>The rain beat down upon the alicorn, droplets of water trailing down her serene coat.
>A dark night sky brought her no comfort, and only served to remind the princess of her sorrow.
>It certainly was a fitting night for rain.
>Living an eternal life, she was no stranger to these losses.
>They never got any easier, but this one especially weighed heavy on her.
>Solemnly, she lifted her head up to the cloudy sky, letting the rain pour freely.
>The Mare in the Moon was not there for her tonight.
>At this gesture, her ever-faithful guard approached her.
>”Princess.”
>She knew what he was going to suggest long before even he did.
>”It’s time you went back to the castle.”
>With all the practiced warmth and courtesy of a true princess, she turned her head and smiled.
“I will be fine, don’t worry.”
>These words were just as rehearsed as his were.
“I just need time.”
>Returning her gaze to the tombstone, it was clear she wasn’t leaving.
>The guard came to her side silently, hoping that if anything, his presence could comfort his princess.
>After a time of silence, Celestia spoke aloud.
“I… I’m going to miss him…”
>Unaware of how to respond, the guard did the best he could.
>”At least... he went peacefully.”
>With that statement, her thoughts returned to the tombstone.
>And as she looked upon another one lost, she tried to find comfort in this fact, that his final days were peaceful.
 
Here lies Anonymous
The lone human, assistant to the princess,
and her friend.
 
--
>With an ever mighty surge of power, the sun began its ascent into the sky.
>Celestia could feel herself instinctively levitate upwards, her eyes closed in a tight concentration.
>At the tip of her ascent, she could feel the invisible weight lift off her, and her horn once again relaxed.
>The princess touched back down on the ground, and sighed.
>Another day, another morning, another raising of the sun.
>Sighing, Celestia went through her daily habits.
>A warm bath, breakfast, and a stroll through the gardens before the inevitable daily duties she would have to preform.
>The Royal Canterlot Gardens were beautiful this time of year.
>A beautifully blooming rose bush in particular had gotten Celestia's attention.
>Its aroma was wonderful as she temporarily escaped in it.
>As she continued her walk, she saw one of her numerous and identical guards patrolling the path.
>He noticed the princess and bowed before her presence.
>"Princess Celestia."
>Yes, that is me, she thought to herself.
"Good morning. How is the morning patrol?"
>"I’m happy to tell you the morning report says nothing out of the ordinary has happened-"
>Well that was good to know-
>"-except for the desecrated grave."
"The... what? What’s happened?"
>A desecrated grave?
>Something like this had never happened before.
>Interest and worry were building up inside Celestia.
>"Yes. It was discovered earlier today that one of the graves in the Canterlot cemetery had been... dug up."
>Just the thought of such a thing shook her.
>Celestia instinctively worried some kind of dark magic was involved.
 
>If such a terrible act had been committed, she should be there to see for herself.
"Tell me, where was this grave?"
>"It was one of the graves in the private section I believe. I can't remember a name, sorry."
"Thank you."
>With that information, Celestia started into a trot, picking up speed, and eventually taking into the skies.
>From up above, she could see the entirety of the castle gardens.
>Fields of flowers and neatly trimmed grass turned to pavement as Celestia reached the city itself.
>The cemetery was not too far away, and soon, tombstones and mausoleums dotted the ground.
>Celestia found her way above the reserved section in the back, the section that was saved for more influential ponies.
>Those close to the royal family or of high political standing could be found buried here.
>It is also where Anonymous lies.
>Celestia had found it to be appropriate.
>As these thoughts entered her head, she easily spotted the blemish in the well kept grass, and her hooves touched back down onto the ground.
>All at once she felt the solemnity of the area, and could feel the years of memories weigh themselves on her withers.
>Graveyards are not known for their cheeriness.
>Walking down the aisle of graves, Celestia slowly approached the open one.
>The atmosphere was devoid of anything, and so was the grave.
>Looking at the coffin that lay inside the hole, she could see that it was empty.
>Someone must have taken the body, and that thought did not please the princess.
 
>Before she looked away, something caught her eye.
>The shape of the coffin…
>It was longer than it had any right to be.
>At that point, Celestia had fully realized why this was so.
>However, as her gaze lifted upwards, she didn’t want it to be true.
>She mouthed the words still faintly written on the tombstone as she read them, affirming her worst fear.
Here lies Anonymous
The lone human, assistant to the princess,
and her friend.
>This was an outrage.
>Every possibility erupted into Celestia’s head.
>Graverobbers, necromancy, a sick joke…
>Whatever happened here, she vowed to solve it.
>For him.
>As she took back to skies with great speed, Celestia felt an anger grow within herself.
>He hadn’t deserved this.
>Someone had made it a point to get onto the princess’s bad side.
>Or heavens forbid, something…
>Once again, her thoughts returned to Anonymous.
>”Promise me you won't get one of those mausoleums or whatever for when I go, just stick me in the ground and I’ll be happy. After all, I’m nothing special.”
“But you are special...”
>Even now she said those words to herself.
>With an incredible haste, Celestia returned to the castle.
>She stepped her way into the throne room, the presiding guards snapping to attention.
“You two, find Shining Armor. Tell him a very important grave has been dug up in the Canterlot cemetery and that I want a full magical investigation done at once. He should report anything he finds back to me immediately. The grave itself is in the royal district and shouldn’t be easy to miss. Be careful though. Send some patrol units through the surrounding area, and tell all guards to be on full alert for anyone suspicious.”
 
>She did her best to keep her frantic demeanor hidden.
>The two guards nodded their heads and quickly began to exit the room.
“One last thing. Cancel all my appointments for today.”
>With that final order, they left.
>Alone, the princess began to nervously pace about the room.
>The question of why this had happened was stuck in her head, tormenting her.
>He had been gone for hundreds of years now.
>Any records of him were few and far between, no doubt there was not a single soul still alive that knew of his existence besides Celestia herself.
>Then why did it happen?
>Someone had to have learned of him.
>Bodies don’t just suddenly vanish.
>Even with her limited knowledge on humans she was certain of that.
“Anonymous, you have not yet told me more about your kind.”
>”Tell me about yours first.”
>A smile then and a smile now for his quips.
“I am one of what used to be many, but now I am all that remains.”
>”That makes me just like you it would seem.”
“Yes but you are unlike any that have ever come before, or are ever to come again.
>”As I said: just like you.”
>It was all so many years ago.
>How many was it exactly?
>She had written the date down somewhere long ago.
>There were so many details, so many memories, so many exchanges that she could recall.
>The profound impact he had made in her life through all of his mystique was inspiring.
>A lone alicorn and her lone human.
>”There must be some kind of task you need performed, right?”
“Anonymous, please. I am not going to make you work for me.”
 
>”Princess, I just want to be of some use to you.”
“Why would you ever need to prove yourself to me Anonymous?”
>”I guess that’s what I do best: try to help.”
>His incessant pleading had worn her thin, and so she made the decision she could never possibly regret.
“Anonymous, would you be so kind as to be my royal scribe?”
>”I will gladly accept, princess. But on the one condition that you call me Anon. All my friends do.”
“Then please, call me Celestia.”
>Celestia had not intended to get herself caught up in a daydream, but by the time she realized she had, a guard had already approached her with news.
>”Princess, I bring word from the guards at the cemetery.”
“Tell me what you know.”
>”There were no remnants of magical energy anywhere in the area.”
>Celestia had noticed that as well upon her arrival at the grave.
>Any necromancy spells would have left a large deposit of leftover magic in the soil and air.
>”As far as Shining Armor’s team can tell, there wasn’t any magic involved in this incident.”
“Is there anything else they noticed?”
>”Well, they did mention that the coffin, and the dirt hole… there may have been signs of… activity.”
>He sounds unsure of himself, but this news is enough to make Celestia worry.
“What do you mean ‘signs of activity’?”
>”The dirt. There were some kind of markings in it, like hoof prints of some sort, while the coffin’s hinges were broken. But… they had to have been broken from inside the-”
>”Princess Celestia!”
 
>Celestia’s attention was immediately drawn to the doors of the throne room as they opened loudly.
>Standing there was Shining Armor at full attention.
>He gave his princess a salute before making his way down the carpet to the throne.
“Shining Armor, you bring urgent news I assume.”
>”Yes princess. One of our patrol units found something outside the walls of the cemetery.”
>”W-what’d you find?”
>The nervous guard shrunk back as he realized it was not his place to speak.
>Paying it no mind, Celestia beckoned Shining Armor to answer.
>”That’s the thing though, we don’t know at all what this thing is. I’ve never seen nor heard of anything like it.”
>Celestia’s nerves stood on end.
“Where is it presently, do you know?”
>”We captured it, but it barely put up a fight. It’s currently in the possession of the squad outside.”
>The culprit behind all this may very well have just been captured, but it could likely be something Celestia had never seen before.
>It had been captured, but did not put up a fight.
>Perhaps it wanted to be captured, and brought straight to the princess...
>Understanding the situation and the potential risks, Celestia nodded.
“I want it brought to me.”
>”Princess, are you sur-”
“Now.”
>As Shining Armor and the other guard left to fetch the creature, Celestia waited.
>Whatever this thing was, it was going to pay for its crimes, not against the law, but against the princess personally.
>And as Shining Armor returned with his patrol, she saw at once what they had captured.
>Who they had captured.
 
“Anonymous…”
>He stood at the center of the pack with his hands tied behind his back, being escorted straight to the princess.
>Except, he was younger now, nothing like the mature being she had known for his final days.
>His face was full of fear and nervousness as he looked around the room, trying not to make eye contact with the figure before him.
>And as he approached closer and closer, Celestia knew this was impossible.
>That no matter how much she wished it true, this, was not Anonymous.
>This was not, and could not be Anonymous.
>And that made her angry.
>Whoever or whatever this thing was, it had just dared to irrevocably insult her.
>The patrol stopped before the first step up to the throne, and Shining Armor’s voice sounded throughout the hall.
>”Speak creature, and present yourself to princess Celestia of Equestria.”
>Looking up slightly from the ground to see Celestia glare down at him, the imposter Anonymous searched for his words.
>”I’m… I… I think I’m lost…”
>”I said present yourself!”
>”I- I’m Anonymous. I’m a human and… you’re all horses.”
>”We’re ponies you-”
“Enough!”
>Celestia’s command silenced Shining Armor instantly.
>She slowly descended the stairs and stood in front of the patrol group.
“Step aside, all of you.”
>Shining Armor spoke to her in a hushed tone.
>”Princess, we don’t know what this thing is or what it’s capable of. For all we know, it spits acid out of its eyes, or-”
“Thank you for your concern, captain. Now please, step aside.”
 
>Reluctantly, the entire squad dispersed off to the sides, still ready to act at a moment’s notice.
>Celestia focused her gaze on the imposter before her, and he had nowhere to look but at her.
“So what are you then? You’re not a body under a necromancer’s spell, no. There’d only be bones left after all this time.”
>Celestia scanned her eyes up and down Anonymous body, and saw how loose fitting his clothes were.
“It’d be impossible for a changeling to do this. They need to know their subject before the transformation, and I’ll have you know there was only one Anonymous.”
>The imposter looked away from Celestia with nothing to say.
>She began to circle him, trying to discern anything she could.
“That would also rule out mimics and gelatinous shapeshifters.”
>Once she had come back to his front, she placed her head mere inches from his.
“So I’ll ask again: what are you?”
>He looked at her, and for a moment didn’t know what to say.
>“I told you. My name is Anonymous and I’m a hu-”
>Without warning, Celestia hoisted him up with her magic.
>He struggled against the strange sensation, but it was impossible for him to escape.
“You can’t be some kind of apparition either. Nor a conjuration, nor a summoning…”
>As Celestia ruled out possibility after possibility, she grew frantic.
>Searching for answers, she realized what she felt.
>She could feel him with her magic.
>And in her head she could hear it.
>The beating of his heart.
>A heart unlike any that had ever come before, or was ever to come again.
 
>Slowly, Anonymous was lowered to the ground
>Celestia stood in place, overtaken with shock.
>The room was silent, and the guards were confused.
>”Celestia?”
>She continued to look forwards at nothing, but still answered.
“Shining Armor, if you would be so kind as to take your squadron and leave me and Anonymous alone.”
>”Princess, are you- are you sure?”
“Please.”
>So, with an air of confusion and worry, the guards listened to their princess’s request.
>And as the grand doors closed, it was just her and Anonymous.
>The silence was deafening.
>”Uhh… so… yeah.”
“Oh, my apologies. Here, allow me to…”
>Bashful, Celestia moved behind him and undid his bindings.
>Rubbing his sore wrists, Anonymous watched as Celestia came back to his front and examined him.
>His face was younger, much younger, and with it came a youthful voice unlike any she had heard in a long time.
>However, despite his younger appearance, his eyes were just as she remembered.
>She was certain: this was Anonymous as she had known him a long time ago.
>Despite every fiber of her being screaming at her, telling her that this was not possible, she didn’t care.
>Her friend and her solace had impossibly returned to her.
>This couldn’t be happening, yet she was not dreaming.
>Celestia could feel her eyes dampen, and a smile began to grow on her face.
“Hello, Anonymous. It’s been quite a long time, hasn’t it?”
>She laughed happily to herself and did not notice the confusion etched into his face.
>As she pulled him into a very one-sided embrace, he said to her words that she did not want to hear.
>Words that shook Celestia to her very core.
>”I’m sorry, but, who are you?”