Back on Duty, part 1 (SPG)


                                            New, better tripcode: !!Ojw0rGjSZOI


                                            > Anonymous was sitting in his office deep in the Administrative wing of the Canterlot Castle when he heard the commotion. This was unusual, because most ponies never ventured this far into the hidden guts of the Equestrian bureaucracy.

                                            > He got up and went out on the corridor to see what all the noise was about.

                                            > It made very little sense at first. A white unicorn, one he didn't recognize from her back, was complaining very loudly at one of his coworkers, Star Bright. Complaining perhaps wasn't even the correct word. 'Shouting' would be more apt.

                                            > Star Bright noticed Anonymous and flashed him a weak grin, as if apologizing for all the racket. Fortunately, the shouting mare didn't notice this slight and simply continued with her tirade.

                                            > "What I want, you- you... *commoner,*" she spat as if it was the worst insult she could imagine, "is to see somepony in charge!"

                                            > "Miss, the Princess has audience every weekday, if you could just-"

                                            > Poor Star Bright didn't even get to finish his suggestion before the irate unicorn interrupted him. "Don't give me lip! I *just* want to see somepony in charge around here! You don't tell me to *just* go see Celestia!"

                                            > "Why not?" Star Bright asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion. "The Princess listens to all-"

                                            > Again he didn't get to finish. "The Princess is *useless*! She spends all her time wrapped around that disgusting ape of hers!"

                                            > She advanced on the hapless bureaucrat who backed away with his tail tucked up so far between his legs it was brushing his barrel. "Mark my words, things will change. And soon!"

                                            > It was time to step in. Anonymous didn't much like the sound of 'disgusting ape', even though he was aware of the derogative used among some of Equestria's 'finest'. The nobility very much resented accepting other species into their ranks and the Sisters' lasting infatuation with their respective humans was starting to cause noticeable dissent among the high-born families.

                                            "Excuse me. Is there something I may be able to help with?"

                                            > Star Bright looked immensely relieved and the unicorn, startled, jumped into the air and twirled around. Her ears were laid flat and her muzzle was scrunched up into a derisive frown.

                                            > "I don't want anything from you!" she spat, apparently not even slightly worried that Anonymous had probably overheard her insult.

                                            "If you can remain civil, I'm sure we can discuss any issues you might have."

                                            > She growled and spun around to push past Star Bright. She spoke to the stallion, but loudly enough for Anonymous to hear, which was her intent: "I'll come back when this place isn't *infested*!"

                                            > Both of them watched the mare go, Anonymous still trying to place her. She seemed familiar. Probably he had seen her at some official function or a banquet or maybe even at the Gala, but he didn't remember her ever so much as looking at him the wrong way.

                                            > She probably felt safe to display her disgust with no real witnesses. After all, however dissatisfied the nobles were about the current situation, showing their distaste in public was simply Not Done.

                                            "What the hell was that all about?" Anonymous asked.

                                            > Star Bright breathed a sigh of relief as soon as the irate mare was out of earshot. "I don't even bucking know," he admitted. "One minute she came in to complain about her Tax Statement. You know, the new stuff the Princesses implemented when she found out the nobles were avoiding paying?"

                                            "Ah, maybe that's why she didn't want to see Celestia personally. Maybe she thought she could bully someone into waiving what she owes. Some underling, who could take the blame."

                                            > "Yeah, that's probably it. Anyway, thanks for stepping in. I couldn't believe what she was saying."

                                            > Anonymous was aware that there was some resentment to increased human presence in Equestrian affairs, but he hadn't realized just how upset some ponies were about him and Eli in particular.

                                            "Don't worry, we have people like that on Earth, too."

                                            > He shrugged it off, mainly to put Star Bright at his ease, but the attorney-turned-bureaucrat still made a mental note to bring it up with Celestia. If nothing else, she should know what her subjects were thinking, especially possibly influential ones like that mare.

                                            > Maybe all it would take was to invite her to some more social occasions where she'd have a chance to speak with a few humans and have her opinion of them changed.

                                            > He was about to go back into his office and pick up the paperwork when he noticed how Star Bright was leaning inconspicuously towards him. Anon smiled knowingly.

                                            "Anyway, don't let it get to you. Some people are just weird."

                                            > He reached down to give the pony a calming pat on his short-cropped mane, but of course it turned into a very quick ear-scratch. Some equines simply couldn't get enough of it and Anon didn't find it onerous to indulge them.

                                            > The ponies were a lot more physical with each other than humans. It took some getting used to, but these days Anon didn't even bat an eye at casually patting a back or scratching an ear.

                                            > On more than one occasion he'd given Luna a back-and-withers massage in the morning after a strenuous shift in the dreamscape. All Celestia did when she came in to make her signature pancake-breakfast was smile approvingly.

                                            > He was about to excuse himself and go finish his paperwork for the day, but Star Bright simply followed Anon into his office and looked around at his collection of legal texts. "So, what are you working on?"

                                            > Anonymous didn't mind the interruption. He could use a break, after all.

                                            "Right at the moment? I'm going over the immigration policy for Princess Celestia. She's looking to allow more humans permanent residences in Equestria. It's kinda complicated because she has to work out the details with several human governments, which is why she's engaged my old law firm to hammer out some of the fine print. I'm checking their reply to make sure they haven't missed anything important on the Equestrian side."

                                            > Even before Anon got halfway through the explanation, Star Bright's eyes were already glazing over. He was an intern, the human remembered, and he probably wouldn't stick around when his contract ran out. It was only his first job, one his parents made him take because they wanted to brag that their son was working for the Princesses.

                                            "Tell you what, I could use a real break. Why don't we walk over to the tea kitchen and make ourselves some coffee?"

                                            > The colt swished his tail around and smiled. "Sure! That sounds good!"


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > Late afternoon found Anonymous relaxing on a human-sized-and-shaped chair on the balcony overlooking the hedge maze, and warming his hands on a cup of coffee. The sun was up, but there was still a chill in the air on this early spring afternoon.

                                            > The snow was over, at least, and there was the summer to look forward to. His sixth in this crazy talking-horse land, which was in itself a weird thought. He'd never seen *this* coming when he planned out his career after college.

                                            > It wasn't bad, not really. At first he'd missed some things from Earth, like cars and TV and, of all things, Starbucks coffee, but after a while those things faded. He'd never been too enamored with the Internet, for example, so it wasn't difficult to give up.

                                            > TV he mainly missed because of the pool championships he liked to watch, but once he got a table made by one of the Canterlot craftsponies and taught a few of his new coworkers to play, that was at least alleviated, if not exactly replaced.

                                            > Seeing the non-unicorns fumble with the cues had been funny, though.

                                            > As for cars, that one should be easy to replace. Celestia had given him free use of her pegasus-pulled carriages, although he didn't neither occasion nor inclination to use those.

                                            > Anonymous didn't mind flying on Earth, but the pegasi-carriages were open to the air. It was more like a roller coaster than a means of travel!

                                            > Anyway, in Canterlot walking usually sufficed and his other travels were mostly official or at least accompanied by Celestia, so transportation wasn't really an issue.

                                            > There was also teleportation, but after having tried that once and then spending a few gruesome hours puking out his breakfast, Anon decided he didn't like that mode of travel.

                                            > Twilight Sparkle guessed that human physiology was just different enough for that particular spell to affect them so, but since she didn't have any voluntary test subjects, she couldn't work on removing the adverse effect.

                                            > Then there was his job. It was at the same time completely different and uncannily similar to his old one on Earth. All the essential skills he'd picked up in college and honed during his career were still useful. He had to revise his international law a little bit, if only to draw good examples from it when drafting some of Equestria's first policies on things like customs, immigration and trade relations.

                                            > Every now and then it struck Anonymous that he was doing groundbreaking work for the ponies and he nearly panicked about getting it all wrong, but Celestia reassured him that he was doing an exemplary job.

                                            > Yeah, that mare was completely worth it. All the strangeness he had to get used to, new faces he had to work with, new climate to adjust to. All the discomforts of losing the technological conveniences of his home, it was all worth it.

                                            > Even now Anon couldn't prevent a smile from creeping up on his face. Celestia was going to live forever. She already had lived over a thousand, yet there was still this core of joy, curiosity and simple delight in her that - almost literally - shone through the filter of wisdom and experience.

                                            > She was quite an impossible creature, now that he got to know her better.

                                            > "What are you smiling about?" the alicorn in question asked, suddenly standing beside Anon's chair.

                                            > He almost jumped in surprise. How could that horse move so silently on these floor tiles with those hooves?!

                                            "Jeez, don't sneak up on me like that!"

                                            > She grinned back, eyes twinkling in amusement. "Ahem, I called out from the door but you did not answer. I thought you fell asleep."

                                            > Without having to ask for it, Celestia lowered her head and got a quick ear-scritch. "Here, your coffee has gone cold," she murmured and lit up her horn for a few moments.

                                            > Instantly new steam rose from the cup and Anon took a careful sip.

                                            "Thanks."

                                            > "You still have not told me what you were smiling about."

                                            "I was thinking of you."

                                            > The pony snorted in amusement. "Hah! That is what you always say!"

                                            "I always think of you."

                                            > She feigned annoyance, but her pupils widened a little and her ears splayed in happiness. "Careful. If Luna hears how cheesy you are, she is going to put you on one of her pizzas."

                                            > They both laughed. "Speaking of which," Celestia went on, "want to come in for dinner? She is trying her hoof at bread again, so I will not blame you if you say no."

                                            > The younger Princess had recently offered to cook dinners for them, inspired by Celestia's example of making breakfast each day. The fact that she wasn't good at it, mainly through lack of patience, meant that more than once the Castle staff had had to step in at the last minute.

                                            "Let's hope she let it rise at least a minute before shoving it in the oven this time," Anon said.

                                            > Celestia shook her head. "It is not that she does not let the dough rise enough, what worries me more is that she gets bored and takes it out of the oven after five minutes."

                                            > Anon grimaced at the memory. The buns had *looked* alright and they certainly smelled good. No one could have known that biting into one of them was like biting into a doughnut filled with raw dough.

                                            "So, what are we really having?"

                                            > "The cooks made a light salad and there is salmon for you."

                                            "Good! Let's do it."

                                            > Anon got up, but before he could take so much as a step the mare halted him with a wing. "This first," she said and leaned in.

                                            > The kiss lasted a while and left them both leaning against each other. Both of them were panting lightly.

                                            > "This weekend," the Princess said, pausing momentarily to catch her breath. "Make sure you do not have work. We are going away."

                                            "Oh? Where to?" Anon asked.

                                            > "I booked an out of the way place near Baltimare. There is a lake and good hiking paths, I remember. I have been there before."

                                            > Of course, she had been there before in her long life. She had been *everywhere*.

                                            "Won't it be boring if you've been there before?"

                                            > Celestia shook her head. "Each time it is different. The land changes. The ponies change." Her ears lowered and her voice grew sad. "Who I am with changes."

                                            > There wasn't a lot Anon could say to that. He knew he was mortal and she was not. He'd grow old and then he'd be gone. They both knew it and accepted it, even if they didn't like it.

                                            > Which meant that these moments together were all the more important.

                                            "I'll make time. I'm already looking forward to it."

                                            > Her smile came back and she gave her human a quick nuzzle. "Okay. Let us not keep Luna waiting. Eli tells me she has really outdone herself today."


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > Flying in Equestria was vastly different than on Earth. Instead of airliners, there was a pegasus-pulled coach. Instead of jet engines, there were just wings.

                                            > By all rights it should not move as fast as it did, so Anon suspected some kind of magic was also involved.

                                            > Knowing that didn't help, nor did Celestia's presence. The human still sat rigidly, gripping the edge with a white-knuckled hand. The thing was just so *open*!

                                            > The alicorn assured him that the view was spectacular, but he took her word for it and kept his gaze firmly on the distant horizon. If he did that, the man could just barely convince himself they were driving on the ground with *really* good suspension.

                                            "Remind me a-again: we're not in a hurry, r-right?"

                                            > Celestia looked at his face and chuckled. "No, I do not think so. Why?"

                                            "Why couldn't we have gone on the ground again?"

                                            > The mare gave this some thought. "We will go by the road on our way back, okay? I cannot have all your relaxation undone because of the flying."

                                            "T-Thanks."

                                            > He reached out his free hand and Celestia slid her back under it so Anon would have something to hold on to.

                                            > "You know I would catch you if you fell, right?" she reminded him.

                                            "Yes I know that," the human replied in clipped tones, "but I don't think my gut does."

                                            > Again the mare had to chuckle. She twisted around to give Anon's cheek a good, warm lick, before leaning to the side to look at the ground below. "Won't be much longer, love."

                                            "Good."

                                            >...

                                            > True to her word, the carriage started descending a mere fifteen minutes later, making Anonymous' stomach lurch and his grip on the side tighten. He relaxed once the wheels actually touched the ground, but his face was still a little pale even when they rolled to a stop.

                                            > Celestia knew enough to let him get off at his own pace and she took the moment to go speak with the ponies up front.

                                            > "Thank you, Corporal. Excellent job as always," she told the leading pegasus.

                                            > He threw a textbook salute, staring straight forward but allowing a tiny upwards curve to his lips. "Thank you, ma'am!"

                                            > "I have arranged for you all to have lunch here before you head back. Please return to pick us up on Monday morning."

                                            > Again the corporal saluted smartly. "Yes, ma'am!"

                                            > He didn't even have to give any orders, a look was enough for the other three stallions to shrug out of their harnesses and follow him inside the building.

                                            > Now that his heart was starting to slow down, Anonymous could finally look at where Celestia had brought him.

                                            > At first glance it seemed like a rustic farm building, but with far too many rooms. A sign proclaimed it to be the 'Hayloft'. The proprietor, a slightly round earth pony was standing by the entrance, apparently poised to jump as soon as Celestia so much as glanced his way.

                                            > A proud little smile played across his muzzle, no doubt because of the royal visitor.

                                            > As he climbed off the chariot, Anon grabbed the suitcase of stuff he had packed. Celestia only needed a few essential toiletries and the rest of it was clothes for him. Despite Luna's joking suggestions, he was not about to 'go native' and eschew clothes.

                                            > "Come, let us go see our room!" the alicorn suggested, shifting a little on her hooves in excitement.

                                            > It was quite catching and Anon found himself curious to see what the place looked like from inside. He hefted the bag on his shoulder and followed the Princess through the front door, which the earth pony was holding open for them.


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > The bath tub was a bit cramped, but Celestia still insisted Anonymous join her. Whom else could she trust with such an important task as washing the Royal Mane?

                                            > Anyway, if she sat between Anon's legs and folded her wings really tightly, he could perform his magic on her neck and withers. The finger-magic, she liked to call it.

                                            > Unfortunately the water was only up to her barrel, but she made it extra hot so that was okay. She would soak later, once Anonymous grew tired and climbed out.

                                            "Mmmmph, yeah..." the pony moaned, "right therrrr-"

                                            > She fell silent when her tongue lolled out.

                                            > "What was that?"

                                            > Celestia clearly heard the grin in Anon's words. He liked to tease her inability to speak under the assault of his hands, but she didn't mind. She just ignored it.

                                            > "Lean back," the human commanded and the mare obeyed without thinking. Anon's hand reached around her with the sponge and gently lathered some shampoo into her muzzle. She leaned heavily against his palm, so much that he had to bring his other arm around to support her head.

                                            > "Hey, don't fall asleep on me!"

                                            "'m not gonna..."

                                            > The human finished lathering up her face, expertly avoiding her eyes and nose and mouth, then he moved up to her ears.

                                            > He liked doing that - touching her all over - and Celestia knew it. She *felt* it. Her back was pressed against Anon's belly, but there was... something in the way. something stiff and 'pokey'.

                                            > In a few moments she wouldn't be able to wait anymore and the delicious expectation was already making her breath quicken and her hooves tremble.

                                            > No matter how many times she took Anonymous, Celestia always wanted more. The thought made her twist her head around and give the human a short kiss.

                                            "You are sweet for helping me out like this, Anonymous."

                                            > She waited long enough for the human to plant a return kiss on her nose. "My pleasure." His hand slid down from her mane and gently brushed across her wings.

                                            > "We'll have to preen," he commented.

                                            "In the morning."

                                            > The fingers continued their way down until Anon's palm cupped her cutie mark and squeezed. She gasped and jerked a little. Then she felt his manhood twitch against her.

                                            > It proved too much for her resolve.

                                            > Scrabbling for a grip on the tub's smooth edge, the alicorn lifted herself up and hissed:

                                            "Grab my tail..."

                                            > Anon knew what to do and quickly gathered up the silken strands to move them out of the way. She let his hand on her cutie mark guide her to the correct place and then she lowered herself.

                                            > "Ow, careful!"

                                            > Almost correct place, the mare thought.

                                            > "Here, let me..." Anon's hand slipped from her rump so he could aim himself. She felt him prod at her entrance and she sat back down.

                                            > This time he slid smoothly inside, making them both moan in pleasure.

                                            > Celestia waited for a few moments, simply enjoying the sensation, until Anon twitched again, this time inside her.

                                            > She tried to lift herself a little, but despite the water it wasn't easy. Her hind hooves slid so she had to hold herself up entirely with her forelegs.

                                            > "Here, let me help," Anon said and put his hands around her waist. He easily lifted her before letting her slam back down.

                                            > It was a paradoxical situation. With her on top she should have been the one in control, but since she couldn't find any purchase on the slick bath tub it was Anon who moved and guided her.

                                            "Don't stop, please," she begged.

                                            > "Not gonna," the human breathed out through clenched teeth.

                                            > His fingers dug into her fur again as he lifted her up once more. The combination of his stiffness and the hot water was heavenly.

                                            "Mmmmmyesssss!"

                                            > The pony completely stopped trying to help in any way. Luckily Anonymous didn't seem to mind. He increased his pace and water began to slosh over the edge, but neither of them cared.

                                            > It wouldn't take them very long. They've both been tired from their work lately so the past couple of nights have been nothing more than pleasant cuddling.

                                            > Both of them needed a release.

                                            "Wait, stop... wait," Celestia managed.

                                            > Anon obligingly let her sit for a moment. He was panting, but Celestia couldn't tell whether it was from exertion or need.

                                            "I wanna turn around," she said.

                                            > The human gave a soft, disappointed moan when she scrambled off him. More water splashed around and the mare nearly slipped. Her wings shot out to catch her balance and Anon quickly put his hands on her barrel to steady her.

                                            "Thanks."

                                            > It took some improvisation, but she managed to get her hind legs around Anon's waist. If anything, the position was even less comfortable than before, but this way she could put her forehooves on his shoulder and help out.

                                            > She could regain some control. More than that, she could kiss him during their lovemaking.

                                            > Most importantly, she would see his face as they finished. If she could see him, she could time herself so they came together.

                                            > Again Anon guided his member to the right place and Celestia gratefully sank back down. Their joint moan was louder this time.

                                            > She waited just long enough to brush Anon's lips with her own, then put her forelegs around his neck and started moving. It was hard work, so she was glad that Anon was helping again with his hands on her hips.

                                            "Yes, just like that!"

                                            > In her enthusiasm she pressed her barrel against the human's face and he used the opportunity to nip her.

                                            "Aah!" she gasped and then couldn't quite suppress an excited whinny.

                                            > There was no helping it, she wanted more. The mare increased her pace, starting to pant heavily with exertion.

                                            > Anon moved his hands up around her barrel. The feeling of his fingers and nails digging into her flesh was maddening.

                                            > Celestia managed to pull herself away for a second to look at his face. He wasn't far off. The hot water and the long buildup as he was washing her had helped. In just a few moments he would explode inside of her.

                                            > Knowing that quickened her own release and she rushed headlong towards a much needed orgasm.

                                            "Yeeeees!"

                                            > A few more times and Anon tensed up. At first she feared he was a few seconds too fast, but as she slammed down for the final time she felt him twitch and release.

                                            > Somehow his seed was even hotter than the water. Feeling it hit there, deep inside, pushed her over the edge as well.

                                            > As her wings flapped uncontrollably, Celestia pressed her muzzle urgently against Anon's face. She shoved her tongue into his mouth as if trying to get all his juices out of the man from both ends.

                                            > Gradually she became aware of his hands, now on her croup and with his fingers digging into the fur, holding her in place. She didn't know why, but knowing that Anonymous was instinctively holding her down so he could finish inside, seemed to make her own orgasm even more intense.

                                            > Her insides squeezed her lover, as if trying to milk him of his every drop.

                                            > She closed her eyes and let out her breath in a long, forlorn moan.

                                            > Anon pulled his face away and gasped for breath, so she lay her muzzle on his neck and started licking his ear.

                                            > Contact. She wanted to touch all of him at once.

                                            > They sat, interlocked, for a long while. The human was the first to stir.

                                            > He gently lifted up her head from his shoulder and kissed her nose. "Love you."

                                            "Mmmm."

                                            > "Let's finish washing up and get in bed."

                                            > She shook her head.

                                            "Nnh-nh. F-Five minutes..."

                                            > "Then we can do it again."

                                            > Her ears perked up at that and her muzzle split into a grin, but she lay her head back on his shoulder.

                                            "I said five minutes. Relax."

                                            > It took a concentrated effort of will for Celestia to fold her wings. It took even more strength to lift herself off the still-hard human, but she was rewarded by sitting back down into the blissfully hot water.

                                            > A thought occurred and the mare giggled.

                                            "You never finished washing my mane."

                                            > Anonymous also laughed, but then he splashed around for the sponge. "Forgiveness, your Mayesty."

                                            > She closed her eyes and let him start rinsing her out.


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > Anonymous woke up with the feeling of a raspy, equine tongue licking his chest. He was on his back and Celestia was sprawled across his legs, pinning him down. Her head had been lying on his belly and she had been snoring softly when he fell asleep.

                                            > She must have heard the change in the man's breathing, because the pony froze and their eyes met. She would have been hidden by the blanket, but her large horn kept it high enough for Anon to see her.

                                            > The mare flashed him a grin and the human patted her muzzle with a sleepy hand.

                                            "Morning..." he said and stretched as best he could without dislodging her.

                                            > "Morning," came the reply.

                                            "The salt?"

                                            > "Mhm."

                                            > Anonymous relaxed, letting his head fall back down to the pillow and gazing up at the ceiling. Memories of the crazy previous evening flashed through his mind and he smiled to himself.

                                            > After a minute, Celestia went back to licking. They were on holiday and could afford to stay in bed for a while longer.

                                            > Most hotels on Earth only served breakfast until a certain hour, Anonymous recalled. He didn't know if Equestrian ones did the same, but he was positive they would be open for Princess Celestia, no matter how late she decided to show up.

                                            > His hand sought out her head and his fingers wrapped automatically around her ear. As he began to scratch the mare sighed in pleasure.

                                            "So, what's the plan for today? Later today, I mean. I kinda like this right now."

                                            > The tongue vanished from his skin while the pony answered: "There is a lake near here, fed from a waterfall. It is not nearly as big as Neighara, but it also isn't as crowded."

                                            "Sounds lovely."

                                            > Celestia continued from the memory of her previous visits. "It's about two hours' trot, maybe three with your slow, human legs."

                                            "Hey! I only have two!"

                                            > The pony chuckled at her good-natured jab. "I know, it is such a deficiency."

                                            "Well, if I had four legs, I probably wouldn't have these fingers your seem to enjoy so much!"

                                            > To prove his point, Anon increased his grip on her ear, which made Celestia almost purr in delight.

                                            > "Two is plenty," she hastily corrected. "We can go slowly and take in the scenery."

                                            > They both laughed at the back and forth and then Celestia laid her muzzle back down on Anon's chest. He lifted his head and adjusted the pillow so he could look at her. After a short silence he poked a finger at her nose. She licked the spot.

                                            "Any political stuff?"

                                            > The mare emphatically shook her head. "Absolutely not," she assured him. "This is a vacation, Anonymous. If I learned anything from the whole 'Earth' debacle it is that I need to take some time off, every once in a while."

                                            "Don't forget fingers. You also learned you can't live without fingers."

                                            > She rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. "Yes. I like how fingers feel, but do not let it get to your head, Anonymous. I can get other fingers than yours. More fingers can be arranged."

                                            > In lieu of a reply, the human brought his other hand to her head so he could massage both ears at once.

                                            > "Oooooh..."

                                            > He chuckled at the way her eyes slid closed and her tongue lolled out but didn't relent his pressure. After a few moments Celestia's hind leg began to twitch in rhythm with his scratching.

                                            "Just like a big puppy," the human commented.

                                            > All the mare did for a reply was poke her tongue out at him.

                                            > An unusual sound caught his attention and Anon stopped.

                                            "What was that? Are they having a festival or something out there?"

                                            > He got up on his elbows to try and see out the window, but Celestia pushed him back down with her muzzle. "Don't! Just... ignore it."

                                            > Curious now, the human once again lifted himself.

                                            "If it's some kind of a holiday it might be fun," he pointed out.

                                            > "It is not."

                                            "How can you know?"

                                            > Anon immediately realized how silly his question was. With her lifespan and memory there was no doubt Celestia knew each and every custom her subjects might have developed. If she said there was no holiday here today, then there probably wasn't.

                                            "Well, maybe it's a wedding or something."

                                            > With a long-suffering sigh the mare let him go. Anon was halfway to the window before he remembered that it was quite low for his height. He diverted and grabbed a pair of pants before he treated the ponies outside to a very unwelcome sight.

                                            "Oh."

                                            > It was an impromptu celebration, but not an official one. Celestia was right. The ponies were gathered specifically around the inn, and especially for her visit. There was a number of signs bearing her cutie mark being held aloft, especially by younger ponies.

                                            > There was a large banner stretched above with the words 'Welcome, Princess Celestia!' It looked as if a few stands have already been set up, selling various foodstuffs.

                                            > Most of the ponies gathered down below were farmers, by the look of it. Anon saw a number of hats, a good many overalls and a lot of muzzles chewing on grass stalks.

                                            > Well, maybe not a lot of that last, but there were a few. Most of the revelers - that was really the best word for them - were talking excitedly among themselves and glancing every now and then expectantly up at the inn.

                                            "I don't remember it being this bad the other times."

                                            > True, the pair hadn't been able to get many vacations in the hectic months and years after Celestia's 'Earth adventure', but there had never been an impromptu festival in her honor before.

                                            > "These smaller places do not get to see me as often as they would like. I am sorry, but even when you live this long you cannot always make time for everypony."

                                            > Besides," the mare continued, "remember Las Pegasus last Autumn?"

                                            > Anon did and he understood what she meant.

                                            "You shouldn't have given in and started signing autographs. You knew they would just keep asking for advice and help and you'd end up working all the time."

                                            > The Princess sighed. "Do not remind me. Luckily you dragged me away after an hour. You see now why I simply had to go to Earth?"

                                            "Yeah, I do."

                                            > At least when they had gone to bigger cities there had been organization. Wherever Celestia opted to say made sure to organize crowd control to keep ponies in order. There were carriages when they needed to move about, so they have been able to keep at least a semblance of relaxation and privacy.

                                            > Now, they were entirely on their own. Someone must have let slip that Celestia was staying here and they had all come to see their favorite Princess.

                                            > "Do not get me wrong, Anonymous," Celestia continued, as if guessing his thoughts, "it is not a bad thing to be adored. You know how much I care for all of my little ponies."

                                            "I know, but even so you deserve some time off every once in a while."

                                            > The human thought quickly. He examined the crowd once more, putting his face right up near the glass to get as wide a field of view as possible. Several ponies pointed up in surprise, but at least there didn't seem to be any fear.

                                            "It looks like they're mostly waiting in front. Tell you what, I'll go down to the kitchen, get them to pack us some food, and then we'll sneak out the back, okay?"

                                            > Celestia lifted her head, letting the blanket slip off. The mischievous sparkle was back in her eyes and she grinned in delight. "Sneak away from them?" she repeated.

                                            "Yeah! I mean, they look like they're enjoying themselves. It's turning into a good little party. They probably don't need you to have a good time."

                                            > Anon walked back to the bed and wrapped his arms around the mare's withers.

                                            "If they're still going by the time we're back, we can join them for dinner. It'll be just like a festival, right? I'll make sure you don't start answering questions or solving everyone's problems."

                                            > Her smile widened. "You can be the bad pony and I will still look like a good pony. I think I like this idea, Anonymous."

                                            > Anon laughed at her interpretation.

                                            "Sure, let's do it that way. I don't mind being the bad guy if it gets you off the hook."

                                            > He got a kiss as a reward. "Thank you, Anonymous. You are a good human."


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > Anonymous hadn't been aware just how out of shape he had gotten until that day. He knew a hike would take some effort, but he completely underestimated just how much teeth-clenching, sweat-dripping, stubborn-headed determination it would take to get to the top of the waterfall.

                                            > Celestia was very careful not to make any jokes or observations on that point and she called for plenty of breaks, even if she did disguise them as 'looking at the scenery'.

                                            > "We should do this more often," the mare remarked at some point and Anonymous nodded, sending more droplets of sweat flying from his face.

                                            "Yeah..." was all he managed.

                                            > 'Not athletic' was one thing, but this was ridiculous! Yes it wasn't an easy hike, especially when the original forest trails were made by four-footed ponies, but he shouldn't be this spent after a few hours! It was barely lunchtime!

                                            > At least it was over. The way back was mostly downhill and their packs had gotten a lot lighter as the couple emptied their water bottles and ate their sandwiches.

                                            > His plan to sneak away had been a spectacular success and no one noticed them going, except for the kitchen staff whom Anonymous swore to secrecy beforehand. That meant that they were completely alone out in the forest.

                                            > As the human caught his breath Celestia set up the blanket for their picnic and started to spread out their remaining food.

                                            > A few sandwiches with flowers, which Anon couldn't eat and some potato pie.

                                            > "I will take these," Celestia offered magnanimously and levitated the former up to her mouth.

                                            "Thanks."

                                            > They sat side by side and looked over the lake. The noise of the waterfall was prominent, but they were above it so all they could see was faint mist spreading from where it landed.

                                            > Further out the water was still as a mirror, almost perfectly reflecting the blue sky. That reminded Anon and he pointed.

                                            "Looks like Luna did a good job with the sun today."

                                            > Celestia nodded. "Yes. She really has come a long way. You know, I never could leave, even for an afternoon, before. There was always some kind of an emergency."

                                            > The human just nodded in silence, mouth full of his pie. It wasn't the best he'd ever had - that honor went to Pinkie Pie - but at least this one wasn't over-sweet.

                                            > His eyes roamed further, toward the city off in the distance.

                                            "That's Baltimare?" he asked.

                                            > "Mhm!" Celestia swallowed before adding: "These villages were here before Baltimare was a city. It used to be just a few huts for fisher-ponies."

                                            "I rarely see ponies eat fish, though."

                                            > The alicorn chuckled softly. "Those were different times. Food was somewhat scarcer. Besides, they traded most of it with the griffins across the bay to the East."

                                            > Anon stood up and walked right to the edge so he could widen his field of view.

                                            "So, they settled from behind us that way," the human pointed, "and then they went further north? Um, what was it again..."

                                            > Celestia remained silent for a few seconds to see if Anonymous would remember his geography, but then she hinted: "Fillydelphia."

                                            "Yeah!"

                                            > She shook her head. "No, that actually became a city before Baltimare. More fields that way, so farming families pushed further, earlier. There was also some fear of the griffins and ponies didn't want to live this close to them."

                                            "Oh. Okay."

                                            > The human looked closer to them and pointed.

                                            "That's our inn?! Jeez, no wonder I nearly died! I had no idea how far we were going!"

                                            > Celestia laughed at his mock-anger, especially once she saw the proud glint in the human's eye. "Aw, poor two-legs can't walk this far. Want me to carry you?"

                                            "Hey! Mind your manners!" Anon pointed out sternly, raising a finger.

                                            > The mare just showed him her tongue, but Anon tapped her nose in warning. She mock-snapped at him, grinning.

                                            "Such a disobedient pony. I wonder why I didn't send you away the first week I had you!"

                                            > She put her head to one side and gave this some thought. "Perhaps it was because I am pretty?" Her eyelids fluttered to show off her big, magenta eyes.

                                            > Anonymous exhaled and shook his head, but he was smiling.

                                            "Goof."

                                            > "Loon."

                                            > They both laughed and the human sat back down, leaning against the pony. He picked up another piece of the pie and bit off a chunk. Celestia went back to her sandwich, but didn't yet put it in her mouth.

                                            > "How about this: we will rest here for an hour or so and then we will keep going - slowly - that way."

                                            > She pointed a wing in the opposite direction they came from. "We might as well finish the circuit around the lake and the land goes downhill either way. We can take it slow and return to the inn right around sunset."

                                            "That sounds good."

                                            > "Although, if you wouldn't mind delaying dinner a bit longer, I know of a few... *ahem*, 'secluded' spots along that route. Nopony would find us..."

                                            > Her wing wrapped around the human and her feathers brushed across his belly.

                                            "Yeah, m-maybe," Anon replied, blushing a bit.

                                            > "Oh, we should refill a few bottles from the stream. I do not recommend drinking the water from the lake."

                                            > Anon had to focus a little to hear the burbling of the nearby brook. Of course, something had to be feeding the waterfall.

                                            "Good idea."


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > Getting back to the inn meant more hard work. Anonymous was ready to simply collapse into a bed and not rise until the next morning, but there was a complication.

                                            > The impromptu gathering to welcome Princess Celestia to their quaint village was still in full swing. It seemed those ponies really didn't have any important jobs to do, or something.

                                            > "We really should go, at least for a short while," Celestia said. "Besides, they made a cake."

                                            > Despite exhaustion, despite every single muscle aching, Anon couldn't keep from chuckling.

                                            "Oh, alright. I did promise I'd chaperone you, right?"

                                            > The alicorn nodded happily. "Yes. Yes you did."

                                            > It was too late in any case. The ponies had spotted them and were already gathered up to greet them.

                                            > Anon looked at the sea of smiling faces. Was it just him, or had the crowd gotten even bigger?

                                            > Once they were near enough, a cheer went up, accompanied by hooves stomping on the ground - the Equestrian version of applause.

                                            > At least, the human noted, they kept a respectful distance despite their enthusiastic smiles. Celestia hesitated for just a moment, then walked up on the inn's porch, which was a bit higher than the ground around it.

                                            > Added to the alicorn's natural size that made sure everyone was able to see her.

                                            > "Fillies and gentlecolts..."

                                            > Anonymous mostly tuned out during Celestia's little improvised speech, dreaming about another hot bath and a soft bed. He kept standing, because he was worried if he sat down he wouldn't be able to get up again.

                                            > A grumble in his stomach reminded him, however, that they'd only had a couple of sandwiches and some pie each the entire day.

                                            > Perhaps the bath and the bed could wait for a few minutes to make time for some dinner.

                                            > There were a few hastily constructed wooden benches and some ponies were eating. Hopefully it wasn't all hay and flowers.

                                            > "There," Celestia said, suddenly beside him again. "Let us enjoy a bit of cake and then retire to our room."

                                            "This isn't going to be here the whole weekend, is it?" Anon asked, looking at the gathered ponies.

                                            > "No, I do not think so. Things should be back to normal, tomorrow."

                                            > Now that she'd given her speech her subjects were no longer staring exclusively at the alicorn. Well, some still were, especially the younger ponies, but the others just looked determined to enjoy a day out.

                                            > Perhaps they all wanted a festival anyway and Celestia's arrival was just a happy coincidence, or an excuse. It was quite impressive how quickly they had put it all together.

                                            > Anon followed the alicorn to a place which had apparently been cleared especially for her. Despite his earlier misgivings about his muscles, he sat on a pillow somepony had been nice enough to provide, and groaned in delight.

                                            > Not standing up was bliss.

                                            > Someone offered him a bowl and Anon around at the innkeeper. He had to think for a moment to recall the name, then he had to keep his face impassive. It was an amusing one.

                                            "Thanks, Mr. Cookie."

                                            > "Much obliged."

                                            > To his relief they didn't cram the stew full of grass, or flowers, or hay. It looked like mixed vegetables and some mushrooms. It smelled delicious and the human was shoveling it into his mouth a few seconds later.

                                            > Next to him the Princess paused with a fork levitated right by her muzzle. It looked like some kind of chocolate cake, so Anon knew having to wait must be agony for the mare.

                                            > He caught the tail end of her reply to a pale, lime-colored mare. "... is not something a Princess would normally do, but perhaps-"

                                            "Perhaps you can come to Canterlot to petition the Princess when she is taking audience, right?"

                                            > The way Celestia's ears lowered slightly told Anon he had just saved her from promising to do something 'ruler-y'. She nodded and gratefully continued: "Exactly. Like Anonymous says, all ponies are very welcome to bring any matter at all before Luna and me."

                                            > The mare seemed a bit disappointed, so Anon gave her a polite smile and beckoned her over behind Celestia's back. As soon as she was out of her sight, the alicorn put the piece of cake in her mouth and was lost to the world for a minute or two.

                                            "Hey, sorry I have to be a hard ass," the human whispered, "but the Princess has been working really hard lately and- well," the human said, inventing rapidly.

                                            > He gave the mare a conspiratorial wink and she began to smile uncertainly.

                                            "Took me ages to convice her to put it all away for a day or two and I'd be very grateful if you didn't give her an excuse to jump straight back into work, okay? Don't tell her, it'll just be our little secret!"

                                            > The pony nodded happily and answered in a whisper, presumably so Celestia wouldn't catch on: "Oh! I had no idea! Yeah, of course. Not a word, promise!"

                                            > Anon put his arm around the pony's withers to 'take her into his confidence'.

                                            "You know, you look like a responsible young mare. I wonder if you could spread the word - discreetly - that the Princess shouldn't be bothered, yes? Oh, by the way, what's your name?"

                                            > "R-Rose Berry..."

                                            "Pretty name."

                                            > Now the pony blushed. Even after all this time it was still a bit tricky to estimate how old a pony was, but if Anon was forced to guess, he'd say in her early twenties.

                                            "So, you think you can help me out? I'd be much obliged."

                                            > Rose Berry nodded, confidence returning and chest swelling with pride. "Don't worry, I got this!" she assured the human and slipped away. Anonymous looked after the mare and soon saw her whispering with a few others and pointing at Celestia.

                                            > With luck, word would spread and the ponies' innate niceness would keep them from constantly pestering Celestia with their problems. The Sisters held court for a reason, after all.

                                            > The human went back to his stew, which was perhaps a tad too salty but nonetheless delicious, when he noticed Celestia faintly smiling.

                                            > When she caught his look she leaned closer and murmured without moving her lips: "Nicely done. Sneaky, but good."

                                            "You're welcome. Enjoy your cake. Oh, and you might need to carry me up to the room. Dunno if my legs still work."

                                            > She chuckled and the human joined in after a moment.


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > All too quickly it was time to leave. Anon and Celestia opted to do nothing much on Sunday morning, the mare kindly letting her human rest after his strenuous hike.

                                            > Despite her misgivings, the Princess had accepted the townsponies invitation to visit and enjoyed a pleasant tour.

                                            > Of course there were those ponies who couldn't resist an opportunity to ask for the Princess' favor, but Anonymous was able to gently deflect their requests. They had a slow, late lunch at a place called 'The Watering Trough' and by the time they returned to their inn, the royal coach was already waiting for them.

                                            > Anon was slightly taken aback.

                                            "I thought- what happened to the flying carriage?"

                                            > Celestia bumped the human carefully with a flank. "You said you did not wish to fly on the way back, did you not?"

                                            "Well, yeah, but-"

                                            > "I asked Corporal Silverwing to bring the stage coach instead of the flying carriage. It will be much more comfortable on the road."

                                            > All of that was true and Anon just shrugged to himself.

                                            "Sure. I mean, thank you."

                                            > "I will fetch the bag. I know your legs still hurt from yesterday."

                                            "So kind."

                                            > Anon inspected the inside while he waited. It was quite familiar, except that the seats were somewhat lower and wider than human coaches would have had. The cushions looked like they were crimson velvet and there were thick, purple curtains on the windows, currently pulled back to let the light in.

                                            > The carriage was finely crafted from some heavy, dark wood - mahogany, if Anon had to guess - and the edges were gilded with gold. There was even a small chandelier hanging from the roof, although there didn't seem to be a place for a candle.

                                            > He'd seen those before, mostly used in the fancier parts of the Canterlot Castle, in the rooms which were usually given to visiting nobles. Magical lighting.

                                            > Of course, a fire would be a tad dangerous in a moving wooden box.

                                            > His inspection of the inside finished, Anon walked around to the front. Perhaps it looked like a horse harness, but he couldn't tell. He'd never seen horse-drawn coaches on Earth.

                                            > Four earth ponies, strapped in with leather belts and with thick, wooden collars around their necks were sitting and talking among themselves. Their corporal leaning against the front wheel and staring forlornly at the sky.

                                            > He also had the wooden thing, but it wasn't attached. Anon's eyes strayed to the harness and he saw the chains lying on the ground.

                                            "Um, what's that called?" he ventured, pointing.

                                            > Corporal Silverwing looked down around his neck, then shrugged. "Hames," he replied.

                                            > The item looked a lot sturdier than the one they used for the air carriage, undoubtedly because the coach was a lot heavier. It was his fault that they had to travel on the ground and Anon suddenly felt a tiny bit bad.

                                            "Um, sorry about that. The coach, I mean," he offered.

                                            > The guard looked at the human and shrugged. "It's alright. It is good to run every once in a while, if only to keep your legs in shape."

                                            "Amen to that."

                                            > The pony gave him a blank stare and Anon felt he needed to explain a bit more.

                                            "Um, the Princess and I had a hike yesterday. Walking all day..."

                                            > He patted his leg and winced.

                                            "Not in as good a shape as I used to be, so now everything hurts."

                                            > Perhaps there was a twitch of a smile on the corporal's muzzle, but the stallion hid it very well. "It gets easier with practice, Mr. Anonymous."

                                            "Anon, please."

                                            > Silverwing inclined his head. "Anon, then. Did uh- did the Princess have a relaxing time then?" His didn't quite meet his gaze and he couldn't hide a slight blush against his gray coat.

                                            > Of course all the guards knew about Anonymous, even if they absolutely never brought it up. There was still some resentment among a few of the Canterlot Castle ponies, but most of them were happy for their Princess, especially when they heard her singing some mornings.

                                            "Yep. I kept the townsponies from pestering her as much as I could," Anon answered a different question to change the topic.

                                            > "Oh. Good. Thanks."

                                            > The four earth ponies were staring with some curiosity at their exchange, but at that moment Celestia returned, the bag in her magical grip. They all jumped to their hooves and stood at attention. Even the corporal hurriedly got up.

                                            > "I will take care of that, Princess!" Silverwing offered, walking right under the suitcase. Celestia lowered it to his back and the guard took it around the back of the coach.

                                            > The alicorn smiled and murmured her gratitude to the stallion, before glancing over at Anon. "Ready to go?"

                                            > Before climbing into the carriage, the human took a last look around. There were a few townsponies gathered in front of the inn, but there was almost no sign of the festival now.

                                            > All in all, it had been a very relaxing weekend, even though it had been quite strenuous physically.

                                            > Anon smiled faintly, then lifted himself up into the coach and gratefully sank into the cushions. Even that slight step up had his muscles complaining.

                                            > He'd have to find a way to get back into shape. This was embarrassing!

                                            > The vehicle rocked as Celestia stepped on. It obviously had excellent suspension, so it probably wouldn't be too uncomfortable even if the roads weren't the greatest between Dodge City and Canterlot.

                                            > "Corporal Silverwing tells me the journey will take about three hours," Celestia informed Anon.

                                            "Okay."

                                            > He patted the seat beside him and the mare took her place, leaning against the human and laying her head on his shoulder.

                                            > "That gives us some time to... relax a bit more."

                                            > She was grinning and there was that mischievous sparkle in her eye again. She was planning something!

                                            > Anon's heart sped up a little. Whatever it was, it would probably be fun.

                                            "What are you thinking?" he asked.

                                            > The mare winked at him and said: "Later!" She looked out the window as the coach began to move at the corporal's sharp command. Gradually the inn slid out of view.

                                            > There wasn't a whole lot to do, so Anonymous looked out the window where fields were soon replaced with forest. His hand sought out a few strands of Celestia's ethereal mane. It was the strangest sensation and he'd never get used to it.

                                            > It was like holding a slightly more solid mist, except that it wasn't cold. If he wasn't looking, he'd swear there was nothing in his hand at all, but with visual confirmation he could feel the slightest pressure.

                                            "Back on Earth your hair was just normal. Why does it do this here?"

                                            > Celestia looked down at the bit of her mane twirled around Anon's fingers. "There is a lot more magic in the air in Equestria. It happens with age and there are some theories, but nothing that has been confirmed. Perhaps, in time, Twilight and Cadence will have similar manes."

                                            "So it wasn't always like this?"

                                            > The alicorn shook her head. "When we were young, Luna and I had quite normal manes. Mine was mostly pink with light blue streaks. They later changed into the turquoise, cobalt and cerulean I have now."

                                            "And Luna?"

                                            > Celestia smiled at some pleasant memory. "Hers was actually more blue, but it seems to have darkened with age."

                                            "Hmm. Interesting."

                                            > The mare gave the human a nuzzle and they both stared out the window. "I feel as if I hadn't asked in a while: how is your work? You know you may change if you no longer like it, right?"

                                            "No, it's good. It's a bit humbling to be writing your first ever cross-dimentional foreign policy, but I kinda like it."

                                            > "Any problems?"

                                            > Anonymous almost opened his mouth to tell her about the rude mare, but thought better of it. There were only a few hours of their short vacation left, business could work until the next day.

                                            "Tomorrow. Let's enjoy the rest of today, right?"

                                            > The alicorn smiled and placed a hoof on Anon's leg. "Smart human." The pressure of her hoof increased as the mare leaned over to the opposite window and put her face right next to the glass.

                                            > "I think we're away from civilization now. There's at least an hour until we reach the next town."

                                            "Hmm? Why?"

                                            > She looked at him with a small, secretive smile. Her horn lit up and the curtains on both windows slid closed.

                                            "Celestia?"

                                            > The coach was darker, but enough light seeped in for Anon to see her face. Her smile broadened.

                                            > "You fell asleep too early last night. We have unfinished business..."

                                            "What are you- oh..."

                                            > She slid smoothly from the seat and knelt awkwardly on the floor. Luckily it was carpeted, so the pony wouldn't rub her knees raw. Her horn kept glowing but its focus shifted to Anon's pants.

                                            > "Relax. I will do all the work, Anonymous."

                                            > Before he could really object, even if he wanted to, Anon's pants were unbuckled and pulled down to his ankles. His exposed... 'self' immediately started to harden.

                                            > Her breath on his thigh felt hot and the tongue she laid very gently on his skin was like fire. Not unpleasant, though, it just made the human suck in a breath in surprise.

                                            > It didn't take him long to rise fully, not with Celestia's white muzzle brushing almost accidentally against his lengthening member.

                                            > Her tongue moved sideways, trailing a hot line of saliva all the way to his tip.

                                            "Ooooh..."

                                            > The mare smiled at his reaction, then opened her muzzle and took him in.

                                            > It was incredibly hot and Anon tensed up. His hands sought out her head and he stroked her cheek with a thumb.

                                            > Her eyes never left his as she began swirling him around with her tongue.

                                            "F-F-Fuck!"

                                            > Celestia smiled around her mouthful at the result, then pushed in. Her lips met his groin and he was completely enveloped. His hold on her head tightened involuntarily and his legs gripped the edge of the seat. The muscles hurt a little, but Anon ignored them.

                                            > A trickle of hot saliva ran down his balls, which only added to the intensity of the pleasure. As she pulled away, the alicorn deftly kept his manhood from ever brushing her teeth.

                                            > Her tongue played with the tip for a second, then she pushed back down, faster this time.

                                            "Mmmph!" the human moaned through lips tightly pressed together.

                                            > Again the alicorn smiled. She bobbed up and back down, slowly a few more times to get a good feel for his length. Then she increased her pace.

                                            > He was never going to last. The combination of saliva, heat and her teasing tongue would quickly prove too much.

                                            > Within a minute the human was desperately thrusting with his hips, enough so that Celestia had difficulties with the rhythm. She grunted and placed her hooves on his legs, effectively pinning him down.

                                            > "Stay still," she ordered, letting him out for just long enough to say that.

                                            > He twitched and his member smacked her on the nose, which just made the mare giggle a little.

                                            "P-Please!" he begged, too far gone to stop now.

                                            > She let his hand guide her muzzle back and accepted him into the silken softness of her mouth once more. The heat returned and it was almost enough to make him come.

                                            > Now that Anon was immobilized, Celestia could go faster. For a while the only sounds in the coach were the quiet slurping, the wet slapping of her muzzle against Anon's groin and his faint grunts and moans as he surrendered to the Princess.

                                            > She knew him well. A moment before he finished, Celestia pushed further down, accepting his entire length. Anon tried to bat her head away, to warn her of what was coming, but the mare persisted.

                                            "No, w-wait. I'm- I'm gonna..."

                                            > Her mouth opened for an instant, but only to let her tongue out, where it cradled his balls.

                                            > The unexpected warmth was too much. He grunted and jerked despite her weight holding him down. His seed splashed into her mouth. His hands held her muzzle down without conscious thought on Anon's part.

                                            > Wave after wave of his orgasm rolled through the human and all his muscles locked in place as he throbbed inside Celestia's silken embrace.

                                            > He was nearly done when she loudly swallowed and made him spurt a few more times.

                                            > When it was done, they both lay there, breathing heavily. The mare kept him in her mouth until she was sure it was over, then gradually withdrew, licking him clean in the process.

                                            > When she came back into Anon's field of vision the alicorn was smiling. "See? Wasn't that easy?" she teased.

                                            "I tried to-" the human shook his head. "I said I was gonna-"

                                            > She shut him up with a kiss. "Hush. I wanted to taste it."

                                            > Again Anon shook his head.

                                            "Doesn't taste... good," he observed.

                                            > There had been just a trace on her tongue.

                                            > "It does to me. I like it salty, remember?"

                                            > He was about to argue some more, but the alicorn placed a hoof on his chest. "Oh, just shut up! You are a true gentlecolt for thinking of me, but if I found, mmm, your seed in any way distasteful, I would have withdrawn in time, trust me."

                                            > There was no arguing that tone and Anon finally smiled.

                                            "You're amazing, anyone ever tell you that?"

                                            > "Yes," the mare replied with a slightly cocky smile. "All the time, in fact."

                                            "Well, you are."

                                            > She climbed back on the seat, lay across Anon's lap to keep his legs warm, and nuzzled his chest. "Rest for a minute and then it is my turn, yes?"

                                            > The thought of returning her favor made the human smile and his member twitch again against her fur. He'd want more after tasting her, he already knew that, and she probably wouldn't be satiated just from his tongue. The hours of their travel would just fly past.

                                            "Absolutely! You're delicious, too, you know?"

                                            > Celestia giggled at that and poked his chest with her muzzle. "You are a charmer, Anonymous."

                                            "Come on, let me up. I want a taste, now!"

                                            > The mare was all too happy to shuffle off Anon's legs. The seat was barely wide enough for her to lie on her side, but that was enough. The human knelt down on the floor and kissed her flank.

                                            "Ready?"

                                            > She nodded. "Go slow, my love," she asked despite the fact that she was already glistening with juices.

                                            "Anything for you-"

                                            > They froze as the coach slowed to a halt. "Oh, what now?!" Celestia asked, slight annoyance in her voice at being denied her pleasure.

                                            > Anon quickly stood and pulled his pants back on, while the mare slid from the bench.

                                            > There was a tentative knock at the coach door and Celestia twitched the curtains aside. "What is it, corporal?"

                                            > The guard's voice was a bit muffled: "Um, there's a problem, Your Highness. I think you should come out."

                                            > The mare gave Anonymous an apologetic glance. "I will sort this out and then we will continue, okay? Do not lose the mood!"

                                            "I promise!"

                                            > The Princess opened the door and stepped outside. "Show me, corporal," she commanded.

                                            > Silverwing glanced around her at Anon, but quickly returned his gaze to the Princess. "Of course. This way, ma'am."

                                            > Despite Celestia's command, Anon couldn't just sit inside and wait. His curiosity got the better of him within five seconds and he poked his head out of the coach.

                                            > Who knew, perhaps they would need some help. Granted, his muscles weren't up to much, but he'd still try.

                                            > The sight that met his eyes was quite unusual. A light pink pony with a blonde mane was lying in the middle of the road. An earth mare, young by the sight of her. His heart went up into his throat. Was she dead?!

                                            > Did they hit her?

                                            "Oh, no..."

                                            > "Explain," Celestia said, walking quickly over to examine the unfortunate pony with the corporal right at her side.

                                            > "She ran out of the woods over there," Silverwing said, pointing with a hoof. "She seemed scared out of her wits, she didn't even see us until it was too late. She collided with private Longstride."

                                            > One of the guards waved, blushing. "Sorry ma'am. I didn't see her until it was too late..."

                                            > Anon stepped out of the coach and hurried after Celestia. The Princess knelt down next to the prone pony and brought her head to the pink mare's chest. She listened for a while, then sighed in relief.

                                            > "She lives. Hopefully she was not hurt. Corporal, please move her into the coach."

                                            > "Are you sure, ma'am?" the guardspony asked. "She is rather filthy..."

                                            > Even Anon winced.

                                            > "Corporal!" Celestia said sternly. "We *do not* turn from helping ponies because they are dirty!"

                                            > The corporal bowed nearly to the ground. "I'm sorry, Your Highness! You're right, Your Highness!"

                                            > There was a squeak from the pink mare and she lifted her head, groggily. "Huh? Wha' hit me?" she asked.

                                            > "You are alright," the Princess observed with noticeable relief in her voice. "Can you stand?"

                                            > The mare looked up and caught sight of the smiling Celestia. The change was dramatic and unexpected. She yelped and jumped up to her hooves. She would have ran for it, but her leg gave way and the young mare nearly fell on her muzzle.

                                            > With escape out of the question, she whirled around and flattened her ears as she backed away. Her eyes darted between the astonished guardponies and Celestia.

                                            > "S-Stay away f-f-from m-me!" she yelled, voice steeped in pure, cold terror.

                                            > Celestia took a step closer and the mare jumped a step back, hissing and baring her teeth.

                                            > "Nopony will harm you, I promise you that. What is your name?"

                                            > The mare, whoever she was, wasn't listening. She kept glancing around, both searching for a way to escape and worried that others might catch her off guard. Her eyes landed on Anon, who had stopped in his tracks when she yelled.

                                            > Their eyes met and the human saw just how terrified the pony was. Something seemed to break in her and she bolted, grunting in pain as she put weight on her injured leg. She ran straight for the human.

                                            > At first Anon thought she was attacking him and he crouched to jump out of the way, but then he saw she wasn't looking. She was running as if her life depended on it, giving Celestia a wide berth. Her eyes were closed and tears were streaming down her muzzle.

                                            > It was strange how she was able to navigate even without sight.

                                            > Anon took a chance. He fell to his knees and opened his arms. The pony hit him smack in the chest and wrapped her legs around his midriff. She pressed her face against his shirt, whimpering.

                                            > "Please, I'm sorry, please, don't let the horns get me, please!"

                                            > Confused, but suddenly extremely protective of this panicked creature, Anon put his arms around her, mindless of the filth the corporal had mentioned and not caring about her smell.

                                            > She stank of sweat and grime and worse things.

                                            > More importantly, she was shivering- no, trembling. "Please, m-mercy..." she begged in a quiet voice.

                                            > Anon looked up at Celestia, who was staring with incredulity. She opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it.

                                            "What do I do?" the human asked.

                                            > "Perhaps she hit her head, ma'am," the corporal suggested. "Or perhaps she is insane. Where did she come from, though? And why is she this dirty?"

                                            > Celestia watched the shivering pony clasping Anonymous as if for dear life, then her expression softened. "Take her inside, Anonymous. She seems to be afraid of me. Bundle her up and hold on to her, I will enter when you are ready. If her parents are around, we will find them. I will send word to all the nearby towns."

                                            > Looking at her guards in the carriage's harness, Celestia added: "We will take her to Canterlot where a doctor can examine her. I will find out who she is and what has happened to her, this I promise."

                                            > "Of course, ma'am," the corporal agreed.

                                            "Here, let's get you someplace safe and warm, okay?"

                                            > The mare didn't react, but her grip around Anon's chest tightened when he stood up. She was little more than skin and bones, so lifting her up was distressingly easy. Anon couldn't help feeling sad over her state.

                                            "What happened to you?"

                                            > Still no answer, but the mare allowed him to carry her inside. He placed her on the bench at the far side and looked around for some blankets.

                                            > There were a couple stashed under the opposing seat, but he couldn't reach them.

                                            "Sweetie, you have to let me go for just a second so I can grab a blanket."

                                            > The mare didn't seem to hear. When he tried to pry one of her legs off she squealed and held on even more tightly.

                                            "Okay, then..." Anon said, more to himself.

                                            > He stood up, then knelt awkwardly on the floor. That brought the blankets within reach of his hand. He grabbed two and stood up again.

                                            > Even this exertion was enough to have him breathing heavily. He still felt the aftereffects of his hike the previous day, but he ignored the dull fire in his muscles.

                                            > Again he sat at the far wall. Luckily the mare wasn't pinning his arms, so he could spread out both blankets and wrap them around the pony. After a moment's thought, he pulled the fabric over her head.

                                            "Okay, I think we're ready!"

                                            > The coach rocked a little as Celestia entered. She observed the bundle in Anon's arms with slight frown. "Did she say anything?"

                                            > The human mutely shook his head.

                                            > "I wonder why she reacted like this."

                                            "She said 'don't let the horns get me'. Was she talking about unicorns, or alicorns?"

                                            > Celestia shook her head. "It could not have been alicorns. There are only five in Equestria and I know for a fact none of them would do this to her."

                                            "Unicorns, then?"

                                            > The Princess looked troubled. "If so, then we might have a very... dark problem on our hooves. I can't imagine any pony doing something like this to another."

                                            > Anon tried to come up with another theory.

                                            "Well, maybe she got lost, or her family was... killed by something in the forest. Maybe it was a creature with horns? Maybe not killed, but they just got separated?"

                                            > Anon swallowed as his imagination attempted to run away with him.

                                            "A couple of days in the forest, alone, would explain it.

                                            > Celestia almost looked relieved. "Maybe. Yes. I will try not to fret until we know the truth."

                                            > The mare in his arms shifted a little and Anon pulled the blanket away from her muzzle. Her eyes, large, amber and luminous, focused on Celestia. The pony gave a tiny whimper and tried to hide behind the human again.

                                            "Shhh, shh. It's okay. She is a friend. That's Princess Celestia. Don't you know the alicorn Princesses?"

                                            > The result was less than encouraging. The mare buried her muzzle in Anon's shirt again, doing her bast to get under the blanket. At least she wasn't panicking anymore, which the human took as a sign of progress.

                                            > "This is concerning," Celestia pointed out.

                                            "Yeah. Who hasn't heard of you?!"

                                            > "She seems comfortable with you. I know it is much to ask, Anonymous, but-"

                                            "I'll do it," he replied even before Celestia made her request. "I'll stay with her until she calms down."

                                            > The alicorn smiled at the human, her ears splaying out a little. "You really are a good human, Anonymous."

                                            > They fell silent when they heard a soft keening noise. Anon looked down at the mare, who was trembling and sobbing into his shirt.

                                            > For some reason, this didn't seem worrying.

                                            "I think this is good. She feels safe enough to cry. It's good."

                                            > Celestia gave him a single nod. She thought of something and her horn lit up. "Hold on..."

                                            > A bottle of water rose from under one of the seats and Celestia offered it to the human. "See if she will drink," the alicorn suggested.

                                            "Good idea," Anon said and quickly uncorked it.

                                            > He peeled the blanket away just a bit so he could bring the neck of the bottle near the mare's muzzle.

                                            "Here, sweetheart. It's just water."

                                            > The pony sniffed the bottle then tried to lick it.

                                            "Here, hold on..."

                                            > The human tilted it carefully, letting a slow dribble of liquid splash against the pony's tongue. She lapped it up eagerly, as if she was dying of thirst.

                                            > Well, she might be, Anon thought. Seeing the shape she was in, anything was possible.

                                            > The strange thing was that she didn't try to grip the bottle or put her lips around it. She just licked up whatever stray liquid Anon poured out. He didn't complain, but the process did take a while and ended up with a few spills as the coach rocked on the road.

                                            > Neither he nor the pony in his lap minded, though.

                                            "Well, it's going to be an interesting evening, I can tell you that."

                                            > Celestia was obviously thinking about something. "We will see if she is still afraid of me when we reach Canterlot. If so, perhaps it is better you take her into one of the guest rooms and stay with her there. I do not wish to distress her unduly."

                                            "Yeah, good plan. Hopefully it's just temporary and she snaps out of it."

                                            > "I'm sure the doctors in Canterlot will be able to help. Perhaps it is a malady of the mind, or perhaps it is just shock."

                                            > The alicorn let out a chuckle. "In the end, it might even really be a concussion, as Silverwing suggests. She did run full gallop into private Longstride."

                                            "Lucky he wasn't wearing armor..."

                                            > They both laughed softly, but then Anon glanced down worriedly. It seemed the strange mare wasn't disturbed by his talking. She was settling down to sleep, if anything.

                                            > Her muzzle was pressed into the crook of his arm and her breathing was no longer as rapid. Her ears were laid down and she had loosened her death grip around Anon's chest.

                                            > Anon brushed away a bit of filthy mane and saw that her eyes were closed.

                                            "I think she's falling asleep. Poor thing must have been exhausted. I wonder how long she's been running before she found us?"

                                            > "I also, Anonymous. I also wonder."

                                            > It felt like a thousand years ago, but Anon remembered what they were doing just before their unscheduled stop.

                                            "Sorry about- well- us. I'll make it up to you."

                                            > "Not your fault, Anonymous. It is quite alright..." the Princess said, with only a slight note of sadness in her voice. She brightened up and flashed the human a smile. "I will hold you to your word, however. You *will* make it up to me."

                                            > Her eyes fell on the pink pony. "Once this one is safe. Of course my ponies come first."

                                            "Of course."

                                            > The mare he was holding grumbled something he didn't quite catch and shifted a little, seeking a more comfortable position. Anon watched her intently, slowly stroking her back with his fingers.

                                            "I think she's asleep," he murmured as quietly as he could.

                                            > Celestia leaned closer to see, bringing her muzzle right to the pony's head. "So peaceful," the alicorn said and gave the poor mare a quick nuzzle.

                                            > An ear flicked in annoyance, but she didn't wake up.

                                            > It made both of them smile.


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > The pink mare in Anon's arms was completely out by the time they reached Canterlot, which only served to prove just how exhausted she had been. Her grip on the human had slipped so he was forced to hold her in place.

                                            > Celestia kept looking over to check on the pair and she always smiled when she saw just how carefully Anonymous was minding his sleeping charge.

                                            > "If I had known how good you are at this, Anonymous," the Princess said, "I would have appointed you a position in my school for gifted unicorns. The first years."

                                            "Oh? Why that?"

                                            > Celestia had to giggle before she answered: "The colts and fillies are often frightened and homesick. I'm sure that hug would have helped a lot."

                                            > Anon chuckled as well.

                                            "Well, if you think it'll help," he offered.

                                            > Now the alicorn looked thoughtful. "I will actually consider that."

                                            > The coach rolled to a stop and corporal Silverwing came around to open the door. He looked at the bundle in Anon's arms, then transferred his gaze to Celestia.

                                            > "What should we do about her, ma'am?" he asked. "If you would like, I will call somepony to-"

                                            > The Princess interrupted him: "No need, corporal. Anonymous will oversee her recovery personally and so shall I."

                                            > She looked over to the human and asked him: "Should I call for a physician?"

                                            > Anonymous inspected the sleeping mare's face, then shook his head.

                                            "Actually, I think she's mostly fine. I don't wanna risk upsetting her again. Can you just send some food up to one of the guest rooms. I'll try and get her to eat and wash, then I'll put her to bed. We can take her to a doctor in the morning, on a full stomach."

                                            > "Good point. Thank you, Anonymous. She was afraid of me, so I think I will retire to our chambers. I will come see you in the morning."

                                            > She was about to leave before risking that the mare would wake up and panic once more, but the alicorn paused in thought. "Oh, let me give you this before I go."

                                            > Sitting back down, Celestia leaned over to plant a very warm kiss on Anon's cheek. "Thank you for doing this. You are a good human, Anonymous."

                                            > He patted her muzzle and gave her a little wave.

                                            "Sleep well."

                                            > As Celestia stepped out of the coach, she gave her orders to the guard: "Corporal, please have the kitchens send up a meal to, mmm, let's see. I think Cadence's old room has been prepared for her visit next week - you can take that one for now, Anonymous."

                                            "Will do!"

                                            > Back to the guardpony, the alicorn went on: "After you have done that, go to the Canterlot Medical and ask for Doctor Wellhoof to come to the Castle first thing tomorrow morning."

                                            > She paused for a second, then added: "Unless he has critical patients, of course."

                                            > The guardpony saluted. "Yes, ma'am!" He looked a bit relieved to be given firm orders, but he still glanced in at Anonymous and his bundled-up mare a little uneasily. He didn't say it out loud, but Anonymous guessed that there would be a few extra guards outside of the room.

                                            > He didn't really mind. Nothing wrong with taking precautions, after all.

                                            > With the Princess gone, the human slid to the edge of the seat and carefully stepped out, mindful not to bump his head on the door frame.

                                            > The mare in his arms stirred and opened bleary eyes. "W- Where-" she started to ask, then yawned. It was adorable and Anon didn't find it difficult to smile.

                                            "Hey, sleepy head."

                                            > The mare looked around in amazement and Anon remembered that they were just outside the Canterlot Castle, beautiful and richly adorned. Even Canterlot ponies sometimes felt awed when they saw it from up close.

                                            "Don't worry, you're safe now. Wanna tell me your name?"

                                            > Blinking a few times, the mare looked back to the human. She wasn't gripping him, so Anon had to support her entire weight. She wasn't all that heavy, but he still couldn't keep it up for very long, so he began walking to the doorway.

                                            > The two guards posted there looked at one another, then one of them nodded and fell in step behind the human.

                                            "Sweetie?" Anon prompted.

                                            > "Um... B-Blossom..." the mare murmured, lowering her ears.

                                            > That was good progress and Anon smiled.

                                            "That's a lovely name! Are you hungry, Blossom?"

                                            > The pony stiffened in his arms and her eyes narrowed, as if she was expecting a trick. She watched his face for a short while, then gave a single, tiny nod.

                                            "Okay, let's get something nice and warm in you, okay?"

                                            > "N-No ho-horns?"

                                            > That seemed to be her word for unicorns, Anon assumed. He glanced back at the guard who was following them, but fortunately it was a pegasus.

                                            "Um-" Anon began.

                                            > "Glory Tail," the guard supplied helpfully.

                                            "Yes, sorry. Glory Tail, could you run ahead and make sure there's no unicorns? I'm afraid Blossom is afraid of them."

                                            > The guardpony raised his eyebrow in surprise, but didn't comment. He passed Anon and the mare and sped up, galloping ahead.

                                            > It also occurred to the human that Doctor Wellhoof was a unicorn, which might be problematic. He decided he'd send Celestia a message via one of the guards to ask for a different doctor.

                                            > Hopefully whatever was freaking Blossom out was temporary.

                                            "Did unicorns- horns, did they hurt you?"

                                            > Blossom flattened her ears and her eyes immediately filled with tears. She nodded and then buried her muzzle in Anon's damp, dirty shirt. He didn't mind and patted the mare gently on the head.

                                            "It's okay, we'll find whoever hurt you and put them in jail, okay? You don't have to be afraid of unicorns around here, understand?"

                                            > It wasn't getting through to her. The pony wrapped her hooves around Anon again and was holding him tightly as sobs racked her body.

                                            > Sensitive topic, Anon thought to himself. He'd have to approach it carefully, or at least mention it to whatever psychiatrist Celestia chose for Blossom.

                                            > He really wanted to ask her what had happened, but something told him it would be a bad idea. Celestia had been right - get the mare clean, fed and into bed. Hopefully she would feel better in the morning and would be able to provide more answers.

                                            > One thing did occur to the human, however. Whatever it was that had happened to the pony wasn't a matter of a few days. That kind of fear would only have developed over time.

                                            > It was still unbelievable that she didn't recognize the Princess, though. Maybe he could get away with just one question. As soon as he got her down, of course.

                                            > The human hurried his step.

                                            > It wasn't too much further until the winding corridors finally led him to the room. He hadn't encountered any unicorns, which was probably Glory Tail's doing. Speaking of the guard, he was waiting by the door with another earth pony Anonymous didn't recognize.

                                            > When they saw him approach, the guards opened the doors for him, since his hands were full.

                                            "Thanks. Oh, by the way, can you send a message to Princess Celestia and tell her that she shouldn't send a unicorn doctor in the morning? Thanks."

                                            > Anon didn't look back as the earth pony guard closed the door behind him, but he heard the telltale whoosh of wings as Glory Tail flew to deliver his message.

                                            "Here we are, sweetie. You'll be staying here for a while, okay?"

                                            > The mare was still weeping silently and didn't pay him any attention. Unsure of what to do next, Anon took her to the couch in the outer, drawing room. He sat down and tried to shift the mare out of his lap.

                                            > "Nnnngh!" she wailed and clung to him more tightly. Anon cupped her muzzle with a hand and gently drew it away from himself. His thumb brushed her cheek and the pony licked his palm.

                                            "Hey, don't worry, I'm not going anywhere, okay? Just let go, there's a good girl."

                                            > It took a bit more coaxing, but eventually he freed himself and Blossom was bundled up in the two blankets on the couch. Anon sat beside her, idly stroking her mane.

                                            "This is the Canterlot Castle, ever heard of it?"

                                            > The mare just blinked, as if she didn't understand the question.

                                            "It's where Princess Celestia and Princess Luna live. Do you know them?"

                                            > Again nothing but a vacant expression. Anon sighed and gave it one last try.

                                            "Princess Celestia is an alicorn. She-"

                                            > "Wa-Watches over... um.. all h-her ponies, and... and..." Blossom said in a hoarse voice, closing her eyes as if trying to remember. "-and k-keeps them s-safe."

                                            "That's right! You can trust the Princesses, you know that, right?"

                                            > Blossom didn't answer for a while. Eventually she muttered: "No h-horns..."

                                            > It was going to be somewhat of a journey, it looked like, but Anon felt like this was a good start.

                                            > Hopefully an emphatic, trained psychiatrist would be able to get to the bottom of Blossom's fear and find out her story. It was probably going to be awful and Anon's mind buzzed with uncomfortable questions.

                                            > Had she been kidnapped? Who had done this to her and how long have they kept her? Or maybe she'd been lost in the woods and had to fend for herself - although that didn't explain her fear of unicorns.

                                            > Was it even fear of unicorns? Maybe she was just scared of horns, which would make sense if nasty wild creatures chased her around for a few years. Anyone in that position would develop an instinctual fear of anything horned.

                                            > The human tried to keep from grimacing when he thought of the next question. Had she been abused? By unicorns?

                                            > He didn't say any of it, of course, and his hand never left her mane. Screw psychiatrists, the human thought, I'm looking after her *personally!*

                                            > Political documents could wait. This was more important.

                                            > He became aware of her smell. It fit the theory that she'd been lost in the woods, at least for the last couple of days.

                                            "Blossom, sweetie?" the human asked quietly.

                                            > The pony looked up at him from whatever internal world she had been lost in.

                                            "Would you like to take a bath? I'm sure it'll be nice to get clean, and then we'll get a delicious dinner for you, okay?"

                                            > She blinked at him in confusion. "B-Bath?" she asked.

                                            > It sounded as if she didn't know what that was.

                                            "Oh yeah, baths are great! Want me to show you?"

                                            > The mare didn't answer, which Anon decided was 'yes'. He put his arms on the couch to push himself up, but the pony squeaked in alarm and lunged forward to wrap her hooves around his leg.

                                            "Hey, hey, I'm not going anywhere, I promise. I'll stand up and then we'll go to the bathroom together, okay?"

                                            > Hopefully once he showed her the tub and the water she would remember, or at least figure out what it was for. Even more fervently the human hoped she wouldn't mind him leaving the room while she washed herself.

                                            > Not much chance of that, though. Luckily Celestia's antics all that time back in his house prepared him for this, at least slightly.

                                            > Ponies rarely wore clothes. Being in the bath and washing wasn't a big deal.

                                            > Blossom gradually relaxed her death grip on his leg and he was able to stand up.

                                            "Come, let's go together," he urged.

                                            > The mare allowed him to pull the blanket off and slid from the couch. Her tail was hitched up between her legs and her head was held low as she glanced nervously around.

                                            > He also couldn't help noticing how she was trembling.

                                            > The human made a slow step in the right direction and Blossom followed, her muzzle pressed tightly against his leg.

                                            > Just why had she sought protection from him specifically? Most ponies were somewhat uneasy around him when they first saw a human. They were reminded of minotaurs, who had a reputation for aggression and violence.

                                            > If anything, Anon would have expected the mare to bolt straight for Celestia when she saw her. The Princess - all Princesses - invariably evoked feelings of trust and safety in their subjects.

                                            > That probably came from thousands of years of being able to depend on their alicorns, Anon thought.

                                            > He led the shivering mare to the bathroom, where she looked around in confusion and wonder. It was Cadence's guest suite, so everything was lushly decorated and adorned with gold and gemstones.

                                            > The bath tub was finest porcelain, built into the far corner and that was where he led Blossom.

                                            "This is a bath, remember?"

                                            > The pony looked at the object, then up at the human, slightly confused.

                                            "You get in and then warm water comes out of there and you wash yourself. You know how to wash yourself, right?"

                                            > Maybe she was embarrassed, or perhaps she truly didn't know what that meant, because Blossom just lowered her gaze to the floor and hunched down.

                                            > With a mental sigh, Anon resigned himself to a very much hands-on bath.

                                            "I'll help, don't worry. Here, stand up and I'll help you get in."

                                            > Blossom didn't move, but he couldn't keep coaxing her forever. After a moment Anon just reached his hands under the mare's belly and picked her up. She didn't resist and just hung limp from his grip.

                                            > He brought her over the edge and carefully lowered her into the tub. Already she was panting and as her hooves touched the floor there was no strength in her legs.

                                            > He laid her down as comfortably as he could manage. Then, keeping a hand on her cheek, Anon kicked off his shoes and climbed in with her.

                                            > The clothes would be ruined, probably, but that didn't matter a whole lot. He was *not* going to get naked with a strange mare in a bathtub.

                                            "See? Nothing to it."

                                            > Anon sat down in the thankfully spacious tub and Blossom gratefully put her head in his lap. She tried to curl up against him, but she couldn't find enough purchase on the smooth porcelain. Luckily she calmed down once Anon's hand was in her mane once again.

                                            "Good, good. Baths are nice, don't worry. It feels really nice, trust me!"

                                            > He tried to sound as cheerful as he could to hopefully reduce her anxiety about the whole situation.

                                            "Now we get a bit of warm water going. Don't be scared."

                                            > After a moment's thought, Anon grabbed the shower head and twisted the knob to redirect the water. He pointed it away from them and opened the tap.

                                            > It took a bit of trial and error before he had it warm but not too hot. Blossom watched it closely, with the air of someone expecting something dreadful to happen. Anon felt how tense she was, but he just moved slowly and confidently.

                                            > He put his hand in the stream of water, then held out his wet fingers to the mare.

                                            "See? It's just hot water. It's nice."

                                            > She leaned closer to sniff it, then licked his fingers.

                                            "See?"

                                            > It didn't seem as if Blossom was about to bolt, so Anon brought the shower head and its jet closer to her muzzle. Of course the mare shrank back, so he just held it there, not touching her but within her reach.

                                            > He put his free hand in the water again.

                                            "Look, try it. You'll like it, I promise."

                                            > In his years in Equestria Anon had yet to find a pony who didn't enjoy a hot bath, or at least a shower.

                                            > Blossom looked closely at his face, maybe fearful of a trick, but then she extended a trembling hoof and stuck it gingerly in the water.

                                            > Her eyes widened and she withdrew after a second.

                                            "Oh, sorry! Is it too hot? I can make it cooler-"

                                            > He lowered the temperature a tad, then stuck his hand in there again. He nodded to the mare with a smile and she got the message and extended a hoof again.

                                            > This time she didn't pull away, but she lowered her ears and looked up at the human pleadingly. "I l-liked it bet-better before..." she murmured almost too quietly to hear.

                                            > Stifling a chuckle, Anon couldn't help grinning to himself as he adjusted the temperature again.

                                            "Okay? I'll get all of you nice and wet, and then we'll get you clean. Sound okay?"

                                            > Having felt the water, some of the fear seemed to have been taken away from the whole ordeal. Blossom nodded slightly.

                                            "Tell me if it's too hot or if you want it hotter, Blossom."

                                            > She didn't reply, so Anon carefully shifted the water jet to her back. The mare gasped a little and her grip around his leg tightened for a few moments, but then she gradually relaxed.

                                            > He made sure to move the shower head slowly. After a few moments he put his hand on her coat and began gently rubbing some of the dirt out.

                                            > It looked pretty well ground in, as if the poor thing had been covered in fine dust or some kind of a powder for *years.*

                                            > Maybe she wasn't even that shade of pink and it was just an effect of whatever this was. Anon had only seen something like that when they were building his house and there was this light, fine powder coating everything.

                                            > Her fur didn't look as filthy from a distance, but that was because the dust was so fine and so thoroughly worked in that it looked like her skin was almost pure white.

                                            > Three, maybe four lathers and rinses, the human decided. Luckily Cadence had left some of her personal scented shampoo on the edge of the bath tub the last time she visited. Hopefully she wouldn't mind if they used it up.

                                            > He'd offer to pay for it when he saw the Princess of Love next time.

                                            > Pushing those thoughts out, Anon concentrated on his work.

                                            > Pretty soon his pants were soaked and his shirt was decidedly damp, but Blossom was nice and wet. Anon rinsed her whole body one more time, following with his hand, then shut the water off.

                                            > If anything, the mare looked disappointed. It was an encouraging sign.

                                            "Now we rub in some shampoo and then we'll do the water again, right? Don't worry, you'll like this too. It smells nice."

                                            > He was saying 'don't worry' and 'trust me' a whole lot, the human realized. Hopefully some of it was sticking, at least.

                                            > The bottles weren't labeled, so Anon picked a nice, pink one, similar to Blossom's coat, and opened it.

                                            > He held it near her nose.

                                            "See? Smell this. It's nice," he offered.

                                            > It was rose-scented and very mild, although Celestia assured her that pony noses were a lot more sensitive and Cadence's shampoo was one of the more potent ones.

                                            > Blossom brightened up and tried to lick the bottle, but Anon got it away just in time.

                                            "No, this isn't for eating! Don't try to lick this, okay? I'll get you some food when we're done."

                                            > He waited until the mare nodded, ears splayed in dismay. He gave her head a gentle pat.

                                            "I'm not mad, Blossom, sweetie. Just don't eat the shampoo."

                                            > That little problem averted, the human squirted a bit of the goop in his hand and then spread it across her back. She tensed up under his touch, but then slowly relaxed.

                                            > It was slow going as the human didn't want to startle the skittish, bewildered pony. He lathered as much as he could reach. She was lying on her belly, but that could wait until she was a bit more comfortable. There was also the... 'tail area', which Anon was dreading.

                                            > He spotted a sponge in a little wire basket on the near wall and took it out.

                                            "Good, now we'll rinse with the hot water again. Don't be scared."

                                            > This time the pony didn't react to him opening the tap and she leaned into the jet of water, eager for the warmth. Anon watched the stream flowing into the drain with dismay. It was white and gritty, almost like a very diluted plaster powder.

                                            "What in the hell have they been doing to you?" he muttered.

                                            > Blossom lowered her muzzle and sniffed.

                                            "Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to bring it up."

                                            > This time the rinse was quicker because the mare was already wet and she knew what to expect, so Anon didn't have to be as careful.

                                            > Soon he turned the water off and picked up the sponge. He didn't explain what he was doing and he was glad to see that Blossom didn't try licking the shampoo again.

                                            > Lathering was easier with the sponge, mainly because Anon didn't feel like he was touching the mare quite as inappropriately.

                                            > Except there was still a big problem ahead of him. A big 'behind' problem. The human nearly groaned at the bad pun.

                                            "Blossom?" he quavered.

                                            > The pony lifted her head to look at him, ears perking up a little. Anon held the sponge in front of her face.

                                            "I need you to take this and- um- wipe yourself really well... back there."

                                            > She blinked, looking at him blankly.

                                            "You know- under your tail. That whole area? It's not okay for me to touch there, so you'll have to do it yourself. Take the sponge, it's not difficult."

                                            > This meant she had to stand up, but by now the pony seemed to trust him enough to take his word. She stood awkwardly on three legs and Anon placed the sponge in her waiting hoof.

                                            > She looked straight ahead, concentrating, as she reached down with it.

                                            > Somehow, it was a relief. Anon didn't think she'd be this nonchalant about it all if she had been abused. He relaxed a little and took the opportunity to run his soapy fingers through the fur on her face.

                                            "Don't lick, remember?" he reminded her.

                                            > It took Blossom a minute or so and she nearly fell over a few times until Anon supported her barrel with a hand. Then she brought the sponge back out and offered it.

                                            > The human took it gingerly, noting with concern just how much grime was on it.

                                            "Good girl. You can sit and we'll rinse again, okay? And then we'll do the whole thing a couple more times, until you're nice and clean and pretty, understand?"

                                            > For a moment her eyes sparkled in joy at being called pretty, but then Blossom lowered her muzzle and nodded. She wasn't very talkative, but that could come later.

                                            > There was a knock on the door, of course at exactly the wrong time. The mare gasped and gripped Anon around his waist and he put a comforting hand on her head.

                                            "Don't worry, it's just the food," he told her. "Come in!" he said louder.

                                            > The door opened and a maid peeked in. "S-Sir? I was told to bring dinner here."

                                            "Yes, thank you! Could you just leave it on the table? Thanks!"

                                            > The mare came inside, a tray floating in the air behind her. At the last possible second Anon grabbed Blossom's muzzle and kept her from looking around.

                                            "It's fine," he whispered to her. "It's just the food. Let's finish our bath, okay?"

                                            > She didn't struggle against his grip, except to give a slight nod. Anon mentally cursed himself. He forgot to tell Glory Tail to make sure the kitchen sent a non-unicorn.

                                            > It had never been an issue before and luckily Blossom didn't see. Even better, the maid was nervous enough about the human that she didn't linger around and left as soon as the food was down.

                                            > Anon allowed himself to relax a bit and he released Blossom's muzzle.

                                            "Very good. Now where were we?"

                                            > She was thoroughly soaped up and starting to shiver from the chill. Anon nudged the tap to make the water a tiny bit hotter, then turned it on again.

                                            > This time the mare brought her head under the jet as soon as it was near enough and she even let out a relieved sigh as the heat returned.

                                            > Next rinse he would focus on her mane, Anon decided, and he'd give her the sponge for her... rear again.

                                            > The fact that the water had less of that powder in it seemed to bode well. A couple more times and they'd be done.

                                            > Of course that would raise another problem - that of his wet clothes. The man closed his eyes in exasperation. He would probably have to strip down to his shorts, at least, and then just wrap a towel around himself for basic decency.

                                            > Princess Cadence probably didn't have any human clothes in her suite, either. If she did, then hers and Shining Armor's marriage was very likely in trouble.

                                            > Fetching some clothes for him would be another task for Glory Tail, or whichever guard was stationed outside. For the moment, however, Anonymous focused on rinsing out this strange enigma of a mare.


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > Putting Blossom in bed proved to be an entirely new challenge. By this point Anonymous was exhausted, both physically and mentally. All he wanted to do was get it over with and go to sleep.

                                            > Unfortunately it didn't seem as if he would be allowed his own bed. Getting Blossom to sit on the covers, still wrapped up in Cadence's soft, pink towel was one thing. Getting the mare to ungrasp him was quite another. Anonymous seriously believed he would break Blossom's legs before getting free.

                                            > Still, that wasn't the worst of it. No, the worst bit was when she looked up at him with those eyes, brimming with tears, and her ears lowered, like a sad, sad puppy.

                                            > Then she whispered: "Please don't leave me."

                                            > Anonymous had zero chance of saying no to that. He put his hand on her head and gave one of her ears a gentle scratch.

                                            "Okay, okay. I'll just go and tell the guardponies and then I'll be right back, okay?"

                                            > The mare looked just as scared as before, but she squeezed her eyes tightly shut, swallowed, and gave a slight nod. Her hooves around Anon's waist relaxed and fell away.

                                            > Anon took the opportunity and walked out of the bedroom, through the drawing room and to the door outside. He could hear Blossom's breathing quickening as she was left alone.

                                            > The human opened the door and poked his head out, keeping the rest of him modestly hidden behind the frame. Yes he had a towel wrapped around his waist, and the ponies normally went around without any clothes at all, but Anon still had his sensibilities.

                                            > Two guards glanced at him, not even slightly surprised. They probably heard him walking, Anon guessed.

                                            "Oh, Bright," he recognized one of them, "could you go and let Princess Celestia know I'll sleep in here tonight? She'll understand. Oh, and can you ask someone to bring me a set of clothes from the laundry tomorrow morning?"

                                            > The pegasus saluted smartly with a wing. "Sure thing, Anon!" he agreed and trotted smartly away. The other pony, whom Anon didn't recognize right away just returned his gaze to the far wall, determined to stand at the door all night.

                                            > Anon shrugged a little to himself. Some of these ponies took their duties a little too seriously in his opinion. He ducked into the room and closed the door.

                                            > On his way back he looked longingly at the couch. His first idea had been that he'd sleep there, letting Blossom have the bedroom, but he could already hear the mare hyperventilating. A few more minutes would take her to total panic.

                                            > How had she even survived out there on her own at all?!

                                            "Blossom, sweetie?"

                                            > The mare's eyes never left him as he returned to the bed and now she tensed up. Maybe it was a mistake to poke into that right now, but Anon was curious and too tired to think straight.

                                            "Why me? Why didn't you ask the Princess for help. Why were you afraid of her?"

                                            > Her eyes closed and her breathing got even quicker. Silently cursing himself, Anon hurried to the bed and sat next to the mare. Almost immediately she fell on him and hid her muzzle against his bare chest.

                                            > The weirdest thing in Anon's mind was how warm her tears were. He had expected her face to feel damp and cool, like wet cloth.

                                            > No answer, at least not yet. Anon heaved a sigh and patted the poor pony a few times.

                                            "Nevermind, it's okay."

                                            > Whatever story she would eventually tell would be both intensely interesting and incredibly horrifying, of that Anon had no doubt.

                                            > He looked around the room for another, easier topic, and his eyes landed on the nearly empty food tray. It was amazing how much Blossom ate, after he had repeatedly assured her it was okay.

                                            "Would you like some more water before we go to sleep?" Anon asked.

                                            > The pony shook her head. Anon glanced around again.

                                            "Want me to leave the light on?"

                                            > This time her head-shaking was more emphatic. "Mmmuh," she whimpered.

                                            "Really?! You'd rather be in the dark?"

                                            > He distinctly felt her urgent nodding.

                                            > Well, this was a bit unusual, but he wasn't about to argue. It'd be a lot easier to sleep without the light. Luckily, the switch was on the wall just above the bed. All it took was a slight shuffle and the room was plunged into darkness.

                                            > Blossom quickly relaxed.

                                            > Anon sighed again and finally gave in. He sought out the edge of the cover with his hand and pulled it open.

                                            "Come on, let's get this over with, then."

                                            > It took some shuffling, but Blossom quickly understood what Anon was trying to do and climbed under the blanket. She immediately curled up into a ball, after making sure that her back was pressed into the human's warm belly.

                                            > In the silence Anon heard her breathing gradually slow down. When he put his hand on her side, the mare stiffened, but only for a moment. His other hand sought out her muzzle for a brief pat and he got a friendly lick in return.

                                            "Good night, Blossom."

                                            > There was no reply and Anon fell asleep while waiting for it.


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > Anonymous woke up halfway when Blossom came back into bed. He shuffled aside to make room, gave the mare a sleepy pat and tried his best to catch a few extra minutes of sleep.

                                            > She stretched out on top of the covers, but the pony was still quite warm, even though the fabric. Anon put a hand across her barrel and twirled his fingers into her fur.

                                            > Sadly, it was not to be. Now that he had started to think, sleep drained away and the human opened his eyes. The room was quite bright already and no doubt Celestia would be coming to check in on them soon.

                                            > Hopefully she had found a good, emphatic pony doctor, who would take the strange little mare off his hands for at least a few hours. Anon wanted to shower, eat, and catch up with the Princess without constantly looking after Blossom.

                                            > That reminded him - was Blossom feeling any better? Could she answer any more questions?

                                            > Anon turned to his back and stretched out his arms above his head. That caused him to yawn, which just helped him clear his lungs and get the blood flowing a bit faster.

                                            "Morning."

                                            > The pony turned to her belly and laid her muzzle on his arm. His forearm became Blossom's pillow and his fingers just reached one of her ears.

                                            > Using his free hand to adjust his pillow, Anon just watched Blossom for a while. She looked back at him, unblinking, unmoving, but also silent. After about a minute of this, she closed her eyes and yawned hugely. Her tongue stretched out and when she closed her mouth it was left outside.

                                            > Anon couldn't help chuckling a little while Blossom blinked in confusion.

                                            "Nothing," he commented.

                                            > He felt a lot better, the dull ache in his muscles almost completely gone. Despite that, Anon uncharacteristically decided to stay in bed a few more minutes.

                                            "Wanna come under here, where it's warm?" he offered.

                                            > Blossom narrowed her eyes for a few seconds, as if searching for a trick in that statement, but then she nodded. Anon held the blanket up and the mare shuffled gratefully under the cover.

                                            > She pressed herself right against the human, who had lost his towel sometime in the night. The situation would have been extremely inappropriate, but luckily he still had his boxers. This way it was just mostly inappropriate.

                                            > He carefully shielded the mare from his morning wood, which would have made things completely wrong on top of majorly embarrassing. Hopefully, the human silently prayed, she hadn't felt it while he was sleeping.

                                            > After a bit of trial and error, the mare found a comfortable position with her head on Anon's chest and her hooves wrapped around his belly. Anon lowered the blanket to free her muzzle, so she could breathe. She drew in a very deep breath and then blew it out through her nose.

                                            "So, feeling any better from yesterday? Are you still scared of alicorns?"

                                            > When he started talking Blossom's ears perked up, but when he finished they splayed once again. "N-No..." she murmured, not looking at the human.

                                            "You know the Princesses are only out to help ponies, right?"

                                            > "Yes," she answered in a tiny voice.

                                            "Most unicorns are actually kind of nice. Don't let some of the nobles fool you, they can be jerks, but most ponies are okay."

                                            > This made Blossom shuffle a little uncomfortably, but after a while she managed a minuscule nod.

                                            "Don't worry, we'll take it one step at a time. I'll help."

                                            > There was no answer and Anon hadn't expected any. He put his fingers over her muzzle and played a little with the soft fur there. The physical contact seemed to be helping.

                                            "So, do you think you could be a brave girl and let a nice pony doctor take a look at you?"

                                            > She gave it a bit of thought, then shrugged.

                                            "I'll have to go take a shower-"

                                            > Her grip around his midriff tightened, but Anon decided to be firm.

                                            "No, none of that, Blossom. You're a big pony. I promise nothing bad is going to happen, okay? You can't keep sleeping in bed with me..."

                                            > Tears were already gathering in her eyes, but then Blossom squeezed them shut and completely flattened her ears. She shifted herself so she was lying completely on the human and brought her muzzle right up to his face.

                                            > For a moment Anon thought she would try kissing him, which was confusing as all hell, but she just laid her head down on his shoulder.

                                            > The human was puzzling out why the mare would do something like that, but then one of her hind hooves snagged his boxers and pulled them down. He opened his mouth to apologize, but in that moment Blossom licked his neck and ground her belly down.

                                            > It was sheer luck he didn't... The mere thought was horrifying.

                                            "What the?!"

                                            > Anon pushed the mare away and almost jumped out of the bed, hurriedly pulling his boxers back and snagging a discarded towel from the floor for good measure.

                                            "What the fuck was that?!"

                                            > Blossom had curled up into as small a ball as she could manage and put her head under a foreleg, as if to protect herself from a beating.

                                            > Panting, Anon forcibly calmed down and sat on the edge of the bed. He put a hand on her back, which made the mare squeak and tense up.

                                            "Hey, sorry, I didn't mean to yell. Don't be scared."

                                            > There was no reply, so he scratched her fur a little and tried again.

                                            "Blossom, please just look at me."

                                            > It took a while, but the mare unwrapped enough so that her eyes peered out at the human from under her forelegs.

                                            "I'm not gonna be mad, I promise, just answer: did you just try to... well. Did you just try to have s-sex with me?!"

                                            > A nod.

                                            "Why?!"

                                            > "P-Please don't s-send me away," the mare whimpered. She uncurled further and reached for the human with her hooves. "Please, I'll be- I'll be good! I c-can be good! I k-know h-how!"

                                            > He was forced to revise his theory of the pony not being abused and it nearly turned his stomach. She looked on the verge of complete breakdown, though, so Anon somehow managed to put on a brave face.

                                            "I won't send you away, I promise. The Princess and I meant it when we said we'll help you."

                                            > Maybe she believed him, or maybe it was just his soothing voice, but Blossom relaxed and her breathing calmed down a tad.

                                            "Blossom, did they make you- do those things? Wherever you were? Did they force you to... you know?"

                                            > She thought about this for a few moments, then shook her head.

                                            "Then why did you just try to... do that? With me?"

                                            > "M-M-Men li-like it," she stuttered. "T-They gave me foo-food if I l-let them..."

                                            > She sighed and tried again, keeping her gaze on the mattress between her hooves. "T-They some- sometimes covered for my- my shift..."

                                            "Men?! What men? Wait, your shift? What shift?"

                                            > "In- in the mine..."

                                            > Anon put his face in his hands. A picture was starting to form in his mind, but he didn't like it at all. He remembered the fine dust from the shower and nearly groaned.

                                            > It would take the mare a long while and a lot of effort to explain it, so he decided to just make an educated guess and have her confirm or deny it.

                                            "Let me see if I get this straight," he began. "You were working in a mine against your will, and you traded sexual favors with some humans in there so they'd give you food and do some of your work?"

                                            > The mare thought this through, then nodded.

                                            "It wasn't voluntary, right? You didn't work there because you wanted to?"

                                            > This time she shook her head.

                                            "Were you paid?"

                                            > She shrugged, which Anon took to mean 'no'.

                                            "How long were you kept there? Where was it? Who did this?!"

                                            > The human realized he was starting to get agitated and took another deep breath to calm down.

                                            "Sorry. Blossom, this is very serious, do you understand? Whoever did this to you will go to prison for the rest of their lives, you have my word on it!"

                                            > The mare didn't look as if she completely understood what Anon was saying, but she recognized his tone and smiled back.

                                            > "T-Thanks," she said. "U-Um, w-wanna... want me to l-lick you off? I sometimes l-"

                                            "No!"

                                            > Her face fell at this rejection, so Anon quickly put his hand in her mane.

                                            "Look, Blossom, I know you had to do some awful things to get by, but that's over, understand? You won't have to do any of that anymore, the Princess will see to that."

                                            > Her ears drooped and Blossom sighed. "But s-sometimes I liked d-doing it..."

                                            > It was not the time to explain it all to the mare. There was one more thing Anon wanted to know, before he went and talked this over with Celestia.

                                            "How long were you kept in that mine?"

                                            > Blossom gave this a lot of thought, but then shrugged. "E-Ever sin-since I was small?" she offered.

                                            "Yeah, I was afraid of that. Well, don't go offering people- or ponies sex, okay? None of that. I'll-"

                                            > The human paused, suppressing a shudder.

                                            "-someone will explain it all to you."

                                            > At that moment there was a knock at the door and Blossom whimpered as she threw her legs around Anon again.

                                            "Come in!"

                                            > The door opened and Princess Celestia stepped in. Anon could see her through the drawing room and gave her a little dispirited wave. The alicorn took one look at his face and her ears fell.

                                            > She was about to walk over, but froze and sniffed the air. Anon cringed inwardly. Hopefully she wasn't smelling Blossom's arousal, because it would raise a lot of uncomfortable questions.

                                            > To his surprise, Celestia made her way to the bathroom and looked in, then backed out. "Just a moment," she told Anon and went back to the outside door. "Send for cleaning staff as soon as we leave this room," she ordered.

                                            "Cleaning staff?"

                                            > Celestia came into the bedroom, casting her gaze over the trembling Blossom, who was pressing her muzzle into Anon's side.

                                            > Before the Princess could speak, the human held up a hand and put his other palm on the frightened mare.

                                            "This is the Princess, remember? She's here to help. You can trust her."

                                            > At first there was no effect, but Celestia waited patiently while Anon coaxed Blossom some more, until she was finally able to look at the alicorn. Her eyes were still little pinpricks of fear, but at least she didn't look like she was about to bolt.

                                            "Princess Celestia, let me introduce Blossom."

                                            > The alicorn smiled beatifically and knelt down by the bed to make herself a little smaller. "My, that's such a lovely name!" she trilled with a big smile.

                                            > Anon had been watching closely and thought he saw Blossom's lips quirk up a tiny bit, before her fear got the better of her again and she pressed her muzzle back against his bare belly.

                                            > "I think Blossom has been lost for quite a while, Anonymous," Celestia said.

                                            "Well, you're right, although not exactly 'lost'. How do you know?"

                                            > The alicorn looked back at the drawing room. "She doesn't remember how to use a toilet. Can you not smell it?"

                                            "Oh. Well, that's another thing we'll have to teach her, but it's not important right now."

                                            > "You found out more about her?"

                                            "Yeah. I wish I didn't, but here it is. I don't think you're going to like it, though."

                                            > The Princess pressed her lips together and her gaze hardened as she steeled herself for bad news. "Tell me."


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > It took a lot of assurances that she would be okay, but Anonymous managed to convince Blossom to leave the room with Celestia and him. Perhaps it helped when the Princess showed off her wings, making it clear she wasn't a unicorn.

                                            > Hopefully either Celestia or whatever doctor was waiting for them would get more answers out of the mare. She was doing a lot better, though, especially compared to the previous day's near constant panic.

                                            > The human had been right. A hearty meal, a bath, and a good night's sleep made quite a difference. The pancakes, however, proved to be the most interesting of the lot.

                                            > Blossom's expression as she tried to surreptitiously stuff her muzzle without drawing attention to herself had been priceless. Especially the way she licked around her plate, smearing jam all over her muzzle and hooves, pausing only occasionally to glance nervously around.

                                            > So delighted was the mare at the sweet taste that she hardly minded when Anonymous proclaimed he'd have to leave for a while.

                                            > One of the Castle staff had brought him fresh clothes while he was telling Celestia about Blossom's story, but the man still wanted a shower. Even more importantly, he wanted Blossom to get used to other ponies, otherwise she might become too attached and dependent on him.

                                            > Despite that worry, he laid a hand on Blossom's head for a quick pat.

                                            "You'll be okay with the Princess, won't you Blossom?"

                                            > She looked up from her food for a moment to give Anonymous an uncertain nod. She didn't say anything because her cheeks were bulging.

                                            "I'll come back and find you as soon as I can."

                                            > Another nod.

                                            "Don't be afraid of unicorns, no one here will hurt you, okay?"

                                            > A bit of jam on her nose was starting to slide down and Anon caught it on his finger.

                                            > "Mmph!" the mare complained when he went to wipe it away on a napkin.

                                            > Anon understood what she wanted and held the digit out for her so Blossom could do her best to lick it clean. It didn't work all that well, because her mouth was full already and she just kept smearing more jam all over his hand.

                                            > "Mmhmhppf!" she moaned, clearly distressed over the loss.

                                            "Swallow first. Sheesh."

                                            > Blossom's eyes crossed as she gulped down a mouthful of pancakes, jam, whipped cream, and powdered sugar. Just thinking about it made Anon's teeth ache.

                                            > The mare didn't waste time. She grabbed Anon's hand with her hooves to keep him from getting away and went right back to licking him clean. This time it worked a little better.

                                            > Anonymous caught Celestia's grin and just shrugged in response while he waited for Blossom to finish.

                                            > At last there was no more sweet jam to be gained from his fingers and the mare let him go. A moment later her snout was buried in her plate once again.

                                            "Don't let her overeat, okay? It'll just make her sick, especially if she's not used to it."

                                            > Celestia nodded solemnly, but something in her expression didn't give Anon much hope. The Princess enjoyed her sweets too much to have the heart to deny another pony the same.

                                            > Well, if Blossom ended up crying all day because of a painful belly, he'd just make Celestia take care of her by herself, while he went and had himself a relaxing bath.

                                            > That ought to teach her.

                                            > Seeing how the mare was busy inhaling another pancake and Celestia was frying up yet more, Anon got up from his chair and left them both to their tasks. It looked like they'd get along famously, now that Blossom was mostly over her fear.

                                            > They didn't even notice when he left.

                                            > He met Luna in the corridor on his way out and was about to walk past her when the younger alicorn shot her wing out to block his path.

                                            > "Not so fast!" she said and rounded up on him. The furious look she gave him made Anon back away until he hit the wall.

                                            "What?!"

                                            > The alicorn advanced, glaring. "I will give you this one chance to explain yourself, because I like you. If I do not like your answers, I will toss you in prison myself!"

                                            "But- Luna-" Anon began, holding up his hands defensively. "What?!"

                                            > "You were seen, Anonymous! It's bad enough that you would betray my Sister, but bringing the floozy right into the *Castle*?!"

                                            "What?! What floozy? What in the Hell are you talking about, Luna?"

                                            > She stomped a hoof. "That pink hussy! I questioned the maid who saw you. Playing around in a bath, Anonymous? The nerve!"

                                            > Some wheels turned and the human started chortling with laughter. He held up his palm to get Luna to wait a second so he could explain, but the look on her muzzle was pure, unbridled fury.

                                            > "IMPUDENCE!" the alicorn yelled and for a moment all light in the corridor vanished. Anon's laughter died on his lips.

                                            "Fuck, listen Luna, it's not what you think!"

                                            > "Then explain! RAPIDLY!"

                                            "We found her on the road when we were coming back from Baltimare yesterday. She was scared out of her mind and ran right for me. She was panicking."

                                            > The glare didn't budge and Luna's hoof began tapping impatiently.

                                            "Celestia asked me to stay with Blossom until she calmed down. For God's sake, she gave me Cadence's suite because it was the only one ready last night!"

                                            > "And the bath?!" the alicorn demanded.

                                            "Blossom was filthy! Luna, she was being kept somewhere and made to work in a mine. I think she's been..."

                                            > His voice cracked and Anonymous could barely whisper the next word.

                                            "...used."

                                            > The transformation was dramatic. Of course Luna believed him, Anonymous had never before lied to her. She would probably know it if he tried, especially about something like this.

                                            > "I-" the mare said, backing away and eyes already filling with tears, "I- I had no idea..."

                                            > Anonymous stepped closer and put his hand on her cheek.

                                            "It's okay. Blossom is okay now. Your sister is feeding her pancakes, so I guess she thinks she's in some kind of pony heaven or something."

                                            > Luna closed her eyes and nodded, nuzzling Anon's hand. Then she looked at him and her expression hardened once more. "Who did this to her?!"

                                            "We don't know yet. Don't bring it up, we'll find out as soon as we can. Celestia said she'd oversee the investigation personally and find whoever is responsible and banish them!"

                                            > Luna scrunched up her face in righteous fury. "And toss them in the dungeon in the place she banished them to?"

                                            "Exactly."

                                            > Funny how that silly little fear of Twilight's became such a widespread saying, Anon thought. He'd been confused the first time he heard it until Celestia explained about the incident with her pet phoenix.

                                            > Luna looked at the door to the Sisters' private breakfast room and cringed back a little. "Perhaps it is best I do not intervene yet. You said Sister has it all in hoof?"

                                            "Yes, I think so."

                                            > "Good. I will go and see the maid who is spreading such vile rumors about you and... educate her."

                                            "Please don't do anything rash, Luna."

                                            > The alicorn was already walking away and she looked over her shoulder at Anon. "No promises."

                                            > Anonymous shook his head to himself and set off toward his and Celestia's room. It had, according to the Princess' own words, 'a primitive, rudimentary shower'. Good enough. It would do. More importantly, it would be a lot faster than a full bath.

                                            > Perhaps he could also catch up one some work by the time Celestia and Blossom were done with the doctor. If Blossom began to panic the alicorn would no doubt send for him.

                                            > Besides, he had to think things over. By the sound of it, ponies - unicorns, probably - were forcing Blossom and possibly others to work in a mine. For some reason there were also humans allowed, but Anon couldn't guess at their purpose.

                                            > Guards, maybe? Slave drivers?

                                            > That wouldn't explain why Blossom ran for him, rather than Celestia.

                                            > Anonymous wanted to know the answers, but was afraid of them at the same time.


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > After a quick, refreshing shower Anon found an unexpected guard pegasus in front of his door. The sight was unusual enough in this part of the Castle to make the human pause and blink in surprise.

                                            > There were a couple of guards at each entrance to the corridor, but they kept well away from the Princess' quarters to give the royal sisters some semblance of privacy.

                                            > Before he could ask, however, the guard saluted with a wing. "Sir! The Princess says to tell you to meet her in the Gardens!" he proclaimed.

                                            > Yes, 'proclaimed' was exactly the right word. The colt seemed younger than most, so Anonymous guessed he was new and, as such, still a bit awed at speaking directly with the Princess.

                                            "Relax," the human said in as calm and nonchalant a voice as he could manage. "Why don't you show me the way?"

                                            > The guard saluted again and, armor clanking as he walked, fell in step just beside the human.

                                            "You're new here, aren't you?"

                                            > "Sir! Finished basic training in Fillydelphia last week. Got transferred here yesterday!"

                                            > Anon almost chuckled, but managed to suppress it. He glanced over at the pony's stripes, or lack thereof.

                                            "Let me give you a piece of advice, um, private. What's your name?"

                                            > "Comet Roll, sir!" came the reply.

                                            "Okay, Comet Roll. I know you got this drilled into you every day in training, but now you're here, you can relax a bit, okay? The Princess is not impressed by heroic feats of attention and protocol. You'll have a much better time if you take it easy. Especially, there's no need to shout."

                                            > "B-But sir! The drill sergeant-"

                                            "Yeah, yeah, I know. Discipline and exemplary service and all that. Commendable, but take it down a notch. You can do polite and respectful without shouting all the time, no?"

                                            > The pony looked decidedly uneasy, at least from what Anon could see. The helmet hid his ears, so a major clue was lost, but the way Comet Roll's eyes darted around and his feathers rustled and his gait became stiff, told the human enough.

                                            > Anon stopped and turned to face the guard.

                                            "Here, let's try this instead."

                                            > He held out his hand towards the colt who eyed it uneasily. After a few moments' thought, he sat on his haunches and lifted a hoof up into Anon's palm to shake.

                                            "Nice to meet you, Comet Roll," Anon said. "Come around the offices someday in the afternoon for a muffin and a glass of cider. Mrs. Nutmeg makes some of the best muffins in the city and we get cider straight from Sweet Apple Acers. I'll introduce you to everyone."

                                            > The colt didn't know what to say. His mouth opened and shut a few times, until he finally remembered to put his hoof down again. Then he blushed a little. "Um, I'll t-think about it, s-sir."

                                            > For a moment Anonymous contemplated offering the pony an ear-scratch, but the poor guy already looked like a fish out of water. Enough cultural shock for one day, the human decided.

                                            "Okay, let's go see how the Princess and Blossom are doing."

                                            > It was an assumption that Celestia would be with the mare, but Anon couldn't imagine any circumstances under which she would leave the poor girl with someone else, even Luna.

                                            > He wondered how their examination with the doctor had gone and whether Blossom was starting to trust Celestia despite the horn. Maybe she even told more of her story.

                                            > The rest of the walk passed in silence, Anon lost in his thoughts and Comet Roll too nervous to ask anything. It wasn't too far and soon they emerged into full sunlight.

                                            > Not quite summer yet, but neither was it far off, Anon thought to himself.

                                            > He saw the Princess sitting at one of the stone tables on the grass. At first he didn't see Blossom, but as he continued to walk Anon spotted the pink mare examining a nearby flowerbed. She didn't appear to have noticed him approach, despite the heavy stride of Comet Roll and the clanking of his armor.

                                            > Celestia heard it and turned around to give them both a smile and a wave. This made the guard slow down and Anon glanced over his shoulder to see the poor guy just staring in disbelief.

                                            "Come on. You've met Princess Celestia, right?"

                                            > Comet Roll started to shake his head, but turned it into a nod. "Um, s-she- uh, Her Majesty was at the r-reception ceremony..."

                                            > Anon didn't wait for the colt to catch up and went forward. He came to stand beside the Princess and put a hand on her withers.

                                            "Blossom looks like she's doing well. How did it go with the doctor?"

                                            > The alicorn shook her head sadly. "Not as bad as I had feared, but not well." They both watched the mare, who was sniffing one of the early blooming flowers. She seemed completely engrossed.

                                            > "Dr. Sherbert was only able to perform a superficial examination. She seems healthy, but I did not dare allow him to take her blood. As it was, she was beginning to get agitated. Perhaps if you were there..."

                                            "I will, next time. Besides, she looks fine. Maybe we should give her some time to adjust before-"

                                            > Anon didn't get much further, because the mare spotted him and called out: "'nonymous!" A moment later she was galloping for him and the man crouched down to catch her just in time to keep her from toppling him.

                                            > The pony threw her hooves around his waist and gave his face a few licks, before simply laying her head against Anon's arm and closing her eyes.

                                            "See? I told you I'd be back."

                                            > The pony just nodded.

                                            "Did you have fun with the Princess?"

                                            > This time she shrugged and Anon decided not to press further.

                                            > "I have been thinking, Anonymous," Celestia went on once the immediate excitement was over. "If Blossom had been forced to work in a mine, then we should be able to find it, provided we can figure out what sort of a mine it was."

                                            > Anon nodded at that and peeled the mare away from himself.

                                            "Blossom, sweetie? Can you tell me what kind of stuff you were digging out in that mine?"

                                            > Her expression fell immediately and tears pooled up in her eyes. The sight was heartbreaking, but he had to insist.

                                            "Don't worry, we'll never send you back. You're safe here, okay? We just have to find out who did this to you so we can stop them."

                                            > The mare sniffed a little and closed her eyes shut. Anon, his legs starting to hurt, sat on the grass and patted Blossom's side. She gratefully folded down into his lap.

                                            "Take your time, sweetie. Do you remember what kind of rocks you had to dig up?"

                                            > Blossom took a deep breath and let it out. Then she took another. "R-Rocks," she said quietly. "Just rocks."

                                            "Do you know what color?"

                                            > "W-White. White rocks."

                                            > Anon's mind raced as he tried to imagine what different ores might look like.

                                            "Some sort of limestone?" he asked Celestia, who was frowning a little in thought, her eyes unfocused. "Her coat was covered with a very fine powder last night."

                                            > Celestia spoke up, still staring into the distance. "I do not remember any limestone quarries near Baltimare. Let me think. There are coal and copper mines. I believe there is also a gold mine further north, beyond Fillydelphia"

                                            > Anon idly stroked Blossom's muzzle as he waited for Celestia to work her incredible memory.

                                            > "If she came from the west, then there would be, let's see, two coal mines, several rock quarries, a silver mine... hmm, that would make it quite a stretch for her to run without being spotted around Ponyville."

                                            "What if she came from the south?"

                                            > The alicorn shook her head. "No mines and then you reach Dodge City and Appleloosa and then there is just the Badlands. I do not think Blossom crossed the Badlands alone. And before you ask, if she came from the east, by ocean, she would have been found in Baltimare, I have no doubt."

                                            "Is it possible this is a new mine, one we don't know about? What else makes a fine white powder?"

                                            > The mare in his arms stirred and Anon looked down. She was obviously following the conversation and it was making her quite uncomfortable. He opened his mouth to put a stop to it, but Blossom spoke up.

                                            > "G-Great, big, square r-rocks..."

                                            > Celestia brightened up. "That sounds like marble or granite slabs!"

                                            "One of the rock quarries?" Anon suggested.

                                            > "Exactly! Or, if the operation is indeed hidden, then it cannot be far off. I will have the clerks examine paperwork of all mines in the Foal Mountains range for anything unusual and I will send a pegasus wing to search the area by air for anything we do not have in official records."

                                            > The human grinned in relief. It sounded like whoever was running a slavery operation in Equestria would soon meet justice.

                                            > "Um, s-sir? Ma'am?" Comet Roll spoke up suddenly. Anon almost jumped and Blossom squeaked in alarm. They had both forgotten he was even there.

                                            "It's okay, it's okay. Just a guard. No horn, see?"

                                            > The mare watched the pegasus with wide, fearful eyes, but at least she didn't panic.

                                            > "Yes?" Celestia asked.

                                            > "Ma'am, I'd like to- uh, I'd like to volunteer for the assignment, ma'am!"

                                            > "And why is that, private?" Celestia asked. She sounded a bit stern, but Anon saw the happy little twinkle in her eye.

                                            > Comet Roll nearly cringed back a little from the question, but his training won out and he straightened up. "Because it's wrong, ma'am! What they did to Blossom was inequine and I want to help apprehend the perpetrators! I grew up in Fillydelphia so I know the lay of the land, ma'am!"

                                            > The Princess smiled beatifically and inclined her head. "I will make sure you are on the team, private. Thank you."

                                            > Her gratitude was unexpected, it seemed, and Comet Roll suddenly blushed. He looked down and mumbled: "Jus' doing my duty, ma'am."

                                            > "Celestia," the alicorn said. When the guard looked up in shock, she repeated: "No need to be so formal. Please call me Celestia."

                                            > Anon gave the poor guy a wink.

                                            "Told you," he said.

                                            > The alicorn stood up, stretching. "I will go and have the clerks begin searching. Comet Roll, please find the captain of the guard and bring him to the throne room in ten minutes."

                                            > This was more familiar and the colt saluted with his wing. "Yes, ma'am! I m-mean, Celestia. Um, right away, Princess!"

                                            > He was only too happy to fly off and leave his embarrassment behind.

                                            > The Princess giggled to herself. "So stiff and formal when they come out of training, don't you think?"

                                            "Yeah. Don't worry, he'll find his hooves."

                                            > "I will look for you after court."

                                            "Deal."


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > Blossom seemed perfectly happy to just sit with Anon in the grass, but the human soon got bored. He tried to come up with something to do which wouldn't stress the mare overmuch but still help with her rehabilitation.

                                            "I know! Would you like to come with me and meet a few ponies?"

                                            > The mare probably wouldn't budge from his side, but there was such a thing as being polite. She was already cringing a little, but the brave little thing managed a nod.

                                            "Good girl!"

                                            > He patted her once more on the back and got up to his feet. At least, Anon thought, he didn't have to keep looking at her all the time. Her muzzle pressing against his thigh was a sure giveaway that she was following.

                                            > Hopefully she would grow out of it in time, but for the moment Blossom simply had to know he was there at all times.

                                            > Why him, though? The mare wasn't much for conversation, so Anon had some time to think as he led her deeper into the Canterlot castle. After all these years he had a pretty good feeling which corridors to take to avoid meeting ponies, so it was just the two of them.

                                            > It kept coming back to her forced labor in the mine. It made sense to Anonymous that humans would be running that show. After all, who else had all those centuries of practice owning slaves?

                                            > Of course, that raised questions of how they got to Equestria, but the Princess could look into that. Maybe there were reports of humans 'getting lost', although it would be strange if Celestia had known that and not told him.

                                            > On the other hand, the fear Blossom displayed toward unicorns didn't fit this picture. Anon was aware that some, especially the Canterlot elite, thought themselves above other races, but going as far as enslaving them?

                                            > If it *had* happened, the idea must have come from Earth. Pony history had no such thing. Correction - there were some examples, like Sombra, but those were universally reviled.

                                            > The image in his mind didn't seem right, but it was the best Anon had for the moment. Humans were rare in Equestria, so the mine must be run by a mix of unicorn and human slave drivers. Of those, some of the humans at least weren't too bad, so Blossom had learned to associate 'human' with 'safety from unicorns'.

                                            > Looking down at the mare, Anonymous wished he could ask her about it and she would answer, but the best he could do at the moment was make her cry. It would need to be a slow process, especially since she might have been in there for years.

                                            > 'Since she was small', she had said. The mare looked about twenty-ish, perhaps a year less now that she was clean. Had she been enslaved at ten? Less?

                                            > How would that make sense, though? The portal to Earth had only opened some eight or so years ago and surely the human influences didn't start from day one?

                                            > An idea occurred and Anon stopped so he could talk with Blossom face to face. She tried to keep her muzzle pressed against his leg, but Anon cupped her with his hands and crouched down to be on her level.

                                            "Blossom, sweetie, I'm sorry about this but I just need to ask you one question, okay?"

                                            > She was already starting to breathe faster and her ears went back in apprehension. Anon didn't have to look to see how her tail was slipping further between her legs.

                                            "Did you spend all your life in that mine? You said you... started when you were little, but was it just the mine or were there some other places?"

                                            > The pony sniffled and tried to push forward to hide her face in Anon's chest. He held her gently, but firmly.

                                            "It's okay, it's over now, but I really need you to tell me."

                                            > "F-Farm," she blurted out. "There was a f-farm... H-he yelled..."

                                            > Anon blinked in surprise.

                                            "He? Who was he?"

                                            > "M-Master..."

                                            > By now the poor thing was trembling and Anon didn't have the heart to continue. He mouthed 'Master' and 'farm' to himself silently. Perhaps Celestia would be able to make something of it, otherwise they'd just have to keep chipping away at Blossom's life story.

                                            > He let the little mare push forward and put his arms around her withers. She sobbed a few times into his shirt while he patted her back.

                                            "Good girl. I'm very proud of you, Blossom," he murmured.

                                            > Luckily she didn't go full waterworks and just heaved a deep sigh. It was an encouraging sign. Perhaps in a few more days she would be able to talk about her experiences without breaking down completely.

                                            > Time to make her forget about the whole thing with a few bribes. Anon knew exactly where to go and what to do. He rubbed his hands together.

                                            "Okay! Let's go to my office and see if Mrs. Nutmeg has a muffin for us, right? Would you like a muffin?"

                                            > Blossom looked at him curiously, but she didn't seem as enthused as he had hoped after the morning's 'Inhalation of the Pancakes'.

                                            "You don't like muffins?"

                                            > The mare blinked and scrunched up her muzzle. "Mu-Muffins?" she asked.

                                            "Oooh, you don't know what muffins are?! Well, my girl, you're in for a treat then!"

                                            > One of her ears lifted up in definite curiosity. She shook her head slightly in answer. Anon booped her nose and straightened up.

                                            "Well, let's get going then. It's not far."

                                            > There were a number of unicorns working in the Office wing, so Anon kept a hand in Blossom's mane for moral support. They might pass one or two in the hallways and he hoped she wouldn't simply bolt.

                                            > All he needed was to get the mare to his office and have one of his coworkers bring in some muffins and tea. Once Blossom had something sweet in her, he might even be able to make a few introductions.

                                            > Getting her used to all kinds of ponies, that was the key. If she could be bribed with sweets then Anon would use that to its full extent!


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > His office only had the one comfy, reclining chair, so Anon magnanimously let Blossom have it, while he dragged around the other, harder stool from the corner. He didn't have much use for it, but sometimes he would interview ponies and so it had to be available.

                                            > Blossom had spent the first five minutes watching the human catch up on some paperwork, mostly comments and suggestions on the new legislature he was writing, and had been fidgeting with her hooves for the rest of the time.

                                            > Boredom was good, the human decided. It meant she might not be as scared of everyone if it was her own idea to go and mingle. He changed his mind about keeping Blossom in her office.

                                            > The human was reading through the third set of notes, these coming directly from Celestia herself, when the little pink mare cleared her throat. When he looked over, she was staring down at her hooves with her ears flattened, but her eyes flickered up to him every now and then.

                                            "Mmm-yes?"

                                            > "Y-You s-said muffins..." she muttered accusingly.

                                            "Oh! That's right!" Anon feigned forgetfulness. "Well, let me finish this page and then we'll go look for some!"

                                            > This cheered her up and Blossom nodded happily. She went back to examining the office with its shelves and shelves of books and scrolls, and the few copies of famous human paintings on the walls. There were no windows, but the mare didn't seem perturbed by that.

                                            > She'd been stuck in a mine, Anon remembered, which made him press his lips together in anger.

                                            > He scanned over the last few lines and circled a couple of items to take a closer look later. Then he put his pen down and Blossom looked over, ears lifting up in anticipation. When he stood up, the mare quickly jumped from her chair.

                                            "Now, a couple of my friends are unicorns, you're not going to be scared of them, are you?"

                                            > And down went the ears. Blossom lowered her gaze to the floor and took a shuddering breath. "No," she said, whispering so Anon had to strain to hear her.

                                            > Despite his warning, the man wasn't too worried. It was around time for the lunch break, which meant that most ponies would be out of the offices. He walked over to the door, opened it, then stuck his head out into the hallway. It seemed empty enough.

                                            > When he stepped outside, Blossom plodded after him. She peered around the edge as if expecting a monster to jump out at her, but eventually she managed to put a hoof outside.

                                            > Anon took another step and waited while the pony checked both ways for danger. Once she was out, he reached back and gently pushed the door closed. Blossom hurried to press herself against his legs.

                                            "Sweetheart, you're gonna have to give me some room, or I'll trip and fall on you."

                                            > She squeezed her eyes tightly shut, took a deep breath, then stepped sideways. As a small reward, Anon reached his hand down and Blossom gratefully pressed her muzzle into his palm.

                                            > He made sure to walk slowly, so as not to startle the skittish creature, but the small staff room wasn't all that far and he couldn't hear any conversation coming from it. Hopefully that meant it was empty.

                                            > Well, nearly empty. Star Bright was sitting on one of the couches, staring off into the distance and munching on what looked like a rose petal sandwich with too much mayo in it. When he noticed his human coworker he waved and smiled, but didn't speak up with his mouth full.

                                            "Hey, Bright," Anon greeted.

                                            > Blossom gave a frightened squeak and hid behind his legs. Just to be sure, Anon leaned down a little and put his hand in her mane. The mare was trembling.

                                            > Seeing this, the unicorn scrunched up his muzzle and put his sandwich down on the side table. "Um, what's the matter? Who is that?"

                                            "You'll have to excuse Blossom, Bright. She's a bit scared of unicorns. Just- don't make any sudden moves, okay?"

                                            > His eyebrows climbed in surprise, but the colt nodded. "Sure thing, Anon. What's uh-" He lowered his voice, as if that would prevent Blossom from hearing. "What's wrong with her?"

                                            > Anon didn't want to go into details, because it would most likely remind Blossom of her ordeals, whatever those were.

                                            "I'll explain later. Just do me a favor, no sudden moves and no magic, okay?"

                                            > "Yeah, yeah, of course."

                                            > The human turned around, cupped Blossom's muzzle with both palms and lifted her head up so she was looking at him.

                                            "Don't be afraid, sweetheart. Star Bright is a very nice pony, you don't have to be afraid of him."

                                            > She wanted to shake her head in denial, but Anon gently kept her from doing so.

                                            "Trust me," he whispered.

                                            > Blossom took a deep breath, then pulled her face away from Anon's hands. She peered cautiously around him at the new pony, who waved back.

                                            "Say, Bright," Anon said without looking, "are there any of Mrs. Nutmeg's muffins left? I kinda promised Blossom she could have one."

                                            > The colt had to think for a moment, before answering: "Oh, yeah, there's one or two left. You want one too?"

                                            "Wait! Don't move yet."

                                            > He had guessed correctly that Bright had been about to jump from the couch and go fetch them.

                                            "Blossom, would you like the nice unicorn to go get us some muffins?"

                                            > It was a struggle. On the one hand, she really wanted this muffin, even if she didn't know what it was. Anon, having learned a few tricks from Celestia, had really talked them up on their way to the offices. On the other hand, however, there was the scary unicorn.

                                            > She swallowed, but then gave a slight nod.

                                            "Okay, go. Just move slowly."

                                            > There were a couple of faint clicks as Bright slid from the couch and then the sound of his hooves retreating into the adjacent kitchen. It was rudimentary, just a few hot plates for ponies to warm up their lunches or make coffee, but it did have a fridge and a water cooler. All magical, of course.

                                            > Blossom tensed up when Bright came back, awkwardly shuffling on three legs as he was unaccustomed to carrying things without the use of his magic.

                                            "Here, bring it over."

                                            > He kept his hands on Blossom while Star Bright hobbled his way to his side. The mare shrank back from the sight of the horn, but she didn't flee. Maybe she was slowly getting over her fear, or maybe it was Anon's touch that helped her.

                                            > She stared at the colt, who smiled a little nervously and proffered the box, as if to shield himself behind it. "H-Here!" he offered.

                                            > The smell did its magic and Blossom's nose wrinkled when she caught a whiff. It was Mrs. Nutmeg's famous chocolate chip and vanilla muffins, perfect for the task.

                                            "Go on, you can take one."

                                            > The mare stretched out a slow, trembling hoof while Bright brought the goods closer. Finally Blossom could reach and snatched one.

                                            "Just act natural," Anon told the unicorn. "She's a bit shy."

                                            > "You don't say?!"

                                            "Okay, a lot shy. I'm trying to get her used to other ponies."

                                            > "What in Tartarus happened to make her like this?"

                                            "Long story. Later."

                                            > Blossom didn't seem to be paying any attention to their conversation. She sniffed the pastry in her hooves and tried a ginger, exploratory nibble. Anon could pinpoint the exact moment when it hit her tongue, because she almost smiled.

                                            > Well, her lips twitched a little, but that was all he could see before the mare crammed the whole thing in her mouth. It was gone in seconds.

                                            "See? I knew you'd like it."

                                            > Poor thing must not have had many sweet things to eat during her captivity, so Anon didn't mind indulging her a little.

                                            "Want another one?"

                                            > There was one last muffin in the box Bright was still holding up. Blossom looked at it with shiny, eager eyes, but then glanced at Anon's face, as if suspecting him of a trick.

                                            > Unfortunately for her, she was right.

                                            "All you have to do is ask. Don't worry, Star Bright is a gentlecolt, he won't say no."

                                            > The unicorn caught up on Anon's plan and a slow smile spread across his muzzle as well. He pulled the delicious treasure away. "Well, I *am* kinda hungry. You better hurry up, uh, Blossom."

                                            > The mare looked down, blushing a little and pressing her barrel against Anon's hand where he was holding her.

                                            "Come on, he won't bite."

                                            > "Mm-phm-mh an-another?" the mare mumbled.

                                            > Bright glanced at Anon to gauge if this was sufficient and the human nodded. The unicorn offered the box once more.

                                            > The muffin was snatched and devoured in the blink of an eye.

                                            "Thanks," Anon whispered to the colt.

                                            > "Yeah, no problem. I'll just go put the box back on Mrs. Nutmeg's desk. I still got a sandwich to finish."

                                            > It didn't seem like much, but it was progress. Blossom hadn't been afraid of the unicorn, that had been pure embarrassment. Shy was good. Shy was tons better than her being scared for her life.

                                            "Come on, let's go and sit for a minute."

                                            > With her belly slightly filled, Blossom was a lot more biddable. She followed the human to the couch and even jumped up, even if she did make sure to keep Anon between herself and Star Bright's spot. Once settled, she leaned against his side and tried to hide her muzzle under his arm.

                                            > Anon obliged. The mare deserved to feel safe, especially after what he guessed she'd been through.

                                            > Star Bright came back soon and sat on the far side of the couch. Then the colt bit into his sandwich again. He chewed, swallowed, then asked: "So, what's this all about? You helping Celestia with some special school or something? Y'know... 'slow' ponies?"

                                            "No, nothing like that. It's... a long story and I don't wanna remind Blossom. Thanks, though. She's really scared of unicorns and this right now was good progress, I think."

                                            > Bright inclined his head. "Yeah, anytime. You saved me from that angry mare the other day, so it's only fair."

                                            "What happened with her, then? Did she come back?"

                                            > The unicorn chuckled, his grin not entirely nice. "Yeah, but she came to Mrs. Nutmeg to complain."

                                            "Ouch. Big mistake."

                                            > They both chuckled at the mental image. Nutmeg was a nice mare, most of the time, and an excellent cook, but she didn't like ponies complaining. She especially couldn't stand what she deemed 'frivolous' complaints.

                                            "Anyway, I'll probably be taking a few days off, until me and the Princess figure out how to help Blossom. In case anyone asks."

                                            > "Yeah, I'll let everypony know."

                                            > Anon heard voices from the hall, which signified the end of the lunch break. Ponies were coming back to work and the place was going to get pretty crowded soon.

                                            "Well, I think me and Blossom will go find some lunch. Nice chatting with you!"

                                            > "Same!"

                                            > For a moment Anon thought the mare had fallen asleep, but he patted her withers a few times and she stirred.

                                            "Come on. You hungry?"

                                            > She gave this some thought, then nodded silently.

                                            "Let's go find Princess Celestia and grab some lunch."

                                            > Blossom cast another fearful look at Bright, who smiled and waved back, then gratefully followed Anonymous out the door. They went away from the arriving ponies so he didn't have to distress her any more.

                                            "See? Ponies are nice, even unicorns," he pointed out. "Pretty soon we'll have you back to your normal, happy self."

                                            > He said it hopefully, more for his own sake than Blossom's, but it felt like it could be true. Anon leaned down a little to give Blossom's ears a scratch while he planned the least populated route to the Royal Dining room.

                                            "Let's hope Celestia found some clues about the mine. I have a feeling you weren't the only pony there, were you?"

                                            > Blossom flattened her ears and shook her head.

                                            "Yeah, that's what I'm worried about. This is going to be quite a mess, something tells me."

                                            > The human shook his head sadly and let out a sigh. Memories of his early career, abuse cases, were starting to surface and he didn't like it much. He'd have preferred never to have to deal with these sorts of things again, but he wasn't about to shy away from it either.

                                            > Blossom apparently needed him.

                                            > Still the question burned: why him? Why a human?!

                                            > "Uhm," the mare cleared her throat, "'non-'nonymous?"

                                            "Yes?"

                                            > "Um, I n-need to... go."

                                            > Yeah, he had almost forgotten about that problem. Anon sighed.

                                            "Okay, come this way. We're near the guest rooms anyway..."


                                            > ~~~~


                                            "Blossom, sweetheart, it can't go on like this! It's not proper!"

                                            > The mare only clung harder to Anon's arm. She had grasped him the second he tried to get up from the bed in Cadence's guest suite.

                                            > "Nnuuuh!" she whined.

                                            > Anon let out an exasperated sigh, but then he sat back down. He used his free hand to pat Blossom's barrel.

                                            "I'll just be in the other room, for God's sake! You have to learn to sleep alone."

                                            > Perhaps it was too quick. After all, it was only her second night, but on the other hand, Blossom was over twenty years old, even if she acted like twelve.

                                            > She didn't answer, but her grip lessened. That was probably because he was sitting down, Anonymous guessed.

                                            "Look," he tried to explain patiently, "I won't leave you, okay? If you need anything, or if you have a bad dream, just shout and I'll come. But it's really not right for us to sleep in the same bed, Blossom, don't you understand?"

                                            > The pony shook her head, but that just proved to Anonymous that she was lying.

                                            > Using one hand to free his arm, the human slid out of Blossom's grasp and stood up. Then he made the mistake of looking the the mare.

                                            > It was a heart-wrenching sight. She somehow portrayed the image of the loneliest and saddest pony in all the world, with her ears not even entirely flattened because she simply did not have the energy to do so.

                                            > Her lower lip was trembling and her large, glossy eyes were on the verge of overflowing. Anon closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Suddenly he was glad that Celestia sometimes practiced 'the Look' on him.

                                            > His resolve didn't break, not exactly, but the man knelt down, leaned on the bed and cupped Blossom's muzzle with both palms. She nuzzled him a little but then her gaze fell down to the bed sheet. At least she didn't try to grab him again.

                                            "I won't be far, okay? Promise. You had dinner and a glass of water and now you're all cozy and bundled up in Cadence's soft bed. You're going to be fine."

                                            > The two stared at each other for long seconds. Blossom broke first and she nodded against Anon's hands.

                                            "Good girl," he said with a smile.

                                            > He kept his hands in place for a bit longer and the mare licked his palms a few times.

                                            "Tell you what, in the morning we'll get some more pancakes from Princess Celestia, would you like that?"

                                            > Her ears went up and focused on Anon, as if she was afraid to miss a single word. The large, shimmering eyes dried up in record time and there was even a hint of a smile on her muzzle.

                                            "Remember how to use the toilet if you need it in the night?"

                                            > Another nod.

                                            "You can wake me up if you need to, okay?"

                                            > Again Blossom nodded and this time Anon released her muzzle. Her ears splayed as she lost the warmth, but at least it didn't seem like she would start crying again.

                                            "Good night, sweetheart."

                                            > Anon waited for a few seconds more and was rewarded: "G-nigh'"

                                            > Grinning, he made his way to the drawing room where one of the staff had left him a pillow and a blanket. He almost asked, but remembered just in time that Blossom preferred the darkness.

                                            > Probably it was the only time she could rest in that mine, he thought.

                                            > The sleeping arrangements still weren't ideal, but at least he wasn't sharing a bed with young mare. That would be a very unpleasant rumor, if it started to spread. Hopefully Blossom would feel better in a few days or a week and then he'd be able to return to Celestia.

                                            > Incredible how he was starting to miss that soft, warm body to wrap his arms around as he slept. The human wondered if the Princess missed him too.

                                            > Probably. She had been the one to sneak into his bed at every opportunity back on Earth.

                                            > Anon undressed to his underpants and lay down. Not much longer. Blossom was making good progress. A few more days, a week at the most, he repeated to himself.


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > It was that time again and Blossom was decidedly uneasy. She was sitting listlessly on the couch and avoided looking at the people around her. She was mostly fine with Celestia by now, but Dr. Sherbert seemed to instill apprehension in the mare.

                                            > Even Anonymous sitting beside her didn't help. Every now and the she glanced at the human, but then she went back to staring down at her hooves.

                                            > "There we go. How are we feeling today?" the old doctor asked. He wasn't a bad sort, but he spoke with authority and Anon guessed that was what was bothering Blossom.

                                            > The earth pony didn't mind when she failed to answer, he just walked over and peered closely at the mare. She stiffened up, but with Anon's encouraging pat on her withers she let the doctor pull her foreleg.

                                            > "Hmm," he murmured to himself, then looked up at the mare. "Does it hurt when you stretch it?"

                                            > It didn't seem as if Blossom would answer, so Anon leaned closer and whispered. Of course Dr. Sherbert could hear, but it was more about the gesture than any sort of secrecy.

                                            "Answer the nice doctor, Blossom. He's only here to help and make sure you're healthy."

                                            > The mare gave Anon a pitiful look, but then she swallowed a lump and muttered: "S'fine."

                                            > "Good, good!" Dr. Sherbert exclaimed. He turned her foreleg the other way. "How about this? Let me know if it's sore."

                                            > By now Blossom was starting to understand she wasn't in trouble, but her voice still trembled. "N-No."

                                            > "And this?"

                                            > He latest manipulation made Blossom hiss and jerk her leg away.

                                            > "Oh, I'm so dreadfully sorry, young miss!" he apologized profusely. "It hurt when it went that way?"

                                            > Blossom just nodded while she was rubbing her injured foreleg with the other hoof.

                                            "Is that bad?" Anon asked.

                                            > "Oh, no, no," Dr. Sherbert answered the human. "Just a slight sprain. Don't go too hard on it and you'll be fine in a couple of weeks, miss."

                                            > That much was a relief.

                                            > "Okay, now say 'aaaa'," the doctor ordered, leaning closer. When Blossom didn't comply, he demonstrated by sticking out his tongue and going: "Aaa!"

                                            > It was unexpected enough to make the mare giggle. That seemed to break the ice and she copied the doctor: "AAAAA!"

                                            > He peered into her mouth, 'hmm-ing' to himself, until he was satisfied. "Good, good," he said, rummaging in his bag for his auriscope. Anon felt a small touch of pride for knowing what it was called.

                                            > "Turn your head, now," the doctor ordered.

                                            > Blossom shrank away from this strange new tool with some apprehension. Luckily Anon noticed.

                                            "It doesn't hurt, sweetheart. The doctor will just look in your ear to make sure it's okay. Here, just look at me."

                                            > The mare did as instructed, but her ears were in a permanent state of folded down. After a few seconds, Dr. Sherbert cleared his throat. "Could you lift your left ear for me, miss?"

                                            > All Blossom did at the prompt was close her eyes tightly shut. Anon sighed and very carefully lifted her ear with his hand. It twitched in his fingers, but he kept a firm hold.

                                            "It's not gonna hurt, trust me," he repeated.

                                            > The doctor didn't waste time. He pushed the thin end of his instrument in Blossom's ear and peered inside. Anon idly wondered if the thing was battery powered.

                                            > Probably not, he decided. Ponies relied on magic the same way humans relied on electricity.

                                            > The examination didn't last long and Blossom let out a breath she had been holding when the device was removed.

                                            > "Good, good," Dr. Sherbert said to himself. "Now the other ear, please."

                                            > Maybe having seen that the procedure doesn't hurt was helping. Blossom shuffled around until she was facing away and her ear half-lifted by itself. Anon still helped out with his fingers. This time she didn't fight him.

                                            > The examination was just as fast and soon the doctor was stashing his device back in his bag. He brought out a stethoscope next and fixed the ear tips in place.

                                            > "Very good, this is the last thing, I promise. The Princess said no blood samples and no gynecological examinations."

                                            > "That's correct," Celestia confirmed. It was the first thing she said since she introduced the doctor and Anon.

                                            > "Very well," Dr. Sherbert said and deftly balanced the metal disc of the stethoscope in his hoof. "Deep, regular breaths, now."

                                            > There was very little chance of that, but the stallion didn't seem to mind. He slid the drum across Blossom's barrel.

                                            > He held it in place for a while. "Mmm, a little fast, but I suppose that was to be expected," he commented. "Can you cough for me, miss?"

                                            > Blossom blinked and turned her head to look at Anon. She didn't know what to make of the request.

                                            "Just try."

                                            > She obediently opened her mouth and coughed, just once.

                                            > The doctor smiled as he pulled the instrument away and removed it from his ears. "Very good, very good," he praised. The stethoscope went back into his bag and the stallion turned to Celestia.

                                            > "She's healthy, as far as I can tell. A bit more muscular than normal, even for an earth pony, but from what you told me that's to be expected."

                                            > Anon, who hadn't noticed any such thing, looked at Blossom again. She was quite lean, but he couldn't spot anything else. It showed that he'd never paid too close attention to ponies' bodies.

                                            > "Other than that, no illness that I can see, at least without a blood sample. No injuries, but we'd have to do an x-ray to see if she broke any bones in the past. I give her a clean bill of health, Princess."

                                            > Celestia smiled with relief. "Thank you, doctor. Once she is feeling better I will arrange the rest, but for now this is good news."

                                            > The stallion bowed, slung his bag on his back and headed for the door. "You'll call me if anything changes, right?"

                                            > "Of course."

                                            > He was about to leave when he suddenly grinned and came back. "Oh, sorry! Almost forgot this!"

                                            > Blossom was already cringing against Anon at some new medical torture, but the doctor had other plans. He plucked a colorful lollipop from his bag. "I knew I had it here somewhere!" he exclaimed. "It pays to have a little reward for the young ones and it seems it's also appropriate here."

                                            > He held out the treat. At first Blossom didn't know what it was, but then she caught the scent and her nose twitched.

                                            "See? Most doctors are quite nice, Blossom."

                                            > The mare looked at Anon, then transferred her gaze back to the offered sweet. She reached out gingerly and plucked it from Dr. Sherbert's grasp. Moments later it was in her mouth and she was already crunching it.

                                            > Just listening to that made Anon's teeth hurt and from the look on the doctor's face he felt about the same. The stallion got over it quickly. "There, you've been a very brave young mare, miss. Bye now!"

                                            > With this he left for real and the only sound in the room was Blossom's crunching of the hard candy.

                                            "You should have just licked that, you know?" Anon commented.

                                            > The mare stopped and looked at him with the plastic stick poking out of her muzzle.

                                            "It's okay. Just remember for next time. It'll last a lot longer. Here, don't eat the plastic."

                                            > Anon pulled it away. It was already stripped clean. A moment later Blossom resumed chewing and scant seconds after that she swallowed.

                                            > "Well, that was some good news, at least," Celestia said. Her face looked troubled and the alicorn was staring off into the distance.

                                            "What's wrong?"

                                            > "I got a very disturbing report from the scout wing I sent to look for that mine. More than that, the report from my clerks was... let's just say 'lackluster'."

                                            > The Princess sighed. "I feel like I am not being told the whole truth and I do not like it."

                                            "Want me to take a look at those?"

                                            > She smiled at the human and walked over so he could pat her muzzle. "Yes, but I also do not want you to leave Blossom alone. I will handle things."

                                            "Nonsense. Put the reports on my desk and I'll go take a look at them. I have to do something anyway and Blossom seemed fine in my office yesterday. We even spoke with Star Bright."

                                            > "The unicorn?!"

                                            "Yep! He gave Blossom some muffins. I guess that helped."

                                            > Both of them looked at the mare in question, but she didn't seem to care what they were talking about, even if it was about her. The pony was leaning heavily against Anon, resting after the ordeal of a medical check-up.

                                            > "Well, that is good, but perhaps you should not keep Blossom cooped up inside all the time."

                                            "What do you suggest?"

                                            > Celestia leaned her head to the side in thought, then her muzzle split into a grin. "How about this: I will go and help Luna handle Court. That way she will be done a little sooner. We'll both join you and Blossom out on the terrace for lunch. It is a very nice day outside, have you noticed?"

                                            > Anon looked at the window and saw that it was indeed quite sunny.

                                            "Sounds good. Blossom, would you like to have lunch with us out in the sun?"

                                            > The mare followed his gaze and frowned a little in thought. Then she looked back at Anon and nodded.

                                            "Good! It's a date!"

                                            > Celestia gave him a quick kiss. "Mm, I like the sound of that. It has been too long, Anonymous."

                                            > She was right. Their weekend getaway didn't really count as a proper date. They would have to catch up once Blossom was well enough that she could spend an evening alone, or with someone else.

                                            "I'll make it up to you, Princess."

                                            > She winked as her grin widened. "You better!"


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > Anonymous caught a break at noon, when Celestia joined him and Blossom in the garden. He was reading a book, immensely grateful for the thick pillow on the stone seat, while the young mare was just lying on the grass, soaking up sunlight.

                                            > Maybe she was asleep, it was hard to tell. She wanted to run and for some reason he had to give her permission, but once that was out of the way, the pony sped around the little clearing until she collapsed, wheezing but happy.

                                            > She had a lot of energy to burn, that one.

                                            > "How is it going?" Celestia asked as she sat on the grass next to Anon's chair and leaned against his side. His hand automatically went to her ear and began scratching.

                                            "Taking a nap, I think."

                                            > Blossom made him a liar by sighing and angling her head to look at the Princess. She even raised one hoof in a kind of greeting.

                                            > "I see."

                                            "Shouldn't you be holding court? Where's Luna?"

                                            > The alicorn shrugged. "Technically, but I took a short break. Luna wanted to have lunch with Eli. If you want you can get lunch and I will watch Blossom for a bit."

                                            "Hmm. That okay with you Blossom? Would you mind staying with the Princess for a bit while I go get a sandwich?"

                                            > She just shrugged, which Anonymous decided to take as a 'yes'.

                                            "Want me to bring you anything?"

                                            > The mare had to think for a bit, then she brightened up. "M-Muffins?" she prompted.

                                            "Hmm, I don't think-"

                                            > Celestia nudged him in the ribs with her muzzle and the man shut up. She obviously had an idea. "I know you don't like sweets, Anonymous, so here is a thought. Get your sandwich and when you are back, you can take Blossom out to that bakery on the corner of Cloudsdale Lane and Restaurant Row."

                                            > Taking the young mare out of the Castle worried the human a little. He watched Blossom to try and gauge her reaction to the suggestion. She was still watching him intently.

                                            "You think you're up for that, Blossm? It's just a short walk and we can get muffins. You won't get scared if you see unicorns walking around, will you?"

                                            > Her muzzle scrunched up, but after a moment the mare shook her head.

                                            > It wasn't entirely convincing, but maybe the lure of pastries would help Blossom get over her fear sooner. He remembered the previous night's meeting with Star Bright.

                                            > Blossom was showing very good progress. She was quickly adjusting to this new life.

                                            "Okay then. Remember, if you feel uncomfortable just say so and we'll come right back."

                                            > The mare nodded at first, but then she thought better of it and cleared her throat. "Okay," she managed.

                                            >...

                                            > All Anon had on his mind when he barged into Celestia and Luna's small dining room was a quick cheese and tomato sandwich. The refrigerator there could be relied upon to be well stocked at all times. More importantly, there would be no crowd.

                                            > After near-constant Blossom's presence, Anon wanted to eat a solitary meal. He could have gotten something from the kitchens, which provided lunch for the various clerks, guards, maids and visiting dignitaries employed in the Castle, but most pony food was too sugary for Anon's taste and the cooks were entirely too chatty for him right at the moment.

                                            > A sandwich would be an elegant simplicity.

                                            > Except he wasn't alone. He nearly ran into Luna, who was sitting on her haunches with her back to the door.

                                            "Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to disturb-"

                                            > The man was about to apologize and duck out of the room. It wouldn't be the first time he chanced upon the younger alicorn and her diplomat boyfriend in an intimate moment and the best way to avoid embarrassment all around was simply to leave and pretend he hadn't seen anything.

                                            > Only this time Luna was alone. Despite that, she let out a very uncharacteristic squeak, which got Anon interested. What did the Princess have to hide?

                                            > He closed the door behind himself and leaned on it. Luna was still facing away.

                                            > "Mmmuh-huuh!" came a muffled, weirdly resonating, slightly echoing reply.

                                            "Bad time?" he asked.

                                            > The mare heaved a sigh and slowly turned around. Her muzzle appeared to be stuck in a glass jar. That would explain the sound, Anon concluded.

                                            > He took a closer look. It was one of Celestia's prized blueberry and lavender jam jars. The one which always ran out inexplicably quickly so the Princess had to order it more frequently than she expected. She sometimes mentioned it in idle conversation, especially during breakfast.

                                            > Anon began to form a picture in his mind.

                                            "So it was you all along?"

                                            > Another sigh and Luna's ears lowered even further. She nodded.

                                            "But why? You know Celestia wouldn't begrudge you jam whenever you wanted it."

                                            > "Huum humum hum huam hu how."

                                            > Anon couldn't help but chuckle at her plaintive tone, rendered completely intelligible by the glass, which just barely fit her snout.

                                            "Wanna put that down and try again?"

                                            > The alicorn nodded and put her hooves on the glass. She gave it a tug, but she couldn't get a good grip, so the jar remained in place.

                                            > "Hmueh hees?" she pleaded.

                                            > Laughing, Anon stepped closer and firmly grasped the jar with both hands. It took a surprising amount of force to get the thing off Luna's face. There was a sound almost like that of a cork coming out of the bottle and then the Princess was free.

                                            > Except for all the jam covering her nose. It would have been worse if it didn't match her coat color pretty well.

                                            > "Thanks," she said, slightly dejected.

                                            "I won't tell her if you don't," Anon offered.

                                            > The words made Luna's ears lift up in surprise. "You won't?" Her eyes narrowed. "Why not? What will you demand from me in return?! You will not blackmail me!"

                                            > The man held up his hands in supplication.

                                            "Relax, relax, nothing of the sort. It's just..."

                                            > He paused for a moment to think up the best way to explain. When he had it, he made a circular motion to encompass Luna and her sticky muzzle.

                                            "This is too precious. Back when Celestia came to Earth, she told me she missed feeling like a little filly sometime. I guess this is your way of doing that?"

                                            > Luna gave a single nod, but she was beginning to smile.

                                            "Exactly. Besides, Celestia already knows damn near everything that's happening in Equestria. Let's keep a little bit of mystery in her life. It'll do her good."

                                            > "She- noticed?"

                                            "Yes, but she can't figure out why that particular flavor runs out so quickly."

                                            > Luna lowered her gaze to the floor. "It's my favorite."

                                            "You still haven't answered me why you didn't simply tell Celestia?"

                                            > The alicorn shook her head. "I guess... at first I felt these breakfasts were a chore. All I wanted to do was go to bed, but Sister insisted. Once I figured out her pancakes were actually *good*, it was too late to simply change my mind."

                                            > Anon thought he understood.

                                            "Oh, so you don't want to admit to Celestia that you were wrong?"

                                            > "She *is* my older Sister! Did you have sisters or brothers?"

                                            "No."

                                            > "Then you probably wouldn't understand. I refuse to give her the satisfaction of winning on this! As far as Celestia is concerned, I begrudgingly suffer through her constant pancake breakfasts!"

                                            > Anon couldn't help but laugh some more.

                                            "Luna," he said as calmly as he could manage, "I think she knows. We all see you polish your plate and then lick it clean! And *then* ask for more."

                                            > The mare just snorted and turned away. "Well, she did not know about the jam! It is my favorite and a secret, *and* you will keep it that way if you value your life!"

                                            > The chuckling fit simply wouldn't stop and Anon had to hold up his hands in supplication so he could catch a breath.

                                            "Okay, okay, fine. I promise, Your Highness!"

                                            > She was hard to take seriously, even while threatening him, with all that jam smeared on her nose and apparently forgotten. Anon opened a nearby drawer and brought out a clean dish cloth.

                                            "Here, let me help."

                                            > It was the work of moments to wipe her face, even if it remained somewhat sticky.

                                            "You'll have to wash if you don't want Celestia to figure it out."

                                            > "I know," Luna replied.

                                            "One more thing. Why didn't you use a spell or something to know when someone was coming? Or, failing that, why didn't you hear me walking up?"

                                            > Luna flashed a proud little grin. "Two reasons: One, only Sister usually comes in this room and she is holding court for the next hour at least. And two, the treat is more delicious when there is a chance of being caught."

                                            > That made a lot of sense, actually. Illicit treats were always tastier, that was a well-known fact.

                                            > "As for why I did not hear you," Luna went on, blushing a little and lowering her ears. "Um... slurping," she explained, poking out her pink tongue and wiggling it a little as if in demonstration.

                                            > Anon glanced at the jar on the table and tried to imagine. There wasn't a whole lot left so Luna's tongue would have to stretch impressively far to reach the sweet jam.

                                            > He was slightly grateful that he didn't have this flavor of jam on his pancakes - or at least didn't remember if he ever had. Yes, he kissed Celestia which was an even more direct way to swap saliva, but that was entirely different. Food wasn't involved. Usually, at least.

                                            "Couldn't you use a spoon or something? I don't think Celestia would appreciate it if she knew you stick your tongue in there."

                                            > The mare shook her head. "It tastes better this way and Sister will never find out, correct?"

                                            "Yeah, I'll keep your secret, Luna. Anyway, do you mind if I get a sandwich for myself?"

                                            > "Please do."

                                            > She was eyeing the jar once more and Anon resigned himself to having to free her from it once more in a few minutes' time.

                                            > Strangely enough, he reflected as he picked up the ingredients from the fridge, he wasn't as disgusted as he was expecting. Maybe living in Equestria had changed him in more ways that he realized.

                                            > Still, just to be on the safe side, the human made a mental note never to have blueberry jam on his pancakes.

                                            > A second mental note: He now knew Luna's favorite flavor, which could come in handy around birthdays or Christmas, or the pony equivalent of it.


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > Anonymous and Blossom stood just inside the Canterlot Castle's main gate. It was open in the balmy weather but there didn't appear to be any visitors. The two guards posted there watched him with a great deal of interest, but didn't comment.

                                            > He must have gone through the gates hundreds, or perhaps thousands of times, but today was different because of Blossom. She watched the street warily, as if expecting an attack. Her whole body was tense and her ears twitched and scanned like radar dishes.

                                            > It put Anon in mind of a cat in unfamiliar territory, assessing all threats and deciding between fleeing or fighting. Every now and then Blossom's tail swished. She wasn't probably even aware she was doing it.

                                            "Hey, it's just a walk. Nothing to be afraid of."

                                            > He had to calm her down before she worked herself into a frenzy. Pausing had been a mistake, Anonymous decided.

                                            "Come on," he urged and took a step.

                                            > He didn't have to look back because he heard the clop of her hooves as the mare hurried to catch up to him. Her muzzle pressed against his hand and her tongue darted out to give his fingers a quick lick.

                                            > The courtyard was easy because it was empty, but then there was the main plaza with a number of ponies milling about. A lot of them were unicorns.

                                            > Anon glanced down and saw how Blossom's ears were already flattening at the sight.

                                            "Don't be afraid of them."

                                            > He stopped so he wouldn't trip and the mare looked up at his face. Anon tried to smile as reassuringly and disarmingly as he could.

                                            "The worst they'll do is be a bit rude to you. Just ignore them, okay?"

                                            > The mare swallowed and then gave a single nod.

                                            "Just say if you get too nervous and we'll go back."

                                            > Another nod.

                                            > Anon decided to take it as a good sign and started walking again. Blossom's muzzle kept brushing his hand, but she wasn't pressing her face into his palm anymore.

                                            > Maybe Celestia was right. Keeping Blossom cooped up and handling her with extreme caution would just reinforce to her that there was something to fear. Immerse her in normal life as soon as possible so she can learn to accept it and adapt.

                                            > The Princess has also promised she'd bring in an expert to help Blossom get over her experiences, but whoever that was hadn't made an appearance yet. Soon, Anon hoped.

                                            > He kept his pace slow and steady, so that the mare didn't have to constantly think about her position and speed. A larger version of the famous Heisenberg Principle, the man thought to himself.

                                            > After all the years living there, the Canterlot ponies paid the tall alien no mind. He got an occasional curious glance, but there was no fear anymore. The first few months after his arrival had been much, much worse.

                                            > If anyone even noticed Blossom, it was only because she was so obviously with him. She got even fewer glances than him. That was just as well.

                                            "So, have you ever been in Canterlot before?" Anon asked, mainly for something to say.

                                            > Blossom took a quick glance around, then shrugged. "Du-Dunno," she answered almost too quietly to hear above the background noise of the street. "I don't remember."

                                            > It was a curious answer and Anon furrowed his brow in curiosity.

                                            "You don't remember?"

                                            > "Maybe- maybe when I was little," Blossom said, keeping her eyes on a group of unicorns in suits sitting at an outside table in front of a cafe. "Maybe M-Mom and Dad brought me."

                                            > She had never mentioned her parents before.

                                            "Mom and Dad? What were they like? Do you know where they are?"

                                            > Blossom shook her head. "Dunno," she admitted. "They, um, they stayed at the farm."

                                            > Her previous mention of that 'farm' had made the mare sad and frightened and Anon didn't want to repeat that, not in the middle of the street. He wanted to know more, but now was not the time, so he decided to change the topic.

                                            "Well, it's not far now. Princess Celestia says this place has the best muffins in town. Do you want to try them?"

                                            > The worried look on her muzzle was immediately replaced by a smile of anticipation. "Yes!"

                                            > There was more certainty in her voice now.

                                            "Good! What sort would you like?" Anon invented rapidly. "Chocolate, or... or strawberry, or blueberry. I think there's a lot of kinds."

                                            > Blossom's smile vanished and she looked pained. For a second Anon worried he'd somehow upset her, but then the mare looked up at the sky. "Ummmm..."

                                            > Ah, the pain of indecision. The famous donkey and two identical piles of hay, or how did that old folk tale go?

                                            "How about we take the first two on the menu today and then we come again tomorrow to try a few more? That way you'll have them all and then you'll see which one is your favorite?"

                                            > That saved her from having to decide and Blossom's face cleared up in another happy smile. She bobbed her head excitedly and Anon could even swear there was fresh spring in her step.

                                            > He did notice that she wasn't pressing her muzzle against his hand anymore.

                                            > "Anon, my favorite human!" came a greeting from behind them, making the man stop and Blossom nearly walk into him.

                                            > He immediately recognized the voice.

                                            "Oh, hi Storm," he greeted.

                                            > He turned around and smiled warmly at the white-maned old pegasus out on the street. The old pony wasn't all that nimble, but four legs allowed him to hobble quite quickly to the human.

                                            > Blossom backed away and tried to hide behind Anon's legs.

                                            > "Where have you been, you scoundrel? Candy has been asking when you'll come around and I don't know what to tell her!"

                                            > Anon leaned down so he could shake the stallion's hoof.

                                            "Sorry, it's been really busy lately. You know how it is, borders opening, trade picking up, stuff like that."

                                            > Storm shrugged a little to himself, but conceded the point. "Well," he muttered darkly, "I did always say you work yourself too hard, Anonymous. But seriously, come over one of these days, will you? Candy and Aura are in town and they'd be thrilled to meet you! Oh, who's your young friend?"

                                            > At long last the pony had noticed Blossom and was peering at her with some curiosity.

                                            "Storm Pop, I'd like you to meet Blossom. She's- uh, she's a friend. I'm showing her around the city. We're just on our way to get some muffins."

                                            > "Mighty pleased to meet you!" the pegasus bellowed. His direct manner and his wide smile had apparently disarmed the skittish mare enough so that she let him take one of her hooves and shake it vigorously.

                                            > "Any friend of Anonymous is friend of the family," Storm assured her.

                                            > As soon as he let her go, Blossom looked up at Anon, trying to see what she should do next.

                                            > The human misunderstood the question in her eyes and tried to explain.

                                            "Storm Pop's niece, Aura, had a really bad accident with her wing. Shattered. They came to the Castle to ask for help and we met in the hallway outside of the Grand Hall. I got Mr. Bennett - he used to be the ambassador back then - to listen to their case."

                                            > Blossom blinked, no closer to understand than she was before the explanation. Anon waved his arms around and went on:

                                            "Anyway, they took Aura in at one of the human hospitals and fixed her wing."

                                            > Storm was nodding happily at the memory. He barked a laugh. "Mind you, it didn't seem as if it would even work. All those metal bits in her wing..."

                                            "Well, us humans have had to get really creative with our medicine. We don't have magic, you know?"

                                            > "I know, I know," Storm Pop nodded. "What's important is that Aura probably wouldn't be flying today without all that. So, you'll come to visit? Candy will make some cake for you to take back to Princess Celestia. I know you don't eat it yourself."

                                            > "C-Cake?!" Blossom asked, suddenly extremely curious.

                                            "Oh, you like cake?"

                                            > The mare shook her head. "No, b-but, um, Princess said something about cake..."

                                            "Ah, and you'd like to know what it is?"

                                            > "She said it is de-delicious."

                                            > The old pegasus quickly latched onto that statement and prodded the human in the leg. "Hear that? Surely you aren't going to let Blossom go without cake, are you? Only the most heartless of monsters would do a thing like that!"

                                            > Laughing, Anon gave in. Besides, he thought, meeting more friendly ponies might really help Blossom get over her fear of others.

                                            "Fine, fine! We'll come for lunch, but I don't know when exactly. I'll send you a message, okay?"

                                            > "Deal!"

                                            > Storm Pop held out his hoof again, which Anon dutifully shook. "Good, good," he said. "You two enjoy your muffins. Well, you enjoy them, at least, Blossom."

                                            > Anon waved his hand and then they were off again. All in all, the mare had handled the encounter quite well and the human couldn't help feeling a tiny bit proud of her.

                                            > Having been stuck at the bottom of some mine for most of her life and now walking around one of the busiest city in Equestria must have been a huge shock, but she seemed to be handling it so far.

                                            > Maybe it was thanks in large part to the ponies' innate affinity for sugar and sweets, but Anon would use whatever he could. Somehow it was really important to make sure Blossom was as happy as possible after her unfortunate childhood.

                                            > With luck, once she was full of those muffins and back safely in the Castle, she might even open up a bit more about her parents and that mysterious 'farm'.

                                            > Maybe her therapist would arrive and Anon would be able to get a few hours of privacy with Celestia. All that talk of sweets and cake was reminding him of the alicorn and how much he missed her company.

                                            > On a whim, he leaned down and patted Blossom's head.

                                            "You're doing great, by the way. I'm really proud of you."

                                            > The mare smiled briefly, but then she spotted another unicorn across the street and watched him nervously until they rounded the corner.

                                            > "Um... three?" she asked once they were alone, more or less.

                                            "Three what?"

                                            > "C-Can I get three muffins?"

                                            > Anon couldn't help but laugh. Making requests was great.

                                            "Sure, sweetheart. I think we can manage three."

                                            > He could have sworn she pranced a few steps in pure joy.

                                            > Rehab by sweets, who would have thought it?!

                                            >...

                                            > Blossom ended up having five muffins, all in all. She had definitely ruined any chance of a healthy lunch, but Anon didn't have the heart to tell her no. Besides, she smiled a lot each time she got to look through the glass and make her choices.

                                            > Anonymous had to apologize because of the faint drool marks, but even that didn't dampen his spirits.

                                            > He left a very generous tip when they finally left.

                                            "So. Sweets, I guess?"

                                            > Blossom burped a little, but then nodded happily. It might have been bad for her body, but oh so therapeutic for her soul. The mare hardly even glanced at a unicorn in a suit and tie who passed just as they were exiting the tiny shop.

                                            > Still, the sugar high would end soon, by which time it might be a good idea to have Blossom somewhere safe and familiar. God willing, she might even agree to a nap in the afternoon so Anonymous could get a couple of hours with Celestia.

                                            > Funny how you don't even notice the constant touches and little affections until they're gone for a couple of days.

                                            "Well, let's get you back and then you're brushing your teeth, understand?"

                                            > Blossom looked confused. "Teeth?"

                                            "Let me guess, you don't know how to do that?"

                                            > She shook her head

                                            "I'll find someone to teach you," Anon promised and that seemed okay with the mare.

                                            > He also made a mental note to get her to a dentist sooner, rather than later. As soon as she wouldn't freak out about strangers poking around her mouth.

                                            > Again he shuddered just to think what kind of limited life she must have led during her captivity. Yeah, he decided again, filling her up with sweets for nearly every meal was perfectly fine, if it made Blossom happy.

                                            "Let's go this way, I think there's less traffic."


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > The Grand Hall was essentially a public space during the Court hours, but Anon still knocked on the door. The two guards stationed there watched him with some curiosity. They were both pegasi, which told Anonymous that Celestia was expecting him and Blossom.

                                            > "Come in," came the melodious invitation.

                                            > Anon reached out to push the door open, but the guards beat him to it. He let his hand drop and walk through, but not before giving the two stallions a friendly smile.

                                            "Thanks."

                                            > One of them inclined his head, but then they returned to their posts, staring rigidly ahead. Not for the first time Anon wondered just how good they'd actually be at stopping an intruder.

                                            > Well, the gold armor was quite impressive. It calmed the worried visitors and possibly deterred some of the troublemakers. Perhaps that was enough of a reason for their presence.

                                            > When the human looked at the dais he saw the Princess and her guest, both looking at him. It took a second to bring the name to his memory and then he strode confidently forward.

                                            > Blossom was right behind him, Anonymous could hear the sound of her hooves on the carpet.

                                            "Hello, Fluttershy," Anon greeted. "It's been a while."

                                            > The yellow pegasus extended a wing for a wave. She was one of Twilight Sparkle's friends and an Element of Harmony on top of all that, but since Twilight herself lived in Ponyville, her friends mostly stayed there too.

                                            > All except for Rarity, who came to have tea with one or both of the Princesses whenever she was in Canterlot on business. He'd seen some of the paperwork for her clothes store and it seemed to be doing very well.

                                            > Anon was wondering a little why Fluttershy was visiting, especially without Celestia's ex-pupil, Twilight, but he didn't show it on his face.

                                            > "Hi, Anonymous. How did it go?"

                                            > He stepped aside so the two mares on the dais could see Blossom.

                                            "Happy and full of muffins. She's doing a lot better, actually."

                                            > As if to prove him wrong immediately, the mare quickly shuffled behind him again and pressed her muzzle against his leg.

                                            "Don't be afraid, Fluttershy is the nicest pony I know."

                                            > It didn't do a whole lot, so the man just sighed and started walking again. Meanwhile Celestia and Fluttershy came down from where they were sitting. There were two cushions on the floor beside the huge pair of gold-adorned thrones.

                                            > Celestia never did enjoy sitting higher than any of her subjects, even when formal functions demanded it. Of course she had the cushions stashed behind the throne for when her closest friends visited.

                                            > "Hello!" Fluttershy said to the mare who was peeking between Anon's legs. "My name is Fluttershy! What is yours?"

                                            > The fact that she was a pegasus helped and Blossom didn't follow when Anonymous stepped away. "B-Blossom," she said.

                                            > "She was kept in a mine and made to work. We do not even know for how long. Ever since she was a filly, I fear."

                                            > Fluttershy was instantly on the verge of tears. "Oh, you poor, sweet thing!" she said and rushed forward.

                                            > Blossom only had enough time to give a strangled little squeak of surprise, but them the yellow wings were wrapped around her and Fluttershy was holding her against her barrel.

                                            > "There, there, it's going to be okay now, *I promise*."

                                            > The captive pink mare managed to turn her head enough to look at Anonymous. "U-Um..."

                                            > Anon didn't know what to do, really. He would have gone to extricate Blossom from Fluttershy's grip, but Celestia laid a wing around his shoulders, keeping him in place.

                                            > "Leave them," the Princess whispered right into his ear. "Let Fluttershy work her magic."

                                            > Oh, of course! The Element of Kindness!

                                            > "You're going to be safe now. Nopony will hurt you ever again," the pegasus was whispering. It was working, too. Blossom closed her eyes and sniffed. A moment later she buried her muzzle in the surprisingly deep chest fluff.

                                            > "That's okay," Fluttershy encouraged the mare, "just let it all out. You'll feel a lot better, trust me."

                                            > "Come," Celestia said and took a step, but then she stopped. "Oh, Fluttershy - you know where Cadence's guest room is, right?"

                                            > Rather than speak up with the currently extremely fragile Blossom in her hooves, the pegasus just gave them a simple nod and a smile.

                                            > "You can take Blossom there. It is hers for the time being. Send a guard pony if you need anything."

                                            > Another nod. By now Blossom was openly weeping under the combined assault of Fluttershy's wing-hug, nuzzles and gentle back-stroking.

                                            > Anonymous hadn't had many chances to touch the yellow mare, but he knew she was probably the softest object in the known universe. She normally worked with animals and Anon knew Celestia was secretly funding her animal sanctuary near Ponyville with anonymous donations, but her special Element magic would work just as well on ponies.

                                            "So, she's the-" Anon asked, but Celestia simply interrupted him with a kiss.

                                            > Luckily they were already outside of the room and out of sight of Fluttershy and Blossom, because the pony kissed him so passionately that it probably left his lips bruised.

                                            "Oh!"

                                            > She pulled away and winked, completely ignoring the two guards who had dutifully closed the door behind them and were now *really* relying on their training to look straight ahead with neutral expressions.

                                            > The two stallions were losing and there was some red in those muzzles, but the Princess didn't seem to mind that either.

                                            > "Room. Now."

                                            > Her voice was barely above a whisper, but no less urgent for that. She really was pent up! Anon began to smile as he plodded after the mare. He also needed this, a lot.

                                            >...

                                            > In record time the two were in their room. Anon hardly had time to push the door shut before Celestia's lips clamped against his once more. She moaned a little into his mouth.

                                            > Then she pushed him toward the bed. "I *do* *not* want Luna listening in on this..."

                                            > Her horn began to glow and a shimmering net of light spread around the room, covering all the walls, doors and windows.

                                            > Anon smiled a little uncertainly. Celestia hadn't required a silencing spell before, no matter how loud they were. Why would she start worrying about what Luna thought?

                                            > For that matter, Luna hadn't bothered to shield her room. In fact it was often the case that Celestia wrapped herself and Anon in silence to allow them to even sleep!

                                            > The mare climbed up on the bed, but she was out of reach. Anonymous slid forward and reached out for her, but a hoof on his chest kept him at a distance.

                                            > Suddenly Celestia's face was dead serious.

                                            > "I did not know whom else to trust, Anonymous. I am worried," she said in a quiet voice. "I believe we have... well, I suppose 'spies' is the nearest word. Spies in the Castle. On my staff, even."

                                            "Oh. What makes you think that?"

                                            > The alicorn just watched him for a minute. Something in her expression was making his blood run cold. He'd never even considered a possibility of spies or subterfuge, not in this magical horse utopia. Who would even want to do that? The other races had been either defeated or befriended.

                                            > Whatever plot she had uncovered, it had Celestia very worried, which meant he was worried as well. The Princess was thousands of years old and she had kept the throne all that time. If anyone, she would have very good instincts for this sort of thing.

                                            > "We can speak freely now, but not for too long. I do not wish to arouse suspicion in case anypony was listening in," Celestia said at her normal speaking volume.

                                            "Okay, what did you find? What's wrong?"

                                            > The alicorn sighed and looked down. "I set out to find two things yesterday. One," she said, lifting up a hoof, "if there was any anomaly in the paperwork for any of the stone quarries in the Foal Mountains area. And two," here she raised up the other hoof, "I sent a wing of pegasi guards to look for any unlisted mines."

                                            "Okay?"

                                            > "You remember that Comet Roll volunteered to join them?"

                                            "Yeah, the new guy."

                                            > "He did not return."

                                            "What?! K-Killed?"

                                            > Celestia shook her head and it felt as if a huge rock had rolled off his heart. He'd only met the stallion for a few minutes, but he was still relieved.

                                            > "I do not think so - I am sure Comet Roll is okay."

                                            "Then where is he?"

                                            > The mare grimaced and her muzzle scrunched up in distaste at the words she was saying. "His captain tells me he was insubordinate and rude. That his conduct was unbefitting a guard, so he sent him for a refresher course in basic discipline. In Baltimare."

                                            "Can you check if that's true?"

                                            > The Princess nodded. "I sent corporal Silverwing to make sure it is true, but he will not be back until tomorrow morning."

                                            "Okay, what about the paperwork?" Anon asked, relaxing a little.

                                            > Celestia was handling the crisis and even if she was disturbed or disappointed in the deception around her, she would get to the bottom of it and then get rid of it. He had no doubts about her ability.

                                            > "That one is strange, indeed. The report placed upon my desk had nothing."

                                            "Nothing?"

                                            > "Absolutely nothing. As if nothing of interest has happened at those mines in the past ten years."

                                            "That seems a little far fetched."

                                            > The alicorn nodded and looked around, as if worried they might be under observation even here, in their own room. "It is. Remember that a lot of the mines in that area are owned either by griffins or by some of the Canterlot noble families. Both of those are very... let us just say 'profit oriented'."

                                            > She sighed and leaned forward, where Anonymous smoothly caught her in a hug. "I was expecting some small tax evasion, or some workers' rights violations. There is always something!"

                                            "Nothing? Wait, you said nothing in the past ten years. You don't check these more often?"

                                            > Celestia pulled away and glared. "Anonymous!" she said, a little cross. "Who do you take me for? Of course I check! I know for a fact there have been issues. I had to step in several times and make very strong demands of the mine owners!"

                                            "None of that was in the paperwork?"

                                            > "None. It is as if-"

                                            "As if they don't know about your memory and thought you'd forgotten?"

                                            > Celestia shook her head. "No, as if somepony panicked and removed the original report and then replaced it with one that had nothing. I believe they did not have a lot of time to make the switch."

                                            "Have you checked with the pony who prepared it?"

                                            > "I tried."

                                            "Tried?!"

                                            > "Turns out, Ms. Ember Wishes had a 'family emergency' and had to leave Canterlot suddenly, yesterday. The report was the last thing she did."

                                            > Anon was starting to see a trend.

                                            "That's why you said spies. You think someone, or multiple someones are actively working against you on this?"

                                            > "From within the Castle staff. I cannot know whom to trust, Anonymous."

                                            "Have you asked someone else to check the mine records again?"

                                            > The mare shook her head. "No. That would signal that I do not believe the report I got and alert whoever it is that I know about them."

                                            "Smart horse."

                                            > This made the mare chuckle, which she sorely needed. Anonymous moved his hands from her withers up to her ears and began to scratch.

                                            > "Mmmm."

                                            "Okay, so what's next?"

                                            > Celestia closed her eyes and sighed. "It appears somepony, or somecreature at least, absolutely does not want me poking around the stone quarries. I will play along for now, but I want you to investigate this as well. We will both investigate."

                                            "O-Okay?" the human said, freezing. He wasn't a spy! "Why both of us?"

                                            > "Please don't stop!"

                                            > Anonymous started massaging again. After a moment Celestia answered: "Because it will be harder to watch both of us. Because they might not realize it. Because they might make a mistake and assume only one of us is actively working against them, while the other is keeping Blossom safe."

                                            > She leaned into his touch and closed her eyes in comfort.

                                            > "Speaking of which, we must never leave Blossom alone. She is a witness and I fear they might try to silence her. I trust Fluttershy completely, of course. I also asked her friend, Rainbow Dash, to come and keep an eye on them both."

                                            "When will she get here?"

                                            > Celestia chuckled gently. "She already has. You did not look up in the Grand Hall, did you?"

                                            > Anon couldn't help smiling.

                                            "Clever."

                                            > "Fluttershy will try and get Blossom's whole story out of her. If anypony can do it, it is her. Then we will decide on the next step. Other than them and you, nopony knows about this investigation."

                                            "The fewer, the better," Anon guessed.

                                            > "Correct."

                                            "You can count on me, Princess."

                                            > "I know, Anonymous. Thank you. Now, since we have a pretense to keep up..."

                                            > Her mouth suddenly found his again. The fear, the worry, the uncertainty- they all melted under the gentle assault of her tongue. She let him go, but only because they both needed to breathe.

                                            "Yeah... pretense..."

                                            > Celestia giggled a little and planted her next kiss on his neck. "It was not *completely* an act, Anonymous," she whispered. "I do also need you."

                                            "Yeah, me too!"

                                            > His hands began to explore down her barrel even as the mare tugged at his belt with her magic.

                                            > Maybe it was the sudden revelation of unknown danger, but the slight tingle of adrenaline made her every touch of her hooves electric, every breath on his skin exciting. Every kiss delightful.

                                            > Judging by her moans, she felt the same.


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > Anonymous was on his way to find Blossom and Fluttershy when a guard approached him in the hallway. The guard seemed a bit nervous, but that was probably because he was one of the new recruits and hadn't yet gotten used to the human's presence.

                                            > "Ahem," he cleared his throat, "Sir?"

                                            "Yes?"

                                            > "There's uh- There's a problem out on the Sun Plaza. The Captain said to find you and the Princess."

                                            "Oh, Celestia is taking a bath right now. Maybe you can find Luna somewhere? Did the Captain said which princess exactly?"

                                            > The stallion, a pristine white earth pony whose name Anon didn't know, rubbed one foreleg with his other. "Um, no, Sir. I'll go look for Princess Luna."

                                            "Thanks for the information-" Anon asked, looking at the pony expectantly.

                                            > "Snow Cover, Sir!"

                                            "Nice to meet you. I'm Anonymous."

                                            > Normally he would have shaken the new guard's hoof, if only to make him a bit less nervous in his presence, but this 'trouble in Sun Plaza' sounded serious, especially if the guard Captain asked for the human specifically.

                                            > It had to do something with him!

                                            > The stallion was nearly out of sight behind a corner when Anon remembered and called back after him.

                                            "Snow Cover? What's this trouble about?"

                                            > The guard looked back, very nervous judging by the way he fidgeted with his hooves. "Um, b-best if you go look for yourself, Sir."

                                            > That just increased the mystery and made him worry more. Whatever could be happening that was so bad that the guard Captain needed a lawyer?!

                                            > Anonymous abandoned his plans about Blossom and headed for the main exit. Fluttershy was probably fine dealing with the traumatized mare for a bit longer.

                                            > The uncertainty and his wild imagination made the human walk faster and he was nearly out of breath when he finally emerged from the Canterlot Castle. The two ponies on guard there were apparently aware of the situation and one of them waved with a hoof. "This way, Sir! The captain is by the main gate.

                                            > Like all castles, even the majestic symbol of pony rule had walls and gates, although the ones here were open day and night. Anonymous had asked Celestia about it at some point and she said she wanted her subjects to be able to approach her whenever they needed. The open gates just symbolized that.

                                            > The man hurried onward and soon ran into a group of guards standing nervously by on the path. Relief quickly plastered a few of the muzzles when they saw him approach.

                                            "What's this about, Captain?"

                                            > The guardpony in gilded and polished golden armor raised himself up as tall as he could. He was a unicorn and despite his slender shape looked to be quite strong and imposing. "Sir," he said respectfully, "I'm not sure how to deal with this sort of situation. We haven't had stuff like this in Equestria before, so I thought either you or one of the Princesses should decide what to do."

                                            "Yes, but *what exactly* is happening?"

                                            > From his current vantage point Anon could see a small crowd gathered in the big open space just outside the gates, but he couldn't see the source of the commotion. Something was definitely happening, but it didn't seem violent.

                                            > The guard Captain cleared his throat again. "A public speech against you, Sir. Like I said, we never had anything like it."

                                            "Speech? Again me?! Why?!"

                                            > Anon was dumbfounded. He knew some of the nobility resented his presence and his favor with the Princess, but to organize a protest rally specifically against him was a bit much.

                                            > "It's about Blossom, S-Sir."

                                            > This only added to the mystery. Anon shook his head and put his hand over his eyes.

                                            "You better tell me everything before I go out there," he instructed the Captain.

                                            > The unicorn sighed and sat on his haunches. "Not much to tell, Anon. A mare set up a box to stand on and now she's saying you're - well, she's saying that you're cheating on Princess Celestia with a young mare."

                                            > He swallowed nervously and paused for a bit to gauge Anon's reaction. When the human waved for him to continue, the guard plunged on: "She is saying you're flaunting your new squeeze right in front of everypony and making a mockery of both Princess Celestia and the whole of Equestria. She's calling for you to be banished back to Earth."

                                            > On top of all the other problems it was one so weird and unbelievable that Anon couldn't help chuckling at it.

                                            "Sorry, Fire Fly. It's just stupid. Why would I actually bring Blossom here and have lunch with her and Celestia at the same time? Who is this mare? She sounds more than a bit crazy."

                                            > "Couldn't say, Sir. There's a lot of secrecy around Blossom and the castle staff talk. I'm sorry to say, but rumor is spreading."

                                            > Anon's first knee-jerk reaction was to go out there and explain to everyone the truth. Tell them about Blossom and that she is being closely watched by both himself and the Princess.

                                            > Except that might expose the mare to yet more danger. Still, the hope of keeping quiet about her story was surely dead by now.

                                            > A public announcement might do the trick on Equestria. It certainly wouldn't have worked on Earth, where the people were inherently mistrustful of politicians, but these ponies still tended to believe what Celestia said.

                                            > That was just the thing, though. If Anon went out now and tried telling his part of the story they might not accept it. Things could get ugly and if he went out like a big, attractive target, he might even spark a riot.

                                            > Ponies were normally peaceful, but they were also pretty emotional.

                                            "Can you get this mare in here so we can have a word?" Anon asked.

                                            > "I don't advise doing that, Sir. At least not now."

                                            "Why not?"

                                            > "Imagine what it would look like. She is saying all those things about you and Princess Celestia and then the Royal Guard would approach her and ask her to come into the Castle. It could easily be misconstrued as-"

                                            "Yeah, I get it. You're right."

                                            > He still wanted to know who this pony was. Who in Canterlot hated him enough to try and stir up trouble like that? Anon walked to the Castle gate and Fire Fly stood up to join him.

                                            > "Sir..." the guardpony said cautiously, but Anon just waved his hand.

                                            "I'll just look. I wanna see if I know her. Can you loan me your spyglass?"

                                            > It came out in a little cloud of glittering magic and landed neatly in Anon's open palm. He extended the device and peered through it, trying to get a closer look at the crazy speaker on the other side of the Plaza.

                                            > Luckily most of the crowd were watching her and no one spotted the human standing out there.

                                            > The mare was horrifyingly familiar. The same white coat, although it looked less pure in daylight and a very pink mane, done in the latest fashion among the Canterlot nobility.

                                            > It was the hallway complainer who had been harassing poor Star Bright the previous week. It seems her actual encounter with Anonymous had spurred her to actually put her threats into action.

                                            > Anonymous still couldn't remember her name, but he had no doubt Celestia would know who it was. He offered the spyglass back to Captain Fire Fly.

                                            "You don't know who she is?" he asked just to confirm.

                                            > The unicorn peered through the device. "She's certainly a somepony. I think I've seen her at the Gala, but I can't put a name to her. Sorry, Anon. I think she married into one of the noble houses a few years ago."

                                            "Well, she was in the Castle a few days ago, complaining about her taxes or something. She said she'll have her revenge on humans or whatever. I don't even really know why she hates us so much."

                                            > Fire Fly heaved a sigh and put his spyglass away in a small pack on the side of his armor. "Hard to say. A lot of these nobles thinks you're going to usurp their positions. It's been similar when we finally made peace with the griffins, but things settled down when it became obvious griffins aren't all that interested in Equestrian politics."

                                            "I see."

                                            > "I'll write a full report on this for the Princess. Do you think we should break it up?"

                                            > It was a tough call, but Anon had plenty of precedent from Earth to draw on. He shook his head.

                                            "Absolutely not, Fire Fly. Not unless things get violent. Otherwise they'll cry 'censorship' and 'opression' faster than you can say 'First Amendment'."

                                            > "I figured as much."

                                            > Anon reached down and slid his fingers under Fire Fly's helmet to give his ear a quick scritch.

                                            "It's gonna be fine. Celestia will know what to do."

                                            > "Um," the stallion said, shaking free of Anon's hand and taking a nervous step back, "is it true?"

                                            "Is what true?"

                                            > "T-That you, um, and Blossom were b-bathing together in Princess Cadence's suite?"

                                            > Anon hung his head and heaved a long-suffering sigh.

                                            "Captain, we ran into Blossom out in the middle of nowhere because she was running away from being forced to work in a mine. As far as we can tell, she has been there since she was a little filly. She distrust most ponies and in particular fears unicorns, but for some reason she likes humans."

                                            > "I didn't mean-"

                                            > Anon just interrupted the pony and went on.

                                            "Yes, I bathed her, because she was too nervous and scared to do it herself and she was caked with dirt and grime! Putting her in Cadence's suite was Celestia's idea, because no other guest rooms were ready at the time. In fact, the Princess and I take turns watching her."

                                            > When he was done, the guard was staring at the ground. "Sorry, Anon," he murmured.

                                            "Don't mention it. Just make sure your guards know the truth."

                                            > For a moment the human thought about mentioning possible attempts on Blossom's life to the guard captain, but he remembered Celestia's warning about trusting absolutely no one.

                                            > The guards would just have to do their duties as best they could.

                                            > That also reminded him.

                                            "I have to go find Blossom. If Princess Luna comes here, do not let her go out there and talk. Tell her to come find me or Celestia first, okay?"

                                            > Fire Fly swallowed, but then saluted. "Yes, Sir!"

                                            > Luna was getting better at diplomacy, but this was somepony impugning her sister and her human friend, so the fiery alicorn might go and do something stupid, like shout at everyone out there.

                                            > Hopefully she would listen to reason before she obeys her passion.

                                            > Anon took a last look at the gathering and then left before he was spotted. He saw the way the crowd were lapping up that noblemare's words and he itched to go out there and explain, but that would probably just make it worse.

                                            > Public relations were a very tricky thing and far out of his area of expertise. The smartest thing to do was to make sure Blossom was okay, then find Celestia and let her deal with the situation.

                                            > It still wasn't easy to turn his back on someone dragging his reputation through dirt. For that matter, besmirching Celestia's reputation was even worse, but Anon made himself walk away.

                                            "Oh, Captain? Let me know if anything changes, okay? And if you find out who this mare is, arrange for a message to be sent to her. An invitation. I'd like to see her and find out why she hates me so much."

                                            > The guardpony nodded. "Will do. Thanks for the advice, Anon."

                                            "You're welcome."


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > When Anonymous entered the guest bedroom where Fluttershy had taken Blossom he immediately froze. His mouth, already open to ask the mares how they were doing, snapped shut.

                                            > A moment later he was smiling at the sight.

                                            > Fluttershy was sitting more or less upright, leaning against the pillow and idly stroking the other mare's mane.

                                            > Blossom was lying on her back with her head in Fluttershy's lap and her legs folded against her body. She seemed to be asleep, or at least relaxed enough to have closed her eyes.

                                            > As Anon walked closer, Fluttershy returned his smile but didn't otherwise move. He could understand why. It would have been a sin to wake up Blossom right then. He stopped beside the bed and just watched for a moment.

                                            > "Sit," Fluttershy whispered and carefully patted the bed beside her. Anon obeyed, moving slowly so as not to jostle Blossom.

                                            "How are you two doing?" the man whispered back.

                                            > Fluttershy gave this some thought, but eventually she shrugged. "Too soon to tell," she explained. "I think we made good progress today, but it will still take a while."

                                            > That made sense. Anon remembered Blossom's indecent offer the other morning and suppressed a grimace. She must have had a lot of issues to offer something like that so casually.

                                            "Learned anything about what happened?"

                                            > Their whispering seemed to be waking Blossom up and her eyes fluttered open. Anon froze in place, but the mare just smiled faintly and shifted herself a bit closer to the human.

                                            > Unable to resist, Anon put his hand on her belly and scratched, careful to stay above the waist line. The affection just made Blossom sigh and close her eyes again.

                                            > "You're good at that," Fluttershy commented.

                                            "Got a lot of practice," anon replied, but didn't say on whom.

                                            > Fluttershy knew, of course. Everyone in Equestria probably knew by now, there was no need to point it out.

                                            "Well? Blossom's story?"

                                            > The mare opened her eyes at the mention of her name, but when she saw that Anon wasn't looking at her she closed them again.

                                            > "Not in front of Blossom," Fluttershy said. "I'll tell you and Princess Celestia later."

                                            > That made sense. It probably wouldn't do Blossom's self-esteem any good for them to talk about her like she wasn't there. He continued his scratches up her barrel while Blossom yawned and stretched out her hind legs. She held the pose for a second, then slumped back.

                                            > "Um, Blossom, sweetheart? Would you mind moving a bit so I can stretch too?" Fluttershy asked, having been reminded of how stiff her limbs were.

                                            > The pink mare didn't so much sit up as merely toss her weight from Fluttershy's lap to Anon's. The fact that she was bent almost double to achieve that didn't seem to bother her in the slightest.

                                            > She gave the man a sad, soulful look and partly lowered her ears. He understood what she wanted and went back to scratching her belly. A moment later the mare closed her eyes and her mouth quirked up in a faint smile.

                                            > It was barely there, but Anon was familiar enough with Blossom by now to spot it.

                                            "You like this, don't you?" he asked.

                                            > Blossom opened her eyes and nodded. She preferred to nod, rather than speak, but that was okay. Anonymous didn't mind a quiet pony on occasion, especially since so many of them were very extrovert and talkative.

                                            > Fluttershy finished stretching out her legs and wings. She watched Blossom for a while, then grinned at Anonymous. "She likes you."

                                            "Yeah, I kinda figured when she ran straight past Celestia and asked me for help instead."

                                            > "I think I know why."

                                            > Anon glanced at Blossom to make sure they weren't dredging up unpleasant memories again, but the mare had her eyes closed and didn't appear to be listening.

                                            > He really wanted to hear what Fluttershy had found out, but he agreed with her that they shouldn't talk about Blossom as if she wasn't there. It'd have to wait.

                                            "Anyway, are you two ladies hungry? We could go and see if Celestia has finished her bath."

                                            > Both he and Fluttershy looked at Blossom, who nodded enthusiastically, this time without opening her eyes. She probably associated the Princess with sweets.

                                            > Anonymous withdrew his hand, which made the mare sigh sadly, but she flipped to her belly and then stood up without much fuss. Fluttershy followed quickly and he led them out of the guest room.

                                            > He hoped Cadence wouldn't suddenly arrive and expect her suite to be ready. Blossom was just settling in and it would be a shame to throw her life into disarray again so soon after the last upheaval.


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > Of all people it was Luna and Eli who ended up watching Blossom while she stuffed herself silly on Celestia's hoof-baked cake. The older Princess joined Anonymous and Fluttershy's briefing.

                                            > Even Rainbow Dash appeared from somewhere, but she didn't seem all that interested in the discussion, opting instead to lounge in the chair and occasionally flick an ear.

                                            > "I would like to thank you both again for coming on such short notice," Celestia told the pair and Anonymous just nodded in agreement.

                                            > Fluttershy smiled widely and blushed at the praise. She still wasn't accustomed to ponies saying nice things about her, it seemed. "Please don't mention it, Princess," she replied.

                                            > Rainbow Dash added: "Yeah, it's cool."

                                            "So, you said you learned something from Blossom?"

                                            > This was firmer, if sadder, ground and Fluttershy's face fell. "Yes, actually. She didn't spend her entire life in that mine, which is good, but - I don't really know what to make of it..."

                                            > "Maybe I will be able to help?" Celestia offered.

                                            > Fluttershy swallowed a lump and went on: "She grew up on a farm, but it didn't belong to her parents. It's a bit confusing, because she was just a filly, but she thinks they suddenly moved from a city to someplace with a lot of griffins."

                                            "Griffins?!"

                                            > "Mhm," Fluttershy nodded. "They moved to a farm with another pony family, but the bosses were griffins. Blossom said her parents didn't seem too happy about that, but they always told her everything was going to be alright."

                                            > "This is... concerning," Celestia asked with a calculating look already on her muzzle. Anonymous had a feeling the griffin ambassador would have some pointed questions to answer the next time he came.

                                            "So, what about the mine, then?"

                                            > Fluttershy was lost in some dark thoughts and she flashed Anon a grateful smile when he brought her out of it with his question. "Blossom says her parents sent her away one day. She doesn't know exactly why, or how long ago, but it was about five years, I think."

                                            "Around the time the portals opened?" Anon suggested.

                                            > "I g-guess so."

                                            "Coincidence?"

                                            > His last question was directed at Celestia, who just shook her head. She didn't believe that it had been coincidence either, especially if humans were somehow involved.

                                            > "Anyway, they put her in a room with some other ponies and set her to work in the mine. I didn't get a whole lot, because... b-because..."

                                            > Fluttershy's eyes were filling up with tears and she looked on the verge of breakdown. Anon reacted faster than Celestia and almost jumped from his chair so he could go and give the pegasus a hug.

                                            "It's okay, she's escaped," he reassured her.

                                            > "I think they whipped her. Unicorns, mostly. She calls them 'horns' or 'bosses'..."

                                            > Celestia nodded, her face carefully composed even though she was furious inside. Anon could read the tightening of her eyes and the uncomfortable shuffling of her wings.

                                            > "It would explain why she is so afraid of unicorns," the Princess guessed in a tightly controlled voice.

                                            > "Yes..." Fluttershy said, then heaved a sad sigh. "Anyway, some humans came along and..." she began, then leaned her head to the side in confusion, as if unable to quite make the story straight in her mind.

                                            "They were in charge of the whole thing, weren't they? You can say it, I won't mind, Fluttershy," Anon reassured the mare.

                                            > She shook her head. "No, it wasn't that. Blossom said the humans slept in the same room as the worker ponies. She said they also worked in the mine and took orders from unicorns."

                                            > "What?!"

                                            "What?!"

                                            > Both Anonymous and Celestia spoke up at the same time.

                                            > "It didn't make a lot of sense," Fluttershy admitted. "She said the human beds were right next to pony ones and they spent a lot of time together, working. She said the humans were nice to her."

                                            > That would explain why the mare bolted straight for Anonymous, rather than a pony, but why would humans live and work with pony slaves in a stone mine?

                                            "This really makes no sense..."

                                            > The yellow mare looked offended, but Celestia quickly reassured her: "We believe you, Fluttershy. Is it possible Blossom remembers incorrectly?"

                                            > "No, she was very clear on that part. She trusts humans because they treated her well and worked alongside her. When it was really cold, they cuddled for warmth and sometimes..."

                                            > She didn't finish the sentence, but the way her ears splayed made it clear what she was about to say. Anon put a hand on her shoulder.

                                            "It's okay, we know."

                                            > That was a relief and Fluttershy managed a small smile.

                                            > Rainbow Dash spoke up for the first time since saying hello to Anonymous: "So, where is this mine? I say we go there and kick some flank!"

                                            > Shaking her head, Celestia explained: "I tried to find it, but it seems somepony does not want me to. I am afraid there are spies in the Castle, or someone is blackmailing my staff."

                                            > "Okay, so we kick *their* flanks first and *then* we go look for the mine!"

                                            > Anonymous and Celestia both chuckled at that. Rainbow Dash didn't have much tact, but her straightforward and passionate views were refreshing to see.

                                            "We're investigating, don't worry. We'll get to the bottom of this, I promise," Anon reassured the fiery pegauss.

                                            > "Indeed," Celestia added. "You may trust me on this when I say I will find out who is running a slave labor mine in *my* Equestria!"

                                            > The authority in her voice couldn't be doubted. Whoever was behind all of this, they would pay, dearly. Anonymous swallowed, happy that he wasn't in their shoes. Or horseshoes, whichever.

                                            > "So, what do you need me to do, Princess?" Rainbow Dash asked.

                                            > Giving the question a few seconds' thought, Celestia said firmly: "I need you to stay near Blossom, but surreptitiously. Keep an eye on her and make sure nopony tries to hurt her. I have a feeling whoever is running things would prefer if she did not talk to us."

                                            > "You got it!"

                                            > "For how long?" Fluttershy asked, looking at her friend with concern. "I don't think Rainbow Dash can stay away from the Wonderbolts for a very long time..."

                                            > "Yes, thank you for reminding me, Fluttershy," the Princess said. "It will only be a couple of days until Anonymous discovers which of the Castle guards can be trusted with the task. Do not worry, both myself and Princess Luna will keep a close watch on Blossom as well."

                                            > "No problem! I'm your mare!" Rainbow said and saluted with a wing.

                                            > Fluttershy had another question. "Um, what about m-me?"

                                            "Can you stay a couple of days as well? I think Blossom is really opening up to you. Maybe you can find out more?"

                                            > "Anonymous is correct," Celestia confirmed. "I know you are busy with your sanctuary, but I can send some ponies to help out while you are here, Fluttershy. What do you say?"

                                            > The mare didn't like to be the focus of attention, but despite the slight blush she smiled. "O-Of course! It would be an honor, Princess!"

                                            "Thanks!" Anon said and gave Fluttershy's shoulder a squeeze before returning to his chair.

                                            > "So, what are our next steps?" Rainbow Dash asked. "There's spies everywhere, right? What if they're-" she began, but then gasped and covered her muzzle with a hoof. She continued in a whisper: "What if they're listening to us right now?!"

                                            > Celestia laughed a little and waved a dismissive hoof. "This is a room I use for the more sensitive diplomatic discussions. It is soundproofed - I checked the spell when we came in."

                                            "Won't it be suspicious we are meeting here?"

                                            > The Princess shrugged a little. "Perhaps, but I made sure there was a slight accident in my normal sitting room. I am afraid a pot of coffee smashed and the carpet is being replaced."

                                            "Smart horse."

                                            > Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash looked at each other at the expression and blushed a little, but they didn't comment.

                                            > "I cannot keep breaking things or looking for excuses, Anonymous. You need to find out how the staff are being influenced or bribed or blackmailed. Fluttershy will look after Blossom so you are free to investigate."

                                            "I'll do my best."

                                            > "I have utmost faith in you."

                                            "Um, where should I start?"

                                            > Celestia gave this some thought. "Perhaps you can start with the guards. Find out why exactly Comet Roll was transferred to the Baltimare garrison and where that order came from."

                                            "Okay."

                                            > "After that," the mare paused and shook her head as she corrected: "While you're doing that, speak with ponies who know Ember Wishes. See if you can find out what her 'family emergency' was all about. Try to find out who approached her when she was preparing the report for me."

                                            "Got it! You can count on me, Princess."

                                            > The alicorn gave him a pleading look and Anon stood up again so he could go and give her a hug. "Thank you. There has been dissent and subterfuge in the past, but it is a lot easier to deal with when I have you by my side, Anonymous."

                                            > He almost went to kiss her, but then remembered about their guests in the room. Obviously they knew what was going on, but he didn't want to rub their faces in the fact.

                                            > Seeing his indecision made Celestia chuckle and she pulled him closer with a wing for a very brief kiss.

                                            > "Um, Princess?" Rainbow Dash asked, a lot less certain of her words than a minute ago."

                                            > "Hmm?"

                                            > The pegasus swallowed and asked her question without meeting Celestia's or Anon's gaze. "Is it true what they say about humans - you know... in bed?"

                                            > Fluttershy put her hooves over her mouth in horror, but the Princess just giggled and winked at Rainbow Dash. "Every word!" Celestia answered in a husky voice.

                                            > Even Anonymous felt a bit hot in the face at her tone.

                                            "Yeah, okay, we should probably check on Blossom and then I'll go and see what I can find out from Fire Fly."

                                            > The guard captain's name reminded Anon of the incident just he checked in on Fluttershy and Blossom.

                                            "Oh, there was some mare out in the plaza, saying I am cheating on you with Blossom. I told the guards to let her speak."

                                            > "Smart move. If they had stopped her it would have been censorship."

                                            "My thoughts exactly."

                                            > "You can't just let somepony spread false rumors about you!" Rainbow Dash said forcefully as she jumped on her hooves. "Want me to go and have a word with this mare?!"

                                            "No, don't. She's from one of the powerful families, I think. Actually, she was in the Castle last week, complaining about her taxes."

                                            > "I will consider how to deal with this," Celestia promised.

                                            "I thought maybe a press statement about Blossom, except I don't know how much to give away. If whoever is behind this knows we're looking for them, they might try to do something drastic."

                                            > Celestia nodded. "I agree. They must already know we are looking into the matter, so this public statement may work in our favor."

                                            "What do you mean?"

                                            > "We can downplay how much we know. We can misdirect them into thinking we do not have all the facts, or that we have the wrong facts. It may lull them into a false sense of security."

                                            "Smart horse!" Anonymous repeated.

                                            > The alicorn grinned at the praise, but she laid a wing finger across his lips. "Not when we have company, Anonymous. I have told you this before."

                                            "Sorry."

                                            > "Very well. Let us go and see what may be done. Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Anonymous."

                                            > The mare leaned in for another quick kiss, then they all got up from their chairs and walked out of the small meeting room. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash said goodbye, but Anonymous didn't hear it. He was already lost in thought.

                                            > Subterfuge wasn't exactly his strong point, but Celestia didn't have anyone else she could trust right then. Well, there was Luna, but if anything, the fiery, passionate alicorn would be even worse as a spy than him.

                                            > He turned down the corridor, already plotting out his route to the barracks. He'd invite Fire Fly to drinks and pool after his shift and then just let the conversation idly arrive at Comet Roll and his 'mysterious' absence.

                                            > Yeah, that sounded like a start of a plan.


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > Anonymous took aim along the pool cue, then slid the smooth, warm wood through his fingers a few times to make sure his shot was straight and steady.

                                            > A moment later there was a loud clack and the white ball hit one of the red ones. The stroke had been a bit too strong and the cue ball followed its target into the pocket.

                                            "Damn."

                                            > It was the work of moments to fetch it out and replace it in the half-circle before standing up and moving away to let Fire Fly have a turn.

                                            > The unicorn hefted up his stick and sighted down it. Of course, magic users had it easy, Anon thought, because they didn't have to mind their hands. Or hooves, as it might be.

                                            "Remember, you can move the ball anywhere in the D," he reminded the stallion.

                                            > "Oh. Thanks," Fire Fly replied and his magic wrapped around the cue ball. He thought for a moment and then placed it down on the other side. It wasn't difficult to see which ball he was going to aim for.

                                            "Red first, remember?"

                                            > The off-duty guard sighed and shifted his ball slightly to the side. He brought the stick up and aimed again.

                                            > *clack* *clack* *thump*.

                                            "Nice shot."

                                            > "I still don't understand why we're playing these weird rules. What's wrong with normal eight ball?!" Fire Fly asked, trying to suppress a prideful smile.

                                            "I just like it more. Besides, the table is custom made for snooker."

                                            > Although the guard had to concede this, he still pointed out: "It'd work just as well for eight ball. I know you have the other set of balls."

                                            "Next game, okay?"

                                            > "Deal!"

                                            > The unicorn took aim again while Anonymous walked to the counter along the far wall. The ponies usually preferred cider, but he'd managed to import a few bottles of whiskey every now and then. You had to have whiskey while playing snooker, after all.

                                            "Want some?"

                                            > "Nah," Fire Fly said, "it burns my throat. Could use some cider, though."

                                            "Pansy."

                                            > The stallion just grunted and focused on his play. Anonymous didn't have to look when he heard the ball sink.

                                            "You know, I always said using magic is cheating."

                                            > This time he did look when Fire Fly didn't answer, only to see the stallion showing him his tongue.

                                            > They both chuckled at this and Anon quickly poured cider in the second glass, before taking both to the table.

                                            "Anyway, I was wondering if you could help me with a question," he said.

                                            > "What's that?" Fire Fly asked absentmindedly while he sighted on another ball. He stroked the cue ball expertly, but Anon was quick to point out:

                                            "Red balls between each color."

                                            > "Dammit!"

                                            "So, question?"

                                            > Fire Fly relaxed and took a sip of his cider. "Yeah, go ahead."

                                            > It was a bit tricky for Anonymous to focus on his shot while keeping his voice as nonchalant as possible, but he did a decent job on both, even if he had to kneel down. The table was at pony-height, because it was easier for the human to bend down than for his pony opponents to stand on their hind legs and still make good shots.

                                            "I met the new guy the other day, what was his name, from... Baltimare, I think?"

                                            > Eager to help, Fire Fly took a guess: "Snow Cover? I sent him to get you for that... Plaza incident today. He's not from Baltimare, though."

                                            > Anonymous shook his head. He remembered the guard's name perfectly, but he didn't want to draw too much attention to his question, so he wanted Fire Fly to guess on his own.

                                            "Nah, the pegasus," he pointed out.

                                            > "Hmm, there's Comet Roll, but he's from Fillydelphia."

                                            "Yeah, that was it. I knew it was that general area. Comet Roll, right. Whatever happened to him? I hope you didn't stick the poor guy on some night shift or something."

                                            > Anon hit the blue ball despite clutching the cue stick too strongly. He stole a surreptitious glance at the unicorn, who was looking at a nearby wall as he tried to remember.

                                            > Finally he brightened up. "Oh, there was some trouble with him, wasn't there? Lemon Slice said he was insubordinate on his mission."

                                            "Lemon Slice? She's the one who looks like she's chewing on a lemon all the time, right?"

                                            > Fire Fly couldn't help but laugh, even if he felt a bit guilty and looked around in case anyone had overheard. "Yeah, I guess her name is spot on."

                                            > Anonymous tried to recall the mare in question, but she rarely stood guard duty herself. She was just one of those background presences in the Castle, a pony he sometimes met in the hallway or the courtyard.

                                            "Shame. Comet Roll didn't seem all that bad," Anon commented in what he hoped sounded like idle conversation.

                                            > He sank his next red ball with a tricky bounced shot, which made Fire Fly whistle between his teeth.

                                            > "Good shot. Oh, dunno, I haven't spoken with the guy a whole lot. Anyway, if Lemon said he was insubordinate then I believe her. Sour or not, that mare has experience."

                                            "Yeah, yeah, I guess so."

                                            > "Don't worry, if he buckles down he'll be back here in no time. We're big on second chances in Canterlot, but you probably already know that."

                                            "True, true."

                                            > Anon deliberately bungled his next shot and pretend-swore. That allowed him to step aside and take another sip of whiskey. It also meant that Fire Fly was focusing on the game, rather than on him.

                                            "Does that happen often? The insubordination, I mean?"

                                            > The unicorn shook his head, before sighting down the stick again. "Extremely rarely," he murmured, then paused as he struck. "Yeah!"

                                            "Good one!"

                                            > Almost before the white ball had even stopped, Fire Fly struck it again and deftly sunk the pink ball. "That's eight for me," he said.

                                            "Just the black and you win."

                                            > "Yeah, I remember now."

                                            > While the stallion was trying to calculate his next play, Anonymous was just as thoughtful trying to figure out his next sentence. They both reached their respective conclusions at the same time.

                                            "So, the Princess is going to make an announcement about Blossom. She's been stuck in a mine and forced to work. We're helping get past that/"

                                            > As he said it, Anon kept a close watch on Fire Fly's face. He clearly saw the way his jaw tightened and his muzzle scrunched up in distaste.

                                            > "That's just... wrong."

                                            "Don't worry, she'll catch whoever is responsible," Anon assured Fire Fly.

                                            > "Yeah, she put the Castle guard on the investigation. I've already got my best ponies on the job. And once they're caught, whoever they are..."

                                            > The stallion let out a small growl from deep in his throat. "Well, let's just say I hope they enjoy looking at a stone wall, because I'll *personally* stick them in prison for the rest of their lives!"

                                            "Who do you think it was? I mean, what species? Pony? Human? Griffin? Maybe dragon or something?"

                                            > Fire Fly shook his head. "No way it was a pony. No pony would do such a thing. Dragons aren't too interested in digging up stone. It has to be either humans or griffins."

                                            > The stallion realized what he'd just said and his ears lowered. "Um, sorry. No offense intended."

                                            "Don't worry. I know there's some bad people out there."

                                            > It was a bit troubling how quickly Fire Fly ruled out his own kind, though. Did he know something, perhaps? Was he trying to mislead the human?

                                            "What if it turns out it was a pony operation after all?"

                                            > The guard looked up from his stick and glared at the man for a moment, but then he heaved a sigh. "I'll still toss them in jail, but... I gotta be honest with you, it'd be a blow."

                                            "Yeah, I can imagine."

                                            > Fire Fly bent over his stick again and neatly sunk one of the last few red balls. Then he walked around the table to where the cue ball had stopped and tried to come up with a way to get at the final black.

                                            "For what it's worth, I also think it's a human operation," Anony said.

                                            > It wasn't entirely a lie, despite what Fluttershy had found out about unicorn slave drivers. There was still probably a human somewhere at the top. Even with humans working in the mine beside ponies. After all, enslaving their own kind wasn't such a foreign idea to some people.

                                            > *thump* *thump* *clack*

                                            "Oooh, nice shot!"

                                            > For a moment his attention was distracted from his spy role while Anonymous appreciated the difficult double-bounce shot Fire Fly had just pulled off. He wasn't even disappointed that the unicorn had just deftly sank the black ball.

                                            > "Yeah!" the guard agreed, grinning widely.

                                            "Eight ball next?"

                                            > "Sure!"

                                            > He probably wouldn't get any more useful information from the Captain, Anon thought, but he had gotten his next lead. Lemon Slice. He wondered if he could make up an excuse to see the mare privately and question her a little.

                                            > A problem for later. He had done a good job so far and now it was time to fully focus on his game and enjoy it properly, even if it was eight ball instead of snooker.

                                            "Another drink?"

                                            > "Yes please! I'll set it up."

                                            > Anon went back to the counter to pour more cider and whiskey while the unicorn levitated the balls out of the pockets and replaced them with the other set.

                                            > This spy stuff wasn't too hard, actually.


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > It was late at night by the time Fire Fly excused himself, citing early duty. Peering at the clock on a nearby wall, Anonymous was forced to agree. He ignored a pang of guilt when he remembered that he'd left Blossom with Luna and Eli for most of the day.

                                            > He deserved some time off and besides, his counter-espionage work was important! Not to mention that there were also Celestia and Fluttershy who could look in on the young mare.

                                            > She was probably fine, gorging herself on sweets if she was with Luna, or giving a detailed account of her life story if she was with Fluttershy. He didn't know where they might have taken the mare, but he made a detour past the guest wing just in case.

                                            > Anonymous knocked on Blossom's door, not really expecting a reply, but a soft voice invited: "Come in!"

                                            > Fluttershy. His second guess, then.

                                            > He opened the door a crack and looked inside. The antechamber was empty.

                                            > "In here," Fluttershy called from the bedroom.

                                            > Feeling only slightly uneasy, Anon entered the suite and went to look. It was an unusual, but not unwelcome sight.

                                            "Oh, hi ladies. Just making sure you're okay."

                                            > Both Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were on the bed, flanking Blossom who seemed quite content to snuggle down with two pegasi. She even gave Anon a happy little smile from between the two other mares.

                                            "Hi, Blossom! How are they treating you?"

                                            > She looked from Rainbow Dash to Fluttershy, then back at Anon and just shrugged.

                                            "Well, good night, anyway," he wished them and set off to leave.

                                            > "W-Wait..."

                                            > That was Blossom and a word out of her muzzle was a rare enough treasure that Anon turned back. Blossom had her ears folded down and her eyes big and shiny. "Stay?" she pleaded.

                                            > For an instant Anonymous really considered it. Of course nothing could beat Celestia's incredibly soft fur and glorious wings around his shoulders at night, but *three* ponies in a pile were somewhat... tempting.

                                            "I'm afraid that wouldn't be very appropriate, sweetie."

                                            > Blossom's ears lowered a little more and she looked down at the bed sheets. Fluttershy quickly put her hooves around the distraught mare and whispered something in her ear.

                                            > At the same time Anon couldn't help but notice the interested, almost hungry look Rainbow was giving him. He almost said something about it, but Dash shook her head slightly and smiled. "Yeah, probably," she said, agreeing with his assessment.

                                            "I'll come see you in the morning and we'll have pancakes, right?"

                                            > He was about to leave again, but remembered something.

                                            "Did Princess Luna and Eli treat you okay?"

                                            > Suddenly Blossom looked horrified and Anon almost winced. She'd been afraid of Luna - the 'horn'. It had probably been a mistake to leave her with the younger Princess.

                                            > "They let her eat a whole tub of ice cream," Fluttershy said with an annoyed scrunch to her muzzle. "She was ill!"

                                            > That would also explain Blossom's expression.

                                            "Oh. I'll have a word with them. Hope you feel better, Blossom! Night, ladies!"

                                            > "Night!" the pegasi chorused while Blossom just waved without looking at Anon.

                                            > He left the room and closed the door behind him. The two guard ponies kept their gazes firmly on the opposite wall and didn't even glance over when the man bid them a peaceful night as well.

                                            > It looked like he would get to sleep in Celestia's bed after all. It had been a while and he missed her quite a lot.

                                            > Hopefully Blossom would be fine with sleeping alone by the time Fluttershy had to leave. Even more importantly, Anonymous remembered, he should know by then which guards to trust.

                                            > He had to find out who was behind this conspiracy, and why, as soon as possible.

                                            >...

                                            > Celestia was already in bed when Anonymous finally made it to their room. She lifted a head when he entered and then smiled. "Blossom in good hooves, I gather?"

                                            "Yep. That Fluttershy is a godsend," Anonymous replied and flicked the light switch.

                                            > With a carefully neutral face Celestia pointed out: "All my ponies are special and uniquely gifted, Anonymous."

                                            > He didn't know what to make of it until the mare added: "But her especially, I agree."

                                            "All three of them are cuddling on Cadence's bed. Should we tell her when she comes to visit do you think?"

                                            > Celestia giggled at the image in her mind. "I am sure she'd be delighted. I mean, it is not strictly love, but perhaps it is close enough."

                                            "Such a weird power. She can make people fall in love, you said? Isn't that like, mind control?"

                                            > Celestia shook her head while Anonymous went to the small bathroom attached to the suite. "Not quite. She can only encourage the feelings if they were there to begin with. She cannot make ponies do something against their will."

                                            "It's still coercion," Anon said, looking around the shelf under the mirror. "Damn, I forgot I took my toothbrush to Cadence's suite while I was sleeping there."

                                            > "There is a fresh one in the cupboard," the mare pointed out without getting up from the bed.

                                            "Oh, thanks."

                                            > They didn't talk while the man went about his evening ablutions. Scant minutes later Celestia held up the blanket with a wing for him.

                                            "Thanks."

                                            > With a faint flash of magic Celestia extinguished the light while Anonymous slid closer and brushed his hand through her chest fluff. "Mmmm," she sighed in comfort. "I missed this, you know?"

                                            > They were talking in whispers by now.

                                            "Me too."

                                            > Celestia lowered her voice a little more and brought her muzzle right to Anon's ear. "Found anything out?"

                                            "Lemon Slice was the one who ordered Comet Roll to Baltimare. Insubordination, that was the reason."

                                            > "He did not seem like the rebellious sort. I am thinking he might have seen too much on their scouting mission and somepony did not want him to tell us."

                                            "Why not simply kill him?"

                                            > There was silence for a while and Anon sought out Celestia's muzzle with his hand. He patted her nose by way of silent apology.

                                            > "You forget we are still ponies, Anonymous. Murder does not come easily, even to the worst among us."

                                            "I guess."

                                            > An idea struck him. He really didn't like it, but he had to tell Celestia.

                                            "What if I go visit him and find out what he knows?"

                                            > "Good idea, but we would need an excuse."

                                            "Well, just tell Fire Fly you're sending me to the Baltimare garrison to speak with their commander. I'm drafting foreign policy and they've had to deal with both immigration and emmigration to Griffinstone. I actually *could* use their input. Or, maybe it could be a surprise inspection or something."

                                            > "Brilliant monkey!" the mare said, making Anon pause.

                                            "What?!"

                                            > She giggled softly in his ear. "Just returning the favor, dear."

                                            "I'm not sure I like that expression."

                                            > "It is just the same as 'smart horse', Anonymous."

                                            "Point taken."

                                            > She kissed the tip of his ear while Anon's hand slid down to her belly and began massaging in small circles.

                                            > "Yes, I like that idea. Once there, you will 'remember' about Comet Roll and have a quick talk with him, correct?"

                                            "Yeah, that's what I was thinking."

                                            > She aimed the next kiss for his cheek and pulled the human a little closer with her hooves. "What about Ember Wishes?"

                                            "Haven't gotten around to her yet," Anonymous admitted. "I spent the evening with Fire Fly."

                                            > "And?"

                                            "I think he isn't a part of anything sinister. I think it's Lemon Slice."

                                            > The alicorn heaved a sigh. "Back when Shining Armor was the Guard Captain something like this could never have happened. Nothing got past him when it came to ponies under his command."

                                            > Even after all these years, Celestia was still trying to fill Shining Armor's enormous horseshoes, it seemed. Anonymous had only met the stallion a few times, mostly when he visited Canterlot with his wife, Princess Cadence, but he was quite impressed with the guy.

                                            "Maybe we should send Fire Fly up there to get some more training from Shining Armor?"

                                            > Celestia giggled at the mental image. "Perhaps," she agreed. "I will think about it."

                                            "Please don't tell him it was my idea!" the human pleaded.

                                            > The mare just laughed quietly. "Enough business," she said with finality and slid one hoof down Anon's belly. The man turned his face toward her and their lips met.

                                            > His fingers stopped scratching her belly and moved lower, making the Princess moan through her nose. He pushed on her barrel with his other hand to get her to turn, but Celestia resisted.

                                            > She broke off her kiss and answered his unspoken question. "On your back. I will do everything tonight, just relax."

                                            > Anonymous obeyed, but not without protest.

                                            "But I really like how you taste..." he said in a husky whisper.

                                            > That gave the mare pause. After a few seconds thought, she flopped to her back and patted his shoulder with a hoof. "You may proceed, *then* I will do everything tonight."

                                            > She didn't see his grin as he ducked under the covers, but she could probably imagine it, just as he could imagine hers.

                                            > As Anonymous trailed kisses down her belly, Celestia was already beginning to moan.


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > Anon remembered why he didn't like the idea of his Baltimare visit as soon as Celestia led him to the pegasi-pulled flying carriage. Of course, he couldn't spend several days getting there and back again.

                                            > It was a necessary evil.

                                            > He prepared to climb aboard with a heavy heart when several ponies came running into the courtyard.

                                            > "Please don't leave!" Blossom yelled as she barreled into Anonymous' legs and clung on for dear life.

                                            > Anon managed to keep his balance by grabbing the edge of the carriage. He couldn't turn around at the moment, but he saw a bit of yellow out of the corner of his eye.

                                            > "Sorry!" Fluttershy said as she followed the distraught mare. "Blossom wanted to see you and we asked a guard and he said you were going to Baltimare..."

                                            > The man reached down to pat Blossom's head and she licked his fingers in return.

                                            "Aw, I'm not going away, sweetheart. Blossom, can you let go so I can talk to you?"

                                            > With Fluttershy's help the mare was able to release Anon's legs and he turned around to face them both. He saw Celestia smiling in the background, but ignored her for the moment. Blossom looked on the verge of tears.

                                            "I'm not leaving, Blossom, I promise."

                                            > She pointedly looked at the carriage, then transferred her gaze to Anon.

                                            "I know what it looks like, but it's just a business trip. I'm not even taking any luggage, see?"

                                            > Again the mare carefully inspected the vehicle and was forced to admit that Anon had a point.

                                            > "P-Promise?"

                                            "I promise," Anon replied, giving her ear a scratch since his hand was already there.

                                            > "I wa-wanna come with."

                                            > The man looked at Fluttershy, who shrugged, then at Celestia who gave a barely perceptible shake of her head.

                                            "I don't think that's a good idea, sweetheart. It'll be cold and noisy and then I have a whole day of meetings. It's going to be boring."

                                            > The mare was about to shake her head, but Anon cupped her muzzle with his free hand.

                                            "Hey, how about I hurry back and bring you something sweet, huh? And while you wait, Fluttershy and the Princess will find something fun to do, right?"

                                            > The last question was directed more at Celestia than the other two mares.

                                            > "Promise you'll c-come back?" Blossom insisted.

                                            > A very strange promise came to Anonymous' mind and he smiled at the absurdity of it.

                                            "Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye. Now that's a *Pinkie promise*, right?"

                                            > Fluttershy was smiling widely at the words and nodded, even though Blossom wasn't looking at her.

                                            > "P-Pinkie promise?"

                                            "Fluttershy will explain. No one can break a Pinkie promise, you know?"

                                            > It seemed to be working. After a glance at the yellow pegasus, who nodded, Blossom sniffed and wiped her muzzle with a fetlock, before closing her eyes and inclining her head. "O-Okay," she agreed.

                                            > That seemed to settle it and Anonymous stood up. The four pegasi who were going to pull him to Baltimare and back kept their eyes forward, the epitome of patience. They didn't even look back when the man climbed aboard.

                                            "Okay, I guess I'm all set."

                                            > "Don't worry, sir, we won't let you fall out," the lead pony promised. Anon quickly recognized him by his voice, if not his face.

                                            "Thanks, Silverwing. I promise I won't scream this time."

                                            > The comment was unexpected enough that all four pegasi tittered a little before they could get their amusement under control. The helmets hid their ears, but Anon knew ponies well enough by now that he could clearly imagine how they flattened out of embarrassment.

                                            > He sat down, buckled himself into the seat Celestia had installed for him specifically, and waved to the Princess. Blossom was almost near enough to touch and when Anon held out his hand the mare stepped closer for a quick mane tousle.

                                            "I'll be back soon," he repeated.

                                            > Blossom nodded and managed a faint smile before pulling away, just in time as the carriage started moving.

                                            > Another bit of old memory surfaced and despite his fear, Anon murmured to himself.

                                            "On Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen..."

                                            > The pegasi looked at one another in confusion and Silverwing glanced back at the human for clarification. Anon blushed, being reminded again that pony ears were a lot sharper than human.

                                            "Never mind, a bit of an old Earth story."

                                            > The corporal gave him a nod and focused back on his task. The other three guards took their pace and direction from him, ensuring a smooth ride.

                                            > Anon risked a glance backwards at the receding courtyard where Blossom and Fluttershy were both waving their hooves. He wanted to give them a wave back, but his hands were gripping the edges of his seat and weren't entirely under his control.

                                            > It'd be a terrifying hour and a half to Baltimare and then another on his way back, but the man had to put that out of his mind and concentrate on the meetings and the spying.

                                            > Partly to distract himself from the flying and partly out of 'due diligence', Anonymous started thinking about a casual-sounding excuse to see Comet Roll once he reached the Baltimare garrison.

                                            > Celestia had sent a fast pegasus ahead with a message for the commander. The official story was that the man wanted to interview the garrison leader about any border infractions in the recent past, which would help him codify some sensible rules about that sort of thing in the foreign policy.


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > The best Anonymous had been able to do during the nerve-racking flight, was to come up with his approach. A cool, slightly bored, highly-professional government inspector. He drew his inspiration from some vaguely remembered movies.

                                            > Luckily, the pegasi team landed the carriage outside of the city proper and drew it in on hoof, giving the man some time to get past his fear of flying and to compose himself.

                                            > There were curious looks directed his way, but Anonymous was used to that by now. Here and there ponies pointed him out to their friends or children as the pegasi team pulled the carriage through the outskirts of Baltimare.

                                            > Very soon they were at the garrison, made obvious by four guards standing in front of a large, wooden door. They were expecting him and pushed the gate open at a brisk order from Corporal Silverwing.

                                            > The streets with all the onlookers were quickly blocked from view while Anonymous climbed out of his chair and looked around with some curiosity. He'd never been very interested in soldiery even on Earth and this was an entirely different species. He had a very vague, imprecise idea of how the ranks worked and which were supposed to be higher, so the man was hoping like hell there would be no embarrassing questions.

                                            > The best thing to do was try and control the situation from the get-go. He focused on one of the ponies in a plain, green uniform, who had wandered closer to inspect the newcomers.

                                            "You, uh, private?" Anon guessed from the lack of any stripes. "Take me to the commander!"

                                            > The pegasus saluted smartly and turned around. "Right away! This way, sir! Commander Vigil is expecting you!" she said.

                                            > Good thing Celestia had remembered to send a fast scout in advance to announce his visit, Anonymous thought. Most Equestrian ponies would know who he was, of course, but he probably wouldn't be allowed to snoop around a military establishment without a royal permission.

                                            "Thank you."

                                            > Anonymous had been hoping that Silverwing would follow him and offer at least a semblance of support, but a glance backwards told him that it wouldn't happen. The corporal had already unlatched himself from the harness and was giving some brisk orders to his squad.

                                            > Steeling his resolve, the man matched his pace to his guide's and glanced around the place.

                                            > The garrison was like a little extension to the city proper. There was only one main entrance and it was surrounded by walls on all sides, even though those probably didn't do much when an invading force could fly.

                                            > To that end there were a number of towers along all the walls, each one peopled - or 'ponied', as the case may be - by several equines.

                                            "Are the defenses manned around the clock, private?" Anon asked, trying to play the inspector role.

                                            > "Twenty-four seven, sir! Pegasus and unicorn per tower."

                                            "Why one of each?"

                                            > The mare glanced back as if trying to determine whether Anonymous was testing her, then replied anyway. "Pegasus because of our superior eyesight, sir, and unicorn for defense and to send messages, if necessary."

                                            "Good. That's good."

                                            > Anonymous was thinking up his next question, but they reached one of the buildings. The pegasus mare, whose name he hadn't thought to ask, just barged in.

                                            > On the inside it looked like a regular office, except that the hat rack held helmets, rather than hats and there was a shelf with several pieces of armor. An older-looking unicorn was sitting at the table, writing with a quill held in his magic. He looked up at the intrusion and his eyes narrowed when he spotted the man.

                                            > "Inspector Anonymous, sir!" the private announced a bit louder than Anonymous would have preferred. "Commander Silent Vigil!"

                                            > The commander stood up from his low stool and saluted, a little less sharply than the mare had done. "Dismissed, private."

                                            > She left without a backwards glance, as if getting a human visitor was something that happened regularly.

                                            "Uh, good morning," Anon offered.

                                            > The pony looked him up and down, not immediately replying. When he finally opened his muzzle, he just asked: "Tell me, Mr. Anonymous, why does Princess Celestia suddenly want you to conduct an inspection of this garrison?"

                                            > It was a valid question and one Anon had practiced in his mind on the flight over.

                                            "Two reasons, Commander. First, she wanted someone to look at your operation with a fresh eye - someone without a military background. Second, I could use some information for the laws and policies I am preparing."

                                            > Silent Vigil just grunted noncommittally. "Okay, so what do you want to see first?"

                                            > Anonymous invented rapidly.

                                            "A quick tour of the place would be good. Then I was hoping I could ask you some questions about the griffins."

                                            > "Okay, come this way. We can do both."

                                            > The commander went to the hat rack and grabbed his helmet. There was a plume on it, but Anonymous couldn't tell from which bird. He decided not to ask.

                                            > The stallion led him outside, where a group of soldiers were just marching past. They stopped and threw a salute, which the commander returned. No one spoke.

                                            > Anonymous was just wondering if he should salute as well, but the squad, or whatever it was called, marched off.

                                            > "So, do you want to see the inside of each tower?" Vigil asked as he began walking.

                                            > The man had to hurry up a few steps to catch up.

                                            "No, just one. What else do you have here?"

                                            > "What do you mean?"

                                            > Again, Anonymous had to invent on the spot.

                                            "I assume there's a mess hall and sleeping barracks, right?"

                                            > Vigil stared at Anon's face for a few seconds, then nodded. "Yes, we have those."

                                            "How about training?"

                                            > "There's a physical fitness course, an archery range and a magic training area. All strictly adhering to regulations."

                                            > Pretending like he knew about those, Anonymous nodded sagely.

                                            "Good. That's good to hear. I'd like to see the archery range, then. How about prison, or holding cells. Do you have any?"

                                            > "Currently unoccupied."

                                            > It made sense. Equestrian society was, on the whole, a very peaceful one. Even the Canterlot dungeons didn't have any occupants, at least not since ambassador Bennett's unfortunate imprisonment by a misguided Princess Luna.

                                            > "No, wait," Silent Vigil corrected. "There is one pony in the solitary at the moment. I nearly forgot."

                                            "Oh?"

                                            > Something told Anonymous he knew who the pony was. His heart was beating faster. Was Silent Vigil in on the whole conspiracy thing, or was he simply fulfilling orders from Lemon Slice.

                                            > "Fourteen day solitary for insubordination and conduct unbefitting a royal guard, sir."

                                            "I want to speak with... him? Who is this?" Anonymous asked, inserting a pause before his guess.

                                            > "Yes, it is 'him', but I'd have to check my paperwork for the name. A pegasus private, recently demoted from the Canterlot Castle guard."

                                            > It all fit, so the man repeated his request.

                                            "I want to speak with him."

                                            > The commander stopped suddenly and turned around. "I'm afraid that's not possible," he said.

                                            "What?! Why not?"

                                            > "Solitary confinement is exactly what it says on the tin, sir. You can come back in thirteen days," Vigil explained with a note of finality in his voice. It didn't seem as if he would budge from this, at least not without direct orders from Celestia.

                                            > Anon decided not to push it for the moment and ask the Princess for advice when he was back in Canterlot. If the commander was in on the conspiracy, then insistence to see Comet Roll would look mighty suspicious.

                                            "Fine, fine. It's not really important," Anonymous lied.

                                            > They reached the nearest guard tower and Vigil pointed to the door. "Care to take a look inside?"

                                            > Anonymous did so, but it was an automatic gesture and he wasn't really seeing anything. He was thinking furiously, trying to come up with a way to confirm who had put Comet Roll in prison.

                                            "Hmm, it seems to be in order."

                                            > The unicorn took the announcement without any change in expression on his muzzle.

                                            "Take me to the mess hall next."

                                            > "This way."

                                            > As they walked, Anonymous decided to pursue his other topic for a while before circling back to Comet Roll.

                                            "So, the other reason I'm here. Have you had any altercations with the griffins lately?"

                                            > The question obviously wasn't one Silent Vigil had been expecting, because the unicorn blinked in surprise and fixed Anonymous with another piercing stare.

                                            > "Not recently, no," he said. "It used to be a matter of course a few decades ago. Before my time."

                                            "I see. Fatalities?"

                                            > "Not usually. A few, here and there, but not regularly. Scrapes and bruises, perhaps a broken leg."

                                            "Why would the griffins keep coming if they couldn't get through?"

                                            > Commander Vigil's lips tightened and Anonymous had a feeling it was a stupid question, but the unicorn was duty-bound to answer the silly human.

                                            > "Well," he began, picking his words with care, "I would assume because the griffins are a warlike race and are always on the lookout for easy conquest. They were either 'trial' attacks to gauge our strength, or, more likely, some kind of maturity rituals."

                                            "Rituals? What do you mean?"

                                            > "When a griffin comes of age, it is customary for them to attempt a daring feat to try and increase his station. Most of them go searching for lost treasure, but some decide that conquest of land would be more their style."

                                            "I've never heard about that," Anonymous admitted.

                                            > "Like I said," Silent Vigil pointed out, "the practice ended decades ago. A peace treaty was signed and things have been quiet ever since. These days, hunting for treasure is the norm."

                                            "That's good."

                                            > The soldier didn't answer, making it clear that he would have preferred more action to just sitting around and keeping eyes on the sky. It was a very eloquent silence.

                                            "Okay, so you train fresh recruits here. Do all of them eventually go to Canterlot and join the royal guard?"

                                            > "No, not that many. Most of them join the force nearest their home town, so they can be with their families."

                                            "Yeah, makes sense."

                                            > "It takes special dedication to join the Princesses' castle staff."

                                            > This was his chance! Anon returned to the topic he was really interested about.

                                            "Strange that one of them would foul it up in his first week. Do you think I could speak with the ponies who trained this- um, whoever is in your prison."

                                            > Anonymous felt a tiny bit proud of himself for not slipping up and mentioning Comet Roll's name.

                                            > "I'll see what I can do. Anyway, this is the mess hall. Do you want to see the kitchen?"

                                            "Yes, let's go have a look."

                                            > The griffin thing was also interesting. If they were so territorial, then it would make sense to think up some kind of sanctions for unprovoked attacks, even if committed by young birds out to prove themselves, in case the custom ever came back.

                                            "Do you have records of the griffin attacks? How many attackers, how often, their targets?"

                                            > "Yes, the old files should still be around somewhere. You!" the commander pointed to one of the soldiers who was just putting his empty tray away. It was an earth pony who quickly threw a salute, even while his eyes strayed to the human at Silent Vigil's side.

                                            > "Go into the archives, tell whoever is on duty to bring me reports of any griffin attacks in the last thirty years."

                                            > "Yes, sir!" the pony barked and rushed off.

                                            > Silent Vigil looked at Anonymous for a few seconds, then blinked and shook his head. "It'll take a while."

                                            "That's okay. Let's check out the kitchen and then I'd like to see some maps."

                                            > "Maps of what?"

                                            "I'd like to see the exact border between Equestria and Griffinstone. I also want to know how far you patrol and how often. Oh, and I'll need copies of the maps to take back."

                                            > He had an idea. It wasn't directly related to the reason he was there, but Anonymous wanted to compare pony maps of the Griffinstone border with griffin ones. Any disputes should be worked out before he referenced the border in a new set of laws and policies.

                                            > At the same time, he was hoping that one of Comet Roll's old commanding officers would know why he was in prison. At least, Anonymous hoped, they would know the fake, made-up reason.

                                            > If they didn't, then he could demand the guard to be immediately released. Last time he checked, Celestia didn't approve of chucking people into prison for absolutely no reason.

                                            > "I think I can arrange all that by the time you leave," Silent Vigil said, bringing the man out of his thoughts.

                                            "Oh. Good. I'll be sure to mention to the Princess how helpful you've been."

                                            > This finally earned Anonymous a small smile from the commander. "Thank you, sir. This way to the kitchen."

                                            > He'd have to fake that he knew what a military kitchen was supposed to look like and then he could go and check out some paperwork. *Any* paperwork. He'd be on firmer ground there, Anonymous felt.

                                            > Not as productive visit as he'd hoped. He had really wanted to speak with Comet Roll, but unless he could prove that the pegasus had been imprisoned on false changes, he couldn't simply demand to get him out of prison. Celestia might be able to do that, but not her human lawyer, even if he was her lover.

                                            > It probably meant he'd have to visit again, soon, but Anonymous made his peace with that. He'd just have to get used to flying in a pegasi-pulled carriage.

                                            "Oh, one more thing, commander - could you arrange for corporal Silverwing and his ponies to get some food and drink before we leave?" Anonymous said, reminded by the sight of cooks stirring big pots of what looked like vegetable stew.

                                            > "Of course. I'll see to it."

                                            "Splendid."


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > Celestia was in good spirits as she left the Grand Hall after court. It hadn't been too bad - a couple of pleas for shipments of grain to impoverished villages, several applications for her School for Gifted Unicorns and a rather strange request that she officiate a wedding ceremony in Cloudsdale in a month's time.

                                            > The grain she approved, even in the cases where the shortage was the fault of poor planning or corrupt civic leaders. In those cases she had made a mental note to visit the towns at the earliest opportunity and have a word with their mayors.

                                            > She would consider the applications for her School another day and the wedding thing she would think about later in the day. She wanted to do it, but at the same time didn't like the idea of setting a precedent like that.

                                            > There would probably be cake, though.

                                            > Perhaps Anonymous would be able to help her decide when he was back. Celestia spared the man a thought. Hopefully he wasn't having too much trouble with recalcitrant military leaders who tended to look down on all civilians.

                                            > She didn't doubt the lawyer's ability, though. He would undoubtedly bring back something useful.

                                            > In the meantime she could check up on Fluttershy and Blossom to see if they have made any further progress. Slavery right there in *her* Equestria! Celestia didn't like the thought at all.

                                            > On the whole, she decided, influence from Earth hadn't been too bad. Morning Breeze was living proof. That was exactly the point - the young mare was still alive, mainly thanks to human medicine.

                                            > All Celestia had to do, really, was keep a hoof on these negative 'gifts' and ideas. Her ponies weren't bad, but some of them could be all too easily influenced when motivated by profit.

                                            > Not unlike some of the humans she'd seen on Earth TV, actually.

                                            > Musing about the similarities and differences between their species distracted Celestia enough so that she nearly walked past the door to Cadence's suite. She stopped just in time and raised a hoof to knock when she realized there were no guards.

                                            > Her blood ran cold and the mare froze for a single, terrifying instant. Surely not *all* of her staff was involved in the conspiracy?!

                                            > The Princess threw the door open with a burst of magic, making it slam against the wall and nearly tearing it from its hinges. She ran inside, hoping against hope that Fluttershy and Blossom were alright.

                                            > There was nopony in the antechamber, so Celestia galloped to the inner door. The bedroom was just as empty.

                                            > A glint of white caught her eye and she plucked the piece of paper from the pillow.

                                            > As she read, Celestia let her rump hit the carpet. Her legs were shaking and she scanned the lines rapidly, afraid of what they'll say.

                                            > 'Dear Princess Celestia. It is such a nice day outside that we decided to go in the gardens. Please join us, if you have time. Fluttershy'

                                            > Her magic faded away and the message floated to the carpet while Celestia breathed a deep sigh of relief.

                                            > Nothing sinister, they'd just gone out to spend some time in the warm, spring sun. The guards must have gone with them, which was exactly what Celestia would have expected them to do.

                                            > She shook her head and tried to calm down her hammering heartbeat. Jumping at the slightest shadow, now?

                                            > It was imperative that she got to the bottom of this subterfuge as soon as possible. Letting paranoia take hold of the Canterlot Castle and, more importantly, of her own mind, would be disastrous.

                                            > Celestia shuddered, brushed her muzzle with a fetlock and stood up. The gardens, then. As she left the suite she closed the door gently behind her.

                                            >...

                                            > It was indeed a beautiful day outside and it would have been a shame to miss it. Celestia was smiling again by the time she was treading the gravel path to the hedge maze.

                                            > She saw the group of ponies sitting at one of the stone picnic tables and hurried their way. Fluttershy's shade of yellow was unmistakable.

                                            "Hello, my little ponies!"

                                            > The guards only now noticed her arrival and jumped upright in their panic. One of them tripped over the stone bench and landed in the dirt with a faint 'oof'. The other one immediately began apologizing: "Princess! We were j-just, uhm..."

                                            > He didn't find any excuse and looked down at his hooves in contrition.

                                            > "It's my fault, Princess," Fluttershy admitted with her ears completely lowered. "I invited them to join us for tea."

                                            > Celestia quickly understood their trepidation. They were supposed to be on guard against anything happening to Blossom or Fluttershy, but they had let their focus slip and indulged in a little tea party.

                                            "Glory Tail, Vanilla Pop, please stand," Celestia instructed.

                                            > They did so, even if they glanced at each other uneasily.

                                            > "Princes, we're sorry," Glory Tail said. "We'll r-report to Fire Fly for our p-punishment right away!"

                                            > Celestia watched them seriously for a few seconds, but then allowed a small smile to grace her muzzle.

                                            "There will be no need for that, Sargeant. I do not mind my ponies taking well-deserved breaks, but do make sure at least one of you is on the watch at all times, okay?"

                                            > Both guards slumped a little with relief, then hurriedly saluted. "Of course, Princess! It won't happen again, Princess!" Glory Tail assured her.

                                            > She wasn't too disappointed, though. An invitation to tea from Fluttershy was almost impossible to decline. It would have taken some sort of special training to resist that, especially since the mare had been kind enough to get croissants.

                                            > Now that the little crisis was averted, Blossom let go of Fluttershy's leg which she'd been clutching out of fear, and relaxed a little.

                                            > "Will you join us for tea, Princess?" Fluttershy asked, smiling a little and indicating the bounty. "There's plenty of food left."

                                            > Her stomach reminded Celestia that she hadn't eaten since breakfast. She came to speak with these ponies anyway, so having a bite of pastry at the same time sounded delightful.

                                            "I would be happy to, Fluttershy."

                                            > Blossom watched her for a few seconds, then magnanimously pushed a plate, laden with the croissants, toward her.

                                            "Thank you, Blossom," Celestia said.

                                            > The mare looked down at her hooves, but Fluttershy brought her muzzle closer and whispered something, which made Blossom look up again. "Y'w-welcome," she murmured.

                                            > Celestia bit into the pastry and closed her eyes in pleasure while Fluttershy slid over a tea cup and filled it.

                                            > "H-Hope you like it," came another murmur from Blossom.

                                            > Before Celestia could answer Fluttershy clarified: "Blossom picked out the flavor of tea, Princess."

                                            > It was strawberry and the sweet aroma filled the air. Celestia took a sip to wash down the croissant and gave Blossom another smile.

                                            "It is very nice."

                                            > This made Blossom blush a little with pride and there was a hint of a smile on her muzzle. It was a pleasure to see and Celestia decided not to push the two for more answers. Not now.

                                            > It was a nice picnic out in the sun and it was obviously doing Blossom a world of good. She could get the news from Fluttershy later, when Anonymous would be back. That way the pegasus wouldn't have to repeat herself.

                                            > The rest of her problems - the subterfuge and the slavery and dissent against her and Anonymous - could also wait until later. It wasn't as if the trouble would diminish if the Princess took a short break.

                                            > In fact, she might get some fresh ideas on a full stomach.


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > Luna was waiting for Anonymous when his carriage landed back at the Canterlot Castle. He was a bit disappointed that it wasn't Celestia, but still happy that the flight was over.

                                            "Hi there," he greeted once the pegasi have brought his carriage to a stop.

                                            > "I saw you approaching from the balcony," Luna explained. "Sister is speaking with the Council in the meeting room. She should be done in an hour."

                                            > As far as Anonymous could recall, this wasn't a scheduled meeting of the pony leaders. Perhaps Celestia had uncovered something new about Blossom's enslavement and was acting on it? It would have been rude to barge in and she would undoubtedly tell him all about it when she was done.

                                            "Okay, I could use something to eat, though."

                                            > Luna turned to follow the man into the Castle and only remembered at the last second to pause and thank the guards. "Oh, thank you kindly for your service, uh- corporal."

                                            > Anonymous noticed her moment of uncertainty.

                                            "Silverwing," he whispered.

                                            > "Corporal Silverwing," Luna repeated more loudly. She flashed Anon a grateful smile while the four pegasi were saluting. She was really trying to remember all the names of staff ponies, but sometimes they would slip her mind. Everyone who knew her didn't mind.

                                            > As they resumed their walk the Princess spoke up: "There is some lunch left in the staff dining hall, I believe, or you can wait for dinner."

                                            "Dining hall will be fine. Anything new from Blossom?"

                                            > It wasn't likely that Luna would know, but it was something to fill the silence so Anon asked anyway.

                                            > The Princess shook her head. "Fluttershy has spent the whole day with Blossom. I believe Sister wishes to speak with her and you after her meeting."

                                            "Okay. Do you want to join as well?"

                                            > "Perhaps it would be wise."

                                            > It occurred to Anonymous that he hadn't really heard Luna's opinion on the whole 'Blossom affair'.

                                            "What do you think about it all, though?" he asked. "Slavery in Equestria? I still think there's a human behind it all."

                                            > "It might also be a griffin or a dragon. Tartarus, it might *still* be a pony," Luna said, even if her muzzle scrunched up in distaste at the words. "Whoever it is, rest assured that we will find them and punish them."

                                            > The mare stopped and turned to face Anonymous. Her wings spread out and her expression was nothing short of fierce. "Then I will *personally* make their every sleeping moment a nightmare!"

                                            > Her voice held dark promise that made Anonymous think about Nightmare Moon. He'd only heard stories of that, but seeing Luna angry like this made it all the easier to imagine.

                                            "Celestia might not want you to take it too far, though."

                                            > "What Sister doesn't know will not bother her!" Luna muttered. She relaxed somewhat and sighed. "You are probably correct. I should try and not let my anger rule my decisions."

                                            > Anonymous acted on impulse and stepped closer so he could lay his hand on her withers. Luna leaned into his touch and he slid his fingers through her mane until he found an ear to scratch. It really did help her relax.

                                            > "Thank you," Luna said simply.

                                            > A clatter of hurrying hoof steps sounded from the other end of the hallway and a unicorn in golden armor galloped into view. Even before he was around the corner he was shouting: "Princess Luna! You must come quick!"

                                            > Anonymous and the mare froze at the sudden intrusion. "Princess!" the guard repeated. He spotted the man and added: "You come as well, Sir!"

                                            > The guard slid to a stop a few paces away from both and pranced nervously in pace. "There has been- it's-" he tried to say, but remembered something just in time and clamped his muzzle shut.

                                            > Luna took a hesitant step forward. "What is the matter, private?! Speak up!"

                                            > "It's B-Blossom, ma'am!" the stallion answered, glancing around uneasily and chest heaving from the effort of running.

                                            "Blossom!? What's wrong?!" Anonymous exclaimed.

                                            > "There as been an attack! You must come quick!"

                                            > Luna started to trot and the guard, relieved, took the lead. "Has Sister been summoned?" she asked.

                                            > Anonymous broke into a brisk jog to keep up with the pair. The guard pony had said 'attack' and it made the man worry.

                                            > There was Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash with her at all times, so nothing should have happened to her at all! There were guards! Any kind of action against the mare had been unthinkable just five minutes ago!

                                            > He hoped like hell the mare hadn't been hurt. The guard had said 'attacked', not 'killed', so Anonymous let his mind seize onto that.

                                            > "Sergeant Tail has gone to fetch her directly!" the unicorn answered Luna's question.

                                            > Luna thought for a few seconds, then asked: "Where is Blossom? Is she alive?!"

                                            > The unicorn turned down a different corridor, dodged a maid who was staring at them, then answered: "East wing, second floor, near the guest suites, Princess! She is wounded, but not seriously."

                                            > It was both a relief and worry. If she'd been hurt, Blossom might revert to her mistrust of everyone around her. Hopefully she would still trust Anonymous, but he wouldn't blame her if she didn't. He *had* promised her everything would be fine.

                                            > Luna's voice broke him out of his thoughts. "Private! Sergeant Silverwing and his squad are putting the flying carriage away in the courtyard. Go and find them. Tell him to send one flier to find Captain Fire Fly. He is to immediately lock the Castle down!"

                                            > It was a good plan and Anonymous nodded to himself as Luna continued: "Nopony is to leave or enter the Castle. Send word to all the gates and watchtowers and make sure anypony leaving Canterlot, whether by road or by air, is noted!"

                                            > "Yes, ma'am!" the unicorn stopped and saluted. He seemed relieved that a Princess was in charge and giving orders.

                                            > "Follow me," Luna told Anonymous and increased her pace. Anonymous found speed he hadn't known he even had. He wouldn't be able to run like that for long, but at that moment the only thing on his mind was Blossom.

                                            "Right behind you!" he gasped.

                                            > The guard turned and ran the way they had come and was quickly out of sight.


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > Celestia and Doctor Sherbert were already there, as were several guard ponies. Anonymous recognized Fire Fly and Longstride, but barely spared them a glance as he was trying to see inside the room.

                                            > He could hear Celestia giving orders inside Cadence's guest suite, so the man pushed past the crowd.

                                            > Luna stayed behind to speak with Fire Fly. "Send guards to lock down the castle!" she ordered. "Whoever had done this must be caught!"

                                            > "Rainbow Dash is in pursuit, Princess," the guard Captain explained. "I've sent a team of pegasi after her."

                                            > It sounded like they had everything in hoof, so Anonymous stopped paying attention. Celestia was in the antechamber with doctors Wellhoof and Sherbert. She looked up and relief flashed in her eyes for an instant.

                                            > The two medics stepped aside so Anon could give the Princess a quick hug.

                                            "How is she? Where is she?" he asked.

                                            > "Blossom is fine," Celestia assured him. "It was a minor injury, thanks in no small part to Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. She is resting."

                                            > He didn't need to ask and all three ponies stepped aside when Anon pushed onward into the bedroom. Blossom was indeed there, a pristine white bandage wrapped around her foreleg and Fluttershy sitting beside her on the bed.

                                            > Both stared at the man for a second, but then Blossom brightened up and started lifting herself. Luckily Fluttershy pressed her gently, but firmly down while Anonymous rushed forward.

                                            "Don't get up!"

                                            > The mare obeyed and just waited until Anon was there. He cupped her muzzle with a hand and she gave it an urgent lick.

                                            "I'm sorry I wasn't there, Blossom. This shouldn't have happened!"

                                            > The mare just shrugged a little. Perhaps she was in shock? Anonymous looked at Fluttershy, who just gave him a faint, worried smile.

                                            > "T-They mis-missed," Blossom explained.

                                            "What happened?" Anon asked Fluttershy.

                                            > The pegasus closed her eyes and folded her ears down before replying. "Two ponies. We were going to the room from lunch. One of them had a spear."

                                            "Did you see them? Who were they?"

                                            > Fluttershy shook her head. "I'm sorry, Anonymous. They were all in black, even their faces. It happened so fast. If it weren't for Rainbow Dash..."

                                            > He would have asked more, but talking about it was reminding Blossom and the mare was starting to sob. Anonymous crawled up on the bed and the mare threw her hooves around his waist. He patted the back of her head.

                                            "It's over now. I'm sorry, I won't talk about it anymore, sweetie. You're safe. We'll make sure you stay safe, okay?"

                                            > He made sure not to sound doubtful, even if he wasn't entirely sure. Blossom was in the middle of Canterlot Castle, presumably the safest place in Equestria, yet this had still happened.

                                            > Princess Celestia raised her voice in the other room: "... don't care! Luna and I will interview every single guard, understood? Where is Lemon Slice?"

                                            > Anonymous didn't hear the reply, but then Luna said: "Search the city! Find her!"

                                            > It sounded as if his hunch about the mare was correct, not that it brought him much joy.

                                            > Blossom seemed to be calming down, so Anon carefully pried her away.

                                            "I have to go and talk with the Princess in the other room, Blossom. I'll be right here, okay? Five minutes."

                                            > Her eyes were large and brimming with tears, but the mare nodded. Luckily Fluttershy took his place, patting Blossom on her back and wrapping her up in her soft yellow wings.

                                            > Even as he left, Anon couldn't help looking back several times to make sure they were still okay.

                                            > He rejoined the two Princesses, the guard Captain and the doctors in the antechamber. It felt quite crowded, but Anonymous was happy about that. The more ponies, the less chance anyone would try anything.

                                            "Ponies dressed in all black. They had a spear," he said, even though they probably already knew it.

                                            > Fire Fly gave the man a nod, but his expression was grim. "We found the spear. It is standard guard issue."

                                            "So it were some of the guards? Is anyone missing?"

                                            > The stallion looked even more troubled. "Lemon Slice, so far. We are checking the roster."

                                            > Anonymous sighed and sat on the couch, where he put his face in his hands.

                                            "Okay, that's good. Some of them may stay undercover, though."

                                            > Celestia came closer and gave the man a gentle nuzzle. "We will interview everypony in the Castle, Anonymous. This has gone beyond spying now. This is no longer subterfuge, it is an *attack*!"

                                            > "I *will* get to the bottom of this!" Luna said with conviction. "If Rainbow Dash catches the- those *scum* I will interrogate them personally!" She stomped a hoof for good measure.

                                            "Blossom- how bad..." Anonymous asked, looking at Dr. Sherbert.

                                            > The earth pony doctor glanced at his unicorn colleague, then stepped closer. "Just a nick. Don't worry. We checked the spear for poison, but there wasn't any. Blossom didn't even require stitches. I gather that Rainbow Dash knocked the attacker away in time."

                                            > At least that much was good news.

                                            > "The guard will be stepped up," Celestia instructed Fire Fly. "I am sorry, but we cannot trust any single pony with this. There will always be multiple guards near Blossom and their rosters will be chosen randomly."

                                            > The Princess walked around the room as she thought and she glanced into the bedroom. "I will personally put a barrier on the window and the door to the balcony. Furthermore, Blossom will not leave this room without either myself, Luna or Anonymous, understood?"

                                            > "Yes, ma'am!" Fire Fly saluted. Then he slumped a little and pulled his helmet off. His ears were completely flat. "P-Princess?" he began, then swallowed as both of them looked at him.

                                            > "I can't help but feel like this is partially my failing as well. Traitors in *my* guard!" Fire Fly said and shook his head in saddness. "Perhaps if I had learned more from Captain Shining Armor..."

                                            > Celestia interrupted him. "We will not assign blame at this time, Captain. I do not doubt your loyalty. Just make sure something like this does not happen again."

                                            > Luna thought of something and her ears folded down. "Sister, there will be rumors. An assassination attempt in the Canterlot Castle. It will be a scandal."

                                            > Celestia sighed, but nodded. "You are right, of course. I will prepare a statement so that we may get a jump on these rumors rather than the other way around. Captain, send somepony to my clerks to organize a press statement."

                                            "What do you need me to do?" Anonymous asked.

                                            > "Stay with Blossom. There has to be a reason she was attacked. She either told us something important or was about to."

                                            "If she already told us, what would be the point of trying to kill her? It's a lot of danger for petty revenge."

                                            > Celestia thought this through. "Perhaps whoever is behind this didn't hear about Blossom in time. Maybe the earlier rumors that she was your... mmm, 'squeeze' worked in our favor. I think this was the earliest they could have organized this attempt."

                                            > "More importantly," Luna added, "it means that Blossom can lead us to them. Otherwise they wouldn't have risked something so... public."

                                            "Good thinking."

                                            > "Did you learn anything at the Baltimare garrison?" Celestia asked.

                                            > His trip felt like a million years ago and Anonymous had to think for a second to remember.

                                            "Oh, that's right. Comet Roll is in solitary confinement and isn't allowed any visitors. I tried, but the commander wouldn't hear anything about it."

                                            > At this news Celestia spun around and stared at Fire Fly, who shuffled uneasily. "Captain, have Comet Roll released *immediately* and escorted back to Canterlot. He obviously knows something which somepony does not want us to hear!"

                                            > Luna added: "And, in the future when a Castle Guard is charged with a crime which warrants imprisonment, do not have him locked away without a hearing."

                                            > The stallion saluted. "Of course, Princess. I will see to it myself. I will take a flying carriage and go fetch private Comet Roll personally!"

                                            > Celestia inclined her head in agreement. "Good. We're past the point of trying to hide our knowledge of this conspiracy. Luna, take command of the Guard while the Captain is away. Investigate this with alacrity."

                                            > "Yes, Sister."

                                            "I'll stay with Blossom, but I also want to help."

                                            > The Princess gave this some thought. "You should proceed with the investigation among my clerks. There is still the question of why Ember Wishes left in such a hurry and why the report I asked for was as lacking as it had been."

                                            "Will do."

                                            > "If that is all, Princesses," Dr. Sherbert said after a short silence, "I will make sure my patient is okay and then take my leave." At a nod from the Princess he grabbed his bag and walked into the bedroom.

                                            > That reminded Celestia and she gave Anonymous a meaningful look. "Blossom has reverted to her fear of unicorns. Can you find out why?"

                                            "I'll try," Anon promised, looking at Dr. Wellhoof.

                                            > "She had a panic attack when she saw me," the unicorn explained. "I checked her with a spell to make sure she wasn't in mortal danger, then I sent for Dr. Sherbert to bandage her up."

                                            "Was it unicorns who attacked her?"

                                            > "No, Fluttershy said it was two earth ponies," Celestia shook her head, "but her fear of them is probably connected to the whole mystery. I wish we knew more."

                                            "I'll do my best to find out."

                                            > Another thought occurred to the man.

                                            "Maybe it would be a good idea for me to sleep here. I'll take the couch, just in case Blossom has nightmares or something. We don't want her running around the halls at night in a panic."

                                            > "Very well," the Princess said, with only a slight tinge of disappointment in her voice. Anonymous doubted anyone else had even noticed it. He gave her a small smile and went to check on Blossom.

                                            > The doctor was just finishing with his examination, peering intently into Blossom's eyes while he listened to her heartbeat. He dropped the stethoscope in his bag and closed it with a quiet click. "I think everything is okay, young mare. Take it easy with your leg for a day or two and you'll be right as rain."

                                            > Blossom just nodded, looking down at her hooves as soon as the stallion moved away.

                                            > Doctor Sherbert walked past Anonymous with a polite nod and left. That just left the three of them. Blossom looked hopefully at the man and he obliged by going to sit on the bed by her side.

                                            > He put a hand around the mare's withers and heaved a sigh. It had been a worrying mystery before, but now it was also a dangerous one. Hopefully Celestia and Luna would weed out the bad guards, if there were any left, and Comet Roll would be able to tell them something about the stone mine where Blossom had been kept.

                                            > If they found that, it would probably lead them to whoever is responsible. Once the had was cut off, the rest of the operation would quickly fall and they could go back to a world where the scariest problem was late paperwork.

                                            "Sweetheart?" Anonymous asked.

                                            > Blossom shifted a little so she could look at him.

                                            "Can you tell me why you are afraid of... horns?"

                                            > Her lips tightened and her ears folded down. Blossom would have looked away, but Anon gently brought his hand up from her withers to cup her muzzle. She didn't fight his touch.

                                            "It's okay, they won't get you. I need to know so I can help."

                                            > Her eyes were already filling up with tears, but then Blossom drew a shaky breath and said: "They b-beat me..."

                                            "The unicorns? I mean, the horns?"

                                            > She nodded and Fluttershy put her hoof on Blossom's in a show of support. "They s-said if I told, they'd..." Blossom began, but a frightened little whimper interrupted her words. "They'd... f-flay me," she finished.

                                            "I promise they'll never get close to you. You don't have to be afraid of them anymore, okay?"

                                            > Blossom didn't look so certain, but Fluttershy stroked her leg and asked: "What mustn't you tell?"

                                            > Anonymous held his breath as they waited for what the mare would say next. She opened her mouth, but then shook her head. "I m-mustn't!" she whispered.

                                            "We need to know, sweetheart. It'll help us keep you safe."

                                            > Unfortunately Blossom just closed her eyes, shook her head and started to sob gently.

                                            > "I think that's enough for now," Fluttershy said with finality, glaring a little at Anon. He felt like shit, but they had to have some answers, and soon. Blossom would have all the time she needed to heal once the crisis was over.

                                            > He still deferred to the pegasus' wisdom in these things and let it drop for the momrnt, though.

                                            "You'll keep trying?" he asked quietly.

                                            > "I will, but not now," Fluttershy assured him.

                                            > That had to be good enough. If he tried to pressure the soft-spoken, timid mare, she might decide to use the Stare.

                                            > Anonymous hadn't been the target of that yet, but he'd heard it was pretty terrifying and had no desire to experience it himself.

                                            "Thanks."

                                            > He shuffled higher up and grabbed a pillow so he could lean more comfortably against the headrest. As soon as he became still, Blossom also wiggled closer until her hooves were around his legs and her head in his lap. She sniffled a few more times and fell silent. Only the rise and fall of her barrel proved she was still alive.

                                            "It's going to be a long afternoon, I think," Anonymous commented.

                                            > "You'll stay with us?" Fluttershy asked, a smile returning to her muzzle. "She's a lot calmer with you around, you know?"

                                            "Yes, but I'll sleep in the other room on the couch, okay?"

                                            > "That is fine."

                                            > Anonymous sighed again.

                                            "Good thing I forgot my toothbrush here..."

                                            > The admission made Fluttershy giggle softly. A moment later Blossom also chuckled. He put his hand in her mane and tickled an ear until the mare flicked it in annoyance.

                                            "We'll catch the bad guys and put them in prison. I promise, sweetheart."

                                            > Blossom just nodded against his belly.


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > There was a knock at Celestia's door.

                                            "Enter," she called out.

                                            > A guard poked his head into her office and cleared his throat. "Um, excuse me, Princess. Ms. Twinkleshine is here to see you."

                                            "I don't remember... Show her in, please."

                                            > The pegasus stepped aside and a very cross-looking mare walked in. It took a moment for Celestia to place her. She was a unicorn with a grayish coat and a pink mane and tail. Not a Canterlot native, but she married into one of the wealthy families.

                                            "Ms... Twinkleshine?"

                                            > "Yes."

                                            > No honorific, Celestia noted. Her visitor seemed a little wary, but not afraid and certainly not reverential towards the Princess.

                                            "What may I do for you?"

                                            > The mare worked her mouth for a moment, as if chewing something absolutely foul, but her resolve stiffened and she replied: "You asked me to come here. Well, here I am."

                                            > Celestia drew a blank and smiled apologetically.

                                            "Please excuse me for one minute."

                                            > She walked past the annoyed-looking unicorn and out of her office, where she leaned closer to the guard who had announced the visitor. She spoke in near whisper.

                                            "Excuse me, Bright Beam, do you perhaps know why Ms. Twinkleshine is here?"

                                            > "Uh, C-Captain Fire Fly sent for her on Anonymous' behalf, but the Ms. refused to speak with a- uh, with a human." When Celestia didn't reply immediately, the guard lowered his gaze. "She, um, asked to see you instead."

                                            > Fire Fly and Anonymous in the same sentence reminded Celestia.

                                            "Oh, she is the one who was speaking out against Anonymous in the plaza?"

                                            > "Y-Yes, ma'am."

                                            > And her day had been going so well until now...

                                            "Thank you," Celestia said curtly and returned to her office.

                                            > She gently closed the door shut with her magic and walked back to her seat. The unicorn hadn't moved a single inch, but she was looking around at some of the nicer paintings on the far wall.

                                            "You probably know why we asked you to come here, Ms. Twinkleshine."

                                            > "Not a clue," the mare lied. Her expression was composed now, even the slight hint of distaste from earlier wiped away so completely that Celestia nearly doubted her own memory. The only emotion Twinkleshine exuded was boredom.

                                            "You had quite an impressive speach in the Plaza the other day, Ms. Twinkleshine."

                                            > The unicorn humphed dismissively. "So? It's a free country, isn't it?"

                                            "Quite."

                                            > The two mares stared at each other and neither blinked. In the end, Celestia sighed again and decided to try the direct approach.

                                            "Why do you dislike the humans living in the Castle so, Ms. Twinkleshine?"

                                            > "Who says I dislike them?"

                                            > It took an incredible effort of will for Celestia not to outright growl. Her expression hardened and the air in the room felt several degrees cooler. Even the unicorn realized she might have gone too far and shuffled her hooves before she could catch herself.

                                            "An honest answer, if you please?"

                                            > Her mouth pressed together again and Twinkleshine took a deep breath. "Fine. I think what you're doing is a *disgrace*! You've given Equestria to humans in all but name. It's a- a- an invasion!"

                                            > This was getting somewhere, even if Celestia didn't much like the direction.

                                            "What makes you say that? I do not take orders from the ambassador, nor his aide. Aside from them, there is just Anonymous. That is hardly an invasion, Ms. Twinkleshine."

                                            > "Well, they are all in your bed!" the mare burst out. She seemed surprised at her own statement, but only for a second before rallied and started to glare once more. "It's not right! We won't stand for this!"

                                            "Who is 'we'?"

                                            > The unicorn didn't answer the question. She shifted her weight from one hoof to the other, but kept her muzzle firmly shut.

                                            > Celestia had had enough. She stood up and came around the desk so she could look at the mare from up close.

                                            "Whom I do or do not take to my bed is not any business of yours, Ms. Twinkleshine, nor of your associates, whoever they are. If, however, you really are concerned with how Equestria is being run, you may bring your grievance to Court and present it there, in front of everypony."

                                            > The mare harrumphed, scrunching her muzzle up in severe distaste. "Yeah, like that isn't a complete farce! A bunch of hooflickers and yes-colts!"

                                            "I am warning you, Ms. Twinkleshine!"

                                            > "What are you going to do, *Princess*," the unicorn asked, putting a derisive little twist on the title. "Toss me in jail? I'm sure that'll look real good in a newspaper!"

                                            > It would probably cause an uproar among the Canterlot nobility, Celestia knew. Twinkleshine wasn't high-born, but she'd married into the Ritz family and had taken to the high society like a fish to water. The mare had ambitions and enough cunning to act on them. With the backing of her husband, Sapphire Ritz, she would have to be reckoned with.

                                            "I do not toss ponies in prison without good reason, Ms. Twinkleshine. Please do not give me one today," Celestia replied smoothly.

                                            > This back and forth was getting them nowhere and Celestia didn't want to spend any more time verbally jousting with an irate noblemare. She remembered another thing Anonymous had told her.

                                            "In fact, I might just go and take a *personal* look into your family's records. After all, if Equestria is to be governed fairly, then it is vitally important that ponies are *taxed* fairly, don't you think?"

                                            > Celestia smiled and even her closest friends would not be able to find any malice in her open, hopeful expression. Suddenly Twinkleshine was extremely nervous. She obviously hadn't expected the Princess to know about her visit the previous week.

                                            > "Fine!" she spat. "I'll stop speaking out against this human abomination."

                                            > Even though Celestia did not like the word Twinkleshine had chosen, it was perhaps the best outcome she could have hoped for. It was a shame the mare wouldn't be reasoned with and had to be threatened, but at this point Celestia would take what she could get.

                                            "Splendid," she said, letting her smile widen.

                                            > "But watch yourself! I'm not the only one who doesn't appreciate what's going on!"

                                            "And what is going on, Ms. Twinkleshine? If there is danger to Equestria, do you not think I should know about it?"

                                            > The mare slumped a little. She'd lost her edge and she knew it. Her goal had rapidly changed from threatening the Princess to getting out of the room with her dignity. "Not everypony appreciates the way you-" the unicorn began, but took a breath and changed it: "-the way Equestria is bowing and scraping to Earth. Not everypony loves humans like yourself."

                                            "Noted. You have my solemn vow that Equestria will remain independent."

                                            > Twinkleshine obviously didn't believe that, but before she could offer a scathing reply, Celestia continued.

                                            "Meanwhile, we can benefit from human knowledge and ingenuity. You are aware of Morning Breeze, correct?"

                                            > This was her fist major success story and everypony in Equestria knew that name by now. Twinkleshine lowered her gaze and nodded.

                                            "Then there was Silver Song, undoubtedly you've heard of her? Neither her mother nor the filly would be among us were it not for human surgery."

                                            > Again, Twinkleshine had no choice but to nod.

                                            "And then there was Aura, right here from Canterlot, need I remind you?"

                                            > The unicorn said nothing.

                                            "Ms. Twinkleshine, please understand this. We can learn a lot from humans. They are a powerful nation with advanced knowledge, which they are willing to trade. Even now our ponies are studying in human schools. They are learning medicine and astronomy and mathematics and engineering."

                                            > Celestia began to walk around the room, inspecting her paintings and the shelves of books she kept in her office just for something to do with her eyes.

                                            "Soon, I hope, we will accept human students in some of our universities. Think of it as 'trade', Ms. Twinkleshine. We trade with the griffins and the yaks and even the dragons. All nations benefit from open trade."

                                            > It took the Princess only seconds to recall something close to the unicorn's heart.

                                            "In fact, does not your husband, Sapphire Ritz, still maintain his father's trade agreements with Griffinstone? Velvet, was it not? Equestrian velvet in exchange for griffin gold."

                                            > "Yes," the mare said quietly and Celestia knew she had won, at least for now. She allowed herself to smile for real this time.

                                            "Well, instead of attempting to drive humans out of Equestria, why do you not think of ways you and Sapphire may benefit from trading with them? The Ritz family have always been successful merchants."

                                            > There was no reply.

                                            "And, please, do not hesitate to come to me again if ever you have concerns about humans. I will be only too happy to lay your worries to rest, Ms. Twinkleshine, without the need for public speeches. Now if you would excuse me, I am quite busy double-checking Anonymous' work."

                                            > It was a dismissal for the unicorn and a way for her to keep at least some semblance of dignity. Celestia could almost read the mare's thoughts. If she pretended to accept the answers she had been given, it would appear that she had been no more than a concerned citizen, rather than a rabble-rouser.

                                            > Perhaps Twinkleshine, or her husband, or perhaps some other noblepony would try to cause more problems, but it wouldn't be right away. Hopefully it would take long enough for Celestia to sort out the recent subterfuge and slavery problems before she had to deal with this other unrest.

                                            > It really was like juggling spinning plates, the Princess thought.

                                            > "Yeah. Okay," Twinkleshine mumbled and let herself out of the office. Bright Beam poked his head in as the unicorn was leaving.

                                            "Please see Ms. Twinkleshine to the Castle gates, Sergeant."

                                            > "Yes, ma'am!" the guard said and saluted with a wing. He closed the door gently behind him while Celestia returned to her seat and resumed reading the document.

                                            > She had lied a little to the unicorn. It wasn't a proposal for immigration laws from Anonymous, but staff files. She was double-checking out every single guard working in the Canterlot Castle while Luna was organizing an interview room and schedule.

                                            > Rainbow Dash had been unsuccessful, although exactly how two earth ponies could have avoided her on hoof was a story Celestia would really like to hear. She'd have to ask Luna about it when she was done with the pegasus.

                                            > Not to mention that the attackers had been able to sneak right into the Castle, dressed all in black and carrying weapons. They had to have had help from the guards!

                                            > As they'd suspected, Lemon Slice was still missing, but Celestia was sure there had to be more than one double agent among her staff.

                                            > After the guard she would interview all her clerks and after *that* she would go for the maids. An attack on another pony's life in her own Castle! Unthinkable.

                                            > She would purge this darkness from their midst, no matter what it took!


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > "Look, I already explained all of this," Rainbow Dash was saying irritably. "They escaped through the kitchen entrance and into the alleyways."

                                            "That was why you couldn't track them on wing?" Luna asked.

                                            > "Exactly! I had to go on hoof, but they had a lead! *Excuuse* me for checking if Blossom was alright before going after the guys!"

                                            > Luna inclined her head.

                                            "No need to apologize for that, Rainbow Dash. You have done exactly the right thing. I just wish we could have interrogated the attackers."

                                            > "Well, you can start by asking everypony who lives between the Castle and the Elite Equine Spa if they saw anything. They must have hidden in one of those houses! Somepony is probably helping them!"

                                            "That is probably not a very good idea."

                                            > Shaking her head even before Rainbow had finished speaking, Luna lowered her ears in disappointment.

                                            "Most of that area are the wealthier houses and manors. If they ran along the back alleys, they could have gone into any one of them."

                                            > Rainbow Dash looked triumphant. "Well, there's your answer then! One of the nobleponies must be in league with these guys! Send the guards, I dunno!"

                                            > Luna bit her lip in worry. She shook her head again and couldn't meet the pegasus' gaze.

                                            "Perhaps it would be best if Sister decides what to do. We can't simply accuse ponies, especially nobleponies, without more proof. Are you sure you do not have their description?"

                                            > The Wonderbolt looked thoughtful as she scanned through her memory again. "I think one of them had a purple coat. I saw his leg when he stumbled. The other one, I dunno. Maybe yellow mane? I know it's not much to go on."

                                            "Nevertheless, I will instruct the guards to watch out for that combination. They were both stallions?"

                                            > "Yeah, definitely. Both were earth pony stallions. I'm sure about that part."

                                            "Well, the important thing is that Blossom is alright. Had you not moved as quickly, Sargeant Glory Tail assures me, she might not have been so lucky."

                                            > Rainbow Dash allowed herself a touch of pride. "Well, I *am* the fastest pony in the world!" she boasted. She gave this some thought and corrected: "Actually, make that two worlds."

                                            > Luna couldn't help but laugh at her confidence.

                                            "I don't doubt it."

                                            > "Anything else? I told all of this to Captain Fire Fly as soon as I was back, you know? He wrote a report!"

                                            > The Princess inclined her head and flattened her ears in silent apology.

                                            "Thank you for telling me also. I am taking over the investigation into this attack personally."

                                            > The mare just inclined her head in acknowledgment and slid from her chair. They were in the hastily-appropriated guest room antechamber. There was a writing desk, which Luna was using as her temporary office while she conducted her investigation.

                                            > She didn't want to go far from Blossom, who was with Anonymous and Fluttershy in the other room. Rainbow Dash paused for a few more moments to see if Luna thought up any other questions, then joined the three in the bedroom.

                                            > If she listened carefully, Luna could hear the sound of the movie they were watching. She'd seen it before, but judging by Fluttershy and Blossom's quiet squeaks and gasps of surprise, they had not.

                                            > In Blossom's case, that was understandable. She'd been stuck at the bottom of a mine and hadn't seen all these human marvels, which were slowly making their way into Canterlot.

                                            > Movies which didn't need a projector and a huge room. And *such* movies! Eli Grant had shown her a few of what he called their 'war films'. Somewhat... gruesome at times, but oh what heroism and chivalry!

                                            > In fact, Celestia was meeting with some of the human businesses who made these devices to arrange permissions to sell them in Equestria. Indeed, there were quite interesting times ahead.

                                            > Luna shook her head clear of irrelevant thoughts and focused back on her task. She opened the outside door with her magic and raised her voice.

                                            "Please fetch Captain Fire Fly!"

                                            > She bent down to study the roster he'd given her while she waited.

                                            >...

                                            > The Captain knocked on the wooden frame, even though the door was already open in invitation. Luna looked up and smiled at the unicorn.

                                            "Come in. Close the door."

                                            > He obeyed and approached her desk. Despite the chair, the pony just stood there, as was proper for a soldier on duty.

                                            "Sister will be finished with all the guards' dossiers shortly after dinner," Luna said, "and then we will begin the interviews."

                                            > "Yes, ma'am," the stallion said, keeping his gaze firmly on the wall behind Luna.

                                            "I would like you to be present at all of them. We do not want accusations of illegal interrogation."

                                            > The stallion inclined his head and closed his eyes briefly in acknowledgment. "Of course, Princess."

                                            "Good. I think we will go alphabetically, in reverse order. Please adjust the rosters as you think neccessary and have the first four waiting after dinner."

                                            > This time the unicorn blinked in surprise. "Um- may I ask, ma'am, why reverse order?"

                                            > Luna gave him a bright smile. It had been Anon's idea, but she liked it.

                                            "Because everypony will expect us to go alphabetically. If this surprises you, then hopefully it will also surprise *them*. We wish them to worry."

                                            > The Captain smiled as he understood. "Oh. Of course! Very smart, Princess."

                                            > Luna just gave the guard a slow nod before standing up and going to check on Blossom. She poked her head into the bedroom and was pleased to see that Rainbow Dash looked up at her intrusion, even if the other three didn't.

                                            > At least somepony was on watch. Fluttershy and Blossom were watching the movie with rapt attention and Anonymous seemed to be asleep. Luna couldn't blame him. It did look very comfortable.

                                            > The man was lying on his back, propped up against several pillows and holding the human device - an "eye pad" Celestia had called it - upright on his belly. The mares were pressed up against him from either side.

                                            > Fluttershy was sitting, more or less, and her muzzle rested on Anon's shoulder so she could see better. Rainbow Dash was lounging against her, using Fluttershy as a pillow, but the latter didn't seem to mind at all.

                                            > On Anon's other side there was Blossom, lying on her back, tucked into the crook of his arm, which encircled her so that his hand rested on her belly.

                                            > He was probably scratching or stroking the soft fur there, but Luna couldn't see because Blossom had curled her tail up and was hugging it with her forelegs as she watched.

                                            > It didn't seem that she was even blinking and neither was Fluttershy. It really was a beautiful story and she made a mental note to ask Anonymous to loan her the 'eye pad' later on, so she could see it again.

                                            > For now she didn't want to disturb them. She inclined her head to Rainbow Dash, who just flashed her a quick smile, and retreated out of the room.

                                            > Seeing that reminded her that she missed Eli Grant. As soon as this trouble around Equestrian slavery was over she would borrow the eye-pad on a more permanent basis and have Eli show her more of his favorite movies.

                                            > Smiling faintly to herself, the Princess went back to the table and glanced over her documents again. It all seemed in order and Celestia still wasn't free, apparently.

                                            > Luna went to the outer door and stepped into the hall. There were three guards stationed outside the guest room and they all bowed their heads in greeting.

                                            "At ease," Luna said and they relaxed.

                                            > She looked both ways along the corridor, then addressed the highest-ranking guard.

                                            "Corporal, anything to report?"

                                            > The pegasus shook his head and gave a quick salute. "Nothing, ma'am. It's been quiet."

                                            "I don't like it. The would-be assassins have escaped and I worry. Stay vigilant. I will send others to relieve you in an hour so your squad can have dinner."

                                            > "Yes, ma'am!" Silverwing replied and this time all three of them saluted.

                                            > Luna made sure to watch the gesture before heading off, but she only walked a few steps before she remembered and turned back. The guards looked at her questioningly, but didn't comment.

                                            > The Princess focused and her horn sprang to life. She felt the wards her Sister had left on the balcony door and the outside window and found them to be intact.

                                            > Nopony had attempted to gain entry that way. Luna's lips pressed together in slight worry. It really did seem too quiet. Surely if somepony was so worried about Blossom revealing a damning secret they would try to get at her again.

                                            > It was hard to believe there would only be one attempt.

                                            "Do not let your guard down!" the Princess repeated.

                                            > Again, the three ponies saluted.

                                            > They seemed watchful enough and there were Anonymous, Fluttershy *and* Rainbow Dash in the room with Blossom. Luna trusted them completely.

                                            > She suppressed the slight feeling of unease and headed off to get some dinner and look for Celestia. Perhaps, after they questioned all the guards in the Castle, they would know more.

                                            > In the meantime, Fluttershy had promised to try and learn, before the day was over, the secret which was proving to be so dangerous. They had to find out whatever it was that Blossom could tell them and that the assassins didn't want them to know!


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > Thanks to his impromptu nap during the cartoon, Anonymous wasn't in the least bit sleepy, however late it was. Blossom was fine, being cuddled by Fluttershy and with Celestia and Luna right in the next room, so he had time to catch up on paperwork.

                                            > Despite the crisis, he still had a job to do and this was welcome change away from the slightly-too-clingy mare. He could understand Blossom's attachment, especially after being attacked the previous day, but it wasn't a good idea to let her become too dependent on Anon.

                                            > The man was halfway through his document when there came a quiet knock at his office door.

                                            "Huh? Come in!" he called out.

                                            > One of the guards poked his head inside and gave Anonymous an apologetic smile. "Visitor, sir."

                                            "Oh. What? This late? Let them in."

                                            > Celestia had insisted he keep a couple of Castle guards around all the time. It was understandable after the previous day, but Anon didn't have to like it. It smelled too strongly of paranoia and baseless fear.

                                            > He forgot that line of thought when Star Bright walked into his office, glancing nervously at the two stolid, impassive guard ponies on either side of the door.

                                            "Bright? You're here late," Anon commented in surprise. "Shouldn't you be at the observatory?"

                                            > The stallion had never been too dedicated to his job. It was just a temporary thing his parents made him do for bragging rights.

                                            > Star Bright heaved a forlorn sigh and shook his head. "I should. I'm missing a meteor shower, b-but... I need your help, Anon."

                                            > This seemed concerning and the man stood up.

                                            "Shut the door."

                                            > Star Bright did so with a casual flick of his magic, then he looked around the room as if looking for something to talk about. His tail was swishing nervously and his left ear twitched every now and then.

                                            "What's wrong? You can tell me, Bright."

                                            > "Um..." the unicorn said, not quite meeting Anon's gaze. "Thing is, I dunno who to tell. I'm- I'm a bit freaked out right now."

                                            > Anonymous took a closer look and saw that Bright's hind legs were trembling a little. He hurried forward and crouched down in front of the pony so he could lay a hand on his withers.

                                            "What happened?!"

                                            > Now that he felt safe, Star Bright finally focused on Anon and his lower lip trembled. "I- I think I m-might quit, Anon. I can't t-take this!"

                                            > Surely Nutmeg wasn't driving the poor colt too hard, was she?

                                            "Look, if you have too much work or crazy deadlines just tell me and I'll help you work something out. If Ms. Nutmeg-"

                                            > The unicorn shook his head, closing his eyes. "It's not t-that..."

                                            "Then what?"

                                            > It took some effort for Anonymous to remain patient, but Star Bright looked like he was in shock. His rump hit the carpet and he put his face in his hooves to hide. "I sh-shouldn't be telling you this. I'm s-sorry, I'll just go. I shouldn't."

                                            "You mean it's something personal? Did you get your marefriend in trouble or something?"

                                            > Bright shook his head again, but didn't remove his hooves from his face. "No. J-Just forget it. Forget I said anything. I shouldn't tell you." His shoulders were shaking as he fought back sobs.

                                            > Anon made a judgment call and slid further down to his knees so he could hug the poor colt. Bright went stiff at first, but soon melted into the embrace. His hooves slid away and he buried his muzzle in the nape of Anon's neck.

                                            "Hey, it's gonna be okay. Just tell me what's wrong," Anon cooed quietly.

                                            > Bright sniffed once but managed to keep himself under enough control no speak. "T-They said they'd g-go after Mom and D-Dad..."

                                            > It was Anon's turn to stiffen in shock. That sounded very ominous. He gently lifted the colt a little so he could peer into his face.

                                            "Bright? Who is this 'they'? Has someone been threatening you?"

                                            > It had to be related with Blossom, there was no way this was a coincidence.

                                            > Star Bright looked at the man in horror for a few seconds before his gaze darted away. "I- I'm... they s-said-" he choked out, but couldn't get any further.

                                            "It's okay. You'll be safe. Your parents will be okay too, we'll make sure. Just tell me what happened."

                                            > Luckily the unicorn believed it and he managed to meet Anon's eyes. He sniffed again, then spoke, his words halted and fragmented: "Came to-today... wanted to see me. T-They asked ab-about Blossom..." The stallion shuddered and whispered: "They had a k-k-knife."

                                            > That confirmed it and Anon's lips pressed together in frustration. Whoever was behind all this seemed very well organized.

                                            "How many?"

                                            > "T-Two. They asked about y-you, too!"

                                            > That meant they had at least four ponies acting in Canterlot and probably more. Unless it were the same two who attacked Blossom. After all, neither Fluttershy nor Rainbow had been able to identify them.

                                            "Earth ponies? What colors?" Anon asked.

                                            > Bright looked around the room as he searched his memory. "Earth pony and a pegasus. One of them - the earth p-pony - was v-violet or s-something, with white patches, umm, gray and brown mane, short. T-The other, like blue? I think..."

                                            "You think? Didn't you get a good look at them?"

                                            > Star Bright shook his head. "H-He stayed behind me m-most of the time. They were k-kinda scary..."

                                            > The man committed the descriptions to memory, then gathered up the colt in another hug.

                                            "That's good, you're doing good. What else did they say? You have to tell me everything, okay?"

                                            > Wiping his nose with a fetlock, Bright nodded against Anon's shoulder. "I'll t-try. I'm s-scared, Anon. What's happening around here?!"

                                            "That's what we're trying to find out. Don't worry, the Princess will make sure your family is safe. You did the right thing to tell me," the man assured him.

                                            > One other question popped into Anon's mind and he pulled away from the stallion.

                                            "Quick, how long ago was this?!"

                                            > Now the stallion blushed and lowered his gaze to the floor. "M-Morning," he whispered so quietly that Anon had to strain to hear. "I h-hid in the bath-bathrooms until n-now."

                                            > He looked up at the man and reached out a hoof as if in supplication. "I was just so s-scared! I h-heard you come in..."

                                            "It's okay," Anon said, relaxing. "I wish you'd have told us sooner. They're probably out of Canterlot by now, or in hiding. Damn."

                                            > Fresh tears threatened to escape Star Bright's control and he sniffled a little. "I'm s-sorry... I'm just a coward."

                                            > Anonymous sighed, but went back to hug the colt some more. It had been a very traumatic experience and he couldn't blame him for being scared.

                                            "Okay, you're safe now. We'll go up to the Princesses and tell them everything, okay? Think you can do that for me? Everything they said and everything you told them."

                                            > The colt went stiff. "Princesses?!" he squeaked in a tiny voice.

                                            "Don't worry, I'll be right there with you, deal?"

                                            > It took a minute or so, but finally Star Bright nodded.

                                            "Good boy. Would you like a cup of cocoa? I need you to remember as much as you can, so just try to relax. It's over."

                                            > Another nod.

                                            > Anon considered letting Bright go so he could ask one of the guards to fetch the beverage, but the stallion felt... 'brittle'. He could go to pieces at the slightest thing.

                                            "Um, Bright!?" Anon raised his voice.

                                            > It made the colt flinch and he quickly patted him on the back.

                                            "Sorry, sorry. Not you. Bright Beam!"

                                            > The door opened and the pegasus guard poked his muzzle in. If he thought the scene in any way strange, his muzzle didn't show it. "Sir?"

                                            "I don't want to presume, but would you be so kind to fetch a cup of hot cocoa from the kitchen? It's just around the corner..."

                                            > "Of course, sir. No problem!" Bright Beam chirped helpfully.

                                            "Thanks! I really appreciate it!"

                                            > The guard just inclined his head. "Absolutely no problem, sir. Um, sir?"

                                            "Ask."

                                            > "Everything, um, okay in here?"

                                            > Anonymous almost told the guard what he'd just learned, but thought better of it. Bright Beam hadn't been through Celestia and Luna's interview. If he was in on the conspiracy - well, he probably assumed Star Bright had told Anon everything, but he didn't have to confirm it.

                                            "It's fine. Just a really bad boss. I'll go talk with Celestia right away," he lied.

                                            > "Sorry to hear that, sir," the pegasus said. "I'll fetch the cocoa now."

                                            > The door closed gently and Anon was left wondering whether the pegasus was on his way to tell someone that Star Bright had blabbed.

                                            > He shook his head. If there were any corrupt guards left, there couldn't be that many. Most ponies were trustworthy and honest, Anonymous reminded himself. There was no reason to start doubting everyone just because of what was happening.

                                            > That's how you got paranoia and baseless accusations. It was a dangerous path to tread.

                                            > Still, he had to hurry and get Star Bright to Celestia and make sure his family was protected.

                                            > They now had at least partial descriptions, which was more than they had before.


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > Eventually Star Bright got his cocoa and settled down with Fluttershy and Blossom to watch yet another Disney cartoon on the iPad. The mare had been a bit tense at seeing a unicorn, but she recognized the stallion and soon relaxed.

                                            > Anonymous left them to it and went to check on Celestia and Luna's progress with the interrogations.

                                            "Any luck?" he asked as he took a seat on the couch.

                                            > "Most of them are trustworthy," Luna announced, scanning the paper before her with a quill held in her magical grip. "Two are suspicious and we will look further into their past."

                                            > Celestia added: "There are six more to interview. Would you like to sit in?"

                                            "Yeah, why not. They were asking Star Bright about me, so I guess it concerns me too."

                                            > Luna called for the next guard on the list and soon after a rather pudgy unicorn walked in. She didn't have her helmet, but her golden chest piece was immaculately polished. The mare was vaguely familiar to Anonymous, but he didn't recall her name or recognize her military rank, so he just waited for the Princesses to address the newcomer.

                                            > "Thank you for joining us, Spring Morning," Celestia greeted. "Please have a seat."

                                            > The guard shook her head. "Prefer to stand, ma'am!"

                                            > Celestia glanced at her sister, who have a tiny shrug. Then they both smiled. "As you wish, Sergeant Major," Luna said. "You were born in Las Pegasus, correct?"

                                            > "That is correct, ma'am!"

                                            "Hold on," Anonymous interrupted, "I thought you said you were nearly done. Spring Morning is near the end of the alphabet, no?"

                                            > If Celestia was annoyed at the interruption, she didn't show it. "Spring Morning was on patrol in Canterlot city until now, Anonymous."

                                            "Oh. Okay. Sorry."

                                            > The Princess just gave him a nod and returned her gaze to the waiting guard.

                                            > The mare was standing stiffly, staring straight ahead and refusing to meet either of the Princesses' gazes. Was that suspicious? Anonymous couldn't tell, so he didn't bring it up. Doubtless the sisters knew what they were doing, especially Celestia with her long experience.

                                            > Luna, glancing down at her paper, went on: "Trained in Baltimare under, hmm, Silent Vigil. Commendation and a promotion to Canterlot Castle guard. Tell me, Spring Morning, did you *want* to come to Canterlot?"

                                            > The unicorn replied smoothly, without having to think. It sounded like she'd rehearsed the question beforehand. "Never thought about it, ma'am. I only wanted to serve."

                                            > "Commendable," Celestia said with a small smile. "What do you know of spies in the guard? I find my ponies being threatened and coerced. Have you ever heard about somepony offering bribes to the Castle guards?"

                                            > Spring Morning shook her head and opened her mouth to deny it, but then she thought better of it. "There are... r-rumors, ma'am."

                                            > Both Princesses were instantly alert and the guard seemed uncomfortable under their stares.

                                            > "Do you have names?" Celestia asked at last.

                                            > "Sorry, ma'am. Just rumors that somepony was offering bits in exchange for... information."

                                            > Luna jumped in and demanded: "What sort of information?"

                                            > Spring Morning shook her head again. "Sorry, Princess. I just heard somepony talking about it. I wasn't approached myself, or I would have taken it to Fire Fly immediately."

                                            "Who was talking about it?" Anonymous burst out, unable to help himself.

                                            > He immediately blushed, but neither Princess reprimanded him. Then again, Spring Morning didn't answer him either, not until Celestia repeated his question: "Who was talking about being offered a bribe, Sergeant Major?"

                                            > The mare shuffled a little on her hooves and her facade of professionalism slipped for a second. She looked nervous.

                                            > "Answer the question, Sergeant," Luna commanded.

                                            > At last the unicorn found her courage again, but she lowered her voice as if afraid she would be overheard: "L-Lemon Slice and, um, Azure Wings, ma'am."

                                            > The news made Anonymous sit up straight and open his mouth for a followup question, but Celestia beat him to it.

                                            > "In what way were they talking about it?" the Princess asked.

                                            > "Ma'am?"

                                            > Celestia tried to explain herself a bit better: "Was Lemon Slice offering Azure Wings a bribe, or did she say she was being offered one? Or was it Azure Wings, who was offering Lemon Slice a bribe? Tell us exactly what you heard, Sergeant Major."

                                            > Spring Morning swallowed a lump and nervously looked around the room. She stared at the door to the hallway for a few seconds, then brought her gaze around to peer at Anonymous.

                                            > "Do not worry, Spring Morning," Luna said, "whatever you say here will be entirely confidential."

                                            > This helped and the unicorn nodded. Her ears went completely flat and she lowered her gaze down to her hooves, then she finally replied: "I t-think, um, Azure- Azure Wings was offering Lemon S-Slice a bribe, P-Princess. He was asking about- um..."

                                            > "Go on, Sergeant," Luna prompted.

                                            > "About Princess Celestia and Anonymous. A-And the new mare - Blossom."

                                            > Celestia and Luna looked at each other and then they both looked at Anonymous. He stared back at them, then shrugged a little. They were already highly suspicious of Lemon Slice and now they had another lead.

                                            "Has Azure Wings been interviewed yet?"

                                            > Anon had asked his question at the same time as Celestia hers: "When was this, Sergeant?"

                                            > "Y-You can't," Spring Morning answered Anon's question, then blushed when they all looked at her. "Um, sorry, P-Princess. You can't interview Azure Wings because he's sick. He's been off work today."

                                            > "Really?!" Celestia asked. She checked the paper again and frowned a little. "Captain Fire Fly never mentioned it. It says here Azure Wings was supposed to be on the main gate duty this evening, together with Longstride."

                                            > Again Spring Morning shook her head. "He asked to be relieved on account of his illness. He sent word that he has a bad flu and would like to stay at home for a few days."

                                            > The two Princesses looked at one another, then Celestia repeated her question: "When did you overhear this, Sergeant?"

                                            > Spring Morning looked even more uneasy and she went back to staring at her hooves. "Yester-Yesterday morning, ma'am."

                                            > "Interesting," Celestia said and Luna nodded in agreement. "Thank you very much, Sergeant Major, for telling us this."

                                            > The mare still looked uneasy about the whole thing and she asked nervously: "M-May I go now, ma'am?"

                                            > "Just this last question," Luna said. "Are you lying about Azure Wings to avoid suspicion yourself? You must know that we already suspect Lemon Slice. I know how guards gossip, Sergeant Major."

                                            > The unicorn almost visibly flinched at the accusation and she began babbling in panic: "No! Of course not, P-Princess! I'd never take a bribe! I'd come and tell you right away if somepony offered me a bribe!"

                                            > "Yet you failed to report to the Captain when you overheard one guard pony offer another a bribe?"

                                            > The mare began backing away. "I d-didn't think much of it! It- It sounded like paparazzi were asking about you and Anonymous for a story! I never suspected it was part of a plot!"

                                            > Her eyes were darting between the two Princesses and her breathing was faster as Spring Morning waited for the verdict.

                                            > It was Luna who spoke up: "Next time if you hear bribes being offered, or so much as discussed, no matter how benign they sound, you will report it to your superior, or to Captain Fire Fly, immediately!"

                                            > "Y-Yes, P-Princess!"

                                            > "Good. You may go."

                                            > The unicorn scurried out of the room and fled down the corridor without a single word to the group of guards waiting outside. She forgot to close the door behind her, so Celestia did it with her magic.

                                            > "Thoughts, Sister?" she asked Luna.

                                            "Sounded mighty suspicious to me," Anonymous added his two cents.

                                            > Luna, however, shook her head. "Keeping rumors of bribes to herself was a foalish thing to do and Spring Morning knows that. I think her fear was simply the result of realizing it. I do not think she is part of this conspiracy, otherwise she would have said nothing at all."

                                            > "Yes, I agree. I don't think she was lying."

                                            > Anonymous frowned in confusion and opened his mouth to argue, but Celestia headed him off: "Remember - I am a good judge of character, Anonymous. Yes, Spring Morning was nervous and afraid, but I believed her when she said she was not a part of this plot. This really is as simple as Luna says. She had neglected to report something as serious as guards taking bribes and was afraid of the consequences."

                                            > The man shrugged a little and settled back into the couch. Of course he had complete faith in Celestia, he reminded himself. She'd held her throne for over a thousand years, so she knew what she was doing.

                                            > "We should, however," Celestia continued, "send some guards to find Azure Wings and have a word with his neighbors. I wonder if he really is as ill as he claims."

                                            > "I will arrange it," Luna promised.

                                            > Celestia gave her a grateful nod and looked down at the paper again. "Shall we call for the next one?"

                                            > This time it was Luna's magic which opened the door. The ponies outside knew the routine, so she didn't even have to say anything for the next candidate to walk in.


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > It took another hour, but there were no more surprises, at least in Anonymous' opinion. After it was finished, a very tired-looking Celestia accepted his hug and proclaimed she was going to take a very brief shower and then straight to bed.

                                            "Hold on, let me check on Blossom and I'll join you."

                                            > This brightened her smile beautifully, so Anon hurried into the other room where the three ponies were now all asleep, the dark iPad lying where it had slid out of Blossom's hooves.

                                            > The only one awake in there was Rainbow Dash, who was sitting on the writing table and staring out the window mournfully. Anon guessed she missed the freedom of flying and was bored after being still the entire day.

                                            "How's it going?"

                                            > Rainbow didn't look around, but one of her ears turned to track the man. "You know," she said in a fed-up voice, "it's kinda boring, now that you mention it."

                                            > Anonymous decided to be magnanimous.

                                            "Okay, how about I ask Luna to keep an eye on Blossom tomorrow and you can go out, stretch your wings, stuff like that?"

                                            > The pegasus turned her head and stared at Anon in surprise. "You'd do that?!"

                                            "Sure! You're no use to anyone if you're bored out of your mind, after all."

                                            > "Well, that's true, I guess."

                                            > Anonymous reached the mare and laid a careful hand on her back. After a moment of stiffness, Rainbow leaned back into his touch.

                                            "You'll sleep here tonight? With Blossom and Fluttershy?" Anonymous asked.

                                            > "Yeah."

                                            "Mind if I get a night in a real bed?"

                                            > "Go ahead. Between the magic around this room, me, and the guards outside, I don't think anything's gonna happen."

                                            "Did Blossom say what the secret was? The one they threatened her for?"

                                            > Rainbow Dash just shrugged. "Maybe she told Fluttershy, but I don't know."

                                            > Anon slid his hand up Rainbow's back and through her mane until he reached her ear. The mare leaned even more heavily into his scratch.

                                            > "Mmm, gotta get me some of this," she remarked with her eyes closed and a happy little smile on her muzzle.

                                            "I'm sure that can be arranged."

                                            > The smile slipped and was quickly replaced with a blush as Rainbow Dash jerked suddenly away. "Um- I didn't mean- I just think it might be nice, is all. As a *friend*!"

                                            > Anonymous remembered her question to Celestia the other day, but didn't push the topic.

                                            "Sure. Having friends is nice. Hopefully after I finish my work we'll have more tourists in Equestria. The wonderbolts could do a show or something and you'd be bound to meet some human fans."

                                            > This made the mare brighten up immediately. "That'd be cool, I guess. I'll mention it to Spitfire!"

                                            "You might even get to do a tour on Earth, if we can get basic pony rights pushed through."

                                            > "Sweet!"

                                            "Okay, lemme just quickly speak with Blossom and Fluttershy and then I'll leave you guys to get some sleep."

                                            > Rainbow Dash just nodded and went back to staring out the window.

                                            > The other two mares were awake and looking at Anonymous, but neither of them spoke. They seemed quite comfortable as they were, cuddled and half-covered with the blanket.

                                            > Star Bright was still asleep, undoubtedly having been worn out by his encounter with the bad guys and his hiding in the toilets the whole day. Anon couldn't blame the stallion, really. It looked super comfortable between Blossom and Fluttershy.

                                            "So, you're no longer afraid of unicorns, I see?" he asked Blossom.

                                            > The mare shook her head, then paused and shrugged. "I... guess," she admitted. "Ju-Just the Bosses."

                                            "You mean the unicorns in the mines who made you do things and threatened you?"

                                            > Blossom nodded to this and her ears flattened while Fluttershy gave Anon a slightly cross look.

                                            > He sat down on the edge of the bed and laid his palm against Blossom's cheek.

                                            "Sorry, I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."

                                            > "'s okay."

                                            > Star Bright still didn't wake up and Anonymous didn't have the heart to do it. The stallion had the cutest little smile on his lips and he was apparently holding on to Blossom with all four legs.

                                            "Is he bothering you?"

                                            > Blossom shook her head and Anon made a quick decision.

                                            "Let's just leave him then. If he starts bothering you, just kick him out and tell him to sleep on the couch, okay?"

                                            > "With you?" Fluttershy asked, giggling a little bit.

                                            "Actually, I'll sleep in my own bed tonight."

                                            > Blossom cast him a fearful look and opened her muzzle to object, but Anon put his other hand on her muzzle to forestall her.

                                            "Shh, it's going to be okay. You've got Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, and there's magic keeping the room safe, and a bunch of guards outside. Nothing bad is going to happen, I promise."

                                            > His eyes slid to the sleeping unicorn and Anon smiled.

                                            "Besides, you've got your own unicorn now to keep you safe!"

                                            > Blossom pulled her muzzle free from Anon's grip and looked at Star Bright, scrunching up in thought. She must have reached a positive conclusion, because she smiled and leaned down to give the unicorn a quick nuzzle.

                                            > "Okay," she said when she looked back at Anonymous. "I like him. He gave me muffins."

                                            "That's right. Star Bright is a good guy."

                                            > Perhaps talking about him was making the stallion wake up, because his ear flicked at the mention of his name.

                                            "You'll make sure there's nothing... untoward, right Fluttershy?"

                                            > The pegasus gave Anon a firm nod and he relaxed. Even with Blossom's concerning habit of trading sex for favors, surely nothing would happen with both Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash in the room.

                                            > Besides, Star Bright looked too comfortable and moving him would be an absolute sin. Even more, Anon thought and suppressed a chuckle, he would be able to tease him with this for weeks to come.

                                            > Fell asleep between two beautiful mares. He could have at least bought them dinner, first.

                                            > That settled, Anon's mind returned to another, less pleasant thing. He cast a wary look at Fluttershy and decided to push a little. They needed answers.

                                            "Blossom, sweetie? Would you mind if I ask you a few questions?"

                                            > The mare seemed a bit apprehensive, but she trusted him and so she nodded.

                                            "You said you heard something in the mine and they threatened you if you ever told anyone, right?"

                                            > Her ears folded down and she lowered her gaze to look at her hooves. Despite all that, Blossom gave a slight nod.

                                            > Anonymous cupped her muzzle in his hand and lifted it up so she was looking at his face.

                                            "I promise that's not going to happen. You're safe here. Both Princesses are keeping their eye on you."

                                            > Blossom inhaled slowly, but then she gave another nod.

                                            "Can you tell me what you heard? It'll really help us find the bad guys and put them in prison, so they won't be able to hurt others."

                                            > Fluttershy opened her mouth to complain, but Anon reached out his free hand and booped her nose to keep her quiet for a few more seconds.

                                            > Blossom's eyes were filling up with tears, but she blinked them away, sniffed, then nodded.

                                            > Anon's heart started racing. Finally, some real answers!

                                            > "T-The- The big boss..." Blossom spoke, haltingly. Her eyes flicked to Star Bright's horn, then she swallowed a lump. Anon used his thumb to stroke her cheek and leaned closer.

                                            "It's okay. You're safe here," he repeated.

                                            > Blossom took a deep breath and gave Anon's fingers a lick, as if to reassure herself that the man was real. "B-Big boss c-c-came and one- one of the h-horns..." she continued.

                                            > Anonymous wanted to tell he to hurry it up, but that would be very counterproductive, so he took a firm grip on his impatience and curiosity.

                                            > This time Blossom licked her own lips before plunging forward: "He c-c-called the big b-b-boss by his n-name and I heard it!"

                                            > Fluttershy's eyes went wide and Anon had no doubt his were just the same. A name of someone high up in this slavery business could be the clue that broke this case! No wonder they were trying to kill Blossom, especially if this 'big boss' was someone important in Canterlot.

                                            > That would agree with Celestia's assumption that they were panicking!

                                            "Do you remember the name, Blossom?" Anonymous asked.

                                            > He glanced surreptitiously at Star Bright, but the stallion was still out cold, it seemed. Even so, maybe it wouldn't be a good idea to let him hear this. The unicorn wasn't one of the bad guys, Anon was sure of that, but knowing this could put him in more danger.

                                            "Just whisper it in my ear, okay?"

                                            > Blossom nodded and he leaned closer to her. She brought her muzzle right up against Anon's ear, until her fur tickled him. She whispered: "S-S-Silver Mane..."

                                            > Anonymous froze. It was pretty much what she and Celestia had been expecting, but it still came as a shock.

                                            "Silvermane?!" he whispered back urgently and Blossom nodded.

                                            > They were one of the wealthy families in Canterlot! Anon didn't know too much about them - there was a unicorn and his wife, who was a pegasus, but their first names slipped his mind for the moment. Parents were dead, something to do with a tragic flying carriage accident, Anon thought.

                                            > He had to bring this information to Celestia as soon as possible! Except he first had to do something else. He gave Blossom a wide smile and kissed the tip of her nose.

                                            "Good girl! Thanks for telling me! I'll go tell Princess Celestia right away and we'll put them all in prison for what they did."

                                            > This brought out a faint smile, but Blossom still looked worried. Anonymous glanced over to where Rainbow Dash was watching them from the table and gave her a nod.

                                            "Don't worry, you're the safest you can be anywhere in Equestria. That's *the* Rainbow Dash, don't you know?"

                                            > From the slightly confused look Blossom was giving him, Anonymous figured she probably didn't know. It would make sense if she'd spent her past five years or so at the bottom of a mine.

                                            "Well, she's the most famous athlete in Equestria *and* an Element of Harmony. For that matter, so is Fluttershy! Trust me, nothing is getting to you while those two are around!"

                                            > Blossom turned wide, admiring eyes on the pegasus next to her. She didn't know what 'Element of Harmony' meant either, but it sounded pretty impressive.

                                            > "R-Really?" she asked.

                                            > Fluttershy blushed modestly, but she didn't deny it. "Yes, really. I *promise* we'll keep you safe!"

                                            > This seemed to clinch it and the mare relaxed a little. She looked down at Star Bright, who was starting to stir a little from all the movement and commotion around him.

                                            "Remember, kick him out if he gets too forward, right?"

                                            > Blossom frowned a little in thought, then nodded at Anonymous. He tousled her mane quickly and stood up.

                                            "Sweet dreams."

                                            > This time both mares smiled a little and he left them to it. He made himself take slow, measured steps, but he really wanted to run to Celestia and tell her.

                                            > Since it was a noble and wealthy family it would be tricky business to bring them in for questioning, but he had no doubts that Celestia would handle it perfectly.

                                            > Finally, some *real* progress! They might have just uncovered the leader of the whole sorry affair! The Princess would be so proud!


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > Princess Luna was nearly ready to slip into the 'between' place, from where she would have an unparalleled view of all her subjects' dreams. There was such a lot to do tonight, she thought.

                                            > There came her regular duty of keeping watch over the nightmares and easing her ponies' fear, although that had become a secondary concern these days.

                                            > She was also on the lookout for a pony who knew more about this slavery thing, but that was difficult. She only had insight into what ponies dreamed about and she could only focus on a few at a time. It would take her weeks before she could work her way through just the Canterlot nobility.

                                            > According to Celestia and Anonymous, those were the most likely culprits.

                                            > Except now she had a few leads among the Castle guards, so she had decided to focus on them, first.

                                            > The strangest thing was that Blossom herself didn't seem to dream at all. Perhaps it was an unconscious defense against her inevitable nightmares?

                                            > She was looking over Canterlot from the high balcony just outside her quarters, but didn't really see it. She was focusing inward, still processing the crazy events of the past few days.

                                            > Slavery, right there in Equestria, not to mention a murder attempt!

                                            > Luna shook her head in dismay and went back inside. She paused in the doorway and listened, smiling a little to herself when she heard Eli Grant snoring softly.

                                            > She didn't mind that he had gone to bed before her. Her work kept her up until the early hours of the morning, when the man would welcome her into a pre-warmed bed and put his arms around her. It was a most comfortable way of falling asleep.

                                            > Luna still walked over and leaned down to give him a light kiss. He didn't wake up.

                                            > She closed her eyes and concentrated, but a very gentle knock interrupted her before she could slip between the worlds.

                                            "Hmm?"

                                            > The Princess went to answer whoever it was at this inequine hour. The door opened to reveal a slightly nervous-looking pegasus guard.

                                            "Sargeant?"

                                            > Glory Tail saluted. "Princess, you said to come tell you as soon as Captain Fire Fly was back with Comet Roll!"

                                            "I did. What took him so long?"

                                            > The pegasus shuffled his wings, but stood his ground. "Apparently some... paperwork in Baltimare, ma'am."

                                            > Luna snorted, half in annoyance and half in amusement. Some bureaucrats would never change.

                                            "Very well, where are they?"

                                            > "Small conference room, ma'am. Captain Fire Fly ordered a late dinner for the private."

                                            "Good. Thank you, sergeant."

                                            > The guard saluted again and fell in step behind the Princess as she took to the halls. It seemed her dream walking would have to wait a bit longer. That was fine. Getting some answers from Comet Roll was important.

                                            >...

                                            > Both guards tensed and were about to jump up from their chairs before Luna held up a hoof.

                                            "Please, remain seated," she instructed as she closed the door behind her.

                                            > It was just the three of them - she'd left Glory Tail keeping watch just outside.

                                            > Comet Roll tried to speak up first: "Princess, I-"

                                            "Wait."

                                            > She concentrated on her magic for a moment to make sure the anti-eavesdropping spell was still in place and intact. When it was done, Luna nodded.

                                            "Proceed."

                                            > "Thank you for getting me out of prison, Princess," Comet Roll continued. "I'm sorry I caused all this trouble."

                                            > "Act-Actually," Fire Fly said uneasily, "it is *us* who owe you an apology, private."

                                            "The Captain is correct. You should not have been imprisoned without due process, especially on groundless accusations."

                                            > "G-Groundless?" Comet Roll squeaked. "Does that mean I was right?!"

                                            > Luna looked over at the captain, who shook his head slightly. Apparently he hadn't questioned his guard yet. That was commendable, because Fire Fly was undoubtedly curious about what Comet Roll was going to say, but he didn't want to affect the recruit's answers until the Princesses heard it.

                                            "Lemon Slice is under suspicion of treason, private. She had you falsely imprisoned with accusations of insubordination, doubtless to prevent us from hearing what you said."

                                            > "None of the other guards from the patrol knew what you'd seen, private," Fire Fly clarified.

                                            > "I didn't want to contradict the captain in front of everypony," Comet Roll said, looking down at his hooves. "I approached her in Baltimare and she immediately had them toss me into solitary. I w-wasn't sure what I did."

                                            "You did nothing wrong," Luna reassured the guard pony. "Now tell us."

                                            > Comet Roll swallowed a lump and his ears folded down as he worked up his courage to speak so directly with Princess Luna. "Um,..." he began.

                                            > "In your own time, private," Fire Fly reassured him at the same time as Luna spoke up.

                                            "Speak freely, please."

                                            > Nodding a little, Comet Roll took a deep breath. "I t-thought we missed a valley on our sweep, Princess. I tried to tell Captain Lemon Slice that, but she wouldn't hear it. I s-said I knew those hills better than my wing feathers, b-but she said I was speaking out of turn."

                                            > "The captain's report said you searched in a grid pattern. How could she have skipped a whole valley without the other pegasi noticing?"

                                            > The private looked decidedly nervous, but pushed on: "I think, m-maybe it's because, with all due respect, sir, the others weren't from Baltimare. They didn't know the land like I do."

                                            "Why did you not speak of this in front of the entire pegasi wing? Why did you wait until Baltimare?"

                                            > If he'd mentioned something in front of everypony, one of them might have come forward when they returned to Canterlot. They surely couldn't *all* have been part of the plot, could they?

                                            > Luna glanced at the Captain and saw that he was thinking along the same lines.

                                            > "Um," Comet Roll answered, "I wasn't exactly sure what the protocol was for that. I didn't want to belittle my commanding officer."

                                            > Fire Fly was about to comment, but the private kept talking: "Um, also... um, captain Lemon Slice didn't have us fly grid, sir. We flew a spiral pattern."

                                            "It is easier to confuse ponies who do not know the land by searching in a spiral," Luna guessed.

                                            > the Captain nodded in agreement. "Well, we already know Lemon Slice is most likely part of it, this just confirms it. Private, do you know which valley you missed?"

                                            > Comet Roll felt on firmer ground now and nodded with a slight smile. "I know, sir! Like I said, I know those hills very well."

                                            "Captain, take the private and a few others first thing in the morning and go check it out. If there's something hidden, I'm sure you'll find it there."

                                            > "Do you want us to arrest whoever is there, ma'am?"

                                            "No," Luna shook her head, "just find out what it is and report back as soon as possible. On second thought, report to Sister first. I have no doubt Princess Celestia will want to lead that mission herself. We just found out that some very important ponies in Canterlot are behind all of this and Sister will no doubt wish to make sure everything is done properly."

                                            > "I understand," Fire Fly said. "So there's no accusations of impropriety."

                                            "Exactly. Before you leave tomorrow, however, get me the list of guards whom Lemon Slice had chosen for her mission. I have a feeling there will be some overlap with the list sister and myself have made today."

                                            > "Of course, ma'am!"

                                            > Luna then smiled at the newest recruit, who blushed a little under the renewed scrutiny.

                                            "You have done well, private Comet Roll. I will understand if this incident has put you off guard duty in Canterlot. The Captain will write any recommendation letter you wish so you can get a posting anywhere in Equestria."

                                            > The guard shook his head. "I'd like to s-stay, Princess."

                                            > This just made Luna's grin widen. She needed more guards they could trust, especially in these times.

                                            "Splendid. In this case, I believe you've earned a promotion with your diligence. Corporal, I think. Captain?"

                                            > Fire Fly nodded immediately. The Princesses were, of course, in charge of the guard, but they very rarely interfered with the running of it. This time, however, he wholeheartedly agreed.

                                            > "I will make it happen. Congratulations, corporal!"

                                            > Comet Roll blinked a few times in shock, then beamed incredulously. "R-Really?! But I've only been here-"

                                            "Long enough to prove your worth and your loyalty. Get some rest and report to the Captain tomorrow morning. I want you to be a part of this search. After your meal, of course."

                                            > The younger pegasus jumped from his chair and saluted smartly with a wing. "Yes, ma'am!"

                                            > It was very late and for a moment Luna thought about going to tell her sister. It might be fun, especially since Anonymous was sleeping in her chambers tonight. She might even catch them in the act.

                                            > However amusing that might be, this wasn't a time for jokes and pranks. It would have to wait until this slavery problem had been dealt with.

                                            > Well... perhaps a small peek couldn't hurt. She did need to brief her Sister on this latest development.

                                            > Luna gave the two guards a nod and left the room. Already it was proving to be a busy night and it was only just beginning.

                                            > She didn't waste any more time. She folded magic around herself and slipped into the dreamscape as she walked. She caught Glory Tail staring with his mouth open and smirked to herself.

                                            > It probably did look quite impressive from the outside, now that she came to think about it.


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > When Anonymous woke up the next morning he felt around for Celestia, but his groping hand only found her tail. That brought him to full wakefulness and he quickly realized what had happened.

                                            > The Princess had replaced his pillow with her belly and was apparently lying on her back and looking over some documents which she was holding up above her face with her magic.

                                            "Uh, morning?"

                                            > Celestia glanced down and smiled. "Rest a bit longer. Luna has just brought me a few very interesting reports."

                                            "Luna was in here?!"

                                            > Anonymous realized he was completely naked and the only thing which was covering him was a very thin sheet. He didn't need a heavier blanket even in winter, not with his bedclothes and Celestia's warm fur and feathers.

                                            > "Do not worry, I covered you up," the mare replied.

                                            > Shrugging a little to himself, Anon settled back down and brought his hand up to give Celestia a scratch on her chest.

                                            "Slept well?"

                                            > Celestia reached down with a hoof to give Anon a pat as well. "I did. Yourself?"

                                            "It's nice to sleep in a proper bed every once in a while."

                                            > "I shall tell Cadence that her couch is uncomfortable."

                                            "Wait, that's not what I- I didn't mean that!"

                                            > "Nevertheless."

                                            > The Princess managed to keep her face serious for a few more seconds before she burst out giggling. A sheet of paper floated down and landed on Anon's belly. "Take a look at this."

                                            > It took him a minute to quickly scan the text, while his brow furrowed in confusion.

                                            "Wait, so Lemon Slice threw Comet Roll in jail just because he told her they'd missed a spot?"

                                            > "Apparently. I will lead a wing of pegasi myself to go inspect the site right after breakfast. Which means..." Celestia fell silent and when Anon glanced up he saw she was uneasy about her next thought.

                                            "Which means what?" he prompted.

                                            > "Anonymous, I know you have not served in the military, but I need your help on this. I want you to join the guards when they go talk to Silent Vigil."

                                            > The man shot bolt upright, his sheet of paper floating away in the sudden breeze.

                                            "Me?! Why me?! Surely an officer-"

                                            > Celestia shut him up by means of a simple feather against his lips. "There will be an officer, do not worry, love. I merely wish your eye on the whole thing. You have a unique perspective, different from that of my ponies."

                                            "How about Luna?"

                                            > Celestia shook her head and twisted around, so she could lift herself up into a sitting position. She sidestepped and threw her forelegs around Anonymous. "Luna has to sleep after her night's work and by then too much time will have passed and Silent Vigil might slip through our hooves."

                                            > After some more silence the mare leaned her head on Anon's shoulder. "Please? It will be safe, I assure you. Captain Fire Fly will lead the assignment personally, I have already instructed him."

                                            "Wait, *he* was in here as well?! While I was sleeping?" Anonymous gasped.

                                            > That made Celestia giggle a little and lick the side of his neck. "You are a most sound sleeper after... mmm, exertion."

                                            > The statement made him blush as Anonymous remembered their night. He let out a sigh.

                                            "Okay, I'll do it. But I'm not a cop or something, Celestia. I'm a god-damned lawyer," he said perhaps a tad too forcefully. In a lower voice he added: "At least that's how I started out."

                                            > "You still are, a most excellent one. You know I would have given you the position of High Justice, but you would have been bored. There is not nearly as much crime in Equestria as on Earth, so Luna and I take turns acting in that capacity."

                                            "Yeah, you're a whole nation of goody two-shoes. Or is it four-shoes?"

                                            > Celestia sighed sadly this time. "This development with Blossom somewhat shakes my faith, Anonymous."

                                            > The man shifted his weight a little so he could bring up a palm and pat her muzzle. For some reason, this gesture made Celestia flatten her ears and the image made him think of nothing so much as a sad puppy.

                                            "Aww, it's just a few bad apples, Celly."

                                            > He slid his shoulder from under her chin and planted a slow, gentle kiss on the tip of her nose.

                                            "We'll get them and then it'll be back to goody-four-shoes-land, just like the Ambassador likes to say."

                                            > Celestia had closed her eyes at the kiss and now smiled as well. "Thank you. This makes me feel better. I have put a lot of work into Equestria and I will not see it fall into crime!"

                                            "'atta girl!"

                                            > Their conversation done, Anonymous went to uncover himself only to discover that the sheet was unexpectedly sticky.

                                            "Ugh, I think I need a shower."

                                            > "You do," Celestia answered, wiggling her nose for emphasis.

                                            "Well, it's your fault!"

                                            > She shook her head in denial. "It was not *me* who caused me to... um, 'gush' so much. Ponies have not evolved defenses against fingers, Anonymous."

                                            > He lifted up his hand and wiggled the offending digits, but Celestia darted forward and gave them a lick. "Go ahead. I will shower after I finish these reports," she said. "Go fetch Blossom and Fluttershy and meet me for breakfast. Oh, and Rainbow Dash, if she will come."

                                            "Sure thing."

                                            > Despite both their tasks assigned Anonymous couldn't stop himself from leaning in just once more for another quick kiss.

                                            "Good thing Luna and Fire Fly don't mind your hair being all frazzled," he commented and chuckled as he walked to the bathroom.

                                            > "It is?!" Celestia squeaked and twisted around on the spot as she tried to look at her own mane. "Anonymous, you could have *said* something!"

                                            "I was sleeping, remember? You can't toss me in the dungeon for sleeping!"

                                            > "I can too!" the mare grumbled good-naturedly. It just made Anon laugh harder, to which she replied by sticking out her tongue at him.

                                            > Still, the man was right. Even as she went back to reading the reports, Celestia floated a hair brush from the bedside table and went to work on her mane.


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > It was still only midmorning by the time Anonymous and his retinue of guards reached Azure Wings' home. He stayed at the back and let Fire Fly and his ponies do what they did best.

                                            > After all, Celestia had only asked him to observe, not get involved in any other way. If Azure Wings was an enemy, this whole thing could turn dangerous really quickly.

                                            > There were two unicorns in his group and one pegasus, keeping watch from above the rooftops. The other four were earth ponies.

                                            > Every one of them looked grim. Anonymous imagined that it probably wasn't fun for the guards to have to go and apprehend one of their number.

                                            > "Okay, steady everypony. Corporal, keep an eye on the house if he tries to bolt!" Fire Fly ordered. "Horns at the ready. Bind or stun only!"

                                            > The pegasus in the air saluted and the both the Captain and Spring Morning lit up their horns. There was the faint sound of clanking armor as the earth ponies flexed, preparing to tackle the fugitive in the unlikely case that he came out fighting.

                                            > The Captain walked up to the door, lifted a hoof, and banged the iron hoofguard on the dark, toughened wood. "Azure! Come out peacefully. We only want to ask you some questions!"

                                            > There was no reply. All the ponies listened intently for any sort of activity inside. Anonymous looked inquisitively at Snow Cover who was tasked with keeping him safe, but the stallion shook his head silently.

                                            > "Okay, seems we'll have to do it the hard way. On my heels, spread out and sound off as you secure each room!"

                                            > Anonymous had time to look around, noting a number of curious onlookers watching from a safe distance. He made a mental note to tell Celestia. She'd have to release a statement for the press and explain this incident, otherwise some creative journalist somewhere would have a field day with it.

                                            > The Captain's horn flared brightly and the door swung open with a loud bang. Splinters flew from where the lock was torn right out of the woodwork, but they pinged harmlessly off guard armor. Fire Fly rushed in with the rest of his squad right behind him.

                                            > Snow Cover shifted a little beside Anonymous, but didn't move. His job was to keep the man safe, for which Anon was very grateful. After all, Azure Wings might have accomplices in there.

                                            > He looked up at Silverwing, who was hovering above the house and watching the back alleys intently. His gaze darted this way and that and the pegasus jerked around as he repositioned himself to see better. It put Anonymous in the mind of a nervous hummingbird, except that the corporal looked more angry than afraid.

                                            > There were hoofsteps inside the small, two-story home and barked orders and reports, but it didn't sound like a fight. Either they hadn't found Azure Wings yet, or he had escaped before they even got here. That had also been one of the possibilities.

                                            > Despite that, maybe the stallion had left some clues about his involvement with the conspiracy.

                                            > About a minute later Fire Fly appeared at the door and beckoned with a hoof. "You can come in," he said. "It's clear. No sign of him."

                                            > Despite himself Anonymous breathed a sigh of relief. He followed Snow Cover, who moved smoothly to walk in front of the man, and ducked inside through the slightly too low door frame.

                                            > The ceiling inside was just tall enough to accommodate the man and he straightened up.

                                            "This... isn't right," he muttered, looking around in astonishment.

                                            > "Tell me about it," Fire Fly replied, both his voice and his gaze troubled. "I really want to know what you make of this."

                                            > Anonymous inspected the hall and then moved to the first door which opened into a kitchen. It was even worse in there.

                                            > The place seemed... uninhabited. There was dust everywhere and a few cobwebs hung in the corners. Just inside the door there was a pile of mail on the floor. On the kitchen table there was a bowl of fruit, but it was almost completely rotten.

                                            > On the stove there was an empty pot. Anonymous leaned to glance inside, but it was completely dry.

                                            "How is it upstairs?"

                                            > "About the same. Dust everywhere, doesn't look like anypony has lived here... what'd you say?"

                                            > Anonymous took one more look at the fruit bowl and the layer of dust and made a guess.

                                            "Two months? Give or take?"

                                            > The Captain nodded. "Yeah, sounds about right. Come and see upstairs."

                                            > As he passed the second door in the hallway Anonymous looked into a living room, but it was much of the same. There was a plate of what might once have been cookies on the coffee table, but they were going green and fuzzy now.

                                            "Hold on," Anonymous said and stepped into the room.

                                            > He crouched down and picked up a mug from under the coffee table. The spoon seemed stuck to the bottom, but there was no liquid in it. As he glanced down at the carpet, Anon could see a darker stain where the mug had been lying.

                                            "It wasn't your men who bumped this from the table, right?"

                                            > Fire Fly looked at the item, then glanced around at his squad. "Specialist Pepper, you were the first in this room. Did you topple the mug?"

                                            > The earth stallion shook his head. "No Sir! I would have noticed. I must have missed it under the table!"

                                            "So this fell some time ago. Whatever was in it has dried, but there was a lot of sugar. It sort of... solidified."

                                            > To demonstrate his point Anonymous turned the cup around and the spoon stayed put.

                                            > Fire Fly quickly understood what the man was getting it. "Signs of a struggle, sir?"

                                            "Maybe. Was there anything else upstairs?"

                                            > "Come and see. There's Azure Wings' guard armor, but it looks like it hadn't been polished in months."

                                            > Anonymous followed the unicorn upstairs and indeed saw the armor on the bedroom floor. It looked as if it had been casually discarded as the guard undressed, but there was a layer of dust over it. There were fresh hoofprints in the dust.

                                            "Captain, did your men make those hoofprints?"

                                            > This time Fire Fly didn't have to repeat the question. Private Longstride nodded. "Yes, sir! The dust was undisturbed when I came in!"

                                            "Okay, so about two months ago Azure Wings came off from work, stripped his armor and tossed it on the floor. Then he went and made himself a cup of tea or something sweet. He was sitting in the living room, drinking it, but something happened."

                                            > Fire Fly nodded and picked it up from there: "Either a struggle, or he had to rush off in a hurry."

                                            "Why would there be a struggle if he's one of the conspirators?" the man asked.

                                            > "Dunno, sir," Fire Fly replied, his hears lowering a little in embarrassment. "Spoke the first thing on my mind."

                                            "Okay, so - something must have happened, something urgent. Maybe at the mine? Azure Wings is a pegasus, so maybe he worked as a messenger for them, whoever they were."

                                            > "That's a solid guess, sir."

                                            "So they call him urgently away. He spills his tea and doesn't even care. Why didn't he come back? Didn't-"

                                            > Anonymous looked around for the mare who'd told them about Azure Wings.

                                            "Spring Morning, didn't you say he was at work two days ago and only called in sick yesterday?"

                                            > The unicorn saluted. "Yes, sir! He didn't miss out of his duties!"

                                            > There was only one explanation, but for some reason Anonymous didn't quite like it.

                                            "Okay, so my best guess is that he moved in with whoever runs this conspiracy. Maybe so he'd be more available if there were other messages he had to carry?"

                                            > The Captain also looked doubtful, but he nodded eventually. "That'd be my guess, too. It's... weird, but I got nothing better right now."

                                            "Okay, let's go and ask the neighbors. Maybe they heard or saw something.

                                            > "Good idea, sir!"


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > "So you see, Mr. Anonymous, we all thought Azure Wings had simply moved out and the landlord hadn't found another tenant yet," a unicorn stallion explained while his wife nodded in confirmation.

                                            "How long ago did you say you saw him last?"

                                            > This time the mare answered: "It'd say it was over two months ago. Now that I say it out loud it *does* sound strange that nopony has moved in yet. Places to live in Canterlot are highly sought after."

                                            > "Well, things get in the way," the husband said. "You think it's strange and maybe you should ask somepony about why there's an abandoned house on your street, but then the roof needs new shingles or the drains need unclogging and it slips your mind."

                                            > The couple gave Anonymous and Fire Fly a slightly worried grin, as if Azure Wings' disappearance might somehow be their fault.

                                            "I completely understand," Anonymous said to disarm them.

                                            > They had made him and the Captain some very nice tea, in fact.

                                            "What was Azure Wings like? Secretive? Reclusive? Did he keep to himself?"

                                            > "Oh, the furthest thing from it, dear," the mare answered. "A more polite pony it was hard to meet! Remember that time our Monsoon got ill and we both couldn't get time off from our jobs, so Azure brought her lunch from the Castle every day?"

                                            > The husband beamed and nodded. "Most polite and neighborly, yes."

                                            > Anonymous glanced at Fire Fly, who shrugged a little. They'd both read through Azure Wings' file back in the barracks, but there was hardly anything in it. There was one note about his professionalism and a commendation for bravery during the changeling attack on Canterlot, but nothing else.

                                            > The pegasus wasn't bucking for promotion, nor was he slacking off. By all accounts he had seemed quite happy with the rank of sergeant.

                                            "And he didn't mention anything about why he had to leave?"

                                            > "Well," the mare said and leaned closer. She also lowered her voice, a sure prelude to gossip. "I don't mean to poke into other ponies' affairs, but... well, there was a rumor."

                                            "Yes?"

                                            > She blushed heavily and couldn't meet Anon's gaze. "Well, it's just a rumor, mind you. There might not be much truth to it, but I recall somepony mentioning he got into some trouble with the Silvermanes."

                                            > This sounded like a very promising lead and Anon struggled to keep his expression neutral. That was the name Blossom had given and both he and Celestia were quite certain that the Silvermanes were at least partially behind the whole slavery thing!

                                            "What, um, what sort of trouble?"

                                            > "Now, now, Sugar," the husband cautioned, "no need to go around spreading vile rumors."

                                            > Anonymous lifted up his palm to forestall the stallion.

                                            "No, it's okay. I would like to hear it."

                                            > The mare, Sugar Moon, shuffled uneasily now that she was the center of attention. "Well, they said he'd gotten... well, 'involved' with Silvermane's daughter."

                                            "Involved?" Anonymous asked to move her along, even though he knew what she meant.

                                            > "Rather more than just 'involved', if you see which way the horn is pointing. There was supposedly some trouble."

                                            > Coming to his wife's aid, the stallion explained hurriedly: "That was some time before he vanished. We were thinking- well, maybe he didn't know how to take a hint and got into... trouble again. Which is why he had to leave Canterlot in a hurry."

                                            "I see."

                                            > "It's all just rumors, mind you!" the wife added almost frantically.

                                            "Of course, I understand," Anon assured them and stood up.

                                            > He put his empty cup on their coffee table and stretched his back. The chair had been a bit too low for him, but he'd be perfectly fine after a short walk back to the Castle.

                                            "Thank you very much for your help."

                                            > The man held out his hand to receive two hoofshakes. He waited for Fire Fly to do the same, then they both left. The rest of the squad was already in the street, waiting for their commander and further orders.

                                            > "Anything to report, sergeant major?" Fire Fly asked.

                                            > Spring Morning gave a short salute. "Nothing out of the ordinary, sir! Other that Azure Wings seems to have vanished about two months ago and nopony knows why exactly."

                                            "Any interesting rumors?"

                                            > The unicorn shook his head. "Nothing, sir. We could go and ask again, if you'd like?"

                                            > Anonymous shook his head.

                                            "Won't be neccessary. Captain?"

                                            > "Agreed," Fire Fly confirmed and lowered his ears as he asked the question: "Will you report to the Princesses?"

                                            "Sure, get your men and yourself some lunch and I'll take care of the report."

                                            > It was one less thing to worry about and Fire Fly smiled nervously. "Thanks. I owe you one."

                                            "Pool later tonight?"

                                            > "Sure!"

                                            > There was a stifled cough from the rank and Anon looked up just in time to see a red-faced Snow Cover who was fighting hard not to laugh and losing.

                                            > "Anything to add, recruit?" the Captain barked.

                                            > The stallion was instantly the center of attention and seemed to wither under all the scrutiny. He gulped and looked down at his hooves. "S-Sorry, Sir!" he stammered, "I c-couldn't help myself. It won't happen again!"

                                            "What was so amusing anyway?" Anonymous asked, now genuinely curious.

                                            > "Well, um..."

                                            > "Answer him, recruit!"

                                            > The poor pony swallowed another lump and glanced up at the human. Anonymous made sure he was smiling openly, to show there would be no hard feelings and that encouraged Snow Cover a little.

                                            > "Well, you s-s-said 'men', sir..."

                                            > It took Anonymous a few moments to process what was so funny about that, but then he chuckled.

                                            "Yes I did. So?"

                                            > His smile was disarming enough that Snow Cover dared continue: "Well, we're ponies, sir..."

                                            > A few likely responses flashed through Anon's mind, but then he decided to make a joke out of it. They were all tense after coming to apprehend Azure Wings and finding him gone for a long time and they needed a good laugh.

                                            "Wait a minute, you're right!" Anon said and stared pointedly at the group. "Jeez, I'd never have noticed!"

                                            > Most of them chuckled now and even Fire Fly had to strain to keep his muzzle straight.

                                            "Good thing you told me, Snow. Thanks!"

                                            > There was perhaps just a tad too much sarcasm in his voice, but they all really needed a good chuckle so they didn't mind. All of them laughed and even the Captain smiled a little.

                                            > "Okay, okay, enough horsing around," Fire Fly said once they'd settled down a bit. "Off to the Castle with you lot and get some lunch!"

                                            > A few of the guards saluted and they all set off. Anon and Fire Fly followed closely behind.

                                            > "So, what do you make of it?" the Captain asked once they were all moving.

                                            "Hard to tell. I know it's just a rumor, but this was the second time the name 'Silvermane' came up with regards to this whole mess. I'll tell the Princesses and they'll come up with the next step."

                                            > The unicorn nodded in agreement. "What I'd like to know, if Azure Wings had to leave Canterlot over this... ahem, 'trouble', why did he keep showing up for work? I mean, he could have asked for a transfer someplace else at any time."

                                            > Anonymous shook his head. The facts felt right, but the way they were connected bothered him for some reason. There was a clue they were missing before they knew the whole story.

                                            "Yeah, that is strange. We'll see if Celestia will find anything in those mountains. With luck they haven't had time to abandon the mine and we'll get some answers that way."

                                            > Fire Fly sighed and shook his head. "I'm not as optimistic, sir. The fact that both Azure Wings and Lemon Slice were in on it, and the fact they locked private Comet Roll in prison tells me they knew we knew as soon as we knew it."

                                            > The wording was a bit confusing and the stallion tried to clarify it: "What I mean is, as soon as you knew there was a slave mine in the Foal Mountains they probably knew it. Maybe they started clearing out the moment you found Blossom and they just needed a few more days, and that's why Comet Roll was sent to Baltimare?"

                                            > Unfortunately it made too much sense and Anon was forced to nod in agreement.

                                            "Well, maybe they weren't thorough enough and there will be some clues left. Still, we have the name 'Silvermane' to follow up on. Don't discount Celestia's ingenuity."

                                            > The man barked a laugh as he thought back to how he met the Princess.

                                            "She managed to avoid the US federal agents and those guys really know their business."

                                            > There was no immediate reply and Anon looked at the Captain to see if he even heard it. The pony had his ears flat, clearly unhappy with the story of how Celestia had risked herself and gone to Earth.

                                            > When Fire Fly saw Anon looking, he forced a smile and nodded. "Yeah, the Princess is sharper than any pony in Canterlot. I'd like to see those nobles try to put blinders on her..."

                                            > Anonymous looked around to see if anyone was watching, then risked giving Fire Fly a quick ear scratch. This cheered the pony up a little and they hurried after the squad, which had outpaced them a little.

                                            "Drop by the office later on. We'll play a game or two."

                                            > "Deal."


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > Anonymous was about to go check on Blossom when Celestia caught up with him in the hallway. He stopped so they could embrace briefly. The two guards who were with the man, just looked at the artwork on the walls while they waited.

                                            "How'd it go?"

                                            > The Princess gave him a rueful smile. "There was indeed a mine, but it was empty. Heavier equipment was left behind, but everything else was gone."

                                            > Her grin slipped as memory reared up its ugly head. "It was obviously a place of forced labor, of that I have no doubt."

                                            "Damn."

                                            > "Do not worry, I left some ponies to search for clues. If whoever was running it missed anything we will find it *and* we will have more proof!"

                                            > Anonymous resumed his walk, but he put his hand on Celestia's back.

                                            "We should send for some human forensic experts."

                                            > The Princess looked at him and smiled. "I did the next best thing, Anonymous. Ponies might not have forensic science, but we do have magic, you know? I asked Silent Spell to examine the mine."

                                            > The name was familiar, but Anonymous hadn't met the pony in question yet.

                                            "That's the crime scene investigator from Las Pegasus, right?"

                                            > Celestia nodded, but her ears lowered a bit. "Unfortunately such things are necessary there. Something about games of chance, alcohol, and an overabundance of entertainment sometimes brings out bad tendencies."

                                            > The man angled his gait so he could reach further around Celestia's barrel and give her an impromptu, walking hug. She, in turn, nuzzled his neck and laid a careful wing around his shoulders. They went on in silence until they reached Blossom's guest room.

                                            > "Anything to report?" the Princess asked.

                                            > One of the guards in the hall saluted as he answered. "Nothing suspicious, Princess!"

                                            > Anonymous remembered his own entourage and waved to the pair.

                                            "Uh, thanks, Snow Cover, Spring Morning. I'll stay with the Princess from now on so you don't need to keep an eye on me anymore."

                                            > The two still looked at Celestia, who gave a slight nod before saying their goodbyes and strutting off back the way they came.

                                            "I'm never getting used to having guards with me everywhere I go," Anonymous muttered under his breath.

                                            > He saw by the way the remaining ponies shuffled that they heard him, but nopony commented.

                                            > "It is just until we catch whomever is behind this, Anonymous."

                                            "Yeah, I know, but it still feels strange."

                                            > They went in in the room and Celestia shut the door with her magic while he walked over to the bedroom door and peered inside. It was quite a familiar sight by now, Fluttershy apparently sleeping and Blossom leaning against the pegasus like a pillow while she fiddled with the iPad.

                                            > Rainbow Dash was nowhere to be seen, undoubtedly out to stretch her wings or something.

                                            > When Blossom saw him, she let out a faint, excited squeak and dropped her toy. She rushed from the bed and hit the floor running. Anon only just barely crouched down and caught her around the barrel before she could topple them both.

                                            > He couldn't get a word in while the mare happily licked his face. "I missed you! Where were you?! They said I couldn't see you!"

                                            > Laughing, the man let her assault him for a while, but then firmly held her at arm's length.

                                            "I'm fine, I'm fine," he assured the overjoyed mare. "I just had some stuff to do!"

                                            > "Can we get muffins?! I wanna get muffins!"

                                            > He looked around at Celestia, who was struggling very hard to keep from laughing. She gave him a nod even as her wings rustled in silent mirth.

                                            "I guess we can, but tomorrow, okay? I still have more stuff to do today."

                                            > Blossom's ears flopped immediately and her eyes filled up to the brim with tears. "O-Oh..."

                                            > She was a natural at the Look and even Celestia whistled quietly in recognition.

                                            "Aw... Okay, how about this: you can come with me to my office and wait while I finish up some paperwork. Maybe Star Bright can get you some muffins today and we'll go to the bakery tomorrow in the morning, okay?"

                                            > This helped and Blossom lifted up one ear. "Star B-Bright? He's n-nice."

                                            > Not to mention that Fluttershy would get some time alone this way. Anonymous didn't know the yellow mare well enough to guess what she thought about this whole thing, but some time off was generally good for everyone, wasn't it?

                                            > He glanced at the bed and saw Fluttershy looking back with a blank expression. He was about to ask for her thoughts on his plan, but she closed her eyes and yawned hugely. Anon couldn't help noticing that her tongue curled up at the tip, almost exactly like Celestia's. Maybe it was a common pony thing?

                                            > Anonymous was thinking up a double-blind study when suddenly Blossom froze and her ears flattened once more. She looked at her forehooves.

                                            "What is it?"

                                            > "I have to g-go..."

                                            > Anon was about to ask 'where', but the way she glanced furtively at the bathroom made it clear what she'd meant. He laid his palm against her cheek and brushed her muzzle with a thumb.

                                            "Oh, you don't have to ask permission, you know? Just tell us so we know where you are and go."

                                            > Blossom nodded and gave his fingers a quick lick before trotting off past Celestia and into the bathroom. Apparently someone had taught her how to use the facilities there, for which Anonymous was immensely grateful. As long as it wasn't him who had to do it.

                                            "Seems I'm babysitting for a bit longer," he told Celestia, but she just shrugged.

                                            > "No matter. I will tell you about the mine later today. You also have to tell me what happened with Azure Wings."

                                            "Oh, that's right!"

                                            > He'd almost forgotten about that morning. Anon wondered if that showed just how surreal the entire experience had been.

                                            "Maybe Luna should hear about this as well. I'll tell you both when she's up."

                                            > Celestia nodded in agreement. "Good. We'll discuss all of it before dinner then. I think I will go take a bath now. I feel sullied after... the mine."

                                            > The man straightened up and held out his arms. Celestia looked at him for a minute, then her mouth quirked up in a small smile.

                                            > "You know, that's one thing I have always been jealous of my earth ponies and pegasi for."

                                            "What's that?"

                                            > "They can bury their face in somepony when they draw comfort from them."

                                            "Why can't you- oh... the horn."

                                            > The Princess nodded, her expression suddenly wistful. "The horn."

                                            > Anonymous snapped his fingers. "Well, you can change into Supple Branch, no? You still know the spell?"

                                            > This made Celestia blink in surprise before her muzzle split into a disbelieving grin.

                                            > "Supple Branch! Why did I not think of that?! Yes, I think I still know it. I just did not want to even think about that spell when we came back."

                                            "Well, there you have it then. You can try it tonight and then you'll know what it feels like to bury your face in- well, you know."

                                            > "Your shirt," Celestia finished his sentence even though Anonymous hadn't wanted to mention it. For some reason the mere thought was strangely exciting.

                                            > Celestia took a step closer and brought her muzzle right to his face, until the hairs tickled his nose. He could feel her warm breath on his cheeks. "Then we can try other things, too. I wonder how Supple Branch might feel if we- mmphm!"

                                            > There had been only one way fast enough to silence her before she said something really embarrassing and that was to kiss her.

                                            > After a moment Celestia closed her eyes and relaxed. She didn't open them again even as they pulled away, but she was still smiling. Anonymous glanced around at Fluttershy, who was apparently completely engrossed in her own wing.

                                            > Too bad her yellow fur betrayed a definitive blush on her muzzle, which no amount of feigned nonchalance could hide.

                                            > Well, Anon thought, at least she didn't hear the Princess *actually* say it. Besides, the kiss had been worth it.

                                            > The toilet in the bathroom flushed and there were hoofsteps as Blossom walked out.

                                            "Hey! Wash your ha- hooves, young lady!" Anonymous admonished.

                                            > Blossom let out a faint squeak of fright and hurried back inside. Pretty soon there was the sound of running water and splashing.

                                            > When Anonymous looked back at Celestia, she still had her eyes closed, but now she was giggling soundlessly. He gave her nose a pat.

                                            "I'll see you later then?"

                                            > The Princess just nodded and blinked at him. "Go ahead, I wish to speak briefly with Fluttershy."

                                            > Anonymous murmured something affirmative as he led Blossom out of the room.

                                            > Somepony cleared their throat while he was closing the door and Anonymous looked around to see Comet Roll with a white envelope on an upturned hoof. "For you, sir," the guard said.

                                            "Huh? Me?"

                                            > "It came to the Castle gate, addressed to you, sir."

                                            > That seemed to be the only explanation he was likely to get, so Anon picked up the letter and opened it. He scanned the few lines and started to smile.

                                            "Blossom, I have a better idea for tomorrow. We'll get muffins some other day, okay?"

                                            > She looked downcast, but nodded in agreement.

                                            "Looks like Storm Pop is inviting us over for some cake, instead!"

                                            > That cheered her right up.


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > Blossom barely had time to become bored in Anonymous' office before there was a quiet knock on the door.

                                            "Come in," Anonymous called without even looking.

                                            > It was Star Bright, who paused on the doorstep and stared fixedly at the wall just beside Anonymous. "Uhm..."

                                            > "Bright!" Blossom squeaked with relief and jumped from her seat. The unicorn took an involuntary step backward and the mare would have toppled him, had she not thrown her hooves around the poor guy.

                                            > "We're getting cake tomorrow! Anon is taking me to have some cake!"

                                            > Star Bright didn't know how to respond to all of that, so he just turned a slightly worried smile on Anonymous, who just shrugged.

                                            > The man was having a hard time not laughing, especially since Blossom normally did the exact same thing to him, or rather, to his legs.

                                            > "And then, he said, we're getting muffins from the store!"

                                            "Hey, I said no such thing! I said another day!"

                                            > The only sign Blossom gave of having heard him was a turning of her ear, but she nevertheless smoothly corrected herself: "Getting muffins someday!"

                                            > "Uh... that's nice?" Star Bright ventured uncertainly.

                                            > "Can you get me some muffins now, please?"

                                            > The way Blossom's ears folded and she pulled herself away so she could use 'the Look' on the hapless stallion was just too much and Anon couldn't keep from chuckling.

                                            > Luckily neither pony seemed to notice and the man wasn't alone in his amusement. He caught a glimpse of a very red-faced private Longstride watching the scene from the hallway.

                                            > "Please?" Blossom whined when Star Bright hadn't replied quickly enough to suit her.

                                            > The stallion woke up with a start from whatever thought he'd been lost in and blurted out: "Oh... I- I- y-yes? Um, I'll go and check if there's any..."

                                            > "I'll come with!" the mare agreed and all but physically dragged Bright away.

                                            > Anonymous was about to tell the guards, but Longstride composed himself and poked his muzzle in. "I'll go and keep an eye on Blossom, sir."

                                            "Good. That's good."

                                            > The private had been kind enough to shut the door after him and Anon had some privacy to catch his breath. It wasn't that Blossom had been incredibly funny, but it felt really good to see her happy.

                                            > Maybe she was acting like a filly, but she of all ponies had a right to try and regain some of her lost youth. It was a nice contrast from a mare so frightened that she had offered to fellate him in return for safety.

                                            > Anon shook his head to dispel the image. It was starting to look like that Star Bright and Blossom would end up friends - or perhaps more. He'd have to speak with the stallion and make sure he understood Blossom's situation and how to handle her.

                                            > The unicorn probably wouldn't accept Blossom's advances, but Anon wanted to be extra sure. On that thought, maybe the young mare would benefit from visiting Princess Cadence in the Crystal Empire to get some first-hoof education about relationships and love.

                                            > He filed the thought away to discuss with Celestia later. It would also get the mare out of Canterlot and might help thwart any further attempts on her life. The conspiracy against Celestia probably didn't extend all the way to the Crystal Empire.

                                            > Anyway, nothing should happen with private Longstride there. Anon bent down to his work once more. It wasn't terribly urgent, but he had delayed the document too much even before this mess with Blossom.

                                            > Of course, just as he was warming up there was another knock on the door. Anonymous put his pencil down and sighed. He'd been hoping the muffins would last a while longer.

                                            > It was his other assigned guard, Spring Morning. "Um, a visitor to see you, sir."

                                            "Visitor?"

                                            > The guard stepped aside and revealed a pony Anonymous really didn't want to see right then. A certain white unicorn with a pink mane and a permanently dissatisfied expression.

                                            > Except - this time her eyes were wide open and almost pleading. Her muzzle didn't hint of a snarl just below the surface.

                                            "Let her in," Anon said.

                                            > The mare shuffled forward, never taking her eyes off Anon. She didn't speak, but her horn was glowing and she was holding a small, cyan box with a red ribbon.

                                            "What is this about?"

                                            > She opened her mouth, but changed her mind and closed it again, eyes falling to the carpet under her hooves. She drew a breath through her nose and let it out again in a sigh.

                                            "Well? Twinkleshine, right?"

                                            > Without looking up, she nodded. "I came to ap-apologize," she finally quavered. She managed to lift her eyes and meet Anons and she floated the box to his desk. "A present... As a s-sign of good will."

                                            > This was extremely unexpected and Anonymous caught himself gaping. He looked from the box back to the mare and then back to the box.

                                            "What?! Apologize?" he finally repeated, unable to find any other words.

                                            > "Yes. I d-did a lot of thinking and-"

                                            "This isn't because of what Princess Celestia said, is it?"

                                            > The mare didn't look offended that he'd interrupted her. She just shook her head. "No- well... maybe a little. B-But I also spoke with Sapphire and, um, Dainty, and they said I was out of line and I should apologize."

                                            "Sapphire...?" Anonymous asked, not immediately recognizing the name.

                                            > "Sapphire Ritz, my husband," Twinkleshine explained.

                                            "Ah, and Dainty would then be..."

                                            > "Dainty Silvermane." If Twinkleshine was offended that Anonymous didn't recognize the names of some of the most powerful ponies in Canterlot, she didn't show it. She nodded at the box. "Please, open it."

                                            > He reached for the present and examined it from several angles. It was small and not particularly heavy. Finally curiosity got the best of him and he tugged at the bow to untie the knot.

                                            > Under the cyan wrapping paper there was a simple wooden box. It opened smoothly on a hinge to reveal a glittering diamond pendant.

                                            "Oh..."

                                            > "W-Will you wear it?" the unicorn pleaded. When Anonymous glanced up her eyes were almost brimming with tears and her ears were completely lowered. "It would mean a lot. J-Just for a little while? Maybe a few days?"

                                            "Why is this so important to you?" the man asked.

                                            > He lifted the pendant up and examined it in the light. It was a simple design, an oval with three stars cut out of it. A glance confirmed that it matched the shape of her cutie mark.

                                            > "It will show everypony that you've accepted my apology," Twinkleshine explained. "It's important- after that sp-speech."

                                            > Anonymous didn't wear jewelry as a rule, but if this would help put the whole affair behind them, he'd do it.

                                            "For a couple of days, you said?"

                                            > "At- at least if you go out in public. So that ponies can, um, see."

                                            "Okay, okay, for a few days, when I'm out. And maybe for special occasions. Jewellry isn't really my style."

                                            > The mare blushed and looked down at the carpet again. "I didn't know what to pick. If you d-don't like it, I'll take it back and get something else."

                                            > She seemed genuinely contrite and Anonymous stood up from his chair. Twinkleshine didn't look as he circled around the desk and crouched near her. He reached out a hand, hesitated, but then decided to just go for it and patted her head.

                                            "It's okay. It's pretty and it'll go nicely with my formal suit. Thank you."

                                            > The unicorn looked up and gave him a faint smile.

                                            "Why the sudden change of heart, though? Last week you couldn't stand me. Yeah, I know you said you've been thinking, but this isn't some kind of a plot to-"

                                            > "Oh, of course not!" Twinkleshine said, shocked at the very idea. She drew back and laid a hoof over her chest. "I was just... misguided. I listened to the wrong soft of pony."

                                            "Like who?"

                                            > She glanced away from Anon's stare and shook her head. "I... don't want to say. Just- the wrong sort. We're not friends anymore, okay?"

                                            > For a moment Anonymous considered pushing it. Whoever was filling Twinkleshine's head with anti-human nonsense were probably the same guys actively working against Celestia. There was just one strange thing in this whole story.

                                            "Wait, you said 'Dainty Silvermane'?!"

                                            > The mare blinked in confusion, but then nodded. "Yeah. Why? She's my friend."

                                            "It's just... Silvermane," Anon began, but then decided not to reveal how much he and Celestia knew.

                                            > There was always a chance that Dainty didn't know what her husband was doing. It was also possible that Silvermane wasn't actually a part of it, even though Blossom had specifically named him as having visited the mines.

                                            "Silvermane, what's his name? Something impressive-sounding..."

                                            > "Glorious?" Twinkleshine supplied.

                                            "Yeah, that's him. He's got a son, doesn't he?"

                                            > Again, the unicorn helped out with the name: "Paisley Silvermane, yes."

                                            > Anonymous fell silent as he thought. Maybe it was the junior who had gotten in with a bad crowd? Maybe he was working with some human slavers. The old man might not even know the whole story.

                                            > Then again, maybe it was both of them and the mother didn't know anything about it.

                                            > All these alliances and friendships and striving for more power was too confusing by half, so Anonymous just shrugged a little to himself. Luckily he didn't have to deal with it.

                                            > He'd just relay everything he'd heard to Celestia and let her handle it. She knew all those families better than anyone and would know what to make of it all.

                                            > For now, the man went back to observing Twinkleshine, who was staring at him with a kind of worried curiosity.

                                            > "Is everything okay?" she asked when she saw him looking - really looking, not just staring into space.

                                            "Oh, yeah. I know I've been here awhile, but it's hard to keep all these names straight in my head. Thanks for clearing it up a little."

                                            > "Um, any-anytime?"

                                            > Anonymous stood up and went back to his chair. He picked up the pendant again and watched how it glittered as it spun in the light.

                                            "So, no more hard feelings? Even though me and Eli are humans and we're... well, here? With the Princesses?"

                                            > The unicorn shook her head. "I promise. It's not my place to judge whom Celestia takes to her- *ahem*, whom she likes. I trust her not to sell Equestria out."

                                            "You can take that to the bank."

                                            > Anonymous decided to ignore what Twinkleshine had nearly said and focused on the positive. She was apparently genuinely trying to move past her prejudice.

                                            "As a matter of fact, you should have seen her meeting with some of the... well, let's call them 'Earth leaders'. I swear, I thought she'd start banging on the table with a hoof."

                                            > The mare smiled a little and nodded. "Um, okay. I have to go now- please enjoy my gift!"

                                            "Thanks for stopping by."

                                            > Anonymous watched her walk to the door and pull it open. There was still no sign of Blossom and Star Bright, so he hoped they were having a nice time with some muffins.

                                            > Spring Morning looked in the room to make sure everything was alright, gave Anonymous a nod, and closed the door behind his departing visitor.

                                            > Perhaps he might still get a bit of work done before his meeting with the two Princesses.


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > Anonymous glanced through his notes and concluded his report:

                                            "I guess that's all of it. The other guards didn't get any useful information from the neighbors, but Sugar Moon and Ocean Spark definitely said 'Silvermane'."

                                            > There was silence as both Princesses digested this. Celestia was the first one to break it: "Interesting."

                                            > Luna gave a little shrug. "It merely confirms what we already know from Blossom. The Silvermanes are behind this whole thing, there can be no doubt."

                                            "*Ahem* due process," Anon coughed.

                                            > It made Celestia smile even as Luna stared in confusion. "What is 'do process'?" she asked.

                                            > Her sister waved a dismissive wing. "It's a legal term of what we must keep in mind before we accuse ponies, Sister. Ask Eli to explain it to you, undoubtedly he knows."

                                            > "Very well, but the clues still point to Silvermane."

                                            "Yeah, except for what Twinkleshine told me earlier," Anon explained, lifting up the pendant around his neck as if for proof.

                                            > "Bah!" Luna growled, "that merely goes to show that Glorious does not discuss his 'business' ventures with his wife!" The Princess even signed the air quotes with her wings.

                                            > "Perhaps. I will look into it, you may trust me on this, Luna, but I will not make a false accusation against Silvermane. It would give him too much power."

                                            > Put like that, Luna had to incline her head in agreement. "Very well. Now what about the mine?"

                                            > Celestia smiled, but there was no joy behind it, only grim satisfaction. "There is indeed a mine which was not registered with Canterlot. The entrance is well hidden, but not well enough. Comet Roll was able to find it very quickly."

                                            "What did you find inside?"

                                            > The smile slipped and Celestia's eyes grew sad. She lowered her gaze and spoke in a quieter tone: "A place of forced labor. There were cells with strong, iron doors. There were beds in them and restraints. Anonymous-"

                                            > The mare took a deep breath and then continued: "It occurs to me that Blossom was not the only one kept there."

                                            > Suddenly Anon also realized that fact. They must have known, right?

                                            "I... guess we didn't want to think about that?"

                                            > Celestia nodded and reached out a hoof to lay on his shoulder. "It is time we do. We must hurry up and find where the... the laborers have been taken."

                                            "You're sure they're still alive?"

                                            > Celestia gave him a pained look for bringing it up, but she nodded firmly. "Yes. There was no scent of death in the air. If ponies are in charge, they will not want blood on their hooves despite their other crimes."

                                            "But what if it's humans?"

                                            > "We have to hope," Celestia replied, "that ponies have *some* influence over the operation. Besides, it is quite a big step from forced labor to outright murder. Perhaps not even humans are this cold-hearted?"

                                            > It was a remarkably optimistic view, but one Anonymous couldn't really fault her for.

                                            "Yeah, makes sense. People trafficking is a bad enough crime so maybe they'd stop at murder, especially with pony influences. Bennet said this place changes people, right?"

                                            > He saw Luna shudder at the talk and changed the topic:

                                            "So, how do we find them?"

                                            > Celestia shook her head. "It is up to Silent Spell. In the meantime, we will follow up with this Silvermane business here in Canterlot. If he is involved, he will lead us to wherever the ponies and humans are being kept."

                                            > There was a faint rustle as Luna repositioned herself on the seat and both Anonymous and Celestia looked at her. The night princess lowered her ears defensively. "I believe you two would be much more discreet than I."

                                            > Her admission made Celestia giggle. "Probably true, Sister."

                                            > "What may I do to assist?"

                                            > Anonymous gave it some thought and came up with another loose thread they hadn't explored fully yet.

                                            "How about those two goons walking around threatening people and asking questions about me? Or the two who gave Rainbow Dash the slip after their attack on Blossom? The guards are looking into them, but maybe they could use an alicorn's help?"

                                            > Celestia nodded to herself and flashed Anonymous a proud little smile. "I concur, Sister. You should take charge of those investigations while Anonymous and myself look into Silvermane."

                                            > As Luna thought this over, her ears lifted up and her muzzle slowly split into a grin. "I shall do it," she announced. "I will get to the bottom of it, count on it!"

                                            "That's the spirit!"

                                            > "Oh, and one more thing," Celestia said, turning to Anon.

                                            "Mm?"

                                            > "Could you go through the records and see if we know of any Equestrian family who owns land in Griffinstone? Something Blossom said once is bothering me."

                                            "What is that?"

                                            > Luna glanced from him to her sister as Celestia explained: "Remember when she said that she used to live on a farm with her parents and there was a griffin 'boss'?"

                                            "Yeah," Anonymous agreed, recalling Blossom's words, now that he heard it again.

                                            > At the time they had worried more about Blossom's well-being than her history, but now that the mare was doing well it was time to look into her past.

                                            > "So either her parents have land in Griffinstone and are selling their produce to griffins, or they are employed by one of them. Perhaps we have a record of pony families who have emigrated to other lands. Maybe we can find Blossom's parents."

                                            "That would be nice, yes. I'll check with Ms. Nutmeg, she'll know if there's any records."

                                            > "Good," Celestia said with a smile. She leaned closer and stole a peck from Anon's lips.

                                            > She looked into his eyes for a few moments, then blinked very slowly and asked: "Perhaps it could wait until later? My wings are a bit sore from flying all that way today."

                                            > He picked up on the cue and shared her grin.

                                            "Maybe a massage would help?"

                                            > "Mmmm. Maybe."

                                            > Out of the corner of his eye Anon saw Luna starting to blush. She stood up and cleared her throat to remind them that she was still in the room. "Well, I will go and see Fire Fly about the investigation then. I trust I will see you for court later, Sister?"

                                            > Celestia's ears splayed a little as she was reminded. "Of course. Court in the afternoon today. I will be there, don't worry."

                                            > To Anonymous she said in a lower voice: "We have two hours, is that enough?"

                                            "We'll make it be enough," he promised.

                                            > This made her grin widen and she leaned closer for a longer, more intimate kiss. Neither of them noticed when Luna mumbled something incoherent and left.


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > Blossom's joy was infectious and Anonymous couldn't keep himself from smiling when he saw her prancing along. The streets of Canterlot weren't causing her any issues this time, but that was perhaps because of the promise of cake.

                                            > "Um, Celestia said there were many kinds of cake," Blossom explained her newfound expertise.

                                            "There sure are."

                                            > "What kind are we getting?"

                                            "I really don't know. Storm Pop didn't say in the invitation."

                                            > Not even meeting a couple of unicorns could dampen her spirits. Blossom just shrank behind Anon's legs and put the man between herself and the two ponies.

                                            > In a way he understood how she felt. That morning it seemed to Anon that every eye was on him. True to his promise to Twinkleshine, he wore her pendant and he could swear everyone was staring.

                                            > It was probably just his imagination, but he couldn't help noticing, for example, a pegasus flash a quick smile when she looked in his direction, or a unicorn blink in surprise then pretend he hadn't seen Anon.

                                            > Sighing, Anon decided it was probably just the fact that he was a human. He'd been in Canterlot for quite a while, but some ponies still weren't used to him. Or maybe it was the fact that there were three guards just behind him.

                                            > His little procession must have looked like some official business or something and several ponies stopped to watch him go past.

                                            > Yep, he definitely envied Blossom and her blissful ignorance, especially in expectation of sweets.

                                            > "Um, so Celestia said we should bring some cake back for her," the mare continued.

                                            "What? Oh, yeah, sure. I'm sure Ms. Sunbeam will think of that and insist we take some back," he replied.

                                            > "Who's Ms. Sunbeam?" Blossom asked.

                                            "Candy Sunbeam, she's Storm Pop's sister and a baker. She always gives me some cake for the Princess when I visit."

                                            > "Oh. That's nice of her!"

                                            > They came to the correct street and Anon gently nudged Blossom in the correct direction before she simply pranced her way past. The house was in the middle of the row and Anon looked back at his entourage.

                                            "Um, he only invited me and Blossom, so I'm not sure if..."

                                            > Luckily he didn't have to say it, sergeant Bright Beam gave a fast salute with his wing even as he kept walking. "No need, sir! We will wait right outside."

                                            "Thanks."

                                            > He wasn't used to traveling with guards, at least not when Celestia wasn't there. She always handled these sorts of things, but Anon suspected it was mostly because the other ponies expected it.

                                            > The past few times he'd visited with Storm Pop and his family Anon had gone alone and there had never been a problem. The only reason he and Blossom needed guards today was because of the attack.

                                            > He pushed those thoughts aside because Ms. Sunbeam had already opened the door and was smiling hugely at him and Blossom. She must have been watching from the window.

                                            > "Come in, come in!" the older mare said, waving them both into the house with a wing. She looked at the guards in confusion when they stopped on the sidewalk.

                                            "They'll wait outside," Anonymous explained.

                                            > The mare gave him a strange, uncertain look. "Are you sure? There's plenty of room..."

                                            > Again Bright Beam earned his proverbial pay. "Thank you, ma'am, but we should stay here and keep an eye out for danger!"

                                            > "D-Danger?" Sunbeam squeaked, glancing around nervously. "What danger?"

                                            "It's a long story and nothing to worry about."

                                            > Another voice called from upstairs: "Anon, my favorite human! Oh, and if it isn't the lovely lady Blossom!"

                                            > The compliment was so unexpected that Blossom didn't know what to do with it. She looked at Anon, then at Storm Pop who was coming slowly down the stairs. She opened her mouth and then snapped it shut when she didn't know what to say.

                                            > It was tricky with her shade of pink, but Anon could swear she was blushing a little. He also caught other clues: a slight splaying of her ears, that she looked at the carpet and nowhere else and the way her tail crept between her hind legs.

                                            > Anon reached over and patted her, but Candy Sunbeam was faster. She laid a protective wing across Blossom's withers and chided her older brother: "Pop! You're embarrassing the young lady."

                                            > She led the grateful mare away, all the time continuing her tirade: "To think! At your age! Have you no manners?!"

                                            > For his part, Pop just laughed it off and reached for Anon's hand to shake. "I had to resort to a formal invitation, Anon! What gives?"

                                            "Well, there's... a lot of stuff going on right now at the Castle."

                                            > "Yeah, we heard some rumors. Is it true there was an assassination attempt on the Princess?!"

                                            > Storm Pop had lowered his voice and spoke fearfully, as if expecting assassins to jump out from behind the furniture.

                                            "Well, not on the Princess. Look, I can't tell you much because we're still investigating. They didn't succeed, okay?" Anon reassured the stallion.

                                            > The old pony nodded and breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good news at least. Anyway, come in. There's tea and cake."

                                            > Anon had suggested they invite Celestia as well, especially if they were serving sweets, but the two pegasi were aghast at the idea. Their home, they claimed, was nowhere near fancy enough to host a Princess.

                                            > At most they insisted Anon take some cake or a few pastries back to give Celestia, along with their well wishes.

                                            > As he followed Storm Pop into the dining room they met Sunbeam coming the other way with a tray balanced on her back between her wings. There were three steaming mugs and a plate of cookies.

                                            > "I'll just take this to the poor dears outside, Anon. You just make yourself comfortable."

                                            > Blossom was already seated and she barely had time to notice the man entering. All her attention was taken by a large, square, marzipan-decorated cake in the middle of the table.

                                            > Even from a distance Anon could see a glistening drop of drool on her muzzle.

                                            > Storm Pop nudged him in the back. "Go, sit! Sit! I'll bring a bottle of cider so we can celebrate!"

                                            > The cake had writing on it and it was facing the door, as if someone had specifically arranged it for Anon to read the moment he walked in. It said: 'Thank you Anonymous!'

                                            "Hey, I thought we were past all that, Pop. It really wasn't a big dea-"

                                            > "Shush, it wasn't my idea," the stallion interrupted. He rummaged in a cupboard until he found two glasses. "Aura is in town and she wanted to do it. She was up all night yesterday with Sunbeam to make that."

                                            > As if the words had summoned the young mare there was an excited squeak from the door. "'Nonny!"

                                            > Smiling, Anonymous turned around and caught the jumping pegasus. She clung to him with all four legs and gave his face a lick. "I got into the weather team, Anon!" she proclaimed with a big grin. "I made it and it's all thanks to you!"

                                            > The man chuckled and lowered the mare to the floor before sitting in the nearest chair.

                                            "No, Aura, it's all thanks to Earth doctors and modern medicine."

                                            > She pouted a little at being proven wrong, but the smile soon crept back. "Well, I never would have gotten there if it weren't for you! Look, look!"

                                            > Taking a few steps away, the mare slowly extended both wings. It took some time and concentration, but once they were fully spread, she flapped them quite easily a few times. It didn't seem to be causing her any issues.

                                            > There was a nudge against his hand and Anon accepted a glass from Storm Pop. He held it low enough for the stallion to fill while he watched Aura fold her wings back. Again, it took a lot longer than it would any other pegasus, but by the time she was done they looked just like normal wings against her barrel.

                                            > "It's a bit tricky and they catch sometimes when I'm folding or unfolding them," the young mare explained, "but I can fly just fine! And the job at the weather team proves it!"

                                            "Well done! Good work, Aura. I'm proud of you."

                                            > In perfect timing Storm Pop was done with the cider and Anon clinked his glass against the one the stallion was holding with both hooves. They drank a toast.

                                            > "Oh, who's your friend?!" Aura squeaked and walked around her father to inspect Blossom from up close.

                                            "That's Blossom. Blossom, I'd like you to meet Aura."

                                            > The two mares looked at one another, but then Aura slowly smiled. "I love your coat! It's like bubblegum!"

                                            > Blossom blushed a little, but she couldn't keep a tiny grin from her muzzle. "Um, y-you're n-nice too..."

                                            "She's a bit shy, so take it easy on her, okay?"

                                            > Luckily Aura was very outgoing and could draw on her extensive experience from babysitting jobs. Somehow she seemed to sense that Blossom was, at least mentally, somewhat younger than she looked.

                                            > Aura hopped up on the chair right next to her new friend and reached over to lay a hoof on Blossom's. "I'll just sit right here and make sure you get some of that delicious cake, okay? I made it!"

                                            > This, at least in Blossom's eyes, was the highest calling and her eyes widened in delight. "Really?! You made it? How? It smells delicious..."

                                            > Before Aura could really reply, Blossom went on: "I had some nice muffins yesterday, but they didn't smell as nice as this."

                                            > "Of course not!" Aura replied, scoffing a little. "This is my signature mint-chocolate marzipan cake. It's the best in town!"

                                            > Anon glanced at Storm Pop, who was chuckling soundlessly. He grinned at the stallion, raised his glass to him and took another sip. It really was good cider.

                                            "One of these days I'll have to bring you some scotch from Earth. Now that'll put hair on your chest."

                                            > The pony looked down. "My chest already has hair on it, Anon."

                                            > Laughing, the man patted him on the back.

                                            "Sure does."

                                            > The front door opened and then closed, followed soon after by Ms. Sunbeam. Her tray had three empty mugs and a plate with no cookies left.

                                            > "Such nice young colts," she commented, mostly to herself as she came into the dining room. She noticed the gathered group and froze. "Oh my, you're not all waiting on me, are you? Aura, cut the cake! You can see the poor thing is drooling already!"

                                            > They all looked at Blossom, who squeaked and hurriedly wiped at her muzzle.

                                            > "Oh gosh, I'm so sorry! Why didn't you say?!" Aura apologized and reached over for where her aunt was just handing her a knife and a cake spade. She deftly cut out a large piece and deposited it on Blossom's plate first. Only then did she remember that Anon was actually the guest of honor and looked at him with horror.

                                            "It's fine, it's fine. I don't mind at all," he said, chuckling at her expression of relief.

                                            > "Aura, why don't you take a few pieces out to the colts out front?" Sunbeam suggested while her niece was busy with the cutting and divvying up.

                                            > "Huh? What colts?"

                                            > Sunbeam explained: "There are a few Castle guards with Anon today, but they wanted to stay outside and keep an eye out for danger. Such polite colts!"

                                            > The older mare seemed dreamy for a while, then shook her head and sighed. "I always liked to see some young flank in armor..."

                                            > Storm Pop caught Anon's look and rolled his eyes, but they were both smiling. It was part of Sunbeam's charm and the reason most of her bakery customers were regulars.

                                            > Aura, on the other hand, was blushing furiously, the pink clearly visible on her pristine white coat. "Auntie..." she whined.

                                            > "Well, it can't hurt to go out and say hello to them, dear."

                                            > That just made the red in Aura's cheeks hotter. She tried to cover it up by busying herself with cutting the cake up while the older mare brought out three fresh plates for the guards.

                                            > Despite her protestations, Anon thought there was an eager bounce in Aura's step as she obeyed and took the treats out. Perhaps her tail swished around a bit more than usual, too.

                                            > "So, tell me about this trouble at the Castle, Anon," Storm Pop asked when his daughter was gone.

                                            "I'm sorry, I really can't. There's an investigation and until it's done I really shouldn't say, or the bad guys might get away."

                                            > "Oh my, sounds serious!" Sunbeam commented. "Is that why those colts are with you today?"

                                            "It's... related," Anonymous admitted.

                                            > Storm Pop huffed. "Must be pretty bad if not even Canterlot is safe."

                                            "Trust me, it is. But don't worry, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna will handle it."

                                            > "I don't doubt it. Two two are canny," the stallion admitted. "Well, as long as it's in hoof. There's no danger to us ordinary citizens, is there?"

                                            > Anonymous shook his head firmly.

                                            "None whatsoever."

                                            > Storm Pop nodded at this news and relaxed a little.

                                            > Candy Sunbeam pointed and spoke up next: "That's a lovely pendant, Anon. I've never seen you wear jewelry before. What's the occasion?"

                                            > He lifted up the diamond and then hurriedly let it drop, as if it was red hot.

                                            "Oh, nothing. Just- a gift from someone."

                                            > "Your special young mare gave you that?" Storm Pop asked, but then immediately burst out laughing when he saw Anon's expression. He leaned over and put a comforting hoof on the man's knee.

                                            > "Don't worry, we didn't believe the rumors."

                                            "Oh. Thanks. No, it was from... someone. An apology gift."

                                            > The two older ponies looked at each other, but before they could ask for more details Blossom lifted her head, a big, goofy smile plastered over her muzzle, and pushed her empty plate away.

                                            > Her eyes had trouble focusing, but they found Anon and her grin widened. "I think I love cake..."

                                            > While Storm Pop was chuckling at the sight his sister jumped up and went to cut Blossom another piece.

                                            > That much sugar would probably make her sick, but the mare looked so happy that Anon didn't have the heart to say no.

                                            > Blossom was apparently trying to make up for all the sweets she'd missed while she was in that mine.

                                            > "Another cider?" the stallion offered and Anon wordlessly held out his glass.

                                            > He heard laughter from outside and recognized private Snow Cover, mingled with Aura. It sounded like Ms. Sunbeam hadn't been wrong.

                                            > While he sipped his second glass Anon picked up the fork. He had to at least try the cake, or Celestia would never forgive him.

                                            > "That's right, dear," Ms. Sunbeam said. "There's more if you will want it and I'll make sure to wrap up a big piece for the Princess!"

                                            > All Anon could do was nod his thanks, because his mouth was full.

                                            > "'ome 'oo 'ee?!" Blossom squeaked through her mouthful of cake. She swallowed and tried again: "Some for me too?"

                                            > The older mare leaned over and patted her on the shoulder. "Oh, of course I'll give you some to take home, dear! You're all skin and bones, you poor thing!"

                                            > Blossom lowered her ears to enhance the visage of misery, but it was slightly spoiled by her bulging cheeks as she chewed yet more cake.

                                            > He didn't begrudge her, though. Pretty soon they'll have to start figuring out what to do about Blossom's future. She probably didn't get much education, if any, so she'd have some catching up to do.

                                            > It would be a busy, complicated part of her life so Anon didn't mind if she acted like a filly for a while longer.

                                            > In fact, a peaceful morning with Storm Pop and his family was just what he needed, too. A couple of hours away from the conspiracies and secrets.

                                            > He leaned back in his chair, swirled his glass of cider and took another long sip. He'd felt guilty about his guards having to stand outside and wait, but now that Aura was entertaining them he didn't feel as bad anymore.


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > When he was back in the Castle Anonymous sought out Celestia in her office. That was usually a safe bet, if she wasn't holding Court or eating. The guards standing in front of the door confirmed his guess.

                                            > They didn't stop him as he knocked and immediately entered, without even waiting for the Princess to say "Come in!"

                                            > She looked up from the scroll she had been reading and smiled when she saw the package in his hand. "So you and Blossom had a good time?"

                                            "Mhm! I brought you this, courtesy of Storm Pop and Aura."

                                            > Her tongue poked out as Celestia unwrapped it and Anon couldn't help chuckling at her expression of pure delight.

                                            > "Oooh, it's a Candy Sunbeam cake, isn't it?!"

                                            "Well, Aura helped with it, but yeah, I guess. By the way, there's something wrong with this," Anon said and pulled Twinkleshine's pendant off.

                                            > "Mm?" Celestia didn't even look at it. She opened the bottom drawer on her desk and pulled out a small fork.

                                            "You keep cutlery hidden in your office?"

                                            > "Mhm! You never know when it's time for cake!" the mare beamed. "Just a taste now and then I'll have the rest of it after lunch."

                                            "Huh... all these years and you still surprise me, Celly."

                                            > Her mouth was already full, so the mare just nodded happily. "Mhm!" she affirmed, then her eyes went to the pendant and she gripped it carefully in her magic.

                                            > She rotated it a few times while she finished her mouthful and swallowed. "Hmm. Let's see here."

                                            > Anonymous, out of his depth when it came to magic, just pulled back Celestia's guest chair and sat down to wait. "What makes you say there's something wrong with it?" the Princess asked. "Did you feel anything strange when you put it on?"

                                            "Not really-" Anon began, but Celestia looked at him and her ears lowered.

                                            > "Because I did probe it when you first showed it to me and I didn't sense any dangerous magic in it."

                                            "You did?!"

                                            > Now the mare rolled her eyes. "Of course I did! You're not the only one suspicious of how quickly Twinkleshine flipped from hating you to giving you a gift. Especially one like this."

                                            "Why 'one like this'? What does that mean?"

                                            > Celestia blushed a little and gave the man a weak grin. "Well, in *some* places you wearing a gift like this means you had accepted her advances."

                                            > It was a good thing that Anonymous didn't have a beverage, because he would have spat it out.

                                            "What?! You let me walk around with it?! What'll people think?!"

                                            > Actually, he knew what they would think. The stares and blushes he'd seen on the way to Storm Pop's suddenly made sense.

                                            "Celestia, I went out with that thing! Christ..."

                                            > The mare just giggled a little and reached over to lay a gentle hoof against his cheek. "It's alright. Okay, so the joke might have been in poor taste on second thought, but I promise I was going to tell you before the day is over."

                                            > Something else suddenly made sense and Anonymous looked up sharply.

                                            "I think I know what her game is. She's expecting me to wear that around the city and then she'll raise a big stink about how I'm cheating on you with her."

                                            > "That was my guess as well," Celestia nodded.

                                            "And you just let it happen?"

                                            > Still smiling, the mare pushed back her chair and circled the table so she could give the man an affectionate nuzzle. "I was going to tell you," she repeated. "It is an obscure custom and not many follow it anymore."

                                            "Well..." Anon began, but then he couldn't resist the power of the nuzzle and sighed. "Fine, but I want you to know it was in poor taste."

                                            > Celestia nodded against his cheek. "I was tired after the flight to the Foal Mountains and back. I am sorry."

                                            "Apology accepted. So, no magic then?"

                                            > The pendant was still floating in Celestia's levitation and she brought it closer to her face once more. She concentrated, frowning a little. "Hmm, too much noise," she murmured and laid the crystal flat on her desk.

                                            > Her magic almost completely winked out and the glow around her horn was barely noticeable as she scrutinized the piece of jewelry in detail.

                                            > "I... can't really tell," she admitted. "All crystals are slightly magical, so a really subtle spell would be very hard to detect."

                                            "But it still might be there?"

                                            > The mare looked back at Anonymous and smiled. "If it is so weak that I cannot sense it, then its effects will be proportionally negligible. If this is some kind of an attack on you it is completely ineffective."

                                            > She sidestepped to bump Anon's shoulder with her rump and he patted her back in return. "I think this really is as simple as it looks. Twinkleshine is merely trying to cause more trouble by insinuating you are unfaithful. It is a really weak bluff."

                                            > Celestia was about to give Anon the necklace back, but she paused and her muzzle scrunched up in thought. "Hold on for a second. Perhaps the clasp is interfering..."

                                            > With a rapid flash of her horn and a quiet click she separated the gem from its metal casing and levitated the chain back to Anonymous. "Here, hold this away from it for a minute."

                                            > He obediently stuck the item in his pocket while Celestia bent over the gem once more.

                                            "Anything?" he asked after what felt like an appropriate interval.

                                            > "Still nothing. No, there really isn't a faint spell in the stone, Anonymous. What will you do with it?"

                                            > She gave him the pendant back and Anon replaced it in its metal clasp. He dangled it before his eyes and then shrugged to himself.

                                            "I'll probably just leave it in the office. That way if Twinkleshine comes to complain at least I hadn't thrown it away. She can have it back if she wants. It looks very expensive."

                                            > "Indeed. Oh, by the way, how is Blossom? Did she enjoy her trip?"

                                            > Anonymous smiled at the memory.

                                            "I think she likes making new friends, especially if they give her cake. She and Aura got along pretty well and Aura asked if she can visit. I said yes."

                                            > The Princess nodded in agreement. "Good. She needs more friends her age. Any luck with finding her parents?"

                                            > At this Anonymous had to look away in embarrassment.

                                            "I hadn't asked Ms. Nutmeg yet. I was going to yesterday, but then this Twinkleshine thing-"

                                            > Celestia interrupted him with a kiss. "Shush, it is okay. There is no particular hurry. Blossom is doing fine and a day or two will not make much difference in the end."

                                            "Thanks," Anon replied, leaning in for a second kiss. "I'll do it today, if she's in her office. Otherwise tomorrow, first thing in the morning, I promise."

                                            > "Okay. I will finish the paperwork and then I will check on Blossom. I am also hoping Silent Spell will conclude her investigation today. I left Glory Tail and Comet Roll with her and they will bring her straight to Canterlot when she is done."

                                            "Good. Hopefully she has some news."

                                            > "And then," Celestia went on wearily, "I have to figure out what to do about Silvermane."

                                            "Not envious, dear."

                                            > Anon stood up and wrapped his arms around the poor, overworked mare. She leaned on him for a few seconds, just soaking up his warmth in silence.

                                            "I'll see you for lunch."

                                            > He let her go and was about to leave, but Celestia called after him: "Anonymous?"

                                            > The word stopped him with his hand on the door handle and he looked back.

                                            > "What if we take a basket and have a picnic?"

                                            "Where?"

                                            > She had to give this some thought. Anon's aversion to being teleported and his inability to fly did limit their choices.

                                            > "The trail from the back of the maze up the Canterlot Mountain?"

                                            "Oh, yeah, that nice spot almost no one knows about, right?"

                                            > "Mhm! What do you say?"

                                            "Yeah, sounds lovely, actually. I could use a couple of hours away from it all."

                                            > The room seemed to grow brighter as Celestia smiled in anticipation, as if the otherworldly light which shone upon her was turned up. "I will let Fluttershy and the guards know. I can keep you safe all on my own."

                                            > Anon didn't doubt it.

                                            "Okay, so I'll meet you back here in say, an hour?"

                                            > "It's a date."

                                            > It couldn't be helped. Anonymous let go of the handle and walked back to Celestia's desk so he could give her one last kiss.


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > Their picnic place was like a small meadow, except it was surrounded by steep rock rather than trees. It was open on one side which overlooked the Canterlot Castle and the city behind it.

                                            > The only way to reach the place was by flying if you didn't know where the path was. Most ponies in Canterlot didn't know the place even existed and the few who did, knew it was Celestia's special, peaceful retreat.

                                            > She sometimes came there during hectic days for an hour or two so she could have a peaceful lunch and unwind a little.

                                            > Whether through a geological accident, or by deliberate design, a small brook sprang up from between the rocks and flowed around the edge of the clearing. The water was ice cold and pure and, to Anon's amazement, tasted almost sweet.

                                            > It was probably constructed, the man guessed, but the craftsmanship was such that the spring appeared entirely natural.

                                            > He put the picnic basket down while Celestia picked out a sunny spot and lay down, folding her legs under her body and fluffing her wings slightly open. Anon soon joined her and sat as well.

                                            > "I do love it here, Anonymous. Thank you for this idea. I haven't been up here since autumn."

                                            "But it was your idea," he pointed out.

                                            > It just made the Princess giggle. "Yes, but you gave me it."

                                            > He didn't see how that followed, but Anon wasn't about to argue. He laid a palm on Celestia's withers an used his other hand to brush a crumb from her muzzle.

                                            "I thought you said we'd have lunch up here?"

                                            > "We are," Celestia assured him and floated the basket closer. She opened it and pulled out a napkin, which she spread across the grass in front of her.

                                            "You've already eaten, though?"

                                            > "A simple croissant. Not what you might call a meal," she pointed out. While they talked, several more pastries floated up from the basket and landed on the cloth.

                                            "You know, it *did* feel as if the basket was getting lighter all the time."

                                            > Celestia couldn't suppress a smile at his friendly jab, but she stuck her tongue out through her teeth anyway. "Oh hush," she chided, "I only took one to try."

                                            "Yeah, but when? I didn't even see you do it!"

                                            > "I... can be very efficient and discreet."

                                            > Anonymous shook his head and reached over to the basket. Surely it wasn't all pastries?

                                            > Celestia guessed what he was looking for and rolled her eyes a little. "Do not worry, I packed a sandwich for you."

                                            > It wasn't difficult to find among what were mostly pastries. It was a simple affair of lettuce, tomato and hard-boiled egg construction with a bit of salad dressing to bring it all together.

                                            > Putting it aside, Anonymous kept looking in the basket for a bit longer.

                                            "Where is your lunch, then?" he asked.

                                            > "Right here," Celestia replied, frowning at him in confusion. She spread her wing to indicate the bounty which she had laid before herself.

                                            "Celestia, those are just sweets! You can't live on nothing but sweets!"

                                            > Her ears lowered and the mare let the tiniest touch of rose touch her cheeks. "I cannot see why not. I have been doing it for over a thousand years, Anonymous."

                                            "Sometimes I wonder..."

                                            > "What was that?"

                                            > He had murmured it to himself, once again forgetting just how sensitive pony hearing was.

                                            "Sometimes you seem like five, Celestia."

                                            > "Well..." she began, trying to think up a scathing reply and failing. She just stuck her tongue out at him again. They both laughed at that. The moment of tranquility was most welcome in the current hectic times.

                                            > Anonymous leaned back against Celestia's side as he bit into his sandwich and looked around the heights above him. It was called the 'Canterlot Mountain', at least as far as he knew, but there was actually multiple peaks.

                                            "Ever been up there?" he asked and pointed after he'd swallowed.

                                            > Celestia followed his pointing finger with her gaze. "On each of them, yes. I would not recommend a climb, but I can carry you up if you'd like. It would only take a bit of magic to strengthen my wings."

                                            "No thanks. I didn't really like riding you that time for halloween."

                                            > The mare gave him a deadpan look. "Anonymous - you ride me essentially every night."

                                            > Somehow she kept her face serious even with the delightfully amusing way Anon blushed at her words.

                                            "I- didn't- not that kind of-"

                                            > She couldn't help it any longer and burst out laughing at his expression. She leaned her head against Anon's shoulder and closed her eyes.

                                            > "Oh, you are too easy, Anonymous," she wheezed. "You are worse than Fluttershy in some respects."

                                            > Anon decided just to ignore it and focused on his sandwich again. It wasn't a warm meal, but it was quite sufficient, specially with how strong the sun was getting. Summer really was right around the corner.

                                            > "This is quite nice, though," Celestia said, echoing Anon's thoughts. "We should do this more often."

                                            > He nodded wordlessly, his gaze going around the meadow again.

                                            "Does someone come here to mow the grass?"

                                            > The question made Celestia inspect the green carpet on which she was lying. "I suppose the Castle gardener. It would be his domain, after all." She lowered her head and nibbled on a blade of grass.

                                            > "Delectable. I must remember to thank Mr. Greenhooves when I see him."

                                            "That still doesn't count as lunch, you know?" Anonymous pointed out.

                                            > "Why not?!" Celestia pierced him with a glare. "It is simply a *very* fresh salad!"

                                            > Anonymous just laughed.


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > Anonymous was just putting away his paperwork when his eye landed on the crystal pendant Twinkleshine had given him. He still hadn't decided if he wanted to return it, or just leave it in his office as a conversation piece.

                                            > He picked it up and let the thing dangle from his fingers. The gem spun slowly until the symbol of Twinkleshine's cutie mark was facing him. Three stars, cut expertly through the oval gem, so that he could use it as a stencil if he wanted.

                                            > It seemed far too personal to keep around, even if he never intended to wear it. The mare should have it back so she'd be able to give it to someone who meant more to her. Maybe the jewel could be redeemed from its present role of a trick gift for political gain.

                                            > Anon grabbed a fresh piece of paper to write a short note for the unicorn. He could send it with the regular Castle post and she would get it the following day.

                                            > His pen barely touched the paper when there was a quiet knock on his door.

                                            "Huh? Come in!"

                                            > It opened a crack and Star Bright stuck his head inside. "I h-hope I'm not disturbing..." he said and fell silent, grinning at Anon with his ears flat in supplication.

                                            > The man understood what the stallion wanted and put his pen down.

                                            "Not at all. Come in. What's up?"

                                            > Star Bright's smile went from rigid to relieved and he slipped fully inside the room. He made sure to close the door carefully before walking forward and jumping up on the extra seat.

                                            > It was higher than most pony chairs, but Anonymous didn't appreciate leaning over his desk to look down on the guests in his office, nor did he relish the idea of sitting higher than them.

                                            > That sort of stuff worked well for Celestia in the throne room, but she had earned the privilege many times over, at least if the official histories were to be believed.

                                            > The Princess had tentatively admitted to him that some of the reports were a little embellished, but only where it made for a better story. Besides, it had been other ponies who wrote the accounts and she had simply never bothered to correct the few minor discrepancies.

                                            > "S-So..." Star Bright began nervously when Anonymous hadn't said anything in a few minutes.

                                            "Oh, sorry. Just thinking. What's up?" Anon asked again.

                                            > The unicorn swallowed and flashed him a weak grin. Then, eyes wandering around the room as if he was unwilling to face Anonymous' gaze, he asked: "Um, I just wanted to know how- y'know, how Blossom is doing."

                                            "Last I saw her, Fluttershy was teaching her some elementary school stuff. Reading and basic maths, I think."

                                            > "T-That's good," Star Bright agreed. "Maybe I can help with that?"

                                            > Anonymous began to understand where the conversation was going and he didn't know whether he should be pleased or worried. He decided not to bring it up straight away, though.

                                            "Probably. If you can stand to explain such basic stuff. I mean, you're studying astronomy and that's pretty advanced. Blossom is more at the... well, two plus two equals four level, if you know what I mean?"

                                            > The stallion nodded. "That's no problem. I'm sure I can help out w-with math at least!"

                                            "Okay, I'll mention it to Fluttershy. Wanna tell me why you're so interested in helping? I haven't seen you do any *actual* work around here," Anonymous joked.

                                            > Perhaps some humor would help him break the ice and get Star Bright to admit why he was there.

                                            > "Har har har," the unicorn mock-laughed. "For your information, Ms. Nutmeg recommended me for a raise last week!"

                                            > Anonymous chuckled at the stallion's defensive tone before reaching across the table to give him a pat on the head.

                                            "I know, just joking with you."

                                            > The moment of silence stretched and Anon was about to ask Star Bright to go on, but the pony spoke up first: "Um, I kinda like Blossom."

                                            > There it was, the blush, the folded down ears, the nervous shuffling of hooves on the chair. It was surprisingly easy to read.

                                            > Perhaps, the man thought, he was finally getting a handle on equine body language.

                                            "Yeah, she's nice," he agreed, keeping his tone and his face neutral.

                                            > "I was wondering..." Star Bright continued, but paused to think about what he was about to say next. "Maybe I could join you two for muffins someday? Or m-maybe, I could take her? Y'know, just for muffins?"

                                            > Anonymous wondered if Star Bright saw him as some kind of a father figure to Blossom and wanted to get his approval. Come to think of it, that wasn't all that far from the truth.

                                            "Sure, I don't see why not."

                                            > The pony grinned and started to relax, but Anon lifted a finger and Star Bright froze.

                                            "Just one thing. You know about her past, right? She's been stuck in that mine and whipped to work. It's... well, it's affected her. How could it not?"

                                            > It didn't seem possible, but Bright's ears drooped even lower and he sighed. "I know. She told me some of it."

                                            "She... how can I put this. She acts younger than her age in some ways, I'm sure you noticed. Then again, in some things she seems too old."

                                            > Anonymous was remembering Blossom's attempt at eliciting favors with her body that first night.

                                            > "I- I don't think I understand," the stallion said. "Too old?"

                                            > Sighing, the man decided to just give it to Star Bright straight.

                                            "She used to, well... 'offer herself' to her cowork- make that co-slaves in the mine so they'd do some of the work for her, or give her treats."

                                            > Star Bright's eyes went wide and he stared at Anon without blinking for a few seconds. Then his face crumpled and he lowered his gaze down to his hooves. "That's- that's aw-awful," he mumbled.

                                            "Just so you're warned. If she ever tries something like that with you-"

                                            > "Celestia, no!" the stallion burst out, jumping to his hooves on the chair. "I'd never! Anon, you know me! I swear I wouldn't take advantage like that! Yeugh! I'm not some kind of a monster!"

                                            > The outrage was a bit much, but Anonymous believed him. He gave Star Bright a slow nod.

                                            "I know you wouldn't. I just need you to understand what Blossom is going through. Actually, I think she likes you too. If you could be patient with her, I think she could use your help."

                                            > "Of course! Anything!" Star Bright said, sitting back down. His breathing was faster and his ears flicked every now and then. "Jeez, I hope you toss those responsible in prison and then throw away the key..."

                                            > His muzzle scrunched up in distaste and for a moment it looked like Star Bright was about to spit. "Horrible..."

                                            > Then, suddenly, his head whipped up and he looked at Anonymous in wonder. "After all that," he said slowly, "Blossom is still this nice? She's the sweetest pony I know!"

                                            "Yeah, it's amazing, isn't it?" Anonymous agreed, smiling.

                                            > After a few seconds Star Bright murmured something with Anonymous didn't quite catch.

                                            "What was that?"

                                            > There was a vivid red tint to the stallion's muzzle as he repeated himself more loudly: "She's really cute..."

                                            > Again, there was nothing to it but agree. After more awkward silence Anonymous sighed.

                                            "Well, as long as you know about her situation and can be patient with her, I don't see why not. She seems to like you back, too. Although that might just be because you bring her sweets."

                                            > "S-She said that?!" Star Bright exclaimed, suddenly sitting up straighter and perking up his ears so as not to miss a single word.

                                            "Yeah."

                                            > He struggled with the next question, avoiding Anon's gaze and twitching his ears. At long last the pony continued: "I have some, uh, some muf-muffins left from lunch..."

                                            > It wasn't all that hard to guess where Star Bright was going with that and Anonymous decided to take pity on the poor guy.

                                            "Well, why don't you grab them and take them upstairs? I'd say you shouldn't ruin Blossom's appetite for dinner, but she'll probably have more sweets so I guess that's fine."

                                            > The man chuckled at his next thought and when Star Bright gave him a questioning look he explained:

                                            "If you're not careful she's going to get *so* fat."

                                            > Star Bright joined him in a chuckle and then stood up. "I'll just go and-" he began.

                                            "Oh, yeah, sure. Have fun!" Anonymous wished him.


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > When Anonymous was alone again he settled back down in his chair and looked over the paperwork on his desk. It was getting late in the afternoon and there wasn't a whole lot left for him to do.

                                            > The foreign policies could wait and Ms. Nutmeg was looking for records about Blossom's parents. The afternoon would soon become evening and when Anon focused he could hear the difference. There was usually a very faint background noise when the offices were in full swing and there was noticeably less of that right then.

                                            > He shrugged a little to himself and tidied away the rough sketch of the form he had been preparing. Celestia would need to look it over to make sure he'd captured all the important species and as many reasons for immigration as would fit, and then he could give it to the printers for a trial run.

                                            > Any modern society ran on paperwork and forms were the backbone of bureaucracy. Hopefully having a standard questionnaire for immigrants would allow the ponies to speed up the process.

                                            > The man nodded to himself at a job well done and leaned back in his chair. Celestia wanted them to have dinner together with Luna, Eli and Blossom, but that wasn't for another hour or so.

                                            > Enough time for a shower and a change of clothes.

                                            > First, however, Anon needed to visit the bathroom. He heaved a satisfied sigh and pushed himself upright. He made his way to the door an opened it. He was starting to get used to the fact that there were always guards outside these days, even if he didn't much like the fact.

                                            > Needs must, after all.

                                            "Spring Morning," he greeted the officer in charge of his guard detail. "Silverwing. Longstride."

                                            > The three ponies all gave him friendly nods, before going back to scanning the hallway for danger. Following their example, Anonymous looked both directions but didn't see a single staff member.

                                            "Any trouble out here?"

                                            > The sergeant major started to shake her head and opened her mouth to reply, but then her eyes widened and she gasped.

                                            > Before Anonymous could even react there was a flash of light and a loud, metallic clang. He saw the unicorn's horn flare brightly and he turned just in time to see a translucent lime barrier just an arm's reach from him.

                                            > The spear clattered on the floor tiles, but Anonymous barely had time to register it before a wing smacked him in the face.

                                            > A pegasus flew at head-height, wrapped entirely in black clothes except for his amber feathers. The attacker swore at having missed and beat his wings frantically. He obviously hadn't counted on there being a unicorn and he wanted to get away before Spring Morning could snag him from the air.

                                            > Luckily the attack had been so unexpected that they were all still reeling as the would-be assassin turned a corner. A yelp came from that direction as a maid had to dive down to avoid being struck.

                                            > The sergeant recovered first. "AFTER HIM!" she yelled at the other two, then reared up and pushed Anonymous back into the office. "In there, quickly!"

                                            > Silverwing and Longstride didn't need to be told twice and they recovered within moments. The pegasus seemed to spring from a standing start like an arrow from a bow and Longstride wasn't far behind.

                                            > That was all Anonymous could see, however, because Silver Morning slammed the door shut with her magic.

                                            "What- who was-"

                                            > "Shhh!" the mare hissed and put her ear to the door. "Maybe there's more of them!"

                                            > Anonymous obediently fell silent. When it came to protecting him, the guards knew a lot better what they were doing than him.

                                            > Silver Morning looked around the room, then gave the man a grim, mirthless smile. "I'll barricade us in until help arrives, okay? Stand against the wall!"

                                            > He just nodded and moved back, letting the sergeant do what she did best. Her horn glowed again and magic enveloped the door. Nothing much happened, but the look of concentration on the mare's muzzle told Anon that it was a powerful and complicated spell.

                                            "How could someone just come in here, dressed all in black and carrying a spear?!" Anonymous demanded, pacing up and down the small office.

                                            > Now that he had time to think, the attack seemed both impossible and stupid. Were the bad guys really *that* desperate?!

                                            > Before Silver Morning could answer there was a loud bang right in the middle of the room. Stunned, all Anonymous could focus on were the deep burn marks on the carpet around-

                                            > Another pony in black, but a unicorn this time.

                                            "Fuck-"

                                            > He jumped behind his desk, mainly to give Silver Morning a clear line of sight against this new threat, but also to avoid anything this new pony could fire at him.

                                            > He was suddenly very grateful that he had a unicorn with him at this point. He was completely defenseless against magic. Except...

                                            > The sergeant wasn't attacking the newcomer. Instead, she was looking right at Anonymous with a vicious little smile. Her expression made Anon's blood turn cold.

                                            "Not you too..." he moaned in dismay.

                                            > Silver Morning sneered as she advanced. "It was too easy," she said in a low, patient voice. She didn't have to hurry, Anon remembered. She'd barricaded the door.

                                            > He opened his mouth to shout for help, but a plug of magic cut off his air. The new unicorn's horn was glowing blue.

                                            > "No need," Spring Morning said. "I sound-proofed the room. He can yell as much as he likes."

                                            > The magic vanished and Anonymous gulped down a lungful of air. His throat had been blocked for mere seconds, yet he felt completely out of breath.

                                            "Why?" he gasped, trying to think of a way out of this situation.

                                            > Maybe if he kept them talking for long enough, Celestia or someone would come by.

                                            "What do you hope to gain by killing me?"

                                            > Eyes widening in surprise, Spring Morning shook her head. "Killing you? Oh, not at all, *human*," she reassured him. "You are much more valuable to us alive."

                                            > The new unicorn spoke up at this and by the way Spring Morning grimaced it seemed like the newcomer was in charge. "Don't struggle and you won't be harmed."

                                            > Anonymous moved further away and pressed his back against the wall. He was keeping the desk between them, but there was nowhere left to go and there were two of them.

                                            > Even if he could, by some miracle, incapacitate one unicorn, the other would merely have to think and he'd instantly be bound up in magic.

                                            > At least they said they weren't going to kill him. Anonymous didn't know how much his attackers might lie to him, but he did believe that part.

                                            "So, w-what happens now?"

                                            > Spring Morning glanced at the other pony before returning her stare to Anonymous. Yes, there was a definite chain of command there. The newcomer, however, didn't seem particularly interested in talking. She glanced around the office.

                                            > "So this is where Celestia keeps you? Not even a window, huh? Like even she doesn't want ponies seeing her disfigured pet."

                                            > Anonymous opened his mouth to argue, but then realized there would be no point. These people, whoever they were, had their minds already made up.

                                            "Is Twinkleshine one of you?" he asked.

                                            > If he survived, any information he might glean would come in useful in weeding out the group.

                                            > "Ha!" the unicorn barked. "She's just a useful tool! She did exactly what she was supposed to do!"

                                            > The pony lit up her horn and Anonymous flinched, expecting a blow or something, but all that happened was that Twinkleshine's pendant floated up from the desk. The mare inspected it for a moment, then dropped it on the carpet and stomped it, hard.

                                            > There was a faint crack as the fragile stone shattered.

                                            > "Nice of you to leave it in your office like that. It led us straight to you."

                                            > Anon felt his eyes bulge out.

                                            "Wait, there was something in the gem?! But Celestia looked at it..."

                                            > He couldn't believe that the Princess, with her mastery of magic and centuries of experience, would miss something like that.

                                            > Both unicorns laughed at this. "It seems your precious Princess isn't as powerful as you thought," the unknown pony said.

                                            > Spring Morning added: "Bummer, isn't it?"

                                            > "Now, if you would kindly stand here," the black-clad unicorn pointed at a spot on the carpet.

                                            "What?! Why?!"

                                            > They wouldn't just kill him, at least Anon knew that much. They'd said so and he believed them. Alive, he would be a powerful tool against Celestia and his gut clenched up at the idea.

                                            > He wished at the same time she wouldn't obey any demands they would undoubtedly put to her, but he also didn't want to die. It was a mess, whichever way you looked at it.

                                            > Anonymous felt his hands bunch up in fists almost without conscious controls. These bastards have been one step ahead of them the whole time and now they were taking him God knows where to use as a weapon against Celestia.

                                            > The powerless feeling reminded him of some of the kidnapping cases early in his career, except now he was a part of it, rather than just reading about it.

                                            > For a moment he considered punching the unicorn with her insolent grin, but the way both she and Spring Morning watched him made it plain that he wouldn't succeed. They could still change their minds and kill him to send Celestia a gruesome message.

                                            > The two seemed to understand exactly what was going through Anon's mind and their smirks grew wider, which only served to infuriate the man more.

                                            "We checked all the guards!" he almost snarled, glaring at Spring Morning.

                                            > The mare giggled softly and shook her head. "It was so easy to fool you that it's almost sad. Too bad Shining is no longer Captain of the guard. I bet he'd never let this many of us join!"

                                            > There was one last, faint hope which Anonymous seized on.

                                            "Well, you'll never get me out of the Castle, so you might as well give up now. Maybe I can get the Princess to go easy on you."

                                            > This time they both laughed. "Don't worry, monkey," the unknown unicorn almost purred, "we'll get you out. Just stand here, please."

                                            > Suddenly Anonymous realized what they were going to do and his face twisted up in panic.

                                            "Wait! No! Not a teleport! Please!"

                                            > It wasn't a question and Spring Morning grabbed him roughly with magic. Her grip was like iron and it pulled with immense strength. Anon could either walk, or be dragged and it seemed the mare didn't care which it was.

                                            > He still tried to grab the table and keep himself in place, but to no avail. He let go before they simply broke his fingers or dislocated his arm and the man collapsed on the carpet between the two, groaning.

                                            > They just ignored him and lit up both their horns at the same time. That's why there had to be two of them, Anonymous realized, but it was a weak thought under the sudden panic. Twilight had only teleported him a few feet and it had been the worst experience of his life.

                                            > This would probably be a significantly larger distance. He reached out a hand to the unicorn in supplication.

                                            "No, don't-"

                                            > Everything went black.


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > "Princess! Princess!" the guard yelled as he burst into the guest suite.

                                            > Celestia looked up from making sure hey peytral was straight and took note of the poor pony's near-panic.

                                            "What is it?"

                                            > Corporal Silverwing was trembling as he opened his mouth to reply, but nothing came out at first. He cleared his throat, then tried again: "There has been another attack!"

                                            > Her muscles immediately stiffened but Celestia stopped herself before simply running out randomly. She needed a direction.

                                            "Where?! Is Anonymous okay?"

                                            > The guard shrank back a little from her expression. "We- we don't know, Princess! He and Spring Morning are barricaded in his office. We can't open the door and they are not answering!"

                                            > Now she knew where and her horn lit up brightly enough to cast shadows on the walls.

                                            "Meet me there!" was all she said before vanishing in a small explosion.

                                            > Her mind was already racing, even as Anonymous' study formed itself around her. She should have given orders to keep Blossom safe and to fetch Luna, but it was too late now. She only had one priority.

                                            "What? Where-"

                                            > She twirled around the room, but it was empty. There was a powerful spell encasing the place, concentrated on the entrance. It took a single flick of her horn to shatter it and fling the door wide open.

                                            > Longstride jumped into the room, teeth bared, a spear clutched in the crook of his foreleg, and ready for a fight, but when he saw it was her the guard relaxed and looked around. "Where are they?!"

                                            "Gone..."

                                            > It was worrying that the room had been apparently sealed from the inside. That meant they had teleported out. Perhaps Silver Morning had taken herself and Anonymous to safety, but there were problems with that theory.

                                            > Celestia closed her eyes and probed the air around her, but her own powerful teleportation spell masked any others which might have occurred previously.

                                            "How many attackers?!"

                                            > "J-Just the one, Princess!" Longstride answered. "Corporal Silverwing and Vanilla Pop are in pursuit. The corporal sent me back to check on Anonymous, but the door was closed."

                                            "What? Silverwing was just upstairs. How long ago was the attack?" Celestia demanded.

                                            > The stallion thought for a few moments. "Twenty minutes. I've been trying to get in ever since. I sent the clerks to get help."

                                            > The story still didn't make sense, but there was a flap of wings and the sound of hooves skittering on tiles. Silverwing nearly missed the door, but caught the frame and pulled himself inside.

                                            "Explain!" Celestia demanded.

                                            > The pegasus, his chest heaving, saluted with a wing. "Sergeant major Spring Morning, myself and Private Longstride were on guard. When Anonymous came out there was an attack. A pegasus dressed all in black with a spear, like the last time!"

                                            > It really did appear to be the same thing as the attempt on Blossom, but Celestia could hardly believe it. Surely they wouldn't be so bold, especially in a Castle which was waiting for them!

                                            > Silverwing hurried on with his explanation. "The sergeant sent me and Private Longstride after the attacker while she protected Anonymous. I heard her order him into the office."

                                            > The stallion allowed himself a touch of pride as he gave Celestia a slight, humorless smile. "We caught him. He should be in the cells by now. Then I sent private Longstride to check on the sergeant and Anonymous and went to fetch you directly, Princess."

                                            > She gave the guard a nod and went back to examining the room. His explanation painted half of the picture, but what had happened inside the office? A glint caught her eye and she lifted Twinkleshine's pendant from the carpet.

                                            > Her breath caught as she recognized it, despite a crack running right through the middle of the gemstone.

                                            "Surely not..."

                                            > She had checked it for traps, carefully. Surely they couldn't have snuck a spell past her, could they? Only two ponies in Equestria had the skill to weave magic too subtle for her to detect.

                                            > One of them was Twilight Sparkle, whom she trusted with more than her life, and the other was Sunburst, who was surely still in the Crystal Empire with Cadence. Celestia shook her head. There was no way a spell had slipped her detection. The pendant must have simply fallen and then gotten damaged when somepony trod on it.

                                            > Which meant there had had to be a struggle in the office. Celestia looked around with renewed interest, searching for any other signs of damage. She noticed a bulge in the carpet by the desk.

                                            "Moved? Bumped?" she murmured to herself.

                                            > She looked under her hooves and studied the pattern of burn marks on it.

                                            > She had materialized herself in that exact spot, and the fabric was scorched in a large circle. Here and there were lines, radiating outward as the surplus energy had grounded itself.

                                            > Except...

                                            "There *were* multiple teleports!" Celestia exclaimed.

                                            > It was obvious, now that she looked at it properly. All her lines had to begin from the larger circle, going outwards. They shouldn't extend inward! That could only mean that there had once been a smaller scorch mark on the carpet before hers!

                                            "How many, though?"

                                            > It was hard to tell because the fabric was severely blackened. More than one, but less than five, the Princess guessed, else it would have burned through to the floor tiles below.

                                            > She tried to reconstruct the scene in her mind.

                                            "Silver Morning pushed Anonymous into the office and barred the door to keep them safe. Yet somepony teleported into the room. How?"

                                            > Such precision would require extreme familiarity with the place. Casual visits, even more than one, wouldn't do it. It meant either one of the staff, or a guard.

                                            > The last thought made the mare close her eyes and shake her head in distress. Could she and Luna no longer trust even their own judgment?!

                                            "Somepony teleported in and there was a struggle. The pendant fell and was stepped upon. The table was bumped in the struggle."

                                            > She was forced to conclude with the thought she absolutely didn't want to have.

                                            "Spring Morning and Anonymous lost, else they would have been here. That means they were taken."

                                            > For an instant Celestia tensed up and spread her wings, intending to teleport high above Canterlot, but she would surely be too late to see where Anonymous was being taken. Surely they wouldn't openly drag the human through the streets.

                                            "They could not have teleported far. They surely did not have an alicorn and very few unicorns can manage significant distance when they are carrying two passengers. Silverwing!"

                                            > The pegasus, who had been standing quietly in the doorway until the Princess finished her examination, snapped to attention. "Ma'am!"

                                            "Take all guards who aren't protecting Blossom and scour the ground in and around the Castle! Look for the other side of this teleport. The ground will be scorched in a circle like it is here. Hurry, before some fool maid takes it into her head to clean it up!"

                                            > "Yes, ma'am!" The stallion sounded relieved to be doing something and rushed out of the room with a clatter of hooves. A few steps later the sound vanished and there was a whoosh of his wings as he took flight.

                                            > Celestia focused her stare on Longstride, who endeavored to look a little taller under her scrutiny.

                                            "Private, send word immediately to all city gates. Any coach or wagon leaving Canterlot is to be searched. Anything large enough to hide a human! I will not have Anonymous whisked away from under my nose!"

                                            > The guard saluted, barked a loud and clear "Yes, Princess!" and galloped away.

                                            > Now that she was alone, the thought forced Celestia's head down. Her hind legs failed her and she let her breath out.

                                            > Anonymous, taken. She had not expected that. They had been so sure that they'd rooted out the subterfuge within the Castle! The mare blinked away tears and steeled her heart.

                                            > Whoever was responsible - and Celestia had a pretty good idea who - would live to regret their actions, both before, as well as on this day. They would have a good many lonely years in her dungeons to rue their decisions, this she swore to herself!

                                            > "Sister?" came a tentative call from the entrance.

                                            > Celestia looked up at a blurry Princess Luna.

                                            "Right from under our hooves, Sister," she whispered.

                                            > She was hardly aware of the other mare moving, but suddenly there was a wing around her back and a soft, yet firm presence against her side. She leaned heavily against Luna and closed her eyes in gratitude.

                                            > At least she wouldn't face this adversity alone.

                                            > "We will find him, do not worry. I know his dreams well and I will seek him out. Nothing will stop us!"

                                            "And if he is already dead?"

                                            > Luna didn't have an immediate answer, but she looked around the room and suddenly her face cleared up. "If that were the case, Sister, do you not think they would have left his body?"

                                            > That made a certain kind of sense. They went through the trouble of taking both Anonymous and Silver Morning, which meant that they had plans. They intended to extort her.

                                            "I do not understand what Silvermane hopes to gain from this," Celestia said. "Why would he attack like so? He must know we suspect him. This is senseless!"

                                            > Again, Luna gave this some thought before replying: "Perhaps it is the same reason he had Comet Roll imprisoned in Baltimare. It was a measure to buy time. They are panicking because we are breathing down their withers, Sister!"

                                            > It could be true. Celestia allowed herself a glimmer of hope. If they intended to use Anonymous as a bargaining chip, then they wouldn't dare harm him. Luna was right - she would see his dreams and she would know where he is.

                                            > Her muzzle scrunched up and a fierce light gleamed from her eyes as Celestia imagined calling down her full might and tearing apart the very building where Anonymous was being kept.

                                            > She would peal open the roof and the floors until she found him. Then she would burn the place to the ground, and then she would scatter the ashes in the ocean. And then she would boil-

                                            > With a shake of her head, Celestia dislodged that train of thought.

                                            > If it really was Silvermane, as she suspected, then there would be one fewer noble family left in Canterlot by the time she was done!

                                            > "Do not let vengeance consume you, Sister," Luna's voice intruded on her grim thoughts and Celestia blinked. The night-blue mare's expression was concerned. "It leads down a dangerous path. Trust me on this. We will have justice, but it will be *justice*, not revenge."

                                            > Celestia let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding and managed a tiny smile. She buried her face in Luna's Royal Chest Fluff.

                                            "Thank you."

                                            > The words came out muffled as the soft fur performed its insidious magic. Luna's muzzle came down next to her ear and the mare whispered: "I will watch over you always, Sister. You know that. We are here for each other, always and forever."

                                            > Letting out a shuddering sigh, Celestia tried very hard not to cry, while Luna started licking her ear and nuzzling through her mane. The gesture helped dissolve her bad thoughts and brought Celestia back to when they were young and afraid together.

                                            > Back when the world was new and scary, and all they had was each other. She remembered how she used to do the same for a crying Luna.

                                            > She didn't know how long they remained like that, but it was long enough for her tears to dry up and for the dread to lessen.

                                            > Anonymous was alive and they would find him. She was sure of it. How could she fail with Luna by her side?

                                            > Celestia pushed herself away and gave her sister a smile.

                                            "Thank you," she repeated.

                                            > Luna simply smiled back.

                                            > "Go and rest. I will make sure that Blossom is safe and then I will begin searching the dream world."

                                            > A faint recollection stirred and Celestia nearly jumped.

                                            "Silverwing said they caught the attacker! I must question him!"

                                            > She was about to rush out, but Luna's foreleg barred the way. "No, Sister. Rest first and see him in the night with your head clear. Let him worry for a few more hours. I will assign more guards so that there is no attempt at rescue."

                                            > The advice made sense. Rushing in and demanding information in her present state would just show them how deeply their attack had struck. Interrogations required a steady hoof and a calm heart.

                                            "You are right. I will eat, first."

                                            > Luna lowered her leg and Celestia walked out of Anonymous' office. She remembered just in time and turned back. The broken pendant was on the floor, where it had slipped out of her grasp.

                                            > Now she picked it up again and held it up before her eyes.

                                            "Perhaps there are still answers in this. I will not leave any leaf unturned."

                                            > Luna gave a single nod, but did not otherwise comment. When it came to magic, Celestia was far more subtle than her. Offering help would be entirely pointless.

                                            > Taking a deep breath and clutching the pendant securely in her magic, Celestia stepped out of the room. A pony would have to look quite closely indeed to see the faint tremor in her legs, or the dried marks of tears on her muzzle.

                                            > She looked both ways before settling on a direction and walking. Two of the guards, who had been waiting outside, followed her without comment. She didn't acknowledge them.


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > It was nearly time for Princess Luna to begin her watch over the dream world when a pegasus in the guard armor flew up to her in the corridor. She thought for a moment before being able to put a name to him.

                                            "Sergeant Glory Tail?"

                                            > The colt saluted as he delivered his message. "Ma'am! The Captain is back with Silent Spell. We were looking for Princess Celestia to give her our findings."

                                            > That reminded Luna. Glory Tail and Fire Fly had been watching over the investigator pony from Las Pegasus in the slave mine. For an instant she debated fetching Celestia, but after what had happened she decided against it.

                                            "I will take care of this. Take the Captain and the investigator to the smaller conference room. I will join you shortly."

                                            > The guard saluted again and was away, winging down the hallway with alacrity and efficiency. She approved of that.

                                            > It wasn't much further to their quarters, so Luna walked past Celestia's chamber to her own. Her step faltered when she was at her sister's door and she reconsidered whether she should tell her.

                                            > Luna leaned a careful ear against the door and stilled her breathing so she would hear better. For a while she didn't catch any sound, but then - a soft sob.

                                            > Ears folded down in sympathy, Luna raised a hoof and gave the wood a gentle knock. Her sister's voice came back, faint but clear: "Enter."

                                            > She did so and the door opened to reveal Celestia lying on the bed and staring at the wall. Luna made sure to shut the room and give them some privacy.

                                            "We will find him, Sister. Be strong," she said in as gentle a voice as she could manage.

                                            > Celestia didn't answer, but one of her ears perked up and focused on Luna. It was a good sign and Luna walked over. She lowered her head and pressed her muzzle against her sister's cheek.

                                            "I will take care of things. The court tomorrow and the investigation. Leave it to me and take a few personal days."

                                            > "How?!" came the question along with an incredulous stare. "How can I rest when Anonymous is who knows where, going through who knows what?"

                                            "I do not think they will harm him, Sister. He is too valuable alive and they surely fear your wrath. I believe they are panicking and this... foalnapping was their last effort to save their hides."

                                            > "You mean the Silvermanes?"

                                            "Whoever is behind this."

                                            > Celestia glared suddenly and her lips peeled back in a sneer. She lifted her head up and a low growl escaped her throat. "I will find out! I will go question the captive!"

                                            > Perhaps it would help calm her spirit? Luna was thinking about what to say, but then she noticed something disturbing.

                                            "Sister, did you hit your eye? Did something fall into it?"

                                            > The question was unexpected enough that Celestia blinked and let her grimace fade to mere puzzlement. "What? What is wrong with my eye?"

                                            > Luna leaned in and peered at it a little closer, but it was back to normal. For an instant the whites had darkened and the irises changed from the usual magenta to... gold?

                                            "I thought I saw- never mind. It is gone now."

                                            > Shaking her head, as if to dismiss this new strangeness, Celestia frowned again. "The attacker-"

                                            "-is best left to professionals, Sister."

                                            > Again shock suffused Celestia's muzzle and she scrunched it up in confusion. "What do you mean, Luna?"

                                            "You are an amazing diplomat, Sister, and much admired - rightly so - for your many fine qualities. But an investigator you are not. You cannot think that way. You are too good."

                                            > "Too... good?!"

                                            "Yes, Sister. You knew this when you sent for Silent Spell to examine the mine. I believe we should charge her with the investigation into Anonymous' foal-napping. I will oversee," Luna reassured her sister.

                                            > Celestia opened her mouth as if to argue, but then she heaved a sigh and closed her eyes. Her ears flattened. "Maybe you are right..."

                                            "You said only the other day that you rely on my judgement more and more. Rely on me again this time, Sister. I will not dissappoint you."

                                            > For a moment it looked as if the older mare would decline, but then Celestia bit her lower lip in thought. "I *am* personally involved..."

                                            "Exactly. An investigation should be executed with a clear mind and a steady heart. I am sorry, but you have neither of those right now."

                                            > The two sisters looked at one another for a while, and then Celestia's mouth quirked up into an almost-smile. "When did you become wise, Luna?"

                                            > An instant later the younger mare was smiling as well.

                                            "I learned from the best, Sister."

                                            > Luna thought she saw a glimmer of a tear in the corner of Celestia's eye and she leaned down again. The other Princess met her halfway and they nuzzled for long moments. Luna could almost feel her older sister's confidence flow into her.

                                            "I will meet with Silent Spell and Fire Fly right now. Then we will question the captive, and then we will find Anonymous," Luna promised.

                                            > "You make it sound so easy, sister..."

                                            > Luna just smiled and brushed her muzzle against Celestia's cheek for one last time, before breaking the contact and straightening up.

                                            "Try and rest. Read. Bake a cake. Keep yourself occupied and try not to think about what has happened. It will all turn out fine in the end."

                                            > Celestia gave a dutiful nod and her folded ears, brimming eyes and disheveled mane made her look much younger than she was. Luna felt her heart swell with love for her sibling and she wondered if that was how Celestia felt all the time.

                                            > If she'd known this feeling a thousand years ago, perhaps they wouldn't have been parted for so long.

                                            > "Luna? I just remembered-"

                                            "Yes?"

                                            > Celestia shook her head in dismay at having forgotten something so important. "Our friends are coming to visit for Summer Sun Celebration."

                                            "Which friends?"

                                            > "Miriam Adams, Glitter Dust, Silent Brook with April and Glitterbug. Rock Lichen and Lake Frond and their daughter will also come to Canterlot for the festivities."

                                            > Luna made a fast mental calculation, then smiled with confidence.

                                            "That is more than a month in the future, Sister. By then, this sad business will be finished and Anonymous once more by your side. You both will have an amazing story to tell them."

                                            > Celestia wrestled with emotion for a few moments, then her face cleared up and she nodded. "I hope so."

                                            "Belive it."

                                            > Still smiling, Luna went back to the door and quietly let herself out of the room.

                                            > She entered her own bedchamber and found Eli already in bed, reading a book. He placed his finger between the pages to mark his place and closed it. "All done?" he asked.

                                            "Sadly, no. The investigator and Fire Fly are back from the mine and I will take over that duty from Sister. I will also sit in Court tomorrow, so we must change our plans for lunch."

                                            > The human seemed a bit sad - they'd been looking forward to their reservation on Saddle Row. "Okay."

                                            > Luna stepped closer and tipped his face up with a careful wing feather under his chin. That brought him in reach for a nice, long kiss.

                                            "We will go another day, I promise."

                                            > Eli gave her a nod. "I'll take care of it. I'll call the restaurant."

                                            "Thank you."

                                            > It was one less thing to worry about and Luna really was grateful. She rewarded the man with another warm kiss.

                                            "I guess I will come to bed even later than usually. No doubt my visit of the Dream World will be delayed."

                                            > Eli wasn't too happy about this state of affairs, but he understood the need and gave Luna a nod. "I'll keep the bed warm for you."

                                            "Thanks."

                                            > She left the room with a smile still on her muzzle.


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > By the time Princess Luna was approaching the conference room her grin had long vanished. She had promised she'd find her sister's lover, and while she had every confidence in her dream walking ability, it was still a dangerous situation.

                                            > If the perpetrators were as panicked as she assumed - and they would have to be, or else they wouldn't stage such a daring, reckless foal-napping - they might yet do something utterly stupid.

                                            > If she approached the rescue in the wrong way, Silvermane, if it was indeed him who led this whole mess, might decide to simply kill Anonymous out of revenge. It wouldn't be very pony-like behavior, but neither was slavery and forced labor.

                                            > She shook her head, trying to dislodge the bad thoughts and keep her optimism, then entered. There were only Fire Fly and Silent Spell in there.

                                            "There is a more urgent situation we must discuss before your findings, Inspector."

                                            > The mare just gave a slight nod and waited for the Princess to explain.

                                            > It didn't take long for Luna to summarize what had happened and with each word Fire Fly looked more crestfallen. His thoughts were easy to read: nothing like this would have happened when Shining Armor had been Captain of the Guard.

                                            > His self pity wouldn't help. Even if it turned out that he was incompetent in keeping his guards in order, they could not afford the upheaval of replacing him right now, so Luna gave the stallion a smile.

                                            "It is an exceptional situation, Captain. Even Sister and myself could not prevent it. Please, do not blame yourself."

                                            > The Captain swallowed and flashed her a quick, worried smile before nodding.

                                            > Silent Spell was already in deep thought and her hoof idly tapped on the table. "Princess, tell me all that you know about where Anonymous was taken from. Every detail about the room you can remember."

                                            > Luna did so, as best as she could. She described what she remembered from Anonymous' office and what her sister had told her. Then she summarized again what little she knew of their investigation so far.

                                            > Silent Spell listened quietly, but her mouth began twisting almost immediately and her frown only kept deepening as the explanation went on. Once it was done, the mare worked her mouth as if trying to swallow something awful.

                                            > Finally she sighed. "I keep telling Celestia that she needs a proper police force in Canterlot. She says there isn't enough crime here - well, maybe so, but then she should have called us the minute all of this began!"

                                            > Even Luna couldn't help but fold her ears down in embarrassment.

                                            "I thought we had everyhing in hoof..."

                                            > Silent Spell shook her head. "This is basic police work, Princess. All due respect, but you two stomping around the human's office have probably messed up all the clues. And you said Celestia took something away from it?"

                                            "The pendant. It was given to Anonymous by Twinkleshine, but we think it was only her plot to incriminate him. Most likely, it does not have anything to do with his foalnapping."

                                            > "Most likely?" Silent Spell asked quietly, closing her eyes in exasperation. "Princess, you don't run an investigation on hopes and assumptions. I need to see that pendant. *I'll* tell you if it's connected or not. I also need to see the office."

                                            "Of course. You may go freely anywhere in the Castle, except our bedchambers."

                                            > The investigator gave a nod. "Furthermore, I wish to speak with all the guards who were involved in this. And then I will question the prisoner."

                                            > In a way it was a relief to have a competent pony in charge who knew what she was doing.

                                            "I will recommend to Celestia that a police department is opened in Canterlot, but we will discuss that after this emergency."

                                            > "Good. Now, before we go, my report on the mine," Silent Spell said and slid a piece of paper across the table.

                                            > Luna glanced at it, but didn't read it - that would take too long.

                                            "Can you give me a quick summary? I wish to enter the dream world as soon as possible and look for Anonymous' dream. I may be able to find where he is being held."

                                            > "Good. The mine is more or less what we suspected. Ponies and humans were being kept there and made to work. They moved the prisoners recently and in a big hurry. Some of the tools and clothing were left behind."

                                            > Silent Spell paused for a moment to collect her thoughts, then shrugged. "They left with ground carts, so I've already had the Captain send pegasi to nearby villages to ask if anypony has seen anything."

                                            "We already knew some of that from Blossom. Good idea about the carts," Luna agreed.

                                            > "That reminds me, I'll want to speak with her as well," Silent Spell interjected. "What bothers me about all of this..."

                                            > The unicorn shook her head and paused for a moment to get her thoughts in order again. "Princess - do you know how humans can enter Equestria?"

                                            > Luna blinked. What did that matter? She decided to play along for now, even if she didn't understand why it was relevant.

                                            "Through the portal, of course."

                                            > "Good, good. Yes, through the portal. There are border controls on both sides. It's guarded day-round, right? Any crossing has to be officially sanctioned, no?"

                                            > That much everypony in Equestria knew and Luna still couldn't see where Silent Spell was going with it. She leaned her head to the side in confusion, but still nodded.

                                            "Of course."

                                            > "Tell me then, Princess, who are the humans being worked in that mine? Where did they come from? You should have a record of who came into Equestria and didn't return, right?"

                                            > Luna's mouth dropped open. She glimpsed from the corner of her eye that Fire Fly had done much the same.

                                            > Silent Spell looked smug, but didn't say anything else.

                                            "But- we-" Luna stammered. "What?!"

                                            > She jumped up to her hooves.

                                            "How is that possible?! There should be no humans in Equestria other than we know about!"

                                            > The unicorn mare sighed and nodded. "See? That's why you need the police. We know what questions to ask. Find out where those humans came from and you'll understand how that slavery ring operates."

                                            "B-But that's completely impossible! Nopony can cross from one world to the other without us knowing! Without the humans knowing! If some humans went missing, surely Bennet would ask about it!"

                                            > Silent Spell waved a dismissive hoof. "I've got three theories for now."

                                            "Speak!"

                                            > "First - and most likely - perhaps the guards at the portal are not entirely trustworthy. Perhaps they are being bribed and things are being smuggled into and out of Equestria. Things and people."

                                            > It made sense, but the possibility nearly turned Luna's stomach. It would mean that she and Celestia could trust practically nopony. It would also mean that they were ruling in name only!

                                            "What else?"

                                            > Silent Spell tapped the table with her hoof again. "Second, somepony might have figured out how to open new portals to Earth. They went there and foal-napped some humans to make them work in the mine."

                                            > Luna shook her head. This seemed entirely implausible.

                                            "Surely not. Twilight Sparkle had been studying the portal from the moment it appeared and she has no idea how to close it, or make another. It is impossible another pony would have figured it out before her."

                                            > "Very well, that leaves us with option three: there is more than one portal."

                                            > Again in just a few minutes Luna's jaw dropped open.

                                            "More than one?!" she gasped.

                                            > Silent Spell shrugged. "Think about it. Why would there be just the one? Both Equus and Earth are big places. Have you searched all of our world? Have the humans examined all of theirs? If one portal opened by itself, why wouldn't others?"

                                            > It was too much to take in and Luna's head swam.

                                            "I- don't know," she admitted, ears folded flat against her head.

                                            > "We have to consider all three possibilities. With your permission, I will send a message to Las Pegasus PD and ask for some backup. That is - if I am in charge of this investigation?"

                                            > Bewildered, Luna could do nothing except nod quickly.

                                            "Of course," she said hoarsely. "You will get everything you ask for, Silent Spell."

                                            > The investigator inclined her head in agreement. "Good. I will examine the crime scene and the Captain will help me with questioning everypony involved. I will have more questions for you and Celestia, but that can wait until morning."

                                            > She thought for a few more moments, then went on: "I'll need an office here and a fast courier. Most importantly, I'll need coffee. Lots of it."

                                            > All three of them chuckled, grasping the joke as if it were a life line to sanity. Luna exhaled and turned to leave, but paused before she took a step.

                                            "I will pass by the kitchen and have them bring a tray. You can use this room as your office - it is shielded against eavesdropping. Captain Fire Fly will help with any other arrangements you need."

                                            > "What about my courier? A fast one, mind you!"

                                            > Luna leaned her head to the side, but then her muzzle split into a grin.

                                            "I know just the pony. I will send her to you in the morning," she promised.

                                            > "Good. Let me know if you find Anonymous through his dream. We have to move quickly on this!"

                                            "Of course."

                                            > Luna left the investigator to her job and headed for the castle kitchens. There was generally somepony there even at night. If there wasn't, she would make coffee for Silent Spell herself!

                                            > It was good to have a pony who knew what they were doing. Luna shook her head again. Why *had* nopony asked themselves where the humans came from? Perhaps Anonymous was right that there was a human in charge of this whole mess, but then where did *he* come from? Or she?

                                            > Could there be another portal?

                                            > The thought was chilling, but not so much as the possibility that the guards on the existing portal were all criminals. From what Eli had told her of the human world, that might have been possible on their side, but surely not the ponies?

                                            > Celestia and Silent Spell would find out which it was. In a way, Luna was glad it was out of her hooves. The investigator was a competent pony, good at what she did, and her sister was the finest diplomat that lived. That had ever lived, possibly.

                                            > Both of them together would be a force to be reckoned with.

                                            > All she had to do was find Anonymous. It sounded like a trivial task when she put it into perspective. Simply find the man's dream and ask him where he was being kept. Easy.

                                            > Now, to see about that coffee...


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > There was something important he had to do, but Anon's thoughts slid from his grasp like drops of water on oiled cloth. He managed a brief glimpse and saw that he was in some kind of a room, but Celestia wasn't there with him.

                                            > The fact was significant, but the reason eluded him. There was a vague sense of unease and foreboding, but that might just be a difficult meeting in the afternoon.

                                            > "Finally."

                                            > The voice was new and Anonymous struggled to open his eyes again.

                                            "Celly?"

                                            > Talking felt like his mouth was full of wool. He tried to swallow, but became aware of the foul taste.

                                            "Ugh..."

                                            > There was also the smell which twisted his stomach into unpleasant knots. Anonymous turned his head away to escape from it, but that just made the room spin.

                                            > It had been a mistake and the nausea swelled. His stomach lurched and there was no stopping it anymore. He was dimly aware of someone yelling: "Yuck! Not again!"

                                            > On the plus side, there wasn't a whole lot of vomit, but since Anon wasn't able to lift his head, that meant it all just trickled down the pillow and smeared on his face and neck.

                                            > A bit went the wrong way down his windpipe and he coughed weakly.

                                            > "Don't you choke on me!" his unseen companion said and Anonymous felt himself being turned. He tried to protest before his nose and mouth were ground into the sodden pillow, but the hands which moved him were too strong.

                                            > He came face to face with a unicorn. Her blue coat tugged at his memory and Anonymous was suddenly afraid.

                                            "Spring M-Morning?"

                                            > The mare rolled her eyes. "Well, at least you recognize me. For a minute there we thought the teleport gave you brain damage..."

                                            > He was still lying in a puddle of his own vomit and Anon tried to push himself upright. Unfortunately his hands barely moved and the effort left him winded.

                                            "Tele- Teleport?" he managed to croak out.

                                            > "Yeah, you just started throwing up the minute we landed. What's up with that? Do all humans do that?!"

                                            > He wasn't able to answer, not while he tried to focus on the sense of danger and urgency, so Anon just shook his head. Again he became aware of the foul taste.

                                            "Water..."

                                            > The unicorn sighed and her horn flared with lime light. It was too bright in the dim room and Anon protectively shut his eyes. A few moments later there was a clink and he looked again.

                                            > His bedside table now had a glass, but it was out of his reach. The man pushed the disquieting worry aside and looked imploringly at the mare.

                                            "H-Help?"

                                            > She groaned and muttered: "You gotta be kidding me..." but the magic enveloped him and lifted Anon up to a sitting position. The wet pillow immediately soaked through the back of his shirt, but he couldn't do anything to avoid that.

                                            > He took the opportunity to look around the room. It was a nicely appointed bedroom with beige walls and heavy, dark oak furniture. It looked old but well made, finely carved to resemble leaves and flowers. Baroque- that was the word. It spoke of wealth.

                                            > There was a window, but the curtains were drawn so that very little light came inside. Other than the bed and the table beside it, there was the chair in which Spring Morning was sitting and a wardrobe.

                                            > The glass nudged his lips and Anonymous remembered how thirsty he was. He managed to get a hand up and touch it, but there was no strength in his fingers to grasp it. He was completely at the unicorn's mercy and the knowledge made him scared for some reason.

                                            > Despite that, he opened his mouth and accepted a trickle of water. It helped rid him of the horrible taste in his mouth.

                                            > The mare was annoyed at having to do this, but she was patient and attentive, only giving the man what he could handle. Gradually they finished the class and Anon closed his eyes to focus on his breathing.

                                            > Why was he so weak? Something had happened to him...

                                            > Suddenly, as if a firecracker had gone off in his mind, the memory exploded.

                                            "Y-You kidnapped me!" he accused.

                                            > Spring Morning didn't seem bothered by the accusation. "Huh, took you long enough to remember."

                                            "Why?!"

                                            > She looked at him for a while without answering and just as Anon was about to repeat the question, the mare spoke up. "Dunno. I do what the boss says."

                                            "Who- boss?"

                                            > Spring Morning grinned and shook her head. "Nope. I'm not falling for that. You just sit tight and don't try anything stupid. We have orders to keep you alive, but nopony said I can't break your legs to keep you from escaping."

                                            > Anonymous couldn't help shrinking back from her icy gaze. He had no doubt Spring Morning would deliver on her threat. His hand slipped back down and landed on a wet spot.

                                            "Ugh..."

                                            > "Hey, you did that all by yourself, so don't look at me. Who knew teleporting made you puke your guts out?"

                                            > He was about to retort angrily, but it wouldn't have done him any good. Even if they had known how teleportation affected him, Anonymous had the feeling they would have gone through with it anyway.

                                            "Change- the bedclothes?" he managed.

                                            > Spring Morning's muzzle scrunched up with distaste. "I'm not your bucking foalsitter! I was just here to make sure you didn't choke on your tongue while sleeping, that's all!"

                                            > The smell seemed to be getting worse by the minute and Anonymous gave her a pleading look.

                                            "Please?"

                                            > The mare thought about it for a while, then she heaved a sigh and stood up. "I'll go see if somepony can help you," she said and walked to the door. Before leaving, she paused and inspected the man.

                                            > "Actually, just in case..." she murmured and her horn flared again. Thick bands of lime magic wrapped around the bed and Anonymous, pressing him down. He grimaced as his back was ground into the vomit, but he could do nothing about that except curse, which the mare ignored.

                                            > The ethereal ropes bound his arms to his sides and his legs together. "There. Don't go anywhere," Spring Morning said with a smirk.

                                            > He hadn't been able to even lift himself, so the magical bounds were completely unnecessary. It felt like Spring Morning was just doing it out of spite or to amuse herself.

                                            "F-Fuck you!"

                                            > If she was surprised at the language, the mare didn't show it, but her smile widened. "Just for that, I'll take my sweet time. Enjoy!"

                                            > He wanted to say something more, but he didn't want to be left lying in his own filth for the whole day, so Anonymous bit back the words. It wasn't easy, especially when Spring Morning noticed and chuckled to herself.

                                            > "See? You can be taught to obey. Is this was Celestia does to keep you in line?"

                                            > Again it was a struggle not to say anything, but his face showed the mare exactly what he was feeling. She decided not to tease him anymore and just left, still laughing to herself.


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > Celestia had a difficult decision in front of her. She had joined Blossom and Fluttershy for lunch, but one of the first things the mare had asked was why she hadn't seen Anonymous yet that day.

                                            > What was Celestia supposed to tell her? That the man was missing? That he had been foal-napped, right from under their noses, and was being kept as a captive? That it was all because of Blossom?

                                            > No, not that last part. Never that. No matter what happened it wasn't Blossom's fault.

                                            "Well..."

                                            > The young mare had a faint, hopeful smile on her muzzle and was watching Celestia intently, with her ears perked up in polite interest.

                                            > On the one hoof, if she lied to Blossom and Anonymous was found quickly, there would be no harm done. No heartache or sorrow. Blossom wouldn't even have to know. On the other hoof, if Anonymous wasn't back soon and Blossom found out, she'd be even worse off. Not only that, she might come to distrust Celestia, or even hate her for lying.

                                            > There was only one truth, however hard it was and the Princess steeled herself. She caught Fluttershy's eye and the pegasus stepped closer to Blossom and laid a wing on her back.

                                            "I am very sorry to say this, Blossom, but Anonymous has been taken by some very bad po- people."

                                            > The mare's eyes went so big that they were in danger of falling out, before she shrank back and lowered her ears. "B-Bad?" she quavered, then shook her head. "No! No."

                                            "Don't worry, we'll find him! He'll be safe, okay?" Celestia hurried to explain.

                                            > Blossom's rump hit the floor and she let out a shaky breath. She didn't look up as she muttered a question: "T-This is because of m-me?"

                                            > "Hey!" Fluttershy interjected, using her other wing to nudge Blossom's muzzle and make the mare look at her. "None of this is your fault, Blossom!"

                                            "Fluttershy is right. The only people to blame are the ones who did this. The ones who kept you in that mine!"

                                            > Hopefully their combined assurances would work, but for the moment Blossom was utterly distraught. She slipped from Fluttershy's grasp and simply folded down to the floor, face in her hooves and shoulders shaking as the first sobs racked her.

                                            > "Come on, let's get you back to the room. Do you want to take the last pancake with you?" Fluttershy asked as she nudged Blossom back to her hooves. Celestia couldn't help but notice that the mare refused to look at her.

                                            "I really am sorry. I will do everything to find him again, I promise!"

                                            > Blossom blinked away her tears and finally looked up. To Celestia's relief, there was no hatred or blame in her expression, only pleading. "Please find him!"

                                            "I will!"

                                            > Just like that they were gone and Celestia was left staring at the closed door. She barely registered Luna clearing her throat behind her.

                                            > "The pancakes got... burned a little," the younger sister explained and there was the sound of a plate sliding across the table. "They're perfectly fine if you put cream and syrup on them!"

                                            > Finally Celestia was able to tear her gaze away and bring her runaway thoughts back under control.

                                            "Sorry. Oh. I'm not hungry."

                                            > "Nonsense!" Luna exclaimed and nudged the plate closer still. Her horn flared up and a chair moved aside. "Sit!"

                                            "I really am not-" Celestia began.

                                            > "Shush!" There were undertones of steel in Luna's voice. She would not accept 'no' for an answer and Celestia sat down with a sigh. "I do not cook so often that you may avert your nose from it, Sister!"

                                            > Celestia couldn't help giggling a little at that.

                                            "No, you do not. Very well, let me taste how far you have come."

                                            > To her credit, Luna's pancakes only crunched a *little* and it was quite hard to taste the charred batter under all the sugar. It definitely was an improvement over the last time and Celestia had no trouble saying so after she finished.

                                            "Not bad. You need to practice more, but you are getting better, Luna."

                                            > The younger alicorn beamed a happy smile before swapping their plates. Hers was still mostly full.

                                            "No," Celestia began, trying to think a way out of it, "they're good, but I just couldn't eat another bite."

                                            > Luckily it was convincing enough and Luna accepted her words without needing further convincing.

                                            "Any news of- of Anonymous?"

                                            > Luna's face fell and her ears flattened as she shook her head. "I am sorry, Sister. He did not dream tonight."

                                            > Celestia's breath caught as the worst explanation sprang to her mind, but the younger alicorn noticed it and reached across the table to lay a gentle hoof on her shoulder. "It is not that!" Luna spoke urgently. "Never think that! He simply did not dream, or perhaps they did not let him sleep! I'm sure I will find him tonight."

                                            > Celestia just nodded numbly.

                                            > "There are better news from Silent Spell, however."

                                            > This made Celestia's ears perk up in interest and she looked at her sister hopefully.

                                            > Luna grimaced as she went on. "There was a spell in the necklace Twinkleshine had given Anonymous. One which allowed a skilled unicorn to teleport directly to him, without having first memorized where the room was."

                                            "What?! How is that possible? I checked that gem very carefully! Nopony could have sneaked a spell-"

                                            > Shaking her head, Luna interrupted her: "It was in the chain, Sister."

                                            "Wha-?"

                                            > "The spell was in the golden chain, not in the stone. You were searching in the wrong place, Sister."

                                            > Dumbfounded, Celestia remembered the 'interference' when she had been examining the pendant. Her hoof itched and she wanted to slap herself, but she forced it to stillness.

                                            "What sneaky, under-hooved, devious..." she growled. "Gah!"

                                            > Something else occurred to her.

                                            "What about Spring Morning? Perhaps she was not a spy, then? Maybe she was simply overwhelmed and taken alongside Anonymous?"

                                            > It meant they were looking for two victims, not just one, but it would mean that their interview of the guard had been effective. She could rest a little more easily, confident that there weren't any others among her staff.

                                            > "It is possible," Luna conceded, "but I doubt that."

                                            "Why? What else did Silent Spell say?"

                                            > "She interrogated the prisoner. He is riffraff. A sad case, which seems to have slipped through the Welfare Office. Gambling debts, cider, jobless. Somepony offered him a lot of bits to stage an attack."

                                            "What do you mean 'stage'?!" Celestia asked.

                                            > Luna shook her head. "It was somewhat confusing and Silent Spell promised to find out more today. Apparently they paid him to pretend to attack Anonymous. He was not intended to kill him. The spear was supposed to miss."

                                            > Celestia frowned in confusion. It didn't make any sense. Why go to the lengths of hiring an attacker, then giving him explicit orders not to harm his target? Unless...

                                            "The attack was intended only to cause confusion. He drew the guards away so that the real foal-nappers could reach Anonymous more easily."

                                            > Her sister nodded at that. "Silent Spell said much the same thing. She is bringing a few more ponies from Las Pegasus to assist in the investigation. I gave her the smaller conference room as an office."

                                            "Good. You did well, Luna," Celestia said absently. "This still does not prove that Spring Morning was a spy."

                                            > "It does not," Luna agreed, "but she was the one who ordered the other guards to chase the attacker. It left her alone with Anonymous in his office. We shouldn't assume either way until we have proof."

                                            "The prisoner doesn't know?"

                                            > This time the younger alicorn shook her head. "No. His orders were to throw that spear and escape."

                                            "Who hired him?"

                                            > Luna looked troubled. "He refused to say. Silent Spell promised she would keep asking until she got an answer."

                                            > They really had done well and Celestia felt a little better. With ponies such as the investigator on her side they surely would find Anonymous before long. She wasn't even aware of it when Luna slid the half-full plate of pancakes under her and held up a fork before her muzzle. Celestia gripped the utensil in her magic and began to eat as she thought.


                                            > ~~~~


                                            > The door opened without any warning and Anonymous gave a small start. Or at least he would have, if he weren't bound like he was. Just in time too - his arms and legs were going numb from being kept still for so long.

                                            > "Hmm," the unicorn maid who entered said, before using her horn to untie the man. The pressure against his chest and limbs released and Anon gratefully massaged some life back into his wrists while he inspected the mare.

                                            > She was obviously a maid, evidenced by her stylish black and white unicorn. Under that, her coat was dark gray and her mane was white. His best guess was that she was an older pony and the gray hair was because of her age, not her natural color. She had dark blue eyes and an expression locked in a permanent frown.

                                            > "Can you stand?" she asked, voice sounding almost bored.

                                            > She *had* to know who he was, but somehow she just didn't seem interested. Anonymous couldn't help staring, until the mare cleared her throat. "Well?"

                                            "Where am I?"

                                            > The maid didn't answer. She came closer and her horn glowed in brighter cyan. "Up you get," she said and her magic grabbed Anonymous around his waist and lifted him. He could either follow through or fall on his face off the bed and Anon picked the former. The motion made his head swim and he steadied himself with a hand on the bed.

                                            "Hold on, wait. Wait!"

                                            > The mare leaned her head to one side, but the pressure against his back lessened. She still kept him wrapped up in magic, perhaps to stop him if he tried anything stupid, but she wasn't pulling him upright anymore at least.

                                            "Thanks. Gimme a minute."

                                            > Anonymous tried to think. She was probably one of Silvermane's servants, if it was indeed him who orchestrated this whole thing. Obviously she would be loyal to her employer, otherwise she probably wouldn't have been sent. He glanced at the window, but it was still covered so he couldn't even tell if he was still in Canterlot or someplace else.

                                            > Silvermane was rich enough to have properties all over Equestria, so perhaps this was one of the houses he didn't use. It would make sense - Anonymous couldn't imagine the stallion being stupid enough to keep a prisoner under the same roof as his family.

                                            "You're not going to tell me anything, are you?" he guessed.

                                            > "Correct."

                                            "You realize what you're doing is wrong - what Silvermane is doing is illegal, right?"

                                            > Anon was looking very closely and saw the slight scrunching of her muzzle and a flicker in her eyes, before she schooled her expression to stillness again. Maybe it showed that his guess was right and he filed the knowledge away for later.

                                            > "I'm not here to chat, Mr. Anonymous," the mare said, proving that she knew him, "either I help you wash, or I leave you lying in your own filth until you're ready to cooperate."

                                            > The smell was still making him nauseated, so the man heaved a sigh, planted his feet on the carpet and nodded to the mare.

                                            "Fine. Let's get this over with."

                                            > It took a very firm grip of her magic, but he managed to stand up. His legs felt weak and his stomach lurched, but after a few seconds Anonymous thought he could stand on his own. It boded well for his recovery. All he needed now was for his captors to grow careless and forget to tie him up with magic.

                                            > The maid led him to the door and opened it for him. Beyond was a beige-painted, stone-paved floor. There was a wardrobe against the wall and a painting of a pony in what was obviously a military dress. It looked old.

                                            > "This way," the mare instructed and pushed the man down the hallway. He stumbled and would have fallen, but the magic around his chest kept him upright.

                                            > They didn't meet anyone else and reached their destination a couple of doors down. The room was a bathroom, obviously renovated in recent times because the fixtures didn't match the other furniture Anon had seen. He was a little relieved to see a normal toilet, rather than the Japanese-style some ponies preferred. There was also a large, metal bath tub and a low washbasin. If he wanted to use that, he would have to bend nearly double, or crouch down, but it would be perfectly serviceable.

                                            > He almost asked about a toothbrush, but clamped his mouth shut. He wouldn't be in this place long enough. He was determined to escape and return to Celestia as soon as possible. No doubt she was worried sick.

                                            "Hot water?"

                                            > The maid pointed a hoof at the wall beside the bath tub, where a brass tap protruded out of the tiles. "All new plumbing. Undress."

                                            > Suddenly Anon realized that she intended to stay with him as he washed. He blushed, despite the situation he was in.

                                            "You're gonna watch me?!"

                                            > The mare rolled her eyes before answering. "One, you're not really capable of doing it yourself, and two, my orders were to not leave you alone without first tying you up with magic."

                                            > Anonymous pointedly looked around the bare, windowless walls.

                                            "Where am I going to go? Fuck's sake, just help me in the tub and wait outside, okay?"

                                            > She firmly shook her head. "I have my orders, Mr. Anonymous."

                                            "Well, can you at least turn away?"

                                            > To his relief she did so, but with a pointed swish of her tail in annoyance. The magic around his chest vanished suddenly and Anon sat heavily on the edge of the tub. He sighed and began pulling off his shirt. It was smeared with vomit in several places and suddenly he couldn't wait to be rid of it. Lacking a hamper, he just let it drop on the floor.

                                            > The pants caused him more problems, but he managed to get them down around his ankles without falling by shuffling from side to side. He elected to leave his underpants and tried to come up with the next step.

                                            > If he bent down, he would undoubtedly fall flat on his face. There was no other choice and Anonymous looked at the mare, who was still studying the far wall with apparent interest.

                                            "Ahem," he cleared his throat. "Can you help me with my shoes?"

                                            > The maid turned around, glanced him up and down, then her horn lit up. She didn't saw a word as she untied the laces and pulled both shoes off his feet. A moment later his socks and pants followed and she added it all to the pile.

                                            "I don't suppose you'll wash that for me, right?"

                                            > The unicorn glanced at the dirty clothes, then went back to looking right at Anon's face. "Nope. You can ask Spring Morning tomorrow, but I doubt she'll say yes."

                                            > That was just great. His captors obviously knew about humans and clothing. Leaving him naked would make it less likely for Anonymous to try and escape.

                                            > He put his head in his hands and bit back a swear word.

                                            "Let's just get this over with..."