AlaskanAnon in equestria Ch. 16

>You awake with a start, the bright daylight burning through your eyelids

>You put an arm over your face

>"Wake up, Anonymous!  Today's your big day!"

>Big day?

>Wha

>Oh shit

>You cast the sheets aside and spring from the bed

I didn't miss it, did I?

>"The ceremony is in five hours.  It's time for breakfast now" answers Twilight

Oh.

>You relax somewhat

>You have time, then

>Reaching down to the nightstand, you grab your glasses and put them on

Where's...

>The bathroom door opens, and AppleJack emerges, answering your question

>"Mornin' Anonymous" She mumbles in your direction, shaking her damp mane out

Morning, AppleJack

>You respond, digging through your belongings

>"I hope you have something nice to wear" intones Twilight

Yeah, I do

>You respond, pulling out a clean set of clothing

You need to use the bathroom?

>"I'm good" Says Twilight

 

 

 

>Shit, shower, shave

>The usual

>Pulling your clothes on, you step out the door of the bathroom

>AppleJack has her bands in, and her hat on

>And is waiting by the door

>As is Twilight

>You sit down on your bed and grab your boots

Go ahead AppleJack, we'll catch up

>You encourage as you yank them on and lace them up

>"Ya sure?"

Yeah, I'm sure

>"Ahlright..."

>AppleJack trots out the door as you finish lacing up your boots

>Twilight closes it behind her, then she turns to you

>"Something you need to tell me?"

Yeah

>You get up off the bed and shrug your holster on

What am I supposed to do if I see another changeling?

>Twilight furrows her brow

 

 

>"For now, just make note of it and leave it alone.  Pretend like you didn't see it, in fact"

Why?

>"Because as much as I hate to say it, if they know you can see through their disguises, you will be a target for them.  And I don't want that."

>She sits down.

>"I'm pretty sure you don't want that either."

I don't like it.

>"I don't like it either.  But that's why we're working on it."

Fair enough.

>You rise from the bed

Breakfast, then?

>"Breakfast" confirms Twilight, opening the door

>The two of you head out into the hallway

So you have family in Canterlot?

>You ask idly as you allow Twilight to lead

>Since you don't know if breakfast with the princess is an every day thing, or just on special occasions

>"Well, you've met my brother..."

Yeah

>"My parents live here too."

Do you see them much?

>"Of course!  Whenever I get the occasion"

 

 

That's good to hear, Twilight

>You respond as you finally arrive at the lively mess hall

I'm glad you get to spend time with them.

>The conversation ceases briefly as you get food

>There's a buffet line for pancakes and waffles, but they're all gone by now

>You end up with a bowl of cereal and an assortment of fruits

>Something else you're going to have to address

>But for now, you show your meal to the cashier, who nods, and make your way to the table

>Which is currently occupied by the rest of the Elements

>You take a spot next to Pinkie, who's munching away at

>You guessed it

>A muffin

>An empty cereal bowl sits empty on the tray next to her

>You nod to the rest of your compatriots

Morning

 

 

>A round of responses go right around the table, except for Fluttershy

>Everyone seems to have had their coffee

>Or whatever it is they serve here

>As they're alert and, if not cheerful, then at least not grumbling

>Especially Pinkie

>"Are ya ready, Anonymous?"

Yep

>"We still need to discuss the matter of what you're going to wear, dear"

>Oh boy

I have something to wear

>"You do?"

>She looks dubious

>"I haven't seen anything like that picture you showed me..."

Yeah, and you haven't been going through my stuff either, have you?

>She snorts indignantly

>"Of course not!"

So relax

>She harrumphs, but holds her tongue

>You eventually empty your cereal bowl, and you lean back and contemplate your options

>You decide to address Fluttershy...

>Later

>It's still bugging you

>But it's also relatively early

>So with a smile and a wave, you get up off your kiester

 

 

>Tamper wanted you to be around when the sled was "tested"

>His plan had been to have the sled and a wagon be pulled side by side through virgin snow

>Let the royals see how efficient it is

>This plan works just fine for you

>So you head down to the shop to meet up with him

>At this point, the castle is practically chock full of p0nies

>You see bedding in some of the wider hallways

>And have to keep your eyes down to avoid tripping over anyone

>But you eventually make it to the workshop

>You push through the door to see a pair of p0nies hitching up by the door

>One to a single p0ny, two wheeled wagon

>And the other to your sled

>Tamper nods to you as you enter

>"You're just in time"  He says

>You start putting your jacket on as they advance out into the snow

>"Are you sure this thing is gonna work?"  Whinnies the one pulling the sled

I've pulled them enough to tell you it should

>He doesn't look very reassured

You'll see

>"Help me load 'em up" says Tamper, taking a large metal weight and setting it in the wagon

>You grab a chunk yourself and drop it on the sled, which sinks into the snow just a tad

>A couple more weights later, and Tamper speaks up

>"That'll do 'er"

>You dump the last one on the sled, and step back

>"You two know where you're going?"

>"Yep"

>"Uhuh"

>"Good.  I'll meet you there."

>The two set their hooves and set off for parts distant

>The plows have been hard at work, so the network of paths is once again open

>But there's enough ice still on the ground for the sled to slide smoothly

>Tamper turns to you

>"Glad you could make it"

No problem.

 

 

>"Alright then."

>Tamper sets off down the path

>And you follow after him

>In the distance, you can see the wagon and the sled have stopped

>As you get closer, you can make out markers set in the fresh snow, outlining two lanes and an end point

>In the windows of the castle, you can see the faces of the higher ups pressed against the glass

>Tamper himself takes his position at the starting line

>"READY?" He shouts

>"WE STAND READY" comes the reply from an open window, occupied by a streak of dark blue

>"Very well."

>He turns to the two lined up at the starting line

>"On your mark"

>"Get set"

>They both tense

>"Go!"

>The p0nies dig their hooves into the snow and begin to pull

>You can see right off that they're both doing their best

>And you can also see that, as it should be, the sled is taking the lead

>It opens up a gap so wide that it crosses the finish line when the cart is hardly half way down the track

>The p0ny pulling the cart gives it up as a bad job

 

 

>Tamper looks expectantly to the castle, as do you

>You can almost hear the debate occurring behind the windows

>They're certainly moving around enough for it

Whatdya think they'll say?

>"The government rarely moves quickly on matters like these"

>The p0nies hitched up start pulling their conveyances back to the starting line

>And they're right about there when the response comes

>"SWITCH THE DRAFTSP0NIES, AND BEGIN ANEW" Shouts Luna

>They both groan when they hear this

>And begin unhitching themselves

What the hell...

>"They want to make sure it isn't rigged"

What, picking a stronger p0ny to pull the sled?

>"More or less.  Have to make sure results are reproducible."

>you shrug

 

 

>The second trial goes about the same as the first

>If a little slower

>The sled outpaces the wagon by orders of magnitude

>And the p0ny pulling said wagon stops in disgust half way down the course

>The result this time comes down before they're both half way back to you and Tamper

>"YOU MAY GO"

>Your compatriots immediately make for the workshop

>Once there, you get to help unload the sleds

>"Good work boys, here's a little something extra for coming in on such short notice" Mutters Tamper when the wagon and the sled are stowed away properly

>You hear a drawer open somewhere, and out of a doorway float a pair of extremely thin white sticks

>The two p0nies take them in their mouths like a toothpick

>"Thanks boss!" they shout as they're headed out the door

 

 

>Once the door swings shut, Tamper clears his throat

>"I'll say right now, I have no idea how things work in your world.  How the government is."

Okay...

>"But here in Equestria, we have a copyright system, so those that invent a thing get what they rightly deserve."

Huh, that's funny, so do we

>"Royal policy is that any inventions of employees of the Royal Mechanical Corps are copyrighted on their behalf by the Corps.  The Corps then take a portion of any revenue as compensation."

>This works great for you, as you're almost dead sure Tamper's not going to screw you over

>And you don't have to go to the trouble of learning a whole new kind of legalese

Sounds fair

>"Would you like me to copyright the sled in your name?"

Go right ahead

 

 

 

>"Good.  Come visit me when your ceremony is done, so you can sign on to the job"

Can do

>You wave goodbye to Tamper and head to the cafeteria

>You don't see anyone you know, so you settle for a brief lunch

>The ceremony fast approaches, and you need to change into something a little more appropriate

>A short trek through the castle later, and you find your room empty

>You pull on your plaid flannel shirt

>The only article of clothing you own that has a collar

>And tuck it into your pants, making sure the back isn't sticking out

>You even run a comb through your hair until it's mildly presentable

>Your hand is on the door knob when the door swings open, nearly catching you in the face

>In the hallway stands Twilight, panting slightly

>Her eyes are bugging out

>"ANONYMOUS!"

Hi Twilight

>"There you are!  I was looking everywhere..."

Well, here I am

>"You're going to be late!  Come on!" she squeaks, seizing your hand and pulling you down the hallway

Woah, Twilight, relax.  It'll be okay

>"Noit'snotyou'regoingtobelateforyourc-"

>You set your heels and stop, bringing the prancing purple mare in front of you to an abrupt halt

Twilight

>"Anonymouswhatereyoudoingyou'regoingt-"

Twilight

>You repeat in a more serious tone

>She continues to pull mindlessly at your hand

>"TobelateforyourceremonyohCelest-"

TWILIGHT

>This breaks the spell

Look at me

>One of the hairs of her mane springs up as her head pivots around to stare up at you

 

 

>You kneel down to eye level

>At this distance, you can make out slight bags under her eyes

You're panicking.  It's going to be okay.

>Her mouth works silently for a moment, going over your words

It's eleven forty.  There's plenty of time to get there and get ready.

Calm down.

>Twilight blinks once

>Her head twitches involuntarily

>Then she heaves a deep breath

>And the crazed look that was beginning to form leaves her face

>"You're right" she says faintly

>Then she sits down heavily

>"I was just worried..."

>You raise your free hand to your chest

Twilight, I'm touched

>She chuckles a bit

Seriously though, are you good now?

>She heaves another deep breath, and rolls her head, her neck popping

>"I'm alright."

Then let's get going.

>You tug meaningfully on your hand, which she still grips with her hoof

>Somehow

>She looks down in sudden realization and drops your hand

>A faint tinge visible on her visage

>"S-sorry..."

It's fine.  Let's get going

 

 

 

>You rise from your haunches as Twilight rises from her own

>Once you're both up, you head off for the great hall, or whatever they call it

So, Twilight

>You remark as you forge a path through the hallways

>"Hmm?"

What sort of holidays do you have in Equestria?

>"Well, there's the Lunar Celebration and Hearth's Warming Eve in December, Hearts and Hooves day in February, Winter Wrap Up in May, the Celestial Celebration in June, and Nightmare Night in October, and a plethora of minor holidays throughout the year..."

>She's quiet for a bit

>"Why, are you planning something?"

Yeah

>"That's vague"

Eyup

>"You've never told me about the holidays you have on... Earth?"

Nope

>After a moment's silence, she probes

>"...Could you?"

Sure.  There's Christmas and Halloween and Labor Day, Memorial Day and Thanksgiving... and Veteran's Day.

There's the Fourth of July, President's day, April Fool's day, St. Patrick's day, Valentine's day, New Year's day...

>Your reminiscing is cut short by your arrival at the doors to the grand chamber

>"I'd love to hear about them later..." Says Twilight reluctantly

And I'll be happy to tell you

>You reassure her

>She takes up a position between you and the door

>"Anonymous, I'm going to go through that door.  I want you to follow me in exactly two minutes.  There should be an aisle to the throne for you, and the Princess will preform the ceremony there.  Do you understand?"

I do.

>"Good!  I'll see you on the other side" She says

>Then she slips through the massive doors, which swing shut  behind her

>You run a hand through your hair and make sure once again your shirt is tucked in

>After that, you're as ready as you'll ever be

>You studiously study your watch until the time comes

>You open the door

>Rarity gets on the floor

 

 

>The chamber is filled with the various p0nies that accumulate to observe what you understand is Day Court

>A corridor through them has been opened by a ragged line of guardsp0nies

>Oh hey, it's Bolt!

>You nod to him

>You also notice the Elements, all six of them

>Well, six minus one

>Rarity's on the floor, out cold

>Fluttershy tends to her while Twilight frantically waves you on

>Against the far wall of stained glass windows, Princess Celestia herself sits on a radiant throne

>You pause, and then Fluttershy looks up in your direction and nods

>So she's fine then

>Every eye in the room is on you as you proceed down the aisle

>And proceed you do

>You reach the throne, mount the steps, and stop directly in front of the Princess, who looks up at you

>You're the only one close enough to notice the faintly bemused expression on her face

>"Anonymous of Earth, do you honestly and truly wish to become a citizen of the Proud Nation of Equestria?"

I do.

>"Do you swear to stand by her in times of prosperity and in times of sorrow?  To do your best in all of your endeavors, and to embrace the magic that is friendship?"  

I do.

>"Very well."

>"You may now kiss the bride." Mutters Rainbow Dash behind you, causing Pinkie to break into a fit of giggles

>Giggles she soon stifles with both her hooves when every eye in the room pivots to her

 

 

 

>"Kneel, Anonymous of Earth."

>You go down to one knee, but do not bow your head

>You stare into the violet eyes of the ruler you are swearing allegiance to

>And then her head moves

>With her horn, she taps your left shoulder, knighting style

>Then your right

>And finally your left again

>"Anonymous, you may rise."

>You stand back up

>Then you hold out your hand

>No major agreement is complete without a handshake to seal the deal

>Celestia regards your hand coolly from her throne

>Oh shit, do they even know what a handshake is?

>Apparently so, as she holds out a hoof

>You take the metal boot in your hand and give it a firm shake

>And are surprised when it is returned just as firmly

>You release her hoof after an appropriate amount of time, and she nods to you

>"You are free to go"

>And so it is done.

 

 

>A p0ny in palace livery off to the side beckons you, so you get off the platform

>"These are your citizenship papers" he squeaks up at you

Thank you

>You say as he points to an official looking stack sheet on the desk in front of him

>"If you could sign here..." he continues, emboldened by your friendly demeanor

>You take the offered quill and sign your name on the dotted line

>"And here.. aaaand, here" He continues, indicating another set of lines

>You sign your name twice more, and when he gives no further directions you set the pen back in its well

>He touches his horn to it, and then to another blank set of papers

>There's a faint flash, and the papers are covered in print

>He takes up a large and official looking stamp, and stamps the original and the copy

>Then he slides the copy out to you

>"This is your copy"

>You take the offered paper and stow it away

>Not like anyone's going to be impersonating you anway

>...Unless they're a changeling

>Nah, they're not big enough

>Anyway

Thanks again

>You remark to the scribe

>Then you turn, and head for the door

 

 

>A golden booted hoof shoots out of the crowd and impacts your leg, causing you to jump

>Your gaze swings downward, to find Bolt grinning up at you

>"Congrats!"

>He holds up a hoof

>You've seen p0nies do this before

>"Hoofbump", it's called

>Reminds you of a fist bump, so that's what you do

>You make a fist and bump his hoof

>"You're gonna have to come out with me and the colts sometime, now that you're an official Equestrian citizen"

Sure.  I'll catch you after duty sometime

>"Sounds good!"

>Bolt turns back to attention, and you continue on your way

>"Congratulations, Anonymous!"  greets AppleJack when you finally reach your little circle of friends

Thanks, AppleJack

>You respond

>Rarity's still out cold

>"Were you nervous?" Asks Dash

Nah

>"Horsefeathers!"

THE ANON never gets nervous

>You quip sarcastically, and she scrunches her nose at you

>You stick your tongue out at her briefly

>Then you turn to Fluttershy

 

 

Is she gonna be okay?

>You ask

>Fluttershy squeaks something

What?

>Another squeak

>"She says Rarity will be fine." translates Dash

You sure?  

>You continue to address Fluttershy

>She emits an even fainter squeak

>"She says she should be waking up any minute now"

>You can hear Dash's teeth grinding

I wonder why she fainted...

>You muse

>Fluttershy turns tail and RUNS away from you down the hallway

...What the hell

>You turn to Dash, who's busy sniggering

>So you turn to AppleJack instead

Why has she been so scared of me, anyway?  What did I do?

>"Oh, she's not scared of ya sugarcube... she's embarrassed, is what she is"

Embarassed?  For what?

>"Whal, she's having trouble putting her behavior durin' tha trip over here behind her... she feels guilty."

That shit ain't logical

>Twilight nods

 

 

But then, people ain't always logical, and from what I've seen p0nies aren't either

>"Yup"

>You shrug

>Then Rarity stirs

Speaking o' which

>You squat down on your haunches

You feeling alright?

>"Uuugh"

>Rarity drags her hooves down her face

>Then a look of horror creeps in

>"Anonymous, why did you have to go wearing THAT?"

What

>"PLAID!"

It's got a collar, doesn't it?

>"BUT IT'S PLAID!"

>You scrunch your face up

What's wrong with plaid

>"Plaid is only worn by..."

>Rarity stops

Yes?

>You look down at her

>AppleJack leans in dangerously

>"Who, exactly, wears plaid?"

>"I-I-I-I" Backpedals Rarity

>"I do not care for plaid..."

So much you fainted?

>"Yes."

 

 

>Rarity swallows

Well I'm glad you recovered quickly, then

>You say as you rise, trying to break the tension

>"So am I" quips Rarity

>"Now we can have your post citizenship attainment party!"

I don't think that'll be necessary, Pinkie

>Pinkie gets out the eyes

>The begging eyes

>"pppleeeaaassseee??"

Save it for my birthday

>The bubbly pink mare emits a massive gasp, changing gears a blink of the eye

>"YOU NEVER TOLD ME WHEN YOUR BIRTHDAY IS!"

I never have, have I

>"Tellme!"

Nope

>Pinkie gives you a look

>"Ihavetmakeplanstellmeplease"

Uhuh

>"TellmetellmetellmetellmeTELLME!" shouts Pinkie, bouncing up and down at eye level

Not gonna do it

>Pinkie leaps up and wraps her hooves around your neck, staring at you angrily

>"YougottatellmeAnon!"

>Her breath smells like peppermint

I will tell you in time to get ready

>You say, patiently lifting her up and off your neck

But not today.

>She allows you to set her back on the floor, and Hmmphs up at you

>She even crosses her hooves

>That's fucking adorable

>You chuckle

>"Pinkie Promise?"

Pinkie Promise.

 

 

Unless you guys need anything else...

>"Nah"

>"Nope"

>"Uhuh"

>And so the declarations go

I have some fiddling to do at the shop

>"Go raight ahead"

Alright.  See you later, then.

>You give a parting wave and head for the shop

>It's empty on your arrival

>But you check the office portion, where you find Tamper at his desk

>"Good to see you, Anonymous"

Good to see you too

>"Did yer ceremony go well?"

Pretty good

>"And you got your copy of your-"

Yup

>"Good, good."

>He pushes forward a small stack of papers

>"This is your temporary employment contract.  I just need to see your copy of your citizenship form, and then you can sign this and you'll be good to go."

>You withdraw your copy and present it to him

>He takes special note of the seal, and then nods

>So you put it away

>A quill floats up out of its pot and in your general direction, which you take after sitting down

>The dotted line isn't too hard to find, so your sign your name for the fourth time today

>He pulls the form back and files it away as you return the quill to its pot

 

 

>"Well, that's all.  You're free to go for today, work starts tomorrow."

Do you mind if I bring some of my tools in?

>"You have tools?"

Yeah

>"Go right ahead, Anonymous"

Great, I'll be back in a bit

>You nod to him and exit the office

>After you've got your jacket on, you exit the machine shop through the smaller door

>The grounds are mostly clear now, the plows having had sufficient time to do their job

>There's only a thin coating of snow and ice left

>So you make quick progress to the garage

>It's easy enough to slide the door open, and head down to your truck

>Which is exactly where you left it

>You unlock the tailgate and pull it down

>Then you climb partially inside, reaching for one of the toolboxes

>You grunt and heave it up, stretching out the pocket of your cloak

>It slides halfway in

>Then, with a thunk, it stops

Shit

>You push on the toolbox

>Succeeding only in pulling your cloak more tightly around your shoulders

>Seems like you've hit the limit of whatever space or capacity this thing has

>And you'll have to do it the old fashioned way

>You pull the toolboxes out of the truckbed and slam it shut

>Then you lock it and take a box in each hand

>After exiting the garage, you set the toolboxes down a final time to slide the garage door shut

>And then it's off to the workshop

>You don't even slip once on the way

 

 

>Back at the workshop, Tamper peers out from his office area

>"So you weren't lying about those tools"

Why would I?

>You ask as you pick a convenient corner

>You set your boxes down and get to work

 

 

 

>You spend the rest of the day making four chairs that are both capable of bearing your weight, and possessing of backrests

>And a table you can actually get your knees under

>Tamper, for the most part, remains in his office doing paperwork

>When you've finished sanding the sharp edges off, you close up your toolboxes and set them in a vacant corner

>Securing the locks just in case

>And begin your pilgrimage

>First you take the chairs up to your room, one at a time

>And then finally the table

>Tamper's just leaving by the time you get to the table

>he locks the door to the workshop behind you both

>When you arrive at your room for the last time, you find Twilight and AppleJack examining your chairs

>"Maybe they're hat hangers?"

>Your chuckle makes them both jump

>Wordlessly, you place the table in the center of the chairs

>And then explain their purpose by the simple expedient of sitting down on one to take your boots off

>A half hour of pleasantries later, and you're hanging your cloak on a chair

>You sit down on your bed and remove your glasses, and then lay down to go to sleep