>It’s such a good feeling
>To know you’re alive 
>It’s such a happy feeling
>You’re growing inside 
>And when you wake up, ready to say
>Snap Snap
>I think I’ll make a snappy new day 
>It’s such a good feeling
>And you feel good every morning because you make good days for boys and girls that need it 
>You are Anon, but the little ones you help in your office often call you Mister Anon 
>But you’re not going to the office today, it’s your day off after all
>Working on your garden today sounds like a splendid idea right now 
>You place on green polo and comfortable well worn sandals
>Before walking up to your front door, you made sure to feed your goldfish a few flakes 
>You also made sure to announce that you were 
“And now I’m feeding Dorothy some flakes”
>It’s a habit you picked up from someone else 
>Someone you owe a lot to 
>After putting away the fish food, you open your coat closet and pull out a sturdy apron and sun hat to put on
>Your front door swings open easily and a bright world smiles at you 
>As usual, the sun greets you on a blue sky 
>An especially blue sky today
>A pastel one in fact
>That’s new
>The neighborhood has also sure changed 
>Instead of the typical modern day buildings that populated the town, there were now thatched roofs on top of colorful buildings 
>No roads either, just paved pathways lined with mossy stone that spaced the homes a fair distance away from each other 
>There doesn’t seem to be any soul in sight either, just the breeze tickling your skin 
>You look around the exterior of your home and yard
>While the world around it has changed, your home is the same as it ever was 
>Which importantly also meant your gardening tools were easily available
>You take your thick gloves and start to whistle a tune as you put them on 
>Looks like you’re in a new neighborhood 
>But things always work out in the end, just as you tell your patients, so you’re not too worried 
>You have no enemies, and you can’t imagine that someone would up and take you and your home and plant them in such a lovely place with any ill intent 
>You shrug your shoulders to yourself 
>Hopefully your new neighbors can explain what day the garbage is taken out
>And when things are sorted out, you might just call the office to use some vacation days to stay here a little longer 
>After filling a bucket with your tools and some bundles of flowers, you walk over to the front edge of your lawn near some bushes 
>You kneel before a flower patch and take a small trowel to dig up some of moist soil 
>This will be a good spot to plant some pansies that you bought yesterday 
>You take the purple flowers out of your bucket, when suddenly you can hear a femenine voice 
>”Ooh, those are pretty!”
>”Pinkie, Shhhhhh!”
>You look up from your work
>And see nothing 
>You scratch your head before continuing your planting 
>You don’t want the pansies to feel lonely, so next are some orange lilies 
>Just as it happened last time, the moment you pull out the flowers, a voice rings out again
>It’s an entirely different one this time
> “I must say, our new neighbor has a certain eye for color coordination. The purple and Orange just go so lovely with each other!” 
>”Gosh darn it, Rarity, we’re suppose’ to be spyin’ on the fella right now, not complimenting his choice of flowers!”
>”Wait, we’re playing Secret Agent right now?! You all said we were playing Hide and Seek! Ugh, I should have just kept napping on my cloud” 
>”Girls, quiet down! What if he hears us?!”
>You heard them 
>But you smile at their antics
>It’s obvious to you through their behavior and tone that it must be some neighborhood kids just curious about who you are 
>You notice that the voices are coming from an alleyway down the street and you shout towards that direction
>It’s not a loud shout though, and you’re sure to say your words calmly and slowly
“Hello, is anyone there?”
>A few beats pass by before you get a reply
>You think her friend had called her Pinkie? 
>”Nope, nobody here at all, Mister!” 
>You chuckle
>Yep, just some kids having some fun is all they were 
“Well if anybody does come around, I’d be more than happy to garden with them. It’s a lovely day today, be a shame to just stand around and let it go to waste and gardening with other people is always fun” 
>Just like all children, they have no idea just how loud they are when they try to whisper
>You can’t see them, but you can hear them clearly 
>”Hey Twilight, what’s a people?” 
>”I don’t know, Rainbow Dash. The Princess still hasn’t replied to my letter yet” 
>You hum as you ponder d
>People was a word that toddlers typically learned easily 
>And your visitors sounded older than toddlers with their usage of vocabulary and sentence structure 
>Something wasn’t adding up quite right 
>”Oh umm, Rarity, where are you going?, if it’s okay for me to ask you…”
>”I for one am going to greet our guests. He seems like a perfectly respectable Gentlecolt who would put his milk in after his cereal. Don’t look at me like that, Twilight! I am a big mare that can make her own decisions”
>”He’s still a stranger though! The Princess says to always remember stranger danger and to look both ways before crossing the street!”
>Gentlecolt?
>Mare?
>Princess? 
>You are well and truly confused now 
>You do as you always suggest what to do when in distress
>Ask for help
“Hello, is there anybody that can help me? I’m new to this place and could use someone’s help to answer some questions. It’d be nice to meet you too. My name is Anon” 
>”We’ll that does it, I ain’t gonna’ leave somepony to fend for demselves’ when they holler out for help. You with me, Fluttershy?”
>”S-sure. I guess he’s not a stranger anymore since we know his name now…” 
>Six kids step out of the shadow
>Well, not kids exactly
>They were the size of kids though, the only difference was that two of them wings, two had horns and they were colors of an art pallets 
>And they were all ponies 
>You grin at them
>They seem nice 
>The pink one hops up to you as you stand up and relax your posture 
>”Hi there Mister! We were playing Hide-and-Go-Spy right over there! Betcha’ you didn’t know we were watching you!”
>The purple horse slaps a hoof on her own forehead in exasperation
>You summarize that this one must be Pinkie  
“Oh really? I had no idea” 
>This time the blue flying one speaks up as she crosses two of her hooves while looking at you 
>”Yeah, we’re just cool secret agents like that. We do jobs for the Princess all the time. Like last weekend when she sent us to Manehattan to stop a thief from stealing like a bizzilion cakes”
>”Rainbow, it was two dozen cakes”
>”Like I said, Twilight, a bizzilion”
“Wow, you all must be very important. What’s the name of the Princess?”
>”Her name is Princess Celestia and she’s the best Princess ever! I should know, I am her student after all. She takes care of everypony and makes sure there are snacks and nap time everyday!”
>From their earlier conversation they were having, you crassume the purple one that spoke up is Twilight
“She does seem like a very caring per-“
>You stop yourself from making a mistake”
“Like a caring pony. Does she live near here?”
>”No, Princess don’t live in small towns, Mister Anon. Every Princess lives in a castle and her castle is in Canterlot”
“Is it far from here? I wouldn’t want to interrupt her while she’s sitting down to eat dinner or doing things that Princess do like…”
>You mock a thinking pose 
>You needed more information on what sort of leader this Princess was like
>And the best way to get kids to talk freely is to engage them in a question they already know the answer to
>On cue, every pony gives you answers 
>”Share their super delicious yummy cakes that have extra frosting!”
>”Check the closet and under the bed for dastardly monsters waiting to snatch unsuspecting ponies away to ruin their manes!!”
>”Help find lost pets like dogs, and kittens, or little bunnies, or bear cubs, or…”
>”Find interesting books to read that have good stories and pictures!” 
>”Judge races to see who the fastest pegasus is!”
>”Cut the crust off o’ peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with a side of apple slices ya eat when you’re done with all your chores for the day!”
>You nod thoughtfully at all of their responses and
come to the conclusion that this Princess Celestia indeed must be a good pony 
>And that these ponies here are at the mental age that you’re used to working with in the office 
>You wonder if they’ll like hand puppets 
>You make a quick mental note to see if you can create a pony hand puppet later before talking to the six ponies again 
“Thank you for telling more about Ms. Celestia, neighbors. Are your parents around? I’d like to speak with them”
>The yellow pegasus raises a hoof, as if you’re a teacher in a classroom
“Yes, Ms…?”
>“My name is Fluttershy, Mister Anon. We don’t live with our parents. We’re all fully grown mares”
“Oh of course, how silly of me”
>You gently slap your head and grin 
“Do you think it would be possible for me to meet the Princess? Hopefully she isn’t too busy right now”
>”I would think she is quite eager to meet you”
>That voice is new 
>It’s mature and comforting, like a mother speaking to reassure her child that the world is a bright and happy place
>It reminds you of your aunt, the one that cared about you when no one else would 
>The man on the TV taught you that you were special
>But your aunt was the one that made you feel special 
>You involuntarily smile at remembering her and turn towards the source of the voice a large white pony that’s only about a head shorter than you are 
>She flies down from the sky and lands next to her little ponies, like an Angel descending down from Heaven 
>The Princess beams a gentle grin at them as all of the ponies excitedly wave at her 
>Then she turns towards you and looks at you with her large eyes that glisten in the morning sun 
>She bows her head before rising again 
>”Pleased to meet you. I have to apologize, for it seems that my student and her friends have already made my introduction for me, so you have me at a disadvantage” 
>You follow her example by bowing your own head as you speak 
“There’s no need to say sorry, Princess. My friends call me Anon”
>”Please, rise up, there is no need to be so formal. And Celestia will do just fine, Mr. Anon” 
“Thank you very much, Ms. Celestia”
>”Please, just Celestia, Mr. Anon”
>You decide to do some good natured ribbing 
”I’ll call you Celestia when you decide to drop the mister for me”
>You tilt and smile your head to indicate it’s all in good humor and she grins in kind to you 
>”Then we are at an impass, Mr. Anon. That is fair, call me as you like”
“How about I call you over for a nice brunch? I’m afraid that I made a bit too many sandwiches the other day and will need help finishing them up”
>”I appreciate the invitation and I am happy to accept. Twilight, why don’t you and your friends go off and take a nap? It’s about that time now I believe” 
>The six small ponies seem worried that Celestia will be alone with you, but she chases away those fears 
>”He seems to be a very nice being, aren’t you Mr. Anon?”
>You nod at her suggestion 
“A lot of people say that I am and I don’t think all of them must be wrong. How about when you’re done with your nap, I give you all some stickers for being such good helpers to the Princess?”
>All six of them get exited over the prospect of getting stickers 
>Even Fluttershy is thrilled in her own cute subdued way 
>Celestia and you watch  the colorful parade of ponies go off to a local park to nap in the afternoon sun
>When they’re out of sight, she turns her attention back to you and continues to speak in her gentle tone 
>”I must commend you, Anon, you act very calm for a being who has been thrown in such unique circumstances” 
>Your relaxed tempo of speech is unchanged as you address her, the two of you walking through the front door of your home 
“I’ve learned through working with kids how to be adaptable. I’m still learning everyday of course, as we all are. I have to compliment you for being so calm about all of this as well, Celestia. This is your town and I don’t think you have many of me here”
>Your refrigerator opens up and to take out a tray of cucumber sandwiches you made the other day 
>You also notice that the lightbulb inside the fridge isn’t working, likely meaning there’s no electrical connection anymore 
>You’ll just have to invite your new neighbors over for dinner, wouldn’t want to waste the food in there 
>“If I can be candid with you, I was observing you and my little ponies for some time to see how first contact would go”
>After laying out two plates and setting the sandwiches out, you take a seat at a chair while Celestia does likewise, herself sitting on one of your sturdy wooden chairs not dissimilar to how you imagine a dog would 
“How did I do?”
>”You passed with flying colors” 
>An aura encompasses one of the sandwiches and it’s lifted up to her mouth as she takes a small bite out of the thing 
>You’re not too surprised to find out magic exist here 
>What else would you call this place besides magical? 
>You took one of the smaller sand which cuts with your digits and start digging into it as well 
“I would offer you some tea, but something tells me my stove top wouldn’t work” 
>”Do you plan to stay long? I could send for a repair pony to look at it for you”
“I don’t know how long I’ll be staying, but I wouldn’t mind for it to be too long. It’s a very pleasant place with pleasant company” 
>”I’m happy you think it to be so. In truth…it wasn’t always like this” 
>She takes a final bite out of the levitating food item and looks aside in a slight melancholy
>You are a stranger in a strange world and you don’t want to pry too far
>But you’re one to always offer help or at least an ear to air emotions
“Oh? How so?”
>”It was another time, many, many lifetimes ago. To speak of it would be to invite memories best left forgotten and regrets that linger for far too long”
>Just how long has Celestia lived you wonder 
>She sighs wistfully before using her magic to lift another sandwich
“Do you have anyone to speak with about these things? We often times ruminate in the isolation of our own minds, but it often leads to circular thought” 
>”It is a track I’ve traveled many times, the grooves of regret in my mind. I have dissected, examined, reconstructed, and dissected them again countless through many centuries. I have come to accept those regrets. What is done is done. I have my sister as a confidant. Though…our relationship has only just recently rekindled and she has changed to a degree”
>You remember reading a passage on the experience that death has on the psyke 
>That ultimately the only promise given to anything that is born is that one day it will die and all of its regrets will be gone with it
>But what does it mean for someone who has lived for so long? 
>Does immortality breed immortal regret? 
>You want to say something, to bring her peace of mind like the children you work with 
>But she is no child, she’s the ruler of a nation and is leaps and bounds more mature and authoritative than anyone that is around her
>You can’t reach out to her as a counselor
>Instead, you’ll offer support as a friend 
>As always in the construction of personal relationships, reciprocity is key 
>She showed you vulnerability and now it is your turn to do likewise 
>You feel that she knows this, after all she’s had centuries of practice to create connections 
“I see, reminds me of my own sister. She’s a fair bit older than I am and we weren’t very close as kids”
>She listens intently to you, just as you would to her 
>”I’m sorry to hear that. Sibling rivalry can be such a terrible thing” 
“I won’t say that I was without fault in the rift we had. We both were just so angry with each other and telling each other our feelings was the last thing we had on our minds” 
>”What created this division amongst you two?”
“We felt that we had to compete for our parent’s affection, act as if there was a finite supply and that the other would hog it all” 
>In your private thoughts, you muse that they didn’t have much attention to give at all 
>”In some way I can relate to that. My own sister felt that the love of our ponies was monopolized by me. I tried to convince her otherwise but…well, there’s always more that we can do. There isn’t a day that passes by when I don’t ponder if maybe I could have done something different”
“I like to think we’re our own harshest critic, Celestia. I am sure that you did what you could to the best of your ability” 
>”Thank you for your confidence, Anon. I appreciate your kindness”
“And I appreciate that you’re willing to open up to me” 
>You both smile gently at each other as sunlight continues to stream through your kitchen window 
>Very rarely are close connections created so quickly
>This leads you to one conclusion 
>Celestia doesn’t have close friends 
>No, what she has is children
>An entire kingdom of children that look up and adore her as a mother 
>Parents fill two roles in the lives of their kids 
>Functional and emotional 
>In the functional role they provide basic necessities and limits for their safety
>In the emotional role, they provide esteem, love and affection
>The child isn’t expected to do likewise however, and should not be expected to since they’re not yet ready to fulfill either role properly 
>If those six ponies you met outside are considered adults…
>Then when was the last time anyone fulfilled an emotional role for the Princess?
>How lonely must it be at the top? 
>What is it like to be the only tree in a field of flowers?
>To give shade to all of the sprouts on fiery summer days and to give them nutrients in the autumns that follow?
>And what is it like to see them wither and die as winter settles in? 
>To see just how fragile and precious life is as you continue to endure alone as the snow falls, in a field that used to be so full of life? 
>You’ll never be able to imagine the sheer amount of loss Celestia must have faced at this point in her long lived life 
>But you can still try to help make good days for her 
“How is your sister doing now?”
>”She mainly spends her time in her own room. I visit whenever I can” 
“I suppose being the Princess must be a busy job”
>”My ponies are always in need of crayons and warm blankets. But no, the delays in between my visitations is due to my own hesitation”
>Celestia looks down, avoiding eye contact with you 
>It doesn take a genius to know that she’s feeling shame 
“Does she seem angry at you?”
>”No, not in the slightest” 
“And that’s what makes it harder to see her, isn’t it?” 
>Celestia looks at you curiously as if you just found the last piece of a puzzle that has been vexing her 
“You feel that you did something terrible, Celestia, so you think you deserve retribution”
>”I hadn’t thought of it that way, but perhaps that is so” 
“We Don't know what anyone else is thinking because we’re not them. If your sister was angry at you, then you would know for a fact that she is being honest with you. But since she isn’t…”
>Celestia is a quick one and already knows what you’re implying 
>”…then I don’t know if she really has forgiven me. That maybe she is only telling a lie to make me feel better, making her more miserable in the end”
>You nod
“I don’t want to intrude in where I’m not invited, but in my experience, that’s what it was like with my own sister when we reconciled”
>”How did you two make up?”
“It was the small things we did. We talked to each other more often, made it an informal schedule to see how our days were”
>”That is all it took for the two of you? I’m afraid I may need a grander gesture than that to beg for my sister’s forgiveness” 
“There wasn’t a big speech or trip that turned our relationship around. The small things are what matters the most because the small things are how we spend most of our time with others. I can tell you how many times we’ve spent a vacation together, but I wouldn’t be able to count the hours we’ve shared just talking and listening to one another” 
>Celestia hums in thought before replying to you in earnest 
>”And suppose she doesn’t want to see me?”
>You detect a bit of uncertainty in her voice, an unsure tone that stems from thinking about every possibility, including the bad ones 
“Then give her space to think. She’ll know that you made the effort and that it’s her turn to make the effort now. If she chooses not to, then that’s her own choice”
>”The first step is always the hardest, as it is said. Very well then, Anon, I’ll take your advice into consideration. Thank you for listening, I appreciate it”
“And I appreciate that you took the time to come visit me. My door is always open for you”
>”Likewise to you” 
>It is just as you expected, a nice brunch with a nice pony 
>There isn’t any sort of startling revelation 
>No prophecy that needs to be filled 
>No dramatics that needed to be done 
>You two are just two adults establishing a friendship 
>And with every connection, it is created piece by piece and will hopefully endure, no matter how long the oak has to stands tall and firm amongst that field of flower
>Now that tree won’t be so lonely anymore 
>Celestia helps you clean up the plates and place them in your sink
>The two of you are just about to wrap things up when you hear soft knocks on your door
>Followed by a loud voice from a certain cyan pony
>”Just how are they supposed to hear that?! Here, let me try!”
>Three loud bangs emanate from your door soon after
>You chuckle and Celestia follows you to the door as you open it 
>Six colorful mares look at you and Celestia, half of them still rubbing sand out of their eyes as they yawn 
“Did you all have a good nap?”
>Pinkie is by far the most energetic one 
>”Yeah! I think I dreamed about some furry ponies that liked to hug each other in small igloos. I wonder if they’d like cake” 
“I’m sure they’d like cake that you would make”
>”You really think so?!”
“Everything is possible in our imagination. In fact, I know a place where there’s a King and Queen that live in a storybook and they and their subjects have all sorts of adventures together”
>Twilight develops a keen interests in your words
>”Wait, how can they live in a book? It’d have to be a pretty big book that isn’t so flat. Is it a pop up book that has trees and mountains growing out of it?”
“Everything is possible in the Kingdom of Make-Believe. I’ll take you all there sometime, but for now I think I promised some good little ponies something. Now what was it?”
>Once again you mock a thinking pose
>And once again they all shout excitedly
>”Stickers!”
>You snap your fingers 
“That’s right! I’ll go get them right now!”
>As you walk into your study to grab a sticker book, Celestia takes the six ponies at your front door and trots out with them to your open yard as the sun continues to shine upon the clear blue canvas of the sky 
>You return to your seven neighbors with your sticker book in hand and place it on the ground, inviting them to browse through it 
>As they flip through the pages together, they ooh and awe at the selection you have
>”A fine fellow who has exquisite taste in both floral arrangements and adhesive images, who would have thought?” 
>”Wowie zowie, these are some pretty rare stickers! I’ve never seen that one with the pizza slice surfing before!”
>After some deliberation, they all choose their own unique sticker for themselves 
>Twilight chose a cartoon owl reading a book and placed it at the tip of her horn 
>Rarity decided to place a pink Diamond sticker on one of her hooves as an accessory 
>Pinkie placed the aforementioned surfing pizza slice next to some balloons that was on her flank 
>Applejack stuck an electric windmill on her hat, saying that the strange contraption reminded her of the windmill she has on her farm 
>Fluttershy liked the sticker of a smiling carrot but asked to instead rip off the paper behind the sticker as well, so that she could give it to one of her animal friends later 
>You, of course gave per permission to it after she nervously requested permission from you 
>Rainbow Dash found an image of a jet and asked you what it was 
>You explained that it was used by humans to fly around 
>She then asked if it was fast
>After you said yes, she swiftly ripped the sticker out of the book and attached it to one of her cheeks 
>Celestia boops each of their noses and compliments them on being such good helpers that could follow directions well
>”Now what do we say to Mr. Anon, girls?” Celestia says 
>In unison, the first new neighbors you met today shout
>”Thank you Mr, Anon!”
“Thank you for making this day so special. Though, I do have to ask something”
>”Go ahead Mister Anon, I’m sure we can answer anything  got! We’re cool like that” 
“Are you the only ones that live here? I haven’t seen any other ponies around at all”
>Pinkie Pie slaps a hoof on her forehead
>”Oh yeah, that’s right! When we heard your house was here, we told Everypony to hide until we knew it was safe. Let me give them the special signal that it’s okay”
>Pinkie turns around to the houses that surrounds your home and jumps in the air as she shouts, her voice reverberating through the streets 
>”Hey everypony, come on out and meet Mister Anon!” 
>Then you feel a tremble in the ground 
>Your eyes soon reveal what is causing it
>From out of the homes and the alleyways comes a parade of ponies of every shape, color  and size, some as tall as your waist and others that just barely reach your knees 
>Some have wings, others have horns, and still some have no need for either 
>Every color of the rainbow is prancing towards you  to get on 
>But they all have one thing in common 
>A smile on their face and an intense curiosity to meet you 
>They all speak at once, trying to grab your attention as they go on your yard and approach you 
>”Wow, you’re tall!”
>”Are you a mare or a stallion?”
>”Do you like strawberry ice cream or carrot cake better?”
>”Your garden looks very nice!”
>”Can I have a sticker too?”
>”What are those things at the end of your hooves?”
>”Are you and the Princess dating?” 
>”Do you always wear clothes?”
>Despite so many voices and bodies surrounding you, it doesn’t get overwhelming at all 
>They don’t shove each other around or yell too loudly
>Some are brazen enough to get on their back legs and hug your leg to try and get your attention better as you feel their soft fur and little bellies rub on you 
>Those with wings hover around you up and down like hummingbirds 
>You can’t help but laugh at how adorable they all are as their cute little voices wrap  around you 
>You look over at Celestia who is giggle as well as she raises a hoof to cover her mouth
>Her ponies are all around her and you, each special in their own way by just being who they are 
>You are in the field of flowers 
>And you will be with the tree that stands tall in the middle of it for as long as you can 
>Just as you grow a garden in your yard, you’ll see these little joys grow and develop into the best they can be 
>As you start rubbing ears and booping the noses around you, you decide that you will indeed stay for a bit longer 
>And every morning you’ll wake up and say
>I think I’ll make a happy snappy new day 
>Because you’re Mister Anon, and you make good days for the little ones that need it