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Unnamed Glimmer Thing [Incomplete]

By HK-FortySeven
Created: 2022-01-21 23:42:18
Updated: 2023-06-18 21:19:40
Expiry: Never
starlight glimmeranonymous

  1. >"Next stop: Griffonstone Station!"
  2. >Aah!
  3. >O-oh, nevermind, it's just the train announcer.
  4. >Guess you must have dozed off back there.
  5. >But you'd be lying if you said it wasn't the best sleep you'd had in weeks.
  6. >After what you'd gotten yesterday, how couldn't it be?
  7. >Groaning a little, you push yourself upright to look out of the car's window.
  8. >Despite being late in the afternoon, the sun was as bright as ever, and it took a few moments for your eyes to adjust properly.
  9. >But sure enough, there was the view of the ocean, passing by you.
  10. >Looking around the car, there wasn't anypony else on board, just the odd griffon that paid you no mind.
  11. >A welcome change from...
  12. >Before.
  13. >Shaking those bad memories out of your head, you once again dig into your dishevelled saddle bag to pull out the letter you'd received yesterday.
  14. >It was so odd, being able to focus on something other than surviving day to day.
  15. >You'd missed the feeling so much.
  16. >And this letter, this bizarre little letter.
  17. >Hoofed over to you in the dead of night inside of a small package, right on the heels of being all but yelled out of another soup kitchen.
  18. >And given to you by a strange, shifty pony that came out of seemingly nowhere, and that had left as soon as he had come.
  19. >This must have been the tenth or twentieth time you've read it again by now.
  20. >(Starlight,
  21. >(I know how you feel. I can help you. Come to my home. Stay with me as my guest.
  22. >(Turn the letter over if you are interested, my friend.
  23. >(Yours sincerely,
  24. >(Anonymous)
  25. >The reverse of the letter had directions, all right.
  26. >So many different directions.
  27. >Well laid out and easy to follow directions, sure, but there were so many of--
  28. >KSSSSHHHHH
  29. >Aah!
  30. >O-oh, the train is stopping.
  31. >Right.
  32. >Floating the letter back into your bag, you quickly check to make sure that all the other things from the package were still there.
  33. >Thankfully, they were.
  34. >So was the thing you needed next.
  35. >You wasted no time in leaving the train the moment the doors opened, your eyes scanning around for the next--
  36. >Ah, there it was!
  37. >The abandoned little inn the guide said would be there, just outside of the stop.
  38. >You swear you could hear some of the griffons from before whispering things behind you as you got close to the building, but by now you were far past the point of caring about what they thought.
  39. >Already, the guide's words echo in your head.
  40. >(Find the abandoned "White Beak" inn just outside of the train stop to griffonstone. Do not fear it's current state, I have seen to it that it is quite safe.)
  41. >Even with those assurances, it was hard to deny the whole thing looked scary, even in broad daylight.
  42. >Ruined outdoor furniture, broken and boarded windows, and a front door that was half ajar and squeaking in the breeze?
  43. >If you weren't desperate...
  44. >Well, nothing for it.
  45. >You still have your magic, if things don't go well.
  46. >One of the only things you still had.
  47. >Swallowing dry, you open the door the rest of the way, cringing a little as the hinges squeaked loudly in protest the whole way.
  48. >While most of the interior was about what you'd expected, the front counter was a stark contrast: it was clean, well-lit, and staffed!
  49. >The pony at the front, an aged light grey earth pony stallion with a monotone dark blue mane, didn't even seem to notice that you were there, instead fixated on a small book in front of him.
  50. >That changed the second you stepped into the building.
  51. >His eyes immediately shot towards you, his look both annoyed and dangerous.
  52. >"This is private property, madam," he said in a gruff, barely interested voice.
  53. >It would've been a lot scarier, if the letter hadn't also told you about this first.
  54. >(Inside the building, you will find a gray earth pony stallion. Address him by his name, Stone Digger.)
  55. "M-mister Stone Digger, is it?"
  56. >The dangerous edge from his look seemed to evaporate at the mention of his name.
  57. >"Who's asking?"
  58. "S-sorry to intrude. I-I'm Starlight Glimmer, a-and..."
  59. >You float out the next piece of the puzzle.
  60. >(Give him your name, ask for a ride to the Suncrest Manor, and pay him with the special coin I have provided.)
  61. >Special was right: it wasn't a normal bit, but a small, flat coin with a strange question mark insignia pressed into it.
  62. "I need a ride to the the, uh, Suncrest Manor, sir."
  63. >The second the odd coin was set down on his counter top, it was like a switch flipped: he got out of his seat with a wide smile, his attitude from before replaced with excitement.
  64. >"Ahh, of course! Come, this way! You must be exhausted after the journey here!"
  65. >Weird, but you've seen weirder.
  66. >(Mr. Digger will take you to a personal carriage behind the building, and will take you to my home. The ride is many hours long, so feel free to rest during the journey. Mr. Digger is a trusted servant of mine, and will ensure you are not disturbed.)
  67. >So far, everything was going just like the letter said: there was the small pony-drawn carriage, and Stone Digger had already strapped himself into it, waiting eagerly for you to step on board.
  68. >Well, you've come this far.
  69. >And it wasn't like anything better waited for you back there.
  70. >So you do as you're told, boarding the carriage in short order.
  71. >It was about as worn down as you had expected, but at least there was a blanket set up inside of it.
  72. >So that was nice.
  73. >"Comfortable in there, madam?"
  74. >It was so weird, seeing a pony being nice to you.
  75. "Y-yeah, I'm fine."
  76. >"Wonderful, dear! Do let me know if you need anything!"
  77. >And with that, the ride began.
  78. >You lie down and wrap the blanket around you, questions now racing through your mind.
  79. >This pony from the letter, or whatever he was, this "Anonymous"...
  80. >Even as hazy as your thoughts are given all that's happened, you're having trouble remembering that name.
  81. >It feels like you should know it, but try as you might, you can barely think back to where you might have heard it.
  82. >Maybe some rest might clear your mind a bit, help to jog your memory?
  83. >Yeah, that...
  84. >Sounds pretty good right now.
  85. >...
  86.  
  87. >"Milord? The driver from Griffonstone Station is moving."
  88. "I know."
  89. >"Of course you do."
  90. "Now, now. I'd be concerned if you hadn't warned me!"
  91. >"Right. So, you've summoned another one, milord?"
  92. "Yes. Mr. Digger is bringing me an old friend."
  93. >"Old... friend, lord?"
  94. "Yes, a lovely unicorn by the name of Starlight Glimmer."
  95. >"Starlight Glimmer?"
  96. "You're familiar with her?"
  97. >"Not quite, milord. If you don't mind my asking, what is the occasion?"
  98. "I never mind your asking, dearheart. The occasion is simply to extend a welcome hand to a struggling old friend of mine. Do I need more reason than that?"
  99. >"Suppose not, milord. How shall the servants greet her?"
  100. "Like the honoured guest that she is. Have them prepare a guest room."
  101. >"Of course. Shall we prepare dinner, as well?"
  102. "No. Send her up to my study once she is presentable."
  103. >"Yes, milord."
  104. >...
  105.  
  106. >KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
  107. >"Madam Glimmer, we're here!"
  108. >What?!
  109. >You--
  110. >Oh.
  111. >You must be at the manor by now.
  112. >"Madam Glimmer?"
  113. "Just a moment!"
  114. >Sheesh, this pony was loud!
  115. >And way friendlier than he had any right to be!
  116. >Well, whatever, it's still better than what came before.
  117. >You push yourself up, taking a moment to stretch yourself out before opening the carriage door.
  118. >Oh gosh, it's night out?
  119. "What time is it?"
  120. >"Oh, the sun set just an hour ago, madam Glimmer! I'd say it's about, oh, eight or so in the evening?"
  121. >You were out for that long?
  122. >Guess you were more tired than you thought...
  123. "Uhm, th-thanks."
  124. >"My pleasure, madam Glimmer! Are all your belongings with you?"
  125. >Ack, no they're not!
  126. >A quick levitation spell fixes that, along with a frantic rifling through them to make sure everything was still there.
  127. >Phew.
  128. >Nothing went missing.
  129. "Th-they are now..."
  130. >"Ha-hah, good! Well, I must be off now, madam Glimmer! Just make your way over to the Master's manor, and they'll take you from there!"
  131. >He had already started turning his carriage around by the time he'd mentioned the manor, and was now riding off in the direction you'd come from.
  132. >"Have a pleasant evening, madam Glimmer!"
  133. >Wow, he's fast.
  134. >But wait, nevermind the driver.
  135. >What's this about the mano...
  136. >M-manor...
  137. >Oh, gosh.
  138. >You suppose you should have expected a, well, /manor/, to be big, but holy Celestia was it huge!
  139. >This gigantic stone and timber manor, standing at least five stories tall, was the size of a huge town hall more than it was a manor!
  140. >It almost qualified as a castle more than it did a manor!
  141. >Plenty of windows dotted every level of the building, crowned with a tower shooting up from the center of the building's domed rooftop, the tower bearing some large, circular windows that, like most of the other windows of the building, were aglow with a pleasant orange light.
  142. >To be honest, the tower reminded you of those faerie-tale wizard towers, the way it was designed...
  143. >WHOOSH
  144. >Aaand there was the stiff breeze to remind you that you were still outside, and that it was way colder out than you had expected.
  145. >B-better get indoors!
  146. >You only just notice the almost two-yard tall perimeter fence around the place, the bars woven around in decorative patterns with the front gate left swung open.
  147. >The sight of it makes you slow your pace, remembering the last bits of the letter's directions.
  148. >(Once you've arrived, the front gates will already be opened in anticipation of your arrival. Be sure you have the lapel pin provided with the package before you cross the gate's threshold. Once you have, my servants shall see to your needs.)
  149. >Okay, almost done!
  150. >Fishing through your bag, you find the pin in question.
  151. >This thing was definitely the weirdest thing you'd gotten from the package, even compared to the coin.
  152. >The pin was shaped like a question mark, and the body was as squared as you expected a character to be, only instead of ending in a dot at the end, the line stretched down by nearly an inch, rounding out and tapering off as it went until it ended in a sharp point.
  153. >It was made of solid copper, giving it a good bit of weight, and the surface was completely covered in a bright green layer of oxide that, judging from it's smooth, even look, was done on purpose.
  154. >The same style of question mark was also present on the coin from before, pressed into it's surface.
  155. >Question mark logo, and somebody named "Anonymous"...
  156. >Can't say it doesn't fit, but you swear there's something about this you're forgetting--
  157. >WHOOSH
  158. >Okay nevermind, less standing in the wind and thinking, more heading into the house!
  159. >The moment you passed through the open gate, a strange sensation shot through you, tingling from your horn all the way down through your spine.
  160. >The huge oaken double doors of the building also swung open at that exact moment, a trio of armoured ponies standing in the doorway with spears at the ready.
  161. >Before you even have a chance to turn tail and run, their demeanour shifts instantly the moment they see the pin suspended in your hold, just like that carriage pony's did.
  162. >Their spears flick right back up to a resting position, their expressions flipping from hostile to cheerful.
  163. >And the guard in the center speaks up.
  164. >"Aha, you are the mare that we have been expecting, no?"
  165. >That's the strangest accent you've heard coming out of a pony before.
  166. "I-I uh, y-yes?"
  167. >"Goodness, you'd better come inside! We're expecting a dump of snow by tomorrow morning!"
  168. >Guess you arrived just in time.
  169. >You carefully trot your way inside, the guards shutting the door behind you.
  170. >The room you were in was a small, well-lit vestibule, giving you a good look straight ahead at the next room, which judging from the huge, roaring fireplace and the second story balcony, was some kind of big entrance hall.
  171. >The actual vestibule itself was no slouch in the looks department, the ceilings and walls covered in beautiful, ornate oaken wood panelling, interspersed with both magical lights, lit up with a warm, cozy orange glow, and unlit torch sconces and oil lamps, seemingly there to provide a backup light source if the magic were to stop working.
  172. >The floors were a combination of parquet patterned wooden flooring, just like the walls, with the remainder being stark white marble, both beautifully waxed and polished to nearly a mirror finish.
  173. >"Many more views where that came from, madam!"
  174. >The guard broke you out of your open-mouthed staring at the ludricrous, lavish interior design, finally getting you to turn around and look over at him.
  175. >His armour was kind of similar to the royal guards you'd seen before, but his was made of an unassuming gray metal, and was entirely enclosed save for the head, with the front shoulder insignia being the same stylized green question mark.
  176. >He and his cohorts all wore the same thing, and carried some mean looking spears made of the same metal.
  177. >"You'll have to forgive the rude initial welcome, madam. Our Master insists on such security, and not without good reason. Even way up here in the mountains, trouble still seems to find us!"
  178. >The mountains...?
  179. >Where exactly are you?
  180. >"Oh but please, go right on ahead, madam! The servants are waiting to receive you!"
  181. >Seriously, you've never heard an accent like theirs before, and you've been around.
  182. >In any case, nothing to do but keep moving forward...
  183. >The preview of the entrance hall you'd gleaned from the door only prepared you for the full experience a little bit.
  184. >The walls, ceiling, and floors were much the same, with two enormous, gold and silver, magically-lit chandeliers suspended on the further ends of the room, a third centre one not needed owing to that huge fireplace in the middle that was putting out more than enough light to match one.
  185. >Furniture was spread around the room, no doubt for the ponies meant to wait here before being called up wherever they were needed, though you didn't get much further than identifying sofas, lounge chairs and coffee tables before your attention was drawn by a series of hoofsteps.
  186. >Which drew your attention to the two staircases on either side of the entrance hall, leading up to the second story balcony.
  187. >And the ponies coming down it were surprising for an entirely different reason.
  188. >Maids.
  189. >Actual, fully dressed, honest-to-Celestia maids.
  190. >Four of them came bounding towards you, excitedly chattering to one another in that funny accent of theirs.
  191. >"Miss Starlight Glimmer, I take it?"
  192. >That voice definitely didn't belong to the maids.
  193. >Up on the balcony, a well-groomed unicorn stallion dressed in butler clothes looked down towards you and the maids, all of which had snapped to attention the moment they heard his voice.
  194. "Uhm, y-yes? That's, uh, th-that's me."
  195. >"Wonderful. My name is Home Stead, majordomo of Suncrest Manor. Our Master has been expecting you."
  196. >At least his accent was the normal upper-crust accent you've heard from Canterlot before.
  197. >Canterlot...
  198. >"Please, allow us to show you to your room for the evening. You will have a few hours to clean up and decompress before our Master sends for you."
  199. >C-clean up?
  200. >Oh goodness, just the thought of finally being able to clean up is more than enough to bring you out of your depressing thoughts.
  201. "L-lead the way, please."
  202. >...
  203.  
  204. >"You've got no right to do this! None!"
  205. "No right, you say?"
  206. >"It's my research on the line here! My work! My su--"
  207. "Iteration."
  208. >"What?"
  209. "Your talents are not in question here. What is in question is your sourcing. And unfortunately, you have not done a good job of hiding just how much you have plagiarized."
  210. >"I--"
  211. "You have an impressive record in this field, and I would have been quite happy to--"
  212. >"You don't--"
  213. "Silence."
  214. >"Hk--!"
  215. "Do not interrupt me in my home again, Stargazer."
  216. >She swallows dry.
  217. "As I was saying. Your pedigree in this field is not in question. You simply had to ask for permission to use my research, to iterate upon it. Had you shown this basic measure of respect, I would have quite happily entertained this request. Perhaps I would even have given you some measure of residency here to aid your work.
  218. "You, however, were not refused permission. Rather, you saw yourself as above such... 'trivial' matters of permission.
  219. "You will find, young prodigal, that such brazen plagiarism is ill tolerated, across both academia and our craft. In our world, it's nature does not remove the penalties for such. It merely..."
  220. >You tap your finger onto the armrest.
  221. "Alters them."
  222. >Her pupils shrink to pinpricks.
  223. "And in the future, you would do well to not deceive yourself to the contrary."
  224. >You wave her off.
  225. "Our discussion is over. You may use this time to formulate your apology for tomorrow. Now leave, I have nothing more to say to you today."
  226. >Stargazer all but bolts out of the room.
  227. >You take a well deserved sip from your glass.
  228. "You can come out now, Home Stead. She's gone."
  229. >"Very good, Master. Your new guest, Starlight Glimmer, has arrived safely mere moments ago, and I have shown her to her quarters."
  230. "Ahh, wonderful news! I hope she is doing well."
  231. >"She was in rather rough shape, Master. As if she had been surviving day-to-day, without a place to call home."
  232. "I expected as much, unfortunately. I do hope my home offers her some much needed reprieve."
  233. >"To the best of our ability, Master. However, I must say, she seemed to be quite... apprehensive, sir. May I share some concerns with you?"
  234. "You've more than earned my ear, Home Stead. Hold no details."
  235. >"Very good, Master. Some of the newer maidservants have informed me that this friend of yours had... connections to the Equestrian Diarchy. And to the nascent Princesses of the land. Among other concerning connections."
  236. "They are correct."
  237. >"Knowing this, Master, is having her here such a good idea?"
  238. "Your caution is understandable. But I have known her for a number of years, well before she took her current course in life. While I expect no trouble to arise, given her... circumstances, you have my permission to monitor her, should you feel it necessary."
  239. >"Thank you, Master. I would prefer to maintain a close eye on her activities for the moment."
  240. "You're well within your latitude to do so. Now, I would like to meet with her in the personal dining hall in two hours, but the timing is not strict, and she is permitted to rest for the day if she requires it, and we can speak tomorrow then. In either case, please have the chefs prepare something light for her. I believe she deserves that much."
  241. >"Very good, Master. Is there anything you would like as well?"
  242. "No thank you, I'm still nursing away at your last meal. Your selections are excellent as always."
  243. >"Thank you, Master. I shall take my leave now."
  244. "Very good, Home Stead. As you were."
  245. >...
  246.  
  247. >HolymotherofCelestiathisisthebestdayofyourlife.
  248. >The massive bath.
  249. >The expensive cleaners.
  250. >The magic mane dryers.
  251. >The impossibly soft towels.
  252. >The king-sized bed.
  253. >Is this the afterlife?
  254. >Did you actually die back there and fly up to Elysium?
  255. >Because you could totally get used to this.
  256. >KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
  257. >"Miss Glimmer?"
  258. >Oh, it's that butler pony.
  259. >Or, uh, what did he call himself, major-something?
  260. >Whatever, it was that Home Stead pony.
  261. >Pulling yourself off the bed, you use your magic to open the door while you walk over to it.
  262. "Y-yes?"
  263. >"My Master wishes to speak to you soon. Are you presentable?"
  264. >Oh, right, that 'Anonymous'...
  265. "Yeah, I'm... pretty much ready."
  266. >"Very good, madam. I will come to fetch you in half an hour."
  267. >That long?
  268. >No, hold on, you're not just going to sit around and wait!
  269. >You need some answers!
  270. "Actually, er, c-can we go now?"
  271. >Definitely not the response he expected, if his raised eyebrow was anything to go by.
  272. >"Now, miss Glimmer?"
  273. "I don't want to wait any longer than I need to. I-if your master's free, I'd, well, like to see him as early as I can."
  274. >"I see."
  275. >His hoof goes to his chin in brief contemplation before looking back at you.
  276. >"My Master's timetable is quite loose this evening, though it must be said that he was rather expecting you to rest for longer."
  277. "I got enough rest on the carriage ride over."
  278. >"Very well. Come with me, please."
  279. >You know, you've been in plenty of strange situations before.
  280. >But after everything you've been through recently, this manor is topping the list right now.
  281. >Home Stead leads you down a few hallways to your destination, every hallway as lavishly furnished as the others you'd been down already.
  282. >This place even had one of those new 'ascending rooms', and his route had you using it to ride up to the top floor!
  283. >It was so weird, riding in an elevator that didn't use magic.
  284. >Still, it got you there in one piece.
  285. >But the fifth, topmost floor was... different.
  286. >It wasn't just the overall darker colour of the wood walls, or the colder colours of the lights.
  287. >Something was... strange here.
  288. >Some weird, implacable bad feeling in the pit of your stomach that you couldn't really shake.
  289. >If Home Stead was bothered by it, he sure didn't show it, keeping a steady pace.
  290. >Until finally, after turning a few corners on the way, he opened a door to a small dining hall.
  291. >"Just in here, miss Starlight. I must go an inform my Master of your early arrival."
  292. >Nodding, you step inside.
  293. >Instantaneously, the uneasy feeling from the hallway gets much weaker as you pass through the doorway, and the door closing behind you banishes the feeling completely.
  294. >And then you let out the breath you hadn't realized you were holding.
  295. >Okay, so...
  296. >The dining room was furnished and lit exactly the same as the lower floors of the building, and the ten-seat dining table, including the chairs, were all made of mahogany wood, the seat padding and the tablecloth both a striking red colour.
  297. >Wait, was that silk...?
  298. >Looks like...
  299. >Yeah, that's definitely silk.
  300. >What the hay.
  301. >And that's not even mentioning the other furnishings around the place!
  302. >What was that, some swords and shields mounted on one of the walls, a huge painting of an eclipse, and a huge window with thick, embroidered forest-green drapes?
  303. >How much money do you need to get a place this huge, let alone this loaded?
  304. >You need a seat.
  305. >The end of the table is as good a place as any.
  306. >A-at least the chair was as comfortable as it looked...
  307. >And it gave you a good view of outside, where you could already see some snow beginning to fall, coming down slowly and with almost no wind to send it flying around.
  308. >You just sit there, watching the snow fall as you gather your thoughts.
  309. >Seriously, who was this colt, anyways?
  310. >Why is he even interested in you?
  311. >Did he know you?
  312. >Because you're still not sure if you know him!
  313. >Sure, his letter called you a friend, but that could just be some weird formality thing!
  314. >Even if he did know you, how long ago would that have been?
  315. >Seriously, who could it--?
  316. >Aah!
  317. >Who opened the door?!
  318. >Oh, it's just more of those maids, and they look just as surprised to see you there.
  319. >"Oh, beg pardon. We didn't think you would get here so quickly!"
  320. "I-it's fine, really..."
  321. >"Well, our Master should be here in a moment. In the meantime, may I ask you to give the table some space, madam?"
  322. >Oh, she's setting the table?
  323. >That explains all the plates and silverware they've brought in on a cart.
  324. >You don't want to be rude, so you do as they ask, and they quickly get to work laying things out.
  325. >They only brought enough for two, on each end of the table, but there had to be at least eight different forks and spoons--
  326. >W-wait.
  327. >They're setting it for two.
  328. >A-are they going to...?
  329. >Your head turns to the sound of another cart rolling in, holding--
  330. >Covered serving platters.
  331. >F-food...
  332. >Oh, of course your stomach had to growl the loudest it possibly could right now!
  333. >If the maids heard it, they didn't acknowledge it, and they finished laying things out a few moments later.
  334. >Strangely, all the covered platters were on the side of the table you were closer to.
  335. >All the other end got was a bottle of what looks like wine?
  336. >You don't know, you're not really much of a drinker.
  337. >Downside of being a powerful unicorn.
  338. >Magic and alcohol really don't mix well...
  339. >"Our Master will be with you in just a moment, madam. Please make yourself comfortable!"
  340. >You know, that was a lot easier to do /before/ they just set a mountain of food in front of you!
  341. >At least your stomach growled again only after they cleared out and left you alone.
  342. >Come on, whoever this Anonymous colt is, get over here already so you can eat!
  343. >Ohmygosh, you think you can smell what's under the platters!
  344. >No, stop drooling!
  345. >Stop it!
  346. >Just... sit down and wait, filly!
  347. >But...
  348. >Er...
  349. >M-maybe just a teensy look wouldn't hurt...
  350. >The cover of the first platter flew off way quicker than it should have, and...
  351. >O-oh.
  352. >That's...
  353. >The absolute best looking bowl of squash soup you think you've ever seen.
  354. >I-it even has bread with it...
  355. >No, stomach!
  356. >Stop growling right...
  357. >N-now.
  358. >You could literally feel the last vestige of your resistance shatter like glass the second the smell hit your nose.
  359. >After that, all that registered to you was one word.
  360. >Food.
  361. >youknowwhatforgetthespoonsyouhavenoideawhichoneiswhichandyoudon'tcarejustgimmegimmegimme
  362. >ohmygoshholytapdancingcelestiait'sthebestthingyou'veevereateninyourlifeandthebreadonlymadeitbetter
  363. >okaynextplatterwhat'snexti'dlikewaymorethanthatpleasesircanihavesomemore
  364. >holymolythat'sastrawberryandspinachsaladwithalmondsonityespleaseiwouldlikethatnext
  365. >theforksarenotimportantyourmuzzlewasmadeforthisjobohmygoshit'sperfectionthisisthebestdayofyour--
  366. >"Ha-hah-hah!"
  367. "AAH!"
  368. >You almost jump clear out of your seat!
  369. >Who's interrupting you in the middle of...
  370. >Your...
  371. >"Goodness, I knew you had to be hungry, but I didn't think it was that bad! If I had known beforehand, I would have had the servants make you much more than this!"
  372. >Tall, green, bipedal.
  373. >Black bathrobe with matching pants, a bright red shirt peeking out underneath the coat.
  374. >Genuine happy smile, and deep reddish-orange eyes that had a strange and unnerving predatory glint to them.
  375. >"The, ah, napkins are to your left, just so you know."
  376. >Napkins are about the furthest thing from your mind right now.
  377. >Something in your brain just clicked, one tiny thing that quickly dominoed out of control and brought a tidal wave of memories back.
  378. "Aaaaaaah!"
  379. >This time the yelling wasn't out of terror.
  380. >"Er."
  381. "It's you!"
  382. >Holy mother of Luna, it's him.
  383. >It all came back in rush after rush.
  384. >The first time you'd met.
  385. >The ordeal of making a hidden lab.
  386. >The long sleepless nights of research and development.
  387. >The revolving door of ponies, coming in cocksure and running out in tears.
  388. >The constant, explosive, two-way anger.
  389. >The never-ending screaming matches.
  390. >The silent, exhausted teamwork after the nights of screaming.
  391. >It's really him.
  392. >Sweet Celestia, you remember hating him so, so much.
  393. >You hated his guts.
  394. >You hated his attitude.
  395. >You hated how angry he always was.
  396. >He was, without a shadow of a doubt--
  397. >"Oh, dear. I thought you might need a moment to recollect me, but I didn't think you would need this long."
  398. >Your brain snaps back into focusing on the present.
  399. >On the man opposite you on the table, the man who was always angry, humourless, and so extremely rude.
  400. >Only...
  401. >Why is he smiling?
  402. >And joking?
  403. >And... /polite/?
  404. >Uh-huh.
  405. >No.
  406. >Don't believe it.
  407. >Don't believe a single syllable of it.
  408. >Time to use that napkin.
  409. >Much better.
  410. "Who the hay are you?"
  411. >"Oh dear, am I really that easy to forget?"
  412. >Oh he's smiling again, is he?
  413. >Mmhmm, nope.
  414. >Not having any of this.
  415. "Mhm. Very easy. Seriously though, what's the name of the daemon puppeting Anon's body right now?"
  416. >"Dal'kriim'ol'vrael. Pleased to meet you."
  417. >W-was that a joke?
  418. >"I quite like what you've done with your mane, by the way. Very stylish."
  419. >Was that a sincere compliment?
  420. >He reaches for the wine bottle, going for the corkscrew with the other.
  421. >I-is this guy...?
  422. "Are you actually Anonymous?"
  423. >"You sound surprised."
  424. "I am surprised! What's going on with you?"
  425. >"Plenty of things, not the least of which being living my new life to it's fullest."
  426. "But like, why aren't you angry? And screaming? And throwing that corkscrew at me?"
  427. >"What, don't tell me you actually missed the terrible stresses of our old lives? Or the books and the glassware and the horrible expletives we slung around in fits of apoplectic rage?"
  428. >He opens the bottle with a light 'pop', his smile still on full display.
  429. >"I don't know about you, Starlight, but I'm rather happy I've left that chapter of my life behind."
  430. >Weirdly, the red wine he poured out into his glass was darker and more viscous than you were expecting wine to be.
  431. >"And from what little I've heard about you, I'd say leaving it was a net positive for your life as well."
  432. >Your life.
  433. >And just like that, the last few months of your life smothered you like an icy blanket all over again.
  434. >You don't remember standing up and leaning forward on the table, but you sure notice slumping back down into your seat.
  435. >He must have noticed your shift, since he stops sipping from his glass.
  436. >"I've... not heard much of your current situation. My agents reported seeing you drifting from place to place, sleeping out in the fields."
  437. >He sets his glass down, concern woven into his expression as he leans forward onto the table, his fingers knitted together.
  438. >"You do not have to tell me what happened if you do not wish to. Just know that regardless of what has transpired, you are always welcome to stay here, my friend."
  439. >It wasn't your fault.
  440. >N-no, come on, keep it together.
  441. "N-not right now. Please."
  442. >"Whatever you need, Starlight. Please, do not feel as if I am pressing you for an explanation."
  443. >Why does he sound so genuine?
  444. >In fact...
  445. "Why are you doing this?"
  446. >"What do you mean?"
  447. "Like, you know, j-just taking me in like this? I-I thought you hated me. Hay, I hated you! So why are you acting like we've been super best friends for so long, after everything that's happened?"
  448. >He doesn't answer at first, instead regarding his wine glass.
  449. >"As much as I'd like to pretend that you're misremembering things, I won't insult your intelligence like that. You're right, we both harboured a considerable amount of animosity for one another, irrespective of what we brought to the table. You were nothing but a means to an end in my eyes, and we both know the feeling was mutual."
  450. >He's right.
  451. >You only put up with him because of his skills.
  452. >He picks up his glass, idly swirling it's contents around.
  453. >"After you'd left to pursue your own ambitions, I also sought to achieve mine. However, mine required a great deal more work to be done, so I churned through others to find your equal in the arcane. None came remotely close to your level. The rage I felt during those periods, forced to work with others of lesser talent, was nothing compared to what we did to one another, if you can believe it."
  454. >You can't help but swallow dry.
  455. "H-how bad are we talking?"
  456. >"They usually left my laboratory on a stretcher."
  457. >Yiiikes, that's not as bad as you expected but geez that's still a scary thought!
  458. >"It took many years of struggling, pain, and sacrifice, but in the end I got what I wanted. However, after I had finally attained what I had long sought, I... had plenty of time on my hands. Time I spent reflecting on my actions."
  459. >He takes another sip.
  460. >Whatever weird vintage that stuff is, he really likes it.
  461. >"I'll spare you much of the gory details, but the long and short of it is that after long periods of introspection, and forging many new, lasting friendships in the strangest and most unlikely of places, I found myself in a much, much better place than when we had met. Indeed, even better than when I had first... arrived here."
  462. >G-geez...
  463. >"Though the journey matters little at this juncture. In the end, our travels have changed us dramatically. My anger is like embers compared to what you've seen before. And, as you have no doubt seen, those under my roof hold me in a high level of esteem. To be quite honest, I have trouble sometimes believing I used to be the way I was."
  464. "I'll say. I think you've changed a lot more than I have!"
  465. >"That, Starlight, is an understatement of the highest order."
  466. >Don't know what that knowing little smile was about, but okay.
  467. >He finishes his glass off, setting it down on the table.
  468. >"That being said, I wouldn't sell yourself too short, my friend. You changed your entire course in life, did you not?"
  469. "Y-yeah."
  470. >"Few truly realize just how difficult such a feat is to accomplish. Especially for you, I would hazard a guess. You would not only have had to change yourself in the colloquial sense, but in the magical sense as well, no?"
  471. "K-kind of. It's... complicated."
  472. >"As such matters tend to be."
  473. "Sorry, but... I'd rather not talk about that right now."
  474. >"Ah, forgive me. I didn't mean to hit a nerve."
  475. >He pours himself another glass of wine.
  476. >Sheesh, he's going through that stuff quick!
  477. >"But I haven't answered your question yet. While it's true that I had no idea how you would react to me after so long, or even if you remembered me at all, I could not simply leave you to languish in the streets. Thus, I had one of my... agents, dispatched to give you directions to my home."
  478. >One sip later, and he continues.
  479. >"Even after all that has happened between us, I still very much consider you a friend. One I had severely mistreated in my long, ongoing moment of weakness. I suppose, in a sense, this is my own little way of making the beginnings of amends for that. But regardless of your feelings on the matter, or even if that want for reconciliation is reciprocated, you are quite welcome to remain here for as long as you need."
  480. >This is...
  481. >Insane.
  482. >Absolutely insane.
  483. >Every friend you've made from before had dropped, ignored, or distanced themselves from you almost overnight.
  484. >And here was someone you had hated, from a way darker time you'd done your best to forget about, being the only one to reach out to you.
  485. >Not to throw you out, or shoo you away, or threaten you, or anything.
  486. >But as an actual, honest-to-goodness friend, helping another friend.
  487. >Nothing makes sense to you anymore.
  488. >It's like you've stepped into some insane upside-down timeline overnight here.
  489. >He should hate you.
  490. >You should hate him!
  491. >And yet...
  492. >You don't.
  493. >All of those misgivings you've had from before, all those times you wanted to blast him into dust, are so distant they almost don't seem real, let alone matter anymore.
  494. >He's so different now, it's like he's not even the same person.
  495. >That rail-thin, angry, brown-eyed creature you remember almost feels like a bad parody of the man in front of you!
  496. >But...
  497. >He really does seem genuine about all of this.
  498. >But at the same time, you also remember exactly what kind of work the two of you did.
  499. >Is there...
  500. >No, you know what, why don't you just ask him?
  501. "Th-there aren't any strings attached I should know of, a-are there?"
  502. >"Absolutely not. Strings are reserved for the less trustworthy, and I have no reason in the world to doubt you."
  503. "I mean, you're still into, w-well, the Arts, right?"
  504. >"I am indeed. But please be assured that I have no intentions of pulling you back into that world. If you wish to remain as distant from the Arts as you can, you can rest easy that I will respect your decision on the matter."
  505. >That... really helped to hear.
  506. >You don't know if you believe it, but he hasn't given you a reason to doubt him yet.
  507. >Well, you guess that--
  508. >groooooowl
  509. >Oh.
  510. >Thanks for ruining the mood, stomach.
  511. >Really appreciate it.
  512. >The smile returns to Anon's face.
  513. >"We can always talk after you've finished your meal."
  514. "Actually, uh... d-don't suppose you've got more than this?"
  515. >"Hah! Plenty more, my friend."
  516. >He takes a small bell from out of his robe, giving it a little ring.
  517. >Not even a second later, more maids come into the room.
  518. >"My staff are quite happy to fulfill whatever request you may happen to have. Please, don't be modest."
  519. >All of their eyes are on you, waiting for what you're about to say.
  520. >Well, you guess if he's offering...
  521. >...
  522.  
  523. >The barrier to your sanctum slides to a close behind you, plunging the room into absolute darkness.
  524. >You walk over towards your reading chair.
  525. >A pair of lightly glowing orange eyes greet you on your way there.
  526. "Is something the matter, dearheart?"
  527. >"Milord, what are you thinking?"
  528. "I'm not sure I understand."
  529. >You seat yourself.
  530. >"That pony you brought in! Do you have any idea who she is?"
  531. "I've many an idea of who she is."
  532. >"Milord, come on! She's with the princesses!"
  533. "Is she, now?"
  534. >"Please don't do this with me milord, not tonight! You know what her connections are!"
  535. "The same connections that seem to have thrown her to the wolves?"
  536. >Her mouth opens, but the words don't come.
  537. >Ah, there was your book.
  538. "I am well apprised of who she has fought and worked with in this new chapter of her life. Simply asking any new maidservants would have granted you this information."
  539. >"So if you already know the obvious stuff about her, why just walk her in the front door?"
  540. "Because I also happen to know the things about her that are far less obvious, dearheart. And even if I hadn't known those details, I am confident that it would not have impacted my decision to take her in."
  541. >You open the book to the last place you had left off.
  542. >"But... why?"
  543. "Because that is what good friends do."
  544. >She doesn't answer for a moment.
  545. >She then flies silently towards the reading chair opposite to you, seating herself.
  546. >"You're not changing your mind on her, are you?"
  547. "Not without incontrovertible evidence that she is a malicious actor, no."
  548. >You look up from your book, locking eyes with her.
  549. "Your reservations and concerns are completely understandable, dearheart. I do not want to give you the impression that I am discounting your concerns out of hand, from some misplaced sense of hubris. I have known Starlight for many years, and I will not stand by and watch my old friend languish in the streets. Not when it is in my power to change that.
  550. "But understand this. As she is an old friend of mine, my standards for suspicion are also adjusted accordingly. You may be suspicious of her if you so choose; that is within your prerogative to do, as it is with Home Stead. But I will not have you project an imputation of malice upon her without a concrete foundation for such. Is that clear?"
  551. >It takes most of her willpower to not look away.
  552. >"Yes... milord."
  553. >The answer is satisfactory.
  554. >You resume reading.
  555. "That all being said, dearheart, I still do not know why she was cast from her new circles of friends like a leper."
  556. >"She didn't tell you?"
  557. "No. I am certain she will tell me in due time, but I've no intention of forcing an answer from her. I was rather hoping your reconnoitre of the surrounding villages would have revealed some of the answer."
  558. >"I wanted to talk about that, actually. The townsponies hate her almost as much as they hate us. But for the life of me, I couldn't get a good reason for it."
  559. "No?"
  560. >"No, milord."
  561. "People do not simply hate for no reason. They have good reasons to fear us. I struggle to think of a good reason for her."
  562. >"That's another thing, milord. That hate they felt was uniform. They all felt the exact same way, and had the exact same reasons. Or, well, lack of reasons."
  563. "That leads me to believe that magic of some kind is at play here."
  564. >"I think so, too. Did you pick up on anything wrong with her?"
  565. "No. There was nary a trace of outside influence on her, magical or otherwise. Very curious."
  566. >"What do you think, then? Is the Academy at it again? The Guild? Hay, are the Shadows on the hunt again?
  567. "I do not think it is safe to cast aspersions on them just yet, not without more information."
  568. >"I don't like flying blind like this, milord."
  569. "You will have to endure for now, dearheart. Time will unravel this mystery in short order, I am sure of that."
  570. >She stops speaking, but does not leave.
  571. "You have something else to ask."
  572. >"Y-yes, milord. About your... friend."
  573. "Yes?"
  574. >"How do you know her? Who is she, really?"
  575. "She, dearheart, is a large part of the reason you are still among the living."
  576. >...
  577.  
  578. >"I am pleased to hear that you had a pleasant night, madam Starlight."
  579. "I don't think I've ever slept that well in my life!"
  580. >"Hardly a surprise, madam Starlight. I see to it that all furnishings in the Master's home are of the finest quality."
  581. "What, do you use clouds for the mattress or something?"
  582. >"Yes. Triple-centifuged and deozonated mattress-grade clouds purchased directly from Cloudsdale's premier suppliers fill every pillow and mattress, even for the servants."
  583. >What.
  584. >You meant that as a joke, you didn't think they actually did that here!
  585. >"My Master wishes for only the best, and I have never once failed to deliver excellence."
  586. "How do you even afford all of that?!"
  587. >"With my Master's funding. Price is no obstacle to him, and he wishes no expense spared."
  588. >That's just another layer of insanity you wound up looping back to.
  589. >You and Anon always worked off of a shoestring budget.
  590. >How did he get this ridiculously rich?
  591. >"Now, just through here, madam Starlight."
  592. >Home Stead magics a pair of double-doors open, leading to - in increasingly typical fashion by now - a massive, lavish dining hall.
  593. >One entire wall as well as most of the ceiling were entirely made of glass, supported with metal very sparsely to avoid blocking the view and built almost like a conservatory, offering a breathtaking view of the vast, pine forested mountain range outside even with the snow still falling.
  594. >The hall itself didn't have just one table like the one you sat at with Anon - there were lots of smaller but still very sizable tables; the first row set perpendicular to the outside view of the world with the rows after that set parallel to it.
  595. >Each table was draped with a bright, grass-green tablecloth, and half of them were being used in some capacity.
  596. >Some had the house's servants and workers seated at them, including the maids.
  597. >Others had some pretty young and ritzy looking ponies chatting happily and being louder than usual.
  598. >But then there were others that had a few strange ponies and other creatures sitting at them.
  599. >Well, no.
  600. >They weren't strange, not to you.
  601. >You haven't forgotten what kinds of ponies came to you and Anon to help with all the different branches of the Arts, and each of these strange individuals were only different in that they were living way more lavishly than either of you did back then.
  602. >All the same, you'd rather not be near them if you can help it.
  603. >Whoever the ponies in question were, they all had more maids milling around the tables, but unlike last night, there were a bunch of valets, too.
  604. >The ponies waiting on the ritzy table were trying so hard to hide how annoyed they were.
  605. >But at least the ones working on their coworkers tables looked like they were in high spirits.
  606. >"Quite a breathtaking view, I take it?"
  607. "I'll say. This is amazing!"
  608. >"We had the viewing angle of this room specially positioned to get a beautiful view of the sunset irrespective of the time of year. The rays of the sun look quite spectacular as they shine over the crest of the mountain, changing from it's golden colour to a beautiful blood red as it sets."
  609. "Oh! Is that why it's called 'Suncrest' manor?"
  610. >"Indeed. My master was quite taken with this location in his travels, and decided to make something of it. It is without a doubt the finest location I have served in, though not without the most difficulties."
  611. "Let me guess, the mountains make things way harder?"
  612. >"Especially in terms of supply. It is quite costly to keep this location as well stocked and staffed as it is, but my Master has always made it so that it is never prohibitively expensive."
  613. "Well, the effort you've put in really shows. This is probably the nicest place I've ever been in my life."
  614. >"Thank you, madam Starlight. I'll be sure to relay your appreciation to the other servants."
  615. >He signals for somepony to come over, but this time it's a valet that trots towards you both instead of a maid.
  616. >"As you've no doubt ascertained, this is where most of our residents take their meals. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are all held in this hall, though we always offer the option of room service as an alternative as well, which many of our busier residents opt for. Though naturally, many of our staff and residents prefer to have dinner here, so as to take in the view."
  617. >The valet stands by his side, his attention focused squarely on you.
  618. >"You may seat yourself anywhere you like, and a servant will always be there to take whatever order you happen to have, no matter how outlandish. Our kitchens are well equipped for any dietary requirements or restrictions, so do not hesitate to make your preferences known."
  619. >W-well, sheesh...
  620. >"Unfortunately, I must also take my leave for the moment, as my attention is required elsewhere."
  621. "Oh. That's fine, I understand. Sounds like you're pretty busy."
  622. >"I always am. However, my Master wished for me to give you a tour of our manor, to show you the areas of his home you are free to access at your leisure. I am also prepared to answer any questions you may have at the conclusion of the tour."
  623. "Oh! Well gosh, that sounds really good!"
  624. >"I am happy to hear that. I will return to collect you in roughly half an hour from now. Please, enjoy yourself."
  625. "I will!"
  626. >But...
  627. >Well, you did have one question to ask first...
  628. "A-actually, there is one thing."
  629. >"Oh?"
  630. "Do you know when, ah, I-I can see him again? Y-your, ah, master, that is."
  631. >"My Master is currently asleep, and the scheduling around that is quite immutable. He will however be awake at the fall of dusk, but you may have to wait until late into the evening to receive an audience with him at the conclusion of his duties."
  632. >Sleeping?
  633. "He's asleep right now?"
  634. >"The nature of his work demands a nocturnal sleeping schedule, I am afraid. It is a large part of the reason I serve and represent him during the day."
  635. >That's really weird.
  636. >Anon was always a morning person, and was super neurotic and controlling about the time he slept and woke up.
  637. >You mean, you guess he still is controlling about the time, but...
  638. >Sheesh, you can't see him as a night owl, no matter how hard you try!
  639. >Still, if those are the rules, then...
  640. "Alright, that's fine."
  641. >"Very good. If there is nothing else, I must take my leave."
  642. "Okay. I'll see you in a bit, then."
  643. >Home Stead nods, then trots back through the door, leaving you effectively by yourself.
  644. >Well, after what you just ate yesterday, you think you'll take things light this morning.
  645. >You find yourself an empty table with the best view, and that valet waits patiently for you to sit before he sets down some cutlery, pours a glass of water, and asks what he can get for you.
  646. >To be honest, you kind of expected a menu or something given the almost high-end restaurant vibe this place had, but no, the chefs apparently will make literally anything you ask for.
  647. >You kept drawing a blank, so you just asked him for any suggestions.
  648. >You got suggested Prench toast, and you bet you took that suggestion!
  649. >After bringing over and setting down an entire serving plate of teas, coffee, and all the extras for both, the valet ran off to have the order made.
  650. >Leaving you more or less alone with your thoughts.
  651. >You know...
  652. >You should be happy.
  653. >You've got an incredible place to stay, you slept like a log almost until the afternoon, and were treated to the biggest, most delicious dinner you think you've ever had last night.
  654. >No more drifting from place to place, sometimes even from town to town.
  655. >No more dirty looks from everypony, even the ones who were just passing by.
  656. >No more spending days between even getting your teeth brushed, let alone taking a shower.
  657. >So many things you no longer had to put up with, or just otherwise deal with in general.
  658. >By all accounts, this should make you feel happy.
  659. >Elated, even.
  660. >But you can't lie to yourself about what you feel.
  661. >You don't feel happy.
  662. >Relieved?
  663. >Sure.
  664. >But happy?
  665. >No.
  666. >All you've felt so far since waking up, and all you feel more strongly than ever, just looking out at the beautiful landscape in the distance, complete with a beautiful, crystal-clear lake further below that you couldn't see before until sitting at the table...
  667. >All you feel is longing.
  668. >And sadness.
  669. >Longing for your old life at Ponyville, and sadness for just how badly things had gone when it all came to a sudden and unexpected end.
  670. >It's insane to think of it as 'old', even though it's only been a few months.
  671. >But the worst part of all?
  672. >The part that still ate away at you, even in the lowest moments?
  673. >You don't even understand what went wrong.
  674. >The spell's effects...
  675. >They didn't make sense when it first happened.
  676. >They still doesn't make sense now.
  677. >You have to admit, you haven't been able to think about it all that much given that your sole goal was survival for so long.
  678. >But if nothing else, maybe here you'll be able to finally piece together what exactly had happened.
  679. >Maybe you'll find out what went wrong.
  680. >And hopefully...
  681. >N-no.
  682. >Don't give yourself hope like that, Starlight.
  683. >Not now, not yet.
  684. >Answers need to come first.
  685. >And not just answers to the spell.
  686. >You needed answers about Anon as well.
  687. >Showing up out of nowhere, a completely different man than the one you tried to forget about along with the rest of your old life.
  688. >That, at least, is something you can think about now--
  689. >Oh wait, there's your breakfast.
  690. >It looks amazing as always, but you weren't interested in it's looks right now.
  691. >W-well, okay, the taste of it sure did distract you there, but you pretty quickly get back on track.
  692. >You swear.
  693. >Yes.
  694. >Anyways.
  695. >Back on the subject of Anon, something that was at least recent, and that you had a good understanding of already.
  696. >You had to sleep on it to really process all of what you'd seen last night, but man alive there were some differences that jumped out at you.
  697. >And you're not talking about his personality.
  698. >That pretty much spoke for itself.
  699. >No, it was his physical differences.
  700. >You may not know much about his race, or species, or whatever he was, but some things were different in ways you knew that no amount of lifestyle differences were going to change.
  701. >Sure, he was way fitter and more muscular than the thin, lanky figure you remember, but...
  702. >The eyes.
  703. >That was the first thing that jumped out at you this morning, and probably the biggest difference overall.
  704. >He always had that hateful look in them, and they always darted about, scanning for and rechecking every single tiny little detail that might be useful.
  705. >They were way more relaxed, focused, and kind now.
  706. >But that's the thing.
  707. >They also used to be brown.
  708. >Very dark brown.
  709. >You're pretty sure a change of heart doesn't come with a change of eye colour unless you're a changeling, and you're pretty sure that humans are nothing like changelings.
  710. >And that was another thing, too.
  711. >He was always open about being an omnivore, about eating meat, about being a persistence predator, but you never really cared all that much.
  712. >At no point did he ever have that harsh, predatory look in his eyes: the kind that put something very deep and primeval in your being into fight or flight mode, as if you had just caught the eye of a massive monster eyeing you for it's next meal.
  713. >And yet, that was exactly the look he had last night in those deep, reddish-orange eyes, a look that never once went away despite the heartfelt sincerity that shone through them the whole time you talked to him.
  714. >But what really made you pause during your morning thoughts was how it actually felt.
  715. >It felt...
  716. >Unnatural.
  717. >You've seen plenty of pony-eating apex predators in your travels before, nothing you couldn't handle of course.
  718. >And sure, they felt dangerous on a deep, visceral level, which is normal.
  719. >With Anon, that feeling was almost imposed on you from somewhere deep within his being, like a constant pressure he exuded that was especially focused in his gaze.
  720. >Unnatural.
  721. >That's the only way you can describe it.
  722. >You were way too worn out and shocked to really catch on to the feeling at the time, you know that, but looking back on it now, it's almost incredible how you never picked up on the sensation when it was quite literally staring you in the face.
  723. >Something's changed with him, all right.
  724. >But it wasn't just his outlook on life.
  725. >Something else, something way bigger, had changed in him as well.
  726. >You remember what he'd said before.
  727. >About 'finally getting what he'd wanted', and 'living his new life to the fullest'...
  728. >Neither one of you cared a bit about what your actual goals and ambitions were.
  729. >Yours was to put the Arts to use in manipulating ponies, more specifically their cutie marks.
  730. >But you never once told him about that.
  731. >And he never asked, either.
  732. >But the same was also true of him, too.
  733. >And now you're really curious, and more than a little nervous.
  734. >What /was/ his endgame, working on the Arts like that?
  735. >And whatever that was, whatever he finally got, what did it do for him?
  736. >No, that's not the right question.
  737. >What did it do /to/ him?
  738. >You mean, he seems like he's being honest with you about wanting to make amends.
  739. >But what else does he have in mind for you?
  740. >He doesn't seriously expect you to just camp out in his house like this forever.
  741. >And even if he did, you're sure as hay not going to just loaf around here and keep mooching off of his kindness.
  742. >Not when you have a spell to retrace.
  743. >But, well...
  744. >Like it or not, you're going to have to wait to find answers.
  745. >You've already been down the road of overthinking yourself into a panic before, many times over.
  746. >No more of that, thank you very much.
  747. >So.
  748. >The only option you really have right now is to wait.
  749. >Wait and hope to pick up on some more information while you're shown around.
  750. >Aaaaand maybe keep to yourself that you're onto the whole Arts business here.
  751. >At least around Anon's subordinates.
  752. >Always a smart idea.
  753. >Luckily, you don't have to wait in this hall for too long.
  754. >You had helped yourself to some of the tea selection already, and were halfway through a cup of breakfast tea when Home Stead came back.
  755. >Funny, he was definitely a stallion that was good at masking his feelings, but you could tell that something was annoying him.
  756. >"I trust everything was to your liking, madam Starlight?"
  757. "It was perfect."
  758. >You don't think it was you though, given how that little look of annoyance lightened up when he was talking to you.
  759. >So that's a relief, at least!
  760. >"We strive for nothing less. But I will thank you for saying so all the same. Are you ready for the tour?"
  761. "Sure am! Let's go."
  762. >And with that, the two of you got started.
  763. >The first place he took you were the same three 'ascending room' elevators from yesterday, well guarded by ponies with the same uniform and armour as the front door's guards, and each with an operator on standby.
  764. >Or, in the case of the one coming back down just now, on the elevator itself.
  765. >You hadn't really focused on how they looked before, but they were pretty utilitarian looking things; each one was a perfect cube of steel with huge windows on all the sides, and a tall scissor gate in the front.
  766. >They were barely enclosed, either; they were held in place only with some thick steel guide bars, with the big winches visible at the top.
  767. >"We prefer that everypony uses the many stairs throughout the manor to access the other floors, but we also provide ascending rooms for convenience and cargo transportation. They are also the only way to access the third, fourth, and fifth floors, but nopony is permitted to access those floors without the express permission of my Master, myself, or commander Night Wave, the leader of the guard here."
  768. >You nod your understanding, not wanting to interrupt him.
  769. >Well, that and you more or less knew what the real reason was for closing those floors off.
  770. >Anon said he was still working with the Arts, and the pony that just came down the elevator was one of those sketchier looking ones.
  771. >If that wasn't where he and these others did their work on it, that'd be the biggest surprise so far.
  772. >In any case, he leads you off towards the next destination.
  773. >Although...
  774. >Ever since you left the dining hall, there's been this weird feeling at the back of your neck.
  775. >A feeling that you were being watched.
  776. >Well, of course you were being watched.
  777. >If Anon's really working with the Arts, he'd want to keep tabs on everypony, yourself included.
  778. >So you expected to be watched.
  779. >You've seen some of the maids and other servants staring for longer than was polite, don't think you didn't.
  780. >But this feeling was different.
  781. >Intense, focused, always following you, and more importantly, totally invisible even when you found an excuse to look back.
  782. >And if Home Stead's annoyed occasional looks back were any indicator, he knew you were being tailed as well, and wasn't very pleased about it.
  783. >This was far from your first time picking up on little context clues like this.
  784. >And it also wasn't your first time hiding how much you knew.
  785. >Still, if Home Stead knew that you knew, he didn't show it or say anything.
  786. >Either way, it shouldn't impact the tour all that much.
  787. >You hope.
  788. >In any case, your next destination, from the door's nameplate, is a library.
  789. >"Silence is quite important to our librarians, so I will offer no commentary on it until we have left."
  790. >Fair enough.
  791. >Well, into the library you go, and...
  792. >Oh.
  793. >Ooooohhh boy.
  794. >That's a library, all right.
  795. >It's huge!
  796. >Two stories, it's own set of two spiral staircases, a big balcony cutout in the middle of the second floor, and shelves so tall that each one had a sliding ladder mounted onto it!
  797. >Not to mention plenty of desks and a few sofas to work and read at.
  798. >It was like somepony compressed one of Canterlot's public libraries into this place!
  799. >He takes you up one set of the stairs to get a good look at the second floor, and already you could see the sections on magic.
  800. >Though that alone was kind of weird.
  801. >If you're good enough to get into the Arts, you shouldn't ever need to see these books unless you've made a really embarrassing mistake in your work somewhere.
  802. >And for that matter, there were a lot more of those same ritzy ponies from before here, their heads down in the books and writing things into notebooks, some of them silently practising magic.
  803. >They...
  804. >Didn't look like ponies into the Arts.
  805. >Not even close.
  806. >The ponies you could tell were into the Arts were all reclining in the fiction section, taking a load off.
  807. >But these others looked like they were...
  808. >Students?
  809. >You mean, who else would be reading thick textbooks and writing in binders of ruled paper like that?
  810. >Does this place have a second--
  811. >Ohhhh wait a SECOND!
  812. >Is that what Anon's doing?!
  813. >Is this place some kind of rich private school for ponies?
  814. >Is that the front he's using to hide that he works on the Arts?
  815. >Because...
  816. >Wow, okay, you won't lie, that's actually a really smart idea.
  817. >If he can keep the façade going, and it sure looks like he is, it's the perfect cover for the older looking ponies.
  818. >Sure explains where all the money comes from!
  819. >You decide to ask Home Stead about it once you're out of the library.
  820. >You know, without letting on that you know what really happens here.
  821. >The usual.
  822. >But either way, you're totally coming back here later for some well earned reading.
  823. >If nothing else, they might have some magic books to help you figure out what kind of mistake you'd made.
  824. >He leads you back down the second flight of stairs and back outside.
  825. >"As you can see, our library is the equal of any major library. I can only claim credit for the furnishings, however; my Master spearheaded the task of filling the shelves with books."
  826. "It's beautiful in there. But I am curious about something."
  827. >"I'm quite sure you are. I will happily answer your questions, but only at the conclusion of the tour, as I have said."
  828. >Oh, he's the kind of pony that's super strict on things like that, huh?
  829. >Well alright then, you've dealt with that before.
  830. "Sure, that's all right."
  831. >"Very good. Now, this way please."
  832. >The next place wasn't very far from the library, but it was pretty different all by itself.
  833. >He led you towards a small, enclosed skybridge with plenty of windows, leading over to what looked like a fairly tall round tower with no shortage of windows either.
  834. >"I am unsure if you were aware of this upon your arrival here, but did you know about the school we have attached to the manor?"
  835. >Yep, there it is.
  836. "No, I didn't."
  837. >He keeps talking while you both walk down the skybridge.
  838. >"In that case, we also play host to the students of the Suncrest College of Magic, held within this tower. While the building is within our purview, our house staff are only involved in the nightly cleaning of the building. I don't imagine you would be terribly interested in the school aspect of the building, but it is available if you wish to leverage it's private rooms. The college tower is only open from six in the morning to seven at night, however, so make sure to plan around that."
  839. >It's 100% a cover.
  840. >You don't buy for a second that it's not a cover.
  841. >Hay, you can already picture how it's structured.
  842. >The students and teachers are all real, but the 'returning alumni' are all Arts practitioners.
  843. >That's how you would do it if you were running the place.
  844. >Maybe you'll ask Anon about it later, because it's a really good cover.
  845. >In any case, the actual school tower itself was as beautiful as the main building, and decorated the same as well.
  846. >The middle of the tower was a big circular open space with all five of the floors visible and protected with beautiful wooden guard rails, and three sets of stairs ran up along the walls spiralling in a triple-helix, complete with a couple of smaller, fully enclosed ascending rooms to the left and right of the entrance to the skybridge.
  847. >Hallways branched out from the middle space like a wheel and it's spokes, connecting to each of the rooms and ending in a big, open window.
  848. >The lower two floors had classrooms and a few big lecture halls, the third floor had labs along with the classrooms, but the fourth and fifth floors all had offices, conference rooms, and reading rooms, all with little 'occupied' indicators built into the doors like they were bathrooms.
  849. >Being the middle of the afternoon now, the place was full of students and teachers alike, all in the middle of their studies.
  850. >Still, a good chunk of the upper floors were still open and free to use.
  851. >You know where you're going for a quiet place with a great view.
  852. >The only weird part for you was nothing wrong with the ponies or the building itself.
  853. >It was the notable lack of your invisible mystery stalker.
  854. >The sensation of being watched vanished the second you and Home Stead had crossed the skybridge over, and picked right back up when you had gone back over it.
  855. >This wasn't the first time you had noticed the sensation vanish, either.
  856. >It also happened whenever you happened to pass by an exposed window.
  857. >So.
  858. >Your mystery stalker doesn't like windows.
  859. >The windows themselves, or something outside?
  860. >Guess that's something for you to figure out later.
  861. >The tour continues more or less uninterrupted after that.
  862. >This place had a relatively small, full-service spa, complete with a big open hot tub that Home Stead said was fuelled by a natural hot water spring that was routed up to here.
  863. >There was also a game room, with billyards, cards, even some tabletop games with a few O&O groups in the corners.
  864. >There was even a small gym with plenty of magic-powered equipment to use, though it was mostly being used by off-duty guards.
  865. >Yeah, all in all?
  866. >This place was absolutely /loaded/, to the point where it felt better than the castles you'd been to.
  867. >Actually no, not even to the point, it /was/ better than the castles you'd been to.
  868. >The Crystal Empire's palace was the nicest place you'd been to before, until you came here!
  869. >And that place had the same number of servants here!
  870. >If Home Stead really managed all of this, he's one hay of a hard worker.
  871. >Now you feel kind of bad for taking this much of his time up.
  872. >He ends things by taking you back to your room.
  873. >You guess so that your questions could be asked in private.
  874. >Unfortunately, your invisible 'friend' also followed you in, and you definitely noticed Home Stead's annoyance hit it's very well hidden peak.
  875. >"I take it that you were quite impressed with what you saw?"
  876. "Blown away is more like it. I can't believe you manage all of this stuff!"
  877. >"Working for a wonderful Master makes any kind of work a delight to do, madam Starlight. It is indeed a massive task, but I take great pride in executing it."
  878. >You bet he does.
  879. >"Now then, I believe you have more than a few questions for me, no?"
  880. >Boy do you ever.
  881. >Only question you have right now is where to start!
  882. >...
  883.  
  884. "Report."
  885. >"Charges are set and our forces are ready, commander."
  886. "Good. Signal the ship and move it into position."
  887. >"Yes, ma'am."
  888. >The soldier flies off.
  889. >It's so good to work with professionals.
  890. >It's a welcome change from working alone for so long.
  891. >It won't be long now before the Guild's sanctuary would be breached.
  892. >The soldier from before returns.
  893. >"The ship is in position, ma'am."
  894. "We start the operation on my signal. The charges will go first, followed by the cannons. We enter once enough entry points are made."
  895. >"And if the building doesn't survive the ordinance, ma'am?"
  896. >You raise an eyebrow.
  897. "Then our job is much easier."
  898. >He looks happy to hear that answer.
  899. >It's unbelievable to you that their previous commanders refused to use their firepower like this.
  900. >All these resources, and they never once tried to use them to do their jobs right.
  901. >You, however, have no such inhibitions about using them.
  902. >And you always do your job right.
  903. >Especially when it will lead to the end of one of the major schools of the Arts.
  904. >The Arts.
  905. >You hadn't known what they were before you were called in to lead the Shadows.
  906. >And now that you do, you're surprised to hear that nopony else had destroyed all traces of it before.
  907. >It should have been kept underground, was the understanding.
  908. >Only a few pockets of insane covens practising it at any one time.
  909. >The Shadows were supposed to eliminate any covens that got too big.
  910. >But they weren't doing their job well.
  911. >A lot of incompetence in their leadership saw to that.
  912. >And these sub-equine Arts users had gotten very big because of it.
  913. >It got to the point where not only were they big, but there were three major schools for it now.
  914. >Three.
  915. >How your predecessors could let a whole school dedicated to that vile magic exist, let alone three of them, is beyond you.
  916. >It wasn't the first time you've dealt with this kind of incompetence.
  917. >That changes for good after today.
  918. >Everything looks ready now.
  919. >Your soldiers did a good job setting everything up.
  920. >It's time.
  921. "Begin the attack."
  922. >Detonation switches are pressed by nearby soldiers.
  923. >Large parts of the distant castle's walls detonate, the sound waves taking seconds to reach your ears.
  924. >Some of the walls begin to crumble already.
  925. >Then the airship descends from the cloudy sky, broad side facing the castle.
  926. >It's cannons were angled down, letting it fly above while still being able to lay waste to the structure.
  927. >It circles the castle at a brisk pace, firing away at the battered walls, focusing it's fire on the portions that survived the initial sabotage.
  928. >And then the castle begins to collapse.
  929. >The soldiers cheer as they see it happen.
  930. "Focus. You can celebrate once the Guild is confirmed destroyed."
  931. >They'll get their chance once the operation is over.
  932. >You might even join them.
  933. >You wait for the distant rubble to settle.
  934. >It was tough to confirm that with all the smoke and fire billowing from it.
  935. "Begin insertion."
  936. >The unicorn soldiers cast their spells at the massive spell circle underhoof.
  937. >In a bright flash, you and the rest of them are teleported over to the ruins.
  938. >Now for the hard part.
  939. >These soldiers had spent so long sitting on their tails, kept from doing their jobs right.
  940. >It was a good thing that they were far more competent than their sorry excuses for leaders.
  941. >Everypony that was still kicking after the castle's collapse, they subdued in a matter of seconds.
  942. >And they performed their duty like well oiled machines.
  943. >It let you focus on the most important part of the job.
  944. >Cutting the head off of the snake.
  945. >You navigate and blast your way through the ruins with the soldiers until you see what you were looking for.
  946. >Your magic makes short work of the giant shielded door, blasting it into pieces.
  947. >Behind it are the leaders of the Guild.
  948. >They were all poised to attack.
  949. >Cute.
  950. >One of them even decided to speak up.
  951. >He looked important.
  952. >"Shadows. I never imagined you ponies would have the nerve."
  953. "Ponies practising the Arts, talking to me about nerve. Funny."
  954. >"You must know that--"
  955. "The only thing I know is that you have to the count of three to offer me your complete and total surrender."
  956. >Your horn fizzles.
  957. "Give up nicely, please. Or we make this difficult."
  958. >...
  959.  
  960. >It's been a few hours now since the tour ended, and you were now alone in your room with a few books on magic borrowed from the library.
  961. >Well, alone with your little invisible visitor, anyways.
  962. >You figure it's best not to comment on him until you can see Anon again.
  963. >Or maybe it's a her?
  964. >Who cares, a stalker's a stalker.
  965. >You'd pulled your window's curtains back all the way once Home Stead had left, letting the natural light keep the place well-lit.
  966. >That and drive away your stalker.
  967. >For a while, anyways.
  968. >You think he's got something against the sunlight.
  969. >That presence of his has been trained on you the whole time, but it started at an off angle and slowly worked it's way towards your back again, moving in the same direction as the sun's angle, keeping to the shadows that it cast in your room.
  970. >You're still not sure if it's a function of whatever's keeping him invisible, or if something else was at play.
  971. >Wonder if light spells would work to keep him away?
  972. >Hmm.
  973. >Maybe not, given the lights already on here.
  974. >He didn't seem to have a problem with those.
  975. >Well, in any case, you'd gotten a lot of your questions answered back when the tour ended.
  976. >It turns out that the attached Suncrest College of Magic is exactly what you thought it was; a private magic boarding school way out in the middle of nowhere.
  977. >The super rich elites of society, from Vanhoover to even Saddle Arabia, all sent their kids here to get a world-class education away from the hicks at Celestia's school.
  978. >At /Celestia's/ school.
  979. >That was an extreme of snobbery you didn't think could be hit, but here you were.
  980. >Still, it's an amazing grift.
  981. >No wonder Anon practically rolls in money; the ultra-rich are throwing it at him!
  982. >If only they knew what he was using some if it for.
  983. >Or maybe they already knew?
  984. >No, no chance of that happening.
  985. >Anon's way too smart to risk those types knowing about the Arts.
  986. >Though speaking of the Arts, that's another weird thing you've noticed.
  987. >Most ponies back then who were into the Arts were, uh...
  988. >Well, you don't really know if 'degenerate' is a strong enough word for them, but you don't really know a better word to use.
  989. >'Evil' would definitely apply in most cases though.
  990. >It sure applied for yours...
  991. >But these Arts users were a much better looking bunch than the ones you'd see in the usual covens.
  992. >Sure, it was safe to assume they were all in it for different degrees of evil, so you definitely don't want to turn your back to them, let alone trust them with telling you the time.
  993. >But at least they didn't look crazy.
  994. >Or at least hid the crazy well.
  995. >So that was a plus.
  996. >Kinda.
  997. >Well, maybe not.
  998. >But at least they're kept in line.
  999. >Less volatile Arts practitioners is always a plus, though you'd rather not see any at all.
  1000. >Sure makes you anxious about what Anon's been up to...
  1001. >Well, anyways.
  1002. >Nothing to do but read while you wait to see him.
  1003. >Most of it was just recap of what you already knew, but it was pretty advanced recap.
  1004. >Recap you needed if you wanted to set things right again.
  1005. >You really needed to write things down to get things moving, but you won't risk it with your 'friend' in the room.
  1006. >So mental models it is for now.
  1007. >And trying to remember them all while you wait.
  1008. >You won't lie, all of this reading really takes you back to better, simpler times.
  1009. >Times that weren't all that long ago...
  1010. >The time keeps ticking away, the sun's angle continuing to shift.
  1011. >The sky begins to redden when you hear knocking on your door.
  1012. >A valet was waiting outside of the door for you.
  1013. >"Good evening, madam Starlight. I am here to bring you before Master Anonymous."
  1014. >Wait, what?
  1015. "Already?"
  1016. >"Is there an issue?"
  1017. "N-no, I just... expected it to be a lot later."
  1018. >"I would not know, madam. I am only here to take you to him on behalf of Master Home Stead."
  1019. >Well then.
  1020. "Lead on, then."
  1021. >That's another trip up to the fifth floor for you.
  1022. >Funny, you remember that weird presence the first time you were shown around up here, the one that vanished when you went into that dining hall.
  1023. >Now that you're in the whole Arts mindset, you're a lot better equipped to try and get a read on it.
  1024. >It was...
  1025. >Definitely there, but way more muted than before.
  1026. >But it felt like it was slowly and steadily growing in intensity all the same.
  1027. >Not enough to get a better read on right now, though.
  1028. >Maybe later.
  1029. >You sure could feel your mystery stalker's presence, though.
  1030. >Sure wish that one would go away already.
  1031. >The valet leads you to a tall, decently large private study; a chandelier hung overhead set with light crystals instead of candles, all of which were set to a very warm colour temperature on top of being dimmed incredibly low, and a large fireplace crackled straight ahead, providing most of the room's light instead.
  1032. >Bizarrely, the only bookshelves in this room were on either side of you, and they were mounted perpendicular to the door onto sliding tracks, in both the ceiling and floor.
  1033. >There must have been fifteen or so shelves on each side, each with just enough room to slip in and pick whatever book you wanted, and a ladder rested against the wall near each shelf to allow access to the very tall shelving.
  1034. >Can't say you've seen a system like this before, but sheesh was it dense; Anon must have a fifth of the building's actual library compressed into just this room!
  1035. >Speaking of Anon, he was sat in front of the fireplace in one of two padded armchairs separated by a small coffee table, and he was in the middle of chatting to Home Stead who was standing off to his side.
  1036. >Whatever they were talking about, they stopped the moment you entered, and Anon rose out of his chair to face you.
  1037. >Just like the last time, he was in his black bathrobe with the red shirt and black pants underneath.
  1038. >He sure dresses a lot more casual than he used to, that's for sure.
  1039. >And he looked really happy to see you, weird orange eyes and all.
  1040. >Funny, the way his front was being shadowed by the fire, it almost looked like his eyes were glowing a little...
  1041. >"Starlight, good to see you again!"
  1042. "Thanks."
  1043. >"Come, have a seat."
  1044. "Sure, but first..."
  1045. >You jab a hoof behind you in the general direction of the staring sensation.
  1046. "Could you tell whoever that is to stop stalking me?"
  1047. >That was totally an agitated gasp you heard from behind.
  1048. "It's been like seven hours, and it got old after seven minutes."
  1049. >Anon chuckles a little bit.
  1050. >Okay, his eyes definitely take on a slight glow as he looks behind you at the stammering invisible stalker.
  1051. >"Dearheart, if you thought you were going to evade Starlight's notice that easily, you clearly haven't been paying attention to me."
  1052. >The sensation vanishes, and you hear the whooshing of air from behind.
  1053. >D-did whoever that was just take off?
  1054. >"You'll have to forgive her. She has my interests and security in mind above all other matters."
  1055. >Oh, so your stalker was a mare.
  1056. >Good to know.
  1057. "She could at least be subtle about it. At least Home Stead had servants watching me when they thought I wasn't looking."
  1058. >Home Stead, far from surprised, simply smiles a little.
  1059. >"Ah, so you knew?"
  1060. >"I told you that she would be wise to your monitoring."
  1061. >"So it would seem."
  1062. >Home Stead bows his head a little before you.
  1063. >"I do apologize for the surveillance measures, madam Starlight. But, as an unknown quantity here, I need to ensure you are not a potential risk to the safety of my Master and his estate."
  1064. "You satisfied, then?"
  1065. >"Not completely, I'm sorry to say."
  1066. "Well, at least you're honest."
  1067. >"I've found honesty to be the best policy in these kinds of matters, madam Starlight. However, too many unknowns remain for me to properly vet your intentions here."
  1068. "Weird as it is to say, I get what you mean. Honestly, I'm not even sure what /I'm/ intending to do here."
  1069. >Anon clears his throat a little before speaking up next.
  1070. >"I think that uncertainty is warranted, given what you've been through lately. This all must be a lot to take in."
  1071. "It is. I'm not really sure how I'm handling it as well as I am."
  1072. >"Then let's give your hidden source of strength a little reprieve for the moment, shall we?"
  1073. >He returns back to his seat.
  1074. >"I had some hot cocoa brought up here in advance of you coming. Please, sit with me?"
  1075. >Ohmygoshherememberedthatyoulovethatstuff.
  1076. >He gestures to the two mugfuls of said cocoa on the coffee table.
  1077. >That's the fastest you've ever taken a seat.
  1078. >OhholyCelestiait'sabsolutelyamazingthetemperatureisperfectandthecocoaisabsolutelysplendid
  1079. >"We process all cocoa in-house, madam Starlight, from whole cocoa pods imported directly from the farmers."
  1080. >Thanks for making it sound as amazing as it is, Home Stead.
  1081. >Wait a second, why's he taking the other mug instead of Anon?
  1082. >"Did you wish for something as well, Master?"
  1083. >"Hmm..."
  1084. >He gives it some thought, complete with a finger under his chin.
  1085. >"I think I'll settle for a lighter breakfast in here after all, my friend."
  1086. >"Very good, Master. I will notify the servants."
  1087. >Taking a sip from his own mug, he floats a small bell from out of his suit and gives it a few rings in a very specific pattern.
  1088. >Since when does Anon not drink hot cocoa?
  1089. >That was one of the few things outside of the Arts that you both liked, and he was addicted to the stuff!
  1090. >Yoooou'd better hold back on the commentary for now, though.
  1091. >You figure it'd be rude to just open up with either that, or 'Hi Anon, why are your eyes all weird and scary and glowy?', so maybe a different opener is in order.
  1092. "So. I didn't know you ran an entire private magic school here as well."
  1093. >"Ah, the Suncrest College? Me and my majordomo have seen to making it a great institute and a home away from home, though I admit that the design and placement is more than a little haphazard. Though I don't think the clientele are all that eager to complain."
  1094. "Given the demographic, that's kinda surprising."
  1095. >"Hah! I'm sure they have their reasons."
  1096. "What do you think those are, politeness or sunken cost?"
  1097. >"Doesn't much matter either way, does it?"
  1098. "Mm, guess not."
  1099. >"Knowing you though, I'd say you've already deduced a great deal about the college already."
  1100. "What can I really say about it? It's both a great money maker and a great cover."
  1101. >Home Stead looks a little uncomfortable with how blunt you're being, while Anon just quirks an eyebrow in amusement.
  1102. >"A cover, you say?"
  1103. "I still know how to pick Arts users out in a crowd, you know. Besides, if I were still into it myself and running a cover, I'd 100% have those guys down as 'returning alumni' to keep the suspicion off of them. Well, as much as I could without having them, I don't know, eat somepony or something."
  1104. >Home Stead looks shocked at everything you've just said.
  1105. >Anon, on the other hoof...
  1106. >Well, he just laughs.
  1107. >And it's a loud and hearty laughter, at that.
  1108. >"Apparently I've forgotten just how attentive you really are, my friend! You've got it exactly right!"
  1109. >"Erm, begging your pardon, madam Starlight. Did you imply that you were a practitioner of the Arts?"
  1110. "I used to be one, a long time ago. Together with Anon here. And we were good at it, too."
  1111. >"'Good'? Oh, don't sell yourself so short! We were the very best!"
  1112. >N-not really sure you like being complimented on /that/ skill with magic, but you don't think he meant anything by it...
  1113. >"So your prior relationship was of that nature, my Master?"
  1114. >"Very much so. Her talents were, without exaggeration, the equal of my own. Without her help, we would not be here today."
  1115. >"That clears many questions up for me. I had no idea your relationship was of this nature, or of this length. Forgive me, madam Starlight, but I must ask. You said you had relinquished the use of the Arts?"
  1116. "I did. Didn't need it anymore."
  1117. >"I'm surprised to hear that."
  1118. "I... moved on with my life. Keeping it around would just cause way too many problems."
  1119. >"Well, I've seen plenty of guests here pursue that craft in my time. Seeing one who has outright abdicated it is..."
  1120. >Home Stead looks... impressed?
  1121. >"Refreshing. And doubtless took much to see through."
  1122. "You have no idea. Though knowing the sorts of ponies who take it up, I guess dealing with them is a battle by itself."
  1123. >Both of them start laughing.
  1124. >"I suppose you would know all too well what manner of struggle that is, madam Starlight."
  1125. >"Unfortunately, my selective invitations and my majordomo's talents aren't always enough to bring the civility out of them."
  1126. >"Fortunately, that is where our resident commander of the guard comes into play."
  1127. "Makes sense. Some of those, uh... What's a nice word to use for them?"
  1128. >"Degenerates?" Anon offers.
  1129. "Degenerates, thank you. Some of them need a serious tail kicking before they start to behave."
  1130. >"Well I can promise you that precisely zero ponies in my house have worn the skin of their mother, nor will they ever."
  1131. >Oh NO.
  1132. >Face, meet hoof.
  1133. "Oh, thank you. I /really/ needed to be reminded of /that/ colt."
  1134. >"I was more trying to evoke what we did to him when he got into the black sorcerer's sand."
  1135. "That guy, at least, had worse than that coming."
  1136. >Yeah let's just wash that memory away with another sip.
  1137. >Much better.
  1138. >Boy have you never been happier to have quit the Arts.
  1139. >"I take it then that you wish to have no involvement with our resident Arts practitioners then, madam Starlight?"
  1140. "As little as possible, if that's doable."
  1141. >"That is very possible, madam Starlight. I will see to it that you do not need to deal with them while you are under our roof."
  1142. >"If they do decide to make a nuisance of themselves however, I don't think the guards will mind if you whip some sense into them before they do."
  1143. "I don't think that'll be necessary. But, uh, thanks, I guess?"
  1144. >While you'd like to get away from the whole topic of the Arts, there's one thing about the setup here that isn't sitting right with you...
  1145. "I've got to ask, though. With or without a cover, there's a lot of Arts users here, more than any coven I've ever seen. Forget keeping them in line, how do you even keep this place hidden from the Shadows?"
  1146. >"I've made discretion a top priority here from the outset, and adjusted my standards for admission accordingly. Half of it is indeed due to keeping them in line, with the penalties for stepping out of said line as severe as you'd imagine for this line of work. As for the other half, well..."
  1147. >Anon reclines back into his seat, fingers knitted together and with a proud little smile on his lips.
  1148. >"The Shadows have fallen far from the fearsome hunters that we used to contend with. In recent years, they've been saddled with corruption and mismanagement. In recent months, I've taken a personal hand in accelerating their corruption."
  1149. >You nearly choke on your next sip of cocoa.
  1150. "You've been messing with the Shadows?!"
  1151. >"It wasn't hard. Underneath the façade of shadowy hunters of the Arts beats the heart of yet another EUP branch. And when my... competition is far more brazen than my little institution, redirection becomes much easier than misdirection."
  1152. "Competition? You mean there's more places like this?"
  1153. >"Not operated by myself, but yes. Use of the Arts has flourished from the small, disjointed covens of our time into a few select major institutions of learning and progress. Mine chooses to exchange rapid progress and loss of life and limb for discretion, civility, and academic rigour. All things considered, I think my Academy is doing the best out of all of them. Though I suppose I am rather biased in that appraisal."
  1154. >Unreal.
  1155. >Giant Arts colleges, all across the land.
  1156. >If Anon's serious about keeping his place civil, then...
  1157. >Nope.
  1158. >Uh-uh.
  1159. >Not even going to think about what kind of nightmarish charnel pits those other places would be like.
  1160. >Cocoa, wash the thoughts away please.
  1161. >Ahh.
  1162. >Thank you.
  1163. >You needed that.
  1164. >What you didn't need was your mug being well over half empty by this point.
  1165. >But wouldn't you know it, a maid just came into the room with another set of mugs, and...
  1166. >Another one of those wine bottles, with an empty glass alongside it.
  1167. >Wait.
  1168. >No.
  1169. >Anon's not seriously going to start drinking this early in the day for him, is he?
  1170. >Apparently he is, because the first thing he does when the things are set down onto the coffee table is to uncork the bottle and pour himself a glass.
  1171. >Nope, can't hold the commentary in anymore.
  1172. "How come you're not having any cocoa?"
  1173. >"Oh, it doesn't sit very well with me, I'm afraid."
  1174. >Yeah, no.
  1175. "That's not true though, is it?"
  1176. >"Isn't it, now?"
  1177. "Unless you're gonna tell me that I imagined you drinking potfuls of the stuff back when you worked on the harder spells."
  1178. >"Hm, touché."
  1179. >He then...
  1180. >Uh.
  1181. >Chugs the whole glass in one go.
  1182. >Ooookay then.
  1183. >But the weirder part was what happened to that unnatural predatory sensation coming from him.
  1184. >It was laser-focused and super intense around the bottle, even more around the glass.
  1185. >But the second he drank the stuff, the sensation receded by a huge amount, and the matching quality to his eyes softened with it.
  1186. >You could still feel it though, and it was definitely coming back slowly over time.
  1187. >"In that case, let's just say I've had to make more than a few dietary adjustments since we've been apart. Believe me, if I could enjoy a mug, I would."
  1188. >Well isn't that another mystery.
  1189. >And you've now got a big suspicion that whatever he's drinking isn't wine at all.
  1190. >Midway through you finishing the rest of your old mug off, you feel that staring sensation return again, and Anon speaks up without ever looking towards it.
  1191. >"Is there a problem, dearheart?"
  1192. >"Could be, milord."
  1193. >Oh hello, the stalker actually has a voice.
  1194. >And it's kind of gravelly.
  1195. >You look over towards it, and are surprised to find that there's no invisible stalker anymore, but an actual pony standing in the doorframe.
  1196. >A darker gray pegasus with a similarly dark, two-toned blue tail and mane, and she was decked out in a fancier, gold-trimmed version of the house guard's armour, sans helmet.
  1197. >You assume that she's the guard commander of this place.
  1198. >But she was weird all on her own, and for a reason very similar to Anon's.
  1199. >Her eyes.
  1200. >They were the same kind of eyes that Anon had.
  1201. >And she had the same predatory sensation, but not nearly as powerful as his.
  1202. >That must have been what you were feeling the whole time.
  1203. >"Well, let's hear it then."
  1204. >"Some crazed looking ponies are banging on the gates, wanting to be let in."
  1205. >"I meant the full reason, my dear."
  1206. >"But, that mare is--!"
  1207. >"Well apprised of what we do here."
  1208. >Anon simply glares at her, more annoyed than actually angry, and she recoils slightly as if she'd been struck.
  1209. >"Th-they're from the Guild. And they're not here to kill us for a change. They just look scared out of their minds."
  1210. >Anon looks over towards Home Stead, who simply nods in response.
  1211. >"Apologies, madam Starlight, but I must see to this matter."
  1212. "Sure, don't let me keep you."
  1213. >Home Stead leaves along with your stalker.
  1214. >"You don't seem very fond of the good commander."
  1215. "She did follow me for seven whole hours."
  1216. >"Night Wave can be a bit much at times, but she takes the security of me and my estate deadly serious. She'll come around."
  1217. >So that was her name.
  1218. >Anon takes that moment to refill his glass.
  1219. "So I guess that 'Guild' is another one of those Arts schools?"
  1220. >"Very much so. But I get the sense you'd rather talk about something other than our old craft, no?"
  1221. "Yeah, I do. But honestly, I... don't really know what to talk about, is the thing."
  1222. >"Well, to tell you the truth, I don't know very much about what you've been up to after all this time apart."
  1223. "You want to talk about what we've been up to?"
  1224. >"Why not?"
  1225. "I-I mean, don't you already know about what I've been doing?"
  1226. >He shrugs.
  1227. >"Nothing particularly substantial. Only vague things about a village, about you becoming the student of the nascent Princess of Friendship, and even something about helping with that new school she had established. I don't know any of the details, however. I was rather hoping to hear them straight from you, and dispense with making assumptions based off of hearsay."
  1228. >You sigh, and take another well deserved sip from the fresh new mug.
  1229. "I think this is the first time I haven't told the partial version of the story before."
  1230. >And tell the story you do.
  1231. >Everything leading up to, during, and after the village, your fight with Twilight, your time as a student and then as a counsellor at her school, just about everything.
  1232. >Only this time you tell it without leaving out the bits about weaving the Arts into the magic you'd used to give it that much more potency.
  1233. >It's always easy to forget that you didn't have quite enough magic to just cast those spells normally at the time.
  1234. >Using the Arts made it way easier, but...
  1235. >Well, you're more than strong enough now to never need them again.
  1236. >You don't know how long it winds up taking, but partway through the story you needed your mug refilled again, and of course Anon carries one of those same bells with him to make that refill happen.
  1237. >The whole time you've been talking, he just sits there and listens, never interrupting.
  1238. >"Well. I can't say I expected time travel to be a part of that story."
  1239. "Starswirl did a lot of the hard work for me."
  1240. >"Still, that's no easy feat, completing a spell like that."
  1241. "Thanks. I-I'm not really ready to cover everything after that."
  1242. >"No need to apologize, my friend."
  1243. >He polishes off his second glass, and refills it again in short order.
  1244. "Seriously though, why can't you have cocoa anymore? Did something happen to you?"
  1245. >"My my, already eager to hear about what I've been up to as well, are we?"
  1246. "Well, yeah! I'm still not over just how much you've changed!"
  1247. >"Fair enough, I suppose. Though I think it would be best if I started at the very beginning, to better contextualize things."
  1248. >The beginning, huh?
  1249. >He reclines in his seat a little bit, one of his legs crossing over the other.
  1250. >"You already know that I am not from this world, yes?"
  1251. "Yeah, you told me way back then."
  1252. >"What I hadn't told you was that I was pulled here against my will."
  1253. >Wait, he what?
  1254. >His look turns contemplative, and that third glass he poured out isn't even sipped on: he just idly swirls it around.
  1255. >"I was a talented warlock back in my world. I served as the left hand of a powerful dark lord who wished to obtain power over his fellow man at any cost. His identity isn't important, but he was an avaricious sort, and cared not for what he had to do to others in order to obtain the power he craved. Me, long outcast from wider society for my predilection towards the dark arts, was welcomed warmly into his ranks.
  1256. >"Despite the horrible things I did for my lord at the time, I can't truly say I regretted working under him. I had the closest mirages of friends that a warlock could hope for, stable employment, and my every need catered to. I admit, I even took a degree of pleasure in seeing the people that had wronged me in my early life suffer at our hands.
  1257. >"He certainly made me work for my keep, however, and was always pushing my talents to their absolute limits. Not that I minded; I relished all chances I had to prove myself, to expand my capabilities. I performed sacrifices, exchanged portions of his very being, and later, even summoned daemons for him to forge contracts with, just to name a few of the things I did to grant him the power he craved."
  1258. "Wait, you used to summon daemons?!"
  1259. >"I did. And when I first came here, I tried to do so again, but to no effect. A very good thing, in retrospect."
  1260. "Still, saying you're into daemonology is one hay of an opener!"
  1261. >"And one that's largely meaningless now, given how limited the uses of daemonology are in this world. My world's daemons cannot cross dimensions even with powerful summoning rituals, and you should count your lucky stars that they cannot. Even if I had known the identities of this world's daemons, yours are far less diabolical and much more... mischievous than mine are. I merely wanted to drive home the point of how deep into the world of the dark arts I was, even before my arrival here."
  1262. >Still, that's insane!
  1263. >No wonder he never told you about his past!
  1264. >"But we're getting off track. As you could imagine, such acts did not go unpunished. A great champion of strength and light rose up, as they are always wont to do, to vanquish my lord and his cronies. The battle was hard fought, but the champion rose as the victor, and my lord lay broken before his feet, dragged screaming into the netherrealms by the daemons that he had formed his compacts with. And, as his left hand, I was next."
  1265. >His brow knits together as he shifts his legs.
  1266. >"By all rights, he should have killed me. But he didn't. To this day, I still don't know why he chose the option he did. Spite? Wrath? Pity, perhaps? I suppose it doesn't matter anymore. But instead of slaying me where I stood, he tore the veil of dimensions open right before my very eyes, and flung me into the rift. Banishing me."
  1267. "And sending you here."
  1268. >"Yes. In fact, I was banished to these very grounds."
  1269. "You were?"
  1270. >"It's the chief reason I chose this place to be my home. There were plenty of other regions with better views and better privacy, but none held the same meaning as this place. But I'm getting ahead of myself."
  1271. >He downs the third glass, and empties the rest of the bottle into the fourth.
  1272. >What the hay is in that stuff, you wonder?
  1273. >No, better question.
  1274. >What is that stuff, period?
  1275. >"As you could imagine, to say I was furious over this would have been a gross understatement. If you wondered where my anger and hatred came from, there is most of your answer; I'd always harboured such feelings, but when I was sent here with nothing, not even the clothes on my back, it... magnified them. Exponentially. But I had, at least, managed to bring one thing from home with me."
  1276. >His hand comes out, wreathing itself in it's usual baleful green glow.
  1277. >A small green fireball is spun in the palm of his hand; streams of green, almost gooey looking flame poured from his fingertips and joined together just above his palm in a tightly wound whorl, the fireball itself dripping with liquid flame.
  1278. >"This world's magic is very different to that of mine, but I was lucky it even had magic at all. It took me a long time to acclimate to how it handles and feels, but I managed in the end. Once I had managed that, I dedicated myself to my new goal; the goal I eventually had you assist me in. I wanted to return back home."
  1279. "You... got into the Arts to send yourself back home?"
  1280. >"Yes."
  1281. "Why start right away with the Arts, though? I mean, you're more than good enough to learn regular magic, and there's tons of magic that could help with that, especially if you went with Starswirl's work."
  1282. >"Many reasons. Chiefly among them was that I was simply ignorant of what Starswirl had done, arrogant and assured as I was in my deep understanding of the dark arts. Not only was I in no state of mind to take up traditional magic, but attempting to take it up would have required a teacher if I desired to learn what was necessary in anything approaching a timely manner. And what teacher would take me up on that, given how my magic feels?"
  1283. >Well, he's not wrong about the magic feel part.
  1284. >That fireball was as sticky feeling as it looked.
  1285. >It was off in all the ways that foreign magic was, and also had a sickly quality that was pretty well reflected in how it looked.
  1286. >It always struck you as really disproportionately tainted, even for Arts standards, but now that you knew he used to be a warlock and a daemonologist, it makes sense now why his magic felt that bad.
  1287. >Magic as tainted as that would land you a long vacation at the very bottom of Tartarus if you were caught.
  1288. >Though now that you're looking at it, it didn't feel, or look, nearly as bad as it used to.
  1289. >He crushes the fireball in his hand, extinguishing the flame.
  1290. >"I only learned the basics and some of the intermediates of normal magic after I had attained what I desired. Besides, I had always toiled in the dark arts, so it was quite natural for me to dabble in this world's equivalent. But it was always a challenge to find covens of the Arts who truly measured up to my talents, especially when I had fully surmounted the challenges in using my magic in a foreign world. Then, of course, we found each other.
  1291. >"You were a fantastic help, and I have yet to meet your equal to this day. Yet even with you aiding my growth, it still was not enough to breach the veil of dimensions. And I tried everything. Teleportation, reverse summoning, even trying to ride the very currents of the astral winds. But nothing ever worked. To this day, I still have not breached the veil.
  1292. >"I became more and more desperate as time went on. But rather than pivot to the works of one like Starswirl, as you rightly suggested, I had successfully convinced myself that my attempts were failures because I lacked enough power to breach the veil. And granting dark power to others was my specialty, one that only needed slight adjustments to work for me. But my usual means of summoning daemons and forging contracts with them would not avail me here."
  1293. "Yeah, I think not summoning any daemons was a good thing."
  1294. >"Oh you're absolutely right, it was a very good thing. Daemon contracts never end well for the mortal party, something I knew first hand. But I was desperate enough to consider it at the time. With foreign daemons, at that!"
  1295. >He laughs to himself.
  1296. >"Could you imagine? Me, forming a compact with that Discord creature?"
  1297. >Now that was a combination you could never see happening, but it sounds like he'd have tried anyways.
  1298. >Wait.
  1299. "Discord is a daemon? Since when?"
  1300. >"Well, my daemonology experience, though foreign, does lend me a certain expertise to these matters."
  1301. >That...
  1302. >Makes an uncomfortable amount of sense.
  1303. >That calls for some more cocoa.
  1304. >Ahh, much better.
  1305. >"But, while daemons were not an option, my other options to obtain power most certainly were. So, once you were gone, that was where my focus had shifted."
  1306. "Sure, that makes sense, I guess. But I'm a little hung up on something you said before."
  1307. >"Oh?"
  1308. "Why did you even want to go back home in the first place? I mean, it sounded like you hated just about everyhuman back there."
  1309. >"Quite simple, really. I had intended to destroy that warrior and his order, shower myself in their entrails and blood, and annihilate anything that stood in my way."
  1310. "Oh. So, revenge?"
  1311. >"Not exactly a complicated motive, I know. But it was a powerful driver all the same."
  1312. "I mean, I can relate. A little. Y'know, minus the whole daemons thing."
  1313. >He just smiles sideways at you.
  1314. >"She says, while glossing over how she performed time travel."
  1315. "Hey, I told you, most of the hard work was already done!"
  1316. >"Of course, of course."
  1317. >He takes care to sip on the last of his definitely-not-wine a lot slower, given that it's all he has left right now.
  1318. "Still though, sounds like getting sent to Equestria was actually a good thing for you."
  1319. >"Yes. It most certainly was."
  1320. >He reclines back in his seat, idly swirling the glass's contents.
  1321. >"Though it took many years for me to realize just how good things were here."
  1322. "Guess that's why you said it 'was' your goal to travel back to your world."
  1323. >"Exactly right. As you said, the works of Starswirl would in all likelihood provide me with a way to return. But instead, I've learned the truth of that old saying: the greater vengeance is to live better than your foe."
  1324. "Is that why you're not so angry anymore?"
  1325. >"In many ways, yes. Though some of that is more tied to the last thing I did to empower myself."
  1326. "And I'm guessing that whatever you did made cocoa undrinkable for you. And made your eyes look different."
  1327. >"Ahh, you noticed the eyes, did you?"
  1328. "Didn't really want to say anything about them, but yeah."
  1329. >"I usually conceal their appearance with some magic. But among friends, there's no need."
  1330. "That include the, uh... presence?"
  1331. >Now he looks surprised.
  1332. >"Oh dear, I hadn't realized you could detect that."
  1333. "It's kinda what gave your commander away."
  1334. >"I see."
  1335. >A tiny amount of magic lights up in his fingertip, and the predatory sensation vanishes a moment later.
  1336. >"There, is that better?"
  1337. "Yeah, thanks."
  1338. >"I'm sorry about that, I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable."
  1339. "It's fine, honestly. Though..."
  1340. >"Yes?"
  1341. "I'm just surprised that you're being so, well, honest about everything."
  1342. >The smile returns to his lips.
  1343. >"Lingering fears of what the old Anonymous would have done in this situation, eh?"
  1344. "Yeah, denying everything and plotting my death for even asking."
  1345. >"And if this were back when we were partners, that would absolutely be true. These days however, especially in the company of good friends, I just don't see the need for secrecy, to say nothing of the usual cloak-and-dagger dance with the Arts-inclined. Why insult the intelligence of others like that, denying what they see with their own eyes?"
  1346. >He sets his glass down on the table.
  1347. "Still, doesn't seem like you want... whatever it is you've done being public knowledge."
  1348. >"That has much more to do with keeping the secret to... becoming what I am now, out of the hands of other, less disciplined Arts practitioners. The kind of power I now wield has no place in the hooves of those cretins. Outside of that, I don't hold any real apprehension of having my new nature revealed. Though the mystique that hiding it grants me is a very welcome bonus."
  1349. >'Becoming what I am now'...?
  1350. >You... aren't sure you like where this is going.
  1351. "So you properly changed yourself, then? Like, adding onto what you were, or just turning into something different?"
  1352. >"Mostly the latter. I decided upon bringing an old classic from my world here to augment myself, though I lacked the necessary resources and entities to replicate the process. So, I had to... get creative."
  1353. "Sounds hard."
  1354. >"I had thought so, too. But in a strange twist of fate, it turned out that the Nightm--"
  1355. >"Excuse me, Master?"
  1356. >What the...?
  1357. >You both look over towards the doorframe, seeing a very agitated looking Home Stead.
  1358. >"What is it, my friend?"
  1359. >"I beg your pardon for this intrusion, but the visitors from the Guild require your immediate attention. We may have a very serious problem on our hooves."
  1360. >Anon pinches his brow, looking a little frustrated.
  1361. >"What timing. Starlight, I'm afraid we'll need to continue this later."
  1362. "Oh, come on! I was just getting to the good part!"
  1363. >"I know, I'm sorry. If I can't see you again tonight, we'll finish this tomorrow."
  1364. "Can't I just wait here for you?"
  1365. >"Not if you want to share a floor with the worst of the Arts work done here."
  1366. "Er, point taken."
  1367. >Anon rises to his feet.
  1368. >"Just make your way back downstairs once you're ready. I'll see you later."
  1369. >He heads out of the room, but Home Stead makes sure to wave over somepony before he takes off with him.
  1370. >Agh, why?!
  1371. >You couldn't just have one mystery solved nice and easy, could you?
  1372. >Well, you sure learned a lot more than you expected to either way.
  1373. >That Anon used to be more or less totally evil, and...
  1374. >Somehow managed to reform himself?
  1375. >Kinda?
  1376. >You mean, he /is/ still into the whole Arts business.
  1377. >But even with that in mind, he comes across to you as surprisingly good.
  1378. >Agh, this is so confusing!
  1379. >Like you don't already have enough to occupy your thoughts!
  1380. >And now...
  1381. >Wait a sec.
  1382. >His glass is still there.
  1383. >Hmph, well, you were curious about it already anyways.
  1384. >Might as well check it out before your escort gets here.
  1385. >It...
  1386. >Smells kind of metallic.
  1387. >So definitely not wine.
  1388. >Should you...?
  1389. >Mmmmmmmmnope.
  1390. >Not going to taste that.
  1391. >No way.
  1392. >Uh-uh.
  1393. >Very bad idea.
  1394. >But you will sneak a drop of it out to study a bit later.
  1395. >Much better idea.
  1396. >...
  1397.  
  1398. >"Destroyed! All of it, destroyed! We're next! We're all next!"
  1399. >Night Wave shares a look with you.
  1400. >You never did care for raving lunatics.
  1401. >And your patience ran out minutes ago.
  1402. >All you wanted to do tonight was to chat with your old friend.
  1403. >Yet here you are, denied such a simple thing.
  1404. >You had best finish this quickly.
  1405. >She knew what to do the moment you gave the nod.
  1406. >"You there! Step forward!"
  1407. >The quiet, shell-shocked survivor in the back does as he is told.
  1408. >Fear halts him mid-stride the moment his eyes meet with yours.
  1409. >The power of your gaze intensifies.
  1410. >Your hand outstretches, beckoning him forward.
  1411. "Come."
  1412. >It takes only seconds for your power to take hold.
  1413. >With his jaw slackened and a faraway look in his eyes, his body visibly relaxes.
  1414. >He approaches you, enraptured.
  1415. >A single finger presses under his chin, lifting his head up towards you.
  1416. >His eyes never left yours.
  1417. >Though noticeably duller, they held nothing but adoration for you.
  1418. >He would obey your every wish.
  1419. "Tell me what happened."
  1420. >He was so pleased to be able to serve you.
  1421. >He told you everything with the same fervour he would give a confession to a loved one.
  1422. >But the news he delivered was...
  1423. >Concerning.
  1424. >That the Guild was destroyed was hardly a surprise.
  1425. >They regularly dabbled in things they should not, drew far too much attention to themselves, over-relying on their keep to ward off reprisal.
  1426. >But their end should have come from within.
  1427. >Not from the Shadows.
  1428. >You thought you had left them crippled, without any meaningful resources left to do their job correctly.
  1429. >Yet that is precisely what they did.
  1430. >And they possessed good equipment to do so with.
  1431. >Not the least of which being an airship, of all the things.
  1432. >More concerning, they seemed to possess good leadership now.
  1433. >The Guild's destruction, though sudden and explosive, was nothing short of surgical in precision and alacrity.
  1434. >Only a storied leader could accomplish such a feat.
  1435. >Said leader appeared to have taken a personal hoof in the destruction of their escaping leadership, no less.
  1436. >A respectable move.
  1437. >But this pony knew nothing about this leader, other than their sex.
  1438. >Not even a coloration.
  1439. >And none of your sources had relayed this change to you before now.
  1440. >You retract your finger, allowing the love-drunk pony to collapse at your feet.
  1441. >To your chagrin, you were not going to be able to resume your chat tonight.
  1442. >Your gaze returns to Night Wave.
  1443. "Pull what you can from them. Place the sentries on full alert."
  1444. >You look goes towards a concerned Home Stead.
  1445. "Summon my contacts at the Shadows. We have much work to do."
  1446. >...

Thaumaturgy With Anon [1/?]

by HK-FortySeven

Thaumaturgy With Anon [2/?]

by HK-FortySeven

Thaumaturgy With Anon [3/?]

by HK-FortySeven

Thaumaturgy With Anon [4/?]

by HK-FortySeven

Thaumaturgy With Anon [5/?]

by HK-FortySeven