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Feedback Loop

By Sundance_Anon
Created: 2023-03-21 07:15:54
Updated: 2023-10-14 15:13:14
Expiry: Never
anonchangelingocromance/rgre/adventure

  1. >Be Anon, recent resident to Equestria
  2. >Dunno how you got here, only that you did
  3. >And now you're doing you're best to adapt and have a life
  4. >On the surface it's going pretty well...
  5. >After having to return to monke for a few weeks since you landed in the Everfree Forest
  6. >It's going pretty well now
  7. >You have yourself a small business, you cook exotic foods
  8. >Exotic to the ponies
  9. >To you it's just mostly vegetarian versions of the stuff you had from home
  10. >Thankfully cooking was one of the few passions you had at home
  11. >And here with such a huge access to top quality ingredients, it's been good
  12. >But inside... isn't everyone broken in some way?
  13.  
  14. >It's Hearts and Hooves day.
  15. >You kind of hate this day
  16. >You get a huge influx of orders, which you don't mind, and you finish up by noon
  17. >But all the ponies go about their day with hearts in their eyes, blatantly courting, having moments with their significant others
  18. >It's very similar to Valentines Day, but if everywhere was a park, and everywhere you looked, someone was having a date with someone else
  19. >It doesn't really bother you, but it gets kind of annoying, remembering things that you'd rather not remember
  20. >So with your work done for the day, you walked up to a grassy hill, right next to the Everfree, and sat down
  21. >The ponies don't go here, because of it's proximity to the supposedly dangerous forest
  22. >So you faced the sun, basking in it's light and warmth, closing your eyes, thinking about some book you've been reading
  23. >With all that Hearts and Hooves nonsense literally behind you, out of sight and mind
  24.  
  25. >Be Sundance, just now moving into this small town named Ponyville as of a week ago
  26. >You're a Wildland Ranger, a branch of the Guard that ventures into wild landscapes
  27. >From rescue missions to magical relic recovery, to simply gathering wild herbs and mushrooms for medicine, Wildland Rangers do it all
  28. >You're kind of a hotshot
  29. >Kind of like those Wonderbolts but those birdbrains just fly stunt shows all day
  30. >You actually do things
  31.  
  32. >Actually, be Halecia
  33. >Changeling Infiltrator extraordinaire
  34. >You qualified to be an Infiltrator, AND a pony Wildland Ranger
  35. >So you're kind of a hotshot times two
  36. >SO WHY CANT YOU GET A COLTFRIEND?
  37. >Every colt in this damn town isn't interested, is getting courted, is already courted, or some other inane excuse
  38. >You huff, you just HAD to move here right before Hearts and Hooves
  39. >You can taste it in the air, but none of it's for you
  40. >It'd be months before any colts become available again, you'll just have to manage until then
  41. >Going to have to survive off whatever ambient love is in the air
  42. >It's abundant now, won't be in a month.
  43. >Your head is low and you walk to the village outskirts trying to find a good spot to maybe take a nap
  44. >There's a nice hill.
  45.  
  46. >When you get up there, there's a weird creature already laying down on the side of the hill
  47. >Sunbathing?
  48. >You blink, and it reminds you of the first time you saw ponies.
  49. "Hey, is this spot taken?" You ask the creature
  50. >It doesn't open it's eyes
  51. >"If you're here to escape all the pink be my guest." He says
  52. >It's a colt? Sure sounds like one, you crack a smile for the first time all day
  53. "I never really liked pink as a color." You reply, you sure liked it as a food though
  54. You lay down next to him, "So... why are you laying here away from all the buzz?"
  55. >He's silent for a moment, until he sighs and says, "Never liked it."
  56. >The way he said it makes you think he doesn't really want to talk about it. Fair enough.
  57. "Well, me neither, starting today." You reply, colts like gossip, right?
  58. "Some ponies. I tried getting a date all week and could you imagine some of the excuses I got? 'Oh, have to tend to my flowers'. Flowers?" You complain
  59. >The weird colt creature snorts in amusement
  60. >You smile a little, he had such a darkened aura around him, but now you can see it lighten a little
  61. "I tried making friends too, but everypony here's just so busy. Guess it's my fault for moving in a week before Hearts and Hooves huh?"
  62.  
  63. >Be Anon
  64. >Your light nap was interrupted by somepony
  65. >You don't recognize the voice, so it's someone you haven't met before
  66. >Apparently, someone trying to escape Hearts and Hooves day as well
  67. >So you let them on your hill
  68. >They were fearless enough to be right next to the Everfree Forest, so why not?
  69. >You made some idle chatter, and she revealed that she'd moved here just a week before
  70. >Huh, so another newcomer
  71. >You kind of saw yourself in her
  72. >Being in a strange new place, it being hard to make friends, though, that one's on you
  73. >You open your eyes, squinting because of the sun, and look towards her
  74. >She's a Pegasus, with a white coat, and a long yellow and orange mane and tail
  75. "Some ponies." You repeat back to her, "I know the feeling."
  76. >You sit up and glance to the forest, then back at her
  77. "You're not at all bothered by the Everfree being a stone toss away?"
  78.  
  79. >You suddenly see her smirk and sit up, puffing her chest out.
  80. >"I'm actually a Wildland Ranger!" She declared proudly
  81. >You blink at her
  82. >You don't know what that means
  83. "Uh... congratulations?" You say with an unsure smile
  84. >Your confusion must be apparent because she starts to explain what that is
  85. >And from your understanding of ponykind, she's certainly one of a kind
  86. >Ponies don't like to fight, typically
  87. >Not the kind of fighting you've heard of, from your homeland
  88. >But these Rangers remind you a lot of that place
  89. >When she's done explaining, rather proudly, that she's a part of an elite group of Guardsponies, you have a smile for her
  90. >She was just so enthusiastic about explaining what she does, recounting some adventures in the south in the plains, and in the mountains to the east
  91. >This Pegasus was certainly more adventurous than most ponies, even most Pegasi
  92. >Granted, if it was all true.
  93.  
  94. >The sun was going down now, and she sheepishly put a hoof to rub the back of her neck.
  95. >"Oh, I ended up taking your entire afternoon." She looked towards the setting sun, and then back at you, "I'd better get back to the inn, let you have your peace and quiet back."
  96. >You squint at her
  97. "Hold on." You say
  98. >She stops in her tracks, looking at you
  99. >She doesn't even have a home yet?
  100. "Why're you staying at the inn?" You ask her
  101. >"Well, the construction ponies haven't finished building the barracks yet." The pegasus said simply
  102. >You frowned at that, why do these damn ponies end up making you give them more chances than they deserve?
  103.  
  104. >Be Sundance.
  105. >The alien colt asked why you didn't have a house, and well, it was a simple answer to you
  106. >The Guardhouse isn't done being built yet, the Barracks is just a plot of grass right now
  107. >Besides, the inn was probably better than the barracks was going to be, and the Crowns were paying for it
  108. >You really didn't have an issue with it
  109. >But it seemed like this colt did, strangely
  110. >He sighed and shook his head, "You took up my entire afternoon and I didn't even catch your name."
  111. You blink twice, "Oh, sorry. I'm Sundance."
  112.  
  113. >Be Anon
  114. >Take a deep breath
  115. >You remember all sorts of dumb quotes from your past life, from before you ended up here
  116. >You miss all the shots you don't take.
  117. >Aim for the stars.
  118. >YOLO.
  119. >Why are you remembering that crap?
  120. >Sundance seemed like the decent sort of pony
  121. >She was passionate about her job, particularly enjoying the daring Search and Rescue missions she went on
  122. >And she didn't deserve some bedbug ridden, Tokyo bedroom sized, tiny, unfurnished hotel room that smelled
  123. >You had a home. A house.
  124. >You helped build it with your own two hands, making good friends with the mares that built it for you
  125. >You have a guest room, human sized, made in the hopes that if you slipped through the cracks of your world
  126. >If someone else did too, they'd need a place to crash
  127. >And so far, thankfully, nobody else appeared
  128. "Listen," You start, "I got a house too big for one person. How about you stay at my place, until the barracks is built?"
  129.  
  130. >Be Sundance.
  131. >What the buck?
  132. >Did this colt really just invite you to his home?
  133. >You're stunned into silence
  134.  
  135. >Be Anon
  136. >The pony appears to have frozen
  137. "Uh." You let out, "Are you okay? Hello?"
  138. >You wave a hand in front of her
  139. >She very slowly, almost imperceptibly, narrows her eyes, just slightly
  140. >So she is there, cogs are just turning
  141. >You realize what you've done, that in your old world, this would be a woman you just met inviting you back to her place
  142. >Ah shit.
  143. "Listen, it's the guest bedroom. The GUEST BEDROOM. And you're a good storyteller." You say
  144. >For some reason you can see a blush tinging her ears and cheeks
  145. >What? All you said was that she was a good storyteller
  146. >Sundance glances to the grass with a dumb grin on her face
  147. >She sits down and begins to play with her mane with her two hooves
  148. >"A-A good storyteller huh? Maybe I can do that if this whole Ranger thing falls apart." She says
  149. "Well from your stories, if anything's going to be able to ground you from being a Ranger, it'd probably also snap the nation in half." You tell her
  150. >You realize you've just complimented her by saying she's a total badass.
  151. >Internally, you realize you've dug yourself quite the hole, and just inhale
  152. "I'm Anonymous by the way." You introduce yourself, quickly, hoping to distract her from the previous statement
  153. >It takes Sundance a moment, but with some controlled breathing, she manages to reply, with a big smile on her face
  154. >"I would be happy to accept your offer, Anonymous."
  155.  
  156. >Be Anon
  157. >Your house is built right on the edge of the Everfree, it's a bit of a walk, but not farther than the Apple farm
  158. >It was weird.
  159. >When you were in the care of...
  160. >That other pony
  161. >You didn't like to dwell on her
  162. >The ponies didn't go anywhere near the forest
  163. >Now, with your home there right at the edge of the treeline, ponies have been getting closer and closer to the forest
  164. >The space between your home and the town town itself is now more like a park
  165. >You'd see ponies occasionally strolling through the fields
  166. >Just the other day you saw a pony planting a few flowers along one of the paths
  167. >Did they feel safer now that you were there?
  168. >You thought back to when the ponies first saw you
  169. >There was fear in their eyes, no, terror
  170. >To them you were just another forest monster
  171. >It took a while, but they eventually accepted you
  172. >In the back of your mind, you wondered, if they truly saw you as a person
  173. >Or if they saw you as a tamed monster, like a dog, who would defend his pack
  174.  
  175. >Be Sundance.
  176. >Still giddy from the compliments
  177. >Colts didn't compliment mares, it just didn't happen very often
  178. >And here Anonymous was, calling you a good storyteller
  179. >You didn't waste his afternoon after all
  180. >He just got a private theater show, you thought to yourself
  181. >And he called you strong
  182. >He seemed much brighter after you showed up, and it made you feel good
  183. >You were following him on hoof to his place when you noticed that he had tinges of... something around him
  184. >You sped up and trotted in front of him, looking up at his face
  185. >His brow was slightly furrowed and the edges of his mouth tilted downwards, threatening a frown
  186. >Tinges of anxiety? Regret?
  187. >What was this colt thinking of?
  188. >Surely it wasn't about the invitation?
  189. "Hey Anonymous?" You asked
  190. >He looked down at you, his face quickly becoming more neutral
  191. >"Hm?" He asked
  192. "This arrangement is temporary, I appreciate you offering your spare bed. But once the Guardhouse is done with it's construction, I'll be out of your mane." You assured
  193. >"Oh, sure. Yeah." Anon replied, distractedly, "I... Well I've been on some pretty bad beds before. You do good, search and rescue is hard. Hell, if you Rangers were around when I landed here..."
  194. >Your face fell.
  195. >Landed?
  196. >From the tone of his voice, it didn't sound like he came here voluntarily
  197. >You knew stories of some less scrupulous Griffonian Mercenary Bands taking slaves
  198. >Some Changeling Hives were guilty of forcing others to relocate as well
  199. >Centaurs too, but those were a continent away
  200. >Was he enslaved before? Brought here in chains?
  201. >Relocated against his will because his old home was razed in some territorial dispute?
  202. >You had to cheer him up, you saw more negativity threatening to spread around him
  203. "If there were Rangers here, we would have beat up ANY bad guys." You declared, "If you were lost, we could have found you in, count my hooves, four hours or less!"
  204.  
  205. >Be Anon
  206. >Those damn thoughts, what-if's
  207. >Sundance must have noticed, because she jogged ahead of you and sparked some conversation up
  208. >She was pretty damn cute
  209. >She shouted that if she was there she would have chased away the baddies and found you in hours
  210. >Puffing her chest out and raising her wings
  211. >You noticed that her wings were longer than they looked, neat
  212. >And it made you smile, her bravado
  213. >Sundance put her wings down and gave you a sympathetic smile
  214. >"And besides, even when we weren't there, you came out okay, right?" She asked
  215. >You blinked at her in mild disbelief
  216. >Yeah.
  217. >She was right
  218. >Despite the forest, everything that happened to you in the past
  219. >You were okay.
  220. >You are okay.
  221. >You have a home, food on your table, actually, food to spare, beds to spare
  222. "Yeah, yeah I came out okay I think."
  223. >You said simply, with a nod, glancing away, things turned out okay, even after everything seemed hopeless
  224. >It was weird, why did you suddenly just blurt out that hint to your past?
  225. >Usually ponies were put off by your appearance at the first meeting
  226. >Was it because Sundance didn't see you as an other?
  227. >Sundance seemed relieved when you looked at her
  228. >And you... were kind of relieved too.
  229. >She was right there next to you, walking alongside you
  230. >It was a little weird.
  231. >Was it because she was a Guardspony, a so called Wildland Ranger, that she didn't shy away from a tough topic?
  232. >She instead understood, and tried to comfort you
  233. >Whenever the topic of your arrival came up with other mares, they tried to steer the conversation away, or made excuses to leave
  234. >There was a pause of silence between you two before you spoke up again
  235. "I'm sure if you were here when I arrived, you'd fetch me from the Everfree in two hours flat and carry me away from the forest in your hooves,"
  236. >You put the back of your hand to your forehead and dramatically threw your head back
  237. "Oh!"
  238. >You started in an overly dramatic voice,
  239. "Thank you for rescuing me from that dreadful place!"
  240. >You chuckled at your own joke, as the sight of your home got nearer and nearer
  241.  
  242. >Sundance's eyes shot open
  243. >She didn't even have those kinds of thoughts, all she was worried about was how he was feeling
  244. >Now though, she could see him lighter once again, those tinges of anxiety or regret gone now
  245. >It was relieving to her, the colt was offering her a homely bed, the most she could do for him was make sure he didn't relive any bad memories
  246. >But why did he have to put that scene in her head?
  247. >Carrying him out of danger, holding him with her hooves, with his arms hooked over her neck
  248. >He'd hug her because flying is scary to non pegasi
  249. >She could practically taste the gratitude.
  250. "Hey, we're here, are you coming or not?"
  251. >Anon asked, he was already some twenty paces ahead of Sundance, who didn't even realize she had stopped in place
  252. >She blinked, the house lamps were already on, and she saw it
  253. >There was gratitude in the air, from him, to her
  254. >She really was tasting it
  255.  
  256. >Sundance trotted forward to the house
  257. >The house was easily larger than most of the homes in the town
  258. >It was only one story tall, but it's sheer scale made it almost the height of the two story houses in Ponyville
  259. "Dust your hooves on the rug."
  260. >Anon instructed, he kicked off his shoes, revealing black socks
  261. >He used his feet to move his shoes side by side by the door, and walked deeper into the house
  262. >The first, immediate thing that caught Sundance's eyes was the BEAR SKULL mounted on the wall
  263. >Why was there an adult bear skull?
  264. >Right under the wall mounted skull was a small table with what looked like a bear pelt folded neatly on it, and a candlestick right by the pelt
  265. >Sundance, her eyes still on the skull, brushed her hooves on the rough WELCOME carpet and stepped into Anon's home
  266. "It's just about to be dinner time, are you hungry?"
  267. >Anon said loudly from somewhere in the house
  268. >Sundance stepped forward, looking around
  269. >So to the right was the living room, with a fireplace, a tall table, some chairs, a nice fluffy rug
  270. >The walls had some paintings of some strange things
  271. >A large red bridge, some sandstone pyramids, rolling green hills and a single stone wall
  272. >And the living room had the bear skull
  273. >She walked closer to the fuzzy folded thing, and put a hoof on it
  274. >It was genuinely a bear pelt.
  275. "Sundance?"
  276. >Anon asked again
  277. >"Uh, yeah! I'm kinda hungry!"
  278. >She tore her attention away from the bear trophies and turned to the left of the entrance, where there was a large kitchen
  279. >The kitchen was impressive, there were two ovens, two sets of stoves, a large island in the middle, with several tall chairs, lamps mounted to the ceiling
  280. >Sundance unfurled her wings and flew to one of the chairs, sitting on it
  281. "What are you hungry for?"
  282. >Anon asked
  283. >Sundance noted that he seemed much more at ease here
  284. >"Uh, well I'm a guest, I'll just have whatever you're having, if it's not too much trouble. I can always just get takeout from the town." Sundance said, she noticed Anon be the brightest she had ever seen him here
  285. >Granted she only knew him for a few hours, but still, his state seemed to dip fairly often when left alone
  286. "Takeout from the town?"
  287. >Anon scoffed with a grin
  288. "I'll have you know that ponies get takeout from the outskirts around here."
  289. >He turned around and got to being busy
  290.  
  291. >A cupboard opened here, a few plates and mugs out on the counter
  292. >Sundance was enthralled watching him work
  293. >He knew where everything was exactly, which, really didn't surprise her all that much after thinking about it
  294. >This was his kitchen after all
  295. >And it seemed like he spent quite a bit of time here
  296. >He pulled out a few pots, a pan, got water boiling
  297. >A few minutes later, there were two steaming mugs of tea on the island counter, with one right in front of you
  298. >You blinked, it was a deep red
  299. "Hibiscus tea."
  300. >"Oh." Sundance replied, she'd never had Hibiscus tea before
  301. >Or any tea.
  302. >Tea wasn't really a thing in the Hive
  303.  
  304. >Or even training to be a Ranger
  305. >Sometimes the trainees would have pine needle tea, if the trees were the right kind
  306. >She never understood that though
  307. >But, she did say she was going to have what Anon was going to have
  308. >So tea it was
  309. >She took a sip of the hot tea, and found that it was packed with flavor
  310. >And packed with something else
  311. >Love?!
  312. >She shot up to attention, and looked up at Anon
  313. >He had a cutting board on a wet towel on his side of the island
  314. >And he'd just produced a knife from somewhere
  315. >Right by the cutting board, there were celery sticks, carrots, an onion
  316. >Sundance looked at Anon, and he really did seem content
  317. >Happy, even
  318. >He really did enjoy cooking
  319. >And he really did enjoy cooking for her
  320.  
  321. >He started dicing his ingredients, cutting with the skills of a seasoned chef
  322. >Sundance watched attentively, occasionally sipping on the tea
  323. >There was no way he could've known, but the love in the tea was enough for a whole two days
  324. >How did he even do that? Infuse love into a cup of tea?
  325. >Wasn't it just hot water and a tea bag?
  326. >She watched him intently, trying to decipher what he did differently
  327. >Aside from the incredibly deft movements with his fingers and hands, she couldn't tell
  328. >Before she knew it, Anon grabbed his board and moved it to a pot on the stove and tossed everything in, and got to work on another thing
  329. >How many dishes was he going to make?
  330.  
  331. >Sundance glanced behind her and saw the bear skull again, and her curiosity got the better of her
  332. >"So... Anonymous. How do you have a bear skull and bear pelt?"
  333. "Ah."
  334. >Anon suddenly stopped
  335. "That's Ursa. Kept me warm, when it was cold. Fed me, when I was hungry."
  336. >His tone suggested that he was sad, but what she saw around him, there was no sadness
  337. >There was... gratitude?
  338. "I thought that Ursa would've liked to have seen how I'd do after the forest."
  339. >Anon turned and pointed at the skull, then at the pelt
  340. "And Ursa keeps me warm still."
  341. >Sundance nodded, "Ursa seemed like a good friend."
  342. >Anon cleared his throat
  343. "Well less a friend and more a... well either way, she provided. And I was respectful. I am, respectful. I leave offerings, so she can feast, in whatever bear afterlife they have."
  344. >Anon glanced down, then at the food, there was a moment of silence, and then he got back to work, bringing out a mortar and pestle
  345. >As well as a bunch of herbs, some nuts, garlic, and some other things
  346. >"Well, I'm sure she appreciates it, in whatever bear afterlife she's in." Sundance replied
  347. "Ursa damn well better, I put a lot of work into these dishes."
  348. >Anon joked with a smile, he started tossing ingredients into the pestle and grinded them into a paste
  349. >"What kind of dishes do you make anyways? You mentioned that ponies get takeout from here." Sundance asked
  350. "Well, all sorts of stuff from my homeland."
  351. >Anon said, going into a lengthy talk about food, cooking, and how strange it was to find some cuisines that were strikingly similar to the ones he was familiar with
  352.  
  353. >About a half an hour later, Anon was done
  354. >He never stopped the whole time he was talking, always stirring something, washing something, plating something
  355. >He seemed very comfortable conversing while working in the kitchen
  356. >And before she knew it, there was cup of water replacing her tea, a plate of green pasta, and a bowl of bean soup in front of her
  357. >Anon gestured to each of the dishes,
  358. "Pesto alla Genovese, and Zuppa di Lenticchie."
  359. >Sundance was impressed, this was the sort of food that ponies could only get at fancy restaurants, and here Anon was, making it in his kitchen in a half an hour.
  360. "Dig in."
  361. >"Gladly, it looks really good, Anonymous." She replied, taking a forkful of the pesto, and savoring every chew
  362. >LOVE
  363. >How did he do it? The food tasted amazing, garlicky, nutty, earthy, and fulfilling from the love
  364. >She looked up to say something, but didn't notice that Anon had left the kitchen
  365. >In his socks, he was stunningly silent
  366. >She looked behind him, and noticed that he'd moved the bear pelt to one of the chairs
  367. >He set a small plate of pasta, and bowl of soup on the table with the candle, and then he lit the candle with a match
  368. >Sundance stopped chewing and watched him
  369. >He put his hands together and closed his eyes, bowing his head, muttering a few words
  370. >She didn't want to bother that
  371.  
  372. >A few moments later, Anon rose his head and left the bear alter, coming back to the kitchen with a shrug and a small smile
  373. >He went to the other side of the island and made himself some of the food
  374. "Well, it's a bit more than what I was going to make for myself, but it's good either way right?"
  375. >"Good is an understatement, I would kill for food like this." Sundance said in between chews
  376. "You don't have to go that far Sundance, but it's good to hear."
  377. >He began to dig into his own food and not long after, the two found themselves with empty plates and bowls.
  378. >Sundance sat there staring at the empty dishes, completely satisfied.
  379. >In both terms of hunger
  380. >Anon was mid sip when Sundance suddenly stood on her seat and planted her hooves on the island
  381. >Now taller than Anon, she declared, "That. Was. The best meal. I have EVER had, in my life."
  382. >Anons eyebrows shot up
  383. "Well you don't have to exaggerate."
  384. >"I'm not joking." Sundance said completely seriously
  385. >And she wasn't
  386. >Love always came from wisps in the air, or congealed into a thick liquid, and it wasn't like food
  387. >It was something more essential, like a magical lifeblood, something required, like water, but not
  388. >Pony food was always just food, something to fuel the body, to sate its hunger
  389. >A Changeling was perfectly okay with eating gruel all their life, as long as they received love
  390. >But this was different than the ambient love from other ponies, or the liquid love from the hive
  391. >It was like honeybee honey, made from different flowers
  392. >She didn't even know this was possible
  393. >She didn't even know if her Queen knew this was possible!
  394.  
  395. ...
  396.  
  397. "Really? Well, uh thanks, I guess."
  398. >Anon replied with a small smile, he glanced down at his plate, feeling heat at his ears
  399. >Be Anon
  400. >You always thought you were kind of an average sort of cook
  401. >Never went to Culinary School or anything, but the thought had crossed your mind
  402. >Of course, friends and family always said your cooking was good
  403. >But they were close friends, and family
  404. >Weren't they supposed to say that sort of stuff?
  405. >The ponies liked your food, but none of them ever really...
  406. >Declared it, like Sundance just did, like she had made some sort of religious revelation
  407. >The ponies were just ordering your food because it was exotic right?
  408.  
  409. >Be Sundance
  410. >There was a moment, just a moment, where it all seemed to freeze in frame
  411. >Like a painting, like the ones in the hive depicting the legends of ancient Changeling kind
  412. >When Anonymous glanced down, smiling, bashfully, he became radiant
  413. >Behind him, rays of pride, joy, passion
  414. >Emotions thicker than she had ever seen before, so much of it that she could barely see the kitchen behind him
  415. >It reminded her of the portraits of the old Kings and Queens of the hive, vibrant, shining, with crowns of pure emotion
  416. >But those were depictions of control, royalty so powerful that they could spare the resources to show it off
  417. >Anon was an image of creation
  418. >It wasn't contained to him, nor was he containing it, it was from him, he was luminous
  419. >What was Anonymous?
  420. >What kind of creature produces emotions like this?
  421. >Even ponies, the most compassionate creatures on the planet, only leaked small amounts of emotion
  422. >Changelings had to magically draw out more, if they needed to feed
  423. >But Anon was much more
  424. >Ponies were rivers, and Anon was an ocean
  425. >Then she saw it darken with self doubt
  426. >And her face fell a little
  427. >He was a living creature
  428. "I mean it Anon. Growing up food was simple, we had bigger problems to deal with. In training, food was there to keep us fueled. But here, if this is normal to you, it's actually luxury to everypony else."
  429. >Anon looked at her and stayed silent for a while
  430. >But Sundance knew her words affected him, she could see it
  431. >"Thank you. Uh." He said finally, "...Well," his eyes softened, "If you're sticking around I've got to make up for your bland past then."
  432. >Sundance smiled
  433. >"You know, bland." Anon said
  434. "I know what you said, I'm looking forward to it too." Sundance replied
  435.  
  436. >Be Anon
  437. >You cleared your throat and gathered the plates and bowls from the kitchen island
  438. "I'll uh, clean up here. Feel free to look over my bookshelf,"
  439. >You point towards the living room, at a squat, wide bookshelf, situated under the window
  440. "If you're into painting I have a canvas and some painting supplies."
  441. >Sundance looked behind her and saw the bookshelf, then looked back at you
  442. >"I think I want to take a bath, if that's alright with you?" She asked
  443. "Oh, of course. I'll fetch you a fresh towel and show you to the bathroom."
  444. >You walked past Sundance and opened a cabinet in the hallway, taking out a fresh towel
  445. >Looked back down the hallway, you saw Sundance just next to a few paces away
  446. >So you tossed her the towel, and she leaned forward, catching the towel with her wings, letting it fall onto her neck and back
  447. >She gave you a smug smile
  448. "Good catch. And here's the bath,"
  449. >You turned around and opened a door, revealing, well, a normal bathroom
  450. >But Sundance seemed impressed
  451. >Now that you think about it, everything in your home is scaled to you, not ponies
  452. >For her, the bath is easily twice the size of a normal bath
  453. "Take as long as you want, mi casa es su casa."
  454. >Sundance turned her head towards you with an eyebrow raised, "Huh?"
  455. "Oh, uh, phrase from my homeland. It means, 'My house is your house'."
  456. >Sundance let that sink in for a second, "It's a nice phrase. Very pony like."
  457. >You think of some decidedly not pony-like phrases, but don't vocalize them
  458. "My people can be pony like sometimes. Besides, this all works out. I always make too much food, I have more beds than bodies, you bathe at night, I bathe in the morning."
  459. "I'll let you get to it though, I should get to washing the dishes."
  460.  
  461. >Be Anon
  462. >You're washing the dishes, of course, you cleaned as you were cooking
  463. >So it's not many dishes, just the extra set of dishware that Sundance had
  464. >You were smiling, feeling good
  465. >Your head was swirling with ideas
  466. >Yuba Sheet Sandwiches?
  467. >You just got that shipment of eastern goods from your Griffon buddies not two weeks ago
  468. >You could make a spicy chipotle mayonnaise, marinate the yuba in a mushroom sauce, layer it with caramelized onion on the sandwich?
  469. >Baguette for bread
  470. >Step one of making a great sandwich is a great bread, after all
  471. >It was strange
  472. >Cooking for ponies, even though they gave you a pretty good amount of culinary freedom, was, well like a job
  473. >You got paid for it, they got what they wanted, with a bit of a human flair to it
  474. >But with Sundance, she basically gave you free reign to make whatever you wanted
  475. >Hell, even that simple pesto pasta you made impressed her to high heavens
  476. >What would happen if you went all out?
  477. >You grinned, thinking about those chinese cartoons where characters would quite literally orgasm at the first taste of a dish
  478. >No way it would be anything like that
  479. >But apparently you were a better cook than you thought
  480. >One day you'd kick out all the stops
  481. >Maybe a pastry, something sweet
  482. >With apples, from Sweet Apple Acres, Zap Apples
  483. >They're rare, but they're the best
  484. >You'd have to make it yourself, of course
  485. >The Apples know how to bake but, to put it mildly, they're apple farmers, not bakers
  486. >The Cakes know how to bake, but they're bakers, not apple experts
  487. >No messing up with Zap Apples, it'll take a full year for another batch
  488. >You'd have to practice with normal apples, and normal ingredients
  489. >Yeah.
  490. >Apple Rose Tarts
  491. >Made with Zap Apples, the best butter you can get your hands on, the best sugar, best flour, best eggs, best salt, best handmade puff pastry
  492. >S+ tier stuff
  493. >You smiled, Sundance made you feel good, somehow always knew when your mood was going down, and did her best to lift it
  494. >It was weird, you'd only known her for, not even twelve hours at this point
  495. >But she was never afraid of you, when she looked at you, it wasn't with thinly veiled disdain or masked politeness
  496. >She looked at you with awe, with curiosity, she spoke whatever was on her mind, no tiptoeing around
  497. >She inspired you.
  498. >It was the least you could do right? For an experienced Wildland Ranger of Equestria, of course
  499.  
  500. >Be Sundance
  501. >You're too short to lay the towel on the counter
  502. >You let out a thoughtful hmmm
  503. >Being short doesn't really bother you, it's wingspan that matters to pegasi
  504. >And you've got that in spades
  505. >You must have the biggest wings this side of the crownlands
  506. >Though, most pegasi don't live on the ground, they live on mountains like Fort Canterlot and cloud cities like Cloudsdale
  507. >So your long wings didn't really help your case when you were trying to find a coltfriend
  508. >Earth Ponies and Unicorns just don't get it
  509. >You adjusted your wings, moving them slightly, and grabbed the towel with a hoof, and tossed it up to the counter
  510. >It landed sloppily, a quarter of it was hanging over the counter, but that was fine
  511. >You hopped, gently, into the massive bath with a flap of your wings and took a quick look around
  512. >It really was bigger than any bath you've ever been in, you could fit two mares laying down in this bath easily
  513. >On the bathroom walls, you found a small shelf with three large bottles
  514. >It was a simple bodywash, mane shampoo, and mane conditioner
  515. >For some reason you expected there to be a dozen different bottles of all sorts, like the stereotypical colt would have
  516. >Anonymous didn't seem like your normal colty colt though
  517. >You turned the water on and let the tub fill with warm water
  518. >A normal colt would never have a bear skull mounted on the wall
  519. >That's too scary, right?
  520. >Or, tacky?
  521. >It's definitely more of a marely thing to do
  522. >How did he even... he never actually answered HOW he got the pelt and skull
  523. >By the Twin Thrones, what did the forest put him through?
  524. >And what was he in the first place?
  525. >You'd never heard of his kind before, as a Changeling Infiltrator, or as a Pony Wildland Ranger
  526. >You frowned and just got to washing yourself, the more you thought about Anonymous, the more questions popped up
  527. >One thing was certain, you didn't want him to have to go through with that again
  528. >He's fed you, he's housing you, trusting you in his home
  529. >You want to protect him, how could you not?
  530.  
  531. >Be Anon
  532. >Dishes done, now normally, you would have done some light reading before bed for a few hours
  533. >Or painted, you're actually getting pretty good at that
  534. >With Ursa's candle blown out, and the extra food in the fridge
  535. >Icebox, but it's basically a fridge
  536. >You're now officially in evening downtime
  537. >You open up your pantry and dig out a bag of candies, they're pretty fancy
  538. >Chocolate treats from the local candy store
  539. >Sure you could melt chocolate, or make ganache for a cake, but you aren't a pro chocolatier like they are
  540. >It's a round, chocolate covered wafer ball, with fudge and nuts in the center, covered in crispy popped rice
  541. >They remind you of some chocolate from back home
  542. >It's absolutely delicious, and as far as you know, only made in Ponyville
  543. >They hand make it, and it takes forever for them, so they're expensive and hard to get
  544. >You set the treats down on the armrest of your chair and walk over to the fireplace
  545. >It doesn't take long to set it up and light it, and you're able to go over to your bookshelf in no time at all
  546. >Apparently Princess Celestia and Princess Luna enjoy the chocolates too, and there's always a batch for them ready for pickup
  547. >Just in case one of them goes AWOL out of their castle, which happens, more often than nought
  548. >Believe it or not they visited your place for lunch thrice
  549. >Well, the first time you didn't serve them anything but tea
  550. >You don't make orders day of, royalty or not
  551. >They respected your rules and let you know beforehand the next two times
  552. >They're nice magical horse princesses, Sundance is kind of like them
  553. >They're not afraid of you, they speak plainly, more curious than anything
  554. >Honestly same with the Griffons
  555. >They're a bit rougher, but you like them, they're good people who enjoy a good party
  556. >You pick up a baking book from your shelf, it's thick, and full of pony treats
  557. >You turn to the puff pastry recipe, intent on brushing up on the technique
  558. >You've done it before but it's been a while
  559.  
  560. >Not long after you start reading and making mental notes to buy more butter, you hear Sundance walking down the hallway
  561. >You look over and see the damp pony
  562. >She sees the fireplace and smiles, "Perfect."
  563. >Sundance walks close to the fireplace and lies down on the rug, unfurling her wings and facing them towards the warmth of the fire
  564. >She lets out a noise of contentment and a sigh
  565. >You get out of your chair, book and treats in hand, and go sit on the rug with her
  566. >You set down one of the wrapped treats on the rug in front of her
  567. >"Hm?" She looked down at the candy, then looked at you
  568. >You unwrapped yours and popped it in your mouth, crunching down on it
  569. "It's chocolate, for you."
  570. >She lifted hers and unwrapped it, seeming surprised at it
  571. >Just what was her life like if even a piece of chocolate warrented a moment of examination?
  572. >You felt sorry for her, a little
  573. >Then galvanized.
  574. >You're going to make desserts for her too
  575. >She's missed out on years of experiencing decent food
  576. >Must have
  577. >What the hell kind of life did she live?
  578.  
  579. >Be Sundance
  580. >Chocolate!
  581. >You've had chocolate once before, in a bar, during Ranger training
  582. >It's delicious
  583. >But this one is special
  584. >It's round!
  585. >Not only round, it's got wisps of love around it!
  586. >You lift the treat up, then down
  587. >The wisps of love follow it, attached to it
  588. >You happily eat it, enjoying it's sweet taste, the crunchy and crispy texture, and you can't help but smile like a little filly at the sweet aftertaste, with notes of Anons love
  589.  
  590. >Anon set down the book he was holding, putting it between him and Sundance
  591. "So I'm gonna do some more baking, flip through the book, I'll make what you like."
  592. >"Oh, you don't have to do that for me." Sundance replied
  593. >But Anon gave her a reassuring smile, looking deep into her eyes
  594. "I want to." Anon said simply, "Anything you want. I want to."
  595. >Sundance's heart skipped a beat
  596. >She fluttered her wings gently
  597. >She blinked rapidly in disbelief
  598. >"Oh, I. Anything?"
  599. "Anything."
  600. >"I've always wanted to try ice cream."
  601. >Anon nodded thoughtfully
  602. "Not baked but... Italian Gelato, mint base, chocolate brownie and crumbled waffle cone added. I can make that."
  603. >Sundance smiled, imagining how that could possibly taste, "It sounds delicious. I've always liked cookies too."
  604. "Ube mochi crinkle cookies."
  605. >Sundance giggled, "I only understood half of those words, what's an ube, what's a mochi?"
  606. >Anon smiled
  607. "You'll find out, they taste delicious. I import those from the east."
  608. >"All the way from there huh? So what about... just brownies?"
  609. "Triple chocolate, milk chocolate brownie with dark chocolate chunks and white chocolate ganache drizzle. Served with a side of vanilla ice cream."
  610. >Sundance just didn't stop smiling, did he have an answer for every request?
  611. >"Cake." Sundance said simply, curious as to what he was going to reply with
  612. "Two layer Genoise sponge cake, with whipped cream and sliced mango, peach, strawberries."
  613. >Sundance didn't know what a Genoise sponge cake was, but she did know whipped cream and fruit
  614. >"I'm running out of ideas already but you just don't miss a step do you?" Sundance asked
  615. >To which Anon simply gave a smug shrug
  616. >Sundance started flipping through the cookbook, occasionally pointing out something that looked good
  617. >Every time, Anon would talk about it, how there were different variations of each kind of treat
  618. >By the time they slowed down, and Sundance yawned, they realized they'd been doing this for hours, her wings dried and folded back to her side a long time ago
  619. >It honestly felt like just barely one, but they'd been at it for at least three
  620. >"We should sleep," Sundance started, "I'll need to visit the Guardhouse tomorrow."
  621. "I'll show you to the guest room then." Anon said, he got up, and Sundance followed suit, stretching as she got up
  622. >He lead them back to the hallway and the guest room was at the end of the hall, the door right across from the bathroom door
  623. >The guest room was fairly spartan, there was a chair and desk, a large bed with pillows already on it, a nightstand
  624. >The window faced the Everfree treeline
  625. >Anon went into the room and opened one of the cabinets inside, revealing pillows, folded blankets, and an assortment of other things
  626. >Sundance hopped onto the bed, it was taller than she was used to, and once she was on, definitely larger
  627. >She could easily splay all of her limbs out and still have room to spare on the bed
  628. >Was this princess sized?
  629. >Her thoughts were interrupted by a gentle thud
  630. >Anon had tossed a massive blanket onto the bed, folded into a large square
  631. >He started to unravel it, and Sundance helped, pulling the blanket to the corners of the bed
  632. >It felt amazing to the hoof, soft, fuzzy, and the blanket had some heft to it
  633. "There, that should be enough, if you want another blanket it's just in that cabinet over there." Anon said, pointing back with his thumb
  634. >"Thanks Anonymous." Sundance said, sitting down on the bed
  635. "Ah, it's no trouble. Besides it's about time someone used the bed, they're meant to be slept on." He replied
  636. "I'll see you tomorrow morning right, good night Sundance."
  637. >"Good night Anonymous."
  638. "Anon, the full names' too long to say every time."
  639. >"...Good night, Anon."
  640.  
  641. >Be Sundance.
  642. >Now comfortably lying on your back with all your legs splayed out under the blanket
  643. >What the buck
  644. >Sun and moon
  645. >Stone Trone
  646. >Does he know what he's doing?
  647. >Is he a mare-killer?
  648. >Like a coltkiller, but a colt, seducing mares?
  649. >The way he looked into your eyes
  650. >The way he gave that smug smile and shrug
  651. >The way he told you to shorten his name
  652. >Do colts do that?
  653. >They typically don't
  654. >He could have had you at any of those moments
  655. >He could have leant in and kissed you, and you would have been helpless
  656. >He could have invited you in when he shrugged, and you would have been under his spell
  657. >He could have sat on the bed, the bed that he made for you, in front of you, and had you saying Anon the whole night
  658. >It was...
  659. >It was exhilirating.
  660. >You were seen, in his eyes
  661. >He wanted you there, you were desired
  662. >Not for your body, he could have had that
  663. >Desired for you, as a pony
  664. >Wait a minute, you were a Changeling Infiltrator
  665. >You were supposed to be the one seducing!
  666. >You narrowed your eyes in mild frustration
  667. >But he gave emotion and love so easily, there wasn't a need to draw it out
  668. >And there was just, so much of it
  669. >Just that moment in the kitchen, when he glanced away
  670. >When he seemed an image of someone of legend
  671. >He let out more raw emotion than a dozen ponies do in a week
  672. >What was that even about?
  673. >How?
  674. >Was that just it? Was Anon a legendary creature, one who matched Changeling Mythology?
  675. >A being like the First Father, who nurtured the first Queens?
  676. >That was impossible though, mythology was just that, mythology
  677. >So what could explain Anon?
  678. >...And he wanted you
  679. >You smiled and turned to your side, suddenly detecting the scent of a colt
  680. >Unmistakably
  681. >No way, that had to have been on purpose, right?
  682. >But where would he have found the time?
  683. >When she was in the bath?
  684. >But you would have heard him, the guest room is right on the other side of the hallway
  685. >Maybe it was just coincidence.
  686. >Just like how it was coincidence that he was laying down on the hill when you just so happened to decide to go to it
  687. >Coincidence. Yeah.
  688.  
  689. >Be Anon
  690. >In bed now
  691. >You take a deep breath
  692. >Sundance is just so easy to talk to, it's strange
  693. >Like that Griffon, Lady Gianna
  694. >Like the sister Princesses, Celestia and Luna
  695. >A while ago you wanted to move out of Equestria to Griffonia
  696. >Lady Gianna would have taken you in
  697. >And you felt more kinship with the cat-birds than you did with the small horses
  698. >But Luna convinced you to stay
  699. >'Just as night falls, and ponies fall asleep. There will always be some who stay up, and gaze upon the stars.'
  700. >Was what she said, sort of, if you remembered right
  701. >Something about how there will always be someone that gets you
  702. >And you guess she was right
  703. >Sundance exists.
  704. >Like how most nights you sit outside and admire the stars for Luna
  705. >You get Luna
  706. >And Sundance gets you
  707. >She doesn't push you for answers
  708. >Or talk about things you don't like to talk about
  709. >Like why do you live so far away from the rest of the village?
  710. >Or why you're so different?
  711. >Or where did you come from?
  712. >To her you're just you
  713. >Not some creature who came out of the Everfree Forest
  714. >Or some exotic alien
  715. >She didn't try to get into your pants on the day people try to get into peoples pants
  716. >She just liked to talk to you
  717. >And you made her smile, and laugh
  718. >You aren't useless
  719. >You aren't a use him and lose him
  720. >You aren't a...
  721. >...
  722. >You calm yourself and take a few more deep breaths
  723. >You force your thoughts to Sundance
  724. >You're going to blow out her tastebuds
  725. >Gonna show her what the culinary world has the offer, both pony and human
  726. >She's been missing out, you're the guy who's going to show her the best flavors out there
  727. >You're the best one for it too
  728. >You made her smile, and laugh.
  729. >Your thoughts stay on Sundance, and you think about the adventures she told you about
  730. >Tales of soaring through the desert sky
  731. >Exploring deep underground caves
  732. >Darting through a rockfall in the mountains
  733.  
  734. ...
  735.  
  736. >Be Sundance
  737. >This bed is really comfy so you keep your eyes closed and stretch under the blankets
  738. >You've just had a wonderful dream
  739. >You met some out of this world alien colt and he whisked you away to his home
  740. >Which was crazy, colts are never the ones to approach mares
  741. >But you talked with him and conversation flowed so smoothly
  742. >He fed you, in both ways
  743. >He was a fantastic chef and always had interesting ideas for food
  744. >The soup he made was amazing, and warming
  745. >The pasta he made was filling and nutty
  746. >His whole house was saturated with delectable emotions
  747. >It was like being in the Hive's royal storehouse, but not cold
  748. >This colt was like a book character too
  749. >Complete with mysterious dark past
  750. >Wait a minute
  751. >You groggily force your eyes open and lift your head to look around, squinting through the sunlight
  752. >This wasn't an inn room, nor an inn bed
  753. >Oh
  754. >Ohhh...
  755. >So that wasn't a dream
  756. >And here you thought Hearts and Hooves day would be a bust
  757.  
  758. >When you get back out to the kitchen and living room, Anon is already in the kitchen
  759. >This whole part of the house smells like freshly baked bread
  760. >He turns to you, beaming a smile, whisking something in a bowl
  761. >His smile is infectious
  762. >"'Morning Sundance, how do you like your eggs? And, are you a coffee or a tea gal?"
  763. >Fertilized.
  764. >Wait you can't say that
  765. >Is this colt single? He sure seemed single yesterday when you were talking
  766. >How is this colt single?
  767. >You can't say that either
  768. >Colts can be sensitive
  769. >Get yourself together mare!
  770. "Uh, eggs, scrambled? And I usually drink coffee, but that was because it was the only thing other than water at bases."
  771. >Anon gives you a look with a raised eyebrow
  772. "I could go for tea."
  773. >He got to putting a kettle on the stove
  774. >"What kind of scramble?"
  775. "There's different kinds?"
  776. >You thought back to the kinds of breakfast the rangers would make while at the outposts
  777. >Coffee, clearly, but you have a sneaking suspicion that there's a whole depth to coffee that you're missing
  778. >Beans, bread, dried fruits
  779. >Sometimes soup with wild ingredients, if you could find ingredients
  780. >Preservation had priority over freshness, since ranger bases and outposts were often far from civilization
  781. >And you were Wildland Rangers not cooks
  782. >Anon just blinked at you
  783. >"I'll make you a loaded scramble with some bread, how 'bout that?"
  784. "Sounds good!"
  785. >Scrambled eggs loaded with what?
  786.  
  787. >Anon got to work cutting and dicing
  788. >Fresh bell peppers, onions, mushrooms
  789. >Grating cheese, at least two different kinds
  790. >Slicing herbs
  791. >It constantly amazed you how much effort and care this sort of thing took
  792. >Compared to cooking in the field, Anon was leagues ahead
  793. >It also amazed you how effortless he made it look
  794. >Before you knew it, you had a cup of steaming tea in front of you and Anon was in front of the stove tossing ingredients into a pan
  795. "What kind of tea is this?"
  796. >"It's a floral black tea, it has caffeine so don't worry about not getting your fix."
  797. >You took a sip
  798. >It was hot, and much gentler to drink than the bitter and harsh coffee that you've had previously
  799. >Hints of flowers that you couldn't name
  800. >And a little bit of sweetness
  801. >It was way different than the hibiscus tea you had last night with Anon
  802. >And of course, love
  803. >It seemed to be a hallmark of Anon's cooking
  804. >Like an artists signature
  805. "I think I'm a 'tea gal' now."
  806. >Anon let out a small chuckle, "Well that's good, I'm a tea guy. I was worried I'd have to pick up coffee brewing sooner than I was expecting."
  807. "You wouldn't do that just for me."
  808. >"Well I've wanted to get into coffee brewing for myself, just later." Anon explained, "If you preferred coffee I would have started sooner."
  809.  
  810. >Anon then slid a plate in front of you
  811. >It was the loaded scramble, and it looked delicious
  812. >Topped with a yellow and white cheese
  813. >Colors of green and red bell peppers, onions, herbs
  814. >There was an empty section on the plate
  815. >Just in time to answer the question in your head, you heard a crunch and looked up at the source
  816. >Anon had just pulled the loaf of bread out of the oven and started cutting into it
  817. >He cut you a slice and pulled the bowl he was whisking earlier closer to him
  818. >He dipped a butter knife into the bowl
  819. >It was butter!
  820. >Whipped with sliced herbs, and when he put a layer of it on the freshly baked bread, the butter melted almost immediately into the still warm bread
  821. >The buttered bread found its way onto your plate, and Anon cut himself two slices
  822. >You dug into your food happily, taking a bite of the bread
  823. >Salt!
  824. >But it wasn't too salty
  825. >Salt was expensive, and one of the perks of being a Ranger, well, the Guard in general
  826. >Plentiful access to salt
  827. >Civilian ponies usually had a harder time getting seasonings like this, especially in an inland village like Ponyville
  828. >He wasn't splurging for you, right?
  829. >"So what are you up to today? You mentioned last night that you had to go to the Guardhouse today?" Anon asked
  830. "Oh, yeah. I need to report my new housing situation, and check to see if I'm scheduled for any patrols, or schools."
  831. >"Schools?"
  832. "Yeah I'm not trained in woodlands terrain. I was trained originally for desert operations, and then I was schooled in Mountainous later. Usually when a Ranger gets to a new place they're apprenticed by the senior Rangers there and learn the ropes of the terrain from them. But em... there's no senior Rangers here. This was Wonderbolt territory, and they're not here for some reason, so I..."
  833. >You notice Anon make a face and he darkens
  834. "I'm not really sure what's going on, if the crowns are going to send me an expert to learn from, or what."
  835. >You watch Anon carefully, it was only a tinge, and he managed to stop it from getting worse
  836. >"...Well, if you're in a pinch, I could show you around the Everfree. I know it pretty well."
  837. >You smile at him, relieved, that he was able to turn his emotions around, despite what troubled him, and happy that he's willing to spend more time with you
  838.  
  839. "What about you then? What's your day looking like?
  840. >Anon takes a bite out of his scramble and glances up, thinking for a moment, chewing and swallowing
  841. >"Going into town and seeing if anyone has any orders, grabbing a few groceries, maybe painting tonight."
  842. "Oh, did you paint those?"
  843. >You turn your head and look at the strange paintings in the living room
  844. >The massive red bridge, collection of pyramids, a snaking stone wall through green hills
  845. >What were they?
  846. >"Yep!" Anon replied proudly, with a smidge of sadness?
  847. >"I'm getting better too. Never thought I'd be a painter but here we are. That one's The Golden Gate," He pointed with his spoon at the red bridge over water
  848. >"The Giza Pyramids at Egypt, and The Great Wall of China."
  849. "They look amazing."
  850. >"They were."
  851. "I meant the paintings too you know."
  852. >You had no idea what they were exactly, but Anon spoke of them with fondness, and sadness.
  853. >They must be from his home, the one he hadn't talked about yet
  854. >It must be far away, you were pretty well traveled, but you'd never heard of these landmarks before
  855. >Well, when he wants to talk about it he will
  856. "I'm looking forward to seeing more."
  857. >He smiled at you, appreciative of your interest, or your compliments, or a combination of both
  858.  
  859. ...
  860.  
  861. >Be Sundance
  862. >Currently mid walk to the Guardhouse
  863. >Breakfast was delicious, filling, interesting, and like last nights dinner
  864. >Full of love
  865. >You still don't know how he did it, the colt was a factory for it, and never seemed to run out
  866. >Anon was full of mysteries, but he was kind, and attentive, easy to talk to, and easy to get along with
  867. >The Guardhouse came into view
  868. >It was a wide stone made tower, just two stories tall, with several wood extensions to the tower
  869. >One section was under construction, a number of construction mares ferrying planks of wood and wheelbarrows of stone
  870. >The sound of hammers and saws filled the air
  871. >You opened the wooden door to the tower
  872. >Inside was your commanding officer, and several other town guardsmares
  873. >Commander Sandy Sabatons, a younger mare, a few years younger than you, guessing
  874. >You walk up to her desk and salute
  875. >Officially, Sandy had rank on you, but everyone in the Guardhouse knew that when it came to experience, you trounced everyone in the room
  876. >Sandy saluted back, "At ease Ranger Sundance, just the mare I was looking for. I actually have two letters for you."
  877. >Hm?
  878. >Letters?
  879. >Sandy hoofed you the two letters, one stamped with the Equestrian Royal Guard seal, and the other, stamped with the...
  880. >The Royal Crowns?!
  881. >You look up at Sandy with mild panic
  882. >"They just came in this morning, and they're both addressed to you specifically." Sandy explained.
  883. "Uh, well. I came over to report that I have a new housing situation."
  884. >You grab a letter opener from Sandy's desk and sit down on a chair in front of her desk
  885. >"So that's why the other mares didn't see you at the inn." Sandy replied
  886. >You opened the Royal Guard letter first
  887.  
  888. "Yeah, Anonymous offered me a room and I took it."
  889. >The entire guardhouse went silent, and you halted too
  890. >Huh?
  891. >Why was there fear and dread in the air?
  892. >You looked up at Sandy, who had a concerned look about her face
  893. >There was a few seconds of silence
  894. >"Did he suck your blood?" A guardsmare shouted from across the room
  895. >What the hay?
  896. >You looked over to the mare with complete and utter confusion on your face
  897. "Huh?"
  898. >Then you were crowded by the guardsmares, one of them looked at your neck, worryingly
  899. >"Anonymous drinks blood! He's a Vampony!"
  900. "Where did you hear that non-"
  901. >"No he's a were-bear! On full moons he turns into a bear."
  902. "No he doesn'-"
  903. >"No he KILLED a bear, he's not a were-bear!"
  904. "Wha-?"
  905. >"He communes with wolves and leads an army of them! He doesn't deal with bears!"
  906. >???
  907. >"He's not a Vampony because he's not a pony, the file says he calls himself human, he's a Vamhuman, clearly!"
  908. >What the hay is going on?
  909. >"Did you see last month? Last month two griffons entered his house, Anonymous didn't come out for three DAYS after they left!"
  910.  
  911. "What are you all talking about!?"
  912. >Your outburst shut them all up
  913. "He's been nothing but a complete gentlecolt ever since I met him."
  914. "Now, let me look at these letters from THE BRASS, and THE PRINCESSES, in peace."
  915. >The crowd scattered, muttering to each other about Anon
  916. >You huffed
  917. >Finally, you got the letter from command opened
  918. >First Ranger Sundance, blah blah blah
  919. >Huh?
  920. >Request for Woodlands Expert denied?
  921. >Request for a Wonderbolt who was stationed here previously, denied?
  922. >Orders to found a new team of Everfree Forest specialized Rangers
  923. >New rangers arriving in three months
  924. >You plant your hoof to your face
  925. >You looked up to Sandy
  926. "What happened to the Wonderbolt team that was stationed here?"
  927. >"We don't know, they packed their bags and went back to Fort Canterlot a year ago, and six months ago the entire Ponyville guard rotated out."
  928. >Huh?
  929. "So all of you got here six months ago?"
  930. >"Well most of us, some of us three months ago. And then you came in last week."
  931. >You blinked at her, that was... very strange. To say the least.
  932. >"What did the letter say?"
  933. "Just denials for woodland training and then orders to make a new team of Everfree Rangers. How the hay am I supposed to do that with no experience or training in the Everfree?"
  934. >"Well I would recommend you start reading up, there's books about the forest in the library, and then to careful and speak to Anonymous. But you moved in with him already."
  935. >You grunted at that, guess you'd be spending your days reading now
  936. >You opened the letter with the Royal seal next
  937. >It was a letter from Princess Luna and Princess Celestia.
  938.  
  939. Dear Sundance,
  940. By now you would have made it to Ponyville. It's a nice town, with good ponies. In particular, a human named Anonymous. He is familiar with the Everfree Forest, and we think it would be wise to befriend him. Be gentle, he is more fragile, and more powerful, than he looks and realizes. Keep an eye on him for us, please. Thank you.
  941. -Celestia
  942. -Luna
  943.  
  944. >You closed your eyes as you folded up the letter and took a deep breath
  945. >This can't be a coincidence.
  946. >No way.
  947. >Meeting Anon during Hearts and Hooves
  948. >Commander Sandy's recommendation to meet with Anon about the forest
  949. >The Crowns recommending to befriend Anon
  950. >Hold on...
  951. >When you were reassigned away from the mountains, your orders cited your exceptional ability to keep morale up
  952. >Did the Princesses have a hoof in that too?
  953. >What the hay is going on?
  954. >Something's getting bucked around behind the curtains
  955. >You can hear it, but you don't see it yet
  956. >What was so special about Anon?
  957. >Aside from his restaurant level cooking?
  958. >And general mysteriousness
  959. >And him being an alien
  960. >And him matching up with some depictions in Changeling mythology
  961. >Okay there was a lot going on with Anon
  962. >But these letters didn't help at all
  963. >You sighed
  964. "I need a drink."
  965.  
  966. >In barely a minute a Guardsmare put a cup of coffee on Commander Sandy's desk in front of you
  967. >You said your thanks and got back to thinking, drinking it
  968. >It was...
  969. >Well it was coffee, bitter, made like always, no love or anything special about it
  970. >Anon seemed to not enjoy talk about the Wonderbolts, judging by how he felt when you mentioned them this morning
  971. >And they left a year ago suddenly
  972. >Then the entire Ponyville guard was switched out
  973. >And now the Princesses are asking you, personally, to keep an eye on Anon
  974. >It suddenly didn't seem impossible that the Princesses pulled you specifically to station you here in Ponyville
  975. >And the Crowns do have the power to just... change out an entire towns garrison
  976. >Nobody could say no to them
  977. "Hey Commander?"
  978. >Sandy looked up from her papers
  979. "What's the story with Anon's arrival anyways?"
  980.  
  981. >"Well," Sandy began, glad that she could do something other than paperwork
  982. >"None of us were here for it, but word around town was that about two or three years ago, there was a magical disturbance deep in the Everfree Forest. A Wonderbolt lead a Guardspony patrol there and they found Anon. You know how he wears clothes that cover his entire body now, apparently, he was found with a bear pelt cloak, and just pants. The patrol report states that they thought it was a bear at first. The patrol lowered spears first, and then Anon raised his, reportedly a stone spear. The Wonderbolt mare defused the situation."
  983. >Another mare jumped into the story, "Some of the guardsponies reported that behind Anon, hidden by the dark and the bushes, were wolves watching them. And that's really weird because wolves are territorial right, usually when ponies intrude the wolves scare us away by charging us, then veering off with growls and howls. But these wolves were dead silent, just watching. Word on the street is that there were at least eight hiding in the bushes."
  984. >"There was only two in the report."
  985. >"Yeah but how many were there that they DIDN'T see?"
  986. >"River, we weren't there, all of this is basically rumor, even the official report has redacted sections and is a mess."
  987. "The report is redacted?"
  988. >"Just some of it, look for yourself." Sandy said, turning around and opening a file cabinet
  989. >Once the folder was on the desk, you opened it, and started to read.
  990.  
  991. ...
  992.  
  993. >Be Anon
  994. >Heading into town now for groceries, and to see if anyones placed any orders from you on the Town Hall bulletin board
  995. >There were few ponies out and about, most of them likely sleeping in with their partners
  996. >Strangely, there were quite a few ponies who smiled and waved at him
  997. >Usually that didn't happen
  998. >But you didn't pay much mind to it.
  999. >Once at the town hall, you scanned the bulletin board, there was a post about a pony being available for carpentry jobs, another pony selling surplus honey, that one seemed appealing
  1000. >You see that it was Honey Harmony selling it, you knew her, she liked your pizza. Extra mushrooms and light on the onions.
  1001. >You'll have to talk to her about buying a few jars of honey
  1002. >No orders on your own post though, strange, usually there were a few
  1003. >But that just meant more free time for you
  1004. >Now groceries
  1005.  
  1006. >Grocery shopping went smoothly, all you needed were essentials anyways
  1007. >But ponies seemed happy towards you
  1008. >Now this was getting unsettling
  1009. >Ponies being happy was normal, but happy towards YOU specifically, something was up.
  1010. >Usually they were just polite, or stayed out of your way
  1011. >But you even got a few 'good morning's here and there
  1012. >Hm...
  1013. >Your were broken out of your train of thought when you arrived at the Apple Family stall
  1014. >It was a quaint stall, mostly just a cart with buckets of apples in it, with a green and white canvas roof
  1015. >"Anon! As I live and breathe, you're awake!"
  1016. >You stared at him dumbly for easily five long seconds, and your friend, Jam Apple, stared back expecting an explanation
  1017. "Uh... yeah, I would hope so? I'm usually up by now?"
  1018. >"How come you're not cuddling your marefriend in be-"
  1019. >You immediately clamped your hand around this colt's mouth, keeping it shut
  1020. >You leaned in close, moving slowly
  1021. >Whatever nonsense Jam heard, you didn't need the whole town to be abuzz with false rumor
  1022. "My... what?" you asked, slowly releasing your hand
  1023.  
  1024. >"Sorry, I know the topic is touchy." Jam apologized, huffing out of his nose to make it comfortable again, "Everypony knows. A bunch of colts saw you walk home with that new Guardsmare."
  1025. >You closed your eyes and took a deep, deep breath.
  1026. >"You're really fast you know that Anon?"
  1027. >You exhaled, slowly.
  1028. >"And that same bunch of colts saw her leave your house this morning."
  1029. >You sighed and let out a groan, that was barely half an hour ago, how does the whole town know that now?
  1030. "She's not my marefriend." You stated, "She doesn't have a place to stay, so I'm offering my guest room."
  1031. >Jam lit up, "Ohhhh! I get it, ROOMMATES." He winked at you.
  1032. "Yes roommates and not the kind of roommates you're thinking of, Jam."
  1033. >"Aww, come on, is there REALLY nothing going on there?" He asked genuinely, "You've been alone for over a year now, and being with somepony brings out the best in you. A colt shouldn't have to be alone for that long."
  1034. >You sighed, Jam was right, the both of you knew it, about the best in you part. Not the casual sexism part.
  1035. >"It was bad luck that it was her, not every mare is like that."
  1036. "I know."
  1037. >"You know. So, what about this Guardsmare?"
  1038. >You were silent for a long while
  1039. "... She's a Wildland Ranger. And we seem to like falling into step with each other."
  1040. >Jam Apple gave you an understanding smile, "Then I might be reading ahead, who knows. Only you can know when you're ready. But I am glad that you seem to enjoy her company."
  1041.  
  1042. >A small smile tugged at your lips
  1043. "Okay enough with this feelings stuff. Gimme eight apples. I'm gonna be trying my hand at some Apple Tarts sometime, I'll give you some to see if I'm doing the apples justice."
  1044. >Jam's small smile grew to a wide grin, "And this new Ranger mare has nothing to do with this new recipe thing?"
  1045. "Yeah, none, no affiliation whatsoever." You smiled, pausing for a moment, "Actually everything to do with."
  1046. >Jam opened his mouth to speak up, but you interrupted him.
  1047. "I know, I know, best in me thing."
  1048. >Jam just gave you a knowing look, as he handed you a bag of apples.
  1049. >You leaned down to grab them, and you also ruffled his mane
  1050. "Listen, I'm sorry about the grabbing your face thing." You say quietly
  1051. >"I know you are, the topic puts you on edge, and I know you have sharp edges." Jam replied with a sad smile.
  1052. "You help smooth them out."
  1053. >"I know I do. That's why I put up with you, you're a softy under those spikes, I just have to sand them away."
  1054. >You roll your eyes at Jam.
  1055. >"I'll let the colts know your sitch', and maybe I'll convince a few more that they shouldn't go to the new Wonderbolt show."
  1056. "You don't have to do that..."
  1057. >"Oh but I want to." Jam Apple said happily, you heard a little bit of crazy in his tone
  1058. >You just chuckled at the silliness of it, as if a few ticket sales were going to hurt the Wonderbolts
  1059. >But, you understood that he wanted to hurt them back, for hurting you
  1060. >You pulled Jam in for a short hug
  1061. "Thanks Jam, I'll be see you 'round then?"
  1062. >Of course Anon."

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by Sundance_Anon