//------------------------------// // 10 - I'm finally here! Let's make some friends. // Story: Oddities Anonymous // by TheAlmightyTinCan //------------------------------// After watching Night Light leave, Anthony collected himself before silently making his way out of the library once more, beginning the journey back to his room. The castle was almost completely silent, the only noises he heard being the multiple pieces of paper in his pockets that crinkled slightly with each step as he made his way through the vast and otherwise dead halls. As he walked, Anthony found his eyes drawn to the occasional lamp placed on walls. He’d stare at the flickering flames in each one until he walked past it, only to lock eyes onto the next one a few moments later. It was mesmerizing in a way, especially at this late a night. The only thing that stopped this cycle was for him to give a nod or small wave to the occasional Thestral that he happened to pass. By the time he had reached his room Anthony was feeling the throws of drowsiness overtake him as his eyelids became heavier by the second. Turning the last corner Anthony spotted the two guards from before, seemingly even more tired than him, standing by the door to his room as if he were still inside. Their usually stiff formal stances were slumped as though they were under a higher force of gravity. The weight of the armor and the bags under their eyes seemed to want to drag them to the floor. Upon seeing Anthony, both guards let out a small sighs of relief, not for the sake of Anthony’s well being, but for them not having to report that they lost the human. Otherwise they seemed to ignore him as Anthony walked up, opening the door to enter his room. In his absence the place had been thoroughly cleaned, the bed was freshly made and any dust that may have accumulated since the maid’s last visit was removed. Paying no mind to it, Anthony walked over to his bed, slipping under the covers and getting into a comfortable position. So, tomorrow night eh? Guess I’m really doing this. Anthony thought to himself. Turning his head, he looked at the closet door across the room to his right. So, I’ve got a better rope now, and if I do fall Nightingale will ‘probably’ be there. If she can even catch me that is, she is kind of thin… Heh, what am I talking about, another couple years here and it’ll look like I’d come out of an internment camp. Anthony’s attention was momentarily brought back to the almost constant ache in his stomach. He did his best to divert his thoughts. Knock thrice and the back panel will open, shouldn’t be too hard. “Oddities Anonymous, what are you?” Anthony muttered to himself. Closing his eyes, he finally allowed the succubus of sleep to overtake him. His thoughts filled with excitement, possibilities, dangers, and consequences… ___         The morning seemed to come far too soon. Celestia’s sun crested over the Equestrian horizon bringing light and vibrance to the land. Along with it came a familiar, hard, three tap knock on Anthony’s door. Knock Knock Knock! “Creature! The princess has requests your presence in the dining hall im~” “YEAH, I FUCKING KNOW ALREADY!” Anthony shouted from behind the door. At his shout, the guard jerked back from the unexpectedly loud reply. Muttering a few curses under his breath, he returned to his previous position.         After getting cleaned and relatively freshened up, Anthony was escorted down to the dining hall by his two guards. As they walked, the serene sights of Canterlot Castle did nothing to calm the machinations still going on inside Anthony’s head. So, if the letter is to be believed and this is actually a support group for… oddities, I suppose is the only appropriate word, then tonight should be very interesting indeed… I mean seriously! What, or, who could there possibly be there! Calming his sudden internal burst of excitement, Anthony noticed they’d arrived at the dining hall. Without hesitation, he opened the doors and walked in, leaving his guards without so much as a goodbye. Crossing the barrier into the new space, Anthony took in the sights around him. The dining area was as grand as ever, looming walls, tall windows, long fine tables, and a number of servants scuttling about, there to attend the guests every beck and call. At the very end of the room, sitting at a grand table elevated a few steps higher than the rest of the room, he could just make out the pair of ethereal manes of the royal sisters. The dining hall itself wasn’t packed by any means. No, it took an event along the lines of the Grand Galloping Gala to fill this place up. The ponies, and few other species (He noticed a griffon, a zebra, and a goat scattered about) dignitaries and the like, were spread out amongst the tables. The one thing everyone there all had in common was their being the “well to do” types. Most everyone he spotted was wearing fine suits or modest dresses, and he could smell that there was enough cologne and perfume in the room to drown a man. Anthony began walking down the hall, making his way over to the sisters to hopefully get some breakfast. Why not sit somewhere else? Anthony had tried that. He’d also tried eating at different times of the day. In either case the waiters often were either too scared to come over and serve him or felt no obligation to. Sure, sometimes it worked out like the way it did yesterday, but he couldn’t rely on it. This was just yet another contributor to his increasingly decreasing weight. However, this changed when he dined with the princesses, after all, the servers had standards to keep! Even if it involved serving the loathsome monkey. Looking ahead Anthony could see the royal sisters more clearly, seemingly having not noticed him, they were both going about eating their breakfast none the wiser. As he made to approach, Luna finally seemed to see him, she smiled and waved him over with a hoof. However, before he could comply, a voice from a nearby table caught his attention. “Excuse me? Excuse me, good sir!” At the words, Anthony turned in the direction of the voice. Sitting at one of the nearby tables was white coated stallion in a fine suit, however unlike the abominable Prince Blueblood, this one had an entirely different demeanor. His hair was a thick blue wave rolling atop his head, parted neatly down the middle. Set above his upper lip were two matching small blue tufts of a mustache. Lastly, to complete the look, on his right eye sat a golden monocle that glinted in the sunlight streaming from the windows. Meanwhile sitting to his left was a mare, her coat just a slightly off shade white and her mane a two tone white and light pink. Her purple irises were accentuated by a slightly darker eyeshadow that glittered lightly. While quite clearly local nobility, what truly caught Anthony’s attention was the small smile on the stallion's face, a far different look than he was used to from ponies of such station. Both were sitting on the opposite side of the table nearest him, half eaten breakfasts still laid out before them. They gazed at Anthony expectantly. “Are, you talking to me?” The man asked. The stallion nodded to him, excitedly? “Yes, yes! May we speak with you?” He asked. Anthony looked around, not spotting any other ponies near this particular part of the table. Anthony walked over until he was in front of the pair, but didn’t make to sit down. “Did ya’ need something?” Anthony asked crossing his arms. “You wouldn’t happen to be Anon, would you?” The stallion asked. Anthony felt his eye twitch at the use of the name, but noticing the lack of malice behind his words Anthony restrained his discontempt. “It’s Anthony actually, but yes.” He said with a nod. The stallion’s eyes widened slightly at this. “Ah, my apologies…” He paused, thinking over the strange name carefully. “...I’m sorry, but I fear that I won’t be able to pronounce that name, is there something else that I may call you by?” He said respectfully. Anthony smirked inwardly. “You can just call me Tony then. It seems ponies have a lot less trouble with that one.” The mare giggled, rolling the name off her tongue. “Tony… zounds Gryphonian, no?” She asked, surprising Anthony with a french accent. The mare poked her husband playfully. He reached up to stroke his chin. “I suppose it does in a way, and yet it still has a more exotic feel all the same. Oh goodness! I haven’t even introduced myself yet!” The pony sat up straight. “My name is Fancy Pants, and this is my fiance Fleur De Lee. It is our pleasure to meet you Mr. Tony” He said holding out a hoof. Staring at it a moment, Anthony reached up, wrapping his hand around the appendage for a firm shake. Fancy didn’t flinch, pause, or look disgusted in any way, in fact his smile seemed to grow as he shook his hoof along with the man’s hand. “Splendid! Now I must ask, how has your jacket been faring Mr.Tony.” Fancy Pants asked, Anthony raised an eyebrow in confusion. “My jacket?” He repeated, The stallion nodded. “Yes, I believe that Princess Celestia gave it to you as a Hearth’s Warming present all those months ago.” Recognition suddenly flashed in Anthony’s eyes. “You made that?” He asked surprised. Fancy Pants nodded. “Along with the help of my Fleur here, yes.” He said, giving her a light bump with his shoulder. Fleur smirked at Fancy before turning back to Anthony. ]“We were quite surprised when ze princess came and asked us for zis commission. She only provided us with ze measurements and said to make a ‘casual jacket’. We didn’t even know who or what you were at ze time...” “But, did you know of me?” Anthony asked. Fleur and Fancy looked at eachother for a moment of confirmation before speaking. “Zer were… negative rumors floating about, but zer were no specifics or facts that we could place. We do not judge the same way others within Canterlot might.”Anthony smiled. “And that goes very much appreciated. Listen, not to be rude or anything but I am getting pretty hungry. Why don’t we~” Fancy Pants raised a hoof, calling over the nearest servant, who briskly trotted over. “What can I do for you this morning, Sir Fancy Pants?” The servant asked. “Yes, could we get a stack of eh, fresh pancakes?” Fancy looked to Anthony, who after a moment of staring nodded dumbly. “And some drinks, how about milk and orange juice for the lot.” Fancy said with a smile. The servant nodded, looking between the couple, and then up at Anthony before nodding and trotting away. “Many thanks.” Fancy said, extending the s ever so slightly in indignation at the servant’s quick withdrawal. Anthony felt his stomach grumble as the idea of freshly cooked pancakes permeated his mind. “I... guess I’ll stay for a bit.” Anthony said slowly, taking a seat across from the couple. As he moved, Fleur looked the man up and down with a critical eye. “You know, you seem a bit smaller zen your measurements would have lead us to believe.” Anthony looked at the mare surprised for a moment before responding. “Yeah, I’ve lost some weight since then.” He fibbed, Fleur seemed to accept this with a simple nod. “Well, if you ever need it resized you know who to come to.” Fleur said kindly. Anthony nodded in appreciation. A moment of silence passed before Anthony decided to speak up. “So, is there any specific reason that you wanted to talk to me?” He asked. “Besides simple curiosity about one of our stranger patrons?” Fancy asked, Anthony nodded. “Well, sorry to disappoint, but that was indeed the primary reason. Otherwise, we came to make an offer to you” This caught Anthony’s attention, as he leaned forward placing his arms on the table. “What kind of offer?” He asked cautiously. Fancy waved a hoof dismissively. “Nothing of the discrete or illicit sort mind you, we don’t deal in those areas. But, based on what I can see from the current state of your attire you may be in need or some new pieces.” Fancy looked to Fleur who continued for him. “We came to ze decision together to offer to make you some more clothing, in exchange for, certain payment.” Anthony furrowed his brow and sighed. “Sorry, but if you couldn’t tell, I’m flat broke.” Fancy chuckled to himself. “We aren’t asking for bits Mr. Tony, not to sound pretentious but we no immediate need for such. You see, Fleur and I have had a nasty bite of curiosity since we learned of you and we though a fair exchange would be for us to satisfy a potential need for you while you satisfy our inquiries. After all, you haven’t even told us what you are, and we’ve barely gotten a name to the face!” Anthony leaned back shrugging his shoulders. “Well, I’m a human. What else did you want to know?” The pair seemed to have a semi-mad glint in their eyes as Fleur leaned forward. “Everything!” She said excitedly. Anthony leaned back in his chair, thinking to himself. I haven’t really told anyone about Earth before… Hell, I’ve been actively avoiding telling ponies haven’t I? Luna knows some things of course, but she was never one to pry. Anthony looked down at his pants, noticing the frayed holes at the knees and the various dirt stains that he couldn’t scrub out in the tub. Yes, he usually washed them in the bathtub in his room. Both his shirt and pants were also too big now due to his diminishing size, his shoes were completely wrecked, his socks were just disgusting, I think you get the point. Ah, fuck it! I’ll just avoid nuclear fusion and guns. Plus, a fresh set of clothes would feel amazing! So, Anthony began telling the couple about himself and humanity. He started off by telling them about his arrival, skimming over a few possibly incriminating facts about a certain princess as he did so. They both expressed their surprise, telling him that they had originally believed he was just a creature from beyond the “known world”, something Anthony had yet to read up on. Soon enough their food came as Anthony began to tell them about his home life and family between bites. They both expressed sympathy for his loss, Anthony brushed off the sentiment but was secretly grateful for it. The pancakes Fancy had ordered were as delicious as they looked. Far too soon, Anthony began to notice that a number of ponies started filing out of the dining hall and the servers had begun picking up plates and wiping down tables. Fancy seemed to notice this too. “It appears that our time is up, sadly.” Fancy said. Anthony looked over to the grand table at the end of the hall, it had been immaculately cleaned but there was no longer any signs of either of the princesses. “Anthony?” Fancy asked, bringing his attention back to the couple. “I would like to thank you for telling us so much about yourself, it has been a very… enlightening experience.” He said with a smile. Fleur nodded. “Indeed, your family zounds wonderful. Again, we are very sorry for your loss.” Anthony waved a dismissive hand and remained silent. Fancy reached into his coat pocket. “Well, Mr. Tony a deal is a deal.” Fancy pulled out what appeared to be a business card from the interior of his coat, placing it on the table and sliding it over to Anthony. “Our doors are always open to you, stop by whenever you have the time. We do have to get you remeasured after all.” Anthony picked up the card, giving it a quick glance before sliding it into his pocket. Fleur spoke up. “I hope zat when you come over you will be willing to tell us more about yourself and your ‘people’ as you call them. I feel as though you’ve only just begun telling the story.” She said. Anthony stood from the table, allowing a smile to crease his face as he looked down at her. “Most assuredly…” Time seemed to fly by after he’d finished up his breakfast with Fancy Pants and Fleur de Liz. As he got up and made his way out of the hall, his guards outside took to his sides and he quietly made his way back to his room. For the first time in a long time Anthony actually felt full! The old but familiar tightness in his midsection brought a small smile to his face. Pancakes were a super high energy food to ponies, and to his knowledge were generally only eaten for special occasions and get togethers lest they lose track of their waistline. This made the meal all the more special and filling to him, Anthony gave his stomach a satisfactory pat. As they continued walking back, he thought over the conversation he’d had earlier more detail, as well as Fancy and Fleur themselves. They seemed… nice. I’m sure there would’ve been some signs if they wanted to know about me for any devious reasons. Most ponies are god awful liars after all. But… and maybe it’s just my paranoia talking, I think I should be more cautious than I just was. I told them about my family… heh, that’s a first... As he walked and pondered, Anthony’s thoughts drifted into the past. He felt as though a dusky smog had begun to weigh down inside his head, sinking and dripping into other parts of his body like liquid lead, his blinking sped up slightly as a slight moistness filled the edges of his eyes, threatening to spill. He stopped walking, staring at the ground with a blank expression. After a few steps the guards stopped as well, turning and gazing up at him with caution. … … … Anthony took a deep breath through his nose. Feeling the tightness in his muscles relax as he exhaled slowly. Without a word, Anthony resumed his previous pace. Passing the guards who stepped back as he walked between them. They looked at eachother and then the creature before walking after it at a slightly quicker pace to catch up. ___ Anthony spent the rest of the day in his room. Not wanting to go out again, he spent most of the time writing and thinking. He ended up completely skipping over lunch, something that he’d later come to regret, but Anthony was focused on other things at the moment, including tonight’s game plan. “Hehe. ha. HAHA! MUAHAHAHAHA! Oh this will be SO grand if it works out!” Anthony laughed to himself maniacally. Sitting back in his desk chair, he gazed upon the few crucial items that he’d gained in order for tonight’s escapade to go smoothly. Firstly, the map of Canterlot with the directions Night Light had given him was open and laid out before him. Sadly, he had to make a few changes. Now there was a shoddily drawn in pencil line from Dawn Water Park that weaved it’s way to the main thoroughfare, meeting up with Night Light’s fine ink one. After all, he couldn’t just leave through the front entrance. Otherwise there was just the strange letter that he’d received at the lake. He’d given it another read over just to make sure everything was correct, and it was, as far as he could tell.         Hopping up from his chair, Anthony made his way over to the closet with a skip in his step. Opening the door and stepping inside Anthony looked over the few articles of clothing he had. Hanging on the rack he spotted the flannel jacket, whose makers he now knew, waiting for winter use. Looking to the back wall, nothing seemed blatantly out of the ordinary. It was the same solid white marble stone you’d have spotted anywhere else in the castle. Stepping up to it, Anthony placed his hand on the surface. It felt the same, no sign that there was any form of cavity beneath it. Without hesitation, Anthony brought back his hand and rhythmically placed the three ritual knocks upon the wall. There was a momentary pause. KRRRRRRRRUT... SHUNK! A small square of stone, about two foot by two foot in size began sliding back into the wall. After grinding about three inches it stopped, before quickly shooting up and out of sight, revealing an opening beneath. “Perfect!” Anthony said to himself. Seeing the promised chord sitting inside he picked it up, giving it a good look over. It was a long, thick role of tightly bound hempen rope, maybe not perfect for his needs, but definitely better than what he’d been using. Satisfied, Anthony reached up to tap out to close the trapdoor, however looking up he was met with a startling surprise. “GAH!” Anthony shouted, jumping back from the smiling pony face that had suddenly appeared inside the trap door. “Room service!” Nightingale said gleefully, sticking her hooves out of the hole in the wall like she wanted a hug. Anthony just stood back with wide eyes, trying to calm his racing heart. “Nightingale! What the hell are you doing in there!” Anthony demanded. Nighty put her hooves together and fluttered her eyelids innocently. “Waiting for you to take a shower!” She said. Anthony sighed, grumbling to himself. “How long have you been in there?” He asked in a calm but irritated tone. Nighty tapped her chin in thought. “Ummm, what’s today?” She asked. Anthony gave the most deadpan of looks. With a huff the thestral relented. “Alright fine, spoilsport, I snuck in and went to sleep here just after you left.” “So, you’ve been in there ALL DAY! Were you not concerned about, I don’t know, being stuck in there forever!” Anthony shouted. Nightingale lifted a hoof. “Fun fact! This door actually works both ways!” With a little bit of squirming, Nightingale slipped back into the trap door before tapping her hoof against the side. With another few sounds of stone grinding the 2x2 block slipped back into place, blending seamlessly with the wall around it. After a few seconds, the wall began to grind a third time, moving in and back up revealing the smiling thestral once again. Anthony gazed down at her with a frown. “You didn’t know it worked both ways until you actually locked yourself in there, did you?” He asked. Nighty rubbed the back of her head with a hoof guiltily. “That’s what I thought… How did you even fit in there?” He asked. “It’s roomier than you think!” Nighty said with a smile. Rolling his eyes Anthony walked up and grabbed the mare by her front hooves. “C’mon, you’ve been in there long enough.” With a few solid tugs and a lot of cursing from Nightingale, the mare was removed from the compartment and placed on the ground haphazardly. Leaving her to reorient herself, Anthony went about closing the trap door. “So, I can only assume that Luna told you about this. That also means that you know that I know that you’ve been spying on me for quite a while now. That honestly doesn’t surprise me.” Shaking herself off, Nightingale looked up at Anthony hopefully. “You’re not mad?” She asked. A smirk wormed it’s way onto Anthony’s face. “Not mad per say, but you certainly owe me for your dishonesty. I’ll call on that dept whenever I need it.” Nighty looked like she was about to protest, but before she could Anthony reached down, lifting the mare beneath one of his arms walked into the main area of his room. “H-Hey! Put me down!” Nighty shouted, thrashing her hooves about uselessly. Anthony obliged, dropping her on the rug by the end of his bed before taking a seat on the cushioned surface. He watched as Nightingale scampered to her feet, staring at him angrily. “What was that for?!” She asked. Anthony laced his fingers, resting his chin on them as he sat. “Give me one reason I shouldn’t throw you out of this room right now, and continue to do so every time you break in for the foreseeable future.” He said flatly. Nightingale’s mind raced, trying to think up a good answer. “I care about you very deeply?” She asked with a cocky grin. Anthony’s expression didn’t change. “I, am your best friend?” Anthony looked out the window, noticing that the sun was dipping beneath the horizon, he stood up and began walking over to the door. “Stay there and be quiet for a minute. I have to deal with something.” With that Anthony stepped out of the door and into the hallway, closing the door behind him. Taking a step forward he turned on his heel. Before him stood two new day guards, he was really blowing through them nowadays. How could he tell? There was just a certain air about new guards versus the one’s that he’d already spent some time with. There was a certain glint of confidence in their eyes that was almost always gone after he’d dealt with them. There were plenty of soldiers in the castle to keep him freshly stocked anyways. These two had just been posted on him for their first night shift with him. Both gold clad fellows stared up at him cautiously with spears in hoof. “Hello gents! Based on the fact that both of your expressions are not that of sheer terror I would say that this is the first time you have been posted to me.” He said. The pair of solar guards said nothing, but continued to eye the human up and down with slightly increased worry. “In that same regard, you may have heard about a certain few ‘escapes’ that I have performed, generally leaving your fellow stallions in arms worse for ware…” Anthony took a breath. “However, tonight is not the night for such antics… should you comply. I have come to propose a deal to the both of you.” He said with a sly smile. The guard on the right scoffed haughtily. “We don’t make deals with animals!” Anthony’s eye twitched, but despite the sudden burning in his belly he held his composure. His smile turned sickly. “I feel, that this deal is something that you both will appreciate very much. It’s a simple request, leave now, and you will not face my wrath.” A few moments passed. The guard on the left looked at his partner and then back to Anthony before speaking. “What’s the catch?” He asked, keeping his voice level. Anthony held his hands up innocently. “No catch, you can wander the halls pretending to look for me. You can even go out for a drink! I don’t care. As long as I don’t run into you again for the rest of the night.” The left guard looked over to his partner with a slightly softer expression, however the one on the right didn’t seem shaken. “Tell us beast, if we are to refuse your offer. What is this supposed ‘wrath’ you speak of?” He asked. Anthony’s smile went full chesire. “You’ve heard the stories I’m sure. Well, I was thinking, what could possibly be worse on a pony’s coat than chocolate syrup? Then one day, like a gift from the heavens, the idea came to me! CARAMEL!” And with that both guards shot off in opposite directions, dropping their spears in their haste to get away from the demon being. Anthony laughed uproariously as he watched them sprint around the corners and out of sight. Fighting off giggles, Anthony opened his door, stepping back into his room, shutting the door behind him. “That went well.” He said, walking over to the bed and picking up the rope. “What? What did you do?” Nightingale asked. “Just got rid of our friends in gold out there.” Anthony said as he unraveled the rope and began tying knots down it’s length. “You were out there for like thirty seconds! How?” “Human magic my featherless friend.” He said. Taking a few minutes to finish up with the rope before rolling it back up. Standing, Anthony made his way over to his desk, grabbing the map and letter before Nightingale could take a look at them. Now moving towards the balcony, Nighty stood up and followed behind him. Opening the doors to the outside Anthony once again felt the bitter winds batting against his skin, he gritted his teeth as the sudden temperature change sent a shiver up his spine. “You're heading out again? A little earlier than usual, any reasons?” Anthony tied off the rope to the railing with the special knot he’d learned. “None you need to worry about.” Anthony said, receiving a huff of annoyance from the mare. “How do you expect me to heroically save you and carry you bridal style back to my room if I don’t know where you are?” She said. Anthony turned back to her, staring at Nightingale strangely for a few long moments. “Goodbye!” He said before grabbing the rope in his hands and vaulting over the edge. Holding steady for a moment, and noting the familiar sensation of not falling to his death, Anthony began to slowly make his way down the rope, using the knots as hand and foot holds. Above, Nightingale poked her head over the railing, ready to spring into action should anything go wrong. Finally making his way to the end of the rope, Anthony spotted the larger balcony to the maid's quarters just to his right. It’s just like the swings at the playground. Anthony reassured himself and began to shift his weight back and forth. While still cold, the winds were nowhere near as harsh as they were the last time he made the climb. As he swung, the distance to between him and the other balcony became smaller and smaller. With one final swing Anthony tensed his core, bringing up his legs and throwing them over the railing of the other balcony. Landing smoothly on both feet, he smiled to himself, before realizing he was missing one crucial thing. “The rope!” Turning quickly, Anthony spotted it still attached to the railing of his room, swinging in the wind. Above, Nightingale leaned on the rail resting her head on her hooves with an amused expression on her face. “Smooth…” She said sarcastically, words almost lost in the high altitude breeze. Anthony just shook his head. “Nighty, could you just put that up for me?!” Anthony asked, shouting to make sure the words made it through. Nightingale gave a slow nod. “Sure! You’re not dead so my job’s done! I think I’ll just go poking through your things while you’re gone!” Nighty said with a devilish smile. “You do that and you might find yourself caught in the crossfire of my next escape plan!” Anthony threatened. Nightingale burst out in laughter. “Go get lost Tony!” She said with a smile. Trying and failing to fight off the smile on his own face, Anthony gave the thestral a farewell thumbs up. “You know I will!” The journey to Dawn Water Park was as frustrating as ever for Anthony. A few scrapes and bruises were unavoidable in the dark dank confines of the escape tunnel that he found himself squeezing through once more. After finally finding his way out of the iron door and into the park, Anthony made a beeline for the city. The moon had just crested over the horizon as Anthony found himself at the edge of town, pulling out his map he looked it over. Studying the streets before him, Anthony looked for some form of landmark to orient himself from. Fairly confident that he’d pinpointed his own location, Anthony left the forest limits, moving into and through the first alleyway he came across, entering the city proper. Soon finding himself on the main road, Anthony looked up and down it for any signs of ponies. There was already a certain deadness to the city that you could only get at night, and as he looked about he couldn’t spot a single soul. A few of the buildings nearby still had a few flickering lights in their windows or leaking underneath the doors, but first impressions told him that he wouldn’t have to worry about running into any ponies on the roads tonight.         With that, Anthony began navigating through the darkened streets of Canterlot. Guided only by the map given to him and the moonlight that allowed him to read it. Anthony found himself crossing through main roads, side roads, and alleyways as he went. All unsurprisingly devoid of life. Anthony had been in the city at night before, but for whatever reason, the emptiness of it always unnerved him. At least in the forest there were the sounds of night creatures, owls, frogs, even just the sound of wind flowing through the trees. Those brought him some level of comfort and familiarity. Here, there was nothing.         After about 15 minutes of walking Anthony began to feel less and less familiar with his surroundings. The path he followed through the streets, while winding and turning, ultimately lead in a downhill direction. At around the 25 minute mark the buildings began to change, the white and purple theme of the inner city had deteriorated into sturdy brick buildings. Some were shops that he could immediately recognize, like a bakery and a smithy that he passed. Next came wood houses, not shoddily built by any means, in fact some were quite cozy looking, but the decline in wealth among the districts seemed to match the decrease in altitude as he moved downhill. After about 40 minutes walking, Anthony was finally at Moonlight lane.         Anthony stood in the middle of the road, looking at the desolate residential street before him. The sign that marked the road was a metal one, but unlike the finely polished and maintained ones on every other street in Canterlot, this one was rusted beyond belief. Like a decaying finger sticking out of the ground, the bent cross piece holding a half-hinged sign that Anthony could only barely make out the words on through the weathering.         The street itself fared no better. It was a small cul de sac of abandoned wooden shacks, each one he spotted seemed more decrepit than the one before. Night Light had told him that this place was abandoned and Anthony, having been to or at least seen a few places of the like back on Earth wasn’t too surprised. But there was something very different about this place than any other he’d seen before. This street had died naturally. The grass, weeds, and shrubs in the lawns before him had seemingly never been tampered with, left to grow out of proportion. The houses, while weathered heavily, held no signs of graffiti, breakins, or any sort of intervention by pony or otherwise. For a second, Anthony felt as though he was in Chernobyl, or some sort of apocalyptic world. As if on cue, the ghostly hoot of an owl permeated the air. Startled, Anthony looked up into the trees, but found that he couldn’t pinpoint the creature’s location as the hoots bounced around the nearby houses. “I bet they have a good finance director…”  Anthony muttered to himself.a Taking his first steps into the neighborhood the cracked and unkempt pavement seemed to match his worn shoes perfectly as he slowly walked down the road. Keeping an eye on the houses at his sides, he didn’t lower his guard. Having now seen the street first hand, Anthony was starting to have some doubts about the truthfulness of the letter. Many of the mailboxes that lined the street had lost their numbers by this point. As he made his way, Anthony counted, basing the address on any signs he could spot, doing his best to find 1504. And there it was. “Oh, that looks just lovely doesn’t it…” Anthony muttered to himself as he took in the house before him. The building was old and beaten, the white paint having been weathered from it’s paneling revealing the decaying wood beneath. The porch out front was tilted, and looked as though it could crumble at any moment. One thing that did surprise Anthony however, was that all of the windows and doors seemed to be intact, and from his view, in pretty good condition. But even with this one upside, the building was still way past it’s due. The yard itself fared no better, unlike the other buildings which were lively and overgrown, the ground here was bare of grass and held thick cracks from the dryness that he recalled sometimes seeing on mid summer days back home. Lastly, any shrubs or trees that once lived in this yard were nothing more than husks now, their twisted bodies still reaching to the sky as if begging for water. It was like the sky had intentionally avoided raining on this house in particular. Turning his head he spotted the mailbox. A tilted rusty metal frame sitting just left of the cobblestone path that led up to the door.  The number plating on it’s side was clearly labeled in clean bright golden numbers, 1504, and there was no way to be mistaken, this was indeed Moonlight Lane. Anthony scratched his chin in thought. Maybe I did mess up, I’ve never been in the lower districts before after all. Anthony thought against his better judgement. Pulling the letter out of his pocket and flipping it open, he read over the lines again quickly. And yes, I am talking about the house that looks like it's about to fall apart that is currently under renovation. Being unable to read the lines that were crossed out due to the erratic crayon scribbling over them Anthony could only assume that this was the place. He let out a sigh, folding the letter back up. “Well…” He hummed to himself. “If I’m not raped or killed tonight I’ll consider this a win.” He said, taking his first steps up the pathway to the door.         Immediately after crossing the boundary, Anthony felt a shiver coursed up his spine, chocking it up to nerves, Anthony shrugged off the feeling and continued up the path.         As he got closer and closer to the house, Anthony could make out the finer details of its facade. The windows, which he had noticed before were not broken like the ones in many of the other houses, were also much cleaner than he would have expected from an abandoned place. The porch, which he had thought was tilted and broken beyond repair, had only a slight elevation to it that became more pronounced looking at a distance.         Stepping onto it, the old wooden boards gave creaks and groans as his weight pressed onto them. The door of the building only a few feet from him now. Taking a moment, he looked around the porch itself. There seemed to be nothing of any real interest on it, however looking at the floor he spotted a few black lines resting just beneath the window. Based on the shape and position he guessed they were made by the rails of two rocking chairs, left there by age. But the chairs that made them were nowhere in sight.         Quietly, Anthony tiptoed over to the window. Standing above the blackened chair marks he did his best to discretely peer inside. There was nothing inside. An empty living room, no furniture in sight, clean but abandoned. A small stone hearth and some in wall bookshelves accompanied it. But still no signs of life at all. Anthony felt his nerves rising all of a sudden. Was the reality of the situation finally getting to him? Or was the tightness that he suddenly felt in his gut a sign of what was about to happen. NO! There was no stopping now! Anthony looked back at the door. It was surprisingly clean. It seemed to be the only part of the exterior of the house that had not decayed in any way, in fact the door looked as if it were freshly painted. Anthony moved in front of it, cursing as one of the floorboards gave a distinct creak. Freezing and listening, Anthony didn’t hear any reactive sounds afterward, he kept moving.         The door had a tin mailslot about halfway up it’s length. But this was a pony sized door. So the slot was about level with his thigh, and the top of the door was still beneath his nose.  Otherwise there was nothing fancy about it, no doorbell, no knocker. The thing itself was rather plain actually. Anthony lifted up his hand, bringing it back to preform a solid knock, but paused. I’m really doing this? Anthony asked himself for the millionth time. Another part of him suddenly spoke up. No shit you’re doing this, what did we come all the way here for anyways?! Curiosity… mostly. I’m just saying this is the last chance we have to back out. If there is anyone here I don’t think they’ve noticed us yet. The other part of him scoffed. Like hell they have! If they didn’t already know we were here you’d think there might be some kind of noise or movement coming from inside! All the more reason to back out now! Count our losses and go home! The other half of Anthony laughed. HA! I know you won’t do that. You will knock on that door, because you want to know what will happen. And if you leave now you’ll never know what would have happened, and neither of us can live with that… can we? Anthony’s hand inched forward, closer and closer, pausing at about an inch away Anthony pushed past the last of his inhibitions. Hitting his hand lightly against the door with three light rhythmic knocks. Knock… knock… knock. He stood there silently for a moment. Looking around, nothing seemed to have changed. Shuffling his feet, he continued to wait patiently. After about 10 seconds a strange series of noises tickled at his ears. Sclusch, sclackt, sclusch, sclackt. It sounded as like a person wading through mud, but the gait matched that of a quadruped. Anthony stood silently as the squishing and squashing became louder as the creature the sounds belonged to made it’s way up to the other side of the door. SHHHHRRK What Anthony had previously thought was a letter hole slid to the side, revealing an opening. Anthony leaned down, tilting his head to the side to get a better look at what or who was inside. “Hi…” Came a small, feminine voice from behind the door. A pair of emerald green eyes peered up at him, through the small slot in the door, meeting his darker forest green ones. He couldn’t see much inside, as there wasn’t enough light to give detail, but he could vaguely make out that her face was was an ever so slightly darker shade of green. He blinked a few times before responding. “Er… Hi.” He greeted uncertainly. The emerald eyes blinked, no hint of malice behind them, they looked his form up and down much in the way that Fleur and Fancy did when they first met him. Suddenly, they locked onto his face again. “password…?” The small voice almost whispered. Anthony stared at her, not registering what she said before it suddenly clicked. “Oh! Oh right!” Anthony said, fumbling around in his pockets as he pulled out the letter and flipped it open. Skimming through the lines he quickly found the supposed password. “Uh… Fizzle is, delicious?” Anthony asked, feeling oddly uncomfortable saying the phrase out loud. SHHHHRRK The slot on the door slammed shut, Anthony stood there for a few moments, wondering if he had said something wrong. But then, with a sudden click the knob turned and the door opened with nary a sound. Once it had fully opened, the mare, or at least the creature that he thought was a mare poked her head out from behind it.         She looked like a mare, a mare with a green coat, green mane, and emerald eyes. But that was the thing, what he had previously thought was a coat of fur wasn’t actually fur at all. Upon closer inspection her entire body seemed to hold a strange glossy sheen. What he thought was a mane was very similar, it was a glossy looking glob formed in the shape of a regular pony mane. Stepping out fully from behind the door, Anthony noticed that she was wearing what appeared to be 4 matching green rain boots. However with each step she took, the things squished and squashed, as though the slimy substance that was covering her body had pooled inside the things. A theory which Anthony was believing more by the second. As she opened her mouth to speak, the line revealing it split open in the front of her face. Anthony suddenly realized that he couldn’t see her mouth before she actually opened it, as the goop she was soaked in covered her completely. “Sorry for staring… they didn’t mention you were so tall.” She said in a quiet voice. The emerald eyes looked up to Anthony with a slightly guilty expression. Any unnerved feelings suddenly left him as he looked at the mare’s innocent and kind face. With a warmth welling from his heart, he smiled at her. “Don’t worry about it…” He paused, looking down at her. “So, not to be rude or anything, but you’re one of the ‘oddities’ here right?” Anthony asked curiously. The mare nodded slowly. “Yes... you came here for the meeting, correct?” She asked. Anthony nodded dumbly. “You’re a little late, but don’t worry, they wouldn’t have started without you.” Turning, the strange goop covered mare began walking back into the house, the squish squashes of her boots echoing loudly. Completely committed by this point, Anthony mentally shrugged and ducked under the door himself, stepping in line behind mare as she made her way down the hall. “Excuse me? So uh, you said ‘the others’, you mean the other oddities?” Anthony asked as they walked. The mare looked back at him and nodded without a word. Anthony bobbed his head in turn, mind still cranking. “What’s your name by the way?” He asked. The mare looked back again. “... We’ll do introductions at the meeting…” She said quietly, continuing down the hall. Anthony finally resigned himself to silence as he followed her. Doors passed on their left and right, the walls and features darkening as they left behind the windowed moonlit rooms from the front of the house. After a sluggish fifteen seconds of walking in a hall that Anthony quickly noticed was far too long for the dimensions of the house, they’d arrived at the end of it. Looking over his guide, Anthony could make out a plain white door, just like all the others in the hall, however this one had a sliver of light leaking under the bottom crack. Without hesitating, the mare in front of him lifted her hoof, flicking the knob and pushing open the door as naturally as a human would. Anthony’s eyes widened as the sounds of music suddenly hit his ears. He blinked as the light of the room suddenly flooded the hall, stinging his darkness adjusted eyes. Stepping into the room behind the mare, he wiped the last of the pain from his eyes before opening them, getting a full view of the area. The area before him was divided into a few distinct sections. The open space in front of him appeared to have a semicircle of very cheap looking grey chairs, sitting on a plain white linoleum floor, the ceiling above seemed to match the floor and chairs in theme seamlessly as it consisted of the white acoustical boards that you’d see on the ceilings in schools or old office buildings. Ahead of that were a few short stairs marking the transition from the exceedingly plain center area into a much more brightly lit… bowling alley CRASH!!! "Again! Really?” An irritated, gritty voice called out. Anthony looked over, spotting for the first time the outrageously chaotic mishmash that he could only essume was some sort of amalgamate. At first glance, Anthony had though the being to be a sort of adolescent dragon. However, the older sounding voice as well as the strange and varying colors and parts that made up it’s form, he could safely assume he had no idea what that particular creature was. It seemed taller than him by a good two feet, it’s mismatched horns extending even further. With a few short chuckles, a yellow stallion standing next to the unknown creature spoke. “You’re not going to beat my hook Discord. This just isn’t your thing.” The being, that Anthony realized was appropriately named Discord responded. “You and your blasted, half-magic, whatever it is?!” Discord said frustrated. From another corner of the room, two more voices reached Anthony’s ears, young and distinctly male. Looking over Anthony saw what appeared to be a an area with pool tables and a bar room off to the side. A Brown unicorn stallion with a dirty blonde mane stood behind a pool table, preparing for a shot, while a griffon stood back watching. “Okay, this shot is called the-uh… Manehattan tour carriage!” A series of clacks and cracks rang out then quickly dispersed. “See that! That’s how it’s done!” click. “What?!?” The stallion's voice shouted out. Prompting the second, who began laughing uproariously. “The Manehattan tour carriage, eh? Remind me never to use that one.” The griffon said sarcastically. Mesmerized, and somewhat dizzied by the scene around him Anthony walked over to the bar, taking a seat in one of the nicely upholstered stools around it. Wiping his eyes once more, he began looking over the drink filled shelves of the bar, not recognising any of the liquor names with his having never drank in Equestria before. “Hi!” A pony’s head popped up right into Anthony’s vision. Causing him to jump back in fright with a startled shout. The mare giggled, putting her hoof up to her mouth. “Well? Ya’ looking for a drink or not? Or would you rather drink straight from the tap?” The mare winked at him. Finally getting a clear look at the pony, Anthony noticed she had a thick maroon mane on her head with piercing rose red eyes, but that wasn’t what caught Anthony’s attention, what did was the glassy sheen that the mare’s entire body seemed to hold. Not only that, but it seemed that within her glassy exterior she was filled with... something. A dark brown liquid that stopped just at her neck. With each movement the stuff bubbled and sloshed about as though carbonated. “Uhhh…” Anthony muttered dumbly. The mare giggled, sending a small flurry of fizz to the top of her liquid insides. “I-just, uh.” Anthony quickly composed himself “Alcohol, please. Strong, lots.” The mare giggled again prompting another series of fizzes. “You’re gonna make it too easy for me tonight!” Not wanting to think about the implications of that statement, Anthony simply watched as the mare efficiently went about grabbing a white bottle of what he could only assume was vodka and a shot glass before setting them down in front of him. Pouring himself a hefty shot, Anthony looked back up at the strange mare, who had continued to smile at him innocently. Something in his head suddenly clicked. “You’re Fizzle aren’t you?” He asked cautiously. The mare smirked. “Was it not obvious enough?” She asked coyly. Anthony gave a visible roll of his eyes. We’ll she certainly has a very bubbly personal~OH GOD DAMN IT! Anthony mentally smacked himself at the unintentional pun, quickly reaching for the shot he downed I without a second thought. As the burning sensation of the strong alcohol quickly coated his throat, Anthony focused on not falling into a coughing fit. He hit his chest with a fist, clearing his throat. “Good stuff isn’t it? I’m not much of an alcohol drinker myself, but Discord sure knows how to set up a bar!” Fizzle said. Hearing the name once again, Anthony felt that he recalled it from somewhere. “Yea, yeah… good stuff.” Anthony continued looking over the mare, his dizzied brain lazily putting link after link together. “So, uh. Not to sound rude or anything, but… what exactly, are you?” Anthony asked cautiously. The mare, who had been idly wiping down a glass with a rag looked at him. “We’ll be doing introductions at the meeting. Which I believe we can start, now that our guest of honor has arrived!” She said gleefully. Putting down the glass and rag, she casually exited from behind the counter swinging her hips with each step as her hooves tinked against the wooden floor. Making her way over to the center of the room, the area with the linoleum floor and cheap chairs, she stopped in the very center. There, Fizzle gazed over her domain. Taking note of all the faces around her currently going about their own business peacefully. She smiled… before taking a deep breath. “EVERYONE ANTHONY’S HERE IT’S TIME TO START THE MEETING!!!”