//------------------------------//
// Ticking Time Bomb 
// Story: Lost in Search for You 
// by RunicTreetops 
//------------------------------//

The sun has not yet risen. Twilight glances at a nearby clock. It's about five in the morning. Nearby, Fluttershy and Applejack sleep peacefully next to each other. Spike went back to bed upstairs, and Twilight had already gently moved the sleeping Anon to the sofa using her magic. She is the only creature still awake in the library.

Twilight's ears fold against the sides of her head as she looks at Anon with concern. Princess Celestia is going to be here very soon, and all because of that boy. What is so important about him that it would warrant an entire immediate visit like this? The sudden nature of it, combined with the quick response she sent, makes it seem like this is an emergency. While Twilight does want to get this kid home, she can't help but wonder if her teacher knows more than she is letting on.

Twilight sighs. Whoever this kid is, she has a feeling he's going to be quite the hoofful. For what must be the sixth time tonight, she closes her eyes and focuses on him. Sure enough, she reconfirms something she already noticed: This kid is giving off a weak magical reading. Being so in-tune with magic, Twilight is capable of sensing sources of magic when they occur, like when a nearby unicorn casts a spell. However, Anon is constantly giving her that feeling. It's faint, but it's there nonetheless. That's something she's going to have to bring up to Princess Celestia.

As if on queue, there is a knock on the door. The knock is loud enough to wake up Fluttershy and Applejack, but Anon continues to sleep. Twilight immediately hops out of her seat and opens the door, revealing the unmistakable figure of Princess Celestia. 

The large alicorn mare looks at Twilight, her typically warm countenance now cold and distant, causing a shiver to run down Twilight's spine. Twilight, Fluttershy, and Applejack all bow before the princess.

"Greetings, Princess Celestia."

"Hello, Twilight. Please, rise." Twilight and her friends stand back up, and Twilight gulps nervously. "Where is he?"

"He's right over here."

Twilight turns and walks further into the library. Celestia follows, making sure to close (and lock) the door behind her. There, sleeping on a sofa against a nearby wall, is Anon. Celestia narrows her eyes as she approaches the boy, her face now an ominous scowl.

"Get back, Twilight."

"O-okay, princess."

Twilight nervously backs away, and her friends quickly follow suit. Now alone near the boy, Celestia begins to cast a spell. Her horn glows a gentle yellow color, and Anon's body is covered in the same magic. Celestia closes her eyes as if to focus, and it feels as if all of the air is being taken out of the room. The silent, breathless moment continues for a few more seconds until Celestia finally opens her eyes again and lets out a breath she had been holding, her spell fading at the same time. She curses beneath her breath, catching Twilight off guard. Her angry expression never leaving her face, she takes a few more steps towards Anon before reaching towards him and shaking him violently, quickly causing him to awaken.

"Get up, human."

"Woah!"

Anon squirms as he attempts to sit up before rubbing his eyes. He looks exhausted, but as he notices the tall, menacing pony standing above him, he starts to cower in place.

"Why have you come here?"

"H-huh?"

Celestia violently stomps her hoof onto the wooden floor below, her eyes practically glowing in a quiet fury as she stares the boy down.

"Why are you here?"

"I... I don't know!"

Anon's voice is quivering, the terror he is feeling made obvious in the way he speaks.

"If I may, princess." Fluttershy interrupts the display, though Celestia never takes her eyes off of Anon. "We found him unconscious in a crater outside. He really doesn't know how he got here."

"Fluttershy's right," Applejack adds. "And I know when somepony is trying to lie. He's telling the truth when he says that."

Celestia says nothing for a moment, choosing instead to silently stare Anon down. For his part, he cannot maintain eye contact with the scary mare, choosing instead to stare at the floor as he sweats nervously, too scared to get up and run. Finally, Celestia speaks once again.

"Can you do magic?"

The boy doesn't respond.

"I SAID, can you do magic?"

Celestia leans towards the boy, flaring her wings as she does so. The display is wholly intimidating, and it surprises Twilight and her friends. They've never seen Celestia like this, and they have no idea what could cause her to act this way.

"N... no. M-magic isn't real."

"..." Celestia glares at the boy for a few more seconds. The tension in the room is almost unbearable, but slowly, Celestia starts to back away from the boy. She folds her wings back in against herself, and after a few more seconds, she sighs. "Twilight. We shall speak in private."

"O-of course, princess!"

With a flash of Celestia's horn, the two disappear, leaving Fluttershy and Applejack to watch over Anon. Fluttershy immediately rushes over to the boy, who cowers away from her.

"Oh my goodness, oh my goodness! I'm so sorry, Anon! I've never seen her act like that! I swear, she's a nice pony too!"

"..."

"Are you okay?"

"..."

"...Mmm."

Fluttershy sits on the sofa next to Anon, who keeps to himself for a few moments, quietly shivering. Fluttershy unfurls a wing in his direction, looking at him with a concerned smile but saying nothing. After a few silent seconds, Anon willing shifts towards Fluttershy, who embraces the boy as best she can. She notices just how badly he's trembling, and silently wonders to herself what could have caused Celestia to frighten a child like this.

"Something is wrong," Applejack thinks to herself. "I don't like it one bit."





Celestia and Twilight appear near the outskirts of Ponyville with a flash. Twilight realizes that they're standing in the crater they found Anon in, and she quickly turns to her mentor with concern.

"Princess, what's going on?"

Celestia looks at her student for a moment, her expression less angry but no less serious than it was a few moments ago.

"We're not going to be able to get that boy home."

"What? How can you be so sure?"

"That spell I cast earlier should have worked on him. It didn't. That was his only avenue of getting back to... wherever he came from."

Celestia's hesitation near the end of that sentence wasn't lost on Twilight, but she doesn't bring it up.

"Really? What kind of spell was it?"

Very briefly, Celestia's eyes dart to the side before she responds.

"It's above your current level, Twilight. Don't worry about it."

"..."

That type of sentiment isn't something Twilight hears from her mentor... pretty much ever. The feeling of a weight in her stomach intensifies as the conversation continues.

"Regardless, this is quite the predicament. I don't like having that kid around."

"Why not? What's wrong with him?"

"You felt that magic coming off of him, right?"

"Y-yes, why?"

"Whether he knows it or not, that magic isn't good for any of us. If he is suddenly exposed to a great deal of magic, he might lose control of himself. He's a ticking time bomb just waiting to go off."

"What?!"

"Truthfully, it's a miracle that didn't happen as soon as he arrived. I'm... guessing that wherever he came from, magic simply isn't a thing there. The sudden exposure to Equestria's magic should have done him in. Curious that it didn't..."

Celestia trails off, seemingly lost in thought. Twilight is finding it difficult to take in all of this strangely cryptic information at once, and she is too anxious to really interrogate her mentor about it.

"S-so, I should avoid exposing him to too much magic?"

Celestia sighs.

"No. It would be too much trouble to do so. Equestria is a magical place by nature. We can't just hide him from it. Although..." Celestia places a hoof to her chin. "It might be safest to keep him somewhere he can be dealt with at a moment's notice." Celestia's last thought was a mumble, and Twilight couldn't make out quite what she said.

"Princess?"

"Twilight, I have a new assignment for you."

Twilight straightens her back and looks at her teacher with wide eyes.

"Y-yes?"

"You are to look after Anon for the time being. See if you can't find a way to return him from where he came, though I doubt you will. In any scenario, just keep a close eye on him. If he suddenly seems to lose control of himself, or if he says something strange that he really shouldn't know about, contact me immediately. Do you understand?"

"W-wait, what do you mean 'something that he really shouldn't know about?'"

"...Just keep your ears open for anything strange."

"O-okay, I suppose. But wouldn't it be better to leave him with Fluttershy? She's so much better with kids than-"

"No, he will stay with you. Your magic would be necessary if it comes to handling whatever he might be capable of."

"..."

"Now then, shall we return?"

"...Princess?"

"Hm?"

"There's something you're not telling me, isn't there?"

"..." Celestia's expression darkens, and she looks away from her student before giving her a proper answer. When she speaks, her voice is uncharacteristically cold. "You'll understand at a later date. For now, just follow my instructions."

The weight in Twilight's stomach feels almost unbearable. Celestia is acting so strangely, it's like she's a different pony entirely. But... who is she to question the Princess Celestia?

Her concerns are interrupted by Celestia's horn suddenly glowing. The next thing she knows, they are both enveloped in a flash of light before reappearing in the library. Applejack jumps, having only been a few feet away from where the pair arrived. Meanwhile, Fluttershy holds the quivering Anon close against her chest as she looks up at the pair, worry on her face.

"I suppose I shall take my leave." Celestia gives a slight, courteous bow as she takes a few steps towards the front door. "Farewell. And... be careful."

Without another word, Celestia departs, leaving the three mares and Anon alone once again. They stand in shocked silence for a few moments as the sun begins to rise outside. Slowly, the three all direct their attention towards Anon, who looks back at them with confusion.

"...What?"