//------------------------------//
// Onboarding 
// Story: It's for the Best 
// by RunicTreetops 
//------------------------------//

Anon is silent as he quietly rides the train to Canterlot. His attention is split between the view outside the train window and the couple of other passengers in the car with him. The light inside of the train car is a bit jarring compared to the bleak darkness that is the eternal night outside, and he isn't a fan of how visible he is in this train.

A quick glance at the other passengers confirms what he suspected: They're so nervous, his presence hardly matters. They steal a glance back at him every now and then, but they always divert their gazes first. Nightmare Moon has only been in control of Equestria for a few weeks, but she was brutally efficient in establishing her rule. Of course, the country still needs to function. Massive changes are taking place, sure, but business still needs to be conducted. Food still needs to be produced. Ponies still need to do their jobs. But unlike before, there is a constant tension in the air. Nopony really knows what to expect or do next, other than that they should probably obey their new ruler's orders. Are the ponies on this train on some sort of business? Are they trying to reconnect with family in the face of a new, darker era? Or perhaps they're simply running, unsure of where to go, but knowing that they can't stay in one place?

Anon doesn't really care. He wasn't hired to ask questions, after all.

Eventually, the train makes it to the capital of Equestria. Well, for now, at least. With Nightmare Moon deciding to refurbish the Castle of the Two Sisters and take up residence there instead, it is likely that the area surrounding the castle, which she is currently developing using the labor of her "eager" subjects, will become the new capital before long. Anon steps off of the train. There aren't that many ponies around, and thanks to the moon never moving from its place in the sky, he has no idea how long the ride took. Hours, for sure, but he doesn't know how many. Either way, he's here now, and even from the station he can see his objective on the far side of the city.

With practiced ease, Anon slinks into the shadows. He knows exactly how to get around unseen. It's probably only a matter of time until he knows the ins and outs of this city, but until then, he doesn't need to do anything fancy. It's incredible how quiet one can be with a practiced walk, controlled breathing, and some good timing. Soon, he makes it to the fourth sector of Canterlot. He doesn't really understand the differences between the sectors, but he knows perfectly well that this is where he needs to be. After all, he was told to look for the building with three spires in the northwest section of the city, and right in front of him is the only building that meets that description. Carefully, he reaches into his back pocket without making a sound and pulls out a sheathed, albeit polished, silver dagger.

Nightmare Moon had asked him if he was proficient with any weapons. He's never used anything other than a knife, so she gave him exactly that. However, there is apparently more to it than that. He removes the sheath from the dagger and observes the fine craftsmanship of the blade. When he tilts it at a certain angle and the moonlight hits it just right, it has a strange, blue shimmer to it. According to Nightmare Moon, it's enchanted. The enchantment is weak and does little more than slightly heat up the blade, but the point isn't the enchantment itself so much as the fact that the dagger is enchanted at all. 

Anon looks at the area surrounding the building carefully. He doesn't see any guards or pedestrians, which means this is his best chance. Feeling somewhat foolish, he stays close to the ground and creeps closer to the building while keeping his arm outstretched, the dagger held carefully in his hand. After he is about fifty feet away from the building, the dagger makes contact with something. 

"I guess this is it," he thinks to himself. "The 'invisibubble' I'm supposed to destroy."

Now having confirmed the presence and location of the invisible barrier, Anon puts the sheath back onto the dagger and covers it with his hand. Then, taking a deep breath, he steps forward. Sure enough, he passes straight through the section that had stopped the enchanted dagger, and his hand covering said dagger worked like a charm. Now that he is mostly out in the open, he quickly darts into some shrubbery growing alongside the building. He hears the front door, mere feet away from him, open. A unicorn stallion with a white coat and black, slicked-back mane walks outside. He glances around nervously before carefully making his way towards the invisibubble. He presses his hoof out in front of him, and it does make contact. He looks back towards the door, and from the shadow being cast thanks to the lights inside, Anon can tell that someone else is just outside of his vision. He sees the shadow nod, and a spherical area around the building, right where the invisibubble would be, shimmers very briefly. In that instant, the stallion hops outside, then nods again. There is another shimmer, and the unicorn continues on his way. The door closes once more, leaving Anon alone outside. He takes a deep (yet still quiet) breath. If he's going to do this undetected, he's going to have to wait for a while. Not only does he not know if or when that stallion is coming back, he has no idea what the pony that let him out is up to. Best to lay low for a little while and get a bit more information.

As he silently listens for any voices or movement, he begins to recall the conversation he had with Nightmare Moon before being sent here. It was right after he agreed to work for her.

"What do I need to do?"

"You're going to quell a little rebellion that's been growing over in Canterlot. Apparently, those fools in my sister's 'School for Gifted Unicorns' think they can keep secrets from me. You are to show them how idiotic of an idea that really is."

"You... want me to fight off a rebellion?"

"Not quite. I don't trust you enough to do that." Nightmare Moon makes a whistling noise, and a servant arrives from a nearby doorway. Anon notices that all of these ponies are wearing dark clothing or armor, each blue, black, or purple in color. Most are completely stoic, and those that aren't appear either angry or extremely nervous. The servant carries a rolled-up scroll and presents it to the alicorn, whose horn begins to glow with magic. She takes the scroll from her, unfurls it, and presents it to Anon, revealing what appears to be a map of a city with a specific building circled. "This is Canterlot, and that," she says as she points to the building, "is the school. My sources tell me that they are maintaining an invisibubble to protect themselves, preventing us from shutting it all down. That's where you come in."

"The heck is an invisibubble?"

"You really don't know about magic, do you?" Nightmare Moon looks genuinely surprised and mildly amused before continuing. "It's like a barrier that prevents magic from passing through it. Spells, enchantments, you name it. However, this one is particularly strong. Because all creatures are inherently magical, this one prevents anypony from passing through it."

"I think I see where you're going with this. You think that since I can resist magic, I can pass through it."

"You catch on quick."

"And you want me to disable the invisibubble so your forces can stop the rebellion?"

"Precisely."

"...Alright."

"Hm!" Nightmare Moon raises her eyebrows, the amused smile returning to her face. "You're a bit more agreeable than I was expecting."

"This type of work isn't really new to me."

"Perhaps you'll be more useful than I anticipated. I take it you aren't afraid to get your hooves... er, hands, dirty then?"

"Not really."

"Excellent. Tell me, what weaponry are you proficient with?"

"I thought I wasn't supposed to go in guns blazing?"

"If you do, you will likely die. Which is why I'm sending you, of course. You couldn't be more expendable."

Surprisingly, Anon seems to find her words humorous.

"Alright, fine. Well, I'm good with knives. That's about it."

"...Very well, then." She makes another whistling noise and yet another servant enters the room. This one is carrying what is clearly a sheathed dagger. "This should do fine. It has an extremely weak heating enchantment, just so you can determine where the invisibubble is."

"If you can enchant it, can't you give me anything better?"

"And risk you dying and losing it?"

"Fair point, I guess."

"Now hop to it. You're looking for the building with three spires in the fourth sector of Canterlot, near the northwest part of the city. Show this to the stallion at the train station in Ponyville." Nightmare Moon magically floats what appears to be a small, silver badge in the shape of a crescent moon towards Anon. "This will get you free passage to and from Canterlot."

"Thanks."

"Now get out of my sight. Come back successful or die trying. The choice is yours."

Back outside the building, Anon finds himself reaching into his back pocket. The badge she gave him is still there. A small smile makes its way to his face. Never before has anyone ever been so direct in their lack of concern for him. Everything else aside, he has to give Nightmare Moon this: She's honest. That's more than he can say about...

Well, he can't afford to think about that right now. The stallion from before is returning.

Anon watches closely as the stallion makes a low whistling noise. Once again, the door opens just a tad. After a moment, the invisibubble shimmers, the stallion passes through, and the shimmer returns for just a second before stabilizing once more. The stallion awkwardly shuffles inside as quickly as he can, and Anon hears a female voice quietly greet him at the door.

"This should last us a few days."

"Thank you."

The door closes once again. Anon nods to himself. Hopefully, they weren't planning on running any more errands any time soon. After waiting for nearly fifteen minutes to ensure nothing more happens, he carefully stands up and makes his way to the nearest window. To his dismay, all of the shutters are closed and he can't see inside. He has no way of knowing what it looks like in there or how many ponies he'll have to face. Heck, he doesn't even know how to take down the bubble!

Slowly, he makes his way around the building. If he's lucky there will be a... yes, a backdoor! As stealthily as possible, he opens the door just a smidge and peers inside.

As far as he can tell, there is a hallway here. Also as far as he can tell, said hallway is empty. Plus, he sees a slightly agape door on the other side of the hall leading to a dark room. Perfect. Now he just has to make a break for it in three... two... one... 

With an ease indicating years of experience, he throws the door open, enters the building, and then closes the door while making only the slightest of creaking noises. He slinks against a wall, crosses to the other side of the hall, enters through the open door into the dark room, and then closes said door. He's in. Breathing a sigh of relief, he walks a bit further into the dark room and finally allows himself to relax his tense muscles. Now, all he has to do is figure out what is making the invisibubble.

Suddenly, there is light.

Immediately at attention, he turns around to face the door he just came through. Sure enough, someone is standing in the open doorway. It appears to be a purple unicorn mare, who stares at him with shock and unease.

"Who the hay are you?!"

Anon's eyes go wide. Did he really get caught already?!

"I... I... uhh..."

"Scratch that, what the hay are you?"

The unicorn steps into the room, clearly on edge, yet to Anon's surprise, not acting particularly aggressive. In fact, she looks more curious than anything. Anon nervously clears his throat.

"I-I'm a human, ma'am." Maybe he can play this off?

"Oh, you speak our language! Good. Now, how did you get in here?"

"I... just walked in?"

"That's impossible. Moondancer is maintaining our invisibubble, so nopony should be able to... wait. Unless 'humans' are resistant to magic!"

Whoever this girl is, she's incredibly sharp. She determined that from two sentences? Well, apparently she is a "gifted unicorn," and a rebel at that. She's got to at least have a decent head on her shoulders.

"I, er, wouldn't know anything about that."

"Okay, next question. Why are you here?" Finally, her eyes narrow. It appears her curiosity is giving way to her suspicion.

"I was, er, lost!" This is never going to work. "I really have no idea where I am or how I got here. I don't know what all this magic stuff is about, and I'd never seen a... pony... until a few hours ago." 

Slipping in half-truths might help him here.

"And you just so happened to wander into this specific building?"

"I thought no one was in here. It was so quiet." 

It's fine if they think he was breaking in, so long as they don't learn his motivation for doing so.

"But what did you want?"

"...F-food, mostly. I-"

"Well why didn't you lead with that? C'mon, follow me."

The unicorn smiles and turns around, waiting for Anon to follow. Realizing it would be more suspicious to not go with her, he follows suit. At the very least, she accidentally told him exactly what he needs. He needs to take out this "Moondancer."

"Thank you, Miss..."

"Twilight. Twilight Sparkle. What's your name?"

"Er... Fruit... Basket."

These ponies all have strange names, so why should the fake name he comes up with on the spot be any different?

"Fruit Basket? Really?"

Dang it.

"It's a human thing."

"Oh! Well, you'll need to tell me more about your 'human things' later. I've been a researcher for most of my life, as well as Princess Celestia's student. Though, I suppose lately, I've been focusing on trying to get rid of Nightmare Moon and bringing Princess Celestia back."

"Where did she go?"

Twilight hesitates for a moment before letting out a sigh.

"Well, Nightmare Moon was banished to the moon a little over a thousand moons ago. Then, a few weeks ago, she finally returned. Princess Celestia thought she was ready for her, but... she wasn't. Now she's the one trapped on the moon, and we're forced to live in this dreadful eternal night. At least, until we can rescue her, that is."

"Strange."

"Tell me about you, though. I want to know your story!" Anon glances down at the unicorn. With an extremely forced smile, he recalls how he woke up confused and lost. However, he pretends that this happened in Canterlot. "Woah. I'm so sorry you had to go through that. This is probably the worst possible time to end up in Equestria. Hmhm, at least you wound up here with the rest of the good guys, right?"

"...Yeah, right."

As the pair make their way through the winding halls of the school, Anon notices many strange happenings. Ponies gathered in strange places, supplies of food, spears, paper, and other materials being carried to and fro. It's clear that, although this was once a place of learning, it is now undoubtedly a rebel base. Though, what they think they could ever accomplish against Nightmare Moon is beyond Anon. If she was able to overthrow the former princess and government all on her own, she must be pretty strong.

Eventually, Twilight brings Anon to what was once the school's cafeteria. There are a small handful of unicorns seated at various tables, each muttering to each other in hushed voices. They all glare at the newly arrived pair, but Twilight simply directs Anon to a table before darting behind a nearby crate and returning moments later with a few apples being levitated by her magic.

"Here. It's not much, but it's from some farmers over in Sweet Apple Acres. They're some of the few ponies willing to help us rebels out."

Twilight slides an apple over to Anon.

"Thank you."

She smiles at him as they both quietly begin to eat. Anon can feel sweat beginning to form on his brow, but he does everything he can to hide his anxiety. 

"Once we're done, I'll have to introduce you to everypony. We're all a bit on edge, so it would be nice if they all got used to you being here. You could very well be the secret weapon we need!" Twilight's thoughts are interrupted by the door to the cafeteria opening once again, revealing another unicorn mare that looks very similar to Twilight but with a red mane and yellow-gray coat. Her horn is constantly emitting a faint white light. "Ah, that's one of them now!" 

Twilight waves the mare down, who carefully approaches the table.

"Who is this?"

"This is Fruit Basket. He's a creature who can resist magic!"

"Okay, but what is he doing here?"

"He was displaced from his home, no doubt the work of Nightmare Moon. He was starving, so I took him here."

"Ugh, Twilight! Your bleeding heart is going to be the death of us!"

"What do you mean?"

"What if he's a spy?!"

"A... a spy? Moondancer, you can't be serious. Just look at him! He wouldn't hurt a fly!"

Twilight gestures towards Anon, who simply gives Moondancer a blank stare.

"You can't be sure of that. Did you even search him?"

Moondancer makes her way towards Anon with a fire in her eyes as Twilight tries to get her to calm down.

"Moondancer, we need all the allies we can get! We can't just keep antagonizing-!"

Twilight cuts herself off as Moondancer's horn begins to glow brighter. Anon feels something in his pocket start to tingle as his dagger is taken off of his person. Moondancer proudly lifts it into the air, leaving Twilight speechless.

"Harmless, huh?" She locks eyes with Anon, who no longer shows any kind of emotion. Not anxiety. Not fear. Not anger. Just... nothing. He's been in this situation before. "Care to explain?"

"It's for self-defense."

"Hm. And I suppose the strange sensation I got earlier of someone poking at the invisibubble was just a coincidence the-"

Nopony has any time to react. In an unbelievably quick movement, Anon grabs the dagger out of the air, slashes in Twilight's direction, and brings a knee to Moondancer's head. Twilight, surprised by the assault but only grazed by the dagger, falls to the ground in shock. Moondancer, who took the hit but is still on her hooves, growls at Anon. Her horn starts to glow brightly again, and an attack not too dissimilar to Nightmare Moon's envelops him. However, like before, he is completely unaffected and takes the opportunity to close the gap. All Moondancer can do is watch in horror as Anon descends upon her. In less than a second she's on the ground, completely unconscious. It would have been extremely easy for Anon to kill her, but he figures Nightmare Moon probably wants the mare that gave her so much trouble to be taken alive. Either way, the faint light that was coming from her horn dissipates, indicating that the invisibubble has been destroyed and his task is complete. Keeping up his momentum, he darts towards the door. He only briefly looks back. The other ponies present have realized that something just happened incredibly quickly, but they haven't quite pieced together what.

The last thing Anon sees before escaping into the hallway is the horrified look of betrayal on Twilight's face.





Anon snaps back to reality. The look of pain and horror on Twilight's face is replaced by one of cockiness, a quiet anger visible behind her eyes as she approaches the dining room table.

"Ah, Twilight. You're right on time." Celestia sounds almost relieved for Twilight to be there, as her student's arrival gives her an even greater excuse to make Anon leave. "Anon, I'm sure you have other places to be."

Twilight also turns to Anon. When she speaks, her voice sounds older and more jaded than he remembers.

"I doubt that. It's not like he has any friends to be getting back to."

"..." Anon simply begins to walk towards the door, but not before taking one last glance behind him. He locks eyes with Luna, who doesn't look like she's all there anymore. Then, he locks eyes with Twilight, who meets his gaze with just as much passion and hatred. After a moment's hesitation, he turns back towards the door. "...She was just as much of a pony as any of you are."

His words hanging heavy in the air, Anon finally departs from Canterlot Castle.