Rejection - WIP

>Me? With Anon?
>Oh Rarity, ha ha, you're so funny sometimes!
>Like I'd ever be interested in that loser!
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>You are Anonymous.
>You’ve been having a pretty good day so far.
>After getting some errands finished this morning, you spent your time relaxing and chatting up a few friends around Ponyville.
>You’re now walking down the street away from Sugarcube Corner after finishing a light lunch with Lyra and Bon Bon.
>They’re an interesting pair. Lyra’s always been oddly comfortable around you, and it rubbed off on Bon Bon pretty quickly after you met them.
>Bon Bon, like many of the residents of Ponyville, shunned you when you first arrived five years ago.
>For most it was out of fear, but for others it was hatred; they all thought you were dangerous.
>Sure, it didn’t help that you kind of “exploded” into existence in the middle of town during a busy day, but you weren’t THAT scary.
>Especially since you had lost your clothes in the “explosion.”
>With all the ruckus you caused, you attracted the attention of the resident Princess, Twilight Sparkle.
>When she showed up, she was ready to blast you with magic like some monster from the Everfree.
>It only took her a moment though to notice you were about as confused and scared as every other pony running around.
>She ended up taking you back to the public library, where she also happened to live, and gathered up her friends to talk to you.
>After introducing you to them all (they titled you “Anonymous” since you couldn’t remember much about life back on Earth), and learning a bit about you, she decided to help you try to fit into Equestrian society until they could figure out how to get you home.
>Ever since, you’ve been slowly creating your own niche in the town, and pretty much everyone knew you.
>You’d spent a lot of time doing things with the six element bearers, so it made it easier for people to warm up to you.
>Some of the more conservative ponies were still skeptical of you, but you had befriended almost everyone you had met.
>You knew the rest would come around eventually.
>As you walk down the road, you think about what to do with the rest of your day.
>Perhaps you could pay Time Turner a visit, or maybe you could go do a little hard work with Big Mac on the farm to get some exercise. You’d been too lax on that since you got here.
>You wave to a passing pony, and noticed some certain technicolor friends of yours disappear into the front door of Twilight’s library, just a block or so away.
“Hm. Spending some time with the girls sounds pretty nice. I hope they don’t mind if I come by.”
>You turn and head towards the library, but not before buying a few daisies.
>The girls would probably like it if you brought a snack.
>Arriving at the library, you knock before coming in.
>After all, even though it’s a public library, Twilight does live here.
>”Oh, hi Anon!” Twilight says, as she, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rarity turn to greet you.
>You see Twilight immediately notice her favorite snack flowers.
"Hey girls, how's it going?"
>”Howdy, Anon. We were just chattin’ while we wait for Rainbow to get here,” Applejack said, giving you a warm smile.
>Rarity nods at you and greets you curtly. “Good afternoon, Anonymous.”
>Fluttershy flies over to you and gives you a much-welcomed hug.
>”It’s good to see you, Anon. Why don’t you stay and talk with us? We haven’t had some quality time together in a few days,” she says, a soft blush forming on her cheeks. “I-if you want to, that is…”
>You pat her on the head and walk over to set the flowers down on the table they were gathered around.
“That sounds great, Fluttershy. I was hoping we could all do something together today. Perhaps go down to the pond for a swim?”
>Applejack grins and nods in agreement. “That sounds like a mighty fine idea! It’s perfect swimmin’ weather today, least it will be once Rainbow’s done smackin’ clouds fer the day.”
>You turn and get ready to say something, but you notice Panka Poe isn’t in the room.
>You know her name’s Pinkie Pie and you know how to pronounce it, you just never say it correctly anyway. It’s funny to you, and Pinkie always gets a laugh out of it when you come up with a new way to say it.
“Where’s Prinkle Pants?”
>You and the girls turn your heads toward the kitchen as you all hear a burst of laughter and a bowl hit the floor.
>”Pinkie, are you okay in there?” Twilight says worriedly to the kitchen door.
>It bursts open, and a cloud of flour rolls in. Pinkie steps out of the kitchen, covered in flour and whatever else was in the bowl she probably dropped.
>Still giggling, she waves off Twilight’s concern. “I’m okay, everypony! Just a little baking mishap!”
>The pink party pony trots over to you and stares you in the face, seemingly immediately changing her mood from giggly to very serious.
>”Pinkie Pie,” she says, staring deep into your eyes, her own piercing your very soul.
>You stare at her the same way, almost letting out a laugh at her flour-covered visage.
“Penki Paw.”
>Your stares are held only a few moments longer before you both can’t hold in your laughter any longer.
>She jumps up and hugs you tightly, coating you in baking ingredients. “It’s good to see you, Nonny!”
>You wipe away a tear and hug her in return.
“It’s good to see you too, Ponk. My outfit might disagree, however.”
>She lets go and giggles, rubbing the back of her head with a hoof. “Whoopsie! I forgot I was covered in the almost-a-cake I was making! Sorry Nonny…”
>You pat your suit down a bit, removing a bit of the mess but not much of it.
“It’s okay, Inkie Ie.” You turn to Twilight and motion to the almost-a-cake covering your suit and some of your hair. “Do you mind if I go wash up?”
>Twilight smiles and points a hoof down the hall. “No problem, it’s that way, first door on the left. If you need anything, just let me know!”
>You turn and head to the bathroom to clean up. You get these suits messy much more often than you’d like to.
“Thanks Twilight, hopefully I won’t be too long, if this mess is easy to get out.”
>As you enter the bathroom and begin removing your clothes so you can shower and try to clean your suit a little, you hear the front door open and slam shut. That must be Rainbow.
>Turning on the water, you step into the shower and feel the warm water hit your floury body. Damn, it’s nice having magic to heat up your water. Much faster than back home.
>You spend a few minutes scrubbing away the mess, as well as just enjoying the shower.
>Showers are the best fucking things in the world to you. One of the few things you remember from back home, they’re beyond relaxing, and you can’t count the number of times you’ve just stood there daydreaming or just thinking for an hour without even getting clean.
>After rinsing off, you towel up and sit down next to the sink with a washcloth and turn on the tap to see what you can do about your messy suit.
>While wetting the washcloth, you overhear the girls in the main lobby having a conversation.
>”…yes, maybe so, but I simply can’t see how you girls put up with him. He’s so uncouth.”
>Was that Rarity? Who are you kidding, only she says “uncouth.” Are they talking about you?
> You put down the washcloth and walk over to the door, leaving the tap running so they don’t think you can hear them. Putting an ear to the wood, you listen in more closely to their discussion.
>”Hey! Don’t be a meanie, Rarity! Nonny’s super funtastic!”
>So that WAS Rarity. Why was she shit-talking you, especially behind your back? You’re a pretty cool dude, at least in your opinion.
>You’re tempted to walk in and end their conversation there, but you had no idea Rarity thought this way of you.
>You crack open the door just barely and sit back down to listen while you clean your suit. This will be interesting.
>You hear a sophisticated scoff. “Oh please, darling, he’s neither fun NOR fantastic!”
>Ouch.
>”Anonymous is nothing if not a brute. He can be kind at times, and he knows how to be polite, I will admit that. But he’s so brash! His humor is often either about something almost scarily dark, or doesn’t make any sense at all, and he constantly tries to make everything into a joke in some way. It’s like he shoving it in our faces, and he has no idea how to be serious!”
>Hey, fuck you, Rarity! You love making jokes. That’s just who you are. You take things seriously, you just make jokes at the same time.
>”And when he’s not out eating a meal or with us, he’s always holed up in his home, either lazing about, being a recluse, or blasting that terrible noise he calls ‘music’ he gets from that mare Vinyl Scratch.”
>Jeez, you just love electronic music. You’ve always been a big music buff, more so for collecting and listening to it than making it. Like showers, the music you used to listen to is one of the few things you remember from home.
>When you met Vinyl Scratch, you thought she’d be the best candidate to introduce to electronic music, and boy oh boy were you right. She took to it like a kid to candy. Or perhaps Pinkie to baked goods.
>You frown and squeeze the water from the washcloth. You’ve cleaned your suit pretty well, but there are some stains you couldn’t remove. You’ll have to see if Twilight will magic them out.
>At least your tie didn’t get touched. You love that thing.
>Redressing, you hang up the towel and sit back down to keep listening.
>”Rarity, that’s not very nice of you. Anon isn’t all that bad. Sure, he’s got his flaws, but we all do. Friendship is being able to see past those kinds of differences.”
>Aw, thanks Twilight.
>”Well of COURSE you would say that, dear. What with all the time he spends here checking out books and talking to you about what he reads…”
>What’s that supposed to mean? Is she implying…?
>”What’s that supposed to mean, Rarity?”
>Hm. Maybe you’ve spent more time around Twilight than you thought.
>”Oh, I think you already know, darling.”
>Excuse me?
>”Excuse me?”
>Alright, that’s getting weird.
>”What is it, darling? Do I have to spell it out for you? You. Like. Anon.”
>You hear “oooooooh”s come from the other girls.
>This is an interesting development. Twilight? Liking you?
>You’d not thought of having a relationship the entire time you’d been here.
>You HAD spent a lot of time with Twilight lately.
>Maybe she does like yo-
>”Me, with Anon?”
>”Oh Rarity, ha ha, you’re so funny sometimes!”
>”Liked I’d ever be interested in that loser!”
>Whoa. Back the hell up a bit. Loser? That hurts a bit. Wasn’t she just defending you?
>The girls all gasp. Sounds like they’re as surprised as you are.
>”I’d never even begin to want to be anything beyond a friend to… him! Honestly, a lot of what you said, while rude, was right. He’s lazy, his humor is terrible and sometimes downright creepy, and the jokes he always tries to make with it are as annoying as the parasprites!”
>That really hurt. Your humor is a big part of you, and from what you heard about the parasprites, they were equally as bad as a natural disaster.
>And you were working on the lazy part! You did get a job doing work for the Mayor, even though it was part-time and required little to no effort…
>You get closer to the door again. You want to hear every word she has to say.
>”Even more annoying than that is his music! He never stops listening to it, and it’s always so loud! He constantly tries to get everyone to listen to whatever he’s playing, even if they OBVIOUSLY don’t want to hear it! His only redeeming quality is the number of books he checks out, and even then every time he does he has to bother me about them while I’m busy!”
>She keeps getting louder. She must have had this pent up for a while now.
>”Not to mention his eating habits! It’s disgusting, how he eats like he does without looking like a slob I’ll never know!”
>Whatever, you eat like a motherfucking king.
>You unconsciously clench your hand into a fist. This is getting to you more than you want it to.
>Normally you don’t get angry easily; it takes a lot to upset you.
>Why the fuck are Rarity and Twilight shitting on you like this? Behind your back, no less.
>You thought they were your friends.
>You’d always gotten a funky vibe from Rarity, but Twilight actually thinks this badly of you?
>”Hey, Twilight, calm down. Anon isn’t that bad, he’s actually pretty cool.”
>You hear the mumbling agreements of Pinkie, Fluttershy and Applejack.
>Good, that means they don’t secretly hate you like Twilight and Rarity seem to.
>As she begins forming a retort, you try to lean in closer, but accidentally push against the door too hard, and it opens a teeny bit.
>Of course, that slight movement made the loudest creaking sound possible.
>”Wha… Anon?”
>You’ve been caught.
>Great, after having such a pleasant day you have to deal with… this.
>You steel yourself and put on a stern but straight face.
>You push the door open and step out into the lobby.
”Hey everyone. Hope you’re having a nice chat.”
>You lock eyes with Twilight almost immediately.
>She cringes under your gaze, but it does not waver.
>”Hey there Anon… I didn’t know you finished cleaning up…”
“Obviously.”
>You cross your arms and notice Rarity is doing her absolute best to look inconspicuous. Your stare shifts to her and her little acts breaks immediately. She knows she’s been caught as well.
>”Yes, well, it does appear you clean up pretty well, Anony-“
“Stop.”
>”A-alright.” She looks down at her hooves.
>Twilight looks at you pleadingly. Damn these ponies and their adorable faces. It’s hard to be mad at them sometimes, but not this time.
>”Please Anon, you have to understa-“
“Shut up.”
>Twilight recoils harshly. You’ve never said that. In the eight years you’ve lived here, you’ve never been mad or annoyed enough to say those two words.
“I was hoping to have a nice day with you all, swimming down at the pond. Apparently, I’m too much of an annoyance for that.”
>Twilight and Rarity are absolutely fascinated with the floor right now. The rest of the girls are still in shock, probably from both the fact that you heard everything as well as how you’re reacting.
>You look to them. They’re pretty upset. You see fear in Pinkie’s eyes, and you know why she’s afraid.
>You have no idea how she got clean of all the flour and other ingredients. Fucking Pinkie Pie.
“Don’t worry you guys. I’m not upset with you. In fact, I should thank you for defending me.”
>You walk over and give the four a big hug, then stand up and turn around to face Rarity.
“I’m going to be honest. Rarity, I’m not surprised you feel the way you do. I’ve always gotten the feeling that you didn’t enjoy my presence.”
>If Rarity didn’t look guilty before, she sure as hell does now.
>You turn to Twilight. You can’t look any more upset without actually putting on an angry face.
“…But you. I never expected to learn I was nothing but an annoyance,”
>You almost spat the last word.
“from you, of all ponies. The Princess of motherfucking Friendship.”
>You put extra emphasis on the ‘fucking’.
>Twilight looks like if you say much else she’ll break down. Looks like her pent up emotions got the better of her when she was talking behind your back a few moments ago.
>You turn look at the sky through a window. The sun tells you you’ve still got a long way to go before the day ends.
>You sigh and turn back to the ponies. Of course this would happen to you today. You’re just glad they don’t all feel the way Twilight and Rarity do.
>You give a hard stare at Twilight and Rarity.
“I’m going home.”
>You open the door and get halfway through before adding a few last words.
>You motion with a light smile to Pinkie, AJ, Flutters and RD.
“If you four need me, I’ll be there. You two, though,”
>You jab two fingers in the air towards White Bitch and Purple Asshead with a firm but small frown.
>You should think of a better name for Twilight.
“Just… don’t.”
>You slam the door shut before you can hear Twilight call your name as you leave.
>You do still hear it, seeing as there’s only a wooden door between the two of you, but you don’t care.
>Neither she nor Rarity deserve the time of day right now.
>You look around outside the library. The streets are a bit busier now that lunch time has come and gone.
>Down the road a bit you see Spike approaching the library.
>You almost completely forgot about Spike. You’re actually glad he wasn’t in the library when all of that happened.
>His eyes open a bit and he speeds up as he sees you in front of the library. You wonder if he thinks the same way the love of his life and his surrogate mother do.
>”Hey, Anon! What’s happening?”
“Hey there Spike. I was just leaving.”
>You think for a moment.
“I was thinking about heading down to the pond for a swim in a later today since it’s so nice out. Want to join me?”
>Spike grins and throws his hands up. “That sounds like a great idea! You’re going to bring your boombox, right?”
>Interestingly enough, unlike a couple certain friends of yours, Spike loved the music you listened to. He latched onto it almost as strongly as you and Vinyl did, and he seemed to like the same songs as you, too.
>You spend a lot of time with the little dude. He’s almost like a little brother to you.
>You hold up your closed hand and you bump fists.
“But of course. We always need our jams.”
>Yeah, no fucking way he thinks badly of you.
>”Sweet,” Spike pumps his fist. “I’ll make snacks!”
>You smile and wink at him.
“I guess I will too.”
>You learned not long after you met him a certain combo of gems that Spike seemed to absolutely adore.
>A small crystal salad of three emeralds, three sapphires, four rubies, and a garnet on top.
>Spike gasps and pumps his fist. “Awesome, thanks Anon!”
> He goes to enter the library, but you stop him in his tracks just before he grabs the door handle. “Something wrong, Anon?”
>You kneel, look at the door and then to your feet, closing your eyes and sighing.
“Twilight and Rarity had some… choice words to say about me.”
>The confusion in Spike’s eyes is evident.
“They weren’t anything good.”
>”Oh.” Spike looks down, and you can see a bit of anger, but also sadness on his face.
“Just don’t confront them about it, okay? Let me handle it.”
>You pat him on the shoulder and give him a reassuring smile.
>He looks at the door, then back to you. “Alright, I won’t say anything.”
>You give him a hug and a big noogie.
“Thanks bro.”
>Spike gives you a thumbs up. “No problem, bro.”
>He opens the door and slips halfway in before you add something.
“We’ll go to the pond in say… four hours?”
>He turns his head and nods before fully entering the building and closing the door.
>You sigh yet again and stand up, stretching a bit.
>Now to go home and think about what the hell just happened in there.
>When you get home, you take off and hang up your trademark black suit and red tie, leaving on your white undershirt and black dress pants.
>You sit down in your favorite recliner and lean back, using a remote to turn on your sound system and put it on low so you can relax.
>This tune begins to play: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ii4fM8Jo7P0
>Boy are you glad electronic caught on here in Equestria. Lots of ponies ended up making songs extremely familiar to you, most likely because they were from back home.
>Closing your eyes and sighing, you bring a hand to your face.
>What the hell happened to make them say all that shit about you?
>You’d always done your best to be good to everyone.
>You had to admit, your humor has always been drastically different from those of the ponies that populated this world.
>You always assumed it must have carried over from back home.
>It wasn’t like you constantly joked about death, pain and suffering or anything.
>When you made jokes, they were often just to make light of the situation.
>As far as you knew, those you told your jokes to knew that.
>If you poked fun at a subject, it was simply to lighten the mood; you never actually believed what you said.
>You rolled your head to the side and looked at your sound system.
>Vinyl Scratch helped you make the many speakers that adorned that side of the living room.
>The system was one of your first possessions here in Equestria. Besides, of course, the clothes Rarity made for you, and the house Twilight helped you obtain.
>Your thoughts drift back to them. They had been so kind to you over the years, and yet they had been harboring those feelings the whole time?
>When you first found out Rarity was a fashion designer you were beyond relieved. Someone to remake your clothes was one of the first things you wanted.
>When Rarity showed you possible designs she could adapt to your bipedal figure, the simple suit, undershirt, dress pants and tie appealed greatly to you.
>She made many of the outfit for you, and of course some simple T-shirts and jeans so you could dress more casually if so desired.
>It was very generous of her. You remember she wouldn’t let you refuse her to make it all for you for free.
>She insisted upon it, seeing as you had had everything you held dear ripped from you in an instant.
>Twilight had been the same way. She insisted she do everything in her power to make you comfortable in Ponyville for as long as you had to be here, including building you a house.
>She almost gave you one that was already built, but you had to remind her of the size difference between yourself and ponies.
>The Apples all pitched in at Applejack’s request, and they got this thing up and ready in just a few days out here on the edge of town.
>They picked a great spot, you never liked being in the middle of cities or towns.
>After everything was built, Rainbow came by with the weather team to plot where your house was located on their maps so when bad weather was scheduled, you wouldn’t be hit too hard.
>You suddenly feel a small furry friend of yours hop up onto your lap and settle down for a nap.
>Fluttershy also paid you a visit and gave you your little kitty friend Rusty. Gray with brown spots on her coat, it was like she was all rusted up.
>You pet Rusty’s head as she drifted off to sleep.
>On the first morning in your new home, you woke up to a housewarming party Pinkie had set up just for you overnight.
>It had been one of the best parties you ever attended.
>You laid there in your recliner and closed your eyes while you reflected on the good memories you had with the six mares.
>You knew you couldn’t have asked for better friends.
>Your brow furrowed. Well, with what Rarity and Twilight had said, maybe that’s not as true as you thought.
>As you wrestled with these thoughts, you almost didn’t notice yourself drifting off to sleep.
>You shook your head to wake up a little, reaching for an egg timer you kept on a table next to the chair.
>It was pretty often you found yourself passing out in this chair early on, so you put the timer on the table so you wouldn’t end up napping the day away.
>You set the timer for two and a half hours, leaving you plenty of time to wake up and prepare for the swim you were going to have with Spike.
>With any luck, he told the girls about it, and they’ll show up too.
>With that pleasant thought fresh in your mind, you closed your eyes and took a trip to dreamland.
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>You are Spike the Dragon, personal assistant of Twilight Sparkle, and you’re pretty confused.
>You turn your head and nod at Anon before walking into the library and closing the door behind you.
>What could Twilight and Rarity have said? As far as you knew they were good friends with Anon.
>You did notice how every now and then Twilight or Rarity would groan whenever they’d hear the music he’d play all the way away from his home, or when he’d ask Twilight about a subject he was reading up on.
>But you thought Twilight liked talking about book stuff like that. Heck, it’s what she does for a living.
>And the music was pretty good! You couldn’t see the problem.
>When you entered the library, however, the problem was the first thing you saw.
”Uh… hey guys. Is everything okay?"
>Twilight and Rarity look up at you from the floor with a little surprise, and Pinkie, Fluttershy, Applejack and Rainbow turn to face you.
>Looks like those four were giving Twilight Rarity a good talking-to.
>Applejack is the first to say something. ”Uh… hey there, partner. Did you see…?”
>She must be referring to Anon.
“Yeah, I was just coming back from helping out Miss Doo when I ran into him.”
>You look at each of their faces. They all seem pretty worried, they must be afraid for Anon.
>Rainbow flies over to you. “Did he tell you what happened?”
>You shrug.
“Sorta. He told me that Twilight and Rarity here had some choice words to say about him,”
>You give the two a confused look.
“And that in maybe four hours he’d like to head down to the pond for a swim.”
>Twilight takes a step towards you and you hold a hand up to her. She halts.
>You cross your arms.
“Look, I don’t know exactly what you two said, but I don’t even want to know. I didn’t have to ask to know Anon was pretty upset by whatever it was.”
>And that was true, you didn’t. When Anon told you not to say anything, the pain in his eyes was all you could see.
>You want to help him out. He’s like a big brother to you.
>But he asked you not to confront them, so you’ll respect your bro’s request.
“I’m going to head into the kitchen and start making some snacks for when I head down to the pond with Anon.”
>You start walking towards the kitchen.
“Like I said, I don’t know what you guys said about him to upset him so bad, but you’re gonna need a heck of an apology.”
>You grab a small topaz off a small shelf on the way to the kitchen. You keep crystals here and there sometimes to snack on.
>Taking a bite out of the topaz, you open the kitchen door and look back at the girls, more so at the girls that DIDN’T insult your bro.
>You’re a little more mad about that than you thought.
“I’m sure he’d like more company at the pond than just me, by the way. Remember: four hours.”
>You enter the kitchen and head to the refrigerator, biting off a bit more topaz.
>You’re kinda glad Anon asked you to leave things be and not say anything.
>Makes it easier for you in the long run.
>You grab a few fresh vegetables and fruit from the fridge before grabbing a loaf of bread and some bowls from the cabinets.
>A good fruit salad and some veggie sandwiches sound perfect for the trip to the pond.
>Best get them ready now and put in the fridge so you can get up and go easily later.
>Your mind drifts back to the girls.
>As you chop up some tomatoes, you wonder what could have made two of the ponies you hold closest to your heart say bad things about your bro.
>You shook your head and busied yourself with making the snacks to distract you from the situation.
>This is a problem for Twilight and Rarity to worry about. They screwed up and hurt Anon.
>It’s your job to cheer him up with some tasty food.
>Hopefully the other girls will come down to the pond, too. It’d probably make Anon feel even better.
>For now, you’ll just worry about making some of the best snacks Anon will ever have.
>Only the best for your bro.
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>You are now Applejack, the appleiest pony in all the land.
>You watch Spike walk into the kitchen and close the door.
>He said that Anon still wanted to go down to the pond in four hours.
>You should probably join them. Anon would like it if you came, as well as Pinkie, Fluttershy and RD.
>Before Spike showed up, you were giving Twilight and Rarity a good old-fashioned tongue-lashing.
>When they were saying those things earlier, you had no idea Anon had heard it all.
>You were originally going to keep their feelings between the six of them. They do have the right to their opinions, after all.
>But thinking about it, for them to have said all that behind Anon’s back while in the *same* house at the *same* time as him was just plain mean.
>Anon really didn’t deserve to hear all that.
>You close your eyes and turn around to face Twilight and Rarity.
“Alright, listen. Ah’m not even gonna bother tellin’ y’all off anymore for what you’ve done to Anon. But Spike is right, you two owe ‘im a big apology. And you best spend the next while thinkin’ on what you’ve HAVE said and what you WILL say to ‘im.”
>You look at the other three girls.
“Ah think Ah’m gonna head home for a bit, but it might be best if we all went together to swim with Anon at the pond. We should probably bring things to eat too, he would appreciate the meal.”
>The girls nod in agreement. Pinkie’s mood has been down since Anon left, but at the mention of making food she gasps.
>”OHMYGOSH! I’ve got the PERFECT thing to make Anon feel super-duper wonder-tastically happy again!”
>She disappears in a cloud of pink smoke, leaving the front door hanging open.
>Fluttershy holds a hoof to her mouth. “I wonder what it might be…”
>You hear Pinkie shouting from across town as she runs back to Sugarcube Corner. “IT’S A SURPRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISE!”
>You look confusedly at Fluttershy and Rainbow, and you all shrug. Fucking Pinkie Pie.
>Twilight finally musters up the energy to say something. “Do you think we should come to the pond too? It might be a good idea to apologize to him there…”
>You shake your head as a firm “no.”
“Ah think y’all are the last ponies he wants to see right now. Y’all really seemed to have done a number on ‘im.”
>You motion for Fluttershy and Rainbow to follow you out of the library.
“C’mon gals, let’s get ready to go see Anon.”
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>You’re now Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship. By title only…
>Three of your best friends in the entire world just left you and Rarity in the library.
>Because you heavily insulted another of your best friends right behind his back.
>And he heard it all.
>You’re on the verge of tears. How could you be so horrible to Anon like that? What came over you to say all those things?
>You can feel your eyes water as your head sinks down low.
>The stress of being a Princess has been getting to you lately. You’ve had to take much more action in the local government, being an executive figurehead alongside the Mayor has required a lot of work.
>The ponies in town highly respect you. While your real power is held at a national level, the Mayor finds great ease in scheduling and running town events, managing day-to-day tasks, and even passing laws and subsequently enforcing them with your help.
>You also have to manage your personal research, a large portion of which includes finding Anon a way home.
>It’s been eight years, but you’re still going strong. Every now and then you find new leads onto portals, potions and more that could help.
>But each one so far has resulted in a dead end failure.
>Each time you tell Anon you’re onto something, he gets excited.
>And every time it ends badly, you expect him to get upset with you over messing up yet again.
>He never does though. He always says the same thing: “Don’t worry about it Twilight. The fact that you’re even doing all this for me is all I could ask for.”
>Anon’s a great guy. You didn’t really mean any of what you said, your emotions just got the better of you.
>You wonder if that’s why Rarity said what she did as well.
>Looking up at Rarity, you wipe a tear out of your eye.
“Rarity… do you think Anon will forgive us?”
>She looks up at you. She’s clearly not as upset as you, but very guilty nonetheless.
>”Yes, darling, I believe Anon will forgive us. Just not easily. Or soon… We said some quite horrible things about him.”
>You look down at your hooves.
“You can say that again.”
>Rarity put on a small smile and holds out a hoof towards the door. “After all that just happened, I’d rather not.”
>You both share a light laugh.
>Rarity sighs. “I won’t say what I said about him wasn’t true,”
>You give Rarity the stink eye.
>She frowns and looks out the window towards Anon’s house. “…but it was all very rude of me. I should have done what you said, and seen past those differences to the better qualities of Anonymous. He’s a much better friend than we made him out to be.”
>You nod your head.
“And I shouldn’t have let my emotions get the better of me. My duties as a Princess have been heavy on my shoulders for a while now, and I let it out when I was saying all those things. I didn’t mean any of what I said.”
>Rarity turns and trots over to you, putting a hoof on her shoulder. “We both regret our decisions, so we can apologize together when the time comes. But I think Anonymous needs his space right now, so it would probably be best if we let him be for the time being.”
>You feel happy that Rarity wants to apologize together, you two can come up with something good, you just know it.
>You’re also saddened, however, that you can’t fix it immediately. You feel terrible for putting Anon in such a state.
“You’re right, Rarity. We’ll make it up to him somehow, just not now.”
>Rarity smiles. “Well, since we are in agreement, I must be off. I have a few outfits I was designing for a new line, but I think apologizing to Anonymous is a bit more important, and something we should both start working on as soon as possible.”
>Your mood lifts considerably. Rarity’s right, this is no time to mope about.
“Alright, I’ll see you soon, then. I should get to work, I think if I were to find a way for him to get home, there’d be no way he wouldn’t forgive us!”
>Rarity grins and hugs you. “That’s the spirit, Twilight! I’m off, good luck~!”
>She heads out the door and you wave goodbye.
>You take a few deep breaths to steel yourself.
>You glance back to the kitchen.
“Spike, I’m heading out! I have to work on my apology for Anonymous!”
>Spike responds by banging his head on what sounded like a cabinet. “OUCH! O-okay, Twilight, I’ll be here…”
>You giggle before trotting off to buy a few tomes at the bookstore.
>You’ve got a lot of work ahead of you.
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>The loud buzzing of the egg timer on the table wakes you.
>Your eyes flutter open, and a loud yawn escapes your mouth.
>You are Anonymous once again, and damn was that a good nap.
>As you grab the lever of your recliner and push it forward so you can sit up again, you notice a distinct lack of furry warmth that was on your lap earlier.
>Rusty must have run off to do whatever she does when she’s not napping with you or not being played with.
>You stand up, twist your back and stretch your arms and legs, your bones popping about fifteen times.
>Wow, that nap felt REALLY good.
>You reach for the sound system remote. It was still playing your “Chill” playlist.
>Normally you only use that to relax or sleep, so you switch to the “Party” playlist.
>Now that you’re awake, you want to get pumped up.
>You turn up the system a bit, and this song begins to play: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4224x8SCdww
>Sweet, it’s your favorite artist, and one of your favorite tunes by him.
>You walk into the kitchen and stop at the sliding-glass door leading to your backyard.
>You open the shades to see a fantastic early summer day.
>The sun is shining, and your thermometer stuck to the door on the outside says it’s about 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
>Absolutely perfect for swimming.
>Checking the time, you’ve got an hour and a half to prepare. Just as planned.
>You walk down the hall and into your room, pulling out a pair of trunks from your wardrobe.
>Re-entering the living room, you take off your shoes and put them by the door, grabbing a pair of flip-flops instead.
>You throw the trunks onto the recliner and the flip-flops on the floor in front of it, so you can change quickly once you’re done getting ready.
>The song hits the drop and you put a sort of…strut? Is that what you’d call it? Into your step.
>You head back into the hallway and grab some sunscreen from the hall closet.
>Throwing that onto the recliner as well, you “strut” into the kitchen.
>Time to make Spike that gem salad he loves so much.
>Grabbing a bowl and the eight necessary crystals, it’s an easy fix since there are literally only eight things that go in the bowl.
>After mixing up the salad and putting the garnet on top, you set the bowl to the side on the counter.
>Should you make something else? You’re not sure what Spike will make, or if the girls will come and bring food as well.
>Twilight and Rarity pop back into your mind again, and a frown slowly forms on your face.
>You almost forgot about them. You still don’t understand what made them say what they did.
>Hopefully they won’t show up at the pond. You don’t think they will, seeing as in leaving the library the way you did you made it very obvious you don’t want to see them.
>You turn and grab some lemons from the fridge to make lemonade.
>Whatever. You’re gonna go down to that pond and have a good time with your bro regardless of what happens.
>You set about preparing a large pitcher of lemonade. You hope Spike likes it sweet. The girls too, if they decide to come.
>You finish the lemonade a few minutes later and put it in the fridge to keep it cold.
>Finished with your portion of refreshments, you strut back into the living room to the tune of the new song playing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTvfwd3JZTE
>Might as well put on your trunks and get ready to go. Wouldn’t hurt if you got there early and set up.
>You undress and put on your trunks. You’ll deal with your dirty clothes later.
>Running down to your room, you grab an old T-shirt you don’t mind getting wet, and a picnic blanket from the closet.
>As you return to the living room, you also nab a large basket from the hall closet.
>You set the basket down next to the recliner, and place the blanket neatly inside on the bottom.
>You grab and pocket your sunscreen before getting Spike’s gem salad and the pitcher of lemonade.
>Of course, you top the pitcher first. Spill that shit and it’s game over, man.
>Besides, you make some good-ass lemonade.
>You’ve got everything together now! Time to go for a swim.
>Carrying the basket, you turn of the sound system and head for the door, donning a pair of sunglasses you had sitting on the windowsill.
>You slip on your flip-flops, yank open the door and step outside. Man, does it feel goo-
>There’s a pony standing in front of you.
>That’s odd. You don’t normally get visitors unless it’s the girls, or you have something planned.
>The brown pony is holding a hoof up. Looks like he was about to knock when you stepped out.
>”Ah, hello there. Are you Anonymous?”
>He extends his hoof, and you give him a once-over. A light brown coat with a darker brown afro for a mane, and a moustache connected to a beard that covered his chin and extended up his jawline to his mane.
>His cutie mark is a fan paintbrush next to a little tree.
>This guy is somewhat familiar. He seems nice enough.
>You reach out and shake his hoof firmly.
“Yes, that’s me. Who might you be?”
>The middle-aged pony backs up and holds a hoof to his chest. “Oh, forgive me, I didn’t introduce myself. My name is Happy Trees. It’s a pleasure to meet you, my friend.”
>He walks out into your yard and looks all around your house, sometimes gazing at it and sometimes past it.
>”I was just passing through this quaint little town when I came by your home, and I was simply enchanted by it.”
>He sighed contentedly. ”Out here on the edge of town, with a view of the mountains and forest behind it…”
>He trots back up to you and you could see inspiration in his eyes. “You simply must let me paint it all. This is one of the best scenes I’ve seen yet in my recent travels.”
>Huh. It’s really that nice?
>You walk out into your front yard and take a look for yourself.
>You can see various Equestrian mountains in the distance, and a long expanse of lush forest all around them, beginning only a tenth of a mile away and stretching many miles further.
>A few puffy clouds float high above, and the sun peeks out from behind one.
>Your home is much more scenic than you thought.
“Alright, Mr. Trees, go ahead. You’re right, this is a pretty beautiful scene.”
>He claps his hooves together. “Fantastic! I’m so glad you agree.”
>He turns and walks out to the road. Seems he’s parked a small cart out there. It’s filled with various paints, brushes, pieces of painting equipment and canvases.
>Picking up various things from the cart, he begins readying his easel and canvas.
>He glances back at you while setting everything up and getting out his paints.
>”Oh, don’t worry about me, I’ll handle things from here. Get going, I’m sure you have some friends waiting for you.”
>Fuck, that’s right! They’re probably already on the way to the pond.
>You nod to him and start moving quickly towards the pond. Best not to keep your friends waiting.
>As you leave, you can hear him sigh. “Let’s start out with some happy little trees…”
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>You’re still Anon, and now only a minute or two away from the pond. You can see it from where you’re walking.
>Good, Spike hasn’t shown up yet. Neither have the girls.
>You approach the waterside and put down the basket. You’re glad you picked today to come down here.
>You dip a single toe in the water. Oh yeah, the perfect temperature.
>You set up the picnic blanket a good distance from the water. If you guys end up splashing around a lot, you don’t want to get everything wet.
>Now to wait for Spike, and maybe some of the girls.
>You lay back on the blanket and rest the back of your head on your hands.
>It really is a beautiful day. The breeze is just barely present, keeping you cool.
>The sun is shining down on you as you close your eyes to just listen.
>After a few moments you notice the sun stop shining on your face.
>”Hey, bro. Looks like you’re enjoying yourself.”
>You open your eyes and see Spike staring down at you from above. Good, he’s arrived.
“Hey, bro. Yeah, it’s pretty nice down here. Care to join me?”
>He sets his own picnic basket down next to yours and joins you on the blanket.
>”Yeah, this is great. I told Fluttershy and the girls about us coming down here, so they shouldn’t be far behind me.”
>You turn your head to him. Concern and a little anger is written all over your face.
>”Don’t worry, Twilight and Rarity are probably not coming. It’s just the others.”
>You lay your head back down. Good. Fuck those two, they’d probably shit all over you again if they showed up.
>Figuratively, of course. That’d be gross if they actually did that.
>You and your bro lay there in silence for a few minutes, basking in the sun’s radiance and enjoying the sounds of nature.
>The pond is a good distance from town, so there’s no noise pollution. It’s very peaceful.
>That is, at least, until Spike pokes you in the elbow.
>”Uh… Anon? What’s that?”
>You sit up and look at Spike. He’s pointing out to the middle of the pond.
>A few bubbles float up to the surface.
“Eh, it’s probably nothing. Just some mud settling at the botto-“
>The bubbles suddenly multiply and float to the surface in a torrent. After a few seconds they start moving to the edge of the pond.
>Towards you and Spike.
“Uh… okay, that’s not mud. Spike, move!”
>The bubbles rapidly pick up speed as they approach the edge. Spike runs off and you take a defensive stance.
>Whatever this thing is, it better not try to hurt your bro.
>You start to hear noise coming from the water, where the bubbles are. It sounds like one long, perpetual yell.
>As they close in, only twenty feet from the edge, you brace yourself.
>You see the water start to dome from where the thing is approaching the surface.
>It’s oddly… pink.
>Spike yells at you from somewhere behind. “ANON, LOOK OUT!”
>The dome breaks and water bursts everywhere.
>”SURPRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISE!” Pinkie is flying at high speed right at you.
>You don’t react quickly enough and get hug-tackled to the ground, getting the wind knocked out of you.
>You’re both shocked and also completely unsurprised at the same time.
>Of course it was just Fucking Pinkie Pie.
>You groan while pinned on the ground
“Oof… hello again, Pank Pin.”
>Pinkie is latched onto your torso. She lifts her head and a grin spreads across her face. “Hi, Nonny! Long time no see!”
>You stand back up with her still attached to you.
>You rub your back as you brush off some grass and dirt.
>Catching your breath, you mumble to yourself.
“I saw you just a few hours ago…”
>You hear hoofsteps behind you.
>”Looks like Pinkie got here before us. Hurry up, guys!” That sounds like Rainbow.
>You turn and sure enough, Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Applejack are all headed your way, each of them carrying a picnic basket of their own.
>Boy are you glad to see them.
>Spike runs out from a bush next to a tree he was hiding in, waving at the three ponies.
>”Hey girls! Glad you guys made it after all!”
>They approach the picnic blanket and set down their baskets with yours and Spike’s.
>Fluttershy hovers over to you and tries to give you a hug, but there’s still a Pinkie firmly attached to your abdomen.
>You slip your hands under her forelegs and peel her off. She giggles and gives you one more quick hug before whipping out an oddly large picnic basket from her mane and placing it on the blanket.
>Fluttershy successfully hugs you this time, and Rainbow and Applejack walk up to you to do the same.
>After everyone’s done greeting you, Applejack takes off her hat and looks up at you with concern you hadn’t noticed prior.
>"You doin’ alright there, Anon? What with what happened back there with Twilight and Rarity…”
>The girls are all looking at you with similar expressions now. Spike, too.
>You’re very thankful that they’re concerned about you.
>But you have no desire to discuss those two.
>You remove your sunglasses and blink at your suddenly brighter surroundings.
>You look at the girls with a soft smile.
“I’m alright... but let’s not talk about that for now,”
>You throw your shades down to the ground and peel off your shirt, throwing that down as well, with a big grin on your face.
“I came down here to swim and have a good time, and that’s what I’m gonna do!”
>You turn and bolt for the pond. You can hear hooffalls behind you only seconds later.
>You jump at the last second as you reach the water’s edge and curl up into a cannonball.
>Screw those two, you don’t care what they said right now.
>It’s time to have fun with your friends.
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>You duck into a bush and cover your head, trembling in absolute terror as Anonymous the “hyoo-man” walks by with some daisies in hand.
>You remain in the bush for another few moments after he passes by.
>You are Lily Valley, one third of the Ponyville flower farmer trio, and you DESPISE Anonymous.
>This is a quality that has earned you no small amount of distaste in the eyes of some of the townsfolk.
>When Anonymous first appeared in town, everypony felt the same way you did: terrified, and extremely distrusting. You all thought he was there to destroy your homes and lives.
>Over time, however, he won over most of the Ponyvillians.
>Except for you and your closest friends, the other two Ponyville flower farmers Rose and Daisy.
>While the other ponies in town grew trusting and fond of him, you three never changed.
>You saw through his tricks.
>You all knew it was a ruse. He still had plans to bring ruin to everything you all held near and dear.
>None of you would be surprised if he had even bigger ideas.
>Taking over all of Equestria probably isn’t far out of his reach.
>You sneak a peek down the road Anonymous has been on.
>He’s headed for Princess Twilight’s library. Probably to poison her with those flowers; Daisy has told you many a time how often she comes by to buy them.
>Whatever it is he’s doing, it can’t be any good.
>You briefly consider warning the Mayor, but every time you reported him doing something suspicious, it would appear mundane and benign as soon as attention was drawn.
>Reporting him has become useless. You need to take matters into your own hooves.
>Your extremely shaky hooves. Maybe you shouldn’t confront him…
>Settling for just finding out what he was up to, you utilize the shrubbery along the side of the road and follow him.
>As he approaches the library, you pull out a device a unicorn salesman that came to town a while back sold you.
>It’s a little wooden box enchanted with a spell to take in noises and store them for listening to later.
>It had a spot that was covered with mesh where the sound was taken in, and it recorded all noise that came from wherever the spot was pointed.
>With a few simple voice commands, it could begin and end recording one time each, then play back the recorded sounds. This would, however, empty the magical memory cell.
>It could also be magically connected to speakers to project the recorded sounds if desired.
>That salesman was a genius.
>You carried it with you at all times, as did your two best friends, in case you could catch Anonymous in the middle of his heinous acts.
>He enters the tree-building and you hide below an open window.
>It’s time to catch a criminal.
>You listen in on what’s going on inside. You can Anonymous talking to most of the Elements of Harmony, save for Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash.
>You sneak a peek through the window and catch Anonymous getting coated in flour or something by Pinkie Pie.
>Heh. Serves him right.
>He asks Twilight if he can wash up, and after getting approval he moves to the bathroom.
>Alright, now’s your chance to catch him plotting while he’s alone. Hopefully the bathroom has a window.
>As you begin to move towards the back of the library, your ear twitches as you catch the sound of something approaching the library at high velocity from somewhere above.
>Wait a minute, Rainbow wasn’t in the lobby!
>You quickly duck into a bush and hear the door to the library open and slam shut. That was a close one.
>You spend a few minutes in the bush to wait things out. You’re probably safe, but you don’t want to push your luck in case one of them comes outside.
>As you emerge and walk around the tree to where Anon is located, your each catches another noise: a comment from Rarity back in the main lobby.
>”…yes, maybe so, but I simply can’t see how you girls put up with him. He’s so uncouth.”
>Interesting. Does Rarity share your views, behind Anon’s back? This could make for some valuable information.
>You return to hide below the open window and listen in. Perhaps you should record this?
>”Hey! Don’t be a meanie, Rarity! Nonny’s super funtastic!”
>You’re just another of the sheeponies, Pinkie. You all are!
>You hear Rarity scoff at her. “Oh please, darling, he’s not fun OR fantastic!”
>Yep, you’re recording this. An Element supporting your beliefs would make you and your friends look MUCH better in the eyes of the townsfolk.
>You speak into the front of the device with a single word.
“Begin record.”
>The device begins to glow. It’s now recording everything it hears in front of it.
>You hold it up to the window. The mesh peeks just above the bottom, right at the six ponies.
>As it records, you hear everything Rarity has to say.
>This is perfect! She hates Anonymous! This is pure gold for helping you incriminate him.
>As she ends her little rant, you hear Princess Twilight respond.
>”Rarity, that’s not very nice of you. Anon isn’t all that bad. Sure, he’s got his flaws, but we all do. Friendship is being able to see past those kinds of differences.”
>You shake your head. Silly, silly Princess. It always has disappointed you how she of all ponies can’t see what he’s really doing.
>”Well of COURSE you would say that, dear. What with all the time he spends here checking out books and talking to you about what he reads…”
>Rarity is correct. You spy on him from afar occasionally, and he does spend a lot of time in there.
>Probably researching dark magics, poisons, and whatever else he can use against you all.
>But what does she mean by that? You can hear the implication dripping from her words, but you’re not sure what it is she’s referring to.
>”What’s that supposed to mean, Rarity?”
>”Oh, I think you already know, darling.”
>”Excuse me?”
>You almost stomp a hoof on the ground, but you stop yourself to stay silent.
>Come ON! Get to the point already! You’re using up valuable recording time on this conversation.
>”What is it, darling? Do I have to spell it out for you? You. Like. Anon.”
>…..
>Oh no. Panic mode engaged.
>If what she says is true, there’s no chance you’ll ever successfully incriminate Anonymous!
>You fumble with the device to try and turn it off. You’ve forgotten what to say to make it stop recording.
>With a Princess on his side, you’ll never even be able to TOUCH him!
>You’re screwed! Everypony’s screwed! EVERYPONY’S GONNA DIE! WE’RE FU-
>”Me, with Anon?”
>”Oh Rarity, ha ha, you’re so funny sometimes!”
>”Liked I’d ever be interested in that loser!”
>Whoa. Back the hell up a bit. Loser?
>Wow that was a close one. But calling him a loser, and in such a way? That’s the complete opposite of liking Anonymous.
>……
>Wait.
>DOES ONE OF THE PRINCESSES OF EQUESTRIA ALSO HATE ANONYMOUS?!
>You almost jump through the window as you rush to get the recording device back up to listen to the conversation.
>You thought this was gold before, but THIS?
>This is an entire diamond mine!
>You almost can’t contain yourself as you hold up the device and record Twilight while she goes on her own tirade about all the things she despises about Anonymous.
>This is incredible! If you play this recording for the right people, it would surely get Anonymous put behind bars, or even better: out of Equestria entirely!
>”Wha… Anon?”
>Uh oh. Anonymous is back.
>You yank down the device and say the words “End record.”
>In your previous extreme panic, they escaped you. You’re glad they did.
>You have everything you’ll need to give Anonymous what he’s got coming to him.
>You dash away before something else happens. You have to get to Rose and Daisy!
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>You begin to approach the home you share with Rose and Daisy.
>Since you each sell such a limited variety of products, you all found it easier to split the pay of one home than to have ones of your own.
>You unlock the door and get inside as quickly as you can, immediately locking it again before slumping to the ground.
>Rose and Daisy are in the living room. They’re both looking at you, and as soon as they see how tired you are, they trot over to make sure you’re okay.
>Phew. You need to get more exercise.
>”Lily! Are you alright? Did something happen?” Rose puts a hoof on your shoulder as you pant and catch your breath.
“Yes… I’m… Okay.”
>You settle down and stand back up before pulling out your recording device.
>Rose and Daisy look down at the device, then back to you. A few seconds pass before their pupils dilate to mere specks.
>Daisy lifts a hoof and speaks with a shaky voice. “D-did… did you catch Anonymous?!”
>You shake your head, and they both look down in disappointment. You smile as you shake the device in your hoof.
“No, I did not catch Anonymous. Instead, I got something just as good. Can you get out your recorders? I need this in more than one place.”
>They both raise an eyebrow at you before walking off to their rooms to get their recorders.
>This… this is really big. You’re still in shock that you heard what you did.
>You could get the entire town on your side with this recording. Not only did you get Rarity, but you got Twilight Sparkle.
>The Princess of motherfucking Friendship.
>Rose and Daisy return, each holding their recorders.
“Alright, ladies… hold onto your butts.”
>They command their devices to record, and you command yours to play.
“Play record.”
>As your device plays back what you heard, your friends’ jaws almost hit the floor.
>You can only stand there and grin.
>After the playback ends, Rose and Daisy command their devices to stop recording.
>Daisy holds a hoof to her temple. ”This… this is incredible. It’s not pure proof Anonymous is evil, but both an Element of Harmony AND one of the Princesses of Equestria said all sorts of things they dislike about him! If the town was to hear this…”
>Rose finishes her sentence. “…there’s no way they couldn’t believe us anymore! We could get everypony to support us! The chances of the Princesses leaving Anonymous alone when an entire town hates him are almost nonexistent!”
>A triumphant grin forms on your face.
“Exactly. Even so, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. There’s no telling how everypony will react. For now, we just have to figure out how we’ll show this to them all.”
>The three of you sit there and brainstorm before Rose speaks up. “I’ve got it! We need to get ahold of the Mayor!”
>Daisy gives her a confused look. “Why would we do that? She never listens to us when we try to tell her about Anonymous.”
>Rose sighs. “Yes, but you’re forgetting something: The town’s loudspeaker system!”
>Oh yeah! That’s right! The town is laden with loudspeakers connected to a PA system at the Town Hall.
>The Mayor allows citizens to come in and make announcements with it if the issue or event is something everypony needs to know.
>And this is DEFINITELY something everypony should know.
“Yes, that’s perfect! We can play the recording into the PA and everyone in town will hear it!”
>You all stomp your hooves in excitement.
>You’ve finally got Anonymous! You can rid Equestria of his menace forever!
>Daisy holds out a hoof and motions to Rose for her recorder. She passes it to Daisy, and Daisy holds them to her chest with a foreleg.
>”Here’s what we’ll do. Tomorrow morning we’ll get up first thing and head to the Town Hall so we can be there before anypony else, and get in line for announcements.”
>She hesitates before continuing. “…But we HAVE to be there before anypony else. Anonymous will probably send somepony to stop us.”
>You and Rose nod in agreement.
“Alright, it’s settled then. For now, we relax. But tomorrow, we finally give Anonymous what he deserves!”
>You put a hoof forward, and your friends stack theirs on top of yours. “Yeah!” “Let’s get him!”
>There’s no stopping you now.
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>Almost half of the books in the Canterlot Royal Archives lay strewn about the floor.
>Not messily, however! You’ve got them sorted out on the floor, categorized by subject and in a very specific, memorable pattern.
>Okay, it’s just a big mess. But you still know where everything is in your “organized” chaos.
>You are Twilight Sparkle, and this big mess is a product of your research today here in the Archives.
>About thirty minutes after you got back from the Ponyville bookstore earlier today, you were rifling through one of your bought tomes for the fifth time before you remembered that there was an ENTIRE MASSIVE ARCHIVE of encyclopedias, almanacs, scientific journals and more for you to look through.
>You mentally kicked yourself multiple times on the way here. Eight years and multiple visits with the Princesses and you hadn’t ever even considered coming here.
>When you asked Princess Celestia for access, she inquired as to why you hadn’t asked earlier.
>Your groan was all she needed to hear before she let you in.
>You’ve been at it for a good while now. A few hours have passed since you began your research.
>You sigh at the copy of “Dimensional Theory and You” you’ve been reading for the past few minutes.
>Right about now Anon should be down at the pond. Applejack and the others must be there with him as well.
>You’re still extremely upset with yourself over what happened.
>To let yourself go on about Anonymous like you did is inexcusable. Only moments before then you had been defending him!
>Part of you wants to blame Rarity. She got you all riled up by saying you like Anon in front of the girls like that.
>You blush and bury your face in your hooves.
>You do harbor some feelings for the bipedal creature. Of course, this makes you feel ten times better for what you did.
>When Anon was telling you about his home world, he described incredible devices and contraptions that allowed you to watch, listen to, or even play as other humans in the comfort of your home or even on the go.
>He told you he would certainly miss it all, but it would do him good to have such technology permanently severed from him.
>One day, while he was checking out books from the library, he told you how good he’d felt recently as he’d been reading much more than he did back home.
>He went on and on about a bunch of subjects he’d learned about, different authors that had become his favorites, and asking you questions about anything he didn’t quite grasp or wanted to read up on.
>You two ended up sitting in the library for six whole hours, going through many a snack (courtesy of your Number One Assistant) and multiple cups of tea before you both realized it was midnight.
>A blush reddens your cheeks. It was one of your favorite memories of Anon’s time here.
>He has always been good to you and your friends. Sure, his humor was a little… well, like Rarity said, brash, but it was something you have gotten used to over the years.
>You’ve even laughed at a few, those being things you wouldn’t have seen as even slightly humorous before he came along.
>It wasn’t until you had begun talking to him more that you even saw that you both had quite a lot in common.
>You both prefer the indoors, and you love learning more about the world and sharing it with each other.
>And though you prefer such things, you both still love getting out and having a fantastic time with your friends, whether it’s something simple and quiet like a meal at Fluttershy’s, or something big and loud like a Pinkie Party.
>You especially love going to parties with him. He dances silly, just like you, but he still has a great time.
>He’s kind, fun, smart, and so much more…
>And you might as well forget about it all at this point.
>You’re making little to no progress today on finding him a way home, even with all the information in the Archives.
>For Celestia’s sake, you haven’t made any progress in eight whole years.
>A sob escapes from the confines of your chest. He probably hates you. You’ve insulted him in the worst way possible, and can’t even get him home.
>At this rate, not only will he hate you forever, but he’ll never get to see home again.
>Because of you.
>You almost break down before you hear one of the massive doors at the entrance of the Archives creak open.
>The soft but strong, motherly voice of Princess Celestia drifts through the aisles of bookshelves to you. ”Twilight? Are you still in here?”
>You pick up your head and swivel it towards the source of her voice. Muffling another sob, you respond.
“Yes, Princess, I’m here…”
>A few moments pass before Celestia appears from around the corner of a bookshelf.
>You put on a smile for her, but the look she gives you makes it obvious you did a terrible job of it.
>She knows you’re not okay at all. ”My always-faithful student… You do not look well. Is everything alright?”
>You look back down at your books, blinking away some tears that you hadn’t noticed before.
“Yes, I’m alright, everything’s…”
>You stop. You can’t finish that statement.
“… No, nothing is okay. I’ve been a horrible pony and a horrible friend to somepo-“
>You stop again, originally to correct yourself. Anon isn’t a pony.
>But you remember you haven’t told anypony about your feelings for him.
>If you were to correct yourself, it’d be obvious you are referring to either Anon or Spike, and no doubt the Princess will KNOW you don’t mean Spike.
>During your pause, you don’t notice the Princess deduce all of this on her own anyway.
>”Is this about your human friend, Anonymous?”
>You look up at her in surprise, but instead of asking how she knew, you lower your head to your books again, nodding slowly. However she may have guessed, you’ll never know, but the Princess has her ways.
“Yes… I said some terrible things about him today, and he heard it all. I really hurt him, and unless I find a way for him to get home he’ll never forgive me! And I’ve been trying so hard to do that but there’s just nothing here! I’ve looked through book after book after scroll after tome but I can’t find ANYTHING! He’s going to hate me forever!”
>You don’t notice the tears running down your face until the Princess lays down with you and hugs you tightly, wiping them away with her wing.
>”Twilight… are you so certain that Anonymous will ‘hate you forever,’ let alone that he hates you even now?”
>You back out of the hug and stand up.
“What do you mean, Princess? I insulted him behind his back! I was horrible to him!”
>Celestia smiles softly and stands back up as well, turning to look up and down the many bookshelves of the Archives.
>She looks surprisingly nonchalant about your situation, like it’s just another lesson to be learned.
>”That may be so, but you know him well now. It’s been eight years since his arrival here in Equestria, and in that time he’s become good friends with you and the other Elements, and the disdain many of the citizens of Ponyville once held for him has diminished.”
>She turns to you and begins to walk to the entrance of the Archives, magically levitating and putting away many of the books you had strewn about on the floor.
>She motions for you to follow, and you comply. “From what you know of Anonymous, do you truly believe that a single wrong decision, a few unintentional words, will destroy the bond you two have formed? Do you believe you have to give him a way to leave Equestria forever in order for him to finally forgive you?”
>You lift a hoof and begin to respond, but you hesitate.
>Anon is, emotionally and mentally, very stable. It’s hard to shake him, and he almost never gets angry.
>Sometimes that’s a sign of a very reserved personality, and a sadness hidden within, but he’s never shown signs of it.
>…But you and the other girls are some of his best friends.
>Remembering what he said earlier, maybe Rarity not as much, but still.
>You would be hurt pretty badly if one of them were to talk badly about you.
“B-but I’m supposed to be one of his best friends! He doesn’t confide in many besides the girls and me. What if he believes that one of his closest friends in the world isn’t a friend at all?!”
>You and Celestia arrive at the entrance to the Archives. She cleaned up most of the mess you made as you walked.
>”While that may be possible… wouldn’t that give him more of a reason to make sure your friendship remains intact?”
>She begins to exit the Archives, but you’re rooted in place in the doorway.
>You… you hadn’t thought about that before.
>You didn’t even think he would take a more positive belief about the issue.
>But Celestia might be right. If something were to challenge your friendship with him or anyone at all, you’d probably do your best to make sure you remained friends.
>In fact, you were doing just that earlier!
>Sure, you’re on the end that kind of NEEDS to do that in order to apologize, but what she said makes sense!
>You gasp.
>Celestia’s probably right! Anon is likely still upset with you, but much like you, he wouldn’t want your friendship to end just like that!
>Once again, now isn’t the time to be moping around.
“You might just be right about that, Princess. But if trying to get him home isn’t the right way to apologize… what should I do instead?”
>Celestia looks back at you, slowly walking away from you and the Archives. “If you’re not certain, why don’t you ask your friends?”
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>You’re still Purple Smart, and you’re on the express train back to Ponyville.
>It’s really just a normal train, but a few words with the conductor got it to move quite a bit faster.
>You need to get back home as quickly as possible. It’s almost sundown, and by now Anon, Spike and the girls are probably done swimming, and headed home.
>It’s been a while since you got on the train, and you’re approaching the Ponyville station.
>Thank Celestia. You have to talk to the girls as soon as possible.
>The train pulls in and as soon as the car doors open you’re galloping back to the library.
>You need to drop off your saddlebags and check in with Spike before running off to find everypony.
>When you arrive, you almost bust the door down trying to get in too quickly.
>Spike comes running out of the kitchen, with a spatula in hand, ready to defend the library with all his might before he notices it’s just you.
>”Twilight? What are you doing here? I thought you were in Canterlot researching for a way to get Anon home.”
>You levitate your saddlebags off and place them by the door.
“I was, but I had a talk with Princess Celestia and she helped me realize doing that wasn’t the best way to apologize to Anon.”
>Spike puts his hands on his hips. “Then what IS the best way?”
>You open the door and look back at Spike.
“I came back to talk to the girls and find that out for myself!”
>With that, you run off to gather your friends before the sun sets.
>You’ve still got a lot of work to do.
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>Stars, planets, galaxies, nebulas and more whizz past you as you jet through space on a shooting star.
>You’re holding onto the front edge tightly, and Princess Luna is flying next to your star.
>This tune is playing from nowhere in particular: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0Aauep0VWs [Embed]
>You’re Anonymous, and this is so fucking cool. You’re having the time of your life with best princess.
>Wait, how did you get here again?
>You have that question answered for you as your eyes snap open at the call of Rusty next to your bed.
>Damn. That was just a dream. Pretty cool though; you’ll have to remember that one.
>You roll over to look at Rusty. She’s staring up at you from the floor, and meowing at you.
>Jeez. You love this cat but an extra few minutes would have been fantastic.
>You reach down and pet her head. Taking this as a signal that you’re getting up, she meows once more and walks out of your room and most likely into the kitchen.
>You sit up in bed and stretch your arms. That good night’s sleep felt really good, and after yesterday afternoon, you needed it.
>Were you not feeling so refreshed, you’d sigh at that thought, but your head is clear and you can think about it calmly.
>You turn and stand up out of bed, slipping on your hoof slippers.
>They’re silly little slippers made to look like hooves by Rarity. Originally she had absolutely no desire to make them, but you begged her and she couldn’t refuse you.
>After all, it was her fault she brought them up, even if it was a joke at the time.
>You walk out into the hallway and head for the kitchen.
>You grab your bag of kitty food out of a lower cabinet and fill up Rusty’s bowl, which she immediately starts to empty.
>While you stand and watch your cat, you think more on Rarity and Twilight.
>The situation is a bit interesting. You always knew Rarity was a little… disapproving of some of your habits, and you always thought Twilight was one of the nicest ponies you knew.
>In fact, before this had all happened, you had recently began entertaining the thought of a relationship with somepony.
>Sure, dating a horse is pretty fucking weird for human standards, but your own species isn’t exactly an option anymore.
>Besides, ponies are sentient! That’s what really matters here.
>Twilight was one of the first few you considered. She’s always been kind to you, and the first pony you ever met here.
>You can’t quite put a finger on all the details, but she possesses a lot of qualities you desire in a partner.
>A little reserved, but knows how to let go and have fun. That was probably the biggest one.
>She prefers to stay in and read or something, but is always up for a game, party, or any good time with friends.
>Much like you.
>But now… You’re not as sure about her.
>You check the temperature outside today. It’s about 55-60 degrees, and it’s only 9 in the morning, fantastic!
>Walking back to your room and picking out clothes to wear, you ponder a bit more.
>Rarity didn’t say all that much about you, honestly, but she did insult you and you know she meant it all. Her guilt yesterday was probably more so with herself for allowing herself to be caught red-hoofed.
>Twilight may have insulted you more heavily, but you could tell before you left the library that she regretted every word she said. She still needs to apologize, but you’ll definitely forgive her more easily than Rarity.
>Either way, you won’t be forgetting that it happened. You’ll let bygones be bygones if they apologize properly, but you won’t forget.
>You smile as you straighten out your clothes. You went with a light gray t-shirt and some light brown shorts. Simple, but you look pretty good.
>Your stomach rumbles. Looks like it’s time for some breakfast.
>Heading back to the kitchen, you see Rusty’s already cleared her bowl.
>Welp, at least you won’t have to feed her for a while.
>You turn on your sound system before grabbing two eggs, two slices of bread, two potatoes and an onion. Some fried eggs, toast, fried potatoes and onions, and a tall glass of milk sound so good.
>This song plays: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggqI-HH8yXc [Embed]
>Putting everything down on the counter, you prepare your breakfast.
>After you eat, you’ll take a trip into town. A pastry at Sugarcube Corner would be a good way to finish off breakfast.
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>You pat your belly in satisfaction. That meal’s always been a classic for you; it’s just so damn good.
>The clock on the wall says it’s about 10:15. You put the dishes in the sink, and head for the door, passing by the new painting you have hung up on the wall of your home and the environment behind it.
>When you got home yesterday, you saw that Happy Trees left you his finished product on your porch with a little note.
>It had said:
“I really do hope you enjoy this little painting I’ve made for you. It looks great, doesn’t it? It’s easier to do than you think. If you’d ever like to learn more, just send me a message! I’d love to teach you sometime. Try practicing a bit beforehoof if you do, it’s always great to get a head start. For now though, I’d like to wish you happy painting, and Princesses bless.
-Happy Trees”
>He was a really nice stallion. You think you might enjoy learning what he has to teach, so you’ve got plans to get in contact with him some time soon.
>”For now though,” it’s time to go grab a cinnamon bun from SCC. Maybe you’ll see Pinkie, too.
>You put on your shoes and head out the door.
>You’re glad you brought that painting in before she came by your house with your “surprise,” yesterday.
>It was a huge fucking ice cream cake the size of your couch.
>She burst out of the middle, throwing ice cream everywhere. A particularly large lump went right to where the painting had been.
>You step off of your porch. It’s so damn nice out today.
>A warm breeze rolls gently by, and you can hear the birds tweeting everywhere.
>You take in a deep breath of the warm, fresh air. Even though you might have to deal with Rarity and Twilight, today’s looking to be pretty goo-
>”BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT-ATTENTION! Attention Ponyville Citizens! I, Lily Valley, and my two friends Rose and Daisy have some very important information to share with you!”
>Uh oh. It’s those three.
>They’re always so terrified or hateful towards you. You hold them no ill will, as they simply believe you’re a threat to their homes and livelihoods. They have reason to fear a stranger from another world.
>You’ve made many attempts to make friends with them, but they’re adamant in their beliefs. It hurts you more than it makes you angry.
>You think you’ve done enough by now to be trustworthy, but since that’s what they think then you mostly let them be.
>What could they be up to? They’ve tried getting you in trouble for menial things or small problems, but they’ve never succeeded. It’s almost funny sometimes.
>Your laughter probably doesn’t make you look any better.
>”Yesterday was a pleasant, average day here in our town. I was walking along, minding my own business when I overheard some very interesting words from one of the Elements of Harmony, as well as Princess Twilight Sparkle herself!”
>Your legs almost collapse beneath you.
>Oh hell no.
>”And it is within our beliefs that it would be beneficial to the town, even all of Equestria if everyone heard them! With this device I hold in my hoof, I will play back the words I overheard yesterday!”
>Is this really about to happen? This is going to happen, isn’t it?
>You slap a hand on your face and sigh-groan heavily as the entire conversation between the girls begins playing over the town PA system.
>Yep, this is happening.
>You look toward town, and the few ponies you see are all completely enraptured by the announcement.
>This isn’t good at all.
>You sit down on your front porch step with a frustrated huff. Might as well wait this out.
>Of course you have to hear all this again.
>After a minute, you hear Twilight discover you on the PA, and the recording ends.
>”This is what I heard yesterday, word for word, with no alterations! I know, you must be confused, but if what you’ve heard today tells you anything at all, it’s that Princess Twilight Sparkle disapproves of Anonymous!”
>You groan again. Seriously, Lily?
>”If you would like to voice any of your own opinions, or learn more about the true intentions of Anonymous the human, meet us at 12:30 in front of the Town Hall! That is all, have a splendid day!”
>You could care less now that the incident is in the past, but those three riling ponies up and, you know, letting the WHOLE TOWN hear everything was too far.
>You stand up and resume heading to Sugarcube Corner.
>Best to deal with this calmly. For now, cinnamon bun. In two hours, those three.
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>Pinkie bounces over to you and puts down a plate of eight extra-frosted cinnamon buns on your table before sitting next to you.
>You only ordered one, but it looks like she’s hungry too.
>She smiles at you, but non with as much pep as usual. “Here you go, Nonny, just like you asked.”
>You frown.
“I assume you heard the announcement?”
>She looks at you pleadingly. “NO! And that’s the problem! I was getting ready for the day when the announcement came on, and I couldn’t hear it over the sousaphone! I have no idea what’s got everypony so tensed up!”
>She lays her head down on the table with a sad pout. Of course, not without eating a cinnamon bun as well.
>You arch an eyebrow.
“Uhh… Pickle, did you ask anybody?”
>She sits and thinks about it for a second before almost launching out of your booth with a gasp.
>She grabs your shoulders and starts shaking you rapidly. “OHMYGOSH NO I DIDN’T!!! Nonny! What did the announcement say?!”
>You grab her legs to keep her from shaking you, and give her an expectant look. She giggles and lets you go, grabbing another bun.
>You take yours and take a bite. Oh man is this so damn tasty.
>Since it’s now pretty much burnt into your mind, you recite the announcement almost word-for-word to her.
>As you speak and go through the whole announcement, her hair deflates almost completely.
>When you finish talking and swallow the last bite of your cinnamon bun, she sniffs once before hugging you tightly.
>You smile and sigh, hugging her in return. It’s really nice knowing she cares about you this much.
>This hug feels great, too; you can feel the weight of the situation lifting a bit.
>You squeeze her a bit more tightly.
“Thank you, Pinkie.”
>She doesn’t respond. She knows there’s nothing more to be said.
>She lets go and starts on another bun. “So… what do you want to do, Nonny?”
>You look around the Corner at the customers. A lot of them are giving you looks, of course turning away when you glance at them.
“For now, nothing. Let’s wait until their “meeting” and find out what they’ve got going on. I have a feeling not many ponies will agree with the announcement they made this morning. At least, I hope…”
>Pinkie puts a hoof on your arm. “It’ll be okay, Nonny. They’re just being a big bunch of dumb… dummyheads!”
>You laugh and ruffle her mane up.
“Heh, that’s exactly right. I guess we’ll go gather up the girls and go just after noon.”
>Pinkie’s ears lower. “What about Twilight and Rarity? Do you want to bring them along too?”
>You smirk.
“Nah. Those two of all ponies will undoubtedly show up. They were a part of the announcement, after all.”
>You motion to the exit, and Pinkie gets up, wolfing down the last few buns.
“For now, let’s get the others. They’ll want to join us. They’re probably even expecting me.”
>Pinkie trots alongside you as you both make your way out of the restaurant-bakery-confectionery.
>Time to find out what the hell those three are up to.
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>You’re Anonymous. In name, not definition.
>Four sixths of the Elements of Harmony are following you to the Town Hall, excluding Twilight and Rarity.
>It’s about 12:15, and you’re almost there. It’s a little less than a block away, just around the corner.
>Your current mission is to get there for the Flower Trio’s “meeting.”
>”Soooo… What’s the plan?” Rainbow asks, reminding you that you have no idea what to do when you actually arrive.
>You stop. Shit, you should have thought about it a bit more.
“I… Uh… I’m not actually sure. Maybe we should sit back and see where they think they’re going with all this; watch it from afar or something.”
>”Ah’m not so sure about that, Anon. Ah think we should just walk on up there and give ‘em a piece of our minds!” Applejack suggests, shaking a hoof in the air towards the Hall.
>Rainbow floats over next to Applejack. “I agree with AJ. They’re being huge jerks, and in front of the whole town! We gotta stop ‘em!”
>You hold up your hands to slow them down before they just run ahead and beat somepony up.
“Hold on now. I get that you want to stop them. Heck, I’d love to give each of them a sock in the jaw too, but that’s not the way to approach it. It would just make them hate me more and wouldn’t solve anything.”
>You gesture down the road to where you’ll have to turn to get to Town Hall.
“If we hide out over there somewhere and watch the meeting out of sight, we can see everypony’s reactions. From what I know, most ponies that live here know me now, and consider me a friend.”
>The girls all nod in agreement.
“By watching ponies’ reactions, we can find out not only if there are ponies who agree with the Flower girls, but also if the town can convince the three I’m not actually all that bad.”
>Since eight fucking years of attempted friendliness wasn’t enough.
>Pinkie bounces around you. “Yeah, that’s a great idea! They’ll try to denounce you in front of aaaaaaalllllllllll of Ponyville, with everypony judging you as they try to make you look terrible! They’ll begin to succeed, sowing the seeds of hate into the crowd, but everypony likes you so much they’ll be all ‘Hey! Nonny’s not that bad!’ and the girls will be like ‘Wait, really?’ and everypony will be like ‘Yeah! He’s super fun!’ and then they’ll stop being mean and we can all have an Everypony-Loves-Nonny party!!!”
>You all silently stare at Pinkie. She’s looking at you expectantly, with a big grin on her face
>You and the girls share a laugh. Fucking Pinkie Pie.
>”While I’m sure that would be great, it’s probably not gonna happen,” says Rainbow with a smirk, “but I guess you’re right, Anon. I’d love to fly in there and clock ‘em, but your idea is probably a bit better.”
>You plant your fists on your hips.
“Then it’s settled! We hide somewhere nearby and stake out the meeting. Are we all agreed?”
> All the girls nod in agreement, and you all turn back to resume travelling toward the hall.
>Out of the corner of your eye you see Fluttershy fly up next to you.
>”Thank you for stopping them before they could try to run ahead and hurt somepony. I’m glad you don’t want to do the same.”
>You smile warmly at her. You were honest when you said you’d love to give them an ol’ one-two, but you couldn’t say that.
>Besides, it IS much smarter to follow your current plan.
“Don’t worry about it, Flutters. I’ve never been in a situation like this, but I’m pretty sure this is the best way to go about it. That said, though,”
>You jerk a thumb behind you in Applejack and Rainbow’s direction.
“If things get bad, I probably won’t be able to stop them from going out and doing something.”
>Fluttershy gasps, covering her mouth with her hooves. You lightly chuckle.
“Don’t worry, I think things will be okay. Let’s just get down there and get ready for the meeting.”
>Fluttershy smiles at you and nods before falling back to follow you with the girls again, but it’s obvious she’s still a bit nervous, understandably so.
>You put your hands in your pockets as you walk, and sigh.
>You’re a bit nervous yourself. Sure, your plan is probably going to work out fine, but there’s no telling what might happen.
>Maybe there are a lot of ponies in town that secretly hate you, and just keep up a guise when you’re around.
>Or perhaps everyone will finally convince those three. Life would be much easier without them constantly accusing you of misdeeds.
>There’s no telling until then. There’s only a few minutes left until the meeting, so you’ll find out soon enough.
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>You all arrive at the intersection that leads to the Hall, and you peek around the corner.
>Almost the whole town has gathered in front of the Hall. You can see a lot of ponies you know well, and many you’ve seen around town.
>The Flower Trio is nowhere to be seen. They’ll probably emerge when the meeting begins.
>You stop peeking and check around for anywhere you can hide.
>”Ah, hello Anonymous, and to you all as well! What are you doing outside my house? Are you here for the meeting?”
>You turn around, and your saving grace has appeared before you: Time Turner.
>Oh yeah, he lives here. His house has a perfect view of the Town Hall. That makes things much easier.
“Hey Turner. Glad to see you! Yeah, we’re here for the meeting, but not exactly to attend it. We were hoping to find someplace where we can hide and stake out the meeting; find out what’s going on.”
>Time Turner steps out of his home and gestures at the door. “Well you’re certainly welcome to stay here, then. I don’t know what the announcement this morning was about, but it’s nothing but trouble if you ask me. Those girls are just trying to slander you again.”
>You hold up a fist and Turner bumps it with a hoof.
“Thanks, Turner. You’re a huge help. See you soon!”
>Turner trots off, waving goodbye to you and the girls as he goes around the corner.
>Everyone files into Turner’s home, and you all take seats while you wait for the Flower girls to emerge and begin the meeting.
>You look around Turner’s home. It’s simply decorated, with nothing too garish or eye-catching.
>Except those salt and pepper shakers on his dining table. Pink and green? Weird choice.
>You glance at your watch.
>It’s 12:30. It should begin any moment no-
>”CITIZENS OF PONYVILLE!”
>Shit, it’s starting!
>You scramble to the window, opening it halfway and peering out from behind a curtain.
>The Flower girls stand proud in front of the crowd. Lily Valley is at the head, while Rose and Daisy stand next to her. Rose has a weird wooden thing in her hoof.
>You wave your hand forward to signal the girls to come watch, and they crowd around you and the window.
>Lily holds up a hoof to quiet everypony down, and after a moment the crowd is mostly silent, aside from a few whispers here and there.
>Lily clears her throat and begins speaking. “Thank you all for coming! We’re very glad you all have taken interest in our announcement this morning.”
>The townsfolk chatter amongst themselves quietly before Lily begins speaking again.
>”Of course, we’re sure you have many questions about what we showed you all earlier, but we’d like to say a few things before we take any questions, and give you an idea of what’s really going on here.”
>Confused murmurs spread throughout the audience as Rose steps up to the podium.
>”As you all know, Princess Twilight Sparkle, the Element of Magic, and Rarity, the Element of Generosity, said some interesting things about our “friend” Anonymous.”
>She bends her hooves in the air to emphasize “friend.”
>Bitch.
>She held up the wooden thing. ”How did we do this, you ask? With this device, we recorded everything you heard Rarity and the Princess say on the announcement.”
>Rose continues with a concerned demeanor. “Why, you ask instead? The reason is much more important than you realize; so important it encompasses all of Equestria!”
>Half of the crowd gasps while the rest whisper to each other. Too bad you’re not an omniscient being that knows what they’re talking about, and instead you’re just some guy looking at them from a window.
>They’re either talking about how ridiculous the Flower girls are, or how right they just might be.
>Rose switches places with Daisy. “He’s cold, he’s cruel, he’s fearless and he’s dangerous, and he lives right in this very town, just under our noses.”
>Daisy scowls in the direction of your home. You’re not so sure you’re glad she knows where you live.
>”He’s probably the worst thing that’s come to Ponyville in our entire lives, and yet he walks among us. Many of you call him friend. Those of you who are smart would rather call him fiend.”
>Lily Valley returns to the podium. “We speak not of any of you. We speak not of anypony at all. We speak of not somepony, but someTHING. Most of you probably already know of whom we are referring to…”
>You feel your shoulders tense up, and you almost jump as Fluttershy lays a hoof on your arm.
>You turn your head to her, and she’s giving you a very worried look.
>She glances down at your hands. You look down as well, and notice you’re gripping the windowsill much more tightly than you actually mean to.
>You relax your grip, and take a few deep breaths while reminding yourself of your usual saying for stressful situations: ‘Chill out.’
>This is it, the moment when you discover how everypony really feels about you.
>You have no doubt most ponies will disagree with those three… but one never knows until it’s over.
>Your gaze drifts back out to the meeting.
>Lily’s eyes narrow and her face grows dark. “…But for those of you who do not recognize it, we speak of the one creature that possesses the power to destroy Ponyville, Canterlot, and even Equestria: Anonymous the Human!”
>As she speaks those final words, you cringe both in anticipation and in disdain at the slander.
>The crowd immediately erupts in mostly angry shouting. Almost nopony isn’t yelling at the three mares at the podium.
>Nopony’s fighting, thankfully. That probably means they all agree, and it’s just those three mares.
>You can hear a lot of what some ponies are yelling.
>”Who do you three think you are?!”
>”Anonymous is a good citizen! You’re being horrible ponies!”
>”I missed a lunch date for THIS?! Get outta here!”
>Oddly enough, it’s warming your heart hearing all these ponies angrily defending you.
>Your lips are just beginning to curl upward when Lily Valley speaks up again.
>”Are you all mad?! We have an extremely dangerous creature in our midst; even a Princess of Equestria doesn’t approve of him!”
>Your smile stops forming.
>The angry yelling continues. The townsfolk have not been fazed.
>Lily yanks the wooden thing out of Rose’s hoof and holds it in the air.
>”Must we play it again for you all to understand?!”
>Your mouth immediately forms into a scowl. These fucking mares.
>If that play that damned recording again, you swear you’ll-
>You sniff.
>Sniff sniff.
>Ozone. Somepony is teleporting in, and close by.
>You quickly duck to the floor, getting a few odd looks from the girls.
“Get down! Now! Somepony’s coming!”
>They almost don’t get out of sight in time for a big flash of light to illuminate the area as somepony teleports in.
>The crowd was silenced almost immediately, and after a few moments pass you hear more shouting from the crowd, this time out of surprise than anger.
>The girls all stand back up as well and gasp as they see what’s happened.
>You stand back up and move away from the window. You think you know who just arrived.
>Lily Valley, in her shock, answers that question for you.
>”P-princess Twilight?! Miss Rarity?!”
>Oh. It’s both of them.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>You’re now Twilight, and you’re a sleepy little pony princess.
>You’ve just woken up on your beanbag, and you shake your head and blink to chase away your sleepiness.
>You look around and notice all the girls are gone. They must have gotten up earlier and left, deciding to let you sleep.
>You smile and stand up, magicking up and putting away the bean bags.
>This day is going to be perfect. The kind of day in which you apologize to Anon and fix everything.
>You’ve got a big list of ideas, and you’ve already got a few you think will be just perfect.
>If you can convince Anon to join you for any of these, there’s no doubt he’ll forgive you.
>Your cheeks redden lightly. There are a couple that you thought of and didn’t tell the girls about.
>You don’t know much about romance, but you’re a smart enough pony to know a trip to Canterlot Gardens, with the entirety of the Gardens blocked off so you’d be alone with Anon, is pretty romantic.
>You levitate the list in front of you with a slightly dopey grin on your face and start to head toward the kitchen, from which you can hear Spike fiddling around while making breakfast.
>Maybe if Spike makes extra, you can save some for A-
>”BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT-ATTENTION! Attention Ponyville Citizens! I, Lily Valley, and my two friends Rose and Daisy have some very important information to share with you!”
>You sigh heavily and plant a hoof on your face. Not these girls again.
>You’re good friends with Daisy. You love the flowers she sells, both for decoration and snacking, so you visit her stall often for bouquets.
>She’s a nice pony deep down, but this crazed notion she’s gotten to believing with her friends Rose and Lily that Anon is an evil mastermind is getting really old.
>Time and time again they’ve tried to accuse and acquit Anon of various misdeeds, indecencies and crimes, all of which were either baseless or he was not responsible for.
>You perk up your ears to listen to their “announcement.” It’s probably another attempt at getting Anon in trouble. You wonder what it could possibly be this time.
>”Yesterday was a pleasant, average day here in our town. I was walking along, minding my own business when I overheard some very interesting words from one of the Elements of Harmony, as well as Princess Twilight Sparkle herself!”
>The list you’re levitating drops to the floor immediately, and you almost do as well.
>Oh hell no.
>You slowly turn and walk to the front door, stepping outside. You don’t hear Spike and a frying pan hit the floor in the kitchen.
>You open the door and take a single step outside, where your shock finally roots you in place.
>”And it is within our beliefs that it would be beneficial to the town, even all of Equestria if everyone heard them! With this device I hold in my hoof, I will play back the words I overheard yesterday!”
>As Lily speaks those words, the reality of what’s happening finally truly hits you.
>No.
>No. No. No. NonononononononononononononononNONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONO
>NO. THIS. ISN’T. HAPPENING.
>NOPE. IT’S NOT. DEFINITELY NOT. EVERYTHING’S FI-
>”This is what I heard yesterday, word for word, with no alterations! I know, you must be confused, but if what you’ve heard today tells you anything at all, it’s that Princess Twilight Sparkle disapproves of Anonymous!”
>THIS IS DEFINITELY HAPPENING RIGHT NOW WHY IS THIS HAPPENING WHY NOW YOU WERE SO CLOSE TODAY WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE DAY YOU FIXED EVERYTHING
>Your pupils have shrunk to pinpricks, your thoughts are running at a thousand miles per hour, and you can’t move a muscle.
>You don’t even notice Spike run out and yank at your forelegs to get your attention.
>He keeps trying, but eventually gives up and runs back inside.
>He wouldn’t have succeeded. You’ve blocked everything but your own thoughts out.
>Lily begins playing back the recording, but you almost can’t hear even that.
>After standing there for a few moments, lost within your own slowly maddening thoughts, you gasp as the idea finally comes to you to get over to the Town Hall immediately to stop the three mares.
>You focus and begin charging up a spell to teleport there, but it occurs to you the possible repercussions of stopping them.
>The townsfolk have already been exposed to what you’ve said. If you were to stop them now, everypony would either support you in stopping them, or oppose you for preventing Lily and her friends from speaking out about what happened.
>While the former is more likely, there’s no telling how a curious or riled-up town of ponies could act.
>The Flower merchants might not even be the only ones that dislike Anon.
>You never took the time to find out; Anon probably didn’t know either.
>You stop charging the spell, your shoulders slump, and your head lowers as you turn around and slowly reenter the library.
>The machine has been set in motion. There’s no stopping it now.
>Now everypony in town will know you went behind Anon’s back and insulted him in all those ways.
>How are you going to deal with this? When Anon arrived here, Princess Celestia told you it was your job personally to make sure Anon would be able to live here comfortably and lead a normal life!
>And you’ve messed it all up, just because you couldn’t admit to your friends that you like him.
>You close the door behind you as Lily finishes up the announcement.
>”If you would like to voice any of your own opinions, or learn more about the true intentions of Anonymous the human, meet us at 12:30 in front of the Town Hall! That is all, have a splendid day!”
>12:30. It’s 10:30 right now, so that’s only two hours away.
>You collapse on the floor and bury your face beneath your hooves.
>Today was supposed to be the day. Everything was going to get better, Anon would forgive you, and you wouldn’t have to live with this guilt.
>And they’ve ruined it.
>You cringe a bit as you realize Anon must be in pain as well.
>To have all those things you said blasted over the PA for him to hear all over again, not to mention the rest of the town.
>If you just hadn’t said anything and admitted your feelings, none of this would have happened.
>Tears you didn’t know you were shedding flowed down your cheeks.
>You don’t notice Spike approaching you until he pokes your horn a few times.
>”Twilight? Why are you just lying there?”
>You raise your head and give him a look of mild surprise. What’s that supposed to mean?
>”You heard the announcement, didn’t you? Those three mares just ousted you to the whole town! Everyone knows what happened now!”
>Spike’s comment sparks up a bit of anger inside of you.
>You quickly stand up and give him a hard glare, your eyes a little red and cheeks still stained from tears.
“You don’t think I know that?! I was the one who said all those things! I WAS the announcement! Believe me, I KNOW WHAT HAPPENED!”
>You cut yourself off before you begin yelling more. You’re getting pretty heated about this.
>Spike’s fists shake as he responds in kind. “THEN WHY ARE YOU JUST SITTING HERE DOING NOTHING?!”
>You take a step back at Spike’s shouting. You’re appalled that he’s yelling at you like that… but he’s got a point.
“I… I don’t know what to do! Everypony heard what I said about Anon! W-what if they don’t trust me anymore, or support Lily and her friends against Anon, o-or-”
>Spike grabs your forelegs and shakes you back and forth a bit. “That doesn’t matter! You say you want to apologize to Anon so badly? Then stop them! Don’t let them get away with this!”
>You look down at Spike, your eyes open wide.
>He… He’s right.
>Stopping these mares from slandering your Anon is the perfect way to show your desire to make things up to him.
>You recoil a bit as you realize you’re basing your desire to help a friend on a petty apology.
>These three mares are destroying Anon’s reputation! They’re trying to run one of your best friends in the world out of town!
>They’re ruining everything!
>NOPONY DOES THAT TO YOUR FRIENDS!
>And you shall not let it stand.
>That spark of anger grows into a flame within you.
>You look down at Spike, and as he looks into your eyes his angered expression softens.
>He sees the newfound resolve within you.
“I’m going to wait for the meeting, then I’m leaving to do something about it. I’m going to that meeting, and I’m going to show those mares what happens when you mess with the friends of Princess Twilight motherfucking Sparkle.”
>You almost don’t notice him mouth “badass.” Normally, you’d reprimand him for cursing, but it made you feel good.
>You close your eyes and take a deep breath to calm down. Now isn’t the time to be angry.
>Now is the time to plan.
>You walk toward the steps up to your room, stopping at the first step to look back at Spike.
“I’m going to head up to my room for now. Could you bring me some chamomile tea and a scroll?”
>Spike blinks and stares at you for a second more before saluting and running off to the kitchen.
>After you settle down on your bed, Spike returns after a minute or two with some tea and a scroll.
>You smile at him and levitate the teapot, pouring out some of the beverage within into a teacup.
>You pick up the teacup and take a long sip. You love it hot.
“Spike, take a letter.”
>Spike whips out a quill and puts it to the paper, at the ready for whatever you have to say.
>You levitate a book down from a nearby shelf titled “Ancient Royal Customs Vol. 1.”
“Dear Princess Luna, I do hope you’re doing well. I was curious as to whether or not you could assist me with a spell…”