Iron Anon: New Things come to Light

>Your eyes open to witness the dwindling of moonlight still shining through the curtained windows
>Again, you force your body to move and rise up to start a new day
>Swinging your legs over the bedside, you sit and study the semi-illuminated room, giving yourself to chance to wake up
>As expected, you were up much earlier than anyone else. Twilight and Spike still fast asleep adjacent to you
>After feeling a little more lucid, you quietly sneak out the bedroom door
>Taking great care to remain silent when going down the steps (this fucking wood won’t stop squeaking!), you spot a small corridor tucked away in the corner of the library
>The short hallway featured a single door, which after opening you discover was the bathroom
>Sunrise would be in less than half an hour and you needed to get ready to work at Sweet Apple Acres
>The bathroom turns out to be like any other bathroom, complete with sink, bath tub and toilet
>You can’t wrap your head around the concept of four legged creatures using toilets…
>Moving over to the bathtub in the darkness, you already know it’s going to be too small for you
>But one must work with what they’re given
>You manage to wedge yourself into thing, kind of in mid squat below the shower head
>With a little twist of a knob, the most awkward shower of your life began
>Technically, it was the first shower you had ever had
>You had heard of them and knew how they worked, but they were far to uncommon in South Dakota

>Half way through, your spine felt like a pretzel and you had managed to get what seemed to be Twilight’s Mane Shampoo in your right eye
>Surely, the ponies will know to install a larger tub in your own home… right?
>You finish up and grab a nearby towel to dry off, though it might as well have been a washcloth to you
>Slipping into your clothes, you noticed they were a bit… saggy in places
>They were getting worn out from the constant wear, but there wasn’t much you could do about it, being your only clothes and all
>When you’re finished, you slipped back out into the hallway as quietly as possible
>As you slowly close the door, a hushed voice reaches you from behind
>Twilight: ”Anon?”
>She manages to startle you and the door closes a little louder than you had wanted it to
>Dammit, you didn’t want to wake her or Spike up
>You turn around to see Twilight, bags under her eyes, levitating a candle near the entrance of the hallway
>Twilight:”What are you doing up so early?”
“I’m going to go help Applejack this morning with the apple harvest. Did I wake you?”
>Twilight:  ”Kind of. I heard the water running from upstairs”
>Shit, you hadn’t even thought about that
“Sorry, I just wanted to get cleaned up first before going out… Was it ok I used your bathroom?”
>Twilight: ”No, that’s fine *yawn* if you want some breakfast, there’s a little bit of salad left in the kitchen”
“Oh, thanks Twilight”
>Twilight: “Don’t *yawn* mention it”

>She turns to go back upstairs, probably to return to her bed
>When she is already halfway up, the thought of asking her where this said kitchen is pops into your head… but you don’t want to bother her any further and go out searching on your own
>You find it quickly enough, but have some trouble finding this thing called “salad”
>After a few good minutes of searching the pantries to no success, you turn to metal cabinet looking thing located next to the sink
>You didn’t know what it was but its size and shiny metal handle made you think it was probably something important and that you shouldn’t be snooping there
>Finally, curiosity gets the better of you and you pull the thing open
>The first thing that hits you is the burst of chilled air from inside the cabinet
>The interior is completely white and full of food, balanced on protruding trays
>You reach inside to find the sensation of cold envelope your hand
>Retracting it back instinctively, you stare into the mysterious box
>It was like an icebox back home, but there wasn’t any ice…
>Magic perhaps?
>You look around the box for this so called ‘salad’ only to find yourself wondering what the heck it looked
>You thought it’d be the only thing in here and easy to distinguish but this thing was packed with all kinds of stuff. To top it off, you had only been given permission to eat the salad
>Eventually you decide to just skip breakfast and give up. You’d pick some apples up at the orchard today anyway
>At the front door, you find Gus laying down next to it as if waiting for you
>With your approach, he gets up to join your side and you both head out to Sweet Apple Acres.

>You two arrive there just as the Sun was coming into view
>You had passed the construction work of your house on the way
>No one was working at that hour but you could tell they had really made some progress yesterday
>Thankfully, its frame-work looked a lot taller than the other houses around here, meaning they were considering your size
>It’d be nice not to have your head a mere inch away from scraping the ceiling for a change
>Gus takes off ahead of you to the barn, but you maintain your own pace
>No need to waste your energy
>You had some work ahead of you today…
>As you draw closer to the barn, a single ray of fresh sunlight illuminates it and allowing you to make out Applejack and Big Mac standing there in front, waiting for you
>Applejack: “Good Morin’”
>She tips her hat nonchalantly
“Same to you both, are we doing the same thing we did last time?
>Applejack: “Prett’ much. Me and Big Mac will buck the trees clean and then ya’ll collect the apple baskets and bring ‘em to the barn.
“Got it”
>Applejack: ”Good. A’ight, Let’s get to it then”
>About 3 hours later…
>The Sun rests contently high in the sky as you carry the last set of baskets back to the barn
>Those two ponies had really gone at it today
>You were actually pretty exhausted by this point, sweat slightly obscuring your vision
>Big Mac had left a half hour before to go into town for something, leaving you and Applejack
>The orange mare currently had a single basket on her back, following you back to the barn
>You were also carrying four baskets yourself, but that was your limit at the end of the day. So Applejack decided to carry in the last one for you so you didn’t have to make a second trip

>After unloading in the barn, you sat down outside next to a tree, trying to wipe the sweat off your face in between the bites of your apple
>Applejack soon joins you in taking a spot near an adjacent tree, looking equally spent
>Applejack[beat]: “Nothing like some apple bucking to get the heart pumping right?”
“I know what you mean”
>You two sit there in silence, catching your breath while enjoying the divine intervention of a slight breeze
>Applejack: “Hey Anon?”
“Yeah?”
>She takes off her hat and produces a small, brown pouch.
>Applejack:”Good work out there today”
>She tosses it towards you and you catch it
>You can feel the bundle of tiny coins inside it. Your day’s pay
>But you can also feel… No, you KNEW this was a lot more than what you had earned
>Looking up from the pooch to Applejack, she averts her gaze, conforming your suspicions
“This feels like a lot of money, Applejack. I don’t think I really feel comfortable taking-”
>Applejack: ”Oh, don’t give me that horse-apples! You earned it, fair and square. Besides, ya’ll probably need the money more than us right now”
“What makes you say that?”
>Applejack: ”Well for starters, ya’ll gonna need to pick up some new clothes sometime soon. Those ones look more worn out than a water buffalo on a hot summer’s day.”
>You reach down and give a light tug at your jacket
“Yeah, I guess you’re right… But where could I even get clothes that would fit me?”
>She brings a hoof under her chin, thinking
>Applejack: “Why don’t ya’ll just ask Rarity? She IS the best seamstress in Ponyville”
>Seamstress, eh?
>But she does pony clothes… how do you expect her to make you some new duds without putting in a tail hole?

“That ‘might’ work… Guess I’ll give that a shot”
>You get up and turn towards the road
“There’s nothing else you need me to do? Anything at all?”
>Applejack: “Till tomorrow? Nope”
“Ok then, thanks”
>Applejack: “Um-Hm”
>By the time you reach the white picket gate, Gus had popped out of nowhere and joined you again
>You thought he’d much prefer to be with Winona
“You can stay here boy if you want, I’m only going to get some new clothes”
>The wolf-dog only looks up to you
“Fine then, suit yourself”
>You two walk into Ponyville together
>The place is buzzing with ponies as usual
>You’re pretty much gotten used to the staring by now
>You’d just wish they’d get used to you…
>As soon as you reach the town square, you realize you hadn’t got a clue on where to find Rarity

>You aimless look around for help, but of course everyone avoids your glance
>God dammit
>Getting down on one knee, you address Gus directly
“You’re the one who’s supposed to know his way around this place. Where’s Rarity?”
>You receive a blank stare, typical Gus fashion
“You know, that white unicorn? Has kind of a sophisticated accent?
>Another vacant expression
“You’re useless”
>You impishly push away his face as you get back to your feet
>Now what poor pony will you have to ask for directions?
>Your eye catches a mint colored unicorn sitting next to tan colored pony on a nearby park bench
>Their backs were towards you so you could easily sneak up behind them and ask
>If you approached from the front, they’d probably slip away before you even got a chance to speak
>As you walk closer to the bench, the nearby ponies gradually disperse but your two unsuspecting victims stay seated
“Um, would you mind telling me where Rarity’s place is?”
>???: “Hm? Who-“
>The light green one turns her head around to look at you
>When she sees you, her pupils partially enlarge and her mouth hangs open as she gauges your height
>Her friend also looks back and is equally shocked

>Finally, the green mare finds her words
>???: “Ahhhh … The Carousel Boutique… Just down this road and to your left”
“Thanks. Come on Gus”
>You walk down the road as instructed, the two ponies’ eyes never leaving your back
>You find the place pretty quickly. The ‘carousel’ part kind of stuck out like a sour thumb
>The place looked too… formal from the outside to be just a house. This was probably her place of work too
>A solid knock on the amethyst-colored door is met promptly with a call from inside
>Rarity: “Come on in, it’s unlocked!”
>You place your hand on the doorknob and step inside
>A small bell rings above the door as you enter
>Rarity: “I’ll be out in just a minute!”
>Pink.
>Everything in the room is covered in a different shade of pink
>It definitely looked like a fashion boutique
>There is a counter nearby and you decide it best to wait behind it to avoid intruding
>As you are taking the place in, you notice Gus was still by your side
>Shit, should you of left him outside?
>A dog in a house is one thing but a proper business like this is something totally different
>Before you get a chance to usher him outside, Rarity comes into the room
>She’s wearing thin-lined glasses and sporting a measuring tap around her neck
>Rarity: “Welcome to the Carousel Boutique! How may I-“
>Her gleaming and professional smile fades away when she recognizes you
“Hello Rarity, um, is it ok that Gus is with me or do you want me to take him outside?”
>She stares at you, dumbstruck, before opening her mouth to reply
>Suddenly, a small voice peps up from another room
>Sweetie: “Anon?!”
>The little filly hops into the room, obviously more excited to see you than Rarity
“Hey Sweetie Bell, how you holding up?”

>Sweetie: “I’m fine, really! ...but Rarity still won’t let me leave the house”
>Rarity: “Oh come now, Sweetie Bell. You are still awfully pale!”
>Sweetie[mumble]: “My coat is always ‘pale’…”
>She looks away from Rarity and now spots Gus, standing by your side
>Sweetie: “Hey! You brought Gus!”
>Gus instantly responses to his name, running over to greet her, playfully knocking her over
>Sweetie Bell laughs it off and the two run off into another room together
>A second later, the sound of something crashing echoes from the back of the boutique as well as the sound of a screeching cat
>Rarity only brings a hoof to her face, sighing
>Gus has been really playfully with the fillies as of late…
>That was either a really good or really bad thing
“She looks a lot better than the last time I saw her”
>Rarity drops her hoof and turns to you, as if seeing you for the first time
>Rarity: “I’m still not very comfortable sending her back to school yet… but yes, I suppose she is doing a lot better”
>The unicorn plays with the measuring tape around her neck out of habit
>Rarity: “You wanted to see me?”
“I was wondering if you could… well, Applejack kind of suggested you… I mean”
>She cocks her head sideways confused
>Rarity: “Yes?”
“Would you be able to make me some new clothes?”
>You pull at your ragged threads for emphasis
“I mean, if you can. I’ll pay of course”
>The unicorn examines your attire, head to toe, causing you to tense up a bit
>Rarity: “Hmm. It certainly wouldn’t be what I’m used to but… Yes, I’m sure I can fashion you some new garments.”
“Wow, that would be amazing, thank you”
>Rarity: “Don’t mention it, darling. However, it may take a day or two before its complete”
>She starts walking over to a small, circular pedestal
>Rarity: “Of course, I’ll need to take some measurements”
“Sure thing”

>You step up onto the platform and wait
>Rarity: “Umm, what are you doing?”
“What?”
>Rarity: “You still have your old clothes on. How am I ever to get an accurate measurement?
“Oh yeah… right.”
>Rarity [puzzled]: “What’s the matter?”
“It’s nothing, it’s just that I don’t feel very comfortable without my… clothes”
>Things just got on a whole new level of awkward
>Reluctantly, you strip down to your long johns
>Rarity [confused]: “Why did you stop?”
>Jesus Christ.
“Do I really have to get completely naked for this?”
>Rarity: “Whatever do you mean Anon? You say it as if it was something taboo”
>She’s being completely serious
“Where I come from, it kind of is…”
>Rarity: “Don’t be silly, Anon. Come on now, you’re being less cooperative than Sweetie Bell at this point”
>Dammit. You’re going to have to do it
>She has a point though
>They’re ponies; they go around nake all the time
>What do you have to be embarrassed about?
“Fine”
>As you pull off your long johns, Rarity turns around to retrieve a longer measuring tape from a drawer with her magic
>You toss the clothes to the side and stand there idly, completely in the nude
>Rarity: “Now see, that wasn’t so hard”
>She begins to turn back around towards you
>Rarity: “I don’t see why you put up such a fus-“
>As she turns back around, her gaze naturally rests at her eye level
>Which was lined up with your crotch right about now

>Your worst fears are realized as her face turns beet red and her irises shrink
>Then she screams, reeling back in shock
>Instinctively, you reach down to the ball of long johns and cover yourself below the waist
“What-What’s wrong?!”
>Rarity [hysterical]: “You ah- that thing- oh my -um- what the hay were you doing?!”
“You told me to take off my clothes!”
>Rarity: “I wasn’t expecting that! With ponies, it always more or less out of sight but with you… it’s just…
>She gestures outwardly with her front hoof
>Rarity: “THERE!”
>Well, this turned out great.
>Thanks Applejack
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I thought you would have guessed that already”
>Rarity: “And how am I to know-! … Nevermind, let’s just get this over with. But DO keep yourself covered ok?”
>After about 10 minutes of measuring tape wrapped around your body and a white unicorn avoiding your nether regions like the plague, it was over
>Rarity: “There. That should be all I need for right now”
>She stays turned away as you get dressed
“Rarity, I’m so, so sorry about… that. I really-“
>Rarity: “Its fine. Just… Just don’t mention this to any other pony. Got it?”
“Yes ma’am”
>Rarity: “Good”
>She puts away the rest of her supplies and begins sketching on a notepad
>Rarity: “I’ll send you word when it’s done”
“Ok then, thank you”
>As you push the door open, the bell chimes again
>Before you know it, Gus was back by your side
>You could hear a filly in the distance let out an “awwh” as she losses her personal play-buddy for the day
“You know you could stay here, right?”
>Gus only uses his snout to push himself out the door in front of you
“Guess not”

>After walking to the center of Ponyville, you take a seat on a (vacant) nearby park bench
>You still had a lot of Sunlight left, a lot of time to spare
>But what to do?
>You could go check on the construction of your house
>Nah, don’t want to get in their way
>Maybe you should go shop at the market and bring some stuff back for Twilight?
>Nope, can’t do that either. You needed that money for your new clothes
>How about if-
>You notice a shadow cross your line of sight on the ground and you look up to find its source
>Right next to you, stood that zebra from the Hospital
>Zecora, right?
>She looked a lot better than before. Her jewelry had been restored and only a single bandage remained around her one hoof
>Zecora: “If it isn’t the creature that saved me from doom. Your name is Anon Stoneman, I presume?
“Yeah, that’s me”
>That was weird, she kind of rhymed there
>Her dialect is also very… thick
>Zecora: “I’ve come to thank you for your generous deed”
>Suddenly, her voice drops low
>Zecora: “And to also give you warning, a one you must heed”
“What?”
>Zecora: “What happened to the little ones and I was not of the forest’s doing, but was made possible by another nature’s evil-doing”
>You stare at the Zebra as you try to decode her meaning
“What are you saying? You know what happened in the forest?”
>Zecora: “Like the others my memories fail to serve their purpose, and instead now only act as a misguided compass”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t understand anything you are saying”
>Zecora: “This magic that brought you from your world to ours, left more than one door terribly ajar”
>She reaches around her side to open the brown satchel fastened to her barrel

>To your surprise, she produces the bowie you had lost in the woods and drops it at your feet
>You pick it up and examine it
>It had been recently sharpen and the edge was cut clean
“Thank you, where did you find this?”
>Zecora: “For the blade it does not matter, for you should more worry about your uncertain future”
>She starts to walk away, talking as she goes
>Zecora: “What is causing this pain, I cannot say. Only that you, I am certain, can show us the way”
>She stops for a moment and looks back intently into your eyes
>Zecora: “If you cannot stop what is already brewing, I fear that it will become this world’s undoing”
>And with that, she galloped away
“What the fuck?”
>You honestly don’t know what to think right now other than that was one crazy pony
>Good Lord, you couldn’t understand half of what she said with those awful rhymes
>Must be a Zebra thing
>You’re attention is drawn back to the knife in hand
>At least you got this back
>Sheathing it to not scare any ponies, you start making your way back to Twilight’s
>There was nothing else to do, so you might as well head back now
>Just when you are halfway there, a thunderous crack sends you out of your skin
>A flash of lighting briefly hinders your sight and you cover your ears from the sudden increase in volume
>You turn around and look up to see a small, black cloud looming over head
>As soon as you focus on it, it suddenly blows away out of sight
>But not before you make out the streak of Rainbow following its path…
>No way to tell if she was trying to scare or kill you
>Guess you’d find out sooner or later
>A knock on the library door is greeted by Spike

>Spike: “Hey Anon, so how did the apple bucking go?”
“Fine I guess, I’m doing it tomorrow too”
>Spike: “Well it’s a good thing you stopped by, I was just about to go out looking for you”
“Why?”
>Spike: “Celestia has ordered the Royal Guard to block off the Everfree Forest and Twilight just went up there to investigate. Twi told me to tell you to meet her up there as soon as possible”
>The Everfree Forest?
>Well, looks like it’s time to see what that crazy Zebra was talking about
“Sure, I’ll leave right now”
>Spike: “Ok, I’ll send a letter to Twilight letting her know you’re on your way”
>…Why would he send a letter when you said you were heading up there right now?”
“Ah… sure, you do that”
>Looks like you’re going back into the frying pan
>After a little jog, you and Gus make it to the outskirts of the Town
>Passing your almost complete house and the Apple Orchard, you come upon the yellow cottage tucked away close to the forest boundaries
>The first thing you notice is the armored ponies on the scene
>There were at least half dozen guards in the area, primarily around the entrance of the forest
>Four armored pegasi stood by as sentries at attention while two unicorns seemed to be investigating the outskirts of the woods with their magic
>Near the line of pegasus guards blocking the road to the forest stood Twilight, who had already spotted you
>She starts walking forward to meet you halfway
>The guards for the most part don’t seem to pay any attention to you
>Walking past the side of the cottage, you spy the little yellow pegasus named Fluttershy tending to what looked to be chickens
>Her eyes met yours and before you get a chance to speak, she disappears into the chicken coop
>Is she really that scared of you?

>Just before you reach Twilight, you notice Gus had stopped walking
>You look down to see him staring intently at one of the chickens
>A slight kick into his side breaks his trance
“Don’t even think about it, Gus. Not now”
>Thankfully, Twilight doesn’t seem to hear your words to Gus
>Twilight: “Aw there you are Anon, I got Spike’s letter that you were coming”
>Say what now?
“Yeah, I came as soon as I heard”
>How the hell did she get that already, you just left the library!
“So what exactly is going on?”
>Twilight: “Well until we can figure out what’s going on with the forest, Princess Celestia ordered that the main entrance be guarded and that no ponies should be permitted entry, including Zecora”
“I thought she lived in there?”
>Twilight: “She’s staying at the inn until we know it’s safe… well, safer”
“Speaking of Zecora, I ran into her today and she told me some pretty weird stuff about the forest”
>Twilight [surprise]: “Really? When we interviewed her and fillies, no pony could remember what happened”
“I don’t know, couldn’t make sense of it with all the rhymes”
>Twilight: “Yeah, I know what’cha mean…”
“So what did you want me for?”
>Twilight: “Normally in these situations, the Elements of Harmony try to solve the problem themselves. Its worked most of the time”
>’Elements of Harmony’
>You’re heard that phrase before
>Twilight: “But the Princess instructed told me not to let any of the Elements into the forest”
“Why?”
>Twilight: “Something about it being too risky, that we couldn’t risk endangering the Elements… but I mean, come on! This wouldn’t be our first time in the Everfree Forest”
>The purple unicorn turns and starts walking to the forest entrance, signaling you to follow her

>Twilight: “That’s why I’m sending you instead!”
“Say what?”
>Twilight: “I just need you to head in there and tell me if you see or find anything suspicious”
“Why? Can’t the guards do that?”
>Twilight: “Like I said, no ponies are allowed in, that goes for everypony. But you’re no pony, right?”
“I think so”
>Twilight: “Then its settled! You and Gus will go in there, search for anything out of the ordinary and then bring it back here. A piece of cake, as Pinkie Pie would say”
“Guess I really don’t have a choice”
>You let out a whistle and Gus darts through the line of pegasus guards ahead of you, standard scouting procedure
>Taking a step forward, you feel yourself being pulled back by your sleeve
>Twilight: “On more thing, take this”
>Instantly, a flash of purple light brings a small scroll into existence
>Before you can react, she shoves it inside your jacket as if trying to hide it
>Twilight: “Open it as soon as you’re out of sight of the guards, okay?”
“Ah. Sure….?”
>Twilight: “Ok then, good luck!”
>She waves goodbye before running back to the cottage
>Ok then, looks like you got some work to do
>Judging by the Sun up, you probably had a good hour or two before nightfall
>Better not dilly-dally
>The pegasus guards sidestep as you enter the forest

 >You didn’t like going back into this place, but this was too good of an opportunity to repay Twilight as well as find out what the hell was going on
>Gus comes trotting back to you when your about 30 meters in the woods, meaning the rest of the road was clear
>After about 5 minutes of walking, you suddenly realize you’re completely blind right now
>You were supposed to be looking for ‘anything out of the ordinary’, but everything in here was out of the ordinary to you
>Sure, you had survived in here for a few days but you still didn’t know jack-shit from what was considered normal and what wasn’t
>Maybe that scroll has something on it that will help
>Looking over your shoulder, it was clear you were way out of the guards’ range of sight
>Reaching into your jacket, you pull out the scroll
>Its tiny in your hands but you manage to undo the red-ribbon flawlessly
>As the scroll unrolls, its begins vibrating and starts glowing in a light, purple hue
>Shocked, you let the scroll fall the ground and jump back
>Gus barks at it relentlessly as its humming grow louder
>All of a sudden, its shade turns black and it explodes into a white flare
>You instinctively look away and shield your eyes
>When you look back, the scroll was gone and instead Twilight stood in its place
>Well, ‘stood’ isn’t the most accurate word to describe it
 >The scroll had landed sprawled out on the road and Twilight had appeared in the same position
>For the first few seconds, she seemed a bit dazed and her eyes look a bit… loopy
>However, she finally shakes her head to regain her senses and hops up, overjoyed

>Twilight: “AHA! It worked!”
“You mind explaining to me what just happened?!”
>Twilight: “That scroll I gave you was enchanted with a teleportation spell. Basic stuff, but I only had a few minutes to create it. Honestly didn’t think it would have enough juice to get me this far”
“What happened to ‘no ponies allowed’?”
>Twilight: “You can’t just go in here alone, it’s too dangerous! Besides, you probably wouldn’t know what to look for”
>Well, she was right about that
“Ok, but I don’t know how Celestia’s gonna feel about this…”
>Twilight: “I’ve learned over the course of my studies that Celestia wants us all to do what we think is best. I simply can’t let you do this by yourself”
“Since when did you care so much for my well-being?”
>Twilight: “Anon, you may not be a pony but you’re still a somebody. Besides, Celestia put you under my care and I don’t plan on disappointing her”
>She was right. You didn’t feel very safe in here without your revolver
>Twilight could use magic, which would be definitively more effective against a manticore than your bowie
“Fine… I guess I wouldn’t mind the extra company,”
>You gesture with your open hand to the long road ahead
“Ladies first”