Author's Note

Original greentext format can be found here.

Green and Envy

"We do not like removing Our helmet, Anonymous. We feel particularly... vulnerable. Naked."

You raise an eyebrow, partly in questioning, but also partly in amusement. "Aren't ponies always naked?" You quip. "Besides, who do you think you're making yourself vulnerable to? We've wiped out nearly ALL of your enemies."

You are Anonymous, enigma of Equestria, trapped in a colourful world that you never thought possible. Through some mishap involving trying to dig out something hidden deep within the trunk of your car, you accidentally tumbled in, and found yourself in this strange, magical world filled with previously fictional, talking cartoon horses that you shamefully masturbated to.

And what was the first thing you did upon finding yourself in this wonderful land? Align yourself with the bad guy, of course. Not that you saw her that way. Call it sympathy for the devil, or something like that. Nightmare Moon was the one who had found you in the Everfree, and after a quick inquiry as to who and what you were, she had been surprisingly kind to you, providing you safe passage. Through small talk, she told you of her mission, which was to retrieve the Elements of Harmony before they could be used against her. Having already known how the situation would play out for her, and unwilling to see tragedy befall the first friendly face you met upon arriving, you insisted on helping her.

Also, you may have had a crush on her, but you insist that had absolutely no bearing whatsoever in your decision to help remove the immortal sun princess in power.

Now, here you are, hitting it off with the most powerful mare in Equestria.

She gives a snort, and sends you a condescending look. "Celestia was well-loved by her subjects, and We are not. Our enemies are many, and could strike from unexpected angles. We must always be vigilant of assassins."

Sighing, you slump back in your seat next to Luna's grand, obsidian throne. "You're in the center of your castle, surrounded by your most loyal of Honour Guards. How about at least taking it off while you hold court? Seriously, you look so much better without it."

A blink and a pause later, she responds. "Does thou... really think so...?"

Resting your cheek in your hand, you briefly scrutinize Nightmare Moon's unarmoured visage. "Yeah, definitely. You know, you're pretty beautiful when you're not giving that death glare or evil-looking smile like you always do." She give you a funny look at this remark. "Don't cover yourself up and hide under that thing. You've got the look. Flaunt it."

You hear her let out the breath she seemed to be holding as she turns away from you. It was hard to see under her black coat, but you smirked a little upon seeing that blush of hers. "A-Anonymous, please. Flattery shall get thou nowhere... Especially not in front of the guards."

Huh... She's never reacted like this before... Feeling a little emboldened, you lean a bit towards her in your seat, smiling like a big cat. "C'mon... you know it's true... You're powerful, sexy, and have the country in your hoof. Let your hair down a little. Or... flow freely in a non-existent wind, I guess."

"A-Anonymous! W-We are in the middle of court! Show some restraint with your... your... flattering silver tongue!" Wow, she used to be annoyed by your pathetic flirting attempts, but now it's working? Playing to her ego was a surefire way to get on her good side, no matter how much she pretended she was above that.

"Flattering tongue, eh?"

"N-NEXT SUBJECT! PRESENT THY MATTER BEFORE THE CROWN!"

*~*~*~*

*~*~*~*

The next several hours were business as usual, with the Queen and her subjects did most of the talking. You sort of just... sat there and fetched papers every now and again, and maybe locate a castle staff member who might be needed at a given time. You're kind of like a glorified errand boy, but Nightmare Moon claimed that she would not tolerate anyone else to sit beside her for such a length of time.

Finally, the clock struck 6. It was time to end the night's court and raise the sun. You were pretty glad you managed to convince her to let go of that "eternal night" bullshit. She was kind of bitchy about it at first, but you managed to break through to her that a country full of dead ponies would be a pretty hollow victory. You felt like an asshole just thinking about it, but you got a hearty chuckle when the ponies first rejoiced at the sun once again taking its place in the sky, only for them to see that Nightmare Moon was still in charge.

In retrospect, it kind of felt like a mean-spirited prank.

The queue of ponies was dismissed, and given the time when court would be held again. The few court staffers and Lunar Guards were relieved of duty, switching out for the golden-armoured Royal Guard. What few of them that had chosen not to defect or abandon their duty certainly didn't have to compete for hours like they used to. Hiring would be slow for awhile, since it was hard to imagine many ponies trampling over each other for the chance to be employed by the bogeymare who overthrew their kind, gentle, benevolent sun princess.

Part of you is okay with that, though. You'll try to hold onto your little errand-boy gig if it means you get to stay close with the queen. Despite what the rest of the country thought of her, you had really taken to her. Hell, you had helped her execute a daring coup of Equestria, how could you NOT be close after that?

The rest of the day carried on with little else worth noting. No assassination attempts in the past 6 days, a new record. That was particularly relieving, not because you feared for your safety or anything like that, but things tended to get messy when Luna dealt with traitors and assassins. Seriously, more than "just a few" carpets have had to be thrown out and replaced because they were simply too stained with blood to clean properly. On that note, you remind yourself to pick up some more Pledge later on, which annoys you, since you just bought two cans, and there's not even any wood in the palace.

For dinner, you both agreed to indulge yourselves a little. Prime-cut steak, shipped from half-way across the world! If anyone could afford those outrageous shipping and import fees, it would be her. There was good reason to go a little nuts for dinner, It was Friday, after all. It sure as hell beat having frozen pizza for the twentieth time.

Before you know it, it's 10 AM. When did it get so late?

As per usual, the two of you would return to your own separate quarters when the work day was through. Your room was located in the same wing as her's, only a few doors down from the room of the ruler. In your mind, another perk of the "Henchman Loyalty Program". This is where the two of you part ways for the day, saying your 'good day''s as she would continue to the end of the hall towards her quarters. Just as you're about open the door, you notice Nightmare Moon is still standing next to you, a look of hesitation on her visage. You're about to ask her if something's wrong when she finally says something.

"Anonymous, about what you were saying earlier during court..."

Oh, fuck. She's probably going to give you shit for those comments you made to her. This is kind of embarrassing, it felt like being scolded by your boss for childish behaviour... Which actually, it kind of was, exactly.

"Oh, look, I'm sorry if I took that too far. I was just kidding around." You manage to avoid a nervous stutter that would betray just how scared shitless you really are. Despite that, you were being honest. It was nothing unusual for you to make flirty comments to her, but she usually thought nothing of it, or brushed them off with annoyance. You had a professional relationship, and you suppose you were close enough to consider her a friend. That was about it, though. You figured by now she wasn't really going for it after all of her groaning and rolling her eyes at your lame advancements. Whatever. It's fine, you're still close with her, and that's more or less good enough for you.

She blinks, her face blank. "You were... merely jesting?" She says this with a tone of what you suspect to be disappointment, though you're not quite sure why. Her ceremonial combat helmet that she was carrying with her quickly finds its place back on her royal head. The jerkiness and haste of the adornment suggests that she regrets taking it off.

"Um, yeah? I was just kidding, Luna." You tread careful in this proverbial minefield you've suddenly found yourself in. "You know I just like to joke around with you. Didn't mean to get you so flustered in the middle of court."

Her face is completely unreadable as you try to figure out if you're still in trouble or not. She looks off to the side, leaving you utterly perplexed, unknowing if she is pissed off at you or not. "Thou art the only one whom We allow to call Us by Our true name." She replies, quietly.

Uh oh, that answers your question. She tends to revert to her old-timey dialect when she's irritated or angry. What was that comment about, though? It didn't sound like an irritated chastisement.

Against your better judgement, you prod, ever-so-slightly. "I uh... thought I was the only one who even knows your real name, besides Celestia?"

After a pause, she looks back up to you, a tired, sad-looking smile on her face. "Yes... We suppose that still holds true." Her look hardens just a bit, as she lowers her voice to something more commanding. "See that it stays that way."

You give a little mock salute. "Yes, my queen."

With what sounds to be a sigh of fatigue and eye roll, she turns to head down the rest of the way to her room. "We shall reconvene in the evening, dear Anonymous."

You smile, and give a little nod her way before entering your suite, "You bet!"

Finding yourself in your room, you go through your usual late-morning routine before bed: Shower, brush teeth, realize there are no palace-issue jammies for humans, then collapse into bed in nothing but your underpants.

The thick curtains do a good job of blocking out that pesky sunlight, allowing your room total darkness. Before falling asleep, you continue to ponder that interaction with Luna. What was that about? She seemed a little scatterbrained, there. It was probably just the stresses of being an unpopular ruler getting to her. She got her revenge against Celestia, maybe she just needed some more time to let it sink in. She's pretty strong, though, she lasted a thousand years in complete isolation without breaking down into a non-functioning wreck... as far as you can tell. Hell, she completely managed to bowl over the ones who tried to stop her as soon as she got back, for whatever that says of her mental integrity.

Maybe she just needs some more time to get settled in her new-found seat of power. She's had a rough life, and only now, after thousands of years, have things started to go her way. You'd help her however you could, since you're her loyal 2IC, and she's so good to you.

You yawn, getting comfortable beneath the covers of the expensive palace guest bed.

She's a super lady.

*~*~*~*

*~*~*~*

You are the uncontested Queen of Equestria. You are The Lady of Darkness, The Keeper of the Stars, The Night Mare, The Nightmare, and once upon a time... Luna.

For a thousand years you've been planning your vengeance, and it has mostly gone all according to plan. The throne is yours, and your 'dear' sister is paying in kind for what she did to you. You have won, victory has been seized, and you should feel euphoria like you've never felt before in your long life...

You have no friends, no one loves you, your subjects mostly fear and hate you. They want Celestia back and for you to go away forever. A thousand years, and nothing has really changed.

So this is what winning feels like. This is the victory you longed for.

Giving a nod to your stoic Lunar Guards posted outside your door, you head inside to retire for the day. A heavy sigh escapes you as you make your way over to your vanity. Well actually, Celestia's vanity, to be exact.

Everything, even this entire castle, is stolen from her. Acceptable collateral for all she stole from you those many years ago, you suppose, though you still haven't had time to really make the transfer of ownership 'official' by redecorating. You had some moon and night banners around the castle, but that was about it. Heavens above, you're still sleeping in a sun-themed bed for crying out loud. Well, it's not like any tailors are offering their services to make any custom, night-themed bed sheets for you.

You regard the reflection you see in the mirror... Yes, a very sad mare is still there. This hasn't changed, even after what was supposed to be your hour of glory. Slowly, you remove your iconic helmet, setting it down in front of you. Heavy locks of your spectral-coloured mane droop down your forehead, taking a more physical, hair-like shape once freed from the headgear. As usual, the rest of it trails behind you, stars twinkling within constellations that only you had cared to memorize.

"He was simply jesting." You say to yourself, to let yourself down just one last time before the end of the morning.

Your reflection didn't smile much these days... Then again, it didn't smile much a thousand years ago, either. You had done just much as her, so why couldn't they have loved you like they loved her? Again, you sigh, albeit a bit more angrily, this time. You had spent over a thousand years trying to find an answer to that question, and haven't come up with a remotely satisfying answer. Damn it all, it was just so unfair...

Summoning your dark magic, you remove your lilac-coloured chest piece, and set it onto the Celestia-sized mannequin next to you. Next, you set your helmet on top of it. Finally, your four regal, sparkling shoes are the last to come off. The mare in the mirror looks noticeably different without her trademark 'spooky' regalia. The fangs and irises are enough to keep you frightening enough if you must be, you suppose.

There you are, completely naked, just like a commoner. They'd like that, right? Make you seem a bit more relatable? You scoff softly at that thought, it would take a lot more than simply undressing like them to win them over.

Still... It bothered you greatly that Anonymous had said that his comments were insincere. That was truly hurtful, even if he hadn't meant it to be that way. Frankly, you're shocked that it affects you so. You've taken sharper words from your own subjects, so why does it sting so much coming from him?

Oh come now, you know the answer to that, don't play clueless with yourself. It's because now you like him in a way you haven't before, you pathetic little schoolfilly, and now he's just taunting you. Perhaps it's mostly your fault, though. He had shown signs of interest towards you, and you rejected him. He even remained completely and utterly loyal to you despite this. A regretful mistake on your part.

Anonymous had been the only one not to run from you or attempt to "stop" you. In fact, he seemed to be on your side from the very beginning when you had first found him, and he seemed strangely well-informed of the circumstances regarding your mission. But he had helped you secure your revenge, and has remained close to you since.

He was by no means attractive in the conventional pony-sense for obvious reasons, but still... There was a sort of 'exotic' charm to him. He appeared very different, but not necessarily unpleasant to look at. If anything, you could say that his looks are an acquired, alien taste, and he's really grown on you.

Grumbling to yourself, you decide that there's no point dwelling on it. With no spring in your step, you dreadfully trudge over to Celestia's grandiose bed, and crawl beneath the white, sun-themed covers. Made for an alicorn, designed specifically for her, and appropriated by you. It even still smelled like her usual perfume-y scent, since you hadn't found time to give the sheets a proper wash. Over a thousand years later, and she still used that same scent of perfume. Deep down, it felt like your sister's last laugh at you. A reminder that you may have beaten her, but that you're still in HER world.

Oh, that perfect, insufferable bitch.

As you close your eyes, you wonder if Anon still has any feelings like that for you, still. The kind that he would keep from himself because he knows what would come of them already. Perhaps he's thinking of you right now? Oh, don't flatter yourself, he's made up his-... Well... Maybe it wouldn't hurt to 'check.'

You feel yourself becoming lighter and lighter as you work your way through the conscious realm. Inwardly, you smile as you enter the one place Celestia could never take from you, even after a millennium of being imprisoned within your own element.

You enter the dreamscape.

Searching for the correct dream wouldn't be difficult, since it was literally a stone's throw a way from you down the hall. Before taking the plunge, you ponder quizzically about what kind of dreams a creature like Anonymous would have. Does he dream about his old world? His old life?

He had told you early on that he was not a native to this planet, and that he should have turned left at "Albert-kerkee;" His words. Must have been some kind of his-world humour... You chose to spare yourself that headache, since you could barely keep up with the humour of this world's present age. In a shocking contrast to what Equestria may think, you actually did like to laugh, just only at things that were actually funny.

But perhaps he has a family that he misses back home, or old friends that he longs for? The human mind could be a fascinating thing. Hesitating no longer, you propel yourself forward, entering the dream of Anonymous.

*~*~*~*