Then and Now Pt. 4

>”…Anon?” you hear
>Oh man… it probably hasn’t even been three hours
>Your eyes feel glued shut, absolutely refusing your request to open
>So you answer with your voice instead
Hmmphrbr…
>That didn’t go much better
>”Anon, what are you doing back already?”
>You literally grip your eyelids with your fingers and pry them open
>Twilight is looking down at you from her bed
>”Was everything okay at Fluttershy’s?”
>You slowly rise from your sleeping area and straighten out your back
Yeah, it was… fine. I just couldn’t get any sleep, so I headed out early…
>She rubs her chin curiously
>”Well, okay…”
>You rub your eyes sleepily and throw the covers off
>This triggers some sort of worrisome stir inside of Twilight
>”S-sorry for taking your blanket last night, I didn’t know you’d be back…”
>She’s twiddling her hooves
>You stand up and pat her on the head
It’s all good, Twilight.
>She smiles nervously
When will the Princess be here?
>This perks her right up
>”A few hours, should be!” she said giddily, “I’ll grab my notes to make sure everything’s up to par!”
Actually, Twilight…
>You say, holding your stomach
…you think maybe we could get something to eat?
>Thinking about it, you haven’t had a single bite since arriving in Equestria
>Twilight gasps
>”Oh my, Anon! I’m so sorry!” she says, flustered. “I haven’t offered you a single thing to eat since you’ve arrived!”
It’s nothing to worry about, just… don’t want to be hungry for the Princess, y’know?
>This was an excuse, you’re not all that excited to see the princess at all, let alone thinking about how you’ll be presented
>”Of course! That’d be TERRIBLE!”
>She darts to her kitchen and fumbles around the fridge, with no luck
Isn’t there a place we could go out for breakfast or something?
>Her head pops up curiously from the fridge
>Then a revelation hits her
>”Of course! We can eat at Sugar Cube Corner!”
>She charges and rams into you, toppling you over onto her back in a swift motion
>She runs out the door with you riding her
>”We’ll get you nice and fed!”
>Oh Lord, what have you gotten yourself in to?
>Just try to avoid talk of the princess with Twilight. It makes her even stranger

>”So YOU’RE Mr. Anonymous!” a pink mare screeches at you
>Man, she’s a loud one
>”Anon, this is my friend, Pinkie Pie,” Twilight introduces
>”Nice to meetcha, Nonny!” she says with a wide grin
>You tweeze your ear with a finger and return her smile
Likewise, Ms. Pie.
>She’s got balloons on her butt, and a great poofy mane
>You can tell this is the eccentric one of Twilight’s group of friends
>”So what can I get for you two?”
>You look up at the menu
>Wow, it’s all just… sweets and candy and stuff…
>…this is pretty amazing
>Mom would never take you to a place like this
Umm… I’ll have two cupcakes, I think.
>Pinkie Pie beams
>”Great choice, Nonny!”
>Suddenly, her eyes shrink to pinpricks and she begins sweating
>”OMIGOSH! I JUST realized! You’re new here and I haven’t even thrown you a party!”
>A party?
>You stopped having birthday parties a few years ago
>They were getting too kiddy for your taste
>But she seemed so distressed about it… better not hurt her feelings or anything
It’s okay, Ms. Pie, you can throw a party for me after I meet with…
>You glance over to Twilight, who’s busy reading the menu
>Maybe you can sneak the news by
…the Princess.
>”Ooh BOY! You get to meet Princess Celestia!?” she bellows
>Gosh darn
>”YES! He does!” Twilight bursts
>She wraps a hoof around you and pulls you right up to her
>”Anonymous here gets to meet the Princess face to face! I’m so excited to hear her opinions on him!”
>Man, this is a tight grip
>”I’m hoping she’ll want to take us with her to Canterlot for more study!”
>There’s that idea again, you as a test subject
>On display, exotic, for everyone to see and marvel at
>Just like when you first arrived in town
>You sigh a little
>Today’s gonna suck, looking at it
>You’ll probably be taken to some lab, to be studied
>Never seeing this town again, never getting to play basketball with Rainbow Dash
>Or talk things out with Fluttershy
>Or even get home at all, to see your parents, friends, or Tiffany
>Now you’re in a dull mood

>Breakfast went okay
>All in all, you didn’t feel like eating much, so you nibbled on a cupcake and managed to keep it down
>Twilight then said something about getting you more presentable clothes
>So you’re heading over to some place called Carousal Boutique, run by a Ms. Rarity, to get some clothes made for you
>You’re not sure such clothes could be made in time for the Princess’s arrival
>But you don’t really argue
>Pink Pone got off work early to join you two
>Mainly to get to know you better for her party
>She’s bouncing up and down like a spring next to you, face contorted to that of a gleeful and carefree smile
>”Do you like…STREAMERS?”
Yes Ms. Pie, I do like streamers.
>”What do you think of... BALLOONS?”
I do like balloons as well.
>”Okay! How do you feel about... A BIG CAKE?”
I love eating cake.
>She really is hyperactive
>It’d probably be annoying if she weren’t so adorable about it all
>Maybe you could get along with this one too
>”I can’t WAIT to throw your party! Even if I have to wait a long while til you get back from Canterlot, I’ll make sure it’s PERFECT!”
>She’s practically excreting happiness and sunshine from every pore on her body
Thanks, Ms. Pie, I’m sure it’ll be tons of fun.
>”Oh silly, don’t call me that, call me Pinkie!”
>Nearly every p0ny has corrected you like that
>Maybe rules are different here for formalities
>Should you drop it all-together?
>”We’re here!” Twilight says
>Well, no time to dwell on it now
>”Well go on ahead in, Anon,” Twilight says, motioning to the door
>You give her a smile, then place your hand on the door and push
Hello?
>Almost instantaneously, you’re lifted off the ground by some force, flipped upside down, and levitated to the center of the room
>A white p0ny with a purple curly mane seems to be the culprit
>You levitate right next to her, inches from her face, her eyes scanning all over your body
>”So this is Anon, hmm?” she says with a look of thought
Nice to meet you too, Ms… I mean, Rarity.
>She scoffs
>”That’s HARDLY the way to address a lady,” she says, turning her face away from you with a pout
>Oh your rotten luck
I’m sorry, Ms. Rarity.
>She turns back and looks at you, then smiles
>She lets out a giggle
>”Don’t be so tense, Anon, I’m only teasing.”
>You laugh nervously to yourself
>Twilight and Pinkie enter the room, and Rarity puts you down to address them
>”Hello girls, are you here with Anon?”
>”Yes, we are,” Twilight says. “We were actually hoping you could make him some formal clothes for his meeting with the Princess in a few hours.”
>Rarity’s eyes light up, sparkles and all
>”Oh, I’d be DELIGHTED!”
>She grabs you with magic and levitates you once again
>”Here, Anon, dear, stay here!”
>She places you down on some sort of circular stage
>She magics over a few roles of measuring tape, which begin to extend and measure all over your body
>Great. On display, once again
>”Hold still!”
>You slap your arms down to your side and sit as still as a statue
>”No no no, dear, arms out!”
>You extend out your arms like at airport security
>”Spread your legs!”
>Legs spread
>Tape is going everywhere
>Well, you can’t really mark her down for inefficiency
>”Mhmm… okay, and… done!” Rarity says
>The measuring take all snaps back to their respective rolls and are taken away
>Rarity trots out of the room, grabbing several roles of fabric with her magic on her way
>”It should only be a moment, girls, not too long. Make yourselves at home!”
>The door shuts, and the sound of a sewing machine starting up begins to echo throughout the halls
>You turn to see Twilight and Pinkie talking amongst themselves happily
>You sigh again
>Maybe you should get some air and think about things
Hey Twilight?
>You say, getting the attention of the purple mare
I’m gonna head outside for a bit. Take a walk or something, that alright?
>She smiles
>”Sure Anon, just don’t be gone too long, or get lost, or anything like that.”
Promise.

>You exit the doors and absorb the beauty of the morning
>You take a big breath, savor the air in your lungs, and exhale
>You look up into the clear blue sky
>Maybe you should tell Twilight how you feel
>But that’ll just disappoint her, and she’s so happy
>But still, you don’t want to be a lab-rat
>Is it selfish to sacrifice her happiness for yours?
>”Howdy over there!” you hear
>You turn your attention down from the sky to the street
>An orange mare with a cowboy hat pulling a cart of apples is smiling at you
>She detaches herself from her goods and trots over
>”Hey there, little fella, ya must be Anon, huh?”
>You nod to her
>”Thought so. I’m Applejack, pleased to meet ya.”
I’m very pleased as well, Applejack.
>She beams another smile at you
>All of these p0nies are so smiley
>Quite the happy bunch
>”So word from the sky is that yer meetin’ the Princess soon.”
The sky?
>You inquire
>”Mhmm,” she says. “Heard it from a dear friend, she says she’s already met ya.”
>She must mean Rainbow Dash
Yeah, I am.
>You look down to your feet. Maybe you can share your feelings with her? She seems like an honest mare
I just wish I was a little more excited about it
>Her face turns to that of concern
>”Aw, why’s that, sugarcube?”
Well…
>You explain what’s been on your mind lately, how you’re worried you’ll be seen as only an animal, how they may take you away to some lab for study, that you won’t be seen as a person and be treated poorly, and most importantly, that you’d never be able to get back home to your family and friends
>And Tiffany
>After the tale, Applejack smiles, and rustles your hair
>”Shoot, kid, I don’t think ya need t’be worryin’ about that.”
>You look up at her from your feet, quizzically
>”That Princess Celestia is one of the kindest souls I know. Up there with another dear friend o’ mine. I don’t think she’d let anything of the sort happen t’you.”
>You feel the edges of your mouth curve up a little
Really?
“ ‘Course really!” she reassures
>Funnily enough, you feel loads better
>You aren’t sure if it was the venting, or the reassurance from Applejack, but you really do
>You bend over and give her a hug
Thanks, Applejack.
>”Aw shucks,” she says, giving you a hug back
>”Now I gotta get these apples to the stand fer sellin’, so I’ll be seein’ you around, okay Anon?”
>You give a thumbs up
Of course, Applejack.
>With a smile and a goodbye, Applejack gets her cart again and trots off
>You take another big breath and exhale
>Okay, time to talk to Twilight about it now
>”Smell this, please.”
What?
>A hoof wraps around from behind you and presses a cloth to your nose
>Before you can even react, you begin to feel woozy…
>Your vision blurs and your consciousness starts to slip
>Finally, you pass out
>”Good boy, Anon…”

>Your vision slowly starts to return
>You rock your head back and forth
>Man, your head is swimming
>You give it a good shake and try your hardest to focus
>The dark clouds of unconsciousness begin to dissipate
>Vision is getting clearer and clearer
>And with that, you are awake
>You look around
>…this is most definitely Fluttershy’s cottage
>You recognize it from your stay last night
>Though all the animals are gone, and the lights are off
>You’re sitting down on a chair
>You try to simultaneously get up and swing your arms to your front
>…No go
>You take a look down
>Your torso and legs are tied with rope to a chair, and your hands are tied behind your back
>What the heck is going on?
>You bend your neck around to try to get a look at your hands
>Luckily, there’s a mirror to your right
>Yep, the reflection shows a large knot binding them together
>…are those bruises on your neck?
>You hear hoofsteps from somewhere in the house
>Should you call to them?
>…probably
Hello? Who’s there?
>Who’s there? You already know who it is
…Ms. Fluttershy?
>The hoofsteps stop for a second, then break out into a trot
>Fluttershy rounds the corner, and a huge smile breaks out on her face
>”Oh, Anon! You’re awake, good!”
Ms. Fluttershy, did you knock me out?
>She blushes a little and scrapes the ground with her hoof
>”…maybe.”
>You mentally facepalm
Ms. Fluttershy, please let me go. I have somewhere to be.
>The realization hits you
Shoot! What time is it?
>Twilight’s going to be pissed
How long was I out?
>Fluttershy trots over
>”Oh, it doesn’t matter, dear.”
>She gets awfully close to you, then throws a leg over you
>”Now I have you all to myself…”
>…what is she doing?
>Well, she DID kiss you last night when you were asleep…
>Is she going to try that more?
Ms. Fluttershy, I’m sorry, but I… I don’t want to kiss you.
>That’s what she’s doing, right?
>She backs up her head a bit in mild surprise, then leans back in, smile on her face
>”Oh Anon, I think you do. You just don’t know it yet…”
>She begins sliding her hoof all over your body
>”Besides…”
>It’s getting lower
>”…kissing’s only the beginning, sweetie.”
>You’re really slow on the uptake
>But the external body rubbing is slowly getting you to realize…
>…oh no
Ms. Fluttershy…
>You’re breathing a little heavier in fright
…I’m a kid. You can’t do this. I don’t want this to happen.
>She’s ignoring you
…this is really uncomfortable.
>Her face is leaning in
And I mean REALLY uncomfortable.
>her tongue licks your neck
HEY!
>She backs away, then giggles
>”You like this, don’t you Anon?”
>The heck is she talking about?
>Is she even friggin’ listening?
>”Don’t worry…”
>She’s coming back in
>”…you’ll see soon enough.”
>Closer and closer
>”That…”
>Oh God make it stop
>So close
>”…you love me.”
>BANG
>A knock on the door
>Fluttershy jumps off in surprise
>Oh sweet timing
>BANG BANG BANG
>”Fluttershy, are you in there?”
>That voice…
>It’s Rainbow Dash
>Sweet glory, it’s Rainbow Dash
>She’ll help you
>You inhale, readying a yell for surprise
>But a hoof covers your mouth, completely muffling it
>”…y-yes, I’m in here.”
>You try to yell again, but her hoof completely prevents you
>”Can you answer the door? We need your help. Anon’s gone missing.”
>”Oh my! How terrible!” she gasps
>”B-But I can’t come to the door right now, I’m… umm…”
>She stops in thought
>”I’m naked!”
>Wut
>”Fluttershy, please.” Rainbow begs
>Darn! You need to be able to reach out to Rainbow Dash!
>But you can’t do anything with this hoof in your mouth
>You wonder…
>Maybe Fluttershy is ticklish…
>You stick out your tongue and begin rubbing it around her hoof
>Instantly, she vibrates, and her grip weakens
>”O-Oh my~…”
>You jerk your head forward, flinging her hoof away from your mouth
RAINBOW DASH! HELP!
>Fluttershy jams her hoof back on your mouth and sits completely still
>There’s a silence…
>SLAM!
>The door rocks on the hinges
>”Anon!?”
>SLAM!
>”Anon! Are you alright!?”
>SLAM!
>”Fluttershy, what are you doing!?”
>CRASH!
>The door cracks off the hinges and careens into the house
>Rainbow Dash reverts from her bucking position and jumps in
>She sees the suggestive scene first hand
>”Fluttershy! What the hell!?”
>Fluttershy jumps off of you
>”No! Um, it’s not what it looks like!”
>”Like hell it isn’t!”
>Fluttershy backs up a bit
>”It’s just that… I… um… he… we…”
>”Enough!”
>Rainbow Dash gallops forward towards you two
>Fluttershy squeaks and jumps backwards
>Rainbow runs over, grips the knots with her teeth, and pulls them undone
>”You okay, squirt?” she asks
Yeah, fine, all good, peachy, let’s get out of here, okay?
>You’re breathing heavily and still a little shaken up
>Rainbow Dash bucks her head into you, causing you to topple over on her back
>She then lifts off the ground and rockets out of the house towards town

>”What happened, Anon? How did that whole situation start up?” she questions as she flies
I don’t know! I was with Twilight and Pinkie Pie at the boutique, I stepped outside and talked to Ms. Applejack, then some cloth pressed against me and I fell asleep!
>You take another breath
Then I woke up there!
>”Did she do anything to you?”
>You think over the events for a second
Not really, no. But really close to.
>Rainbow Dash nods
>”Twilight freaked when you went missing! She called all of us to start looking for you. The Princess is already here!”
>You feel really bad for making the ruler of this land wait
>And especially bad for making Twilight worry
>But… it was out of your control

>In no time at all, you’re arriving at the library
>Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Rarity are all there waiting outside
>As well as a large white p0ny with a flowing mane
>That must be Princess Celestia
>Rainbow Dash quickly flies you over and drops you down in front of the p0nies, before rounding the tree and joining them herself
>You pant a couple times, looking at all of their wide-eyed, surprised faces
>You glance to the princess, also surprised
>You immediately drop a knee, Tebow style
S-Sorry I’m late!
>Everyp0ny is still in shock
>Finally…
>…Anon, what happened!?” Twilight exclaimed
>You glace over to Rainbow Dash
>She nods
Well…
>You clear your throat
I…
>You’re interrupted by a far away yell
>You turn your attention to that direction
>What was that?
>”……….aaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAANOOOOOOOOOOON!”
>Holy mackerel, what is that thing?
>It’s coming right at you!
>A yellow blur slams immediately into you, knocking the wind from you entirely
>It grips you and shoots completely vertical, carrying you into the sky
>”Oh Anon, I’m sorry we were interrupted! But now you’re all mine again!”
>You literally can’t answer
>No breath
>”We’ll find someplace private, just the two of us!”
>You wheeze
>This is absolutely terrible
>Why does this keep happening to you?
>Suddenly, a blue blur intercepts, knocking Fluttershy clear away from you
>You freefall for a second or two, before being snagged by Rainbow Dash herself
>”Don’t worry, buddy, I gotcha!” she says, flying back toward the ground
>She begins to round the tree before being aerially tackled herself
>Commence switch
>Fluttershy’s in possession now
>”No one can keep me from you, sweetie!”
>Why you?
>Interception!
>Fluttershy has been neutralized, you freefall for just a second before being picked up by Dash
>”Sorry! I—“
>SLAM!
>Rainbow goes flying
>Fluttershy grabs you
>”You’re MINE!”
>This is absolutely terrifying
>An aerial battle is happening with you as the target for extraction
>This may not end well at all
>Fluttershy rounds the tree by your basketball net, before being hit by Dash, dropping you
>Problem…
>You were dangerously close to the ground
>And now you’re freefalling towards it
>It all happens so fast
>You instinctively reach for something to grab
>Your net is the closest thing
>Your arm extends, palm open, to grab the rim
>Maybe it can slow you down just enough
>You clamp your hand down to grip it
>…it goes right through
>And like that, time seems to completely slow
>You look over to the p0nies
>All absolutely shocked
>They think you’re going to hit the pavement
>…you know better
>You know what’s going on
>You look over to Celestia
>You can tell the look on her face prior was surprise
>But now it’s of something different.... concern… understanding… intrigue…
>Rainbow Dash flies desperately to grab you
>She opens her arms to catch
>And she passes right through
>You knew it’d happen
>The ground approaches
>Your legs hit first
>Or rather, pass first
>Your whole body sinks into the ground
>And it’s all black
>You look below you to see a mess of black and white colors meshing everywhere
>You fall directly in…

>You fly out of the bushes and roll on the pavement
>This causes a few scrapes, but nothing too painful
>You lay on the ground for a moment, face up, absorbing the sunlight
>A basketball net casts a shadow very near you
>You sit up and look around
>”Oh THERE you are!” you hear
>Tiffany comes running from around your front door
>”I thought you went inside or something!”
>You scratch your head and exhale
How long was I gone?
>She looks at you confused, then giggles
>”Gone? You didn’t go anywhere! I told you to dunk, looked away, and you weren’t there! So I walked to the front door to see if you went inside, but, well… here you are!”
>She beams happily
>Really? Only a few seconds…?
>You rub your face
>Is this even… real?
>Tiffany hits you on the head
Ow!
>”Whatcha thinking about?”
>You get up on your feet and dust yourself off
>…would she believe you?
>You wonder for a moment
>Then… you smile
>You place your hand on her back, and lead her toward your front door
I’ve got a lot to tell you…

End of Part 4