>You, Nowhere Man, finally pull yourself onto the roof of the brick building. >You flop down on your and start breathing heavier than usual. >You pull out your inhaler and give yourself a boost. >Starting to breath easier, you take a look around. >There's Mayor Mare's Party in the distance, and the Sun in the sky behind it. >Checking your watch, you see it's already 3o'clock. >You stand up and turn toward the fence. >Looking left, you see there was a ladder on the back of the building. Oh, come on. No, no time for grievances now, you've got a senior citizen to save. >You get a running start, and leap...   >Kwikset has finally found the key to the front gate. >"Alright, Nowhere, come on in. I'm sure you're in a hurry, so don't mind me. I'll be back in my office." >And he walks back leaving the gate ajar.   >Your back leg, as in the leg you leapt with, gets caught on the fence, swinging you downward. >Luckily, Kwikset forgot to lock the Dumpsters last night, so you have a slightly less hard landing straight into a pile of garbage. >As you try to find which way is up amidst used condoms and soiled pillows, you hear a voice. >"Say, you alright in there?" I'm quite fine, Kwikset, it's you I'm concerned about. >You start to struggle to the surface. >Kwikset looks over himself, "What's wrong with me? You're the one who fell into the garbage." >You finally pop your head out, to see Kwikset is as spry as he has been for the past months you've known him. Oh, it was nothing. >"Here son, let me help you out of there." No, Kwikset, I can get out on my own. And even if I couldn't, I wouldn't want you to accidentally overexert yourself. >You actually are struggling to get out, so only the second half of your statement is true. >However, you are filled with new fervor, as now you only have to worry about getting DJ Pon-3 her Turntables before everyone else finishes setting up.     >You are Anon, but they should call you Hercules with all these fucking errands you've been tasked with. >It's not that there was anything particularly difficult about any of these assignments, aside from getting that stuffed shirt at the Café to give you the salad, it's that you had to navigate the town while the entire center block was cordoned off. >You had to take the long way around everytime, since all the locations were listed on the opposite side of town from eachother. >If you were able to walk in a straight line to every place in order, you wouldn't doubt it making a pentagram or whatever the pony symbol for summoning a demon is. >That Rarity is a real Succubus, and if you didn't hate her so much, you'd think her plan was genius. >'Hey, that reminds me of that greentext where Rarara hatefucks a guy!' >Shut up, Lewd Thoughts. >Aside from the proximity of love and hate in the brain, you've completed all but one task. >You skipped this one because it'd be difficult to do with all this crap in your hands. >So you stroll up to the door of Carousel Boutique and knock. >"Welcome to Carousel Boutique, how can I- Oh, it's you." >She doesn't have the same amount of hatred as earlier when she says that, just lachrymose surprise. >You move past her and start putting down bags. >"What are you doing back so early?" First off, how could you time my movements so to have an approximate time of arrival without knowing if I could exceed these measurements. The only explanation is you wanted to waste my time. Hold on, I'm not done. Second, I am bringing these items to you, as they would impede me from retrieving your fabrics from the train station with utmost expediency. >"...Are you mocking my demeanour, Anon?" Oh, by no means my fair lady. I am simply raising myself to your level of loquaciousness so as to, uhh >Shit, your blanking, what's a better word for tell? OH! Better Relay information to you. >Caught yourself right good there. >Miss Marshmallow is unamused. >"I'm Sure. Well, then there's no need for you to be here any longer, the quicker you get my fabrics the quicker you get your jacket. Tata." >You are once again escorted and shut out. >You feel a thousand tiny pinpoints prickle over your skin, as the crowd stares silently. >Fucking Waifufags.     >Be Keith. >Remember Keith? >He's the Bellhop for Anon Acres. >As such, he has an actual job to do from time to time other than tend to Jackson. >For while he calls himself the Bellhop, he is also the Repairman, Housekeeping, Room Service, and Chef. >Some other guy worked as the Janitor a while back, but all he did was harass everyone, so now the rule is 'Clean It, or It Stays Dirty.' >You've rigged a unique setup for each apartment to alert you with anything they need, as Equestria lacks the technology for telephones yet. >Well, some will argue they have phones in Manehatten, but you're not in Manehatten are you? So what's to you? >Anyway, back to the system. Using a series of tubing, and some non-precious multicolor rocks, now apartment 17 can alert you to a toilet leak by using a blue stone, apartment 28 can ask for a menu by sending a red stone, and apartment 5 can get of his sorry ass if he wants to report a broken tube. >Currently, you've already fulfilled all these tasks, except 5's tube since you'd have to go out and get more and you can't abandon your post. Plus, how would you get a tube anyway? You don't get pai >That thought is interrupted when a yellow rock falls into room 33's slot. They need a new candle. >You grab a candle from the utilities cabinet under your desk and head upstairs to deliver it.   >Be the Anon in room 33. >You've been working on a masterpiece of a thesis that's sure to get you into Starswirl's School for Gifted Unicorns. >Arguing that Humans, while not magical creatures themselves, have a propensity to learn magic easily and that if you were to be enrolled you could likely create something, quote, Similar in construct to a unicorn's horn without the unicorn attached, while still functioning, end quote. >Basically, you're saying you can make a magic wand. >However, in the middle of your third paragraph, your candle unexpectedly went out. >You take your bag of marbles and the chart explaining what each color does out into the hall to find which one will bring up a match or something. >Upon, finding the appropriate color, yellow, you head back into your room and send it down the tube into the walls. >A few moments later, the Bellboy knocks on your door. Enter. >He tries to open it, but bashes into the door. Oh dear. Sorry, forgot to unlock it. >"Yeah, whatever, here's your candle." Candle? No, I requested a light. My candle is fine, it has merely gone out. >"What? but you sent down a yellow marble, that means candle." I thought it meant 'My candle has gone out'? >"No, it means your candle has Run Out. Red is for Fire." But my room's not on fire. >"No, not ON fire. FOR fire. If your room's on fire, you can send down the orange rock. But if your room's actually on fire, it'd be better to just leave your room. These walls are so thick that if an inferno burns out room 7 completely, rooms 5 and 9 wouldn't even feel warmer." Right, while I thank you for the lesson in Marble Etiquette, this does not solve my burnt out candle conundrum. >"No problem, I'll just go get you a matchbook. In the meantime, keep the candle for when the other one does burn out." Thank you. >He walks back downstairs and you shut your door, once again sealing you in darkness. >You decide to open your curtains to capture the last of whatever sunlight is left, and see that it must be at least 6o'clock by now. >And also that something particularly exciting is happening in the town center. >But this is none of your concern, as soon you will be in Canterlot. Learning the ways of magic, and winning the heart of Moondancer. >Moondancer, how she makes your heart soar.   >You, that is you being Keith (the Bellhop), arrive back at your desk and go to grab that matchbook when your hear the familiar clunk of a marble settling in its slot. >Pocketing the matches, you see room 42 needs- Popcorn? >There is no marble solely for popcorn, but instead a popcorn kernel in the tube's slot. >These fucking Anons, polluting your alert system. >You're gonna go up and give that bastard on the Fourth Floor a piece of your >You stop and look back. Fourth Floor? This place doesn't have a fourth floor. >Upon closer inspection, you see the words 'Honeymoon Suite' in incredibly small neon lights below the 42. What the hell? >The neon is in fact hot to the touch, as most light fixtures are, but it makes no sense. Equestria doesn't have electricity. Hell, they use magic to put broadcasts on the radio. I guess 33 will have to- Wait, what am I saying? I'm gonna pass his room on the way up anyway. >After a short pitstop to drop of that guy's matches, you turn to what was formerly a blank wall, but is now a set of stairs with that garish movie theater pattern carpeting. >At the top of the steps, stands a menacing figure whose face is cast in shadow. >You start to walk up the steps, and find yourself repeating the same three over and over. >Could this be the work of an enemy stand? >Nah, that'd be stupid. >You start running up the stairs, but the staircase stretches out in front of you. >You start hearing music. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wp3rzAdwT8 >You stop, and are assaulted with images of parallel universes. >Suddenly, you are at the top of the staircase. >Looking back down you see the third floor, only 14 steps away. >You turn back around to the three rooms on this floor. >40 to the left, 41 to the right, and 42 straight on. >You consider getting a feeling so complicated, but figure that's enough JoJo for right now. >You take the last couple steps, and knock on the door. >It swings open, and inside is that same silhouette. >But there's something familiar, something not human. >"You're next line will be 'I don't get paid enough- wait I don't get- we already said enough with the JoJo!'"     >You are now someone else. >And no, not Someone Else like it's a character with that name, but you are literally not yourself currently. >You look down to your hands, and they look the same as always. >Your suit is the same too. >But there's this slight pain in the small of your back. >Attempting to stretch alleviates none of it, but it's not like a stabbing pain anyway. >More like when you get up in the morning and your bones are all stiff. It's not much of a bother, but you get rid of it anyway because it distracts you from the matter at hand. >But since you can't be rid of it, you have to concentrate even harder. >You take in your surroundings, a stark white room. >Well, more like off-white. >There's an off-white chair at an off-white table. And an off-white pair of curtains covering, you presume, an off-white window. >You're not in the chair though, someone else is. >You've got no idea where the hell you are, or just were a second before you entered the room. >But, entered is too strong a word. More like appeared. >But enough semantics. You are staring through the eyes of someone sat down at a table in a color coordinated room. And you have no idea who it is. "Well, time to get to work." >Your view turns to your left, and there is a black alligator skin suitcase on the floor beside the chair. >A hand reaches out and picks up the suitcase, laying it flat on the table. >The latches are undone, and inside is a set of papers. >Some college ruled, some graph, some just plain printer paper. >The whole stack is taken out and set aside. >Also in the case is a Circle Stencil, several mechanical pencils, a plastic ruler, and some index cards. >The right hand grabs a pencil, and the left shuts the case. >Darkness.     >It's been a hard day's night, to quote the british pop group. >But you reconcile in your head one fact of which you are positive is the only positive. >It can't get any worse than this. >You give another heave to the wagon full of fabric you are dragging behind you. >For all the insignificant details that whorse put into the list, she left one crucial detail out. >How many bolts of fabric you had to pick up from the station. >You're sure she left that out because she was banking on you taking multiple trips back and forth between the train depot and the boutique. >Probably so she could close up shop and head down to this fucking party in the center of town, leaving you not only to take care of her fabric for her, but also to hold your winter coat hostage for another day full of errands. >But just like her not expecting you to drop off everything else before picking up this, she also likely didn't expect you to try and bring all this cloth back at once. >Lucky for you, you have a friend at the depot who was happy to lend you his wagon. >You just hope he doesn't mind you returning the tires oval shaped, because the stress of the weight is compressing them to pieces. >You give the wagon another heave, and finally get out of the housing district, and into the big open field between you and >Aw shit, you forgot about the shanty town. >Some anons wearing discarded dresses sitting around a can of corn over an open flame are the first to notice you. >"OOH! RARA FABRA!" >Those within range of the savage in the distressed faux-mink sling are sent into an uproar over your cargo. >"RARA?" "RARARA!" "BESS PONEE!" "SWEE BEH?" "STICH BUH STICH..." >You nearly insult their golden calf, when an idea forms. Why yes, this is Rarity's order of fabric. I was hoping to get it to her before she left, because she'd be oh so disappointed if she didn't get it soon enough. >They all quiet down a bit, but don't seem to grasp what you're saying. Oh, this cart is so heavy, if only some people strengthened by love were able to transport it more quickly. >One of them suddenly straightens up before you. He's enormous, and could probably tear both your ears off with one hand. >"I PUSH CARR, DEN RARA HIRE ME. NOT YOU." >He's a smart one, smarter than the rest of them at least. It'd be my pleasure to give it to you, how could I stand in the way of true love? >He crouches down, meeting your height and whispers, well yells softer, "Me no wan love, me wan job. Den, me make frenz with men sik and spi." Then, why not work at Sweet Apple Acres, you seem strong enough to buck apples. >"You no geddit. Apl got nuff strenf, Rara don." He gets back up, and grabs the handle. >The crowd clears a path for him. Which is strange, because you'd normally expect them to go tooth and nail over the opportunity to help their waifu. >You decide it must be because he's so big, and all these other guys are about your build in varying degrees of fat.   >In no time at all, you reach the boutique's door. >The big guy goes to knock, but you ring the bell before he breaks the door down. >"I'm sorry, the boutique is closing early tonight, as I have prior plans that need tending to." >Bull shit. I know what you're trying to do! >"Anon, do you really think I'm leaving just because I want to keep you apart from your jacket? I have a life outside of you, and it's quite a handful." No, what you're doing is keeping out this poor Anon >"Siegfried." >What. Ahem, this poor soul, Siegfried, from helping you with what I've been tasked from now on. >You here her hoofsteps near the door, "Oh really? And just whom is this-" She opens the door, and is greeted with the wall of flesh that is Siegfried. >You can see the sweat pool on her forehead. >"Oh my. Y-you're quite the strapping fellow aren't you?" >"For you." >She grows a bit indignant, "I'm sorry?" UHH, The Fabric! >You motion to the cart. The Fabric is for you! >Siggy nods in agreement, unaware of his implication. >Rarity steps out into the night wearing her pink night gown. >A couple hoots and hollers come from the shantytown, but are stifled by other anons saying, "SHE IS REFI!" "SHO RESPEK!" >She ignores it, and investigates the cart. >"Well Anon, I suppose congratulations are in order. I asked you to help me today-" More like blackmailed into servitude. >"And you have." Her horn glows, and your coat hits you in the face. "You can have this hideous thing back." >Her demeanor grows more cordial, "And as for you, um Siegfried was it?" He nods again. "Seeing as you were capable enough to assist him over the final hurdle, and have not harassed me in the three minutes we've been standing here, I believe you may be able to assist me in running the boutique more efficiently. Come back tomorrow so I can have you fitted for a uniform that covers a bit more." >This entire time she has been speaking, she's been taking the bolts inside with her magic. "But tonight, I have urgent business." She brings a pint of ice cream and a spoon to her lips. "Bonne nuit." >The door closes and you don your coat. Thanks for the help, SiegFRI- >Siggy catches you in a bear hug, squeezing the air out of you. >"Thank you, Anon! Now Siegfried have real job!" No problem, buddy. But could you set me down, you're... kinda... choking me... >He drops you on your ass. >"Sorry, Anon. Me jus overjoyd!" It's okay, I could understand if I got to work with my favorite pony. >"Who your favrit anyway?" You really wanna know? >He thinks for a moment. >"NOt really, akchewly." >That caught you off guard. Well, I'll see you around then, I guess. >"Ye, maybee." >On the path back to Anon Acres, you can't help but think how strange it was that he didn't actually care. Meh, it's not like it's that important who your favorite is. >But you know in your heart of hearts that Big Mac is Best Pony. >Eeyup.     >"Nowhere Dude, you made it!" Aw geez. *Huff huff* Sorry I took so long, but I thought Kwikset had fainted, then I fell in some garbage, but he turned out to be okay, and then there was this weird guy- >Vinyl wraps her hooves around you. >"It's okay, I'm just glad you were able to make it at all." >You crack a big grin. But it falters. But what about the rig? It needs to be set up and calibrated. We don't have enough time for that. >"It's fine Nowhere Dude, I'm not using that for my whole set. The live remix is the finale for the end of the night. You've got enough time to get it all set up. >An enormous weight is lifted off your shoulders. >In this moment, you are truly euphoric.   >Meanwhile, back on the top floor of Anon Acres, you are confronted with something you never expected. Discord? >'The god of chaos stands before you in all his splendor, wrapped in the finest of fineries, a red velvet coat with white woolen accents. And he holds out to you a tray of delicacies the likes of which have never been seen with mortal eyes.' >You shake your head. No, he's wearing a Santa suit and offering you a plate of cookies. >"Not just any cookies, bellboy, these are double-carob chip cookies with a vanilla cream center." Double-Carob? >You can feel your stomach turn already. Who eats carob when you're able to eat chocolate? >"Plenty of people. You could very well ask, 'who eats dark chocolate when you can eat milk?' and have the same answer. It's an acquired taste." Carob is an acquired taste. >"Of course, but the only way to acquire it is to eat a square foot of carob every day for 300 years. Hence my phrasing 'the likes of which have never been seen with mortal eyes.' You planted that thought in my head? >'You can't help but think that of course, a being of such entropic power could make you think what he wants. But you also know that he'd have no real fun in it if everyone just agreed with him.' Stop doing that. >'Why should he?' Because it may end up giving me an aneurysm. I have a history of those, you know. >"Oh fine. If it's hazardous to your health." >He poofs away the suit, but keeps the cookies, setting the tray down on the backstage vanity next to him. So what exactly are you doing up here? >"I'm afraid that's my line, bellboy. Take a look." >Discord hands you a script with the words 'ACBCWL: FIRST DRAFT' on the front page. The pages turn until you reach Act 2, Scene 17.     Act 2, Scene 17 >DISCORD: So what exactly are you doing up here? >KEITH, THE BELLHOP: I should ask you the same thing, since you've added an entire floor to the apartment building. And what's up with this? >KEITH pulls out an UNPOPPED CORN KERNEL. >DISCORD (In a very stilted voice): 'I'm afraid that's my line bellboy.' >KEITH: What? >DISCORD: I know, that doesn't sound right for the scene, does it? Especially since I said it after something I couldn't turn around on you. >DISCORD pulls out a SCRIPT. He flips through to Act 2, Scene 17 and starts to read aloud. >DISCORD (Skimming without any emotion): Discord says 'Oh fine. If it's hazardous to your health.' Poofs away his easter bunny outfit and keeps the deviled ostrich eggs. Keith asks 'So what exactly are you doing up here.' Discord says 'I'm afraid that's my line, bellboy.' and pull out the first draft of the script. >DISCORD pauses, and looks to the front of the script he's holding. It reads 'ACBCWL: SECOND DRAFT'. He starts laughing. >DISCORD: Oh, I see what the problem is! This is an old version of the script. >KEITH: What do you need a script for? I'm asking you what the meaning of the corn kernel is. >DISCORD: No, you don't understand. This, this that is happening right now, is an old version. >KEITH (Visibly confused): What? >DISCORD: That's right, we're the same characters, just in an old version of the scene where I confront you first. >KEITH: Even if that were true, what would it matter who goes first? >DISCORD: You must be joking. Actually, no you mustn't because I know comedy. Do you know how many fanboys were upset when the Remastered Edition of A New Hope had Greedo shoot first? It completely destroyed Han's characterization in the scene by making it look like he shot in defense. If I ask you then you turn it around on me, it makes you look more heroic. (He pauses to think to himself.) Maybe you aren't the same character in this version. >KEITH (Suddenly his hair is long and flowing, and his muscles ripple beneath his polo shirt): Enough talk, have at you! (He leaps forward.)     >"Oh, my mistake, that's an old version." >He takes the script back from you and stows it under one of the feet of his vanity, steadying it. >Of course, you don't notice because your head is spinning a bit. But you recover in time for Discord to take a seat. >"So, bellboy, why do you believe I called you up here tonight?" Well, the only reason I ever go to any of the rooms is if I get an alert. And you sent down this corn kernel, so you must want me here. >"Yes, very good. But tell me this. What does the corn kernel symbolize?" >Symbolism? Oh god, you hated English class. Okay, what does popcorn do. Well it pops, stupid. Okay, so it changes from a kernel to a... what is the word for a popped piece of popcorn anyway? >"The clock ticks ever closer to Seven, bellboy." >Right, don't get sidetracked. What is a fancy word for when something changes into something else? Uhh... Oh! A Metamorphosis? >"Very good! But also wrong. You're thinking of it wrong. It's not about what comes next, but how it gets there. Try thinking more literally." >He starts to blow up like a balloon. But like one of those thin ones they use for making dogs. Suddenly, he pops and all his pieces scatter in his chair, then he reforms looking at you expectantly. Uhh, an explosion? >A klaxon bell starts going off, and all the lights on his vanity start flashing. >"Thaaaaaaaaat's right, bellboy! Discord, tell him what he's won." >He gestures over to the side, and the room deepens out into one of those The Price is Right Prize Stages. >"Well Discord, he's won the knowledge of how tonight is going to the biggest change to Equestria since this building appeared on the edge of town!" >The curtain rises, and you see searchlights in the distance. >"What you see there, Keith, is Mayor Mare's 5th Year in Office party. But it won't be that for long." >He chuckles and leaves you to watch the fireworks.     >Man, that was a lot of piss. >You zip up your fly and go over to the sink to wash your hands. >Man, that was so much piss that you're starting to lose your buzz. >Good thing you're about to go back out to the party, you can get your pipe back from Tree Hugger. >Man, she's one groovy chick. >Jeez, do you always sound this dumb? >Nah, it's probably just cause your sobering up. >You turn off the sink, and turn to the air hand dryer, when the whole building starts rocking. >You rush out of the restroom to see a huge whole in the wall of the prison cell leading to outside the building. >Woah, maybe you are still high.   >Estás Anonymous. >Y nuestra abuela siempre le ha dicho, si sólo tenía un disparo a no dejar que se escape. >Eso será mejor que no lo deja ir. >Y mi sorpresa, que ha encontrado esto en el compañero de celda que estabas tan asustado por todo el tiempo que estaban atrapados allí con él. >Cuando se le dijo que tenía la intención de romper, que recibió de rodillas y le rogó que le llevará a lo largo. Que sólo quería ir a Appleoosa. >Parecía que han entendido, y ahora los dos se están ejecutando a través de la Everfree, con varios Pegasus en la persecución. >Bueno, él está corriendo, usted está montando a lo largo de su espalda. No hay manera de que sería capaz de mantenerse al día con él sólo en sus dos pies. >Él grita algo de vuelta a usted, pero realmente no se puede entender. >Usted decide acaba de celebrar en una rama baja colgante viene más estricto en el caso. >Se cayó sin peso, el viento azota su cara. El bosque deja de moverse más allá de usted de delante hacia atrás y en su lugar se mueve de abajo hacia arriba. >Ambos entrar al agua al mismo tiempo.   >That night in Ponyville, a lot happened. >Some were happy to have what they had. >Others still pined for another place. >But only one didn't want to go anywhere. Which is unfortunate, because if she had she would still be alive. >The funeral was a close affair, but that's not saying much when you know everyone in town. >Pinkie had locked herself in her room, ashamed she could have let this happen. Over time, her best friends and a few other friends helped convince her there was nothing she could have done. >Posters were plastered all over town, and several hundred more copies were sent out across the land. >They all had the same photo, of the white faceless person, and the caption read 'Anonymous Enemy #1. Wanted Dead or Alive. Reward of 10,000 Bits and a Knighting.' >That night in Ponyville, Mayor Mare celebrated her last year in office. >That night in Ponyville, only four people knew what really happened.     EPILOGUE >"Well, this is sure to open many new opportunities." A pony died, Ron. >"Yeah, it's a real shame. I'm not downplaying her death, I'm just saying she was holding the system back, and now that she's not in the way" Because she's six feet under. >"We can completely reform the process. Like we've been talking about! We were the only ones able to step up in her absence, because noone else cares enough. Yes, it's terrible that she's gone, who knows who will run Ponyville now. But that's not our problem. We're just members of the Anonymous Census Bureau, we don't have to run a city." Yeah, we just have to keep track of all the humans in it. All... however many there are. >Who even knows how many humans are in Ponyville anyway? You've never kept track so far. >"Heh." What? >"I know it's a real somber way to look at it, but each big decision we made was caused by a death. Because of that Anon-" 12311 >"Yeah, we decided to restructure the system, and now because of Mayor Mare, we get to go to Canterlot to present our idea to the Corporate Head. Maybe we could set up additional offices in the Crystal Empire, Manehatten, Appleoosa, and even foreign places like Saddle Arabia, Griffonstone, and Yakyakistan!" What are you, a walking atlas? I've never even heard of Yakyakistan. >"It was in Party Pooped, Season 5 Episode 11. Pinkie Pie tries to entertain several Yak ambassadors so they don't destroy Ponyville." Really? That's what they named the homeland? >"Well how is Griffonstone any more creative." It just sounds inherently more realistic. I don't really know why Griffonstone works, but Yakistan doesn't because it's just the species name with a suffix. >"You know where else is-?" Yeah, I know. Ponyville. But that's because it's the main location. It doesn't have to sound flashy. >"You've got a point, but I still think Yakyakistan sounds fine. Could you come up with something better?" >You think for a moment. >"I said-" I heard ya, just gimme a few minutes. >"..." ...