Twiastasia

“How far out are we Twilight?”

“Hmm… A few miles? Maybe? These maps never paint a good enough picture of the distance between landmarks…”

Gile facepalmed. “Ughhh… Figured we’d be done walking once we reached Equestria. Y’know, for how important you are, you’d think they’d have the red carpet rolled out for us or something.”

Twilight blushed at her ‘importance.’ There’d been little obstacles in the way of the friends since arriving in Equestria, besides the beauty of the world itself. Sometimes, the group would stop by a cliff overlooking a mountain range, or a gentle brook babbling through a lightly-treed forest and be overcome with the picturesque magic of it all. It was a stark constant to the rarity of such sights in Echidna. Everywhere you looked, it seemed nature was in perfect balance with everything else. Often times, pegasi could be spotted high above in the sky, placing clouds in seemingly random spots, only for suddenly everything to click together.

Equestria was a living, breathing canvas, and the ponies who lived here did their own unique part to make their world as beautiful as they could. Way off, high in the clouds, loomed a huge cloud formation. The kind ponies of Vanhoover had said that this would be a sign that they was going in the right direction. They told of the pegasi homeland Cloudsdale, and of it’s legendary weather factory. It was as if the pegasi had moved their own version of Drachen into the sky, except, this one was made of clouds, and it’s machines pumped out beautiful works of art, like the mythical rainbow. The creatures had only heard of the thing in legends and foal’s tales, all the colors of the world, individual, but united together, painting shimmering beauty across the skies.

Anon caught Twilight with streaming tears at the sight, and had gone to comfort her, but she could only remark that she had no idea why she was crying. She certainly wasn’t sad, but the tears were still flowing. Anon had just smiled at this, wrapping her in a hug.

“I suppose this must be the Whitetail Woods, so we gotta be close, but…”

“Don’t worry about it Twi, we’ll get there. ‘Sides, I don’t think Gile really minds spending more time out here.” Anon pointed out the unresponsive griffon, his face staring off past the tree leaves that allowed thousands and thousands of sunbeams through their weak canopy. It was almost noon now.

“Huh- Oh shut up… Say, what do you think being on a train is like?”

Anon kicked a rock along the grass, hands in his pockets. “Dunno. Always liked watching ‘em come and leave in Drachen though.”

“Is that what that was? That big metal thing? W-wait, they don’t move along these tracks do they!?”

Anon chuckled at Twilight. “Sure do, Twi.”

The unicorn yelped and bounced a few steps back. “Gah! T-those things are so loud! They really move ponies around? I thought they were just another machine for… w-whatever those factories do in Drachen.”

“Don’t worry mare, I doubt anything’s gonna hurt us here.” Fizzy tried eyeing down the tracks, trying to see wherever they stopped. “The ponies here really got Equestria tamed, down to where each blade of grass goes. Isn't that somethin'...”

Fizzy flicked her tail at Twilight, causing her to jump again. She slowed her pace a bit and beckoned Twilight to do the same as the human and griffon took lead. Fizzy lowered her voice, so the others wouldn’t hear.“Twilight… You okay? You’ve been either jumpy or mopey since we got to Equestria. You ought to be excited! You’re finally home, ya know?”

Twilight’s ears pinned back, blush creeping across her face and a good scrunch on her snout. “Y-you noticed huh?”

“Mare, everypony’s noticed. C’mon, tell me what’s wrong.” Fizzy winked. “Promise I won’t tell the boys~.”

“Mmh… It’s Anon…”

“What about him?”

“W-well… Before you and I, well, formally met… I overheard him and Gile talking one night, they must’ve thought I was asleep.”

Fizzy could see where this was going.

“Go onnn…”

“... I’m so confused. I don’t know much about anything right now, but… When I think about Anon, and how much he and Gile have helped me, and how I… put them through so much that I didn’t have to, I get this… weird feeling in my stomach.”

“Hon… nopony is upset or blames you for what you did. You were scared and didn’t know what to believe. Tension was high all around, don’t kick yourself for wanting to be sure of things.” Fizzy let Twilight digest that for a bit until asking the question she really wanted to ask. “Sooo… What sorta feeling?”

Twilight whisper-shouted a bit, eager to not attract the attention of the human a few feet in front of her. “How am I supposed to know!? I-it’s like… Guilt? Maybe? Guilt and butterflies.”

“... I think you gotta unpack that a bit more, Twilight.”

Twilight’s muzzle was hitting levels of scrunch not thought possible.

“Grr… I don’t know how!”

Anon and Gile cranked their heads back questioningly, but Fizzy waved them off lackadaisically with a hoof. She closed her eyes shut, tight in thought. The sarcasm in this was lost on Twilight.

“Hmm… You know what I think, Twi?”

The unicorn pleaded silently with big, hopeful eyes.

“I think you got a crush. And I know Anon’s got one too.”

Twilight sighed dejectedly.

“Hoh… That’s a bad thing, isn’t it…”

“Wha- no!”

Anon and Gile cranked their heads back again at the noise. Fizzy waved them off again, this time more aggressively.

“It’s love, mare! Well, maybe not love yet, but like.”

“... I like crushing Anon…?”

Fizzy sighed.

“Mare, no. You like Anon, as in you like being around him and you wanna continue being around him. Like, like-like.”

“... I don’t get it.”

Fizzy facehoofed now.

“Didn’t think this’d be so hard- Twilight, listen. I think that you like him romantically, and that’s totally normal. It’s a part of life! Falling for a stallion, realizing it’s love, yadda yadda. When I say you wanna be with Anon, I mean you wanna be with him as more than just a friend. You wanna, like, kiss and cuddle and stuff.”

Twilight touched a hoof to her lips, clearly more confused than before.

“Like… with my mouth?”

Anon cranked his head back again. “The Tartarus are you two talking about?”

“Focus on finding the town Anon!” Fizzy threw a pebble at the human’s head.

“Shit, fine mare! Jeez…”

Appeased, Fizzy gave a friendly look back to Twilight.

“Twi… look: Think on your feelings now, and next time you get a moment alone with Anon… Bring this stuff up to him. Show him that you’re confused, and also curious, and he’ll help you. Then, maybe once you’ve gotten your memories back, you can take a step back and think about how you truly feel about you and him. Sound good?”

After a couple seconds of thought, Twilight nodded.

“I-I think so… Thank you Fizzy. For trying to help… E-even if I’m not the best learner.”

“Don’t put yourself down like that mare, you’re a good learner, you just don’t remember being one. I mean, Hearthstone said herself that you’re the Princess’ pupil, right? That’s gotta account for somethin’. “

Twilight giggled. “You really think so?”

“Hey, I know so.”

A few yards ahead, Gile flashed a smile at Anon. He figured it cute that the ponies were trying to whisper, but he was a griffon, and griffons have very good hearing. Their stupid human friends, on the other hand…

“They’re keepin’ secrets back there, you know.”

Anon absentmindedly ran a hand through his hair.

“I know, and I don’t like it.”

“Ooh, doesn’t feel very good being on the receiving end of the secret-sharing now does it?”

“Man, shut up… So what’re they saying?”

Gile turned his head, staring off into the far off hills.

“Oh nothin’... Just mare stuff.”

…

A few hours later, Gile would finally catch sight of what seemed to be a little hamlet, carved right out of the edge of the Whitetail Woods and a much denser, ominous forest. The town was segmented down the middle by a thin stream.

The four creatures slowly made their way into what they assumed had to be Ponyville. Though it was to be expected this far out in the outskirts, the lack of ponies or, really, any living thing caused some confusion in the group.

That is, until a pink blur collided with Twilight faster than anyone could react to.

Anon figured that this must’ve been the ‘surprise’ the ponies in Vanhoover were alluding to. Was this town not a safe place? Had this been some sort of trick? These thoughts raced through his head for roughly a second, before the relieved sobs of somepony he’d never heard before registered in his brain.

“T-Twilight!! I-it’s really you! Oh my Celestia, where’ve you been, we were worried sick…”

The pink mare clung tight and refused to budge, much to Twilight’s annoyance. Anon wasn’t sure what to do with the situation, nor were Gile and Fizzy.

“Aargh! W-who are you, what are you doing!?”

The pink mare looked as if she’d been struck by Twilight.

“W-what? W-what are you talking about you silly filly? I-it’s me Pinkie!”

Anon took a knee besides the pony pile, putting a hand on Pinkie’s shoulder.

“I’m guessing you must be a friend of Twilight’s?”

The pink mare looked up, her tear-filled face heavy with confusion.

“O-of course mister big weird monkey thing! Twilight’s like, my bestest friend ever!”

Anon chose to ignore that monkey remark.

“She’s had… some sort of accident. My friends and I here heard about her from the bounty. We found her in Cabaluus, and have been traveling for months to get here. Tell me, do you know how we can get to Canterlot?”

Though Pinkie was still crying (and sitting atop Twilight,) her attitude shifted rather dramatically.

“Cabal-who?”

“... That’s not important right now, what is is getting her memories back, and-”

“Woah woah woah, hanggg on a second buster! You said Twilight’s memories were erased? And you three brought her back from Cabalwho?”

Fizzy rubbed her foreleg. “W-well, I came onto the team pretty late.”

In a heartbeat, Anon, Gile, and Fizzy were wrapped in the bearhug to end all bearhugs by the crazy pink pony.

“YOU THREE ARE MY NEW BESTEST FRIENDS EVER!!! Thank you so so so soo much!! We’ve all been super worried about her since what happened in the Badlands!”

“D-damn mare’s got a grip like a vice…” Gile choked out.

“Hey now, everypony hold on a second!”

Twilight’s plea was ignored by Pinkie, who gasped dramatically.

“Oh my gosh! I need to tell the rest of our friends! Eeee~! They’re gonna be so excited to see you’re safe! Meet us at the library raceyouthere~!”

And just as soon as the pony had come, she had vanished.

Twilight’s head fell back into the grass.

“Ughh… She knew what had happened to me and now she’s run off…”

Anon picked up Twilight in his arms, earning an embarrassed squeak from Twilight, and a knowing giggle from both Fizzy and Gile.

“Well… She said to meet at the library. Some directions would’ve been nice, but…”

…

“For a town with a name like Ponyville, sure ain’t seeing a lot of ponies…”

Anon shot his griffon friend a glance, but honestly, was inclined to agree. Ponyville seemed like a total ghost town. Sometimes, Anon would catch fearful eyes staring from behind curtains in certain windows, only for them to quickly retreat. If that pink pony’s claim of Twilight being her ‘best friend’ was true, that could really only mean one thing:

“Just keep an eye out for any place that looks like a library. Any of this look vaguely familiar to you Twi?”

Twilight huffed in Anon’s arms, looking about. She seemed to not mind being held like this…

“Why would it? I think you of all creatures would know I can’t remember anything of Equestria.”

“Well… I’m pretty sure this place was your home, once upon a time.”

That gave the mare some pause.

“... Shit, good point Anon.”

Twilight now darted her head about to and fro, hoping to spark some sort of awakening in her mind.

“Wow, check out that big tree- uh, it’s got a door.”

Anon followed Fizzy’s line of sight, settling on the tree. It, indeed, had a door. And windows. And a balcony. It was a very strange sight to behold for everyone. Though, it wasn’t anything compared to that house that seemed to be made entirely out of candy… Ponyville is a very strange place.

“... Weird. Doesn’t look like a library to me though.”

The human was going to turn away and look elsewhere, but Twilight stopped him.

“L-let’s check it out.”

“You sure? I mean, I don’t see why not, but…”

“Who knows? Maybe there’ll be somepony in there who could tell us where the library is.”

Anon shrugged his shoulders and lead the way. He gently kicked at the door with his foot to knock…

No response.

“... Think we should just go in?”

Fizzy batted Gile’s shoulder. “No stupid! That’s somepony’s house!”

“But there’s no lock.”

“Yeah there- Oh. No there isn’t. Huh.”

The griffon clicked his tongue. “Context clues, smarty pants,” Twilight’s ear flicked. “I’m goin’ in.”

…

Inside, were books. Books all around. All neatly put in place. There was not a single sheet of paper on the main desk in the middle of the room out of alignment. All had been stacked neatly in their spot. Apparently, this tree had been hollowed out quite thoroughly, yet it still budded many leaves on it’s branches. Even deeper hollows into the wood served as bookshelves, and each was packed to the brim. This had to be the library, and whoever operated it kept it in good shape. In another room, multiple voices were heard. Seemingly, they hadn’t heard the door open over their conversation. They spoke with shaky tones, dripping with sadness.

“Honestly dear, I… I can’t believe you dragged us all here! You know how it still upsets us! Heavens, just look at Fluttershy! Oh darling, come here…”

“I agree with Rarity, sugarcube. If ya claimed to of found her, h-hugged her even, why wouldn’tchya bring her with you?”

A familiar voice could be heard sniffling. It was that ‘Pinkie’ pony, the one from earlier.

“I-I’m sorry! I-I was just, just so excited she was finally back home safe- I-I-I wanted to make sure you all saw her too, make sure I wasn’t just seeing things…”

Eccentric or not, Anon saw it unfit to let the other ponies, assumedly Twilight’s friends, drill into Pinkie about her while she was just over in the other room.

“Ahem.”

“Oh! B-by Celestia, who could that be!?”

A gorgeous white unicorn trotted angrily into the room.

“Y-you have some nerve mister, coming here whilst- TTTWWIIILIIIIGHTTTT!!”

Her last word was accentuated by her exotic-sounding inflection being stretched into a shocked scream. That is, before she fainted to the floor.

Twilight peered up at Anon, a queer look on her face as the ponies in the other room seemed to hesitate from the unicorn’s odd outburst.

“... Are all of my friends so dramatic?”

Anon offered a strained smile.

“Well, you were gone for a long time, Twi.”

Slowly, new faces appeared in the doorway, their eyes all widening in astonishment. Well, besides Pinkie, who’s eyes sparkled.

“See!? I told you she was here!”

There was an orange pony, with gleaming emerald eyes and a stetson atop her blonde mane.

“I… I can’t believe it… Twilight?”

Another face, a little yellow pegasus with a long pink mane. Her teal eyes were filled with tears. Though she said nothing, her mouth hung open loosely.

The last face, another pegasus, this one blue and rocking the strangest mane any of the creatures had ever seen. She too said nothing.

Finally, and the most shocking of the faces, was a young drake. No one at Anon’s side had ever seen the mythical beasts of legend, nor did they know they could be so small. Twilight’s wide eyes were fixed intensely on his, so soaked with tears silently wept. When he eventually did speak, it came out cracked.

“I-I kept the library neat for you, j-just how you like it.”

That was all that needed to be said from the baby dragon. Almost instinctively, Twilight jumped from Anon’s arms, rushing to embrace the dragon. She knew not why she did this, why she too began to cry. Maybe it was the feel of the room getting to her, but she knew one thing for sure:

His arms felt so right, wrapped around her neck.