“What about that guy?” >You gesture to an old withered bark-skinned monster. >“I don't know, Anon…” your roomie, Miff, whimpers in a hushed voice, ducking back behind the dead bush. >Almost as if a peep would alert all the nine hells to your position. >Your jaw tightens as the giant of a beast ushers itself inside stony structure, the cold howling winds of Tartarus proving to be too much for even a greater daemon this time of year. >You look up from your binoculars and at the imp pony next to you. “Are we still doing this or what?” >”Anon, this was a bad idea. We should go back to our guardian.” She shivers. “He’ll get real mad at us for being out this late.” >You scoff at the trembling mess beside you. “What is he going to do? Throw us in Tartarus again? He’s not our real dad.” >”We could be thrown in one of the inner prisons where the true evils reside.” She shudders “They say mortals go mad upon discovering what kind of evils they do there. I can’t survive that, Anon.” >You give her a half smile. ”They're not going to throw an imp pony and a straight out of Equestria trouble maker into the inner prisons.” >She frowns back at you, not exactly buying it. “…Okay maybe they will but, at most for a night to scare us until they call our guardian.” >”Then we'll be grounded for THE REST OF OUR LIVES Anon,” she cries, before jamming a hoof in her mouth, a haunted look on her features as she looks around. >“This is serious.” she hisses, going back to a hushed voice. You look back into the binoculars with a huff, “Now you’re just exaggerating, you big baby.” >Miff snorts back at you. “I am not a big-” “Shut the fuck up, someone else is coming.” >Your little roomie snorts again, looking around, only to focus on the very same eldritch horror you’re staring at as it walks down the pavement. >”THAT GUY? You’re crazy. Humans are crazy. I’m leaving.” >You pick up your friend placing her under you arm before she can fly away and dash out behind your cover. >As you run up to the monstrosity, the imp kicks and tries to twist in your grasp. >Miff seems to have given up on being quiet, yelling obscenities every step of the way >A few firm words about your mother thrown in too for good measure. >You step in front of the imposing creature. >To your luck, it also stops. >The cold chill goes frigid, as the ugly thing leers down to acknowledge your pitiful existence. >Despite that you face starts to drip cold sweat just from looking at the thing. >It brandishes long sharp teeth in what resembles a smile. >At least, you want to believe it’s a smile. >And not one of ill intentions. >Your jaw tightens and you adopt a threatening look- or as threatening as someone who wants to piss themselves can look, as you stare up into its many eyes. >It cocks its head, adopting a hint of sadistic curiosity. >You hold out a bag of bits. ”Coul-” you cough. >When did your throat get so dry? >Swallowing, you attempt to speak again. ”Could you buy us some real alcohol?” >Miff offers no help, hanging limply in your arm while staring at the floor like a shy school filly. >He… she? It blinks for a moment, then smiles, taking the bits in a mangled looking claw. >”Heh, you lesser creatures. This brings back memories. Just wait out here,” it says in a low grumbling voice that stirs the wind around you. >As soon as it steps inside, it feels like a crippling weight has been lifted off of you. “See? You big baby, nothing bad happened.” >”I’m not a big baby,” she snaps, starting to fidget in your grasp again. >You lean on the stone wall and look round as you wait, your companion stops, barely even breathing. >A slight twitch of her ear is the only signal that she ‘might’ be alive. >If you hadn’t known her to play dead when things got rough you’d be concerned. >... >”’Non...” >You snap back to attention, rubbing at your eye. >”Anon” you hear again, the voice sounding strained. >You look back down at your companion, only to realise there’s a whole platoon of guards headed your way. >That fucker took your bits and signalled the guard. >Barely even having time to react, they throw a weighted net over you and Miff. >You are Anonymous, ‘the scorned’, and more recently, ‘the exiled’. >And you think you think you can add ‘the screwed’ onto that list.