>Be Cadence, back in your room
>Be VERY confused
>Anonymous is teaching Flurry Heart the secret sigils known as Cur’sv
>Even Celestia has yet to master those sacred runes
>Yet Anonymous feels confident enough to teach it?
>This fact troubles you, yet you can’t seem to understand why
>Perhaps you should start responding to the foreign dignitaries
>Take your mind off things
>You look down at the list of names
>There was Golden Touch, the Minotaur Princess
>Gale Force, the Gryphon Prime Minister
>Maggie, the Diamond Dog’s current Alpha
>Ember, the Dragon Princess
>Chrysalis, the Changeling Queen
>That’s not even the full list and already your head is spinning
>You take out your official Princess Pencil and being writing letters
>After about two hours of grueling paperwork it’s time to review
>…
>…
>…
>Yes this is good enough, time to mail these letters and get ready for dinner.
>At least now you’ll get to spend time with your loving family

>Be Anonymous
>Be giving Flurry Heart a piggyback ride to Knead’s bakery 
>Luckily it’s a short walk, so it doesn’t take long
>As you enter the bakery the smell of freshly baked sweets hits your nose
>The bell at the top of the door rings, alerting Knead to your presence
>Knead Love pokes his head up from behind the counter and perks up instantly
>”Anon it’s so good to see you, did you want your usual?”
>You give a warm smile back and shake your head
“I’m not hear for me today, I’ve got this little tyke to treat”
>You jostle Flurry so her head pokes up over your shoulder
>Knead’s eyes go wide as he notices the royal heiress
>”Oh of course Anon, pick whatever you want. It’s on me today.”
“Knead I can’t just take your delicious pastries without paying, I wouldn’t feel right.”
>Knead frowns and stomps his hoof
>”I insist Anon, you saved my life and I need to repay you.”
>Saved his life? All you did was kiss his burn and pat his back.
>It wasn’t like it was a bad burn either
>You sigh. You really don’t want to just take his goods, but it seems like he’s not gonna back down anytime soon
“All right Knead you win, thank you for your generosity.”
>Knead looks a little shocked then blushes a little
>Did he expect you to argue a little more?
>About a minute passes with a silence permeating the room
>You cough to break the silence
“Soooo… about my order”
>Knead snaps out of his trance at your words looking somewhat embarrassed
>”RIGHT… ehm right, what you like?”
>You browse the selection and settle on a raspberry tart and a black coffee
>Knead flinches at your mention of black coffee
>Ponies here can’t handle anything more bitter than a cupcake
“What do you want Flurry?”
>Flurry puts her hoof to her chin before pointing at…
>A cake…
>Please let her only want a slice
“Do you want a slice of that cake?”
>She shakes her head, oh boy…
“So you don’t want that cake then?”
>Flurry frowns at you and points harder at the cake
“Flurry you can’t have an entire cake.”
>Flurry looks as if she’s about to try and convince you when Knead of all ponies speaks up
>”Well why can’t she?”
>Was Knead serious?
>Was he really okay with giving up an entire cake?
>Comped or not you couldn’t just take an entire cake
“She can’t because it’ll ruin her appetite for dinner, plus I don’t feel right taking an ENTIRE cake from you Knead even if you say I saved your life.”
>The air around you suddenly felt really heavy
>You could tell the mood dropped from just a second ago
>Quick say something idiot
>Okay don’t shout at me brain
“Look Flurry you can still have a slice, just not the whole thing.”
>Flurry starts giving you puppy dog eyes
>Don’t give in Anon, be strong
“Flurry what if other ponies want to have some of that cake also?”
>You hate playing the guilt trip card but it has to be done
>Don’t want her to grow up spoiled
>YOU WILL TEACH THIS FILLY SHARING WHETHER SHE LIKES IT OR NOT
>Flurry looks at you a little dejected but nods
>It hurts you to do this now but it’ll all be good in the long run
>You come up with the greatest plan to get her to smile again
>The old thumb trick
“Hey Flurry watch this”
>Flurry stares intently as you make it look like you tore your thumb in half then magically reconnect it.
>Just as predicted Flurry begins to laugh
>”Here you are Anon, one raspberry tart, on slice of  double fudge cake and one… black…. Coffee”
>Knead had to strain to say that last part but you just smile and thank him
>You grab your order and pick a seat next to a window and let your mind wander
>… Did you remember to tell Cadence what you were doing with Flurry?

>Be Mi Amore Cadenza
>And you are FREAKING OUT
>Flurry heart is missing and you’re going to have the butt of whoever was in charge of watching her on a silver plater
>You’re storming off to the guard barracks to question everypony there
>As you’re making your way, you run into Shining on your way
>”Oh hello dear, where are you going? Dinner is this way.”
>He gives you a stupid smile, god you love that smile. It almost makes you lose your anger
>Almost, you have to tell him about what happened
“Shining our daughter is missing and I’m on my way to the barracks to *Talk* with the ponies who were watching her today.”
>Shining’s smile quickly fades into shock and horror as the words leave your lips
>”W-what? She’s missing? Come on I know whose squad was on watch today.”
>Without another word you both rush to the barracks
>In less than a few minutes you both burst through the door
>”GUARDSMARE BRILLIANT GLEAM GET YOUR BUTT HERE THIS INSTANT!”
>A silence sweeps through the barracks as everypony turns to look at one mare
>Singled out, Brilliant Gleam walks forward and bows
>”Good evening princess, captain. What can I do for you?”
>”Brilliant Gleam, where is our daughter? Your squad was in charge of the protection of our beloved child. WHERE IS SHE?”
>Brilliant Gleam looks up without a care in the world
>You are furious
>”Flurry Heart is safe she’s with dad.”
>”SHE IS NOT WITH ME! DO NOT LIE TO US!”
>”But isn’t Anon her dad?”
>You’re stunned, and so is Shining. To think that she thinks Anonymous is Flurry’s father. This time it’s your turn to be angry
“Brilliant Gleam let me be clear, ANONYMOUS IS NOT FLURRY’S FATHER. Do not EVER think otherwise, Shining and I went through Tarturus to have Flurry and I will not have you spreading lies.”
>Brilliant Gleam doesn’t flinch but you can sense her emotions
>She’s torn up inside
>Shining has calmed down somewhat and speaks up
>”Did he at least say where he was taking her?”
>Brilliant puts her hoof to her chin before lighting up as she remembered
>”Right, he said they were going to Knead’s bakery across the street”
>”And you didn’t think to inform us of this?”
>Brilliant lowers her head, her voice almost a whisper
>”I’m sorry.”
>Shining sighs, sensing his emotions you see he’s also torn up inside
>You can understand why
>Brilliant was hand selected by him to join the Crystal Guard, and she was extremely talented too
>But as her commander he had to make the hard decisions
>”Brilliant Gleam, for failure to carry out your duty to watch over our daughter, and then lie to us… I must sentence you to 1 full day time out.”
>Most ponies are shocked, and you are to.
>But for a different reason no doubt
>Shining here was being extremely lenient with her punishment
>It was at this moment you saw Brilliant Gleam breakdown crying
>Even after all she had done, it hurt you to see her like this
>”P-p-please, I c-can’t go to time out. My reputation will be ruined.”
>”You should have thought of that before doing what you did.”
>…
“Darling perhaps you’re being a little… to… harsh?”
>Shining turns to you surprised, you are to 
>Shining opens and closes his mouth a few times, but settles on turning to Brilliant
>”Perhaps I was caught up in anger. Upon thinking it over perhaps I was too harsh.”
>Brilliant stops crying and looks hopeful
>”But, you must still be punished”
>Brilliant’s ears drop in sadness
>”Brilliant Gleam your punishment will be amended to one week leave from the guard, effective at the end of your shift. This meeting is over.”
>As the verdict leaves Shining’s mouth, a sigh of relief wafts through the barracks
>One thing is clear; you need to talk to Anonymous.

>Be Anonymous
>Be walking a contented Flurry Heart back to the castle
>You still felt bad about taking that order for free, but every time you brought it up Knead just shot it down
>Ponies here seem to be very generous
>Like scarily generous
>Back when you first arrived here you stayed at Twilight’s treebary
>She told you how friendship is magic and you had assumed it was just something like a saying
>Doing a little research quickly told you that it was actually literal
>And when Twilight told you about the elements of harmony, she told you about how the elements influence the everyday lives of ponies
>You thought that too was just hyperbole, but it seems that from your recent encounters it’s true as well
>It’s funny, maybe that’s why everything is so kid friendly here
>As you approach the castle gate you’re greeted by a flustered looking Cadence and Shining
>Shit, guess you owe them an explanation
“Hey Princess, Shining. Sorry I kind of ran off with Flurry, she wanted to hang out so I took her to get some cake.”
>You hand off Flurry to Cadence who breathes a sigh of relief 
>”It’s all right Anonymous, were just glad to see she’s safe”
>Cadence hands Flurry to Shining who walks back into the castle
>”Anonymous can I talk to you for a minute”
>Ah shit here it comes
>”Anon, the Guard who was looking over Flurry today told us something really mean.”
>Wait, does she just want to rant?
“Well what did they say? Can’t be that bad.”
>”Anon, she called you Flurry’s Father.”
>Wait what? You, Flurry’s father?
>Sure you spend a lot of time with her but you don’t remember banging Cadence
“Uh… sorry, I’m not sure I heard you right. Did you say she thought I was her Father?”
>”Uh-huh, right in front of Shiny too”
>Well… shit, you kind of feel like shit now
“Well what happened after that?”
>”Shiny sent her home for a week, though that was after I talked him down”
>Really? Only a week of leave? Are the punishments here kid friendly too?
“What did he want to give her a time out?”
>You say half joking
>”Yeah, he did. Brilliant may have lied to us about where Flurry was, but she’s still only a pony.”
>This fucking place
>Wait did she say Brilliant?
“Uh what did you say her name was?”
>”Brilliant, Brilliant Gleam.”
>Ah crap, now it makes sense
>This is gonna be hell to explain
“Listen, Cadence I think I know why she called me Flurry’s dad. A lot of ponies, especially those I’m friends with, consider me a father figure. So I think she may have gotten confused.”
>”What if Flurry sees you as a father figure too, more than Shiny her actual father?”
>Fuck, it’s not looking any easier
“I’m certain Flurry knows, and sees Shining Armor as her father.”
>”But how can you be sure?”
“Just trust me.”
>There’s a long pause, as the weight of the matter hangs in the air
>”… okay Anonymous, I’ll trust you”
>Phew, crisis averted
>You gotta talk to Brilliant when you get back to your apartment
>”Oh and Anonymous… could you maybe not babysit Flurry next week. I know I said I trust you, but…”
”I understand, you and Shining enjoy your time with Flurry.”
>Cadence gives you a smile
>”Thank you… I’ll make it up to you.”
>You wave goodbye to Cadence and head back home
>Since you and Brilliant have the same week off, she’s not gonna get away from your little talk

>Be Brilliant Gleam, citizen now
>Your life is over
>One week of leave, what’s next? They fired you in all but name.
>You should be thankful you won’t have a… time out record at least
>That’ll help you get another job later
>But the guard was your life
>You lifelessly go through the motions of making your dinner
>Pull the tab off a can of ravioli, and dump it in a bowl
>The food is magically kept warm while in the can for ease of consumption
>The perfect cry food
>You weep while shoving the warm cheese filled ravioli into your mouth
>It makes you feel a lot better actually
>Still what are you gonna do with your time now?
>As you’re about to eat another spoonful a knock at your door draws your attention
“Just a minute, I’ll be right there”
>Getting up you drop your spoon back in the bowl
>Opening the door, you’re wondering who it could be at this hour when
“ANON?”

>Be Anonymous
>And you think you’re going to go deaf from how loud Brilliant yelled your name
“Hey, Brilliant. We’ve talked about this, just because I’m tall doesn’t mean I can’t hear you.
>”Oh… sorry Anon, I was just surprised to see you at this hour.”
“That’s all right Brilliant, just remember next time.”
>Brilliant giggles
>Fuck that’s cute
>Wait Anon, remember why you’re here
“Hey Brilliant, I was at the Castle today and were you in charge of watching Flurry today?”
>Her demeanor instantly shifts
>”O-oh, uh yeah I thought you recognized me”
>Things are getting kind of akward, man this is gonna be hard
 “Hey Brilliant, you mind if I come in?”
>”Oh, sure thing Anon. Make yourself at home.”
>Stepping inside you take stock of Brilliant’s room
>Yup, just like you remember it
>Minimal furniture: A couch, a table, and a bookshelf.
>On the left there’s a little kitchen den, and on the right a door that presumably leads to her bedroom
>You say presumably, because you’ve never been in there
>Brilliant walks over to her couch and sits		
>She gestures for you to sit next to her, which you do
“Brilliant, this is going to be tough to say so I’m just gonna ask. Why did you tell Cadence that I’m Flurry’s father?”
>”But Anon, aren’t you her father? After all you’re with her so often, and I saw cursive in her room. You’re the only one I know who can write cursive.”
>God damn this is making you uncomfortable
“Brilliant, I’m going to say this only once, so pay attention.”
>Brilliant turns to you gazing intensely 
>Fuck it good enough
“Brilliant, I. AM. NOT. FLURRY’S. FATHER. Just because I spend a lot of time with her doesn’t mean I’m Flurry’s father. I’m just her sitter, okay?
>”Oh… okay Anon. Sorry I made trouble for you.”
>Her ears droop and you feel like shit
>You knew this was gonna be hard but it’s for the best
>”Hey Anon, I know I made trouble for you but… I lost my job today… could you maybe stay a bit?”
>Lost her job? She’s on one week leave. She’s basically on a forced vacation.
>Still by the standards of this world that might be much more vicious of a punishment
“Sure Brilliant, I can stay for a bit.”
>Brilliant nods sadly and goes back to eating her… is that ravioli?
>As you sit on her couch you begin to absentmindedly pet Brilliant
>As tough as Crystal ponies are, they’re surprisingly pleasant to pet
>Brilliant finishes up her ravioli and begins to does off
>She curls up on your lap and starts to sleep
>Fuck you really don’t want to wake her up but you’ve got to get her to bed
>You look down at the pony napping on your lap… Maybe just a few more minutes


>Be secretary Anon
>And you are fucked
>Seriously Mayor Mccheese got into a huge scandal regarding Birdie and a certain golf game
>And now, because you’re his secretary, people think you were in on the whole thing too
>You have to find any record you can about this, anything at all
>If you didn’t come out and show how against this you were, you could kiss your political career goodbye
>You’re rummaging through your desk when someone enters your office
>you quickly look up to try and see if you can pretend you’re not here
>Strange she looks familiar… wait
“Princess Luna?”
>The princess of the night smiles at you
>”Indeed Anonymous, we are flattered thou has not forgotten us.”
>You calm down a bit
>Given that Princess Luna is here it can only really mean one thing
“I guess I’m dreaming aren’t I.”
>Princess Luna smiles and the scene around you fades leaving you both in an empty void
>Knowing that you are dreaming you conjure up a couple of chairs offering one to Luna
>She graciously accepts the offer and you both sit
“So, any particular reason you came here tonight?”
>”Of course not Anonymous, I simply wished to see you, after all we see each other so rarely these days.”
“Uh-huh, you do know we just saw each other today right”
>Luna seems taken aback by your words
>”Doth thou truly despise my presence so?”
>You know Luna is only joking, but still, guilt tripping?
“Come on Princess, you and I both know dream walking takes a lot out of you. You wouldn’t come if you didn’t have a good reason.”
>Luna looks at you like she’s genuinely hurt
>Okay maybe you took it a little far
>”Is talking with us truly so terrible”
“Come on, I didn’t mean it like that. If you just want to talk, that’s fine. What did you want to talk about?”
>She looks a little tired, and sighs.
>”Anonymous, we wish to ask you a… personal question.”
>A personal question? If one of the highest powers in the world is asking you something personal, it’s gotta be serious.
“What’s up Luna?”
>She pauses for a second before leaning in
>”Anonymous… what was your previous life like?”
>Was Luna serious, your world?
>To be honest it had been a while since you had thought about your previous life. 
>Twilight had been pestering you since you first arrived in Ponyville but after seeing just how kid friendly this place was, you knew better than to ruin it by telling her just how fucked up Earth is
>You look at Luna. Maybe she could handle it? After all she’s almost as old as Celestia, so she should be able to handle a story more graphic than Cinderella.
“To be honest Princess there isn’t much to tell. I lived day to day, working at my job, hanging out with the few friends I had, just trying to keep my head down while the world kept on spinning.”
>You pause to gauge Luna’s reaction but so far she seems to be invested. So you continue.
“My job wasn’t anything special either. I worked at a bowling alley. I fixed the machines mostly, but also helped the porters clean up every now and again before the leagues, or a big party came in. After words a couple co-workers would invite me to get drunk.”
>You felt something wet roll down your cheek. Are- are you crying?
>Can you even cry in a dream?	
>You look to Luna who seems a little shocked at a rare display of sadness from you
“Sorry, sorry… gimme a sec here.”
>”We are the ones who should apologize Anonymous, we did not wish to make you relive bad memories.”
“No… no these aren’t bad; I just… didn’t… realize how much I missed my old life.”
>You wipe away some of your tears and take a couple breathes before continuing
“I wasn’t really in contact with my family anymore, we were too far apart for a visit and my parents were too busy for a call.”
>”Enough Anonymous we have heard enough.”
>You look up to Luna who’s crying now.
“Everything alright Princess? Do you need a minute?”
>”Anonymous, *sniff*, we are… so sorry to hear you could not be with your family. Did you even get to say goodbye.”
>Shit probably shouldn’t mention family to the goddess who was banished by her sister
>What’s the best move here? Should you lie…?
>Fuck it, no use in lying
“*Sigh* no princess I didn’t get to say goodbye to my family, we actually parted on somewhat of a sour note.”
>You turn away from Luna before you feel her hooves wrap around you
>She softly sobs into your shirt as you see the dream fading before you
>Probably wasn’t a good idea to tell her all this
>Guess even Luna isn’t that mature
>You pat her back
“Luna, it’s time for me to wake up.”
>She rises from your shirt and clears her throat
>”Very well Anonymous, should thou ever need a shoulder to cry on we shall be here.”
>She gives you a weak smile
>Yeah no, if you ever tell her about the rest of your life she’d need your shoulder
“Sure Luna, I’ll keep it in mind.”
>”Promise?”
>You smile
“Promise.”
>And with that your vision fades to white as your eyes open


>Be Princess Luna, Goddess of the Night
>You are very worried
>Anonymous’ story hit you harder than you thought
>But that should have been obvious since it made even Anonymous weep
>From the criminally small time you have spent with Anonymous, not once have you seen him show sadness 
>Once you witnessed as he was mortally wounded by a clumsy guard 
>You were certain that was the end for him
>Yet he got back up and attended to the guard
>Yet when he recalled his home, he wept
>He claimed it was in reverence, yet…
>His family, when he recalled them you sensed a shift in his mood
>Something is wrong with him and he needs help
>You hope your sister shall agree to let you take more action
>If he is to ascend, he must be protected from this
>You shall be the one to protect him
>You must