Thanks For Everything, AiE

I fell in love with the idea of story telling when I was old enough to read. The first story I ever wrote was about wishing on a star and the wish going bad. It was a whole two pages long, and I was four or five, just before kindergarten. I wrote a few times after that, but it wasn't until AiE that I really thought maybe I should give it a shot.

I was in a bad place when I found AiE. I'd just moved back in with my spiteful parents after about a year on my own. I'd contracted scabies, lost about 50 pounds, gotten my heart broken, lost most of my stuff to thieves or misuse or bad roommates, and my friends had nearly abandoned me as a lost cause. I was working doubles every day, had no one to talk to, and never really considered that maybe I could pick up writing as a hobby. I'd nearly never had support in the things I was interested in by my parents, and it was hard for me to make friends, so I usually just did whatever I felt I had to in order to get people to like me.

I was having trouble sleeping one night, which was pretty normal to be honest. Instead of doing the regular bs I'd gotten used to on my PC, I checked out /MLP/ to see what all the fuss was about. This was at the end of 2012, right around the end of season 2 I think. I found flutterrape first, but honestly it wasn't really my cup of tea. It sparked my interest though, so I dug a little deeper and found AiE. I'd never seen the show and didn't know it had a few cool fantasy elements, so I looked into it a bit. It was kinda shallow, but that didn't surprise me really. It did however, make me want to fill in the blanks, and I was inspired by all of the content that was flooding the threads at the time. So I started to write, something I hadn't really done since middle school about 8 years before.

The feeling I got while working was exhilarating. It was all I could think about in all my free time, which I had plenty of at this point. I came up with something that I thought would get me accepted into the community, rather than just what I wanted to write. I was shaking when I posted it. I refreshed over and over, but really it wasn't long until someone replied to tell me it was shit and to git gud.

It was heart breaking, honestly. I was sincerely ready to just call it quits when a named writer, Sorcanon, told me that he thought I had some good attention to detail and he'd keep an eye on me for what I'd write in the future. I latched on to that, man. I couldn't remember another time someone had praised me at all for something I'd done. I damn near started crying I was so happy. I got to work straightaway on the next part of the story, taking into account the advice I'd gotten from all the people who'd responded. Shortly after I joined the skype group that'd been set up for writers and lurked for a while.

I did a lot of writing after that, but I never finished a story. What I'd really needed that AiE provided was an escape, and when I didn't need it anymore, I quit writing for it. There were some things about MLP I really liked, but for the most part the show just didn't jive with me, and for some reason the community started to get more and more stifling with the writers' creative additions to worldbuilding and storytelling. The whole thing just felt kinda lame to me after a couple of years, and after some time posting short stuff and CYOA's under different names I just moved on with the idea I'd start writing my own stuff outside of fanfiction. I still talk to a small circle of old AiE writers to this day. They've helped me through some dark parts in my life, and I cherish their friendship very much.

For a while I'd check in and see how the thread was doing. I came by for the 1000th thread celebration a while back, and one of the old writers I'm pals with still comes by /MLP/ regularly and posts content, so she reminds me here and there to see how y'all are doing. I'm sad that the thread isn't as bustling as it used to be, but honestly it doesn't surprise me too much; good things come to an end eventually. Not exactly saying the thread is dead or dying, but it certainly doesn't have as much content as before, and that makes me kinda sad.

 Before that happens though, I wanted to give credit where credit is due. Fact of the matter is, without you dweebs, I might not be around anymore, and even if I would've been, I doubt I'd be the same person with the same aspirations of becoming a writer as I do now. I don't know if I'm going to make it as a writer in the end or not, but I haven't been giving it my all, and it wouldn't be fair to quit without trying with all my heart and soul to tell the stories I've fallen in love with since I was a kid. It only seems right that I share what I'd had planned for this thread.

SO, here follows the unfinished stuff; the stories that never were, that never stood a chance because of my second guessing. I hope I can somehow make them into something one day that can be published, but being honest I think I'm ok with just sharing them here, where they should've been all along. I've also made my old pastes public again, for anyone that really cares. I don't know if I'm going to try and actually finish these, and they're completely unedited, so if either of those things bother you, I don't recommend reading them.

Thanks for reading this far though guys, and good luck to everyone.














Stargazer
This was going to be a story about an anon that had lived with Celestia and Luna when they were younger, before the events of the show and Luna's banishment. He was friends with them and was heartbroken when Luna was sent away, so Celestia sent him out as an official cartographer for Canterlot to help keep his mind off of things and maybe make some new friends. He was going to meet a minotaur and eventually become friends with him. The story was supposed to be about Anon's struggles accepting Luna was gone possibly forever and that the world still needed helping, and he couldn't be alone forever if he was to be any help to anyone. He and the minotaur, who I'd named Pittorroos, would overthrow a crazed tyrant king in the minotaur country. This might be the one I regret not finishing the most.




>Dust on the warm wind sticks to your face as you pace back and forth. The sun begins to descend beneath the trees and field of stumps to the east, and the moon slowly rises over the ocean of dirt and sand to the west. The fire you’ve built throws dancing shadows around you and your pack, as well as the miniature tower of stones you’ve built with an opaque crystal placed on top.

“What could possibly be wrong with it?” you mumble as you adjust the crystal in its stand.
>You’re certain that you’ve assembled it just as you had every week before since you set out on your journey from Canterlot. Celestia will be expecting your report, but at the rate things are going she’ll be waiting longer than normal.
>With a sigh you begin to dismantle the complex stone tower, first removing the crystal and placing it in the pouch on your belt. Then come the smaller pieces at the top, down to the larger bars at the base.
>One by one you set the bars in a row until the tower is taken apart; and then, starting with the larger bars, you rub them clean with a cloth you pulled from your bag and replace them in their spots on the tower.
>The heated wind turns cool against the sweat on your brow as night falls, and the shadows from the fire grow larger as you finish reassembling the tower once more.
“Alright,” you say to yourself as you stand and slap off the dirt from your robe. “Let’s try again.” You pull the crystal from its pouch and gently align it on its stand, then crouch until your face is level with it and close your eyes to concentrate.
>With one arm raised and palm towards the tower, you begin to hum. In your mind you conjure the image of princess Celestia and focus on that thought alone.
>After a few moments, the crystal begins to faintly hum in tune with your own voice, but quickly fades out. Undeterred, you continue to hum and focus on the image of Celestia. Soon after, the crystal begins to hum in tune again, and in your mind’s eye you see it begin to glow with a dull light. After some time the humming stops and you open your eyes to see its color has changed from opaque to a brilliant glowing white.
“Celestia?” you ask, but she does not respond. “Celestia, are you there?” you ask again, but still there’s no response.  “Alright well, here’s my report then. Uhh, judging from the lack of trees and overall green anything, I think it’s safe to say I’ve made it into the Minotauran country.”
>You reach into your pack and pull out a large leather-bound journal full of your notes and turn to the most recent page.
“The reports we received from scouts are definitely accurate. Judging from my old maps, the forest should extend another mile and a half from where it ended. The loggers have taken several acres of trees from what is technically Equestria, and while I know you’ve already addressed this, I thought I’d confirm it for you.”
>You scratch the stubble on your chin in thought.
“Uhhmm what else, let’s see… oh, right. I haven’t come across any settlements yet, which I suppose isn’t really surprising. But uh, my notes say that there should be a large tribe settled nearby. However, I haven’t found any signs of them at all. There’s no wild game here, no farmland, nothing. I’m not sure how that info could have been wrong.”
>You look westward over the empty hills again to spot campfires but see nothing.
“As strange as it is, there’s no one out here near the edge of the forest.” Scratching the back of your head, you add, “I’d at least hoped to see a friendly face, but I guess I’m alone for now.”
>Without thinking, your gaze wanders up to the moon and the mare’s face on its surface.
>After a moment of silence, you realize that you’re still sending a message and snap back.
“Oh, sorry, and there was one more thing. The crystal wasn’t responding like normal, and I’m certain I put the communicator together properly; I even cleaned the stones twice. That’s actually why I’m reporting so late.”
>A faint clicking upwind takes your attention away for a moment. You scan the horizon again, but there’s still nothing.
“It’s so quiet here the wind is playing tricks on me,” you say with a chuckle. “This ends my report. I will continue mapping the terrain as I journey towards the ruler of this kingdom. I hope to hear from you soon, Anonymous out.”
>And with that you sever the spell, but leave the crystal glowing on the tower in case she decided to try and contact you back.
“Well, glad that’s over with,” you say as you plop down next to your pack to dig for your supper. You retrieve your last half-eaten loaf of bread, some berries you found in the forest and a bit of cheese in wax.
>There haven’t been any settlements in the past week, and a sinking feeling in your stomach tells you that there won’t be any more for a while yet. Hopefully you’ll be able to scavenge something edible over the next few days.
>As you dig in to your meager supper you mull over the report you sent to Celestia, wondering if you’d left anything out. As an afterthought, you flip to a new page in your journal and add an excerpt:
Reported to Celestia on recent discoveries; no new information on the foreign country discovered; crystal somewhat unreactive to magical influence, currently unsure of the cause. No sign of life nearby, including animals.
Very strange.
>Very strange indeed. There hasn’t been
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Prince story

I never came up with a good name for this one. This story was supposed to be about a young Anon prince who was adopted by Celestia and raised as a baby as her own son. Celestia found him in his dying mother's arms. She'd been torn apart from the inside after a magic experiment went wrong and sucked the pair of them into pony world. Anon's mom begged Celestia to keep him safe, so she took him home and treated him like a son she never had. The story was going to take place during the Changeling invasion and Anon's quest to take back Canterlot after the mane 6 had been scattered. Trixie was supposed to be a big player in this story as Anon's guide and companion. Blueblood I thought would be fun to toss in as Anon's cousin, but the idea was kinda forced and I didn't know what to do with him so I put it on the shelf.




>A hoof pushes your face into the cold mud, forcing some of the sludge into your mouth. You push back and fight against the bindings on your hands to no avail, and the changeling's hissing grows louder as he lowers his mouth to your ear.

>"Don't move, boy," he whispers. "The queen has ordered us to show you more leniency than I like, and after what you and the bitch put us through, all I need is an excuse to end your pathetic life."
>Even through the mud's stench you can smell his putrid breath, its warmth mingling with the freezing wind on the nape of your neck.
>He yanks your head up out of the mud by your hair and wraps a gnarled leg around your neck, forcing you to face forward as you spit and gag on the filth in your mouth. As you sputter and cough from the foul taste of it, the leg under your chin tightens around your windpipe. Gargling sounds fill the air as you struggle to breathe, and the changeling chuckles in your ear.
>"That's right, boy. Gasp for breath; cling to your miserable life for all it's worth. I want you to see what we're going to do to your friend before we take you."
>His grip loosens enough for you to take ragged, shallow breaths, then he forces you upright to your knees. You slack some from sudden lightheadedness, but the monster quickly sets you straight with a painful smack in-between your shoulder blades, and you gasp from the sudden pain.
>"Don't you dare fall asleep on me now, boy," he hisses. "You owe me this pleasure, and I will not be denied because you're too weak to keep your eyes open."
>It takes a moment for the world to stop spinning, but when you can finally see straight, you instantly wish that you couldn't. You try to struggle against your bindings a second time, but your efforts are quickly met with the black leg tightening around your throat again.
>"Didn't I just say not to move? Perhaps I should choke the life out of you." His choking grip tightens even more, causing tears to run down your face as pressure builds up behind your eyes. You rasp in pain, but he doesn't let up.
>"And yet as tempting as that is, I wouldn't have the satisfaction of knowing you watched your friend's transformation." He chuckles again when you stop struggling and your groans of pain turn to gurgling noises.
>After a moment he loosens his grip enough for you to continue your ragged breaths, though the feeling of being choked seems to linger. It feels like something is still restricting your breathing, and each breath sends waves of pain through your throat and into your chest.
>"You're quite familiar with the process, aren't you, boy?" the changeling  It's slow and painful; mind-numbing, even."
>You try to speak, but the intense pain in your throat keeps you limited to violent coughs. "What do you have to say now, boy?" the changeling asks, obviously amused.
"D-don't..."
>Your voice is raspy and barely a whisper, but he heard you. "Don't? Don't what? You'll have to be more specific."
"Let... go..." you rasp.
>"Speak up, boy! What are you saying?"
"Let... Trixie go..."
>"I think not. After what the three of you did to our comrade, my group is one changeling short. And because of Queen Chrysalis' orders, we must bring you back in one piece... but she didn't say anything about your friend."
>He readjusts your head so you have no choice but to stare at an unconscious Trixie being lowered by a rope into a glowing chrysalis pod. You urge your body to fight, to struggle against your captor's grip, but your limbs stay flaccid, refusing to respond. The changeling laughs mockingly at your feeble attempts to free yourself.
>"It seems as though you've lost your will to fight back, human. I can sense it in you; you've given up, haven't you?"
>It's true, there's nothing you can do now. You can't even move. Your head is throbbing, and you can barely breathe.
>"You're realizing it now, aren't you? You never had a chance to stop us. When your Princess fell, your chances of victory were slim at best. But when your element bearers couldn't recover their charms, our victory was assured."
>You only hear every other word he says; your attention is focused on Trixie. She's been placed in the pod already and the top has been sealed shut. You stare at her through the translucent green glass-like walls of the fleshy pod, wondering why you failed in your quest.
>You wonder how you could have dragged Trixie into this. You needed her, but you certainly wouldn't have asked for her help had you known this would be her fate.
>Blueblood is gone too, though you don't know where they've dragged him off to. The changelings had easily snuck up on your encampment and ambushed your group under cover of the freezing night. You and your friends had been captured before you'd even woken up.
>But worst of all, you know what will happen to Celestia is all your fault. She's protected you your whole life; loved you, cared for you like you were her own flesh and blood, and when she needed you most, you couldn't do anything to save her.
>Your life has changed so much in only a few days, and as you ponder them, your thoughts go back to a short time ago, when you were with her.
>With your mother.

_____________________________________________________________________________________




>"Wake up, Master Anonymous!" an old, stern voice yells from your bedside. "I've asked you to be awake and ready when the sun rose this morning, yet it is six minutes past then and you have not risen from your bed."
>You groan at the old stallion and roll to the side facing away from him, covering your head with a soft pillow to muffle his voice. Kibitz never lets you sleep in, even when you've got nothing to do for hours after sun up.
>"Ah, so that's the way it is to be, then?" you hear him say through the soft down pillow. "Very well, we shall see who will win this morning's bout of 'wake the lazy child'!"
>The room grows quiet after that, and though your eyes are covered, you know  he intends to do more than shuffle about in the darkness. You twist your blanket in your hands and feet to get a firm grip, then brace yourself for what would come next.
>The sound of the window's drapes sliding to the side echoes in the bedchamber, then a click as the window's latch comes undone. The window swings open, and you hear the familiar crackle of a unicorn casting a powerful spell.
>A breeze begins to pick up around the bed, and it continues to grow in strength to the point of your blanket nearly blowing away, but you hold fast to your knots and don't let go, keeping the covers firmly in place.
>The old stallion grunts from the effort of keeping his spell going, and you can't help but smile to yourself. He's obviously determined to rouse you from your slumber, but his years of experience doing just that seem to be failing him for once.
>After a few seconds of this, the miniature magical gale ceases and you hear the old stallion huff in irritation. "Anonymous, I've no time for your childish games. Do I need to inform your mother that you will not be joining her for breakfast this morning on your birthday?"
>You throw the pillow off of you and quickly rise with vigor that comes with a shock in the early morning. You turn to face Kibitz with an arm raised to cover your eyes from the blinding light that's flooding into the room from the open window.
"No, please, don't!" you beg with what urgency you can manage in your groggy voice. "I'm up, I'm up."
>A triumphant smile spreads across his old and wrinkled face, pushing his bushy grey moustache with it. "Ah, good lad," he says, moustache bouncing with each word. "Now, I've taken the liberty of selecting your outfit to wear at breakfast. It is waiting for you atop your dresser." He starts for the bedroom door.
"Kibitz."
>The old stallion turns to face you, and with a soft tone, he asks, "Yes, Anonymous? What do you need?"
 "Would you mind closing the drapes, please?"
>The old stallion chuckles to himself. "I'm afraid not, Master Anonymous, for your eyes tend to grow heavy when they are shut." He adjusts his spectacles and resumes his trot towards the exit, but pauses once more just as he begins to close the door behind him.
>"Ah, and I forgot to mention that breakfast has already begun. The princess is waiting for you in the dining hall. Perhaps -that- will put a bounce in your step." He finally exits and shuts the door behind him with a spark of magic.
>As soon as he's gone you kick the covers off of you and jump from your bed, ignoring the cold of the hard stone floor against your feet as you rush over to your large wooden dresser across the room. A pair of brand new dress boots, a rather dull grey tunic, and a pair of equally dull pants rest on top of it, but you pay them no mind and open the drawer at the very bottom of the dresser.
>After a moment of digging through mostly unworn clothing, you find your favorite light blue tunic and dark blue pants stashed away in the back where Kibitz's prying couldn't find them. You also grab a pair of thick woolen socks, a white undershirt, and the dress boots Kibitz left for you atop the dresser.
>You hastily throw the clothes on, but realize that you don't know where your belt is. Frantically, you search around the large room for the thing, swearing to yourself that you know you put it right next to your bedside the night before.
>After a few frenzied seconds of searching, you find it hung up on a hanger in your wardrobe. Kibitz must have moved it before waking you, for whatever reason.
>You make a mental note to look there first the next time you can't find it as you secure it firmly to your waist. You grab the boots and walk over to your bed to sit and put them on. The woolen socks are a warm and welcome comfort to your cold feet, and the boots give you yet another welcome reprieve from the hard stone floor.
>You stand and observe your room for the first time since waking and notice that Kibitz's spell might not have moved your blanket, but several of your posters and scrolls have fallen off of the wall and are now decorating the floor.
>Your favorite, a poster of the Wonderbolts signed by each member, lies among them. You pick it up and place it on your bed, and after a quick inspection for rips or tears, you find none and decide to leave it there until you have time to put it back on the wall.
>Perhaps a spot away from your window would be best.
 >Ah! Speaking of the window, it's still open. You walk over to close it, but hesitate when you notice something strange about the scenery of Canterlot.
>Off in the distance past the hustle and bustle of the capital city is a strange purple aura that's distorting the landscape beyond it into blurry purple shapes. It shines with a strange light that you have come to familiarize with unicorn magic, though you're certain that not many unicorns can cast a spell of this magnitude.
>You tilt your head and squint as you study the strange purple aura, wondering exactly what it is and who could be causing it. After a moment though, you remember that you're already late for breakfast with your mom and you've got no business standing about while she waits for you in the dining hall alone.
>You quickly shut the drapes and make a dash for the door, leaving the actual window itself open. You'd like to close it now and avoid the tongue lashing Kibitz is sure to give you, but you simply don't have the time to close the gigantic thing.
>And besides, he opened it himself. He should be the one to close it. That's the logic he uses against you, anyways, though you have a feeling the lashing will come regardless.

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Guard Anon
This one was about Anon getting a promotion from squad leader to Lieutenant in the royal guard, as well as a promotion from the dangerous night shift to the mostly easy-going day shift for his service on recommendation from Princess Luna for heroic acts. It was going to be about his relationship with Twilight and Shining Armor, whom he was foster brother to. Their parents adopted him after he was found stealing in Canterlot and was to be banished, but was saved and adopted by them. He was forced to pay back what he'd owed the citizens, and eventually he ended up getting into more trouble that he didn't cause, so to save himself he voluntarily enlisted into the dangerous night guard at Shining Armor's behest. After a few years he grew into a tough young man, and his experience and familial relationships would be put to the test before and during the changeling invasion of Canterlot. He's put in charge of a small company of guards who are the sons of nobles, just in it for the good marks on their records for the future, and therefore not great soldiers. There also may or may not have been some changeling fucking planned. Maybe.



Guard anon (title needed)

>They say that watching a sunrise in Equestria from the royal castle in Canterlot is one of the most breathtaking sights that anypony could hope to see in their lifetime.
>The air crackles for miles with Princess Celestia's magic, so powerful it can summon cheerful light to scatter the gloomy night.
>It gently rouses dreamers from pleasant reveries, what are simply illusions given to suffer the darkness 'till dawn.
>Some ponies wake early just to see her there in all her majesty; majesty that surely comes naturally to her after so many years. Her grace shines in every stride, for every step her golden hooves take brings us closer to a new day.
>Her mane flows-
>You sigh in irritation as you crumple up the pamphlet that was given to you two days ago and toss it onto the floor, unable to stand its fluff anymore. Reaching for your morning coffee, you taking a sip as you reposition yourself on your chair facing the open window.
>Despite your annoyance over the flowery unneeded sentiments of your new charge, you have to agree that the view of Canterlot from the palace is breathtaking, even from the little square of a window.
>The capitol of Equestria is still asleep, but there are a few specks moving about in the streets and lights from distant buildings begin to flicker, showing signs of life.
>The moon is bathing the city in a ghostly light,
>The pamphlet itself is a somewhat formal welcome to your new position, though all newcomers to the day guard get one. It's sat on the night stand near your bed since then, and you thought that maybe reading it would help the transition from night to day detail easier.
>All it's done is put a bad taste in your mouth that no amount of coffee will wash away, even as bitter as it is.
>In fact, it's almost vile. You set it back down on the little wooden table near your chair without intending to pick it up again.
>You sigh again, wondering if maybe you should've at least tried to make the transition over your break, rather than spending it goofing off with your now former squad mates.
>In fact, they've only just gone to their barracks an hour or so ago. They took it upon themselves to visit your new quarters, given to you with your new rank of lieutenant in the royal guard.
>A large wooden wall clock that was already in the room when you arrived chimes once to your left, breaking the silence with a loud, metallic bong. A quick glance at its face tells you that it's half-past 4 in the morning.
>You've been awake for 24 hours straight, and your new position as lieutenant of the day guard begins in thirty minutes, just an hour before the sun rises. You turn back to the window to continue observing the starry night sky, sipping your coffee as you think.
>Your promotion was not unwelcome, at least at first. You were certainly surprised, but not upset. The original idea you had of a promotion was leading your old squad, rather than being assigned to a new one.
>When you received the news a few days ago that you had been recommended for an officer's position for the day guard instead, your excitement quickly dwindled. You've been with the same squad in the night guard for five years now, so naturally you'd assumed you would stay.
>Your former comrades were also taken back by the sudden change in your schedule, yet showed nothing but support for you. They spent every moment of their free time these last two days with you, and it was just too hard to sleep when you may not see them again for a while.

 >Your own room in the officer's barracks , completely furnished in the west wing of Canterlot Castle, better meals, more pay...
>A quick knock on the door to your quarters disrupts your thoughts.
>You quickly jump to your feet and face the door.
"Ahem. Come in," you say as cognizant as possible.
>The door creaks open to reveal
>That was fast. The kitchen is on the other side of the castle, but the stallion's gone from your room to there and back in around five minutes.
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Weight of Eternity, rewrite

The idea of this story was Anonymous was old, very old. He'd lived a very full life with his friends Celestia and Luna and wanted to see what the rest of the world had to offer outside of Equestria. After some time he'd return, seeing the Mare in the Moon disappear and assuming Luna had returned. When he arrives home again, he would meet the mane 6 individually and tell them stories of his travels in his youth, and I had planned to base a unique character or a character that didn't have much screentime on the show on the pony he was telling the story to. I really loved this idea and spent most of my time killing myself on how to actually write it, without realizing that it'd be best to actually write the damn thing first and edit it afterwards. This was the story that made me realize the time I'd spent would be better used writing something I could maybe get published or share outside of AiE. I'm still working on it, being honest.



>”What do you mean, you’re leaving Equestria?” Celestia asks, a very confused look on her face. “Why would you leave now?”
>Your chest rises and falls with a heavy sigh; you knew this wouldn’t be easy. You shift around in your chair, crossing your legs and resting your hands in your lap.
“Tia, I’ve lived in Equestria my entire life. I’m almost a thousand years old, and I have next to no idea what the rest of the world is like.”
>One of the castle’s unicorn servants places a white porcelain teapot and two cups on the small table in-between the two of you, along with a small tray of freshly baked cookies.
>White chocolate chip and macadamia nut, Celestia’s favorite; though she doesn’t seem very interested in the tea or the cookies at the moment.
>”There’s a reason for that, you know,” she says. “The world is mostly uncharted, and I’m sure that you’re aware as to why.”
>The servant fills the cups near to the brim with the black tea, then bows to you both and exits the small room, leaving you and Celestia alone.
“It’s because no one wants to leave the safety of Equestria, isn’t that right?” you ask, taking a sip from your teacup.
>It’s strong and sweetened with honey, with some kind of alchemical citrus flavor that tingles as it goes down.
>”Yes, that’s right, which means you’ll most likely be leaving alone. It’s dangerous, Anon, even more so without any help.”
“But how do we know that, Tia?” you ask with a shrug. “We don’t know what’s out there, much less whether or not it’s dangerous. Haven’t you wondered what’s beyond the ocean? What other races must be out there?”
>A soft scratch comes from the window. With a flick of your hand, the window opens and a small green dragon no bigger than your palm zips in, then comfortably lands on your shoulder. Another wave of your hand closes the window behind him.
“And besides, I won’t be alone,” you say with a chuckle. “I’ll have Flick there with me.”
>The little dragon lifts his head up and puffs out his chest at Celestia, who looks to the window in a poor attempt to hide her grin. She’s always been fond of the little dragon; they’ve been close since he was given to you so many years ago.
>”Anon,” she says with concern as her smile fades. “I don’t doubt your and Flick’s ability to handle yourselves, but I thought that maybe you would… I don’t know, settle down after all you’ve been through, at least for a little while.”
>A smile slowly begins to spread across your face as you stare out the window into the castle courtyard. The grounds keepers are hard at work trimming bushes and pulling weeds in the hot summer sun.
>Discord’s statue, covered in vines and weeds, is in plain view from where you’re sitting. You can’t help but chuckle at how uncomfortable he must be with all of that ivy growing on him.
“To be honest, Tia, that’s what I thought too, at least for a while.”
>Flick takes off from your shoulder and pounces a cookie, then flies back over to the window, which is opened again for him by Celestia. The little dragon flies out of sight with his prey in claw.
>You raise your hand to close the window, but Celestia stops you.
>”Leave it open in case he wants to come back. I don’t mind the warm weather.”
“Alright, I doubt he’ll be back for a while, though. He likes to play with his food.”
>You raise your arms up and stretch, then rest them behind your head before continuing.
“Anyway, I had planned on settling down, and I even had a spot in mind. It was that little town to the south of here.”
>Celestia raises an eyebrow at you. “Ponyville?” she asks with a smile. “Yes, I suppose I can see how that would be a good choice for you. But what made you change your mind?”
>You lean forward to rest your arms on the table.
“I don’t know, Tia, I really don’t. I guess after a lifetime of travelling, sitting around in one place for very long makes me anxious. I’ve seen everything Equestria has to offer, so leaving seems to me like the best option.”

>”But Anon, you’ve only been back in Canterlot for a year now,” she reasons. “Don’t you think that maybe you just haven’t had enough time to adjust? Perhaps you should sleep on it.”
>Again, you sigh. Rising from your chair, you walk over to the window to stare out at the sky. A warm breeze is flowing through the open window, carrying the smell of summer flowers and damp earth before a storm.
“I’ve thought about it almost every night this past year, Tia, and I’ve finally made up my mind.” You turn around to face her again. “We’re leaving tomorrow.”
>Her jaw drops almost comically, her expression dumbfounded. After a second, the look changes from shocked to hurt.
>”Anon, why didn’t you tell me before? Aren’t I important enough to you that you could tell me what you’re planning?”
>You raise your hands to try to calm her.
“Please, please, Tia, don’t say that. You’re the closest thing to family that I have, of course I wanted to tell you. I just didn’t want you to worry, and I don’t want this to be a big deal. I can leave tomorrow first thing in the morning without causing a ruckus in the castle.”
>”Don’t want it to be a big deal? Anon, of course it will be a big deal. The castle will notice you’re gone immediately.”
“No, that’s not exactly what I meant,” you say with a laugh. “I doubt the servants will care too much that a satyr went missing overnight, even if he is friends with the princess. What I meant was I don’t want       -you- making this into a big deal when it can be as simple as me leaving without a word.”
>”What exactly is that supposed to mean?” she asks with a frown, to which you smile widely.
“It means I don’t want a banquet, or a ball, or a feast, or a great send-off from the Sun Princess herself when most of Equestria doesn’t even know my name.” You return to your seat, taking care not to sit on your tail. “It means that I am content with sharing one last lunch with my best friend before I go.”
>It’s Celestia’s turn to sigh. She meets your eyes with her own with some effort, then turns to the window.
>”Every time I see Discord, I’m reminded that Luna’s no longer here with me,” she says suddenly. “Now when I think of her, I’ll be reminded that you’re gone as well.”
“Tia…”
>”No, I’m sorry, Anon, that was hardly fair for me to say. I know you miss her just as much as I do.”
>You rise again from your chair and close the short distance between the two of you to pull her into a tight hug.
“It’s not like I’ll be gone for a thousand years, Tia,” you say softly. “You know that she’ll be back. The elements just need to find the right bearers again.”
>”Yes, I know that. It’s just… I’m certain she’d be able to talk you into staying.” She giggles to herself. “I’m no good at telling you what to do.”
“Yes, let’s hope that you never become too adept at that,” you say, sharing a laugh with her.
>The two of you share the hug for a few seconds more before you both let go. She walks to the window to look out into the garden, and after a moment you join her. A few moments pass with no words between the two of you, but she eventually breaks the silence with a question.
>”So Anon, when do you think you’ll be back?”
>You turn to her and smile.
“When Luna comes home.”

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I had more but I can't find em. If I do I'll add them here.

If for any reason anyone is inspired to write with these, please feel free to use them as prompts or free ideas. It would make me very happy.