//------------------------------// // Childhood // Story: Lost in Search for You // by RunicTreetops //------------------------------// "Well, eat up!" It is now morning. Fluttershy and Applejack went home not long after the princess left. Meanwhile, neither Anon nor Twilight found it easy to sleep following their meeting with Celestia, but they're holding up okay as they, as well as Spike, gather around the small table next to the kitchen. Anon looks down at the plate Twilight prepared for him. A generous pile of hay rests atop it, alongside a glass of milk. He looks at the plate with confusion, then up at Twilight with the same expression. "I don't know how much humans eat, so I hope that's enough to fill you up." "..." The young and naive Anon, not quite understanding that he shouldn't really be eating hay, picks up a few loose pieces and places them in his mouth. Sure enough, they taste kind of gross and don't fill him up whatsoever. "Everything okay?" Twilight looks at Anon with a smile. She plans to do her best to be a caretaker for him. After all, she grew up alongside Spike. This isn't entirely new to her, but she also had the help of her parents and her brother with Spike. This is quite a bit different, and the fact that she knows literally nothing about humans doesn't help much. "..." Anon says nothing, instead awkwardly sliding the plate away from him as he drinks the milk in one go. Twilight immediately realizes two things. First, this boy is too shy to speak up. Second, he's a picky eater. "Hay is part of a healthy breakfast, Anon. Is... that not true where you're from?" Anon responds, though his voice is a mumble. "I've never had hay." "Your parents never gave you any hay?" "They didn't eat hay, either." Twilight ponders his words for a second before her eyes go wide. "Wait, humans don't eat hay at all?" "I don't think so." "...Huh." She turns to Spike, who looks back at her with a nonplussed expression. "I didn't even consider that humans and ponies have different diets." Spike shrugs. "Dragons and ponies have different diets, too. I don't see you snacking on any gems. Maybe this is the same way?" Spike turns to Anon. "What do humans eat for breakfast?" "...C-cereal." Twilight breathes a sigh of relief. "Well, we do have that!" Hopping up from her seat, Twilight begins to pour the boy a bowl of cereal, giving him a smile as she places it in front of him. "Th-thank you." "You're welcome!" Twilight makes her way back into her seat, her mood now improved having solved that problem. "What other kinds of foods do humans eat? We might need to keep that in mind." "H-how long am I going to be here?" Anon dodges the question entirely, deciding to change the subject to the most pressing matter on his mind. Twilight looks away nervously, doing her best to maintain her friendly smile. "Er... that's... well..." "We don't know," Spike says bluntly, earning him a look of anger from Twilight. Shrugging her off, he continues to speak. "We're going to try to get you back home, but we have no idea how long it will take." Anon takes a quiet bite of cereal before mumbling to no one in particular. "...I miss my mom." Twilight and Spike share another look. They feel their hearts drop at Anon's words. This poor kid is lost, confused, and probably incredibly scared. Princess Celestia certainly didn't make matters any better for him, either. What can they possibly do to help this poor kid? "...Spike?" "Hm?" "I need you to do me a favor." "Sure, what's up?" Twilight leans towards Spike and begins to whisper in his ear. Anon pays them no mind as he quietly eats his cereal. Things are about to be a lot different for him. Anon and Twilight walk into Ponyville together. They (though mostly Anon) get many looks from the ponies passing by. Twilight somewhat expected this; she is walking around with an alien, after all. However, a significant amount of the bystanders smile or make varying levels of "aww" noises when they see him. It seems that children, even alien ones, are inherently cute, and Anon shyly clinging to Twilight as they walk down the dirt path certainly endears strangers to him. "How are you holding up, Anon?" "I-I'm okay." "Good! I promise, you're gonna love where we're going!" Twilight smiles at Anon, though he awkwardly looks away from her. He's still obviously confused and uncomfortable, but she has noticed that he's slowly starting to talk more around her. He continues to clam up around strangers, though. Eventually, they come to a stop before a large building. Anon looks up, and his eyes immediately seem to sparkle as he gasps. "Well, here we are!" "What is it?!" Twilight laughs as she opens the front door, a sweet smell suddenly assailing Anon's nostrils. "This is Sugarcube Corner. Come on!" Twilight motions for Anon to follow her, and he happily does so. Once entering, he sees the sweets shop in all of its glory. However, on top of being a normal confectionery, balloons and streamers galore fill his sight. The room is filled with many more ponies, which does frighten him a bit, but more than that, he can't help but feel excited. After all, no matter how you slice it... This is a party! The pair are quickly approached by the bright pink bundle of energy known as Pinkie Pie, who immediately gasps in excitement when she sees Anon. "Hello! You must be Anon! It's super duper great to meet you!" She gives him an excited grin, though Anon cowers towards Twilight. She simply chuckles and looks down at him as well. "Anon, this is Pinkie Pie. She's one of my best friends, and she's-" "The super duper premier party planning pony!" Pinkie Pie bounces in place, unable to control her laughter. Anon is mesmerized by her poofy, cotton-candy-like mane that bounces along with the rest of her. He gently reaches out and touches it on her way down, causing her to laugh even harder. "That's my mane, you silly-billy!" Pinkie ruffles up a bit of Anon's moppy hair, causing him to, for the first time since arriving in Equestria, begin to laugh. "I think we're going to be the best of friends!" After a moment, Anon mumbles something that Pinkie really shouldn't have been able to hear, but did anyway. "What is all of this?" "This a party, of course! YOUR party!" "M-my party?" "Yup! This is your 'Welcome to Ponyville' party! We don't know how long you're going to be here, but we're going to make sure it's lots of fun!" Anon doesn't quite know how to respond, but he also doesn't get a chance to say anything before Pinkie takes hold of his arm and lifts him onto her back. Despite the small stature of these ponies, Anon's young body is the perfect size to ride on their backs. He instinctively grabs at Pinkie's mane for balance, and she laughs before carrying him over to a nearby table laden with sweets of all kinds. "Woah!" "Since we only just met about two minutes ago, I didn't really know what your favorites are, so I made a little bit of everything! What do you want to try first?!" Anon eyes the table full of sweets and desserts. For a young boy like him, this may as well be heaven. He picks out a mixture of cake, cookies, ice cream, candies, and everything in-between. Twilight initially objects to this, afraid of what that much sugar might do to him, but after seeing how he lights up as he helps himself alongside the equally excited Pinkie, her anxiety starts to fade. If Celestia is to be believed, he might never get to go back to wherever he came from. And if that's the case... He should at least be allowed to have some fun in his new home. "T-Twilight, darling, I don't mean to sound too demanding, but could you please hold him still for a moment?" Sweat begins to form on Rarity's brow as she holds some measuring tape up to a squirming Anon. He clearly wants to be anywhere but the Carousel Boutique right now, and he especially wants this strange mare to stop poking and prodding at him. Meanwhile, Twilight gives her an awkward, apologetic smile and uses magic to gently hold Anon still. "I'm sorry Anon," Twilight says. "But you need to sit still for a little while so she can take your measurements. Don't you want some nice new clothes?" "No!" Anon pouts as Rarity finally gets a chance to write some numbers down. Twilight, meanwhile, looks up at her fashion-forward friend. "Thank you so much for doing this, Rarity. I'm not used to having to keep a kid clothed every day." "Oh, it's really no problem, darling. I enjoy a good challenge, and besides that, he's so cute! I'll have him looking like the most dapper... er, human, in Ponyville!" After a few more moments, Rarity finally retracts her measuring tools and nods at Twilight, who releases her spell on Anon. He shakes around uncomfortably before taking a few steps away from Rarity. Twilight sighs. "Is there anything else you need from him?" "No, all I have left to do is draft up a few designs." Rarity gives Anon a smile. "Are there any colors or styles you tend to drift towards?" Anon shakes his head as if to say "no." "Very well, then." Rarity directs her attention back to Twilight and gives her a smile. "I should have at least a couple of outfits done by Friday. Think you can hold out until then?" "We'll keep him home while we do his laundry. You would not believe how quickly he gets dirty." "Hah! Do not underestimate my role in raising Sweetie Belle, Twilight. I know perfectly well how children are. Pony or otherwise." "What do I owe you?" "For a kid as cute as Anon? It's on the house." "Are you sure?" "Positive." Rarity meets Anon at eye level and gives him a warm smile. "I hope you're enjoying yourself in Ponyville!" Anon scrunches up his nose as Rarity gets close and backs away even further, causing Twilight to chuckle. "Well, thank you again, Rarity. I think we'd better get going now." "I'll see you soon Twilight!" "Goodbye Rarity!" Twilight nudges Anon before whispering to him. "Say goodbye, Anon." Anon looks up at Rarity and speaks a tad louder than he really needs to. "Bye, stinky lady!" "S-STINKY?!" With a nervous laugh Twilight quickly escorts Anon out of the boutique, leaving Rarity to fume at the comment. "It's a perfume!" Twilight takes a sip of tea as she reads a book in the library. It's early in the evening, meaning it's just about time for Anon to- SLAM. Get home from school. Twilight looks up from her book at Anon, who has just entered the library. He has been living with her for about two months now, and although the adjustment has been slow, he has been warming up to his new life here in Equestria. "Please don't slam the door, Nonny." "S-sorry, Twilight!" He walks further into the library, removing his backpack as he does so and placing it on the table in front of Twilight. Looking at him, she notices something different about him. He has a red cape that is much too small for him draped over his shoulders, a familiar blue patch emblazoned on its side. "Oh? What have you got there?" Anon twirls in place, showing the cape off proudly. "I'm a Cutie Mark Crusader now!" "You are?" "Yup! Sweetie Belle made this for me yesterday, and she gave it to me after class today!" "Wow, that was sweet of her! Er, don't get me wrong, I'm glad you're finally making some friends, but... you do know that only ponies get cutie marks, right?" "Well... yeah..." Anon trails off, his voice sounding a bit hurt. Twilight wonders if she shouldn't have said that, but Anon quickly recovers. "B-but that doesn't make trying to get one any less fun! B-besides, Scootaloo said I might get to be the first!" Twilight thinks for just a moment before simply laughing at Anon's enthusiasm. "You know what, sure. Maybe you will, Nonny." Anon gives Twilight a big, toothy grin before grabbing his bag and heading towards his room. However, before he can fully exit the reading area, Twilight stops him. "Bup bup bup. Don't go slinking off, Anon." Anon slowly turns around to face her, a look of guilt on his face. "I know Ms. Cheerilee gave you homework today, and I'm going to be making sure you actually get it done before bed tonight!" "..." Anon turns away, a disappointed look on his face. "Yes, Twilight." "Good. And don't be afraid to ask me for help if you can't figure something out." Anon doesn't respond, instead reluctantly trudging into his room and closing the door behind him. Twilight lets out a single chuckle. He might hate doing his homework, but from what she can tell, he's quite intelligent for his age. He'd make a great researcher when he gets older. A few months later, Twilight and the other Elements of Harmony breathe a sigh of relief. Just a few moments ago, Shining Armor and Princess Cadance used the power of their love to repel Queen Chrysalis and her army of changelings on their wedding day. They, along with Spike and Princess Celestia, take some time to catch their breaths in the now-empty hall. No words are spoken. No words NEED to be spoken. The day was saved and Canterlot is still standing; that's what matters right now. Twilight glances out of a nearby window at the wreckage the changelings caused. A few ponies are still trying to get their bearings, and she sees that there were in fact quite a few injuries, and perhaps worse, throughout the city. Then, all of a sudden, she gasps. "Where's Anon?!" The last time she saw him was during the wedding rehearsal before Chrysalis sent her to the caverns below the city. She looks around at the other ponies present, which look just as worried. It seems that in the chaos, they all forgot about him. Twilight quickly runs out of the room, followed closely by her five friends. Along the way, she fails to notice the completely uninterested expression on Celestia's face. Making their way out of the castle, they stop as they reach the Canterlot city streets. "Split up! If you find him, bring him right back here!" With a nod, the six ponies go their separate ways, desperate to find the lost and potentially hurt Anon. Twilight barrels down the streets, observing in greater detail the extent of the damage that the changelings caused. She feels a familiar anxiety building in her gut, like a parent who cannot find their child. That thought briefly leads to her pondering the nature of her relationship with Anon, but she quickly shakes that particular line of questioning out of her head. It's not important right now. After a while, Twilight glances down an alleyway and skids to a stop, having to double back a bit to confirm that she just saw what she thought she saw. ...Yeah, that was what she thought she saw. There, in the alleyway, is Anon. His small human body is bent over, and he appears to be on his hands and knees looking at the ground. Twilight runs up to him, eager to see if he is alright. "Nonny?! Are you okay?!" Anon turns his head, but does not change his position. It's in that moment that Twilight looks past him and recognizes what's going on. There, on the ground beneath him, is a young changeling. She struggles and her wings buzz beneath her, but she cannot escape from Anon's grasp. Twilight quickly begins to cast a telekinesis spell, holding the changeling still while ripping Anon off of her. "What is going on here?!" Anon responds through heavy breaths. "Sh... she tried to hurt me!" "You tried to hurt me!" Twilight looks both of them up and down. Anon's little suit that Rarity made for him is torn in more than a couple of places, and there are several scrapes and bruises all over him. The changeling doesn't look much better off, either. However, that surprises Twilight. Changelings have a thick exoskeleton that makes them hard to hurt, and Anon is just a child. Just how strong is a human? Twilight ponders the scenario for a moment before coming to a decision, locking eyes with the young changeling girl and giving her a serious expression that causes the girl's blood to run cold. "Do you know how to get back to the hive?" "Y-yes?" "Good. Because the rest of your army has been defeated." "...I saw." To the changeling's surprise, Twilight releases her spell on her. "Just get out of here." The changeling looks at Twilight with confusion for just a moment before nodding, quickly flying above the nearby rooftops and escaping into the horizon. Now free from danger, Twilight looks at Anon and begins to inspect him in more detail, much to his annoyance. "Are you okay, Nonny?" "I'm fine, Twilight," he says through squished cheeks. "I won." With a sigh, Twilight pulls him into a tight hug, causing him to grunt in surprise. "I'm so sorry, Nonny. I shouldn't have left you alone like that!" To Twilight's shock, Anon wraps his small arms around her and returns the hug. For a few long moments, he says nothing. Then, he begins to sniffle. Twilight doesn't let go, but she does adjust her head to look at him. Sure enough, he slowly begins to sob. "Anon?" He hugs her tighter as he finally lets the tears flow freely. The two stay like that for some time, garnering the attention of a few nearby ponies that move on upon realizing that neither of them are injured. "I... I was scared!" "Shhhh. I know, Nonny. I'm here." "I want to go home!" Twilight can't bring herself to respond to that, instead choosing to just do whatever she can to hold him tight. He shouldn't have to go through something like this. No child should. If only she could bring him the comfort his real family could. Upon returning to the castle, Pinkie pulls everyone present into a tight group hug with Anon in the center. Feeling awkward, he says nothing, though the smiles on the Elements of Harmony's faces are enough to tell him that everything is okay. Once they all let go, Fluttershy gives him a one-on-one hug of her own, which he happily returns. Ever since the night he arrived, he always felt the most comfortable around her. Aside from Twilight, at least. "Are you okay, darling? Where did you run off to?" "He got into a fight with a little changeling girl," Twilight says on Anon's behalf. "He fought a changelin'? And won?" "It seems like it. I sent the girl back home, so I don't think she's going to be causing any more trouble." "Anon, that sounds so awesome!" Twilight glares at Rainbow Dash, who flies around happily above the group. Dash anxiously chuckles when she meets Twilight's gaze. "Uhh, but you shouldn't get into fights if you can avoid it! Hehe..." Pinkie joins in on Fluttershy and Anon's hug, squeezing them way harder than she probably should. "At least now everything is okey-dokey-lokey!" "Yeah..." Twilight's voice is a tired mumble as she looks around at the group of friends, all of whom have been doing their best to help raise Anon into the best person he can be. "It is." Twilight glances at Anon one more time, laughing when she sees him smile as Fluttershy carefully looks over his minor injuries. They might not be his real family, and this might not be his real home, but so long as Anon has these ponies around... He'll never be alone.