Growing Up (Manos Story) (Ongoing)

>"Hey, no fair!"
"Well, Breezie, if you didn't play like a girl, you would be better at this game."
>"You didn't even tell me the rules!"
>The pale blue filly in front of you scrunches in frustration
>What a crybaby
"It's simple! The rules change as i want them too, and no being a whiny foal"
>She stamps her hoof in indignant rage
>"Iron, your such a! Such a! C-COLT CUDDLER!"
>Your eyes widen
>She just said a naughty word
>to you
"I'M TELLING YOUR MOM!"
>Her eyes have a flash of grave realization
>"N-no, come on Iron, y-you know i was just kidding!"
>She's done it now
>You sprint off towards her house, past the fountain and near the bridge at the end of Ponyville
>"IROOOOON!!!!"
>Sea Breeze takes flight shakily, her small wings sputtering to keep her in the air
>You look back, smirking and grasping one of her wings with your telekinesis
>With a good bit of effort, it catches, and Sea Breeze is sent to the ground with an "Eep!"
>She falls two feet down and comes to a stop after a short cartoonish roll
>She lands, head on the ground and her hindlegs propping her up, her face in an angry pout
>VICTORY IS YO-
> SLAM!
>You slam headfirst into Sandy Shore's door
>Your horn is stuck
>After a few hard tugs, you see that resistance is futile and you can't break free
>Darnit.
>Sea Breeze trots up to you, she is currently trying to stifle a laugh
>She fails horribly
.>"Pffffft! BAHAHAAHA!"
"Ha Ha, very funny. Now help me get out of the door!"
>You try again to break yourself free with more pulls, harder this time
>Nothing happens, and your left scrunching your nose with a "Hrumph."
>"Haha-ohkay. I'll go see if we have something to slip it out with"
>Sea Breeze goes inside to rummage around and look for something to help you out
>W-wait
>A tinge of pink touches your cheeks, a filly was going to touch your horn
>L-lewd. You didn't want girl germs.
>You can hear some shuffling, and what sounds like a chair scraping against the floor to be put in position, before hearing a jar fall and break, with the following "oopsies!"
>After some more time and noise, Sea Breeze returns with a small sandwich
"How is that going to get me out of this?"
>She takes a large bite, happily chewing on it
>"Ayh donf kno, aye got hungfry'
"SEA BREEZE! Just help me get out of this already!"
>She swallows the bite of cucumber goodness before heading back inside
>"Fine."
>She returns quickly with a stick of butter and some vegetable oil
>She starts to rub your horn with the stick of butter from the other side of the door, before pouring a hefty bit of oil on it, most of which just drips to the ground.
>It tickles
>You giggle and lurch at her touch, before all of your jerking around pulls the horn out with a *plop* and you fall to the ground
>You pick yourself up and look at the tiny hole you left in the door
>You can hear voices approaching
>"-ing, did you hear about that green creature that had come around? It's been a week and that scatterbrain Lyra is already friends with him"
>You recognize the voice as Sandy Shores, Breezie's mom
>You can hear your dad, Mithril Manacles speaking aswell
"Lyra seems alright, maybe just a bi-"
>As they both come nearer to the house, they notice you both
>Your dad isn't wearing his golden armor
>He is also upside down
>Wait...
>You roll back upright and dust your coat off
>They won't notice the tiny hole
>"WHAT HAPPENED TO MY DOOR?!"

>You are Sandy Shores
>There is a large hole in your door, accompanied by a flurry of cracks!

>You are Iron Bonds again
>Darnit! Sandy was always super smart!
>She was apart of the Equestrian Navy afterall
>Your father perks up
>"And why is there vegetable oil everywhere?"
>"Well, heh heh funny story about all that..."
>"Iron Bonds did it!"
>SEA BREEZE YOU FLANK FACE
"Y-yeah well she called me a colt cuddler!"
>"I wouldn't tell a lie!"
"Flankface!"
>"Milkdrinker!"
"Droppings sniffer!"
>"Pinhead!"
"BIRDBRAIN!"
>"THATS ENOUGH!"
>Sea Breeze shouts with a sigh, and facehoofs afterwards
>"Both of you are grounded, go inside Sea Breeze, I'll be in there in a minute."
>"But Moooooooo-
>"Go."
>Sea Breeze reluctantly heads inside, head hung low
>"And you."
>Your dad looks at you with a mask of stern frustration
>"No Sea Breeze for a week. And no video games either. Annnnd..."
>He taps his hoof on his chin a few times, thinking
>"No pudding cup privelages for three days."
>H-he couldnt do that!
>They only do that in prison!
>Your dad might be a royal guard, but that was way too harsh for you!
>Your only twelve!
>"I'll see you tomorrow, Mith"
>"You too, Sandy."
>Sandy Shores heads back inside, and not long after you hear her shriek
>"SEAAAAA BREEEEEEEEEEEZE! WHY IS THERE BROKEN JARS OF JELLY EVERYWHERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
>Your dad looks to you, and speaks urgently
>"We better get out of here, like now."
"Yeah, good plan"
>You and your dad gallop away at a steady pace

>You are Sea Breeze
>"Blah Blah Blah Blah BLAH BLAH. Blah blah Blah?"
>Your mother is lecturing you about making a sandwich
>You were hungry, what else could you do?
>"Sea Breeze!"
>You shoot back to attention
>"Did you even hear anything I said?"
>No
"Yes!"
>"So you understand your grounded for a week?"
"Yes ma'am"
>"Go to your room then, it's getting late"
>You trod up to your room
>Hopefully Bonds can get to the spot tonight, his dad is serious business
>You lay on your bed, tossing a ball at the wall until your mother tells you goodnight
>You then wait a few more minutes before locking your door and open your closet door
>You move the toybox in the back, revealing the trapdoor beneath
>Crawling through the cramped tunnels for the hundredth time, you open up the secret door hidden in a tree by the Everfree Forest
>Hopefully mom doesn't come back to your room to apologize for being so harsh
>You sigh softly as you spread your wings, the gentle night breeze cooling your exposed sides
>Getting a head gallop, you jump off of the hill the tree stands upon, gliding downwards toward the bridge

>You are Iron Bonds
>And you are angry
>How dare your dad take away your pudding cups?
>That is cruel, even for a royal guard such as himself
>You put the sheet over your head, grumbling at your misfor- misforchu- mis-
>Bad Luck.
>Your ears perk at the sound of a light switch being flicked
>You wait a few more seconds before sliding the small metal prongs from under your bed
>You move to the small lock on your window
>After some fidgeting, you find the large pin keeping the lock firmed
>With a click and a quiet "yes!" in triumph, you silently climb out the window
>You wait to get some distance before sparking your horn to a small light and going toward the bridge at the end of Ponyville
>You see Sea Breeze under the bridge, looking at the Mare on the Moon
>For some reason, every time you looked at it, you felt it was staring back
>And it didn't like what it saw
>After sliding down the ridge to the bottom of the bridge expertly, you waltz over to Sea Breeze

>You are Sea Breeze
>And you just watched Bonds tumble down the ridge before face planting and dusting himself off
>Sadly half of the cheezy poofs didn't survive, and your snacks are halfed
>"Where is Little League?"
"You didn't hear her yesterday? She was spouting about the scrawny green minotaur. She's probably dreaming about him now."
>You both giggle at the joke
>When it's silent, you grab some of the orange goodness and munch away
>"Being grounded blows. What if we get caught meeting here?"
>After an audible gulp, you roll your eyes and shrug
"We never get caught when we do this anyway."
>"I know, but what if they check on us at night now?"
"We won't be home to get punished, I guess"
>He gives a small smile, before scooting next to you
>You both stay silent and look at the moon for a few minutes, just enjoying eachothers company
>"Breezie.."
"Yeah?"
>"I don't want to be grounded from you."
"Me neither. I'm a pretty awesome filly"
>He chuckles, before it grows to a laugh, and then to both of you bursting out into a fit
>And you laugh together for awhile before Bonds gets tired and heads home
>You'll see him at school anyway
>You buzz back to the tree and climb through the tunnels
>As you shut the trapdoor and lay on your bed, you drift off silently

>You are Iron Bonds
>And you were woken up by the hyperactive orange and teal force that is your other friend, Little League
>"Come on Iron! Comeoncumoncmoncmon! We're going to be late!"
"For whaaaat?"
>"Anon's meeting!"
>You grumble and get your things ready, and grab a quick apple on your way out for breakfast

>After a longish walk your in front of Ms. Lyra's house
>Little League knocks on the door, and Lyra lets you in with a smile
>You and Little League walk through a door and down to the basement, where there was about twenty chairs with ponies sitting on them and a space up front, probably for manos
>You take your spot next to Little League and wait
>After awhile, a tall green thing in a suit on his body and long forehooves with claws on the end walks in, and you can't stop staring
>When he looks at you all, he seems a bit surprised, but he covers his face up quickly with one of open determination
>A pony walks forward
>"W-we heard you could predict the future?"
>He looks at them with a smile
>"No, I don't predict the future"
>The pony looks as confused as you, and you can hear some silent murmurs in the group
>"No, I dont predict."
>"I know."

>You are Mithril Manacles
>A few weeks have passed, and you keep hearing reports about a green "human" named Anon who supposedly predicted AND helped stop Discord's return
>Your commander, Silver Valor, has tasked you with following her and a brown stallion to his whereabouts
>You can't stop wondering about the creature you've heard so much about
>What if he's here to do good?

>"That's horrible!"
>You are Iron Bonds again, and Anon is telling you about his home. It sounds like a horrible place
>Little League looks a bit uneasy
>A mare next to you raises her hand
>"Why would ponies, er, people do that"
>Little League raises her hand
>"d-did you ever kill anyone?"
>Everyone stares at her, before looking at Anon expectantly
"No. I haven't. but maybe if i was in the same position as others like me... Maybe I would have"
>You find yourself a little frightened of Anon
>But from the way he talks about his world
>People had to defend themselves from villians too, but the villians didn't sound like they would leave peacefully
>...
>A red mare with a short brown mane steps forward
>"You would kill another intelligent creature? one of your own kind?"
>Anon looks at her sympathetically for a moment
>"Sometimes to do good, you have to do evil things."
>You want to feel disgusted, or dislike Anon
>But.. You don't
>It's like that time when Breezie was getting messed with by that bully French Horn and you bucked him in the face
>Right?
>Another mare, this time seafoam green, steps forward
>"I understand... I think most of us do"
>Everyone looks ashamed, and looks at the ground
>"Even if they don't say it."
>Manos gives a smile, and it gives you chills in the back of your mind
>"I'm glad you see things like I do."
>"Now please, everybody, there is something I must ask of you. Not everyone knows about me, or this meeting. I would like to stay this way."
>You look at Anon, puzzled
>Why would he want to keep his powers for good hidden?
>"I would like everypony to promise to me that they won't speak a word about this to anybody else, be them family or friend.
>Collectively everyone says "We promise!"
>"Thank you. I would like to continue these gatherings, all of you will be sent a seal of acceptance in the next week, keep them handy, as they will be your allowance into this place, and a sign of my ponies.'
>Your subconscious tells you that something bad is growing.
>But you hide the message under pride
>You were one of Anon's secret ponies

>Be Mithril Manacles
>And you are getting pretty bored.
>"Really?"
>"Yeah, he just kind of showed up one day. A mare named Lyra told me about him!"
>Turns out "he" lives in Ponyville, and that's a train ride away
>This sucks
>Seeing as you have nothing else to do, you tune into the conversation between this "Copper Coin" and your commander Silver Valor
>"So how did he prevent Discord's return?"
>Your ears perk up
>Maybe this ride won't be so long after all

>Be Iron Bonds
>And on your way out the door, you see that you got something -veeery- special in the mail
>Your top-secret Anon-Squad card!
>You were hoping it would be something cooler, like a sticker, or one of those tongue tattoos some kids in class get from the market
>Lucky stallions
>You slip the card into your saddlebags, and head off towards school
>You can't wait to get there, Sea Breeze is going to be super impressed!

>"This is the place!"
>After a short walk, Copper points to Lyra's house
>Here? Really?
>You knew they were friends but...
>You probably shouldn't judge what Lyra is into...
>Silver knocks on the door a few times
>Lyra opens it with a smile, which fades when she sees who's knocking
>"O-oh... What seems to be the problem, officers?"

>You are Sea Breeze
>And all things given, you aren't that impressed
>In fact, this "Anon" guy sounded like bad news
>Like the type of stallion who uses his words to get what he wants
>Mom told you not to talk with those types of stallions
>"A-And then he beat Discord up like Pow Pow! BOOOM! And Discord was all like "aaahhh saaave meee" But nobody came !
"Didn't the elements defeat Discord?"
>Iron and Little League deflate a little
>League is the first to speak
>"Y-Yeah! B-but he gave them the elements! So I mean, he could have done all of that if he just used them himself, I bet!"
>They perk up again, thinking he probably could, but he wanted them to have the glory
"I don't think he could tell the future, I mean. Celestia and Luna have protected us for hundreds of years, even before then. I think they could have beaten Discord again."
>Iron makes a "Pshh" sound and rolls his eyes, while League looks like you slapped her
>"Anon is here to do good! He says so!"
"I mean, yeah. But he can say that and still do bad things!"
>League raises her nose in a haughty manner
>"Your just jealous because you don't know him. Hm"
>FWEJIOIHGRAK

>Silver Valor steps forward
>"Nothing at all, Lyra. Copper said that we could meet Anon."
>Copper nods proudly, a smile on his face
>Lyra nervously turns her head
>"Uh anon, could you please come up here."
>A muffled voice comes from deep in the house
>"Alright! I'll be there."
>Silver looks over to Copper Coin
>"Was that him Copper?"
>Copper's smile is so large it could probably go up against Celestia a week after the holidays
>So much cake
>So much treadmilling
>So much...
>Copper nods again
>"Yeah that's his voice, I'm sure of it!"
>From behind Lyra, you can see a tall figure in a suit walk closer
>Getting a closer look he just seems to be a skinny and bald minotaur who is also green.
>His expression shows a calm and cool resolve, as if this were all casual
>Fifteen years as a guard says its a lie

>"Copper. What is the meaning of this?"
>Copper deftly pulls a small white card from the front pocket of his suit
>"It's about this."
>Anon stops to think for a moment before speaking
>Silver Valor steps forward, and both you and your squadmate do the same
>"Are you the one they call Anonymous?"
>"Yes, I am. And I have done no wrong."
>"The same human who has been seen by the student of our princess Celestia at each of the recent events Including but not limited to; The return of Nightmare moon, the rise of Discord, and the rediscovering of the Elements of Harmony?"
>Anon, despite the allegations, is able to hold his facade
>Impressive, He is either a masterful liar, or an honest being
>Or both.
>Silver Valor, always loving a dramatic pause, takes a few moments before motioning with her tail in an unnoticable movement for you both to stand down, and removes her helmet
>She extends a hoof, and gives a small smile
>"It is an honor to meet you, Anonymous."

>Be Copper Coin
>Everything is going wonderfully!
>The guards are taking a liking to Anon!
>He is probably super proud!

>Be Mithril once again
>"My escorts and I here were sent to help her student prepare for the princess' arrival today, and well, we wanted to see if the rumors were true. i was lucky enough to be friends with Copper Coin."
>The truth was she had taken you all here to assess Anon to be a threat or not, but Silver found a reliable cover
>"Ah yes, that is today. Well I would love to chat, but with that being today, it seems things might get a little messy around here soon."
>Silver Valor's tail twitches again, and you both prepare yourselves
>"Messy?"

>Be Iron Bonds
>And be booooooooooooooooooooooored
>"Blah Blah Blah, Iron Bonds, Blah blah blah blah?"
>You shoot up
"Yes Ms. Cheerilee?"
>"I said, what was the area of this triangle>
>l=20 w=10
"Uh... 200?"
>Cheerilee beams
>"Correct! Now let's check the work!"
>You see a note by your hoof

>"Meet me at the spot"
>You turn your left eye to Sea Breeze beside you and nod
>You crumple up the paper and throw it at the trash can while Cheerilee's eyes are still on the board
>Score!
>Nice!

>"Are... are you for real?... THIS is going to help us?! How?"
>Silver seems to be confused at whatever was on the paper Anon gave her
"Just trust me. gather those things and do exactly as it says."
"If you think this will help, it's my job to at least take it into consideration. But what is this threat anyway?"
>"Only one pony knows about them, and its not the princess"
>Anon now sports a shit-eating grin
>"Well, what are they?"
>Silver Valor looks very puzzled, is Anon playing her for a fool?
>"You can keep bugging me for the answer. But I'm afraid that I can't give it"
>Anon seems to be holding back from laughing
>Wait...
>Is he... making jokes?
>He could be arrested, and he's making jokes?!
>He must be very confident
>Because none of you get the punchline
>Silver Valor tucks the slip of paper away into her armor and sighs
"Ma'am, orders?"
>Silver Valor closes her eyes, and then looks at Anon
>"Sorry Anon, but if this is true, I will personally see you out of jail. Arrest him."
>Anon quickly loses that shit eating grin of his
>You move to bind his hands, while Golden Apple stands by to make sure he doesn't make any moves
>"You are under arrest for treason against the crown and intentionally withholding valuable intelligence about a unknown threat to national security"
>Anon doesn't resist, and just abides and comes with you towards Canterlot
>"I understand."

>You are Iron Bonds
>And about an hour after the wonderful bell rings to your freedom, your almost to the bridge
>You slide down, this time more cautiously
>What you see is Sea Breeze, nervously twiddling a stone with her hoof
>Her mane is brushed and her coat smells like perfume
"Hey, Sea Breeze, you alright?"
>Sea Breeze jumps at your voice, eliciting a small "meep!"
>She then walks up to you nervously
>"H-hey Iron, w-whats that over there!"
>She points a hoof to the right
"The other side of the bri-"
>You feel her quickly peck your cheek
>You stop, as if you were petrified, and your cheeks turn rosy
>When you turn around, she isn't there and you hear a faint buzzing
>You didn't want her to leave.

>Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!
>You are Iron Bonds
>Crack! Crack! Crack!
>An you are such an idiot!
>The rythmic flurry of cracks eliciting from a support beam ring out to the open air as you bang your head against it
>Crack! Crack! Cr-
>This is actually really starting to hurt now
>You slump over on your side, and look up to the sky
>Why did Sea Breeze have to do that?
>Now you just feel so confused
>Fillies have cooties, everyone knew that
>And while you wanted to stay clean,
>You k-kinda liked it
>A blush rises to your features, as you bring your hoof to your forehead and drag it down across your face
>Silence passes for a few minutes
>...
>...WAIT
>YOU GOT IT!
>You'll just talk to Sea Breeze like nothing happened!
>Then you guys can go back to being fr-
>Is that music?

>You are Mithril Manac-
>DID THAT THING JUST EAT A FUCKING HOUSE?!
>"Manacles, on the guitar, thats an order!"
>You rush over to your squadmate, and grab the small acoustic guitar
>>Taking few cautious strums, you play one of the only songs you know
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVxxG1P97vw [Embed]
>The small, adorable balls of hunger woefully bob to the music, and you begin to walk out of town
>As you get further and further, you can hear the townspeople cheer
>You walk until you come to the edge of the Everfree
>You smile in despite of yourself, Anon really does know the future
>Intriguing...

"Come on! I-ugh-Need-ech-To-nngh-See-argh-Anon!"
>"It's alright Iron, we can find another spot to look"
>You stop trying to jump over the tall, red behemoth that is Big Macintosh
>He doesn't seem to pay you much mind, he just raises the same white card you and League had
>Wait, you had an idea
>It's so crazy, that it could blow up terribly,
>But it's your only chance
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3pL7gIjlEY [Embed]
>You extend your hoof, slowly towards the hulking mass of red muscle
>You can hear League whimpering in fear, the situation has switched fast
>Your hoof nears his withers, slowly inching closer and closer
>You hear explosions and foals crying
>You sweat uncontrollably as your hoof touches his side
>He turns to look at you, regarding you with a steel reserve
"S-Sir, can you please move to the si-"
>He bends his neck down and uses it to lif you and League up onto his back
>That went better than expected
>>""everyone. as you can see i am alive and unharmed. no damage was done so there is no need for revenge. I have some business to tend to here before i return to you all."
>Anon is so cool.

>You are Sea Breeze
>And you are panicking, what did Iron think of you after you did that?
>Why did you do that?
>He probably thinks you're gross and crazy
>You gave him cooties for Luna's sake! It's all over!
>You whimper to yourself, walking over to a window and contemplating
>What if he doesn't want to be friends anymore?

>Be Mithril Manacles
>And also be promoted, along with your commander, Silver Valor
>Anon made sure that you had gotten promoted
>He made sure that you all saved Ponyville
>He knew
>It's been about an hour and a half since his grand speech on the prison's steps to all of Ponyville
>He seems to be growing quite the following
>You walk next to Silver, headed to the mess hall and then decommission for the day
"Permission to speak freely, ma'am?"
>"Granted."
"What do you make of Anon, ma'am?
>She stops in her tracks
>"I don't know."

>"Sea Breeze! Time for school!"
>urrrrrgh, why did school have to be today
>or any day
>or exist?
>maybe if you just act like you didn-
>Your door flies open as your mother comes in with a cup of water
>You spring upwards
"I'M UP! I'M UP!"
>"Good, now you gotta get going, if we leave soon, I can walk you to the schoolhouse on my way to the train station."
"Ughhh, fine"
>You get off of your sheets and walk to your mirror, grabbing your manebrush with your teeth
>Today was going to be a long day

>You are Iron Bonds
>And you are excited!
>Tonight is the gala, and while Sandy Shores and your dad go to the party, you get to hang out with Little League and Sea Breeze all night!
>And Pinkie Pie is going too, so you guys won't have a babysitter!
>Today is going to be a good day!
>You tighten the straps on your saddlebag and walk out the door towards the schoolhouse, ready for a new day

"Really? He sounds like he sees himself in some holy light."
>Mith glares at you
>"Sandy, Anonymous was the reason I got ranked up to Sergeant, he told us how to stop what was coming."
"But he didn't say WHAT was coming, did he?"
>"Well, no. But what if he answers to some kind of god? Or the he can't give out every detail because he wants us to learn instead of him teaching us?"
>You whinny in response, going back to trying to get this damned cap on your head
>Who is Anon anyway?
>It sounds like he has some sort of pariah complex, not giving out useful information.
>You knew that he was starting to gain a following, but you aren't sure why
>He just seems like something that crawled out of the Everfree one day
>Not that there is anything wrong with that, he seems sentient and polite
>But he couldn't be a god, the Royal Sisters were the closest thing to a diety there was
>And that's why you serve them.

>You are Sea Breeze
>And it's time
>You walk outside for recess, and you see Iron and League talking animatedly about tonight
>You walk forward, swallowing a breath and holding it in
"H-Hey guys."
>Iron sees you and his facade flickers for a second before it stays jovial
>"Hey!"

"Hey!"
>You forgot that you would see Sea Breeze today
>Well you knew, but like
>It was one of those things that you knew was going to happen, but you didn't think about it
>Like a test
>Or a dentists appointment
>You mentally shiver as League carries on
>"Anyway, I heard that Anonymous is going to the gala! We should find something to wear and go!"
>This grabs your attention right away
"That's a great idea! Why not? Maybe we can even talk to him!"
>Sea Breeze pipes in
>"Guys, we don't have anything to wear though, my dress is at my grandma's."
>This would toss a wrench in your plans
>League smiles smugly
>"Taken care of, watch."
>She puts her hoof to her mouth and sucks in a breath of air
>"SWEETIE BELLE!"

>You are Silver Valor
>And you have a ton of work to do
>With the Gala coming up, every year you have to set up personal guards, extra security, charms and divination spells around the perimeter, and a whole guff of boring paperwork
>The stack gets shorter and shorter, until after awhile it's all completed
>You sit back and sigh, checking the clock
>4 PM
>You have time before you have to get ready
>Looking around your room for some source of entertainment, your eyes fall on the hoofband that Anon gave you
>May aswell try it on and see how it looks, you suppose


"Sandy, hurry up, we only have an hour to board the train!"
>"Mith I know, you gave me the pleasure of a reminder every ten seconds!"
>You are Mithril Manacles
>And you're going to be late at this rate!
>You are wearing your best suit, a sleek black article with a white undershirt and a yellow tie
>A small golden kerchief sits folded in your breastpocket and the classic scent of Preferred Stock lingers on your neck
>You stand as tall as you can, oozing confidence
>That started to shatter when you came to Sandy Shores' house to take her to the train and she wasn't close to being ready
>You take a look at your small golden watch
>And promptly cringe
>You only had 50 minutes to get on the train!
>You had wanted to get there early so you could get one of the nice seats up front
>You raise your hoof to knock on the bedroom door again, just as it opens
>"Alright, I'm ready."
>The air is stolen from your lungs
>Sandy is wearing a crimson dress, the dark red gossamer trailing behind her airily
>Her mane is done with two wisps of hair on either side of her face, and the rest braided behind her neck
>Her eyes are accented with dark mascara and azure eye shadow, but she is lacking blush around her cheeks
>Her lips are a striking ruby, held up by the smile she wears
>"Well?"
"Uh. I- You- Um..."
>She raises her polished hoof to her face in a chuckle
>"Well soldier, don't we have a train to catch?"
>You catch yourself, and cough awkwardly into your hoof
"Y-Yes, Yes we do! Shall we?"
>You give a smile and motion toward the door
>She chuckles again, that sweet sound gracing your ears once more
>"We shall."
>She walks out of the door, and you trail along, closing the door as you pass through
>You both follow the trail back to Ponyville, and head to the train station

>You are Iron Bonds
>And you are currently wearing your little black suit with a brand new tie
>You pat the dark blue fabric with your hoof, and adjust your white undershirt
>The white door across the room clicks open as League, Breezie, and Sweetie Belle all walk out of Rarity's bedroom
>You blush deeply when you see them
>Sweetie wears a light blue and white dress, a green sash around her midriff and a little blue floral mane pin in her curly hairs
>League wears a grey dress with a white sash complimenting her orange coat, her Anon cap still standing promptly on her albiet brushed mane.
>Sea Breeze has a striking red orange piece on, her mane done in a fishbone braid and a nightingale pinned in her mane. Light silk flowing to the ground and waving in the slight breeze that follows each step
>You gulp, and feel sweat rolling down your brow
>"Thanks Rarity! We'll see you at the Gala!"
>Sweetie belle punctuates her high pitched thanks with a hoof to the air
>Rarity nods with a prim smile, and takes off the small orange glasses she wears when she works
>"Yes Yes Sweetie Belle, now I do believe that Scootaloo and Applebloom are waiting for the rest of you."
>League twitches at the mention of Scootaloo's name
>Scootaloo and League usually squabbled over the dumbest stuff
>It didn't help that Scoots also thought that Anon was a creepy monster from the Everfree
>The girls all walk out of the boutique, giving thanks to Rarity as they pass
>You still sit there, dazed, until you notice League going out last
"Wait for me!"
>You scramble after the girls and walk over to the waiting Applebloom and Scootaloo

>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nK8JlTlhnjw [Embed]
>You and Sandy walk into the train, and the door closes behind you with a heavy thud
"Here, this way."
>You take her hoof and you both trot towards the front of the train
>The cars are lit in a dim flickering red from the lit candles and their glass holders
>There's a slight chattering of the couples and a few laughs from the other cars
>Scents of coffee and tobacco waft through your nose
>Various ponies are sitting at tables in either military dress-whites or their ironed best
>You had been planning this for a month now
>Thank Celestia you knew the conductor, Oilcan really came through on this one
>You pass through each car, and when you get to the final door, you look to Sandy
"Here, you have to wear this."
>You take your small kerchief out with your teeth
>"Oh? Something special planned for little old me?"
"Nope, I don't want you seeing the wreck of a car I got us, it might ruin the night."
>She rolls her eyes with a smile
>"Oh fine."
>You levitate the kerchief over her eyes and tie it around her head
>She holds out a hoof, and you wrap it in yours
>You open the door with your magic, and lead her into the last car
>Where a solitary table sits, on which a bottle of wine in a silver bucket of ice and a bouquet of flowers stand
>You lead her over to her seat, and she sits down
>Levitating the bottle, you pour two glasses of wine
>J'etequus 1839
>You didn't know much about wine, but goddamn did it sound fancy
"You can take it off now."
>A corner of her mouth raises in a smirk
>"Oh, what about the night? How could I manage?"
"Well we can just throw it to the wind, these rats are pretty cute afterall."
>She shakes her head and pushes the blindfold off with her hoof
>Her eyes widen and she looks around the car
>"Oh, Mithril..."
"Shh. It's alright."
>You levitate the filled glass over to her
"Wine?"
>She takes it, but the disbelief doesn't leave her face
>"How did you even get a personal car?"
>You shrug and take a sip of your wine
"I pulled a couple of strings with the conductor, nothing too major."
>"This is so nice, much better than last year."
>God, that was the worst Gala either of you had ever been to
>You hope you never have to see that waiter again.
>She casually drinks from her glass, and you both enjoy the silence for a few seconds
>Oilcan passes through the car on his way to the back
>"Ev'rythin a'right up here?"
"Yeah, thanks Oily"
>He winks and smiles
>"No pro'lem, Manny."
>He bows to Sandy and continues back, tipping his hat as he goes
>Sandy looks to you with a smile
>"Manny?"
"Old friends, I should tell you sometime. But I think we're about to get going "
>You can hear a muffled "ALL ABOARD FOR CANTERLOT!" and a bell clamoring
>With a jolt, the train lurches forward slightly before beginning to move at a steady pace
>The clanking of the tracks causes a steady beat against the ambient night
>The door at the back of the car opens again, and Oilcan walks through
>"Yer waiters will be with you shortly."
>He heads back to the front of the train and your left once more with Sandy, drinking in her beauty like the bottle you share.
>"So, old friends huh?"
"Hm? Oh, oh yeah. Oil and I go way back."
>"Have any stories to share?"
>Sandy runs the tip of her hoof on the rim of her glass idly, looking into your eyes
"Maybe I can tell you when your older."
>"I'm not sure how much longer we have in that regard."
>You both laugh at her joke, and you refill the glasses with the red liquid