Memories About Memories (One Shot)

>Day No Rain on Earth
>Be Noteworthy
>You find yourself in a stuffy room with Anonymous at your side
>Bookshelves fill every conceivable space and are crammed with dusty tomes that would surely bore you into a stupor
>You sigh lightly as you stare at the rug and the one picture hanging across the room
>Anon says this trip is important, that it counts as business, and that you must be as professional as possible
>Little does Anon know, your middle name is, “Professional”
>Actually, you don’t have a middle name, but that too is something Anon does not know!
>You consider that Anon is missing out on a great many things
>”Is something the matter?”
>He smiles to you lightly as you realize you are rubbing your chin
“Oh, no… I was just thinking about something.”
>”What is it?”
>You stare at the door for a moment before speaking dully
“Middle names…”
>The door suddenly opens and you take a relieved breath
>A young human woman peaks her head out from the door with a stern look on her face
>”Anonymous?”
>She looks to your friend as you size her up
>Her short, brown mane ruffles around her ears and makes her face look slightly rounder than it should
>The woman’s clothing is simple, like Anon’s typical outfit, but hugs her body in a much more flattering way
>”Mr. St. James will see you now.”
>”Thank you, Clare.”
>Her name rings in your ear for the moment as you set to your hooves
>You must remember to get more information on her later!
>Stepping into the cool office, you see a finely crafted table with all manners of papers and calculators strewn about
>A pony sits at the very head with his snout buried in a stack of documents
>His mane is ruddy and he wears a simple black blazer over his creamy white coat
>A golden balancing scale makes up his cutie-mark and you can’t help but notice his hooves are shinier and cleaner than your own
>”Ah, Anonymous, I do hope I didn’t keep you waiting long.”
>”Not at all, James.”
>You watch the pony pivot from papers to calculators and back again as a symphony of clacking and tapping trail behind
>”I have brought you the papers you requested as well as my assistant, Noteworthy.”
>You find it a bit distasteful that Anon would introduce you so formally
>You’re friends after all!
>You quickly extend your hoof to him and beam proudly
“Noteworthy, columnist extraordinaire, at your service!”
>”Oh, um, James St. James, certified public accountant… Nice to meet you, miss. Can I offer you some water?”
“Yes, please!”
>Dealing with another pony makes you strangely happy
>Not to say humans aren’t enjoyable to talk with, just that you’ve not been eye to eye in a while
>You take the water in your magic and sip quickly at the refreshing chill
>Anon speaks up as he pushes the extra glass of water to the pony
>”Thank you for meeting with us on such short notice.”
>”Oh, of course, Anonymous, I always make time for my friends.”
>He takes a delicate sip from his glass before straightening himself
>”I was actually meaning to call you about your tax deductions this year. Better yet, we can enroll Noteworthy for working papers and a tax I.D.”
>You have no idea what is going on, but you nod with each of the suits
“So, another pony friend… Anon, why haven’t you told me about him before?”
>Before Anon can speak, James blurts out to you
>”Anonymous and I are very professional! It’s… We’re like… Colleagues. Yes, colleagues more so than friends.”
>Anonymous simply shakes his head and extends his condolences
>”It is my fault, James, I’ve been rather reclusive over the past few months. What with the media at my back each day and the Princess’ steady stream of mail.”
>James chuckles quickly
>”At least Equestrian postage is a write-off.”
>The pony takes another light sip of his drink
>This pony before you is wholly different than how you remember ponies from your home
>You begin snooping in the most journalistic of ways
“I need to enquire about your name, James, if you don’t mind?”
>”Certainly.”
“OK, how did you get a name like that?”
>”Oh my, this is a little awkward. Well, you see, I was born at St. James’ Mercy Hospital. My mother quite liked the name.”
“Where in Equestria is that?”
>”Hmm?”
“Like, what village is that hospital in? Or were you born in Canterlot?”
>”No, I was born in Michigan.”
“Mission-who?”
>”Michigan, it’s a state and a boat ride away from here. Very pretty in the fall, if I do say so myself.”
“Wait… You were born on Earth?!”
>You gasp as you scramble for your pen and pad
>”Yes, oh, you’re a native to Equestria, forgive me for being so vague.”
“Tell me what it’s like to be born and raised on Earth?”
>A hand reaches out and catches your floating notepad
>”Now, Note, we are here on business, remember?”
“But, Anon, this -is- serious business
>You scrunch your nose to prove just how very serious this is to you
>Anon lets go a weak sigh and scratches at his neck
>”It is really no trouble, Anonymous.”
>St. James smiles casually with you and hops from his chair
>”It has been a while and, in my humble opinion, the best way to work is on a full stomach. Come, let’s go get something to eat.”
>He heads towards the door before looking to Clare
>”My dear, can I get you anything?”
>She smiles faintly without ever looking up from her ledger
>”Anything, you know I’m not picky.”
>A smirk crosses St. James’ muzzle as he opens the door
>”A whole wheat roll with thinly sliced pastrami, sautéed onions and mushrooms, two dabs of mayonnaise, a pickle spear on the side, and a tea.”
>Clare stops for but a moment and looks up
>”Hmm, we spend too much time together.”
>He chuckles as you follow him and Anon out
>You make a mental note of Clare’s order, more because it sounds delicious than anything else!
>Pastrami sounds like some strange vegetable that humans would grow, you ponder
>The streets fill with sound at this point of the day and the sidewalks crowd
>Your gang chooses to walk to wherever it is you are heading and the thought of staying out of the car is fine by you
“So, St. James, how did you meet Anon?”
>”Oh, excellent question, we met during a stint in university. Do not be fooled by appearances; Anon was quite the troublemaker.”
“Oooh, do tell!”
>You turn to see Anon avoiding your gaze at all costs
>Jackpot!
>”Well, when we first met, it was at a rally for equal rights. I was kind of just passing by when some dastardly young human ran on stage, took the podium, and began belting out a rant against just about anyone and everything.”
“Huh, was Anon driving?”
>”Hmm, no, not at the time.”
“Goodness that is highly unusual! Go on!”
>”Anon always had a knack for persuasion. Quite the silver-tongued fiend, in fact! Wherever there was an argument, especially involving ponies, Anon was right there.”
“So, exactly what caused you two to meet?”
>”I was working on some assignment, a paper, and thought that the best topic would be a study on Anonymous himself.”
>Anon finally speaks up after staying tight-lipped for so long
>”If I recall, I was the only person who would even give you the time of day. Let alone an interview.”
>”True, you always had a soft spot for us ponies.”
“Now -that- sounds like the Anon I know.”
>”Really, it just seemed like Anonymous liked to argue with others.”
>”Nonsense, I was always simply standing up for what I believed in.”
>St. James smirks and looks to you
>”See what I mean?”
“So, Anon and you did this paper thing and became best friends?”
>”Well, um, not entirely. It takes a bit more than that to get Anon to be your friend. I believe what really made us friends was when Anon and I ended up trapped during final’s week in an elevator.”
“I was in one of those once!”
>You smile widely and remember exactly how terrified you were
>Good times!
>”Yes, it was an eye-opening experience for both of us. It was ultimately Anonymous’ ingenuity that got us out and his quick tongue that saved us both from the professor’s ire.”
>Anon chuckles a bit
>”You modest old dog, I would have been expelled from my entire curriculum if not for your adept skills in financing. The school nearly cheated me on my entire education, but you pulled out ordinances that even they couldn’t overrule.”
>James slows down a bit to connect his side with Anon’s leg
>Anon returns the nudge with a smile and you cannot help but stare at this shameless display of camaraderie
>Really, you would never imagine Anon to have a buddy!
>You begin jotting down this ground shaking news when St. James calls back to you
>”So, how did you come to meet Anonymous?”
>In an instant, you flash back to the faithful moment you first heard about the alien world known as Earth
>You trot a bit slower as you try to recall
“I think I signed up for the job of making a human friend as part of a project my company was running.”
>Anon nods quickly before adding on
>”I remember the pressure to get a better understanding of Equestria and their inhabitants on my end at that time.”
“Anyways, yeah, I offered to take the case because Ponyville was more than a little dry on good scoops. I was thinking, ‘Aliens could be fun!’ “
>James laughs lightly at your last quip as you continue
“I had a few pen-pals, but most were pretty dull. Anon was actually my fourth human in the lineup! His letter really made Earth feel special and like something I had to see.”
>”Is that right, Anon? I thought you said you hated all that flowery poetry you had to -suffer- through.”
>Anon scoffs and turns his head to James
>”I did not write poetry… It was more akin to Latin.”
>You quickly recall a line in one of Anon’s letters and let it spill from your heart
“The winter snow is white like a thick blanket upon the city streets. Oh, how the warmth of the fire keeps me company as I write this letter to you this chilly night…”
>James lets out a true guffaw before whipping his neck back to close his mouth
>”Oh my! Now that is something fantastic!”
>The laughter pitters out over a few more moments as Anon’s face takes on a noticeably red hue
“It’s been great over the past year, though. Earth has been amazing and I learned that I haven’t even seen the smallest fraction of it! Isn’t that amazing?”
>”This world is quite big. I understand that Equestria is not quite as large.”
>St. James stops quickly before a tall building and smiles
>”Ah, we’ve arrived. Let’s chat more about your work over lunch so I can get a better grasp on how to file you in.”
>A wide, strangely joyous smile creeps up the pony’s muzzle
>”We could even write it off as a business expense… Oh my, how lovely.”
>You smile along even though you have no idea what he just said
>A friend of Anon is a friend to you!