It's a tale that's been told hundreds of times, isn't it? The average Joe lives a boring, mundane life, wishing for something greater. Then, one day, something happens that sends him to a foreign world, giving him a fresh start and a new perspective on life.

You've always wished that would happen to you. There's a show with talking ponies you like quite a bit that would be just perfect for it, too.

Be careful what you wish for.

You've been the only human in Equestria for some time now. However, it wasn't until this morning that your good friend Twilight suggested you take a peek through the Crystal Mirror. Supposedly, there is another world on the other side of that mirror populated by humans just like you.

She conveniently left out the fact that she herself turns into a human when she passes through it.

In hindsight, you probably should have seen this coming.

This story is a sequel to The Hermit

It has been a couple of months since Sunny and Zipp were stranded in the Everfree Forest. Their encounter with Anon still weighs heavily on Sunny's mind, so it comes as a pleasant surprise when he arrives in Maretime Bay one quiet morning.

However, although he is eager to speak to Sunny and Zipp again, Anon begins seeing more similarities between the past and the present than he is comfortable with. As a result, Sunny, Zipp, Pipp, Izzy, Hitch, and Misty find themselves under a great deal of pressure to do something that Anon doesn't seem too keen on explaining fully.

What is it that has Anon, immortal spouse of the long-deceased Celestia, so anxious? What is he trying to accomplish?

And what is he so desperate to hide from Sunny?

The prospect of meeting an alien has always fascinated Rainbow Dash. With countless worlds out there beyond the stars, who is to say that extraterrestrial life doesn't exist? What would they be like? Would they be just like her, but with a gross third eye? Would they be sturdy enough to beat her in a fight, or quick enough to beat her in a race? Would they be malevolent and try to conquer Equestria with their DEADLY SPACE LASERS?

Yeah, you're none of those things. She's a bit disappointed.

If you were to get sent to another world, you would probably hope that you'd wind up in a place like Equestria. Unfortunately, things don't always work out like that, and you instead woke up in the incredibly dangerous Dragon Lands. When the climate, wildlife, or countless pools of lava aren't trying to kill you, the local dragon population is.

Thankfully, Dragon Lord Ember has been personally seeing to it that nothing happens to her country's newest resident. Keeping you safe isn't easy, but she considers it well worth it.

And you'll do all that you can to support her.

After washing up on a beach unknown to you, you found yourself in Maretime Bay, a place full of talking, magical ponies. It didn't take long for you to realize that you were in another world, but at least you had some new friends to give you a helping hoof.

Of these ponies, Princess Pipp Petals became particularly interested in you, and you quickly became an inseparable duo. Well, sort of.

You can't say you necessarily expected to end up in a different world, but if you did, you probably would have hoped that your cute alien girlfriend wouldn't be a social media influencer.

In your old world, magic only existed in fiction. However, once you wound up in Equestria, everything you knew was suddenly called into question, and magic became just another daily occurrence. As such, it should have come as no surprise when you were more enamored by the stage magic of "The Great and Powerful" Trixie than most. Over time, the two of you grew close, and you quickly went from a fan, to a friend, to a confidant.

And just days ago, she asked you out to dinner, thus making the two of you official.

Since then, you've been as happy as can be. However, you're quickly realizing that life with Trixie can be a bit more... demanding than you were expecting.

Just how much are you willing to put up with in the name of love?

In the Celestial Sea, about ten miles from the shores of Equestria, there lies a small, uninhabited island. On this island, two mysterious mares have a quiet discussion over a game of chess.

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The fabric of reality is currently undergoing maintenance, leaving Anon, Anon, and... a lot of other Anons trapped in a white void. With no other ways to kill time, their only means of entertainment while they wait to be returned to their worlds is each other.

What do Anons even do in their spare time?

You ended up in Equestria about two years ago, and in that time, you've become quite close with a number of ponies. Of them, Rarity in particular has left a major impression on you. She seems to enjoy having you around, and you appreciate the company.

That said, there is one major roadblock getting in the way of your relationship. More than anypony you know, Rarity is extremely concerned with keeping up appearances. As a fashion designer and all-around fabulous mare, she frequently wants your opinion on how she looks.

Unfortunately for you, you're a human with no way of telling what makes a pony "beautiful."