Anon is sitting in the living room of his old house in Ponyville, with a few noticeable changes. The first is his giant fifty inch TV that’s hanging on the wall. The second thing is the smoldering remains of his gaming console. The last is a rather peeved-looking Luna staring at the destroyed technology, with a small amount of smoke coming off of her horn. Well, he wasn’t really expecting that to happen.
“So... I take it you didn’t like that game?” Anon asks.
Luna scoffs as she takes a seat next to him on his couch.
“I found no joy in what your people have made.” She shakes her head. “When you said that there was a way for me to experience the battlefield once more, I thought it was going to be something traditional.”
“What was wrong with it?” Anon asks, curious.
“What wasn’t wrong with it?” Luna looks at him. “First, I do not appreciate how those soldiers fought. They gave no chance for their opponents to fight back! Such dishonorable actions would be punishable back in my day. Not only that, but there’s no comparison to claiming the life of your enemy in reality. To put yourself at risk, knowing that each thrust of your sword could be your last.”
Anon shrugs. “I guess you’re right. I just thought maybe you would’ve liked it. I could try and remember more games for you, but my memory isn’t what it used to be.”
Luna takes a deep breath to calm her nerves. It’s true that when Anon told her about these... video games, she was rather interested. However, once she experienced it, she found herself disliking it quickly. She will admit that the game she played was breathtaking and revolutionary when compared to games that Equestria has today. Still, it wasn’t what she was hoping for. She can see Anon looking at her with indifference.
“I’m sorry, Anon. I thank you for sharing this with me, but I would prefer to never take part in this activity ever again.”
Anon nods. “I get it, Luna. No need to be sorry.” A small silence builds between them. “Do you really miss the old days, Luna? Having to fight so much?”
Anon notices Luna’s eyes sadden some. She lets out a sigh.
“Yes and no. On the field of battle, I felt like it was the one place where I truly belonged. Fighting side by side with my fellow ponies. Building a bond with them that could rival the blood ties to my own sister. We lived together and we died together.” She looks down at her hooves. “I’m glad that I don’t need to say goodbye to any more of my friends, but I still miss what I used to have, even if it was paved in blood.”
Luna feels something settle onto her withers. She looks over to see Anon giving her a small smile.
“I’m glad you’re here and not on some battlefield if that means anything to you.”
Luna smiles at him.
“It means a lot more than you know.” She leans over so she can nuzzle him briefly. “Shall we continue your training?”
Anon lets out a sigh.
“Yeah, I guess.”
Luna’s smile grows larger as she rises to her hooves.
“Very well, let’s return to my world.”
Anon lets out another sigh as he gets up as well. He follows Luna to a door that wasn’t in his home in Ponyville as she opens it with her magic. The both of them walk through and into the hallway filled with many doors. Anon closes his door behind him and faces Luna. She nods her head to follow and he does so. The two of them walk past a few doors until they reach one that he’s seen on more than one occasion. Pinkie’s door. Luna nods her head towards it.
“Go ahead.”
Another sigh from Anon as he walks up to the door and rests the palm of his hand flat against it. He closes his eyes and tries to concentrate.
“What do you feel?” Luna whispers.
“I don’t know.” He answers.
Luna stands onto her hind legs and rests her forehooves onto his shoulders.
“Remember what we’ve talked about. Breath in slowly, clear your mind.” She whispers into his ear.
“Easier said than done.” He scoffs.
“Just focus on my voice.” She coos. “Breath in slowly through your nose and slowly out your mouth. If you feel a thought, then accept it as your own and let it be. Once you are calm, you will feel something that is not your own, a whisper of sorts, label it and study it.”
Anon does as Luna tells him. Soon he starts to feel something odd inside of him. Luna smiles a bit, as she can sense Anon’s progress. It’s an odd feeling for Anon to explain. It’s as if he’s talking to Pinkie in this moment. Yet there are no words being shared, only a sense of being deep in a conversation with someone and knowing how they feel.
“I feel, sadness,” He says.
Luna nods, even though Anon can’t see her. He’s doing very well.
“You are correct. Your friend is having a sorrowful dream.” Luna confirms.
Anon slowly opens his eyes. It feels so weird to experience this. In a way, he’s able to connect to Pinkie on an emotional level and feel what she’s feeling in her dreams. Luna has been spending the last few months teaching Anon how to dream walk properly. He’s learned a lot of things from Luna, but it’s still a work in progress. He turns around to face Luna.
“Can I help her?” He asks.
Luna’s smile slips some.
“I’m unsure if you have that power, Anon. It’s taken you this long to be able to sense what a pony is dreaming.”
Anon gets a look of determination on his face.
“I’ve learned a lot from you, Luna. She’s my friend, I have to do something.”
“There’s a chance that you could influence her dream. You could make it worse.” Luna warns.
“I gotta try.”
Luna gives him a single nod as she falls back onto her hooves.
“Very well, I will keep a close eye on you while you’re inside. If things take a turn for the worse, I will step in.”
Anon nods back.
“I’ll try my best.”
Anon faces Pinkie’s door ready to do what has to be done. He knows he can do this, after everything she’s done, he has to at least try.
The darkness quickly fades. What Anon first notices is that he’s not in Ponyville. In fact, it looks like he’s in some kind of wasteland. All he can see is rocks, a windmill and a small farmhouse in the distance. This in itself shouldn’t be disturbing, but the fact that this entire place is being visualized makes him feel off.
“This is far from your average dream, Anon. What you see before you is a blending between her memories and her dreamworld. It’s why we can see much more than intended.”
“Should I be here?” Anon asks wondering if this is invading Pinkie’s privacy.
“Your pink friend doesn’t mind you entering her mind. However, you must remember that what you see here cannot be taken as fact or fiction. We may never know unless we dive into her mind or asked her directly.”
Anon nods. “Alright. I guess I’ll try and help her.”
Anon walks over to the lone house sitting on this wasteland. He places a few knocks on the door and waits for whatever is to come. The door opens, but Anon doesn’t see anyone. He looks down and spots a filly looking up at him. There’s something oddly familiar about her. She’s a dark pink and has a perfectly straight mane. For some unknown reason, Anon can see a strong resemblance.
“Pinkie?” Anon asks.
He notices the filly look up at him in a rather blank stare. He’s never seen Pinkie like this before. It kinda makes him feel weird inside. As if he’s looking at an entirely different pony.
“Who are you?” She asks in a neutral tone.
This is so weird. Everything about the pony before him doesn’t scream anything about Pinkie. Yet, he knows it’s her and he can see so much of himself when he looks at her. It leaves him questioning why this pony is so different to the Pinkie he knows. However, he needs to focus right now, he has a friends that needs help.
“I’m a friend.” He says.
“I don’t have any friends.” Pinkie answers.
Anon kneels so he can properly face her.
“You have more friends than you could possibly imagine.”
He can see a certain sparkle in her eye. It’s faint, but he can see it. Not only that, but he can actually feel a certain inkling of hope. It’s not his own, it’s Pinkie’s. He can feel how her soul is crying out for validation, to know that she’s not alone anymore. It’s so odd and painful to know that Pinkie is feeling like this. What could’ve made her like this?
“How do you know that?” She asks.
Anon rests his hand onto her mane as he pets her.
“Because I’m your friend.” He says with a smile.
Anon watches as Pinkie’s eyes widen. That’s all that he and Luna see before the both of them are tossed out of the door to Pinkie's dream. They crash land in the center of the hall as the door slams shut. Anon and Luna take a moment to untangle themselves as they stand back up.
“What was that?” Anon asks having never experienced that reaction before.
“She violently woke up.” Luna answers. “Sometimes when ponies are subjected to shocking things, they’ll wake up in the middle of the night.”
“Is she alright?” Anon asks concerned.
Luna nods. “She’ll be fine. A bit shaken but fine.” Luna faces Anon. “Shall we continue?”
Anon shakes his head. “I have to get up early for work again.”
“Anon, you’ve been working nonstop since your friends opened that candy store in Canterlot.” Luna says with worry.
“You know that we’ve been busy, Luna.”
“My sister hasn’t seen you in so long. Even though you live in the castle, you two haven’t spent much time together.”
Anon has nothing to say. Luna is right. Since coming here, he’s been working hard to keep up with all the orders the store is getting. He hasn’t talked to Celestia in a very long time. At best he would cross paths with her in the morning, only to say good morning and be on his way. Each passing morning he could see how much her smile faded. It honestly hurts him, but he has to focus right now. Luna walks over to Anon so she can face him.
“I am fortunate to be able to spend time with you while we sleep, but my sister cannot and she longs for your presence.”
“...How is she?” Anon asks.
“Lonely. You two were inseparable a few months ago. Now your job keeps you away from the both of us.”
Anon walks up to Luna and rests his hand on her withers.
“I have a plan, Luna. You and Celestia just need to wait a little while longer. I swear that we’ll have a ton of free time. You just have to trust me.”
Luna smiles at that. “I trust you and I know that your store means a lot to you. Still, I don’t want you to work yourself to death. My sister was on the same path, but thanks to your suggestion, she now has some time to relax. Do not follow in her hoofsteps.”
“I guess I can’t deny that.” Anon chuckles a bit as he holds up his hand. “See you later, Luna” and with that said he snaps his fingers.
In the blink of an eye, he is gone and out of Luna’s world. She must admit that he’s gotten rather good at that. She just wished he wouldn’t have learned how to actualise his thoughts with the snap of his fingers. It reminds her too much of how Discord casts his chaos magic. Luna looks down the hall with many doors. She can spare a few more minutes before she needs to wake up.
Celestia lets out a sigh as she overlooks her empty bed. Things have been far different than she expected them to be when Anon decided to live in Canterlot. She walks past her bed and into the hallway. She thought that maybe they would be able to spend more time together, but then she found out that he was opening a candy store in town. The first few weeks were fine, but then he became popular. That seemed to change a lot of things between the two of them.
For the past few months, Anon has barely spent any time with anypony other than the mares that he works with. Celestia watched from afar as he came back to the castle, too tired to even walk to his room. She can count all the times she wanted to speak to him, but held her tongue for his benefit. He’s been working so hard and she wishes she could help him in anyway possible. Yet there was nothing she could do. Even if she could, she knows Anon would’ve turned down any help she would offer. There are some things that don’t change and Anon’s stubbornness is something she’s come to accept.
She finds herself already sitting upon her throne, as she does every morning. Another sigh leaves her. She misses his company. He seemed to make her days feel brighter just by being by her side. The most she’s ever got out of him is a good morning whenever they cross paths. He doesn’t even eat dinner or breakfast as far as she knows. He just comes here to sleep and then gets up to work. It hurts her deeply to not have him near. Facing the day alone just reminds her of a time when Anon wasn’t around. Days she wishes to forget.
Perhaps she can visit him? No, that wouldn’t be wise. He’s already popular. If Celestia were to go to his candy shop, then the chances are that he wouldn’t even get time to rest his head. She hates this so much. Anon is her friends and yet her title keeps her from him. Her heart aches when she thinks about him. How much fun they have, even when it’s just the two of them alone in her sitting room enjoying some tea. The feeling brings her joy and agony in this time of loneliness.
“Your mind weighs heavy, Sister.”
Celestia jumps in shock. She looks up to see Luna standing there.
“Luna! I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there. Do you need something?” She asks.
Luna shakes her head from side to side.
“It is not I who needs something, Tia.”
Celestia feels her withers slouch.
“I know.” She rubs her eyes some. “But there’s nothing I can do about it.”
“You know I’ve been visiting Anon in his dreams. Why do you choose to stay inside your own realm?”
Celestia looks off into the distance. She would never tell her sister the truth, but her mind is a punishment of sorts. Her dreams are usually violent and filled with the many regrets she’s made in her life. She feels if she were to forget them, then they are bound to repeat. However, those dreams seemed to subside when Anon was constantly around. Though now they’ve returned in full force.
“I do not like leaving my mind, Luna. You have the power of the moon and control over dreams. It would feel wrong of me to try such things. It was challenging enough to reach out to the moon and move it.” She isn’t lying, but it’s not the entire truth either.
“I understand.” Luna says with a nod. “Anon has been talking about you. Asking how your days fare and how well you’re doing.”
Celestia looks up to her sister with interest.
“He does?”
Luna nods. “Truly. He worries about you almost as much as you worry for him.”
Celestia can feel a certain smile grow on her muzzle. It’s nice knowing she’s not the only one who worries.
“That’s good to know.”
Luna walks up to her sister. “How are you faring? It seems that with each passing day you become less responsive.”
Celestia hangs her head.
“I just miss Anon. He seems to make my days bearable.”
Luna smirks at that. “I must say that he does have a way about him. Have you thought about visiting?”
Celestia nods.
“I have, but I don’t want to put more stress on him. If I were to show up to his store, then his business may grow tenfold!”
Luna shakes her head.
“I doubt that, Sister. Anon’s shop is so popular right now, if he asked his customers to overthrow you, there’s a chance they may comply.”
Celestia finds herself giggling at that thought. She will admit that when she ate his gummy worms it was an experience she will never forget. However, she hasn’t partook in most of what Anon has created. Not because she didn’t want to, but because she wasn’t sure if that would make Anon feel uncomfortable. He always gets nervous when others take in what he creates, even if he never shows it.
“His creations are truly one of a kind, aren’t they?”
Luna nods. “They are. I think you should go and visit him. I’ve done so and he was overjoyed to see a friendly face.”
Celestia can feel her heart aching at Luna’s words. Almost as if it’s calling out to do what she says. Is this right? Should she really risk going to see Anon? If what Luna says is true, then Anon really wants to see her and could use the company while he works. Anon used to sit by her side when he came to her court. So why shouldn’t she return the favor?
Celestia nods at her sister. As she rises from her throne.
“You’re right, Luna. I think It’s high time I visit Anon.”
Luna gives her sister a nod as she takes her seat on the throne.
“I will remain here till you return.”
Celestia gives her sister a smile as she makes her journey to Anon’s shop. She stops briefly to cast a glance at her sister. Luna has grown over these past months thanks to Anon. Not only that but the ponies that see her sitting upon the throne no longer show her fear. Celestia must admit that she’s grateful that Anon pushed them as far as he did. She can see the joy on her sister's face as she helps their subjects.
Celestia turns back around and walks out of the throne room. She should hurry, wouldn’t want to put this off for longer than needed.
Celestia looks around Canterlot with her princess mask on. All of the ponies on the street are bowing before her as she walks past. Has she ever mentioned how much she dislikes this? She looks over to her side expecting Anon to be there, but he isn’t. An internal sigh is all that comes out of that thought. She returns her gaze to the buildings as she scans for the address Anon gave her all those months ago. She knows it should be somewhere around here.
There it is! Celestia takes a minute to look the shop over. She must admit that it’s rather plain looking for a candy shop. Most of the food-oriented stores go out of their way to make themselves look flashy and the like. It makes sense that Anon wouldn’t like his store to look like that. She can practically feel the professionalism oozing from the very walls. He does what he does well and that’s what this building represents. Enough standing around, she can practically feel her hooves trembling at the thought of seeing him again.
She walks up to the door and opens it. A ring comes from a small bell hanging above the door. All of the ponies in line turn around. Their eyes grow wide as they see their princess standing behind them. Celestia decides to ignore this as she looks over them and towards the register. It’s the mare from before, Lyra. She pushes away a certain uncomfortable feeling that builds inside of her whenever she thinks of that mare and what she’s tried to do to Anon.
Lyra instantly notices the princess but seems to be stuck in shock. She wasn’t expecting to see Celestia come to the shop today. Then again, no other pony was expecting the same thing either.
“Here’s the next order, Lyra.” Anon says coming out from the back with a bag in hand.
Anon notices the vacant gaze Lyra is giving to someone in the crowd. Anon looks over and notices that all of the ponies are looking at something. He continues down the line until he spots what everyone is looking at. Celestia is here. He can feel a certain smile grow on his face as he walks from behind the counter and up to the princess. He doesn’t pause either as he wraps his arms around her neck.
“Long time no see, Tia.” He says.
Anon ignores all of the suppressed gasps he hears from behind him. Celestia can feel her princess mask disappear at Anon’s sudden hug. She rests her head onto his shoulders as she wraps him into her wings. She missed this, she missed this so much. Her heart aches, but it doesn’t ache for the reasons from before. She isn’t really sure why it hurts. The both of them break from one another. Celestia is smiling at Anon as he smiles at her.
“I know. It seems like it’s been ages.” Celestia says. “How’s the shop been?”
Anon chuckles. “How about we take this somewhere private?”
Celestia gives a nod as she looks over the room and notices that everypony has their jaws on the floor.
“That seems wise.”
Anon waves her to follow as he walks behind the counter and into the back kitchen. Celestia follows after him, but once she walks past the double doors, she feels her eyes widen as she looks at the kitchen. There are ponies everywhere. Each of them working on various things. She must say that this reminds her of the time she walked into her kitchen in Canterlot. So many ponies focused on creating things, the constant sound of cutlery being used. She could swear that these ponies were hard at work in the finest restaurant in Canterlot with how determined they look. They stop when they notice Celestia standing there. Anon quickly catches their attention.
“Keep working, Boys!” Anon yells. “Training isn’t over yet.”
They get back to their tasks as Anon waves Celestia to follow him. He briefly stops near Bonbon.
“What’s the count for the bonbons?”
“Count is over a thousand.” She answers. “We’re holding steady on all fronts.”
Anon smiles. “Good to hear. Keep an eye on them, I’ve got company. Do you mind if we use your kitchen?”
Bonbon shakes her head, never looking up from her paperwork.
“It’s fine.”
Anon turns to Celestia. “Let’s go, Tia.”
He walks through another set of doors and Celestia follows him. When she walks through these doors it seems a bit of a shock. This kitchen reminds her of Anon’s kitchen back in Ponyville. Very plain and minimalist. Just a simple stove, countertops, cupboards and fridge. A stark contrast when compared to the kitchen they just walked through.
“Tea?” Anon asks.
Celestia regains focus. “That would be lovely.”
Anon waves her over to a seat as he works on the tea. Celestia can feel her heart swelling in her chest as she watches Anon make her tea. It reminds her of all the times they’ve spent together. She can feel that same old smile on her muzzle as she enjoys this moment. Anon turns around and sets a saucer and teacup in front of Celestia and takes his seat across from her with his own cup.
“So what brings you around?” Anon asks.
It’s definitely been awhile since the two of them sat down and talked to one another. So he intends to enjoy it as much as he can. The words Luna spoke to him this morning still floating around in his thoughts.
“I thought it was high time to see how things were going for you.”
Anon’s smile grows larger.
“They’re going better than expected.”
Celestia takes a sip of her tea, her heart swelling once more as the taste hits her lips. Anon made it just the way she likes it. However, her mind finds itself pulled away from her tea. There are many questions she wishes to ask, but one in particular has her attention.
“May I ask why there are so many ponies in your kitchen?” Celestia asks curiously.
Anon grins at that. “That’s why it’s going so well. We managed to hire a bunch of ponies. We’ve been spending the last week or so teaching them how to prepare everything.”
Celestia feels her heart leap into her throat. Her thoughts come to a sudden halt as everything he said registers into her mind.
“D-Does that mean...”
His grin grows. “Yeah, I’ll be having a lot of free time on my hands soon.” He lets out a sigh. “Just in time too. If I had to do this any longer, I would probably have nothing more than stumps for hands.”
Celestia is beyond happy to hear this. Anon will be getting free time! This means she’ll be able to spend time with him again. If she were a lesser pony, she would be giggling like a little filly right now.
“How has stuff been over at the castle?” Anon asks.
“The usual.” She answers.
“So, boring?”
Celestia chuckled. “Yes.”
“Maybe we can do something together?” Anon asks.
“What do you mean?”
Anon rubs his chin some. “Well, Bonbon, Lyra and I were going to celebrate in private over our recent success. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind the extra company. You want to join us?”
Celestia was kinda hoping that Anon was offering to spend some time with her alone, but she can understand why he wants to do something like this. It is indeed a great reason to celebrate and she would like nothing more than to be there for him.
“I would enjoy that.” She answers.
“Maybe we can invite Luna and Blueblood as well?” Anon throws out.
“I don’t see why not?” Celestia adds. “How about Twilight?”
Celestia can see it happen in a split second. Anon’s entire mood shifts from happy to emotionless. Anon feels his mind drifting back to the time when Twilight held him in that place of hers. He thanks whatever gods there may be that he hasn’t run into Twilight during his limited time around the castle. However, now that he’ll be getting free time soon, the chances of running into her will be a matter of when and not if.
“It’s a celebration for friends.” Anon answers.
Celestia feels a sigh leave her. She’s been working with Twilight the entire time Anon’s been busy. She can see how much Twilight regrets what she’s done. How much she wants to apologize to Anon. Celestia will admit that the first few weeks she was very hard on Twilight. However, her student never complained and took what she gave her. No matter how hard the task was, she just kept pushing through it. It got to the point where Celestia was reminded of a time when Twilight thought she was tardy with a friendship report.
When Celestia sat her down and really talked to her, she found out how much Twilight felt that her punishment was not only justified but also rather lenient. She spoke of how much more punishment she deserved for what she did to Anon. It was from that day on that Celestia has taken her time to teach Twilight about pony society. Celestia still blames herself for having not taught her such things from the beginning. She saw all the signs, but she hoped that going to Ponyville would’ve brought her out of her shell. Yet that wasn’t the case and that’s why she’s here.
Twilight has come a long way, but she still has a long road ahead of her. She’ll be lucky if she is allowed to live in Ponyville by the end of the year. Still, Celestia can see that her student is truly sorry and trying her hardest to make up for her mistakes. That doesn’t mean she can force Anon to accept her, she knows that. She just wishes that he would at least try. Celestia may be upset with Twilight, but she can’t deny the years they’ve also spent together. She would be lying if she didn’t admit to feeling horrible weeks after she punished Twilight.
“I guess you’re right.” Celestia admits as she takes another sip of her tea.
Anon knows what Celestia is trying to do. Luna and him have spoken a lot about what’s been happening around the castle during his absence. He doesn’t agree that Twilight has learned her lesson. What she did can never be forgiven. Luna agrees with him, but even he can sense that she wishes for him to at least humor the thought. Mostly because of her past and being Nightmare moon. Yet he doesn’t see the both of them in the same light.
Anon told her how it was. Luna and Nightmare moon were two different ponies. There was no Nightmare Twilight, it was just Twilight doing all of those things. That’s all the information he needs to keep his distance. Anon shakes those thoughts away. He has company, no reason to waste it on that pony any longer.
“So, yeah. I should be getting a lot of free time soon.” He says trying to bring the conversation back.
“Is there anything else noteworthy?” Celestia asks.
Anon rubs his chin in thought.
“None that I can think of. I’ve met a bunch of interesting customers since the shops opened, if you can call that noteworthy.” He admits.
“Really?”
Anon nods. “There’s one mare that comes to mind. I think she’s a performer of some kind. She’s kinda weird. Always talks in the third person. Fancy Pants also stopped by on more than a few occasions to buy some candy for his wife. I guess she’s a fan of them. He seems pretty cool, doesn’t act like most of the elite class from Canterlot.”
“It sounds like you’ve found good company.” Celestia admits.
Anon shrugs. “They tend to stay around the shop longer to talk. I don’t mind much. I could name a few more, but those two are regulars.”
“So you could say that you’ve made some more friends?”
“I...Maybe?” He rubs his chin in thought. “You think I should invite them to the celebration?”
Celestia shrugs, it’s not her place to say if he should or shouldn’t invite anypony to his party. Anon starts thinking about all the ponies he would want there. A lightbulb goes off in his mind. There’s definitely one pony that he has to invite.
“Probably should send a letter to Pinkie.” He shakes his head. “That would take too long. One second.”
Celestia watches with a raised brow as Anon raises his hand and snaps his fingers. Her eyes widen as he falls asleep. Celestia quickly catches him with her magic so he wouldn’t fall onto the table.
“Anon?!” She shouts worried.
She gets up and walks closer to him. She scans him briefly and finds that nothing’s wrong with him. He’s just asleep. What is going on? Celestia jumps back some in surprise as Anon opens his eyes.
“Are you alright?” She asks him.
“Yup. She’ll be on the next train here.” He says.
Celestia is confused as she takes her seat again across from Anon.
“What just happened?” Celestia asks.
Anon looks at her confused. “Hmm? Oh! I sent a message to Pinkie. Luna has been teaching me how to dream walk and that’s a thing I learned.”
Celestia’s eyes widen at that. Is her sister actually teaching another creature about dream walking? This is definitely news to her.
“I must admit that I’m rather surprised. My sister’s been known never to teach another being how to dream walk.”
Anon shrugs. “We have a lot of free time while we’re asleep. I’m not as good as her, but I’m learning as time goes on. I can send messages pretty easily. Which is a surprise because you’d think it would be harder, but she said I picked it up rather quickly.”
“So, you sent a message in a dream? How does that work?” Celestia asks interested.
Anon takes a second to think.
“It’s hard to explain. Basically, I’m going into Pinkie’s head and tell her subconscious about the party. Everyone’s subconscious is always in a dream like state. So her subconscious will bring this thought to Pinkie and she can answer back. Pinkie knows what to look for, but if I did this to you or another pony, they would probably get confused. It would seem like your own thought, but the whisper of my own as well. Very jarring for anyone that wasn’t expecting it.”
“Can you try it with me?” Celestia asks.
She notices Anon look warily at her.
“No. It’s a lot more than what I told you. The subconscious of a pony's mind can be dangerous.”
“How so?” Celestia leans a bit forward.
“You can’t control your subconscious.” Anon answers. “Everything is laid bare. If I wanted, I could see things that Pinkie never wanted me to see. Things that not even her own mind wants her to see. It’s very hard, but I have to concentrate on the message and never allow my mind to wander. If I did that for a split second, I would be flooded with thoughts and memories.”
“That sounds dangerous.” Celestia says in worry.
“It’s very dangerous. As it turns out, your sister and I have a lot more in common than I once thought.”
Celestia feels her brow raise. “Why do you say that?”
“Luna said that it’s best to experience the pain so that the mind will never wonder. She let me into her subconscious to send a message and then told me to think of something else. That fraction of a second was all it took. I lived a small portion of her life. Sure, it’s largely a jumbled mess, but I got the gyst of it.”
“She, allowed this?” Celestia asks in disbelief.
Anon nods. “She did. Of course, she hid away some things. Luna’s mind is very sharp, she just let me experience the good times in her life and not the times of war or her Nightmare moon thing. Don’t get me wrong, the flood of memories was painful, to say the least. It’s also hard to separate what are your memories and thoughts and what is another's memories and thoughts. Thankfully Luna was there shielding my mind so I could cope better.”
“I-I don’t know what to say.” Luna hasn’t told her about what she and Anon have been doing.
“It’s fine. Luna was right as well. Since then I haven’t allowed my mind to wander when I’m in another pony's head, well, at least in their subconscious. Dreamwalking can get confusing. She thinks I can become a dream walker of her caliber one day. I doubt that, but we have fun.”
Celestia may have to talk to her sister some about this. For now she can table it.
“It’s good to know that you’re getting along well with Luna.” Celestia admits.
Anon chuckles. “How’s she been handling the throne? She doesn’t talk much about that stuff, mostly dream walking business.”
Celestia smiles at that. “It reminds me of the old days. I’m looking into getting her a throne to sit beside mine.”
“That’s great. I’m happy to hear that she’s doing so well. I know you both were pretty nervous when she started.”
Celestia nods. “I was, but it’s good to know that my fears were unfounded.”
Their attention is taken from them as Lyra walks into the kitchen.
“Um, Anon?” She asks nervously.
“Hmm?” Anon turns to face Lyra.
She looks between the princess and Anon unsure if she should be interrupting them, but soon faces Anon to tell him why she’s here.
“I just wanted to tell you that Trixie is here.” She says.
Anon smirks at that. “Can you show her here?”
She nods and slowly walks out. Celestia finds her mind going back to this mare. How is Anon acting so normal around her? Again that strong feeling is starting to well up inside of her at the thought of that mare. How she tried to seduce Anon. The thought alone makes her feathers ruffle, nostrils flare and fur stand on end. She’s quick to control it, but it’s not easy.
“You’re probably wondering why I’m so nice to Lyra.”
Celestia looks over to see Anon staring at her dead in the eyes. He’s still smiling at her, but she can see a certain harsh gaze he’s giving her. As if he can sense her desire to put that mare into her dungeon.
“It’s a thought.” No reason to lie.
“We had a long talk with each other. I understand how she feels and I can’t blame her for that. As long as she keeps herself in check, then I’m alright with whatever thoughts she wants to have.”
“Do you not worry she will break her promise?” Celestia presses a bit harder than she intends.
“Bonbon’s been keeping her in check lately. I trust her enough to wrangle Lyra in when she needs to.”
Celestia lets out a sigh, if things are working for Anon she has no right to try and tell him what to do. The doors that led to the kitchen come flying open. An azure colored mare is standing there looking rather smug. Sitting atop her head is a large mage’s hat and a equally large cloak lays upon her back. The two pieces of clothing are covered in various star patterns.
“Look upon me in awe human as the great and power-” The mare comes to a halts as she looks at the princess like a deer in the headlights.
“Celestia, this is Trixie. Trixie, my friend Celestia.” Anon introduces them.
Anon watches with a smug look of his own as Trixie tries to say something, but little more than her breath leaves her mouth. Celestia can see this as well, so she decides to break the ice and takes initiative.
“It’s nice to meet you.” Celestia extends her hoof.
Trixie shakily raises her hoof and rests it onto the princess’. Celestia gives it a few shakes and moves her hoof back. The mare still looks rather shaken, but overall a lot calmer than a few moments ago.
“So what brings you here, Trix?” Anon asks.
Trixie looks over at Anon, back to the princess, then back to Anon.
“T-Trixie wished to know what you were up to.”
Anon shrugs. “Same old, same old. We’re almost done teaching the new employees.”
Trixie looks at him brightly. “Does that mean you will be getting free time?”
Anon nods. “Yup. Speaking of free time. You want to join my friends and I for a party we’re throwing for this occasion?”
Trixie clears her throat some as she tries to remain composed.
“Well, it wouldn’t be much of a party if Trixie wasn’t there.” She says full of confidence.
Anon chuckles at that.
“Well, can you let Trixie know that she’s invited if she’s interested?”
“What time would this party be?” She asks.
Anon shrugs. “Probably Saturday, around five”
“Where will it be?”
“The castle.” Anon adds. “Nothing fancy, just friends hanging out.”
“Trixie will patiently wait.” She says with a smile. “May Trixie ask if you have her order?”
Celestia looks over to see Anon realize something.
“Oh! Yes, one sec.”
Anon walks over to one of the cupboards and reaches in. He pulls out a small bag. He walks over to Trixie and hands it to her. She takes the bag with her magic.
“Trixie thanks you for taking the time to make her order.”
“It’s no problem. See you Saturday.”
Trixie gives Anon a wave and a small bow to the princess just before she leaves. Anon returns to his seat and faces Celestia.
“Custom order?” She asks.
Anon nods. “Yeah, some ponies can’t process pure sugar that well. So we custom make candy that uses alternatives. It’s pretty popular and we don’t charge extra.”
Celestia can’t help the swell in her heart. It’s so hard to believe that this is Anon. Well, she’s always known this Anon, but to see him acting like this with other ponies makes her feel as if the world is perfect. She’s always thought about a day like this, but to actually experience it is still a bit shocking. It almost makes up for all of the hardships from the past, she can only hope this trend continues.
“It’s good to hear how well you’re doing.” Celestia takes another sip of her tea.
“We’ve been working very hard. In a few days, we’ll finally be able to get some down time.”
“What plans do you have once your time is made free?” Celestia asks.
Anon takes a second to think about that. Celestia is right. He’s never really thought much about what he will do once he is free from his work. His life was simple. Get up, go to work and then sleep. What will he do now once his job is no longer a choice? It seems so odd to think about it in such a way. He always thought his job would be a constant.
“I... do not know.” He answers. “I guess I’ll just see what happens.”
“Would you like to spend time together?” Celestia offers.
“That should go without saying.”
That gets Celestia smiling. Anon looks over at the clock hanging on the wall.
“Damn, I gotta head back into the kitchen.” He gets up from his chair. “Sorry for such a short visit but I need to keep a close eye on those cooks. One slip of the hoof and we could lose an entire batch of candy.”
Celestia shakes her head. “No need to explain. I understand that you still have a few days before you can trust your employees.”
Anon rubs the back of his neck. “So weird to think of them as my employees.” He looks at Celestia and waves for her to follow. “I’ll show you out.”
Celestia nods at him as she follows. The both of them walk out of the back kitchen and into the main store. Anon stops at the register to talk to Lyra as Celestia walks past him and towards the door. Anon then catches up with Celestia and opens the door for her. For some reason Celestia feels her cheeks redden as she walks out.
“One last thing.” Anon calls out.
Celestia turns and sees Anon is holding two bags in his hand. One has her cutie mark on it and the other has what appears to be Bluebloods mark.
“For you and Luna to share.” He hands her the one with her mark. “It’s something I’ve been working on. Tell me what you think when I come back tonight.” He then hands her the other. “And something special for Blue.”
Celestia gives a nod and takes the bags into her magic.
“Will we see you at dinner?” She asks.
Anon nods. “Definitely. See you around, Tia.”
Anon walks up to her and wraps his arms around her neck. She’ll never grow tired of this. She nuzzles his neck some before he pulls away.
“See you later, Anon.” Celestia says.
Anon turns around and walks back inside. Celestia takes a moment to compose herself. She isn’t too sure why, but her heart was beating faster than normal when Anon was hugging her. Even her cheeks feel a bit warm. She hopes she isn’t getting sick. No need to worry, she better head back to the castle to see how her sister is doing.