Anon takes a few deep breaths in and a few of them out. He just needs to calm his nerves and get this over with. Twilight isn’t going to be there at dinner. However, he needs to go to the castle a little early to get some clothes to wear for dinner and to pack a small bag for when he comes back to the store. It needs to be done, he can’t just stay in the clothes he’s wearing the entire time. All he needs to do is walk to his room and pack some things. Then he’ll walk out, back to the shop, get ready for the dinner and then walk back. In and out, no problem.
“Yeah, no problem.” He whispers to himself as he paces back and forth in front of the castle gates.
The two guards can only face forward as this creature walks back and forth in front of them. They know exactly who he is, so they’re just waiting until he’s ready to enter. They’re not really sure what he’s doing, but they don’t get paid to ask questions, they get paid to keep ponies out. Anon’s ready. He walks up to the gate as the two ponies use their magic to open it for him.
Anon decides to make this quick and painless. First he needs to walk through the front do-... Anon feels his world slow down as he notices Twilight walking out of the castle’s front door. She’s walking on three legs while she uses the other to hold a book. How could he be so unlucky? Then Anon notices something. Why is she not using her magic? Anon looks up to see that the ring is still on her horn. Wasn’t that supposed to be taken off a month ago?
Anon is holding his breath as Twilight continues to walk towards him. He keeps trying to question why she would still have that ring on. Was it Celestia? Luna? Twilight is really focused on her book. She’s learning a lot about body language. There’s also various smells that a creature gives off and many other interesting things to learn. She doesn’t even notice when she walks past Anon.
Anon thanks whatever god that may be watching over him as Twilight walks clear past him. Wait a second, what abo-
“Twilight, wait!”
Anon feels his body fill with dread as Spike walks out from the castle doors. Spike freezes as he notices Anon. Twilight doesn’t seem to notice as she keeps looking at her book.
“What’s up, Spike?” Twilight questions as she walks along.
Spike looks at Anon as he looks at him. Anon just holds up a finger to tell him to be silent. Anon slowly walks to a side door that leads to the gardens. It’ll be a bit of a detour, but he’s fine with that. Spike can only watch as Anon walks to the door, quietly opens it and then closes it behind him. Twilight looks over her withers at Spike as he just stands there spacing out.
“Spike, are you coming?” Twilight asks.
“...Yeah.”
Twilight just shakes her head at him as she returns to her book. Twilight then smells something on the wind. She lifts her head up slightly to get a better whiff.
“Is that..” She shakes her head. “That’s silly. Come along, Spike!”
Twilight walks off towards her parents. She’s sure that she smelled Anon, but maybe her muzzle is playing tricks on her? Spike decides not to say anything as he runs after Twilight. This entire thing is too crazy for him to deal with.
Anon quickly runs to a bush in the garden and spews his guts. His heart is racing and his body feels sick. It’s almost as if he suddenly came down with the flu. He saw her... He can’t believe how unlucky he is. He shouldn’t have come. He shouldn’t live here. If there’s even a small chance of bumping into that pony, then he doesn’t want to risk it. He wonders if Bonbon will let him move in?
No. No... These are just thoughts of fear. He needs to calm down and think. Twilight is gone. She won’t be coming back. He has all the time in the world to pack some stuff and go to dinner. No harm, no foul. His entire body feels as if he ran a marathon after that brief encounter. Seeing as Twilight isn’t coming back, maybe it wouldn’t hurt if he takes a quick rest? It’ll do good to settle his racing thoughts.
It’s been awhile since he’s taken some time to walk around the gardens. Perhaps clearing his head is exactly what he needs right now. After taking a few more breaths to steady his rapidly beating heart, does Anon start walking through the garden. This place is really beautiful. Flowers, trees, and animals aplenty. Just knowing that no one else is here definitely helps calm Anon’s nerves.
Well, if he actually was alone here. Anon can hear a soft laughter coming from deep within the gardens. Curious. It’s probably Blueblood. He usually likes to come out here the most. Anon hasn’t seen Blue in a long time and it would be nice to see him again. So Anon moves his way through the bushes and trees deeper into the gardens. What he begins to notice right away is that there are two voices instead of one.
Could it possibly be Celestia out here with Blueblood? It wouldn’t be uncommon for her to join him. Those are sound thoughts, so Anon keeps continuing forward. As he approaches he can hear Blueblood talking.
“And this one is named George. Anon named him after a monkey from his world.”
Anon can feel a smile at that thought. He can already see Blueblood facing a tree with a monkey on his withers as he faces someone. Anon keeps walking up towards them but stops when he hears the other pony talk.
“That’s interesting.” Fluttershy says with a large smile. “Did Anon name any of the other animals?”
Anon feels himself freeze in place as he tries to comprehend what’s happening. The first thought that comes to mind is. Why is Fluttershy still here? He doesn’t remember Luna mentioning Fluttershy during their training, then again, she never really talked about anything other than their training. So Anon is left to question why is she here now? Anon isn’t sure what he should do right now.
Should he leave and do what he set out to do or should he actually try and talk to her? He doesn’t hold anything against her, but, he still has an odd feeling of wariness when he thinks about her.
“He named a few of them, but I don’t remember them all.” Blueblood says with an ever-present smile.
“That’s nice to hear. So Anon likes animals?” Fluttershy asks.
Blueblood nods. “I think so. Maybe not as much as you, but he likes them.”
“What else can you tell me about Anon?”
Anon doesn’t know what to do. He still has these two sides of him debating what is wrong and right. Each side makes a pretty good argument. On one hand, he can walk away and ignore this situation. On another, he can just get it over with. Again, Fluttershy isn’t exactly a bad pony. It was just a bad situation that got out of hand fast. He did some stuff, she is the reason for that stuff.
Anon feels his mind going back to what Bonbon said. Throwing caution to the wind. While he definitely won’t be doing that with Twilight, he can probably at least try with this pony. Anon takes a deep breath in and decides to get this over with.
“Why don’t you ask me?” Anon speaks up.
Both Blueblood and Fluttershy jump in shock at the voice. They quickly look over and see Anon walking over towards them. Fluttershy feels her smile come back and the same goes for Blueblood.
“Anon!” Blueblood gets up from his seat and runs over to him. “What are you doing here?!”
Anon can feel a genuine smile on his face as he pats Blue on the head.
“Just stopping by to pick some things up. Did your aunt tell you that I’m coming to dinner?”
He shakes his head. “That’s great news!” He looks at Fluttershy. “Did you hear that? Anon’s coming to dinner!”
“I heard.” She looks at Anon, then back at Blueblood. “Maybe you should get ready?”
Blueblood looks shocked. “You’re right! I haven’t a minute to spare!”
Blueblood bolts towards the castle without another word being said. Anon follows Blueblood with his eyes until he’s out of sight. He can already feel his mind in overdrive. Fluttershy wants him alone. That much is obvious.
“Please, sit.” She says.
Anon looks back at Fluttershy as she points over to the spot where Blueblood was. Her voice is soothing in a way. No fluctuation to indicate any alternate emotion she may be feeling. She seems content. Anon doesn’t see a reason to leave, so he walks over and takes a seat in front of her.
“Hi.” Fluttershy says simply.
“Hey.”
The two of them grow silent. It’s rather awkward, but neither one knows what to say.
“You’ve been busy?” Fluttershy breaks the silence.
“Very. The candy store is rather popular.”
“I’ve heard. Are you having fun?”
Anon feels a brow raise. “Why do you ask, Fluttershy?”
She looks sad for a moment as she scoots a little closer to him.
“I just want us to start over. I’m sorry for what happened between us.”
“Things happened. Neither one of us was in the wrong.”
Fluttershy isn’t sure what words to use to say how she feels. For so long she’s been feeling guilty about everything, not just what she did to him personally, but about everything. It seems that Anon has been the subject of so many horrible things.
“For these passing months I’ve been talking to Pinkie and Blueblood. They speak so highly of you. It’s almost as if they’re talking about another creature entirely.” She rests a hoof onto his hand. “I want to know you like how they know you.” She looks sadly at her hoof that’s rested on his hand. “Maybe I lost that chance long ago.”
Anon wants to chew his arm off like a fox stuck in a trap, but he doesn’t want to react to his instincts. She’s pouring her heart out to him. She speaks as if she’s truly sorry, even though she has no reason to be sorry. It’s just a small testament to how much of a good pony she is. Anon feels his mind go back to a memory in particular.
“You’re really good at dancing!” Pinkie says with a giggle.
“I’m surprised you can dance on your hind hooves.” Anon tries to compliment Pinkie.
She giggles. “I’ve been told that I’m rather flexible.”
“Still,” Anon dips Pinkie as she lifts a hind hoof up to his waist and strikes a pose. “this probably isn’t normal for ponies, right?”
She nods. “Most ponies can’t stand on their hind hooves for long, but my time on the rock farm made my hooves strong.”
“Rock farm?”
Pinkie’s smile slips some. “It’s a long story.”
Anon brings Pinkie back up to his chest as they continue their waltz. Anon doesn’t know how it turned out like this, but Pinkie said she wanted to dance with the “birthday colt” and her big teary eyes were enough to get him to fold. Pinkie is also surprised how well Anon can dance.
“Where’d you learn how to dance?” She asks.
Anon shrugs. “I’m not sure.”
Pinkie doesn’t linger on that thought. She’s having a great time at Anon’s birthday party. She’s so happy that he invited her. Pinkie rests her head against his chest as she looks over the room. Only a few ponies were allowed here. The princesses and Blueblood. Pinkie can feel her heart hurt a little. She looks up at Anon.
“Why isn’t Fluttershy here?”
Anon looks away from Pinkie and at a wall.
“I didn’t find a reason to invite her.”
“Anon... I know you want to talk to her.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really. I saw you at her cottage.”
Pinkie can feel Anon jerk slightly, but he keeps his pacing.
“You were there?”
“I was visiting to see how she was doing.”
“I see.”
“She isn’t a bad pony, Anon. She feels horrible about what she did.”
Anon doesn’t say anything as he lets out a sigh.
“I know.” He relents.
“Talk to her.”
“It’s not that easy.”
“It is.” Pinkie rests her head on his chest again. “It’s easier than you know. Please, just talk to her.”
“...I’ll think about it.”
Pinkie and Anon both stop at the same time. Pinkie looks up at him with a large smile as she drops back onto all fours.
“Maybe we can do this again? You really are a great dancer.”
Anon rubs the back of his neck. “Maybe.”
Pinkie accepts that answer with her usual smile.
“I’m going to check on Fluttershy and Twilight.”
Pinkie notices the flash of hate that crosses Anon’s face when he hears the word Twilight.
“See you later.” He responds in a dead tone.
“See you later.” Pinkie responds with a sigh as she turns to leave.
Anon clenches his teeth some at that memory. Dammit Pinkie.
“Um... No hard feelings?” Anon says.
Fluttershy looks up at him with tears in her eyes.
“Do you really mean that?”
Anon hates how emotional ponies can get.
“Yeah, definitely. Like I said, you aren’t to blame.”
Fluttershy chuckles as she clears her face some.
“Sorry, I’m making this awkward for you.”
“I have a feeling that it would’ve been awkward regardless.”
Anon feels something start to grasp his pant leg. He looks down to see George climbing up his leg. Fluttershy can only giggle as the monkey climbs all the way up Anon’s body and sits on his shoulder.
“Blueblood told me that you like animals.”
Anon nods. “Yeah, they’re alright. I prefer domesticated animals more. Less chance of my face being ripped off.”
“Oh, I’m sure that wouldn’t happen.” Fluttershy thinks for a second. “Well, at least with none of the animals in the garden.”
“I guess you’re right. Celestia wouldn’t let Blue walk around if these animals were bloodthirsty.”
“What kind of animals do you like?”
“Dogs. Loyalty is what I like the most about them. Loyal to a fault, some would say.”
“Have you ever thought about owning a dog?” Fluttershy asks.
“Nah. As much as I would like to have a personal companion of my own, I don’t think I’d give it the time it needs. I’ve been busy and the princesses pretty much take up most of my time.” Anon rubs his chin and whispers in thought. “I wonder if I can teach Celestia how to fetch?”
“What was that?” Fluttershy asks.
Anon shakes his head. “Hmm? Nothing. Just idle thoughts. Anyways. Why are you still here, Fluttershy? Shouldn’t you have left for Ponyville a month ago?”
Fluttershy gets red in the face. “Yeah. I kinda wanted to see you. You know, to get everything out in the open.”
That’s weird, really weird... Then again, ponies are weird.
“...Interesting. So you’re going to head back now?”
Fluttershy nods. “I think I’ll start packing tomorrow. I’m sure the animals are eager to see me.”
Anon looks up to the sky and notices the position of the sun. It’s starting to get late and he wants to make sure he has a bag packed for his stay at Bonbon’s.
“I gotta head back and pack some things, Fluttershy. You’ll be going to dinner, right?”
She nods. “I will.”
“I guess I’ll see you there.” Fluttershy nods as Anon stands there awkwardly for a few seconds. “So... Yeah, I’m just going to walk away now.”
Anon turns around and starts walking towards the castle.
“See you later.” Fluttershy calls out.
Anon just gives a small wave, never looking back. Fluttershy looks off into the garden. She feels content with herself now. Maybe, just maybe one day Anon can be her friend as well.
Luna walks into her captain’s quarters with a stone cold look on her face. Before her banishment, her knights were well known for covert ops. Being able to hide in plain sight and protect from the darkness. The fact that Anon was harmed disturbs her. Her knights can't be everywhere at once, but she intends to have a small group watch over Anon from now on. It’s something she’s been meaning to do for awhile, but ever since she’s taken time on the throne from her sister, things are busy for her. Not that she’s complaining, she enjoys helping her subjects as much as her sister. Still, Anon is always on her mind, she doesn’t want him to become a victim ever again.
“Captain Midnight.” Luna calls her captain's name.
A female thestral walks from her office and bows before her princess.
“You called?”
“Rise.” Luna commands. “I want training for your knights to be doubled. I have a sour feeling in my stomach that something is just over the horizon.”
“As you wish.”
“I would also like a small team dispatched to protect something.”
“Ask and it will see no harm.”
“I wish for you to protect Anonymous.”
The pony looks at her princess. “The hooman?”
Luna nods. “Ensure that you are not seen. Anon may not look it, but his senses are far sharper than you know. I would dare say that they’re on par with my own.”
“We will blend with the shadows.”
Luna walks up closer to her captain. “He means a lot to me. Keep him safe.”
Another bow from Midnight Blossom.
“I understand.”
Luna feels that everything is now in motion. She doesn’t know why, but she can’t stop this weird feeling that’s inside of her. It’s like her insides are filled with hot air. Similar to the jitters she would get before a battle, but, somewhat different as well. All she knows is that it happens whenever she thinks of her friend. So she worries that he may be in danger.
“I must prepare for dinner.” Luna walks away.
Midnight Blossom rises from her bow as her princess leaves. A small smirk on her lips appearing. It seems that things are getting interesting. She can practically count the millennia that she’s been waiting for any form of action to take place. If her princess feels that something is on the horizon, then she knows to take her words seriously. Not only that, but she’s also been given an assignment.
“Ma'am, would you like us to watch over this hooman?” One of her knights asks after hearing the conversation.
Blossom shakes her head with her smirk still present. No, she’s very much been interested in this hooman ever since one of her knights reported him carrying her princess to her chambers.
“I think it’s time I’ve got my hooves dirty.” She looks over to her knight. “You’re in charge. I want you and the rest of the cadets to start training. Leave this hooman to me.”
The pony salutes. “Understood!”
Blossom walks over to a nearby window and leaps out. She can’t wait to see this human. To think that he was able to befriend not one, but both sisters. He must definitely be a sight to behold.