Walking down the streets of Canterlot with Celestia by his side, Anon can’t help but admit it’s nice that some things haven’t changed. All the ponies look at Celestia in awe as she walks by, many of them taking a moment to bow before moving on their way. However, there’s one change that is apparent to all around. Celestia isn’t paying attention to anyone but him. Her head is currently leaned against his shoulder as they walk toward the park, eyes closed without a care in the world.
Anon is still unsure why she’s behaving like this, but perhaps he shouldn’t be worried. He gets the feeling that she’s content right now and that makes him happy. Maybe his thoughts on her feeling better about the Twilight stuff were right on the money? He’ll admit he’s never seen her this open around her subjects. Usually she hides behind her princess mask, standing tall and always facing forward. He saw a lot of that during their time setting up the festival.
Now, though, she no longer sees the need to adopt a royal persona for her subjects. Anon doesn’t know how to verbalize how he feels about this... But it’s nice. The both of them don’t say anything as they make it over to the park, simply basking in each other’s company. Upon inspection, Anon doesn’t recognize anyone at the park, and that’s fine by him. It means he doesn’t have to keep an eye out for any unwanted guests.
The duo walk over to a secluded part of the park and take a seat on a bench. Just like the last time they came here, Celestia decides to rest her head on Anon’s lap. Despite how weird it is, Anon is willing to let this happen; it’s calming for him, in a way, as he absentmindedly combs his hand through her stunning mane while they sit and enjoy the fresh air together. It’s moments like these that make Anon feel as if everything is alright.
“It’s a beautiful morning, isn’t it?” Celestia asks with a contented sigh.
Anon comes back to reality as he looks above. A lone cloud is hanging in the otherwise clear blue sky before a pegasus comes out of nowhere and sweeps it away. Anon still has a hard time believing his eyes. Despite being here for as long as he has, there are occurrences like this where he reminds himself he’s on another world that’s vastly different from his own.
“Yeah, it’s nice,” Anon says coolly. “Must be lovely being able to control the weather to make mornings like this routine.”
Celestia notices Anon’s shift in mood. It’s enough to concern her a bit. Does he perhaps miss Earth? It’s not a subject Anon prefers to speak freely on. He usually only references a few things from his world, but he never talks about his connections to them. Even when he spoke of hazy memories and other words, he never went into much detail about them. Perhaps this is something Celestia should try to get him to open up about? Maybe grow closer and learn more things about him and his people?
“It must bother you, how different our worlds are, ” Celestia observes. “Even after all this time.”
“It does, from time to time. Whenever I think everything is somewhat normal, something comes along to remind me that I’m a stranger in a strange land.”
“Do you miss your world?”
“I...” Anon pauses for a moment. “I don’t miss it for the right reasons.”
Celestia raises a brow. “What do you mean?”
“I don’t remember much about family and all that stuff, but I do kinda miss the luxuries my kind enjoyed.” Anon chuckles a bit. “The internet was pretty nice. Games and food. Music, too. Music is different, where I’m from. Trivial things like that.”
“You know, I can give you anything you wish...” Celestia says. “It may not be much compared to what wonders your people have created, but I would provide you with everything I could.”
Anon grins. “It’s not that big of a problem. Whatever I lost in my world, I found something different here; something more worthwhile.” Anon pats Celestia on the withers. “It’s odd to think I’m enjoying myself just by sitting here with you. On Earth, I probably would’ve never done the same thing.”
“Well, I’m pleased that you’re happy.” Something pops into Celestia’s mind. “Do you mind if I ask about a few things? I do always enjoy when we get to talk about your world.”
Well, it’s not like Anon had anything better to do, but what else is there for him to talk about when it comes to his world? He’s pretty sure he told her about technology and politics, among other things. So what else is there to know?
“Uh, sure. Shoot.”
Celestia’s cheeks heat up as various questions flood her mind. She doesn’t want to be too direct with her feelings, but she also finds interest in a few things—namely the practices and taboos of his species when it comes to intimacy.
“I don’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable...” Celestia leads. “You’ve told me before about how your culture is averse to being nude, yes?”
“I did,” Anon confirms.
“I wish to explore the more romantic aspects of humanity,” Celestia says, trying to remain calm. “Is that alright with you?”
Well, it’s certainly an odd thing to ask about, but it isn’t too surprising. From time to time, Anon has found himself wondering about pony dating rituals. Maybe it has become more relevant after what happened between him and Lyra. Aside from that, it’s probably a question anyone would have when dealing with what’s effectively an alien.
“Do you mind if I ask a few things of my own?” Anon asks.
“I don’t mind at all.”
“Alright, you first.”
Celestia takes a few breaths. She doesn’t want to stumble over her questions or babble like a school filly right in front of him. This is her opportunity to gather some much-needed information on how to take the next step with Anon. She can’t mess this up.
“I find it fascinating that nudity in itself can be titillating in your culture. Can you enlighten me as to why that is?”
This is weird. While he doesn’t take it the wrong way, considering it’s an honest question from Celestia, he just can’t shake the awkwardness of having to explain something so private to her. It’s like running a kid through the birds and the bees; it’s uncomfortable for everyone involved, especially the person who needs to clarify.
“Well, um... Nudity is mostly reserved for when you’re about to have sex with your partner,” Anon says bluntly, a small blush on his face.
Celestia’s eyes widen in shock. “Y-yes, I recall you said something similar when we first discovered this about you. Is there no other reason to be nude?”
Anon bites his cheek. “Well, no. Outside of bathing, we almost always wear clothes. Perhaps in private some people forgo articles of clothing for comfort, but in public we stay decent. It’s actually against the law to be naked in public.”
Celestia furrows her brows. “Really?”
“Yeah. You’d get tossed in ja-, I mean a dungeon for a bit.”
“Interesting. Since you’ve answered my question, I suppose that means it is your turn. So, what do you wish to know?”
Anon takes a moment to mull over what he wants to ask. It’s perhaps the most obvious one, as it’s been a thought stuck in his mind for a while now. “Is it normal for ponies to have a herd?”
Celestia feels something catch in her throat. “W-Why do you ask?”
“Well,” Anon feels his mood darken a bit. “Lyra proposed to form one with Bonbon and I. So, I don’t know; I just think about it every so often.”
What happened between Anon and his friends clearly still grates at him; it’s not surprising considering how close they were. She can only hope to ease some of this pain and perhaps provide consolation.
“It’s not common nowadays,” Celestia answers, “Though it is not entirely unheard of, either.”
“Is that so?”
Celestia nods by way of response. “What about humans?”
“Excluding a small minority, we’re largely monogamous.”
“I see.” Celestia grows uneasy, considering how her sister could fit into this equation. “Um, how do you feel about herds? I know you were very uncomfortable with being nude, so what about herds?”
Despite the subject matter, Anon does feel things becoming less awkward, if only because he’s interested in learning more about this place. Not just that, but talking to Tia freely about this stuff kind of makes him feel more at ease with whatever questions he may have. Knowing that he always has someone he can talk to seriously, about anything, is reassuring.
“I don’t mind the idea. As long as everyone involved is alright with it and love each other, why not?”
“So...” Celestia feels hesitant to ask this but she must know. “Why didn’t you take your business partners up on their offer?”
Anon jerks in surprise, his hand trembling and no longer petting Celestia.
“...I don’t love them,” Anon says in a dead tone. “Well, not in the way Lyra was hoping for, at least.”
Anon takes a deep breath. He hoped this morning in the park could’ve been peaceful, but now he finds his mind flooded with questions. He mostly worries about how Bonbon is doing. He’s sure she’s doing fine, but he wonders if maybe he should’ve tried to keep in touch with her in some way. Still, he doesn’t want to remind her of the reasons he left and would rather stay out of the way until she can work things out with Lyra.
“I’m sorry to have spoiled the mood,” Celestia says noticing Anon’s darkening temper.
“Don’t… don’t worry about it. It’s nothing, really.”
“No, I do worry.” Celestia sits up and looks at Anon. “You should never be afraid to tell me how you feel.”
Anon feels a small smile crawl onto his lips upon hearing that; even a brief chuckle leaves him.
“I worry about you too, Celestia.”
Celestia’s heart swells at that. “I know. Please, ask something you’re interested in.”
Getting back on the subject, Anon can get behind that idea. Then again, he’s not too sure what else he could ask about pony relationships. Although he’s picked up on a lot of similarities thus far, there is one odd thing he has noticed: mares tend to be far more forward than he’s used to. Anon has seen mares almost playing a dominant role, approaching stallions instead of the other way around. It’s the reverse of how things work on Earth.
“Um, is it normal for the female to ask a male out?” Anon asks.
“Of course.” Celestia’s thoughts then abruptly grind to a halt. “Is that not something your people do?”
Anon shakes his head. “No. It’s… actually the opposite.”
Celestia thinks that over. So, the male is the one to ask a mare out? The concept is so foreign to her. If the men were typically the chasers on Earth, would Anon be offended if she were to ask him out?
Anon finds his mind now starting to wonder if the behavior of the various mares he knows is due to this cultural clash. “Is that why my friends are always trying to protect me? You know, because they’re all mares and I’m a guy?”
“No, it’s not that simple.” Celestia thinks for a bit. “It’s not because you are a male; stallions are very capable. There is a reason I have them on my guard and Luna had them as knights. However, I’m... not sure how to put it into words. It’s instinctual, you could say. If a male is in danger of being harmed, a mare will not hesitate to protect him. If that male is important to us, well, that instinct only becomes stronger.”
Anon scratches his head. Who knew such a simple difference could be so alien? “I guess I can get what you’re saying.”
“So it is a male's duty to court a female on your world?” Celestia asks.
“I wouldn’t say duty; it’s just common.”
Celestia starts to twiddle her hooves a bit as she thinks over her next question.
“Other than humans... What creatures have humans become intimate with? Do you perhaps have dragons or griffins?”
Anon rubs the back of his neck, staring out over the pond for a moment. He knows he’s told Celestia about humans being the only creatures on Earth. Then again, it’s been awhile and a lot has happened.
“Um, we’re the only sapient creatures. Well, kinda.”
Celestia’s ears perk up as she recalls their old conversation. “Oh, yes! Pardon my forgetfulness. I remember now you’ve already said something to this effect before. If that is the case, what would a human think about dating a pony?”
“Well, I guess many would find it wrong,” Anon admits.
“What about you?” Celestia asks hopefully.
Anon shrugs. “I wouldn’t mind if someone wanted to date a pony. It’s not my business.”
“No, that’s not what I meant.” Celestia sets a hoof on Anon’s thigh. “What do you think about dating a pony?”
Anon looks confused for a moment before it clicks in his head.
“Oh.” He takes a moment to think about that question. “I’ve never really thought about it before. Well, I guess that’s not true, after what happened with Lyra, but... It’s hard to explain, I don’t think I’m against the idea, but I’m not eager to go out dating anytime soon.”
Well, it’s a far better answer than Celestia was expecting: if he were entirely against the idea of dating a pony then that would have been the death of this whole plan, but with his reluctance, this will still be far from easy.
“What about you, Tia?”
The white alicorn blinks, bodily ejected from her trance. “Excuse me?”
“Well, have you ever dated? You’ve been around for a while and I’ve never seen you with a pony.” Anon doesn’t miss the blush which explodes across Celestia’s snout.
“N-No. It’s a bit embarrassing to admit, but I’ve never dated. I have grown close to ponies, yes, but I’ve never been one to become attached in a romantic sense.”
“Really!?” he exclaims, genuine surprise in his voice. To be so long-lived and never once pursue one’s romantic interests?
“Yes. My sister and I were always very busy ensuring our little ponies were satisfied and safe from harm. However,” Celestia hangs her head, her voice lowering, “after my sister’s banishment, I could not bring myself to endure the pain of losing anyone else...”
Anon knows he’s hit a sore subject for Celestia. The whole isolation thing, especially after sending Luna to the moon, is still something that weighs heavy on her. Perhaps that’s another thing she’s worrying about? Maybe she’s concerned that he will leave her? Anon feels his mood darken as the thought of his mortality comes to his mind...
“Yeah, I get it,” Anon shakes his mood off. “Well, since we’re in the awkward zone, what else do you want to know?”
Celestia nods, no reason to sour the mood. “Um, what type of pony would you be interested in?”
Whoa... Well that’s certainly an awkward question for Anon. There are so many layers to it that he has to take a second to think over how he could possibly answer it. A type of pony? Well, there are only four as far as he knows or does she mean type as in looks? Maybe even both? Anon has never really thought about any of this stuff; he’s not interested. Regardless, he takes a moment to ponder over how to answer, but can only find one.
“One kinda like you,” Anon says honestly.
“M-Me?” Celestia asks with a full blush.
“Yeah. You’re very nice and you care about what’s bothering me. You try to help me wherever you can, but you also make sure not to let your concern sway you from what you believe is right.”
“What do you mean?”
“I knew how conflicted you were with what was happening between Twilight and I.” Anon looks off into the distance as he gathers his thoughts. “You were unbiased in your kindness and I respect that about you. You just wanted to make things right.” Anon looks a bit irritated as he stares into the dirt. “Luna isn’t like that. She’s always worried about me. I appreciate it, but sometimes she takes things too far... For my sake.”
A thoughtful frown touches Celestia’s lips. Her ears perk in interest. “Forgive me, Anon, but I’m a bit lost. What has my sister done?”
Anon’s eyes widen a hair before he huffs. “Forget it. We’re supposed to be relaxing, right?” Anon turns to Celestia with a fake smile.
This is disturbing to her on many levels. What is he hiding from her? What has her sister done to gain such ire?
She decides to shelve her questions for now, to ask Luna later, “Yes, you’re right. So, you’re interested in a mare like me?”
The weirdness of this situation is a bit more comforting than what he was feeling a few moments ago.
“Well, when you say it like that, it sounds a bit odd. I just like who you are. I’m not really into types, you know. They can be graceful in their beauty or rugged in their plainness, but what I care about the most is who they are.”
“That’s a very mature way to look at things,” Celestia says with a smile.
Anon shrugs. “Maybe. Again, this isn’t stuff I think about. I’m fine with having friends and that’s it.”
Celestia feels her smile slip some. “I see. Keep an open mind, though-” She brightens her expression some, noticing the chill seep into the air, “You never know what the future might hold in store for you.”
Anon chuckles a bit. “Always the optimist.”
Celestia leans against Anon, humming contentedly as they sit side by side on the bench. It throws Anon off guard for a moment, but soon he settles in and simply puts an arm over her withers. This is nice, just to be here alone with Tia, enjoying the peace and quiet. Anon often wonders what he did to deserve a friend like her, but it doesn’t matter. He’s happy that she’s around.
“So, what had you so busy this morning, Twi?” Cadance asks with a smile.
Cadance, Shining, and Twilight are at a restaurant and have already placed their orders. Despite Cadance trying to get the ball rolling, there’s been a lot of long periods of silence. She can tell how tense things are between Twilight and her brother, but she’s sure that with time things will work out. Shining feels guilty about a few things as well and she feels getting that out in the open will be the first step to helping them both heal.
“It’s a bit complicated,” Twilight says, fiddling with a napkin with her hooves.
It’s been a few weeks since she got her magic back, but she finds herself still using her hooves for whatever is close by, with the exception of anything that’s high up. It’s odd, in a way, how much she’s learned about picking up and holding things with her hooves since wearing the magic dampening ring. Before, she took her magic for granted. This whole experience has given her an appreciation for what earth ponies have to deal with on a daily basis.
“Really? It’s nothing too intrusive, is it?”
“Um, it’s personal. I just want to keep it to myself for a bit.”
“Alright..." she says, her and Shining sharing a look. “Everypony ha-”
“Everyone,” Twilight corrects, suddenly tense.
“E-Everyone has a right to a few secrets.”
Twilight falls back to her timid demeanor. “S-Sorry...”
“No, I understand. I’m proud you’re starting to broaden your vocabulary.” Cadance thought for a moment. “You know I don’t say it out of ill intent, right? I just say everypony because it’s what’s common in Equestria.”
Twilight nods. “I know. I just see a flaw in it now. We’re supposed to value friendship, yet that word excludes anything not like us.” Twilight looks at her brother for a moment but quickly faces the table. “H-How are you doing, Shining?”
Shining jerks some out of his stupor. He looks over to his sister as she messes with a napkin in her hooves. He can feel a deep burn in his heart.
“I’m fine,” comes his terse reply. “Just, a lot of work lately.”
Twilight gives a few small nods and goes back to being silent. Cadance can feel how distant the two are. She’s never seen them act this way in all of the years she’s known them. Before, they were inseparable, and yet, now, they can barely look the other in the eye. There’s so much that needs to be fixed, and yet time feels limited. Maybe bringing in some good news could lighten the mood?
“You know, Shining and I have thought about getting married,” Cadance says.
Both Shining and Twilight looks to Cadance with wide eyes.
“What?!” Twilight did not expect to hear that.
Shining is left speechless. Why did she decide now to reveal that!?
“Yes, we’ve been dating for awhile an-”
“You’ve been dating?” Twilight asks past grit teeth.
Cadance is a bit thrown off by her sudden mood swing. “Y-Yes.”
“How long?”
“U-Um, two years?”
Twilight’s left eye twitches some as she hears this. So, they’ve been keeping this from her? Twilight clenches her eyes closed. Two years, she’s not even sure if they started dating before or after she left to Ponyville. She was wrong. Shining and her had grown distant long before what happened with Anon. He doesn’t care and this is just proof! In all that time, he never thought once to tell Twilight... Send a letter or something!?
“I’m leaving,” Twilight emotionlessly says before getting up from her seat.
Cadance wants to say something, but can’t find the right words. The worst part is that Shining has kept silent this entire time. Cadance can only watch as Twilight storms out of the restaurant, tears falling from her eyes as she tries to keep herself from weeping openly. Cadance feels her concern turn to anger as she looks back at Shining.
“You never told her?”
Shining keeps facing the table, never turning to address her. “She was off saving the world, Cadance. She had better things to do than read a letter about who I was dating.”
“Shining! Two years! We’re talking about getting married and you thought it was fine not to tell her?” Cadance feels her heart freeze up a bit. “W-Were you even going to invite her to the wedding?”
As though a switch had been flipped, Shining’s head snaps to his fiancée’s eyes brimming with a menacing fire. “Of course I was!” Cadance flinches at the sudden hostility. Shining takes a deep breath, guilt welling within him.
“So why not tell her?” Cadance quietly insists. “Why just suddenly tell her once the day arrived?”
“I...” Shining covers his head. “I don’t know. I just, I didn’t think it was that big of a deal. Getting married is a big deal but not dating.”
Cadance lets out a sigh. “She already has a hard time opening up to us. Now we’re back to square one again.”
Shining doesn’t say anything as he continues to face the table. Why didn’t he tell Twilight they were dating? There are many reasons: He joined the guard to protect ponies, and yet, he couldn’t even defend his sister. When she left, she was the only pony that could stop Nightmare Moon and Discord. Then after all that, Shining learned about what she did to Anon. He couldn’t protect anyone, even though he’s the captain. They’ve been drifting apart ever since he realized that Twilight was stronger than he will ever be.
“You ready to head back?” Anon asks.
“Only if you are,” Celestia says.
“Yea-”
Anon was giving a quick look over the park and quickly spotted Twilight running in with a look of distress. That can’t be a good sign. It appears that Celestia didn’t notice, which leaves what happens next in Anon’s court. Should he follow after her and see what’s wrong? What if things get crazy and he needs help? Why not bring Celestia with him? No, he can’t. He doesn’t know why, but he feels as if he can’t have her involved.
“Actually, could you go ahead of me? I just want to get something in town real quick.”
“Do you want me to accompany you?”
Anon shakes his head. “I’ll be fine. I’m sure Luna could use a break from morning court.”
“Very well. Don’t take too long,” Celestia says with a small smile.
“See you at lunch?”
Celestia nods. “I’ll be waiting.”
“Alright. See you.”
Anon gives a wave to Celestia as she gets up from her seat and heads toward the castle. He stands there watching her until she’s finally out of sight. Anon quickly makes his way to where he last saw Twilight when he’s sure Celestia is gone. Each step he takes is slower than the last. He can already feel a slight tremble in his action and a sense of dread washing over him.
He fights back his trepidation as he continues. He can’t just ignore Twilight anymore. After the talk they had this morning, he needs to make sure she hasn’t gone off the deep end. There are many things he wants from her and knowing that her mental state is also tied to Celestia’s happiness drives him to move forward. It takes some searching, but Anon finds Twilight laying on a bench crying to herself.
This is a delicate situation. He has no idea what her problem is, but it must be something big. He needs to tread carefully and ensure that she doesn’t go ballistic. He tries to take his first step, but feels himself stop mid-stride.
He can't...
Everything in his body is fighting him at this moment. If only it wasn’t Twilight, he’d feel confident going up to her and checking to see if she was ok. Just as he considers merely walking away, something lands beside him.
Anon jumps slightly in shock but finds Blossom standing there looking up at him in irritation.
“You know, it’s not fun flying all the way to the park this fast. You owe me a wing massage.”
Hearing that snaps Anon back to reality. He’s actually glad she’s here. His heart calms considerably and the tremors in his body have stopped.
Anon runs a hand through his hair. “I’ll be honest... I’m happy you’re here.”
Blossom’s attitude drops as she rolls her eyes with a smirk. “You say that as if it’s not always good to see me.” She raises a brow quizzically at the unicorn as she says, “Alright, what’s her problem?”
Anon looks over at Celestia’s sobbing student.
“I haven’t the faintest clue. I just saw her run into the park like that, and thought I’d check up on her.”
“Is that so? Does that mean you’re seriously considering her proposal?”
“I think so,” Anon says feeling some weight lift off him. “Celestia is happy, and if this leads to something that’ll keep her happy, then it’s something I have to do. I don’t have a choice here.”
Blossom narrows her eyes as she scans him. “You always have a choice. Once you make it, be sure you don’t regret it later.”
Anon looks down at Blossom as she stares at him.
“I regret everything,” Anon says before walking over to Twilight.
Soon, he’s standing beside the bench as she continues to weep. Seems she’s not even aware of her surroundings.
“So,” Anon notices Twilight flinch. “Is there a reason why you’re crying in the middle of a public park?”
Twilight looks up in surprise to see Anon standing there beside her. It takes a moment for her to understand what he just said, as she looks around and notices a few ponies are looking her way. She feels her cheeks redden as she buries her head in her hooves to avoid their gaze.
“...Something happened,” Twilight mumbles.
Anon can feel his patience starting to fade as his emotions are all over the place. Being this close to Twilight screws with his insides.
“Just... Tell me what’s wrong before I leave,” Anon says, irritated.
Twilight moves from her hooves so she can look up at Anon. After a moment’s debate, she swallows the awful feeling swelling in her chest, telling him, “Cadance just informed me she’s been dating my brother.”
Anon furrows his brows. “So?”
“For two years.” The dejected unicorn hiccups, bringing a hoof to her mouth in an effort to prevent another sob from escaping as she shuts her reddened eyes.
“Huh... That’s pretty fucked up.” Anon looks at Blossom. “That’s pretty fucked up, right?”
Blossom nods. “Yeah, in my professional opinion, I’d say it’s pretty fucked up.”
“Well, there you go. It’s pretty fucked up,” Anon says, returning his gaze to Twilight. “So, what are you going to do about it?”
“What am I going to do?”
Anon nods. “Yeah, what are you going to do?”
“Um, nothing?” Twilight looks at him confused.
A sigh leaves Anon. “Well, I can’t blame you for that. It’s what I would’ve done too. However, the right answer is to confront him and tell him how that makes you feel.”
Twilight’s fur seems to stand on end. “I-I don’t think I can do that.”
Anon goes dangerously quiet for a moment. “Twilight, if I could somehow manage to tell you how I felt, after all the shit you put me through, I’m sure you can tell your brother that he’s an asshole.”
Twilight flinches back at Anon’s words. She lets them sink in and she knows he’s right. She just ran away from what she felt. She wants to help her brother, but that doesn’t mean she should accept something like this. She has feelings too, and it hurt to know that he kept this from her for so long. She and Cadance have been friends since childhood and Shining didn’t think once to tell her that they were dating, even thinking of marriage!?
“You’re right,” Twilight said clearing her tears. “He is a jerk for not telling me.”
Anon takes a moment to let the situation settle before thinking on what could possibly be going on.
“Well, it’s probably not one-sided,” Anon admits. “Tell him how you feel, then let the guy explain why he didn’t tell you. There are always two sides to every story. Draw whatever conclusion you have about him after that.”
“Ok... I’ll do that.” Twilight looks up at Anon with a smile. “Thank you. I feel better now.”
Anon feels a sneer across his face. “I want to make it clear that I’m only helping you for personal reasons. And with that whole deal we talked about; I have a few changes I want made.”
Twilight gives an understanding nod. “What do you want?”
“First, I want you to find out Celestia and Luna’s birthdays.”
“T-Their birthdays?”
Twilight wasn’t expecting that. Now that she thinks about it, it’s something she’s wondered about too.
Anon places a finger on his temple, gazing thoughtfully skyward. “Yes... I want to throw them a surprise party, but they’ve never invited me to either of their birthdays, so I can only assume they don’t celebrate them.”
“You’re correct,” Blossom comes in. “Even I don’t know when they were born.”
Anon purses his lips as he turns to Twilight. “You like reading, so study up. I want the answer.”
“A-Alright... What else do you want?” she asks.
“Don’t use magic around me,” Anon says with a deadly edge. “To be honest, I have some issues when it comes to magic now, thanks to you.”
Twilight looks to her hooves. “I-I understand. That... shouldn’t be too hard. I haven’t been using my magic much, anyways.” Twilight returns her gaze to Anon. “M-Magic isn’t all bad... It can do amazing things. I don’t want you to think poorly of it because of what I did.”
“I know. Celestia and Luna use it enough for me to see the benefits... That doesn’t change the fact that I dislike it. So, while we’re together, no magic.”
“Ok...” Twilight twiddles her hooves a bit. “S-So you’re accepting my offer?”
“For now.”
“Thank you.” Twilight looks up at Anon with another smile. “I appreciate it.”
This fills Anon with disgust and heartache. He hates her and yet seeing her like this makes him wonder what things would’ve been like if she didn’t go off the deep end. Still, it’s not enough to make him forget. That’ll never happen.
“So, are we done here? I’d like to head on back to the castle.”
“May I ask one favor?” Twilight asks hesitantly.
“Yeah?”
“C-Can you walk with me back to the restaurant? You don’t need to come inside, I-I just want you there for a little bit.”
Anon looks over at Blossom as she looks at him just as confused. She eventually shrugs.
“Uh... Sure.”
“Great!” Twilight says with a large smile. “It’s not far from the castle, so it won’t take long for you to get back.”
“...Ok.”
Anon watches as Twilight walks merrily toward the entrance to the park. One moment, she was crying, and the next she’s thrilled? He has an awful feeling about this.
“Blosso-”
“I know...” she says seriously. “She’s unhinged; keep a close eye and never be alone with her.”
“Agreed.”
Anon can only hope that his worries exist only in his head and that perhaps things are getting better for everyone. However, praying never got him much. He’ll keep a close eye on Twilight and keep Blossom closer.