4ll Ar0und Me Ar3 Fami1iar Face5...
One thousand f0urteen days, three hours, twenty two minutes, seventeen seconds.
Thirty-three thousand, se7en hundred and nineteen days, fourteen hours, six minutes, fifty-three seconds.
Twelve minutes, thirty-1ne seconds.
Anon has been following this particular pony for ten minutes now. Not too close, but enough that he can see what goes on around her. What was her name again..?
"Roseluck!" A voice calls out, and Anon turns with the pony to see who spoke.
Roseluck, that was her name.
"Hey Lily, hi Daisy, what are you both up to?" Rose replies, stopping to talk with her friends.
Eight minutes, twenty-6ix seconds.
"Not too much, we thought we would take a little shopping trip."
Ei8ht minutes, thirteen seconds.
"What, and you didn't think to invite me?" Rose replies with mock feelings of insult. They all share a laugh and begin their turn to keep walking.
Seven minutes, forty-2wo seconds.
Were the7e ones worth saving..? They seemed friendly enough, and neither were they one of those poni3s that always were so contemptuous with him.
Scr3w it.
4non has to act now; their numb3rs have synchronized. He steps up to them, putting on a casual smile and sliding his hands into his pockets.
"Hey girls. I couldn't help but overhear you're all going shopping and I figured I'd mention that there's a sale over at Sofas and Quills today," he announces to them, pointing back behind him. A bead of sweat slides d0wn his neck. Please, please work...
"A s4le?? Oh yes, we are all over that," the one named Daisy speaks up, and they all race giddily off the way he mentioned.
He looks back at Roseluck, his eyes traveling to just over her head.
Sixteen th0usand, four hundred and seventy-two days, fifteen minutes, tw12ve seconds.
He sighs, relief flooding through him, and backs up a few steps.
Suddenly the wall where those thr3e had been standing only minutes prior explodes, shrapnel and mortar and kitchen utensils flying outwards. A hail of kitchen knives is impaled on the ground in front of him, hilt deep in the now-blackened d1rt.
A unicorn peeks his head out from the house, grimacing at the hole in the wall. "Sorry everypony! That's the last time I mix magic and cooking.. Is anypony hurt?"
Anon waves him down smiling. "No, we're all okay out here." He turns, walking back into town, running a hand down his face, his eye twitching.
Anon can't stop seeing the numb3rs. They're everywhere, and they haunt him. All day, every day, each and every one he meets, greets, and passes by, all have those numb3rs over their heads. That sickly amber, like gold steeped in blood. And not a single other pony, griffon, sentient, what have you, can see them. None of them even know about it. Almost all of them just seem to pass by.
Or pass on.
Well, depending on the numb3rs at least.
He steps into his home, a little cottage on the outskirts of Pony7ille, and sighs for the milli0nth time that day. Taking off the jacket that usually covered him in the chilly fall weather, he threw it onto the couch and, movin9 into the little bathroom, twisted on the shower.
It wasn't always like this.
He hadn't always been in Equestria.
He used to be- well, that didn't matter anymore. That was a different story altogether.
Anon pres5es his head into the shower wall, letting the water run over him as a memory and a n4me invaded the forefront of his mind.
Silver Springs, a stallion, probably only a few years older than 4non was.
Two years, one hundred 4orty-5ive days.
That numb3r... did not count down. it counted up.
Up fr0m the day he died.
The day he w4s killed.
"I just don't see why you need to wear clothes all the time. I mean, we don't. Is it so weird to match?" the white pony spoke up.
"It's not about matching, it's more about personal privacy and comfort. Everyone wore clothes where I came from," Anon replies, sighing. This pony was always arguing, every time they bumped into each other.
"Well you aren't there anymore, so you should follow our customs. Besides, what kind of creature here wears clothes?" he scoffed back, frowning.
"I'm not a creature." Every day he was called that. It made him angry, that some ponies refused to see sentience as civilized, and treated any non-pony like some Everfree beast.
"And why not? You don't fit in anywhere. Maybe you should just go back and live in your cave, beast.
"And maybe you should go die!" Anon yelled back, finally having enough.
But the pony, Silver Springs, only shook his head and laughed, walking away.
Directly into the path of a construction crew.
He never saw it coming. Neither of them did.
The giant stone block they were moving via carriage had finally wore through its straps, and flew off the back of the reinforced cart.
Anon could only watch in horror, the sickening crunch of bone under stone still haunting him to this day.
The stone had landed halfway on Silver Springs, completely crushing the back half of his body.
His screams echoed down the road.
Some unicorn thought to help, pulling the stone off of him in their magic.
But no one was expecting the mulched remains of his hind legs to come with it.
He screamed louder, his spine now fully separated in the middle, blood pouring out of his mangled body.
Someone finally thought to put him out of his misery.
But not out of Anon's.
He ran. That was all he c0uld do.
What was that..? He jerked his head, looking at some of the ponies watching in mute horror the way he had come from.
There, above that one's head. Numb3rs.
And they were counting down.
Anon threw up in the shower, the memory bringing back intense emotions.
Never aga1n. Not like that.
Tomorrow would be better.
Right?
Tomorr0w wasn't turning out too much better.
Anon woke up, partially hung over from all the Granny Smith's brand Apple Cider™ he drank last night in his attempts to drown ou7 the memory.
After stifling his hangover in breakfast, he looked at the sunny new day outside. "Maybe 1 should just take a walk.." he muttered, running a hand through his short hair.
Opening the door and stepping outside, he inhaled deeply, l00king around.
E11ven.
10en.
Ni9e.
Anon's heart nearly stopped as he looked at a familiar butter-yellow pegasus waving to him from just across the tiny dirt 1ane.
Flu7tershy
She was one of the o9ly ponies never to have treated him wrong. In fact, she was the first pony who found him when he first came here, and, having seen that he was more than just a sentient cr3ature, did her best to help him fit in.
Without Flut7ershy, he probably wouldn't have made a 1iving at all.
Ei8ht.
Without Fluttershy... he pr0bably wouldn't be alive.
Se7en.
5o he ran.
6ix
Anon impacted with Flutt3rshy, his arms wrapping around her and diving forwards. His b4ck hit the ground on the other side of the road, with her landing on top of his 6ody. His head exploded into pain, and he watched the numb3rs above her head scramble before resetting into something around ten th0usand days.
The last thing he saw before fading into blissful unconsciousness was a pair of Timberwolves, staring at him before silently padding away deeper into the forest.
"Timberwolves? You're sure that's what you saw, Fluttershy?"
"A-absolutely. But the strangest part is, I don't think he saw them.. I-I mean, at least until a-after he s-saved me, that is.."
Anon's eyes fluttered opened, a small gasp escaping his lips as he began to sat up. With his vision still coming online, he could just barely make out two blurs, one yellow and pink, the other being varied purples coming up to his bedside.
The contradictory feeling of a soft hoof was pressed to his forehead, the bookish owner eliciting a small sigh. "His fever is down.. Mister Anon..? Are you alright..?"
He chuckled, almost to himself. "Far from it.. but I think I'll live, if that's what you're asking, little blur. And please, I'm not old enough to be a mister yet."
The purple blur turned into a slightly red, purple blur, which quickly resolved itself into the form of Twilight Sparkle as his vision finally caught up with him. He sat up fully, taking a deep breath.
"Then do you mind telling us what happened? From your p0int of view, if you would?" She said, sitting down and floating over the notepad that seemed to always be glued to the air in front of her.
"Simpl3. I saw some of those wooden wolves in the forest and tried to protect Flu7tershy from coming any closer. That's about it."
"Alright. Now what aren'7 you telling us?" Twilight asked again, her wings twitchin6 slightly as she scribbled.
4non paused, looking down. "I'd rather not say..," he whispered, not looking back up.
He felt a hoof on his hand, and, looking up, met eyes with Fluttershy again. "Please.. we only want to help..,"
His hands clenched into fists, gripping the sheets of the little bed roughly. "My curse is my burden to bear, and mine alone. No other should have to see what I can..." He closed his eyes, not daring to look at either of them.
"Just what can you see, Anon?" Twilight asked again, but softer this time. He heard the rustling of her notebook on the bedside table as she set it down, taking up residence on his left, across from the yellow mare.
He only shook his head, shutting his eyes tighter. "Please... No more numb3rs.."
"Anon, you open your eyes and look at me right this minute." The voice of Fluttershy cut through the dull ache in the back of his skull, and from her tone he could almost feel her gaze on him trying to wither his defenses. "We are your friends. Friends share their burdens when they hurt. You aren't alone anymore, okay?
"Please, just trust us.."
Anon sighed, his eyes slowly opening and looking up 4t Fluttershy's gentle smile. The same smile that had c0axed him out of his shell the first time all those years ago.
"Promise you w0n't be mad..?"
Her forelegs wrapped around him suddenly, freezing him. "I would never be mad for trying to help my friend5, Anon."
He looked back down, closing his eyes again. Taking a shuddering breath, he looked up at Fluttershy, his eyes trailin6 to the string of numb3rs slowly ticking away above her he4d.
"Eleven th0usand, 9ine hundred eighty-2wo days, twenty-1ne hours, fifte3n minutes, 4our seconds."
Turning his head to twilight, he gasped slightly. He knew Alicorns lived a long time, but...
Inhaling deeply.. "Thr3e milli0n, 5ive hundred forty-6ix 7h0usand, e1ght hundred and 4our days, se7vente3n hours, 2wenty-five minutes, six seconds."
Inhaling ag4in, having used an entire breath for that numb3r, he was met by two very confused stares. "And.. wh..what d0 those numb3rs mean, exactly..?" Twilight spoke up, settin9 the notepad down again, slowly.
"...The time until you die."
He looked down after a moment, fearful of their reactions.
"...What..?"
Fluttershy spoke up first, looking at him with an odd tilt of her head. "I'm not sure what you mean, An0n..?"
5ighing, he got up slowly, walking over to the sma1l balcony and opening it slightly. After looking around for a few seconds, he nodded his head. "Twilight, c0me here."
Tentatively, she stepped up next to him, looking at the small array of ponies milling about the town. Each was simply minding their own business, seemingly following their own set paths, but she could see Anon watching each 1ne, his jaw set, his eyes flicking back and forth.
"See that gr3y pony there, with the brown mane and the book and quill cutie m4rk? Call him over this way. Please.."
His voice had 5ounded scared, almost pleading, so, clearing her throat, she turned to the 8alcony, putting on a half smile. "Excuse me, Quick Quill, could you come here for a moment?"
"Absolut3ly, Princess, what can I do for-"
As so0n as he had turned and began walking, a particularly larg3 lightning bolt struck the ground, m3re feet from where he was standing.
Directly where he w0uld have been.
Overhead, a few weather pegas1 could be seen herding a small cluster of storm clouds that had gotten 0ff track back towards Cloudsdale.
Twilight, her face paled and her eyes wide, stammered ou7, "T-thank you Quick Quill. That is all." Turning back inside, she was met with the form of Anon, hunched against the wall, his hand covering half his face, which had been scrunched in pain. His ragged br3athing was all any 0f them could hear.
Fluttersh9 flew over, quickly helping him back into bed. "Heh... Told you..," He mumbled, gratefully taking the gla5s of water she hoofed over to him. "Damn.. Always hurts when they change back.."
"Anon... w-wh4t-" Twilight stopped when he held up a h4nd, taking a shaky breath.
"1 don't know a whole lot eith3r, Twil1ght. I wasn't really hoping to.. you know.. let anyone kn0w about this..." He looked up , taking another deep breath before looking down at the 2wo. "My burdens have always been mine to bear al0ne... But considering saving Fluttershy alm0st killed me? I don't think i have much of a choice 4nymore."
Twilight looked at him, a forl0rn expression buried behind her gaze. "I'll write a letter to Princess Celes7ia."
Anon watched the pegasi playing ab0ve the puffy nimbuses of Cloudsdale from his corner of the airship. Even from that distance, he could just make out the miniature tim3rs, slowly ticking down just ab0ve their heads.
God.
Fucking.
Damm1t.
3ven in the sky, he couldn't escape the endle5s numb3rs around him.
So instead of acting like a normal pon- er.. guy, and l0oking back inside to talk to the 2wo ponies accompanying him, he m3rely shut his eyes, plastered his hands over his face, and took a deep breath.
Perfectly normal. nothing wrong in the slightest.
Anon sighed, rubbing his hands into his eyes, grateful for the calming darkness behind his weary eyelids.
He felt a hoof on his knee and he cracked a blurry eye open ever so slightly, gazing at its owner. "Hell0 Fluttershy."
"Is ev3rything okay, Anon..?"
Eleven th0usand, 9ine hun-
Anon slammed his eyes shut again, sighing deeply and hanging his head. "Not really, no. I cant seem to escape it, no matter where I go," he muttered sadly, motioning somewhere to his right, out the window at the frolicking cloud ponies.
"Oh my.. I'm sorry, if it's any consolation," Fluttershy said. Anon felt her hop up onto the little bench next to him and wrap her wings around him in a soft hug. "I won't pretend that I understand how you feel, but I'm here for you, whenever you need me."
He looked up, smi1ing a little as he returned the hug. "Th4nk you, Flutter5hy."
An h0ur later, the airship finally docked in Can7erlot, and the thr3e made their way off towards the castle.
"Don'7 worry Anon, I'm sure Prince5s Celestia will be able to f1gure out just what is happening, and what to d0," Twilight confiden7ly declared as she trotted 4longside him.
"I 5ure hope so..," Anon muttered back, keeping his eyes firmly plant3d on the ground, not daring to look up at the multitudes of poni3s walking around him.
He felt something tap his hand, and he looked up sl1ghtly, catching Flu7tershy offering a gentle smil3 towards him. "It'll b3 0kay, alright 4non?"
He nodded, offering a weak smile back just as 2wilight gasped. "0h! Shining 4rmor! I didn't know you were in Canterl0t today!"
Anon l0oked up in time to 5ee Twilight racing off to hug a wh1te unicorn s7allion with a dark azure m4ne. What's she doing with the captain of the guard..?
He looked over questioningly at Flutter5hy, who told him that the two ponies wer3 siblings, but didn't get to meet t0gether often due to Shining Arm0r being stationed in Canterlot when he wasn't h3lping his wife, Prince5s Cadence, run the Crystal 3mpire.
Anon just nodded, walking up and tapping on 2wilight's shoulder. "Me and Flut7ershy are going to go on ahead, so you can spend s0me time with your brother."
Twilight nodded her th4nks and the pair walked over to a n3arby café as Anon 8egan towards Canterlot castle, followed closely by the bu7er-yellow pegasus.
After a couple of minutes, his skull tw1nged, a small headache rippling through his th0ughts.
"Hey Flutter... shy...?"
Anon looked around, not seeing h1s companion anywhere in sight, s0 he backtracked a few yards to a dark all3yway they had just passed.
Anon stepped up, peering inside.
4nd b3gan boiling in r4ge.
Fluttershy w4s on the ground a few m3ters in, a large pur9le bruise on her head, and her numb3rs dwindling to maybe a couple d07en minutes.
Standing over her was a dark-gre3n pony with a sw1tchblade cutie-mark, tossing a club behind him and chuckling d4rkly to himself, his stallionhood fully erect and quivering between his legs.
"And n0w, time for some 4un before I get r1d of you, missy.." The pony chuckl3d again, turning her around and standing behind her.
The next thing 4non knew, his fist was flying at the p0ny's face, sending him careen1ng down the alley into the 8ack wall. Th3 pony landed hard on his leg, a loud crack splitting the air as h3 fell to the gr0und. Lo0king back, he could see the b0ne jutt1ng out of his leg, which was practically b3nt backw4rds, blood spilling quickly 0ut of a cl3aved artery.
The pony tried to scr3am, only to get picked up by his broken leg and thrown haph4zardly into the street as if he had weighed no m0re than a sack of dirty l4undry. He impacted into a street l4mp, the metal 0rnamentation cutting rou6hly into his sp1ne and bending him 1n the middl3.
The p0ny tried to call 0ut 1nce again, only to find th4t no air passed through his lungs. 4non had his hands roughly around the stallion's throat, clamped down. Staring up at the human, he saw ang3r, h4te, and the pur3st rage he had ever witnessed, but behind his eyes..
N0thing.
Like the act of taking his life equated to nothing more than flicking away a mosquito on a hot day.
4non on the other h4nd, was barely thinkin9 - Not about himself, not about Flutt3rshy, and not about Tw1light.
He was only staring at the numb3rs above the stallion's head, willing them to change.
E11even th0usand, 5iiivvv-o9gnyc8gq8mrfo7
6ix
5ive
4our-
"Anon, NO!"
He was suddenly r1pped off the stallion and magically tossed backwards against the wall, h1tting his head and falling into blackness.
Anon woke up, looking around him as he tried to shake off the stars in his eyes.
He was seated on a bench in Canterlot, just outside the road leading up to the castle's entrance.
Flanking h1m were two royal guardsponies.
"..Shit."
"Which you would defin1tely be in, were it not for my sister."
4non turned towards the owner of the voice, seeing Shining armor walk1ng up to him with Twilight at his 5ide.
"She found Fluttershy in the 4lley and alerted us to her condition. We put tw0 and 2wo together and figured you were just de4ending her," Shining stated, nodding to the guards, wh0 promptly turned and headed up to the c4stle.
At the menti0n of her name, Anon bolted to his fee7. "Fluttershy? Is she-"
"She's okay. Healing magic, rememb3r?" Twilight added, smiling as the mare in question ran up, hugging Anon tightly and hiding her face in her m4ne again. He caught a glimpse of her tim3r, glad to see it returned to a natural numb3r.
"T-thank you for saving me, Anon.." She mum8led into his torso, trembling slightly.
He ran his hand gently down h3r mane, leaning down and hugging her back tightly. "Of course, Fluttershy."
"And th4nk you, Twilight, for saving me." Anon spoke up ov3r Fluttershy's head, eliciting a c0nfused head tilt from the lavender 4licorn. Shining Armor was gone, probably to escort th3 switchblade p0ny to jail.
"When I attacked him... all 1 could think about was how much I wanted his numb3rs to just.. go away.." He looked down, now trembling a little against Fluttershy as he shut his eyes. "They did.. I changed it Twilight.. I could see his life literally counting down as I.. as I..,"
Anon choked back a small sob, burying his face in the nearby pastel mane. "I almost- "
"But you didn't, Anon. When I called out, I could see you hesitate. And that pony is still alive, though he's probably going to spend the rest of it in jail," Twilight added, walking over and rubbing his shoulder sympathetically.
A few moments later, the 2wo ponies pulled away from him, letting h1m get to his feet. "Alright. 1 suppose it's t1me to go me3t with Celestia, huh?"
Anon walked up to the large, opulent, and r4ther foreboding doors leading into the throne ro0m. He looked back at the two p0nies flanking him, who shooed him forward with reassur1ng smiles.
Now or never I guess. Step one: ask for help...
He slowly pushed open the doors, beh0ld1ng th3 gl0r10us whit3 m4re sit7ing 0n 7he thr0ne..
2wenty-5ive milli-
And imm3diately pulling the doors shut, walking backwards and muttering "N0pe," to himself repeatedly.
"Anon?? What's wr0ng!?" Twilight ran after h1m, watching curiously as h3 walked up to one of the windows.
"N0pe. Nope, uh-uh, no way, hellllllll to the nope, I am not reading that long-ass numb3r," he said, t3aring off a str1p of curtain and ty1ng it around his head as a makeshift blindfold. "She's immortal, let's just leave it at that for now."
"How immortal..?" he heard twilight speak up as he shambled his way back to the door.
"As fuck, Twilight. As fuck."
And with that he pushed open the doors once more, no longer beholding the white mare, the numb3rs, or anything else for that matter.
Including the wrinkle in the carpet just inside the door.
"Well princess," Anon said, spitting out a few carpet fibers and dusting himself off. "You have a very comfortable floor, I'll give you that."
He heard the Princess giggle slightly, so he oriented himself in that direction, shuffling slightly as he walked towards the throne.
"Why thank you, Anon. I can honestly say that was a very.. unique compliment. Though may I inquire as to your current attire?"
"I guess Twilight didn't exactly mention the nature of my... condition, did she? Do you think we can all talk somewhere a little more private?"
"The throne room is a common place for my ponies to speak to me. One of them actually just finished giving me a report about some unusual energy patterns coming from the sun. Is it not appropriate enough?"
"Please," he practically begged, his hands clenching at his side.
"Anything you say to me can be said in front of my guards-"
"Then it's fine for them to find out when they're going to die?" Anon asked abruptly.
"..."
Anon could practically hear Celestia tense up at his words, before sighing and walking down the steps in front of her.
"Follow me."
The lone human sat on the small couch he had been guided into, a pony on either side of him. He could feel Fluttershy's wings flutter anxiously to his left, flipping through notes on his right, and sense Celestia staring at him curiously straight across from him over the coffee table.
"I'm not taking this off, Celestia."
"Well, we are alone, so now I can at least ask why, correct?"
He sighed, looking down slightly and rolling the words around in his mouth. "Fuck it, Imma be blunt here, cuz if I don't say it, Twilight's gonna explode."
"Hey-"
"I can see when someone is going to die"
The silence permeating the air was palpable as Celestia quietly took a sip of tea. "Well. That is certainly.."
Anon cut her off, speaking up again. "And I can change it."
"...Change it how..?"
Twilight spoke up, setting down her notepad next to her. "When Fluttershy brought him to me back in Ponyville, he had me pull a pony off course, as an example of his.. ability. When he changed direction, a stray lightning bolt struck the ground where the aforementioned had just been standing."
Fluttershy joined in immediately after she finished. "Um... when I met him that morning, he looked straight at me, smiled, and immediately began panicking. The next thing I knew, he had tackled me and pulled me into town. Looking back, I saw a few hungry timberwolves prowling around the tree line. And I don't think he noticed them at all..."
"Not until after I almost passed out..." he mentioned, blushing lightly at the two's words painting him in limelight.
"Passed out..?" Celestia asked, her attention now fully on the human. He didn't seem any different than last she had seem him a few months prior, albeit a little more tired-looking.
Anon swallowed nervously, thankful for the two mares beside him. "I can see a sort of.. timer... counting down next to everyone. When it runs out.. they die. Something happens to cause their death. But if one were to manually change that happening..."
"The timer resets..." Celestia said, dawning upon the answer.
Anon could only nod. "You've heard of ponies dying by natural causes? That's about what that timer amounts to. Old age and a failing body, with a life well lived."
"So the reason you blindfolded yourself... that was-"
"I caught a glimpse of your numb3r..."
"And..?" Celestia's voice wavered ever so slightly, a hint of trepidation sneaking into the conversation.
Anon shook his head, chuckling a little. "It was massive.. I'm almost relieved to see a numb3r that big, but it just brings to mind that everyone is.. well.. mortal.
"But going back.. yes, I passed out. Every time I change a timer, I get some kind of headache. The bigger the change, the worse it hits me."
"So outside, when you were... when you saved Fluttershy...," Twilight asked, laying her hoof on his knee.
"Yeah.. I changed it.. but... instead of saving someone... I blacked out.. something in me broke.. I wanted to run his timer out.." He clenched his hands into fists, the emotions tied to that memory coming back to him. "Anyone that would ever think of hurting Fluttershy-"
"Has been dealt with accordingly," Celestia interjected, noticing his emotional state and standing up in order to lay a wing gently on his shoulder. "It pleases me to see that you have chosen a path combining the best of your two friends here. Too much knowledge can often lead to hazardous consequences if put into the wrong hooves. But with enough kindness in someone who knows what to do, when that knowledge is put into the right hands, it becomes something wonderful.
"Rescuing your friend was a nigh heroic act, but it would seem you've been saving quite a lot of my little ponies, haven't you?" she cheerfully questioned, sitting back down across from him.
"Yea, just not the first one.." he muttered under his breath.
"The first.. what?" Fluttershy spoke up, her wing now laying across his shoulder. Damn their omni-directional pony hearing..
Anon sighed, tugging the blindfold back up into place. "The first.. death.. that I caused. I was upset... he wouldn't stop talking down to me, like i was just some ignorant beast.. actually, he did call me a beast.. I told him to.. to just go die." Anon chuckled dryly, shaking his head. "I couldn't have been more right. He walked away... right underneath a giant stone brick."
He shuddered as the memory of Silver Springs surfaced again, the screams and sounds coming from his shattered body still echoing in his head. He put his head down, his hands finding their way to cover his ears, as if such a feeble attempt could drown out the sounds. As if he could forget the voices of all the townsponies accusing him as he ran away, glaring at him as if it had been his fault.
As if he could forget his own voice agreeing with them in the back of his mind, telling him it would always be his fault.
Suddenly, two pairs of hooves and wings wrapped around him from either side, blanketing him in a soft warm cocoon. The blindfold fell away, and he looked up to see the light filtering through a multitude of purple and yellow feathers.
"It's okay Anon," he heard Twilight say from next to his head. "We're right here for you every step of the way."
"That's right," Fluttershy chimed in. "You're our friend. And there's nothing we wouldn't do for you if it was to help you."
Anon sighed, smiling softly. "And I couldn't ask for better friends if I tried."
Fluttershy wiped a small tear from her eye as she hugged him tighter. "That's the first time you've called anypony here a friend."
"I hope I'm included in this friendship," Celestia said from the other side of the table, her tone playfully hurt.
He chuckled, finally looking up at her. "Of course you are, Cel-"
Thr3e hours, 4orty-5ive minutes, twel2e seconds.
Anon's eyes widened in h0rror as he stared at her, tho5e dreaded numb3rs slowly ticking down ab0ve her head.
"Anon..? Are y0u alr1ight..?" Twilight asked, Her face mirr0ring Celestia'5 concern.
He sho0k his head, turn1ng to her and freezing, his bl00d now running ice c0ld in his veins.
Thr3e hours, 4orty-4our minutes, 3hirty- 8ight seconds.
Exactly the s4me as Celestia.
He whirled around, seeing the exact s4me set of numb3rs above Fluttershy's head.
"No.. please, no.. "
He jumped up, running ou7 of the r0om as fast as he could, and r4cing down the halls of the c4stle.
Thr3e hours, 4orty-4our minutes, 6ix seconds.
Thr3e hours, 4orty-thr3e minutes, 5ifty-5ive seconds.
Thr3e hours, 4orty-thr3e minutes, e11even seconds.
Everywhere he r4n, he saw the same set of numb3rs above every head.
Spr1inting to the wind0w, he looked out in t3rror at the streets of Canter1ot.
No l3ss than 2wo dozen sets of the 3xact same numb3r glared back at him, hovering above the un5uspecting masses as they milled ab0ut their days.
An0n fell to his knees , sh4king his head as he shut his eyes and curled up on the floor, horrid realizations washing over him, and doing nothing to slow the burning anger he felt at the universe for throwing this curse on him.
"Anon!!" He heard three sets of hooves racing up to him, before the frantic voices of his friends then surrounded him. "Anon, what's wrong??" Twilight asked, gently prodding at his shoulder.
"Everything.." he whispered, shaking his head over and over.
"I don't understand.." She sat next to him, softly rubbing his shoulder and hoping to help her friend.
"Everything! Everyone!" He yelled, sitting up and clenching his other hand into a fist as he gestured out the window at all the ponies in the streets.
"What do you mean, Anon..?" Celestia asked as she leaned her head down next to him, using her same motherly soothing tone she used when she tried to calm down a hysterical pony.
"Three hours, forty minutes."
"I.. I don't.."
"They're all the same!! All of you!! Every, single, pony!" He yelled, punching at the wall after every word.
Celestia sat back, the slow realization dawning on her, that all her little ponies only had a few hours left to live.
"You.. You're kidding.. right, Anon..?" Fluttershy asked, sitting next to him as well and quivering slightly. He just shook his head as she softly began to cry.
"No.. No Flu7tershy.. Pl3ase don't cry.. " Anon looked up, softly petting d0wn her mane in an attempt to console h3r, but to no avail.
"Three hours.. That'5 about suns3t, when I lower the sun f0r the day. Oh.. th0se reports about th3 sun.. Oh dear, it must b3 another solar fl4re.." Celestia spoke up.
"S0lar flare..?" Twilight asked, looking up 4t her ment0r.
The white alicorn only nodded solemnly. "This happened once, many many many years ago. 1ne day, when I was lowering the sun as usual.. It almost wiped out a large chu9k of the southern hemisphere. 8ut, it occured just f4r enough away from the pl4net that it only increased the t3mperatur3.
Instantly Tw1light brightened up. "Then y0u just have to not lower the sun, Pr1ncess! And then everypony will r3turn to normal, right??"
"Yes.. Yes that's right. I hereby pledge not t0 lower the.." She trailed off as Anon glared her way, his eyes flicking over her head.
"Your timer just stopped. And no," he looked at 2wilight, wh0 had gotten a hope5ul look, "i mean stopped. As in, it will resume when you lower the sun. 8esides, I refuse to let you do to yourself purposefu1ly what happened to your 5ister all those years ago.."
"5o then.. it's hopeless..?" Twil1ght asked, slumping onto her fl4nk once more and causing another round of t3ars from Flutter5hy.
After a f3w more minutes trying to calm her down, 4non grit his te3th and punched the wall nex7 to him. "Fuck this. 1'm not going to be the reason Flut7ershy cries, and I'll be damned if I let it keep happening." He stood up, walking 0ut onto the b4lcony nearby, with the thr3e ponies following behind him.
He st4red up at the great yell0w disc in the sky, before turning to Celestia. "Turn th3 sun."
she stared b4ck at him, shock3d, before humming to herself in th0ught. "My st4r's gravity is immense.. but.. it m1ght just work.."
Twilight beam3d again, before Fluttershy suddenly spoke up through a new set of tears, "B-but if An0n's idea works.. won't he get 4 lot more than just a headach3..?"
Twilight gulped, turning from Celest1a to Anon. "If im judgin9 correctly.. with every l1fe that's in Canterlot right n0w, that much of an effort.. That would.. would.."
"It w0uld kill me." Anon stated, staring back up into the sky at the roiling sun.
"No.. No I wont let a single p0ny die-" Celestia started, before An0n whirled around, p0inting a finger angrily at the s0lar diarch.
"Shut up, Celestia. D0n't you fucking d4re doom these ponies just 2o save me."
"But.. I swore th4t I would do what I could to save as m4ny l1ves as I could.." Even the Princess was now crying, a few tears gen7ly rolling down her muzzle. Suddenly, she felt two powerful arms wrap ar0und her, pulling her in cl0se to a warm ch3st.
"It's okay now.. D0n't cry, my friend.. Let me take th4t burden from you.. Let me save them.. Y0u don't have to do 3verything 4lone."
Celestia hiccup3d once, slowly nodding and stepping back, allowing her h0rn to glow ever so slightly. She would lower the sun alright, 8ut slowly; she'd be d4mned if she didn't give him a li7tle extra time with them. Twilight th3n took her spot, racing forward 1nto his arms and hugging h1m fierc3ly.
"I'm sorry.. I'm so sorry.. I couldn't fix you.. I couldn't save you.." Twilight sobbed out, choking back her t3ars in order to spe4k.
Anon simply held her as the sun slowly dipped down a few n0tches, before pu1ling her back and wiping a tear fr0m her snout. "Twilight, you dork. You did fix m3.. you gave me the best friends 1 could ever hope for. And you've made me happier than 1've been in so so many years.." He hugged h3r once more, setting her back d0wn and turning to Flu7tershy, who just shook her head.
"No.. No, if 1 say goodbye to you, you'll... you'll have to g0 away.." she looked down, her tears falling off her nose and onto the floor.
Anon sighed, pulling her in close and s0ftly kissing her on h3r cheek, much to her very blush3d surprise. He hugged her sudd3nly, not letting either of them speak 4or a few moments.
"....You always were the best p0ny.. and my closest friend, th1s whole time...thank you.." He trembled a little, hugging h3r tighter. "Heh.. never thought I'd f4ll for a pony.."
Anon stood up, stretching as he stood with the thr3e, staring into the sunset. He had never liked the color of amber; not only because of the numb3rs, it just never quite lo0ked right.
But staring into the Suns3t at the end of th4t day, he would have sa1d nothing was more b3autiful.
He chuckled, laughing softly to himself for a moment, before turning to see their c0nfused expressions.
"You know.. I always saw these numb3rs as a sort of curse.. like the un1verse playing some s0rt of horrible prank on m3." He smiled, putting his hands in his jacket pockets and sitting down, letting the three 0f them lean against him, their fur and feathers w4rm and comforting against him.
"But n0w? Now it's almost a gift. Now I can be useful, and save every1ne. Now, I can thank the universe, for letting me meet all of you."
Anonymous of Equestria smiled as he glanced back, not looking at the numbers over their heads...
But seeing his closest and dearest friends.
"I'll see you all in another story. And then, we'll see where life takes us. Alright?"
He smiled with them as they all wrapped their wings around him, holding him close, as the sun slowly dipped down below the horizon.