//------------------------------// // ??? - 7 Months Earlier (Winter Special) // Story: Oddities Anonymous // by TheAlmightyTinCan //------------------------------// 7 months earlier… It was a lonely night, the stars twinkled brightly in the dark equestrian skies, lighting up the variety of cities and towns throughout  the land in its pale glow. The air itself was a bitter cold that felt like knives of ice as it wisped through the snow covered hills. To many Equestrians, this cold may have been acceptable because of certain obvious biological reasons, however to a certain human, the cold was almost numbing and the weather miserable. Up, high up in a lonely room on the far side of Canterlot castle. The light sounds of a rough pencil scratching on paper echoed throughout a bare room. A small candle lit the table where Anthony sat as he performed another one of his writing binges. Without any form of fireplace or furnace in his room the space had become nearly as cold as the dead winter outside. Luckily, he had the glass balcony doors to thank for protecting him from the winds. “Gah, Damn it!” Anthony muttered to himself as his hand gave an involuntary twitch, sending a streak of rogue graphite across the page he was currently working on. He paused to let out a sigh, the hot air of his lungs condensing into a small fog as it left his mouth.         Why does it have to be so cold? Why did the princess of the bloody sun decide to build her castle on a frozen desolate mountain?! Anthony thought to himself, lamenting over his current situation. Anthony looked over his current work, a sufficient stack of paper about a quarter inch thick sat in front of him, with other individual pieces scattered around the desk. Every page was covered in either thick text, various sketches, or both.         The human mind was the greatest tool. That was what Anthony had been taught. But the mind has a tendency to fail and forget. So, upon fully realizing that Equestria was to become his permanent residence, Anthony took up this practice as a way preserving his home on paper. The fully fleshed out drawings of his family sat hidden in the drawers, as well as hundreds of pages of information on everything from types of government to philosophies to poetry to schematics. Biology, chemistry, stories, engineering, laws, theories, bits and pieces of information both fractured and whole. Enough to send the scientific community of Equestria into a frenzy of innovation, but that wasn’t what it was for. No, Anthony would burn the desk before he let that pandora's box be opened.         Anthony tossed the pencil down on the table. Crossing his arms he attempted to rub them together for warmth to little avail. Groaning, Anthony stood up and began walking over to the bed. Thankfully, the sheets were thick and with his tiredness finally starting to get to him sleep seemed like the best option, despite his distaste for it. Just as Anthony was about to lift the well made covers to get in, a firm set of knocks permeated the room. Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! “Ehuhuhu why now?” Anthony whined to himself as he put the covers back down and shakily walked to the door. Leaning against the wooden frame he put a hand to his cheek and spoke. “Oh, no thank you sir we don’t want any of want cha’ sellin!” He said in a childish voice. “What?” Came a distinctly female but muffled voice through the door. “We’re also vewy firm in our beliefs, so you can just move along!” Anthony studied his fingernails as he waited for the pony to leave. A few seconds passed before the mare responded. “Anthony, it’s Luna. May I speak with you?” Hearing the friendly name, the man suddenly dropped his cocky demeanor. Standing from the doorframe he turned the knob, opening the door just enough to poke an eye out. A smile spread across his face upon seeing the Lunar diarch. “Ah yes, my room service! I would like a bottle of champagne, some fresh towels, and a slice of raspberry cheesecake, if you’d please?” Anthony asked respectfully. Luna gave a roll of her twinkling blue eyes. “Up to your usual shenanigans I see?” She said with an amused grin. Anthony opened the door wider and shrugged. “Someone’s gotta’ do it, otherwise we’d all end up as crabby as these lads.” He said pointing to the solar guards on either side of the door who didn't seem to react. Anthony stuffed his hands into his pockets, casually shifting his weight onto one foot. “So what brings you here tonight, or did you just want to gaze upon my handsome face.” He said, giving his face a vanna with his hand. A sudden snort caught his attention, ripping the smile from his face as he spotted it’s originator, the guard to the right of the door. Luna didn’t seem to notice as she continued. “Very funny Anthony.” Luna said with a smile. “Though your face does brighten my Night I have come for yet another reason.” This caught Anthony’s attention as he stood up straighter. “I would like to extend an invitation to you, to join my sister and I for our hearths warming celebration tomorrow night.” What? “You, and your sister... for hearth's warming?” Anthony asked incredulously. Luna nodded. “Yes. Oh! Are you unfamiliar with the holiday. I can inform you on the traditions and history if you’d like?” Anthony waved a dismissive hand. “I’ve, done my research. But! While I greatly appreciate the offer, I also have my own traditions and customs to keep up with, sadly they will keep me occupied for most of the week.” He said, matter of factly. After hearing his explanation Luna furrowed her brow, staring up into Anthony’s eyes intently. Realising what was happening, Anthony tried to hold his gaze as best he could. Emphasis on tried. “You’re lying.” Luna said stoically. Anthony groaned, knocking his head against the doorframe lightly. “Look, I really don’t want to offend you or anything, but I know that this holiday means a lot to ponies and I didn’t want to be the one who ruins it for you.” “Lying doesn’t suit you Anthony… Is this about my sister?” Anthony remained silent. “Anthony! You know have to let go of this, grudge, sooner or later.” Anthony’s ear twitched as his frown grew. “You hesitated… you were about to say ‘petty’ grudge weren’t you?” He asked, a spark of anger flaring inside of him. Luna mentally kicked herself before letting out a slow breath, shaking her head slowly. “I admit that I was about to say that, as you could clearly tell; however, I did not. I understand that your animosity towards my sister is by no means small and at least on some level justified. But you have to let go of this anger eventually, for both of your sakes, lest you be consumed by it.” the moon mare said, a touch of sympathy to her serene eyes. Anthony frowned. “This isn’t a movie, Luna. Things like that don’t happen.” “What of Sombra then? How do you think he came to be?” Luna asked. “Daddy issues and systemic racism.” Anthony answered in all seriousness. Luna stared at him, frustrated and bewildered. “What?! What does that even mean?” Anthony just shrugged. Luna, anger mounting, practically growled at the man. “GAH! How could any being that exists possibly be as annoying as you!” Surprised by her sudden outburst, Anthony took a step back. “Uh, am I to assume that was a rhetorical question? Because if it wasn’t I~” Luna interrupted him. “You are going to spend hearth's warming with my sister and I. Whether you come willingly, or I have to teleport you down there is your own choice!” And with those final words Luna turned and began stomping down the hall. After a few steps she stopped, seeming to relax. “Don’t… worry about bringing any gifts, I understand that you’re situation here prevents you from, that.” Luna lit her horn, and with that where once stood the princess of the moon and stars was nothing but a few sparkles of fading magic dust. Anthony stood there for a few moments, silently contemplating. “Disgusting…” At the sudden voice Anthony turned, noticing that the solar guard by his door had spoken. “Excuse me?” Anthony asked with a raised brow. The guard stared him in the eyes. “It’s disgusting, your attitude towards the princesses.” He said, holding his glare on Anthony. “Really? Care to elaborate?” Anthony asked. The ghost of a smile appearing his face as the guard stepped towards him. “The princesses of Equestria, raisers of the sun and moon, and global peacekeepers invite YOU a lazy, arrogant, and above all else disgustingly disrespectful creature to join THEM for the most important holiday that we Equestrians have! And what do you do when they do this? You brush them off as if they’re nopony worth your time! I’d heard rumors about your nature, but this, this goes far beyond what I had expected!” The guard’s face was contorted in a snarl, his righteous fury almost palpable. Anthony looked at him, a sudden spark in the man’s eyes that the guard couldn’t quite place. “Firstly, a correction. The only pony who isn’t worth my time is Celestia. Secondly, the only people who need respect are those whose skins is too thin to handle simple words. And thirdly I… What’s your name?” Anthony asked. The guard looked to his partner before hesitantly responding. “Solid Stone.” “Solid Stone, I would like you to imagine something for me.” Anthony took a breath. “Imagine, one night, that you’re going to sleep at home in bed just like any normal pony would do. But, instead of waking up to Celestia’s lovely bright sun, you find yourself in a cage in someone’s basement. You’re confused and disoriented, and suddenly a strange creature you’ve never seen before comes walking down the stairs. You try and talk to it, and it somehow speaks your language! But it treats you like a parakeet, and when it comes all you can expect is to be poked or prodded or stabbed by it repeatedly. Then, one day when you’re finally let out of that infernal cage, you're taken to the creature’s teacher, and she says ‘Oh, we’re verrry sorry, but you’re never going home. Your family and friends will never know what happened to you. They might think you were murdered, or committed suicide, or maybe just ran away. But don’t worry, we’ll let you stay here. Only condition is you can never leave, and everyone in the city HATES YOU BECAUSE OF THE OUTBURST THAT YOU HAD AT ME, THEIR OH SO GLORIOUS LEADER, WHEN YOU FIGURED THIS OUT. SO DON’T WORRY ABOUT FINDING THE HAPPINESS OR LOVE OR THE PROMISING FUTURE LIKE YOU HAD BACK HOME, BECAUSE YOU CAN STAY WITH ME, PRINCESS CELESTIA, AND WE CAN DRINK TEA AND EXCHANGE PRESENTS WHILE I, THE ETERNAL GODDESS EVERYONE PERCEIVES ME TO BE, WATCHES AS YOU SLOWLY ROT AWAY, TWO GUARDS ALWAYS THERE TO CATCH YOU IF YOU TRY AND LEAVE!” Anthony, whose face had become increasingly red throughout his rant, finally took a breath. Stone fared much worse, eyes wide with fear and having backed up into the wall. Never had Solid Stone ever seen such anger in a creature before, and it’s effect had him fighting against hyperventilation. However even with all of this he still managed to croak out two words. “Y-you're lying…” He said in a breathy whisper. Anthony, having calmed his own breathing, leaned down, coming eye to eye with Stone. “Disgusting…” He said menacingly. Stone stared deeply into the eyes of the creature, the HUMAN, Anthony. He took notice of the deep greens and browns, the colors of the irises shimmering and waving under the torchlight of the hall. Reminding him of a storm crashing through a dark forest. As he looked into them, Stone suddenly felt as though he was lost in that storm, coat cold and wet as a heavy dread filled him and he ran through the darkness. A muffled voice rang throughout the forest. “Stone! Stone, snap out of it!” Solid Stone found himself pulled from his trance by his partner, looking identical to him in the enchanted armor. He shook his head before pushing the partner off of him. “What? What do you want?” “You’ve been standing here staring off into space for like a whole minute! What did that thing do to you?!” The other guard said worriedly. Stone lifted a hoof to rub his eyes. “I’m fine, nothing happened. But…” Stone paused. “But what?” “I’m resigning, after tonight…” If Stone’s partner had said anything else to him that night, it hadn't registered as Stone spent the few hours until dawn staring at the floor in deep thought. Meanwhile in Anthony’s room… Anthony was lying on his bed trying to get to sleep, the guards outside had finally quieted down and with his combined exhaustion he was finally starting to drift away. He felt oddly relaxed after that little outburst, he hoped it would last at least a while. Just as he was about to slip into slumbers embrace a single thought crossed his mind. You think you can stop me from getting you hearth’s warming gifts just by asking nicely? Well then Luna, you’re on... Somewhere across the castle... Luna’s room was kept in pitch blackness when she slept, that was the way she liked. Of course, she occasionally enjoyed fiddling with some star magic before she slept, and when she was a filly she fondly recalled the night bright stone her parents gave her when she was ironically scared of the dark. She named the stone Philip, she didn’t know why, it just sounded funny. Nowadays though, she slept in total darkness. The curtains were framed around the windows in such a way that no sunlight could permeate the edges of them as she slept the days away. It was a rather good solution to suit her nocturnal tendencies. However, there was one downside… “HAAAAPPPPPPY HEARTH’S WARMING!” Shouted an excited, and very familiar voice as a golden aura surrounded all of the curtains, flinging them open in but an instant. As Luna awoke, she squinted at the bright evening sunlight as it cascaded through her windows, stinging her retina. She let out a loud groan, pulling her covers over her head. “Come now Luna sister, don’t be like that. It’s time to get up and celebrate!” In another flash of magic the shield that protected the moon mare from the oppressive rays was ripped from her and she was left writhing on the bed as her eyes adjusted. “Why? Why must you do this to me!?” Luna pleaded in agony. In response, Celestia leaped into the air, and with a single flap of her mighty wings landed heavily atop her sister, knocking the wind out of her. “Becaauuuuse it’s Hearth’s Warming!” She said, playfully kicking her hooves as Luna struggled to break free from beneath her. Having finally come to her full senses, Luna lit her horn lifting her sister off of her and placing her beside the bed. “I am as excited as you are sister, but please, PLEASE refrain from waking me in such a manner again.” Luna said seriously, rubbing her eyes. “Hmph! Well you’re no fun.” Luna removed herself from her bed, walking over to the ponyquin in the corner of the room she began to remove her royal garments from it. “Lulu, you don’t need those today. The castle is practically empty!” Realizing this, Luna replaced the garments before turning to Celestia. “I suppose that I’m ready to go when you are then.” Luna said with a smile. Celestia responded by clopping her hooves together happily. “Wonderful! Well, I’d gotten word that dinner was almost ready, so it should be set up in the private lounge by now. Anything else you need to do?” Luna looked to her bed before lighting her horn, teleporting the two wrapped presents hidden beneath down to the room. “Nothing else now.” She said before following Celestia who was trotting out the door. Exiting into the familiar decorative hallway that lead to her room, Luna took notice of her two Thestral guards keeping watch as usual, she addressed them. “Guards!” They both turned and saluted on cue. “Please go find our guest Anthony and tell him to meet us in our private lounge for the evening. Afterwards, you are both dismissed for the night.” Dropping their solute and giving a solid “Yes, princess!” they turned and marched down the hall, heading towards Anthony’s quarters. Looking back to her sister Celestia seemed to be staring off into space. “Did you forget that we were having Anthony with us tonight sister?” Celestia shifted her gaze to Luna. “No… Well, he may have slipped my mind for a moment.” “... Having regrets about your decision?” Luna asked. At her words, Celestia seemed to steel herself, looking at Luna with a firm and hopeful grin. “Absolutely not! We’ll give him our gifts, we’ll talk and eat and all be closer by the end of the night. It will be lovely!” Luna did her best to keep the frown off of her face. Based on how she’d seen Anthony act last night, it might’ve been a better idea not to invite him, for both of their sakes.         As the Princesses made their way to the room and got set up, Anthony was making his way through the halls with the guide of two helpful thestrals. He was wearing his nicest clothes, and by nicest, they had the least amount of holes in them. It was just a clean pair of jeans and a regular black tee but that was the way he liked it. The only thing he wished he had was a jacket, as the lightest of breezes in the cold hall caused him to shiver. Under his arm he held a rolled piece of parchment, and carried nothing else. “Right through here, sir.” The guard said, pointing to a rather plain looking door. Shrugging to himself, Anthony thanked the guard before walking up and entering.         As he entered, Anthony’s eyes widened in surprise, the scene before him was completely different from anything else he’d seen in the castle. The very first word that came to his mind was warm. It was a small cozy living room, heavily decorated with festive items. There was a soft red and orange rug placed in between two comfy looking couches, both of which were by a roaring fireplace. Off to the side there was a table that was absolutely PACKED with food, including various sweets and candies he’d never seen in the castle before. A crystal chandelier hung in the center of the room, which would have seemed rather normal for the castle if there weren’t candy canes attached to it at various points. On the right wall there were two sets of windows peeking into the night outside, the only thing visible through them was the light snowfall that gently battered the glass. Lastly, Anthony finally took notice of the Princesses themselves, sitting on the couches across from one another. Neither were wearing their usual royal garments, Celestia herself had a cute candy cane striped scarf wrapped around her neck and Luna’s hooves were adorned with fuzzy dark purple slippers. Anthony suddenly felt very awkward. At that moment, he actually considered turning around and heading straight back out, however it wasn’t meant to be. “Anthony! You’ve finally arrived!” Came the chipper voice of Luna. She stared at him as he continued to shuffle in place and look about the room. “Errr, hi.” He said meekly, suddenly at a loss for words. Celestia looked over to him, struggling to keep the smile off her face as she watched his reaction. “Come now Anthony, go grab yourself some food and take a seat with us.” Luna said gesturing towards the table. Looking over his mouth began to water as he suddenly recalled that he hadn't yet eaten today. Walking fast, but not fast enough to lose composure, Anthony made his way to the table and began to stack a number of sweets on one of the provided plates. Finding a jug of milk he poured himself a glass and headed back over to the couches. Celestia and Luna had already gone back to their previous conversation. Putting his plate and glass down Anthony sat on the far side of Luna’s couch, putting good space between them while not trying to seem rude. Celestia looked over at him. “What’s that Anthony?” She asked, looking at the parchment still in the crook of his arm. Anthony looked down at it before back up to her and responded. “Oh, these? Just some… papers.” Luna gave Anthony a curious look, but it went entirely unnoticed to the human as he’d already begun scarfing down the contents of his plate. Celestia giggled as she watched. “Enjoying yourself Anthony?” She asked, Anthony paused to swallow what food was left in his mouth. “The food, yes.” Celestia smiled, not seeing Luna’s sudden glare towards the human.         You see, being long time political figures, both princesses were well versed in the art of language. And even though Luna had no true verbal indication that there was any animosity behind his response, one could conclude that Anthony could have possibly meant “Enjoying myself? Yes, just the food though.” as opposed if he had said “The food? Yes.” which would have been seeking the clarification that the question was about only the food before saying that yes it was the food that he was currently enjoying. Language is complicated after all, and in her excitement Celestia seemed to have not noticed this, probably for the better. “So Anthony, how has your day been?” Celestia asked. Anthony stopped to swallow his food again. “Fine. Slept through most of it anyways.” Celestia blinked owlishly. “Slept? But it was daytime.” Anthony popped what appeared to be a cherry candy into his mouth before responding. “Yes, I was up rather late last night so I slept well into the afternoon.” Why does this red candy taste like grape? “How late must you have been up to have slept so long?” Realizing that he wouldn’t be able to get another bite in with the oncoming questions Anthony put his plate down. “Last night? Or morning I suppose. Anyways I went to bed around three.” Leaning back, Anthony crossed one leg over the other, causing both princesses to hold back cringes at the position that would break any normal pony’s legs if attempted. Though Celestia seemed more surprised by Anthony’s sleep tendencies. “Why would you subject yourself to such reckless sleeping tendencies? I would surely think exhaustion would overtake you and put you back into a normal cycle.” “I’m not a pony, princess. Nor am I a pony princess.” This prompted a series of giggles from Celestia and a facehoof from Luna. “Anyways, human biology or something. I don’t have to follow a sleep schedule like ponies.” “Interesting… Anthony, I don’t believe I’ve ever heard you tell me in detail about your species. I don’t wish to pry, but if you’d be willing, I’d love to hear about them.” Huh… Luna thought to herself. Perhaps this night will go just as planned after all. “Um. Maybe another time.” Redacted…         Celestia seemed to deflate slightly at his brush off, but she held a brave face to hide her disappointment. “Luna, you’ve been rather quiet this entire time, is something the matter?” Celestia asked. Luna looked over before shaking her head. “No, nothing at all. Just a little, lost in thought.” Anthony nodded to her before taking another look around the room. I feel rather relaxed tonight. Probably because of my outburst last night... I don’t think that I could ever truly forgive you Celestia… But, perhaps a Christmas truce is in order Anthony smiled to himself. “So, is this room like, specifically for hearth's warming or something? It seems rather cozy.” Finally smiling again, Luna answered. “Actually yes, besides all the perishables we’ve kept this room set up and cleaned for hearth's warming for a number of years now, however you’re the first guest we’ve had.” Anthony adjusted his position on the couch. “Heh, lucky me.” Anthony said, grabbing his glass and taking a long swig. Looking at the fireplace he took notice of two floppy little doll looking things in the shape of Celestia and Luna. “Hay, what’re those again?” He asked, pointing to them. Noticing what he was looking at, a large smile suddenly spread across Celestia’s face. “You should get comfortable.” Luna said, levitating a cup of hot chocolate into her lap.         The time seemed to fly after that as Celestia regaled the entire history of hearth’s warming story to Anthony (most of which he’d already read about) as well as the traditions that came with the celebration. As she wound down from lecture mode, the group transition to casual conversation without the awkwardness and annoyances from before. The three sat telling jokes, laughing, and consuming many calories as the stars came out and the moon rose. Celestia seemed to already be getting tired by the time presents were brought up. “Presents?” Celestia asked, immediately snapping out of her exhaustion as Luna mentioned the word. Luna lit her horn, pulling out two presents, one white and one blue both with neatly tied red ribbons and handed them out respectively. Anthony took the blue present from her magic grasp reluctantly. “As cliche as this may sound, you didn’t have to get me anything.” Anthony said placing the box in his lap. Luna scoffed. “And as cliche as I may sound, too bad!” Anthony smiled. “Touche.” By this time Celestia had already begun opening her present, putting the ribbon down on the table and opening the lid she pulled out her gift. “Oh my goodness! They’re just like yours!” Celestia said as she pulled out a set of four fluffy hoof slippers similar to Luna’s, however these ones were a bright pink. Putting them on one by one she let out a hum of satisfaction. “They’re very comfortable I can see why you like yours!” Seeing that Celestia had just about finished with her present Anthony looked down at his own and began pulling at the red ribbon. Lifting the lid and placing it to the side Anthony reached in and pulled out the mysterious object. “A rock?” Anthony asked curiously. In fact there were four rocks in his box. The edges were smooth as though they were plucked straight from a stream. Their colors were varying grays and browns but each had its bottom smoothed out as though they were intended to be paperweights. The most curious part though, the center had a circle carved on it and much of the upper surface was surrounded in strange runes. Anthony casually rubbed his thumb across the circle at the top of the rock. “W-woah.” Anthony said in surprise, dropping the stone into his lap as the lines and runes all across the stone began to glow a dull orange. For a second he was tempted to throw the demon rock onto the ground but he suddenly noticed something strange about it. “It’s warm.” Anthony said picking up the rock. It seemed to be radiating it’s own heat by some unknown method. “It’s a heat stone. They’re generally used further north by ponies to keep rooms heated. It feeds off of ambient magic so unless you wear down the runeing or crack it it will never break.” Holding the rock in his hands he rubbed a finger across the sides. As he did so a number of bars suddenly lit up, and the dull orange turned to a bright red. “Gah, that’s hot!” Anthony said dropping it to the floor. Luna chuckled to herself. “Yes, that is the one downside.” Anthony looked at her expectantly. “How are you supposed to turn it off it the whole rock is hot?” “You just do it very quickly.” Luna said. Reaching down, Anthony located the set of bars that he accidentally rubbed across to turn up the heat. The warmth radiating off of it was strong, as though it were a small fire set in front of him. Moving quickly, Anthony dove in with his finger, sliding down the line of bars before quickly removing it as to prevent heat transfer. Thankfully, as he did so the bars seemed to turn off, and the red glow returned to a dull orange. Anthony experimentally tapped the rock before picking it up again. Tapping the circle on top the glow that had once encapsulated all the lines and runes faded into nothing and Anthony felt the heat dissipate along with it. “Huh.” He hummed to himself thoughtfully. “We had noticed that you had been shivering as of late as you roam the halls. Though most ponies, even in the northern regions, only need one to sufficiently heat a room. I thought that four would be proper due to your lack of a coat and whatnot.” Anthony tapped the stone back to life again, feeling the heat radiate from it’s surface as he held it in his hands. It was rather comforting in a way, almost as if he was holding something alive. “Thank you Luna, this mean a lot to me.” Anthony said in all sincerity. Luna waved a hoof , acting as though it was no big deal. But on the inside she was jumping in a joy at his appreciation for her gift. “I suppose it’s my turn now.” Celestia said with a smile, lighting her horn and pulling two packages from behind her own couch. Both of these were bright red with white bows on top, however one was flatter and more rectangular shaped than the other, which seemed to be an ordinary box shape.         Celestia floated the rectangular one over to Anthony. Taking the box in his hands he turned to Luna, who just like her sister, had eagerly dug into her present. “Sister, this is amazing!” Luna shouted in glee. Anthony’s eyes widened as Luna pulled a FUCKING WARHAMMER, out of her box. A warhammer, that Anthony could tell was far too large for the box to hold in the first place. The thing was huge and ornate, as tall as Luna herself. The face was rounded off and had a bunch of pockmarks and craters all across it mimicking the moon itself. The back of the hammer had a crescent moon and wing coming out of the middle. The top and bottom of the handle had intricate gold and silver leafing with the handle itself being a complex wrapping of synthetic leathers. Lastly the pommel held a strange looking polished rock that glinted against the light from the fireplace. “See that Luna, it’s the meteorite they found outside of Appleoosa this past year. Luna’s eyes seemed to twinkle as she stared at the warhammer pommel in awe. “I want to hit something with it!” Luna said, her grin going manic. Anthony scooted away instinctively as Celestia giggled. “Maybe tomorrow sister, I believe Anthony has his gift to open.” Looking over to Anthony. Anthony looked at her and then back down at his gift before going to work. Removing the ribbon Anthony lifted the top of the box.         Inside, neatly folded, clean and freshly stitched was a jacket. The outside was a classic red plaid while the interior was wooly and looked warm as anything. The front had a series of brass buttons trailing up it. But what caught Anthony by surprise wasn’t the jacket itself, but a certain familiarity, as recollection flashed in his eyes. No, this has to just be coincidence. There’s absolutely no way she could have known. “Anthony. Anthony, is something wrong?” Celestia asked, becoming increasingly worried. In one swift movement Anthony picked up the jacket, putting his arms through their respective holes and letting it slide down his arms and over his back. To a pony, being able to dress, even in just a jacket, so quickly was unheard of and the princesses looked on in curious awe at the display. “It’s great.” Anthony said, doing his best to hide his morose behind a smile. But the tone of his voice revealed the truth to the solar diarch. “Anthony, I’m sorry! If there’s anything you want changed, or if I offended you in any way I can~” Anthony cut her off with the wave of a hand. “There’s nothing wrong with it, the fit is perfect and it’s comfortable. I was just reminded of stuff because… I just had a similar coat back home. Home… The word echoed in Celestia’s head, feeling as though a sudden weight had been placed upon her shoulders. All she wanted was to keep Anthony safe and make him happy. They couldn’t send him home, it was simply impossible even for magic. But hearing him say that, she came to the realization in all likelihood no matter what she did, he may never view Equestia as his home. His world must be so grand for Equestia to pale in comparison to it. She felt the sudden itch of curiosity digging in the back of her mind. No! When he is ready to tell me about his home, he will… At least if he ever does. “Well, this has been a very enjoyable night. Anthony, thank you for coming without needing any, further, persuasion. Sister, I think it best you get to bed now lest you sleep past our transit come morn.” Luna stood from the couch picking up her warhammer in her magic. “Hey there, what do you think you’re doing?” Anthony said. Luna looked towards him. “Though court may not be in session tonight I still have my duties of the night to attend to.” Anthony scoffed before picking up the the parchment roll. “Well at least take your gift before you leave.” He said, pulling a roll of parchment out of the first revealing that the one roll was actually two equally sized ones. “Is your recall so poor that you forgot when I told you that you didn’t need to bring any gifts?” “No, I remember it distinctly, and do you know what I said to myself right after that.” He paused. “Too bad!” Anthony checked the label he put on the backs of each of the pieces of parchment before tossing the respective one to Luna and reaching out with the other to Celestia who looked at it curiously before picking it up in her magic. “Anthony if this is some kind of a bad joke…” Luna swung her warhammer lightly in her magic grasp, Anthony did his best to scoot further away from her. “Jeez, it’s a freaking piece of paper! What could I possibly have done!” Their argument was interrupted by a sudden gasp from Celestia. The parchment open in her magic grasp and her eyes wide in shock and surprise as she stared at it.         What Celestia saw upon that was was like nothing she had ever seen before. It was a piece of artwork, and while Celestia had many pieces or art of herself made by ponies and even citizens of other nations this one was far different. Firstly, it was drawn in pencil, strange, as they were just considered learning tools for children as they wouldn’t stain their coat with ink. Secondly, the picture was made up entirely of dots, thousands of them! All of varying degrees of color to form the image as a whole. The scene held the serene bank of a lake, a few trees dotted the landscape and a few elegant boats trailed across the water. There were dozens of ponies in it, couples were walking under shared sunbrellas, stallions and mares sat and rested in the shade or stood by the water, children played and ran about and there was even a pet or two mixed in. But what drew her attention the most was what lay at the center of the piece. A depiction of her, nothing royal about her, no garments, no dramatic or godly pose. There she was, resting on a blanket, simply enjoying the sunlight and ponies around her while reading. Nopony noticed or bowed down to her, they all just seemed to be going about their business and having a good time. Celestia saw the drawn smile on the face in the image and felt it her own. She could imagine the sunlight on her back and a good book in her grasp, the sound of ponies milling about around her acting normally. The idea seemed glorious, if only it were possible. She felt a tear well up from her eye before trailing down her cheek. “Anthony…” Celestia said. Anthony stopped struggling and looked over, still pinned to the couch by the warhammer being pressed into his back under Luna’s telekinetic force. “This is beautiful.” Hearing her sister's words Luna removed the warhammer from Anthony and went to grab her own present. “T-thank you.” Anthony said, slightly out of breath. “It’s actually based on one of the most famous pieces of art ever made. By humans at least.” Celestia looked to Anthony, raising a hoof to her face to wipe away the rogue tear. “What is it called?” She asked, hope in her eyes. “A sunday afternoon on La Grande Jette. I made it based on what I could remember, and it would have been a lot better in paint but that would have taken a lot longer as we~umph!” Anthony was interrupted as Celestia suddenly walked over, wrapping the man in a tight embrace. After realizing what was happening Anthony’s mind began to race. Bad touch! Bad touch! Remember the truce. We’re almost done, just don’t ruin it. The embrace itself wasn’t uncomfortable by any means, but the one behind it was making him far more uncomfortable than he had been any time this night. While Anthony did his best not to struggle or push Celestia away, Luna was busy unrolling her own gift. Finally getting a full view of it, Luna’s mouth dropped.         Each stroke was calculated in depth and hue, hundreds of which formed the image before her. They seemed to flow together like waves in an ocean on the page. In the scene. There appeared to be a small town being ravaged by waves rolling through it attempting to consume it whole. To the left a large black stalactite like spire reached into a beautiful night sky. The sky itself was what really caught Luna’s attention as there were not only beautiful bright stars twinkling within it but a depiction of herself. An ethereal visage of herself that dashed across, stars streaking out from her mane and tail as she ran. A smile on her own face as though her running had made the night itself. “Luna, your drawing is based on the timeless Vincent Van Gogh’s A Starry Night.” Anthony wiggled so he could stick his head out from behind the white mare still holding him. “Anthony, it is amazing!” Luna said, walking over to him. “Sister what does yours look like?” Luna asked her solar counterpart. Releasing Anthony, much to his relief, Celestia grabbed her piece and they traded. “Anthony we never knew you were such a good artist!” Luna said, Anthony grumbled to himself. I wasn’t, but five months in a room with only pencils and paper will do that to you…  Standing up, Anthony brushed off any Alicorn fur that may have ended up on his new jacket. “Well. This has been fun gals but now I think it’s about time to take my leave.” Both mares, who had been engrossed in each other’s gifts now turned towards him. “But we’ve barely started!” Celestia said. Both Anthony and Luna could see the bags under her eyes. “Sister, you need to go to sleep. I don’t want a mob at the front gates thinking Nightmare moon is back because you wouldn’t get your fat flank up to raise the sun on time.” Luna said condescendingly. Celestia frowned, seemingly accepting. Anthony clapped his hands together. “Agreed, I’m a bit tired myself.” Not really though, I’ve just consumed thousands of calories. I could honestly go for a run. Anthony held out his hand to Celestia. The mare looked at it for a moment before raising her hoof up and extending it, allowing Anthony to wrap it in his grasp. “It’s been a pleasure.” Anthony said as his rough hand lightly constricted around the silken hoof. Celestia felt a light shiver course up her spine as the strange appendage held her. Releasing her, Anthony turned to Luna, holding out the same hand. Luna lifted her hoof, allowing him to wrap his hand around it before pulling forward. Standing up on her hind hooves Luna wrapped the startled human in a tight embrace. “I never did thank you for your gift Anthony. So thank you.” Luna said as she held him. Anthony, wrapped an arm around her back, giving her an awkward pat. “Don’t mention it.” He said, after a moment Luna released the man, going back on all fours. Now free of any hindrance, Anthony quickly grabbed the boxes from his gifts, walking to the door. Opening it he turned back one last time, seeing both the sisters had gone about collecting their own gifts. “See you around…” Anthony said, exiting before giving them a chance to respond. Stepping outside the room Anthony stood there silently for a moment, before letting out a sigh and walking away to go find his room. The next day… “So, you’re resigning. Why so suddenly if I might ask?” The captain of the guard, Tempered Steel, sat at his desk, hooves crossed. In front of him stood a soon to be ex-guard Solid Stone, his coat a pure gray and mane and tale of marble white, his eyes gunmetal. He was a rather large stallion, even without his armor. Had you not known his current position one would think he’d spent his life on a rock farm. “I’ve been thinking recently, and I just don’t believe that guard duty is for me anymore. I think I need to go find where I truly belong.” Solid said stoically. Steel leaned forward with a blank expression. “Solid, you’ve been with us for eight years now. Far longer than I’ve been in this position and you’ve proven yourself to us physically time and time again. You’re a valuable member of the guard and we may need you one day. I will not stop you should you remain firm in your decision, but I would regret it if I didn’t ask you here and now to reconsider.” Stone stood there for a few long moments, looking at the ground in thought, before shaking his head. “That’s a shame. Well, your last pay will come to you in the mail, otherwise I’d ask you to turn your armor and spear into the smithy, we like to get them checked and cleaned before giving them out again.” Stone acknowledged him with a few nods. “Lastly, I’d like you to report to the medical wing for a few tests, then you’ll be officially discharged.” Stone looked up, raising an eyebrow. “Wait, tests? What for?” Steel locked his jaw, shaking his head in a “I wish you hadn't asked that.” fashion. “Your partner had some concerns that the ape may have done something to you. He reported that after a brief but intense verbal conversation with him you said you were resigning, and would not respond to him for the rest of the night. Because of this, and by his request, we are going to put you under a few tests just to make sure no magic of unknown origin was involved.” Stone looked at him bewildered. “But, I’ve read all the reports. They all said that he has no magic whatsoever! How could you possibly justify doing this?” Steel sighed to himself. “Look Stone, we just want to be certain. They’ll only take an hour or two, they’re noninvasive, and you can be on your way home before lunchtime.”  Stone was at a sudden loss for words. “These are required Stone. And believe me, I don’t think that thing has any magic. But if news of this incident got out, I don’t want any panic or doubt sprouting up in my ranks. I hope that you understand.” Stone scoffed. “And what if I refuse?” Steel shook his head. “Should you refuse you will be detained and put under temporary quarantine for the duration of the tests, you will also be put under a quick, psychological evaluation. I suggest you simply comply and make this a whole lot easier on all of us Mr. Stone.” Stone stood silently, gauging the captain as best he could. “Nothing I can say would sway you in this?” Stone asked, the captain shook his head. As Stone stared at the guard he heard a small voice in the back of his head. “You try and talk to it, and it somehow speaks your language! But it treats you like a parakeet, and when it comes all you can expect is to be poked or prodded or stabbed by it repeatedly.”  I may understand you just a little bit better now… Anthony. Stone grumbled under his breath, stomping a hoof against the ground angrily. “Fine, I will submit to your tests, and nothing more.” Stone said in a bitter tone. It’s no wonder he has so much anger in him if this is how he feels all the time...