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> 17. - Ponyville Part 1 >
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Anonymous found himself swimming in a sea of splendor, much like a minnow who
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had wandered into a group of hungry jellyfish. The festive and lively atmosphere
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of the Gala had little water involved, except for the way the drinks had been
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diluted. All around him stood ponies of renown and poise; ponies who moved the
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world and who enriched it with their very presence. Large fish in a very large
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pond, Elegance and refinement to the highest degree swept around him, and it was
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clear the guests took great pride in their satin gowns, silk ties, well-trimmed
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and perfectly coiffed manes and feathered hats.
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For a young man from Salt Lick, Anonymous felt horribly out of place. Armed with
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nothing more than his Celestial Crystal and his suit, he shimmied his way among
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and around the crowd, trying to figure out his place within it and his purpose
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for being there. He might as well have been invisible; no pony met his eyes or
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offered a word of greeting. All of the attendees were only interested in
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themselves and the company they were presently with. What was he supposed to do?
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Why was he here?
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Somehow he felt his heart tug in a particular direction, and he followed the
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prompting for a moment until he found a opening on the floor.
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It was there, on a dais that extended a good ten feet into the air, that he
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found the immortal and exquisite Princess of the Sun. Radiance and beauty flowed
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off of her in waves that mimicked her mane and tail, and he could feel serenity
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and balance from simply being in her presence. She stood, though there was a
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gilded throne behind her, and she observed the proceedings of the party with
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poise, grace, wisdom, and tact, but Anonymous felt an undercurrent of sorrow
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relentlessly pull him toward her.
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Eager to see if he could assist the fair Matron of Equestria, Anon began to
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navigate through the crowd again. The partygoers made the task difficult for
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him; the closer he got to her position the more ponies stood in the way. The
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words they were speaking drifted by as he moved, but they were empty and hollow
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to him. Those closer to her were abundant in praise but lacking in substance,
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and though he found that irksome he doggedly pressed on.
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After some effort, he reached the base of the dais and he looked up the narrow
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stairs to her. He saw no guards nor obstacles in between them, so he began to
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climb with zeal.
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Halfway up, though, his resolve faltered for a moment. Was he allowed up there?
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What would she think of him? Would he be called impertinent, over eager? Would
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she cast him aside, banish him from her presence because of his naivety and
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insolence?
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He shook the thoughts from his head and began again to climb. Come what may, he
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had to reach her. For some odd reason, he felt like he was the only one who
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could.
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He was most pleased to find that Celestia not only had a smile for him once he
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reached her, but a soft nose boop as well. He gave her a quick bow and then
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beamed up at her.
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“Hello, my Princess. Might I be bold enough to ask to speak with you?”
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“Yes, but on one condition.”
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He tilted his head and gave her a curious look.
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“Don’t ever bow to me again,” she said in a kind but stern tone. “We are equals,
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and I expect to be treated as such.”
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“Fair enough.” He chuckled. “What party is this?”
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“I’m not sure, but it doesn’t really matter,” she sighed, as he moved to stand
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next to her. “Over the years I’ve found there’s very little difference between
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an Officer’s Ball, the Grand Galloping Gala, or any other formal ball you could
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name. All of their Balls look alike, with a minor variation here and there.”
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He looked over the crowd with her. “And you never get to participate.”
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“I am the Princess, so thus I am the Master of all Ceremonies. I am not a
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participant in the festivities; I am simply here to observe, and to be observed
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in return. See how they are now? They want to be near me, but they don’t want to
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actually know me. It’s far better for their own personal prospects to simply
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claim closeness. Getting to know me would require more time and effort than they
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want to invest.”
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“But I am here,” Anon noted.
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“And I am most grateful you are.” She smiled brightly again. “You are one of the
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few who has made the climb to me. But now that you have, will you go back down
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to the crowd and boast of your accomplishment?”
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Anon noticed the stairway down was now unbelievably wide, and moving. All he had
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to do was step on the first step and he would be automatically taken to the
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bottom with no effort needed. He would then be in the midst of a sizeable crowd,
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and they seemed eager to talk to him now. Doubtless they would ask about the
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Princess, but he somehow knew they only wanted the information to help
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themselves.
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“No.” His answer came quickly. “I will remain here with you. A minute in your
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company is better than a day with them.”
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“Good answer.” She booped him again. “So, what should we talk about now?”
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“How about we talk about your favorite pie?”
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“Really? You want to know that?”
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“I can’t bake one for you if I don’t know what it is.”
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“Rhubarb pie,” she happily declared. “I don’t know when I started liking them
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but there’s nothing better than that.”
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“And how much sugar do you have put in them?”
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“Oh, only four or five cups usually.”
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“You have a serious sugar issue.”
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“Better than salt.”
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And from behind a pillar in the back corner, Luna smiled as the two laughed.
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“Enjoy this dream, dear sister, and may you have many more with him like this.”
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And then she quietly slipped away.
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Anon awoke shortly before dawn that morning but had no idea why. He was warm and
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comfortably snuggled into Celestia’s silky side, and her wing was wrapped snugly
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over and around him so there was no reason to be up. She was breathing softly
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and evenly through her nose, and the soft smile on her lips indicated she was
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quite content as well.
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He simply laid there and soaked in her warmth and serenity for a few moments,
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but then a question came to him. It was one that had drifted through head once
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or twice before, and one that many ponies before him had asked:
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Was Celestia’s mane made of hair or something else?
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It seemed like it was made of hair. Slowly, he reached one hand out, and he
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oh-so-delicately touched near her ears.
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“It’s hair,” she said softly, and her sleeping smile grew bigger.
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“Do you blame me for wondering?”
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“It’s one of the most frequent questions I get,” she replied. “I’ve heard some
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pretty wild theories on what other material it might be.”
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“So why does it float and wave?”
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“Magic,” she succinctly stated.
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“Har har.”
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“Hair, hair. Seriously.” She opened her eyes and looked at him. “It takes a lot
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of magic to move the sun or the moon. The ethereal nature of my mane comes from
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the amount of magic that I possess. Luna has just as much as I do.”
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“So Twilight and Cadance have less than you?”
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“For now. Eventually, their power will grow and the same thing will happen, but
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it will take some time. Even once they cross that unknown threshold, it will
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take about three months or so for it to manifest in their manes.”
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“Huh. That’s kinda interesting.”
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A brush then floated into view, and Anon gently took it in hand.
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“Would you like to help me brush it?”
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“I do believe I would.” He smiled, and her wing retracted to allow him to stand.
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Anon then stood and began brushing near the end of her mane while Celestia
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closed her eyes again and sighed in contentment.
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“You like this?” he asked.
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“It’s relaxing.”
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He kept the brushstrokes even, soft, and slow, and he found that even he felt
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soothed and relaxed with the motions. It only took him a few minutes to finish,
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but when he did he quickly put the brush aside and popped his hands onto her
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back in between her wings.
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“What are you… oooh!” she let out a squeal of delight as he began rubbing. Both
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wings flared out and then lay flat on the floor as he kept going, and after a
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minute or so Anon snickered a little.
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“You purr?”
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She purred a little louder to answer his question affirmatively. “You may keep
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doing this for as long as you like.”
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“Don’t you need to raise the sun?”
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She replied with another groan of pleasure. “It can wait. Or Luna can bring it
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up.”
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“Won’t she break out into hives?”
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“Meh. She’ll live.”
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Anon, however, didn’t think Luna would appreciate that very much, so he stopped
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and returned his hands to his sides. Celestia pouted as she pulled her wings
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back in, but then she booped him softly.
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“That was nice, thank you. I shall name you the official royal masseuse.”
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“Only for you though.”
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She smiled more. “I like that. But you are right, I should raise the sun. Then
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we can have breakfast before you head out to Ponyville.”
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“Sounds good.”
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Anon breathed in deeply as the clouds dodged and rushed by him. He was in one of
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Celestia’s carriages but with Shining Armor and Cadence instead of her, and he
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felt very lonesome despite the company. He had been secretly hoping that she
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would drop everything and come with him, but the backlog of work just couldn’t
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be ignored or pushed off anymore. After today things would be closer to normal,
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but for now he had to go without his Celly for a bit.
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“Ponyville is just up ahead, sir!” Sergeant Pokey shouted back. “We should be on
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the ground in just a minute or so!”
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Anon had wondered what Ponyville was like, and he had tried to envision it based
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on what Celestia had told him about it. Now that it was within sight, he smiled.
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Celestia had described it perfectly.
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The buildings that made up the quaint hamlet were simple but sturdy, with timber
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framed walls and thatched roofs that were neat and clean. A stately town hall
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stood in the center of the hamlet, a windmill towards the edge of town, and a
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large apple orchard just on the outskirts and across the small river. The whole
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town looked inviting and cosy, just the kind of place he would have moved to if
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he hadn’t met Celestia.
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The carriage touched down right next to the town hall, and a sizeable group of
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ponies that had gathered broke out into applause as they landed. Anon followed
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the Crystal Empire’s leaders lead, and he smiled and waved back as he
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disembarked. Twilight, Spike, and another mare with a pale, grayish-amber coat
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and gray mane were waiting for them near the entrance to the hall, but Anon was
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was a bit embarrassed to have all three of them bow to him.
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“Good morning, Your Highnesses,” the last pony offered, as they arose. “I am
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Mayor Mare, and on behalf of the citizens of Ponyville it’s my honor to welcome
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you here today.”
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“The pleasure is mine, Mayor,” Anon replied. “And I thank you for having me on
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such short notice. I’m looking forward to my visit here.”
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“Princess Cadence, Prince Shining Armor, it is a pleasure to have you back as
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well.”
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“Likewise, Mayor,” Shining replied. He then reached out, grabbed his sister, and
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pulled her into a hug. “And you! It’s good to see you again, LSBFF.”
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“You too, BBBFF. I’m glad you and Princess Cadence came with Prince Anon, and I
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bet he appreciates your help.”
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“We do for him what we would do for you, Twilight,” Cadence replied with a quick
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hug and a smile for her fellow Princess. “But, where did Anon sneak off to?”
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All the ponies on stage suddenly realized Anon wasn’t there anymore. Thankfully,
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it only took half a second to see that he had moved down into the crowd with
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Spike and he was now shaking hands and offering greetings to as many ponies as
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he could.
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“I’m sorry, Mayor,” Cadence offered. “Anonymous is still learning.”
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“Not at all! I was actually hoping he’d do this. Everypony in town was eager to
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meet him, so this couldn’t be better.”
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“Where are your friends, Twily?” Shining asked.
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“They’re helping with the last little bit of marshmallow cleanup,” Twilight
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said.
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“Do they need help?”
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“Oh, no. They’re probably finished now. This was nothing compared to the
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plunderseed vines from a couple of weeks ago.”
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“All right, if you say so.”
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“Well, once Prince Anon is done with the crowd, a light luncheon has been
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prepared at Sugarcube Corner.” Mayor Mare added. “And then I believe Twilight
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had a tour of Ponyville planned for the Prince.”
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“Mm-hmm!” Twilight affirmed, while pulling a scroll out of thin air with her
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magic. “I have an itemized and alphabetized list of all the shops and scenic
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stops in Ponyville. We’ll just follow the list and everything will be perfect!”
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“I’m sure he’ll love that,” Shining said dryly.
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“All right,” Twilight announced while producing her agenda, and Anon noticed she
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had the whole day marked out in five minute intervals, complete with bathroom
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breaks. “We’ll first go check out the local shops in town, starting with the
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Carousel Boutique. Rarity will be ecstatic to see you again, but you might end
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up leaving with a new suit.”
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“I probably need it. I don’t have much of a royal wardrobe yet.”
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Twilight smiled in a knowing way. “You’ll definitely get one then, and you’re
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going to like the way you look. I guarantee it.”
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It was a short walk to the Boutique, and Anon quite liked the external design of
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Rarity’s shop. A small bell jingled as they walked in, and Anon began glancing
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around at the various articles of clothing, trying to figure out what would go
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well with his look without clashing against Celestia.
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“Rarity!” Twilight called out. “Are you—”
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“GOOD GRACIOUS DON’T LET HIM COME IN HERE! I’M NOT DECENT!”
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Both princess and guest were tossed backward like leaves in a hurricane, passing
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through the front door and collecting a pair of guards in the process, then
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tumbling across the grass as the boutique door slammed shut. And from the
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sounds, possibly locked itself. Twice.
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“Rarity!” Twilight struggled for a moment to pull her horn out of a nearby tree.
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“That was unwarranted!”
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“The prince can’t see me yet!” echoed her voice out of the closed storefront.
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“Not until everything is just perfect! Now run along, Twilight, and I’ll send
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for you when I’m done.”
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“Mares,” said Sergeant Clover Leaf in her normal breathy contrello. “Always so
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picky about what they wear.” The guard took a moment to brush off a tuft of
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grass clinging to her armor and reached down to give Anon a hoof-up from his
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sprawled position across the walkway.
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“Oh my goodness! Are you alright, Twilight?” Fluttershy’s soft words held an
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amazing depth of concern for her friend.
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“I’m fine,” Twilight replied while rubbing the base of her horn. “Ow.”
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“Oh, good. I hate to be rude, but I need to go.”
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“Do you need any help?” Anon asked, and he and Twilight fell into step next to
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her with a smile.
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“Oh, no,” she quietly replied. “I’d hate to be a bother. Angel Bunny is just
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being a bit persnickety about his carrots again. He doesn’t like the ones I got
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yesterday.”
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“A bunny that’s a picky eater?” Anon asked.
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“Angel isn’t picky, he just has some… particular tastes is all. Once I get some
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fresh carrots everything will be fine.”
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“Oh! Maybe the Prince can help then,” Twilight replied. “He used to be a chef at
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a gourmet restaurant.”
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“Upscale,” he quickly corrected under his breath.
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“Oh, that’s okay. I wouldn’t want to be a burden, and I’m sure you have lots to
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do today.”
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“I’m pretty extra sure I could spare a minute,” Anon replied warmly. “I’d be
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delighted to help.”
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“Oh, well, okay then,” Fluttershy said happily. “The stall is just right over
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there.”
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Anon looked over the selection at the stand as soon as they arrived, and his
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smile deepened. They were quite obviously home-grown carrots, with slight zigs
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and zags and little specks of dirt still clinging to them, just perfect for
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cooking with. He began to smell, then jerked his head up and looked at
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Fluttershy.
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“Raw carrots, right? Not cooking carrots or stewing, or even for frying?”
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“Oh, yes,” said Fluttershy. “He doesn’t like them cooked.”
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“Very well.” Anon dipped his head back down and began his inspection of the rows
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of carrots.
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“Your Highness?” The stall keeper asked nervously. “Is everything—”
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He politely shushed her, his eyes closed, and his nose dropped so close that it
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was hard to tell if he was touching the produce or not. His breathing became
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deep for a moment, he gave a quick snort, and then he picked out three near the
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back of the rack.
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“These ones are the absolute best ones on the cart,” he proclaimed. He then held
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them out in his hand towards Fluttershy. “Here. Take a good long whiff.”
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“Um, okay,” she replied with obvious confusion, and then did as she’d been
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asked.
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“Can you smell it?” he eagerly asked.
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“I smell carrots,” Fluttershy offered nervously.
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“No, no. Slow down. Take a moment, clear your mind. Don’t smell the surface,
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smell deeper.”
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“Deeper?” Twilight asked.
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“Yes. A whole new world opens up when we do so. Go just a bit beyond what you
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smell at first, take a moment to truly savor it. Give the core of it a chance to
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come out, then you can tell it’s true worth and flavor. Smell them again, but
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this time reach with your senses. It sounds strange but try it. Close your eyes
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and open your mind.”
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Twilight and Fluttershy gave each other a confused look but then decided to try
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it.
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“Now, there’s a reason they use musical terms when describing food. Think of it
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like that: notes, chords, melodies. Don’t focus on the first notes of the
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carrot, smell for the background, the consonants and the countermelodies. Don’t
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listen to just the cello, listen for all the instruments.”
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The stall keeper watched in confusion as both Fluttershy and Twilight tried to
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follow Anon’s instructions. It took a couple of moments, but then Fluttershy
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opened her eyes and smiled.
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“I think I smell it,” she softly said. “It smells like rich and soft dirt.”
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“The type of dirt that has been carefully tended to and is perfect for crops,”
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Anon added knowingly.
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“I smell carrots,” Twilight said with a hint of annoyance.
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“It’s going to be harder for you,” Anon replied. “You’re very analytical, and
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it’s not so easy for an abstract concept like this to get through to such a
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mind. When you listen to music, do you feel the tone and the movement of it, or
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do you pick out individual notes, keys, time signatures and beats? It’s the same
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here. You’ll need to work harder, but also let go of more.”
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Twilight nodded, but she still looked a bit annoyed.
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“How much for the carrots, Golden Harvest?” Fluttershy asked.
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“Huh?” she replied, and she dropped the bundle of carrots she’d been sniffing.
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“Oh! Three bits should cover it.”
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Payment was made, and then Fluttershy offered a quick thank you and
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goodbye-for-now as she flew back to her cottage. Twilight then summoned her
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list, and the two struck out once more.
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“Can you really smell all that in a carrot?” she asked while they walked.
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“I can, but I have practice. If you ever tried to teach me calculus I’d probably
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never understand, no matter how simply you explained it.”
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This seemed to cheer up the Princess. “Yeah, I guess so. We all have our
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strengths, right?”
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“Right.”
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The conversation was interrupted by moaning behind them, and the group turned to
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see who or what was causing it. What they found was Pinkie Pie, who was green in
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the face and looking rather sick. Her hooves were dragging along in the dirt,
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her stomach looked oddly swollen, and she was being accompanied by three small
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fillies who looked extremely remorseful.
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“Ooh.” Pinkie groaned. “So… much… marshmallow. I can’t believe I ate the whole
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thing.”
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“You ate that?” Twilight asked in shock. “Just a minute, Anon. I need to help
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Pinkie.”
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“Please do. I can wait.”
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“Really, Pinkie, we’re super sorry about all this,” the little pegasus offered
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as Twilight rushed to her friend’s side.
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“Yeah. We didn’t know marshmallows could do that,” the earth pony with the large
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bow in her mane added.
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“It’s okay girls,” Pinkie replied with a weak wave of her hoof. “I just need a
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few minutes. Just remember that marshmallows should only be handled by -urp-
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properly trained and qualified ponies, okay?”
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“We will,” all three replied in unison.
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“Hey! Anon!”
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Anon looked around and then up, and watched as Rainbow Dash landed in front of
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him. She looked rather irate, and the two sergeants moved to be between him and
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her.
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“Relax, guys,” Rainbow said while folding her arms tightly. “I just want to ask
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Prince Anon a question.”
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“It’s okay,” Anon replied, and the loyal royal guards stepped to the side but
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still stayed focused on Rainbow. “What’s up?”
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“Why do you hate the Broncos so much?” Rainbow blurted.
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That was definitely not what Anon had expected. “What?”
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“Shining Armor tells me you’ve got something against the Broncos.”
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“I do?”
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“Yeah. He says you hate them.”
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“No, I said they stink. I never said anything about hating them.”
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“They don’t stink! They’re awesome! Back-to-back champions for five years in a
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row!”
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It took Anon a moment to process that sentence, but then he snickered a little.
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“Yes, forty-five years ago though. They haven’t won a divisional game in
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thirty-eight years.”
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“They’re just going through a rough patch, that’s all.”
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“A thirty-eight year rough patch?” Anon asked flatly. “The original line from
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those years have grandchildren trying out for the team now.”
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“So what? If they hadn’t lost Leading Edge last year they totally would have
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killed everyone! Just watch. They’re going to make some big moves and crush
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everypony who gets in their way.”
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“If they actually do that I will gladly eat every bad word I ever said about
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them.” He chuckled.
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“Rainbow! Hey!”
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“A.J.?” Rainbow called back. Both she and Anon watched her quickly trot up to
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them. “What’s up?”
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“Have either of you seen Apple Bloom?” she asked. “Ah need her back at the farm,
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pronto.”
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“I think she just went by with Pinkie.”
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“Dag nabbit, is she still helpin’ her? Ah got a rush order that just came in and
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ah gotta whole mess of apples to get harvested to fill it.”
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“Where’s Big Mac?”
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“Ah dunno, he’s disappeared on me too. Ah think he’s done snuck off to
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Cheerilee’s place again.”
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“Can I help with anything?” Anon asked.
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Applejack looked him over with a critical eye. “Ah dunno. You know anything
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‘bout bucking apples?”
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“Well, I know how to cook them,” he offered. “But if I can help out I’d like
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to.”
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“All right. Ah suppose ah can give you a shot. Dash, can you give me a hoof as
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well?”
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“Whatcha need?”
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“Ah just need you to run the full baskets back to the wagon. If you and Anon can
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do that for me, this’ll be faster than Granny Smith on her laxatives.”
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“You bet! I can totally do that.”
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“All right. Let’s get to it!”
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“You tin cans sure you don’t wanna help out too?”
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“We’re here to guard the Prince, ma’am. Can’t do that if we’re harvesting,”
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Sergeant Hokey Pokey replied.
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“Figures. All right, let’s get to it. Anon, you’re not an earth pony so I don't
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know hows hard this will be for ya. Every tree has a sweet spot, so all yah
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gotta do is find it and them apples will tumble right out and into the basket
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pretty as you please. Now, all you gotta do is… Anon?”
-
-
“Find the sweet spot,” he echoed, as he walked up to the nearby tree and put his
-
hands to it.
-
-
“What in tarnation are you doin’?”
-
-
“Shh, just watch,” Rainbow said with a slight squeal of delight.
-
-
Anon caressed the bark withnhis palms, then took three steps to the left.
-
Another round of feeling, and back half a step.
-
-
“Consarn it, we ain’t got time for this. Look, all you gotta do is…”
-
-
Anon kicked the tree with a smug smile. A full basket of apples tumbled out of
-
the tree, pretty as he pleased, and Applejack whistled in amazement.
-
-
“Well ah’ll be a nanny goat’s aunt! How’d you do that?”
-
-
“Every tree has a sweet spot,” he repeated. “I'm pretty sure I can feel it."
-
-
“Yer gonna have to show me how you did that later. Right now, ah reckon it’s
-
time to buck some apples!”
-
-
Between the two of them, it only took perhaps half an hour to harvest enough
-
apples for Applejack’s order. She was faster than him by two trees to one to
-
begin with, but after three or four trees Anon got a groove going and was barely
-
able to keep pace with her, although he suspected it was mainly from Applejack
-
constantly pausing to look back. By the end of it, Rainbow Dash reported hauling
-
back fifty three bushels of apples, and the three of them stood and looked over
-
the results of their work with pride.
-
-
“Shoot, Ah’d hire you on full-time if you wasn’t the prince,” Applejack
-
remarked. “You got a good method goin’ there.”
-
-
“Well, thank you.” He chuckled. “Though I’m pretty sure I’ll be feeling this in
-
the morning.”
-
-
“Ah reckon you will, but ah’m pretty sure the Princess will take care of ya.”
-
-
“She probably will,” he laughed with them.
-
-
“Say, have you ever played a game of buckball?” Rainbow asked.
-
-
“Not as part of a team, no. Just some playground games when I was younger.”
-
-
“I bet he’d be pretty good at it, A.J.”
-
-
“He’s got the legs for it, that’s for sure,” Applejack agreed. “He’d be
-
respectable enough, ah reckon.”
-
-
“We should totally get a game going!”
-
-
“Ah think the Prince has got better things to do today, Dash. Twilight is
-
probably wondering where he ran off to.”
-
-
And right on cue, Twilight teleported right in front of them in a massive
-
explosion, instead of her usual pop. “Have either of you seen Prince Anon?” she
-
hurriedly and worriedly asked. “I lost him back in Ponyville and I can’t find
-
him anywhere.”
-
-
“He’s right here, Twilight,” Applejack replied. “He was kind enough to… help…”
-
-
It was right then that both Applejack and Rainbow Dash noticed he was, in fact,
-
not there. Both of them glanced around, and then Rainbow Dash went airborne as
-
Applejack scratched her head.
-
-
“Well he was here,” she remarked. “Ah wonder how he slipped out on us. Looks
-
like his tin cans took off with him too.”
-
-
“Well, that makes me feel a little better but we still gotta find him.”
-
-
“Calm down, sugarcube. Ah’m sure he’s just fine.”
-
-
Twilight went nose-to-nose with the farmer. “Do you want to be the one to tell
-
Princess Celestia her husband is missing?”
-
-
“Heh, well, when you put it that way… ah’ll go check the south forty right
-
quick.” > 18. - Ponyville Part 2 >
-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
Anonymous couldn’t suppress his cheesy grin, even if he had tried. “You know, if
-
you wanted some quality time together, I could have made room for you in my
-
schedule. You didn’t have to kidnap me.”
-
-
“Yes I did,” Celestia replied, as she nuzzled her Anon. “I missed you.”
-
-
“I missed you too, and I’m glad you’re here. Your protégée is going to worry
-
though,” he whispered into her ear.
-
-
“Not for long. I told Spike, Shining, Cadence and the Mayor I wanted to take you
-
on a quick field trip. Once she meets up with one of them, it’ll be sorted out.”
-
-
“I still think she’s going to pop in on us and chew you out.”
-
-
“There is a good possibility of that.” Celestia withdrew far enough to look into
-
Anon’s eyes, but no further.
-
-
“And how did my captive princess escape from her tower of imprisonment?”
-
-
She waggled her wings. “I flew, silly. These aren’t just for looks.”
-
-
“Did you seriously just up and take off?” Anon had to laugh with Celestia’s
-
earnest nod.
-
-
“Seriously. I couldn’t stay focused in Canterlot. Every time I got started on a
-
project my mind would drift to you. I just cancelled everything and then told
-
Wysteria to send my guards to Ponyville as I flew away.”
-
-
“You are going to be in so much trouble,” he chided playfully.
-
-
“I don’t care,” she replied with a giggle. “What can they do? I am a Princess
-
after all. I even brought our chaperones,” she added with a pointed wingtip
-
towards Sergeants Clover Leaf and Hokey Pokey.
-
-
“Somepony will set Luna on your trail is what they’ll do. Where are we, anyway?”
-
he asked, as he looked at the ruins around them.
-
-
“This is my old home, Anon. The Castle of The Two Sisters.”
-
-
Anon’s breath instantly stilled to a hushed awe, and his eyes went wide. This
-
was a hallowed place, one that everyone in Equestria spoke of in the most
-
reverent of tones from the moment they learned how to walk. He’d seen sketches
-
and old photographs in school, of course, but it was now obvious that those had
-
only captured a fraction of the true majesty and devastation before him.
-
-
“Sergeants, could you stay here for a moment?” Celestia asked, and they both
-
nodded. “Thank you. Come with me, Anon. I want to show you some things within.”
-
-
He nodded and followed as they entered through the remains of the old main
-
doors. Sunlight filtered in through the holes in the roof, and Anon had to watch
-
his step as he maneuvered around various fallen stones and debris.
-
-
“I can’t even recall the last time I was here,” Celestia remarked as she slowed
-
and looked around the hallway. “I used to come every year to remember; a sort of
-
pilgrimage if you will. It grew to be too much, after long enough. My heart
-
couldn’t take the pain I felt at losing my sister. I finally had to stop or else
-
I risked succumbing to a very crushing depression.”
-
-
“I can’t even imagine,” Anon replied reverently as they walked into a foyer.
-
-
Celestia sighed deeply. “There are times when this day has haunted my dreams for
-
weeks. I’ve lived and relived the events thousands of times. So much was lost
-
here, and all because of my blindness.”
-
-
He then turned and followed her into a large round room. The remains of a
-
shattered stained-glass window was at the far end, along with two smashed and
-
crumbling thrones that were weathered and worn. Scorch marks and potholes
-
littered the floor, and Anon took it all in with profound and silent respect.
-
-
“Here,” Celestia said, as she slowed to a stop. “Right here. This is where I was
-
when I watched my sister give in to the Nightmare.”
-
-
Anon could hear the pain of those ancient anguished words as if they had soaked
-
into the ancient stones of this place and continued to reverberate through the
-
centuries.
-
-
“Luna! I will not fight you! You must lower the moon, it is your duty!”
-
-
“And see, right there?” Celestia pointed with a hoof. “That was the statue that
-
housed the Elements of Harmony.”
-
-
Anon quietly walked up and then put a hand gently on the towering structure.
-
-
“Luna? I am… Nightmare Moon! I have but one royal duty now: to destroy you!”
-
-
He exhaled slowly. The air of both history and destiny was thick enough to chew.
-
-
“That was the last time the Elements answered my call,” Celestia continued. “I
-
can’t say for sure why, but I think they somehow realized that Luna had fallen.
-
Perhaps they were touched by my sister’s troubled heart? I wish I knew. They
-
turned to stone after that, lifeless, cold, and devoid of their former power. I
-
kept them here, in their appointed place, and I waited. I was convinced that
-
they could be used to reclaim Luna, once they could renew themselves. I hoped
-
and I watched for weeks at a time, but as those weeks quickly changed into
-
months, then to years, my hope decayed and dwindled until it finally died
-
entirely. I came to realize that my most earnest wish would go unfulfilled. I
-
had to live with myself and with what I’d done. That kind of power was never
-
meant to be used by one pony alone.”
-
-
Anon looked around the room. “Celly, I don’t… I don’t even…”
-
-
“You see why I had to stop coming, yes?” She let out a grim chuckle that held no
-
joy. “There was so much I missed out on, so much I could have done differently.”
-
-
Anon turned to her and found his notebook floating in her magic before him. He
-
gently took it, and saw it was open to his How to Woo Celestia page. She had
-
added another item in her column:
-
-
Love me despite my failures.
-
-
“Celly, I…”
-
-
“Your father is not the only one who has had to live with the consequences of
-
arrogance. Luna tried to tell me. I had some warning as to what would happen,
-
but I did nothing. I couldn’t believe it. I had the endless praise of my ponies,
-
surely Luna did as well! She was just ungrateful, or was a glory hog. I passed
-
off her concerns as those of a pony who just wanted more, ever more. Even as I
-
watched her fall into corruption before my eyes, I believed it all to be a show
-
to gain attention. I didn’t take it seriously until it was far too late.
-
-
“Anon, when you rejected the divorce papers and told me you wanted to try to
-
make our relationship work, I knew I had to bring you here. I have been worried
-
that you fell in love with the Perfect Princess of the Sun, the Celestia who
-
leads graciously and rules in peace. You must understand that I have and will
-
continue to make mistakes. Some of them have been quite egregious, but the worst
-
mistake I have ever made was ignoring a problem which nearly cost my sister,
-
forever.”
-
-
Anon thought for a moment. “Do you fear this will happen to us?”
-
-
“I fear that as you learn about the true me—as you discover all the parts that
-
don’t fit the perfect princess persona—that you will become disgusted by what
-
you find and walk away. There has been darkness in my past, and you will come
-
face-to-face with it sooner or later.”
-
-
“I don’t think I will walk away.” He smiled, and he sat so he could hold her
-
hooves in his hands. “Shadows can’t exist in total darkness, after all. They
-
need light, until they cease to be with the full power of the midday sun. You
-
were a sun rising then, but now you are the sun shining forth with majesty.”
-
-
He then moved in to touch her nose gently against her neck. “And while I mean no
-
disrespect to your sister, I think the love we have is of the type that you
-
don’t want to lose.”
-
-
“I don’t,” she whispered, her voice heavy with emotion. “But what if my true
-
self is unforgivable in your eyes?”
-
-
“I love you, Celestia,” he whispered back, and his heart skipped with her
-
fluttering breath. “And I also trust that, no matter what the outcome was, the
-
decisions you made in your life were generally meant to be good, especially
-
after what happened here. We all make mistakes, and I am more than willing to be
-
forgiving of yours. I hope you will be forgiving of mine, too.”
-
-
“I’m pretty extra sure I can be,” she replied, and they both laughed a little as
-
they pulled back to look at each other.
-
-
“You know, I also love how warm and expressive your eyes are,” Anon remarked,
-
and Celestia blushed a bit. “They get so dark when you’re feeling low, and they
-
sparkle when you laugh, almost like… lilacs in the spring.”
-
-
“They do, hm?” she asked. “I hated the color as a filly.”
-
-
“No, they’re…” he leaned in, “…they’re just…” his lips puckered, and so did
-
hers, “perfect…”
-
-
A loud bang and a bright flash of lavender both interrupted and killed the
-
moment, and Anon found he had recoiled a few feet backwards out of shock.
-
-
“AH HA!” Twilight shouted. “I found you!”
-
-
“Why, good afternoon, Twilight!” Celestia looked at her student with impeccable
-
calm, which was a far cry from Anon, who was clutching his chest and
-
hyperventilating slightly at Twilight’s abrupt arrival.
-
-
“Good afternoon, Princess,” Twilight called over her shoulder in her mentor’s
-
general direction while she marched up and confronted Anon. “Look, you can’t
-
just disappear like that! I’ve torn apart half of Ponyville looking for you! I’m
-
responsible for your safety while you’re here, and I can’t do that if you run
-
off on me! If you wanted to see the old castle that’s fine, and we could have
-
made arrangements to wait until the Princess got here, but you’ve got to tell me
-
these things so I can plan appropriately.”
-
-
“Twilight,” Celestia flatly said.
-
-
“Now, since you’re still new to being a royal I’ll let it slide, but I expect
-
you to be more professional next time.” A quill and scroll appeared in front of
-
her out of nowhere, and her magic began scribbling as she continued. “Thus, for
-
all future visits I will need you to submit an itemized itinerary, complete with
-
your arrival day and time, time and date of departure, and if you are travelling
-
with or without Celestia.”
-
-
“Twwwiiiillliigghhttt…” Celestia tried to call out to her.
-
-
“I will need a list of all intended and requested stops and scenic locales you
-
wish to frequent, and how long you intend to stay at each place. I can then
-
coordinate with the shop owners and the other local ponies to keep everything on
-
schedule, and…”
-
-
“Twilight, what is the square root of a negative number?”
-
-
Old habits kicked in quickly for Twilight Sparkle, and instantly she stopped
-
talking so her brain had full power to calculate the equation her teacher had
-
given her. Anon could have sworn he heard the crunch of mismatched gears
-
grinding as Twilight’s eyes unfocused for a moment.
-
-
“There isn’t one. It’s an imaginary number,” she replied by rote. Her eyes then
-
snapped back to normal. “Wait. What? What’d I do?”
-
-
“Anon didn’t know I was coming today. He was under the impression I would be in
-
Canterlot, catching up on work. I ambushed and foalnapped him.”
-
-
“You stole him?!”
-
-
Celestia shrugged. “More or less. Is that a problem?”
-
-
“Well, no. I guess not. He is your husband. This is just very unexpected.”
-
-
“I can be spontaneous at times,” Celestia replied, but then she laughed. “Don’t
-
you remember that game of snooker I played against your mother and father, and—”
-
-
“YES! Ha-ha,” Twilight nervously cut in. “Yes, I remember. I wish I didn’t, but
-
I do. So, since this was all an honest mistake, may I ask why you came here?”
-
-
“I wanted to show Anon what he married into. It is crucial he understands the
-
history of what happened here.”
-
-
“Oh.”
-
-
“You know, it would be nice if somepony could tidy things up,” Celestia casually
-
remarked. “Now that Luna is free of the Nightmare I think I might come back to
-
visit from time to time.”
-
-
“Really? You might come back?” Twilight asked, as they turned to leave the room.
-
-
“Perhaps. But if I do I will submit an itemized itinerary for your review.”
-
-
“Oh! Heh heh…” Twilight rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment.
-
-
“Would it be possible to make a quick stop at the Tree of Harmony, Twilight?”
-
-
“Of course!” she smiled. “Not a problem at all!”
-
-
“Tree of Harmony?” Anon asked. “What is that?”
-
-
-
-
-
-
Anon couldn’t find the words.
-
-
It was a hundred times—no, a thousand times worse than when he had struggled to
-
describe the sunflowers. The Tree of Harmony was just beyond his vocabulary.
-
-
Transcendent was about as close as he could ever get.
-
-
Though the visual sight of it was majestic enough, it was the the feel of it
-
that was making the deepest impression. It was like he was awash in eternity,
-
destiny, and harmony all at once, and that confluence of essence then flowed out
-
to influence the lives of all creatures, wherever they may be.
-
-
“Have you made any progress with the keys?” Celestia asked as she looked the
-
chest over.
-
-
“Not yet,” Twilight replied. “I’m actually really baffled.”
-
-
“Well, all we can do is trust in Harmony. The answers will be revealed to us, in
-
time.”
-
-
“So, how vulnerable are we without the Elements?” Anon asked.
-
-
“That is, sadly, a question we can’t fully answer.” Celestia walked over to the
-
tree and looked up into the tangled crystal branches where the six Elements of
-
Harmony glittered like colorful fruit. “But I know the Princesses of this
-
Kingdom will do everything they can should something arise, Elements or not. We
-
are not totally helpless without them.”
-
-
Celestia paused, then slipped one golden shoe from her hoof before gently
-
placing it on her symbol on the tree. Her eyes closed, and for a moment Anon
-
wondered if she had stopped breathing.
-
-
He then walked up and placed his hand on her hoof. It was a simple gesture, but
-
he somehow felt like, in so doing, he had made their relationship all the more
-
real.
-
-
It was an odd but yet wonderful feeling, and he hoped he might feel it more with
-
her. In fact, it matched the feather-like touch of something else deep within
-
the tree that seemed as if it too approved of their pairing, and was looking
-
forward to seeing what kind of fruit they would bear in turn.
-
-
Lifting her hoof off the tree, Celestia looked down at Anon and smiled just as
-
brightly as the sunshine glittering through the crystal tree above them. He
-
returned it in kind, she nuzzled him quickly, and then they both turned back to
-
Twilight.
-
-
“We should probably return to Ponyville now. Do you think I might be able to
-
share a quick tea break with you and your friends before the party? I would like
-
to see how they are all doing.”
-
-
Twilight couldn’t be any happier. “Of course, Princess! We can meet at the
-
library if you’d like.”
-
-
“That sounds wonderful, thank you.”
-
-
Anon gave one last glance to the Tree before he left, but what he then saw made
-
him pause for a moment. Somehow, Celestia’s symbol on the trunk of the tree had
-
changed while they weren’t looking, and the new engraving seemed oddly familiar.
-
Celestia’s stylized sun remained, but now there was a book on top of it, an open
-
book with words that he couldn’t read.
-
-
He glanced back up, and then he blinked. A glint of light had caught his
-
attention, forcing him to look back up at the tree where Celestia’s symbol
-
remained completely unchanged from the first time he had seen it. He blinked
-
several times, then shook his head before turning to follow Celestia out of the
-
beautiful cave. It was probably a trick of the light, or his own tangled
-
thoughts playing tricks with his eyes.
-
-
Still, he took one last look back before they started on their trip back to
-
Ponyville, just to make sure.
-
-
Stranger things had happened, after all.
-
-
-
-
-
-
“I do hope you can forgive my little outburst from this morning, your Highness,”
-
Rarity said with a nervous chuckle, and she smoothed out a non-existent wrinkle
-
from her breezy green summer dress.
-
-
“Call me Anon,” he replied cheerfully. “And I already have.”
-
-
“That is most kind of you,” Rarity replied with a smile.
-
-
“So, how is business for you?” he asked while shifting slightly on his cushion.
-
-
“A bit slow to be honest, darling, but it’ll pick up again soon. I have several
-
fall fashion shows that I’ll be participating in, and that always drums up
-
interest.”
-
-
“That’s good to hear.” Anon took the offered teacup from Twilight with a smile
-
and a quick sip. “Have you ever thought of expanding, maybe opening a second
-
store?”
-
-
“I would love to, but there are some details to take care of before I could do
-
that. Though, if I did, I suppose Canterlot would be a good place to start.”
-
-
“Either there or Manehattan. Canterlot might be more expensive in rent but I’m
-
not sure how their tax rates compare.”
-
-
“That does make a difference. But I do believe Canterlot would have more of the
-
clientele that I’m after. At the very least I have more name recognition in the
-
capitol.”
-
-
“Well, if you do open up there, I will give you my official royal seal of
-
approval and send everyone I know to you.”
-
-
“Why, that would be fabulous, darling!” Rarity positively beamed.
-
-
“Hey, Anon!” Rainbow shouted from the other side of the library. “What kind of
-
tea is this?” She then leaned over and nudged Pinkie Pie, who looked much
-
improved from earlier. “Watch this. His nose is, like, freakishly awesome.”
-
-
Anon frowned. “I don’t know what kind of tea this is.”
-
-
“What? How could you not know? Just smell it.”
-
-
Anon sighed, then dipped down close to the cup. Whatever it was, it wasn’t
-
anything he was remotely familiar with. His parents had always drank smooth,
-
relaxing herbal teas, and whatever this was definitely had more energy to it. He
-
too a deep whiff, then a quick taste.
-
-
“Well?” Rainbow asked immediately.
-
-
Anon fought hard not to gag. “I still don’t know,” he managed to get out. “I’ve
-
never had this type of tea before.”
-
-
“What?! You’re pullin’ my tail. I saw you sniff out those carrots with
-
Fluttershy and the apple trees with A.J.”
-
-
“Food and beverages are two different things,” he replied defensively. “I’ve
-
never been able to tell one tea from another. They all smell pretty much the
-
same to me.”
-
-
“Well that’s lame.”
-
-
Rainbow Dash then found herself at the receiving end of one of Celestia’s
-
patented glares, and the colorful mare chuckled nervously as one of Celestia’s
-
eyebrows slid upwards to emphasize her displeasure. “Uh, I mean…”
-
-
“Everyone’s talents manifest in different ways,” Celestia said in a kind but
-
stern tone. “There is nothing wrong with only being able to distinguish the
-
differences in food. Is Fluttershy ‘lame’ because she does not fly as fast as
-
you? It is the same ability after all.”
-
-
“Of course not! Fluttershy’s flying is perfect!”
-
-
“And so is Anon’s delightful nose.” She displayed her preference by giving said
-
nose a brief kiss, as well as a quick lick to collect the last few drips of tea
-
still on the stubble hairs of his upper lip. “See? He’s delicious,” she added
-
while Anon spluttered.
-
-
“To be fair, I have personally wondered why I’m only good with food,” Anon
-
offered. “I probably need to study my beverages more.”
-
-
“Just be very careful about disparaging others talents and abilities,” Celestia
-
concluded.
-
-
“I will,” Rainbow said morosely.
-
-
“So, since we’re all here,” Twilight cut in now. “I wanted to ask and see if
-
anypony has had any ideas about the chest at the Tree of Harmony?”
-
-
The reply from all was scattered head shaking and murmurs of no.
-
-
“Well, keep your eyes open. You never know where we might find those keys.”
-
-
Anon stuck a hoof in the air. “Have you maybe considered keeping a journal?”
-
-
“A journal?”
-
-
“Yeah. When my family tries to come up with new recipes, we would keep a record
-
of things that we thought might be inspiring, like if the smell of bread baking
-
gave us any thoughts, or if we were travelling somewhere and saw something that
-
looked delicious. Maybe if you each kept a record of your friendship lessons,
-
you could get some inspiration that way. Then, you could share what you’ve seen
-
with one another, and one of you might see something that was missed. Two sets
-
of eyes on an event kinda thing, right?”
-
-
“It would give me a series of data points to correlate,” Twilight mused.
-
-
“And writing down your friendship lessons has given you a lot of insights in the
-
past, right?”
-
-
“Yes, it has. What do you think, girls? I personally think It’s not a bad idea.”
-
-
“It’d help to keep us on the lookout during the day, too,” Applejack stated.
-
“Ah’d be more observant of what’s goin’ on around me if ah know ah’ll be writing
-
it down.”
-
-
The other five then agreed that keeping journals was, at the very least, a good
-
start and better than sitting around and guessing. Twilight agreed to keep the
-
journal collection in the library, but in a place where the girls could get to
-
it whenever they wanted, and then all six thanked Anon for the idea.
-
-
He humbly took the thanks, and then he simply sat back and listened as the
-
Ponyville friends began chatting about their previous adventures with each other
-
and with Celestia. He had, of course, read about some of their adventures in the
-
newspaper back home, but he was interested and quite amazed to hear the smaller
-
stories, like how Applejack and Rainbow Dash had lost a ‘Running of The Leaves’
-
race to Twilight (and she had come in 5th place herself), or how Pinkie Pie had
-
managed to create “at least a hundred dozen copies” of herself in something
-
called a Mirror Pool, if Rainbow’s story was to be believed. He was amazed they
-
had been through so much together, and at how strong the bonds of friendship
-
were between them. It wasn’t hard to see how they had managed to rally together
-
every time Equestria had needed them.
-
-
After perhaps an hour or so of this, Spike entered the library darted into the
-
room with a quick greeting to everypony, and then he whispered something in
-
Pinkie Pie’s ear. As soon as he did so, Pinkie grew a gigantic smile, but when
-
the secret exchange was over Pinkie shooed him back outside quickly.
-
-
“Prince Anon?” she then said. “Could you come over here?”
-
-
He did so with a wary smile, but he felt his excitement inexplicably growing
-
while the other mares in the room surrounded him by the main door.
-
-
“Prince Anon,” Pinkie grandly announced, “it is now high time for…”
-
-
“A PRINCE PARTY!” The Element Bearers all shouted at once. Pinkie then threw
-
open the front door, and a large cheer broke out from the crowd that was
-
assembled outside.
-
-
“C’mon!” Pinkie shouted, as she grabbed his hoof and dragged him outside. “It’s
-
time to par-tay!”
-
-
-
-
-
-
Pinkie Pie was truly a master party planner.
-
-
Anon smiled as he looked over the ponies on the dance floor. The party had been
-
so wonderful that he didn’t really want it to end. He had been worried that
-
Pinkie would go all out and over-the-top, with his face on large poster boards
-
and everything being human-related somehow. Instead, it was much more like a
-
simple birthday party. There were plenty of cupcakes and pies and ice cream to
-
sample.
-
-
There were also plenty of games for ponies to play, with things running from a
-
ring toss and a dunk-the-Mayor tank to Sister Says and tag. The ‘Round With The
-
Prince’ game she had mentioned the other day had actually turned out to be a fun
-
contest to see who could sink a putt from a further distance on a miniature golf
-
green, and he had loved the ‘Guess What is In The Box’ game as well. Upbeat
-
music provided by the local D.J. played in the background, and the yellow
-
balloons scattered about made the whole thing complete. Celestia had happily
-
joined in the festivities, and she even managed to win a small stuffed bear from
-
the ring toss game, much to everypony’s delight.
-
-
At dusk, everything had been put on hold to allow Celestia to lower the sun.
-
There was a respectful reverence as it slid behind Canterlot Mountain, but then
-
there was a large shout and cheer of joy when Luna’s moon drifted upward.
-
-
He secretly hoped Luna had heard it.
-
-
Once done, it was time to dance under the stars. Anon was initially hesitant to
-
join in, since he had no idea how to properly dance. However, once he saw
-
Twilight’s own ‘interpretive effort,’ he decided to simply cut loose and to copy
-
Twilight’s unique—if not a little back-breaking—style. Once that happened,
-
everypony else simply joined in with their own interpretative dances as well,
-
and Anon felt like the fun had been doubled, at least.
-
-
However, the hour was growing late and he had spied his wife yawning daintily
-
behind a hoof once or twice in the last few moments. He knew there was no way
-
either of them were going to escape a wagon load of work tomorrow, and so he
-
took a little initiative and summoned Pinkie Pie over.
-
-
She was somewhat sad at first after he explained it was time for them to leave,
-
but she had also understood and nodded in agreement. She then quickly made her
-
way over to the D.J.—her name was Vinyl Scratch, wasn’t it?—and lifted one
-
headphone off of her ear to speak to her. A nod and then a microphone was given
-
to Pinkie, and the music came to a stop so she could explain.
-
-
“Hey everypony! Are we having a good time?”
-
-
“Yeah!” The crowd roared back.
-
-
“I said, ARE WE HAVING A GOOD TIME?!”
-
-
“YEAH!”
-
-
Pinkie giggled and snorted once. “I think this has been the bestest ‘New Prince
-
in Equestria’ party since the one we had for Shining Armor, am I right?”
-
-
“That was our wedding reception, you hijacker!” Shining shouted.
-
-
“Potato, potahto,” she replied, and everyone laughed. “Sadly, though, the Prince
-
and Princess need to leave. I know!” She added over the sad groans. “I don’t
-
want them to go either, but they have a kingdom to run. So, even though they
-
insist we keep the party going for as long as we want, we’re going to have the
-
last dance now for them and then let them go. Scratch? A little soul if you
-
please.”
-
-
Anon stood and dipped his head towards Celestia as soft and slow music began to
-
play. “May I have this dance, my fair princess?”
-
-
“I would be delighted to,” she replied cheerfully. He offered a hand and she
-
gladly took it, and the crowd parted to allow both sets of Royals to the middle
-
of the floor.
-
-
“You’re going to have to give me some dancing lessons, too,” he remarked. “All I
-
can do is shuffle my feet.”
-
-
“Sometimes that’s all you need to do,” she softly replied, and he smiled as she
-
nuzzled him and then rested her head on his shoulder.
-
-
“Did you ever regret becoming the Princess?” he gently asked while they moved
-
with the other dancers.
-
-
“Regret?”
-
-
“Yeah. Did you ever say to yourself, ‘Self, I wish I had just left well enough
-
alone and remained a unicorn?’”
-
-
“No. If I had, we’d be under fifty feet of ice and snow.”
-
-
“Okay, bad example. Let me rephrase the question. Did you ever want to be a
-
commoner, provided everything else in the kingdom was taken care of?”
-
-
“Did I ever want to step away,” she offered. “Leave it all, be just a normal
-
pony, with normal problems and regular dreams and—”
-
-
He waited for a moment.
-
-
“—and to possibly find my own special somepony. Well, the simple answer is no.”
-
-
“Really?”
-
-
“I never wished to give up the lot I was given. We may not have a choice on the
-
role we play on the stage of life, but we can choose how we perform as the
-
actors. There are some scenes I would redo but, on the whole, I am pleased and
-
grateful for what I have.
-
-
“But I have contemplated how things would have been if I had not been a
-
Princess. I’ve mused about the things I might have done, or the employment I
-
might have had. I did, once or twice, wonder if I might have found a special
-
somepony in that life.”
-
-
She then moved in closer to his ear. “If I had changed any of the details of my
-
life, I might not have ever found you, and that, my dear Anon, would have been
-
the greatest tragedy I would have never known. My lot has now led me to you, and
-
you to me. It is irrelevant to me if I found you by fate, destiny, or sheer dumb
-
luck. What matters is that I did find you.”
-
-
“And despite everything, you want to keep me,” he whispered back. “That is the
-
most incredible part of all this to me. Of all the potential suitors, you hold
-
me dear.”
-
-
“Ask Cadence sometime about the unpredictability of love.” She chuckled. “It is
-
true that there are a thousand other ways I could have fallen for a thousand
-
other people, but from here and forever more, I will want you.”
-
-
His whole body shivered with delight as he heard that sentence. “Then I do
-
believe I shall stay for quite some time. I have found in you something I don’t
-
think I could ever find anywhere else.”
-
-
“You had better stay,” she replied with a playful nip to his ear. “Someone has
-
to help me torment Luna.”
-
-
“We shall be relentless and unstoppable then! Torments untold for the sister!”
-
They laughed together while swirling around one more time on the dance floor
-
before their return to Canterlot. > 19. - 20,000 Leagues >
-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
“Anon?” Celestia’s delectable voice drifted into one of Anon’s ears.
-
-
He replied with a blissful grunt and a quick wiggle into her warm shoulder.
-
-
“A-n-on?” Her dulcet call came with a gentle nibble at the base of his ears.
-
-
“Muh! Guhwai,” he replied with an ill-hidden smirk.
-
-
“Are you sure you want me to do that?” she whispered.
-
-
“Nuh uh. Stay. Cozy.”
-
-
He then wiggled so that more of him was pressed up against her, and she replied
-
with a playful giggle. The wing that had been covering him began to stroke his
-
back, and he let out a full smile and a grunt that any primitive caveman would
-
have been proud of.
-
-
“I stay here with pretty pony princess. Younger sister can raise sun. Hives are
-
fun.”
-
-
“Younger sister looks funny when she breaks out and she gets incredibly
-
grouchy.”
-
-
“There is that.” He grunted, and then he stretched his arms out straight in
-
front of him. “Luna already has it out for me, so I should probably not irk
-
her.”
-
-
“You are filthy,” Celestia noted with a kiss to his cheek.
-
-
“I was bucking apples,” he retorted with a return kiss of his own. “But at least
-
I have been coated in a fine, high-quality soil, which is dirt with a good
-
reputation, if I understand properly.”
-
-
“I see, but now I am dirty too,” she continued. She stood and lifted her wing,
-
which made Anon snicker at the oblong brown smudge he’d left in her immaculate
-
white coat.
-
-
“Oops?” he offered.
-
-
“Oops indeed.” She smiled. “I suppose we shall have to bathe before starting the
-
day.”
-
-
“Bath?” he repeated, and he sat up quickly while shaking his head vehemently.
-
“No way. I had one last year and I’m still good.”
-
-
She gave him a dubious look. “I doubt your hygiene is that poor, especially
-
given your prior profession.”
-
-
“Nope, I’m being totally honest.”
-
-
“One bath since this time last year?”
-
-
“Yep.”
-
-
She then offered a sly smile. “And how many showers do you take in a year?”
-
-
“Um, well...” he sheepishly replied. “Twice a day, so…”
-
-
“Well, it is high time you had another bath,” she declared with a laugh. “If you
-
don’t like this one then you may wait another year.”
-
-
“Fair enough. I have no doubt you will convince me to bathe more frequently.”
-
-
Celestia gave him a quick nip on the neck, then crossed the room and stuck her
-
head out into the hallway for a moment as he stood and shook the last bits of
-
sleep from his hair. She then trotted back, but paused at the doors that led to
-
the balcony.
-
-
“Would you like to join me for the sunrise, Anon?” she asked kindly.
-
-
“Do fish swim?” he replied, and he walked over to her. “I’d love to join you.”
-
-
She giggled at bit at his eagerness, and then they both walked out onto the
-
balcony, side by side. Once they reached the railing at the far end Anon tried
-
to move out of the way, but Celestia’s wing reached out and pulled him into a
-
warm snuggle.
-
-
“If Luna could raise the moon with Star Struck under her wing then I can do the
-
same with you and the sun,” she simply stated.
-
-
“Has raising the sun ever gotten old?” he asked.
-
-
“How so?”
-
-
“Well, you’ve been doing this for over a thousand years. Do you even think about
-
what you’re doing anymore, or it just automatic now, like when a pegasus flaps
-
their wings to fly?”
-
-
“I try to be very mindful of what I am doing, but at times it has become just
-
one of many steps in my morning routine. Doing the same thing every morning will
-
do that.”
-
-
“Huh. So, what helps you to keep it from being ‘just another step?’”
-
-
“I think back to how things were.” She closed her eyes, and Anon could feel the
-
sea of memories flowing to her. “I remember how the unicorn tribe believed
-
themselves superior and how fundamentally wrong that was. I remind myself of the
-
suffering I saw among the earth ponies, the sorrow I felt when I walked amongst
-
half-starved colts and spoke with frozen mothers. I hope I never lose the
-
emotion I have attached to those images of families struggling to survive on the
-
roots and scraps left by Hurricane and her soldiers.
-
-
“Mostly, though, I remind myself of how important my duty is by thinking back to
-
when I first raised the sun. It was peaceful, but beyond any power I had ever
-
experienced in my life. I realized then, as I strained against the weight of it
-
for the first time, that I was controlling the one thing that could bring life
-
or death to untold millions. The very survival of my world and everything that I
-
held dear within it rested upon my back. If I remember the full scope of what I
-
am responsible for, it’s easy to regain the proper perspective.”
-
-
Her horn then lit while she continued to speak, and Anon eagerly watched the
-
eastern horizon. “I suppose the same thing will be true for us. We could become
-
distant due to familiarity.”
-
-
“Then we should remember how we feel right now,” he replied before a blast of
-
pure joy electrified his entire being with the first rays of morning light.
-
-
“I believe that will be quite doable,” she happily replied.
-
-
“But, I really was just expecting you to answer with a simple yes or no.”
-
-
“Have I ever done that?” she asked playfully.
-
-
“No,” he replied with a hug to her neck.
-
-
-
-
-
-
“Now, we can’t spend very long in the tub,” Celestia reminded Anon.
-
-
“Wrinkles?” He lifted a hand. “Mine get all scrunchy after a few hours.”
-
-
“No,” she chided mildly. “We have a lot to catch up on today.”
-
-
“’We?’ You have a lot of work to catch up on. I don’t have any clue about what
-
to do.”
-
-
“Well, that changes today,” she replied as she pushed open the bathroom doors.
-
“If you’re going to be my prince, then I want you to do prince-y things.”
-
-
“That might take awhile, you… realize...”
-
-
Anon’s eyes went wide, and it took him a minute to fully process and admire the
-
opulence before him. The marble tub was closer in size to a swimming pool, large
-
enough to accommodate his entire school swim team and still have room left over
-
for both Celestia and Luna to do the backstroke alongside them. The tub was fed
-
by a large waterfall at the far end of the room that cascaded down several
-
layers of cool grey granite rocks. Similar rocks—which looked very much like
-
enlarged version of those little hot stones Anon had seen used in massage
-
therapy—lined the far edge of the tub and slowly rose from the main level in
-
uneven steps, giving the impression that a pony could climb up to the top of the
-
waterfall and dive in if they wanted to. Thick and verdant foliage ran around
-
the perimeter of the room and bunched up around the gold-trimmed marble pillars,
-
and Anon gawked at the frosted-glass ceiling for a moment as he tried to make
-
out the swirling and swooping patterns. Steam was hugging the water like a soft,
-
semi-transparent blanket, and he could feel his muscles relaxing just from
-
thinking about the temperature. His feet stepped alongside hers as they crossed
-
the checkerboard tiles that ran up to and around the sparkling blue water, and
-
he was eager to hop in, if he could only find the diving board.
-
-
At a momentary loss for words, Anon focused on something simpler. There were
-
small clumps of suds being churned up by the waterfall, swirling around in the
-
currents, and building up into frothy peaks in the corners of the immense tub.
-
“It smells like strawberry bubble bath. Right?”
-
-
“You would be correct,” Celestia happily replied. “And there are enough for
-
however many bubbles you desire.”
-
-
Anon whistled. “How deep is it? I never learned how to swim.”
-
-
“You may want to stay away from the middle, then. The tub is deep enough to
-
allow me to be fully submerged, even if I am standing.”
-
-
“So if this is the bath, why is your shower so small and plain?”
-
-
“It’s only been used for one before,” she responded, then wrinkled up her nose
-
with a smile. “No, I tried to keep my personal quarters simple when the palace
-
was constructed, but there are some ponies who just get...” She paused, looking
-
at the waterfall cascading down the back of the room.
-
-
“Carried away?” asked Anon. “I think I understand how that can happen.”
-
-
Celestia preened under the praise and continued. “This was built without my
-
approval by a certain earth pony foreman who had a little too much access to the
-
Royal Treasury for his own good. He thought he was getting in on my good graces.
-
I then insisted that my shower and other facilities be unadorned and simple to
-
make up for this, and twice a week there is an open plunge for the staff and
-
their families.”
-
-
“Not a bad perk,” he replied, and he started to undress.
-
-
“Not at all.”
-
-
“Oh! Wait! I need to grab something,” he suddenly announced, and he darted
-
towards the bedroom.
-
-
“What are you doing?”
-
-
“Nothing! I’ll be right back!”
-
-
She chuckled with the thought of Luna giving him a hard time about how he was
-
actually doing something, but then she simply shook her head in amusement and
-
entered the tub. The water was the exact perfect temperature, and she sighed as
-
she felt the tension in her muscles melt away.
-
-
She then flipped onto her back, spread her wings fully, closed her eyes, and
-
then simply floated in bubbly goodness. Baths were a bit of a luxury for her as
-
well, simply due to time constraints, but when she was able to sneak one in she
-
reveled in it. Now that she had a special somepony to share them with, she was
-
highly inclined to bathe more and shower less.
-
-
She giggled a bit with the thought. A special somepony. It was quite enjoyable
-
to have the words apply to her. Her own Anon to hold, and to snuggle, and to
-
kiss.
-
-
Oh, and they were going to. She had to fight back a constant urge to bar every
-
door, pin him in place with her magic, and then smother him with kisses, but her
-
Anon would soon find out that even her willpower had its limits. Whoever said
-
the waiting was the best parts was a liar. There were a lot of best parts she
-
was looking forward to just as much or more. Her new husband just needed a
-
little bit more time to adjust to his new life, and then…
-
-
And then life would be perfect.
-
-
She floated with this happy thought for a moment, but then gave herself a small
-
dose of reality. Her married life might be perfect at that point, but life in
-
general would not be. Though Equestria was peaceful and prosperous, there were
-
still plenty of threats, and eventually they both would have to deal with them.
-
Chrysalis and her Changelings were still loose out in the Badlands, for one
-
example, and they could very well try to return.
-
-
She then frowned. Was Anon a changeling? Could he be an imposter?
-
-
The thought left her mind as quickly as it came while Celestia remembered their
-
dance from last night. He was real, he was a human male, and he was really hers.
-
The thought of him being a changeling was impossible based on his actions, his
-
nervousness, and his eagerness to be respectful of her. He was giving her love,
-
and that was a concept that changelings simply couldn’t comprehend.
-
-
She giggled a bit when she heard steps on tiles. She bit her lower lip in
-
mischievousness, gauged where Anon would be—an impressive feat, if she did say
-
so herself, given that her ears were underwater—and then quickly lashed out with
-
her magic, seized him, and flung him in a neat arc into the bath.
-
-
She began laughing as she flipped and stood up, but her mood instantly ran into
-
horror when she saw that the person she had caught was not Anon.
-
-
“HAST THOU GONE COMPLETELY DAFT?!” Luna bellowed in the Royal Voice at her
-
sister after she breached the surface like a furious whale. She then began
-
hacking and wheezing to clear the water from her lungs, and Celestia moved over
-
to assist.
-
-
“I am so sorry, Luna! I thought you were Anon!”
-
-
“Thou didst believe me to be Anon?!” She coughed again and glared as she pulled
-
her mane out of her eyes. “How could thy magic not detect the weight difference
-
between us?”
-
-
“Lulu, I swear, you felt about the same as Anon.”
-
-
“But, of a truth, I am larger than he.”
-
-
“I know, I know.”
-
-
Luna coughed one last time, but then glanced behind and looked at her flank.
-
“You are speaking truly, Sister?”
-
-
“On my word of honor, you did not feel any heavier than Anon.”
-
-
“Hm! Perhaps those rice cakes are working then,” she replied, while giving her
-
hips a slight shake.
-
-
Anon then entered again, humming a happy little tune and holding a small rubber
-
duck in one hand. He stopped once he saw Luna wiggling her rear in the tub, gave
-
a small shriek of alarm, and quickly grabbed a nearby towel to hold in front of
-
him as he looked back to Celestia.
-
-
“Both of you?” Anon’s eyes darted back and forth, and he took a step backwards.
-
“I didn’t think Luna would be joining our bath.”
-
-
“That makes two of us.” Luna tossed back a lock of sodden dark mane. “I was
-
merely stopping by to inform you that the Duke of Maretonia has had to cancel
-
his visit. I had no intention of staying, but since I am in here and sopping wet
-
anyway I might as well join you.”
-
-
“So, how did you end up in there?”
-
-
Celestia’s ears folded back, and she let out an uneasy chuckle. “I thought she
-
was you and I dunked her.”
-
-
“Oh! So, thank you for saving me from that, I guess?”
-
-
“I hope you appreciate my sacrifices for you, Anon,” Luna dryly offered while
-
she removed her wet regalia and placed it on a small pile of towels.
-
-
“What do you have there, Anon?” Celestia asked.
-
-
“Oh! This?” he looked at the toy in his hand. “It’s just a little rubber duckie.
-
I bought him the morning of our first meeting at the train station.”
-
-
“May I see it?”
-
-
Anon nodded and entered the tub with a smile, but he paused and shuddered in
-
delight when the water washed over his torso. “Wow, this feels good. I don’t
-
know if I’ll ever get out again.”
-
-
Celestia giggled while she watched Anon walk over to her, his feet bouncing
-
against the floor and propelling him forward. “That would be nice, but don’t
-
forget about the wrinkles.”
-
-
“Out of curiosity, do you know how to swim, Anon?” Luna asked.
-
-
“Not really,” he replied to her while handing the duck over to Celestia. “I can
-
doggie paddle but not much else.”
-
-
“This is a cute toy,” Celestia remarked while Anon sat down on the bench next to
-
her. “I like his little smile.”
-
-
“Yeah, I saw him in one of the stores and I thought he’d make a good little
-
memento of my visit to Canterlot. Since I’m going to live here now I figured I
-
should let him swim free.”
-
-
Celestia put the duck on the water and gave it a soft push. It floated along, as
-
happy as any little rubber duckie had ever been, and even Luna chuckled a bit.
-
-
“I will admit the grin is cute,” she remarked. “He will be most welcome here.”
-
-
“Anon, could you scrub between my wings?” Celestia asked, as she floated a soft,
-
silver colored scrub brush over to him. “Please?”
-
-
There was no way Anon was going to refuse. He took the brush and softly worked
-
in some soap, but then kept going onto her neck and withers. She didn’t say
-
anything, but the hum of satisfaction told Anon how much she enjoyed his actions
-
beyond what any phrase could.
-
-
While he scrubbed, Anon’s mind began to ponder what was happening at that
-
moment. He knew full well that Celestia’s beauty had been known for centuries.
-
Sonnets had been written about it, pictures had been painted on the subject, and
-
there was a good possibility wars had been fought over the matter. Though Luna
-
arguably held the advantage in dark allure and mysterious seduction, it was
-
Celestia who time and again was considered the consummate and preeminent example
-
of the Equine ideal. Every angle, every curve, every part and portion of this
-
Mare among mares was what defined the word ‘beautiful.’
-
-
So far, he had managed to suppress that knowledge by reminding himself that he
-
was associating with Princess Celestia, and that it was very uncouth, at the
-
least, to think of your liege in such a crude manner.
-
-
But now she was here, inches away from him. He could smell the softness of her
-
coat, he could feel the silk of her mane, and he could not avert his eyes from
-
the pure perfection that was before him. Even her very pose at the moment could
-
not be any more enticing; she simply sat, her body tilted slightly forward and
-
her wings lowered softly into the water but oh-so slightly angled to allow Anon
-
to scrub. Her mane was still dripping, but she had pulled it over one shoulder
-
and twisted it once to keep it from interfering in Anon’s work, and her head and
-
neck were angled down as she looked into the water before her.
-
-
Anon swallowed hard. The vision of perfection before him was his wife. Try as he
-
might, he could not simply call her Princess anymore and be done. By law and by
-
love, she was just as much his as he was hers.
-
-
And then his gaze went to his own reflection in the silver of the brush.
-
Granted, the image was distorted, but it still held enough truth in it to remind
-
Anonymous of what he really was.
-
-
A fool.
-
-
Oh, how he wished he had more strength against these feelings of doubt and
-
inadequacy! Celestia had told him several times that she loved him, that she
-
cared for him, that she found him attractive and cute.
-
-
But the reflection in the brush just simply couldn’t be all that. He had no
-
charms, no grace. He dark, or mysterious like Star Struck had been. He wasn’t
-
well built, nor did he have roguish charm or stylish mane like Shining Armor
-
had.
-
-
He had nothing, especially when placed next to her.
-
-
Tears started to silently trickle down his cheeks as he resumed scrubbing. Yes,
-
Celestia said she loved him, but how could that ever be true? He just couldn’t
-
comprehend it. How could the apex of Ponydom find anything attractive or
-
redeeming in him, a mere smudge?
-
-
“Anon, is everything okay?”
-
-
He quickly dipped his head in the water as she glanced back toward him. He
-
didn’t want her to see this. His tears would only make things worse.
-
-
After a moment, he pulled himself back out of the water. “Lost the brush.”
-
-
“It’s in your hand,” she gently pointed out.
-
-
“Huh, how about that?” He went back to scrubbing, and he fought against himself
-
to keep his emotions in check. Celestia didn’t need his insecurities on top of
-
everything else she needed to deal with.
-
-
“Are you sure you’re alright? I thought I heard you sniffling.”
-
-
“Yup, I’m just fine,” he said. He tried desperately to have it come out in a
-
normal tone, but it came out so meekly and quietly that even Fluttershy would
-
have been impressed.
-
-
“He likes what he is seeing right now,” Luna quipped with a devious grin.
-
“Garbanzo and Lima are going to get those grandfoals sooner than they think.”
-
-
Anonymous deliberately dropped the scrub brush that time and then immediately
-
went under after it. Why did she have to say that?! Of course he liked what he
-
saw, that was the whole problem!
-
-
He stayed under for a moment as he pretended to search for the brush. He could
-
make it through this. He could. He just had to keep those ridiculous emotions of
-
his in check until he could get himself back to baseline. It hurt him to think
-
of the hurt he would cause Celestia by not believing what she had said.
-
-
As he came back up that time, however, he felt her twist him so he came up
-
facing away from her. She then pulled him into a tight hug, and her breath
-
tickled his ear.
-
-
“Don’t block me out, Anon,” she whispered. “Talk to me. I am here to help you,
-
to comfort you, and to love you. You will hurt me far more if you withdraw into
-
yourself and push me away then you ever could by being open with me.”
-
-
She then started nipping in his hair and around his ears, and he forced himself
-
to enjoy what she was doing. Though his fears and insecurities remained, they
-
were made manageable and tolerable as she tugged and pulled and snuck quick
-
pecks in on his cheeks and neck.
-
-
“Why?” he finally whispered.
-
-
He felt her lips brush his ear. “Because with you, dear Love, I am home.”
-
-
He dipped his head in pure shame, and the tears flowed freely.
-
-
“Why can I not believe that?” he whispered through the tears. “Why is that so
-
hard for me to accept?”
-
-
“I do believe I have some moon rocks to sort,” Luna suddenly announced, and she
-
paddled quickly to the ramp leading out of the tub. Water cascaded in small
-
rivlets down her flanks and off of her mane, and a small puddle formed around
-
her hooves when she paused at the top and looked back at Anon. “May I offer one
-
bit of advice, from an old nag to a young buck?”
-
-
He nodded, and she flashed a knowing smile.
-
-
“Doubt your doubts before you doubt your love for—and of—my sister.”
-
-
She then levitated a few towels onto her barrel and began to dry herself off as
-
she left the room.
-
-
“She left her crown,” Anon noted.
-
-
“She’ll get it later,” Celestia replied. “We need to discuss this.”
-
-
She then released him and guided him to the built-in bench she was sitting on
-
herself. A wing slowly stretched out, as if to wrap around him in comfort, but
-
it then retreated and settled on her side.
-
-
“I hate not having the words to say what I’m feeling,” he muttered with his gaze
-
on his reflection in the water. “I wish I had your eloquence.”
-
-
“Sometimes there are no words for your true feelings. When people say they love
-
each other, it usually means something much deeper than what is generally
-
defined as ‘love.’”
-
-
He chuckled sadly but his gaze remained downcast. “That sounds like something
-
Cadence would say.”
-
-
“She may be the Princess of Love, but she had to learn the concept from
-
somewhere.”
-
-
“I suppose that’s true. I just…” He grunted in frustration.
-
-
“Take your time,” she offered.
-
-
“You tell me you love me. I see that you love me, I feel that you love me, and
-
you act as one would who is in love. But when you sway your hips at me, or when
-
you start bathing and don’t even try to entice me, I find I am drawn to you, but
-
then I remember who I really am.”
-
-
The water had settled enough that Anon could see his face within it, and he
-
glared at the pathetic man he saw. “I’m nothing more than a common, low-brow
-
yokel who has no place, right, or business in your life. Every time I take a few
-
little steps on that bridge over the gap between us, I remember that and I run
-
right back to where I am safe, and I hate myself for doing so. You, as the
-
perfect picture of female beauty, are weighed down and fettered with me.” A tear
-
slid down his cheek and ripped the water. “A human who looks like a bag of stale
-
popcorn.”
-
-
“Do you believe yourself to be unattractive?”
-
-
“I find it hard to comprehend that I have something you like, or that you want.
-
What could you possibly find enticing about me?”
-
-
“Let me first say that I am quite flattered that you consider me to be the
-
ultimate in beauty.” She offered a warm smile. “There are many who would
-
disagree with you on that point. In all honesty, Luna is probably considered to
-
be better looking than I am.
-
-
“But if I am understanding you correctly, you feel that you do not possess
-
anything that I should find attractive, and yet you believe me when I say I love
-
you.”
-
-
“I’m just a fun little dichotomy, aren’t I?”
-
-
“I’ll let the aren’t slide since you managed to use dichotomy in a sentence
-
properly. May I share something with you?”
-
-
He looked up at her and nodded sadly. “I need all the help I can get.”
-
-
“When did you first feel the embers in your heart?”
-
-
He looked down again. “That first night, when you read my henscratch. I felt…
-
complete, I guess. I even wanted the feeling to continue.”
-
-
“Hmm. And then yesterday, you did say you could love me despite any darkness you
-
found in my past.”
-
-
“I did, yes.”
-
-
“Is that still true?”
-
-
“Yes,” he quietly offered.
-
-
“Do you love me?” she flat asked.
-
-
Anon did not hesitate. “I do, yes.”
-
-
“Then remember that, when the doubts come. Luna mentioned the other day that
-
you’re fighting twenty-odd years of conditioning. It’s not so easy to push past
-
my exterior of Princess and see down to my Celly. But I think you can, and that
-
you will.”
-
-
“You do?”
-
-
She nodded. “Doubts are natural, Anon. If things had been different and you had
-
somehow married Sego Lily, they very well could have surfaced in their own way
-
with her. It just becomes amplified and magnified when you’re with me. It’s not
-
a surprise.”
-
-
“But I don’t want to keep feeling this way. I hate thinking these thoughts. It
-
seems like I’m betraying you all over again when I do.”
-
-
Celestia smiled. “Perhaps there is a way I can help with that. Do you trust me?”
-
-
“Of course.”
-
-
Celestia’s horn flared, and the bathroom faded out of sight. In fact, everything
-
left his view. He felt a small twinge of panic as he looked around for any sort
-
of light. “Celly? Where are you?”
-
-
“I’m right here,” she instantly replied.
-
-
“Where?”
-
-
“I am all around you. You won’t be able to see me here, so don’t try to. Feel me
-
instead.”
-
-
Anon decided the best way to do that was by flailing his arms in front of him.
-
-
“No, no. Not like that. Reach out with your heart. I can see you, after all.”
-
-
There was a pause for a moment as Anon tried to figure out how to do this, but
-
he then relaxed, and began thinking of her. He thought of her kindness, her soft
-
words and her smile. He thought about how he had felt when she’d raised the sun
-
that morning.
-
-
And slowly, he began to see her. It was blurry at first, but after a few moments
-
of effort he was able to bring her into focus.
-
-
But it wasn’t quite her. Before him was a unicorn, with a soft pink mane and
-
light grey coat. She stood at about half his height, but there was no mistaking
-
those eyes.
-
-
This was his beloved wife.
-
-
“There you go,” she said happily. “Notice anything different?”
-
-
“One or two things, yes.”
-
-
“This place is, in simple terms, a place of feelings. While here, you see with
-
your heart, not your eyes. This is the Celestia you love: the one who is just
-
Celly. Luna’s advice is, indeed, wise council. Doubt your doubts before you
-
doubt this. Your love is true, Anon, and it is right. Don’t be ashamed that you
-
feel inadequate. You’re not the only one.”
-
-
She then pointed down, and Anon looked. They were both standing on what appeared
-
to be a mirror or some other sort of reflecting surface, but the other side
-
showed something completely different that what he was expecting.
-
-
The reflection showed Celestia, but as an old and wrinkled mare, with dark
-
splotches on her sides, a grey mane and shaking knees. Her head was near the
-
ground and her back was bowed, but yet she still managed to look royal and
-
regal.
-
-
Next to her, and where his reflection was, stood a strong and noble-looking
-
human. Straight off the cover of some romance novel, the image was
-
broad-chested, with a chiseled chin, and stood taller than Celestia usually did.
-
Anon could hardly believe that the reflection was him. If this other human
-
didn’t have his green skin, he could have easily passed off the stud as one of
-
the innumerable nobility that he had seen in one of those fairy tales from earth
-
he read as a kid.
-
-
“This is how I see you, Anon: strong, firm, and handsome. You are a dedicated
-
and devoted man, and one who will remain faithful to me forever.”
-
-
“But you look...”
-
-
“I am old, Anon, in heart and in body. I may not look like it or act like it,
-
but I certainly feel it. Most of the time, I can forget that detail by diverting
-
my attention into work or helping my little ponies, but I never can totally
-
escape it. I have had moments—several moments, in fact—when I wonder why a man
-
like you would find an ancient geezer like me attractive. I don’t consider
-
myself to be the most beautiful pony in all the land, but if you do then that is
-
enough.
-
-
“The next time those doubts come, come back to here. Come back to when you first
-
knew, and to what you know. It may take years, it may take decades. But if you
-
will trust me, and trust your own heart, then you will eventually overcome those
-
doubts. Truth always wins out in the end.”
-
-
He nodded, and a grand feeling of joy spread over him as the world around them
-
faded away and reality came back. Once he felt like he had fully returned to the
-
bathroom, he saw he had turned again, his arms around his beloved Celly and hers
-
around him, as well as her wings. They were nose to nose, and he quickly became
-
captivated by those divinely magenta eyes.
-
-
“And in the most unsurprising revelation in the history of Equestria, green just
-
happens to be my favorite color,” she softly whispered. “To me, the shade of
-
your skin is the exact shade of happiness one gets from a bright summer’s day.
-
Don’t ever be ashamed of that.”
-
-
“Thank you,” he whispered, and his heart began thumping with delight as he felt
-
his lips moving towards hers.
-
-
A voice then decided to rudely cut into the serenity from behind them. “Your
-
Highnesses?”
-
-
“Seriously?” Celestia grunted out in a whisper, but then she put on the most
-
diplomatic smile Anon had ever seen, a radiant display of happy cheeks and
-
gleaming teeth that would have sent any diplomat screaming for home in terror.
-
“Yes, Wysteria? What is it?”
-
-
“I really do hate to interrupt, but you have a meeting with the Minister of
-
Transportation in twenty minutes.”
-
-
“We will be out momentarily.”
-
-
Wysteria wisely didn’t move, however, so Celestia released Anon and grabbed the
-
brush. She then gave Anon a furious scrubbing from head to feet, and he dunked
-
himself to rinse and thus finish the process. Celestia then handed him the brush
-
and lifted her wing, and Anon began scrubbing the long dark stain he’d left on
-
her.
-
-
Out of the corner of his eye he saw movement, and he glanced up to see Wysteria
-
mouthing and pointing.
-
-
Scrub where her wing meets her body.
-
-
He cocked an eyebrow, matched her slightly devious smile, and moved the brush up
-
to the indicated spot.
-
-
Celestia then let out a very unregal screech and leaned back. “Stop that.”
-
-
“Stop what?” he asked innocently.
-
-
Celestia glanced back at Wysteria, then leaned back in towards Anon. “I’m
-
ticklish right there.”
-
-
“Oh really?” he asked, and then he began scrubbing the ticklish spot furiously.
-
-
“No! Ah!” She laughed and snatched the brush from him, but he simply moved in
-
with his own fingers.
-
-
“Right there?! Are you sure?”
-
-
“Stop it, stop it!” she giggled furiously. “This is unfair! I can’t ge-yah!”
-
-
Wysteria smiled smugly as she left the scene of the now furious splash fight. >
-
20. - Meetings, Meals and Makeovers >
-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
“Wow, that was boring.” Anon couldn’t stop the truth from spilling out. “I could
-
also use tedious, trite, monotonous, stupefying, dull, and to get any further,
-
I’m going to need a thesaurus and a few minutes to find the really good words.”
-
-
“That it was, but it was also very important.” Celestia gave his cheek a kiss
-
before they began walking down the hall. “The wrong gravel will lead to drainage
-
issues and flooding, just as Minister Dusty Bottoms said.”
-
-
“Yeah, but still. Two hours to talk about rocks? And not even big rocks.
-
Teeny-weeny rocks just the right size and made out of just the right rock-stuff
-
to allow drainage without clumping or shifting. And what’s worse, I think I was
-
starting to understand him at the end there, just about the time my brain
-
started oozing out of my ears from boredom.”
-
-
“I’m afraid this is what the life of royalty is really like. There will be a
-
healthy amount of tedium in your days from here on out.”
-
-
“Well, I’ll just stay by you then. I bet we can liven things up together.”
-
-
“Don’t tempt me.” She giggled with him. “I believe it will take very little to
-
convince me to engage in your ‘nefarious’ plots.”
-
-
“Auntie Celestia! Anon!” Cadence called out from behind. The newest and yet
-
oldest royal couple paused, and both smiled as they turned to greet her.
-
-
“Good morning, Cadence,” Celestia warmly greeted her niece. “You seem to be
-
missing somepony.”
-
-
“I don’t know where he ran off to. I was actually hoping you’d seen him.”
-
-
“No, I’m afraid we haven’t,” Celestia replied, and Anon shook his head to
-
emphasize the point. “We’ve been in a meeting for most of the morning.”
-
-
“Where’d he go, then?” Cadence asked herself.
-
-
“I’m sure he’s around here somewhere. Have you checked with the guards?”
-
-
“A couple of them, but they haven’t seen him either. Or they’re covering for one
-
of his Hocus Pocus: The Get-Together games. He mentioned something about
-
perfecting his agro deck last week.”
-
-
“Well, he couldn’t have gotten too far away. It is possible he was called away
-
to deal with an issue within the ranks of his guards.”
-
-
It was just then that Sergeant Pokey rounded the corner and cleared his throat.
-
“Excuse me, Your Highnesses, but Captain Armor wants me to inform you that he
-
has lunch ready in the private gardens. He will receive you at your leisure.”
-
-
Cadence instantly went from worried to delighted. “He made lunch? That is so
-
sweet! He hasn’t tried to cook since the talking cake incident.”
-
-
“Talking cake?” Anon asked.
-
-
“He somehow used an animation spell on a two-layer chocolate cake he made for
-
me,” Cadence explained, as they all began walking with the sergeant towards the
-
gardens. “It was a lovely cake but it kept shouting and hurling insults at us in
-
Neighponese for some reason.”
-
-
“So what did you do with it?”
-
-
“Well, it wasn’t easy to find a translator, but apparently it had anger
-
management issues stemming from when it was just a little Bundt cake and its
-
cocoa father left its milk mother. We got it into some counseling, and now it’s
-
on a speaking tour of the Empire, sharing motivational advice and positive,
-
life-affirming lessons. Eventually it would like to settle down with a cute
-
cream puff and have some mini lava cakes of its own.”
-
-
Anon really didn’t know what to say to that.
-
-
“I told him he needed to work on his animation spells,” Celestia casually
-
replied. “He had a whole room of spears dancing around once with no way of
-
stopping them.”
-
-
“Oh, but I’m sure he’s gotten better, though. He wouldn’t have tried cooking
-
again if he didn’t feel confident.”
-
-
“Do you seriously have a talking cake walking around the Crystal Empire?” Anon
-
blurted.
-
-
Celestia bit her lower lip to hold back a snicker but Cadence remained calm.
-
“Why would you doubt my story, Anon?”
-
-
“Because if a cake had come to life in my house my mom would have stabbed it to
-
death and then my dad would have sold it for twenty percent off.”
-
-
Celestia did snicker that time.
-
-
“All right, you got me,” Cadence replied with a laugh. “The cake started
-
talking, yes; but as soon as it said that it was going to go straight to my hips
-
I cancelled the animation spell on it. Sadly, I remember it being a bit dry
-
too.”
-
-
Anon chuckled with the other two. “You had me worried there for a minute. I
-
guess Shining Armor needs to learn how to put chocolate pudding in his cake mix
-
and I need to learn how to be less gullible.”
-
-
“That’s not so easy, given your present company,” Cadence said. “I remember
-
Auntie Celestia pulling a few fast ones on me.”
-
-
“If you can be good-natured about our teasing you’ll be fine,” Celestia added.
-
“And you’re welcome to try to get one on us as well.”
-
-
“Right.” He gave them both a flat smile. “Nothing possibly could go wrong with
-
that.”
-
-
The three of them chatted about a couple of their favorite stunts and pranks as
-
they made their way out to the gardens. Anon was interested to find that this
-
little area was walled in and guarded, but yet open enough to allow perhaps
-
forty ponies or so at any one time. Other than that, it was a miniature of the
-
regular gardens: stone paths, two or three small statues, a quaint pond near the
-
middle, and small flower patches spread here and there. It was pleasant, and
-
Anon liked it.
-
-
“You know, I have been neglecting that corner of the gardens for too long.”
-
Celestia glanced up to Anon and gave him a smile that was brighter than her own
-
sun. “I think I should plant some sunflowers over there. They would be just
-
perfect, and add some much needed life and color.”
-
-
“I dunno,” he said with a wary grin. “There’s some weird pests that get into
-
them. You’ll have to be careful.”
-
-
“Mm, I think the risk is acceptable.”
-
-
More laughter came with this, and the Royals then found Shining Armor near the
-
pond and under a stately and shady oak tree, a large red-checkered tablecloth
-
beneath him. He smiled and waved once they made eye contact, and he pulled a
-
rather sizeable picnic basket from the side of the tree as they finished walking
-
over.
-
-
“Shining Armor, you stupendous stallion!” Cadence gushed. “You made us a picnic
-
lunch!”
-
-
“I thought I would try and give Anon some competition,” he replied, with a wide
-
grin. “It’s nothing fancy, but I think it’ll work.”
-
-
Cadence peered in the basket, giggled a bit, and then levitated the plates and
-
cutlery out as Anon and Celestia sat down together. It only took a moment for
-
the picnic items to be distributed, and Anon thanked Cadence when she presented
-
him with a fluted glass filled to the brim with freshly squeezed lemonade.
-
-
-
-
-
“So, Chef Armor, what exquisite cuisine have you created for our enjoyment?”
-
Anon asked.
-
-
“Well, I tried to channel my inner gourmet chef as I prepared this, so I have a
-
three-course meal. For the appetizer, I have fried green tomatoes.”
-
-
“Oo, those look good,” Cadence remarked as Shining levitated a bowl of them out.
-
“You did this by yourself?”
-
-
“Chef Beet may have given me a few pointers, but I did do most of it. Please,
-
dig in!”
-
-
Anon took a bite, chewed thoughtfully for a moment, then forced his face to a
-
pleased neutral. He didn’t need to critique this, he just needed to enjoy it.
-
-
And, in fairness, they were decent. A touch on the thin side, now that he took a
-
good look at them, and a bit too thick on the breading. He also had used
-
tomatoes that were a shade too green, and they were nearly swimming in pepper.
-
Shining had let the frying oil get too hot, so the outside was seared dark while
-
the insides were barely cooked. They were crunchy little concoctions, but they
-
were made with love for those who he loved, and that was all that mattered.
-
-
Anon listened politely and tried not to crunch too loudly while Shining and
-
Cadence discussed some things relating to the Crystal Empire over with Celestia
-
as they ate. Production was up, and the manufacturing of crystal related items
-
was really beginning to take off, but the overall capacity to manufacture was
-
still stunted and the ability to get it to market was a concern as well. A few
-
ideas were thrown about on how to alleviate these problems, and Celestia also
-
encouraged them to work on broadening their industries so they could better
-
weather any potential downturns in the economy.
-
-
Then the main course came out: daisy sandwiches. Anon smirked a bit as Shining
-
described how he had slaved and toiled over a hot oven to make the sandwiches
-
perfect, but he said nothing and allowed the Captain to play it up. He didn't
-
like daisies, because humans and eating flowers didn't mix well, but that was
-
alright.
-
-
“Anon, are you okay?” Celestia asked. “You seem awfully quiet.”
-
-
“Oh, I’m fine; I’m just listening. I don’t have anything to add to a discussion
-
on factory output and logistical concerns.”
-
-
“Well then, let’s change the subject,” Cadence replied. “We did come here to get
-
to know you better, Uncle Anon.”
-
-
“And I thought Prince Anon was going to be weird to hear.” He chuckled.
-
-
“It’ll grow on you. I know! Let’s play a game.”
-
-
Shining gave his wife a knowing look. “Twenty Questions?”
-
-
She smiled at him smugly. “Twenty questions, but I think we’ll just do a couple
-
for today.”
-
-
Anon smiled a bit as he glanced between them. “I get the feeling this is not the
-
twenty questions I’m familiar with.”
-
-
“No, I’ve modified it a bit. I would play this with my new clients when I was a
-
foalsitter to help break the ice and to get to know the foal I was watching. I
-
ask a question about you and then you ask me a question. It’s a fun way to learn
-
about a pony, or human, and I usually gave a little toy or permission to stay up
-
past bedtime as a reward.”
-
-
“Can I not answer a question?”
-
-
“You can. The fun of it gets ruined otherwise.”
-
-
“All right,” Anon said with a smile. “Why don’t we all try it. This does sound
-
kinda fun.”
-
-
“We’ll start with you, then. What is your favorite color?”
-
-
“Well, it was red but I’m thinking I like white now,” he replied, with a smile
-
for his wife.
-
-
“Fair enough. Your turn now.”
-
-
“One for you, my dear Celly, and it’s one I was going to ask about yesterday.
-
What was with that question you asked Twilight about the square root of a
-
negative number?”
-
-
“Oh, that.” Celestia tittered a bit. “Twilight is a remarkable and intelligent
-
young mare, but she has always had a tendency to obsess and fixate on details,
-
as Cadence can attest to. Finally, in a fit of annoyance and desperation one day
-
as she was prattling on about how I needed to conduct her math review before her
-
first recess, I asked her that question. She ground to a stop, just like
-
yesterday, and we later established that question—exactly the way I phrased
-
it—as a signal for her to stop and to listen to me. It has been some time since
-
I’ve had to ask her that, though.”
-
-
“My turn to ask.” Shining smiled deviously. “Anon, did you go to public or
-
private school, and in either case, could you stand the meals they provided?”
-
-
“That’s two questions,” Anon noted.
-
-
“So answer twice.”
-
-
Anon rolled his eyes a bit. “All right. I went to public school, and yes, I ate
-
school lunch most of the time. My family being in the business they were in
-
meant that a home lunch was always over-complicated.
-
-
“In fact, there’s a kinda funny story with that. First day of kindergarten,
-
right? Little Anon is elated to go, and my parents let me make my own lunch for
-
the first day. I was so eager to show off what I’d made, and to see what
-
everyone else had, ‘cause obviously everyone works in a restaurant and has
-
access to premium ingredients.
-
-
“So we get to lunch. I sit down at the table, and I pull out a little napkin and
-
put it in my lap before I begin, all proper and neat. I then started to unpack.
-
-
“Now, of course the other kids have the usual stuff—peanut butter and jelly, hay
-
chips, little sandwich cookies, the like—and then Little Anon pulls out a mixed
-
greens salad lightly tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette dressing, a glazed
-
vegetable dumpling the size of my five year old hand, a small container of apple
-
puree—not applesauce, mind you, there is a difference—and six ounces of grape
-
juice that was less than twelve hours old. I remember getting it all set up,
-
grabbing my fork, and then finally looking around at what everypony else had. I
-
was shocked they all had such common fare and they were all astonished that I
-
had such fancy food. I think I spent most of that lunch trying to get my
-
classmates to pronounce vinaigrette properly.
-
-
“And the worst part?” he added as they all laughed lightly at the story. “The
-
worst was when I pulled out my dessert. I had a homemade pudding that was so
-
rich and creamy it made everyone’s mouth water, including Missus Willow’s. I had
-
to bring a tub of it with me the next day to share with everyone.”
-
-
“I would love to taste your pudding. Could you show me how to make it?” Celestia
-
asked with a sly smile.
-
-
“I’ll show you how to make it tonight, how’s that?” said Anon, trying to figure
-
out why Cadence was snickering into a hoof and Shining Armor had turned away to
-
cough vigorously into his napkin. “What did I say?”
-
-
“I’ll tell you when you’re older,” Shining replied somehow.
-
-
Anon shrugged before turning back to his wife. “Is that acceptable?” he added.
-
-
“It sounds delightful,” Celestia replied with a quick nip of his ear.
-
-
“Good. Now, let’s see.” Anon thought for a moment. “Cadence, have you ever
-
regretted helping two ponies fall in love?”
-
-
“No,” she cheerfully answered. “But I don’t force ponies to fall in love either.
-
That makes all the difference. I just help them to see what they already have.”
-
-
“Wow. Not one, not ever?”
-
-
“Not a one. Now, some relationships haven’t worked out, but even then they
-
stayed friends. So I haven’t had any regrets⁽*⁾.” (*) Except for the guppies.
-
Don’t ask about the guppies.
-
-
“I hope that continues,” Celestia remarked. “Perfect streaks are hard to
-
maintain, however.”
-
-
Anon somehow felt that she was speaking from some personal experience.
-
-
“It may happen one day, but even then I'll keep at it,” Cadence said.
-
-
Anon felt impressed, and he was sure it showed. Cadence’s devotion to her craft
-
was inspiring, to say the least.
-
-
“One from me,” Celestia stated. “Where does the phrase ‘bite the bark’ come
-
from?”
-
-
“Ah yes. That just bites the bark, doesn’t it?” Anon paused for a moment and
-
gathered the details he would need in his head. “Honestly, no one in my family
-
is totally sure where it came from or how it started. However, folklore tells of
-
an ancient family member, the first to take up a ladle and knife and to ply the
-
trade of cooking. He made music with mashed potatoes, soliloquies with string
-
beans, and a fortune from figs.
-
-
“This member of our family, however, became cocky and arrogant. As his skill
-
grew so did his fame, and as fame came so did ego. He soon proclaimed himself
-
the greatest cook that had ever been or ever would be, and that none could or
-
would dare challenge him. Interestingly, some versions say that you, Celly, sent
-
a challenger to bring this one back down to reality, though I think you would
-
remember if this happened.”
-
-
“It is rather amazing to see how often I commission a warrior for these sorts of
-
things.” Celestia smiled and tapped her chin with a hoof. “I don’t recall
-
sending a challenger for any cooking competitions or to eliminate rogue chefs,
-
but it is within the realm of possibility, I suppose.”
-
-
“Well, Celestia sent or not, a challenger did step forward. The terms were
-
simple: cook a better meal for a panel of judges. It would be an epic clash of
-
skill, and he agreed readily to the contest.
-
-
“To make a long story short, he lost. It was then he realized he’d never
-
bothered to find out what terms he’d agreed to, and the challenger set him to
-
gather and split firewood with only his teeth. He began to do so, and thus began
-
biting bark.
-
-
“It’s also not clear how long he had to do this, but once the lesson was learned
-
the challenger allowed him to stop, and from then on the phrase ‘to bite the
-
bark’ came to mean either dealing with an extremely uncomfortable situation or
-
as a reminder to avoid arrogance and pride. My parents on occasion would send me
-
off to school with the admonition to ‘remember not to bite the bark,’ and it was
-
a catchy little way to remember to be humble and friendly with others.”
-
-
“That’s a fun little story,” Cadence said with a smile.
-
-
“Now, a question for the good Captain,” Anon said.
-
-
“Uh oh,” said Captain replied while bobbing his eyebrows.
-
-
“What is the one piece of advice you would give me to help me transition into
-
being a prince?”
-
-
Shining nodded his head in appreciation. “Honestly? Be yourself. You’re going to
-
feel an immense amount of pressure to change or to be different so as to fit in
-
with Celestia or the nobles better, but don’t let it get to you. Celestia loves
-
you the way you are now. If you change in a way that is not true to yourself,
-
you’ll ruin the magic you share. Don’t be afraid to do Anon things and to say
-
Anon stuff. Don’t worry about if you’re being princely enough. Worry more about
-
being Anon enough.”
-
-
Anon glanced up at Celestia, who gave him a warm smile.
-
-
“He is right, there will be some who will want you to twist and contort yourself
-
to fit their mold and ideals. They will say you are doing a disservice to
-
Equestria by being Anon, that you are an embarrassment and an outrage. You’re
-
not. I think you are perfect just the way you are.”
-
-
“Thanks. I’ll remember that.”
-
-
A few more questions were tossed back and forth as they finished their
-
sandwiches, but they were light and fun in nature. Celestia, however, was
-
eventually forced to announce that she and Anon needed to attend to Day Court.
-
Before they left, however, Shining had one last part of the meal to share: fresh
-
brownies.
-
-
“Oo, these look good,” Cadence remarked, as Shining handed out a sizeable square
-
to everyone.
-
-
“I hope they are. Chef Beet said this was the absolute best recipe for brownies.
-
Hopefully they measure up to Anon’s.”
-
-
“Ah, but I haven’t made brownies here yet. I need to now so we… can…” Anon
-
squinted at the brownie in his hoof. He had given it his usual sniff for a new
-
food, but something smelled very wrong. He took another deep whiff, then
-
coughed.
-
-
“Shining, are you sure you put—”
-
-
“PLAH!” Shining spit his bite out and then began wiping his tongue with his
-
hooves. Celestia and Cadence were a bit more dignified about it, having calmly
-
lifted their napkins up, but still the offensive square came out and faces of
-
disgust were pulled.
-
-
“—sugar in them,” Anon concluded. “I think you grabbed the salt by mistake.”
-
-
“You get to cook from here on out,” Shining groaned as the lemonade began to
-
disappear quickly.
-
-
-
-
-
-
Anon chuckled a bit as he watched his love gargle yet another glass of water,
-
swish it around in her mouth and cheeks, and then swallow it with a “blagh”
-
thrown in for good measure.
-
-
“You going to be okay? I’ve lost track of how much water you’ve drunk.”
-
-
“I may be a little longer in the lavatory this evening, but I’ll be fine.”
-
-
“If you say so.”
-
-
“Bleh.” She stuck her tongue out at him for a moment. “Luna will love this when
-
she hears about it. Wysteria, send in the next petitioner, please.”
-
-
Two pegasus mares then entered, and both looked extremely cross. One roughly
-
bumped into the other as they walked up, but it was returned in kind without
-
hesitation.
-
-
Anon groaned inwardly. He’d seen the look they shared back home, and it always
-
meant that somepony was upset about their meal. They would now demand a refund,
-
a free meal, and an apology while kissing their hooves and begging their
-
forgiveness, in that order.
-
-
But how would this all work out since, by some fantastic means, he technically
-
was one of the supreme voices in all of Equestria? He fought back a smile as the
-
two pegasi bowed. No more apologizing because the carrots were slightly
-
overcooked for him!
-
-
“Good afternoon, my little ponies,” Celestia greeted them evenly. “What do you
-
have to bring before the court?”
-
-
“Your Highness, we’re here to appeal a court decision,” the mare on the right
-
answered.
-
-
“You’re here to appeal,” the other mare cut in. “I’m here to make sure your
-
appeal fails.”
-
-
“Oh, go jump in a cactus!”
-
-
“Go spit in the wind!”
-
-
Celestia lifted one hoof just a fraction of an inch, but it silenced both mares
-
as swiftly as if she had used her magic. “If you two can’t behave, I will
-
dismiss you from this court. There is no call for your behavior. Now, let’s
-
start with names, one at a time if you please.”
-
-
“I’m Foxglove, Princess,” the mare on Anon’s left spoke first.
-
-
“Calm Breeze, Your Highness.”
-
-
“Thank you. Calm Breeze, what is the nature of your appeal?”
-
-
“I’m contesting a ruling by a probate court on my father’s estate.”
-
-
Anon wasn’t surprised at all to hear that. Money always made for the most nasty
-
fights.
-
-
“I see,” Celestia replied as a guard quickly handed her a bundle of papers.
-
“This would be the lower court’s ruling then, yes?”
-
-
“It is.”
-
-
“Let’s see.” Celestia began skimming the first page. “The estate is that of one
-
Rock Bottom, Esquire, a lawyer in Barrelstown. If I am reading this right, it
-
says that Calm Breeze is a biological daughter, while Foxglove is a
-
stepdaughter. Is this correct?”
-
-
“Yes,” both mares replied.
-
-
“Very well. Calm Breeze, since you are the one making the appeal we will have
-
you go first. Foxglove, please go with Sergeant Pepper into the hallway, and we
-
will call you in to testify momentarily.”
-
-
Foxglove nodded and left, and Celestia took a slow breath in. “Let us start at
-
the beginning. Please explain why you are appealing this decision to Prince Anon
-
while I read this over.”
-
-
Anon felt a small wave of panic before remembering Celestia could multitask. He
-
then focused on Calm, and she cleared her throat.
-
-
“Your Highness, as was mentioned I am Rock Bottom’s biological daughter. My
-
mother passed away when I was four, and Father remarried two years later.
-
Foxglove is her daughter.”
-
-
Anon most definitely caught the note of anger in her voice. Her was fairly spat,
-
as if it were a brownie made with salt and bile.
-
-
“My father suffered from some kind of senility after her death, however, and my
-
step-sister took advantage of this fact by having his last will and testament
-
altered to show her as the sole beneficiary of his estate, when he had planned
-
to give it to me. She’s a manipulative, spoiled brat who will stop at nothing
-
to—”
-
-
“Ah-ah,” Anon chided. “Just the facts, please. This is not the time for
-
character assassination.”
-
-
“Well, she’s stolen Father’s things from me. I just want back what is mine.”
-
-
“Did your father leave literally everything to Foxglove?” Anon asked. “There
-
isn’t a thing for you?”
-
-
“Well, there are a couple of token items for me in the revised will, but I was
-
originally going to get most of everything.”
-
-
“I see,” Anon replied thoughtfully. “When was the will changed?”
-
-
“Five years ago, I think.”
-
-
“And you claim your father’s mental issues began shortly before this change,
-
correct?”
-
-
“Yes, Your Highness.”
-
-
“When did your stepmother pass away?”
-
-
Calm pouted. “About five years ago, Your Highness, but that’s just a
-
coincidence.”
-
-
Anon nodded. “I see. And your appeal requests that the revised will be revoked
-
and the original reinstated, yes?”
-
-
“Yes, Your Highness.”
-
-
“Thank you. If you will, please step out while we speak to Miss Foxglove.”
-
-
The mares switched, and Foxglove bowed deeply before the throne of Equestria.
-
“Your Highnesses, I appreciate your willingness to hear my side of this ordeal.
-
Calm has been harassing me ever since my mother died, and I just want this
-
nightmare to end.”
-
-
Anon nodded. “Why don’t you tell me how this all came to be.”
-
-
“Well, that’s a simple enough story. Calm’s mother died when she was four or so,
-
and Rock Bottom married my mother a couple of years later. She—my mom, that
-
is—had divorced my real dad a few months before this, so there’s always been
-
some question about my mother’s real motivations. Mother and Father truly loved
-
each other, though, and they had a wonderful marriage.
-
-
“So, when my mom died suddenly, Father took it really hard. I’m sure Calm told
-
you he suffered from some sort of mental issue, but the only thing that
-
afflicted him was a broken heart. He just… well, he lost the will to live, I
-
suppose.
-
-
“A few months before he died, Father sat down and told me about the will. He’d
-
rewritten it with Mother, and he explained that I would receive most of his
-
estate, since Calm had squandered her part already. My sister couldn’t be
-
bothered to visit us during Father’s last days, or for his funeral, but she
-
showed up real quick when she found out she didn’t have any inheritance left. I
-
don’t want her to steal what was left to me; she’ll just squander it on parties
-
and expensive clothing and whatever else she wasted her portion on while she was
-
in college. This is just a last-ditch effort on her part. I’m pleased the
-
probate court has ruled in my favor, and I’m sure Your Highnesses will too.”
-
-
Anon asked one or two more questions about Calm Breeze and her wasteful spending
-
habits before inviting Calm back into the throne room. The ‘sisters’ glared
-
daggers at each other while Celestia continued to review the court ruling with
-
Anon, but in low whispers, the Princess pointed out to her husband that there
-
was no evidence to support Calm’s case.
-
-
“Princess, please,” Calm Breeze begged after a few minutes. “I just want what’s
-
rightfully mine.”
-
-
“Yours?” Foxglove spat. “You spent your part already. Father was trying to
-
protect me, you dunderhead!”
-
-
“Look, you hag! I was doing just fine until…”
-
-
“May I remind you that you will be dismissed if your behavior is not
-
appropriate?” Anon stated. He wasn’t afraid to pull some authority on two
-
squabbling foals; he’d done it dozens of times back home.
-
-
“Cram it, Greeny!” Calm shouted back at him, her face going red in anger.
-
“You’re not in charge, Celestia is!”
-
-
“Enough!”
-
-
Celestia sent a pulse of magic through the throne room that pushed everypony
-
besides Anon and herself a foot off from where they were, and every flag and
-
banner in the hall snapped loudly. The two bickering mares were immediately
-
silenced by the outburst, and all eyes were on the Princess, who had her wings
-
fully flared and her head slightly bowed.
-
-
“Listen to me very carefully,” she stated, without looking up. Her tone was cold
-
and haunting, complete and absolute, and Anon felt a twinge of fear slink down
-
his own spine despite not being the one who was in trouble. “Prince Anon has
-
equal standing and authority with me, and I will NOT tolerate crass insults
-
against him in this Court. Is. That. Clear?”
-
-
“Yes, Princess,” they both meekly replied.
-
-
Celestia gave her full and undivided attention to them now, and she took on an
-
even more fearsome look in so doing. “Calm Breeze, I see no fault in this
-
ruling. Do you have any physical proof—a statement from a doctor, a notarized
-
document from a reliable witness, or anything of the like—that shows your father
-
did suffer from the symptoms you have claimed, or that he was manipulated in any
-
way?”
-
-
“No, I don’t.”
-
-
“Then until you can provide such, the ruling of the probate court will stand.
-
You are dismissed. Foxglove, please remain for a moment.”
-
-
Sergeant Pepper moved to escort Calm Breeze out, but she was pretty quick to
-
show herself the door. Foxglove then found herself under Celestia’s intense
-
stare, and she gulped loudly.
-
-
“I am disappointed.” Celestia let the silence speak for her until she moved her
-
head ever so slightly back and forth while taking a deep breath. “You did not
-
need to provoke your step-sister. The flaw in her argument was quite evident.
-
Egging her on like that was petty and beneath you. I was hoping that you could
-
offer a path of reconciliation to her instead. She is, after all, your father’s
-
other daughter.”
-
-
“But she wasted Father’s money!”
-
-
“There are things no amount of money can buy. A sister, for example. Luna tried
-
to destroy me and bring about an endless night, yet she stands now as your
-
Princess. For a thousand years, I would have given anything to have her back.
-
Anything.”
-
-
Foxglove didn’t reply to that. She couldn’t even look Celestia in the eye.
-
-
“I grant there is much about your family that I do not know, so I will not pass
-
judgement on your actions. I will only point out that forgiveness usually works
-
far better than spite. I know I am grateful I did not condemn my sister for
-
always and eternity because of what she did. Be willing to give Calm Breeze a
-
second chance.”
-
-
“All right. I can do that.”
-
-
Celestia nodded, and Foxglove was shown out. Celestia then took a very deep
-
breath, forced her wings down, and then smiled when Anon put a hand on her
-
shoulder.
-
-
“Remind me to never make you mad.”
-
-
“I may have let my anger get out of hoof slightly, but that really ruffled my
-
feathers when she called you greeny. You’re not anything like that.”
-
-
“I can be a bit zesty sometimes,” he offered with a waggle of his eyebrows. “And
-
I’ve been called worse. One bully back in middle school called me ‘piss spot’
-
for the longest time.”
-
-
“And you didn’t tell anypony?”
-
-
“Oh, I told. Didn’t stop him. I just accepted it one day, and I took all the fun
-
out of it when I responded like it was my real name.”
-
-
The humorous anecdote released the tension that had built, and Celestia giggled
-
with Anon a bit. “Wysteria, are there any more petitioners?”
-
-
“No, they were the last ones,” the faithful secretary said with a quick glance
-
down the hallway.
-
-
“Good. Let us adjourn Day Court then.”
-
-
“Your Highness?” Sergeant Pepper walked back in with a large package on his back
-
while the doors shut. “This just arrived from Ponyville for you.”
-
-
Celestia squealed slightly in delight, snatched the package up in her magic, and
-
then eagerly ripped it open. She then tilted it up and away from Anon as he
-
tried to peer in.
-
-
“What is that?” he playfully asked.
-
-
“Something that will help you feel more like a prince, once we deal with one
-
little thing,” she replied with a wide grin. “Tell me, when was the last time
-
you had your hair trimmed?”
-
-
-
* * ✹ * *
-
-
-
“Oo, I was hoping this would come today, particularly after what happened in the
-
bath this morning.” Celestia giggled and clapped her hooves together gleefully.
-
“Are you almost done, Anon?”
-
-
“I don’t know about this,” he called back from behind the blind. “I feel like a
-
stuffed pepper that’s trying to pass itself off as saffron.”
-
-
“Don’t be silly. I bet you look perfect. Come out, I want to see!”
-
-
“Then why did you make me come back here?”
-
-
“So there could be a dramatic reveal! C’mon! Out, out!”
-
-
Anon then slowly stepped out. He tugged at the collar of the jacket, but then
-
turned to face Celestia broadside. “I look ridiculous, don’t I?”
-
-
Celestia didn’t reply. Instead, she levitated a full length mirror over from
-
across the room, and stood to walk over to Anon as be looked at his reflection.
-
-
“You look magnificent,” she whispered to him.
-
-
Anon did have to admit he looked good. Rarity had created an official dress coat
-
and matching pants for him to wear, in a regal navy blue color with a royal gold
-
belt and bright brass buttons running up the front that flashed brilliantly. The
-
coat was trimmed in white, fit him like a glove, and yet felt as soft as a
-
lamb’s ear against his barrel. Celestia’s solar emblem was affixed to each
-
shoulder on a white pad, and coupled with his Celestial Crystal he looked as
-
princely as anyone like him could ever hope to.
-
-
-
-
“You clean up well, too,” Celestia purred in his ear. “This is a good style on
-
you.”
-
-
“Are you sure? I mean, the coat is nice, but do you really think the hair is
-
okay? I haven’t had it this short in a long time.”
-
-
She gave him a sly look, then ran a bare hoof through it. She giggled a little
-
as a shudder of delight ran through him.
-
-
“Mm, yes. I’d say it works. It’s a good thing I got to you first; I’d hate to
-
lose this handsome Prince to Luna.”
-
-
“Naw,” he stammered. “It’s just a… just a coat, pants, and a hair cut, and…
-
well, y’know…”
-
-
He then turned and looked at her eagerly. “Do you really think I’m handsome?”
-
-
She smiled, and it was clear she understood his intent. He wasn’t asking because
-
he doubted her, he was asking because he wanted to hear her say it again.
-
-
“You were handsome before in a messy way. You are handsome now, in a cleaned up
-
way.” She then moved in close to his ear. “And you will be handsome to me even
-
when you are old and gray.”
-
-
She nipped his ear playfully, and when she pulled back he felt an extremely
-
dopey look spread with his joy. Anon then expressed how he felt in one word:
-
-
“Wow.” > 21. - Wysteria and Quill >
-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
Wysteria Inkwell flipped idly through the pages on her trusty clipboard,
-
carefully reviewing the upcoming days’ events and ensuring that she had
-
everything she needed to discuss with her employer. The day had been eventful,
-
she had to admit, but all that remained was some quick confirmations and to file
-
her paperwork before heading home for the evening. She was eager to slip off the
-
flower-faced collar she wore that established her as Princess Celestia’s
-
secretary, aide-de-camp, and overall right-hoof mare, warm up the leftover
-
broccoli salad that was in her icebox, and then to slip into her favorite plush
-
robe and vanish into the pages of the latest Love Lost novel.
-
-
Such was her life, and she was pleased to have it. Becoming Celestia’s secretary
-
had been a combination of hard work, persistence, and a bit of sheer dumb luck,
-
but it also entailed long days—and the occasional long night, prissy nobles with
-
their heads in…well, never mind that; and dealing with some of the most
-
frustrating and oddball circumstances one could imagine. There was prestige in
-
her employment, but there was also more than enough figurative mud for her to
-
wade through on any given day.
-
-
Yet, Wysteria never felt like she was underappreciated, and she flipped past all
-
the pages on her faithful organizational tool to look at the custom engraving at
-
the bottom right corner.
-
-
For Wysteria, the pony who looks after me and what I treasure most.
-
-
A small smile tugged on her lips. The clipboard had been a gift from the
-
Princess on the fifth anniversary of her employment, and it was now one of her
-
most treasured possessions. It was a fine thing, made of a premium tarnish-free
-
silver and with Celestia’s emblem embossed on the back in colorful gemstones. It
-
had a spot for a spill proof inkwell, extra metal quill holders, and the
-
Princess had personally imbued it with an enchantment that kept it from being
-
lost or stolen. Of course, the three weeks extra paid vacation—which she still
-
had not taken—and the anniversary bonus in her paycheck had been most welcome
-
too, but it was touching that Celestia had taken the time to have this custom
-
clipboard made and to have engraved it with her own horn.
-
-
It was the respect and appreciation that she received from her employer that had
-
kept her there. Her skill set was impressive enough that she could find
-
employment in the private sector and receive twice her current salary, but then
-
there would be no Princess of the Sun. Celestia was an amazing pony even from a
-
distance, but when one was able to work up close with her, as she had done, one
-
quickly saw her as far more than just a princess. She was a mentor, a teacher, a
-
friend and a role model of the highest quality. Celestia seemed to be able to
-
naturally bring out the best in anypony she interacted with, and it had so
-
thoroughly inspired and motivated Wysteria that she had willingly taken on more
-
responsibilities, even at the expense of her family, friends, or even a
-
potential special somepony. Celestia was the pony that others aspired to be, and
-
Wysteria gladly did all that she could to make sure Celestia's light could shine
-
as brightly as possible.
-
-
Wysteria then shook her head while her mind drifted back to the events of the
-
last week. She had been beyond shocked to find that Celestia had written a law
-
that forced her royal self into marriage, only if the oddest circumstance
-
occurred, and that some stupid man had somehow managed to stumble right into it.
-
There had been several all-nighters involved in keeping the news from getting
-
out across the whole castle staff, and then to the general public. She had lied,
-
fibbed, stretched the truth, obfuscated, misdirected, begged, pleaded, bribed,
-
cajoled, whined, cried, and in one particular instance, used a little piece of
-
blackmail she never wanted to think about ever again. She had run herself nearly
-
to a nervous breakdown trying to keep ahead of the rumors and the tabloids, and
-
there had been more than a few times when Wysteria had begged Harmony, Fate, or
-
whatever had done this to help Celestia find the loophole or legality that would
-
get them all out of this mess and get life back to normal.
-
-
Leave it to her boss to write a perfect, irreversible law when in a panic.
-
Wysteria had personally gone over it herself and couldn’t find a single fault in
-
it.
-
-
Wysteria's rage at the green freeloading scoundrel had multiplied tenfold on the
-
day of their wedding. The mere thought of her illustrious Highness being forced
-
to become Celestia Mous was enough to make the secretary's blood boil and her
-
vision go red. With Celestia’s name being debased as it was, there would no
-
doubt be far-reaching negative consequences, and the male menace didn’t seem to
-
have a clue as to what he was really doing to the whole of Equestria.
-
-
Then the divorce had come to light. She had gleefully written the decree out
-
with her own quill, using every single bit of willpower she had left to keep
-
from dotting all the i's with little smiley faces. She was a bit concerned while
-
taking down Celestia’s every word—she personally found the terms to be far too
-
generous—but she let it slide with the happy thought that this would finally
-
clear out the riff-raff and allow Celestia to get back to what she really needed
-
to focus on: her ponies.
-
-
But then he hadn’t signed it. The fool wanted to try to make the relationship
-
work.
-
-
And Wysteria had been even more floored when she found out Celestia didn’t want
-
to sign the decree either.
-
-
What was the world coming to? Celestia should have forced him to sign it and
-
then thrown him out without another thought. He was naïve, he was uneducated, he
-
was totally unprepared to accept the role of Prince. He wasn’t even all that
-
attractive, either: Wysteria had rapidly summed up his looks as exotic, but not
-
attractive. What Celestia had seen in him was beyond her; if she was going to
-
marry, then she should at least find someone whose beauty matched her own. The
-
Baron of Fetloch, for example. Now there was a stallion, oh mama!
-
-
But Anon did stay, and Wysteria had found herself with a new boss. For the first
-
time in her career, she dragged her hooves and resisted following her Princess’
-
instruction to help Anon acclimate and to keep him on schedule with the goings
-
on in the palace. She was forced to work with the clown, and while she didn’t
-
like it to any degree she hesitantly agreed to weather the storm for the
-
Princess.
-
-
But then she’d talked with him, watched him work. He wasn’t anything like she
-
had expected, and in a good way: he was reserved, thoughtful, and observant. He
-
treated Celestia with deep concern and awed reverence. He actually cared about
-
her. And in the day-to-day grind of dealing with the royal Bundt cakes that made
-
up the Courts and Ministries, Wysteria found that he maintained a polite
-
humility that gave a blast of fresh air to everything.
-
-
And within a short amount of time, Anonymous won her over as well. What he
-
lacked in birthright he more than made up for in true royalty and pure
-
character.
-
-
Wysteria chuckled a bit to herself as she rounded the final corner to Celestia’s
-
– or, now Celestia and Anon’s – chambers, and she thought about the remarkable
-
change that had come over her employer. Celestia was, of course, eternally
-
pleasant and endlessly gracious to everypony she met, but now? It was like a
-
switch had been flipped, and the Princess went about her days with a spring in
-
her step, a song in her heart and on her lips, and an overflowing dose of
-
happiness for everyone she encountered. She was brighter now, with more vigor
-
and pep than Wysteria had ever seen before. Anonymous had managed to bring out a
-
side of Celestia that hadn’t been seen in, well, maybe ever.
-
-
He had brought out her youth again, and the joyful optimism that naturally came
-
with it.
-
-
Wysteria adjusted her glasses, made sure her papers were in order, and then
-
knocked on the door once before opening it with her magic.
-
-
She paused just inside the doorway. In the middle of the room stood Anon, in a
-
regal-looking jacket and pants that must have been in the earlier package that
-
had arrived from Rarity. He was looking himself over in Celestia’s full length
-
mirror, and Celestia was right next to him, admiring the view and whispering
-
something in his ear. He did look rather proper and, yes, even royal in it, and
-
she had to admit that, given the right clothing, he did have a sort of
-
unassuming charm about him.
-
-
Celestia then pulled back, and when she saw Anon's dopey expression, it was like
-
… well, like he was so happy that his face could not smile enough.
-
-
Wysteria felt her heart melt a little at the sight. No matter what it took, she
-
promised herself right then and there to do whatever she could to help their
-
love blossom and grow. A love like this deserved no less.
-
-
“Wow,” Anon remarked.
-
-
“Wow indeed.” Celestia agreed. “My dear husband, you look positively royal. I do
-
believe the expression on my secretary’s face says it all.”
-
-
“Wh-what?” Wysteria stammered, and her cheeks began burning. She quickly lifted
-
her clipboard up to block her face and her embarrassment, but again the
-
inscription came into sight:
-
-
…the pony who looks after me and what I treasure most.
-
-
Her smile grew bigger as the Royals chuckled. She would be most pleased to
-
continue to do so.
-
-
-
-
-
-
Wysteria walked out of the Royal chambers with a happy little tune. With the
-
details for tomorrow now settled, she had only to file her paperwork and go
-
home.
-
-
But across the hall stood Corporal Quillpoint, and after a moment of thought,
-
Wysteria adjusted her glasses and marched up to the gold-plated goof.
-
-
“Good evening, Miss Wysteria. What can I do for you?” Quill asked.
-
-
“Quillpoint, I’m off in fifteen minutes. Why don’t you and I go get a drink
-
tonight?”
-
-
Quillpoint hesitated. Protocol said he wasn't supposed to discuss personal
-
things while on duty, but his eagerness to talk to her was obvious.
-
-
“But you’ve always rejected me in the past,” he stiffly whispered.
-
-
“Say yes or no. Going once...”
-
-
“Yes! Totally yes!” he blurted, and then he quickly sealed up the crack in his
-
composure.
-
-
“Great. I’ll go talk to Lieutenant Spear Point about your schedule. You should
-
take me somewhere classy, but not too expensive. If I see one pony with the
-
title of Duke, Baron, Viscount, or Prince, I'm out.”
-
-
Wysteria then trotted away with a bounce in her step and a swish to her tail
-
that she had not felt in years. If her boss could have a love life, why couldn’t
-
she?
-
-
And in her wake, being careful not to be seen doing it, Corporal Quillpoint
-
punched the air in silent success, then settled back into his relaxed guarding
-
pose, only with a pleased smile on his face. > 22. - Do You Feel the Love? >
-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
“Anon? Where did you go?”
-
-
Celestia peered around her room. He had been sleeping so soundly and with such a
-
cute little smile on his face that she simply couldn’t bring herself to wake him
-
when she had gotten up to raise the sun.
-
-
But now he wasn’t there.
-
-
Celestia’s ears then honed in on some faint singing that was coming from her
-
bathroom, and she quietly snuck her way to the shower. Anon had a catchy
-
nonsense tune echoing off the walls, and he was belting it out without a care in
-
the world.
-
-
“Shoop-be-doo! Shoop shoop-be-doo!”
-
-
Celestia cringed. Anon was singing at least a full octave above where his voice
-
naturally was, so the song was coming out very harsh, very screechy, and very
-
discordant. It was bad enough that it was making her ears hurt. With a bit of
-
magic to mask her hoofsteps, she maneuvered in behind her husband, who was in
-
the midst of a vigorous lathering of his hair. She then sat behind him and
-
snaked her arms softly around his barrel.
-
-
“Shoop-be doo, Shoop-shoop be wooeeEEK!”
-
-
“My dear Anon, you need to drop down an octave,” she breathed into his soapy
-
ear. “You are most definitely not an alto.”
-
-
“You need to warn me when you’re going to do stuff like that,” he replied, with
-
a turn and a quick swipe of his eyes to clear the soap from his vision. Since he
-
was eye-level to his beloved, he wrapped his own arms around her in one swift
-
motion, and her wings wrapped around him in reply. “But, I must admit, the view
-
just got immensely better.”
-
-
“Oh? Is that so?” she tittered.
-
-
“Very,” he replied as their noses and then their foreheads touched. “I
-
definitely needed more Celly in here.”
-
-
“Mm, it’s a good thing I came then, unless you speak of another Celly.”
-
-
“Never.” He shook his head gently. “How could anything under your sun begin to
-
compete with you? It is here where I shall find completeness.”
-
-
“I like the way you talk, dear Anon,” she whispered, and her lips began to inch
-
towards his. “Even if your grammar is a bit rough…”
-
-
Oh, was this finally going to be it? Celestia could feel the anticipation
-
building as he tilted his head slightly to one side, puckered his lips, and…
-
-
…and now she was in the dining room. The dining room?
-
-
“Celly, quickly! A crime of the most heinous nature has occurred! I need your
-
immediate assistance!”
-
-
“Lulu, you have no idea what you’ve just done, do you?” Celestia replied with a
-
great deal of annoyance and more than a little dripping on the floor.
-
-
“Well, you were probably making smoochy faces in the shower with your husband,
-
so I do believe I am helping you get on with your day. Besides, this is a true
-
emergency! A national crisis!”
-
-
“All right. Who died?”
-
-
“Died? Dear sister, don’t be so morbid.”
-
-
Celestia put a hoof to her forehead. “You ran out of corn flakes again, didn’t
-
you?”
-
-
“Yes!” Luna pouted and sniffled. “You know how I love my corn flakes!”
-
-
“Did you check your emergency stash?”
-
-
“Yes, and they are gone as well! I believe they have been pilfered!”
-
-
“And your secondary reserve?”
-
-
“Is… well, it’s… I mean, it may or may not have been compromised, and…”
-
-
With a sigh as deep as one of the craters on Luna’s moon, Celestia teleported a
-
box of corn flakes from Luna’s ‘so super secret it’s almost not a secret
-
anymore’ stash and then shoved it into her chest roughly.
-
-
“Huzzah! Dear sister, you have redeemed the day!” Luna cheered, and she hugged
-
the box of cherished flakes tightly.
-
-
“Glad I could be of assistance,” she grumbled. “May I go check on my husband
-
now?”
-
-
“Oh yes, by all means.” Luna waved a dismissive hoof at her. “Come, Flakey.
-
Breakfast awaits us!”
-
-
Celestia then teleported back without further ado, but it was as she feared:
-
Anon was now out of the shower.
-
-
“Of all the rotten times to run out of cereal,” she muttered in ominous tones.
-
“Anon? Where are you?”
-
-
“I’m in here,” he called out. Celestia followed the sound of his voice out of
-
the shower, then promptly received a towel to the face for her efforts.
-
-
A pair of hands then began rubbing her snout with tender concern, and a
-
delighted smile emerged on an adorably green face while the towel moved down the
-
left side of her neck.
-
-
“Luna should really let you dry off before she teleports you away,” he offered.
-
“I bet you left a puddle wherever you were.”
-
-
“She should also not call me away for trivial matters. It seems a national
-
emergency is now defined by running out of one’s favorite cereal.”
-
-
“Really?” he simply asked, and Celestia nodded. “Huh. So can I do that when you
-
don’t make pancakes?”
-
-
“Yes,” she replied with a laugh. “I want you to shut down the entire government
-
until you get my pancakes.”
-
-
“Will do!” he replied with a quick salute. He then laughed with her as he kept
-
drying her side. “Why didn’t you wake me up today?”
-
-
“I just couldn’t. You looked so peaceful and comfortable, I couldn’t bear to
-
disturb you.”
-
-
“Okay. That’s a good reason, but please wake me up from now on? I like watching
-
you raise the sun. I can live with a little less sleep if it means more time
-
with you.”
-
-
“You flatterer.” She giggled. “I’ll make sure to wake you from now on.”
-
-
“Thanks.”
-
-
Anon continued his rub down at a brisk clip, but when he reached her flank he
-
paused and gently touched her cutie mark with his hand.
-
-
“What is it?” she asked.
-
-
“Oh, nothing. Just a dumb question.”
-
-
“The only dumb question is the one that is not asked.”
-
-
“Right. Let me rephrase and say it’s an insensitive question.”
-
-
“Anon, just ask,” she gently prodded. “I don’t think it is all that.”
-
-
“All right. Do you remember getting your cutie mark?”
-
-
She grew thoughtful, and her eyes closed. “I’m afraid I do not. It is one of
-
those things I wish I did remember. I know I had it before I ascended, and I
-
know I was confused by it for a time, but now there is a blank void in my memory
-
where that should be.”
-
-
“I suppose after twelve hundred years I would forget too.”
-
-
“Sadly, any significant event in one’s life can be forgotten, given enough time.
-
I have often thought that memories are a bit like plants: unless they are
-
constantly cared for, they will wither away.”
-
-
“I could see that. I’ve never understood how anyone could forget an anniversary,
-
but if person isn’t willing to tend to the memory and remember the special
-
nature of it, it just becomes plain, regular and potentially forgotten.”
-
-
“Exactly. In the end, we all have to YEOW!”
-
-
Anon retreated four or five steps and quickly wound up the towel again as
-
Celestia whirled and glared playfully at him. He had a delighted smirk, and then
-
he began dancing to his left as he held his weapon of welt production at the
-
ready.
-
-
“Oh, you are going to pay for that one!” she threatened with a smile and a
-
snort.
-
-
She then made a feint forward, but her hoof got in close enough to get caught by
-
the edge of the snapping towel.
-
-
“Oh, that is it!”
-
-
-
-
-
-
“Are there any welts left on my ass?” Anon whined.
-
-
Celestia quite thoroughly enjoyed checking Anonymous’s posterior for any
-
wet-towel-induced injuries once again. It had only taken her perhaps thirty
-
seconds to snag the towel from him—with her hooves, not her magic, thank you—and
-
then perhaps a minute more before she caught up to him in the hallway and rained
-
down unholy-yet-pleasantly-plush towel torment upon his backside. While he had
-
given her quite the welt from his surprise attack, he had suffered at least a
-
dozen retribution shots in return.
-
-
It was a good thing Celestia also knew how to heal what she had hurt.
-
-
“I don’t see anything. You should be fine,” she replied, with a slight snicker.
-
“Does it feel sore at all?”
-
-
“No, it feels alright. I think I should be okay.”
-
-
“I promise I’ll go easier on you next time. I’d hate to spoil the view back
-
here.”
-
-
Anon’s cheeks went as red as a tomato and he tried vainly to cover his whole
-
rear with his hands, but there simply wasn’t enough hand to complete the job.
-
-
“Oo, do that again,” she teased. “Your hands frame your rear quite nicely when
-
you do that.”
-
-
“Don’t we have some kind of meeting to go to?” he said while trying to keep the
-
squeak out of his voice.
-
-
“Alas, we do. We should have something other than corn flakes sent up to eat
-
while we meet with Minister Penny Wise.”
-
-
“Okay, don’t tell me.” He wrinkled his snout in thought. “Finances, right?”
-
-
“Ministry of Finance, yes. Very good!”
-
-
“She’s the only one I remember. I suppose I’ll get them all straight
-
eventually.”
-
-
“Wysteria should be very helpful in that regard,” Celestia replied as they
-
started off. “She knows all of the Ministers, their deputies, and a great many
-
lower managers too. If you’re ever unsure, just ask me or her.”
-
-
“I don’t envy her position.”
-
-
“It takes a special type of pony to handle the sheer amount of information she
-
does, and she is probably the finest Executive Secretary I’ve ever had. I only
-
hope she knows how much I appreciate what she does.”
-
-
“I think she does,” he said with a smile.
-
-
“You do?”
-
-
“Yeah. She’s coming up behind us and heard everything we were talking about.”
-
-
“I stand behind every word I said,” Celestia stated emphatically, and Wysteria
-
gave her boss a gigantic smile.
-
-
“I only ask you remember all that when my performance review comes up, your
-
highness. But for now, Minister Wise is running just a minute or two late but
-
she is coming. Prince Anon’s desk has been set up and is ready to be used, and
-
Prince Shining wanted me to relay that he and Princess Cadence will be out for
-
most of the day on, quote very urgent matters unquote.”
-
-
“Very well, I see that Cadence has developed good instincts with regard to
-
meeting with the Finance section also. I must remember to praise her for that
-
later. I presume Minister Right Angle is still sending one of her deputies to
-
discuss the plans from Baltimare?”
-
-
“Let me see...” Wysteria flipped through the pages of her clipboard for a moment
-
“um…yes. Yes, Deputy Plumb Level.”
-
-
“Excellent, thank you.”
-
-
Wysteria nodded and then trotted off to attend to her other duties. Celestia
-
turned back to Anon, who looked thoughtful.
-
-
“Question?” she simply asked.
-
-
“More a general statement. I didn’t know you had an office, but it makes sense
-
if I stop and think about it.”
-
-
“We have an office now,” Celestia replied. “But we won’t be spending a lot of
-
time there. It feels too much like a jail cell, and I find it to be rather
-
confining most of the time.”
-
-
“Yeah, I bet that sitting in a little room for hours on end gets old after a few
-
hundred years.”
-
-
“Having you with me will be immensely helpful though,” she said while nipping
-
behind his ear quickly.
-
-
“You sure I won’t be a distraction instead?” he retorted, and he swung his arm
-
just enough to brush her flank.
-
-
“If that is the case then it’s a good thing the door can be locked.”
-
-
Her tail smacked his butt, and she took off with a prance and a laugh while Anon
-
tried to recover.
-
-
“I hope I never get used to that,” Anon muttered with a grin.
-
-
-
-
-
-
Anon was bored.
-
-
Very bored.
-
-
Bored, bored, bored. He was so bored, in fact, that he was wondering if it was
-
possible for someone to die of boredom. If such a thing could be, then his own
-
life was in grave danger.
-
-
So, so bored.
-
-
“…this represents a thirty-eight percent increase in the total number of plows
-
purchased, suggesting the reduction in the tariff on Griffonstone had the
-
desired effect. It would be prudent to keep the level as is, and then to urge
-
the manufacturers to increase production by twelve percent by offering
-
incentives and…”
-
-
Anon thought backwards for a moment. Minister Wise had simply walked into the
-
room with a quick three-tap knock, plopped in the chair in front of Celestia,
-
and had launched into her prepared proposal on the budget without even so much
-
as a ‘good morning.’
-
-
The proposal itself had two problems for Anon: one, Minister Wise was delivering
-
it in the most uninteresting and monotone voice possible and two, she was using
-
every technical term the realm of finances had. Anon had understood about one
-
tenth of what she was saying, the rest of it was pure nonsense and gibberish to
-
him.
-
-
Questions were right out too. At the beginning he had asked one or two questions
-
on the parts he had understood, but this then led to her slowly turning her head
-
to face him—a feat that, by appearances, took a titanic amount of willpower,
-
dedication, and physical effort—answering the question as quickly as possible
-
and with an obvious attempt to use very small words so Anon’s tiny brain could
-
handle it, and then snapping her head back to Celestia to continue on with her
-
spiel.
-
-
And the mare could probably frighten small children with that glare she had. It
-
was making his orange juice curdle in his cup, that was for sure.
-
-
“…with a profit margin of five percent, the annual gains from this nominal
-
expense will be adequate to…”
-
-
He wondered how much of what she was saying was real and how much she had just
-
made up by using large and confusing phrases. He then began to think of all the
-
big words he knew, and if he could use them to pass himself off as the Minister
-
of Finance if he tried hard enough.
-
-
“…and that concludes my official report, your Highness. I trust that my reforms
-
will be put into swift action.”
-
-
“Oh, I’m sure I’ll be reviewing this with my husband, so it may take a bit.”
-
-
Wow, emotion! Anon nearly fell over in excitement as Minister Wise’s eyes
-
widened by several millimeters in alarm.
-
-
“Your Highness, with all due respect, this budget needs to be enacted as soon as
-
possible to ensure the greatest returns for the Kingdom. There simply isn’t the
-
time for—” her eyes narrowed and moved to the Prince “—him to review it! Please,
-
don’t delay this!”
-
-
“Uh huh,” Celestia replied to no one in particular as she scanned through a few
-
pages of the budget. “Horrible things will destroy Equestria as we know it and
-
reduce it to ashes if the corporate tax rate isn’t adjusted for inflation within
-
the next seven days. Gotcha. My Prince, what did you think about this excise tax
-
on wagon wheels? I’m afraid I got a little lost there.”
-
-
“Princess!”
-
-
“Lady Penny Wise, I’m sorry to disappoint you but I simply cannot authorize this
-
budget until I go over it with Prince Anon. Since your presentation was only to
-
me and did not involve him in any way, I cannot ask him to sign off on this—as
-
he will be required to do, if I may add—until I feel satisfied that he
-
understands what he is signing off on. Now, unless you have something to share
-
with Prince Anon, I’m afraid that we have completed everything that can be done
-
today. Thank you for your time.”
-
-
Minister Penny Wise grumbled her way out of the office, and Anon was a bit
-
worried he’d messed something up somehow.
-
-
“In case you’re wondering, you didn’t do anything wrong,” Celestia said him with
-
a sneaky sidelong glance. “Lady Wise does this every year. I never just sign off
-
on her budget proposals, but she always thinks I will.”
-
-
“That does explain a little bit but I don’t think she likes me very much.”
-
-
Celestia let out a long exhale. “She didn’t, and there will be more like her. We
-
can’t really expect everyone to fall in love with you as quickly as I did. There
-
are some who will need more convincing than others.”
-
-
“I suppose this is where Shining Armor’s advice comes into play. I need to be
-
myself, even if others don’t like myself right now.”
-
-
“Just remember that they will. Once others start to see what I see, they’ll come
-
around.”
-
-
“What you see, hmm?” he asked. “And what is it that you see?”
-
-
“I see a man.” Celestia stood, stepped around her desk, and smiled as she met
-
his eyes straight on. “A man who is kind, and interesting, and wants to learn.”
-
-
She leaned in and tilted her head as her eyes ran over his lips. “I see a man
-
who is sweet, who flatters me, and who dares to love a Princess for what she
-
really is. A man who can do many great things, and who will cook many a romantic
-
dinner for me.”
-
-
Her heart leapt up into her throat as she leaned in a bit closer and watched his
-
lips begin to move towards hers. “I see a man who is winning me over with his
-
devotion, his adaptability, his charms, and his wholesomeness. I see a man—”
-
Celestia shuddered at the tickle of his breath across her own lips “—who wants
-
to be mine—”
-
-
“Your Highnesses?”
-
-
“So close,” Celestia whispered to him in frustration.
-
-
“So very close,” he agreed.
-
-
“Oh! If this is a bad time, I can tell Deputy Level to wait for a few moments.”
-
-
“Nope, send her in,” Celestia replied in annoyance as she sat back and Anon
-
hopped down. “The good feeling is gone now.”
-
-
“Sorry!” Wysteria offered. “You should lock the door if you don’t want me to
-
come in unannounced.”
-
-
“What a novel idea.”
-
-
-
-
-
-
“So, which is worse, having no attention or having all of the attention?”
-
Celestia asked playfully.
-
-
“When you have no idea what they’re talking about, I would say no attention,”
-
Anon replied while they both sat on the throne and waited for Day Court to
-
commence. “I have no idea why Deputy Level thought running over those sewer line
-
upgrades with me was a good idea. You’re the one who knows the project.”
-
-
“I think she was simply eager to please,” Celestia replied with a laugh. “She
-
wanted to make a good first impression.”
-
-
“Fine way to go about it. At least I know more about sewers now than I ever
-
would have before.”
-
-
“There you go.”
-
-
“Princess?” Wysteria called out. “We are ready to begin.”
-
-
“Very well. Open the doors and let us begin.”
-
-
It was done as Celestia said, and Wysteria walked up the red carpet with the
-
first petitioners of the day.
-
-
“Harvest Right and Barley Corn, Your Highnesses. Also, Chef Beet wants me to
-
tell you she has a new creation being made for your lunch: miniature cheese
-
calzones. She’s thinking of calling them ‘pizza rolls.’”
-
-
Anon tilted his head and gave a thoughtful hum. “A ravioli, but with bread
-
instead of pasta. Interesting. I’ll have to ask her how she did it.”
-
-
“They smelled good, for what it’s worth,” Wysteria offered.
-
-
“Perhaps it’s a good thing Deputy Level went over her allotted time,” Celestia
-
remarked, but then she turned her attention to the two earth ponies before the
-
throne. “Now then, my little ponies, what can we do for you?”
-
-
-
-
-
-
“…just remember to floss really well next time,” Anon admonished. “You’ll save
-
yourself a lot of trouble if you do.”
-
-
“I’ll remember that. Thank you, Your Highness!”
-
-
Anon smiled and nodded with his wife, and the now plucky pegasus flapped out of
-
the throne room with a cheerful song. “That was interesting.”
-
-
“I did try to warn you.”
-
-
“That you did.”
-
-
“Who is next, Wysteria?”
-
-
“A nice couple from the Crystal Empire, Your Highness.”
-
-
“Goodness!” Celestia put a hoof to her mouth in worry. “I hope they didn’t come
-
all this way because Prince Shining and Princess Cadence were unavailable!
-
Please, please! Show them in immediately.”
-
-
Wysteria waved to the couple in the hallway, and Anon couldn’t help but chortle
-
when it was, in fact, Prince Shining and Princess Cadence who walked in and
-
bowed before the throne.
-
-
“All right you two,” Celestia said in both amusement and wariness. “What’s going
-
on?”
-
-
“Oh great Celestia,” Shining began with a grand sweep of his hoof, “whose
-
strength binds our lands together and whose wisdom shines forth across the
-
oceans—”
-
-
“Seas, seas!” Cadence whispered and gave her husband a hard elbow in the ribs.
-
“He said seas, not oceans!”
-
-
“Right, right,” Shining quickly whispered back, and he cleared his throat.
-
“Whose wisdom shines forth across the seas, we thank fortune and luck that we
-
have been so privileged to be in your presence today.”
-
-
Anon was finding it very hard to keep his composure together. A ‘sea’ of
-
suppressed giggles was making a furious push against his tightly closed lips.
-
-
“But we have come here today as your humble servants, as two who seek only for
-
the eternal happiness and indescribable joy of our beloved diarch. We wish to
-
offer a present, O beloved Celestia, a simple token of our own undying gratitude
-
for your selfless work in our behalf.”
-
-
“If you two brought me a flower I’m going to plant you in the bush you got it
-
from,” Celestia warned.
-
-
“No, something even better,” Cadence replied with a massive grin. “We were able
-
to get tickets to the opening night of Hinny of the Hills!”
-
-
“You what?!” Celestia shouted gleefully, and she was down to them in one eager
-
bound.
-
-
“We may or may not have used our royal position to secure them, but you both
-
will love it! Box seats, a perfect view of the stage, and maybe even a romantic
-
double date dinner to go with it!”
-
-
Both Anon and Shining winced, along with all the other male guards in the room,
-
as a squeal of pure delight was unleashed upon the hapless occupants.
-
-
“I have been dying to see this!” Celestia made a little ‘squee’ noise while
-
Cadence showed her the tickets. “Thank you! Anon and I will be delighted to
-
come!”
-
-
“Good! You do have tomorrow night free, right?”
-
-
Celestia glanced over to Wysteria, who nodded. “It’s open, Your Highness. I’ve
-
already scheduled it in for you.”
-
-
“Thank you again,” Celestia offered. “This will be fun. Anon! You can wear your
-
new coat, and I know just which dress to wear. This will be such a fun night!”
-
-
She then giggled and pranced back up to her assigned seat. The two of them
-
booped noses and laughed, and then Celestia composed herself. “All right.
-
Wysteria, who’s next?”
-
-
“A Mister Silver Tongue, Princess.”
-
-
“Show him in.”
-
-
A blindingly orange pony then strode in, dressed in a tweed jacket that clashed
-
horribly with his coat color and with a mane that was far too slick to be real.
-
Anon was instantly worried about what this mess of a pony could have.
-
-
“Good afternoon, Silver Tongue. What do you have for the Court?”
-
-
“A business proposition, Your Highness. Something I think you might find to be
-
most interesting.”
-
-
He then pulled an old, yellowing newspaper from the pocket of his coat. “Tell
-
me, Prince, does this look familiar?”
-
-
Anon’s heart instantly began to hammer wildly, and he swallowed hard. “Yes, it
-
does.”
-
-
“Fascinating articles, aren’t they?” Silver went on, with an evil grin spreading
-
over his face. “The Salt Lick Picayune has some top-notch reporters. But, I must
-
say I found this article on page B5 to most revelatory.”
-
-
“Anon?” Celestia was looking at her husband in deep worry. “What is all this?”
-
-
“Ah, I was wondering if you had told her about this. Princess, I’m afraid your
-
golden knight has a bit of tarnish on his armor. He—”
-
-
His mouth kept moving, but a sudden golden shield prevented his words from
-
getting out. It took him a moment to realize this, but then he glared most
-
ferociously at the Princess.
-
-
“I don’t want to hear another word from this petitioner for right now,” she
-
said. “Captain Armor, keep him right there until we return.”
-
-
“Ma’am!” His salute was crisp and clean, and the shield changed from gold to
-
purple.
-
-
Anon was then pretty extra sure he was going to throw up as Celestia turned back
-
to him.
-
-
“We need to talk.” > 23. - Bad Anon >
-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
Anon was having a hard time.
-
-
He was having a hard time seeing. His vision had gone unfocused and blurry, and
-
he was pretty extra sure the tears were a contributing factor. There wasn’t much
-
before him now other than outlines, vague shapes and grayscale colors.
-
-
He was having a hard time walking. His feet felt as heavy as lead, his ankles
-
shackled, double-bound and burning with a Tartarus spawned fire that he wasn’t
-
sure would ever be quenched.
-
-
His hearing was totally shot. He wasn’t sure if anyone was speaking, but it
-
wouldn’t have mattered. All he could hear was a thrumming, pulsing woosh that
-
was steadily increasing in pressure, not volume.
-
-
His mouth felt cold; the taste on his tongue raw and metallic. His jaw was
-
locked and his teeth were pressed so hard together that there was a distinct
-
possibility they would start to chip, crack and deform. His throat was as dry as
-
his beloved’s sun, and…
-
-
Oh, his beloved! He stumbled, staggered, nearly fell and somehow recovered as
-
the mere thought of his one above all nearly made his heart burst. He didn’t
-
know how to get through this, how to tell her. He didn’t know if he could tell
-
her.
-
-
He wished Luna would take pity and simply dump a meteor on top of him. That pain
-
would be less.
-
-
He wasn’t even sure of where he was at the moment. Had Celestia teleported him
-
out, or had he walked? Was he still in the palace, or even in Canterlot? Was he
-
in a hallway? Did it even matter?
-
-
It was at the peak of his despair that he felt something begin to sweep over
-
him. There was a softness over his heavy back, and a sweetness for his sour
-
nose. He felt surrounded by warmth, lifted by light, touched by kindness and
-
delivered by understanding.
-
-
“I love you, Anonymous.”
-
-
That penetrated. Through the haze, through the weight, through the darkness and
-
the sadness, through the unyielding crush of horror, that celestial voice
-
touched his soul and provided the love and the will to conquer this.
-
-
“I love you too,” he whispered.
-
-
“You’re not alone in this, my Anon. I am here, with you and for you. Forever
-
will I be by your side, and forever will you have my support. Whatever this is,
-
we will conquer it together.”
-
-
“You’ll hate me,” he replied, and he licked his teeth and lips in a vain effort
-
to remove the blasted, searing metallic torture from his tongue. “You’re going
-
to throw me out, and I’ll lose the greatest thing that has ever happened or
-
could ever happen to me.”
-
-
“I don’t think you’re capable of such a crime,” she replied. “Not from what I’ve
-
seen of you. Your disposition is one of harmony and peace. You will not be
-
weighed in the balance for this, nor will I ever find you wanting.”
-
-
Anon fell to his knees, but Celestia fell with him. Nothing was said, but much
-
was shared as Anon buried his face in her silken fur and simply wept.
-
-
It was here, in this place and in this time, that Anonymous began to comprehend
-
what Love really was and what it really meant. This was a moment that would
-
forever define all other moments that came after it.
-
-
And this changed Anonymous. He could sense that he would never fully know or
-
understand the how, but he knew he could never be what he once was.
-
-
He had no idea how long it took him to regain enough composure to face her. Once
-
he did, however, he sucked in a sob of delight when he found a magenta pair of
-
eyes penetrating the gray that had seized his vision.
-
-
“When you are ready, my dear Anon.”
-
-
“I don’t even know how to begin. It’s… I just…”
-
-
Her nose softy touched his. “I have found it is best to just spit it out.”
-
-
He went with that. “I was fifteen. I had just tried out for and gotten a spot on
-
the long distance track team, and I was eager to get to know the other ponies. I
-
had joined with the hopes of getting some relief from my failures in cooking,
-
but that’s besides the point.
-
-
“There was a team meeting the Friday after I joined. I eagerly went, hoping to
-
make a good first impression, and at first everypony was cool. We went over some
-
team news, when training and practice would be, and what was expected. I knew I
-
wouldn’t be a strong competitor, but I did give the team enough bodies to
-
compete so it didn’t matter. And then…”
-
-
His head dipped until his nose was nearly on the floor. “Then it happened.” He
-
paused, and sniffed loudly.
-
-
“Tell me, please,” Celestia whispered.
-
-
“It was a hazing. I was… well. I grew up around alcohol, used it all the time in
-
cooking. I knew full well what it did to a person, how it reacted. I can tell
-
you how long it would take a person to get drunk, simply based on how much they
-
had.
-
-
“And then, I found myself sitting there, watching in disbelief as the team
-
captain began passing out the liquor he’d stolen from home. It was whiskey
-
mostly, from what I remember. The largest bottle was passed to me, and I was
-
told that in order to finalize my place on the team, I had ten minutes to drink
-
the whole thing.
-
-
“It was impossible, and I knew it. There was no way anyone could drink that much
-
that fast. I told them so, refused to take any part of it, and then started to
-
leave.”
-
-
His tears began to fall against his will, but he fought through them. “But then
-
Swift Hoof, that idiot, he popped up. While the others jeered at me, he talked
-
me into staying, and he told me they were desperate and couldn’t afford the
-
loss. He reassured me it was just a dumb prank, and that I just needed to drink
-
as much as I could, throw up or get sick and let them laugh at me. He… he told
-
me they’d all done it when they’d joined, and it’s been done for decades. Just a
-
harmless stunt. Nothing could go wrong. They’d respect me for doing it after.
-
He…he…”
-
-
Anon shuddered fiercely. “The final nail was when he offered to match me, ounce
-
for ounce. He didn’t mind if they laughed at him too. He was the one who had
-
encouraged me to join the team, so he was willing to help me get through the
-
last part.
-
-
“I caved,” he stated, with a note of such disgust that it hung in the air,
-
putrid and festering. “I knew I shouldn’t, and I did. I took that bottle, I took
-
a glass, I poured out a shot, and I downed it.
-
-
“Things get muddled and fuzzy at that point. I honestly don’t remember how much
-
I drank, or really what happened. There was lots of laughing and I’m pretty sure
-
I threw up two or three times, but that’s about it. There’s nothing else.
-
-
“When I came to, I was in a jail cell. The police had found me behind the trash
-
cans at school, with a couple of empty whiskey bottles nearby, and Swift Hoof…”
-
-
Anon couldn’t talk for a moment. The emotion was just too much.
-
-
“Alcohol poisoning, they said. He, um...”
-
-
“That wasn’t your fault, my love.” Celestia’s wing pulled him in tighter, and
-
peace began to fight back against his depression. “What happened is as plain as
-
the nose on your face.”
-
-
“I’ve never been able to believe that,” he whispered. “He took the drinks
-
because of me. If I hadn’t… if I had just…”
-
-
“Anonymous, the what if game is a horrible game to play,” Celestia said, and he
-
felt her gentle touch lift his chin up so his eyes could meet hers. “If your
-
case had come before me, you would have been innocent. You did not force Swift
-
Hoof to join you, his choice was his own. Your choice was a foolish one, but it
-
was one brought about from the pressure of others. How many fifteen year olds
-
have done similar things in an effort to fit in?”
-
-
“But I knew better. I should have left, and I didn’t.”
-
-
“Perhaps. But are you sure Swift Hoof would have left with you? He might have
-
stayed and this all would have happened anyway.”
-
-
“It was my fault.”
-
-
“Anonymous, that may or may not be.” Celestia said in soft but firm tones. “What
-
truly matters is what you have done since then. Has your life been one of deceit
-
and criminal activity, or has it been honest and clean?”
-
-
“It’s been clean. I never had a desire to be a criminal and this incident
-
further drove it in.”
-
-
“Then you have learned, and you have grown because of it. Blaming yourself for
-
what happened will accomplish nothing. Making things better will.
-
-
“Let me tell you a story; one you may have heard before. There was once a
-
princess who neglected and ignored her younger sister for so long that her
-
jealousy turned her into a monster that was bent on destroying the sun and
-
bringing about an eternal night. Sound familiar?”
-
-
“A little.” He had to chuckle.
-
-
“If you add it all up, I have probably spent centuries pondering what I could
-
have done differently; how what happened to Luna was my fault. I was the one who
-
neglected her, and the argument can be made that I created Nightmare Moon with
-
my callousness.
-
-
“But Luna was the one who chose to turn to her anger. Whatever my part in it
-
was, it was ultimately her choice to do what she did. I did not force the
-
Nightmare upon her. She took it on herself. And whatever your part is, Swift
-
Hoof made his choice. Learn from it, and be better because of it.”
-
-
There was a pause as Anon closed his eyes and contemplated this. When they
-
opened again Celestia felt a wave of happiness when she saw the same joy
-
reflected in his face.
-
-
“How do you do that?” he quietly chuckled.
-
-
She booped his nose with hers. “I look at the inside of someone, and I try to
-
see what they really are. I then simply help them to see it too.”
-
-
“Thank you.”
-
-
She pulled back a bit and gave him a compassionate smile. “You are welcome. So
-
how does this incident end?”
-
-
He drew in a long breath. “Despite the urging of my parents and my attorney, I
-
plead guilty to the charges. I was sentenced to probation and community service,
-
and that newspaper article the tweed menace has is the article about my
-
conviction.
-
-
“However, a week later the team came forward and confessed. They had panicked
-
when Swift Hoof had passed out and stopped breathing, and they had taken both of
-
us to the school and made it look like it was just me and him.
-
-
“The captain of my team eventually received my sentence, but we all voluntarily
-
agreed to take community service as punishment. My conviction was expunged and
-
erased, and I felt so horrible about the whole thing that I just suppressed it
-
and forced myself to forget it. My parents never brought it up again, and
-
neither did anypony on the team, so we just kinda moved on, I guess. That was
-
pretty much the end of it there.”
-
-
Celestia gave him another boop. “How did Swift Hoof’s family handle all of
-
this?”
-
-
“Hoo.” He blew out a breath. “Devastated, in a word. But yet, very forgiving;
-
far more than they should have been, in fact.”
-
-
“Did they ever blame you for what happened?”
-
-
He thought for several moments on that one. “No, no. They never blamed anyone.”
-
-
“Then don’t blame yourself either.”
-
-
“So you don’t hate me?”
-
-
She chuckled a bit. “No, my dear Anon. I don’t hate you. I am still very much in
-
love with you. But here is your chance to come clean; is there anything else
-
you’ve done that a pony could use against you? Are there any other misdeeds or
-
criminal activity that I need to know about?”
-
-
“I stole a candy bar from the corner market when I was four. Dad caught me and
-
had me pay it back.”
-
-
“Oh, well,” she huffed, and the feathers on her wings ruffled. “I certainly
-
can’t associate with a four-year-old candy thief.”
-
-
“I jaywalk on occasion. But only late at night, when I was trying to get home
-
before curfew.”
-
-
“You are one bad Anon.” She laughed.
-
-
“Rotten to the core.” He laughed with her. It was amazing how relieving and
-
ennobling that laugh was. “No, I’ve never been one to break the law. I haven’t
-
done anything else.”
-
-
“Good,” she replied. “I didn’t get the impression that you were that type.”
-
-
“So what do we do about Mister Tweedy?”
-
-
“It’s clear this is a blackmail attempt,” she replied as they both stood. Her
-
wing stayed over him, though, and Anon found they were in a hallway, but it was
-
noticeably devoid of anypony, even guards. “He probably wants a nice payoff to
-
stay quiet. The problem is that this can happen again; anypony who has a
-
newspaper from that time could eventually reveal this. However, I think there is
-
a way to resolve this once and for all. It may be rather painful for you,
-
though.”
-
-
“I’ll do whatever I need to do. Just tell me.”
-
-
-
-
-
-
Princess Celestia strode back into the throne room with her wings locked in the
-
full and upright position and with righteous indignation on her face. She was
-
secretly pleased, however, to find that Cadence, Shining Armor, and Luna were
-
all standing and glaring at Silver Tongue, and Luna was giving him the most
-
wonderfully intimidating stare she’d ever given in her life. He was trying to
-
glare back, but it was fairly obvious he was questioning this choice he’d made.
-
Six guards also stood around him, each with either their spear or their horn at
-
the ready and itching for an excuse to be used. Celestia glanced over all of
-
them quickly before nodding to Shining Armor.
-
-
“This is an outrage!” Silver Tongue shouted as soon as the shield came down. “I
-
have never been so insulted! I came here to—”
-
-
“Luna?” Celestia cut him off forcefully, but her stern stare remained on him.
-
“Tell me, what was the penalty for blackmail against the Crown, again?”
-
-
Luna grew a evil and decidedly demented grin. “Why, as I recall, the penalty was
-
fifty years on the racks, Sister. Or perhaps it was fifty years in the
-
stockades? I always get them mixed up. Perhaps we could do both, but at the same
-
time! That was always fun. Do you still have my iron maiden cabinet? I could
-
substitute that for the stocks, if need be, but it might be a little rusty.”
-
-
“You wouldn’t dare,” Silver Tongue shot back. “I’m not doing anything wrong. I’m
-
just looking to ‘educate’ the Princess before the press does.”
-
-
“Oh really,” Celestia replied. “And how much would this ‘education’ cost?”
-
-
“After having been treated so poorly, I do believe the offer should be
-
withdrawn.”
-
-
“A marvelous idea, because here is what is going to happen. You are hereby fined
-
five thousand bits and ordered to serve a month in the dungeons for attempted
-
blackmail against the crown.”
-
-
“I’ll go public with this!” Silver threatened while holding the newspaper out.
-
“The ponies of Equestria have a right to know the truth!”
-
-
“They do indeed,” Celestia replied. She then began inspecting one of her shoes
-
quite closely as she continued. “The funny thing is, when a new prince comes
-
into power, the press is, naturally, very eager to interview him. So, as we
-
speak, Prince Anon is preparing to sit down with a rather sizeable press pool
-
and to lay out his history before the ponies of Equestria. By this time
-
tomorrow, I anticipate that every newspaper in Equestria will have a nice,
-
full-length article about Prince Anon, and it will be a very detailed history.
-
In fact, I do quite anticipate that his arrest and conviction will be covered.”
-
-
This turned a few pairs of curious eyes to her.
-
-
“Sister?” Luna managed to ask first.
-
-
“Oh yes. But I also am quite sure that his subsequent exoneration will be
-
covered too.”
-
-
“What?” Silver Tongue finally cracked.
-
-
“You really should be a bit more thorough when you do your homework, Mister
-
Silver. It would help you to avoid any embarrassing decisions. Yes, Prince Anon
-
was eventually found to be innocent of the charges you found in that article. He
-
will confess to what happened anyway, and you will have no story to share. I’m
-
really disappointed that you thought bribery was a good idea, however. Are you
-
really so desperate for money that you have to stoop to this level?”
-
-
“I am a very successful used wagon salespony, thank you very much!” he shouted
-
again. “And when my lawyer hears about this, you’re—”
-
-
“You know,” considered Celestia thoughtfully, “if you had thought to bring this
-
before a lawyer first, you would have saved yourself a considerable sum. But
-
since you decided not to, let’s leave the lawyers out of it this time. Think of
-
it as an educational experience. Professor Shining Armor, would you take our new
-
pupil to his classroom?”
-
-
“Let’s go,” Shining ordered. Silver Tongue continued to protest loudly while he
-
was escorted out, but the spears and horns provided more than enough motivation
-
to keep moving.
-
-
Celestia then took a deep, cleansing breath. “Wysteria? Are there any more
-
petitioners?”
-
-
“About a dozen at the moment, yes,” the secretary replied, then looked over her
-
shoulder. “Well, three now. I think the rest of them got scared away.”
-
-
“Very well. Allow me fifteen minutes to inform Cadence and Luna of the
-
situation, and then we’ll resume.”
-
-
-
-
-
-
“How you holdin’ up, Anon?”
-
-
Anonymous gave a sad smile to Shining Armor as he sat in the chair next to him,
-
graciously took the pink lemonade Shining offered, and then he drew in a long
-
breath. “You still want to speak to the felon, eh?”
-
-
“Don’t do that to yourself. You were young, you made a dumb decision. I think
-
you’ve already paid the price for it.”
-
-
“I bet you never did anything this dumb.”
-
-
“Last day of Basic,” Shining immediately responded. “I was in a class of fifteen
-
cadets. We were looking forward to graduation, and one of the cadets offered to
-
take us all out for a round in celebration. I told him no first off, but he and
-
the others pushed and pushed until finally I joined in.
-
-
“Anon, that night we nearly drowned three good cadets, and seven were dismissed
-
from the Guard. I bet I felt about as low as you did when I had to go home and
-
explain to my folks and to Twily what had happened. My sister nearly killed me
-
with that look of disappointment all by itself. That moment changed me, Anon;
-
but one or two more shots and I would have been explaining to my Sarge why there
-
were dead ponies in my platoon. You’re not the only one. Most ponies, in my
-
experience, have made at least one serious blunder in their life. The trick is
-
you realized how stupid it was. There’s plenty of ponies who never wise up to
-
that fact, and just keep repeating the same mistake.”
-
-
Anon inhaled deeply. “I guess so. Y’know, it was strange, and yet kinda nice to
-
just lay it all out there. Telling the whole story to Celly and the reporters
-
was… liberating, I guess.”
-
-
“I’d say that’s a good sign,” Shining replied. “But now, leave it in the past.
-
Don’t be constantly dragging it back to the present; it won’t do any good. It
-
happened, yes. Acknowledge it if it comes up again, remember what you’ve learned
-
from it and then move on.”
-
-
Anon hummed for a moment while he thought about that, and his vision went up to
-
the evening sky. “I guess so. Can’t say I ever tried to destroy Celestia and
-
bring about an eternal night, so Luna still has me beat.”
-
-
“Yeah, exactly. But look at where she is now. Her past does not define her
-
present.”
-
-
“I never really understood why nopony gave her any attention back then. I know
-
there were a lot of monsters or whatever, but whenever I looked up at the night
-
sky when I was a boy I was amazed at what I saw.
-
-
“Then when she returned! I remember going out and looking at the stars that
-
first night after I heard she’d returned. I mean, no offense to my wife, but
-
Luna is the true Princess of the Night. The stars were… I’ve never been able to
-
fully describe it. It was some grand celestial dance, a waltz to a scale I could
-
never hope to fully comprehend.
-
-
“So, I guess if she could overcome then so can I. I bet there’s some whoppers
-
that Celly could lay on me from her past, too.”
-
-
“And yet she’s still our Princess,” Shining offered.
-
-
“As she should be.” Anon’s glass went into the air towards Shining in a toast.
-
“Here’s to being stupid and giving in to peer pressure.”
-
-
“Cheers.” Shining nodded his head, clinked his glass against Anon’s, and they
-
both took a long drink of the pink sweetness. “And here’s to never doing it
-
again.”
-
-
“Hear, hear.” Anon clinked his glass again, and another long drink was shared.
-
“Tell you what. Let’s move on to a happier subject. It would seem that your wife
-
made my wife very happy with those Bridleway tickets.”
-
-
“Aunt Celly loves anything that gets her out of the palace,” Shining replied.
-
“She also loves anything that gets her out among her ponies. She is a social
-
creature, so there will be a fair amount of socializing in your future. But I
-
would recommend you find ways to get her out and about: museums, musicals, art
-
exhibits. You could probably even take her out for Nightmare Night somewhere;
-
she really likes going to the smaller cities and sharing in their local
-
customs.”
-
-
“That totally makes sense. I was a little worried myself about being stuck in
-
the palace too.” He looked out over the veranda in thought. “And she’s never
-
seen Hinny of the Hills?”
-
-
“Scheduling conflicts. She has really, really wanted to though.”
-
-
“So I gathered.” Anon chuckled. “And dinner afterward?”
-
-
“Cadence left that part up to me. So, what do you think of this…”
-
-
-
-
-
-
“That’ll be perfect, Auntie Celestia,” Cadence gushed. “He’ll be astonished.”
-
-
“I hope so. He needs something nice after today. Lulu, are you going to come
-
too?”
-
-
“I fear I would be a fifth wheel in your festivities,” she replied.
-
-
“Not at all! We would love to have you,” Cadence replied.
-
-
“Well, if you insist.” The Lunar Diarch laughed a little at her niece’s
-
enthusiasm. “I have heard good things about the play, and I am mildly curious to
-
see it. If I will not be a burden, then I would like to come.”
-
-
“You are never a burden, dear sister.” Celestia gave her sister a quick hug. “It
-
will be most delightful to have you accompany us.”
-
-
“Good evening, Wysteria!” Cadence proclaimed as the faithful secretary entered
-
the room. “I thought you had gone home already.”
-
-
“I was just about to, but there was one thing I wanted to check on with Princess
-
Celestia.”
-
-
“And what is that?” Celestia asked.
-
-
“Anonymous had asked for a dossier to be compiled on… well, himself. There’s a
-
team of ponies heading to Salt Lick right now to investigate his past. I’m told
-
it will take about two to three weeks to have the full report back.”
-
-
“Thank you for telling me, Wysteria, I didn’t know he had done that. However,
-
let the team carry on. I believe the Prince is doing this to prove he has
-
nothing else to hide, both from me and from himself. I have full confidence that
-
their report will be very boring indeed.”
-
-
“I’m expecting that too.” Wysteria chuckled. “Good night, Your Highnesses.”
-
-
The Princesses all bid her good night, and Luna then stood and stretched her
-
wings while Wysteria showed herself out.
-
-
“I should attend to my duties as well. Celly, I’ll keep an eye on his dreams
-
tonight. He may relive the incident, and if he starts to I will help him through
-
it.”
-
-
“Thank you, Lulu. I wish you an uneventful evening.”
-
-
Luna then teleported away, leaving the two Princesses to look out at their
-
husbands on the veranda.
-
-
“I wonder what they’re planning,” Celestia remarked.
-
-
“Dinner for tomorrow, hopefully. Shining said he would take care of it.”
-
-
“Well, since Anon is helping him I would venture to say it will be a most
-
wonderful date. You and I are two very lucky mares.”
-
-
“Yes we are. Now we just need to work on Twilight! Are you totally sure your law
-
doesn’t apply to her? I could set her up quite nicely with a special somepony if
-
it did.”
-
-
“My dear Cadence,” Celestia replied on a haughty tone, “while it may have worked
-
out for me, a flower patch is no place to find a special somepony.”
-
-
“Oh!” Cadence pouted. “But it’s so much funnier doing it your way!”
-
-
“No, no, no!” Celestia replied in the midst of both of them laughing. “No
-
noses!” > 24. - I Saw The Future >
-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
“Anon?” Celestia whispered into Anon’s ear with some trepidation.
-
-
“Hm?”
-
-
“Should I let you sleep longer?”
-
-
“Mm, no,” he replied. Celestia gently kissed his nose, and she felt a small
-
measure of relief when he chuckled. “Is it time to raise the sun?”
-
-
“Just about, yes. Are you sure you’re okay?” Celestia asked. “You were tossing
-
and turning all night.”
-
-
“Really, I am fine. I am a bit tired, perhaps, but I think I can shake that off
-
once I get moving.”
-
-
Celestia gave him a critical look. His answer had been given in a more subdued
-
and reserved tone than usual, and he had a contemplative and depressed demeanor
-
across his features. However, Celestia decided to accept his statement at face
-
value, and she said nothing as he trotted along obediently with her to the
-
balcony.
-
-
Of course, she could only stay silent for so long. “If I made pancakes, would
-
you like some?”
-
-
“I would,” he said, but without his usual eagerness. “But only a couple, I
-
think. I don’t feel very hungry right now.”
-
-
“I will make as many or as few as you like,” she replied, and he gave her an
-
attempt at a bigger smile that died out almost as soon as it started.
-
-
Anon’s misery clung to Celestia’s heart with a gloom she could not shake off. It
-
was as plain as dawn that he was depressed, but what was the answer to
-
overcoming it? She missed his smiles, and most of all, his constant attempts to
-
cook his way into her heart.
-
-
“You seem sad today, my love,” she offered.
-
-
“I do?” Anon did not turn to her as she wanted, but looked out toward the
-
eastern hills. “I never could hide my emotions from you. I am a little
-
depressed, I guess. I think I just need a little bit of time is all.”
-
-
“This is about yesterday, isn’t it?” she asked, and he nodded once.
-
-
“You should have known before. You should have heard that part of my past from
-
me first, not Silver Tongue.”
-
-
“Is that why you asked Wysteria to do a background check?”
-
-
“I want to make sure,” he replied. “No more surprises.”
-
-
“I hope you can surprise me a little sometimes,” she offered with a half grin.
-
-
That got a small smirk out of him. “Okay, I walked into that one. I always want
-
to be honest with you. This way, there will be no doubt.”
-
-
“I see. You didn’t hurt me yesterday, you know. I never asked for a detailed
-
history of your past, so you didn’t deliberately deceive me. I don’t imagine you
-
go around introducing yourself to others with ‘Guess what? I’m a former felon!’”
-
-
“That’s an interesting way to break the ice,” he chuckled, and there was a note
-
of mirth in it. “But you’re right. I just… I just feel bad that you found out
-
about my dubious history from a slick tweed jacket, not me.”
-
-
“Well, it is past us now,” she replied, and her horn lighted. “And just like how
-
my sunrise comes from the sunset of yesterday, we both get a new day from the
-
previous, one that will be much more enjoyable and filled with each other.”
-
-
“And I love that I have that,” he replied with a slightly larger smile. “With
-
you, I’ll be able to get through anything.”
-
-
-
-
-
-
Breakfast was a quiet affair for Anon that morning. Celestia was kind enough to
-
make pancakes for Shining and Cadence as well as for Anon, but his mood was
-
still recovering so he ate little and said less. Their time together was still
-
pleasant, however, and Cadence and Shining were somehow able to read his emotion
-
and give him some personal space, and he appreciated that they didn’t try to
-
push happiness on him. It would return, as it always did, and with Celestia
-
offering her love to him he just needed to soak it in for a bit and then he’d be
-
back to his old self.
-
-
After breakfast, Shining and Cadence excused themselves to allow some personal
-
time for Celestia and Anon, and for perhaps some more selfish reasons as well
-
when Anon thought about it. With most of the day now to themselves, Celestia did
-
ask Anon if there was anything he would like to do.
-
-
“I don’t know,” he replied in thoughtful tone. “What do you suggest?”
-
-
She gave him a warm smile. “Tell me, how is your book coming? Perhaps we can
-
work on that.”
-
-
“My book?” he asked. “Really? You want to work on that?”
-
-
“I do,” she replied. “What did you have planned for the second chapter?”
-
-
“Well, I… uh, I honestly don’t know. That’s where I really need the help, I
-
guess. I come up with a few good scenes, but I can’t connect them together.”
-
-
“I see,” she replied with a tilt of her head and a smile. “I do believe I can
-
help you make those connections.”
-
-
“You think so?” he asked, with a step in towards her. “And how would you help?”
-
-
“I have heard that I have inspired many poems and works of art,” she replied in
-
a deeply seductive tone. Her mane flowed over his chest and down his left side,
-
leaving him with a most pleasing technicolor view. “So, by my astounding powers
-
of inference, it stands to reason that I can inspire you as well.”
-
-
“I like this line of thought,” he replied softly, but with his eagerness
-
returning in each syllable. “Go on.”
-
-
“Of course, proper inspiration takes time.” She brushed up against his neck,
-
moving closer.
-
-
“We’ve got time.” He leaned back and began to lift his head. “All the time you
-
want.”
-
-
“And then, with you thusly inspired by your beautiful wife—” her lips snuck in
-
closer to his “—you will then write prose that will shake the heavens…”
-
-
“Um, Your Highnesses?”
-
-
“I’ll turn her into a potted plant,” Celestia threatened in a low and guttural
-
whisper. “Just watch me. She’ll be a nice ficus that we can put on our balcony
-
so she gets plenty of sunlight.”
-
-
“I’m sorry to interrupt, ma’am, but Captain Armor needs to speak with Prince
-
Anon immediately,” Sergeant Clover Leaf offered. “There’s been some sort of
-
complication with the reservations.”
-
-
“Naturally,” Celestia replied with only a hint of annoyance, and then she let
-
out a sigh so heavy the sun was in danger of being pulled off course. “You
-
better go see what’s going on.”
-
-
Anon nodded sadly and followed the good sergeant out of the room, but Celestia
-
watched him—or more specifically, his backside, and that ass!—as he left, and
-
she bit her lower lip.
-
-
“Soon, my love. Soon.”
-
-
-
-
-
-
“So everything has been taken care of?” Celestia asked while they walked.
-
-
“For now. Let’s try to kiss again; that’ll tell us for sure.”
-
-
She giggled at this, and leaned her head towards him. “Can you kiss and walk at
-
the same time?”
-
-
“Probably not,” he replied with a snort of humor. “It would be a shame if I got
-
hurt and we had to cancel tonight. I’m really looking forward to it.”
-
-
“You are?” she asked in amusement, and he nodded.
-
-
“I’ve said it before: there are people who would do almost anything to date you.
-
I am one of them. The more time I spend with you, the happier I am.”
-
-
“I can tell.” Celestia draped a wing around him and held her love against her
-
side, relishing the warmth and little embarrassed wriggles he made. “I’m glad I
-
can help you feel better.”
-
-
“Me too. Hopefully I can return the favor sometime.”
-
-
“There is no doubt in my mind that you will,” she said, with a quick nip of his
-
ear. “And when that time comes, I will be most grateful that it is you who will
-
help me.”
-
-
He nipped at her neck with that, and she giggled like a schoolfilly but made no
-
effort to stop him. The two of them continued to share laughs and nips until
-
they reached their drawing room, but Celestia got the final blow in as she bit
-
him on the butt a little harder than she wanted as he entered.
-
-
Anon hopped forward and let out a rather undignified squeak of alarm, leaving
-
him blushing furiously again from Celestia’s sneaky assault and his own
-
undignified response. Thankfully, Anon did receive a quick boop as payment for
-
enduring her enjoyable teasing, and the two of them shared a delighted smile.
-
-
“So, let’s work on that pesky chapter of yours.” Celestia settled into the
-
cushions, tucked her Love in her wing, and shuffled his papers in her magic.
-
“I’m afraid I don’t recall where you left off at, so I’ll… I’ll need to…”
-
-
One of the most delighted hums in the history of Equestria escaped out of
-
Celestia as Anon began gently stroking her feathers with his fingers. Purring
-
immediately followed, and Anon laughed a little as he worked.
-
-
“I heard once that one way to beat a mild bout of depression is to go out and do
-
something nice for someone else. Seems like whoever said that was on to
-
something.” One lone feather popped out of her wing as he rubbed, and he looked
-
it over for a moment before voicing another thought.
-
-
“Would you mind if I help preen your wings, my love?”
-
-
“I don’t mind one little itty bit,” she sighed in a dreamy bliss. “Preen away.”
-
-
“Quick technical question then: how?”
-
-
Anon loved hearing Celestia’s small laugh that came before her answer. “Since I
-
don’t fly all that often there shouldn’t be any broken ones. If you do find one
-
just give it a quick tug and it will come right out. It won’t hurt me either, so
-
don’t worry about that. Otherwise, just keep doing what you’re doing.”
-
-
“Gotcha.”
-
-
Anon worked softly and methodically on her wing, going over each inch and then
-
over the same inch again just to be sure. It was a relaxing affair for both of
-
them: Celestia was obviously in a state of serene peace and quiet enjoyment and
-
Anon found the gentle touch he was using felt oddly like he was bringing himself
-
into a balanced harmony. Once the underside was done, Celestia gently lifted her
-
wing to let him out, but then again relaxed into a blissful bundle of completely
-
relaxed princess as he worked and smoothed the upper feathers.
-
-
Anon then went top to bottom on her left wing, and there were several times he
-
wondered if he had put his wife to sleep. The steady pulse of her purr was both
-
tranquil and uplifting, so by the time he was finished his depression had been
-
completely banished. It was a zen unlike anything he’d ever felt before, but it
-
was also one he wanted to keep forever.
-
-
Anon then smiled brightly as he moved around to Celestia’s front. She blinked
-
her eyes rapidly for a second to reestablish her connection with reality, then
-
mirrored his smile back to him.
-
-
The simple “thank you” she offered held a far deeper and more intimate impact on
-
him than the words had any right to usually have.
-
-
“Y’know, I like this view,” he replied, and Celestia giggled a bit as he grabbed
-
his notebook and pencil. “Let’s see. ‘The Princess was lying on her stomach in a
-
relaxed and calm manner. Her wings were fully extended and resting on the
-
cushions around her, and her legs were tucked in and folded to help her demure
-
look.’”
-
-
“Demure?” she asked.
-
-
“In the modest and reserved sense. Not a good choice?”
-
-
“Take a close look at me and then tell me I’m being demure.”
-
-
His heart took a skipping leap, and his breath hitched slightly. He eagerly
-
drank in the smooth and seductive lines of her form, the gentle and yet powerful
-
aura of her grace, and the pure appeal of her elegance.
-
-
“Maybe not demure,” he relented. “Coy would be better.”
-
-
She purred a little louder and treated him with an alluring tilt of her head.
-
“Coy?”
-
-
His head slowly came down towards the magnificence before him. “Coy. But since
-
my vocabulary is lacking, what would you recommend?”
-
-
“Kittenish,” she offered, with a tone in her voice that would make a siren
-
jealous of her abilities. “Coquettish in a way. Flirtatious even.”
-
-
“That last one I know,” he replied in a soft voice that was heavy with
-
anticipation. “Who would have thought that Princess Celestia could be so
-
flirtatious?”
-
-
He drew closer, two pairs of lips began to pucker yet again, but then they both
-
hesitated.
-
-
“Three…” Celestia offered.
-
-
“Two…” Anon added.
-
-
“One…” they said in unison.
-
-
Both of them pointed to the door, and on cue, a staccato burst of knocks
-
happened before Wysteria marched through it, her nose in her paperwork.
-
-
“I’m not quite sure why the universe is so against us kissing,” Celestia
-
remarked with a huff, and she pulled her wings back in.
-
-
“If I figure it out, I’ll let you know.” Anon offered a hand, and Celestia
-
gladly took it before she stood. “Maybe it will be so epic that every other kiss
-
will be put to shame.”
-
-
“I would love to see if that is true,” she replied with a light giggle.
-
-
“Your Highnesses,” Wysteria offered with tart terseness. “If I may interject for
-
a few minutes, I need you both to accompany me to the throne room so I can go
-
over the security details of this evening with both of you, Shining, Cadence,
-
and the assigned guards.”
-
-
“Is everything alright, Wysteria?” Celestia asked.
-
-
“Great! Fine! Never better! Just fine!” she snapped back. “Please follow me.”
-
-
Celestia glanced up at Anon as Wysteria turned and began leaving. His look of
-
confusion matched how she felt, and they both shrugged at each other before
-
falling in line behind her.
-
-
-
-
-
-
“…Clover Leaf and Hokey Pokey will maintain their positions here. Once the meal
-
is complete you will be escorted to the secured area of Saddle Park for a
-
standard meet-and-greet, which will end promptly at eight fifteen. You will all
-
then be escorted to the theater where your evening will conclude in what will
-
be, without a doubt, a most lovely and entertaining time.”
-
-
That had to be one of the most straightforward and clipped security summaries
-
Celestia had ever heard. One eyebrow was firmly in the ‘up’ category as she
-
regarded her secretary, who was shuffling her papers in her magic and giving a
-
wilting glare to one Corporal Quillpoint, who was posted at the door.
-
-
“Provided the Prince doesn’t avoid you the next day,” she muttered with a growl.
-
Her papers tapped on her clipboard, but her eyes remained on the guard, and
-
there was the threat that he would be frozen into a large guardcicle.
-
-
The hapless Quillpoint’s ears splayed back with the icy not-looking from the
-
secretary, and despite his efforts to maintain his composure, his face showed a
-
great deal of guilt and remorse. His jaw kept tightening and relaxing, as if he
-
was trying to offer a rebuttal to Wysteria’s remarks but was unable to do so by
-
virtue of his current guard status. While it was clear to most of the ponies in
-
the room that Wysteria’s clipped comments were intended to refer to herself and
-
to him, nopony dared to interject and risk the ire of the mare who had been
-
scorned.
-
-
Nopony except one.
-
-
“I believe we will skip the why on that one and go straight to how Prince Anon
-
would manage such a feat,” Celestia stated.
-
-
“Oh, no. He wouldn’t,” Wysteria replied, seeming to shake herself out the brief
-
slump. “My apologies. This will, undoubtedly, be a wonderful night for you both.
-
Romantic. Magical. Magnetic. It will be fine.” She trailed off, and the papers
-
began to shuffle again.
-
-
Celestia could not help but notice the confused glance that Anon and Shining
-
exchanged. She had a sneaking suspicion about what was going on, but it would be
-
best if Wysteria and Quillpoint could work it out for themselves without any
-
Royal nudging. After all, Wysteria had never been this sour or snippy in her
-
years of service, and Quill was a sensible stallion or he would never have
-
become a guard. All she needed to do was wait…
-
-
Corporal Quillpoint, after just a brief moment, cleared his throat. “Captain
-
Armor, sir?”
-
-
“Yes, Corporal?”
-
-
“Permission to speak freely, sir?”
-
-
“Granted,” Shining said with a great deal of interest. “What is it?”
-
-
“Well, I just wanted to say that Prince Anon and Princess Celestia will enjoy
-
their time together, I’m sure. I mean, everything had been planned out so well
-
that I’m sure it couldn’t be anything but. I bet they will have deep, meaningful
-
conversations and will make a great connection with each other.”
-
-
“If that’s true, why would he ignore her afterward?” Wysteria shot back before
-
anypony else could reply. “Why would he be so aloof?”
-
-
All doubt was removed at that point as to what was really going on, even for
-
Anon. Shining inhaled deeply and prepared himself to take over as Captain.
-
-
Thankfully, Cadence stepped in. One petite pink hoof flashed faster than the eye
-
could see until it was resting delicately across Shining Armor’s lips before he
-
could utter the first word. True to his training as a husband and a guard,
-
Shining gave each alicorn a sideways glance, took in the slow head shaking they
-
were both doing, and stayed shut up.
-
-
“Maybe… maybe he,” the Corporal glanced down at his hooves in embarrassment
-
“Prince Anon, that is, maybe he would have such a great time that he would think
-
about getting her flowers the next day, and then deliver them by hoof to her
-
office.”
-
-
“You were going to get me flowers?” Wysteria asked, all pretenses at third pony
-
references being dropped immediately with her melting heart.
-
-
“They need to talk this out,” Anon whispered to Celestia. “Why don’t we step out
-
of the room for a moment?”
-
-
“Not on your life.”
-
-
Anon glanced down to her just as she glanced up to him, and a small smirk
-
appeared on his face.
-
-
“What?” she asked. “This concerns us and our plans for tonight.”
-
-
“Well, yeah,” Quillpoint went on, oblivious to the Royal whispering. “But… but
-
then the Prince talked to some of his buddies at the barracks, and they said
-
that would look really… well, really desperate? Needy?”
-
-
Anon was completely sure he heard the mares nearest to him gasp at the audacity
-
of the advice. He was also mostly sure that the female guards in the room had
-
gasped as well.
-
-
The poor Corporal looked like he’d rather sit on a halberd at that point, but he
-
gave Prince Anon and Prince Armor a desperate look. “I mean, it does, doesn’t
-
it?”
-
-
Anon stood a bit taller, and his eyes widened in surprise. It was clear he
-
realized he was on extremely thin ice. He didn’t want to leave a brother
-
hanging, but he wasn’t sure what the appropriate answer should be. Maybe if he
-
faked a heart attack, or a sudden onset of laryngitis…
-
-
“Uh… maybe?” he replied half-heartedly and with trepidation. “A little? I mean,
-
maybe you should have brought them to the second date, but not deliver them?”
-
-
“Not quite the best answer,” Celestia whispered kindly in his ear. “Corporal
-
Quillpoint, there is nothing desperate about giving a nice mare flowers. It
-
shows us that you enjoyed the time together, and none of us would see it as
-
needy. I’m sure Wysteria—I mean, ‘the Princess’—would greatly appreciate such a
-
kind gesture and would also see it as a sign that ‘Prince Anon’ wanted to meet
-
with her again.”
-
-
“Really?” Quillpoint asked. “You? You really would? That wouldn’t be too
-
forward?”
-
-
“No!” Wysteria replied with a tear and a smile. She quickly trotted over to the
-
astonished guard and threw one arm around his armored neck. “Not at all! I
-
thought we had something good going, and the flowers would have sealed the deal!
-
I love flowers!”
-
-
“Corporal, why don’t you take twenty minutes and go discuss this in private,
-
eh?” Captain Armor said with a smirk. “I think we can survive without you for
-
that long.”
-
-
“Yes sir! Thank you sir!” Quillpoint immediately offered, and he laughed a
-
little with Wysteria as they made their way out into the hallway.
-
-
There was a bit of laughter from the Princesses with this turn of events, but
-
Anon leaned over to Shining with an urgent question. “So, we’re going to need to
-
get Celly and Cady flowers, aren’t we?”
-
-
Shining smiled and put a hoof on Anon’s legs. “No. Anon, my friend, we are
-
blessed with the opportunity to get them flowers.”
-
-
Anon nodded slowly as he thought for a moment. “Two dozen, do you think?”
-
-
“Anon, you can never have too many flowers. They are a delight for the eyes, a
-
sweet scent for the nose, and a treat for the tongue, and we are talking about
-
princesses here. We need three dozen per wife at a minimum.”
-
-
-
-
-
-
“That was strange,” Anon remarked, as he and his wife walked back into the
-
drawing room.
-
-
“Perhaps,” Celestia said with a nod. “But in my experience, love defies
-
normality. It has a way of overwhelming and consuming normal, and then it leaves
-
normal laying in a ditch somewhere wondering what hit it. With Cadence giving
-
them some guidance⁽*⁾ I think Quillpoint and Wysteria will have a very happy
-
relationship.”
-
-
⁽*⁾To be honest, keeping Cadence from giving romantic assistance to the castle
-
staff was a constant issue, particularly among the rapidly vanishing species of
-
bachelors.
-
-
“I think so too. So, since we’re on the subject and it seems like something that
-
I really should know, what are your favorite flowers?”
-
-
“Oh, I don’t know that I have a favorite,” she tittered. “I like all different
-
types. Though, if I had to admit it, I think sunflowers are making a bold move
-
up my list.”
-
-
“Oh really?” he laughed, as he sat but she remained standing. “I guess I could
-
see why. Though I have heard some ponies call it a weed.”
-
-
“If it isn’t cultivated and properly cared for, perhaps. But if treated kindly,
-
given good soil and lots of sunshine a sunflower can be a very remarkable flower
-
indeed. It just needs a little help, that’s all.”
-
-
“Good thing there are excellent gardeners around here,” he replied, and she
-
moved in a bit closer and started to dip her head towards him again. “Some
-
sunflowers might need a bit more attention than others.”
-
-
“Ah, but those often turn out to be the most wonderful sunflowers of all.
-
Potential is not defined by how much help one needs.”
-
-
“I’m very glad it’s not,” he replied as she inched ever closer. His world was
-
quickly becoming awash in Celestial pastels again and he loved it. “And I’m also
-
very glad that the gardener is such a beautiful one, and that she is kind, and
-
patient—”
-
-
His lips again began to move to hers, and his heart hammered wildly in
-
anticipation.
-
-
“—and forgiving, and willing to stay with the sunflower through anything…”
-
-
“Knock knock!” Shining’s voice came through the door, as he did what he said.
-
Celestia let out a very strong nicker of annoyance while she retreated back, and
-
there was a chance her glare would burn through the door and pierce the
-
interruptor on the other side, nephew or not.
-
-
“GAAH!” That was it! Anonymous stood up, took Celestia’s cheeks in his hands,
-
pulled her in quickly and planted his lips dead square on hers.
-
-
There was a brief moment of shock for the Princess, but that almost
-
instantaneously disappeared as the whole of existence blissfully slid into
-
perfect insignificance. She embraced him, he embraced her, and there wasn’t a
-
thing that could have mattered more at that moment to either of them.
-
-
There was no language that could adequately describe what they felt right then,
-
no combination of letters or words or phrases that could give the full impact of
-
their state of being. Time became a distant irrelevance; space nothing more than
-
a fleeting inconvenience. There was a vain attempt by rationality to put a tidy
-
description to the event: euphoria, bliss, contentment, completeness, rapture,
-
exultance, joyfulness, fullness and pure love.
-
-
They were all miserable failures. The scope of the moment between the Anon and
-
the Princess was beyond transcendence itself.
-
-
When they did finally submit to reality’s rules again, Celestia and her Anon
-
found themselves in the arms of one another, and her wings were wrapped securely
-
and warmly around him. They both giggled, laughed, and then several quick pecks
-
were shared between them as they celebrated this momentous occurrence. It was
-
Celestia who, after a few moments of this, offered her one word summary of what
-
had happened.
-
-
“Wow!”
-
-
-
-
-
-
Celestia could hardly keep her fillyish laughter in. They’d kissed! They’d
-
kissed! And it was Anon, that delightful man, who had made the move!
-
-
He was a far better kisser than he let on. Celestia had done well indeed.
-
-
Sadly, kisses did not fill the belly, and Celestia had postulated to Anon that
-
Shining had been trying to ask them what they wanted for lunch. It had nearly
-
taken a crowbar to separate the two of them from each other’s lips, but hunger
-
had won out—as it always did—and Celestia had told Anon to work on his book
-
while she went and procured food for them.
-
-
However, Celestia heard another giggling noise from somewhere down the hallway,
-
and curiosity set her in motion towards it.
-
-
It didn’t take long to find the source. In a small alcove near Luna’s room she
-
found two ponies, two whom she had hoped could reconcile their differences, and
-
she almost burst with happiness when she saw what they were doing.
-
-
Corporal Quillpoint was standing close to Wysteria with a easygoing smile, and
-
she was running her hooves up and down his breastplate while gazing into his
-
eyes. Somehow his helmet had ended up on her head, thus breaking the look-alike
-
enchantment and allowing Celestia to see his natural coloring. He had his own
-
set of charms, she supposed, and she could understand why Wysteria was
-
interested in him, but he didn’t come anywhere near the good looks of her Anon.
-
-
With a smirk, Celestia cleared her throat loudly and then gave the two of them a
-
playfully stern look as both of them went flush with embarrassment.
-
-
-
-
-
“Well!” Wysteria quickly tried to work her way out of the situation, and she
-
began rubbing her fetlock on his armor. “I’ll let this little violation in your
-
uniform slide this time, but I expect you to be perfect the next time I see you.
-
You’re a Royal Guard, so you should always look the part.”
-
-
“Yes, ma’am. A thousand apologies, ma’am. Won’t happen again.”
-
-
“Very well,” Wysteria sternly said, and she took a step back and Celestia
-
giggled furiously behind a hoof. “You’re dismissed. Carry on.”
-
-
“’I’m afraid I can’t do that, ma’am.”
-
-
“What? Why?” she asked him quickly under her breath.
-
-
“I need my helmet back.”
-
-
“Oh.”
-
-
Celestia nearly fell over laughing as Wysteria quickly removed and returned
-
Quillpoint’s helmet. Once the enchantment had settled in again he saluted to
-
Celestia, gave a wink and a nod to Wysteria, and then left with a slight spring
-
in his step.
-
-
“Well!” Wysteria quickly made sure her collar was straight as her horn lit and
-
retrieved her clipboard. “Let me see. I have your itinerary here, and everything
-
looks acceptable, except I haven’t heard back from the courier on—”
-
-
She dared to glance up at the princess, who was giving her a smug smile. “—on
-
the final…uh, final reservations, and… and please don’t fire me.”
-
-
“I wouldn’t dare. I can’t find my own tail without you,” Celestia replied in a
-
soft and understanding voice.
-
-
“I didn’t mean for that to happen. We were just discussing what Princess Cadence
-
had told us, and then one thing kinda led to the other, and…”
-
-
“Is he a good kisser?”
-
-
Wysteria found her hooves to be immensely interesting all of a sudden. “Yes?”
-
she squeaked out.
-
-
“I am sure you will continue to perform your duties admirably, Wysteria. You are
-
dedicated and loyal, and I will again state that you are the finest secretary
-
I’ve ever had.”
-
-
Celestia held up a hoof. “But if you would like to talk about things that are of
-
a more personal nature, I am here for you as well. You are my friend, after all,
-
and as your friend I want to help you if I can.”
-
-
Wysteria looked back up at the princess with a sheepish grin. “Do you have any
-
good recommendations for a second date?”
-
-
“Walk with me.” Celestia laughed with Wysteria. “I just so happen to know of two
-
or three.” > 25. - Date Night >
-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
“Celly, are you just about ready? Wysteria just knocked on the door and gave me
-
a look that either meant ‘you’re running late’ or ‘I’m feeling bloated.’”
-
-
“I certainly hope it’s the former,” Celestia said with a giggle. “I’m almost
-
done.”
-
-
Anon was eager to see her dress. She had been teasingly vague about what she had
-
selected, with no information other than it was one from a previous Grand
-
Galloping Gala and that he would like it; but since it was Celestia he was
-
pretty extra sure she’d be stunning.
-
-
Though he hoped it wasn’t brown. He had yet to see a brown dress pulled off
-
properly.
-
-
“So, how many dresses do you have?” he asked, mostly to make conversation while
-
he waited. He was admiring the way the light reflected off his Celestial Crystal
-
as the reply came.
-
-
“Believe it or not, I actually only have about a dozen or so. Every now and then
-
I round them all up and sell them at a charity auction for the low-income
-
families in Canterlot. They use the money to help with housing and meals and
-
educational needs.”
-
-
“That is pretty cool,” he replied while trying to imagine how many wealthy
-
socialites would actually fit in one of Celestia’s dresses. Maybe they put them
-
on display, or had them drastically taken in.
-
-
“All right. I’m coming out. Don’t laugh.”
-
-
“Why in Equestria would… I….”
-
-
If there was even a miniscule part of him that maybe might have made him laugh
-
at her dress, it was quite thoroughly decimated when Anonymous beheld his wife.
-
-
And again, to say he was both speechless and blown away was an understatement to
-
a degree similar to saying the sun was a little warm.
-
-
It was a sky-blue dress that fit snugly around her barrel but then flared
-
slightly where it went over her haunches and flank in pleated folds. Across her
-
chest was snug as well, but the look was actually accented quite nicely by a
-
golden pendant and chain that hung loosely over her shoulders. The fabric was a
-
material Anon was unfamiliar with, but it was no doubt costly because it had
-
both a slight shimmer and small sparkle effect, making the whole thing gently
-
beckon to him as she crossed the room.
-
-
“Well? Do you like it?” she asked.
-
-
“Duh… wuh… buh…”
-
-
She gave him a quick and gentle kiss. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
-
-
“I am so out of my league with you,” he finally remarked. “Really.”
-
-
“I wouldn’t say that,” she replied. “You have a great deal of charm yourself.”
-
-
“Yeah? Where?”
-
-
Celestia smiled and kissed his cheek. “Here. And here,” after she kissed the
-
other one. “Don’t sell yourself short, love. Your charm is very subtle. If I
-
blink, I could miss it. But when one takes the time, one finds a very pleasing
-
green man before her.”
-
-
Anon could feel his cheeks heat up to a rosy glow with her compliments, but he
-
could not complain. He was fairly sure his heart was about to burst with joy. He
-
twiddled one foot on the floor for a bashful moment but then offered a hand to
-
her. “Shall we, my princess?”
-
-
“Lead on, my prince,” she giggled, and she took him up on his offer.
-
-
They strode out of the bedroom side-by-side, hoof-in-hand and found Wysteria
-
impatiently waiting for them with a forced smile and and a furious tapping on
-
her clipboard.
-
-
“You both look nice, but we’re behind schedule,” she admonished. “The others are
-
waiting at the chariots for you. We need to hurry, unless you want to teleport
-
there.”
-
-
“You look nice too,” Anon offered.
-
-
Wysteria scoffed quite loudly. “No I don’t, but thank you.”
-
-
“No, he’s right,” Celestia added. “Black is a good color on you.”
-
-
“This is a ten bit swath of fabric I found on the clearance rack at a thrift
-
store. It’s as basic as you can get.”
-
-
“Sometimes the basic designs are the most flattering.”
-
-
Wysteria remained unconvinced, and her face showed it. “Well, whether or not
-
that it true, we need to move. I’ll debate it with you later.”
-
-
“I suppose that our opinion isn’t what really matters, after all. Somepony else
-
will be the one who makes the argument stick with our dear secretary.”
-
-
“Ah, you are quite right my love,” Anon cheerfully replied. “I wonder if he’s on
-
duty tonight.”
-
-
Anon saw Wysteria’s rock-solid stoicism falter for half a second, and her eyes
-
flitted to her trusty and faithful work tool. She obviously wanted to look. The
-
only question was if her will would hold out until after the Royal Couple was
-
out of sight, or if her resistance would crumble like cake.
-
-
“Go ahead and look,” encouraged Celestia with another giggle, providing an
-
irresistible push.
-
-
Wysteria was flipping the pages with the first syllable out of her boss’ mouth.
-
-
“He is assigned to you, isn’t he?”
-
-
“You did this, didn’t you?” Wysteria gave her employer a playful glare. “There’s
-
no way this just happened. Prince Shining could have expedited everything for
-
you, too. This is all too easy, too convenient.” She chewed on her bottom lip
-
for a moment, and her gaze went to the ground. “Should I have my mane up or
-
down?”
-
-
“Let it down,” Celestia replied. “You always have it up. Down shows you are
-
relaxed, comfortable, and willing to put work aside for a time.”
-
-
“Can you put yours up?” Anon asked while batting a curling bit of celestial mane
-
with one hoof.
-
-
“Wavy buns look very silly and the last time I did it all of the guards
-
laughed.”
-
-
Anon snickered at the thought of that as Wysteria quickly pulled out the pins
-
that held her hair up, and then began fussing with it to try and make it
-
presentable.
-
-
“Oh, go behind the ears,” Celestia offered. “Let him see your face and eyes.”
-
-
“Really?” Wysteria giggled happily. She did so, and both Anon and Celestia
-
nodded in approval.
-
-
“That is a good look.” Anon offered. “Classy, but casual too.”
-
-
“Thanks. Now move or we won’t get to see him!”
-
-
Wysteria practically began shoving them down the hallway, and the two complied
-
by moving up to a brisk jog with some laughter mixed in. Thankfully, the
-
secretary’s nerves were saved from further fraying by their rapid arrival at the
-
chariots, and the remaining Royals were simply chatting amongst themselves while
-
they waited.
-
-
Anon had to compare his own dashing look to Shining Armor, which only made him
-
more uncomfortable. Shining was wearing a fine red coat that was trimmed in
-
gold, white pearls and cufflinks, and a royal blue sash; but since Shining was
-
broader and had more muscle than Anon he filled the role of Prince better. That
-
depressing feeling of being an imposter crept back in as he glanced down at his
-
own blue sleeve, and he wondered if he should try adding some bulk to his own
-
frame.
-
-
Cadence was… well, pink. Anon would never say it aloud, but her dress was too
-
loose and frilly to be flattering and it was the same pink as her coat, so it
-
came across as an oversaturation to him. But, not his wife, not his problem. If
-
Shining liked it, then no other opinion mattered.
-
-
Anon did like Luna’s selection for the evening. He had expected her to go with
-
something in navy blue or black, but she had instead chosen a deep burgundy
-
color, and it highlighted her natural blues quite nicely. The train had more of
-
a straight and simple cut than Celestia’s, but the silver highlights along the
-
hem that matched her choice of a silver necklace made for a very elegant design.
-
She had also applied some silver eyeshadow to complete the look, and Anon
-
thought she looked quite nice indeed.
-
-
Celly looked better, though. By a wide margin, actually.
-
-
“About time you two showed up!” Shining joked. “We were getting ready to leave
-
without you!”
-
-
“I’d like to see you squeeze into this faster!” Celestia replied with a laugh.
-
“I could be ready in five minutes too if all I had to do is button a coat up.”
-
-
“I’m not even going to go there.” Shining chuckled.
-
-
“You were riding with us, right Lulu?”
-
-
“Indeed.” Luna nodded. “Someone needs to keep you two in line.”
-
-
“Schedule!” Wysteria admonished.
-
-
-
* * ✹ * *
-
-
-
Anonymous determined he liked flying.
-
-
Granted, he probably knew this before now, but he had just made it officially
-
official in his own mind. Flying was definitely better when he had Celestia next
-
to him, with a warm wing wrapped around him and looking resplendent in a dress
-
that felt silky and smooth.
-
-
Admittedly, it was a damper to have his sister-in-law on the other side of him,
-
making annoyed noises when he and his wife stole kisses from each other, but it
-
was still tolerable.
-
-
However, the kissing would soon have to stop. Manehattan was looming large in
-
the distance, and Anonymous sat up a bit in anticipation and excitement as they
-
closed in.
-
-
“Have you been to Manehattan, Anon?” Luna asked.
-
-
“Not recently. I’ve been here twice: once when I was just a kid, so I don’t
-
remember that; and then once when I came with my parents for a chef’s convention
-
when I was seventeen or so. I remember being blown away at the sheer number of
-
ponies crammed into one place and the insane height of the skyscrapers. I hadn’t
-
ever realized how small Salt Lick really was until then.”
-
-
“Just remember to remain calm, and to not act overwhelmed. You are a Prince, and
-
you need to portray yourself as such. The ponies of Equestria will look to you
-
as a bedrock foundation. You must always be so for them, for they will gain the
-
confidence they need to succeed in their own lives from seeing your own
-
exemplary example.”
-
-
“You do remember I was one of them naught but two weeks ago?”
-
-
“And did you not gain strength from Celestia’s unwavering devotion and steadfast
-
example?”
-
-
“Honestly, we local yokels hardly ever talked about you two or Canterlot. The
-
only time you got mentioned was when taxes went up and my friends and family
-
would say to each other ‘somepony really ought to say something’ and then do
-
nothing. Salt Lick was far enough out and peaceful enough that both of you never
-
really bothered with us, and so we never really bothered with you.”
-
-
“Well!” Luna huffed in great indignity.
-
-
“He’s got a point, you know,” Celestia replied. “Smaller towns really don’t get
-
a lot of our attention. We always seem to focus on the large population centers.
-
We wouldn’t have anything to do with Ponyville if the Elements and Twilight were
-
not there.”
-
-
Luna couldn’t come up with a proper argument, so she simply pouted, slumped her
-
shoulders, and began muttering about ‘disrespectful peasants’ under her breath.
-
-
“We should be landing in just a minute, Your Highnesses!” Sergeant Clover Leaf
-
shouted back.
-
-
“So where are we going to dine?” Celestia asked, with a quick nose boop for her
-
beloved. “You can tell me now.”
-
-
“I’m a bit surprised you didn’t see it on the itinerary. Shining and Cadence had
-
heard good things about a place called Le Petite Café, so we decided to try that
-
out. Despite the name, it’s a gourmet restaurant, so it should be decent
-
enough.”
-
-
“You don’t sound very thrilled.”
-
-
“Well, maybe. I think it’s more because it’s a competitor, even though they’ve
-
never had anything to do with the Zuerst, nor us with them. Family loyalty says
-
that any other restaurant is only second rate.”
-
-
“Well, I suppose we shall soon find out.”
-
-
-
-
-
-
“Your most Royal Highnesses, welcome to Le Petite Café. I am Twice Bean, and on
-
the behalf of the entire staff, it is my highest honor to have you here this
-
evening.”
-
-
“Thank you, Mister Bean!” Cadence replied for the entourage. “You are most
-
kind.”
-
-
“Please, follow me. We have reserved a private table for your pleasure, and we
-
are honored to be your waiter for this evening as well.”
-
-
Anon had to suppress a twinge of self-consciousness at the waiter’s use of we.
-
Obviously, he had never met Anon’s mother, and her rather strict rules on
-
dealing politely with customers. Far worse was the way that everypony had
-
quickly stood and bowed when the Royal Party had entered the restaurant, making
-
Anon resist the urge to look behind him for somepony else who was really
-
important. Once they had all been seated, their fellow patrons resumed their
-
meals, and Anon felt a little better when it seemed like nopony was looking
-
their way anymore.
-
-
Twice Bean smiled broadly. “Now, if we may be so bold, we have crafted a
-
culinary chef-d’œuvre for your pleasure, if you would be interested.”
-
-
“Oh?” Celestia replied this time. “Please, continue.”
-
-
“For the appetizer, Chef Wafer has chickpeas, lightly roasted and seasoned with
-
a signature pepper sauce of her own creation. The main course is a bulgogi tofu,
-
finely dressed in a spicy sesame sauce and highlighted with onions and mushrooms
-
we have grown in-house. For a wine, we personally recommend the Fers à Cheval
-
Rouillés Parfumés à la Peau de Pomme de Terrete, which I think you’ll find
-
compliments the dish quite admirably.”
-
-
“Oh, that does sound good,” Cadence remarked.
-
-
“How would the taste be affected if one opted to simply have mineral water for
-
the evening?” Luna asked.
-
-
“Water?” Twice Bean repeated. “Well, Princess, it would not be affected
-
dramatically, but the sweetness of—”
-
-
“I shall sample your recommendations, but with water,” Luna announced without
-
leaving the matter open for discussion.
-
-
“I believe I’ll follow Princess Luna’s lead and have water as well.” Anon added.
-
-
The other three agreed water was the best choice, leaving Twice Bean a bit
-
confused but still eager to please. Once he had disappeared into the kitchen,
-
Anon leaned over towards Luna with a smile.
-
-
“Thanks. I wasn’t sure how to handle that.”
-
-
She smiled back at him and nodded. “You are welcome. I suspected you would have
-
an issue with any wine selection offered, so I resolved to be of assistance.”
-
-
“Wait.” Anon leaned back and gave her an amused and questioning look. “You’re
-
being nice to me.”
-
-
“You are fulfilling your end of our bargain so I intend to honor mine. I am a
-
mare of my word, after all.”
-
-
“That you are,” he chuckled, but then he faced the others. “You all didn’t need
-
to turn it down because of me, you know. I don’t mind.”
-
-
“I’ve never really been one for wine,” Cadence replied with a grin.
-
-
“I’m trying to cut back,” Shining added with a bob of his eyebrows. “Gotta stay
-
in shape, be an example to my soldiers.”
-
-
“I utterly refuse to have another drop,” Celestia simply announced.
-
-
“You hardly had any drops before.” Luna pointed out.
-
-
“If my Anon doesn’t drink it, then I won’t.”
-
-
Anonymous tried to keep his smile, but the way that Celestia made her
-
proclamation pulled the corners of his lips down despite his best efforts.
-
“Celly, really. I don’t want you to give up something you like just because of
-
me.”
-
-
“I’m not. I am taking stand with my husband of my own free will. Just don’t take
-
away my apple cider.”
-
-
“No problem there,” Anon replied. “My parents have a fantastic old family recipe
-
for sparkling cider. I can whip some up this fall.”
-
-
This news was met with interest and enthusiasm, and Anon promised to make some
-
for all of them when the time was right. The conversation then turned to what
-
went well with apple cider and if it was better hot or chilled until the
-
chickpeas arrived.
-
-
Anon then simply sat back and began listening again as the conversation turned
-
to the budget that Celestia had been given. Luna offered the most input on the
-
various proposals, but Shining and Cadence were both quick to point out how
-
things might affect the Empire and what they would like to have done or not
-
done. Anon actually found the back-and-forth to be stimulating and amusing, and
-
he was glad it was undergoing such a vigorous discussion.
-
-
Then the main course arrived, and Anonymous finally figured out what the
-
difference between upscale and gourmet was.
-
-
Upscale, it appeared, was less fancy but more filling. One would obviously use
-
the finest ingredients at the peak of freshness, but at the end of the meal you
-
left feeling satisfied.
-
-
Gourmet was a fancier meal, and the fancier the meal, the less actual food,
-
until Anon could imagine an empty plate being served as the pinnacle of high
-
dining. Of course, some chef would have to top that with a plate that somehow
-
had a negative amount of food on it, which might actually be a unicorn spell,
-
now that he was thinking of it. That certainly would be better than what he had
-
just been served.
-
-
“Voila!” Twice Bean grandly proclaimed. “We are sure you will be delighted by
-
this most exquisite dish. We shall return right away with more water.”
-
-
The other Royals eagerly began eating, but Anon poked his with his fork and
-
tried to figure out how he could sniff it without causing a scene, or
-
accidentally inhaling the entire thing.
-
-
“Is there something wrong with your meal, my love?” Celestia gently asked.
-
-
“Oh, no. I was just expecting something more than a can of cat food on a
-
decorative plate. The sprig of parsley is a nice touch though.”
-
-
“This actually appears to be a rather generous helping,” Luna remarked.
-
-
“Right.” Anon groaned. “Well, it does look good. How does it taste?”
-
-
“It is acceptable.” Luna shrugged.
-
-
Anon took a small bite. It wasn’t bad, that was true. A bit less on the sesame
-
would help, and a bit more clover perhaps, but overall not bad at all.
-
-
“Does it meet your standards?” Celestia asked.
-
-
“Yeah. It’ll do.”
-
-
She gave him a quick wink. “That is good to hear. Now, would you like some
-
diplomacy lessons while we’re here?”
-
-
Dinner quite rapidly became very interesting. Anon nodded once, and Celestia let
-
out a high, tinkling laugh.
-
-
“You are just too much, my love!” she pronounced. “So, the first thing I have to
-
show you is how to hold a conversation within a conversation.”
-
-
“I suspect the occasional laugh is part of that.”
-
-
“Most assuredly. When you do this, it is important to make it sound like you
-
are still holding a normal conversation. By sprinkling in more common terms and
-
phrases, and especially at the beginning and end of a statement, the bits and
-
pieces that your conversation that float away from you become random and
-
meaningless. Once you become a bit more proficient we can use the double
-
entendre to share all sorts of wonderful secrets.”
-
-
“Fair enough. My talkifying is common enough so all I have to do is open my
-
mouth and let the sounds fall out.”
-
-
“Talkifying.” Luna repeated with a laughing scoff. “What kind of a world have
-
you created, Sister, when someone gets away with such a blatant assault on the
-
equish language?”
-
-
“My dear sister, there are many words that have entered our vocabulary thanks to
-
those blatant assaults. I predict that within twenty years we will all use
-
talkifying in our everyday conversations.”
-
-
“If that happens, I’ll send myself back to the moon.”
-
-
Both Anon and Celestia shared a giggle, and then Celestia continued her lesson.
-
“Now, my precious, let us try this. Pick something in this room, and describe it
-
to me while still following the instructions I gave you. Let’s see how marvelous
-
you are.”
-
-
“Let me see. Let me begin with the chandelier, a rather impressive crystal…
-
thing. I want to say infused but it’s not that.”
-
-
“What is it then?”
-
-
“Wait.” Anon gave his wife a knowing glare. “This has nothing to do with
-
diplomacy. I mentioned I was having a problem describing the alternate world in
-
my book. This is just a way to get me to practice describing things.”
-
-
“It is both,” she replied with a smirk. “The ability to describe, compare and
-
contrast will prove invaluable in the future. The ability to mask what you are
-
saying will allow us to flirt without anypony knowing.”
-
-
“Unless we are with our present company.”
-
-
“Guards are selectively deaf, dumb, and blind,” Shining chimed. “I’ll keep my
-
flirting over here if you keep yours over there.”
-
-
“Deal!” Anon announced. “Celly, do you like shmoopy-doopy better or
-
sweetie-weety?”
-
-
Luna groaned as the two married couples began booping and nuzzling their
-
respective partner. “I suppose this is the penalty I pay for marrying young,”
-
she muttered, but with a coy glance to a nearby waiter, who looked startled and
-
pulled at his necktie in obvious concern.
-
-
-
-
-
-
Celestia suppressed a chuckle when yet another pony quickly trotted up and got
-
in line to meet the suddenly famous Anonymous. Ever since they had touched down
-
in Saddle Park, ponies had been flocking to both him and to Luna, and that
-
pleased her to no end. Anon deserved the attention, in her estimation, and the
-
more he got out among their little ponies, the more he would be accepted and
-
loved.
-
-
Most ponies who spoke with him were so astonished by the circumstances that had
-
put him where he was that they just had to ask if it was all true. Anon chuckled
-
each time and confirmed that it was, and then he would patiently answer the
-
dozen or so questions that came after that. Her husband was doing well, and at
-
this rate he would soon be as beloved as her dear sister was.
-
-
That was what made Celestia the happiest. For over a thousand years, she had
-
been alone in the spotlight, so she was more than happy to let those whom she
-
loved be the focus of the country’s praise and adoration for a change. It was
-
bringing flavor and zest into her life, and it made it easier to remember just
-
how magical friendship was.
-
-
She had been lonely for long enough.
-
-
“Excuse me, Princess, but I have something for you from the Prince.”
-
-
“What? Wysteria, what is… oh!”
-
-
Wysteria was holding a sizeable bouquet of red roses in her magic, and she
-
gently transferred them to the Princess with a smile.
-
-
“He was really insistent they be red, something about tasting the best,” she
-
remarked.
-
-
“Oh, they’re lovely.” Celestia dipped her nose into them and inhaled the sweet
-
aroma. “I don’t remember the last time someone gave me flowers with no political
-
favors attached to them.”
-
-
“I certainly don’t remember anypony doing that,” Wysteria agreed.
-
-
Celestia giggled a bit and positioned the bouquet in front of her so that the
-
next time Anon glanced over he would only see her eyes over the top of them. She
-
then began staring at him with a sultry and inviting look, hoping that he would
-
feel her stare and look over towards her.
-
-
It didn’t take long. Anon was telling a gray unicorn about his Celestial
-
Crystal, and when he glanced over at her as part of the story, she quickly
-
batted her eyelashes at him and tilted her head teasingly.
-
-
Anon had some red flare on his cheeks but he managed to keep his composure and
-
continue on with his conversation. The next time he glanced, Celestia softly bit
-
one of the blooms off and slowly pulled it into her mouth with her lips. This
-
he chuckled at, and he shook his head slightly before focusing back on the
-
ponies before him. With the next glance, Celestia made a great show of licking
-
her lips while staring right at him. This made his cheeks nearly as red as the
-
roses, and he did stammer a bit before recovering and forcing his eyes forward.
-
-
And then Celestia noticed one of the guards moving towards Luna with a large
-
bouquet of flowers.
-
-
“Wysteria, who got those flowers for Lulu?” she asked, as she gently plucked one
-
full rose and placed it behind her left ear.
-
-
“Prince Anon did. It took a bit longer to find them since they’re Night Lilies,
-
though.”
-
-
“Night Lilies?”
-
-
“Yeah. He thought she would be appreciative of them.”
-
-
“Oh, I hope so,” she replied. “Those were the flowers she and Star Struck always
-
shared. It might bring up some memories she doesn’t want to recall.”
-
-
Both Celestia and Wysteria watched in hopeful concern as the guard tapped Luna
-
on the shoulder and then presented the arrangement. There was a gasp from Luna,
-
a tear escaped, but then a warm smile came as she accepted and buried her nose
-
in the bouquet as if she were traveling back in time by way of the scent.
-
-
And when Anon glanced over towards her, Celestia felt warm and tingly as she
-
watched Luna mouth ‘thank you’ to him with one Night Lily petal dangling from
-
her bottom lip.
-
-
“My dear Anon, you simply are amazing,” Celestia remarked to herself with a
-
chuckle as Luna took a lily and placed it beside her own left ear. She then met
-
Celestia’s gaze, gave her a nod of solid satisfaction, and turned her attention
-
to another pony who had come to visit with her.
-
-
-
-
-
-
“And I’m a singing pony!”
-
-
Luna tried to hide her smile behind a false facade of minor grumpiness as Anon
-
and Celestia’s serious expressions devolved into helpless giggles. The trip home
-
had been insufferable, what with them belting out all of the songs from the play
-
at full volume for the entire flight back home.
-
-
Of course, Shining and Cadence had done the same so she was stuck with off-key
-
singing no matter what. Even so, she would not trade their flat notes for the
-
finest choir in all of Equestria.
-
-
“Oh, my dear Anon, we simply must do this again!” Celestia laughed, an
-
expression of joy that Luna relished beyond all things in the world. “This was
-
fun, and that was a most fantastic musical! I am sure I’ll be singing ‘High
-
Hinny Hey!’ for the next week!”
-
-
Then again, all good things had their limits, and there was only so much off-key
-
joy that Luna could stand. “It has been a delightful evening, but I must tend to
-
my duties now. If you’ll excuse me.”
-
-
“Oh,” Celestia replied sadly, and both she and Anon pouted. “Well, good night
-
then, Sister.”
-
-
“Good evening.”
-
-
Luna then teleported away, but not to her quarters. She did fully intend to
-
attend to the dreams of her little ponies, but first she needed something to
-
eat. She wasn’t herself when she was hungry, and she doubted there was a gourmet
-
meal in the whole of Equestria that would ever satisfy her.
-
-
A quick raid of the pantry yielded a slice of chocolate cake, and Luna tried to
-
eat the first delectable treat with as much speed but as little sound as
-
possible. The second slice disappeared with seconds and without a care for the
-
noisy grunting she emitted as she ate, but she forced herself to slow down on
-
the third slice so as to properly savor it.
-
-
And yet everypony thinks Celly is the cake fanatic, Luna thought with a snicker.
-
-
Her magic then pulled the night lily from her ear, and she smiled deeply as she
-
looked it over. Anon probably had no idea why Luna loved them so—he had probably
-
picked them because they had the word night in their name—but the flood of warm
-
memories that had swept over her when they had been presented had helped her to
-
feel not quite so alone, not quite so removed from her own beloved. In fact, she
-
was quite pleased that Anon was able to help her remember him so often.
-
-
It didn’t hurt so much when she did.
-
-
A rattling noise at the door broke her thoughts up, and she stepped back into
-
the shadows to avoid detection. Who could possibly be coming into the kitchen so
-
late?
-
-
“Shh!” Celestia voice drifted in. “I thought I heard something.”
-
-
“Just don’t use your nose to go looking for the source,” Anon’s voice followed.
-
-
“Very funny. All right, I think the coast is clear. What can you make that’s
-
quick?”
-
-
“I could probably throw a salad together real quick like, just a simple one.”
-
-
“That sounds good. Those roses were delicious but it just wasn’t enough. I
-
think—”
-
-
“Hungry, Sister?”
-
-
Both Anon and Celestia yelped in alarm, and Luna simply laughed as they
-
recovered and glared at her.
-
-
“I thought you said you were going to the dream realm,” Celestia said with a
-
huff.
-
-
“I said I was attending to my duties. Eating is one of them.”
-
-
Anon rubbed one hoof against the opposite arm in embarrassment. “Guess I didn’t
-
pick the restaurant so well, huh?”
-
-
“Do not be discouraged.” Luna admonished Anon with a kind smile. “It is
-
difficult to find a restaurant anywhere that will offer more than what we
-
received. I think our subjects worry more about our weight than we do.”
-
-
“Well, next time I’ll just take you home then. My parents won’t hold back.”
-
-
“I would like to visit them sometime.” Luna smiled a bit more. “Now, did you
-
mention a salad? And not the kind of salad we were served at that place. One of
-
your salads.”
-
-
Anon beamed at the princesses. “I’ll have a nice beet salad with candied
-
macarana nuts whipped up in no time.”
-
-
“Celly, is the food at Anon’s restaurant any good?” Luna asked while Anon got to
-
work, and her sister smiled warmly.
-
-
“We didn’t get to eat an actual meal when we were there, but I assure you that
-
you would not leave feeling hungry based on what I saw them making.”
-
-
“But he wants to be a writer,” Luna shook her head. “I’m afraid I still don’t
-
quite understand why.”
-
-
“Destiny is a fickle thing, Lulu. Some people find their purpose rather quickly,
-
others spend a lifetime searching and never find it. If I may be a bit prideful
-
for a moment, I personally think that his desire to be a writer was simply the
-
means he needed to find the his true destiny.”
-
-
“Oh, very modest, Miss ‘I Am The End Of Your Searching.’” Luna scoffed with a
-
laugh. “I suppose you could be right. He would not have found you if he had been
-
good at running a restaurant. I suppose that this plays into your theory that
-
cutie marks are simply suggestions, too.”
-
-
Celestia nodded. “Perhaps it does.”
-
-
“Well, for the record, I am most pleased you have him, and that he has you. He
-
has proven himself to be a most devoted man, and I feel that he will be for you
-
what Star Struck was for me. I may still tease and torment him on occasion, but
-
I believe I can accept him now. You have accidentally done well for yourself.”
-
-
“Sometimes that’s the best way to go,” Celestia replied with a laugh.
-
-
A thud from the far end of the kitchen caught the sister’s attention, and both
-
grew curious as the sounds of a pony muttering in frustration leaked through the
-
open doorway.
-
-
“Shiny, they’ll hear you!” Cadence hissed. “Quiet!”
-
-
“How can they hear me? They’re at the other end of… the…”
-
-
Both of them froze as they rounded the corner and found both aunts staring at
-
them with amusement.
-
-
“Uh, hi?” Shining tried, with a cheesy grin.
-
-
“Good evening,” Luna replied. “What brings you by here during this most glorious
-
hour of my night?”
-
-
“I admit I may have not picked a very good restaurant,” Shining Armor said
-
sheepishly. “Cady and I are still hungry.”
-
-
“Anon!” Celestia shouted back into the kitchen “Double up that salad, and stuff
-
it!”
-
-
“Stuff a tree and double it!” he shouted back. > 26. - Day Break >
-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
Celestia absolutely abhorred the sound of steel on steel.
-
-
It had a way of staying in her ears, ringing in a thunderous cacophony far
-
beyond the actual battle. There were times when she’d hear it for weeks after
-
the fight was over, an unrelenting, reverberating string of silver stings that
-
would drive a pony mad with enough time.
-
-
If she could work her will, she would make the source of the sound disappear
-
forever.
-
-
“Princess! We have another wave moving in on our left flank! We can’t hold it
-
much longer!”
-
-
“Stand fast! We only need to hold out for a short while yet! General Picket,
-
where is your Division? If we can wheel them to the left, we can—”
-
-
“Princess Celestia,” Picket cut her off with a cold and distant stare, “I have
-
no division!”
-
-
Celestia could feel it. The panic, the fear. It was beginning to come to a head.
-
-
“No! You must have some ponies left! Take what you have, and wheel them to the
-
left!”
-
-
“I cannot take what is not there, Princess! The day is lost!”
-
-
She could feel it pushing, pounding. It wanted out. It could help. It would win.
-
-
“No! I will not!” she grunted, and her hoof tore out a large divot of earth.
-
“There is another way! There always is!”
-
-
She happened to catch her own reflection in Picket’s dented and smudged armor,
-
and she could see it in her eyes. The magenta was gone, replaced with a gold
-
that burned as hot as the sun.
-
-
“No!” she fought back. “I… will… not!”
-
-
-
~*~
-
-
-
Celestia gasped harshly as she awoke, and it took her a minute to reorient
-
herself to her surroundings. She was home, with everything as it should be. All
-
of her personal belongings were as they should be and untouched, and Anonymous…
-
-
A spark of panic pricked her soul, but it was silenced when she glanced down and
-
found him right where he should be. He snorted, gave a grunt of annoyance, then
-
wiggled a bit to be closer to her. Once he had settled into her side he smiled
-
softly and sighed in contentment.
-
-
Celestia’s smile matched his, and she drew her wing a bit tighter over him.
-
After a quick and gentle boop she settled in again and simply gazed at her love.
-
-
I will never let it happen, she thought to herself as the warm embrace of
-
slumber enveloped her again. You and I gain all the power we need from each
-
other.
-
-
-
* * ✹ * *
-
-
-
Celestia nipped at Anon’s ear as they both laughed and entered the room. “You
-
realize I’m going to get an earful on that one,” she remarked. “There are going
-
to be dozens of ponies who ask why the sun suddenly wiggled back and forth on
-
the way up today.”
-
-
“Do you want me to tell everypony I found a new ticklish spot or do you?”
-
-
“I will say you distracted me,” she replied. “And then we can leave it at that.”
-
-
“Okay, but I’m remembering where that spot is.”
-
-
“You tease!” she laughed, and she nipped him again as he went for her neck.
-
-
A knock at the door interrupted their play, but they did share one quick kiss
-
before Wysteria walked in and adjusted her glasses. “Good morning, Your Most
-
Serene Highnesses.”
-
-
“Serene?” asked Anon with both eyebrows lifted. “I thought we were Illustrious.”
-
-
“It depends on if you’ve been mediatized,” said Celestia in what Anon recognized
-
was her teaching voice. “Technically, since I reign over the Crystal Empire, I
-
should be Her Imperial Highness, but I’ve always been reluctant to put on airs
-
like that. Plus, the nobles have been squabbling for centuries about their own
-
titles, so anything above Her and His Highness just gives them extra title space
-
to crawl into. In any event.” Celestia turned to Wysteria with a mischievous
-
grin. “What do you have for Your Highnesses this morning?”
-
-
“Just a few things to go over with you before breakfast. First, Play Wright
-
sends his profuse thanks for your attendance at the play last night, as does the
-
cast, and they send their thanks for your visit backstage after the performance.
-
They hope you will return again soon.
-
-
“Second, the Astrological Society has sent a very detailed and technical missive
-
about a sudden surge in solar flare activity that occurred yesterday. I won’t
-
even try to share everything since I don’t understand most of it myself, but
-
they do wish to know if you are aware of the flares and if it something that
-
should be concerning.”
-
-
“Solar flare, eh?” Anon ribbed her gently. “You didn’t tell me that first kiss
-
was that good.”
-
-
“My dear Anon, you almost made it do a backflip in the sky. It was incredible.”
-
-
“Mm, we shall have to do it again then,” he remarked with a cheesy grin.
-
-
“Anyway!” Wysteria cut in before they got carried away. “What would you like me
-
to tell them about the flares?”
-
-
Celestia glanced at Anon quickly before replying. “Send my thanks for their
-
observance, and reassure them that I am aware of them and that they are
-
harmless. Make sure to tell them they don’t need to worry about this morning
-
either. Oh, and they should expect more. Many more.”
-
-
“Got it. Let’s see.” She flipped some papers. “The Juris Prudence Center of Law
-
at The University of Canterlot is asking about that interview about the Alicorn
-
Law again. In fact, I’ve gotten a quite a few letters asking about that from
-
several different ponies.”
-
-
“Tell them I am planning to hold a symposium in about a month. I’d rather make
-
them come to me and do it all in one swift kick then to travel out to hundreds
-
of different places.”
-
-
“Got it. Let’s see. Oh! Prince Anon, your parents sent you a letter.”
-
-
“They did?” he eagerly asked, before snatching the letter from her magic and
-
ripping it open with a gleeful laugh.
-
-
“I think that covers everything for now. I need to follow up on a few things so
-
I’ll catch up with you later.”
-
-
“Thank you, Wysteria.” Celestia replied with a smile.
-
-
Wysteria returned the smile, then left the room while Celestia turned her
-
attention to Anon.
-
-
“How are they?” she asked when he finished and looked up at her.
-
-
“Extremely busy,” he said with a chuckle. “Mom says they found a line down and
-
around the block when they got home, and it’s been non-stop since then. They had
-
to hire two more cooks in a rush, but she says they should work out. They’re
-
thinking about moving to a larger location if they stay busy like this. She says
-
she’s glad they’re so busy since it helps her to not think about how much she
-
misses me. They also send their thanks again for your forgiveness.”
-
-
Celestia offered a quick hum of satisfaction to that. “Anything else?”
-
-
“Just that she’ll write more when she has time. It was nice of her to send this,
-
though. I’ll have to write back.”
-
-
“I bet she will appreciate that.”
-
-
“But I think breakfast should be first.”
-
-
“Breakfast first then,” she said with a laugh. “Are you sick of my pancakes yet?
-
I can whip some up if you’d like.”
-
-
“Nope, still good,” he replied. “I’m starving.”
-
-
-
* * ✹ * *
-
-
-
“Oh, do you really need to go?” Celestia pouted while placing the pancakes
-
before everypony.
-
-
“We do,” Cadence replied with a note of sadness. “I dread to think about how
-
much paperwork we’ll have to go through when we get back.”
-
-
“Well, we shall simply have to come visit you then,” Celestia replied. “Perhaps
-
in a week or two so we can finalize plans.”
-
-
“That would be wonderful. I know the crystal ponies would love to meet Anon.”
-
-
“When do you plan to leave?”
-
-
“Around noon, I believe. We’ve already said goodbye to Auntie Luna so we can go
-
whenever we want, I suppose.”
-
-
“Let’s have you stay for lunch, and then Anon and I will see you off. In fact,
-
why don’t you spend the morning with them, Anon?”
-
-
“Are you sure?” he replied. “Didn’t we have some kind of meeting?”
-
-
“Yes, but I think I can handle it. Any meeting with the delegation from
-
Cloudsdale tends to be long-winded.”
-
-
“All right,” Anon replied. “If you’re sure.”
-
-
“I’m sure. Your time would be better spent with them.”
-
-
“You can come with me while I do my review of the Guard.” Shining offered.
-
-
“Review?”
-
-
“Yeah. Anytime I come to Canterlot, I touch bases with Lieutenant Spear Point to
-
see if I need to fix anything, and then I do a quick review of and offer a few
-
inspirational words to the troops. It’d be good for you to get a glimpse of how
-
the Guard works.”
-
-
“Ok. That actually does sound like a good idea. I’ll go with you for sure.”
-
-
“Great!” Shining replied with a small smile. “We’ll head over right after we
-
eat.”
-
-
-
* * ✹ * *
-
-
-
“I didn’t know you participated in the review too,” Anon remarked to Cadence.
-
-
“I don’t have to, technically, but I like to stay up-to-date on what’s going
-
on,” she replied. “If the worst happens, I will be the one to take over after
-
Shiny.”
-
-
“Which I hope never happens,” Shining added. “That means something rather
-
unpleasant has happened to me, Anon, Auntie Luna and Auntie Celestia.”
-
-
“Wow,” Anon said. “I hadn’t thought of that. I have to take over if something
-
happens to you?”
-
-
“In a way. Celestia and Luna may be your equals in government, but they do
-
outrank you in the military, or at least for now. If either of them give you a
-
commission to Major General then you’ll be of similar rank. Right now you’re my
-
equal at Captain.”
-
-
“Captain Anon,” he tried the title out. “Any other titles I can claim?”
-
-
“You can claim whatever you want.” Shining laughed. “But experience says less is
-
more, if I may suggest.”
-
-
“I think I shall take your advice.”
-
-
The three shared a quick laugh as Shining pushed open the doors for the
-
barracks, and Lieutenant Spear Point was waiting with a sharp salute for them as
-
they walked into the reception area.
-
-
“At ease, Lieutenant,” Shining ordered, as he saluted back.
-
-
“Pleasure to see you again, sir,” Lieutenant Point replied, as he hoofbumped his
-
superior. “Prince Anon sir, Princess Cadence ma’am. Glad to have you.”
-
-
“Thank you, Lieutenant,” Cadence replied. “How’s Needle?”
-
-
“Same as ever, ma’am.” He laughed as he motioned down a hallway with a hoof.
-
“She keeps telling me to lose weight, get out from behind the desk, eat
-
healthier. I’ll pass along your well-wishes to her.”
-
-
“Thank you.”
-
-
“Just in here, sirs,” he offered before pushing his office door open for them.
-
Three comfortable chairs awaited royal posteriors in front of a finely lacquered
-
oak desk that held Lieutenant Spear Point’s gold edged nameplate, and as Anon
-
settled in to the furthest left chair he glanced around. It was a nice office,
-
but a bit utilitarian. Of course, this was a barracks so he didn’t really expect
-
it to be like his office or Celestia’s drawing room.
-
-
“Well, Captain, where shall I begin?” Spear Point asked as he sat. “Troop
-
levels? Morale? The usual complaints about field rations?”
-
-
“Let’s start with troop levels,” Shining replied. “How are the recruitment
-
numbers looking?”
-
-
For the next hour, Anon sat and listened to a fascinating and completely
-
confusing discussion about the Royal Guard of Equestria. It was very similar to
-
the discussion he had been in with Minister Penny Wise in the number of terms
-
being thrown around that made no sense and references to things he knew nothing
-
about. However, Lieutenant Point did try to clarify and explain here and there
-
when he could, as did Shining, so by the end of the conversation Anon had at
-
least a sporting chance of knowing what was going on. He knew that recruitment
-
was up a very modest two percent, injuries were down twelve percent, and that a
-
change of armor wax vendors would save over six thousand bits per year. Morale
-
was high and holding steady, training was steady and, overall, the Guard seemed
-
to be doing quite well.
-
-
Lieutenant Point then offered to escort the Captain and the Royals through the
-
Barracks while Shining did his review. Anon was amused that the review turned
-
out to be really nothing more than Shining walking around and greeting any
-
guards who happened to be nearby, but this would also be a good way to orient
-
himself with the layout of the rooms and to meet those brave ponies who had
-
sworn to protect him and his wife from harm.
-
-
It only took ten minutes for Anonymous to get lost, much to his chagrin. It was
-
an honest enough mistake: he had paused for a moment to take a closer look in
-
the armory, but then found they had turned down a hallway without him. A quick
-
walk around a few corners to see if he could find them was futile, and left him
-
even more lost than before, so he opted for the tried-and-true method of
-
planting his ass where he was and then waiting for the rescue party to find him.
-
-
He was both grateful and embarrassed when he heard voices down the hallway, but
-
he chuckled when he figured out who they belonged to.
-
-
“You totally were!” Hokey’s laugh drifted in. “Don’t even deny it! We all saw
-
you checking her out!”
-
-
“I was not!” Quillpoint argued back.
-
-
“Dude, you totally were.” Clover’s voice was fast approaching. “Your eyes were
-
on her flank the whole night. You’re lucky no one was taking pictures of
-
Wysteria last night. You’d be running laps forever if someone—”
-
-
Anon winced a little when the three Guards clattered to a halt at the moment
-
they saw him.
-
-
“Prince Anon, sir!” All three quickly saluted.
-
-
“Clover. Hokey. Quillpoint,” he greeted each in turn, and he hoped he had given
-
the right name to the right pony.
-
-
“Sir,” Clover replied. “What are you doing here, sir? Can we help you with
-
something?”
-
-
“Well, I would be grateful if you could help me find Captain Armor and
-
Lieutenant Point.” He replied as he stood with an embarrassed laugh. “We were
-
doing a review and I got separated from them.”
-
-
“Of course, sir!” Pokey replied, and all three of them chuckled. “If they’re on
-
review then eventually they’ll end up in the training room. We can hook up
-
there.”
-
-
“Thanks.”
-
-
“Not a problem, sir. Right this way.”
-
-
-
-
-
-
“Sergeant, can I ask you something?” Anon asked while glancing around the
-
training room.
-
-
“Lay it on me, sir,” Pokey said.
-
-
“How hard would it be to get me in on training?”
-
-
“Training?” he repeated. “Well, you’re the Prince, so if you say ‘I want to get
-
Guard training’ it’ll happen.”
-
-
Anon nodded, and he looked over the room again. It reminded him of the gymnasium
-
back in high school with weights, a jogging track, mats for practicing
-
hoof-to-hoof combat on, and some other equipment that he wasn’t sure what it was
-
used for. A rack of staffs and blunt swords stood in one corner, and a few
-
guards were practicing defensive maneuvers with both against an instructor at
-
the far end of the room.
-
-
“Would you like me to look into it, sir?”
-
-
“Yeah. I appreciate everything you and Sergeant Leaf are willing to do for me
-
but I’m pretty extra sure your life would be easier if I could help defend
-
myself.”
-
-
“Only if you’re trained well, sir. Otherwise I’ve got to worry about a blade
-
behind me and a blade in front of me.”
-
-
Anon nodded in agreement but with a thoughtful look. “Think you could show me
-
anything right now real quick?”
-
-
“Right now?”
-
-
“Yeah. You could, right?”
-
-
“Yes sir. I was a drill sergeant for a time. I could just go over the stuff I
-
drill into fresh cadets. Just with less yelling and pushups.”
-
-
“Maybe I need the push-ups.” Anon glanced back and over himself. “But it might
-
be a bit awkward to be yelling at a prince, eh?”
-
-
“It’d be a bit like yelling at Captain Armor or Princess Celestia, sir, yes.”
-
-
“We’ll avoid yelling then,” Anon replied with a chuckle. “What can you show me,
-
hand-to-hoof stuff?”
-
-
“Yes sir.”
-
-
“Well, no time like the present.” Anon decided. “Doesn’t seem like Captain Armor
-
or Lieutenant Point are really missing me, so I might as well do something
-
productive.”
-
-
“Just over here then, sir,” Pokey motioned to a nearby mat.
-
-
“So, what’s first?” Anon asked once they had both stepped onto the mat.
-
-
“First, remove your crystal, sir. You don’t want to be stabbed by that.”
-
-
Anon nodded and quickly removed the Crystal, but he entrusted a few nearby
-
towels to keep it safe for him in the meantime.
-
-
“All right. How is your balance on your feet?”
-
-
“Prety good, I guess,” he replied.
-
-
“Not bad sir. Now, let’s have you take a swing at me.”
-
-
“What, hit you?”
-
-
“Yes sir. Don’t worry, I have a thick head.”
-
-
“If you say so.” Anon shrugged, and he half-heartedly swung his right fist at
-
him. Pokey blocked it easily, but he also kept it in place.
-
-
“Hold right there, don’t move. Did you see what I did, sir?”
-
-
“You blocked me?”
-
-
“Yes, but look where my hoof is,” he replied, and he wiggled his hoof a little.
-
“I blocked, but from here I can slide up and nail you in the side of the head,”
-
with a slow demonstration of what he was saying, “or I can come back down and
-
anticipate you coming at me from the left, or I can throw off your balance and
-
sweep your feet out from under you. Blocking is good, but blocking in a specific
-
way is better.”
-
-
“Really? How would you take me off my feet?”
-
-
“Come again, sir.”
-
-
Anon took a swing again, and he put a little more oomph into it. Pokey blocked
-
it again, slid his hoof to tangle up his arm, and pulled slightly. The shift in
-
his weight made him move his left leg, and Pokey was able to use that momentum
-
to flip him over and down.
-
-
“Hah! That was awesome!” Anon laughed from the floor. “How do I do that?”
-
-
“Use their weight against them, sir,” Pokey replied as he helped him back up.
-
“Here, I’ll swing at you this time. Make sure to—”
-
-
“Sergeant?” Cadence abruptly cut in while she trotted over to them. “What’s
-
going on here?”
-
-
“It’s my fault,” Anon quickly interjected while Pokey helped him back up. “I
-
asked him.”
-
-
“I thought you were doing the review with us,” Cadence replied to Anon, with a
-
hint of confusion. “What happened?”
-
-
“I got lost and turned around,” he replied softly while trying to get his
-
breathing under control. “The sergeant brought me here to hook back up with
-
you.”
-
-
“Ah, I see,” she offered a quick giggle to this. “And then you decided to get
-
beat up.”
-
-
“It sounded like fun at the time.”
-
-
“You boys and your macho egos,” Cadence shook her head in both amusement and
-
disbelief. “Well, it’s a good idea, but now is probably not the best time for
-
this. Lieutenant Point is rather perturbed that he lost you, and both he and
-
Shiny are looking for you. Let’s finish the review, then you and Sergeant Pokey
-
here can work out a schedule to continue your thumping.”
-
-
“All right.”
-
-
“Grab your Crystal and let’s hurry back. If we find them first we might be able
-
to defuse some of Lieutenant Point’s ire.”
-
-
Anon quickly did as he was told, then fell in. next to Cadence. She gave him a
-
quick, reassuring smile, but then had a devious look take over. “You know,
-
Auntie Celestia is one of the supreme commanders of the Guard, and not just
-
because she’s the princess. I bet if you asked her nicely, she could give you
-
some pointers as well.”
-
-
“She could, couldn’t she?” he replied with a thoughtful expression. “Maybe I
-
will then.”
-
-
“I know I like to work out with Shiny. I bet she would like to work out with you
-
as well.”
-
-
-
-
-
-
Thankfully, Cadence was correct in her prediction about Lieutenant Spear Point.
-
He was irritated over what had happened, and it was obvious in both his body
-
language and from his clipped responses as they finished the review, but Shining
-
had leaned over with a smirk and whispered that he was more irritated with
-
himself since the barracks should be one of the most secure areas of the entire
-
palace, and yet Anon had slipped away from him and had to be rescued. His ire
-
did slowly taper out as they progressed, so by the time the review was finished
-
and they had met up with Celestia for lunch he was somewhat back to what Anon
-
thought would be normal.
-
-
His Royal Lostness, in an effort to not cause any more problems, stayed quiet
-
and only replied if somepony spoke to him. He did receive a fair share of
-
worried glances from his wife, but he met each one with a smile and that seemed
-
to placate her, if only temporarily.
-
-
After lunch, Anon and Celestia escorted Shining and Cadence to the carriage that
-
would deliver them to the train. Anon fought down a twinge of sadness when they
-
hugged and said their good-byes, and he hoped they could make that visit to the
-
Crystal Empire soon. Shining Armor had been an immense help and a good friend,
-
and Cadence was just as sweet and kind as rumors had said she was.
-
-
“Oh, I always hate goodbye,” Celestia remarked as she and Cadence shared one
-
last hug. “Let me know when you get home.”
-
-
“We will, Auntie Celestia,” Cadence replied. “Take care.”
-
-
The two of them waved as they hopped aboard their ride, and they continued to
-
wave until the carriage disappeared into the city. Celestia then gave a deep
-
sigh, and she glanced up at her beloved.
-
-
“I always enjoy their visits.”
-
-
“Yeah. They’re pretty awesome.”
-
-
“Do I have any in-laws beyond your parents?” she asked as they walked back
-
inside.
-
-
“A couple. My mom has sister Sieva, who lives in Las Pegasus, but she never
-
married or had any foals. Her parents, Soy and Pole, are still alive and
-
kicking. Dad has his mother, Flageolet, his brother Pinto and his sister
-
Cannellini, both of whom are married and have foals. Pinto has Jumping and Fava,
-
and Cannellini has Haricot, Lentil, and Mung.”
-
-
“We should visit them sometime.”
-
-
“Flageolet, Pinto and Cannellini will be easy enough; they live in Salt Lick.
-
Soy and Pole live in a retirement village in Las Pegasus, so I guess we would
-
have to have a family reunion if you want to meet them all at once.”
-
-
“That will probably be the way to go,” she agreed with a nod.
-
-
“Do they get any titles because of all this?”
-
-
“We should probably figure that out,” she chuckled. “Like your parents, however,
-
they will be mostly symbolic. They won’t have any actual authority.”
-
-
“Well, that’s probably for the best. You don’t want a bunch of my family
-
overrunning the place.”
-
-
She simply laughed with him at this, and then gave him a quick nip on his neck.
-
-
“Day court now?” he asked.
-
-
“Yes. But after that I think we should have a talk.”
-
-
“Talk?” he asked in concern.
-
-
“Nothing bad, but something you should know. It’s a bit like your arrest, in a
-
way. It won’t take very long to go over, so we could go over it just before
-
dinner if that is acceptable.”
-
-
“Sure. Do you think we’ll have many petitioners today?”
-
-
“I think it will be a bit slower today, but we will see.”
-
-
-
* * ✹ * *
-
-
-
“So, what is this ‘thing’ you want to tell me?” Anon asked once they had settled
-
in next to each other in Celestia’s drawing room.
-
-
“It’s a somewhat serious thing, but nothing we can’t handle.” Celestia levitated
-
a book off of a shelf and placed it on the table before him. “Obviously, you
-
know that Luna was Nightmare Moon, and that she fell because of her jealousy.”
-
-
“Yes,” he replied with a bit of hesitation. Where was she going with this?
-
-
“There is a truth in that, one that you need to know. If Luna can fall, so can
-
I.”
-
-
Anon didn’t quite understand, and his face showed it. “So, you can turn into
-
Nightmare Moon too?”
-
-
“Not like that exactly,” she said as the pages of the book flipped open. “I have
-
my own version of it.”
-
-
The pages stopped on a pencil drawing of what, at first glance, looked like
-
Celestia. Anon then looked closer, and his eyes widened slowly. This Celestia
-
had the fangs and the dragon eyes of Nightmare Moon, but she wore armor that was
-
sun-themed instead of moon. She also appeared to have flames for her mane and
-
tail instead of her normal pastel colors.
-
-
She was terrifyingly beautiful, and it sent a chill up Anon’s spine.
-
-
“This is Daybreaker,” Celestia softly said. “If I were to ever tread the path
-
that Luna did, I would become this.”
-
-
“Wow,” he said with a note of fear.
-
-
“Thankfully, I have never given in to the darkness that would allow it to
-
consume me, nor do I plan to. By keeping my negative emotions in balance and in
-
check, this alternate me can never be.”
-
-
“But there is the possibility you could.”
-
-
“The only way Daybreaker can ever exist is if I allow any of my more negative
-
emotions to grow out of control. For Luna it was jealousy, but for me it would
-
be anger or arrogance.”
-
-
“Arrogance?”
-
-
“Feeling that I must solve all problems by myself. The darkness had never
-
possessed me, Anon, but it has come close a couple of times; and those times
-
were times when I felt like I alone was the one to solve the crisis at hoof. The
-
first time was when Luna and I fought against a dragon who had been destroying
-
villages on the borders of Equestria. I didn’t realize what it was then, so I
-
dismissed it as simply being enraged.
-
-
“The second time was during a war against the Sasquatch Barbarians. They were
-
overrunning our position, and if they had managed to break through my lines they
-
would have had a clear path to Canterlot. Thankfully, we were rescued that time
-
by the timely arrival of a griffon brigade, but just before they appeared I felt
-
it pushing, telling me it could defeat them all by itself. My desperation nearly
-
won out, and it terrified me.
-
-
“Now, I’ve felt it try to force its way out at other times as well, but never as
-
strongly as those two times. With Luna’s redemption and the problem-solving
-
prowess of Twilight and her friends, I hope that the risk will be so small that
-
it will never be a bother again. I didn’t want you to find out about this from
-
anypony else, so I realized this morning that I needed to tell you.”
-
-
He nodded, and took a moment to contemplate all of that before replying. “So, as
-
long as you feel like you don’t have to do everything on your own you won’t turn
-
into this thing?”
-
-
“Exactly. And now that I have you, the risk is negated even further.”
-
-
“Really?”
-
-
“Daybreaker thrives on hate, not love. Since you truly love me, it has no power.
-
Your love prevents this from ever happening.”
-
-
Anon nodded again and looked at the drawing. “You have seen this thing?”
-
-
“It occasionally pops up in my dreams, but never for very long. I use the love I
-
feel from my friends and family to be rid of it and its destructive lies.”
-
-
“Well, then I shall simply give you all the love I have then.” He turned to give
-
her a quick kiss.
-
-
“Thank you, my dear Anon. Now, let’s talk about some happier things, mm?”
-
-
“I’d like that.”
-
-
A soft tap came at the door, and Wysteria poked her head around with a tentative
-
expression much like she expected to have to make a quick and silent exit at the
-
sight of something she did not want to face right now.
-
-
“You didn’t lock it!” she quickly said.
-
-
“No, we didn’t,” Celestia said with a laugh. “What do you need?”
-
-
“Fleur De Lis and Fancy Pants are asking for a quick audience with you to sign
-
off on that donation.”
-
-
“Oh! Of course!” Celestia replied, and she quickly stood. “This’ll just take a
-
minute, Anon. I’ll be right back.”
-
-
“No problem,” he replied, and he smiled as she trotted out. His eyes then
-
drifted back to the drawing of Daybreaker, and he took a deep breath in. He was
-
glad she had told him about this, but it also scared him a little. To think that
-
she could be… that.
-
-
He then made the internal resolution to never do anything to bring this horror
-
out of his wife. Whatever it took, he would make sure she never had a reason to
-
go there.
-
-
He loved her too much to let anything happen to her. > 27. - Irritation >
-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
“Wait. You have to do that every night?” Anon looked on in fascinated horror
-
while his beloved downed the golden golf ball sized pill she had just created.
-
-
“Bleah,” Celestia replied while pulling a disgusted face. “Ugh. Yes, I do. The
-
anti-snoring effects only last for twelve hours. I think I might commission a
-
study to find a way to make it last longer.”
-
-
“How bad does it taste?”
-
-
“See for yourself,” she said while her magic conjured up another orb. “It won’t
-
do anything for you since you don’t snore.”
-
-
Anon ate the orb quickly, but then pulled the same contorted face of disgust. It
-
had a sort of bland taste, like a stamp, but laced with centipede droppings and
-
ear wax.
-
-
“Wow, you must really like me,” Anon said after downing the graciously offered
-
cup of water.
-
-
“Well, a little.” She smirked coyly. “And thankfully a glass of water clears out
-
the taste.”
-
-
“I’m glad it does. I’d rather put up with your snoring than have you be tortured
-
with that every night.”
-
-
“I would gladly swallow a dozen of those to be with you,” she replied with a
-
gentle kiss. “The goods that I receive far exceed the cost.”
-
-
“Heh,” Anon replied with a lopsided and very pleased grin. “Thanks.”
-
-
“Anytime, my dear Anon.”
-
-
Anon gave her a quick kiss, then another, then one last one before moving over
-
to the cushions and settling in for the night. Celestia trotted to the bathroom
-
while he did so, and Anon soon heard her toothbrush hard at work at removing
-
food particles and plaque. He then rubbed his tongue over his own teeth as he
-
tried to remember if he had brushed his own, and an embarrassed frown then
-
followed as he realized he might not have.
-
-
“Anon, love?” Celestia called out from where she was. “This might be a nit-picky
-
thing, but would you mind putting the cap back on the toothpaste when you’re
-
done with it? It irritates me a little when it’s left off.”
-
-
Oh, so he had brushed. “Yeah, of course! That’s not a problem at all.”
-
-
“Thank you,” she called back before coming in to the room and trotting over to
-
him. “I know it’s not a big deal, but it is a pet peeve of mine. Also, you might
-
want to consider switching to a soft-bristled brush. You still get the same
-
effect as the medium or the hard but without the damage to your gums.”
-
-
“Sure! Next time I get one I’ll make sure it’s soft bristles. I’d hate to go
-
long in the tooth prematurely.”
-
-
Celestia gave him a minty kiss before settling in next to him and draping her
-
right wing over him. He snuggled into her side a bit before glancing up and
-
giving her a worried look.
-
-
“This doesn’t hurt your wing, does it?
-
-
“No, it’s fine. If I held it taut it would hurt but I relax it when it is over
-
you.”
-
-
“Am I pushing into your side too much? I’m not making it hard to breathe, am I?
-
Or maybe you get too hot with me so close. I can scoot over a bit, and—”
-
-
Celestia moved in and stopped his ramblings with a long kiss. The tension in his
-
body released with the surge of joy and love that came, and she booped him
-
quickly when she pulled away.
-
-
“Relax my love. You’re getting worked up over nothing. If you are doing
-
something that makes me uncomfortable I will tell you.”
-
-
“Oh. Okay.”
-
-
“Why are you so worried all of a sudden? I appreciate your concern, but this is
-
the first time you’ve been this way about it.”
-
-
“Well, I just want to make sure you’re okay,” he replied softly. “I’m just a
-
little concerned you’re tolerating more than you need to just for me. You’re a
-
busy mare, and I don’t want you to lose sleep because of something I’m doing.”
-
-
“Ah.” Celestia nodded. “I appreciate that, but I really am quite comfortable
-
with you right there. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever slept better.”
-
-
“Really?” he asked in disbelief.
-
-
“Yes. So please don’t worry about that,” she replied, with a nip in his hair.
-
“In fact, I wouldn’t mind if you got a bit closer.”
-
-
“Oh, really?” he giggled, and he wiggled his back so he was pressed up closer to
-
her. “Better?”
-
-
“Much. We should get to sleep, though. We have much to accomplish tomorrow.”
-
-
“True. But I had a quick thought.”
-
-
“Oh?”
-
-
“Yeah. Cadence said that you might like to do some guard training with me.”
-
-
Celestia gave him a wary smile. “I may. I suppose you would want me to teach you
-
some defensive maneuvers, much like how Sergeant Pokey was?”
-
-
“Yeah, like that, but just when you have the time,” he replied with a yawn.
-
“It’s not an urgent thing, but I don’t want to be a sack of potatoes if
-
something bad happens.”
-
-
“I believe I can work something out,” Celestia replied. “I may be a stern
-
taskmaster, though. I expected nothing less than perfection from my troops when
-
I actively led them, and I will expect the same from you.”
-
-
“I’ll take my chances. Besides, I bet you can’t be so stern when I... tickle
-
you!”
-
-
“GAH!” she laughed and rolled away from him, but he rolled with her and kept
-
tickling. “You little—ha! Stop! Ha, you green tormentor you! I shall
-
tolerate—HA!—no assault on my—stop!—my royal self!”
-
-
“You like this and you know it!” he replied back.
-
-
-
* * ✹ * *
-
-
-
Celestia snorted herself awake the next morning, yawned, then smiled as she
-
moved to boop Anon awake.
-
-
She then frowned most furiously when she found no nose to boop.
-
-
“Where did he get to?” she muttered, and she checked under her left wing just to
-
be sure. The search turned up no Anon, and she grumbled a bit.
-
-
She missed him.
-
-
Duty called to the Princess, and Celestia trotted quickly outside to bring the
-
sun up for the day. Once done, she sprinted back inside and prepared to use a
-
searching spell to find him.
-
-
Before she could, Anon entered the room with a tray loaded with plates of food
-
and a small daisy in a vase. He was smiling, but it faltered when he found her
-
up and about. “Oh, feathers,” he pouted. “I was hoping to get back here before
-
you raised the sun.”
-
-
“What is that?” Celestia asked.
-
-
“Breakfast in bed,” he replied with his smile back in full force. “I thought it
-
would be nice, since you’ve been making me pancakes nearly every morning.”
-
-
“Oh!” Celestia matched Anon’s smile, and she teleported herself back to the
-
cushions. “Here, we’ll pretend like I just got up.”
-
-
“Ah, well! Good morning!” Anon laughed, and he walked over to her with the tray.
-
“I made you breakfast. I hope you like it.”
-
-
“What do you have?” she eagerly asked.
-
-
“Just a simple meal this time. Pancakes, of course, a couple of nice blueberry
-
bagels and cream cheese, some freshly-squeezed orange juice, and a bowl of mixed
-
fruit. Not much, but hopefully you’ll enjoy it.”
-
-
“I’m sure I will,” she replied while hungrily surveying the feast her husband
-
had prepared. “Ah, and I am most pleased to see you brought enough for two.”
-
-
“Yeah, I figured I should, given how you reacted when I didn’t join you, Cadence
-
and Shining for lunch the last time. Please! Dig in, let me know what you
-
think.”
-
-
She did so with the pancakes, but she thoughtfully chewed them as Anon popped a
-
few grapes in his mouth.
-
-
“Let’s see,” she remarked. “Flour, eggs, milk, butter. Very balanced, yes. But
-
no sugar?”
-
-
“It’s there. I hid it.”
-
-
“You hid it,” she flatly said, but then she took another happy bite. “You hid
-
it, or you used the proper amount and I’m still using too much.”
-
-
“No, no!” he instantly replied with a worried look. “The amount you use is
-
perfect! I probably didn’t put enough in mine.”
-
-
“Each way is fine,” she gently offered. “Yours have a more down-to-earth smell
-
and flavor to them. It’s just right for what you have here.”
-
-
“Okay,” he said with some worry. “I’ll double check the next time I make them,
-
and if I’m not putting in enough I will.”
-
-
“I’m sure you’re doing it right,” she offered.
-
-
The rest of the meal passed pleasantly, and they chatted about Celestia’s
-
upcoming class as they did so. Anon agreed to visit the class the next week, and
-
he suggested that he could even cook lunch for all of them as a demonstration
-
and as part of her lesson for that week.
-
-
“Or should I bake some bread?” he asked while Celestia finished the last of the
-
orange juice. “If you’re talking about microorganisms, yeast would be a good
-
visual example.”
-
-
“I think that is a good idea,” she said, and Anon looked extremely pleased.
-
“Let’s do that.”
-
-
“All right. I have a pretty good wheat recipe I can use. I’ll talk to Chef Beet
-
about getting the ingredients I need for it and some space in the kitchens.”
-
-
“Thank you again for the meal, my dear Anon.” Celestia replied with a kiss. “But
-
we need to get on with the day.”
-
-
“Right you are. Here, I’ll take that—” he gently took the tray of empty plates
-
away “—and I’ll meet you downstairs.”
-
-
“Why don’t you just let one of the staff take that? Then we can spend a few more
-
minutes together.”
-
-
“Oh. Right. That would work, I guess.”
-
-
Celestia gave him a curious, sidelong glance while he opened the main door and
-
called out to a nearby butler. He was acting strange this morning, and she was a
-
bit concerned about it. Yes, she had greatly enjoyed the breakfast and their
-
conversation during the meal, but it was almost like he was…
-
-
She frowned when the thought finished congealing in her head. He was doing all
-
of this to appease her, to placate her. He was brown-nosing, sucking up, trying
-
to buy her good graces.
-
-
No. Stop that, Celly. He’s trying to be a gentlestallion, she immediately
-
countered in her mind. Don’t be so harsh, and don’t be rude. He made you
-
breakfast because he wanted to do something nice for you. There’s no ulterior
-
motive here.
-
-
“Well, shall we?” Anon motioned to the door, and Celestia smiled and stood.
-
-
“I suppose we should. The paperwork won’t shuffle itself, after all.”
-
-
He offered a hand to her, and she took it with a smile. They then simply strode
-
out of the room, ready and eager to attack the day.
-
-
-
* * ✹ * *
-
-
-
Anon glanced over the paragraph in the encyclopedia again, paused as he reread
-
the short statement, and then made some notes on a loose piece of paper. With
-
Celestia teaching and nothing for him to do, he had decided to take some time to
-
get a refresher history lesson in.
-
-
He had started with Star Struck. The head archivist had been extremely helpful
-
in helping him find the appropriate documents and records, and it had been a
-
fascinating two hours as he had played a game of hide-and-seek with the life and
-
times of Luna’s husband.
-
-
It really was as she had said, he found. He was mentioned quite a bit for the
-
first year to two years, and there were also quite a few notes about his
-
‘stubbornness’, but then something changed and it was almost like he dropped off
-
the planet. His policies and reforms were made vicariously through Luna, and
-
there were clear and deliberate attempts by him to keep his part unknown. There
-
was no reason given for the sudden shift, but Anon was pretty extra sure that
-
Luna had somehow changed his approach and viewpoint.
-
-
The last hour had been spent in reviewing the history of Equestria in general.
-
Since he was the prince of it, Anon figured it might just be more than a good
-
idea to know what his country had been up to over the last thousand years.
-
-
That was, of course, after he had come down from a small panic attack from the
-
fact that the Kingdom of Equestria was, by marriage and by law, his.
-
-
Thankfully, most of what he had reviewed sounded familiar, so he was hopeful
-
that he could be up to speed with the major points in history fairly quickly,
-
and then from there he could work on the so-called ‘lesser’ events with Celestia
-
as time allowed.
-
-
A soft smile broke out over his muzzle when he felt a faint pulse of air push
-
against his ear. He didn’t look up and then focused on the almost silent sound
-
of his wife’s approach. Another soft pulse moved across the other ear, but still
-
he refrained. Just a step or two more…
-
-
He quickly bent his head and neck backwards over the back of the chair, and he
-
gave Celestia a massive grin.
-
-
“Well, hello!” She laughed. “This is an interesting look for you.”
-
-
“What? Don’t like upside down?”
-
-
She gave him a quick kiss before replying. “No, I think I like you right side
-
up. That doesn’t look comfortable.”
-
-
“Yeah, not so much,” he offered while sitting upright again and turning to face
-
her. “How did your class go?”
-
-
“It was… interesting,” she replied with a sigh. “It just so happens that
-
Granite’s father is a microbiologist at the University, and so he was full of
-
information that he just had to share. I believe I spent half of the time trying
-
to explain what Granite was saying to everypony else.”
-
-
“I bet that was fun,” he chuckled. “And you look like you are ready for lunch.”
-
-
“I am. What should we have today?”
-
-
“Oh, I’m good with whatever you want to get.”
-
-
There it was again. Celestia was almost sure she had heard a tone of appeasement
-
in his voice, and the way he had tensed up indicated he was hesitant to share
-
his thoughts. He was holding back so she could get what she wanted.
-
-
She didn’t like that.
-
-
“How about a carrot dog and a basket of hayfries?” she said. Anon looked
-
confused for a moment, and she could see him wanting to ask about her choice,
-
but he quickly suppressed it and forced out a smile.
-
-
“That sounds really good. Would you like me to get the kitchen going on that?”
-
-
She gave him a slight glare. “I’ll come with you. We can eat together.”
-
-
“Oh, okay. Let me get all this put away and then we can go.”
-
-
She frowned deeply again while he cleaned up the books around him. She really,
-
really hoped that she was making something out of nothing, but the diplomat in
-
her was hardly ever wrong, especially when it came to people who were trying too
-
hard to make her happy.
-
-
Maybe he’ll stop after he eats, she thought, but if he keeps doing this he’s
-
going to get on my nerves in a hurry.
-
-
-
* * ✹ * *
-
-
-
“That was an exceptional choice for lunch, my dear,” Anon brightly offered. “I
-
don’t even remember the last time I had a carrot dog that good, and Chef Beet
-
had just the right amount of salt on the hayfries.”
-
-
“I’m glad you approve,” Celestia replied with a thinly veiled grumble.
-
-
“Wysteria, don’t we have a meeting with the ambassador from Prance?”
-
-
“Yes, she should be arriving here in just a few minutes,” Wysteria replied.
-
-
“Well, best not to keep her waiting!” he replied with a healthy dose of
-
enthusiasm. “Shall we?”
-
-
“What was in that carrot dog?” Wysteria whispered to her employer as Anon
-
trotted briskly away.
-
-
“I don’t know, but he’d better stop or he’s going to get on my nerves,” Celestia
-
replied with a huff.
-
-
They both caught up to Anon in the throne room after taking a moment to review
-
some details for a later meeting with the Tradespony Guild, and he was pacing in
-
front of the doors and looking somewhat annoyed. He gave a quick smile to both
-
of them, but then quickly focused his attention back on the doors.
-
-
“She’s late,” Anon said.
-
-
“She is always late,” Wysteria replied. “The Prench never start anything on
-
time.”
-
-
“Well they should,” he muttered. “Celly has other things to get done today, we
-
can’t just lollygag around here!”
-
-
“Anon, relax,” Celestia said in a stern tone. “We accounted for for the late
-
start when we scheduled this. Everything will be fine.”
-
-
Anon stopped pacing immediately when he heard Celestia’s tone. “Oh. I’m just
-
worried you won’t get all of your work done.”
-
-
“Are you really?” she asked him with a deadpan expression.
-
-
“What?”
-
-
A guard by the main doors interrupted the conversation with a loud crack as his
-
spear struck the tile beneath him. “Announcing Ambassador Ligne Dure, from the
-
Republic of Prance!”
-
-
“Ambassador!” Anon didn’t even give her a chance to clear the threshold before
-
he was in her face and shaking her hoof. “Welcome! The Princess and I are
-
overjoyed to have you here.”
-
-
“I suppose the pleasure is mine?” Ambassador Dure asked with a healthy serving
-
of bewilderment. “You must be the new Prince, oui?”
-
-
“Yes, ma’am. Anonymous, and it’s my pleasure to make your acquaintance. Please!
-
Come! We have a lot to discuss, I’m sure.”
-
-
“Forgive me, but I was under the impression that this was a casual meeting. I
-
was unaware that there was an agenda.”
-
-
“There isn’t, Ambassador.” Celestia cut in, with a stern glare for her husband
-
that was impossible to miss. “Prince Anon is letting his enthusiasm get carried
-
away. Please, follow me. We have everything prepared right over here.”
-
-
Anon shrunk back and gave an embarrassed smile. That had not gone as well as
-
he’d hoped.
-
-
But there was still a chance for him to get back on the right path. A small
-
table had been set up in the throne room, with several soft cushions placed
-
around the perimeter for their enjoyment. Three glasses sat on the table, and
-
Anon noted with curiosity that a bowl of lemons, two large pitchers of water,
-
and a bowl of sugar were sitting on top.
-
-
Then he felt like a right proper twit. Lemonade! How blind could he be?
-
Obviously Celestia wanted him to make lemonade for everypony. He saw there was a
-
knife, a reamer, and a small bucket for the rinds once he took a better look,
-
and his spirits soared while everypony settled in on the cushions. Beverages
-
weren’t a strong point for him, but lemonade was easy.
-
-
Celestia began chatting with Ambassador Dure about her family while Anon went to
-
work. He focused on his methods and movements, took extra care to keep the
-
balance of lemon, water, and sugar appropriate and proportional, ensured that no
-
seeds or rinds snuck into the finished product in the glass, and then felt a
-
smug smile pull his lips upward as he finished stirring his concoction.
-
-
It would be the best glass of lemonade ever.
-
-
“Here you go, Ambassador.” Anon offered the glass with all the pleasant charm he
-
had. “I hope you like this.”
-
-
“Oh!” The Ambassador was… confused? “Thank you, Your Highness.”
-
-
Anon felt his own confusion growing. Ambassador Dure was giving Celestia a
-
questioning look that was laced with irritation, Celestia was flat out glaring
-
at him, and Wysteria was shaking her head with exasperation off in the distance.
-
What had he done this time?
-
-
“My prince, this is citron pressé.” Celestia stated, her tone forceful and
-
upset. “A pleasant summertime beverage that is enjoyed all across Prance. A pony
-
makes the drink themselves by adding the sugar, water, and lemon juice as they
-
see fit. It is extremely rude to the Prench to have somepony prepare it for
-
them, especially if that pony is somepony they have just met.”
-
-
Now Anon felt like a right proper twit.
-
-
-
* * ✹ * *
-
-
-
“Look, I’m really sorry about that.” Anon offered as Celestia marched with him
-
down the hallway. “I thought it was—”
-
-
“Look, I’m really not interested in what you thought.” Celestia cut him off.
-
“That was highly embarrassing, Anon, and we’re lucky we have good relations with
-
the Prench. With the wrong diplomat that could have been a major international
-
incident.”
-
-
“I think you’re overstating things a bit,” Anon replied with his own irritation
-
growing. “I messed up, sure; but it was a glass of lemonade. I’m pretty extra
-
sure no one has gone to war over lemonade. Besides, the rest of the meeting went
-
well.”
-
-
“No, it didn’t,” Celestia snapped. “Ambassador Dure was very hostile, and I
-
didn’t get to bring up the Rosebud proposal. I’ll have to schedule another
-
meeting for that now. And yes, a glass of lemonade could start a war, Anon. If
-
that had been a Yak in there, I’d be begging for forgiveness, and I mean that
-
literally. Do you know how embarrassing it is to Equestria when their Princess
-
has to grovel? How that damages our reputation?”
-
-
“Well I’m sorry,” Anon huffed out angrily. “I’m sorry my help is taken in all
-
the wrong ways and that I’m so horribly offensive to the country.”
-
-
“Now you’re putting words in my mouth. I never said you were an embarrassment. I
-
said—”
-
-
“You did too!” Anon cut her off, and he snorted.
-
-
“Don’t interrupt me!” Celestia shot back. “I’m trying to explain to you what
-
happened.”
-
-
“No, you’re telling me you don’t appreciate my efforts to help.”
-
-
“I hate that you’re doing what you’re doing so you can pander to me!” she argued
-
back. “Ever since I brought up Daybreaker, you’ve been tiptoeing around me like
-
I’m going to explode at the slightest provocation. I don’t need yet another
-
yespony around, saying ‘of course, what a wonderful idea!’ I don’t need or want
-
anypony treating me like a porcelain figurine that will break into a million
-
pieces at the slightest touch of trouble! I can handle things on my own, I did
-
so for a thousand years!”
-
-
Anon snorted out a derisive laugh at the end of her speech. “Of course, Your
-
Highness. Forgive me for trying to be kind. I didn’t realize I had to be in
-
lock-step with your ideals, and it’s especially hard for me to do so when I
-
don’t know what your intents are. How could a poor, uneducated commoner like me
-
have any hope of meeting your impossible standards?”
-
-
There was a tense pause as the two stared each other down in fury. When Celestia
-
did break the silence, it was with a dangerously quiet tone.
-
-
“I’m not going to answer that. We both need to walk away before this gets out of
-
hoof.”
-
-
“Fine.”
-
-
They both offered a final hmph to each other before turning and walking away
-
from each other in the hallway.
-
-
-
* * ✹ * *
-
-
-
Separating had prevented Anonymous and Celestia from boiling over in the hallway
-
after the botched meeting. After an hour or so apart, both were ready to talk to
-
each other again.
-
-
The only problem was that the separation had also given them both time to create
-
an extensive defensive trench system to hunker down in, and neither of them was
-
willing to come out into nopony’s land to negotiate a truce.
-
-
So the reunion was tense, to put it mildly. Both remained convinced that they
-
had done no wrong and that the other needed to apologize first, so their
-
conversations through dinner and into the evening were short, one to two
-
sentence affairs with copious amounts of silence in between.
-
-
But as sunset approached, Anon decided to step up and to apologize. He didn’t
-
think he needed to, nor had his mind changed; all he had done that day was be
-
his usual helpful self and she had no reason to be irritated. But he didn’t want
-
this to drag on all night, so when Celestia moved out on the balcony to lower
-
the sun he quickly followed her and rubbed against her side.
-
-
“Hey. I’m sorry about today. Things got a little out of hand.”
-
-
“Yes they did,” she replied. Her horn then flared, and Anon waited as the sun
-
bowed in reverence before the princess by sliding behind the hills. “But
-
thankfully this can all be remedied.”
-
-
“It can?”
-
-
“Of course.”
-
-
And then, for the next forty-five minutes, Celestia delivered a lecture so
-
thorough and watertight that Anon had no choice to submit to her superior
-
points. It was a shame that all of the court stenographers were unavailable, for
-
if one had been present and had recorded Celestia’s words, wives across
-
Equestria would have been able to browbeat even the most stubborn of partner
-
into submission. She went over his ‘helpfulness’ and how that had simply been an
-
excuse he had come up with to cover for his efforts to appease her, how he had
-
progressively irked her as the day had gone on, and how his desires to be
-
endlessly appeasing would be a liability if he persisted. She grilled him over
-
hot charcoal briquettes on how all of this had been wrong and how she really
-
didn’t need any more ponies fawning over her. She informed him,in grand phrases,
-
that she wanted him to be himself, to share his honest opinions and thoughts
-
without fearing her anger, because she really didn’t get angry very often. She
-
knew he had begun doing all of this in hopes of avoiding bringing Daybreaker to
-
life, but that if he persisted in his ways he might very well bring it out of
-
her anyway, so if he was serious about being helpful he needed to cease and
-
desist immediately.
-
-
Once she had finally finished driving her points home with a sledgehammer she
-
smiled and thanked him for being humble enough to admit he was wrong, and she
-
gave him a quick kiss to conclude and then happily trotted back into their
-
bedroom. Anon simply sat for a few minutes after this, trying to process what
-
had just been shoved down his throat and how everything had spiraled out of
-
control on him.
-
-
I didn’t do anything wrong. I was just being being kind. Why is she so upset
-
about all this?
-
-
“Anon, love? Come in please. It’s going to get cold soon.”
-
-
“Yes dear.”
-
-
He forgot about his irritation when he heard Celestia cough a few times. He
-
hurried back inside and found her drinking a tall glass of water, and he gave
-
her neck a quick pet as she drank.
-
-
“Are you all right?” he asked with genuine concern.
-
-
“Yes, I believe so. I just have a dry throat from talking so much.”
-
-
He remained unconvinced when she coughed again. “Are you sure?”
-
-
“I’m fine, really, but I am feeling a bit tired. Let’s head to bed, shall we?”
-
-
Anon nodded, and he snuggled in a bit closer when they settled down. He really
-
hoped she wasn’t just telling him she was okay to placate him. The cough didn’t
-
sound like a dry throat cough to him, and he was worried that she was coming
-
down with something instead. If she was, he wasn’t sure what he would do.
-
-
How do you treat a sick Alicorn, after all? > 28. - Sick Day >
-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
Anonymous couldn’t remember the last time he felt so hot.
-
-
He was used to heat of course, having worked with hot plates, ovens, torches,
-
and other such implements of baking through his whole life. The lick of the
-
flame and the searing kiss of fire had almost been like his first love, in a
-
way. But this sandstorm that swirled and surged around him now? This was
-
something else, something that could not care less if he was the the one cooking
-
or the one being cooked. It was unrelenting, unfeeling, and felt no need to give
-
him quarter or mercy.
-
-
That’s what the difference was, really. He wasn’t the one in control of this
-
heat. This was not the tender touch that he could command and control and rebuke
-
when it grew beyond what it should. It was past him, answering to another who
-
had earned the crown of victory over it. It followed the siren song of the one
-
who had conquered it millennia ago.
-
-
This would answer to none but the Princess who moved among mortals as the one
-
known as Celestia.
-
-
The ground beneath him began to rumble, and he paused and glanced at the cracks
-
that were forming in the parched earth. It wasn’t a full-out earthquake, he
-
somehow knew, but rather more like somepony had taken the edges of the world and
-
was giving everything a firm shake. He wanted to press forward, but with this
-
movement he wasn’t sure he could maintain his balance.
-
-
He couldn’t just stand there, though. He tried to take few steps forward, but
-
the shaking was just strong enough to knock off his balance and send him
-
tumbling to the ground.
-
-
-
~*~
-
-
-
Anon groaned as the impact of the dream trip sent him back into reality. He then
-
grunted at the odd nature of his subconscious, yawned, and then blinked a few
-
times to clear the sleepiness from his eyes.
-
-
He then discovered why he had been dreaming of an earthquake and heat. Celestia
-
was shivering fiercely, her whole body twitching uncontrollably as her teeth
-
chattered, but yet she felt hot to the touch.
-
-
He glanced at the fireplace quickly. The flames had died out and had left barely
-
glowing embers in their place, so it wasn’t because of that. He stuck a leg out
-
from under her wing, and the room air felt normal enough as far as he could
-
tell.
-
-
His concern started to grow, but he forced himself to remain calm. She was sick,
-
that was as plain as the horn on her head, but he was sure a doctor could be
-
summoned in short order if he could just alert a guard or some other staffer.
-
-
Anon slowly began to extricate himself from under her wing, but she seemed to
-
notice this and she moaned a bit as he did so. It tore at his heart to hear it,
-
but she needed help so he switched tactics and slid out as quickly as he could.
-
Once he was out, he walked briskly to the door and flung it open.
-
-
“Sir!” The two guards at the door replied simultaneously, and they came to full
-
alert. “What is it?”
-
-
“Any chance one of you could go fetch a doctor?”
-
-
-
* * ✹ * *
-
-
-
Anon paced outside his bedroom door as he waited for Doctor Horsenpfeffer to
-
finish her evaluation. Luna had appeared shortly upon hearing the clattering and
-
banging of the guard while they had been summoning the doctor, and while she
-
looked concerned she still maintained a calm and orderly demeanor.
-
-
“Anon, relax.” Luna offered in an effort to calm him down. “She probably just
-
has the feather flu or something. If it was serious there would be a great many
-
more medical ponies up here.”
-
-
“I know, I know. But I didn’t really think alicorns could get sick.”
-
-
“We do, though perhaps not as often as other ponies do.”
-
-
Then the door opened, and both Royals turned eager eyes to the periwinkle
-
medical professional. She gave a short sigh but then offered a tired smile for
-
them while she placed her stethoscope back into her black medicine bag. “Well,
-
the good news is that Princess Celestia seems to have caught the feather flu.”
-
-
“Told you,” Luna quickly pointed out.
-
-
“The bad news is the same: Princess Celestia has the feather flu.”
-
-
“Huh?” Anon replied. He couldn’t handle riddles under the best of circumstances.
-
-
“The Princess needs rest right now more than anything, Your Highness. If she can
-
do that she should be over this in a day or two, tops. The problem is that the
-
Princess hasn’t taken a sick day in two hundred and fifty years. She still
-
presses on, and thus her illness not only lasts longer but spreads. Feather flu
-
is highly contagious, so if she keeps going like she always does she could start
-
a pandemic.”
-
-
“Why am I not sick then?”
-
-
“Feather flu only affects those creatures with wings. Princess Luna would be at
-
risk if she entered the room, but you have nothing to worry about.”
-
-
“Oh. That’s a bit weird.”
-
-
“A little.” The good doctor chuckled. “At any rate, the best thing right now is
-
to make sure she rests. If you could keep her in bed somehow that would greatly
-
help.”
-
-
“I can try, I suppose.” Anon shrugged. “I don’t think I could stop her if she
-
really wants to get up though.”
-
-
“You may have more sway than you think, Anon,” Luna said with a chuckle. “If you
-
tell her to rest, I am willing to bet she will rest.”
-
-
“The more sleep she gets, the faster she’ll get over this,” Doctor Horsenpfeffer
-
added. “Just do your best, keep an eye on her temperature, and keep any and all
-
pegasi away from her.”
-
-
“All right. I’ll do what I can.”
-
-
“Thank you. Try to have her drink lots of orange juice too. A little extra
-
vitamin C never hurts.”
-
-
Anon simply nodded in reply, and Luna thanked the doctor for making the late
-
night visit.
-
-
“Well, I suppose I should return to my duties.” Luna sighed as Horsenpfeffer
-
walked away. “Let me give you something first.”
-
-
“Lavender?” Anon asked after Luna had conjured up a large bouquet and presented
-
it to him.
-
-
“A very effective sleeping aid.”
-
-
“Oh. I’ll put them near Celly then.”
-
-
Luna nodded with a smile. “I will also monitor both of your dreams closely,
-
unless something pulls me away. I doubt Celly will be dreaming much, but an
-
untroubled mind would be beneficial to her as well.”
-
-
“Thank you.”
-
-
“Good night, Anon.”
-
-
Anon watched Luna walk away before returning to the interior of the room. A few
-
candles remained lit, and two delightful pools of magenta focused on him as he
-
returned to his beloved’s side.
-
-
“Lavender?”
-
-
“Luna says it will help you sleep,” Anon said over a sneeze from his beloved
-
-
“Let’s place them just over there. Also, could I trouble you to bring me a
-
blanket? I still feel cold.”
-
-
“Sure. Which one?”
-
-
“There is one in the closet, a nice blue quilt on the shelf by my dresses. If
-
you don’t mind, that is.”
-
-
“Of course not. I’ll be right back.”
-
-
Anon knew right where to look, but the weight of the quilt did catch him off
-
guard. He stumbled back a step and grunted as he adjusted, and he heard feathers
-
rustling in the other room.
-
-
“I got it!” he called out. “I’m fine!”
-
-
“Are you sure?”
-
-
“Oh yeah,” he said with only a little strain. “This is a thick quilt.”
-
-
“Luna gave it to me as a Hearth’s Warming present when she first returned. I
-
usually wait to pull it out until winter, but I just cannot get warm tonight.”
-
-
“This thing is huge!” Anon remarked while he tried to unfold it. “You might have
-
to send a search party in after me.”
-
-
Celestia gave a slight laugh before being consumed with a round of coughs. “Luna
-
also remembered me being larger and taller than I actually am.”
-
-
“It looks warm though,” he replied as he pulled the blue mass of comfort over
-
her. “And cozy. She did good.”
-
-
Celestia gave a tired smile, lifted her wing for Anon, then sighed as he settled
-
in next to her.
-
-
“Anything else you need?” he asked.
-
-
“No. I should be all right now,” she said with a cough. “I hate getting sick.”
-
-
“Well, I’ll take care of you, don’t worry,” he replied with a quick nuzzle.
-
-
“I appreciate that,” she said through a yawn. “Hmm. You know, this reminds me of
-
my mother in a way.”
-
-
“Really?”
-
-
“Mm, yes,” she replied as she closed her eyes and relaxed her head. “I can
-
remember one time, when I was five or six perhaps, when I got sick with a cold.
-
She bundled me up in a soft, warm blanket, and she sat me up on her lap and read
-
all the books I would ask for. She made some kind of soup that filled me with
-
delight from my horn to my tail, and then she simply sat and sang soft lullabies
-
to me until I fell asleep.”
-
-
“That sounds amazingly wonderful. You had a good mom.”
-
-
“I did,” she said with a soft smile. “And now I have you to snuggle with.”
-
-
“Provided you want to keep me.”
-
-
Her wing tightened a bit around him, and her breathing slowed as she drifted
-
into Luna’s domain.
-
-
“I never want to lose you.”
-
-
Anon felt a tear tickle his cheek as she began to snore softly. He had wondered
-
earlier if their fight had made her regret her decision to stay with him, but it
-
appeared it had not. He realized that he would probably still feel slighted if
-
Celestia wasn’t sick, but he could put that aside and deal with it later. For
-
now he needed to focus on helping her.
-
-
His own injuries could wait.
-
-
He smiled a bit and booped her, then began humming quietly as he too started to
-
join her in the realm of dreams. Whether his little tune was being recalled from
-
a distant memory or if he was catching nonsense notes from the midnight air was
-
unknown, but in the end it didn’t matter. The tune was pleasant enough to bring
-
out a small smile from Celestia’s lips, and Anon felt his own smile growing as
-
he partook of the sight before him. He was amazed all over again that this mare
-
had chosen to remain with him, but instead of feeling overwhelmed Anon found he
-
felt content and pleased. He was fine with feeling amazed, but he realized he
-
was grateful too.
-
-
Perhaps that little feeling of gratitude could make all the difference in the
-
end.
-
-
-
* * ✹ * *
-
-
-
“Good morning, my dear.” Anon laughed a little as he received a round of coughs
-
and a sneeze in reply.
-
-
“Meh,” Celestia verbalized how she felt afterward. “Is it time to raise the
-
sun?”
-
-
“I think so, but Luna just checked in on us from the balcony so I think she’s
-
raising it today.”
-
-
“She is?” Celestia asked, and she groaned when Anon nodded. “Ugh. She better not
-
complain about it then.”
-
-
“About what? The hives?”
-
-
“No so much that. She—”
-
-
“HOT! HOT! HOT!”
-
-
“That—” Celestia said with a long-suffering sigh “—is what I meant.”
-
-
Anon looked on in amused horror as Luna, from within a magical shield, pranced
-
into the room and blew out the small flame that had been burning on one of her
-
wingtips. There was smoke rising from her back and from a few patches of singed
-
hair on her sides, and it appeared that a few of her feathers had been turned to
-
charcoal.
-
-
“You are hereby prohibited from ever getting sick again.” Luna announced, as she
-
checked her other wing for any open flames. “And are you completely sure there
-
is no way to turn down the temperature on that thing?”
-
-
“Still no,” Celestia replied.
-
-
“Lousy hot ball of air,” Luna grumbled.
-
-
“Hydrogen, actually.”
-
-
“Unless something changed in the last thousand years, I do believe hydrogen is
-
still a component of air.”
-
-
“Told you she gets grouchy,” Celestia remarked to Anon with a weak smile. “Thank
-
you for raising it, Sister.”
-
-
“Yeah, well, you owe me for that,” she replied as she turned her focus to
-
Celestia. “I will think of something horribly embarrassing for payment, don’t
-
worry.”
-
-
“I’m sure you will.”
-
-
“So, are you feeling any better from last night?”
-
-
“Slightly. I’m not cold anymore but I still feel very congested, achy, and
-
tired.”
-
-
“But at least your condition is improved. I have informed Chef Beet to prepare
-
oatmeal for you and to have it brought it up here. There should also be more
-
orange juice for you as well.”
-
-
“Orange juice sounds good,” Celestia sighed with a quick nuzzle for Anon.
-
-
“Rest, dear Sister, and I will check on you again later.”
-
-
Celestia nodded, and Luna teleported away without further comment.
-
-
“All right. Now that she’s gone I can get some work done before day court. I
-
just need my—”
-
-
“No, you don’t.”
-
-
Celestia slowly turned to face her husband. “No?”
-
-
“No,” he repeated. “You need rest, and the doctor told me last night you’re
-
really contagious. You can’t do any work today.”
-
-
Anon wasn’t sure if she was impressed or irritated. He really hoped it was the
-
former so he wouldn’t have to get into another fight with her already.
-
-
“Are you telling me no?” she asked. “Me? Your princess, your ruler, your bringer
-
of the day?”
-
-
“I am telling my wife no. The fact that you are a princess and that you bring
-
the day is irrelevant. You need to rest.”
-
-
She gave him a curious look for a moment, but then moved in and gave him a quick
-
boop. “If you insist, then. But I really do hate to cancel everything today,
-
especially day court. It would be horrible to find out a pony had made a long
-
and arduous journey so they could offer their petition to the throne, only to
-
find there is no opportunity for them to do so, leaving them with nothing.”
-
-
“Couldn’t Luna take over?”
-
-
“She could, but she never has shown any interest in doing so since her return. I
-
almost believe she is afraid to handle the affairs of Equestria alone.”
-
-
Anon’s eyes darted back and forth as he thought through an idea that had just
-
come to him. “What if… what if I helped her?”
-
-
“You?” Celestia asked with a cough. “You want to run day court with Luna?”
-
-
“Yeah. So long as she helps me out, I bet I could handle it.”
-
-
“I don’t know. I believe you could handle everything in time, but you haven’t
-
had a lot of education or training yet. But if Luna was there, and if Wysteria
-
helped out too…”
-
-
“Whatever it takes to keep you in bed.”
-
-
“Or I could just keep myself under a shield. That way nopony can get infected.”
-
-
“That is not resting twice,” Anon replied sternly.
-
-
“Oo, you’re so cute when you’re angry.” Celestia chuckled.
-
-
“I am not,” he retorted sourly. “I am very serious when I am angry, and I should
-
be taken seriously.”
-
-
“But while being cute,” she replied with a soft laugh. “All right. If Luna is
-
willing to keep an eye on things and if Wysteria will take notes for me to
-
review, I think that will work.”
-
-
“You have to stay in bed though,” he said with what he hoped was an even sterner
-
look, “and no work. No papers, no meetings, no nothing. You are allowed to snack
-
and to drink orange juice and water and to sleep.”
-
-
“And now you are giving me orders,” she chuckled again. “All right. I promise I
-
will not do anything work related.”
-
-
“And if something comes up that I can’t handle, I’ll come consult with you,”
-
Anon offered.
-
-
“Sounds good. May I read a book while I rest?”
-
-
“Yes,” he said with a smile.
-
-
“Good. I have two or three that I’ve been meaning to get to in the last three
-
hundred years.”
-
-
“That’s a long time to put off a book.”
-
-
She gave him a coy smile and a mischievous wink before a knock came at the door.
-
-
“Good morning, Your Highnesses!” Wysteria offered as she pushed in a trolley
-
with a domed tray. “I’m sorry to hear you’re not feeling well, but Chef Beet
-
made some delicious oatmeal for you.”
-
-
“Makes me wish I could smell,” Celestia muttered.
-
-
-
-
-
-
“I apologize in advance for this,” Anon said to Wysteria as they walked down the
-
hall.
-
-
“Hey, I’m more than happy to help you out if it means the Princess will actually
-
stay in bed,” she replied. “The last time she was sick she ended up giving half
-
the staff in the palace—including me—the pony pox. She really just doesn’t know
-
how to not work.”
-
-
“Well, she’s only just recently had the option to take a sick day. I think she
-
needs to learn how to delegate a little bit better.”
-
-
“She is doing better about that since I first got hired, but you are right. I
-
get the feeling she just wants to make sure because she cares.”
-
-
“I can believe that,” he said with a laugh. “This will be good for all of us in
-
one way or another I bet.”
-
-
“I certainly hope so.”
-
-
-
* * ✹ * *
-
-
-
Anon and Wysteria entered the throne room through the staff entrance and chatted
-
about the upcoming session of Day Court. Wysteria remarked that the day would
-
probably be slower due to it being a weekday, which helped Anon’s nerves
-
slightly, but he did admit to being a tad bit worried.
-
-
“You’ll do fine.” Wysteria patted his shoulder in reassurance. “If it is a
-
tricky decision, I can pull some strings and have whoever it is remain in
-
Canterlot until Celestia can render judgement. However, I think between you, me,
-
and Luna, we’ll be able to handle most of the petitioners.”
-
-
“Where is Luna, anyway?” Anon asked as he looked around quickly for her.
-
-
“She said she’ll be right down. She had to take care of some hives first.”
-
-
“Oh, okay then. I thought she was just kidding about that.”
-
-
“No, she really breaks out. But only a little bit.”
-
-
“Huh.”
-
-
“She’ll be fine, don’t worry. Go ahead and have a seat while I finish up a few
-
details. Luna should be down by the time we start.”
-
-
Anon simply nodded before moving to sit as instructed. Up to this point, he had
-
been maintaining pretty well, but he hadn’t anticipated being on the throne by
-
himself.
-
-
And now he was. Not as some kind of stunt or reward, not for a photo
-
opportunity. This was his throne, before his ponies in his country.
-
-
The full weight of what that really meant began to settle in on him. In the
-
previous day courts with his beloved, he had felt like a spectator, or perhaps
-
like a reporter being given an inside look at how Celestia went about her day
-
for an upcoming article. All he had to do then was sit back and watch Celestia
-
move Equestria along.
-
-
But it was becoming clear that this would not be how things would remain. Since
-
he fully believed Celestia when she had told Minister Wise and the two bickering
-
pegasi that he was her equal, that meant that he would be issuing edicts. His
-
word would become law for millions across a vast and prosperous land, and he
-
would be responsible for the results of his actions.
-
-
Anon took a deep breath in. He had agreed to this. Celestia had warned him, she
-
had given him a way out. Even now it was still a valid option. He could ask for
-
the divorce, walk away from this tremendous responsibility.
-
-
But how deeply would that cut? He shuddered as he thought about how devastated
-
he would be if she was the one to ask him. He couldn’t, not now. He was too
-
emotionally invested.
-
-
There wasn’t a thing in the whole of Equestria that could convince him
-
otherwise.
-
-
But that led him back to the original thought, and he closed his eyes while he
-
inhaled and exhaled slowly and deeply.
-
-
“I can do this. I can.”
-
-
“Yes, this should be quite droll.”
-
-
“Gah!” Anon jumped sideways, but still managed to remain in the seat.
-
“Discord?!”
-
-
“Hey-o Anon-o. Miss me?” The Mismatched Master of Mayhem asked with a delighted
-
grin.
-
-
“Uhm…” Anon wasn’t quite sure how to answer that. He really had not missed him,
-
but he didn’t want to offend the Lord of Chaos.
-
-
“Don’t worry, I know you did.” He ran a paw over the cushion beneath him. “Ooh!
-
Very nice! No wonder she sends Twilight and her friends off to do her dirty
-
work. If this was my throne I’d never get off my duff either.”
-
-
“Look, I really don’t need…” Anon started, but then he stopped himself. If he
-
was going to be Celestia’s prince, he needed to act the part. “Discord, unless
-
you are here to make a petition, I will need to respectfully ask you to leave.”
-
-
“Relax, mon capitaine, I’m not here to cause any trouble.”
-
-
“You’re not?” he blurted before he could help himself.
-
-
“Nope! I’m sure you’ll cause enough of that without my help. I’m just here to
-
watch the fun.”
-
-
Well, that was inspiring. Discord smiled and wrapped an arm around Anon in a
-
friendly embrace, much like a boa constrictor.
-
-
“Do me proud, Anon-o.”
-
-
He snapped his talon, and in a flash of light he moved from Anon’s side and into
-
one of the stadium seats that had just appeared out of nowhere. The seats ran
-
the length of the throne room and back up the other side, and more Discords
-
began to file in from large archways that were at either end of the seats. The
-
real Discord was sitting on the front row and perhaps ten feet away from Anon,
-
and he was now sporting an oversized foam finger on his paw with ANON IS #1
-
emblazoned upon it, a large tub of popcorn, and a ballcap with two soda cans
-
tied to it. He waved at Anon gleefully, let out a shrill whistle, then shoveled
-
in a large talonful of popcorn as a few fellow Discords sat next to him.
-
-
“Are you okay, Your Highness?” Wysteria asked as she walked around the throne
-
and glanced at the bedlam. “I can have the guards clear him out if you want.”
-
-
“Do you really think they could?” he wondered aloud. As capable as the Royal
-
Guard may be, he was genuinely curious as to how they would go about doing that.
-
-
“No, not really.” Wysteria admitted. She gave a glaring glance to the
-
draconequus as he playfully waved back at her. “But I will personally award the
-
Hoofbel prize to the pony who can,” she snarled a bit under her breath.
-
-
“I guess he’s fine, so long as he behaves himself,” Anon said while he took his
-
turn glaring at two Discords who seemed to be fighting over a bowl of nachos.
-
They both laughed nervously and smiled sheepishly, and another bowl of nachos
-
appeared to end the feud. “How much longer do we have before day court starts?”
-
-
“Well, it really should be starting now,” Wysteria admitted. “But I’m not sure
-
why Luna isn’t here yet.”
-
-
“Who’s the first petitioner?”
-
-
“Let’s see…” She glanced down at her trusty clipboard. “Oh! That’s interesting.
-
It’s a unicorn by the name of Starlight Glimmer. She wants to start a new town
-
out near Manehattan.”
-
-
“Why is that interesting?”
-
-
“I don’t recall anypony else asking to start a town the whole time I’ve worked
-
here. It’s interesting that she wants to start a new one rather than move to a
-
place that’s already established.”
-
-
Anon thought about this for a moment. While interesting and perhaps a bit odd,
-
there didn’t seem to be a reason why this Starlight should be denied. “Send her
-
in, Wysteria. Maybe we can figure out why she wants to do this while we wait.”
-
-
“Of course, Your Highness.” Wysteria nodded to the guards at the door. The
-
massive double doors then swung open, and Anon took a deep breath again as his
-
hand touched his Celestial Crystal.
-
-
This was now his court.
-
-
He then noticed that Discord and his fellow… well, Discords, since he couldn’t
-
think of a better name for the duplicates, had suddenly become deathly silent.
-
The light in the throne room dimmed, and Anon groaned as he noticed every single
-
Discord in the room was now dressed in long, hooded black robes that obscured
-
their eyes but left the cheerfully malevolent smile visible.
-
-
A distant bell began to knell as all of the Discords followed Starlight
-
Glimmer’s approach, but interestingly enough she seemed to be unperturbed, and
-
even seemed to revel in the attention in a way.
-
-
“Here ye, there she!” A Discord shouted from beside Anon. He unfurled a long
-
scroll and cleared his throat before proceeding. “The Court will now hear the
-
petition of one Starlight Glimmer, who is accused of equality! How plead you
-
before this Tribunal?”
-
-
“Tribunal?” Anon asked. “What tribunal?”
-
-
“Well, since you’re flying solo at the moment I thought I would help,” Discord
-
replied as an aside but with a huge grin. “C’mon, Anon-o! You’ll still make the
-
final call, I promise.”
-
-
“This is your idea of… never mind.” Anon began rubbing his temples. “All right,
-
fine. But please try to have some decorum, all right?”
-
-
“Decorum, gotcha,” Discord replied with a wink from under his his hood. “That’s
-
some kind of grubworm, right?”
-
-
“Of course he thinks it’s a worm.” Anon groaned again. He had the feeling he’d
-
be doing that a lot today. “Back to the topic at hand. Miss Glimmer, you want to
-
start a new village, correct?”
-
-
“Yes, Your Highness.”
-
-
“Where, exactly, are you proposing to found this new settlement at?”
-
-
“I’m so glad you asked, Your Highness!” she replied with an overabundance of
-
enthusiasm. Several large maps floated out of her saddlebags and she proudly
-
held them aloft in her magic. “I would like to build Our Town here, just to the
-
northwest of Manehattan.”
-
-
Anon then stood and took a few steps closer to the maps with Wysteria and
-
Discord.
-
-
“‘Just to the northwest?’” Wysteria asked in confusion. “Miss Glimmer, you are
-
aware that the location you’re proposing is many miles outside of the regular
-
trade routes and guard patrols, right? You will be, for all intents and
-
purposes, on your own. Isolated.”
-
-
“I certainly hope so, ma’am. That is the whole point.”
-
-
“It is?” Anon asked, as he glanced at Wysteria briefly. “Why?”
-
-
“For a fresh start, your Highness. I want to create a place with no distractions
-
from outside, where we can be self reliant. A blank slate, if you will. This
-
will be my chance to make the perfect place to live.”
-
-
There was something that didn’t sit right with the way she said that, but was
-
there some sort of legal precedent to stop her from pursuing this?
-
-
“Prince Anon?”
-
-
“Yes, Miss Starlight?
-
-
“Do you have a cutie mark, if I may ask?.”
-
-
“Well, no. As far as I know only ponies get cutie marks and as you can probably
-
see, I'm not a pony." He said.
-
-
“Really? That must be frustrating, if I may say, your destiny must be quite
-
vague.”
-
-
“Well, I’m not really bound to any destiny, I think.”
-
-
“Oh? It is something you’re going to have to live with for the rest of your
-
life. That sounds pretty bound to me.”
-
-
“I suppose,” he replied. Now she really was creeping him out, and that smile
-
wasn’t helping. “But in a way it’s rather open to interpretation. It brought me
-
here in a roundabout way after all. I'm for all intends and purposes a blank
-
page. And much like how blank pages provide the opportunity to create a new
-
world out of words, I too have this new opportunity to make a difference in
-
ponies lives, much like your request to start a new life in a new place. And
-
though I may not fully understand it that doesn’t make it bad.”
-
-
“Perhaps.” She seemed placated but her gaze rested uncomfortably on his butt,
-
where his cutie mark would be.
-
-
“May I have this map for a second?” he asked as he pointed to one, and Starlight
-
gladly levitated it into his hands. “Thank you. Allow me to consult with my
-
advisors for a minute.”
-
-
“Of course, Your Highness.”
-
-
Anon gave her a wary look before moving back and behind the throne with Wysteria
-
and Discord. The savvy secretary then caught the meaning of his glance and put
-
up a soundproof shield before they continued.
-
-
“Well? What do you think?”
-
-
“I think I feel my skin crawling every time she speaks, that’s what I think,”
-
Wysteria replied.
-
-
“Yes, I’m getting that vibe too, but what about her petition?”
-
-
“Well, she does has everything in order: the application, building permits, fees
-
and dues. I really don’t see why she couldn’t be allowed to go start this little
-
commune of hers.”
-
-
“Yeah, but that’s just it. She wants to be isolated, intentionally. What kind of
-
a pony wants that?”
-
-
“There are a few ponies that prefer solitude, Your Highness. The paperwork shows
-
a small hamlet of about twenty ponies or so. Maybe they’re just all tree huggers
-
and want to live in that minimalist fad that’s been going around.”
-
-
“Hm.” Anon tapped his chin thoughtfully. “Could be. A lot of ponies thought the
-
Apple family had gone nuts when they settled down near the Everfree. Discord,
-
what are your thoughts?”
-
-
Discord held up a talon and a squeak emerged from his throat, but then he
-
stopped with a puzzled look. “Wait. You want to know what I think?”
-
-
“Yeah. You run Discordland, right?”
-
-
“Discordland?” he questioned. “Oh! That city I made up in… dah…” he stammered
-
for a moment as he realized what had escaped out of his mouth, “I mean, hah! Of
-
course! I am an expert on new settlements, how kind of you to ask for my
-
expertise!”
-
-
“Relax, Discord,” Anon replied with a hearty chuckle. “I was pretty extra sure
-
you were making it up all along. But really, what do you think?”
-
-
“I… well, noone has ever really asked me what I think, except for Fluttershy.
-
You really want to know?”
-
-
“I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t serious,” Anon replied with a grin.
-
-
Discord teared up for a moment, placed a furry fist next to his quivering lower
-
lip, and smiled like he’d never smiled before. He then reached out, grabbed
-
Anonymous, and gave him a gigantic hug.
-
-
“You’re all right, Anon-o,” he offered in all sincerity. He then snapped his
-
talon, and Anon found himself back on the ground and looking at Discord in a
-
dark brown trenchcoat and fedora.
-
-
“All right, here’s the scoop. But keep a lid on it, see?” He said in a harsh
-
whisper while glancing around to make sure they weren’t being watched. “Anon-o,
-
I don’t like it, not one bit. She’s up to something.”
-
-
“Why do you say that?” Wysteria asked.
-
-
“Exhibit A: the application,” Discord replied as he pulled it out of his coat
-
and held it out in his talon. “She filled it out in triplicate. Triplicate!”
-
-
“What?” Anon had to ask. “Why does that even—”
-
-
“No, he’s got a point.” Wysteria cut in.
-
-
“Care to explain?” Anon asked with a little exasperation.
-
-
“All forms need to be filled out in triplicate to get processed properly, but
-
she is the first pony to actually have all three ready at the time of her
-
application. Nopony has ever had all their paperwork ready to go right off. And
-
look,” Wysteria began flipping through the papers on her clipboard with her
-
hooves. “Environmental study, done. Impact usage analysis, done. Stormwater
-
mitigation plan, done. Every last thing you need to do any kind of construction
-
is done. Nopony is that well organized, not even me. For her to have all this
-
ready means she’s been planning this for… years, probably. That’s really eerie.”
-
-
“All right. So she’s exceptionally organized,” Anon summarized.
-
-
“Twilight Sparkle is that organized,” Discord added. “This is the sign of a
-
seriously disturbed mind, and I should know. Which brings us to Exhibit Two:
-
that smile.”
-
-
“Smile?” Anon repeated.
-
-
“Exactly. I don’t like it, I don’t like it one bit. I know smiles, and that
-
smile? That’s just not right.”
-
-
Anon caught on to what Discord was saying this time with no trouble. Starlight
-
Glimmer’s smile hadn’t waned, hadn’t faltered in the slightest during her whole
-
time there. It was perpetual, and that really made it seem forced.
-
-
“Ok, so creepy unending smile.”
-
-
“Exhibit Next? That cutie mark!” Discord leveled the statement as if that was
-
the most condemning thing about all of this. He leaned down and threw a furry
-
paw over Anon before he continued. “Who has a mathematical symbol on their
-
flank, I mean really?”
-
-
“Let’s see.” Wysteria’s eyes drifted upward as she thought. “Professor Cosine at
-
the University has a math based cutie mark, and Deputy Plum Level has a math
-
equation in hers, my third-grade teacher, Missus Millimeter, had two plus two
-
equals four for her cutie mark, The Mayor of—”
-
-
“Fine, finefinefine.” Discord interrupted with an annoyed huff. “Strike Exhibit
-
Next. But I’m telling you, Anon-o, I trust her about as far as she frowns.”
-
-
“Okay, but does any of that prevent her from going forward with this?”
-
-
“Well, no.” Discord was finally forced to admit. “I don’t suppose it does.”
-
-
“All right. Thank you, Discord,” Anon replied with a deep sigh.
-
-
“I can put her application aside until one of the princesses can take a look at
-
it,” Wysteria offered.
-
-
Anon fiddled with his Crystal as he thought. What would Celestia do in this
-
circumstance? How would she rule? Should he just pass it on?
-
-
No, he wanted to figure this out. He wanted to show he could be useful. “All
-
right. I think I know what to do,” he finally announced. “Discord, can I ask you
-
for a favor?”
-
-
Discord leaned back slightly and gave Anon a leery look. “Favor?”
-
-
“Yeah. Could you keep an eye on Starlight for me? Just check in on her randomly
-
and see if she’s up to something.”
-
-
“What’s in it for me?”
-
-
“A Royal sanction to spy on a pony?” Wysteria dryly offered.
-
-
“Nah, I do that already. How about your first-born, Anon-o?”
-
-
“Absolutely not.”
-
-
“Second born?”
-
-
“You’re not getting any of my borns.”
-
-
“Well you’re no fun,” he replied with a huff. “How about one hour of your life
-
every umpth Tuesday?”
-
-
“That… really doesn’t sound any better.”
-
-
“Oh, come now mon capitaine!” Discord replied. “That’s my tea day with
-
Fluttershy. She keeps telling me to bring a friend, and now I can bring you!”
-
-
“I guess…” Anon stalled out in thought for a minute. “Celly could come too,
-
right?”
-
-
Discord scoffed. “Please. We’re talking about Fluttershy here. You could invite
-
Queen Chrysalis along and she’d still be fine with it.”
-
-
“I doubt that,” Anon replied. “But that doesn’t sound too bad, I suppose. I
-
agree, with the understanding that I might need to cancel if something important
-
comes up here.”
-
-
Discord gave a squeak of joy. “Done! I’ll watch her like Maud watches Boulder.”
-
-
“I… I have no idea who that is, but thank you all the same,” Anon offered.
-
-
Discord again grew misty-eyed and Wysteria nodded with a smile before the shield
-
dropped and all three returned to their spots.
-
-
“I see no reason why you can’t go forward with your plan, Miss Starlight,” Anon
-
announced. “The Crown will accept your petition and application, on the
-
condition that you allow a contingent of inspectors and specialists to insure
-
things are up to code and specifications during construction.”
-
-
It may have been his imagination, but her smile seemed to twitch slightly. “Oh,
-
your Highness,” Starlight scoffed and waved a dismissive hoof. “That will not
-
be—”
-
-
“I am going to insist on that.” Anon ordered forcefully. “To build a town in the
-
middle of nowhere is quite strange, Miss Glimmer. I believe it would be in the
-
best interest of the Crown to make sure you are not attempting to cover
-
something illegal, yes?”
-
-
“Of course, Your Highness. Your inspectors will have free access to all the
-
pertinent information they need.”
-
-
“Good. Did you have anything else to bring before the Court?”
-
-
“No, Your Highness. I have received everything I need.”
-
-
Anon nodded, and Starlight’s smile still held fast as she followed a pegasus
-
guard out of the hall.
-
-
“Impressive, young Anonmeister.” Discord offered from under his hood. He
-
steepled his fingers and smiled wickedly before continuing. “Most impressive.
-
Soon your journey on the path of Royalty will be complete!”
-
-
“What are you talking about?” Anon asked.
-
-
“I dunno.” Discord shrugged.
-
-
All light in the room suddenly shut off with a loud clank, and an upbeat song
-
from a pipe organ began playing from nowhere as spotlights danced across the
-
hall. Anon looked over at Discord and he tried to ask what he was doing, but
-
instead he found himself once again in Discord’s furry and excited embrace as he
-
pointed to the staff entrance.
-
-
“Royalty and Draconequus!” Discord’s voice boomed out of the ceiling. “Coming on
-
the court now for the home team, in the number two spot, batting .302 over the
-
last three seasons and back in the game after a long stay in the penalty box,
-
everypony’s favorite tortured ruler, Princess LLUUUUNNNAAA!”
-
-
The crowd of Discords erupted into cheers and applause as a spotlight followed
-
Luna’s quite thoroughly confused entrance. The light slowly increased as she did
-
so, and by the time she reached Anon and Discord they had returned to normal.
-
-
“I would ask what is going on but I fear the answer would be more confusing than
-
the question,” Luna remarked, as she took in the still-cheering crowd.
-
-
“Discord wanted to help out today,” Anon said, and Discord nodded his head with
-
enough force to make a rattling noise. “He actually was really helpful with the
-
first petitioner.”
-
-
One eyebrow peaked as Luna gave Anon a sly smile. “Oh? You started without me?”
-
-
-
* * ✹ * *
-
-
-
“Thank you, Princess!”
-
-
“Not at all. Good day, fair subject!”
-
-
Luna chuckled as she waved to the departing petitioner before offering a
-
satisfied sigh. “A most charming stallion,” she remarked to Anon. “My sister
-
should have told me day court was this easy. I would have offered her a day off
-
many moons ago.”
-
-
“I don’t think this is normal,” Anon replied. “Five petitioners in two hours?”
-
-
“It is unusually dead, Your Highness,” Wysteria added. “Usually we have this
-
many petitions in the first fifteen minutes.”
-
-
“But if these petitions are indicative of what she usually contends with then
-
she has greatly exaggerated her workload. Perhaps I will run day court on my own
-
sometime.”
-
-
“I’m sure Celestia would appreciate the day off, Your Highness,” Wysteria said
-
with a slight roll of her eyes.
-
-
“But since we speak of Celly, I understand you had a disagreement with her
-
yesterday,” she flatly remarked to Anon.
-
-
“A small argument. Nothing to worry about.”
-
-
“Hmm. Was the argument her fault or yours?”
-
-
“Well, it was hers. She accused me of pandering to her when I was just trying to
-
be nice.”
-
-
“And the incident with the citron pressé?”
-
-
“Heh, you heard about that?” he asked as he rubbed the back of his head in
-
embarrassment. “Yeah. Not my best moment, but she never told me what was going
-
on. I just assumed it was for lemonade.”
-
-
“I see. May I offer a small piece of advice?”
-
-
“Sure.”
-
-
“From what I have heard of the incident, I believe my sister was more in the
-
wrong than you were, especially with the lemonade. It was not fair of her to
-
assume that you knew about Prench customs since you are an upscale cook and can
-
make Prench meals.”
-
-
“But that’s just it: I can’t. My family specializes in Caballian and Equestrian
-
dishes. My mom always said the Prench were too snobby.”
-
-
“But does Celly know that?”
-
-
“Uh…” he stalled out in thought. “I guess not.”
-
-
Luna nodded. “Exactly. In her mind, you are fluent in foreign customs because of
-
your background. She had no way of knowing that you did not know.”
-
-
“So that was my fault?”
-
-
“In a way. If you ever find yourself making an assumption, Anon, ask somepony
-
about it and make sure you are right first. You will avoid a lot of headaches
-
and angry ministers by doing that.”
-
-
“Oh.”
-
-
“My sister could have handled the situation in a more controlled and
-
professional manner, however. I intend to speak to her about this as well.”
-
-
“Thank you. That would be nice.”
-
-
“I won’t make a habit out of this, however. You need to work out your
-
difficulties with your wife without a mediator. In fact, you should really talk
-
to her about what has happened.”
-
-
“I should?”
-
-
“Open wounds that are not treated will fester and decay. Your relationship with
-
Celly is your responsibility, not mine. You need to deal with these issues as
-
they come.”
-
-
“Oh, right,” he said thoughtfully. Though he had no idea how to even start that
-
sort of a conversation with Celestia he knew that she was right. He needed to be
-
the one to discuss the issues with her, not another.
-
-
“Wysteria, send in the next petitioner,” Luna called out.
-
-
“There’s nopony to send, Your Highness,” Wysteria replied over her shoulder as
-
she looked down the hallway.
-
-
“Oh. Well, I suppose this would be a good time to relax. Tell me, Anon, do you
-
enjoy—”
-
-
A sudden coughing fit overtook her, and Anon watched her hack for a good twenty
-
seconds before she finally brought herself under control.
-
-
“You’re not getting sick too, are you?” he asked with concern.
-
-
“Don’t be ridiculous. I had a shield up when I visited this morning. I am not
-
getting sick.” > 29. - A Wrinkle In Time >
-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
“This is all your fault,” Luna grumbled as she blew her nose into an
-
already-overused tissue.
-
-
“It’s always my fault,” Celestia replied with annoyance and a matching honk of
-
her own.
-
-
“Oh, stop that, you two,” Horsenpfeffer admonished. “You’re worse than my
-
twins.”
-
-
“She started it,” Celestia muttered.
-
-
“I’ll finish it, too,” Luna weakly threatened.
-
-
Horsenpfeffer groaned and bopped Luna on the nose just hard enough for it to
-
smart. “It’s not her fault. You could have caught this from anywhere.”
-
-
“This is Anon’s doing. He infected me somehow,” Luna groused while rubbing her
-
snout.
-
-
“He did not. Non Pegasi can’t carry the virus. You picked this up from a pegasus
-
somewhere.”
-
-
Discord’s amused chortling drifted over from the corner, and all three mares
-
turned to give him an icy stare.
-
-
“You do know the feather flu can jump species, right?” the good doctor remarked
-
dryly. “And, opposite though they may be, you do have wings.”
-
-
Discord immediately stopped laughing, sat up straight and emitted a honk from…
-
somewhere, gulped as his left eye twitched and then promptly disappeared in a
-
flash, leaving nothing behind but the smell of menthol. Both Luna and Celestia
-
chuckled at the revelation before passing a tissue box between them for the
-
eightieth time.
-
-
“Where did my husband disappear to?” Celestia asked.
-
-
“I told him to go order a nice warm stew from the kitchens,” Horsenpfeffer said.
-
“And I believe he said something about checking with Wysteria to make sure there
-
was nothing that needed to be done.”
-
-
Celestia snuggled down into her pillow with a sigh. “Order? My Anon is a most
-
disobedient spouse. He’s going to make something, and since both of us are
-
indisposed, he’s going to make a lot of it.” The corners of her lips turned up
-
ever so slightly, even after another long nose blowing. “Don’t worry, dear
-
sister. I’ll share.”
-
-
“Good,” Luna sighed. “A warm bowl of anything would be most welcome right now.”
-
-
“He shouldn’t be long.” Celestia chuckled. “If I were to guess, I imagine he is
-
being a rather large pest in the kitchen right now in an effort to help both of
-
us feel better.”
-
-
“Well, other than the Feather Flu, I think you’re fine,” Horsenpfeffer announced
-
to Luna. “Your treatment is the same as your sister’s: lots of orange juice and
-
rest. If you exert yourself, you’ll stay sick longer. Also, stay away from
-
anypony with wings.”
-
-
“I will.” Luna nodded. “Thank you, Doctor.”
-
-
“You’re welcome. I’ll be back in the morning to check on you,” she continued.
-
“If you need me before then, just send Prince Anon after me.”
-
-
“We will, but we will also try not to disturb you.”
-
-
“Sounds good. Good evening, Your Highnesses.”
-
-
Luna and Celestia shared a round of coughs between them as the doctor left, and
-
then Luna moaned. “I hate getting sick.”
-
-
“That makes two of us,” Celestia added. “But, I do have to admit it has been
-
peaceful to simply rest. I didn’t realize how nice it could be to let somepony
-
else take over for a time.”
-
-
“Perhaps this will cure you of your workaholic nature then.”
-
-
“Probably not.” Celestia chuckled. “I know I need to ease up but it’s hard to do
-
so after a millennium of being unable to.”
-
-
“You should, though. You’re going to drive away your Anon if you don’t.”
-
-
“Drive him away? He’s been helping me run the kingdom already.”
-
-
“Has he, in truth?” Luna asked with a wary eye. “From what I have heard, his
-
help was most unwelcome yesterday.”
-
-
“That wasn’t help,” Celestia said, her mood souring instantly with the mention
-
of the incident. “He was pandering to me, Lulu. I told him about Daybreaker, and
-
then he decided to start walking on eggshells.”
-
-
“Hmm. Are you sure that was his only motive?”
-
-
Celestia glared at her sister. “Lulu, you know I can tell when someone is lying
-
to me, and when they’re trying to stay on my good side.”
-
-
“With most ponies, yes. But I would suggest your view might be a bit skewed when
-
it comes to the one who has your affections. You look at Anonymous in a
-
different way from me, or Wysteria, or anyone else. He has a singular place in
-
your heart, and that changes things.”
-
-
“Luna, he was trying to placate me when I wasn’t upset.”
-
-
“All right. Let’s say you’re totally right, and that all his actions yesterday
-
were only to ‘placate’ and pacify you. How did you decide to tell him that you
-
did not appreciate what he was doing?”
-
-
“Well, I had a talk with him last night after he apologized for being
-
ridiculous. He agreed that he was wrong, and then we kissed and made up.”
-
-
Luna gave her a flat look. “Celly, you never just talk to anypony when you’re
-
upset. You lectured him, didn’t you?”
-
-
“No. I had a conversation with him.”
-
-
“What was the ratio of talk time between you and him?”
-
-
“Well, he…” Celestia stalled, and offered a cough. “He really didn’t say
-
anything.”
-
-
“Forgive me if I am mistaken, but I do believe a conversation requires two
-
active participants. When one pony speaks and another listens, that is a
-
lecture.”
-
-
“No! It was… was…” Celestia tried to think of how it hadn’t been a lecture, but
-
her efforts failed.
-
-
“It was a lecture, and I would suggest that you really didn’t make up afterward.
-
If I forced him to tell the truth, I am willing to bet he would say he did no
-
wrong and that he felt irritated by your reaction.”
-
-
“Why didn’t he say so, then?”
-
-
“Anon is someone who likes peace, Sister, and he’d rather let you be right than
-
have a fight about it. He wants you to be happy, so he let you win.”
-
-
“But he should have said something.” Celestia pouted.
-
-
“If he had, would you have listened to him?”
-
-
Celestia didn’t answer, but her ears folded back and she glanced away.
-
-
“Celly, if you intend for him to be your equal than you have to treat him as
-
such. He is no longer merely one of your subjects, or one of your students. You
-
are not the first, last, and every word in between anymore with him, and this is
-
doubly true when you are discussing domestic issues. You have to let him have an
-
opinion, and you’re going to have to let him take the lead sometimes. If he is
-
doing something that irks you then you have to be willing to listen to the why
-
behind it. What if he really just thought he was being helpful, like with the
-
citron pressé? Is it reasonable to suppose that he wasn’t actively trying to
-
pander, and that he just assumed you wanted lemonade? There are a lot of moving
-
parts to consider in these things.”
-
-
“I guess you’re right,” Celestia sighed after a moment of reflection. “I
-
probably did come down a bit hard on him.”
-
-
“One of the biggest challenges Star and I faced was making sure we were actually
-
communicating. You will need to watch yourself in this regard as well. Talk with
-
him when you sense a problem, not at him.”
-
-
“Thanks, Lulu. I’ll work on that.”
-
-
Luna blew her nose in reply just as Anon came back into the room with a
-
delicious-smelling pot of homebrewed goodness sitting atop the trolley cart.
-
-
“Not getting sick huh?” Anon smugly offered to Luna, and he received her tongue
-
stuck out at him for a reply.
-
-
“Is everything alright, Anon?” Celestia asked. “Did Wysteria need anything?”
-
-
“Everything is fine,” he reassured her. “Wysteria has taken care of the
-
reschedules, and I believe she’s heading home for the night.”
-
-
“Good. Hopefully I will recover enough by tomorrow to get back to work.”
-
-
“I hope so too, but more because I want you to get better.”
-
-
“Och, you’ve gone and gotten yourself sick again, haven’t you?”
-
-
Luna’s ears flicked. That voice, that delightfully deep brogue…
-
-
“What did you make?” Celestia asked Anon, as she tried to peer up and into the
-
pot.
-
-
“Make?” He scoffed. “I ordered a nice cabbage stew, just like Doctor
-
Horsenpfeffer asked me to.”
-
-
“I am not sick. This is naught but a tickle in my throat.”
-
-
“You did not,” Celestia challenged.
-
-
“I did too!” Anon protested with a laugh. “I ordered it and then ten seconds
-
later I got impatient and forced my way back to make it myself.”
-
-
“That sounds right.” Celestia chuckled.
-
-
“Aye, Love, you’re sick. C’mon, I’ll get somethin’ warm goin’. Ya best be
-
gettin’ that beautiful flank into bed.”
-
-
“Here, careful. It’s still hot.” Anon offered a bowl to Luna, and she nodded as
-
her magic took it from him.
-
-
“Cabbage? Thou knowest I despise cabbage.”
-
-
“Ah know, Ah know. But the war ain’t been kind to the crops, and your sister
-
insisted the staff cut back to half-rations to help feed the front lines. It’s
-
all we have at the moment, Love.”
-
-
The smell of pinewood and moss drifted into Luna’s nostrils, smells that had not
-
deigned to introduce themselves nor to keep her company for well over twelve
-
hundred years. She inhaled deeply to savor them, to relish them, and to help
-
recall the memories that they had brought as company with them.
-
-
“I should be at the front with my troops.”
-
-
“Och, and what good’ll that do? You’d spread that cough through the ranks and do
-
more damage than the ‘Squatch ever could.”
-
-
“But my place is there, with they who labor under the banner of Equestria,” she
-
protested. “I refuse to lead from the rear.”
-
-
“Ah, well, you best be restin’ then. Sooner you get over this the sooner you can
-
get back to ‘em, ya mule.”
-
-
“I am not a mule!” she said with a laugh.
-
-
“You act it sometimes,” he replied with a scoff and a smile.
-
-
Luna watched silently as Anon stood in front of Celestia and began gently
-
blowing across the top of the stew. Celestia chuckled as he aimed the vapor
-
towards her, and she took deep breaths of the savory aroma each time they wafted
-
towards her.
-
-
“How are things at the front, Love?”
-
-
“There are steady gains, and my sister hath raised a flag of truce to offer
-
terms of capitulation. Time will tell if the envoy is accepted or not, however.”
-
-
“Aye, it’d be a right day if’n them ‘Squatch could come to terms. It gets a mite
-
bit hard explain’ why you’re gone, and I canna help but worry about ya. Spears
-
pierce the hide all the same, immortal or no.”
-
-
“Oo, careful,” Anon cautioned. “It’s still pretty hot. Here.”
-
-
Celestia picked her head up and readjusted her front legs, and she gladly opened
-
her mouth as Anon approached with the spoon. She hummed a little as he fed her
-
gently, and with a gentle toss of her mane she prepared for him to come again.
-
-
“Och, here. Best not to burn you with this. Open up.”
-
-
“You sure you want me to keep doing this?” Anon asked. “I was just letting you
-
sample it, to make sure it was the right temperature.”
-
-
“Oh, but my dear Anon, I am sick!” Celestia gently pouted. “And you were given
-
instruction to keep me from exerting myself! I have just enough strength to chew
-
and swallow. I will need your assistance with the rest.”
-
-
“You’re terrible.” Anon laughed, as the flames in the fireplace behind them
-
whipped and surged slightly, and the crackle increased a tick in volume. “But if
-
you insist.”
-
-
“I do insist. Thy princess requireth sustenance, and thou art the only stallion
-
who can satisfy mine appetite.”
-
-
“Ah, yah must be sicker than I thought.” Star Struck chuckled a little, as he
-
scooped out another spoonful. “Broken to the point of bein’ unable to feed
-
yourself? I guess Ah’ll just ‘have to nurse ya back myself.”
-
-
“Thy princess expecteth it,” Luna said with a snort of happiness.
-
-
“Ah always knew you enjoyed bein’ pampered.”
-
-
“I am not being pampered. Thou art assisting thy very weak and famished wife.”
-
-
“‘Assisting.’ Darlin’, you may be a warrior on the surface, but deep down you’re
-
a princess, and ya enjoy bein’ treated like one. You’d keep me here, waiting on
-
your every need if you could.”
-
-
“And I would regret not a moment of it,” she said with joy.
-
-
The flames surged again in the fireplace, but Anonymous and Celestia were so
-
absorbed in each other’s eyes that the action went unnoticed. Luna smiled to
-
herself as Anon would gently blow across the stew in the spoon, move carefully
-
to feed it to Celestia, and then retreat and start again once she had delicately
-
sipped the succulence off and smiled anew.
-
-
Luna smiled more as she continued to watch. Hundreds of years had passed, and
-
yet love still had the astonishing power that it always held. A princess had,
-
again, allowed a pauper into her heart, and a pauper was willing to climb the
-
near-impossible mountains of expectation in order to have his princess. Love was
-
weaving two hearts into one, caring not for station or power or custom. He was
-
hers, and she was his. What else mattered in the end?
-
-
The fire once again surged, and Luna closed her eyes softly. Nothing else had
-
mattered then either.
-
-
-
* * 🌙 * *
-
-
-
Aye, there ya go. How’s that cough feelin’?”
-
-
“Better.” Luna hummed. “If thou wilt continue to provide to my needs in such
-
manner, I believe my recovery shall be swift and sure.”
-
-
“Glad to hear it. I hate to see you sick.”
-
-
Luna softly slurped the contents of the offered spoon, and she quickly booped
-
Star Struck’s nose before he could pull back again.
-
-
“I love you.”
-
-
“Aye, I love you too.” He chuckled. “Even when you’re actin’ like a mule.”
-
-
“Thou wouldst be most displeased if I was not, and thou knowest it.”
-
-
He simply nodded to this, and offered another spoonful to her. “Aye. I canna
-
deny that. Yer just perfect.”
-
-
Luna purred a bit, and a happy silence passed between them for a few minutes as
-
he continued to spoon feed her. He then chuckled, and she gave him a curious
-
glance.
-
-
“What doth amuse thee?”
-
-
“Ah, nuttin,” he said. “Just thinking.”
-
-
“Wilt thou not share thy thoughts?”
-
-
“Och, ‘tis nuttin’ but a memory.”
-
-
“Please?” Luna gently asked, before taking another sip. He gave her a soft
-
smile, and then sighed happily.
-
-
“D’ya remember the first time ya raised the moon with me?”
-
-
She hummed as the memory instantly came back to her. “I shall never forget it.”
-
-
“‘Twas a night I dunna think I could ever forget either. Ah knew yer were up to
-
something when you invited me out on that veranda, but no stallion in his right
-
mind could turn away from that teasing flick o’ the tail ya gave me.”
-
-
“Thou hast always had a strange fascination with my backside.”
-
-
“D’ya blame me? That ‘backside’ o’ yours is mesmerizing,” he said with a laugh.
-
“But then you draped your wing over me, and Ah thought Ah’d never find a deeper
-
happiness.
-
-
“But then you raised the moon,” he continued that soft and smooth tone that
-
drove her absolutely wild. “There Ah stood, under the wing o’ the most beautiful
-
mare to ever grace the fields o’ Barra, watchin’ as the magic of the moon mixed
-
with the gentle caress of your side against mine. Ah just couldn’t believe that
-
a low-born mud-trotter like me could ever catch the attention of a princess, and
-
Ah had not only done that but Ah’d somehow fallen in love with ya.
-
-
“And then you leaned in close to my ear. You have a voice that can shake the
-
very stars above, but when you started to whisper you were as smooth as silk.
-
You told me of your love for me, how you cherished me. You spoke of how Ah’d
-
changed you, tempered you.
-
-
“And you told me you’d give it all up if you had to. The titles, the power, even
-
the moon itself if’n it came to that. All of it was nuttin’ if you couldn’t have
-
me.
-
-
“Ah knew, right then, that Ah couldn’t live without you. We had been woven
-
together, so fast and tight that the only way to separate us was to rend the
-
very heavens themselves. Come what may, my destiny was with you, from then to
-
forevermore.
-
-
“Heh. It’s amazin’ how one moment like that can change everythin’. Right then Ah
-
knew that Ah knew, and Ah could never turn away from you without turnin’ away
-
from myself.”
-
-
“Hmm,” Luna sighed happily. “And thou hast remained, amidst toils and
-
tribulations most severe. Thou hast been a most loyal companion, and I will
-
forever be grateful for thy devotion.”
-
-
A soft tapping came at the door, and Luna visibly grew eager in anticipation
-
while she sat up and turned to face the source of the sound.
-
-
“Och! Who’s makin’ all that fuss?” Star Struck called out playfully. “Get in
-
here and present yerself!”
-
-
“Can Ah come in? Auntie Celly says Mum is sick.”
-
-
“Get in here, yah wee rascal!”
-
-
The door nudged open just enough for a small lavender unicorn filly to stick her
-
head through. She wore a worried look, but as soon as she saw Luna’s
-
outstretched arms she flung the door open and galloped over as fast as her
-
little legs could carry her. Both she and Luna laughed as they embraced, and
-
Luna gave the small bundle a quick noserub after they had done so.
-
-
“My precious little Twilight! How art thou this fine evening?”
-
-
“Ah’m good, Mum,” the blank-flanked filly replied with a huge grin. “Are you
-
really sick?”
-
-
“Indeed, but ‘tis nothing more than the Feather Flu. Thy father hath been most
-
attentive to my needs, and I believe my recovery shall be swift.”
-
-
“Good, ‘cause you said when you got back you were gonna show me how you raise
-
the moon.”
-
-
“I did?!” Luna gasped in faux surprise. “Mine illness must be most severe. I do
-
not recall any such promise.”
-
-
“You did too!” Twilight protested vehemently. “You said Ah could help you raise
-
it!”
-
-
“Ah, now the memory returneth,” Luna said with a sly smile. “You will want to
-
raise it tonight, I suppose?”
-
-
“Uh-huh!” Twilight replied with a vigorous nod of her head. “Ah’ve been goin’
-
over all the instructions you gave me. Ah calculated the relative velocity,
-
accounted fer atmospheric interference and weight distribution—”
-
-
“Aye, that she has,” Star Struck confirmed as Luna glanced over at him in
-
surprised joy. “Ah’ve even caught her mumblin’ things like ‘apogee’ and
-
‘sidereal rotation period’ in her sleep.”
-
-
“And how have thy studies with Master Starswirl fared?” Luna asked her daughter.
-
-
“Uh, well…” Twilight twiddled a hoof on the floor. “My grades are good, Mum,
-
they really are.”
-
-
“But?” Luna asked after the pause.
-
-
“But he’s so BORIN’!” The little unicorn couldn’t help but blurt out. “All day!
-
Nuttin’ but formulae and theory and conjectures. He dunna know how to have fun!”
-
-
“Aye, our little Twilight Starbright got herself into a wee spot o’ trouble
-
yesterday,” Star Struck added.
-
-
“Oh?” Luna asked.
-
-
“Ah canna help it if Starswirl canna take a joke,” Twilight muttered. “All Ah
-
did was turn his beard green.”
-
-
“Green?” Luna chuckled. “Thou madest his beard green?”
-
-
“Yeah! Wasn’t hard neither,” Twilight announced in pride. “All Ah had to do was
-
sneak a reactive agent in to his prune juice. I dunna know how he figured out it
-
was me, though.”
-
-
“Thou art a wee rascal indeed,” Luna said with a laugh. “While I do not condone
-
thine actions, Master Starswirl doth need to ‘lighten up’ in my opinion. If thou
-
dost vex him again, make sure thou art not caught.”
-
-
All three of them laughed at this before Twilight piped up again. “Ah will. So
-
can ya show me how to raise the moon?”
-
-
“I suppose I can,” Luna replied, and her little filly whooped in joy. Another
-
knock at the door interrupted the celebration, but all three were pleasantly
-
surprised when they saw who had knocked.
-
-
“Auntie Celly!” Twilight cried out.
-
-
“Good evening, Twilight!” Celestia replied, as she placed her golden helm down
-
and strode into the room. “I trust thou art well?”
-
-
“Yeah! Mum’s gonna let me help her raise the moon tonight!”
-
-
“Ah! Wonderful news!” Celestia replied. “Thou art sure to be an expert at it,
-
just like thy mother.”
-
-
“What bringeth thee back here, Sister?” Luna asked. “Thou art still in thine
-
armor, so thou must be leaving again soon.”
-
-
“Of a truth, I return only to share good news with my friends. The Sasquatch
-
have surrendered and accepted the terms of capitulation! The war is now at an
-
end.”
-
-
Twilight whooped again, and Luna shared a quick nuzzle with her husband to
-
celebrate.
-
-
“I must return to oversee the disarmament and to ensure compliance with the
-
terms, but I felt that thy recovery, dear sister, might be expedited if thou
-
knewest of these things. I have given thy division to Flash Magnus to oversee,
-
and thou art relieved of thy duties at the front. Stay, be with your family, and
-
rest. I shall return when all is completed, and we shall then have a banquet in
-
celebration of our victory.”
-
-
“Will it actually be ‘our’ victory this time, or wilt thou somehow make it thine
-
own success again?” Luna replied darkly.
-
-
“Now,” Star Struck interjected. “this is not the time to be pickin’ more fights,
-
love.”
-
-
“Very well,” she replied before focusing back on Celestia. “Now leave before
-
thou art struck down by my illness as well!”
-
-
Celestia chuckled and recovered her helm with her magic. “By your leave, then.
-
Fare thee well.”
-
-
“Well!” Luna announced after Celestia had left. “My spirits are most renewed.
-
Come, my precious Twilight. Tonight thou shalt assist me in raising the moon.”
-
-
-
* * 🌙 * *
-
-
-
“Now, remember that the moon will be much heavier than thou art anticipating.
-
Thou must—”
-
-
“Ah know, Mum! Ah know,” Twilight protested.
-
-
“Ya best be lettin’ her get to it. She canna take the anticipation anymore.”
-
Star Struck laughed.
-
-
“All right. Since thou art so eager to proceed,” Luna replied. Twilight let out
-
a grunt of anticipation, quickly twisted to face the east, then crouched
-
slightly and flared her horn.
-
-
“Och, she looks like a right proper stinkbug she does,” Star whispered to his
-
wife.
-
-
Luna began to protest, but she had stop and hold back her laughter as her
-
daughter began wiggling her rump slightly and swishing her tail. “All right. Art
-
thou in harmony with the moon yet?” Luna asked while draping a wing over her
-
beloved.
-
-
“Just...about…” Twilight grunted.
-
-
“Remember, thou shouldst feel the harmony. Tis not something thou canst touch
-
with thy natural senses.”
-
-
Luna’s own magic began to work, and she gently weaved her magic in with her
-
daughter’s. She felt along the threads Twilight had created, and she was
-
impressed. Her daughter had everything nearly perfect.
-
-
“Now, guide it up.”
-
-
Twilight grunted in exertion. Despite all of her bravado earlier, Luna could
-
feel her young one straining against the weight of the moon, and she smiled
-
deeply. With a touch of her own magic to assist, the moon gently rose over the
-
treetops and into full view.
-
-
“Ah did it,” Twilight panted, the exertion showing in her flushed cheeks as she
-
turned to face her parents with a pleased smile. “Ah did it! Ah raised it!”
-
-
“Aye, and a fair job ya did of it too,” Star Struck remarked. “Good job, Lass!”
-
-
“Can Ah help again tomorrow?” Twilight eagerly asked her parents. “Please?”
-
-
“I believe that can be accommodated,” Luna replied, and she laughed with her
-
husband as Twilight began cheering and hopping around in a circle in joy.
-
-
“D’ya think she’ll be able to raise it on her own one day?” Star asked.
-
-
“That I am unsure of,” Luna replied, and her gaze turned back to the silver orb
-
before them. “My magic is greater than hers, and…”
-
-
No. Not here, not now.
-
-
“Love? What is it?” Star Struck asked.
-
-
Luna’s eyes narrowed as the featureless expression of the Tantabus began to
-
drift across the moon. There was only one reason why it would show now.
-
-
“Leave,” Luna commanded. “This memory is not given to you, nor will it ever. You
-
are to remain within the dream that I have created for you. Disobey and you will
-
cease to be.”
-
-
The Tantabus paused, and Luna almost thought she could see defiance moving
-
across the deep purple aether that made up the nightly reminder of her betrayal.
-
After that moment was over, though, it complied and slid out of view, and Luna
-
turned to her husband and offered a wane smile.
-
-
“Forgive me, Love. My thoughts became troubled for a moment, but they are
-
hampered no more.”
-
-
“Are yah sure? I dunna know what ya rebuked but it seemed serious.”
-
-
“I am sure, Star. Come. Let us dwell on this no more. I believe we shall now
-
make a daring midnight raid of the castle’s stores in celebration of my
-
daughter’s achievements!”
-
-
“Yes!” Twilight cheered. “C’mon! If we hurry we can beat the patrols!”
-
-
“Oy! How d’ya know how to do that?” Star Struck called out in amused alarm as
-
his daughter shot off into the keep.
-
-
-
* * 🌙 * *
-
-
-
“Did she really?” Celestia asked.
-
-
“Yup. She’s out,” Anon confirmed.
-
-
“Dear Lulu.” Celestia chuckled warmly. “Good thing she raised the moon before
-
her energy left her.”
-
-
“I’ll go get another blanket,” Anon offered.
-
-
“Good idea. She’ll need it tonight if she has the chills like I did.”
-
-
“I hope she doesn’t,” he said before moving back towards the closet. “What do
-
you suppose she’s dreaming about?”
-
-
“Something pleasant, I hope,” Celestia said with a sigh. “She always seems so
-
tortured when I see her sleeping, so restless. I sometimes wonder if all those
-
nightmares that she fights off somehow affect her own sleeping.”
-
-
“That wouldn’t be fun.” Anon walked back into the room, nearly covered in a
-
thick blanket. “She deserves to have sweet dreams when she sleeps.”
-
-
“That she does,” Celestia agreed. She smiled deeply as she watched Anon unfold
-
the blanket, drape it over Luna’s sleeping form, and then tuck in the edges
-
around her body to keep any cold drafts from disturbing her.
-
-
“There we go,” he announced once he was finished. “That should keep her warm.”
-
-
“We’ll keep an eye on her tonight, too,” Celestia replied, lifting her wing and
-
allowing Anon to snuggle in beside her again. “But, I guess when I say ‘we’ I
-
should really say ‘you.’ I may not be so easy to rouse this evening.”
-
-
“I don’t mind. One night’s worth of lost sleep is worth having the both of you
-
feel better.”
-
-
“So devoted,” Celestia replied warmly as she nuzzled him. “Thank you for
-
everything you’ve done today.”
-
-
“Aww,” he stammered. “You’re welcome. Just don’t get sick again!”
-
-
Celestia laughed. “If I can help it in any way, I will certainly avoid it.” >
-
30. - Understanding >
-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
Celestia, Princess of the Sun and Ruler of the Day awoke with a bit of a start.
-
She yawned, smacked her lips, and then moved to boop her Anon.
-
-
She would have succeeded, too, were it not for the fact that Anonymous had
-
pulled his disappearing act yet again. She really needed to ask him how he
-
managed to do that.
-
-
“Anon?” she called out softly.
-
-
A loud snore from Luna came in reply, and Celestia winced as she realized that
-
neither of them had taken the anti-snoring pill last night. It was little wonder
-
he had slunk out, because he was probably worried about long-term hearing
-
damage.
-
-
She then bit her lower lip in playfulness. A game of hide and seek with her
-
Prince? The idea had great appeal. But where would he have gotten to?
-
-
“Hmm,” she cooed. Perhaps he had snuck away to the north tower again. It would
-
be familiar, and not too far away.
-
-
A quick glance at the clock told her she had thirty minutes before sunrise,
-
which was more than enough time to find him and then smother him with apologetic
-
kisses. After a playful giggle and a quick check in the mirror to make sure she
-
was presentable enough to leave the room, she then moved out into the hall and
-
off towards her prize.
-
-
The guards in the hallway offered a salute as she exited and began her search,
-
and she nodded pleasantly to each one when she casually strolled by. She felt
-
quite renewed, she realized, and all of the horrible symptoms of her illness
-
from yesterday had cleared out. This burst of energy was a bit difficult to
-
contain, but she didn’t want to tip off the whole palace to her motives and fun.
-
-
Once she reached the north tower, she gently and carefully eased the door open
-
and peered inside. Sadly, there was no Anon, only an unoccupied room that
-
awaited a guest. With a mischievous huff, Celestia pulled the door shut and then
-
casually began walking to the next potential location: the kitchens.
-
-
“He could be making breakfast.” She considered the concept with delighted glee.
-
“A nice omelette, maybe, or some delicious buttermilk biscuits.”
-
-
But this turned up no Anon as well. Chef Beet and her staff hadn’t seen him that
-
morning, but she was kind enough to offer waffles and hash browns for the
-
morning meal. Celestia accepted the offer with a graceful smile, and then
-
resumed her search.
-
-
She really didn’t think he would be in the dining room, but she peeked in just
-
to be sure and quickly confirmed her suspicions. She then moved towards the
-
throne room with a bit more enthusiasm, the throne was comfortable enough to
-
sleep on. She should know; she had dealt with so many long-winded petitioners
-
after long and restless nights that she had finally taught herself how to sleep
-
with her eyes open.
-
-
This, however, came up clear as well, and now she was growing eager and a bit
-
concerned. She was confident he wouldn’t leave the palace, but why would he go
-
anywhere else within?
-
-
“Perhaps he asked for a guest room—any guest room—where could rest,” she
-
considered softly to herself. “Mm, but that would take the rest of the day to
-
search.”
-
-
In the interest of time Celestia decided to cheat a little. She sent out a quick
-
searching spell to locate what room he could have been placed in, but even this
-
came back Anonless, and that moved Celestia into the worried category.
-
-
“Why would he leave?” she muttered to herself as she moved back towards her
-
room. “Unless he got called away for something, but what could possibly…”
-
-
She then had a sudden realization, and she smiled deeply to herself. There was
-
one other place he could be, somewhere somewhat quiet and yet close enough that
-
he could respond quickly if he needed to.
-
-
“The balcony.”
-
-
She opted for a teleport spell this time, and she was quite pleased to find her
-
assumption had been correct. Her marvelous Anon was near the far edge, his body
-
facing east and leaning on the railing. Her poor husband had fallen asleep while
-
standing, and Celestia imagined he was going to be a bit sore once she woke him
-
up.
-
-
She giggled a little while sliding up next to him, and she started to gently nip
-
at the base of his neck. His eyes twitched, and a soft moan of happiness gurgled
-
out of his throat, so she slowly began moving up towards his cheek. His head
-
rose as she moved upward, and a pair of puckered lips awaited her once she
-
reached the top. She took the invitation but teased him with just a quick peck,
-
and he let a moan of sadness out before blinking his eyes open.
-
-
“Ungh?” Celestia attempted to make a word out of Anon’s moan before offering
-
another light giggle. “I think that means you were expecting more?”
-
-
“I was,” he simply replied.
-
-
“Well, you impertinent human you, I don’t kiss just anyone,” she said as she
-
retreated back and stood at her full height. She tried to look stern, but the
-
playful smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth gave away her true
-
feelings as she continued. “I am the Princess of the Sun, after all. I have very
-
exacting demands, and no male has been able to measure up. I reserve my
-
affection for those who are deserving of it, those whom I trust and care for. I
-
refuse to let my royal lips—”
-
-
Anon wasn’t going to wait for her to finish her speech. He simply leaned
-
forward, and in one swift move he locked his lips to hers and wrapped his arms
-
around her neck. They stayed in this embrace for several long minutes, and when
-
Anon finally did pull back Celestia fluttered her eyes open and gave him a
-
deeply pleased smile.
-
-
“You keep sticking your tongue in there like that and you’re going to reverse
-
the colors of my mane.”
-
-
“Ah, but I’m just brushing up on my diplomatic knowledge. I think the Prench
-
enjoy kissing in this style, don’t they?” Anon asked.
-
-
“Indeed they do, but that is only part of a true Prench experience. Tu parles
-
prançais, mon amour?” Celly quipped, her transition to Prench flawless.
-
-
But Anon was not to be outdone without a fight on this one, and he smiled
-
deeply. “Un semestre à l’école secondaire. Et c’était pour impressionner une
-
fille,” he said, and Celestia smiled deeply. His words were choppy, provincial,
-
boorish, and he was speaking through his nose; but it was respectable for
-
Equestrian standards at least. In time, he could stand up to diplomatic
-
scrutiny, with some tutoring.
-
-
This was a prospect that made her extremely giddy.
-
-
“Pour une fille? Comme c’est romantique.”
-
-
“ça n’a pas vraiment… something… oh, whatever the phrase is for ‘it didn’t work
-
out.”
-
-
“Quel dommage,” Celestia said softly. And her loss is my gain.
-
-
“Is that what it is? I haven’t really spoken it since then. I’m probably giving
-
the pronunciation a slow and painful death.”
-
-
“Not quite that bad. You could pass as a better than average tourist, but for
-
what we do I will need to—” she snuck in so close that her breath tickled the
-
fur of his ear “—give you a few lessons.”
-
-
How her heart leapt when his breath hitched and shuttered at her words. It was a
-
completely new and wonderful take on the phrase ‘hanging on her every word.’
-
-
“And how would you do that?” he whispered.
-
-
“I would start with your pronunciation. You should speak slowly but confidently,
-
much like how you would add spices to a simmering pot. Each word should be
-
finely seasoned and dressed, and served in the most delectable manner possible.”
-
-
“Could you give me an example? I always do better if I can hear it as opposed to
-
reading it.”
-
-
Celestia took a brief moment to deeply breathe in the scent of her beloved, and
-
with his unique blend of eleven herbs and spices on her mind, she offered her
-
deepest and truest feelings to him. “Mon amour le plus cher, vous n’avez aucune
-
idée combien j’adore votre passion et votre fièvre.”
-
-
“My dear, your whispered words taste like the purest golden honey to me,” Anon
-
softly replied, and she giggled as she watched his hair on his neck stand on end
-
and his face flush with pleasure before he continued “I have never realized
-
before how the fullness of your syllables and the elegance of your tones set my
-
world alight. Even your lilts, oh sweet harmony! How your lilts make me ache for
-
you to say more.”
-
-
“Quand nous nous embrassons, je suis à nouveau une jeune jument ravie,” she
-
cooed into his ear. “Tu me fais frémir et souffre pour ton amour. Dites que vous
-
serez à moi.”
-
-
Celestia knew he had only comprehended half of her words at best, but the magic
-
of her love in her voice more than made up for the gaps. He really could only
-
offer one simple and breathless response to her.
-
-
“Oui.”
-
-
Her wings gently enveloped him in a deep, feathery bliss. “Ma moitié.”
-
-
His eyes shone as deep as the waters on the coast of Mareseille back to her as
-
he leaned close and simply stated, “Ma ange.”
-
-
“My stars, I am trying to get over being sick and I wake up to this.” Luna
-
stuck out her wet tongue as she strolled up to them.
-
-
The moment was broken but far from forgotten, and the two lovers moved back to a
-
neutral stance with a chuckle before her desired wing settled once again into
-
its familiar place across his back.
-
-
“Well, you fell asleep in my room so it’s your own fault,” Celestia replied with
-
another quick kiss for her prince.
-
-
“It probably is, so in the interest of not interrupting this moment any
-
further—and to aid my own recovery—I’m going to lower the moon and then go to my
-
bed. You two can do whatever you want, just leave me out of it.”
-
-
“We will, don’t worry.”
-
-
Anon simply watched as Luna took a few steps past them to do her work. She gave
-
him a quick smile as she did so, and Anon felt his awe grow anew as her magic
-
gently moved up and touched the moon.
-
-
“Celly?” he whispered while Luna slowly began moving her heavenly object below
-
the horizon, “May I ask you something?”
-
-
“Of course. What is it?”
-
-
“Is the magic that you use to move the sun the same magic Luna is using now?”
-
-
“It is, but the technique is different. When I raise the sun, I have to use a
-
more forceful and heavy touch, if you will. The moon is… oh, I hate to use the
-
word delicate, but that’s really the approach you must take with it. If I hauled
-
it up like I did the sun, I would fling it clear across the sky and the night
-
would last for five seconds.”
-
-
“The moon is delicate, Anon.” Luna motioned with one hoof for him to come up to
-
her. “Its purpose is to provide serenity and peace, introspection and
-
revelation. There is a reason poets don’t use the sun when they speak of self
-
discovery. In the day, one performs their labors, and their mind is consumed
-
with the needs of the now. Night allows a pause, a moment to see beyond. The
-
pressure of the day is lessened, and the mind is able to clear. Memories are
-
more vibrant, and the pleasures of the past can be easily recalled.”
-
-
Her wing moved over the top of him, and as she finished floating the moon behind
-
the mountains, she turned and gave him a smile. “And this works for all, be they
-
pauper or princess. Thank you, Anon, for allowing me to see that again.”
-
-
“See what again?”
-
-
“Something I needed to see, a memory from long ago. Your love for my sister will
-
have a far-reaching impact, whether you know it or not. Keep loving her, and you
-
will bring about great things.”
-
-
He nodded with a hint of a blush, and Luna gave him a larger smile before
-
releasing him. Luna then took flight, and Anon walked back over to Celestia with
-
a bit of a worried look.
-
-
“It is okay that she…?”
-
-
“That was a friendly hug, nothing more,” Celestia replied with a small grin.
-
“You need not fear sharing the bed with the two of us again, unless we should
-
come down with the flu in the future. This was simply her way of accepting you
-
as family.”
-
-
“Okay,” he replied in relief. “I need a few lessons in that arena too.”
-
-
“I do believe I can help with that.”
-
-
“So may I safely assume at this point that you are feeling better?” he asked, as
-
her wing again moved around him and gave him a squeeze.
-
-
“Mm, I feel marvelous.” Celestia purred while she lit her horn and began to
-
raise the sun. “Thankfully, I think I caught the twenty-four hour version of the
-
flu. I’ll still have Doctor Horsenpfeffer do a quick check to make sure, but I
-
think she’ll say I’m just fine.”
-
-
“Good. I’m sure the staff will appreciate your recovery as well.”
-
-
“They’ll appreciate me not getting them sick,” Celestia said with a laugh. “But
-
did you get any sleep at all?”
-
-
“Here and there. I wanted to still be nearby if you needed me, but between you
-
and Luna snoring, I thought I’d wandered into a sawmill. Out here wasn’t so
-
bad.”
-
-
“Not a very comfortable place, though.”
-
-
“Yeah, not so much.” He chuckled while the sun began to warm his skin. “But
-
since you are feeling better it was worth it.”
-
-
“I will make sure I take three pills tonight to make sure you get the rest you
-
need,” she said with a quick boop. “Do you feel rested enough to accompany me to
-
breakfast?”
-
-
“I think I can handle that, yes.”
-
-
“Good. After that we’ll go over Wysteria’s notes and you can tell me all about
-
day court.”
-
-
-
* * ✹ * *
-
-
-
Anonymous was sure he was going to explode.
-
-
Really. He was going to literally explode.
-
-
All right, maybe not literally, but if she doesn’t say something soon…
-
-
“So, this is the only petition you looked over by yourself?” Celestia asked as
-
her magic sorted the papers again.
-
-
“It is,” Anon whined. Celestia glanced at him with what he thought was a
-
disapproving look before turning back to the papers.
-
-
“You came up with this all on your own?”
-
-
“Well, no.” he replied. “Wysteria and Discord helped me decide what to do,” he
-
stated before righting himself. “But it was my call.”
-
-
“And Discord now wants you to attend his tea dates with Fluttershy?”
-
-
“Yes.” Anon cringed. “Depending on what’s happening here, of course.”
-
-
I will own up to my actions, no matter what.
-
-
“Hm.”
-
-
Anonymous was not going to be able to take this much longer. His heart was
-
racing in his chest, and he was fidgeting with his Celestial Crystal as if it
-
was the sun itself. “I, uh… I did get permission for you to come too.”
-
-
“You did?” Celestia asked flatly, and Anon nodded. “You invited me as well.
-
Huh.”
-
-
“Well as my wife, you are my immediate choice for a plus one at parties.”
-
-
Celestia offered no reply to this, and Anon’s willpower snapped.
-
-
“I screwed up, didn’t I?” he moaned. “I should have waited for you to recover. I
-
shouldn’t have made the decision without you or Luna. I overstepped my—”
-
-
Anon’s rant was silenced when Celestia’s magic grabbed his lips. She then leaned
-
in close to him and gave him a sugary sweet smile.
-
-
“Stop that. You did nothing wrong.”
-
-
“I didn’t?” he blurted as soon as her magic released him.
-
-
Celestia gave him a long and reassuring kiss before replying. “You did not. In
-
fact, I think you did everything right.”
-
-
“Really?!” he asked with a small squee of delight in his voice.
-
-
“Indeed my love. You took all the facts into consideration, consulted with a
-
trusted advisor, listened to your instincts, and used some remarkable diplomatic
-
skills to turn an unknown factor into an asset. I’m actually really impressed
-
that you managed to not only include Discord in your decision process, thus
-
giving him a chance to be useful, but that you also managed to enlist his help.
-
I’m not sure I would have even thought of that. With him performing some
-
occasional surveillance on Miss Glimmer on top of your inspectors I believe the
-
situation is under control. You did good.”
-
-
He stammered and twiddled his fingers, but Anonymous was immensely pleased that
-
his wife approved of his work.
-
-
“I think this calls for a reward,” Celestia continued with a sultry look.
-
-
Anon’s eyes shrank to pinpricks. “A what?”
-
-
“A reward,” she offered in a soft and seductive tone.
-
-
“Oh! Uh, well…” he stammered.
-
-
“Oh, don’t worry. I’ll be gentle.”
-
-
Anon started to go white, and when he spoke his voice was just above a whisper.
-
“Gentle?”
-
-
“Yes.” She nipped his ear, brought her body close to his, and rubbed her neck
-
sensually against his. It was electric, and Anon really thought he might pass
-
out from joy.
-
-
“How much further do I need to take this?” she cooed. “I didn’t take you for a
-
voyeur.”
-
-
“Voyeur? What?” he asked, but then he noticed that the Discord in the stained
-
glass had just folded his arms tightly and pouted.
-
-
“Oh, foo!” The draconequus grumbled before pulling himself out of the glass and
-
taking solid form before them. “I thought it was an odd tonal shift from you. I
-
should’ve known.”
-
-
“Any particular reason you are spying on on us?”
-
-
“Spying?” Discord scoffed. “Really, Celly. I could care less about all that
-
mushy stuff. I just stopped by so I could hear you say it.”
-
-
“Say what?”
-
-
“That I did a good job,” he smugly said. “C’mon! Admit it!”
-
-
“Discord, you did a good job.”
-
-
“Now, I know you’re not used to saying that… wait. What?” Discord looked at her
-
with a bit of confusion. “You just agreed with me without an argument. No
-
conditional hedging. Not even any whining or pouting. You even sound... happy.”
-
He folded his arms and leaned across the bushy hedge that stretched across the
-
corridor. “You take all the fun out of it.”
-
-
“I don’t need to argue with you,” Celestia said with a smile. “You did do a good
-
job, and thank you. Your advice to my dear Anon was thoughtful, accurate, and
-
wise; and I do greatly appreciate your willingness to help keep an eye on this
-
Starlight Glimmer. You proved to be a good friend to Anon when he needed you the
-
most, and for that you have my most sincere thanks and deepest gratitude.”
-
-
“Oh!” Discord replied, and he tapped his chin in thought. “There’s something
-
ponies say at this point, what was it? Something that means ‘thanks for the
-
thanks.’ I know I know it. Starts with a ‘W,’ I think.”
-
-
“Welcome?” Anon offered.
-
-
“That’s it!” Discord held a blinking sign reading ‘Winner!’ above Anon’s head.
-
“You’re welcome! Oo, what a fun word. I bet Fluttershy will love it when she
-
hears me use it.”
-
-
“I’m sure she will,” Anon said with a shake of his head.
-
-
“Well, I do have to run, but if you need me again just give me a shout. I’m more
-
than happy to give you some pointers. I did rule Equestria for a time after
-
all.” Discord chuckled, snapped his claw, and disappeared. Once Celestia took
-
another look around the empty corridor, she gave Anon a long nuzzle.
-
-
“That got a little heated,” Anon remarked.
-
-
“That it did.” Celestia gained a bit of a blush across her cheeks. “I’m sorry
-
for leading you on, but ruse or not, you did seem… receptive.”
-
-
“Well… y-yeah.”
-
-
Celestia paused and looked at Anon earnestly. “What was that?”
-
-
“I don’t know,” he muttered, and his gaze went to the floor. “I just… I do,
-
but…”
-
-
“Don’t worry about it, my Anon.” She whispered with a nuzzle to his ear. “When
-
you’re ready. I am a firm believer in letting love progress naturally. For now,
-
I am most content to simply have you. You have brought a joy into my life that I
-
did not know I was missing.”
-
-
“And you have done the same for me,” he said softly. “I don’t think I would have
-
ever found true joy if I hadn’t met you either.”
-
-
“Then be reassured, my Anon, that I feel our relationship is right where is
-
should be. The love you give me fills me with light and hope, and I do not want
-
for anything. You have brought me pleasure incomparable, and I have no doubt
-
that you will continue to do so.”
-
-
“Thank you,” he whispered. “I don’t know that I’ll ever fully understand how I
-
won your love, but if I have it then I am complete.”
-
-
“And for us, that is all that matters,” she said with a nuzzle and a nip on his
-
neck. “And though I do wish we could remain here and whisper sweet nothings to
-
each other I’m afraid we have that meeting with the Ministry of Peace in five
-
minutes. But, perhaps we can discuss this more later…”
-
-
She nipped his ear, and he replied in turn with a nip on her jawline. They both
-
then laughed and playfully began bumping their bodies against each other as they
-
began the journey to their next meeting.
-
-
-
* * ✹ * *
-
-
-
Anon sighed in contentment as he walked through the gardens. The meeting with
-
the Ministry of Peace had ended quite a bit sooner than anticipated thanks to an
-
intern forgetting to bring the documentation Celestia and Anon needed to look
-
over. Since they had time, they decided that it would be nice to take a stroll
-
through the gardens. Wysteria had then stopped them just as they had left the
-
interior of the palace with a few rescheduled items to go over with Celestia,
-
and she had told Anon to go ahead and they would catch up.
-
-
He still had to admit that the gardens were spectacular, and a part of him
-
wished he had grabbed his notebook so he could take another shot at describing
-
the grounds, and maybe even those fateful sunflowers.
-
-
“Well, maybe I’ll try again tonight,” he told himself softly and with a chuckle.
-
“Maybe I’ll be able to do it without having to stand in them.”
-
-
He then stopped abruptly. Just around a bend, and on a bench that sat across
-
from the sunflowers that had changed his life, sat a pegasus with a yellow coat,
-
a powder blue mane, and what looked like a trio of sego lilies on her flank.
-
-
“Sego Lily?” he asked himself. “I wonder why she’s here.”
-
-
He quickly moved towards her, eager to share the wild ride he’d been on since
-
their last meeting and to see what had brought her back to Canterlot. Given how
-
their last meeting had gone, he figured she would get quite the laugh out of the
-
story.
-
-
Her eyes were closed and remained so as he approached, so he was able to
-
unintentionally sneak up on her.
-
-
“Sego?” he called out when only a few feet remained between them. “Is that you?”
-
-
Her eyes shot wide open and her pupils immediately shrunk to pinpricks. “Anon?”
-
she groaned. “Figures.”
-
-
“Hey, how are ya?” Anon asked with a smile. “Didn’t think I’d see you again so
-
soon.”
-
-
“And I really hoped I’d never see you again,” she bitterly shot back.
-
-
“I’m… sorry?” Anon reeled back slightly at the sudden verbal slap to the face.
-
-
“You were engaged to Celestia and yet you led me on like that?”
-
-
“Celestia? What—?”
-
-
“Is that some sort of game for you, toying with mare’s hearts and then casting
-
them aside once you’ve had your fun?”
-
-
“Now, wait a minute.” His voice was soft and defensive. “It was never my
-
intention to lead you along, or anything like that.”
-
-
There was a most hearty scoff for this statement, but Anon pressed on. “When I
-
crashed into you, things were different. Celestia and I were strangers tied to a
-
curse that we were both trying to get out of. When we learned there was nothing
-
to cancel out the spell we had no choice but to go forward with the whole
-
thing.”
-
-
“And you couldn’t be bothered to tell me?”
-
-
“Tell you?”
-
-
“Yes, Your Denseness. I stayed at the Shoe and Nail for another two days,
-
remember? I waited for you.”
-
-
“You did?”
-
-
“Wow, and she still married you,” Sego muttered. “Yes. I clearly said I was
-
staying. I even watched you come back and collect your things on your wedding
-
day. I… I was hoping that… well, that you would come back, and that…”
-
-
She paused, but then her glare came back in full and with a razor-sharp edge.
-
“Then I saw the news about your marriage. It wasn’t hard to put the pieces
-
together, and you couldn’t even afford me the common courtesy of a proper
-
break-up.”
-
-
“Break up? We had lunch together and walked around town. That’s hardly a
-
relationship.”
-
-
“Oh, please. It wouldn’t have been that hard.”
-
-
“Sego, really. I can understand why you’re mad, and you’re right, I should have
-
explained things to you.”
-
-
“If you’re trying to apologize then you can just stop right there. I’m not
-
interested in your apology.”
-
-
“I’m just trying to explain what happened,” he said with a note of exasperation.
-
“I’ll offer my apologies all the same, though. You can take it or leave it.”
-
-
“I’ll leave it,” she snorted. “You’re an insensitive clod.”
-
-
“Fair enough. I probably was in this instance.”
-
-
“Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
-
-
“Why are you here?” Anon asked as she stood, and the question made her stop.
-
-
“Why else would I be in Canterlot?” she threw back at him.
-
-
It took Anon a moment to recall what she had said before. “Your Grandma?”
-
-
“She passed away four days ago.”
-
-
“Oh,” Anon said softly. “I’m so sorry.”
-
-
“I doubt that. But thanks for the sentiment, I suppose. Anything else?”
-
-
“Just that I don’t want us to end our friendship like this, with you storming
-
off in anger. I’d like to talk about what happened, and to help you through
-
whatever it is you’re feeling.”
-
-
“Was there a part of you that had any interest in me, even in the slightest?”
-
she asked in a small voice.
-
-
“Yes, there was,” he answered truthfully. “That night, when I returned to the
-
palace, I actually wept over what I couldn’t have. I felt horrible that I
-
couldn’t have you.”
-
-
Sego turned to face him fully again. “You’re not just telling me that, are you?”
-
-
“Honest to Luna, that’s the pure truth,” he replied. “I really thought we could
-
have had something, before I found out I was bound to Celestia because of
-
everything. Had that law not been in effect, I would have pursued you.
-
-
“But, if I hadn’t booped Celestia’s nose there was a good chance I wouldn’t have
-
ever met you, either. The only reason I was where you were that day was because
-
Celestia told me to check out the museum. It wouldn’t have happened otherwise.”
-
-
Anon allowed Sego to think this over for a moment, and then he continued. “If
-
you want to be mad at me, that’s fine. But don’t be mad because the relationship
-
didn’t work out. Even if we had been given the opportunity to try and be
-
something more serious, who says it could have been? There’s a chance we could
-
have hated one another. With things the way they are now, we can still be
-
friends, or at least I would like to still be your friend.”
-
-
Sego sniffled and wiped her nose on her arm. “You should have told me what was
-
going on.”
-
-
“I should have, yes. I won’t deny that.”
-
-
“You shouldn’t have led me on.”
-
-
“I’m still not quite sure how I did. I was being a friend, nothing more and
-
nothing less.”
-
-
Sego paused, and her wings ruffled a bit. “I’m still mad at you.”
-
-
“You can be mad for as long as you like. But at least understand that whatever
-
harm I inflicted wasn’t intentional.”
-
-
Sego’s gaze turned to her hooves. “I suppose I might have put more into what was
-
between us than I should have. You were just the first person who ever treated
-
me kindly. Most just think of me as some kind of… well…”
-
-
“Then they are dead wrong,” Anon offered. “You are more than whatever they
-
thought, and eventually you will find the one meant for you. One of the greatest
-
things I’ve learned from this whole mess is that the future might not be what
-
you thought it would be, but there’s a good chance it can be something even
-
better, if you let it. If Destiny has it out for me, then I’m sure there’s
-
something for you too.”
-
-
“I don’t know if I can believe that.”
-
-
“I think you’ll be surprised,” he offered. “I know I was.”
-
-
Sego didn’t say anything back. Anon let a mental sigh go across his mind, and
-
then he decided to have this end, one way or the other.
-
-
“I can introduce you to Celestia, if you’d like. I know she’d like to meet you.”
-
-
Anon smiled in happiness when Sego looked back up at him with a small grin. “You
-
could? I’ve always wanted to meet her.”
-
-
“I can. I do have an in with her now, after all.”
-
-
“That was lame,” Sego replied with a small laugh. “Will it be awkward for you?”
-
-
“No. Celestia knows all the details of what happened that day. We’ve made our
-
peace with it. Maybe now you can be at peace with what happened too.”
-
-
“I hope so. And I hope what you said is true. I just want to be happy, y’know?”
-
-
“We all do. The only problem is sometimes happiness isn’t where we think it’ll
-
be, and we have to look for it a little bit.”
-
-
“And sometimes it comes up and smacks you in the face like a wet jellyfish.”
-
-
“Sometimes, yes,” he chuckled.
-
-
“Thanks,” she offered.
-
-
“That’s what friends are for.” He smiled, and they shared a hoof-to-fist bump.
-
-
“Anon?” Celestia’s voice called out. “Who’s this?”
-
-
Anon smiled deeper as Sego Lily bowed before her princess. “My dear, this is
-
Sego Lily. She’s been dying to meet you.”
-
-
Celestia offered a warm smile as Sego straightened. “You have? Well, I hate to
-
keep you waiting! It is a pleasure to meet you too.”
-
-
-
* * ✹ * *
-
-
-
“I can see why you liked her,” Celestia remarked to Anon as she gently lowered
-
the sun. “Sego is quite a nice mare. You would have done well if you had gone
-
with her.”
-
-
“I suppose so.” He shrugged inside her wing.
-
-
“Do you still think about her?” she asked gently. “Do you still think about what
-
could have been?”
-
-
“No,” he instantly replied. Celestia gave him a curious look.
-
-
“No?”
-
-
“I hadn’t thought about her until I saw her in the gardens. I think it’s
-
something like when I asked you if you thought about being a commoner. There’s
-
no real point in doing so, since it’s not going to happen. I’d much rather spend
-
the time thinking about you.”
-
-
“You are a shameless flatterer,” Celestia chuckled. “But I love it. You have my
-
royal sanction to continue to do so.”
-
-
“Oh, really?” he asked, and he leaned forward to draw closer to her ear. “Well,
-
then…”
-
-
Celestia giggled as he nipped her ear, then began to whisper into it. But after
-
a moment, her cheeks started to go red, and after another playful nip Anon
-
whispered something into her ear that made her eyes open wide and her wings pop
-
straight up and out with a pomph. She gave her amazed and slightly embarrassed
-
look Anon’s full view, and he simply chuckled a little when he saw her reaction
-
in its totality.
-
-
“I realized it when we were talking with Sego this afternoon. I know I’ve said I
-
love you, and now I want to show you in a way that I haven’t yet.”
-
-
“Are you sure?” she asked. “I don’t want you to feel rushed at all. You don’t
-
have to do this just to make me happy. I already am.”
-
-
“And I am happy with you as well, in a way that I could never be on my own. I
-
would like to show you now, and I am as ready as you are.”
-
-
“Then we run the risk of the sun rising sooner than it should,” Celestia
-
whispered to him.
-
-
“Let it,” he whispered back, and he began scratching in her mane. “Let it be as
-
bright as noon, so everypony knows how deeply I love and care for you. Let it
-
burn, let it soar. I never want anyone to ever doubt my true feelings for you,
-
and I will never let you forget how much I care for you. I will be yours,
-
forever and always, if you will be mine.”
-
-
“My dear, sweet Anonymous,” she whispered back as she nuzzled his neck tenderly.
-
“You will never doubt my love for you either. I will give you the one thing that
-
I have never fully given to any other: my heart. It is yours, completely, to
-
have and to keep.”
-
-
“Then I will treasure it beyond the stars and back again.” > 31. - Afterglow >
-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
Princess Celestia, Ruler of Equestria, Matron of The Sun and Mare of The Morning
-
awoke feeling like she never had before. The morning air was cool and
-
refreshing, birds were tweeting joyfully as they danced among the bushes and
-
trees outside, and there was an energy in the air that simply had never been
-
there before.
-
-
There was also the slight hint of sweat that wafted up from the cushions when
-
she stretched out her front legs, and a blush tickled its way across her cheeks
-
when she recalled what had transpired the night before. Twice.
-
-
For a short time after the founding of Equestria, Celestia had listened in on an
-
innumerable number of ‘mare talk’ sessions between both nobles and chambermares,
-
and the accompanying stories of late-night rendezvous and succulent sweet
-
nothings had been so steamy that she eventually had to start excusing herself
-
from them. If the truth was to be told, Celestia did feel a twinge of jealousy
-
and anger towards these fortunate females. While they were living life to its
-
fullest, she was forced to play ‘Keep Away from Iron Hoof,’ and she had feared
-
what might happen to her hopes and dreams if she were to be ever caught in an
-
illicit affair.
-
-
As the years rolled by, she had forged a barrier around her heart. It was a
-
grand fortress that allowed admittance to none save Luna and her family, and she
-
learned how to find a measure of joy in the success of the mares who possessed
-
what she did not. By the time of Luna’s banishment, her feelings were so tightly
-
controlled by her duties and devotion to her ponies that she had stopped
-
thinking about intimate love all together, and thus it had remained for a
-
millennia.
-
-
But in one glorious evening, Anonymous had completely and utterly obliterated a
-
thousand years of work.
-
-
She smiled slightly to herself and gave a short hum of satisfaction. Her Anon
-
had given her a fruit most succulent, and now she no longer had to suppress or
-
ignore the cravings she felt. With him, she would experience a joy beyond
-
compare, and if the residual tingling in her hooves were any indication, this
-
joy would take both of them out past Luna’s stars.
-
-
She gave a loving glance down to her lover, her prince, and best of all, her
-
husband. His body was still pressed closely against her, and an adorable smile
-
of contentment resided on his face.
-
-
“You didn’t take your medicine last night.”
-
-
She jumped a bit at his husky voice, but she laughed outright as his smile
-
brightened and he peaked one eye at her.
-
-
“I will admit I was a bit eager to get to bed.” She smirked, but then a hoof
-
went before her nose in alarm when she realized what his statement meant. “Oh
-
no! Don’t tell me…”
-
-
“If you did I slept right through it.” He chuckled, then angled his head down to
-
kiss her, despite having morning breath that could kill a chimera, and she
-
gladly indulged in his invitation.
-
-
“Think we’ll ever be able to match what happened?” Anon asked when they finally
-
pulled apart.
-
-
“I certainly hope so. Last night was…”
-
-
She paused, and a pleased smile grew for both of them.
-
-
“Woof.”
-
-
Anon simply nodded in agreement with a chuckle.
-
-
“Sadly, we have other things to do today.” Celestia whispered as she nipped his
-
hair. “I would love to stay like this but I’m afraid we can’t.”
-
-
“Pesky things and their doing-ness.” Anon muttered in contentment, and a low
-
groan of pleasure bubbled out of his throat while Celestia continued to nip and
-
tug.
-
-
Celestia had a thought come to her as she nibbled through Anon’s hair, something
-
additionally she could do to show in a small way how deeply she cared for him.
-
She mulled it over while she moved through his hair, but by the time she had
-
finished she was sure. “Anon, do you want to help me raise the sun today?”
-
-
“Don’t I do that every morning?”
-
-
“Mm, no, not like before,” she hummed. “You have given me something I will
-
treasure forever, so I wish to show you something too. Here, come with me.”
-
-
Anon stretched quickly before rising, and he trailed Celestia out onto the
-
balcony. Instead of turning to the east like she always did, Celestia instead
-
faced him with a warm smile.
-
-
“Think you can go on a short trip with me?” Celestia asked.
-
-
Anon glanced around. “Where are we going?”
-
-
Celestia smiled, and her magic wrapped around him gently. “Up.”
-
-
Anon whooped a bit as Celestia took flight and brought him along with her. She
-
made no special moves or course corrections, she simply shot straight up until
-
they had reached an altocumulus cloud that seemed to be many miles above
-
Canterlot. Anon gasped a bit in awe as he took in the panoramic scene before
-
him, and he didn’t even notice that he was standing on the cloud unaided.
-
-
“This is incredible,” he softly said. “How high up are we?”
-
-
“Oh, only about six thousand feet or so,” Celestia chuckled. “This is just about
-
the upper limit for the Weather Department. There are a few crazy ponies who go
-
even higher, but only after a lot of training and conditioning.”
-
-
“Wow,” he softly exclaimed. “I wish I had my notebook.”
-
-
“You do?”
-
-
“Yeah. I’ve never… I mean…”
-
-
“Describe it for me, please?”
-
-
“Are you sure? It’ll be rough since I can’t edit and proofread, but…”
-
-
Oh, that blissful face! It would take an army of changelings to keep him from
-
fulfilling the wishes of that most beautiful face.
-
-
“The countryside is now awash in the glow of the twilight of morn, and nature is
-
still,” he began. “The view from here is near infinite, and all is accented most
-
admirably the soft magentas, pinks and blues that now bathe the scene with a
-
subtle and yet elegant touch of nobility.
-
-
“The rolling greens add to the picture, cascading across and along in such a way
-
that all before it must bow in respect to the calm and respectful strength that
-
it naturally holds,” Anon continued. Celestia gave one of the largest smiles she
-
had ever given in her life when she noticed that his view was not on Equestria,
-
but on her. “All of this blends into a perfect union of harmony, and for the man
-
who finds himself in the presence of such vibrancy the words to fully describe
-
the singularity of beauty simply do not exist. Here, in the pastel paints of the
-
morning, there is the totality of meaning, of desire, of passion and of
-
devotion. Here, in this moment, is where I find I have truly found Home.”
-
-
“Not bad at all, my dear Anon.” She giggled, and she gave him a nip on the neck
-
in gratitude.
-
-
“Thanks. So, how exactly am I supposed to help you? I thought you said only a
-
princess could raise the sun.”
-
-
“Yes, but I never said no one could help me.”
-
-
“So, but…” he stalled. “But I can’t help you. I don’t have magic.”
-
-
“Yes you do,” she whispered.
-
-
“Ambient magic?” he asked, and she nodded. “But? But how can that help?”
-
-
"Ambient magic is not just tied to the land. It can also manipulate other
-
things, if it tries.”
-
-
“I think I was sick the day they explained that in school.”
-
-
"Here. Turn to the east.”
-
-
“All right,” he replied as he did so.
-
-
“East would be to your left, love.”
-
-
“Oh. Right.” He chuckled with a bit of embarrassment.
-
-
“Now, reach out towards the sun.”
-
-
“With my arms?”
-
-
“With your heart,” she replied. “In the same way your love reaches out to me.”
-
-
Anon smiled and attempted to do as his beloved had instructed. He focused on the
-
feel of the sun, the warmth and the light and how it moved across the sky in its
-
prescribed manner, and he let his heart yearn for that which Celestia commanded.
-
-
It took a moment of concentrated effort, but when he did feel his own ingrained
-
magic connect with the power of the sun he staggered a step or two back in
-
amazement. He could feel it! He could feel the power that would bow to no other
-
celestial object, the strength that supported life for all who dwelled under it,
-
and the heat that could incinerate all who approached unaware unless it was
-
tempered, controlled. This was the heat he had known all his life, the heat that
-
both baked bread and warmed hearts.
-
-
The heat of passion that he now felt towards Celestia.
-
-
“I feel it,” he whispered to Celestia. “It’s incredible.”
-
-
Her horn lit as she stood side-by-side with him, and he felt her magic begin to
-
weave in with his. The weft and the warp of the two magics into one was as
-
intense and yet resplendent as anything his mortal mind could ever possibly
-
comprehend. He realized that if he would remain so intertwined with his wife—if
-
he never allowed anything to tear what had just been woven between them—then he
-
could not and would not ever want for anything.
-
-
She would give him everything he could ever need, want, and more.
-
-
“Bring it up, my love,” Celestia stated with a broad smile.
-
-
And when he attempted to do so, Anonymous felt something. With the sun rising
-
under the combined power of his wife and himself, he felt a magic surge that
-
penetrated his whole being. It moved through him, enveloped him, and caressed
-
him in a way that only Celestia’s magic could. From his head to his toes, and
-
from his arms to his legs he felt it.
-
-
And there was only one other thing that could compare to the bliss he then felt.
-
-
When he finally felt that the sun was in the proper position for the day, he
-
gently lowered his arms, and then felt a small jolt of surprise when his legs
-
again touched the cloud beneath him. He had been flying, in a literal way? How
-
could that have been?
-
-
“Anon!” Celestia called out with a gasp of surprise. “You! You’ve!”
-
-
“What?” he asked.
-
-
“You have a cutie mark!”
-
-
Anon twisted around and looked at his flank. “It did?”
-
-
Indeed, it had. A perfect replica of Celestia’s cutie mark now resided behind a
-
book on his arm, and the pages bore words, words that Anon was unable to read.
-
-
“Oh, Anon!” Celestia said with a happy sob.
-
-
“Wow,” was the best word Anon could come up with to describe the situation.
-
“This is… just… wow.”
-
-
-
* * ✹ * *
-
-
-
“Uh, Twilight? I normally don’t question the scientific method, but are you
-
really sure this is going to work?” Anon asked with a nervous chuckle.
-
-
“First off, the scientific method is a body of techniques for investigating the
-
phenomena of our world. What I am doing simply one step in that process,” she
-
replied while making sure the straps on Anon’s colander helmet were secure.
-
“Secondly, I know this will work. The Whooves-Gait test is the most accurate and
-
well-known cutie mark analytic test in existence.”
-
-
Anon gave Celestia a worried look, and she returned a reassuring smile before
-
replying.
-
-
“She’s right. Besides, do you really think I’d let my faithful student do
-
something that had the slightest possibility of harming you?”
-
-
“I suppose not.”
-
-
“Now, since I’m doing a test on your cutie mark you’re going to feel a slight
-
tingle just under your skin.” Twilight handed Celestia a pair of welder’s
-
goggles and placed a pair on herself. “This is normal, but please say something
-
if you feel a burning sensation, all right?”
-
-
“What’s with the goggles?”
-
-
“Safety first!” she shouted. Celestia quickly pulled her goggles down over her
-
eyes as Twilight reached for a large electrical lever, and Anon winced slightly
-
when the switch was thrown with a slight maniacal laugh.
-
-
The test was… well, it was bizarre. Anon squirmed a bit and tried to keep from
-
laughing, but it wasn’t easy. It felt like someone had taken one of Celestia’s
-
feathers and was somehow using that to make every square inch of him ticklish.
-
Thankfully, it only lasted for about twenty seconds or so before Twilight
-
switched the machine off again and moved eagerly to the printout that was now
-
spewing from an opening on the side of the machine.
-
-
“See?” Celestia offered. “Not that bad.”
-
-
“It tickled,” he replied while trying to scratch everywhere. “That is normal,
-
right?”
-
-
“It is. I would actually be more worried if it didn’t.”
-
-
“All right,” Twilight announced. She held the readout out for Anon to look at
-
while she continued. “Your cutie mark is a cutie mark for sure. You are not
-
suffering from cutie mark pox.”
-
-
“That’s good to know,” Anon replied. “And?”
-
-
“Well, that’s about it. There’s no anomalous readings.”
-
-
“Again, good to know. But how did this happen?”
-
-
“I think I have an idea,” Celestia said.
-
-
“Yeah?”
-
-
“Cutie marks indicate a special skill or talent that a pony has, but that
-
doesn’t mean that they are locked into a certain position in life. Take Rarity
-
for example: with a cutie mark of three gems one could infer that she is a
-
miner, a jeweler, or a geologist. If you do not know her, it would be hard to
-
believe that she is a seamstress and a fashion designer.”
-
-
“Okay, I’m following you so far.”
-
-
“So, you had no cutie mark, and you admitted that you were unsure of your place
-
in the world. I think that you had chosen the first step along the path to your
-
destiny, but there was more potential for you to fill.”
-
-
“And... now I don’t follow.”
-
-
“It’s a bit difficult to explain,” she said. “Let me try this way. When a pony
-
gets their cutie mark, they usually understand why. A pony knows what skill or
-
talent it was that is connected to it. But you had no cutie mark. You’ve said
-
you were confused, and that you never felt like you belonged in the world of
-
cooking, so there were still questions. Since you never found that clarity, your
-
destiny remained in flux.”
-
-
“So, I could choose my destiny?” he asked while Twilight was removing the
-
helmet.
-
-
“All ponies can choose their own destiny regardless of their cutie marks,”
-
replied Celestia with a quiet giggle. “But we’ll save that for another time. For
-
now, your choices affected your destiny, and now your cutie mark reflects it.”
-
-
“So…” Anon thought out loud while taking a moment to make another awkward
-
examination of his arm. “So, my destiny now is to be your husband?”
-
-
“It would seem so.”
-
-
“Not a bad destiny to have. What does the writing on the pages say?”
-
-
“It’s a variation of the Alicorn law marriage clause, written in the old equish
-
I used when I wrote it.” Celestia replied. “It says: ‘my nose now knows to whom
-
it belongs, and I shall remain with her until the end.’”
-
-
“That is severely cool. My nose is smarter than I thought,” Anon remarked while
-
twisting to look at his other arm. “So let me make sure I’ve heard you right. My
-
cutie mark reflects my new destiny with you.”
-
-
“Yes.”
-
-
“With whatever being a husband to Princess Celestia entails?”
-
-
“Imagine what I have to teach you, and what we can learn together,” she replied
-
with a nuzzle and nip of his neck.
-
-
“That’s a pretty good destiny. I think I’d like to to keep that.”
-
-
“I believe that means you have to keep me,” Celestia said with a small purr.
-
-
“Oh, how horrible,” Anon replied in faux agony while gently petting Celestia’s
-
neck. “I have to keep the most wonderful mare in existence? However will I
-
manage it?”
-
-
“A good question. How will you keep me?”
-
-
“Tenderly,” he replied softly. “Gently, and with respect. I will keep you by
-
showing you my love, in all the ways I can think of and hopefully in some ways
-
that I can’t think of at the moment. I will tell you how much I love you, daily,
-
and I will do whatever I can to make sure you are happy. I will be the husband
-
you deserve, that you need, and if I ever am not, I will work with you so that I
-
am.”
-
-
“A lofty goal,” she replied with a nip in his mane. “But may I add one thing?”
-
-
“Of course.”
-
-
“Be my equal,” she whispered in feathery light tones. “Don’t be my slave, or my
-
servant. Work with me, together. Don’t let me pull too much of the load, but
-
don’t pull more than you should either. We are partners now, and a dual-yoke
-
cart only moves forward if both pull evenly.”
-
-
“Partners.” Anon moved to look her square in the eye. “I like that. Partners in
-
love, partners in deed, partners in life, and partners in government. I’d even
-
go so far as to be partners in crime with you.”
-
-
“Good thing I’m not that type,” she replied.
-
-
“Oh, there might be a naughty bit in there somewhere,” Anon said with a
-
mischievous bite of her neck. “If there is, I’ll find it.”
-
-
“I have no doubt you will,” she laughed.
-
-
“Shall we return now? I do believe we still had some meetings planned for this
-
afternoon.”
-
-
“In due time, my Anon.” Celestia replied with a kiss. “All in good time. But
-
first, I think we should discuss those grandfoals your mother wanted…”
-
-
“NOT IN HERE!” Twilight protested. “Goodness, there’s a baby dragon here!”
-
-
-
* * ✹ * * FIN * * ✹ * *
-
-
> Bonus - Nightmare Night Special! >
-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
“Nightmare Night?” Celestia asked with concern.
-
-
“Yeah!” Anon exclaimed with a prancing tapdance down the hallway while snagging
-
the helmet from the nearest guard. He then placed it on his own head, but the
-
intended effect would have worked better if he had put it on the right way. “Why
-
not?” he asked through the ear hole.
-
-
“I don’t know, love,” Celestia replied, and her ears folded back slightly. “It’s
-
not exactly an anniversary I like to recall.”
-
-
“Well, then we change the meaning,” Anon said. “Just like how the Summer Sun
-
Celebration is different now.”
-
-
Celestia’s face was still set in concern. “That’s different. Changing a holiday
-
to commemorate the return of your sister is one thing. How do we change the
-
meaning of the day my sister became corrupted, and at my hooves?”
-
-
“Well, It’s not about your sister, I would argue,” he said softly while removing
-
the helm and returning it to its proper owner. “It’s about the legend of
-
Nightmare Moon. I never have heard anyone refer to Luna at all when they
-
celebrate it, and we could argue Luna is dressing up like Nightmare Moon for
-
Nightmare Night. Besides, you have to admit it would be fun to go play some
-
games with the Elements and to just relax for an evening.”
-
-
“It does sound fun,” she admitted, and she gave his nose a kiss. “All right.
-
I’ll try it, but only because you’re cute.”
-
-
He gave her a broad grin and returned her kiss. “Thanks. If it turns out you
-
hate it, I’ll never bring it up again.”
-
-
Celestia then tapped a hoof against her chin in thought. “You know, I think I
-
might even have a costume idea…”
-
-
-
* * ✹ * *
-
-
-
“Anon, love? Are you almost ready?” Celestia called out from the bathroom.
-
-
“How do they get this stuff on so quickly again?” Anon shouted back. Celestia
-
finished applying the last of her fake eyelashes with a smile as he continued.
-
“I’m not even sure if I’ve got it on frontwards or backwards.”
-
-
She chuckled at his frustration and she blinked rapidly to ensure the eyelashes
-
were on securely. Once she was satisfied with her appearance, she strode out
-
into the main room where she found Anon struggling with a buckle on his modified
-
set of royal guard armor.
-
-
“Here, let me help,” she offered, and her magic quickly straightened out the
-
strap and buckled it for him.
-
-
“Thanks,” he offered, but then he snickered a bit as he saw her completed
-
costume. “I still can’t believe you’re willingly dressing up as a giraffe.”
-
-
“The giraffe is a noble species with exceptional taste in leaves,” she said with
-
a sniff of haughtiness and a sly grin. “Besides, it plays well to my physical
-
attributes, and from what I’ve heard everypony is going as a clown this year so
-
I’ll be different.”
-
-
“Well, you’ve got me there,” he said as he grabbed his helmet. “Are you going to
-
hide your horn and wings?”
-
-
She nodded, and with a small pulse of magic they disappeared from view. Anon
-
took a moment to look over his wife, and he had to admit she’d done a good job.
-
The spots running up her back and neck contrasted nicely against her now yellow
-
body, the ossicones sat nicely in her mane and in between her ears, and she’d
-
even wrapped part of her tail up in faux fur to complete the look.
-
-
“You look good,” he offered. “I’d almost bet some ponies don’t even recognize
-
you.”
-
-
“Thank you,” she said with a toss of her mane and a giggle. “Are you ready? It’s
-
just about time to go.”
-
-
“Just need my hat.” He placed it on his head with a grin. He then felt a small
-
tingle go through his skin, and when he looked back over himself he found he now
-
looked exactly like the other guards. “Ah, I see you got me a fully functional
-
set of armor. It's pretty impressive that it can turn even me into a guard
-
stallion. How do I look?”
-
-
“Like a Guard.” She chuckled. “I’ll have to make sure I don’t lose you in the
-
crowd.”
-
-
“I don’t suppose there will be too many guards there. Even if so, I’ll stay
-
close.”
-
-
“Good. I think having my knight by my side will be most helpful.”
-
-
Anon gave her a curious glance. “Helpful?”
-
-
“I have never liked Nightmare Night, love. Who wants to celebrate the loss of a
-
beloved family member? All it has done in the past is remind me of the loss of
-
Luna. I’m only partaking now because you asked me nicely and because I would
-
like to move to a different viewpoint on the whole thing. I don’t like feeling
-
how I feel about this night. I want to enjoy it with my little ponies, and the
-
only way I see to do that is to participate in it with you.”
-
-
“Hey, I’m sorry,” Anon said with an illusionary hoof on her shoulder. “I might
-
have been a bit too forceful in participating in the festivities tonight. I
-
didn’t fully appreciate your feelings on this. Really, we can just stay here.”
-
-
“Thank you, but you didn’t force it.” She smiled and kissed him. “I want to do
-
this.”
-
-
“I tell you what: if it turns out that, for whatever reason, you want to leave
-
we will. If you still hate Nightmare Night after this, I’ll never bring it up
-
again.”
-
-
“Fair enough,” she replied, and she gave him a quick kiss. “Thank you.”
-
-
He gave her a warm smile and offered a hoof. “Shall we?”
-
-
-
* * ✹ * *
-
-
-
“Princess Celestia?”
-
-
“Good evening, Twilight!” Celestia replied, as she and Anon stepped off of the
-
chariot. “Happy Nightmare Night!”
-
-
“Uh… thank you?” Twilight Sparkle replied. “Forgive me, but I really didn’t
-
expect you to be taking part in Nightmare Night.”
-
-
“Well, I am hoping to change that. Besides, Prince Anon tells me he likes those
-
chocolate covered wafers.”
-
-
“Oh. I’m a bit surprised he’s not with you.”
-
-
“Who says I’m not?” Anon said.
-
-
Twilight yelped, and she retreated a step. “Anon? You dressed up as a guard?”
-
-
“Why not?” he said slyly. “Celly says I look good in armor.”
-
-
“I just… okay.” She took a deep breath, then smiled. “I’m glad you’re both here,
-
really. I think Spike is almost ready to go, so as soon as he comes out we can
-
go check out the carnival.”
-
-
“My sister is still planning on attending tonight, right?” said Celestia.
-
-
“I haven’t heard otherwise,” Twilight replied. “Is that going to be an issue?”
-
-
“No,” Celestia replied, but with a bit of hesitation behind the pleasant smile.
-
“It will be fun to spend the evening with her.”
-
-
“Oh, hey Princess!” Spike called out while he shut the door to the library. “I
-
love your costume!”
-
-
“Thank you! You look quite dapper as well.”
-
-
Spike smiled smugly and straightened his top hat while twirling one end of his
-
curled moustache. “Thanks. I didn’t go overboard, did I?”
-
-
“Not at all,” Celestia replied with a glance over his freshly-pressed suit and
-
tie. “I especially like the monocle. It makes you look very distinguished.”
-
-
“Heh-heh, aw.” Spike laughed. “I thought it would match Rarity pretty good.”
-
-
“Oh? Who is she going as?”
-
-
“You,” Spike said with a dreamy laugh. “I even helped her find some gems to put
-
in her mane and in the regalia she made.”
-
-
“It sounds like a most detailed costume! I can’t wait to see it,” Celestia said,
-
and they began walking towards town.
-
-
“Hey, where’s Anon?” Spike asked. “He didn’t stay in Canterlot, did he?”
-
-
“Boo.”
-
-
“Wah!” Spike shouted, and then he clutched his chest. “Anon, dude! Don’t do
-
that!”
-
-
-
* * ✹ * *
-
-
-
Celestia smiled in joy as she looked out and over the crowd that was assembled
-
for the Nightmare Night Carnival. The entire town had turned out and the
-
festivities had already begun, and she was pleased to hear the gentle sprinkle
-
of conversation punctuated the occasional laugh from both adults and foals as
-
they walked into the thick of it.
-
-
Most of the costumes seemed pretty standard, with the common theme being animals
-
of various varieties or clowns. A few were dressed as ghosts, vampires, or some
-
other supernatural spook, and one pony had gone with a… well, a cardboard box,
-
it appeared. She couldn’t suppress her smile as a few Anonymous costumes,
-
complete with an imitation of his Celestial Crystal and suit, made their way
-
around the stalls.
-
-
“Wow!” Anon remarked while he scanned the crowd too. “I’m all over the place.
-
Hey, is that Wysteria’s sister?”
-
-
“Raven Inkwell, yes. The resemblance is rather uncanny, isn’t it?”
-
-
“I wouldn’t be able to tell them apart except for the horn,” Anon replied. “But
-
they both dressed up as vampires?”
-
-
“Wysteria suggested it. She thought it would be fun to be identical, and Raven
-
agreed.”
-
-
Anon chuckled a little as both Raven and Wysteria laughed at a joke that had
-
been shared. It was fun to see them dressed the same.
-
-
“Howdy, Princess!” Applejack’s voice called out over the crowd. “That’s a mighty
-
fine costume you picked out.”
-
-
“Why thank you, Applejack!” Celestia said, but then she put a hoof to her chin
-
in thought. “Now, don’t tell me. I think I remember this from one of the letters
-
I was sent. Hm.”
-
-
Applejack said nothing, but she did offer a smug smile.
-
-
“Ah! Of course. The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well! Your exploits have become legendary
-
among the staff in the palace.”
-
-
“You told the staff about that?” Twilight asked.
-
-
“Oh, only the highlights of course. I would never share your names. Most thought
-
I had found one of Spike’s old comic books.”
-
-
Anon made a mental note to himself to ask about that particular incident later.
-
It sounded hilarious.
-
-
“Heh, well, comics seem to be the popular thing this year.” Applejack laughed.
-
“And clowns. I dunno why though.”
-
-
“At least you know what a clown is,” Spike muttered. “Twilight had to go with
-
something obscure again.”
-
-
“Obscure?” Celestia asked. “She’s an Ursa Major. What is obscure about that?”
-
-
“Thank you!” Twilight replied, with a smug grin for Spike. “See?”
-
-
“Whatever,” he scoffed.
-
-
“Well, care to try your hoof at bobbin’ for apples?” Applejack swept a hoof back
-
towards the large barrel that held the game. “So far Bulk Biceps has the most
-
apples at twelve.”
-
-
“YEAH!” Bulk shouted from somewhere in the distance.
-
-
Celestia drew back a little and had a playful grin on her face. “Are you sure
-
this is an appropriate game for a princess?”
-
-
Applejack scoffed. “Oh yeah. This is one of Princess Luna’s favorites. It’s good
-
enough for ya. Question is, can yah handle it?”
-
-
“There is only one way to find out,” Celestia said with a determined grin.
-
-
-
* * ✹ * *
-
-
-
For the next hour, Anon and Celestia had a fantastic and enjoyable time. The
-
Princess managed to snag fifteen apples, but she also somehow managed to lose
-
one set of her fake eyelashes in the water for a brief moment. Anon bested her
-
in the spider toss game, but Celestia’s heart beat just a bit faster with joy
-
when he ‘apologized’ with a large bundle of cotton candy that she was happy to
-
share.
-
-
“All right, every pony!” Mayor Mare eventually called out from the main stage.
-
“It’s time for the annual Nightmare Night storytelling! Everypony who wants to
-
hear a spooooky story, follow Zecora!”
-
-
“At least the Mayor is actually spooky this year,” Spike remarked while he and
-
Twilight began walking with Celestia and Anon. “That hockey mask is way better
-
than what she usually comes up with, and the rusty machete is a nice touch.”
-
-
“Spike!” Twilight admonished her young assistant.
-
-
“What?” he replied with a defensive look. “I’m just saying she’s usually not
-
that scary.”
-
-
“Twilight? Oh, Twilight!” Rarity called out from somewhere in the crowd, and the
-
five paused for a moment as a miniature Celestia worked her way towards them.
-
Anon had to admit she’d done a good job: her wings looked fairly real and her
-
mane was both spot-on for color and sparkle with the small diamonds that had
-
been woven into it. The tail was close but still had the trademarked Rarity curl
-
to it, but overall she had produced a very good... well, it was certainly not a
-
copy of Celestia’s distinctive look. Rarity did not do copies. It was
-
undoubtedly inspired by Celestia’s appearance, and had yielded a fashionable
-
princess of its own.
-
-
“Hello Princess!” Rarity said once she had caught up to them. “I must say, that
-
is a fabulous costume!”
-
-
“Why, thank you!” Celestia replied with a chuckle. “And I love yours as well.
-
Care to stand in for me at the next ribbon cutting I have scheduled?”
-
-
“Ah, well.” Rarity waved a dismissive hoof, but she was obviously pleased with
-
the praise. “Just a little makeup and papier-mâché is all this is. Besides, I’m
-
not much of a princess without my prince! Have any of seen my Spikey-Wikey? He
-
promised to escort me to the storytelling.”
-
-
“Ah, my lady!” Spike popped out and bowed deeply to Rarity. “I was hoping I
-
might find you here. Shall we away?”
-
-
“Oh, Spike! Aren’t you just the most precious thing!” Rarity cooed and giggled.
-
Anon giggled a bit himself as Celestia rolled her eyes. “Please, let us away
-
indeed!”
-
-
Spike offered his arm, Rarity eagerly took it, and the two walked out and ahead
-
of the others.
-
-
“Those two are horrible.” Twilight chuckled.
-
-
“But sweet as well,” Anon added.
-
-
“Yeah.”
-
-
The walk to the statue of Nightmare Moon was a short one, but Celestia held back
-
and allowed everypony else to fill in the area in front of them first. Anon
-
didn’t mind this, he simply leaned into his wife, and she gave him a quick
-
nuzzle.
-
-
“Holding up all right?” Anon asked.
-
-
“Yes. I think so,” she said. “I am slightly concerned about this, though.”
-
-
“Just say the word and we’re gone,” Anon said firmly, and Celestia saw both
-
sorrow and resoluteness in his face. “Or don’t even do that. Just teleport away.
-
I’ll understand.”
-
-
“I don’t want to leave, though; I have enjoyed myself immensely. Let’s just see
-
how it goes for now.”
-
-
“All right,” he said with more than enough worry in his voice.
-
-
A puff of smoke and a clap of thunder silenced the assembled crowd, and Zecora
-
emerged from the white cloud with her usual white wig and spiders. She gave the
-
audience a eerie glance before smiling devilishly. “Every year, we put on a
-
disguise to save ourselves from her searching eyes.”
-
-
Luna, I will not fight you! You must lower the moon!
-
-
Celestia clamped her eyes shut. No, no, no. She wasn’t going to let the
-
nightmare win.
-
-
“But Nightmare Moon wants just one thing: to gobble up ponies in one quick
-
swing!”
-
-
I have but one royal duty now: to destroy you!
-
-
No! That was over a thousand years ago! She had paid her penance! Luna was back,
-
and in her rightful place!
-
-
“Hungrily, she soars the sky. If she sees nopony, she passes by. So if she comes
-
and all is clear, Equestria is safe another year!”
-
-
Did you really expect me to sit idly by while they all basked in your precious
-
light?
-
-
“No!” Celestia muttered through gritted teeth. “I can beat this!”
-
-
Dark clouds moved in across the sky, obscuring the moon and bringing a furious
-
round of lightning rolling along with a wicked gust of wind through the tree
-
branches.
-
-
“Celly?” Anon’s hand gently touched Celestia’s shoulder, but she did not feel or
-
hear him.
-
-
“Fill up her belly with a treat or two, so she won’t return to come… eat you!”
-
-
A wicked laugh, one that had haunted Celestia’s dreams for centuries and had
-
tortured her soul like nothing else ever could rang out from the sky with a
-
furious round of thunder.
-
-
There can only be one princess in Equestria, and that princess… will be me!
-
-
“No!” Celestia screamed, and that was more than enough to set off more screams
-
from the terrified fillies and colts in the audience.
-
-
“Twilight!” Anon shouted.
-
-
There was a flash and the familiar twist of teleportation magic, but then all
-
was still. Crickets chirped their ode to the night over Celestia’s raw and
-
ragged breathing, the cool night air caressed her coat and gently tickled the
-
feathers of her wings, and a warm pair of arms wrapped around her neck while
-
tears dripped from her love’s cheeks to her neck.
-
-
“I’m so sorry.” Anon’s soft words soothed away her agony and calmed her harried
-
soul. “I should never have brought you here.”
-
-
Celestia’s wings instinctively went to cover her Anon. Her tears mingled with
-
his, and she felt his love permeate throughout her whole system. In fact, it
-
only took a few moments of consolation before she was able to sit back and look
-
him in the eye.
-
-
“Thank you,” she said with a kiss.
-
-
“We should go. I’ve tortured you enough tonight.”
-
-
Celestia gently shook her head. “No. I want to stay, and you haven’t tortured
-
me.”
-
-
“You do?” he replied to her.
-
-
“I’ve had a lot of fun here, Anon. I’ve loved talking with my little ponies, the
-
games have been delightful, and I’ve been able to spend time with you. We maybe
-
should have skipped Nightmare Moon’s entrance, but I think the rest of the night
-
will be fine. Please, let’s stay.”
-
-
“If you really want to, then,” he replied. “But…”
-
-
She kissed him to silence him. “No buts. You and I are going to go have fun.
-
Besides, we haven’t gotten any of those chocolate wafers yet.”
-
-
“It hurt though, didn’t it?” he whispered.
-
-
“Nightmare Moon will always hurt me, I think. I… I started reliving it, love. I
-
was going back, hearing her words of denouncement and feeling the panic and
-
horror that I felt then. It was… it was painful.”
-
-
“Sister?” A familiar and welcome voice disturbed their little snuggle.
-
-
Celestia smiled deeply and released Anon so she could face Luna. “Happy
-
Nightmare Night, Sister.”
-
-
Luna glanced over Celestia’s costume with a smirk. “A giraffe? Really?”
-
-
“I like giraffes. They’re cute.”
-
-
Luna and Celestia then hugged. “I think I scared you when I entered as the
-
Nightmare. I caught a glimpse of you before Twilight teleported you away.”
-
-
“Perhaps a little.”
-
-
“Know this, then: you are not the same mare you were then, just as I am not.”
-
Luna then looked her sister square in the eye. “And I do not hold you
-
responsible for what happened. I alone chose the Nightmare.”
-
-
“But I drove you to it,” Celestia whispered, and her head dipped in shame.
-
-
“No. I drove myself. Celly, you could have given me the sun itself and it
-
wouldn’t have been enough. The only way you could have appeased me is by forcing
-
our little ponies to worship me, and I realize now that such a thing should not
-
and will not ever be. You were right.”
-
-
They both sniffled and fought back tears with this, and Anon simply stood aside
-
with a smile. It was a touching moment of divine sisterly-ness, and it did warm
-
and fluttery things to his heart that he was accepted enough to be present when
-
both rulers of Equestria let down their manes to just be as they once were, and
-
would be into the future.
-
-
“Thank you, Luna. I disagree with you in one area; there were many things I did
-
wrong. But to endlessly review them does no good to either of us. This should be
-
a night of merriment, so let us all go and be merry.”
-
-
“A wise idea,” Luna said. “Anon? Shall we away?”
-
-
“Let us away,” he quipped as he marched up between them. “Though I think I left
-
my helmet back at the statue.”
-
-
“I’m sure Twilight will bring it to us.” Celestia smiled. “Now then. Where are
-
we?”
-
-
-
* * ✹ * *
-
-
-
The rest of the evening turned out to be a blast. Celestia and Luna had fun
-
challenging each other in the various games, though both were playfully
-
indignant when Anon managed to haul out twenty two apples in the bobbing apples
-
game. Any candy that was presented to Luna—or, Nightmare Moon, to be accurate—by
-
the fillies and colts of town was split evenly with Celestia and Anon, and all
-
three enjoyed dancing with the music being provided. Celestia cheered the
-
loudest, in fact, when the Pony Tones finished their special Nightmare Night
-
Review, but Luna cheered almost as loudly as Celestia did.
-
-
Almost.
-
-
It was near midnight when the party finally began to wind down, and though all
-
the visiting Royals were sad to have such a fun night end, they were pleased
-
they had been a part of the festivities and they made sure to thank everypony
-
for such a wonderful time before departing. As they took off into the sky to
-
return home, Celestia gratefully wrapped one wing around Anon and gave him a
-
quick nuzzle of appreciation.
-
-
“This was a fun night. We should do it again next year,” Celestia said happily.
-
-
“We should, but I think we’ll skip the story of Nightmare Moon next time.”
-
-
“I agree.” She laughed.
-
-
“So… how permanent is that dye?”
-
-
“Why do you ask?” Celestia questioned back.
-
-
“Well, I was just imagining you going to day court like that. You might summon a
-
Discord if you do.”
-
-
“Mm, maybe I will then,” she replied, with another quick kiss. “He hates public
-
displays of affection, so it would be the perfect way to torture him.”
-
-
Anon let out an undignified snort of amusement. “You are too much sometimes. I
-
love you.”
-
-
“And I love you, my Anon.”
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by Black516
by Black516
by Black516