    >...
  2573. 2573.
    >...
  2574. 2574.
    >Several hours while away on the dance floor, but you don't even feel the passage of time for a moment
  2575. 2575.
    >Flash Drive as it turns out does not rule the roost tonight
  2576. 2576.
    >Vinyl Scratch makes an appearance as well after Flash rotates through his small collection of original songs and a few covers he's learned
  2577. 2577.
    >Even Trixie and her Illusions take a brief turn
  2578. 2578.
    >Only hindered by the fact that she only has like, two whole songs in her library
  2579. 2579.
    >Through it all you and Anon make a spectacle of yourselves, throwing yourselves into your dancing
  2580. 2580.
    >Never breaking eye contact as you gyrate, thrust, and spin
  2581. 2581.
    >Sometimes to the detriment of other dancers as they gravitate a bit too close, but your stride is quickly picked back up after some awkward apologies
  2582. 2582.
    >The combination of your spirited movements and the full suit Anon's wearing has him sweating
  2583. 2583.
    >Green skin glistening in the rapidly shifting colored lights of the auditorium
  2584. 2584.
    >It's... very distracting
  2585. 2585.
    >To the point you almost don't realize that Vinyl has completed stopped her set until you hear some microphone feedback
  2586. 2586.
    >Looking over at the stage you realize Principal Celestia has made her way on it
  2587. 2587.
    >Along with a starkly more traditional band
  2588. 2588.
    >Bowties, cellos, the whole shebang
  2589. 2589.
    >"Good evening, students! I certainly hope we've all been having a lovely time tonight."
  2590. 2590.
    >The Principal pauses when her students let out a deafening cheer, simply smiling at them all in approval
  2591. 2591.
    >"Glad to hear it, haha! I hope you don't mind then if I interrupt for just a few moments. As is tradition, it's time to honor a set of our peers with the title of Prom King and Queen tonight. Gather round!"
  2592. 2592.
    >Anon wraps an arm around your waist, joining you in approaching the stage along with everyone else
  2593. 2593.
    >Prom King and Queen...
  2594. 2594.
    >Honestly, with everything that was going on, you completely forgot about this
  2595. 2595.
    >Did you have to register for that sort of thing? You're pretty sure it's decided by student voting, like the Fall Formal...
  2596. 2596.
    >With bated breath, you watch as Principal Celestia cracks open the envelop in her hands
  2597. 2597.
    >She reads over the card held within, double checks it real quick, but then pulls back to grin delightedly at the crowd
  2598. 2598.
    >"Well! It looks like I inadvertently misspoke. Please give a round of applause for our dual Prom Queens for this year's Prom, Applejack and Rarity!"
  2599. 2599.
    >The crowd breaks out into frenzied applause as your friends join the stage
  2600. 2600.
    >Rarity has immediately destroyed her mascara in shock, letting it run down her cheeks as she clings to Applejack for support
  2601. 2601.
    >Principal Celestia nods approvingly as she presents the crowns and sash
  2602. 2602.
    >Applejack tries to guide the King's crown and sash onto Rarity, which breaks her out of her trance long enough for her to grin at her girlfriend and give her a playful 'be serious' shove
  2603. 2603.
    >Before graciously accepting the Queen's crown and sash
  2604. 2604.
    >Applejack just good-naturedly rolls her eyes and accepts her status as King
  2605. 2605.
    >"Congratulations, our Queens! Please honor them with a traditional dance to close out the night!"
  2606. 2606.
    >As Rarity and Applejack descend the steps again, the band begins to play
  2607. 2607.
    >Something ancient but timeless
  2608. 2608.
    >Slow and, ...intimate
  2609. 2609.
    >You look over at Anon, who's already smiling at you and offering a hand out
  2610. 2610.
    >And so you join the couples on the floor again, simply staying close to your boy and swaying in time with the music
  2611. 2611.
    >"Are you alright with that? I know how important those crowns used to be to you."
  2612. 2612.
    >Anon's question gets you wondering...
  2613. 2613.
    "... Two years ago, losing out in a competition like that would've driven me insane. It DID drive me insane. But, honestly? I didn't even think about it at all in the entire buildup to this night. It would've been nice, sure. But..."
  2614. 2614.
    >You pull your head off of Anon's chest to smile warmly at him, eyes glinting with raw emotion
  2615. 2615.
    "I have everything I want in my arms right now."
  2616. 2616.
    >Anon smiles back at you, the sheer power behind your implication causing some tears to pinprick in the corners of his eyes
  2617. 2617.
    >You hold that gaze for what feels like eternity
  2618. 2618.
    >...And then you draw closer
  2619. 2619.
    >And closer
  2620. 2620.
    >And
  2621. 2621.
    >Your lips crash tenderly against his own
  2622. 2622.
    >You'd taken to kissing his cheek and vice versa, smooches on the temple
  2623. 2623.
    >But this...
  2624. 2624.
    >This is electric
  2625. 2625.
    >Your eyes lid partially, staring into Anon's own before you both let them flit closed, losing yourself in the moment
  2626. 2626.
    >You hear some shouting and a few wolf-whistles but they feel so far away, who could care?
  2627. 2627.
    >The entire world has shrank down to the boy in your arms
  2628. 2628.
    >You can't feel it through his suit and your dress but you know for sure your hearts are beating as one
  2629. 2629.
    >You think of everything that lead to this moment
  2630. 2630.
    >Twists, turns
  2631. 2631.
    >Anon's growth from shy, gray, sad, to the vibrant young man you felt so lucky to have
  2632. 2632.
    >And... thinking about how he started
  2633. 2633.
    >Sends a sudden lance of lightning down your spine
  2634. 2634.
    >And you suddenly realize what you want to do with your life
  2635. 2635.
    >It's so obvious, now
  2636. 2636.
    >You hope the guidance counselor doesn't mind such a visit this late into the year
  2637. 2637.
    >But that's an issue for tomorrow's Sunset
  2638. 2638.
    >For now, as you pull away from Anon's lips to rest your head on his collarbone
  2639. 2639.
    >Tonight is all about this moment, swaying in time to the music with the boy that makes your heart feel full to bursting
  2640. 2640.
    >And you're going to make it last as long as you possibly can...
  2641. 2641.
     
  2642. 2642.
    EPILOGUE:
  2643. 2643.
    >Many years later...
  2644. 2644.
    >"You can't do this. I made her. She's my property. YOU CAN'T JUST COME INTO MY HOUSE AND TAKE MY PROPERTY FOR NO REASON!"
  2645. 2645.
    >You always hated this part
  2646. 2646.
    >But at the same time, it makes you feel relieved
  2647. 2647.
    >Having to deal with the parents acting as if they've done nothing wrong or have zero idea why you've showed up in their home is revolting
  2648. 2648.
    >Truly, makes you sick to your stomach
  2649. 2649.
    >Having them finally drop their masks and reveal their awful selves is a reprieve from having to treat them civilly
  2650. 2650.
    >The door doesn't do a perfect job of muffling the mother's deranged screaming, but it's enough that you can focus more on what actually matters:
  2651. 2651.
    >The little girl whose hands you're holding
  2652. 2652.
    >Who just had her world, awful as it was, torn to pieces by your intervention
  2653. 2653.
    >She's a cute little thing, with skin a similar shade of golden to yours, platinum blonde hair, and brown eyes
  2654. 2654.
    >Eyes that have refused to look anywhere but the ground ever since the confrontation started properly
  2655. 2655.
    >You were leading her to your car to get her down to the precinct, but you pause
  2656. 2656.
    >Kneeling down to meet her gaze, you gently place a hand on her chin to direct her to meet your gaze
  2657. 2657.
    "Hey, hey... it's okay. She's not going to be able to hurt you any more."
  2658. 2658.
    >You offer the girl as reassuring a smile as you can
  2659. 2659.
    "I don't think we've properly introduced, what with how fast everything went down. My name's Sunset Shimmer. It's really nice to meet you. Can you tell me your name?"
  2660. 2660.
    >You knew it, of course
  2661. 2661.
    >You'd be a pretty shitty CPS Agent if you weren't briefed on basic details like that
  2662. 2662.
    >But you knew from your years working this job that letting them introduce themselves put them at ease
  2663. 2663.
    >"Gol... Golden Beam. Are you really going to take me away from mommy?"
  2664. 2664.
    >Golden Beam was a little slip of a girl
  2665. 2665.
    >Scrawny and short, you'd never know she was actually supposed to be eleven years old at her weight
  2666. 2666.
    >It was going to be a long road towards recovery
  2667. 2667.
    "I can promise you that, Golden Beam. No one's going to force you to see her again if I can help it. I've got your back now."
  2668. 2668.
    >During Prom, you had thought so much about all the progress Anon had made to become the man he was
  2669. 2669.
    >How even months after being freed from his father's house you still caught him sometimes staying perfectly still, trying not to make a noise
  2670. 2670.
    >Or feel him tremble in your shared bed as memories surfaced in his sleep
  2671. 2671.
    >And you realized...
  2672. 2672.
    >You never wanted anyone else to go through what he did
  2673. 2673.
    >And while you weren't quite capable of stopping it from happening
  2674. 2674.
    >You could help people out of those situations
  2675. 2675.
    >In college you dual majored in Child Psychology and Criminal Justice
  2676. 2676.
    >Goals firmly set in your mind, it was grueling, but you succeeded
  2677. 2677.
    >And when you finally hit the scene you did so with a massive splash
  2678. 2678.
    >Your understanding of the psyche was rock solid
  2679. 2679.
    >... But you admit it did help a bit that you had a magical necklace that let you see memories and read minds
  2680. 2680.
    >That may or may not have allowed you to effeciently guide your charges towards the questions necessary to get them the help they needed as fast as possible
  2681. 2681.
    >As you guide Golden Beam to your car, you watch her expression
  2682. 2682.
    >You've seen it a thousand times already in your career
  2683. 2683.
    >As you open the back doors of your vehicle and help her buckle up, you pause to rest a hand on hers
  2684. 2684.
    "I know right now you feel like your world is in shambles. That nothing's going to be the same, and you think it'll never be okay again."
  2685. 2685.
    >Golden Beam makes eye contact with you, eyes glinting with tears
  2686. 2686.
    "And... you're half right. Nothing will be the same again. But it will be okay. It will be even better. And I promise I'll be by your side the whole way through."
  2687. 2687.
    >Golden Beam's brow flattens as it doesn't quite land
  2688. 2688.
    >"What do you know? You're a stranger, you don't know anything!"
  2689. 2689.
    >You pause, considering
  2690. 2690.
    >Before presenting your hand to the little girl
  2691. 2691.
    >Her eyes catch on the glinting golden band and diamond on your ring finger
  2692. 2692.
    "You know... my husband was in a pretty similar situation to you, a long time ago. I was at his side then as we put his life back together and built something new together. Maybe your situations aren't entirely similar, but I know one thing: I wouldn't hesitate to help you lay the foundation of a better life just as I did him."
  2693. 2693.
    >With that, you closed the passenger door and moved to get in the driver's seat
  2694. 2694.
    >You chanced a peek at Golden Beam in the rear view mirror
  2695. 2695.
    >She's staring at your seat with a thoughtful and curious expression
  2696. 2696.
    "Would you like to hear about him? We're in the right area for you to be in the CHS school district. Give it time and you'll meet him if you take a music elective in a few years."
  2697. 2697.
    >The little girl nods, leaning in a little
  2698. 2698.
    >"He does music? I love music! I love playing the drums at school. Mom would never let me have a set at home..."
  2699. 2699.
    >You simply shake your head in sympathy before clearing your throat
  2700. 2700.
    "Alright then. So, this all starts back in the ancient past, in my Junior Year. One of my best friends was throwing an absolute rager of a party, and..."

Timberwolf Study, Part One

by Hearthsong

[COMPLETE] Kingnon Snippet I: In Which Moonbitch Gets Bitched Out

by Hearthsong

Timberwolf Study, Part Two

by Hearthsong

Timberwolf Study, Part Three

by Hearthsong

Timberwolf Study, Part Four

by Hearthsong