"You... Want me to what?"
>Celestia stared down at him, elevated by her throne
>For even kneeling as he was, he was still superior to her in height
"I am assigning you a new mission, as I've said. I want you to go to Ponyville and learn about Friendship"
>Anon stared at her incredulously
>He was very near to speaking out of turn, his shock clear on his scrunched together eyebrows
>Celestia was still a mystery to him.
>She sat up straighter, rustling her wings and peering down at him, eyes narrowed
>He clenched his jaw, before getting the ability to respond, his shock pushed down.
"I'm sorry princess but I don't think-"
>Celestia cut him off
"I think not, Anon. You need a break from all this, you've been a guard much longer than anyone has a right to, without a vacation."
>Anon's jaw clenched tighter
"But... Princess I don't want a break. I like working for you"
>Celestia sighed
>He was her best guard, tall, muscular...
>He was undefeated in combat, trained under the harsher levels of gravity of his world, born of a race of war-like creatures
>Yet it was getting to him, Celestia realized, he was so recluse...
>Celestia worried for her most prized and loyal guard
>If he was any more cold and distant to those around him, it would drive her little ponies to ostracize him
>They weren't used to him like she was
"I do not like ordering you, Anon, but this time I must. I order you to go to Ponyville, meet my student Twilight Sparkle, and learn everything she has to teach you about the Magic of Friendship"
>Anon still looked resistant to the idea
>Celestia bit her lip for a moment, before offering a concession with a soft sigh
>"And I will ask Twilight to accept you as her personal guard while you are there."
>His face relaxed slightly. Familiar territory for him, Celestia assumed, would help settle his nerves
>Anon dipped his head down in a bow before rising before the Solar Princess
"As you wish, Princess."
>Celestia beamed at him
"Good, I've had the castle's servants pack your things when I sent for you. Leave as soon as you are able. Enjoy your break, Anon!"
>Anon scowled
"And do try to smile more"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>His arrival was met without a welcoming committee, as he assumed it would be
>The ponies shuffling by him spared him a cursory, confused glance
>His stony countenance turned their gaze away as he stalked forward with an almost robotic gait
>The big blue and purple eyesore, or rather castle, was where he was told to go by the Princess
>Celestia had already sent forewarning of his arrival to Twilight, she had said
>Anon shifted his pack, rolling his shoulders and stretching his neck as he strolled through Ponyville
>He stopped, spying a large, painted clay flower pot
>Trained guard as he was, he had always had a soft spot for flowers
>Filled to the brim with roses and orchids and daisies, it was a nice sight, and, as he leaned in, it smelled just as nice
>His face scrunched up in confusion
>Did these flowers smell like... Cotton Candy?
>And did they just giggle?
>Anon jumped as a pony, bright pink with obnoxiously large, curly pink hair, exploded up from the pot
>He reacted without thinking, burying his fist in the pony's face before she had a chance to speak
>Anon watched as her head, which felt far too squishy to be real, followed along with his fist
>Her neck, instead of detaching from her body, started to stretch like taffy
>Anon started to sweat
>Dear lord, did Celestia send him here as a test?
>To fight this Lovecraftian monster?
>She was trying to speak under his fist, mumbled words trying to desperately squeak from behind his knuckles
>Anon pulled back, noting with some confusion that her face was still in the shape of his fist
>She laughed
>Laughed!
"Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie!"
>Anon shuffled awkwardly
"I'm uh... I'm Anon Firstname Middlename Lastname"
>Pinkie giggled
"You must be here to see Twilight, she said something about one of Princess Celestia's guards coming to town"
>Anon nodded
"Yeah that's me. How'd you know...?"
>She made a face
"Easy silly, you've got a grumpy look on your face! All of Princess Celestia's guards have that look"
>He rubbed the back of his head
>What was there to say?
>None of his training could've prepared him for this
>Anon straightened
>He was a royal guard, damn it!
>He wouldn't start breaking code and acting like a fool now
>Anon spared Pinkie one last nod before continuing his stride to the Princess' castle
>Straight backed and chest out, he finally relaxed
>The pink one, he hoped, didn't live here
>Anon banged three times on the large, golden doors
>Eyesore indeed
>He waited at attention
>Though the wait was short lived as the door was soon enveloped in a soft, blue glow
>It was wrenched open, exposing what Anon assumed to be Princess Twilight's student
>Anon tilted his head slightly to meet her eye
"Royal Guard Anon Firstname Lastname Middlename reporting for duty under Princess Twilight Sparkle."
>Starlight looked up at him, an odd look on her face
"The Princess said you were here on vacation."
>Anon nearly twitched, settling instead for a deepening of his perpetual scowl.
"Yes... I was informed by Princess Celestia that I was also to stand guard for Princess Twilight Sparkle."
>Starlight smiled at him, leaving the door open as she walked further into the halls of the castle
>Anon accepted the silent invitation, closing the door behind him as he followed her
>The castle looked much larger on the inside than the outside
>High, vaulted ceilings and numerous twists and turns at Starlight's direction lead Anon through a veritable palace
>Yet Starlight seemed to know exactly where to go
>She stopped in front of a grand door, a starburst cutie mark insignia plastered directly on the front
"This is Twilight's personal study, she's been waiting for you since Princess Celestia sent her that letter"
>Anon nodded
"Thank you"
>Starlight smiled at him before turning the corner and disappearing from sight
>Anon knocked on the door
>He waited for a moment before giving leave to enter
"Royal Guard Anon Firstname Middlename Lastname reporting for duty, ma'am."
>Twilight looked up in surprise from the book she had her muzzle stuck in
>Twilight let the book drop to the desk's surface and stood up to lead him out of her study
"Hello. Right, the Princess sent you, didn't she?"
>Anon nodded his head
"It's good to have you, Anon Firstname Middlename Lastname. Here's where you'll be staying"
>Twilight pushed open a door, only a few away from her study, to a modest room
>A small bed and desk were crammed inside the small room, another doorway lead into what he assumed was a bathroom
"Thank you, Princess Twilight Sparkle."
>Twilight blushed at her full name, rubbing the back of her neck with a hoof
"Just Twilight, please. We're friends, right?"
>Anon tilted his head in acknowledgement
>Presumptuous, he thought, very presumptuous
"If you say we are, Princess Twilight."
>She looked up at his stalwart frame and stony countenance, and decided it was better to leave it
>For now, she amended to herself
>Anon stepped into the room
>He dropped his pack on the bed and turned back towards the Princess
"Right. Well, I'd assume you'd wanna explore Ponyville for a while?"
"If that is what you instruct, Princess."
>Twilight shuffled awkwardly for a moment
"Yeah. Go ahead and have some fun in Ponyville. Come back when you're ready, I guess."
>Anon snapped her a crip salute. He grabbed his bit bag and attached it to his belt
"Yes, ma'am. I'll report back to you at nightfall."
"...Right."
>Twilight lead the way out of the room, directing the Royal Guard through the labyrinth-like castle
>They stopped at the large, golden doors
"Princess Celestia told me the purpose of this trip"
>Twilight stared up at him, determined
"If you need someone to talk to, my door is always open. I can introduce you to the others later. Though you might just run into them."
"Thank you, Princess Twilight."
>Twilight fixed him with an annoyed look before walking back in the castle
>Anon shut the door behind her
>He turned back towards Ponyville
>What to do, what to do.
>Anon stood on the castle's steps just outside the doors, which overlooked the valley Ponyville was nestled into.
>The town was small, tiny even, compared to the metropolis that was Canterlot
>The tallest building here looked to be a grain mill, it's tall spire and gently turning wind blades standing above the rest of the modest, thatch-roofed homes
>Anon rested his hands on his hips, taking in a breath
>Where Canterlot was rich and prosperous, towers spiraling into the air and even the paved walkways shining with a luster that spoke of the town's wealth
>Ponyville was the opposite. It's dirt roads, barely long enough in one direction to compare to even one of Canterlot's busy streets, and it's buildings hardly even a comparison, the two were as different as night and day
>Yet, Anon noticed, there was a certain small-town charm to Ponyville that was lost in the snootiness of Canterlot's citizens.
>Anon started the short trek into town, content with his view of the place
>Standing around wouldn't help him "relax" as Celestia had commanded
>The ponies from earlier, and Anon noticed, they were from earlier, shied away from him
>His jaw set, brows furrowed, back straight, and chin high left little opportunity for ponies to approach him, he assumed
>Though they looked friendly enough, despite the stares
>Anon kept his walk within town limits, and far, far away from the Everfree Forest.
>Dark and spooky was not his preferred way to spend an evening
>Anon's walk took him around Ponyville, through each of the streets and even the circumference of the town itself
>He familiarized himself with everything in the town, for if he was to guard, he would need to know his environment
>Anon glanced up at the sky
>An hour or so until dusk
>His quick retreat back to the castle was stopped by his stomach grumbling at him
>Anon looked around, before a bakery caught his eye
>He pushed open the door to the little bakery, a soft chime sounding through the building on his entry
>The sweet smell of baked goods and flour lingered in his nose
>His rigid stature melted a little, the intoxicating aroma relaxing him
"Hello, dear, what can I get you-"
>Anon heard her before he saw her
>A plump, blue furred mare from behind her counter stopped at the sight of him
>Tall, taller than even Celestia, wider, more muscular
>A giant among even the tallest of ponies
>The mare, who Anon assumed was a baker, stared up at him in shock
>She shook it off, but her eyes were still wide
"What can I get for you?"
>Anon pointed to a chocolate cupcake with blue frosting
"Two, please."
>The mare nodded, pulling out a pair of them and dropping them into a nondescript pink box
>Anon reached into his bit pouch, pulling out four in total at her prompting.
>They exchanged the items in their grasp, Anon sparing her a sharp nod
"Mrs. Cake have you seen-"
>Anon glanced away from the now named Mrs. Cake, to the pink one he had run into earlier
>Great
"-Anon! Good to see you again!"
>She giggled at the sight of the stalwart warrior
>Anon inclined his head towards her, a blank expression on his face
>Of all the places to eat, and he had to run into the one that employed Pinkie Pie
"Hello."
>Pinkie Pie hopped around the counter to stand in front of him, her pink eyes looking up at him
"Mrs. Cake this is Anonymous Firstname Middlename Lastname! He's a super-duper Canterlot Guard. Mousy, that's Mrs. Cake, the best baker in all of Ponyville!"
>Mrs Cake blushed at the praise, smiling at the warrior in her shop
>Anon took a step back from the pink pony invading his personal space
"I must excuse myself. Twilight is expecting me back within the hour."
>Pinkie grinned widely at him
"'Kay, have fun 'Mousy!"
>Anon twitched at the nickname before beating a hasty retreat out of the store
>He strode quickly back to the castle, intent on getting away from the annoying pink one