The Hermit

by RunicTreetops

Rating: everyone
Tags: Sad, Anon, My Little Pony: A New Generation, Sunny Starscout, Mystery, Zipp Storm, Slice of Life, Human
Length: 5719

Legends tell of a hermit living deep within the most dangerous forest in Equestria. When Sunny and Zipp crash the Mare Stream into that very forest, they come face-to-face with a long-forgotten piece of history.

For as long as Sunny can remember, there have been tales of a strange hermit living deep in the Everfree Forest, the most dangerous place in Equestria. Of course, nopony could ever prove if this was true. After all, who in their right mind would actually go there? Unfortunately for Sunny, she may not have a choice, as during a test flight on the Mare Stream, she and Zipp crash land in the middle of that very forest. With no way out and timberwolves just waiting to pounce, what else can she do but hope that the tales are true?

And just who, or what, is this hermit supposed to be, anyway?

Published 2023-06-20 05:30:00 UTC
Last updated 2023-06-20 05:30:00 UTC

The Hermit

Author's Note

This story is unrelated to any of my previous works.

As always, I appreciate any and all feedback!

The Hermit

The gentle hum of the Mare Stream fills Sunny's ears as the magic-powered vehicle soars through the air. She sits comfortably in her usual seat as she stares out of the windshield, admiring the clouds as they roll by and occasionally looking down at the Equestrian landscape below. Next to her, Zipp is confidently driving with practiced ease. She always was fond of driving this thing.

"How is it looking, Zipp?"

"Thankfully, everything seems normal. That said, the second I see something wrong, we're turning right around."

"Good. It would probably be dangerous otherwise. I mean, I certainly wouldn't want to be in this thing if and when it starts going down."

"Don't worry, I have no intention of letting the Stream crash. That said, in the worst-case scenario, we can both just fly away."

"I suppose that's true."

Sunny begins digging through her saddlebag for the map that she brought with her. She and Zipp departed from the Brighthouse on the Mare Stream to test one of Zipp's theories. Specifically, Zipp wants to know if the Unity Crystals have a limited range. To test this idea, she and Sunny decided to start flying to the other end of Equestria on the Mare Stream. If at any point the Mare Stream started losing power, they would know that the magic does, indeed, only reach so far from Maretime Bay. If not, well, they'll get to see the other side of Equestria! Thankfully for them, the Mare Stream is pretty quick, and they can get to the other side of the continent and back within about two days.

"How're we doing, Sunny?"

"It's hard to tell exactly, especially since the GPS on our cells won't reach this far away from civilization, but I think we're entering the airspace above the Everfree Forest."

"The Everfree Forest? Isn't that the most dangerous forest in Equestria?"

"Sure is. Even in Princess Twilight's time, almost no one lived there. Back when they controlled the weather, they could never quite get the Everfree Forest to behave. On top of that, it's super important historically! It's where the Castle of the Two Sisters used to be, and it's where the Tree of Harmony grew!"

"Oh yeah, I remember those stories! Isn't this where that one zebra lived? Zecora, was it?"

"Yup! She helped out Princess Twilight a ton, both before and after she was an alicorn!"

"Huh. Well, I definitely can't imagine anypony is living there now. I mean, who could survive in there without magic?"

"Wait, you haven't heard the legend?"

"What legend? I consider myself very informed on Equestrian folklore, thank you very much. ESPECIALLY after everything with Twilight's message and Opaline."

"According to my dad, there's an old hermit who has been living deep in the Everfree Forest for hundreds of moons!"

"Wait, what? How? Even if they could survive in a timberwolf-infested forest, surely they aren't that old. They'd have to be, like, an alicorn or something!"

"I don't know for sure. Apparently..." Sunny's ears droop and she looks down with a saddened expression. "Apparently my mom met this hermit a long time ago, before she moved to Maretime Bay. She wouldn't tell my dad much more than that, though."

"...I-I'm sorry Sunny. I didn't mean to make you bring up your mom."

"N-no, it's fine!" Sunny forces a smile before looking out the window once more. "I don't know how or why she met the hermit, but I want to believe that she wasn't lying to dad."

"Alrighty then, I'll just assume this legend is real. I mean, it's not like we can verify it. Unless you want to land in one of the most dangerous places in Equestria."

"Haha, don't tease me, Zipp! It's just some travel banter. Once we're past the Everfree Forest, we should be able to see what remains of Ponyville. Ooh, I can't wait to... uhh, Zipp?"

"Yeah Sunny, I see it."

In front of them, Sunny's lantern, which is typically filled with prisbeam magic and powers the Mare Stream, is beginning to flicker. The rainbow inside appears solid, but it is slowly losing its color and consistency.

"I guess this is the range. Let's make a u-turn before something bad happens."

"Good idea. This would be the worst place for us to- wooooooah!"

All at once, the lantern turns off. The magical connection powering the Mare Stream is severed, and it begins to plummet incredibly fast. They weren't flying particularly high up, and there is only about fifty feet to go before they hit the treeline.

"Sunny, we've gotta jump!"

"I don't think we have enough time!"

Sure enough, only a couple of seconds later, the Mare Stream begins to scrape along the top of several trees, yanking limbs, branches, and everything in-between with it as it soars through the foliage. Horrible cracking and crashing noises can be heard as the now-flightless vehicle rips apart a small section of the Everfree Forest. Sunny and Zipp hold on for dear life as the Mare Stream enters a clearing and crashes to the ground with a loud thud. Sunny stumbles to the floor upon impact, hitting her head in the process and instantly falling unconscious.

"..nny... Sunny!"

"Wh-wha...?"

Sunny slowly opens her eyes, barely making out the outline of Zipp as she does so. Her head is pounding, and she's fairly certain she hurt one of her legs. She's on her back on the cool floor of the Mare Stream, with Zipp looking down at her with a frightened expression. The lack of sunlight makes her realize that she's been out for a while.

"Oh, Sunny! Thank goodness!" Zipp hugs Sunny before quickly backing away, a faint blush visible on her cheeks. "Er, ahem. Sorry. How are you feeling?"

Sunny groans as she sits up. She places a hoof on her head, which is still pounding. She tries to stand, but finds that her right hind leg has been sprained. It's obviously swollen, and though she is still technically able to stand, getting around isn't easy.

"I've been better. Where are we? What happened?"

"I think we found how far the Unity Crystals can go. I just didn't expect the magic to go out all of a sudden like that. We're in a clearing in the Everfree Forest, but..."

Zipp looks out the windshield anxiously, though Sunny fails to see what has her so frightened. Zipp isn't one to scare easily, after all.

"But what?"

"Well... while you were out, I tried to see where exactly we are. Sure enough, we have no magic here. I can't fly, and I certainly wasn't going to wander into the forest and leave you alone here. You were out all day, and once the sun set... well, I think you can see the problem."

"I'm not sure I can, what's wrong out... there..." Sunny finally notices a pair of glowing green eyes staring through the treeline on the edge of the clearing. Then she notices another pair, and another. Sure enough, there are dozens of eyes watching them from the darkness, the creatures they belong to shrouded in shadow. "Wh-what are those?"

"Timberwolves. One already had a go at me."

Zipp lifts a wing, revealing nasty looking scratch mark. It isn't bleeding, but that's only due to the scabs that have already formed over it. Apparently, she really was out for a while.

"Oh my gosh, Zipp, are you okay?"

"It still stings, but I made it back in here just fine. Thankfully, I don't think they can get in, but it's only a matter of time until they try. I doubt this glass will be able to do much about those teeth or claws of theirs."

"So... what do we do?"

"I've been trying to figure that out for the past couple of hours. Unless we can find a way to power the Mare Stream again, we're stuck in here. And to be honest, I don't know if we'll make it through the night."

"If the Unity Crystals don't reach this far, then how can we possibly restore magic to the lantern?"

"...I'm sorry Sunny, I just don't know."

A sound forces both mares to look out of the windshield as three timberwolves emerge from the treeline, each easily standing above eight feet tall. They walk with a determined, hunched gait, looking the part of the pack-hunting predators they are. They slowly begin to circle the Mare Stream, their deep growls audible in the quiet evening air.

Sunny does her best to activate her alicorn magic, grunting as she does so. However, nothing happens, and she is left trying to catch her breath. Zipp frantically searches for something, anything, that might get them out of there, but finds nothing of note. If only she had Izzy's creativity!

"Sunny, I... I'm sorry. This was such a stupid idea!"

"Don't blame yourself, Zipp. Nopony could have seen this coming! We... we'll figure something out, I'm sure!"

"We're running out of time for that, Sunny!"

Suddenly, one of the timberwolves makes a whimpering noise. It lurches backwards, and the three timberwolves direct their attention away from the Mare Stream for the first time since Sunny woke up.

"Wh-what was that?!"

The two mares watch as a hooded figure standing in the center of the clearing that they somehow failed to notice raises two of its sleeves. The cloak around the figure covers its face, and the sleeves are long enough to hide all of its features. The figure stands a bit over six feet tall, and it looks about as ominous as the timberwolves do.

All at once, the three timberwolves pounce on the figure, but right as they are about to bite down on it, the figure disappears with a green flash, suddenly reappearing in-between the three wolves and the Mare Stream. A couple more timberwolves emerge from the treeline, making it five against one.

"Who is that?!"

"I have no idea!"

The figure keeps a defensive stance as it kneels down a little bit. It reaches forward as it places a sleeve to the ground. After a moment, the timberwolves begin to pounce once more, but as they do so, another green light seems to emerge from where the figure's sleeve touches the grass. Large, grape-covered vines quickly sprout from the ground, growing rapidly as they wrap around the timberwolves before they can reach the figure. Standing back up, the stranger swipes one of its sleeves to the side, causing the vines to do the same, throwing the timberwolves a few dozen feet away in the process. Whimpering, the timberwolves retreat back into the forest, and the remaining eyes peering through the treeline disappear as well. With that, the fight is over, leaving the figure as the only thing remaining outside of the Mare Stream.

"It... it won?"

"That was definitely earth pony magic, right?"

"I think so, but I've never seen it used like that before. Who is that?"

The figure turns to the Mare Stream, its face still covered by the shadow of its hood. It beckons towards Sunny and Zipp, inviting them to exit the Mare Stream.

"I... I think they want us to go outside."

"Can we trust whoever that is? I mean, they just beat up a pack of timberwolves. In the Everfree Forest."

"...Wait. You're right! This is the Everfree Forest! That must be the hermit my mom talked about!"

"Sunny, that doesn't mean we should-" Sunny limps as quickly as she can to the nearby door and throws it open before carefully exiting the Mare Stream and making her way towards the figure. "...Confront them. Ugh, alright. I'm curious too, I guess."

Zipp follows Sunny into the clearing, bringing the lantern with her and closing the door behind her as she does so. The two stop before the hooded figure, who looms over them with an admittedly intimidating presence. Sunny excitedly greets the stranger.

"Hello! My name is Sunny Starscout, and this is my friend Zipp! Thank you so, so much! That was incredible!"

The figure inhales as if it is about to respond, but is interrupted by a droplet of water hitting it in the head. It looks up right as many more droplets begin coming down. It's raining. Hard.

"...Why don't we continue this conversation in my cabin? It's about a three minute walk from here. I already have a kettle on."

The figure's voice is somewhat quiet, but it sounds genuine. Zipp sidles over to Sunny to whisper in her ear.

"Should we really go with them? We don't know the first thing about them!"

"We owe them our lives, Zipp. I don't think they're a bad pony." Sunny leans away from Zipp and looks at the figure with a smile. "Yes, I think that would be lovely!"

"Wonderful. Follow me, then."

The three set out into the treeline, with the hooded stranger leading the way with practiced ease over countless roots and uneven terrain. It takes them a bit longer than expected considering Sunny and Zipp's injuries, but they eventually reach a quaint wooden cabin hidden amongst the trees. A warm, inviting light can be seen through the windows, and a bit of smoke is billowing out of its rustic chimney. The three make it onto the inviting-looking porch before the figure opens the door, allowing the two mares to enter a spacious living area.

The inside of the cabin can only be described as "cozy." Compared to the rain-soaked forest outside, it's quite warm in the cabin. Several lanterns and a lit fireplace give the whole interior an orange glow, and the gentle scents of pine wood and tea waft throughout the space. Most of the cabin is just one open room. In front of the door is a living space, complete with a couple of sofas and a few old-looking recliners. The lit fireplace acts as a nice centerpiece for this area. Along the back wall is a small kitchen, complete with a kettle sitting atop a stove. Next to the kitchen is a stairwell that leads to an open loft. This loft houses a massive king-sized bed, a couple of bookshelves, a nightstand, and a few plants that appear to be well cared for. Sunny and Zipp can't help but think of those "vacation getaway" cabins they have in the mountains near Zephyr Heights. A lot of ponies would kill to own a cabin like this, though Zipp wonders if Pipp would be a bit uncomfortable due to the complete lack of technology in here.

"Please, make yourselves comfortable. The tea should be ready any moment now."

The figure walks on creaking floorboards over to the kettle and retrieves what looks like an antique tea set from a nearby cabinet. Meanwhile, Sunny and Zipp awkwardly take a seat next to each other on one of the sofas, their flanks sinking into it when they do. Neither of them say a word, but they glance at each other as the same phrase comes to both of their minds: "old person furniture."

After a moment, the figure returns, taking a seat on the sofa opposite the two mares and setting the tea set on the coffee table in-between them. The stranger pours three cups, one for each of them, and kindly offers two of them to Sunny and Zipp.

"Thank you." Sunny's voice is a mumble, her expression indicating a nervous politeness to her movements as she grabs one of the cups.

Zipp reaches for her cup as well, though she makes a point to wait for the figure to take a sip before she does. Lo and behold, the stranger reaches for a cup, revealing a strange appendage from inside of the sleeve. It isn't a hoof, and instead appears fleshy with five digits that wrap around the cup and bring it beneath the hood. The figure lets out a satisfied sigh, and though both Sunny and Zipp are weirded out by the obviously-not-a-pony host they've found themselves in the presence of, they each take a sip of the tea after sharing a glance.

The tea tastes... strange. First and foremost, it is absolutely delicious, but it's unlike any tea either of them have ever tasted (and what with her "princess" title and all, Zipp has had to drink a LOT of tea). It's a strange blend of bitter and sweet that begs you to drink more but never feels overpowering.

"Wow, this tea is delicious... erm... what is your name?"

"Oh! Goodness me, I never introduced myself, did I?"

The figure reaches for its hood, pulling it back to reveal the creature underneath. Sunny and Zipp look with wide eyes as a fur-less creature gives them a gentle smile. It appears male, and despite all evidence to the contrary, he seems to be a young adult. A head of messy hair adorns his head, and a nasty-looking scar reaches from somewhere underneath his hairline on the left side of his face to the right side of his neck, crossing over his nose in the process. A few more scars are visible at the base of the neck, but they quickly disappear from sight below the cloak.

"My name is Anon. Given your expressions, I suppose I should tell you that I am a human. The only one in Equestria, I might add."

Both Zipp and Sunny simply stare at Anon, their mouths slightly agape as they try to process what they are looking at. After some time, Sunny breaks the silence.

"Are... are you the hermit?"

"Hm? 'The hermit?' I... suppose with the life I live, that would be a fairly accurate title, though I'm not sure who gave it to me."

"S-sorry... a long time ago, my mom told my dad that there was a kind old hermit living in the Everfree Forest. N-not that I'm calling you old or anything!"

Anon closes his eyes and lets out a tired chuckle. Despite his youthful voice and appearance, his mannerisms seem to imply a wealth of experience.

"Haha. Don't worry about it. I'm a lot older than I look. Still, that does surprise me. It's been a very long time since I've spoken to a pony."

"Well, she... passed away after giving birth to me, and that was over twenty years ago."

Sunny looks downtrodden once more, just as she did the last time she discussed her mother. Zipp pats her on the shoulder in an attempt to comfort her.

"Oh, dear. I'm so sorry, Ms. Starscout."

"N-no, it's okay. I'm the one that brought it up."

Anon looks melancholic as he looks down at the orange mare.

"For what it's worth, I've lost quite a few ponies that were important to me, too."

Zipp speaks up in place of Sunny, who continues to sip her tea with a bit less enthusiasm than before.

"Huh? I thought you were a hermit?"

"I wasn't always. A long time ago, I had a lot of friends. A family, too. I've since lost each and every one of them."

"I... I don't mean to sound rude, but just how old are you?"

"Hmhm, a natural question to ask. In truth, I'm not sure of the exact number anymore. I've been around for hundreds of years, though."

"H-HUNDREDS?!"

Anon chuckles once more and takes another sip of tea.

"I'm not sure what they're teaching you ponies in school nowadays, but have you heard of Princess Twilight Sparkle?"

Sunny excitedly looks up from her now-empty teacup.

"Y-yes! She's my idol! My dad did his best to preserve all the literature he could find about her, and I've been trying to follow in her hoofsteps ever since I was a filly!"

"Hmhm, she's a good idol to have. She used to be one of my closest friends."

There is a moment of silence as Sunny and Zipp process Anon's statement until Zipp nearly spits out the remainder of her tea.

"WAIT A SECOND! Y-you're that Anon! From the Journal of Friendship!"

"Ha! I can't believe that old journal is still floating around out there."

Sunny speaks up, her voice nearly a shout as she fails to contain her excitement.

"It isn't! For many years you couldn't find it anywhere! If it wasn't for my dad, I never would have read it!"

"And I only got the chance to read it because Sunny lent me her copy."

"B-but back to what she said! You're really that Anon?! The one who helped defeat some of Equestria's most terrifying villains? The one who married Princess Celestia after she retired?"

"Yup, that's me. But... please refrain from fangirling so much, Ms. Starscout. I'm really just some guy, at the end of the day."

"No, you aren't! You're one of the most important figures in Equestrian history!"

"..."

Anon wears a pained expression on his face as he finishes the last of his tea.

"Er... Anon?"

Zipp glances at Sunny.

"Sunny, it's obviously a painful memory for him. Don't forget, Twilight isn't... here anymore."

"...Oh." Sunny looks up at Anon, who closes his eyes as he places his cup back on its platter. "So that's what you meant when you said you lost your friends."

After a moment, Anon sighs.

"Not long after Tia and I got married, we learned that I had somehow become immortal. Maybe it's because I discovered how to use magic. Maybe it's because of how often I was exposed to alicorn spells by hanging around Celestia and Twilight every day. It... doesn't really matter. I thought it would be great. I thought I'd get to live forever with my best friend and my wife, both of whom were also immortal thanks to being alicorns. Of course... it didn't quite turn out that way."

"What happened to them?"

"...That's quite the long story, and one that I must confess I am reluctant to recall. If you'd like to know, why don't you ask your new pal Discord? He was there, too."

Zipp interjects before Sunny can.

"W-wait, how did you know that we've met Discord?"

"He's an old friend. We didn't get along way back when, but after... everything... we learned to appreciate each other a bit more. Lately, his encounter with you two and your friends is all he wants to talk about."

"Even after everything with the Unity Crystals happened?"

"...Heh. He was right about one thing. You two do remind me of a couple of ponies I once knew. But I digress. Yes, your little band has left quite the impression on him."

"So you know who we are?"

"Somewhat. You're the ponies who gathered the Unity Crystals and restored magic to Equestria, yeah? And I heard from the grapevine that you~" Anon looks directly at Sunny. "...Are an alicorn."

"W-well, sort of. I can use alicorn magic, but I still can't fully control it yet. My horn and wings sometimes seem like they just do whatever they want."

"Hm. Fascinating. Not just anypony can become an alicorn, you know. You must be something really special."

"Oh, uh, hehe. Thank you."

A light blush makes its way to Sunny's cheeks as Zipp prepares to speak once more.

"So you've just been living out here on your own for hundreds of years?"

"Sort of. Truth be told, I wasn't on my own for most of that time. My daughter lived here with me."

"You have a daughter?"

"Yes. Didn't think Tia and I could have a child, but lo and behold, there she came. A beautiful snow-white alicorn foal. Looked just like her mother, too. When everything started going down all those years ago, Tia demanded to be by Twilight's side as they did everything they could to slow the coming storm. One of us had to stay home and watch over our little girl, and... that job fell to me. Tia... never came home."

"So you took your daughter and fled to the Everfree Forest?"

"...I'd rather not dwell on those days too much. I lost a lot of friends in the chaos. But what could I do? My little girl was just an infant. Without me to protect her, there's no telling what would have happened. I did what any father would do and risked everything just to keep her safe. The result was essentially our exile to this forest."

"Did you ever try to go back?"

"It was pretty plain to see that we had lost, Ms. Zipp. A few months later, I was able to confirm that... we had lost everything. They... they never even found Tia's body."

"I'm so sorry."

Anon wipes a single tear from his cheek as he continues his story.

"So, it was just me and my little girl here for hundreds of years. I did my best to raise her on my own, but... well, I'm just one guy. Heck, I'm not even a pony. Her early years were not easy on me. Eventually though, she grew up. Most teenagers get all rebellious towards their old man, and she was no exception. Imagine being stuck living with your dad for hundreds of years. It was no surprise when she packed her things and said she was leaving."

"Wait, she left? Where did she go?"

"Everywhere. She went to Zephyr Heights for a few years before making her way to Bridlewood. Eventually, she settled down in Maretime Bay. Thankfully, she didn't resent me so much as to avoid sending me letters."

Sunny interrupts Anon's story.

"W-wait, hold on. If she was an alicorn, the ponies in all of those places would have noticed. Plus, who was delivering mail for her all the way out here?"

"For the first question, we learned when she was a few years old that she could shapeshift, not unlike a changeling. It's not hard for her to turn into a unicorn, pegasus, or earth pony to blend in. Heck, when she was younger, she liked to shapeshift into a human to try and be more like her old man. Hah, what a time that was! As for the second question, an old dragon friend of mine taught me a spell to send mail magically to somepony you know. Naturally, I made sure she knew it before she left home."

"And she's in Maretime Bay? Like, now?!"

Anon is quiet for a few seconds before he sighs once again.

"I'm not sure. Last I heard from her, she had found a stallion there she fancied. It's hard for a father to hear that, but I couldn't exactly go visit her, either. I mean, the ponykinds hadn't figured out how to stop being afraid of each other yet. Imagine their response to a human showing up at their doorstep."

Zipp chuckles.

"I imagine 'Sheriff Hitch' would have had a few new laws ready to go within minutes."

"Regardless, that stallion was all she talked about. Then, without warning... the letters just stopped coming."

Sunny responds, her voice inquisitive and filled with concern.

"Did something happen to her?"

"I don't know. I don't want to assume the worst, but I also can't think of a good reason why she would just drop all contact with me like that, and that was a little over twenty years ago."

"W-well, we reunited the ponykinds already. And the sheriff in Maretime Bay is my friend! If you'd like to come look for her, we'd be happy to give you a tour!"

Anon goes quiet again before he lets out a warm chuckle.

"Thank you, Sunny. I might just take you up on that."

Sunny gives Anon a smile as she places her teacup back onto its platter, causing Zipp to do the same with hers.

"Thank you for the tea, Mr. Anon. It was delicious!"

"It's an older variety that I've been saving for a while. Tia's servants back at Canterlot Castle taught me how to make that. Plus, it's more than just delicious."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you tell me. How does your leg feel?"

Sunny looks down at her sprained leg, realizing that the swelling is gone. In fact, it doesn't appear injured at all. As she notices this, she also realizes that her headache has gone away during their conversation. She looks at Zipp in surprise, who lifts her wing and reveals that her new wound has completely healed over. Zipp vocalizes her surprise.

"...Woah. What kind of tea is that, again?"

"Just an old herbal blend of some local flora. I wouldn't recommend trying that at home, though. The Everfree Forest is really dangerous when you don't know how to navigate it."

Sunny speaks up yet again, her increased volume indicating that she just remembered something important.

"Oh! Speaking of, how did you use magic back there? I thought we were outside of the range of the Unity Crystals?"

"That's where you're mistaken. The crystals have no 'range.' The problem is the Everfree Forest. Equestrian magic hasn't worked here ever since Twilight made those crystals, and that applies to your little lantern, too. If you just go around the forest, you should be fine."

"But that still doesn't explain how you used magic."

"My magic isn't Equestrian in nature. I'm a human, after all. I'm basically... well, I guess I'm literally an alien. I'm built different, you might say."

"Th-then can you help us get home?!"

"Sure can. Hand me that lantern, will you?"

Zipp hands the now rainbow-less lantern over to Anon, who closes his eyes and seems to focus as he makes a strange gesture with his hand. After a few moments, a rainbow slowly fills the lantern, and about a minute later, it's as bright as when they left the Brighthouse.

"There ya go. I've pumped it with enough of my magic to last you a couple of hours. That should be more than enough time to get away from the Everfree Forest."

"Th-thank you, Anon! You're a lifesaver!"

"Well, it wouldn't do to have two of Equestria's saviors meet an untimely end in the middle of a scary forest, now would it? Speaking of, would you look at the time?" Rather than looking at any sort of clock, Anon looks out of a nearby window. Outside, sunlight is starting to peek through the trees, and the sound of rain has been replaced by the occasional stray droplet of water hitting the roof. "Looks like it's time for the two of you to get back to where you were going."

Sunny and Zipp look at each other and smile. Zipp breaks the silence between them first.

"Well, if we know that the Unity Crystals work everywhere but here, I don't see any reason not to head back home."

"Agreed. Besides, I think I'd like to get back to my bed after the day we've had."

Anon stands up, courteously making it seem less awkward when Sunny and Zipp do the same. He returns the tea set to the kitchen counter before escorting the mares to the door. Sure enough, the rain has completely stopped, and the damp morning air is crisp and refreshing. The trio make their way through the trees and back to the clearing, where the Mare Stream lies in wait. Zipp climbs inside and places the lantern back where it belongs. The sound of technology coming to life fills the space as the Mare Stream revs up, indicating that it's ready to go. Sunny looks back at Anon, who doesn't stray too far from the treeline.

"Do you want to come with us? We can help you look for your daughter if you'd like."

Anon smiles back at her, raising a hand as he does so.

"Thank you for the offer Sunny, but I think I'll wait a little bit before heading over there. I have some stuff I need to take care of first. Besides, I think I have a pretty good idea of where she is after our little conversation. You have a safe trip home, okay?"

"Alright. Thank you again, Mr. Anon! I hope you'll come see us soon!"

"You can bet on it!"

Anon looks towards the Mare Stream and gives Zipp a wave. She happily returns the gesture as Sunny climbs inside next to her and takes a seat. The Mare Stream makes another revving noise as it slowly lifts into the sky. After clearing the treeline, it turns back in the direction that it came from and flies away at a comfortable speed. Anon smiles to himself as he turns away from the clearing and returns to his cabin.

Anon quietly removes his cloak and makes his way up the stairs and onto the loft. Taking a seat on the side of the bed, he reaches over to the nearby nightstand, retrieving a framed photograph resting on top of it. The photo depicts three figures, each smiling at the camera. On the right, a scar-less Anon wraps an arm around the mare to the left, a snow-white alicorn with a flowing, multicolored mane. Between them, an alicorn filly with a white coat and pink mane beams at the camera with unbridled joy. Tears begin to fall from Anon's cheeks as his voice fills the silent cabin.

"...Well. I suppose I know where you are now. I hope the two of you are having a nice time together, wherever that may be." Anon strokes a finger along the side of the frame as he smiles to himself. "Oh, Tia. I wish you could be here right now." Picture in hand, he walks over to a nearby window, staring out in the direction that Sunny and Zipp went. "You always wanted a granddaughter, didn't you? ...Hmhm. Don't worry. I'll let her know soon enough. I mean, someone has to teach that girl how to control her alicorn magic, right?"

Anon places the picture back onto the nightstand and heads downstairs. He has been around for longer than he probably should. In that time, the world has changed, and taken almost everything he cares about from him in the process. And yet, although he has lost so much...

The future has never looked brighter.