Fly blinked his weariness away. It was Monday again, which meant the start of another school week. It would be nice if he could just… well, just not. But the responsible part of his mind wouldn't let him. And so he stumbled to the shower, his mouth gaped in a silent yawn.

The warm water massaged his coat, and he sighed blissfully. Nothing beat a morning shower. He could stand under the streams and for a moment worry about nothing at all. No problems with school, no problems with friends, and no problems with himself. It was just him and the running water.

That feeling didn't last long. It never did - only a couple of minutes at most. Fly remembered why he was there - he was supposed to clean himself. And so, with a generous measure of conditioner spread throughout his mane, Fly set to scrubbing.

He eventually came out of the bathroom completely dry thanks to his trusty mane blower. The hairs in his coat stood up straight, leaving him poofy all over. It would flatten eventually. Not as much as he would like, but as much as they would go.

He stopped by his room. Unlike Cass' house, whose shower was on the first floor, theirs was on the second. He wasn't sure why. His grandfather would have had his reasons when he designed the place. Probably.

Fly walked over to his room's corner where his large, full-body mirror stood against the wall. Maybe he shouldn't have been so thorough in drying his coat. If it was damp, it wouldn’t as… as fluffy. Alas, it was. And he was.

Fluffy Sharp. The only foal in the village to have been born with a hot-pink, far too-thick coat, and to have been cursed with a mother who delighted in giving him the most embarrassing name the Night Mother ever let her conceive.

He had tried his best to change his appearance. He had tried dying his coat a different colour, but frankly, it was far too tedious. While it was somewhat rare to see ponies traipsing about with dyed manes, it wasn't that foreign of a concept. However, Fly had found out why he had never seen anypony with a coat colour disparate to their natural one.

It was because changing it took an eternity.

It was a similar issue with the length of his coat. He could spend eons giving himself a full body trim, but it would grow back to its normal length after a fortnight. If he wanted to keep his coat the same length as the average pony, he would have to trim it all again. And again. And again. Something that just wasn't worth his time.

At least his name was a problem he had solved. Nopony apart from his parents called him Fluffy anymore. He had convinced everyone but them to call him "Fly". A shortening of his name to something a little more normal. He could manage two holdouts.

Fly made his way to the stairs, bracing himself as he entered the living room. The scent of toasting bread trailed towards him, he could deduce the sound of crackling of cheese on a hot surface coming from the kitchen.

"Is that my little Fluffy Wuffy coming down the stairs?"

A loud, overly cheery mare's voice rang out throughout the house. Fly winced. He checked to see if the windows were open.

Cherry Sharp stood waiting at the stove. Her black hair was puffed up in a haphazard bun with the help of a cherry-decorated hair clip. She wore a white apron on her cherry red coat, and dotted on that apron were little images of - as anypony might guess - cherries. Say what he might about her overbearingly… well, cheery demeanour, she was at least consistent with her theme.

Fly took his spot at the table. His mother cantered over with a plate on her wing. With a dramatic flourish, she presented him with two golden-brown grilled cheese sandwiches.

"…thanks, Mom…" Fly muttered softly.

"You're very welcome my little Fluffy Wuffy!" Cherry leaned in for a smooch, causing Fly to flinch back.

"Mom, please don't…"

Cherry frowned. "Why not?"

"It's embarrassing."

"There's nopony around, Fluff-ball," Fly cringed at the nickname. Cherry raised an eyebrow. "I don't see why you should feel embarrassed."

"Mom, just… You do that even when other ponies are around."

"When I do what? Love my son?"

"Mom-"

"Okay, okay. Fine." Cheery said in a hurt tone. "I'm sorry, Fluffy Sharp, for embarrassing you by trying to be your mother."

Fly sighed. Great.

Well, whatever. He couldn't deal with this now, nor did he want to. This was a problem for Future Fly. Here-and-now Fly needed to get to school.

He finished up his breakfast and headed back upstairs to the bathroom. Fly brushed his teeth, then ran a completely different brush through his mane. It was calming, grooming himself. For a few moments, he didn't need to worry about anything. All he did was brush, brush, and brush.

His saddlebag was sat by the foot of his bed. It was stuffed with a variety of books, all consolidating into one comfortably familiar weight on his back. He shuffled out the door with a prompt "bye" to his mother, and started down the patio steps and across the street towards Cass'. The windows radiated luminescence even through the shut curtains. Against the backdrop of the darkening sky, the house shone like a covered lantern.

He heard a rustling from behind. He twisted around.

Star had been lounging against a boulder situated on the corner of his front yard, just out of sight. She stood up, making her way to him. Her eyes had bags underneath.

"Hey," she said. She glanced between him and Cass' front door, noticing what he was doing. She frowned. Star began walking down the street. "Come on."

Fly hesitated. "But Cass-"

"Don't bother. He'll probably be too busy with his new 'humin' friend to notice us, anyways."

Fly thought to object, but let the words die on his lips. He hated arguments. Especially with friends.

"What's his problem, anyway?" said Star. "He's got some issues, that one. I don't like it. Do you know what they are?"

Fly looked at the ground. Anon had told him things - things about his memory, about what was going on with him - but that was all said in confidence. He wasn't a pony who spilt secrets.

"We have to find out. Did you see the way he blanks out? It's like he just loses himself. That could be dangerous."

"Star?" Fly asked timorously, "How is that dangerous?"

"Think about it, Fly. Think what might happen if he loses control of himself. You remember what Miss Tulip said about eyes during Fauna? Those aren't the eyes or the teeth of a herbivore."

"I-I don't think Anon's going to eat anypony, Star…"

"He won't. I'll make sure of it."

"Oh, okay…"

The end of the street opened up to the plaza. Stalls formed a perimeter of the area, though many were still in the process of setting up for the day. It was still early in the morning, and many parents were getting their foals ready for school.

Star made for a nearby stand, picking out two plump, greenish-red apples and dropping a bit on the counter. No words were exchanged between her or the stall owner - this was a years-old routine. Fly watched as Star peeled her eyes away from the mango stall and to the bakery, only for them to cheekily circle back and for Star to indulge in her cravings. The orchardist bid her farewell with an amused smile.

In return for his loyal company, Star offered him a bite from her fruit. He politely declined, though it proved onerous. Rare were the bats who could and would refuse such a treat.

The school grounds were alive with the chatter of colts and fillies from a broad range of ages. The youngest was a hooffull of foals, roughly twelve to thirteen years old. Miss Vines would start the night with the younger half of the students outside, while the older foals were in the schoolhouse itself, being taught by Miss Tulip.

A group of ponies chatted away on a picnic mat in the corner of the grounds. Fly recognised them, as that was their usual spot. A few noticed Star, and a green filly with a golden mane even waved at her calling her name in a sing-song tone. Star kept walking.

None paid Fly any heed, of course. Even with his atrociously conspicuous coat, he found that as long as he kept his head down and his face obscured by his mane, he was essentially invisible. Part of him was glad he didn't have to deal with other ponies, but he also couldn't help feeling left out. Star's and Cass' ability to so easily get along with other ponies was something to envy.

Star and he rounded the schoolhouse and found an unclaimed picnic table. She huffed, sat down, and sighed.

Fly studied her. She looked drained and deflated; she'd been that way for the past week. She did well to cover it up with her carefree, snarky act around Cass, but her guard always seemed to drop a little around him.

What was strange was that today, she made no effort at all to hide it. Instead, she sat there unmoving, just staring at the wall of the schoolhouse.

Fly sat next to her, patiently waiting for the bell to ring.

Anon planted himself on the grass of Cass' backyard. No fences marked the perimeter. A few stone landmarks vaguely hinted at the boundaries between this yard and the neighbours, but that was all there was to go by. If he wished, he could wander onto the other properties unimpeded. Perhaps it was a sign of the trust between the townsponies: an unspoken agreement that they would keep their lawns open for each other, but that they would also respect everyone's privacy and be prudent not to abuse their hospitality.

He sighed. Was he doing just that? Was he exploiting Moon Glint and Gleaming Hearth's hospitable nature? True, the family was friendly now. But how long until he became a burden to them? He didn't think they'd kick him out, probably out of guilt. But if Anon were to leave voluntarily, he wouldn't have anywhere else to stay.

He blinked and lifted his eyes from the ground. He thought his surroundings had gotten darker, greyer: the colours of the jungle muted. He closed his eyes and breathed a deep breath. When he opened them, everything felt normal again.

I'm overthinking. He thought. What's gotten into me?

He sighed and half-heartedly punched the ground beneath him. He was shirtless again in his jeans. A rustle behind him caught his ear.

"Morning, Cass," he said. "Sleep well?"

"I did, honey. What about you?" said a voice distinctly not belonging to Cass. Anon turned.

Moon Glint stood behind him on the cultivated lawn. She shuffled forward until she was beside him.

"Oh, sorry, Mrs Moon."

"It's alright. I understand the confusion. I'm not as stealthy as I used to be." Moon Glint smiled. "If I were, you never would have mistaken me for my little Cast Rune."

"'Cast Rune'?" Anon repeated.

"That's his name." Moon Glint nodded, smiling reminiscently. "It's how he introduced himself on the first day of school. I remember it all so vividly."

Moon Glint gazed into the surrounding jungle. "My little colt was involved in a flight accident. A filly came tumbling out of nowhere and landed on him." Moon Glint chuckled, "I'd zipped halfway there when I realised the foals weren't crying, they were laughing! I felt like such a leatherbrain! I was so embarrassed."

"Then I noticed a colt watching on from the corner of the room. Poor dear looked lonely and out of place, sitting there all by himself. Little Runie must've noticed him too, because he and the filly walked over and took him in. He's always had such a kind heart, that colt."

Anon smiled. "The filly and colt was Star and Fly?"

Moon Glint nodded. "They were an odd trio the day they met." She sighed. "They still are. The only difference is they're all grown up now. You can only nurture a sapling so much before it begins to feed on its own."

Anon nodded. At a glance, Cass, Fly, and Star weren't the type of personalities you'd expect to see in the same group. Even their physical appearance was an echo of their differences. Yet, they were childhood friends, and would likely remain so for years, even decades, to come.

It took Anon far longer than he would have liked to admit to notice Moon Glint studying him from above. She looked him over with a warm, thoughtful gaze. There was something in the way she watched him that made him feel… feel like he belonged, that he was just where he needed to be.

She walked over to his right and sat on her haunches beside him. With a tender wing, she reached out to take his arm.

"Can you move it for me like this, sweetie?" Anon flexed and unflexed his arms, moving it in all the ways she asked.

"It doesn't hurt anymore, Mrs Moon. Whatever it was you did, it worked really well."

A cheeky smile crept onto Moon Glint's face, and she examined the scars on his chest and stomach, poking gently at his ribs. "Batpony medicine, dear."

"Could you… elaborate on that?"

"A magician never reveals her secrets."

"Oh..." Anon said. "Should I be concerned?"

Moon Glint giggled primly. "No, dear. You don't need to worry about anything." Finishing her check-up, she stood, wrapping a wing around him.

"Come now," Moon Glint ushered him to the door, "I have something for you."

The pan crackled with each egg Anon opened and dropped into it. The high heat quickly browned the white edges, and Anon had to be vigilant not to let the eggs overcook. He scraped them off with a spatula and deposited them on the plate in Moon Glint's wing.

"There we are. If you could turn the stove off, dear?"

Anon turned the knob until it clicked and the flames extinguished. He peered down at his new shirt. Short-sleeved, and made of cotton, it was a hoofcrafted, homemade gift. It was far too generous, and he couldn't fathom why Moon Glint would go to such lengths for what was essentially still a stranger in her home.

He moved the hot pan to a different portion of the stove, letting it cool. Opening a drawer, he collected four sets of knives and forks before turning to the table. Arrayed neatly were three plates of eggs, toast, and avocado slices. Moon Glint sighed, and Anon trailed her gaze to the wall clock.

"Gleaming is sleeping in, today, but Cass should be awake by now." Moon Glint shook her head. "That colt needs to learn to use his alarm clock."

"I can get him if you like, Mrs Moon."

"Ah… that would be wonderful, dear," Moon Glint said, thoughtfully. "Just hoof me the cutlery, please."

Anon blinked. He almost thought she looked hesitant for a second, but the easy smile on her face told him he was seeing things. He climbed the stairs and knocked on Cass' door. The sound resonated throughout the hallway.

"Cass?" Anon said, knocking again. "Cass, are you awake?"

Further knocking proved fruitless, so Anon opened the door.

Thump. Anon was met with the sight of a bundle of blankets clumped on the ground. A tail stuck out from amongst the layers, unmoving as Anon walked over.

"I'm awake," came a muffled, sleepy call.

"Come on, you." Anon kneeled, peeling off sheets until he uncovered the pony inside. "Breakfast's ready."

Cass sniffed. "Mm. Okay." He then yawned. Anon ruffled his mane, scrunching his face. He couldn't resist the urge and yawned also.

Breakfast was a quick affair with little conversation. A quick shower each with some lengthy self-maintenance from Cass later, and they were ready to move. They arrived at the schoolhouse without time to spare, the bell's ring signalling the start of the day.

Anon's eyes were drawn to a familiar pink bat trailing behind an equally familiar grey filly, both following the crowd into the schoolhouse.

"Come on, Anon." Cass tugged at his hand with a hoof. "Let's go see Miss Tulip."

Fly's ears perked up when Cass and Anon entered the room.

At the sight of the human, the chatter of the class died down. Fly knew that many of his classmates already knew of him. Not only had he overheard mentions of the new town alien, but he remembered passing a few of these same faces just last night. Despite this, mixed feelings of uncertainty and curiosity permeated through the room.

For a moment, nopony said anything. The only noises audible were the clip-clopping of Cass' hooves and the softer stamping of Anon's footsteps. The atmosphere was filled with a palpable awkwardness, and Fly cringed.

Miss Tulip glanced up from her desk, quickly finding the source of the sudden silence.

"Ah! Cast Rune, good to see you present. And you must be Anon!" She greeted the two, faint traces of a Walhaychian accent trailing her words. Anon stood straight but kept glancing up at the low ceiling. Miss Tulip walked up to Anon, craning her neck to look up at him, and offered him a hoof.

"You may call me Miss Tulip, though I'm sure you are already aware of my name," she said, smiling. She turned to the class. "Everypony, this is Anon. He'll be joining us for the foreseeable future. Be sure to get to know him later, during break."

"Moon Glint has already told me much about you! I'm excited to finally meet you in pony." Miss Tulip said, taking his hand in a wingshake. She gestured towards an empty desk at the edge of Fly's row. It was next to Cass' empty one, which itself was beside Fly who himself was next to Star. "Unfortunately, we'll have to chat another time, Anon. Class is about to begin, and there should be a desk for you over there."

Anon nodded. He followed Cass to their seats while much of the class eyed him with fascination. Star pointedly ignored the two, rolling her eyes and huffing in annoyance.

"Right!" Miss Tulip said forcefully, drawing everypony's attention to the chalkboard. "Good morning, class."

She turned around with a stick of chalk in her wing, scribbling on the board. Fly's straightened as he read the day's opening subject. Flora had been postponed for later in the day and History moved up. A smile stretched at his mouth as he saw precisely what the day's lesson was about: The Nightrealm Exodus.

He was already engrossed in content before Miss Tulip could instruct everypony to find their textbooks. He was already quite well-versed on the topic. He remembered the first times he had heard about it: sitting by the fire with Grandpapa as the aged stallion told him of the legends of the ancient war and recounted stories about the creation of Trotsylvania and the rest of the Nightrealm.

Fly tuned out Miss Tulip's voice and the rustling of pages, reading down the page.

When Princess Luna rebelled against her sister, Celestia, the Four Thestral Tribes of the eastern Celestial Sundom swore loyalty to her.

Baroness Silver Pendant, Baron Vertical Spike, Baron Dragon Fire, and Baron Evergreen, along with the entirety of their tribes, seceded from the Sundom. Under the Princess' guidance, they travelled east: far across the Great Western Sands to the lands of the Nightrealm. The Princess used her powers to keep the sun down for almost two fortnights, allowing the Tribes to traverse the unforgiving sands in cool darkness.

The Sundom's army set out across the Great Western Sands in pursuit of the Princess and the Four Tribes, who raised four armies to fight their pursuers.

"Hey, Cass do you have a candle I could borrow?"

"Just share with me, Anon. Bring your chair over."

The two non-thestrals whispered loudly to one another. Fly flicked an ear, turning to see-

"Will you two quit it!?" Star hissed from the other side, "We're trying to read here!"

"Star Streaks." Miss Tulip glared at Star from her desk. "First warning."

"But I-" Star cut herself off. She rolled her eyes. "Ugh."

Fly winced. Cass and Anon may have thought themselves quiet, but their ears weren't as sensitive as everypony else's.

Fly turned his attention back to the page. It was all just a summary of everything he knew, but it was still a good refresher.

With Baron Vertical Spike occupied at the Fortress Mount, many of his army of Spears had been rerouted to reinforce the besieged defenders. This left the way open to Baroness Silver Pendant's camp.

The Baroness' army was marching towards the Fortress Mount when it received reports of a far larger Sundom army making its way towards the Baroness' location. General Razor Sharp turned the army around and marched for two days and two nights, before ambushing the Sundom at the valley which would later be named after him: Sharp's Pass. The commencing battle resulted in a routing of the Sundom's Army.

After the defeat of Princess Luna at the hooves of her sister a week prior, the victories at Sharp's Pass and the Fortress Mount delivered a desperately needed improvement in morale to the Four Tribes of the Nightrealm, weakening the Sundom's resolve. This eventually culminated in the end of the Sundom's campaign and its retreat back across the Great Western Sands.

"So, class!" piped Miss Tulip from the blackboard. "Can anypony tell me the names of the Barons and Baronesses and their countries during the Nightrealm Exodus?"

Baroness Silver Pendant of Trotsylvania, Baron Vertical Spike of Walhaychia, Baron Dragon Fire of Batssarabia, and Baron Evergreen of Fangsnystria, Fly recited in his head. He watched the room. No hooves went up.

Miss Tulip sighed. "Alright, can anypony tell me the names of any of the four Exodus countries?" Fly noticed her face fall slightly, and she added dryly, "Here's a hint. We're in one of them right now."

Anon stuck his strange human not-leg appendage up. Miss Tulip nodded at him, looking relieved.

"Yes, Anon?"

As one, the entire class turned their heads at the alien, watching with anticipation. Anon hesitated, and Fly could feel his instantaneous regret at his decision.

"I- um…" Anon's eyes darted around at the sudden attention before he managed to get a hold of himself. "Uh, Trotsylvania and Walhaychia?"

Miss Tulip smiled. "Correct. Trotsylvania and Walhaychia. Can anypony name the other two?"

"Batssarabia?" Cass called out.

"Yes. Very good, Cass," said Miss Tulip. "Now the last one? This one's a little difficult - not as well known."

Again, nothing.

Miss Tulip turned back to the board and began writing.

"Who here has heard of the Fangsnystria Mystery?"

Yes, thought Fly.

"Hm. Nopony?" Miss Tulip raised an eyebrow at the class. "Well, it's fascinating. The story goes that less than a month after the Sundom retreated and the four nations of the Nightrealm were formally founded, everypony in the nation of Fangsnystria simply disappeared."

"The three other nations searched the entirety of the Fangsnystrian territories and beyond for any clues as to where a whole country went, but they found nothing. All the buildings were empty and abandoned, and there was nopony left behind.

"When the searches finally gave up and returned without any discoveries, an agreement was struck which divided the territory of Fangsnystria between the three remaining nations of the Nightrealm." Miss Tulip gestured to the class, "All of us, right now, are on Fangsnystrian land. Fun fact: Sharp's Pass is just at the border of old Fangsnystria and old Trotsylvania. That was the farthest east the Sundom army reached."

A maroon colt near the front raised a hoof. Fly picked up movement to his left, but it was only Star fixing her posture in her seat.

"Why didn't the Princess destroy the Sundom army before they got so far into the Nightrealm."

Miss Tulip chuckled, "Well, Comet, I'm sure if she knew how to do that, she would have. I'm not an army general, so that's really the best answer I can give you." She grinned. "Speaking of the Princess, here's another fact: some historians believe that her headquarters was somewhere in Fangsnystria territory. Keep an eye out and you might solve an ancient mystery."

The student closest to the teacher's desk stuck her hoof into the air. "Is that going to be in the exam?"

"No. But it might be useful to keep in mind." Miss Tulip caught Fly's gaze, giving him a wink. He followed her eye to see her looking at Anon. Fly shrunk in his chair.

The bell rang for break, and Fly followed Cass and Anon out the door, listening to their chatter. He glanced at Star who - with a sour face - begrudgingly donned her saddlebags and followed.

Outside, the pair of non-thestrals were quickly swarmed. A semi-circle formed around Cass and, in particular, Anon. Before either of them could say anything, the barrage began.

"Hey, what are you?"

"Wow, you're really tall."

"Why are you wearing clothes?"

Fly backed away from the noisy crowd. Anon and Cass could deal with the attention. He really didn't want everypony swarming him with questions, too. Besides, Star could use some company-

"Watch where you're going, Fly." Fly felt a hoof push on his rump. Star was standing behind him, looking uncomfortable as she watched the grouping of ponies around their friends.

"Star…" Fly began, noticing her demeanour. He paused. He trailed Star's focus, again, and this time he realised she wasn't looking at Fly or Anon… or anything in particular. She was just staring into space.

Then, in the corner of his eye, Fly noticed a group of ponies off by themselves. It was the same ponies who had been waving at Star earlier. They waved at her again, with the other fillies giggling as the green one called her name out in a sing-song voice.

"Staaaaar! Come on Star! I love you, Star!"

Star's eyes twitched, and her breath was shaky.

"Come on, Fly," Star said. "Let's go."

The crowd was still far from dissipating. Though from the looks of things, Anon was answering the questions of the engaged audience.

"…to Cass and Anon?"

Star seemed to snap out of her stupor, forgetting about the other ponies' teasing. Seeing the two, she scowled.

"No. Come on."

Star stormed off. Fly sighed, following.

They were sat back at the picnic table behind the schoolhouse. Star sighed.

"I don't get it, Fly. What does he have that we don't?"

Fly blinked.

"Well?" Star eyed him expectantly.

Fly shrunk. "W-who?"

"Anon. Who else?"

He met her eyes, which was difficult under her piercing gaze.

"Star?"

"Why does Cass want him? What is it that he can offer that we can't?"

Fly sat there, saying nothing. Star shook her head.

"I know how this ends, Fly. First, Cass meets him and gets goo-goo eyes. I saw that, you know. When we were playing cards yesterday. And then with every minute those two were standing within three yards of each other it just got worse and worse," Star spat.

"Next, Cass starts spending less and less time with us. We ask him if he wants to do something, and he'll say 'Oh, sorry Star. I wish I could but I'm busy.' and 'Hey, maybe next week!' And the next thing you know you've been replaced, and he's got… he's got…"

Star slammed her hoof on the table. Fly flinched backwards. He didn't know what to say. It was probably better to stay silent, anyway. He could just make things worse and Star would be even madder…

No, Star wasn't mad. She was furious. Night Mother, she was sweating on her face. Her cheeks were practically soaked, and she was growing a violent red-

Wait, that wasn't sweat.

"I-I'm not gonna let that h-happen again, Fly." Star sniffled. She took deep breaths, trying to control herself. It looked like she was having trouble with that. "I'm not gonna let it happen to you."

"S-Star? What are you talking about?"

"I thought I knew what to l-look out for. I s-should have known. Stupid! S-Stupid!" Star hissed, shakily. "That whorse! And that… that lying bastard, I-"

Fly hugged Star, wrapping his forelegs around her neck. It was a gamble. And, well, it was the only option he could see.

And it worked. Star wrapped her forelegs around him. She let out a deep breath. "I'm sorry you had to hear that, Fly."

Fly whispered. "I-it's okay, Star." He weighed his next words carefully. "Does… does this have to do with the fillies from before?"

Star sniffled. "…Yeah. You noticed?"

Fly hugged her tighter. "Mhm," he hummed.

"I know I never told you or Cass. I-I'll explain everything to you, I promise." Star let go of their embrace. "But don't tell him. Please. Just... not yet."
"I…" Fly hesitated, but any sense of resistance was dropped when he saw Star's pleading look. Her vulnerability. "I won't."

Star smiled, tears still wet on her cheeks. "Thanks, Fly."

She leaned back in for another hug.

"So, dearies, how was school?" Moon Glint called from the kitchen as Cass beelined for the couch, Anon in tow.

"Good, Mom."

"It went well, Mrs Moon."

"That's wonderful to hear," Moon Glint said jovially. "Do you have homework?"

"Uh, yeah," said Anon, "Ms Tulip just wanted us to do some extra reading on the Nightrealm Exodus and take some notes."

"Oh, the Exodus?" The sound of running water cut off. Anon peered over the couch's backrest to see Moon Glint finish mixing a large jug of lemonade in her wing. With her mouth, she lifted a tray of three glasses and skilfully balanced it on her back. "Perhaps I can help you with your work. That was always my realm of expertise," she said proudly, strutting towards them.

Cass plucked his history notebook out of his saddlebags. He opened it on the coffee table, revealing the loose pages which they had torn out for Anon to write notes on. A candle provided some dim lighting.

Anon flipped through his notes for the day. He stopped.

What the…

"Cass, did you write on my notes?"

Cass scrunched his face in confusion. "Uh, no?"

"Well," Anon put the page onto the table, "I didn't write this."

It was the notes he had taken while Miss Tulip was teaching about the Exodus. Except, wherever there had been space - space he had deliberately left blank - there was gibberish. Or… no. There was structure to the letters. They were words… sentences. But what it said, he could only guess.

"Anon, dear…" Moon Glint said firmly. All traces of her easy-going demeanour from earlier had been erased. She looked at him with deadly serious eyes. "Are you sure you didn't write this?"

"Uhm." Anon gulped. "I… Yes, Mrs Moon. If I did, I'm sure I would remember."

"Dear," she turned to Cass, "do you know if anyone else had access to your saddlebags today?"

"Uh, no, Mom. I don't think so?" Cass answered.

Moon Glint blinked. "I'm going to have to borrow that page, dear," she said to Anon.

"Um… alright, Mrs Moon," Anon replied, confused. He handed his notes to her and she took it with a wing, studying it. She left hurriedly up the stairs.

Anon looked at Cass. "Right… So, what was that?"

Cass shrugged. "I have no idea."

"Should we be worried?"

"I… don't know. I can ask her about it later if you like?"

"Yeah, if you could, that would be great." Anon nodded, still taken aback. "Well… what do you want to do now?"

"I don't know," said Cass, shuffling towards him on the couch.

"Can I borrow that book you showed me, then?" At Cass' sudden reddening, Anon quickly added, "I mean the one by that Bronze Sword guy."

"Oh, Bronze Sabre. Yeah, I'll go get it." Cass said, getting up. Anon stayed on the couch, reclining.

What is going on here? Who would write on my notes? It wasn't Cass. And I know it wasn't me…

I'd remember if I wrote that. Anon rubbed at his temple. Wouldn't I?

Hoofsteps rattled down the stairs. Before Anon could turn towards the noise, a vaguely unicorn-shaped patch of grey landed hard on his stomach, winding him.

"Here you go!" Cass said, dropping the book on his lap with his magic.

Anon wheezed. He picked up the novel and slapped Cass across the snout with it. Gentle enough to not do any real harm, though still hard enough to cause the unicorn to exclaim.

When he recovered, Anon flipped open the first page. He started reading but soon stopped. He was missing something…

Reaching over, Anon hooked Cass around the barrel and pulled him in closer. The pony let out a surprised yelp.

Anon ruffled the pony's mane, then scritched behind his ear.

"Mmm." Cass hummed contentedly.

A smile formed on Anon's face.

He turned to the next page.

Author's Note

G'day, everypony!

So, where to begin. I think I've done plenty to establish the setting of Two Trees, and now Anon seems to be well acquainted with everyone important. And after this chapter, I definitely feel like I'm not progressing the plot as fast as I should be. I mean, I had a whole breakfast scene written out, but it was all just pointless filler so I ended up getting rid of it.

I know there's a portion of this chapter which is essentially just exposition dumping, but I kind of just let my imagination run wild one night trying to improve on the lore behind the plot or whatever. I'm considering writing another oneshot, but setting this one in the TT universe. Perhaps go to Walhaychia or Batsarrabia, or maybe even go back in time.

Finally, I've also got a reveal or two that I've been hinting at that I want to finally, well, reveal, but I'm still trying to figure out how best to do that. I don't know if ya'll have been picking up the breadcrumbs I've been putting down, or if I need to improve on my trail-laying skills, but I guess we'll see.

So, in conclusion, therefore, henceforth and forthwith, please do bear with me. But, do also let me know what you guys think in the comments about how the story is going, what you think I could be doing better etc, what you're enjoying etc.

Now, with the important stuff is out of the way, feel free to not read any of the following:

I had a full semester break from any sort of education, got a job at Burger King, and now I've just started university! I've been feeling sad again for a lot of the past half year, but I honestly have a feeling I'm nearing the end of my character development arc. Knock on wood.

Well, I say that, but damn bro. I cannot stress this enough, DO NOT fall in love with your girl best friend. Especially if you know she doesn't share your feelings. Thoughts of her still linger in the back of my head regardless of how hard I try to get rid of them. But hey, the pain fades with time.

Aight, I think that's all for now. Again, comments and feedback would be appreciated. Aside from that, I'll see you guys in the next chapter. Peace.