All Aboard

Between the wholly unexpected emergence of the sun the night prior, and the fact that Anon had been spotted entering Celestia’s chambers shortly before the event, it wasn’t long before the castle was abuzz about the royal couple. Many of the staff and guard had speculated about the pair being an item, but having their suspicions confirmed caused quite the stir. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on who you were asking, the Princess and her faithful knight wouldn’t be around for long enough to ask questions about the celestial incident; the elder alicorn would be leaving later that morning for one of her semiannual tours of the Empire - with her bipedal companion, of course.

With the train set to arrive in Canterlot before noon, Celestia and Anon awoke and began readying themselves for the day. Despite their somewhat tumultuous and romantically charged night, they both realized that delaying their departure would be both an egregious breach of conduct and exacerbate the gossip which was likely making its way through Canterlot. After showering and making themselves presentable, the duo strolled to the banquet hall to help themselves to a bit of breakfast.

“You don’t - uh - think too many ponies are going to ask questions?” Anon muttered, walking alongside the Princess.

He’d noticed at least one chambermaid giggling at the sight of them, as well as a praetorian who was apparently struggling not to smile as they passed, so he was almost positive that the secret was already out. He’d confessed his feelings for the Princess and spent a very passionate evening with her - now he’d have to deal with the ramifications.

“Oh I’m sure a great many of them have questions, although I doubt all but the most brazen or brave would ask us directly,” Celestia remarked, smiling over at him. “I wouldn’t be too worried. After we return to Canterlot, I’ll be sure to deal with any pressing concerns.”

Having never courted a pony, or a royal for that matter, Anon found himself in unfamiliar waters. From what he’d gathered, there was nothing overtly taboo about romantic endeavors between differing species of the land, yet he couldn’t stop himself from being self-conscious. He’d hate for anypony to think ill of her, seeing as how she was one of the oldest and most influential ponies in all the land.

Noting his unease, she slowed. “Really, there’s nothing to worry about. I may be a Princess, but that doesn’t mean I’m above being in a relationship. For goodness sake, everypony is free to find love - myself included.”

He raised a finger to protest, yet thought better of it. “Yeah, you make a good point.”

Celestia nodded, affixing him with her warm smile. “Honestly, there are only a hoofful of creatures who may give us any trouble and I’d be sure to handle them.”

“And whom, dear sister, would those creatures be?” a voice rang out, causing the pair to turn.

Lethargically trotting around a corner, not some dozen yards away, appeared Princess Luna. While it wasn’t uncommon to bump into the young diarch in the early morning or late afternoon, she seemed to be somewhat worse for wear; dark bags rested beneath her eyes and she looked far more exhausted than usual. As she wearily drew nearer, scowling at her sister, she almost entirely ignored the man by Celestia’s side.

“L...Luna! I trust your night went smoothly?” the elder alicorn stammered, caught off guard by her sibling’s question and dubious state.

“No,” Luna flatly responded, coming to a halt before her sister. “Between addressing the public as to why the sun suddenly rose, after it had set, and assuring the guard that thou were alright, I’m exhausted.”

“I…” Anon began, drawing the baleful gaze of the fatigued alicorn. Falling silent, he swallowed. He hadn’t intended to cause an upset, though he’d done so all the same. “Thanks…”

“While I am pleased that you two finally worked up the gumption to profess thine sentiments for one another, please attempt to abstain from upending the cosmic order,” the night Princess huffed, looking between the two. “It was bad enough that I had to endure regular interruptions from ponies last night, but I hadn’t been prepared to deal with Discord.”

Celestia went rigid, hearing the deity’s name. “Luna, that’s not very funny.”

“Nor was it when he appeared and began heckling me about the situation,” Luna rebuked, her frown deepening. “Considering I did use him as a scapegoat for the entire ordeal, telling the staff that he was playing a practical joke, I shouldn’t have been surprised when he showed up to inquire about being made a patsy of.”

A cold chill ran through Anon, knowing the Lord of Chaos had become involved. “He wasn’t too mad was he?”

“No, thankfully, although he was dreadfully amused by the true cause of the entirely unnatural event,” Luna chided. Stifling a yawn, she pressed onward to pass the two - that was, until an alabaster hoof shot out and halted her.

“You told him?” the elder sibling gasped, plainly shocked by the admission.

“What was I supposed to tell him? If I hadn’t been honest, there was a very real chance that he would have seen himself into thine room and spoken with thee himself!” the umbral Princess grouched, batting her sister’s hoof away. “Given the circumstances, I did the best I could to assuage him.”

Though Celestia was none too pleased with the revelation, there was little she could do. She and Anon had inadvertently caused a heavenly upset, temporarily illuminating the night and doubtlessly leaving many to wonder what in Equestria was going on, so she couldn’t be perturbed. Taking a deep breath, holding it for a moment, then exhaling, she attempted to calm her frazzled nerves.

“My apologies for the inconvenience and my thanks for your assistance,” she sighed, turning to hug her sister. “I’ll make a point of speaking with him about the matter - if only to avoid any drama or shenanigans on his part.”

“That would be a wise option. Now then, if thou have nothing else to say, I will take my leave. My bed calls to me,” Luna grunted. Unceremoniously releasing her fellow Princess, she turned and plodded down the corridor.

Waiting until the overworked and slightly grumpy alicorn had disappeared down an adjacent hallway, Anon leaned in and brought his face to Celestia’s ear. “Maybe we should do something nice for her. I mean, we did kind of cause her trouble.”

“You’re right, although this isn’t the only time we’ve covered for one another. In our youth, we both got into our fair share of mischief,” Celestia murmured.

“Remind me to ask you about that later,” he chuckled, somewhat relieved to hear that it wasn’t the first time that they’d caused trouble among themselves. “Anyways, we should probably grab a bite to eat before we head out.”

“Indeed. Once we’ve had our breakfast, I’ll send a steward with you to carry your effects. Bear in mind, we’ll be gone for nearly two weeks, so please pack accordingly,” she intoned, resuming her march towards the dining area.

Forcing himself not to dwell on the prospect of confronting Discord about his passionate night with the Princess, Anon began stewing on what he should bring for the trip. It wasn’t like he’d traveled much throughout his time in Equestria and, unlike the Princess, clothing would be a necessity. Even though they would be gone for the better part of a month, he saw no reason to bring more than a handful of outfits and his armor; so long as they’d be afforded accommodations which could launder his garments, he should be fine with traveling relatively light.

“Any suggestions on what I should bring?” he asked, tilting his head towards her.

“Be sure to pack something warm. Even during the more accommodating months, the Crystal Empire and north-lands can get quite chilly - that being said, I’m sure you could forego any excessively stifling pajamas,” she replied. A coy little smile played across her muzzle, as their eyes met.

Knitting his brow, it took Anon a moment to grasp the implications of what she meant. “We’ll be sharing a bed?!” he conspiratorially whispered, taken aback.

“I see no reason why we shouldn’t! It’s only a matter of time until everypony finds out about us and I’d bet my bottom bit that Cadance will know almost straight away; she’s always had quite the gift for sniffing out romantic affairs,” Celestia snickered.

“Fair enough,” he chuckled, still a bit ill-at-ease about the prospect of openly bunking with her. “As long as she doesn’t try to stir the pot.”

“Cadance? Please - she’ll likely be ecstatic about us. The Princess of Love is more than just a title - why she routinely fawns over couples while out and about,” she continued. “The worst you’ll have to expect from her is a hug and excessive well wishes.”

Breaking into laughter, the duo navigated the corridors of the castle and soon found themselves at their destination. One benefit of dining in the castle was that virtually any dish was at their beck and call, although neither were prone to ordering anything particularly lavish. After speaking with the kitchen staff, Celestia was delivered a short stack of pancakes, bedecked with whipped cream and maple syrup, while Anon had a frittata and hashbrowns.

Staying silent throughout most of their meal, the pair happily sated their appetite and quietly ruminated on the day ahead. The discovery that Luna had no doubt deduced that they’d consummated their feelings was disconcerting enough, but knowing that she’d divulged that information to Discord was even more unsettling. The draconequus was relatively harmless - at least, compared to how he was a millennia prior - but he wasn’t above the odd bout of devilment.

Though the man was only able to polish off most of his breakfast, the Princess finished her flapjacks and a parfait before she was full. After ferrying their plates to the scullery and thanking the staff for their labor, the two parted ways - if only temporarily. With only an hour before the train was set to depart, there was perilously little time to prepare. While they would have had their affairs in order well before then, had they not spent the night together, neither complained about the added bit of rushing.

“Meet you in the courtyard!” Celestia called, cantering towards her room.

Anon nodded and waved back at her, as he made for his chamber. Though he couldn’t say what packing she had to do, since he’d never seen her travel with much of anything, he wasn’t about to question her. She probably had some last minute correspondence to tend to, or perhaps she was planning on leaving final instructions for the guards - either way, he felt sure she wouldn’t be late.

Bursting into his room, spying his armor heaped beneath the manikin, he winced. It wasn’t that the gleaming plate was heavy, seeing as how it had been fashioned from a mystical material called Uru, yet that didn’t mean it wouldn’t be cumbersome as all get-out to transport. Leaving the door ajar, he rushed for his closet to retrieve a duffel.

“Ahem,” a voice coughed, as he darted into his wardrobe. “The Princess mentioned that you’d be needing some assistance?”

Unsure of whom the alicorn had dispatched, yet too indisposed to care about the specifics, Anon rooted around for his travel bag. “Yeah. If you could gather up my armor and carry it to the train station, that would be great,” he shouted.

“And what of your other baggage?” his unseen visitor asked, with an odd inflection in the final word.

“Uh - I think I can get the rest,” Anon responded.

Spying his duffel under an old banner which he’d saved from the last Summer Solstice event, he hurried back into his room and froze. Standing by the manikin was a tall, serpent-like chimera with mismatched limbs and strange set of horns. He’d ever only ever seen the creature in pictures, or on the stained glass in the throne room, yet he immediately knew who he was facing.

“Quite the extravagant set of gear,” Discord chuckled, effortlessly levitating the various bits of armor around himself. “I had no idea that humans were so gaudy.”

“It was a gift,” Anon rebuked, stomping over and snatching his helmet from the air. “And it’s not that gaudy.”

“A gift, eh?” the chaotic being quipped, quirking a brow. “And from whom did you receive this rather garish protection from? Wait, no, don’t tell me,” he snickered. “Her name starts with a C and ends with a tia…”

The man’s mouth flapped for a moment, before he pursed his lips. He’d been told tales about Discord, of how his nigh omnipotence allowed him to play jokes with impunity, but actually facing a cosmic being of such unimaginable power left him feeling uneasy. If what he’d heard was correct, Celestia and Luna had only barely been able to defeat him - and that was working in concert while wielding the Elements of Harmony. Needless to say, if the Lord of Chaos wished to harass him, there was next to nothing he could do to stop him.

“Yes, Celestia gave it to me. Is that a problem?” he countered, marching over and placing the helm on the dummy’s head.

“My, someone’s testy!” Discord grunted. Snapping his fingers, perfectly placing the armor onto the man’s frame, a snuggle-toothed grin split his features. “And I would have thought that after such a chaotic night you’d be in higher spirits.”

And there it was - just like that, the chimera came to the point. Out of all the creatures in all the lands of Equestria, there couldn’t have been a worse one to discuss his love-life with. Closing his eyes, he chose his words carefully. Even if he’d been put in a corner by a being which outclassed him in age and sorcerous might, he wasn’t about to back down - after all, he had successfully befriended three of the four Princesses of the Empire.

“If you’re here to bother me, could you come back at a better time? I’d be more than willing to talk with you, but we have a train to catch,” he griped. Grabbing his helmet and placing it over his head, he opened the visor and faced his guest.

“Time?” the chimera cackled, issuing another snap. “My good man, we have all the time in the world.”

Anon wasn’t sure what the beast had meant, until he glanced out the window. Frozen in mid-flight, a flock of birds hung in the air. Peering to his clock, seeing the unmoving second hand, he frowned. The demigod had literally stopped time for their little chat, removing one of his few avenues of escape. With few other options afforded to him, a defeated sigh escaped him.

“Ok, yes, Celestia and I are an item. I don’t see why that would be any concern of yours,” he attested, defiantly crossing his arms over his chest.

Affixing the man with his crimson eyes, Discord leaned in. “Oh it wasn’t my concern - that is, until Luna decided to throw me under the bus for your little kerfuffle last night. Even if the night mare hadn’t spilled the beans,” he tittered, materializing a bag of dried legumes in his paw, “I would have figured it out soon enough. It’s not every day that the sun spontaneously rises at night.”

“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry about that. Just…” Anon trailed off, gathering his courage. “Just please don’t mess this up for us. I really do have feelings for her and, so far as I can tell, the feeling is mutual.”

“Who’s to say you’re not some deviant with a penchant for royalty? You wouldn’t be the first creature to go lusting after her, you know,” the draconequus noted, squinting down at the man.

Though Anon had been about to defend himself, his guest’s statement caught his ear. “So she’s had other suitors over the years?”

“If you could call them that, yes,” Discord groaned, rolling his eyes. “As far as I know, only a dozen or so have had even the slightest bit of luck, yet they eventually dropped the ball.”

Reflexively stepping back, the man caught a beach ball which fell from the ceiling. “But she wasn’t interested in them?” he asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

With casual indifference, the chimera shrugged. “Not really. The few who were lucky enough to catch her interest quickly lost it, after she found out how haughty they were. Though she may be one of the oldest creatures around, she’s always been more of the modest sort - which leaves me to wonder why she’d allegedly buy you something so tawdry.”

“I...I’m really not sure,” Anon admitted. While the armor was a bit flashy, it wasn’t offensively tacky - at least, he didn’t think it was. “I’m pretty sure she made it after hearing me talk about knights back on Earth. If you’re hung up about her tastes, how about you go ask her yourself.”

“I may,” Discord muttered, disinterestedly picking at one taloned claw, “but that can wait until later - for now, I’m still curious about your intentions with her.”

The man’s shoulders sank slightly. “I love her, ok?”

“In what way?” the chaotic beast pressed.

“Every way. She’s funny, cheerful, caring, and one of the nicest ponies I’ve ever met,” Anon breathed. “I don’t care if she’s a Princess or not - if she were just another pony around here, I’d feel exactly the same way.”

“And I thought Pinkie Pie would be the one to give me diabetes,” Discord mused. Waving his paw, removing the ball and teleporting the armor back onto the manikin, he yawned. “I also hadn’t predicted you’d be this boring. No groveling, not the slightest bit of fanfare, and you didn’t even take the time to formally introduce yourself.”

While Anon would have been more than justified in a rebuke, he bit his tongue. “Anon,” he said, extending an arm.

“I thought it was Sir Anon - in any case, I’m Discord,” the Lord of Chaos formally greeted, shaking the man’s hand. “Well then, before this gets any more - ugh - mushy, I’ll see myself out,” he nonchalantly quipped, releasing Anon and moving towards the door. Just when he seemed to have disappeared, he peeked back inside. “Just hope the sun’s heat doesn’t become too much to bear…”

With that perplexing final line, Anon’s visitor was gone. The birds outside the window resumed their flight and the clock began mechanically ticking away the seconds, as the flow of time continued its onward march. Though their meeting had been terse, it left him feeling uneasy and more than a little baffled. It made sense that Discord would intervene, especially after he’d taken the fall for the cosmic disorder they’d unintentionally caused, but it felt like there was more to it than that. Left to wonder about the enigmatic being’s motives, he turned his attention back to the armor clad dummy.

“Anon?” a meek voice called, causing him to turn. Poking his head into the room idled a unicorn stallion wearing a fitted vest. “Celestia said you’d be needing help with your luggage?”

The man smiled, relieved that things were starting to get back on course. Soon enough, he’d be on his way to the Crystal Empire with his lover - he hoped. Discord’s unforeseen appearance was a bit regrettable - not because he minded meeting the enigmatic being, but because of the circumstances surrounding it. Maybe if he was lucky, with a bit of help from Celestia, they’d be able to chat under slightly less conditions.

“Yeah,” he finally replied, “if you can help me get this to the courtyard and then to the station, I’d really appreciate it.”

With his sorcerous assistant in tow, after gathering some clothing and toiletries, Anon made his way through the castle and towards the main entryway. Sure enough, after a half-dozen corridors and three flights of stairs, they’d reached their destination. As he moved through the gate and into the open air, he beamed; lingering by a hedge and watching a group of finches soar towards the royal garden, was Celestia.

The Princess immediately trotted over to him, as soon as she saw him exiting the castle, but something was amiss. In place of the normally sunny expression she bore, a look of concern rested on her face. Strolling to and past the man, she thanked and dismissed the steward. It was only once the unicorn had moved away, cantering through the courtyard and towards the station, did she give Anon her full attention.

“This may sound silly, and it may just be me, but you didn’t have anything odd happen in the last half an hour or so, did you?” she inquired, looking him over.

“If you consider getting pestered by Discord odd, I’d say yes,” he answered. Her shock at the admission shifted into annoyance, causing him to shake his head. “It wasn’t anything bad - he just showed up and wanted to heckle me a little about - you know - last night.”

“The next time I see him, I’ll be giving him a piece of my mind,” she grumbled, glowering down at the ground. “He wasn’t too bothersome, was he?”

Dismissively waving his hand, Anon shook his head. “Nah. All he wanted to do was give me a hard time, although he did wish me luck - I think?”

Celestia’s eyes narrowed, as she looked to his face. “Wish you luck?”

Thinking for a second, he decided to paraphrase. “Yeah. He wished me luck with you,” he curtly explained. Seeking to ease her tension, he tenderly caressed her cheek. “Really, I promise, he didn’t do anything bad or pry.”

“It’s not that,” she began, lowering her gaze. “As soon as I sensed a magical disturbance, I should have been by your side. None of this was your fault and you shouldn’t have had to put up with it.”

“I wouldn’t be much of a knight if I didn’t deal with some of the problems - besides, it’s not like I didn’t have a part to play in our little mishap,” he chuckled. Caressing her face, he did what he could to sooth her. “Heck, you should have seen it. There I was, adorned in your armor, facing down the Lord of Chaos.”

“I have no doubt that you were as courageous as ever, but do be mindful of him. Discord may be a trickster at heart, but you know full well that he’s almost caused several cataclysms,” she murmured, draping her head over his shoulder.

Embracing her, slipping his fingers through her gossamer mane, he closed his eyes. “Don’t worry, I’m sure he’ll - Woah!” he blurted. The Princess had taken another step forward and rather forcefully pressed herself against him, nearly toppling him over in the process. “Careful there!”

“M...my apologies. I simply don’t want him meddling with you...with us,” she groused, heavily stroking her neck against him.

Though he couldn’t see her expression, a peculiar noise caught his ear. It almost sounded like a deep sigh, but it was repeated twice in rapid succession. Odd though the instance was, he didn’t have much time to dwell on it; the distant sound of a train whistle reminded him that they needed to get to the station and board. Swearing that they could cuddle on the trip, he reluctantly pulled away.

“Don’t you think we should…” he began, falling silent and giving a subtle nod in the direction of the station.

Shooting him a pained look, as his hands wandered off her withers, she only eventually nodded. “Yes, right, the train. Goodness me, I must be more frazzled than I thought! Shall I teleport us?”

“I wouldn’t mind the walk, since we’ll be seated for most of the day,” he replied. “You can always help tote this though,” he added, patting the armored dummy’s shoulder.

Celestia’s horn went alight and the manikin floated from the ground. “Good idea about the stroll. As easy as it would be to whisk us off to the Crystal Empire, I’m sure you’ll enjoy the view of the countryside on our ride. I’ve booked us a spacious suite in first-class for the journey, so we’ll have a large window, comfortable seating, and privacy,” she merrily exclaimed, wheeling around and practically prancing towards the main gate.

Peering into town, seeing ponies come and go from the various shops, Anon was knocked off balance for a second time. Glancing over at his lover, who’d practically glued herself to his side, he found himself grinning down at her. It wasn’t out of turn for her to be affectionate, but this somehow felt different, almost lacking her usual gentle touch. “Are you sure you’re ok?”

“Mmmhmm,” she hummed. Lazily rubbing her head on his bicep, she softly snorted. “Are you wearing cologne?”

The question was unusual - not only because he wasn’t wearing cologne, but because he didn’t even own any mens’ or stallions’ perfume. “Can’t say I am. Why do you ask?”

“You just smell nice,” she sighed, wriggling her head under his arm.

Content to walk with his hand on her shoulder, though puzzled by her unusual behavior, he savored her company. Soon enough they’d be trundling to the north-lands and they’d forget all about the strange and somewhat embarrassing morning - that’s what he kept telling himself anyways. Try as he might, he couldn’t shake the suspicion that something was amiss...