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> Anonymous was about to reach for the tap, but the maid beat him to it and her magic enveloped both handles. She turned them and water started gushing out of the faucet. He probed it gingerly with a finger, but it was already pleasantly warm. Very likely heated with magic, he guessed.
"Listen, what's your name? I can't just call you 'the maid'."
> The mare pursed her lips for a moment as she decided whether to tell him, but then she shrugged to herself and said: "Dusty. You can call me Dusty." It probably wasn't her real name and Anonymous nearly opened his mouth to say this, but he changed his mind. It was better than 'maid' and her real name didn't matter at the moment. It was more important to get the names of the higher-up.
"Okay. Fine. Anyway, I can handle all of this," the man tried once more.
> Dusty shook her head. "Staying right here. I've got orders. I'm not leaving you out of my sight until you're tied down with magic, so you might as well stop trying." She glanced him up and down and then pointed a hoof at his midriff. "You're going to bathe in these?"
> If she would be there to watch then there wasn't really much of a choice.
"Yes."
> "Humans are weird. Here..." she didn't even have to look where her magic opened a cabinet and levitated out a bottle. "It's shampoo. I guess it'll work on human manes just as well as on pony ones."
> There was a picture of a lotus blossom on the bottle and the large text promised a 'lustrous, shiny mane and tail'. Anonymous didn't comment on it. He kept reminding himself that it was temporary. Either he'd escape in a day or two, or Celestia would find him. She shouldn't need more than that, since they already strongly suspected Silvermane.
> With a weary sigh, Anonymous glanced once more at the maid, who was sitting on her haunches and staring curiously at him. Her mask of dispassion was good, but few enough ponies had seen humans naked and Dusty was apparently curious.
> His arms still felt weaker than usual, but he was able to hold the bottle relatively steady in the air. He looked around for a shower head. The water was rising, bringing pleasant and welcome warmth, but it would be a while until it was deep enough to dunk his head, even if he weren't worried that he'd be able to lift himself back up. Leaning against the tub was fine, but anything more was risky.
> Strange, aside from the nausea, Anonymous didn't remember feeling that weak the first time Twilight had tried teleporting him. Then again, his first trip was barely the length of a room, while this was...
"How far did they teleport me anyway?" he asked.
> Dusty shook her head. "Far enough that Celestia won't easily find you. Trust me on that."
> She was obviously on guard against his questions.
"Well, do you have a shower or something?"
> Rather than replying, the maid opened yet another cupboard and lifted out a wooden bucket. It took Anonymous a moment to understand what she was suggesting.
"You've got to be kidding me..."
> She didn't respond, other than a very slight smirk on her muzzle, but she dunked the bucket in the water and lifted it up above Anon's head. It was a good thing, too, because he wasn't sure he could have done it himself. If he thought he could stomach the smell of his vomit Anonymous would have sent her to hell and gone back to the room dirty. As it was, he had to struggle a little to keep the grimace from his face.
> "Close your eyes," the mare said a second before pouring the bucket over his head. Hot water cascaded down his shoulders, taking some of the grime away with it. He heard a soft thunk as Dusty dropped the bucket next to the tub and Anonymous took that as a signal that he should begin with the shampoo. His hands shook a little from the effort, but he managed to gather a handful in his palm and slop it on his head.
> He was about to place the bottle down, but the maid attentively plucked it from his hand, so he could start massaging his scalp. A few seconds later he was already winded, but Anon persevered.
> "Jeez, the teleport really did a number on your rump, didn't it?" Dusty commented. She had a strange little smile and shifted her position so she was sitting a bit closer to the tub. "I better help you. I don't wanna be in here for the rest of the day..."
> Anonymous wanted to protest, but opening his mouth allowed some of the foam to slide inside and he spent the next minute spitting out the foul taste. Meanwhile the maid found a long-handled brush and was already sticking it into the water to wet it.
> "I dunno if you humans have a different shampoo for your fur, not that there's a lot of it, anyway," Dusty commented, "but this will have to do."
> She squeezed a bit of the lavender shampoo on the brush and returned the bottle to the floor. Then she inspected Anon's form and brought the brush to his back. It pressed against his skin and the man grunted.
"Not so hard!"
> The bristles moved away, but a moment later they were back, a lot more gently this time. "Sorry," Dusty said and shifted the brush around for a better angle. Anonymous did his best to ignore it as it brushed small circles around his back and shoulders, but as soon as he felt his hair had been thoroughly shampooed, he grabbed for the handle to continue himself. The magic refused to yield and it was like gripping an immovable iron rod.
> "Leave it," Dusty commanded. "Here..." The cupboard opened again and a sponge splashed into the water in front of Anonymous.
> He let go of the brush and resolved to get the bath over with as quickly as possible. He could wash his chest and belly and then tell the maid he was done.
> Lacking any other type of soap, he patted the sponge against his hair to soak up some of the lather, then started washing as best he could.
> "You should remove these," Dusty said, tugging at his underpants, "so I can wash you down there."
"No."
> She rolled her eyes. "You'll have to take them off to get dry anyway."
"No."
> This time the maid sighed and the brush she was holding sagged for a moment. "Don't be foalish, Mr. Anonymous. I've had to tend to invalids in my life, I can deal with you. I'm a professional."
> Her face was dispassionate, but Anonymous thought he saw a strange little glint in her eye as she said it. Something was strange about this mare. At first she had been almost annoyed at having to deal with him, but now she was helping him wash and asking him to remove his pants. He hoped it was just curiosity and nothing more than that.
> While he tried to convince himself that the maid didn't have ulterior motives, Anonymous finished washing his front side. The tub was getting quite full, so he reached over and shut the taps off.
> He wanted to enjoy the hot water for a minute or two longer, but Dusty was straying dangerously low with her brush.
"Okay, I'm done. Get me some towels!"
> The unicorn's mouth pressed together, but it only lasted a second before she nodded and let the brush drop from her magic. With her magic it was the work of moments to get Anonymous cleaned of lather and out of the tub.
> He wasn't about to admit it, but without her grip he didn't think he could have stood up in the tub, nor climbed out over the edge.
> Dusty didn't seem to mind the large puddle he was making on the tiles, nor the fact that the water was soaking into her tail. She took the opportunity to look the man up and down as he began to shiver.
> Anonymous sternly resisted the urge to put his hands in front of his pants. He didn't want to see any more smirking.
"Well?" he asked impatiently.
> Without even looking, Dusty drew out a drawer and lifted up a couple of large towels. She ignored Anonymous reaching out to grab them and simply draped one across his shoulders and wrapped the other around his waist.
> Glaring a little, Anonymous clasped the one around his midriff and tied the corners at the waist. Only then did he slip the underpants off. They landed in the puddle with a small splash and he kicked them toward the pile of his dirty clothes.
> Dusty's eyes followed the garment before looking up at Anon's face again. "I'll ask Master if I can wash your clothes. He might want to move you."
> Anon didn't like the sound of 'Master', but he was still grateful to get his clothes washed. With luck the ponies might be stupid enough to leave them in his room, although the man didn't dare get his hopes up.
> He tugged at his waist towel to make sure it was secure, then started drying his hair. He tried to ignore the maid, but it was hard with her magic propping him up. It was a small mercy that she opted to wait in silence and not help in any way.
> Anon couldn't help noting how Dusty's magical grip shifted around to allow him to dry his chest and belly. She even followed him smoothly when he bent down to wipe his knees and calves.
"Thanks," he said grudgingly as he dropped the used towel.
> "Sure," Dusty replied. "Come on, I have to get you back to your room."
"Will you leave me alone?"
> "Yes."
> Maybe he'd have a chance to look around, maybe even open the window and see how high up he was. Anonymous cheered up a little as the mare led him out of the bathroom and back into the corridor. The stones were cold under his feet, but he didn't care. The room had a thick carpet anyway.
> They didn't meet anyone else on the way and pretty soon the man was sitting on the chair, breathing heavily, while the maid was stripping down his mattress. She bundled up the soiled bedclothes and tossed them on the floor, then opened the wardrobe against the far wall.
> There were fresh sheets and Anonymous brightened up. Even if the window was high above the street, perhaps he could use them to escape. Tie the sheets together in a makeshift rope or something.
> Dusty replaced the bedclothes with expert efficiency and then looked at the man. "Let's get you back in bed."
"I'm fine. I'd like to sit for a while," he countered.
> The mare shook her head. "I have to tie you down and you'll be more comfortable in the bed."
> He was about to say no again, but the door opened and Spring Morning came in. She smiled almost pleasantly at the scene even as she deftly stepped around the pile of laundry. "Good, you're done. Get in the bed." There was a small, dark bottle floating behind her and Anonymous couldn't help glancing at it nervously.
"I'm fine," Anonymous said again.
> The guard mare didn't listen and her magic simply picked him up. It was a lot less gentle than what Dusty had done and Anonymous found himself wishing he was still alone with the maid.
"Hey-"
> His breath was knocked out of him as the unicorn dropped him on the sheets. She lifted him back up into a sitting position and brought the bottle to his face. "Drink this."
"No. What is it?"
> "It'll help you sleep."
"I'm not drinking it."
> Spring Morning's grin widened and the bottle inched closer. "Either you drink it, or I force it down your gullet. Your choice."
> Her expression made it plain which option she'd prefer. Anonymous considered fighting it, but with her magic he was pretty much helpless. His glare told the mare exactly what he was thinking and her grin widened as he reached up and grabbed the bottle.
> The magic didn't let it go. "If you toss it, I'll just fetch another, except the next time I'll spank you on your bare rump until you're sorry, got it?" Spring Morning said with a note of warning in her voice.
> Anonymous, who had considered just that, nodded in defeat. When the magic let the bottle go, he dutifully brought it to his mouth and tilted it up.
> There was only enough for a single sip, but it tasted bitter. It reminded him a little of beer, except there was no alcohol. For all that, it wasn't too hard to force down.
> "Okay, now swallow," Spring Morning commanded.
"I did already!"
> "Good boy!"
> He refused to meet her eye, but the man blushed a little. It felt too much like being trained like a dog.
"What the fuck was it anyway?"
> Spring Morning looked at Dusty, but then decided the maid wasn't important. "Sleeping potion. It'll make you sleep without dreaming, so your precious Princess can't find you while you're out."
> She watched his face crumple as yet another hope of escape was dashed and the mare laughed pleasantly. "We thought of everything, see? You just be a good, obedient little monkey and you'll be fine, as soon as Celestia accepts the demands."
"What demands?"
> The potion was definitely taking effect. Anonymous felt lightheaded and his eyelids seemed to be getting heavier. He blinked a few times, but consciousness was fading fast.
> "Don't you worry about that. It's out of your hooves."
> Before he could think up another question the darkness seemed to rise up and take him. The last thing Anonymous remembered was Spring Morning's magic lowering him down to the pillow. Hopefully he wouldn't throw up in his sleep, he thought, and then he was gone.

> ~~~~

> Princess Luna was walking with Silent Spell on their way to get some lunch. The Inspector's work ethic was thoroughly impressive so Luna didn't mind taking the driven mare to her and Celestia's personal dining room for a much-deserved snack.
"I agree that the arrest was somewhat premature, but you must understand that Sister is quite distraught."
> Silent Spell shook her head. "That's all very well, but I'm telling you if this goes to the courts, that could be a problem."
"You still must agree that Silvermane belongs in prison. Blossom gave us his name, as did the prisoner."
> The unicorn jumped ahead and faced the Princess with a frown on her muzzle. "What if they were talking about the son? Neither of them could give us a description, Princess!"
> Luna shrugged a little. She couldn't envision the younger Silvermane doing something his father knew nothing about.
> "Things have changed while you were on the moon," Silent Spell went on. "Yeah, once upon a time you and Celestia could toss anypony in prison and nopony would bat an eyelash, but we've come a long way since then. Partly thanks to your sister's efforts, might I add."
> Luna was forced to admit that the Inspector was right and her ears splayed a little. 
"Agreed. But this is a special case, you must see that. I have not found Anonymous despite nights of trying. Sister fears the worst."
> Silent Spell sighed and stepped out of the way so they could continue. "Fine. I'll interview Silvermane today."
"Thank you."
> Before she could walk, the inspector laid a hoof gently on her foreleg. "He's fine, I'm certain of it. It wouldn't make sense for them to kill Anonymous, not after all the trouble they've gone to already."
> Luna just nodded and they continued on their way in silence. Soon they reached the correct door and she opened it with some trivial magic from her horn. She stepped inside and paused.
"Sister?"
> Celestia was sitting at the empty table, her head leaning on her hooves. She looked somewhat more... disheveled than usually.
> "Anything?" Celestia asked.
"Sorry. Silvermane refuses to talk and he will not be intimidated like the other. Silent Spell-"
> "Hurt him."
"What?!"
> Celestia lifted her head and turned red, bloodshot eyes on her younger sister. Were they just a little bit darker than usually? Luna resolved to visit the Canterlot Library and look for a certain book she'd seen just once, a thousand years ago.
> For now, she shook her head.
"This is not like you, Sister."
> Celestia just shrugged. "Maybe not, but it is like you, isn't it? Are you sure there's no Nightmare Moon left? You could visit him in his dreams and frighten the truth out of him!"
> Luna glanced at the Inspector, who shook her head almost imperceptibly.
"Sister, you are not thinking clearly. You are not yourself. Have patience and trust in your ponies. Trust in *me*."
> The white alicorn opened her mouth to argue, but then she slumped back down. "It's been so long, Luna! I'm worried!"
"I have called the Elements like you asked. Rainbow Dash is already helping with the investigation and Fluttershy is keeping Blossom occupied. I'm not sure what the others will be able to do, but I've called them."
> "Good. What about Shining?"
> This time Luna shook her head firmly and put her hoof down.
"No, Sister. He has a kingdom to run and a daughter to raise. We have guards and we have Silent Spell, we do not need Shining Armor. Be sure I will call for him if that changes."
> Celestia looked like she was about to argue, but she just sighed and returned her gaze to the table.
"Have you slept at all?" Luna asked, despite already knowing the answer.
> There was no reply.
"Eaten? The cooks have prepared some Devil's Food Cake."
> Luna glanced up at the counter where the said cake was sitting, untouched.
> Silent Spell followed her gaze and whistled softly. "Wow, that *does* look amazing!"
"Let us all have a slice, then."
> Celestia didn't refuse and Luna hurried over to grab the cutlery and cut the cake. She made her sister's piece somewhat larger and floated all three plates to the table. The Inspector was already sitting and watching the floating dessert with rapt attention.
> Luna sat herself opposite her sister so she could watch. For a while it seemed that Celestia was just going to ignore the moist, rich slice of cake right under her nose. She was getting really worried when her sister suddenly lit up her horn and grabbed the fork.
> A large piece floated up into her mouth and Celestia closed her eyes in something approaching rapture.
"There, isn't that good?"
> Luna was only taking small nibbles of her own cake, more to encourage her sister than out of hunger or enjoyment, but Silent Spell was exhibiting a nearly identical expression to Celestia.
> A thought occurred and Luna seized it, because it wasn't related to their current trouble.
"Tell me, how did you two meet?"
> It was Silent Spell who answered: "Las Pegasus civic banquet. We both kept coming back to the pastry table and we started talking."
> Even Celestia grinned at that, teeth flashing white in the middle of a chocolate-brown stain around her muzzle.
> "I remember being surprised that Las Pegasus needs a police department," the Princess added. "I thought of you about a year later when there was that bad business in Vanhoover."
> Silent Spell nodded to that. "Interesting case."
"What was it about?" Luna asked, determined to keep Celestia's mind off the missing human for as long as possible.
> "Smuggling," Celestia replied and the Inspector added: "They were exporting priceless Equestrian art into the Crystal Empire."
"How did you even realize it was happening?"
> Celestia looked up at the ceiling and her eyes gazed, unseeing, into the distance. "We did not, at first. Not until they began stealing from museums and galleries. I asked Silent Spell to look into simple theft, but it turned out to be much more than that."
> The Inspector suddenly chuckled to herself and twisted in her chair to look at the Princess beside her. "Remember the look on Cadence's muzzle when we told her?"
> They both burst out laughing and even Luna had to giggle in anticipation of a good story.
"Do tell me everything!"

> ~~~~

> Anonymous woke up from what felt like the deepest sleep of his life. His thoughts were sluggish and his muscles didn't seem to want to respond. The memory of the past few days was fuzzy, but some things trickled through.
> They were keeping him drugged, which made it essentially impossible to plan his escape. He'd tried everything he could think of: arguing, pleading, even resisting, but Spring Morning simply held him up with magic and forced the bottle in his mouth every couple of hours.
> He tried keeping the syrup-like potion in his mouth so he could spit it out later, but the mare pinched his nose and tilted his head back until he was forced to swallow or suffocate.
> The utter defeat and humiliation of it burned, but until his captors made a mistake there wasn't a whole lot Anon could do. He was also naked, which further compounded the fact.
> Luckily they let him put on a towel when they took him to the toilet or on short walks, but he didn't even know where his clothes were being kept - if they hadn't simply destroyed them all.
> "Good morning, sunshine!" the hated unicorn said cheerfully. Anonymous had come to detest her slightly mocking smile.
"When are you gonna let me go?" he demanded.
> "Soon. Probably. Your sweetheart has the boss in jail, which complicates things. Until he's out, I have my orders."
"What is he paying you? I'm sure Celestia can-"
> "Bah!" the mare interrupted. "I'm not after money, sweetie."
> This was new. Until now, Anonymous had always assumed that Spring Morning was being paid well for her obedience.
"Then what?"
> Her smile grew wider and she shook her head slightly. "That's between me and the boss. Nothing for you to worry about. Come on, let's get you emptied out and then fill you up again."
> Anonymous groaned. Even with one of the unicorns helping him up, the trip to the bathroom was both tiring and uncomfortable. His only consolation was that they left him alone to do his business.
> If only the bathroom had a window. At this point, he'd risk breaking his legs and jump out, only for a chance to get away. Surely there would be passers-by who would help him.
> The most annoying thing was that he couldn't refuse. There was definite pressure in his bladder and the only other choice was messing himself in the bed, which was unthinkable, even now.
"You'll pay for this..." he said weakly, but his heart wasn't in it.
> Spring Morning's expression didn't change. "Sure. Here's your towel."
> The mare floated over the piece of cloth and Anonymous pulled it under the blanket so he could cover himself before she dragged him out of the bed. The magic pulled him upright and he tied the towel around his waist.
> His legs felt like lead, but it was good to move about. It seemed the fatigue went away and his mind cleared with exercise. Besides, he was starting to get worried about bedsores.
"How about a walk outside?"
> The mare leaned her head to one side as she considered this. "If you're a good boy and take your medicine without struggling, I'll think about it tomorrow, okay?"
> The man grimaced at her tone, but it was the first concession she'd given so far and he didn't want to lose it.
"In my clothes?"
> "If you're good."
> Anonymous did his best not to glare. It would be an opportunity to see where he was. Maybe he would be able to surprise Spring Morning and get away. If he got out one good shout near a busy street, he might attract some attention.
> His heart began to beat faster at the prospect and he felt his steps lighten. Spring still held him upright with magic around his waist, but Anon felt he was leaning on it a little bit less.
> If the unicorn noticed this, she didn't bring it up.

> ~~~~

> Celestia was chafing at the bit to do something. Anything. The pony and human trafficking ring should have been falling apart with their leader in prison and their mine shut down, but her guards had still not found the captives, nor captured any accomplices.
> More importantly - *just as importantly*, she corrected herself - Anonymous was still missing. Despite Silent Spell's best efforts and Luna's persistence in the dream world, Silvermane hadn't given up the location where Anonymous was being held.
> The unicorn stubbornly maintained that he didn't know. That he had left the matter entirely in Spring Morning's hooves.
"I don't believe that!" she told Luna for the umpteenth time.
> "I do," the other alicorn replied much too calmly for Celestia's liking. "He ordered Spring Morning to take Anonymous... somewhere, and not even tell him. He must have expected we would question him. It is a reasonable precaution."
> However much Celestia tried to convince herself otherwise, there was sense in what Luna was saying. She wouldn't be able to deny the logic of it any longer.
"Well, what about Twilight Sparkle and her friends? Any news? Never mind, I will go ask her myself!"
> She was about to stand up and go, but Luna laid a restraining hoof on her shoulder across the table. "We agreed, Sister. Remember your outburst yesterday? You are no use to them in this state."
> Celestia hung her head and lowered her ears in shame.
> "In fact, Twilight Sparkle-"
"Doing nothing is just *so* frustrating, Luna!" she growled under her breath, interrupting whatever Luna was about to say.
> "You cannot help when you are emotional, Sister. Trust in myself and Silent Spell. Trust in Twilight Sparkle and her friends. We will find Anonymous before long."
> It was good advice, however much Celestia didn't want to hear it. She bit her lip and gave a slight nod.
> It had been nearly a week and Celestia didn't think she had another in her. Surely she would go crazy if they didn't find Anonymous in the next day or two. She was just too worried.
> Her gaze landed on the plate in front of her and Celestia considered taking a forkful. The cooks had done their best, but she simply did not have any appetite.
> Luna noticed where she was staring and smiled encouragingly. "Do try the casserole, Sister. It is delicious. There are pancakes for later - sadly not as fine as you make them, but still quite good."
> Celestia shook her head.
"Not hungry."
> "If you eat, I will tell you news from Twilight Sparkle."
> Her head snapped up and Celestia glared at her sister.
"You have news?! Tell me!" she demanded.
> "Eat your meal, first."
"Luna, this is not funny! If you know something we have to move fast!"
> Luna shook her head. "An hour will not make a difference. One forkful?"
> Celestia knew that look, which said that Luna wouldn't budge. Still glowering, she levitated a fork and stabbed it, viciously, into the meal. She put it in her mouth, chewed twice and swallowed.
> A small part of her delighted at the taste, but Celestia pushed it to the back of her mind and glowered expectantly at her sister.
> "It is not much," Luna admitted, shrugging, "but Twilight Sparkle says she can join a scrying spell with whatever magic Spike uses to send letters and make it find Anonymous."
"When will it be ready?"
> "Soon," Luna answered calmly. She scooped up another mouthful before continuing, all the time looking pointedly at Celestia.
> It seemed she was going to trade mouthfuls for answers. Celestia glared at this obvious extortion, but her mouth was drooling and the casserole *was* delicious. In the end she gave in and took another bite.
> "Twilight expects us in her guest room in two hours. She says you should cast the spell, since you know Anonymous better than she does."
"Let's go then. Perhaps she will be done sooner!" Celestia said and stood up.
> Luna's magical hold gently pushed her back down to the seat. "All you would achieve, Sister, would be to bother her and slow her down. Let Twilight finish. If she is done sooner, no doubt she will come find us."
> It made sense and Celestia let her breath out.
> "In the meanwhile, why don't you finish your casserole?" Luna prompted.
"Fine..."
> Now that she had been reminded how hungry she was, Celestia no longer hesitated. She was still worried, but here was something concrete to do. Surely Twilight's spell would work - she was the Element of Magic, after all. It would work and they would know where Anonymous was being held before the day is out.
> Once they had him and Spring Morning, the other captives wouldn't remain hidden for long.
> Perhaps it was hope which made the meal taste better, but it was one of the absolute best casseroles Celestia had had in her life!

> ~~~~

> Anonymous drifted up from a gray, shapeless fog. The light hurt his eyes and he had a nagging, persistent headache. His mouth was so dry that his groan of pain came out as barely a croak.
> "Here. Brought you some food," a voice said beside the bed. The man glanced over and saw a familiar unicorn. Her name...
"Spring Morning?"
> "Yup, still me. Come on, you're not supposed to die on us."
"Ugh, why do I feel like-"
> He shut up as memory came flooding back. In that first instant of realization, Anon would have leapt out of bed and tried his luck with the window, but his muscles didn't want to support him.
"You've been drugging me!" he said.
> Anger, tinged with fear cleared his mind of the aftereffects of that dreadful potion Spring Morning was making him swallow. How long has it been? Days? Weeks?
> The mare didn't react to the accusation in the slightest. "Come on, eat."
> Anonymous shook his head.
"Water..."
> Spring Morning blinked, but then gave a small shrug and exchanged the bowl and spoon for a glass from the bedside table. She floated it over to Anonymous' lips and he strained, eagerly, for the life-giving liquid.
> The unicorn tilted it up a bit too quickly and some trickled down his face, but Anonymous was beyond caring. He eagerly gulped it to the last drop and lay there, panting.
> "Okay, how about some stew, now?" Spring Morning asked, swapping the glass for the bowl again. "It's got meat in it!"
> This last one made Anonymous furrow his brow. Most ponies were repulsed by meat and thoughts of eating it. Spring Morning had to be really worried if she went to such lengths.
"Will you let me go?"
> The unicorn shook her head. "Sorry. You know I can't do that until I hear from the boss. Come on, it's good stew!"
> Despite his present situation, Anon didn't wish to die, so he closed his eyes and nodded in defeat.
> "Afterwards I'll take you to the bathroom and then we can go up on the terrace and sit in the sun a little, okay? Would you like that?"
> Again, the man gave a slight nod. Moving about and fresh air helped his fatigue.
"Can we go to the garden instead?" he prompted.
> That was the last chance for his escape. All he needed was for Spring Morning to be distracted for just a short while and for there to be a wall he could climb. The fact that he could hardly walk without the mare holding him with her magic was a detail Anonymous chose to ignore.
> He had to try *something*!
> Spring Morning lifted him up into a sitting position and brought the bowl closer. Maybe if he ate really slowly, that would give him time to shake off the aftereffects of the potion and gain back some strength. Perhaps enough to escape before the unicorn doused him again.
> For that matter, he should take his sweet time on the toilet as well.
"Can you get me some more water, please?"
> Spring Morning glanced at the empty glass, then nodded. "Sure. Let's finish this stew and then I'll get you water, okay?"
> Anonymous nodded and opened his mouth for the spoon. Under the blanket he clenched his fists and tried to make his muscles obey like they used to.
>...
> "There we go," Spring Morning said as she was dabbing at Anon's mouth with a napkin. "Wasn't that delicious?"
> He refused to answer. Being fed like that hadn't improved his mood, but it strengthened his determination. The hot food was doing him good and a short walk would do the rest. Maybe if he faked how weak he really was, he could catch the mare by surprise and hit her over the head with a rock or something.
> Spring Morning hadn't let her guard down around him in the past, but perhaps today...
> Anonymous closed his eyes and focused on his breathing while the unicorn tied him up with her magic and left the room. When he was alone he strained against the bonds.
> He knew he couldn't overpower them, but maybe the exercise would help him achieve better control over his muscles.
> Pretty soon he was breathing heavily. It felt like trying to lift a mountain. He strained once more, then slumped back to rest. Spring Morning would be back very soon and he didn't want her to ask why he was winded.
> Just as Anonymous managed to get his breathing under control, the mare came back with his water. She had a whole jug with her this time so she wouldn't have to fetch more if he asked for it. There was also a bundle of cloth, which Spring Morning dropped on the chair.
> Anonymous watched his clothes almost hungrily as the unicorn poured a glass. She never left them in the room. He had been permitted to keep his boxer shorts, but nothing else.
> His line of sight was interrupted when a glass bumped against his lips and Anonymous eagerly accepted the cool, rejuvenating liquid.
"Thanks..."
> The mare smiled pleasantly. "See? You can be polite if you remember to. Okay, let's get you up."
> The magic holding him down vanished and was replaced by the now-familiar band of force around his waist. Anonymous let the mare lift him up with almost no assistance on his part. It made Spring Morning frown in slight worry.
> "Are you feeling okay?" she asked. "You seem... Here, try to stand."
> Anonymous made a show of barely staying upright. He swayed a little to enhance the illusion.
> The mare seemed concerned. "Hmm, I'll have to change your dosage," she muttered to herself. "This doesn't look good."
"Or you could stop!"
> This time her sigh was almost sad. "Sorry, sweetheart. Orders, you see?"
> Anonymous didn't answer.
> "Come on," Spring Morning coaxed, "let's put on your clothes and take you for that walk. Maybe that'll help."
> Anonymous let the mare lead him to the wardrobe and waited patiently as she pulled a shirt over his head. Moments later she helped him lift his legs for the pants, all the while supporting him with the ever present magic band around his chest. "There, now sit on the bed while I figure out these things again..."
> She meant the shoes, which weren't a common sight in Equestria. He didn't have enough fine control over his fingers to tie his shoelaces, so Spring Morning simply did her best, forming the string into crude knots.
> That left him pretty much dressed and the mare looked him up and down. "Handsome," she said and chuckled dryly. "Let's go."
> Her magic around his chest tightened and pulled him upright. All Anonymous could do was follow, making sure his steps seemed particularly unsure and faltering.
> She took him down the familiar hallway to the bathroom and guided him to the toilet. Once he was leaning with both hands on the wall, the magical grasp vanished.
> "You sure about this? Maybe I should stay this time. You don't look so good."
> This was a downside of his act which Anonymous hadn't considered. He shook his head firmly.
"I'll be fine."
> Spring Morning studied his face. "Really? You seem about ready to fall over. No way you can do this yourself."
"I'm fine!" the man snapped.
> The mare shrugged to herself. "Well, yell if you fall," she suggested and left him alone.She would wait outside the door until he was finished, something Anonymous had verified a few times.
> He sighed and unbuckled his belt before placing a hand back against the wall for balance. He froze in thought, then carefully turned around and let his pants slide all the way down.
> Pretending to go number two would buy him more time. He could almost feel the life gradually returning to his limbs.
> Twenty minutes, he estimated, and he'd be able to run. Maybe there would be a low wall, or a gate or something. A place he could, if not exactly jump, at least tumble over.
> Anonymous leaned back against the wall and settled down to wait as long as Spring Morning would let him.

> ~~~~

> There had been no chance at all, which was making Anonymous fume in anger. The mare had watched him like a hawk the entire time. He asked for a glass of water once she had him sit on the grass, but Spring Morning simply refused. He could get it back in the room, she'd said.
> Once or twice the mare glanced away, but before Anonymous could do so much as to think about finding a rock, she turned back. Her magical grip around his chest never wavered, even when he was sitting down.
> It almost felt as if Spring Morning *knew* what he was planning. She never said anything and Anonymous wasn't about to bring it up either, but the mare was simply *too* attentive. > He'd asked to go farther, hoping he might get to see the wall or a street, anything, but Spring Morning kept him near the house. During the silence, Anonymous had tried to hear traffic, or any signs of a city, but there was nothing.
> Surely this house wasn't in the middle of nowhere, was it? If he could get at least one good look at his surroundings he might recognize which part of Equestria this was! The potion didn't let him dream, but maybe he would build up some kind of resistance to it, or Luna would break through anyway.
> Anonymous was in a foul mood when Spring Morning led him back to his bed. She was measuring out the potion in an empty glass, all the while keeping the man in place with her magic.
> It was the ease with which she did it that irked the most. As if Spring Morning didn't even have to pay attention to Anonymous! As if he was below her notice!
"Can we just not?" Anon tried.
> The mare glanced over, but then went back to pouring the liquid. "I'll give you a bit less, since it's affecting you so much, but I can't let you dream. You know that."
"Celestia is going to find me anyway, you know?"
> It was an empty boast, but Anonymous couldn't take it anymore. He had to say something.
"Dreams or not, she's going to find me. If you let me go, I can put in a good word for you."
> The offer made Spring Morning chuckle pleasantly. "No she's not."
"Your boss will crack sooner or later. He'll sell you out, you know? People like that only look out for themselves."
> The mare pursed her lips for a moment before replying. "Possibly. That's why I made... arrangements of my own."
"What kind of arrangements?"
> Her muzzle split into a grin and Spring Morning's voice became softer, gently chiding. "Now now, no weaseling out secrets from your captors, Mr. Anonymous."
> She levitated the glass towards his mouth. "Come on. It's a lighter dose, it shouldn't knock you out so heavily. You'll feel better tomorrow, I promise."
> Anonymous had another idea. If he could pretend like the potion was making him weaker than it really was, perhaps Spring Morning would keep lowering the dosage out of fear of killing him. Eventually the dose had to be low enough to lose its effect of suppressing his dreams, hadn't it?
> That was it! That was the way out!
> Anonymous made sure not to show any of his glee on his face, but he didn't struggle against the potion. In minutes it would knock him out and he still had to get undressed.
> "Oh, here, let me help you with that," Spring Morning said. She left the glass on the bedside table and her magic wrapped around Anonymous' shoes.
> Suddenly there was a low rumble and a distant crash. The mare whipped her head up and her ears focused on the door.
"What the hell was that?" Anon asked.
> "Hush!" Spring Morning hissed. They listened until there was another loud bang.
> Some dust fell from the ceiling and Anonymous actually felt the bed shift.
> "Oh no no no no," Spring Morning whined. "Stay here!" she ordered and ran for the door. The command was superfluous as Anonymous could already feel the effects of the potion taking hold.
> He fought to stay awake. Whatever was happening - surely an attack, or worse - he couldn't defend against it if he was asleep.
"Fuck!"
> He managed to half-stand, but a wave of weakness was spreading from his belly to his limbs. He shot out an arm to balance himself against the bedpost, but it slipped and he fell on his back.
> "WHERE IS HE?!" somepony shouted. The voice filled his heart with relief and joy.
"Cel- Celly..." he managed, but it was only a whisper.
> There was another boom, closer this time, which ended with a scream and a thud. "I WILL TEAR THIS HOUSE DOWN!"
> The man smiled faintly to himself. It was no more than Spring Morning and her accomplices deserved. Finally the nightmare was over.
> He barely flinched when the door slammed open and she walked in.
> To him she was even more beautiful than before. Her muzzle, snarling in anger, changed to a relieved smile when she saw him.
> Celestia rushed over, her magic already enveloping Anonymous. "Are you alright?! Did they hurt you?" she asked.
"'m fine. Potion..."
> The Princess glanced at the bedside table and floated the bottle closer to her. She sniffed it and grimaced. "Some kind of sleeping potion?"
> By now Anonymous could just shake his head. He wanted to tell Celestia that he would be fine, in time, but he couldn't make his mouth work. He hoped his smile would convey that he wasn't worried.
> Celestia gathered him up gently in her magic and righted him on the bed. She pulled the covers over the man even as she kept examining his face. "I'll wait until you are better, my love. Rest. You're safe now."
> Anonymous gave a nod, making sure to keep smiling. Everything was going to be fine now.
> "I've missed you. You can't know how much I've searched and searched!" Celestia said, very carefully laying a hoof against his cheek. "I'll keep you safe while you sleep and then we'll go home. Rest now."
> For the first time since his kidnapping, Anonymous went to sleep willingly. He just hoped it wasn't some kind of a dream or hallucination. He hoped Celestia would still be there when he woke up.

> ~~~~

> Anonymous woke up to the gentle sound of rain against the window. He had to struggle for a moment to get his eyes open. His eyelids felt like they were made from lead and filled with sand, but he managed and took a look around the room.
> It was dim, but Anon didn't think it was night time. The curtains had been drawn from the window and he could see a hint of gray skies out there. Raindrops pattered against the glass, filling the room with their hypnotic, relaxing sound.
> He slowly became aware of a warm presence at his side. The blanket was pulled over it, but a few seconds of trying brought the memories back. His eyes found the door, still torn off its hinges and the man smiled.
> Celestia had come for him. Just to further convince himself that it hadn't been some kind of a dream, he forced his arm into motion and lifted up the corner of the blanket. He couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief when he saw the white body pressed against his side.
> The Princess seemed to be asleep, her muzzle buried in the crook of his arm and her ears splayed. The ethereal mane, which had been caught under the blanket, lifted up when it was freed like it had a mind of its own.
> His mind felt clearer than in a long while and Anonymous smiled to himself as he observed. Celestia shivered a little and inched closer, pressing her flank more tightly against his side at the sudden chill. He let the blanket down again, but left the mare's head outside this time.
"Thanks," he murmured.
> An ear flicked to focus on the sound of his whisper and an eye opened to regard him with its beautiful magenta iris almost invisible around the big, round pupil.
> Celestia didn't lift her head, but Anon could see the corner of her mouth twitch up in a smile. "Hi."
"Hi yourself. Took you long enough."
> The eye closed and for a moment Anonymous feared he had said something wrong, but a moment later her smile was back. "Sorry. They hid you pretty far out of the way, you know?"
> Celestia's voice was muffled, but Anon didn't mind. Her breath felt delightfully warm in his armpit. He decided to enjoy this moment for as long as possible before they had to leave.
> Besides, his muscles felt like jelly after the potion and it would take some time for him to even be able to stand. Now that he had been rescued, the man didn't like the idea of being carried out like an invalid.
> His gaze darted to the broken floor and he remembered the sounds of battle he'd heard... yesterday? Earlier that day? It was impossible to tell how long he'd slept.
"Spring Morning?"
> Celestia regarded him for a moment, then shrugged a little with her wings. "Dead, I think. I'm sorry, but I hadn't intended that. Heat of the moment."
> Anon didn't like the thought of the Princess killing a pony, but in this case he could forgive it. He'd have preferred the mare alive - she hadn't been *entirely* bad, he was sure. With some time in the jail and maybe some counselling, Spring Morning might have been redeemed.
"Anyone else?"
> He was thinking of the maid, whom he only saw a couple of times after that first day. Celestia closed her eyes and sighed. "Some were hurt. Servants, a cook and two... thugs," she admitted. "Captain Fire Fly took the prisoners to Canterlot. He left some ponies downstairs, guarding."
"When do we leave?"
> The mare lifted her head, letting cold air touch Anon's ribs and make him shiver while she examined the window. "We can wait here," she decided. "It's safe - now that I'm here. I don't want you to fly in this weather, not as ill as you are."
"Ill?" Anonymous asked, suddenly worried. "Surely now that I've stopped taking the potion..."
> Celestia shook her head and focused her gaze right on Anon's. She seemed worried. "They fed you some nasty stuff, Anon. You'll go through withdrawal now that you're off it. I dare not move you, especially in this weather, and I dare not teleport you."
> The mention of teleporting made the man wince and Celestia leaned down to place a warm kiss on his cheek. "Relax, I said I won't."
> It looked like he would stay in the house for a bit longer, but now that Celestia was with him, Anonymous didn't mind. It was just a house. He was getting bored with the room, though.
"Can we go downstairs? Or anywhere else?"
> Celestia looked at the broken door, then gave Anonymous a rueful smile. "Soon, my love. You're warm and comfortable. You need more rest before getting up. I'll keep you company, okay?"
> It sounded like an acceptable compromise and Anonymous nodded. His agreement made the mare smile. "I did miss you, you know? I was so worried! I'm happy you're fine!"
> Anon returned the smile. He'd missed the mare as well. He would never admit it, but he actually missed her pancakes in the morning!
"Will you make me pancakes? All they fed me was stew."
> He remembered the meat Spring Morning had brought him the previous day. It hadn't been bad, especially after his mostly vegetarian diet in the Canterlot Castle.
"I think I'd like to have some fish once we're back. Or maybe some meat, every now and then. I can cook it myself."
> Celestia nodded and her grin widened. "I think we can arrange that."
> Her ears suddenly splayed and there was a hint of a blush on her muzzle. She glanced away from Anon's face and her voice lowered. "I l-love you..."
> It took some effort, but Anonymous managed to lift a hand and place it against her muzzle.
"Yeah, I love you too."
> The words made her smile even more and the mare shifted her rump uncomfortably. Her gaze travelled down Anon's bare chest and she lightly bit her lip. Anon guessed she was trying to decide if he was strong enough for...
"I dunno if it'll work, but you'll have to do most of the work," he told her.
> The mare nearly jumped at having her mind read so precisely and her blush deepened. She shook her head and the smile came back, if a little more hesitant than before. "In time, dear," she promised in a low voice. "Rest first, there will be time for that later."
> She nestled herself back down against his side, except this time she extended a wing across Anon's belly. Her muzzle went back in the crook of his arm and Anon covered her up to her neck with the blanket. It left his shoulder out in the chilly air, but he didn't mind, as long as he could glance down and look into her eyes whenever he wanted.
> Everything was going to be alright and the man relaxed. A few more hours of rest and then he'd get out of the bed.
> His thoughts strayed to the flight waiting for them and to the open, pegasi-pulled carriage. They wouldn't fly in this weather, but surely it would clear up by the next day. It hadn't rained once in the time he was there, so it was probably a rare enough thing.
> Pretty soon they'd be in Canterlot, but even in this house, Anon felt at home. Wherever Celestia was with him was home.
> He moved his arm and the mare shifted so she wasn't lying on it anymore. That allowed the man to put his hand on her withers and start scratching. The motion elicited a deep, half-moaning sigh from the mare.
"Celly?"
> She didn't look up. "Mmm?"
"How did you find me?"
> The mare still didn't open her eyes, but she shifted a little to bring her mouth out from Anon's arm. "I think they gave you wrong dosage of that drug. Princess Luna sensed your dreams, only faintly."
"Huh. I don't remember dreaming," Anon explained
> "She said you might not. It was very faint."
"Where is this anyway?"
> Celestia gave a slight, annoyed grunt. "Does it matter?"
"Just curious."
> "North of Las Pegasus, in the woods under Smoky Mountains. Silvermane has an estate here, I think as a little getaway from the hustle and bustle of Canterlot."
"Huh. Well, I'm glad you found me."
> The mare opened her eyes and smiled. "Me too."

> ~~~~

> Princess Luna and Silent Spell walked side by side down into the dungeons. Neither spoke, so the only sound was that of their hoofsteps on the harsh stone.
> They reached a guarded door, but the golden-armored pegasus just looked at the Princess,bowed, and stepped aside. Luna inclined her head in thanks, but didn't break the silence.
> There were several cells in the hallway beyond, but most were empty. Only two, right at the end, were filled. The fake, would-be assassin, and Silvermane.
> It wasn't long before the two reached the end of their walk. Luna glanced inside the second-to-last cell, where an amber-colored, green-maned pegasus lay curled up on a simple cot. He was looking out, undoubtedly having heard their approaching hoofsteps, but as soon as the stallion recognized who it was, he lowered his head, unwilling to draw attention.
> The next cell was the more interesting of the two. Luna focused for a moment and lifted a wing to allow a key to float free. She slid it into the lock and twisted.
> In the cell, the unicorn was already standing against the far wall, his muzzle a grimace of hate as he watched the two mares enter and close the door behind them.
> Moments later, Silent Spell erected a barrier against eavesdropping and simply sat on her haunches.
> "So, how are you feeling today?"
> The unicorn didn't answer. He looked directly at the Princess, as if by ignoring Silent Spell's presence he wouldn't have to deal with the inquisitive mare. "I demand you release me this instant!"
"Silvermane, Silvermane... that is not how it works," Luna said.
> "We have a lot of evidence about your little operation. Why don't you tell us where you sent the prisoners - all of them - and maybe then we'll talk about some... luxuries?"
> The stallion harrumphed, still determined to ignore the investigator. He shook his namesake mane and sneered. "What you are doing is wrong! You and your hussy of a sister! You're both just human toys!"
> A loud slap surprised both him and Silent Spell, who looked at Luna in shock. "No, Princess. Don't! He's not worth it!"
> Luna transferred her glare from the captive unicorn to the investigator and her muzzle relaxed from its rictus of distaste. She heaved a sigh and her horn, glowing and ready to slap the prisoner again, winked out.
"You are right. Tell me who is in charge of your operation while you are here, Silvermane. Is it your wife or your son?"
> The Princess was watching his face closely and caught the involuntary widening of his eyes. "No!" he barked, urgently. "Leave them out of this! They don't have anything to do with this!"
> Silent Spell caught Luna's eye and gave a slight, almost imperceptible nod.
"I will promise to leave them alone if you give me some names, Silvermane."
> In truth, they had already brought the wife and the son in for questioning. They both claimed they had no idea of Silvermane's activities. The way Dainty had shivered in fear and by her sad, haggard face, Luna tended to believe her. The son, Paisley, simply burst into tears at her questions and began to wail that his father was innocent.
> He was either the finest actor in Equestria, or he really didn't know anything.
> Celestia had suggested tossing them both in prison and making sure Silvermane knew, but Luna took Silent Spell's advice and let them go free. She'd had the house watched closely, but so far it seemed the two were telling the truth.
> "Tell me again about the mine," Silent Spell asked. "Whom were you selling to? How did you get exempt from government inspection for so long?"
> Silvermane, still a little shaken from Luna's threat to his family, blinked and cast his gaze from one mare to the other. "What?" he said. "I already told you. I sold the stone to Fillydelphia and to the Griffins."
> "What about the inspection? You must have bribed ponies at the Canterlot Castle. Who were they?"
> Luna took a step forward and she seemed to loom above the stallion.
"Tell us, or I will have your wife and son put in the cell right next to yours."
> "Y-You can't do that!" Silvermane whined and his ears pinned all the way back. He dropped his gaze and took a deep breath. "Fine. Ember Wishes."
> Luna glanced at Silent Spell, who gave another slight nod. They already suspected the unicorn, especially after her convenient disappearance. "Who else?" the investigator demanded.
> "I don't know! Azure Wings and Spring Morning handled everything at the Canterlot Castle. I don't know and I didn't want to know!"
> This made Luna sneer a little in turn.
"What kind of a leader are you if you didn't know what your underlings were doing?"
> Silvermane clamped his muzzle shut and glared at the wall behind the Princess.
> After a minute of tense silence, Luna flared up her horn and dispelled the eavesdropping shield. She fit the key into the lock again and walked out without another word.
> Silent Spell hung back and took a step closer to the noblepony. "I hope you'll reconsider, Silvermane. We can put you in a cell with a proper toilet if you just work with us here. I might even talk about extenuating circumstances when it comes to the trial."
> His silent, smoldering look gave all the answer the mare would get. She sighed. "Just think on it."
> She rejoined the Princess in the hallway and watched closely as Luna locked the cell again. The key went back under her wing and the two walked calmly out of the dungeons.
> They were silent until they came above ground, far enough away that even the best ears couldn't overhear them from the cells.
> "What did you think?"
> Luna shook her head sadly.
"I still believe Dainty and Paisley Silvermane are not involved. There is some affection, perhaps we can use that."
> "No legal ground to toss them in the cells, although I don't think anypony would say anything if you did it anyway."
> It was a tempting thought, but Luna firmly shook her head.
"I already made that mistake once. I don't think Sister would appreciate if we started putting ponies in jail on a whim," she explained.
> "Wasn't Celestia the one who suggested it?"
> Again, Luna shook her head.
"Yes, but she was not thinking clearly. Anonymous... Until she has him back in the Castle and he is fine, Sister might not be all that reliable."
> There was a faint smile on Luna's muzzle, even while her ears drooped lower.
"I do not think I have seen her this smitten yet. Then again, I was away for quite a while."
> Silent Spell shrugged a little to herself. "Anyway, the Captain said they have Ember Wishes in custody in Vanhoover. They'll bring her here tomorrow and we'll find what we may find."
> It was good news, but it wasn't good enough. Luna grimaced at the thought in her mind.
"What about the prisoners? You said there were a number of humans and ponies in Silvermane's mine - how close are we to finding them?"
> The investigator hung her head and sighed. "I have the Silvermane manor in Canterlot under surveillance and all the guards have descriptions of suspicious ponies. Well, as much as we know. The two earlier attackers who got away were masked."
> Silent Spell thought for a moment, then went on: "They can't have just vanished and I don't think Silvermane would have them killed. We'll just have to wait until all his estates are searched, or he blabs."
"How do we make him blab without beating it out of him?"
> The pair had discussed that option, but both had rejected it, despite what Celestia had said.
> "Did you see him jump when you mentioned his wife and son? Maybe if we allow them a short visit, then threaten to put them in chains again he'll crack?"
"Worth a shot."
> "You still can't get into his dreams?"
> Luna shook her head.
"It is as if his nights are full of nightmares. The instant he begins dreaming, he wakes up, possibly screaming."
> Silent Spell shook her head in dismay. "Whatever could have him this spooked? Are we sure he is in charge of this whole thing? Because it seems to me, he's afraid what somepony else might do to him if he says too much."
"Who else? All the clues lead to Silvermane."
> The investigator gave a half-nod, but she remained thoughtful. "Well, what if we slip him a sleeping potion or something in his food? Something that'll keep him out for the whole night?"
> Luna froze mid-step and a slow smile spread across her muzzle. She began walking again.
"Brilliant. Arrange it with the Castle Alchemist," she ordered.
> Silent Spell inclined her head.
"I will go check on Blossom and Fluttershy. Meet me for dinner in an hour."
> "Sure thing, Princess."
> They turned down different corridors, but Luna stopped for a moment more.
"Oh, and Silent Spell?"
> The mare also came to a halt and looked back.
"Please call me 'Luna'."
> The unicorn smiled and nodded, before hurrying away.

> ~~~~

> The day had started out awful, but it was getting better. After throwing up most of his breakfast, Celestia took Anonymous out to the walled garden for a walk. He couldn't go any significant distance, but the greenery was nice and the fresh air did him good.
> They even had sandwiches on a stone bench overlooking the estate.
"Reminds me of our picnic," Anon commented.
> "Y-Yeah," Celestia replied, a tiny bit uncertainly as if she didn't know what he was talking about. "The one in the..."
"The meadow, remember?"
> The mare smiled and nodded. "Oh, sure. In the woods."
> Anonymous blinked in confusion, but then he realized she must have meant their vacation.
"Well, that too," he agreed, "but I meant back in Canterlot."
> Celestia chuckled a little at the misunderstanding and pressed the man against herself with a wing. "We're talking about two different picnics, I think. They were both fun, though."
> Shrugging a little to himself, Anon was forced to agree. "I didn't like the one in Fillydelphia. I mean, the walk was nice and I always like spending time with you, but it really wiped me out. I'm really out of shape."
> He got a nuzzle as a reward for admitting it, or at least that's how Anon decided to think of it. Celestia shrugged a little before replying: "We'll get you back in shape, don't worry."
"Hope there won't be any lasting consequences after this drug they fed me."
> "No, I don't think there will. It's gonna take some time for you to get over it. Oh, by the way, are you feeling any withdrawal symptoms yet?"
> Anonymous focused inward for a moment, then shook his head.
"I don't... think so?" he announced uncertainly.
> "Just in case, you should take small doses of it over the next few days. It'll make it easier to wean off," Celestia explained.
> It sounded reasonable and Anonymous nodded to the suggestion. He didn't mind not dreaming for a while longer, especially since he didn't need Luna to find him anymore.
> While he was thinking that, Celestia prodded him in the chin with her muzzle and when he turned to look, she kissed him.
> Anon gladly accepted it, but he had to pull away to catch his breath after a while.
"Don't be greedy, now."
> Her ears folded down and the mare gave him a sheepish grin. "Sorry, I guess I just missed you so much. I'm still not entirely convinced you're back, you know?"
> As he gazed into her eyes, Anonymous felt like something was out of place. He frowned a little and leaned closer.
"Hold on a second," he murmured.
> Celestia froze, her ears stopping mid-way through coming up. "What is it?"
> Anon stood up so he could get closer and inspect her eyes in more detail. The mare blinked and tried to pull away, but he stopped her with his hands on her muzzle.
> Whatever it was that had disturbed him, it was gone now. Celestia's eyes were just like he always remembered them - magenta. They'd always been magenta, with long, flowing eyelashes and pupils which glimmered more than they had any right to.
"Nothing, I guess. I thought- well, never mind. Maybe the stuff's been messing with my memory, too."
> The mare nodded sagely. "That does sometimes happen with this herb, but it's rare. Just in case, maybe we should go through the past few weeks, just to make sure there are no gaps."
> Suddenly worried that his mind might be affected by the foul potion Spring Morning had fed him, Anonymous readily agreed.
"Sure. Where do I start?"
> Celestia looked around, frowning a little in thought, but then her expression cleared up. "Let's start from when I found you and go backwards," she suggested.
"Okay, no problem. Oh, by the way - Spring Morning is dead or not? You said you didn't know."
> The Princess glared a little at the name, but then she looked away. "She is not. Just injured. I had some of the guards take her to the Canterlot Hospital."
"That's another thing, how come the guards aren't going crazy after I was kidnapped?" Anon asked.
> He hadn't seen so much as a tail or feather of the Royal Guards. Celestia said they were patrolling the area, or guarding the entrance, but Anonymous was friends with most of the ponies in the Guard and wouldn't mind saying hello.
> "That- I'm afraid," Celestia said with a tiny blush of shame, "is my fault. I wanted you all to myself for a bit, first. Sorry."
> Her wide-eyed contrition was incredibly cute and the man couldn't help chuckling.
"Selfish horse!" he chided.
> Celestia's ears fell even lower and the pink in her cheeks deepened until it nearly matched her eyes. "Sorry," she said again. "Just for a day or two, okay? I don't want to-"
> She turned her head away as she spoke and Anonymous suddenly felt the morning's nausea again. He groaned and put a hand on his stomach.
"Ugh, not again!"
> The mare instantly faced him again, embarrassment entirely replaced by worry. "What is it?!"
"Feel... sick..."
> Celestia lit up her horn and probed the man with her magic. She shook her head. "We've been out too long. You need to be in bed and you should probably take some of the potion. It's the withdrawal."
> Anonymous nodded and tried to stand up. There was almost no strength left in his arms, but Celestia wrapped magic around his chest and helped him up. She stepped closer so Anon could reach her.
> "Put your hands on my back," she ordered and he obeyed. The mare took careful steps and with that support Anon was able to walk slowly. He appreciated that Celestia didn't simply lift him up bodily with her magic and allowed him this small dignity of at least walking on his own.
> That was the difference between her and ponies like Spring Morning. Not that there were very many of those.
> He was glad that the unicorn had lived through her encounter with an enraged alicorn. Not so much for Spring Morning's sake, but because he didn't like the thought of Celestia killing someone.
> She must have done in her long and colorful past, but Anon had never asked about it and he didn't want to start thinking it. He preferred the Princess the way she was in his house - carefree, happy, curious and, somehow, so very innocent.
> The two made their slow way back to the house and in the ground floor. There was a clank of armor from the kitchen area, but Celestia took him right past the door and to the stairs.
> "Good to hear you're doing better," a pony said. Anonymous quickly placed the voice and tried to turn around to see, but the hallway swam and it was all he could do to stay upright. The best he could do was lift a hand slightly in greeting.
"Hi, Pop..." he managed.
> Vanilla Pop sounded worried. "Everything okay, Anon? Ma'am?"
> "Don't worry," Celestia replied. "I've got it in hoof. Anonymous just needs some more rest. Return to your post, Vanilla Pop."
> The clank indicated a very smart salute. "Yes, ma'am!" the guard said and returned to the kitchen with loud hoofsteps.
> After he was gone, Celestia turned her attention back to Anonymous. "Can you make it up the stairs? I'll carry you, if you want."
"Let's give it a try."
> The mare nodded and took a slow step. Anonymous leaned on her back heavily, but the alicorn could easily take his weight. He remembered their Nightmare Night costume that one year when he'd actually ridden her to the chagrin of most of the Canterlot elite. The memory brought a smile to his face, despite his current hardship.
"How long... the side effects?"
> Celestia understood. "No more than a few days. Watch out for the first step. Here, let me help."
> Her magic around his chest tightened and lifted him, so Anon's legs didn't have to do any of the work. He cursed silently at the stupid drug making him this weak, but at the same time he was glad he hadn't thrown up again. Small progress, he thought to himself.
> Slowly but surely, the two made it up the stairs and into the room. Celestia laid Anon carefully on the bed and went to draw back the curtains and open the window. "Fresh air'll do you some good," she murmured while the man caught his breath.
> "I'll get some of the potion and some water, okay? Don't go anywhere!"
> Her light, joking tone dispelled some of Anon's worry. Surely it wasn't too serious, especially if Celestia was joking about his condition. Just a momentary weakness.
> In fact, he was already starting to feel better and his strength was returning.
"I think I'll be fine," he commented.
> "Well, stay on the bed just in case, okay? For me?"
> The mare gave him such a pleading look that Anon couldn't find it in his heart to refuse. He didn't feel like he'd be up to roaming anyway, especially not down the stairs.
"Okay, I promise. Anyway, when are we leaving?"
> Celestia shook her head sadly. "Not for a few days, yet. I don't want you getting like this and falling out of the carriage and I really don't like to think what the rocking of the ground coach will do to you."
> She came back to the bed and gave the man a quick nuzzle. "It's not so bad here with me, is it? Think of it like a small vacation."
> She was right and Anon wasn't in the least bit enthusiastic about the long journey to Canterlot. He inclined his head, leaning his forehead against Celestia's warm nose.
"Okay. A couple of days, but no longer. I really wanna see Blossom and make sure she's fine. Did you tell her what happened?"
> Celestia gave a nod. "Yeah. She's crying her eyes out, but I think it's fine. Princess Luna is taking care of her."
"Did Fluttershy had to leave?"
> "No, Fluttershy is there, too, but Luna is helping out now that you're gone. That's what I meant."
> It made sense. Next to Anonymous and Celestia, Luna was the pony Blossom was most comfortable with. Except for...
"And Star Bright?"
> Celestia looked blank. "What about him?"
> That reminded Anonymous.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you about it. Star Bright has a little crush on Blossom and I think she likes him back. I made sure he'd take it slow and not let her do something stupid."
> Celestia brightened up. "Oh, so *that's* why he was visiting so often! Heh. That's cute, actually."
> Anon smiled as well and the mare gave him a kiss on his cheek. "I'll get you that water and the potion now. After, we'll see if you can keep down some lunch, okay?"
> Nodding, the man let her lower him down to his back and gave her nose a final pat before she slipped away.
> Only a day or two more and things would go back to normal. He remembered that he'd forgotten to ask Celestia about the mine and the prisoners, but that could wait. With Silvermane in prison and Spring Morning incapacitated, surely it wouldn't take Luna and the Castle Guard much longer to find the rest of the captives and free them.
> A job well done, even if he did get kidnapped. The important thing was that the slave trafficking ring was broken up.


> ~~~~

"Your orders, Captain, are to obey any orders from Silent Spell as if they had come from me personally, do you understand?!"
> Fire Fly cringed a little at her sharp tone, but Luna had had enough of the guard coming to her for confirmation every time the investigator asked for anything. She kept up her glare for a moment longer, until the Captain lowered his gaze.
> "Yes, ma'am," he said.
"Good. Now go. I believe you have some orders to see to!"
> The unicorn all but galloped away while Luna shook her head in irritation and entered the room. She had a difficult task ahead of her and the Captain's interruption hadn't been entirely welcome.
> Strange, the mare thought, how despite everything she still thought of the place as Cadence's guest room.
> Wrenching her thoughts to the present, Luna prepared to deliver bad news to Blossom. The scene in front of her made her pause, though.
> The pink mare was lying on her back, but her head was resting in Star Bright's lap so that her mane was spread across the couch. The unicorn was carefully braiding it with his magic.
> He was clearly bad at it, judging by the few misshapen, lumpy braids already done, but Blossom didn't seem to mind. Her eyes were closed and she had a hint of a smile on her muzzle.
> It was in contrast with the dark circles under her eyes and a welcome change at that. Apparently Star Bright really was helping. Good thing Fluttershy had spotted their budding romance.
> Thinking of the pegasus drew Luna's eyes to Fluttershy, who was leaning on the armrest, reading a book with Blossom's tail draped over her lap like a blanket.
> "Oh, hello, Princess!"
> The words made Blossom open her eyes and when she realized who it was the mare sat up. There was a hopeful smile on her muzzle as she scanned the room behind Luna, undoubtedly looking for her favourite human.
"Sorry, Blossom. Still no word."
> Her expression crumpled, but Star Bright wrapped his hooves around Blossom and rubbed his nose against her neck. It seemed to work and the mare didn't start weeping again.
> "W-When will you f-find him?" she asked in a quiet voice without meeting Luna's gaze.
"Soon. He will be fine, I promise. Just be patient."
> All the earth pony could manage was a nod. One of her ears twitched slightly, as if she wanted to lift them, but in light of the news they stayed firmly down. Luna was sorry she didn't have any better news.
"Silent Spell and everypony in the guard are working really hard to find Anonymous. I'm sorry that Twilight Sparkle's spell hadn't worked, but between her and Sister I have no doubt they will come up with something."
> The mention of her friend made Fluttershy close the book and lay it aside. "Have you heard from Twilight and the Princess?"
> Luna had to shake her head, but she kept smiling encouragingly.
"I am expecting a message today, in fact. If not, I will go to them personally. Despite this crisis, there is still a country to run!"
> Fluttershy just nodded, but didn't say anything. Luna knew the timid mare thought friends were more important than governing, but her personal experience told the alicorn otherwise. It was important to keep Equestria together, especially as news of the slavery ring was starting to come out.
> No doubt Celestia would appreciate her efforts once everything was back to normal.
> Still, while they waited for news and for the investigation, she could try and keep everypony's spirits up.
"Blossom, would you like to join me for lunch?" Luna offered.
> "Mm?" the mare obviously hadn't been paying attention.
"I will be having cake and ice cream today, would you like some?"
> For a moment it looked like Blossom would refuse, but Star Bright gave her another nudge with his muzzle and the mare nodded instead. "Okay."
"Good! You should all come!"
> She made sure to flash the unicorn a grateful grin, which he returned with a nod.
> Fluttershy pushed Blossom's tail out of the way and slid from the cushion. "Come on, Blossom," she cooed gently, "let's go wash up before lunch!"
> The earth mare obediently followed her friend into the bathroom, leaving Luna alone with Star Bright.
"You seem good for Blossom."
> Suddenly the stallion was embarrassed, all blushing and unable to meet her gaze. "Um... I like her a lot."
> Luna didn't immediately reply, which obviously made Star Bright feel like something more was expected of him. He cleared his throat, glanced in Luna's eyes for a second, then stammered on: "Sh-She's not like other m-mares."
"You know her history, correct?"
> Instantly the stallion nodded. "Yes! Anon told me! I promised I'd be careful with Blossom! If she tries to- I mean... I know she used to do... *that* to make her life easier, but I'm gonna say no. I promised!"
> It wasn't what Luna had been asking, but it answered her question. She had wondered if Star Bright would still be as interested if he knew, but apparently the answer was yes. Perhaps this really was young love, like Fluttershy had guessed.
"Well, someday she will be ready to take the next step. I trust your discretion to know when the time is right."
> Apparently it was very uncomfortable to talk about these things with an alicorn, at least judging by Star Bright's blush, but luckily Fluttershy and Blossom returned and the earth mare hurried back to whom Luna was beginning to consider her coltfriend.
> The two nuzzled for a second and then looked up.
"Shall we?" Luna invited with an extended wing.
> They smoothly fell in step behind her as she led them out.

> ~~~~

> The dizzy spell seemed to be getting worse, despite Celestia's incessant ministrations. The Princess was starting to look very worried even as Anonymous tried to assure her that he would be fine.
> By late afternoon he couldn't even sit up to accept a glass of water by himself and the mare had to lift him up with magic.
"S'fine..."
> "No, it's not, Anon!" Celestia countered. "This is worse than I thought. Maybe it works differently on humans?"
> She put the empty glass back on the bedside table and climbed up to take her place at Anon's side once more.
> He had to admit that her presence was infinitely comforting. He had also been glad to hear when one of the guards came upstairs, asking the Princess what to do and she sent him - Anon thought it was Glory Tail - to fetch the air carriage from Canterlot.
> The man was in no shape to travel, but having the option nearby to use as soon as he felt better gave him peace of mind.
> He'd been a little sad when the guard had obeyed instantly and hadn't even come in the room, but there would be time to catch up with everyone once he was back in Canterlot. They had to be especially vigilant this far from backup, Celestia had explained, so the guards took turns patrolling and resting.
> A warm muzzle brushed his cheek and Anon put a hand on her ears for some relaxing scratching. It was amazing how well that worked to relax both him and the mare.
> The weakness seemed to be passing, or at least that's what Anon dared to hope as the dizziness subsided.
> Celestia had given him very small doses of the potion to help him through the withdrawal. It wasn't enough to put him to sleep, but it was probably what was making him so weak. The stuff was probably a muscle relaxant or something.
> "Try to sleep, love," Celestia said. "I'm sure you'll feel better once you wake up."
"Don't wanna. I slept through most of the past week. Or was it two?"
> The mare just shrugged her wings. She was right - the potion was making Anonymous tired, but he wanted to stay awake and enjoy Celestia's presence for as long as possible. He managed to lift his head a little so he could look at her face, which never failed to make him smile.
> Celestia stared back. "Mm? What's wrong?" she asked.
> There was that faint feeling of unease again. Anonymous had ascribed it to the situation, but now he was starting to wonder. He'd seen nothing to worry him since Celestia had arrived.
> Why did he feel like something was missing?
> The house was making him uneasy. It belonged to Silvermane, who was trafficking with both pony and human slaves. Perhaps it was the vibe or something, which was putting Anonymous off.
"Celly?"
> "Mm?"
"When the carriage gets here, take me to Canterlot. Even if you have to knock me out and tie me down, I wanna get out of here."
> The mare looked uneasy, but eventually she gave a shrug. "We'll talk about it."
"No, I mean it! I-"
> A wing feather pressed against his lips. "Shush. Rest. We'll talk about it."
> There was no disobeying that voice, so Anon just nodded. He was about to close his eyes when movement caught his gaze.
> The mare he saw made him gasp and try to push Celestia away.
"You!"
> As soon as the maid saw him looking, she ducked behind the wall. Anon pushed at the warm, white body sprawled over him until the Princess lifted herself. "What? What happened?"
> To his surprise, the man found he had enough strength to lift himself up, if not quite enough to try standing. The hallway outside the room was empty.
"I saw that maid! She was here when I first came!"
> Celestia blinked a few times in confusion, then smiled. "Oh, Dusty."
> At his incredulous, confused stare, the Princess sighed and laid a careful hoof on Anon's shoulder. "She knows the place and has agreed to help with cooking and cleaning. Don't worry, she has a magic blocking ring."
> It hardly made sense that Celestia would trust one of Anon's captors with freedom like that.
"What if she escapes?!"
> "I told you, we're in the middle of nowhere. Besides, I put a spell on her which'll let me know if she ever tries to leave. Don't worry."
> The alicorn raised her voice. "You can come in, Dusty."
> Careful hoofsteps announced her entrance as the maid came in. Once inside, the carpet muffled the sound of her walking. She looked quite abashed and more than a little bit scared as she approached the bed.
> "See? It's fine. You won't hurt Anonymous, right Dusty?"
> The maid vehemently shook her head. "Never, mm- Princess! I swear!"
> Celestia nodded in satisfaction and her mouth quirked up into a pleased little smile. "And you won't try and escape, right?"
> "I c-can't..." Dusty said and angled her head the other way. Anon could see a thick band of yellow around the base of her horn, nearly hidden by her mane.
> He relaxed a little. Of course Celestia would know what she was doing and he had complete faith in her. It had just been a little unsettling to see the maid just freely walking around the house.
"Well, okay. I guess. Didn't you put her under arrest?" he asked.
> The word made Dusty grimace and look away while Celestia answered: "Well, yes and no. I told her if she repented, I'd put in a good word for her at the trial. She'll be punished, but she was only acting on Silvermane's orders, so I don't think a prison sentence. We'll see."
> That was right, Anonymous remembered. Celestia always preached forgiveness and redemption, so it made sense that she would practice it as often as possible.
> While he was thinking what to say, Dusty spoke up again: "S-Sorry for how I treated you, Mr. Anonymous."
> She still wasn't meeting his gaze, choosing instead to look at the carpet between her forehooves.
"It's fine. You weren't too bad. I'm just glad that Spring Morning isn't around anymore."
> At the mention of the name Dusty looked up sharply at Celestia, her eyes full of fear. Whatever the Princess had done when she burst in must have been pretty bad, Anon guessed.
"Well..."
> "W-Want me to cook something for you, Mr. An-Anonymous?" the maid offered.
> The man shook his head. The dizzy spell seemed to have passed and the excitement did wonders to clear his head, but he didn't want to risk being sick again.
"Thanks, but no. Actually, what I want to do is take a walk. It's still early."
> A glance through the open window confirmed it. The sun was still in the sky and the evening was nice and warm. Suddenly Anonymous didn't want to be in the room anymore.
"And then I'd like to say hi to Vanilla Pop and the others."
> Celestia inclined her head. "Okay. Let's go on that walk and then we'll see how you feel. It's a good sign. Maybe you will be well enough to travel by tomorrow."
> He grinned at that news and the alicorn smiled back.
> "Um, I'll go now," Dusty announced as she left them alone.

> ~~~~

> The extreme fatigue was gone, but now Anon suffered from frequent attacks of nausea. They seemed to come after exerting himself, so Celestia urged rest.
> Except that Anonymous had had enough of rest to last him a lifetime and would much rather just power through the dizzy spells. The mare insisted as she kept feeding him minuscule amounts of the potion.
> Grudgingly Anonymous had to accept that she knew what she was doing, because it was slowly getting better. Unfortunately, his improving physical condition did nothing for his peace of mind. He still felt deeply uneasy about something, even while Celestia reassured him everything was alright and they would be home soon.
> Perhaps the most normal Anon had felt in the past couple of days was that time Vanilla Pop walked in on the two of them in a rather compromising position. Maybe it was a good thing that Anon couldn't see the guard's face.
> Celestia had had him lie on his belly with his face in the pillow so she could give him a hoof massage. It would improve circulation and speed up his recovery, the mare said, but Anon felt she just wanted to feel him over. Not that he could blame her.
> Pretty soon he was sporting a large tent and it was only sheer luck that he was facing down, into the bed. That was when Vanilla Pop had walked in. At first Anon didn't know who it was and feared it might have been Dusty, but the guard cleared his throat and started to apologize profusely.
> Celestia just giggled and Anon froze in shock at being seen practically naked and with the Princess all but lying on top of him. There had been something Vanilla Pop had wanted to say, or ask, but Anon couldn't blame the stallion for completely forgetting all about it in that situation. He just kept apologizing and, Anon presumed, bowing all the way out.
"You should have fixed that door!" Anon had said. "At least then they'd knock!"
> The mare had just chuckled again. "Don't worry, love. He didn't see anything. Would it be so bad if he did?"
> She had a valid point, but there was such a thing as propriety. They'd had this discussion when Anon had first arrived in Equestria and both had agreed that it wouldn't be very polite to rub their relationship in her subjects' muzzles. They all knew, of course, but it was a different can of worms to keep blatantly making out in public.
> Maybe that little embarrassment was the reason all the guards tended to avoid meeting Anonymous and Celestia. He would have liked to catch up, but between his dizzy spells, his weakness and the guards avoiding him, Anonymous had no choice but to wait for a better time.
> Soon, Celestia kept promising.
"Is the carriage here yet? Let's just go home and be done with it," Anonymous pleaded.
> The Princess looked uncomfortable for a moment, then gave the man a pleading smile. "One more day, please Anonymous? I'm still worried about you. Tomorrow you'll be completely off the potion and then we'll go, okay?"
> Maybe she was putting it off so she could keep him to herself for a while longer? Like a kind of impromptu vacation?
> Anonymous tried to convince himself of that, but it didn't quite work. Surely if she just wanted them to spend some time away from Canterlot and the hubbub of court life, she'd have said so and taken them somewhere else.
> They were still staying in Silvermane's mansion, which didn't do Anon's disposition much good. He'd rather be done with the whole sorry mess, even if he had to pay for a hotel or an inn out of his own pocket.
> Celestia saw how he felt about the whole thing and opted to take his mind off it by means of a very warm, very aggressive kiss. Anonymous had no choice but to respond in kind.
> For the next minute or two all he could think about was the long, flat tongue in his mouth. He'd keep it up longer, but he had to breathe. Despite that the mare kept licking his face while he gasped.
> He caught her gaze and saw deep lust, which matched his own.
> "I- I think you're-" Celestia began, pausing to give his cheek another lick. "You're well enough?"
> All Anon could do was nod. He'd already gripped his belt and was struggling with the buckle. Celestia was lying on it, but she hadn't noticed. As she kissed him again, Anon forgot about it as well and put his hands on her barrel.
> The fur was just as smooth as always and the man slid his fingers down to her flanks, where he dug them in. The touch made the mare moan right into his mouth before pulling away. She smiled. "I love you!"
> Anonymous opened his mouth to say the same, but then he suddenly saw it in her eyes.
> It couldn't be.
> Except everything fit together. It explained it all: the potion, the nausea, the delays.
> "W-What's wrong?" Celestia asked nervously when his expression changed.
> Anon's heart, already racing from excitement and lust, speeded up even more until he thought it would explode. He could feel the rush of blood and the tingle of adrenaline. He let go of Celestia's flanks and brought his hands up to his face.
> He would only get one shot at this.
> Before the mare could react, Anon bunched his fingers in a fist and struck right at her horn, as hard as he could.
> "W-EE-" the Princess began to shriek, but he hit her again and she just went limp. The horn was extremely sensitive, especially to blows from the side. It was the only way to negate her magic without his own.
> For a minute it was all Anon could do to just lie there, struggling to get his breathing under control. It wasn't until the unconscious Celestia stirred and groaned that he remembered himself.
> Once she woke up, would she have her magic back right away? If so, what could he do about that? He tried to remember.
> There had been a time when, during their passionate tossing on the bed Celestia had smacked her horn against a bedpost. She couldn't use magic without a headache for a good several hours after that. It was the best idea he could come up with on short notice. Hopefully his punch had done much the same and he had a few minutes to figure it out.
> The mare was still a lot stronger than him in his weakened state, so that was the next urgent thing.
> Anon's eyes landed on the sheets and he slid out of the bed. His breath came in short, almost panicked pants as he rolled it up into a tube.
> It was too thick. There was no way for him to tie a knot.
> Almost whimpering, the man looked at the pony who stirred again and tried to open her eyes. He didn't have a lot of time. He quickly unrolled the sheet and ripped it in half. Luckily it was thin linen and didn't offer much resistance. He tore it apart again.
> He was left with a long, thin strip, which he hurriedly wrapped around Celestia's fetlocks. That took care of forelegs and Anon tied a crude knot with shaky hands. He tore another strip from the sheet and did the same for her hind legs.
> There was just enough of cloth left to bind all her legs together. It wasn't perfect and she'd probably be able to get free, but it was good enough if he watched her closely.
> The mare was definitely waking up by now, whimpering and growling, so Anonymous looked around for a weapon. Any weapon.
> There! The smashed door had split and a plank was hanging loose. It wasn't exactly a club, but it would do in a pinch. Anon tore it from the frame, twisting it a few times to get it free, then hefted it above the prone mare.
> Her eyes opened, blinked a few times, then focused on him. "W-Wha-?"
"One sign of a spell and I'll whack you again!" Anon threatened.
> Ignoring him, Celestia lifted her head and he made good on his threat. He hit her horn, but not too hard. It made the pony gasp in shock and fall back down.
> For a moment Anon was worried he'd smacked her too hard, but the mare began whimpering and flapping her wings.
"STAY STILL!" he ordered, nearly knocked from his feet by flailing.
> In the moment of silence he listened intently, hoping there wasn't Dusty or someone else on their way to see what all the noise was about. Any one of them would be able to subdue him with no trouble.
> "H- H-" the Princess worked her mouth to get her tongue to work once more. "How?" she asked hoarsely. "How'd you know?"
> That confirmed his fear and a huge weight was lifted from Anon's shoulders. If this really was Celestia and he'd made a terrible mistake-
> It had been a chance he'd been willing to take and the right one, obviously, now.
"Look at me. Look me in the eye!"
> The pony did as he commanded and Anon inspected her eyes. Now that he knew what to look for it was patently obvious.
"You did a good job, but I guess you never saw Celestia from up close. She has tiny flecks of gray in her irises. It's not just solid magenta."
> Celestia - or rather her imitator, closed her eyes and heaved a sigh.
"And you used too many contractions!" Anon went on, triumphantly. "It's hard to spot, but she almost never does. I guess you didn't hear her talk enough."
> All the mare did was grunt in what sounded like annoyance. She refused to look at him.
"So I guess Vanilla Pop is a traitor as well?"
> The mare shook her head, but the motion was subtle. Obviously her head hurt a lot and Anon was pleased about that. He hefted the board and considered smacking her again, just to be done with it. Surely she'd be out cold for a few hours and he could try to make for a town or a village.
> "Ventriloquism spell," the mare said finally. "I can do voices. That's why he was always out of sight."
> It made sense and now that Anon thought about it he realized he'd never actually seen the guard.
"What about Dusty?"
> The Princess - the fake Princess - shrugged with her wings. "Silvermane's servant. She obeys me."
"What are you? I know a little about the changing spell and you shouldn't be able to keep it going when I hit you. How are you doing it?"
> She just barked a laugh. "Somepony will come and find you, and then I'll have you. And I won't be gentle, either, you stupid ape."
"I asked you a question!"
> Anon mock-swung the board and the mare tried to jerk out of the way. Despite her brave words, Anon could see how she was nervously licking her lips and how her wings rustled. Probably a pegasus originally, he assumed. The reaction looked unconscious, which meant she was used to having wings.
> "Fine. It's not like you'll live to tell anypony. Not after this!"
> She closed her eyes in concentration and Anon gave her horn a light tap, which nevertheless made the mare gasp in pain.
"No magic! I'm warning you, a single glint and I'm whacking you as hard as I can!"
> The mare just grunted. "Fine. I'm changeling. Happy now?!"
> All the man knew of her race was the tidbits he'd learned about Glowbug back on Earth, which wasn't a whole lot. From what Celestia had said, they were the ones who originally invented the disguise spell - or maybe it was something they could do naturally, which would explain why it didn't vanish when the changeling had been knocked out.
> They also fed on emotion, which would explain why he'd felt so weak and drained lately, even after going off the potion. Anon forced his anger down.
> The problem now was getting away. Sure, he could smack the creature unconscious and run for it, but there was no way of knowing how long she'd be out. Too soon and she'd raise an alarm and get him caught before he made it to safety.
> Hit her too hard, on the other hand, and she might never wake up again. It was probably no less than she deserved, but Anon wasn't about to simply kill another sentient creature. Not unless it was the only choice.
> An idea struck him and he looked at the bedside table. There was the brown, nearly opaque bottle with no label. He reached over and picked it up.
"You're gonna drink this, or I'll smack you until you're out cold and pour it down your throat, understand?"
> The mare glanced at the makeshift club in his hands, swallowed, and nodded. Her ears went flat in defeat.
> The mixture made him sleep, surely it would do something similar for a pony. It also left his muscles feeling like wet noodles. That would take care of the changeling, at least for a while.
> Maybe someone would find her, but probably not for a few hours. The last few days Celestia - or rather the impostor - had spent most of her time with him and there hadn't been any interruptions.
> With that settled, all Anon had to do was think up what to do about Dusty and possibly some others in the house. The best way would be to sneak out. That would give him until they found the unconscious changeling, or until she woke up.
> Or was it 'he'? He'd kissed the thing, which made Anon's stomach twist up.
> He suddenly realized that he was standing still with the potion in one hand and the plank of wood in the other. The creature was watching him warily, waiting to see what he would do.
> At least she wasn't trying to get free from the makeshift bounds.
"By the way, what really happened to Spring Morning?"
> The mare rolled her eyes. "I *am* Spring Morning, idiot. I've been in disguise all along."
> It was all getting too complicated and Anon just gave up. If Spring Morning had always been a changeling, Celestia and Luna would know what to make of it. Right then, he just wanted to get out of the house.
"Open up!" he commanded.
> The changeling glared for a few moments, but then her ears lowered and she exhaled in defeat. Her lips parted.
> Anonymous kept his hold on the plank and put the bottle against the mare's lips. He tilted it up, but his hand was shaking and he spilled a little around her muzzle.
> He watched her throat closely and it looked like the mare was swallowing obediently. That was good, a relief that he didn't have to force her.
> Very soon after that, the mare's eyelids began to droop. She seemed to be having trouble keeping her head upright and her wings were unfurling.
> It could still have been an act, though.
> Anon got a brilliant idea. He dropped the empty bottle and threw the remaining blanket off the bed. Then he hurried to the wardrobe and took out some fresh bedclothes. They went in an oblong pile in the bed.
> There was a dull thump and he looked just in time to see fake-Celestia's eyes close. The noise had been her muzzle hitting the carpet. He should have thought about this step earlier...
> It took some doing to get the heavy pony up in the bed, but there was no choice. Anonymous was winded by the time he had the changeling settled with her head on the pillow.
> Was she faking the effects of the potion? Anonymous keept a close watch on her face and suddenly slapped his hand on her rump as hard as he could. Not even a flutter of an eyelash. Surely if she'd been awake, there would have been some kind of a reaction.
> Reassured, he pulled a new blanket over her and the bundle of cloth he'd arranged. He inspected the effect from the door and almost smiled to himself. It looked exactly like two people in bed, sleeping.
> It should buy him some time if one of the others came to check. Surely they wouldn't bother the changeling sleeping with her captive human.
> For a moment he considered leaving the wood behind, but it was the only real weapon he had, so Anon opted to keep it in his hand. He was fully clothed, which was a relief, so nothing was really keeping him there.
> He cast a critical eye over the scene once more and nearly cursed out loud. The empty bottle was on the floor. He hurried over and put it back on the nightstand. He still wasn't absolutely sure what it did, but he hadn't had a single dream since his kidnapping and Anon was pretty sure it wasn't due to changeling magic.
> That was probably why the changeling had insisted he keep taking it. She must have worked out the smallest dose which would keep him from dreaming and alerting Princess Luna.
> The story about getting addicted to it and having to be weaned off was just a lie. His lips pressed together as Anonymous went over what the impostor Celestia had told him and mentally marked it all as lies.
> Everything seemed in order, so he walked to the door and listened. No hoofsteps.
> He poked his head outside and looked both ways, but the hallway was empty. His best bet, Anon decided, was the back exit into the garden. The guards - or rather, Silvermane's goons - kept to themselves in the front rooms.
> After that, it would be a different problem to find habitation.
> Actually, the man reconsidered, he didn't need to find habitation. He just needed to stay hidden from his captors for long enough so the effects of the potion completely wore off and he dreamed. Undoubtedly Luna would find him.
> Surely they hadn't stopped looking for him that soon, right?
> Once Luna and Celestia - the *real* Celestia - knew where he was, at least the general area, they would probably rush over. They could figure it out from there.
> That decided, Anon slipped out the back door, looked around the garden to make sure no one was in sight, then sprinted for the nearest wall.
> It was head high for him, but filled with adrenaline as he was, the man had no doubt he could easily scale it.
> Freedom, at last!

> ~~~~

> Anonymous sat down heavily on a fallen log to catch his breath. He'd tried running, but couldn't keep it up for more than a few minutes. Now he was walking as far as he could and then waiting for the spots of lights to vanish from before his eyes.
> Distance, that was the key. No doubt Spring Morning's pals would search the area in some kind of pattern once they discovered him gone, or when the changeling woke up.
> He also had to assume that they'd be able to fly, so staying in the trees and keeping an eye out on the sky was a must. As he waited for his panting to wind down, Anonymous kept looking up and behind.
> They might also use magic to track him, but since he didn't have a way to defend against that, the man had opted not to spend too much effort on worrying about it. Distance was the obvious thing, so he focused all his energy on that.
> His breathing gradually slowed and Anon got back on his feet. Time to move on. The sun was on his right as it descended, which meant he was going south. Closer to civilization, hopefully.
> At least the forest wasn't too thick, so it didn't take a lot of effort to walk. There was very little undergrowth and the ground was fairly even, which was just as well. His legs already felt like lead pipes and his muscles were burning with fatigue.
> Apparently he wasn't completely recovered yet, but Anon was still determined to do what he could.
> He paused to take a look behind him and then pushed forward. The trees seemed to be thinning out up ahead, which was both a blessing and a curse. The going would be easier, but he would also be much more exposed.
> Moments later Anonymous recognized a road of hard-packed dirt. It didn't look like a major thoroughfare, nor could he see any travellers in either direction, but it made the man a little hopeful.
> He contemplated walking on the road, but changed his mind and stayed in the trees. He still wanted cover in case any pegasi were looking for him.
> The makeshift club had been left behind in the garden behind Silvermane's manor. It would only have been extra weight. If a pony tried to catch him, Anon would just have to rely on his fists. Hopefully they wouldn't expect that.
> The going would be a bit slower off the road, but it was worth it. Anon looked both directions. To the West, the road seemed to curve back north, so he picked East and set off at a brisk walk.
> It was late afternoon, which meant only a few more hours and then he'd find a hiding place. Anon thought about possible dangerous fauna, but he knew the wildlife was a lot nicer than on Earth. The truly dangerous stuff was in the Everfree, which was a lot further to the Southwest and maybe in the Frozen North, which was in the opposite direction.
> Despite the burning in his limbs, Anon was happy and relieved to be out of that house. He'd escaped all by himself, which felt good and filled him with confidence, and soon he'd be back in Canterlot.
> Hopefully, by now, Celestia had dismantled Silvermane's operation and had put everyone responsible behind bars. Spring Morning and her lackeys might escape, but it was a trade Anonymous was willing to make.
> He slowed down and stumbled to a halt. His lungs were burning again and his vision was swimming. There was no convenient place to sit, so Anon just slid down under a tree and leaned against the trunk.
> Still no sign of pursuit. Maybe he'd done a good enough job on Spring Morning, or whatever her changeling name was, that she'd sleep until next morning. The disguise of them in bed together should also keep any others away.
> Despite his cautious optimism, Anon watched the sky to the north until he felt he could stand again. He took a deep breath and headed onward.
> A flash of color through the trees...
> At first he dove for cover, afraid one of Spring Morning's goons had overtaken him and was lying in wait, but the splotch of color was too large for a pony. Houses! Anonymous couldn't believe his luck! He caught another glimpse of white and red through the trees. 
> A few cautious steps forward revealed that it was a house. The sun was on its last rays and some of the windows Anon could see already had lights in them.
> It was a small village, but in that moment it was more welcome than a palace. Relief masked the pain and he stumbled to the road. He wanted to get there as fast as possible.
> Footsteps turned to a halting run and sweat poured into Anon's eyes, but he wanted the ordeal over as soon as possible so he pushed forward.
> A plain, brown-colored pony - an earth stallion - was walking down the street and froze in place as he spotted him. Even at the distance Anon could see how his eyes widened in fear and the stallion hurriedly pushed locks of red mane out of his eyes before taking a step back.
"No... Don't-" he gasped out.
> Of course the stallion couldn't hear, but the man slowed and focused on gulping down as much air as he could. Everything hurt, but he really didn't want to collapse so close to his goal.
> As he came nearer, the stallion finally saw in what shape he was and his look of fear changed into one of concern. Humans probably weren't a common sight in this part of Equestria, but he must have heard of them and knew they were connected with Canterlot and the Princesses.
> He still approached cautiously, letting Anon walk most of the way before asking in a hesitant voice: "W-Who are you? What are you d-doing here?"
> Anon shook his head and stopped. He fought for breath.
"Police... Sheriff-"
> The pony looked afraid once again and looked at the road in the direction from where Anon had come. "What? Is there danger?"
> Rather than struggling for breath, Anon let himself sink to his knees. His legs wouldn't hold him anymore, but that was okay. Surely the village ponies would take care of him and they wouldn't let Spring Morning take him.
"They're after me," he managed. "Silvermane's man- manor. I was being held pri- prisoner."
> Each word made the stallion more agitated. "That place in the woods?!"
> Rather than repeating himself, Anon just nodded.
"Send- pegasus. Message. Canterlot- to Celestia. Name's Anonymous."
> Finally concern won out over fear and the stallion stepped closer. "Okay, okay, I'll get the sheriff. Come on, let's get you inside, you don't look so good."
> The commotion was attracting more attention and several other ponies were looking at them from the village. The stallion shouted for torches and help, before slipping under Anon's arm to support him upright.
"Thanks..." was all he could say.
> The stallion just grunted and started walking slowly forward. It took significant effort, but Anonymous got his legs under him and his hands on the pony's back. He could make it to a house and then he could rest.
> "We'll get you some water and a place to rest up. Then you can tell the sheriff what's happened, okay?"
"Sure... Thanks."
> Anonymous was hardly aware of another village pony joining them and nuzzling from his other side. He swapped one hand to the newcomer.
> It meant he was walking nearly bent double, but it was welcome support. He looked up and tried to see where they were taking him.
> One of the houses was larger than the others and there was a sign out in front. The Inn, Anonymous guessed. He focused on the door like a lifeline. He just had to make it that far...

> ~~~~

> Anonymous woke up with a start, looking wildly around the room before remembering where he was and why. He fell back on the pillow with a soft sigh.
> Even scant seconds after waking, he'd already forgotten his vague, unsettling dream, but he knew he'd had one. Hopefully it had been enough for Luna, but even if not, his message to Celestia had to be on its way.
> The man didn't remember climbing the stairs, but a glance at the window showed he was on the first floor. It looked like a typical guest room in a small village inn. The ponies must have gotten him up there and put him to bed. For some strange reason Anon was glad they didn't undress him.
> He considered just lying there for a while longer, but too much had happened. He had to make sure the letter had been sent and that there'd been no pursuit.
> Anonymous rolled over and sat up on the side of the bed. It was low, so his knees came nearly up to his chin, but he was used to this by now. What he wasn't used to was the ache.
> All his muscles protested the movement. Everything was sore!
> He wasn't sure he could stand without falling over. As an experiment, Anon held a hand out in front of him. It wavered up and down no matter how hard he tried to keep it steady.
> Hopefully the fatigue would recede as he started moving about, otherwise Celestia would have to carry him out. That would be a bit embarrassing after having escaped on his own.
> Anon rested for a few more minutes, then braced himself and stood. Tried to, at least. At first he underestimated how hard he'd have to push and he barely lifted himself up from the bed a few inches before falling back with a quiet grunt.
> The second attempt was better, but this time he put too much effort in and nearly fell on his face. Only a hand thrown at the last second against the wall kept him from toppling.
> It was getting better, now that he was moving once more, but Anonymous still held on to the wall as he made his way to the door. He paused before he opened it, listening for any familiar voices. If Spring Morning or any of her thugs had followed him here, Anon didn't want to walk right into them.
> There was no sound, which was encouraging, so Anon switched his hands on the wooden frame and reached for the door handle.
> The hallway was empty, but now that he was out of his room the man could hear sounds coming from the lower floor. Pots clanking, soft talking and the sound of water being poured. That last reminded him that he was parched and Anon made his careful way to the stairs.
> He kept his hand on the wall but he needed its support less and less with each step. There was a handrail, but it was placed too low to be really useful to him. Anon gritted his teeth and stepped from step to step as slowly as he could.
> His legs still jerked uncontrollably every now and then, but he was able to keep his balance easily enough. The ache came back in force at the unaccustomed exercise but Anon just ignored it.
> He'd have to get into better shape, he resolved. One measly potion and a couple of weeks in bed shouldn't be able to wipe him out this completely. True, he'd pushed himself far beyond his limit during his escape, but that still wasn't very encouraging.
> The trip to that place near Baltimare had been worrying enough, but this was just ridiculous. Anon resolved to start walking more. It wasn't as if there were no places around the Castle. The gardens made for a very pleasant stroll.
> With that decision firmly established, the man finally reached the common room. There was a gray-haired old pony sitting at one of the tables and middle-aged, orange-colored mare behind the counter, washing glasses.
> The sound of cooking pots was coming from an open door which led to the kitchen, judging by the smell.
> Both ponies looked up and the old-timer gave a small start even as the mare flashed Anon a smile. "Relax, Gramps," she said soothingly. "It's just one of those humans from Canterlot, nothing to worry about."
> "Humph," the older pony grunted. "Thought it was a minotaur for a second there."
> Anonymous chose to ignore that. The old guy probably wasn't trying to insult him.
"The name's Anonymous. Has anyone sent that letter to Princess Celestia?"
> The stallion looked blank, but the mare at the counter seemed more informed. Her smile widened and she nodded. "Yep! The mail-mare took the job, special. It means no post today, but that's fine. Everypony understands!"
> A moment's thought reminded the mare of her manners and a blush graced her muzzle. "Oh, my name is Apple Leaves and that over there is Gramps. We just call him Gramps."
"Nice to meet you both."
> Anonymous inspected the mare for a moment. The color was familiar, not quite orange although it was close, but one he'd definitely seen before. The mane was green, which threw him off, but the name matched and the apple cutie mark all but confirmed it.
"You're related to the Apples in Ponyville, right?"
> Her smile widened. "Yup! So you know Applejack?"
"I've met her a few times, yes."
> "Well, as far as I'm concerned, that makes you practic'lly family, right? Sit down and have some breakfast!"
> Of course the mere mention of food, combined with the smell wafting from the kitchen was enough to make Anon's stomach growl and he gratefully sank into  a chair. There was no back support and it was a little too low, but he was still glad to rest his legs for a while.
> The older pony, Gramps, watched him for a bit longer, but then shrugged a little to himself and picked up his newspaper again.
> While he waited, Anonymous looked out the window, but he couldn't spot anything worrisome. If there was any pursuit, there would probably be some commotion, at least. He began to hope that his escape had gone unnoticed the previous day.
> Spring Morning would be waking up soon, Anon guessed, but with so much time having passed, she might not have any idea in which direction to look.
> She might try the nearby villages, but Anon hoped one of the Princesses would arrive before that. Or, failing that, the townsponies wouldn't just give him up. He felt a lot better about his chances now that he knew one of the Apples lived here. The entire family was well-known for their unscrupulous honesty.
> His thoughts were interrupted as Apple Leaves slid a plate before him. There were fried eggs, some potatoes and a thick slice of bread, still steaming. It immediately made his mouth water and the man barely paused to thank the mare before picking it up and biting off a good chunk of the freshly-baked loaf.
> The mare seemed pleased at his enthusiasm and went back to the counter to fetch him a pitcher of water and some coffee.
> It was one of the best-tasting breakfasts Anon remembered having and he wolfed it down without a single pause.
> When he was done, feeling much refreshed, Apple Leaves waved a hoof to get his attention. "Would you like some more? We got plenty!"
> A thought which had been trying to make itself known finally rose up and Anonymous suddenly felt embarrassed.
"Actually... I don't have any money. Um..."
> He hadn't even considered it last night. The most important thing had been to get away and find safety, but this *was* an inn and they had a business to run.
"I'm sure the Princess will pay my bill when she gets here, though!"
> The mare just giggled, hoof covering her muzzle. "Don't worry about none of that, Mr. Anonymous. What kind of ponies would we be if we didn't offer hospitality to somepony in need?"
> Once again Anonymous was reminded that this was Equestria, not Earth. He relaxed a bit.
"Well, fair's fair. I'll make sure to send money to cover my bill."
> "There's really no need-"
"Please, I insist."
> Apple Leaves just shrugged a little to herself. "Well, as you wish, sir."
> The barmare was taking the empty dishes back to the kitchen when the front door opened, making her pause and look back. "Oh, hi sheriff. I'll be right out!"
> Anonymous inspected this new pony. He didn't remember him from the last night, but the stallion had obviously seen him, because he headed right over and joined Anon's table.
> He was an older stallion, with streaks of gray in his otherwise black mane and an impressive moustache. The hat and the vest with the star badge completed the picture and confirmed the pony's job.
> "Feelin' any better?"
"I do," Anon said cautiously. "Sorry, I don't remember your name."
> The sheriff just inclined his head in acknowledgment as he gave it: "Silver Spur." Seeing the alarm on the man's face, he waved a dismissive hoof. "I'm not related to Silvermane, if that's what you're thinking. That stuck up, condescending, 'holier-than-thou' good-for-nothing doesn't own *everything* around here."
> There was obviously some bad blood there, but Anon was glad to hear it. If the sheriff disliked Silvermane, he was a lot less likely to betray him.
"I see. Well, my name is-"
> "Anonymous. Yeah, you said. Our dear ol' Princess' plaything, right?"
> This was just as unexpected and Anon couldn't help blushing.
"Well, I-"
> The stallion started to chuckle and reached over the table to place a hoof on Anon's hand. "Don't fret it. The filly needs some diversion. B'sides, they say you're a damn fine lawyer, too."
> Shock turned to amusement at this pony talking about Celestia as if she were some young filly. Funny how she'd wanted to experience that side of her on Earth, and here it was, practically on her doorstop, if only she'd known where to look.
> Then again, whatever he said now, the sheriff probably wouldn't act this way to Celestia's face.
> Or maybe he would? Anon inspected the old pony's face. Sheriff Silver Spur's opinion wasn't shared by the majority of Equestria's populace, though, but Anon had a good idea where to take the Princess for their next vacation.
"Anyway, you should send some people over to Silvermane's manor. There's some criminals hiding there and you should grab them before they get away."
> The stallion's grin faded and his muzzle twisted into a grimace as he shook his head. "Sorry. No can do."
"If they have something on you-" Anon began.
> "Nah, 's not that," the sheriff explained, waving a hoof expansively. "It's that I don't have ponies. It's just me and the deputy in this nick o' the woods and he spends his afternoons working on 'is farm. I sent a pegasus to Vanhoover, but I don't reckon we'll get any backup for some hours yet."
"Well, provided they don't immediately run away and spend some time searching from me in the forest instead, you should be able to get them. Just be careful, there's a changeling."
> This was news to the sheriff, but he hardly showed it on his muzzle aside from a slight widening of eyes and his breath catching for a moment. "Changeling, huh? That complicates things."
"The one disguise I do know is a unicorn, blue coat, gray mane, but she's not old. Something like a book for a cutie mark. Goes by the name of Spring Morning. She might be in Canterlot guard armor."
> That last was still worrying Anonymous. Was there a real Spring Morning somewhere, or was that entire character a changeling's fabrication?
"Oh, and she was able to fake being Celestia, so..."
> "Sheesh, *really* complicates things!"
"I know. Sorry."
> The stallion shook his head. "Not yer fault. I'm still hoping the mail mare reaches Canterlot and we get some help from there. I don't mind telling you, this is way beyond my pay grade."
> Anonymous murmured a thank you to Apple Leaves who'd brought a couple of mugs to the table. He glanced in and caught the smell of strong cider.
> Silver Spur saw his hesitation and gave the man a bright smile. "Drink up. You look like you need it."
> For a moment Anon thought about asking for something non-alcoholic, but maybe the sheriff was right. He'd just been through an ordeal and maybe getting tipsy would take the edge off his aching muscles. He leaned back, remembering just in time that the backrest wasn't there, and held up his mug.
"To beating the bad guys."
> The pewter mugs clanged together and the sheriff gave a curt nod at the toast.
> It was surprisingly smooth and sweet, with only the slightest tinge of alcohol and a very strong aftertaste of apples. If Anon had to guess, it was Apple Leaves' or her family's work.
> The drink put him in mind of that Grand Galloping Gala when Twilight's friend had brought a barrel for her and her friends and Celestia insisted he try it.
> "Dunno what sort of magic those Apples have, but I sure can appreciate it!"
> The sheriff's remark broke him out of his memory and Anon smiled faintly.
"So, what do we do next?" he asked.
> The stallion pointed a hoof. "*You* do nothing but rest. I'll round up some folks and we'll take a look around the village, see if we can catch any of those criminals skulking around."
> It sounded like a plan quite well fitted to Anon's current abilities. He looked around the room. The old pony was still reading his newspaper and Apple Leaves was polishing the counter with a cloth.
"Well, I'll be here if you need to ask me more questions."
> The sheriff gave him a simple nod and left Anon to his thoughts.

> ~~~~

> "'Nonny!!"
> The squeal of delight nearly deafened Anonymous. He hadn't heard the young, pink mare enter and looked up just in time to see her practically flying towards him at chest-high.
> It was a good thing that he was braced against the wall, or the flying Blossom would have knocking him right out of his chair. As it was, the impact drove all air from his lungs.
"Blossom?!" he gasped when he could talk again.
> It was probably a dream, the man decided. He must have fallen asleep on the table in the common room and now he was dreaming about Blossom.
> Weird, though, why it would be her instead of Celestia.
> The young mare grasped him around the midriff, buried her muzzle in his chest and squeezed until Anonymous found it physically hard to breath.
"Sweetie? You're choking me..."
> It came out as barely a croak, but the mare understood and relented a little. She pulled away, ears folded down and a light blush on her cheeks. "Sorry," she murmured. "I missed you..."
> "Yeah, s-sorry," came a voice behind Blossom and Anon craned his neck to see Fluttershy standing in the entrance, too. "She, um, kinda got away from me."
> The pegasus walked in the room and then...
> It felt as if the world had brightened up a little, as if liquid sunlight was flowing into the room. There were three distinct gasps - one from old 'Gramps' from Anon's left and two from the kitchen door, where Apple Leaves and the cook pony whose name he didn't know smoothly fell into a bow.
> "Please, there is no... need..." Celestia began, but fell silent when her eyes met Anon's. Her mouth quirked up in a smile and she walked smoothly across the room to him.
> Blossom was forgotten in his arms because the man only had eyes for the Princess. He found himself wondering how he could ever have mistaken Spring Morning for Celestia. This alicorn was the one and only. No one else moved quite like her, or held that exact expression of quiet serenity.
> Except her dignified look was cracking now as she approached. Her ears were lowering, like a puppy who's happy to see her master. Her tail swished and she rustled her wings unconsciously. In a few steps she was standing beside Anonymous.
"Hey, you."
> She brought her muzzle closer, examining his face in minute detail while Anonymous did the same. There was no mistaking those eyes. Even if it weren't for Fluttershy and Blossom, Anonymous would have known Celestia from some cheap imitation.
"So this isn't a dream?" he ventured.
> "I hope not," the Princess said.
> As he continued to stare, Anonymous saw a few signs that all was not exactly well. A wrinkle, left by long days of worry. A furtive darting of an eye, expecting a trick or an attack. A slight strain on her smile.
> Her mane was its usual self, billowing in some ethereal wind, but was it slightly more frazzled than he remembered? Was Celestia's fur matted here and there, and her feathers in a disarray?
> Possibly no one who didn't know her really well would be able to tell, but Anon's heart constricted when he realized just how much she had worried about him.
> She brought her nose closer, careful not to poke Anon with her extremely sharp horn. Her breath was warm on his skin, like radiant sunlight, and it smelled slightly of-
"Cherries?"
> Celestia's smile widened. "Sister made me eat on the flight here. She said I would need the sugar."
> The time for talking and thought was over. Anonymous closed his eyes and pushed forward. Their lips met, to another chorus of gasps, which barely registered in his consciousness.
> He didn't try any fancy tongue-work and neither did Celestia. Both were simply happy to be in each other's presence, sharing this intimate thing and basking in the love it conveyed.
> At some point, Anon felt Blossom wrap her hooves around him again, but at least it wasn't such a death-grip this time. He lifted up his hand and brushed a stray strand of mane from Celestia's face. She pulled away, cheeks lightly flushed but still smiling.
"I missed you."
> "I missed you more."
"Nuh-huh!"
> She shut him up with a lick. "You need to shave."
> Anon scratched his chin with his hand and was forced to agree. A few more days and the stubble would officially become a beard.
"I know. What took you so long?"
> Celestia blinked, eyes filling up with tears, and he was immediately sorry for the question.
"Sorry. I'm just glad I'm out."
> The alicorn sighed. "They were well prepared. They knew our weaknesses and how to use them. They kept you from dreaming. They hid from scrying. I couldn't- I-" Celestia fell silent with a sigh.
"They had a changeling. At least one, maybe more."
> The words reminded Anon and he tried to push himself up, but with Blossom in his lap he didn't have the strength.
"The changeling! Back at the house, with some thugs, you have to catch them!"
> Celestia gave a slight nod, but didn't move. "Princess Luna went ahead. She saw the place in your dream, moments before you woke up. We took Fire Fly and all the guards he could spare. Blossom insisted and I didn't have the heart to say no."
> The mare in Anon's lap gave an affirmative little squeak at her name.
> Celestia sat on her haunches and went on: "Luna took the guards to Silvermane's mansion. Do not worry, most of his... accomplices in Canterlot are in prison."
"You found the rest of the captives? The mine?"
> The alicorn shook her head slightly. "Sorry. Silvermane was not in charge of the operation. Silent Spell is nearing the true masterminds behind this whole mess. We should have them very soon."
"He... wasn't? Spring Morning was taking orders from him, until he was captured..."
> Celestia glanced around the common room and sighed. "Perhaps this is not the best place and you do not look well enough to do this now. Come, I will take you to Canterlot and we will talk when you've rested."
> The man shook his head in frustration.
"You can't just give me bits and pieces and expect me to rest! Tell me!"
> Anonymous also looked around and saw that the barmaid and the cook were still staring. Neither seemed ready to approach, not while Celestia and Anonymous talked between themselves. On the other side of the room, Gramps was sitting perfectly still, also looking at the scene in wonder. He doubted any of them had heard a word, despite their pony ears.
> Celestia seemed to reach the same conclusion and gave a nod. "If it will make you stop worrying, then fine. Silent Spell believes Silvermane was in charge here in Equestria, but he was taking orders from somepony else. Somepony on Earth."
"Some- pony?" Anonymous asked, confused.
> Surely there weren't that many criminals among pony kind, and none of them on Earth?
> "Some *one*, then. It might not be a pony. Whoever it was, they came up with the idea of using slave labor. However, it was Silvermane who came up with the notion of an unlicensed, unregistered mine to avoid inspection. He had been bribing my clerks for a while!"
> The admission wasn't easy and Anon could see how the knowledge rankled. Celestia gritted her teeth and scrunched up her muzzle in distaste. "I will make an example of him, you have my word on that Anonymous, and of whoever is in charge!"
> Her explanation didn't answer all of the questions, but when Celestia looked at him with finality, Anonymous knew he wouldn't be getting any more. Not until he was back in Canterlot, he suspected.
"Well, maybe Spring Morning and her guys can shed some light on this thing. A changeling would explain how they managed to infiltrate the guards so well."
> "Indeed. Now that I know, I will order Fire Fly to use a disruption spell on all the guards when they come on duty and when they are done. You have found one, this Spring Morning, but perhaps she was not the only one."
> At least that much was good news. The spying and infiltration would finally stop.
> "Now shush!" Celestia said with finality. "Let's go!"
> Anonymous glanced at the barmaid again and prodded Blossom in her barrel.
"Sweetie, let me up please."
> The mare slid from his lap with a small sigh of regret and Fluttershy came forward to put a hoof around her. That solved, Anon pushed himself upright and took a few steps to the bar.
"Thank you again for the room and board. Princess, would you mind paying my bill? I seem to have lost my wallet somewhere..."
> Celestia rolled her eyes, but she nodded. "I will have the Castle staff send you the bits. Apple, correct?"
> "Yes, P-Princess!" the mare stuttered. "There's no need, Princess. Anything for you and, um, Mr. Anonymous!"
> "Nevertheless," Celestia countered, "services rendered should be paid for. It is only fair."
> The barmaid pony didn't have a reply to this, so she just bowed again. "As you s-say, Princess."
> That seemed to settle it and Anon waved his goodbye.
"Thanks again. I'll be sure to visit!"
> He didn't wait for a reply, but rather made his way outside. Seeing Celestia - the real one - had given him new energy and he found himself able to walk with only an occasional twinge or ache in his legs.
> Fluttershy held the door open for him, which was a nice gesture, and the sight in the courtyard was a most beautiful one. Normally the man didn't like Celestia's airborne carriages, but now it was a welcome sight. He didn't even care about flying, as long as it would take him back to Canterlot.
"What about Luna and the guards?"
> Celestia looked off into the distance, then shrugged. "She will handle herself. She is not called the 'warrior princess' in vain, Anonymous. My one priority is getting you safe."
> Celestia was probably right. Luna was an alicorn and she had guards with her. The house only had Spring Morning and a few of her goons, and perhaps not even that. One changeling wouldn't stand a chance, not after the stories Anon had heard about their invasion of Canterlot some years prior to his meeting Celestia.
"Okay. Let's get this over with, then."
> Here was another proof that it was the real Celestia. She didn't try to keep him in this place but wanted him in Canterlot as soon as possible.
> Anon didn't need any more proof, but there it was. He strapped himself into the seat and helped Blossom with her buckle as well.
> Celestia and Fluttershy didn't need the belts, since they could both fly.
> He gripped the edges of his seat even before the carriage began to move, but when he felt a warm muzzle press against his ear he let go with one hand so he could pat Celestia's nose.
"It's good to see you again, Celly."
> "You too, 'nonny!"
> The nickname made Blossom giggle and even Fluttershy smiled, even though she tried to hide it.
> He gave Celestia a quick kiss on the muzzle, then let her go so he could hold on with both hands as the carriage lurched.
> For once, Anon thought, flying wouldn't be so bad. It was taking him home.

> ~~~~

> Celestia pulled out of the kiss with a small gasp as she urgently sucked down lungfuls of live-giving air. Breathing through her nose simply wasn't enough, not after that exertion.
> Underneath her, on the Royal Bed in her chambers in Canterlot Castle, Anonymous was also panting. She'd insisted he leave everything to her, but it seemed the man couldn't stop himself from bucking.
> A drop of her sweat fell from her muzzle to his chest where she watched it mingle with his own and slide down, to be lost between their bodies which were still pressed tightly together.
> "I missed this, you don't know how much I missed this!"
"I know. Me too," she answered, smiling. "Sorry I- jumped you the moment we were back. You still need to rest, the potion-"
> Anon shut her up with a hand on her muzzle. "Is out of my system. It's just muscle fatigue from my escape, Celly. Relax, I'm fine."
> She closed her eyes as his thumb stroked her cheek. "Besides, you did most of the work."
> It was true and Celestia gave a slight nod. She leaned down and licked a bead of sweat from his face, grimacing only a little at the raspiness of his stubble.
"You need to shave."
> "I know, you said," Anon replied with a chuckle. "Is it really that bad? How about... well, before me, with stallions. You didn't mind they were furry?"
> She was forced to agree - how hairy her lovers were had never been an issue, until now. The mare shrugged with her wings and grinned a little.
"Let us just say you opened my mind to wonders of hairless flank, Anonymous."
> She paused in case Anon wanted to make a joke out of that, but since the man wasn't saying anything, she went on with a sultry smile.
"I hope I have also shown you the joys of pony flanks?" she prompted.
> "Y-Yeah. You did at that," Anon confirmed, but he was staring up at the ceiling, his mind apparently a million miles away. A very unwelcome thought occurred to Celestia and she lowered her ears.
"You did not- I will not be mad if you did. The changeling looked like me, I mean. Of course I could not hold it against you, Anonymous. B-But... did you?"
> He blinked as he worked on that mess of a sentence and Celestia considered rephrasing it, but then his face split into a grin and he shook his head.
> "No, of course not. She - it - wasn't nearly as... eager as you."
> It was good news and the mare sagged with relief. The thought of having shared Anonymous with a changeling was an abhorrent one. Even so-
"It was probably just after your love. That is what they feed on and lust is only a replacement when they cannot get love. From what you feel for me it is no wonder Spring Morning was taking it easy. Too much could have hurt her. It."
> "Let's settle on 'her'. Until we know if there really is a Spring Morning, we say that's the changeling's original identity. Or the first one, or whatever."
> Celestia inclined her head in a nod.
"Very well. Luna is probably back by now, should we go and see if she captured them?"
> Anon's hands went to her head and gently pulled her down. Celestia didn't resist and gladly accepted the kiss. There was no tongue-wrestling this time, just a sign of closeness and love. She enjoyed it nevertheless and it caused a slight stir in her nethers.
"Y-You know... you are still... inside," she prompted in a voice which was too squeaky by half.
> The lack of control made the mare blush and fold her ears down, but Anonymous didn't think less of her. He was just smiling back.
> "I know," he said. "Wanna keep going?"
"You are sure you can? It has been twice already. Maybe you should rest-"
> The man bucked his hips and the motion made her gasp. A fresh spurt of their combined fluids leaked out. The blankets were undoubtedly done for and after this time the mattress would probably be ruined as well.
> Celestia didn't care. The Castle had another mattress. More mattresses could be arranged.
"Still!" she ordered with a hiss, "I will do it. You need rest."
> Anonymous rolled his eyes, but he slumped back down. She could feel his legs shift. It seemed despite her command, he could not make his body lay still during lovemaking.
> She felt a momentary pang of sympathy - his muscles would probably ache for *days*!
> Well, it wasn't as if she hadn't warned him. All he had to do was say 'no' when she asked him that first time. She would have restrained herself, honestly she would have!
> Anonymous had said 'yes' and that was that. Besides, she was doing most of the work.
> Even as she plunged back down to give him as passionate a kiss as she could muster before the need for air overwhelmed her again, Celestia lifted her rump and ground it against Anon again.
> Incredibly, he was still as hard as wood. Maybe she should arrange for them to be apart for a week or two on purpose sometimes, the mare thought, especially if the sex afterwards would be like this.
> She slammed down on Anon again, making him moan a little in her mouth. She was sucking down air through her nose, but it wouldn't be enough. She needed to pant, so she broke off the kiss.
> "Damn, I love you so much!"
> It warmed her heart and laid the last few worries to rest. Spring Morning had been careful enough not to drain Anonymous completely dry of love. Silver lining, that.
> She paused up in the air, letting a wink send shudders through her body. A squirt of fluid followed, splashing hot against her hind leg.
> A shower. She would need to shower thoroughly after this.
> Celestia shook her head and focused on the task at hoof. The stray thought faded away, dissolved in unthinking pleasure.

> ~~~~

> If he walked slowly enough, Anonymous could move around. It really was just a matter of letting his muscles stretch and warm up. Besides, staying in bed like Celestia had ordered was boring and Equestria still didn't have TV.
> A short walk to the Princesses' private dining room and a meal would do him more good than lying on his back, he'd decided. The shower with its abundance of hot water had already helped immensely.
> Of course that meant a honor guard of the castle guards, but after Spring Morning's bold abduction he didn't mind them so much.
> "Good to have you back, sir," Glory Tail commented from his side. The stallion was smiling in relief, but his eyes were a bit too round.
"I said it before, Tail," Anonymous said with a touch of exasperation in his voice, "I don't hold any guards responsible. Spring Morning just outsmarted everyone, me included!"
> He hit the nail on the head and Glory Tail's grimace proved it. "Well, we *knew* there were spies in the guards, sir. There really is no excuse-"
"Just drop it. I'm fine and if I know Princess Luna, she'll have Spring Morning tied up and being dragged back as we speak."
> "Actually, sir," another of the guards added from behind, "Princess Luna has returned half an hour ago."
> Anonymous twirled around and immediately regretted it. His legs were fine if he took things slow, but sudden moves still sent pings up and down his calves. Luckily he managed to retain his balance this time.
"She's back? Oh yeah, Celestia did say. Did she catch Spring Morning?"
> The earth pony - Longstride, Anonymous remembered his name - gave a nod, smiling grimly. "She had a changeling with her, but it was unconscious. I don't know if it was Spring Morning, but who else could it be?"
"Good!" Anonymous said grimly.
> That... thing belonged in a prison cell. Besides, with Spring Morning and Silvermane both apprehended, their human and pony trafficking ring should collapse. The fact that it hadn't yet was a bit disconcerting, but surely now?
> Some of the other guards had grim smiles at the news, Anon saw, but no one else commented on the situation. They were paying close attention to their surroundings, as if expecting an attack at any moment.
> "F-For what it's worth, sir," Glory Tail continued, glancing away and pawing at the carpet with a hoof, "we were getting a little worried about the Princess when you were gone. I'm glad you're okay."
"Worried?"
> Anonymous remembered how haggard Celestia had seemed at the inn. He hadn't realized it at the time, but now it hit him: Celestia was immortal. If he'd seen lines around her eyes and muzzle, they could only have come from extreme worry.
"Oh," was all he could say.
> Glory Tail gave a slight nod and turned back to face the man. "Yeah. She- um- really seems to like you, sir."
"For the hundredth time, just call me Anonymous, okay? Or Anon."
> The stallion firmly shook his head. "Not while I'm on duty, sir. Protocol."
"Fine, but you're playing a game of pool with me after, deal?"
> The pony allowed himself a small smile. "Deal."
> With that Anon turned back the way they were going, carefully this time, and resumed his slow walk. It was a relief to know that Luna had captured his... well *captors*. Otherwise he would probably keep looking over his shoulder, wondering if any pony he met was the changeling in disguise.
> He slowly began to understand Celestia's reaction back at his house when she first figured out that Glowbug was a changeling. They could be both worrying and frightening if you knew them like this.
> It also went to show just how much Earth had mellowed Glowbug out.
> The guards kept their silence for the rest of the way, leaving Anonymous to his thoughts until they came to the familiar door. He reached for the handle, but Glory Tail blocked the way with his body.
> "Just a moment, sir. I have to check the room."
> Sighing, Anon stepped back and allowed the guard pony to enter first. There was a chorus of familiar voices raised in greeting and the stallion visibly relaxed.
> "All clear, sir," he announced and backed out of the room. "We'll station out here, yell if you need anything."
"Thanks," Anon said dryly and entered the room.
> Blossom was there, which made sense because it was lunch time, but there was also Star Bright, whom Anonymous wasn't expecting. He was standing on a stool by the stove and making pancakes.
> That made sense after a moment - the furniture in that room was Princess-sized, so the unicorn wouldn't be able to see well enough on the stove. Blossom was already seated at the table, eagerly awaiting her sweets. She lit up when she saw who it was. "'Nonny!!"
> Anonymous hurried around the table and scratched her ears before the mare thought of jumping up on him once again.
"Having a bit of lunch, you two?"
> "Mhm!" Blossom said, nodding with palpable enthusiasm for the meal. She looked at Star Bright, who seemed a bit embarrassed.
> The stallion cleared his throat. "The, um, P-Princess said it was alright and- and I can make a passable pancake-"
> "Pancakes!" Blossom interjected, making the nervous stallion smile.
> "I can make some for you too, Anon."
> He was about to politely decline and make himself a simple sandwich or some oatmeal, but Anon changed his mind. The sugar would do him good, probably, and help him flush the remaining lactic acid out of his muscles.
"Actually, that sounds delicious."
> Star Bright smiled and turned back to the stove. "Coming right up!"
> Sitting down, Anon looked from the mare to the stallion. Blossom was watching Star Bright closely, but it wasn't all just an expectation of sweets. Her small smile seemed genuinely happy for the unicorn's company.
> A unicorn. It was still difficult to believe that just a few weeks ago the mare had been scared for her life when she saw one of 'the horns', as she used to call them. It went to show how far a bit of kindness could go.
"So, what'd I miss while I was gone?"
> The young mare shifted her gaze from her boyfriend - at least that's what Anonymous assumed - to him. "Star and me went on a date the other day!" she exclaimed, confirming the suspicion.
"Oh? That sounds lovely. Where did you go?"
> The grin widened. "Muffin place!"
> It made perfect sense, especially for anyone attempting to court Blossom, but Anonymous still laughed with a mixture of relief that she was doing better and joy at her infectious enthusiasm.
> Amazing how positive she was, especially considering her past. Ponies, Anon decided, really were a resilient lot.
"Well, you should be careful with the sugar, Bright. Or else you'll have to roll her around to get her places before long."
> The mare just poked her tongue out at him, but the stallion actually chuckled. "Don't worry, I got it all in hoof. We discussed this and Blossom will only have sweets for one meal of the day. It's salads for the other two, right?"
> Her expression soured a bit and the young mare looked sullenly down at her hooves. "Yes," she finally replied in a small voice.
"Really?!" Anon asked, quite incredulous. "Blossom and 'salad' in the same sentence? I never thought I'd see the day..."
> He couldn't keep a straight face and ended up chuckling, while the mare in question smacked his forearm with a hoof. "Quit it!" she whined. "You're being mean."
> As a conciliatory gesture, Anon put his hand back in her mane and gave her ears a couple of good scritches. Blossom quickly forgave the joke and leaned into his touch, eyes closing.
> "First batch is done," Star Bright announced. "You can each have half and then I'll make some more."
"It's fine, I can wait," Anonymous reassured him.
> This earned him a grateful smile and a lick of his palm from Blossom, but she soon found all her attention occupied by the stallion who was levitating a plate in front of her. He also floated a jar of jam from the overhead cupboard.
> Anon froze when he recognized the label. Blueberry and Lavender. He opened his mouth to warn the young mare, but she was licking her lips and staring at the jar. It was probably her favorite and Anon didn't have the heart to spoil it for her.
> Besides, where was the harm?
> Still, he pointed a finger at the cupboard before Star Bright could close it.
"Strawberry for me, please."
> Another jam floated down. This one was probably safe. Luna didn't particularly care for strawberries, them being 'far too bright red', as she put it.
> While he waited for the unicorn to make more pancakes, Anon looked out the window where a patch of sky and a couple of clouds were visible from his seat. Celestia said she would attend court today, feeling reinvigorated and happy by their reunion and because Princess Luna was busy with capturing and imprisoning Spring Morning.
> He didn't want to distract her, so Anon decided to take Star Bright and Blossom out to the gardens for a short walk. The sun was starting to get really warm, but a short outing should be fine, especially after being trapped in a bed these past few weeks.
> After that, the man shrugged a little to himself, deep in thought, perhaps he would look for Princess Luna and ask how the capture went. He wondered if Spring Morning had been awake enough to put up a fight after he'd dosed her with the potion.
> Tomorrow, he decided, he'd stroll down to his office and pick up where he left off. No sense in lazing around when there was actual, useful work to be done. Not like it was strenuous work, either.
> He glanced over at Blossom, thinking that some of her friends were still caught, maybe still forced to work. Hopefully Celestia would soon get to the bottom of it, especially with Spring Morning to question.
"You've got a little something..." he pointed out.
> Blossom froze and her eyes crossed as she tried to see her own nose. Grinning, Anon brushed the speck of jam off with his finger. He looked around for a napkin to wipe it, but the mare would have none of that and simply licked the digit clean.
> "Thanks!" she chirped and went back to inhaling her pancake.
> Star Bright, who had looked over at the sound of Anon's voice, smiled to himself and pointed an accusing hoof. "The next one is for Anonymous, you hear? It's not his fault you eat these so fast!"
> Blossom paused just long enough for a pout and to say: "But they're just *sooo* good!"
> "Not my problem!" Bright said and turned back. He didn't see how the mare stuck her tongue out at him, but a twitch of his ears told Anonymous he knew.
> They'd make for a very cute and interesting couple, if their relationship lasted. Hopefully it would be based on more than sweets, though.
> The man went back to staring out the window as he waited for his turn. The important thing was that he was back home.

> ~~~~

> Anonymous was staring at the last morsel on his plate and wondering whether to eat it or just let Blossom take it. She had been giving it hungry looks and inching her chair closer to Anon's for the past few minutes, but hadn't said anything yet.
> Even Star Bright seemed a little uncomfortable in his hide, leaning back on the chair with both forehooves on his belly.
> Before Anon could reach his decision there came a soft knock on the door and one of the guards outside put his head in.
> "Mr. Bright? There's a messenger for you. She says it's urgent."
> This was unusual, but the unicorn was obviously expecting it, because he was off his chair in an instant. "Thanks, I'll be right out!" he said.
> Blossom blinked at him in confusion, but then she forgot about it and looked very pointedly at the last bit of Anon's pancake. The man chuckled at her expression.
"Yeah, you can finish it."
> It was gone almost before he had finished speaking. As she chewed Blossom glanced at the door as it closed behind Star Bright, then smiled at Anon. "I mi-missed you, 'nonny," she admitted.
"Well, I'm back now."
> In lieu of an answer the mare simply threw her hooves around him and squeezed. "We were so worried when you went missing! The Princess..."
"Mm?"
> The young mare pushed herself away and her ears lowered at the memory. "S-She was... kinda shouty."
"Shouty?" Anon repeated, not quite able to imagine it.
> "Yeah," Blossom nodded. She glared at the far wall and banged a hoof on the table. "What do you mean 'nowhere to be found'?! Search Silvermane's house again!"
> She tried making her voice deeper to imitate Celestia, but it didn't quite work. What it did was make Anon chuckle some more and he put a hand on Blossom's mane.
"I see."
> The mare shrugged a little, then turned away and simply fell backwards in the sure knowledge that Anon would catch her in his lap. He did so and Blossom wiggled a little to make herself more comfortable.
"So, you're doing a lot better, I see."
> "Mhm! There's a ton of stuff I don't know how to do, but Brightey's been teaching me. Um, he's teaching me how to read and write."
> That last was imparted in a near whisper, like it was some big secret.
> Anon patted the mare on her barrel.
"That's good. I'm proud of you."
> "Also, um- he asked if I wanna be his fillyfriend."
"What did you say?"
> Suddenly this was getting into awkward territory and Anon stiffened a little. He wondered if it was appropriate to discuss Star Bright and Blossom's relationship with her when the stallion was just outside the door.
> Blossom lowered her ears and leaned her head back until she was looking Anon in the face, albeit upside down. "Um, I don't know what that means."
"He didn't explain?" Anon asked, shocked.
> "Nuh-uh. He just got all blushy and stammery when he said it."
"Well, it's kinda hard to explain, actually. It's when two people like each other very much."
> This cheered the mare up and she smiled. "I like Star Bright very much!"
"Yeah, that's a part of it. Do you know what love is?"
> The mare blinked, then her smile widened. "Yeah! It's when a colt puts his- mmmphm!"
> Anonymous had been expecting that and quickly covered her mouth with a hand. He sighed and closed his eyes.
"That's a part of it, but not the most important part. That's called 'physical love', Blossom, but what I meant is emotional love."
> The pony shrugged and Anon removed his hand. "I dunno what that is," Blossom said sadly, frowning at her own ignorance.
> It was a difficult concept to explain to the young mare, especially for Anonymous who was already blushing heavily, but he tried anyway.
"It's when you like someone and want to spend a lot of time with them. You're willing to sacrifice for them and put their needs before yours."
> Blossom's expression softened and a gentle smile replaced the frown, reminding the man that she wasn't really a child. Maybe that made it a little easier to talk to her about this stuff.
"Anyway, since you're learning to read, have Star Bright teach you with a romantic novel or something. Maybe that'll help. Or you could write a letter to Princess Cadence - she ought to be good at this sort of thing."
> "Okay," Blossom agreed readily.
> Star Bright came back at that moment, pausing and blinking a few times at the scene. Blossom was only half-sitting on her chair and mostly leaning against Anon, who was holding her in place with both hands on her barrel.
> Her forelegs were folded up close to her, but her hind legs were outstretched and kicked every now and then.
> The stallion closed the door behind him and took a few more steps back to the table. "So, what did I miss?" he asked.
> Before Anon could answer Blossom shot upright and blurted out: "Brightey, do you love me?!"
> The poor colt actually took a step back and his ears went entirely flat. He glanced fearfully at Anon, but he just gave him an encouraging smile.
> "Um... y-yess? I t-think so?" he answered. It sounded more like a question than a statement, but it was enough for Blossom.
> She squeed and ran around the table to hug Star Bright. "I think I love you too! 'Nonny has explained it to me!"
> "Oh?" the stallion asked, hesitantly putting his own hooves around the mare but keeping his eyes on Anon.
"There's a lot more to it, Blossom. Just- don't rush things and you'll be fine."
> That last sentiment was more for Bright's sake than the mare's and the stallion nodded knowingly. "Thanks," he said and closed his eyes as Blossom nuzzled him.
> "No, silly," Blossom said with a giggle. "Thank *you* for pancakes! They were delicious!"
> Both the stallion and the man laughed at that. Anon stood up, hissing a little at the pangs in his thighs after sitting still for this long. He had to grip the table to steady himself.
> The ponies looked over, two muzzled faces filled with concern. "Um, you okay?" Star Bright beat Blossom to the question.
"Fine, fine," Anon reassured them both. "Just ran too much... yesterday."
> It really was only the previous day, Anon thought with wonder. So much had happened in such a short time.
"I'll be fine after I stretch my legs a little. You two wanna come with me on a walk in the gardens?"
> Star Bright glanced at Blossom and smiled. "Actually, that sounds really nice," he said and the mare clapped her hooves together in joy.
> Anon was about to leave, but the stallion called after him: "I'll catch up. I have to wash up here."
> There were their dishes and the pan, which the unicorn had left on the stove to cool down.
"You sure? We could help."
> "Nah, it's fine," Star Bright reassured him with a smile as he nudged the mare towards the man. "You two go on ahead, I'll catch up."
> Shrugging a little, Anon held the door open for Blossom. His guards were still waiting outside, reminding him that there was still danger until they found all of Silvermane's accomplices.
> He decided to put that problem out of his mind. No reason he couldn't enjoy a walk with his friends despite it. For that matter, he considered all the guards his friends too, so it was like a group walk.
"Ladies first," he said as Blossom walked past him.
> The expression made the mare giggle some more. Pretty excitable and entirely too hyperactive for his taste, but seeing her happy did him good.
> Anonymous was happy to be back.

> ~~~~

> It was nice to sit in the sun without any immediate worries, Anonymous thought. He sat the wrong way on the stone bench and leaned on the table with his elbows. It wasn't the most comfortable position, but it was the best he could do at lounging without a lawn chair or something.
> He'd have to order a couple, he thought to himself, not for the first time. Then again, it wasn't enough of a priority for him to remember afterwards.
> A short distance away, Blossom and Star Bright were sitting right on the grass, apparently completely engrossed in one another. They were talking about something, but Anonymous couldn't guess what it was, except that it seemed funny to the mare, who giggled loudly every now and then.
> They seemed to be enjoying their conversation, which was the important part. Anonymous couldn't help smiling when he saw the mare happy. If anyone deserved it, Blossom did.
> He was about to close his eyes again when the mare darted forward and pressed her muzzle against Star Bright's. Anon stared, even while feeling a bit guilty about doing so.
> Even Star Bright seemed frozen in shock. The unicorn obviously hadn't been expecting it.
> Anon was starting to blush himself, but then he saw a flash of pink tongue and realized it wasn't quite a kiss. Instead, Blossom was licking Star Bright's muzzle.
> Probably for the remnants of sugar or syrup, Anon guessed. It made him chuckle. Star Bright's ear turned in his direction and the colt blushed a vivid red. He'd heard it and realized the man was watching, but he didn't push the mare away.
> Good for him, Anon thought to himself and closed his eyes to enjoy the sun some more.
> He couldn't help hearing Blossom giggle again, though. Probably she was amused by her coltfriend's embarrassment.
> They went back to talking softly and Anon put the pair out of his mind. The warmth was doing wonders for his aching muscles and he was in real danger of dozing off.
> Some indefinable time later, he became aware of several sets of hoofsteps approaching and opened his eyes to look.
"Storm Pop?!"
> The pegasus waved with a wing, smiling widely. "Anon! Good to see you're well!"
"How did you know so fast?!"
> His incredulity made the old pegasus laugh and he stepped aside to reveal a pristine white pegasus mare walking behind him.
"Aura?"
> She rushed forward and jumped on the bench where she could throw her hooves around the man. "We were so worried, Anon! I'm glad you're okay!"
"Um, thanks. But still, I only got back a few hours ago, how did you find out this fast?"
> The mare chuckled to herself and pointed a hoof. Anon almost didn't recognize the colt without his armor, but when he did pieces fell in place.
"Snow Cover?"
> The guard saluted, even though he was off duty. "Sorry, sir. We were all so happy you were back, I c-couldn't keep it to myself. Sorry."
> Snow Cover glanced at Aura and his nervous grin steadied. It didn't take a huge leap of logic to figure out what was going on.
"So, you and Aura..." Anon asked, just to confirm what he already thought he knew.
> "Yup. The young private came back the next day after your visit, Anon," Storm Pop explained with a happy smile. "They seemed to have hit it off."
> Both mentioned ponies blushed a little, but Aura quickly got over any embarrassment she might have felt and prodded Anon with a hoof. "So, wanna tell me what happened?" she asked. "All I heard is that you were foalnapped!"
"Actually, I'd rather not talk about it now."
> The mare was slightly disappointed, but she shrugged to herself and let it go. "Well, come by when you have a moment and I'll make you a cake, okay? You can bring Blossom, too!"
> The younger mare was staring in their direction and brightened up when she heard her name in the same sentence, or nearly, with the word 'cake'. She looked at Anon with one of the most pleading, splayed-ears, big-shiny-eyes, sad-pony expressions he'd ever seen.
> If she entered that in a competition it'd take first place.
"Oh, fine, fine. How can I say no to that?"
> "Yay!" Blossom squeaked in pure, unadulterated joy, and rushed over. She landed on the bench on the opposite side from Aura and put her hooves around the man as well. "Thank you! I love cake!"
> All of them laughed at that and Aura was the first to answer: "Yes, sweetie. We noticed."
> The statement made Blossom avert her eyes and lower her ears, but it only lasted a moment before she went back to nuzzling Anonymous. He didn't fight it, but he caught Star Bright gazing at them with a fixed, almost forced smile.
"Sweetheart? I don't think you should be doing this. Your coltfriend is getting jealous."
> Blossom pulled away, even as Aura gasped and looked around. "Coltfriend?" she exclaimed and quickly found the unicorn.
> Star Bright was in the middle of protesting, with both forelegs held protectively up before his face. "I wasn't- It's not-" he began, but drew a deep breath before finding his words. "I'm not jealous."
> "It's fine to be a little jealous," Aura pointed out. "Your fillyfriend is an absolute cutie! You're lucky I'm not into mares, or I'd be stealing her right now!"
> Anon glanced to see what Blossom felt about all this, but she just seemed happy to have her friends together and talking. To her credit, though, the young mare slipped off the bench and went back to Star Bright.
> She gave him a quick nuzzle, then tugged at his hoof with both of hers, leading him back to the group. "Um, this is Aura," Blossom explained. "She makes the best cake ever!"
> "It'd be easy, too," Aura continued her thought. "Just offer some of my cake, that's all it would take!" It made Star Bright blush some more, but he tried his hardest to hide it.
> Anonymous couldn't help laughing at their antics.
"Don't worry, Bright," he reassured the stallion. "No one is stealing Blossom away from you."
> His assurances helped and the unicorn began smiling in earnest then. He studied Aura closely, then went on to look at her uncle. He remembered his manners and offered a hoof. "Um, Star Bright. Nice to meet you."
> The older pegasus accepted. "Likewise. My name's Storm Pop and any friend of Anon's is a friend of mine!"
> With that, all introductions were made and everyone knew each other. Anon went back to leaning back against the table and soaking up the sun. He saw Snow Cover whisper something to Storm Pop and walk away to rejoin his fellow guards for a murmured conversation.
> Meanwhile Aura and Blossom got into a discussion of cake-making, unsurprisingly, which left Star Bright and Storm Pop as the only ponies left out. The unicorn looked at the older pegasus and tried to find something to talk about. "So, um, how do you know Anon?"
> It would be a long story and Anonymous tuned it out, opting instead to relax as much as possible. The only thing which would have made the moment better would be if Celestia was there with him.
> Anon felt a pang of sympathy for the poor mare who was caught in court. After what they'd been through, she probably missed him a lot.
> That decided it and Anon pushed away from the table. The ponies around him fell silent and looked at him.
"I think I'll go and keep the Princess company. You'll be fine on your own here, right?"
> Storm Pop was the first to answer and he waved a dismissive hoof. "Don't worry about us, Anon. Actually, I think I'll go have a word with the private over there. He needs to learn to leave work aside when he's on leave!"
> He was right, Anon saw. Private Snow Cover had a far too serious expression as he listened to whatever the sergeant was telling him.
"Good idea," Anon agreed.
> "Um, can I go with Aura?" Blossom asked. "I wanna learn how to make cake."
> The pegasus mare was nodding happily. "What'd you say, Anon? I promise to have her back by sunset and you can come over tomorrow to try what we baked. How's that sound?"
> Anonymous was a bit uncertain about the prospect, but with most of the bad guys already caught, surely it was safe enough?
"You know a couple of guards will have to go with you, right? The Princess won't let Blossom leave the Castle without escort."
> Star Bright stood up and puffed out his chest. "I'll go. And there's Snow Cover. We won't let anything happen to Blossom, I swear."
> That sounded okay, but Anon still pointed at the nearby guards. "Okay, but clear it up with Bright Beam anyway. He ought to know if Blossom is going out of the Castle."
> "Sure!" Blossom said, taking the initiative. She hurried over to where Snow Cover was still deep in discussion, oblivious of what was being planned. Aura followed shortly after her.
> With a grateful smile at Anon, Star Bright also hurried to join them, leaving the man alone with Storm Pop.
> "Anyway, good to see you back Anon. Now you be careful something like that doesn't happen again, okay?"
"Yeah."
> "Good. Anyway, see you tomorrow, I guess?"
"Yeah, I'll visit."
> The old pony held out his hoof for Anon to shake, then went to gather all his impromptu visitors and lead them away. Anon watched them talk briefly, then the group peeled away and headed to the exit from the Castle gardens.
> It seemed like Star Bright's proposal had been accepted, because no other guards followed them.
> Then Anonymous stood up, stretching his legs carefully until the ache mostly went away. The guards came closer and the sergeant asked: "Where to, sir?"
"The throne room, I think."
> The ponies formed up around him and Anon followed them back in the Castle.

> ~~~~

> "I see you are feeling much better," Luna said as she walked up from behind Anonymous in the hallways.
"Luna! I heard you caught Spring Morning and some others."
> The mare inclined her head. Her mouth quirked up in a smile, but it vanished almost instantly and her ears folded down. "I am sorry it took us so long to find you, Anonymous."
> He just waved a dismissive hand.
"They were well prepared. I guess a lot of planning went into the kidnapping."
> The Princess leaned her head to one side at the expression, then she blinked and nodded. "Oh, you mean foalnapping. Well, I'm still sorry we didn't find you sooner."
> She looked quite downcast from the perceived guilt, so Anon took a step closer and laid a palm against her muzzle.
"It's fine. The important thing is that I got out," he reassured the mare quietly.
> Luna nuzzled his hand for a moment, then pulled away, brightening up. "Speaking of, whatever did you do to Spring Morning? She was half-asleep when I got there."
"So the potion worked even better than I thought."
> "Ah, yes. What she was giving you to keep you from dreaming. How much did you give her?"
> Anonymous shrugged a little.
"I just told her to drink it and she emptied the bottle. That's what she was giving me."
> Luna nodded to herself. "That would explain it, yes. Anonymous, the dose was meant for you. You weigh twice as much as a pony."
> He was about to apologize, fearful that he'd nearly killed the mare, changeling or not, but Luna spoke first: "It did the job, anyway."
"What about the other bad guys?"
> Chuckling a little to herself, Luna patted the man on his shoulder with a wing. "There were two of them, a mare and a stallion, and they were no trouble at all. When Spring Morning didn't come down they went and tried to wake her up. When that failed, they didn't know what to do."
> Anon resumed his walking and Luna fell in step beside him as she continued her story. "By the time I got there, they'd worked each other into such a panic that I think they were actually relieved to be arrested."
> Anonymous frowned a little. He hadn't expected the bad guys to care about each other so much, especially if one of them was a changeling. They must have known, right? They had seen Spring Morning changed into Princess Celestia when she took him out for walks.
> They were ponies, Anon reminded himself again. Why wouldn't they care for their friends?
"So, did you get anything out of any of them yet?"
> Luna nodded with a happy smile and Anon could have sworn her hooves pranced for just a bit. "Indeed! Once she came around, Spring Morning was very helpful indeed. Silvermane was not the leader of this slavery ring, did you know?"
> Anonymous nearly missed a step in surprise.
"What? But Spring Morning always talked about him as if he was her boss!"
> "He was," Luna confirmed, "but there was somepony - or some*one* - even higher up. Silent Spell has a few leads she is following and I am expecting a report from her this evening."
"Can I hear it too?"
> The mare frowned a little at him, trying to decide if he was well enough. She caught his gaze and sighed. "I will ask Sister, alright? I don't wish to involve you further unless she is okay with it."
"That's fair."
> They walked for a minute in silence, then Luna said quietly: "I'm glad you're okay, Anonymous. Sister was quite worried." A moment later she added hurriedly: "And so were all of us."
> Anonymous reached with his hand and patted her withers, but then they were at the open door to the throne room. There were a couple petitioners inside, but it looked as if the court was nearly done.
> Celestia looked up from speaking with a garishly-clothed unicorn mare and smiled beautifully. Anon gave her a wave as he entered and his retinue of guards took their posts at the door, joining the two who were already there.
> The other ponies in the room glanced over, some uneasily, others indifferently. Most of the populace, especially ponies from Canterlot, had gotten used to Anonymous' presence, but there were some who still didn't fully trust humans.
> It didn't look as if Celestia would be caught up in court for a whole lot longer, so the man simply leaned against the wall by the entrance to wait. Luna continued on and climbed the steps up to the twin thrones. She stood beside her sister and the two shared a smile, before Celestia nodded at the unicorn mare in the fancy dress to keep going.
> She began explaining something about about noise from the street keeping her awake, but it wasn't all that interesting and Anonymous tuned it out. He kept catching Celestia's eye and made a little game of seeing how much he could distract her from whatever the petitioner was complaining about.
> No doubt she'd tell him off afterwards, but it was still an amusing thing to do. At one point when she glanced at him, he gave her a little wave, which for some reason made her blush.
> Anon made a mental note to ask her what she'd thought of at the gesture, but later when they were alone.
> The fancy unicorn finished her story, Celestia promised she'd look into it, and then it was time for the last two petitioners. As they approached, Luna leaned closer to Celestia and whispered something in her ear.
> Whatever it was made the mare smile and she gave her sister a quick nuzzle before starting to climb down from the throne. Anonymous blinked in surprise and the petitioning couple stopped uncertainly, until Luna bid them to explain their troubles to her instead.
> It was just one case, but still a very nice gesture and Anon resolved to get Luna a little treat as thanks. Maybe he'd find out where that blueberry jam she liked was being sold.
> "I thought I told you to stay in bed, Anonymous," Celestia murmured as she made her way over. She stopped right in front of him and Anon laid his palm on her cheek so he could guide her nose closer for a brief kiss.
"It was boring. I'm fine anyway, just a bit sore and tired."
> The mare just nodded and looked back at where Luna was intently listening to whatever the earth pony couple were telling her. A faint smile of pride touched her lips.
> "So," Celestia said, looking back, "what would you like to do?"
> It wasn't a question Anon had been expecting really, but he thought fast and an idea occurred.
"How about we walk down to the Saddle Row, pick a restaurant at random and order their daily special?"
> For a moment the Princess looked uncertain, but then a slow smile spread across her muzzle. "Mm, sounds romantic. Are you not worried about the danger? We still do not have everypony responsible in prison."
"I know, Luna told me," Anon assured her, "but maybe seeing that I'm okay will surprise whoever it is and they'll make a mistake?"
> Celestia was forced to agree with his logic, even if she didn't quite like it. Her ears splayed, but she finally nodded. "Maybe. But we will still take-"
"No guards. Give them the evening off."
> "What?!"
> Anonymous let out a sigh and reached up to scratch an ear.
"I feel safe enough with just you, Celly. Besides, I don't wanna scare half of Canterlot with a large retinue of guards."
> He thought of something else and his smile grew mischievous.
"How do you propose we have a romantic dinner with a bunch of guard ponies around?"
> His smile and wink clinched the deal and Celestia finally nodded. "Very well, Anonymous. I suppose you are right."
> It was a bit of a walk, but he'd resolved to start exercising more and the stroll to Saddle Row in the afternoon was quite a pleasant one. Anon patted the Princess on her withers and followed her out of the throne room. He was sure Sergeant Bright Beam wouldn't like the idea of letting them go out alone, but he wouldn't disobey an order.
> Besides, if Anonymous wasn't safe with Princess Celestia by his side, then there were no safe places in all of Equestria.
> They hadn't had a real, romantic dinner out of the Castle in *ages*. It would be a very welcome change of pace.
"Oh, and before I forget: Aura and Blossom are making you a cake. I'll bring it tomorrow after I visit. She actually asked if she could go and learn, can you believe that?"
> He almost laughed outright when he saw the joy of impending cake war with worry for the young mare in Celestia's eyes.
"Don't worry, she has guards with her."
> That mollified the Princess somewhat and the cake won over. "Good. I wish you spoke with me before making a decision like that, but good. It better be a delicious cake though, Anonymous!"
> This time he did laugh and patted the mare again.
"It's an Aura cake, so yeah, I think I'm covered."
> Celestia snorted, but she couldn't keep a smile from her muzzle even as she rolled her eyes.

> ~~~~

> "Please be careful, Anonymous," Celestia was saying as they stood in the corridor. "Are you sure you will not have breakfast?"
> The man shook his head for the fifth or sixth time.
"I'll be fine. You know Storm Pop and Aura. They're gonna stuff me regardless and I'd prefer not to explode today."
> The Princess could not argue that and simply inclined her head. "I am sending Glory Tail and Pepper Crush with you. Make sure you-"
> The mare fell silent when Anon put his palm on her nose.
"Hush, it's safe enough. I'll be fine," he repeated.
> With a warning glint in her eye, Celestia shook free and frowned at him. "I only just got you back, Anonymous, but if you get yourself foalnapped again, I will deport you back to Earth!"
> She had picked a weak threat and all it did was make the man chuckle. He put his hand right back against her muzzle.
"Yeah, like you can give this up!"
> He gestured at his body with his other hand. Celestia's frown deepened and Anon took his fingers away a moment before she could nip him.
> "Try me!"
> Laughing, Anon leaned in and planted a quick kiss on the tip of her muzzle, before peeling away and looking around for the guards who were meant to accompany him. Both the sergeant and the specialist were doing their best to pretend nothing untoward was happening, but light blushes betrayed them however hard they tried to hide under the helmets.
"Well, let's go."
> "One more thing," Fire Fly said from behind and the two guards froze mid-step. The Captain wasn't addressing them though. "Anonymous, when you see Snow Cover tell him to get his tail right back to the barracks! He was supposed to be on duty this morning!"
> The unicorn seemed angry and Anon tried to mollify him, if only because he didn't want Aura to be sad when her coltfriend was in trouble.
"He's keeping an eye on Blossom. They sent a letter they were sleeping over, remember?"
> Fire Fly just shook his head with a snort. "If I know Snow Cover, that was only half Blossom's idea! More like an excuse to canoodle with that pegasus!"
> Anonymous caught Celestia's eye and the Princess seemed to be having trouble keeping her face straight. He wondered if she would interfere, but a twinkle in her eye said she'd be looking forward to what happened.
> Celestia tended to find amusement in the silliest of things.
"Okay, I'll tell him."
> "Good," Fire Fly said. "He is to get his tail over here right now and get in uniform!"
> Anon just nodded. Having been a part-owner of the legal firm back on Earth, he understood that you had to be firm with underlings sometimes, otherwise the business culture shifted to a free-for-all.
> Guards needed even more discipline, by all accounts.
> He raised a hand and twiddled his fingers at Celestia, who inclined her head in return. That smile kept tugging at her mouth when she glanced at the Captain.
> Thanks to Fire Fly's apparent foul mood, the other guards were a picture of smart efficiency and the two tasked with accompanying Anonymous didn't say a single word as they left the Castle.
> Once or twice Anon opened his mouth to chat, but thought better of it. He had to admit that he had also been slightly worried the previous night when he and Celestia returned from Saddle Row and found that Blossom still wasn't back.
> Thankfully her message had arrived, explaining that she would sleep over at Aura's. Star Bright and Snow Cover were still with her and everything was fine, but it was the first night since they found her that the mare hadn't spent in the Canterlot Castle.
> On the other hand, the young mare sounded like she was having fun making cakes with her new pegasus friend, so Anon couldn't begrudge her a sleepover. It was perhaps the most normal thing she'd done recently.
> He idly wondered just how many cakes they'd baked by now. Poor Star Bright, who was probably delegated to holding bowls, mixing and generally staying out of the way.
> It sounded boring.
> Past time he got there and rescued his unicorn friend, then!

> ~~~~

> There really was no rest for the modern Princess on the go. Sometimes Luna missed the moon with its quiet serenity. A mare could really reflect on things up there.
> She had barely stepped out of the dining room, pleasantly full of waffles and maple syrup, but there was already a guard running right at her down the corridor.
> "Princess!" he began even before the dust had settled. "Specialist Silent Spell sent me! You must-"
> She merely had to hold up a hoof for the colt to fall silent. He blinked in confusion while she looked into the distance with a contemplative expression on her muzzle.
> The pressure in her belly rose up and she released it with a small burp. That made it infinitely easier to walk.
> Sister had been a little overbearing with breakfast, but seeing her joy at getting the human Anonymous back, Luna couldn't begrudge her. The food had been delicious, too.
"Excuse me. Go on."
> The side benefit of all that was that the guard had slowed down and explained himself much more intelligibly. "Um, Silent Spell wishes to speak with you in the smaller conference room, Princess."
> Luna inclined her head in a silent thank you and headed that way. The messenger followed, but none of the other guards did. She'd made it clear to them on multiple occasions that she didn't require protection in her own castle.
> If Fire Fly didn't like that arrangement, he was free to complain to her sister.
"What else did Silent Spell say?"
> The guard, a pegasus colt by the name of Comet Roll, paused to salute. "She found the house, Princess! The Captain has already been summoned, we are only waiting on you."
> It was sooner than Luna had hoped and her pace, as well as her heartbeat, quickened.
"So Spring Morning's information was good?"
> "Apparently yes, Princess!"
> The changeling had been tough to crack initially, but a little pressure applied at the right spot got her to spill some very interesting details about Silvermane's activities in Canterlot.
> To think that he had kept his operation hidden for so long, right under their noses...
> Luna became aware she was baring her teeth in anger and forced herself to stop. The pompous ass was in prison and his wife and colt were being kept in one of his estate houses - the one near Ponyville, Luna remembered.
> The most irksome part, the mare thought, was that Silvermane was not even the leader of their little gang. So far her questions had failed to yield any concrete clues as to who it really was.
> All Luna knew was that Silvermane was deathly afraid of whomever he called 'boss'. That pointed to either a dragon, a griffin or more changelings. There was no way a unicorn would be that terrified of another pony.
> With luck-
"The house is being watched, right?!" she snapped, sudden fear chilling her to the bone. "They *will not* sneak away from under our noses!"
> This made the poor colt gulp in fear and he nodded hurriedly. "Y-Yes, Princess! Silent Spell ordered Corporal Silverwing to keep an eye on the house until we get there!"
"Good. Silverwing is reliable."
> They arrived at the conference room and Luna walked in without a pause. Silent Spell was peering closely at a map of Canterlot, while Captain Fire Fly looked on from the chair opposite. They both glanced up and the mare smiled.
> "There you are," she said to Luna. "We must move quickly. No doubt word of Spring Morning's capture will have gotten out."
"Naturally. Where? How do we approach this?"
> If it were up to her, Luna would storm to the place in her full alicorn might and smash the house to pieces. The guards could arrest whatever they found among the rubble.
> The Princess looked at the map, where Silent Spell had circled a specific building. She imagined how the city looked from above and fixed the position in her mind.
> It wasn't one of the richest residences, and not one of Silvermane's properties, but it was still quite a large manor. Who knew what sort of bad guys might be hiding in it?
> In fact, her wings itched to go, but the Princess made herself wait. It was a different time and Celestia wouldn't thank her for starting a panic among her ponies in Canterlot. She *certainly* wouldn't enjoy having innocent bystanders hurt in the process.
> "The squad should be assembled in the courtyard by now, Princess," Fire Fly said, saluting. "I will accompany this mission personally and-"
"I will go as well!"
> For an instant it looked as if Fire Fly would try and decline, but one look at her expression made the poor colt swallow before saluting again. "Of course, P-Princess!"
> "I will take Forward Point and Comet Roll. We will go down in the sewers and ward off the exits from the manor," Silent Spell said.
"You believe they will try to flee through the sewers?" Luna asked, aghast.
> "Sure! I would, if I saw you and the guards at the front door. No way they can out-fly or out-teleport you, so sneaking out will be their only option."
> Luna nodded at that and rustled her wings.
"We do not tell Sister about this until it is done. She would only slow us all down with procedure."
> This command made Fire Fly uneasy, but he took another look at Luna's face and nodded. "As you wish, Princess," the Captain said.
"Do not hold back. This is an order for you and all your guards, Captain. Protecting the lives of innocents is our top priority, but if some of them get bruised in this capture I will consider it a good trade!"
> Fire Fly's eyes seemed a tad too white for his station, Luna thought, but she didn't comment upon it. At least Silent Spell understood and the mare was nodding approvingly.
"Good," she proclaimed, even if the Captain hadn't explicitly agreed. "Let's move!"
> Their course of action decided, Luna pushed the door out of the conference room open with a burst of magic and ran outside. She was dimly aware of Fire Fly and Silent Spell galloping after her, but her blood began to tingle with excitement and a grim smile appeared on her muzzle.
> This! Action! Battle! These were the moments when a mare felt truly alive!
> Whoever Silvermane's boss was, they wouldn't know what hit them!
> As she ran out of the castle door, the Princess spread her wings and took off. She'd have to wait for the Captain and his squad to get there through the streets, but she could fly circles around the city and keep an eye on anypony trying to escape on wing.

> ~~~~

> The door splintered before her and Luna rushed into the house. She heard more crashes from around the back, where Fire Fly had also begun his advance.
> She glanced around the antechamber, but it was both unremarkable and empty. The only place anypony could be hiding was in the big wardrobe against the far wall, so the Princess yanked its doors open to check. Nothing.
> She hurried onward and stopped at the foot of the grand staircase. She pointed a hoof at her retinue.
"Corporal, search the top floor, yell if you find anything! You-" she pointed out another pony, "stand guard at this entrance. Do not let anypony out."
> They both saluted and the squad ran upstairs. It left her alone, but Luna didn't mind in the slightest. An alicorn was a match for any five ponies, even if there were changelings among them.
> She heard Fire Fly's barked orders from somewhere up ahead and nodded grimly. Anypony hiding in those rooms would be in for a nasty surprise. She picked the door to her left and her horn glowed briefly.
> The wood slammed against the wall and Luna leapt into the room.
> It looked like a sitting room which also served as a library. No closets or wardrobes and the only table in the room was made of glass, so nopony could be hiding under it. The Princess gave the room a quick inspection, noting another door in the far wall.
> She ran to it, blasting it to bits even as she approached. Some noise and destruction might unnerve whomever was hiding enough to make them bolt. Then she'd have them.
> Even if they got out on wing, Corporal Silverwing was still floating above the house, keeping an eye for any escapees.
> The next room was a small office, or maybe a workshop. There was a table in the middle with several open books on it and a set of fine tools. Luna didn't take the time to identify what they were doing here. She ducked her head down to check under the table, then glanced around for more hiding spots.
> There was a thick curtain pulled across a window alcove and she lit up her horn to yank it away.
> Nothing.
> Mouth pressed together in a thin line, she hurried back out to the main hallway, where she ran into the captain.
"Fire Fly. Report!"
> He inclined his head, eschewing a full bow, and pointed. "There are kitchens in the back, but all deserted. The pots haven't been used recently and the fire isn't lit. Princess- we may be too late."
> Luna stomped a hoof angrily and shook her head, nostrils flaring.
"I refuse to accept that! Search it all again! Forward Point is searching the upstairs."
> "What about the cellars?" one of the guards with Fire Fly pointed out.
"Good idea! Come with me. The rest of you are with the Captain."
> The guard, Snow Cover, gave a nod and fell in step behind the Princess as she hurried back to the staircase. It stood to reason that the way down would be near the way up.
> It only took her a few seconds to spot the small wooden hatch in the floor. A burst of magic flung it up so hard that it smashed against the ceiling.
> The guardspony didn't even flinch at the noise, Luna was pleased to see. He was about to jump into the darkness, but she put a hoof in his way.
"Light," she said simply and her horn sprang to life.
> A glowing ball of white fire appeared and she sent it down into the darkness. It revealed a narrow stone stairway.
> Snow Cover began walking down, shoulders hunched and tail flicking. He was expecting an ambush at every step.
> Luna followed close behind, sending her light to scout ahead.
> Soon they reached the end of the stairs and the young guard swore under his breath. The Princess hurried after him to see and a small groan escaped her as well.
> "Definitely changeling work," Snow Cover pointed out needlessly.
> There were two slimy cocoons against the far wall. Other than that, there was nothing in the room at all. A lingering smell in the air told Luna that once it must have been full of root vegetables. She smelled potatoes and beets at the very least.
> She sent her light closer to the cocoons and followed it to get a better look. After a moment the guard joined her, armor clanking softly as he shuffled uncomfortably.
> "That's- sweet Celestia!" he exclaimed when the light fell on a familiar muzzle.
"Hmm, so Spring Morning was an actual mare. I wonder how long she's been in there."
> She moved the light to examine the other one and Snow Cover gasped again. "Sergeant Azure Wings!"
> Luna was scowling as if the two unconscious ponies were keeping secrets from her. She looked down at the guard and barked an order:
"Go find the Captain. Send a flier to the Castle and have him bring a doctor. I will free them, but they may need medical attention forthwith!"
> As much as Snow Cover tried to hide it, the relief on his muzzle was palpable. He was glad to be sent away from this place and galloped back to the stairs. Luna remembered too late that there was no light for him to see, but the stallion hadn't asked for any.
> His hoof steps faded into silence as he made his way up top.
> Luna thought quickly. Ponies freed from changeling cocoons were disoriented and weak. They would also probably be frightened.
> Azure Wings might react better, thanks to her guard training, but Spring Morning was a wild card. They hadn't been able to find anything about the mare after she - or rather the changeling in her guise - had foalnapped Anonymous.
> The mare had appeared apparently out of nowhere, having been assigned to the Castle from a small guard garrison near Neighara. Her record had been entirely unremarkable, but when they'd tried looking for her parents, neither she nor Celestia had found anything.
> It could mean that Spring Morning was an orphan, but they'd decided that her entire identity was probably a changeling fabrication. In fact, there was a good chance that the mare's name wasn't even Spring Morning.
> The Princess concentrated for a moment and her light split into four globes of pure white. It lit up the dark room until all the shadows were banished. She sent the orbs to the corners and fastened them there, so she didn't have to think about the magic anymore.
> True, they would dissipate in a matter of hours, but that would be plenty of time.
> Then she focused on the thick, green, gooey membrane of the cocoon itself. She pushed at it with a hoof, noting how it gave way before flowing back. The inside was filled with some kind of liquid.
> She formed a blade out of her magic and chose the point where she plunged it into the goop. It immediately spurted out, some of it staining her hoof guard, but Luna didn't care. With a strong, brisk motion of her horn she made the impromptu dagger tear a long gash downward.
> The ooze spilled out and coated the floor. Some of it went on her legs, but again the Princess paid it absolutely no mind.
> The mare in the cocoon began to slide and Luna abandoned her ephemeral dagger in order to grasp the falling figure with her magic. She lowered her gently to the floor, but she kept supporting the mare around the barrel to keep her upright.
"Wake up, Azure Wings. It's over."
> The mare took a sudden breath, then began to cough. Some of the ooze, whatever it was, sprayed from her mouth as she cleared her throat of the stuff. Then she gulped down another big lungful of air and opened her eyes.
> "W-Where? Wha-?"
> Her eyes tried to focus on Luna and a small smile graced her muzzle. "Pri-Princess?"
> Luna held the guard against her chest fluff, completely ignoring the goop she was smearing all over herself.
"Yes. You are safe, my pony. Relax."
> But it seemed the guard had more to say. Her ears folded down and a spark of anger entered her eyes. "Got me... hallway. Shift- end. Changelings!"
"I know. I know, Azure Wings. We got them."
> It wasn't completely true, or maybe it was. Perhaps Spring Morning, or whoever was in the prison was the only changeling attached to this operation. In either case, it wasn't something Luna wanted Azure Wings to worry about right now.
"Can you stand?"
> The mare put her hooves on the ground and lifted herself on shaky legs. Luna kept the magic supporting her, but the guard took it as a point of pride to stay upright by herself. "H-How long?" she asked after another bout of coughing.
"I don't know exactly. More than a month, less than two."
> The guardsmare nearly toppled over as she lifted up a hoof in salute. "P-Permission to come back on duty, Princess?"
> It made Luna chuckle and pride warmed her heart. The castle guards really were the best of the best.
"After the doctor has checked you out, Sergeant. Sit now and rest. There is one other we have to free."
> Hopefully Spring Morning would take it at least half as well as Azure Wings had. Luna sighed and carefully withdrew her magical support from the guardsmare. She was sitting on her haunches by herself, which was very encouraging.
> The Princess reformed the magical blade and plunged it into the other cocoon with a grim, slightly disgusted expression.

> ~~~~

> Anonymous had to carry a box with a whole chocolate cake in it as they walked back to the Castle. Star Bright had the one with fruit and cream combination.
> That left Blossom and the two guards, Glory Tail and Pepper Crush unencumbered. For the guardsponies it made sense, since they needed to be ready to react to any threats. Not that Anonymous was expecting danger, but it just seemed like the proper thing to do. 
> The mare, however, should have been the one carrying her own damn cake, except that Aura had taken Anonymous aside and told him to help out. Apparently Blossom lacked the effortless balance most earth ponies seemed to possess. Any cake entrusted to her would likely end up as a splatter on the cobblestones.
> On the other hand, Celestia would probably be happy with the gifts they were taking her, so it wasn't that much of a hassle.
> He glanced at Blossom, who was still chattering excitedly at Star Bright. She was so engrossed in whatever she was telling the poor colt that she hardly even watched the street and relied on Bright's occasional nuzzle to direct her down a particular street.
> "Nearly there, sir," Glory Tail announced, mainly for something to say. Anonymous could see perfectly well where they were.
"Good. When do you come off duty today?"
> The guard pegasus glanced at his colleague, then cleared his throat. "Um, we were supposed to be off duty at noon, sir."
> That sent a pang of guilt through Anon, since it had been him who had insisted they stay a little longer. He had wanted to finish telling his story to Storm Pop and Aura had been helping Blossom brush her mane after a shower. It had been too cute to interrupt.
"Sorry about that."
> "No problem, sir. Glad to serve!" the other guard, Pepper Crush said.
"Well, you're getting a slice of these cakes each."
> The offer made Blossom squeak in alarm and she twirled around to face Anonymous. "B-But they are for the Princess!" She made a step closer and reached out a hoof, as if to snatch the package from Anon's hands, but he just lifted it up high, beyond her reach.
"Don't worry, Celestia will get her cake, but you've made rather a lot. You can't expect her and Luna to finish both of these cakes, can you?"
> Now the mare's ears folded down and she blushed, but she didn't reply. Anonymous connected the dots.
"You were expecting them to leave some for you, weren't you?"
> This accusation made Star Bright miss a step and glare at the young mare. "Blossom, we agreed! You already had plenty of sweets for breakfast today!"
> The poor, put upon mare just lowered her gaze to the pavement and heaved the saddest sigh Anonymous had heard out of her yet. She stole a quick glance at Bright and then muttered: "Fine..."
> They resumed walking and Anon carefully moved the cake box to one hand so he could reach down with his other and give Blossom a quick ear-scratch.
"Don't look so glum. I saw you licking the beaters. Poor Aura had to keep washing them!"
> "Yeah," Star Bright agreed. "Counting that, it was like you had two cakes for breakfast today. That's not very healthy Blossom!"
> The young mare got to her hooves and followed. She caught up with Anon and pressed her muzzle against his thigh in apology. "I know," she said. It was still a little dejected, but then she looked at her coltfriend and brightened up. "You're gonna teach me how to kiss instead, okay? I don't think I got the hang of it yet."
> It was the poor colt's turn to squeak in alarm and Anon lifted up the box to hide his grin. There was a faint chuckle from the two guards, but with both of them facing stoically away there was no way to tell which one it was.
"Well, we're basically here. You two can go get some lunch, but make sure you come by the small dining room after for your cake, okay?"
> The guardsponies looked uncertain and Glory Tail replied: "If it's all the same to you, we'll just see you to the dining room. It's on the way to barracks anyway."
> Pepper Crush nodded in agreement.
"As you wish," Anon said.
> As they passed the Castle gate, the two ponies stationed there saluted and Glory Tail returned the gesture. Anonymous just nodded, having his hands full with the box he was holding.
> "Ah, there you are. This is fortunate. Come with me, please," Luna's voice announced from the side. Anon moved the box out of his line of sight and saw the Princess and Silent Spell, who were coming from a side passage.
"Huh? What for?"
> Luna rustled her wings in her impatience to tell him and her muzzle split into a smile. "We found two captives. Azure Wings and, well, Spring Morning."
"Wait, what? Captives? Azure and... Spring?"
> At first it didn't make much sense, but then realization came.
"Oh, so there really is a Spring Morning?"
> "Yes and no," Luna said. She glanced over the other ponies with Anonymous and decided they were allowed to hear this. "The disguise was based on an actual pony from Neighara, but the name was not. Her actual name is Smoke Puff. She has been reported missing nearly five months ago."
> It was too much information too quickly and Anonymous was starting to get lost.
"Hold on, let me take this cake to Celestia and then we can talk," he offered.
> "I can take that, sir," Glory Tail offered.
> This kind of initiative made Luna proud and she inclined her head. "Good. I am not sure why you are fetching cake for sister, but the sergeant can take it the rest of the way. Come with us, Smoke Puff is waiting in the conference room."
"Why me, though? Shouldn't Celestia-"
> Before he could finish his question Luna had already interrupted with an answer: "I do not wish to bother Sister with this. I need you because-" the Princess looked around at the assembled ponies and shook her head. "I will explain later, just come."
> This was both mysterious and ominous, but Anon had no reason not to trust the Princess.For an instant he thought she might be a changeling in disguise, but Silent Spell was with her and he doubted there were any changelings left in the Castle. If there were, they'd have attacked by now, or freed Silvermane and Spring Morning.
"Okay, sure."
> He handed his package to Glory Tail, who easily balanced it on his back and held it in place with his wings. Blossom eyed the box hungrily for a moment, but Star Bright noticed and distracted her with a quick nuzzle.
> "Come on," the colt said, "let's get some lunch and give these to the Princess. Won't she be happy?"
> The young mare squee'd in excitement and pranced a little as they set off. It seemed she liked giving gifts even more than she liked cake, which was useful to know.
> "This way," Luna said, and led the man back the way she had come.

> ~~~~

> Everything went to hell the moment Anonymous stepped into the conference room, right behind Princess Luna. He had a split second to recognize the mare sitting at the table with a cup of something steaming before her.
> She was the spitting image of Spring Morning, but that made sense; the changeling had copied her appearance. To her left was Azure Wings, also with a hot beverage.
> Smoke Puff, which Luna had said was her real name, shrieked at the sight of him and scrambled backward so quickly that she toppled the chair and hit her head on the floor. That didn't stop her, however and the mare scurried into a corner.
> "No no no no," she yelled, "get it away! Get it away from me! HELP!"
> The mares reacted faster than the stunned Anonymous. Azure Wings hurried over to the shouting mare and put her hooves around her. That broke the line of sight, which reduced her shrieking to mere whimpering in terror.
> Meanwhile Luna turned so she was standing in front of Anonymous and nudged him back and out of the room with a hoof. He was dimly aware of Silent Spell slipping past him into the room and slamming the door shut.
"What the hell was that?!" he asked once he could speak again.
> Luna seemed just as surprised and she glanced at the door. "I have absolutely no idea, Anonymous. Perhaps- would you mind waiting here for a minute?"
> He nodded and the Princess pushed him to one side with a hoof, probably so there would be less chance of Smoke Puff catching another glimpse of him, then entered the conference room herself.
> In the moment while the door was open, Anonymous heard Azure Wings' urgent murmuring and Smoke Puff's terrified whining.
> He was shaken at the reaction, but still curious what could have brought it on, so he stepped closer and tried to listen through the closed door.
> There was absolutely nothing and he wondered why they had all gone quiet so suddenly, but then he remembered that there was a permanent spell against eavesdropping on the small room.
> "Anonymous?"
> He twirled around, blushing a little at having been caught spying and at appearing foolish for doing so where it was clearly impossible. It was Princess Celestia, looking at him strangely.
> "Mind telling me what is going on?"
> He hurried over, putting a hand on her withers as much to calm her as to steady his own nerves.
"I have no idea. She just started screaming the moment she saw me!"
> Celestia leaned her head to one side. "Who started screaming?"
"Smoke Puff. The mare Luna rescued from that house they raided today. From a changeling cocoon."
> The Princess frowned a little. "Luna sent word that she had freed some captives, but I was in Court. I came here as soon as Glory Tail and Blossom brought me some cake from Aura and said Luna had dragged you away for something."
"Well, she'll have a lot of explaining to do, I guess."
> Celestia looked at the door and her ears twitched upright. She probably couldn't hear anything, but Anonymous still fell silent and waited for her to finish whatever it was she was doing. Her nose wrinkled and her eyes widened.
"What is it?"
> Celestia just shook her head to herself and focused on the man again. "Tell me exactly what happened when you went in."
"There's not much to tell. Smoke Puff saw me and started yelling like I was going to murder her or something. She knocked over a chair and hid in the corner, and then Luna pushed me back out."
> "I don't understand. Why such fear? Blossom had been exactly the opposite."
> That was right! Anonymous remembered the younger mare's reaction to him and to Celestia. She hadn't been quite as terrified as Smoke Puff, but it was a close thing.
"You're right. I wonder why."
> "We will find out. Come, you need lunch and I think Smoke Puff will need some privacy," Celestia said as she urged the man to turn with a gentle pressure of her wing across his shoulders.
"What? Why? You can't hear what's going in there."
> The Princess shook her head. "No, but I can smell. Somepony... soiled herself. You must really have frightened her, Anonymous. Come, I will send a maid to help clean up."
> An impossible idea occurred to Anon.
"That means she's met humans before. Some bad ones, by the sound of it. But how? And where?!"
> Celestia shrugged. "That is something we will have to find out. Come on, you cannot help if that was her reaction to seeing you. Oh, one more thing: who else is in there with her?"
"Silent Spell and Azure Wings."
> "Good, they will get everything in hoof. We will talk with them later. Come."
> There was nothing for it but to let the Princess lead him away, though Anonymous kept glancing back at the door in disbelief. So scared of him that she peed herself? Just what had Smoke Puff seen?!
> The contrast between her and Blossom could not be more poignant.
> "The cake looked delicious, by the way," Celestia commented, aiming to take his mind off this strange, unsettling new development.
"Well, Aura and Blossom baked both of them. I just helped them carry it here."
> "Still, I thank you," Celestia replied smoothly. "Except next time, please do not promise my cake to guard ponies, Anonymous."
> His mouth fell open and the man looked at the Princess in shock. Surely she wasn't that selfish, even for cake?
> He caught her amused smile and relaxed. She was just joking.
"I'll give what I want to whom I want, Celestia! Don't be greedy!"
> She giggled and stuck her tongue out at him.
"Or else I'll have to revoke your bath privileges again!"
> This threat just made her chortle. "I am no longer in your service, Anonymous."
> He didn't have a counter for that, so he just reached his arm around her withers and patted the side of her barrel as they both laughed.
> She'd succeeded in getting his mind off the incident, though. What had happened with Smoke Puff was strange, but surely there had to be a logical explanation. No doubt Luna or Silent Spell would find it.
> The important thing was that the mare was otherwise alright.

> ~~~~

> Everything was in hoof. Princess Luna was finally able to relax after Azure Wings had taken Smoke Puff away to settle her in a guest room.
> Her reaction to Anonymous' presence had been utterly unexpected, but having heard her story it made sense. She wished it hadn't.
> The Princess was sitting in the small conference room, listlessly staring at the far wall and completely oblivious of the smell.
> A maid had poked her head in to clean it up, but seeing Luna's expression had made the mare mumble something about coming back later and duck back out.
"Tartarus..."
> There came a knock, but Luna didn't really hear it. A moment later the door opened to admit Celestia, who took one look at her sister's muzzle and pushed a chair next to Luna's.
> The wing around her back was welcome, as was the soft, comforting presence next to her, and Luna leaned heavily against the older Princess.
"I will not tell you. It is too horrible, Sister."
> Celestia gave her a nuzzle, her breath warm and smelling faintly of chocolate. "Tell me," came the quiet command. The older sister had spoken softly, but it was an order and Luna knew it.
> She still shook her head, but Celestia grasped her face with her hooves and made her face her. Their eyes met and Luna felt her own fill with tears.
> "Tell me."
> Luna closed her eyes and drew a breath.
"There is another portal, Sister. It leads to a distant, cruel part of Earth. A place where the rule of law applies only loosely. Tartarus, it is worse than... *Tartarus*!"
> This was certainly a surprise and Celestia blinked a few times as her mind obviously raced. "That... explains much. Now tell me the bad part."
> Perhaps she was right. Two could carry the burden more easily than one. True, Azure Wings and Silent Spell had also heard Smoke Puff's story, but it would be the Royal Sisters who had to face this dark story.
> The duty came with the power. They had to deal with it ultimately. Perhaps knowing that it was out of their hooves had made it a little easier on the other three mares.
"We will have to arrange counselling for Azure Wings and Smoke Puff. Perhaps for Silent Spell, as well."
> The investigator had proved quite resilient, at least for now. She had taken charge after Smoke Puff's story had come out.
> Celestia didn't immediately answer, looking worried about what she was about to hear. "We will. Now tell me the rest. Why did you insist to bring Anonymous into this, without even telling me?"
> Luna looked down, ears folding flat. 'The Warrior Princess' was one thing, but this was something else. She had made an error in judgement and disappointed her sister, which never felt good.
"Silvermane is taking orders from one of the human warlords. He is sending gold to them and in return they are giving him slaves. Human slaves."
> "Did you know this before... the incident?"
> Luna shook her head.
"I thought- perhaps, seeing how Blossom took to Anonymous, perhaps Smoke Puff would feel the same. That perhaps she would feel safe confiding in him, like Blossom had done. I did not consider that her experiences might have been that bad."
> Celestia nodded a little to herself. "I see. A mistake, but one anypony might make. I do not blame you, but I wish you would have involved me sooner, Sister."
"Yes, Sister," Luna replied, voice as meek as she could make it.
> "Another portal. That explains Blossom's story and the people in the mine. I did not understand how they could have come through the border, but if there is another portal..."
> Luna nodded slowly and then leaned against her sister once more. Celestia was warm and solid, a real comfort after this revelation.
> "There is more," the older alicorn guessed.
"Yes," Luna admitted. "Silvermane had given some ponies to the humans as servants- slaves!"
> Celestia grunted and her muzzle scrunched up in disgust. "It is hard to believe, even of him. Perhaps he was under duress by the humans?"
> Luna shrugged a little. It would explain his behavior, but she wasn't too optimistic. The stallion had been plotting with changelings and using slaves in his illegal mines. Him selling other ponies into slavery wasn't that much of a stretch.
> "What were they paying him? Gold is worth a lot more than human money," Celestia asked.
"I do not know yet. Silent Spell has promised to find out. Sister, that was not the worst bit."
> "Oh?"
"Smoke Puff- the human warlord..."
> She stopped to draw a shuddering breath and tried to banish the mental image, but now that she had started she had to tell her sister.
"He killed a pony in front of them. An escapee. He said it was an example."
> Celestia was silent and Luna didn't mind. Any words in that moment would be superfluous. She leaned her head on her sister's shoulder and closed her eyes. Such evil was hard to imagine.
> Smoke Puff had been in near panic when she had said it and for good reason. She had spoken of blood. So much blood. Doubtless she would have nightmares. Luna had her work cut out for her.
"What do we do now?" she asked.
> After some more silence Celestia replied: "Have Silent Spell speak with Silvermane again. He will be tried in court, but I do not yet know what the punishment should be. Perhaps... Tartarus?"
> Her voice trembled at the word. It would be the first pony she sent there. At least the first *normal* pony, not some twisted monstrosity which had almost nothing left of the pony they used to be.
"I do not envy you that decision, Sister."
> "I know. Furthermore, I will involve the humans in this immediately. This is no longer only Equestria's problem. If there is a second portal we must have control over it, on both sides."
"Smoke Puff did not know where the portal was, but she knew it was out west someplace. Beyond White Tail Woods; that land is not explored well enough."
> The older alicorn gave a single nod. "I will send some pegasi to look for it."
> Luna lifted her head and looked in her Sister's face.
"I will join them!"
> "Luna-"
"They need an alicorn. They might need magic. Who knows what weapons the humans might have brought into Equestria?"
> Celestia couldn't argue with that, of course. "Very well. Leave as soon as you can. I will tend to matters here."
"Will you tell Anonymous?"
> For a while there was no reply, so Luna just waited patiently. It was an important decision and she did not wish to rush her sister.
> At long last Celestia shivered. "I will have to, but maybe not just yet." She turned to look at Luna. "We will have to tell Eli. He will need to take this news to Earth and coordinate the investigation there."
> It was unfortunate, but Luna agreed, so she nodded.
"I will send him to see you."
> She was about to stand up and begin doing. A plan, at least a start of one, made her feel a little better. The atrocities Smoke Puff had described were easier to bear when she was working on stopping them.
> Celestia's wing pressed her down and Luna complied. "In a minute. I wish to sit with you for a while, Luna."
> Her sister's warm muzzle leaned against Luna's neck and she put her own wing around Celestia.
"Perhaps we go to a different room. This one... smells. We should let the maids clean it."
> Celestia didn't move. "In a minute."