Iron Anon: A New Beginning

>Celestia sent you and the mares back to Ponyville on another chariot soon after the hearing
>The trip back was for the most part basic small talk, but still a conversation nonetheless
>They were all slowly starting to open up to you, which was nice
>You’d need friends if you were going to be living here for awhile
>The flying chariot landed in front of the tree house thingy, all of you hopping off before the pegasus team flew it back to Canterlot
“So, is this someone’s house or something?”
>Twilight: “It’s the Gold Oaks Library and is where Spike and I live here in Ponyville… I guess you’ll be staying here too, until I can find you a proper home”
“Thanks, Twilight… Er- Who’s Spike?”
>Twilight: “Oh, He’s my #1 assistant! You haven’t met him yet… Come on, I’ll introduce you two”
>She magically opens the door and you all walk inside
>This place… well it’s definitely not a library
>The whole tree is completely hollow and the walls had indented cutouts which served as bookshelves for a number for tomes
>There is also only a single podium and reading table, so you doubt this place gets used much
>Up above, you spot an open loft with what appears to be a …bed?
>Ponies sleep in beds?
>You guess that’s not too unreasonable. They apparently read books, too
>You really should have gotten used to this kind of stuff by now
>Moving on.
>There is a single doorway to your right, a tunnel by the looks of it, leading down somewhere
>Probably a basement
“Nice… place Twilight. So you and ‘Spike’ live here?”

>Twilight”: “That’s correct! Celestia gave me this library since I’m conducting my studies in Ponyville now. There aren’t many ponies that like to read here, however, so it’s pretty much my own personal library and home in one!”
>This pony must really like books to have been sent to live in a library
>Wait… Did she say “gave me” the library?
“So you own this place?”
>Twilight: “Um, well, the old librarian retired and moved out so yeah, pretty much.”
“But you’re a, ah, mare…?
>Twilight[puzzled/irritated]: “What’s THAT supposed to mean?”
“Wome-, I mean, mares can own property here?”
>Twilight: “…what are you talking about?”
>Well, that’s odd
>Ladies owning their own property…
>Oh, maybe Spike is her husband and they-
>Wait, no she said “’#1 Assistant’, definitely not married
>Huh, women having rights
>Never really thought about the possibility before
“Nevermind. Forget what I said… So where is this ‘Spike’?”
>Pinkie Pie: “SPPPPIIIIIIIIIIKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKEEEEEEEEE!”
>Jesus Christ!
>That pony is going to give you a heart attack
>???: “Pinkie? You guys back from Canterlot already?”
>You hear a small voice coming from down the tunneled out doorway
>Soon enough, a small… purple lizard thing comes walking through it
>He stops when he sees you all, looking directly at you
>This must be Spike. Weird, you thought it’d be another pony
>Seems almost every animal here could talk
>Go figure
>Spike: “Oh… Twilight, is this that ape thing you w-“
>Twilight[interrupting]: “Yes, he’s the ‘human’ I’ve been talking to you about”

>He glances at you for a second with a look of indifference before returning to address the unicorn
>Spike: “Yeah, but what’s he still doing here? Wasn’t Celestia going to banis-“
>She runs up and shoves a hoof to his mouth
>Twilight[jumpy]: “Hehehe, don’t be silly Spike. Anon is staying here in Ponyville, with us”
>…
>Oh hell no
“You knew that Celestia was going to send me to the moon for 1,000 years!?”
>She retracts a bit from your tone
>Twilight: “I, ah… maybe?”
“But you told me everything was going to be fine right before we left!”
>Twilight: “Ah, well… It did turn out that way, didn’t it?”
“That’s not what-“
>Twilight[changing subject]: “Anon, this is Spike. He’s one of my best friends and is my #1 assistant”
>Guess you’ll just worry about that little ‘detail’ she left out later…
>Twilight: “Spike, this is Anon Stoneman. He’s going to be staying with us until he finds his own place”
“…Hi”
>Spike: “Sup”
>After a moment, he turns to Twilight
>Spike: “So, he’s gonna be staying with us… but where?”
>Twilight: “I was thinking he could bunk with you actually”
>Oh Lord, the look on his face
>Ha.
>He doesn’t like that idea
“Its fine, Twilight. I’ll sleep on the floor or something”
>Twilight: “You sure?”
“Yeah, I’ll manage”
>Spike shrugs to himself in relief
>Before Twilight can say another word, Pinkie Pie jumps as if she had been shocked
>Pinkie: “Oh my gosh! I completely forgot I have to work Sugarcube Corner this afternoon!”
>She hops into the air and-
>Whizzes out of the door like a bullet
“What the-?!”

>At half a second later, she slingshots her way back inside. Like an invisible rubber band
>Pinkie: “Seeyoulaterapplejackrarityrainbowtwilightfluttershyspikeandanon!”
>And like that, she was off again
>What in God’s good name was that?!
“W-What was-“
>ALL[monotone]: “Pinkie Pie”
“Oh”
>Hm, guess that’s just normal for her
>Still weirded you the hell out though
>Just then, you take notice of the little yellow pegasus pony
>She hadn’t uttered a single coherent word this whole time until they had all just spoken in unison
>But even then, her voice was very soft and almost impossible to hear
>Flutter-shy-, that name is perfect
>…
>Wait, did you re-introduce yourself to her at the Canterlot?
>Hell, you two have never been introduced at all
“Hey, you’re name’s Fluttershy right? I don’t think we’ve been introduced befo-“
>She cowers as you talk directly to her and immediately scurries towards the door
>Fluttershy: “Oh, look at the time, I’ve got to- um- *meep*”
>There goes another one…
“Was it something I said?”
>Rainbow[dryly]: “No. Fluttershy is already terrified of you”
>AJ: “Don’t worry, Anon. Shell’ come around”
“Oh, ok”
>Note to self: Try not to scare Fluttershy
>AJ: “Well, the hospital opens for visitors in 10 minutes. Guess Ah’ll see ya’ll later, too”
>Rarity: “I have the same dilemma as Applejack. I’ll see you ladies tomorrow then…Goodbye Spike, Anon”
>The two mares promptly shuffle out of the library
>Leaving you with Spike, Twilight and Rainbow
“…”
>Rainbow: “… yeah, I’m out”
>She soars out the door and into the sky, leaving a gust of wind in her place

>Twilight: “Guess that just leaves us then. Anon, do you want to walk down with me to the Mayor Mare’s office to see if we can get you a house?”
“Wow, wow wow… Slow down there. A house?”
>Twilight: “Yeah?”
“Isn’t there like an inn instead? A house seems kind of… permanent”
>Twilight: “We DO have an inn, but…”
“But?”
>Twilight: “It, um… doesn’t allow pets”
>Ah… you see
>You were still just a huge, lumbering alien in this place
>No housing establishment would be caught dead with you living in their facilities
>…Not until you changed their opinion of you, that is
“I understand. But won’t a house take forever to build?”
>Twilight: “No, not at all. You see, the construction crew here has very little to do in such a small country town. So whenever they happen to get work, they’re often very… overzealous about the project and can have almost anything finished in a day or two”
>Ok then, that could work
“But how would I pay for it?”
>Twilight: “I’ll pay for it with some of the emergency funds I got from the Princess. In turn, however, you have to pay me back eventually, got it?”
“Of course”
>Twilight: “Good! Let’s head off then. Come on, Spike”
>Spike runs up and… hops onto her back
>Funny, she doesn’t seem to mind him riding around on her like a horse
>You thought that might be a bit… degrading
>Oh whatever, you’re dealing with ponies remember?
>As you three walk out of the library and towards the Town Hall, you get the stares from ponies you would have suspected you would

>They were some of the same fearful, disgustful and distrustful gawking you had gotten before
>But now, they looked completely confused at you walking unrestricted side-by-side with Twilight and Spike
>Spike: “Ah, Twilight? Why is everyp0ny staring at us?”
“I think they’re staring at me, Spike”
>Spike: “…Gotcha”
>After a few moments of silence, Twilight speaks up
>Twilight: “So… Do you have any questions?”
“What?”
>Twilight: “Princess Celestia instructed me to answer any questions you might have. Seeing how you haven’t really gotten a chance to ask anyp0ny yet”
>Oh yeah, she’s right
>Now was your chance to learn a little bit about this crazy place
>Instantly, a billion questions flooded your brain in a hail storm
>Wow, slow down there Anon
>We need to take things slow, don’t want to freak her out
“I have loads of questions. First off, how many anim- I mean, ‘beings’ can talk here?”
>Twilight: “Well there’s of course ponies, griffons, dragons, cows… the list is endless. Pretty much anything with a big enough brain and mouth can talk. Is that abnormal where you come from?”
“Yes actually. Humans are pretty much the only ones that talk in my world”
>Wow, talking ponies were weird enough but talking cows?
>Not to mention DRAGONS
“So how come Ponyville seems to only have, well, ponies?”
>Twilight: “The majority of Equestrian citizens are ponies. Just like the majority of the Griffon Kingdoms are made up of griffons. Dragons, like Spike, pretty much go wherever they want”
>’Dragons like Spike’
>That little purple thing was a dragon?
“I see. So is Spike an ‘average’ sized dragon around here?”

>Twilight: “Haha oh no, not at all. Spike’s still a little baby dragon”
>Spike spurs her side and puts on a annoyed, pouting face
>Twilight: “I mean, he’s just hasn’t fully grown into his scales yet. Adult dragons are typically huge creatures that would easily dwarf any of these cottages”
>That makes more sense
>Twilight: “Anything else?”
“Yeah, would you mind me asking what… that is?
>You point to the weird star shaped sparkle on her rump
“I see most ponies here have something like that, well except for some of the little ones”
>Twilight[excited]: “OH, that’s my cutie mark!”
“Cutie mark?”
>You heard that word before
>Twilight: “Yes, a cutie mark is something everyp0ny gets when they discover that special something that sets them apart from the rest”
>She stops for a moment and shakes her backside, proudly showing off her cutie mark
>Twilight[proud]: “I got mine when I discovered my natural talent for magic”
>She quickly realizes what she’s doing and stops, slightly blushing while looking away
“So it’s not like a birthmark or something? It just randomly shows up?”
>Twilight: “It’s not ‘random’. It magically appears when somep0ny learns their special talent, whenever that might be”
>Hmm, so that’s what the fillies were talking about when they (accidentally) knocked down that cabbage stand
>They were trying to get their ‘cutie marks’
>Something tells you that they were going about that the wrong way
“Well that’s a bit weird… But thanks for trying to explain it to me”
>Twilight: “No problem”

>You cross through the market silently before talking again
“So I got the impression that there are three types of ponies, right?”
>Twilight: “That’s correct. There are Unicorn, Pegasus and Earth ponies. They each have their own special innate abilities. Unicorns can cast magically spells, Pegasi can fly as well as walk on clouds and Earth ponies share a special connection with nature allowing them to grow food”
>You could have probably kept asking questions for hours but you didn’t want to pester her too much
>Staying and living here in Ponyville would naturally bring light to most of them anyway
>You manage to make it to Town Hall without getting hit by any tomatoes
>Twilight magicks the door open and you all make your way inside
>Directly in front, you spy a ‘secretary’-type pony working at her desk
>Twilight trots directly up to her, while you lag a bit behind
>Best to let her handle this…
>Twilight: “Good morning Bell Perin, we would like to have a word with the mayor. Is she available?”
>The yellow mare with her light blue mane looks up from the apparent paperwork on her desk
>Bell Perin: “Of course Twilight, she-“
>As soon as she catches sight of you behind Twilight, her pupils dilate and she stops midsentence
>You try to look as non-threatening as possible, giving her a forced smile
>That just seemed to make it worse…
>Bell Perin: “Um- Twilight? Is tha-“
>Twilight: “Yes. This the human Anon you’ve probably heard so much about”
>The purple unicorn shuffles a bit to the left, removing herself from between you and Bell while gesturing meekly to you with her hoof

>You stare blankly at Bell, not knowing what to do
>Finally, Twilight discretely kicks you in the shin and you snap out of it
“…Hello”
>Bell Perin: “H-Hi… [to Twilight] Wasn’t ‘it’ supposed to be taken to Canterlot this morning?”
>Twilight: “Yes. ‘He’ has been acquitted of all his crimes”
>Bell Perin[shocked]: “Really?! How could Celestia just let-“
>She again realizes that she was in your presence and drops to a whisper to Twilight
>You can still make it out though
>Bell Perin[whisper]: “I mean, how could Celestia just let that thing off the hook after what it did to Rainbow Dash?”
>Twilight: “She didn’t. Rainbow is the one that dropped the charges”
>Bell Perin’s eyes broaden in surprise and she remains speechless
>Twilight: “Regardless, Princess Celestia is already preparing a spell to send Anon back home. However, she said it might take some time to complete, so she has arranged to have Anon stay here in Ponyville for the time being”
>Bell’s expression changes
>She does not like that idea
>At all
>Bell Perin[worried]: “Twilight, I don’t think that-“
>Twilight: “Could I please just speak to the mayor?”
>Bell Perin: “I… Sure. The mayor is just down the hallway, in her office as usual, but I have to ask that you’d be the only pony to talk with her”
>Twilight: “Alright”
>Spike jumps off Twilight’s back and lands next to you
>Twilight[to You & Spike]: “I’ll be back in a few minutes”
>She then trots down the hallway and disappears from sight
>Bell swiftly goes back to her paperwork, doing her best to imagine you weren’t there
>You follow Spike over to some chairs next to the wall

>Because they are (naturally) all too small for you, you take to propping yourself against the wall next to Spike
>Spike: “So…”
“What?”
>Spike: “You really foalnapped Rainbow Dash?”
>You look up to see if the Bell is listening
>She seems to be too busy (or at least trying to look like it) to hear
“Yeah”
>Spike: “Why?”
“Because I needed to get Twilight and that unicorn Rarity to help me get home… I needed something to bargain with”
>Spike: “Well, why didn’t you just ask nicely?
“What?”
>Spike: “Twilight’s always trying to solve other ponies’ problems and I know Rarity would never turn down anypony in need”
“First off, I asked Rainbow to help me but when I untied her, she attacked me and ran off”
>Spike: “Yeah, that’s Rainbow Dash for yah. But if you would have just let her go from the start, I’m sure Twilight and them would have definitely been more understanding”
>Damn, he was probably right about that…
>But how the hell could you have known that at the time?
“I guess I really messed up”
>Spike: “Yeah, you did… but hey, you’re sorry about it, right?
“Of course”
>Spike: “Then you should be good. All the ponies here gave me the cold shoulder for a day after that little ’incident’ on my birthday last year but everything’s fine now
>He turns to you and extends… a fist
>But not in an aggressive manner, what was he doing?
>Spike: “Just don’t go foalnapping any more ponies, kay?”
>Desperately, you try to decipher the gesture
>Finally, you decide to extend your own fist and bump his
>Yeah, that feels right

>A few minutes later, Twilight comes back down the hall
>Twilight: “She…She wants to talk to you, Anon”
“Ok“
>Twilight: “Alone”
>The secretary’s head picks up at that, but doesn’t say anything seeing how it was the mayor requesting your audience
>Twilight[whisper]: “Address her only as ‘Miss Mayor’ and act civil”
>You reluctantly get up and head down the hallway, stopping at the only door in the long corridor
>Ok, let’s not fuck this up
>You politely knock on the door
>???: “Come in”
>You twist the bronze door knob and head inside
>The room is fairly large for just an office, but then again this is the mayor you are talking too
>You spot a large, fine redwood desk parallel to a large set of windows that looked over Ponyville’s main square
>Behind it, sits a tan colored mare with a graying hair line
>You recognize her instantly as Mayor Mare from when you had watched your ‘public service’ announcement
>She seems to study you a bit before speaking
>Mayor: “Why, you must be Anon”
“That’s right, it’s a pleasure to met you Miss Mayor”
>You stick out your open hand for a handshake
>She looks to your hand
>But does not attempt to reach out and met it
>Dammit…
>Mayor: “Well, it’s nice to see you have manners but I’m really not one for shaking hoofs with criminals”
>You tense up a bit and pull back your hand as well as your forced smile
“I was told you wanted to talk to me?”
>Mayor: “Yes. It has been brought to my attention by Twilight Sparkle that you have been exonerated of your past… offenses”

>She brings both her front hooves together to rest under her chin
>Mayor: “And that you were to be staying here in Ponyville until Celestia has completed your teleportation spell”
>There’s an eerie silence
>Mayor: “Are you going to say something?”
“What do you want me to say?”
>Mayor: “I don’t care if Princess Celestia gave you the right of passage in Ponyville. This is MY town”
>She stands up and quietly brings her hooves down on her table, pushing herself up to talk down to you
>Mayor: “I do not hate or detest you like some of my fellow ponies. At least, not after I heard what you did at the hospital”
>She tilts her head slightly downwards
>Mayor: “But I do not trust you”
>After that, she sits back down and reclines in her chair
>Mayor: “The city will provide you with adequate housing, free of charge, but on one condition”
“What is that?”
>Mayor: “You will promise me that no other ponies, under my care as elected mayor, will be harmed or wronged by you in any way during the duration of your stay… Or we will have a problem”
>Her finally note leaves her mouth in a cold, hostile tone
“I understand”
>Mayor: “Good. Glad we’re reached an understanding”
>She reaches a hoof back to a drawer in her desk and produces a firm sheet of paper
>Mayor: “Your house will be constructed on the outskirts of the city, adjacent to Apple Acres. It should be completed within 2 days. As for this slip of paper, it grants you the right to carry out freelance work around Ponyville, pay subject to the discretion of the each temporary employer”

“What do you mean-“
>Mayor: “What I mean is that YOU are going to pay back the citizens of Ponyville for the wrongs you committed… as well as earn their trust and acquaintanceship through working for them”
>You stand there idly, looking everywhere around the room but the mayor, thinking the whole thing over
>Finally you sigh and take the paper from her hoof
>The top is titled in bold ‘WORK PERMIT’ but everything below seems to be (again like Scootaloo’s writing) a bunch of scribbled lines
>It was completely indecipherable to you, but it didn’t matter
>Ponies would surely be able to read it
>You slip it into your jacket’s pocket, folding it neatly
>You were getting a free house; a little work wasn’t going to kill you
>Besides, this presented the perfect opportunity to make things right between you and ponies…
“Thanks”
>Mayor: “You are welcome… but do not forget my warning. One slip up. One mistake. And you’ll end up right back where you started”
>You give a slight nod and she gestures for you to leave with one hoof
>Closing the door softly behind you, you make your way back to Twilight and Spike
>Twilight[anxious]: “How… how did it go?”
“Great. The mayor just gave me a FREE house, right outside Ponyville”
>Twilight[happy]: “Well, that’s relief. When I offered to buy the house, I actually hadn’t thought of how you’d ever be able to pay me back”
“Speaking of ‘paying back’-“
>You pull out the work permit, holding it out for Twilight and Spike to read
“She gave me this as well”
>Spike: “Hmm… Wait- Why did Mayor Mare give you a work permit?
“If I’m going to be staying here, I might as well help out a bit”
>Kind of a half-truth but whatever

>Twilight: “That’s great Anon! I’m sure you have some… ‘unique’ traits that could prove to be very useful for some ponies”
“Yeah… but where to start?”
>There were only a handful of ponies that we’re (at least) indifferent to you
>Everyp0ny else just wanted you gone
>Twilight: “Well, Applejack is always in a rush to finish her apple harvest”
>Yeah, you’d give that a shot
>You agree and you three head out towards Apple Acres
>When you make it to the center of town, Twilight stops
>Twilight: “Almost forgot, I need to go stop at Sugarcube Corner to pick up something”
>She makes a turn in the opposite direction of Apple Acres
“Ok that’s fine, I’ll meet you at the Library after I talk with Applejack”
>She stops and both Spike and her turn to look at you
>Her expression tell you she’s a bit uneasy
>Twilight: “I thought I was going with you to Applejack’s’”
“It’s ok, I can make my way there on my own. No need to hold you up”
>Twilight: “That’s not… um”
>She nervously traces her one hoof on the ground, looking down at it
>Oh, you get it
>She didn’t want you leaving her sight
>Reasonable
“I understand Twilight”
>Twilight: “…you do?”
“Yeah its fine, I supposed I haven’t really earned that freedom yet. Let’s go to Sugarcube Corner”
>She takes a step and then hesitates
>Twilight: “Actually… on second thought, its fine. You can go off to Applejack’s, but be back at the library before sundown”
>Huh, she changed her mind
>She must be starting to trust you…
>It’s not much, but it’s a start
“You got it, thanks”
>Twilight turns with Spike on her back and trots off towards Sugarcube Corner
>You smile at your small victory and head out to Apple Acres

>Everyp0ne gives you a wide enough berth as you make your way down the road and out of Ponyville
>All the ponies stay away and hunch up together, talking in hushed whispers
>Most of it was indecipherable, but you naturally picked up a thing or two
>News and rumors seemed to travel quickly in this place
>They all knew by now about your role at the hospital but the general population seemed to have already picked up word of your exoneration
>Now instead of fearful and disgusted stares, you got distasteful and suspicious glances
>You ignored them as you always had, no need causing a scene
>Before you can even cross the bridge, you spot the construction crew already laying down the wooden beams that were the foundations of your new home
>No. Not new home
>Your new ‘temporary’ home
>They all seemed to be earth ponies, all sporting orange jacket-thingys and yellow helmets
>They were all working about, digging in soil and pouring down something that looked like concrete
>There was also a crane nearby, raising and bringing large structured beams into place
>The crane was very reminiscent of the ones you seen in the pictures of the city… except it was made entirely out of wood and a hell of a lot smaller
>Not wanting to bother them, you continue past as if they weren’t even there
>They treat you in the same respect
>As you approach Apple Acres, you spot something run from the house and down the road to you
>No surprise, its Gus
>You greet him by petting his head while he briefly nuzzles your leg
>Then you both continue up to the farm, side by side

>Gus’s little ‘stunt’ this morning had brought something to your attention
>While you both would need meat at one point or another, Gus was a wolfdog
>When he was hungry, he ate
>He simply didn’t fast or go on a diet
>Right now, you two were doing good on apples… but for how long?
>You didn’t need Gus giving into his hunger and chopping down on a pony
>But then again, would he resort to that?
>You look down to Gus as he walks by your side
>He had (somehow) gotten to know Applejack very well and blended right in with the pony community here
>They weren’t just walking meat sandwiches to him anymore… they were respected now, just as he had been with humans in South Dakota
>But there was no telling what he would do when his lust for raw protein reached its boiling point
>You spot Applejack up on a hill, overlooking the apple orchard
>Best worry about the meat crisis later
>As you and Gus walk up to her, she spots you out of the corner of her eyes and turns to see you
>Just then you notice she doesn’t have her hat on but it was seemly hovering beside her shoulder
>When you get within a few feet, you are able to make out that something was actually wearing it. Resting beside Applejack
>Apple Bloom
>They were both laying down on the hill, mostly likely planning to watch the sunset together
>Big Mac was nowhere to be seen however… Must just be a sister-to-sister thing
>The little filly is quick to notice you
>Her head perks up, the overlarge hat threatening to swallow it whole
>Apple Bloom: “Howdy Anon!”
“Hey Apple Bloom, I’m glad you are feeling better. Hello Applejack”
>Applejack gives a polite but silent nod

>It was one of apathy
>You knew you were kind of interrupting a moment for them but she wouldn’t say anything out of courtesy
>Better make this quick
“So Applejack, I came to ask you something”
>AJ: “Hm?”
“I was wondering if you needed help with harvesting anymore apples”
>AJ: “Why? You ain’t staying here anymore and ya already did more than ya’ll needed too”
“No, not like that”
>You produce the piece of paper and hold it down in front of her to read
“The mayor gave me this so I could start working and helping ponies out around town. Kind of like community service, you know?”
>As she begins inspecting the document, Gus walks over to Apple Bloom
>He playfully nuzzles her face, almost toppling her over, stimulating a tiny fit of giggles from the filly
>AJ: “…Its saiz here that ah’ determine your wages?”
“Yeah, that’s right. Which means you don’t even have to give me much, just a few apples would do nicely. It’s not really about the pay as much as it is… recompense”
>She looks to the ground for awhile, thinking, running a hoof under her chin
>AJ: “Sure, why not? Ya’ll were a pretty big help the last time… Come by tomorrow at dawn and I’ll find ya something to do”
“Great! I guess I’ll leave you two to yourselves then”
>AJ: “Thanks”
>As you and Gus turn to walk away, Applejack goes back to huddling beside Apple Bloom just as the Sun begins to fall
>Apple Bloom: “See ya later, Anon! Cya, Gus!”

>When you reach the white gates of the property, you look back at the peacefully sunset that was now dipping behind the horizon
>Applejack and Apple Bloom lay nestled against one another, staring out unto the defined, purple ripples of the sky
>It was quite… striking
>Not in the sense that the scene had an intoxicating beauty that usually left someone with goose bumps or sent a bizarre tingle through their body
>It was utterly calm and tranquil
>Almost to the point that it didn’t seem quite real
>You would have done anything to capture that moment, to hold it in your hands like a painting that would never warp or distort with time
>However all you had was your memory, a thing that would eventually disfigure this moment over the course of your life
>But for now, the memory would have to be enough
>Suddenly, you are jolted from your hypnosis as you remember Twilight’s words
>You were supposed to be back by Sun down
>Which was right now!
>You take off towards town, Gus instinctively following you in pursuit
>Dammit! She gave you an ounce of trust, of confidence, and you had just thrown it all away
>The streets were pretty much empty by this point, which was good, because you weren’t slowing down
>You and Gus reach the door of the library right after the Sun had completely disappeared and had given way to the Moon
>Twilight’s voice can be heard (but not understood) through the wood and you knock on the door
>The door opens a seconds later to Spike standing there, Twilight ranting behind him

>Twilight[conflicted]: “I should have known not to-!”
>She stops herself when she spots you in the doorway
“Hey Twilight. Sorry I’m late...”
>Thankfully, she looks more relieved than angry
>Spike: “Hey, you brought that diamond dog with you!”
>He runs back into the library to fetch something, coming back with brown bone-shaped biscuit in his hand
>Spike: “Here you are boy”
>He hand feeds it to Gus, who consumes it completely and rewards Spike by licking his fingers (claws?)
 “His name is Gus, by the way”
>Spike: “Huh?”
“His name is Gus-“
>You place your palm on the canine’s head
“-and He’s my dog”
>Spike: “Really?”
“Yeah, why?”
>Spike: “Because he, I mean, Gus showed up here in Ponyville a lot longer before you did
>You raise an eyebrow
“Did he now?”
>Twilight: “He first made contact with Applejack at Apple Acres probably the day after Rainbow went missing. Ever since he’s just been wandering in and out of town, most ponies are quite used to him now”
>You look down accusingly at Gus
“Maybe you DID wander a little farther than I’d thought…”
>He looks up to meet your gaze, almost grinning
>Little bastard
>Twilight: “But enough about that, its past Spike’s bedtime”
>Spike[agitated]: “But Twiiiilight”
>Twilight: “No ‘buts’, besides Anon and I have some things to discuss”
>The little purple dragon makes his way upstairs, apparently heading to his bedroom
>Speaking of bedroom…
“Where am I sleeping again Twilight?”
>Twilight: “Well since I really can’t have you sleeping on the Library floor… I guess you can use the spare bed I have in my room”

“Spare bed?”
>Twilight: “Yeah, I have it left over from the last time I had a slumber party with Applejack and Rarity… Not that this is a sleepover or anything, I mean”
“Gotcha”
>Twilight: “But before we go to bed, I want to get some studying in”
>The purple mare becomes suddenly giddy with excitement as she lets the word ‘studying’ roll off her lips
“…Excuse me?”
>Twilight: “Princess Celestia instructed me to learn all I can about you. Think about it. You are the first human ever seen in Equestria; there is just so much to learn!”
“Um…ok”
>Twilight: “Don’t worry, it’s already pretty late so I’ll only ask few questions for tonight”
>Her horn glows, followed by a quill and blank scroll appearing next to her in a white flash
>Twilight: “Please, sit down and make yourself comfortable”
>You do so and the bombardment of questions rain down upon you
>Thankfully, she doesn’t really ask too much about human society
>Instead she keeps the focus on you
>You explained a few things to her such as that your hooves were really called hands, why you wore clothes all the time, about your past life back home as a musher, even about the derby
>Within twenty minutes, she had analyzed a pretty big chunk of your life. The scroll was completely covered in scribbles
>Twilight: “That fantasying! Also how do you go about- actually lets save that for another night, you look pretty tired”
>Thank… God
“Yeah, I’m pretty beat”
>Twilight: “Then I guess it’s ‘time to hit the hay’ as Applejack would say”

>You follow her up the flight of stairs to her bedroom
>It was pretty easy to make out which one was Twilight’s, the one with her cutie mark imprinted on the blankets
>At the foot of her bed, is a small basket where Spike is currently tucked away in and sleeping
>Adjacent from him across the room was the spare bed
>Your bed for tonight
>You both slip into your respected sheets without a word
>For a few minutes you lay there in awkward silence staring at the ceiling, your feet hanging out over the edge of the bed
“Goodnight Twilight”
>Twilight: “…Goodnight”
>With that said, you roll to your one side and fall asleep