>Be Anon, recent resident to Equestria
>Dunno how you got here, only that you did
>And now you're doing you're best to adapt and have a life
>On the surface it's going pretty well...
>After having to return to monke for a few weeks since you landed in the Everfree Forest
>It's going pretty well now
>You have yourself a small business, you cook exotic foods
>Exotic to the ponies
>To you it's just mostly vegetarian versions of the stuff you had from home
>Thankfully cooking was one of the few passions you had at home
>And here with such a huge access to top quality ingredients, it's been good
>But inside... isn't everyone broken in some way?

>It's Hearts and Hooves day.
>You kind of hate this day
>You get a huge influx of orders, which you don't mind, and you finish up by noon
>But all the ponies go about their day with hearts in their eyes, blatantly courting, having moments with their significant others
>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
>It doesn't really bother you, but it gets kind of annoying, remembering things that you'd rather not remember
>So with your work done for the day, you walked up to a grassy hill, right next to the Everfree, and sat down
>The ponies don't go here, because of it's proximity to the supposedly dangerous forest
>So you faced the sun, basking in it's light and warmth, closing your eyes, thinking about some book you've been reading
>With all that Hearts and Hooves nonsense literally behind you, out of sight and mind

>Be Sundance, just now moving into this small town named Ponyville as of a week ago
>You're a Wildland Ranger, a branch of the Guard that ventures into wild landscapes
>From rescue missions to magical relic recovery, to simply gathering wild herbs and mushrooms for medicine, Wildland Rangers do it all
>You're kind of a hotshot
>Kind of like those Wonderbolts but those birdbrains just fly stunt shows all day
>You actually do things

>Actually, be Halecia
>Changeling Infiltrator extraordinaire
>You qualified to be an Infiltrator, AND a pony Wildland Ranger
>So you're kind of a hotshot times two
>SO WHY CANT YOU GET A COLTFRIEND?
>Every colt in this damn town isn't interested, is getting courted, is already courted, or some other inane excuse
>You huff, you just HAD to move here right before Hearts and Hooves
>You can taste it in the air, but none of it's for you
>It'd be months before any colts become available again, you'll just have to manage until then
>Going to have to survive off whatever ambient love is in the air
>It's abundant now, won't be in a month.
>Your head is low and you walk to the village outskirts trying to find a good spot to maybe take a nap
>There's a nice hill.

>When you get up there, there's a weird creature already laying down on the side of the hill
>Sunbathing?
>You blink, and it reminds you of the first time you saw ponies.
"Hey, is this spot taken?" You ask the creature
>It doesn't open it's eyes
>"If you're here to escape all the pink be my guest." He says
>It's a colt? Sure sounds like one, you crack a smile for the first time all day
"I never really liked pink as a color." You reply, you sure liked it as a food though
You lay down next to him, "So... why are you laying here away from all the buzz?"
>He's silent for a moment, until he sighs and says, "Never liked it."
>The way he said it makes you think he doesn't really want to talk about it. Fair enough.
"Well, me neither, starting today." You reply, colts like gossip, right?
"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
>The weird colt creature snorts in amusement
>You smile a little, he had such a darkened aura around him, but now you can see it lighten a little
"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?"

>Be Anon
>Your light nap was interrupted by somepony
>You don't recognize the voice, so it's someone you haven't met before
>Apparently, someone trying to escape Hearts and Hooves day as well
>So you let them on your hill
>They were fearless enough to be right next to the Everfree Forest, so why not?
>You made some idle chatter, and she revealed that she'd moved here just a week before
>Huh, so another newcomer
>You kind of saw yourself in her
>Being in a strange new place, it being hard to make friends, though, that one's on you
>You open your eyes, squinting because of the sun, and look towards her
>She's a Pegasus, with a white coat, and a long yellow and orange mane and tail
"Some ponies." You repeat back to her, "I know the feeling."
>You sit up and glance to the forest, then back at her
"You're not at all bothered by the Everfree being a stone toss away?"

>You suddenly see her smirk and sit up, puffing her chest out.
>"I'm actually a Wildland Ranger!" She declared proudly
>You blink at her
>You don't know what that means
"Uh... congratulations?" You say with an unsure smile
>Your confusion must be apparent because she starts to explain what that is
>And from your understanding of ponykind, she's certainly one of a kind
>Ponies don't like to fight, typically
>Not the kind of fighting you've heard of, from your homeland
>But these Rangers remind you a lot of that place
>When she's done explaining, rather proudly, that she's a part of an elite group of Guardsponies, you have a smile for her
>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
>This Pegasus was certainly more adventurous than most ponies, even most Pegasi
>Granted, if it was all true.

>The sun was going down now, and she sheepishly put a hoof to rub the back of her neck.
>"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."
>You squint at her
"Hold on." You say
>She stops in her tracks, looking at you
>She doesn't even have a home yet?
"Why're you staying at the inn?" You ask her
>"Well, the construction ponies haven't finished building the barracks yet." The pegasus said simply
>You frowned at that, why do these damn ponies end up making you give them more chances than they deserve?

>Be Sundance.
>The alien colt asked why you didn't have a house, and well, it was a simple answer to you
>The Guardhouse isn't done being built yet, the Barracks is just a plot of grass right now
>Besides, the inn was probably better than the barracks was going to be, and the Crowns were paying for it
>You really didn't have an issue with it
>But it seemed like this colt did, strangely
>He sighed and shook his head, "You took up my entire afternoon and I didn't even catch your name."
You blink twice, "Oh, sorry. I'm Sundance."

>Be Anon
>Take a deep breath
>You remember all sorts of dumb quotes from your past life, from before you ended up here
>You miss all the shots you don't take.
>Aim for the stars.
>YOLO.
>Why are you remembering that crap?
>Sundance seemed like the decent sort of pony
>She was passionate about her job, particularly enjoying the daring Search and Rescue missions she went on
>And she didn't deserve some bedbug ridden, Tokyo bedroom sized, tiny, unfurnished hotel room that smelled
>You had a home. A house.
>You helped build it with your own two hands, making good friends with the mares that built it for you
>You have a guest room, human sized, made in the hopes that if you slipped through the cracks of your world
>If someone else did too, they'd need a place to crash
>And so far, thankfully, nobody else appeared
"Listen," You start, "I got a house too big for one person. How about you stay at my place, until the barracks is built?"

>Be Sundance.
>What the buck?
>Did this colt really just invite you to his home?
>You're stunned into silence

>Be Anon
>The pony appears to have frozen
"Uh." You let out, "Are you okay? Hello?"
>You wave a hand in front of her
>She very slowly, almost imperceptibly, narrows her eyes, just slightly
>So she is there, cogs are just turning
>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
>Ah shit.
"Listen, it's the guest bedroom. The GUEST BEDROOM. And you're a good storyteller." You say
>For some reason you can see a blush tinging her ears and cheeks
>What? All you said was that she was a good storyteller
>Sundance glances to the grass with a dumb grin on her face
>She sits down and begins to play with her mane with her two hooves
>"A-A good storyteller huh? Maybe I can do that if this whole Ranger thing falls apart." She says
"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
>You realize you've just complimented her by saying she's a total badass.
>Internally, you realize you've dug yourself quite the hole, and just inhale
"I'm Anonymous by the way." You introduce yourself, quickly, hoping to distract her from the previous statement
>It takes Sundance a moment, but with some controlled breathing, she manages to reply, with a big smile on her face
>"I would be happy to accept your offer, Anonymous."

>Be Anon
>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
>It was weird.
>When you were in the care of...
>That other pony
>You didn't like to dwell on her
>The ponies didn't go anywhere near the forest
>Now, with your home there right at the edge of the treeline, ponies have been getting closer and closer to the forest
>The space between your home and the town town itself is now more like a park
>You'd see ponies occasionally strolling through the fields
>Just the other day you saw a pony planting a few flowers along one of the paths
>Did they feel safer now that you were there?
>You thought back to when the ponies first saw you
>There was fear in their eyes, no, terror
>To them you were just another forest monster
>It took a while, but they eventually accepted you
>In the back of your mind, you wondered, if they truly saw you as a person
>Or if they saw you as a tamed monster, like a dog, who would defend his pack

>Be Sundance.
>Still giddy from the compliments
>Colts didn't compliment mares, it just didn't happen very often
>And here Anonymous was, calling you a good storyteller
>You didn't waste his afternoon after all
>He just got a private theater show, you thought to yourself
>And he called you strong
>He seemed much brighter after you showed up, and it made you feel good
>You were following him on hoof to his place when you noticed that he had tinges of... something around him
>You sped up and trotted in front of him, looking up at his face
>His brow was slightly furrowed and the edges of his mouth tilted downwards, threatening a frown
>Tinges of anxiety? Regret?
>What was this colt thinking of?
>Surely it wasn't about the invitation?
"Hey Anonymous?" You asked
>He looked down at you, his face quickly becoming more neutral
>"Hm?" He asked
"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
>"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..."
>Your face fell.
>Landed?
>From the tone of his voice, it didn't sound like he came here voluntarily
>You knew stories of some less scrupulous Griffonian Mercenary Bands taking slaves
>Some Changeling Hives were guilty of forcing others to relocate as well
>Centaurs too, but those were a continent away
>Was he enslaved before? Brought here in chains?
>Relocated against his will because his old home was razed in some territorial dispute?
>You had to cheer him up, you saw more negativity threatening to spread around him
"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!"

>Be Anon
>Those damn thoughts, what-if's
>Sundance must have noticed, because she jogged ahead of you and sparked some conversation up
>She was pretty damn cute
>She shouted that if she was there she would have chased away the baddies and found you in hours
>Puffing her chest out and raising her wings
>You noticed that her wings were longer than they looked, neat
>And it made you smile, her bravado
>Sundance put her wings down and gave you a sympathetic smile
>"And besides, even when we weren't there, you came out okay, right?" She asked
>You blinked at her in mild disbelief
>Yeah.
>She was right
>Despite the forest, everything that happened to you in the past
>You were okay.
>You are okay.
>You have a home, food on your table, actually, food to spare, beds to spare
"Yeah, yeah I came out okay I think."
>You said simply, with a nod, glancing away, things turned out okay, even after everything seemed hopeless
>It was weird, why did you suddenly just blurt out that hint to your past?
>Usually ponies were put off by your appearance at the first meeting
>Was it because Sundance didn't see you as an other?
>Sundance seemed relieved when you looked at her
>And you... were kind of relieved too.
>She was right there next to you, walking alongside you
>It was a little weird.
>Was it because she was a Guardspony, a so called Wildland Ranger, that she didn't shy away from a tough topic?
>She instead understood, and tried to comfort you
>Whenever the topic of your arrival came up with other mares, they tried to steer the conversation away, or made excuses to leave
>There was a pause of silence between you two before you spoke up again
"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,"
>You put the back of your hand to your forehead and dramatically threw your head back
"Oh!"
>You started in an overly dramatic voice,
"Thank you for rescuing me from that dreadful place!"
>You chuckled at your own joke, as the sight of your home got nearer and nearer

>Sundance's eyes shot open
>She didn't even have those kinds of thoughts, all she was worried about was how he was feeling
>Now though, she could see him lighter once again, those tinges of anxiety or regret gone now
>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
>But why did he have to put that scene in her head?
>Carrying him out of danger, holding him with her hooves, with his arms hooked over her neck
>He'd hug her because flying is scary to non pegasi
>She could practically taste the gratitude.
"Hey, we're here, are you coming or not?"
>Anon asked, he was already some twenty paces ahead of Sundance, who didn't even realize she had stopped in place
>She blinked, the house lamps were already on, and she saw it
>There was gratitude in the air, from him, to her
>She really was tasting it

>Sundance trotted forward to the house
>The house was easily larger than most of the homes in the town
>It was only one story tall, but it's sheer scale made it almost the height of the two story houses in Ponyville
"Dust your hooves on the rug."
>Anon instructed, he kicked off his shoes, revealing black socks
>He used his feet to move his shoes side by side by the door, and walked deeper into the house
>The first, immediate thing that caught Sundance's eyes was the BEAR SKULL mounted on the wall
>Why was there an adult bear skull?
>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
>Sundance, her eyes still on the skull, brushed her hooves on the rough WELCOME carpet and stepped into Anon's home
"It's just about to be dinner time, are you hungry?"
>Anon said loudly from somewhere in the house
>Sundance stepped forward, looking around
>So to the right was the living room, with a fireplace, a tall table, some chairs, a nice fluffy rug
>The walls had some paintings of some strange things
>A large red bridge, some sandstone pyramids, rolling green hills and a single stone wall
>And the living room had the bear skull
>She walked closer to the fuzzy folded thing, and put a hoof on it
>It was genuinely a bear pelt.
"Sundance?"
>Anon asked again
>"Uh, yeah! I'm kinda hungry!"
>She tore her attention away from the bear trophies and turned to the left of the entrance, where there was a large kitchen
>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
>Sundance unfurled her wings and flew to one of the chairs, sitting on it
"What are you hungry for?"
>Anon asked
>Sundance noted that he seemed much more at ease here
>"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
>Granted she only knew him for a few hours, but still, his state seemed to dip fairly often when left alone
"Takeout from the town?"
>Anon scoffed with a grin
"I'll have you know that ponies get takeout from the outskirts around here."
>He turned around and got to being busy

>A cupboard opened here, a few plates and mugs out on the counter
>Sundance was enthralled watching him work
>He knew where everything was exactly, which, really didn't surprise her all that much after thinking about it
>This was his kitchen after all
>And it seemed like he spent quite a bit of time here
>He pulled out a few pots, a pan, got water boiling
>A few minutes later, there were two steaming mugs of tea on the island counter, with one right in front of you
>You blinked, it was a deep red
"Hibiscus tea."
>"Oh." Sundance replied, she'd never had Hibiscus tea before
>Or any tea.
>Tea wasn't really a thing in the Hive

>Or even training to be a Ranger
>Sometimes the trainees would have pine needle tea, if the trees were the right kind
>She never understood that though
>But, she did say she was going to have what Anon was going to have
>So tea it was
>She took a sip of the hot tea, and found that it was packed with flavor
>And packed with something else
>Love?!
>She shot up to attention, and looked up at Anon
>He had a cutting board on a wet towel on his side of the island
>And he'd just produced a knife from somewhere
>Right by the cutting board, there were celery sticks, carrots, an onion
>Sundance looked at Anon, and he really did seem content
>Happy, even
>He really did enjoy cooking
>And he really did enjoy cooking for her

>He started dicing his ingredients, cutting with the skills of a seasoned chef
>Sundance watched attentively, occasionally sipping on the tea
>There was no way he could've known, but the love in the tea was enough for a whole two days
>How did he even do that? Infuse love into a cup of tea?
>Wasn't it just hot water and a tea bag?
>She watched him intently, trying to decipher what he did differently
>Aside from the incredibly deft movements with his fingers and hands, she couldn't tell
>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
>How many dishes was he going to make?

>Sundance glanced behind her and saw the bear skull again, and her curiosity got the better of her
>"So... Anonymous. How do you have a bear skull and bear pelt?"
"Ah."
>Anon suddenly stopped
"That's Ursa. Kept me warm, when it was cold. Fed me, when I was hungry."
>His tone suggested that he was sad, but what she saw around him, there was no sadness
>There was... gratitude?
"I thought that Ursa would've liked to have seen how I'd do after the forest."
>Anon turned and pointed at the skull, then at the pelt
"And Ursa keeps me warm still."
>Sundance nodded, "Ursa seemed like a good friend."
>Anon cleared his throat
"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."
>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
>As well as a bunch of herbs, some nuts, garlic, and some other things
>"Well, I'm sure she appreciates it, in whatever bear afterlife she's in." Sundance replied
"Ursa damn well better, I put a lot of work into these dishes."
>Anon joked with a smile, he started tossing ingredients into the pestle and grinded them into a paste
>"What kind of dishes do you make anyways? You mentioned that ponies get takeout from here." Sundance asked
"Well, all sorts of stuff from my homeland."
>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

>About a half an hour later, Anon was done
>He never stopped the whole time he was talking, always stirring something, washing something, plating something
>He seemed very comfortable conversing while working in the kitchen
>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
>Anon gestured to each of the dishes,
"Pesto alla Genovese, and Zuppa di Lenticchie."
>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.
"Dig in."
>"Gladly, it looks really good, Anonymous." She replied, taking a forkful of the pesto, and savoring every chew
>LOVE
>How did he do it? The food tasted amazing, garlicky, nutty, earthy, and fulfilling from the love
>She looked up to say something, but didn't notice that Anon had left the kitchen
>In his socks, he was stunningly silent
>She looked behind him, and noticed that he'd moved the bear pelt to one of the chairs
>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
>Sundance stopped chewing and watched him
>He put his hands together and closed his eyes, bowing his head, muttering a few words
>She didn't want to bother that

>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
>He went to the other side of the island and made himself some of the food
"Well, it's a bit more than what I was going to make for myself, but it's good either way right?"
>"Good is an understatement, I would kill for food like this." Sundance said in between chews
"You don't have to go that far Sundance, but it's good to hear."
>He began to dig into his own food and not long after, the two found themselves with empty plates and bowls.
>Sundance sat there staring at the empty dishes, completely satisfied.
>In both terms of hunger
>Anon was mid sip when Sundance suddenly stood on her seat and planted her hooves on the island
>Now taller than Anon, she declared, "That. Was. The best meal. I have EVER had, in my life."
>Anons eyebrows shot up
"Well you don't have to exaggerate."
>"I'm not joking." Sundance said completely seriously
>And she wasn't
>Love always came from wisps in the air, or congealed into a thick liquid, and it wasn't like food
>It was something more essential, like a magical lifeblood, something required, like water, but not
>Pony food was always just food, something to fuel the body, to sate its hunger
>A Changeling was perfectly okay with eating gruel all their life, as long as they received love
>But this was different than the ambient love from other ponies, or the liquid love from the hive
>It was like honeybee honey, made from different flowers
>She didn't even know this was possible
>She didn't even know if her Queen knew this was possible!

...

"Really? Well, uh thanks, I guess."
>Anon replied with a small smile, he glanced down at his plate, feeling heat at his ears
>Be Anon
>You always thought you were kind of an average sort of cook
>Never went to Culinary School or anything, but the thought had crossed your mind
>Of course, friends and family always said your cooking was good
>But they were close friends, and family
>Weren't they supposed to say that sort of stuff?
>The ponies liked your food, but none of them ever really...
>Declared it, like Sundance just did, like she had made some sort of religious revelation
>The ponies were just ordering your food because it was exotic right?

>Be Sundance
>There was a moment, just a moment, where it all seemed to freeze in frame
>Like a painting, like the ones in the hive depicting the legends of ancient Changeling kind
>When Anonymous glanced down, smiling, bashfully, he became radiant
>Behind him, rays of pride, joy, passion
>Emotions thicker than she had ever seen before, so much of it that she could barely see the kitchen behind him
>It reminded her of the portraits of the old Kings and Queens of the hive, vibrant, shining, with crowns of pure emotion
>But those were depictions of control, royalty so powerful that they could spare the resources to show it off
>Anon was an image of creation
>It wasn't contained to him, nor was he containing it, it was from him, he was luminous
>What was Anonymous?
>What kind of creature produces emotions like this?
>Even ponies, the most compassionate creatures on the planet, only leaked small amounts of emotion
>Changelings had to magically draw out more, if they needed to feed
>But Anon was much more
>Ponies were rivers, and Anon was an ocean
>Then she saw it darken with self doubt
>And her face fell a little
>He was a living creature
"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."
>Anon looked at her and stayed silent for a while
>But Sundance knew her words affected him, she could see it
>"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."
>Sundance smiled
>"You know, bland." Anon said
"I know what you said, I'm looking forward to it too." Sundance replied

>Be Anon
>You cleared your throat and gathered the plates and bowls from the kitchen island
"I'll uh, clean up here. Feel free to look over my bookshelf,"
>You point towards the living room, at a squat, wide bookshelf, situated under the window
"If you're into painting I have a canvas and some painting supplies."
>Sundance looked behind her and saw the bookshelf, then looked back at you
>"I think I want to take a bath, if that's alright with you?" She asked
"Oh, of course. I'll fetch you a fresh towel and show you to the bathroom." 
>You walked past Sundance and opened a cabinet in the hallway, taking out a fresh towel
>Looked back down the hallway, you saw Sundance just next to a few paces away
>So you tossed her the towel, and she leaned forward, catching the towel with her wings, letting it fall onto her neck and back
>She gave you a smug smile
"Good catch. And here's the bath,"
>You turned around and opened a door, revealing, well, a normal bathroom
>But Sundance seemed impressed
>Now that you think about it, everything in your home is scaled to you, not ponies
>For her, the bath is easily twice the size of a normal bath
"Take as long as you want, mi casa es su casa."
>Sundance turned her head towards you with an eyebrow raised, "Huh?"
"Oh, uh, phrase from my homeland. It means, 'My house is your house'."
>Sundance let that sink in for a second, "It's a nice phrase. Very pony like."
>You think of some decidedly not pony-like phrases, but don't vocalize them
"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."
"I'll let you get to it though, I should get to washing the dishes."

>Be Anon
>You're washing the dishes, of course, you cleaned as you were cooking
>So it's not many dishes, just the extra set of dishware that Sundance had
>You were smiling, feeling good
>Your head was swirling with ideas
>Yuba Sheet Sandwiches?
>You just got that shipment of eastern goods from your Griffon buddies not two weeks ago
>You could make a spicy chipotle mayonnaise, marinate the yuba in a mushroom sauce, layer it with caramelized onion on the sandwich?
>Baguette for bread
>Step one of making a great sandwich is a great bread, after all
>It was strange
>Cooking for ponies, even though they gave you a pretty good amount of culinary freedom, was, well like a job
>You got paid for it, they got what they wanted, with a bit of a human flair to it
>But with Sundance, she basically gave you free reign to make whatever you wanted
>Hell, even that simple pesto pasta you made impressed her to high heavens
>What would happen if you went all out?
>You grinned, thinking about those chinese cartoons where characters would quite literally orgasm at the first taste of a dish
>No way it would be anything like that
>But apparently you were a better cook than you thought
>One day you'd kick out all the stops
>Maybe a pastry, something sweet
>With apples, from Sweet Apple Acres, Zap Apples
>They're rare, but they're the best
>You'd have to make it yourself, of course
>The Apples know how to bake but, to put it mildly, they're apple farmers, not bakers
>The Cakes know how to bake, but they're bakers, not apple experts
>No messing up with Zap Apples, it'll take a full year for another batch
>You'd have to practice with normal apples, and normal ingredients
>Yeah.
>Apple Rose Tarts
>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
>S+ tier stuff
>You smiled, Sundance made you feel good, somehow always knew when your mood was going down, and did her best to lift it
>It was weird, you'd only known her for, not even twelve hours at this point
>But she was never afraid of you, when she looked at you, it wasn't with thinly veiled disdain or masked politeness
>She looked at you with awe, with curiosity, she spoke whatever was on her mind, no tiptoeing around
>She inspired you.
>It was the least you could do right? For an experienced Wildland Ranger of Equestria, of course

>Be Sundance
>You're too short to lay the towel on the counter
>You let out a thoughtful hmmm
>Being short doesn't really bother you, it's wingspan that matters to pegasi
>And you've got that in spades
>You must have the biggest wings this side of the crownlands
>Though, most pegasi don't live on the ground, they live on mountains like Fort Canterlot and cloud cities like Cloudsdale
>So your long wings didn't really help your case when you were trying to find a coltfriend
>Earth Ponies and Unicorns just don't get it
>You adjusted your wings, moving them slightly, and grabbed the towel with a hoof, and tossed it up to the counter
>It landed sloppily, a quarter of it was hanging over the counter, but that was fine
>You hopped, gently, into the massive bath with a flap of your wings and took a quick look around
>It really was bigger than any bath you've ever been in, you could fit two mares laying down in this bath easily
>On the bathroom walls, you found a small shelf with three large bottles
>It was a simple bodywash, mane shampoo, and mane conditioner
>For some reason you expected there to be a dozen different bottles of all sorts, like the stereotypical colt would have
>Anonymous didn't seem like your normal colty colt though
>You turned the water on and let the tub fill with warm water
>A normal colt would never have a bear skull mounted on the wall
>That's too scary, right?
>Or, tacky?
>It's definitely more of a marely thing to do
>How did he even... he never actually answered HOW he got the pelt and skull
>By the Twin Thrones, what did the forest put him through? 
>And what was he in the first place?
>You'd never heard of his kind before, as a Changeling Infiltrator, or as a Pony Wildland Ranger
>You frowned and just got to washing yourself, the more you thought about Anonymous, the more questions popped up
>One thing was certain, you didn't want him to have to go through with that again
>He's fed you, he's housing you, trusting you in his home
>You want to protect him, how could you not?

>Be Anon
>Dishes done, now normally, you would have done some light reading before bed for a few hours
>Or painted, you're actually getting pretty good at that
>With Ursa's candle blown out, and the extra food in the fridge
>Icebox, but it's basically a fridge
>You're now officially in evening downtime
>You open up your pantry and dig out a bag of candies, they're pretty fancy
>Chocolate treats from the local candy store
>Sure you could melt chocolate, or make ganache for a cake, but you aren't a pro chocolatier like they are
>It's a round, chocolate covered wafer ball, with fudge and nuts in the center, covered in crispy popped rice
>They remind you of some chocolate from back home
>It's absolutely delicious, and as far as you know, only made in Ponyville
>They hand make it, and it takes forever for them, so they're expensive and hard to get
>You set the treats down on the armrest of your chair and walk over to the fireplace
>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
>Apparently Princess Celestia and Princess Luna enjoy the chocolates too, and there's always a batch for them ready for pickup
>Just in case one of them goes AWOL out of their castle, which happens, more often than nought
>Believe it or not they visited your place for lunch thrice
>Well, the first time you didn't serve them anything but tea
>You don't make orders day of, royalty or not
>They respected your rules and let you know beforehand the next two times
>They're nice magical horse princesses, Sundance is kind of like them
>They're not afraid of you, they speak plainly, more curious than anything
>Honestly same with the Griffons
>They're a bit rougher, but you like them, they're good people who enjoy a good party
>You pick up a baking book from your shelf, it's thick, and full of pony treats
>You turn to the puff pastry recipe, intent on brushing up on the technique
>You've done it before but it's been a while

>Not long after you start reading and making mental notes to buy more butter, you hear Sundance walking down the hallway
>You look over and see the damp pony
>She sees the fireplace and smiles, "Perfect."
>Sundance walks close to the fireplace and lies down on the rug, unfurling her wings and facing them towards the warmth of the fire
>She lets out a noise of contentment and a sigh
>You get out of your chair, book and treats in hand, and go sit on the rug with her
>You set down one of the wrapped treats on the rug in front of her
>"Hm?" She looked down at the candy, then looked at you
>You unwrapped yours and popped it in your mouth, crunching down on it
"It's chocolate, for you."
>She lifted hers and unwrapped it, seeming surprised at it
>Just what was her life like if even a piece of chocolate warrented a moment of examination?
>You felt sorry for her, a little
>Then galvanized.
>You're going to make desserts for her too
>She's missed out on years of experiencing decent food
>Must have
>What the hell kind of life did she live?

>Be Sundance
>Chocolate!
>You've had chocolate once before, in a bar, during Ranger training
>It's delicious
>But this one is special
>It's round!
>Not only round, it's got wisps of love around it!
>You lift the treat up, then down
>The wisps of love follow it, attached to it
>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

>Anon set down the book he was holding, putting it between him and Sundance
"So I'm gonna do some more baking, flip through the book, I'll make what you like."
>"Oh, you don't have to do that for me." Sundance replied
>But Anon gave her a reassuring smile, looking deep into her eyes
"I want to." Anon said simply, "Anything you want. I want to."
>Sundance's heart skipped a beat
>She fluttered her wings gently
>She blinked rapidly in disbelief
>"Oh, I. Anything?"
"Anything."
>"I've always wanted to try ice cream."
>Anon nodded thoughtfully
"Not baked but... Italian Gelato, mint base, chocolate brownie and crumbled waffle cone added. I can make that."
>Sundance smiled, imagining how that could possibly taste, "It sounds delicious. I've always liked cookies too."
"Ube mochi crinkle cookies."
>Sundance giggled, "I only understood half of those words, what's an ube, what's a mochi?"
>Anon smiled
"You'll find out, they taste delicious. I import those from the east."
>"All the way from there huh? So what about... just brownies?"
"Triple chocolate, milk chocolate brownie with dark chocolate chunks and white chocolate ganache drizzle. Served with a side of vanilla ice cream."
>Sundance just didn't stop smiling, did he have an answer for every request?
>"Cake." Sundance said simply, curious as to what he was going to reply with
"Two layer Genoise sponge cake, with whipped cream and sliced mango, peach, strawberries."
>Sundance didn't know what a Genoise sponge cake was, but she did know whipped cream and fruit
>"I'm running out of ideas already but you just don't miss a step do you?" Sundance asked
>To which Anon simply gave a smug shrug
>Sundance started flipping through the cookbook, occasionally pointing out something that looked good
>Every time, Anon would talk about it, how there were different variations of each kind of treat
>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
>It honestly felt like just barely one, but they'd been at it for at least three
>"We should sleep," Sundance started, "I'll need to visit the Guardhouse tomorrow."
"I'll show you to the guest room then." Anon said, he got up, and Sundance followed suit, stretching as she got up
>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
>The guest room was fairly spartan, there was a chair and desk, a large bed with pillows already on it, a nightstand
>The window faced the Everfree treeline
>Anon went into the room and opened one of the cabinets inside, revealing pillows, folded blankets, and an assortment of other things
>Sundance hopped onto the bed, it was taller than she was used to, and once she was on, definitely larger
>She could easily splay all of her limbs out and still have room to spare on the bed
>Was this princess sized?
>Her thoughts were interrupted by a gentle thud
>Anon had tossed a massive blanket onto the bed, folded into a large square
>He started to unravel it, and Sundance helped, pulling the blanket to the corners of the bed
>It felt amazing to the hoof, soft, fuzzy, and the blanket had some heft to it
"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
>"Thanks Anonymous." Sundance said, sitting down on the bed
"Ah, it's no trouble. Besides it's about time someone used the bed, they're meant to be slept on." He replied
"I'll see you tomorrow morning right, good night Sundance."
>"Good night Anonymous."
"Anon, the full names' too long to say every time."
>"...Good night, Anon."

>Be Sundance.
>Now comfortably lying on your back with all your legs splayed out under the blanket
>What the buck
>Sun and moon
>Stone Trone
>Does he know what he's doing?
>Is he a mare-killer?
>Like a coltkiller, but a colt, seducing mares?
>The way he looked into your eyes
>The way he gave that smug smile and shrug
>The way he told you to shorten his name
>Do colts do that?
>They typically don't
>He could have had you at any of those moments
>He could have leant in and kissed you, and you would have been helpless
>He could have invited you in when he shrugged, and you would have been under his spell
>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
>It was...
>It was exhilirating.
>You were seen, in his eyes
>He wanted you there, you were desired
>Not for your body, he could have had that
>Desired for you, as a pony
>Wait a minute, you were a Changeling Infiltrator
>You were supposed to be the one seducing!
>You narrowed your eyes in mild frustration
>But he gave emotion and love so easily, there wasn't a need to draw it out
>And there was just, so much of it
>Just that moment in the kitchen, when he glanced away
>When he seemed an image of someone of legend
>He let out more raw emotion than a dozen ponies do in a week
>What was that even about?
>How?
>Was that just it? Was Anon a legendary creature, one who matched Changeling Mythology?
>A being like the First Father, who nurtured the first Queens?
>That was impossible though, mythology was just that, mythology
>So what could explain Anon?
>...And he wanted you
>You smiled and turned to your side, suddenly detecting the scent of a colt
>Unmistakably
>No way, that had to have been on purpose, right?
>But where would he have found the time? 
>When she was in the bath?
>But you would have heard him, the guest room is right on the other side of the hallway
>Maybe it was just coincidence.
>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
>Coincidence. Yeah.

>Be Anon
>In bed now
>You take a deep breath
>Sundance is just so easy to talk to, it's strange
>Like that Griffon, Lady Gianna
>Like the sister Princesses, Celestia and Luna
>A while ago you wanted to move out of Equestria to Griffonia
>Lady Gianna would have taken you in
>And you felt more kinship with the cat-birds than you did with the small horses
>But Luna convinced you to stay
>'Just as night falls, and ponies fall asleep. There will always be some who stay up, and gaze upon the stars.'
>Was what she said, sort of, if you remembered right
>Something about how there will always be someone that gets you
>And you guess she was right
>Sundance exists.
>Like how most nights you sit outside and admire the stars for Luna
>You get Luna
>And Sundance gets you
>She doesn't push you for answers
>Or talk about things you don't like to talk about
>Like why do you live so far away from the rest of the village?
>Or why you're so different?
>Or where did you come from?
>To her you're just you
>Not some creature who came out of the Everfree Forest
>Or some exotic alien
>She didn't try to get into your pants on the day people try to get into peoples pants
>She just liked to talk to you
>And you made her smile, and laugh
>You aren't useless
>You aren't a use him and lose him
>You aren't a...
>...
>You calm yourself and take a few more deep breaths
>You force your thoughts to Sundance
>You're going to blow out her tastebuds
>Gonna show her what the culinary world has the offer, both pony and human
>She's been missing out, you're the guy who's going to show her the best flavors out there
>You're the best one for it too
>You made her smile, and laugh.
>Your thoughts stay on Sundance, and you think about the adventures she told you about
>Tales of soaring through the desert sky
>Exploring deep underground caves
>Darting through a rockfall in the mountains

...

>Be Sundance
>This bed is really comfy so you keep your eyes closed and stretch under the blankets
>You've just had a wonderful dream
>You met some out of this world alien colt and he whisked you away to his home
>Which was crazy, colts are never the ones to approach mares
>But you talked with him and conversation flowed so smoothly
>He fed you, in both ways
>He was a fantastic chef and always had interesting ideas for food
>The soup he made was amazing, and warming
>The pasta he made was filling and nutty
>His whole house was saturated with delectable emotions
>It was like being in the Hive's royal storehouse, but not cold
>This colt was like a book character too
>Complete with mysterious dark past
>Wait a minute
>You groggily force your eyes open and lift your head to look around, squinting through the sunlight
>This wasn't an inn room, nor an inn bed
>Oh
>Ohhh...
>So that wasn't a dream
>And here you thought Hearts and Hooves day would be a bust
 
>When you get back out to the kitchen and living room, Anon is already in the kitchen
>This whole part of the house smells like freshly baked bread
>He turns to you, beaming a smile, whisking something in a bowl
>His smile is infectious
>"'Morning Sundance, how do you like your eggs? And, are you a coffee or a tea gal?"
>Fertilized.
>Wait you can't say that
>Is this colt single? He sure seemed single yesterday when you were talking
>How is this colt single?
>You can't say that either
>Colts can be sensitive
>Get yourself together mare!
"Uh, eggs, scrambled? And I usually drink coffee, but that was because it was the only thing other than water at bases."
>Anon gives you a look with a raised eyebrow
"I could go for tea."
>He got to putting a kettle on the stove
>"What kind of scramble?"
"There's different kinds?"
>You thought back to the kinds of breakfast the rangers would make while at the outposts
>Coffee, clearly, but you have a sneaking suspicion that there's a whole depth to coffee that you're missing
>Beans, bread, dried fruits
>Sometimes soup with wild ingredients, if you could find ingredients
>Preservation had priority over freshness, since ranger bases and outposts were often far from civilization
>And you were Wildland Rangers not cooks
>Anon just blinked at you
>"I'll make you a loaded scramble with some bread, how 'bout that?"
"Sounds good!"
>Scrambled eggs loaded with what?
 
>Anon got to work cutting and dicing
>Fresh bell peppers, onions, mushrooms
>Grating cheese, at least two different kinds
>Slicing herbs
>It constantly amazed you how much effort and care this sort of thing took
>Compared to cooking in the field, Anon was leagues ahead
>It also amazed you how effortless he made it look
>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
"What kind of tea is this?"
>"It's a floral black tea, it has caffeine so don't worry about not getting your fix."
>You took a sip
>It was hot, and much gentler to drink than the bitter and harsh coffee that you've had previously
>Hints of flowers that you couldn't name
>And a little bit of sweetness
>It was way different than the hibiscus tea you had last night with Anon
>And of course, love
>It seemed to be a hallmark of Anon's cooking
>Like an artists signature
"I think I'm a 'tea gal' now."
>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."
"You wouldn't do that just for me."
>"Well I've wanted to get into coffee brewing for myself, just later." Anon explained, "If you preferred coffee I would have started sooner."
 
>Anon then slid a plate in front of you
>It was the loaded scramble, and it looked delicious
>Topped with a yellow and white cheese
>Colors of green and red bell peppers, onions, herbs
>There was an empty section on the plate
>Just in time to answer the question in your head, you heard a crunch and looked up at the source
>Anon had just pulled the loaf of bread out of the oven and started cutting into it
>He cut you a slice and pulled the bowl he was whisking earlier closer to him
>He dipped a butter knife into the bowl
>It was butter!
>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
>The buttered bread found its way onto your plate, and Anon cut himself two slices
>You dug into your food happily, taking a bite of the bread
>Salt!
>But it wasn't too salty
>Salt was expensive, and one of the perks of being a Ranger, well, the Guard in general
>Plentiful access to salt
>Civilian ponies usually had a harder time getting seasonings like this, especially in an inland village like Ponyville
>He wasn't splurging for you, right?
>"So what are you up to today? You mentioned last night that you had to go to the Guardhouse today?" Anon asked
"Oh, yeah. I need to report my new housing situation, and check to see if I'm scheduled for any patrols, or schools."
>"Schools?"
"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..."
>You notice Anon make a face and he darkens
"I'm not really sure what's going on, if the crowns are going to send me an expert to learn from, or what."
>You watch Anon carefully, it was only a tinge, and he managed to stop it from getting worse
>"...Well, if you're in a pinch, I could show you around the Everfree. I know it pretty well."
>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
 
"What about you then? What's your day looking like?
>Anon takes a bite out of his scramble and glances up, thinking for a moment, chewing and swallowing
>"Going into town and seeing if anyone has any orders, grabbing a few groceries, maybe painting tonight."
"Oh, did you paint those?"
>You turn your head and look at the strange paintings in the living room
>The massive red bridge, collection of pyramids, a snaking stone wall through green hills
>What were they?
>"Yep!" Anon replied proudly, with a smidge of sadness?
>"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
>"The Giza Pyramids at Egypt, and The Great Wall of China."
"They look amazing."
>"They were."
"I meant the paintings too you know."
>You had no idea what they were exactly, but Anon spoke of them with fondness, and sadness.
>They must be from his home, the one he hadn't talked about yet
>It must be far away, you were pretty well traveled, but you'd never heard of these landmarks before
>Well, when he wants to talk about it he will
"I'm looking forward to seeing more."
>He smiled at you, appreciative of your interest, or your compliments, or a combination of both
 
...
 
>Be Sundance
>Currently mid walk to the Guardhouse
>Breakfast was delicious, filling, interesting, and like last nights dinner
>Full of love
>You still don't know how he did it, the colt was a factory for it, and never seemed to run out
>Anon was full of mysteries, but he was kind, and attentive, easy to talk to, and easy to get along with
>The Guardhouse came into view
>It was a wide stone made tower, just two stories tall, with several wood extensions to the tower
>One section was under construction, a number of construction mares ferrying planks of wood and wheelbarrows of stone
>The sound of hammers and saws filled the air
>You opened the wooden door to the tower
>Inside was your commanding officer, and several other town guardsmares
>Commander Sandy Sabatons, a younger mare, a few years younger than you, guessing
>You walk up to her desk and salute
>Officially, Sandy had rank on you, but everyone in the Guardhouse knew that when it came to experience, you trounced everyone in the room
>Sandy saluted back, "At ease Ranger Sundance, just the mare I was looking for. I actually have two letters for you."
>Hm?
>Letters?
>Sandy hoofed you the two letters, one stamped with the Equestrian Royal Guard seal, and the other, stamped with the...
>The Royal Crowns?!
>You look up at Sandy with mild panic
>"They just came in this morning, and they're both addressed to you specifically." Sandy explained.
"Uh, well. I came over to report that I have a new housing situation."
>You grab a letter opener from Sandy's desk and sit down on a chair in front of her desk
>"So that's why the other mares didn't see you at the inn." Sandy replied
>You opened the Royal Guard letter first
 
"Yeah, Anonymous offered me a room and I took it."
>The entire guardhouse went silent, and you halted too
>Huh?
>Why was there fear and dread in the air?
>You looked up at Sandy, who had a concerned look about her face
>There was a few seconds of silence
>"Did he suck your blood?" A guardsmare shouted from across the room
>What the hay?
>You looked over to the mare with complete and utter confusion on your face
"Huh?"
>Then you were crowded by the guardsmares, one of them looked at your neck, worryingly
>"Anonymous drinks blood! He's a Vampony!"
"Where did you hear that non-"
>"No he's a were-bear! On full moons he turns into a bear."
"No he doesn'-"
>"No he KILLED a bear, he's not a were-bear!"
"Wha-?"
>"He communes with wolves and leads an army of them! He doesn't deal with bears!"
>???
>"He's not a Vampony because he's not a pony, the file says he calls himself human, he's a Vamhuman, clearly!"
>What the hay is going on?
>"Did you see last month? Last month two griffons entered his house, Anonymous didn't come out for three DAYS after they left!"
 
"What are you all talking about!?"
>Your outburst shut them all up
"He's been nothing but a complete gentlecolt ever since I met him."
"Now, let me look at these letters from THE BRASS, and THE PRINCESSES, in peace."
>The crowd scattered, muttering to each other about Anon
>You huffed
>Finally, you got the letter from command opened
>First Ranger Sundance, blah blah blah
>Huh?
>Request for Woodlands Expert denied?
>Request for a Wonderbolt who was stationed here previously, denied?
>Orders to found a new team of Everfree Forest specialized Rangers
>New rangers arriving in three months
>You plant your hoof to your face
>You looked up to Sandy
"What happened to the Wonderbolt team that was stationed here?"
>"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."
>Huh?
"So all of you got here six months ago?"
>"Well most of us, some of us three months ago. And then you came in last week."
>You blinked at her, that was... very strange. To say the least.
>"What did the letter say?"
"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?"
>"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."
>You grunted at that, guess you'd be spending your days reading now
>You opened the letter with the Royal seal next
>It was a letter from Princess Luna and Princess Celestia.
 
Dear Sundance,
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.
-Celestia
-Luna
 
>You closed your eyes as you folded up the letter and took a deep breath
>This can't be a coincidence.
>No way.
>Meeting Anon during Hearts and Hooves
>Commander Sandy's recommendation to meet with Anon about the forest
>The Crowns recommending to befriend Anon
>Hold on...
>When you were reassigned away from the mountains, your orders cited your exceptional ability to keep morale up
>Did the Princesses have a hoof in that too?
>What the hay is going on?
>Something's getting bucked around behind the curtains
>You can hear it, but you don't see it yet
>What was so special about Anon?
>Aside from his restaurant level cooking?
>And general mysteriousness
>And him being an alien
>And him matching up with some depictions in Changeling mythology
>Okay there was a lot going on with Anon
>But these letters didn't help at all
>You sighed
"I need a drink."
 
>In barely a minute a Guardsmare put a cup of coffee on Commander Sandy's desk in front of you
>You said your thanks and got back to thinking, drinking it
>It was...
>Well it was coffee, bitter, made like always, no love or anything special about it
>Anon seemed to not enjoy talk about the Wonderbolts, judging by how he felt when you mentioned them this morning
>And they left a year ago suddenly
>Then the entire Ponyville guard was switched out
>And now the Princesses are asking you, personally, to keep an eye on Anon
>It suddenly didn't seem impossible that the Princesses pulled you specifically to station you here in Ponyville
>And the Crowns do have the power to just... change out an entire towns garrison
>Nobody could say no to them
"Hey Commander?"
>Sandy looked up from her papers
"What's the story with Anon's arrival anyways?"
 
>"Well," Sandy began, glad that she could do something other than paperwork
>"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."
>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."
>"There was only two in the report."
>"Yeah but how many were there that they DIDN'T see?"
>"River, we weren't there, all of this is basically rumor, even the official report has redacted sections and is a mess."
"The report is redacted?"
>"Just some of it, look for yourself." Sandy said, turning around and opening a file cabinet
>Once the folder was on the desk, you opened it, and started to read.

...

>Be Anon
>Heading into town now for groceries, and to see if anyones placed any orders from you on the Town Hall bulletin board
>There were few ponies out and about, most of them likely sleeping in with their partners
>Strangely, there were quite a few ponies who smiled and waved at him
>Usually that didn't happen
>But you didn't pay much mind to it.
>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
>You see that it was Honey Harmony selling it, you knew her, she liked your pizza. Extra mushrooms and light on the onions.
>You'll have to talk to her about buying a few jars of honey
>No orders on your own post though, strange, usually there were a few
>But that just meant more free time for you
>Now groceries

>Grocery shopping went smoothly, all you needed were essentials anyways
>But ponies seemed happy towards you
>Now this was getting unsettling
>Ponies being happy was normal, but happy towards YOU specifically, something was up.
>Usually they were just polite, or stayed out of your way
>But you even got a few 'good morning's here and there
>Hm...
>Your were broken out of your train of thought when you arrived at the Apple Family stall
>It was a quaint stall, mostly just a cart with buckets of apples in it, with a green and white canvas roof
>"Anon! As I live and breathe, you're awake!"
>You stared at him dumbly for easily five long seconds, and your friend, Jam Apple, stared back expecting an explanation
"Uh... yeah, I would hope so? I'm usually up by now?"
>"How come you're not cuddling your marefriend in be-"
>You immediately clamped your hand around this colt's mouth, keeping it shut
>You leaned in close, moving slowly
>Whatever nonsense Jam heard, you didn't need the whole town to be abuzz with false rumor
"My... what?" you asked, slowly releasing your hand

>"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."
>You closed your eyes and took a deep, deep breath.
>"You're really fast you know that Anon?"
>You exhaled, slowly.
>"And that same bunch of colts saw her leave your house this morning."
>You sighed and let out a groan, that was barely half an hour ago, how does the whole town know that now?
"She's not my marefriend." You stated, "She doesn't have a place to stay, so I'm offering my guest room."
>Jam lit up, "Ohhhh! I get it, ROOMMATES." He winked at you.
"Yes roommates and not the kind of roommates you're thinking of, Jam."
>"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."
>You sighed, Jam was right, the both of you knew it, about the best in you part. Not the casual sexism part. 
>"It was bad luck that it was her, not every mare is like that."
"I know."
>"You know. So, what about this Guardsmare?"
>You were silent for a long while
"... She's a Wildland Ranger. And we seem to like falling into step with each other."
>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."

>A small smile tugged at your lips
"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."
>Jam's small smile grew to a wide grin, "And this new Ranger mare has nothing to do with this new recipe thing?"
"Yeah, none, no affiliation whatsoever." You smiled, pausing for a moment, "Actually everything to do with."
>Jam opened his mouth to speak up, but you interrupted him.
"I know, I know, best in me thing."
>Jam just gave you a knowing look, as he handed you a bag of apples.
>You leaned down to grab them, and you also ruffled his mane
"Listen, I'm sorry about the grabbing your face thing." You say quietly
>"I know you are, the topic puts you on edge, and I know you have sharp edges." Jam replied with a sad smile.
"You help smooth them out."
>"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."
>You roll your eyes at Jam.
>"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."
"You don't have to do that..."
>"Oh but I want to." Jam Apple said happily, you heard a little bit of crazy in his tone
>You just chuckled at the silliness of it, as if a few ticket sales were going to hurt the Wonderbolts
>But, you understood that he wanted to hurt them back, for hurting you
>You pulled Jam in for a short hug
"Thanks Jam, I'll be see you 'round then?"
>Of course Anon."