The letter Princess Celestia sent didn't sound particularly urgent, but Twilight wasn't one to dally when assigned with a special project. So, even though it is hard leaving her friends behind, Twilight returned to Canterlot to see what exactly her mentor needed. "Training and experience in Princessly duties" sounded important, but that was so vague it could mean anything!

The carriage arrives at the gates of the castle, and after tipping the driver and getting her light luggage, Twilight scurries to front door. It slides open just as she's about to knock, the regal and beautiful Celestia standing their before her. It's a bright and sunny day, with the yellow of a lovely spring sun shining in through the windows behind her and from outside the door, but still Celestia seemed to be more radiant than both.

The princess brings Twilight in for a hug, and urges her to enter. A guardsman carries the luggage for her as they enter and proceed deep into the castle, down a side passage.

"Now, Twilight, do you have any speculative ideas about why I asked you to come here?"

She did, but they were all harebrained guesses, "no."

Celestia nods curtly, "then I will elaborate on the situation. Suddenly, and without explanation, a creature appeared in Canterlot gardens. He was disorient and incredibly violent. After subduing him we found he was in fact sentient and could communicate with us. Perhaps even be at our intelligence level."

Twilight's eyes sparkled, another new sentient being, and she gets to meet it!? That's why Celestia brought her here, to research, study, learn and maybe even befriend the new entity! The guard carrying her luggage departs from them, likely carrying it to her room here. Another with a small stack of files replaces him a moment later.

"As a Princess it is my job to take care of threats to all of Ponykind, which this thing might be. And, you as my student, must also learn how to take care of them."

Twilight suddenly became very steely, the tone of Celestia's voice is blunt and harsh, which shift's Twilight's opinion of the situation. Celestia doesn't seem to be treating this how she might treat some other situations. This has to be very serious.

"I know you are fond of being able to prod, pick apart and learn new things, so this was in fact the perfect situation. And also, the previous inter— yes interviewer has gotten squeamish and refuses to continue speaking to the subject."

Twilight nods, brow furrowed, feeling both confident and nervous. The stopped along a strange hallway in T-shape. One of the corner rooms had two doors leading to it, windows along the opposite wall illuminating the metal of one door, the other in the shadow of the long hallway.

"This is the holding room. On one side, I and my assistants will be behind a two-way mirror. You will be with the subject, alone, in the other."

"Alone?" Twilight blurts out, swallowing. Her confident veneer letting loose for a moment.

Celestia nods and bows her head low to Twilight, "I believe you will be able to do this. Enough that I am throwing you into the frying pan a bit here, I believe you're smart enough to stand on your own."

"Miss Twilight," the burly guard says, handing her the files he was holding.

"Would you like a moment to review them?" Celestia asks, "there isn't much despite the size of the files. Mostly recordings of what he's been doing in his cell and the like.

Twilight felt drawn to sitting down for a whole day and reviewing this over and over, but hesitated, "no. I think I'll go over them with the subject."

"Hmm, alright," the princess replies. "I'm leaving this in your hooves."

Twilight shakes her head sharply, "are we beginning now?"

"If you're ready, then yes."

Celestia knocks on the unlit door, rapping on the metal with her hoof. After a moment a set of muscled guards exits, and Twilight gets a brief glance at the subject, but only for an instant before the door closes again.

"I think you'll be just fine, not only is he chained to the table, if anything happens you have these two trusty stallions outside to defuse the situation."

Celestia swings open the door again and Twilight quickly scurries in, flinching as the door closes behind her. She keeps her eyes low, reading and re-reading the "confidential" stamped on the front of the first file, not looking at the beast moving slightly across the plain metal table.

"A newcomer, welcome!" it says cheerily. Twilight stumbles back slightly in confusion, such a pleasant reaction. She nearly spills the files on the floor, but quickly tosses them to the table.

"Oh, careful now," he says, his voice decidedly male. Movement catches Twilight's eye, she flicks her head to the mirror, catching the first sight of the specimen.

It's entirely foreign to her. Lanky, strange, mostly covered in simple white garments. Almost like a teenage dragon in height and body composition, but with softer looking flesh. It's facial features are familiar, but oddly placed. For some reason, Twilight's mind recalls great apes or simians she has seen when she looks at it, er, him.

He turns his head to the mirror and gives her a toothy grin. One hand, without visible claws, popping out from under the table to wave at her.

"Looking to the big white one for support?"

"H-huh?" Twilight spurts out, caught off guard. "How did you know she's there?"

"Are you for real?" he laughs, "I've seen plenty of cop shows to know that's a good old fashioned two-way mirror."

Twilight feels a twinge of fear and confusion. Memories of Discord's odd ramblings and silver tongued antics fly about in her head. She quickly seats herself across from him but doesn't look at him directly just yet. She begins filling out a blank piece of paper with a basic heading. Date, approximate time, names all exactly in place and neat.

"H-how," she takes a breath and steadies herself, her eyes still low, pretending to be think about what to write next. "How about we introduce ourselves?"

"Okay, you first."

"I am Twilight Sparkle. Student of Princess Celestia and I will be interviewing you from now on. Who are you?"

"Wow," he begins to clap, chains rattling. "Impressive, someone with some manners!" he raises his voice and directs that last comment to the mirror.

"What do you mean?" Twilight finally looks up at him. Nearly a head taller than her despite being in the same size chair. Piercing gaze, and formerly warm face twisted in a mask of pure distaste.

"The last one didn't bother asking me my name."

"Well, I am asking it," Twilight tries her best to muster up a half-smile but it quickly deflates under the beast's ghastly gaze.

He loosens up again, relaxing the muscles in his face and turning his head to the side, "don't worry about it. My name wouldn't hold meaning here. It's 'Twilight Sparkle' or Sunshine Flowerfuck or any of those dumb names."

Twilight blushes and recoils, "that is quite rude of you to say!"

"You have me chained to a fucking table, dipshit, and you want me minding my manners? Are you fucking assholes for real?"

Twilight gulps and looks down, avoiding his harsh words, she hears the door creak open slightly but she closes it firmly with her magic. That wasn't enough to get her to chicken out. Just big talk from a confused animal.

He calms again, "just write down Anonymous or John Doe, something like that for the file."

Twilight nods and scribbles down the first one.

"Do you know why you are here?" Twilight asks.

"In this room, you mean? Or Equestria in general?"

"Equestria."

He nods and steels up again, leaning forward nearly half way across the table, "I have been sent from the future to to eradicate all the ponies on the face of this planet you call Equestria!"

Twilight's face locks in a mask of terror, mouth agape. She slides down in her chair, towered over by Anonymous' shadow.

"I'm just kidding," he breaks into another smile and slumps back down, posture loose and relaxed.

She lets out a huff of air, her fear dispelled but the jitters still fluttering in her body. "Do you know why you're in this room with me?"

He shrugs at first, but then nods, "you gotta talk to the monster for a school project?"

"Well—" she begins.

"I knew it!" he jumps up in triumph, only to bang his leg against the table, chains restricting his movement.

"Are you okay?"

"Relatively."

Twilight allows him a moment to collect while she reads through the other files. There is incredibly little here, the former interviewer extracted no information at all. It looks like this is the most he's talked in the week he's been here. What could he have done that was so bad? Why did the old inspector quit?

"Could you tell me a bit about your past?" Twilight's voice is shaky, she's suddenly aware of all the piercing gazes behind the glass.

"I could, but would you really understand any of it? No, you would be dumbfounded if I told you about my car, my job, house and all my other human buddies. You'd be starring at me with the same goddamn stupid expression you are now. Just like the other drooling idiot they had in here before you."

He was standing now, half crouched with the chains keeping him from fully standing up, teeth grinding.

"I'll tell you something else. Why don't I tell you about where they keep me?"

The door slings open, Twilight didn't even notice, locking eyes with the human. A trio of guards pile in, and Celestia quickly nabs Twilight up.

"Time's up," she coos to Twilight as she gently nudges her out the door.

Author's Note

Please understand.