Celestia stands upon her balcony, the morning air brushing past her as she overlooks her city. The soft glow of their lights dull with the break of first light. A new day is upon the citizens but not for the princess as she did not find a wink of rest last night. She spent her night thinking about Anon, worrying over what they spoke on. After lunch, he asked to be alone for some time, as he wasn’t feeling well. It was understandable, as she too felt some butterflies in her stomach, so she accepted without complaint.

So, she went about her day as she usually would. There was plenty of busy work to keep her preoccupied as the hours went by, but even then, she would wonder about him. Dinner came around, and yet he was absent. Luna, Spike, and even Twilight were there, but Luna’s captain came by to say that Anon was still under the weather and was going to rest alone in his chambers for the night.

It was a rather quiet dinner between them all. Come bedtime, Luna went off to perform her royal duties and Celestia was left alone in her room. Lying in bed, she assured herself that Anon was fine and it was just the unforeseen emotional circumstance that put him off. Being vulnerable is difficult, and Celestia, too, fears the time when she will genuinely lay her heart bare and allow Anon to decide what to do with her love.

She went to bed with these hopeful thoughts. However, it did little to bring her a peaceful rest. She tossed and turned, noticing the lack of something beside her. The faint scent of Anon was still there, it comforted and hurt her, as it was little consolation to his absence. Memories of a time when she would rest without anyone and how lonely things truly were without him.

Minutes turned to hours and rest never came. She thought about going to his room, but decided against it, as he apparently wanted time to himself. Celestia turns from the balcony and enters back into her chamber to ensure she’s ready for morning court.

He’ll come back and from there they can move forward. She’ll tell him those three fateful words, and perhaps he’ll say them as well. Maybe not immediately, but given time, he’ll know that her heart is pure and only for him. For now, she’ll focus on work and allow him his time to think. Patience, that’s what matters here.

Spike covers his mouth as he yawns to himself, setting another book he’s finished aside before reaching for another. With the exception of dinner, Spike hasn’t left Luna’s library since lunch yesterday, only taking small breaks here and there to rest his eyes. It’s all the same, as late night study isn’t a new thing for him. Twilight used to ask for his help all the time, so it’s second nature to him. Though he will admit that when he started, his interest was purely to help Twilight find the sister’s birthdays, now he’s become enraptured by the many stories held in this collection.

There are personal notes from Starswirl the Bearded before the age of arcana and his creation of the first levitation spell. Not to mention many detailed history books that held the hoof/claw-written accounts of the battles that took place from various skirmishes. A series of combat-related texts that taught self-defense for both magic and non-magic species. So much was here, things he’s sure aren’t available anywhere else.

However, as the hours went on, he fell into a different sort of book. At first, he thought it was nothing more than a log of basic happenings of the kingdom; taxes and the like. However, as he kept reading, the accounts became more personal and he soon realized this was written by Luna herself. Talking about the rise of the kingdom, how things were faring and what worries she had. With each new page, more depth was found and it soon became something akin to a diary.

Spike wasn’t sure if Luna knew they were here and questioned if he should be reading them, but it was by far the best lead he could find. Since finding them, he’s been following this series since sundown, late into the night and into the now rising sun. If he’s thankful for one thing, it’s that these books have been organized into a sequence, each one beside the other, so moving between them is seamless.

“I hope this isn’t a dead end,” Spike yawns to himself. “There’s gotta be something here.”

Why is it that today of all days I find myself feeling giddy? It’s humorous in a way that despite the battles I’ve had that such a simple day could incite these emotions from me. Though, admittedly, as work mounts and time passes, we find these moments slipping from our minds ever so slightly. Why, it wasn’t but a few months ago that my sister surprised me with a party, to which I forgot was even on that day. Though, now she will find herself at the receiving end, as within a sun’s time I will have everything ready.

Spike’s eyes slowly widen at the text before him. This is it! He scans the page for any date and is thankful to find one in the bottom left corner. The smile on his face slowly falls as something strikes him odd about this date. Why is it so familiar? He shakes that away, he finally found it! He pulls out a small piece of parchment and writes it down, once done, he closes the book and makes sure everything is where he found it before sprinting out the room and towards the library.

The smile returns as he feels something he hadn’t felt in a long time: a warmth from helping Twilight when she needed him.

Anon is peering off into the ceiling as he tries to make sense of the turmoil inside of him. It’s been a restless night for him. He brings an arm to rest over his eyes in an attempt to suppress a headache that’s plagued him since yesterday. It’s a futile attempt, as nothing today can bring him from thinking about her. He chuckles sadly to himself, not even the fiasco with Twilight is enough to stop all the questions he has. The conversation is etched into his memory, every single detail.

Even as he made his excuse to be alone, she still had that loving look. He expected so many doubts to flood him that night and yet the only thing to take him were his musings of Celestia. No questions, worries or concerns... Just that pain in his chest and that warmth she exudes. Despite her not being there, he could almost sense her worry for him.

Just laying there made him realize a few things. The most important was how cold things felt and a crushing sense of loneliness with her gone. He’s become accustomed to her being there and it’s uncomfortable when she’s not. However, the silence fades as his thoughts start to creep back into his psyche. What is he going to do about this? There’s so much that can go wrong, no matter what path he chooses. Why does this have to be so hard?

He’s sure of one thing: he doesn't want to lie to her. But at the same time, he can’t tell her how he feels either. He wants to protect her, make her happy, but there’s no way she’d be satisfied with him. Anon winces as his thoughts sour. He’s broken, unreasonable, and causes trouble. She deserves so much more than him, and yet the idea of losing her is agonizing. Why is he irrational? This should be simple, yet he can’t hear any voices inside of him trying to dissuade his love.

That’s because he’s overall the problem, not her. Anon tosses his blankets off as he gets out of bed. Walking over to the dresser, he gets everything ready for the day in a vain attempt to forget about this. These thoughts are not so quickly quelled, creeping back to the front of his mind. He’s going to die one day; that sobers him up considerably... Even if he wanted to try and see if she were interested, he’d never live down the fact that one day he’ll pass and all the love she has will become toxic, hurting her far more than anything he could ever do in his lifetime.

Feeling light-headed Anon rests his hands on the dresser to keep stable. He can’t do that to her... She’s made his life better. He should be grateful. All this love stuff is just a fantasy. That’s all it’ll ever be. He must ensure that it stays that way. Taking a few breaths, he nods a few times to reassure himself. The pain he feels now will pass, and from there he can move on.

He takes in his reflection, the large bags under his eyes and messy appearance. He’ll lock what he feels so deep that she’ll never know the difference. He takes a moment to clean up. Twilight will help keep his mind preoccupied as he buries these feelings. It won’t take long before he puts this behind him.

Anon dresses in silence, making sure he’s ready for this breakfast with Twilight.

Twilight waits at her study table, dressed in her finest for this upcoming breakfast, all the while with a book in front of her, as she lazily glosses over it. Her mind is elsewhere, as she thinks over what could happen at this meeting with Shining and Cadance.

She winces... It’s true, they’re living their own lives and it’s not any of her business if they’re getting married. Still, that doesn’t suddenly make the pain she feels knowing they’ve kept this from her go away. She closes her book and pushes it aside as more negative thoughts flood her. In a few minutes, this will become a reality as she’ll be berated by the ones she thought cared for her. She covers her head with her hooves, trying to drown out the venomous whispers of her brother and caregiver.

Anon is looking down at Twilight as she lies pitifully on her desk in silence. She looks up at him startled but then hastily clears her face.

“We’re in this together... If the worst should come, I’ll be there.” Even saying that makes Anon want to vomit.

Twilight’s thoughts calm as she faces Anon. Once again, he's so kind to her and for reasons, she’s not fully aware of, but that’s ok, at least he’s here for her. That means the world to her right now.

“Ok... Sorry to be this much of a mess.” She brushes her mane back in place.

Anon wants to get this show on the road before he starts doubting his resolve. Twilight nods in agreement but then notices something out of place.

Without so much as a sound, Blossom lands beside Anon. Her eyes are locked onto Twilight. “I’m always around.” She turns her attention to Anon. “Feeling well?”

“I’ll let you know once this is over.” Anon turns back to Twilight. “Anything we need to know before this thing goes down?”

Twilight shakes her head. “Nothing worth noting. Just,” she scuffs her hoof on the floor. “Just stay, no matter what happens.”

Closing his eyes, Anon tries to center his thought. Funny, even with Twilight this close, he still can’t shake Celestia from his mind. How did he manage to get himself into this fine mess?

Twilight smiles brightly at Anon, but as she looks into his eyes, she notices something isn’t quite right. She’s not sure what it is, but his demeanor is causing her to worry. It’s like he’s slowly locking something away; it’s a look she recognizes whenever she looks in a mirror. Is he in trouble? Does he need someone to help him?

No, he has friends that are more than willing to help. So why does he look lonely? She’s stuck between asking and keeping her silence... She’ll keep an eye out, but overall it’s none of her business and she doesn’t want to upset him by meddling in his affairs.

“Twilight.” Anon snaps his fingers to catch her attention. “Are you ready?”

This is great, having to deal with her as well as himself. He wonders how long that'll last until he calls it quits. Drawing in a long breath, he reminds himself what this is for. Just a little while longer and he’ll work this out. Before the three of them are ready to leave, the door to the library slams open.

“Twilight I found―” Spike stops short as he notices the company. “Oh, uh... Sorry to interrupt.”

Twilight walks past Anon and up to Spike. “No worries. What has you so excited?”

Spike shakes his head as he faces Twilight. “I found out when the Princess was born.”

Anon’s head snaps to the drake... She told him. A hoof rests on his knee and Anon finds Blossom looking up at him. This is annoying, but he’ll have to accept it. He keeps his silence.

“Really?!” Twilight, squeeing, pulls Spike into an embrace, twirling with him before setting him down. “This is great news! So when is it?”

“Great!” Twilight’s eyes twinkle as she hastily grabs the note and looks it over, however, her smile falters as she looks over the date. “Which Princess?”

She nods. “It’s the day of the summer sun celebration... When Celestia banished Luna.”

“What?” Anon walks beside Twilight and takes the parchment from her and confirms the date.

“I’m sure of it... It was that day when she banished Luna and the same day I brought her back.”

“Well, that doesn’t matter,” Anon declares, catching everyone’s attention. “Now, I want you all to keep this to yourselves. I have special plans for this, so it needs to be kept a secret.”

“I have no choice,” Anon mutters under his breath. Anon pockets the note but then notices something. “What about Luna’s birthday?”

“Well, it said hers was two months before Celestia’s. I’ll be sure to get the date later.”

“Alright, that makes planning easier.” Anon turns his attention to Twilight. “So, Twilight. We have a prior arrangement and we’re about to be late.”

Twilight’s eyes widen as she nods rapidly. She leans in to kiss Spike on the forehead. “Thank you, Spike, but we’ve gotta go!”

Without another word, Twilight gallops out of the room. Anon just shakes his head as Blossom and him follow after her. Spike is left there, confused for a moment... Why were they dressed up? Also, who was that bat pony? His thoughts leave him as a yawn draws his attention. Well, he’ll ask Twilight about that stuff later. For now, he’s earned some rest.

“This is it.” Twilight looks over to Anon as he faces forward. “Are you sure about this?”

Twilight can already feel her heart pounding as she notices all the ponies looking her way from her entrance. She chuckles nervously but finds their gaze turning to the creature behind her. Well, she shouldn’t be surprised Anon still draws a crowd. Scanning the room, she finds Cadance and Shining are already at the table she reserved in wait. Since it’s seated further in the back, they haven’t noticed her yet.

She takes a few breaths to calm herself before casting a brief glance behind her to make sure Anon is there. He’s looking down at her with a raised brow, then gestures his head toward the table.

It’s strange, but for the first time in awhile, Twilight feels frustrated by Anon’s pushiness. Remarkable how that calms her down and makes it seem as if they’re just here to enjoy breakfast.

As they make their approach, Shining and Cadance are whispering to one another. Though once Twilight is a few hooves from them, they turn to face her. Their eyes meet but then instantly snap to Anon, who’s standing just behind Twilight. Neither of them can comprehend what they’re looking at right now as they try and piece together a reasoning why they’d be together.

Seeing this, Twilight is quick to react. “Um, I’ve invited you both to talk about something and... I couldn’t do it alone. So, Anon’s here for his reasons. Don’t worry, I didn’t ponynap him.”

“T-That’s nice.” Cadance forces out. This is not something she expected when Twilight invited her to breakfast. “Um, please, take a seat.”

Anon and Twilight take their seats across from Shining and Cadance. There’s an awkwardness in the air and no one is saying anything. This is starting to aggravate Anon as he jabs his elbow into Twilight’s side.

“Ow!” She rubs her side, looking at him annoyed. “Yes, I get it...” She sighs in frustration. “I...” Twilight grits her teeth as she tries to find the will to say what’s bothering her. Yet, she can’t. With them so close, she feels everything start to shut down.

Catching her internal struggle, Anon knows he needs to make the first move, otherwise, she’s going to run away from this problem. That makes him chuckle on the inside. He's got a lot of experience with that.

Cadance’s eyes widen at hearing Anon say that, while Shining narrows his at him.

“What was that?” he asks. “You may be friends with the Princess, but I’m still the captain of the guard.”

“Well, Captain. You’re an asshole.” He lets that hang in the air for a moment. “However, allow me to go in depth. You two have been keeping a rather big piece of news from Twilight and now she feels betrayed. I’d understand if this was something that happened over a few months, but we’re talking two years. How do you think that makes her feel?”

Anon grunts, he can’t believe he’s defending something he hates and what’s worse is that he believes every word he’s saying. “Like shit, that’s how. She’s too afraid to tell you how much it hurt her because she thinks you’re going to throw her away, to be forgotten.” Twilight’s eyes are glued to Anon as they start to glisten. How does he know this? Is she that readable to him, or is this something he has faced on his own? “So here I am. I’m willing to put aside the past to help her with what she’s asked of me.”

Cadance can feel it. It’s faint but there’s love in his words. Even behind all the hate and pain, she can feel the inkling of love there. She’s unsure if it’s for Twilight, or perhaps another reason entirely, but she knows that deep down what he’s saying is true to his heart. This must be what her aunt sees in him. Where he once was the source of Twilight's misery, he is now a foundation for her to rebuild her life.

Shining can’t believe how blunt he’s being. Not to mention that he’s protecting his sister, the pony that caused him so much pain. Though what he says must be true, as Twilight continues to face Anon with a look of awe, her gaze unmoving. This is almost comical... The creature she hurt is now more a part of her life than Shining has been in years. It’s like the whole world is playing a joke on him, to show him how much he’s failed as her brother.

“Tell him how you feel,” Anon says, looking at Twilight. “Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere.”

She allows what he’s saying to sink in for a moment before clearing her tears and nodding a few times to psyche herself up. Once she feels ready, she faces her brother.

“Two years, I didn’t get a single letter. Two years, neither of you said a word. This entire time, I was ignored. Cadance and I have been friends since I was a filly and to hear that you two are thinking about getting married... It’s agonizing.” Twilight takes a breath to steady herself, this is tough for her, as she looks down to see her hooves tremble. “I think it’s accurate for me to say that we’ve grown apart and it has nothing to do with what happened between Anon and me.” Twilight’s heart winces at her next words. “I don’t know why you’ve done this, but if you’re just pretending to care, don’t... I have better things I can do with my time.”

There’s some silence before Shining speaks up. “I guess I felt inferior to you.”

“Twilight. I joined the guard because I wanted to protect everyone and yet, in the end, it was you and your friends who protected Equestria time and time again. I trained for years, pushing myself farther than I ever thought possible, in the hopes that I would be given a chance to rescue others. However, you were handed it and that’s why I’m upset with you. Born so smart and strong. Yet, because of how you were trained, it was as if someone handed a filly the power to control the sun.”

Shining has no idea if he should be saying this, but it’s something that’s been bothering him for a while now.

“I couldn’t protect you, not even from yourself. My training was for nothing and I failed in my job. Why did I even become a guard if, in the end, it was my little sister that was going to save the world? I can’t protect you and I can’t stop you either.”

Anon doesn’t want to be here, but before the thought of leaving comes, a hoof rests on his leg and squeeze slightly. Twilight is trembling as she continues to face her brother despite her body telling her to run. The only thing keeping her anchored here is Anon.

“I can’t say I understand what you feel, Shining,” Twilight responds after a moment. “For me, you’ve always been strong and kind. It’s not something I envy, but something I treasure. You’ll always be my big brother and that won’t change because I’m stronger than you. You’re right, though. I’ve abused magic for a long time, now, and only recently have seen how I’ve taken it for granted.” Twilight lets out a sigh. “I’m happy you and Cadance are together. I know Cadance is a good mare and you a good stallion. I just wish I knew you like when we were kids.”

Twilight rises from her seat. “I believe we can’t be around one another right now. So, this is goodbye, Shining. I hope one day I’ll return and give you an answer that will make this all better, but right now, I have nothing. I’m sorry to be so selfish to ask this of you, but I think we both could use the space.”

“Twilight you don-” Shining puts a hoof on Cadance’s shoulder to stop her, never turning away from his sister.

“If that’s what you want,” he answers. “You probably won’t believe me, but I love you Twilight.”

Twilight gives Shining a small smile. “Don’t be silly. I know you do.” Twilight turns to Anon. “Let’s go.”

As Twilight walks away, Anon stays seated for a moment as he faces Shining and Cadance. “You’re probably wondering why I’m here, but that’s between Twilight and I. However, should the sisters find out about this, that will quickly change. So, keep this to yourselves.”

“I don’t need to know why,” Cadance asserts. “I know you’re doing it for a good reason.”

Anon gives her a curious look. He decides to ignore that and follow after Twilight. This entire situation isn’t something he’ll stick around voluntarily. Shining and Cadance are left alone as silence fills the air. They can only watch Anon and Twilight walk side by side as they leave the restaurant. There’s so much they want to ask, but for now, they hold their tongues.

How many lovers have you made today?

by Sarcastic Brony

Temporary silence