//------------------------------// // Revelation P1 // Story: How many have you forgiven today? // by Sarcastic Brony //------------------------------// Anon is sitting in his dream world. A lot has happened and he’s just taking a few moments to try and get his mind in a right place. He hates to admit it but it’s exhausting to get up everyday and interact with ponies. Being social isn’t his thing and it takes a lot out of him. He’s happy that he can dreamwalk with ease now... It gives him a lot of time to be by himself. While he does have fun and enjoys his friends company, it’s still far from what he’s used to and he doesn’t know if he’ll ever get over his introverted ways. Anon’s thoughts are taken from him as he hears someone knock on his door. Well, that can only be one pony. “Come in, Luna.” The door opens and Luna walks in with a slight pause. Anon instantly notices her hesitance and takes note of it. That’s not usually something she does, not to mention her demeanour is reserved and timid in a sense. This is enough to put Anon on edge. Something is going on with Luna and she’s come to talk to him about it. That much is obvious. “Hello, Anon... I hope I wasn’t interrupting anything?” He shakes his head. “Not at all, you know you’re always welcome into my dreamworld.” That puts Luna at ease slightly but she still needs to talk to Anon about what he experienced. “Anon... I have something I wish to speak to you about.” He knew it. If he had to guess it’s probably about Nightmare Moon... Anon still hasn’t forgotten about her but he is cautious in letting Luna know about his plans with Nightmare. That’s something he’ll keep to himself for awhile, if only to sate his own curiosity. “It’s about Nightmare Moon, right?” Luna freezes in place. “Y-Yes... You probably have many questions and I am here to answer them. It is not something I wish to keep from you, as I feel we are good friends.” Anon crosses his arms... Well, it’s interesting and it could give him insight on Nightmare Moon. “How long has she been there?” “Since the elements purified me.” Anon doesn’t remember Equestrian history that well but he can assume she’s been there for more than a few years. “Does she have any power over you?” Luna shakes her head. “She simply inhabits my mind, nothing more. She keeps her silence on my day to day activities and stays locked within the void you saw.” Hmm... He doesn’t want to question Luna too much. He can see that this is a tough subject for her. She’s probably worried about everything that happened between him and Nightmare Moon. While still fresh in his mind it doesn’t bother him as much as it did in the moment. “Well, I’m not mad at you, if you’re worried about that.” Anon assures her. “I was just surprised is all. Other than that I’m willing to forget about everything that happened with Nightmare Moon.” He can see Luna visibly relax. Letting out a large sigh as well. “I was worried that you would become afraid of me. Think that Nightmare Moon was still in control of my actions.” Anon can see how she came to that conclusion. “I assume that I’m the only one that knows about her?” She nods her head. “Please, keep it between us.” “It goes without says.” Anon looks around his empty dream space. He has no reason to be here anymore. “You want to practice dreamwalking some more?” That puts a smile on Luna’s face. “Yes, let’s continue your training.” Celestia lets out a large yawn as she sits up in bed. She looks over to the empty side of her bed with a large sigh. Her heart hurting a bit thinking of Anon’s absence. Though the pain doesn’t linger as she’s reminded of the party tomorrow. Soon Anon will be given lots of free time to spend with her. There are still many things she wants to show him, things she’s never shown anyone. Perhaps even take him traveling to other kingdoms? These thoughts are enough to get Celestia’s motor running as she hops out of bed filled with vigor. Yes, she must only endure this day, for tomorrow brings forth a new dawn. However, before she can start her day she must take a quick bath. Though it won’t be as fun without Anon, that’ll soon change and that’s enough to keep her spirits high. “Wakey wakey!” Anon opens his eyes to see Lyra is laying on top of him, a large smile on her face. “What are you doing in here, Lyra?” Anon was positive he locked his door. “Breakfast is ready.” “...Give me five minutes.” Anon says covering his face. “Alright.” While Anon can’t see her, he can tell that Lyra hasn’t gotten off him to leave. “Lyra.” “Yes?” “I want five minutes alone.” “Oh?!” Anon can feel Lyra scramble off him as she runs to his door. “I’ll be downstairs.” Anon can feel an omen of sorts from how Lyra was acting. Yet he’s too tired to give it much thought. There’s a lot of things he needs to do today. Not to mention the party tonight with Bonbon and then the party tomorrow. Lots of things and very little time. His hand drops from his face as he lets out a sigh, looking at the ceiling. Well, time to get the day started. Anon is walking around the kitchen, making sure all the chefs are doing their jobs. Not really hovering but keeping a close eye out for any mistakes. He can see that nearly all of them are doing well, all except one. Anon walks beside Butterhooves as he drips sweat from his head. “Keep your head clear when leaning over the pot, I don’t want our customers tasting your sweat.” “S-Sorry.” He quickly wipes his head clean. Anon looks over his workstation. All things considered, it’s well kept and organized. Still, Butterhooves is nervous. Perhaps Anon’s intimidating demeanor is putting him on edge? If this keeps up then it’ll end with many problems down the line, that’s not something Anon wants to deal with. “You’re doing well.” Anon says trying to boost his confidence. “Keep up the good work.” Butterhooves looks up at Anon surprised. “Thank you, Sir.” Anon doesn’t respond as he walks over to Bonbon. Last thing he needs is some weird heartfelt exchange with one of his employees. It’s already happened one too many times. “How do you feel about everything?” He asks. “I believe in our staff. They’re all hard working ponies that hold up the high standards we’ve set. I think we can leave this place to them.” “Butterhooves?” “He’s holding up as expected. The others are helping him wherever he needs help. I’m not too worried about him. Are you?” Anon looks back at Butterhooves. He looks confident when he’s at his station but clumsy whenever he’s doing other things. It’s an odd thing but perhaps that’s just how ponies are? When they’re in their element then they are confident in their talents to guide them. Those are questions that matter little to him at this moment. “He’s doing well.” Anon looks down at Bonbon’s paperwork. “How are sales?” “We’re still making profit. I dare say we may even have enough to open another shop soon.” Now that’s an idea. Anon rubs his chin in thought. “Certainly would be an interesting idea. However, I’d like to make sure we’ve got everything covered before we thought about expanding. I’m sure you and Lyra would like to have someone else work the front and handle the paperwork.” Bonbon rotates her neck some. “Yeah, that would be nice. It’s just a thought though.” “So with all this money, what do you plan on doing with it?” Bonbon shrugs. “I live a simple life, Anon. Just having a roof over my head is enough. There are probably less fortunate ponies that could use the help.” “A philanthropist?” She chuckles. “I guess.” Anon feels good hearing Bonbon talk so casually. Knowing he’s the reason she has no financial troubles makes him feel like he’s done his job as a good friend. He doesn’t even know what to do with the money she gives him. Bonbon opened an account for him at some fancy Canterlot bank and he’s just been letting the bits gather. He doesn’t have any use for money. Celestia lets him stay at the castle so that’s food and residence taken care of. There’s also a massive library where he can freely take books to read. With no technology matching what humans have there isn’t a need to buy games or stuff like that. All the things money could’ve bought Anon on his world doesn’t really give him much in this one... Well, again, that’s mostly thanks to Celestia. Though given how much money the shop makes, he’d be able to pay simple bills like that ten times over. Anon finds his mind returning to what is planned for tonight. “So when is the party tonight?” “It should be around eight.” “I’ll be ready.” Anon decides to check on the front. “I’ll see if Lyra needs some help.” “Don’t get into trouble this time.” “I’ll try.” Gilda is standing outside of the candy shop in wait. She’s been here for awhile now but hasn’t moved an inch. She doesn’t want to anger that bat pony if she happens to be watching her right now. “So you’re ready to meet Anon?” Gilda snaps to reality as she finds the bat pony in front of her. “As ready as I’ll ever be.” “Alright. I just want to remind you that if you make any threatening moves towards Anon, I’ll break your wings and toss you off the edge of Canterlot to see if you can fly.” Gilda shivers some as Blossom looks her dead in the eyes. “Yeah, I get it.” “Good, now stick next to me and keep calm.” Blossom takes the lead as she walks through the front door of Anon’s shop, Gilda not too far behind her. Anon is standing at the front counter with Lyra, the two of them talking about boring business stuff. When the door hits the bell they both look over. Anon is surprised when he finds Blossom standing at the door to his shop. “Blossom?” Blossom smiles as she walks up to the front counter with Gilda in tow. Lyra’s eyes instantly lock onto Gilda as she instantly recognises the griffin that threatened Anon, her fur now standing on end. Blossom takes note of this and assumes that Gilda came here looking for Anon first. Makes sense why they got the report about her. Lyra quickly stands onto her hind hooves and pulls Anon down to whisper to him. At first he looks confused but then slowly that expression falls to a neutral one as his eyes lock onto the griffin. Blossom almost gets the feeling that the air around Anon is colder. He has his guard up. His eyes then instantly lock onto Blossom, a certain questioning look about them. Once they are close enough Anon speaks first. “Who’s your friend?” Blossom finds no reason to drag this along. “No need to beat around the bush. This is the griffin that threatened you. Don’t worry, she knows her place but there’s a reason I brought her here and I’d like to discuss it in private with you.” Blossoms eyes drift over to Lyra. “and only you.” Lyra quickly reaches up and grabs Anon’s hand. He can see that she’s worried but Anon trusts that Blossom has everything under control. Otherwise she wouldn’t have brought this griffin here. Not to mention that she’s piqued his interest. “I’ve got the spare time.” Anon rests his other hand on top of Lyra’s hoof as he looks at her. “Hold down the fort, I’ll be right back.” “I don’t trust that griffin. Please, don’t go.” Lyra pleads. “I trust Blossom and that’s enough for me. I’ll be fine.” Lyra lets go of Anon’s hand as he walks past her and towards the stairs. “My room is plenty private. Please, follow me.” Lyra has her eyes locked onto Gilda as the three of them walk up the stairs. She really doesn’t want Anon to be alone but she trusts him enough to stay at the front counter until he returns. Anon closes the door to the room and turns to face Blossom and the griffon. “So, what brings you here?” Blossom jumps onto Anon’s bed to get comfy. Keeping a close eye on Gilda. “Well, I’m not your mother, talk to him.” Gilda looks up at the creature before her... He certainly is taller than she remembers. Just looking up at him makes her feel odd, as most ponies are smaller than her. Not to mention that he’s looking at her in a way that reminds her of a griffin. He’s sizing her up, taking in all of her strengths and weaknesses. She can even see how his muscles are tense, ready to react in an instant if need be. She has no idea what this creature is but his entire demeanor tells her that he’s got his guard up. Not that she’s looking for a fight. “I came to learn about what happened in Ponyville.” Anon is cautious but what she asks interests him. She wants to know about what happened in Ponyville? He can only assume she’s talking about the elements thing. Which is somewhat largely known but some rural areas probably don’t know of it. Still, why does she want to know? “Why?” “I have personal business with one of the elements... I need to know what happened.” Anon looks over at Blossom. “You didn’t tell her?” She shrugs. “I thought it would mean a lot more coming from you.” Anon takes in a deep breath and slowly lets it out. “I have no time to relive the past. To be honest, I don’t trust you. I’ve heard about the threats you made and the commotion caused in my shop. What right do you have to ask for anything after having threatened my friends?” Gilda feels her beak click in frustration. “Just tell me and you’ll never see me again.” Anon crosses his arms as he looks at this griffon. Something isn’t right here. Blossom brought her to him for a reason. Blossom could’ve easily told her the story. Yet she thought a more personal touch was best. As he looks the griffon in the eyes he notices something vaguely familiar. “Tell me something.” Anon catches Gilda’s attention. “Why are you sad?” Anon notices that flash of pain on her face. “Will you give me what I want if I tell you?” “It’ll improve your odds.” “Fine.” Gilda sits on her rump. “It’s complicated... So let’s start when I first went to flight school.” Gilda has a frown on her face as she finishes her story. Anon is just sitting there looking at her as he rubs his chin in thought. “Well, that was an interesting story.” He says. “So, the great Rainbow Dash, element of loyalty, ditched one of her childhood friends without even trying to talk to you?” Gilda clicks her beak again. “Yeah... That’s about the long and short of it.” “Well, for being the element of loyalty, she doesn’t seem to know what that means.” “Right?!” Gilda shouts in frustration. “It was like all the years we spent together meant nothing to her! She had all these friends and I...” Gilda looks at the floor in a brief moment of sadness. “I wasn’t worth keeping around. Maybe I was a jerk but... She didn’t even care enough to find me after I left.” Anon can see how hurt she is by this. It honestly is a sad thing to hear, considering from her story they were pretty close friends. “So, you want to hear how Rainbow Dash was punished?” She locks eyes with Anon. “Yes.” He shrugs. “Well, I guess it’s only right to share my story. Get comfy because my story is a lot longer than yours.” Gilda sits down and Anon walks over to the bed where Blossom is. He sits beside her as she rests her head on his lap. He strokes her as he thinks over his story. “We’ll start when I first met Rainbow.” Celestia sits in her throne bored. A pile of paperwork beside her as she looks over all of the things submitted to her this morning. Taxes, building repairs and so much more. The more she thinks about it the more her mind drifts to Anon. He makes her days feel better just by being by her side. This paperwork would be less about work and more about chatting with him. He always puts her mind at ease when he’s around. She lets out a long sigh, her heart wincing... She misses him, even though he hasn’t been gone for long. “What has you in a tough spot, Sister?” Celestia looks up to see Luna standing there. A clear look of worry. “Just thinking about Anon.” “Yes, it seems he is all you think of these passing days. A thought I believe we share.” “I can’t put my hoof on it, Luna... Just having him around makes my days feel brighter. I know he is a good friend but something else is inside of me whenever he’s around. Do you have any idea what it may be?” Luna looks at Celestia surprised. “Do you feel as if your nerves are on end? Like an attack will come from the shadows?” “In a way, I guess. It’s like a weight on my chest.” Luna nods. “Yes, that sounds correct. I thought it was simply an omen for danger.” Celestia shakes her head. “I do not think so.” Celestia looks a bit frustrated. “I have no idea what it is, Luna. When he is away it is at its strongest but whenever he is near it’s just as strong but not as... painful.” Luna is stumped too. She understands what her sister feels, as it’s similar to how she feels but she has no idea what it could be. “A mystery to me, Tia. I know not what this feeling bares on my barrel whenever Anon is around but” She lowers her head as she looks at her hooves for a moment. “I do not want it to go away.” “That is something I can agree with. It’s comforting in a way, painful as it may be.” Luna nods. “Little will do good thinking of it. Not to mention that we will be seeing more of Anon on the morrow.” That thought is enough to lift the mood of both sisters. “Yes, knowing what comes brings me great joy. There are so many things I wish to show him. Places I want to take him. Do you think he’d like going to the griffin kingdom?” Luna takes a second to think about that. “Well, as long as one of us is there I’m sure he’d be fine. Do you wish to take him out of Equestria?” “Just a thought. There’s much of this world he has yet to see and things I wish to experience along side him.” “There are things I too dream about.” Luna gets that swell in her chest. “Things I wish to show Anon.” Celestia is about to respond but the door to the throne room opens. Both sisters look over to see Cadance standing there. Luna shakes her thoughts as she turns away from her sister and starts walking towards the door. “I have things I need to attend to.” Luna stops briefly as she looks at Cadance. “Good to see you, Cadance.” “Good to see you too.” Luna walks out of the throne room, closing the door behind her. That talk about Anon has her chest feeling ready to burst. These feeling confuse her so but it comforts her that her sister feels along the same line. Perhaps when they get free time they can discuss in depth and try to solve these feelings. Truly naive. A voice whispers into Luna’s mind. Luna waits for Nightmare Moon to say something else but her mind falls silent. She decides to ignore whatever she was talking about and heads back to her room. There are many things she would like to take care of before the party. It’s been awhile since she’s gotten a new dress and she wants to look proper for this upcoming event. Anon is looking down at the griffin as she looks to the floor. She remained silent the entire time as he told his story. Not once questioning a single thing he said. She just listened and waited until he was finished. “So, there you have it. That’s what happened in Ponyville. Not a pleasant story but it happened.” Silence fills the room as Gilda just sits there looking to the floor. Neither of them moving. “Tell me your name.” Gilda asks. “Anon.” Without looking up, Gilda turns around, walks up and opens the door. “I’m Gilda.” That’s all she says as she walks out of the room. He can only sit there looking at the door confused, just before looking down at Blossom. “That was interesting.” “Very.” Blossom confirms. “So, what’s going to happen to her?” “As long as she keeps her paws off you, then nothing. I’ll be sure to report to Shining about her status so they don’t keep hunting her.” Anon thinks over his interaction with this griffin. Oddly enough, only a single thought enter his mind. “She... Seems like a nice person.” Anon says. “You have a weird way of looking at things.” Blossom chuckles. “She is the griffin that threatened you, remember?” “Yeah, I know.” He looks down at Blossom. “She just seems lost is all.” “I get the same feeling. It probably hurts to have a long time friends turn on you so easily.” Anon falls onto his back as he looks up at the ceiling. “That was exhausting.” Anon closes his eyes. Blossom nods. “As much as I’d like to snuggle up, I got work to do. See you later, stud.” Anon looks down to find Blossom is gone. He quickly looks around the room and doesn’t spot her. She’s fast. Anon rubs his face some just before he looks over at the clock on his wall. Damn, he’s been talking for a while. However, before he leaves he wants to pay a certain pony a visit. Anon raises his hand and snaps his fingers as he falls asleep. Cadance is standing before her aunt. She has no idea how to start this conversation but it’s something she must know about. Celestia can see that something is bothering Cadance. She’s been standing at the base of her throne for a while now as she gathers her thoughts. “Cadance,” Celestia grabs her attention. “You know I’m always here to listen to whatever problems you have.” Cadance nods her head. It’s true she’s there for her but something like this needs to be dealt with delicately. “I’m worried about Twilight.” Cadance starts. “She told me some pretty disturbing things yesterday and I think she’s going down a path that may lead to something she’ll regret.” Celestia can hear how worried Cadance is, so she decides to explore this issue. “Please, tell me why you’re worried.” Cadance let’s out a sigh. “Aunty, I don’t want to offend you or get you mad. So please, don’t take what I say as a slight against you.” “I’ll keep an open mind.” “Whatever Twilight did to your friend, that is not something I could ever understand. I don’t deny what she did was wrong but...” Cadance looks up to Celestia with glistening eyes. “She’s beating herself up over gaining your friends forgiveness and believes she deserves all of the hardships that are falling onto her. She made a mistake, can’t we just accept that and move on?” Celestia’s features fall into a neutral look. This is an issue she thinks about a lot. She would by lying if she didn’t admit that she worries not only for Anon but also Twilight’s well being. That is why she teaches Twilight every single day about what it means to be a pony. It’s hard for her to see how much her student struggles but this is the path she’s taken and all Celestia can do is try and guide her. “I understand how you feel but you must also consider the feelings of my friend as well. He was put into a horrible situation and not of his own volition. Through these many painful things he’s only just now started to heal. We cannot force him to forgive Twilight, nor would I want to. Something like this should come naturally. I know Twilight is in pain right now but soon this will be nothing more than a faded memory.” “But what if it doesn’t?” Cadance persists. “What if Twilight keeps spiraling into depression. What if she loses what little she has?” “I will speak with Twilight, Cadance. I know you’re worried but this isn’t an issue you should push your muzzle into. The situation is volatile and complicating the mix will only spell disaster.” Celestia gets up from her seat. “It’s time for Twilight’s training. I’m sure I can calm her, so don’t worry so much.” Cadance stands still as Celestia walks past her and out of the throne room. She... She can’t just ignore this. If her aunt won’t help her, then she’ll take this matter into her own hooves. She still has a whole day before the party tomorrow. She needs to think about how to approach Anon and speak with him. Nightmare Moon lets out a small groan of pain as she wakes up from her restless slumber. Her eyes drift open as she looks down to her hooves to find that they are bandaged, in fact, it seems that most of the wounds she got from Luna have been mended in one way or another. She looks up to find none other than Anonymous sitting only a few feet from her. Despite her confusion over what is happening, Anon speaks out before any questions enter her mind. “Why are you hurt?” While his expression is blank, there’s a certain lilt to his voice that gives off a sense of concern. Nightmare would laugh at the thought of someone caring for her wellbeing if she didn’t know it would hurt. Anon is such a mystery to her. He has no reason to care for her wounds, in fact he has all the reason to leave her where she lies. Ugh... Thinking is giving her a headache. “Leave me alone.” She winces slightly, even talking hurts. Anon sits there staring at Nightmare Moon in thought. He had entered her world half an hour ago. When he entered he thought he had fallen into another nightmare like dream but soon found that it was anything but. What he found lying in the abyss of Luna’s mind was Nightmare Moon, covered in various cuts and bruises. He wasn’t sure if it was some kind of trick but when she didn’t respond to his presence he felt worried about what was happening. He tried to heal her with dream magic but it didn’t work. So the only thing he could manage was summoning a first aid kit and working to clean her wounds and bandaging them up. He has no idea if it even works like that in this place but it was the best he could do, considering her state at the time. Though perhaps it was mostly to make himself feel better. While working on her he started to notice how different the dreamworld Nightmare Moon is in. The sensations felt in a regular pony dream is almost nonexistent. However, in Nightmare’s world Anon can feel things as if he were awake. It spawns various questions on how this place works and to what extent can things be felt here. It’s enough to give him a headache from the questions alone. So the real question is why did he help her? Well... Seeing her just laying there made him wonder about her. A once great villain, turned into nothing more than an old memory locked in Luna’s mind. He knows she hurt Luna but that is only one side of the story and seeing her this helpless spurred his actions. She’s an enigma and that currently interests him. “This world,” Anon looks around. “It’s not like other dreams.” He absent mindedly licks his lips, remembering her kiss. “I can feel things. As I worked on you I could feel your fur, the warmth of your body and even the smell of ozone coming from your mane. Why is this place so different?” Nightmare has no reason to answer him but she gets the feeling that he won’t leave until his curiosity is satisfied. If anything, talking gives her something to focus on other than the pain. “The elements locked me in this place.” Nightmare answers. “As a punishment for what I did.” “So why are you hurt?” Nightmare keeps her silence. His curiosity is fleeting when compared to the long life Luna will live. She’d rather ignore the question than bring the wrath of that mare onto her. Anon notices her holding back. Well, she can keep her secrets but not speaking gives him a vague idea of what it could be. “Alright, here’s another question. What’s your story?” Nightmare rolls her eyes. This again. “You’ve read the books.” Anon isn’t going to take that as an answer. There’s something odd about Nightmare Moon. She doesn’t seem as evil as the stories he’s been told, so what’s the reason she’s like this? “You told me that everyone has a different side to a story. I’m interested in hearing what you have to say about everything that happened. Did you believe that what you did was right?” Nightmare is finding her patients fading as her head starts to hurt more. “I owe you nothing. Leave me, your questions are causing my head to ache.” She does appear to be in rough shape. Perhaps questioning her now isn’t the right thing to do? He gives a short nod as he gets up and summons a door to her world. Giving her time to heal should put her in a better mood, at least that’s what he wants to believe. “I’ll be back tomorrow. Get well soon.” Anon walks out of her world before she could say anything. Nightmare is left in the abyss of Luna’s mind. She opens her eyes and looks down at her bandages hooves once more. “Such an odd creature.” She just lets out a sigh as she tries to get some sleep. Maybe she’ll feel better once she wakes up. “So, how do I look?” Luna asks Blossom as she gives a small twirl. “As smooth as the moon’s glow.” “Come now, Blossom. I brought you along to give me an honest opinion. I want this dress to look perfect for Anon’s party.” Blossom rolls her eyes as she walks around Luna and takes her in from all angles. The dress itself isn’t anything special but she gets the feeling that’s the intended design. Dark blue color, stockings on her hooves, her mane in its natural state and some makeup here and there. It almost looks like Luna is dressed more for a date than a simple party. “Don’t you think you’re a bit overdressed? This is just a party afterall.” “A celebration of my friends success. It only feels right to dress up for the occasion.” Blossom just shrugs as she looks over the dress again. “Shorten the tail drift. Modern design allows more leg to show.” Luna nods as she casts a spell to shorten the skirt of her dress. Luna looks herself over in the mirror. She really hopes Anon likes the way she looks. Luna instantly feels her face redden as that feeling inside of her returns. She hesitantly looks over at Blossom as she looks over some designs on the wall. Perhaps she could prove insightful on these odd feelings she’s been feeling? “Blossom, may I confide in you?” Blossom looks over at Luna with a raised brow. “Sure. It should go without saying.” Luna still feels that blush on her muzzle as she tries to think of the right words to say to her. “Blossom. For awhile now I’ve been having these odd feelings inside of me. It’s like a pressure in my chest and it only seems to happen whenever I think of Anon. Do you have any idea what it could mean? I mistook it for a bad omen but my sister too has this feeling and didn’t feel it was a sign of troubling times ahead.” As Blossom listens she can’t help the smirk growing on her face. A knowing look now clear on her face. “So you feel like this when Anon is around?” Luna nods. “Tell me what else you feel when he’s around.” Luna takes a deep breath as she closes her eyes, thinking about all the things she feels. “It’s so complicated. I feel happy when he’s around, yet my breaths shallow whenever he’s close. When we embrace I feel as if the world slows, allowing me to enjoy the small details about him that I’ve grown accustom to. How he trembles slightly whenever we hold one another, like he wishes to pull away but stays as he settles his head onto my withers. The scent of his musk, the rhythmic beat of his heart, all of it puts my soul at ease. I fill with joy whenever I can share a piece of myself with him because I know it means we will grow closer. It’s just so many things, Blossom. I cannot even begin to understand the seemingly endless feelings he stirs within me.” “So you love him?” Blossom asks. Luna’s eyes snap open as she looks at Blossom surprised. “L-Love?” Blossom nods. “Yeah. You love Anon. Don’t you?” Luna gulps hard as that word enters her mind. She loves Anon? Like, more than a friend? “I-I don’t know, Blossom. Truly I’ve never thought of it before.” “If I were to tell you he was taken, how would that make you feel?” Luna feels the fur on her entire body stand up. “No pony could be trusted with something so precious.” Luna speaks. “They’d never understand him as much as I do. They’d never care for him like I could.” “So doesn’t that mean you love him?” An eerie silence fills the room for a few minutes. “Blossom. May I have a few minutes alone?” “Sure.” Blossom walks out of the room. She has a feeling she just stirred something up. Luna is left with that feeling in her chest. Yet it doesn’t feel like it did before. Now, it feels lighter, as if she has an understanding of what it means. S-She loves Anon... It shouldn’t come as a surprise but it does. Not only that but her sister feels the same way about him. Luna looks herself over in the mirror. After the party she will speak with her sister about this. She’s not sure what will happen but there’s one thing she knows, she won’t lose Anon to any mare.