Chapter 11
It's been two years since Anonymous joined the Royal Guard and over three years since his arrival in Equestria.
Over the last two years, a lot has happened. Shortly after graduating from boot camp, he joined Officer's Candidate School. At first, most of the other students didn't think much of him. Three weeks into the extensive training, the other candidates began to respect him. His quick learning skills, ability to retain information, and intelligence made him immensely popular with others. Eventually, Anon graduates second in the class. The pony who graduated first was a mare that Anon had never heard of. She was in the class before him but had to postpone her classes because she had to care for a sick relative.
When Anon graduates, he is instantly promoted to 2nd Lieutenant. He added a single purple bar on his shoulder plates, and portions of his armor were painted purple. His plume was made longer in the back to where the tip touched the collar of his tunic. Parts of his plume were removed and replaced with light blue portions. After his armor alterations, Anon's commanding officers gave him command of the 10th Aurora Company. Anon leads this unit for six months until his promotion to 1st Lieutenant. A yellow Celestial Seal is placed in his rank insignia to signify his new rank, and Anon is given command over the 25th Aurora Battalion and his own office.
At first, the guards of the 25th were skeptical of Anon's leadership, except for Sergeant Flash Sentry, Corporal Glass Pane, and Private Pizza Crust. However, Anon quickly wins their respect.
He's not like other 1st Lieutenants, who are overly strict and do everything by the book a little too much. Anon is very laid back, but he gets the job done. Within a year, he became one of the most highly rated and commendable 1st lieutenants in the Royal Guard. His rising success makes him some enemies among the other lieutenants. Most of them are children of high-ranking nobles.
Usually, Anon goes through the routine that he's had for the past two years. At 6:00 am, he wakes up. He puts on his armor and sword (because of his officer's status, he's not required to carry a spear and shield). Anon jogs the perimeter of the EAF training grounds for exercise. At 6:45 am, Anon eats at the commissioned officers' mess hall. It's not much different from the enlisted mess hall, except the food is better. At 7:30 am, Anon retrieves the day's assignment and meets with the members of the 25th Aurora Battalion to inform them of their duties. Today, however, has something different in store for the human Lieutenant.
While Anon is eating breakfast, a Royal Guard private approaches him. She salutes him. Anon salutes her back.
"1st Lieutenant Anonymous, Captain Tempest Shadow needs to see you in her office immediately," the guard says.
Anon snorts. "Seriously?"
The guard nods once.
"Son of a bitch. Alright, I will be there momentarily."
The guard walks away. Anon tosses the rest of his food and puts his dishes in the dirty dishes collection pile. He makes his way to Tempest's office. At this point, Tempest is Anon's commanding officer. She commands the 7th Aurora Regiment.
Five minutes later, Anon arrives at Tempest's office. He knocks on the door. The captain calls out for him to come in. Anon opens the door, snaps to attention, and salutes. Anon closes the door, sits down, and removes his helmet.
"So, Captain Tempest, what have you summoned me for?" Anon asks.
"The 25th was reassigned for the next two days, excluding today," she responds.
"We have?"
"You and the 25th Aurora Battalion have been assigned to be the bodyguards for Princess Celestia at the Summer Sun Festival."
Anon is surprised at the announcement.
"Say what now?" he asks.
"You heard me, Lieutenant," Tempest says
"Who's idea was this exactly?"
"It was Princess Luna's idea. She sent a letter to me this morning requesting the 25th."
"With all due respect, Captain, this is a horrible idea."
"How's that?"
"No disrespect towards my troops, but we aren't the most qualified battalion in the Royal Guard. Shouldn't Golden Javelin be in charge of this?"
Captain Tempest laughs at the question. Anon isn't amused. The last thing he wants is to escort Princess Celestia all day. Ever since Anon became a commissioned officer, he pulled every logical excuse out of his hat to get out of being in the vicinity of Celestia. However, Tempest isn't the one to cave on to something this big.
"You think Golden Javelin is a better fit for this job?" Tempest asks, still laughing.
Anon remains silent.
Anon sighs.
Tempest uses her magic to hand Anon his assignment. With reluctance, he takes the paper. After putting on his helmet, Anon gets up to leave. He stops when he opens the door.
"You know, Princess Luna, I can easily see through an invisibility spell," he states bluntly.
Princess Luna dissipates her spell and steps forward. She isn't shocked that Anon has seen through it. Everypony knows that every spell has a weakness. An invisibility spell is no exception. The disadvantage of the spell is that light refraction becomes evident if one looks hard enough. Only the best EAF troops can spot that weakness.
Then, Anon closed the door and left.
"Are you sure this plan will work, Princess Luna?" Tempest asks.
"Yes, I'm sure. It is my plan, after all. My sister will thank me later for this," Luna replies.
"With all due respect, Your Majesty, I think going behind Anon's back and forcing him to be with Princess Celestia so they can make amends is a bad idea. You can't force things like that. 1st Lieutenant Anonymous needs more time before he can face your sister."
"Captain Tempest, my sister has mourned and grieved for two years over her broken friendship with Anonymous. Enough time has passed."
"If you say so, Your Majesty. Though I do have a bad feeling about this."
Anon walks out to the designated meeting place of the 25th Aurora Battalion. All twenty sergeants, ten sergeant majors, and five 2nd Lieutenants stand in front of the five companies, which are at attention and fully armed. The troops salute as Anon approaches. He calls them at ease.
"Good morning, everyone," Anon says.
"Good morning, 1st Lieutenant Anonymous," they reply.
"As of this morning, we have been temporarily reassigned from Sectors 3 and 4 to a different location."
"Temporarily, sir?" 2nd Lieutenant Red Sun, a unicorn with a fiery red mane and a light-red body, asks. (she's Anon's second-in-command).
"Princess Luna has assigned us to be Princess Celestia's escorts at the Summer Sun Festival on Monday."
The troops talk excitedly amongst each other. The sergeants and the lieutenants don't share their subordinates' enthusiasm. They look at Anon with confusion and shock. He shakes his head and quiets the troops down.
"Now, according to my orders here. General Spear Shaft has been ordered to help coordinate us, so I must look somewhat like a professional lieutenant if I seem tougher today. As excited as you may be, we must take this seriously. And if we fuck something up, it's my head on the chopping block."
"We're fucked beyond belief," Red Sun groans as she facehoofs, "With all due respect towards Princess Luna, what makes her think we are qualified for this job? We aren't as experienced as other battalions."
"I pray to whatever god exists that we don't lose our jobs," Sergeant Green Frisbee groans.
"That's not the worst that can happen. This isn't some asshole noble we are guarding; it's FUCKING Princess Celestia. If we fuck up, she'll banish us to Tartarus knows where," a corporal announces.
"What the fucking hell, guys? Now, you are blowing this out of proportion. Princess Celestia won't do anything like that. I want to avoid hearing Captain Tempest and other high-brasses screaming at me for two hours. As long as we do our jobs, we'll be fine. After all, I have the toughest job: standing by her side all day," Anon announces. He winces at the thought of his job.
After talking to his troops briefly, Anon sees General Spear Shaft walk onto the training grounds in his peripheral vision. Anon orders his troops to pay attention and to perform a right face. He salutes, and everyone else follows suit.
"Good morning, General Spear Shaft," Anon says.
"Good morning, 1st Lieutenant Anonymous. It's an honor to work with you," General Spear Shaft replies.
"It's an honor to work with a General of the Equestrian Armed Forces, sir."
"Let's look at the troops I'll work with for the next few days."
Anon follows Spear Shaft as he walks in front of the troops. Every once in a while, Spear Shaft stops and looks at some front and center troops. Once he finishes that, he looks at the row of sergeants and lieutenants. Anon could tell that the officers looked more nervous than their subordinates. He softly chuckles.
"1st Lieutenant, you have a good-looking group of troops here," Spear Shaft announces.
"Thank you, sir."
"Alright. There are only so many daylight hours, so let's get to it."
General Spear Shaft goes over the festival procedures for the next few hours. He assigns certain spearteams to specific positions. Anon carries a clipboard, taking notes on the procedures and squad locations. Then, Spear Shaft assigned the guards to stand at the platform during the raising of the sun ceremony, practicing walking up to the platform, maintaining vigilance, and walking off the platform. To some guards, practicing this over and over again seems ridiculous. However, Anon and others realize its importance. If the Royal Guards mess up something this important in front of hundreds of ponies, it negatively impacts the branch as a whole. It takes two hours for these guards not to make any mistakes. It's only then that the guards break for lunch.
General Spear Shaft takes Anon out of a fancy restaurant in the wealthy part of Canterlot. It is the only place, besides the bars, that will serve carnivores. Because a decent portion of the staff is griffins, Spear Shaft decides to make conversation after they order their food.
"The 25th learned faster than I anticipated, Lieutenant," he says.
"Honestly, I thought we'd have to be out there longer than we were."
"We still have one more day of work to do, including the rest of today, but I don't think that's asking too much."
"That's true, sir."
They sit in silence for a moment until curiosity takes over Anon.
"General Spear Shaft, do you remember Sergeant Major Hard Cider?"
"Yes, I do. It's been a few years since I've seen him. I commanded the 3rd Corona Regiment as a captain at his discharge. How do you know him?"
"He's a bartender at a bar in Ponyville. I frequented his bar when I lived there."
"Oh, okay. He finally got to open that bar he always wanted."
"Yeah. It's pretty popular around the area. It's crowded most nights, especially on the weekends."
"I'm not surprised, to be honest. Now, I have a question for you."
Anon drinks a little of his water. "Okay, shoot."
"I heard you were adamant about your battalion not guarding Princess Celestia. Does that have something to do with the falling out you had with her a while back?"
Anon stops mid-chew as he locks eyes with Spear Shaft. A thousand thoughts fill Anon's head.
"Uh...how do you know about that?"
"Everpony in the EAF knows."
"Hijo de perra," (Son of a bitch) Anon grumbles, "To answer your question, yes, it has to do with that."
"Have you considered it might be time for you both to get things out in the open? Let unsaid things be said?"
"It has crossed my mind, but it's not as easy as it sounds. I don't want to open old wounds more than I have to. If you don't already know, I fucked up badly that day."
"Despite how badly you fucked up, Anonymous, I don't think Princess Celestia will oppose talking to you. I'm sure you know that she's very forgiving."
"Yes, sir. I know."
"If you think what happened between you and Princess Celestia will hinder you from performing your duties, I'll temporarily assign another 1st Lieutenant to your position."
"That won't be necessary, General. You're right. It's time I start warming up to her again and cleaning up my mess."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, sir."
Then, Spear Shaft notices that Anon has scrunched up his eyebrows, and he's frowning. His facial expression had been like this for a while. Spear Shaft is about to ask what's wrong until he hears what got Anon on edge. They both turn their heads and see a booth that has three griffins sitting at it. They are sitting two seats back, but what they say doesn't go unheard by the Royal Guards. These three aren't tourists; they are spies. It's been several years since guards had caught spies in Canterlot. The last time was during the wedding of Princess Cadence and then Captain Shining Armor. Every guard in the EAF is trained to multitask, which includes listening to two conversations at once. Very few of them can perfect that talent. What the griffins are talking about might fall deaf on unwary ears, but to well-trained guards, it's as loud as a fog horn.
"General Spear Shaft, permission to have the 25th on Code Gray and tomorrow show them what I have in mind to catch those bastards?" Anon asks.
"Permission granted, 1st Lieutenant Anonymous. To hell with what I had planned. With a Code Gray in place, that takes precedence."
Anon nods his head once as he takes a bite of his steak.
"SPIES!!??" Red Sun shouts.
Anon winces a little as the shout pierces through the air.
After General Spear Shaft finished the 25th's Summer Sun Festival training, Anon called a meeting about the Code Gray with all his sergeants and lieutenants. As one could tell, none of them were too excited.
"Yes, Red Sun. A trio of griffins was talking about a mission that involves watching the guard movements and, among other things," Anon responds.
"Why didn't you arrest them?" Sergeant Coffee Cup asks.
Anon rubs the bridge of his nose out of annoyance.
"Did you guys even read the procedures of Code Gray?"
There's only silence. Somepony coughs in the back.
I fucking swear to everything on Earth if I hear a cricket unironically start chirping, I will lose my shit, Anon thinks to himself.
"Just as I thought. We have to conduct an investigation and catch them in the act. Just talking about spying isn't enough to have them arrested. When we arrest them and put them on trial for espionage, they get legal representation from their home country. Hearsay would be the first thing they'd call out if I had arrested them earlier today. Nine times out of 10, they'd get off scot-free and a free trip home. With that being said, I've got a plan on how to catch them," Anon announces.
"Who's watching those assholes now?" Sergeant Major Blue Flame asks.
"I have three of the best Lunar Guards to offer to watch them. The griffins are staying at some hotel in Sector 2," Anon replies.
"You'd think those spies would stay in the scuzzy part of Canterlot, not in the wealthy part," Sergeant Flash Sentry says.
"Either way, we've got a bad situation, but we must act like nothing is happening. The public and spies will get suspicious. Normally, I'd request two more battalions for help. In this case, only the 25th will be at the fairgrounds. Well, half," Anon explains.
The officers give each other puzzled looks.
"One-half will be at their usual posts. The other half will be in buildings overlooking the fairgrounds. I've already listed who will be in the buildings and who will remain on the ground. I've enlisted the help of twenty pegasi from the 9th Sunspot Battalion. The pegasi will provide close air support. I've also made a list of the pegasi who will work with us," Anon explains.
"You thought of everything, didn't you?" 2nd Lieutenant Wooden Frame asks.
After answering a few more questions, Anon concludes his meeting. Then, he takes his plans for the Summer Sun Festival to Captain Tempest and General Spear Shaft. Anon thinks his day is over until Spear Shaft orders him to inform both princesses of the Code Gray procedures that are to take place. Informing Princess Luna about his plan goes swimmingly. Informing Princess Celestia is awkward. Anon tries to remain as professional as possible when he speaks. It's the first time they've spoken in two years, yet very little was said between them.
When Anon leaves Celestia's private study, he feels a knot in his stomach. His chest and his breathing become heavy. Anon's legs become heavy as well. Finally, a single tear falls from his eye. Once again, all of his pain, anger, and self-hatred return. Anon feels like screaming his throat out and punching a wall. His training to remain emotionless doesn't kick in at all. Soon, a steady stream of tears falls from his eyes. He grits his teeth in anger.
"Anon, you are such a fucking dumbass," Anon growls as he removes his helmet to wipe his eyes.
The following day, Anon informs the rest of the 25th of his plan for the festival. However, he makes it appear that everything is completely normal, just in case the griffins are spying on them. Spear Shaft even shows up to give the false appearance of normalcy. Captain Tempest coordinates the guards that are to be stationed in the buildings. Spear Shaft and Anon coordinate the ground positions. By lunch, the guards had learned what to do. After lunch, Anon orders his troops to polish and shine their armor. He even orders them to sharpen their weapons as well. Anon wants them to be prepared for anything, even fighting griffin spies.
Finally, the day of the Summer Sun Festival arrives. At 6:00 am, the 25th Aurora Battalion stands at attention in formation. The officers stand at their usual sports. Anon walks in front of them with his hands clasped behind his back. General Spear Shaft stands not too far away.
"Alright, troops! This is it! Our duty today is to defend Princess Celestia and our citizens from any threat, even if it costs us our very lives! Are you worthy of such a duty?!" Anon shouts.
"AXIOS!!!" the guards shout back.
"Alright! Battalion, move out!!"
In perfect unison, all 500 troops perform a right face and march forward. Anon follows alongside them. He sees the twenty pegasi fly above them to their posts. When the battalion reaches the platform, twelve Royal Guards break off from the formation, and six are posted on each side of the eloquently decorated platform. Anon stands off to the side, waiting for Princess Celestia. The rest of the battalion went to their posts at the fairgrounds. Over the next hour, dozens upon dozens of ponies arrive. They patiently wait for their Princess to arrive behind a large banner.
At 6:55 am, Anon sees Princess Celestia. She stops and looks at Anon. He snaps to attention and salutes her. She gives him a respectful nod. She walks up onto the platform and faces the crowd. Anon watches the windows, rooftops, and crowds. He keeps his hand on the hilt of his xiphos as Princess Celestia starts her speech. Then, one of the Royal Guard pegasi from the 9th lands next to Anon.
"How's it looking, Sergeant Major Tight Rope," Anon asks.
"It's all clear for now, sir. Two of my guards spotted some griffins in the crowd, but they didn't match the description of the spies," Tight Rope responds.
"Good, but make sure your troops stay frosty. Those cat-birds can be anywhere."
Tight Rope flies off as Princess Celestia finishes up her speech.
Anon returns his gaze as Celestia flies into the air. Her wings make slow and elegant flaps as Princess Celestia ascends upward. She stretches up to the sky. Her horn glows as the sun rises to its correct position. The crowd cheers as Celestia descends onto the platform. Anon looks confused at what just happened.
That was...anticlamatic he thinks to himself.
Princess Celestia walks down the steps and up to Anon. He swallows hard.
"This way, Your Highness," Anon says, albeit shakily.
Celestia walks beside Anon as he walks toward the fairgrounds. The evergrowing crowd of ponies follows close behind. This makes Anon extremely uncomfortable. Not only does he have to watch for potential threats, but he also has to keep the crowd off Princess Celestia. Anon has his back facing the Princess, trying to keep the crowds back. Just as the crowd gets to be too much for him, a squad of Royal Guards appears in a flash of magic. The guards are led by 2nd Lieutenant Red Sun.
"You look like you need some help," she says, slightly grinning.
"Thanks, Red Sun. Make sure the crowd stats a decent distance back. They make me nervous and make my job ten times more difficult."
"Yes, sir."
Anon picks up his pace to keep up with Princess Celestia—the two walk silently to the fairgrounds. Celestia stands still as the ponies go around them to get to the many carnival stands and rides. The Princess smiles as she watches her subjects begin their day of fun. Then, she looks at her 1st Lieutenant. Being around Anon for the first time in two years makes her shaky. His face was as blank as the first day she had met him in Ponyville. She sighs disappointedly.
"Shall we go, 1st Lieutenant?" Princess Celestia asks.
"After you, Your Highness," Anon replies.
The two walk down the road toward a stand that sells cakes. It makes sense to Anon that Princess Celestia takes the free samples. Anon is offered a piece, but he turns it down. They walk around for two hours until Anon is stopped by Run Sun again. He steps aside for a moment to talk to her.
"Status report, sir," she announces.
"Okay, shoot."
"One of the guards in the hotel spotted one of the griffin spies snooping around the rides. Corporal Soft Taco of the 9th saw another about 200 yards from us. The other is on top of a building at 10 o'clock. We've got plenty of evidence on those bastards now."
"Let them snoop for a little longer, 2nd Lieutenant, and give them a false sense of security. If they are worth their salt, they'll be here awhile. Give it about another hour before we make our move."
"Roger that."
In a flash of red magic, Red Sun disappears. Anon returns to his post beside Princess Celestia. He informs her of the current situation with the spies. She gives a slight nod.
The pair hit up a few more stands of carnival foods and games. Most ponies allow Princess Celestia to win the games or let her cut in front of them. Anon knows that she hates this, but obliging doesn't hurt.
After about 30 minutes of walking around, Anon's stomach is churning. His arms and legs feel like jelly. He wants to talk to Celestia about what happened two years ago, but nervousness and second thoughts keep him from saying anything. The longer he waits, the worse the feeling gets. Celestia looks over at Anon and can see the sweat dripping from Anon's arms and face. It's not even that hot in Canterlot, and Anon hadn't been doing anything physically demanding. From the weather reports she received that morning, the temperature was only supposed to be a high of 72 degrees Fahrenheit (22.22 degrees Celsius). Not only that, Anon seemed to be wobbly as he walked. Celestia knows something is wrong with him.
"1st Lieutenant Anonymous, be honest with me. Is everything alright?" Princess Celestia asks.
Anon shakily inhales. He turns and faces Celestia. At first, he looks at the ground and then at her eyes.
"No, Your Highness, I'm not."
"Would you like to talk about it somewhere privately?"
"Yeah, but I need to -"
A bright yellow flash suddenly fills Anon's vision. He sees that he's now standing in a room inside the castle. Specifically, it is Princess Celestia's room. Anon doesn't bother voicing his opinion about being teleported unannounced. He walks over to Princess Celestia, who is sitting on her bed. She pats the bed next to her. Anon hesitantly removes his helmet. He sets it on the ground and sits next to Celestia. For a moment, the two sit in silence.
"Your Highness, I don't know where to start, so I'll get to the point. I've wanted to talk about what went down in your private study two years ago for a long time," Anon says.
"I've wanted to talk to you about that, as well," Celestia replies.
"I'll let you go because you know...mare's first."
Princess Celestia smiles and chuckles slightly. As she predicted, Anon's chivalry is still intact.
"Anon, I owe you an enormous apology. I'm sorry for not supporting your decision to enlist in the Royal Guard. When you told me you would enlist, I remembered losing beloved friends in battle and seeing my little ponies throw themselves before a sword or spear for me. The thought of you doing that for me scared me, and it still does. I didn't want to lose my best friend, who truly understood my sister and me, to the battlefield. I should've been more supportive and understanding of your decision. I was a horrible friend to you. Can you ever find it in your heart to...forgive me?"
Anon nods his head. He leans forward and hangs his head. Tears fall from his eyes. Soon, Anon begins to breathe heavily.
"Anon, are you -"
Celestia is interrupted by Anon wrapping his arms around her and holding her tight. Anon weeps bitterly. Tears dampen Celestia's fur as Anon sobs into her chest. All of Anon's pain and true feelings that he forced down for years finally boiled over. Princess Celestia doesn't know what to do, but she wraps a wing and her front legs around Anon.
"I'm sorry, Tia!" Anon sobs loudly.
"For what?" Celestia asks in a soothing tone.
"For yelling at you! I was so angry at you! I'm sorry! Please forgive me! Forgive me!"
Anon continues to sob loudly into Princess Celestia's chest. She covers the weeping human with her other wing and leans her head against his shaved head. Anon soon begins to quiet down as Celestia starts singing a lullaby to calm him. Anon's breathing slows as he loosens his grip on the Princess. Soon, he releases Celestia and folds his hands on his lap. They sit in silence for a while until Anon picks up his helmet. Then, Anon stands up and puts on his helmet. He uses his index finger to rub his eyes.
"Should we head back, Tia? Red Sun was supposed to meet with me twenty minutes ago," Anon asks.
"Don't worry. While you were crying, I sent a message telling 2nd Lieutenant Red Sun where we were."
"You didn't tell her I was sobbing like a baby, did you?"
"Of course not, Anon. I told her I requested a meeting with you."
"Thanks, Tia. I appreciate it."
Princess Celestia smiles as she stands up. The two friends embrace in a hug.
"Friends?" Anon asks as he releases her.
"Best friends," Princess Celestia replies.
Celestia teleports them back to the fairgrounds. As Anon had predicted, many Royal Guards were not privy to the reason for Anon and Princess Celestia's disappearance. He isn't surprised when he sees several guards running around, looking panicked. To help Anon out, Princess Celestia sends a message to every unicorn on the 25th, notifying them of her and Anon's return and telling everyone else. Soon, Sergeant Flash Sentry and four other guards find them. Flash sighs a sigh of relief and sheaths his sword. Anon apologizes for the inconvenience and continues his job of escorting Princess Celestia.
For the next thirty minutes, Anon is in a better mood than he was at the beginning of the day. He takes a few free samples of the carnival food and even participates in the carnival games. However, it isn't long before his fun comes to an abrupt end.
One of the Royal Guards didn't know that Anon was supposed to green-light the arrests of the griffin spies. So, when he finds the spies meeting up, he confronts them. The spies rush the guard. One of the spies pushes the guard out of the way, but the guard manages to hurl his spear at one. The spear injures one of the griffin's wings, rendering her flightless. The guard raises the alarm as he retrieves his spear and gives chase. It isn't long before the griffins start plotting a distraction so they can escape. Said distraction is causing panic and assassinating Princess Celestia.
At first, Anon is oblivious to the commotion the griffins are causing. He is playfully arguing with Princess about the best flavor of the cake. Then, Anon hears ponies yelling and Red Sun calling out to him. He turns to find a griffin jumping at Princess Celestia with a dagger in his talons. Anon steps before Celestia in a split second and draws his sword. He swings it at the griffin's neck—the blade slices through its intended target. The headless corpse, the head, and the knife hit the ground. A large pool of blood is beginning to form.
"Are you okay, Your Highness?" Anon asks.
"Yes, 1st Lieutenant. Are you?" Celestia replies.
"Just fine. Thank you."
Then, Red Sun and a few Royal Guards run up to Anon. Before Red Sun can say anything, Anon begins barking orders.
"2nd Lieutenant Red Sun, find the members of the 9th Sunspot Battalion and get them to clean up this body and take it to the morgue! The rest of you, get every guard on duty to look for those feathered bastards! UNDERSTOOD?!"
"Yes, sir," the guards shout as they salute.
The guards scatter, but Red Sun stays behind.
"1st Lieutenant, you'll need this if you are going to help us out," Red Sun announces.
She ignites her horn, and Anon's shield appears bright red. Anon takes the shield and slides it onto his left arm. He gives his thanks to Red Sun with a simple nod. As soon as Anon turns to begin his search for the griffin spies, he spots one of them trying to blend in with the fleeing crowds.
"You! Griffin! Freeze!" Anon shouts.
The griffin looks at Anon and runs away. Anon pursues the spy. As Anon runs off, Princess Celestia tries to calm herself.
Please be careful, Anon, Celestia thinks to herself.
The griffin spy runs as fast as she can. She can't fly because the damned Royal Guard injured her wing. Facing off against the human guard who decapitated her brother is not an option. The only thing she has is a small dagger. The spy tries everything she can do to slow the human down. She tries knocking over tables and pushing ponies into his path. Nothing seems to work. She decides to try to lose the human guard by hiding in an alleyway. At first, the spy thinks she has illuded the human, but she spots a small trail of blood leading directly to her. The human walks down the alley, presumably following the blood trail.
"I know you are down here, you shitwipe," Anon snarls.
The spy has no choice but to reveal herself. She steps out from behind the crate she was hiding behind. She draws her dagger, stands on her hind legs, and gets into a fighting stance.
"Do yourself a favor and surrender, griffin. You've got nowhere to run," Anon growls.
"After what you did to my brother, not a fucking chance in Hell, asswipe," the spy says as she twirls her knife into a reverse grip.
Anon bends his knees. He raises his shield into a defensive position and points his sword at the spy. He narrows his eyes.
"I'm going to make you my bitch, monkey boy," the griffin sneers.
"Funny. I told your mom something similar last night," Anon retorts, grinning like an idiot at his comeback.
The two charge at each other with their weapons ready. The griffin jumps to tackle Anon but steps to the side. He swings his shield, and it hits the griffin in the side. Specifically, the griffin's injured wing. He tries to stab the griffin, but she rolls out of the way. The spy gets up and swings her knife at Anon's throat. Anon leans forward and lets the knife slam into his helmet. As he leans forward, Anon thrusts his sword forward. It pierces the griffin's chest right through her heart. The griffin coughs up blood as her knees give way. Anon pulls out his sword and sheaths it. The spy slumps over dead.
Then, Princess Celestia and several Royal Guards arrive down the alley. At first, Anon is confused about how they found him, but he concludes that they followed the same blood trail he did.
Some guards grab the spy's body and prepare it for transportation to the morgue. The rest begin cleaning up the blood. Celestia starts checking on Anon. She inspects every portion of his body besides the parts underneath his armor and tunic.
"Are you okay, Anon? Please tell me you're okay," she asks.
"I'm okay, Tia," Anon responds quietly.
Then, Celestia wraps her front legs around Anon in a tight hug. Anon is shocked by this surprise hug, especially in front of his troops.
"Oh, 1st Lieutenant Anonymous. Thank you so much for saving from the griffin. You're my hero, Anonymous," Celestia teases as she squeezes tighter.
Anon turns all shades of red out of embarrassment. The guards look at him and quietly chuckle amongst themselves. Before Celestia can embarrass him further, Anon gently peels the Princess off him and readjusts his armor. Then, he looks at his troops—a stern look creeps across his face.
"ATTENTION!!!" Anon yells.
The guards stopped what they were doing and stood at attention.
"If I hear you bastards telling anyone about Princess Celestia jumping all over me like that, I'll make you run until you vomit. Do I make myself clear?" Anon says.
"Yes, sir," the guards reply.
"Carry on."
The guards clean up the mess as Anon escorts Princess Celestia back to the castle.
Anon returns to his office to fill out paperwork about the deaths of the griffins. According to EAF protocol, if a guard kills someone in public that isn't in a combat situation, the guard has to fill out a death report recounting his version of the events. The commanding officer has to review the statements, decide whether the guard needs to be brought up on charges, and send it to the next officer up the chain of command for a final verdict. Nine times out of ten, the commanding officers will side with the guard. Since Anon killed two griffins, he has to fill out two reports. He feels terrible for Captain Tempest for having to write two reports corroborating Anon's recollection of the events and saying his actions are justified. At first, he only fills out his set of reports, but he has to write another report when he receives a report Glass Pane killed the last griffin. Thankfully, Princess Celestia kept Anon company as he wrote his reports. When Anon finishes his reports, he sends them to Captain Tempest.
Princess Celestia invites Anon to eat in the Royal Dining Hall for dinner. Anon accepts her offer. Princess Luna isn't surprised to see the two together again that night. She knew her plan would work regardless of any mitigating circumstances that day. The three friends eat merrily and celebrate the joyous reunion of Anon and Princess Celestia's friendship. After dinner, they all hang out in Celestia's private study. They mainly listen to Anon talk about the last two years of being a Royal Guard.
When Anon takes a shower that night, he contemplates how bizarre his day is. That morning, Anon was too nervous even to look Princess Celestia in the eye. Just being around her made him sick to his stomach. Also, it made his heart ache, and he hated himself for his actions two years ago. Thankfully, that is now all in the past. What makes things better is that Princess Celestia forgives him for his actions. The unexpectedly attacking griffins made his first Summer Sun Festival more interesting. However, he did precisely what Princess Celestia feared he'd do. Anon jumped in front of a would-be assassin's blade. Despite all that, he only cares about his rekindled friendship with Celestia. Two years of regret and self-hatred are over. He feels as if a huge weight has been lifted off his shoulders, and the pain in his chest has been relieved. Before Anon goes to bed, he writes in his journal, commemorating the day's events. After which, he slips into his bed. Anon goes to bed smiling for the first time in two years.