"ANON!"
As if he were summoned, Anon opens the door with a cup of tea in hand.
"Why hello Trixie, come on in."
She blazes past him and takes a seat at the table. Anon closes the door and shuffles about as he pulls a second cup of tea from somewhere for Trixie. Eagerly, she drinks the warm mug as Anon takes his seat opposite her.
"You're looking a right mess," he smiles.
"I ran, and a--"
One of Anon's fingers shoots up to silence Trixie.
"My day has been quite nice. I let a few of the creatures go for a frolick in the forest, Clay is--"
"Who cares about that? I'm trying to tell you--"
"Yes, and we shall get to that. There is such thing as manners."
Trixie groans and slams her head on the table. The adrenaline has definitely worn off now as the soles of her hooves cry and whimper in pain, her breathing is erratic as her lungs still haven't quite inflated after being winded, and her energy levels have plummeted now that she has stopped moving. Anon's hand stretches out and comfortingly pets Trixie's mane.
"Relax, I know what happened?"
"You were there?" wearily asks Trixie.
Anon shakes his head, "No, but I see all and know all... Well, sure, there was more I could have done to ensure it all went smoothly but ultimately your choices must be your own."
"Oh, yeah?" Trixie remarks in disbelief, "What will happen tomorrow then?"
"You mean with Rotten Apple and Floribunda? They'll leave you alone, so long as you don't act scared around them anymore. None of the students told the teacher what happened, they all said there was a mishap during a magic demonstration. Amazing what happens to good-natured little kiddies when they think they'll get in trouble otherwise."
"Yeah right, they have always picked on me."
Trixie slumps her head into her forehooves, hoping this could somehow shield her from the world. While she knows this thinking is silly, all she finds herself wanting is a small bit of respite from having to exist.
"Yes, because they thought you talentless. An easy target due to your blank flank. Rotten Apple is nothing more than a slimy little toad who is too scared to step on anything bigger than an ant. Today you showed that you can and will defend yourself. And I'm sure the suspicions of the faculty's watchful eye will help keep it that way."
With a hearty smile, Anon finishes his tea then takes both mugs into the next room. Trixie's spirits falter a little. She finds herself wanting to believe his words, yet somehow unable to.
"Are you sure?"
"I promise," he calls back.
This seems to do the trick. Trixie's head rises from the table as a smile returns to her face.
"One day you will be a great and powerful magic user. A real show-starter."
"You mean stopper?"
"What?"
"The expression is show-stopper."
"What's so great about stopping a show? Any dog fart can do that."
Trixie muffles a laugh that Anon joins in on which leads to the two laughing happily together. The bellies quake from the giggling, and water wells up in their eyes. Anon slaps his spindly knee in all the commotion and soon after the laughter dies.
"Still," Anon continues as he wipes away a tear, "Wish I could have seen it. Could have been a good test of your progress."
"Well... I could show you now?"
"Like a show?" The wizard over-excitedly beams.
"Uh, sure?"
Anon darts to his feet and slings Trixie under one arm to carry her outside.
"Eclair-derriere, where's my chair?" he says in a booming mystic voice with a twinkle of his fingers.
Out of nowhere arrives a faded striped recliner chair. The fabric of the thing is a little spotty, worn, and in some places torn. But Anon is content as he places Trixie down and takes his seat. Then he immediately shoots back up.
"Oh, an outfit. Every showman, or showwoman, needs an outfit," he thinks aloud.
Then after what seems like much deliberation, he takes a blue gem from out of his pocket and presses it to Trixie's chest. A ray of purple light streams backwards to bring a purple cape into existence. And then he clicks his fingers to summon a mirror for Trixie to admire her new attire. Yellow and blue stars, moons, planets, and suns dot the cape to make it look just like Anon's robes. She can see him behind her in the reflection smiling at her, then he seems to think some more.
"Well, we have to, don't we? Otherwise, this just won't look right," he thinks aloud once more before placing his pointy wizard cap on her head.
Looking at her reflection, Trixie faintly smiles. The blush on her cheeks makes splendid work to try and hide her features. Then she tilts her head forward, knocking the wizard cap down to cover her face.
"Now, wow me," he happily states as he sits back in his chair.
Trixie nervously shuffles her feet and tries to think. Only her mind draws a blank as she looks at Anon's expectant face. Then without warning, an idea stirs.
"I AM THE WISE AND POWERFUL ANON," Trixie booms in a poor impersonation of the wizard.
"Ah, excellent," claps Anon.
"WHEN I, ANON, AM HERE THEN ALL IS SAFE FROM DOOM AND GLOOM. I CAN PERFORM GREAT MIRACLES, LIKE MAKING FLOWERS BLOOM."
Then with a wave of her hoof, a bouquet of Wizard's Cap flowers appears. With a bit of flair, she lops the flowers into the air which sail high then fall into Anon's waiting arms.
"SETTLE DOWN ONE AND ALL, FOR I, ANONYMOUS THE MAGNANIMOUS AND MUNIFICENT HAVE EVEN MORE TRICKS UP MY SLEEVE."
Trixie pulls on a tuft of skin with her magic on her hoof as if to show there is nothing up her imaginary sleeve. Then she flourishes the same hoof to reveal a deck of cards. All fifty-two cards float in the air and spread out, face down, between Trixie and Anon.
"PLEASE, PICK A CARD, MY GOOD SIR. THEN I SHALL NEED IT BACK."
Anon curiously raises a brow as he grabs one of the cards. He checks it then places it back where it was. The deck shuffles themselves in mid-air for a while, each time getting seemingly more and more complex then they spread out once again and turn over to reveal all fifty-two are the same.
"IS THIS YOUR CARD?"
Anon laughs hard at the reveal. His teeth can finally be seen behind that maze of hair that is his beard as he smiles wider and wider.
"AND LASTLY, WITCHES AND GENTLEWIZARDS, I SHALL PULL... A BIRD OUT OF THIS HAT!"
The wizard caps floats before Trixie so she can root around in there with one hoof. Then she puts on a display of difficulty, she puts in both hooves as she reaches around for something. Then when she seemingly can't find what she is after, she shoves her entire head inside. A muffled yep can be heard from inside the hat as Trixie falters backwards onto her flank just in time for Arcturus to fly up and off into the sky.
Anon leaps to his feet, clapping loudly. Then he looks around behind him and gives a gesture like flapping upwards. As he does more clapping can be heard from thin air. The clapping thunders over and over like an entire audience of adoring fans cheering her own. Trixie's chest swells with pride.
"Trixie, you have a real... Talent for that. You were great," he states with pride in his eyes.
"Thank you, I-I've never performed like that before."
"Really? How was it?"
"It was," Trixie pauses as she gives it some serious thought, "Kind of a rush."
"Fun?"
Trixie nods, "I think I could enjoy something like that."
"Then swear to me you'll do it more. I want you to keep performing, okay?"
"Okay," Trixie nods with a firm conviction.
"No-no! Swear it. A big one. There's powerful magic in swears."
"Like in names?" Trixie looks at him with disbelief.
Anon's face hardens, unamused by the constant doubt. Even just looking into his eyes, Trixie can tell Anon feels like she should understand something by now. And as her stare deepens, she thinks that there is something else there. Something behind his eyes trying to say something. But eventually, she closes her eyes and breaths deeply.
"I swear... I swear I will perform more."
"Ah, excellent," cheers Anon.
"Why are you so excited?" she laughs with an unsure smile.
"Well... Because," Anon seems to stall and avoid eye contact. He swings his arms about giving an air of uncomfortable that is impossible to ignore. Trixie's heart swells with nervousness in her chest, "I have to leave soon."
The words hit Trixie like a brick.
"W-What?"
"To be perfectly honest with you... Because I'm Anonymous."
"I don't... Understand, what? How? Why?"
The pain in Trixie's chest seeps into her words as a choke on every syllable. Her eyes well up as she tries to plead with Anon.
"This whole time, I was never really real," his tone falls to a soft apologetic voice as he tries to explain.
"But you were here. This house. All those days teaching me! How is that not real? I don't understand."
"Anonymous. It means nameless. And I did tell you, things without names are just that. Things," he shrugs.
"Fine, then I'll give you a name," Trixie pleads as she sniffles her nose, determined not to cry.
"Well," he pauses to give it some deep thought, "I thought splendiferous suited me well."
"Okay, you're splendiferous."
"Yeah... I kind of was, wasn't I?" He beams as he puffs out his chest to pose with a boastful pride.
"Let me guess, it's not a name either?"
"I'm sorry Trix, but things have to go this way."
"Will I ever see you again?"
"Of course. I'll be around whenever you ask for help. But in the meantime, look. You've got your cutie mark."
In a stunned amazement, Trixie whips her head around to see her cutie mark has indeed appeared. It looks like a wand with a star on it conjuring a trail of glittery magic. A magic cutie mark.
"My talent is magic?" She remarks to herself in shock.
Then when she looks back to where Anon was standing she finds him missing. And as she looks around she sees not even the tower, the magical flowers, Grandma Poss, or Clay is still there. At her hooves lies the tome and she is standing in the forest, alone.