Spoonlicker Anon Pt. 18

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Summary: Anonymous is a child that no one can understand, not even Flutters. However, Twilight has been steadily making steps to develop a new system of language based on gestures and mannerisms. The creature she once discredited and then feared has become something of a special interest now that she understands a little more on what, or rather who, Anonymous is.

Last Chapter: Twilight and Anon spend the night in the Apple family’s living room. When Twilight wakes up she finds Anonymous awake and drawing at the table along with a collected hoard of candy pilfered from Granny’s secret stash. After Twilight deals with the stolen candy she talks to Anon using a mix of drawings, gestures and charades. The discussion steers towards where Anon’s home and parents are, which swings Anon into ‘Passive Stage A’.

Twilight takes Anon back inside and searches for a way to cheer Anon up. Browsing the collection of pictures, Twilight notices the journal-like theme. After unsuccessfully throwing herself at the strange text her sympathetic side reminds her that Anon has already called her friend. Accepting her non-standard grade, Twilight then uses the understandings her and Anon share to draw a map of Ponyville. With a mix of crayon, charades, and signals the two work together to complete the map, and drives the sadness away

Posted in Thread 989
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>You sit beside Anonymous while they color and take a nice slow breath. The calm sensation of a lazy summer morning has returned from the emotional hiccup.
>The efficiency in which you handled the situation rewards you with a mental stamp of approval. You’re no Pinkie Pie or Fluttershy, but once you have enough information success merely requires effort.
>Having soothed Anonymous and with it preoccupied, you can pursue your own activity. Your bag of books is still in the barn, and although your aches are weaker the distance makes the prospect of getting them unattractive.
>However, Applebloom’s schoolbook remains nearby. It’s a far cry from your literary level, but some light reading will do.

>Pulling the book over, you take another look at the more professional map; locations made up of plains, cities and forests occupying your search.
>From the lowlands to the high mountains and across the vast oceans the world appears fully discovered. Deep jungles and forests continue to hold some secrets, but with the various inhabitants that can fly the open lands have all been scanned.
>However, anomalies existed. If you remember correctly, and given your archive-like knowledge you are pretty sure you do, the minotaurs were an unknown civilization until Celestia and Luna found them.
>Technically they were unknown to ponykind. Griffons and zebras had been in contact with them for a while. With minotaurs dwelling passed the great mountains, and the mixture of griffons and dragons making said mountains their home, early ponies were happy enough to explore elsewhere.
>Your ancestors were also too prideful for their own good. In a time of myths and legends, tales of large bipedal beasts with great horns may have been ignored or written off. It took near disaster for the early tribes to even realize they were empowering the wendingos.


>Sadly, that arrogance also carried into the ancient tomes you read, and getting passed their aged outlook was always the first hurdle. Even Starswirl had his less than endearing commentaries here and there.
>Despite his genius, Starswirl was still a product of his time. Thankfully Celesita and Luna avoided holding onto similar views, well more-so Celestia anyway.
>That is not to say you are innocent either. Pride has cost you before, and if you were thinking straight you might have remembered the princesses’ minotaur encounter earlier.
>But you’re only equine.

>Picking through the directory that is your memory, you hunt through the years spent with Celestia. While she was your mentor, she rarely went into her past unless there was a lesson involved. Even your best sad face only earned a few stories.
>What you can recall is vague at best. Besides names, dates, and numbers there is very little of substance.
>There must be some buried knowledge somewhere. Like the day she first taught you about politics.
>You had just read about her and Luna’s adventure and planned to pop into the throne room to ask her about it.

>Your tiny purple self stands by the towering grand doors, half poking out of the entrance. The pair of royal guards on duty pretends to ignore you while a fancy looking pony approaches the large marble chair in the distance.
>You strain to listen in, but can’t make out what they are saying from here. Whatever it is, once they are done you can go in. Your filly flank starts bouncing uncontrollably.
‘Hurry uuuuuup.’
>After an eternity the pony bows and heads for the door. You sneak another glance at the guards; their steely expressions focused down the hallway.
>You check to be sure no one else is coming before slinking the rest of the way through. Doing your best to keep proper, you calmly walk down the carpeted path. When you pass the leaving stallion your ligaments tense up, but he continues pass without a word.


>Now in the clear you happily surge forth.
“Princess Celestia! I finished my assignment.”
>”Hello Twilight Sparkle. Did you read all of the chapters I asked?”
“Yes. I read about how ponies used to live in separate tribes, and how they were finally able to be friends and work together.”
>”And what did you learn?”
“That everypony has a special way to help one another.”
>”Very good.”
>The praise from your idol sings through your ears and causes pleasant jitters. Your joy is plainly visible on your face, and you haven’t even told her about your extra credit yet.
“I read the whole book. What was the world like back then? Do the Grand Mountains really go into the clouds? Did you and Princess Luna actually fight dragons? Are the minotaurs nice?”
>Her refined manner cracks and gives way to tickled surprise at the barrage of questions.

>”My, you read all that? I only asked you to read a few.”
>You nod with satisfied cheeks and eager eyes. Celestia adopts her own wistful smile.
>”Everything is true. Luna and I spent many years exploring the world; learning new lessons and sharing them with new ponies and beyond.”
“That’s amazing! I wanna see those things too. Can I go on an adventure like that?”
>”You can, so long as you have the courage to take the first step. And when you are a little older.”
“Next year?”
>A gentle laugh catches her by surprise and escapes. The Celestia you know from off duty shines through as she allows the fit to run through her.
>”Maybe a few more than that.”
>With a white gilded hoof, she covers her mouth and collects herself. Again she transforms, changing into the stern yet understanding mentor you look up to.
>”But know this, my faithful student. Doing something new for the first time can always be scary. Even as an adult those fears will never simply go away, and you will have to overcome them yourself. However, if you ever feel lost remember that I believe in you.”


>You contemplate her words, though your expression still holds your innocent desire for story time.
>”Now it sounds like you have been studying all day. Why don’t you go find Professor Ranke, and take Spike out for some ice-cream? My treat.”
“That’s okay, I wanna hear more.”
>”Some other time. I’m sure those two would enjoy a break.”
“But—“
>”I promise.”
>Your bubbling enthusiasm instantly leaves despite her soothing voice. Princess Celestia rarely cut you off.
“Alright.”
>You go to leave, but her voice stops you.
>”Oh, can you also ask Professor Ranke if the books the griffons were kind enough to provide were helpful? They tell me that their historians were very thorough when it came to dragons and minotaurs; going so far as to get direct sources.”
>Direct sources from dragons? Old dragons knew everything. Even about the princesses.
>Maybe you can get some info from Ranke, he always loves to share with you.
“Right away!”
>Charging out the door you rush for the academy; ignoring the growing line being held at bay by the guards.

>The glaze in your eyes from the passing memory disappears.
>After all these years you still only know pieces of her past. A lot of ancient works on pony history were lost during the Time of Discord, and Celestia would often use your youthful curiosity against you to change subjects.
>In vain hope you check the table of contents of the elementary book.
>A-ha. Chapter 3: The Nations of the World; Section 5: Minotopia

FIRST CONTACT
After meeting with the griffons during their great journey at the onset of the ‘Age of Cooperation’, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna travelled over the Great Mountains. Next convincing a pair of dragons to let them pass, they came across the hidden plains and rested by a stream. There they met Beat PunchBeef and his band; making first contact with the native minotaurs in recorded history, and opening relations with what would become Minotopia.


>With a gruff you flip through several more pages. This was general knowledge at best; even the surviving ancient tomes went into more detail.
>Very little of the text has changed from the time you were reading at this grade; though was it always this sugar coated? They didn’t convince the dragons so much as fight for the right to pass.
>Then again, the books from the royal library were always more graphic. Not the kind of thing you would find appropriate for colts and fillies.
>So no luck here, either. You’re going to be cashing in that promise.

> A new, flat sound causes your right ear to twitch. Shaken into full alert you look to the source. With a tame jiggle and squeak the front door carelessly opens.
>Dusty white and purple strolls through the entryway, the hint of brown tinting her usual vibrant colors. Rarity comes trotting through towards the kitchen at a reflective pace. She almost makes it without acknowledging you or Anon before a shifting by your side snaps her out of the stupor and freezes her in place.
>”Oh, of course you’d be here; silly me. I mean hello Twilight.”
>Anonymous pulls away from the table and turns to face the newcomer.
>”And Anonymous.”
>She gives a restrained wave of her hoof; the same she used when you were testing Anonymous hearing its name.
>Anonymous returns a small wave of its own.

“Hey. How is the harvest coming along?”
>Straightening up, she adopts her usual grace.
>”Everything is going splendid; I’m just here to grab some refreshments.”
“Glad to hear it. Granny Smith was telling me about the harvest yesterday and it sounded like everypony would be busy all day.“
>Rarity closes her eyes while giving a soft nod, and quiet consumes the house.
>That is, until her lids fly open revealing blooming irises with pinprick sized pupils.
>”It’s never ending! ‘Pick the trees; store the grain; trade the stalks with the cows.’ Applejack even asked me, -ME-, to dig out the carrots.”


>Her frantic speech bristles with distress.
 “A lady is not suited for such manual labor. I certainly won’t shy away from lending a hoof, but I have limits. These perfectly trimmed hooves didn’t make themselves, and I’m positively covered in sweat and dirt. It will take a whole day at the spa to feel like me again.”
>As if that would be an inconvenience for her.
“It can’t be that bad. If the Apple’s needed that much help surely they would have asked more ponies.”
>Without missing a beat Rarity’s panic wanes to a dull state.
>”We are talking about Applejack.”
>Touché.

“How is everyone else holding up?”
>”Fine for now. Rainbow was slow to wake up, but now Applejack and her are practically doing laps around the entire farm going from one job to the next. Fluttershy and Big Mac have teamed up while Pinkie is trying to turn everything into a game. Granny Smith is supervising the girls, which frees up myself. Meanwhile I’ve been left picking up the loose ends. Right now Applejack wants me to ask the pigs to move their pens to a new field.”
“That seems like something more suited for Fluttershy.”
>Rarity’s eyes flash and she chirps with delight.
>”I knew you’d see it my way. Not that I mind talking with them, but once they break into that language of theirs I’m at a complete loss. So, I asked Fluttershy to take over for me, and took it upon myself to get some drinks for everypony to help fight off this dreadful heat.”
>Her vision occasionally flicks to Anon but for the most part stays on you. Anon’s stare remains targeted on Rarity’s face.

>”I hope we really do finish in a few days.”
“I imagine that is a safe bet with Pinkie and Fluttershy helping too.”
>”Yes, that was very thoughtful of them.”
>Despite the recruitment method you used on Pinkie, she did have the option to say no. In actuality it was a hollow wager to begin with given how she loves to involve herself in every little thing.


>And then Fluttershy followed by offering out of the blue like that. There is no doubt she would have done so anyway. Even if you did nothing the results would have been the same. At least you got to feel like you won somewhere.
>A low knock on the table catches the end of the conversation, and grabs both you and Rarity.
>Flailing at full speed, Anonymous points to Rarity, pokes its eye twice, and then chops above its head.
>Rarity goes stiff from the act clearly aimed at her save for the bounce in her curls; bewilderment chiseled on her face. You quickly throw her a lifesaver.
“Anonymous is asking if you’ve seen its family.”

>Her rigid expression relaxes, and she lightly shakes her head.
>”[No.] No, I’m sorry, I haven’t.”
>Anon slumps against you sinking into the blanket; their temporary moment in the active stage falling back down to passive.
>Rarity’s guarded posture crumbles. Free to move, she approaches from the other end of the table, her newly sculpted form offering the same sympathy she once showed you.
>”I suppose you still haven’t heard anything, then?”
“Not yet. I did get some clues from Anon and sent a letter to the guards, but that was just recently.”
>”Poor dear. How long has it been already? Three days?”
“At least four with us.”
>An affectionate hum comes from Rartiy as she looks over the pictures.

>Apparently finding an answer, she clops a hoof against the table. Caught by the sound, Anonymous’ sight follows her motions.
>”Did you draw these? They’re very good.”
>Sprouting from the covers, Anon focuses on Rarity’s curved lips and warm eyes.
>”You’re quite the little artist. Sweetie Belle is good at drawing too, you know? She tells me you and her were the first to share pictures.”
>Although Rarity forgets to sign while talking, her tone appears to have the desired effect. A guilty yet satisfied grin dots Anon’s face and reveals its tongue pressed against those white teeth.


>You steal their gaze for a moment to translate.
[Rarity] [Family]; [Draw] [Anonymous]
[Anonymous] [Draw]; [Rarity] [Family]

>A brief squeak pops from Anon before being sealed. The color in its cheeks adopts a touch of red as it snuggles its face in the blanket, similar to a blushing pony. Interesting.
>”Isn’t Anonymous hot under there, Twilight?”
>Drawn from your thoughts, you spot Rarity’s calm inspection of the fabric.
“Don’t forget that hominems only have fur on the top of their head. Even the hidden parts of its body are hairless. I did mention that didn’t I?”
>Mmmm. ”I don’t think you did. Does Anonymous usually have a blanket? I haven’t seen them wear anything save for that outfit of theirs. With how thin the material looked it can’t be designed for warmth.”
>She has a point, Anon sticks to wearing purely its clothes whenever outside. Inside has been split, more often with the blanket, but Rarity’s note on the design has merit. It also works with your theory that the clothes are mostly for a disguise.

“I think it may be for security rather than warmth. As you said, the clothes seem suited for living in a hot climate. It is entirely possible that Ponyville is colder than they are used to.”
>Shoot; if you noticed earlier you could have narrowed the search some more.
>Rarity’s contemplative gaze makes a final pass while Anon comes out of hiding. This time when the two stares meet Rarity gives a smile and bobs her head.
>”Back already? You’re not embarrassed by little ol’ me are you?”
>The teasing tone sends Anon under again, and Rarity lets out a giggle before readdressing you.


>”I’d love to stay and chat, but I really must get lunch for everyone. Would you like me to make anything for you two?”
>Your late breakfast idly churns, stunting the growing hunger for a tad longer.
“Thanks, but I’ll fix something later.”
>”If you insist. Call me if you need anything.”
>Giving a wave to both of you, she spins with a flourish and disappears into the kitchen.

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Posted in Thread 994
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>Anon peeks up in time to see Rarity disappear. Looking to you, it makes a horn with its hand and then points to the kitchen.
>After tapping your own horn, you point to the kitchen and then mock eat.
‘She’s getting food.’
>Anon grabs one of the crayons and starts writing a new entry with those strange symbols. Watching their method, you parse the creation process.
>Holding the tool in a balled fist, the strokes take considerable time to flow through each line; the process as slow as pouring molasses.
>Until Anon adds the corresponding pictures you can only guess the topic. You may have an idea, but you’ll wait.

>Searching for your own distraction, your vision returns to the book one more time. Although light reading was your original goal, this is too simple. You need at least some challenge; something requiring effort. A brainteaser.
>Thinking back to yesterday, the top newspaper glows purple and rises from the pile across the room. A quick inspection of the date reveals that it is from today.
>Big Mac shouldn’t have had time to solve any yet. Perfect.
>And of course you’ll use your pen trick again to return the favor.
>But first, is there another article about you and Anon? There is, and right on the front page again, too.


THE PONYVILLE CREATURE: Are You Really Safe?
>Wait, what?!
In a disturbing discovery, it has been reported that Big Mac, Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash were seen at Ponyville General Hospital two days ago along with fillies Applebloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle. The group had apparently came from Sweet Apple Acres where the being now known as ‘Anonymous’ is being kept. Witnesses also said that this appeared to be no ordinary checkup given the lengthy discussion with the front desk and overhearing a comment about squeezing them in, but whether the visit is tied to the creature is uncertain as the hospital staff has refused to comment.

Following the alarming trend, it has come to the attention of the town that several of Ponyville’s local heroines, the Elements of Harmony, have been occupied recently. Sources revealed that the resident baker Pinkie Pie and entrepreneur Rarity were both at Sweet Apple Acres yesterday, and suggests that they will be there today as well. When pressed, the only reason given was to ‘lend a hoof’. The whereabouts of animal caretaker Fluttershy remain unknown and her rabbit refused further questioning.

More worryingly, Princess Cadence stated that she was unaware of either development and that Princess Twilight has not been heard from since last in town two days ago.

Could this be mere coincidence? Are the elements gathering in preparation for another crisis? With the newly crowned Princess Twilight and at least half of the Elements of Harmony sticking close to this bizarre creature, the question everypony is asking is ‘Are we safe?’

>You slap your hoof against your head and grudgingly drag it down your muzzle; the act causing Anon to jerk.
>A weary groan seeps through your facehoof.


>Did they already forget what they printed in yesterday’s paper? Cadence told the reporters everypony was safe and instead they’re making these blind leaps in logic. These rumors are going to be spreading like wildfire; that means more trouble for you when introducing Anonymous.
>At least the doctors and nurses didn’t say anything. Despite whatever excuse Rarity used, who knows how the information would be interpreted?
>Your mind instinctively sets to dissecting point and counterpoint from the article while holding a mock debate. As it stands the opposition is simply uncertain and they merely want to know what is happening. Precise and definite data will be the most effective remedy.
>You can work with this.

>Fighting the disapproval of your sore limbs, you set the paper down and prepare to move. Despite your wishes to stay it is best to deal with problems early before they can grow.
>But you can’t leave Anonymous alone; somepony will have to look after them. However, everyone is already busy helping around the farm.
>Rarity appears from the kitchen humming a little ditty; a plate of square sandwiches and iced tea floating behind her.
>You may have just found your answer. If you ask her to take care of Anon she can have a break from the dirt. It’s win-win.
 “Hey Rarity, I need to go into town. Can you watch over Anonymous for me?”
>The plate dips, nearly spilling the drinks.
>”I-uh-well…”
>Her pause drifts in the air as she locks onto the hominem staring right back at her; presumably weighing her options. Awaiting her response, you catch the corner of her lips twitch.
>Has she always done that?
>”I would, but I couldn’t leave everyone else out there to do all of the work; especially after being the one to get Rainbow Dash and the girls to help. You understand don’t you?”
>Her sincerity SOUNDS genuine and that is a good reason, but is that really everything?


>Still she has a point, and your muscles latch onto the excuse to stay.
“That’s fine. I’ll bring it up at dinner, and go tomorrow.”
>One more day couldn’t hurt.

>With a victorious hum Rarity reapplies her cheery demeanor.
>”Sorry dear.  If I can assist in some other way don’t hesitate to ask.”
“We’re good for now.”
>”Alright. See you at dinner then.”
>With a smile and nod she bows out the door. The sense of emptiness returns to the house; the other rooms a vast expanse barely connected to your shared hub.
>Seemingly unbothered, Anonymous goes back to their scribbles and you grab the newspaper.
>Ignoring the rest of the articles lest something else set you off, you flip to the daily crossword. A purple light overcomes the tip of the grey crayon you have selected as your stand in.
>1 Across: late. The word is 7 letters long.
>Hmmm, what is the other clue?
>1 Down: alert. The word is 9 letters long.
>They upped the difficulty today. Good.

>The end of the crayon presses against your mouth as you evaluate the partially filled brain teaser. After solving the first word you were able to get on a roll, but now all of the easy ones were gone.
>49 Down: informal speech. S _ _ N _.
>Jargon, lingo, vernacular, patois. Sse, ssi, ssing, song, songs, sound? Sound fits, but that is not the proper definition.
>Bah.

>Beaten but not defeated, you settle on taking a short break. Your stomach uses the opportunity to notify you or your growing hunger.
>You swiftly cover your tummy and peak at Anonymous. Simply continuing to draw its focus never leaves the page.
>Those cryptic runes finally have a matching picture; several outlined unicorns with purple curls. What you assume to be the first few attempts are styled similar to the rest of the drawings while the newer ones emulate your version on the map.


>Ha, replicating and assimilating styles. This must be how hominems are taught. More importantly, they are willing to adapt their own practices using information outside of their species. Chalk up another one for a cooperative civilization.

>Since Anon seems occupied you can leave to fix lunch without worry. They are probably hungry, too.
 >Pushing the stiffness aside, you rise and are rewarded with a slight burn that then cools as the tension goes slack. Your movement instantly earns the attention of Anonymous.
>Uneasy eyes question your motives.
>You point to yourself and then to the kitchen. Anonymous sluggishly stands to join you; the blanket falling off around them. You stay nearby and wait until the tiny hand rests on your back.

>Let’s see, what should we have for lunch? Nothing fancy, just a snack to hold you over. You’re still a novice when it comes to cooking.
>Anon’s diet requires grains and sugar. Well, Rarity made sandwiches and the bread meets half of the requirements. As for the sugar you can use the natural sweetness of fruit.
>Fruit on bread. You can handle that, and know just the thing.

>You hunt through the well stocked cupboards; multiples and varieties of each item stuffing the shelves. Finding bread was easy enough, but as you spy the final ingredient a dilemma presents itself.
>A horde of mason jars huddle together radiating bright reds, dark purples, golden oranges and even one with the swirl of rainbow. Their vibrant colors are matched with cartoony labels; strawberries, grapes, and apples advertising the flavor.
>Which jam does Anonymous like best?

>The biped at your side leans to see passed you. Perhaps you can use Pinkie’s method of letting them choose?
>Taking the initiative, you lift three of the four choices onto the counter. Not wanting to use the last of the Zap Apple blend, you leave it behind.


>Anonymous watches the floating parade weave and bob in your aura. With the return of your magical confidence, you make a show of spinning the jars midair so that the labels are shown.
>The aura then fizzles as you break the command. Next, you point to Anon and then to the jars; letting nature do the rest.
>Anonymous perks up, letting go of you and standing at their full height. Their eyes course over the selection, lingering on the pictures. After a brief examination a bandaged arm reaches for the strawberry.
>Its grip latches onto the base with one hand while the other tackles the lid. Those five attacking digits spread out for maximum coverage and curl at the tips. It must take three to four joints to execute the maneuver.
>A twisting motion attempts to remove the seal, but makes little progress. The jar is then pulled closer to its midsection for what you guess is better leverage. After another minute without success Anon places the jar between its legs and uses both hands. You hear the brief burp of escaping air, but the lid does not give.
>Anonymous then thrusts the jar at you.

>You do your best to hide your smile and casually accept. Spike was the same way when first learning.
“There’s a trick to it.”
>Dimming the overall glow of your magic, you illuminate the opposing pressure points. A set of extended pins or hooks jab downward into the interior rim of the lid. Designed around biting yet just as easily pressed with hooves or magic, the hooks will then be out of the way allowing the top to easily come off.
>You spread the prize on a slice of bread and offer the snack. Anonymous peels off the crust before shoving as much of the soft core into its mouth as possible. Voracious little devil.
>As for you; some toast with honey will do.

>By the end of lunch you both have eaten a few slices. A pile of crust has lays abandoned atop the counter. Anon makes no complaint when you levitate the scraps to the trash.


>Peculiar behavior. Wonder if that is true for the entire species or just Anon.
>Regardless, you give Anon a nudge with your snout and head for the living room. Taking the hint, they fall in line and follow along.
>This time Anon chooses to use the blanket as a cushion rather than a wrap. You turn to the crossword puzzle and reread the offending clue, and immediately begin wishing for a dictionary. Turns out lunch was not the big problem solver you were hoping for.
>Your gaze roams to the collection of pictures and funny words. There must be a way to cross that gap.
>You’ve already established a basic understanding with pictures and gestures. How different could reading and writing be?
>You can teach Anonymous.

>Giddiness tingles inside your entire body at the concept. This sort of challenge is right up your alley.
>Okay, how to approach this? First, you will need to build common ground. You can use the same methods of repetition previously used.
>And, what words should we start with? It has to be something Anon is very familiar with.
>You consult with the latest drawing. The many iterations give a good guess as to the first choice.
>Anon being able to identify itself would be a huge benefit. There’s two.
>A budding theme makes itself known, and the revelation causes your front hooves to clack together in tiny bursts.
>Best to keep the list small for now. For the final one you’ll use yourself.

>With the selection made you snatch a piece of paper. The purple hue of your magic frantically scrawls across the surface via the crayon conduit; distracting your soon to be student from their own task.
A N O N Y M O U S
>Noticing their attention, you point at Anon and then to the word.
[You] [Anonymous]
T W I L I G H T  S P A R K L E
[Me] [Twilight Sparkle]
R A R I T Y
>…flux.
>How to indicate Rarity? Duh, the drawings!
[This pony] [Rarity]


>A sudden strike of inspiration finds a better way to handle the lesson. You do not even let Anon react before adding a picture of each by the appropriate word.
>Lacking any semblance of brakes, you rush to reiterate the statements with the new additions.
>Anon stares at you and your big dopey smile while you wait for them to repeat the message.
‘Come on. You can do it.’
>Their attention turns to the magical ink on the paper, and then to your horn. It tests the text a few times with a finger before extending its hand towards you.
>Deducing the motive, you release the spell causing your glow to stop. Without the attractive light the hand withdrawals to its owner.
>Focusing back on the paper you notice your glow wasn’t the only thing to disappear.
>Whoops.
>Recreating everything in physical crayon, you ready to resume the lesson.

>Okay, slower this time. Point to Anonymous, then to the representation you made of them.
[You] [Homienm]
>Point to Anonymous, then to where you wrote their name.
[You] [ANONYMOUS]
>Point to their name, and then say their name.
[ANONYMOUS] “Anonymous.”
>And repeat.
[Me] [Alicorn]; [Me] [TWILIGHT SPARKLE]; [TWILIGHT SPARKLE] “Twilight Sparkle.”
>As for identifying Rarity, use one of the versions Anon drew.
[Rarity] [Unicorn]; [Rarity] [RARITY]; [RARITY] “Rarity.”

>The hominem looks to the ordinary text, and then back to you. You roll your hoof as a sign for them to continue.
>Picking up the purple crayon, they place it on the drawing of you. They then begin coloring it in starting at the horn.
‘No, no, that’s not it.’
>You place a hoof over the picture to interrupt.
“Anonymous”
>That grabs its attention.
[You] [Homienm]; [Yes] [No]?
>A few seconds pass with nothing.
[You] “Anonymous”; [Yes] [No]?
>Anonymous hesitantly nods and bangs its fist.
>[Yes]


[You] [Homienm]; [Yes] [No]?
>Another slow yes.
>[Yes]
“[Yes] Yes”
[You] [ANONYMOUS]; [Yes] [No]?
>This time Anon has more certainty in the reply.
>[Yes]
[You] [Alicorn] ; [Yes] [No]?
>[No]
>Here we go, here we go!
[You] [TWILIGHT SPARKLE]; [Yes] [No]?
>Anonymous happily bangs its fists and nods.
>[Yes]
>A sour shock runs down your spine.

>The surprise letdown almost shows through your excitement but a violent mental warning fires, and your trained responses take over. For many reasons disappointment was a pain you never wished to direct towards anybody; especially for simply making a mistake.
>Instead the logic centers of your brain suppress your excitement, and you adopt a calm presence.
>Gently shaking your head, you aim to correct the mistake.
[No]; [Me] [TWILIGHT SPARKLE]; [Yes]
>Anonymous does not falter, and places a hand on its chest followed by a yes.
>[Me] [TWILIGHT SPARKLE]; [Yes]
[No]; [Me] [TWILIGHT SPARKLE]
>They then take another look at the word.

>Sticking with just those two, you eventually get Anon to answer both names correctly. When you add in Rarity progress falls back to square one. Through steady persistence the two of you overcome that obstacle as well.
>Anonymous has everything down in a familiar environment, but now to really put them to the test. Or more precisely, the pop quiz.
>However, writing is an entirely different beast, and since you have not begun teaching that yet the standard format is out of the question. You will need an alternative.
>Well, Twilight, how have you prepared for a test in the past? What was your go to practice method?
>Flashcards.
>That…that can actually work!

>Still wary from your over-excitement, you keep relaxed as you work out the process.
>First, you put the map you and Anon made in front of them.
>Next, you get a fresh piece of paper and fold it for three suitable rectangles.


>Anonymous mimics you and places one hand against the surface while the other pinches the edge. A slow rip is produced just like with Fluttershy’s book.
>You quintuple crease as tight as you can to be sure the edges are clean. Ripping your own paper, you now have three evenly sized flashcards. On the front you write the name for each, and on the back you draw the corresponding character.
>And finally, to explain the rules to Anon.

“Anonymous.”
>They turn towards your voice, and you float the first card between you with the text facing them.
ANONYMOUS
>You pop out from behind the card and point to the text. Following that, you point to the Anonymous you drew on the map by Sweet Apple Acres. Afterwards, you flip the card over to reveal the answer.
“[Yes] Yes”
>Placing the spent card back into the draw pile, you show the next one.
RARITY
>Anonymous soon points exactly where you did.
>Let them be wrong, Twilight.
“[No] No”
>Putting away the card you draw the last one.
TWILIGHT SPARKLE
>Anon takes a second to look over the map before pointing to the boutique.
“[No] No”
>Reshuffle.

>After a few shuffles Anonymous gets your name correct, but luck can be a factor. What you are looking for is consistency.
 TWILIGHT SPARKLE
>[Tree]
“[Yes] Yes”
ANONYMOUS
>[Boutique]
“[No] No”
RARITY
>[Boutique]
“[Yes] Yes”
>Two out of three, but that was only once.

RARITY
>[Farm]
“[No] No”
TWILIGHT SPARKLE
>[Tree]
“[Yes] Yes”
ANONYMOUS
>[Farm]
“[Yes] Yes”
>Hmmm, there is a pattern forming. Time to cheat a little to be sure.

TWILIGHT SPARKLE
>[Tree]
“[Yes] Yes”
>You act like you are drawing a new card, but actually hold up the same one.
TWILIGHT SPARKLE
>Anonymous examines the map, but does a double take. And then a triple take. They stare at you with a slightly raised brow while they answer.
>[Tree]
“[Yes] Yes!”
>You shout the reply and Anonymous cracks into a smile.


>Next card!
ANONYMOUS
>[Boutique]
>You shake your head, but continue to display your enthusiasm.
>They have at least figured out how to recognize your name, but the other two regularly get mixed up. The difference between the length of your name and theirs, as well as the additional space, is a serious flag against how Anon is determining which is which.
>Though you hold onto actual progress being made.

>Several rounds later and you notice another trend. While the singular names are inconsistent, Anon has no longer scored less than two. They are definitely able to execute a process of elimination.
>Well then, time to step it up.
>You add two new flashcards and indicate their position on the map.
RAINBOW DASH
Cloudsdale
APPLEJACK
Farm
>A new double name enters the fray, and Anon will have to distinguish between Applejack and itself when pointing to the farm. By the end of the day guessing will not be a factor!
>You shuffle the five cards to your partner’s visible uncertainty.
>Alright, from the top.

===================================================================================================================
Posted in Thread 998
===================================================================================================================

>Your crumpled body slouches over the table as the side of your face rests on the surface after the many, many attempts. Your eyes idly glaze over Anonymous fiddling with the stacks of drawings; its cooperation with you spent.
>As soon as the two new cards were added all elements of real progress were lost. Rainbow’s name was constantly mixed up with your own, though Anon always correctly identified whichever double name remained each round.


>Then, once Anon figured out that the barn was correct for two of the three singular names it used that as the sole answer for every singular one.
>In a desperate move to salvage the situation, you added Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie to the list which brought the roughly 60% success rate to near 30%. Not long after, Anonymous stopped participating completely.
>A process of elimination may be evident, but at this rate the science community would find any future success as merely trained reactions rather than actual understanding.
>And the percent chance you’ll figure something out? Undefined.

>But that’s not what is important right now, is it Twilight? The future concerns of the science community can wait; the princesses and the townsponies cannot.
>If precise and definite data is to be the cure then speculations such as Anonymous being able to learn Equeinnese should be left out. Plus you don’t want to overwhelm either party with new information and miss the entire point.
>Remember your end goal. There will be plenty of time.

>You take a long heavy breath and then slink up to a more proper posture. A deep orange glow from the setting sun creeps into the room through the kitchen doorway.
>Might as well take a break from the experiment given Anon’s disposition, and it won’t be long until everyone starts coming back.
>Going back to the crossword puzzle you find that…it’s blank.
>Great.
>Reigniting your horn, you reapply the lost purple aura to the crayon and begin anew.
>1 Across: late.
>Overdue.

>Halfway into the makeup work your left ear twitches to the sound of a distant door opening. Shortly thereafter you pick up someone rummaging through the cabinets.
>Anonymous notices it too, and goes stiff after turning towards the source.
“Hello?”
>A dry wispy voice cackles back.
>”Pay no attention to that mare behind the cucumbers. Jus’ gettin’ dinner started.”


>Oh it’s Granny, and judging by the semi-orderly ruckus it doesn’t seem like she brought the crusaders with her.
>Upon hearing the voice Anon settles back into place while you get to your hooves. Before going to investigate you sign to Anon.
[Me] [Kitchen]
>Unlike before they choose to stay put, and you take a few steps with no reaction. Instead, Anonymous searches through the stacks of papers it has made, and selects one near the top.
>You scoot a little farther to make it clear that they will be alone if they do not come. Apparently lost in their own world, they do not stop filling in the orange and purple caricature. The charades scene is really coming along.
>Previous experience tells you that Anon prefers company; however this does present an opportunity.
>Since you will be leaving them here when you go into town tomorrow this can serve as a sort of trial run. This way you will be nearby should Anon need you.

>Keeping an ear out for any worry signs, you join Granny and find her amidst a flood of vegetables clogging the countertop along with several large bowls.
>She catches on to your intrusion with a how-do-you-do; her gaze lightly crossing both of your sides.
>”Only the one of ya, eh? Didn’t spook the critter comin’ in the back did I?”
>Youthful innocence blends with her aged mischievousness causing her smile to grow into a cheeky grin.
“Anonymous is in the living room drawing. Where are Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo?”
>”Rarity took over so I could get cooking. Them youngin’s wanted ta help, but some honest farm work’ll do ‘em good.”
>Bet the girls are loving that.
>”Now why don’t you be a right peach and bring that there jar-a yogurt over.”
“Sure. What are you making?”
>”Well no one likes hot food on a hot day, so we’re makin’ some of Aunt Diva’s Cucumber Soup. And for the main course,” Granny heaves a giant green ball onto the countertop then gives it a pat, “watermelon.”


>”Traded a wagon wheel and twenty blankets for a bundle of these puppies.”
>The resounding thud causes a twitch to run through your system, forcing your eyes wide and your cheeks to pull back exposing a craggy gritting of teeth.
>Recovering from the shock, you offer an uneasy laugh.
“Gee, what a bargain.”

“So, where do we start?”
>A worn tome with frayed binding slides to you. On the current page are two black and white photos with a list of instructions. One picture is of the soup while the other is of a modest looking mare with a bulbous mane style and two large earrings.
>”Why, we start at the beginning. Ya can skip the stuff Grandpappy Cameo marked. Aunt Diva was always peculiar about the number of ingredients.”
“Will do.”
>Step 1: Peel and deseed your cucumbers…

>A little later Anonymous comes into the kitchen and seeks to be as helpful as last time. You defend the bowl over and over, but eventually a finger slips by and steals a taste.
>Immediately Anon makes a misshapen expression and urges you for a drink. You oblige with a glass of water.
>Hope they like watermelon.
>”Is there any casserole left from yesterday? Anonymous may not agree with our selection.”
>Granny swings around from her station to see Anon chugging the water. She lets out a single snicker at the sight.
>“We had a hungry group with big appetites yesterday. ’Fraid everything from that meal is gone. I got a strawberry cobbler ready for desert; that sound good enough?”
>Strawberry huh? There’s a happy coincidence.
“That should do nicely.”
>Her green hoof jabs towards Anon as it finishes the water.
>”But that don’t mean you get to go straight to desert. Ya gotta wait till after dinner like everypony else.”
>Anonymous blinks twice then holds its palm out and signs with the other hand.
>[Candy]
>Granny pulls her hoof back and tilts her head to lean in with one big eye.


>”What’s that about?”
>You move to intercept; speaking to Granny while signing to Anonymous.
“It’s asking for a butterscotch.”
[No]. [Eat] [Watermelon] [Soon]. [Eat] [Cobbler] [Later].
>[Watermelon] [Now]; [Yes] [No]?
[Soon]
>[Now] [Soon]; [Yes] [No]?
[We] [Eat] [Time] [Ponies] [Here].
>Anon drops its arms and goes to look out the window.
>”Ay’ve no idea what ya said, but you seem to be gettin’ better at it.”
>A blush hits your cheeks. Your signing has become a bit faster lately and there are more gestures overall, but complex sentences are still far off.
 “It’s nothing really. A lot of the signs are repeats, and all are pretty basic. The waving of my front hooves was actually one shared symbol for time; with noon representing ‘now’, 1 o’clock being ‘later’, and 11 o’clock being ‘soon’.”
>”Nothin’ wrong with simple. Like Grandpappy Cameo always said, ‘Anypony that makes things complicated is tryin’ ta trick you into thinkin’ they understand.’”

>You and Granny sit at the table and chat while Anonymous roams the room. They go for the candy drawer, but a bright purple barrier spawns to block the handle. A leer is cast your way, but you keep your attention on Granny Smith.
>When the hand moves away you let the barrier fall only to raise it again as the hand shoots for the drawer. The game of chicken continues for a time before Anon wanders to the cabinets directly behind you.
>As if being out of sight will work. Anon’s footsteps have a very distinct plop that would allow you to place their relative location even in a crowd, and the offbeat rhythm when walking doesn’t help their case either.
>Using that, you block off any cabinet they are close to, all the while maintaining the conversation. A coy smile works its way onto Granny’s face, though she never acknowledges the act.


>The sound of multiple trudging hooves builds up in the distance; getting closer and closer. As it intensifies Anonymous finally notices and swiftly moves beside you.
>Fluttershy enters first, and then holds the door open for everyone else. The group shuffles inside one by one with Applejack bringing up the rear.
>Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo head straight for the hallway restroom. Rainbow Dash attempts to get into a chair, but a subtle cough has her following the train of fillies. Rarity makes her way as the caboose.
>Pinkie Pie pays no mind to sanitation; flopping into her seat and toppling over. Her head lands on the wood with a thunk and a weak protest.
>”Ow.”
>Big Mac and Fluttershy make use of the kitchen sink, but Applejack comes over to Pinkie.
>”A little beat there, sugar cube?”
>”I’ve never been so party pooped.”
>”Think Ay got just the thing for ya.”
>Applejack places a literal sugar cube right in front of Pinkie’s mouth. Pinkie’s elastic tongue gingerly rolls out and encircles the treat. The snake like appendage then withdraws to its home.
>Her jaw is slow to move, and the first strained crunch lingers in the air. By the third bite she picks up the pace and munches the shattered bits. Once done she swallows and lets out a content moan.
>Mmm. “Better make that two lumps.”
>Applejack chuckles and reaches for another.
>”Sure.”

>While everyone else gets ready, you levitate the giant bowl of soup out of the fridge and onto the center of the table. Placing a hoof against the side, you check the temperature. There is a slight chill, but the instructions stated it should be served cold.
>Your horn flickers with energy and magic covers the entire bowl. A perfect seal separates the entrapped entity from reality; placing it strictly into your domain. By your whim, the luminescent border pulsates and attracts the heat inside. An invisible breath then expels the collection into the room.


>The brief spell ends without notice amidst the general commotion. Dishes soar across the table trailing an azure light, and Fluttershy hovers over to each glass with a full pitcher.
>Two heavy synchronized strikes ring out from the counter, followed by a flimsy third, then an even weaker fourth, fifth, and sixth. Applejack and Big Mac land well trained blows that cleanly divide the watermelons. Rainbow and the crusaders copy the method, but fail to achieve the same result. Rainbow’s watermelon only splits half way, requiring a second hit, while the crusader’s watermelons remain intact. Granny answers the silent call for help, and goes over to coach the three.
>Meanwhile, Pinkie mimes to Anonymous. Something about a sad melon? What kind of message is that?

>Eventually the dinner table fills with friends, food, and conversation. Everyone casually digs into the meal, and Anonymous does thankfully eat the watermelon.
>Light gossip mixes with hungry mouths keeping tonight’s supper more low key than yesterday. The fillies do not have a thousand questions nor do the adults lecture about proper etiquette. There are not even any signs of teasing; just a calm discussion about the day and what each pony will do after the harvest.
>However, that may take longer since you have to borrow someone for tomorrow. You can aim for the pony who would have the lowest impact, but they also need to be responsible and someone Anon is okay with.
>Rarity has already answered no. Pinkie and Fluttershy are both strong candidates for the last category, and in all fairness Fluttershy didn’t have to offer her help but she did anyway. One good turn deserves another.


“Fluttershy, can I ask for a favor? I have to go into town tomorrow to talk with the princesses, and prevent ponies from going loopy. Would you watch over Anonymous for me?”
>Fluttershy irises flash and her cheeks push upwards as she lets out a tame gasp.
>”Oh I’d be happy to. I’ve never been alone with Anonymous before, and this could be my first real chance to see what type of pony they are.”
>Her attention turns to the hominem covered in watermelon juice.
>”I bet you’re like a playful little bear cub when there is not a strange new group of ponies around, and when you grow up you will be a gentle giant like Mr. Bear. Um, but there’s still a lot to do on the farm and I don’t want to make things harder on everybody.”
>Applejack quickly interjets.
>”We can handle the farm work and Twilight’s meetin’ sounds awfully important. We wouldn’t want ta keep the princesses waitin’ over some crops.”
>”Are you sure?”
>Without hesitation Rarity tags herself in.
>”We’ll be fine, don’t you worry. Somepony will have to be with Anonymous and I couldn’t think of a better mare.”
>”O-okay. If you’re sure.”
>Huzzah, Anon has a guardian and your plan can move forward.
>You take a celebratory drink from your cup, but splurt midway.
>You didn’t mean ‘Guardian’ guardian. You mean guardian as in a babysitter.
>Yeah, babysitter.
>Done celebrating, you go back to your soup.

>The burst of activity comes to a close and quiet takes its place. Although dessert remains everyone remains comfortably seated in their chairs. Anonymous rests its head on the table and curls its arms around like a shield. Shortly thereafter their breathing turns adopts the telltale pause of sleep.
>The crusaders are ready to follow suit as they lean into one another, forming a tired pile of cute. Less cute is the nearly passed out Rainbow fully slumped into Fluttershy, who ignores the weight to instead focus on your debriefing about Anon.


“If Anonymous asks you anything you should be able to get by with what I showed you. Most likely they’ll wrap themselves in the blanket by the couch and draw. If you’re unsure about a gesture try to use drawings to figure out the meaning. Always be sure to confirm with the [Yes] [No] combo at the end. If you get really stuck ask Pinkie to take a shot. She’s good with charades.”
>Pinkie pulls herself away from the piece of cobbler on her plate just long enough to mumble a reply.
>”Ammd pwictionary.”
>Which provokes the pony on your other side.
>”Don’t talk with your mouth full, it’s impolite.”
>”Sowwy.”
>Rarity rolls her eyes with a huff, and Applejack snickers through her own piece.

>Regardless of the repeated blunder, her mood softens as her sight falls on the filly bundle.
>”Seems we need to get everyone to bed. It has been a long day.”
>“Reckon so, and Ay’m pretty beat myself.”
>Rarity and Applejack split up the fillies while you nudge Anonymous. Fluttershy taps Rainbow Dash.
>”Um, Dash, you need to wake up. Everyone’s getting ready to leave now.”
>The groggy Rainbow brushes the spot she was being tapped and readjusts herself against the makeshift pillow.
>”Mmmkay. Bye everyone.”
>”That means us too.”
>This time she sits up and rubs a hoof against her lids.
>”Two days in a row.”
>”You can stay with me tonight. That way you can sleep a little more since I live closer.”
>Applejack chimes in from the counter, currently fixing Pinkie a slice of cobbler to take home.
>”Ya’ll could sleep here if ya want. We can make space in the livin’ room.”
>”Oh, no, we couldn’t. Anonymous has been through a lot of change already. Too much would cause them to be stressed.”
>”Ay guess so, but the offer stands if’n you change yer mind.”
>Hmm, Fluttershy brings up a good point. You’ll have to consider that later.


>After the struggle of getting Rainbow up everyone left for bed leaving you and Anon in the living room. Using the same sleeping arrangement as yesterday, you lay on the loveseat and mentally prepare for the coming day before falling asleep.