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// Lesson 1: Conduct an Interview with Twilight Sparkle 
// Story: Anon’s Friendship Lessons 
// by DatZigga 
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Okay. So, maybe it was just a couple days since he was assigned to his friendship lessons by Celestia. In his defense, he had a history of procrastination, the Princess just wasn’t aware of it yet. Although, it wasn’t like he was given a due date or deadline. Still, this was something he should really get working on if he wanted to make a dent in his “studies”.

“Lesson 1: Conduct an Interview with Twilight Sparkle. Simple enough.” Anon knocked at the door of the door as he read. It was approaching 5 in the evening. Anon wouldn’t be surprised if he would have to wait another day to get the list done. He rocked on his heels until the doors opened, revealing a little dragon. 

“Oh, hey Anon!” Spike greeted. “I almost never see you out on your own. Actually, I’ve never seen you out on your own.” The dragon admitted, a hand to his chin. Anon rolled his eyes, not wanting to be reminded of his self-imposed hibernation.

“Yeah, yeah, I get it. I need to speak with Princess Twilight.” This seemed to catch the dragon by surprise. 

“Twilight? Why? Is something wrong?” Spike asked with concern.

“Well, for me maybe.” Anon muttered. “Princess Celestia wanted me to stop by. Apparently she wanted me to conduct and interview with her?” Spike surely had something to say about that, likely a warning about Twilight's enthusiasm for research and study. However, that came just a little too late because as soon as Anon finishes his sentence, he could feel his body lift from the ground in a pinkish aura. He was then promptly whisked away into the halls of the castle.

“Hey, what the hell?!” Anonymous exclaimed, flying through the halls until he was brought to the familiar library. There he was dropped into a beanbag chair on his stomach. Across from him was the eponymous Princess Twilight, already seated in her own more ornate chair. She held pen and paper in her magical auras, while also wearing a smile and sitting patiently in her chair. She let out a sigh.

“You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting to hear you consent to an interview!” She cheerfully explained. 

“Consent?” Anon asked worriedly, fixing his position in the beanbag chair.

“Of course. I could’ve just teleported you here for a brief interview but that is something I’ve learned not to do.” Anon grimaced at the idea that, in an earlier time, this pony would’ve hunted him down herself. “Ever since Spike first introduced you, I had so many questions! That meeting with the other Princesses only made me more curious and I just couldn’t bear it any longer!” Twilight was practically squealing in her seat, squirming with palpable excitement. Like master, like apprentice. Anon noted.

“So, without further ado…~” Twilight used the same magic to pull Spike into the room with them. Once he was right by her, she shoved the pen and paper into his claws, eliciting a groan from the reptilian. “Let’s get this underway!”

“Lovely.” Anon states flatly, rolling his eyes. He slumped into the beanbag, ignoring how incredibly comfortable it was. 

“First things first, how similar to your world is the Crystal Mirror’s world?” Twilight asked. “From what you’ve mentioned at the meeting, they sound nothing alike, despite appearance.”

“Well, I’d say that’s accurate.” Anon answered. He had looked through the mirror the first day he had gotten there. Furthermore, Spike and Starlight, in the books they sent to him, talked a little bit about the other world beyond the mirror. “We share modern technology, architecture, and basic anatomy. But, my world isn’t nearly as colorful nor it’s denizens.”

“So, does everyone have your same pigmentation?” Twilight pointed toward Anon’s dark skin. Anon looked at it briefly to see what she meant. He then thought over his answer carefully.

“No, only some. You see, whereas that world’s skin pigmentation exists on the full color spectrum and is reminiscent of your ponies, the pigmentations on my world exist on a gradient from a cream color to a very dark brown.” Anon nodded to himself, feeling that that was a fair and accurate explanation. “Also, no one on my world has your particular naming convention, so I think that that human world is closer to your world than it is to mine.” 

“Fascinating.” Twilight mutters as Spike scribbles the notes down. “Okay, next: does magic exist in your world?”

“Ha, I wish. We thought it did for the longest time but then we began to understand shit through the scientific method.” Twilight frowns in thought.

“We ponies also use the scientific method.” Twilight remarks. “In fact, I like to think of myself as a mare of science.” She stated proudly, flaring her wings and puffing out her chest. Anon raised a skeptical brow.

“You have magic and science?” Anon questioned. “How does that even work?”

“Well…” Twilight thought hard for the best way to explain it. “Science is the study of the nature and behaviour of natural things and the knowledge that we obtain about them. Magic is the capability to influence nature through mysterious means. So, we are able understand some aspects of the known world, but others are by their nature, unknowable. However, we can still learn this unknownable knowledge and use it for such things as teleportation and levitation.” Anon blinked.

“That’s bullshit but I believe it.” Anon state’s simply. “I mean, how else could you have a being capable of moving celestial bodies. That said, do you even have a solar system? Do other ponies control other stars and meteors and shit?”

“Now, now, Anonymous.” Twilight raises a hoof. “I will be the one asking the questions here.”

“Sounds an awful like you're avoiding my question.” Anon complained, before being promptly shushed. 

“What was it like growing up? Did you have a family?” Twilight continues asking. Spike’s ear-fins, whatever they were, twitched. It seemed he was curious as well. 

“Aight. I grew up luckier than most of my people, I guess.” Anon rubbed the back of his head. “I lived in a pretty affluent neighborhood in my city. Not the most affluent part, mind you. There’s a difference. I lived with my mom and brother. This was before I went off to school.”

“And by your people, you mean humans, correct?”

“Well, no. It’s complicated. You know how you ponies have earth, unicorn, and pegasi as races, but you’re all still ponies? Well, humans have it similar, only it’s based on our skin color and place of origin. It’s called ethnicity.” Anon squirmed in his chair, wishing he could explain literally anything else. “Although, it’s a lot more complicated than that.”

“How so?” Twilight pressed. Anon sighed, pulling his arms in to wrap around himself and take up less space in the room. 

“Well, in our more recent history, certain...developments have left large majorities of people in different locations. For example, where I’m born and raised is not the same place my ancestors were born.”

“Hmmm. Could you tell me that history?” Twilight seemed intrigued.

“Maybe another time, Twilight.” For the first time, Twilight noticed the discomfort on Anon’s face. She silently kicked herself for not noticing earlier. 

“Sorry. Let’s just go back to the whole “your people” thread. Do your “ethnicity” have a name.”

“Well, I’m specifically an African-American. Though, you don’t know what an ‘Africa’ or an ‘America’ is, so we also just go by black people.”

“Black people?” Twilight repeated, grimacing at how the term sounded. “That doesn’t sound right. At least, when I say it. It sounds almost...derogatory.” This reaction from Twilight caused Anon to chuckle.

“Oh, we’ve had worse names. Believe me, we’ve had worse names.” Spike writes this down. 

“So, you’re saying ‘black people’ didn’t live in nice neighborhoods?” Twilight asked, returning to the original thread of questioning. “Why not? Do your kind have certain environmental needs that your home couldn’t fill?”

“No, most couldn’t afford it. My mom, bless her heart, went to school and got a degree that paid enough for us to move out the ho-, er, the bad parts of town.” Anon avoided using slang, for the sake of not having to explain anymore than was necessary. 

“You also mentioned you were also going to school.” Twilight remembered. “What for?” Anon sighed in relief. Finally, on to a subject a little less heavy.

“Oh that? I was a English major, with a tract in creative writing.” Anon recalled. This cause Twilight to gasp, a twinkle in her big, bright eyes.

“So you’re a writer!?” She stood in her seat, leaning forward toward Anon. The only thing keeping her from falling off were her wings rapidly fluttering to keep her afloat. 

“No!” Anon blurted. “Well, not yet. I was on track and I didn’t necessarily want to write books-“

“But you have written books, have you?” Twilight was now out of her chair, right in front Anon’s face, mere inches away. “You know, as per your curriculum? I’d be more than honored to read some of your work! I could even be an editor or a-“

“I haven’t written a book, Twilight!” Anon interrupted, leaning back into his chair. “At best, I’ve written short stories and poems. None of which were on me when I was transported across dimensions.” This caused Twilight to deflate as her excitement left as quickly as it came. 

“Oh. Right.” She remarked. Anon shook his head. “Sorry. I have a passion for reading, as you can see.” She gestured to the enormous library around her. “I figured it’d be nice to read a book from an alien species.”

“I get it. I used to read a lot.” Anon relaxed in his beanbag, while Twilight continued to sit next to him. Spike walked to get closer to the two until they were all around the beanbag. 

“Wait, used to?” Twilight questioned. Anon nodded.

“Yup. Read lots when I was young. Since then, I have never found any writing that appealed to me. It’s partly why I wanted to write.” As Anon was talking Twilight had already pulled a bunch of books from the shelves. One such book she held was Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone. 

“If I may make a recommendation, The Daring Do series is an easy read and is my personal favorite series.” Anon picks up the book and looks at the cover.

“A.K. Yearling, huh?” He remarks, turning the book over. “Looks eerily similar to Indiana Jones. Why would you need adventure fiction if your life is basically constant adventure?”

“Oh, that’s not a fictional novel.” Twilight corrected, shaking her head. “A.K. Yearling is actually Daring Do, but shush. It’s a secret.” 

“Of course.” Anon replied, no longer surprised anymore. He felt a tug on his shirt sleeve. 

“You might also like Power Ponies!” Spike chimed in, waving a comic book in his face. Anon smiled as he took it.

“Huh, you even have comics.” Anon flipped through the pages. “This was actually what I went to school for. I was, and still am, a fuckin’ nerd.” Anonymous became aware that Spike and Twilight had rested on his beanbag chair with him. He felt a deep desire to push them off, but an even deeper desire to pet them. He settled on a compromise on just letting them be near him.

“There’s nothing wrong with being a nerd!” The two said in unison. This got Anon to chuckle.

“It’s more of a diss to myself.” Anon switched back to the book and started flipping through it’s pages. Some words stood out, but there were sizable gaps in the text that Anon just couldn’t understand yet. Twilight noticed his troubled look. 

“If it helps, I could read to you?” Twilight suggested warmly, anticipating resistance. She was right as Anonymous crossed his arms.

“I’m not a child, Twilight.” Anon argued. “If Freddy D can teach himself how to read, I can too.” He huffed, taking the book and studied the words with intensity. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t quell the rising heat in his cheeks. The words did not magically become clearer.

“I’m sure this ‘Freddy D’ recieved a little bit of help.” Twilight countered, softly tugging the book down to reveal Anon. He still held a glare, but he softened it after a while averting his eyes. Twilight got an idea. “Besides, I’m sure if we read a chapter, that would conclude our friendship lesson.” Upon hearing this, Anon’s face turned from embarrassment to consideration, placing a finger under his chin. 

“Shit. I mean, if I can move this along then…” Anon shrugged. Twilight and Spike grinned as Anon settled in his sea, scooting over for Twilight. Spike sat upon Anon’s gut, looking up as the book levitated above them. Once everyone was set, Twilight cleared her throat and began narrating the adventures of Daring Do.



About 3 hours had passed since the book was first cracked open. Spike had fallen asleep, allowing Anon to hold the little dragon in one arm and absentmindedly stroke the spines on his head. Anon and Twilight had wrapped themselves in  a blanket. The sun had long since fallen, leaving the only light in the library to the glow of a lantern. Anon let out a yawn, having had fought to keep his eyes open for a while. He had long since forgotten the pony that rested her head in his lap, sleepily reading word after word. Anon, with Spike cradled in one arm, was stroking Twilight’s mane with the other hand. Were he more alert, he probably would have come up with an excuse to stop, but the pony’s mane was so nice, so soft. 

“I should probably get going.” Anon protested regardless, another yawn escaping him. At this rate, he figured, he’d probably fall asleep in the street.

“Noooo.” Twilight whined, yawning as well. “We still have 30 more pages. We can do this.” Her assurance was weak, but as she kept reading, Anon supposed that they could stay up just a little longer to finish the first book.

They didn’t even get past the page they were reading, as the duo joined Spike in a state of slumber. The library echoed with the sounds of snoring.

Conduct an interview with Twilight? ☑