>As the dust settled and the earth finally stopped shaking, you could feel consciousness return to your mind
>Bleary, though the cobwebs were quickly fading away to return clarity to you
>You...
>Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship
>Pushing yourself off the ground, you glanced around the ravaged countryside, jaw dropped at the sheer scale of the destruction around you
>Deep gouges in the earth, shattered stone, part of the walls of the Ghastly Gorge had been partially collapsed, leaving the gorge half the size it used to be
>It took you a moment still to remember the cause of all of this
>Grogar, the Father of Monsters... and your King, Anonymous Rex
>The conflict was unlike anything you'd ever seen
>Even your battle with Tirek, fierce as it was, couldn't compare
>The Centaur was a threat to your people and the world, but despite everything he did, you don't think you could conjure up even a fraction of the hatred that Grogar and Anonymous openly had for each other
>Hoofblows and headbutts were traded freely just as much as they utilized their magic, each of them relishing in causing physical agony on one another
>You were pretty sure at one point they just started biting each other
>Despite all that savagery, it still came down to Friendship... in a way
>You, you friends, the other Alicorn Princesses sharing your Magic with the King to give him that final push needed to overcome his foe
>The sheer effort was enough to make you faint, but... you had won, right?
>You were fairly sure of it, if the King hadn't succeeded, surely Grogar would be around to gloat
>Or... take advantage of all the downed Ponies to ensure that those that aided Anonymous didn't wake up
>A shudder lanced down your spine like lightning at the thought
>As you trot through the battlefield (breathing a sigh of relief as you note your friends and allies getting to their hooves as you did), you finally found some evidence of the conflict's resolution
>The sight of one of the Ibex's horns, thoroughly snapped off and rammed into a charred tree certainly gave credence to the fallen foe
>But where was Anonymous, then?
>Continuing to look around, it was then that you caught a glint of something
>Just past the seeming remains of the Father of Monsters was a massive scorch mark along the earth
>And in the middle of it...
"... Anon?"
>The warped, charred remnants of what was assuredly the King's bronze peytral
>And nothing else
>"Anonymous?!"
>In the distance, you thought you heard someone scream as you collapsed by the destroyed regalia
>You later realized that it was yourself
>Time seemed to speed by after that
>Days swiftly bled into weeks, which in turn became months past by
>The King had wisely goaded Grogar into facing him in the mostly unpopulated Ghastly Gorge
>But the ferocity of their conflict still managed to damage towns as far as Los Pegasus and Applewood
>Repairs needed to be made, citizenry needed to be calmed, and... order needed to be restored
>It was no secret that King Anonymous always wanted Celestia and Luna to retake their places as rulers of Equestria
>And that he wanted you to join them as a Triarchy
>Even as a Unicorn filly he saw something in you
>Taking the time to teach you about governance and law in addition to Magic
>You had thought before your Ascension that he simply had a position for you earmarked in his court
>You never dreamed that he intended for you to take a place at his side as an equal
>... And now you never would
>At least, that is what others around you would like you to think
>But your King didn't raise a quitter
>While Luna and Celestia were certain of Anonymous's demise
>Celestia claiming she could feel the Tree of Harmony growing in power following the battle, as if it had reabsorbed Anonymous's magic
>And Luna even being so ghoulish as to claim they "finally had full control over their celestial bodies once again"
>The way she phrased it made your fur stand on end
>'Finally'
>As if feeling a sense of relief over this perceived great loss
>While you respected their abilities as leaders you never connected with the Royal Sisters emotionally
>There was too many centuries dividing you three
>They were figures from ancient history returned to the modern day, after all
>To say nothing of how Luna seemed to revel in her cruelty towards the King
>Criticizing his governance, trying to undercut him, challenging him in petty ways
>While her older sister barely attempted to rein her in
>Likely trying to make up for failing her to the point she succumbed to darkness
>While they may have accepted Anonymous's supposed death, you absolutely weren't having it
>Outright refusing to accept your place in the Triarchy proper
>Pushing back your coronation as you workshopped scrying spell after scrying spell
>Each tracker refuted Celestia's claims, your attempt to follow the King's essence leading you back to the Tree of Harmony
>You would be in awe of such a beautiful, powerful magical artifact if you hadn't made a hiking path to the damned thing from your unintended repeated visits
>Visits from your friends were more frequently turned away as your pursuit of tracking spells you hadn't already tried grew progressively darker
>Your results were flawed, you knew he was out there
>It was just a matter of finding the right ritual to confirm it
>And, after yet another agonizing month
>You did it
>The trail was faint, so weak that it was no wonder the more vibrant resonance of the Tree of Harmony overshadowed it
>That didn't stop you from screaming in frustration at the fact that your King had been holed up in another cave not even five-hundred hooves away from the Tree
>Under your nose this whole time and you just... kept failing
>Without telling a single soul, you set out after the trail
>Despite your expectations, what you found in that cave still managed to be worse than you prepared for
>Your mentor was in shambles
>His proud forest coat had turned dingy and faded, eyes sunken and dark. His proud mane hung limp around his withers, and all around he was just... diminished
>Half his former size and a third his previous weight, he looked like a corpse
>Any evidence he ever had wings or a horn were completely erased
>But what disturbed you more than anything was how at peace Anonymous looked
>Resting on a rock covered in moss, as if he was just... waiting
>He didn't even acknowledge you until you cleared your throat
>And prodded at him a little
>"Twilight Sparkle? Well, this is... a surprise. I didn't think anyone'd be finding me here, what with the big glowing beacon down the street."
>That declaration gave you pause
"Anonymous... you were trying to hide your presence on purpose? Why would you do that? We've been worried sick!"
>You
>You were worried sick
>The King looked uncomfortable for a moment, but recovered
>"Well, I mean... look at me, Twilight. This is all that's left. When I finally ripped that goat in half I received a vision from the Tree. With Grogar truly dead this time, my role in this whole thing was done. The Sisters are back, Cadance is slotted in the Crystal Empire, and we even have you to bring a fresh perspective to running Equestria. Harmony's releasing me from my service... and honestly, I'm not about to fight it. It's been an adventure, these past six-hundred years... but it's time to get things back on track."
>Your breath stuttered as your King so nonchalantly revealed the aftermath of his battle
"R... releasing you from your service? What do you mean by that, exactly?"
>"I think you can tell I'm missing a few accessories, Twi."
>Despite that, Anonymous still gestured at his empty back and blank forehead
>"Obviously I'm not flying or teleporting anywhere anytime soon, but with those being gone, well... I think you can guess what I'm missing as well. Honestly, I'm surprised I haven't starved yet."
>Your heart stopped
>No. Absolutely not. No.
>Your mind refused to accept that statement
>Refused to accept the idea that the effort you made to find your King only resulted in you reaching his death bed
>Refused to conceptualize a world where you had to get on by without Anonymous to turn to
>From the base of your horn to the bottoms of your hooves, you refused
>Your horn flared to life as your magical aura ensnared Anonymous, who, in his current state, had no way of stopping you from carrying him from this wretched cave to the cavern of the Tree of Harmony
>This was not happening
>Placing your mentor down as tenderly as possible, you turned to face the Tree, expression set in righteous, furious determination
"He's served you for centuries. He kept us all safe at the cost of his own blood. You are NOT going to throw him away like trash!"
>With a firm stomp of your hoof you waited
>And were met with a vision of... yourself
>Static and shimmering, it was clearly a projection, though you didn't understand why it would pick you of all Ponies
>"Anonymous has performed his role admirably, Princess of Friendship - balance was torn down by the Day Princess's foolish attempt to circumvent my judgement and return the Night Princess from her exile early, allowing creatures like Grogar to return and wreak havoc, as you well know. Empowering Anonymous was only a temporary solution until all of the fated Alicorn Princesses could be accounted for, and the Father of Monsters was permanently slain. All of his duties have come to pass. The terms have been met."
>Your left foreleg stomped the ground hard enough to leave spiderweb cracks in the stone. Your brow set into an even tighter glare
"Why does that mean he has to die, though?! To wither like this? Hasn't he earned the right to enjoy a life past those duties?!"
>Your shimmering doppleganger simply shakes her head. "The power he was granted was never his to begin with. It cannot stay with him - it is my might that protects this land. Had I had access to it during the Plunderseed incident, for example, I would have been able to repel those wretched Chaotic vines without having to take back the Elements of Harmony from you and your friends. Because I rationed out my power to Anonymous, Equestria lost access to its' most powerful assets. As it stands it will take generations for the Elements to be restored and able to be received by new bearers. Besides... I think you will find that the stallion himself is accepting of this fate."
>Despite every sense in your body telling you not to, you couldn't stop yourself from turning to look at your dessicated mentor
>The expression on his gaunt face was not one you wanted to see, but you could tell that he didn't disagree.
"Anonymous...?"
>"Harmony... isn't wrong, Twilight. You need to understand that... six hundred years? It's a long time. As it is now, you can't understand that amount of time. Generations pass in the blink of an eye. Friends, loved ones... all taken by time. All of them, except for me. I've given everything I had to ensure that Equestria would be in as much of one piece as I could to hand it off to Celestia, Luna... and you. I'm ready."
>If it weren't for the soft shimmering hum of the Tree's avatar, you were sure you could've heard your heart shatter
>You bound over to your mentor, your king, your friend
>Grasping at him as tightly as you dared, terrified of what he desired, but not as terrified as accidentally hurting him in this state
"But I'm not ready!"
>You sob, unable to stop yourself from weeping
>ugly, fat tears escaping out of your tightly clenched shut eyes, already beginning to tremble from the emotions overtaking you
>"Twilight... out of all the students I ever had, you stand above them, and it's not even close. You picked up all my lessons, from mathematics to governance with aplomb. You couldn't be more ready... and you won't be alone, you'll have Celestia and Luna."
"Celestia and Luna didn't teach me everything they know! They didn't raise me like you did! We can barely have a conversation because all Luna wants to do is badmouth you and Celestia won't do anything about it!"
>Your mentor hesitated at that, brow knit as his uncomfortable expression grew, trying to think of something
>"Well... your friends, then! You'll still have them, right? Magic knows they already find time to do their regular jobs and obligations on top of helping run that goofy school of yours. They can... help?"
>His confidence in his statement doesn't even make it to the end of it. A powerful sob escapes your mouth
"For how long?! They aren't immortal, either! I'll have to watch them die, and then I'll be all alone! Please! Please..."
>Your grip on Anonymous tightens despite yourself, as your body trembles harder from the sheer power of your weeping
"Please... Grampanon..."
>Your mentor chokes at that, staring down at you in shock, lifting his forelegs to wrap around the back of her head, petting your mane
>"... Shit, kid. You haven't called me that since you grew a sense of shame."
>With your face buried in his thin chest fluff, currently busy making it damp with tears and snot, you completely miss the look your mentor and the Tree's avatar share
>A conversation of facial expressions and minute gestures that could only be accomplished from centuries of working together
>At Anonymous's repeated gesturing at the trembling mare in his grasp, the avatar finally gives a defeated sigh
>"Perhaps... there is merit in the concept of rewarding him for his service."
>You stiffen in place as you register your shimmering copy's words
>"It seems like I have one last Royal Duty I need to attend to before I can high tail it out of here, Harmony... I need to see this silly mare grow into the wonderful Princess I know she can be."
>Your heart's pounding in your ears, you can hear the grin in Anonymous's voice
>"Agreed. I charge you with this solemn task, Anonymous. Do not let me down."
>Before you can lift your head you can feel the tremor of powerful magic behind you
>The cavern trembles as cascades of arcane power rush past you
>Crashing into your mentor, suffusing his essence once again
>The sheer force of it forces you to cling to him
>And only when it finally subsides do you dare to pull back and inspect him
>A coat of proud forest green, his fluff still damp with your weeping but managing to be majestic regardless
>Hair, dark as the blackest night, sticking straight up in that ridiculous upward manestyle he was so proud of
>Eyes, vibrant emeralds with bright white sclera
>... Though still missing his wings and lengthy horn
>Anonymous takes note of his renewed form, standing upright - dwarfing you as he always did
>"Looks like I'm free from the paperwork, Princess. Hope you aren't too disappointed."
>Something between a sob and a laugh escapes your mouth as you turn to face the Tree's avatar
"Thank you... thank you so much!"
>Your doppleganger shakes her head simply
>"You were right that it was beyond cruel to simply discard Anonymous in the face of his splendid service. While I cannot spare the magic to return him to his full Alicorn form... I can parcel out enough to ensure you will enjoy his company for quite some time."
>With a great bark of a laugh, your mentor wraps a foreleg around your withers, grinning
>"You heard the Tree - you're stuck with me, kid, so don't get cold hooves in a few hundred years, alright? Now lets go home - I wanna see the look on Luna's face when she realizes she can't have my air hockey table."
>Wiping at your eyes to clear the tears, you offer your mentor the brightest smile you've been able to give in months
"Yes... lets go home... together!"