Dead Anon

by Bastinator

Chapter 7: Knowledge is Power

You ease open the door, light pouring in from behind you. It’s pitch black in there, how does she move around? You shove the thought to the side as you slip inside and close the door. “Hello, Trixie? You in here?”

No response. If she wanted to be hidden she wouldn’t make a peep. That just means you get to search for her. Fucking joy. You pull an orb of magic light out of your ass, figuratively of course, keeping it dim for Trixie’s sake. If she’s been cooked up inside this place for so long then she’s going to be extra sensitive to light. You’ve been there; living in the changeling hive wasn’t nice to your eyes. So you try your best not to hurt hers.

You almost trip over a discarded book by your feet and make a note to avoid the dozens of others that litter the floor. The fireplace is out cold, the logs long neglected. You pick up a picture off the mantle, a small purple unicorn standing beside Princess Celestia. She looks so happy, likely the Twilight that Anonymous mentioned.

You place it back down and head deeper into the room, two bookshelves on either side of you. Only a few books remain while the rest have been thrown about. Skimming through the book yields little for you, just highlighted pages of useless information. ‘Biology of Equines: Unicorn’s Explored.’ Interesting.

You toss it with its comrades and move over to the curtains held tight against the wall. Gently peeking through the slit grants you a gorgeous view of the city below along with the rolling hills around. She cut off such a view? She must be crazier than you thought. You move back inside, this time finding a set of stairs to ascend. The wooden planks creak under your weight followed by heavy breathing from the second level.

It hushes shortly afterward, but you at least know she’s here now. You scan the second level calmly and try to pinpoint her location. The bathroom door hangs open so you can cross that one off. You check out the desk and point light onto the documents spread over it. There’s a mess of diagrams and lab notes along with comical circles around some of the important information.

She’s really weird, you don’t need to meet her to find that out. You’ve met your fair share of wackos in your day, but she strikes you as obsessed. Twilight’s signature can be found on the majority of the documents here, most of which seem to deal with some sort of energy enhancement. It’s of no concern of yours so you allow yourself to keep moving about.

The blankets on the bed bulge upward, its inhabitant as frightened as a child. You’ll let her calm down before you tear the sheets off. Behind the bed lies a most curious sight, a mannequin. You place your hand on the soft layers of the cape, its starry pattern reminding you of a magician. Its tied together with a jewel, cracked and ragged. It’s certainly seen better days. And to top it all off is a wizard’s hat, resting on the head. It’s a cute little costume as far as you’re concerned.

You look back to the bed, Trixie as still as a rock. You walk slowly over to the bed and sit down on the side. Gently, you pull the sheets away revealing… a bundle of pillows. You grin and shake your head. Clever girl.

Another set of hushed breath clarifies what you already know. You get to your knee and lean down as your light hovers above. You pick up the concealing sheets as you peer under the bed. “NO GO AWAY!”

The sudden shout startles you and you bang your head on the side, a slight annoyance. “Wait, I just want to-“ A pillow smacks into your face and you can hear her scrambling away. “I want to talk to you.” As you’re about to chase her down the stairs your footing grows unsteady as the floor grows slippery.

You hold onto the rails as you breathe in a heavy scent of ammonia. Why does everypony do that around you? You can make out Trixie barreling for the door. “Don’t open the-“

She swings the door open and screeches as the light blinds her. You force the door shut as she stumbles backwards and hurry down to her. She hears you approach and tries to escape once more. ”Please don’t hurt Trixie! Trixie’s sorry!” She stumbles over the books and you catch her just before she hits the ground. ”NO NO NO!”

She goes berserk in an effort to escape, hitting you everywhere from the jaw to your more intimate parts. You clench your teeth and bear with it while trying to calm her down. ”I never meant to anger you!”

“Please just calm down.”

She tries to slip from your grasp but you keep a strong hold on her. ”Please don’t…” She begins to tire which puts you at ease a little. At least you don’t have to worry about getting hit again. ”Don’t.”

You pet her mane gently, the strands brushing through your fingers. “Shhh, be calm. I’m not here to hurt you.” Your arm dampens as she wipes away her tears. “Let it out, just let go.” Thankfully she already released the other stuff. “It’s alright. It’s alright,” you repeat as you rock her like a child. It’ll be alright.

~~~

You place your hand on the log and look back to her. “Can I?” She nods and you ignite the fire, making sure to shield her from its intensity. The fire illuminates more of the room than you did before so you get a better feel for the space. The coffee you put on dings and you pour a cup, placing it in Trixie’s cold hooves. She thanks you and sips at it, the steam rising from her cup. “Can I ask what that was all about?”

She seems to close up, “Don’t think about it, don’t think-“

“It’s alright,” you cut her off before she goes all catatonic on you. “Let’s just talk about something else.”

”Sure.”

“So… You were a famous magician right? I saw your outfit upstairs.”

”T-trixie hasn’t performed in a long time.”

“I’m sure your act was something. You ever do the ol’ saw a pony in half trick?”

”Trixie only performed by herself.”

“A loner huh? Not much for company I’d assume. I never really liked to be the center of attention myself.”

”Trixie used to like the stage, before she was a joke,” she bows her head.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, everyone has their off days.”

”Trixie was humiliated. No pony would take Trixie seriously.”

“Maybe it has something to do with all the third person. It makes you seem a bit pretentious.”

”Oh that’s nice,” she says as she starts to cry again. God dammit.

You scoot closer to her on the couch and rub her back. “I didn’t mean it like that. I’m sorry.”

She sniffs and takes another drink of coffee, “I forgive you.”

“Doesn’t that sound better?” you reply with a grin.

She smiles back in turn, “Yeah it kind of does.”

“A smile too? Say it ain’t so.” She hides her face as you continue to entertain her. “If I knew I was this funny I would’ve become a comedian rather than a hero.”

”Hero,” she mutters solemnly as her eyes fixate on the fire. Her violet eyes capture the flames as she recedes back into her memories. ”He… he killed them…” She’s not ready, you can tell.

You pull her away from the fire and rescue her from her mind. “Come on, I want to see something.” She follows you back upstairs and sits on the bed as you whisk her clothes off the mannequin.

”I can’t put those back on.”

“Oh come on, humor me.”

”A-alright, for you. Don’t you dare laugh at me.”

“You can hit me if I do.”

”I can do that anyways.” Smartass.

“Let me rephrase, I’ll let you hit me.”

”Fine,” she says as she levitates the clothes from your hand. You turn around as she fixes herself up. ”I didn’t say you had to turn around.”

“I know, I just want it to be a surprise.”

”You’re weird you know that?” You could say the same thing about her. ”Alright, you can turn around.” You swivel around, a grin sprouting on your face. She smacks your arm without hesitation, “You said you wouldn’t laugh.”

“I didn’t” you rub your arm, “You’re just cuter than I thought you’d be.”

”Oh,” she blushes, “Thank you.”

“You really are something else. I don’t know why you stayed in here all day.”

”Because I’m a fake, that’s why,” she retorts ruining the mood.

“Like hell, you’ve got something, I can feel it.”

”That’s what Anonymous said too, and he threw me to the side when he was wrong.”

“Well, I’m not wrong.”

”You don’t understand. I lied to everypony. I told them I was something I’m not. I’m just a phony.”

“It couldn’t have been that bad.”

”I told them I defeated an Ursa Major.”

“And they believed you? Damn, and here I am trying to make clever lies.”

”I almost destroyed Ponyville, but Twilight saved them.”

“You’re jealous of her?”

”Why shouldn’t Trixie be? She was Great and Powerful, while I cowered in fear.”

“Is that what all these notes are about? You’re trying to catch up with her?”

”Anyway I can.”

You shake your head, her uncontained lust for power has made her blind, “You’re a fool.”

”Don’t speak to Trixie like that.”

“Cut the third person crap, you’re better than that. You don’t need to be better than Twilight.” You cut her off before she can backtalk. You’re in no mood. “I know how it feels to get shown up. That’s a defining part of my life, but I don’t let it control me. I focus on what I can do, not what’s been.”

”That’s what I’m trying to do. I want to be better.”

“For the wrong reason. You want to prove that you’re better, and as long as you think like that,” you shake your head, “You’ll never be.”

”I have to try.”

“Do you know where I get my power from?”

”Your emotions, anger, fear, love, hate. Just like Anonymous.”

You shake your head. She’s so very wrong. “He took that power. He’s unnatural. Do you really want to be like him?”

”I guess not.”

“You guess or you don’t?”

”I don’t.”

“Good. Now I’ll ask you again, do you know where I get my power from?”

”I don’t know.”

You take her hoof and place it on your chest. “I get it from here, from inside. Not some medical experiment doohickey. I strove to be better so that I may protect others. I was rewarded with this.” Energy ripples down your arm and into her. “True power is born within, not brought from out.”

”I could never achieve something like this. I just can’t.”

“Celestia did. Twilight did. I did. You can too.” You brush the hair out of her face. “You just have to believe you can.” You pause and think for a moment. “There’s something I want you to have.”

You yank the gem from her coat. ”Hey! What’s the big deal?”

“This necklace has been handed down for generations of heroes like me. Equestria needs heroes.” The ruby sparkles brilliantly on her cape, truly doing her justice. “I think that hero should be you.”

”But why?”

“I don’t know to be honest. It just feels right.”

She peers down at your gift, “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it. I should get going. It was nice to meet you.”

”But what about why you came?”

“I wanted to know what happened on the day the rebellion was crushed, but it only pains you. I can find another.”

”I wasn’t in the battle, but I met the hero,” she exclaims. “He, made a fool out of me. I was so scared…”

“Do you know anything about the changelings?”

”Never heard of them.”

You nod. She really didn’t know anything. “I figured. Still, that’s one person off the list.” That doesn’t mean this trip was pointless.

Trixie shows you out and asks about your next journey. You say that you’re going to talk to Nightmare Moon, and boy will that be fun. She seems to know the way which is good, because you have no fucking clue where to go. ”Nightmare Moon should be inside, and Anon?”

“Yes?”

She holds you tight, “Thank you. I hope I can call you a friend.”

“Anytime,” you reply scratching her ear, “Now go and do something great for me.”

”Yes sir.” She trots away with a spring in her step. Damn ponies these days. You grin to yourself and open the door, two ponies inside, a unicorn and alicorn.

”Ah! Anon? What’re you doing here?”

“Mr. Light? I could ask you the same thing.”

You look to Mr. Light and… Luna. She scratches her leg nervously, “Well this is awkward.”

“I’ll say.” You’ve never seen her in her normal form before. She’s far less imposing without the armor, fangs and such. “What happened to Nightmare Moon?”

”She died when their hero saved my life.”

What? Your head is full of fuck right now. “So the whole Nightmare Moon persona has been just an act?”

”Convincing isn’t it? She fooled me at first too.”

”I have to be careful not to let it take me over again. I trot a thin line.” You walk inside and shut the door behind you. Anonymous would not be happy if he found out.

“Who else knows about this?”

”Just me, Light and now you.”

“Keep it that way. The last thing I want is Anonymous finding out.”

”Don’t worry, I keep my identity safe.” You certainly hope so.

”So why are you here Anon? Shouldn’t you be back-“

“No, why the hell are you here?”

”Watch your tone boy.”

Oh he fucking didn’t. “I’m older than you are, kid. I want an answer.”

”He’s too much like him.”

“What’s she talking about?”

”When we spoke in the past, I requested your help in dealing with our benevolent ruler.”

“To which I said was a terrible idea. He has him in his pocket.”

“I’m in no one’s pocket,” you fire back at her. “I made a deal and that was it.”

”You declined, Anon, and if I couldn’t get your help I would have to find others.”

“But Luna knew about your intentions already?”

”Yes, she was the one who found me. I was scared for my life the first time we met.”

”Being the incarnation of darkness does that,” she jokes.

“You’re both a couple of revolutionaries is that it?”

He nods, “Big things have small beginnings.” They’re- Dammit.

“Do you have any idea how fucking stupid you both are?”

This startles Light, “I wasn’t expecting that.”

“I’m not stupid enough to try and go toe to toe with him and no offense, but you both don’t compare to me.”

”We may not be as strong, but our spirit is unwavering,” he boasts.

”Someone has to defeat him. So we’ll find a way together.”

“Do you really believe that?”

”I do.”

“Are you willing to die for that belief?”

She shrugs, “Isn’t exactly plan A.”

You laugh lightly at her joke. “I admire that. Foolish to be sure, but admirable. A part of me hopes you might succeed.”

Light steps in, “With that I would like my answer. What’re you doing here?” You never did give an answer. It’s only polite after all.

“I came to talk to Nightma- Luna.”

”Perhaps I could stay.”

She looks at you quizzically, “I think this is a bit too personal. It’d be best to leave us, until next time Light.”

He bows to her will, “As you wish Princess.”

~~~

His absence leaves a void, “Come, let us sit.” You sit down on a seat across from her, her eyes upon you. ”What troubles you?”

“What doesn’t these days?”

”We know what we’re doing, Anon. We’ll know when the time’s right.”

“Make it count.”

”So what is it you wished to discuss?”

“The war mostly, mainly the confrontation here in Canterlot.”

”The Brother’s War. A catchy name, I’ll have to write it down in the scrolls.”

“I need to know who fought alongside him, other than ponies.”

“Griffons mostly. They were the first force to breach the castle walls simply because they flew over them.”

“Yeah I fought a few myself.”

“I remember hearing about a mass of Minotaurs, Diamond Dogs and other wildife from the Everfree Forest breaching the gates as well.”

“What did you see?”

“I was tasked to the throne room to defeat Anonymous’s brother. I was not enough.”

“So you didn’t see any of them yourself?”

“I get the impression you want to ask something specific…”

“You got me. I try to keep a low profile about this.”

“Go ahead, I promise your secret’s safe with me.”

You take a deep breath. “Was Chrysalis there?”

”That name sounds familiar, but not in the battle.”

“You’ve met her?”

”No, but it was many years ago when she staged an attack on Canterlot.”

An attack? No, that’s impossible. “Nah, that doesn’t sound like her.”

”I’m certain of it now. She and her horde infiltrated the castle in an attempt to capture the city.”

“She- She’d have to be pretty desperate to try that again.”

”She was close to you wasn’t she?”

You nod and look to the floor. “No one tends to care about specifics after war, so when I didn’t come back, not many questioned it.”

”You won that war though.”

“I was at Chrysalis’s mercy and she spared me… twice.”

”Ouch.”

“Not easy for a guy to take let me tell you.”

”I wouldn’t doubt it.”

“I just want to make sure she’s okay.”

”I’m sorry that I can’t help more.”

“Don’t sweat it. You were my last lead though. Looks like I’ll never find out.”

”Have you considered talking with Octavia?” she pipes up.

“Why does she sound familiar?”

”She’s only the most famous classical musician in Equestria. She has seen better days though.”

“That girl with the violin?”

”Cello, but yes.”

“That seems kinda pointless. She’s a musician, what the hell would she know about it?”

”Forget I mentioned it then. If you don’t take the initiative then it’s your fault.” She knows how to push your buttons, but she’s right. You never know.

“Which way to the dungeon?”

”Right this way.” She stops at the door, a shuddering surge of magic surrounding her. Her skin turns black and mane a starry mist. ”Can’t be raising suspicion.”

“Of course.”

~~~

The dungeon’s about as damp and dreadful as you’d expect. The guards salute to the disguised princess as she passes. “You have the respect of the guards.”

”I have respect, from whom it matters not.” She really is good at acting. ”Guard!” she shouts to the jailor and he comes galloping over.

”Yes Ma’am.”

”Show us to Octavia’s cell, Anon wishes to interrogate the prisoner.”

”Yes Ma’am.”

The cells are surprisingly empty save for a few, a shivering mare presented before you. ”Leave us. We wish to work in private.”

“Unless you’d like to join her.” He takes off the other direction slowly, but there’s no mistaking the hurried nature of his departure.

”After you.”

“Ladies first.”

”Such a gentlecolt.”

Octavia backs into the corner as you lock the cell behind you. ”I swear I don’t know anything.”

”You will speak when spoken to!”

“But you just spoke to her.”

”Don’t tempt me Anon.”

“What a buzz-kill… Guard, food and water!”

”Right away sir.”

You kneel down next to her, Octavia flinching at your hand. “I’m not like the others Octavia. I’m not going to hurt you.”

”That’s what the last guard said. That’s what they all said.”

“Fine, I am like the others, but I’m not going to hurt you.”

”Half-truths and lies.”

“It can’t be both dear.” The guard slides the tray through the bars. “Here, you need it,” you say pushing the tray closer to her. The hunger burns in her eyes as she stares down at the toasted bread and cold water. “Go ahead, take your ti-“ She snatches the bread in a flash and eagerly devours it. Must’ve been hungry. “Drink up, don’t want to get the hiccups.” It doesn’t take her long to finish up the last few drops, the plate barren. “Uh guard? Another please.”

”Why?” she asks as you replace her tray.

“Just being a friend, we’re friends now right Nightmare?”

”Buck off.”

“The best.”

You turn your attention back to Octavia, ”I’m just a prisoner. What do you want?”

“I want to know more about you. Specifically, war stuff.”

”I don’t really like talking about it.” No shit, it’s war. ”I wasn’t much of a fighter, but when Anonymous took over I joined in the fight against him. I picked up my instrument and did what I did best.”

“How’d you end up in here?”

”We were ambushed. They flooded in around us and had us on the run before I could think.”

“You should’ve hid better.”

”That’s the thing, we were well hidden. No one ever went into the sewers.”

“Sounds like someone wasn’t on the same team,” Nightmare Moon adds on behind you.

”You’d be right. I always wondered what I did wrong to end up in here, and I only recently found out we had a mole.”

“Who?”

”My best friend,” she sips her fresh cup. “Vinyl Scratch.”

”What is it with musicians?” Luna comments.

“How’d you find out,” you ask, ignoring Luna’s question.

”The guards were talking about her. Apparently she’d fallen into the rancor pit and there was only one way out.”

“Wait wait wait. Hold on a second.”

”What is it?” Luna asks.

“Anonymous has a fucking rancor pit?”

”Focus Anon.”

“A RANCOR pit. With a motherfucking rancor? Jesus fucktits, I am jelly.”

”Anon!” she slaps you in the face.

“Oh sorry, I lost my composure. Thank you.”

”Anytime.”

“So Octavia, anything else?”

”Sorry, all I know is that I wasn’t her only mark. She got nice and comfy with Anonymous’s brother too.”

“She was with him the entire time? So she knew everything that he’d done.” This is great. If you can find the letters then you can discover what happened to Chrysalis.

”I almost forgot,” she says as you’re about to leave, “There was an escape attempt a while back. It sounded like there was fighting outside.”

”It’s alright, I-“

”The guards came to check on me, but one of them was different. He attacked his partner. I never forget how she looked, her black skin and emerald eyes, the crown atop her head. Only this time she tried to help me.”

Luna speaks to you, “It was her. Anon, she was there! …Anon? Your emotions battle within yourself, a mix of hatred and relief.

”Vinyl knew where he went and who he met…”

You look to Luna as she continues your thought “And if she was keeping tabs on him for Anonymous…”

“Then she must’ve kept communication with him.”

”Which means that Anonymous...”

Your blood boils hot, a passionate rage that you haven’t felt for decades. He played coy. He pushed you along, and all this time he… “Knew.”