>It was a simple school assignment: write a story. 
>But the Crusaders could not think of anything to write about. 
>They had read a newspaper for inspiration, which was something that their teacher had suggested, but none of the stories were about anything interesting. 
>So they talked about interesting stories for a while. 
>One story, told to them by Snails, was about a girl who had eaten so much paste that she glued the bottom of her stomach shut; 
>and then, one day, she ate too much at lunch and her stomach blew up because she couldn’t digest her food. 
>And the crusaders all expressed disgust and then laughed, and they wondered why the newspaper wasn’t full of great stories like those. 
>So they were all lying about in their treehouse, daydreaming and idly staring into space, an activity which is known in some circles as Brainstorming. 
>They were sure that they were trying very hard to think of something to write about, but they were mostly just making things out of the pages of the newspaper, such as pirate hats and origami fortune tellers.
>“We have to think of something girls,” said Apple Bloom. “Have any of you thought of anything yet? I don’t think my brainstorming has been doing me any good.”
>“I told you, we need coffee,” said Sweetie Belle. “Rarity never brainstorms unless she has coffee, or tea, or something sweet to eat—preferably made of chocolate.”
>“Hey, Rarity is always noticing gossipy things around town,” said Apple Bloom. “Maybe we should ask her to give us a story idea.”
>“I don’t think we can do that today,” said Sweetie Belle. “Rarity might think I’m snooping again.”
>“Why’s that?” they asked.
>Sweetie looked around and then leaned in to whisper a secret.
>“Well, when Rarity wasn’t home one day, I looked under her bed, and I found this really weird black rubber worm.”
>They looked at Sweetie with skepticism.
>“I’m not lying.” She outstretched her arms. “You should’ve seen it. It was huge!”
>“Why would Rarity have a big black rubber worm under her bed?” asked Apple Bloom.
>“I don’t know,” said Sweetie. “But she talks to it, too. She calls it Prince Pucker-Plug.” 
>She looked back and forth between her friends and added: “They jump on the bed together.”
>“You’ve seen them,” said Scootaloo.
>“No, I haven’t seen them,” said Sweetie Belle. 
>“But I was listening outside her door one night, and I heard her talking to him, very excitedly, while the bed springs were squeaking, so what else could it be?”
>“You know, this is actually kind of interesting,” said Apple Bloom with excitement.
>“Yeah,” agreed Scootaloo. “I’m starting to wish I had a worm of my own.”
>“We can’t write about it though,” said Sweetie Belle.
>They both glared at her.
>“Sorry,” said Sweetie, folding her ears.
>“Well, back to the drawing board,” sighed Apple Bloom.
>“I still think we should write a story about Rainbow Dash,” said Scootaloo.
>Just then a large sonic boom rang throughout the air and they went to the window and saw that a sonic rainboom was waving on the sky.
>“Yeah,” said Sweetie blandly, “you and everypony else in class.”
>“Well,” said Scootaloo indignantly, “I told you all we should’ve hurried and got to her first after class had got out.”
>“Then you shouldn’t have got detention after school,” said Apple Bloom.
>“Whatever,” said Scootaloo. “The story is due tomorrow. So let’s just think of something already.”
>“I take it you haven’t thought of anything then,” said Apple Bloom.
>“No,” said Scootaloo. “But I did make this paper airplane.”
>“Is that all you’ve been doing?” asked Sweetie.
>“That’s what got you in detention in the first place!” yelled Apple Bloom.
>“Hey, get off my case,” said Scootaloo. “I always make paper airplanes when I’m thinking.”
>And when she said that she tossed the paper airplane, sending it on its first aerial venture, and it glided right out one of the windows of the treehouse. 
>Little did they know that it had guided their attention towards the fated circumstance that would manifest the inspiration needed to finish their assignment. 
>“Don’t throw that outside,” yelled Apple Bloom. “Now I have to go out there and pick it up before Applejack yells at me for littering.”
>“She won’t find it,” Scootaloo said.
>“She always finds it,” Apple Bloom retorted.
Applejack! they heard a voice scream outside.
>Scootaloo, upon hearing the voice, said:
>“Isn’t that Anon’s voice?”
>“He sounds really mad,” said Sweetie.
Applejack! they heard again. Your stupid friend has been at it again!
>They all moved to the window of the treehouse, but wherever Anonymous was they certainly couldn’t see him. 
>Sweetie and Scootaloo asked Apple Bloom what he was doing at Sweet Apple Acres.
>“Well, Applejack has never told me specifically,” said Apple Bloom. 
>“But I figured it out on my own after a while: he’s complaining about Fluttershy to her.”
>They both said, “Oh,” and then nodded their heads at this. 
>It was well known in town that Fluttershy had a crush on Anonymous but, among the minds of the children, there still remained an aspect of Fluttershy and Anon’s relationship that was shrouded in mystery. 
>“Do you girls ever think it’s weird whenever Fluttershy tries to trap Anonymous,” remarked Sweetie.
>“With what,” asked Scootaloo, “ropes, or pits, or some other kind of trap?”
>“Well, at all,” said Sweetie.
>“Oh,” said Scootaloo, “. . . yeah.”
>“I’ve asked Applejack about that,” said Apple Bloom; “but she always tells me just not to worry about it.”
>“Yeah, same with me whenever I ask Rarity,” said Sweetie. 
>“All she told me was that Fluttershy was in love with Anonymous, and that love made you do some silly things sometimes.”
>Scootaloo wretched in disapproval at what Rarity had said.
>“Rainbow Dash and I never talk about that kind of sappy stuff,” she said proudly. 
>“So, you don’t know why Fluttershy acts so weirdly around Anon either then,” said Apple Bloom plainly.
>“Actually,” said Scootaloo with an air of superiority, “I think I might know.”
>“What is it then?” they both asked.
>Scootaloo went away from the window and looked around, as if to make sure no one was eavesdropping. 
>They all gathered close to hear the secret.
>“Okay,” said Scootaloo, “so I heard Rainbow Dash talking to Pinkie Pie one day, and she started talking about Anonymous and Fluttershy.”
>She stopped, and Apple Bloom chastised her for pausing for dramatic effect.
>“What did Rainbow Dash say?” asked Apple Bloom.
>“She said,” whispered Scootaloo, “that Fluttershy wanted to get in Anon’s pants.”
>Scootaloo waited for her friends to gasp in surprise, but Sweetie only blinked, as if she was expecting her to go on, and Apple Bloom just scratched her head.
>“And then they both started laughing,” Scootaloo added quickly.
>“I don’t get it,” said Apple Bloom.
>“Well, Pinkie didn’t either,” Scootaloo admitted. “Rainbow Dash gave her a really weird look when she said that, though.”
>Apple Bloom frowned at her friend, Sweetie was still waiting for more with a smile, and Scootaloo gestured to both of them and said:
>“They looked kind of like how you two look now.”
>“Is that it?” asked Sweetie.
>“What do you mean?” asked Scootaloo.
>But Sweetie had already gone to a corner of the treehouse, where there were crayons and paper, and began drawing. 
>“Well, that’s a great story and all,” Apple Bloom said ironically. “But we still have to come up with a story of our own.”
>“What’s the matter with you two?” Scootaloo asked indignantly. “Don’t you think it’s weird that Fluttershy wants to wear Anon’s pants so badly?”
>“I don’t know,” said Apple Bloom. “I don’t think that’s why she’s always trying to trap him. There ain’t really anything special about Anon’s pants.”
>“How do you know?” Scootaloo quickly said.
>“She has a point,” said Sweetie Belle. “Anon is kind of shrouded in mystery. We don’t even know where he came from.”
>“Yeah we do,” said Apple Bloom. “Don’t you all remember that Twilight told us he came from another dimension?”
>“Does that narrow it down any?” Scootaloo asked Sweetie ironically.
>“Okay, point taken,” said Apple Bloom. “But they’re still just pants.”
>“Well, maybe he keeps something special in them,” said Sweetie Belle.
>“Yeah, Apple Bloom,” said Scootaloo. “Anon doesn’t even need to wear pants, if you think about it.”
>Apple Bloom thought for a minute. “I guess he really doesn’t need to wear pants, does he?”
>“Of course not,” said Scootaloo.
>“Yeah,” said Sweetie Belle. “You know, I always just thought he wore pants because he liked to.”
>There was a thoughtful silence.
>“But I guess it was kind of silly to think that,” she continued. “He’s probably hiding something.”
>“And Fluttershy is trying to catch it,” said Scootaloo with sudden excitement; “whatever it is.”
>“It’d explain the weird behavior of everypony, too,” said Apple Bloom. “And why we can never get a straight answer when we ask about Anon and Fluttershy.”
>“What do you think it is though?” asked Scootaloo.
>“Well, if it’s in his pants then it couldn’t be anything too big,” said Apple Bloom. “Maybe it’s a key.”
>“To some kind of treasure,” said Scootaloo.
>“Or maybe it’s the key to his heart,” said Sweetie dreamily to herself. 
>Scootaloo snorted contemptuously. “Get real, Sweetie Belle. It should be something awesome.”
>“Like this,” said Sweetie as she presented a drawing to them. 
>It was of a stick figure, with golden pants that shined with energy, and at the top was written: Anon and his Magic Pants!
>“Magic,” Apple Bloom and Scootaloo both said in wonder; 
>and they agreed that it was a good start, but soon they both had crayons and paper too, so they could add their own worthwhile contributions to the idea.

>“So which group would like to go first?” asked Cheerilee.
>The Cutie Mark Crusaders raised such a fuss that she had no choice but to pick them out of the many hooves that had raised up in class. 
>Really, everyone was interested in what their story was about and, as they went up to the front of the class, the students all whispered to each other. 
>Scootaloo had come to school wearing pants that day, and she brought her bongos. 
>Apple Bloom left the bow out of her mane and styled it to look straight and smooth, coming to a curled point at the end of her one long bang that draped over one of her eyes. 
>And their props, too, elicited wonder. 
>They were: a refrigerator box with a hole cut in it, some scrap paper, a key, a small box, a toy lantern, a skateboard, and some rope. 
>It promised to be a spectacle, when put up to speculation.
>“Well, you girls can start anytime you’re ready,” said Cheerilee.
>Sweetie Belle went behind the podium, taking a glass of water with her. 
>Apple Bloom and Scootaloo went to the side so they could have space to perform. They all had copies of the story with them.
>“This is the story of a journey,” Sweetie said. “A love story told in the most awesome way ever, yet is con—con—”
>“Conspicuous,” Apple Bloom angrily whispered.
>“Sorry,” said Sweetie. “Yet is conspicous enough not to. . . me—me—”
>“Meander!”
>“Meander,” Sweetie quickly repeated. “Sorry.”
>Sweetie took a moment to herself to help her focus on orating, to ‘Get in the Zone’ as it is known in some circles.
>She cleared her throat, put the paper down, drank from the glass of water, and then wiped her mouth.
>Then she picked the paper up, scanned the paper, put it down, and then cleared her throat one more time before reading again.
>“In—In—”
>Apple Bloom groaned and ran up to the podium.
>“Inscribed here are the trials and tribulations of two heart’s and their journey towards the happiness dreamed of for their future. 
>“Their struggles, though unique, are reminiscent of all of ours; and it is our hope that our tale shall not only elucidate some of the universe’s infinite mysteries, but shall also affirm all of life everywhere, both known and yet to be discovered.”
>Apple Bloom trotted back to Scootaloo, and Sweetie, who saw that she now got to read the title, lit up.
>“Fillies and Gentlecolts,” she said grandly. 
>Scootaloo began a drum roll on her bongos. 
>“It is now my privilege to present to you, the story, as performed by The Cutie Mark Crusader Cast.”
>Drums ceased.
>“Anonymous and his Magic Pants!”
>As if on cue everyone in the classroom started clopping their hooves together. 
>And Cheerilee was glad, because she could tell that the crusaders had put a lot of care and work into what was supposed to be such a simple assignment.
>When Sweetie next read aloud, “Pause for applause,” Apple Bloom had to run up to the podium again so she could remind her not to read the stage directions.
>Then Sweetie began the story.
>“Once upon a time and a very good time it was—aweseome, in fact—there was a pony named Fluttershy that loved a human named Anonymous.”
>“That’s me,” said Scootaloo, pointing at her pants.
>“And I play Fluttershy,” said Apple Bloom.
>“She sat on a tree stump one day, surrounded by her appl—wait, we scratched that out—” Sweetie looked up at the class—“she was surrounded by her animal friends and waxing on her woes.”
>“I do declare,” said Fluttershy sadly, “that that pretty boy Anonymous does not love me so. Oh woe! If only it were not so. For if he were my beau, then love’s happiness, I would surely know.”
>“Little did she know, though, that Anonymous was on the other side of town, surrounded by his pants, and also being sad.”
>“What a bummer,” said Anonymous sadl—well, he was actually angry.
>“No improvising!” shouted Apple Bloom.
>“Why not?” said Scootaloo.
>“Just stay in character.”
>“Fine.” 
>She adjusted her pants.
>“What a bummer,” said Anonymous sadly, “that these magic pants of mine keep me from finding my true love. 
>“But that’s okay, because I can always skateboard.”
>“And so he started skateboarding. But one of Fluttershy’s animal friends had heard his lament, and it went back and told her what Anonymous had said.”
>“Oh my,” said Fluttershy, “so that is why he doesn’t love me. It is because those magic pants of his keep him from loving. And as long as those magic pants are on his body he won’t be able to love me.”
>Cheerilee grew wary.
>“What I need to do,” said Fluttershy, “is not sit here and be sad, but I need to find a way to get Anonymous out of those pants. And then, once he is not wearing pants, we can both be in love together.”
>“And so, after her chores were done, Fluttershy decided that she needed to figure out what to do. 
>“She decided that what she needed to do was to figure out a way to trap Anonymous. Then, once he was trapped, she could take his pants off and they’d fall in love.”
>Scootaloo began beating on her bongos. 
>The kids were all enraptured. 
>Cheerilee had stopped smiling.
>“And so, Fluttershy planned one day to sneak up on Anonymous while he was skateboarding and, in the ensuing struggle, remove his pants forcibly.”
>Apple Bloom and Scootaloo began performing a mock fight with each other, full of grapples and sweeps and chokeholds. 
>Scootaloo, who really started getting into character, started some war cries and performed the fight with much more vigor than necessary, and had to be stopped by Cheerilee, who imparted on her the very important lesson that friends do not choke other friends.
>“She tried to fight, but he was too strong and she could not win. She fell to the ground in defeat.
>“But then, opportunity arose. He turned away, to look for his skateboard, and she saw that she could get the jump on him again. He may have had the strength, but she had the will. 
>“A sudden surge of adrenalin shot through her and, in the name of the glory of love, she sprang up on her hooves, charged towards his back, and then accidently stepped on his skateboard and slipped.
>“She fell on her back and was hurt, but Anon was not sad.”
>“All she’ll do, if she’s around,” said Anon, “is distract me from my skateboarding.”
>“And so he skateboarded away and Fluttershy, who was very sad, saw that she would need to try harder if she wanted to get rid of Anon’s pants.
>“Fluttershy decided to learn how to use a rope so she could tie Anonymous up. 
>“When she had learned she waited behind a tree one day, with a lasso in her mouth, for him to come by.”
>Apple Bloom, after the choking incident, was more than happy to make good use of their rope prop on Scootaloo, and by the end of their scene together Anon’s limbs were quite well restrained.
>“Let me go,” shouted Anonymous. “I can’t skateboard like this.”
>“But I love you,” said Fluttershy. “And once I remove those pants of yours I just know that you will love me, too. 
>“And once we’re both in love we can live together in a palace. And I can tend to our animals while you skateboard all day.”
>“But you don’t understand,” said Anonymous.
>“But it was too late. 
>“The sky grew dark and Anonymous started shaking in fear. And just then a horrible witch came down from the sky and cackled in. . . mal—mal—”
>“Malicious.”
>“—In malicious delight!”
>Then there was a pause.
>Scootaloo was supposed to play a sinister beat on the bongos at that moment, but she couldn’t break free from the ropes (and it wouldn’t have been in character anyway for her to suddenly break free). 
>So Apple Bloom just gave Sweetie a “Let’s Get on With It” gesture and Sweetie got into character by messing up her mane until it was tangled and frizzy. 
>Then she gave a cackle that was so spine-chillingly convincing that some of the kids, and Cheerilee, actually did feel very disturbed.
>“So, Anonymous,” said the evil witch, “I see you haven’t been skateboarding lately. Care to tell me why before I eat your heart for my supper?”
>“It was her fault,” said Anonymous, nodding towards Fluttershy. “She’s been distracting me. Please don’t eat my heart. I need it!”
>“But the witch ignored his pleas and pointed her grey eye to Fluttershy, who was trembling with fear.”
>“And what of you?” she said. “Well, sixty years locked away at the top of my tower would fix you fine. You’d get a deliciously cold and lonely heart from that. But you’ve done me no wrong, so I shall spare you.”
>“You, on the other hoof,” she said to Anonymous, “can come with me now, and I will lock you away for years, until your heart has become old and tired and cold and bitter. Just the way I like them. 
>“You thought you were so smart, once you escaped me, by keeping your heart active by skateboarding, as active as would be a heart in love, so I could not find you.
>“But I warned you that you would have to suffer a price for taking my magic clothes, and a price you shall suffer. 
>“Those that would part with their heart for magic clothes, and lead their poor hearts to suffering in doing so, must always pay.”
>“And the witch quickly took Anonymous away so she could lock him up and eventually eat his heart.” 
>(And Scootaloo was put inside the refrigerator box—with a hole cut in it so she could look out—that had “Dungeon” written on it.)
>“Fluttershy picked up Anon’s skateboard and knew that she had to save him. But she had no idea where the tower of this evil witch could possibly be. 
>“Just then. . .”
>Well, this was Scootaloo’s cue, but the poor girl was still tied up, and the Crusaders learned then of the curse of continuity in storytelling. 
>Apple Bloom quickly trotted over to the box, lifted it up, untied Scootaloo, and then went back to her original position so she could get back in character.
>“Just then a note flew through the sky and landed before Fluttershy’s hooves.”
>But it was actually a paper airplane that Scootaloo had tossed from the hole in the box, and far from landing at her hooves it actually hit Apple Bloom in the eye. 
>And Scootaloo, who could feel Cheerilee eyeing her with irritation, was absolutely giddy.
>Apple Bloom rubbed her eye and picked up the paper airplane.
>“The note read as so: There will be more notes sent to you by me from the witch’s evil tower. Follow them until you find me. Make sure to bring both my skateboard and a lantern.
>“So she searched the land for Anon’s notes until she had found the evil tower, and with her she also had both the lantern and Anon’s skateboard.”
>And Scootaloo, during Apple Bloom’s journey towards the refrigerator box, got to make many paper airplanes. 
>Scootaloo was very happy, and Cheerilee was already working out in her mind the scolding that she would give to her later.
>“Fluttershy entered the tower and, strangely, she found that the higher she ascended the darker it became. 
>“It eventually became so dark that she was very glad to have the lantern with her and she lit it. 
>“She climbed and she climbed up the stairs of the tower until she came to the very top and came to a locked door. 
>“Anonymous, who had heard her ascending the steps, called out to her and told her to send the skateboard under the door, for he had the key to the door but could not reach it because he was locked in a cell. 
>“She did as he said and pushed the skateboard under the door and heard it roll until it hit the iron bars of Anon’s cell.
>“The skateboard then came back to her, with the key placed on it, and Fluttershy was able to unlock the tower door. 
>“She left the skateboard and went inside. And when she did Anonymous quickly told her to snuff out the lantern.” 
>“But how will I get you out?” asked Fluttershy.
>“Anonymous was adamant, though, saying that she needed to do this right away. 
>“So she did, and they both were in complete darkness. She then asked how she was going to free him.”
>“The witch is the only one with the key to my cell,” said Anonymous.
>“Well, where does she keep it?” asked Fluttershy a bit anxiously.
>“With her at all times,” said Anonymous.
>“Fluttershy was trembling, but tried to sound brave as she asked:”
>“And where can I find the witch then?”
>“She’s on her way to us right now,” said Anonymous.
>“And, once he had said this, Fluttershy could hear the witch ascending the steps of the tower and cackling wickedly.” 
>“I think it might do some good,” said Fluttershy, “if you let me in the cell with you so I can hide—I mean, protect you.”
>“Just stay there and listen,” said Anonymous.
>“But it was kind of hard to do when all Fluttershy could hear was the witch laughing as she talked about how she was going to kill them and eat their hearts. 
>“She did as he asked, though, and finally the witch was reaching the last steps, and she was so close that Fluttershy was sure she could feel her cold hooves piercing her chest already. 
>“But just then she heard the witch step on the skateboard and, screaming in terror, she fell down the numerous stairs of the tower and dropped two things that went Clang and Bang on the floor. 
>“Suddenly Anon’s magic pants began to glow and a golden light filled the room of the tower. 
>“Fluttershy looked around the room and eventually found both a key and a warm box with a cold lock. 
>“But the key did not open the box, it opened the cell door of Anon’s imprisonment! 
>“When he had been freed Anon embraced Fluttershy and they both were very happy.”
>“But what is in this box?” asked Fluttershy. “And why is it so warm?”
>“That would be my heart,” said Anonymous, “taken by the witch so long ago.”
>“Well, then we must free it. But where is the key?”
>“The key,” said Anonymous, “is hidden in my magic pants. And I want you, my dear Fluttershy, to be the first one to have ever taken them off.”
>“I would be honored,” she said with a happy sigh.
>By this time Scootaloo had exited the box and, just as Apple Bloom was about to undo the pants on her friend—with her teeth—Cheerilee decided that enough was enough and she told them very sternly to go outside.
>Once Cheerilee and the Crusaders were outside the kids all began to talk amongst each other. 
>They all agreed that the story was very good and Twist, in particular, always thought that Anonymous had, “Very snathzy pants!”

>The next morning three sullen-faced children were meeting on the road so they could walk together on their way to school.
>“Well, Rarity absolutely freaked out when she saw my mane,” said Sweetie. “I suppose you all got it bad, too.”
>“Of course I did,” said Scootaloo. “I’m grounded for a week. Not to mention the detentions. And I don’t think Cheerilee is going to let me have any paper to myself unsupervised anymore.”
>“Yeah, me too,” said Apple Bloom. Then, while glaring at Scootaloo, “I also got grounded for a little more than a week, for littering.”
>“Wow. I guess you weren’t kidding,” said Scootaloo. “How did she find it?”
>“I don’t know,” said Apple Bloom. “But she always finds it.”
>“I asked Rarity why what we did was bad, but she wouldn’t tell me,” said Sweetie.
>“Well, we did forget that we had to ask for permission to write about Anon and Fluttershy,” said Apple Bloom.
>“Not about that,” said Sweetie. “I don’t get why what we wrote about Anon’s pants was bad. And Rarity won’t tell me why either.”
>“Yeah,” said Scootaloo. “There’s just something about Fluttershy and Anon’s pants that we aren’t allowed to know about.”
>“Well, Applejack told me that I’d understand when I was older,” said Apple Bloom.
>“What’s that supposed to mean though?” asked Scootaloo.
>None of them knew. 
>The only conclusion they were able to come to was a truth that they already knew of.
>“I think adults are just allowed to have their secrets sometimes, but we’re not,” said Apple Bloom.
>Just then, as they were turning a corner, they saw Fluttershy coming their way.
>“She must be going to Anon’s house,” said Apple Bloom.
>“Every morning,” said Sweetie, “according to Rarity.”
>“Yeah,” said Scootaloo. “Should we ask her about Anon’s pants, or do you think she’d not tell us anything?”
>“Nah,” said Apple Bloom, “she wouldn’t say anything.”
>“Besides,” said Sweetie, “Rarity told me that if I asked Fluttershy about that kind of stuff I’d be in real trouble. I already think I’m in trouble, so I’m not really eager to find out what Real Trouble is.”
>“Yeah,” they all agreed sadly.
>Fluttershy came up to them and they all exchanged greetings.
>“I’m very sorry I got you all in trouble,” said Fluttershy. “I wouldn’t have minded if you had written that story, but I do wish you had asked me and Anon first.”
>“We’re sorry,” the Crusaders said.
>“We didn’t mean to,” said Scootaloo. “Believe me.”
>“Yeah,” said Apple Bloom. “We forgot.”
>“Actually,” said Fluttershy, trying to brighten their mood, “I did read the story you wrote and I really enjoyed it.”
>They all thanked her and Fluttershy went on her way. They watched her for a while.
>“At least she’s not mad at us,” said Sweetie.
>“Yeah, she’s nice though,” said Apple Bloom.
>“I wonder why Anon doesn’t like her,” said Sweetie.
>Then, after a thoughtful silence, Scootaloo said:
>“Our story was kind of weird, but everything she does to him is even weirder, isn’t it?”
>They all nodded their heads.