>BEEP.... BEEP... BEEP... BEEP...
>Your alarm clock is a cruel beast.
>It doesn't care whether it is a Sunday or a Monday. It doesn't care if you went to be at 8pm or 6am.
>It wants you up at 7am no matter what.
>You reach your arm out in the direction of your audacious clock to no avail.
>It sits several feet out of your reach.
>For a moment you try to turn it off with your mind, hoping you've secretly been a jedi this whole time.
>But as the alarm continues to smash wave after wave of obnoxious beeping into your ears, you finally give up on that fantasy and flop out of bed.
>You smack the top of the alarm with great catharsis and go about your day.
>Sundays are your cleaning days, after all.
>You walk from your small bedroom into your even smaller bath.
>You lock your fingers under the window frame and slide it up allowing the warm spring air to flow into your otherwise stuffy apartment.
>Canterlot sparkles most in the young sunlight of a spring day.
>The street outside your humble complex has been up for hours now, and the little mom-n-pop stores and boutiques look as blissfully worry-free as the day before.
>All the stores have had great business now that the city has warmed up. More ponies come from out of town, and the whole place just feels so exciting.
>You push your head out the window, the breeze flowing through your uncut hair.
>As a lock or two falls into your face, you're reminded how much you need a haircut.
>However last time you got one from a pony barber and you came out looking like a butch lesbian.
>They don't understand the idea of leaving hair on the sides.
>You do some light stretches as you brush your teeth.
>Mild soreness haunts every ligament you've got.
>It's to be expected, you've been spending more and more time at the gyms since your work got a lot closer to home.
>You look out to the silhouette of the castle looming in the distance.
>Only a couple mile walk and you're right where you're needed.
>You look at the small plant sitting in your windowsill.
>It looks a little sad, a little droopy even.
"Don't worry little man." you say, filling a paper cup with water, "You'll be right as rain after this."
>You pour the water over the delicate stem and let it soak into its soil.
>As you set the cup down you feel a little more awake, and a little bit happier.
>Plants can't fend for themselves in a city like this, so you're glad you can take such good care of them.
>That's why you're the royal gardener at the castle, after all.
>You lean against the window, still brushing your teeth.
>Celestia gave you this apartment because you were doing such a good job out there. It's nice to feel appreciated.
>Especially since she's always keeping an eye on you out the window. You never know when she's watching.
>That could be nerve-wracking in any other profession, but when you're out with the smell of fresh soil and flowers, it's hard to be high strung.
>You finally rinse and walk out to your living room.
>It's completely covered in hanging vines and potted plants.
>Some are for work, others are just yours.
>It's hard to live in an apartment without something alive being there with you.
>So you fill the place with little green friends. At least then it feels like a home.
>But with every luxury comes a price. Every yang has a yin, man.
>And this yin comes in the form of dirty carpets.
>You track soil in wherever you go, whether it be from work or your personal projects.
>As a result, your place isn't exactly pristine.
>That's why you need to nuke the place with a deep cleanse every Sunday.
>And you know what, that's just fine. You really enjoy these quiet, yet productive Sundays.
>You open the front door to let in a draft.
>You're the only person on the floor since this "complex" is really just three story building that was adapted.
>It's cool living in what is effectively an attic. Especially since you can keep your door open without bothering neighbors.
>You sigh happily in anticipation to a good day.
>The closet door creaks as you open it, revealing your trusty vacuum.
>It's your workhorse, your right hand man, dusty destroying confidant.
>You whip it out, popping the chord into the wall and unraveling its lengthy cable.
>With a little hop you go to your room to grab some more supplies.
>From your drawer you summon pink apron, in attack mode.
>But that's not else, you also place orange bandanna in facedown on-your-head position.
>You tighten the two pieces of cloth on your body.
>Using your thumb you clean some dirt off the words on your apron.
>It says, "Party Girl" with a floral pattern underneath.
>You chuckle at it every time you see it.
>That was Pinkie's going away present. She nailed it, frankly.
>The last item sits charging by your bed.
>An old, cracked ipod touch.
>128 GB of storage filled to the brim with tens of thousands of songs.
>It was one of the only things you had in your pockets when you were sent to this pony land.
>You pick it up and plug the earbuds in.
>Alright, now you're ready to get to work.
>You hit shuffle on all songs and start vacuuming.
>The sound of radio static starts the song before it jumps into a familiar chorus. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EN3B_I4WA4c
>You bob your head to an old favorite of yours as the song slowly builds.
>You're a sucker for any kind of music, you can appreciate almost anything.
>No pleasure is a guilty one when it comes to music, and you embrace the song with your whole being.
>You shake your hips and start to get your entire body into it.
>The vacuum erases the soil spills across the room while you jump into a well practiced dance routine.
>This is your 'light' exercise on your one rest day of the week.
>And hot damn do you enjoy yourself.
>Your feet move under you like butter, and your joints feel almost weightless as you swing around haphazardly.
>You're weak to dance songs.
>As the song comes to an end you feel yourself sweating through the bandanna on your head.
>All that hair makes the top of head a lot sweatier.
>Then again, you jammed really hard to that last one.
>Right on, dancing makes your soul feel good.
>As you slow down for a moment to look at your ipod through your locks you realize that you're not alone.
>In the doorway stands a familiar grey mare in a delivery uniform. One eye is locked on you, the other on the ceiling.
>You look back an smile at the unannounced guest.
"If it isn't my favorite mailmare! How we doin' today Derpy?" you say as you walk over to her.
>She doesn't respond at first, her mouth slightly open as she continues to stare.
>After a shake of her head she comes back to the moment and looks up.
>"H-Hey Anon! Just makin' a deliveryy" she says in her almost painfully genuine voice.
>She grabs a package out of her little leather bag. It's not too big, about the size of a basketball.
"Alright man, let's see here..." you say as you read the label.
>'Epona Fertilizer Co. Bone Meal (4-12-0)'
"Aw nice! I needed this for some of the roses at the royal garden!" you say looking down at Derpy's smiling face.
>You put the palm of your hand against her mane and ruffle it up a little as she giggles.
"Thanks for the delivery Derpy. You're the best mailmare in Equestria."
>After saying it out loud something about that statement seems off.
>"Awww. Thanks Anonn! I really appreciate it." She responds with a happy little blush.
>You scratch your chin.
"Yo Derpy, isn't it Sunday? Shouldn't this be delivered tomorrow?"
>Derpy's face contorts to a confused and concerned expression.
>"Is it really? I, I thought it was Saturday!" she says in a little panic, "Ohh not again!"
>You smile an kneel down to be at her level.
"Hey now, no worries Derp-dude. C'mon, no frowns in my place. It'll make the flowers wilt, we wouldn't want that would we?" you say in a comforting tune.
>Derpy looks down at her hooves.
>"N-No... I wouldn't want that..." she says with a little sniff.
>You smile at her even though she isn't looking at you.
>She always beats herself up like this when she messes up, probably because she's the only one that makes such bizarre mistakes.
>And this is the third time she's shown up on a Sunday.
>Still, it's nothing to get herself worked up over, after all the damage was just you. You're the first one on her route!
>And as you notice a little tear welling up, you know that she needs a little help like we all do time from time.
>You pull her close in a friendly embrace and rub the top of her head.
"DERPY! DERPY HOOVES! You can't be sad in my house, friend. It's against the rules!"
>You sigh happily.
>Let's share some of this beautiful mood with that sad little mailmare.
>You pull her into your apartment.
>She jumps a little at the sudden movement.
>"I'm fffine Anon, really. I'll remember for next time... I hope." she says unconvincingly.
>You plug your ipod into the little stereo you have on your kitchen counter and crank it all the way up.
>The faucet springs to life as you fill Derpy a glass of cold water.
>You bring her the water as she wipes her eyes.
"Well since you DON'T actually need to work today, I imagine you're free?" you ask happily.
>Derpy gingerly sips the water before responding.
>"I g-guess so." she says, still not out of her funk.
"How's about you stick around for a bit, huh? I'm just doing some spring cleaning. We can listen to some human jams and talk about life."
>You lift her chin up so you can look her in the eyes.
>Well, eye.
"How's that sound, muffin?"
>She finally smiles at her pet name.
"There it is! Come on Derpy, stay awhile."
>Her smile grows and she closes her eyes, still wet with fresh tears.
>"Okay!" she says with some genuine enthusiasm.
>You ruffle her mane again.
"Alriiight! No wilting flowers today hun!" you respond with a smile.
>That's more like it!
>You hit play on your ipod and adjust the volume a little to minimize distortion.
>The sweet licks of a happy bass guitar fills the room https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-B2zu3SOJU8 [Embed]
>The music hits you instantly as you wander out of the small kitchenette back into the main room.
>You clap your hands with beat and sing along with the first verse.
>Derpy sits on your couch with a curious expression as her ears twitch to the happy song.
>She rocks back and fourth a little, setting her cup of water down.
>You swing your arms around as you do an exaggerated walk to the groove of the music.
>Derpy giggles as you shake your rear and vacuum.
>You sing along and invite her to join in with a waving gesture.
>She waves a dismissively back, obviously a little embarrassed.
"Oh come on Derpy, girl! Who's gonna judge? The tulips on the windowsill or the cacti on the table?"
>She lets out a quiet giggle.
>You sing right to her with your arms out stretched.
"Come and get your loooove~. Come and get your loOOove~" you sing, rocking back and fourth.
>Your hypnotizing dance moves finally infect her and she starts to swing with a little more gusto.
>"Come and get your looooooove~" she sings along with you in her beautiful singing voice.
>It's got a sort of tone to it that makes it absolutely adorable to hear, and it heightens the mood in the room even more.
>She gets up off the couch as you approach her and she dances with you a little bit.
>Her moves aren't very refined, and it's obvious she's not used to dancing in front of anyone, but her bona fide joy makes it hard to resist.
>She ends up suffering from a laughing fit as the song fades out.
>It doesn't help you really cranked up the goof meter on your last few moves.
>She doesn't know who MC Hammer is, but now she knows what a hammerdance looks like.
>It didn't even match the song! You just thought it'd be a hit.
>And you were so right.
"Hey you're a pretty great dancer, muffin!"
>She blushes happily.
>"You're not too bad yourself Anon!" she says slowly
>The way she talks is a little slow, but that doesn't mean she's stupid.
>Just a little ditsy, and you love that about her. Such genuine thoughts filtered through such an adorable voice. It's another one of life's great yangs.
>You toss Derpy a feather duster.
"Hey wing-thing can you help me with the upper shelves? I'm sore as it is without stretching!"
>Derpy catches the duster in her mouth with a little salute.
>"Yesh shurr Messter Anon shurr!" she says with a minor drawl.
>You smile back at her.
"Excellent! Thanks hun, I appreciate ya."
>You get back to vacuuming as the next song comes on. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjPqsDU0j2I
>As you realize what's playing you get excited.
"Aww HELL yeahh! This is what I was lookin' for this mornin'!" you yell as you hit the messy spots by the door.
>You look over at Derpy as she shakes her rump in the air while hovering around the potted plants on the top of your shelves.
>Doin' Sunday right, that's what's good.
>The song continues as you finish up the major vacuuming.
>Most of the hard spots are gone, you'll do one more pass over the entire carpet once you're done stomping around today.
>Just as you finish surveying your work the sound of a large crash pierces the happy tunes in the air.
>You look over to see Derpy standing over a broken potted plant with a defeated expression.
>Oh, you missed a spot of dirt over there.
>You jump over to the rescue where Derpy is.
>"I-I-I'm sorry Anon! I wasn't p-paying attention and I wasn't carefuly enough and-and-" she starts to stutter, "Oh geez, I'm really sorry Anon. I really didn't-
>You place your arm across her chest, as if to keep her from getting too close.
>You're nipping this thing right in the bud, not letting her get down on herself.
"Looks like an on the spot procedure if you ask me, EMT Derpy." you say to her in an authoritative voice.
>Well, as authoritative as a man in an apron can be.
>"Wha-What?" she stutters in confusion.
>You grab Derpy's mailmare hat off the table and put it on to look somewhat more professional.
"I tell you what, 10 years of medical training doesn't prepare you for it when you're in the field." you say with great exaggeration, "But we can do this. I won't let this plant die on me! Not this time!"
>You do a backwards combat roll through your living room while making ambulance noises, knocking the coffee table over in the process.
"IS IT STILL BREATHING DERPY?" you ask while getting up from your dramatic tumble.
>"Uhm, I, um!" she says in a panicked tone.
"Hold on Derpy! We can do this! We're trained for this!"
>You do another backwards roll over the counter into the kitchen.
>Pots and pans loudly clank on the ground as you clumsily roll over onto your feet.
>You have successfully knocked all of your cooking implements onto the ground. Every last one.
>They needed to be washed anyway, so basically you just cleaned the counter.
>Two for one baby.
>You grab the box of bone meal packets and pour them out onto the counter top.
>Thankfully they are individually packaged, the box was just for transit.
"I'm COMIN' BABY, JUST HOLD ON A BIT LONGER" you say as you dive above counter again and combat roll back to the dirt on the floor.
>Derpy stares at you with a confused look.
>You think.
>It's hard to tell when one of her eyes is always fooling around.
>This is exactly what you wanted, she can't be sad if she's just puzzled by your actions.
>You look at her patiently.
>"What is going-"
"Great idea doctor. We'll use this box to recover the victim and get them back on their feet!"
>You bop her in the shoulder.
"Where would we be without you, muffin?"
>You carefully scoop the soil into the cardboard box followed by the rather unharmed sprout that was growing.
>You pat down the soil and give it gentle massaging so it can absorb water better down the road.
"She's stable, baby!" you say, lifting your hand for a high five.
>Derpy doesn't go for the high five, she's looking at the patch of dirt left on your carpet and the shards of glass littered within it.
"Hey don't think nothin' of it, love. It's an easy fix." you say tenderly, your hand still raised.
>"I know but... you wouldn't have to fix it if I didn't knock it over." she says weakly.
>You tilt your head. You know that tone.
>"I'm sorry Anon. I just made another mess. I showed up even though I don't have work today, and I broke your pot after you invited me in... I'm all over the place." she says in a melancholy summation.
>You shake your head.
"Hey." you say.
>She looks up at you.
>You motion for her to sit next to you.
>She looks up at you with sad puppy dog eyes, but you motion for her again.
>She finally shuffles her way next to you.
>When she does eventually sit down, you pull her in close next to you and take off her hat.
>You remove your bandanna and let your hair fall down, but you make sure to keep your eyes visible.
"Listen muffin, ya gotta stop taking things so hard. That ain't the way to live life."
>She doesn't say anything, she just continues to look away from you in two different directions.
>You sigh.
"Listen, why'd you knock over the plant?"
>Derpy blushes.
>"I was, um, distracted by something."
>You nod.
"Exactly! You didn't do it on purpose! Don't sweat it, hun."
>You bring the box full of soil closer to yourself.
"You gotta be like this little sprout, see? Even after such a big fall it just keeps on goin. So long as it has soil, sun, and good old fashioned agua, it'll make it through just about anything."
>You pet the top of her mane.
"It always springs back, and never makes itself its worst enemy."
>She starts to come around.
"So just be happy pony girl, nobody here is blamin' you for anything."
>She suddenly hugs the side of your body.
>"Th-Thank you Anon." she says into your shirt.
>You continue to stroke her mane.
"Of course muffin. You ARE my favorite little mail mare after all."
>You pick up your pots and pans from the ground.
>Derpy said she would handle vacuuming the floor, and she's been doing a fine job of it.
>You toss the assorted metal into the sink just as the next song comes on shuffle. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qU2MXeAz1E [Embed]
>Another deep breath gets you back to being focused, and the more mellow tune certainly helps!
>The water pours over the pans and waterfalls towards the drain. You scrub hard with the soft side of the sponge to get the grime off, but not the non-stick stuff.
>You bob your head lightly to the music, your hair hanging down as well.
>Without your bandanna it's just gonna do its own thing.
>That's alright, you sweat right through that thing.
>Derpy comes into the kitchenette and sits on the stool at the bar.
>"That music is really goood, Anon." she says with a calm sort of joy.
>She seems in better spirits now that she had some time to just let her emotions out a bit.
>You know Derpy pretty well at this point, and she doesn't do silly things for no reason.
>The only times she shows up to work on Sundays is when she's really stressed. You get that. You used to be like that.
>No worries man, everyone needs a moment to steady themselves from time to time.
"This song was made by an angel, I mean it. Nothin' feels like it." you say with a smirk.
>Derpy rests her head on the freshly cleaned counter.
>"Mmm, I like it." she says before yawning.
>You look over your shoulder while continuing to clean.
"Late night Derps?" you ask with genuine interest.
>"Mhmm." she grunts, "It's been a long week..."
>You suspected.
>She sighs as the song fades away.
>After all this excitement she seems pretty bushed. When exhaustion hits you all at once like that it's almost impossible to break away from it.
>You place your hand on the top of her head, waking her up a little.
"Ya know Derpy I admire your work ethic, but you gotta rest too! Can't go at 100% all the time."
>Derpy blows a raspberry.
>"Like you would know Mr. Up-At-4:30am every day." she says with a grin.
>You chuckle and bring your head down more to her level.
"And I can only get up that early because I go to bed early. It's no better than anybody else's sleep schedule; just different."
>She snorts air out of her nose, not able to lift her heavy eyelids.
>You smile.
"Alright Derp, c'mon now. I'm not gonna let ya fall asleep at my kitchen counter."
>"Mmm why not?" she responds tiredly.
"Cus you can just use my bed instead. It'll be a lot easier on your neck for sure!"
>She half opens her eyes.
>"Oh kayy" she says, slowly getting down from the stool and making her way to your bed room.
>Huh, she just sort of bee lined there.
>You don't recall showing her your bed room, but hey it's a small apartment.
>No worries.
>She flops face first onto your unmade bed and tosses around for a moment before getting still.
>Well you didn't need to ask her twice.
>You get back to work, cleaning a few more pots and pans before drying off.
>As you dry you take a peak at the kitchen clock.
>9:02 am
>That's strange.
>You get onto your knees and press your ear to the floor.
>After listening intently for a few seconds, you realize that you can't hear anything in particular.
>Yup that's what you thought.
>You walk around the kitchenette and grab your keys off the shelf.
>You gingerly push the front door closed behind you and start to jog down the stairs to the second story.
>There are 4 apartments on this floor, 3 of which are inhabited.
>One of which happens to be directly below your kitchen area.
>You walk over to the door of apartment 05.
>You place your ear against the door and listen again.
>Still no sounds to report.
>You chuckle and shake your head.
>She's gonna make you do this every Sunday until one of you moves out.
>You knock on the door.
"Hey! It's Anon!" you say loudly.
>You don't want to wake up any of the neighbors trying to sleep in.
>Well, except for this one.
>A few seconds pass before you knock again.
"It's Anon! Can you please let me in?" you say inquisitively.
>Still no response.
>You can't help but feel ignored.
>You sigh.
"Alright, I'm coming in." you say, going through your key ring.
>A little bronze key slides into your hand, identical to your apartment key in every way except the teeth and serial number.
>You slide it into the doorknob's built-in lock and turn it with a clunk.
>The door gives way, but only a little before it is stopped by a chain.
>Oh she is being adamant today.
>But you're not some two-bit alarm clock you can just snooze or unplug. No ma'am!
>You're twice as adamant about getting in.
>You use your fingers to carefully undo the chain.
>As you fidget with the security mechanism one of the other apartment doors open.
>An older stallion with a graying mustache and mane walks into the hall with a mechanic jumper on.
>He looks you up and down without surprise.
>"Mornin' Anon." he says with a smile.
"Gooooood Morning Mr. Shift. How are you this wonderful morning?" you respond with a smile, continuing to jiggle the chain.
>"Hee hee, I'm just fine sonny. Looks like she wants to sleep in extra bad this morning, eh?" he says with a raspy voice that shows its age.
>You shake your head and smirk.
"Every Sunday it's somethin' different, but I haven't lost one yet!" you say in a determined tone.
>"Hee hee, between the two of ya I don't need television, I tell ya what." he chuckles before descending the stairs, "Have a good day, son!"
>Just as he begins to leave you click the chain out of its path and get the door open.
"Same to you sir! Enjoy the weather!" you shout down the hall.
>You strut into the apartment and are immediately hit by a weird smell.
>The culprit appears to be the half eaten takeout on the coffee table.
>The apartment is a lot like yours with two major differences.
> 1. The living areas are significantly smaller to make its square footage about half of yours.
> 2. Instead of having plants growing everywhere there's simply debris littering every corner.
>Everything from pizza boxes to clothing makes its way onto the floor. It's almost kind of impressive.
>Still, this ain't your habitat so you can't judge. Flowers grow in different conditions, people are just the same.
>Well, people and ponies.
>You make your way to the small bedroom which also has its door closed.
>You knock on that door with an overwhelming feeling of deja vu.
>"Floor! Flooryyy open your dooorryyy." you say in a sing-song manner.
>There's a faint shuffle behind the door, then silence.
"Floor Boreddd, open your Floorrr Doooorrr." you say in another song of sorts.
>Again you are rejected a response.
>You shrug.
>Guess she doesn't mind you barging in, then!
>You turn the door handle and open the door quietly.
>You stick your head in and see a little lump sitting in the middle of the bed under the covers. Some greasy black hair pokes out from the top of it.
"Oi Floor! It's time to get up hun."
>A grumble and some movement indicates that you are, in fact, being ignored.
>You walk into the room and put your hands on your hips.
"C'mon Floor. Time's a wastin', and you're not skippin' out on a day like today. It's gotta be the nicest day of the year so far!"
>"Grrrmg" grunts a feminine voice under the covers.
>Well you didn't want to do this, but it's time to call upon drastic measure.
>Activating wake up protocol, "Rock the Boat"
>You jump onto the bed with both of your bare feet on either side of the lump.
>She tightens the covers over her, bracing herself for whatever you have in store.
>But she could never prepare for "Rock the Boat," it's simply too obnoxious.
>You begin to jump up and down on the bed, being sure to get good air so that your next bounce plunges deeper than the last.
"IT. IS. SUN. DAY. YOU. NEED. TO. WAKE. UP." you say with every jump.
>Every time your weight hits the mattress it dips down a little further, and every time you leave it rebounds back with more umph.
>You continue to do this until finally physics does its thing and sends the little lump airborne.
>After two bounces like this, the little pony finally pops out of her cocoon.
>She's a little white mare with a deep black mane.
>Or at least she should be. Her fur is covered in little stains here and there, and it is an absolute mess.
>Her mane is greasy as always, and it looks like it was hit by a bus.
>She is wearing a white undershirt and a pair of panties, which honestly just confuses you more than anything.
>Her eyes look confused as she floats through the air against her will.
>With lightning reflexes you snatch her out of the air with her rump above her head.
>Then you let your feet launch you off the bed and back through the doorway to the living room's carpet.
>You land on your back with a thump, holding the little mare to your chest.
>"AHH, do you have BRAIN DAMAGE?" she shouts, trying to crawl out of your grasp and back to her bed.
"If I have it then I sure don't feel it!" you respond, quickly getting back to your feet.
>You pounce on her as she tries to gun it for her bed room.
>"C'MON JUST LET ME SLEEP."
>She claws fruitlessly at the ground as you pin her.
"No way, baby! You're the one that needs to get out more, and you're spending today with me." you respond, holding her down beneath your toned body.
>"GRRRRR, don't do me any favors ya monkey!" she yells, kicking you in the chest.
>You unpin her and start to roll with her away from the bedroom.
>She starts to fight back as the two of you roll around her floor, knocking over any garbage in the way.
"CRIKEY! This is a LIVE ONE!" you say, channeling your inner crocodile hunter.
>You almost need to, she's been known to bite before.
>Finally you stop her by grabbing her by her midriff.
"Oi she's a real fighta she is, but in the end this little sheila couldn't outrun a hunta like me!" you say in your best Aussie accent.
>After a few seconds of kicking she falls limp, out of breath and out of cares.
>Like a run down animal that has accepted its fate.
>"Okay, okay, ya got me. Please flip me back now." she says in a much more calm manner.
>That's the sign that she'll actually stay out of her bed.
>You set her down on the floor again and put your hands on your hips.
"We gotta do this every Sunday?" you ask with a chuckle.
>She walks into the kitchenette with a grumble.
>She hops onto one of the stools at her kitchen counter and begins to eat a bowl of cereal.
>You don't recall her ever pouring the cereal, however.
"You made that breakfast pretty dang quickly! What's your secret, love?" you say, leaning on her counter.
>"I think I poured these out and forgot about them last night." she says in monotone, trying not to look at you.
"Drunk?" you inquire with a tilt of the head.
>"Ohhhh yeah." she says, her eyes widening as she does.
>She munches on the dry cereal for a couple minutes.
>You stand up straight and feel a something weird on your chest.
>The tank top you were wearing is now... sticky.
>You pinch at the fabric with raised eyebrows as you watch it stick to itself like glue.
"Girl you need to take a shower!" you say, still assessing the damage.
>She waves at you dismissively.
>"I'll get there sooner or later."
>You remove the tank top, leaving only your apron around your waist with a pair of gym shorts.
"I don't even know how to wash this now, if I'm honest." you say with a laugh
>"I don't know. Just dunk it in water or some-" her talking stops suddenly as she finally looks up at you again, making her eyes widen.
>She inhales a fruity morsel of sugary cereal making her enter a coughing fit.
"You okay?" you ask in concern as she struggles through the pain of having food go down the wrong pipe.
>She hacks one or two more times, making her greasy mane flop onto her face.
>"I-I'm good, I'm good..." she says before addressing you, "Gotta warn a mare before you start stripping down like that Anon!"
>You blow a raspberry her way.
"It's hardly stripping, hun. I'm not even doing my sexy hip movements. Now THAT would make it a show." you say happily
>Her face gets a little red, and she bites her lip.
>"You wanna try wrestling this little sheila again?" she says, leaning on the counter to puff her chest out a bit.
>You see her sensual stare through the bangs of her messy hair.
>You match it and raise your eyebrows, flapping around your tank top.
"You wanna try taking a shower instead? Just because you wrestle like a croc doesn't mean you gotta smell like a swamp."
>She leans back in on her stool again with a blush.
>"Ah you're no fun!" she says
"First of all, you know that ain't true. Secondly you gotta shower up and brush your teeth. You need to be somewhat presentable for your errands today."
>She sticks her tongue out at you.
>"Why do I need to do errands? Can't I do that some other day?" she says in a half whine, "Why can't I just spend my Sunday watching anime like I planned to?"
>You shake your head, tossing your shirt onto a stool to try and air it out.
"Because you always put off your errands and then I find you in my kitchen eating my food when you run out my dude. I mean, my doors always open but ya gotta be self-sufficient. Like a-"
>"Plant? A flower? A tree? One of those?" she interrupts, sliding her now empty bowl to the side.
"... I was going to say like an adult, but those too baby." you smile at her.
>She knows you too well, and the experience is painfully mutual.
>It takes you back to when you first moved onto this block and heard stories about the little mare at the end of the second floor hall.
>You hear the first tale from the kids on the first floor. They told the most outrageous stories about her.
>They thought she was a vampire.
>But she was no such thing; just a lazy pony who happens to avoid sunlight like the plague.
>Fortunately you found that out yourself one day.
>Floor gets up and starts to head towards the bathroom.
>"Alright, I'll go get ready or whatever." she says with a yawn.
>You smile at your successful procedure.
>"BUT" she says with a hoof in the air, "You better not have a shirt on when I come out, pretty boy."
>You shake your head with a chuckle.
"How's about I just let you hold on to this tank top for awhile instead? Would that satiate your sinful urges, hun?" you say with a smirk.
>"You've got yourself a deal Mr. Anon." she says as she walks into the bathroom and turns on the fan,
>She turns around and looks through a crack in the door.
>"You wouldn't want to join me would you~?" she asks in another lustful tone.
"Do you want the shirt or do you want me to leave you with nothing? These are your option sweetie." you say, lifting up the shirt.
>She looks at the ground with a slight blush.
>"Shirt please." she says politely.
>You toss her the tank top like you would a piece of meat into the tiger's den.
>She snatches it out of the air and drags it in to the bathroom before closing the door.
>Rest in peace tank top. You're going to experience some unspeakable atrocities in there, you're sure.
>Floor's dirtiness isn't just on the surface, it's in her mind too.
>However, unlike most other ponies, she really wears it on her sleeve with you.
>She doesn't exactly shine while in social situations, but ever since the two of you have gotten know each other she doesn't hide her feelings.
>In fact she is the only reason you know ponies can find human bodies enticing.
>You're not sure how rare it is though, Floor might just be a deviant.
>... well she is definitely a deviant, but maybe her taste in humans is also unique.
>You grab a garbage bag and toss the big pieces of trash in.
>She doesn't comment when you clean her apartment for her, but you know she cares.
>You do too.
>You can hear the water running through the door as you collect the last few items from the floor.
>Old paper cups with sugary drips coating the inside, pizza boxes with a few abandoned crusts, and other food containers get tossed into the black plastic void.
>Tank tops, t-shirts, and panties get tossed in the nearly overflowing hamper in the corner.
>You bought her that thing so she could do her laundry easily, not so she could put it off even more!
>It doesn't matter though, as long as she gets it done at some point.
>You go back into the hall with the trash bag and toss it down the trash chute.
>A handy little chute that leads to the dumpster out back, it has saved your butt many times.
>It's really nice to have something you can unapologetically pour old soil down.
>The trash bag clunks on its way down, but soon it is out of sight and out of mind.
>You give yourself a big stretch, cracking your back in several places.
>Things have gotten into motion, and it's not even 10am yet.
>Nice.
>You thump back upstairs to your apartment.
>The door opens quietly as you survey the apartment.
>Your bedroom door is closed and Derpy is nowhere to be seen.
>She probably closed the door after all the rough housing downstairs.
>You close the door behind you with a little less grace.
>You can be a little less discrete now that the bed room door is closed. It'll block out most of the sound.
>With that you hit continue on the ipod and get back to work.
>You take off your apron and toss it onto your couch.
>It has been compromised by Ms.Bored, but you don't really need it anymore. The majority of the dirty stuff has been taken care of.
>You grab the feather duster off the table and begin dusting around your plants.
>The stereo begins to play another sweet tune for you to enjoy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3YR-RKrL1g
>And with that your hips start shaking again. Your knees bend effortlessly, swaying you back and fourth to the wonderful harmony.
>The music begins to pick up the pace a little, with the sound of humans cheering at the beginning.
>In a way, this gets you more in the mood.
>You close your eyes, listening to the voices of your own kind.
>"Get a drink, have a good time now! Welcome to paradise!" the narrator says before the song truly begins.
>You sigh with bliss and begin to dance entirely, not even attempting to keep the illusion of cleaning.
>This song just has too much... humanity in it. You can't help but move.
>Your arms swing with grace, picking up the counter-movements of your legs.
>There's an airy feeling of weightlessness that overwhelms you.
>As you get more and more into your dance, you feel totally free. You're not in your apartment, or Canterlot, or even Equestria.
>You're at a festival in some far off place that you once called home.
>Surrounded by strange bipedal beasts; their colors only varying a little in different shades of brown, pink, and yellow.
>And as you jump off the ground those same beasts watch you in awe.
>The only thing that makes you stand out in the crowd is what you do, not what you are.
>Sometimes you miss that.
>The song fades away, and you start to come back to reality.
>Right as you're about to open your eyes again the next song strikes hard as a live recording https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBKNnzR4YP0
>It's a folk song, but it has an immense rush of energy right at the beginning.
>The crowd cheers the band on as they begin to play the song, and you find yourself swept away by it again.
>You imagine yourself out in the crowd, dancing to every slam of the kick drum and every note of the piano.
>You swing yourself around, masterfully dodging the furniture as you enjoy the tune.
>The song builds to the slow bridge. You've heard this song enough to know.
>You sing the words along with the band.
>"Mother. Mary. Heard us approaching the door, all thouuughh wee, didn't make a souuuunnddd"
>The band dives back into the upbeat nature of the song, making you spin on your heels and tighten your body.
>You spin a few times before dancing around a bit more, finally stopping as the song ends.
>You're surprised to find you're a little out of breath at this point.
>You stand up straight to let more air in, and soon you're breathing normally again.
>With one hand you push your hair back and off your face, letting your sweat drip down your body.
>There's no reason to wipe it off, you'll be showering soon anyway.
>That felt GOOD. It's nice to just have a moment like that to yourself.
>You look towards the shower to find your gaze half-met by a stunned little mare.
>Derpy looks at you with an open mouth as she sits in the bedroom doorway without a word.
>You look back at her with a slow blink.
"Welcome back to the real world love!" you say happily.
>She doesn't respond, she continues to sit slack jawed.
>You tilt your head.
"Somethin' going on with your wings, Derpy?" you say, gesturing to her outstretched wingspan.
>"Uhm, uhh." she stammers, trying to get her wings under control.
>You smile at her and shake your head.
>Even now you don't fully understand her.
>"Yeah, no, I'm with her for sure." says a feminine voice behind you.
>You turn around to see Floor Bored in the front doorway.
>She has removed her undershirt and dawned a grey sweatshirt instead.
>She also isn't wearing panties anymore, which strikes you as odd.
>Things are very strange here in small horse land.
"With her on what?" you ask
>Floor leans in the door frame.
>"Whatever THAT was. That was some great dancing." she says looking at your bare chest, "Grrrreat dancing..."
>You scratch the back of your head.
"Eh, it was just dancing my man. Nothin' special about it." you respond with a shrug.
>She shakes her head.
>"I disagree, and so does the mailmare from what I can tell."
>You look back at Derpy who continues to wrestle with her wings.
"Well I'm flattered. Why don'tcha come in Floor?"
>Floor looks around your living room.
>"I dunno Anon. Did you clean the joint?"
>You tilt your head.
>This mare lives in a sea of filth and now she's concerned about your living conditions.
"Yeah of course I cleaned it. Why?"
>"Well, ya know, I'm just unsure where you and the mail mare were having fun last night. I doubt it was confined to the bed room she just came out of..." Floor says with a smirk.
>You hear Derpy's wings spring out behind you like a small explosion.
>You turn to look at her as she flops to the ground from the sudden ejection of her wings.
>With a light sigh you turn and look at Floor Bored.
"Girl you've got the dirtiest mind I've ever come across!" you say with a half chuckle, "She was just napping in my bed after delivering the mail!"
>She tilts her head.
>"On a Sunday?"
"There is a very reasonable explanation for that."
>Derpy continues to force her wings back down.
"Need help back there, hun?" you ask politely
>"N-No! I'm good Anon! Th-Thanks though!" she stammers, finally locking her wings back in place.
>You raise your eyebrows at her as she starts to walk past you.
>"I'm gonna get going now! Goodbye Anon!" she says making a beeline for the front door.
>It's obvious she was embarrassed by this turn of events.
"Woah woah Derpy hold on!" you say, stopping her before the door.
>She turns around to face you as you get down on one knee to be at eye level.
>You pop her mail mare hat back on her head.
"There you are mail gal. Now you weren't gonna leave me hangin' without a hug, right?" you ask, spreading your arms.
>She giggles, her blush growing.
>She comes up to you and accepts your big bear hug.
>Her breathing slows momentarily as the two of you embrace.
>After a second she breaks the hug and adjusts her cap.
>"Ohkay! I'm off!" she says leaving past Floor, "See you tomorrow Anon!"
>You wave after her, satisfied with her parting hug.
"So long pony gal!" you announce
>You look down at Floor who looks up at you expectantly.
>Puts her forelegs up in the air at you.
>"Where's my hug?" she asks
"What are you talking about? We just wrestled downstairs!" you respond with a smile.
>"That's hardly a hug, Anon!" she says, bobbing up and down a little in anticipation for you to hug her.
>You scratch your chin.
"I dunno, it's almost like really aggressive hugging!"
>She shakes her head.
>"You owe me a hug!"
"I'll give you one when we say goodbye later. That's what I did for Derpy, that's what I'll do for you!"
>"Awww come onn." she says, rolling her eyes.
>You laugh at her stubbornness
"Nope! Now wait here while I go take a shower so we can go run some errands."
>Her ears perk up.
>"I like the sound of that!" she says, finally entering the apartment.
"I certainly hope you mean the errands!" you say, rustling her mane as you walk past her.
>"Erm, yeah! Of course. Really excited to get more... milk. Or whatever."
>You grab a change of clothes from your bed room then go into the bathroom.
>Floor lays on your couch and stares at the ceiling as you click the door behind you.
>You pause before also clicking the lock.
>You take off your gym shorts and boxers which are now soaked with sweat.
>The familiar musk of your own sweat fills the air.
>To you it is just that, familiar. It is neither a good or bad smell, just a smell in general.
>You turn on the water and let it get a little warm before sending it up to the shower head.
>One foot goes in, then the next, and finally you're getting cleaned.
>With a large glob of shampoo you begin to wash the mop of hair you have.
>The shower goes by without any issue, although you did hear the door knob click a little while you were in there.
>That mare.
>You pop out of the shower after shutting off the water. A fresh towel awaits you and dries away your worries.
>A blissful sigh escapes your lips as you finish drying.
>Now you're ready to face the day.
>You open the door of your bathroom and are greeted by a familiar tune: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rj2CD5xgpNY [Embed]
>The strumming guitar and lovely vocals hit you instantly and fill you with deep nostalgia.
>This was your favorite song for a very long time.
>It still sort of is.
>The question was why it was playing.
>And you receive your answer when you notice Floor sitting in your kitchenette by the stereo.
"Turned on some jams while I was showering eh?" you ask, walking over to the counter.
>Floor's eyes are closed as she listens intently to the music.
>"I think I really like this song Anon." she says almost wistfully
"Oh yeah? That's an old favorite of mine, hun. Really hits me in the soul." you admit.
>"I... really like this song..." she repeats herself as it continues.
>The two of you sit in the presence of the song for awhile until it gradually ends.
>She opens her eyes again.
>"Human music is really... something else."
>You chuckle.
"I think it's because we're so emotional." you say happily.
>She looks up at you.
>"But only have like 3 emotions, Anon."
>You tilt your head.
"I don't think that's fair."
>"Sure it is. You have happy, annoying, and whatever." she says without tact.
"Two of those weren't emotion though." you say, squinting at her.
>"See, right now you're annoying!" she says, prodding your chest.
>You chortle.
"Alright, I walked right into that one. Now let's get going before the stores get crowded, okay?"
>She hops off the stool and walks around the counter.
>"Aye cap'n." she says as she marches past you.
>Before you know it the two of you are hitting the local stores to fill Floor's fridge and replace her cleaning products.
>She probably isn't even aware that she owns cleaning products, but you used up the last of them today.
>You meander through the market with a little plastic basket at your left side, and a little greasy pony on your right.
>The Canterlot market is far from the luxury of the castle you work at. Rather it holds close a very different set of values.
>This doesn't make the values any less important to know, just different.
>In the castle showing yourself as presentable is of vast importance. Knowing how to clean up is a priceless skill.
>Down here by the docks, however, looking presentable comes from not cleaning. You wear your work on your sleeves, letting the guts of fish and soil of produce get stuck in your shirt's fabric.
>You honestly can't say you feel more at home than when you're surrounded by so many fresh examples of the fruits of labor.
>Floor Bored doesn't see the appeal like you do.
>"Why do we need to come down to this stinky place just to buy food? There's a perfectly good supermarket down the road from our apartment complex."
>You shake your head.
"You'll just go down there and buy 3 boxes of cereal and 10 boxes of microwavable cheese pockets. I'm making sure that you're eating right."
>"Oh yeah? And who's gonna pay for it, huh?"
>You look down at here.
"I will. It's a small price to pay knowing that you'll be eating your vegi's"
>She blushes.
>"Ya don't need to baby me, I can buy my own food ya know!" she says, looking away from you.
>You scratch your chin.
"True, but if I buy them for you it'll guilt you into actually eating the healthy stuff, won't it?"
>She sighs as a rose color fills her cheeks.
>You let out a healthy belly laugh and rub the top of her mane again.
>It's no where near as greasy, but still has a little something to it.
>Can't expect her to clean it all!
>You smile as you grab some of the vegetables, fresh off the nearby farms.
>Broccoli, asparagus, cucumbers, spinach, and a head of lettuce.
>Good, healthy vegetables to really give her the vitamins she needs.
"This'll set you right!" you say, handing the sales pony a handful of bits.
>Floor seems almost apologetic as you hand her the basket of delectable greens.
>"Schnanks." she grumbles
>You smile down at her.
"Ah don't sweat it, what are friends for, ya know?"
>Even with the basket's handle in her mouth she still manages to let out a weak smile.
>The two of you walk back home in the warm sun, enjoying the occasional breeze that blew between the buildings.
>You help load Floor up with supplies she didn't even know she needed.
>Dish soap, paper towels, sponges, even a few utensils that couldn't be salvaged from the mess in the kitchen.
>The conversation mostly floats around raunchy jokes and belly laughs. The walk is nice for you, but it's even better for her.
>She almost never goes outside if she can avoid it, so seeing her out and about really brings a smile to your face.
>The apartment comes back into view, and the conversation starts to slow.
>The two of you have been out for hours at this point, and the sun has started to descend.
>"You're staying for dinner, right?" she invites suddenly.
>You smile down at her.
"Of course I am!" you chuckle
>The meal is a simple pasta dish, prepared by Floor Bored herself.
>And just like the many Sundays you two have spent together, you eat happily discussing the usual topics.
>You ask her how the job search is going, she asks how work is going.
>And as the sun falls behind the horizon you realize that another Sunday has gone by.
>The thought strikes you as you quietly wash the dishes while Floor snoozes on the couch.
>You look at her frail shape on the couch, silhouetted by a comfy blanket.
>Her breathing pushes it up for a few beats, then back down for the same amount.
>You sigh with a smile, taking off the rubber hoof-gloves that you turned into improvised mittens.
>For a few minutes you just watch her, leaning on the counter.
>Even the oddity that is Floor Bored looks perfectly innocent as she lies in her deep slumber.
>She needs a lot of guidance, you get that. Part of you knows she can't just coast like this forever, that she'll have to find her own way without you.
>Still, looking at that little lump curled up on the sofa you can't help but want to show her love.
>Nobody sticks their neck out for anyone anymore, and you'd like to bring that back.
>Plus, being caring is just sort of a thing of yours.
>Even the most downtrodden flower can grow if you give it enough love. Of that you're sure.
>You sigh and approach the blanketed pony.
>It's getting late, and you woke Floor up early by her standards.
>With a gentle hand you scoop up the little mare and wrap her in her blanket.
>She doesn't resist, she barely even stirs.
>The only movement she makes is when she pushes her head into your chest. Her cheek lightly brushes against the blanket between you and her.
>You smirk and carry her to her bed.
>With a steady hand you place her down, ensuring her head lines up with the pillow and her body lies on its side.
>She never wakes from her deep sleep, occasionally kicking or twitching.
>After you place her down, she wraps her forelegs around the pillow by her head, cuddling up to it.
>You start to head for the door, turning off the lights as you do.
>You begin to exit when that same tired voice interrupts you.
>"Anon....." she says quietly.
>You turn to address her before realizing she isn't actually conscious.
>A streak of light from the slightly open door faintly reveals her face as she wiggles in her sleep.
>"An... Anon." she mumbles quietly one more time.
>She begins to bite her pillow while mumbling incoherent nonsense.
>But the damage is already done.
>You put a hand over your heart, as if to contain the sudden influx of emotion.
>No amount of thanking could make you feel like you're doing the right thing.
>It's always the little stuff that lets you know.
>Even if it is just a whisper in the night.
>You close the door behind you silently.
>With a swift hand you clean the last bits of debris around the apartment.
>The whole place looks a lot cleaner, but still doesn't lose that Floor Bored charm of having clothing strewn all over the place.
>You'll remind her to do her laundry on Wednesday.
>And now your work is done here.
>You lock the front door behind you and close it quietly.
"See you next Sunday, love." you whisper to the door.
>And thus ends another Sunday off. You head back upstairs and get into your empty apartment.
>Cool air blows in from the windows you left open hours ago.
>The perfect sleeping temperature; just warm enough you can sleep in your boxers, and just cool enough that you can use your comforter.
>Mother nature is on your side, and brother she beckons you to sleep.
>You grab your ipod from the counter and bring it into your bedroom with you.
>Your outfit hits the ground before you even have time to close the door, and before you know it you're under the covers with your ipod on its charging dock.
>You scroll through the songs one last time.
>All that is left is your sign off song, one last tune to put your mind even more at ease than it already is.
>And you think you know just the song.
>After a little searching, you finally hit the play button and lay back on your mattress.
>The song kicks up, lightly playing from the tinny speaker system built into the ipod's dock. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xe3RqgnXaT4
>You stare at the ceiling, letting the music play you off like a performance finally getting the curtain closed.
>Your lids become heavier as the song sings about the simple joys of life.
>Without a word of warning, you drift to sleep and leave the world behind you.
>One floor down, a little pony tenderly holds her pillow with a curious passion.
>But in the end, both you and her drift away.
>You are Luna
>The moon hovers peacefully in the earliest moments of the morning.
>You stare off the balcony of the castle at the grand white orb that has held an odd place in your life up until this point.
>Your attention then turns to the silent city of Canterlot.
>The hustle and bustle has decreased to little more than a mumble in these wee hours of the morning.
>At this point you have gotten used to the lack of ponies walking about this early.
>You look at the great clock on the wall of your room.
>4:50am
>Still another hour until your sister awakens, but she is not who you are waiting for.
>Just as your mind wanders to him, he arrives through the creaking garden gate several stories below your great tower.
>The curious specimen named Anonymous meanders into the darkened garden, guiding himself solely on moonlight.
>He rhythmically nods his head with a pair of white strings leading up to his odd ears.
>Anonymous is always your first visitor of the new day, though he does not know it.
>It was pure chance that you noticed him down there all those months ago as he fiddled with that fascinating shiny box.
>In fact he is currently toying with it by the garden shed, most likely prepping for his work.
>Ordinarily you would never interfere, but tonight is the night that you finally approach him.
>No longer shall you stare from afar! This time you will actually interact with him!
>And as soon as you think this he begins to dance again.
>Whether it is while pushing a wheelbarrow or carrying heavy buckets of sand and stone, he moves gracefully as he works.
>And in this one sacred hour of darkness you get to observe it all alone.
>Even from this distance you can see his strong form, and intense contours.
>You kneel to get a few feet closer to the human. His flow of movement is effortless, like a stream it seems to continue even while completing simple tasks for the garden.
>The more you watch, the quicker your heart beats.
>The quicker your heart beats, the more flushed you feel.
>Perhaps... perhaps this morning is not the right morning...
>Maybe, you should continue to wait... the time is not right...
>You place your chin on the balcony's low wall.
>A sigh escapes your nostrils as you continue to consider the best course of action for the human in the garden.
>You stamp your hoof on the ground.
>This is no way for a princess to be acting! You should be more confident! He's just a commoner, a lowly gardener! Why should the great Luna fear speaking to such a beast?
>And yet you continue to stare at him, watching his muscular figure move to a beat you cannot hear; his feet tapping to a rhythm you cannot feel.
>You finally get to your hooves.
>If you wish to hear whatever it is he is dancing to then you will need to act! He is completely unaware of you when you sit up here in your tower!
>You collapse back down to the ground, holding your head in your hooves.
>But what if he wishes to be alone? What if your presence would make him uncomfortable? What if he would never dance again knowing somepony is watching him.
>Sister says he is a very relaxed soul, but what does that mean, really? You certainly don't know.
>You stand again.
>But you can find out! And you will find out! As soon as you soar above this balcony and land beside him.
>You nod in affirmation, fully agreeing with your logic.
>You ready your wings, stretch your legs, and...
>Walk back into your room.
>Another day! Now is not the time, it just doesn't feel-
>No, you must do it now or you never will! You must-
>Well let's not get hasty-
>No, now is the time for haste, now is the time for-
>But then again he might be tired and-
>No! We need to act soon!
>NO!
>YES!
>You pace madly back and fourth from within your room to upon your balcony.
>Finally, after what seems like an eternity, you get airborne and begin soaring towards the dancing gardener.
>Panicked the whole way down.
>You are Anon
>The walk to work this morning was just perfect, man.
>Spring has sprung and really put a little pep in your step.
>It's still above 60 degrees, so you just slapped on a short sleeved shirt and walked your way over here.
>Not without your soundtrack, of course.
>You start to prep for the day while prancing about like a fool to one of your favorite upbeat songs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvY7Nw1i6Kw [Embed]
>Every beat makes you move your feet! And it carries you through the slow prepping period of the early morning.
>You go to the shed and start pulling out bags of top soil, carrying them over to the empty flower bed you will be working on today.
>It's a pretty decent sized plot of land, about 8 foot by 12 feet and rounded at the corners.
>You need to plant a plethora of annuals that always need to be replaced.
>It's important to get the balance of lime, fertilizer, and seeds in the plot. On top of that, you need to plant some grass over the worn out patches in certain parts of the garden. Then you need to lay down and rake the decorative white stones on the east side of the garden.
>Yep, it's big to-do list for just one man, but you don't mind one bit.
>Being outside in the crisp spring air you can't help but feel free, even on the job.
>You place down another bag of top soil and turn around to head back to the shed.
>Instead you nearly bump headfirst into a tall pony standing right behind you.
>You jump instinctively, your heart nearly jumping through your ribs.
>After a moment of panic, you observe the familiar shapes of an Alicorn you have never spoken to, but have heard all about.
"P-Princess Luna?" you inquire, still recovering from being startled.
>She tilts her head before nodding.
>"Y-Yes, it is I." she says in a resplendent way, "I apologize for startling you, Mr. Anonymous..."
>You pull your earbuds out and exhale with a smile.
"That's quite alright, really! I was listening to my music too loud!"
>You chuckle, scratching the back of your head.
"And please, Mr.Anonymous is my father! You can call me Anon!"
>Mr. Anonymous is decidedly not your father since that is your first name.
>However you've always wanted to say that, and you simply cannot pass up the opportunity.
>The princess looks you up and down, wandering a little here or there.
>"Very well... Anon." she says awkwardly.
>There is a moment of pure, stagnant silence between you. It is almost as if Luna expects you to start doing the talking.
>You take a long breath
"So Princess, lovely morning, no?" you say, trying to be somewhat formal.
>Formalities are not a strength of yours, you just sort of talk to everybody the same way.
>She seems to snap out of her trance and responds quickly
>"Erm, yes Anon. It is a fine morning indeed..." she says, trailing off at the end.
>She seems even more out of her element than you are.
>You decide to just come out with it.
"Anything I can help you with?" you say, gesturing with your ipod in hand.
>She looks around nervously before her eyes settle on your mp3 player.
>"Y-Your music device. What music is it producing?" she responds flatly with a blush.
>You heard that Luna speaks in a sort of stiff way, but you never though it was this strange.
"You mean my ipod? It produces all kinds of music. All stuff from the human world!" you say happily, trying to lighten the mood.
>"Might... Might I listen to it?" she asks, cautiously getting a little closer to you.
>You feel like you're trying to feed a wild deer the way she sheepishly approaches you.
"Of course! Um, let me just figure this out first..." you say, looking down at the beat up device.
>Now you are faced with a new conundrum.
>What the heck does the princess of the moon listen to?
>She's a relic from 1000 years ago, still adjusting to the modern times. What kind of taste in music could she have?
>Maybe you should have read that history book Twilight gave you when you first got here. That could've helped.
>You look back up at here and are startled once again.
>She has gotten so close that you can practically feel her breath coming out of her nostrils.
>She blushes and shies away again, but still remains in close proximity.
>"Have y-you figured it out yet Mr.Anon- ... Anon?" she corrects.
>Ya know, this is not how you figured that mysterious princess you've heard all about would act.
>You stare into her eyes and place a hand on your chin.
"I'm starting to, just pardon me for one second..." you say, looking her over.
>She seems a little flustered as you obviously inspect her.
>Her mane flows quietly behind her like a nebula floating through space.
>Her large blue eyes dart about, occasionally looking back into yours.
>And her wings flutter occasionally. A sign of discomfort, perhaps, but you'll stop staring soon.
>As you really start to absorb her being you get a sense of who she might be.
>Despite her awkward fidgeting, she seems very sleek well put together.
>She has a sort of elegance that you assume just comes with the title of princess
>Yet the way she looks around and wriggles gives you a feeling of innocence. She certainly doesn't feel like she has the same dirty thoughts as Floor.
>Or if she does, she's at least more subtle about it.
>For some reason you find yourself gravitating towards something calm, like these early spring mornings you enjoy so much.
>You finally look back down at your ipod and find a song that you think might ease her into this strange phenomenon of human music.
>You pop one earbud back in and hold the other one out.
"Alright Princess, listen to this with me."
>Her eyebrows raise and she nervously brings her ear up to the tiny speaker.
>You hit play on the song you have chosen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiNdcBg3xC8 [Embed]
>The mellow beat plays with dark crashes before the unique voices take over.
>Luna's eyes widen as the music begins.
>After a few moments she pushes into your hand.
>You stare down at her as she intently listens to the strange tune.
>Admittedly you are a little nervous. You just chose what you felt was a good match for the princess of the night.
>Maybe you should have started with something easier to digest. Like Katy Perry or something.
>You shudder.
>There is no way you are introducing the world of human music with Katy Perry.
>That's sick. You're sick Anon! Sick!
>After being lost in thought for a moment you return to reality. Luna continues to listen to music, her head only about a foot from your chest.
>At this point you're scared about getting poked in the eye by her horn.
"So what do you think Princess?" you ask quietly.
>She squints her eyes.
>"This bizarre music is unlike anything I have ever heard." she says plainly
>You look around nervously.
"Do you want me to turn it off?"
>"Please do not. I think I am finding it rather... pleasing."
>Huh
>'Pleasing'
>You like that. 'Pleasing'.
>It feels almost surreal the way you stand there experiencing the joy of sharing music with the second in command of the country you reside in.
>And, technically, your boss.
>Though Celestia is generally the one that actually checks up on you.
>And signs the checks.
>The song ends, and she sits up again.
>"Anonymous, what do you call such-" she says before stopping abruptly.
>She once again underestimated how close she was to you, and her eyes are less than a foot from yours.
>She quickly scrambles backwards, opening the gap between you again.
>You smile at her.
"I think it would be considered alternative." you smile at her.
>She smiles back while sporting a hefty blush.
>After a second she raises an eyebrow.
>"Alternative to what, Anonymous?"
>You snicker at her confused expression.
"It's just the name of the genre. It'd take a lot to explain right now."
>She nods understandingly.
>You look back at the plot you are supposed to be filling in soon.
>That's what you probably should be doing...
>You look back at Luna.
>Man, life is too short to focus on work in a moment like this.
>This weird, abrupt introduction to Princess Luna is beyond awkward. She just sort of dropped out of the sky and demanded to hear your music.
>Still, you know there was nothing malicious to it, and maybe this can be the start of a budding friendship.
>You wouldn't mind getting to know her, and she doesn't seem too upset by your presence.
>You turn and walk to the knee high pile of top soil bags and take a seat on them.
>They have a little give, so it almost feels like a firm cushion.
>You pat on the pile next to yours.
"If you've got the time, it'd be pretty rad to talk about it, Princess." you say calmly
>She smiles wider than you've seen all morning.
>"I would like that very much, Anonymous." she says, trotting to your side, "And please, call me Luna."
>You smile back at her.
"You've got it Luna!" you say in a more relaxed tone.
>You hope this means you can loosen up a little. It's no fun talking like she's your boss. It really dampens the mood.
>You're here for friendship, not a promotion, man!
>She sit down on the top soil bag, taking a moment to steady herself.
>You wrap your earbuds around your ipod and stow it.
"So where did you even come from? I turned around for, like, a second and you were just there. It was crazy, man." you say, finally relaxing.
>She smiles at you, seemingly starting to relax as well.
>"My quarters are upon the fourth floor of the castle. Right up there..." she says, pointing with one hoof to a distant balcony on one of the castle's towers.
>You squint your eyes to make out the smaller details of the balcony.
"Huh, and you came all the way down her just for little ole me? Consider me flattered." you say with a smile.
>She blushes and looks away with a wry smile.
>"W-Well I merely wanted to hear this human music that I see- erm, the guards see you enjoying so often. The guards see it, not I." she says quickly
>Not very convincing, is she?
>You're starting to form a bit of a... strange hypothesis about the Princess this morning.
"Of course, hun. I'm excited that you enjoyed it." you say, letting some formalities fall away entirely.
>You're pretty sure you're not supposed to call a princess 'hun', but it is so ingrained in how you talk that you can't really stop yourself.
>Her face becomes a fine rose again at the playful name.
>"Y-yes, It was very enjoyable. I must say it was fascinating to hear music from another species..."
>You chuckle
"Well there is a lot more than just that. Even in the human world that kind of music is considered rather unique."
>"Hmm." she mumbles, looking away for a moment.
>You lean back and stretch as she peeks at you from the corner of her eye.
>Well that's in line with your hypothesis for sure.
>"Anonymous?" she beckons.
>You look back at her with a grin.
>"What is it, love?"
>She blushes and looks away.
>"What is it like?" she asks vaguely.
>You chuckle under your breath.
"Luna, it'll take more words than I know to properly describe all of humanity's music. Heck I haven't even heard-"
>"I mean the human world, Anonymous. What is it like?"
>That question certainly catches you off guard.
>Not because it is a particularly sore subject, but because it is strange for her to take interest.
"The human world? Well, it is a lot like this one, I think. Just, more humans. Not a lot of talking ponies there." you say with dismissive gestures.
>She flashes you an inquisitive look.
"Meaning none. There are no talking ponies there. The only things that actually speak are humans."
>"And do they all listen to what you let me hear?"
>You snicker to yourself.
"I kind of wish more humans did, but no. All humans like different types of music in different amounts. Just like here."
>You scratch the back of your head.
"I dunno, it's kind of a bummer. Not really much to note. Sorry princess." you say without tact.
>She nods lightly.
>You know that wasn't a very full answer.
"It's just hard to explain, man. Like, what is it like on the moon?" you ask, trying to make her empathetic.
>You feel a slight twang of guilt as you ask her this. You're not sure whether that's a sore spot for her.
>She looks to the ground.
>"Lonely, mostly." she says without skipping a beat.
>She looks back at you with a blank expression. It strikes you as solemn, but not quite melancholy.
>Like she has given thought to that question and to that answer.
"Huh... sounds about right, yeah." you respond, shifting in your spot.
>You twiddle your thumbs a bit.
"Sorry I brought it up, Luna." you say lightly.
>"Oh, it is fine Anonymous," she says with a mild smile, "In an odd way, I am glad you mentioned it."
>You look at her curiously and meet her gaze, making her shy away again.
"Is that so?" you inquire.
>She nods, looking straight ahead.
>"Y-yes. At the risk of sounding too forward I would say that is a bond the two of us share."
>You tilt your head.
"Going to the moon? I'm no astronaut, hun" you say with a smirk.
>That gets a small giggle out of her.
>"Of course not, Anonymous... What I mean is..." she says, looking into your eyes, "Being from elsewhere."
>You look back, listening intently.
>She looks down at your body then back to your eyes.
>"I was on that rock for so long, the world changed in a blink of an eye for me. It will take just as long for me to... adjust to this place. This time."
>You nod, letting her know that you're following along.
>"So when I learned of the presence of somepony who was disconnected like I am... well..."
>She fades near the end.
>"In no way is it proper, but I felt joy that somepon- someone was as lost as I."
>You smile at her and scoot a little closer.
"Hey, no worries Luna." you say, "I think we're all a little lost, ya know? Don't feel too bad about it."
>At last she reveals her teeth in a bright smile that makes you mirror it.
>That's more like it.
>There's more silence between you, but it is very different than the one from before.
>It is the kind of silence that comes when you are enjoying the presence of someone you didn't know you were missing.
>When you know that bud of friendship has started to blossom, and everything from here on out shall be different between the two of you.
>It's a warm feeling, one you have felt many times since you arrived in this strange place.
>But each time it is different, and as the princess quietly smiles back you feel strangely in tune with her.
>Another yang in life.
>Right on.
>Luna's face becomes concerned as she starts to realize just how clearly she can see you.
>She looks up and notices just how much time has passed.
>The sun has begun its ascent, and the moon remains in the place she left it.
>"OH GOODNESS." she says in a panicked voice.
>She quickly gets to her hooves.
>"My sincerest apologies Anonymous, but I must go! If sister finds out I wasn't tending to the moon... well it simply won't be positive!" she stammers.
>"Have a good morning, Anonymous!" she says, readying her wings and beginning to leave the ground.
"Now wait right there Luna!" you shout.
>She jumps at your sudden increase in volume and turns around to face you again.
>She finds you with your arms outstretched at each side, smiling brightly.
"You didn't think you were gonna get away without a hug, didja?"
>She looks at you like you have three heads. Once again her face burns with a deep red.
>"A... h-hug?" she says inquisitively, "I'm not sure I can-"
"Oh come on Luna! Everyone's got time for a goodbye hug, baby." you interrupt, wiggling your fingers.
>She looks at you nervously, but can't pull herself away. She falls to the temptation of a good hug.
>She flutters back down to the ground and quickly trots up to you.
>With a force you weren't anticipating she flops into your chest, casting her forelegs over your shoulders.
>You hug around her back as she wraps her neck over your shoulder.
>She lets out a sigh as she settles into your arms.
>You can't help but grin as you hold her tight.
>It's the first hug of many, you think.
>You gently run your hand through her mane. Not like you have much of a choice, after all it kind of goes everywhere.
>It feels like a cool mist combined with a fine silk.
>It's definitely hair, but with some really intense magic flowing through it.
>Huh
>You always wondered what that felt like.
>Maybe one day she can tell you why it always looks like it is flowing, even when there is no wind.
>Now that would blow your mind, dude.
>She rubs her cheek on your back a little. It's not exactly subtle, it feels like she applies some real pressure.
>For someone who was in such a rush to leave, she is really savoring this hug.
>Maybe you can learn something from this. Maybe you're just not enjoying your hugs enough.
>Or maybe Luna has a more robust appreciation of platonic embraces than you do.
>Whatever be the case, you're pretty sure she is running late now.
>You clear your throat.
"Ahem... Princess, the moon..." you say quietly.
>She quickly snaps up again
>"Erm, yes that's right!" she says, still somewhat in your arms
>With a light blush and a running take off she hits the sky again, soaring up towards her balcony.
>After a little while, the silence becomes noticeable again, and the birds start to fill your ears with songs of spring.
>You keep an eye on the sky, particularly the white orb that hasn't gotten the memo about going away.
>It's funny, you're pretty sure you've seen the moon during the day in the human world as well.
>There's a scientific explanation for that in the human world.
>Here, it's just what happens when Luna gets distracted.
>You chuckle as the orb begins to hastily move towards the horizon. Clearly moving at a much more rapid pace than usually.
>Well, looks like she made it and got her job done on time.
>You turn back to the garden shed.
>Now it's time for you to do the same.
>You are Luna
>A bead of sweat rolls down your cheek as you push yourself to get the moon down at a rapid pace.
>It finally ducks beneath the horizon allowing you to catch your breath.
>You were in such a panic on your way back up here that you ran yourself ragged.
>You're sure that Sister saw the moon as she lifted the sun, but she will probably assume you were napping again.
>You yawn as the morning sun casts orange rays through the pillars of the castle.
>Even now you feel yourself effortlessly grinning. Your exhaustion does nothing to dampen your mood.
>You have a feeling that when you hop in bed you'll drift to a very comfortable sleep.
>A wonderful sensation of glowing bliss rolls over you and makes you feel light.
>Your meeting with Anonymous was everything you hoped it would be and more.
>You never anticipated that you could connect with him so quickly. Sister was right when she said he was easygoing.
>You slowly approach the edge of your balcony to peek back down at the muscular Anonymous one more time.
>The burning returns to your face while he rips open the bags of soil with his bare hands before spreading them around the empty gated area of the garden.
>He does it all with minimal tools, making full use of his toned muscles.
>You sigh again, remembering how it felt to be held in those firm arms.
>They were as secure and comforting as you imagined.
>You continue to watch him a little longer as he rips bag after bag.
>Another yawn breaches your lips.
>You will have time to spy on him in the future, for now you should rest.
>Before you turn to head back to your bedroom you realize you're not actually alone on your balcony anymore.
>Your sister stand beside you quietly looking down at Anonymous as well, quietly chewing on a bagel.
>You stare at her in silent horror before she turns and speaks to you with her cheeks full of breakfast.
>"Ya know if you stare too much he'll catch on." she says with a very loose tone.
>You feel your cheeks burn again.
>How did she get in here without alerting you? Were you that engrossed in staring at Anonymous?
>How long has she been standing there?
>You take a small step back before addressing your elder sister.
"S-Sister, why are you upon my balcony?"
>She takes another bite of her bagel with an innocent look on her face.
>"Same as you, right?" she says lightly.
"I d-don't know what you mean Sister... I was just lowering the moon, now I am heading to be-"
>"Ooh looks like he might take off his shirt early today." she interrupts with raised eyebrows, looking down off the balcony.
>You feel your eyes try to peer over the balcony but resist the temptation.
>It would kill you if Sister knew you were eyeing Anonymous out of more than innocent curiosity.
"Sister please. I am trying to get to bed. Whatever it is you are speaking of can wait until tomorr-"
>She lets out an impressed whistle.
>"He must have been working hard this morning, he's already drenched in sweat."
>A bead of sweat rolls down from your forehead down the side of your head.
>Resist, Luna. Resist.
>Celestia looks back at you.
>"I'm sorry Luna, I was a little distracted. What were you saying?"
>You huff hot air out of your nostrils.
"I j-just want to get to bed, Sister." you stammer, trying your hardest not to seem as heated as you actually are.
>Celestia tilts her head.
>"Well by all means Sister, go right ahead!" she says, gesturing to the bed inside, "I'll only be out here a bit longer. You have the best view in the castle."
>She is so relaxed and unapologetic about all this, it infuriates you to no end.
>Still, she has given you the option to leave. You best take it before things get out of hoof.
>You start to head inside without a word, silently walking past your sister.
>"Oh my~" she says sensually, "He couldn't possibly be thinking about removing his PANTS as well, could he?"
>With that your neck nearly snaps as your head turns back to the balcony.
>You hit the railing of the balcony with a thunderous clunk and look down over the garden again.
>Anonymous continues to spread soil, still fully clothed.
>Sweat drips off your chin to the earth many stories below.
>Oh no.
>You've fallen for her trap.
>It only occurs to you now just how far over the railing you are leaning.
>You can only imagine how red your face must be at this point.
>Perhaps you can just stay in this position so that you never need to face your sister again.
>No... it would never work.
>You need to pull yourself back at some point.
>You hear Celestia continuing to quietly eat her bagel behind you, patiently waiting for you to return to the balcony.
>You wince at your folly, and begin to back onto the balcony again.
>You know what comes next.
>As you turn to face your sister again, you can almost feel her grin as she stares at you.
>You lock eyes with her, giving you the full view of her snug expression.
>She smirks knowingly at you as you quickly heat up again.
>"You're too easy sometimes, sis." she says, chomping the last of her bagel.
>You exhale out of your nose.
"That was mean, Celly." you grumble.
>She wipes her mouth with her foreleg.
>"Hey, you were the one that lied to me first, Lulu. It's not right to lie you know!"
"B-But you just lied about Anonymous!" you say quickly.
>She raises her eyebrows.
>"Anonymous? Who are you... oh! You mean MISTER Anonymous? When did you forget to use proper formalities? You shouldn't call him by his first name unless-"
>She fakes a gasp
>"Lulu! You didn't happen to befriend our young gardener, did you? Oh how scandalous!" she says with a playful smile.
>You scrunch your face in frustration as your sister mocks you.
"B-Begone vile sibling! You upset me!" you say, raising your voice.
>"Oh hush Lulu, you know I am just playing." she says, wrapping a foreleg around your shoulders.
>She pulls you in, facing off the balcony.
>"Still, I would prefer if you didn't distract yourself during your shift."
>You feel your shame rise up inside you.
"I... I am sorry, Sister." you say, at a loss for words.
>Celly kisses the top of your head.
>"It's quite alright, sis. I would be just as distracted if my balcony had a view like this!" she says, looking down at the small human below.
>He is shaking his hips to a new tune as he brings a rake over to even out the soil.
>"You need to be careful though, he will notice if you stare for too long." she explains.
>She turns to look at you and you return the favor.
>"So just peek at him in little shifts. The best time to do it is right before lunch because that is when he is most pumped up!" she continues to teach.
>You blink a few times.
>This... is actually very good information.
"What... what else can you tell me?" you say quietly.
>Celly smiles at you.
>"Well I don't know too much, but the guard mares tell me he likes to spend his break strolling through woods behind the garden. Sometimes when he is all alone he REALLY starts to dance!" she says giddily, "And I know that he will sometimes do pull ups during long shifts if he needs to stay past dinner time! I saw it just a week ago!"
>You start to feel a less innocent smile crawl across your face as you imagine Anonymous flexing his muscular back and arms to pull himself up.
>Celly notices your expression and matches it with your own.
>"Would you like me to wake you up the next time he does it?" she inquires.
>Without thinking you nod at her, sweat beginning to roll down the sides of your face.
>Her grin widens.
>"Alright, you've got it Lulu." she says, releasing her hold on you.
>She begins to walk towards the door.
>"Okay, I am off to take my shift!" she announces.
>You look her over, noticing her extreme lack of armor.
>In fact, you were so worked up by her presence you didn't notice she was wearing an article of clothing that looks strikingly like one of Anonymous' shirts.
>Though she teased you for being attracted to Anonymous, it appears she is in the same boat.
>You are Celestia
>An amused smile remains on your face as you make your way back to your quarters.
>Seeing your little sister so flustered reminds you of when you were fillies and she would develop crushes on the guards.
>They would be cute little bouts of affection, driven entirely by innocent passing interest.
>But she is a grown mare now, and to see her watching Anon so intensely makes you happy.
>It also helps that she has good taste.
>After all, after spending over a thousand years watching ponies come and go, Anon's body is a.... welcome change.
>You did not understand how welcome it was until Twilight recommended him so highly.
>'The girls highly appreciate his presence, and he is such a hard worker! I think that perhaps you would like him under your watchful eye so you can see how much he has to offer the kingdom.' you recall it going.
>Twilight was never one to let her passion bubble at the surface, but you can understand now that he is here.
>When he first arrived here you had a difficult time listening to him. You found yourself lost in the bulges and curves of his body more often than not.
>Even now you try to catch a glimpse of him at least once a day when you cannot find time to speak with him.
>You enter your room at the top of your tower.
>The t-shirt you stole from Anonymous on a particularly hot day is cast upon your bed and swapped for your regal golden chest plate.
>It only takes a few minutes to put on the rest, and before you know it you're a proper ruler again.
>You look in the mirror and see the tall slender figure of a powerful princess.
>Never slouching, never anything but elegant and graceful.
>In public, that is.
>As Luna could easily tell anyone, when the armor is off you couldn't act any less like a princess.
>Whether it be the fact you still have cider cans on the ground in your bedroom or the raunchy comic books under your bed, there is plenty of proof around you.
>But when the crown is on, you're a ruler.
>The morning goes as it usually does, boring and bureaucratic.
>It starts with simple greetings of the staff. The cooks want their dishes for upcoming banquets approved, the florists want to know what orders they should fill out, and the janitorial staff try their hardest not to be noticed as they clean the halls.
>Every pony that passes you greets you with a, 'Your highness' or 'Princess' as they go, paying attention to your status, but perhaps not you.
>It goes on like this for a few hours when suddenly something very rare occurs.
>A meeting is a cancelled, a trade negotiation between the griffin kingdom and your own.
>Nothing too serious, but a cancellation of a meeting between nations is considered a big deal.
>Fortunately it is simply due to a scheduling conflict and nothing more.
>But this leaves you with one whole hour to yourself, without a responsibility to anyone but yourself.
>It doesn't take long for you to figure out how to spend it.
>After all, the garden looks quite lovely this time of year.
>Would it really be that suspicious for the princess to enjoy her castle's expansive garden and chat with the gardener?
>No, if anything it would be a waste to not see the beautiful sights in the garden.
>You smile as you exit the back of the castle.
>Just going out to get some fresh air is all.
>Nothing more, nothing less.
>You wander through the massive garden that was put in many moons ago. The foliage pops with a vast array of colors and smells that tickle your senses and brighten your mood.
>Still, you're not here to smell the daffodils.
>You're on the hunt for human.
>It takes a fair amount of walking to reach the back shed where you last saw Anonymous, but to your dismay it appears he has already moved on.
>The once vacant plot is now filled with fresh soil and mulch along with beautiful seasonal flowers. The edges have been carefully seeded so that the grass will grow right up to the border.
>Curse him and his efficiency.
>Now you will need to continue your hunt. You certainly hope it does not take you too long-
>"Good Morning Princess!" beckons a masculine voice behind you.
>You smile automatically.
>And there he is!
>You turn to address him.
"Ah, good morning Anonymousss" you say before fading off.
>As he fills your view you realize just what you have gotten yourself into.
>His shirt is missing, and his body is covered in a glorious shine from the sweat of hard labor.
>It drips down the hills and valleys of his chiseled body, rolling down to the 'V' that runs down into his pants.
>He stands up straight, holding a large bag of white decorative stones on his shoulder with one hand while the other rests upon his waist.
>His muscles protrude with the occasional large vein running down his forearm. His body has a healthy pump.
>What time is it? Around 11am?
>Right before lunch. You couldn't have timed this better.
>One earbud hangs lazily in the breeze as he addresses you.
>"How are we doin' today? Everything going with the status quo, princess?" he asks genuinely, placing the bag of stone on the ground.
>You recompose yourself and try not to stare.
"Oh yes, Anonymous. I got a small break to myself, so I thought I would enjoy it on this fine spring morning."
>He nods with a smile, pulling his earbuds out fully and wrapping them around his music device.
>"A wise choice if you ask me! I'm just bringing back the excess bags of stone from the front."
>You smile at him and can't help but feel flushed.
>It takes a lot to get you to blush.You're no stranger to lewd things.
>But suddenly seeing Anon's half naked body glistening in the morning light... has had a predictable effect.
>Your wings are starting to feel sore from you holding them down.
>On the outside you look like your normal princess self.
>On the inside, you feel like a princess from one of your more... sultry comics in your room.
>You sigh to yourself.
>And you gave such a hard time to Luna about being distracted.
>He wipes a fair amount of sweat from his brow and shakes his head to get the sweat out of his hair.
>With a quick flick of his neck he whips his hair back and combs it with his hand.
>You watch every millisecond of it, watching as he styles his hair back in a windswept fashion.
>A drop of sweat rolls down to the bottom of your jaw and drips to the ground.
>You continue to give him your well rehearsed royal smile, the same one you have given diplomats and rulers of foreign nations.
>From raged filled griffins to towering buffalo, you have maintained this facade through every encounter.
>Yet this simple beast has started an assault on your disguise, and it is like nothing you have ever faced.
>You keep it together as he unwittingly flexes his muscles with every little movement he makes.
>He scratches the back of his head as you stare at his hair.
>What you wouldn't give to be able to just bury your nose in that.
>You bet he smells heavenly.
>You can already smell him from where you are standing, but to get an entire nose full would make you feel weak.
>To say you lust for it is an understatement.
>You take a deep breath, casting away your sultry thoughts before you excite yourself too much.
>You only have a little time to spend with him, you must act now while you can.
"How are you enjoying being the royal gardener, Anonymous? Does it suit you?" you ask authoritatively
>His eyes brighten as you bring it up. Once again that authentic smile grows across his face like a vine.
>"It suits me perfectly, your highness! Not a day goes by that I don't enjoy the opportunity to be with these little fellas." he says, gesturing to the multitude of flowers.
>You chuckle lightly in your royal voice, ensuring that it is evenly spaced and graceful.
>Every action has been augmented, every mannerism memorized, and every flaw formulated. All for the sake of a perfect princess facade.
"Well I am delighted to hear such wonderful affirmation, Anonymous." you say with a smile.
>He places his hands on his hips, making his chest pop more.
>"Please, Princess, call me Anon!" he says cheerfully, "I don't know why you and Luna treat me so formally! I'm just a gardener, ya know."
>You tilt your head.
"Very well. From henceforth I shall refer to you as 'Anon'." you respond regally.
>The mention of your sister stokes a fire of curiosity in you.
>You know she spent a little time with him earlier this morning, but you do not know what happened.
>Anon's honest nature will surely clue you in.
"I had heard that you spent some time with my younger sister. Since you refer to her so casually, I gather the rumors are true!" you say with a knowing smile.
>Anon's expression changes to one of slight concern.
"Yes ma'am, we did chat a little during my morning prep. I hope that is all right. I don't want to cause any trouble, your highness." he says very formally.
>You wave a hoof dismissively, getting a little closer to him as you do.
>"Oh Anon it is of no trouble. My sister can do as she chooses, and I am not worried about you," you say with a loving tone.
>He nods, his smile returning.
>"Ah, excellent. I don't want to cross any boundaries I shouldn't! If you're cool with it all, then I'm cool with getting buddy-buddy with her." he says, picking up the bag of stone again.
>Your controlled smile never leaves your face, but you can feel your ears twitch at his final words.
"Buddy-buddy, you say?" you inquire, hiding just how interested you really are.
>He walks by you and places the stone back in the shed.
>"Yeah, buddy-buddy!" he says, turning back to face you, "Like, getting to know each other and being pals."
>You giggle through your anxiousness
"I knew what you meant, Anon! I wished to know more..." you say, unable to find softer words in the moment.
>He chuckles and leans in the shed's doorway.
>"Ah, sorry. Well there isn't much to say, we just sort of talked for an hour. I let her listen to some music and... yeah. That was pretty much it."
>You nod understandingly.
>Though, you have to admit you are a little jealous.
>Anonymous has never shared his music with you, but then again you never asked.
"That sounds very pleasant. I hope the two of you had some time to bond." you say in a motherly tone.
>He flashes a toothy grin.
>"Oh we definitely bonded. I even gave her a departing hug!" he says proudly
>You can almost hear the record skip inside as the words leave his mouth.
>Though your face remains a happy, calm demeanor, your emotions have started to swirl.
>Lulu got a hug from Anonymous after only speaking with him for an hour?
>You can feel the kind of jealousy you only get with siblings. The sort you feel when you suspect a parent is picking favorites.
>Only this time it isn't a parent, it's an intensely attractive human with arms so toned they look like they could bend steel.
>God you just want him to use those monsters to pull on your-
>NO.
>You cannot get carried away, not here. What would the guards say if they saw you drooling over him?
>Yet the fact still stands that Luna received a hug after speaking with him for a fraction of the time you have known him.
>It's your fault, you're obviously never direct with him. Luna never puts on a facade like you, but then again she doesn't run the kingdom when anypony is awake.
>Not to mention she is too brutally honest to act convincingly.
"M-My my, you two really did bond, didn't you?" you say, regaining your composure.
>"Eeyup! I really got to know her better, beyond the crown. It was a treat!" he says, running his hand through his hair again.
"I am happy to hear that. I am sure Luna feels the same." you say, forcing yourself to swallow your envy.
>"I am glad I got your approval, your highness." he says, whipping his hand out like a small bow.
>His formal greeting stings a little, and it makes you face a decision.
>Do you give him permission to loosen up and risk the rumors that come with it, or do you leave it be?
>The second choice is obviously much safer. It's much more mature to keep in mind your image as a princess
>You mustn't fall into the temptation of getting too close with the average commoner. You are the sole ruler of an empire, not the class president.
>And a gardener is about as commoner as you can get.
>As you formulate your response you accidentally look at his arms again, then back to his eyes.
>You can hear your inner self whine.
>'But Lulu gets to hug him all she wants! She gets to talk with him when nopony is around! Why do you have to be so selfless all the time? Why do you need to be the unstoppable, powerful ruler of all of Equestria all the time?'
>Your can feel yourself sweat as that little voice continues.
>'Why can't you let your guard down to Anon? You can trust him! Why can't you let him just pin you down against your will and-'
>NO
>'Just let him hold you despite your struggling powerlessly, letting him-'
"Oh Anon, such formalities! You may call me Celly if you'd like." you nearly blurt out.
>While the pet name falls from your lips you nearly let go of your controlled expression as your eyes try to widen against your will.
>You made your choice and sealed your fate, but this is far worse than that.
>"Re..... Really?" he asks with a surprised expression. Even he can't believe what you said.
>Having him call you Celestia wouldn't be too inconspicuous, ponies would just assume he forgot to use formalities. You know he hates them.
>But him calling you 'Celly' is beyond any forgotten formality, it is a nickname only shared between you and Luna.
"O-Of course. You don't need to treat me like your boss all the time..." you say.
>You've been pushed into a corner, if you backpedal now he might pull back and then you will be even further from him.
>He grins at your consent.
>"Alright, you've got it... Celly" he says, testing it out.
>Your heart throbs instantly, and you can feel an uncontrollable smile crack through your expression.
>Oh goodness.
>You underestimated just how much having Anon use your pet name would affect you.
>The only pony that has ever used that name is your sister. Nobody else comes close.
>And yet in your storm of thoughts you accidentally gave that power to the being here that could actually impact you with it.
>It feels like you're being patronized, though you know that isn't his intentions.
>He stands before you with a smug smile, happy with his new name for you.
>And that smugness comes off as almost cocky, as if he feels superior to you.
>Like you're just a little princess from some unimportant kingdom that he doesn't respect.
>Like he is just toying with you.
>And as these fantasies play through your head it makes your back legs feel weak.
>But more than that, it makes you feel weak in general.
>In all reality, you could easily vaporize the otherwise delicate human. He lacks any sort of magic whatsoever.
>But physically he could overpower you, and that is enough to make him have a dominating presence.
>Do you like that?
>Why do you like that?
>Now that you think about it, you were always jealous of those princesses in your fantasy novels. They always get to be chained up and in distress; waiting for some handsome knight to sweep them off their hooves.
"Oi? You all right Celly? You look a little pale." he says, interrupting your stream of thought and self discovery.
>Another shudder goes down your spine as he calls you that childish name again. When you finally look up he is much closer to you.
>How do you look pale? What kind of expression are you making right now?
>Damnit Celly, get it together.
"I-I'm fine Anonymous! I think my.... allergies... are acting up." you say, stumbling a little.
>He looks you up and down with genuine worry.
>"That would make sense, the pollen does start to float around a lot this time of year, ya know?"
>You sigh in relief as you have thrown him off your trail.
>Thank goodness he is so trusting.
>He takes a step back, giving you some more breathing room.
>"I would suggest getting back inside then, Celly. Not that I don't like conversing with you." he says with a healthy chuckle.
>You laugh politely with him, melting a little more with every use of that name.
"Yes, that sounds like a good idea," you reply with a sigh, "I believe my break is coming to an end soon anyway."
>He tilts his head and points his thumb towards the castle.
>"Back to princessing?" he says jokingly.
>You let out an unplanned giggle.
>It's almost surprising. It took no effort, no forethought. It just came out!
"Yes, back to 'princessing'" you say, emphasizing his made up term
>He nods and raises his eyebrows.
>"Sounds lame if you ask me, hun." he says, casting aside his formal tone completely.
>Once again your heart bounces about your rib cage as he regards you so lightly.
>It appears by letting him act more friendly with you he has completely abandoned trying to be professional.
>"You want real entertainment, you come out here and get your hands dirty!" he says happily
"Erm" you respond, lifting up a hoof.
>He looks at your hoof then back up at you.
>"Hooves. That's what I said right? Hooves." he says with a goofy smile
>Another lovely giggle comes from you and you cover your mouth with a hoof as it grows into a full laugh.
>He smirks, happy to see such a genuine reaction.
>As you laugh you accidentally let out a little snort which stops the fit.
>You blush and look at Anonymous with your regal expression again, albeit a little more embarrassed.
"I should really be going. It was nice talking with you, Anon." you say, bringing back your motherly tone.
>"It sure was! Thanks for stopping by, it means a lot Celly."
>As you feel your blush return he makes a motion you could only have dreamed of.
>He stretches out his arms and wiggles his fingers.
>"Is it too much to ask for a goodbye hug from my newest friend?"
>Oh yes
>Oh yes oh yes oh yes oh yes oh yes oh yes OH YES
>You do a quick look around, making sure there aren't any guards patrolling the gardens.
>If those chatty little ponies saw you getting hugged by Anonymous it would spread through the city like wildfire.
>Fortunately guards patrol the outside of the garden, not the inside.
>It IS supposed to be your private sanctuary, after all.
>You look Anonymous up and down, acting like you're really giving it thought.
>You don't want to jump into it too quickly, it would be pretty obvious how much you want his.
>After a few moments you compose your next sentence very carefully.
"Well I suppose one little hug wouldn't hurt..." you say with an airy voice.
>His smile widens revealing some of his teeth.
>"That's what I like to hear! I wasn't gonna let you go so easily anyway!"
>Oh he simply exudes confidence, doesn't he?
>After a moment he cautiously approaches you, getting his hands in position as you lift your head a little so he may get a better angle on your neck.
>He pauses before locking in.
>"I am a little dirty though, so maybe we should-"
>You interrupt him by pulling him into your chest.
>You are NOT letting a little dirt stop you from this pleasure. You earned this.
>He chuckles and wraps his arms tightly around you, pressing his chest into yours.
>In the heat of the moment, you exhibit no restraint. You wrap your neck around to the back of his head.
>His fingers roll through your mane, and you can feel each individual digit as it strokes down your neck to your back.
>His gentle touch brings you comfort, but his firm arms and chest pressing against you brings you a more... carnal sort of enjoyment.
>Mama likey.
>And as you hold him close you take the opportunity to take a deep breath through your nose.
>His musky odor hits you all at once.
>It's incredible.
>After a while the two of you break and say your goodbyes.
>As you head out you see his shirt hanging from a tree around the bend.
>Without a second thought you snatch it off the branch.
>He won't notice.
>You are Anon
>You pace around the garden, peering down every row of trees and bushes.
>After a few minutes of darting around and searching every square inch of the garden you take a seat on the stone bench by a beautiful marble fountain.
>You sigh as you listen to the water trickle down the many layers of the fountain before finally rolling down into the final basin.
>How do you lose two shirts in the same month? You could've sworn that you left it by the exit, but it is nowhere to be found.
>Did the wind take it?
>It didn't seem that windy...
>You lean back on your hands and look up towards the sky.
>The clouds lazily float by the sun, never quite covering it.
>You're not really bummed about losing your shirt, you're not very attached to it.
>But between you losing them on the job and Floor stealing them, you're actually starting to run low on them.
>You'll need to send Rarity a letter for more.
>But if you do that she always insists you come in for 'measuring'.
>And you're not a fashionista or anything, but you're pretty sure that there isn't usually an audience of all the designer's friends for when someone is measured.
>It was obvious that they started reacting differently to you once you got as fit as you did. You didn't realize why until you met Floor Bored and then it all made sense.
>You lie down on the bench to stare up at the sky better.
>Lunch break is generally a time to reflect.
>Especially when you forget to pack a meal...
>Even with this knowledge you have a terrible time picking up on signs of how ponies are feeling. They seem to save face pretty well, and you don't really notice the little stuff. It's just too much effort to tell if a pony has the hots for you, so you just don't even bother.
>If they really got an interest, they'll tell you. Like Floor Bored.
>...
>Well, maybe not EXACTLY like Floor Bored, but they'll let you know.
>As you think quietly a morning dove frantically flies by, leaving a trail of feathers behind.
>The feathers float towards the earth, allowing a single white piece of fluff fall upon your nose.
>You cross your eyes to look at it, observing intently as the soft white plume gets carried to a new destination by the breeze.
>The familiar hue of the feather brings your mind to new thoughts.
>Today was an interesting day, to put it lightly.
>You spoke with the mysterious Princess Luna, only to find her as relatable as the rest of us.
>It was an unexpected, but welcome, surprise.
>Then Princess Celestia jumped to first name basis with you out of nowhere.
>It strikes you as odd because it seems like nobody else around her refers to her as anything close to 'Celly'.
>But every time you said it a little wiggly smile would force itself onto her face; almost accidentally.
>So, you'll be using it a lot more often. Not every day that a princess lets you call her something so friendly.
>Actually, it's not every day you can say you hugged the two most powerful ponies in the nation within a few hours of each other.
>You sit up on the bench, getting deeper in your thought.
>What was with that, anyway? You had never met Luna formally prior to this morning, and Celestia has always seemed like a distant boss rather than a close companion.
>What changed today?
>The more you think about it, the less sense it seems to make.
>After awhile, you just write it off as a coincidence.
>Who knows what it was? Not you, and man it's none of your business.
>You turn on the bench to face forward again, catching the stare of a little grey pegasus standing a few yards away.
>You lift your eyebrows.
"Derpy?" you inquire.
>Derpy looks you up and down with a light flush. She is wearing her cute little mailmare uniform and satchel.
>"H-Hiya Anon! Do you always go to work without a sh-shirt?" she stammers.
>You look down at your bare chest and back at her.
>Her blush grows as she looks at your body again.
>You shake your head.
>It's obvious you're distracting her.
"I might as well go to work without it! I keep losing the dang things!" you say, leaning back on the bench and patting the seat next to you, "Take a load off, love."
>She smiles sweetly at you before hopping onto the bench beside you.
>The two of you sit in the shade cast by the nearby trees and listen to the bubbling fountain as it continues to run.
"How's my favorite mailmare, huh? You get through your deliveries okay?" you ask lightly,ruffling her mane as you do.
>You don't know why, but that always makes you happy. Maybe it's because ponies take really good care of their manes and coats.
>Minus Floor, of course. She doesn't count.
>Maybe one day you could do it to Celly or Luna.
>...
>That's probably really pushing your luck.
>Like, a lot.
>Bummer, man.
>"Oh, um, yeah! All my deliveries are done... except one." she says happily before trailing off at the end.
>You scratch your chin and stare at the fountain again, crossing your legs as you do.
"Oh yeah? Is it going to the castle or something?" you inquire carefully.
>She nods.
>"Yup! Right to the castle..." she says anxiously.
"Huh!" you exclaim, leaning back in the bench, "I didn't think your route came out this far."
>"Oh, well, it really doesn't." she says, clacking her front hooves together nervously, "But this delivery is kind of special."
>You look down at her with a goofy grin.
"A special delivery ya say? Well I think all your deliveries are special!" you say, messing up her mane again, " Cus' you're the one delivering them, hun!"
>Derpy giggles as you toy with her mane, then begins to fish through her bag.
"So who's it for?" you ask, your curiosity being peaked.
>"I-It's for you silly!" she says, still searching through her satchel.
>You point towards yourself.
"Me?"
>She pulls out a brown paper bag with her mouth and places it in your lap.
>"Yeah. It is for letting me nap in your bed yesterday..." she says with a blush.
"Aw geez, ya didn't need to do that!" you say, looking into the bag.
>As you peer into the bag a plethora of aromas hit you in the nose all at once.
>The most potent of which makes your stomach growl.
>Peanut butter is definitely involved in whatever occupies this bag.
>Next to what appears to be a sandwich is a can of iced tea.
>Near the bottom of the bag is a small plastic baggy that you recognize right away.
>Aww heck yeah fruity snacks! And a few sticks of celery with a bag of baby carrots.
>This is a full lunch for sure!
>As you inspect the contents you're hit by an overwhelming sense of gratitude towards Derpy.
>It has been far too long since someone made a bagged lunch for you.
>It may seem like a simple luxury, especially when sitting in the shadow of an immense castle with several dining halls and dozens of full-time chefs.
>But it really is the smallest of things that get your emotions flowing.
>A bagged lunch made by a friend is the best thing in the world, especially since your stomach is thinking about mutiny at this point.
>You give Derpy a wide smile and stretch your arms out.
"C'mere you!" you say, wrapping your arms around her.
>"Eep!" she squeaks as you pull her against you suddenly.
>After a moment of surprise she accepts the hug and embraces you back.
>Her breath becomes a little sharper on your neck as you hold her tight.
>The hug finally breaks apart and Derpy hovers lightly in the air just above eye level.
>"Um... that's not all I was supposed to deliver you..." she says nervously, clacking her hooves again.
"Oh yeah? I thought this was just a thank you for letting you nap in my bed..." you say, lifting the bag a little.
>She nods quickly.
>"Y-yeah but um" she says slowly.
>Her face becomes flushed again.
>"I'm sorry, it's really hard to explain in words... it's right over there." she says, point her hoof past you in the opposite direction.
>You look in that direction and see nothing.
"I guess I don't see it. What is it Derp-"
>You're interrupted as something soft lightly presses against your cheek.
>For a moment you're just confused, but as Derpy's mane grazes your shoulder you come to understand what is happening.
>She flutters at your head level, lightly pressing her lips against your left cheek with tender affection.
>The moment seems to last much longer than it really does.
>The water in the fountain slows its trickle, the rustling leaves stand still as the wind begins to halt.
>For a just one second, it all feels warm and fuzzy. The world seems quiet and motionless.
>And as the moment comes to pass, Derpy pulls her lips away from the side of your face.
>You turn and look into her eyes.
>Plural.
>For just a second, in the afterglow of her peck on the cheek, her eyes focus as she lifts her eyelids again.
>They lock with yours, and strike you as almost surreal.
>To see those beautiful yellow irises lined up perfectly is so foreign to you that it seems almost unnatural!
>Which is, of course, the exact opposite of the actual case.
>But as the afterglow wears off she blinks her eyes back into different positions and looks at you with a flustered smile.
>You smile back, happy to see her eyes set back to the familiar Derpy you know.
>"That was for all the other stuff..." she says clearly.
>And with that she soars off and over the garden wall with such impressive speed you're surprised she didn't scare all the birds.
>You lightly rub the cheek she kissed with a stupid grin on your face.
>Maybe it's the spring in the air, maybe it's just the weather.
>Or maybe it is just your karma catching up to you after all the good stuff you've saved up.
>Whatever it is, the end result is very real.
>And today went from being a busy work day that you forgot your lunch on to a day full of new friendships, strengthened old ones, and lots of hugs with an added kiss.
>You unwrap the sandwich that Derpy made for you and dig in.
>Peanut butter and banana.
>Heckin' yes.
>Nothing beats a lunch prepared for you with care.
>Well, maybe a kiss.
>Maybe.
>You are Luna
>Even though your sister gave you a hard time this morning, you still took her advice regarding Anonymous.
>With a few hours of sleep in you, your alarm clock rung you awake just before noon; supposedly right before Anonymous's lunch break.
>Your trust was not ill placed; Anonymous had removed his shirt and revealed his glistening body to you.
>Actually, to be fair, he revealed himself to your nearby telescope.
>Your telescope is supposed to be used to observe celestial bodies.
>Today it has been used to observe a more alien kind of body...
>And for the first bit it was certainly worth waking up to. Anonymous wandered about for a while, presumably searching for something, before settling down on a bench near the center of the garden.
>Oh to see that shirtless human strut about the garden like his personal kingdom was so exciting to you.
>He wanders like a sentry, defending the little bit of land he can wander freely.
>An anomaly no matter what corner of this land he travels to.
>Just how you too are a strange creature with few to feel akin to. Until now, at least.
>As you watched him do his daily activities, it gave you security in your own occupation.
>There are many nights where you wonder why you even bother to move the moon when your sister has proven she can do it all on her own.
>Why must you bear the weight of your prison and move it across the darkened skies?
>It feels like you are forced to do this job, like freedom is not an option of yours.
>But this freedom eludes Anonymous as well. He is not free to go where he chooses, he needs this job just to survive.
>Yet he does his work with a whistle and a grin. His positivity is not lost on you.
>And then right as you were getting comfortable watching him a mailmare swooped in.
>She gave him a bag, later revealed to be full of food, but that wasn't what struck you with a wave of shock.
>Without a second thought she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.
>No warning.
>She just did it.
>As soon as she did you felt your face flush. Your hoof automatically jumped to your mouth to stifle your gasp.
>A cacophony of concerned thoughts flooded your mind as you clumsily attempted to piece together what had happened.
>Was she his significant other? His mate?
>How long had they been together?
>Nopony told you of this, not even Celly! Is this new?
>Is it serious? Is it too late for you to make a true connection with Anonymous?
>The thoughts stormed about your head like a raging bull; kicking and bucking about your consciousness until you felt rattled and ill.
>But the cloud of worry is quickly disbanded as the door to your room is suddenly kicked open.
>Celly trots in triumphantly.
>"Ahaaaa~!" she says in a teasing voice, "I knew that you would be awake, beloved sister."
>Her voice begins in a regal tone, but her face sports a mischievous grin.
"Sister, I-" you start
>Before you can even finish your sentence she has jumped across your room and pushed her face into yours
>"I got myself a hug TOO! So read it and WEEP sis!" she says with a hardy laugh
>You blink
"You did?"
>She nods happily
>"Yes ma'am, I DID! We're even on first name basis!" she declares proudly.
>You tilt your head.
"I suppose I assumed the two of you were already that close, Celly. Seeing how much you interacted with him before me." you say plainly
>She grunts at your statement, freezing up in a light wince.
"But, alas, I believe it was all for naught sister!" you say with a concerned face, "For Anonymous has already fallen for another!"
>She waves dismissively at you with a serious expression.
>"Woah now, let's not get crazy, Sis. You've only spoken to him for one night, I doubt he has already-"
"Not me you dunce! Another mare kissed him in the garden!"
>Celly pushes her face directly against yours.
>"Another mare did WHAT?" she inquires, her tone becoming much more serious.
>You feel yourself start to crumble.
>When your sister gets like this, you get tense.
"Th-there was a mare in a mail uniform that came into the garden to see Anonymous..." you begin.
>Celly stares into your eyes with an impatient leer.
>"Go on." she orders
>You click your front hooves together.
"And she gave Anonymous a paper bag full of food for lunch, and he gave her a hug..."
>Your sister huffs air out of her nostrils
"And then she k... kissed him upon the cheek before flying away..."
>"And how did Anonymous react to this?" she immediately interrogates
>You ponder the question momentarily.
"He seemed... surprised, but then accepted it. He ate the lunch she brought him too..."
>Celly leans back from you, giving you some breathing room again.
>"Oh this DOES sound bad... those types of romantic gestures are only made by two very close parties!" she analyzes
>You look up at her with puppy eyes.
"So do you believe he truly has been spoken for?" you ask her pathetically
>She looks back at you.
>"Why would it be of any concern of yours? Surely you aren't considering a relationship with Mr. Anonymous?" she asks you regally
>You look down at your hooves.
>She places a hoof on your shoulder.
>"Luna, we are princesses... Anonymous is not one who we should venture into romance with..." she begins.
>You can feel your head sink as she starts to lecture you. You prepare for the worst.
>Instead you feel her pull you in close for a sudden hug.
>"Oh Lulu it's not fair!" she whines like a child, "I want to kiss him too! I want to love him too!"
>You're surprised by your sisters sudden change in tone, but soon you find yourself resonating with her emotional discharge.
>She groans and lies her head on top of yours. You give her a reassuring squeeze.
"It's okay Celly, I am here."
>You begin to squeeze her a bit harder.
>"Um, Lulu?"
"Even if you teased me about this earlier this morning, I am still here for you."
>You squeeze harder.
>"L-LULU"
"And even if you are trying to compete for Anonymous's attention I am still here for you."
>You finally release Celly after a small bout of venting.
>She catches her breath as you speak.
"I do understand you, sister. I too wish I could perhaps... kiss him. I just wish that my own sister wouldn't directly compete with me." you explain in exasperation.
>Celly shakes her head as she recovers.
>"I'm... I'm not trying to compete with you Lulu..." she stammers
>You raise an eyebrow.
>She looks around the room.
>"Okay, so maybe I got excited about the hug and tried to rub it in, but I don't mean to take him from you or something..."
>Her regal tone has entirely disintegrated.
>"I just... oh Lulu you can understand how I feel about him."
>You shake your head.
"I cannot! You have never shown any interest in Anonymous beyond his outward appearance. How am I supposed to know?"
>She looks at you with a curious expression.
>"Well, you know how I feel about his outward appearance, don't you? You can relate." she says, gesturing towards you.
>Your face flushes again.
"Th-That is not enough to build a relationship with him, sister!"
>She blushes as well.
>"Like you would know Lulu! You only just spoke to him!"
>The two of you stare each other down before the weight of the silence causes it to break.
>Each of you look away, knowing that both of you are at fault.
>Neither of you really took the time to know Anonymous before trying to claim him as their own.
>After awhile, Celly finally speaks.
>"He makes me feel weak." she says quietly.
>You look her over.
"Because he is so physically strong?" you ask impatiently.
>She shakes her head.
>"Because he has such a strong soul." she says with a light smile, "I think the world is too small for him."
>You blink slowly as your sister thinks so fondly of him.
>"Never before has a being been so genuine with me... with anyone. He doesn't care who you are, he knows we're all the same in the end. And it's that strong soul that lets him speak to anyone as if they are no one... and speak to no one as if they are someone..."
>Sister looks to the side with great contemplation, as if the words she spoke were foreign even to her.
>You find yourself overwhelmed with a feeling of empathy. It submerges you, seeps into your pores.
>Celly never speaks of others like this. The world seems to be beneath her. Her subjects being little more than her play things.
>But the way she speaks now feels so out of character, so unique. As if a crude impression was being made by somepony with more emotion than they could contain.
>And yet this mess of feelings is definitely your kin, your blood. She is sister.
"He makes me feel strong, actually." you say with a shrug.
>Celly looks back up at you.
>You give her a reassuring smile that spreads warmth despite your tired eyes.
"If he can be so bold in the face of what he cannot control, why can't I?" you say with an exhausted smile.
>Celly smiles back.
"And this is why we must get to know him. This is why it must take time." you say firmly.
>Sister nods at you, mirroring a mutual expression of understanding and patience.
>"I understand. Just please know that I never mean to take him from you... he is to make his own decisions."
"I know Sister. However, we needn't worry at this time. He will be happy to spend time with us, of this I am sure."
>Celly nods.
>"Yes." she says before bringing a hoof to her chin, "Still, I'll send a guard to find out if he is seeing anyone."
>You nod quickly, just as curious.
>Celly turns and begins to levitate something with her magic.
>"Here, I thought you would like one too." she says, tossing you a piece of cloth as she heads for the door.
>The door closes behind her as you identify what the cloth is.
>It is one of Anon's shirts.
>You take a deep whiff of the fabric.
>The smell of his deep musk fills your senses.
>It's fresh.
>You toss the shirt over your head and push your forelegs through.
>A pajama shirt of your own.
>You hop into bed to rest until the evening, surrounded by a shirt that is much too large.
>You are Morning Star
>Canterlot guard, second class.
>When you originally joined the guard it was in an effort find your place. To be taught discipline and to be given a purpose.
>And while these things did happen, they did not quite live up to the impossible expectations you built.
>You thought you would be a proud sentry standing guard by the side of a princess' quarters, or the meeting hall of an important diplomatic discussion.
>Instead, you guard the royal garden.
>Talk about a let down.
>There is always the opportunity to rank up and be given more important assignments, but it will take months to get first class. And even then you will probably only be given hall duty, or need to guard the moat-gate.
>Nothing life changing.
>It seems that the real guard jobs are held by only respected veterans of impossibly high rank, like captains and master sergeants.
>You toy with your food in the mess hall, your proud helmet sitting beside you.
>Its golden shimmer proudly declares how little action it has seen, but that is the point.
>It is little less than simple decor. The helmet is very plain otherwise. It'll protect your head, but there is nothing to be protected from.
>You sigh, looking down at the hay and assorted greens provided free of charge.
>A tray is placed across from you on the table.
>You look up to see the hazel eyes of a familiar brown mare. Her dirty orange mane poking out of the top of her helmet.
>"Goooood afternoon, Morning!" she says with a giggle, proud of the juxtaposition between your name and the time of day.
>Haven't heard that one before.
"Good afternoon Maple." you say lacking vigor.
>She tilts her head.
>"How has your shift been so far? Any action?' she asks, removing her helmet in preparation for lunch.
>You shake your head.
"No. Surprise, surprise... nopony has tried to break into the garden that is technically open to the public..." you say with a huff.
>Maple begins to shovel copious amounts of food into her mouth.
>"Well... no news is good news I guess." she says between bites, "A guard should be happy that they don't have to deal with anything on a shift."
>You lean your head onto your hoof.
"I guess so. But I didn't train as hard as I did to babysit a glorified patch of weeds, and the weird beast that tends to it."
>Maple stops eating for a moment.
>"Weird beast? You mean Anonymous?" she inquires
>You nod.
"That's the one. Always prancing around like a fairy... gimme a break." you say, rolling your eyes.
>Maple shakes her head
>"Girl you're front and center to that prime cut of meat and you couldn't give less of a damn. I really don't get you."
>You raise an eyebrow.
"Don't tell me you've started going ga-ga for that freak! He's such an odd creature. Ya know I've never seen him without a damn smile? That's just unnatural."
>Maple waves at you dismissively.
>"Some of us would call that attractive, Morning. What's wrong with being happy?"
"There isn't anything wrong with being happy, but every day? Are you happy every single day, rain or shine? I know I'm not."
>Maple sips from a glass of water.
>"Clearly..." she says under her breath.
"Oh come on, he's just some dude. Who cares?" you ask, venting out some unfiltered emotion.
>Maple looks you up and down.
>"Well the consensus of the other mares seems overwhelmingly positive towards him." she says with a wry smile, "He keeps them entertained."
>You shake your head again.
"Aw c'mon Maple, like those girls know anything about anything. I see them peering at him from the barracks, giggling like a bunch of fillies on the school yard. Celestia, they call themselves guards." you say, putting your head down.
>"Well a lot of those 'fillies' out rank us by a mile, Morn-" Maple begins to say before stopping abruptly.
>A the sounds of the mess hall suddenly get a lot louder as a massive amount of chairs are pushed out.
>You lift your head, continuing the conversation.
"Oh come on Maple, name one high ranking officer that-"
>As you look up from the table you realize Maple is at full attention, standing with a hard salute.
"...that gawks at... um.."
>The entire mess hall is silent and standing in position, you're the only one out of place.
>But who are they-
>As you turn around to search the room your view is filled with the majestic, flowing, pastel mane of Princess Celestia.
>She towers over you, looking straight at you.
>In a small panic you stand from your chair and salute, standing as tall and straight as you can.
"M-Ma'am!" you blurt as you come to full attention.
>She tilts her regal head at you, staring directly into your eyes.
>"Morning Star, second class?" she inquires without pleasantries.
"Y-Yes ma'am." you respond quickly.
>You can feel the sweat roll down your cheek.
>"Can I ask you to come with me? I have an assignment for you." she says sweetly.
>Her voice fills you with confusion.
>On one hoof, her sweet, beautiful voice brings with it warmth and tenderness. In combination with her overwhelming aura of authority and elegance, it feels like a light caress upon your ears.
>On the other, you have just been pulled from your ranks by your commanding officer for unknown reasons. It fills you with the dread that only the unknown can.
>She begins to walk towards the door.
>You don't hesitate to follow.
>The mess hall stands at attention until the two of you enter the barren hallways of the barracks.
>You know that you will be the new topic at everyone's tables.
>But that is far from your biggest problem right now.
>You continue to stand straight as the Princess turns to address you.
>She smiles warmly at you.
>"At ease, Morning Star. At ease." she says lightly.
>You exhale the breath you were holding out of pure anxiousness.
>Your body relaxes slightly, and you widen your stance.
>Princess Celestia looks out the window of the barracks.
>"You are the main guard for the post outside of the garden, correct?" she inquires.
"Yes ma'am. I hold the gate in solitude."
>She smiles knowingly with more grace than you could ever muster in a life time.
>There must be something in the water to make alicorns so effortlessly prepossessing.
>"Excellent. Then you are the right mare for the job." she says, facing you once more.
>The right mare? What does she mean?
>"You joined the guard, what, two years ago?" she asks patiently.
"Yes ma'am!"
>She nods.
>"Your sergeant tells me you were a fine guard, placing highly on all your tests. Especially your fitness test. You set some academy records, if my memory serves me correctly."
>You nod.
"Yes ma'am. These are all true."
>She nods slowly.
>"That does explain your rather muscular physique. I hope I don't offend you when I say it fits your otherwise smaller size." she says with a giggle.
"N-No offense taken, ma'am."
>That wasn't entirely true. Admittedly you are a little self-conscious of your height.
>You're pretty petite, especially for an earth pony. Your breed tends to be the tallest of all ponies.
>And yet you're shorter than most pegasus.
>"Now onto business. I have selected you for a mission that I personally need done."
>You can feel your eyes widen.
"Y-yes ma'am." you say, trying to contain your excitement.
>This is it.
>Your lucky break.
>All those hours training yourself so you could out perform any guard are finally going to pay off.
>You're about to receive a mission from the princess herself! The highest authority!
>"I need you to understand, this is a covert operation. Top secret."
>Top secret?! Even better! You're doing secret missions straight from the princess now!
"Yes ma'am!"
>She leans in close
>"I need you..."
>yes
>"To collect information..."
>YES
>"On whether Anonymous has a romantic partner or not."
>....
>What?
"A-Anonymous? The gardener?" you inquire in a professional tone.
>Celestia nods.
>"It is of utmost importance that I learn of his current romantic status. However, I cannot be the one to speak with him. It would compromise the mission." she explains
>Your excitement for your mission has been replaced by the feeling of being hollow.
>All the wild fantasies of what your mission could have been are thrown to the breeze.
>Dashed against the rocky shore of your island of high expectations.
>But what really stung was the mere nature of the mission.
>There are many reasons why Anonymous would need to be spied on.
>Maybe he is a spy, or a traitor. Maybe the princess has become suspicious of his activities.
>But to specify the love interest ruins the whole charade.
>If you were a bolder mare, you might have said something about this whole thing.
>You might have spoke out and said, 'How could this be a mission? To shoot the breeze with the gardener out back because you're crushing on him? Give me a BREAK princess!'
>But you'd prefer not to be obliterated into molecular dust
>Or worse, fired.
>So all that fell from your mouth was
"Yes ma'am." you say, with a proper salute.
>She smiles at you.
>"Thank you, Morning Star. Serve me well, and I might just recommend you for first class." she says, leaning in closer, "And my recommendations go a long way."
>You nod at her.
"Th-Thank you ma'am!"
>She smiles back to you.
>"Report to my sister's quarters once you have ended your shift for the day and tell me your findings. Remember, this is a secret mission. This is for your ears only."
>You nod once more.
>She smiles with great elegance once more.
>"Excellent, I shall be on my way then." she says before gracefully turning towards the door of the barracks.
>You salute her until she has left the hall.
>And even then you stand there stiff as a board for a few minutes just trying to process it all.
>So much for your big break.
>You groan out loud.
>You are Anon.
>You sit in the grass, leaning against the bags of top soil in front of the shed.
>There are only a couple more hours of work now, but all your jobs are done for the day.
>The only curse of being highly efficient is that you end up wasting a lot of time near the end.
>Any and all tasks that might still need to be done will take too long to complete in the time you have left.
>So no you're just stuck with two hours of work and nothing to do during it.
>You have even voiced your concerns about this time of day to the princess in the past. You offered to help inside with odd jobs as well.
>But she insisted that you remained outside for your whole shift, no matter how little there is to get done.
>Ah well, no worries man. It ain't hurtin' anyone. You'll just blow through work again tomorrow.
>That is if Celly doesn't drop a bunch of last minute things on you, forcing you to work overtime.
>She has been known to do that from time to time.
>As you lazily stare up at the clouds you can't help but plan out your week.
>You need to hit the gym after work, obviously. Then it's a quick meal before some meditation. Then getting to bed early.
>The rest of the week is pretty much more of the same, and of course Sunday will be spent with Floor Bored.
>You sigh.
>It's nice knowing that the weather will be much nicer nowadays.
>Your weeks will only be improved by the abundance of sun and wild flowers.
>"Hey." says a dry, yet feminine voice right next to you.
>You jump a little as you become aware of the presence of the little guard pony standing next to you.
>She is a little mare in the full gold regalia. Her coat is a pleasant blue color, except extremely unsaturated, almost bordering on white. Her mane is a deeper shade of cobalt with the occasional white stripe rolling down it. Across her muzzle is a handful of white freckles.
>The freckles bring your attention to her dry expression.
"Hi there! You gave me a bit of a fright there." you say with a smile.
>She tilts her head which is not far above your eye level.
>She's kind of short for pony, ain't she?
>"Aren't you supposed to be working or something?" she asks with little tact.
>You scratch the back of your neck.
"To be honest I wish I could be working. But I need deliveries that come in tomorrow to get moving on my next few tasks. And Celly said I could just chill for now."
>She squints her eyes.
>"Celly?"
>You chuckle.
"Princess Celestia. That's the name she told me to call her."
>For a moment the little mare blinks while shaking her head. Her expression appears like you have just said something so overwhelmingly silly that she had to take a second just to process it.
>She looks at you with raised eyebrows in a skeptical expression.
>"Really?" she says with an abundance of attitude.
>You nod slowly.
"Eeyup... so what do I owe the pleasure Ms...?" you inquire, gesturing at her.
>"Anonymous can I ask you a question?" she says, completely ignoring your request for a name.
"Of course. Lay it on me." you respond, cracking your neck as you do.
>She sighs loudly.
>"Are you curr......" she mumbles until you cannot understand what she is saying.
"I'm sorry love, repeat that?" you inquire.
>She lets out an uncomfortable and high strung groan.
>"Are you currently in a relationship?" she asks through grit teeth.
>You raise an eyebrow.
>This pony is giving off some confusing vibes.
"Now why would you want to know something like that? I don't even know you, hun." you say, leaning forward onto your crossed legs.
>She shakes her head with a sigh, making her mane flow back and fourth through the top of her helmet.
>"Just answer the question." she barks
>You put a finger to your chin.
"Not that I know of-"
>Before you can even finish your sentence she has stormed off without another word.
"Hey, what's your name?" you shout after her.
>She continues to wander away until she has left the garden.
>What an odd pony. You hope she is alright...
>You are Morning Star
>Sweet Celestia that was awkward.
>You waited a few hours after lunch so that you could ask him right before you're dismissed from guard duty.
>It's a good thing you did too, if you stuck around until he got off work he would probably try to start a conversation with you again.
>You march into the castle and start to head upstairs towards the north tower.
>Princess Luna's tower.
>It is beyond you why you need to go up to HER living quarters, but you're sure that it is for another petty reason or two.
>You pass multiple guards on your way to her tower, all of them nodding at you with affirmation.
>They were expecting you.
>As you continue up the spiral steps to the Princess's room you reflect on what you're going to say.
>You think back to your forced conversation with Anonymous.
>He is definitely not romantically engaged with anypony. Even if he was, he's too dense to know it.
>A small detail from the quick exchange seems to be stuck on your mind, even now.
>'Celly'
>'Celly'?
>Did she really tell him that he could call her that?
>'Celly'
>'CELLY!' It sounds like what you would call a childhood friend, not a princess.
>It just all feels so improper.
>You finally reach the large door. It is clearly made for ponies much taller than you.
>The crystal moon insignia fills you with dread.
>You're decidedly a day guard, you have never so much as brushed shoulders with Princess Luna in the halls.
>And the night guards are just... strange. They're definitely very cliquey.
>But this is, unfortunately, your mission; and momma didn't raise a coward.
>You bring your hoof up to the center of the door before knocking.
>There is no response.
>You nervously look around, imagining that you somehow went to the wrong room.
>Which is impossible, since there really is only one room in the tower.
>After another attempt to knock you feel out of place.
"E-Excuse me? It is Morning Star... I was told to come here after I finished my... covert mission?" you say
>As soon as you're finished stating your purpose the door suddenly creaks open.
>It opens just a crack, but it is big enough for you to walk through.
>A perk of being small.
>But before you can wander in you feel yourself being lifted from the ground.
>A golden aura surrounds you as you gently levitate.
>Suddenly you're thrust through the doorway and into the room.
>The great speed you're dragged in gets your adrenaline pumping before the aura releases you in mid air.
>You scramble onto your hooves, trying to adjust to the inertia.
>The door is slammed behind you so quickly you're surprised that your tail didn't get clipped.
>You tilt your helmet out of your eyes and get a look of your surroundings.
>Before you, standing just by the door, is the tall and elegant Princess Celestia.
>She looks down at you with authoritative eyes.
>To your left is Princess Luna, sitting upon her bed.
>It is quite clear that she was recently woken up. She isn't wearing any armor, and her mane is in total disarray.
>She looks at you through exhaustion. She seems pretty hard on sleep.
>Surprising, you thought dreams were sort of her thing.
>Yet even in her improper state she appears quite beautiful. Her slender blue frame gives off more of a feeling of youth than her sister, but does not sacrifice any elegance to do so.
>But seeing her in such an unprofessional atmosphere makes you feel odd, like you're seeing something you really shouldn't be.
>You're already miles ahead of the clearance of any second class guard. After all, you're alone in Luna's bedroom with both princesses.
>Celestia approaches you slowly.
>"Morning Star, report." she demands
>You salute her and stand at attention.
"Yes Ma'am." you say with gusto, "From the intelligence I have gathered it would appear that Mister Anonymous is not currently engaged in any romantic relationships to his knowledge."
>You try very hard to make it sound proper and professional, but it still comes out sounding like pure dribble.
>Celestia looks you up and down.
>"I see..." she says slowly, "And you are sure of this?"
>You nod.
"Yes ma'am. I heard it from Anonymous himself." you assure her.
>She smiles at you as her eyes brighten.
>"Then it is settled!" she says with a lightness you weren't anticipating, "I told you Lulu, it was nothing to worry about."
>Princess Luna lets out a tired sigh as she smiles
>"You were just as worried as me, Sister."
>Celestia lets out a haughty laugh that seems very out of character for her.
>"Maybe! But at least I did something about it, hmm? Don't ever let me catch you saying your older sister doesn't look out for you." she says happily.
>Luna scoffs
>"Oh you did it for yourself just as much as you did it for me, Celly. Don't lie to yourself!" she says in an equally mocking tone.
>You're really not sure how to process all this. You've never seen the princesses so much as make a crude joke, let alone tease each other.
>In response you simply stand at attention, holding your salute as this all occurs around you.
>Your eyes widen
>Wait
>'Celly'...
>WAIT
>Before you have time to connect more dots Princess Celestia approaches you once more.
>"Thank you, Morning Star. I will be sure to recommend you for promotion by tomorrow morning."
"Thank you ma'am!" you respond automatically, "Although... I'm not sure if this mission is worth such an honor. All I did was ask a question, ma'am."
>You feel yourself wince.
>By saying that you're basically denying the fast track to first class.
>But if you're going to climb in ranks, you'd rather it be done right.
>Celestia smiles warmly at you.
>"But you did it so quickly, and he trusted you enough to tell you his love life within a couple of hours."
>More like a couple of minutes, but from what you've seen Anonymous would trust a rock enough to tell it about his love life within a few seconds.
>Not exactly hard.
>He told you what you needed to know, and you never even told him your name.
>Celestia's face lights up.
>"However, if you would like to really earn that rank... I can give you a different secret mission. If you accept, that is."
>You look straight ahead.
>A different secret mission? Does she mean a real one?
>Will you actually be something good for the kingdom?
>"Do you accept the mission I will give you? Or would you rather return to your post?"
>You can't really accept a mission if she hasn't told you it. This whole scenario feels awfully one sided.
>However, whatever it is should still beat general guard duty.
>And if it gets you on the princesses good sides, what's the harm?
"Yes ma'am! I accept, ma'am!"
>Her smile grows further than usual, and she raises her eyebrows as you meet her expectations.
>"Morning Star" she says with a commanding presence
>You stand even taller than before, puffing out your chest and holding your head high.
"Yes ma'am!" you respond
>This is it.
>Moment of truth.
>What sort of assignment are yo-
>"I will need you to continue your espionage on Anonymous in order to collect intelligence about his personal life."
>SON OF A-
"Yes ma'am!"
>"We need to know what his hobbies are as well as his habits. We need to know who he associates with. The more you can bring back, the better. That includes and physical evidence you can take as well!"
>What even is your job anymore?
>Luna nods from her bed.
>"Y-Yes! Especially the evidence!" she chimes in.
>Noooo
>Not you too Princess Luna. You thought she'd be above all this.
>You just don't understand why this is happening.
>"You already have a head start since you spoke to him so easily before! It should be no problem getting closer to him in the coming weeks!"
>You cringe as you recall your conversation earlier today.
>Ah geez, how awkward is it gonna be to speak to him after THAT mess?
>Wait did she say WEEKS?
>You let out a discrete sigh.
>...
>If you jumped off the balcony the fall would definitely kill you, right?
>That is if they don't levitate you back.
>Damn
>A mere hour later you are totally free.
>You stand in front of the barracks without your armor, reduced once again to nothing but yourself.
>Your mane is tied into a tight bun, and you're wearing nothing but a compression tank top for working out.
>There is a gym provided to the guard in the rec center near the back of the gated area you and dozens of others call temporary home.
>Guards don't need to live in barracks, especially if you're a patrol guard walking the streets.
>However if you work in or around the castle they are highly recommended.
>Technically you could live in an apartment across town, but that doesn't sit well with higher ups. If you want ranks you need to play by some unspoken rules. A real guard eats, sleeps, and trains in the guard compound behind the castle.
>However you have really had enough of this place for one day. You need time to just be alone and sort through the downward spiral your life has nosedived into.
>So to put as much distance between you and work you've decided to visit a friend's gym halfway across Canterlot. It's only a couple miles out of the way. A decent warm up jog.
>You're pretty much just gonna lift these worries out and hope you build up enough endorphins to numb how socially awkward tomorrow is going to be.
>You begin at a small trot to loosen the joints and get the heart pumping a little.
>But soon you are making a break for it, running at high speeds through the back alleys of Canterlot.
>The alleys are the best because there aren't any ponies there to make you adjust speed.
>Just smooth sailing the whole way through.
>Except the occasional trash can, but you can hop those.
>The running gives you the opportunity to lose focus on work and just enjoy the nice day.
>But the jog comes to an end as quickly as it began. You approach the gym in record time.
>'Push & Pull Gymnasium'
>Its back alley vibe and rusted warehouse door shows its age.
>No superficial, girly crushes here!
>Just sweat and iron.
>You wander in and wave at your stallion friend busy working the counter
>He gives you an acknowledging nod and gets back to work.
>You meander through the cardio area at the front of the gym.
>Cardio bunnies run at moderate speeds on the provided treadmills as they try to ignore the smell of sweat and old warehouse.
>You chuckle to yourself as you pass.
>They wouldn't be caught dead here if the price of admission wasn't so low.
>Most of the gyms in this city have ridiculous membership rates, but this back alley gas station bathroom of a gym is more than fair.
>They all wear tank tops and matching headbands. Their yoga pants clinging to their tight butts as they trot just enough to build up a sweat.
>Not exactly your cup of tea.
>You continue to walk towards the free weight section.
>You don't do cardio at the gym, that's what the outside is for. You don't need to pay somepony to run.
>It seems you're not the only one who is lifting today.
>A few muscular stallions spot each other as they put up barbells stacked with weight.
>Their veins bulge off their heads and muscles like pipes about to burst.
>They might have impressive numbers, but they don't look great doing it.
>Along with them are a couple athletic mares putting up decent numbers in their exercises.
>And of course the one token skinny stallion, just getting his start.
>Though you would never talk to him, you're always secretly rooting for him.
>Not actively, just a small thought cast his way like, 'We all started somewhere. Keep it up kid'
>But now it's time to get down to business.
>You trot into the squat rack and begin stretching.
>Using a pedal on the ground you adjust the rack to the lowest setting.
>This always makes you self conscious...
>The squat rack works a lot like a saddle. The barbell fits in the groove of a piece you strap around your body.
>It keeps the bar squared and steady. The rest is up to you.
>You'll start with some low weights as a warm up before hitting the big reps.
>You slide into the provided harness and tighten it around your body.
>It is just tight enough that it doesn't slide, but still leaves room for when you flex your core.
>Weights hang off to the sides of the barbell resting on the squat rack.
>The entire place is designed with all ponies in mind, especially earth ponies.
>So the hanging weights can be slid on and off the bar with needing to be lifted.
>Once they are pulled over the barbell itself, the wires making them hang slacken. So the weight can be taken on and off whether you have magic or not.
>Sometimes the more 'up-scale' fitness centers in town neglect the fact that earth ponies are the weight lifting species and don't plan their equipment accordingly.
>You slide a 45 plate on each side of the bar. A quick warm up set to get the muscles primed.
>Normally you would start by doing the empty bar to loosen up, but the jog here sufficed.
>You clank the bar out of its resting hooks and take a few steps back.
>The weight is now on your body, but it doesn't feel like much.
>You're very used to it.
>A set of 12 goes by like it is nothing.
>Now it's time to start packing on a little weight.
>You place another pair of 45's to each side of the bar.
>225lbs ain't too impressive compared to these muscle heads, but it is your go to for a second set.
>As you remove the bar from its hooks you can actually feel the weight.
>The set of 12 goes by a bit slower as you pay extra attention to your form.
>Your legs feel the weight and begin to burn.
>You start to sweat as your body actually needs to work.
>Alright, one last weight up.
>You add 25's to each side, bringing the amount up to 275
>It's very close to your maximum at this time, so 3 sets of 8 should do nicely.
>The first set goes by without much incident, but you can really feel it working every part of your body.
>After a minute of rest, the second set begins to hurt.
>Finally the third set makes your legs wobble. You almost don't make it to 8.
>But momma didn't raise a quitter, and you push the bar back where it came from and slide it back into its hooks.
>You gasp for air and replenish your body's suffering oxygen supply.
>That wasn't easy, but for a little earth pony like you it was a solid job.
>Most of the stallions on the guard wouldn't be able to put up those numbers, and those weren't even your true PR.
>If you were trying to seem really impressive, you'd break it down to sets of 3 and really kick up those numbers.
>But for now you've hit your legs pretty well.
>You slide the weights off to the side and continue to catch your breath.
>You wander over to the water fountain and gulp down liquid between breaths.
>The water is very hard, and taste more like blood thanks to how much iron is in it.
>The nectar of champions.
>You smile cheerfully as you trot back to the rack to ensure you leave it the way you found it.
>Nothing like a good hoist to make you feel like a million bits.
>But as you inspect the rack the smell of perfume hits your nostrils.
>You look around for its source to find a sea of cardio bunnies and yoga mares trotting through the free weights area.
>They run past you towards the secondary weight area around the corner.
>You hardly ever go to that corner of the gym. It's the slightly smaller free weight area next to the boxing ring.
>You feel a little territorial towards the girls as they trot through your dojo.
>But then you realize the muscle heads are walking in the same direction around the corner.
>You tilt your head as the crowd seems to disappear around the corner, leaving your area completely abandoned.
>At first you think that perhaps there was a fire, but the lack of alarms disbands that idea.
>You look at the stallion behind the counter for some possible context.
>He simply stares off towards the same corner everyone ran to with a smile, shaking his head knowingly.
>You turn and look in the direction everyone was going.
>Alright, fine. You're curious.
>You wipe down the bar before tossing the provided rack back to its bin and meandering over.
>You pass empty benches and squat racks, their bars still filled with weights.
>They have been left barren for the time being, their occupants distracted between sets.
>Honestly, you're just unsure how anypony could just leave between sets.
>You can't trust someone like that. It's just not right.
>If you hadn't just finished your last set, you would've ignored all the buzz.
>You turn the corner to find half the gym gathered around the back weight area behind the boxing ring.
>They all appear to be watching something. Some ponies even hopped into the ring so they could have a higher view.
>Because of this, and your petite nature, you can't see jack diddly.
>You move closer, trying to peer through the crowd to see what everyone is staring at so intently.
>A couple cardio mares chat among themselves nearby.
>"Do you think he can do it?" one says quietly.
>"Maybe..." says the other, "I don't really care as long as I get to watch..."
>Her voice becomes sultry near the end, and the two giggle quietly to one another.
>"There's no way, bro." says a masculine voice in the crowd, "That ain't happenin'" he says.
>You cut through the crowd, your curiosity starting to turn into impatient grumpiness.
>Well now you've GOTTA know.
>You squirm your way through, half apologizing to the ponies you pass.
>With one final push you pop out of the crowd and reach the center.
>And only then do you see what they were referencing.
>Your eyes widen.
"Oh for crying out loud." you say under your breath.
>In front of you stands the gardener, just as shirtless as ever.
>Is this seriously just more ponies gawking at his body?
>No... the stallions are here too. What are they gathered for?
>Your question is answered as you look down at the mass of metal sitting before Anonymous.
>You can feel your eyes widen as you count the number of plates on the barbell.
>4... 5... 6.. 7...
>on
>each
>side
>You look him over with confusion.
>What is that? 675lbs?
>What does he intend to do with weight like that?
>It's sitting on the floor, you have no idea what kind of exercise he's thinking of doing.
>A wry smile creeps across your face.
>You gotta agree with the stallions behind you; whatever he is trying to do with that weight ain't happening.
>And you'll gladly sit front and center as this dancing buffoon breaks himself.
>You bet this failure will wipe that stupid grin off his face.
>But now that you mention it, he isn't grinning.
>He stands perfectly still behind it, his eyes closed with a serious expression.
>His hands are clenched in fists, and he controls his breathing with great purpose.
>But unlike the explosive breathing you've heard uttered from the stallions around you, his is smooth as silk.
>It's almost therapeutic the way he controls his breaths, like he is about to meditate.
>Without a word he begins to bend downward.
>The crowd immediately hushes as he slowly descends.
>You wait patiently for what you expect to be a bloodbath.
>Yet, even without any knowledge of what he intends to do, you can tell his form is beautiful.
>He moves gracefully; his core and limbs working in perfect conjunction as he keeps his spine perfectly flat.
>Finally he grasps the bar with his human hands, calloused and dirty from the garden.
>For a moment, he sits in the lower position.
>Then, with great attention to form, he does it.
>He pulls the bar upward using his back and legs.
>The bar bends under the weight, but still he relents.
>And to your incredible shock those damn weights leave the ground.
>He stands erect, pushing his chest out as he holds the bar over a foot off the ground.
>Every fiber in his body flexes, but his face remains stoic and calm.
>His breathing remains nearly silent.
>Though you hate to admit it, you're floored.
>He actually did it.
>Then he slowly returns the weight to the ground as the crowd cheers.
>Then he does it again.
>4
>more
>times
>After the first rep the crowd clapped and cheered, feeling like they just witnessed the impossible.
>But he wasn't going for a single rep PR, no no.
>This was a damn SET
>And with each lift the crowd becomes more rowdy.
>The muscles heads begin to get pumped up, their vulgarity increasing as they live vicariously through the titan standing before them.
>The wimpy stallion from before watches in total awe, his eyes sparkling with inspiration. In his eyes, Anonymous is nothing short of a hero.
>But the biggest reaction comes from those cardio mares.
>They pierce your ear drums with squeals of delight as his muscles bulge and flex. Each lift makes them squeal louder and hard.
>Many of their legs begin to shake as they succumb to the dominating energy that the beast emanates.
>A few of them become so weak in the haunches that they collapse to the ground.
>You hear a few interesting comments from the peanut gallery.
>"Oh sweet Celestia, just TAKE me" one says in an exaggerated tone to her just as distracted friend.
>You could've sworn one of them just took a picture of him.
>Of all the reactions, it this one that pulls you out of the whole experience.
>You wanted to get away from this girly, crushy, nonsense. It feels like your sanctuary of iron has been tainted by feminine perversion.
>However, you have to begrudgingly admit that they have a good reason for it this time.
>Even you, despite your disposition towards the lunatic, find yourself a little enchanted by his presence.
>As he drops his weight down for the final time, he stands tall once more in the dim gym light.
>He extends his arms out in a stretch and stretches his back.
>The light above places shadows on every one of his pumped muscles, giving it a dynamic look from where you're standing.
>He really does look like a titan towering above the rest of the gym goers. Looking at him here you would never guess his occupation.
>His expression changes as he finally opens his eyes again.
>His eyebrows raise as he puts his hands on his hips. The crowd claps again as he makes his return to reality.
>His eyes widen and he exhales through pursed lips.
>The crowd grows silent as he looks about the room.
>He raises one eyebrow as he looks around, apparently totally unaware of the crowd that formed around him.
>Finally he breaks the suspense by raising his hands in a shrug.
>"Now that's heavy, man." he says with a smirk.
>The crowd chuckles at his remark and gives him one last cheer.
>He just nods at the crowd and gives a thumbs up.
>You're pretty sure that's a positive gesture.
>You don't know enough beasts with hands to be sure.
>The crowd slowly disbands around you.
>The majority of cardio and yoga mares walk away in their little cliquey groups, giggling and gossiping about Anonymous.
>A few of them stay behind to take an extra long look from afar, pretending to be lifting meager dumb bells.
>The muscle heads come up to him and smack his ass, telling him how killer that set was.
>A few of them ask for lifting advice or diet tips, and one of the female lifters smacks his ass for more than congratulatory reasons.
>She saw her opportunity and took it.
>Anonymous, however, is pretty absent from it all.
>He responds to everything with vague, 'Thank you's and 'Oh, well, ya know's
>Finally the crowd really starts to thin out as he pulls the plates off the bar.
>And only now do you realize you're just standing off to the side.
>You turn to start leaving but stop yourself.
>Anonymous places the weights back on their racks alone, the crowd dissolving down to only a few particularly enticed spectators pretending to exercise.
>After that display, you can say that there is a newfound respect for Anonymous in your mind.
>Not a lot of respect. You can't say you're fond of the way he acts at work.
>But you respect his numbers. There's no shame in respecting his numbers.
>And it's that little bit of respect that can help you through your secret 'mission'
>But you need to nip this thing in the bud. Earlier today was painfully awkward, and the sooner you smooth it over the better.
>And right now, while your meager amount of tolerance for him is at an all time high, you could heal that wound.
>For the sake of the mission, and your job, you force yourself to approach him.
"Hey." you say in an almost aggressive way.
>He turns around, expecting to see another stallion.
>Instead, he finds you just below his line of sight.
>For a second he looks at you like everyone else, but suddenly his eyebrows raise as he recognizes you.
>"Oh hey! I didn't recognize you without your helmet on! How are you holdin' up?" he asks happily.
>His friendliness is a little unnerving considering how you treated him earlier.
>Still, you fight through your mild social discomfort and respond.
"I'm alright... that was a pretty intense lift." you say, gesturing towards the now empty bar on the floor.
>He looks at the bar then back at you. He makes perfect eye contact, looking away just enough to not make it awkward.
>"Hey thanks, man. I didn't expect a crowd to form like that though." he says, surveying the gym.
>You scratch your chin
"Yeah, well, it's not every day that you get to see a monkey lift the equivalent of a chariot.
>He shrugs
>"Eh, weight is weight." he says calmly, "As for the monkey thing, yeah I can see that."
>He chuckles at your comment and takes a seat to be at your eye level.
>"So what brings you to this particular gym? I thought the guard had their own thing." he inquires.
>You shrug.
"I had to get away from some... weird... drama with the mares at work."
>He scratches the back of his head.
>"What, like, office romances? Scandalous behavior?" he says with some exaggeration.
>You nod.
"You could say that."
>He nods understandably.
>"You have my pity, love. I wouldn't go near that stuff with a ten foot pole. Seems like a waste of breath to me."
>You raise your eyebrows and nod in agreement.
"That's precisely right."
>You find yourself a little shocked by his response.
>To be honest, you couldn't have put it any better.
>He shrugs
>"I tell ya, man, drama is silly. Relationships are easy if you approach em right. Don't beat around the bush, just talk to em," he says in a bit of a ramble, "It's just a waste to crush, ya know? Like, do something about it or get over it, man."
>You look around in disbelief, as if asking an invisible audience, 'Can you believe this right now?'
>You turn and face him again.
"My thoughts exactly." you say
>The little bit of cynicism that he displays comes to you as a surprise.
>He smiles through the whole conversation, despite coming off as being a bit of a realist.
>"Ah well, it's none of my business. I'm all done with my work out for the day. What do you have left?"
>You think for a moment.
"Mostly leg stuff today, and ending with some core." you say precisely.
>He nods with a smile.
>"Hey, cool dude. I hope your workout is a good one."
>You nod at him
"Thanks" you say dryly
>"Hey, I might bump into you at work or something. We'll talk then!" he says cheerfully
>Oh you have no idea.
"Yeah, maybe." you respond without much vigor, still reluctant to show him any real emotion.
>He begins to walk past you with a little salute but turns around before leaving your presence.
>"Oh yeah, what is your name? I tried asking you before, but I guess you didn't hear me." he says with a smirk.
>Yeah, let's go with that.
>Prior to tonight, you would have never dreamed of conversing with Anonymous, let alone befriending him.
>And even though you're not totally on board with him, he seems like an alright guy when he isn't prancing around like a jackass.
>So, maybe this will be more tolerable than you imagined.
>You extend your hoof to him.
"The name's Morning Star." you say as he grasps your hoof.
>He shakes your hoof with a bright, toothy smile.
>"Nice to meet ya! I'm Anonymous, you can call me Anon."
>You smile a little without really trying.
>You are Anon.
>The early morning sky still seems intensely dark.
>And thanks to the clouds that roll above you and obstruct the stars, it almost feels more like the middle of the night.
>You straighten your back as it protests with soreness.
>Yesterday was dead lifts day, so you'll be feeling it for a few hours.
>It was nice to put up some decent weight, and you actually got to speak with that little guard mare from before.
>Morning Star, that was her name!
>Pony names are so easy to remember; they all seem to follow similar patterns.
>The two of you didn't say much to each other, but she at least shook your hand.
>It's a nice gesture.
>And it's good that you got to know her! Technically the two of you are coworkers.
>You're in totally different departments, but still!
>So it'll be pleasant having someone around the castle to wave to or occasionally bump into.
>After a moment you begin to think over the daunting task facing you today.
>It's finally that time of year where morning frosts are pretty much done, which means it's time to put the planters out in front of the castle.
>However, you can't just place the large stone pots down, fill them with soil, and plant their respective flora.
>Nope, that could make a mess in the public spaces of the castle.
>You need to fill the planters with soil, plant the flora, then carry them all the way around the castle and place them in their spots.
>It's not very efficient, and it'll probably take your entire shift.
>You shrug as you approach the garden gate.
>Ah well, get an early start on it and maybe you can take it a little easy.
>But as you turn the corner you notice a tall, blue mare sitting patiently on a garden bench.
>Luna stares up at the stars before adjusting her gaze back down to you.
>Her expression brightens as you enter.
>"Hello Anonymous. How are you?" she asks happily.
>You smile before responding
"Well I'm just fine!"
>Something tells you that you're not gonna get a lot of prep work done.
>Luna's smile never leaves her face as she addresses you.
>"Would you like to sit with me under the stars for a while? I would appreciate speaking with you once more." she says, her voice elegant and proper.
>You scratch the back of your leg with your shoe.
>Technically you should be getting a head start on work. Today especially you're going to need it.
>However, as you look into her mystifying blue eyes you cannot help but feel an obligation to speak with her.
>Well...
>Ah what the heck. It's not like you can talk to her at any other time.
"I'd love to, hun." you say, slowly walking to the bench.
>She immediately scoots over, giving you a decently sized spot.
>As you sit down, however, you come to realize how small this bench is.
>It isn't the one you were on yesterday, it's a smaller one off to the side.
>It would appear this one is more of a love seat sort of thing.
>Once you're entirely seated you feel the side of your hip make contact with hers.
>It's not uncomfortable, and she doesn't move away despite an odd expression.
>You just decide to not worry about it.
>You look up at the cloudy sky, trying hard to see through the grayness.
>Through your peripherals you can see Luna staring straight up without a word, glancing at the sky as if each star were showing brilliantly in a naked sky.
>You squint.
"Can you really see stars up there?" you ask, fruitlessly searching for an opening in the clouds.
>She nods slowly, her eyes remaining on the clouds.
>"More or less." she says quietly
>She points a hoof towards the sky.
>"I have spent this time of day alone so often that I decided to learn about astronomy." she says, still staring, "And now, after so much time, I can see them even when they aren't there..."
>You raise your eyebrows as the clouds above continue to swirl and drift with the wind.
"That's really impressive, Luna. Still, it doesn't help me at all." you say, gesturing towards the sky, "I'm lost out there. I don't even know where the moon is."
>You look back at Luna as she continues to gaze into the abyss.
>Strangely enough, you swear you could almost see the stars sparkling in her eyes, as if they have been burned into them.
>Now that you think about it, you wonder how many time she has stared up at those stars for comfort, or answers.
"Hey Luna." you beckon
>She blinks and looks back at you, a light blush coming across her face as she smile lightly.
>"Yes Anon?" she responds
>You scratch your head.
"Do you still like the stars?" you inquire.
>She tilts her head in confusion.
>"I... don't know how to answer this, Anonymous. What is there to dislike about the stars?" she asks
>You ponder for a moment.
>Admittedly that question was pretty poorly phrased.
>You reform the question in your mind.
"What I mean is... What do the stars mean to you?"
>She raises her eyebrows, absorbing your question better.
"After all, you're the princess of the night and all. I figure those stars mean more to you than most..."
>She nods, gingerly smiling as she develops her answer.
>"They are companions." she says softly
>That wasn't the word you were expecting
>You lean a little closer and listen intently.
>"When I was on the moon, " she begins, "There was very little to occupy my mind."
>You nod slowly as she recalls
>"But boredom was of little worry compared to the solitude." she says slowly.
"I can't even begin to imagine it." you say reassuringly.
>She nods with an appreciative grin.
>"At the time I still had darkness within me, and negativity haunted every thought, " she says, her face becoming stern
>"So I spoke to the stars, and they never answered." she looks up at you, "But they certainly listened, and that was all I needed."
>You smile back at her.
"Well, I ain't a star, but I'm glad you talk to me as well!" you say with a chuckle, "It sounds like you and the stars really do have a unique relationship..."
>She hums in agreement.
>Hmm
>What about her relationship with a specific star you know?
>You're in a question-asking sort of mood, ya know? When you've only recently gotten to know someone you'd really like to learn as much as you can.
"Can I ask you a more personal question, Luna?"
>She nods, her face flushing a little.
>"It depends on the subject of your inquiry, Anonymous.." she says anxiously
>You shrug
"It's about your sister."
>She squints her eyes and looks at you.
>"I suppose that is alright..." she says, suddenly lacking enthusiasm
>She doesn't seem like she is very interested in discussing, but you've already started the conversation.
>Might as well go for it, let out some curiosity.
"What do you think of your sister?" you ask, once again having a hard time forming proper questions.
>She looks at you with a confused expression.
>"Why I love my sister, of course. She is the only family I have, after all."
>You nod, rephrasing the question in your head.
"Of course, of course, but I mean with your... you know... banishment in mind." you ask carefully, trying not to hit any old wounds.
>Luna raises her eyebrows again, taken a little aback.
>She looks down at the ground and begins to giggle under her breath lightly.
>"To be quite honest, Anonymous, you are the first one, in all the years I have been back, to ask me such a thing."
>You squint your eyes
"Really? How so?"
>That seems like such an obvious question.
>She smiles at you.
>"Anonymous, how many ponies do you think I speak to in a day?" she inquires.
>You think for a moment before shrugging.
"A dozen, maybe?"
>She shakes her head.
>"If we are implying meaningful conversation, only one." she says, "Can you guess who?"
>You smirk.
"Celly, right?"
>Her blush grows as you use her sister's nickname.
>"Y-Yes, exactly right. These sorts of conversations are quite a rarity for me..." she says, trailing near the end.
>You scratch your chin.
>That does make sense.
>After all, the stars can't ask her such things.
>But that sure as heck ain't gonna stop you.
>You shift a little in your seat, bumping into Luna's flank again.
>Her face flushes lightly again.
"Well ya got me now, so don't worry about it." you say with a grin, "We can chat about whatever you'd like."
>She beams at you, her eyes filled with genuine gratitude.
>You smile back, matching her gaze.
"However, I would really like to hear your answer." you say, looking away momentarily.
>She nods with a blush.
>"Y-Yes, of course." she says before beginning to collect her thoughts
>She stares into the grass, her eyes unfocusing as she formulates her response.
>Her expression becomes hardened as she attempts to put it into words.
>You sit patiently, looking away so she doesn't feel pressured.
>She let's out a quiet laugh that is so subtle it sounds more like an exhale.
>"I was convinced that the answer would be easier to form after such a long time." she whispers.
>She clears her throat before looking up to the stars, making her response up as she goes.
>"It is.... strange, of course. After all, I spent 1000 years in the orbit of my home. It was not a pleasant experience."
>You nod. Imprisonment is something that is hard to just forget about. It's something that will stick with her the rest of her life.
>"So when I speak to... Celly," she says, clearing her throat midway, "Those bad memories do creep in from time to time..."
>You chuckle a little
"Of course, how could they not?" you say under your breath.
>She nods slowly
>"And yet, I understand it was a necessary action. I needed the time to reflect upon what I had become. When I made my return, the elements of harmony lifted the curse of my jealousy and damned it back to the moon."
>Your eyebrows raise. You heard about that, of course. One of the first stories you were ever told when you arrived in this strange world.
>"1000 years for us Alicorns is not too much time... a paltry sum for the acts I committed."
>You let out an exhausted breath.
>A millennium is paltry?
>Immortality must be a real trip, man
>Luna sighs and looks away.
>"I hold no resentment towards my sister, of course I understand what she did to me..." she says weakly
>You tilt your head, trying to catch a glimpse of her turned face.
"But understanding doesn't make it feel any better, does it?" you inquire.
>She shakes her head.
>"That is not it... it's not the changing world that impacted me." she utters, "The world always changes quickly for an Alicorn..."
>You listen carefully.
"Then... what impacts a pony who is unfazed by 1000 years going by?"
>She tilts her head downward and sits in silence for a moment.
>"My sister has changed so much since I left her, and I missed it all." she says in a mumble.
>There is a sadness in her voice that touches you in a way you weren't anticipating.
>For any other pony it would sound like the voice that comes before tears, but for her it sounds like it goes beyond that point.
>As if tears mean so little now, like she has had to deal with this depressing thought for a long time.
>She looks back towards you, her eyelids lower than usual as she embraces her inner melancholy.
>She exhales quickly, like she is shaking off a weight.
>"I am sorry Anonymous, I have never said these things out loud..." she mumbles, looking up at you sparingly.
"It's alright. Take your time, love." you reassure, keeping your voice as quiet as it is soft.
>She nods, regaining her composure.
>"When you live as long as I, ponies come and go in what feels like nothing. I have seen generations of ponies pass before even leaving childhood. When we were being raised together, we were told to see normal ponies as temporary; easily replaced by the next child in their bloodline."
>Every word that comes out her mouth fascinates you. You're hearing about the world from the perspective of what is basically a god.
>"The only other being I could relate to was Celly. She was the only one going through the same things as I... and when I acted against her it...."
>She trails off at the end.
>She looks down for a moment before looking back into your eyes.
>"...it meant we missed a chunk of our lives together. I lost the sister I knew, even if I gained the one I have now..."
>Her face is riddled with worry as it tenses up. It's the sort of expression that only comes when you're looking to someone for guidance, or trying to figure something out.
>You sigh and nod, pausing to find the right choice of words.
"Well... 1000 years is nothing to the two of you, correct? And since you'll live such long lives, that little chunk won't mean much will it?"
>She shakes her head.
>"Not like this. On a grand scale 1000 years is not much, but Celly changed with the era. She became so much more... loose over time..." she says slowly, "And more attentive of me..."
>You look at her with great empathy
>There are some tragedies that would seem minute to the unknowing passerby. Ones that make you want to remind the sufferer how good they really have it.
>But nobody gets to decide what hurts them, and you understand where this pain comes from.
>Her sister changed without her around, and like a parent who was absent from their child's early life she will never see that version of her sister again.
>People change, and often they never go back. While Celestia's changes might have helped her mature and become a better sister to Luna, it hurts knowing that Luna did not get to see this change as it happened, or be there for her when she was struggling.
>And you would bet good money that Celly felt the same about her sister as well.
>"I love my sister." she says with a soft smile, her voice becoming lighter, "She is my partner, always has been... and even now she understands me. Perhaps better than she ever has"
>She turns her head towards you
>"But I will never be able to make up that time we lost together. I will always be to blame for it."
>Her face becomes solemn once more as she stares at the grass.
>You smile at her, your empathetic heart beating slowly with hers
>This sort of moment requires good social skills, and the right choice of words and actions.
>Often, you cannot find quite the right things to say.
>However you have found the loophole in every social situation. A simple gesture that seems to circumvent most tricky conversations or topics.
>You reach your arm around Luna's shoulder and pull her closer.
>She gasps as you pull her into your chest and rest your hand on the back of her head.
>You lightly pull her head to your heart and lightly stroke the back of her mane.
>The silky galaxy dances between your fingers as she accepts the hug.
>She releases a quivering sigh as she rests her face against your chest.
>To you, there is only one way to respond to these conversations
>And that is some nice, wholesome, honesty.
"Well Luna... I think you'll always need to carry that weight." you begin, staring up the moving clouds.
>She breathes slowly into your chest; her ears perk up to the sound of your voice.
"But ya know, hun? You've got a lot of life to live, and the past ain't part of it anymore." you say, continuing to stroke her mane.
>She doesn't respond. She leans silently against you as you hold her in your arm.
>You sigh
"The only time you should look back is when you need to learn from a mistake, and you obviously did. So don't give your past more than a passing glance, alright? It's not real anymore. It's gone."
>You tighten your grip a bit.
"Life is too short to live it with regret... even for you." you say with a chuckle.
>That may or may not be applicable to them. You're not sure if they are immortal or just very long lived.
>However the statement still stands; there just isn't enough room in life to be filled with regret.
"Take control of your life now and make up for whatever you have lost. It can be done, I believe."
>She sighs again, but there is an air of bliss in it.
>A silence fills the crisp morning air for a short time
>A good silence, you think.
>You are Luna
>And you are warm.
>Very warm.
>You can feel Anonymous's firm chest underneath his shirt as he lightly caresses your mane.
>When you saw him enter the garden, you were excited to hear what sorts of wonderful conversations you would have with him.
>He is a very curious beast, and doesn't hold off on asking thought provoking questions.
>When you speak to the average pony, there is a great divide between you.
>Even Princess Sparkle will avoid speaking of the past with you. She wants to avoid making you uncomfortable, so you understand.
>But it is Anonymous who can finally let you talk about these things you could never utter to a normal subject.
>He is not interested in your status, only you and the experiences unique to you.
>And now you're being held in his muscular arm as he fiddles with your mane and rubs the top of your head.
>Comforting is not a strong enough word.
>Solace? Supporting? Nothing seems to fit it properly.
>It's a great power he possesses. He swept you from grief to bliss in a matter of moments with little more than a hug and simple words.
>Those same simple words you have heard many times before. Whether it be from a book, your sister, or even yourself. You know that holding onto regrets is a silly waste of time.
>But there is a big difference between understanding something and feeling something. One can understand that letting go is a liberating experience, but stills struggle with letting go. It is only when one's emotions are swayed that they can make that action. It is only when they wish to let go because they feel it is correct that they actually succeed.
>And as Anonymous explains it with little garnish or tact, you can feel yourself start to genuinely believe it.
"Thank you, Anonymous." you whisper
>You inhale his scent deeply and let out a sigh.
>Your heart beat slows as you listen to his.
>How can he remain so calm through all this?
>It just seems like he has life all figured out...
>Hmm
"Anonymous?" you beckon
>"Hmm?" he hums in response
>You rub your cheek against his chest.
>It's odd, but you feel different than when you usually spied on him from the balcony.
>Somehow being wrapped in his arm again has taken the sexuality out of this moment.
>Surely you can feel the strength in his arms and toned his chest is.
>In fact, your hoof even brushes against the bumps of his abdominal muscles, which should be bringing you GREAT satisfaction.
>But it doesn't... or at least not in that sense.
>It just feels... nice. It's a weak word, but somehow it fits.
>Such a simple feeling, but it is one you hardly feel.
>Just... nice.
>Nothing less.
>But as you lean against him, you find curiosity of your own.
"How does it feel to have such a short life?" you ask.
>He chuckles at the question
>"How would I know? I haven't lived it yet." he says with a hearty belly laugh.
>You smile as the laugh makes his chest rise and fall.
"I'm sorry, Anonymous. It was poorly phrased." you say with a blush.
>"No no no, it's fine. I know what you were getting at, I think." he says scratching his chin
>As he ponders the question he pulls you in tighter, enhancing the fuzzy feelings that swirl in your chest.
>"I suppose it is rather... liberating, at the end of the day."
>You scrunch your face in confusion.
>Liberating?
"I am confused... is it not more liberating to know you have plenty of time to do what you want?"
>He shakes his head.
>"Maybe it is, but that doesn't matter to me. I need to find solace in what destiny has dealt me." he utters in a calm tone
>You look up at him as he explains, a passion growing in his eyes.
>"Nobody really knows where you go when you die, and now that I'm in this world I'm only more sure that there isn't some divine being on high..." he explains softly
>"But I like to imagine when you die it is like crossing a finish line, and in the end it's just you and your memories. And there's this little dude standing there with a stopwatch who yells, 'TIME' and clicks it."
>You smile at his silly vision, enjoying the idea of Anonymous crossing a finish line into the afterlife.
>And you imagine him smiling at that little 'dude' the same way he smiles at everyone he meets.
>You wonder if the 'dude' would smile back
>"And then I stand there with that little guy as my memories swirl around and show me the highlights of my life." he says with a grin, "And I think the whole point of living is that when it's all said and done you can turn to that little fella and hear him say, 'Not too shabby kid, why don't you give it another go?'"
>He makes the 'little fella' sound like an old stallion and gestures with his unoccupied hand.
>You can feel your grin pull at your cheeks as he continues to speak.
>"And if I do it right, then I can say no thanks and watch my life over and over again... as much as I please." he says, looking down at you, "Heck, I'll definitely see you there."
>You feel your cheeks burn as you push against him, your smile becoming impossible to restrain.
"I hope so, Anonymous."
>He laughs, caressing the side of your face.
>"Oh, I am sure of it." he says confidently.
>The warmth in your chest grows through your body, and every part of you tingles with the wonderful sensation.
"But we have only recently become confidants... how can you be so sure that I will make an impact?" you ask
>He gives you a genuine smile, one that does not imply optimism or cheerfulness.
>It exudes nothing more than a feeling of definite sureness; he smiles because he really believes what he says.
>"Because you already have, Luna! Even this conversation has left a mark on me, I think." he says with great confidence, "Besides, we'll be confidants for a long while."
>You push into him more, careful not to poke him with your horn.
"I agree. We most definitely will." you say softly
>After a small period of sitting still, you see the sun begin to cast red light upon the darker clouds.
>You break the embrace and take off.
>Not without a hug, of course.
>You are Anon
>A few hours have passed since you met with Princess Luna this morning, and you're in the thick of your work.
>The robust scent of aged wood fills your nostrils as you stand alone in the large storage area within the castle walls.
>It's a lot like a barn, with a sliding door into the side of the fortress that has shelves upon shelves of seasonal items.
>There are boxes of Hearth's Warming decorations for the trees of the garden, along with Nightmare Night statues and props. And of course all the necessities for the Grand Galloping Gala.
>And every structure in this large sanctuary of storage is made from beautiful pine which has bent slightly from years of having heavy boxes on it.
>The floor is stone and covered in dust, and there is a muskiness in the air that seems unique only to old barns and basements.
>Outside the clouds have darkened, releasing a fresh spring rain down upon the thirsty soil.
>You smile, pretending to hear the flowers and grass rejoice at the hydrating weather.
>What a harmony that would be.
>And while it doesn't come in the form of sound, you can catch of whiff of the spring rain. It's a smell that puts you right into the season, and invigorates your soul.
>You pour another bag of pre-fertilized soil into a three foot tall pot.
>The pot slowly fills with the precious earth as the burlap sack finally empties completely.
>You toss the bag off to the side and mix the soil with your hand, ensuring any large clumps are refined back to smaller grains.
>You dust off your hands and stare out into the rain again, enjoying the sights and sounds.
>After speaking with Luna for little more than an hour this morning, you were expecting a long work day.
>However, the weather decided against it, and the sudden downpours that rolled in today totally axed your work day
>The flower ponies couldn't even make their deliveries today because the rain would washout their product.
>So now your day will consist of prepping these pots with soil
>But other than this simple, albeit necessary, task... you don't really have any work to do.
>You take a seat, leaning back against the pot you just filled.
>The rain comes down with heavy droplets, and it doesn't appear to be letting up any time soon.
>However the overcast clouds combine with the sun's light to create a drowsy shade of light grey which is cast throughout the entire storage room.
>There are artificial lights in this dusty room, so the natural light is all you get.
>But you're not complaining.
>The sounds of rain delicately beating against the sides of the castle fills the room. It is the only sound that remains, next to your breathing.
>It's days like these that make you feel new; Like you've been cleansed.
>And a side effect of this is a noticeable difference in your energy.
>You operate on a lower level than usual. You can't help it, you just feel so relaxed.
>Instead of talking with the flowers or soil as you prep them, you feel your self hum instead. You whisper little bits of affection to the tools of your trade.
>You once heard that talking to flowers makes them grow faster, but is that really a positive thing? Doesn't the joy come from watching them grow slowly; inching up ever so slightly every day?
>Well, it doesn't really matter, man. As long as the flowers are happy.
>As you stare out into the gray haze of the rain through the open barn-style door, a silhouette casts a shadow across the floor.
>A small shadow, but a shadow nonetheless
>You turn slowly to look into the eyes of the darkened figure, still fully suited in her armor.
"Good M-... day, Morning Star." you say, trying not to get your tongue twisted.
>The little mare wanders in and walks towards you. As she gets closer, her features become more clear.
>"Sitting around again? Don't tell me you're out of work already..." she says getting within a foot of you.
>You shrug
"It's a slow day, so I'm not stressin'." you say peacefully.
>She looks you up and down.
>"You are different today." she declares with little tact, "What's up with that?"
"It's the rain, love. It's a good day to be calm." you say with a deep, soothing breath.
>She smirks at you
>"I tell ya what, Anon, any day is a good day for YOU to be calm." she says, looking around a little, "That's for certain..."
>You smile and stare out into the rain again.
"Yeah, but rainy days especially. They bring serenity like they bring water."
>She nods lightly to show that she is still listening as she peers about the storage room.
>"I don't think I've ever been in here. It's a lot bigger than I imagined."
>You scratch the back of your head.
"If you don't mind me asking, why are you in here? I thought you were a guard." you inquire softly.
>She sighs and takes a seat near you, her armor clanging against the stone floor.
>"Yeah, but only for the royal garden. And it's closed when it is raining, so I've got nothing to guard against since the gate is closed and all."
>You nod.
"Still, why come in here with me?"
>She shakes her head
>"Well, we did speak to each other yesterday... I figured, 'what the hell?' ya know?" she says in a monotone way.
>You hum and nod.
>Good enough for you.
>The two of you sit silently for awhile as the rain continues to pitter-patter against the stone walls.
>There's a light mist in the air as the cool rain collides with the ground, and the entire world seems domiciliary; Like everyone is under the same roof, snuggling up under the covers and enjoying the weather no matter what form it takes.
>You hum a small, comfy tune you heard once from a source you cannot remember.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guo8CHurCpY [Embed]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsoLYWTzqSY [Embed]
>Morning Star does not reach out for a long time. She watches the rain come down with soft eyes. It's obvious that the rain has calmed her as well.
>But after awhile she cannot bear to sit in the silence any longer.
>"So... how's life?" she asks vaguely.
>You extend your legs, cracking your ankles and stretching your knees.
"I would say good, but I don't think that is a complete answer." you say with a subtle smirk.
>She huffs air out of her nose in a silent chuckle.
>"Well it wasn't a very complete question, so I don't blame ya if you come up blank." she says dryly, "That's pretty much my go-to response, honestly."
>You let out a quiet chuckle
"Not much for conversation, are you?" you ask jokingly
>She shakes her head
>"The worst" she says with a wry smile
>She removes her helmet and sets hit beside her, letting her mane fall down.
>It's longer than you anticipated, and some of her bangs obstruct her eyes.
>She lays back on the floor and lets out a sigh.
>"Well, I didn't join the guard because I was blessed with good pony skills." she says quietly, grunting as she stretches out on the floor.
>You nod as she closes her eyes.
"Then why did you join the guard?" you respond curiously
>She lets out a long, sustained groan.
>"That's a long story." she says in a dismissive tone.
>You shrug
"We've got nothin' but time, hun." you say, gesturing to the rain.
>She shakes her head
>"Then I don't want to talk about it." she responds, never opening her eyes.
>You twiddle your thumbs.
"Alright, I won't pressure ya, man." you say with a small wave
>She inhales and exhales slowly.
>"Thanks." she says abruptly.
>And once again you return to silence, letting the rain fill the gaps.
>"Why did you become a gardener?" she asks suddenly, still not opening her eyes.
>You look down at her with a smirk
"Will you tell me your story if I tell you why?"
>She sighs
>"Depends." she responds
"On what?"
>"Whether I think your story is good enough." she says with a small grin
>You chuckle.
"Alright, fair enough I guess." you say, quietly returning the grin, "But you gotta promise me."
>She adjusts herself
>"Fine, I promise."
>You take a deep breath and try to pinpoint where to start.
>It's a long story than spans more worlds than just this one.
>But you'll keep it short.
"I have always been a sort of happy person, I think." you say at last, "Like, more than the average person seems to be, anyway."
>Morning scrunches her face without opening her eyes
>"Okay?" she responds in an uncertain tone.
>You shift a little, rubbing your chin as you recall.
"So, ya know, being happy is a good thing. In the end everyone just wants to be happy, my man." you say slowly, "And when I saw other's struggling to find happiness, I really wanted to help out. I wanted to spread those warm feelings, ya feel?"
>Morning Star nods, implying she is following
"But making a lot of people happy is very difficult. Everyone is cheered up by different things." you say, "But I found that flowers and plants are sort of a universal thing."
>Morning finally tilts opens her eyes and turns her head towards you.
>"I dunno about that. Flowers and plants don't do much for me." she responds
>You nod
"Right, but in the end I found out it wasn't happiness I've been trying so hard to give people." you retort.
>She tilts her head.
>"But you just said that's what most ponies want..." she says in confusion
>You hum in affirmation
"It's the same sort of feeling, but it's the wrong word for it." you say, watching the rain continue to crash down.
>Morning sits up a little, her interest in the conversation seemingly rising.
>You smile at her
"What everyone really wants is some peace of mind. A little slice of serenity, you know?" you say quietly, "It's hard to be happy when you have too many worries. But I tell you what, love, nothing makes someone feel calm and collected like when they're sitting in a garden on a warm summer evening."
>You wink at Morning with a smirk
"Nothing"
>She raises her eyebrows in skepticism.
>"You really think that?" she inquires
>You nod.
"It doesn't matter who it is."
>Morning Star leans back on the ground, shifting about until she finds the most comfortable position.
>"I dunno if I buy that." she grunts
>You shrug
"You don't need to buy it, but it's what I believe at the very least." you reply
>The wind picks up slightly, making the rain's volume increase
>Looks like it might come down even heavier soon.
"So," you begin, "How about you, huh? Why'd you become a guard?"
>Morning doesn't respond right away.
>"I said I'd tell you that if your story was good enough." she mumbles
>You tilt your head
"And?"
>She huffs out her nose with a wry smirk
>"It wasn't good enough." she says dryly
>You chuckle
"Is it really not good enough, or are you just hiding something?" you inquire
>She sighs
>"I am REALLY not in the mood to divulge such information." she says in an annoyed tone.
>You lean back against the pot behind you.
"As unfair as that is... I guess you can just tell me down the road." you say with a chuckle
>Morning squints her closed eyes.
>"Down the road?"
>You laugh
"Yeah, when we talk in the future."
>"You're just assuming we're gonna be chatting like this in the future?"
>You shrug.
"Well, you're the one that came up to talk to me all three times we've spoken, right? We've had some good conversations in my humble opinion." you say with a smirk
>Morning scrunches her face
>"That doesn't necessarily mean we're friends."
>You smile
"To me it does! So to me, we are definitely friends." you say, turning to look at her, "And now you're stuck with me."
>She sighs
>"Whoopie." she responds dryly
>You chuckle
>Once again you peer into the rain as a wave of heat rolls over you.
>It's extremely humid, and this storage room is stuffy.
>The heavy precipitation splatters against the concrete floor by the door.
>That rain looks pretty good right about now...
>You stand up and stretch your back.
>There are a few audible cracks as you groan to the wonderful feeling of muscles being stretched.
>You can feel your shirt cling to your back a little
>The humidity combined with the physical labor earlier today coated you in a sweaty cocktail of dirt and grime.
>And you don't have much else to do... so...
>With great effort you manage to get your tight shirt off your body and toss it to the side.
>Morning opens one eye at the sudden sounds and movement.
>She looks you up and down as you crack your neck in preparation and sighs.
>"Would it kill you to keep your shirt on for more than ten minutes?" she asks with great exhaustion.
>You shake your head.
"No can do, hun. I need to let my body breathe!" you say stretching your arms out.
>The air feels a little cool on your bare, damp body.
>Morning sits up.
>"But there's no reason... you're not even working much today." she says with disinterest.
>You smile down at her.
"Well I don't want my shirt to get wet!" you say happily.
>"Wet?"
>You nod and start to walk towards the doorway.
>You stick your hand outside first to test the heaviness of the rain.
>The drops are large, and water pools in your hand rapidly.
>These rain showers are the best.
>You step out into the rain fully, allowing the water to begin to pour over you.
>Immediately your body feels pure relief from the summer warmth.
>The droplets feel very warm for rain, but they still cool you down a tremendous amount.
>Before you know it, you're smiling and looking up at the clouds. The rain cleanses your body and mind. Heck, even your soul feels a bit cleaner.
>Morning Star sheepishly approaches the doorway and leans against the frame.
>"You're just crazy." she says, "You might actually have a mental problem."
>You turn around and grin at her.
"Or maybe I just enjoy rain?" you say with a laugh.
>She shakes her head.
>"I'm putting my money on the crazy thing."
>With a smirk you take a sudden seat on the wet grass.
>You are Morning Star
>Anonymous sits in a small rain puddle like a colt playing in the mud.
>You can't help but shake your head again and again.
>"Care to join me?" he invites
>You exhale out of your nose with a sharp chuckle.
"You couldn't pay me to join you." you say as you raise your eyebrows.
>He tilts his head.
>"Well that seems rather short-sighted. What if I had, like, one million bits? Would you join me then?" he inquires
>You squint at his childish hypothetical.
"Oh, I wouldn't care. I STILL wouldn't sit in the mud with ya." you say, taking a seat in the doorway.
>The rain mists into the doorway and feels refreshing, but that's all you need.
>That's all any sane pony needs.
>Anon just seems like the kind of guy that sees something worth doing as something worth OVER-doing.
>You think back to his impressive lift at the gym yesterday.
"Hey." you beckon.
>He looks back to you, slicking back his wet hair out of his eyes.
>"You change your mind?" he asks
"What? No! I was just wondering something about you."
>He tilts his head with a mischievous grin.
>"Oh sure, you don't tell me why you become a guard and now you want me to tell you more about myself? Doesn't seem fair, Morning!" he says, wagging a finger at you.
>You're not sure what that gesture means, but it feels condescending.
"Oh come off it. I just wanted to know what made you start lifting." you respond in monotone.
>He folds his arms, making rain pool against his chest.
>"Well I'm not saying anything!"
>You sigh.
>Supposedly your mission is to collect info about him, and exercising seems like a big part of his life.
>But you didn't know you'd have to disclose details about your own personal life as well.
>Still... you've got a job to do.
>And Anon isn't one to spread rumors.
"Fine, I'll tell you why I became a guard if you tell me why you started lifting."
>He opens one eye.
>"No strings attached this time?"
>You roll your eyes
"Yeah, no strings attached."
>He flashes a toothy grin.
>"Alright! Sounds good to me."
>You roll your eyes.
"Okay, so what's the deal? Why did you start lifting?"
>He looks at you with a bit of confusion
>"Is there any reason to not start lifting?" he responds, stroking his chin
>You sigh
"You know what I meant. Nobody just starts off being fit, they always gotta start somewhere. I wanna know what pushed you to start."
>he nods with a chuckle
>"I know, I know." he says, waving dismissively at you
>The rain bounces off his hand as h waves, splashing water towards you.
>A few drops hit you, and you twitch as the cooler water hits your fur.
>He smiles at your automatic reaction.
>"I have always been outdoorsy, but I really started lifting right before I ended up over here." he says with a light sigh
>You tilt your head.
"Over here?" you inquire, "You mean Canterlot? I thought you only got here recently. No way you could pack on that much mass in such a short time."
>He shakes his head.
>"No, not Canterlot. Equestria... this world."
>What?
"What do you mean 'this world'?" you ask
>He scratches the back of his head.
>The rain has turned into a minor mist.
>"I dunno man. I'm not good with these kinds of complicated things." he says with a touch of frustration
>He takes a deep breath.
>"There's this world, right? The pony world." he says, gesturing to his left hand, "Then there's my world; the human world."
>He gestures with his right hand as well, keeping both hands up like they are holding the small worlds
>"And I started lifting in the human world... " he says, lifting up his right hand, "And right while I was just starting to lift, I jumped from there to here."
>He drops his right hand and holds up the left.
>"So, yeah." he says
>It's a lot to process.
"I can't believe it. I thought you were just some oddity, like Bighoof or something..." you say, looking down into a nearby puddle, "To think you're from another world..."
>But wait, that doesn't answer your question.
"Regardless! That doesn't answer why you started." you say, pushing the conversation down the right direction.
>His normally bright demeanor shrivels away, and he looks at you with a much more neutral expression.
>It catches you off guard. To see him as anything less than cheerful is an oddity in itself.
>But to see him sitting silently in the rain, his face painted with burden as the rain drips off his chin, is almost heartbreaking.
>There were many times where you thought seeing him in this sort of state would make him feel more authentic, more real.
>But now that you look upon his dreary and concerned face, it doesn't feel more real.
>It just feels awful.
>"I don't know..." he says, his tone becoming more serious.
>You tilt your head.
"You don't know? Or do you just not wanna tell me?"
>He shakes his head.
>"I actually just don't know. Twilight said that memory loss is a side effect of jumping between worlds. Something about a sort of cognitive pulse that ripped me away from the human world..." he says, lightly rubbing his chin.
"Cognitive pulse?" you say to yourself, unable to really understand what he is saying, "So you can't remember anything from the human world?"
>Your curiosity has gotten the better of you, and before you can even think about it you have asked him what could very well be a painful question.
>Anonymous shakes his head slowly.
>"I haven't forgotten everything, but I have forgotten all the specifics."he says slowly.
"Specifics?"
>He nods, looking down into the puddle at his feet.
>"I can remember feelings... I remember small, private moments to myself. But the big things are all blurred." he says, "Hell, I can't remember much of anything important from my teenage years."
>You sit silently staring at him.
>"But I do remember lifting just before coming here, of that I am certain. I remembered all the exercises and I was already a little built up when I got here. So yeah..."
>He chuckles
>"Sorry, that's not a great answer."
>You stare at him, as he anxiously scratches the back of his head.
>He really can't remember anything before coming to Equestria?
>That's... really sad, actually.
>With the way that Anonymous carries himself, he seemed like he didn't have a bit of baggage on him. He seemed totally weightless.
>But that brings one little piece he mentioned to mind.
"What did you mean by remembering feelings?"
>He tilts his head.
>"Well, umm... let's see..." he mumbles, trying to put the words together.
>He lets out a small sigh before explaining.
>"It's like this, right? I can't remember much about my family, but if I think about the idea of having a family I can feel what it was like back then."
>You squint at him, having trouble following.
>"Uh... okay like, I can't remember who my mother was. But when I think about having a mother, or when I was a kid, I get this warm, nostalgic feeling. Heck, sometimes I can even remember certain experiences if I'm lucky."
>You nod, starting to get it.
"So what do you feel about those teenage years? The ones you can't remember a single specific thing about."
>He squints his eyes and thinks hard for a moment.
>"When I try to think about being a young teen it feels confusing... and frustrating..."
>You nod.
"Sounds about right. Hormones are a pain."
>He nods.
>"But when I think of the later years, they're..."
>He stops slowly, his eyes becoming serious.
>You lean forward in anticipation for what comes next.
>But it doesn't come immediately. For a few seconds he stares into the space above your head, his eyes slightly squinted with great focus.
>His breathing has become slightly deeper, and his nostrils flare with every breath.
>Whatever he is feeling, it is intense.
"Anonymous?" you beckon nervously.
>His eyes quickly dart to you, and after a moment his expression softens again.
>"I-I'm sorry..." he says with a light grin.
"What the hell happened? What were you feeling?"
>He lets out a long exhale.
>"I'm not sure." he replies
"You don't know?"
>He shakes his head.
>"No, no... not that..." he says slowly, "It's just hard to put into words..."
>He slicks back his hair again and tilts his face towards the hazy rain.
>"It sure didn't feel good, though."
>You nod.
>His face certainly didn't look very pleased with whatever emotions were rattling around in there.
"Guess you didn't have the best transition into adulthood..." you reply, at a loss for what to say.
>He smiles.
>"Well, I don't let it bother me. It's all in the past, and in a different world... there's really no use worrying about it."
>He gives you a warm, toothy grin.
>"Besides, I've got the wonderful present to enjoy, and I wouldn't have it any other way."
>And with that you smile back.
>Genuinely.
>Maybe you've just been catching him on off days, but he appears to be a lot more down to earth than you thought.
>You were always under the impression he danced so much because of all his secret admirers; Like he just wanted to get the ego boost of knowing how many ponies were watching him.
>But his personality just doesn't match it. It's like he doesn't care about those who don't care about him... he puts his love where it is returned.
>What does that mean for you? It's no doubt that you started this friendship just because of your 'secret mission', but Anon sees you as a viable companion.
>You wonder if he would even care why you started talking to him.
>A little guilt weighs down on you as you realize just how much trust Anon has invested in you.
>"So will ya tell me why you became a guard now?"
>His voice recaptures your attention, stopping you from falling deeper into your own thoughts.
"oh... yeah, alright. I guess you deserve it after all that." you say dryly.
>He chuckles
>"Excellent! To be honest, your disinterest in telling me has only made me want to know more!"
>You shake your head with a concealed smirk.
>Nopony has ever been this interested in you or what you have to say.
>It feels nice to have someone care.
>He sits up a little straighter
>"Alright, let's hear it!"
>You shrug
"I hope you weren't expecting much. I just joined the guard because I thought it'd be good for me." you say in an unenthusiastic tone
>He crosses his arms.
>"There's more to it than that, and you know it!" he says with a grin
>You let out a small sigh
"There really isn't. I just needed some direction... some purpose."
>He scratches his chin.
>"Purpose huh?"
>You nod slowly
"Yup. I told you there ain't much to it."
>He shakes his head.
>"I dunno, that doesn't explain the guard thing though. You could find purpose in just about anything, so what made you gravitate towards guarding?"
>You sigh
>Trying to put your reasons into words isn't very high on your list of things you enjoy doing.
>The more you think about the complications of life, the more you seem to focus on them.
>And then you're just miserable... well more miserable.
>But he did open up to you a lot. Maybe you owe him one.
"Geez... you're really gonna drag it out of me?"
>He smiles softly at you.
>"I'm not gonna drag anything out of ya! However, I'd really like to know."
>Another sigh escapes your lips
"Look, I dunno what to tell ya. Once I got out of school and left home I felt sorta... lost, ya know?"
>He tilts his head.
>"Like, you didn't know what direction to take your life?"
>You shake your head.
"More like, I didn't even know I had a life to direct in the first place." you say quietly, leaning against the door frame again.
>He stares back at you patiently.
>Something about his stare makes you want to continue.
>There's an aura about him
"I mean... it's not like I had many leads when I finally did leave the house." you admit, "I didn't exactly explore avenues while I was at school and helping at home."
>He adjust his sitting position
>"Yeah, it can get busy. What sort of help were you doing at home?"
>A bittersweet mixture of melancholy and nostalgia washes over you as you mentally revisit your past.
>You chuckle, pushing your bangs back from your face.
"What didn't I do? I washed the dishes, cleaned the house, mowed the lawn, fixed the appliances... the list goes on." you say slowly.
>Anon raises his eyebrows.
>"That's a lot of stuff to push onto a kid who's still in school. Your parents must've really wanted to teach you responsibility."
>You shake your head.
"It wasn't that. It was only my mother and I, and she was always working." you say quietly, "And when it's just the two of you, ya gotta divide up roles."
>You adjust yourself so your back is against the door frame.
"She was the breadwinner, so I was the housekeeper..."
>You look out into the misty rain as it falls far beyond the garden walls.
"She got to work early and didn't leave until late... and on days off she would drink cider and sleep the day away."
>The image of your mother passed out on the sofa surrounded by cans and bottles is not foreign to you.
>But you can't say you were upset with her when she did it. She always treated you right, even on those days when she was a little drunk.
>She worked so hard for the two of you, trying to keep your little lives afloat.
"So I went to school every day, then came home and did everything there too. Then I graduated, and my mother just dropped me out the door with a suitcase. She said, 'Go out and make something of yourself!' and that was that."
>You pick at some dirt on the ground.
"After all that, I didn't know what to do... how could I know what to do?"
>Anon folds his arms.
>"Where was your dad during all this? If you don't mind me asking, that is."
>You lightly thunk the back of your head against the door frame.
"Died when I was a baby. I don't even remember a single thing about him." you say bluntly, "We visited his grave from time to time, but Mom was so preoccupied with providing for me that she never really seemed to mention him."
>"That's rough. I'm sorry to hear that, Morning."
>You shrug
"It's nothing. I've made it this far."
>Anon chuckles
>"Hey, if it's any consolation, I can't remember my dad either," he says with an oddly cheer demeanor, "Guess we've got that in common, huh?"
>You exhale through your nose.
"Yeah, I guess so." you say with a light chortle.
>You get a little more comfortable.
"But, yeah. I was lost for awhile. I did some odd jobs here and there before hearing about the guard program. I figured that'd give me some structure and a place to live, so I joined up."
>Anon nods.
>"Makes sense to me!" he says happily
>He pauses for a moment and scratches the back of his head.
>"Hey, thanks for tellin' me all this. I know you're not exactly thrilled to be sharing."
>You rest your head in your hoof.
"Eh, don't sweat it. I asked a lot of you too."
>He chuckles lightly
>"True... true."
>Suddenly a nearby flash of lightning is followed closely by an intense bout of thunder.
>The two of you jump at the unanticipated displays of natural power.
>Anon's eyes widen as he looks up at the sky, then back at you.
>"Maybe I should get back under cover." he says with a nervous smirk.
>You can't help but grin at his doltish expression
"Yeah, you probably should."
>He stands up out of the puddle he was in, making the water cascade down his body and drip to the ground.
>He whips his head back and fourth to remove excess water before pulling it back.
>As he steps inside you swear you can almost hear somepony groan through the walls.
>Actually, it sounds like more than one.
>You'd rather not know.
>Anon wanders in, leaving a trail of water on the floor as he walks.
>Just as he reaches the pots again the rain suddenly picks up.
>The rain comes crashing down far harder than before, and the wind makes you retreat from the door entrance.
"Damnit. I'm not goin' back out in that."
>Anon shakes his head as he dries off with an empty burlap sack.
>"I'm glad I told the delivery mares to hold off today!"
>You wander over to a stack of burlap sacks and hop on top.
>Perfect napping spot.
>After a few minutes the symphony of the storm makes your eyelids feel heavy and your body loose.
>You don't put up a fight as the world around you seems to fade, leaving only the heavy sounds of the rain to comfort you.
>Everything falls away, and you feel perfectly content.
>...
>...
>Your hooves have become so shiny you can see your reflection in them.
>They smell pretty good, too. It's supposed to be some sort of coastal fragrance, you think.
>You wipe down the final plate before placing it in the drying rack to fully air out.
>You sigh and wipe your brow. Those dishes were driving you crazy.
>A small crack of lightning outside captures your attention as it lights up the sky above the trees.
>After a few seconds, distant thunder rolls overhead and lightly vibrates the windows.
>As the sound fades, you can hear the radio playing softly in the other room.
>You toss your towel onto the counter and carefully step down from your step-ladder.
>Fortunately there isn't any soap on the steps this time, so you won't be slipping.
>As your hooves hit the floor, you're careful not to make too much noise.
>In this small apartment you call home, it's hard to ensure that sound doesn't travel.
>You lightly walk to the doorway leading into the living room.
>The radio in the corner plays light, wispy music from another time while the lantern by the door flickers.
>Using lanterns at night saves on the electric bill, especially in the summer when you need to use fans and what not.
>Across from the lantern and radio is the old sofa that has been around as long as you have.
>A pair of hooves hang off the back armrest, twitching slightly.
>The room is filled with a delicate snoring as the hooves' owner catches up on sleep.
>You smile softly in the darkness, entirely expecting this outcome.
>The door to the hall closet creaks quietly as you open it.
>You fetch the blanket and pillow you stowed in there for this exact reason; being careful not to knock over the vacuum.
>You walk around the couch with the pillow in your mouth and the blanket over your back.
>The blanket drapes over you like a regal cape that drags behind.
>But you're not royalty, and the blanket is far from silk robes.
>You turn the corner of the couch and look at the light-grey mare resting upon it.
>Her mane is a very pale blue, and her coat is just a tint below white.
>When she leaves the apartment, bright and early, her mane is perfectly done and her coat is spotless. She wears a sharp uniform and doesn't have a spot on her.
>But now she lies on the couch in the soft light of the budget lantern.
>Her mane is in disarray, and she wears nothing but an old bath robe which she cuddles up into every night.
>And as she sleeps, she is far from graceful. Her mouth hangs open with a spot of drool dripping down, and her cheek is pressed so hard against the armrest that the fabric will leave an imprint.
>But even with all this, she still appears beautiful. Maybe you just have a bias towards your own mother, but you really believe that she is so effortless in her comeliness.
>You approach her cautiously, trying hard not to kick the empty cans of cider by the couch.
>With a gentle hoof you lift her head and slide the pillow underneath.
>She's so exhausted that she doesn't even stir.
>You toss the large blanket over her and carefully adjust it so that she is completely covered.
>It's an old blanket with more patches than original material, but it will do the job.
>You take your time and get it just right before stepping back.
>Your mother quietly continues to snooze, slowly making the blanket rise and fall with each breath.
>A smile silently grows on your face as you inspect your job well done.
>The clock in the kitchen says it is 10:32
>You should have gotten to bed by now. You have school tomorrow, after all.
>And you will get to bed, after you do one last thing.
>You walk up to your mother's face and gently kiss her on the nose.
"Goodnight, momma." you whisper
>As you finish saying those words one of your mother's eyes slowly opens.
>Her heavy eyelid only make a small gap between it and the large bags below, but you can still get a peek at her beautiful yellow eyes.
>"Hmm? What?" she says, lightly coming to a small amount of her senses.
>You smile at her, trying hard not to wake her up fully.
"Goodnight momma." you repeat tenderly.
>She slowly gives you an exhausted smile that warms your heart and makes you feel light.
>"Goodnight my little Mori" she says lovingly, her voice a little raspy from speaking all day.
>She slowly leans forward and gives you a long kiss on your forehead.
>You sigh blissfully as she pulls away again and snuggles into the pillow.
>She looks at you with immense gratitude; the same way you look at her.
>This little apartment on the outskirts of the city isn't much, and you can't afford many luxuries.
>You need to do housework while your classmates play, and you need to tuck your mother in when usually it is the other way around.
>But you know it's because she works so hard to give you the little bits of luxury you have, and you'll do anything to show her how thankful you are.
>You turn to leave before being beckoned once more.
>"Mori~" she says in a tired sing-song voice.
>You turn to look at her again.
>She pulls back the blanket and makes some room on the couch.
>"Come on up here with your momma." she says tenderly.
>You don't hesitate to hop up onto the sofa next to your mother as she drapes half of the blanket over you as well.
>She wraps her leg around you and holds you close before shutting her eyes and drifting to sleep.
>She feels warm, and you snuggle up to her for a good night's sleep.
>You sleep best when you're being held.
>You close your eyes to rest when the radio station changes.
>The song being played is unlike anything you've ever heard.
>It's slow and subtle, but you can't make out the words.
>And the more you focus on it, the more awake you feel.
>Your eyes open, and you come to realize you're staring at the ceiling of a dusty storage room.
>You let out a deep breath. Sometimes dreams are less imaginary creations and more like revisiting memories.
>To be honest, you weren't expecting to be hit with so much nostalgia all at once. What a strange time to dream of all that.
>You sit up and listen to the rain fall outside.
>The bright gray light from before has become a dreary mess of darkness.
>It's still day time, but everything outside seems like it's shrouded in a blanket.
>The sound of the rain feels good, but something familiar enters your ears from the left.
>It's faint and somewhat distorted, but you swear you can hear the song from your dream.
>You look to your left to find a motionless Anon sitting against the, now filled, pots with his head hung low.
>His breathing is slow, and his arms are propped up on his knees.
>The light song seems to be coming from a little white bud hanging from one of his ears.
>The second bud is actually in his ear as he snoozes quietly in the warm afternoon.
>You could just leave him be for now, maybe find your way back to the barracks.
>But that song continues to captivate you.
>If it is coming out of that little thing, maybe you could listen to it too...
>And if you're careful, you could do it without waking him.
>You slide off the pile of topsoil sacks and lightly make your way over to the unconscious Anonymous.
>His hair conceals his eyes as he continues to delicately snooze.
>You move slowly and precisely, ensuring the only thing you touch is the tiny speaker itself.
>As you lift the bud to your ear, the song becomes perfectly clear. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuQY6aVU7v0 [Embed]
>The song hits you immediately as the singer begins to describe nostalgic memories from an old friendship.
>It feels melancholy and sentimental. The narrator wishes all the best to his long lost friend as he reminiscences.
>You smile softly
>Mom would like this.
>You're not sure why your mind is suddenly so fixated on home today.
>It must have been talking about it with Anonymous that triggered it.
>If you're being candid with yourself, it has been a long time since you thought of that little apartment and the loving mare that lives in it.
>When mom pushed you out to find a life for yourself, you went off without so much as a goodbye.
>And you can't remember the last time you visited.
>The melancholy music combined with the dull weather leaves you in low spirits.
>Your lack of energy makes you sit silently next to the napping giant.
>The song finally fades away on a note as gloomy as the rest of the song.
>You stare at a small stain on the ground, left there by an unknown spill.
>But your eyes are unimportant now as you devote all your attention to your thoughts.
>It's the strangest little things that can spark a flurry of existential anxiety in your mind.
>The next song rolls around and fills your ears. It's soothing, jazzy tones relax your body, but don't distract you from your stream of thoughts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xixTiB6tJTM [Embed]
>Anon's question continues to cycle in your head.
>Why did you really become a guard?
>You say it's because you wanted something to give you purpose and straighten you out; to discipline you and make you a respectable soldier.
>And you're definitely a soldier, there's no denying that. You can out run, out lift, and out match any guard in the barracks.
>You're given orders that need to be carried out, and you complete them flawlessly. You're given a job to do, and you do it.
>So you have discipline, and you've been given purpose... you have everything you came here for.
>But in that moment of recollection and self-reflection between you and Anonymous, you've felt something different.
>Were those things important to you in the first place?
>Obviously they are noble goals; they are the sorts of objectives that a proud, successful pony would pursue.
>And yet you're not proud... far from it even.
>You look over at the golden helmet you wear each and every day.
>To get such a helmet, you had to work harder than you ever did before. You had to push yourself to the brink on multiple occasions, and you put more effort forth than any of your fellow guards.
>For a while, you thought that you were happy with being top of your class. You told ponies you were proud to serve, and that being a guard is the highest honor.
>But when you look into yourself, you know that just isn't true.
>When you invest a lot of time and effort into something, you can't help but push away any feelings of discontent surrounding it.
>The only thing more terrifying than failing at something is to succeed at something that doesn't fulfill you.
>At least, that's how you see it.
>You sigh softly.
>A weight tugs on your heart and makes your stomach ache.
>It's not a new feeling, you have felt it from time to time for years now.
>But you can never pinpoint what it stems from.
>You look over at Anonymous still quietly sleeping.
>Without thinking you give him a gentle shake.
"H-Hey... Anon." you say in a hush tone.
>Anonymous lifts his head slightly and looks around.
>With a little confusion he looks down at you sitting beside him.
>"Hmm? What's up, love?" he grunts, rubbing his eyes.
>At first you cannot answer his question. In fact, you're not really sure why you woke him in the first place.
>You've always kept distance between the two of you because of his attitude and bizarre approach to life.
>But there is a part of you that wants his conversation.
>And while you're still unsure of your actions, you begin to speak anyway.
"Are you proud of what you do?" you whisper.
>He lowers his head again, trying not to wake himself too much.
>"I guess so." he says quietly.
>You tilt your head.
"You guess so? Isn't it important to be proud of what you do?"
>He shrugs, keeping his head low and his eyes closed.
>"Eh. A job is just a job. I love what I do, but I can't say that it's very impressive or worthy of pride." he mumbles
>You lean your head back against the potted plant behind you.
"I don't get it." you say with a sigh, "You seem so happy all the time, but you're no slouch. It's not like you have a false sense of pride; you do good work."
>You shake your head, staring up at the rafters.
"So what makes you proud? How can you walk around like you've got it all figured out?"
>Anonymous doesn't respond immediately. He appears to be drifting back to sleep as the two of you chat.
>"I dunno... I guess I'm just proud of who I am these days..." he mumbles, "I can be proud about... being a good person... right?"
>His breathing slows again and he seems to fall limp once more.
>But your attention isn't on his current state of consciousness, it is on his words.
>Being proud of who you are.
>You start to construct a check list...
>You're a guard, you're top of your class, you're strong and fairly intelligent...
>Those don't sound right...
>Anonymous wouldn't define himself as a gardener, that is far from who he is.
>That's less WHO he is and more WHAT he is...
>So if a guard is what you are, who are you?
>You're Morning Star the earth pony.
>You grew up without a dad, so you learned to take care of yourself and how to be thankful and gracious...
>Even if lately you haven't been acting very gracious, admittedly.
>And you always did your chores diligently when you got home, and your homework right after...
>But now you struggle to find motivation to care about anything unless it gets you a rank...
>And you love your mom...
>Even if you haven't so much as sent a letter to her in over a year...
>...
>Something hits the inside of your leg.
>It's small, and wet. It doesn't make any sound.
>It carries with it every emotion that floods your system.
>You don't cry, it's just not how you process emotions generally.
>So while only one tear escaped, it may as well be a thousand.
>It fell because of a sudden realization.
>With all you have discussed today, a subtle thought grew into a startling epiphany.
>You lost who you were.
>You can easily remember that little filly who washed the dishes and did the laundry.
>She never had nice things or outstanding recognition.
>But she had her family, and she knew what she was doing was a good thing.
>And even when she was all alone in the house, or her mother was a little drunk, she still felt okay.
>Because she understood why it was like that, and rose above it.
>The present you doesn't harbor such patience, nor such a strong empathy.
>You're sitting next to a giant that you have, for the longest time, hated from a distance.
>But all he has done today is be patient with your attitude and insults, being happy just to learn more about you.
>No wonder he has some pride in how he composes himself... he could put up with somepony as hostile as you...
>You wipe your eye.
>...
>You're not proud of who you are... you're just not.
>Your short temper and dry sarcasm has always been in the back of your mind; it's not like you never noticed how rude you were sometimes.
>You just didn't care. You thought your goals and aspirations were far more important than how you act day to day.
>But what's the point of being accomplished if you were a miserable pony the whole time you pursued accomplishment?
>Who wants to be an impressive jerk? How can you be proud of yourself if you're such a mean spirit?
>You look up at the muscular Anonymous sitting beside you, once again out cold.
"He's impressive" you whisper to yourself like an admission of guilt.
>You had to say it out loud to get it to feel right in your mind.
>Anonymous has proven to you that it is possible to be strong and still have a gentle soul.
>If he can do it... maybe you can too.
>It'll take some work, but everything does.
>You smile lightly at the sleeping giant.
>Maybe this mission wasn't such a bad thing after all.
>Maybe.
>You are Luna
>To your dismay rain continues to fall against your window and the glass doors to your balcony.
>The rain itself isn't what depresses you, in fact you really enjoy a nice rainy day.
>The dark clouds make it feel somewhere between day and night, so you feel a bit more at home.
>And the rain makes ponies nap more often as well, and you can enjoy exploring warm, restful dreams.
>Dreams during naps are almost always relaxing, or fun. And since they are so short, you can explore a bunch at a time.
>However the rain brings with it one sad side effect: Anonymous has not been visible outside today, and he probably won't be.
>You sigh.
>After the wonderful conversation you had with him this morning you felt a great desire to watch him work today.
>You hover your mug of ginseng tea up to your muzzle and drink its contents.
>As the warm liquid rolls down your throat, you can feel any stress you had fall away.
>You place the mug down on the nightstand beside you, making sure the design faces you.
>The design reads, '#1 Pain in the Flank'
>It was a gift from Celly, and definitely your favorite mug.
>You look back down to the hefty plank of wood in front of you on your bed.
>On it lies your beloved 5000 piece puzzle of downtown Canterlot.
>At night, of course.
>You keep the puzzle on a this nice plank so you can construct it on your bed and move it away when it is time to sleep again.
>You're around 2,359 pieces in at the moment.
>Roughly. Who's counting?
>After staring at the open frame with large chunks missing, you finally realize where your current piece of interest goes.
>You hover it into spot and-
>No wait.
>Okay, so that doesn't go there.
>You put the piece off to the side.
>You look up at the clock on your wall.
>3:45pm
>You still have plenty of time before dinner.
>A blissful feeling of freedom warms you inside.
>Free time to do relaxing activities is such a lovely thing.
>Especially when it is raining out, so Celly won't nag you to go outside.
>You look back down at your puzzle and focus on finding a place for this peculiar little piece.
>It has many different colors on it, but the picture is so complex that finding the right space is still very difficult.
>You lightly tap it against the board with your magic as you search for its place.
>And yet, the more you search the less sure you seem to be.
>Sometimes you wonder if they manufacture these puzzles with extra pieces.
>You haven't made a puzzle with an extra piece yet, but this could very well be the first.
>You shake your head and squint your eyes.
>Your focus is interrupted by a knock at your door.
>Who would that be?
>Celly doesn't knock, to your dismay.
>Plus, she said she would be working right up until dinner time tonight.
>It must be one of your guards.
"Who is it?" you shout, keeping your eyes on your puzzle.
>"U-Um, Morning Star, second class, ma'am." a muffled voice replies.
>You look up and squint your eyes.
>Morning Star?
>Who is-
"Ah!" you say in response to your eureka moment, "The tiny guard mare from yesterday! Come right in!"
>The door slowly creaks open as the earth pony slides in.
>She closes the door behind her with a gentle click.
>She turns around to face you and gives you a strong salute.
>"Good Afternoon, Ma'am!" she declares.
>Her loud voice surprises you, as it juxtaposes the calm atmosphere of the room.
>Celly's guards are always so deafening! Your night guards speak more mildly.
>She continues to salute you and you can't help but smile at her.
>You know it isn't right to chuckle at somepony for how they look, but she is just so small!
>She's half the size of your normal stallion guards that patrol the halls during your shift.
"At ease, Morning Star! There is no need to be so formal here." you admit, returning to your puzzle.
>She immediately slackens her stance and drops the salute.
>That must be uncomfortable to hold.
"What brings you to my quarters, Morning?" you ask without looking up.
>Morning Star lets out a calming breath before speaking.
>"I have information regarding Anonymous, ma'am."
>Your eyes widen as you look back at her.
"More information? Already?" you inquire, surprised by her incredible efficiency.
>She nods.
>"Yes Ma'am, I spent the afternoon speaking with him... more or less." she declares.
>She spent the afternoon with him? Admittedly you can feel your envy growing for this little spy your sister has ordered.
>However, the only reason she spoke with him for so long is to give you information, so you can't be very upset.
"Well then, let us hear it!" you say, "What have you learned today?"
>Morning looks around nervously.
>"Pardon me, ma'am, but shouldn't Princess Celestia be here with us as well?"
>You smile at her worry.
"Sister will not be able to join us. Do not fret, I shall pass on the information. I am sure she will be very willing to recommend a promotion to your commander."
>Morning looks away from you at the last sentence.
>Her reaction immediately captures your attention; she seemed thrilled at the thought of promotion yesterday.
>Ponies are such odd creatures.
>"Thank you ma'am!" she says formally, "I suppose I will begin from the top."
>You nod, getting comfy.
>She looks at you nervously, adjusting her standing position.
>The poor mare looks terribly uncomfortable.
>She was not like this yesterday, could it be the absence of your sister that is making her so anxious?
"Please, have a seat," you invite, pointing her towards a comfortable chair at the end of your bed by the window.
>Your voice seems to have startled her. Perhaps she was gathering her thoughts.
>"Th-Thank you ma'am" she says as soon as she recovers.
>She trots over to the open chair and takes a seat.
>Her helmet clanks against the headrest of the chair as she hops up.
>It slinks down over her eyes momentarily, and you can't help but stifle a chortle.
>In her nervousness she seems to have become quite clumsy.
"Why don't you remove the helmet?"
>She nods quickly.
>"Yes ma'am, thank you ma'am."
>She scrambles to pop off her helmet.
>It slides off her head allowing her mane to flow downward once more.
>Once it is off you can really get a look at what she looks like.
>Despite her strong physique, commanding voice, and toughened exterior, she really is as cute as a button.
>Her petite stature combined with her short mane and freckled complexion makes her terribly charming.
>Compared to the dark and mysterious natures of your night guards, she is an adorable change.
>She pauses.
>"I apologize, ma'am. I'm not really sure where to start. There was a lot of information retrieved in the last two days."
>That is a happy surprise.
"I believe you said you were going to start from the beginning, if I am not mistaken." you remind softly.
>She nods rapidly.
>"Y-yes, of course."
>She takes a deep breath.
>"Anonymous, as you know, is fascinated by fitness." she begins, "But I recently got to experience his level of fitness firsthoof."
>You lean your head on your hoof with an amused smile.
"Oh really?"
>"Yes ma'am, " she respond, "He lifted an unheard of 675 pounds off the ground multiple times. I could not believe my eyes when I saw it."
>675 pounds? Physically lifting such an amount is an intense feat.
"Incredible, and you witnessed this?" you inquire.
>She nods again.
>"Yes ma'am, I saw him do it at the gym across town. Push & Pull Gymnasium is the gym he, apparently, frequents."
>You levitate a quill and paper from your nearby desk to the puzzle board in front of you.
"Interesting... most interesting." you mumble idly as you jot down the location.
>"Yes ma'am. I spoke with him today as well during his shift."
>You look up at Morning. She sits up straighter when you cast your attention her way.
>She really takes these formalities seriously.
"Go on, I am listening."
>"Yes ma'am. I inquired about Anonymous's motivations for becoming a gardener. He says that it is because he wants to make others feel at peace."
>You smile as she divulges her information.
>That reasoning is very Anonymous.
>You can almost hear it in his voice
>"He says that he wants to bring others serenity, and that gardens are the best method he knows to do so." she continues.
>You write down a few short notes to summarize what she told you.
"That is so sweet, is it not?" you ask the little mare without looking up.
>"Y-Yes ma'am." she agrees stiffly.
>You shake your head.
"Please, I cannot handle such intense formality if we are to speak this way. Call me Luna." you say happily.
>It's really no big deal to be called Luna, in your opinion.
>You let your guards get away with it in the few interactions you have with them.
>And having one of Celly's guards call you it as well means very little.
>To you, anyway. The expression on her face lets you know how shocking your permission really is.
>"Are you sure ma'am?" she inquires.
>You wince at what you hope to be the final "ma'am"
"Yes, Morning, I am sure."
>"Very well ma- Luna." she stutters, struggling to call you your own name.
>Honestly, is this how your sister makes her guards conduct themselves? Talk about rigid.
>"I also inquired about why he began his journey into fitness. And he said..."
>She trails off, staring at the ground and putting a hoof to her lips.
>She seems to be concerned by something.
>You tilt your head.
"Is everything alright, Morning?" you inquire, sitting in suspense for the rest of her new knowledge.
>She looks back up to you.
>"Pardon me ma-... Luna. I'm just not sure what to say about it... he was pretty vague."
>You nod understandingly.
"That is quite alright. You have delivered more than enough in the past day."
>She nods and looks away for a moment.
>It takes her a bit, but she finally appears to must the courage she needs to speak.
>"Pardon me, ma'am. But might I have the opportunity to speak freely?" she asks, returning to her formalities.
>You sigh with a smirk. She really has her guardisms down pat.
"Yes of course."
>She nervously nods at your permissions.
>"I just have a few inquiries for you, if you do not mind answering them for me."
>You think about it for a second.
"I suppose that is fine, as long as it is not inappropriate." you say with a smile.
>"Y-Yes, of course." she says
>She takes another deep breath.
>"I apologize for hesitating. It is very strange to speak with my princess with such informality."
>You chuckle.
"I did not think calling me by my name would be so distracting for you, Morning Star."
>She looks away.
>"It is just... calling you by your informal name in your own quarters while you're wearing that outfit is terribly... different than I have been trained to expect my encounters with a princess would go." she admits
>You tilt your head in confusion.
>Outfit?
>You look down at what you're currently wearing.
>Upon your chest is a black, fuzzy, zip-up hoodie that you wear when the castle gets chilly. On top of that your mane is technically in a pony tail at the moment as well.
>You were so distracted by your puzzle and your guest that you forgot just how unprofessional you currently look.
>You are far from regal at this time.
>At least she didn't see you while you were wearing your parasprite slippers.
"Ah, my apologies. I generally do not get visitors at this hour. It simply slipped my mind." you say with a smile, "Pay it no mind."
>She waves her hooves in front of her.
>"No need to apologize, princess! I was the one who visited! It's my fault, really!" she spouts in a panic
>You let out a long shush.
"Be calm, please. Just talk to me as you would anypony else."
>She rubs her foreleg nervously.
>"A-Alright, Luna." she affirms, her tone softening.
>She relaxes slightly before moving on.
>"If that is the case, then I need to ask you a serious question, Luna." she says with a lot more direction
>Her voice is much more natural now.
"Go right ahead."
>She looks into your eyes with a stoic gaze.
>"Can you help ponies remember something they forgot?"
>You're taken aback by the sudden change in subject.
>Where did this talk of memory restoration come from?
"What do you mean?" you inquire
>A new confidence seems to have arisen from the depths of Morning's mind.
>She speaks to you with purpose.
>"Some dreams are just memories, right? I know I have had my fair share of repetitive dreams that seem to be too real to be fabricated." she states
>You raise your eyebrows.
"That is a very astute observation." you admit
>"So am I correct? Some dreams really are just memories?"
>You shake your head.
"Close, but not quite. Dreams can never be exact copies of a memory. There are simply too many gaps in a memory for a dream to be built around it."
>She nods despondently.
>"I see..."
"However," you begin, recapturing her attention, "That is not to say that memories don't play a part in dream construction."
>She slides to the edge of her chair and listens intently.
>You feel a bit excited to see how interested she is.
>You never get to chat with anypony about the intricacies of the dream world.
"Scenarios which are duplicates of real life events are often the subject of a dream. However the average pony's perception of the world wouldn't offer enough substance to create a believable environment."
>You lift a hoof.
"Take a childhood memory of one's birthday, for example. Certainly you can remember your age at the time, the way the cake looked, and perhaps many of the party goers," you explain, "However nopony could ever recall the table cloth's design, or what your friends' parents looked like, or how many balloons there were, or even whether you were wearing a party hat or not."
>You lean your head on your hoof again.
"So the dream world fills in those gaps, and how it does so can entirely depend on the emotions that the dream brings."
>Morning Star tilts her head.
>"But what about forgotten memories? Is there any way to fish them out?"
>You rub your chin.
"If the memories are dormant in the pony's subconscious, then yes. Often forgotten memories simply need to be brought from one consciousness to the other. Like bringing something from storage back to your home."
>She leans closer.
>"No kidding?"
>You nod
"Of course I would need to be physically touching the pony to actually delve into their consciousness. If I did that I could retrieve the memory and force it to become a dream. Technically they wouldn't be remembering the memory, but they would re experience it. It is like second-hoof recollection. It can restore enough of the memory to do the job."
>Morning looks away again
>"Excellent." she whispers
"What is the significance of such knowledge to you, Morning Star?" you inquire.
>She looks back up to you.
>"Oh, i-it's nothing to be concerned about at the moment. I'll let you know when the time comes..." she says quickly.
>That sounds terribly ominous.
>However, you cannot see the harm in her possessing such information. It isn't exactly a secret.
>The only pony who could ever use such power is you, so there is no threat of it being used against you.
>And this little pony is sworn to secrecy anyway.
>For now you will trust what she says.
>She hops off the chair.
>"I will leave you with a piece of advice. If I may, that is."
>You nod at her silly request for permission.
"Go right ahead."
>She places her helmet back on her head.
>"You really ought to ask questions about Anonymous yourself. I could never do them justice, and he would bond more with you."
>She reaches up and slides your problematic puzzle piece into a slot you hadn't noticed before.
>She pushes it down into place.
>"Because he could really use a pony like you."
>You squint your eyes at the curious little mare.
"I see..." you say, at a loss for words.
>She marches towards the door before turning around.
>She gives you quick bow.
>"Princess." she says formally.
>You nod at her as she leaves.
>What a peculiar guard, that one is.
>Hmm.
>You are Anon.
>Your pajama pants feel extra comfortable underneath the covers on this cooler than usual evening.
>Work ended, but the rain sure didn't.
>After hitting the gym, eating dinner, and showering you didn't have anything left to do but sleep.
>However, for the first time in a long time you find that sleep is playing second fiddle to your thoughts.
>You stare up at the slightly cracked ceiling of your bedroom as your ipod lightly plays through its speaker dock. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0Z2lZgpqKc [Embed]
>Normally you don't have much of anything on your mind. Earlier today was no exception! You fell asleep in the storage room, and by the time you came to Morning Star was already gone.
>But after sitting with that earlier conversation for a little while, a bit of worry has clouded your thoughts.
>You know it's useless to dwell on the unknown, but once in awhile you feel a twang of remorse for your lost memories.
>All those old experiences have been painted over, in a way. Faces and details fall away and only vague recollections remain.
>You take a deep breath and exhale slowly.
>When you arrived in this bizarre world, you were basically a blank slate.
>You were definitely the same person, man. Just... empty.
>There were all kinds of things from the human world you could remember, but only as concepts.
>You could never apply them to you as a person. You could talk on great length about what human high schools are like, but you could never remember the name of yours.
>You could speak confidently about human holidays and celebration, but you can't remember a single one personally.
>And you could easily describe the nuclear family and how it functions. Talking about daily rituals and family outings, but your own mother's face is alien to you.
>Obviously you came to the realization that you forgot it all down the road, and slowly some childhood memories trickled in.
>But you decided something back when that happened...
>You decided whatever your past held is gone now, and there's nothing you can do about it. Therefore you shouldn't pay it any mind.
>After all, in this world that time never existed. Technically your memories and experiences never existed in this dimension of time.
>That's why you forgot them, supposedly. Twilight never really got too into the science of it.
>Mainly because she didn't understand it herself, but how could you blame her?
>So it was nobody's fault, and you're probably never going to recall the specifics of your life.
>And you're living a good life here, there's no debating that. You love your job, you have plenty of friends, and you're the most healthy you have ever been.
>But still...
>You recall Luna telling you about that time she will never get back with Celly. It really bothered her to not have been there for her sister during their early adulthood.
>What sorts of important experiences have you lost along with your teenage and early adult years?
>It all doesn't matter anymore, but at the same time you feel regret.
>It's lonely to not even have memories to revisit when life get quiet.
>The rain continues to patter against your window which helps soothes your anxious thoughts.
>But some of the patters sound a bit louder than the others.
>You mute your music and listen carefully.
>The rain softly provides white noise as you listen.
>After a moment you hear it again.
>A few loud thumps coming from beyond your bedroom door.
>Someone is knocking on your apartment door.
>Who could it be at this hour?
>You step out of bed and make your way back into your darkened apartment.
>The only light coming in from the windows is infected by the specular shadows of raindrops clinging to the glass.
>You step up to the door and lean down a little to look through the peephole.
>To your surprise an old stallion sporting a mustache and jump suit stands patiently in the hall.
>Mr. Shift from downstairs?
>You open your door to the waist high stallion and smile.
"Good evening Mr. Shift, how are you sir?" you ask politely.
>He smiles back at you.
>"Good evenin' to you as well, Anonymous. I can't complain, just got home from the shop.
>You nod, a still a little sluggish.
"Good to hear, good to hear. What can I do ya for, sir?"
>He lifts a hoof and begins to search one of his multitudinous pockets of differing complexity.
>Finally after a little rummaging he pulls out a small envelope.
>"The little grey mail mare, (Darpy I think her name was?), wanted me to give ya this when I had the chance."
>You bend over and lightly take the small paper envelope from him.
>It's not much bigger than the palm of your hand, and the paper is plain white. There's no stamp, nor is there an address or a sender.
"Thank you sir, I appreciate it very much! I hope it didn't inconvenience you too much..." you ask tenderly.
>He waves you off
>"Oh it was nothing. She gave it to me this morning on my way out. I suppose she underestimated just how early you leave on weekdays," he says with a jolly disposition, "But she gave it to me for security reasons."
>You tilt your head.
"Security reasons?"
>He smiles up at you.
>"It's supposed to be your eyes only, so she didn't want to leave it by your doorway where anypony could find it. Guess I should be honored she gave it to me for safe keeping!" he says with a belly laugh.
"Well, she put it in the right hooves. Thank you."
>Mr. Shift squints his eyes.
>"You alright, son?" he inquires.
>You raise an eyebrow.
"Of course! Do I not seem alright?" you reply
>Mr. Shift shakes his head.
>"There's something mighty off about ya. Did somethin' happen?"
>You wave your hands dismissively
"No no, just a little tired is all."
>He raises his eyebrows with great skepticism.
>"You and the missy downstairs didn't have a falling out didja?"
>You squint your eyes.
"What? No, not at all."
>"Uh huh, she ain't jealous you're gettin' some other girly's letter?"
>You shake your head.
"Of course not. She and I are just friends, and I haven't spoken to her in a few days," you say reassuringly, "I'm just tired, really."
>Mr. Shift looks you up and down.
>"Alright kid, I'll take your word for it." he says finally, looking down the hallway towards the stairs.
>You nod, and look back down at the letter.
"Thanks again for delivering this to me." you say, waving the letter a little.
>He smirks
>"Think nothin' of it, son. I owe you for helpin' me load my cart last week."
>He adjusts the belt on his jump suit with a grunt.
>"Well I best be goin'. Gotta get home before the wife wonders where I've gone," he says with a chuckle, "Never keep a mare waiting!"
>You nod with a smile
"Of course! You have a good night!"
>He waves back to you and heads down the stairs.
>You lock your door and collapse back into your bed.
>The sudden intrusion has jumbled your thoughts and, more or less, gotten your mind off your lost memories.
>You place the letter on your bedside table along with your charging ipod in its dock.
>That'll be for tomorrow. For now you just want to rest.
>You snuggle up under the nice warm comforter and close your eyes.
>Occasionally you're hit with light pangs of emotion as your mind continues to mull over your past.
>But even with these waves of complicated pains, you find sleep once again.
>The sound of rain lightly carries you away from consciousness and you feel yourself drift away.
>All that worry can wait until tomorrow, man.
>You deserve a good rest session.
>Everything becomes dark and quiet.
>And soon, you're gone.
>...
>...
>You are Floor Bored
>The locker room feels incredibly still.
>It sounded like the air conditioning turned off a minute ago, so the silence is almost staggering.
>All that remains is the occasional drip from the faucet in the bathroom around the corner.
>You sit on the bench closest to the door, going through your mental rituals.
>The faint sound of an announcer on the microphone is muffled through the walls.
>The cheers of rabid fans barely travel through the walls.
>Sounds like it is nearly time...
>You look down at the padded gloves on your front hooves.
>They're tapped right to your forelegs so they won't come loose, no matter how hard you lay into your opponent.
>You pick up the padded helmet on the floor and place it over your head.
>It slides over with a close fit, letting your ears poke out the holes on top.
>The door to the locker room opens revealing an old grizzled stallion in a suit.
>"It's time." he declares.
>You smirk and stand up before walking to him.
>You've been waiting a long time for this.
>You follow close behind the suited stallion down a dimly lit hallway.
>The cheers from the arena are starting to get louder as you approach their source.
>You jump a few times as you trot to get your blood pumping.
>Soon the cheers are overwhelming, and the hallway opens to an enormous, darkened room filled to the brim with spectators.
>Many of the ponies seem to be acting manic, nearly jumping over the railings to either cheer or boo you.
>You smile at their animosity.
>They've been waiting for this just as long as you.
>In the center of the immense arena is the main event: A roped off ring with a tall griffin referee.
>You pass through the crowd towards the stage. Many ponies try to touch you to no avail as your entourage pushes them away.
>You grit your teeth.
>Come on, come on! Let's get on with it already!
>You slide into the ring as soon as you arrive and take a seat on the stool provided.
>The suited stallion from before begins to rub your back, and an assistant places your mouth guard in.
>But your mind isn't on any of that, it's on your opponent.
>He's all that you're thinking of as his music starts to blare over the speaker system. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVxuAJinu3I [Embed]
>The crowd begins to stamp their hooves quickly, creating an overwhelming cacophony of percussion.
>They don't cheer anymore, they simply wait in anticipation as the giant wanders in.
>He walks out alone without a single coach or sponsor.
>The crowd reaches out to touch him as he passes, but he pushes through with little effort.
>He towers above them, and nopony surpasses his abdomen in height.
>With little effort he makes his way to the ring and hops the ropes.
>After making it onto the stage he finally removes his hoodie and casts it behind him.
>You smile with anticipation.
>He's always been one for flair.
>His incredibly built body appears to be made of stone as he moves about the ring before finding his corner.
>The squeals from the crowd are deafening.
>He sits across from you and stares you down with a cocky smile.
>You return the expression.
>The referee signals down the microphone.
>The glistening metal device falls from above directly into the griffin's claws.
>He clears his throat before speaking with a deep and eloquent voice.
>"Mares and Gentlecolts, you've come to see a fight, and a fight you will get!" he declares.
>The crowd responds with an intense bout of war cries.
>"You're witnessing the championship battle of the all-weight master class fighting circuit! Consider yourselves lucky!" he says in a confident tone.
>The crowd continues to applaud.
>Part of the circuit's charm is how highly it hold itself. Those who buy tickets aren't considered guests. They are supposed to feel honored to be there, not the other way around.
>It's part of the reason the circuit got so popular.
>The griffin points to your corner.
>"In this corner: The mare who's bite is worse than her bark, weighing in at 65 pounds, 7 ounces, the petite but powerful Flooooooor Booooooored!" he declares.
>You jump off your stool and begin to bounce in place, getting the blood moving again.
>The crowd erupts into a mixture of loving cheers and hateful jeers.
>You've got a big following, but not as big as the titan relaxing against the ropes across from you.
>The griffin points into the opposing corner.
>"And in this corner..." he begins, the crowd increasing their volume, "The beast from another world, Weighing in at 210 pounds, the humongous human Anoooonymooooous!"
>The crowd explodes with excitement.
>He stands revealing his massive height. He stretches his shoulders, flexing his back and chest as he does.
>You can't help but lick your lips.
>You've fought tons of strong stallions with powerful and attractive bodies.
>But the monster standing before you is in a class all his own.
>He looks like he has been chiseled from stone by a master sculptor.
>Perhaps a very sexually frustrated sculptor at that.
>He starts to wander to the middle of the ring, and you approach as well.
>The ref walks between the two of you, but he does little to break your line of sight as the two of you stare each other down.
>"Alright, keep this shit clean. You got that?"
>Anonymous smirks
>"Clean is all I do, love." he says confidently
>You chortle
"I can do a lot more~," you say sensually, "But I'll stick to clean in this arena."
>Anonymous chuckles
>"I can't wait to see it."
>You smirk back
"The feeling is mutual." you retort.
>The ref pushes your gloves together, which requires Anonymous to bend down.
>He separates them and the two of you get into position.
>Let's go.
>The sound of the bell chimes through the arena before being drowned about by the excitement of the crowd.
>Anonymous immediately lowers his stance and puts up his fists.
>You begin to hop about on your hind legs, keeping yourself moving.
>He shuffles across from you as the two of you circle each other like wild animals.
>The two of you begin getting closer to each other. You have entered the dangerous range of those powerful arms.
>But he is just as threatened by your lightning jabs.
>He smiles at you from between his gloves.
>He chuckles
"What's so funny, big guy?" you ask while squinting.
>"Usually when a fighter 'hits the floor' it means he's losing. But in this case I'll be winning!"
>He chuckles to himself again.
>It takes you a moment to understand the pun.
"Wow, that was... really lame." you say with a stifled giggle.
>You know he's kind of a strange guy, but he's seriously making corny jokes in the middle of a championship match?
>Suddenly he stands totally erect in an intense pose.
>He drops his guard and points with one glove.
>"You ready to do this thing?"
>Cocky bastard.
"Oh I'm more than ready, sweetheart." you respond, "But you can't handle a girl like me."
>He scoffs, cracking his neck.
>"I know how to deal with troublemakers like you, love." he says confidently, "I'll take care of you, don't you worry."
>You smile.
"I look forward to seeing you try."
>"Good... maybe I'll even try after this match."
>You smile mischievously.
"Only if you win."
>He gets back into fighting stance.
>"Good. It'll be a nice consolation prize for you."
>You lick your lips.
>Now comes the best part.
>The true battle begins when the two fighters enter their comfortable stances. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhvIoZgRCpE [Embed]
>For Anonymous this is a loose sort of monkey stance with his arms off to his sides.
>It makes him seem wide open, but that doesn't fool you.
>Still, he has a lot of reach on you. If you try to keep your distance it will put you at a disadvantage.
>Your only real option is to get in his face and keep the battle in your reach.
>He's big, so he's got power on his side.
>But you've got the fastest hooves that have ever entered a ring, and you're not intimidated.
>You push forwards, right into his grasp.
>Immediately he brings his arm swing in from the side.
>Haymakers aren't very common in the sport anymore and for good reason.
>It leaves his body open for a good bashing.
>He needs to swing downwards at you, so that means the only direction is up.
>You hop into the air, dodging his swinging fist. The first blow that lands is from you as you crack a lightning blow against his cheek, making his head swing to the left.
>You followup with a hard gut shot on the way down, making him double over.
>When your hooves hit the ground again you've already launched yourself at him with a second followup jab.
>The hits appear to take effect, and your third jab should knock him off balance.
>As your jab heads straight for his lowered head, something fills your peripheral vision.
>A red blur comes flying towards you at immense speed, causing you to abandon the jab and hit the mat instead.
>Anonymous's fist soars over your head so quickly you feel the air rush over you.
>You look up to see the giant carried by the inertia of the punch. He spins with the punch to deliver his next fist after a full 360.
>You jump to the left making Anonymous slam his fist into the canvas floor.
>What kind of bizarre fighting style is THAT?
>He stands erect again, letting his arms sway at his sides as he jumps back and fourth on each foot.
>He bobs back and fourth with confidence. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcE4-6QGgpc [Embed]
>Suddenly he feels like more than a threat than you thought.
>That second haymaker had more speed than you imagined a beast his size is capable of.
>But his unconventional tactics make up for any faults you might have seen.
>He lifts his arms up in a shrug and stops bouncing.
>"What's wrong? You thought I was gonna make this easy for ya?"
>You smirk
"You must really want to take me out, big guy. Guess I can't hold back."
>He laughs.
>"Oh yes, my lust is quite insatiable." he responds with a dirty look, "So you'll have to forgive me for this next part."
>Suddenly he dives at you in a blur.
>Before you can react he has twisted into a massive windup directly in front of you.
>You dart to the right to narrowly avoid another wide sweep.
>His back turns to you as he twists through the air, but it really just lets him send a backhanded swipe at you with his other hand.
>You jump backwards so avoid letting his fist connect.
>He spins through the air and somehow ends up landing on his feet after another full 360.
>Suddenly his arms retract into a more trained stance as he legs spread apart.
>He sends a drilling punch at you with little down time.
>His reaction speeds are impressive, but you're not a slouch.
>You charge through his punch and aim for his abdomen.
>As soon as your jab gets close his arms retract like lightning forming a perfect block.
>He pushes off your jab and retorts with his own, prompting your own block.
>When he makes contact you feel yourself getting knocked backwards.
>You fly towards the ropes before grinding your hooves against the ground.
>You stop yourself from being bashed into the ropes as he returns to his goofy stance.
>He lets you catch your breath.
"Okay..." you say, determination building, "No more Mrs. Nice mare."
>You begin to bounce up and down.
"You ready monkey boy?"
>He continues to smile.
>"Always ready, pony girl."
>Comeback time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNQvLECht08 [Embed]
>You tighten your stance and move your hooves even quicker.
>He comes at you again, fists wildly swinging.
>Once he gets into your range, your hooves stop.
>You keep your hooves planted to stabilize yourself, allowing the fist to connect with your block.
>As you thought it interrupts his spin, giving you an opening.
>You do a short, calculated hop to get into range, then begin firing jabs on all cylinders.
>He can't react in time, your movements are too quick.
>He takes several blasts to the gut before you move in for the kill.
>You push forwards into an upper cut, aiming for his perfect jaw.
>One clean hoof should knock him into a dizzy spell.
>You jump into the uppercut. He's doubled over from the previous blows, and it makes his head easy prey.
>He suddenly bends backwards.
>He arches his back so that his head flings backwards in an impressive display of balance.
>You overreach and end up soaring a bit over him.
>Even arched back he manages to pull back into a huge wind up.
>You've gone airborne.
>You can't dodge.
>He stares into your eyes as the world seems to move in slow motion.
>He winks.
>"Say hi to the sandman, sweetheart."
>You put up your hooves to block, but it's too late.
>His fist flies towards you and breaks through your block instantly
>Everything gets blurry, and you're flung against the pole in your corner.
>You lay at the bottom of the post, your vision heavily blurred.
>The muffled sound of a bell rings in the background, and the griffin ref begins to shout
>"TECHNICAL KNOCKOUT! The winner is Anonymous!" he says, still fuzzy to your ringing ears.
>The crowd goes wild and Anonymous approaches you.
>He crouches above you.
>"Guess I won the right to take you out, huh?" he says, his face getting closer.
"I guess so..." you say, looking into his eyes.
>He leans in and the crowd grows distant.
>He gets closer...
>Closer...
>Clos--
>Your eyes open up to the world, and you suddenly realize where you are.
>The birds outside your window coo softly to one another without any regard to your beauty sleep.
>Well... regular sleep.
>The drool spot on the pillow you're currently spooning has grown to an embarrassing size.
>You... kiss with a lot of tongue.
>Your dvd player sits in the corner attached to an old CRT.
>The menu of season two of 'Combat Soul' sits on repeat.
>You sit up and stretch in bed.
>Your dreams get a bit... eccentric if you watch anime too closely to bed time.
>But, really, what do you care?
>You roll out of bed with a grunt and flop to the ground face first.
>For a few seconds you lie there in your sorry state.
>Getting up is the worst part of the day.
>You roll over onto your back.
>You stare at your ceiling with little motivation to do much else.
>You let out a hefty sigh.
>What's the point in being awake when dreams are so much...
>Well, it doesn't matter.
>You slowly get up and lethargically move towards the bathroom.
>You trot in front of the mirror and look into those tired eyes you're so familiar with.
>Another sigh escapes your lips.
>Those eyes don't belong to a boxer.
>Or a great warrior, or a princess.
>They just belong to... well...
>You.
>You brush your teeth slowly and rinse.
>Part of you wants to sleep again, and you don't have much else to do...
>...
>Hmm...
>No. Anon wouldn't be happy to see you stagnating that hard.
>Maybe you should make breakfast... or something.
>You lift up and smell the tank top you're wearing.
>Its previous owner's musk still preserved, even now.
>It brings you a little comfort, even when facing yourself.
>You wander back into the living room.
>Without an objective for the day, there isn't much room for motivation.
>What do you do when you are useless?
>For a long time the answer has always been 'Enjoy yourself'
>You'll never be pretty, or unique. You'll never have the friends that you want, or the perfect boyfriend, or a job that makes you happy.
>Life just didn't deal you those cards.
>So, you figured you could cruise along and enjoy what little things you've got. After all if you're comfortable and content your whole life it's a good one, right?
>You'd just live day by day, waiting for new anime to come out or another game to play.
>And all those things would bring you the dopamine you need to survive, and life will be perfectly fine.
>That's what your philosophy was up until Anon moved in.
>Everyone left you alone, and you barely had to leave your apartment.
>But then Anon showed up at your door and started forcing you to go out again.
>He would spend time with you and chat with you. At first you only let him in because of the eye candy.
>But he brought your deceased social life back from the dead, even if you only ever interact with him.
>And as he spent more and more time with you, doubt started to creep in again.
>Because he gave you a taste of what it was like to have a life again. He showed you how good it feels to have somepony to talk to, and to take you shopping for the essentials.
>You flop onto the couch face-first and stare at the blank television screen.
>It's no secret you've got a bit of a crush on him, but you know it's for mostly carnal reasons.
>And because he cares about you, of course. Still, that isn't enough to rationalize these vivid dreams you've been having.
>You kick an empty ramen cup off the coffee table and sigh.
>This place used to feel like such a sanctuary where you could wallow in peace.
>But with every visit by Anon, it starts to change. Slowly it has begun to feel like a prison.
>Or maybe a coffin.
>You are Anon.
>The past few days have gone on with little incident. It almost feels like status quo.
>If it wasn't for all your new friends, that is.
>It has become a sort of ritual now.
>Mornings are spent chatting with Luna about life. She has really taken an interest in your past as of late.
>You try your best to answer her inquisitions, but most of the memories have faded to oblivion at this point.
>And whenever you tell her that, she gets a very serious expression about her.
>She says nothing is wrong, so you let it slide.
>Then the late morning is spent talking with Celly, who seems to have a lot more free time as of late.
>She is more interested in your current life than your previous one.
>The two of you share stories, and it is all good fun until she must return to royal duties.
>It's a lot like getting tea, except she follows you around as you work instead.
>Then the early afternoon rolls around and Morning Star engages you in light conversation, generally hovering around the discussion of physical fitness.
>And after all this, you head to the gym for your daily workout.
>Then dinner into sleep.
>There are worse ways to live your life.
>But now Saturday is coming to a close, and tomorrow will bring a break in the routine.
>You store the last few tools in the shed and lock it up.
>Weekend evenings are much more busy than the rest of the week.
>As you walk towards the garden gate you pass by many ponies and their lovers. They wander through the garden and admire your handiwork. It's good to know that somebody other than you appreciates it.
>You pass through the open gate with your hands in your pockets.
>After a long week of work, you're a little drowsy.
>But, that doesn't really matter. You're going to work out whether you're feeling up to it or not.
>As you walk down the path back towards Canterlot, a pony catches your eye.
>A little earth pony with her mane in a tight bun is doing stretches by one of the statues on the side of the path.
>You wander towards her with a small wave.
"Where are you headed, Morning?" you inquire of the now familiar pony.
>She looks up at you with little surprise. She has gotten used to you chatting with her whenever she's around.
>"Back to the gym for a work out. The barracks gym is full on Saturday nights."
>You nod
"Can't be helped, I suppose. Same gym as me, right?"
>She shrugs.
>"If it's the one you were lifting in earlier this week, then yes. Same gym."
>You smile.
"Well, hey, let's go together. I was just about to jog over myself."
>She continues to crack her neck and rotate her ball joints.
>"I guess it'd be better than awkwardly standing in our separate corners pretending not to notice each other." she analyzes.
"Why would we do that in the first place?"
>She jumps in place a few times.
>"Why would you talk with someone at the gym? You're the weird one, not me."
>You disagree, but it's really not of importance right now.
>You'd enjoy having a gym buddy to talk to, today.
>A few things have been weighing on your mind, and some simple chit chat with someone as deadpan as Morning Star can help you get back to focusing on the now.
"So are we going or what?"
>She does one final twist to crack her back before getting into position.
>"Yup. let's rock."
>Suddenly she takes off, leaving you behind.
>It takes a moment for you to register what just occurred.
>You shake your head and start after her.
"H-Hey! I didn't even have my music on yet!" you say, starting down the shaded path back to the city.
>She shows no sign of slowing.
>Fine if it's a race she wants, it's a race she'll get.
>As you run after her you plug your earbuds in and click over to your running playlist.
>It's a pain to navigate touch screen menus while running, but you manage all the same.
>The songs in this playlist are sort of corny, but you can't help but love them. Their rapid tempos and ludicrous lyrics push you to keep up. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dv13gl0a-FA [Embed]
>You burn rubber as you approach the small pony from behind.
>You're pretty confident in breezing past her, what with your long legs and all.
>With this in mind, you start to slow your pace so that you'll stay neck and neck with her.
>Or so you thought.
>Instead, she blasts ahead again.
>You nearly lose your footing while adjusting your pace to ensure you don't get left in the dust.
>You keep up behind her, but her speed is beyond impressive.
>How can something with such small strides move so quickly?
>It's like watching a remote-control car zip down the street. For something so tiny, you don't expect her to go at speeds like that.
>After a couple miles the two of you make it to the gym.
>She jumps in place while you catch your breath.
>"Huh, not the fastest runner are you?"
>You take another few deep breaths before standing up straight.
"I really didn't anticipate that sort of running out of you. How are you not out of breath?"
>She chuckles.
>"Guess the giant can't run like a pony can."
>You smirk.
"Har Har. Humans are endurance runners, hun. If you were a my prey I would run you down and pin you with ease."
>She raises her eyebrows.
>"That probably could've been phrased differently, Anonymous."
>You wave dismissively at her as the two of you enter the gym.
"Eh, maybe." you admit.
>The two of you walk to the weights section, the occasional pony giving you a nod or hoof bump.
>You can only name a handful of the ponies in this gym, but it seems like everyone knows you.
>Probably the whole human thing.
>You stretch your shoulders and rotate your wrists.
>Arm day today.
>While most of the equipment around here has been modified in some way to fit a pony, dumbbells have remained the same.
>Simplicity is key, after all. And nothing gets more simple than an iron rod with weight on either side.
>The big weights gather dust off to the side while the 30 lb and below weights get lots of love.
>At least that means you never really need to fight for the 85 pounders you tend to stick with for curls.
>As you bring the weights over to the area next to Morning sitting in a machine for her shoulders.
>She looks at you without a bit of surprise, but still looks at the dumbbells with disbelief.
>"Aren't you afraid your elbows will, like, snap?" she inquires.
>You shake your head.
"Naw, this ain't my first rodeo. I know what my body is capable of."
>She rolls her eyes.
>"Alright, but don't look at me when you need directions for the hospital."
"Pfft, that would never happen." you retort.
>You crack your knuckles
"I know exactly where the hospital is."
>You start off your sets, starting with 12 reps each then working down to 8 reps.
>Morning sets her machine to nearly its highest weight before doing a strange form of flies with her forelegs.
>Pony anatomy lends itself to some odd looking workouts.
>Of course, your workouts probably look just as odd to them.
>Your arms and legs don't even bend the same way, that must look gruesome on first glance.
>The chatter between the two of you is minimal. Morning will occasionally point out how ugly you look on those last couple reps, and you will retort by explaining she sweats so much you're surprised she hasn't drowned.
>It's the little insults that define a gym partner.
>And as soon as the workout begins it seems to end. After several exercises your powerful arms have become nothing more than limp noodles at your sides.
>Morning Star also seems to be a little wobbly as she leaves the gym with you.
>The conversation remained light the whole time, and you're grateful for that.
>You walk into the alley with Morning.
>She turns around and addresses you.
>"Well that was a good workout, I think."
>You nod
"Yeah, I broke a sweat. I think I need to up my weight soon. What are you doing after this?"
>She looks down the alley at the falling sun's orange rays that spill into the alley between buildings.
>"You're looking at it. Probably just gonna drink some cider and kick back."
>You scratch the back of your neck.
"That sounds like a good time..."
>When was the last time you had a drink with someone?
>A lust for cold cider and good company seems to overwhelm you all at once.
"You wanna have a bottle at my place? I live right around the corner." you invite
>She looks at you with a bit of surprise.
>"You mean actually just hanging out and drinking? Or are you makin' a move, slugger?" she says warily
>You shake your head.
"The first one." you say with a bit of exhaustion.
>She looks you up and down.
>"Eh, what's the harm? Just means I don't hafta pay for it."
>You nod slowly.
"I guess that is one way to look at it." you say with a light smirk.
>But it doesn't feel real. Nothing has this week.
>Ever since Morning brought up your past a few days ago it has stuck in your head.
>Maybe that's why you're inviting her over for drinks.
>You thought that just keeping your mind off it would keep your spirits high, and you'd get over it.
>But it just isn't working like it usually does.
>However, a little more time of chatting about life will probably push you over the edge.
>You just don't want to be alone with your thoughts right now.
>"Alright then, Anonymous." she says, breaking your torrent of thoughts, "You lead the way. I'm itchin' for that cider now."
>You nod and start to lead on.
"Of course! It's just this way..."
>You are Morning Star.
>Anonymous leads you a couple blocks down the road towards his apartment.
>The shops nearby sit quietly in the evening hours, waiting patiently for the night to fall so the Saturday traffic can roll in.
>The orange rays of sunshine reflect off the windows and project glowing boxes in neat little rows on the opposite building.
>This part of town feels somewhat befitting of Anonymous. The buildings are short and humble, but their aesthetic makes the town feel warm and welcoming.
>Anonymous brings you to the humblest of all the buildings on the street. It's a squat building that doesn't look like it was intended to be an apartment building in the first place.
>The stuffed planters on either side of the door feels like Anonymous's doing.
>"Well, here we are. Home sweet home..." he says lightly.
"Seems like a nice enough place." you reply
>"Well, I live here rent-free, so I don't have any right to complain." he says with a shrug as you follow him through the front door.
>It's strange, his energy seems to have changed lately. Especially today.
>You know that his mannerisms literally change with the weather, but he feels lethargic today. Even during your workout together he took a bit longer to respond than usual, and it felt like his smiles weren't as wide.
>Maybe it's just you over-analyzing, though. You always read too much into facial expressions.
>He thumps up the stairs with you in tow. Your legs protest the climb, but you've forced them through worse.
>On the second floor a door opens revealing an older mare.
>"Good evening Mrs. Shift." he says politely.
>She motions for him to come down to her level, and he quickly obliges.
>She whispers in his ear for a moment and his shoulders sink a little.
>"I see." he responds
>He stands up again and nods at the older mare.
>"Thanks for telling me. I'll go check on her." he says quietly
>The older mare nods with a tender and thankful smile before returning to her apartment.
>Anonymous turns to face you once more.
>"Hey, do you mind if we do this some other time? I gotta tend to some things." he says, pulling his key ring from his pocket.
>You tilt your head in confusion.
"Yeah sure, that's fine. Everything, uh... all good?" you inquire
>He rubs his brow and smiles
>"Yeah, it's fine. My night just got a bit busier all of a sudden." he says with a light sigh, "So I'll see you at work. You should be able to get back to the castle pretty easily on your own."
>You nod, admittedly a little disappointed.
"Alright. Guess I'll see you around."
>He waves at you as he unlocks the door at the end of the hall.
>"Yup. Thanks for working out with me today!" he says with a smile.
>You nod and start to head back down the stairs as he enters the apartment.
>You barely get down to the fourth stair when a loud, muffled crash resonates through the whole hallway.
>It makes you jump, and you turn around to see what the source was.
>While you can't see anything, the crashes become accompanied by loud thumps and muffled yelling.
>You can't help it when your curiosity brings you closer to its origin.
>The sound is definitely coming from the last apartment that Anonymous went into.
>Another loud thump makes the door open a little. It clearly wasn't shut properly.
>You quietly sneak up towards the door and push it open. Anonymous's voice becomes understandable again.
>" -can't just attack me like this! What the heck are you? A spider monkey? Would you please calm- NO! Stop going in there!" he wails.
>You open the door all the way, knocking a handful of glass bottles away from the doorway.
>The entire apartment is covered in trash and debris. It looks like a bomb went off in there.
>Is this Anonymous's apartment? He did have the key for it.
>Speaking of which, Anonymous seems to be flailing around, pulling on his shirt and walking around off balance.
"Anonymous?" you beckon
>Suddenly he freezes in a strange pose with one leg in the air.
>"Morning Star?"
>You look him up and down in confusion. He looks strange in that pose, and he has a large lump in the front of his shirt.
"What the heck is going on in here? Is this your apartment?"
>He shakes his head.
>"No, not exactly. It's just, well-"
>He doesn't get to finish his thought before the lump under his shirt moves and a Pony's head pops out from the neck hole.
>The top of her head hits him square in the jaw, making him shut his mouth.
>The pony squints her eyes at you between her sweaty black mane before cracking a smile.
>"Nonnyy~ you didn't tell me you brought fruh-friend with youuuuu" she says with an intense slur.
>She pulls herself through the neck hole of his shirt, kicking him off balance.
>Finally she struggles to get her legs through and kicks off Anonymous's throat, sending him backwards.
>She runs up to you, making you get into an instinctual stance you learned at boot.
>With a large skid she drifts right in front of you, slowing to a stop.
>With her last bit of inertia she bumps her nose into yours.
>"Aww she's a cu- que - cutie Nonnyy~. She's like a little mare version of you, heheheh"
>Her breath stinks of cheap booze. It almost burns your nostrils.
"Hey, who you calling cute sister?" you say defensively.
>She stands a good deal taller than you, but so does everypony. In fact, she might be a bit on the smaller side.
>Just... not as small as you.
>She smiles widely, her eyes locking with yours.
>She is way too in your personal space.
>Anonymous sits up after being knocked flat on his back. He checks his nose for any real damage.
>"I'm calling you cute... and I ain't your sister." she says with a low chuckle.
>Your face feels hot.
>You don't like having her so close to you like this, but what can you do?
>Defending yourself against a creepy guy is one thing, but you can't hit a drunk mare! It just don't feel right.
>Especially not this mare. She is definitely not one of those snooty cardio bunnies you see around. She's a bit of a train wreck.
>The mare doesn't stop staring at you, and constantly leans in when you lean back.
>You need help here.
"Um... Anonymous? A little help here."
>"I'm coming, I'm coming." he says, slowly getting back to his feet.
>You look back into the mare's eyes.
>She lets out some hot air from her nostrils, her face blushed with drunkenness.
"Listen, you really gotta get out of my face. I don't wanna hurt you, but if you don't back the f-"
>You're interrupted by a sudden movement from her, one you really couldn't have anticipated.
>She lunges forward, catching you off guard.
>In a panic you try to stand your ground, but this simply leads to your downfall.
>Her surprisingly soft lips plant themselves on yours as she pushes her weight into you.
>Your legs spread apart to adjust for her weights so she doesn't make you collapse. Your eyes widen as you come to the realization of what's happening.
>Anonymous grabs the mare around her torso and pulls her away from you, breaking the kiss.
>"OHHHHKAY! I think that's enough out of YOU!" he says with a blush, holding her in the air.
>You look up at him with a terrified expression as you flop to the floor. Your whole body feeling weak.
>For the first time ever you see Anonymous blush as he gives you a concerned look.
>"You, uh... you alright?" he asks as the mare wriggles in his arms.
>You don't respond, you just sit in the doorway silently, not sure how to proceed.
>What do you even do now?
>The wriggling mare starts to wear on Anonymous's weakened arms. You're not sure how much longer he can hold her.
>"Floor, would you please just- stop you're out of control you gotta-"
>Suddenly the mare stops wiggling and clenches up. Her hoof jumps up to her mouth.
>It takes Anonymous half a second to register the turn of events.
>"OH NO! NOT HERE! Hold on little missy, just hold on!" he yells, running with her around the corner.
>You hear another crash as Anonymous falls on his face, then the sound of a bathroom fan turning on.
>This is all followed by the unmistakable, echoed sound of somepony vomiting in a toilet.
>The sound is muffled as Anonymous closes the door to the bathroom behind him and slowly walks back to the living room where you are sitting.
>His face is riddled with defeat.
>"Are you alright?" he inquires.
>You take a deep breath.
>There's about a thousand things that are not alright in this moment, but you just cast them all aside.
"I will survive, I think." you say slowly.
>He takes a seat on the floor, leaning against the kitchen counter.
>His shirt has been stretched out beyond recognition due to the mare's antics.
>He takes a few deep breaths with his eyes closed.
>"Well that was... an adventure. I'm sorry you had to, uh, experience that..."
>You nod slowly, still not moving from your seated spot.
"I can see why you didn't invite me to come with."
>He nods.
>"She's been getting more and more... physical these days. When she gets drunk, that is. Normally she's a little more..."
>He pauses for an oddly long time.
>"Well I guess subtle isn't the right word, but she isn't THAT forward."
>You blink a few times.
"Who in Equestria was that?"
>He leans his head against the kitchen counter.
>"That was Floor Bored. Please don't judge her based on that display, she's not like that on a day to day basis."
"Huh..." you respond, looking around the room, "Can I judge her based on these living conditions then?"
>He shrugs.
"Honestly, I wouldn't judge her until you get to actually know her. She's a good pony, she really is." he says with some exhaustion.
>A silence fills the room as Anonymous listens for more retching.
>When nothing pierces the silence he stands up and walks into the kitchen.
>He fills a glass of water and heads for the bathroom.
>You can hear him speak softly to her around the bend.
>"I want you to drink this. SLOWLY please. That's it, I'll be back in a bit."
>He returns to the living room and sits on the floor again.
>He lets out a quiet sigh.
>Your uneasy feelings slowly disappear, and you let out a sigh of your own.
>But this whole situation is so odd to you. You can't help but ask questions.
"So, who is she really?"
>He looks at you with a tired kind of confusion.
>"What do you mean?"
"Like what is her significance? Why all this? Do you, like, owe her a life debt or something? Is she your sister... somehow? What?"
>He shakes his head.
>"Nothing like that. I just help her out and hang with her every Sunday." he says with a shrug, "She's a friend."
>You raise your eyebrows.
"A friend that attacks you when they're drunk?"
>He scratches the back of his head.
>"It wasn't an 'attack' per se. It's just... I dunno. You'd have to know her better to understand."
>You finally get to your hooves and walk closer to Anonymous, sitting beside him.
"She's a real... character." you say with a sigh.
>He nods
>You shake your head.
"But that doesn't explain why you have a key for her apartment, or why you tried to help her while she's drunk. This doesn't seem like any of your business."
>He doesn't respond immediately. He stares out the window on the furthest wall from you.
>"She's stuck," he finally says, "She's stuck and I wanna get her unstuck. The only way for me to do that is push through some of her barriers and help her."
>He scratches the back of his head.
>"I dunno how long it'll take, but I gotta try to get her to live her life again. Ya know?"
>You shake your head.
"But why? What's the relationship here? Where's the give and take?"
>He runs his hand through his hair.
>"I dunno... you don't water a plant hoping it will give you something back for it..." he explains, "You do it so it can grow up to be strong. The result is the reward."
>You nod, processing what he means.
"You're usually pretty smart when it comes to the gushy stuff, huh?" you respond.
>He shrugs.
>"I guess. I'm not very math smart." he says with a smirk.
"Well, even so. You're wrong about this one, Anonymous." you say confidently.
>He raises his eyebrows.
>"Really? How so?"
>You bop him on the shoulder.
"Not everything can be simplified into plant analogy, ya know." you say in jest.
>He chuckles lightly, staring out the window again.
"Plants will grow so long as you water them. You don't need to ask of anything from them, they just take in the nutrients and do what they would've done anyway." you begin.
>You lean back against the counter.
"But when it comes to ponies you've GOTTA as something of them. Otherwise they'll just coast on your niceties until the end of time."
>"I dunno about THAT."
>You shake your head.
"I know it probably seems like it works on most ponies, but most ponies don't live in this kind of decay."
>You look around at the mess of clothing, empty food containers, and disgraceful amounts of alcohol containers.
"Those who are decaying can't be fixed by helping them out, or occasionally hanging out with them. You've gotta push them out into the real world, let them tread water for a bit. You'll always be there, secretly holding a life vest and ready to jump in at a moments notice, but you let them fight for a bit. That's the only way they can get their backbone, and the only way they can learn to love themselves again."
>Anonymous looks at you with wide eyes.
>"Wow... I'm not sure what to say. That all sounds..." he drifts off, looking down at his feet.
>"That all sounds right. I think that would really be good for her. But I can't do it, I'm just no good at letting others have to fend for themselves."
>You smile and shake your head.
"You're too much of a softy. You gotta realize it's for their future, so you have to let them take their licks."
>He smiles
>"Why do you know so much about this stuff?"
>You smirk.
"My Ma taught it to me way back in grade school. The best way to help others is to get them to help themselves. No hoof-holding." you say with a smile, "They'll find their way eventually."
>Anonymous nods.
>"She taught you well, like moms usually do."
"Well yeah, of course. Mom's give the best advice, ya know?" you say
>His eyes close slightly.
>"I'm sure!" he responds.
>He's sure?
>What does that-
>The realization hits you all at once.
"You, uh... can't remember your mom, right?" you ask bluntly
>He shakes his head.
>"I think she was a woman with blonde hair. She treated me kindly, I think. I told you before, I feel warm emotions when I think of her. But I wouldn't even be able to recall her voice, let alone what she's said to me."
>You nod.
"Ah, right. Sorry for bringing it up."
>He shrugs with a smile
>"Hey, no worries!" he says reassuringly.
>Suddenly the little mare from before wanders back into the room, her head hung low.
>She's carrying the empty glass in her mouth, and her bangs cover her eyes.
>She lightly places the glass by Anonymous and takes a few steps back.
>With a little bit of a drunken stumble, she turns towards you.
>You can see the outline of a blush through her bangs, and an embarrassed feeling in her eyes between the greasy locks of mane.
>"S-Schorry." she slurs, stumbling a little.
>She bows her head, making her blush intensify.
>You blush a bit too.
>She turns away slowly and meanders in the open bedroom, flopping face first into the messy bed within.
>Anonymous stands and dusts himself off, placing the empty glass on the counter.
>He nods softly at you.
>"Well, maybe you can help me with her when she is sober then. I'm too much of a wuss to help her in the way you described. You could come with me tomorrow, if you'd like."
>You had many reasons to say no, but a curious feeling came over you.
"Sure. Sounds good." you reply.
>He nods and goes in her bedroom to start tucking her in.
>You squint
>Wait.. why did you say yes?
>Anonymous quietly closes the door to the bedroom behind him and sneaks back into the living room.
>"It's barely past dinner time and she's already out," he says with a tired smile, "At least I know she'll get a good night's rest so she won't be as grumpy tomorrow morning..."
>You shake your head.
"If she isn't hungover... I can't imagine she got that drunk off nothing." you say, counting the empty cider cans and half empty bottle of cider on the coffee table.
>Anonymous shrugs and starts to make his way to the door.
>"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it!" he says with a little more energy, "You still want that cider, don't ya?"
>You nod
"After all that? I think I need a cider more than before."
>He chuckles and opens the door for you.
>You stand up and exit the disgusting residence of Ms. Floor Bored.
>Temporarily, of course. You will be back here in less than 24 hours.
>You shake your head as Anonymous leads you up another flight of stairs.
>There really isn't any reason for you to be joining him to help out the pony that just... well you know.
>Maybe you did it because it'll get you more info on Anonymous to pass on, but that can't be it.
>No, there's just an aura about that odd mare that interests you.
>Not in THAT way, of course. She just isn't like any of the other mares around here. You definitely wouldn't see her on the treadmills at the gym.
>You tend to gravitate towards ponies that go against the norm.
>And what's the harm helping her out? You're not doing anything tomorrow.
>Anonymous opens the door to the only apartment on this final floor and leads you in.
>The spacious apartment feels more like a jungle than a living area.
>You knew that Anonymous liked plants, but damn.
>There are vines and planters on every surface. Nothing is totally devoid of life.
>"Take a seat!" he says, gesturing to the stools at the counter.
>You hop onto one of the tall stools next to a miniature cactus.
>You're going to try your hardest not to touch that.
>Anonymous reaches into his refrigerator and pulls out two ciders.
>He pulls a bottle opener magnet off the fridge and pops the caps before setting a bottle down for you.
>The bottles seem a little too small for his hands.
"Thanks." you say bluntly.
>You eagerly take a sip to wash that drunk's taste out of your mouth.
>The crisp and sweet flavor of the cider takes you by surprise.
>This isn't store brand cider, this is the good stuff! This is really good stuff!
>You break contact with the bottle with a resounding sigh of pleasure.
"Damn, what kind of cider is this?" you ask looking down at the label.
>"That's Sweet Apple Acres cider, hun. Right off the farm." he says before taking a small sip himself.
>The label repeats what he said, confirming it to be true.
"The farm in Ponyville, right? That stuff is impossible to get your hooves on. They say they burn through it in, like, a day."
>You rub your chin
"I didn't know they bottled it, though. I thought it was a town-only kind of operation."
>Anonymous nods happily.
>"Well, Applejack made an exception for me. She sends me a six pack of it every time they make a new batch." he says
>He takes another swig of the delicious beverage.
>"These are from the first batch of the season. It's the crispest tasting batch." he continues, "It's the mid season batches that taste super sweet, and the late season ones that taste the most like actual apples. You can barely even notice the alcohol in those."
>You nod, drinking greedily from the bottle once more.
"Ain't that something..." you say
>A heavy quiet hangs in the air momentarily as the two of you try to decide which direction this conversation will go.
>Should it remain superficial? Should it dip its hoof in the water of significance? Or should it dive right into the depths of bonding?
>You think back to the little fiasco that occurred downstairs; Especially the part you played in it.
"Hey Anonymous..." you inquire.
>"Hmm?" he hums into his bottle
>Your face heats up again.
>It's not hard to make you flustered when it comes to this kind of stuff.
"Do you think... if you've never kissed somepony... that one downstairs would count as your first?"
>Anonymous thinks about it for a bit, his expression mirroring his confusion over the issue as well.
>"Erm, well... I guess if we are talking technically, then yeah." he grumbles, "But, if you mean a mutual kind of kiss thing, I dunno if you've gotta count that one, maybe."
>You lean on your hoof.
"Rats." you groan, "Didn't think it would go that way..."
>He tilts his head with a smirk.
>"Morning Star! Was that your first kiss on the lips EVER?" he says with a light tease.
>You shoot daggers at him
"Shut up..." you grunt.
>He chuckles to himself.
>"I didn't have you pegged as the hopeless romantic type, Morning."
>You shake your head
"I-I'm not a hopeless romantic! I don't care one way or the other."
>Anonymous blows a raspberry in the air.
>"Only hopeless romantics worry about things like their first kisses." he says with a smile
>You glare at him
"Oh yeah, tough guy? How many times have you kissed somepony?"
>"How the heck am I supposed to know? I can't remember anything, remember?" he says, knocking on the side of his head like a door.
"W-Well, I mean after that! You've been in Equestria for years now, right? Have you kissed anypony since coming here?"
>He scratches his chin for a moment.
>"Do I need to be kissing the pony as well for that to count?" he inquires.
>You blink at him
"Y-Yes, of course!"
>"Oh, then none I suppose."
>You squint at him
"How... how many have kissed you without you kissing back?"
>He laughs out loud.
>"I don't think you need to know that."
"TEASE!"
>He chuckles at you
>"Anyway, I wouldn't worry about that kiss. Floor kisses me while she's drunk all the time."
"Really?"
>"Well... never on the lips but-"
>Your face heats up again.
"GRAHH! That doesn't make me feel any better you dumb ape!"
>You slam your face onto the counter
>You feel a hand pat the top of your head.
>"Hey, no worries love. It doesn't mean anything! It was just her being drunk."
>You know that, of course you know that.
>Doesn't make you feel any less cheated though.
>You were hoping your first kiss could be something a bit more... significant.
>A special somepony nervously planting their lips against yours to signal a milestone in your relationship, or something like that.
>If anypony was going to be the confident one, it was gonna be you! You're not some pushover in day to day life, and you certainly wouldn't be one in your romantic life.
>So it's just a little embarrassing to know your kiss was taken by a ridiculously confident slob with a drinking problem.
>The reassuring hand on the back of your head wasn't asked for, but admittedly gives you a little security.
>You sit up again
"Thanks..." you grumble
>He scratches the back of his head.
>"You gonna be alright? I didn't think that incident would rock your world so hard." he asks.
>You nod
"It didn't rock my world! It just took me by surprise is all."
>He drinks the last bit of cider in his bottle.
>"Well, still. It was wrong of me to tease you for it. I'm sorry."
>You shrug.
"Whatever, dude. I'm over it." you say dryly, "So what are we even doing with her tomorrow?"
>He rubs his chin.
>"Well, usually I take her food shopping, help her get the essentials, clean up her apartment, and have dinner with her." he says nonchalantly, "So probably all of that."
>Your jaw hangs open as he explains his average Sunday with her.
"No. No, no no. You are NOT her maid. You've gotta cut back hard on how you deal with her."
>He shakes his head.
>"I don't know how to! I'm a sucker for someone in need."
>You tilt your head.
"Beggars must score big off of you."
>He hangs his head.
>"That's why I don't go downtown as much anymore."
>You nod.
"Alright, well, looks like I'll have to be the one that brings the tough love."
>He looks back up at you happily
>"Excellent!"
>He tosses his bottle into a bin full of glasses, metals, and plastics.
>It makes a cacophony of crashes before finally settling with the contents of the bin.
>"You sure you're okay with it all? She didn't make the best first impression on you today."
>You wave at him dismissively.
"Seriously, it's whatever. I know she's probably a totally different pony while sober."
>Anonymous fidgets a little.
>"More or less."
>You raise your eyebrows.
"I really hope that was an attempt at a joke."
>"Y-Yeahhh." he says nervously.
>You sip your cider.
"You're not making me feel very confident about this, Anonymous."
>He waves both of his hands in the air.
>"I don't mean to! I guess, well, she's sort of out of practice with other ponies."
>You nod.
"Well I bet I can snap her out of it."
>He chuckles
>"You say that, but trust me it'll be more challenging than you think."
>You shrug.
"Don't underestimate me."
>He nods
>"I've got all my hope in you, that's for sure. I think you can do it! She probably needs tough love more than I know."
>You drink the last bit of cider in your bottle and hop off the stool.
"Well, I'm heading back to the barracks. I can't stand not showering any longer." you admit
>Anonymous leans on the counter to be able to see you better.
>"Yeah I hear that. Floor's hooves were pretty sticky too. I'm really hurting for one now."
>You smile at him.
"And you're gonna need a new shirt. That one is stretched to hell."
>He looks down at the much wider neck-hole on his shirt.
>"Yeah." he says despondently, "Man, I really liked this shirt too."
>You shake you head.
"Goodnight Anonymous, thanks for the cider."
>He waves at you as you push open the door.
>"No problem! Come on by around 8:30 so we can get this show on the road."
>You nod at him.
"You got it. See you then." you say, leaving the apartment behind you.
>You take a deep breath.
>That little visit had a lot more action than you were prepared for.
>You are Anon.
>Despite all your efforts tonight your forgotten past ended up being discussed thoroughly.
>It was difficult enough to put to rest before, but now it has been firmly planted in your thoughts.
>You wipe down your counter and hang the towel on the fridge handle.
>As you make your way towards the bathroom you remove your shirt and toss it to the side.
>You close the bathroom door behind you before removing your shorts and underwear.
>The water begins to flow through the nozzle, and you wait for it to reach a warmer temperature.
>You turn around and face the mirror and take a good look at yourself.
>In the frame facing you stands a reversed copy of you, sweat still glistening off his built up body.
>He stares you down with a neutral expression.
>An expression few ponies see in day to day life.
>Your generally jovial demeanor has been pushed aside for this more serious one.
>The memories you have lost seem to haunt you. They weigh on you like chains wrapped about your body.
>And right now, you're in a state that only comes around once in a long while: A state of actual worry.
>You worry about things all the time, but at the drop of a hat you can disarm that worry and move on to more important things.
>This type of unease, however, is not so easily bested. It resides in your heart, and no amount of rationalizing or distraction can be rid of it.
>At times like these, you cannot eliminate your worries, you can only diminish them.
>If you diminish them enough, sooner or later you forget about them. However, that does require others to not bring it up so often.
>You look down at the little green sprout in the window.
>It sits fully erect, and even a bit taller than the last time you saw it.
>You smile as your tiny green friend seems to whisper some advice to you.
>'Just keep going! Don't give up!' it softly encourages you.
>It didn't give up after you watered it, it came right back to life and pushed on.
>So that's what you should do too.
>You place your hands together in front of you and close your eyes.
>You inhale deeply for several seconds, making your chest puff out.
>After holding it for five seconds, you release it for well over ten.
>And with this hard release of air, your worries are blown far away again.
>Once you reopen your eyes, that figure stares back at you with a very different look.
>It has a small smile, and much brighter eyes than before.
>This is much more familiar.
>Soon your uneasiness flows away, and you hop in the shower to get clean for the night, whistling as you do.
>Tomorrow is a big day, after all! You're excited to see what Morning Star can do to help Floor Board.
>But for now, you're just enjoying the water.
>You are Morning Star
>The sun shines proudly in the morning sky as it radiates the entire east-side of Canterlot.
>It flows into the open windows of the barracks like honey which coats all the bunks in a vibrant orange hue.
>You continue to comb your short mane, letting it get some volume.
>It's nice to style your mane a little when you don't need to wear your helmet that day.
>Not to mention it's always a good idea to look nice when meeting with ponies you don't know.
>Or rather, don't know sober.
>You shake your head, trying to avoid letting your thoughts roam to the more dramatic bits of last night.
>You finish brushing and combing your mane before checking the clock.
>7:40am
>You'll get going soon. It's a couple mile walk to Anonymous's apartment, and you'd like to get there a bit early.
>A light breeze pushes in some surprisingly crisp air.
>You sigh.
>It's that time of year, unfortunately. The days are hot and humid but the mornings are sometimes pretty chilly.
>Which always begs the question: Wear warm clothing and fry in the afternoon? Or wear light clothing and freeze in the morning.
>Well, you can always shed layer, you can't always add them.
>You trot over to your trunk at the end of your bunk and search inside.
>This is one of your rare days off, which means you can wear any civilian clothing you want.
>After a little searching you find your favorite tank top of all.
>It's a plain black tank with a small dragon insignia on the chest and a large one on the back.
>You smile and put it on.
>With that out of the way you put on your Canterlot guard jacket and head out.
>You walk with great purpose, passing by slow moving early risers as you go.
>Your heart beats a little quicker as you think about what you're doing today.
>It'll be interesting to help out Anonymous and his friend. It'll be good knowledge for your mission.
>Of course, that's not the only reason you're doing this.
>If you're totally honest with yourself, you're just happy to have somepony to spend time with on a Sunday that isn't in the guard!
>And taking care of a friend in need is exactly what that little mare you once were would do.
>So you're killing a lot of birds with the same stone here.
>That little extra bit of excitement translates into you trotting a little faster as you make your way to Anonymous's apartment building.
>Before you know it, you're standing at the front door.
>You take a deep breath and enter into the quiet halls.
>The sound of your hooves hitting the steps echoes through the whole building as you make your way upstairs to the apartment from last night.
>You know you're probably a bit early, but Anonymous won't mind.
>As you approach the door, you hear the muffled sound of music playing through it.
>What the heck does he get up to on Sunday mornings?
>You knock on the door with a little extra weight.
>The music doesn't stop, so you can't really make out whether he heard you or not.
>You go to knock again, but the door slips away from your hoof as you reach up.
>Anonymous stands before you wearing a flowery apron, shorts, and a t-shirt.
>His hair is pulled back, and he is holding a feather duster.
>Now that the door is open you can actually hear the music clearly https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3fkZeWsyvo [Embed]
>He smiles as he looks through the open doorway.
>"Ah! Good Mor- Welcome back Morning Star!" he says happily, opening the door more to let you in.
>You nod and start to reenter the jungle of a home.
>A vacuum sits near the open closet, and the rubber mat from the kitchen is lying on the couch.
"Yeah, thanks. What's going on, some spring cleaning?"
>He shakes his head and returns to dusting the counter and kitchen.
>"Nope! Sunday is just my cleaning day!" he declares with a little more gusto than anything he said the previous day.
>You nod again, standing awkwardly by the door as he finishes cleaning everything.
>After a few minutes he concludes his sanitation duties and takes off the apron.
>He pulls his lengthy hair back again and cracks his neck.
>"Alrighty! That's all for today, folks!" He says, tossing the apron on the couch, "You ready for this thing?"
>You nod confidently
"Just watch, tough love will do the trick."
>He smiles at you
>"I certainly hope you're right! You have my trust." he says, grabbing a light jacket on his way out the door.
>You follow him out, letting the door clunk behind you.
>The stairs creak beneath Anonymous's excited feet before he leaps over the last four.
>You follow softly behind.
>He approaches the door of Floor's apartment and knocks lightly
>"Floor Bored? It's time to get moving, hun." he says gingerly.
>At first there is no response, and Anonymous starts to reach for his keys.
>Suddenly a feminine voice comes through the door.
>"J-Just a sec."
>Anonymous looks up with a bit of disbelief.
>He looks down at you with a small smirk, happy to see his friend is actually answering the door for him.
>Considering how quickly he went for the keys, you bet she doesn't get the door for him very often.
>There's some rustling behind the door before it finally creaks open.
>The disheveled mare starts to step outside. Her mane looks like it has been recently washed, but wasn't brushed at all.
>Instead she lazily put it back into a pony tail as soon as she dried it off.
>It makes her mane look impossibly messy.
>She's wearing a black pullover sweatshirt with a few colorful stains.
>Anonymous smiles down at her.
>She looks up at him as she walks out.
>"Oh what are you looking at? I didn't wanna cause more trouble this morning after what a mess last night wa-"
>She stops speaking when she notices you standing just past Anonymous.
>She lets out a small squeak and takes a little step back as her face fills with red.
>You approach her with a little bit of a blush yourself.
>You're gonna need to be the one to break this awkwardness.
"Uh, hi there! I don't think I was able to formally introduce myself. The name's Morning Star." you say, extending a hoof.
>She looks up at Anonymous who stands above the whole interaction idly.
>He doesn't say a word, but motions with his eyes she should take your hoof.
>She finally clacks her hoof against yours.
>"N-Nice to meetcha. I'm, uh, F-Floor Bored!" she says with a pained expression.
>You try your hardest to smile and appear friendly.
"Floor Bored, huh? The pleasure is all mine."
>She exhales some of her anxiety and puts her hoof back down.
>She looks away, trying not to make eye contact with you.
>Anonymous crouches down to be closer to everyone's eye level.
>"Floor, Morning is going to be joining us for all our shopping today." he says with a reassuring hand on her back.
>She looks at him with concern.
>"A-All of it?" she whispers
>He nods slowly.
>"Yup! All of it."
>Floor Bored shudders as he stands back up.
>Her face is painted with helplessness as Anonymous starts to walk down the hall.
>"Alright! Let's get moving."
>She looks back at her door for a moment.
"Something wrong?" you inquire.
>She jumps again as you address her.
>"N-No! Of course not, hehe..." she nervously chuckles.
>She quickly trots up to Anonymous until she is right behind him while they descend the stairs.
>You start after them as you all head out of the building.
>Soon the three of you are wandering down towards the fresh market you see posters about all over the city.
>You never thought you'd actually go to the place, especially not under these bizarre circumstances.
>But as you all walk, Floor's reliance on Anonymous already shows its face.
>She walks directly next to him, with very little room between.
>You actually need to be a few paces behind them because there isn't enough room on the sidewalk for you all to walk side-by-side.
>It appears your presence has made her even more clingy, because she never interacts with you if she can help it.
>You don't really blame her for being hesitant. After what happened last night, you'd be just as embarrassed.
>But she shouldn't be using Anonymous to shield herself from you.
>Anonymous tries to include you in the conversation from time to time, but it feels like he's only talking to one pony at a time.
>He must not notice the way she's alienating you.
>If you're going to help this silly mare out, you're going to need to get Anonymous out of the way.
>When she has to deal without her crutch, she'll find the strength to push on.
>Baptism by fire. You just need to figure out how.
>After a decent walk the three of you enter the small city of tents that flow through a shaded alley.
>Sales ponies beckon customers over and attempt to entice passerby with delicious foods.
>"Alright," says Anonymous, "Let's get ourselves a basket and-"
>There it is, your opportunity.
>You need to capitalize while you can.
"Actually why don't we send Floor Bored to go get a basket? I need your help with something real quick..." you interrupt, stepping between them
>Anonymous looks at you with a confused glance, but a swift elbow to his knee shin helps him understand.
>"Ah! Yes, that sounds good too." he says with poorly acted enthusiasm, "Why don't you go get the basket? You remember where they are."
>Floor looks up at him, down to you, then back to him.
>"Yeah, sure Anon." she says, slowly creeping around a corner, presumably to where the baskets are stored.
>You motion for Anonymous to squat down.
>He squats to about your eye level.
"Get lost, monkey boy! You're getting in the way!"
>He tilts his head.
>"Already?"
>You nod.
"She's using you as a way to avoid me. Go do a lap or something and come back in a bit, okay?"
>He nods and reaches into his pocket.
>He pulls out a generous amount of bits and puts them in your jacket pockets.
>"I, uh, usually pay the bill." he says
>You shake your head.
"That's fine, it doesn't matter. Now get goin'!" you say, shoving him away from the market.
>"Okay! Okay! I'll be back in like half an hour."
>You prod him in the gut
"At least an hour!"
>He nods, his hands up dismissively.
>"Alright, alright. One hour."
>He quickly turns and jogs out of sight just as Floor Bored returns with a red, plastic basket in her mouth.
>As she comes back out from under the shade of the tents, she looks around for Anonymous.
>"A-Anown?" she says, the basket still hanging from her mouth.
>You shake your head and walk up to her, making her slink back a little.
"Anon forgot something at home, he told us to start without him." you say, getting closer.
>Her face becomes a little red, and a wave of anxiety washes over her.
>"J-Jusht us?"
>You nod.
"Just us."
>She lets out a little whimper and backs away again, but you hook a hoof around her and drag her into the market.
"C'mon, you're gonna buy us some grub, sister."
>She drags her hooves at first, but finally succumbs to the inevitable.
>After all, despite being shorter than her you're a lot stronger than her.
>She walks slowly next to you through the market.
>Her eyes stare straight forward, or to the side. She never makes an effort to look at you.
>Few words are spoken at first, but soon you've become impatient.
>You're not going to let her just hush up like this. You know she isn't a silent girl.
>The sass she gave Anonymous on her way out the door has all but disappeared, and she has hidden it all away like a threatened turtle.
>That's okay, you'll get her out one way or the other.
"So what do you and Anonymous usually buy?"
>"Oh, you know..." she says absently, "Just, salad stuff. Carrots and broccoli and things..."
>She continues to refuse to look at you.
>You tilt your head.
"Is that so? And all on his tab, eh?"
>She nods slowly.
>"Mhmm."
>You shrug
"Well he's a lot more generous than me. Where I come from you gotta work for what you've got."
>She doesn't respond, she just continues looking straight ahead.
"What do you do for a living, huh?" you inquire.
>"I don't have a living." she admits quietly, looking away from you.
"Don't have a living? How do you live in that apartment?"
>"I know the landlord."
>You shake your head.
"That doesn't seem very fair."
>She shrugs
>"Not really my problem." she responds dryly
"Yeah, well it should be." you say with a little venom, "You shouldn't just be lying around doin' nothing if you've got such a head start like that! I know ponies that would kill for an apartment like that."
>She shakes her head.
>"Well, whatever." she says, a little anger in her tone, "And what's it to you anyway? Why are you even here?"
>Now she's starting to make some real conversation. You'll keep riling her up.
"I'm here because Anonymous invited me along to help you get back on your hooves. He certainly wasn't gonna be able to do it alone."
>"What?! That's stupid. I don't need help, I'm just fine."
>She's getting defensive, which is a sign to change your technique.
>The whole point of tough love is to make sure they feel loved at the end of it, you don't want to just bully her into submission.
>She doesn't seem to budge when talking about herself.
>You'll need to use some leverage.
"While that may be true, it seems Anonymous is at least worried about you."
>A twang of guilt rolls across her face.
>"It's not like I ask him to help me. He just does it..."
>You squint your eyes.
"Which is awfully nice of him, but don't you think you might be taking him a bit for granted?"
>She doesn't respond
>You try to look into her eyes, but she looks away when you do.
"Well? C'mon Floor Bored, you gotta open up!"
>She shakes her head.
>"I don't need to do anything. You're not gonna force me to talk, I barely know you!" she says defiantly
"You don't need to know me! We both know Anonymous and he's the one we're discussing, right?"
>She shakes her head.
>"Anon! AN - NON. Stop calling him by his full name, it's frustrating!" she shouts, gritting her teeth.
"Frustrating?"
>"Yes frustrating! Just..." she takes a deep breath and lowers her emotional state, "Just be quiet, please. I don't want to talk."
>This isn't going well. She seems pretty good at dismissing you.
>You'll need to find more leverage.
>Something occurs to you.
"I need you to talk. Besides, you owe me big time."
>Floor shakes her head and looks down at you from the corner of her eye.
>"For what?"
>You pretend to rub your chin.
"Well, for stealing my first kiss, for one."
>Her eyes widen.
>"F-First kiss?"
>You nod
"Kind of a big deal, kissing a stranger without consent. Seems like you were a lot more willing to open up to me back then..."
>She hops in front of you and stops you from walking.
>"Okay! Okay! I'll do what you ask. Just... don't walk around telling ponies that, please!" she begs, "I can't even imagine how much cringing this would cause me in the future..."
>You nod triumphantly.
"So you'll actually talk to me on this subject instead of ignoring me?"
>She nods again.
>"Yeah..." she says, anxiously rubbing one of her forelegs against the other.
>She stares at the ground in a sort of mope.
"Excellent. That's all I ask."
>She taps a hoof nervously against the ground.
"So now you've gotta tell me why you don't respond when I say Anonymous is worried for you. Spill it."
>She shrugs.
>"What's there to spill? Plenty of folk are worried for me."
>You shake your head.
"And what are you doing about it?"
>She shrugs again, looking down at the asphalt.
>"I dunno..." she says dismissively
"That's not really an answer, Floor. I need something better than that."
>She suddenly stamps her hoof.
>"Well what do you want me to say? 'No'? Is that it? You want me to admit that I sit around watching anime all day? That I never leave my apartment because I'm fucking scared of other ponies? Or that Anon is the only sentient thing that I talk to regularly? Is that what you want me to say?!"
>You're not shocked by the outburst, you've seen it plenty of times before.
>It's the floodgates, as they call it in the corps. Cadets often get put under so much pressure the divulge their entire life story in one breath. It's actually a very good sign.
"Yes." you say plainly as she pants for air, "That is exactly what I want you to say."
>Her breathing slows, and she slinks back into a less aggressive stance. Any ponies that were startled by her outburst have now continued on.
>Once again the two of you stand quietly in the market as the crowd brushes past.
>You can see her panting mouth beneath her messy bangs. Her eyes hold small wells of held back tears from her emotional discharge.
>That was the tough.
>Now you can give her some love.
"So let's talk about this stuff, huh?" you say softly, "Let's go take a seat.
>The two of you wander to the side of the market where a green park bench faces the crowd.
>Floor quietly sits next to you
>There isn't a lot of chatter at first, but that's to be expected.
>Still, you want to see if she'll start the conversation first.
>"Now what?"
>You smirk
>Like clockwork.
"Now we talk. Look, I'm sorry I had to bring all that up. It was the only way to get you talking."
>She doesn't respond at first.
>However, after a long delay she finally gets back to you.
>"It's okay, I guess. Anon would always talk to me non-stop until I joined in the conversation. You just took the quicker route."
>That's Anonymous for you. He has the patience of a saint and the tact of a brick.
>You think over the topics that have been presented to you all at once.
>You decide to start with a big one.
"Are you really scared of ponies?"
>She nods silently.
"Any particular reason why?"
>She swallows nervously
>"I'm not exactly up to par when it comes to the average pony..." she says slowly, "The way I dress and act barely enough to get me through basic interactions, and that's more than enough for me."
>You blink a few times.
"So you are scared of other ponies because you're afraid they'll judge you?"
>She shakes her head.
>"No, no. I know that ponies will judge each other no matter what." she admits, leaning her head on her hoof, "That's not the problem."
>You raise your eyebrows.
"So... what IS the problem?"
>She looks up at the ponies as they pass by.
>"The problem is... they're right. Those split-second judgments they make on me are absolutely right."
>What?
"I don't think I understand..."
>She looks at you with a melancholy expression.
>"Look at me, what do you see? A pony who's got it all figured out? Don't make me laugh..." she says, leaning back, "The first thing you think is, 'Damn what a trainwreck. She doesn't take care of herself.' and you're 100% right."
>She sighs.
>"I don't care about myself. I just wanna go home and watch some shows, or play video games."
>You have a hard time processing what she is saying.
"But, wait, what about aspirations? Everypony has a dream!"
>She chuckles and looks back down at you.
>"Dreams? Of course I've got dreams, but they are impossible."
>You puff out your chest.
"Nothing is impossible if you work hard towards it, Floor Bored!"
>She shakes her head again.
>"No, I mean, it's literally impossible. I can't be a powerful witch, or a famous boxer in some crazy circuit, and I certainly can't marry all the fictional characters that I've fallen for over the years..." she says looking up at the sky, "All those dreams are impossible."
>You squint your eyes at her.
"Those... those aren't really dreams! Those are fantasies. I'm talking real, honest to goodness, existing-in-reality goals and aspirations!"
>"Reality just makes me upset. There's nothing good about reality."
>Her lack of passion feels incredibly foreign to you.
>What is life if you're not pursuing something, even something small?
"But... what about Anonymous? He's part of reality, right?"
>She looks down with a serious expression.
>"Sure... but he isn't my reality. He's just happens to be part of it."
"What do you mean, YOUR reality?"
>She sighs again.
>"You ask a lot of questions."
"Only because I want you to answer them. So please; elaborate."
>She rolls her eyes and adjusts her sitting position.
>"I'm stuck with the body I have, and the mane I have, and the eyes I have, and the habits I have..." she lists, "My reality is a shitty one, where I can't get off my ass, and I always look like trash. I'm not a very attractive mare, and I certainly don't have any desirable talents. What's the point?"
>Her arguments are strong, but only because she's made them so.
>You can't let it slide with such a broad dismissal of everything you stand for.
"Reality is all you've got! All your problems can be circumvented if you try, ya know? You can change how you look, style your mane, learn new things, hell you could even change all your habits with time."
>She doesn't look at you while you talk.
>You start to get a bit antsy.
"Your current reality is only the way it is because you allow it to be so! You don't invest any time into making yourself better."
>She runs a hoof through her mane, pushing some of her bangs behind her ear.
>You can't help but feel tremendously sympathetic towards this mare.
>It isn't easy getting yourself out of a rut, especially one this big.
>But if you could just get through to her... maybe you can help.
"Besides... I think you're too hard on yourself. Underneath that messy mane is a pretty cute mare, if ya ask me."
>She glances down at you with a softened expression.
>It appears your kinder words have seeped into the cracks you've left in her armor.
>"R-Really?"
>You nod.
"Yes. And THAT is reality. You need to embrace what you have, and invest effort into making your reality better everyday."
>You smile up at her.
>Generally you're not the overly smiley sort, but maybe brushing elbows with Anonymous so much this week has made you value their power a little more.
"Fantasy and escapism are fine and all, trust me I've had my share, but you can't let your life get away from you." you say tenderly, "You need to put time into what's really important; You!"
>She looks down at you, her normally nervous demeanor replaced with a more comfortable one.
>"You sound a lot like Anon, you know that?"
>You shake your head.
"Well, common sense is common sense. I am definitely not Anonymous."
>A curious smile grows across Floor's face.
>"N-No. You're not..."
>You nod.
"If you let me, I'd like to help you actually get back on your hooves. Not just for you, but so you can repay Anonymous for all he's done for you so far."
>She thinks it over for a moment before finally nodding back.
>"Okay." she responds shyly, a little guilt coming over her, "S-Sorry for stealing your first kiss."
>You feel yourself blush and scratch the back of your head.
"Erm, well. Don't worry about it." you say, "You owe me one, alright?"
>She nods slowly
>"Alright."
>You let out a sigh and relax a little.
>Getting her to agree to letting you help her was the biggest hurdle. You can't help someone against their will, at least in this case.
>She sits quietly next to you, anxiously tapping her hooves against the wooden bench.
>In this moment you actually take a long, calculated look at her.
>For an earth pony she is a little shorter than average. Her coat is a bit heftier than other ponies, most likely due to poor grooming.
>Her mane is solid, shiny black. It's quite long, lazily tied into a pony tail which creeps down to the small of her back.
>It appears she just a touch thicker than the average mare, but that doesn't surprise you. You know for a fact she doesn't exercise, so it's no surprise she has a little pudge.
>She spots you inspecting her out of the corner of her eye.
>You expect her to ask you why you're staring, but instead she just looks away again; Her face becoming more flushed as she does so.
>She really isn't the confrontational sort.
>You look back to the market crowd as they wander by.
>Ponies of all sorts wander about the stands, inspecting the goods as they pass.
>You ought to get shopping soon, too.
>"Um..." Floor weakly pipes up.
>You turn to her as she clacks the tips of her front hooves together.
"Hmm?" you hum
>"How are you going to, you know, help me?"
>You tilt your head.
>That's actually a pretty good question.
"Well..." you say, leaning back on the bench, "I'm going to teach you how to be self sufficient, and push you to be your own mare."
>She looks down again.
>"But... how?"
>You shake your head.
"First things first... you can't be relying on Anonymous's Sunday visits anymore." you start
>She nods quietly, still looking down.
"But, if I only come on Sundays then nothing will stick..." you say to yourself.
>Getting a mare like her out of the apartment will be tricky to say the least.
>To actually make progress you'll need to visit her at least once a day.
>Initially, of course.
>You sigh.
>Are you really up for this?
>Just a week ago you were avoiding Anonymous as much as possible, and now you're going out of your way to help his mess of a friend.
>The entire reason you even started talking with him in the first place was because it was your job.
>But as you sit here now, sitting next to the fidgeting Floor Bored, you feel a dim flicker of a nostalgic feeling.
>For the first time in awhile you feel needed.
>And it will get you more info on Anonymous... probably.
>You're sure that Floor probably has some dirt on him.
>So it works out for everyone involved.
>Even if it means you'll be spending your afternoons with Floor.
>You'll need to figure out how to squeeze working out into all of this... Floor is probably not ready for the gym.
>You return back to the question posed before.
"I'll stop by after work each afternoon." you say after a long silence, "That way I can ensure you're getting better and not reverting back to your old self."
>She nods slowly, staring at a crack in the concrete.
>You pat her lightly on the back, making her let out a little squeak of surprise.
"Don't worry, we're not just gonna get rid of who you are! Just gonna tweak some habits, you know?"
>She lets out a deep breath.
>"Okay..." she responds.
>It seems her lips have been sealed once more.
>You'll need to find a way to get her talking down the road, for now you've made good progress.
>And besides, Anonymous will be back any minute now. You've done your part for today.
>The sun has crept up in the sky, and the day feels much warmer than it was this morning.
>You fan yourself a little as you begin to heat up.
>Time to take off the jacket, you think.
>You stand up off the bench and remove your jacket, carefully tying it around your waist with your mouth.
>You let out a sigh of relief and hop back on the bench.
>It feels good to have your shoulders out again.
>Wasn't Floor wearing a sweatshirt too?
>As you turn to check you realize that Floor is staring at you.
>If you can call it staring. She has moved so close to you that you can nearly smell her shampoo.
>She looks directly at your chest and has cornered you against the edge of the bench.
>You're getting a few flashbacks to that accident from last night.
"F-Floor? You're pretty in my personal space right n-"
>"Is that a 'Hoof of the Dragon' tank top?" she interrupts with great assertion.
>She prods the dragon insignia on your chest.
>You feel your cheeks burn as you look away from her.
"What? No... I just bought this to workout in because it looked cool."
>She shakes her head.
>"No way! These things need to be ordered from the 'Jeet Pone Do' fanatic catalog. There was only a limited set, so there's no way that anypony would be selling it."
>The tingling heat in your cheeks begins to grow
"I-I really think you're mistake-"
>"No way! The insignia is actually embroidered right into the fabric! On BOTH sides. Those babies will never crack or fade!"
"Floor I-"
>She crawls onto your back making you flop around on the bench.
"FLOOR"
>She pulls the tag out from behind your neck.
>She gasps with great exaggeration
>...actually it might just be genuine excitement
>"It IS that limited run! It says right here: '36/100, 40 year anniversary collection'. There's no way you could get this thing without snagging an order minutes after their release."
>She pauses for a moment as you struggle to get your legs in the proper positions to push her off.
>"Wait... so does that mean..."
>Her larger stature and unexpected weight as crippled your ability to lift her off. Your legs can't get into position in time.
>"Morning Star, are you a Kung-Fu movie fanatic?"
>You finally get your hooves beneath you and push up, knocking her off your back.
>You respond as you shoot upward
"N-No! Of course not! I could never be into those Spruce Knee flicks, way too nerdy. I prefer something a bit more-"
>"I never mentioned Spruce Knee."
>You freeze.
"Y-Yeah, but I everypony knows who Spruce Knee is."
>"But 'Hoof of the Dragon' is a cult classic that had a really restricted release. Only those really in the know would buy a tank top for-"
>You stick a hoof in her mouth.
"Shush! Would you please stop this?" you quietly plead.
>"Quai shoe bru shanna schtop et?" she responds, your hoof still in her mouth.
>You pull your hoof from her mouth.
"What?"
>"Why do you wanna stop me? That definitely is a 'Hoof of the Dragon' tank, and you definitely didn't end up with it by accident."
>Nod dismissively
"I know. I know." you say impatiently, "But it isn't usually recognized, alright?"
>She tilts her head.
>"Well why would you buy such an expensive piece of fanfare just to hope nopony notices it?"
>You feel your blush grow again.
"B-Because it's embarrassing! A grown mare watching old Kung Fu movies, it's ridiculously childish!" you bark
>She shakes her head.
>"And yet you still wear the merchandise?"
>Your face feels like it's on fire.
"Yeah, well..." you stammer, "I-It's hard to explain!"
>She folds her forelegs.
>"Oh yeah? How so?"
>You glare at her.
"You seem awfully talkative all of a sudden. What happened to the shy little mare I was talking to a second ago?"
>She shakes her head.
>"Are you going to answer my question or not?"
>You sigh and scratch the back of your neck.
"If the ponies at the barracks knew I watched those cheesy movies I'd never hear the end of it. I need to keep up a reputation you know?"
>"So you do like them?"
>You look at her strangely serious face and pause.
"I... I love them." you admit quietly.
>A small grin grows on her face.
>"So do I." she replies.
>Your blush burns again.
"Even 'Hoof of the Dragon'?"
>She nods slowly.
>"Especially 'Hoof of the Dragon'."
>You can't help but smirk a little.
"No kidding..." you say softly
>She smiles through her bangs and leans closer to you.
>"We have a lot to talk about."
>Somewhere deep down a nerdy part of you has reawakened.
>You are Anon
>The market seems to have gotten even more packed since you left.
>It's the fresh spring air, you bet. Makes ponies want to go out on their day off.
>You took a long walk around the city in the crisp air and enjoyed the sensation of warming up as the day went on.
>But even as you enjoyed the sunshine you felt a little anxiety.
>You know that Floor has a hard time with other ponies, and Morning can come off a little strong when you first meet her.
>Morning seemed confident in her 'tough love,' but you can't shake the feeling it could go the wrong way.
>You carefully navigate the crowd, being especially careful not to knee anyone as you walk through.
>At least you're back now. You'll make sure Floor hasn't closed herself off completely.
>You are pulled from your thoughts when you finally see the familiar ponies.
>Floor stands by Morning's side. With a little apprehension Floor finally begins to talk to the sales pony behind a stand before slowly sliding bits across the table to him. The stallion slides back a plastic tub full of strawberries.
>Morning grabs the container and drops it into the basket.
>You can't make out much more than the top of Morning's mane and ears. The crowd is just a bit too tall.
>Morning picks up the basket and places it on Floor's back.
>The two of them enter into the flow of ponies and begin to walk by you.
>They don't even notice you as they continue to converse.
>"...but I thought he didn't know how to use a Bo staff yet." Morning protests, her eyes slightly squinted as she looks towards Floor.
>Floor shakes her head with a knowing smile.
>"He learned how to use one in the second part of 'Hock of Steel', but he didn't master it until when he trained under master Feng Reg in 'The Final Shogun'." Floor says excitedly, matching Morning's gaze.
>Morning smirks and nods.
>"I guess that's true. He did use a Bo staff sparingly in a couple other movies." Morning says, placing a hoof under her chin.
>They wander right past you as they continue to converse.
>You stare at them for a moment, just taking it in.
>They continue to walk away from you, chatting away with little concern for the ponies around them.
>Floor never hesitates as she enters the large crowds, and she sticks close to Morning's side.
>As they chat you notice something that warms your core.
>Floor is smiling.
>Not like when you're being nice, or when she is making seductive remarks.
>No.
>She is just smiling.
>Naturally.
>As she listens to Morning's next response, her grin remains steadfast.
>From an outsider's perspective, Floor would seem like a messy pony hanging out with her best friend.
>They wouldn't see a cold, anti-social mare that would rather be in bed or playing video games.
>Because she is participating. She is actually participating.
>You follow behind them, but don't intend on catching up just yet.
>They aren't done with the shopping yet.
>You quietly watch as Morning makes Floor chat with the local farmers and fish mongers. Morning even gave Floor the bits to pay for everything on her own.
>When it came to buying things on her own, Floor would always go to the same convenience store down the road and have a limited conversation with the clerk.
>But now she is idly chatting with the grizzled working ponies of Canterlot.
>And you have Morning Star to thank for that.
>You shake your head with a smile
>Whatever that 'tough love' was, it sure works wonders.
>They make every stop as you continue to stay out of sight until the very end.
>When you finally caught up with them you still needed to recapture their attention by tapping their shoulders.
"Looks like you got it all, huh?" you say with pride.
>Morning smirks up at you after turning around.
>"Sure did. And she did it all by herself."
>Floor kicks up some dirt.
>"I-I wouldn't say alone, but... I did it." she says, anxiously looking up at you through her bangs.
>You can't help but beam at the two little ponies.
>...
>'Operation Reform Floor Bored Log'
>'Entry 1 - Day 1'
>'Acting Supervisor: Morning Star, Royal Guard Second Class'
>"Operation RFB begins today and I have taken every precaution to ensure things go properly."
>"I will be keeping this Log updated in order to track all progress and properly debrief to overseer Anonymous at later dates."
>"Though this is technically not a Royal Guard operation, I will treat it as though it is one."
>"These entries will be short and to the point."
>"Today I met with the target, Floor Bored, at her apartment. After explaining the situation to overseer Anonymous he gave me her spare key."
>"I let myself in to find her eating uncooked ramen from the packet while watching some sort of animated show about a pony and their dragon maid."
>"After an immense amount of coaxing I managed to get her off the couch and helped her clean her apartment."
>"She did not do as much as me, but she did help. This is good progress for the first day of an operation."
>"The show was also surprisingly good."
>'-End of Entry-'
>..
>'Entry 2 - Day 5'
>"I have forced Floor Bored to keep her apartment clean everytime I come to visit. Each time she leaves a piece of trash I make her pick it up immediately without any assistance. I did allow her to do it between episodes of another show. This improved the success rate immensely."
>"She has also started to open the door for me when I visit in the evenings. This is a good sign for things to come."
>'-End of Entry-'
>...
>'Entry 3 - Day 9
>"Today marks a milestone in Floor Bored's reintegration into society. She surprised me by cleaning her apartment before I arrived, and even had the decency to put on actual clothing."
>"She still neglects her hygiene and refuses to clean her mane properly, but this is still great progress."
>"She cleaned so that we would have more time to watch anime together."
>"We then spent the remainder of the visit watching a bizarre show with muscular stallions"
>'-End of Entry-'
>'Entry 4 - Day 13'
>"I reported to overseer Anonymous about the great progress made with Floor Bored."
>"He suggested using the fact she wishes to watch anime together as leverage."
>"The perfect carrot at the end of a stick."
>'-SIDE NOTE-'
>"The princesses have been visiting Anonymous in the garden more and more often the past two weeks. After overhearing a conversation about the 'importance of living in the moment' I believe that the princesses have taken my advice in actually conversing with him in a significant manner. Only time will tell."
>'-End of Entry-'
>...
>'Entry 5 - Day 15'
>"After two weeks I decided that it was time to start getting her out of the apartment."
>"I used the leverage overseer Anonymous suggested, and made her actually wash and comb her mane."
>"To do this, I promised to 'binge watch' an entire series with her in one night. Some dramatic show about immortal ponies on a train? It was all very confusing."
>"Her mane wasn't done very well, and she was still a bit messy. However, she was more than presentable."
>"I took her out for an evening walk where we chatted about the shows she recently showed me. They have proven to be intriguing so far."
>"She really lights up when speaking about them, too. Maybe she would appreciate a piece of merchandise from that dragon maid show. I do get my paycheck soon..." [REDACTED]
>'The previous statement has been redacted for being off topic and not essential to the operation.'
>'-End of Entry-
>...
>'Entry 6 - Day 22'
>"Floor Bored answered the door today fully clothed with her apartment entirely cleaned."
>"Needless to say, this progress is immense. It is hard to believe she is the same pony."
>"I asked why she only ever ate ramen, and she revealed she did not have enough money to buy real food unless Anonymous provided it to her."
>"I treated her to tacos in celebration of her progress."
>"She likes spicy sauce salsa the most." [REDACTED]
>-End of Entry-
>>30398408 (You)
>'Entry 7 - Day 24'
>"Today was the day I promised to 'binge watch' an anime with Floor Bored. She instructed me arrive later than usual and wear my pajamas."
>"She let me in her clean apartment with her much healthier mane tied back, a little like mine often is."
>"I had no idea that there were so many episodes to this anime, and it went deep into the night."
>"She fell asleep on my shoulder around 2am."
>"I did not move to wake her until the final episode finished at 2:30 am"
>"Just to fulfill my obligation to watch the WHOLE series with her, of course."
>"My debt repaid, I sent her to bed and left for home."
>"Her snores sound like little squeaks, and she kicks a lot in her sleep." [REDACTED]
>"Not as much as she drools though." [REDACTED]
>"The show was good too. I'm excited to discuss it with her later." [REDACTED]
>'-End of Entry-'
>...
>'Entry 8 - Day 28'
>"Today marks the first four weeks of the operation, and Floor wanted to prove how far she had come."
>"Without overseer Anonymous or I she traveled to the market on her own and purchased some groceries."
>"She wore a nice sweatshirt, showered, and combed her mane before going out."
>"She even cooked dinner for us to enjoy."
>"However, her limited funds meant she could not provide much. The meal was nothing more than baked sweet potatoes and butter."
>"It was still delicious."
>"I'm proud of her all the same." [REDACTED]
>'-End of Entry-'
>...
>'Entry 9 - Day 34'
>"Floor previously requested I check out a book about cooking for her."
>"I retrieved a book on the basics from the castle library."
>"She jumped with glee when I got it to her."
>"Her hugs are really warm." [REDACTED]
>'-End of Entry-'
>'Entry 10 - Day 35'
>"Today's visit was a strange departure from previous visits."
>"She spent the entire time painstakingly taking notes on every page of the library book I provided her while I played some sort of dating simulation game."
>"She assured me the game is worth the time investment."
>"When she's reading she leans over the book and chews her pen. Perhaps some slobbish habits aren't so bad, so long as they're charming too." [REDACTED]
>'-SIDE NOTE-'
>"I observed Princess Luna lying her head in overseer Anonymous's lap while they spoke early yesterday morning."
>"It appears their progress is also going well."
>'-End of Entry-'
>...
>'Entry 11 - Day 39'
>"I provided a loan of 50 bits to help Floor's recent interest in learning how to cook, under the condition that she purchase her ingredients alone."
>"She left and returned with her ingredients within an hour. Her progress is incredible."
>"She used the knowledge she learned from the library book to cook dinner for both overseer Anonymous and I."
>"I have been letting her see Anonymous more often now that she has grown independent from him."
>"He is always smiling around her." [REDACTED]
>"So am I." [REDACTED]
>"She made spaghetti with vodka sauce and garlic bread."
>"It couldn't have been made better."
>"After the meal, she cleaned everything up as overseer Anonymous and I drank cider. She insisted she do it on her own."
>"She washed the dishes, hung the towels, wiped down the tables, and took out the trash."
>"Overseer Anonymous was beaming the entire time."
>"She has become so independent, what does she need me for?" [REDACTED]
>'-End of Entry-'
>'Entry 12 - Day 43'
>"Floor has started requesting going on evening walks more often."
>"We walked through the city talking about the various games we played and shows we watched."
>"It has been good to have somepony to enjoy such nerdy passions with."
 
>"We walked deep into the summer night, and even went into a bar for a round of cider on me."
>"She didn't realize, but a few stallions were looking at her." [REDACTED]
>"Who could blame them? [REDACTED] She's been taking great care of herself lately."
>"She looks beautiful." [REDACTED]
>"She gave me a hug under the streetlight outside of her apartment and thanked me for being there for her this past month and a half."
>"After she entered the apartment I realized how independent she has become."
>"She goes shopping on her own, walks around on her own, and even goes to bars without a second thought."
>"Does this mean the operation was a success?"
>"Does this mean the operation is over?"
>'-End of Entry-'
>...
>'Entry 13 - Day 45'
>"Floor has asked me to join her on a trip to the market. Not out of necessity but out of preference."
>"She has shown no signs of anxiety as we wander through the crowds, and-"
>------
>"What are you always scribbling in that notebook?" Floor inquires
>You blush and shut the log before stuffing it back in your bag.
>The two of you are standing at a farmer's stand and Floor has finished purchasing a head of lettuce.
"Oh, it's just a journal I have been keeping lately." you respond quickly.
>Floor tilts her head at you, her healthy mane shining in the morning sun.
>Her bangs effortlessly shift across her face.
>You feel your face get hot as you look up at her.
>"Huh, I guess I've only seen you do it once or twice while I'm around..." she begins, scratching her chin, "Do you use it to save your progress?"
>She smiles down at you as she references the dating simulator game you've been playing with her.
>You smirk at her.
"You know you can't save while hanging out with somepony." you respond, your knowledge of the game beginning to rival her own, "So what's the lettuce for?"
>The two of you start walking as you chat.
>"Well, I still don't have much money, but I have a few salads I'd like to make." she says proudly, "I want to see how far I can stretch a bit."
>You nod at her resourcefulness.
"That's a good idea, Floor. If you need some extra cash you know I'm good for it." you offer.
>She shakes her head.
>"Nah, that's fine. I'd rather do this on my own budget."
>You smile at her as she smiles back.
>Suddenly the two of you walk into something.
>You bump into a pair of tall unicorn mares who drop their iced coffees as you collide.
>"What the BUCK," one of them exclaims.
>You stand back up immediately and help them back up.
"I am so sorry! We weren't looking where we were going..."
>As the mare stands up she grumbles at you.
>"Well you SHOULD be sorry, that coffee cost me 6 bits and if you think I'll just let you get away with..."
>The mare looks you up and down before pointing.
>She turns to her friend.
>"Isn't she that little mare from the gym?"
>You squint your eyes at them.
>The other mare has a look of sudden shock.
>"Oh my GOSH! She totally is! The one that always looks angry while she lifts."
>You're starting to understand who these ponies are.
"Oh... you're those cardio mares from my gym." you say as you come to the conclusion, "Look sorry about the mess, I'll pay you back for the coffee-"
>"Honestly, you'd think a mare as fit as her would be a little less clumsy." one of the mares jabs.
>You sigh.
>"Well she IS rather short, so maybe she can't see ponies coming."
>You feel their comments start to weigh on you.
"Hey now, that's uncalled for..."
>The first mare shakes her head.
>"No, making us drop our coffees is uncalled for," she begins
>She looks you up and down again.
>"I thought you only dressed like this at the gym..." she says with venom
>You feel your blood boil a little.
"W-What?"
>The mare shakes her head and addresses her friend.
>"I mean, I knew she wasn't trying to bring in any stallions the whole lifting thing, and the short mane, but she could at least wear something decent."
>You can feel your blood boiling.
"Hey now, those are fighting words ya know? Back at the barracks you would get a hoof across the cheek for that." you say, widening your stance.
>One of the mares blows a raspberry at you.
>"Oh please, you're so sensitive. You wouldn't lay a hoof on me if you knew the connections I have."
>You feel yourself sink a little.
>It's true, most ponies in Canterlot have wild connections.
>And assaulting a civilian would, of course, cost you your guard position.
>You have too much to lose.
>You hang your head in defeat.
>"That's what I thought, now I'll be taking those 12 bits please."
>She levitates the latch off your saddle bags and tosses the items inside into the dirt.
"H-Hey!" you protest as she finally gets the coin purse out.
>She pours 12 bits into her bag before tossing the coin purse into the pile of your belongings.
>"You're lucky I don't take more for threatening me like that." she says in a condescending tone as you attempt to gather your things.
>You take extra care to brush the dirt off the log you've been keeping.
>You swallow your rage and quietly put away your belongings as the two mares start to leave.
>"So are you a bitch professionally, or is it more of a hobby thing?" suddenly pipes Floor's voice.
>You turn as quickly as the two other mares as Floor stares at them with a blank expression.
>"Um... excuuuuuse me?" responds the unicorn, approaching once again.
>Floor shakes her head.
>"Oh, I'm sorry, I was asking about your reasons for being an unbearable bitch. Like, is it just a passing interest or more of a burning passion?" Floor retorts with intense sarcasm.
>The mares look her up and down.
>"And who are you supposed to be?"
>Floor shrugs.
>"I'm Floor Bored, a friend of that earth mare who you just basically robbed."
>The main mare squints her eyes at Floor.
>"I was just collecting a debt, that's all. You're lucky we didn't take it from you as well."
>Floor nods.
>"Okay, true, but why did you need to be cunt about it?" she says innocently, "I mean, if it's just in your DNA I suppose it can't be helped."
>The two mares make small gasps at Floor's strong language."
>The second mare tilts her head as she starts to recognize Floor.
>"Wait, you're that shut in pony from the apartment complex down the road, aren't you?"
>Floor's face starts to turn a beat red.
>The first mare speaks up.
>"Oh yeah, that dirty little mare the used to go to the convenience store outside of our gym." she says harshly, "I guess you finally found a bar of soap, huh?"
>You start to stand, your anger rising.
>"Honestly, why should we care about the words of a mare that can't even take care of herself. I mean honestly, you expect me to be threatened by a slob like you?"
>You get to your hooves, ready to start shouting.
>Your blood prickles inside your limbs as you prepare to unload.
>But Floor retorts calmly instead.
>"Well, I guess the same could be said about you. Why should I care about the words of a useless rich girl that hasn't done jack shit with her life." she responds in a monotone voice.
>The mare scoffs.
>"I have done plenty with my-"
>"Let me stop you right there, barbie. Living in Canterlot doesn't mean anything. I mean, for crying out loud, we ALL live in Canterlot. So don't give me that bullshit."
>Floor's tone and vulgar vernacular hits extremely hard. You have never heard a pony speaking such eloquent filth.
>The mare tries to speak up again.
>"I'll have you know I have a career in-"
>"Honestly, I don't give a damn. I don't care about anything you say, because you're just a waste of space." Floor begins.
>"You're just a bitchy mare that runs on a treadmill three times a week and starves herself to attract some rich cockhead of a stallion who couldn't care less about your shitty personality as long as your ass is tight and you call him a big man to fight off his insecurities."
>The mares sit back in shock as the torrent of obscenities and insults begins to flow from Floor's mouth at full speed.
>"But you haven't found that cockhead stallion, so you're probably wondering why he hasn't come around yet. Why hasn't that prince charming with a bit purse the size of a chariot swept you off your hooves like you're princess Celestia herself? Could it be your pitiful excuse for a personality, heavens no. You've just got an image to keep up, right?"
>Ponies start to turn towards the conversation from the crowd, their faces painted with confusion as they eavesdrop on the filthy insult that Floor painstakingly weaves together.
>"So maybe that coffee is the result of a cheat day from your diet, because you're trying to 'treat yourself' instead of realizing maybe, just maybe, you're way too much of a cunt for anypony, even an insecure buttfuck of a stallion, to want to deal with. That includes myself, by the way."
>The mares have recoiled beyond measure, trying to piece together a response.
>"Y-You dirty little p-piece of filth." she stutters in response.
>Floor lifts her chin.
>"Yeah, I'm a little messy, but that doesn't mean you can step all over me, and especially not over Morning."
>At the mention of your name your ears perk up.
>"This mare is worth more than the two of you combined a thousand times over." she says pointing at you
>Floor starts to walk towards them, making them step away from her slowly.
>"So get your arrogant, callous, pretentious, pompous, overly malicious, and undeniably disgusting asses away from us, you irrelevant WASTES. OF. MY. TIME."
>Floor has them leaning back as her presence pushes them back.
>A pocket of silence has fallen over the surrounding crowd as Floor stares down the two unicorns.
>She stares with an intense expression of contempt.
>You sit to the side as she stands up to the two bullies without so much as a shudder.
>After a few seconds she stamps her hoof.
>"WELL? Get the FUCK out of my sight!" she shouts.
>The mascara the two mares were wearing drips down their cheeks as the dart away, overwhelmed by the slew of insults they had to endure.
>As they disappear down the road, Floor turns back to look at the crowd.
>The grizzled ponies behind the counters all seem to nod at her, a sign of approval.
>She nods back and approaches you.
>"Are you okay, Morning?"
>You beam at her.
"Okay? Floor that was incredible! You totally shut them down!" you say, pulling her in for a hug, "That was the most amazing thing I've ever witnessed!"
>She holds you close in the embrace.
>"Y-yeah?"
"Yeah!" you respond happily, "I-I just froze up, I didn't know how respond to that. But you did it without breaking a sweat!"
>"W-well, when you're always fighting ponies online you get sort of good at insulting them..."
>You hold her tighter.
"Well that was beyond brave. You've come so far!"
>She really has.
>After that display, you know she could make it on her own.
>
>So where does that leave you?
>Before you can sink into your thoughts, Floor speaks up.
>"U-Um, can we leave n-now?" she stutters.
>Her whole body begins to shiver in your arms.
>You push her away and look into her eyes as tears stream down her cheeks.
>Her eyes what's going on?"
>She continues to shiver as the tears get larger.
>"Th-That was t-t-terrifying." she says, sniffing her runny nose, "I was so scared the whole time..."
>You softly smile at her, wiping away a tear.
>You let her lean into you as the two of you walk away from the market.
"C'mon, I've gotcha. Let's go home." you say, leading her out as she quietly sobs.
>Maybe there's still some use for you yet.
>As long as you're there for her
------------------------------------------------
At this point I had decided to end my writing adventure under this name, so this story may never be completed.
However, I have provided a summary of the events to take place:
 
I owe you that, at least. Here's the rundown:
>Morning Star ends up with Floor Bored. Floor fears that she won't be able to stay active without Morning's company, and Morning feels like she doesn't want to be a lonely guard without a single pony to be close to.
>Anon continues to be an escape for the sisters as they feel closer and closer to him.
>Derpy is occasionally seen with Anon doing cutesy things like going on traditional coffee 'dates' or enjoying picnics. He continues to appreciate her for her loving clumsiness which makes her fall more in love with him.
 
>Morning tells Luna to get everyone together and retrieve Anon's memories in his sleep. They invite Anon to the castle where everyone is gathered to see him get back his memories.
>He falls asleep on a bed surrounded by friends as Luna chases him into the dream realm.
>She first retrieves a faded memory of him running with a bunch of people in the same outfit. He speculates he was on the track team.
>Then she retrieves an even more faded memory of him lifting with a bunch of other people wearing similar outfits. He realizes he must have been on the football team as they tell him to get his helmet. He feels an unknown dread towards the future, but he says it's probably because of an upcoming game.
>Luna finds his final, extremely faded, memory. The reality is distorted, and Anonymous finds himself behind cover.
>He's in a military uniform and wearing a helmet. As other gross distortions of humans approach he jumps from cover and opens fire. When they die vines sprout from their bullet wounds and wrap him up.
>Luna backs away from him in real life, startled by the brutality. She cries a little out of shock.
>Anon sits up quietly while everyone else is confused by what happened.
>Without saying a word Anon walks out the door, leaving Luna to explain what happened.
>As it turns out, Anon's military career gave him extreme PTSD. He never wanted to be part of the military, but a lack of money in his family made it his best career choice. Pressure from his family pushes him to be a soldier, get higher education, then do something to make money.
>During all the grueling training he finds that taking care of small plants soothes his overwhelmed mind. He is filled with rage and pain instead of his usually calm and content demeanor.
>After one particularly nasty instance of enemy contact, he developed a thousand yard stare and had horrendous PTSD. It is unknown what brought him to the pony world, but it almost seemed like he was plucked from his because of the tragedies that fell on him.
>He remembers all of this on his walk back to the apartment alone.
>He locks himself in his apartment. He wouldn't leave for another two weeks.
>In the bathroom he uses a razor to cut off his hair, returning it to a military cut. This brings back more memories and clarifies who he was before the incident.
 
>The story progresses with a flip: Each pony who relied on Anon for help now need to be there for Anon.
>Floor is the one that ends up getting him out of his apartment, and Morning helps him come to terms with who he was.
>Celestia spends an entire day with him, making him feel protected from his memories as she reminds him she'll always be there for him.
>Luna helps him face who he was in his dreams, helping him regain his strength.
>But in the end, Anonymous happens upon the letter Derpy sent him earlier on. He never read it because he kept forgetting and it got buried by other things.
>It simply stated that Derpy loved him for everything that he was. She stated early on that she thought he was perfect, but wanted to find out his imperfections with him.
>This makes him know that his past doesn't define who he is, and he returns to being his old self again with a newfound appreciation for the happy world he gets to enjoy in the present.
>In the end Anonymous ends up with Derpy. Morning moves into Floor's apartment downstairs and the two of them become a power couple. Floor does all the house work and cooks while Morning brings home the bacon.
>Derpy moves in with Anonymous and they have a cute relationship of being imperfect with each other. He helps when Derpy messes up at work, and she comforts him when he has occasional PTSD episodes.
>Anonymous also continues to visit the princesses at work, and they will visit him romantically in his dreams.
>Derpy knows about this and says she doesn't mind, so long as he is her's in reality.
>This ensures that the princesses can indulge in having romantic contact without worrying about the implications or speculations of the public.
 
>In the end, Anonymous is still a happy fella with a zen approach to life, but his past has brought him more perspective into how good he has it, and he values each day more than the last.