thump thump thump thump thump

I could barely hear my own footsteps over my harsh, quickened breathing. Of course, that much was a blessing in itself; the strange shoes I'd been given didn't make nearly as much noise against the marble floors as the racket being made by my pursuers, and right now any advantage I could maintain was vital.

Of course, that assumed I didn't straight-out collapse from exhaustion before I could get to safety. My lungs burned as though I'd taken a huff of napalm, my legs felt like lead weights, and I was starting to feel a cramp start up somewhere around my lower back that promised to turn the entire area into steel rods of pain. I ignored my body's complaints as best as I could and pushed myself on, knowing that nothing could possibly be as bad as getting caught again.

I'm not going back to that cage, I told myself. I'll take a swan dive off one of these towers before I let that happen. And a quick glance through one of the windows of the interminably long hall I was sprinting through showed me that, yes, that option was in fact available.

It was a last resort, and I still had a few tricks up my sleeve before that. I gave myself just a moment's pause to rest at the next intersection, thankfully empty, and glance back the way I came; I could hear the voices of my one-time jailers now, their words indecipherable to me, but I could tell by the tone that they were most certainly not pleased. Still... with them probably shouting out their intentions for all and sundry to hear, the language barrier was a serious damn problem.

One thing I could bet on, though, was them having the exits guarded. It was a solid enough tactic- fewer eyes watching for me in the halls, but with no way out it was only a matter of time before I was cornered. But I'd read enough stories to know how grand castles like these were constructed; there would be out-of-the-way windows, servants' exits, even storm grates or sewer passages if it came down to it. The only trick was finding one of them and getting out unnoticed.

A thought occured to me as I practically dashed down a winding staircase- where were the servants, staff and the like? I'd seen plenty of them when I was brought in. It was entirely possible that they'd been told to hide to prevent me from harming them or using them as hostages- the first of which I was really loathe to do without cause, but the second wasn't beyond possibility in my desperate situation. Not an optimal line of action, though; a hostage would only slow me down, giving them time to surround me. Staying one step ahead was still my best bet.

I realized with a thrill of hope that I'd made it to the second floor. Escape through a window was now feasible, provided I could find a soft landing place, but I didn't really want to risk that- the first floor was a much better alternative, which meant it would be more heavily guarded, but catching one man in a place as big as this was still a tall order. I gave myself one more moment of rest while hiding in an alcove, listening for sounds of pursuit, and the moment I heard the distinctive clacking of hooves on marble, I moved.

I made my way towards what I thought- or at least hoped- was the rear of the castle. It stood to reason that it would be where the support staff and servants lived, out of sight of the nobility, and would therefore have its own little maze of passages and hallways for the servants to move about, giving me an easy place to vanish from sight within while I looked for the inevitable window or door leading outside.

To say I was disappointed with what I saw would be putting it mildly. These were obviously servants' quarters, sure, but aside from the somewhat more roughly-hewn walls they didn't look much different from the nobles' quarters upstairs- no winding halls or obvious tunnels that I could duck down. I contemplated checking some of the rooms for a way out, but decided against it for fear that I could blunder into some servant who'd raise the alarm, and so kept moving.

Finally, after what seemed far too long, I found a stairwell leading downwards. Storerooms and closets of all sorts greeted me, but with no way of knowing what was where- I couldn't read the signs on the doors, naturally- I decided against committing to a supply raid and continued on. Five minutes of more-or-less randomly wandering around finally brought me to what I'd been searching for- a seemingly-unguarded exit, presumably leading out to the side of the castle, if my sense of direction was still dependable. I took a quick look through the small windows on either side of the doorway, and once I was certain that there was no ambush awaiting me outside, I pushed the doors open and stepped outside.

A warm blast of late-spring air was the only thing to greet me as I left the castle. I could hear the rushing of water in the distance off to my right, a quickly-moving stream of some kind, and I moved towards it, making sure to keep close to the walls- if any of my pursuers were in the sky, they'd spot me easily in the middle of this small courtyard. The consequence of that decision was that it took me a few minutes to get to the source of the water, but soon enough I was standing at a waist-high wooden fence overlooking a broad, shallow pool of water that poured out over a ledge into a river below.

I considered as I looked down. The river was eighty, maybe ninety feet down- hardly world-record heights, but then again, I was certainly no trained high-diver. It seemed fairly deep, with no obvious jutting rocks, and the current looked managable; it would lead me towards what I judged to be the northeast, away from the castle, out into some lightly-forested plains where I could take cover and plan my next move.

Yet I hesitated for a moment. Not because of the danger of jumping, but because everything I'd still had when I came here was somewhere in this castle- my clothing, my equipment, even my weapon... though without ammunition, and with no hope of ever finding any, it was only really useful as an exceptionally-unweildy cudgel. But I'd likely have to search the whole place from top to bottom to find it all, and that simply was not an option. My freedom would be all that I could take away from here.

I froze as I heard a shout, behind and above, an all-too-familiar voice. Almost against my own will, I turned to look, and my blood turned to ice as I spotted a form hovering above one of the lower-reaching towers- a form that was winged and sky-blue.

If it had been any of them but her, I would have made a break for the door I'd come through, or the bridge leading over the pool, or maybe one of the nearby windows. But I knew I wouldn't get ten steps in any direction before she was on top of me, and I was in no condition to put up a real fight. My only choices were clear- jump, or be captured... and only one was acceptable.

I heard another shout from her, this one sounding almost pleading, as my feet hit the edge of the pool. I could hear the flapping of her wings as I jumped- and then it was too late for her to stop me. Yet she kept up, diving beside me, the expression on her face seemingly composed of equal measure anger and hurt; she knew she couldn't catch me, couldn't even touch me, or she'd inevitably share my watery fate. And I highly doubted she'd be able to handle that river nearly as well as I could.

Her rose-colored eyes stayed locked onto mine until the very last second, when she pulled away in a rainbow blur, skimming the river's surface. And that was the last I saw before I hit the water.

(-)

fwoomp fwoomp fwoomp

All she could hear at the moment was the flapping of her wings. She was dimly aware of the others behind her, imagined that at this very moment the Captain was shouting orders to the guards, getting the injured tended to and ordering patrols to find the creature.

She wasn't going to wait for them. They'd be thorough, but slow, and the alien was almost ridiculously fast for something with so few legs- fast and maneuverable on the ground, and able to get into places one wouldn't think something so tall could manage. Every second he was free meant the chances of his escaping went up a lot.

Despite her determination, she still felt outright bewildered at what had happened. The alien had been cooperative- hay, almost docile at that point; it'd seemed he'd lost his defensiveness, had finally started accepting them as friends, or at least non-hostile creatures. He'd even smiled a couple of times, and it really was kind of nice when he did... it made him seem a lot less intimidating and a lot more approachable.

And then he'd seen that weird-looking pony with the cutie mark of a ferris wheel, and everything had gone straight to Tartarus. Faster than even she could react, he'd disabled two guards, removed his shackles and bolted, all with a look of pure rage on his strange, flat face. And the ease he'd done it all with suggested that he'd had the act pre-planned... so why do it then? What was it about that one pony that had set this all off?

She wasn't going to figure it out hovering around like a lost foal, so she put extra effort into each flap of her wings, soaring through the halls and chambers of the castle. But the place was so enormous, so winding, that she found herself utterly lost twice in a row and completely empty-hooved the entire time. Impotent anger built up inside her with every empty corridor she flew though, until the most logical thought of all time finally crossed her mind.

What the hay am I doing indoors? He wants to get outside; outside is where I'll eventually find him.

With that, she found a balcony on the third floor and took to the skies, slowly circling the rooftops and towers, her keen eyes on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary. It was ten minutes later that the slightest bit of color caught her eye- the weird light-grey clothing the alien was still wearing, peeking out from behind an outcropping he was apparently sneaking under.

She'd have to give him credit- it was sheer chance that she'd spotted him at all. He was obviously being careful to have gotten this far, but now his luck had run out. But yet she hesitated- what was he doing? Where did he think he could go from there? For the love of Celestia, don't tell me he's going for that river....

“Hey!” she shouted. “Stop!”

He froze in place for just a moment, looked over his shoulder at her... then jumped the fence surrounding the pool and made a mad dash for its edge. Despite her earlier anger, she felt fear shoot through her, and she zoomed towards him, desperate to keep him from making that jump. “Don't do it!” she cried out. “You'll kill yourself!”

She knew he couldn't understand her, but as she saw his feet leave the ledge, she wondered if it even made a difference. He'd been set on jumping the moment he saw her, she could tell. Why? she wondered, watching as his bizarre bipedal form twisted in midair, forming a knife shape with forehooves- hands, she reminded herself- pointed towards the water. You'd rather risk death than stay with us? Why?!

She couldn't catch him. She knew that if she so much as touched him, he'd drain her natural flight magic from her, and she'd hit that water like a rock right beside him. Still, she stayed by him, staring into his strange grey eyes, hating him for doing this yet sorry that, for whatever reason had crossed his alien mind, he'd felt the need.

Her honed senses warned her that impact was imminent, and at the last possible second she peeled off, her hooves actually cutting across the surface of the river. She reflexively winced as she heard the deep splash behind her that signalled the creature's impact with the water, and she immediately turned, gaining altitude as quickly as she could, watching the river flow by, and waiting- and praying- to see him break the surface.

(-)

Ah, but I'm kind of getting ahead of myself here, aren't I? You probably want to know how I even ended up in a situation like that.

Here, let me start from the beginning.

“Sing us a song, you're the piano man... sing us a song tonight....”

I was in a pretty good mood, all things considered. Sure, third place in the competition wasn't the gold trophy, but considering I was still one of the “new guys” in the competitive-shooting community and I was already facing up well against guys who'd been shooting longer than I'd been alive, I was happy enough. Hell, just getting to stand on a podium with Chip Sunwell and Scotty “Bean” Archer was a thrill in itself, and as soon as I got home I was putting that picture in a frame and hanging it on the wall next to that painting of the Golden Gate Bridge that Mom sent me right after I got my new apartment.

“ 'Cause we're all in the mood for a melody, and you've got us feeling alright....”

As I whistled along with Billy Joel's harmonica, I leaned forward a bit in the car seat to look up at the skies. The forecasts had called for clear weather all during my drive back up the Interstate, but wouldn't you know it- a storm was rolling in from somewhere, probably the northwest, which meant it was going to intercept me well before I got back home. The clouds looked heavy, too, and seemed like they were pissed off about it.

No problem, I thought. If I can't beat the rain and it gets too heavy, I'll pull over to a motel or something and wait it out. Or failing that, I can just pull into the next rest stop.

Sure enough, by the end of the song, thick raindrops were beginning to hit my windshield. I stopped the music player, put both hands on the wheel and leaned forward a bit, just in case. Fortunately there didn't seem to be any other traffic on the road at the moment, so I felt safe in keeping my speed just a bit above the limit in order to cut down the time I spent in the storm.

This had the unfortunate side effect of having me plow right into the thick of it all the more quickly. The skies darkened until it was nearly as black as night, and the rain almost immediately became a downpour, one the wipers had trouble clearing from the windshield even on the fastest setting. I had no choice but to reduce speed just so I could make sure I wouldn't hit anything.

As I drove, now nervously watching the side of the road for any indication of a turnoff or even a decent stretch of shoulder to stop on, I noticed lightning beginning to dance between the clouds. Oddly enough, it was a deep red color rather than the typical blue-white- I'd heard of lightning that color before, but I'd thought it was supposed to be exclusive to extremely high altitudes, not regular storms. “This might be bad,” I murmured to myself; if the storm was so violent as to be producing weird lightning, driving through the middle of it was probably a very bad idea.

I was just contemplating stopping right there in the rightmost lane when the first bolt of lightning hit, literally a hundred feet down the road.

“Shit!” Trying to look past the afterimage of the bolt blazed into my retinas- thankfully not nearly as bad as it would've been with a normally-colored strike- I swerved as hard as I dared to miss the sudden pie-sized crater in the road. My tires squealed across the wet road, but I somehow managed to straighten out- only to have a second bolt strike right in front of me; one of the wheels clipped the edge of the hole it made, thankfully not flipping the car but turning my hard maneuver into an uncontrolled spin. As I fought with the wheel and pumped the brakes to come to a stop, something flickered ahead of me, and by the time I could spare it any attention it had grown into a bright white light directly in front of me.

Oncoming car- was all I managed to think before I hit it...

...and went through it.

Suddenly, there were trees everywhere, and my car was pirouetting through them like a drunken ballet dancer. Branches slapped against the windshield, what might have been a bird was pulverized by my driver's side mirror, and dirt flew up from where my tires gouged ruts in the ground. Before I could orient myself, let alone try to steer out of the spin, the car's front left quarter smacked into the trunk of a tree easily as wide as the vehicle itself.

The seat belt and airbag saved me. Careful positioning saved everything else in the car; I'd always been paranoid of a head-on collision turning loose objects in the car into projectiles and made sure to keep everything secured, and it seemed that my caution had proven worthwhile. Still, it took me a moment to collect myself and clear my head before I could get the door open to look at the damage.

It was clear from first sight that I wouldn't be driving out of here. The front left side of the car had been crushed; the headlight was broken, the tire had exploded, and the wheel itself was bent upwards at an angle that screamed “expensive repair job”. The engine was still running, though, the remaining headlight was still shining, and aside from a thin crack running roughly along the middle, the windshield was even intact.

A gentle rain pattered down on my head as I contemplated my next step. I climbed back into the car, shut off the engine and grabbed my phone and my flashlight, then brought up the number for the auto club and dialed while I clicked the light on and tried to trace my way back to the Interstate. I was deep enough in the trees so that towing would be a nightmare, but I could at least get a ride to somewhere more civilized for the night, and figure out what to do in the morning-

beep beep beep

My phone made a sound I'd never heard before. I looked down at the display to see the message “No Signal”; sure enough, there weren't any connection bars in the corner of the screen. Figures, I thought, I'd crash somewhere out of range of the cell towers. I pocketed the phone and focused on getting back to the Interstate; now that the storm seemed to be dying down, maybe I could flag down a car and get a ride to a gas station or something.

That was the plan, anyway. But after an hour of careful searching, being sure not to lose track of the car itself, I came to an extremely disturbing realization:

I couldn't find the highway.

I hadn't been going all that fast when the lightning bolts had hit, and if that oncoming car had hit me hard enough to knock me that far off the road, it probably would've folded my car in half like cardboard. I found myself fighting off a rising sense of panic at being stranded. Okay, I told myself, stay calm. Obviously I've gotten myself turned around and lost track of where the highway is, and I can't find it in this darkness. The worst thing I can do is get lost in these woods. Hole up, wait until daybreak and then you'll have a much easier time finding your way back.

A '97 Ford Escort wasn't the most comfortable place to spend the night, but with my jacket rolled up for a pillow and my feet propped up on the window ledge, it was better than nothing.

(-)

“Strange....”

She set her book down on the floor of her balcony and stared out towards the southeast, where the darkest, most menacing-looking clouds she'd ever seen gathered over the Everfree. She was used to odd weather occurring there- Rainbow Dash certainly complained enough about its effects on the Ponyville area- but this was extreme even for that place; dull-red lightning crackled between clouds, but the thunder seemed strangely muted even for the distance.

Then she physically winced as some kind of thaumatic shockwave hit her like a train. She just caught sight of a bright discharge of lightning somewhere deep in the woods; as quick as thought, she summoned a compass, a piece of parchment and her ink and quill, then- judging solely by the delay between light and sound- reckoned heading and distance.

It was much too late in the day to go tromping through the Everfree to investigate, but that didn't mean she had to sit idle. “Spike!” she shouted. “Gather every book we have on strange phenomenon in the Everfree forest!”

While she waited for her number-one assistant to complete her request, she summoned yet another piece of parchment, as well as a map of the area. The quill dipped itself into the inkpot and began to scratch across the blank page as she scrutinized the map.

Dear Princess Celestia,

This letter is to report a strange thaumatic and meteorological disturbance that occurred within the Everfree Forest at roughly 7:39PM tonight. I witnessed a severe storm discharge red lightning between clouds and into the ground, and shortly after felt a strange magical disturbance that coincided with an exceptionally powerful electric discharge. My best reckoning is that this phenomenon occurred in map grid 7A2, 4B1 of the Standard Ponyville Region Topographical Map, Cartographic Society catalog number 281, 9th edition.

My intentions are to spend the night researching any similar occurrences, then to consult with Rainbow Dash about the weather effects in the morning. Once we have enough actionable data, my friends and I will ask Zecora to lead us to the area within the Everfree where this took place, and we'll investigate whatever may have occurred I'll report to you whatever we learn.

Still your faithful student,
Princess Twilight Sparkle

I was already sweating when I woke up the next morning. I shouldn't have been surprised- I wasn't exactly an outdoorsman, but I knew that forests were great at trapping humidity, and while the day was still young and the temperature hadn't really risen much, the thick mists showed that the air was saturated.

With a groan, I managed to drag myself out of my uncomfortable sleeping position, open the door and clamber out of the car. I took just a minute to stretch all my sore spots, then grabbed my phone once more- still no signal, unfortunately- and shoved it into my pants pocket. I wanted to get one more overview of the damage to the car before I went to find the highway, so I decided to walk a circle around the vehicle, taking in the various scratches, dents and marks it had taken on its crazy trip. I absentmindedly took in the state of the ground beneath it, and the skidmarks it had left along the way, but what caught my eye next turned my blood to ice.

There was a single pawprint of some kind overlapping one of the skidmarks. It looked like a wolf's, but was so large that the creature that made it had to be nearly as big as me.

“Oh, shit.” With a press of a button on my key fob, the trunk popped open, and as quickly as I could I pulled out three items: My gun case, my holster, and the bag holding the box of loose .40S&W ammunition still left over from the competition. As quickly as I could, I slammed the trunk shut, opened the front passenger door and practically dove in, then pulled the door closed. With fingers trembling from the adrenaline rush, I opened the case and removed the three magazines I owned for my Taurus PT 24/7 handgun, loading each as quickly as I could to their maximum capacity, then slid one magazine into the weapon. I didn't chamber a round yet, not with there only being the possibility of wild animals- I could explain a loaded weapon to a state trooper, but I'd probably get less of a sympathetic ear if it was ready to fire without good cause.

The other two magazines went into the smaller pouch that would hang on my left side. That was easy enough to put on, but the holster was too complex to manage while sitting in my car... but before I got out, I stuck the key into the ignition, turned it one notch forward, and turned the radio up, setting it to scan for any nearby radio stations in hopes that I might hear a weather report. The skies seemed clear enough, at least from what I could see of them through the canopy, but that storm had snuck up on me fast enough to make me paranoid.

I was so caught up in getting myself equipped and watching for anything moving between the trees that it took me three minutes to realize that the radio wasn't picking up anything at all. With a sigh, I turned the key and yanked it out; most likely the crash had damaged the radio or the antenna, which made both pretty much useless.

There were only a few rounds left in the box of ammo, so I tossed it along with the now-empty case back into the trunk, which I made sure was securely closed. With that done, I started following my own skid marks- thankfully left mostly undisturbed by the rain- in an effort to retrace my way back to the Interstate.

snap

One hand immediately went to my weapon as I spun, eyes flicking back and forth, trying to spot whatever had made that noise between the trees. The mist still hung thick in the air, and the canopy that had stopped the rain from wiping out his trail also turned the morning sunlight into a dim, mottled mess that made seeing anything past thirty feet out difficult.

“Hello?” I called out, more quietly than I'd intended.

I caught motion out of the corner of my eye, but whatever it was was gone already. But I knew I'd seen something. “I'm armed,” I said, in as neutral a voice as I could manage. “Come out where I can see you, please.”

Nothing answered. But by now I knew I wasn't alone, and whoever- or whatever- was nearby had a high likelihood of being hostile. So, in one smooth motion, I drew my weapon and chambered a round; the unmistakable click-clack of a handgun being readied was practically a universal warning, but I decided to err on the side of caution. “Last warning, I'm armed and will protect myself,” I said, keeping the weapon pointed towards the ground and my finger off the trigger- but ready to raise and fire at a moment's notice.

The mists in front of me seemed to part, showing me what at first I thought were a pair of leaves lit by a particularly bright sunbeam. But then the “leaves” moved- and my breath caught in my throat as I realized they were eyes, glowing a dull yellow, low to the ground. They slowly grew closer, and a body seemed to materialize behind them; at first I thought it was some trick of the light, but as the... thing came into the clearing, I saw that my guess of a lupine of some sort was only barely correct. Whatever it was bore the general shape of a wolf, if someone had constructed a 2:1 scale model of one completely out of tree detritus.

And it was moving.

No, strike that... it was charging.

I hadn't consciously thought to raise my handgun in the state of shock I was in, but I realized that its sights were lined up right between the creature's glowing eyes, which were approaching at a speed far too quick for my comfort. Reflex kicked in, and I fired three rounds at my target.

The first clipped it in the shoulder, blasting off a small chunk of wood; the second shot went wide. But the third one scored a direct hit, hitting the creature right in the center of its snout- and going straight on through. The thing practically disintegrated from the impact, showering me with all sorts of debris and making me duck instinctively and shield my face.

Once the dust and pieces had settled, it was all I could do to look down at the remnants of the... the whatever-it-was I'd just shot. I'd just seen a mobile, solid-seeming creature literally shatter from the force of a single bullet. My mind was running around in circles trying to somehow apply logic and rationality to what had just happened to me.

That state of shock was the biggest reason why the second creature ambushed me so easily.

My weapon went flying as I hit the dirt shoulder-first, instinctively rolling onto my back, slamming my elbow into the thing's wooden snout before it could manage a bite. My left hand went to its throat, pushing its face away from mine, while my right hand desperately felt around for anything I could use as a weapon against the snarling, slavering beast. At first I was just barely able to keep the thing from chewing my face off, but it seemed to weaken after just a moment, its expression somehow becoming confused as I managed to push it further back.

My hand found a fist-sized rock, grabbed it, and slammed it into the side of the creature's head. The first blow was just glancing, but the second practically shattered everything above the jawline; taking advantage of this, I pushed the creature up with both hands, got my feet underneath its chest and kicked for everything I was worth.

The creature disintegrated almost as readily as the first, and I was once more showered with branches and leaves as I lay there. Not that I did that for long- I had no idea how many more of these things were around, and laying on my back unarmed was as sure an invitation to come chow down on my flesh as I could hope to give. It was a stroke of luck that my handgun was easy to find, and as I picked it up and gave it a quick check- no damage, only a smear of mud on one side of the slide- I spotted two more of the creatures slinking between a pair of trees. Desperate not to let them flank me, I took two quick, barely-aimed shots at them, going wide but serving to send the creatures yelping and running off into the woods where I quickly lost sight of them.

Finally alone again, I lowered my weapon and tried to catch my breath. My first impulse was to get back in my car and drive towards any place that wasn't here, but that was out of the question. I decided instead to resume my original path along the trail the wheels had left-

snarrrrrrl

-and then very quickly changed my mind as the deep-throated growl of something large echoed from that direction. What the fuck is happening? I wondered, even as I began backing away; I couldn't judge the distance due to the echoing amongst the trees, but I didn't want to wait around to see what might eventually show up.

But running off in a random direction might get me in trouble as well. I spared a quick glance upwards; I could just now see the sun through the leaves, so I turned to face it with the most accurate reckoning of “east” I could manage- which put the tire tracks, and that loud growl, off to my 4 o'clock position- and started a brisk run. Thankfully I had the presence of mind to use my phone's camera to capture images of anything that could serve as landmarks along the way, just in case I couldn't find any signs of civilization in this directions.

But seriously, I told myself, even as I looked from side to side to watch for anything hostile, these woods can't possibly be all that thick. Right?

(-)

My dearest Princess Twilight,

Your observational skills and attention to detail are once again to be commended. The magical phenomenon you spoke of was felt by ponies and others hundreds of miles away, myself and Princess Luna included- but none of us was aware of its source, and those few ponies watching the Everfree Forest did not make the connection between the storm activity and the event. Your precise notation of the potential source has been given to the Royal Guard, and a squadron of pegasi will be sent on sorties for aerial reconnaissance.

However, I will leave the actual investigation to you and your friends, with one notification: The pegasi guards will be alerted to your presence within the Everfree Forest, so should you require their help, simply fire a flare- magical or mundane- into the air above the forest canopy, and they will converge upon your position as soon as they can.

I wish you good luck and safety, my student. Report back with your findings as swiftly as possible.

Your friend,
Princess Celestia

Rarity carefully rolled up the scroll and levitated it back to Twilight. “I admit to being somewhat... discomfited that this strange event was felt by so many others at such a distance,” she said. “Canterlot is several hundred miles away from where this happened, is it not, Twilight?”

“That's right.” The alicorn was hovering just overhead; Rarity could swear she could see her friend's legs moving just slightly with each flap, likely caused by the walking impulse of a pony who'd spent all but the last few months groundbound. “What gets me is that it was felt by so many- not just unicorns or alicorns, but pegasi and earth ponies as well... even non-ponies.”

“I can tell ya it weren't pleasant,” Applejack responded. “Granny couldn't walk fer an hour after, just from th' shock; Big Mac felt like he'd been knocked fer a loop... even Winona yelped an' howled. Fer a bit I felt like I did back when I hadn't slept fer three days straight.”

“Felt to me like AJ had kicked me right in the barrel,” Dash said. “Couldn't move my wings for a few seconds. For once I'm glad I wasn't flying.”

“I felt as though I'd taken one of Twilight's attack spells directly to the horn,” Rarity said quietly. “Twilight, dear, do you have any ideas on what could have caused that?”

“Nothing solid, I'm afraid. I must have read through or at least skimmed more than a hundred books regarding the Everfree, but anything that even remotely resembled whatever happened last night seldom had anything more than a blurb or summary attached. But I have a checklist of things to look for once we arrive.” Her horn flared, and a clipboard popped into existence for a moment, disappearing as quickly as it appeared. “I'm hoping we'll find leads once we get where we're going.”

“Well, I'm just glad we have you with us, Zecora,” Fluttershy murmured. “I feel a lot safer walking through the Everfree with you guiding us.”

The zebra gave the pegasus a smile. “I am always willing to help should the need arise, friend Fluttershy. I, too, felt that strange disturbance... though I am just as lost as to the 'why'.”

Dash chuckled. “Well, big Z, once we get Twi's fantastic brain to where this whole thing happened, I bet we'll get-”

pop pop pop

All of them froze at the strange, unfamiliar sounds echoing through the trees. “What the hay was that?” Applejack half-whispered.

“It... sounded rather like the corks of champagne bottles,” Rarity volunteered. “Only much louder.”

“Or like one of my party cannons!” Pinkie added. “Except... not so much.”

Twilight frowned. “Judging by general direction, that might have come from where we're headed. Zecora, we need to get there as quickly as safety allows.”

Zecora nodded, immediately picking up her pace, and the ponies fell in right behind her. Despite their greater speed, their path was unimpeded by hazards, and they made good time into the forest... at least until two more of the strange sounds rang out, closer than before. “That way,” Twilight said, pointing with a hoof; the group changed their heading, plunging through the underbrush and swerving around trees.

snarrrrrrl

Zecora skidded to a stop, her eyes wide in surprise, before gesturing off to her right for the others to take cover underneath the thick leaves of a fern, joining them after a moment. “Manticore,” the zebra whispered. “Though it knows not that we are here. It has not yet seen us... but it hunts something else, I fear.”

They waited for what seemed like an eternity to Rarity before Zecora finally signaled for them to leave their hiding spot. Carefully they advanced into what seemed like a long clearing covered in morning mist, near the center of which was what looked to be signs of a fight of some sort, covered with scattered branches and foliage. “Spread out, girls,” Twilight said, “and keep your eyes open and your ears up. Look for anything out of the ordinary.”

Rarity did as asked, treading daintily across the still-wet forest floor. Ordinarily she would disdain having mud collect on her precious hooves, but with the scale of the situation they were investigating, she'd forgo the concern about her appearance, at least for the time being... and besides, this would give her the perfect excuse for a poni-pedi later on. It had been a week since her last one, after all.

The glint of metal caught the corner of her eye, and she turned to look. Something half-buried under a piece of wood was reflecting the sunlight, and she carefully moved away the debris with her magic, then levitated the object up.

The first thing that caught her notice was the pungent smell that came from one end of the thing. That end was blackened, as though somepony had tried to light it on fire, and the hollow inside of it was similarly scorched. Yet beneath the blackened parts, it seemed to be a perfectly smooth cylinder of some fairly hard metal- not gold, she was certain; perhaps brass?- when she turned the back end of the object towards her. “Oh my goodness,” she breathed, staring at what she'd found.

The center of the thing was a small circle in which was a tiny dimple, probably caused by being struck by something else. But around that, arranged in a neat circle, were what were obviously letters in a language she'd never seen before.

“Twilight!” She called out. “You should have a look at this!”

The alicorn was there within a half a minute, and Rarity let her take it from her magical grasp. “This is interesting,” Twilight murmured, looking it over. “...ohmygosh, is this writing?”

“It certainly looks like it to me. Do you recognize it?”

“Not at all! This is completely unlike any of the fourteen different languages or dialects I've studied.” She took a whiff of the blackened end and made a face. “Whooo, that's pungent. And yet... it's got a strange chemical scent to it, vaguely familiar....” She looked around. "Are there any more of these?”

A quick search of the area turned up four more of the objects- two not far from where the first was, two more a short distance away. Twilight frowned as she levitated all five before her. “This is strange,” she murmured.

“What is, dear?”

“These things, whatever they are, are virtually identical. There are very few ponies who could hoof-craft anything this smooth and perfectly round without them having some sort of imperfection. And the letters on here... I think they've been stamped.”

“Meaning... what, precisely?”

“Meaning they've been manufactured. Somepony- or something- used some exceptionally precise machinery to craft them.”

“But whom? And what purpose do they serve?”

Twilight's answer was interrupted by a shout. “Twi! Zecora!” Applejack hollered. “Tracks over yonder! Y' oughta take a look!”

Rarity followed Twilight over to where Applejack waited, with Zecora arriving a moment later. The cowpony gestured down at a number of impressions that had made in the drying mud. “Whadda y'all make of this?” she asked.

“These tracks here come from timberwolves; this is part of their hunting range,” Zecora murmured, tracing the more recognizable of the tracks with a hoof; she shifted her attention to another set, which were far more unusual. “But as for these others, I must admit... I find them very strange.”

“I'll say.” Rainbow Dash peered down at the bizarre outline stamped in the mud. It didn't look anything like a hoofprint or pawprint; it was more of a bizarre mishmash of geometric shapes, with a small swoop in the middle, all within the general outline of something that resembled a kidney bean.

“Wait a moment,” Rarity said quietly, her eyes moving from one of the shapes to another. “Look... look here.” She traced one shape with a hoof, than the other. “These two are perfect mirror-opposites of each other. The pattern is completely symmetrical.”

“Only you'd pick up on that, Rare,” Dash chortled.

“Yeah, but she's got a point.” Applejack bent down to take a closer look. “Ain't nothin' natural 'bout these. Zecora, you got any idea what coulda made this?”

Zecora shook her head. “None, I am afraid. What caused this mark is unknown to me. Perhaps we might find other clues, were we to search more widely.”

“Guys! Guys!” Pinkie's voice came from somewhere off towards the west. “Over here! You've all really got to see this!”

“Oh, goodness.” Rarity sighed, even as she turned to walk towards the voice of her friend along with the others. “I wonder what she's gotten into?”

“Oh, you know Pinkie,” Fluttershy answered. “She's a sweetheart, but sometimes she just gets distracted by the... silliest... things....” The pegasus's already-quiet voice went even more so. “...oh my.”

Rarity felt her jaw drop. The thing Pinkie had been distracted by wasn't silly in the least- it was large, metallic and vaguely intimidating. It was also unlike anything she'd ever seen in her life. “What... the... hay...?” she muttered beneath her breath.

“Uh, Twi?” Applejack seemed just as taken aback as she was. “Ya... y' wanna tell us jes what we're lookin' at?”

“Pinkie, get down off of that thing!” Twilight shouted.

“Oops! Sorry.” Pinkie bounced down along the object, her hooves making deep metallic thunks against it. “This thing is so neat! What is it, Twi? Huh? Huh? What is it?”

“I don't-”

“What is it?”

“I'm trying to say-”

“What is it?!”

“Pinkie!” Twilight gave the pink earth pony a stern glare. “Please! This is serious!”

“Oh! Okay. Sorry.” Pinkie plopped herself down in the mud, making a soft sklorsh sound under her rump; Rarity couldn't help but grimace at how badly her coat would end up stained.

Twilight let out a long-suffering sigh. “Okay. Let me examine this thing....” She slowly trotted along the side of the object, gazing at it intently, and reaching out to gingerly touch various parts of it with her hoof. “Obviously the outer body is made of metal. Some parts sounded hollow.... There are what appear to be wheels of some kind, very strangely constructed, with... rubber coverings? Very thick. What appear to be glass panes... wait!” She took to the air, hovering a meter or so off the ground. “Windows! There's some kind of open space inside! Recognizable seats... girls, this is a carriage of some kind!”

“Ain't like no kinda carriage I've ever seen,” Applejack replied. “Ain't even a hitch here in th' front for ponies to latch onto... whoa. Wow, lookit this.”

Rarity passed by Twilight to have a look at what AJ saw, and let out a soft gasp. Part of the strange conveyance had been smashed in, most likely by an impact with the sizable tree it rested next to; unlike the other three wheels, the one on this side had lost its rubber covering- which lay in shredded pieces- and was bent at an angle that probably rendered it inoperable. The solid color of the thing's body, revealed to be paint of some kind, had been scraped away to show the metal beneath, and small pieces of some clear, hard material lay scattered around the impact area. “This must've been a considerable collision to do this sort of damage to solid metal,” Rarity noted.

“Yeah, you ain't kiddin. How fast could somethin' this big have been goin'? This thing's gotta weigh a ton.”

“About twenty-two hundred pounds, actually, give or take a hundred,” Twilight stated absently, still peering through the windows.

“Whoa.” Applejack shook her head. “No wonder there ain't no hitches- you'd need half a dozen ponies t' drag this thing anywhere.”

“Which naturally begs the question....” Rarity looked over the strange object. “How did it get here?”

“How it arrived here is a true mystery... but the path that it took is easy to see.” Zecora was gingerly pacing alongside several long gouges in the soil, obviously made by the strange carriage's wheels as it had moved.

“Hey, look at this!” Dash called out. “Are these handles of some kind?”

“They appear to be! Could these sections actually be doors? Look how well they conform to the overall body shape! The tolerances of these panels are amazing.” Twilight landed again; her horn glowed dimly, and one of the strange handles moved without any appreciable result. “Oh, foo,” she grumbled. “It must be locked. Let me see if I can remember my 'Open Sesame' spell....”

She stared intently at the light-grey panel, her eyes taking on just the slightest bit of a glow, the same color as her magical field. “This is amazing,” she murmured to nopony in particular. “The complexity of these mechanisms....”

After a moment, something let off a soft click within the vehicle; Twilight tried the handle once more, and this time the door popped open, swinging out smoothly to let the assembled equines look inside.

“This... is astounding,” Rarity breathed. She recognized individual seats in the front, of course, but everything else about this thing seemed utterly alien.

“Hey, look at that!” Pinkie pointed down at the floor of the vehicle, in front of the seat closest to them. There, on a mat made of some beige material, was a muddy mark- smudged but still recognizable as a match to the strange prints in the mud outside.

“So whatever was out here... was inside this thing at one point?” Dash asked.

Twilight nodded, taking to the air again. “It seems so. I'm going to look inside a little.”

“Oh, do be careful, darling,” Rarity warned. “We've no idea if this monstrosity holds some sort of trap or danger that could just be waiting to be set off!”

“Don't worry, I'm using all due caution.” Carefully, the alicorn stuck her head inside, being sure to keep her wings free of the body of the carriage so that she could hover- not that she really needed to, Rarity knew; Twilight was capable of holding herself up with her own arcanokinesis, a nifty trick Rarity wished she could duplicate herself. “Oh, wow,” Twilight gasped after a moment. “Hang on, I want to open the other door and look at something.”

It only took her a moment to unlock what appeared to be the front of two doors on the opposite side- what would something need four doors for? Rarity wondered- and poke her head inside, staring past what looked like a bizarre ridged wheel sticking out of the front of the vehicle's cabin. “Oh my gosh!” she exclaimed. “These are gauges! But what do they measure?!” In a flash of light, a notepad, quill and inkpot appeared by her head. “I'm going to get a quick sketch of these.”

“Twi, I dun wanna hurry ya, but I think we oughta be headin' out soon. I gotta funny feelin' here.” Applejack glanced around nervously.

“Me too!” Pinkie chirped. “Something's tickling my hoofsies! Hee hee hee... whoa!” The earth pony practically flew into the air as something pulled the leaves she was standing on out from under her. Rarity let out a gasp and instinctively stepped back as various piles of branches and foliage began to slide across the ground seemingly under its own power.

“What's going on out-” Twilight landed beside the vehicle. “...uh oh. Form up, girls, I know what's happening!”

“Timberwolves!” Applejack warned, lowering her head and pawing a hoof at the ground.

Rarity watched in horror as all the discarded foliage in the area seemed to coalesce on itself, gradually rearranging into the forms of a pair of arboreal lupines. But rather than attack, both timberwolves slowly limped away, one of them pausing a moment to cough weakly a couple of times before hacking up a small copper-colored object. Still, the ponies and zebra didn't relax until the predators were well out of sight.

Dash's expression was a mix of confusion and relief. “...uh, so what the hay just happened?” she wondered.

“I'm... really not sure....” Twilight stared off in the direction the wolves had run, then trotted forward. “I mean, we've been here for a little while. Timberwolves don't typically take that long to re-form themselves, do they, Zecora?”

“Not unless some rest they sought, after a fierce battle fought.”

“Hmm.” Rarity would readily confess that she'd never be a detective, but things were falling into place. “Twilight... could whomever- or whatever- owns this strange carriage have gotten into a fight with those timberwolves?”

“Summa these imprints do look like they coulda been from a scuffle,” Applejack said. “No blood, though, so if'n our friend got wounded- and if'n it's got blood, itself- it didn't get too hurt.”

“...so it actually fought off two of them?” Fluttershy did not at all seem comfortable with that idea.

“Yeah, and I guess did a real number on 'em too.” Dash looked back at Twilight. “Hey, what've you got there, Twi?”

“Whatever it was that the timberwolf coughed up.” A simple metal slug hovered in the air in front of the Princess; part of the more narrow end was flattened slightly at a strange angle, and the blunt end was blackened just as the cylinders had been. And just like the cylinders, it was packed carefully in Twilight's saddlebags. “Okay, girls,” she said. “I want to get back to Ponyville, catalogue what it is we've found so far, and then get a security detail out here to isolate the site. Whatever that is-” she spared the carriage another glance- “needs to be protected from tampering until we can go over the whole thing with a fine-toothed comb, and I'd like plaster casts of all of these tracks as well. Let me just re-lock those doors before we go....” Her horn glowed for a moment; Rarity could just barely hear the same sounds from the doors as before. “Okay. Gather up, everypony. We'll take the quick way back.”

“Twi?” Applejack spoke up. “What if whatever put that thing there comes back?”

“Then hopefully we can have a nice conversation.” Twilight's smile wasn't entirely convincing. “Ready, girls?”

Rarity nodded, already anticipating that poni-pedi waiting for her back in Ponyville, and shut her eyes as Twilight's teleport sphere closed around them all.

Five hours.

Five hours I'd spent looking for the highway, then for an access road, than for any sign of civilization. Five hours I'd spent in an increasingly-wide search pattern, doing my absolute best to keep my bearings so that I could make it back to the car if I needed to.

All I'd found in those five hours was trees, plants, a marsh and more trees. One of those trees had been sturdy enough to climb to a fair height, giving me a view above at least the local area; from that vantage point I could see a number of things that only added to my growing sense of unease- a solitary mountain in the distance, mostly blocked from my view by a rise in the treeline; more forest to the east and south; a clearing barely visible to the north... and not a single trace of the Interstate, any roads, buildings or homes, cell phone towers, power lines, or even aircraft contrails. My phone hadn't picked up a connection, either, despite the amount of ground I'd covered.

It was well into the afternoon when I'd gotten back to the car, and my rapidly-beating heart and weak-feeling knees had very little to do with the walk. Even though I hadn't eaten in more than half a day, my appetite was quelled by a sick feeling of fear. As much as I wanted to rationalize the situation as me just being exceptionally unlucky in trying to find the highway, the logical part of my brain knew deep down that something was extremely wrong. To say “stay calm” was my mantra the entire trip back wouldn't be a lie in the least.

Unfortunately, my sanity was the victim of yet another affront when I approached my car.

“What the fuck was a goat doing climbing on my car?!”

Never mind that there shouldn't have been any wild goats around here at all, let alone the small herd that had apparently decided to mill around my car and watch one of their number treat the vehicle like a jungle gym, judging by the muddy hoofprints left on the hood and trunk as well as in the mud around my impromptu parking spot. Well, at least they didn't stick around to try to eat me, I thought wryly. Thank God I didn't run into any more of those bizarre wolves... or whatever that was I heard growling earlier. A bear, maybe? Shit, glad I'm at least packing .40 instead of nine-millimeter.

I realized I was taking far more psychological comfort in being armed than was healthy, but I couldn't really help it... with the situation getting less and less understandable seemingly by the minute, having any sort of power on my side was a balm for my worried mind. Still, I resolved to keep my firearms-safety training foremost in my mind. Okay, Pete, I told myself. Cool, calm and collected. You've still got a fair amount of daylight left, so grab some stuff out of your baggage just in case and get back to following your tire tracks. They didn't move the Interstate on you, so it's just a matter of working backwards from the way you came in... and not getting ambushed by anything along the way.

My baggage only had one clean change of clothes left, along with the two sets I'd worn during my trip; I put the clean stuff in the messenger bag, then debated getting changed- and decided against it- before loading the last five rounds from the ammunition box into my loaded magazine to top it off again. I also took my music player along with its earbuds, a three-quarters-full bottle of water from the cupholder, and a small flashlight, pen and notepad from the glovebox; I wrote out a quick note with my name and address and what had happened, then tucked it under the windshield on the off-chance that someone happened by. Once I felt suitably supplied for what might be a half-day's walk, I closed the trunk and door once more, made sure everything was locked up, and took a quick look around.

Something's not right, I realized.

It took me a couple minutes to sort out what my brain was screaming at me to realize, and it was a number of things that didn't add up. One, the branches and leaves that the “wolves” had left were gone; two, it seemed that my spent brass had vanished along with them; three, the goat tracks showed a definite path into the area, wandered around my car for a bit, then led towards a spot a short distance away... and stopped. There was no sign that the no-doubt fair-sized herd of animals had walked back out of the clearing.

So, great, my brain decided. A bunch of goats came to play with my car, ate up all the leaves and my casings, and then... ascended to goat heaven? You know what... I cannot be bothered to give a fraction of a fuck. I'm leaving.

I didn't dare put in the music player's earbuds in while there was the possibility of wild animals on the prowl, so it was a quiet and lonely walk through the clearing and back into the woods, still littered with the tree limbs and branches I'd knocked down during my entrance. I gingerly stepped over a fairly large limb that probably would've done a great job of smashing the roof in had it hit the car, stepped around a sapling that was more matchsticks than solid tree, then followed the tire tracks around a ridiculously thick tree trunk....

...and reached the end of the tracks.

There was nothing in any direction but more woods, not a single sound but the wind and various animal calls. I couldn't see the Interstate, I couldn't hear a single car, I couldn't even smell sun-baked blacktop. There wasn't even a discarded fast-food wrapper or any other kind of litter.

...somebody fucking moved the Interstate on me.

My mind ran itself in loops for what seemed to be forever, my feet automatically moving me forward as though my brain hoped to simply stumble over some sign of civilization. My gun was still in hand, but if I'd been attacked by anything at that moment I doubt I could've managed the mental coherence to actually defend myself. This couldn't be happening; it defied all sense, all logic, that I could have ended up so far away from the highway, to have landed in the middle of these thick woods where I'd already encountered creatures that were completely impossible. The fear that this all was only happening in my head struck... but I discarded it, at least for the time being- without any frame of reference or objective viewpoint, how could I even know?

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't even register what was in front of me until my foot hit packed dirt.

A trail!

Immediately, and with a focus that bordered on the monomanaiacal, I began jogging along the path. Paths lead places, I told myself, allowing a wave of relief to overcome me. Doesn't matter where this goes, even if it's some campsite or outhouse- at one end or the other, there'll be civilization.

I wasn't sure how long I was walking, following the path over a beautifully-carved and strangely narrow bridge that spanned a thin stream, but my hope was starting to fade along with the daylight as I realized evening wasn't far off. Even if I could find a straight path back to my car, it was unlikely that I'd reach it before night fell- and blundering around in the woods in the darkness was as sure a recipe for disaster as I could imagine. I could only hope I'd hit a cabin, or friendly campers... hell, at that point I'd have holed up in that outhouse I imagined earlier.

It was starting to get difficult to see any real distance when I finally made it to the end of the path. There were several small tents there, seemingly empty, and a large wooden wagon set off towards the rear of this new clearing; past it I could see a much broader dirt road. I hit some kind of pioneer exhibit or something, I mused, gazing at the rustic-looking wagon.

There was a strange snap, and the fire pit in the middle of the campsite lit up, half-blinding me for a moment; as I raised my hand to block the light, I caught sight of a shape by the fire, that let out a sharp gasp and fled before I could get my eyes to adjust. “Hey, wait!” I called out. “I'm lost and need help. Do you have a working phone? Hello?”

Nothing happened for several seconds, as I stood there, waiting for a response. Then there was a rustle off to my left, and I turned to find a bizarre sight- what looked like a large dog or a miniature horse, its proportions and coloration made to look unnatural in the flickering firelight, watching me with a pair of eyes that looked much too large for its size. Next to it swung a long, white object, hovering in the air as though an invisible hand held its end; as I watched in stunned confusion, the object spun faster, then snapped back, flinging something small and grey straight towards my forehead.

(-)

“We have the perimeter secured, Princess Twilight.”

Twilight smiled at the Guard. “Thank you, Sergeant,” she replied. “That was quick. Please inform me of any unusual sightings as soon as you can.”

“Of course, Your Highness.” The stallion trotted off; next to Twilight, Applejack let out a chuckle. “Still can't get them to call ya just by yer name, eh, Twi?” she asked.

“I've known Sergeant Mist since I was a filly. He never had a problem calling me 'Twilight' before my ascension.” The alicorn sighed. “Sometimes I wonder how Cadance ever learned to put up with all the formality,” she murmured, before raising her head. “Well, time to get to work. Applejack, would you help get plaster casts of all these unusual tracks?”

“Can do.” There were a couple of unicorns already working on the task, but they welcomed Applejack's help readily enough. An hour of uneventful work followed, pouring plaster into whatever strange prints were left in the mud and having the unicorns quick-dry it, then carefully removing the casts. Something caught her eye, though, and she stopped the rest of her crew from filling in the print closest to the strange vehicle. “Hang on, fellahs,” she said, staring at the track. “Somethin' ain't right here....”

“What's wrong, Miss Applejack?” one of the unicorns- Star something-or-other; Applejack was never very good with names- asked.

“This print... it's on top of the tracks the girls an' I made when we first got here. Whatever this is came back while we was gone!”

“Why... you're right! We should alert Princess Twilight to this at once.”

“Don't you worry none; I'll handle that.” She turned her head towards the strange carriage. “Hey, Twi!” she belted out. “C'mere, y' gotta see this!”

For some reason both of her assistants were wincing and rubbing their ears. Heh- unicorns, so delicate sometimes, she thought with an inward chuckle.

After a few moments, Twilight flapped over. “Is this important, AJ?” she asked with the barest trace of a frown. “We've hit a treasure trove- all sorts of literature in a small compartment in the front of the cabin! Some strange garments, too, and Rarity is having a fit trying to figure out what they are-”

“Yeah, sorry t' interrupt yer discoveries, Twi, but this is something y' oughta know about.” Applejack pointed down at the ground. “Y'know them weird tracks? This one got made after we left earlier.”

Twilight gasped, actually falling out of the air and landing on all four hooves in shock. “It came back!” she exclaimed. “And we missed it! Oh goodness, how long ago could this have been? Not more than four hours, surely! Maybe... maybe we can track it!” She lowered her head to point at the imprint, and her horn glowed; a purple beam of energy struck the strange track, and vanished. Twilight stared intently at it for a moment, her expression going from excitement to confusion to disappointment. “...why isn't it working?!” she wondered.

“Why isn't what workin', Twi?”

“My 'Retrace Your Steps' spell. I developed it after Dinky Hooves got lost last summer, remember? It comprehensively examines the latent magical field left behind by whatever creature leaves a track and marks the path it took. Usually the thaumatic trail dissipates within half a day, but we weren't gone nearly that long!”

As usual, the technical explanation went right over Applejack's head, but she'd been there the first time the spell had been used and at least understood the basics. “So, um, what if whatever it is doesn't leave one'a them tau-matic trails?” she asked.

“That's impossible. Even creatures that don't actively use magic themselves leave a faint trail- they absorb the ambient magic around them, and then exude it, filtered through their own aura, leaving a unique signature of sorts. This spell should be able to track me, you, the timberwolves or Winona.”

“Huh.” Applejack stared down at the track again. “I don't rightly know, Twi. But there's more 'n one way t' buck this tree. Obviously this critter, whatever it is, leaves prints in th' ground... an' there's a chance we can track it that way.”

“...that's true.” Twilight chuckled. “I can always depend on you to keep me down-to-earth, Applejack.”

“It's an earth pony specialty.” She grinned. “So what's yer plan?”

“Let me wrap up what I'm doing here and delegate what I want done, then you and I can go with a couple of the guards and see if we can catch up to our friend here.”

The task was easier said than done, however. Oh, it wasn't difficult at all at first; the creature they were tracking was obviously following along the trail left by the strange carriage, until they came to the end- or rather the beginning- of the deep ruts. The tracks milled around a bit, then seemed to wander off, moving erratically for a while. Night was close to falling by the time they'd reached a path; Applejack could easily enough tell which way the trail went by the muddy prints left behind, and Twilight left a magical marker before teleporting them back to the clearing to call it a night.

It was just past dawn the next morning when the group returned to work, and Twilight, Applejack and their two guards teleported back to where they'd last left the trail. Thankfully there hadn't been any rain to wash away the creature's tracks, and it was a much easier matter to follow the trail to the edge of the forest, where a small clearing was met by a dirt road. Applejack knew that, while most ponies avoided the Everfree whenever possible, some made a living at its outskirts. “This looks like somepony was campin' last night,” she said, “more'n a few as well, judgin' by the signs. Had tents and mebbe a wagon. Y'think our friend was a part of their group, got lost or somethin' and came back?”

“I'm... not so sure of that,” came the reply; Applejack returned to her friend's side. “Look here,” Twilight said. “The tracks stop here... then there are drag marks and hoofprints.”

“Um... so our friend fell down or somethin'?”

“In a manner of speaking. I found this next to where the drag marks start.” She levitated up a small, round stone with a red splotch on one side.

Applejack frowned. “Is that what I think it is on that there rock?”

“I believe so.” Twilight peered closely at the stone. “It's blood.”

The first thing I noticed when I awoke was my splitting headache.

The second thing I noticed was the overwhelming impulse to vomit.

The third thing I noticed when I was attempting to comply with the second was the row of thick metal bars that my face slammed into as I rolled over, which did nothing to help the first thing.

Fortunately- at least for a very loose interpretation of the word- I hadn't put anything more substantial than water into my stomach for at least the last day, so what came back out was barely more than a thin, watery bile. I spat out what remained, then pulled myself away until my back hit another row of bars only a few feet away. Nausea and vertigo kept me from even opening my eyes for a while, so I did my best to assess my situation with my other senses- I could feel solid wood beneath me, warm air blowing against me, and my nose caught the smells of hay and animals. Despite that, it was nearly silent around me, with only a quiet conversation I couldn't make out in the distance.

I reached up and tapped gently at my forehead, then let out a small hiss of pain as my fingers hit the broad lump just above my right eyebrow. I'd definitely taken a nice shot from... whatever had thrown a rock at me last night, it seemed. What had I actually seen? In the state I'd been in, not to mention the one I was in now, I wasn't sure I could trust anything I'd seen at the campsite.

I'd have to wait to see if I could trust my perception until my eyes decided they wanted to do their jobs. Until then, I ran my fingertips over my face; I didn't feel any dried blood, so someone had taken the time to at least clean me up a little. At least it isn't as humid here as it was in the woods, I thought. Wherever “here” is... wow, wouldn't it be nice if I had a functioning pair of eyes right now? Hint, hint.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, I could manage to open my eyes without my skull threatening to explode in response. Slowly my vision managed to adjust to the thankfully dim light around me- something was shading me and a fair amount of the area around me from the midmorning sun. I realized that I must have been unconscious for a good twelve hours; I was lucky to not have a cracked skull from a blow that severe.

That was the extent of the good news. The bad news was that I was apparently imprisoned in a cage that was barely larger than a queen-size bed, with a four-foot-high roof made of the same thick wood as the floor. Black metal bars wider than two of my fingers together were evenly spaced and securely anchored into both floor and ceiling, not budging no matter how hard I pulled or twisted at them; the same went for the large, locked door at the far end, which had a smaller door set within it.

As my vision improved, I could make out more of my surroundings. I'd fortunately chosen to toss my nonexistent cookies over the edge of the one wall of the cage that wasn't covered by a thick tarp; that side faced out towards a wide plain, partially obstructed by a wagon not terribly different from what I'd seen at the campsite. From the seemingly elevated position I was looking from, I could tell that I was a couple of feet off the ground, and that the wagon looked almost comically undersized for anyone to actually live in- as if someone had shrunk an idealized, colorful version of a 19th century showman's wagon down by twenty percent.

None of this was making any sense at all. But something in the back of my mind was telling me to be quiet, to not let whatever might be nearby know that I was at least marginally awake. Desperate for more information, I carefully crawled forward towards the door, avoiding the spot where I'd been sick, and glanced around; the bars were annoying, but I could work around them.

The wagon in front of me had a cracked wheel, severe enough to necessitate stopping on the spot, which apparently was what had happened. Just on the other side of the wagon I could hear two voices conversing quietly; what few words I could hear were unintelligible. Oddly enough, interspersed with the conversation were what sounded like the snorts and nickers of a horse- was the wagon horse-drawn? That'd be a sight to see in this day and age, I had to admit. I couldn't see the animal, or any hitch for the wagon, even leaned up against the bars as I was.

I almost didn't notice that the hushed conversation out of my sight had ended. I heard what sounded like hooves on packed dirt- but lighter-sounding than normal, not that I was any kind of expert on horses. I heard the hoofsteps move away for a moment, then stop, followed by something being muttered, and after a moment the steps approached the side of the wagon I could see.

What came into view at that moment made me forget everything- the injuries, the hunger, the fading sense of nausea, the confusion and fear- and caused an almost literal mental reboot as my mind struggled to grasp just what I was seeing.

It was a bright shade of blue-green, what one might see in the ocean just off the shore of some equatorial paradise. Each of its four thick, angular legs made a soft clip-clop sound upon striking the ground. The deep indigo hairs of its mane and tail seemed to chase the wind that blew by it. The bizarre mark it bore on its flank- something almost resembling a cartoonish rendition of a Ferris wheel- seemed to glimmer in the light.

And the enormous, ridiculously-expressive crystal-blue eyes it had flicked back and forth as if searching for something lost.

“What the hell are you...?” I breathed.

Its ears twisted back towards me, and it turned- only to gasp, leaning back with a hoof raised in a surprised stance. I could swear that both its pupils and its irises constricted into pinpricks- but then it was gone, as fast as thought, babbling something.

Wait. It was babbling? No... no, that couldn't have been right. I must have misheard. Because it almost sounded like it was pleading for help or something... and small horses don't do that.

Small horses didn't come back to what frightened them in the company of a similarly-sized creature sporting a horn and somehow levitating a whip next to its side either, but that's what this one did. I had just enough time for the word “unicorn” to enter my overwhelmed mind before the whip moved.

thwip-CRACKthunk

The whip struck the third bar from the left from the one closest to my face, making it vibrate, and something inside me said that the placement of the blow was completely intentional; the unicorn's expression was barely-contained fury, and it was practically screaming at me, words I didn't comprehend in the least partly comprised of horse-like noises mixed with more human-like vocalizations. Instinctively I crawled away from the source of hostility, putting my back against the rear side of the cage, one hand gripping the bars there.

The unicorn stared at me for a moment before storming off, almost slamming its hooves against the ground as it walked, and the still-fearful-looking horse spared me one last glance before rushing off behind him. Bizarrely enough, the unicorn seemed to have a different symbol on its flank- this one of a circus-style tent with its flaps opened.

The rush of blood to my brain caused by the adrenaline jolt caused my headache to spike, and my overwhelmed mind decided that consciousness was just too much trouble to maintain for the time being. I barely sensed that I was falling over onto my side before I blacked out.

The next thing I knew, I was being prodded with something hard in my side. My head shot up, and I saw the small horse- pony?- from before poking me in the side with its hoof; it practically jumped backwards at my movement, making a high-pitched squeal. This time I could see clearly how its pupils and irises both contracted in fear. Behind it, standing outside the cage, the unicorn- still keeping the whip floating next to it, and in the dimmer light I could now see that a strange glowing aura surrounded both the weapon's handle and the creature's horn- snickered and said something to the pony.

The still-terrified-looking pony motioned towards something with a shaking forehoof. I looked down in front of me to find a wooden tray with a metal bowl and clay cup set on it; the bowl contained some kind of gruel, still steaming hot, and the cup held plain water. It was an effort of will not to immediately dive on the food like my overworked, underfed body was urging me to, but I didn't want to show weakness to what appeared to be my captives, so I simply stared at them.

They seemed to take the hint readily enough. The pony- who I nicknamed “Ferris” for the weird mark it had- was quick to back out of the cage, almost slamming rump-first into “Tent” before the unicorn could get out of the way. Tent held my stare for a long moment, not looking the least bit intimidated, before glancing at the cage door; it lit up with the same-color aura that surrounded his horn, then slammed shut.

Even after the two creatures had left, I couldn't move for several moments. Magic. I just saw magic happen. Literal fucking magic. Dorothy, you are no longer in Kansas.

It was only as I was leaning forward to pick up the tray, causing my right hand to brush against my thigh, that I realized something incredibly critical. My holster! It's missing! Extremely belatedly, it struck me to check to see what I still had in my possession- I hadn't actually thought that a pair of fantasy creatures could have searched me, but now I saw that not only was I missing my weapon and my travel bag, but my pockets were empty as well. Fortunately I was still fully-clothed, at least.

I would have to deal with the situation later. My stomach would be ignored no longer, and as quickly as I dared, I brought the bowl of gruel up to my mouth, blew on it to cool it down as much as I could, then took a sip. It was... well, gruel, but someone had put cinnamon and a couple of other spices into it, so while it wasn't exactly appetizing it was at least tolerable. The water was cool and clean and helped soothe my throat.

Despite the hot food in my stomach and the warm air around me, I couldn't help shivering as I sat against the back of the cage with my legs up against my chest. I had no idea where I was, why I was in this cage, what those strange creatures were... I was alone, confused and powerless, trapped and at the mercy of those equines, who were obviously intelligent and capable of harming me. And then there was that magic- what could it do? What rules did it follow?

I was jolted out of my thoughts by a shudder passing through the bottom of the cage; the grassy plains outside began to move- or, more accurately, I did. It felt like whatever the cage was set on was big and heavy, though it still moved smoothly along the dirt road... what else was on this thing with me? The tarp that surrounded the rest of the cage was secured too well for me to move it.

I rested my elbows against my knees, then cupped my face in my hands. I basically had two choices in this situation- I could completely lose my composure, panic and begin kicking and screaming to be released... or I could keep calm, consider and plan. If nothing else, the second plan would be less tiring, so I went with it, carefully examining my options and every contingency I could think of as the scenery continued to roll by.

(-)

“Look, Top, that ditch was almost impossible to see, the way we were comin' up on it.” Wheel raised a foreleg defensively, hoping to defuse his employer's anger. “ Especially the speed we were moving; the brothers couldn't possibly stop in time. Though I guess if we weren't going so fast, we might've lost the whole wheel in it.”

Farris Wheel had learned early on that the best way to keep from triggering Big Top's temper when something went wrong was to imply that it was his planning and management skills that had kept things from being worse, no matter how big a lie that actually was. Sure enough, the unicorn's expression softened a bit. “Well. Discussing this won't get the wheel repaired any faster, I suppose. Get my toolbag, would you?”

“Sure thing.” Relieved that he'd avoided punishment, Wheel trotted towards the supply cart- but then stopped. I could swear Top was carrying it when we stopped, he thought. Think he was standing by the transport cart last I saw it with him, too... maybe he dropped it there?

He decided to follow his hunch and walk back around the main wagon, glancing back and forth across the thin grass they'd parked on. Hm... no, isn't here, I guess. Maybe he took it back to the supply cart while I wasn't looking-

His ears twitched as something made a noise behind him. He turned to see a bizarre, flat face staring out at him from behind thick bars, its disturbingly-tiny eyes staring right at him. It had said something- whispered, really- that his hearing had just caught- which was frightening in and of itself.

He hated the thing. He'd hated it since it had terrified him at the campsite, and it being in a cage now made him no less afraid of it. But the boss had insisted on bringing it along with them- “Think of the audiences it'll draw!” had been Top's rationale, if one really wanted to call it that- and now there it was, somehow making noise he could hear despite the enchantment that had been set on all of the cages.

“Top!” he called out, unable to keep his voice from squeaking in panic. “The new thing! It's awake! Help!”

He galloped towards where Top was still waiting; the unicorn gave him a critical look. “What are you blathering about?” he demanded.

“The thing that attacked us in the campground last night! It's awake! It's making noise!”

“Cow-scat. Did you hear the manticore? How about the naga? You know sound can't get out of those cages.”

“But Top, I did hear it!”

“Whatever. Anyway, now that it's awake, I'd better go... set the ground rules for our relationship with it.” Top marched forward, and Wheel kept pace close behind, being sure that the unicorn was always between it and the monster.

As per usual, “setting the ground rules” meant nearly taking the creature's face off with his whip, then taunting and yelling at it until it backed off, which the thing did readily enough; despite his dislike for the thing, Wheel couldn't help but note the expression of confusion that seemed to cross its flat face. “Why are you even yelling at it when it can't understand you, boss?”

“It doesn't need to understand the words, just the force behind them. That's how you deal with beasts, Farris Wheel- assert your superiority, make them afraid and compliant. Break them.”

“But.. are you really sure it's an animal? I mean, it wears clothes. I think it even talks.”

Big Top began trotting away from the cart, and Wheel was quick to keep up. “But it doesn't talk Equestrian, now does it?”

“But still-”

“Wheel, I once knew a pony who insisted she could understand animals, and she didn't look anything like you. I'm sure that the manticore 'talks' too, but do you think it's saying anything other than 'I wanna eat you'? But really, if you think that half-bald yeti is gonna hold a conversation with you, I'll be more than happy to lock you in there with it for a while.”

Wheel quailed. “No! That's not necessary!”

“Good colt.” Top snickered before a frown crossed his muzzle. “Now get that toolbag for me already! Celestia's not going to keep the sun up longer for us to make up lost time!”

It wasn't nearly soon enough for Farris Wheel's tastes before they had the broken wheel repaired and the caravan back on the road. The trip went smoothly afterwards, up until the point where it came time to feed the exhibits; the wagons pulled off the road once more, and while Stout and Steady unhooked themselves from their harnesses took up their usual guard positions, Top went over to the food cart. “You got lunch ready yet?” he demanded, whacking the side of the cart with a hoof a few times.

“Yeah, yeah,” came the muffled reply, before the window of the cart opened and Silver Wisk leaned out. “Since you ain't figured out what the new critter eats yet, I made some of the standard mix for it. Oughta keep it from starving, at least.”

“Good, because the damn thing went and sicked all out the front of its cage. I don't think it's eaten in a while, either.”

“Well, I ain't cleaning that up.” The mare set out a tray. “There- if it's that bad off, go and feed it first. Oh, and we're running low on meat for the manticore and naga- better send off one of the twins to fish or set up snares.”

“Right, right. Wheel, you heard the mare; send Stout Hooves to set up a fishing net in that stream over the hill, then get back here for feeding the exhibits.”

“Will do, boss.” That job only took a minute, and as the massive earth pony wordlessly trotted off to get the nets, Wheel went back to the exhibit cart, where Top waited by the new creature's cage with the tray and his whip. “Uh, Top?” Wheel asked quietly. “You're sure it's a yeti?”

“Have you got any better idea of what it is?”

“Um, no....”

“Then go feed the yeti, already.” Top prodded him with the whip before magically unlocking the cage and opening it.

What Wheel saw inside almost made him drop the tray. The creature was laying on its side, unmoving; gingerly, he set the tray down next to it so that he could speak. “Uh... hey, Top? It's lying down. I can't tell if it's asleep, or....”

He heard his employer sigh. “Well, try waking it up, then?” came the irritated reply.

That was the last thing he wanted to try doing, but with a gulp, he managed to collect his courage, creep up towards the creature, and prod it with a hoof. It seemed alive, thankfully enough- Big Top would've been furious if it had gone and died on him- but unconscious, he prodded a bit more to get it awake, doing his best to ignore the smell of stale sweat it gave off.

He was more successful than he wanted to be, and it was only by sheer effort of will that his bladder didn't let go when the creature's head came up suddenly, those weird tiny eyes staring right at him. He wanted to say something to it, if only to warn it from coming at him, but he couldn't get his throat to loosen up enough to make words.

Behind him, Big Top nickered in humor. “Aw, go on, don't you want to be friends with it?” he teased. “Tell it that it's lunchtime.”

The closest Wheel could get to doing that was motioning towards the tray with one shaking foreleg. The creature seemed almost surprised for a moment before its face became expressionless, and those small grey eyes fixed on him, almost seeming to drill a hole right through his very soul. He tried to return the stare, but his will wavered almost immediately and he bolted backwards as quickly as he could, almost giving his employer a faceful of his plot before the unicorn could make way.

Feeding the rest of the exhibits was less stressful- even the manticore, whose snarls and growls were inaudible from outside the cage as Wheel slid just-this-side-of-going-bad fish through the bars. Apparently the beast had finally learned to avoid the shock-enchanted bars and stop trying to claw the face off of whatever pony was in front of them. Not for the first time, Wheel wondered where the boss had learned to do all this enchanting stuff, and why he was putting that skill to use on a crummy little traveling sideshow... but he knew better than to ask; the first and only time he'd done that, he'd nearly gotten a taste of the whip himself, along with a stern warning to leave the topic alone.

The twins were given lunch first, which they tore through quickly, while the rest of the crew took their positions; once the caravan was moving again, Wheel began shoving his food into his mouth as quickly as he could. “You afraid that barley mash is going to make a run for it?” Top snickered.

“I'm just really hungry.” Which was the truth, plainly enough, though there was a deeper reason- Farris Wheel got hungry when he was nervous, and ever since they'd taken that strange hairless creature in, he'd been exceptionally nervous. Something bad's going to happen with that thing, he thought. I can just smell it coming.

Being stuck in a cage too small to properly stretch out or stand up was not the most enjoyable way to spend four days. To give my captors all due credit, they took pains to keep me healthy and clean, though in ways that were both humiliating and borderline uncivilized- like the showers, every other day after breakfast, where I was forced to strip bare and shower under hot water that apparently came from the same cart they kept their food in. And the bucket I was given for “calls of nature”, which somehow managed to keep any smell from escaping. And what had appeared to be a full physical from what was almost unmistakably a female of the pony species, whose hooves had gotten a lot more closely-acquainted with me than I was at all comfortable with.

I wasn't exactly eager for any of it, but considering that Tent had taken to carrying both his whip and what looked like a small crossbow around when I was let out of the cage, I wasn't looking to put up a fight. Apparently just for good measure, an uncomfortably-heavy shackle was put around my neck each time I came out, with a thick chain attached by which any of the ponies could yank me about at will.

There was a weird thing I'd noticed, though- Tent wouldn't attach the shackle himself, even though it would probably be a simple act for his magic; instead, he had Ferris fasten it, and the sea-colored pony wasn't at all comfortable with even approaching me, let alone closing to within arm's length. From the look on his face one would have thought I was going to literally tear his throat out with my teeth and make him watch me swallow it.

I knew better than to lay a single hostile finger on any of them, though. Not just because the identical-looking stallions who pulled the wagon and served as security- and who seemed to be the pony versions of draft horses for all their size- could probably run me down and trample me, but because I didn't trust Tent to not do something horribly painful but not lethal or crippling to me. There was a dangerous glint in those oversized, silver-colored eyes that told me that, despite the cutesy appearance, the unicorn was capable of a lot of unfriendly things to get his way.

After the second day, I'd stopped wearing my shirt, socks and shoes, keeping them tucked away in the back of the cage. This amused the ponies for some reason, though I couldn't begin to figure out why. I wasn't going to go naked, though- not only for decency's sake, but because the cage floor was more rough than I liked for my bare backside. It almost seemed miraculous that, despite how enclosed the cage was, the air managed to stay fresh and cool... more of that magic, it seemed.

I'd figured out a lot during those four days. But one thing that still eluded me: Why the hell was I in this cage? I knew I wasn't the only living thing they were carrying; I'd seen other creatures in the cages stacked alongside and above mine, most of which I couldn't identify and the rest of which outright terrified me. But what were we all in there for? Where were these wagons being taken?

Whatever our destination was, Tent was determined to reach it, and his already-hostile attitude only increased- especially towards me. I'd been woken up early with a kick to the head, and that whip of his had cracked near my ear more than a half-dozen times in the short while I was out of my cage in the morning, to the point where I was getting worried about losing my hearing on that side. He'd also had Ferris put the shackle around my neck and left it there for the entirety of the day, and it didn't take long for the thing to start chafing my skin and make my shoulders sore.

I certainly wasn't the only recipient of Tent's mistreatment. Ferris had gotten cuffed upside the head by the unicorn twice for what seemed to me to be minor infractions, and Tent had also practically screamed at the two big stallions when they'd come back from some errand he'd sent them on. The female- whom I'd nicknamed “Mixie” for her flank mark- wasn't at all happy about the whole thing and didn't seem shy about giving Tent a big piece of her mind, resulting in a huge shouting match right there in the middle of the convoy that went on for fifteen minutes or so before the two parties just turned up their noses and marched away from each other.

I'm sure I would've found it amusing, or informative, or at least something if I'd been able to understand a single solitary word. But by this point I'd heard all of the equines speak- even Ferris- and their language was complete gibberish to me. I hadn't even been able to make out what their names sounded like in their own language, let alone intentions or plans, and that fact made engineering an escape much more difficult.

It was late afternoon by the time we stopped again... but this time something was different. I could see signs of civilization in the distance, cobblestone roads and rooftops, and instead of the usual separation of the caravan for camping for the night, everything was arranged in a more complex fashion, with the transport cart set in the rear behind the “main” wagon and food cart. Tent was shouting what appeared to be orders at all of the other ponies, sparing a glance at the cages from time to time. After about an hour of frenzied activity, Tent and Wheel approached the cages with a shackle and chain- but much larger than the one that had been used on me.

They vanished from my sight for two minutes or so, then reappeared with Ferris holding the chain clenched in his teeth, and the other end rising well above the ground. What the chain was attached to threw me for nearly as big a loop as seeing Ferris for the first time:

They'd managed to get their hooves on a minotaur.

The creature was a good foot taller than me, with an almost human-like build to its cobalt-furred upper body, and the short mane atop its bull head- complete with horns any Texas steer would be proud of- matched the hide of its lower body down to its wide, thick hooves. But what caught my attention the most were the numerous scars that crisscrossed the beast's back, and the almost unnatural way it hunched over as it walked, almost shrinking into itself as Wheel led it forward.

Then it happened to turn back when Tent said something, and I saw the thousand-yard stare in its yellow eyes, and I understood. The scars on its back were whip marks- Tent had broken this beast.

Tent rattled something off to the minotaur, pointing at various things with a hoof, and with all the emotion of an assembly-line robot the creature stomped forward to follow its instructions. With that done, the unicorn turned back towards my cage, catching me watching the proceedings, and with a wicked smile he trotted towards me, his ever-present whip levitating at his side. The cage door glowed, then popped open, and Tent beckoned me out with a forehoof. Not wanting to take a lash, I complied quickly.

Tent had me hold still until Ferris returned with the smaller shackle, and the unicorn forced me to the ground with a kick to the back of my knee. The regular pony stammered something that almost sounded like an apology as he latched the shackle on, then as I stood, Tent delivered another kick to the side of my leg, then pointed towards the minotaur and nodded.

The message was clear: Help the large, ridiculously-strong and potentially violent monster. Suddenly I had a new appreciation for how Ferris must have felt around me, and I don't think I could be blamed for my knees shaking a little as I walked towards the hulking beast to see what he was doing.

But the minotaur hardly seemed to acknowledge my existence as anything other than a potential obstacle. As I helped it- well, “him”, I guessed- move sacks of supplies, various stands and other equipment, and even collapsible stadium-style bleachers, he never so much as grunted in effort, and didn't really look at me so much as gaze past me. Bizarrely enough, it made me even more nervous to be around him than if he'd been a slavering, wild beast.

Though it was obvious that I couldn't possibly lift or carry nearly as much as the minotaur, Tent found plenty for me to do through the afternoon and evening, managing to communicate what he wanted where with a few gestures. Though apparently as a treat for my efforts, I was allowed to eat my dinner outside- away from the watchful eye of Tent- and even had my food brought to me by Mixie, the gruel this time accompanied by a couple of apples and a wedge of cheese. I found myself thanking her without thinking about it, not even thinking about the language barrier, and the look of shock on her face when I spoke was memorable.

The twin stallions had apparently been out with fliers of some kind, putting them up in the town. I caught a glimpse of one, and though I couldn't read the writing, the general design fit in right along with the historical era the wagons reminded me of, nineteenth-century America. I could just about imagine them hanging up on a billboard next to some dusty old saloon....

My musings trailed off when I noticed what seemed to be a small piece of charcoal next to the stack leftover fliers; apparently one of the ponies had been using the back of a flier as some sort of impromptu notepad. Inspiration struck, and I snatched the charcoal along with two of the fliers as surreptitiously as I could, quickly tucking them into a pants pocket; I wasn't sure what I could use them for at the moment, but without my pen and notepad, this was the best I had for writing or sketching anything important for an eventual escape attempt.

By the time everything was set up, it was well past sunset. I was coaxed at crossbowpoint back into my cage, where the shackle was removed and the door shut and locked. Left with nothing else to do, I tucked the charcoal and fliers into one of my shoes, bundled up my shirt as a pillow and settled in for the night.

Sleep took its time coming, though. Tomorrow loomed large in my mind, and uncertainty made for an even less comfortable pillow than a rolled-up shirt.

(-)

“I still can't believe he's got nipples.”

Silver Wisk rolled her eyes at Big Top's words. “Oh, Top, come off it,” she murmured. “If you're so obsessed with teats, I'll show you mine sometime.”

“Eugh, no thanks.” The unicorn snickered at her sour look. “Are you sure that's a male we've got there, Wisk? Maybe your hoof got confused or something.”

“Toppie, trust a cook to know the difference between a sausage and a clam. He's a colt.” She smirked. “Weird colt, but a colt. A male with nipples ain't the strangest thing we've seen.”

“Well, that colt's going to start earning his keep today. Going to have him help Cobalt out with the setting up.”

“How are you gonna tell him what to do?” Wisk asked.

Top gave his whip a glance. “I'll get it across to him, one way or the other.”

Cleanup from lunch went quick, and Wisk busied herself with prepping food for the customers, plenty of sourdough wraps with different fillings as well as roasted fruit-kebabs and popcorn... naturally, far more than was likely to sell, so that she and the rest of the crew could eat the extras for the next couple of days.

Once she was done with that and had dinner cooking ahead of time, she decided to have another look at their new “acquisition”. The creature- who'd doffed his hoof coverings and shirt for some reason- was carrying a pile of sacks behind Cobalt, keeping a fair distance from the minotaur and watching him somewhat warily even as he struggled to keep up. Pity I can't tell him that the big ol' lug isn't all there these days, she thought. Top did a number on him after that one night....

With a sigh, Wisk cleared her mind of unpleasant memories and went back to check on how dinner was progressing. The afternoon melded into early evening as she worked, and as Top seemed too busy to care how the exhibits were fed, she decided to put the weird yeti colt's lunch on a tray and throw on a pair of apples and a cheese slice from the fresh food the twins had gotten from town earlier. Poor thing earned it, she decided, remembering how much work he'd gotten done.

She took the tray in her mouth and trotted up to where he was leaning against a tree, with that strange lost-looking expression he'd had ever since she'd first seen him. He flinched a bit on seeing her coming, but his expression relaxed as she held the tray out to him; he took hold of it with those strange forepaws, set it down on his lap-

-and then said something to her.

She didn't understand the words at all, but from his tone and expression the meaning was clear- thank you.

If she'd still been carrying the tray, she most likely would've dropped it in shock. Nopony told me that he could talk! she thought, reflexively backing away from him a bit before she could get control over herself. What the hay language is that, anyway? Oh, horseapples, he's staring- just make some pleasant-sounding noises and go away so the colt can eat.

Once all the exhibits were fed- including the one she'd like to ask about this strange new development, but didn't dare when Top could come trotting by at any moment- she found Farris Wheel milling about trying to look busy. “Hey, Wheel,” she said quietly. “Talk a moment?”

“Uh, sure,” the stallion replied, following her to a more out-of-the-way spot and sitting alongside her in the cool grass. “What about?”

“Our new yeti.” She had to give him credit for trying to hide his sudden attack of discomfort, even though it wasn't a very good attempt. “Nervous about him, ain't you?”

“I don't like that thing,” came the quiet reply.

“Why's that? Seems harmless enough.”

“Yeah, that's just it!” He blushed at his outburst and lowered his voice. “It feels like he's acting, you know? Like he's pretending to be a lamb when he's really a lion. I have nightmares that he gets out of his cage and eats us all.”

“Sweetie, just because he's an omnivore doesn't mean he's gonna eat us. Trust me, those canine teeth of his ain't getting through pony hide that easy.”

“I'm not scared of his teeth. Those weird forepaws of his can do a lot... and you saw all those weird things Top took off of him! What if he got those back? Maybe one of them can cook ponies where they stand!”

“Have you been reading more of those pulp-scifi magazines?” Wisk stared at him disapprovingly. “I've told you to quit reading those, they only put weird ideas in your head. You were whining over nightmares about intelligent blobs of goo crawling into your brain for a week after one of them.”

He sighed. “I'm sorry, Wisk. I just... I get the feeling something bad's going to happen with him. Something really bad.”

“Well, we'll just keep our eyes open and our ears up then.” Wisk smiled. Wheel still didn't look convinced, though, so she tried a different tack. “You know, Wheelie, there's been something I've been meaning to ask you for a pretty long time.”

“What?”

“How'd you end up in this crazy little carnival, anyway? I mean, you were here even before me.”

“I just... needed a job.” Wheel sighed. “Got kicked out of my house after an argument with my folks, had no place to go, wandered into a rinky-dink little sideshow at the county fair, and asked the unicorn who was running it if he was looking for help. Now here I am.”

“This can't be what you wanted to do with your life, though.” Wisk heard a little bitterness creeping into her voice and quashed it.

“Well, no, not really, but....” He sighed. “I like making ponies happy, Wisk. I like making them smile, making little foals laugh. This is the only job I've ever been able to find where I could actually do that. I... I think of leaving sometimes, especially after we got that yeti thing, or Sveti... or after what happened to Cobalt.” Wheel shuddered. “But go where?”

“That's the question, ain't it....” Her voice trailed off, and she scuffed her hoof against the ground- and then decided to change topics. “Does Top know that the yeti can talk?”

“Yeah, he knows. He doesn't care, though, since the thing can't speak Equestrian.”

“Well, still....” She shook her head. “Maybe we caught somepony's trained pet or something. There's no way he's wild... he's too smart.”

“I don't think that I care, Wisk, honest. I just want to set him walking in one direction and go as fast as I can in the other.”

“I don't think he's that bad, Wheelie. I-” She glanced up, and saw Big Top walking in their direction. “Uh oh, here's the boss stallion. Guess we'd better start trying to look busy.” She gave the other earth pony a smile. “We'll talk more later, Wheelie.”

With that, she got back to her hooves and trotted off, and heard Wheel do the same. They both knew how Top got when he thought somepony in his employ was slacking.

(-)

I woke up bright and early the next day, feeling... actually quite good. The lump on my head had practically completely healed, without any scar that I could feel, and despite spending the majority of my time in a cramped cage I felt somehow relaxed and well-rested. The exercise yesterday must've done me some good, I thought, stretching out as best as I could.

My marginally good mood evaporated when I saw Tent and Ferris approaching my cage, the unicorn levitating his whip and the shackle close by. Sighing in resignation, I moved away from the door as Tent unlocked it, then stepped out and allowed Ferris to shackle me. Tent said something that sounded mocking as the plain pony led me towards a small clearing, in the middle of which sat a long metal spike that Tent quickly snatched up with his magic. Ferris set the end of the chain down where the spike had been, then watched as Tent placed the spike through the last link in the chain and gestured for Ferris to come to him.

Ferris reared up and slammed one forehoof down onto the spike, driving it into the ground and securing the chain to the earth.

“...sweet Jesus,” I breathed. I'd had no idea Ferris was that strong. And he was afraid of me?! The little unassuming pony could pancake my skull with that sort of blow.

Ferris's eyes met mine as he was preparing to walk away, and he must've noticed my expression, because his became confused. Tent snickered something at him, and he hurried away, though not without a backward glance at me.

And so there I sat for much of the day, basking in the thankfully gentle rays of the sun; Mixie brought me a cup of water during the afternoon while Tent was elsewhere- though while I drank, she looked at me with a thoughtful expression. I found myself thanking her again, and though I knew she didn't understand, she gave me a brief smile before taking the cup in her mouth and trotting off. Not for the first time I wondered at the relationship this collection of bizarre creatures had with each other; it was clear that Tent ran the show, but his attitude towards his employees seemed pretty antagonistic for the most part, and I felt I could detect some resentment directed at him in return.

My train of thought was interrupted when I saw another cage being dragged along the ground by one of the massive twin stallions via a rope tied around his body. I knew this particular cage- unique for being fully metal instead of having a wooden roof and floor- had always been on the far end of the cart, and I'd never been able to see what was inside of it.

Now I could, and while the minotaur had pretty much prepared me for anything, what I saw was pretty shocking in itself, and it took my mind a moment to rifle through my knowledge to peg a name for it. A gryphon, I realized. Is this entire world just cribbing off of some college student's mythology report? I leaned back on my hands as I watched the cage put into place and the rope removed; the creature inside seemed to shudder, its bright golden eyes flicking back and forth fearfully, only fixing on me for a moment before returning to scan all around for threats.

For some reason, my brain decided to call the creature a “she”. Maybe it was the fact that the lion half of her body was more slender than I'd expect for a male of her species, or the light grey feathers with a crest that faded to a pale gold at the tips, or the thick eyelashes that inexplicably protruded from her eyelids... somehow all of it added up to “female” in my mind. I had no way of knowing how long she'd been trapped in that cage, but her disheveled and dirty appearance told me it had been a while.

I watched as Tent walked up to the creature and spoke a few words to her... and then my jaw dropped when she spoke back in what seemed to be the same language. Her expression went angry, even defiant for a moment, before a few more words from Tent put some sort of deep fear into her and she shrank away from him, eyes lowered. Seemingly satisfied, the unicorn trotted away, flicking his whip back and forth a few times as he went.

I couldn't help but stare at this new creature, even as the other cages were brought out. Why was she even here? How did Tent manage to get her into that cage? And why did she seem so afraid of him? She must have noticed me staring, but it didn't even seem to register with her- I guessed that to her, I was just another prisoner, not a threat and therefore just a part of the background.

My thoughts kept me occupied until late afternoon, when I heard multiple hoofsteps approaching from the town. A number of ponies had come to our little campsite- customers, it seemed, wanting to see the strange and marvelous beasts. They lined up at the edge of the site and waited impatiently for a few minutes until one of the twins trotted up with a wooden coinbox, into which each adult pony tossed a few golden coins before being allowed to pass.

Once inside, the group- about forty or so ponies strong, with young ones and even what looked like infants in tow- gathered up, then was led about by Tent to each “exhibit”, his voice booming across the campsite as he gesticulated wildly with his forehooves and whip. The audience seemed riveted, but from my vantage point, I could see how he was manipulating the beasts to respond just how he wanted them to- a nearly-invisible jolt of magic from his horn or a quick snap of the whip near an ear or eye.

I also realized, with more than a little trepidation, that eventually it was going to be my turn.

The gryphon was the last “exhibit” before me. Tent seemed to take extra-special delight in tormenting her, poking and prodding her with a long stick until he got her angry enough to snap at him with that sharp beak of hers. It was becoming distressingly clear that a lot of these creatures could probably disassemble me without too much trouble, and I really felt the lack of my handgun as an equalizer.

All too soon, the crowd made its way over to me. Only part of my mind noted that there was yet another variety of these ponies- pegasi. A couple of them hovered along with the crowd, but the rest were walking, their wings tucked tightly against their sides. All of the ponies looked at me with varying expressions of expectancy, wonder and fear, while Tent brought me to my feet with a gesture from his whip. I wasn't eager to get hit with the thing, so I played it cool, cooperated as best I could with Tent's directions.

I'd just noticed that the ponies, at first excited, were beginning to show signs of boredom when I heard Tent exclaim something behind me, followed by a soft rustle.

thwip-CRACK

White-hot pain lanced across my back. He'd whipped me. The motherfucking bastard had whipped me! I dropped to my hands and knees for a moment, yelling in pain, barely aware that my display had gotten most of the ponies to jump back in surprise and fear... and then I pretty much flipped my shit, turning towards the still-smirking Tent and his whip splashed with my blood, letting out a snarl and baring my teeth before charging for him. I was going to splatter him, I was going to tear his head off and shit down his neck, I was going to kick his sorry ass into next Thursday-

-I was at the end of my chain, and the shackle that I'd somehow almost forgotten about clotheslined me hard enough for my feet to fly up off the ground. I was lucky that the sudden stop didn't snap my neck like a twig, but the abrupt shock- not to mention slamming into the ground directly on my brand-new wound a moment later- sapped both my anger and my strength like a spigot. I lay there on the ground, gasping for breath and feeling my own warm blood soak the grass beneath me, staring up at the early evening sky.

I wasn't sure how long I was laying there- though a brief glance to the side showed that the crowd had moved on to the minotaur, who was entertaining them by lifting and breaking some heavy-looking stones- before I heard the soft thumps of hooves on dirt. Mixie appeared over me, gazing down at me with concern clear on her features; one hoof pressed against my arm, trying to turn me over, and I didn't have the strength or will to do anything but comply. I heard her gasp sharply and shout something, and a couple of minutes later another set of hooves approach; the steps were too light to be one of the twins, so it must have been Ferris. Something heavy was set on the ground near me, and then I hissed in pain as what felt like a soft cloth dipped in alcohol or something similar rubbed against my wound.

I could only lie there as the two ponies treated my wound, then carefully taped bandages to my back. There was a soft click as Ferris opened my shackle, and after a moment of quiet murmuring between them, Mixie practically burrowed under me to help me to my feet. Despite the pain, I managed to stagger back to my cage with their guidance; Mixie did her best to help me in, closing the door after me, and both ponies watched as I crawled to the back and curled up as best as I could.

I heard one of them trot off, and managed a glance back outside. Wheel was still there, watching me with an unreadable expression on his face, until he realized I was looking back at him; he quickly turned and walked away, leaving me alone.

Alone. That's what I was, in every conceivable way. I'd never felt so alone and vulnerable in my life... I had no idea where I was or how I'd gotten here, I had no one I could ask for help, no one I could even talk to, and judging by the looks I'd gotten humans weren't exactly a common sight around these parts... and worst of all, I was at the mercy of a complete sociopath who'd obviously broken the will of at least one other sentient creature and seemed well on his way with a second.

Every last mental wall I'd put up to keep myself going shattered, and for the first time since I was a kid, I cried myself to sleep.

(-)

Here we go again....

The routine was getting all too familiar. The two big idiots hauled her cage off the cart, then Big Top came by for his regular taunting session. “Oh, hello there, Sveti,” the unicorn said, his voice almost dripping with false friendliness. “You're looking well. Getting plenty of exercise in there?” He rapped the bars of the cage with the handle of his whip.

“Just... leave me alone.” It wasn't terribly long ago that she would've told him to go hump a naga, but she'd gotten enough of the bad end of his temper- and that whip- to cure her of that tendency.

“We just don't talk enough, I think. I know you don't get to hear the news of the day in there.” His whip knocked against the bars again. “For instance... how's your father doing? Haven't you wondered that?”

She scowled. “Like you'd even tell me the truth.”

“He's having troubles, I'm afraid.” Top took on a pitying expression so fake that it wasn't likely to fool a blind fruit bat. “His budget was cut again and costs are mounting up. I don't think Emperor Drottin sees much use for his Equestrian embassy these days.”

She grumbled and turned away. Even if she couldn't trust him to give her the correct time in a clock shop, that little scenario was all too plausible.

“I'm sure he could probably use a cash infusion to keep things running so that he doesn't get sent back,” Top continued. “He's petitioned the Princesses, I hear, but... you know how slowly the gears of government grind.” When she didn't reply, his smile thinned just a little. “So maybe I could see fit to extend another loan to him, if you'd just agree to a few more shows-”

“Go pluck yourself.” She turned to glare at him.

“Such language.” He sighed, though his eyes were as hard as ever. “It wouldn't be a good idea to get on my bad side, Sveti. That photograph is in an envelope, already stamped and addressed to The Neighagra Post, just waiting to be dropped in a mailbox or handed off to some passing pegasus. You willingly agreed to this... arrangement.”

“And you've changed it how many times since then? You sure as peck didn't say anything about a cage!”

“You necessitated it when you tried to attack me.” Top leaned away from the cage. “I'm being generous, you know. I have other ways to... pacify you.”

He gave a meaningful look towards the wagon, and without even needing to follow his gaze, her innards turned to ice; she knew what he meant- she'd “joined” the caravan after whatever had happened to the minotaur and had never learned exactly what had gone on, but the aftereffects were both evident and terrifying. “No,” she half-whispered, half-whimpered.

“Well then.” He tapped the bars with his whip once more. “I trust you'll be well-behaved during the show tonight.”

With that, the pony trotted away, leaving the griffin with her thoughts. I am an idiot, she thought, not at all for the first time. I trusted Top because he's a pony- I thought they were all overly-nice morons ripe for the plucking. Ancestors, has that maniac ever cured me of that notion. Dad, I sure hope you have at least some idea of what your loving daughter is going through to help you....

As much as she tried to relax herself and still her mind, she knew what was coming later- another paying crowd, coming to see the weird beasts. And here I thought griffins were well-known in Equestria, she though. Maybe in the big cities, but out here in the sticks? I'm practically a chimaera myself as far as these yokels know. And of course Top's going to play that for all it's worth.... It was disturbing at how good the unicorn was at getting her hackles up; he apparently had a deep understanding of griffon psychology and instincts, and it never took him long to get her angry enough to retaliate- which was just what he wanted for the show.

She noticed that the show had gotten a new “exhibit”. She didn't pay it much attention; it was obviously some variant of the yetis she knew of from the northern reaches, though this one either had a ridiculously bad case of mange or had overdone its summer shedding; someone had apparently put leggings on it to protect its more sensitive areas. For whatever reason, Top had had it chained to a spot out in the open instead of keeping it inside its cage, and it sat on the grass, watching her intently. She only spent a moment wondering how Top had managed to get his hooves on it before returning to thinking of her own problems.

Sure enough, later in the afternoon a crowd of ponies from the nearby town lined up for what was probably the most entertainment they'd had in years. Once Big Top had suckered them for their money, he led them through his sorry little “exhibits” until they got to her cage. Just as always, his words and prodding got her hackles up, and it was only a couple minutes before she was ready to bite his head off- which, of course, absolutely thrilled the ponies who'd come to see the wicked, slavering beast.

Eventually- after far too long for Sveti's tastes- the crowd moved on to look at the yeti. Spared their attention, she practically shrank into the back of her cage, trying to regain control of herself. She watched as Top brought the creature to its feet, forcing it to move in various ways as he told the crowd some obviously made-up story about its origins; bizarrely enough, the creature seemed worried even as it complied. Maybe it's already figured out what Top is actually like, she mused. Smart critter- picked up on that faster than me, even.

But as the little show went on, she could tell that Top was losing the interest of the crowd. She saw him step behind the creature, shout a warning that it was about to "attack", and raise his whip for what she thought would be a snap next to its ear- and couldn't hold back a squawk of surprise when the lash cut a line across the yeti's back, sending a thin line of blood splattering down its skin and onto the grass. The creature fell, then quickly got to its feet... and with a snarl worthy of a manticore and an expression that had gone from confusion and fear to utter fury, it charged at Big Top with seemingly every intent to pull him apart like an overcooked turkey.

Unfortunately for the creature, Top had apparently planned for this; the chain still attached to the thick shackle around its neck stopped him just short of his goal, yanking him back and sending him crashing to the ground. She couldn't help but wince in sympathy as the yeti lay there, panting softly and groaning, all the fight taken out of it in that instant. Some of the ponies actually looked worried about it- but Top immediately grabbed their attention and guided them to where the minotaur sat, giving the ponies a show of its great strength and getting them to forget about the still-bleeding creature on the grass a short distance away.

Poor thing. She'd have to admit, she was both impressed and maybe just the tiniest bit frightened at just how quickly the beast had gone from compliant to murderous, though she couldn't at all blame it. The attack had been a coldly-calculated ploy to terrify the audience with the yeti's rage, and it had worked in spades. Big Top, you are absolute scum.

She watched as another pony- the cook- came over to check on the beast, then called Top's assistant to come over with medical supplies. She grimaced as the yeti was turned over; the wound looked particularly painful, though the creature was apparently too much in shock to register much of it at the moment. The two ponies bandaged up the laceration and escorted the yeti into its cage, where it immediately curled up in a defensive posture.

It wasn't long after the ponies had left that she could hear it weeping, and she felt her heart sink. I know, kid, I know, she thought sympathetically. Welcome to Tartarus. It's not going to be a pleasant stay.

(-)

“Pinkie, how many times do I have to tell you to not get on that thing?!”

“Awwww.” Pinkie let out a defeated whine as she hopped down off of the vehicle. Twilight tsked to herself softly, then returned to her checklist; next to her, Shining Armor chuckled. “You're such a killjoy, Twily,” he told his sister.

“Oh, don't even start, Shiny.” She blew a raspberry at him before using a quill to check off another box. “Have the pegasi guards gotten any leads on where the creature who used this thing may have gone?” she asked.

“I haven't gotten today's report back from the morning wing yet, but so far... nothing, I'm afraid. It isn't helping things that we have almost nothing to go on as far as what it actually looks like.”

“I was hoping that whoever was camping in that spot might have left some obvious tracks.”

“ 'Fraid not, sis. That area sees enough traffic so that whoever was there when our mysterious creature appeared could have gone almost anywhere.”

“Oh, fie. Well, I suppose it was a longshot, at that.”

Shining chuckled. “We're still keeping our eyes open and our ears up, just in case there's a sighting. So....” He glanced over at the strange object. “It's been two days since you got that thing here... have you figured out anything about it?”

“Oh, lots!” Her expression immediately brightened. “Okay. So, the superstructure of the carriage is steel- just plain old everyday steel, but formed into really precise shapes that fit together amazingly well. There seems to be a coat of some protective substance over it, probably to help prevent rusting, and then a coat of paint over that, all applied with astounding uniformity. The doors fit into their places tightly, and it looks like the windows even move up and down inside them, though we haven't been able to get them to do so. Judging by how much effort seems to have been made to form the body into an aerodynamic shape, I'm betting that it's capable of some incredible speeds- maybe upwards of fifty miles an hour.”

He'd have to admit, that would be impressive for anything on wheels. “Okay, but how would it even go that fast? I don't see a hitch.”

“That's the most amazing thing we've found yet. It seems to be self-powered.”

“Really? That must be some impressive spellwork.”

He blinked when she shook her head. “No spellwork, big bro. We haven't been able to detect a lick of magic on this thing!” She chuckled at his shocked look. “That's the face I made when I figured that out. Come here, I'll show you what's inside the front of the body.”

He did so, walking around the body to see that a large panel in the front had been propped up, hanging open like the maw of some outlandish metal monster. But what was under that panel confused him even more- a confusing mishmash of wires, tubes and ducts seemingly laid out at random, centered around a hunk of metal with what looked like words stamped into it. “What the hay is this mess?” he wondered. “This looks like something you'd build, Twily.”

“Oh, ha ha.” She stuck her tongue out at him again. “As near as we can tell, it's some sort of power plant, to make the wheels move. How it works we can't even begin to guess- but we've got a lead.”

“What's that?”

“In a small box in the cabin we found a thick book of some kind. It's got all sorts of diagrams that seem to pertain to various parts of the vehicle, including this- but until we can translate the text, we don't even know where to start with all this.”

“Still no idea what language that is?” He pointed to the words stamped into the metal.

“None! I've been all over the language archives in the Canterlot Library and I found absolutely nothing like it. And the archives have texts on pretty much every language ponykind has encountered over the last seven hundred years!”

“This is one hay of a mystery.” Shining scratched the back of his neck.

“I already know what happened!” Pinkie came bouncing up to them with a silly grin on her face.

He knew better by now than to ask, he really did, but he couldn't help himself. “Really, Ms. Pie?” he asked. “What happened?”

The earth pony sat back on her haunches, flattened out her poofy mane and then held her forehooves out as if she were about to give some grand rationale.

“Aliens.”

The answer was so out-of-nowhere that it actually took a moment for his mind to process it- and then he found himself trying not to bust out laughing. “...aliens,” he managed to get out.

“Shiny, don't encourage her!” Twilight grumbled. “Pinkie, shouldn't you have gone back to Ponyville by now? You know, back to your job and everything?”

“Oh, don't worry, the Cakes gave me a whole week off!” Pinkie chirped. “Apparently they've both been suffering from neck pains and want to take some time off to relax!” She paused, doing whatever it was she did that was analogous to thinking. “...well, they said something about a 'pain in the neck', but I couldn't really hear....”

Shining Armor's laughter was only slightly interrupted by the clipboard Twilight flung at him.

Two and a half weeks had gone by since the first show I'd “starred” in. I had no way of knowing how far we'd traveled away from where I'd first found myself in this bizarre world, or in what direction; I was well and truly lost- there was no chance I'd ever find my way back to the car, let alone back home. At that point, escaping would mean having to live off the land, finding some sort of shelter and- most importantly- evading recapture.

I was more than willing to give up life on the road at this point. I'd had to endure two more “shows” over those eighteen days, both of them humiliating and infuriating; Tent's preternatural ability to break down the mental defenses of others had proven just as effective against me as any of the other exhibits in his little show. I still had the bruise from the latest show on the back of my thigh, just above the knee, where Tent had kicked me with the tip of his hoof to get me on my knees.

I hadn't been otherwise idle during the time, though, and not just the push-ups and sit-ups I'd taken to doing while stuck in the cage. Tent was using me more and more for menial tasks each night when the caravan camped, apparently finding my smaller size and more dexterous hands useful for things the minotaur couldn't do. He'd kept the shackle on me every moment I was out of my cage and had apparently assigned Ferris as my guard, but the easily-distracted regular pony left me plenty of opportunities to look around even as I did my assigned chores. That didn't leave me open to just simply bolt at the first opportunity, though- not only did I have a heavy shackle around my neck that would make running a bit difficult, but I was loathe to leave behind my belongings, especially my handgun, and if my escape was noticed too soon I didn't count it impossible that they could track me by scent. My odds of evading all five of them for any length of time were less than optimal, and in anything aside of a one-on-one fight- or even that, with one of the twins- my chances were slim at best.

I'd made the deduction that, if Tent had kept my belongings- and I saw no reason why he wouldn't have- they'd be in the main wagon itself, since every other likely place I'd been able to check had turned up lacking. Moreover, he, Ferris and Mixie each had a copy of the key for the door; I had no idea where the first two kept theirs, but the mare apparently kept hers in the food wagon, in one of the small drawers underneath the small, antique-looking cash register that she used when customers were buying food during a show. I hadn't had the opportunity to find and take it, not that I was eager to quite yet... they knew how smart I was, and something like that going missing would probably be connected to me pretty quickly. It was better that I wait until I had a solid escape chance where I could grab the key and then use it in short order.

I really didn't want to wait any longer than I absolutely had to, though. I wasn't sure how much longer I could resist the urge to snap Tent's miserable neck, and I had the sneaking suspicion that the unicorn was pushing me towards just such a thing- probably just to see what I was really capable of, all the better to break me afterwards. The bastard was smart, I had to give him that, and I wasn't eager to pit myself against him in a mental marathon.

We'd been camped at the same spot for three days now, apparently to do some general maintenance on the wagons and food restocking- there was a wide river nearby that made for good fishing, some wild apple and peach trees, and the twins had gone out with snares and came back with full bags. It had been relatively quiet and relaxed for the last couple of days- at least during the times I could escape Tent's notice- and I was having dinner just after sundown; Mixie had taken to giving me cooked pieces of meat or fish with my meals, for which I was honestly grateful. How she'd figured out I couldn't eat it raw I doubted I'd ever understand.

Even as I finished the small piece of what appeared to be salmon she'd given me tonight, though, I was left to wonder. I'd gladly kick Tent into the business end of a woodchipper if I had half the chance, but what about these other ponies? What would I do to neutralize them if they tried to stop my escape? Despite having been traveling with them for three weeks, I hadn't interacted with either of the twins even once; I hadn't bothered to assign them nicknames beyond “the twins”. But Mixie and Ferris were a different case... the mare was obviously doing her best to make things easier on me in the limited ways she had available to her, and the stallion... well, he was still distrustful of me, I could tell, but after that night he'd helped me back into the cage, it seemed he'd warmed to me a little at least. I didn't feel at all comfortable with the prospect of hurting either of them.

I was broken out of my reverie by a low, deep growl off to my right. One of the creatures on the cart- one of the ones I couldn't put a name to, that looked like a half-grown lion cub with bat wings and a scorpion tail- was pacing restlessly in its cage and growling out at something off near the treeline a couple hundred feet away. The forest didn't look nearly as thick here as where I'd been captured, so I wasn't as worried about things like timberwolves trying for the camp, especially with the twins on guard duty.

I set the tray down on the tall grass and leaned back against the rock outcropping I was using as an impromptu chair, stroking my unwanted beard- what I wouldn't have given to have my electric razor back, not to mention some place I could plug it in- and giving my meal some time to digest. But my moment of relative contentment was shattered when I saw the twin standing post closer to the treeline stiffen suddenly, his ears pricking as his head raised; I wasn't any sort of zoologist, but I knew an “alert pose” when I saw it... and something had that stallion's complete attention.

As quietly as I could, I wrapped up the length of chain attached to my shackle into a bundle and hopped down off of the rock. None of the other ponies were nearby save for Ferris, who seemed to have also picked up on something going on and had his gaze fixed on the trees out in the distance; I had no idea how good pony eyesight was at night, but my own eyes couldn't pick anything up. Still, just to be on the safe side, I maintained a casual yet quiet walk towards the wagons, thankful I'd decided to put on my shirt and shoes to combat what had been a somewhat chilly day.

I was most of the way to the meal wagon when I heard it- a deep, throaty growl that echoed between the trees beyond the campsite. The ponies started chattering nervously, except for Tent barking out what seemed to be orders, and I heard a yell from the gryphon that seemed on the verge of panic. I think she has an idea of what's going on, I thought. Me, I'm just looking for the golden opportunity here.

I made it to the meal wagon undetected; fortunately, Mixie hadn't locked the door. It was easy enough to slip inside and begin searching the drawers underneath the counter. Let's see, where are you, where are you.... A shout from one of the twins made me freeze for just a moment- but it was at a distance, not directed at me. Still, I found myself going even faster, practically yanking the drawers free to search them. Finally, after far too long for my comfort, I found the small key tucked beneath what looked like a roll of wax paper, slipped it into my pocket and got out of the cart as fast as I could manage.

The good news was that there were no ponies waiting for me outside. The bad news was that there were no ponies anywhere around outside... which left me wondering just what they were doing. I wasn't going to be deterred from my goal, but not knowing what was going on could put an end to my escape as easily as getting caught by Tent. Carefully, keeping my head on a swivel, I made my way towards the main wagon while still doing my best to look like I was just casually walking.

Then I saw the other ponies, gathered just within the edge of the camp. The twins were armed with what looked like long, sturdy sticks of wood clenched in their mouths, while Tent had his whip at the ready; Mixie had brought a lantern and was doing her best to shine its light out into the forest, using it like a miniature spotlight. My heart seemed to freeze in place for a moment as I caught sight of something large moving just within range of the lantern's illumination. The gryphon was practically beating at her cage's door now, pleading, likely to be let out so that she wouldn't be a boxed lunch for whatever the hell it was stalking around the encampment.

Tent uttered an order to Ferris, who trotted uncertainly towards the main wagon, nervously looking back over his shoulder almost constantly. I swore to myself silently, sprinting to the wagon and placing my back against the side facing away from the treeline, pulling my belt free and forming a noose with it and then waiting for the sound of hooves to come close enough for my brand-new makeshift plan.

As soon as Ferris's head came past the wagon, I struck, lowering the belt loop around his head and pulling- not so tight to break his neck or hurt him permanently, but enough to turn the yelp that came out of his mouth into a barely-audible squeak. I immediately yanked the stallion onto his rear hooves and covered his mouth with my hand, then lowered the belt just enough so that he could breathe properly- so long as he held absolutely still. “Shhhh,” I hissed into his ear.

His blue eyes were almost pinpricks as they stared at me fearfully, his whole body trembling. With my free hand, I pulled out the key to the wagon and managed to unlock the door, then ushered him inside, being sure to keep him on a short leash as I followed. The inside of the wagon was a bit cramped for me, but practically luxurious for a pony- there was even a small but plush bed at the far end, with a pair of pillows and a blanket on it. I only gave it the barest glance, though, my mind more set on something a lot less comfortable; I pointed at Ferris's hoof, then at the back of my shackle, then made a “click” sound while miming pulling the thing off.

He understood. Slowly, with a trembling foreleg, he reached around my neck and pressed his hoof against the strange locking mechanism until the lock opened; the shackle popped open and immediately fell to the floor with a heavy thud. I let out a sigh of relief and rubbed at my neck with my free hand before glancing around. As much as I would've loved to have Ferris tell me where my things were in the multiple closets and drawers that were present on both sides of the inside of the wagon, that wasn't in the cards, which meant I had to do something with the pony- who was now sporting a puddle underneath him- before I could be free to search.

My gaze settled on the bed once again. In a flash, I yanked one of the sheets off, then motioned for Ferris to hop up; after a moment of confusion, he obeyed. I immediately pulled his legs together and wound the sheet around them, hog-tying him- then pulled off a pillowcase and tied it around his head as a makeshift gag. Once I was sure he was secured and unable to call for help, I removed the belt from around his neck and put it back around my waist. Noting his utterly helpless and terrified look, I couldn't help but gently pat his head and murmur “sorry” to him before turning back to the task at hand.

It took me five minutes of practically turning the place inside-out before I finally found what I'd been looking for- my holster, with weapon and magazines still inside, and my travel bag. Looking through the bag showed me that everything inside had been yanked out, probably for a closer examination, then stuffed back inside haphazardly; my keys, wallet, flashlight and phone were inside as well, the battery of the last item completely dead- to be expected, having gone three weeks without a charge- but everything was undamaged elsewise.

I reflexively drew and checked my weapon before strapping the holster to my leg, letting out a soft sigh of relief as I did; having the handgun back was a huge balm, making me feel as though I was finally in control of my destiny again. Once my bag was securely over my shoulder, there was nothing to do but get the hell away from this crazy sideshow before Tent remembered that I wasn't in my cage. But as I reached for the door, something caught my eye- a keyring hanging from a small hook, with five dull-black keys attached to it. Remembering the terrified gryphon still locked in her cage, I snagged it, hoping that I might have a moment to give her the means to free herself on my way out.

I'd just opened the door to step out when I heard a horrific crash, followed by the sounds of snapping wood and twisting metal. The scene that awaited me outside was shocking- one of the twins was on the ground, bleeding from a serious wound on his side, several of the lanterns hanging up around the campsite had been knocked over, and the exhibit cart looked as though it had been hit by a speeding semi, with several of the cages lying on the ground.

And then I saw what had done all the damage. A much larger version of the small winged-lion creature was stalking around the other still-standing twin, who had two ragged red lines dripping blood along his side but didn't seem to notice. The smaller creature's cage was upside-down on the ground, next to the gryphon's cage, the inhabitant of which looked like she'd been knocked half-unconscious in the fall.

All the puzzle pieces fell into place in my head. Mama came looking for baby.

The rational part of my brain said to just book it, to hit the road and let the chips fall where they would for my captors, my fellow prisoners, and anyone and anything that wasn't me. But... something got my legs moving in the other direction, towards the large angry predator that could probably tear me to pieces without exerting itself. Fortunately its back was to me, and its own snarls kept it from hearing my footfalls as I crouch-walked past it, towards its mewling offspring. I could see several crossbow bolts buried in the larger creature's hide that didn't seem to slow it one bit, and I wasn't banking on .40S&W rounds being able to do the job before the beast could retaliate.

My luck was in, for once; the first key I chose opened the cage door for the little cub, and it immediately clambered out, letting out a high-pitched mewl as it ran towards its parent. I hid behind the gryphon's cage as a precaution as mother and child were reunited, and after quickly checking its offspring for injury, the larger creature disengaged from battle, apparently more interested in getting Junior out of the area than keeping up the fight. Once it was out of sight, the twin let the stick drop from his mouth, his confused gaze moving between me and the retreating creatures; after a moment, he murmured something before galloping off in the direction of his fallen brother.

A soft whimper from within the cage I was leaning against caught my attention. The gryphon was still shaking her head as if to clear it, her golden eyes focusing on me- and the keyring I still held in hand. The sad and fearful expression obvious on her beaked face changed to confused wonderment when I slipped the ring between the bars for her; one trembling foreclaw reached out to snatch it from my grasp, and as quick as light she began trying the keys on the lock of her cage.

I didn't stick around to see how successful she was. I spun on my heel and began running for the trees myself, almost tripping over a broken and empty cage, sprinting past the food cart- only to stumble to a stop at the sight of what had escaped that cage I'd almost fallen over.

The naga- all nine scaly, angry feet of it- arched over a fallen and whimpering Mixie, who lay on the ground in a heap with one foreleg raised as if it could fend off the reptile about to bury its long, wicked fangs into her.

Before I even realized what I was doing, the three glowing tritium dots on my gun's sights lined themselves up along the center mass of the seaweed-colored monster.

BANG BANG BANG

Scales proved to be no proof against bullets, and a trio of holes opened up in the creature's upper body; the gunshots caused its body to shudder, and after a moment of twisting about trying to stay upright, its body finally collapsed with a gurgling hiss, twitching madly for a moment before becoming still.

Mixie's gazed shifted between me and the dead creature for a moment, but I didn't have time to see what she'd do next. I turned on my heel and took one step towards the forest.

thwip-CRACK

Something wrapped around my ankle and pulled, hard. My foot was yanked out from under me, and I hit the dirt face-first; my right hand hit the ground hard enough to jar my handgun free of my grasp, and it tumbled a few feet away. I glanced over my shoulder to find Tent, with a couple of cuts along his chest and sides, glaring at me with an almost palpable amount of hate, with the handle of the whip clenched tightly between his teeth. Using his forehooves to wind up the length of the whip, he began to literally reel me in like a landed fish.

I felt my hand brush against a small rock, and I reacted, grabbing it and flinging it at him as hard as I could. It smacked against the side of his head, sending him reeling and making him lose his “grip” on his weapon; the moment the whip loosened, I grabbed hold of it, pulling it towards me so that I could untangle myself. I had just gotten to my feet, the whip still in my hand, when I looked up to see Tent magically floating his crossbow towards him from where he'd apparently dropped it earlier.

Oh, no you don't, you fucker. My hand gripped the handle of the whip, lashed out and jerked back.

thwip-CRACKsplat

Tent fell to the ground, the crossbow tumbling past him as he screamed, clutching at his face as what remained of his left eye dribbled down his cheek. I hadn't actually meant to maim him- I hadn't expected to even hit him with the whip; I'd never used one before- but I couldn't find it in myself to feel sorry for him... at that point I wouldn't have put it past him to take a shot at me whether I was armed or not.

Speaking of shooting.... I managed to find my gun again, and this time had to shake out a bit of dirt that had compacted at the end of the barrel. When I turned around, I found that Tent had curled up into a ball, still holding a hoof over his ruined eye, his voice hoarse from screaming. I felt all the helplessness, all the rage I'd been subject to over the last three weeks well up inside me, turning my vision red and sending my blood pounding through my ears; I stalked towards him, my hands trembling as I raised my weapon, the glowing dots forming a perfectly straight line with the damnable unicorn's skull underneath the center one. I felt my pulse thudding through my skull as I began to squeeze the trigger-

-then realized belatedly that I shouldn't be feeling my pulse thud through my feet as well.

I turned to see a fist almost as big as my head flying towards my face. Through reflexes I didn't know I had, I jerked backwards, evading the blow almost entirely- except for the last knuckle on that blue-furred hand, that just barely grazed my cheek yet delivered a blow that a heavyweight prizefighter would've been proud of. The strike sent me stumbling backwards several feet, somehow managing to keep my feet under me and my weapon in hand as I ended up in a crouch. I looked up to find the minotaur stomping towards me, both fists clenched, and his former blank expression replaced by absolute fury.

I had no clue as to what set him off, but I wasn't sure if I could outrun him, and there was no way I was going to be able to subdue him with anything smaller than a pickup truck driven at highway speeds. Once more I raised my handgun and sighted my target- though I'd have to make an effort to miss the onrushing behemoth- and fired three times.

The first two rounds thudded into the creature's chest, hardly even slowing him down. The third round rocked his head back- but my heart stopped for a moment as he lowered his head again, and I realized that the bullet had literally glanced off his skull. Panic overwhelmed training and I just started pumping rounds into his center-of-mass, and only after five more shots did the beast begin to falter, his mask of hate fading into confusion as he began to stumble, reaching up towards his wounds as if just now noticing them for the first time. He let out a strange rumble, staring blankly past me and managing a few more steps forward before he simply pitched forward to slam into the ground face-first; his massive body bounced once, then went still.

I took a moment to catch my breath and look around. Tent was gone, as were Mixie and the gryphon- I was alone, free for the first time in three weeks, and my next move was entirely my own.

So I ran.

(-)

It was actually turning out to be a pretty nice night, in Wheel's estimation. The weather was cool and just a little breezy, exactly the way he liked it; he had fresh fruit in his belly and soft grass under his rump, and- best of all- Big Top was nowhere in sight. He felt more free than he had in months, and even the knowledge that the bald yeti- well, a little less bald now; don't know why fur's only growing back on his face, but whatever- was walking around nearby didn't bother him all that much. He wasn't quite as afraid of the creature as he had been, though he didn't in any way like him... but Wheel figured that the creature was here for the long haul, so it'd be better to at least learn to co-exist with him. Besides, at least one of the twins was keeping an eye on the creature at all times and was ready to pounce if he did anything dangerous.

“Nice night, huh?” He looked up at the sound of Wisk's voice, as she trotted towards him.

“Yeah, it isn't bad,” he replied. “Nice dinner tonight, too.”

“Thanks. I like to use the fresh stuff when I can.” She sat down next to him. “You mind if I talk to you about something?” she asked.

“No, go ahead.”

“Next town we hit... I'm thinking of staying there.”

He blinked in shock and turned to her. “What? Why?”

“I'm getting tired, Wheelie. Going a little gray around the edges. Four years on the road... it wears on you when you're my age.” She sighed. “I'd hoped that Top would decide to finally set down stakes somewhere, pick a spot where the audiences could come to us, but it ain't looking likely.”

“But you're not that old-”

She stopped him with a raised hoof. “I adore you for the sweet lie, but that's what it is. I'm creeping up on forty years, now... I ain't sure this is what I want to do with the rest of the prime of my life, you know?”

“I guess....” He went quiet for a moment. “Top isn't gonna like it, though.”

“Top don't run my life, much as he'd like to think otherwise.” She snorted. “He knows how I've felt long enough. If he thinks he's got a leash on me, I'll be happy to tell him where to shove it.”

“That... that's not everything, though, Wisk. Top... he's been getting meaner lately. Haven't you seen it?”

“Another good reason to get out, and maybe you should be thinking of it too.”

“I dunno. I'm... kind of scared of him now. I mean, things were bad enough after what happened with Cobalt, but now Sveti? He's treating her almost as bad as the manticore- maybe even worse, since he's messing with her body and her mind! She's not some beast; she's a griffin!”

“Thin enough line for him.” Wisk sighed. “Wheelie, you're wasting your life here. Come with me, before this whole business turns you into something you shouldn't be.”

“But I can't-” A deep rumbling noise, just within the range of his hearing, caught his attention; his words died in his throat as he looked up towards the source somewhere in the trees beyond the caravan. “...did you hear that?” he half-whispered.

“Huh? Afraid not, my ears ain't what they used to be....”

“Shhhhh.” He'd lost track of it, but he knew he'd heard something; he glanced off to the right and saw that Stout had apparently heard something as well- his ears were pricked and he was watching the treeline intently. “Stout heard it too, I think. Something's in the woods.”

Wisk frowned slightly. “Huh... well, I don't think anything dangerous lives this far on the outskirts of the Everfree....” She paused as the sound seemed to repeat, just a little louder this time. “...but to be on the safe side I'll go get Top,” she finished, quickly getting to her hooves and cantering off.

In the time it took Wheel to shakily get to his hooves and trot over to Stout Hooves to see if he knew what was going on- and, if he was being honest with himself, to feel safer in the much stronger pony's presence- Wisk had retrieved Top from wherever he'd been. “Celestia damn it,” the unicorn grumbled. “Finally get around to working on the books... what in Tartarus do you all want?”

“Something's out there.” Direct and to the point as always, Stout waved a hoof towards the treeline.

“Big bucking deal! It's called the wilderness, you know, and there's lots-”

snarrrrrl

Wheel felt his heart skip a beat. Even Top looked a little less arrogant now. “...well, then,” he said, more quietly than before. “Wisk, get one of the lanterns from my wagon; Stout, get your brother and arm yourselves. We may have attracted a couple of timberwolves.”

“Timberwolves? Oh, sweet Celestia....” Wheel immediately regretted all the peach tea he'd had that day; his bladder had a history of letting go under extreme stress.

“Relax. Unless it's a full pack- which wouldn't be hunting out here- we don't have much to fear.” He snorted. “Would love to have one in the show, but the damned things always disintegrate after a week or so of captivity, no matter what you do for them.”

Wheel nodded distractedly, remembering how he'd had to clean what had amounted to twice his own weight of moldy mulch out of the cage last time they'd tried to keep one of the things. While they waited, Wheel heard Sveti holler something that sounded like “what the buck's going on out there”; he had half a mind to answer... then glanced at Top and thought better of it.

Wisk was back with the lantern in less than a minute, and Stout had rounded up Strong and gotten both of them armed about two minutes after. Even with the illumination, it was nearly impossible to pick out whatever it was that was stalking them just past the trees- until he just caught sight of a long, powerful body with a thin, segmented tail pass between two treetrunks.

“Oh sweet Celestia, it's a manticore,” Wisk whispered. “An adult one.”

Wheel's knees locked up, and he fought to not faint dead away. He could hear Sveti's voice change from concerned to panicked, and a rattling sound showed that she was trying to escape her cage, not that he could blame her at all. “What do we do, boss?” he whimpered.

“Get my crossbow, Wheel,” came the reply. “It's in its lockbox on the side of the wagon.”

“Y- yeah....” Wheel did his best to canter sideways, not wanting to let that treeline out of his sight for a moment lest the beast somehow sneak up on him. The only sounds he could hear were his own hooffalls and the griffin's hysterical shouts as he walked around the back of the wagon, turning the corner to get to where Top kept the crossbow hidden in case of bandits or beasts attacking.

Then something brown flashed past his vision, and the next thing he knew he was being strangled, lifted off his forehooves by his neck; whatever it was that had him squeezed tightly enough to almost make him black out immediately, and spots danced in his vision as he struggled fruitlessly to get a hoof between his throat and whatever had caught him.

Then a familiar pair of tiny grey eyes came into view, and he froze in place. The yeti. He's got me. I'm going to die.

One of those strange forepaws covered his mouth- for what, Wheel didn't know; he could scarcely breathe, let alone scream- and the beast made a weird hissing sound in his ear. He wants me to be quiet. I'll be quiet, I promise. Just please don't hurt me.

The yeti pulled something out from his clothing- a small key, Wheel could make out- and somehow managed to unlock the wagon's door, then pushed the pony inside, clambering in afterwards. Once the door was closed, the monster stared directly into his eyes, kneeling down and pointing at the shackle around his neck, then making a strange jerking motion with his forepaw. Now he wants me to free him. The shackle's not stopping him anyway, and he'll probably just hurt me if I don't do what he wants, so.... With only a moment's hesitation, Wheel pressed his hoof against the shackle's lock, turned the small knob three times, then pulled left, then right; it gave off a small click as it unlocked, and the shackle opened, falling onto the floor heavily.

Those eyes came back to his again, and he felt his bladder let go from sheer terror. He's free now. He's free, and he's smart, and he planned this, and dumb creatures will just kill you if you make them angry, but smart ones will kill you slow....

Then the yeti did something unexpected- he stripped the sheets off of the bed, then motioned for Wheel to get on. His fear somewhat thinned by rising confusion, the stallion complied, feeling the mattress give underneath his hooves. Then the next thing he knew, he was on his side, and the creature was tying a sheet around his legs, binding them together- and then he tasted linen as a pillowcase was tied around his head as a gag.

Utter terror flooded Farris Wheel's brain. He's free and I'm helpless and I can't move and I can't even scream oh sweet Celestia save me I'm so sorry for everything bad I've ever done.... He felt like his heart was about to explode as the creature returned to the side of the bed, leaned over him....

...and lightly patted his head, murmuring something that sounded almost... apologetic?

And then the yeti was gone, and he was alone, and alive, and whole. The adrenaline crash that followed the realization left him a weeping, quivering mess on the top of his employer's bed.

(-)

I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. Ancestors save me.

Sveti pulled frantically at the door of her cage, her hindclaws scraping against the floor as she fruitlessly struggled to free herself. “Let me out!” she shouted. “You plucking idiots, let me out before the manticore kills the lot of you! I can help!”

She hoped beyond hope that they'd believe she would help with their defense if they freed her. She wouldn't, of course; the manticore could eat the entire lot of them before she'd lift a talon to stop it... but she needed out, now, and she'd say and do anything to secure her release. She could feel her feathers brushing against the sides of the cage as her instincts screamed at her to get free, get out, get into the skies.

There was a yell from past the wagon. The manticore had finally left the trees and was charging in towards the campsite; one of the two brawny stallion twins charged forward to meet it- and surprisingly made a decent accounting of himself in the short but violent fight that ensued, scoring a number of strikes with stick and hooves on the manticore before it landed a crushing blow on his side, sending him tumbling across the ground, trailing blood from the claw wounds on his side.

The other twin let out an enraged snort and charged forward, but the manticore paid him no heed, turning towards the camp and leaping forward. Sveti realized with a thrill of horror that it was running right towards the exhibit wagon- right towards her. “Oh beloved ancestors-” was all she managed to get out before the monster slammed into the cart with the force of an avalanche; her cage pitched over, and she found herself in freefall for just a second before the bars suddenly rushed up to meet her.

She didn't know how long she was dazed after that, but when she regained her senses, the manticore was gone, the still-standing twin was running off somewhere... and something was behind her. She managed to turn around, and found the yeti- now fully-dressed- standing at the back end of the cage, looking at her. But it was what dangled in one of his strange forepaws that caught her attention- a familiar keyring, the one the earth ponies used to unlock the cages when Big Top wasn't around.

And then her breath caught in her throat when the creature slipped the keyring between the bars and held it towards her.

Thank you thank you thank you thank you was all that went through her mind as she snatched the keys away, spun around and began jamming one of them into the lock. It took her three tries to find the correct key, and a quick glance behind her as she shoved the door open showed her that the strange creature had already moved on. She didn't know why it had gone to such lengths to grant her her freedom, but she'd be forever grateful.

So grateful was she, in fact, that she stopped twenty-five feet in the air, despite the ache in her under-exercised wings and the instincts screaming at her to put as much distance between herself and here as griffinly possible, to see where he'd gone. She spotted him running past the food cart, then stopping as if he'd hit a wall- and then she saw the naga, freed from its cage and as furious as she'd ever seen it, rising up to strike the downed cook, mouth wide open enough to swallow her whole and fangs ready to pump her full of paralyzing poison, its entire body promising a slow and agonizing death.

The yeti raised something in its forepaws and pointed it at the naga, and something exploded three times- can something explode three times?! she wondered- as concurrent bright flashes of light lit up the area like daytime, and holes opened up in the naga's belly. It snarled, twisting back and forth as some invisible force shoved it around... and then it slumped over and collapsed in a heap.

That settled the matter. That creature does not need my help, she decided, wheeling around and pumping her wings as quickly as she could, heading north with all the speed her aching body could manage. But I have a debt to it... and I swear to the Ancestors, one day I'll repay that debt.

(-)

Silver Wisk could hear her heart thudding in her ears. Strong Hooves was down with what appeared to be critical injuries, his brother Stout wasn't looking all that good either, Farris Wheel had up and vanished, and she hadn't seen Big Top since the initial skirmish. But it seemed as though the manticore had accomplished whatever it'd come for and left, so she was risking a quick gallop towards her cart for the medical supplies she kept there just in case.

She was so intent on figuring out how to work out triage that she blindly slammed into something large just behind her cart. She tumbled backwards a couple of feet, ending up on her side, left disoriented from the impact; she looked up to see what she'd run into... and froze.

The naga had been in the show longer than she had, and it was unique among the exhibits in that it had never calmed down in captivity, not even the slightest bit; where other creatures would become acclimated, either due to time or Top's “attention”, the naga withstood all manner of torment while maintaining a single-minded hatred for those who had taken its freedom. And now here it was, in front of her, every last scale seeming to glow with malevolence in the lantern light.

Her mind did her the “favor” of bringing up every last story Top had told the crowds about the creature. About how its poison brought about an excruciatingly painful form of paralysis, allowing the naga to swallow its prey whole, to be digested over the span of days- while the unlucky victim lived long enough to “enjoy” a significant part of the process. And as that great mouth opened wide, and a pair of glistening fangs extended, one realization made itself clear to the mare.

Oh sweet Celestia, I'm about to die.

Then the entire world seemed to explode three times over, and when her vision and hearing cleared, the naga was folding in on itself like a wet cardboard box, with a trio of red holes decorating its front. A glance to her side showed the yeti- now carrying everything they'd found him with initially- holding that strange, metal object in its forepaws, with smoke coming from the small tube in the front. A weapon, she realized. Some kind of insane, magical weapon. Thank the Princesses we didn't go messing around with it!

But... but that means he killed the naga! He killed it! But... but it was about to kill me! He saved my life! But....

Either ignorant of, or uninterested in, her inner turmoil, the yeti turned to leave... when an all-too-familiar whipcrack sounded, and the end of Top's lash wrapped around the creature's hindleg, tripping him up and making him lose his weapon. Wisk turned to see the unicorn pulling the yeti towards him with a wicked expression on his face; the blood that had stained his coat made him look like something out of Tartarus.

She wanted to shout at Big Top to stop, to just let the creature go, but she couldn't get her throat to make the sounds- she was nearly as terrified of the unicorn now as she had been of the naga only a few moments ago. He's gone mad, she realized, watching the utter glee on his face as he tugged the creature towards him; probably the only thing keeping Top from using his magic on the yeti was the strange problem he had getting any magic to work on the creature.

Then a small rock smacked against the unicorn's head, sending him tumbling back, and she turned to see the yeti pulling himself free of the whip and standing. A scraping noise and the bright light of a magical field pulled her attention back to Top, who was pulling his crossbow towards him.

thwip-CRACK

Then Top's left eye exploded, and he fell to the ground screaming, the crossbow flipping past him. The yeti dropped the whip and retrieved his weapon... and then aimed it at her employer. Once more Wisk felt terror seize her entire body as she waited for that strange device to explode again-

-and then Cobalt was there suddenly, lashing out with a punch that would've taken the yeti's head off if it had landed fully. The blow sent the creature stumbling back, but he managed to recover; once more that weapon came up, and the minotaur- either ignorant of what it could do, or too enraged to care- stormed forwards towards it.

The weapon spoke three more times, once directly at Cobalt's head, rocking him back- but somehow his skull had managed to deflect the insane power of that strange object, and the two hits he'd taken to the chest didn't seem to slow him down one bit. The yeti seemed exceptionally disturbed by that, and he began backing up, his weapon exploding five more times before the minotaur finally seemed to register its effects; Cobalt's fury dissolved into confusion, then went blank as he toppled over like a felled tree.

The minotaur's impact with the ground shook Wisk out of her frozen state, and before she knew it she was on her hooves, galloping towards the first safe place she could think of- Top's wagon. She reached for the door's handle, even as her brain screamed at her that it would be locked and her key was in her own cart- but, miracle of miracles, it opened easily before her, and she practically dove inside, slamming the door shut behind her.

And there another shock awaited her- Wheel, bound and gagged on the bed, looking up at her fearfully.

“Sweet Luna, your night has gone insane,” she murmured, rushing over to free the stallion. He coughed weakly as she removed the tied pillowcase from his mouth.

“The yeti....” he murmured.

“I know.” She pulled him off of the bed and helped steady him on his hooves, resolutely ignoring the wet streaks along his hind legs that matched the puddle on the floor. “The twins and Top are hurt. We need to help them.”

She led him back out of the wagon and towards the food cart, her head on a swivel as she watched for any sign of further hostilities- and finding none; the yeti was gone, leaving the two corpses he'd created on the ground, and Top had apparently managed to get away as well. She opened the door of the food cart and grabbed her emergency bag of medical supplies, then brought Wheel back to where Strong Hooves had been; Stout was there with him, doing what he could to comfort his wounded brother, but Top was nowhere to be found.

She was just opening her bag to retrieve some bandages when the flapping of wings caught her attention.

(-)

Aircolt Swift Wind had never seen anything like this before in all his life, let alone the four years he'd been in the Royal Guard. When he and his wingmare had first heard the strange explosions near the edge of the Everfree, he'd expected to find some group of young ponies playing with fireworks away from the prying eyes of adults, but what he'd found instead was utterly horrifying- a halfway-destroyed traveling show of some kind, two injured stallions, a third practically catatonic, a traumatized mare... and the bodies of a minotaur and some kind of giant snake creature, both still bleeding from multiple wounds the likes of which he'd never seen before.

He'd sent True North back to Canterlot to notify the royalty the moment he'd spotted more of those strange tracks his air wing had been briefed on close to a month ago. A quick inspection of the area turned up small brass cylinders similar to what he'd heard being discussed by some others further up the chain of command, but he left them where they were for a forensics team to come check on. His attention was turned to questioning the ponies even as he helped the mare treat the two wounded stallions.

Even then, though, he knew that something was very, very wrong.

(-)

“I'm glad you could come so quickly, Princess.”

Twilight nodded to the guardspony as she stepped out of her chariot, while the two pegasi who'd flown her here unhitched themselves to patrol the area. “I'm glad you sent notification so quickly, Aircolt,” she replied. “What happened here?”

“True North and I were on our assigned patrol over this area when we heard strange popping noises and came to investigate. When we arrived, we found the scene just as it is now, except for the four ponies. They're being held for treatment and questioning just outside the encampment.”

“I see. And nopony has touched anything since?”

“No, Your Highness. The forensics team hasn't arrived yet- you're seeing everything as it was when my wingmare and I arrived.”

“Good. Maintain watch, if you would, Aircolt Wind- don't allow anyone aside from members of the Guard or agents of the Crown into the site without express authorization from me or your chain of command.”

“At once, Your Highness.” The pegasus took off to follow her orders, and Twilight turned her attention to the scene around her. It was an absolute nightmare, even in the rays of the early-morning sun- the knocked-over cages, the dried blood spattered across the ground... and the two corpses laying on the dirt. Unwilling to move the prone minotaur just yet, she instead approached the enormous reptile that lay curled upon itself some distance away.

Three small holes decorated its upper body, from which a surprisingly small amount of blood had spilled. A quick glance showed that there were no corresponding holes on the other side of its body; the wounds didn't look like what she would expect arrows to leave, and naga scales were exceptionally resistant to magic- any spell able to overcome that would have caused much more damage. Unable to solve that mystery, she left it for ponies with better training to handle and moved on.

It didn't take her long at all to find the little cylinders Aircolt North had talked about, scattered among more of those strange tracks. There were eleven of the metallic objects in all, each having burn marks around the open end, scattered haphazardly around as if flung at random. Twilight carefully stored them in her saddlebags, then cataloged them and the places she'd found them on her clipboard. That done, she made her way back to the minotaur, and used her magic to gingerly push the large creature onto his back.

What she found shocked her out of the air once again. No less than seven of the small holes decorated his front, and he bore another wound on his head, one that had scraped away skin and muscle and carved a furrow into the bone, but hadn't been able to get through the thick, protective skull. What could do this?! she wondered, fighting back nausea as she took a closer look; a minotaur's skull was practically an armor shell for its brain, so to be able to make any mark on it at all was a considerable feat. And then there were the other seven wounds....

She froze in place. Eight wounds on the minotaur, three on the naga... eleven cylinders. There has to be a connection. She raised her head. “Air Sergeant York?” she called out. “I need you.”

A few moments later, Peppermint York flew up to the scene, hovering next to her Princess. “Reporting in, Your Highness,” she said in her Manehatten accent. “What do you need?”

“The forensics team coming in... do they have anypony trained to perform autopsies?”

“Autopsies?” The other mare was visibly taken aback, before glancing down at the bodies on the ground. “Oh... um, yes, Princess Twilight, that's standard operating procedure. Each examination team will have at least one pony capable of examining a body to determine cause of death... just in case.”

“Good. Once the scene is checked and cataloged, I'll be teleporting the team and both of these... um, unfortunates... back to Canterlot. We need to understand more about what happened to them, as soon as possible. We'll also need to locate the minotaur's next-of-kin if possible for permission to examine him.”

York was still nodding when a younger guard came galloping up. “Air Sergeant!” he called out. “You should come-” He froze when he saw Twilight gazing critically at him. “...urk,” he choked out, staggering to a halt. “F- forgive me, Your Highness!”

“It's okay,” she told him, giving him a slight smile. “But what's the matter?”

“Maybe you should come too, Princess.” He waved a hoof back the way he came. “The mare, Silver Wisk- you need to hear what she has to say.”

Twilight was loathe to leave the site while there was still so much to find out, but this young stallion seemed convinced that the sideshow worker had something important to tell, so she accompanied him and the Air Sergeant to the small portable gazebo tent that had been set up to shelter the ponies who'd been found here. There she found the earth pony female that had been identified as Silver Wisk standing apart from the others; Wisk saw Twilight approach and practically threw herself into a deep bow. “Princess Twilight!” she gasped.

“Easy, easy.” Twilight motioned for the other mare to stand; she did, slowly. “I'm told that you can tell us what happened here.”

“Y- yes, Princess.” Wisk gazed down at the ground. “I can.”

It took fifteen minutes for Twilight to question Wisk, taking copious notes the entire time; once they were done, the alicorn excused herself, trotting back towards the encampment with York close behind. “Air Sergeant,” Twilight said in a quiet voice, “I want a pony with good artistic skills to interview Ms. Wisk and develop a composite sketch of this 'yeti'.” She couldn't keep a little condescension out of her voice with that term; it was clear to her that, whatever had been here, it was no yeti. “Spread posters to every city, town, village and settlement within a hundred and fifty miles of here asking anypony to report any sighting of it to the Royal Guard immediately. And I want regular sweeps of the area by pegasus teams, and two-pony teams of earth pony and unicorn staging searches of any place the creature might be able to use as long-term shelter.”

York came to a halt, blinking in surprise. “Your Highness... isn't that a lot of effort to find one escaped sideshow exhibit?”

“We're not dealing with a mere animal, Air Sergeant,” Twilight replied, her tone brooking no discussion. “The creature we're looking for is sapient, intelligent, and capable of using advanced tools we don't have the slightest understanding of. It has also killed two other creatures, one of them also sapient and intelligent, and demonstrated an apparent willingness to harm and even kill a pony.” The alicorn sighed. “Even if the acts might have been in self-defense... until we understand more about it, we must treat this creature as a potential threat- and do all that we can to capture it before anypony, or anyone, else comes to harm.”

Having goals in a stressful situation can be extraordinarily helpful. They can keep you focused when extraneous events could distract you; they can keep you motivated when you might otherwise give up.

And, in my case, they helped to keep me from thinking too deeply about the exact situation I was in.

Oh, way back in the depths of my mind, I knew how bad things were. I was lost in an alien world, one where magic was a real and tangible force, and where blending in with the local population was impossible. I had no idea how I'd gotten here, no apparent way to ask for help or plead my case- and my first and only contact with the locals had resulted in me being captured and forced into what had been essentially slavery, and eventually needing to kill in order to secure my freedom.

That was possibly the worst part about the entire situation. It wasn't as though I could just go to the nearest police office to turn myself in and ask for a lawyer, or find some embassy to appeal for asylum; if the minotaur was a citizen of wherever I was, or otherwise considered a “person” rather than an animal of some sort, it was entirely possible that I'd be considered a murderer, maybe even a fugitive from the law- which would explain the sudden appearance of a large number of armored pegasi cruising the skies during the two days since I'd escaped. I couldn't be absolutely sure that they were patrols searching for me, but I avoided them just to be safe.

So I definitely had a full plate of issues to keep me occupied. Competing for first place with evading potentially hostile ponies was the job of keeping myself fed, and for that I needed to find civilization of some sort; I bore no illusions about my skills regarding forestry and foraging- I didn't have any. My previous record for “roughing it” was three days spent at a cabin in a national park with such "primitive conditions" as a laundry room and wi-fi. Living off the land was, well, off the table... I couldn't hope to go on for very long with the occasional berry bush or low-hanging fruits I was finding from time to time, so my best bet was to find some small town and steal what food I could.

Further down the list was keeping myself clean. It sucked that I only had two complete changes of clothing, but with the weather being gentle and the sun somehow managing to not scorch my ridiculously fair skin, I was able to go shirtless for a fair amount of time. My underclothes were going to be a little more problematic, though, but there was a decent-sized stream that I'd been following for the last day that had provided both drinking water and a place to wash, so if needed I could do laundry the old-fashioned way with stones and manual labor.

At the moment I was waiting for the sun to set. The forest was thinning out ahead of me, and if I wanted to continue following the stream, I'd have to strike out into the open- not something I wanted to do in broad daylight, while there were likely eyes in the skies looking for me. Of course, for all I knew, the ponies had magic that could give them nightvision, or let them track me by body heat, or suck my soul out through my toenails and store it in a caramel frappe... I couldn't plan for something that unknown without basically paralyzing myself through indecision, so I'd have to stick to common everyday tactics and adapt as needed, if I could at all.

Something occurred to me, and I frowned. Though my phone was dead, my music player still had nearly a full battery, and I'd been using its clock as an impromptu timepiece as I traveled; I'd had to reset it due to it being five and a half hours or so off, and I'd arbitrarily designated 8PM as sunset seeing as how it seemed to be late summer here. The problem was... the player was reading 8:07, and the sun seemed to not have moved for the last fifteen minutes.

Then, literally right before my eyes, the sun sped towards the horizon as if it had realized that it was behind schedule, and night didn't “fall” so much as it crashed.

I wasn't sure how long I'd stood there leaning against that tree, staring at the sky where I'd just seen the utterly impossible happen. Magic was one thing, but a damn star suddenly diving for cover like there was a gunfight going on? I had to dump what I'd seen in my mental “go crazy later” file just so I could get myself moving before morning stole up on me.

So through the night I ran, the light reflected from the almost ridiculously-large moon giving me enough light to not require the use of my flashlight. Judging solely by the glimpses of pony towns that I'd seen already, they seemed to have a medieval-level, mostly agrarian culture with decent-sized villages and farms clustered around major roads- and, if my high-school education wasn't failing me, I'd be most likely to encounter one along a source of fresh, flowing water, useful for irrigation or powering a mill of some sort. It was really the only plan I could come up with aside from wandering across the countryside aimlessly, and at least kept me near a source of clean water.

I'd been jogging for about two hours, with no company but the sounds of my feet and various insect nightlife, when I came upon one of the most welcome sights I'd run across since I'd ended up here- a road. A simple, well-traveled dirt road that curled in from the distance and came to run parallel to the stream... and that, after another hour of full-on running, brought me to the outskirts of a town.

It wasn't all that much of a town, at least at first glance in the darkness. But I wasn't here to sightsee, and after a quick run along the town's main road- lit only by a couple of lanterns, powered not by oil but captured fireflies- I found what seemed to be a small bakery. A pair of trash cans in the back held a small amount of day-old baked goods, still entirely edible; hell, the trash cans themselves seemed scrubbed clean enough to eat off of, if I were so inclined. I eagerly grabbed a few selections and piled them on one of my arms, then carefully put the lid back on the can, turned to make my exit- and whacked my knee against the can, making a deep metallic thunk.

I swore silently to myself as I immediately took to the nearest shadow I could find. Odds were good that these mostly-diurnal ponies would all be deep asleep by now, with midnight being less than half an hour away, but I didn't want to risk catching the eye of some insomniac or late-working professional who just happened to glance out of a window, so I waited for a good couple of minutes before I dared to move again.

As I waited, I heard a strange sound, like small wings beating against the air. Something soared past a few dozen feet above my head, resembling a pegasus- but the wings were far different, solid skin instead of feathers, looking for all the world like a pony-bat hybrid. I caught a glimpse of a dark coat and midnight-blue armor before the shape was already out of sight, vanished behind the rooftops.

I found myself catching my breath out of pure shock and a jolt of fear. If I'd moved five seconds earlier, I'd have been in easy view of whatever that was that had flashed by overhead. I'm going to have to be a lot more careful about moving around, I told myself, taking a much less direct route out of the town, heading a bit further downstream to find a place where I could take shelter.

I lucked out in finding a place to hole up about a half-mile down the stream- a small cul-de-sac, probably carved out by the river long in the past, that looked clean and dry enough for me to rest inside for at least a short while. Satisfied that it was nearly invisible from the road and completely hidden from the town, I climbed inside, taking everything out of my bag so that I could use it for food storage for everything but what I'd chosen to be my late dinner. Eating an apricot pie while lying on my side wasn't the easiest thing, but after a month spent on a diet primarily consisting of gruel, I would've sung an aria while juggling rabid weasels to get a single slice.

Once I'd eaten my fill and had plenty to drink from the plastic bottle still in my bag, I laid back, getting as comfortable as I could on the hard-packed dirt of the cul-de-sac, and laid my head down on my rolled-up shirt to settle down for sleep.

There, feeling the safest I had for the last month, I dropped into a deep slumber.

(-)

“Silver Wisk, do you understand the charges laid against you, as they have been explained to you?”

The mare hardly looked up. “Yes, Your Honor.”

“Good.” Judge Feather Scales shuffled the papers before him. “This would ordinarily be an open-and-shut case, Miss Wisk. You and your cohorts are clearly guilty of these charges; the evidence shows that you, as well as this 'Big Top' who remains at large, ran for several years a unlicensed traveling sideshow involving a collection of creatures which are illegal to possess within the borders of Equestria. Add to this the charges of animal cruelty, tax evasion, conspiracy to unjustly imprison and commit torture upon legally-recognized sapients... you would typically be looking at stiff fines and no small amount of time spent imprisoned.

“However, it seems that there is a special situation at play here. Princess Twilight has requested that the charges against you, Farris Wheel, and Stout and Strong Hooves be set aside, in exchange for your cooperation with an ongoing investigation to which I am not privy.” The judge harrumphed quietly and ruffled his wings. “However, it has been made clear to me that this investigation is important to the safety and security of the ponies of Equestria, so I will accede to the Princess's request. You are hereby released into the legal custody of Her Royal Highness, Princess Twilight Sparkle- and I strongly suggest that you cooperate fully with her in every way.” He raised his gavel and banged it against the sounding block on his desk. “You four are dismissed.”

Wisk turned slowly to see the other three former sideshow workers seated at the defendant's table, all of them watching her. She tried her best to look upbeat for them, but she just couldn't find the energy. “So... what happens now?” Wheel asked quietly.

“What happens now is that the four of you come with me,” replied an all-too-familiar voice. Wisk hadn't even seen Twilight approach, and in her haste to kneel she almost whacked her muzzle on the table. Twilight let out a soft sigh. “Let's just leave off the kneeling, bowing and scraping for the time being, can we?” she asked. “We have a lot to discuss. Follow me.”

The alicorn escorted them out of the courtroom and through a number of hallways, finally bringing them to a secluded meeting room that looked as though it hadn't been used in a while; Twilight's horn glowed, and the doors closed behind them. “Everypony have a seat,” she said.

The four earth ponies complied, the twins sitting next to each other and Wisk sitting on the other side of Wheel; the poor stallion looked confused and lost, and Wisk had to admit to herself that she felt kind of protective of him in this situation. Twilight took a seat opposite them. "Firstly, I need to express my utter disappointment in all of you," she said, her voice and expression neutral. "I understand that this 'Big Top' may have been in charge, but to aid and abet his actions as you did, for so long...." She went silent for a moment. "I can't even understand how you... how you could just let it happen. I'm told that every creature in your 'show' bears signs of years of mistreatment, and I'm almost afraid of what we'll find when we examine that poor minotaur. And let's not forget the griffin!" Now the alicorn's mask of neutrality began to crack. "I long ago grew out of any beliefs that all ponies are paragons of love and tolerance, but this... this is monstrous. I-" She paused a moment, then shook her head and regained her former neutral expression. "That's all I have to say on that. The reason you four are here, and not being taken to the Canterlot dungeons, is because I want your help in understanding the other creature you kept." She gave each of them a hard stare. "You're going to help me in any way I ask, do whatever I say, or by Celestia's name I'll have those charges reinstated so fast your heads will spin. Do I make myself clear?"

All four of them nodded in absolute earnestness.

“Now,” she said, “we need to discuss this creature in-depth. The four of you have the most experience with it, and-”

“Him,” Wisk corrected, on an impulse. “The yeti's a male.”

“Miss Wisk, your 'yeti' is anything but a yeti.”

She blinked, and sensed Wheel stiffen beside her. “...I'm sorry, what?” she asked quietly.

“There is no known subspecies of yeti that looks anything like what you described to us, nor any that has the fine manipulation skills that you mentioned. And absolutely none of them have the ability to speak at all.”

“Then... then what is he?”

“That is exactly what I'm trying to determine, Miss Wisk. That, and a great many other things.” The Princess set her forehooves on the table. “We have reason to believe that this creature is not native to Equestria, but may have somehow come here from the unexplored reaches of the world. I need to understand its- or his, rather- mentality, how he thinks and reacts, and find a way to bring him into our custody without causing any more violence or death.”

“I... I don't think he could....”

“We have a dead minotaur on our hooves, Miss Wisk. He absolutely could.”

“It was in self-defense! I told you that, Princess!" Some part of what remained of her rational mind screamed at her for actually shouting at royalty, but she paid it no heed. "I'd be dead now if not for him! He saved my life!”

“I want to believe that was his intention, Miss Wisk. This would be much easier for me if I could just assume that he's just frightened and looking for safety. But you also told me he was apparently ready to kill a pony who was completely defenseless and no direct threat to him.”

Wisk had opened her mouth to reply when Wheel beat her to speaking. “Princess, uh... with all respect, you don't know how Big Top is.”

Twilight's gaze shifted to the sea-colored stallion. “Then please, Mr. Wheel, explain to me.”

“Top... he could get to you. It's like his talent was getting into the heads of others, make you feel things and do things that he wanted you to, whether or not you actually wanted it. It's what he did with Cobalt and Sveti, and I bet he got into the yeti- errr, that creature's head too, even if he couldn't understand Equestrian.”

“...so are you telling me that this creature could potentially harbor an involuntary psychological antipathy towards ponies?”

Wheel's expression went blank. “...I'm sorry, Princess, but I don't know what those words mean.”

Twilight cleared her throat. “...never mind. What's important is that we locate and secure this creature as soon as possible, to prevent any more possible harm to him or others.”

Wisk opened her mouth to speak- and was once again interrupted, this time by the doors being flung open. All of them turned to see a large minotaur standing in the doorway, both of his meaty hands still pressed against the doors, as a dozen guardsponies gathered behind him, seemingly unsure of what to do. “What is this?” Twilight demanded. “Sir, these quarters are off-limits to civilians without specific dispensation! I'll have to ask you to... wait.” Her voice quieted. “...don't I know you?”

“I'm sorry to interrupt, Your Highness,” the minotaur replied, in a voice that was somehow boisterous even in apology. “But I couldn't get a straight answer from anypony in this place, so I decided to come to you.” He adjusted the loose black necktie that hung over his broad chest. “My name's Iron Will. I came to find out what happened to my brother Cobalt.”

(-)

“Momma? Momma, I can't find the red blanket.”

Dustmop let out a long-suffering sigh at her daughter's forgetfulness. “Where did you leave it last, sweetheart?” she called back.

“I'm sure I had it hanging up on the back porch to dry out after Snowdrift spilled peach juice on it! But it's gone!”

“Did you pin it down with rocks like I said you should?”

There was a momentary pause. “...um, I can't remember.”

“Then I think the wind might've taken it, sweetheart.”

“Awww! But that was my favorite blanket!”

“I'll see if I can find you another one the next time we're down in Ponyville, dear. In the meantime, why don't you use the green one?” She chuckled to herself as she heard her daughter grumble something and stomp off, before resuming her search. “...Hammer?” she called out after a moment.

“Yes, dear?”

“I can't find my paring knife. Did you do something with it?”

(-)

Shaving with a paring knife was not the easiest thing, but somehow, with the help of a hand mirror- or would it be a hoof mirror here?- I'd managed to get the hair off of my face without slitting my own throat or carving my chin off. It wasn't entirely a clean shave, but I'd take uneven stubble over a full beard anyday.

I'd spent the last four nights... “procuring” things that I needed from the nearby town, thanks to what was apparently a pony penchant for not having locks on their doors. I didn't really like the idea of stealing from innocent ponies, but survival ranked higher than civility- and anyway, I was taking things that were relatively unneeded or easily replaced. Having an actual blanket and pillow, even undersized pony-scale ones, was very important to my quality of life.

One of the things I'd managed to snag from what seemed to be a general store was extremely useful- a map. It wasn't exactly the kind of high-quality atlas you'd find on a shelf in a convenience store, and of course I still couldn't read the language, but a compass rose was easy enough to figure out, and I could see that there were a few more towns and settlements in the area- including a somewhat larger-looking one at the southwest edge of the map. It still looked pretty rural, comparatively, so I decided I'd head that way once I felt that it was time to leave this little town.

I wasn't entirely sure when I should leave, though. It wasn't as though I had any other place to be, and none of the town's population had gotten wise to my presence yet; I was maybe getting a little tired of baked goods, but I could endure continuing to eat some of the best pies, muffins and other assorted goodies I'd ever tasted for however long I needed to. Still, it really was only a matter of time before I was spotted, or one of the ponies suspected that there was a thief around, or....

My musing was cut off by a sudden cry outside my cave, followed by a splash of water. I looked out into the late-afternoon countryside, leaning against the edge of my little cul-de-sac, but couldn't see anything- but a lot more shouting caught my attention, and carefully I stuck my head outside to see.

The shouting was coming from what seemed to be a bunch of foals clustered up by the edge of the stream; the splash had come from one of their number falling into the water, and the current- which was actually kind of strong at this section of the waterway- was carrying the foal away. In about a minute, the floundering pony would pass by my little hideaway, and get swept around where the stream curved- into currents stronger than even I could manage safely. The foals on the shore were growing increasingly panicky, and there didn't seem to be an adult in sight.

In the same instant, I knew what I had to do, and cursed myself for even thinking it.

“I am such a goddamn idiot,” I murmured to myself even as I packed up everything I could into my bag. I'd have to leave the blanket and pillow, sadly, and any food would be smashed if I tried to squeeze it inside. With a quiet sigh, I placed the bag on the blanket, then stepped out of my shelter.

The foal- a unicorn filly, I could see now, with a deep grey coat and a straw-colored mane- was still struggling to stay afloat, though I could see that her strength was beginning to flag. I had just enough time to wade into the stream and get an arm around the foal before the current could sweep her past me, then carefully dragged her out of the water and carried her back to shore. There I stood, sopping wet from the chest down, holding a heavily-panting and obviously frightened unicorn filly in my arms as all of her friends stared at me for a moment...

...and then broke for the town, yelling in panic the whole way.

I let out another sigh. It wasn't like I could have expected anything different, after all. I gave a hopeful glance down at the filly in my arms; she was staring up at me in absolute horror, shivering more out of fear than cold. On apparently realizing I was looking back at her, her eyes rolled back and closed, and she went limp in my arms.

“Well, I guess that saves me a little trouble,” I murmured. I knew I wasn't done quite yet- there were witnesses to my little show of bravery, and simply dumping the kid off and heading for the hills right away could end up making it look like I'd scampered off in the middle of trying to eat her... I was already in enough trouble, it seemed, and didn't need to add a reputation for attacking and trying to eat pony children to the whole thing.

So instead I walked my dripping-wet body back to the town. There were already a group of adults there listening with various degrees of skepticism to the group of foals who were no doubt relating the tale of the horrible monster who'd dove in to make a meal of their poor playmate. So involved was everyone in the proceedings that I had to actually clear my throat to make my presence known.

The reactions I got were mostly expected. The foals immediately scattered, most of them heading towards what seemed to be their parents, who began backing away from me fearfully. Several of the other adults began advancing on me threateningly, snorting and stamping their hooves, growling what seemed to be threats or orders- but two of the adults in particular were exceptionally upset, alternating between shouting and pleading at me with their eyes fixed on the foal in my grasp.

I was starting to get a headache and had to put a stop to this before things went crazy. “Shut up!” I belted out; the effect my voice had was immediate, silencing the entire crowd and backing the lot of them up a couple of steps, aside from the two adults who I was now convinced were the parents of this foal. After a moment, I approached them, watching as they trembled fearfully but refused to give ground- I had to give them credit; they were showing a lot of bravery for their daughter's sake.

Four feet away from them, I knelt down and gently put the unconscious filly on the ground, then lightly patted her on the head while I gave my best smile to the two adults in front of me. Then I slowly rose, hands up, and took a few steps backwards away from them- before turning and sprinting away.

It was a few seconds before I heard the first of the shouts behind me. I hadn't expected that I'd somehow win the whole town over, but there was a good amount of confusion evident in the voices; my show of goodwill hadn't gone ignored, it seemed, and while it sounded like there were quite a few ponies looking to go after me, some others were maybe not so sure about it.

All part of the plan, I thought, as I stopped by my small shelter just long enough to grab my bag, then set out again further down the river. The map showed a bridge a mile or two downstream that I could use to cross over and begin heading southwest. If I do end up getting caught, a few tales of the horrible monster actually saving a pony might work in my favor.

Plus, seriously- sitting by and watching some innocent kid drown? Hell, they'd be right to call me a monster if I did that.

(-)

“Ring the bell! Get the guards! The monster is escaping!”

Dustmop hardly heard the shouting. Her mind was busy processing what she'd just witnessed- a bunch of the village foals had come rushing up claiming that the Everfree Yeti had snatched Dewdrop from the river after she'd fallen in... and then the creature had actually appeared, its strange clothing sopping wet and her daughter in its grasp. What she'd been terrified would be the end of her sweet filly at the teeth of the horrifying creature had instead been a show of gentleness, as it had placed her at their hooves and then run off like all the demons of Tartarus were nipping at its tailless rump.

There was a clatter of armor as a quartet of Royal Guards came galloping into the town square, hardly gaining her attention until one of them pressed a hoof against her shoulder insistently. “Dustmop?” came a stallion's voice. “Is Dewdrop injured?”

“I...” Belatedly, she thought to check her daughter for any wounds; she let out a sigh of relief when she found none. “No, I think... I think she's just unconscious.”

As if on cue, Dewdrop began to stir. “M... Momma?” the filly murmured. “What... what happened?”

“Shhh. It's okay, sweetie. You're safe now.” Dustmop scooped her daughter into her forelegs, holding her tightly, looking up at the stallion who'd spoken- it was Spring Mist, a member of Hammer's old squad. “I'm so glad you're here, Springy,” she murmured.

“We came as soon as we heard the bell. We've got some other earth ponies on the creature's trail and plenty of pegasi in the skies- it's not likely to get far.” The Guard looked down at the still-dazed filly. “Let me call Crescent over to look at her just to be on the safe side, hm?”

“I... I guess so,” Dustmop murmured. Spring vanished, and a few moments later she heard heavy hoofsteps coming towards her- and then the broad, bearded, smiling muzzle of Red Crescent appeared. “Hello again, Lady Dustmop. It's been some time.”

She couldn't help but smile; the Saddle Arabian's gentle nature always helped soothe her during stressful times. The stallion looked down at Dewdrop. “And little Lady Dewdrop, ever the oasis of loveliness. You seem a bit out-of-sorts, little raindrop.” He raised a hoof to gently lift her head. “Let me have a closer look at you, hm?” As he gave the filly a careful examination, he glanced up. “Perhaps you should fill me in on what happened, Lady Dustmop,” he said quietly.

She did so, giving him a quick recap of what had happened. The stallion's expression became thoughtful. “Hmmm,” he murmured. “An interesting development in the tale of this 'Everfree Yeti', as I've heard the creature called.”

Both of them looked up at her husband's approach. “There's a bunch of townsponies going after it," Hammer said. "Spring had to send half our detachment to round them up so that they didn't end up cornering it and provoking it into doing something harmful. I tried telling them that it wasn't hostile, but I don't think they were paying attention.” He let out a deep sigh as he stopped by his wife and foal, his ears lowered. “I would've liked to think they'd listen to me a bit better.”

“Frightened ponies are quite reactive sometimes, my Captain,” replied Crescent, even as he carefully checked Dewdrop's ears and the back of her neck. “Logic and reason are often the first casualties, especially when foals may be at risk.”

Hammer chuckled quietly at that. “Don't I know it. And you don't have to call me Captain anymore, Crescent... I've been retired for five years. It's just 'Hammer' now.”

“You will always be my Captain for as long as I wear this armor.” The medic smiled. “Now, my little raindrop,” he told Dewdrop, “follow my hoof with your eyes only.”

Spring Mist had returned by the time Crescent had finished his examination and declared Dewdrop unhurt; and Dustmop was just gathering up her filly onto her back when a couple more Guards approached, one levitating a familiar object. “My blanket!” Dewdrop exclaimed, watching as it was brought close- and then crinkling her nose a little. “...hey, it smells funny.”

“The creature was apparently bedding down on it for a while, in a small cave by the river,” the Guard holding it said. “Its scent is strong on the fabric. We'll want to have any nearby Guardsponies have a good whiff in case we can catch its scent trail.”

“It was living right near us? And we never knew.” Hammer shook his head. “Though... what if it hadn't been? What if it hadn't grabbed Dewdrop? Sergeant, that creature saved my daughter's life.”

“Be that as it may, we're still under orders to capture it,” Spring said. “We don't want to hurt it, but we can't let it run around free. There's just too much that can go wrong.”

Dustmop nodded absently. The creature's motivations, and its eventual fate, were beyond her concern at the moment- all she wanted to do was get her precious foal inside and hug her until she popped.

(-)

"Stockgroom Syndrome."

Iron Will looked up from the table at Twilight's words. "I don't understand, Princess," he said quietly.

"It's a psychological term for prisoners who bond with their captors. It was coined after the robbery of a gem repository at the border town of Stockgroom, where three Diamond Dogs held ponies as hostages for six days. It...." She paused, then shook her head. "The details aren't important. What it means, though, Mr. Will, is that your brother formed some sort of... attachment, I suppose, to Big Top, which would explain why he attacked the creature during his confrontation with Mr. Top. From what I've been told...." She spared Wheel's group a sidelong glance. "Your brother was... subject to physical and psychological duress for an extended amount of time."

The minotaur seemed to digest that for a few moments. "How did he die?" he asked, in a voice far too small for such a large creature.

"We don't know the specifics. By law we needed to wait for permission from family to examine... the body." The alicorn tried for a comforting smile. "But he didn't suffer."

Iron nodded slightly, then stood. "You, uh... you have my permission for the examination, I guess," he murmured, stepping away from the table. He turned to look at the four earth ponies in front of him, his expression so lost and saddened that Wheel had to avert his gaze before he burst into tears. "Cobalt wouldn't have hurt a fly," the minotaur said after a moment. "If he tried to kill that 'Everfree Yeti' everypony's talking about... then I don't think that what the yeti killed was my brother, anymore."

He made his way out of the room, his head hung low, as the guards outside dutifully escorted him away. Wheel felt like he was going to throw up. "What did we do, Wisk...?" he whispered, leaning against the older mare's shoulder, feeling tears drip down his muzzle despite his best efforts. "I... I never wanted to be a bad pony...."

"Shh, sweetie." She patted his withers lightly.

Across the table, the Princess stared at him, a tiny bit of sympathy visible on her face. "You can't erase what's done, Mr. Wheel," she said quietly. "But if you want to redeem yourself, then help me. All of you, help me understand this creature so we can find him, before something else happens."

For the first time that day, Stout Hooves spoke up. "Princess... you're right, we know. We can't excuse what we did. But what can we even do to help?"

A thick book appeared next to Twilight's head, hovering for a moment before settling down on the table; written on the cover in broad strokes was "Unknown Bipedal Entity, F.E. Everfree Forest, 18Aug1004". She magically flipped through a number of pages covered in small writing and detailed sketches of something Wheel didn't recognize before settling on a blank page. "I'm going to ask you a series of detailed questions about the creature," she said, "and I want you all to answer them to the absolute best of your abilities. And I want full answers this time, Ms. Wisk- you have nothing to gain by leaving out details."

The earth pony mare lowered her head. "Yes, Princess."

"Now." An inkpot and quill flashed into being on the table; the Princess lifted the latter with her magic. "Let's begin."

(-)

It was well past midnight when Luna set her hooves down in the soft ground by the Four Furlong River near the small village of Broncston. A number of hoofprints of various sizes still crisscrossed the riverbank, almost covering the few strange tracks the report had mentioned; she lowered her head to examine one under the moonlight, then trotted down the river to where the creature had sheltered itself. Its strange scent still lingered in the small cave, teasing her sensitive nose with a tale of something unknown, alien. Certainly have I never encountered anything quite like this, she thought, leaning her head back and taking in one more deep whiff.

But she wasn't here to find physical traces of this creature's presence. Her purview over the dreams of ponies came as part and parcel of her royal position, but the dreams of other species were normally closed to her- but she knew ways around that, ways that had served her and ponykind well back in the days when relations with the other denizens of Equus were... less settled. She closed her eyes and concentrated, lowering the psychic barriers that protected her mind, and opened herself to the world around her.

The creature spent several days here for its scent to still be so strong, she thought. And if it slept, it likely dreamed. And if it dreamed... ah hah, there we are.

Dreams were her purview, and she knew that the sleeping mind of every sapient species left psychic "echoes" where they slept- even dragons, though the older and wiser among them learned to shield their minds in sleep as well as when awake. But this creature apparently knew no such tricks, and the echoes of its mind's subconscious murmurs thrummed faintly in the aether around her. It took her only a few moments to attune herself to them. Now that I have your "scent", creature, I need only find your sleeping mind and make my way inside. What shall I learn within, I wonder?

She concentrated, willing the night to bend itself to her wishes, and in a flash of Void energy she was gone.

There were a lot of weird things about this particular town, I noticed as I stalked through its streets under cover of darkness. The others I'd seen were fairly plain, colorful but otherwise uniform, hewing to a standard of two-story thatched-roof cottages for homes and fully wooden buildings for stores and other types of buildings. And a lot of this town seemed to be the same... but some of it was really different. Like the relatively enormous, three-story tower in the center of the place that seemed to be a town hall, if one designed by an architect with an unhealthy fixation with Renaissance-faire adornment. Or the building that looked literally like a gingerbread house, though a quick check out of curiosity showed that it was just cleverly-painted regular building materials. Or what had to be a clothing store fashioned like a carousel plucked out of a really frilly carnival.

But what took the cake was the library set inside a tree- somehow, these ponies had either found or grown a tree that had the dimensions of a three-story home, then hollowed out the inside, set a bunch of shelves on the first floor, and put all sorts of balconies up on the higher branches. Is that a telescope up there? I wondered.

And damn it all, I wanted to do nothing more than stand there and stare. I wanted to grab the nearest pony by the shoulders and get them to tell me just how the hell they'd done that. But the poster I'd seen half an hour ago pretty much eliminated any hope for that little scenario- the one I spotted on what seemed to be a town notice board, tacked over a few other faded papers, bearing an uncomfortably good approximation of my appearance. Of course, I took it down, shredded it and shoved it into the most remote garbage can I could find- but if there was one, there'd be others.

And of course, I had to go and worry myself sick about just what the poster said. Was there a reward out for me? Did it say “kill this monster on sight”, “call the guards when seen”, or “offer a cookie and some milk”? What I wouldn't have given just to know what exactly my status was with the authorities. I wasn't sure how much longer I could hope to keep up this on-the-run lifestyle, and- if I was being completely honest with myself- turning myself in was starting to look sort of appealing if it meant “three hots and a cot”. I wasn't John Rambo, able to live in the jungle with nothing but a combat knife and two feet of string; just making it this far had required stretching my meager survivalist skills to the limit, and while my body was handling the situation amazingly well, my mental fortitude was beginning to fray under the prospect of even more nights spent lurking around, fearful of being seen.

Of course, that went out the window if being captured meant a lifetime spent in a jail cell somewhere, or worse still, execution. I wasn't taking these little candy-colored equines at face value- they seemed peaceable enough, at least amongst themselves, but I had firsthand experience with at least a few of their number being less gracious towards others. Whoever ran the show in this place could be on either end of the scale.

I let out a quiet sigh to myself as I looked to the east and saw the slightest bit of light tinting the nighttime clouds. Since I apparently couldn't even depend on the sun to keep a regular schedule, I decided to head out of town early, rather than risk a close encounter of the pony kind. I'd just have to forego dinner and hopefully find something to eat next evening.

Or maybe not, I amended, as I hit the edge of town. A bit further out was an orchard of some sort, acre upon acre of orderly- and obviously well-tended- trees. Apple trees, I discovered as I approached. There's got to be tens of thousands of apples here, I told myself as I skirted the edge of the orchard. They won't notice if I snag a few.

I was so absolutely sure of that assumption that I was completely taken by surprise when a light snapped on in the building at the center of the orchard just as I'd tugged down a third low-hanging apple. I slammed my back against the tree, swearing I could feel the eyes of something searching, the apples in my arms suddenly a trio of One Rings beneath the gaze of Sauron.

I let out a breath I hadn't known I was holding when that feeling of being watched faded, and after a moment the light in the window went out. Still, I couldn't get out of the area fast enough with my ill-gotten fruits, finding a nice copse of trees a quarter-mile out- one of which was hollowed-out enough at the bottom for me to use as a makeshift shelter. It wasn't the most comfortable spot, and I was probably going to wake up pretty sore from sleeping with my legs tucked up against my chest, but it was better than being out in the open.

Three apple cores found themselves tossed a good distance away from my little hideaway before I settled myself in, well-hidden from the light of the approaching dawn.

(-)

“Good morning, Applejack!” Rarity looked up from her peach cobbler to see the farmpony walk into Sugarcube Corner. “You're almost never here in the morning!” Pinkie continued, even as she loaded a tray into the oven. “Usually you're out on the farm around now.”

“Mornin', Pinkie! Yeah, Big Mac an' I did a little reworkin' of our schedules t' give ourselves a day off once in a while.” AJ walked up to Rarity's stall, hung her hat on the little hook on the seat post, then slid onto the seat opposite her. “Mornin', Rarity,” she said.

“Good morning to you, Applejack! A rare pleasure to see you out and about this hour, indeed. I trust things are well at Sweet Apple Acres?”

“Sure are, sugarcube, and I reckon I've got you to thank fer part of it.” The orange mare gave her a grateful smile. “You helpin' us refinance the farm's debts really took a lot of weight offa our backs.”

“Well, darling, I'm not unfamiliar with creditors myself. There's no shame in using a few 'tricks of the trade', as it were, to... hmm... 'wrassle up' a better deal for yourself.”

Applejack chuckled at the attempt at a homily. “Well, we're all right grateful to ya. Now, I'd like t' pay ya back somehow-” she waved a hoof at the objection welling up in Rarity's throat- “now, now, I know you'd like t' refuse, but honest, all th' family wants t' do somethin' by way of thanks.” She seemed to think for a moment. “Say, y' got that show a' yers two weeks from now, right?”

“Err... yes,” she said uncertainly, somewhat hesitant to see what Applejack might have planned. “The one in Manehattan.”

“Right, gotcha.” The cowpony considered. “Well, sure as sugar I ain't gonna try an' recommend stuff fer fashion; we both know I ain't got the eye fer it. But, I mean, if'n you'd like to take some of our cookin' with ya, or mebbe a carvin' or two from Apple Bloom? I'm sure she'd love to give ya a few 'a her applewood carvin's fer yer show.”

“Well... hmm.” There was no question about it in Rarity's mind; the young mare's carvings really were beautiful. There are a couple of outfits that could benefit from something so simple yet elegant, especially if I were to inlay a few small gems... ooooh, idea! “Actually, Applejack, that might be a tremendous idea! I'll need to speak with Apple Bloom about some designs she might be able to make happen.”

“Oh, I bet she'd be pleased as punch t' lend a hoof! She oughta be home most 'a th' day, so any time y' wanna mosey on over, feel free.”

“Delightful! I'll have to do just that after breakfast.” Rarity turned the page of her newspaper, bringing her teacup to her lips as she read the fashion section. Applejack went quiet for a moment. “Huh,” she said finally.

“Hm?”

“Sorry, jes' readin' yer paper here. Says somethin' 'bout that weird critter they put up them posters about.”

“Oh yes, the, erm... 'Everfree Yeti', they call it?” Rarity separated the page and folded it over, laying it flat sideways so that they could both read it. “Goodness! It says here that the creature attacked a filly over in Broncton? How horrible!”

“That ain't what I heard.” Applejack frowned. “I jes' talked t' Roseluck an' she says she heard from her aunt Rosepetal that the critter done saved somepony.”

“Applejack, with all due respect to Roseluck's relatives, I'm more inclined to believe the press.”

“Ain't you had enough problems with th' press t' know better, Rares?”

Rarity stared up at her friend for a moment, then sighed. “...alright, you have a point. But still. You read what that poster said- 'potentially dangerous; do not approach'!” She paused for a moment, then felt fear go down her spine as realization struck. “Applejack... Broncton is just half a day's gallop away! What if that creature comes here?!”

“Rarity, what makes ya think that this 'Everfree Yeti' is gonna come here, of all places?”

“Because Ponyville is a nexus of weirdness that seems to attract every last strange occurrence possible?”

Applejack stared at her for a moment. “Okay, y' gotta point. An' now I'm gettin' worried about Big Mac tellin' me he thought he heard somethin' out in the orchards this mornin'.” She looked down at the table. “Wha'... whaddya think we oughta do?”

“I don't honestly know! If only Twilight were in town; we could ask her.”

“Huh. Um....” The cowpony seemed to consider. “Well, we could ask Spike to shoot 'er a letter. If'n she can't stop by, at least she kin write back with some suggestions.”

“That sounds like an excellent idea, Applejack. Let's head to the library now.”

It was a short trot to Books & Branches, and inside they found Spike lounging at the desk, reading a comic book; he looked up at their approach. “Oh, uh... hi, girls!” he said, quickly stowing the comic in a desk drawer. “What can I do for you?”

Applejack chuckled. “Slow day?” she drawled.

“Heh, yeah, without Twilight constantly taking books out of the shelves, cleanup usually just means keeping dust off of things.”

“Well, Spike, speaking of Twilight.” She gave the young dragon her best smile. “We really would like to talk to her about a few things. Could we persuade you to send her a letter?”

“Oh! Um.” She could see him considering. “Err, yeah, but it has to be for something important. Twilight's orders- she's been pretty busy lately dealing with something.”

“Entirely understandable; a Princess's duties are many, I'm sure.” She showed Spike the newspaper article Applejack had spotted. “But, darling, we're a little worried about this 'Everfree Yeti' creature, and what we should do if we spot it here in Ponyville. It seems that there's a lot of conflicting information going around.”

“Yeah, she ain't kiddin,” Applejack said.

“Well... okay. You know I can't say 'no' to you, Rarity.” He smiled at her, and she couldn't help but return it- the little fellow still had that crush on her, even though their relationship was still entirely platonic. “Lemme go ahead and write up something real quick to send to her.”

It only took the little dragon a couple of minutes to write out a request for information and send it away. Rarity was just about to thank him for his time when a bell- different from the door chime- sounded off twice; Spike looked over to a secluded corner of the library, where a small section had been roped off. “Wow, that was quick,” he said.

“What was-” Rarity fell silent as a bright purple flash appeared behind the ropes; when her vision had cleared, she saw Twilight herself trotting out towards them. “Oh, hi girls,” she said with a broad smile. “It's great to see you again.”

“Jeez, Twi,” Applejack chuckled. “That was one fast response to our letter.”

“What let-” Suddenly the alicorn's horn flared, and the very letter Spike had sent appeared before her; she unrolled it and gave it a quick look. “This letter?” she chuckled.

“That would be the one, yes.” Rarity giggled. “So if not for us, then what does bring you to town today, Twilight?”

“Well, it's something similar. I'm kind of in a rush, though, so would you two like to come with me?”

“Certainly.” “Sure thing.” With that, Twilight went over to give Spike a hug and nuzzle, eagerly returned by the young dragon, before leading her two friends out of the library. “So, Twi,” Applejack said. “That bell we heard... what was that all about?”

“Oh, just a little precautionary device I devised for when I need to teleport to Ponyville. Just so ponies don't have to go diving out of the way or anything.” She smiled for a moment before becoming serious. “So you two have been hearing of this creature too?”

“It seems like almost everypony has by now, Twilight.” Rarity let out a quiet sigh. “We're just not quite certain what to believe, or what to do.”

“Well, that's why I'm here.” The trio approached the town hall. “I've heard about the incident in Broncton. I came to talk to the Mayor about what should, and shouldn't, be done in case somepony encounters the creature.” She let out a soft sigh, and Rarity could swear she just barely heard the words “because ponies apparently can't read posters” muttered by her friend.

The talk with the Mayor itself was fairly brief and to-the-point, and sounded practiced enough to where Rarity figured Twilight had either rehearsed it extensively, or that this was far from the first time she'd had to go through this. Rarity made sure to listen carefully to everything she had to say, though, and Applejack was plainly doing the same. It was only a few minutes later when the trio left the hall, and Rarity for one felt quite a bit better with the extra information at her disposal- especially the knowledge that there would be increased guard patrols and pegasus flybys.

“So, Twi,” Applejack said. “I been thinkin' 'bout how you mighta gotten mixed up in all this. Last I knew, you was workin' on that weird carriage we found out in the Everfree, and then this yeti done come along. I'm guessin' they're connected?”

Twilight sighed. “I wish everypony would stop calling him that. He's not a yeti.”

“Oh, um... sorry, Twilight. That's jes what I been hearin' everypony call 'im. But if he ain't a yeti, what is he?”

“I... don't know yet. I only know that he's probably alone, probably frightened, and potentially dangerous- especially if ponies do what they did in Broncton.” She sighed and shook her head, her face betraying just the traces of exhaust and distress- almost invisible even to Rarity's trained eye. “But I need a favor from you two.”

Rarity smiled reassuringly “Of course, darling. Simply name it.”

“I have to head back to Canterlot; I have a lot on my withers right now. If the two of you could tell others what I've said, spread the word, you'd really be helping to make things easier on me.”

Applejack nodded. “Well, shoot, Twi, that sounds like the right thing t' do anyway. Sure we'll do it.”

“Absolutely,” Rarity agreed. “You go ahead, Twilight, and do what needs be done. We'll do our part here.”

A wide smile spread across Twilight's face, and she reached out to hug both of the other mares. “Thanks, girls,” she said. “I can't tell you how much this means to me. I'll try to drop by more often so that we can catch up.”

“You should definitely do so, darling.” Rarity patted her shoulder lightly. “You look as though you could stand to spend more time on yourself.”

“You don't know the half of it.” Twilight shook her head. “But complaining about it won't get anything done. Take care, you two. I'll be in touch!”

With another brief smile, the alicorn vanished in a burst of purple light. Applejack looked over at Rarity. “Well, Rares,” she said, “we were headin' out towards Sweet Apple Acres anyway... what say we go ahead, and tell mah kin what we heard today afore you talk to Apple Bloom about those carvin's?”

“That's an excellent idea, Applejack. And then perhaps we should talk to the rest of the girls, and see if we can let other Ponyvillians know what should be done.”

“Also a good idea! C'mon, let's get movin'.” With that, the two mares cantered off towards the apple trees just visible past the edge of Ponyville.

(-)

“Wisk?”

Silver Wisk lifted her head off of the table, quickly wiping at her eyes with her fetlock before turning. “Oh... hey, Wheelie,” she said quietly.

The concern on the young stallion's face was plain to see. “Are you okay, Wisk?” he asked.

“Yeah... yeah. I'm just thinking, sweetie.”

“At two-thirty in the morning?”

She let out a quiet sigh. “Okay, Wheelie, you got me. I can't sleep.”

“Yeah, me neither.” He sat down next to her, looking out the same window she had been, which framed the descending moon perfectly. “I've been having nightmares ever since... then, you know?” he said quietly.

“So've I.” Wisk laid her head on her forelegs. “I honestly can't tell if it's Luna punishing me with these nightmares... or myself.”

Both of them fell silent for a moment before Wheel spoke again. “Wisk?”

“Hmm?”

“Are we bad ponies?”

“I... I think you've asked me that before, Wheelie.”

“I know, but....” The stallion let out a sigh. “I never thought of what we were doing as 'bad', but... when I think about it... I don't think I ever thought about it.”

“...you've lost me, sweetie.”

“I mean... ugh. I can't talk right when I'm this tired.” He rubbed at his head with his forehooves. “Wisk, when we were working for Big Top, did you ever stop and think about what we were doing to all those animals in those cages?”

“Well, of course I did! I had to feed them, keep them healthy!”

“I don't mean that.” The stallion looked down at the table. “Why were we helping Top, Wisk? We saw what he did to the animals, to Sveti... to Cobalt....” He shook his head. “Why didn't we leave, or call the Royal Guard on him? Why did we help him? Princess Twilight called us 'monstrous', and the more I think about it the more I think she was right.” He gazed up into her eyes with a look so reproachful that she wanted to just hug him right there. “What if it had been us in those cages, Wisk? And why did we never think about that?”

“Wheel, you know how Top was-”

“Are we gonna keep blaming him? He didn't hypnotize us, Wisk... maybe he knew how to keep us in line, but you were getting ready to leave when... all that happened, weren't you? We... we didn't have chains on our necks.”

Wisk stared at him for a moment, then turned away slowly, letting her shoulders slump. “Well, thanks, Wheelie,” she murmured. “You made me feel even worse than I did before you got here.”

His eyes went wide, then watery. “I- I'm sorry, Wisk. I didn't mean to. I just....” He sighed and scuffed a hoof against the table. “I can't even look at myself in the mirror anymore,” he murmured. “I keep wondering, what if I'd never gone off with Top as his assistant? Maybe he would've never gotten his show off the ground. Maybe Cobalt would still be alive, maybe Sveti would've never seen the inside of that cage, and maybe we never would've even seen that yeti, or whatever he is.”

She frowned at him. “You can't put all this on your back, Wheel.”

“I know, but....” He looked at her again, his expression utterly lost. “I just feel so horrible now, Wisk. Sometimes I start thinking... maybe the world would be a better place if I wasn't in it, you know?”

She immediately wrapped her forelegs around his neck, hugging him against her tightly. “Don't you even think that!” she scolded him. “Wheelie... okay. We did wrong. What we did caused a lot of pain to others. It's hard to accept that. But... but what you said, that ain't the way to fix it. All it would do is throw more pain into the whole mix, and leave a big, Farris Wheel-shaped hole in the world. And that wouldn't help anything, Wheelie.” She leaned back to look him straight in the eyes. “I don't want to be a bad pony either,” she told him. “But the only way to not be a bad pony is to be a good one. And there's a lot of work we've got to do before we get there.” She let him go, looking away. “And you know what, Wheelie? I ain't sure I can do it all myself. I'm just... I'm feeling those forty years right now, believe you me. I think I need your help to make it through this.”

“...you do?” His expression seemed somewhere between confused and upset. “Wisk, I....”

They both sat there quietly for a few moments, before Wisk let out a soft sigh. “Sweetie, we had better try to at least get a little sack time,” she told him. “It's probably going to be another busy day tomorrow, and it'll only be harder if we're half-asleep.” She patted his withers. “Sleep well.”

“Y... yeah. G'night, Wisk.”

“Night, sweetie.” She watched him walk out of the room before slowly getting to her hooves. As she approached the door, she paused for a moment, feeling the weirdest sensation of being watched- but a glance over her shoulder showed nopony else nearby. She shook her head. Time for bed, Wisk, she told herself. You're not the little filly who can stay up all night anymore.

With another, more exhausted sigh, she left the apparently empty room.

(-)

Sveti fanned her wings out a couple of times before folding them against her sides. Is it colder than usual up here, she wondered as she walked down the street, or was I just at ground level for so long that I got used to the warmer temperatures?

She only entertained that line of thought for a moment as she walked through the streets of Canterlot. It had taken her seemingly forever to get here; her under-exercised wings couldn't handle any sort of long-distance flight, and she had no money for any sort of paid transport, so she'd had to rely on walking and catching rides with whatever carts or other transports being pulled by sympathetic ponies she happened across. And without her government-issued papers she'd even had to go through the typical rigamarole for non-citizens visiting the city, which had eaten up even more of both her time and her patience.

But now, finally, after most of a week of travel, here she was, back in familiar territory. As stupid as it felt, she almost wanted to hug every last passing pony out of sheer relief at being free again- but she kept her composure, even if she couldn't keep herself from jogging out of a fervent desire to see “home” again.

Her good spirits lasted for as long as it took her to turn the corner onto Dressage Avenue and see the embassy... and its darkened windows, padlocked door and “Closed Until Further Notice” sign mounted on a holder in front of the steps.

“...what the pluck...?” she breathed, immediately sprinting up to the building. The Griffin Empire Embassy was supposed to be open every hour of the day, every day of the week, even if only a skeleton staff was on duty. “Is this a joke?” she murmured, even as she noted the dust on the padlock; it had obviously been there a while.

“Um... miss? Do you need help with something?”

She whirled on the spot to see one of Luna's Night Guard behind her. The bat-winged pony gazed at her with eyes as yellow as her own- a weird sight to her on a pony. “Miss,” the mare said, “if you need help, the Equestrian Civil Services building handles the functions of the Embassy for now.”

“But....” Sveti glanced between the guard and the building. “What... what happened? Why is it closed?”

“The Griffin Empire recalled the remainder of the staff in June until a new ambassador is selected.”

“A new ambassador...?” Sveti felt her blood turn cold. “What happened? Where's my father?!”

“Your father...?” The guard frowned. “Are you claiming that you're Arnfrodr Windwhisper's daughter?”

She glared at the mare. “I am Sveti Windwhisper!”

A peculiar look crossed the guard's face for a moment, maybe just an instantaneous show of pity, before her expression went neutral. “Miss, perhaps you should come with me,” she said, in a tone that left no doubt about it being an order rather than a request.

She'd been in Canterlot long enough to know that the Royal Guard- especially Luna's Night Watch- did not react well to bickering or arguing, so she fell in line behind the mare, doing her best to quell the growing sense of uneasiness inside of her. Still, it felt like forever before Sveti found herself being led to what looked like one of the Guard's barracks, then inside and to a small office. The guard had her wait outside a door with “Night Watch Lead: Lt. Silver Lining” stenciled on the window, and the griffin had to wait while the mare went inside and had a short conversation with whoever was inside.

Finally, the guard returned and motioned for Sveti to go inside, and she did so, hearing the mare's hoofbeats against the floor until the door closed. Inside the room, seated behind a heavy-looking oaken desk, was another of the bat-looking ponies, this one with bright silver eyes partially hidden by spectacles. The mare motioned towards a large, worn-looking couch with a forehoof. “Please, have a seat,” she said.

Sveti complied. “What is this about?” she asked, careful to not sound demanding; she'd picked up enough tips on being diplomatic from her father to know better.

“Sveti Windwhisper was declared missing four months ago. Now we have somepo- err, someone claiming to be her. Do you have identification proving this to be the case?”

“No, I'm afraid I don't. My papers were... lost.” As much as she wanted to tell the Guard everything that had happened to her, her father had always insisted that she run any issue by him first.

“Well. We do have a dossier on Miss Windwhisper....” Lt. Lining left her chair and trotted across the room towards a veritable wall of filing cabinets; none of them were labeled, but the mare seemed to know just which one she needed, opening a drawer and almost immediately pulling out a thick folder, which she brought back to her desk, opened and peered into for a moment. “Alright, miss,” she said. “I'll need you to answer three questions for me.”

Sveti fought to hold back a sigh of irritation; this was just part of the mare's job. “Okay.”

“One. What is your middle name?”

“Abigael.”

“Two. Your birthdate?”

“Equestrian calendar, or Griffinic?”

“Equestrian will do.”

“April 27th, 981.”

“And three. Fish or chips?”

“I'm a griffin. It's always fish.”

Apparently satisfied that the codephrase had been answered correctly, the Lieutenant closed the dossier and laid it on her desk. “Alright, then, Miss Windwhisper, perhaps you could tell me-”

Sveti couldn't hold back her impatience any longer. “Lieutenant, what happened to my father?” she demanded. “Why is the embassy closed?”

To her credit, the officer didn't look the least bit nonplussed at the outburst. “Very well,” she said quietly. “Miss Windwhisper... I regret to inform you that your father, Arnfrodr Windwhisper, Ambassador to Equestria from the Griffin Empire... died on the date of July 16th of this year.”

She felt her beak working, but no words would come out; her throat was almost too tight for her to breathe. “He... he....” she managed to choke out. “How...?”

The dark-coated mare allowed a little sympathy to break through her neutral expression. “A fall from a high altitude. A magical scan showed no poisons or alcohol in his system, and his wings were in perfect condition... I'm afraid it was ruled a suicide.”

“No, no, it couldn't... this can't....” Sveti was barely aware of her talons tearing into the fabric of the couch beneath her, or the manic twitching of her tail.

“Miss Windwhisper... where were you when this happened?”

The mare's words drilled through the haze of disbelief and pain inside Sveti's mind. Big Top, she thought, a cold rage spilling through her. This is his fault. He let me rot in that cage for more than two months while my father was dead! If I had been here, I could have stopped Dad from... from...!

Faster than even she thought she could move, she was through the Lieutenant's door, ignoring the mare's calls for her to stop, speeding past ponies as she made for the front entrance, one thought on her mind: To find that damnable unicorn, tear his entrails out and make him watch as she ate them. Finally she was outside, under the cold black skies, and with a mighty leap she soared towards them, wings spread, pumping against the air-

-and then she let out a shrill cry of pain as her right wing spasmed, her sudden demands on it too much for it to handle, and she slammed into the ground a moment later.

And that was where Lieutenant Silver Lining found her a few minutes later, crumpled in a heap, weeping silently into the cobblestone road. Sveti didn't even look up as she heard the guard's hooves clop their way up to her. “Miss Windwhisper,” came a voice far gentler than the one she'd heard in the office, “perhaps you should tell me what happened.”

She felt a foreleg carefully curl under her neck, helping her to her paws, and then a leathery wing drape itself over her back comfortingly. She couldn't help but lean against the pony for support as the both of them walked back towards the barracks.

(-)

The Astral Plane spread before Luna's gaze, silvery streams of thought and consciousness twisting through darkness as deep as the Void itself, speeding past her as fast as light. As far as her "eye" could see, threads made of every color of the rainbow- and some that simply could not exist in the material world- spun and wound their way across the blank vastness around her- and yet she knew that what she “saw”, as beautiful as it was, was merely her mind's interpretation of what was here, its attempt to give form to the formless, substance to the ethereal.

She wished to move, and her astral projection flared its translucent wings, sending her streaking through the darkness. Countless minds passed hers, some of them those of her ponies, and many not- but she ignored them all, her attention fixed ahead of her, following the thinnest trail of mental energy towards her target. Her hunch had proven correct after all- despite the reports from the "sideshow" workers stating that the creature had kept a diurnal sleep cycle, after its escape it had apparently shifted its habits to travel at night and sleep through the morning. Fortunate enough for the Princess of the Moon; this allowed her to devote the majority of her attention to the task at hoof, even as she slept herself.

She had no idea how long it was she spent tracking her quarry; time had no meaning in this place- five minutes could seem to be a year, and vice-versa. She trusted her physical body to wake her if something needed her attention while she traversed the World of Dreams, winding through tremendous arcs of mental energy, the dreams of mighty creatures far beyond the borders of Equestria that she couldn't even begin to hope to understand if she spent the rest of eternity doing nothing but immersing herself in them.

Finally, she came upon her target. The blue-white stream before her pulsed regularly, twisting and turning back and forth- the signs of a nightmare, she knew. With what would have been a deep inhalation of breath were she still in her body, she plunged into the stream, feeling the mental energy wash over her, through her, like a warm stream of water.

Were it the dream of a pony she were entering, she could magically attune herself to that pony, immediately giving herself power over every aspect of it; she seldom used this power to do anything aside from observe the entirety of the dream, or occasionally change an aspect of it, or speak directly to the subconscious of the dreaming pony. But for other species, that magical attunement was impossible, leaving her only her psionic talents- which required time to adapt to the mind of another creature, leaving her helpless to do much more than observe passively from a subjective viewpoint until she better attuned herself to that creature's psyche.

Her vision cleared after a moment, and she found herself in a familiar place- the Everfree Forest... or at least a warped, shadowy version of it, every tree around her seeming to exude malevolence. Leaves crunched under her hooves as she made her way through the woods, her ears flicking back and forth as she listened for signs of any other creature around her.

A moment later, she heard the footfalls of something else further in the woods; as quietly as she could- not very quietly at all; she was still completely subject to the dream's simulation of reality, and sound was apparently forefront on the dreamer's mind- she headed towards it, counting on her dark coloration to keep her from being spotted by either the creature or whatever else might populate its dream. She couldn't actually be harmed in any permanent way here, but so long as she was bound by the rules of the dream, any injury suffered by her “body” here would prove as restrictive as if she were injured in the flesh.

There, ahead of her, a flash of light and movement. As carefully as she could, she approached, peeking around a tree to find the creature stopped in a clearing. Its forelimbs were stretched out in front of it; in one forepaw- hand, she decided; it bore enough of a resemblance to minotaurs for that appellation- it held a small blue device that shone a bright cone of light into the darkness, and in the other, a strange metallic object that could only be the weapon she'd heard described. If its effects here at all resemble those in reality, she thought, then I had best avoid being its target.

Abruptly- as if pieces had been dropped on the playfield of a game- a trio of presences made themselves known near her. Timberwolves, she realized, though these hardly resembled the plant creatures she knew; they were much larger and darker, their profiles more jagged, and the glow of their eyes seemed downright evil. Nightmares do tend to amplify threats into something even more threatening than they originally were.

The creature's weapon burst into flame three times- no, not quite, she realized, even as she watched it function; flame and noise came from a small hole in the front, and part of the top of it moved in reciprocation, expelling a small metal object. The cylinders Twilight mentioned in her reports, she thought, so caught up in the weapon's operation that she almost forgot to observe its results- each small explosion caused a timberwolf to fly apart, as if struck by an invisible but considerable blow.

The dream's meticulous reproduction of the weapon's functions showed a strong familiarity in the mind of the dreamer, just as would armor or magic in the mind of one of the Royal Guard; paired with the seemingly careful way the creature employed it even within the dream, she surmised that the creature was skilled in its use. With the threats eliminated, her quarry turned and ran, the light-emitter held up by its shoulder to light its way while it kept its weapon in its other hand. As carefully as she could manage, Luna kept pace.

After what seemed to be hours of running, the creature came to another clearing, at the far end of which was what looked to be the strange carriage Twilight and her friends had found in the Everfree- only here in the dream, its condition was far worse, the metal frame bent and warped in several places, the glass windows smashed. Yet the creature climbed inside and attempted to operate it somehow, soft plaintive cries coming from its mouth as its actions produced no results.

Then there was a whistling sound and a crack like thunder, and the carriage was shorn in half like tissue paper, just behind where the creature sat.

Luna spun around. At the far end of the clearing was a unicorn stallion- that “Big Top” who was still at large, the Princess surmised- only warped to look far more evil than any pony could ever hope to seem. His eyes were pure black, except for bright red pinpoints of light, and his body resembled that of a manticore more closely than an equine's; next to him, enveloped in a deep-red nimbus of magic, was a thorned whip easily four times as long as the pony's body.

When she turned back towards the creature, the carriage had somehow transformed into a cage, which her quarry was just now climbing out of. Its upper clothing had disappeared, and a nasty wound had appeared on its furless back, blood spilling along its skin as it scrambled to stand again. It immediately raised its light and weapon to point them at the nightmarish unicorn stalking towards it- but the light immediately went out, and the weapon seemed to refuse to function no matter how urgently the creature seemed to work at it. With a shout of dismay, her target threw both items aside, turned and ran into the woods; Luna looked back to see that the horrible unicorn had vanished from sight, and so hastened to catch up once more to the creature.

It wasn't hard to follow her target- the creature had thrown all caution to the wind and was blindly tearing through the woods, stumbling over roots and through branches. She actually nearly ran into him when he came to an abrupt stop; she looked past him to see two earth ponies, a stallion and a mare, standing before him, blocking a thin path that seemed to lead out of the forest; both ponies stared blankly at him, unemotional and unmoving, like exceptionally lifelike ponniquins.

She was so busy gazing at them in shock that she didn't think to hide, and had the creature almost run into her as it turned back the way it came. Her eyes locked onto its own, and she could almost feel the surprise and terror behind those small, grey orbs, until it turned to run away from her as well.

thwipCRACK

That horrible whip wrapped around the creature's leg, the barbs digging through the fabric of its clothing and drawing blood; the weapon pulled, and the creature fell, hitting the ground hard. Luna instinctively took a step back as she saw the unicorn, seemingly larger and even more malevolent than before, pulling it towards him with a wicked grin, too-white teeth glinting in the strange half-light of this place. The creature screamed in terror, throwing everything it could reach at the unicorn, to no avail; it was pulled up close to him, and with a guttural snarl, the unicorn raised a hoof and brought it down on the creature's unprotected head.

And then Luna was ejected violently from the dreamscape, finding herself once more floating aimlessly through the Astral Plane. She needed a moment to collect her wits, and then allowed her projection to dissipate and her consciousness to return home.

She awoke in a cold sweat, her heart still racing from her experience. The late-morning sun's rays, filtered through stained glass and thick curtains, cast curious shapes on the far wall; her blanket was tangled around her legs. With little effort, she pulled herself free and summoned a sheaf of papers, a quill and an inkpot, immediately committing her experience to parchment for later review.

Well, there is one thing of which I can be certain, she mused, even as she wrote. The creature is terrified of the ponies which kept him captive.

This must be what it's like to live in Disneyland, seriously.

The place really felt like a theme park- a good one, one that loved what it was and embraced it. Pity I can only see the attractions at night, I mused, peeking into the town from my little makeshift lean-to by the treeline, carefully constructed to look like just more brush and scrub. But hey, no standing in lines, at least.

My vantage point was good enough to see a fair bit of what went on in town, aided by the wide roads and generously-spaced buildings. It was really interesting to watch these ponies go about their lives; every morning a bunch of them set up stalls in the center of the town, and others would come by, apparently bartering for various things and paying with tiny golden coins. The rest of their day- or at least the portions I didn't sleep through- was apparently spent either doing jobs, walking around or staying inside. Granted, the language barrier meant that I didn't understand everything that was being done, and there was always a chance that some context was going over my head; I had to have misinterpreted that one store's sign- why would a business sell nothing but sofas and quills? But for the most part, it didn't seem much different from some middle-ages burg, only much more colorful.

I had learned yet another bizarre thing that set this world apart from home: The weather here was apparently controlled by ponies, something I'd figured out after watching a group of pegasi manipulate a ridiculously-low cloud deck and turn a sunny day into a light shower. One pegasus in particular, storm-grey with a blond mane and tail, seemed to enjoy bouncing on clouds until they shot out lightning, which got her yelled at by a couple of other pegasi. So they can not only push clouds around, but stand and even lay on them, I'd realized. Are they the only ones? I would've thought unicorns would be all over that sort of thing, and the regular ponies... who knows.

With not much else to do with my afternoons, I'd broken out my pen and notepad and started sketching. I was rusty, there was no doubt about it- I'd quit doing art after college, when I'd landed my first job- but I was rapidly falling back in love with it. It felt like a kind of self-directed therapy, where I could help myself deal with all the strangeness I'd found myself immersed in by abstracting it on paper, and the pastoral setting of this town didn't skimp on scenes to sketch. I had at least four different sketches of the three children- foals, I had to remind myself- that had seemed to get into trouble at least once every one of the five days I'd been near the town; even from a distance, it was easy to make out the winning smiles that apparently worked to get them out of any serious repercussions afterwards. I kinda wish I knew what it was they always got so excited about doing, I thought. Whatever it is, they like to shout about it! Guess kids are the same everywhere.

I also had a sketch of a weird type of pony I'd never seen before, a violet-colored one that seemed to have both wings and a horn. I'd only caught a few glimpses of that one, but judging by the way the other ponies reacted to her, she seemed to be someone really important- except for a half-dozen or so who talked to her like any other pony, as well as what looked like a short, squat little purple reptile of some kind that also could speak. Being apparently the only intelligent creature around who wasn't “up” on the lingua franca in this place was really getting on my nerves.

But the purple one- “pegacorn” was the best appelation I could think up, and only because “unisus” was just entirely terrible- had me thinking. If I was going to go ahead and give myself up to these ponies, why not go right to the most powerful and respected one around? If nothing else I'd at least find out what the “head honchoes” thought of me while I still had a chance to make a run for it if I didn't like what I saw... and as cute as the ponies of this little town were, I'd had enough of being stared at and feared from other small-town ponies to really want to risk putting myself at their mercy if I could avoid it.

So there it was, my plan for eventually turning myself in- sketchy, ill-prepared and full of all sorts of opportunities to go wrong. But it was pretty much all I had, and I was going to see it through to the best of my ability... even if the morbid side of me hoped that the ponies would at least write “Here lies Peter Collins: He saw it through to the best of his ability” on my tombstone.

The issue settled, I decided to head back to my little hideout for some rest. At least I was finally getting over the nightmares; I'd almost forgotten what an uninterrupted sleep cycle was like.

(-)

When Twilight's vision cleared from the teleport sphere, she found herself back in the castle once again, with one of Celestia's personal aides- Timekeeper, if she remembered the mare's name correctly- waiting for her. “Princess Twilight,” the young earth pony said with a curtsy, “it's good to see you again. Princess Celestia and her guest are waiting for you in the Lilac Lounge. I'll take you there now.”

“Thank you.” Twilight fell in behind the other mare, letting her lead the way to one of the castle's many private meeting rooms. Timekeeper stopped outside the room, knocked lightly and then opened the door just a crack. “Princess Celestia, Princess Twilight is here,” she announced.

“Show her in, please,” came the reply.

Timekeeper pushed the door open then stepped back, motioning for Twilight to enter, and she did so. She heard the door quietly close behind her as she approached the two others inside the room- her mentor, and a griffin she didn't recognize, though she knew just who this other creature was. “Miss Windwhisper,” she said quietly.

“Princess Twilight.” Sveti Windwhisper bowed her head.

Across from the griffin, seated in an overstuffed easy chair, Celestia smiled. “It's good to see you again, Twilight,” she said. “Thank you for responding so quickly to my request. I know your hooves have been full.”

“I'm glad to make time for this, Celestia.” It was still so hard for Twilight to not call her “Princess”. “Miss Windwhisper,” she said, “firstly... you have my deepest condolences for your loss.”

“Thank you, Princess.” Sveti's expression didn't change from its distant, distracted look; Twilight could definitely understand. She took a seat on the opposite end of the couch from Sveti- close enough to be friendly, far enough away to allow for personal space. “Celestia, are we doing anything for Miss Windwhisper? With the embassy closed....”

“It has already been taken care of, Twilight. Miss Windwhisper will have lodgings here in the castle until such time as she no longer needs them.”

“I'm glad to hear that.” She turned back to the griffin. “Secondly, know that four of the five ponies that did this to you have been caught, and the fifth is being searched for as we speak.”

“Let me guess... Big Top?”

Twilight blinked. “Er... yes.”

Sveti snorted. “That sniveling little feather-plucker could give grease tips on being slippery.” After a moment, she looked down at the floor. “...I'm sorry,” she murmured.

“It's alright, Miss Wi-”

“Sveti. Please just call me Sveti. I'm not some dignitary or noble.”

“...Sveti,” Twilight amended. “Nopony can blame you for being angry. What was done to you was reprehensible. That you're still working with us speaks very well of your tolerance and understanding.”

The griffin sighed. “Yeah, well... ancestors know there's enough things griffins have done that I wouldn't want pinned on me.”

Twilight gave her a smile. “Sveti, there's another reason I've come to speak with you. About your time in the sideshow.”

“Princess, I already told Lt. Lining everything that happened.”

“And the report was exceptionally informative, and I thank you for that. But there's one thing in particular I need to discuss with you, a matter of great importance.”

Sveti looked up, her previous sullen expression replaced by confusion- and curiosity. “What?”

“The creature that you said freed you. The entity being called the 'Everfree Yeti'.”

“It's not a yeti.”

Twilight sighed. “That's what I've been trying to tell everypony,” she murmured. “...ahem. But anyway. He is still out in the wild somewhere, and I think it would be best for him and everypony else if we could get him someplace safe and secure.”

“...how can I even help you with that?”

“Anything you can tell us about him might help. Any sort of insight or knowledge could give us the clue we need to locate him.”

“What the pluck? Princess, don't you think it- I mean, he- has been through enough? He's not some mindless beast that needs to be in a cage, any more than I am!”

“Sveti, we've come to that realization.” Twilight sighed. “At first... I was worried that he might be blindly hostile, but after Broncton, I-”

“After what?”

“There's reports that he saved the life of a filly in Broncton. Of course, there's reports that he tried to eat her, too....”

“That's a load of cowflop! Ancestors, sometimes I just don't get you ponies!” She paused, glancing between Twilight and Celestia. “...um, I don't mean any offense,” she amended. “But honestly, some of you ponies just... you flip out when you're threatened.”

A small frown crossed Celestia's lips. “Sveti, you must understand that we ponies are a prey species,” she said quietly. “We are no less affected by instinct than you. Many of us can override that in dangerous situations, but not all of us. Some ponies might assume the worst of a seemingly-threatening entity, and that can cloud one's recollection after the fact.”

Sveti went quiet for a moment. “...well, it's still a lousy rap when some of us other species need to interact with you guys,” she grumbled. “But anyway. That creature- he didn't have to set me free. He could've been out of there in a flash after that manticore ran off. But he gave me those keys.” She went quiet for a moment. “I owe him, Princess. In the middle of all that mess, he gave me those keys. No filly-eating monster would've done that.”

Twilight nodded slowly. “We've been coming to that conclusion ourselves,” she replied. “Sveti, our goal isn't to imprison him- just secure him. Some ponies chased him when he escaped from Broncton, convinced that the 'Everfree Yeti' was some ferocious beast that would come back to slaughter them all if he escaped. Do I need to conjecture about what might have happened if they'd managed to corner him and make him feel threatened?”

Sveti frowned and shook her head. “No, I guess you don't, Princess. I... wait.” Her frown grew deeper. “The last time we were at Broncton was months before Top got that creature. It's not exactly out in the sticks, but still... how did stories that crazy get there that fast?”

“I've sort of been wondering that myself. Some of the Guard are reporting hearing outlandish stories about the creature all over the place, even conflicting ones. If you believe the rumormongers, apparently he was lighting buildings on fire in Manehatten last week while simultaneously hunting bison outside of Appleoosa. It's quite frankly getting ridiculous, and I've had to have talks with several mayors and councilponies about getting the facts out and squashing misinformation.”

“Huh.” The griffin seemed to contemplate this for a moment. “Something weird about that, but... yeah, ponies.” She shrugged. “Look, Princess- it's not that I don't want to help. Like I told you, I owe that creature, and Sveti Windwhisper pays her debts. I'd honestly love to help you get him to safety. But I didn't have a whole lot of contact with him... just how can I really help?”

Twilight smiled again. “You've got at least one thing in common with him that we don't, Sveti. You're a predator- and it seems like he's one as well. We at least know for certain that he's an omnivore, based on what he was fed while he was imprisoned, and it's not a stretch of logic to believe that his basic instincts would be similar. You've got a kinship with him that a bunch of herd-based herbivores don't. That, and having any experience with him, puts you well above most of us in being able to understand him.”

“Oh. Huh.” Again Sveti looked thoughtful. “I guess you're right,” she admitted, fluttering her wings a little. “So, um... what do I do first?”

Twilight gave Celestia a subtle glance, and got an almost imperceptible nod in return. “First... we'd like to get you set up in your new lodgings, and see about getting breakfast for you. After that, we can talk.”

For the first time since they'd met, Twilight saw Sveti smile. “I'd appreciate that.”

(-)

Entering the stream of consciousness proved much easier now than it had when she'd first done so, and Luna found herself once more within the dreams of the creature she'd been examining for a week. Her acclimation to his psyche had been rather swift, and while she had not the means to completely commandeer his dreams- his mind was too strong for hers to overwhelm in any manner, at least through the Astral Plane- she could make small alterations, introduce themes and build upon them gradually... and she was a subtle and patient pony when she chose to be.

So far, she had only worked towards lessening the nightmares he suffered from seemingly every night. Five nights of careful work had paid off; the “sideshow”, and the ponies who had been a part of it, hardly appeared in his dreams now. Her rationale had been to give herself more of a “clean slate”, or at least a less-chaotic canvas, on which to work, but she found herself pleased with her work for another reason: The creature, whatever his motives and aims, had been positively traumatized by his experience, and to have a hoof in healing the damage gave Luna a certain feeling of redemption- not only for the sins of other ponies inflicted upon him, but for the sins she herself had committed in the distant past.

But she couldn't leave off what she'd originally come here to do- understand the creature's mind better. As readily as she'd initiated the plan, eager to do her part to protect her ponies, she now went forward with a certain amount of trepidation. I do not like what it is I am about to do, she thought. But it needs be done.

She concentrated, and the dark, featureless dreamscape around her began to change.

(-)

I was hungry. Starving. Ravenous. I couldn't remember how long it had been since I'd eaten, but the aching emptiness in my stomach told me it had been far too long. I crashed through the lightly-wooded forest, stumbling and even nearly running into trees as I ran forward, desperate to find anything edible before I simply collapsed and died on the spot.

A light in the distance caught my attention, and with nothing else looking promising, I headed towards it, eventually leaving the woods and ending up on the outskirts of a town. In the darkness, all that was visible was the light I'd spotted- a hanging lamp over the front door of what looked like a restaurant. Part of my mind noticed a strange lack of details present on the building, but the rest of me was busy yanking the door open like a man possessed; I could smell something, alien but strangely appetizing, within.

The dining room was similarly dark aside from a single oversized table in the center lit by a hanging lamp. On that table was an enormous serving dish, covered by a silver lid and surrounded by utensils and plates, from which the strange smell was coming; half-mad with hunger by now, I simply grabbed a fork and yanked off the lid, ready to start chowing down on whatever was underneath.

I was greeted by the form of an unconscious pony, laid out on the serving dish like a suckling pig, surrounded by garnishings and with an apple in its mouth.

“What the sweet fuck-” I managed to blurt out, rearing back in revulsion, before the fork clattered on the table-

-and I awoke with a start in my little shelter, panting for breath.

I was so disturbed by my dream that I couldn't even think coherently for a moment, grabbing my water bottle and taking a long swig, and then splashing some on my face for good measure. What the hell is going on with my brain? I wondered, wiping my cheeks with the back of my hand. Bad enough I've been craving steak and chicken lately, but now my brain wants to eat a pony? Ugh.

I straightened up, trying to stretch myself out, and let out a grunt as my elbow complained. I'd been getting a little stiff and sore lately; apparently my body wasn't too happy with my new sleeping arrangements. I checked my music player's clock and found that it was nine in the morning- too early for me to be up. “Hell with it,” I murmured to myself, laying back down. “Weird dreams or no, I need my beauty sleep.”

Thankfully it didn't take me too long to settle back into slumber.

(-)

“Lulu?” Celestia looked up from her morning tea and newspaper at the entrance of her sister, who looked far too exhausted to be up and about. “Lulu, is something wrong?” she pressed.

Luna kept her silence, and her head lowered, until she reached the seat next to Celestia, and pulled herself into it. Then, in a quiet voice: “I shan't do it again, Tia.”

Celestia frowned. “Do what, Luna?”

“Manipulate his dreams so incautiously.”

Now she understood. “Tell me what happened,” she said.

The lunar princess let out a soft sigh. “You tasked me to devise a test to understand the creature's view of ponies, to ascertain if it posed a threat. Through his dreams, I was able to deduce that his body's food requirements were ill-met; I heightened the expression of that need in his psyche, causing him to imagine that he was approaching starvation.” She paused a moment. “And then I presented to him a simulacrum of a pony, helpless and ready for him to consume.”

Celestia let that concept sit in her mind for a moment, and somehow managed not to shudder. “And... his reaction?”

Her sister's expression became pained. “Celestia, had he not awakened at that moment, I am convinced I would have seen him sick all over the dreamscape! The notion of eating a pony, even in a state of desperation, revolted him.” She went quiet for a few seconds. “I cannot give an informed report of his likely actions should he be angry, or afraid. But I can tell you this, Tia- a predator he might be, but not towards our ponies, nor I conjecture towards any creature he recognizes as sapient. Not in any but the most absolutely dire straits.”

Celestia nodded, outwardly remaining calm but feeling as though she'd just had a boulder lifted off her back. “I understand, Luna,” she said comfortingly. “I thank you for what you've done; I know it can't have been easy. But... can't I persuade you to at least continue watching his dreams?”

Luna considered for a moment. “That much I can do, yes,” she answered. “And perhaps comfort him in some small manner, or at least keep his nightmares at bay. But I cannot twist his dreams in such a way again. His eyes....” She shook her head. “I feel unclean for what I did, Celestia. I have manipulated the dreams of enemy and friend alike for the sake of our ponies, but this....” She shook her head. “I have taken an injured creature and salted his wounds. It may have proven necessary, but I cannot take any joy from that.”

Celestia left her seat to trot over to her sister and give her a gentle nuzzle. “I'm glad you feel that way, Lulu,” she said. “It shows a strong conscience.” She returned to her seat, and nodded to a servant at his station by the doors; the young stallion immediately trotted up. “If you're going to stay awake, Luna, perhaps you'd like some coffee?” she asked.

“I... hmm.” She seemed to consider for a moment, then nodded. “I... believe I would, actually.”

“Your usual, Your Highness?” asked the servant.

“Not on this occasion, good Note Taker. Sweeten with sugar and honey, but do not add cream.”

“At once, Your Highness.” The servant cantered off to fill the order, and Celestia smiled. “I told you you'd like coffee,” she teased.

A little smile crossed Luna's lips, despite an obvious attempt to hide it. “Yes, well... I suppose I was bound to find a few new things that do appeal to me since my return.”

“Coffee and nightclubs.” Celestia grinned. “I shouldn't have been surprised.”

Luna replied with a most un-Princessly raspberry.

(-)

“I have been having the un-weirdest feeling all week!”

Fluttershy paused just as she was about to take a bite out of her hayburger, peering over her meal at Pinkie. “Um....” she murmured. “What does that mean?”

“Un-weird! You know.” Pinkie scrunched her face up. “When something should be weird, but isn't!”

“I... I don't follow....”

“Okay, well, lemme explain. You know about my Pinkie Sense, right?”

“As- as much as anypony besides you knows about it....”

“Well, I've had a sneaking suspicion that it should have been going off about something all week! But it hasn't!”

“Okay. Um... why would that happen!”

“I have no idea! And it's really bugging me.” The pink mare unrolled her tongue, placed her hayburger on it, then rolled the entire thing back up into her mouth and swallowed the meal in one gulp. “Mmmmm, honey mustard. Oh, I almost forgot- I have to check on all my hidden rubber-ball reserve stashes in the greater Ponyville area! Hey, 'Shy, are you busy tomorrow?”

“I, um... I'm washing my bear.”

“Didn't you do that yesterday?”

“Um... well, you know how bears are....”

“Do I ever!” Pinkie rubbed at her chin with a hoof. “That's okay. I'll ask Dashie if she wants to help.” With that, she crumpled up her empty food packaging into a ball, and tossed it blindly over her shoulder; it landed perfectly in a wastebasket fifty paces away. “I gotta hustle back to the Corner! Thanks for lunch, 'Shy.”

And in a flash of riotous pink mane, Pinkie Pie was gone, leaving Fluttershy to wonder anew about her longtime friend's grip on reality.

(-)

“So what are we going to do today to try to get our cutie marks, girls?”

Scootaloo looked up from where she lay at Apple Bloom's all-too-familiar question. “You know, I'm not even sure,” she answered, laying her head back down on the lush grass. “I mean, we've tried almost everything we can think of that wouldn't end in disaster. And a bunch of stuff that did.”

“Yeah, well... what haven't we tried?” Sweetie Belle wondered. “I mean, there's got to be something we're missing. Let's think.” The unicorn filly furrowed her brow. “Construction?”

“None of us are allowed to touch tools after that 'table' we made for Lyra exploded,” Scootaloo answered.

“I'm still try'na figger out how it did that,” grumbled Apple Bloom.

“Oh, right, I forgot.” Sweetie stared down at the ground. “Cooking?”

“Two words,” Scootaloo said. “ 'Burnt juice'.”

“Filmmaking?”

“Camera got confiscated after that 'Equestria's Funniest Home Injuries' project.”

“Martial arts?”

“Done, and we ain't doin' it again,” Apple Bloom countered. “I'm still sore from where Scoots hit me tryin' t' do that flyin' kick she saw Spruce Lean do in that Enter Th' Chimera film.”

“Uh, yeah.” Scootaloo chuckled nervously. “Still sorry about that, by the way.”

“Well, darn.” Sweetie took a seat in the grass next to her friends, frowning. “I don't know, girls. I can't come up with anything new.”

Bloom looked thoughtful. “Mebbe we can try that 'monster hunter' thing again.”

“No way, girls. Not after what happened with Fluttershy and the cockatrice.” Scootaloo shook her head. “The problem with being a monster hunter is that sometimes you find what you're hunting!”

“Well... then what?” Sweetie asked.

“I dunno. Let's... let's just not worry about it right now, okay? I mean, it's a really nice day, we're going back to school soon... let's just go enjoy the weather. I'll hitch the wagon onto my scooter and you girls can ride around with me, how's that?”

“Okay!” “Sure!” All three of them got up-

rustle

-and turned at the sudden noise near the trees by where they'd been resting. “Hey... did you hear that?” Sweetie whispered.

“Yeah,” Bloom replied just as quietly. “Thought I saw somethin', too. We oughta check it out.”

“Uh... okay....” Scootaloo would rather cluck like a chicken than admit it, but the idea sounded like a bad one to her- she really was starting to get tired of running with her tail tucked under her because they'd done something dumb like disturbing a hornet's nest. And with stories of some “Everfree Yeti” flying around like confetti at a Pinkie Pie party-

“Hey, there ain't nothin' here,” Bloom declared.

Scoots let out the breath she hadn't known she was holding... then caught a strange scent when she inhaled. “Hey, do you smell that?”

“Smell wh-” Bloom took a deep sniff. “Ohh. I ain't never smelled nothin' like that, and I been around all sorts 'a critters.”

“Yeah, it's weird.” Sweetie looked down behind the strange pile of branches and grass. “And there's some kind of markings here, too.”

“Y'know what I think it is?” Bloom said. “I think some animal was tryin' ta nest here an' we scared it off.”

“Awww. I hope not!” The unicorn filly looked around for a moment. “Well, maybe if we leave it alone, it'll come back.”

“Yeah, leaving it alone sounds like a great plan.” Something was unnerving Scootaloo; she couldn't put a hoof on it, and she wouldn't admit it out loud, but this situation made her skittish. “C'mon, girls,” she said, her voice maybe just a little higher-pitched than she would've liked, “let's go do that cart ride, huh?”

The cheers of Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle echoed through the woods, as did three sets of hoofbeats a moment later.

(-)

I let out a quiet sigh of relief as the three fillies charged off. I didn't know why the little orange pegasus wasn't flying, but I could tell that she'd been a bit nervous for some reason- but whatever she'd said to get the other two moving had been cheerful, not fearful, and it certainly didn't look like they were running off to get adults to come deal with me.

It was my own damn fault they'd nearly caught me in the first place. I'd never seen them approaching, much more quietly than I would've expected, and by the time I realized their presence they were too close for me to move without risking being spotted. I'd had no choice but to hold position while they talked to each other, and when they'd finally gotten up to leave I'd made a break for it- only to have them hear me run through the brush that served as concealment for the sides of my “observation post”. It was more due to luck than anything that they'd come around the long way and hadn't spotted or heard my mad dash for the treeline.

Now protected from sight, I returned to my little campsite, opening up the small breadbox I'd liberated from someone's trash and pulling out the last two of the carrots I'd snagged from someone's garden. Monster cannot live on baked goods alone, I thought, taking a hearty bite out of the first carrot. But lemme tell ya, if by some miracle I ran into an Outback Steak House around here, I'd tear down the walls with my bare hands just to get a single porterhouse.

With visions of hamburgers dancing through my head, I sat down on a fallen tree, picked up my notepad and started to sketch.

(-)

“What happened?! Who broke it?!”

“Whoa, whoa, calm down, sis!” Shining held up a hoof to block her sister's angry advance towards the scientists clustered around the strange carriage. “Nothing's broken. They just found something everypony overlooked before.”

She blinked at him, then lowered her head. “Oh. Sorry, everypony,” she murmured, visibly calming herself before she trotted with him up to the vehicle. “...wait a minute... that part of it opens up too?!”

“Yep. I was just checking in on things when one of the scientists realized why an entire section of the carriage seemed hollow.” He arcanokinetically pulled down the section of metal that was raised up like the tail of a cockatrice, and pointed to a small silver circle. “That... is a keyhole,” he said melodramatically.

“Ohmygosh.” Twilight took to the air to look inside as Shining moved the cover back to its fully-open position. “It's... some kind of storage compartment?” she wondered.

“Seems to be. I asked the crew not to take anything out until you got here.” He grinned.

“Aw, you're the best, Shiny.” Carefully, Twilight levitated a number of objects out from the compartment- a thin bag made of a strange crinkly material, a large, black fabric case of some kind, a smaller red one, and an even smaller still hard-sided box. She set all three objects on an examination table, and everypony in the room dropped what they were doing to come see as she made ready to open the first one. “Quick Check, are you ready to log what we find?”

The unicorn in question levitated her quill and clipboard. “Absolutely, Your Highness.”

Even Shining had to admit that he was eager to see what was inside, though most of his reasons were much different than those of the ponies around him. Still, the five-year-old colt inside of him who'd read every last issue of Buck Withers in the 15th Century from cover to cover was practically prancing in glee at getting to see more seemingly alien technology-

“The first bag appears to be....” Twilight seemed to search through the container. “...full of clothes.”

Shining swore that he heard a plate break somewhere.

Still, these clothes weren't quite like anything he'd seen before. He recognized pants and shirts, obviously built for something that stood on two legs- and the size of them gave him a real sense of scale as to how large the creature who owned them really was; there wasn't a pony on Equus who could hope to fit in them, aside from possibly Princesses Celestia and Luna, or maybe that socialite Fleur De Lis. He really is closer to a minotaur than a pony in size and shape, he realized. I just hope it doesn't go the same for strength, too....

The second, smaller bag proved much more interesting. He couldn't even begin to fathom the purpose of many of them; there was a flat, lightweight object that looked like a clipboard without the clip, some strange kind of cord that ended on one side with a small metal piece and the other with a black block with two silvery prongs sticking out, a thin plate covered in small buttons that were each labeled with one or more symbols, a sheaf of papers with neat, precise writing in more of that strange language... the only two things he recognized straightaway were a strange award plaque of some kind, gleaming bronze and with a symbol sort of like what one would find on an archery target, and a picture frame with an amazingly clear, color photograph. And it was what that photograph showed that got everypony in the room to stop stock still.

“Sweet Celestia... there's more of them?!” somepony blurted out.

“Relax! Relax, everypony.” Twilight raised a hoof. “If there were more of these creatures here in Equestria, at least one other would've been spotted by now. It's very likely that this picture was taken before the one we're looking for came here.”

The scientists visibly relaxed. Shining took a long moment to study the photo; the creature they were looking for was shown standing on the lowest platform of what looked like an awards stand, holding up the very same plaque they'd found in the bag. Two others of its species stood on higher platforms, holding silver and gold plaques. It was hard for Shining to judge age in a species he'd never seen before, but it seemed like their “Everfree Yeti” was the youngest of the three by a fair margin. I wonder just what they won at, he thought idly, taking a good look at the by-now familiar figure in the photograph. He certainly looks pleased.

“...oh my gosh.” Twilight's quiet exclamation caught his attention, and he saw her staring into the smallest box. He trotted over to have a look... and his jaw dropped.

Inside the hard shell of the box was a square of strange, springy material, in which had been cut out three shapes- one of which matched the shape of the weapon the creature had been seen using. And underneath that square was what seemed to be a small booklet made of shiny paper, with a picture of the weapon, and some strange brass-like objects, emblazoned on the front.

Recognition struck. “Twily,” he murmured. “Those metal things-”

"Ohmigosh." Immediately, Twilight disappeared in a flash of magic; Shining pulled the strange square out of the case, noting the weird spongelike consistency of it, then lifted out the booklet; he'd just started leafing through it when Twilight returned in the same spot- wisely left vacant by the scientists; though the spell would've simply failed if something solid had been in that spot, that would've made Twilight have to walk back and cost her valuable research time- levitating two small objects in front of her. Shining recognized one as one of the brass cylinders, but not the other. "What's that?" he asked.

"A lead slug that was found by the carriage when we first discovered it. We found others like it in the bodies of the naga and Cobalt, but they were deformed." Twilight furrowed her brow and brought the two objects together- and the wider end of the lead slug fit almost perfectly into the end of the cylinder. "This... this can't be what I'm starting to think it is," she half-whispered, before looking up. "Minder, what progress has been made on translating this creature's language?"

“Not much, Your Highness,” came the reply from a nearby earth pony. “They've having a lot of trouble building a reference chart. I talked to one of the translators last week- apparently this language uses two sets of characters.”

“Two? That's crazy....” Twilight shook her head even as she took the booklet in her magic and quickly flipped through its pages, stopping at one in particular and gazing at it. “Well, please do me a favor and let the translation team know that we've got a new priority item for them to examine.”

Shining craned his neck to look at what she was staring at, and saw on one of the pages what seemed to be a diagram of the weapon, every single piece shown and labeled. The sheer number of pieces, their size and complexity, gobsmacked him. “Sweet Celestia, how does something that complicated even work?” he wondered.

“That's exactly what I want to find out, big bro.” She closed the booklet and laid it back into the case, then glanced back towards the carriage; somehow it seemed more enigmatic, even more menacing to Shining than it had earlier. Why do I suddenly feel like we are in way over our heads? he wondered.

(-)

“Aircolt Wind!”

Swift Wind looked up from the new issue of Guard and Protectorate Weekly Notices. “Yes, Sergeant?”

Air Sergeant York held out a clipboard. “Patrol routes have changed again. Your wing will be handling Ponyville, effective second watch tomorrow.”

“Ponyville? Not that I mind, Sarge, but I thought we were trying to cover maximum territory.”

“Command changed their minds.” York shrugged. “Scuttlebutt says that they're learning more about the creature, and they figure he's got to stay by towns for food and the like.”

“Another one of Scuttlebutt's crazy theories. Why does anypony listen to him anymore?”

“Heh, I know, but he might be right about this one. Either which way, though, here's your orders. I expect you and the rest of your wing to be in top shape; Princess Twilight lives there, after all, and since she doesn't like having a guard contingent, that means everypony else in the area has to be sharp.” She pulled loose a piece of parchment and laid it down on the table in front of him, then turned to leave- and stopped for a moment. “Oh, and Aircolt?”

“Yes, Sergeant?”

“I'd like to not hear about you spending your on-duty hours making time with that flower seller with the rose cutie mark.”

He felt himself blush. “Understood, Sergeant.”

York walked back to the entrance to the barracks, then stopped and looked back. “Remember, though, Aircolt... off-duty hours are an entirely different thing, of course,” she said, with maybe just the trace of a smile cracking her professional demeanor.

She was gone before he could react, leaving him to chuckle to himself before pulling the parchment towards him for a closer look.

I ran.

I didn't know where I was by now, and I wasn't sure where I was running towards, but one inviolable fact sat in the center of my mind: Wherever it was I was going held the way home. I tore past night-darkened towns, forests, and even a river leading to a waterfall, the only sounds around me my own heavy breathing and the slaps of my shoes on the ground. I was alone, completely, but that didn't bring me the comfort I would've expected; though I didn't sense any sort of threat around me, I still felt exposed, not to mention lonely.

Still, I pressed on, feeling a sense of urgency push me forward. I had to hurry for some reason; my feet practically slammed into what was now a blacktop road, coming from nowhere and going the same place in the opposite direction, with me following it to who knew where, up a steep hill, around a number of turns, and even through a short tunnel. When I came through the far end, I stopped for just a moment to take in my surroundings.

The road led through a desolate, dark plain and into a small copse of trees. Somewhere inside there was a light of some kind, flickering gently, arrythmically, beckoning to me like a lighthouse on a storm-swept shore, and I heeded its call. Legs swung and arms pumped as I ran for all I was worth, eating up the distance between me and the trees faster than I ever thought I'd be able to manage... and yet the closer I approached, the dimmer the light seemed to become, until I almost couldn't see it at all by the time I made it to the trees.

And then I saw the source of the light. A strange, roughly oval shape suspended about a foot off the ground by means I couldn't see, rising and falling a couple of inches at a slow pace. It flickered irregularly, seeming to fade a little more each time. But I only noticed this in passing, as my eyes locked on what was visible through the strange opening.

I could see a city street, windows lit in the buildings on either side, streetlights shining their bright-yellow glow on the pavement. I could hear car horns, conversations, and the wind rustling along a sidewalk. The world on the other side of that portal called out to me, begged me to come home.

Home.

I ran again, faster than ever before, faster than I thought possible. But as I closed those final few feet, as I leapt and dove for the portal, one hand outstretched, it flickered one last time and then vanished, plunging the entire area into darkness. I slammed into the ground and rolled for a few feet, eventually coming to rest curled up in a ball.

And I wept.

I was alone, utterly alone, cut off from everything I knew, and had no idea how I could ever hope to get back. Why was I still going on? What could I hope to accomplish? I was going to die in this bizarre, colorful, incomprehensible world, and none of its residents would ever understand who I was or what I was trying to do.

I was so lost in my despair that I barely registered the approach of something else, only dimly aware of the quiet thumps against dirt that stopped at my side. After a moment, I felt something soft and feathery press against me like a blanket, gently enveloping me, and then a quiet, almost ethereal voice murmured something into my ear in words I couldn't comprehend- though I could make out some sort of meter and even rhyme, making it sound like an alien lullaby.

Those words broke through my malaise, and I focused on them as well as I could, wishing I could understand them. Eager to take any comfort it could, my exhausted mind seemed to wrap itself in the lullaby just like my body was covered in feathered warmth, and after a few moments, the dream faded into darkness, leaving me with only a feeling of being protected and cared for.

(-)

“Perhaps you had best explain this to me in the simplest terms you can manage.” Luna took a sip from her coffee mug, with its whimsical “I moon ponies every night” label proudly displayed, before setting it down on the table. “There are still a good number of technological advancements I have not yet had the time to fully grasp.”

“I'll do what I can, Princess.” Twilight trotted up to the chalkboard, on which she'd written a number of equations and diagrams earlier. “Firstly, I'll discuss the creature's weapon, or more accurately what it appears to use as ammunition. Shining's expertise was useful here, so I'll let him explain the basics.”

“Thanks, Twilight.” Shining cleared his throat. “Princesses, it's kind of a misconception in most ponies' minds that the purpose of an arrow-” he levitated one he'd borrowed from the armory to serve as an example- “is to put holes in things. While that's part of the damage an arrow does, the primary purpose... is to induce blunt-force trauma to the vital systems of its target through impact.” He lowered the arrow again. “Basically, it's a really weird-shaped club that's designed to hit the inside of something instead of the outside.”

Twilight nodded. “To get really technical, an arrow is a kinetic weapon. It uses speed and weight to deliver force on impact- the faster and heavier the arrow, the greater the force.”

“We ponies tend to use either regular longbows, best fired by either unicorns with their magic or stationary earth ponies with their strength, or short bows more commonly used by pegasi in flight.” Now Shining lifted up a small, black-wooden weapon. “The griffins, who have talons that can grip things and who can all fly, prefer small crossbows, and tend to use only a single shot to incapacitate a target before closing in with melee weapons. And the minotaurs, back when they had a standing army, were known to carry huge ballistae or even lug ship cannons into battle.”

“I remember that,” Luna said quietly. “I did once see a minotaur carry two cannons, one under each of her arms. She had devised some complex mechanism to light both fuses at once. Needless to say, few enemies foolish enough to draw her attention survived.”

Celestia nodded. “And this ties in with the weapon the creature is known to use?” she asked.

“That's right. Like I said, kinetic weapons use speed and weight.” Twilight levitated the lead slug and cylinder off the table. “The various species of Equus have always had to make a tradeoff between the two when it came to non-magical ranged weapons, and the trouble was always speed. It was difficult to propel anything lightweight fast enough to do considerable damage, and added weight made ammunition unwieldy and inaccurate.” She raised the lead slug up so that everypony could have a close look at it. “It seems that the civilization this creature came from thought up a solution.”

“A simple piece of metal?” Luna asked. “It is barely the size of a crossbow bolt's head, and lacks the shaft. How could such a thing be harmful?”

“Like I said, Luna... it's all speed and weight.” Now Twilight raised the cylinder, and tucked the slug into it. “This piece of lead is barely eleven grams in weight- only slightly heavier than a common arrowhead. But... what if you could propel this little chunk of metal extremely fast?”

An uncomfortable expression crossed Celestia's face. “Exactly how fast do you mean?”

“I had to do a number of guesstimates, using the damage shown on Cobalt's skull and the naga's internal organs as baselines. But I think I've narrowed it down.” Twilight frowned slightly. “The creature's weapon seems to fire these slugs... at speeds of between three and four hundred meters per second.”

thunk

Luna's coffee mug hit the table, spilling the small amount of liquid left inside. Nopony at the table really noticed. “That... that cannot be possible,” she said. “Such a weapon... it would kill so easily, so horribly. What sort of magicks are harnessed to do such harm?”

Twilight shook her head. “No magic. Absolutely nothing we've recovered from the creature has the slightest bit of magic aside from what it might have absorbed from Equus's latent magical field.” She spun the cylinder around so that the open end faced the Princesses. “I smelled something strange when I first found these. I think now that whatever it was... was some kind of explosive substance.”

Shining levitated the booklet they'd found over to the diarchs so that they could have a good look at the cover. “Twilight believes that this weapon uses these self-contained shells by making whatever's inside them detonate, like a cannon shot. The lead slug is literally blown out through the front of the weapon, while the other part- the cylinder- is thrown out somehow, probably to get it out of the way since it wouldn't be of any use any longer.”

Celestia gave the booklet a long look. “So then we have good news and bad news,” she said quietly. “The good news is that the creature can only possibly have a limited store of ammunition for this weapon. The bad news... is that no armor we have ever devised could hope to stop those slugs at their full speed. Luna, we may need to start up an enchantment protocol again.”

“We could not, sister! We are forbidden from doing such by treaties older than any living mortal pony- treaties you yourself crafted and signed.”

“Those treaties might need to be renegotiated if we cannot secure that weapon, or if others like it exist within our borders. I will not have our Guard left defenseless.” Celestia paused for a moment. “Twilight, Captain Armor- exactly who knows of how this weapon and its ammunition function?”

“Only the four of us now, Your Highness,” Shining replied. “Twilight and I both knew that this kind of information isn't something that should be spread- especially to those who might want to initiate hostilities with Equestria.”

“Very wise, Captain Armor.” Luna lifted the booklet and leafed through a few pages. “I trust that the ponies performing translations were not given this?”

“No, Luna,” Twilight answered. “I created a copy of the text for them, but left out anything that seemed to depict how the weapon operates.”

“Good.” The lunar princess slowly lowered the booklet back onto the table. “Ensure that this secrecy holds, both of you. Equestria is not ready for weapons of such effortless power. Should anypony inquire about this weapon, simply state that we are unsure of its specifics.”

“I understand, Your Highness,” replied Shining, as Twilight nodded. She couldn't agree more- the thought of that kind of weapon becoming widespread was sure to be fodder for nightmares for a long time to come.

The rest of the meeting unfortunately wasn't quite so informative- the carriage was so complex and potentially dangerous that they still weren't sure where to start with dismantling it to see how it worked, and the strange, foul-smelling liquid they'd found in the metal tank bolted to its underside defied classification aside from “highly flammable”- but the Princesses seemed grateful for the updates. Once the meeting was done, Twilight was careful to wipe the blackboard completely clean; she'd already committed the information on it to memory, and she wouldn't chance somepony else gleaning information from it.

She'd turned to head towards the door when she saw Shining still seated alone at the table, looking thoughtful. “What's wrong, Shiny?” she asked quietly.

“I'm trying to figure this all out.” He stared down at the table. “Princess Luna says that the creature is lost and desperate. You say he saved a foal from drowning. The ponies from the sideshow say he only acted in self-defense. I'm okay with believing all this- hay, I want to- but then explain to me why he even has a weapon like this?” He pointed to the booklet on the table.

“I don't know, Shiny.” She shook her head slowly. “Maybe things are different where he's from. There's still so much of Equus we've never really explored, only heard snippets about from the Griffin Empire or Zebrica, or what few ponies sail or fly far from the western coasts.” She shrugged. “Maybe where he's from, taking a weapon like that along on a trip is common.”

“Well then I sure hope I never visit where he's from. It doesn't seem like a nice neighborhood.” With a soft sigh, he stood and gathered all the materials into a small pile, locking them in a briefcase. “Back to work, I guess- gotta earn those bits.”

She managed a chuckle. “I'm going to head back to Ponyville for a couple of days. I just... well, I need to stop thinking about this creature and everything that's happened with it. I just want to go hang out with my friends and have fun and be Twilight Sparkle again, you know?”

Her brother smiled. “I wish I could go with you!” he told her. “Between dealing with everything here and trying to square things away with the new parliament in the Crystal Empire, Cadance and I have just been swamped.”

“Aww. Well, once all this is over, I'm sure Celestia would approve some time off for you! I'll set up appointments for you and Cadie at the Ponyville spa- the twins could turn a stone into pudding with their massage and relaxation techniques.”

“Now that's something I can look forward to.” He leaned forward and gave her a quick hug, which she returned eagerly. “Hey, are you sure I can't get you to accept a guard retinue? Every time you go back to Ponyville, my lieutenants have fits about protecting you.”

“Shiny, I understand that, but I just... I don't know how Celestia puts up with it! I'm perfectly capable of defending myself or escaping if, against all odds, I was attacked by something. Nopony guards Cadance!”

“Well, that's because I'm usually with her.” He winked, and she let out a snorting giggle. “Okay, Twily, I'll smooth things over with my officers. Just don't forget that we have patrols if anything goes wrong, alright?”

“I won't. I always appreciate the work the Guard does, even if sometimes they feel a little overbearing.”

He smiled, levitating the briefcase out with him as Twilight concentrated, formed her teleport sphere and vanished from the castle.

(-)

One of the downsides of living within the Everfree Forest was being at the mercy of its unpredictable and sometimes violent weather. While Zecora was hardly a stranger to storms- Zebrica had no pegasus teams to regulate its weather, after all- she had to admit that there were times she rather liked the calmer, organized weather that Equestria had... times like this, for example. She instinctively winced as a particularly loud crash of thunder echoed through the forest, rattling the thick wooden walls of her tree-hut and setting the multitudes of bottles clanking on their shelves. Well, I certainly won't be out today finding flowers, she thought, peering out through a window to watch the rain pour down. But I did promise MacIntosh Apple a salve to relieve those wounds he got from that bramble patch. You would think such a sensible stallion would know better than to go to Raspy Hill in search of a rare flower in bloom... I suppose love makes foals of us all from time to time. She reared up on her hind legs to retrieve a bottle, peering through the dusky green glass. Ah, good, I still have some of this tincture. The salve should be ready within the hour-

CRASH

The bottle dropped to the dirt floor. That was no thunder, Zecora realized, leaping back towards the window to look out of it. Her nose pressed against the glass as she tried to peer past the rain pattering down on it, searching through the trunks of the trees around her home for any sign of what might have made that racket.

Then a flash of lightning caught a shape lurking between two of the trees in the distance- but not so far that the zebra couldn't identify it and determine where it was headed.

Chimera.

As quickly as she could, Zecora pulled on her cloak and slung her best staff over her shoulder, then bolted out the door and into the downpour. She had to get to Ponyville as quickly as possible.

(-)

Applejack watched the rain patter against the living-room window. The Everfree's sure making a mess of things today, she thought, looking up into the skies to see winged shapes soaring amongst the clouds; the weather team had declared this a “storm emergency” and had asked the population of Ponyville to stay inside until they could dissipate the storm's energy into less harmful rainshowers. Them pegasi are earning their pay today, she thought, watching them wrangle the clouds as they left the border of the “Everfree Zone”, as she'd heard Dash refer to it. Much as I like to tease Dashie about being lazy, it's times like this she shows why she got that Element of Loyalty.

Her idle musings were interrupted by a flash of black-and-white in the corner of her eye. She angled her neck to look out to the east and saw something that made her breath catch in her throat- it was Zecora, running at full-tilt out from the edge of the Everfree, her distinctive stripes and dark cloak both splattered with mud and her eyes wide in fear. Anything that's got Zecora spooked is bad news, she thought, immediately jumping off the couch and galloping for the back door. “Big Mac!” she hollered. “Meet me out back!”

She met up with the zebra at the edge of the orchard near the house. “Zecora!” she called out. “What's wrong?!”

Zecora staggered to a stop- and almost collapsed on the spot; Applejack rushed to give her a shoulder to lean on. “A chimera from the Everfree heads this way,” the other mare panted. “The ponies of Ponyville must-” The rest of her words were lost in a bout of harsh coughing.

“A chimera?! Oh ponyfeathers.” Applejack had never seen one, thank Celestia, but she'd heard of them- they were trouble with a capital T, and only the fact that they preferred to lurk deep in the Everfree had kept them from being a serious danger to the various cities that lined the forest. She looked up to see her brother cantering towards them with a concerned look on his face. “Mac, get Zecora inside and get her warmed up,” she told him. “And get th' doors and windows locked up. We got a chimera headin' towards town- I'll tell Twilight an' th' mayor.”

Big Mac nodded, then knelt down to allow an exhausted Zecora to climb onto his back. As soon as he'd started making his way to the house, Applejack turned and galloped towards town as fast as her legs could carry her. Thank goodness Twi's back in town, she thought, lowering her head so that her hat could block the rain from her face. She'll be able to handle a chimera, no sweat.

Pity this has gotta ruin her little vacation, though.

(-)

So I was getting rained on. No big deal; I could take it, and my lean-to was blocking the majority of it anyway. At least it was a damn sight better than what was going on in that forest off to the east- an absolute squall, torrential rain with frequent lightning and heavy winds. It certainly looked like the ponies were taking it seriously... the roads were empty, everyone having apparently gone indoors, while there were enough pegasi in the skies to resemble a re-enactment of a World War II aerial engagement.

It wasn't each other that they were dogfighting, though- it was the clouds. Clouds that poured in from the storm in the forest, and that the pegasi were frantically shoving in different directions, apparently literally beating the rain out of them along the way. Yet even from my vantage point it seemed there was a line they weren't crossing to attack the clouds, a line that seemed to hug the edge of the forest itself. Could they not affect the clouds when they were still over the forest? I had absolutely no idea.

Then a flash of color caught my eye. One of the normal ponies- orange, with a cowboy hat- was galloping pell-mell for the town hall, looking like she was being chased by a ghost; she barged into the building, the door shutting behind her. I was too far away to hear if anything was being said, but a few moments later that same pony came barging out, followed by several others who immediately spread out to start knocking on doors. Something's got them spooked, I realized, leaning forward as much as I dared to better see what was going on.

The orange pony was back a few minutes later, with the purple pegacorn hot on her hooves. Okay, if they're bringing her out, this has got to be something serious, I thought, reflexively putting a hand on my weapon to reassure myself that it was still there. A short while later, they were joined by a number of ponies in golden or dark-grey armor, the latter having darker coats and the bat-like wings I'd seen on that one who'd flown over me not long after I'd escaped. I wasn't sure whether to consider them a subspecies of pegasus, or if I should call them bat-ponies, or-

roaaaarrrrrr

My blood turned to ice, and in the space of two seconds my weapon was in my hand, round chambered and safety off. Nothing that made a noise like that was likely to be friendly in any way, shape or form. I saw the ponies react as well, the armored ones with wings taking to the air while the rest formed up in front of the pegacorn, facing towards the forest.

And then I saw what had roared earlier, and I froze in place from pure fear.

It looked like some distant, even larger cousin of the creature that had inadvertently given me my opportunity for escape from the sideshow. But while that beast had simply looked feral, this one looked downright wicked; its form was some bizarre combination of lion, goat and snake, the goat-head's neck jutting out from the lion-head's shoulders, and the snake making up the entirety of it's “tail”. It loped along the plains towards town, all three of its heads glancing around as if searching for its first unlucky victim.

And I realized that I was standing essentially in the open, my only defense a structure made of grass and twigs that wouldn't stand against a playful foal, let alone a monster twice my size.

My knees ached as I charged towards town, doing my best to stay out of sight of the contingent of guards, and as soon as I reached the closest building I plastered myself against its wall, panting heavily for breath. I spent a moment wondering why I was so tired already; I'd pretty much lost all the body fat I'd had when I first appeared here, and my body had never been so toned. No time to think about that now, I scolded myself, peering around the edge of the small cottage home. Just keep an eye on where the beastie is... and pray the ponies can handle it.

What followed was probably the closest approximation I would ever see to Military Operations on Urban Terrain training carried out by ponies who were trying their damnedest to not actually hurt the enemy. The beast was swift and determined, and I lost count of how many times I thought one of the ponies was going to end up a nasty splotch on the ground, but somehow- with the help of a spectacular show of magic by the pegacorn, using forcefields, non-lethal blasts and what seemed to be the magical version of flashbangs- they drove the beast through and then out of the town, wearing it down, until finally it collapsed not very far away from my shelter. The pegacorn cautiously approached the downed monster; her horn flared with magic, and some sort of pink-purple bubble surrounded the creature-

-and then it vanished.

I almost dropped my gun in shock. Had she just vaporized the thing?!

Then a moment later, a similar bubble surrounded her- and she was gone. I heard a soft pop near the center of town, and risked a look- and there the pegacorn was, whole and safe, surrounded by cheering ponies. I let out a breath I hadn't known I was holding. Teleportation, I realized. She must have sent it somewhere where it wasn't a threat. She didn't just kill it when it was vulnerable.

I felt like the world had been lifted off my shoulders. Faced with an obvious, legitimate deadly threat, the ponies had not reacted with lethal force, but instead used an almost ridiculous amount of tricks and techniques to be rid of it without actually causing it lasting physical harm. Turning myself in to them suddenly didn't seem quite like the enormous risk it had been- in fact, if there were more creatures like that one out in the world, trying to survive on my own suddenly seemed like a sure route towards getting myself killed. I guess Tent was an anomaly, I thought. If somebody as powerful as her acts like that, then I have to believe that's the norm.

I had almost stepped out from my hiding place before I realized that I was still holding my gun. Yeah, let's not fuck this up by looking like I mean to murder them, I scolded myself, raising a thumb to engage the safety so that I could unload the weapon safely.

(-)

Swift Wind blinked rain from his eyes as he soared over the southern edge of the town. The weather had been bad enough; the only reason he, the other pegasi and the batponies of Luna's guard hadn't been out helping to deal with it was because of standing order to remain at post unless a serious threat to life and limb was present. And then he'd gotten word that the town's resident shaman- a zebra, if he remembered right, though he couldn't recall her name- had brought warning of a chimera emerging from the Everfree, apparently driven out of its lair by the storm that still pounded the forest.

And then things had gone absolutely crazy. The beast was indeed headed for Ponyville, and the Guard stationed there had just barely been able to get into formation before it struck. And then there had been ploys and half-thought plans and desperate gambits to keep the beast off-balance and lead it out of town. If Princess Twilight hadn't been here, he thought, I... I don't even want to think of what might've happened. But it wouldn't have been anywhere near a happy ending as what we got, that much I know for sure.

He was just finishing his patrol to ensure no other threats were present, and was just beginning to angle himself back into the town proper to report to the Princess, when a strange shape caught his eye. He came to a halt in midair as he took a moment to rub at his eyes with his fetlocks, wanting to make absolutely sure he was actually seeing what he thought was below him. The Everfree Yeti! he realized with a jolt; the creature was hiding against the side of a building, looking out past the edge of its wall- towards where Princess Twilight stood.

Then Swift spotted that weapon he'd been told about, the one that had caused the carnage he'd seen in that sideshow.

In an instant, he dove, aiming himself square at the creature's chest. He had no time to call out for backup or to give warning- any sort of alert could drive the creature to act, and that might mean dead ponies... and Wind was not going to let that happen.

Then, at the last second, the creature shifted his stance, raising his weapon- and unable to maneuver in time, Wind slammed directly into his chest, driving the creature into the ground.

And then something exploded, and Swift Wind's world turned into agony.

(-)

Twilight was still panting for breath as she gathered the Guard around her, checking for any injuries- and thankfully finding none. “Excellent work, everypony,” she exclaimed, giving them all a grateful smile. “Do we have any casualties in the town?”

“No, Princess, none that have been found,” came a reply. “We still have a few pegasi and bat-ponies scouting to make sure, and to see if there's any other threats.”

“Excellent. If we do find any injured, normal triage rules apply. But if nothing else crops up, stand down and return to station. And know that the Crown thanks you all for-”

BANG

Twilight's eyes went wide at the all-too-familiar sound. “...no....”

(-)

I'd never seen him coming, had no warning that he was about to hit me. All I knew was the impact as the armored pegasus slammed into me head-on, practically skimming along the wall of the building and lifting me off of my feet for a moment; I hit the dirt with him on top of me, my gun trapped between the two of us, and my elbow hit a small rock, causing my fingers- including the one that had slipped into the trigger well- to twitch.

BANG

I knew instantly what had happened, even as the pegasus on top of me gave a stifled grunt and then went limp. “Shit....” I murmured as I struggled to get out from under him. “No, no, please no....” As carefully as I could, I moved the guard to have a look at his chest.

Blood slowly dripped out of the blackened hole in the front of his golden armor.

Fuck, fuck, FUCK. This can't be happening. It can't. Not now. Mindlessly I put one hand to the bullet hole as if I could somehow stop the bleeding that way, only to have my fingertips come away bright red. Then I heard a sharp gasp behind me- and turned to see another guard standing there, his gaze shifting between me and his fallen colleague.

I should've stayed. I should've dropped my weapon that moment and surrendered, and hoped that I could explain what happened in some way. It was the only way I could possibly salvage the situation. But the thud of my terrified pulse in my ears seemed to drive away rational thought, filling my brain with white noise, and instinct told me that there was only one thing to do: Run.

So I ran.

(-)

“MEDIC!”

Twilight didn't waste time galloping; she teleported to where she'd heard the shout from. And what she found there made her heart leap into her throat- one of the Guard was down, bleeding through a hole in the chestplate of his armor, while another was trying to remove the plate. “Private, no!” she half-shouted. “Not until we know the extent of the wound. Give me room.” When the Guard backed away, she immediately performed a second-level medical scan on the wounded pony, thankful that she'd spent so much time practicing spells in the diagnosis and healing disciplines, just in case.

“Three shattered ribs, broken sternum, punctured lung, copious internal bleeding... oh, thank Celestia it missed the heart....” As quickly as she could, she healed the worst of it to try to stabilize the poor stallion- there was only so much she could do; her talent may have been magic, but that didn't make her a natural healer- then looked up. “This pony needs medical attention now. I'm not certain he'd survive the rigors of teleportation... we need to fly him to Ponyville Hospital.”

She watched impatiently as a makeshift litter was put together and the injured Guard carefully levitated onto it; two pegasi Guards took hold of it and lifted off in tandem. As soon as they were airborne and on their way to the hospital, Twilight turned. “The creature known as the Everfree Yeti is in the area,” she said in a loud and clear voice, before looking to the pony who'd found the injured Guard. “Private, which way did he run?”

The stallion pointed towards the west. “That way, Your Highness. Likely towards Whitetail Woods.”

“Alright, ponies. Form up into standard search parties and do a full search of the area in that direction. Should you find the target, you are not to approach or apprehend- signal me, and I'll handle things from there.”

She watched as the winged Guards took to the air and the others galloped away, then shook some water out of her mane and took flight herself. So many questions tumbled around in her mind, but she held them at bay, focusing herself on the task at hoof: To find the creature, secure him, and then find answers.

(-)

The situation was insane, and I was starting to wonder if I was as well. I knew in the back of my mind that running was only going to make things worse on me, that pretty much the only chance I had at getting out of the situation hale and whole was to just stop and surrender myself to the ponies. But for some reason I had a great deal of trouble convincing the rest of my mind of that fact, and I could only be thankful that my fight-or-flight response had tilted towards the latter.

However, it seemed like my body was reaching its limit. My chest was heaving as I gulped down air, and my limbs burned with exertion; my sprint had turned into an irregular run, and the rainwater on my skin was quickly being turned to steam by the heat I was giving off. I had to stop for a moment to catch my breath and recover, leaning against a tall spruce tree as ragged gasps tore through my throat.

I was getting a very discomforting feeling that something was wrong with me, but I couldn't stop to worry about it, let alone do something- I could see pegasi in the cloudy skies, sweeping back and forth in a definite search pattern, and I just knew that there'd be unicorns and regular ponies not far behind them. And if that pegacorn was taking part in the search... well, I was proper fucked if that was the case.

I'd already stayed still longer than I wanted, and although the pause gave me little respite, I forced myself to move again. But I'd only gotten a couple hundred feet when I heard the distinctive sound of wind moving across feathers- and before I could react, a pair of pony forelegs slid under my arms, and I found myself being lifted off the ground... about two feet, before the pegasus behind me let out a strange, panicked-sounding shout and let go, sending me tumbling to the ground and crashing behind me.

I spared the pony a glance as I got to my feet. He looked confused and frightened, glancing with wide eyes between me and his own wings; whatever his problem was, I chose to use it as an opportunity, and started putting distance between him and myself as he recovered. A surge of energy flowed through my body- apparently the close encounter had given me an adrenaline rush of some sort, and I was going to take full advantage of it.

I was approaching a large, heavily-wooded forest, though it didn't seem nearly as foreboding as the last one I'd been in, and I made a beeline for it- concealment meant becoming a more difficult target, which meant time to rest and think. But I hadn't gotten a third of the way there before I heard another pair of wings above and behind, and when I looked up, I saw the absolute last thing I wanted to see... the pegacorn, swooping towards me from a fairly high altitude. A fleeting thought of drawing my weapon crossed my mind before I discarded it; killing her- if it was even possible- wasn't going to win me any friends, and if I forced her to react in kind, she could probably turn me into a greasy smudge on the landscape in very short order.

I heard her shout something as I put on as much speed as possible. There was a strange tinkling sound behind me, then a soft pop as if a half-inflated balloon had burst- and then a wall of bright pink light formed in front of me, far too close to avoid, and I instinctively put my arms out to stop myself from crashing into it-

-and it shattered the moment my hands hit it, breaking into shards that quickly dissipated in showers of sparks.

I paused for just a moment to stare at my hands, then look up at the pegacorn, who was hovering in midair a few dozen feet up with a look of utter shock. Comprehension eluded me, but I decided at that moment that I didn't care or need to understand- I just had to get away. Another adrenaline surge shot through my body, but it seemed to fade faster, and my body was feeling as though it was ready to collapse... but I pushed myself as hard as I could.

Another wall formed in front of me, met by my shoulder and suffering the same fate as the first; a third came up to be broken through by my fist. Each time I felt the same strange burst of energy shoot through me, but by the third one it barely lasted an instant before being subsumed by my bone-deep fatigue- but now I was only a hundred feet from the woods, and I knew that if I could just make it inside and find a place to hide, I'd be okay.

Twenty feet from the treeline, a bright purple sphere zoomed just past my head, stopped in the center of my field of vision, and before I could even think to look away, it detonated in a blinding flash of light.

The world turned white, and I staggered, unable to keep myself oriented; before I could manage to come to a stop, I felt myself slam face-first into a tree, practically bouncing off of it, and hit the ground only to fall into a gully of some kind. Down and down I rolled, completely out of control.

I didn't know which rock it was that my head hit that sent me into unconsciousness, but I was certain it wasn't any of the first three.

(-)

“He's down! Everypony, converge on my position!”

Twilight landed near where she'd last seen the creature. She'd lost sight of him when he'd fallen, and figured that he'd still be in the general area, but to be on the safe side- and to save the Guards some stress- she waited until at least a few of the armored guardsponies had reached her, which only took about a minute. One in particular she laid a critical eye on. “I gave specific instructions not to approach the creature!” she told the young pegasus who'd attempted to seize the creature; his attempt at stoicism cracked after about three seconds under Twilight's glare.

“I- I'm sorry, Princess,” he said quietly, bowing his head. “I just- I didn't want him to get away. Not after he hurt Wind.”

“You could've gotten yourself hurt as well, Private.” She maintained her glare for another moment, then let her expression soften. “But I'll leave the upbraiding for another time, to the extent it proves necessary. Right now I want to know why you crashed after you tried to pick him up.”

“I... I don't know.” He shook his head. “He wasn't heavy, but... the moment I grabbed him, it felt like I just couldn't get any lift at all, no matter how hard I flapped my wings.”

Twilight frowned for a moment, but let the questions that welled up in her mind drop. “We'll have to worry about that later. The creature went down somewhere around here; he may be injured. We need to find him.”

The guardsponies spread out to search. Twilight was about to join in when she heard a familiar voice call out; she turned to see Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy heading towards her. “Girls!” she exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”

“We heard tell of what happened in town an' came to help,” Applejack replied.

“Oh, and to let you know that the guard is in the hospital and they're working on him now,” added Fluttershy.

Twilight managed a brief smile. “Well, I'm glad to hear that... but how'd you even know where we were?”

“Well, you were up in the air doing all sorts of crazy magic!” Pinkie said. “Like, 'kapow' and 'fzzt' and 'woosh'! It was easy to find you.”

“...my magic goes 'woosh'? Wait, never mind that! Girls, the creature is around here somewhere and we're trying to find him. He might be injured.”

“Ooh ooh ooh! Hide and seek! I'm the best at hide and seek. I'll find him!”

“Pinkie, wait-” But it was too late; the pink pony was gone in a flash, to wherever she went when she did things like this. “...oh, I hope she doesn't get herself hurt,” Twilight murmured.

“She'll be awright.” Applejack took a look around. “So what exactly happened? Last I saw, we'd just chased that chimera outta town, then there was a bang an' ponies yellin' 'bout that Everfree Yeti, or whatever we're s'posed t' call it. Some ponies are sayin' he tried to kill that guard, Twi.”

“I... I don't know what happened yet, Applejack. My number-one priority is finding the creature.” She started forward towards a nearby gully, with her friends close behind. “Where are Rarity and Rainbow Dash?” she asked.

“Dashie's still helpin' with th' storm. Rarity's sittin' this whole thing out until everythin' gets settled; she says she don't wanna get underhoof. I know she ain't no coward, so that's prolly her aim.” A particularly large raindrop hit AJ's Stetson, and she glanced upwards. “...or at least most of her aim,” she amended.

The group went silent for a moment as they advanced down along the gully, careful not to slip on the mud and wet rocks. It was when they reached the bottom that Fluttershy let out a gasp and pointed. “Twilight, look at that!” she exclaimed.

There was a wide splotch of crimson on a rock at the bottom of the gully.

“Oh, golly,” Applejack breathed. “Twi, that's a lotta blood. This critter a' yers has gotta be hurt pretty bad.”

“I know, but... where is he?!” Twilight glanced upwards to see if any of the pegasi had had any luck, but she saw no break in their pattern. They would've called out anyway, she thought. You're getting irrational, Twilight. Think. Focus. Don't-

“Twiliiiiight!” Pinkie's cry blasted her train of thought to pieces. “I can't find him!” the party pony wailed, galloping up to the others with tears in her eyes.

Applejack gave her fellow earth pony a peculiar look. “Uh... Pinkie? Y' mighta noticed we ain't found 'im either....”

“But I'm the bestest finder in all of Equestria! I can find just about anypony who's hiding, anywhere, anytime! But I can't find him!” Pinkie immediately broke down into hysterical sobbing, leaving Fluttershy to try to comfort her while Twilight and Applejack carried on.

“Y'know, come t' think of it, that is kinda weird,” AJ commented. “I dunno about 'best in Equestria', but Pinkie's got that weird way of sneakin' up on ya when y' don't expect it. If'n she can't find our critter....”

“Yeah... I think I'm starting to form a theory here.” She opened her wings, ready to take flight once more to scout around- when a brief glimpse of color caught her eye, “Wait, what is that?” she wondered, folding her wings once more and cantering forward.

She and Applejack came upon what she'd spotted at the same time, and what they found brought a startled “Whoa, nelly” from the cowpony. What Twilight had spotted was the blood-splattered hand of the creature stretched out on the ground from where he had apparently collapsed; much of its bare skin and strange clothing was covered in mud, and streaks of blood- whether his own or the Guardspony's, Twilight couldn't tell- stained a lot of what had escaped being muddied. His only movements were the slow rise and fall of his chest. “Twi, now I dunno much about strange two-legged monsters that ride around in weird wagons what pull themselves,” Applejack commented, “but I do know that bein' unconscious and bleedin' in the mud an' rain ain't healthy for nopony!”

“I'm not sure about teleporting him, either, but it'd take forever to get him airlifted... I'll have to try to risk it.” Gingerly, Twilight stepped next to the prone creature, focused her mind despite the still-present rain driving down on her, and drew upon the magic within herself, constructing the arcane sphere that would translocate herself and the creature back to Ponyville-

-only to have the spell collapse almost instantaneously, the magic being drawn away from her like water in a punctured bucket.

Nearby, Applejack was watching with a confused expression. “Twi... what jus' happened?”

“More evidence for my theory.” She sighed. “We'll have to move him the old-fashioned way.” She raised her head and attempted to fire a magical flare; the spell went off without a problem, and within moments a number of pegasi and a few unicorns and earth ponies were surrounding them. “Everypony,” she announced, “this creature is injured and needs attention. I can't teleport with him-” The looks of shock on the guards' faces didn't escape her notice- “so we'll need air transport to Canterlot as soon as possible; I don't think the Ponyville hospital will be able to treat him. And in the meantime we need blankets, towels, anything that can be used to clean and dry him off.”

By the time blankets and towels were brought in from the town, a small crowd had gathered nearby; Rainbow Dash and Rarity numbered amongst them. “Darlings, I came as soon as I heard there was another injured party and that fabrics were needed,” the fashionista said, unloading some small towels and a rug from her saddlebags even as she kept a wide, frilly umbrella emblazoned with her cutie mark floating over her head. “So what has... oh my.”

"We finally got the storm under control, so I came over to see what- whoa, is that the Everfree Yeti?” Dash landed next to the unconscious biped. “Thought it'd be bigger... what the hay happened to it?”

“It's a long story. All I care about right now is getting him to Canterlot and having him treated.”

Rarity laid out the rug- long enough for the creature to be laid out on, but just barely, and her horn lit up as she apparently tried to lift him up to slide it under him- only for her spell to almost immediately fizzle out. “My goodness!” she exclaimed. “Twilight, what is this?!”

“It's... a complication. I'll explain in Canterlot.”

The Bearers watched as a pallet was eventually brought in, and yet another surprise made itself known- the earth ponies found themselves losing their strength as soon as they tried to lift the creature. They recovered almost instantly once they let him go, and simply touching him didn't seem to have nearly the same effect. The pegasi had to use ropes to lift him up onto the pallet, then secure him with the very same ropes since none of the unicorns could get a spell to maintain cohesion when it touched him, and one earth pony mare who was particularly dexterous with her teeth managed to relieve him of the weapon that had still been secured in its holder on his leg; Twilight was quick to take it and teleport it off to her secure laboratory in Canterlot ahead of them.

Fortunately, the pegasi could pick up the litter without much loss of their flight ability, and once they'd gotten the well-secured and covered creature airborne and above the clouds, Twilight gathered her friends around her. “Everypony ready for a trip to Canterlot?” she asked; when the others agreed, she nodded. “Good. Hopefully we can finally get some answers.”

With that, her horn flared, her teleport sphere formed around them, and in a burst of colorful light they were gone.

I was never the most clever guy upon first waking up, especially from being knocked unconscious. There was a little kind of mental “reboot” that was necessary, and so awareness and cognizance tended to come back a little at a time.

Which is why I noticed a number of things only one at a time. I was alive; I was in a fair amount of pain; I was actually alive; I was cold; I was freaking alive, and I was tied down to something that was rocking back and forth a bit more violently than I felt comfortable with.

And then, through the objections of a throbbing headache, I opened my eyes... and found only clear blue sky above me. And to the left of me, and to the right of me. Below me I found patchy clouds, and below them, much farther away than I would like, the ground. I had to arch my neck to look at what was keeping me aloft- two armored pegasi, seemingly twins, at least from the limited view I had in my position. Then again, it had appeared to me that all of the golden-armored ponies had looked alike, though I certainly was no expert.

I'm being flown somewhere was my only thought.

I didn't have problems with heights, really. You'd likely never see me hang gliding or skydiving, sure, but I could look down from a high spot and be perfectly fine... if I was on my feet. Being tied to a rickety wooden platform was an entirely different case, and it took more than a little effort for me to calm myself down and convince myself that I wasn't bound to take a very long trip with a very sudden stop at the end.

There was absolutely nothing I could do but wait. The ponies had me, and they were obviously taking me somewhere. Once I got there, then I'd see what would happen... and until then, resting and collecting myself was the best out of the very few options I had open to me- so that's precisely what I did.

(-)

Air Sergeant York practically threw the year-old magazine aside as the doctor finally opened the door and trotted out of the intensive-care unit- only to yelp as he found a fairly large and fully-armored pegasus practically charging up to him. “How is he, doc?” she said quietly.

The unicorn cleared his throat. “Aircolt Swift Wind is... alive, in critical condition but stabilized, at least for the time being. He's very lucky- we have a visiting trauma specialist from Vanhoofer who was doing some training with our staff when you brought your injured Guard in. I'm not sure Aircolt Wind would've survived had he not been here.”

“Thank Celestia for moderately-sized miracles.” York let out a soft sigh. “What's his outlook?”

“We're not sure. The surgery was tricky; the amount of damage that metal slug did....” The doctor shivered. “He also hasn't awakened yet. It's possible he might not for quite some time- it's not uncommon for ponies who've suffered acute trauma to lapse into a coma-like state until the healing process is done, or at least nearly so.”

“So there's no way to use magic to make it go faster? I mean, I don't want to rush things, but finding out what happened is kind of a priority.”

The doctor shook his head. “Healing magic can be very problematic. Princess Twilight did about the best I've seen anypony do with on-the-spot thaumatic coagulation and epithelialization acceleration....” He caught her blank stare and cleared his throat. “Ahem. In laypony's terms, healing magic basically makes the damaged parts of the body heal faster. But if done too quickly or with too much intensity, you can run into a host of issues even worse than the original injury- from the rest of the body being drained of essential reserves by grossly-accelerated healing, to tissue malformation and organ malfunction, even to spontaneous cancerous growth.”

York winced. “Ouch. I guess that explains why ponies still need hospital stays after getting hurt.”

“We've made great strides over the years, but in the end basic biology still has its say.” The unicorn shrugged. “But I'm sure you're not here to listen to medical lectures. Did you want to see Aircolt Wind?”

She considered for a moment, then shook her head. “Not if he's sleeping, no. Probably better to let him get his rest. I do need an official diagnosis for my chain of command, though, so that we can push the paperwork through and get him what he needs.”

“Certainly; I'll do that right now. Just a moment.” And it took him about that long to write up a half-page's worth of medical jargon that York hardly understood. “Oh, one more thing, if I may,” he asked as she plucked the paper out of his magic field.

“What's that?”

“The, err... the creature they're calling the Everfree Yeti. I've heard that it was taken to Canterlot... do you know anything about it?”

York felt a cold anger shoot through her for a moment at the mention of the monster's “name”, before she squashed it down. “Sorry, doc, but that's above my pay grade.”

“Ah, I see. Well, I won't keep you any longer. Rest assured that Aircolt Wind is in the best hooves here at Ponyville Hospital. We'll send word to the guardpost if anything changes.”

“Yeah. Thanks, doc.” York tucked the paper away in a small pouch hidden behind her peytral, then went to the nearest balcony and took off into the late-afternoon sky.

(-)

“So why're we bringing him to Canterlot when we've got a perfectly good hospital at Ponyville, Twi?” Dash asked. “I mean, he looked pretty messed up.”

“Unfortunately, Ponyville Hospital has almost no expertise in treating non-ponies. Remember what happened with Spike two and a half years ago?” Twilight sighed. “I've had lots of long talks with the mayor since then... it's just not cost-effective to keep a specialist on-site when the town has exactly one non-equine citizen and sees maybe three more in a year. I quit arguing with her about it when I ascended and could just either teleport Spike to Canterlot or bring a doctor from there to here pretty much inside of a minute.”

“Oh, gotcha. So you're getting the Yeti-” she coughed slightly when Twilight shot her a look- “I mean, the creature brought here so that doctors who work on other species can have a look at him?”

“Precisely.” She gazed out into the skies expectantly.

Dash was about to make a comment on something when she heard Fluttershy speak up. “Um... Twilight?” she asked hesitantly. “Are... are you okay?”

She saw Twilight open her mouth to speak, pause a moment, then close her mouth again and shake her head. “I don't think I am, no,” she said quietly. “But there's no time to talk about it right now. Fluttershy, as soon as the guards land, I'll need you working with the castle medical staff, and... two others to help determine his condition and whatever treatment he might need. Rainbow Dash, I'll want you on standby in the event that he escapes again. Remember that you must not touch him while you're flying- if he does get loose, just trail him so that others can find him.”

Dash blinked in confusion. “Wait, hang on. Why would I have to worry about not touching him while I'm flying?”

“You saw what happened when Rarity tried to lift him, didn't you? Somehow the creature either absorbs or negates magic.”

“Okay, whoa. You told me yourself that kind of thing's impossible.”

Twilight stared at her in shock. “You remember one of my lectures?”

“Yeah, I tend to remember things when you use words I can understand, egghead!” Dash gave her friend a playful glance.

“Well, how 'bout you clue th' rest of us in, Profess'r Dash?” Applejack teased.

With an assenting nod from Twilight, Dash cleared her throat. “Okay. Magic's kinda like water, you see? Now, when you've got water, you can boil it into steam or freeze it into ice. But whatever you do to it, it doesn't just 'go away'. Even if you can't see water vapor, it's still there, and it's gotta go somewhere, even if it turns back into rain or becomes dew or fog or something.”

“That's essentially correct, yes.” Twilight nodded, and Dash felt a peculiar pride in being right about something complex. “And I can't explain just how it is the creature did what he did... but you felt it, didn't you, Applejack? When you tried to lift him?”

“Boy howdy, did I.” The cowpony took off her hat. “Everythin' was okay for the first few seconds... then I felt like somebody'd put a tap in mah leg and was drainin' all my strength out like I was a keg a' cider. Right after I let go, though, I felt right as rain again.”

“Yeah. And the pegasus Guard who tried pulling him up couldn't stay airborne, and I couldn't affect him at all with direct magic or thaumatic constructs like barriers.” Twilight shook her head, an obviously irritated expression coming over her for a moment. “It's against everything I've ever learned about basic magic theory! I'm going to have to wait for answers, though, especially if he's as injured as he looked- getting him treated is priority one.”

“Twilight, there's one question I feel the need to ask,” Rarity said. “You obviously don't want us to call this creature a yeti... but then what exactly is he?”

Twilight let out a sigh, scraping her hoof lightly across the cobblestones. “I still don't have the slightest clue. He's obviously not even remotely related to minotaurs, and they're the only sapient bipedal race we know of. I came across an ancient legend of something called the 'Ipotane' that also went around on two legs, but what little I could learn of it didn't seem close either. If I had to base a guess just on what I've seen of him, I'd say he almost looks like an offshoot of one of the great apes of eastern Zebrica.”

“Apes? You mean like monkeys?” Pinkie giggled. “Twilight, that's silly! I've seen monkeys before, and he didn't look anything like them! They're all hairy and they run around and swing on trees and eat bananas and throw their own-”

“We get what yer sayin', Pinkie,” Applejack interrupted hastily. “But I do kinda see what Twi means. Better guess 'n anythin' I can dream up, that's fer sure.”

“Actually, that does give me a pretty good baseline for treatment,” Fluttershy said quietly. “I mean, I've never worked with apes or monkeys, but I do know a few things about them. That should be helpful when I start working on a treatment and feeding schedule.”

“Um... a-heh. Fluttershy?” Twilight chuckled nervously. “Let's not go overboard. He's apparently been living on his own for weeks, so I'm sure he knows how to feed himself.”

“Well, I know that, Twilight. But if he's related to primates, then he might be an om-”

“Hey, look! I think that's him!” Pinkie started jumping up and down in excitement, pointing a foreleg at a speck in the distance. “Or, well, the pegasi that are flying him in! But still!”

“I think you're right, Pinkie.” Twilight turned and raised a hoof; the team of doctors who had been waiting by the castle entrance rushed forward, their oversized stretcher rattling along the cobblestone walkway between them. A contingent of four Guardsponies, much more impassive and stern-looking, came up a short distance behind. “Stallions and gentlemares,” she addressed the quintet of medical experts, “the creature we're bringing here is of an unknown species, with possible multiple serious wounds sustained from a long chase through wilderness. I'm going to be having three individuals working alongside you to help determine the best course of treatment. One of them is Fluttershy here.”

The named pegasus seemed to try to hide behind her mane. “Um... hello....”

“The other two I'll be bringing once the creature is stabilized. Now, please understand that direct magic infusion is not an option here, and oral medications, injections and salves must be tested beforehoof to ensure against anaphylactic reaction. I'm sure all of you know this already, but we can't be too careful when working with an unknown species.” All of the assembled doctors nodded, and Twilight smiled. “Excellent!” she exclaimed, turning back to face the oncoming pegasi. “Then let's get ready to help our newcomer heal.”

(-)

It said something that by the time I neared my ultimate destination, I was more nervous about where I was going than I was about being in the air. Mother of fuck, that place is enormous, I thought when I finally got a good glimpse of the city, as the pegasi pulling me along swung wide, probably on some kind of final approach; it looked like it had either been built on, or carved from, the side of the enormous mountain it sat upon. It was an architectural impossibility- hell, it pretty much slapped physics across the face.

And yet as I approached, still strapped to the back of this thin wooden pallet, I found my sense of awe swept aside by an all-too-familiar feeling of dread. Why bring me here? Look at the place... it's enormous, it's high up.... An overwhelming feeling of being trapped suffocated my rational thoughts, and it was all I could do to not pull against my restraints already, my fear at least allowing for enough strategic thought to realize that now was not the time for escape.

Finally, the pegasi carrying me landed, and I felt the makeshift litter I was still bound to scrape along the ground before coming to a stop. Through my facade of unconsciousness, I could see almost a dozen ponies gather around me- and my blood went cold at the sight of the purple pegacorn, though her expression as she gazed at me was hard to read- was she angry? Curious? Afraid? It seemed like she was trying to hide her emotions. She watched carefully as my ropes were untied, and then the pallet I was laying on was lifted and brought alongside what seemed to be a gurney- with restraints.

Visions of being dissected or tortured while bound and helpless shot through my mind, and before I could even think to stop myself, I rolled onto the gurney, then jumped off- and kicked it towards the assembled ponies with as much force as I could manage... which was far more than I'd expected, considering my state earlier. I didn't waste time thinking about it, instead charging at and through the line of guards- they were quick, but my speed and element of surprise were just enough of an edge to get by- and sprinted towards the only doors I could see, slamming them behind me. Only for a second did I consider blocking those doors before I remembered that the pegacorn could teleport; getting out of sight was my best bet at evading capture again.

It was only while I was running up the nearest flight of stairs that I bothered to reach for my weapon, and found it missing. I was unhappy but not in the least bit surprised- the ponies had to know about the weapon, and leaving me armed would've been patently stupid. All I had to do was stay a step ahead of my pursuers long enough to find where they'd put it-

-which seemed like a simple enough plan until I reached the top of the staircase, and found myself in what appeared to be a welcoming hallway that was longer than a football field. Rows of stained-glass windows lined both walls, letting in the early-evening sunlight and turning it into an explosion of color. Shouting behind me reminded me that I didn't have time to stop and admire the scenery, though, so as quickly as I could, I sprinted across the hall and took the first door I could find.

And just as suddenly as last time, the chase was on.

(-)

“Jeez! Did you see how fast he went? I didn't think anything on two legs could move like that!”

“Dash!” Twilight shot her a look. “You can admire him all you want after we find him!”

“But I'm not- oh. Right. On it!” The cyan pegasus was gone in a rainbow blur; Rarity shook her head slowly. “Twilight, what are we to do?” she asked. “The castle is vast, and the creature certainly seems resourceful.”

“That's true, but remember- there's no way out of this place that isn't guarded.” Twilight led her friends to the Welcoming Hall, her nostrils flaring; Rarity tried herself to catch the creature's scent, but was unable. “And the Princesses know this castle like the backs of their eyelids,” the alicorn continued. “If we can't find him, I know they could.”

“Well, he ain't got his weapon, right?” Applejack said. “So sure, we wanna find 'im fer his own good, but ain't we overreactin' just a mite?”

Twilight fixed the cowpony with a flat stare. “Applejack, are you harmless without weapons?”

“I, uh....” The earth pony glanced down at the floor. “Okay, I getcher point.”

“I'm not that worried about him attacking ponies out of the blue. The problem is that the castle is host to a lot of ponies and other creatures, some of who might react badly to a perceived threat. Backing him against a wall is a bad idea.”

“Could that be what happened with the guard?” Rarity asked.

“It's possible. I don't know.” Twilight looked up, and Rarity followed her gaze to see a contingent of guards, led by Shining Armor, approach from the far side of the hall. “Twilight, what's going on?” he asked. “I just got reports about a guard being injured in Ponyville, and now ponies are yelling about the Everfree Yeti-”

“He's in the castle, Shining,” Twilight interrupted. “We captured him in Whitetail Woods after a chase, and he was injured, so we airlifted him here for treatment. He got loose and ran inside.”

Shining stopped short. “Does he still have-”

“No; I confiscated it. But that doesn't mean he's not a potential danger. We've discovered that he possesses some sort of magic-nullification ability; direct and area-of-effect spells dissipate on contact with him, and earth ponies and pegasi lose their innate magic when touching him.” She paused for a moment. “He's also possibly injured and may not be fully rational.”

“I understand.” The stallion turned to the guards behind him. “You understood the Princess. The creature known as the Everfree Yeti is within the walls of the castle. Begin a regimented search- every room, every closet, every last square inch of this place is to be searched under the authority of the Crowns. Lethal force is authorized only as a last resort to preserve innocent lives.”

“...lethal force...?” Fluttershy's expression was one of horror.

“Captain,” Twilight said quietly. “Remember what we discussed. Every effort needs to be made to not be seen as a threat by him. Our best hope to salvage this situation is if we can just make it clear that we only want to help him.”

“I understand that, Princess. But I have to keep my ponies safe too.” He turned again, cantering away from them as his already-moving Guards split up.

“Twilight,” Fluttershy half-whispered, “they wouldn't... wouldn't....”

“They'll only do what they feel is absolutely necessary, Fluttershy.” Rarity tried to pretend not to hear the concern in the alicorn's voice. “This is a chaotic situation and we all have to be prepared.” She glanced around, obviously thinking. “Okay, here's what we need to do. Fluttershy, I want you to stay with the doctors; we might need you on a moment's notice if the creature needs immediate medical attention. Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, I want each of you to attach yourselves- not literally, Pinkie- to a guard team and assist them with the search. I'm going to report to Princess Celestia....” She glanced out one of the windows. “...right now, before she has to lower the sun for the evening. Once that's done, I'll try to catch Rainbow Dash and get her to coordinate with the pegasi and bat-pony squadrons so that there's no wasted effort. After that... as Lyra likes to say, we'll play it by ear.”

(-)

To say that I felt strange would be a gross understatement. I could feel my body complaining with every step I took, every cell of my body feeling drained- and yet somehow I still found the energy to run. I couldn't just call it an adrenaline rush anymore; the human body couldn't maintain one for this long.

And I couldn't find it within myself to care. In fact, I was having a distressingly difficult time focusing at all on anything beyond the basics; I couldn't get myself to pause for any longer than it took to catch my breath, and when I was moving it felt like the blood pumping through my ears shoved all rational thought out of my brain. All I'd been doing for the last few minutes- I didn't even know how many- was running, resting and hiding. It was only luck that I hadn't run into any ponies along the way.

So, of course, that luck ran out in short order, when I quite literally ran into what seemed to be a group of servants with a few metal serving carts laden with food; by some miracle I managed to slip past the whole assembly without slamming into anything, but a crash behind me got me to look back- the ponies had panicked and slammed into each other and the carts in an attempt to run in every direction at once and were now coated with pretty much everything that had been on the carts.

It would've been nice to at least have a moment to laugh at the scene, but I still needed to move. After a few more minutes of ducking through hallways and climbing stairs, I found myself in a small, seemingly-disused bedroom of some sort, the single window of which overlooked a wide balcony two floors down. It was dark enough inside the room for me to avoid being seen from outside, so long as I stayed out of the incoming sunlight, so I took the opportunity to rest for a few minutes, opening the window a bit to get some fresh air into the room.

A couple of minutes later, I heard doors open below me, and glanced down. What had to be the largest pony I'd seen yet- this one was close to the height of an actual horse, though she kept the proportions of her kin- trotted out onto the balcony; she was a pegacorn like the purple one I'd seen before, decked out in bright golden regalia of some sort, complete with what looked like hoof-boots and a tiara. An image that looked like a rising sun decorated her flank, and a mane and tail that looked for all the world like an aurora borealis flowed gently behind her. Everything about her exuded power and authority, and I stood transfixed in awe.

And then she lifted her head and gazed directly at the sun, which hung just above the horizon. Her horn, and then her entire body, began to glow with golden light that brightened steadily until it was almost blinding- and then the sun began to glow the same way, and slowly, gently, slid out of sight.

I slammed the window shut and practically flung the door open, only by sheer luck not blundering into a patrol of guards as I dashed out into the hallway, with one thought running through my mind at super-fast-forward: I am dead. I am beyond dead. I remembered that one evening when the sun seemed to hang around and then practically slammed itself into the horizon, connected that to what I'd just seen, and came to one impossible and yet inescapable conclusion.

The big white pegacorn controlled the sun.

The purple one had been scary enough. I mean, I didn't know what the deal had been with me and her magic, but that big three-headed creature had never stood a ghost of a chance against her. But this one? Granted, I knew squat about how magic really worked here, but it wasn't a far leap of logic to figure that moving a celestial body took one heaping helping of magical... err, horsepower. And wouldn't it make sense to make a pegacorn like that a ruler? Hell, for all the medieval-era bling she was wearing, she was likely a queen.

And here I was, the chucklehead who'd shot and possibly killed a pony, stuck in the same castle as her. If she decided that proportionate punishment was in order, I'd be lucky if I ended up a pile of ash.

The little nugget of paranoia that had made its home in the back of my brain wouldn't let me risk it. Every rational argument I made to myself about how they'd combated the creature in the town bounced off of it, and the idea that they'd treat me differently because I was intelligent and armed gnawed away at my psyche. Even the fact that I knew by now that something was wrong with me- my aching joints, my jittery hands, my inability to focus were all strong symptoms- and that my only hope for treatment was surrender wasn't enough to stop my legs from moving. It was like I was fighting a battle with my own base instincts... and losing.

I slowed for just a moment in a thinner hallway, well-lit by hanging oil lamps, and took stock of my situation. No idea where I was, except well inside the structure of the castle if the lack of windows for the last few minutes was any indication, and no idea of what sort of force I had arrayed against me, intent on my capture or worse.

Then a door further down the hall opened, and I reflexively went through the one I'd been leaning against to keep from being seen- only to blunder my way in front of an entire contingent of armored ponies, with a taller, broad-chested unicorn stallion in a smart-looking dress uniform in front of them. I could only stand and stare for a moment, while the ponies in front of me apparently felt the same way.

I flinched first. “Fuck my life,” I spat out as I turned on my heel and ran.

(-)

“Miss Windwhisper, your presence is requested immediately by Princess Twilight.”

Sveti looked up from her nearly-empty dinner plate to see one of the Night Watch ponies standing in front of her table; the strange, bat-winged pony's slitted golden eyes were set intently on her. “Err... okay,” she said, motioning to her dishes. “Let me just-”

“That'll be attended to. This is an urgent matter.”

She could just pick up the edge of impatience in the stallion's voice, so she quickly got out of her seat and followed him out of the dining hall. Questions would be pointless- if he'd been authorized to tell her anything, he'd have said so, so she held her tongue as they walked.

Twilight was waiting for them in a small antechamber, and looked up at their approach. “Thank you, Corporal,” she told the bat-pony, who bowed his head respectively before cantering off; the alicorn turned her attention to the griffin. “Sveti, there's a situation and your help is needed,” she said quietly.

“What is it?” Sveti's mind had been turning over possibilities the entire way here, but there was no way she could have anticipated what the Princess told her next.

“The creature is here in the castle, and we need your help in finding him.”

She sat there, completely still, staring at the alicorn for ten full seconds before her brain could finally process what she'd heard. “...he's here?” she repeated. “How...?”

“Long story short, we found him in Ponyville, but he was injured and unconscious. We had him airlifted here for specialist treatment- but as soon as he arrived, he got loose, and he's been evading capture in the castle for the last hour.”

The words “what the pluck did you do to him” almost escaped her throat. Almost. But even as a specially-privileged guest, saying something like that to a Princess was ill-advised. “He's evaded capture?” she asked. “I know the guards have locator spells, wards, tripwire alarm spells....”

“All of which are useless in this situation. Sveti... I don't even pretend to know how, but somehow the creature can nullify magic.”

This time she'd spent twenty seconds staring at Twilight, and couldn't keep from blurting out a disbelieving “Princess... is this a prank?”

“No, this is absolutely serious.” The alicorn's deep purple eyes fixed on hers. “He used his weapon in Ponyville. There's a guard in critical condition in the hospital right now. I don't know what exactly happened or why, but it's clear that the creature is frightened, and I'm running out of ways to keep this from escalating into something tragic.” Her expression and voice became pleading. “Sveti, you're the best option I have left. He helped you- maybe if he sees you, he'll understand that he's not in danger and will stand down.”

Sveti's beak hung open for a moment before she nodded. “I understand, Princess. Tell me what you need me to do.”

(-)

Those poor foals are going to have nightmares of a blood-red, silent specter chasing them for weeks.

Shining cursed his luck as yet another servant's quarters turned up empty, except for the confused and frightened mare within- who of course had been minding her own business and knew nothing of some tall, agile biped storming through the place.

And Luna's teats the creature was agile. And damnably quiet! The strange thuds of his foot coverings weren't completely silent when he ran, but compared to the sharp clops of hooves, they might as well have been. And Twilight, as usual, had been completely correct about his ability to somehow “drain” magic- Shining's restraint spell had failed the moment it had started to form around his legs, and the barricade spell on a door likewise faded when he'd touched it.

The good news was that, at a full straight-ahead gallop, overtaking him was easy for a pony. The bad news was that the creature seemed to know that, and put his superior maneuverability to work in the maze of hallways and corridors that made up most of the castle. He and his Guards- well, they weren't technically his anymore since he'd been relieved of active duty, but he still held a position of command- knew this castle like the fronts of their fetlocks, but everything was so interconnected that it was ridiculously difficult to box him in.

“Captain!” came a shout. “Heading your way!”

At last, a chance to get him to stop, Shining thought, readying himself. The only ways out were the door directly behind him and a long staircase to his left- but the creature would have to go through him to get to either, and while it was technically larger than him, there was no way it had the mass to tackle him cleanly, nor did he expect it wanted to risk impaling himself on his horn. He'll have to stop, the stallion reasoned, and then maybe we can get somepony here to calm him down.

And then there the creature was, tearing down the hallway, his upper limbs swinging in counterpoint to his legs- that was probably how he kept balance while running- and heading right towards Shining. The unicorn lowered his head and widened his stance, making it clear that it was time for this chase to stop.

But the creature didn't stop- in fact, it seemed to speed up. Shining let out a groan of disappointment even as he braced for impact...

...only to have the creature literally run up the wall for three steps, then jump over his head, grab the banister and haul himself over it and onto the staircase. The biped was already up the stairs by the time Shining could get himself turned around to pursue, galloping upstairs with one though on his mind- How the buck did he do that?!

(-)

How the fuck did I do that?!

Sure, I liked to watch parkour videos from time to time. Maybe even imagined myself running across rooftops or vaulting fences. But until that moment I'd never done anything more acrobatic than walking along a street curb like it was a tightrope. Now I was practicing ninjitsu? I wasn't sure where the idea to do that had even come from. If necessity is the mother of invention, then desperation is the bastard father, I thought.

I was hurting something fierce by now, though. I'd wrenched my left shoulder pulling myself up that staircase, and it throbbed with every step I took, but I couldn't stop for it. If I could just get ahead of the guards that were looking for me, find some decently secure place to hole up, then I could maybe rest for a while and recuperate- but that wasn't going to happen with Captain Pale Horse and his merry... err, stallions nipping at my heels.

I figured that if I wanted to lay low, I had to go low... lower, rather. I was no expert on castles, but I could guess that the lower levels would be less visited and have more places to hide- the ponies had the home-field advantage, but there could only be so many of them, and in a place as big as this it would take a while to search and secure every last cubbyhole.

I noticed as I made my way down every staircase I could find that I wasn't running into any more civilians. Had they gotten the alarm out and evacuated, or were there fewer workers down here as a matter of course? It didn't matter terribly much to me either way, so long as I didn't have another run-in like I did with that group of foals. The poor kids were probably going to have nightmares with the startle I gave them.

Once more I found myself “lost in the moment” as I ran, until I came to a somewhat darker-looking hallway- it was just as well-lit as any of the others, but the rock looked hewn instead of stacked and seemed to reflect less of the light. Did I finally make it underground? I wondered. Kind of a dungeon-y feel... though there's got to be somewhere to hide here.

I walked for a short while, then chose an ordinary-looking metal door with a pull handle, checked to make sure I didn't have anyone waiting for me inside, then went through. I found myself in yet another hallway, only this one was more dimly-lit, with strange glowing crystals mounted on the wall at regular intervals. The golden, fancy-looking nameplates that had been next to nearly every door on the upper levels were instead here brushed-steel and much more businesslike. My sight was almost immediately drawn to one of the doors at the far end of the hall, with a number of placards that I couldn't read but- judging by the number of warning and hazard symbols- seemed to promise some pretty horrific damage to whoever blundered inside.

Perfect. With a push against the door- and a weird buzzing sensation that faded almost immediately- I slipped inside.

What awaited me wasn't something I would've expected. I felt like I'd stepped back into my high school's chemistry lab, with long metal tables and shelves holding all sorts of tools and equipment neatly stacked and organized. One wall held a long chalkboard that had an almost insane number of notations and equations scrawled on it, and a rack not far away from it held numerous test tubes, all of them filled with colorful liquids- some of them glowing. There was even a logbook or diary of some sort left on one table, with a symbol on the front that matched the flank mark of the purple pegacorn. Am I in her private laboratory? I wondered, making my way towards the back, careful not to touch anything that looked like it could explode, remove a limb or reduce me to my basic chemical components.

And then, on the back table, almost invisible in the darkness of the rear of the lab, I saw something familiar on the scuffed metal tabletop.

And I grinned like a complete maniac.

(-)

It was quite possibly the largest search operation the Royal Guard had undertaken in the last three hundred years... and it showed. There was no lack of dedication and professionalism in the castle Guard, certainly not... but what there did seem to be a fair lack of was imagination. Have we grown so complacent in our mastery of magic, Celestia wondered as she sat upon a cushion in her study, that we are bereft without it? Even the earth ponies of the Guard seem to be frustrated, and some of the pegasi are practically besides themselves with irritation that their quarry remains indoors. Thank Faust that Lady Applejack chose to assist- the skills she possesses, honed on her farm, are making no small difference. She sighed. And I cannot blame Shining Armor; he developed his training regimen with me after the Changeling incursion, both of us determined that no threat could overwhelm our Guard again whatever tactics it employed. Well, as Sun Shoe once remarked to me, no battle plan survives first contact with the opponent....

And what a strange 'opponent', this. Luna insists that the incident in Ponyville is most likely an accident or self-defense. Captain Armor seems divided on the subject and is remaining professionally neutral, but I have heard whispers of some of his lower officers believing that the creature is innately hostile and must be imprisoned in Tartarus, or even “put down”. The creature himself seems supremely determined to remain free, which is of course understandable... but impractical at the moment, until we can communicate with him and he is able to explain his aims. And now I begin to worry about Twilight....

As if summoned by her thoughts, the Bearer of the Element of Magic trotted into the study, her head hung low and her eyes downcast. Celestia frowned, sitting up. “Twilight?” she called, careful to keep her voice just a shade away from neutral. “What's wrong?”

“Celestia....” There was so much worry in those violet eyes. “I... I think we should talk.”

“Certainly. Have a seat.” Another cushion materialized next to her in a flash of golden magic, and slowly Twilight settled herself down. “What troubles you so?” Celestia asked, though she had a feeling she knew at least some of the problem.

“Have... have I been mishoofing all this, Celestia?” Twilight asked quietly. “This whole thing with the creature... I was so excited when we found that carriage in the woods; it seemed like such a wonderful discovery! And then... and then there was the 'sideshow'.” Her ears drooped. “Here there was a new creature we'd never seen before, a sentient and sapient being owning strange technology unlike anything we know- and we find that he's been abused, tortured, caged like an animal... by ponies!” She shook her head. “I should've known then that I was in over my head, Celestia. All of a sudden we had a possibly hostile creature, deliberately hurt by ponies, loose somewhere in Equestria. I should've delegated that to somepony else, shouldn't I? But- but I didn't. I felt....”

“You felt as thought you had to do something to help?”

“I... I guess so.” Twilight gazed down at the floor.

“I understand, Twilight. I honestly do. Learning to detach yourself from events and rise above circumstance... it is both the earliest, and one of the most difficult, lessons to be learned by a leader.”

“I think I might've failed this lesson, Celestia. The more out-of-control things got, the harder I tried to be aloof, to be more rational and less emotional. I thought I could work out what to do if I kept intellect above feelings.”

“Twilight, this entire situation has seen missteps from many of those involved. How can we say that not even the creature himself hasn't made mistakes and misjudgments? If he's as frightened as I've been told, then perhaps all he needs is some form of assurance that all he needs to do is stand down and give us a chance to prove ourselves trustworthy. Your recruitment of Sveti towards that end was a wise maneuver.”

“Maybe it's too little, too late. There's still so much that can go wrong, I-”

There was a knock at the door- the official pattern used by the Guard; both Celestia and Twilight recognized it. “Enter,” they said together, sparing each other just a split-second's amused glance before the door opened and a Guard showed her head.

“Princesses.” She bowed slightly. “The creature has been spotted heading towards sector D-8. We're reorganizing our teams to isolate him there- it's much more closed-in there. We're hoping to hem him in and force his surrender.”

Twilight blinked, and a look of pure horror came over her face. “You said D-8?! But there's only two ways into that area, and one of them... oh my gosh!”

She vanished in a burst of purple magic, leaving Celestia and the guard to stare at each other in confusion for ten seconds or so before a now-hyperventilating Twilight reappeared. “I should have known. I didn't think! What wards would stop a creature like him?!”

“Twilight!” Celestia said sternly. “Explain.”

“When we captured the creature, I confiscated his weapon and teleported it into my laboratory to keep it safe. I thought... I couldn't have known he'd get loose inside the castle! And the odds were astronomical that he'd....”

Celestia frowned as she felt a chill of fear run through her. “Twilight, are you saying...?”

The Princess of Magic took in a deep breath. “He found the lab. He found his weapon. He's armed again.”

I'd noticed that, since about half an hour after I'd gotten my weapon back, my encounters with guards had dropped to nearly zero. Had they found out I was armed again so quickly? Were they actively frightened of me now, or were they trying to “give me space” as to not escalate things?

To be honest, I wasn't sure that I cared. I just knew that they were backing off, and I felt something that I'd had far too little of over the last few months- power over my own circumstances. And with that, I felt the pounding in my head recede, and a bit of the clarity of thought I'd been lacking returned... which had the less-than-welcome side effect of leaving me able to worry about what was going on inside my own body. It felt as though I was being overwhelmed by my base survival instincts, driven to respond in ways that I didn't want and that were actually making my situation worse.

And the most frightening thing about it was that I didn't know how to stop it.

I'm going to get myself killed like this, I thought during a moment of rest, staring down at the weapon in my hand and wondering why it was so difficult to put it back in its holster. I can't keep this up. I don't even know how it is that I'm still going. Is it something related to magic? The reactions I've gotten from the ponies who've tried to use magic on me make me think that what's been happening is definitely not the norm... and when I think back to the time I was stuck in that sideshow, Tent seemed not to want to use magic on me- was it because he couldn't?

Well, just because the ponies can't seem to use magic directly on me doesn't mean they're harmless. Sticks and stones will break my bones. I need to not make them want to use them on me... which means that I can't just go putting bullets in ponies without some seriously just cause. So- scare them off? It goes against everything I learned about proper firearms usage, but warning shots and making objects break near them is about the only way I can think of to keep them away without actually harming them.

And it seemed like such a great plan, until the next logical question hit my brain.

And then what?

I didn't have an answer. I didn't know where I could go, what I could do. I was stalling for time- but for what? Even if I could get out of this impossible castle, what was next on my agenda? And yet every time I considered turning myself in, either something screwed things up or my paranoia struck. If I'd gone beyond the tolerance of that sun-moving pegacorn queen, I might be better off just sticking my gun in my mouth, because all that I had left to look forward to was either a life on the run or a short and unhappy existence in a prison cell.

I couldn't find it in myself to give up so easily, though. There had to be another way; I just needed to figure it out. Maybe if I could find ponies I could trust outside of the power structure, who could shelter me and teach me how to understand their language- but how to even approach them, let alone make myself understood....

click

I instinctively moved out of sight of the door as it opened, cursing myself for taking refuge in a room with only one exit. From behind the small armoire I was crouched beside, I saw a single armored normal-pony stallion carefully trot in- but something was different this time. Rather than the authoritative air and measured steps the soldiers usually had, this particular pony was behaving differently... not frightened; there was too much confidence in his attitude for that. But he seemed reserved, careful, and above all else determined to be unintimidating. He called out something, quietly, in a voice that seemed inquisitive rather than demanding.

All of that didn't keep me from pointing my gun at him when he spotted me.

Credit where it's due; I could tell he understood what my weapon could do, but he didn't let it frighten him, though he did seem to have a healthy respect for it. He even managed to look me in the eyes as he continued talking, his voice gaining a pleading quality as he motioned with a foreleg towards the door. Is he asking me to come with him? I wondered, still staring at him past the sights of my gun. I wanted to believe it, really wanted to, but the idea that I was being stalled for an ambush was pressing at the back of my mind.

I decided to split the difference. I cut off the pony's talking with an upraised hand, then motioned for him to stay put; he apparently understood my gestures, and nodded. He didn't look happy at all as I backed away from him slowly, his eyes following me as I left the room- then closed the door and kicked the doorknob off. I only spared a few seconds to consider how bizarre a doorknob was in a building created by a species with hooves before I took off down the hallway. They'll find him eventually, I thought as I moved. And he'll tell them what I did. How they react is going to dictate what I do. If they attack me again, I'll fight back; if they keep up what he did... maybe I can get myself to believe that they'll take me peacefully.

With a sigh, and the hope that I could actually convince myself to follow my own plan, I picked the nearest staircase and made my way up. I was getting nervous about being underground- it was starting to feel like an exceptionally-complex dungeon.

(-)

“Your Highness, please. This entire section of the castle was ordered evacuated by Captain Armor more than half an hour ago!” Ensemble practically pranced in place out of sheer nervousness, glancing between the stubborn noble in front of her and the door behind her.

“I am not leaving without my favorite boutonniere!” Prince Blueblood pulled yet another drawer open and levitated its contents out to examine them critically. “It just wouldn't do! I'm sure that this 'evacuation' is nothing more than one of the Captain's useless 'precautionary measures' he enjoys foisting upon his betters in order to justify his no-doubt overly-generous paycheck.”

It took every ounce of self-control Ensemble had not to let out a sigh of irritation. “Prince Blueblood, far be it from me to even suggest that you-”

“Yes, far be it from a simple maid to tell a prince what he should and should not do.” He didn't even spare her a look as he continued going through drawers. “It's good that you know your place, my dear.”

Now she did sigh in irritation, careful to keep it inaudible. Insufferable little prat, she grumbled mentally. Somepony rescue me from this idiot!

No sooner had the thought crossed her mind than her wish was granted, as the far door burst open and something large ducked into the room, slamming the door behind it. Both she and the Prince froze in place as they took in the sight before them- the Everfree Yeti in the hide, right there in the room with them! Ensemble felt her legs instinctively lock in fright, and she desperately looked for guidance from her leader-

-who was positively soaking the floor beneath him with urine.

“Monster!” the prince wailed, in a voice even higher-pitched than Ensemble's. “Get it away! Get it away!” The dresser drawer he still held in his arcanokinetic grip suddenly shot forward, and it was only due to his bad aim that it didn't brain the creature, instead shattering against the door it'd just moved away from. “Guards, help!” Blueblood screamed, even as he levitated more drawers out of their places to fling at the creature, who was practically sprinting through the room in an attempt to not get hit.

Then the other door opened, and a tall, muscular stallion bedecked in gleaming golden armor cantered in. “Your Highness!” he called out. “What-”

smash

The poor stallion never saw the oaken desk drawer coming and took the impact directly to the forehead, his helmet doing little to keep the blow from knocking him back out of the room, his fetlock catching on the door latch and pulling it closed. The creature came to a complete stop for a moment, an easily-recognizable look of shock on its bare-skinned face, and Ensemble heard it mutter something that just might've been a version of “what the buck” before something flew past her.

crash

The idiot prince had nearly brained her with another misaimed drawer throw. She'd turned to stare at him incredulously when a creaking sound made her look back- the drawer had hit the stately grandfather clock hard enough to rock it backwards, and now it was rocking forwards, teetering, falling towards her as she tried to get her legs to work-

-and then a fleshy, thin-clawed forepaw caught the edge of the clock, stopping it from hitting her, and pushing it back upright. The creature wasn't looking at her, though, but instead kept its gaze locked on the Prince, who seemed to be focused on lifting the very desk he'd pulled the drawer out of. “Get away from me!” he screamed, even though the creature was nowhere near him and making no movement towards him; the desk raised above Blueblood's head, and Ensemble realized with a thrill of fear that if he flung it at the creature, there was a very real chance that the extremely heavy desk would hit her instead.

BANG BANG BANG

An invisible force tore three holes through the desk, sending splinters everywhere and disrupting the Prince's magical field; he let out a yelp as the desk almost fell on him instead, the oaken furniture smashing against the floor sideways. The stallion's irises and pupils shrank to pinpricks as he backed himself into a corner, whimpering piteously, and Ensemble felt disgust and contempt well up inside her at the pathetic display.

Then the door the creature had come through flew open again, and a trio of guards stormed through, probably alerted by the deafening noise of whatever the creature had done. Two of them immediately placed themselves between the Prince and the creature, while the third moved to flank it, all of them watching it carefully but not making any overtly aggressive moves. “Your Highness, what happened?!” one of the guards asked.

“That beast tried to kill me!” Blueblood cried out. “Get it! Get it and throw it in a hole somewhere!” His horn lit up, and a jagged piece of wood wrenched itself free from the desk, flinging itself at the creature, who was just barely able to get out of its way; the hunk of oak embedded itself into the far wall like a spear.

The creature had apparently had enough, pulling the near door open and practically diving over the still-unconscious guard outside to escape. “Don't lose track of him!” one of the guards told the others, who immediately bolted after the creature; the remaining guard turned towards the Prince- only to find him curled up in a ball, blubbering to himself.

Then the guard noticed her, and approached. “...what the buck happened here?” he asked in a quiet voice.

Ensemble glanced between him, the broken furniture, and the still-sobbing royalty, and found that she just was too stunned to manage anything but brutal honesty. “...a lot of stupid happened,” she deadpanned.

(-)

BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG

Okay, so I knew that “shooting out a lock” was something you only did when you were a character in a badly-written action movie. I knew that the sound of gunshots was only going to pinpoint my location. And I knew I wasn't thinking ahead the way I should have been. But after what had happened in that room, I had reordered my priorities so that “get away from batshit crazy pony” was tops on the list. And since I'd found myself once again running out of escape options and presented with a rare encounter in this place- a locked door- I'd placed five careful shots around the doorhandle, then raised my leg and kicked it as hard as I could.

The shock of the kick traveled up my leg with a lot more strength than I expected, and I limped a few steps through the doorway to find myself in a wide-open ballroom of some sort, with glittering chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and a large fountain featuring a statue of two ponies dancing together that had a pair of wide, sweeping staircases on either side.

The heavy clops of hooves along the corridor I'd just come through brought my mind back to reality. Eager to keep my pursuers off my heels until I could find a better place to make a stand- one where I had a secured exit and they couldn't surround me- I backed up a few steps, raised my weapon towards the ceiling and fired three shots into the base of the chandelier. Whatever was securing it snapped, and the little crystals that hung from it tinkled against each other as it fell.

SMASH

The chandelier slammed into the floor almost directly in front of the doorway; anyone wanting to get through the doors would have to get around a bunch of bent metal and shattered glass. Satisfied that I'd blocked off pursuit for at least a little while, I made my way past the fountain and up one of the staircases, pausing at the top to change magazines, putting the nearly-empty one into my waist pouch and pulling out my one full mag in order to load it.

Then movement in the corner of my eye caught my attention, and I reflexively turned to look.

fwoosh-thwack

A blur of blue swept past me, the rush of air ruffling my clothes and overly-long hair, and I felt something knock my magazine out of my hand. It hit my knee, bounced along the floor a couple of times, and then- just as I was lunging to grab it- it slid between two balusters of the banister and fell into the fountain below with a quiet plunk.

Oh for fuck's sake- that's fifteen rounds gone! What the hell-! I turned to my left, and was greeted by an unexpected and unwelcome sight- a sky-blue pegasus mare, hovering a dozen feet or so away from me, watching me with narrowed, rose-colored eyes. But the most striking thing about her was the rainbow-hued mane and tail she bore, not like anything I'd seen on any other pony.

I didn't have it in me to be impressed. Not wanting to give her a chance to knock my weapon out of my hand, I slid it back into its holster and then spun on my heel, sprinting towards the first door I could find; it was thankfully without a lock, and I opened it, spun and slammed it shut as quickly as I could, not giving the pegasus even a single second to get through it behind me.

Which didn't explain how she was hovering there, giving me a smug look, when I turned around. She flipped her mane aside and said something that sounded teasing as I stared at her incredulously. Can she teleport too somehow, or is she just that fast? I thought.

Let's put it to the test.

As quickly as I'd entered the room, I exited, making sure that she had no chance at all to follow this time and then kicking the doorknob to jam it. Sure enough, I heard a rattle a split-second later, something that sounded suspiciously like pony profanity, and then a woosh of air.

I was halfway down the hall when I heard a door slam open behind me, and the chase was on.

(-)

Dash's first impulse was to go get the guards, or maybe find Twilight or that griffin she'd mentioned, or at the least tell somepony that she'd spotted the creature. But then he'd pulled that door maneuver on her, and her competitive side kicked in on overdrive- if he wanted to challenge her, he was going to see just what she could do. I mean, just how hard can it be for somepony as fast as me to keep track of something with two legs and no wings? she'd thought.

She found out the answer to that rather quickly, the first time he lost her. How the hay does he climb so well?! she wondered as she finally spotted him pulling himself up onto a balcony. The second time, he'd lost her for a good ten minutes until through sheer luck she'd spotted him poking his head out of the cabinet he'd hidden in, and the third time it was twenty minutes- and only the shouts of guards a good distance away from where she was looking alerted her to his location. If we were in an open area, he'd never get away from me, she thought with a quiet grumble. ...but then again, he probably knows that! Argh, this definitely isn't as easy as I'd thought it would be.

As the night wore on, Dash began to realize why the Royal Guard had had so much trouble pinning the creature down. It wasn't that he was really fast; anypony could beat him in a straight gallop. Nor was he very strong- it looked like he'd maybe be an equal to Dash herself, she could admit, but he'd never hold a candle to Applejack. It was when she'd seen him do a running jump ten feet from one balcony to another- with a five-story drop between them- that she realized his strengths... he was clever, he was agile, and he was absolutely determined.

Eventually, though, his luck ran out, and he wound up cornered in one of the castle's many display wings, basically a cul-de-sac lined with various works of art the Princesses had collected over the centuries. Dash hovered above the entrance, which was blocked by three guardsponies. Okay, tough guy, we finally got you, Dash thought, still feeling the adrenaline of the chase pumping through her veins. Just... come along peacefully, okay? This has all really got to stop.

Something caught the creature's attention, and Dash looked downward to see Princess Celestia enter the room behind her guards. The creature himself seemed to cringe for a moment- why, Dash couldn't begin to guess; she'd never seen the Princess look so disarming and gentle- before he let his shoulders slump and what seemed to be a resigned look came over his strange face. He raised his hands and took a step forward, and a smile crossed Celestia's face as she opened her mouth to speak.

“Auntie!”

Dash spun in midair, hearing the sound of somepony galloping towards them from outside the room; it took her a moment to place the voice- Prince Blueblood, the jerk who'd humiliated Rarity at the Grand Galloping Gala a few years back. What the hay is he doing here? she wondered, noticing out of the corner of her eye that the creature was not at all reacting well to the sound of that voice.

“Auntie, I'm so glad I found you! You wouldn't believe what horrible thing has happ....” The voice trailed off, and a moment later, the unmistakable smell of urine hit Dash's nose. “That beast! That horrid beast is here!” came an ear-piercingly high scream. “It's going to try to kill me again, Auntie! Squish it!”

Dash almost didn't catch the thuds of the creature's foot-coverings against the lavish rug that covered the floor. By the time she looked back, he was two-thirds of the way to the far window, a large colorful mural of some celebration involving ponies twirling fabric around a pole. Even as she flexed her wings to follow, she saw him pull something from a strange holder on his leg- that weapon Twilight warned us about- and raised it in one hand, pointing it at the window.

BANG

Part of the window exploded, sending cracks through the rest of it; the creature returned the weapon to its holder and lean forward, barreling toward the window full-tilt-

-oh, you have got to be bucking kidding me, that window leads outside!-

-and smashing through it like a wrecking ball with a bang that rivaled that of his weapon.

The sound hadn't finished echoing off the walls of the hall before Dash was soaring through what remained of the window, shards of glass bouncing off her hide as she aimed for the creature, who was rapidly dropping towards the sharply-angled roof of a home. Unwilling to let the creature kill himself out of foolishness, she dove in, sliding her forelegs under his arms and flapping her wings to pull him up-

-only to feel all of her considerable wingpower fade away like it'd been siphoned out of her.

Oh, right. Touching him does that. Smart, Dash, real smart.

Her would-be rescue turned into a panicked flailing of her wings as she practically clung to his back. His feet hit the tiled roof and immediately slid, and his quick attempt at grabbing the top edge of the roof failed, leaving him to slide down its length diagonally; he managed to grab the raingutter right at the edge- only to have that break away on him seconds later, though it gave him the opportunity to grab a window ledge instead. Now I see where Twilight came up with the ape comparison, she thought as he clambered down the wall with amazing precision, getting himself- and her- down to street level unharmed.

And then he pulled Dash off of his back and unceremoniously dropped her in a trash bin before running off again.

“Ack!” She struggled to get out of the garbage can, almost tipping it over before she managed to pull herself up, swatting a discarded banana peel off of her muzzle before shaking her head and narrowing her eyes.

“Okay, tough guy... it's on.”

(-)

Okay, so maybe dumping the pegasus who'd tried to save my life into a garbage can was a little... well, asshole-ish. But at the moment, my focus was on getting the hell away from Prince Psycho-Crazy-Bonkers before he started flinging more furniture at me. Some of these ponies seem to be completely out of control, I thought, even as I ran down a darkened alley. And just as I thought I was finally done running... well, here we go again.

I ducked underneath an awning as a flash of blue, dimly lit by the various street lamps, flashed overhead. The rainbow-haired pegasus- who I'd dubbed “Rainbolt” for her flank mark and ridiculous speed- was obviously on the hunt for me. Can't blame her, I thought, pulling one of my two remaining magazines out of its pouch and checking it- six rounds remaining. I drew my weapon, slid the mag home and released the slide catch.

Hooffalls behind me spurred me on. Amazingly enough, even at this hour- it had to be past midnight, by my reckoning- there were ponies out on the streets; this and the bright lighting of the roadways made stealthy maneuvering extremely difficult, and it wasn't long before I was trapped between a well-lit and populated intersection and the sound of pursuit not far behind. I could just make a run for it through them, but there's the chance that somebody could be the heroic type and try to stop me, I thought. Better to make a distraction- one loud enough to scare all of them off. Panicked crowds running away ought to help keep the guards off me, too. Okay, remember... check backgrounds- good, nice thick walls behind my targets; aim, focus, squeeze the trigger on exhale....

BANG-pop

The report of my handgun seemed muffled somewhat, but the explosion of the streetlamp on the opposite side of the intersection made up for it. Most of the ponies stopped whatever they were doing to look up at it, confused murmuring breaking out and some of the more skittish ones backing away.

BANG-pop

The second lamp blowing out got some of them to take off, but most of them seemed more bewildered than frightened, and a few were looking in my direction. Letting out a groan of frustration, I decided that I might as well finish off the rest of the lights and at least give myself some darkness to work with.

BANG-pop

BANG

BANG-pop

I cursed at myself for missing what should've been an easy shot; an unmoving target at fifteen or so meters should have been a gimme, but adrenaline and fatigue were turning my nervous system into pudding. But I'd gotten the desired effect- with the intersection plunged into almost-complete darkness, the ponies were scattering for anyplace lit, some of them almost trampling each other in fear. I winced as a nearby elderly stallion was shoved roughly into a wall by a mare who was apparently more concerned with leaving than with whatever was in her way. Okay, maybe not entirely my desired effect, I thought, but take what you've got!

A glance behind me showed movement, and that spurred me into action. I bolted across the darkened crossroads, almost tripping over a pony who'd just collapsed on the street with her forelegs over her head, heading for an alley I'd spotted on the far side. I could see circles of light playing across the buildings near me, and figured that there were unicorns with light spells or whatever involved in the search; I decided not to test if my weird magic-canceling thing would keep them from spotting me, and instead practically dove into the alley.

I paused for just a moment to check my ammunition situation. I'd emptied the magazine, with only its last remaining round still in the chamber; dejectedly, I tossed the empty mag aside- not much point in keeping it when I'm not going to be finding any more ammo anywhere, I mused- and drew my last one, finding it holding four more rounds. Well, that's it, then, I thought, not finding much comfort in the metallic click of the magazine sliding home. Five more shots, and then I'm defenseless again. The ponies may not know that, but they seem smart enough to be able to figure it out.

The gunshots and subsequent panic had definitely drawn attention, and a number of guards were clustered in the intersection, light spells and lanterns deployed. No going back, then, I told myself, looking for a way forward.

I'd cleared about six city blocks or so before I found myself stymied again- this time not by guards, but by citizens who'd apparently taken up the search for me themselves. Shit, the guards would've been better, I thought, watching the line of what looked to be middle-class ponies purposefully advance up the street, some of them levitating torches and lanterns. At least they haven't got pitchforks.

I was so intent on the group ahead of me that I didn't notice a window behind me had opened, until I heard a short gasp followed by a shill scream. Startled, I jumped out from my hiding spot- right into full view of the crowd, whose initial reaction of fear quickly turned into determination. I instinctively took a step back as they began to advance on me, a wall of equine ferocity. I raised my weapon to fire a warning shot to scare them off.

click

Frowning, I tilted the gun to check the exit port; sure enough, the little indicator next to it showed that the chamber was full, and I pulled the trigger again.

click

Misfire, I realized with a cold jolt of fear. The crowd, emboldened by my failed show of force, surged; I turned on my heel and ran up the street, which quickly hit a steep hill that would probably slow me down a lot more than it would the ponies pursuing me. I racked the handgun's slide to eject the bad round, then glanced over my shoulder- they were too close to me now, and moving far too quickly, for a second show of force to be really effective, and I still didn't want to actually fire at them unless it was absolutely necessary.

Then I spotted the heavily-loaded scaffolding on what looked to be a bank of some sort near the top of the hill.

Three barely-aimed, on-the-run shots were what it took to get the thing to start to collapse. I gave it a good kick as I passed it, and it obligingly crumbled, spilling cans of paint, chunks of rock and metal bars into the street, stalling my pursuers- none of whom were pegasi, thankfully- and forcing them to use magic and strength to block the avalanche of building materials as I continued on.

I found a short cul-de-sac to hole up in to catch my breath once more. My entire body shook now, my legs felt like rubber, and every joint felt like it was on fire. I practically sobbed for breath there, only willpower keeping me from curling into a ball on the spot, forcing myself to re-check my ammunition just to give myself something to focus on; the magazine was empty. Last bullet, I thought morosely. Final stand time?

A metallic sound echoed through the street outside my hiding spot, and with what felt like the last of my strength I got back to my feet, raising my gun in shivering hands. I heard the dull thunks of metal against stone approach closer- another pony, apparently- and fought the urge to put my finger on the trigger.

Then she stepped into view. The Queen. The one I'd seen actually move the sun. She'd followed me out here, chased me down, and now she'd found me. Her deep pink eyes locked onto mine, her body filling the entrance to my hiding spot, her strange ethereal mane still waving in a wind I didn't feel. I stared down the sights of my handgun at her for a moment, everything seemingly frozen, a moment in time suspended into infinity.

Then I felt the last of my strength drain away from me. I couldn't pull the trigger; not on her. What good would it even do? She could probably catch the bullet in mid-flight, or melt it into leaden vapor, or send it right back down the barrel it came out of. Hell, even if my weird magic-nullifying skill actually worked on her, she wouldn't even need magic to kill me... she could trample me with those golden-armored hooves, or spear me with that enormous horn.

I could feel every last drop of my willingness to fight evaporate, leaving me with nothing but an ice-cold feeling of despair and resignation. It was over. I'd done my best, fought harder than I'd ever thought I could, and maybe gotten farther than most people could in my position- but here we were at the endgame, and I'd lost.

My gazed flicked down to the weapon in my hand. Still, I had just one thing left to me, something most people didn't.

The ability to choose the time and manner of my own death.

I saw the giant pegacorn take a step back as I raised my weapon again- and placed it against my head. “Fuck the lot of you,” I half-whimpered, half-growled. “I'm out.”

click

...no, don't even tell me....

click

And as quickly as despair had welled up inside me, I felt it replaced by fury; the world seemed to turn red around me, and once more I felt blood pulsing in my ears. All this, and now I can't even die if I want to?!

I was dimly aware that I'd grabbed my gun by the front end, and before I even realized what I was doing, I'd slammed the butt into the side of the pegacorn's head as hard as I could. As she staggered from the blow, I pushed past her, my now-useless gun falling from my numbed fingers as I focused on running- where, I didn't care anymore, just as long as it was away.

(-)

Ah hah. Found you again, tough guy.

Dash dropped altitude to glide above the creature as he ran pell-mell through the streets. But almost immediately she could tell something was wrong- he wasn't even looking back at her, didn't seem at all to be paying much attention to where he was going, and had seemingly given up all pretense of caring about his own safety, judging by the way he was jumping, sidestepping or even crashing through obstacles rather than change course.

It was when he'd literally tackled a guard that Dash realized things were completely out of control. Oh, jeez, I've gotta stop him before somepony gets really hurt, she thought. But how? I can't even touch him if I want to stay airborne, and I don't think I like my chances against him on the ground... I know! I'll try to distract him, get him to slow down so that somepony else can get him to stop.

She began zipping by him when it was safe to do so- she could see that he no longer had that weapon, so she wasn't worried about him using it on her, but she could tell by now that he wasn't harmless without it- trying to cut him off from escape routes and keep him on the main thoroughfare until another pony could get in position to stop him. But it didn't seem that he was willing to play along, and she couldn't keep him from taking a side path that led towards a collection of alleys and a steep staircase along the back of a building. Realizing that she could very well lose him again if he got into those alleys, Dash landed in the pathway, setting herself, ready to tackle him if it was necessary in order to keep him from getting away. “Okay, tough guy,” she called out, “this has gotta stop!”

She was prepared for him to try to jump over her, or go through her, or turn around. What she hadn't expected was him jumping up onto the railing, taking five quick steps along it, and then leaping almost a dozen feet towards the staircase.

He didn't quite make it; his left foot clipped the railing of the staircase, and he slammed shoulder-first into the stairs, tumbling uncontrollably down them and crashing into the walkway at their base.

“Ohmigosh!” Dash didn't know anything about this creature's physiology, but nothing could have gone through that without injury; she skidded to a landing next to him, finding him huddled up in a ball, and carefully pressed a hoof to his shoulder to move him for a better look. She gasped at what she found- he'd taken a large gash to his forehead, and blood flowed freely from it as well as his nose; he was clutching at his chest, bruises already forming on the bare skin visible beneath his open shirt. And yet his eyes were locked on her in obvious fear, and he was trying feebly to get away from her.

Then there was a woosh of air over feathers, and something came to a landing next to Dash; she looked to see a furious-looking griffin hen advancing on her. “What the pluck did you do to him?!” she demanded.

“Nothing! He tried to make a jump and hit the staircase! And just who the buck are-” Dash fell silent for a moment. “Wait... you're that griffin Twilight told me about, aren't you?”

“Yeah.” She looked down to see the creature still staring at Dash; he flinched when she gently grasped his hand in her talon, and when his eyes focused on her, his fearful expression rapidly turned into a mix of recognition and confusion. “Shhh,” she told him quietly. “It's okay. I'm... I'm here for you, alright? I'm going to watch out for you now. You don't need to run anymore.”

Dash knew the creature couldn't understand- the incomprehension was clear on that strange, bare-skinned, tiny-eyed face- but the tone of the griffin's voice seemed to have an effect on him... at least until his eyes rolled back and he collapsed.

“Oh, jeez. We need to find help for him.” Dash raised a hoof towards the creature, only to have the griffin grab it.

“I'll stay here with him.” The hen glanced between her and the creature. “If you're who I think you are, you'll be able to get help a lot faster.”

“Yeah. Right, got it.” With that, Dash immediately took to the air, speeding off in the direction of the last group of guards she'd seen.

(-)

“Can ya believe it?” Apple Bloom shook her head slowly. “Th' Everfree Yeti was right here in Ponyville! An' nopony even knew!”

“I wish I'd known!” Scootaloo exclaimed, flitting up into the air for a moment to lash her forelegs out as if she were fighting something. “I'd have... have....”

“You'd have what, exactly?” asked Sweetie Belle.

“I, err....” The pegasus blushed slightly as she landed. “Okay, I don't know what I would've done, but whatever it was, I'd have done it twice!”

“You girls read the posters,” Sweetie replied. “They told us to just stay away from it. And Rarity told me that she heard from Twilight that the thing was kept in a cage by somepony!”

“Well, that's what you do with dangerous animals, right?”

“It ain't no animal,” Bloom countered. “I heard from somepony that it talks. Animals don't talk!”

“Well then how come it ran away after it hurt that poor guard? Why didn't it stay and tell us what happened?”

Bloom's expression fell. “Well, um....”

“Not everypony can speak Equish,” Sweetie said. “Zecora told me that she had to learn it before she came to Equestria. I mean, we've heard her speak Zebrican, right? And none of us understand it.”

“Oh. Huh.” Scootaloo slowed for a moment, her expression thoughtful. “I didn't think of that.”

“Well, they're takin' 'im t' Canterlot now,” Bloom said, “so I guess none'a it matters anymore, right? What do we....” Her voice trailed off as she looked towards the woods. “Hey, what's that?”

Scootaloo turned as well. “Huh. Yeah, what is that? C'mon, girls.”

Sweetie followed in mild confusion, not sure what they'd spotted until the group drew closer to a trio of thin trees covered with branches and leaves. She realized after a moment that this was where they'd heard that strange sound a few days ago... and then her eyes caught what the others had apparently seen- a glint of sunlight off of metal.

“Wow.” Scootaloo was there first; she leaned behind one of the trees, then dragged out a strange-looking bag of some kind with a long strap attached to it. “This is the weirdest set of saddlebags I've ever seen,” she commented, looking at the complicated-looking latch and strange fabric.

“That ain't saddlebags,” Bloom said. “It's just one bag, an' that strap is way too long to sit right on a pony. It'd be draggin' on the ground even if Big Mac was wearin' it.”

“Weird.” Sweetie waited until Scootaloo set the bag down, and then magically tugged at the buckle holding it closed. “We ought to have a look inside,” she reasoned, “and see if there's anything in it that shows who it belongs to so we can return it to them.”

A hopeful look crossed Scootaloo's face. “Do you think we'll get property-returning cutie marks?!” she asked; the flat stares that she got in return wiped the goofy grin from the pegasus's face, and she looked down. “...yeah, I guess that's kinda dumb.”

“Darn it. How do you open this thing?!” Sweetie groaned in frustration as she worked her neophyte magical skills on the bizarre latch. Finally, completely by accident, she found that squeezing two small depressions in the sides of the bottom buckle got the top one to release and pop open, and the three fillies looked inside as Sweetie pulled open the flap.

What they found inside was both confusing and maybe a little worrying to Sweetie- a number of objects she didn't recognize and couldn't figure out, a large clear bottle made of a firm but crinkly material that still held a small amount of water, and a large pad of paper with a thin, metallic tube clipped to part of it. She opened the pad and began leafing through the pages one by one. “Whoa,” Bloom breathed. “Lookit that!”

The first thirty pages of the pad held drawings- sketches, really, but very nicely detailed ones that Rarity probably wouldn't mind putting up on the walls. Sweetie recognized herself and her friends, her sister, and a number of other ponies depicted in the drawings, all of which looked as though they'd been done from a viewpoint of about where she stood now.

And then everything clicked into place in Sweetie Belle's mind. “Girls, we need to get this stuff to Twilight,” she said quietly.

“Huh?” Scootaloo blinked in surprise. “This stuff isn't hers, is it?”

“No, but she's got to see it.” She levitated up the bag by its strap until it was about six feet in the air. “You've all seen pictures of the Yeti, right? Imagine if it was standing right about there with that strap on its shoulder.”

Both of the other fillies stared for a moment. “Yer right,” Bloom breathed. “We gotta get this stuff to Twilight. Let's get to th' library an' tell Spike!”

I heard that song again.

I felt tired; bone-achingly tired. Fatigue wrapped around my body like a suffocating blanket, making doing anything feel nearly impossible. I was vaguely aware of pain, but it felt distant, almost separate from me- maybe I was just too exhausted to really register it.

I was dimly aware that I was in a seat in an old-time movie theater. Mine was the only seat in the house, in fact, set in the center of the floor, with a perfect view of the screen. And on that screen, in full color and perfect clarity, was everything that had happened to me from the moment that storm had hit... only portrayed as if it had been attacked by an editor with an attention-deficit disorder, cutting back and forth between “scenes” and making everything impossible to follow, even though I knew how it all happened.

And still, there was that haunting, alien lullaby coming from somewhere behind me. I couldn't even turn my head to look, my body resisting any impetus for movement beyond basic breathing, leaving me as immobile as if I were strapped into the chair.

After a few moments, the source of the singing moved to my side, and the lullaby trailed off. I sensed, rather than saw, that my visitor was watching the “movie”; after a moment, that voice spoke a single word- and as if by remote control, whatever projector was showing the images shut off, and the curtains closed upon the screen. The rear of my seat leaned backwards until it went flat, while a footrest seemed to come up underneath my legs, until I was laying on my back; a soft, comfortable pillow wedged itself beneath my head, and a rustle of fabric followed by warmth told me that I'd been covered with a blanket.

And then I saw her. The strange, dark-colored pegacorn that my mind had conjured up somehow, the exact opposite of the Sun Queen, stood over my chair-turned-bed. I gazed at that bizarre, ghostly mane as dark as a moonless night in the wild, stars twinkling in its depths... and into those unfathomably deep blue eyes, that looked at me with so many obvious emotions- concern, confusion, a slight edge of distrust. But her expression was soft, and the voice that spoke over me was gentle, as one silver-shod hoof carefully slid over my eyes, bringing them to close.

And though I couldn't understand the words she said, the overall meaning was entirely clear: Rest.

So I did.

(-)

“Heart rate?”

“Fifty-three beats per minute.”

Dr. Measure noted that on the clipboard. “Blood pressure?”

“Just a second, having trouble getting this cuff on....” There was a short wait while the nurse struggled with the device. “One-fifteen over eighty-two.”

“Noted.” He put down the chart. “Everypony, we have something of a unique situation here. We are dealing with an injured member of a previously-unencountered species, who appears to have an as-yet unexplained ability to nullify magic upon direct application or upon physical contact with an object held with magic. This means that diagnosis and treatment are both going to be somewhat difficult.” He glanced around at the various ponies in the room. “Thankfully, we have something of a celebrity with us today- Miss Fluttershy, Bearer of the Element of Kindness, as well as a mare with extensive experience in treating multiple species. Miss Fluttershy, what insights can you provide?”

He watched as the yellow pegasus- who'd seemed so shy and withdrawn in the preparation room- strode forward to take a close look at the tall creature. “Rainbow Dash told me that he took a nasty spill down a staircase... I'm seeing a somewhat severe laceration to the head, some damage to nasal cartilage, and numerous impact contusions....” She lowered the sheet to examine more of his torso. “Hmm, this is strange... do you see this bruising here along the sides?”

“Could be from previous injuries,” said another doctor. “But... it looks rather old.”

“Hmm, yes.” She frowned. “He must have spent so much time in the wild after he escaped....” She trailed off for a moment. “This is strange. There's pale blotching on his skin. It's not uniform, so what could have caused it? Anypony?”

“There's a number of potential causes for that,” answered Measure. “We'd need more symptoms to work with.”

Fluttershy nodded slowly, gently running a hoof down one side of the creature's torso and up the other. “There's... possibly cracked ribs; he'll need bandaging to bind them so that they can heal properly. The abdomen feels softer than it should, considering he has so little... body fat....” She paused again. “Oh goodness. Does anypony actually know what he was eating while he was on his own?”

A bunch of confused and uncertain looks was her reply. “We... really couldn't tell you, Miss,” one of the nurses spoke up.

“I was briefed by Princess Twilight,” Measure said, “but only in vague detail. I did learn that he was known to have lurked around both Broncston and Ponyville.”

“Broncston has a creek, but it flows pretty fast....” The pegasus seemed to be in deep thought. “And if he'd been fishing at the lake near Ponyville, one of my animal friends definitely would've spotted him, even at night....” She looked up at the assembled medical professionals. “I think he's suffering from malnutrition,” she said, leaning over to gently pull the creature's lower lip down to reveal a line of squared-off but sharp incisors. “He's an omnivore, which means he probably doesn't have a cecum like we ponies do. If he's been getting his food from what ponies throw away or leave out... there's no way he could have been getting nearly as much protein as he needs to stay healthy.”

“Protein deficiency?” Measure trotted up to the bed and gently ran his hoof through the short mane the creature bore. “There are signs of color change at the hair roots here,” he said. “Miss Fluttershy, you may be on to something. What do you suggest to remedy this?”

“Once he's conscious, and can tolerate food, he needs to be fed a high-protein diet. Peanuts, rice, legumes, eggs- Twilight mentioned that she's been talking to the former Griffin ambassador's daughter; I'll see if I can get recommendations from her. I also know that the pony who fed him in captivity is here as well, so I can ask her for advice.” The pegasus suddenly halted, then shrank in on herself. “...if that's okay with you, that is....” she half-whispered.

“I think that's an excellent idea, Miss Fluttershy. I for one am glad we have your expertise.”

“Oh! Um, well... thank you,” she murmured, before her expression became serious once again. “But right now we need to start treatment. Is he okay with our medications?”

“We're running blood tests now. Oddly enough, once his blood leaves his body, it's as pliant to magic as anything else.”

“We'd better let Twilight know about that. Okay, in the meantime, we should get fluids into his body and keep his wounds bandaged and clean....”

(-)

“It certainly doesn't look like much.”

Shining Armor carefully lowered the weapon onto the tray. To the best of their knowledge, it was now completely harmless, empty of ammunition- but the Captain was taking no chances, and Celestia was thankful enough for it. “It may not,” she said quietly, “but we've seen what it is capable of.” She gazed at the strange object for a moment- now that she knew what the creature looked like, the form of the weapon made complete sense; it would fit perfectly into one of his dexterous hands.

“We're also analyzing the ammunition it uses. The two intact shells we've found- the one in the weapon and the other left on Hostler Drive- seem to have malfunctioned.”

“Thank Faust for that.” She closed her eyes for a moment, frowning deeply to herself, opening them again to find the Captain gazing at her worriedly.

“Princess?” he asked quietly.

She let out a sigh. “This creature puzzles me,” she said quietly. “He seemed... ready to give himself to us in the castle, but then ran as though chased by demons after... my nephew's appearance.”

Shining cleared his throat. “Err, about that, Princess... we've collected statements from Prince Blueblood and a maid attending to him-” he looked down at a sheet of paper- “by the name of Ensemble. They're... exceptionally contradictory statements.”

“I would give the words of Ensemble much more credibility.” She fought the urge to rub her temples with her hooves; she was going to have to have a long, long talk with that distant relative of hers.

A soft sigh came from in front of her, and she looked back up to see Shining pushing some of the papers around the table with his hoof. “Princess....” he said quietly. “I've got a lot of facts here. I know where he went, what he did. But wrap me in a ribbon and dump me in Tartarus if I have the slightest idea as to why! He put a guard in the hospital before we brought him here, but after that... buck me sideways on a sawhorse, Blueblood ended up causing more casualties than him.” He blinked, then blushed brightly. “...pardon my language,” he amended quickly.

She'd barely noticed the profanity. “He was scared,” she said quietly.

“Scared? I've seen plenty of ponies who were afraid, and none of them did anything-”

“He is not a pony, Captain.” She raised her eyes to look into his. “We reacted as ponies do, but his actions didn't make sense to us, because they weren't pony actions. Perhaps we as a species forget too easily that there are other points of view.” She let her gaze drift through one of the windows, out towards the valley below the castle. “When he jumped from the castle, I followed, though not nearly as quickly as Rainbow Dash. By then all sight of him had been lost, until the... the mob of ponies encountered him near Hostler Drive.” She frowned deeply. “He'd made his way into Jennet Row when I came upon him. I'd wanted to give him another chance to stand down, to give up his flight and give himself over to us, without the actions of... interlopers to cause problems.” For a moment she went quiet, remembering what she'd seen. “His reaction... frightened me, Captain. At first he seemed to fear me, and then... desperation, so pure and complete....” She shook her head. “And then rage. Rage so powerful that, despite his earlier fear, he struck me with his weapon and ran. All that within the span of a few seconds, so quickly and so strongly that even I, for all my wisdom, found myself at a loss.”

“He struck you?” Shining blinked in shock. “Princess, have you had the castle medical staff have a look? It could-”

“I am more durable than I may seem, Captain.” She couldn't keep a little amusement out of her voice. “The blow did little harm- I was much more stunned by the action than the impact.”

He let out a sigh that he probably didn't think she heard, and nodded slowly. “I understand, Princess. I'm just glad he'd exhausted his ammunition before you found him.”

She allowed silence fall for just a moment before replying. “He hadn't.”

The stallion blinked at her uncomprehendingly for a moment before outright fury flashed across his expression. “How... how could he dare try to...!”

“He didn't.” She let the full weight of her gaze fall on him. “In the depths of his despair, Captain Armor... it was not me he turned his weapon upon.”

The anger she'd seen rising in him dissipated like morning fog, and his eyes went as wide as she'd ever seen them. “He... would've...?” he stammered. “Princess, what... that's just....”

The two of them went silent for a moment, Celestia's mind drifting back to the all-too-recent loss of another life, before the Princess of the Sun spoke a simple truth.

“We need to speak with him.”

Shining let out another sigh. “By all reports, he can't understand Equish, Princess.”

“But he can speak. Which means he can learn... which means it is up to us to teach him how to speak to us.” She gave him a ghost of a smile. “And I believe you know who should head up that task.”

“Twilight? She's... not feeling terribly self-confident about dealing with the creature lately,” he replied.

“When one makes mistakes, the best way to correct them is to right the wrongs committed. If that can't be done... then an act of contrition, of restoring something else to the harmed, might suffice.” Celestia's smile grew, just a little. “And at the very least, I think your sister would want to be able to apologize to our guest herself.”

Unexpectedly, the smile fell away from Shining's face, and he turned away to gaze out through a window himself. “Princess, after what's been done to him by some ponies,” he said quietly, “I'm not sure an apology will mean much.”

(-)

“...I'd hoped that scar would heal better.”

Next to Silver Wisk, Sveti snorted. “Don't like seeing a reminder of what you did to him?” the griffin muttered.

“No. I don't.” Wisk lightly pressed her hoof against the one-way glass window, watching as the still-unconscious creature's back was carefully washed by a pair of nurses; the pale scar of the wound Big Top's whip was plainly visible. The hairless skin makes cleaning a lot easier, she thought. Made it easier to treat his wounds, too....

“You know, I don't understand why you're even here.” She could see Sveti's glare in the faint reflection in the glass. “Then again, I also don't understand why you're not at the bottom of the deepest pit Canterlot has to offer. But I could tell that Princess Twilight was pretty desperate to stop all the craziness... she does sort of strike me as the type to pull together whatever resources she can to solve a problem, even more unsavory ones.”

“If you're only going to talk to me in order to insult me, save your breath.” Wisk watched her breath fog the glass for a moment before turning away. “You can't possibly make me feel worse than I already do.”

“Can't blame me for trying,” the hen snapped back.

Wisk turned towards the door for a moment, then looked back. “Sveti... I'd like you to at least know that I'm sorry about your fa-”

There was a rustle of feathers, and then a set of exceptionally sharp talons were pressed against her throat. The griffin's gold-rimmed eyes glared into hers. “Do. Not. Even,” she snarled, “finish that sentence. I do not want to hear one thing out of you that doesn't pertain to the creature and helping it heal, and if I do, I swear to all my ancestors that the castle staff will be finding pieces of you scattered around this castle for a week. Do I make myself clear?”

Locked in place by terror, able to feel the pinpricks of talons that could pierce the veins they were pressed against in an eyeblink, it was all Wisk could do to nod slightly.

The talons moved away, and the death glare softened, if only marginally. “Good. I'm glad we have an understanding,” Sveti said, her voice almost dripping false conviviality.

A soft knock at the door caught their attention, and a moment later it opened, revealing one of the doctors. “Miss Windwhisper? Miss Wisk?” he asked; when they nodded, he stepped back slightly. “Allow me to introduce Miss Fluttershy. She's helping to coordinate care for the creature and would like to speak to both of you about him.”

There was a long pause before the named mare poked her head into the doorway. “Oh... um, hello,” she half-whispered. “I, um... I was hoping to talk to the two of you about the creature's dietary needs, first off.” She stepped into the room, and the doctor closed the door behind her; her crystal-blue eyes gazed through the window at the creature for a moment. “Miss Wisk, you were responsible for feeding him while he was... in your care, weren't you?”

“Uh... yes, that's right.”

“What was it you fed him?”

“I... I fed him a barley-mash and oat gruel, the one we gave most of the exhibits, mixed with some vegetables. I also gave him fruits at first, but when I figured out that he was an omnivore, I began giving him cooked cuts of fish and meat.”

“...meat?” Fluttershy didn't turn. “From... from what?”

“...look, Miss Fluttershy, we had several animals that were obligate carnivores-”

“Yeah, I was one of them,” Sveti cut in sharply.

Wisk couldn't speak for a moment before she managed to get her vocal chords back under control. “...and we had to keep them fed,” she finished. “We... we trapped wild animals, mostly in the outskirts of the Everfree.”

“I see.” When she finally turned around, Fluttershy's expression was as neutral as could be. “What about other foods? Hay, grasses, flowers? Did he show a preference for them?”

Wisk shook her head. “I offered him some dandelions and fresh barley a couple of times, but he wasn't interested in either. He does eat bread, though.”

“Oh, I see. That's fortunate. It seems as though he'll be able to handle a fair amount of our food.” Fluttershy turned her attention to Sveti. “Miss Windwhisper, I understand diet and nutrition, but I think I could use your help on making food more appealing to him. What kind of dishes are you used to that you think he might enjoy?”

The griffin blinked in apparent shock. “Huh? Um... well, that's actually a good question....” She scratched her head with a claw. “If it's going to be cooked, cook it with seasoning. You can use something as simple as salt and pepper, oregano, thyme... one tercel I knew who worked for the embassy used mustard, even. Personally I love using that barbecue sauce they sell over in the Merchant Quarter- ponies use it for hay fries and tofu burgers, but that stuff is great on a nice cut of steak.”

“Wow. I... I didn't know cooking meat could be so involved.” To her credit, Fluttershy didn't look nearly as put-off by the subject as Wisk would've expected. “Miss Windwhisper-”

“Just Sveti, please.”

Fluttershy smiled. “-Sveti, the embassy staff was sent back to the Empire when the embassy was closed, and we might not have anypony here that would be comfortable with handling meat. If it's not too much to ask... would you be willing to take care of cooking for him?”

“Me?” The hen blinked before chuckling and shaking her head. “We want to feed him, not poison him. I'm the worst cook you'll ever meet.”

Wisk raised her head. “Then tell me how to do the cooking and I'll do it.”

Sveti's glare and Fluttershy's hopeful smile both focused on her. “Oh, would you, Miss Wisk?” the pegasus asked.

“Yeah. I've fed him before; I've figured out what he seems to like and not like, at least for the most part. It's just that everything I've made has been basic. Seasonings, presentation- they ain't really in that particular part of my skillset.”

“Then....” Fluttershy's gaze swept between earth pony and griffin. “I... I understand that there are bad feelings between the two of you. But... could I ask you to work together on this? He's been through so much; anything we can do to make him feel welcome and cared for is important.”

Sveti's nares flared open for a moment before she let out a sigh. “Because it's for him... fine.”

“Oh, thank you so much, Sveti. I know that we can do a lot to make things better for him.” Fluttershy smiled broadly, and the sight lifted some of the weight off of Wisk's heart.

Still, there was something she had to know. “Miss Fluttershy... how is he?” she asked quietly.

The smile fell, though not completely. “It's hard to say. The doctors are sort of guessing, really... but it doesn't look like any of his injuries are critical, and we're all sure that with care and good medicine, he'll be healthy again in no time.”

Wisk let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. “I'm glad to hear that.”

(-)

“I am going to throw those three fillies a parade. I'm serious! I will have them flown to Canterlot and there will be floats and confetti and everything. I'm a Princess; I can make that happen.”

Shining probably thought that he was hiding his smirk behind his hoof, but Twilight could see it as plain as day. She didn't really care, though- she'd literally just been hoofed another treasure trove of oddities, an entire bag full of them, practically confirmed to belong to the creature himself! And now with him actually here to ask....

That was the moment her mood crashed. Argh, the creature, she thought. Unconscious, injured, unable to speak Equish... and probably not feeling very charitable towards ponies right now....

Then she found a pad of paper inside. Paper of such amazing quality and smoothness that she wanted to tear all the sheets out and roll around on them. And on that paper were drawings done in black ink- sketches, really, but nice enough to where she could envision Rarity putting them up on her walls.

“Say... those are actually pretty nice,” Shining commented quietly.

“They are.” Twilight flipped through a few more pages, seeing herself, the other Bearers, and a number of other ponies who called Ponyville home. Then realization hit her, and she almost dropped the pad in shock. “Do you know what this means?!” she gasped.

“Err... I don't think I do, sis,” came the reply.

“We've been having almost zero luck translating the language in the books we retreived from the carriage. I was thinking that we'd have to go through a long, laborious process before we'd even get to communicate with him beyond absolute basics... but if he can conceptualize images and understand simple artistic representations, then we can exchange a variety of concepts practically right out of the gate! Teaching him to understand Equish will be so much easier if we can illustrate concepts on demand.”

“Uhh... Twilight?” She glanced back at him and saw, not the expression of excitement she'd expected, but one of trepidation. “You remember what I told you, right? About what happened when Princess Celestia found him?”

“I, uh....” She frowned. “Well, yeah, I do, but....”

“Twily, we don't understand him at all. We don't know a single thing about his species, aside from that they seem to make good gymnasts. He might not understand things that are critical to our culture, and vice versa. There's a chance he's deranged, or insane, or....” He didn't finish the sentence, but Twilight knew what word he meant- suicidal. “We can't just approach this from the viewpoint that it'll be some fun learning exercise for you.”

“I wasn't....” Her voice trailed off, because she could see that, in fact, she was fixated on the potential for new knowledge, and forgetting the circumstances surrounding all this. “...okay, I was,” she sighed. “I thought I got over this tendency towards monomania!”

“You wouldn't be Twilight Sparkle if you didn't just want to dive into something interesting and not come out until you'd learned everything you could from it.” Shining grinned for a moment before a serious look came over his face. “I'm just being cautious, that's all. We have a pony in the hospital and we don't even know what happened to cause the situation. You remember how Dad always said we knew just how to 'push his buttons'?”

“If I had a bit for every time he'd said that....” Twilight chuckled.

“Heh, yeah. But remember, Twily... this creature's buttons? We have no idea where they are or what they do. Something that seems innocent to us could set him off.”

She paused a moment, considering. “You don't still see him as a threat, do you?” she asked.

His own pause was even longer. “...I don't think I see him as a deliberate one. He had a lot of opportunities to hurt ponies last night- one of which I would've called legitimate self-defense if he'd gone through with it- and he didn't. But his behavior was so erratic that I don't think I can trust him to act rationally... or at least what we'd call 'rational'.”

“And we don't know how much of his erratic behavior is natural and how much was caused by his imprisonment.” Twilight shook her head in disgust. “Ugh, if I ever get my hooves on that Big Top....”

“Now that we have things back to relatively normal, we can get more of the Guard back on that particular problem.” She saw a look of disgust cross her brother's face; he'd been no less affected by that “sideshow” atrocity than she.

They were quiet for a moment as Twilight carefully catalogued everything that was in the bag. Once that was done, she placed all of the items back inside and closed the latch. “I was going to spend more time examining these,” she said, “but I think I'm going to delegate that to the Lambda science team instead. My priority, aside from communicating with the creature, should be studying and understanding his weird effect on magic.”

“Good call. You are the Princess of Magic, after all.” He gave her a slight grin. “But yeah, I hope you can figure that out. It's the weirdest thing I've ever seen- it goes against everything I ever learned about magic theory.”

“Oh, you mean the bit where he somehow nullifies or destroys thaumatic energy despite that being explicitly impossible according to everything we know about magic? Yeah, that's a 'weird thing' alright.” She chuckled.

“You know, I had a theory on that... what if he's absorbing it instead? Storing it somehow?”

“Simply judging by the amount of energy he would have had to absorb from my spells in Ponyville when he was running, and then when we tried to transport him... most unicorns would've had a catastrophic thaumatic cascade from that, let alone a pegasus or earth pony. Even I would've had some serious problems in my old body trying to pull that off. And he's shown no signs of arcane bleedoff.” She shook her head. “I'm not saying it's impossible, but unless his body works in ways unlike anything we've ever seen, it should've exploded from trying to do that. Maybe even twice.”

Shining opened his mouth to speak- then froze for a moment as he stared at her. “...can you do that?” he asked quietly. “Can you explode twice?”

“Applejack says 'no', but I'm keeping an open mind.”

(-)

I hurt.

My first conscious thought, though, was to wonder why I didn't hurt more. Not that I wanted to, of course, but after that Internet-video-worthy tumble I'd taken down the stairs, I knew I should have enough cracked ribs and bruises to guarantee at least a few days' worth of being completely miserable. I could only surmise that the ponies had me on something to dull the pain.

Ponies.

And then last night came rushing back into my head like a tidal wave. I forced myself to remain calm- either they had me in a hospital or a cell in a dungeon, and neither was a good place to go panicking... and besides, I was on a bed too soft to be in a cell.

I took stock of my situation. I felt groggy, but not overly so, and decided that either they hadn't had me under anesthesia or it had worn off before I'd awoken. I was covered by a thin but warm blanket and had several soft pillows underneath my head and upper back. My hands and legs were bound, but it was by padded restraints rather than shackles.

The restraints brought to mind what had kicked this entire thing off, and I let out a soft groan as I replayed everything that had happened in my mind. What in the hell was I thinking?! I wondered, resisting the urge to try to facepalm. It was... it was like something short-circuted my common sense. Jesus... what the hell is wrong with me? I couldn't have been more stupid if I'd tried! Running through the city like I was some goddamn action hero, shooting out lamps and leaping over fifty-foot drops... and I jumped out of a fucking window! My God, I'm lucky I've only got restraints; I'd qualify for the full straitjacket-and-padded-room combo deal right now.

It took me a little while to work through my thoughts and self-recrimination, and eventually I decided I'd had enough and did my best to set my feelings aside; I had other things to worry about at the moment, like “where am I” and “what's around me”. Slowly, carefully, I opened my eyes to peer into my surroundings- and found myself in a small but comfortable-feeling room with beige walls, gently lit by what seemed to be late-morning sunlight streaming through the curtains of the window to my left. A door was directly opposite my bed, flanked by a couple of generic-looking but nice paintings, and the floor was tiled in a checkerboard design. Everything was silent, contemplatively rather than oppressively, and I could just catch the faint smell of cleanser of some sort. Definitely a hospital, I decided.

A few seconds later, the door clicked, then opened, and a chestnut-coated unicorn stallion sporting a chocolate-colored mane and a lab coat trotted in. Before I could even think to fake still being unconscious, he noticed my state and paused a moment, then smiled and said something in a quiet voice. A clipboard levitated off the end of my bed, and he made some kind of notation on it before replacing it, then made his way to the left side of the bed, where he magically lifted a pitcher and cup from a bedside table I hadn't noticed. He filled the cup with water and started to float it towards me, then seemed to think better of it, and took hold of it with his hoof- I'd seen all four types of ponies do that, and how they managed was beyond me- and brought it to my lips; realizing how dry my throat was, I gulped down the liquid as fast as he let it pour into my mouth.

Weird that whatever it is I do to magic doesn't cancel that hoof thing, I thought as he drew the cup away.

The doctor took on a thoughtful expression for a moment as he picked up something else I hadn't noticed- another clipboard, this one with several sheets of blank rough paper clipped to it. A quill and inkpot joined the situation- apparently ponies hadn't developed pens- and he carefully scrawled something onto the paper, then showed it to me.

It was a drawing. A rather rough drawing of a handful of objects- a rough caricature of his face next to what looked like a magnifying glass, then an arrow pointing to a sketch of my face. The meaning was clear enough- he wanted to examine me. Once again, I had to resist the tempation to facepalm. Communicating through drawings. Why the hell didn't I think of that?! And why didn't they try it before now?!

I gave him a slow nod of assent, and his expression brightened. He set the writing supplies aside, pulled a stethoscope off from around his neck, then began what seemed to be a pretty routine set of examinations, writing what I assumed were my vital statistics on the chart. It took him about fifteen or so minutes to run through everything he wanted, including taking my temperature and testing my reflexes- which made me realize that, aside from bandages wrapped around my chest, I was nude under the sheet, but I wasn't really going to worry too much about modesty at this juncture- before he put his tools away, motioned with a hoof in what seemed to be a request for me to wait a moment, then stepped out.

A couple more minutes went by before I heard hoofsteps outside the door and the end of what sounded like a hushed conversation- followed shortly by a gentle knock. Reflexively I called out “come in”.

When the door opened, I began to wonder if I should regret doing that.

(-)

“...and his skin seems softer and more vulnerable than pony hide, but it's also incredibly pliant and seems to heal somewhat quicker than our hide... though it appears more prone to scarring as well.”

Twilght frowned slightly at that. “I'd heard he still had a scar from his mistreatment at the 'sideshow'. Is it likely to be permanent?”

The doctor could only offer a shrug. “It's difficult to say... but if I had to guess, then yes, it does seem likely.”

“Another obstacle for him....” She let out a sigh. “I can only hope he's as adaptable as he seems. Thank you for the information, Doctor Measure; I'll call if there's any need.”

“Of course, Your Highness.” Full Measure trotted away, leaving Twilight alone at the room's door. By habit she knocked lightly- and heard a voice say something inside, most likely an analogue to “come in”.

She caught a worried expression on his strange face for a moment before it vanished, replaced by a look of cool neutrality. It was understandable; he was in a very vulnerable position here, and Twilight knew from her studies that many males- and not a few females- were adverse to showing weakness in that sort of situation. “Hello,” she said quietly, knowing he wouldn't understand the word but might at least grasp the intent. She moved a few feet away from the bed, seeing his small grey eyes follow her. They're... actually rather interesting to look at when one gets used to the size, she thought. The doctor was right- it seems that only the pupils change size. How odd.

With a simple bit of spellwork, a large easel- already set up with a pad and markers- translocated into the hospital room. The creature seemed taken aback for just a moment before resuming his former stoic demeanor. Okay, let's get started on talking to each other, she thought, uncapping the black marker and drawing a simple, stick-figure image of a pony, and then writing the word “pony” next to it. “Pony,” she said with as much clarity as she could manage, then pointed the marker at him.

He looked confused for a moment, then uttered something that sounded like a mangled attempt at the same word. He must have thought I wanted him to repeat the word, she thought, even as she tried to repress a grimace at his horrendous pronunciation. “No,” she said, shaking her head- then pointing the marker at him, then the picture. “Your word.”

He still didn't seem to get what she meant, so she also picked up and uncapped a purple marker. She was no artist, but she was able to manage a few crude sketches- a duplicate of the stick-figure pony, with a picture of her face on one side looking at the figure with her mouth open, and a line leading to the word “pony”, and a picture of his face on the other with only a line. She tapped the space next to that line a couple of times, then pointed to him.

She actually saw him comprehend; his eyebrows raised for a moment in conjuction with a quick inward breath. This time he said a completely different word, sounding like gibberish to her- but it also seemed much more natural to him. Her attempt to repeat it got a brief raised eyebrow from him. Yeah, I didn't do any better than he did, she thought. But we're making progress!

Next she drew another picture of her own face, then an arrow- he seemed to understand those well enough- and wrote the first half of her name after that; she wanted to keep this as simple as possible. “Twilight,” she said, tapping her chest with a hoof. He didn't do much better in repeating it, but he at least appeared to understand the difference between species name and personal name.

Now she drew up a different stick-figure, one that looked somewhat like him, and followed it with an arrow and a blank spot, which she tapped with the marker before pointing it at him. This time he caught on immediately, and spoke a bizarre-sounding word- “heu-muhn” was the best that she could mentally transcribe it. Next was a rough sketch of his own face- she caught herself almost drawing pony ears on it out of habit- and another arrow and blank space, which drew the response “pea-tahr”. Idly she wondered what that meant in his language, and decided that her first thought, Creature Who Scares Ponies, was maybe just a little inappropriate.

They'd gotten through a hoofful of important words such as “yes”, “no”, “stop” and the like when a deep rumbling sound caught Twilight's attention. At first she'd worried that she'd gotten him angry somehow- but then she realized that it was his stomach. Ohmigosh, that's right; he hasn't eaten at least since the chimera attack in Ponyville yesterday, she thought, immediately sketching a doodle of his face with his mouth open and an apple with a bite out of it. “Hungry?” she asked.

She got a slight nod from him, having already settled back into his neutral posture the moment his stomach had growled. Satisfied with the response, she motioned for him to wait a moment, then cantered out of the room to find Sveti.

(-)

“He's actually awake?” Sveti couldn't help but blink in surprise. “Ancestors, after what I saw last night I wasn't sure he'd ever wake up again.”

Twilight nodded. “Well, it took some testing, but we've discovered that many of our basic medicines work fairly well with him. Anything magical in composition unfortunately tends to de-nature on contact, but regular chemical compounds don't have that problem. We've been exceptionally fortunate to have a zebra shaman named Zecora who's skilled in potions and the like to help us out.”

“You've got a zebra shaman?” The hen couldn't help but whistle. “That's some good fortune right there. She'd be worth her weight in gold up in the Empire- skilled healers are few and far between, and zebranic tinctures and potions go for a premium.”

“Is that so? I would've thought you could hire some of them to do that for you. Relations have been stable between the Empire and Zebrica for a while.”

“True, but getting a bunch of savannah-dwelling equines to come live in the frozen reaches with flying predators? That's kind of a hard sell.”

“That's, uh... that's a fair point, I guess.” Twilight chuckled quietly, watching as Sveti set the last plate on the cart. “What's on the menu?”

“We decided on a variety for the first meal. Eggs for protein, some flour-based pancakes since he likely can't handle hay, hash browns-”

“Hash browns?” Twilight repeated.

“Donkeys love the stuff, I've heard. It wasn't my idea, but it's worth a shot. Also we've put in a couple of strawberries, a bagel and some maple syrup. Drinks are orange juice and water.”

The pair went silent for a moment as the alicorn pushed the cart forward with her magic. “How are you and Wisk getting along?” Twilight asked after a moment.

Sveti repressed an irritated sigh. “We have a working relationship, Princess,” she said shortly. “And that's it. I know ponies like to believe that everyone can be friends-”

“Not really. Sveti, I won't tell you that you have no right to hate her for what she did; I just want to be sure that you two can work together.” She gave the hen a pensive look. “There's been a lot of mistakes in this whole situation so far. I just want things to go right for once.”

Sveti let out a quiet sigh, mollified somewhat by Twilight's direct manner. “We can. I won't pretend I enjoy it, but so long as the creature can benefit....”

“Oh... we have his name now.” It could've been a smug little smile on the alicorn's face.

“Already?” A spring of desire to know what she could call her rescuer welled up inside her, though she did her best to hide it. “What is it?”

“Pea-tahr.” Twilight wrestled with the strange-sounding word.

Sveti tilted her head. “That almost sounds Griffinic, if maybe horribly pronounced. Odd. You don't mind if I ask him myself, do you?”

“Of course not!” Twilight actually giggled. “I didn't ask you to help just to have you be a glorified chef. If you can make any inroads that I can't, then by all means feel free. I just ask that you be careful.”

“I understand. Thanks, Princess.”

The alicorn's magic opened the door, and Sveti wheeled the cart inside. And there he was- still looking like he'd tussled with a Ursa Minor, but better than he'd been the last time she'd seen him. She noticed with some disdain the padded restraints on his arms and legs. “Are those things necessary?” she asked quietly, indicating them with a tilt of her head.

“I'm hoping they're not,” replied Twilight. “He'll need the upper ones off to eat, of course... if everything goes well, then I'll authorize their permanent removal.” She gave the hen a glance. “I just need to be sure he won't feel the need to do something rash.”

Sveti nodded slowly before turning her attention back to him- and realizing that he'd been watching her the entire time, his expression seemingly a bizarre combination of reserved and hopeful. “Pea-tahr?” she found herself saying.

He actually chuckled. “Peter,” he corrected her.

That brought her to a full stop. “That sounds almost like 'Pétr',” she told Twilight. “That's an Old Griffinic name.”

The alicorn raised an eyebrow. “Really? What's it mean?”

“Stone, or rock.”

Twilight chuckled at that. “Fitting. He's as tough as stone, it seems.”

The hen brought the cart to the side of the bed, then looked him in the eyes and brought one claw up to her chest. “Sveti,” she told him.

A slight smile crossed his strange lips, and he said something that included a noise that might've been her name. Then he shifted his eyes to the cart, and his stomach growled noisily; she couldn't help but laugh. “Let's get you fed,” she told him. “Princess, I'm going to go ahead and take these restraints off his upper limbs, if that's alright?”

“Certainly.”

Carefully she worked at the restraints with her talons, getting them off of him quickly, then set the tray in his lap. His attempt to look only mildly interested in the food crumbled quickly, and it wasn't long before he was practically shoveling it into his mouth. Part of Sveti wanted to laugh, but another part actually felt awed- he'd led a significant portion of Canterlot's population on a chase through half the castle and a good part of the city, from what she'd heard, despite considerable injury and a significant lack of food and proper sleep.

She actually felt a strange feeling of pride when he ended up eating nearly everything on the plate, aside from the strawberries; it took him a few moments to make it clear that he could eat them, but didn't find them palatable. One of the hospital staff retreived the dishes and cart, and Sveti found herself helping Twilight with the creature's- the hew-mahn's, she reminded herself- first language lesson; unfortunately, despite his name's eerie similarity to Old Griffinic, he couldn't understand her native language any better than her adopted one. But while she could tell it was going to be a long while before he was speaking with any sort of fluency, she could also see that he had a sharp mind, his strange grey eyes seeming to snatch up every last bit of information they could.

The lesson was eventually ended by one of the doctors, who insisted that her patient be allowed to rest and recover. After making sure Peter understood that the lessons would continue tomorrow, and allowing him to have his restraints removed completely, Twilight made the materials vanish with her magic, then showed herself and Sveti out; the hen stole one last glance back at him, and he gave her the barest trace of a smile before the door closed.

“Well, I think that went quite well!” the alicorn said. “I'm grateful for your help, Sveti. I could tell you really were a calming influence on him... maybe he'll believe that since you're here, there's no reason to feel threatened." She smiled. "So I'll see you early tomorrow for the next lesson, then?”

“Um... right! Of course, Princess. I'll see you then.”

“I'm looking forward to it! In the meantime I've got duties to attend to, but if you need anything, just send word.” With that, the Princess trotted off.

Sveti watched her leave for a moment, then headed back towards her own temporary quarters, perhaps with a bit more spring in her step than she'd had earlier that day. Experience had taught her not to get her hopes up too high... but after what was unquestionably the worst time of her entire life, it seemed that things were finally beginning to improve again for Sveti Windwhisper.

(-)

“It's in room twenty-three of the Recovery Ward, fourth floor.”

She knew what she was doing was technically illegal, not to mention entirely against orders. She tried not to think about it. “That's useful information,” came the reply from the pony across the table from her; he seemed to sense her unease despite her best attempts to hide it. “We may need more such information from you in the future. Are you willing to provide this?”

She swallowed, then nodded. “I am.”

“Excellent.” The pony across from her leaned back slightly, staring at the mug of cider on the table in front of him. “Sweet Celestia... you are our light in the darkness, our warmth in the cold, but what were you thinking when you elevated that... commoner so far beyond her station? Wholly unprepared, wholly unqualified- perhaps through this creature she's become so fixated on, we can incontrovertibly prove this to Princess Celestia... surely you agree, Sergeant?”

“I, uh... sure, of course.” It was a blatant lie, eagerly gobbled up by the stallion across from her. Air Sergeant Peppermint York knew nothing and cared less about politics, but she fully understood two things- that Twilight Sparkle had completely mishoofed the entire situation involving the Everfree Yeti, and that the selfsame creature had no business lying in a comfortable bed in a hospital, taking up room and resources that should have been dedicated to somepony deserving. If a crowd of overstuffed nobles wanted an easy route to cause political trouble for the Princess, that was fine and dandy... so long as it gave her a route to correct a grevious wrong.

Because the Equestria that Sergeant York pledged to defend didn't coddle monsters that tried to kill ponies. It got rid of them.

Things had settled into a routine for me over the two weeks that had passed since I'd ended up in the hospital. First thing in the morning I was seen by one of the doctors, sometimes accompanied by the strange yellow pegasus mare who I'd come to call “Butterfly”, for the three insects on her flank. Butterfly was an odd sort- when examining me or doing things that seemed directly related to my health, she was as confident and purposeful as anyone I'd ever seen, but outside of that she often became so withdrawn and shy that it would've been comical if I didn't find it somewhat saddening.

After that came breakfast, like every other meal of my day brought to me by the gryphon, who I called “Amber” for the coloring of her fur. I could tell by her interest in how I enjoyed the food that she had some role in making it... and to be honest, I was touched enough by it all that I made sure to give her honest feedback, limited though it was. And I certainly couldn't complain about the food- it tasted great, and was probably the healthiest stuff I'd eaten since I'd moved out on my own.

Once breakfast was finished and I'd had a shower, then came more language lessons with the purple pegacorn, who I'd termed “Six-Star”- or “Sixie” for short. She was... well, “methodical” was one way to put it; she reminded me of one of my college professors, damn near genius but really bad at relating to others. It seemed that Amber- who stuck around for the lessons most days- was sort of a balance for her, and whenever Sixie was stumped on a way to get some concept across to me or seemed to be getting impatient or flustered, Amber would speak to her for a bit, and the pegacorn would come back at the problem from a different angle.

Lunch was when the lesson ended, and from then until dinner I was generally left alone to rest- apparently doctor's orders. I'd been given a clipboard with some paper and a pencil, as well as what looked like children's books, probably intended to give me a little “independent study material”; my afternoons and evenings were thus usually split between doing sketching and reading, interspersed with the medical staff checking up on me. Lights out was at ten o'clock- if clocks here were the same as what I was used to, anyway- and I generally had little trouble falling asleep, my body greedy for all the rest and recuperation it could get.

So it had been for two weeks. And during the first week, I'd been anxiously waiting for the other horseshoe to drop- for a group of those golden-armored guards, or maybe some of those weird batlike ones in the silver armor, to trot in, clap me in irons and drag me off to stand trial, or maybe just execution. It'd been my goal to learn as much about their language as I could so that I might at least say a word or two in my defense, or if nothing else beg them to stop while the axe came down on my neck. And then, at the beginning of the second week, I'd finally realized that my sham trial and death weren't just over the horizon... that the ponies weren't just getting me back towards looking healthy for a kangaroo court, but might actually be trying to heal me.

And as I lay there at ten-thirty at night on the fourteenth day of my stay in this hospital, I was working on a level of introspection I hadn't attempted since I'd graduated high school and had been trying to figure out what career to choose. And all of it revolved around one question.

What the hell is wrong with me?

Sometimes I imagined that I could still feel the barrel of my own gun pressed against my head, could hear the click of the trigger, even the tiny ping of the firing pin hitting the primer. If that round hadn't been a dud, I'd be dead right now, I thought morosely. Why did I do it? Why were my emotions so wild? Has all this driven me crazy? I was so convinced that the Sun Queen was coming to turn my ass to ash, but I was ready to surrender to her twenty minutes before that, before Prince Dickhead made an appearance. I'm starting to see why their response was so forceful- they must've thought they had a maniac on their hands... err, hooves.

...do they?

I heard hoofsteps outside the door, and I laid my head down on the pillow, closing my eyes and slowing my breathing so that I appeared asleep. A moment later, the door swung open, bathing the room in the light from the hallway outside, and I heard the hoofsteps approach my bed, stopping right beside me. The barely-audible chiming sound of magic accompanied the faint scratching of a pencil on paper- probably making a note on my chart. And then I heard a quiet feminine voice murmur something as a hoof gently patted my arm, before the hoofsteps retreated and the door closed.

Well, that's one pony that seems concerned for my welfare, I thought. And Butterfly, and the other doctors... and Sixie, in kind of a weird way. And Amber. Not for the first time, I wondered just what that gryphon's story was, why she was even here, and why Sixie- who was undoubtedly some kind of royalty or high-poobah around here, considering how the staff mostly deferred to her- seemed to regard her as an equal. Not to mention how she ended up in a cage just like me, I mused. I wonder if her story is as crazy as mine....

As I waded about in my thoughts, my mind eventually decided that sleep would be a better use of my time, and I drifted off into slumber.

(-)

“Ladies? How is breakfast coming?”

Sveti and Wisk both looked up from the counter at Twilight's approach; the differences in their reactions were telling- the griffin smiled as if seeing an old friend, while the pony shrank back and avoided looking her in the eyes. “We're just finishing up, Princess,” Sveti replied, removing an apron and draping it over the counter. “The doctors asked us to start cutting back a bit on his protein intake since it seems he's recovered from his deficiency, so we're going mostly meatless today. Prench toast with egg and avocado burritos for breakfast, then a cheese panini on wheat bread for lunch and probably something with fish tonight just so he at least gets some protein intake.”

“Well, aside from the fish, that's enough to get my mouth watering.” Twilight turned to the other pony. “Wisk, I'll need to speak to you and the others later today. Can you have everypony gathered up in the west observation room at, say, two in the afternoon?”

“Of course, Princess.” Wisk bowed her head quickly before backing away and then cantering towards the nearest door. Twilight frowned to herself, but went without commenting as she trotted towards the hospital wing, tugging the food cart along as Sveti followed closely behind.

Twilight decided to break the silence along the way. “Sveti, if he agrees to it, I'm going to be starting tests on Peter today, involving the strange magic-nullification ability he has. I'll be running some of them concurrent to his lessons, so if you could take the lead on teaching him during those times, I'd appreciate it.”

“Sure, I can do that.” Sveti looked thoughtful for a moment. “I've really been wondering about that magic thing myself. I've never heard of anything like it; I would've thought you'd be all over that, being the Princess of Magic and all.”

“Well... I'll admit that the curiosity has been killing me, but I wanted to give him time to recover and heal before performing any tests on him physically. They shouldn't be any sort of strain on him, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.”

“I'm curious as to just how you're going to ask him that. I mean, he's doing well with the lessons so far, but still....”

“I've got a few ideas on how to get the idea across to him. Don't worry, I'm not going to do anything unless I get something from him that I can unquestionably qualify as informed consent. I'm not looking to give him another reason to distrust ponies.” Twilight went quiet for a moment, considering. “Speaking of distrust....”

“Hm?”

“Silver Wisk seems to get more and more nervous around me every day. Do you know why?”

“Her and her cohorts have been wondering about just what you've got planned for them. She complains about feeling left hung out to dry sometimes.” Sveti shrugged. “I guess it's understandable... they've been here for a while, haven't they?”

Twilight nodded. “And I've ordered Wisk not to tell her friends about Peter. I'd rather they not know he's here... and vice versa. I'd like to keep that 'relationship' severed.”

“Well, I understand not wanting Peter to know about them... but why the other way around?”

“Because Big Top still hasn't been found, and if he's looking for revenge against Peter, his former employees will be his first target for information. Wisk is a calculated risk, and I believe I can depend on her to report to me if she sees Top again- but I see no reason to extend that risk to the others.”

The griffin nodded. “I guess I see the logic in that. If I may ask, Princess... just what do you plan to do with them?”

“I... haven't made a decision on that yet.”

Sveti apparently had the wisdom to let the conversation drop there, and the pair remained quiet until they reached Peter's room. As had become custom, Twilight knocked, and he called out for them to enter. The alicorn still couldn't help but be surprised at how much healthier he looked now than before, not to mention just generally different than she'd gotten used to after he'd received a mane-cut- which he'd asked for via a sketch of him with long hair and a sad face, a pair of scissors, and then him with short hair and a smile. He's certainly clever enough to ask for things, she thought.

He was holding his clipboard and pencil as they walked in, giving them both a slight smile that they returned. As Twilight rolled the cart up to his bedside, he gave the clipboard to Sveti, who took it in her claws and looked over it with a confused expression. “I don't think I understand this,” she murmured.

“Let me have a look.” Twilight's eyes scanned over the short series of pictures- Peter's and Sveti's faces in cages, followed by Sveti's face, an arrow, another sketch of her in a cage, and then a question mark. He knows what question marks and exclamation points are, she mused. So he's asking.... “Ahh, I see... I think he's asking how you ended up being captured.”

An unreadable expression crossed the hen's face for a moment. “Uhm....” she murmured, taking back the clipboard and scribbling something on it; Twilight caught a glimpse of what when she handed it back; a picture of her own face with a word bubble surrounding a picture of herself in a cage, followed by an arrow and a clock face with a circular arrow on it- a symbol they'd devised to mean “later”. “You don't want to tell him right now?” she asked.

“I'd... rather not go into it right now, no,” Sveti replied quietly.

Peter gently reached out and patted her claw with a hand, nodding slowly with a gentle smile on his face. Twilight had to stifle a giggle as the hen visibly blushed. “Err... well, then,” she murmured. “Lessons. We should get those going.”

The lessons began in earnest along with breakfast, with Twilight quizzing Peter on the foal's books she'd left for him, hoping to see improvement in his comprehension; she'd also gotten him to write his own words for the pictures in the books, to find that he stuck to the same strange two-group pattern of letters as was used in the materials that had been recovered from the carriage. “Gah, I can't wait until I can ask him about his bizarre written language!” she grumbled.

Breakfast had long since been finished, and they were two hours into lessons when Twilight broached the idea of beginning her testing to Peter- or tried to, anyway; it ended up taking half an hour to “phrase” things in a way he could grasp, Sveti resorting to an almost comic-strip-like sequence of sketches with Twilight's input in order to show what the alicorn wanted to do. He seemed rather cautious about the idea, but agreed, making it clear via pantomime that he didn't know how his own magic-nullification ability worked. Strange, Twilight thought. That implies it's passive, potentially permanent... oh, that's going to complicate things for him and us. But we'll work through it!

She had teleported in a number of small measuring devices to set up around the room- after giving one to Peter so that he could have a close look at it; he seemed more comfortable with things he was unfamiliar with when given the opportunity to examine them- and had just finished activating them when a knock came on the door. Twilight made a point of glancing between the door and Peter to show that it was his decision as to if others were allowed inside, and after he called out his customary greeting, she followed up with “come in”.

The helm-covered head of one of the Guard poked in. “I have a message for Miss Windwhisper from Princess Celestia,” he said.

Sveti raised her claw. “Right here, Corporal. What is it?”

“Her Highness requests your presence in the Lilac Lounge at two o'clock in the afternoon. Will you be able to oblige?”

The hen gave Twilight an askance glance; she responded with a brief nod. “That shouldn't be a problem,” Sveti answered. “Thank you, Corporal.”

“Yes, ma'am.” The Guard stepped back outside and closed the door, and Twilight, Sveti and Peter got back to work.

(-)

“Sveti! I'm so glad you could join us.” Celestia gave her a bright smile as she entered the room. “I trust you're well?”

“That I am, Your Highness.” Sveti bowed her head respectfully before looking to her left, to see a large, white-coated unicorn stallion in dress uniform seated on the couch.

Celestia motioned towards him with a sweep of her hoof. “Sveti Windwhisper, allow me to introduce Shining Armor, Captain of the Canterlot Royal Guard and Regent of the Crystal Empire.”

“Though things will go much faster if you just call me Shining, Miss Windwhisper,” the stallion chuckled.

She gave him a smile. “And faster still if you just call me Sveti. Glad to meet you- though I feel like I already know you through reputation.”

“A good reputation, I hope,” he joked.

Celestia smiled warmly as Sveti took a seat opposite Shining. “Sveti, firstly, allow me to thank you for being so helpful to Twilight in her efforts with our friend Peter. She praises you highly in her daily reports to me.”

She found herself blushing for the second time that day. “I've been glad to help, Your Highness,” she replied. “I've wanted to repay him for letting me out of that cage... it's hard to think of a better way to do so than this.”

Both ponies smiled at that. “I'm pleased to hear that,” Celestia said, before letting the smile drop just a little a moment later. “I've also asked you here to discuss your future here in Equestria, Sveti. As you likely know, we now have no official contact with your government now that the Embassy here is closed; the Emperor has given us no permission to open one within Stormshatter Aerie.”

“I wish I could say I found that surprising, Your Highness.” She couldn't; the policy against hosting foreign embassies had been in place for at least the last three hundred years, and Emperor Drottin was a far cry from liberal.

“Yes, I know that tradition is a strong force amongst griffins. However, this does leave Equestria with an unresolved issue. By treaty, the Embassy must remain closed and vacant unless a citizen of the Empire is present to administrate it- and with the White Plains War escalating, assigning a new ambassador to our nation is probably very low on the Emperor's list of priorities.”

Sveti cocked her head to the side slightly. “Is... there something I can do about the situation, Your Highness?” she asked. “I mean... I know I can't serve as an ambassador myself....”

“Unfortunately, that's correct. There are a number of precedents and rules that effectively forbid you from that position, at least as the situation stands now. However....” Celestia leaned back lightly in her seat, a slight smile decorating her lips. “The treaty does allow for the Equestrian government to provide for the day-to-day maintenance of the building, at its own expense, of course.”

Sveti blinked in surprise. “Meaning... me?”

“Sveti Windwhisper, I am prepared to offer you the position of official maintenance administrator of the Griffin Empire Embassy building. This position includes residence within the Embassy itself, monthly compensation from the coffers of the Equestrian government, control over the embassy's maintenance budget- also provided by the Crowns until such time as another ambassador is appointed- and a staff of no more than six individuals to see to the upkeep of the building and grounds. As you are a citizen of the Empire, I find this to be both fair and legal within the bounds of the treaty between your nation and ours.” The smile on the Sun Goddess's face grew. “Will you accept the position?”

Sveti needed a moment- not to decide, but simply to shake herself out of surprise. She'd heard that Celestia was shrewd, but this offer accomplished a raftload of things- it reopened the Embassy, if only to keep it clean; it gave Sveti an actual job, instead of leaving her feeling as though she was relying on the largess of the Princesses... and if she was understanding Celestia's offer correctly....

“Your Highness,” she said carefully, “are there restrictions as to whom I can hire on for staff? Would it matter if, say, I chose someone who was a citizen of neither the Empire nor Equestria?”

“I've studied the treaty extensively, and there is no provision for or against it, so I am only bound to Equestrian law, which states that the candidate must be in good standing with our government.”

“Then I gladly accept the position, Your Highness. And I have two requests for staff immediately.”

“Two?” One of Celestia's thin eyebrows arched in curiosity. “Please, let me hear them.”

“The first, of course, would be the human we know as Peter. He's without a home, neither of our nations has any contact with his own, and he's in need of gainful employment to provide for himself once he's released from hospital care- which, I understand, will occur shortly.”

“Your reasoning is excellent, but I must posit one protest- Peter's involvement in the injury of Aircolt Swift Wind. He is technically wanted for questioning by the Royal Guard, though that is pending due to his inability to understand our language. If you'll agree to allow him to be interviewed by a member of Equestrian royalty, Captain Armor, or a duly-designated agent of the Crowns once he is capable of giving an informed deposition, then I will rescind that protest.”

“And if Equestria chooses to pursue legal action against him?”

“Then, as his immediate superior within the Embassy, it would fall upon you to assign a legal aide of your choosing to his defense.”

This mare must wrestle hydras for fun to relax from the kind of legal wrangling all this must've required. “I agree, Your Highness, and give you my deepest thanks.”

Celestia gave a gentle nod. “And your second request?”

“I've heard from some of the castle staff that there was a pony who contradicted Prince Blueblood's account of what happened when Peter was being pursued through the castle. What was her name?”

“Ensemble, if I'm remembering correctly,” Shining answered.

Sveti nodded to him. “Thank you. I've also heard that she's being... harassed by some of the lower nobility for her refusal to 'knuckle under', as we griffins like to say.”

Celestia's smile vanished for a moment as a soft sigh escaped her lips. “To my disappointment, I cannot deny that rumor.”

“Can I request that she be transferred to my staff? A mare with a backbone like that is good to have around.”

The smile returned to the Princess's face, as well as to Shining's. “Should she agree to it, consider it done,” Celestia said. “I'll have paperwork drawn up for the appointments by dinnertime.”

“I'll look forward to that.” She smiled for a moment before turning to look at Shining for a moment. “Was there something else?” she asked.

“Err, yes.” The stallion looked away for a moment. “I actually requested my own meeting with you, and once I'd told the Princess what it was for, she suggested that I attend this one. It's something both of us would like to discuss with you.”

“Alright,” she said uncertainly, feeling the flush of victory from earlier fade. “What is this about?”

Shining took in a deep breath. “Sveti, you're free not to discuss this if you wish, but I'd be appreciative if you at least heard my questions. What I'd like to speak to you about... involves both Peter and your father.”

“My father...?” Emotions warred within her, and she was honestly surprised when her reluctance to talk about what happened to her father lost out to wanting to know how Peter was involved. “Okay, I'm listening.”

“I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but... suicide is almost unheard of amongst ponies. When we lost your father in June, and the cause was determined...well, it left a lot of us confused and disturbed, if I can be frank.”

“I considered Arnfrodr to be a friend, Sveti,” Celestia added. “Perhaps not as close a friend as I would have wished, but... I would have liked to believe that he would feel free to come to me with any pressing issues. I lent him what support I could when you were reported missing, but he seemed... distant.”

“Dad wasn't much of one for relying on others for help.” Sveti took in a long, shaky breath, her earlier elation now buried under sad memories. “Look... if there's one thing you ponies stand out for, it's your unity. The herd is the basic underpinning of how you live, right?” Both ponies nodded. “Griffins... we don't have that. We're much more individualistic; we build our relationships around us according to a lot of different things, but the implicit trust ponies have for one another- it doesn't exist for us. We're much too competitive with each other, and blind trust is an exploitable weakness in all but a special few cases.”

Both ponies seemed to digest that. “It sounds like... an incredibly lonely way to live,” Shining said quietly.

“It strikes me as somewhat akin to the solitary lifestyle of grown dragons,” Celestia added.

“But dragons aren't known for going for flights without opening their wings,” Sveti said flatly; she saw both ponies recoil a bit, and frowned. “...I'm sorry, that was a bit more bitter than I meant it to be.”

“It's okay.” Shining gave her a slight smile. “I can't say I'd do any better in your position.”

She nodded, going quiet for a moment. “Suicide is heavily frowned upon by griffins. It's considered the ultimate sign of weakness, running away from life itself; there's a lot of shame attached to the family if a member takes their own life.”

“You need not fear that stigma,” Celestia said. “The cause of your father's death was kept from the press and the Empire. As far as anyone outside of the royalty and a small group within the Guard knows, it was an accident.”

“I appreciate that, Princess, but I'm not sure it'll matter much.” She could see questions on their faces and hastened to proceed. “Anyway. Despite the ramifications of suicide in griffin culture... sometimes, when the situation at claw is desperate enough, or if no solution seems possible, a griffin will feel that there's only one choice left to him- an act of defiance, of taking the one path that his adversaries can't deny him. Choosing his death rather than allowing another to, or removing himself from the hopeless situation the only way he has left.”

“Defiance,” Celestia echoed, looking deeply thoughtful.

Sveti spent a moment wondering just what was on the Princess's mind before she remembered something. “Wait,” she said. “You told me that this had something to do with Peter.”

Celestia nodded solemnly. “There were... events, that were left out of the official reports of his flight through the castle. One of them involved me.” She paused for a moment, each second feeling like torture to Sveti's need to know what happened. “After he fled the castle proper and escaped into the city itself, I left to find him, hoping that he would turn himself over to me if I showed myself to him without guards, without interference from others. Instead... when he saw me approach, he placed his weapon against his head and attempted to take his own life.”

Sveti's blood went colder than the harshest northern winter. “He....”

“Sveti, Peter's only alive today because the last shell in his weapon didn't work as it should've.” Shining's expression wasn't quite as neutral as he perhaps thought it was; she could see how disturbed he was. “And I will freely admit that I don't- I can't- understand that. And as I'm responsible for the security of both him and the ponies around him, I need to understand that- I have to know how his mind works, how he'll react to things, to properly judge him as to whether he's safe, or a security risk.”

She forced her mind back into gear. As hard as it was for her to face the feelings she still held over what had happened to her father, Shining's concerns were completely justified- and it was plain that the stallion had Peter's safety in mind as well as that of other ponies. “I understand,” she said quietly, not quite able to keep her voice from hitching a little. “I... I can't speak for him, of course, but I can conjecture a little. Given how much effort he put into escaping and staying free, I think it's clear that he values his freedom above just about anything else- maybe even above his own life, if forced to choose between the two. When he saw you, Princess, he may have believed that you had come to destroy him for threatening your ponies-” she saw a brief look of shock cross Celestia's face, almost too quickly to catch- “and so decided that, absent any chance of survival, he could at least give himself a swift death rather than suffer a slow one.”

Celestia was silent for more than a minute, gazing down at the floor, while Shining watched her with an expression of concern. “I see....” she said quietly. “Sveti, as you aren't a pony, perhaps you can give me an unbiased opinion... could I truly be seen as so frightening, so merciless, to a creature unfamiliar with me?”

“Knowing what you can do, but not who you are? I'm afraid so, Your Highness, quite easily. I don't mean any disrespect, but knowing that you have complete control over a giant ball of fire in the sky has probably done more to get potential enemies to the negotiating table than anything else.” It actually hurt Sveti to say that; she liked Celestia. But honest truth was the only thing that would help in this situation. “Though, Your Highness, I'll also say that anyone who does get to know you at all understands that, for all your power, you're one of the gentlest and most understanding creatures to walk this world.”

“You flatter me, Sveti.” A ghost of a smile decorated the Princess's lips. “But thank you for your honesty. Your help has been invaluable, and I truly appreciate all you've done.”

“I'll second that,” Shining said. “Though, Sveti, there's still some grey area for me here. He seems to have a hair-trigger fight-or-flight reflex that, thankfully for us, seems to shift towards 'flight' most of the time. But letting him just run free is out of the question- I think we've seen what can happen if he finds himself in the wrong situation.” A grimace crossed the Captain's face for a moment. “If he ends up on the loose again... what do you recommend my Guards do?”

“That's a good question.” Sveti ran a claw through her crest. “I'd... probably have to say- just blockade the exits. Don't try to corner him; he seems to react very badly to that. Let him come to terms with the situation himself. I think if he runs himself out and sees that he doesn't have any better options, he'll surrender himself to someone he can trust.” She sighed, giving a little shrug. “Though I'm just guessing. I'm going to see if I can talk to Peter more about it soon... try to help him understand what options he has and how to make use of them.”

“I'd really appreciate it if you could.” The Captain smiled. “I know this talk couldn't have been easy, Sveti. Thanks. You've done a lot to put my mind at ease about all of this.”

“I'm just glad I can help.” She let out a slow, unsteady breath; the talk had taken more out of her than she'd thought. “Right now, helping Peter is... well, it's the only reason I have to get out of bed in the morning, honestly.” She blinked in realization. “Well, now, that and taking care of the Embassy, I suppose.”

Celestia nodded. “If you need a friendly ear, Sveti, I will gladly give you whatever time I am able. Luna has also taken an interest in Peter's well-being and would doubtlessly make time to speak to you as well.”

“And you can grab my ear anytime I'm off-duty and around, as well,” Shining put in. “And Cadance will always try to help with problems whenever she can, so don't be afraid to get in touch with her if you think she can lend a hoof.”

“I... I'll keep that in mind. Thank you both.” With the discussion finished, Sveti was excused to return to her quarters, where she set about packing the scant few belongings she'd retrieved from the Embassy after she'd returned to Canterlot. She'd want to get things started right away after she looked over and signed the agreement appointing her the caretaker of the building. She paused for just a moment to look at herself in the mirror, seeing the mix of elation and hesitation in her own gold-colored eyes. Well, Peter, she thought, your fate is pretty much in my claws now- and while it's a far sight better than the limbo you were hanging in, I can only hope I'm up to the task of keeping you safe until you can learn to speak for yourself in this place. After a moment, she straightened her neck and hardened her gaze. But Sveti Windwhisper doesn't fly off with her tail tucked up when those she... cares about need her help.

With one last check to make sure she hadn't left anything behind, Sveti closed the door on the previous chapter of her life, and headed off towards what promised to be a very different future.

“Ready for next?”

I wasn't entirely sure that that was what Sixie said, but after three weeks of steady language lessons, it seemed I was picking up the basics, even if I couldn't manage more than a few words clearly myself. “Yes,” I said.

“Good!” The smile that the pegacorn gave was infectious, making it difficult for me to maintain my usual reserved demeanor... though lately that seemed to be getting harder to do anyway. “Write,” she said, showing me a picture of a pony's head with one of the ears highlighted, with what I presumed was their word for it, and then a line underneath for me to write in the English word.

I pointed at their word. “Say?”

What she said sounded a lot like a horse gargling lemonade. But hell if I didn't try to duplicate it myself, though judging from their slightly amused smiles I was farther off the mark than I thought. Their language wasn't proving terribly difficult to learn, but speaking it was another matter; if it hadn't been for Amber managing to speak as clearly as Sixie, I would've been convinced that it was impossible for me.

“Ear,” I replied, picking up my pencil and writing down the word. “E. A. R.” Twilight gave it a glance and smiled, turning back towards her worksheet- and then doing a classic double-take, immediately picking up the paper again and staring at it as if the pony pictured on it had started doing backflips. She started chattering something to Amber- who I noted seemed just as lost as I was as to what she was on about- while making a folder of some sort appear with her magic; the only word I could make out was “two” said seemingly every nine or ten words. I couldn't understand what had set this off; all I'd done was written “Ear”.

Then she presented me with something entirely new- a list of letters.

English letters.

As I looked at it, it began to seem to me as if someone had jumbled them together, nearly randomly. Where did she find something written in English? I wondered. Has she been working to translate it before now? It would make sense if she had; it seemed logical that there'd be more ponies than just her working on the communication problem, as serious as Sixie seemed to be taking it.

The pegacorn seemed especially agitated about the letter “E”. Another page I'd written on- for “Water”- came fluttering out of the folder, and Sixie laid it next to the picture of the ear, pointing at both the uppercase and lowercase letter “e”. Unsure of what she was getting at, I just nodded and shrugged slightly.

A look of contemplation came over her face, and she wrote three things on a blank piece of paper- the same two letters, upper and lowercase, and a blocky uppercase “R”. Then she drew a line under the second letter and looked at me expectantly. I'd just begun habitually writing a lowercase “r” when something struck me from an earlier lesson; I motioned for Sixie to give me the folder, and when she did, I pulled out another picture, that of a filly. I had noticed during that lesson that their word for “filly” had a strange, click-neigh sound at the end that seemed to match the sound at the beginning for “bread”, and had two letters that matched up as well.

Only now did I realize that they matched exactly, whether at the beginning or the end of the word. This language doesn't seem to have capital or lowercase letters, I thought. Is that what she's apparently been getting hung up on?

I was acutely aware of both of them watching me intently as I wrote down the one thing I could think of to help- the entirety of the English alphabet, with each uppercase letter over its lowercase twin, and a little arrow between each just to prevent any confusion.

The look of pure, unadulterated joy on Sixie's face when she understood what I'd written was almost overwhelming; the sight of her bouncing around in a circle shouting “Yes” over and over had even me laughing... and when she practically jumped onto the bed to hug me around the neck before apparently remembering herself and jumping back off with the world's brightest blush on her purple cheeks, I knew one thing for a fact- whether she was some kind of royalty or not, what she definitely was was a nerd. And, well, that made her seem just a little less threatening to me.

Amber and I shared an amused look and a chuckle as Sixie collected herself, as well as the papers she'd inadvertently knocked around. She placed the alphabet page back in front of me and asked in a somewhat shy voice “Say?”, and I dutifully recited the alphabet for her, pointing to each letter in turn and listening to her- and Amber- try to repeat them. Once that was done, she drew a line, then gave me back the pencil and made a simple request: “Write Peter.”

Well, that was easy enough. And when I'd finished, Sixie actually recited each letter in turn, then my name. I didn't mind showing that I was impressed- one go and she had the sounds memorized? And she just looked so thrilled over the whole thing! She excused herself to go over to the room's table and begin making notes, murmuring to herself while Amber and I suddenly found ourselves with nothing to do. Hitting on an idea, I did a rough sketch of her, then wrote out what her name sounded like to me- “Sveti” was the closest I could get, though I figured that I was absolutely murdering it- and showed it to her.

Her reaction surprised me. She actually seemed a little flattered about it, and did her best to sound out each letter. Feeling a little pleased with myself, I decided to find out a little more about the gryphon, fishing through my limited vocabulary in order to figure out how to phrase the question properly. “What Sveti means, gryphon say?” is what I thought I managed to string together.

She took a moment to puzzle that out. “In gryphon word?” she asked; I nodded, and she took the clipboard and pencil from me, tapping the eraser against her beak for a moment as she apparently considered how to explain. Then inspiration struck, and she sketched something out, then gave it back to me. It looked like a rough representation of a gryphon in flight, wings extended, and holding what seemed to be a sword in one claw and a shield in the other, with a large plumed helmet on its head.

I could figure it out. “Warrior?” I asked in English; she tilted her head, her gold eyes peering at me in curiosity. “Gryphon that....” I began in pony-speak, but then realized that I didn't know any words in this language to elucidate, and instead pantomimed swinging a sword and blocking with a shield- not the easiest thing to do in a hospital bed, but I managed, even adding appropriate sound effects as I did so.

She chuckled and nodded. “Yes!” she said, pointing a talon at me. Then she gave me the pony-language equivalent for “warrior”, repeating it a couple of times until I could say it respectably well.

A question hit me. “Sveti is... warrior?” I asked.

She chuckled and shook her head, smiling; I still didn't know how she could smile with a beak, but somehow she managed. “No,” she answered. “I am not. Is... word for one gryphon warrior, long ago.” She paused a moment, giving me a curious look. “Peter is warrior?”

It was my turn to shake my head. “No, no, no,” I insisted, raising my hands to emphasize my point. “I am not warrior.”

Sixie tossed out a comment that got Amber to give out a snorting laugh; the gryphon must have noticed my confused look, and waved it off with a claw. “Say later,” she said, the phrase we'd come up with when some concept or event was too complex to explain at the moment. I wasn't sure how to feel about that for a moment... but I figured that I could trust Amber- or Sveti, I reasoned I should call her, as hers was the first name I actually had some sort of definition for now- to react in my defense if the comment had been untoward.

Eventually the lesson ended, and Sixie- who hadn't lost much of her earlier exuberance- rattled out a few sentences while gathering up all of the notes and materials. She gave me a wave and a happy smile and said a few words to Sveti before she and everything levitating around her vanished in a bright purple burst of energy.

After that weirdly disturbing yet adorable display, it was all I could do to shake my head. “Ponies,” I said quietly.

Next to me, Sveti broke out in a laugh. “Ponies!” she echoed, nodding in agreement.

Eventually the doctors came to chase Sveti out of the room, though she paused at the door for a moment and looked back at me. “Peter... draw?” she said, pointing at my clipboard.

“Draw what?” I asked.

She shrugged. “What you like. I look tomorrow, yes?"

“Yes.” I chuckled. “See you tomorrow.”

She smiled and waved, then headed down the hall and out of sight as the door closed. And there I was, left alone once more- and yet, oddly enough... I didn't quite feel alone anymore.

(-)

“So was there anything interesting in Night Court last night, Luna?”

The Princess of the Moon needed a moment to finish chewing her piece of waffle before she could answer her sister's question. “Nothing one would call 'interesting' overly much,” she answered. “Mostly petitions that should have been solved at the local or regional level, but one party chose to escalate rather than accept defeat.”

“We still see so much of that. Maybe more reforms on the local levels are needed?”

“Perhaps....” Luna considered for a moment as she took a sip of orange juice. “I will consult Brass Bell's Legal Compendium for insight after I have slept. We must be careful not to disincentivize those who legitimately feel their case deserves more attention, but to see a dispute regarding fencing on a half-acre back lot brought all the way to Canterlot....”

“...is quite frankly a waste of resources and only crowds out other ponies,” Celestia finished flatly. “If you can come up with something, Lulu, for Faust's sake let me know. You know that law was never my strong suit.”

“I would gladly share any insight with you.” Luna let out a quiet yawn, placing her utensils next to her now-empty plate; a servant hastened to whisk the tray away. “Sister, I would ask a question,” she said, before glancing around. “Privately, please,” she added.

The guards and servants were quick to vacate the dining room, leaving only the two alicorns within. Celestia had an expression of mild concern. “Is something wrong, Luna?”

“No, no. I... I merely wanted to discuss our unusual guest.” She glanced out through the window to her right, through which she could see the display wing from which the creature- human, she reminded herself, whatever that word may mean- had jumped less than a month ago.

“What exactly did you want to discuss?”

“I... would like to speak with him.”

Celestia frowned, just a little. “That might not be advisable, Lulu,” she answered. “Especially if he recognizes you from his dreams. I couldn't begin to predict how he would react to the knowledge that you intruded upon his psyche.”

“I understand, but....” She leaned back for a moment, considering how to phrase her feelings. “Does he not deserve to know, Tia? He will undoubtedly learn of my existence at some point; perhaps it is best that I inform him of what I have done myself, rather than wait for him to piece together the evidence and believe that I engaged in deceit as well as trespass.”

“That is true.” Her sister set down her teacup. “That decision is yours to make, Luna. But are you prepared to deal with the animosity he might hold towards you?”

“Yes.”

She may have answered a split-second too quickly, and her ever-observant sibling picked up on that. “Is there something else to this?” Celestia asked, her face a mask of neutrality.

Luna let out a sigh. Damn her ridiculous powers of perception. I may as well be honest. “I seek... parity,” she said. “To have him understand what I did, and why. I would accept his anger so long as he knew the truth of the matter. And....”

“And?”

In for the bit, in for the bridle.... “And... I would like to be his friend, should he accept such,” she continued. “The anger, the fear, the isolation I have seen plague his mind- they are not foreign to me, Tia. I would have him understand that there are ponies who comprehend and sympathize with those feelings.”

Celestia was silent for a moment. “I see the merits,” she said quietly. “But I also see the drawbacks. I won't forbid it, Luna, but I must advise caution. It's still entirely possible to undo all the progress we've made with Peter.”

Luna nodded slowly. “I understand, Tia. And... thank you.”

Her sister gave her a warm smile. “There's no need to thank me. This is what older sisters are for, isn't it?”

“Oh, so they do have a use, after all!” She couldn't help but giggle at the flat look Celestia gave her for a moment, before the other alicorn began laughing as well.

(-)

“Are you kidding me? We finally get our hooves on somepony who can gain access to it, go to ridiculous lengths to manage an insertion, and they're discharging it next week? And it's going to be living inside the Griffin Embassy?!”

“Calm down, Private.” Air Sergeant York tapped the table with a hoof. “You don't know just how valuable that contact has proven to be. We still have an opportunity here; we'll just need to move quickly. And even if we miss this chance... the Embassy isn't a fortress, especially with some ignorant griffin civilian running things.”

“I just don't want that thing getting away scot-free. It's just... it's just not right.”

“Don't worry about that. Once we show everypony how dangerous it is when cut loose, they'll put it in the darkest, deepest cage they can find.” She laid her chin on her hoof. “Now listen carefully, because I'll need you to repeat this plan to the rest of the group.”

(-)

“So how's he been doing?”

Twilight took a moment to consider Dash's question as she led her friends through the halls of the castle. “Fairly well, all told,” she answered. “His health has been improving steadily; he's scheduled to be released from the hospital next Wednesday, barring any complications.”

“Well, okay, but that's not what I'm asking,” Dash replied. “I mean... what's he like? How's he been acting? Is he still trying to escape?”

“I reckon we'd 've heard about that,” Applejack chuckled. “Seems that feller makes a ruckus whenever he gets his gallop on.”

“Why such curiosity, Rainbow Dash?” Rarity gave the pegasus a sly smile. “You certainly seem to want to know more about him.”

“Oh, don't even start, Rare.” Dash blew a raspberry at her. “That's all it is, curiosity. I mean, after everything he's been through, maybe I just wanna make sure he's okay, you know?”

Fluttershy smiled. “Well, I think that's very nice of you, Dash. And no... he hasn't made any kind of escape attempt since he was admitted to the hospital. He's not even being restrained.”

“Really? Nothin' at all?” Applejack shook her head. “Shoot, I was sure that he'd make another go at it. Wonder what changed?”

Twilight gave a small wing-shrug. “To be honest I'm not entirely certain. He's still not quite fluent enough in Equestrian for me to talk to him about everything that happened. Now that we understand how his alphabet works, though, we're hoping to have a translation matrix worked out soon so that we can better understand his language in return. That'll really help things along.”

“He does seem much calmer now,” Fluttershy put in. “And... he does seem kind of nice, if not very outgoing.”

Everypony went quiet for a moment- which was something that bothered Dash, until she realized what it was that was missing, and looked behind her. “Pinkie?” she said guardedly. “You okay?”

“Uh-huh!” was the only reply from the pony in question, who was walking- not bouncing, but walking- a few paces behind her.

“You're, um... kind of quiet.”

“Yep.”

Okay, don't show fear, Dash told herself, even as she felt herself shiver a little. “Are you sure you're okay?”

“I sure am, Dashie! I Pinkie-promised Twilight that I'd be on my very bestest behavior while we visit our new friend so that I don't accidentally startle him, and so that's what I'm doing.”

“Oh. Um... well, good! I'll let you get back to that.” Dash couldn't help but cringe just a little. I used to wish she'd act normal, but now that she is, I'm actually creeped out by it!

It was another rather unnerving five minutes before they got to the hospital, were checked in and made their way to the outside of the hospital room where the creature was staying. Twilight had them all wait for a moment while she went in to prepare him for guests, then gestured for them to follow; Dash was the last one in at Twi's earlier insistence, out of a worry- which might not have been unfounded, in Dash's opinion- that her earlier pursuit of him might have given him an aversion towards her.

And despite the fact that his eyes were tiny and his ears were completely immobile and stuck on the sides of his head, she could still see his expression become more guarded when he saw her. She gave him a smile and a wave of her hoof to show that she wasn't here to cause trouble, and that seemed to defuse some of that tension, though not all. He's definitely looking better than the last time I saw him, she thought. A lot calmer, too.

Fluttershy, for her part, trotted up to the bed with complete aplomb, leaning up to give his shoulder a gentle pat. “Hello, Peter,” she said quietly. “How are you feeling?”

“I'm okay, Fluttershy,” came the reply.

Applejack chuckled. “That's some weird accent he's got.”

“Oh, and you're one to talk, Applejack,” Rarity countered.

“Huh? I ain't got no accent!”

“Girls, please,” Twilight urged, before turning towards the creature. “Peter, these are my friends,” she said slowly, pointing out each of them and giving their names in turn. “Girls, this is Peter. His species is called 'human' in his language.”

“Hyuu-amon,” Dash tried. “The hay kind of weird word is that?”

“Now, Dash, it's certainly not any better or worse than 'pony', is it?” Rarity retorted.

“Well, at least 'pony' is a word I can... say right....” Dash trailed off as she watched Pinkie approached the bed with all the deliberate calmness of a trained soldier. When she reached the creature's side, she reached into her mane- and produced a small silver plate and lid, which she hoofed to him.

“Hello, Mister Peter!” she said, her voice exuberant but not at all loud. “I'm Pinkie Pie, and I'm Ponyville's premiere party planner! And I'm extending to you this invitation for one free Pinkie Party, redeemable any time you ever find yourself in town!”

For his part, Peter seemed a little confused, but lifted the lid off the plate- on which rested a small, colorful cupcake and a bright pink envelope; on the envelope was written “For Peter” in what seemed to be an even brighter shade of pink crayon.

“Err, Pinkie,” Applejack murmured, “how'd ya know what name to write on that there envelope when we jes' now met 'im?”

Pinkie giggled. “Silly filly. I knew to write his name on there because the invitation is for him! Who else's name would I put on it?”

Applejack opened her mouth to respond- only to find an alabaster-coated hoof covering it. Rarity simply shook her head slowly, the message clear- it's Pinkie being Pinkie; just let it go.

Peter had picked up the cupcake and was eyeing it closely. “Is okay?” he asked Fluttershy.

The pegasus turned. “Pinkie, you followed that list I gave you, right?”

“I sure did!” came the answer. “I made sure to use only ingredients that you said were safe for him. I wouldn't want one of my cupcakes to give anypony a tummyache, even if they're not an anypony but an anyhuman!”

Fluttershy smiled at that. “It's okay, yes,” she told Peter.

He carefully unwrapped the cupcake. Dash found herself fixated on the strange appendages at the ends of his forelimbs; she'd seen them in action when gripping obstacles or holding his weapon, but she hadn't dreamed they could move with such precision. She hardly registered the quiet exchange next to her between Applejack and Rarity.

“Quit starin', Rares.”

“I'm not staring!”

“I'm watchin' you stare at 'em right now!”

“No you're not; you're staring at them too! I'm watching you do it!”

“Well, I can't help it! Lookit 'em!”

“I am!”

“Girls, you're creeping him out!” Twilight hissed. Dash noticed that he had paused midway through unwrapping the cupcake, watching them with an expression that seemed somewhere between amused and worried; the three mares immediately found something else to look at, and with a quiet sigh and a shake of his head, the human finished removing the paper and took an experimental bite of the baked treat.

Dash could almost feel Pinkie repress a squeal of joy when Peter practically wolfed down the cupcake, licking those weird appendages clean of any leftover cake or frosting. Once he was done, he looked back up at Pinkie and gave her a small smile. “Thank you, Pinkie Pie,” he said, his accent thick but his meaning clear enough.

“I'm very glad you liked it!” the earth pony told him, her blue eyes almost popping out of their sockets and her smile so wide that the corners of her mouth practically threatened to meet at the back of her neck. “Now, um... if you'll excuse me, there's something I have to go do. Don't forget about that invitation, now!”

With more decorum and calm than Dash thought she was capable of, Pinkie trotted out of the room- and the instant the door closed, a series of dull thuds vibrated through the walls. Twilight frowned. “Applejack, see what she's doing?”

“Sure thing, sugarcube.” The orange mare cracked open the door and peeked out. “She's, uh... ricochetin' down the hallway.”

“...I suppose I shouldn't even be surprised.” Twilight facehoofed. “Okay, you know what, girls? Let's cut this fias- err, visit short and let him be for now, and go see Princess Celestia. We can come back after lunch, and then you can meet Sveti as well. In the meantime-”

“-eeeeeeeeeeeeEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeee-”

Twilight glanced back at the door, then facehoofed again. “-somepony catch Pinkie.”

(-)

“Let's see. Room twenty-two... Serene Calm. Broken scapula and dislocated shoulder; massage-therapy client accidentally bucked her when she found an unexpected pressure point.” Doctor Measure opened the door to look in on the patient, finding her resting comfortably- or as comfortably as anypony could rest when in a partial body cast- with the monitors all reading normal. “Checked, no problems found,” he said quietly, checking off a box on her chart and then putting it in the holder on the door.

The next room was the one that had seen far more attention than typical recently, all thanks to the unusual patient recovering within. “Room twenty-three, patient known as 'Peter',” he murmured. “Leaving tomorrow. I'll tell you what, my strange friend, we're going to be sad to see you go. You made things interesting around here....”

Something caught his eye as he slipped the chart out from its holder- there was a faint flickering light coming through the gap at the bottom of the door, stopping barely a second after he'd noticed it. He raised his hoof to open the door to have a look- only to have the door swing open by itself, with one of the night nurses standing behind it, her horn glowing faintly. “Oh! Um... hello, Doctor,” she said quickly.

“Nurse Suture, what are you doing in here? You're not assigned to rounds.”

“The patient was making noise of some sort when I came by; I wanted to be sure that there wasn't an emergency. I think it was simply a nightmare.”

Doctor Measure glanced past her to look at the creature in his oversized bed. He did seem uncomfortable, his pale face set in a faint grimace, but he was definitely asleep. “I thought I saw light in here,” the doctor said.

“It was too dark for a visual examination, and I didn't want to wake him by turning on the lights, so I used a low-power light spell.”

Well, that made sense; his strange ability to cancel magic meant that they couldn't use diagnostic spells or monitors on him- the machines either failed outright or didn't pick up that they were attached to a living creature- so they'd had to go back to the “old playbook” on quite a few occasions. “Alright then, nurse,” he said. “I'll let you get back to your duties.”

“Thank you, doctor.” Was that a trace of exhaustion in her voice? Well, he couldn't blame her; the night shift could be tiring for some ponies, especially new transfers from other less busy hospitals like Nurse Suture. So he paid her no more mind as she cantered down the hallway and he made his way to room twenty-four.

(-)

“Okay, let's see. Work order two-twenty-four... fountain number thirty-eight is backing up again, and somepony mentioned a rattling noise.” Sunflower put her clipboard into her work harness and climbed behind the fountain, retrieving her adjustable wrench and using it to shut off the water flow. As the cascade stopped and the pool began to drain, she heard a soft, metallic clinking noise. “I bet it's more visitors throwing bits into the fountain for good luck,” she murmured, trotting back around to the front of the pool- and passing one of the two signs that specifically requested that nopony throw items into the fountain.

Once the water had completely drained, though, Sunflower found something odd wedged in the grating beneath a hooffull of bits, that seemed to have been drawn most of the way through it but was caught by a flat metal piece. She couldn't pull it out, so instead she removed the grate itself and pulled it out, flipping it over onto its side on the rim of the pool. Her rubber mallet was sufficient to dislodge the object, and she put it aside for a moment to replace the grating and resume the water flow.

Her job done, she picked up the weird object to give it a closer look. It was made of some kind of light metal, with strange indentations on either side, and was apparently hollow; held within- visible through small holes on one of the narrow sides- were small, yellowish objects that had the gleam of copper or brass, one of which was partly visible through what she guessed was the top.

“What the hay is this thing?” she wondered, turning it this way and that, watching the water drip out of it. Shaking it dry as best as she could, she tucked it into her harness, resolving to bring it to her manager as soon as her shift was done. In the meantime, she had six more work orders to take care of.

And one of these days, she thought, I'm going to ask just what it is they serve at the commissary that results in so many plugged toilets in the visitor's center.

I was nervous.

I shouldn't have been, I knew that. I was finally getting out of the hospital, moving into what Sveti had taken a lot of trouble to get me to understand was some sort of gryphon-owned building where I would, at long last, actually have a place to live. She was trying to hide it, bless her mythological heart, but I could tell that she was glad to be getting me out of the hospital room where I'd spent the last month, and quite frankly I adored her for it.

And it felt singularly good to be wearing clothing again. My own clothes had probably been either ruined by all my falling down things during the chase, or cut off by the doctors afterwards; the ponies had provided me with something akin to a T-shirt and sweatpants both in a light-grey color, as well as underwear, socks and a strange pair of sneakers that felt more like those weird foot-hugging shoes I'd seen some freerunners wear in videos. It all fit me pretty well, thankfully. I didn't know what I was going to do to replace the rest of my clothing, though- since it seemed that a good number of creatures here didn't even bother with clothes, and those that did usually wore at most half-suits or vests, just dropping in on a clothing store wasn't likely to be the solution. I'd have to ask Sveti what I could do about the situation.

And I was even given to understand that the rest of Sixie's friends would be around as well. While my first meeting with them had been... well, bizarre, once they'd gotten used to me they seemed a fairly decent lot. Apple seemed to be a forthright Southern sort- I'd swear there was a Texas twang in that voice, even if I couldn't understand more than one word out of a dozen- while Diamond sort of came across as snooty and overbearing at times, but affable and approachable at others, and Pink was... well, at her calmest she was a twelve-pony sugar rush in one body, and she occasionally did things that baffled her friends as much as they did me, but her cheerfulness was infectious. And Rainbolt didn't seem to hold anything against me from what happened during our chase, and if she was willing to let it go, I supposed I could do the same.

So why was it that, while I stood there in the bathroom of my hospital room and looked at myself in the mirror, that I could feel my heart pounding in my chest as if I'd been locked in a cage with a dozen starving jackals?

The nightmare I'd had the previous night wasn't helping anything. I couldn't remember very much of it, but one part stood out in my mind- I'd been trapped in a hanging cage of barbed wire, swinging precariously over a pit of absolute blackness in which I somehow knew lurked a horrible monster that was slavering for my blood. And next to the cage stood Tent, levitating a whip made of twisted and rusted barbed wire, snapping it at me and slicing chunks out of my flesh. His eyes had begun to glow a dull red and his wicked grin had grown wider than his face should've allowed- and then he snapped his whip against the hook holding up the cage, making it fall. The cage was just plummeting into the darkness when I'd woken up in a cold sweat, gasping for breath like I'd just run a marathon.

I felt like an idiot, letting a mere dream get to me so strongly, but I just couldn't shake the imagery and the lingering sense of being under threat. I sure woudn't mind if that dreamscape pony started showing up again to chase the nightmares away, I mused, realizing that the strange night-patterned mare hadn't appeared in my dreams since the night I'd been captured. Heh. I want my night mare to get rid of my nightmares. Yes, Pete, you've well and truly gone loco.

There was nothing left to it but to get through it, so with a little splash of water against my face and a shake of my head, I turned off the bathroom light and headed out.

(-)

“Tell me what you think of this, Sveti.”

The hen looked down into the box as Twilight's magic popped open the lid. Inside was a selection of bladed implements, as well as a few other objects. “Is this a grooming kit?” she asked.

“That's right. He seems to prefer to keep his face clean-shaven and his hair short, so I thought it would be a good gift for him. The shears there are sized for griffin talons as well, if you wanted to lend a claw.”

Carefully, Sveti plucked the scissors out of the box and slid them over her talons; the holes were a tiny bit small for her, but not overly so. “I think he'll definitely appreciate this, Princess,” she said as she replaced the tool.

“I hope so. I'd like him to know that we all support him and hope he does well as part of the Embassy staff.” Twilight smiled brightly. “And since he'll be under your authority, it'll be your decision- do you want to keep his language lessons at the same time as we've been doing?”

“That'd probably be for the best, yes. I don't need some formal writ or something to give you access to the building, do I?”

Twilight giggled for a moment... then stopped, her brow furrowing in thought. “...I don't think so,” she said. “Maybe I'd better look that up, just to be on the safe side. With how things have been going lately I wouldn't want to risk some sort of international incident just because of language classes.” She shook her head and chuckled. “I'd swear that Peter is an agent for Marephy's Law- everything that can go wrong around him seems to do so.”

“I don't think he'd argue that,” Sveti chortled. “But here's to hoping that all turns around for him once he's settled.” She went quiet for a moment. “So you said that you've got something you want him to see before he heads over?”

“That's right. There's some possessions of his that we've found that we'd like to return to him, but there's one in particular that's... well, sort of impractical for him to take with him. We'd still like for him to see it and know that it's being cared for, though.”

“Ahh, I see.” Sveti considered for a moment. “Is everything he owns as strange as his weapon?”

“Yes! And we can't even tell what most of it is for! I am ready to get down on all four knees and beg Peter to explain it to us. I just feel like we're on the cusp of understanding some amazing things here, and-”

A muffled shout up ahead caught their attention. Twilight broke into a canter with Sveti close behind, approaching the conference room where they were to meet up with Peter and opening the door- to find Shining Armor and a pair of guards inside, facing Prince Blueblood and what seemed to Sveti to be a number of other nobles, if their clothing and snobbish demeanor were any indication. Everyone inside the room looked angry, Shining most of all. “Twilight! Thank Celestia you're here,” the captain said. “You aren't going to believe this.”

“When we asked for the attention of one of the Princesses, it wasn't this one we'd hoped for,” someone in the group of nobles murmured.

“Okay, everypony, please settle down.” Sveti knew Twilight had to have heard that comment, but apparently chose to ignore it. “What's going on?” the alicorn asked, pointedly directing her attention at her brother.

Shining gave the group a glance. “Prince Blueblood and his... associates apparently learned that Peter would be discharged today and are making demands that he be shackled for however long he'll be outside the hospital wing.”

Twilight turned to the Prince, who was looking at her with a weird mix of disdain and predatory opportunism. “I'd hoped to bring my case directly to Auntie, but I suppose you will do, Princess Twilight,” he said. “The hospital staff is intending to release a dangerous animal who has already made one attempt on my life! And everypony seems absolutely intent on letting it roam around unrestrained!”

“Now, Prince Blueblood, see here-”

“I will say my piece, thank you!” Blueblood snapped; Sveti barely repressed a snarl, and out of the corner of her eye she saw Shining take a half-step forward before composing himself. “This is an effrontery which I cannot allow to stand,” the Prince continued. “If the safety and security of this nation's nobility are not a priority to its 'stalwart defenders', then we will take matters into our own hooves.”

Twilight's expression hardened. “And just what do you mean by that?”

“The choice is simple, Princess Twilight. Either that beast will be shackled the entire time it is within the castle grounds, or my associates here and I will petition Parliament to have it forcibly confined to its hospital room until it is deemed safe by a third party to be selected through jointly-chosen committee.”

Sveti barely realized that her talons were digging into the floor. She knew enough about Equestrian politics to see what was going on here- Blueblood was essentially threatening to keep Peter locked up indefinitely; the Prince could hold up the process of choosing a committee as long as he pleased with rejections and demands. You petty, feather-plucking, overstuffed excuse for a male, she raged mentally. I could wish Peter had actually done as much harm to you as you think he tried to, because I am sorely tempted to do so myself!

Twilight was obviously doing her best to pull off Celestia's brand of calm neutrality, but some cracks were showing. “Now see here, Prince Blueblood. You are being entirely unreasonable about this entire situation! Peter has been absolutely compliant and docile throughout his stay at the hospital!”

“With all due respect, Princess Twilight, your track record for judging threats is somewhat less than stellar.” The stallion practically dripped sarcasm. “The conditions are non-negotiable. One way or another, that beast will be secured and rendered a non-threat.”

Twilight had opened her mouth to speak- and Sveti was on the verge of telling the royal just where he could stuff that pompous ego of his- when Shining cleared his throat. “If you'll excuse us, Your Highness,” he said, “I'll consult with the Princess on how to best see to your wishes.”

A look of surprise flashed across Blueblood's features, quickly covered by a smug grin. “See that you do so, Captain,” he replied smoothly.

Shining led Twilight, Sveti and his guards out of the room; the hen almost couldn't repress a snicker when she heard one of the guards mutter “plot-hat” in the Prince's direction on the way out. Once they were well clear of the area, Twilight let out a growl of frustration. “How dare he!” she muttered. “That... that ignorant, speciesist buffoon! He doesn't know what Peter's like!”

“He doesn't care, either, Twily,” Shining replied. “And he's got us bridled- he could keep Peter in that room for months if he wanted, and Parliamentary rules wouldn't allow Princess Celestia or Luna to interfere without a direct royal decree- which they don't like to use for anything but extremely dire situations.”

“But we can't just chain him up like some criminal! He doesn't deserve that! And what about all the trust we've managed to build up with him?!”

Sveti blinked in surprise when the Captain smiled. “It's okay, Twilight. I've got an idea... I'll just need yours and Sveti's help in running it across Peter to get his okay.”

(-)

As strange as the human's physiology was, it was clear from his expression that he did not like the look of the heavy-looking golden shackles that Shining placed on the table- not that Shining could blame him, especially considering his previous history with being imprisoned by ponies. But if the human understood the lengthy explanation Twily and Sveti had given him, he'd understand the significance of what he was about to see.

“Watch,” he said, rolling one of the shackles over to reveal a tiny lever. With a deliberately exaggerated motion, he snapped the two halves of the shackle together with a loud click- and then nudged the lever with a hoof, letting them separate again.

“False shackles?” Sveti asked. “Where did you get these things from?”

“They're a museum piece, believe it or not,” he told her. “Part of a faked coup attempt in Stalliongrad in the 4th century PB. I remembered them from when I was showing Cadance around the exhibits one day; she got the idea of using them for....” He trailed off, catching himself, and cleared his throat. “Never mind that,” he said quickly, catching a snicker from the griffin. “Blueblood and his cronies want shackles; they'll get shackles. But nopony said they have to work.”

He glanced back up and saw that Peter was already clamping one of the restraints to his forelimb; the sight of those strange fingers at work gave him pause. No wonder some of the mares go goofy watching those things, he thought. I almost feel like I ought to be jealous! When the release lever worked just as Shining had shown, the human actually shackled himself, testing his range of movement with the restraints on, and easily managed to trigger the levers to remove them. He stared at them for a long moment, then took in a deep breath and let it out slowly before once more clamping the shackles onto himself, then nodded to Shining.

The stallion couldn't help but smile, reaching up to pat the biped on the back. “Thanks,” he said. “I appreciate it.”

Sveti came up to the human's other side, staring at the shackles distastefully before putting a claw on his shoulder. “Peter,” she said quietly. “Are you sure you're okay with this?”

He gave her a slight smile and a nod. “Is okay, Sveti,” he said. “I want to go.”

“Then let's go ahead,” Twilight said. “The sooner we get going, the sooner we can take those things off of him.”

(-)

One thousand, two hundred and twelve. One thousand, two hundred and thirteen. One thousand, two hundred and fourteen.

Farris Wheel could only bounce a ball against a wall so many times before he got bored with it. That point had come six minutes ago; now he was nearly catatonic from boredom.

“Wheelie, would you please stop that?” came Wisk's voice from the other side of the dormitory.

“Yeah, sorry.” He dejectedly let the ball bounce past him and roll along the floor, hearing it tap against the far wall before Wisk's hooves clopped towards him, stopping next to the bean-bag chair that he was lounging in.

“Sweetie, are you alright?” she asked.

“No.” He frowned at the wall. “I almost wish we'd gone to prison rather than took Princess Twilight's offer. At least we'd know how long the sentence would be!”

“Don't say that, Wheelie!” He watched her trot into his line of sight, looking at him with a stern expression. “You've never been in prison. It's not something you'd enjoy in the least!”

“Yeah, well...!” Wheel crossed his forelegs over his barrel and huffed. “I'm sick of being stuck here, Wisk! How much longer do we have to stay here? When is Princess Twilight going to let us loose? She's already said she doesn't even need our help with the yeti anymore!”

“I understand, believe me.” She looked pensive for a moment. “It's not going to be much longer, sweetie. Just trust me on this, okay?”

Wheel covered his face with his forehooves. “I don't even know anymore, Wisk. I just don't. I want to get out of here; I want to go do something with my life! I want to forget Big Top and the yeti and Canterlot and go find a place where I can start things over.”

For some reason Wisk frowned at that. But as she opened her mouth to speak, there was a heavy knock at the door; both of them turned. “Come in,” Wisk called out.

The door opened, showing a pair of golden-armored guards standing behind it. “Farris Wheel, step forward please,” one of them called.

A cold wave of nervousness washed over him as he scrambled to his hooves. “Uh... I'm right here,” he said, trotting as slowly as he could without making it look like he was stalling. “What did I do?”

One of the guards chuckled. “Nothing, lad. Your presence is requested by the Undersecretary of Employment. There was a decision that you four should be given gainful employment while under detention, and a potential job opening was found for you- you're being brought in for an interview.”

“Oh! Oh. Um.” He found the idea actually appealing- if he had to be stuck here, at least he could do something with himself. “Okay, I guess,” he said, putting a little more speed in his steps.

Behind him, he heard Wisk call out “Err... good luck, Wheelie!”

“Thanks,” he responded before trotting out the door.

The two guards began leading him through the mazelike corridors of the castles. “Sorry for the abrupt visit,” the guard who'd spoken earlier said. “I heard that this was supposed to be later in the day and you were supposed to get advanced notice- but something bucked up the Undersecretary's schedule, and it was either bring you in now, or make you wait another two weeks.”

“Oh. Um, I don't really mind... my calendar was pretty clear either way.” The comment got chuckles from both guards, and everything went quiet again... though Wheel could tell that the pair were giving each other looks as they all trotted along. Probably just making fun of me, he thought, just like everypony else around here.

As they approached a grand doorway, the guards stopped. “Hold on,” one said.

“What?” asked the other.

“Isn't the Chartreuse Corridor closed off today? I heard they were refinishing some of the fixtures and filigree, and the fumes from the stuff they use are dangerous to ponies not wearing safety gear.”

“Huh. Glad you said something; we'd lose time going that way if we had to turn around. Let's take a shortcut.”

Wheel furrowed his brow as he followed the guards along a much less grand-looking hallway. Their conversation had sounded stilted, almost rehearsed. I guess that's just how guards talk sometimes, he reasoned. I never really understood the kind of pony that could dress up in metal plates and stand around unmoving all day.

Left without conversation, Wheel let his mind wander, not really paying much attention to where he was being led.

(-)

“Why the hay has he got chains on him?!”

“Dash, please calm down,” Twilight said. “It's a long story and it's got Blueblood mixed up in the middle of it. It's only for the time that Peter's in the castle until he goes to the embassy, and he personally agreed to it.”

“He did?” Dash glanced over at the human- noting how weird it was that her habitual hovering height put her at about eye-level to him- and spent a moment looking him over; he seemed uncomfortable, but determined. “Are you sure you're okay with this, tough guy?” she asked.

He nodded briefly. “Yes.”

“Well, he may accept this, but I certainly do not,” Rarity practically growled. “Blueblood has crossed the line between mere boorishness and outright wickedness! I've half a mind to hunt him down and express my disappointment in him in a manner that involves my hooves and his sorry flank!”

“Whoa, Rare.” Applejack put a hoof on the unicorn's shoulder. “Not sayin' that the low-down rattlesnake don't deserve that, and not sayin' that I wouldn't love watchin' it happen, but causin' a scene like that ain't gonna help anythin' right now.”

“Thank you, Applejack.” Twilight gave her a slight smile. “You're right. Believe me, I plan on speaking with Princesses Celestia and Luna about his horrid behavior today, but now isn't the time to instigate a fight.”

“That's right!” Pinkie Pie nodded. “We're not gonna let Prince Meanypants ruin Petey's 'Glad-You're-Out-Of-the-Hospital' party! He- oops!” She blushed an even brighter shade of pink, covering her mouth with both forehooves. “It can't be a surprise party if I give it away!” she practically wailed.

“Calm down, Pinkie,” Sveti said. “I don't think he understood most of what you said anyway.”

Not that most of us do, half the time, Dash joked to herself. “Yeah, guys, Twi's right. We'll have plenty of time later to yell at Prince Jerkface- let's hurry up so Peter doesn't have to stand around with those things on all day.”

Twilight nodded in agreement, and she and Sveti gently ushered Peter forward, while Dash hovered just above and behind the human, spending no small amount of mental energy imagining the best ways to knock a certain so-called “prince” into next Tuesday.

(-)

This was, without a doubt, the strangest escort assignment Stalwart had ever received in his entire career. It was bizarre enough that he was escorting a member of a previously-unknown species- the first new species encountered since the minotaur four hundred years ago, he remembered- but now for some reason that very same creature was shackled, and the very Bearers of the Elements of Harmony, one of them also being an alicorn Princess, saw fit to follow along. And were they ever livid... not that he could blame them in the least after that absolutely shameless display by Blueblood.

Stalwart had heard of what had happened with the creature and Aircolt Swift Wind, of course; not a single guard in Canterlot didn't know by now. But Stalwart was of the old-school mentality of “innocent until proven guilty”, which meant that this “Peter” was still under the protection of the law and due all the rights it gave him. Watchtower, his partner and long-time coltfriend, was the same... but not everypony in the Royal Guard agreed. There had been a lot of arguments in the barracks, away from the watchful eye of the Captain, as to what should be done with the creature- and a disappointingly large contingent had already judged him guilty and advocated for punishment.

Politics. Intrigue. Stalwart felt the urge to spit just to get the imaginary taste out of his mouth. I joined the Royal Guard to get away from that kind of thing. Apparently it followed me!

Unfortunately it didn't take long for them to catch up with him again. The escort party had reached an antechamber leading towards one of the restricted wings- and there was that same crowd of nobles as before, quite literally blocking the way the group meant to go, Blueblood at the head of them all and staring at Peter with a look of disdain mixed with fear. If contempt could start a fire, this creature would be an inferno right now, Stalwart thought.

Twilight came up short, staring at the noblestallion with her own increasingly plain look of irritation. “Prince Blueblood, what are you doing here?” she demanded. “Entry beyond this point is restricted to R-5 rated ponies or above, and that does not include you!”

“Oh, we weren't planning on entering, Princess,” Blueblood replied. “We just came to make sure that the monster there was properly restrained, as per our agreement.”

“Though don't take this to mean that any of us are happy about a murderous beast wandering the halls of our beautiful castle,” added a noblemare Stalwart didn't recognize.

The guardspony frowned inwardly. There was something... off about this situation; he felt his hackles rising, reflexively moving closer to his charge to offer more protection. A quick glance upwards showed that the human's face was set like stone, but his small eyes flicked rapidly back and forth across the row of ponies that blocked his way, and he seemed to be breathing much more quickly than necessary. Fear reaction, Stalwart realized. He is not comfortable here.

“Now tell us, please, Princess Twilight,” said another in the crowd. “Exactly when is this creature going to stand trial for attempting to murder a member of our beloved Royal Guard?”

“Alright, see here,” Captain Armor interjected. “The investigation is ongoing pending certain developments, but no charges have been laid, and an agreement has been made with the current administrator of the Griffin Embassy to house him until such time-”

“Oh, you mean the estimable Miss Windwhisper here,” said another noblepony, with absolutely nothing that sounded like respect in his voice. “Princess Sparkle, are you certain you trust this griffin to be impartial in regards to this creature? I mean... given her family history.”

The hen's head practically snapped towards the pony, her eyes wide and her pupils and irises shrinking. “...what did you say?” she practically snarled.

“Let's just say that word of your father's... predilections has spread, my dear,” the pony replied, cockily trotting towards the obviously-furious griffin, practically leering into her face. “So perhaps we're not ready to believe that you can be depended on to turn over this creature should our government demand it... that is, if you'll even let him out of your bed, or whatever you hybrids sleep in-”

“Hey! Back off, chump!” Rainbow Dash shoulder-checked the advancing noble, sending him reeling back- to bounce off the side of one of his compatriots and then stumbling into the griffin- who shoved him roughly off of her, sending him sprawling.

The mare he'd bumped against stepped forward, angling herself between the griffin and the guards. “Did you see that?!” she screeched. “Violence against a member of the nobility of this nation! Captain Armor, I want this griffin arrested immediately!”

Several others of the crowd of nobles spoke up, their voices combining in a cacophony of demands, with a few of the Bearers beginning to shout back at them, and Princess Twilight calling for everypony to back down. Shining gave Stalwart a meaningful glance, and the guardspony understood. “Tower!” he called to his partner. “Exfil the VIP, rightward!”

The human was glancing around in a near-panic, apparently not even realizing that the two guards were literally herding him towards one of the other doors of the antechamber. A brief glow came from the direction of Watchtower's horn, and the door they were backing the human towards swung open; they carefully guided him through it, closing it behind them. “Where are we taking him?” Watchtower asked in his quiet, baritone voice.

“I don't know, just somewhere that isn't here-” Stalwart practically whirled in place as he caught motion and sound behind him.

(-)

I could actually feel my heart pounding in my chest, hear the blood rushing through my ears. The room seemed too small for me, too crowded, and I found myself fighting the irrational urge to lash out at these unknown ponies and their all-too-familiar ringleader. I almost felt as though I couldn't breathe, my throat tight and the air feeling thick and heavy as I struggled to draw it in.

I was only vaguely aware that my two escorts were nudging me out of the room, away from the hostile ponies- but also away from the only creatures I remotely trusted in this place. It was only when the doors clicked closed between them and me that I actually realized what was going on... but before I could reason out what to do next, one of the guards spun around, bringing my attention to another pair of doors nearby that had just opened.

I felt my heart literally skip a beat when I fully understood just what I was seeing before me. Two other guards, these ones staring up at me with undisguised expressions of aggression, flanked one of the last ponies I'd ever wanted to see again- Ferris, one of the ponies from the sideshow, seeming frozen in mid-stride coming through the doorway, his eyes locked on mine.

Images of cages and whips flashed through my mind in the space of an eyeblink. I had to get away from here, back to Sixie and Sveti, before these ponies could do whatever it was they'd come to do- but even as I turned to run for the doors I'd just come through, they flew open, that insane Prince striding through with Rainbolt just behind him- both of them with furious expressions on their faces. The guards to my sides pressed in against me, limiting me, trapping me.

I snapped.

The shackles were off of me in an instant. I brought my fists down on the back of one of the guards closest to me, hardly even noticing the armor as the blow took him off his hooves and laid him flat on his belly; the chains became an impromptu bolo, tangling up the forelegs of one of Ferris's guards as he advanced towards me and sending him crashing snout-first into the floor. I jumped over him, roughly shoving Ferris aside as I sprinted past, and I was in the halls of the castle a moment later, my shoes slapping against marble, and my mind telling me only one thing: Get away. Get out.

(-)

“Wait! Stop! Peter!” Sveti shouted, her voice almost completely drowned out by the cacophony around her. “Of all the plucking-” She tried to spread her wings to take to the air so that she could follow him, but the mass of ponies around her was too close to manage.

“Sir!” came a much louder shout- one of the guards who'd been escorting Peter. “VIP on the move, solo! We've lost him!”

“What-?!” The Captain took in a deep breath. “Everypony shut up!” he hollered; amazingly, every last living being in the room immediately went silent.

Except for one. “...and I said, 'Oatmeal? Are you crazy?!' ...oops.”

Once Pinkie Pie had quieted down, Shining glanced around. “Watchtower, get to the barracks and raise the alarm,” he ordered. “Protocol 'Lockdown'. Get guards on every exit-”

“Don't worry, I've got this!” Dash was gone in an instant, leaving a trail of rainbow colors in her wake.

“...but don't confront him,” Shining finished lamely.

“Dangit, Dash!” Applejack shouted. “That girl never sticks around t' find out what to do!”

Shining turned to one of his guards. “Stalwart, what happened?”

“Sir, we were exfiltrating the VIP to remove him from a stressful situation when we encountered another guard team escorting somepony that the VIP was apparently frightened of-”

Sveti stood up on her hind legs to look over the crowd- and saw the terrified face of Farris Wheel. “You!” she roared, pushing ponies aside to get to him, watching him shrink before her like a mouse in front of a manticore. “What the pluck are you doing here?! Do you have any idea what you've done?!”

“No!” he shouted back, tears streaming from his eyes. “I don't know what's going on at all! All I know is that I had guards bringing me somewhere and then the yeti was right there and everything went crazy!”

“You-” She froze in place, the heat of anger in her blood quickly cooled by confusion, leaving her almost shivering in a strange combination of spent rage and fear- not for herself, but for her human friend. I'm wasting time with Wheel, she realized, turning towards the others. “Captain... I need to go find Peter. What do you want me to do?”

Despite the situation, he gave her a brief smile. “Find Dash if you can, and have her link up with one of the pegasus squads to coordinate a search pattern, then please do so yourself. If you manage to find Peter before that... well, I think you might be the only creature he trusts right now, so do what you can to get him to stop. If you can't, signal us as to where he is.” He gave the nobleponies an angry glare that actually got a few of them to step back. “Give this griffin some room to fly!” he ordered. The rest of the group- even Blueblood- obliged, and Sveti spread her wings; a moment later and she was soaring through the halls, zipping past guards already moving to their stations, one objective foremost on her mind- to find Peter and get him to stop before he got himself hurt... or worse.

(-)

Well! It seems we're all caught up to where we started, aren't we? Settle down, now, there's plenty more story left to go. Though perhaps the tale might come quicker if you were to buy me a drink, hm?

Apparently ponies had no idea how good humans could be at swimming.

I almost felt badly for Rainbolt as she zipped back and forth, calling out for me, sounding increasingly panicked. A part of me wanted to show myself to her, at least to let her know that I was okay, but I knew that she'd simply go back and tell the others where I was- and I wasn't ready for that.

Finally, after a few more moments of searching, Rainbolt zoomed back towards the castle- how anything living could move that fast, I'd never understand- and I swam out from the little cul-de-sac I'd been hiding in. The water was cold, and as I clambered out of the river and into the chilly afternoon air, I found myself shivering while I searched for somewhere to hide. It was likely that the rainbow-colored pegasus was going to report in to Sixie, and there'd be search parties out in short order- and I stuck out like a fistful of sore thumbs as I was dressed. I'd have to wait until night if I wanted a chance to get any sort of distance away without being spotted.

As I wrung out my shirt- which seemed to already be drying fairly quickly- I glanced back up at the castle, a silhouette in the afternoon sun, and spent a moment wondering just what Sveti thought of me at that moment. Was she angry at me for bolting, after all she'd done for me? Was she worried? Did she even understand why I'd done it... and could I even expect her to, when I still wasn't sure? I'd been so close, I thought, finding a spot fairly well-protected from aerial view and sitting down for a moment. I'd thought I'd finally have something resembling normalcy, a safe place to stay until I could find a way back home. Then Prince Jerkass makes a scene... and Ferris shows up. And if he's there, can Tent be far behind? I don't know what the hell's going on over there, but until I know that I'm not looking at a stay in a cage in my near future, I'm staying out here.

And it seemed like a great plan... until I realized that night was going to fall in a few hours, it was steadily getting colder, and I had absolutely nothing with me but the clothes on my back- which were fine for the slightly-chilly halls of the castle, but wholly inadequate for a fall night. Looks like I'm living off the land once more, I thought, starting a careful search for things I might need while still being sure to stay out of sight from the air.

(-)

“I don't know where he is, Sveti! He dove into the river and that was the last I saw of him! For all I know he could be....”

“No. Don't say that, Dash.” For the sake of my heart if nothing else, the hen thought. “You don't know Peter like I do. He's a survivor.” She took a couple of calming breaths, spending the time trying to convince herself of her own words. “Look. Captain Armor wants you to link up with one of the Guard squadrons for an organized search; I'm going to do the same. It's our best chance to find him. If I do, I'll give you a signal to come find us. Have you ever heard a griffin signal cry?”

“Yeah, yeah. I knew another griffin in Flight Camp. She used it a couple of times.”

“Okay, just listen for that then.”

Dash turned to go, then looked back over her shoulder. “Sveti... I'm really sorry. Maybe if I'd reacted faster....”

Sveti held up both claws in a supplicating gesture. “You're not the one to blame, Dash. We both know who is.” She gave a meaningful glance towards the castle.

“Yeah. That sorry little sack of horseapples is going to regret that he ever heard the name Rainbow Dash once this is all over.” A scowl crossed the pegasus's face for a moment. “Okay, I'm movin'. Good luck, Sveti.”

“You too.” As Dash zipped off in a rainbow blur, Sveti peeled off in the opposite direction. It didn't take her long to find a wing of patrolling pegasi, and after a brief conversation with the sergeant in charge, she was given an area to look through that they hadn't been able to get to yet. As quickly as she could, she flew towards her designated zone, a thick patch of woods that was heavily shadowed by the castle itself.

Every hour that passed lessened her hopes that she would be able to find her friend alive, but she wouldn't let herself give up- she'd stay in the skies until she dropped from fatigue, if needed. But as Celestia was bringing the sun below the horizon, and darkness turned the trees into a blanket of shadows even to her sharp, sensitive eyes, she found herself wondering if she was wasting her time in this area... until a flicker of light where there should have been none caught her attention. Hope lent her tired wings new strength, and she swooped through the air towards where she'd glimpsed the illumination.

As she neared her target, she realized that she'd been extremely lucky. What she'd spotted was a flicker of firelight against a small rock face, cast by an equally small fire that had been built underneath an overhang that faced away from the castle; a cleverly-built screen of branches and leaves both hid the light and dispersed the smoke enough to keep it from being visible from any distance more than a couple dozen feet. As quietly as she could, she landed a dozen or so feet away from it, made her way up to it and trod to its edge, peeking around...

...to find it empty.

“Sveti?” The voice to her left almost made her jump, except that she knew whose it was. Peter stood half-hidden in a copse of bushes, a bundle of sticks tucked underneath one arm and a fairly large stone clutched in the opposite hand, ready to throw- until he let it drop to the ground.

“Peter!” She had to actively resist the urge to bound up to him and embrace him. “Oh, thank the Ancestors you're alright!” she exclaimed, walking with him into his little hideaway. “You're not hurt, are you? Let me take a look at you-”

“I okay, Sveti.” He raised a hand. “I... needed to not be where I was.”

She frowned. “Peter, I'm so sorry about all that,” she said. “We didn't know Blueblood was going to be there....”

“Blueblood?” Peter repeated, obviously not understanding.

She picked up one of his sticks and scratched a rough caricature of a pony in the dirt, followed by a rendering of Blueblood's cutie mark; the human understood. “We didn't know he'd be there,” she told him, careful to keep her speech slow so that he could follow along. “Let alone that he'd be so determined to cause grief....”

“I not care about Blueblood.” Peter took another stick, drew his own stick figure of a pony... then sketched out Farris Wheel's cutie mark. “Name?” he asked; when she told him- it took him three tries to get it right, which she couldn't blame him for, it being a somewhat oddly-pronounced name- he leaned back against the wall of his shelter. “Why Wheel there?” he asked her.

Her gaze turned towards the fire for a moment. “It's... hard to say.”

“Sveti know Wheel was there?”

She glanced back up at him searchingly; his expression hadn't changed, and there was no accusation in his voice, but she still felt stung by his words. “I... yes,” she admitted.

“Why not tell?”

“It's complicated, Peter.” She could tell he didn't like that answer, but he didn't say anything; instead he drew another shape in the dirt- Big Top's cutie mark.

“Where?” he asked simply.

“I don't know. No one knows where Big Top is, Peter. He's not-” She paused, her mind clicking into gear. “...you ran because you thought Wheel was going to take you back to Top, didn't you?”

Now it was his turn to look away, giving her only a quiet “yes” after a moment.

“Peter... do you remember the other ponies?” She drew rough representations of the cutie marks of the others who'd been present in the sideshow, giving him each name in order. “They're in the castle too,” she told him, pointing up towards the towering construct. “But they're not with Big Top any more.”

“I not....” He seemed to struggle for words. “I not think good of them.”

“You don't trust them. I understand that, Peter; I don't trust them either. But they can't do anything to you now.”

He shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest. “Is....” he began, quickly becoming frustrated.

She put a claw on his forearm. “Peter... do you trust me?” she asked.

“Yes!” The response was almost instantaneous.

“But you were afraid.” She drew a quick sketch of his face with a fearful expression- one she was too familiar with by now.

He nodded. “Much afraid. I not want, but....”

She was starting to understand. “Peter, you can trust me. You can trust the Princess-” she did a quick sketch of Twilight's cutie mark- “and a lot of the ponies. You don't need to run anymore.”

“Is... hard to trust,” he sighed. “Not want be....” He glanced up at her, his gaze measuring, then leaned over and drew a small figure of himself- and then a box with lines covering it.

It was too easy to understand. “A cage...?” she murmured, staring at the drawing for a moment- and then angrily slamming her claw down on it, scrubbing it out of existence. “No,” she told him. “No more cages. No more cages, ever! I will die before I see you put in a cage again!”

She didn't actually register what she'd said until she saw his expression change. Something like a sad smile crossed his face, and he reached out to place a hand against her shoulder. “I not want that, Sveti,” he told her quietly. “But... thank you.”

She looked away for a moment, certain she was blushing straight through her plumage. “Look... let me take you back, okay, Peter?” she asked. “You'll be safe in the embassy. I promise.”

“I....” He gazed at her for a moment, then let out a sigh and nodded. “Okay.”

“Good.” She gave him a broad smile, then looked up. “I need to call Rainbow Dash, okay?”

He nodded again. “Rainbow Dash not... angry?”

“No, she's just worried about you. All of Princess Twilight's friends are. They're plenty angry at Blueblood, though.” She stepped away from the alcove, raised her head and let out a piercing cry that echoed through the trees. “There, I'm sure she heard that,” she said, turning back to the human. “Getting you back up there is going to be a challenge,” she murmured, leaning against the side of the hideaway.

She heard him walk up behind her. “Sveti... I sorry.”

“You don't need to be.” She looked back at him and gave him a smile. “We'll get through this, okay? I'm here for you.”

He nodded again, and went silent, leaning against the rock next to her and gently laying a hand on her neck. And as they waited for Dash to appear, Sveti couldn't help but think just how nice that felt.

(-)

“So, um, Sveti, if you don't mind me asking....” Dash glanced over at the griffin, who was flying at a sedate pace alongside the chariot that was carrying the human back up to the castle. “That jerk we ran into before... he said something about your father, and 'predictions'? You looked like you wanted to rip his head off and use his neck as an outhouse. What was that about?”

“ 'Predilections', you mean?” The hen sighed. “It's... really personal, Dash. And I'm going to have to talk to Princess Twilight about it, I suppose, but... it's not something I really want to share.”

“Oh.” Dash nodded in understanding. “It's cool. I figured it was something important, the way you reacted.”

Sveti nodded. “Oh, that reminds me... thank you for getting him off of my beak before I ended up doing something that might've actually warranted me getting arrested.”

The pegasus snickered. “Yeah, no problem. When you're a national hero, you can get away with a few things- like marehoofing some chump who doesn't respect personal space.”

The rest of the flight back to Canterlot was quiet. Sveti seemed to be working through something in her mind, and with everything that had happened, Dash could understand the desire; she herself was still wondering just why Peter had run from that Ferris-wheel-marked stallion. I won't bug Sveti about it, though, she decided. I'm sure Twilight will be able to explain, if she can just keep away from those twenty-bit words she likes to use and keep it plain and simple.

It was only a few minutes later, after returning to the castle and catching up with her friends, that Dash was reminded that wanting an explanation didn't automatically translate into liking the explanation that was given. “Whoa, whoa, wait, Twilight,” she interrupted. “You're telling me that that pony he ran into, the one that he ended up running from... he's one of the ones who kept Peter in a cage?! It's no freaking wonder he took off like that then! What the hay was that pony even doing here?!”

“Now, Dash,” Rarity said. “Your sentiment is entirely understandable- I may have said something similar when Twilight explained things to us while you were out searching- but please allow her to explain fully.”

“Okay, okay.....” And so Dash sat through the rest of Twilight's story- why the sideshow ponies were still in the castle, and what else had conspired to apparently set the human off.

“...and apparently Sergeants Stalwart and Watchtower may have inadvertently erred just by following their training,” Twilight finished. “They closed ranks on Peter in a protective posture when he encountered Wheel, but that may just have made him feel trapped.”

“And what the hay were those other guards doing bringing that 'Wheel' guy here?”

“I heard something about an appointment with an Undersecretary of something-or-other and a shortcut through the castle. Shining definitely wasn't happy with them.”

Applejack removed her hat and brushed it against a foreleg. “I called it, y'know,” she drawled. “When that feller gets 'is gallop on, he don't go halfway. But, well, so long as he's okay and safe in the Embassy- all's well that ends well, right? I mean, he ain't gonna be lookin' at any trouble from all this, is he?”

“Not if I have anything to say about it- which, come to think of it, I just might.” Twilight smirked. “Honestly, if anything, Peter's actions today are proof that given the choice of hurting ponies or fleeing from them, he'll take the latter action whenever it's possible.”

“He's definitely not the monster some ponies are saying he is,” Fluttershy added. “He seems... sad or lost more than anything. He never gave us anything worse than a frown when he was in the hospital.”

“Which is why I was really looking forward to throwing him his party!” Pinkie sniffled. “But I guess that can wait until tomorrow, when everything's settled down. Because parties and political intrigue just don't go well together!”

“Oh, Pinkie, you'll never understand the upper-crust mentality.” Rarity chuckled. “And sometimes I envy you for that.”

“Dash, a question,” Twilight said. “How is Sveti? I'd had a few questions for her when she got back, but she looked so exhausted that I thought it best to hold them for the morning.”

“Yeah, I'm not surprised she was so tired,” Dash answered. “I mean... no offense to her, but it doesn't seem to me like she was ever really a strong flier, and then being caged up for months on end can't have helped anything. But she was out in those skies for hours looking for Peter. She had to have been pushing herself to her limits.”

Twilight nodded. “After all I've seen, I won't say I'm surprised. But how was she doing emotionally?”

“Eh... well, I'm not exactly the best pony to judge that kinda thing....” Dash rubbed at the back of her neck with a hoof. “I guess... glad that she found him, but angry at what happened before he ran. I asked her about what that one jerk said, but she didn't wanna talk about it. She did say she'd have to discuss it with you, though... I guess it's something important.”

“It seems so. Well... it can wait until morning. I'm content to allow Sveti and Peter their rest. In the meantime, I'm going to brief Celestia and Luna on just what went on.” Twilight let out a slow breath. “And, hopefully, that'll be the last of the drama for a while.”

(-)

“Good morning, Sveti.” Twilight trotted into the welcoming hall of the Griffin Embassy. “Thanks for seeing me on such short notice,” she said, looking around. “My, you've done an incredible job with getting the building back into shape! You wouldn't know it'd spent months completely vacant.”

“Our cleaning crew is turning out to be top-notch,” the hen replied. “Ensemble particularly- she's a hard worker.”

“I'm pleased to hear that.” Twilight smiled. “Do you have a place we can talk privately for a little while?”

“Certainly. This way, please.”

Sveti guided her through a few rooms and hallways until they entered what seemed to be a lounge; the griffin lit a fire to chase the mild chill from the room while Twilight looked around, spending a moment looking over the remarkably well-stocked bookshelves. “This is quite a nice place,” she said.

“Thanks.” With the fire lit, Sveti invited Twilight to have a seat in an overstuffed reading chair, settling herself in its partner in front of a small table. “Oh, and thank you for the breakfast basket. It was very much appreciated.”

“I'm glad! I figured after a night like last night, some comfort food wouldn't go amiss.” With both of them settled in, Twilight decided to broach the first subject at hoof. “Sveti, I did have a few questions about what happened last night,” she said. “Now, please understand you're free to refuse to answer any or all of them... but I think that if I have a better understanding of this situation, I'll be better able to help.”

Sveti nodded slowly. “I suppose it might just be a matter of time before this gets out anyway,” she said quietly.

“You mean, pertaining to Duke Ellington's comment to you about your father?”

“Right.”

“Your reaction startled me, I'll admit. But I was more confused as to exactly what he was getting at.”

Sveti closed her eyes and went still for a moment. “Princess, we've got a term in the Griffinic language- 'medfeilen'. I don't imagine you've heard it?” When Twilight shook her head, Sveti nodded in understanding. “I hadn't expected so. Roughly, it translates to 'with the wrong one', but the contemporary meaning is a lot more pointed. It's... well, it's a slur towards griffins who are in a relationship with someone who isn't.”

Twilight blinked. “I... I've never heard of that. It isn't a common occurrence in the Empire, I'd assume? I know that non-griffin population tends to be low in most Griffinic cities that aren't near a border with another nation.”

“You're right. But... it does happen, from time to time.”

Sveti went quiet for a moment, but Twilight could connect the dots. “Your father?”

“Right.”

“But... Sveti, I'm not sure I understand. Here in Equestria, a term like 'medfeilen' is pretty much meaningless; we ponies don't care too much about things like that. And unless there was proof, who in your country would care what a bunch of ponies had to say about a griffin in an ambassadorship that- if you don't mind me saying this- your Emperor doesn't seem to care much about?”

“You'd be surprised....” Sveti sighed. “Princess, it's not that ponies would object- they'd probably do the opposite, in fact. And that's part of the problem.”

“I... I'm not following.”

“It's... complicated. I think I need to start at the beginning of what happened.” Sveti leaned over and tugged at a cord that hung from a small device set up near the chairs; after a few moments, the door opened, and a young blond-maned earth pony stallion opened the door. “Yes, Miss Windwhisper?” he asked.

“Quick Service, we could use some drinks here; we'll be a little while. I'll have my usual coffee... you, Princess?”

Twilight considered. “Do you happen to have peachberry jasmine tea?”

“We do!” the stallion answered.

“Excellent! I'll have some of that, please. Nice and hot.”

“Sure thing, Princess Twilight. It'll just be a few minutes.”

The stallion closed the door, and Sveti chuckled. “That colt is so eager to please,” she said, smiling for a moment before her expression became serious. “So... okay. What I'm about to tell you is both private and borderline state-secrets, so I need to know that this is in the strictest confidence.”

“Absolutely, so long as it doesn't threaten Equestrian national security or the safety of ponies.”

“It doesn't.” Sveti leaned back in her chair, ruffling her wings a little. “All of this started several months ago. I'd noticed that Dad's attitude- which had already started going downhill because of how much the Emperor was neglecting the embassy- had gotten even worse; he was snapping at his staff and me, and had started drinking... something he'd given up ten years ago and sworn never to do again. I'm not the kind to leave things alone when they're important to me, so after a bit of prying, I found out what'd happened. He'd gotten a blackmail letter from a pony- that included a photograph of my father having... errr, 'relations' with a member of staff. A member who happened to be a pony.”

Twilight blinked in surprise. “Relations? You... you mean....”

“...in flagrante dilecto. Gaining carnal knowledge. Forming the eight-legged beast. That sort of thing.” Sveti sighed. “...sorry. I'm still a little groggy from last night, and that never helps my mood.”

As if on cue, there was a knock at the door, and then Quick Service returned with their drinks, leaving the tray on the table and excusing himself. Once he was gone again- and Sveti had gotten some coffee in her- she continued. “I don't know how he got the photo; it had obviously been taken through a bedroom window on the third floor, so I suppose some pegasus paparazzi went for an expose, but this pony ended up buying the photo instead.”

“No newspaper in Canterlot would've touched it,” Twilight answered. “There are strict standards in place about publishing photographs of royalty and dignitaries in private.” A pity Ponyville doesn't hew to the same standards, she thought. The “cake incident” is still fresh in my mind.

“No newspaper in Canterlot, no. And the official Empire press has the same sort of rules. But the pony threatened to send that picture to Neighagra- which just happens to be not far from the border, and which sees no small amount of griffin traffic on a daily basis.”

“...and the Neighagra Post just might run a story on it,” Twilight realized. “They're something of a tabloid... they'd censor the picture itself, sure, but they'd probably publish some fluff piece on how the griffin ambassador has 'gone native' or something- a story that'd be seen by griffin citizens.”

“Citizens who probably would've raised a stink back home, and cost my father his position- and maybe his own citizenship.”

“Ugh.” Twilight shook her head. “This pony sounds about as bad as Big Top.”

Sveti set her mug down on the table and looked straight into the alicorn's eyes. “That's because it was Big Top.”

“It... what?”

“Princess... Big Top never captured me. I surrendered myself to him, hoping that he'd accept having a griffin 'exhibit' in his sideshow as a guaranteed profit rather than making greater demands of money from my father- demands he couldn't keep meeting with his budget continuously cut.” Sveti sighed. “I'd known that a lot of ponies in the more rural areas of Equestria likely hadn't seen griffins before, and what I'd hoped for was that I'd be sort of an oddity, but that I'd actually speak to ponies. Top decided that it'd be better if I appeared to be some kind of captive, vicious beast... at first I didn't dare object because of the power he still held over my father, but once I'd seen his cruel side, I was just terrified of him.” She picked up her mug again, staring down at the steaming liquid inside. “Plus... Top has this way of getting others to do what he wants. I thought it was some sort of mind-control spell, but maybe it's just his special talent or something.”

“That's a pretty horrible way to use your special talent.” Twilight finished off her tea and set the cup down. “I assume you didn't tell your father of what you'd done... I didn't know him, but to have a daughter as dedicated as you, he can't have been the kind of father to just allow that sort of thing.”

The griffin gave a weak smile. “No, I didn't. My agreement with Top was that it'd only be for a couple of months, and I told Dad that I was going on a little trip to see some sights; it didn't take Top long to alter the deal. I don't know why I was surprised... maybe I still believed that a pony couldn't descend to the depths Top lives in. He disabused me of that notion very quickly.”

Twilight lowered her head, unable to look the hen in the eye. “Sveti... I'm so very sorry that you had to suffer all of that at the hooves of another pony.”

“Princess, don't say that. Please. You're no more responsible for the actions of other ponies than I am for those of other griffins.”

“I know, but still....” She let the sentence trail off. “I'm disappointed that any pony could stoop to such things. I mean, we've had our villains and miscreants through our history, but....”

“Big Top is a bit more banal than the likes of King Sombra, isn't he?” Sveti shrugged. “He's a petty pony, with petty dreams. It may not be much comfort to those of us unlucky enough to encounter him, but still. Just... don't take it personally, Princess, or you'll tear yourself apart.”

“I know. But thank you, Sveti.” Twilight smiled. “And also thank you for confiding in me. I don't doubt that it wasn't easy for you. If there's anything I can do....”

Sveti let out a sigh. “I don't think there is, Princess, though I appreciate the offer. That cat's out of the bag now, apparently... the best I can do is just not draw any more attention to it. At least the news can't hurt my father now.”

Twilight felt her heart go out to the young hen; for everything that had happened to Sveti over the last few months, she was showing great inner strength. I hope that someday she'll follow her father's path into politics, she thought. She'd make a fine leader for her nation.

(-)

“I am extraordinarily disappointed in you, Blueblood.”

The stallion before Celestia frowned, raising a hoof to his chest. “Auntie, I assure you that everything I did was in defense of this nation's nobility! That monster-”

“That creature, Blueblood, showed remarkable restraint towards you.” She kept her eyes fixed on her wayward- and very distant, she reminded herself- relative. “His weapon is very precise, and he is quite skilled in its use. Had he meant to harm you instead of your furniture, I'm inclined to believe he would have done so.”

“But... but you can't let him get away with that, auntie!” She had to restrain herself from arching an eyebrow when he actually stomped a hoof like a petulant foal. “It's completely unseemly that some mon- some creature should be allowed to attack a Prince without punishment! What sort of message does that send?”

“Perhaps 'do not fling furniture at armed creatures'?” came another voice.

“Ahh-!” Blueblood actually jumped in shock from Luna's sudden speech, delivered directly behind him. Once more Celestia marveled at her sister's ability to move silently when she chose. “Au- Auntie Luna!” the stallion gasped. “I didn't hear you come in!”

“Quite. However, I did hear you- from the outside corridor, the antechamber beyond, and the hall beyond that.” It wasn't quite a smirk that was on Luna's face, but it was close.

“I, err... well, that is to say....”

“What should be said, in your situation, is nothing.” Luna's eyes bored into Blueblood's, her contempt in full display. “You attacked a sentient creature with force sufficient to kill; a piece of furniture you flung at him was found embedded four inches into a solid wall. Your carelessness nearly led to the grave injury of a member of the castle's staff, who was protected by the selfsame creature you attacked. And your actions afterwards- 'reprehensible' is a term that comes to mind. Demanding that the human be shackled, lest you and your cohorts endeavor to see to his imprisonment within the hospital via parliamentary maneuver. And then your and their direct insults towards Princess Twilight Sparkle, not to mention the shameless display before a citizen of the Griffin Empire, an honored guest within this nation and this castle- who has shown ponykind a level of tolerance and forgiveness that quite frankly, in my mind, makes her a better pony than you!”

By the time Luna was finished, Blueblood was practically a quivering wreck on the floor. “But... but Auntie Luna!” he whimpered. “That monster-”

“The human, Prince Blueblood, is now directly under the protection of the Crowns.” A scroll appeared in a burst of void magic, and was almost shoved into the stallion's face. “A step which I must say I am disgusted to feel the need to take simply to protect him from this nation's 'nobility'- a term I use with only singular definition, for there is nothing noble about any of your actions!”

“The terms of the decree are simple, Blueblood,” Celestia added, giving Luna a moment to breathe; the outburst had been one of her sister's longer ones. “The Guard will be instructed to no longer accept orders regarding the human known as Peter from anypony aside from the Princesses, the Royal Guard leadership cadre, or the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony. Also, Sveti Windwhisper has been given special dispensation as his legal guardian to represent him at any and all inquiries, and to withdraw him from any situation until somepony from the previously-mentioned groups can intervene.”

“In short, you and your 'friends' are to stay away from Peter.” Luna leaned towards the Prince, her eyes as hard and cold as glacial ice. “Should it come to our attention that this decree has been violated... there will be repercussions.” She leaned back, just a little. “Is this understood?”

Whatever it was that Blueblood attempted to say came out as a strangled squeak, but his rapid nod was enough assent. “Good,” Luna said. “Relay to your cohorts what you have been told. Let them know that their Princesses are watching.”

What Blueblood's exit lacked in decorum, it more than made up for in speed. As his hooffalls faded into the distance, Luna took a seat next to Celestia. “If only that were enough to settle the matter,” the Princess of the Moon sighed.

“If only,” Celestia agreed. “But we'll deal with whatever arises as we must. In the meantime... shouldn't you be getting some rest?”

“Indeed.” Luna took in a deep breath. “I shall see you in the evening, Tia.”

“Sleep well, Lulu.”

Well, here we are, take two.

The ponies were bringing me back to where I'd been confronted by Prince Asshat and then run into Ferris. With the assurance that I wouldn't be seeing either of them again- and my mood fairly well lifted by the party Pink had thrown for me earlier in the day- I'd allowed the ponies to bring me back to the same place. It was clear that there was something they'd wanted to show me, something important, though I certainly couldn't begin to guess what. Sveti seemed likewise perplexed, but Sixie had all the pent-up excitement of a novice ringmaster ready to open for her first show.

Then I was led into a large, well-lit chamber of some sort, and what I saw made me stop stock-still in complete shock.

“My car!” I blurted out.

There it was, my Ford Escort, in all of its wounded glory. I could tell that the ponies had been examining it- the hood was open and the sides of the engine compartment draped with cloth of some sort- but it didn't look like they'd done anything invasive to it. My initial mental question of “How could they have gotten it in here” was quickly answered with “Duh, magic”.

I was so amazed that they'd actually managed to recover my vehicle from the woods that it was probably a full minute before I noticed the long table just off to my right. Everything that had been with me when I'd first appeared in this strange place, aside from my weapon and its holster, was arranged on the table- from my phone, tablet and music player to my spare clothing and keychain. “You found my things?” I asked.

Sixie nodded, her smile seemingly growing wider by the moment. “Found in places you were. Kept safe, and....” She seemed to search for words I could understand. “Looked at, close.”

Well, that made sense, even if it did feel bizarre being on the alien end of the science-fiction movie cliche. “What did you learn?”

The smile fell away from Sixie's face. “...nothing,” she admitted. “Peter can show ponies how these....” She gave me a word I didn't know, but I was learning- it was probably like “work” or “function”.

I considered. I wasn't under any sort of Prime Directive or the like, and the idea of ponies adapting human technology and then invading Earth nearly made me break into laughter on the spot. There wouldn't be any harm in showing them some of the whiz-bang gadgets- well, barring the phone, which was still dead. Though if I start up the car, I can recharge everything, I thought. I'll want to warn them about the exhaust before I do that. “Okay,” I replied.

Watching Sixie practically dance around us in joy was hilarious. For some reason, Dash seemed annoyed at something, and rattled off a statement I didn't quite catch to Sveti, who chuckled. “Dash not happy she not know you talk well,” the gryphon told me.

I remembered the look she'd given me when I'd done my swan dive off the castle; there was no doubt in my mind that if she'd known I could fairly well understand her, she would've given me a very loud overview on her opinion of my stunt all the way down. I couldn't help but chuckle at the glare she gave me. “Sorry,” I told her. “We okay?”

I reflexively reached out a hand to shake, only to have her stare at it in confusion. After a moment, I curled my hand into a fist and lowered it a bit, pointing it towards her hooves; she seemed to catch on, and lightly tapped a hoof against my knuckles. “We okay,” she told me.

Sixie was impatient to get started, and the others seemed interested as well, so I picked up something guaranteed to draw some wonder- my tablet computer. There were a few smudges on the surface that suggested the ponies had fiddled with it, but no real damage. Maybe the touchscreen doesn't pick up their hooves, I thought. Well, let's show them how it works.

There was a small easel nearby, and I set the tablet on it to let them get a good view. The look of absolute astonishment that crossed their faces when the screen came to life was almost comical- and it only got more so when I started showing them things like the cheap bowling game I had on there and a couple of movie trailers I'd downloaded.

Then I got an idea. I picked up the tablet again and gestured for them to gather together, then raised the tablet up and lined them up in the frame. With a couple of taps, I took a picture, and then turned the computer around for them to have a look.

I'd never seen six jaws and a beak drop all at once until then. Sixie practically exploded in questions before her friends could reel her in, reminding her that my grasp on the language was still tenuous at best, which got a frustrated sigh out of her before she materialized a clipboard and began writing frantically- probably questions to ask me later. I couldn't help but laugh, not only at her intense concentration, but at the fact that she was reacting so strongly to technology that I considered mundane... while all the questions I wanted to ask her were about the magic she used so casually.

While she wrote and the others stared at the tablet while talking in hushed voices, I picked up my music player and looked it over. The battery was two-thirds drained, but there was enough power for at least a short demonstration. A flapping of wings behind me told me that Rainbolt had come up behind me- Butterfly seemed to almost never fly, and Sveti's and Sixie's wings sounded completely different- and the pegasus's curious face peeked over my shoulder. “What is that?” she asked.

“It makes music,” I told her, holding out the earbuds. “Want to hear?”

“Music?” she repeated, looking at the player quizzically. “Uh... okay.”

I made sure that the earbuds were clean, then gently placed them in Rainbolt's ears- not quite suppressing a chuckle at her facial contortions as she tried to get used to how they felt- then flipped through my playlist for something she might appreciate. Then a particular song came up, and with a grin, I pushed the play button.

She was transfixed from the beginning, her ears twitching along with the beat, then her head bobbing, then one of her hooves tapping. By the time she reached the middle of the song, she was practically headbanging to it, her wings twitching as if she was fighting the impulse to take off right there. The others gathered around her with various looks of confusion or amusement until the song ended, and Rainbolt realized what she'd been doing; with a bright red blush that showed right through her cyan-colored coat, she pulled the earbuds out and returned the player, then turned to her friends and started talking excitedly about what she'd heard.

Pink, perhaps unsurprisingly, was the next to ask to listen. I had the perfect song in mind for her, and in no time at all she was bouncing back and forth to the music's rhythm, actually trying to sing along, though without any knowledge of the language the best she could manage was a weird neigh-filled mishmash that didn't sound remotely close to English. Still, it was hilarious to listen to, and I could tell she was enjoying herself with it.

Interestingly, Butterfly was next. The little yellow pegasus seemed nervous, but allowed me to put the earbuds in her ears without resistance. By this point I had a serious soft spot for the mare after all the care and concern she'd shown me, so I made sure to choose a song more her “speed”. Her initial look of shock dissolved into pure wonder, her mouth hanging open slightly and her eyes going unfocused as she listened. She almost looked like she was going to cry at the end, and a couple of her friends looked concerned, but she waved them off as she gave the player back to me, saying something about it sounding “sad but beautiful”, if I understood her words correctly.

Apple came up after her, and here I was a little stymied; I couldn't think of anything I had on my playlist that might suit her. She seemed to catch on to my confusion, and said something that seemed to equate to “let me choose”; I showed her how to move between songs, then let her cycle through the playlist until she came across something she found appealing. Wasn't I surprised when the seventh song was what caught her attention, and she took on an almost melancholy look as she listened. Once the song ended, she respectfully returned my player, telling her friends about how the voice made her feel.

I needed something more upbeat, and when Diamond came up for her turn, I knew just what to play for her. I wasn't sure how she'd like it, though; I really would've pegged her as more preferring opera than 80's pop... so I was pleasantly surprised when she began nodding her head along with the music, her styled mane bobbing up and down with the motions, and she started to hum along a bit. Afterwards, she politely levitated my player back into my hands and gave me a smile as she thanked me.

Sixie, who'd been fussing over my tablet most of the while, finally came up to take a turn. By chance I happened upon a song that caught her attention, and even though I knew she couldn't understand more than one word of the lyrics out of twenty, the emotion of the song obviously struck her, and there was a strange expression on her face once she'd removed the earbuds- not of sadness, but of deep introspection.

And then... there was Sveti. The gryphon approached me with a curious expression, and yet again I was left wondering just what song I should play. Once more random chance made the decision for me- the next song that came up immediately had her attention, her claw coming to rest on my hand as she listened. Her eyes never left mine through the entire song, letting me read her emotions as they played across her face; I could see wonderment, sadness and concern in those amazingly expressive golden eyes of hers. I didn't quite understand the look she gave me once the song ended, but the gentle squeeze the gave my hand didn't go unnoticed.

I didn't realize until then that my hand had been trembling. The song had reminded me of something that had been pushed out of my mind by all that I'd been through, from running for my life to trying to understand the language of these ponies and how this weird place worked... this world wasn't my own. And as if to drive that point home, my still-running music player chose to start the most apropos song ever; I stared down at the earbuds in my hand, able to hear the music coming from them, unable to move for a little while before I could manage the will to shut the thing off.

Sveti probably didn't understand the meaning of the song, but she could figure out my mood, and I felt her other claw gently grasp my forearm. “It will be okay,” she told me quietly.

I nodded slowly, giving her a weak smile in return. At least now I'm in a position where I can ask what happened, and if I can manage to get back home, I thought. But not right now. This isn't the time or place.

Sveti set herself next to me, lightly pressing her side against mine, and reflexively I laid my hand against her neck. There was something comforting in the physical contact- a sense of solidity in a world that still felt surreal to me, even after all this time spent dealing with its weirdness. And as I watched the ponies talk about the things I'd shown them so far, I felt a little closer to them than I had before- maybe, after seeing their reactions to human technology and music, I felt just the tiniest bit less alien.

(-)

“Twi? Do you think you can build me one of those music things?” Dash gave her friend a hopeful grin. “Because it would be seriously awesome if I could have music like that playing during my morning workouts.”

“Build one?! I'd give up my front hooves just to know how it works!” Twilight shook her head slowly, her quill still scribbling across her clipboard. “How can something that small play music at all, let alone with such fidelity? Where's the record? Where's the power source? And how the hay does that weird flat thing take pictures without any film?”

“I can't believe how good th' music sounded,” Applejack put in. “Sounded like it was playin' right there in mah head.”

Twilight nodded. “I know! I mean, I've heard stereo effects from audio rigs like Vinyl Scratch's music table... but how do you fit that sort of hardware into something that goes in your ear?!” The alicorn glanced over at Peter, who seemed off in his own world as he stood next to Sveti. “Do you think he created all of this?” she wondered.

“Doubtful.” Rarity slowly trotted alongside the tables, taking in everything arrayed upon them. “Not that I don't believe he has the intelligence or skill, but everything I see here shows signs of mass-production.” She levitated a large booklet of some sort, then looked over her shoulder. “Peter, dear?” she called.

He looked up. “Yes?”

“May I?” She indicated the book with a tilt of her head; when he nodded in assent, she opened it up. “...oh my goodness,” she said quietly as she looked at the sketches inside. “Now here we see the work of a creative spirit. Were these sketches done while he was... shall we say, 'out and about'?”

Twilight nodded. “They were found with some of his other belongings by Ponyville, so it's likely.”

“Amazing. I might have expected that he would have resented ponies while on the run from them... but these images are truly flattering and candid. I certainly wouldn't mind having some of these hanging on my wall.” Rarity glanced back again. “Sveti, dear?”

“Hm?” came the reply.

“Were you aware of these?” She held up the sketchbook.

“Err... sort of. He drew some sketches while he was in the hospital.”

“Have you broached the idea of him perhaps becoming an artist for hire? I do know that neither of you has had much luck in dealings with Canterlot's nobility in the recent past, but I could think of several ponies who would pay a premium for artwork from such a notable personage. Especially one with such talent.”

“No... no, I hadn't even thought of that.” The griffin gave Peter a questioning glance. “It might be a good idea, though; I'll discuss it with him tonight. Thank you, Rarity.”

“Think nothing of it, dear! Such talent should be shared, and it's only fair that Peter be able to make a living from it for however long he should be in Canterlot.”

“Can I have a lookit that?” Applejack asked, pointing at the sketchbook; Rarity held it in place so that she could see and turn the pages. “Huh,” the earth pony said. “Yer right, these are some mighty fine drawins. Lookit this one; he did a great one a' th' Crusaders right there.”

“Oh my, how lovely!” Fluttershy said. “And... is that Roseluck? And Thunderlane? It's amazing how he captured so much detail!”

Pinkie was looking at the picture still displayed on the flat object. “Y'know, having a camera like this would be really neat!” she exclaimed. “You could take it anywhere, and you get your pictures right there!” She paused a moment, turning her head almost sideways as she stared at the device intently. “I wonder how you get them out, though.”

“Don't mess with it, Pinkie,” Applejack scolded her. “It ain't yers.”

“Yes, girls, please be careful with these things.” Twilight finally dismissed her clipboard and quill. “It's not like we can replace them if we break them.”

“Okay.” Pinkie eased herself away from the tablet. “Petey would be sad if he lost his neat-o awesome stuff right after getting it back! And I think he's already been sad too much as it is.”

Twilight couldn't help but chuckle to herself at Pinkie's typical simplistic-yet-accurate statement. “Now, I'm sure that if we ask politely, Peter wouldn't mind spending more time showing us his things, but for today we all have other things we need to get done.” She trotted up to the human. “Peter, I'll have the castle staff box your things- aside from the carriage, of course- and bring them to the Embassy. Sveti, could you help us to coordinate a regular meeting time so that he can educate us about his technology?”

“Of course, Princess.” The griffin smiled.

Twilight returned the smile and opened her mouth to speak again- but Peter beat her to it. “Princess Twilight?” he asked.

“Yes, Peter?”

“You, I... talk soon?” He seemed somewhat pensive.

“Er... certainly. Whenever you like; just be sure to tell me when you want to.”

He nodded. “Thank you,” he told her.

As everyone left the room to go about their business for the rest of the day, Twilight found herself with a lot to think about, and not much data to apply to what she'd seen. So much to learn, she mused. So much to understand! I feel like I've just had my entire world upended. I need to know where Peter's from, what other wonders his kind has! We're on the cusp of something enormous here, I just know it.

Thank Celestia he's being so understanding with us. I hope nothing else happens to damage that.

(-)

“...it ran?”

Air Sergeant York set her coffee down on the table. “That's what the report said,” she murmured, resisting the urge to glance around. As far as anypony was concerned, the two of them were just an average couple enjoying drinks at this nondescript cafe. Her contact had used a sound-muffling spell to ensure that eavesdroppers would hear nothing incriminating. “Fled through the castle, dove off one of the platforms, and was found hiding in the woods by that griffin.”

“And it didn't try to harm anypony?”

“Nothing aside from light bruising to two of the guards.”

“Hm. This is not welcome news.” York felt her wings twitch just a little at that statement. She'd only agreed to the plan because the creature no longer had its weapon and would have been shackled; when it inevitably lashed out, the likely damage would've been minimal. How the Celestia-damned thing got loose was a mystery to her, but if she'd had the slighest inkling it could have done so, she'd have nixed the plan completely; giving that monster another real chance to hurt ponies was not on her agenda. We were lucky, she thought. If it'd found a weapon....

“...you even listening to me?”

She blinked herself back into awareness, seeing the stallion in front of her giving her a harsh look. “...sorry,” she murmured. “I was thinking.”

“That's not your job in this arrangement.” The stallion's tone was an equal mix condescending and angry, and once more York was reminded that while the two of them may have been partners in this project, that hardly made them friends. “Your job is to report intelligence to me, and gather sympathetic hearts in the Guard structure to assist us.”

“There's a problem with that.” York frowned. “A schism is starting to form in the Guard. Some ponies actually believe that the creature is safe and that it's being unfairly treated by others. It's beginning to become a pronounced issue, and all of the arguments are starting to harm morale.”

“And you can't squash this?”

“Rank lets me tell ponies what to do- not what to think.” York's frown grew deeper. “And it isn't helping anything that the Bearers are caught up in all this ignorant admiration for the damned thing.”

“Hmh.” That seemed to annoy him as well, but he let it pass by without comment. “And what is the general view of this Sveti Windwhisper amongst your peers?”

She paused. “...what does the griffin have to do with anything?”

“If we're going to remove the support the creature is enjoying, we need to consider all angles. Discrediting the griffin, making her appear unsavory, would help turn the opinion of its supporters against it by dint of association.”

A frown crossed her face for a moment, and she felt objections struggling to make themselves known... and squashed them. “There isn't much talk about her,” she said blandly. “Just some sympathy about what happened to her father.”

“Well, we need to put an end to that. See what you can do to start some rumors about her in the ranks. The Bearers we can't do much about, but a griffin is an entirely different matter- get a few of the Guard thinking ill of her, and the mindset will spread. You know how ponies are.”

“Right....” She glanced up at the nearby clock; their time was just about up. “I think this meeting is over.”

“One more thing before you go, Sergeant.” He paused, looking uncomfortable. “Have you heard any reports on the whereabouts of Nurse Suture?”

“Your plant in the hospital? No... why?”

He waved a hoof dismissively. “Never mind that. If you hear any information regarding her, send me a message immediately. I trust you to be discreet.” With that, the stallion dropped a small pile of bits on the table to pay for their drinks- with nothing left over for a tip, York noted- and cantered off. She followed after a moment, if for no other reason than to keep up their thin illusion... but she was in no way “with” him at that moment. The idea of turning ponies against an innocent griffin whose only “crime” was blindly trusting the same creature many ponies were didn't sit terribly well with her.

For the first time since she'd made herself a part of this effort to get rid of the creature, Air Sergeant Peppermint York was beginning to feel uncomfortable with it.

(-)

I feel so weak.

He felt like every last drop of strength had been sapped from his body. Anything beyond the basics of breathing seemed a monumental effort; he couldn't even open his eyes. He tried to speak, but all that came out of his mouth was a piteous, almost inaudible groan.

With his eyes unresponsive, his brain looked to his other senses for information. He could tell he was under a thin but warm blanket, lying on his side on a firm mattress with a soft pillow under his head; his ears caught the soft whir of fan blades, and by their sound he judged that he was in a fairly small room. The air smelled clean, with only traces of some kind of cleaning agent wafting past his nostrils.

He tried to move, but a dull ache in his barrel flared up, making him whimper and clutch at it feebly with his forelegs. He was dimly aware of a soft beeping sound to his left increasing in pace as he grit his teeth and tried, with little success, to make the pain go away through sheer force of will.

After a few seconds, a nearby door opened, and hooves clacked their way inside across a tile floor. “Easy, easy,” came a soothing female voice. “I'm glad to see you're finally awake, but you'll only undo the healing your body's been doing if you thrash around like that. Try to hold still and I'll get a doctor to administer a sedative.”

It was a thing easier said than done, but he did his best to hold himself still, clenching his teeth to keep any more groans from escaping. It seemed like far too long before the door opened again, and this time two sets of hooves entered the room; he felt a hoof gently press against his cheek, and then a moment later a pinprick of pain in his neck followed by a sensation of coolness entering his body. Within a few moments, he felt the pain in his barrel fade away, and the cooling feeling spread into his brain, calming him and gently carrying him into sleep. As he dropped back into unconsciousness, he heard a male voice speak quietly.

“Notify Air Sergeant York that Aircolt Wind has emerged from his coma.”

(-)

“Wheelie?”

“Leave me alone, Wisk. I don't want to talk to anypony right now.”

Wisk sighed, resisting the urge to bang her head against the locked door. “Hiding in here ain't going to help anything, Wheel,” she said.

“Going outside only seems to make things worse!”

She was so intent on getting Wheel to open the door that she didn't even notice the heavy hooffalls behind her; she practically jumped out of her hide when Stout Hooves spoke. “Colt, open this door before I do,” he rumbled.

Everything went silent for a moment, and Wisk saw a scowl begin to cross Stout's face- until there was a soft click from the door. “There, it's unlocked,” came Wheel's voice.

Wisk opened the door slowly, to find Wheel slumped in his bed, his head buried in the pillows. Everything about the young stallion's manner just screamed “defeat” to her. “Wheelie, hon, you can't just hide from your problems in here for the rest of your life,” she said.

“That's not gonna stop me from trying.” Wheel's frustration was easily audible even through the pillow his head was buried in.

“Farris, get out of that bed.” Stout's voice was brooking no argument, but Wheel was apparently unimpressed.

“Go away, Stout,” the younger stallion muttered. “I don't want to hear from you either.”

“If you don't want to talk to me, then I can always go get my brother to do the 'talking'.”

There was a moment of silence, and then Wheel shifted. “Okay, okay, fine. Luna's teats....” he spat out, climbing down off the bed. “So what? Now you two get your turn to make me feel bad?”

“That's not what we want, Wheelie. We just want to talk to you about what happened.” She leaned forward to put a hoof on his shoulder, only for him to shy away from her. “Nopony's blaming you for being upset,” she told him.

“They aren't? That's not what it looks like from where I'm standing! I've been doing everything I can to stay away from that yeti, and yet I end up practically getting dragged in front of it, and it goes running again... and now everypony's yelling at me! Why can't that stupid yeti just stay out of my life?!”

“So you're doing the same thing you're angry at everyone else about,” Stout countered, his voice even, absent of any sort of judgment.

“What the hay are you talking about?!” Wheel shot back.

“You're blaming him for everything that's happened the same as you say everypony else is blaming you.”

“Yeah, well, I... it's....” He let out a groan. “Oh, come on! You're turning this all around on me now! I'm not the bad guy!”

“No, you ain't,” Wisk reassured him. “But neither is Peter.”

Wheel blinked in confusion and looked up at her. “Neither is what?”

“That's his name, Wheel. The yeti. Though he ain't actually one.”

“I don't care, Wisk! I'd like to forget he even exists!”

“And whose fault is it that he's in our lives?” Stout asked.

“It....” Wheel's voice trailed off, and he stared down at the floor.

“Feeling guilty?” Stout took a seat next to the young stallion. “You should. We all should. Farris, you can't turn your flank on what we did when we were working for Big Top. You aren't the 'bad guy', but if you can't find it in yourself to accept responsibility... well, that makes you not a good pony.”

“I just....” Wheel hung his head low. “I want to start over. Why can't I do that? Why can't I just try again, Stout? Just forget about everything that happened and start my life over.”

“Because we owe the world a debt now, colt. And I'm willing to bet that one of the reasons you're having so much trouble is because you're trying to escape it, rather than pay it off. The scales need to be balanced.”

“But how?” The sheer pleading in Wheel's voice made Wisk want to hug him. “I can't undo any of this! Cobalt, Sveti, the y- err, whatever that weird name of his is... I can't fix any of that!”

“It ain't about 'fixing', sweetie,” Wisk told him. “It's just about making things right.”

“But how?”

“First things first.” Stout put a broad hoof on Wheel's withers. “Accept what you've done. Accept what happened. And let go of how you feel about the creature.” He glanced up at movement at the doorway; Strong had poked his head in, and made several movements of his ears and head. “Looks like my brother needs my help,” Stout said quietly. “Think about what I told you, colt. I think it's the only way you're going to be able to be happy.”

The larger stallion left, and Wisk took his place at Wheel's side; this time, he didn't shy away from her gentle hoof on his shoulder. “He's right, you know,” she told him. “There's no trotting away now. Even if you left here, went to the other side of Equestria, you'd still be feeling the same way you do now.”

“What am I supposed to do?”

“Princess Twilight had me help Sveti with feeding Peter for a while. Now that he's in the Embassy, that's probably going to stop... but I think I want to find some other way to help. Maybe you can too.” She went quiet for a moment. “Peter ain't bad, Wheel. He's not a monster; he's a thinking, feeling creature as much as either of us. He's felt lost and confused and threatened, and part of that is our fault. Maybe helping to change that would be a good way to balance out what we did wrong.”

He moved away from her, climbing back onto his bed and setting his chin on his forehooves, staring out through the window. “I don't even know where to start,” he murmured.

“It'll come to you, sweetie.” She approached him to give a gentle nuzzle, then headed for the door, but paused a moment to look back at him. “You've got friends to talk to if you need help, though.”

With that, she left the young stallion to his thoughts.

(-)

“Miss Applejack? I was told you wanted to talk to me.”

The mare looked up and smiled at the approaching griffin. “Sure did,” she replied. “An' there's no need for th' 'Miss'- jes' Applejack'll do, or AJ if y' like.” She walked with the hen over to a padded bench in the Embassy's hall and took a seat next to her. “Me an' the girls are headin' back to Ponyville shortly, but afore we do, I wanted t' have a quick chat wit'cha, Sveti.”

“What about?”

“Well, first, I wanted t' thank ya for all ya done. Now, I'll admit I don't rightly understand that Peter feller very much, but he don't seem like a bad sort t' me. It's good he's got a friend like you watchin' his back for 'im, 'specially inna place like Canterlot.”

A soft chuckle escaped Sveti's beak. “I couldn't agree more. And thank you.”

“Yer welcome, sugarcube.” Applejack felt her smile fade a little. “I also wanted t' letcha know that... I understand how yer prolly feelin' right now, after losin' yer father.” She removed her hat respectfully. “So I wanted to extend to ya an invitation. If'n y' ever find yerself down in Ponyville, drop by Sweet Apple Acres. M' family would love to have ya as a guest. And if'n y' like, y' can tell yer feelings t' a sympathetic ear.”

She saw a number of emotions flicker across the griffin's face as she spoke, before a slight smile came forth. “I appreciate the invitation, Applejack. You... you lost a parent?”

“Both.” She went quiet for a moment, giving a brief smile to Sveti's sympathetic look. “Train accident, a few years back. Suddenly me, m' brother an' our Granny had a farm we had t' run on our own... prolly wouldn't 've made it without the Apple clan pitchin' in t' help, but there was only so much they could do t' help with our feelin' of loss.”

“I'm sorry for your loss,” Sveti told her.

“An' I'm sorry fer yers.” She reached a hoof over, and the griffin shook it. “Yer a strong griffin, Sveti, an' I got a lotta respect for ya. If'n y' ever need anythin', you just give a holler, an' me an' the girls will come gallopin'. An' be sure to drop by Ponyville if'n y' ever get th' chance- I know it's gotta bit of a reputation for bein' crazy sometimes, but it's fulla good folk an' I'm sure they'd welcome ya there.”

“I appreciate the invitation. I'll try to make time to take you up on it soon.” The hen walked with her to the front doors. “Have a safe trip, Applejack. And tell your friends I'm grateful for their help.”

“Will do, sugarcube. You an' Peter take care now.”

“Good morning, Peter!”

I looked up at the exuberant mare's greeting and smiled. “Good morning,” I answered. I still didn't understand her name quite yet- “Ensemble” was the closest I came with the explanations Sixie and Sveti had given me, and I was swiftly learning about the weird connection between a pony's flank mark and their name; I was beginning to believe that Sixie's actual name had something to do with evening and stars.

“Breakfast is ready,” she told me. “Come down soon!” And with another smile and a swish of her tail, she disappeared from my bedroom doorway, leaving me to finish putting on my shirt. Sveti had contracted with a couple of tailors, here in the city whose name I still didn't understand, for them to make me extra clothing; I now had enough clothes to get through two weeks before needing to do laundry, and- aside from one shirt that was a bit large on me, but comfortably so- all of it fit me well. I even had a woven fabric belt with a solid-silver buckle that Sixie had told me went well with my eyes.

As usual, Sveti was already at the table along with the staff; my customary chair to her left had a plate full of food in front of it, and after exchanging morning greetings with everyone, I sat down to have at it. Breakfast was typically a laid-back and friendly affair here, and though I couldn't really follow along with the conversation at most points, let alone join in it, that didn't keep it from being relaxing.

As we ate, I stole a few glances at Sveti. Truth be told, it felt good to see her so relaxed and open, chatting with the ponies that worked here and doing her best to sum up for me anything I might find pertient in their talks. There had been times where she'd seemed more pensive and guarded than even me, and I could tell that something had been eating at her for a while- on occasion she'd let her “mask” down when she thought no one was looking, and hell if I didn't want to just walk up and hug her every time I saw that forlorn expression on her face.

In fact, I was starting to wonder why I didn't at least try to talk to her about it. I wasn't the best conversationalist yet, sure, but I could manage a basic, slowly-spoken dialogue with her. I just couldn't quite get past the notion that I might end up intruding on something highly personal; she seemed to have a pretty good relationship with Sixie, and didn't seem to have problems with talking to the other five mares in the pegacorn's circle of friends, so my reasoning was that it had to be something she didn't want to talk about at all if she couldn't discuss it with them- or at least couldn't entrust it to the barebones understanding of the language I had.

It was motivation for learning faster, if nothing else.

Once breakfast was done, we all fell into our morning routines. I helped with the dishes, spent some time cleaning with Ensemble- whose almost constant talking served as a sort of impromptu language lesson, though the energetic mare seemed more focused on the lives of celebrities and nobles than anything else- and then went to help a brawny stallion I'd nicknamed Hard Hat, both for his flank mark and his penchant for wearing safety headgear during work no matter what he was doing. Hat and I had been working on some plumbing on the second floor for more than a week, and due to the fact that hand tools, or “hoof tools”, here were bizarrely identical to those back home, it wasn't difficult for me to play assistant to him. Unlike Ensemble, Hat was a quiet one, not saying much beyond what he needed me to get or do for him. I was okay with that, though... it was a sort of “guy thing”, and there was an easy familiarity to the silence.

After lunch was another language lesson with Sixie. I'd asked to move the lessons to the afternoon so I could help out better around the building; much of the daily work was accomplished in the morning, and my need to feel useful drove me to dedicate the time slot between breakfast and lunch into helping. Sixie had surprisingly obliged without objection- I had the feeling that mare loved her schedules- and I'd found that, after some time spent working with my hands, learning the pony language came a little easier to me.

Things tended to wind down after dinner. Sveti was adamant about giving her staff time to relax; I'd once seen her actually try to argue Ensemble into leaving off cleaning a particularly dust-covered room one evening, and when she'd been unable to convince the mare to leave it off for the next day, Sveti had actually pitched in to help get it done faster. So had I, of course... it seemed that the gryphon and I had similar work ethics.

Most nights I spent sketching, and this one was no different. Sveti had told me about Diamond's idea of doing artwork for the city's wealthy citizens, and while I didn't have any objections to it, I wasn't sure that my level of skill was up to snuff for paid work, so I was putting in some practice time. Sveti liked coming to watch, and it wasn't unusual for at least a couple of the staff ponies to stop by and watch as well- though I had a sneaking suspicion Ensemble and the tea stallion were more interested in watching my hands work than in my artwork.

There was one project I was working that I wasn't quite ready for Sveti to see yet, though. That particular piece of work was safely hidden in my dresser, taken out only at night after bedtime, and worked on by the light of a small lantern until I was ready to fall asleep.

And that was my daily routine, which had gotten rather comfortable for me over the past couple of weeks. So comfortable, in fact, that I was beginning to feel faint pangs of dread about my upcoming conversation with Sixie.

(-)

“Twilight Sparkle.”

Twilight smiled, clopping her front hooves together. “That's right!” she exclaimed, glancing down at the phonetic study sheet she'd put together. “And you've figured out what those words mean?”

“I think....” The human's brow furrowed in concentration. “Twilight. Time when sun is going over....” He pointed out the window.

“Over the horizon, yes. Rising, or setting.” She made hoof motions to illustrate her point. “And the other word?”

“Sparkle. When something shines, like....” He glanced at her flank. “Like star?”

“Yes!” She couldn't help but let out a pleased giggle. “My goodness, Peter, you've made a truly impressive amount of progress.” She turned to the griffin sitting beside her. “Have you been getting him to follow a more stringent self-teaching method?”

“Honestly, I haven't had to,” Sveti replied. “I have made sure he's had plenty of reading material and opportunities to listen to conversations- and I've also had him working alongside Ensemble, who's happy enough just to have someone to talk at for a couple of hours every day.” She chuckled. “But something's lit a fire under him, I think,” she said, giving him a playful mockery of a serious look. “Not that you'll tell me, of course!”

He smiled at that. “Not yet. Soon.”

“Oh! Speaking of 'soon', Peter....” Twilight neatly gathered up her reference materials and placed them in their folder. “You've said you wanted to speak with me about something important. I have a bit of free time on my hooves... would now be a good time?”

He seemed to consider that for a moment- she'd gotten so much better at reading his expressions- and then nodded. “Okay,” he answered. “But need to know word first.” He picked up his pencil and pad and sketched out what seemed to be a rough topographical map.

“Map?” Twilight guessed, taking a moment to mentally go through her stores of supplies; with a thought, an atlas materialized at her side. “Maps,” she told him, flipping through a few pages.

“Yes!” He reached out for the tome, and she laid it open on the table before him. “Where we?” he asked.

“Here.” Her horn glowed, and the atlas flipped open to the first map of Celestial Valley, the area in which the Solstice Peaks- and Canterlot- rested. Another simple spell caused the depiction of the nation's capital to light up gently. “This is Canterlot,” she told him.

A slight look of confusion washed over his face. “Bigger?”

“A larger map? Sure.” A few more pages turned. “This is the northeastern section of Equestria. Here we've got Neighagra Falls, Baltimare, Fillydelphia- the City of All-Pony Love- and Manehatten....” Her voice trailed off as she realized he was still staring at the map, not paying attention to what she was highlighting.

“Bigger?” he asked again.

“One complete map of Equestria, coming up.” A few more pages flipped by, and she spun the atlas a bit so that Peter could more easily take it in. “This entire area is the Principality of Equestria. Up here we have the Frozen North; this is the Crystal Empire, abutted by the Crystal Mountains here....”

She watched a frown cross his face as he ran his fingers through his hair. “Have... map, on circle?” he asked.

“A globe?” That caught her by surprise. I wonder what he's going for here? she thought, even as she magically summoned the globe from her office desk back home- a gift Shining had given her on her ninth birthday- and presented it to him. “And this is the world of Equus, at least as far as its sapient races have explored,” she told him. “Oh! Maybe you can show us where you're from!” She gave the globe a gentle spin. “Misty Mountains, perhaps? Or the Tramplevanian Alps? Have you ever seen the Zebrican Veldt? Or-”

When she looked up from the globe, the look on his face brought her to a complete stop... it looked like he'd just gotten bad news that he'd been expecting for a while. “Peter?” Sveti asked, worry plain in her voice. “What's wrong?”

“This....” He gestured at the globe. “This... not where I come from.”

The globe thunked against the table, Twilight losing her arcanokinetic grip on it as shock froze her mind solid for a moment. Thankfully, Sveti was there to voice the question that couldn't seem to make it out of her own throat. “You're... not from Equus?” the griffin asked.

The human shook his head silently.

“Then... where are you from?” Twilight silently thanked Sveti for being her voice while her own brain tried to sort things out.

Peter once more turned his attention to his pencil and paper, his hand practically flying back and forth as he sketched out something. Twilight had to fight the impulse to look over his shoulder for fear of coming to premature conclusions before he was done- but the logic of her action didn't make the waiting any easier. It seemed like forever before he finished, and turned the pad around for them to look... and what she saw sketched on the plain white paper made her jaw drop.

He'd sketched a basic rendition of an entire galaxy, a small circle in one of the arms paired with an arrow that led to what seemed to be a stylized star with eight dots orbiting around it. The third dot from the center was likewise circled, and another arrow led to two more objects... one of which was a recognizable moon, and the other larger one covered with landmasses that looked absolutely nothing like what was on her globe.

It was as blatant a statement as could be to a lifelong astronomer. “You're from another world,” Twilight half-whispered. “How did you come to Equus?”

The words that left his mouth were the last words she would ever have expected.

“I don't know.”

Suddenly everything made so much sense. Peter's bizarre magic-nullification ability, his bewilderment at so much of what seemed normal to ordinary ponies, the almost ridiculously advanced technology he used as easily as a pony would use a sewing machine or record player, despite its like never having been encountered in recorded history... all inexplicable if he had originated from just about anywhere on Equus, but coming from an entirely different world negated a whole bunch of rules. And an accidential visitor? While she still didn't understand why he'd had his weapon, the question of why he'd had relatively little ammunition for it- when it seemed that bringing much more probably wouldn't have been difficult- now had a plausible answer. He'd never meant to bring it here, never meant to use it upon ponies.

And then the enormity of the situation came crashing down on her. Peter was an alien creature, in the truest sense of the word- an extra-Equusian lifeform, from a world beyond her own. The wishes of science-fiction writers and daydreaming scientists had come true; Equestria had had a true First Contact encounter... and this otherworldly entity's first meeting with ponies had resulted in his capture and torture.

The urge to weep was almost overwhelming. “I'm sorry,” she said, gazing up at him with sight blurred by tears. “I didn't know. I didn't even think to ask.”

To her surprise, he reached out and patted her neck lightly. “Is okay,” he replied. “I not know how to say, until now. Thank you for teaching.”

“It's, well, I, um... you're welcome.” She managed to give him a slight smile as her mind chased itself around in circles- until she came to the realization that this new revelation, while completely demolishing her understanding of the universe in general, didn't change as much regarding the alien himself as she'd originally thought... except, maybe, the likelyhood of more humans appearing. This did add one responsibility to her list, though- discover how Peter was brought here, and if he can be returned home.

She saw him turn to Sveti, who had a confused and lost expression. “Sorry,” he told her, his own emotions unreadable to Twilight. “I wanted say sooner, but... not know how.”

The hen opened her beak to respond- and was interrupted by a knock at the door. Both females glanced towards it, then back at Peter. “Come in,” he called.

Quick Service opened the door and peeked his head in. “Princess Twilight? One of your personal guard- a Corporal Gust- is in the foyer requesting a private audience with you.”

Twilight blinked in surprise. “I see. I'll be right there,” she said, hopping down from her chair. “Sveti, Peter, please excuse me a moment.”

She went with Quick to the front foyer, where Corporal Gold Gust was waiting for her; after the servant had excused himself, Twilight crafted an acoustic-muffling spell to ensure that their conversation would be heard by nopony else. “Go ahead, Corporal,” she said.

The pegasus bowed his head briefly. “Your Highness, I've been asked by Captain Armor to inform you that Aircolt Swift Wind has regained consciousness. He's in too poor a condition to be interviewed currently, but it's believed that at his current rate of recovery, he should be ready within the space of a week or two.”

“...I see. Thank you, Corporal. Please return to the Captain and notify him that I wish to stay informed of any notable change in Aircolt Wind's condition.”

“Of course, Your Highness.” The guard cantered off, and Twilight returned to the lounge and to her seat, where both human and griffin awaited her. “Not bad news, I hope?” Sveti ventured.

“No... I hope not, at least.” She looked over to the human. “Peter... we've been meaning to speak with you about what happened in Ponyville,” she said, watching his expression become more guarded. “Now we aren't accusing you of anything- we just want your complete testimony of what exactly happened. Now that you have a fairly good grasp of our language, I'd like for you to speak with Shining Armor soon.”

“I not be... locked away?”

“No! Peter, I promise you that this is not a trial. We just want to know what happened.”

After a moment, he visibly relaxed. “Okay,” he said quietly. “I trust you, Princess. But... Sveti will be there?”

Twilight nodded immediately. “She has the right to be there. If Shining's questions make her uncomfortable, she can have the interview stopped immediately. I know he won't ask you any unfair questions or try to trick you, though.”

She smiled when he nodded. “I know,” he replied. “I trust Shining. I... like Shining, too. Good stallion.”

She couldn't help but smile at that. “I'm sure the feeling's mutual. But he has to stay neutral during the interview- do you understand that?”

Again Peter nodded. “He need do his job. I understand.”

She was about to excuse herself again when the human raised a hand to stop her. “Princess Twilight,” he said quietly. “I want to know name of guard I... hurt.”

“His name is Swift Wind.”

“Swift Wind,” Peter repeated. “Please tell him... I sorry for what happen. Never wanted it to.”

“As soon as it's possible, I'll do so.” She gave him and Sveti a comforting smile. “I imagine you two would like to speak in private,” she said, heading towards the door. “I'll be in contact when we're ready for the interview.”

Both creatures thanked her as she headed out, and the last thing she saw before she shut the door was the two of them sharing an uncertain look. I hope this doesn't change anything between them, she thought as she headed towards the front doors. I think they need each other more than ever right now.

(-)

“So... you're not from Equus.”

It was, quite possibly, the lamest thing Sveti could have said. But her mind was still coming to grips with what she'd just learned about her closest friend- that he was from a completely different world, here entirely by accident.

For his part, Peter looked equal parts embarassed and ashamed. “I sorry,” he told her. “I not know how to tell you, Sveti.”

She blinked herself back to reality, caught by surprise by his statement. “Peter... I'm not angry at you or anything,” she assured him. “I'm sorry, this is... this is just a lot to take in. I'm having a bit of a hard time processing it.”

“I sorry for that, too.” He reached over to put his hand on her claw. “Sveti... I still just Peter. I not different now than before. Okay?”

There was a searching look in those grey eyes that gripped her heart. She could comprehend that need- to be understood, to be seen as a friend and not some unfathomable alien entity. “I know,” she told him. “This... this doesn't change our friendship. I promise. I just have to get my head around this.”

He nodded, gently squeezing her talon. “If you want ask something....”

She paused for a moment, considering. “You know... I think I would like to ask some questions, actually.” She leaned back, sorting through the multitude of questions swirling around her mind, until the most logical one surfaced. “What is it like where you're from?” she asked.

That visibly took him aback. “Not small question,” he chuckled, leaning back as well. “Okay. Biggest thing... no magic.”

She blinked at that, then cocked her head to the side and raised a claw. “I can't have heard that right. Did you say 'no magic'?” When he nodded, she let the claw drop, staring at him incredulously. “None?” she asked. “No magic at all? Anywhere?”

“Zero.” He let out another chuckle. “Magic is make-believe story for humans.”

“How....” She'd be amongst the first to say that griffins didn't depend on magic nearly as much as ponies did, but to say that they didn't use it at all would be a blatant lie. There were far too many skilled battlemages, shamans and thaumaturgists on the front lines of the White Plains War for her to believe that magic wasn't of some importance to griffinkind, and no one could say that enchantment, alchemy and elementalism weren't useful for making life in the cold reaches more bearable. The idea of a world completely bereft of magic... well, if she was being honest with herself, it frightened her. “How... do you even live on a world that doesn't have magic?” she wondered, before the obvious answer came to her. “Oh... your technology,” she said. “The things you have... they were made to do things you didn't have magic for, weren't they?”

He nodded again. “Other thing... not have other talking creatures. Just humans.”

She gazed at him in disbelief. “...what happened to the other species?”

“Never had. Just us.”

“That... sounds awfully lonely.” It honestly did to her. Much as she sometimes resented ponies, she couldn't imagine Equus without them, or any of the other sapient species that called her world home.

“Well, sometimes we wonder if other kinds out there somewhere.” He grinned. “Not have guessed talking ponies, though.”

“Or griffins?”

He shook his head. “Or minotaurs, or manticores... happy to not have that, though!”

She snickered for a moment before a sobering thought caught up to her. “So, wait, Peter... you ended up here, in Equestria, on this world full of magic you thought was fantasy and a bunch of other intelligent creatures you never knew about. How- how did you even manage? Honestly, I have no idea how I would've reacted in your place, but I don't think I would've come out of the whole thing nearly as well as you did.”

“I not think that.” He leaned forward to tap her beak lightly. “You do okay, I think. Strong, smart. Not give up.”

“I think you're flattering me. Not that I mind too much, of course.” She smiled. “But honestly, how did you manage?”

“I just... had to.” He shrugged. “Do or die. Simple.”

“Easy thing to say... to do? Definitely more difficult.” She shook her head in wonderment. “So, um... I know it's getting kind of close to dinner, but since we're talking, there was one thing I've been meaning to ask you about.”

He nodded. “Go ahead.”

“Okay. You don't have to answer if you don't want to, of course... but I was told that when you were running from the castle, you... you tried to use your weapon on yourself.”

He let out a slow breath and looked away. “Yes.”

She reached out for his hand again. “Peter... I'd like to know why. I mean, I can guess, but... I'd rather hear it from you, so that I can understand.”

He was quiet for a moment, then nodded. “I was scared,” he said quietly. “I thought... Princess Celestia angry at me. I knew she could control sun; I thought... she would hurt me for hurting ponies. Would rather die than be hurt so much. And....” He shrugged slightly. “Would rather die by self than by other, I guess.”

She sat there for a moment, taking in what he'd said. “...not so alien after all,” she murmured, laughing after a moment at his quizzical look. “Never mind. Seriously, though, Peter... I never, ever want you to feel like that's your only escape again.” This time she took his hand in both of her claws, squeezing it between them. “Please tell me you understand. I will never let anything put you in that position again. I'll do whatever I can to be there for you.”

Her hope that he actually understood her was confirmed when he leaned forward and put his hands on her shoulders. “You promise me one thing too, Sveti,” he told her, looking into her eyes. “You know same thing.”

She nodded. “I do. Thank you, Peter.”

“Thank you, Sveti.” He playfully ruffled her crest, getting a quiet chuckle from her. “We go eat now?”

“Sure.” She let him lead the way towards the dining room, staying by his side the entire way... a place where she was truly beginning to feel comfortable being. Not so alien after all, she thought.

(-)

“Please state your name for the record.”

“Peter Collins.”

Shining had to admit, he was a bit impressed with just how calm and collected the human looked- and maybe just a little amazed at how neatly his fingers folded together as his hands rested on the table. “Penworthy,” he said quietly to the stenographer, “as the interviewee's name is not Equestrian in origin, you're free to approximate however you can.”

“Understood, Captain.” The other stallion nodded, his quill still scratching away at his pad.

“Alright. Peter, before we begin, know that you're free to refuse to answer any question I ask, and to consult with Miss Windwhisper at any time during this interview. Do you understand this?”

“Yes.”

“Good.” He leaned forward in his chair, doing his best to affect a neutral demeanor. It wasn't the easiest thing- knowing that he was talking to an honest-to-Celestia alien from another world was forcing him to rein in the little five-year-old version of himself that just wanted to pester him with silly questions about his home. “Peter, it's known that you were present in the town of Ponyville on the day that Aircolt Swift Wind was injured. Can you tell me, from your own point of view, everything of note that happened that day?”

It was a somewhat slow process, with the human needing to consult with Sveti several times for words he was unsure of, but he told Shining his tale- that he'd been observing everyday life in Ponyville, something he'd been doing for several days, when the chimera attack had taken place. The fact that Peter had felt threatened by Twilight, of all ponies, almost seemed ludicrous to Shining... until the human related how he'd seen Twi bring down the chimera, then teleport it away; he had to admit, to a creature completely ignorant of how magic worked, such a sight could possibly have been terrifying.

According to Peter, his attack on Swift Wind hadn't been one at all. He'd been disarming his weapon in preparation to surrender himself to Twilight when the pegasus guard had apparently flown directly into him; the impact had caused his weapon to fire. That might explain why there was a scorch mark on Wind's armor that wasn't present on anything else we've seen that weapon used against, he thought, filing the possibility away in his mind. Peter told Shining that he'd run from the town in fear that he'd face retribution for harming the guard, suffering from some kind of paranoid impulse he didn't understand.

“And it was then that Princess Twilight's capture attempts led to you being injured?” He ducked his head reflexively when Twilight, who'd been seated near him the entire time, let out a squeak of outrage. “...purely accidentally, of course,” he amended.

Peter and Sveti both chuckled. “Yes,” the human said.

“Ahem.” Twilight made a show of shuffling her papers around on the table, giving her brother a sidelong glare. “If you're finished, Captain, I also have some questions I'd like to ask Peter.”

His sister's line of inquiry went quite a bit further back- Peter's entry into Equestria. He recounted to them how he'd been returning home in his carriage from a distant contest when a storm had sprung up from seemingly nowhere, pouring rain- and then red lightning- down on him. One of those strange bolts of lightning had sent his vehicle spinning, and the next thing he knew, he'd been stranded within the Everfree Forest, so suddenly that it had been nearly a day before he'd realized that he'd been somehow transported far away from where he'd thought he was.

Shining could practically hear the ideas percolating through his sister's mind as Peter related his story. Everything the human told them lined up with Twilight's report of the strange activity in the Everfree, as well as everything that had been discovered around the carriage's crash site. “So you intended to leave your weapon in your vehicle,” she said, “but then retreived it when you saw the timberwolf's pawprint?”

“Yes,” the human answered. “I was expecting ordinary animal, not creature made of wood.”

“It must have been quite the shock,” Twilight murmured sympathetically. “Now, if I could ask you about your time in the town of Broncton?”

This part of the human's story was less complicated- he'd simply found the town by accident, stayed there a short while to scavenge what he could to get by, and then found himself rescuing a filly who'd fallen into the town's river... only to be chased off by the population, who'd apparently believed that he was a threat despite his actions. The entire affair had generated enough attention to finally get the mayors of Broncton, Gallopena and Baffle Creek to begin fencing off their respective sections of the Four Furlong River to prevent any other ponies from falling into the sometimes-dangerous waterway... and it had given Shining an excuse to catch up with a couple of old friends as well. Ought to head out that way sometime with Cadie, he thought idly as Twilight continued with her questions. I'm sure she'd love to meet Hammer and Crescent.

Eventually, his sister ran out of things to ask, and Shining had just one more question that was beyond the scope of the interview. “Peter, you said that you were returning home from a tournament or contest of some sort. Did that contest have something to do with your weapon?”

Peter nodded, taking a moment to lean over to Sveti for help with a few words. “Yes. I... take part in tournament for target shooting. I think you saw picture?”

The stallion nodded slowly, the puzzle pieces finally falling into place in his mind. That sort of tournament wasn't terribly different from archery and combat-magic competitions he'd taken part in during his time in the Royal Guard- and it would explain both his possession of the weapon and the relatively paltry amount of ammunition he'd had. While he was still uneasy about a weapon like that existing, knowing that the human had never intended to use it offensively made him feel much better.

With that, Shining concluded the interview. “Peter, Sveti, thank you both for your time and cooperation,” he said, smiling at them as he got out of his chair. “If you have any questions you think we can answer, send them to my office or Princess Twilight's retinue, or come find either of us if you feel it's urgent. We keep our doors open as much as possible.”

The human and griffin were just standing up when the door to the meeting room opened, and one of the Embassy staffponies stuck her head in. “Miss Windwhisper?” she said. “Um... I'm sorry to interrupt, but there's something going on outside that you should know about.”

Sveti blinked. “What is it, Ensemble?”

“Somepony's organized a protest outside the building.”

It wasn't like I'd never seen a protest before. I'd never been the most politically or socially active person, but I'd had friends over the years who had their own passions, and there'd been a few times where I'd shown up to a protest to lend support.

It was an entirely different thing, though, being the subject of a protest. And while it was unlikely that the crowd outside the building could see me through the blinds of the second-story window I was peering through, I still felt a sense of being threatened. There was a lot of hostility down there, aimed at the “crime” of my existence within the borders of the city.

Shield and Sixie- well, I supposed I could call her “Twilight” now; I hadn't figured out her brother's actual name yet- were at the front doors dealing with the crowd; Sveti was in the meeting room with me, one of her claws gently pressed against my back as she looked out the window with me. “Peter, are you okay?” she asked quietly.

“I don't know.” I wanted to let this just roll off my back, say it didn't bother me, but if I was being honest with myself, it really did. These ponies didn't know me, had probably never seen me before in their lives, but something had gotten them together in order to make a very direct point about not wanting me around. “How many are there...?” I wondered.

“Thirty-four.” I heard a small growl come from Sveti's throat. “We don't need to see this,” she muttered, turning away from the window.

“Wait.” I gently put a hand on her neck. “I want to see something.”

I leaned against the edge of the window, giving the crowd of protesters as close a look as I could from my vantage point. It took me a little while to realize what it was I was picking up on- there was a weird disconnect between the various ponies arrayed outside. It looked as though each of them had come to do their own personal protest instead of joining together under a common cause; none of them looked really comfortable with each other, a strange thing for ponies, and there was no kind of coordination between them.

I pointed this out to Sveti, and she returned to the window, her sharp eyes looking down on the assembled ponies. “You're right,” she said. “Weird. We should tell Princess Twilight.”

It was a few minutes before the ponies came back inside, both of them looking annoyed. “Well, I'm not going to say I'm not disappointed in them,” Twilight was saying. “But it's their right.”

“Princess?” Sveti broke in. “Just what is this all about?”

“Unfortunately, it's just what it looks like. These ponies are protesting Peter's presence in Canterlot.” I was glad that Twilight was speaking slowly for my benefit, letting me approximate meaning and fill in holes; I'd learned she had a habit of speeding up her words when excited or upset.

“And you can't send them off?”

“Not so long as they're not on the embassy grounds. Equestrian law gives them the right to peacefully gather and demonstrate.”

Sveti nodded slowly. “Oh- Peter noticed something odd. They're behaving a little strangely for a protest group... it's like they all came separately instead of as a full group, you know?”

Shield gave me a grin. “You caught that too, huh? It is strange. I'm not sure what to make of it.”

“Neither am I, but I don't like it.” Twilight frowned. “They wouldn't even talk to us when we asked them why they were protesting. They just kept chanting and shouting.” She turned towards me. “Peter, I'd like for you to stay in the building while they're out there.”

I nodded. I didn't really have any reason to leave the grounds anyway, and it wouldn't have helped anything to provoke a response from the ponies outside. “Sveti,” I said quietly. “I'm going to go get some work done, okay? There's nothing I can do about all that.” I gestured towards the front door.

Sveti gave me a slight smile. “Okay. Lunch is soon, though.”

I nodded, and was just turning to go when I heard Shield's voice. “Peter, wait.”

“Yes?”

“I'm... sorry for all of this.” He tilted his head towards the door. “Us ponies... some of us don't react well to new things. Some of us get lost in fear. We try, though.”

After a moment, I gave him a slight smile. “You're a lot like humans that way,” I told him, before I turned and walked down the hallway.

(-)

“You're still certain about this? Especially considering what we've just learned?”

“Yes. He may be even more strange than we had thought, but this knowledge changes nothing in my obligation to him. If anything, it only strengthens it! He has seen enough of the darker side of our kind's nature to where it would take no great leap of logic to assume the worst of my actions. I must have him know the truth, Tia... what conclusions he would draw from it are his own to make, but at least he would understand the why.” Luna sighed. “And I have put this off far too long already. I rationalized the waiting to myself as a desire for his skill with our language to strengthen, but if I am being honest with myself... it has been fear holding me back.”

“A fear of being misunderstood?”

Slowly, she nodded. “I understand better than most how Peter feels. He faces the same slow, uphill climb for the understanding of ponies that I still do, years after my reformation. I....” She fell silent for a moment. “I would like a friend with whom I can relate such feelings.”

Celestia leaned over to nuzzle her gently. “Something which even I can't do, if I'm also being honest with myself,” she said quietly. “You know my misgivings, Lulu, but I can't seem to argue myself into arguing you out of this course of action. Just be careful.” She sighed. “I've learned the hard way that even the most helpful-seeming actions can be misinterpreted, terribly so.”

“I will do all that I can to not worsen the situation.” Slowly, Luna stood. “I will send word to Miss Windwhisper that I wish to speak to her ward tomorrow evening.”

(-)

“To the estimable personage Sveti Windwhisper:

I pen this missive to inform you that I wish to speak to the human known as 'Peter Collins' at the hour of seven bells after the noon, one day past the delivery of this message, within the confines of the Embassy of the Griffin Empire. As you are the duly-appointed administrator of the site, it is within your purview to grant or deny this request, and as the legal guardian of the aforementioned entity, it is your right to attend this meeting should you allow its occurrence. Please reply promptly through customary channels with your decision.

Awaiting your correspondence,
Her Royal Highness, Avatar of the Moon,
Princess Luna

Postscript- Should you accede to this request, I ask that you inform Peter only of my visitation, not of my identity or history. I wish no preconceptions to be formed within his mind before I am able to speak to him."

Sveti put the letter back in her desk drawer, closing it slowly and letting out a quiet breath. I have absolutely no idea what this is about, she thought, but there's something about it that makes me completely uncomfortable. Princess Luna hasn't had any contact with Peter yet; I suppose I can understand her wanting to meet him- but why the information lockdown beforehand? Is she worried that I might give him a bad impression of her? She looked over at the wall clock; it read 6:55. As friendly as Celestia and Twilight have been with me, I'm not nearly familiar enough with Luna to assume the same with her... so I think it'll be in Peter's best interests and mine to let the Princess set the tone of this meeting. She glanced over at the mirror to make sure her plumage was impeccable and her fur was brushed to a light sheen, then left her quarters to head to the meeting room.

Peter was waiting for her there, leaning back in the extra-large, overstuffed lounge chair- one of the few in the building large enough for him. He gave her a smile when she entered. “Almost time?” he asked.

“Almost.” She tried to return his smile, but she couldn't quite keep the worry off of her face; Peter, as perceptive as always, seemed to pick up on that, but didn't say anything.

Just as the clock struck seven, the door opened, and Quick Service showed himself. “Miss Windwhisper, Mister Collins,” he said, “it is my honor and privilege to welcome Her Royal Highness, Princess Luna.”

Both Sveti and Peter got up from their seats to greet her- but the moment the dark-furred alicorn strode into the room, the human froze in place, his eyes wide and his jaw slack. Luna noticed immediately. “Please,” she said quietly. “Do not be frightened.”

Sveti turned towards him. “Peter? Are you okay?”

“Mister Collins, is something wrong?” Quick took a step into the room. “Miss Windwhisper, should I do something?”

“Go on-station, Quick, please. I'll call if you're needed.”

“Yes ma'am.” With some reluctance- Sveti knew the young stallion was enamored with the human- Quick ducked back out of the room, closing the door behind Luna.

The alicorn's expression was unreadable. “Peter Collins, I ask that you not be afraid,” she said.

“You... not real. Not real!” He pointed at her, as if willing her to disappear. “Just a dream. Just in my dream!”

There was a rising edge of panic in Peter's voice that Sveti didn't like; she reflexively moved towards him. “Please sit,” Luna said, motioning to the chair, “and I will explain.”

It was nearly a full minute before Peter returned to his chair- during which he never took his eyes off of the Princess, and hardly blinked- after which Luna began to speak. What she learned from the entirely one-sided conversation left her stunned- when Peter had been on his own in the wild, Luna had actually entered his dreams, and even manipulated them, in order to gauge how dangerous he was to ponies.

But Luna was plainly remorseful for what she'd felt had to be done to prevent a potential tragedy. Her voice, at first flat and unemotional, began to sound strained, and her stoic expression seemed to crack a little more with every word that came from her mouth. Peter, however, stared at the alicorn with a face that could've been carved from stone for all that it moved, his eyes narrow and his jaw set.

Once Luna had finished speaking, there was a long moment of quiet, during which Sveti was certain that she could hear a feather drop. Then the alicorn lowered her head. “Peter, please know that I sincerely regret my actions-”

“You were in my head.” Peter's voice actually frightened Sveti; she'd never heard him so angry.

Even Luna cringed. “I only visited your dreams-”

“You were in my head.” He pushed himself out of the chair, fists clenched, and for half a moment Sveti actually believed he might assault the diarch. “I not... I not trust anything now! How I know you not make me think what you want?!”

A look of absolute horror crossed Luna's face. “I could do no such thing! It would be a violation of-”

“I not believe you! I not know what I believe now! Just....” His fists opened and closed as his expression went from fury to dejection. “Can't... trust anything now. Can't trust me.”

“Peter....” She reached up to put a claw on his shoulder- and felt her heart sink when he shrugged it off.

“You,” he growled, pointing a finger at Luna, “stay away from me.” He marched past her to the door, flinging it open hard enough to slam it into the wall and causing a couple of paintings to fall to the floor, then paused to glance over his shoulder at the alicorn. “Stay out of my head. Stay out of my dreams. I never want see you again.”

With that, the human stormed out into the hallway and out of sight. Sveti needed a moment to shake herself out of her shock, and started off after him- but paused to look at Luna. “Princess....” she said.

The alicorn shook her head, trying to regain her neutral demeanor- but Sveti could see tears welling in the corners of her eyes. “No, Miss Windwhisper,” she said. “See to your friend.”

“But... why didn't you want me to tell him about you? I could have explained things to him, about your abilities and responsibilities with ponies-”

“-and he could have thought you complicit in some scheme to sugarcoat my actions.” Luna shook her head. “He may wish to hate me for what I have done, but I would not see your friendship with him lost as collateral damage.” She turned away. “Now, please, go to him. There is no doubt he needs you at this moment.”

In a flash of magic as dark as a moonless night, Princess Luna vanished. Sveti stared at the spot where she'd stood for a moment before remembering herself and practically sprinting out of the room.

(-)

“Another letter of complaint from Blueblood?” Celestia held the parchment up before her, staring at it distastefully.

Timekeeper nodded. “I'm afraid so, Your Highness. He insists that somepony is 'out to get him', intent on making his life miserable.”

The solar diarch read through the list of complaints- apparently in just the last week, the sugar he used for tea had been swapped with salt, his favorite coat shampoo had been spiked with orange dye, and on no less than fifteen occasions he had been the victim of the classic “water bucket over the door” prank. So that explains his sudden insistence that a subordinate precede him through doorways at all times, she thought. Even into the bathroom. I wonder if that qualifies them for hazard pay....

There was a sudden warp of the magical energies nearby, and a recognizable one at that- Luna had returned. Celestia looked up towards her chamber door expectantly, waiting for her sister to announce her entrance and tell her how the meeting had gone... but when nothing happened for more than a minute, she realized that something had to be wrong. “Timekeeper, file this complaint with the others,” she said quietly, as she got to her hooves.

“In the trash it goes, yes, Princess,” the other mare answered.

Celestia could've simply teleported to Luna's room, but out of habit- and respect for her sister's Lunar Guard- she cantered her way to the chamber doors and announced herself to the two bat-pegasi standing guard before them; to her surprise, the guards simply allowed her in rather than asking permission from their mistress. “She is upset, Your Highness,” one of the guards whispered towards her. “She needs you.”

Inside the chambers, Celestia found her sister standing before the great fireplace, watching as magical blue flames licked up from enchanted logs. Luna's posture was ramrod-straight, and to almost anypony else, she was a picture of ethereal calm- but not to her kin. “What happened, Lulu?” she asked quietly.

Luna's head lowered just a little. “...what I should have expected to happen,” she murmured. “He was furious. Rightfully so. He bade me never appear before him again, in dreams or reality- a request I shall grant, as penitence for my actions.”

“ 'Never' is a very long time, Luna,” Celestia told her. “Peter is an intelligent creature. He could come to understand the intent behind your actions.” She approached her sister, sidling next to her and gently placing a wing over her back. “Anger is a hot emotion, one that burns itself out given enough time; logic and compassion are much cooler, and tend to soothe wounds. But the most important factor is time, to allow the healing to take place. And that is what you must give him- time.”

Luna nodded slowly. “I understand, sister. But... I can still wish that things had gone differently.”

Celestia gave her a gentle nuzzle. “As can we all.”

(-)

It's not the easiest feat to think about things when you don't feel like you can even trust your thoughts.

That was the dilemma I found myself in as I sat in my room, my back against the corner farthest from the door and my head in my hands. I didn't know how long I'd been sitting there before I heard a knock on the door. “Peter?” came Sveti's voice. “Can I come in?”

“No.” The word came out of my mouth unbidden; I was too deep in the emotional white noise flooding my mind to pay attention to anything else... until, half a minute later, I heard Sveti again.

“...please?”

The hurt in her voice carved through the static in my head- and yet it was still a few seconds before I could bring myself to speak. “It's unlocked.”

Slowly, the knob turned, and the door opened with a quiet creak of its hinges. I was too busy staring at the floor beneath me to see her come towards me, and I couldn't help but flinch when she gently laid one of her claws on my shoulder. “Peter....” she said softly.

“I don't think talking to me right now is a good idea, Sveti,” I answered.

“No. We do need to talk. I can't just leave you like this.”

“I can't trust how I'll react. I can't trust anything about myself right now.”

“Peter....” I felt her claw slide under my chin and lift my head for her to look me in the eyes. The look of anguish on her face felt like a knife made of ice had been thrust into my heart. “I... I don't even know what I can say,” she half-whispered. “I didn't know, Peter. I'm sorry. I just....”

I let out a deep sigh. “No. This isn't about you. It's what she did to me.” I lowered my head again, cradling it in my fingers. “How much of what I've done, what I've thought since she entered my mind is because of her? Did she alter my mind, bend my will towards her own ends?” I felt her trembling against me, but I was too lost in my thoughts to take any real notice of it. “It's as though... as though I can't believe anything I think or feel anymore. Not even-”

I practically slammed my mouth shut, but it was two words too late. “...not even what?” she asked.

I wanted to beg off the question, but something inside of me made the words come out. “How can I even trust my friendship with you?”

She recoiled as if I'd slapped her, and for the guilt that immediately washed over me, I might as well have. But before I could say anything to apologize, she leaned over me to put both of her claws on my shoulders. “Listen to me,” she insisted. “I don't know here-” she moved one claw to tap at her head- “what it is Luna did when she entered your dreams. But I do know here-” now she placed her claw against her chest- “that you are still the creature who gave me the keys to free myself from that cage. And I don't think you're any different now than you were then.”

“But....” I was having an increasingly hard time holding myself together, but I couldn't let myself break down in front of Sveti; she deserved better. “How... how could she? Just go in my head....”

“Peter, you have to understand. For you and I, it's unthinkable, but for ponies... entering dreams is part of Luna's job.” She laid both claws on my shoulders again. “They were afraid of you when you were out on your own, and... in some ways I can understand why. They reacted as ponies react because they didn't know how else to. It doesn't excuse what Luna did, but... it wasn't out of a want to hurt you- just fear.”

“I... I know, it's just....” I could feel tears starting to stream down my cheeks. “I feel so....” I paused for a moment, trying and failing to come up with a word in this language to explain how I felt.

“As if you can be attacked,” Sveti finished for me. “Vulnerable.”

I nodded. “If... if I'm not even safe in my own mind....”

Saying it out loud shattered the last of my defenses, and I collapsed against her, breaking down into tears. I felt the warm embrace of her forelegs around me, and her claws gently stroked my back as she laid her beak against the side of my neck. Some distant part of my mind told me I should have been worried about such a sharp object being so close to my throat- but this was Sveti. I leaned against her as I fought to get myself under control, emotionally and mentally.

One realization came to me while I sat there- I couldn't not trust Sveti. She was my rock of stability in this bizarre, overwhelming world; without her to rely on, eventually I'd just end up a paranoid mess, probably running away yet again just to get myself killed in some way or another. There were some ponies I liked, a few I even trusted, but none of them understood me like Sveti- she'd been in one of those cages too, longer than me, and she understood at least part of how I felt.

After a moment, she leaned back to look me in the eyes. “Peter,” she said quietly. “You don't have creatures like the Princesses where you're from, do you?”

I shook my head. “No.”

“No magic. No other species. No royal alicorns with grand powers. It....” She trailed off for a moment. “This world must be a nightmare to you,” she whispered, gazing at me with an expression of equal parts concern and awe. “Peter, I'm so sorry. Princess Twilight and I have been spending so much time on teaching you pony language... but neither of us thought to tell you anything else about Equus. I promise I'll talk with her as soon as possible about that, okay?” She ran her talons through my hair. “Until then... I just need you to trust me. And trust that Princess Luna was honest in what she said, and that she won't enter your dreams any longer.”

I gave her a slight nod, leaning my head against her chest again. The warmth of her fur was probably the most comforting thing I'd felt in months.

I didn't know how much later it was that the dinner chime sounded off. “Hey,” Sveti murmured. “Do you feel like eating?”

“I don't think so, no.” I lifted my head up and half-heartedly wiped at my mostly-dried tears with my hand. “Go ahead. I'm going to lie down and think for a while.”

“Okay.” She let me get up, and went to the door as I trudged towards my bed. “But let me know if you want to talk,” she said, holding my door in one claw and looking back at me. “I'm here for you.”

“I know.” I managed something resembling a smile for her. “Thank you.”

She nodded, returning my smile before gently closing the door.

(-)

“How is he?”

Ensemble's question seemed to be reflected on the faces of every last one of the staff ponies. Sveti let out a quiet sigh as she took her customary seat, sparing a glance at the empty one next to her. “I think he's going to be alright,” she answered. “He's just found something out that didn't sit well with him.”

“Did it involve Princess Luna?” Quick asked. “I mean... I've never seen Mister Collins like that before. What happened, Miss Windwhisper?”

She spent a moment considering whether to tell them or not, and decided that it might be for the better to let them know- reminding them, of course, that they were contractually bound to keep what they learned to themselves. “Princess Luna informed Peter and I that, while he was out in the wild before he was brought to Canterlot, Luna entered his dreams, and manipulated some of them.”

All of the ponies seemed confused. “Um... Miss Windwhisper,” Welder asked in his gravelly voice, “that's sort of what Princess Luna does.”

“For ponies, yes. Your society is based around the herd and Harmony, and you instinctively trust your Princesses. For those of us who aren't ponies, though... that sort of thing is a violation of the sanctity of the mind.”

She watched realization dawn across the faces of the ponies around her. “Princess Luna would never wish for that, though,” Ensemble insisted. “Doesn't Peter know that?”

“Not if he doesn't know her, Ennie,” Quick countered. “And he's already had a lot of ponies do him harm... it can't be easy for him to trust anypony he doesn't know, not even one of the Princesses.”

Neat Niche rubbed at her chin. “And Princess Luna is sort of... um, intimidating,” the young scullery maid admitted.

Ensemble let out a sigh, looking forlornly down at her plate of food. “Poor Peter,” she said quietly. “First the nobles, then the protests, now this... he could probably use a vacation from Canterlot by now.”

Sveti paused a moment, her fork held halfway towards her beak, before she gently set it down on her plate. “Hmm,” she said quietly.

(-)

“Peter wants to go to Ponyville?”

Twilight stared at Sveti incredulously. “Well, he didn't ask to go to Ponyville directly,” the griffin replied. “But one of my staff gave me the idea of giving Peter a vacation away from Canterlot for a little while. He's all for it- I think four straight days of protests in front of the Embassy have gotten to him- and when I suggested Ponyville, he was alright with the idea.”

“Oh, well, I'm not against it, really. I'm just curious as to why you picked Ponyville.”

“A couple of reasons. One, it's got a reputation of being a 'nexus of weirdness', so I figure a couple unusual creatures stopping by probably won't get too much notice. Two, your friends live there and can vouch for us to the other locals. And three, it's close, so transportation won't be too much of an issue. My staff can easily handle things while we're gone.”

Twilight's ears drooped. “Have the protests really been getting to him that much?”

“He's been putting up a brave front, but I know him too well for it to work on me.”

“Well....” She considered for a few moments. “It might take a little doing to get things worked out with Mayor Mare, and of course there'll be preparations aside from that, but maybe this can happen. I do hope, though, that you and Peter are prepared for anything strange that might occur in Ponyville.”

Sveti shrugged. “I figured we might stay there for a week at most. What could happen in a week?”

A chuckle escaped Twilight's lips. “Sveti, you'd be surprised.”

“Ponyville.”

Honestly, by now I had to be surprised that I was surprised by the name. I'd heard so many names that were either subtle or blatant puns, plays-on-words and the like that it tended to stick out more when something actually sounded normal to me. And besides, it wasn't like America didn't have its own collection of goofy city names; Ponyville, Equestria wasn't much more ridiculous than Truth or Consequences, New Mexico.

Sveti chuckled. “Interesting name, I know,” she commented.

“Yeah, yeah.” Twilight waved a hoof, even as she giggled. “Now, Peter, I don't have any objections to you visiting Ponyville- it really is a nice town, as I'm sure you saw when you were last there. But... as I'm also certain you saw, it has more than its fair share of strangeness going on. The chimera attack was probably one of the more extreme examples, of course, but that town does see some odd things go on sometimes.”

“I know. I asked some of the staff about the place.” I shrugged. “I'm thinking that if I want to wrap my head around how this world works, Ponyville might be the best place to do it. There's ponies I know that I can talk to there, which isn't the case anywhere else. I'm not going to learn a whole lot cooped up in here.”

“Well, it's definitely a much more natural environment than you're going to encounter here in Canterlot,” Shield- or rather, Shining Armor; I couldn't make heads or tails out of how ponies handled family names- told me. “Especially with those protesters promising to follow you around anywhere you go in the city.”

“Yeah, getting away from them is a nice little bonus.” I leaned back in my chair. “What are the ponies in Ponyville like, though?” I asked, trying my best not to crack up laughing at having to ask a question like that.

“Oh, there's all sorts,” Twilight said. “Some of them are... a little skittish, but most of them are fairly level-headed.”

“Not to mention that some of them are completely jaded from living in Ponyville for so long,” Shining added with a chuckle. “I can't imagine you'd even be all that interesting to, say, Granny Smith.”

“Who's that?” I asked.

“Applejack's grandmother,” Twilight told me. “She was one of the original founders of Ponyville! She's a little up there in years, but she's very forthright and wouldn't let anypony act up around her without setting them straight. I'm sure she'd be supporting of you.”

Sveti rubbed her beak. “Applejack invited me to visit her farm if I ever found myself in town. I'll have to ask her if Peter is invited as well.”

“I can't imagine she'd say 'no'.” Twilight's smile faded after a moment. “Peter, while you're gone, I'm going to be dedicating as much time as I can to investigating how you arrived here, and if a way to return you can be found. I'd really been hoping that all the tests I ran on you in the hospital would give me some kind of lead, but nothing's panned out- half the numbers don't even make any sense to me.”

“I appreciate you trying.” And I did. I knew squat about magic, but after what had apparently been an entirely random event that had brought me here several months ago, any potential clues would have to be ridiculously difficult to spot. “Though I think I'd like it if you visited too,” I added.

Her smiled returned. “I'll see if I can make a little time for that. And if there's an emergency, my assistant Spike is at the library and can send me a letter at any time.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Spike?” I repeated. “That's not a typical pony name.”

“Oh, he isn't a pony. He's a dragon.”

My jaw dropped... until I remembered the small reptilian creature I'd seen the last time I'd been there. “A baby dragon? Purple and green, about this tall?” I held my hand a short distance from the ground.

“Oh, you've seen him? Yes, that's Spike. And, of course, there's a small contingent of Royal Guards stationed in town, and there's always the Mayor and her staff. You've got a lot of ponies you can go to if you need.”

“That's what I was hoping for.” I slowly got out of my chair. “So I guess Sveti and I have some packing to do!”

(-)

Shining watched the train chug its way out of the station. Getting Peter out of the Embassy under the muzzles of the protesters- undercover guards had identified several ponies who were apparently watching the building during the times when the main group had gone home- had been far from the easiest thing, compounded by the fact that he had a sneaking suspicion some of Canterlot's Guard were sympathetic to the protesters' cause and might have been feeding them information, meaning that anything involving the human needed to be kept on a strict need-to-know basis. It made him singularly uncomfortable to need to be so secretive towards his own ponies in uniform.

But now Peter and Sveti were on their way to Ponyville, where Shining hoped they would find some respite from everything that had been happening to them. “I never thought it'd take a covert operation just to get two creatures on a train without problems,” he murmured.

“Yeah, I know,” Twilight replied, shaking her head slowly. There was a burst of light from her horn, and a familiar twisting sensation- and then they were back in her office. “Shiny, what have you found out about these protesters? I mean, it's weird that so many ponies can manage to spend so much time out here. Don't they have jobs and responsibilities?”

“It's gotten to the point where I think somepony's bankrolling them.” He took a seat in one of her chairs, while she sat at her desk. “The guards have been keeping track of the protesters, and while a few have joined the initial ranks, it's the same primary crowd every day- sun-up to sundown, they're there.”

“This goes way beyond simple concerned citizenry. This is an organized effort. But why?”

“That's the sixty-four-thousand-bit question, I suppose.” He sighed. “Something's got to give. I thought a hoof-fight might break out eventually over this whole protest situation... but I didn't expect it to be between two guards overseeing it! Tempers are starting to flare in the ranks.”

“I'm hoping that Swift Wind will be ready to talk to us soon. Maybe if we finally get his word on what happened, things will calm down.”

“I sure hope so.” Shining tilted his head from side to side, until a sore spot in his neck finally loosened. “Y'know... I was going to bring Cadie out to Broncton to meet some old friends of mine, but there's nothing saying we can't stop by Ponyville too. She's wanted to meet Peter for a while, but between her being busy and him running into so many problems, there hasn't been a good time for that to happen.”

“That sounds like a plan!” Twilight smiled. “How does Sunday sound?”

“That should work out just fine.”

(-)

“Target's on the train to Ponyville. Phase Four is in effect.”

(-)

For all the traveling she'd done in her life, Sveti had never actually been on a train before. At first she found the loud squealing and heavy clacking of the wheels, and the deep chugging of the engine, to be annoying, but now that the conveyance was moving smoothly along the rails, it had become soothing to the point of almost putting her to sleep.

It helped things that the private cab they were in- reserved specifically for them, under Shining Armor's name- was incredibly comfortable and nicely shaded from the morning sun. With no one else in the cab, Sveti felt free to lean gently against Peter, half-dozing with her head on his shoulder as he read a book he'd specifically brought to help his language studies. She'd tried to follow along a couple of times, but fixing her attention on the book while the train was moving did funny things to her equilibrium, so she settled for closing her eyes and letting herself relax.

“Sveti?”

She half-opened the eye closer to Peter. “Hm?”

“You okay?”

She smiled. “I am, actually,” she told him. “I'm just relaxing. It's been a while since I felt like I really could.”

“Good.” He gently ruffled her crest with his hand. “I was a bit confused. I not see that look on your face much.” A small smile crept over his lips. “Would like to see it more.”

She knew she was blushing. “Well, I'll try. For you.”

“For you, too.” He tapped her beak, his face taking on a serious expression. “Sveti... you seem very sad sometimes. I been wanting to know why for a while.” When she opened her beak to respond, he shook his head. “Not now. Now is time to relax, not talk about sad things. But after?”

She let out a quiet breath and nodded slowly. “After. I promise.”

“Okay.” He smiled, and she couldn't help but feel warmed by it. “I trust you to keep a promise.”

When had his speaking gotten so good? It was obvious that he'd really been working on it; the speed at which he was improving easily eclipsed hers when she'd been learning the Equestrian tongue- and she'd had a professional tutor! I can probably chalk at least some of it up to Twilight, she thought. The mare could teach anyone anything. But I'm sure that Peter's been putting a lot of effort into it, too. She felt a warm sense of pride flow through her chest. Not too shabby for a 'yeti'.

The rest of the train ride went quickly, and eventually the pair found themselves at Ponyville Station. Sveti waited until the other passengers had disembarked, then opened the doors of their cab- to find three ponies waiting in front of them. The one in the center, an older-looking mare with a grey mane, moved back half a step at the sight of Peter before catching herself. “Oh, um... hello,” she said, managing a smile. “Sveti Windwhisper? Peter Collins?” When they nodded, her smile grew. “Welcome to Ponyville. I'm Mayor Mare; Princess Twilight informed me you'd be coming.”

The mayor led them to the town hall, with Sveti having a good look at the place along the way. Peter had an obvious familiarity with the place, and she remembered that he'd actually been here before, for several days in fact. “Nicer visit for you this time, I hope?” she asked him playfully.

He didn't even have a chance to respond before a sharp gasp caught their attention; a yellow-coated mare with a rose cutie mark stood stock-still in the middle of the road, her eyes shrunken to pinpricks, with one hoof pointed towards the human. “The Everfree Yeti!” she yelped, before spinning in place to run off-

“Consarn it!”

-when a yellow line zipped past Sveti and curled around the still-attempting-to-flee pony, holding her in place. The hen turned to see Applejack gripping a rope in her mouth. “Get on back here, dangit,” the cowpony grunted, her voice somehow not affected by having her teeth clenched around the lasso.

“Rose!” Mayor Mare exclaimed. “What has gotten into you?! We had a meeting about this!”

Rose was doing her best to get away, her hooves digging lines into the dirt road as Applejack dragged her. “No! He's gonna eat us all and build a house out of our bones!”

“...out of what?!” Sveti heard Peter mutter.

“Rose!” The mayor's authoritative voice broke through the mare's panic, and she froze in place, making it much easier for Applejack to pull her close. “I am quite disappointed in you, young mare!” the mayor said. “Did you listen to nothing we discussed about this visit in the town meeting?”

“But... but look at it!” Rose pointed a shaking hoof in Peter's direction. “I've heard stories about what it does with those hands, with those teeth! I heard how it hunts ponies, how it tears them apart limb from limb-”

Peter made a quiet noise of exasperation, and then stepped forward with remarkable speed, startling the mare into silence. What he did next surprised Sveti- he knelt down in front of her, took the hoof that was still pointing at him... and shook it. “Hello, Rose,” he said softly. “My name is Peter. It is nice to meet you.”

She froze in place, her expression gone from fear to confusion in a heartbeat. “You... you talk?” she whispered.

“Yes, I talk.”

“Of course he talks, ya idjit,” Applejack grumbled. “He's an intelligent creature, jes like you an' me. An' I think he'd be really appreciative if ya treated him like one, instead of some pony-eatin' monster. Which he ain't.”

“Thank you, Applejack.” Peter let go of Rose's hoof and stepped back, folding his hands behind his back. “Mayor Mare, this was just mistake,” he said. “I think Rose was confused. Not mean any harm.”

“I, errrr.... right,” Rose said. “I- I was just confused!” She was doing a terrible job of hiding her sheepish expression, but everyone else seemed content to ignore it. “So, um... w- welcome to Ponyville! Well, um, i- if you'll excuse me, I think I left an oven in my cake. Bye!”

She slipped out of Applejack's lasso and was gone in a flash. “Some mares,” the cowpony said, gathering her rope up again.

Sveti scratched the back of her head. “Err, Applejack... not that I'm not grateful, but how did you just happen to come by while carrying a rope?”

“ 'Cause after Twilight let me know that ya'll would be comin' in today, I had a feelin' somethin' like this'd happen.” The earth pony shrugged. “Y' live in a town fer a while, y' get t' know the locals. Rose an' her two friends tend t' get a little... overanxious in new situations, an' I figured with the bad luck Peter seems t' have, he'd end up runnin' into one of 'em.”

Sveti blinked at that, then laughed. “Ancestors. I'll get you a crystal ball; you can tell me my future.”

Applejack snickered. “I wish. Ain't no foreseein', just knowin' what tends t' happen 'round here.” She doffed her hat towards them. “I best get back to th' farm. Sveti, that invitation still stands, an' Peter, yer welcome t' come by as well. Y'all ain't never had an authentic Apple family dinner, I reckon, an' I think it'd be proper t' fix that.”

“We'll definitely take you up on that. Thanks a lot, AJ.” She watched the cowpony give them a wave before cantering off.

Next to her, the mayor chuckled. “That was a fine bit of diplomacy, Mister Collins,” she said approvingly. “Though I'm truly sorry you had to see that display in the first place. I specifically held a town meeting yesterday to avoid this sort of thing.”

“Well, you can only do so much,” Sveti replied. “This is still a far sight better than what was going on in Canterlot.”

“Disgusting, that.” The mayor shook her head. “Twilight informed me of the whole protest business. I'll always support the right of a pony to express her beliefs, but I can't believe Peter here is such a threat that he deserves that kind of reaction.” She gave the human a smile as they came to the town hall. “So what is it you'd like to do while you're here in Ponyville, Mister Collins?”

He shrugged slightly. “I not sure,” he said. “Just want... peace and quiet, time with ponies who not angry with me.”

“That's certainly an understandable desire, and I hope that the ponies here will do everything they can to make that happen for you.” Mayor Mare opened the front door of the seat of government in Ponyville. “Come on inside, and I'll give you a nice overview of everything the town has to offer.”

(-)

“I heard that it steals foals in the dead of night and fattens them up to eat them!”

“I heard that it can make ponies explode with the wave of a forepaw!”

“I heard that it'll set a pony's house on fire so that it can dine on them when they're cooked!”

“And I heard that ponies who spread stupid untrue stories about an innocent creature tend to find themselves under rainclouds a lot.”

The three ponies whirled, mouths gaping as they stared up at Rainbow Dash. She was lounging on a small cloud just a few meters above them, her forelegs draped casually over its edge; she scowled down at them. “What do you know about it, anyway, Dash?” the lone unicorn in the group- Ember Flare, if she remembered correctly- snorted. “Being a Bearer doesn't make you an expert on monsters.”

“Maybe not. But I know that the creature you're talking about isn't a monster. And I'm getting a little sick of all these stories going around about him.” She hopped down from her cloud, landing with just enough force to give the ponies in front of her a little startle. “So where'd you hear about 'it', Embie?”

The stallion blinked. “Huh?”

“I want to know where you heard that the 'monster' sets ponies' houses on fire to cook the ponies inside for eating. Because, honestly, that's some sick stuff.”

“I, um....” Ember took a step or two back, raising a forehoof defensively. “I don't remember, exactly! It was in the market somewhere, a few days ago. Maybe Marigold's news stand.”

“Uh-huh. And you, Shoeshine? Where'd you get the 'stealing foals at night' bit?”

“It- it was Sea Swirl, when we were bowling last week.”

“Figures. What about you, Millie? Who told you he... what the hay was it? Makes ponies explode?”

“I heard that from Pampered Pearl when I was in Canterlot the week before last.” Millie scowled. “And that thing's been living in Canterlot, so she'd know!”

“No she wouldn't, because none of that is true.” Dash lowered her head just a little. “All of this crud is just second-hoof stories that you heard from a friend, who heard from a friend, who heard from somepony else, and there's not a feather's worth of truth in the whole bag of horseapples!”

All of the ponies flinched at her use of profanity. “And how do you know that, Dash?” Shoeshine countered, the false bravado in her voice not helped by the squeak that accompanied the word “you”.

“Because I've met him. I've talked to him. And for all the stupid stories going around about how he hunts and eats ponies, I know he's only ever hurt one- and that was by accident!” She prodded a hoof into Shoeshine's chest. “And he's here in Ponyville to get away from dumbflank ponies giving him grief for no reason, and I've made it my job to make sure that he doesn't have to deal with it here. So I'm going to squash every last 'I heard from a friend' story I hear, even if I have to drown it in rainwater.” She gave them all a meaningful look.

“You... you talked to it?” Ember repeated incredulously.

“Him. I talked to him, yeah. And do you wanna know what he really is like?”

“...what?”

She let her expression relax. “He's just one creature, alone and scared and hurt because of what ponies did to him. And that makes me mad, because we're supposed to be better than that. So I'm gonna do what I can to make things right.”

The three ponies in front of her looked like they wanted to cry. “We... we didn't know,” Millie whimpered. “We just... well, there's just so many stories going around about how it- um, he is just some horrible menace to ponies.”

“I was really hoping the mayor's 'information campaign' thing would stop that. But look... now that you guys know better, I need you to start telling other ponies the truth. If they give you noise, send 'em my way and I'll straighten them out. Okay?”

“O... okay.” Shoeshine sniffled. “Is there... anything else we can do?”

Dash smiled. “Well, maybe you can say 'hi' to him if you see him. He's actually kinda cool when you get to know him. Just talk a little slow; he's still learning the language.”

“Well, okay, I guess... I guess we can do that, right?” Ember glanced between his companions and got uncertain nods from both of them. “I mean, if it- err, rather, if he isn't a monster, then it's only right to welcome a new visitor to town.”

“That's the Ponyville spirit! It looks like sunny skies all day long for you guys.” Dash gave them a grin as they cantered off; they looked maybe just a little nervous, but she was alright with that- it meant that she'd made an impression.

“It's good to see you clearing the air; the truth sits well with you,” came a familiar voice from behind her. “But I'm sad to say that darker tales are making the rounds, too.”

Dash turned to find Zecora standing a short distance away. “Oh, hey, Z,” she said, with a smile that didn't last long. “Yeah... it's like every time I turn around, I'm hearing some new stupid story about Peter. I guess that old saying's right- a lie can get halfway across Equestria before the truth can get its horseshoes on.” She frowned. “It kinda reminds me of how the town treated you way back when, and that's always been a bit of a sore spot for me too.”

The zebra smiled at that. “ 'Tis an old wound long healed for me, my friend,” she replied. “And now I can help see this tale to a happy end. The one called Peter seeks nothing more than rest and respite... and the wrongs done to him, I would also wish to see set right.”

“Awesome. You know I'm not gonna turn down your help, Z. Oh, hey- do you wanna meet him? I bet he'd like to thank you for all those potions you brewed for him when he was in the hospital.”

For the first time Dash had ever seen, Zecora looked a bit flustered. “It- it would be unseemly for me to seek praise for what I've done,” she stammered. “It is what I'd do for any creature under Celestia's sun.”

“Heh. You're a modest one- it's no wonder Applejack gets along with you so well. But I think it'd be good for him to see that so many ponies- and others- are pulling for him, you know?” She gave Zecora her best smile. “C'mon, you'll like him.”

“Well....” The zebra made a show of considering it, but Dash knew she had her, and the slight smile that spread over Zecora's muzzle a moment later confirmed it. “Alright, you've convinced me. Though for his sake, not mine! But a simple, friendly conversation will be absolutely fine.”

“Attamare.” Dash grinned. “C'mon, let's go find him.”

(-)

“Ohhhhh, Fluttershyyyyy!”

Fluttershy reflexively ducked her head at being called, before recognizing the voice. “Oh... um, hello, Discord,” she murmured, looking around for her friend. “Er... where are you?”

“Right here!” The draconequus, shrunken to the size of a bumblebee, appeared at the tip of her muzzle. “I just wanted to let you know that you're out of bubble bath again. I really do need to stop drinking it all.” He hiccuped, sending a cluster of tiny bubbles floating out of his nose.

“Oh goodness. I'll have to remember to buy more on the way back home. Right now I'm going to meet up with a new friend.”

“Ooooh!” The tiny avatar of chaos looked positively curious. “It's not often you make new friends. Finally coming out of your shell?” He vanished, only to appear a moment later as a turtle shell; his head popped out of one side.

“Well, um... this is kind of an unusual friend.”

“Do tell, do tell!” The shell sprouted strange rockets of some kind, and with a burst of fire and smoke, it lifted off to hover alongside Fluttershy. “I wonder who my shy little mare has met. Oooh... maybe you've finally found a coltfriend?”

“Eep!” She stopped in her tracks for a moment, trying to hide her blush with her mane. “No, that's not it at all!”

“Ahh. A fillyfriend, then? It's okay, Fluttershy; you know I won't judge you based on who you love. I mean, there's so many other things I could judge you on instead!”

“It's not that either! He's just a friend. An unusual friend. But that's all!”

“Oh, of course, of course.” The grin that flashed across Discord's face threatened to pop the top of his head off- and then it did. “Whoops,” he muttered, chasing off after it as it rolled away. “Lost my head again! Be right back.”

“Oh my.” Fluttershy watched for a moment as the reformed avatar of chaos zoomed off, then shook her head and continued on. I don't want to be late, she thought. I can see that Peter's going to need a lot of help with fitting in here in Ponyville, and I want to do as much as I can to lend a hoof!

It was fortunate that she arrived at her destination exactly on time. It might have been less fortunate that her other friend did so at exactly the same time- which meant that Peter and Sveti were unexpectedly introduced to Discord when he abruptly materialized in front of them, sending both griffin and human falling onto their backsides in shock. “What the pluck is that?!” Sveti sqwaked.

“Oh, come now, my dear griffin. Surely you've heard of the very avatar of chaos itself, Discord?” The draconequus bowed grandly.

Peter still looked dumbfounded, but now Sveti seemed confused. “...I thought you were a statue.”

Discord scowled. “I am so going to fire my publicist,” he grumbled, before plastering a smile on his face- literally, even going so far as to use a trowel for the plaster. “Anyway! I heard Fluttershy here talking about a new friend, and....” As if noticing Peter for the first time, Discord turned towards the human, and the smile on his face shattered, crumbling into powder. “...do you even know what you have here?” he said quietly.

Fluttershy blinked in confusion. “...no?”

“Neither do I! And that's wonderful!” Discord flung his forelimbs wide open. “I mean, with as much time as I've spent wandering around this rock- not counting the time I was a rock myself- I thought I'd seen everything it had to offer!” His spreading grin seemed to make Peter extremely uncomfortable. “So, buddy, where ya from?”

“Discord.” Fluttershy didn't like using her assertive voice, especially on her friends, but it was needed here. “You're making him nervous.”

“Hmm? Oh, well, he's probably shy and doesn't want to talk about himself in front of an audience. We should go someplace private and chat, mano-y-whatevero.” Discord laid a paw on Peter's shoulder, and there was a flash of light- and then the draconequus yelped, pulling his now-singed paw away and shaking it wildly as smoke drifted up from it. “Yeouch!” he exclaimed. “Okay, what gives? Didn't these ponies teach you how to treat a new friend?”

“Oh my!” Fluttershy rushed over to Discord's side, taking his paw in her hoof and examining it. “Um... oh goodness, I forgot to tell you. Don't use magic on Peter- strange things happen when you do.”

“You could've told me that one un-singed paw ago.” Discord pouted- a complete act, of course, Fluttershy knew- before shooting a glance at Peter. “Well. We'll chat some other time, mon ami! And you, miss-” he looked at Sveti- “as well. Ta ta!”

His body curled itself into an anatomically impossible pretzel shape, then pulled itself into some kind of hole in space and vanished. Sveti and Peter were still seated on the ground, staring at the point where he'd been, mouths hanging wide open. “Ummm....” Fluttershy murmured. “Maybe... I should explain Discord to both of you.”

Two pairs of eyes, one golden and the other grey, glanced at her for a moment before returning to stare at the same point. “Yeah,” two voices said quietly.

I was still a little jittery, even a full day later. And, unquestionably, I had a much better appreciation for the creatures in this strange world.

The jitteriness was only partly because of the spell that strange creature who called himself “Discord” tried to use on me. Whatever weird ability I had that absorbed magic typically left me feeling energized afterwards, but Discord's magic had hit me like a fairly-mild tazer shot, leaving the entirety of my upper body feeling slightly numb and twitchy. That in itself had been worth a letter to Twilight via Spike, and her reply less than five minutes later had thanked me profusely for bringing it to her attention.

That was half of the reason for how I felt the next morning. The rest came from being told just what Discord was, what he'd done in this world's past, and the power he still held with no sort of restraint aside from the rebuke of the most shy, withdrawn living creature I'd ever met. I'd told Sveti how insane I thought these ponies were, only to get a reply of “you just sort of have to learn to deal with it”.

There was a sort of silver lining to the situation, though. If these ponies could get used to a physical avatar of entropy and chaos being in their midst- even if they did give him a wide berth and make every effort not to get his attention- then maybe I could catch a break if I showed myself not to be the threat so many of these ponies still seemed to think I was.

The fact that my magic-nullification thing seemed to even work on Discord was also one hell of a balm to my spirit. I wasn't eager for any sort of "chat" alone with him.

Another balm to my spirit had been the wonderful dinner Applejack and her family had put together for Sveti and I. I might have expected that an entire meal based around apples would've ended up being bland and uninteresting, but every dish we were served had a new flavor and texture to it. Meeting Applejack's family had been an enjoyable experience as well; it turned out that I'd seen her little sister Apple Bloom before, as one of the three excitable foals that liked to run around and shout a lot, but her older brother- a huge stallion built like a brick outhouse, who seemed fond of one-word responses- and her world-wise, nap-prone grandmother were new experiences to me. Twilight had been right; Granny Smith had plenty of choice words to say about the ponies who'd reacted badly to me, and by the end of her diatribe Sveti and I had somehow become honorary members of the Apple family... and if the pictures on the walls inside their humble home were any indication, it was a pretty big family to be in.

I liked Big Macintosh, too. Despite his considerable size, he was about as aggressive as a bath sponge, and I could tell that he sympathized with how I was being treated; I had a feeling his rather intimidating height had probably caused him some issues in life. On her part, Sveti had enjoyed answering all of Apple Bloom's questions about griffins- she probably would've asked me just as many about myself, but Twilight didn't want me telling anyone about my true origin and I wasn't going to tell an innocent foal how I'd been treated in the sideshow, so I'd had to defer.

And then there was the question I'd wondered about but hadn't asked- what had happened to Applejack's parents? I didn't feel comfortable bringing up the topic to the family; Sveti only knew that they'd died several years ago, probably when Apple Bloom was very young. It was a sobering reminder that, for all that these ponies looked like they'd crawled out of some children's storybook, they were living creatures with problems and tragedies of their own.

Presently, I was taking a quiet, relaxing walk around the same area I'd been using as a vantage point to watch the town when I was on the run. With the first day of introductions and getting used to the place and its residents out of the way, I wanted a little time to myself to gather my thoughts, before Pinkie's “surprise” party that Rainbolt- or rather, Rainbow Dash- had advised me would happen that evening. Sveti was off with Diamond- no, wait, Rarity, I remembered- on a spa visit that the mare had graciously offered us both; I'd deferred, but had all but shoved Sveti out the door in order to give her some “girl time” and a little well-deserved pampering.

I was broken out of my thoughts by voices in the chilly late-morning air. Near one of the larger trees that edged the clearing, I spotted Bloom and her two friends- Rarity's younger sister and an orange pegasus who had a hero-worship thing going on with Dash- gathered around, staring forlornly up at the branches. “...told you you threw it too hard!” I could hear the pegasus- Scootaloo, if I'd understood her name right- said.

“It wasn't my fault! The wind caught it right after I threw it!” the little white unicorn- Sweetie Belle- grumbled.

“So let's go up an' get it!” Bloom suggested.

“Nuh-uh, not a chance. Rarity said that if I come home covered in tree sap one more time, she's gonna start making me wear one of those special 'isolation suits' doctors wear.”

Scootaloo gave her a critical look. “And you think she'd actually do that?”

“I'm not taking the risk!”

I was too busy listening to the conversation to realize I'd been walking towards them until I was right next to them; as one, they turned to see me practically towering over them. The pegasus and unicorn yelped, tumbling into each other in surprise. “Whoa!” Bloom exclaimed. “Easy, girls! This is Peter. Remember th' mayor talkin' about 'im? He's really nice; he had dinner at mah house last night!”

To their credit, the other two fillies didn't take long to acclimate to me after Bloom's assurance. “What's wrong?” I asked them.

Scootaloo pointed up at the branches. “Our frisbee is stuck up there.”

I had to squint to see it; it was a small disc, bright blue, wedged in a branch about halfway up the tree. I surmised that if Scootaloo was capable of flying up to get it, or Sweetie could grab it with her magic, they would have already done so- and whatever experiences they might have had with tree sap in the past, letting a trio of young ponies try to climb that high didn't sit well with me.

So I took off my jacket, flexed my knees a couple of times, and jumped, catching the lowest branch and pulling myself up easily. I could see the kids watching me in awe as I carefully climbed up the tree, made my way to the disc and yanked it free. But rather than toss it down to them, I held on to it as I made my way back down, jumping from the lowest branch to land nimbly in front of them.

Then I twirled the disc a few times on my finger and gave them my best smile. “Go far.”

Their faces positively lit up before they zoomed off into the clearing, and the game was on.

(-)

“Hey, what's going on?”

Derpy came to a stumbling landing at the edge of the clearing, shaking her wings out before folding them at her sides. The small group gathered nearby hardly paid her any attention, aside from her best friend Rainbow Dash. “Oh, hey, Derpy,” she said, beckoning her over with a forehoof. “Check this out. Peter's playing frisbee with the Crusaders.”

She'd heard about the strange creature named “Peter”, still called “The Everfree Yeti” by some of the less generous-minded ponies she came across. She hadn't known what to think of him until the mayor had held her meeting- and the tale of a lonely creature given poor treatment by ponies who misunderstood him hit home especially hard for her.

With some effort, she got both of her eyes to focus on the scene in front of her. The tall, lanky biped was apparently playing catch with a trio of fillies- she recognized them as friends of Dinky's from school- out in the middle of an empty field. She watched as he flung the disc for them to catch, then raced after it when they threw it for him. “Wow,” she breathed. “I didn't think anything with two legs could run like that.”

“I know, right?” Flitter said from next to her. “It's kinda weird to watch, but... pretty cool, too.”

Cheerilee nodded in agreement. “I'll admit, I was a little worried about having a creature with that reputation here in town with all our foals. But... look at him playing with the girls; it's easy to see he's just having fun. He can't be the monster some ponies say he is.” She glanced over to her right. “Featherweight, are you getting good pictures of this?”

“I sure am, Miss Cheerilee.” The colt snapped another photo.

“Oh, hey, that's an awesome idea!” Dash exclaimed. “We can show everypony what Peter's really like in the papers. A picture's worth, like, a hundred words, right?”

“A thousand, as the saying goes,” Cheerilee replied with a smile.

“That's like five times better!”

Derpy only half-followed the conversation, her eyes following the game still going on in front of her. He looks so happy, she thought. Happy to just be playing a game. That's not a monster.

The crowd watched as one of the foals threw the frisbee at a high angle, with a sudden gust of wind catching it and lifting it even higher into the air. Peter broke out into a full run after it, pursuing it towards a fenced-off section with an abandoned garden of some sort. To Derpy's shock, he actually jumped onto the fence and then leapt from it, forelimb outstretched towards the disc as both it and he fell out of sight. “Oh my gosh!” somepony exclaimed. “He might be hurt!”

But before anypony could think to go in to check, the disc rose up out of the field, with a furless paw gripping it. “Got it!” Peter called out.

Derpy broke out into giggles, and the rest of the crowd laughed as well.

(-)

“Darling, you look positively radiant. When was the last time you've been pampered like this?”

Sveti pulled her gaze away from the mirror to look back at Rarity. “To be perfectly honest, never,” she answered. “It's not that I couldn't- there's a spa or boutique on almost every corner in some places in Canterlot- it's just that I never really thought about it much.”

“More's the pity, dear. You are an exemplar of griffin beauty.” The unicorn smiled when Sveti blushed. “And you look so much more relaxed, as well!”

“Those twins know how to perform massages.” Sveti lifted her wings a little, still marveling at how loose and refreshed the muscles felt. I never thought hooves could be so gentle, she thought.

“Well, I daresay that you most definitely deserved it, my dear. A shame that Peter chose not to join us- he no doubt would've benefited as well.”

“I agree, but he's had a lot on his mind... I don't begrudge him wanting a little 'alone time' to sort things out.”

“Quite true. But I suppose we should catch up with him, and let him get a good look at how lovely you are with some proper care and attention.”

The hen could feel herself blushing again. “Err, right,” she said. “And I hope he's feeling better as well.”

“You and I both!”

It was a short walk to the clearing where Peter had said he'd be, but what awaited them there surprised Sveti- he was sitting against a tree at the edge of the clearing, working on his sketch pad, with three fillies curled up against him, napping. Nearby was a small group of older ponies sitting and chatting with each other. “Goodness,” Rarity said. “What's going on here?”

Dash looked up at their approach. “Oh, hey girls!” she said. “You missed it, Sveti. Peter and the Crusaders were playing frisbee for, like, an hour. Then the girls got tired, so he had somepony go get his drawing pad from where you guys are staying and he was showing them how to draw, but then they fell asleep on him. Literally.” She snickered, before giving Sveti a second look. “Whoa, you almost look like a different hen,” she commented. “Guess the spa was good for you!”

“Yeah, I almost feel like a new hen, too. Thanks.” She chuckled as she made her way over to where her friend was sitting. It seemed as though his impromptu play session had been good for him as well- he looked a bit tired, but more relaxed and content than she could recall ever seeing him. She quietly trod her way to his side, not wanting to wake the foals still snoozing by his side. “It looks like you had fun,” she said.

“Yeah, it was-” he looked back at her and immediately stopped, staring at her for a moment with his mouth hanging open. “...you look great,” he murmured.

It was a wonder that the heat of her blush didn't set her plumage on fire. “Thanks,” she replied, just as quietly. “Um... you do too. I take it you enjoyed yourself?”

“Yeah. I really did.”

She moved to sit down next to him, on the opposite side of the foals, and took a look at what he was sketching. It seemed that he was just putting the finishing touches on a portrait of the three fillies, all of them smiling towards the viewer. “That looks incredible,” she told him.

“Thanks.” He added a few more details, then closed the pad and tucked the pencil away. “You have fun at the spa?”

“It was really relaxing.” She gently leaned against him. “You should've come. You deserve some pampering yourself, I think.”

“Another day, I promise. Today... just wanted be outside, thinking. Though I got bit... sidetracked.” He chuckled.

“That's fine, so long as you enjoyed yourself.” She ruffled his hair, watching as a cold breeze made it wave around a bit afterwards. “It's getting chilly out,” she noted. “Might be time for us to head back to town.”

He nodded in agreement, gently rousing the sleeping fillies and then getting up himself, pulling his jacket back on. “Winter coming, definitely,” he said quietly.

“Oh, that reminds me. Ponyville is going to be seeing its first snowfall this week. How do you feel about snow?”

“I like it.” He chuckled. “So long as I not have to get to work in it.”

She smirked. “You're on vacation now, so you don't have to worry about that.”

“We on vacation.” He tapped her beak. “I have fun if you do. Deal?”

How could she not smile at that? “Deal.”

(-)

I awoke to a chilly bedroom on my fourth day in Ponyville. The vacant home we'd rented out was cozy enough, but there was only so much the building could do to shut out the cold- which was probably why the beds had come with such thick comforters, one of which I bundled around myself before I put on some slippers and made my way to the small stove in the corner. A bit of wood and the push of a button- which operated some sort of automatic flint, apparently- gave me a quickly-building fire that served to chase the chill out of the room while I took a nice hot shower. Odd that they've worked out hot water heaters but not radiators, I thought. Or maybe it's a logistical thing? They can create enough hot water for a daily shower, but not enough to use to for heating homes?

Once cleaned up and dressed, I went downstairs to find Sveti, who had already gotten the main fireplace filled and a nice fire burning. She greeted me with a smile. “Have you looked outside yet?” she asked.

I hadn't, so I went to the nearby window and opened the curtains- to find myself greeted by a blanket of white over everything and a thick flurry of snow still falling. “They got started early, didn't they?” I commented.

“Seems so. I hope you packed warm clothes.”

“Of course. Boots too.”

“Well, that's good. What do you feel like for breakfast?”

“Bacon.” I chuckled. “But there's not much of a chance finding that here, so maybe we can go to where Pinkie works for some donuts? I think some hot chocolate would hit the spot as well.”

“So Sugarcube Corner it is, then.” Unlike me, Sveti was content with tossing on a scarf- gryphons were a mountain-dwelling species, she'd told me once, and could handle far lower temperatures than this without need of clothing- and we headed out into the snow.

I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, watching the steam rise into the air and dissipate. “It's quiet out,” I noted. “I guess most ponies are staying in until after the storm?”

“It seems like it.” She lifted her head. “You're right, it is quiet. There's usually a lot of wind at higher altitudes. It's kind of a nice difference down here.”

Unlike the streets, Sugarcube Corner wasn't quite empty. Two of Ponyville's residents were seated at a table inside, while Pinkie stood bright-eyed and alert as ever at the counter. “Hey, Petey!” she called. “Hey, Sveti!”

“Good morning, Pinkie,” Sveti replied, while I gave her a wave. I still had a little trouble interacting with the hyperactive pink mare; I knew she meant well, and in her own way she was an absolute sweetheart, but her constant effervescence and tireless cheerfulness were a bit unnerving to me.

I recognized the two mares that were at the table; Lyra, the green-coated unicorn who was one of the few ponies to welcome me warmly- maybe a little too warmly- from the start, was seated with her... friend? Domestic partner? I didn't know- Bon-Bon, the cream-colored earth pony. “Hey, nice to see you two out and about!” Lyra called, waving a hoof at me from her oddly human-like sitting position. “Enjoying the town's first snowfall of the winter?”

It caught me a little short to actually have it said to me that it was winter; with everything that had been going on, the passage of time hadn't really been on the forefront of my mind. This wasn't the time or place to reflect on it, though, so I just smiled slightly and nodded. “The town looks nice with snow cover,” I answered.

“It's like a layer of frosting on a cake!” Pinkie added with an enthusiastic nod.

Sveti and I had a seat at the next table over from the two mares, and Pinkie was there in a flash- almost literally; I didn't even see her move from the counter- to tell us about the daily specials. The cinnamon-swirl donuts she ended up selling me on were absolutely fantastic, and the hot chocolate she made right there in front of us was a perfect compliment. Sveti likewise enjoyed the mint brownies and cocoa she ordered.

We chatted a bit with the two mares as we ate, but something odd seemed to develop while we did so. Ever since I'd made her acquaintance, Lyra had been playfully flirtatious with me; after encountering the same thing from both Ensemble and the young stallion whose name I thought was Quick Service, I'd learned to just shrug it off- ponies, or at least some of them, seemed to be quite a bit more open about things like attraction and flirtation than I was used to. That morning, though, the mint-colored unicorn seemed eager to take it to the next level, and her subtle innuendo had taken a sharp turn towards the realm of outright propositioning.

I did my best to gently discourage her, although she was either too set on success to notice or too stubborn to give up. Bon-Bon didn't look happy at all with it, though thankfully she was reserving her ire for Lyra instead of taking it out on me... but what caught me by surprise was that Sveti's reaction was almost identical, if somewhat more muted. Rather than waste time trying to work out what that meant on the spot, I decided that extrication from the situation was in order, and feigned being full as an excuse to get the rest of our breakfast bagged up and us back out the door.

It was an uneasy silence that accompanied us back to our rented home. I could tell that Sveti was upset, but she seemed unable to put it into words for me, and I feared that the wrong question would make things worse. But an idea percolated in the back of my mind, and once our food was stashed away for later, instead of taking off my snow gear, I ushered the gryphon back outside. “I want to show you a tradition from where I'm from” was the only explanation I gave her as we made our way back to the very same open field I'd played an unexpected game of frisbee in two days prior.

The field was pristine, untouched since the snowfall had begun, and the pure white expanse seemed to mesmerize Sveti; I guessed that it reminded her of her own home. She trod out into it a short way, gazing out across it...

...which meant that she never saw my gently-lobbed snowball coming.

thud

It caught her in the center of her back, and she yelped, practically taking off on the spot before whirling around and seeing me standing casually, whistling softly to myself with my snow-covered gloved hands clasped behind my back. And there she stood for just a moment, her expression unreadable... until a playful glint crossed her eye, and as quick as thought, her claws scooped up a wad of snow and packed it into a ball, then sent it flying my way, and only a quick dive to the side saved me from impact- and by the time I was back on my feet, she was already preparing a second strike, a wickedly playful grin on her beak.

Our snowball battle went on for more than half an hour as we carved trails and furrows in the white-covered field, snowflakes still dancing around us as we jockeyed for position and dodged expertly-aimed throws, until she dove into a particularly high snowbank and vanished from my sight. I backed up from the spot towards a tall tree with branches heavily-laden with snow, a snowball in each hand ready to throw, waiting to see where my target would spring up-

fwoomp

-but not expecting her to come flying towards me from dead ahead, practically exploding from the snow with wings spread wide and claws reaching out. I let out a genuine yelp of surprise as she tackled me, not painfully hard but with enough force to take me off my feet and send my snowballs flying from my grasp, and she landed on top of me as my back hit the snow with a soft crunch. She grinned down at me, her claws gently pinning my shoulders to the ground, and little melting clumps of snow dripping from her crest. “Interesting tradition your people have,” she panted.

I couldn't help but smile up at her. I could see the steam from our breath mingle in the short distance between us, and the hands I'd reflexively placed on her sides could feel the quick, even beating of her heart even through my gloves; she was trembling a little, and I knew it wasn't from the snow still covering her soft, golden coat. I saw her begin to lean down a little towards me, her golden eyes beginning to close, her wings starting to flare open...

...and a veritable wall of white dropping down at us from above.

THWOMP

By the time we'd dug ourselves, laughing all the while, out of the pile of snow that had fallen from the tree, we were both absolutely caked in cold, wet snow. But as we trudged our way back home, things seemed to feel much warmer between Sveti and I than they had before.

(-)

That mare. I swear, that mare!

Bon-Bon's anger was nearly hot enough to melt the snow around her, it seemed, and she swore she could see the shimmer of heated air if she turned her head fast enough. Lyra crossed the line today, she thought, grinding her teeth together as she cantered through the snow-covered streets. Goddesses know that I've done enough to indulge her little fantasies- I can walk on my hind legs almost as well as a Diamond Dog, now- but now that she sees a biped that isn't a smelly mongrel or a minotaur who's just much too large in every way, she's all but throwing herself at him!

“Psst. Bon-Bon.”

The mare was so deep in her anger that she almost didn't register the voice directed at her. She stopped in her tracks and looked over her shoulder to see Goldengrape trotting towards her; he glanced from side to side as he approached as if watching for hidden observers. “Goldie, I'm not in the mood to chat right now,” she practically growled at him.

“You might be when you hear what I've got to say.” He motioned for her to follow him into a nearby alley, glancing behind them furtively. “Listen. A couple of ponies have noticed that your fillyfriend has been getting... well, maybe over-excited at the newest arrival to Ponyville.”

Her eyes narrowed. “I don't see how that's anypony's business besides hers and mine.”

“No? You're not interested in, say, destroying any interest she may have in that thing?”

She stopped short, tilting her head. “What the hay are you talking about?”

“Look. That creature's got a lot of us worried. It just walks into town with the reputation it's got, and half a week later practically everypony's fawning over it? What if it's using some kind of spell to fool ponies into liking it?”

“That's got to be the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard.”

“Didn't you have a bruise on your flank for a week after Princess Twilight's 'Want-It, Need-It' spell?”

Bon-Bon scowled again, but her heart wasn't in it this time. “Look, I'm not going to hurt a living creature just on some suspicion-”

“We don't want to hurt anything. But maybe you could help us with something we've got planned.”

“I want to know at least something about what your plan before I'll agree to anything.”

“We just need to do something to shock everypony out of this weird state of adoration. There's something unnatural going on here, and it seems to even have Princess Twilight and the other Bearers caught up. If there is, and we can break it, we'll be heroes!” He gave her a smirk. “Imagine what Lyra would think of you then, huh?”

Emotions warred inside Bon-Bon's mind, until one won out. “...what do you want me to do?”

“We're having a meeting tonight in a private booth at Berry Punch's bar. Don't say anything to her about it though; she's not in on this. As far as anypony else is concerned we're just a bunch of ponies getting together to talk. Be there at seven o'clock.”

“I will.” She watched as Goldengrape quickly cantered out of the alley... then, after a few seconds to make sure he was out of sight and hearing, she galloped in the other direction.

(-)

“Hi there!” Dinky smiled at the filly standing in the aisle of the general store. “Are you new in town?”

“Huh?” The other unicorn turned to look at her. “Oh, hi! Yeah, I'm just visiting Ponyville with my parents. I'm Dewdrop!”

“I'm Dinky! Welcome to Ponyville.” They shook hooves enthusiastically. “Where are you from?”

“Broncton! Believe it or not, we're visiting with Princesses! And a Captain!”

“You are? Really?!” Dinky's ears pricked. “That's pretty cool! How'd that happen?”

“Well, I'm not really sure; I just know that my dad met up with Captain Armor this morning, and Princess Twilight and Princess Cadance were with him! And they talked about the Everfree Yeti being in Ponyville and I asked if we could visit him, and the Princesses said yes!”

“The Ev- oh!” Dinky giggled. “That's not his name though. He's called 'Peter'.”

“Peter? That's a funny-sounding name. What's it mean?”

“I dunno.” Dinky shrugged. “But I know my mom likes him because he's super-friendly and good to colts and fillies.”

“Well, yeah! He saved me from drowning!”

“He did? Wow! How come I never heard that?!”

“I dunno! A lot of adults are saying bad things about him that just don't make sense, and when I try to tell them about how he saved me, they just ignore me!”

“Well, that's dumb. I hate when adults do dumb things and then treat us foals like we're the dumb ones. My mom's way smarter than that- she knows he's a nice creature.”

“Well, great!”

DInky would've said more, but she heard her mother calling her. “Oops, looks like I've gotta go. I hope I see you again, Dewdrop, but if I don't, have a great time in Ponyville!”

“I will, thanks! And if you ever come to Broncton, ask around for where Hammer and Dustmop live. They're my parents. I'm sure they'd love to have you over!”

“Okay!” Dinky trotted down the aisle, then turned back towards the other filly- only to see her talking to a vaguely-familiar mare, then trotting off with her. Her question already forgotten, Dinky shrugged and turned back towards where her mother waited for her.

“Two days until we go back to Canterlot.”

If nothing else, I could say that this world had given me a lifetime's worth of horse-related puns in the space of a few months, and I still had to choke back a girlish giggle every time I heard the name of this nation's capital city once it'd become clear what it meant. “I can't say I'm really looking forward to it,” I told Sveti. “Twilight's last letter said that the protests died off a couple days ago... but that's not much comfort if they get wind that I'm back.”

She let out a soft yawn and stretched her forelimbs. “Mmh. I might've felt the opposite way before we took this trip... but Ancestors, Ponyville just sort of grows on you, doesn't it?”

“It sort of had that effect on me even before I could talk to the locals. Now? It's kind of charming me into wanting to stay, even if the place is as crazy as anything.”

“It certainly is that. I don't think I would've agreed to come here if I'd known that Discord of all creatures was a resident!” She chuckled. “But I'm glad we did. Things in Canterlot were... stressful, and honestly, Peter... I've enjoyed being here with you.”

My reply was interrupted by a heavy-sounding knock at the door. “Royal Guard!” came a voice from the other side. “Open the door immediately!”

(-)

“Ugh. This is driving me crazy!” Twilight let the clipboard drop onto her desk, followed by her head a moment later. “These numbers make no sense at all,” she groaned. “Was the instrumentation faulty? Did I make a miscalculation somewhere? Did I-”

“-want some tea?” Cadance followed her words up the staircase to Twilight's little nook in the library, with a large tea tray hovering right behind her. “You know, some ponies actually take time away from work to relax,” she teased gently.

“I know, I know. Thanks, Cadie.” She smiled as the other alicorn set the tray down on the desk.

“Just because you're a grown Princess now doesn't mean I can't dote on you from time to time.” Cadance lifted the kettle, still piping steam from the spout, off of the tray. “Do you still take your tea the same as always?”

“I sure do. So what brings you to the library?”

Cadance poured hot water into both teacups on the tray, then dipped a teabag into each one. “I ran into Spike on his way to Rarity's and he told me that you were in 'study mode' and had given him the day off, so I took the liberty of sneaking into your kitchen while you were in your usual trance.”

“Well, I definitely appreciate it. But what brings you by? I figured you'd be with our guests, or looking to talk to Peter.”

“Our guests are doing some shopping, and Peter will probably be out and about a bit later today. Enough time to come check up on you during your 'working vacation'.” She chuckled pleasantly as she finished steeping the teabags and added some sweeteners to each cup. “What is it that's got you so frustrated?”

“These are all the measurements from the magical tests I ran on Peter during his stay in Canterlot Hospital,” she explained, flipping through the pages on the clipboard. “I've been trying to use them to gain an understanding of how his magic-nullification ability works, and maybe to get a lead on just how he ended up here. But the numbers I've got here make absolutely no sense!”

“Why don't they make sense?”

“They're just not possible at all. Look at this.” She pointed to a line of notations. “The Marelheim-Eqstein ratio here? Thirty-seven over two. If this reading had been correct, Peter would've turned into a thaumatic collapsar and sucked most of Equestria into the void.”

“I think we'd have noticed if that had happened.” Cadance chuckled as she took a sip of tea. “Who took these notations?”

“I did, most of them at least. But how could I have missed these inconsistencies?!”

The pink alicorn leaned back and cocked an eyebrow. “Twilight, what's that one line of dialogue you used to love quoting at me when you were a filly and I was trying to do homework?”

Twilight didn't even need to think. “ 'How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?'. Fetlock Holmes, The Sign of the Foal.”

A grin crossed Cadance's face. “So what would Ms. Holmes have to say about this situation? Do you really think that you could have made mistakes this big and not realized it?”

“There's no way. I would've noticed bizarre readings like this the moment I saw them.”

“So then, having eliminated the impossible, what's left?”

“Well... hmm.” Twilight stared at the pages, willing them to give up the knowledge she sought. “I don't know! I can't think of anything that could've happened. I stored these pages with his medical files in the hospital records room, and only staff ponies would have had access... to....” Her voice trailed off as her mind began working.

“What is it you're thinking?” Cadance asked.

“Something I don't like. Let me check these pages....” She pulled a few free from the clipboard and spread them across the desk, then quickly assembled the components of the Thaumatic Trace spell in her mind and channeled magic through it, letting the energy spread across the sheets of paper. To her shock, a number of sections on each page lit up with a pale-blue hue.

Cadance tilted her head, peering down at the pages. “What's that?”

“A magic-detection spell. Somepony's used a Magic Mistake Mover spell on these pages- these records have been altered.”

“But who-”

Cadance's question was cut off by the front door of the library slamming open. “Twily? Cadie? You in here?” Shining Armor's voice called out.

“Up here, Shiny,” Twilight called. “What's wrong?”

“I think I need you both to come with me. Something's happened.”

Cadance gave Twilight a look. “I have a feeling the tea's going to get cold.”

(-)

“Where is she? Where is she?!”

Dustmop was practically beside herself in panic, despite Hammer's attempts to calm her. It had been two hours since their agreed-upon meet-up time, and Dewdrop was still missing; even Snowdrift had lost his customary aloofness over any matter regarding his sister and was openly concerned. The filly was sometimes absent-minded, but had an almost obsessive dedication towards being punctual.

Red Crescent, on his behalf, was feeling his usual calm demeanor begin to suffer as well. A filly wandering off for a little while was hardly unheard of, but by now more than a third of the town had been searched with no trace of Dewdrop, which brought to mind another thing that was unfortunately not unheard of- something dire happening to an unattended foal who happened upon the wrong place at the wrong time. In a place like Ponyville, the scenario wasn't out of the question. We waited far too long to alert the local Guard contingent and Captain Armor, he thought ruefully. Perhaps the charms of the town lulled us into a false sense of security... but I should have known better! Oh, little raindrop, where have you gone off to?

“There it is!” somepony shouted. “It's the Everfree Yeti!”

He looked up to see the creature that had been the topic of many conversations over the last couple of months, alongside the griffin that had apparently become his companion and protector. On each side of them walked a heavily-armored guard apparently escorting them towards a rickety-looking shed not far away, and behind the group was a nervous-looking mare following closely. “Whoa, wait, hang on,” he heard somepony in the crowd shout. “Peter! Sveti! What's goin' on?!”

One of the guards gave the mare a warning glance. “Miss Applejack, this is official Guard business. Please stand aside.”

“Y'all must not know mah reputation.”

The orange-coated mare was about to take a step forward when the griffin raised a claw. “It's okay, AJ,” she said. “Just let us find out what this is all about.”

Curiosity- and latent frustration borne of not being able to adequately contribute to the search for Dewdrop- drove Crescent to approach; the guards gave him barely-perceptible glances, but his armor marked him as one of their own, despite his unfamiliarity to them. The group halted at the front of the shed, and one of the guards pulled open the draw-bar that held the door shut, then opened it.

Nearly the entire inside of the shed was splattered in crimson. Tufts of hair, caked in red and unidentifiable, were strewn around; lumps of something- he couldn't see what from his vantage point, but his imagination wasn't shy about suggestions- glistened in the sunlight. He swore he heard someone in the crowd retch. “What... what is this?” one of the guards murmured.

“I saw the creature take something into that shed earlier,” the mare said. “And then there were strange sounds and an awful smell....”

“...the pluck?” the griffin swore. “That's a lie! Peter was with me all morning!”

“Can you corroborate that with an impartial party?” the guard asked.

There was a loud gasp from the crowd. “Oh my Celestia!” someone exclaimed. “That's when that filly disappeared! That monster must've eaten her!”

A good number of the crowd gasped or cried out, many of them stepping back fearfully, but others moving forward. But before anypony else could speak, a voice sounded out from behind the shed.

“That is a lie.”

A cream-colored earth pony mare stepped into view, a deep frown set on her face. “Identify yourself, citizen,” one of the guards demanded.

“My name is Bon-Bon Sweetie Drops. I would've been here earlier, but I got caught up in the search for that lost filly.” She gave the creature named Peter an apologetic glance. “Sorry.”

“Never mind that,” the guard said. “Explain yourself.”

“I was asked to take part in a scheme to make it look like the human had eaten an animal from Fluttershy's cottage. I'd meant to tell somepony this morning, before... all this.”

“And can you prove any of this?”

“She doesn't need to.” The light had fooled Crescent's eyes earlier, but now he could see clearly. “That is not blood.”

The guard who had spoken raised an eyebrow. “And by what authority do you speak?”

“The authority granted to me by twelve years as a medic in the service of Their Majesties' Royal Guard, and five Ribbons of Valor for preserving life in the execution of my duties. Rest assured, Private- I have seen blood.”

Now he had the attention of both guards. “But... you're just a corporal,” the other said.

He shrugged. “I like the rank insignia.”

“I can vouch for him,” came a familiar voice; he looked over his shoulder to see Hammer approaching. “Captain Hammer, 403rd Ground Infantry.”

“And if you don't believe him, maybe you'll believe me.” Crescent couldn't help but grin as Captain Armor followed his words up to the crowd. “Now what is all this?” he asked.

“Sir!” Both guards immediately came to attention and saluted, as did Crescent; the guard who'd been the doing the majority of the talking spoke up. “We had a report from a citizen that the Everfree Yeti was spotted doing something inside this shed. We opened it to find... this.” He gestured to the scene before them.

“And then this citizen informed us that it had been faked,” said the other guard, gesturing to Bon-Bon.

The earth pony nodded. “It's just beet stew, boiled out and mixed with cornstarch and some coloration. The... uh, lumps there are soybean curd.”

Something nagged at the back of Crescent's mind, and he turned towards the crowd. There- a unicorn mare was doing her best to look nonchalant as she backed away from the shed, and she was in the right place... so he quickly moved, his greater size giving ponies incentive to get out of his way, and before the mare could get clear of the crowd he was blocking her way. “Hello, miss,” he said, doing his best to keep his voice and expression non-threatening. “Were you going somewhere?”

“I, um... no!” It was certain- this was the mare who'd shouted earlier. “Just, uh... need to go use the little fillies' room, that's all.”

“Before that, if you could just spare a moment... what made you think that the creature there had eaten the missing filly?”

“I, err, I....”

She was visibly sweating already, and now he allowed his expression to become more stern. “Miss, I would have you know that there are quite serious penalties in place for lying to a Royal Guard in the course of an official investigation.”

She managed to hold her composure for five more seconds before it shattered. “The whole thing was Goldengrape's idea!” she wailed, pointing a hoof at a very shocked-looking stallion. “He wanted to make it look like the monster had eaten some animal to shock everypony out of what it's doing to them, but I thought....”

He lowered his head to look directly into her eyes. “You thought what, miss?”

“I- I don't, I didn't, I....”

She looked close to breaking down, and he relaxed his expression. “Miss, please just tell me what happened. There's a filly we need to find. Do you know where she is?”

“She- she's in a treehouse out in Sweet Apple Acres. I told her that her mother would be by with some new friends, then locked the door with a Keep It Shut spell. It was just three hours ago!”

Shining approached the mare. “Why?” he asked, his eyes narrowed. “Why do all this?”

“Because that monster is doing something to ponies to make them love it! We- we thought that if we made it look like he was dangerous, it'd break the spell!”

Both the human and the griffin were staring at the mare, and if anger could bear a physical force, their combined glare would have blown her to Appleloosia. Captain Armor's expression was hardly more forgiving. “Private Stand,” he said in a flat voice, “take this mare and that stallion-” he pointed at the one she'd called Goldengrape- “into custody. Hold them at the barracks until further ordered.” He raised his voice. “And if anypony decides that today is a good day to leave town for the wrong reasons, I'll remind you all that doing so would count as impeding a Royal Guard investigation and would only increase any penalties.”

The two ponies reluctantly followed the guard away, and the crowd parted as Princess Twilight approached; Crescent reflexively knelt before her, as did Hammer next to him. “Please, arise,” she told them. “Captain Armor, I heard what happened. I know where the clubhouse is- I can teleport there immediately and have Dewdrop back inside of a minute.”

“That'd probably be for the best, Princess. I'm sure her parents are eager to have her back.”

Twilight nodded and smiled, and was gone a moment later in a flash of purple magic. Shining turned towards the ponies still standing around. “Alright, everypony, this show is over. Go back to your business.”

The crowd began to disperse, showing Princess Cadance standing nearby; she approached the human, raising a hoof that he carefully shook. “Peter, it's nice to finally meet you,” she told him in a quiet voice. “My name is Cadance. I'm so sorry for what's happened here-”

A burst of magic interrupted her, and Crescent turned to see that Twilight had reappeared, looking far less happy than when she'd left- and the first words out of her mouth explained why perfectly.

“She's not there!”

(-)

I was angry.

No, strike that. I was livid. And not for my own sake- though it'd be a lie to say that the faked “murder scene” hadn't gotten my ire up. But that some imbecilic mare had basically kidnapped the little filly I'd saved, locked her in some treehouse, and hadn't even taken into consideration that the thing had windows... well, now we had an AWOL filly lost in the fields in the cold of winter. Wind had blown enough of the powdery snow around to make following hoofprints impossible, and Twilight's attempt to track her by magic was foiled by the fact that the kid had crossed her own path several times, something the spell apparently couldn't handle.

Applejack's farm was enormous, so the volunteers searching for the filly- myself included- broke up into groups. Sveti had taken to the air with a number of pegasi, though the branches were thick enough to where I wasn't sure they'd be able to see much at any real distance; I'd been paired with a unicorn named Ember Blaze, and we were running through the trees at a good pace, looking for any sign of the lost filly. We'd stopped to catch our breath- even my endurance had limits, and Ember wasn't very much of an athlete- when the pony looked up at me. “Err, um... Peter?” he asked.

“What?”

“I... I want to apologize.”

“For what?”

“For what went on in town today. It's just....” He paused a moment. “I don't know. I was scared of you- I am still scared of you, if I'm being honest- but what those ponies did was just so far beyond the pale, I....” After a moment, he shook his head. “I'm just... sorry.”

“You're scared of me, but you're out here with me.”

He nodded. “Yeah. We've got a filly to find.”

I nodded, and gave him a bit of a grin. “That's what counts.”

He gave me a slight smile as he looked around. “Well, I hope we find her soon; we've gotten closer to the Everfree than I like, and....” He trailed off, ears pricking up. “...do you hear that?” he whispered.

I strained to hear, leaning forward. “I can't. What is it?”

“I think it's... barking.”

Shit. “Lead me there.”

It was only a minute of running before I heard what I'd been afraid I would hear. The barking was easily recognizable as Winona, the Apple family's little collie; her barks were high-pitched, rapid-fire and seemingly panicked, and I had a hunch as to why. “Get somewhere visible from the air and signal for help,” I told him, opening my jacket. “Send whoever gets here this way. I think we've found our filly... and trouble.”

With that, I set out on a dead sprint through the trees. I heard a loud whistle and pop behind me; a glance over my shoulder showed that Ember had fired off a magical flare that hung directly above him. That'll bring pegasi right quick, I thought. I just hope quickly enough.

And then I crested a hill and saw what awaited me. A partially-toppled tree near the edge of the field held the little filly, desperately clinging to some branches near its top, while Winona stood as her vanguard on its trunk. No less than eight timberwolves had gathered around the unearthed roots of the once-stately tree, all of them intent on both dog and pony as dinner- and it looked like Winona's desperate, loud defense was losing its effectiveness rapidly.

A thick branch, three feet in length, half-buried in the snow suddenly found itself as my weapon; I would have preferred my gun, but the situation didn't leave time for recriminations. My blood had turned to fire in my veins, all fatigue forgotten as I focused single-mindedly on my goal- remove the threat to the child.

I was light enough on my feet to where my first target never heard me coming.

crack

The timberwolf shattered as if it had been rigged to explode; its component pieces were still falling to the ground while I raised my impromptu club a second time and caught another of the creatures upside the head. I spun on my heel to face the rest of the pack- but they had already focused on me and were spreading out... except for two of their number who immediately turned tail and ran at the sight of me.

That still left me with four very dangerous creatures to contend with, without the element of surprise. Just keep them off yourself, the pony and the dog until backup gets here, I told myself, maneuvering myself between them and the tree trunk.

It was easier said than done. The timberwolves were not stupid, and I wasn't nearly as quick on my feet as Winona; the wolves split into pairs, one group working on feinting and flanking me while the other tried the same with the collie. Through some miracle, Winona and I were able to hold out for almost two minutes, and I was beginning to think that we could even beat them-

-until I saw the two timberwolves I'd brought down literally reform in front of my eyes, and my brain locked up on one thought. They're not allowed to do that. That's cheating.

The other wolves were quick to capitalize on my moment of startled distraction. One of them barreled into my legs, taking me off of my feet and sending me crashing into the tree trunk; I managed to keep hold of my club and smack it against the chest of the other timberwolf as it lunged for my throat, but I was still vulnerable and now I had four of the wooden bastards coming for me. I let out a yell as I felt thorn-teeth dig into my leg and pull; one had gotten a hold of me and was trying to drag me off the tree, and I could hear the filly let out a scream of terror as I desperately grabbed at the trunk with my free hand.

Then a loud screech echoed through the orchard, and a flash of amber and white intercepted the timberwolf at my leg, leaving most of its head intact while obliterating the rest of its body. Sveti cut a rolling turn that a fighter pilot would've envied and landed next to me. “Are you okay?!” she gasped, looking at my leg.

“It's not as bad as it looks.” It probably was, actually; the leg of my pants were torn and soaked in blood, I could see exposed muscle through the wound, there were even what looked like timberwolf teeth lodged in the skin.... if it wasn't for the adrenaline high I was on, I likely wouldn't have been able to stand. But there was still a job to do. “We've got to keep these things off of her until help gets here-”

“Help's already arrived.” Three ponies came to a landing at the base of the tree; Rainbow Dash was flanked on either side by two other pegasi I didn't recognize- but Dash had told me enough about the Wonderbolts for me to recognize their uniforms. The one who'd spoken, a mare with a flame-colored mane, took position next to me while her partner, a black-maned stallion, stood between us and the wolves.

The creatures seemed to sense that their advantage was lost, and all of them broke and ran- except for one, too intent on standing and snarling at me to back off. I got to my feet and slung my club over my shoulder, taking a couple of unsteady steps towards the timberwolf, then delivered the best line I could think of.

“You gonna bark all day, little doggie, or you gonna bite?”

I doubted that the creature was impressed with my originality, but at least my tone of voice managed to convince it to turn tail and flee. I managed a short laugh before my body, realizing that the danger had passed, decided to cut off my adrenaline supply... and the pain of my wound hit me full-force, sending me back to the ground.

To my surprise, the filly immediately bolted down the treetrunk towards me, clinging to me and crying; I put my arms around her, gently patting her mane. “It's okay,” I told her. “You're safe now.” I looked up. “Sveti, do you think you can fly her home?”

The filly shook her head, clinging to me even more tightly. “No! I'm afraid of flying. I wanna stay with you.”

“Okay, okay.” I patted her again and gave Sveti a helpless look, which she answered with a grin.

Everything seemed to go by in a bit of a blur after that. Twilight had teleported in, taken one look at my wound, vanished and reappeared moments later with the zebra I'd met- Zecora seemed to be her name; it wasn't a word in the pony language- who immediately gave me one of her potions to drink and began applying salves and bandages to my wound. The filly, whose name turned out to be Dewdrop, had apparently never met a zebra before and was asking her loads of questions, which Zecora answered with a good-natured smile.

Once I'd been treated and could manage to walk with the assistance of my club-turned-cane, we began the long trip back to Ponyville. Big Mac showed up along the way with the intent of carrying me on his back, and all my efforts of trying to talk him out of it were met with polite but dogged insistence... so the townsfolk of Ponyville ended up greeted by the sight of me and Dewdrop perched on the massive stallion's back. I could tell that my magic nullification was affecting him as much as any other earth pony who exercised their strength when I was touching them, but he had enough raw muscle and determination to work through it for the entire walk back.

And every last moment of what'd happened that day seemed worth it when I saw Dewdrop reunited with her parents, her mother tearfully embracing the filly and her father wrapping his forelegs around them both. As the taller pony- almost as tall as either of the primary Princesses, though lacking in horn or wings but graced with a respectable beard- saw to my wound with hooves capable of far more dexterity than I would've thought, I leaned back into the chair I was seated on and closed my eyes for a moment, letting my hand rest on Sveti's back. “You saved my life, you know,” I told her.

“I'm glad I got there in time,” she replied, taking my hand in her claw. “Peter, what you did today, especially after all that happened....”

“...marks you as a true hero in my books,” said the bearded pony, as he finished rewrapping my bandage.

“Let's not start throwing that word around.” I laid my head back down. “I had to. She'd ended up in that situation because of me. Not doing something about it was just out of the question.”

“I can't agree with that first part.” When I looked up, Dewdrop's mother was standing in front of me with her daughter perched on her back; when she saw that she had my attention, she turned to the crowd of ponies nearby. “Everypony, I want you to look at this creature,” she said loudly, pointing a hoof at me. “Do you see that bandage on his leg? He got that from protecting my daughter from timberwolves- which makes this the second time he's saved her life.” She started walking towards them, a furious look on her face. “And why did he have to protect my daughter from timberwolves? Because some idiot pony locked her in a treehouse to make ponies think that he'd eaten her! And some other idiot ponies set up a disgusting faked scene to make ponies afraid of him!” She shook her head in disgust. “And you want me to believe that he's a monster?!”

Nearby, her husband chuckled. “Told her for years she could've been a drill instructor,” he said quietly.

A number of ponies slinked away, thoroughly shamed; the rest almost seemed proud. Dewdrop hopped down from her mother's back and trotted back towards me. “Mister Peter?” she asked.

I gave her a smile. “Yes?”

“Me and my parents will have to go home soon, but I wanted to give you something first.” She reached into her saddlebags and pulled out something familiar. “This was the blanket you were sleeping on when you were hiding by the river. It's winter now and you don't have any fur to keep you warm, so I wanted you to have it again so you don't get cold.”

She gently placed the folded red blanket in my lap and smiled brightly up at me. I felt tears well up in the corners of my eyes as I returned the smile, gently patting her head. “Thank you,” I said to her, looking up at her parents and seeing them gazing at her proudly. “You've got a good filly here,” I told them.

“We wouldn't have her now if not for the two of you.” The father approached me and Sveti for a hoofshake. “Captain Hammer. My wife is Dustmop, and my colt there is Snowdrift. Sir... I don't think there's any way I could possibly repay you for what you've done, or make up for what happened to you here earlier, but I want you to know that there are four ponies here who are eternally grateful that you're in Equestria. If you two are ever in Broncton, look us up.”

“Yeah, come over to our house sometime!” Snowdrift said. “Because you're pretty cool.”

“We'll do that,” Sveti told them. “And thank you for your words, both of you. After today, it really means a lot hearing them.”

Finally, after being thanked by Princesses Twilight and Cadance, Shining Armor, Mayor Mare and seemingly half the population of Ponyville, Sveti and I went back inside our rented home to rest. I leaned my branch-turned-club-turned-cane against the wall near one of the chairs, turned... and found Sveti rearing up in front of me, reaching out with her forelegs to hug me tightly. “Do you have any idea how proud of you I am right now?” she whispered into my ear. “You can't make me believe you're not a warrior anymore. You showed what you're truly made of out there today.”

I shook my head. “Sveti, I'm not. I just... I had to help her. I would be a monster if I hadn't.”

“And do you know what that makes you? A noble warrior.” She tapped my nose with a talon, grinning at me before dropping back down to all fours. “Now you sit down and keep your weight off that leg... you've only got two, you know.”

I gasped in mock horror. “Only two?! Why did nobody ever tell me until now?!”

The blatantly false sobbing I broke down into as I collapsed into the chair earned me a throw pillow to the head, tossed at me by a snickering gryphon.

(-)

“Do you have any idea how much this sets our cause back?”

Air Sergeant Peppermint York gazed sullenly down at the newspaper headline. “Everfree Yeti Helps In Foal Rescue” it read, showing a picture of the creature surrounded by ponies, holding a ecstatic-looking filly in its forelimbs. “Yeah,” she said quietly, though the reason for her being upset was far away from that of the stallion sitting across from her- a foal had nearly died because some idiotic small-town yokel thought that locking away an out-of-town filly was a good addition to their already-inane plan.

“This is why I discourage independent thought in my underlings,” the stallion muttered. “They're not much good at it.” He looked up at her. “We are losing this battle for public opinion. At least tell me the Guard is more sympathetic to our cause.”

“You must not have read that whole article,” she deadpanned. “Like the part where two of the Wonderbolts' top-ranking officers commended the creature for bravery. All this has done is widen the schism between the ones still on our side and the ones convinced the thing's just some innocent misunderstood creature.”

“Well.” The stallion tugged at the collar of his expensive shirt. “I do have to give Sparkle all due credit; she's waged a spectacular campaign to win over public opinion. It seems our last chance for salvaging this situation is Aircolt Wind.”

She let out a quiet sigh as she looked up at the wall clock. “Speaking of....”

(-)

“How are you feeling, Aircolt?”

He let out a soft groan. “Like five miles of meadow after a buffalo stampede,” he croaked.

“That's entirely understandable.” Doctor Measure smiled. “It's been a rough recovery for you. Your allergy to briarwort made using healing solutions on you rather tricky, so we had to allow your body to handle the majority of its own healing.” He glanced behind him. “Now that you've reached a rating of three on the Hopmare scale, I've cleared you for being interviewed by your squad leader.”

He stood aside to allow the pegasus to step forward; she gave the young stallion a half-smile. “Well, Aircolt,” she said, “I hope you haven't gotten too comfortable lounging around here on the taxpayer's bit.”

“The taxpayers should spring for better food.” He made a face. “What brings you here, Sarge?”

“We've been needing your statement on what happened the day you were wounded.”

Wind looked away, frowning deeply. “...I've been trying to remember myself,” he said quietly. “The most I can remember is flying patrol over Ponyville after the chimera attacked, then I spotted the Everfree Yeti... and the next thing I knew I was waking up here.”

Oddly enough, the sergeant had an almost relieved look on her face- until another voice spoke up. “I was worried like something like that might happen,” Princess Twilight said from the back of the room. “Ordinarily, it might take months or even years for your memories to return naturally- but fortunately, Doctor Measure has given me medical clearance to use a memory spell on you. Do I have your consent for this procedure, Aircolt?”

The stallion agreed, and after a moment's preparation, the Princess touched her horn to his forehead, and a gentle flow of magic surrounded him. Measure watched as the guard's eyes widened, then closed. “I remember now,” he murmured.

“What do you remember?” Princess Twilight asked.

“The creature... he was standing by a building, holding his weapon. I... I thought it was going to attack you, Princess. I had to stop it, so I tackled it, and... that's all I can remember.”

“I see, Aircolt. Did he see your approach at all? Did he actively seek to use his weapon against you?”

“I....” He went quiet for a long moment, seeming to consider. “I don't think it had a chance, Princess. I came at it too fast.” He looked up at her. “I... didn't do something wrong, did I, Princess? I thought it was going to attack. I didn't see any other way to stop him.”

She smiled warmly at him. “No, Aircolt, you didn't do anything wrong. In fact, I'd commend you for acting quickly in what you perceived to be a very dangerous situation. What happened afterwards was unforeseeable by anypony.”

“What happened afterwards? Princess, what-” He visibly winced, laying his head back down. “...ugh.”

“Easy, Aircolt,” Doctor Measure said. “You're going to give yourself a migraine if you strain yourself.”

Twilight nodded. “I'll make sure everything is explained to you soon, Wind- after you get some more rest. But in the meantime, before I go, I promised a friend I'd pass along a message for you.”

“A message? What is it?”

“He wanted me to tell you that he's sorry for what happened, and that he never meant to harm you. Oh... and his name is Peter.” She smiled again. “I'll see you again soon, Aircolt Wind. Until then, I wish you a speedy recovery.”

She was gone in a flash. Satisfied that things were finished and determined to give his patient peace and quiet, Doctor Measure ushered the sergeant out of the room, barely noting how she stared at the spot the Princess had stood the entire time.

(-)

knock-knock, knock-knock

“I'll get it.”

Sveti made her way to the front door, opening it to find a familiar- and somewhat bedraggled-looking- earth pony mare standing beyond. “Hello, um... Sveti, was it?” she asked.

“That's right. Err... Bon-Bon, I believe it was?” When the mare nodded, Sveti gave her a smile. “Hey, I was hoping to thank you for everything you did for Peter and I before we left for Canterlot. It would've been easy for you to go along with those other ponies, especially after... uh... you know, what happened at Sugarcube Corner. We're both grateful that you stood up for us and told the Guard what happened.”

“Yeah, wanting to make Peter suffer for Lyra being... well, herself just wouldn't have been right.” Bon-Bon rubbed the back of her head with a hoof. “And actually, that's sort of what I came over here to talk about. Is Peter still here?”

“He's finishing up the packing. Did you want to talk to him?”

“Err... actually it might be easier talking to you about this, female to female.”

Sveti raised an eyebrow. “How do you mean?”

“Well, it turns out that Lyra's little display at the Corner wasn't entirely her fault. See....” The pony gave her a sheepish smile. “Lyra's got... kind of a fetish for bipeds. It's one I haven't minded helping her indulge, but... it turns out that she was starting her estrus cycle a little earlier than either of us expected, and seeing Peter that morning sort of, well, set her off. You know?”

“Uh... yeah, heh. I can sympathize.”

“I thought you would.” Bon-Bon managed a chuckle. “Lyra would've come to apologize herself, but she's a little... indisposed right now. And I'm not sure I'm comfortable telling Peter exactly what happened... do you think you could? Lyra would be devastated if she lost his friendship because of all that.”

“I, err... I suppose I could, yes.”

“Great! I really appreciate that, Sveti, and so does Lyra.”

Sveti nodded. “Well, I'm glad to help. I hope everything's alright between you and Lyra now?”

“Oh, definitely! We, uh... we worked things out.” A distracted look came over Bon-Bon's face for a moment before she apparently remembered herself. “Um, I hope the two of you have a safe trip back to Canterlot, and please come back sometime soon.” She glanced behind her. “So, uh... I'd better get back home. Thanks again!”

Sveti watched the pony leave. Is she trotting funny? she wondered. Oh Ancestors, she's trotting funny. That's more than I needed to know. She closed the door against the cold air and turned back towards the stairs to the second floor. So just tell Peter why Lyra was so forward. It's no big deal; I'm sure his species has the same problem... don't they?

Beloved ancestors, I don't want to have to explain heat cycles to him. That's... that's weird territory to cover. Maybe I can find a pamphlet or something-

She almost walked straight into him lugging the last of their suitcases into the hallway. “Who was that at the door?” he asked.

“I, uh... I'll tell you on the train.” She had to resist the urge to faceclaw on the spot. Smooth, Sveti. Smooth as butter.

(-)

“I knew leaving this in your hooves was a mistake.”

It took every ounce of composure he had to not scowl at her. “Please, if you have any idea at all as to how you could have performed more competently, I'd love to hear it.”

“I'd find it much more enjoyable to list your failures.” She smirked at him. “Let me tell you, we absolutely loved your debacle in Ponyville. Couldn't have built more sympathy for the creature if you'd tried.”

“Weren't you the one who suggested rigging an entire building to explode?”

“I had the perfect vacant home on the outskirts of Ponyville chosen and everything. Nothing scares ponies like a nice, big explosion, and I would've raked in a bundle from the insurance.” She scoffed. “It couldn't have gone over worse than your plans, and it probably would've cost less than those protests!” She shook her head in disgust. “I honestly can't decide which scenario is more pathetic- that you were so utterly outplayed by some middle-class bumpkin turned royalty, or that you failed so completely that she didn't even need to.”

He was practically trembling in outrage, despite all attempts to control himself. “Look. All we need is one more try at this. We know he's still vulnerable to magic; we can get a unicorn into the embassy-”

“There's no more 'we' to this.” Her steely eyes stared into his. “You've cost us an almost absurd amount of bits, not to mention time and effort, in this little endeavor of yours. You had us roped in with your promises of greater prestige and leeway in Parliament, but that's not likely to happen now, is it?”

“And so what? You're just going to slink off with your tail tucked up and let that undeserving little whelp stay in power? Her support of the creature makes her vulnerable in a way that we're unlikely to see again in our lifetimes!”

“That much is obvious, but what's even more obvious is that you're not the one we should look to for guidance in how to deal with it.” She turned away from him, flicking her tail across his nose; he jerked back. “I don't think you should bother showing up at our usual tea meetings anymore,” she told him.

All he could do was seethe in anger as she trotted out of the meeting room. Almost as soon as the door closed, he heard the curtains rustle behind him. “It seems you've lost their confidence,” came the other stallion's voice. “And their allegiance.”

“I need neither.” He was angry enough to spit, but he restrained himself. “This is too valuable an opportunity to give up. Let them blunder around like foals; I know there's a path to success here.”

“You need to calm down.” The stallion's voice captured his attention, forced him to look up and make eye contact. “Anger boils the brain, you know. Embrace cold, clear thinking and you can grasp even the most impossible-seeming goals.”

Just at the edge of his awareness, he felt something pry its way into his mind; the argument he was about to mount broke apart like morning fog, leaving him wondering for a moment what he was about to say... until that thought too faded away. “What do you have in mind?” he asked.

“You'll see. I'll say this, though- if we can't win this little battle at a distance, then perhaps we'll have to take the direct approach.”

The other stallion went towards the back of the room. “Wait.”

“Hmm?”

“Adjust that glass eye of yours. It's misaligned and just looks creepy.”

The stallion's horn glowed for a brief moment before he made his way out the rear door.

“...so wait. She was in heat?”

Sveti had taken the most roundabout route to explain Lyra's sudden turn in personality that I could imagine was possible. The look of relief on her face when I finally understood was almost comical. “Right,” she told me. “She... err, has a liking for creatures with two legs, and seeing you when her heat was starting....”

“Yeah, I get it.” I chuckled. “I'm just glad this all didn't hurt her relationship with Bon-Bon. I guess it was a little unexpected?”

Sveti nodded. “It was early for her, yes.” She went quiet for a moment, obviously thinking, then: “Do human females...?”

“Huh? Oh....” Suddenly I understood her earlier hesitation; this felt like a weird topic to be discussing with her, and I couldn't really even put my finger on why. “Err... no, no. They don't go into heat.”

“Oh. Okay.”

The silence lasted an entire two minutes before the question finally clawed its way out of my mouth. “Do you...?”

She blinked in surprise, staring at me for a moment with an expression I couldn't read. “Yes,” she blurted out. “But there's... medicines to reduce it.”

“Oh.” Well, there was a revelation. Honestly, I couldn't begin to imagine what that whole experience must be like for a sapient creature, and a whole plethora of questions came to mind- but then common sense made a rare and welcome appearance, and I kept my mouth shut. Sveti likewise looked like she wanted to say something but didn't.

This time, it took me five minutes to break the awkward silence. “So what should we do once we get back to Canterlot?” I asked.

That thankfully got things back on track, so to speak, and we managed a normal conversation through the rest of the train ride. But even then I couldn't quite get our earlier talk out of my mind; some things that I'd been keeping out of my headspace for the sake of dealing with all the emergencies I kept running into were starting to pry their way back in. Maybe she and I need to talk a few things through, I thought. But it can wait until we get settled back in.

Getting settled back in, though, was going to have to wait just a little bit. The first thing to greet us when we entered the building was a bunch of streamers and balloons; for a moment I thought that Pinkie Pie had actually made it to Canterlot before us and chosen to throw a party just for the heck of it, but the proud smiles on the staff ponies were proof that they'd gone to the effort all by themselves. “Welcome back!” Quick Service called out. “We read about what happened in Ponyville, and we decided that our two resident heroes deserved a hero's welcome home.”

There was that word again. I didn't let my distaste for it show on my face, though; I knew these ponies only meant the best, and I had to admit that the phrase “welcome home” felt a little more appealing to me coming from them. The staff quickly took our bags, getting our dirty clothing- mostly mine, of course- ready for laundry, while setting down a late dinner for us; the long train ride had left both of us famished, and the stew and sandwiches didn't survive for long. The staff wouldn't stop fussing over me and my injured leg, even though I could walk well enough on it with a cane, and Sveti wasn't making any effort to argue them out of it either.

Once dinner was done- and the staff was not having any part of me trying to help with cleanup- Sveti and I went upstairs to the lounge to unwind for a bit; I had the feeling that, had I given them leave, Ensemble and Service would've carried me up the stairs. Despite everything that had happened in Ponyville, there was something else I wanted to talk with the gryphon about- and it seemed that she knew my intent as well, letting out a heavy sigh as she settled into her chair. “I think I know what's on your mind,” she said.

I nodded. “Look, if you don't want to tell me, I understand.”

“No. I do want to tell you. It's... just not easy to think about, still.”

And as we sat there, Sveti told me the story about how she'd come to be in that cage in the sideshow; how she'd surrendered herself in order to save her father from blackmail, and how Tent- or, rather, Big Top- had ended up imprisoning her, feeding her lies about her father's status to keep her compliant... even after he'd taken his own life.

By the end of it, I could tell she was struggling to keep tears from falling. I stood, walked over to her chair and knelt down next to it, pulling her into a tight embrace and feeling her forelimbs wrap around me in return. “It still hurts,” she cried into my shoulder. “Applejack told me it would, but I thought it would've faded at least a little.”

“So this is what you and her talked about when I was in the spa?” I asked quietly, feeling her nod. “I'm lucky to have never lost family like that... all I can tell you is that I'm sorry, Sveti. You did your best for your father- I know he would've been proud of you.”

“I just can't help but feel that I should've been here for him instead. Maybe he wouldn't have....”

I gently rubbed the back of her neck. “You can't think that way. You couldn't have known what would happen, Sveti. You did the best you could with what you knew then.”

She sniffled quietly, going silent for a moment. “I... wish that was the whole of it.”

“What do you mean?”

She went quiet again, for almost a full minute this time. “I was angry at him,” she whispered. “I... I couldn't understand why he'd chosen to... be with a pony. I'd wanted him to find another mate after Mom left us, but I just couldn't grasp why he'd look outside his species.” Another moment of quiet, and then: “...maybe now I understand better. And I feel like a hypocrite because of it.”

Well, now I knew her feelings better. But did I know mine? All of the things I'd been thinking about before on the train rushed back into my mind... until I squashed them. I could wait until later to sort out how I felt; Sveti was hurting, and needed compassion. “You aren't,” I told her. “You just couldn't see things from his perspective then. Now you can.”

“I should've been more supportive of him, though. I should've been happier for him. Why did I get so fixated on him being with a pony when a good daughter would've been thrilled to see him finding companionship with someone who cared for him?”

I let out a quiet sigh. “Sveti... what would your father say if he were here now? Do you think he'd want you to feel this way? Or would he tell you to forgive yourself and move on?” When she looked up at me silently, I lightly ran my fingers along her plumage. “Maybe I don't know any other gryphons to compare you to, but I've known plenty of humans who would never have gone to the lengths you did for him. So even if you didn't approve of who he ended up being with, you still loved him enough to do what you did for him. That's all that matters, as far as I'm concerned.”

She stayed silent for a moment longer, before pulling me against her and burying her head against my chest. “I miss him,” she keened quietly. “I miss him so much. I just try not to think about it, but sometimes it all comes back on me.” Her breath hitched for a moment. “I think... you're all I've got now, Peter.”

I stroked her neck for a little while, just letting her get her emotions out, until her shoulders were sagging and she was leaning on me more due to fatigue than anything else. “Hey,” I said quietly. “Let me help you get to bed. It's been a long day.”

She was obviously too tired to do anything but comply, and after the thankfully-short walk to her quarters where I helped her into bed and covered her with the quilted comforter, she was asleep almost instantly. I watched over her for a moment before turning to leave, when something caught my eye- a small picture frame set on her dresser, seemingly pushed aside. The photograph inside showed a somewhat younger-looking Sveti with a larger gryphon just behind her, and I could tell by his size, bearing and resemblance to her that this was her father. I saw none of the troubles she'd told me he had borne reflected in his eyes. Probably taken in happier times, I thought.

An idea hit me. I returned to my own quarters to retrieve my tablet, brought it back to Sveti's room and quickly took a picture of the photo, then dimmed the lamps and left her to rest. I was far too tired myself to work on my special project, and had no hope of finishing it that night with the revision I was planning, but soon I'd have it done for her. I shut the tablet off, changed for bed and began to climb in- then remembered something, and returned to the bags that had been left in my room by the staff. A quick search found what I wanted, and I returned to the bed, draping the small red blanket over myself before dragging the comforter up over it.

I had time for one conscious thought before sleep overtook me: It really is warm.

(-)

“I am so excited right now!”

If Twilight hadn't been flying down the hallway at a sedate but efficient speed, she probably would've been skipping. Next to her, Shining chuckled, shaking his head. “Okay, I'll admit that I sort of am, too,” he told her. “But maybe you're getting a little carried away.”

“I don't think you're excited enough!” She stuck her tongue out at him. “We've been puzzling over that carriage of Peter's for months. Now he's finally going to show us how it operates! I've been waiting to use this Watch It Work spell for ages.”

“Are you sure that spell will even work on something that complex? Or that you'll understand what it shows you?”

“There's just one way to find out! I know the spell itself won't cause the carriage any harm, at least.”

As they entered the “clean room”- made as thaumatically neutral as possible to allow for more sensitive magical readings, hence why the pair had walked to the location rather than teleport in- they encountered the group of scientists and technicians who'd been working on everything Peter had brought with him since they'd begun discovering it. They were just finishing attaching a small contraption to part of the back of the carriage. “Is that the toxin neutralizer?” she asked.

“Yes, Princess,” one of the techs answered. “After Mister Collins warned us that the engine of his machine produces small amounts of dangerous gases while operating, we figured it would be better to be safe than sorry. We've also inserted an enchanted detection crystal to find out just what those gases are, since his grasp on the language isn't quite strong enough to explain.”

“Excellent. The sensors and machines are all powered up and ready?” She gave the row of delicate thaumatronics a critical look.

“Double-checked and run through three diagnostic cycles. We're as ready as we can be, Princess.”

“Great! And now we just need the guest of honor....”

As if on cue, the doors opened, and Peter and Sveti entered the room; the human had his bag slung over one shoulder. “Good morning,” both of them said.

“Hey there, tough guy,” Shining responded with a grin. “Your leg's looking a lot better. Glad to see it.”

“Good morning! It's good to see you both again. Thanks for coming by.” Twilight accompanied them both to the carriage. “We have everything set up, Peter. Hopefully your carriage is still working well!”

“I hope so too.” The biped pulled the door open and slid into the compartment- amazing, the amount of engineering that had to have gone into making it so easy for him to fit comfortably- then retrieved his keyring from his bag, selected the largest key on it and slid it into the strange port on the side of the steering shaft. “Ready?” he asked. “It can be a little loud.”

Twilight nodded. “Go ahead.”

With that, Peter twisted the key.

Vrrrr-vrr-vrvrvrvrROOOOOOM

Several of the technicians instinctively stepped back, and one even jumped a respectable distance away before getting control of himself. Twilight hardly noticed; she was enthralled by the deep thrumming of this alien machinery, still able to function after the damage it had taken and then months spent sitting idle afterwards. And it doesn't even use magic, she reminded herself. I think it's time to learn just how this miracle of technology functions.... “Peter, can you step back out?” she asked, having to raise her voice only a bit over the sound of the engine. “I want to cast a spell to examine it.”

He complied, returning to Sveti's side as Twilight's horn began to glow brightly. Her magical field surrounded the vehicle, then sank into it and vanished... and her jaw dropped. There's so much happening! she thought, immediately thankful that the spell's safeguards kept her from being overwhelmed. The plain steel superstructure hid an amazing plethora of working systems, the likes of which she'd never seen before in her life. So much of it seems to be designed to transmit electricity, of all things, she realized. But what for? Why is so much concentrated in these tiny little mechanisms dotted around the engine?

Unable to answer that question, she turned her attention to the engine itself. While she had a better understanding of what she found there, it was no less astounding to her. It uses a piston system not unlike a locomotive's steam engine... but they're so small, and going so fast! It's like there's countless tiny explosions going off inside each one; how is it that the whole thing doesn't just blow apart?! And how does it transfer power to the wheels?

After a few more moments, she let the spell dissipate. “It... it's too advanced,” she admitted. “I- I don't even know where to start. I feel like a first-year schoolfilly trying to understand Starswirl's Ninth Theorem. The complexity of these systems is mind-blowing; I can't even understand what most of them are meant to do, let alone how they do it.” She shook her head. “Wherever it is that Peter comes from, humankind's technological prowess outstrips that of ponykind by an order of magnitude.”

Peter came up to her, leaning lightly on his cane as he gave her a comforting smile. “Princess, I can see why ponies not have technology like mine,” he told her. “You not need. Have magic! Magic to go places, magic to make things- magic to grow food, control weather.” He pointed upwards. “Humans have machines we put high in sky, go around the world, can see weather everywhere. But can't stop weather. We know when will rain, but what can we do? Get umbrellas.”

“I... didn't consider that.”

He nodded. “Also- technology have own problems. I told you about harmful gas that comes from tailpipe, right? Not much from one. But thousands, millions? Starts to add up, cause problems. Many ways humans make electricity have some kind of bad effect. We learning, making better ways, but still can cause problems.”

She was about to respond when what he'd said hit her like a brick. “Wait... millions?” she said quietly. “You serious have that many of these in your world? I would've thought at most there'd be a couple thousand!”

“No, millions. Trust me.”

“So, every human has one? Is it that easy to build and operate them?”

“Huh? No, not every....” His voice trailed off for a moment, and he took on what seemed to be a thoughtful look as he got back into the car and started taking things out of his bag. “Princess- how many creatures on Equus, you know?”

“World population? Wow, there's a tough question.” Twilight chuckled. “A worldwide census is of course impossible, but estimates are at about two hundred and fifty-seven million sapient, civilized beings in the known world. Ponies account for about seventy million of them, with fifty million or so being right here in Equestria.”

“Huh.” He went quiet again, taking a strange-looking cord and plugging one end into one of his devices- the smaller one that fit in his hand- and the other end into a part of the vehicle's interior. “My nation-” he said a name that made no sense to her- “has three hundred million humans. My world... what is million times thousand?”

She gaped at him. “...your world has a billion humans?”

“My world has eight billion humans.”

Somepony dropped a clipboard, which clattered against the floor. Even Sveti was staring at him in utter disbelief. “That's....” For once, Twilight found herself completely at a loss for words. “Where... where do you all live...?”

“Lots of places. Is a big world.”

His demeanor suggested that it wasn't anywhere near the big deal to him that Twilight considered it to be, but his nonchalance didn't help her wrap her head around that number. She couldn't imagine eight billion ponies... hay, eight billion anything sentient all crowded together on one planet. They must be incredibly friendly with each other, she thought, to be able to cohabitate like that... but then what do they need weapons for?

One of the technicians interrupted her thoughts. “Princess, we've finished the analysis of the exhaust gases,” she said.

“What's the composition?”

“There's some components the spell can't identify; they're far too complex. But we did identify water vapor, carbon monoxide and dioxide, and nitrogen oxide.”

“Wow. I'm glad you warned us, Peter; carbon monoxide would've been a serious hazard in an enclosed area like this.” She gave the human a smile before turning her attention back to the technician. “Able, is the neutralizer removing all the exhaust components? Even the one we're unable to identify?”

Able nodded. “Yes, Princess. The air that leaves the neutralizer is as fresh as a spring meadow.”

Peter chuckled. “See? Magic. Humans would love to have something take harmful things out of exhaust.”

As silly as it seemed, it made Twilight feel better that something she found so ordinary would be sought after by such a technologically-advanced species. “So Peter, may I ask what it is you're doing with your other devices in there?” she asked, gesturing towards the inside of the vehicle.

He seemed to search for a word for a moment. “Giving power,” he said.

She blinked. “How does that work?”

“Engine make electric power. Cord-” he pointed to the thin black cord he'd plugged into his device- “put power in object.”

“The engine is generating that electricity? But how....” Her voice trailed off. “Is it running some sort of dynamo? We have something like that in the Ponyville Dam; the water turns paddles that create thaumatic energy through a crystal dynamo.” She realized he was staring at her blankly, as were both Shining and Sveti. “...I, uh, I'll explain that some other time,” she murmured, waving a forehoof dismissively. “But still! Nopony ever thought of generating electricity that way!”

“Probably because pegasi magic and storm clouds would be more efficient,” Shining noted. “Plus... well, there's not many things we have that use electricity.” He glanced over at the human. “Peter, do a lot of things on your world use electrical power? What about weapons?”

“Weapons? No. Not able keep enough power one place to make work well. Use electricity for other things, though- cooking, heating homes, communicating.”

“Communicating? How?” one of the techs asked.

Peter held up the device still wired to the vehicle's console. “This is device able to talk to other devices, long distance away.” He held up the odd tablet machine he'd shown them before. “This also can talk other machines like it. Many machines make collection, hold lots of information, anyone can see on other machines.”

“Really?” Twilight's ears pricked. “What kind of information?”

“Anything. Can read millions of books, teach people in other countries all at once, hear music and watch moving pictures from many places.” He chuckled as he tapped the tablet. “This? Could hold one thousand books, easy. And is not even very good machine! Have one at home, can hold few million. Lots of moving pictures, music, games, other things.”

“And... are there millions of those machines, too?”

His grin grew. “More than a billion.”

She nearly fainted at the concept, her knees going weak at the very idea of millions upon millions of machines sharing information across an entire world. “I wonder if we could do something like that here?” she said. “Maybe use specially-tuned resonance crystals and a thaumatic interpreter? I could devote an entire decade to the study of remote communication and not exhaust all the possibilities....” She realized by the stares everyone was giving her that she was going off on a tangent. “...right, I'll make note to look into that at another time,” she said, scribbling down a reminder on her clipboard.

The day hadn't been as successful as she'd hoped, but by the time the techs were wrapping up, she'd developed three new lines of inquiry for study and written down half a dozen other odd ideas to boot. “Sveti, Peter, thank you so much for your time,” she told her friends. “Though... I have to admit that we had another reason for bringing the two of you in today.” She put down her clipboard. “Everypony, if you could give us some privacy?”

The technicians packed up their things and left the room, their hoofsteps echoing through the hallway as they went, until Twilight and Shining were left alone with the human and griffin. “Princesses Celestia and Luna were notified of your acts of bravery in rescuing Dewdrop from the timberwolves,” Twilight told them. “Both of them were extremely grateful for what you did, and if you're willing they'd like to give the two of you a formal recognition ceremony- but on the assumption that you'd rather not have the publicity, they asked me to give you these here and now.”

She summoned the custom-crafted case and levitated it before them, opening the lid. “By order of Princesses Celestia and Luna... and, um, me... I grant to Peter Collins and Sveti Windwhisper the Solstice Star medal, for acts above and beyond the call in service to Equestria and her citizens.”

“Congratulations to both of you.” Shining smiled. “I wouldn't let anypony say you don't deserve it.”

She watched them retrieve the gleaming, silver-and-gold medals from the box. “Thank you, Princess,” Sveti said quietly, bowing her head for a moment. “I'm truly honored.”

“I am too.” Twilight couldn't quite make out Peter's expression; it seemed a strange mix of gratitude and resignation. “Not know about ceremony... Sveti, we talk about later, after post office?”

“Sure.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow in curiosity. “Post office? Expecting something special?”

“Sending, actually.” Peter chuckled. “One other hero who should have recognition.”

(-)

knock-knock

“Hang on jes a sec, I'm comin'.” Applejack made her way up the cellar steps and trotted towards the front door. “Sorry 'bout that; ya caught me in th' middle of pressin' cider, an'- oh, heya, Derpy!”

“Hi, Applejack!” The mailmare gave her a broad smile. “Don't worry about it; you're last on my route today. You've got a package!”

“A package? Huh. I wasn't expectin' nothin'....” She watched as the pegasus pulled a fairly large, carefully-wrapped package out of her saddlebags, settling it on one wing as she retrieved a clipboard. Applejack took the attached pen in her mouth and scrawled her signature, then took the parcel. “Thanks, Derpy,” she said.

“No problem! Oh, wait, one other thing- Rainbow wanted me to tell you that the weather team had to push up the next snowstorm to tomorrow, so don't bother doing a lot of shoveling.”

“Heh, figures. Thanks fer th' heads-up! Have a good night.” She waved as the pegasus made an unsteady takeoff and soared into the air, then closed the door and placed the package on the living room table. A couple of well-placed tugs with her teeth had the wrapping off neatly, and in the sturdy cardboard box inside she found three things- a large velvet sack tied off with a string, with a tag identifying it as being from an upscale pet shop in Canterlot, as well as a smaller cloth sack and a folded letter. She picked up the last item and opened it to read, finding it to be a carefully-penned hoofwritten- or, apparently, hand-written- letter.

“Dear Applejack,

There's been a lot of talk about Sveti and I saving Dewdrop, but I haven't forgotten that there was a third party involved, without whom we might never have found the filly until it was much too late. Enclosed please find a bag of gourmet dog treats for Winona as thanks for her heroism; if I have any say about it, she'll be getting a medal as well. Also, please tell your brother that I thank him again for his help getting back to Ponyville.

Also please find enclosed six bits as payment for three apples I took from your orchard during my first 'visit' to Ponyville. It was a matter of necessity, but I always repay my debts whenever I can, especially considering how kind and welcoming your family was towards me during my second visit.

I also want to thank you for talking with Sveti about her loss. She only recently told me about what happened to her father, and while I'll do whatever I can to help her, it's good that she has a friend who understands what she's going through; I can see it's really helped her. You're one of the best ponies I've met during my time in Equestria, and I don't doubt that your parents would be proud of you.

Sveti tells me that you and your friends will be starring in a play about the holiday called 'Hearth's Warming Eve'. We have a similar holiday where I'm from, and while I admit that I wish I could be with my family to celebrate it, I'm thankful that I have friends here as well. Princess Cadance has gifted Sveti and I tickets to the play, and I'm looking forward to seeing it. If you and the others would like to stop by the Embassy while in Canterlot, we'd be glad to have you- the staff is having a party that morning to celebrate, and friends are welcome to join.

Yours,
Peter Collins”

Applejack chuckled to herself as she set the letter down on the table. “I'll tell ya what, Peter,” she said quietly. “Yer really terrible at bein' a monster.”

Then she let out a loud whistle. “Winona!” she shouted. “C'mere, girl. Y' got a gift from a friend.”

(-)

“I'm going to admit that I wasn't sure about you at first, but you're proving to be a dependable worker, Farris.”

Farris Wheel couldn't help but smile at the praise. “Well, Mister Revue, I wanted to prove that I was worth hiring,” he said. “And that you weren't wrong in giving me a chance.”

“Well, so far you've done that.” Encore Revue's rather light but noticeable Prench accent was still a bit difficult for Wheel to understand at times, but he'd been getting better at it during the two weeks since he'd started this job. “You may find yourself at the head of the stage crew before long if you keep up this dedication, young stallion! Now, I understand that you've asked not to work the Hearth's Warming Eve show, for understandable reasons- but I've had a couple of callouts for tonight's performance of See, Say, Show for the 4th School District foals, so could I get you to stay tonight to help out the crew?”

“Oh, sure, I don't mind at all.” And he didn't; not only did it mean a bit of extra pay, but also some goodwill from the stage crew... and he remembered loving the story the play was based on when he was a colt himself, and a chance to see it performed- even if only from the wings of the stage- would definitely lift his spirits.

Setting up went easily enough- though he was a little worried about a two-story-tall prop tower that looked like it hadn't seen maintenance in quite some time- and Wheel settled himself down to watch the last rehearsal before the evening performance. Everything seemed to go fine until the second act, which was when Klumby the Clown was due to make his first appearance- only there was no sign of anypony in a clown suit to be found. “Okay, where's Crater?” somepony called out. “Has anypony seen him?”

Wheel realized that he actually hadn't seen the bulky earth pony at all that day- in fact, the last time had been two days ago, when Crater had been seemingly moody and withdrawn for a reason he hadn't wanted to talk about. The rehearsal was put on hold while the crew went around the theater looking for him; Wheel had just come out of the stallions' room without any sighting when the rear theater doors practically crashed open. “Hey, I'm here!” Crater shouted, his voice slurred and his steps unsteady.

Shocked realization crossed Wheel's mind. He's drunk?!

“Yeah, so c'mon, let's do this!” Crater somehow made his way towards the stage, leaving behind the telltale smell of peach cider along his path. “What're we on, Act Two? C'mon, let's all get in place and get this dumb thing started.”

“Crater.” Encore stepped onto the stage, his face set in a frown. “What are you doing? Have you been drinking?”

“I'm not as think as you drunk I am. C'mon, this is just some dumb foal's show, so who cares?”

“I care, Crater. It's the responsibility of the crew to care about the production! This show is as important as any other!”

“Pfft. That's not what my fillyfriend said, before she trotted out on me to go flirt with some waiter who called himself an actor!” Crater raised his voice in a horrible, screeching facsimile of a mare's tone. “ 'Oh, you just play some bumbling clown in a foal's show? That's just not what I'm looking for.' Well buck you, Pond Shimmer. More like Pond Scum!”

Encore approached the ranting stallion. “Crater, get off the stage. You're in no condition to perform.”

“The buck I'm not! Who're you to tell me what to-” Crater made to shove Encore with both forehooves, but his balance was completely shot and all he managed to do was send himself crashing into the prop tower behind him... which immediately gave in under the impact and sent plaster and scaffolding crashing down on top of him.

“Tétines de Luna!” Encore immediately began trying to lift the wreckage with his magic. “Somepony get a medical team here!” he shouted. Wheel galloped onto the stage with the rest of the backstage crew as one of the actors rushed outside to get help.

Suddenly, part of the wreckage fell aside, and Crater stood on his hind legs, raising one forehoof to the rafters. “...and not one bit for tribute!” he shouted, his voice as clear and stentorian as one of the great actors of the Canterlot elite... and then he collapsed on the spot before his bizarre quote had even finished echoing through the theater.

It was a worry-filled few minutes before an emergency response team made it to the location, and after a hooffull of tests they determined that Crater seemed to have escaped permanent harm but needed to be put under observation for a day or two to be safe. As the still-unconscious pony was carted out and the mess on the stage was cleaned up, Wheel heard Encore let out a sigh. “Well... I suppose tonight's performance is a wash,” the unicorn murmured. “Klumby's part is too integral to the play to just leave out.”

“Don't we have anypony else who's studied the part?” somepony asked.

“We couldn't find anypony else who'd take the part. It's too physical for most unicorns or pegasi, and a lot of actors are too uptight to 'get into' how ridiculous the role can be.” Encore shook his head slowly. “The foals are going to be disappointed.”

Wheel stared down at the floor thoughtfully for a moment... then raised a hoof. “Mister Revue? Maybe I can fill in.”

“Farris?” The unicorn looked up. “You can fill in? You never told me you had acting experience.”

“Uh... I don't.” He scratched at the back of his neck. “But I read the book a lot when I was a colt, and I think I still remember most of the lines. And, honestly, I don't mind that the part's silly.”

Encore gazed at him appreciatively for a moment, then turned. “Ashwood? Twinkle? Do you think you could handle ad-libbing if Mister Wheel here were to play the part of Klumby but couldn't remember all the lines?”

Both actors looked at each other, then back to the director. “Certainly, I think we can manage,” Twinkle replied, giving Wheel a smile. “The show must go on!”

There was thankfully a spare costume for Wheel to wear- though it had been sized for Crater and was almost ridiculously loose on his trimmer frame- and he was given a copy of the script to go over before the performance. He spent the three hours he had until showtime going over it as much as he could, but he still felt entirely unprepared fifteen minutes before the show was scheduled to start. This was a bad idea, he thought, gingerly making his way towards the edge of the curtain. I should've let somepony else take the role. I'm not an actor; I've got no business being on a stage!

Then he nudged the curtain aside to look out at the audience, and saw the dozens upon dozens of foals seated beyond the stage, all of them looking excited and happy. Almost against his own will, he found himself imagining the disappointment that would show on those young faces if the show they were looking forward to was canceled just because he was afraid of going out on a stage. I can't let that happen, he decided, letting the curtain fall back into place. Those colts and fillies out there came here to have fun and see a show. It's not their fault Crater went and got drunk... so why should they have to go home unhappy? Stallion up, Wheel- you've got to do what you can.

He kept that thought in his head like a mantra until it was finally time for him to take position on-stage... and then, as if some magic button had been pressed, his mind cleared of everything but what he needed for the play. And when that spotlight hit him, he gave the biggest grin his face could manage and projected his voice as loud and clear as possible so that every last pony in the farthest row could hear. “Hey, everypony! Did somepony call for Klumby?!”

The ninety-minute performance seemed to simply fly by for Wheel. There were a half-dozen points during the play where he couldn't remember his lines, but panic was the furthest thing from his mind; he seamlessly ad-libbed a line or joke to keep the act going, and the other actors were sharp enough to run with it. The audience seemed to explode into laughter with every pratfall and stunt he performed, each one getting all of his energy and effort to make it look as convincing as possible. Foals love over-the-top slapstick, so long as it doesn't look like anypony's actually getting hurt, he reminded himself, even while he play-staggered across the stage after being hit in the head by a comically large foam hammer.

He was nearly exhausted by the time the play came to an end, but there was no way he was going to miss the curtain call, taking his place with the other actors to bow before the cheering, stomping audience. Other actors, he thought giddily. I can't believe I actually did all that. This... this feels amazing. He could actually feel his knees wobbling as the curtain closed once more, and the various congratulatory hoof-pats and playful pushes from the rest of the crew almost sent him falling over a couple of times.

Then he looked up and saw Encore staring at him with a slack-jawed expression. “Mister Wheel,” he said slowly, as if not quite trusting himself with words. “You... you've told me that you had absolutely no theater experience before today. I didn't somehow mishear you, did I?”

“Um... no, sir, I've never set hoof on a stage as an actor until tonight.”

The unicorn shook his head slowly. “You, young stallion, have been neglecting an exceptional talent, then! You had all the purpose and energy of a professional; the joy you took in that role was almost palpable!”

“Well, I- I mean... I didn't want the foals to be disappointed, you know? I've... I've always wanted to entertain ponies, especially foals. I always thought that was supposed to be my special talent. I just never had the chance to really try.”

“Well, Mister Wheel, I don't think that last part is true any longer.” Encore smiled. “I would be completely remiss in my responsibilities as a patron of the arts if I didn't nurture talent whenever and wherever I find it. And you, my good Farris, have talent in spades. I'd like you to begin as an understudy here in this theater- I'll arrange for lessons in dancing and singing, if you feel you can handle roles involving them. What say you, Mister Wheel- would you like to trot the boards as an actor rather than a stage hoof?”

Some part of him wanted to decline, fearing that he wasn't ready to be in the limelight, to have the eyes of ponies on him so soon after what'd happened with the Everfree Yeti- with Peter, he corrected himself. But after being on that stage, after hearing the applause and knowing that it was meant for him as much as anypony else there, he couldn't turn his flank on it and walk away now... he'd finally found what had been missing in his life, all of these years. “Yes,” he found himself saying.

“C'est le sabot! I'm thrilled to hear it, young stallion. I'll see you here two days from now at 8AM sharp; take tomorrow off and rest- you've earned it.”

“I... I will, Mister Revue. Thank you. Thank you!” Wheel was so excited that he nearly forgot to take off his costume, making his way to the exit amidst congratulations from the crew, and feeling like a pegasus trotting on clouds the entire way to the apartment he'd shared with Silver Wisk since they'd been released from the castle. He was also exceptionally tired and sweaty, so the first thing he did upon getting home was take a hot shower.

He happened to glance in the mirror as he was drying himself, and paused for a moment, feeling as if something was off but not quite able to put a hoof on it at first. Then he realized- the alien-looking feature of his expression was a smile. He'd been smiling the entire time since he'd left the theater, more broadly than he could remember doing in a very long time.

That smile stayed on his lips even as he settled into bed and quickly fell asleep.

I was nervous. And this time I didn't have magic or avatars of Chaos or immediate threats to blame it on... no, I was nervous because of one certain gryphon, and how she might react to what I held in my hand.

Ever since our talk in the train, I'd been trying to figure out just how I saw Sveti- a task I'd been more or less putting off ever since I'd gotten to know her. From the time I'd first encountered the pony species on this world, I'd created a kind of mental wall between them and myself; they were “other”, alien, the sum of biology and culture both completely different from my own, and due to this I had to moderate how I interacted with them- even the ponies I liked and trusted- for fear of setting off instincts or stepping on expectations that I had no analogue for.

At first, I'd done the same with Sveti. Not only was she just as alien to me as were the ponies, but to my own instincts she was much more threatening- abstract concepts like magic, fast flight or great strength ranked below visible dangers such as talons, claws and a sharp beak... and truth be told, early on I was actually a little scared of being near her. But as time had gone on, and I'd come to know the mind behind those oversized golden eyes, I'd eventually realized that my mental wall had developed a gryphon-shaped hole in it; she'd gradually and steadily earned my trust, until I'd stopped treating her as a member of an entirely different species and was relating to her almost as if she were a human woman.

Learning that she underwent a heat cycle just like the ponies did had been a splash of cold water across that mindset, a sharp reminder that she was different from me in a number of fundamental ways.

But none of this negated everything she'd done for me in the months since she'd figuratively taken me under her wing. I had a home, a job, and protection from those ponies still looking to give me grief, all thanks to her; she'd even saved my life, taking one of those timberwolves off of my leg, and I didn't doubt for a moment that she would've faced the entire pack head-on if she'd had to despite her many assurances that she was no kind of warrior. Wondering why she'd done all these things- adopting the mindset that her non-human instincts somehow made her actions "different"- seemed like it was cheapening them, somehow.

What I held in my hand, though, represented a different scenario. Human history was rife with violence and even wars stemming from cultural misunderstandings, and that was within a single species. Would this simple gift run afoul of some gryphon belief that I didn't know about? And if it did, how would she react? Intellect was warring with emotion in my head, my brain telling me that I had to use caution to not anger my closest friend, while my heart told me that Sveti would do her best to understand no matter what.

Intellect was fighting a losing battle. In the depths of my mind, I had to know how she would react to this; I couldn't think of a better way to express myself to her than what I intended to give to her. I wanted her to know how I felt about her, how much I appreciated what she'd done for me, and how much I cared about what she'd been through. Whatever she ended up thinking of it, I wanted- needed, really- to believe that she'd understand the intent behind it and not assume I meant any harm.

And maybe I'm overthinking this and need to just man up and knock on the door already.

knock-knock

“Come in,” I heard from inside. I opened the door to her quarters, seeing her doing some writing- probably handling the monthly budget; it was around that time- before looking up at me. “Oh, hello!” she said, giving me a smile as she put her quill in its holder. “You have good timing; I was just thinking of taking a break. What's on your mind?”

“I, uh....” Despite myself, I hesitated, just a moment. “I've... got something I want to give you.”

It was an act of willpower to give her the small package, and once her claw took hold of it, I found myself irrationally wanting to run out of the room- especially as I watched her talons easily tear through the wrapping paper. “A picture frame?” she asked quietly, putting the ripped paper on her desk before turning the object over. “And what's....”

She went quiet, staring at the picture I'd spent countless hours drawing for her- a picture of her, as detailed as I could make it, gazing towards the left side of the page with a thoughtful expression on her face, framed by a window looking out into a sunlit sky... and behind her, a transparent image of her father drawn as if standing next to her, looking down at her with a smile.

Worry started to bubble up in my mind as the silenced stretched on. I'd gotten Sveti to start telling me about gryphon culture, and it'd been incredibly informative and interesting- but there was a whole lot we hadn't covered, and I was starting to fear that I'd violated some ancient superstition about depicting the dead or the like. As a full minute ticked by without a single sound from her, I began contemplating giving her some time alone, and I began to lift a foot off of the floor while the first words of an excuse formed in my head-

“...it's beautiful....”

I realized I'd been so intent on her expression that I hadn't noticed her claws shaking, nor the tears that were beginning to well up in her eyes. “Sveti...?” I murmured.

“Peter, this....” She pressed the picture against her chest. “I- I don't know what to even say, I've never been given anything like this before....”

“Do... do you like it?”

“Like it?” She looked up at me in astonishment, apparently catching sight of my confused expression before I could quash it. “Peter, I love this! You put so much detail into it; I'd almost think it was a photograph....” She opened the frame's stand and gently placed the picture on her desk, staring at it a moment longer. “You... you really did well with Dad, too,” she said quietly. “It's almost like he posed for you....”

“I just... sort of imagined how he'd want to be there for you. The details came easily.”

She got out of her chair and reared up to hug me tightly; I still found it amazing that she stood a full head taller than me when standing on her hind legs. “Thank you,” she whispered. “It's a wonderful gift, Peter.” She leaned back to look me in the eyes, an expression of curiosity coming across her face. “But you almost looked frightened to give it to me... why?”

“I, um... I've been meaning to talk to you about some things.”

She dropped back down to all fours, motioning to the small couch that sat against the far wall of her quarters. “Have a seat and we'll talk,” she said. “You know I'll always listen.”

Sitting on that couch felt like one of the hardest things I'd ever done, despite the warm smile on the beak of the gryphon that sat next to me. “Sveti,” I said quietly, “I'm... confused as to how to think of you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Sometimes it's hard to remember that you're a gryphon, and... sometimes it's hard to forget.” I took a moment to try to organize my thoughts. “I worry sometimes that I'll start treating you too much like a human, and then sometimes I worry I'll start assuming you're nothing like one.”

It was a really bad explanation, which meant that I was entirely surprised when she actually chuckled at me. “Okay, I think I know what brought this on,” she said. “Our conversation on the train, right?”

I couldn't quite hide a sheepish grin. “Right.”

She reached up and laid a gentle claw on my shoulder. “Peter, I honestly understand what you mean. There's been times I've started thinking of you like a gryphon just because of how much more you're like one than ponies... and then all of a sudden I'm reminded that you're not one, and I start worrying that I might cross some line that I don't even know is there. That's why you were worried about giving me that drawing, isn't it?”

I gave her a short nod.

“It's okay.” She squeezed my shoulder. “I think we're a lot more alike than we are different... and I also recognize that we are different in a lot of ways. But I won't get angry at you if you accidentally break some 'gryphon rule', and I suppose I know somewhere in the back of my mind that you'll give me the same leeway, even if I do worry a little excessively otherwise. So... maybe we should both just calm down a little and feel free to be open with each other. What do you say?”

“If I agree, do you promise to understand if I end up being dumb about it anyway?”

She snickered. “Only if you give me the same consideration.”

“Deal.” I patted the claw that she still had on my shoulder... and found myself leaving my hand there for perhaps a little longer than necessary. I cleared my throat as I folded my hands in my lap, and she lowered her foreleg.

“So!” she said suddenly. “Um... right, there was one other thing I wanted to ask you about. That invitation from the Princesses for a formal recognition ceremony.” She could obviously see the slight frown on my lips. “And I know you don't trust the Princesses, but thnk about it- a public ceremony with them awarding you, on top of all the publicity you got for what happened in Ponyville? The saying we'd use here is 'icing on the cake'.”

I looked away for a moment. Sveti was right; I still didn't trust either Princess Celestia or Luna... but the sort of ceremony they proposed would be a public-relations touchdown, to horribly misuse a metaphor. And I figured that if they hadn't banished, imprisoned or executed me by now, they weren't going to. “Okay,” I said quietly, not quite able to keep a little resignation out of my voice. “I can't promise you I'll like it, but I see your logic.”

“That's entirely fair.” She smiled at me, leaning back against the couch. “I'll send a message to the castle first thing tomorrow morning.” She glanced over at the desk. “How would you like giving me some help with the budget in the meantime? And while we're doing that, maybe you can tell me more about where you're from, and all those strange and wonderful things humans have made.”

“Well, I studied law, not accounting. But I'll do what I can.”

She snickered at my cheesy grin before stopping for a moment. “Hang on,” she said, going to her dresser; carefully, she picked up the picture of herself and her father, brought it to the desk, and set it next to the drawing. “There,” she said quietly. “That's much better.” She gave me a gentle smile before settling down at the desk, and together we got to work.

(-)

“Royal Guard! Open the door!”

The heavy thuds of a hoof against the door jostled her from her half-asleep state, but it was the words that sent her heart racing despite the sense of resignation that washed over her. She'd been both anticipating and dreading this moment for weeks now. “Alright, alright,” she called out, leaving the ratty chair of her rented room to open the door.

The hard stares of the guards on the other side was expected; the burnished gold filigree of a lieutenant's armor was not. “I didn't expect that I'd rate having an officer sent for me,” she murmured.

“Silence.” The lieutenant's tone brooked no argument, and she fell silent as he raised up a piece of paper; by the light coming from his horn, she surmised that it was a picture of herself. “You're who we're looking for. Come along peacefully.”

“No.”

The other guard's expression flickered for only a moment, and the lieutenant's remained as impassive as a rock. “That's not a wise decision,” he warned her.

“I know why you came for me, and I know what it is the royalty wants from me.” She looked him straight in the eye. “But if you want answers, I want guarantees. And I want them straight from the alicorn's mouth.”

“Do you honestly think that one of the Princesses will come deal directly with you?”

“For what I know? Yes. And you know exactly which one will come to find out.”

He stared at her for a long moment; she had to admit, he might as well have been a statue for all the emotion he showed. Finally, he gave an almost imperceptible nod. “I'll make no promises, but I'll send the request up my chain of command. In return, you come with us peacefully and follow whatever requests are made of you. Am I understood?”

“Perfectly. And it's about time you finally found me- I'm sick of living like this.”

Neither stallion reacted. “Do you need to retreive anything from here?” the lieutenant asked.

“No; I don't have anything. Let's just go.”

It was a long and silent walk through the nighttime gloom to the Vanhoofer guard barracks, where she was led to a side office and told to have a seat. The walls were thin enough for her to hear the words of the lieutenant to one of his superiors.

“Ma'am, we have the mare named Suture in custody by request of the Canterlot precinct. I believe we should request that Princess Twilight speak to her directly, as soon as possible.”

(-)

“...it's a vehicle owner's manual.”

Twilight couldn't help but chuckle. “Well, that makes sense, I suppose,” she said. “Was there anything interesting in it?”

“Well, that depends on your definition of 'interesting'.” Able Assistant flipped through a few pages of the booklet, glancing down at her notes. “For being such an incredibly complex machine, regular maintenance seems fairly easy. Fuel, lubrication for the engine, fluids for a few other systems, maintenance of moving parts. It turns out that both steering and braking are handled by liquid-based mechanisms.”

“That makes sense too. Liquids resist compression, so with a powerful enough pump you could use them to provide much more force than simple mechanical systems.” Twilight glanced down at the other booklet. “Is that an owner's manual too?”

“It is. Also very straightforward; lots of warnings about proper use and maintenance for the weapon- to be expected, given the power and ease of use... or misuse.” Able paused a moment, looking through her notes. “The weapon is called a 'firearm', or alternatively a 'pistol'. I suspect the first classification is more broadly applied to the kind of weapon this is, and the second applies to this particular configuration.”

“Peter did tell us that there's many different types of this sort of weapon. I wonder why there's so many?”

“Probably for the same reason we have things like daggers, swords, spears and bows. Different situations, different weapons.”

“That makes sense too.” Twilight took a sip of her tea. “What can you tell me about the language itself, Able?”

“To be honest, Princess, it's not terribly different from ours. There's some differences in grammar, subject-predicate agreement, a few other rules....” The earth pony went through her notes again. “Vocally, it's not a complex language. We've found that there's only forty or so phenomes to it, opposed to the sixty-eight for Modern Equish; it seems that there might be some contextual assumptions that allow them to use similar sounds for different words.”

“He still has some trouble with the neigh-tout and the semi-nicker. Given the shape of his tongue and jaw structure, it's a wonder he can manage them at all, really.”

“Griffons who learn Equestrian complain about those as well, though they have an easier time than he would due to their having a syrinx.” Able shrugged. “This is a fairly utilitarian language, which made things easier once we got over the double-letter-set barrier. There's no gender-for-every-noun nonsense like Prench, or having an enforced rhyming structure like I heard Zebrican does. And don't even get me started on Taurian-”

The mare's rant was cut off by a knock on the door. “Princess Twilight?” came a voice from outside. “I have an urgent message for you from the Vanhoofer Royal Guard.”

“Uh oh.” Able began to gather up her notes. “Sounds important, Princess. I'll write up a summary for you on the human language while you take care of this; it should be on your desk by tomorrow morning, along with a preliminary translation-spell matrix from Wise and his team.”

“Thanks, Able. Looking forward to it!” Twilight got up from the table and went to the door, seeing a fresh-faced Guard recruit standing on the other side. “You said there was a message for me, Private?” she asked.

“Y- yes, Princess.” The stallion- barely past colthood, it seemed- drew a folded parchment from an armor pouch. “Your eyes only, Protocol Violet.”

“I see. Thank you, Private; please return to your duties.” As soon as the Guard turned, Twilight teleported herself to her office and tore open the magically-reinforced seal, then laid the parchment down on her desk.

Forty seconds later, she was in Vanhoofer, standing before a somewhat startled lieutenant in his office. “Take me to see Suture,” she said, her tone allowing no argument even if the guard had been inclined to give one; he quickly brought her to the room the prisoner was being held in. “Thank you, Lieutenant,” she told him. “Your prisoner is now under my authority; I'll see that the appropriate paperwork is filed. You may return to your duties. Oh, and also....” She allowed herself a slight smile. “Thank you for the foresight to have a trackback spell placed on your message- it saved me quite a bit of time and effort in getting here. I'll see that you receive a commendation for cleverness and initiative.”

“Thank you, Princess.” He bowed his head briefly before leaving, and Twilight let herself into the small room, closing the door behind her and schooling her expression into as close a copy of Celestia's usual calm demeanor as she could.

“Suture,” she said quietly.

The unicorn mare looked up at her with an almost unreadable expression of her own; what little there was to see seemed to be caught between resignation and relief. “Princess Twilight,” she replied in a flat tone.

“I'm going to give you a little credit here, Miss Suture; you're being straightforward with your request. But if you want any sort of guarantees at all from me, you are going to answer every last question I pose to you, with all the honesty you can muster. Do you understand me?”

“I understand you perfectly, Princess.”

“Good. You and I are returning to Canterlot-” she saw the immediate look of panic on the mare's face- “to my secure offices. Nopony will know you're there. Then you're going to tell me everything I want to know.”

“I... okay. Fine. Just so long as nopony knows I'm there.”

In a flash of purple magic, both of them were gone.

(-)

“Wh... what...?”

Sveti didn't know what woke her up, but something had gotten her to bolt upright in her bed, her heart pounding in her chest. I wasn't having a nightmare, was I? she wondered, putting a claw against her breastbone in a futile effort to calm herself. I don't remember having one, so what the pluck just broke me out of a sound sleep-

thunk

There was a quiet but audible noise from the floor above, almost sounding like wood hitting wood. Oh, great, she thought, slowly getting out of her warm, comfortable bed. That's probably the window in the third floor guest quarters coming open again. Welder was right; the whole thing's got to come out... but that'll have to wait. I'd better go close it now before all the heat gets out.

It was a quiet and weary trudge up the dimly-moonlit staircase to the third floor, and yet all the while something in the back of her mind was ringing an alarm bell, warning her that something was terribly wrong. Still half-asleep, she dismissed it as her imagination, making her way to the guest room and opening the door, heading inside to close the window... only to find it tightly shut.

creak

She saw motion in the corner of her eye, and only the reflexive movement she made to track it kept the cudgel aimed for her head from braining her; instead, the short wooden weapon glanced across her eyebrow, sending her reeling back in panic with a loud caw of distress. She felt blood start to flow down the side of her face as she scrambled to keep all four limbs under herself. Something moved in the darkness, coming towards her, and she instinctively brought her forelegs up to protect herself- and a blow meant for her skull slammed into her left tibia, hard enough to crack bone.

Disoriented, afraid and in pain, Sveti made a rush for the doorway, bowling over something dressed in leather; a muted squawk came from the shape, and she cleared the creature's body and leapt for the door- only to have a taloned claw grab her hind leg and yank, and she crashed to the floor. Her own talons scrabbled for purchase against the hard wood beneath her as her bruised chest struggled to draw in air. Terror flooded her mind, her vision blurred and her heart seeming to thud inside her skull, each beat bringing fresh pain to her head wound.

“What's going on up here?!”

Everything came to a halt for a moment as hoofsteps stormed up the staircase, followed quickly by lighter footfalls. Something came through the doorway- Sveti's swimming vision could barely identify it as Ensemble, a lantern clutched in her teeth-

thwip

-and the lantern promptly shattered, sending glass flying everywhere, and Ensemble let out a brief cry as she fell back. Shadows danced crazily around the room as the lantern's flame guttered and threatened to go out, dimly illuminating the two creatures that had attacked her- a pair of griffins, their fur and plumage both dyed a dark grey, and much of their forms covered with black leather armor. One of them was just lowering a small crossbow and turning back towards where Sveti lay, when another shape entered from the hallway- this one standing on two legs and carrying a small blue object that shone a bright cone of light.

“Peter... run....” she wheezed.

The claw on her hind leg let go. “That's the target,” one of the attackers exclaimed in Griffinic. “Secure it before we get more interference!”

The other griffin brought up another crossbow, and Sveti thought she could see the glint of glass in the bright light of Peter's hand-lantern- but when the human brought his light up, the direct beam of illumination apparently blinded the griffin's darkness-adjusted eyes, and the shot sailed wide.

The tercel didn't get a chance to try again. Peter charged him, lashing out with one empty hand clenched into a fist; the resulting blow to the side of the griffin's face carried the unmistakeable sound of bone cracking, and the tercel collapsed. His partner, though, was better-prepared, and in a blur of darkened feathers she leapt towards him, slamming him into the near wall and sending the hand-torch clattering onto the floor. Sveti shook her head in an effort to clear it, blinking away blood from her right eye, fighting the urge to vomit as her sense of balance went haywire. Pull yourself together! she commanded herself. Peter needs you! He can't fight a trained solder by himself-

whoomf

Somehow, the human had gotten himself out of the grapple the hen had him in, pushed her back, and delivered a kick powerful enough to send her flying backwards across the room and crashing into the opposite wall. He hadn't come away unscathed, though; two red lines decorated his cheek, bleeding slightly, and his right shoulder bore a red mark that looked like an unsuccessful bite attempt from a hooked beak. None of that seemed to slow him down any, though, as he cautiously approached the downed hen.

click

Sveti saw the tercel slowly raising his crossbow again, his foreleg trembling badly as he leveled the weapon at Peter- but at that close range, it would take more luck to miss than to hit. Gathering her strength, she brought her hind legs beneath her and leapt, tackling the other griffin and shoving the crossbow aside, the bolt flying off to imbed itself into a wall. She wrestled with him for the weapon, trying desperately to pull it free from his grip while he kicked her in the stomach to get her off of him; after a moment, she managed to wrench the weapon from his claws, and it went clattering across the floor, lost to the darkness. Her attempt to disengage to retreive it left her vulnerable just long enough for her opponent to land the back of his claw across her beak, laying her flat on her side in a daze.

“Disengage and exit!” she heard the male shout as he regained his footing.

There was a scuffle just out of her view, and she managed to raise her head to see Peter struggling with the tercel over something he held in his claw, before the human placed his own hand over it and slammed it into the wall. Something gave off an intense burst of light through the griffin's clenched talons, and Peter winced as if he'd been stung; the tercel took advantage of the moment to shove Peter clear across the room, leaving him sprawled on the floor in a daze as something small and metallic clattered past him. "Jump charm depleted!" the griffin yelped.

"Grab me!" came the hen's reply.

Her companion complied, holding onto her as she fished something out from her vest and squeezed it in her claw. A bright flash of light went off, blinding Sveti for a moment; when her vision recovered, the two griffins had vanished.

She was still trying to get back up when she heard Peter gasp. “Oh no. Ensemble!”

Sveti forced her eyes to focus on the mare, who was still lying on the floor... in a spreading pool of blood. “Ancestors!” she yelped, rushing over to the pony's side- and feeling an ice-cold shot of fear go down her spine when she saw the crossbow quarrel stuck in Ensemble's chest. “Is... is she....” she whispered, before noting the mare's still-moving chest.

“Hello? What's happening up here?” Quick Service rushed up the stairs. “I heard a lot of scuffling...” The stallion froze in place when he saw the carnage. “...oh my Celestia.”

Peter's head snapped up to look at the pony. “Get a doctor, now!” he practically roared.

The commanding tone seemingly broke through Service's shock, and he was gone almost as fast as thought, barreling down the stairs. “Peter, we can't take that bolt out, but we have to stop the bleeding,” she told the human.

He took a moment to look around, took one step towards the door, presumably to retrieve the medical supplies on the first floor... then slipped out of his thin pants instead, leaving himself clad only in an undergarment. He balled up the trousers and pressed them firmly against the wound. “Hold while I get medical kit,” he said, before tearing down the staircase nearly as quickly as Service had, leaving Sveti with the wounded mare.

“Hang on,” the griffin murmured, her own wounds forgotten for the moment as she tended to the stricken pony. “Just hang on, Ensemble. Help is coming.”

(-)

“I can't believe this even happened.”

Shining Armor looked at the pictures that had been taken of the inside of the guest room of the embassy; the treaty with the Empire prohibited him and any other Equestrian law-enforcement official from actually going inside in an official capacity without approval from the ambassador... and with there being none, he was left to rely on pictures and samples taken by the staff. “It's like something out of one of those Gleam Flitwing spy novels Cadance used to always read,” he told Twilight. “Thank Celestia no one was killed. Have we gotten a status update on Ensemble?”

“Still critical, but stable. The quarrel only missed being lethal due to hitting her lantern first. The doctors are cautiously optimistic that she'll make a full recovery.”

“Good. What about Sveti and Peter?”

“Sveti was admitted with a concussion, a superficial head wound, a cracked foreleg bone and deep bruising in the chest area. Peter had only some scratches and light bruising, and he refused admittance to stay with Sveti.” Twilight paused for a moment. “You've read the report, Shiny. You know what this was all about, don't you?”

He nodded slowly. “Two griffins, obviously trained in close-in combat, who were able to disarm the anti-intrusion alarm enchantments that protect the building. The syringe dart that was fired at Peter turned out to be filled with a potent sleep serum that probably would've put him out for hours; he told us that they seemed to be holding back fighting him, probably not wanting to do any serious damage to him. Denied their target, they activated what were probably some kind of teleportation charms to escape capture. Pretty obvious to me- they wanted to foalnap our favorite human and weren't going to let themselves be captured if they failed. Were you able to trace the spell they used to escape?”

Twilight sighed. “I'm afraid not. The thaumatic signature was far different from anything I'm familiar with, and it apparently came with a heavy masking effect to cover the trail. I can tell you that they went roughly northeast, but I have no idea where the terminal location could be.”

“I wish I could say I'm surprised.” Shining let out a quiet sigh. “Charms like those are nearly impossible to make and even harder to acquire- in fact, I'd say there's only one place a griffin could realistically go to get even a single one, let alone two.”

“Their own government. A good reason to teleport northeast, I suppose... toward the Empire.” Twilight carefully placed a few papers into a folder. “You don't imagine the Emperor himself is behind this...?”

“I honestly couldn't say for certain. If I really had to guess, I'd imagine that he's too busy with the White Plains War to coordinate this personally, but there's nothing saying that some enterprising hen or tercel in the Blue Creche isn't looking to gain favor by bringing Peter right to the throne.”

“Peter, and everything he knows about the technology of his world.” Twilight frowned. “Maybe the publicity was a bad idea. I hadn't considered that other nations might catch wind of what he brought with him... it wouldn't likely even be a problem in a normal situation, but if the Empire is getting desperate enough to start grasping at whatever advantage they can get....”

Shining shook his head. “Maybe we could've been more cautious about who saw what... okay, definitely we could've done that... but the publicity was needed to get public opinion on Peter's side. At least this is something we can actually help defend him against.”

“You sound more sure of that than I feel.”

“They can't do anything major; they need plausible deniability to avoid sanctions, and a larger operation runs the risk of a captured operative or enough evidence left behind to prove a conclusive link. Not to mention that it'd require resources they're probably badly in need of for their war effort.”

“But they only need to get it right once. And if you think we've been doing a bad job of dealing with him....”

“True....” He shivered just a little at the prospect of Peter being in the claws of an Empire desperate to win a war. “We just have to hope for some luck.”

His sister frowned. “I'm not inclined to rely on luck. There's one other thing I can think of that we can do... and to be honest, we should've done it a while ago.”

(-)

“Sveti, I'm relieved to see you on the mend.” Celestia gave the griffin a warm smile as she and her companion entered the clean room. “How are you feeling?”

“Still a bit sore, Your Highness, but I'm recovering.”

“Excellent. And you, Peter?”

“I'm fine.” The human was doing his best to appear neutral, but centuries of dealings with other species had given Celestia the widsom to read almost any sapient creature like a book; Peter didn't like being here. She couldn't blame him for that.

“I'm truly glad to hear that,” she said. “Peter, Sveti, once again I find myself thanking you for the efforts you made to preserve the life of one of my little ponies... and I apologize profusely that this attack even took place. I feel as though we of the royalty have failed to uphold the responsibility we have to safeguard all those within our borders, citizens or otherwise.”

Beside her, Luna nodded slightly. “I would have you both know that, while we are barred from assigning guards directly to the Embassy building by our treaty with the Empire, there are other, more indirect but still effective stratagems we may employ. We shall not be caught flat-hooved in such a way again.”

“One of those stratagems involves these.” Twilight materialized a small wooden box, inside of which was a dozen or so gleaming golden pins. “These are alert charms, which can be given to your staff. As the Embassy is now under a known threat, the treaty allows for a Royal Guard response to any call for assistance from the building's staff, and by pressing the small button on one of these charms twice, the central precinct will be alerted immediately and can have guards at the site within two minutes. These can be pinned to clothing, or worn on a lanyard around the neck or a band around the pastern or wrist.” She closed the box and set it down on a nearby table.

Celestia nodded in satisfaction. “In addition, I have granted an increase in the Embassy's budget for improved security measures. These must be decided upon by you, Sveti, but if you wish, I can make recommendations for workponies who are absolutely trustworthy and discreet.”

“Thank you, Princesses.” Sveti gave them a smile. “Both of these things are appreciated.”

Twilight returned the smile. “You're welcome, of course. There's... one more thing we'd like to do as well.” She glanced behind her, where Shining stood with a small box on his back; the stallion approached, levitating the box up and gently placing it in the human's hands.

The look of shock that flickered across Peter's face when he opened the box was almost amusing. The ponies watched as he retrieved the black case within, opened it and withdrew his weapon and the small object- a “magazine”, Celestia had been told- that were within. “You... giving me back weapon?” he asked in a quiet voice.

“Aye.” Luna nodded. “It is our most ferverent wish that you never see cause to use it again, but... we four are all agreed that you should be allowed to defend yourself and those around you, should the need arise.”

With swiftness obviously born of extensive practice, Peter pulled back part of the weapon to peer inside it, then loaded the magazine into it and let the top part slide forward with a heavy-sounding click; Celestia knew now that, if the shells were still fully-functional- and she had no reason to doubt they would be- his weapon was now armed. Despite herself, she felt a tiny sliver of fear run up her spine, watching as he held the weapon before him for a moment...

...and then, just as swiftly as he'd prepared the weapon, he disarmed it and returned it to its case, which he closed. “I can't,” he said.

Twilight's jaw dropped. “You... can't?”

“Princess Twilight, I still not know why I get angry or afraid because of magic. Can't trust I be straight-headed if need to use... and that makes it dangerous to all around me.” He turned. “Sveti, you take it, keep it in embassy. I teach you how to use.”

The hen looked shocked for a moment before nodding. “Alright, Peter,” she said quietly. “If you're certain.”

Celestia couldn't help but smile. “Your decision shows great wisdom and maturity, Peter,” she told him. “And speaking of the subject of magic... Twilight? You said there was something you wanted to do?”

“Oh! Yes. Peter, there's a small test I'd like to perform on you to confirm a theory I've developed. Are you alright with that?”

He nodded slowly, looking nervous but not overly so. Twilight brought him to a large chair and had him sit. “I'm going to draw two blood samples,” she told him, materializing a small syringe and a pair of vials. “One will be a baseline, and the other will measure your body's reaction after I use a particular spell on you. I need you to remain as calm as possible for me while I do this, alright?” When he nodded again, she smiled. “Good. Thank you, Peter. I'll try to make this as quick as I can.”

With that, she expertly drew a tiny bit of blood- which hardly brought a flinch from the human- and deposited it in one of the vials, then stepped back. Celestia could sense the magic Twilight was drawing upon, but didn't at all recognize the spellform- either the Princess of Magic had found some spell previously lost to history, or had designed an entirely new one. “There's two stages to this spell,” Twilight told Peter. “The first will open a conduit between you and I; the second will send a tracking spell through it. I want to see exactly what happens to it. Are you ready?”

“Yes.” Peter's face could have been set in stone; he was determined to go through with this. Celestia watched with interest as a wide, pale beam of magic shot forth from Twilight's horn into the center of the human's chest, gently illuminating him. Her sharp hearing picked up an increase in his breathing, but other than that he gave no sign of being affected.

“That's phase one complete,” Twilight said. “Now for phase two.”

Her horn glowed more and more brightly, and after a moment a bright pulse of magic streaked from it into the human's body; he stiffened, closing his eyes and furrowing his brow, his hands gripping the arms of the chair. Twilight stood transfixed in front of him, her eyes gazing off into the distance. “Amazing,” she murmured, before shaking her head quickly. “...okay, now let me get that second blood sample,” she said, placing a calming hoof on Peter's forearm before drawing a second sample. She capped both vials and teleported them away. “How are you feeling, Peter?” she asked the human.

He was visibly trying to get himself under control. “Panicky,” he admitted. “Not want; trying to calm myself.”

“It's okay. That was a powerful spell I used on you; I expected a strong fear response, but I knew you could keep yourself under control. If you'll excuse me just a moment?” When he nodded his assent, she vanished, leaving the rest of them to wait five minutes or so before she teleported back in with a clipboard in her magical “grip” and a smile on her face. “I love it when I prove a hypothesis,” she said.

“What have you discovered, Twilight Sparkle?” Luna queried.

“It's a natural law that magical energy can neither be created or destroyed, and there's just no way Peter's body could be simply absorbing all the magic that's been around him since he appeared here on Equus, let alone what's been used on him both directly and indirectly. The question's been, where does it go? I'd been reluctant to test anything extremely powerful without a better understanding of magic's effects on him- but a few days ago, we had a major breakthrough. Shining?”

Shining Armor nodded. “Twilight discovered that her records from Peter's first round of tests had been altered. The Guard launched an investigation with the hospital and found that a nurse had transferred into the department two days before the tests began, left the day after they ended, and then vanished from the city. We managed to track her down and apprehend her, and she gave us some important information- she'd been hired to sabotage the testing, and furthermore she'd used a large quantity of magic on Peter the night before he wound up being confronted by Blueblood.”

Peter raised an eyebrow. “That why I felt so nervous that morning?”

“I'd bet a week's pay on it.”

“And now we have scientific confirmation on the 'why' of it all.” Twilight held up the clipboard. “Peter, aside from the heightened fear response, you've told us that absorbing magic has a temporary energizing effect for you, correct?”

“Yes.”

“The blood test confirms what I suspected- your body is attempting to metabolize a small amount of the magical energy.” She saw his confusion. “It's treating it like a source of biological energy, like food. Only it seems your body doesn't quite know how to manage it- the magic is sending your metabolism into overdrive, doing all sorts of conflicting things to your body's systems. It's low-level enough to not be a problem normally, but when something happens to increase your body's needs, especially combat or fleeing from a threat... well, it ends up being a cascade effect, really.”

“That... explains some things.” Celestia brought to mind the reports she'd been given from when the human had first been captured. “Peter was said to have a serious case of malnutrition when he was examined. Could that have been a side-effect of this process, Twilight?”

“Most likely. Peter, you told us that you were surviving on typical pony food while you were on your own, weren't you?” When he nodded, Twilight tapped a hoof on the ground. “The food we ponies typically eat wouldn't have nearly as much protein content as he'd need. With all the time he spent moving, running from pursuit... his body was probably starting to cannibalize itself for reserves. And the extra energy he was getting from absorbing ambient magic levels probably kept him from feeling the vitality loss for the most part.”

“Ancestors,” Sveti murmured. “We're lucky we got you when we did, then, Peter.”

Shining tilted his head curiously. “What would've happened if we hadn't?”

“If the symptoms are the same for humans as for griffins? Oral lesions, numbness, dementia... even heart failure. They were very serious about teaching proper nutrition in civil service training.”

“Fortunate indeed, then, that we recovered you when we did, Peter.” Celestia gave the human a slight smile before turning back to Twilight. “But you said that only a small amount of the magic he's absorbed is used that way. What becomes of the rest?”

“Like I said, he couldn't possibly be absorbing it. Until I used that beacon spell, I didn't have a clue as to what could be happening to it. Now, though... not only do I have an answer for that question, but another one as well.”

“Twilight Sparkle, thou'rt prolonging the suspense needlessly,” Luna chided.

“Sorry, sorry.” Twilight couldn't quite keep a little grin off of her muzzle. “The magic isn't being absorbed; it's being drawn away elsewhere- not to a physical location, but a metaphysical one.”

Sveti blinked. “Could those of us without horns on our heads get a translation?”

“The magic is being pulled out of this physical dimension by what I suppose could be called in laypony's terms a 'siphon effect'. Essentially, if this world were a bathtub, Peter would be a living, moving drainhole.”

“Is there a risk to Equus in this process?” Luna asked.

“Not likely, given current conditions. The amount of ambient magic he's drawing off is so small as to be neglegible.”

Celestia nodded. “That is all well and good, Twilight, and your research skills are to be commended. But what else does this mean for Peter?”

“A simple truth- everything must go somewhere. I can't tell where the magic is going yet, but I have a theory, based on yet another natural law- nature abhors a vacuum. I think it likely that this magic is being pulled to a place where magic isn't to be found.”

Peter stared at Twilight. “You mean...?”

“I mean that there's a possibility you're siphoning magic back to where you come from. And if that's so... there's a chance I can use that to find a way to get you back home.”

Home.

The word had been wedged in my mind since the meeting with the Princesses, and swirling around it were a small number of powerful realizations that I'd been subconciously pushing aside for far longer than was healthy. Firstly, judging by the ponies' calendar- which had an eerie resemblance to the one I was familiar with- I'd been here on Equus for a bit longer than four months, assuming that time flowed the same here; four months since I'd vanished from Earth. It was likely that I'd been declared legally missing, no longer had a job or a home, and had a family still wondering what had happened to me. They only know that I disappeared somewhere along the highway along with my car, if the police tracked down how far I'd gotten by cell-phone tower records. Did they perform a search? If so, how long? Or did they just assume I'd gotten bored with my life and ditched everything I cared about to go start over somewhere?

“Hey.”

Sveti's voice broke through my mental fog, and I glanced back at her; she was standing at my door, looking at me with a clear expression of concern. “I knew you'd need a little time alone to think things over,” she told me. “I just... wanted to be sure you know that I'm here to talk to, if you need it.”

“I know.” I nodded, going quiet for a moment before I motioned towards the other chair in my room, just across from the one I was in.

She gave me a smile, making her way to the chair and taking a seat. “That news got dropped on you pretty abruptly,” she commented. “That had to take the wind out from under your wings a bit, so to speak.”

“Yeah.” I sighed. “I'm just wondering what's been going on back home since I ended up here.”

She nodded. “You've never told me about your family,” she said. “I have to imagine they were devastated when you vanished. I don't doubt that you want to get back to them.” She paused for a moment. “I... don't think you ever told me if you have a mate.”

I shook my head. “No. I was living alone when I was brought here. I was lucky not to have pets or anything depending on me, either... though my houseplants probably didn't survive.”

“Their loss will be mourned.” She chuckled. “But... parents? Siblings? I'd love to hear about them.”

And so I found myself telling the gryphon about my family- my mother, a former police officer who'd lost an eye during a drug bust and now owned a gardening shop; my father, a mechanic who loved restoring vintage motorcycles and going sailboating; and my kid brother, who'd been a hellion growing up and seemed destined for a life on the wrong side of the law until he'd pulled himself together, and now spent much of his time doing volunteer social work in poorer countries. By the time I'd finished, I had tears in my eyes... but it had also been cathartic in a way, a release valve on a lot of repressed emotions and worries that'd been sitting on the back of my mind like a lead weight.

Sveti reached over to put a claw on my knee. “Your family is just as interesting as you are,” she chuckled. “I could wish to have the chance to meet them myself.”

“That'd be something,” I laughed. “Though I think they'd like you, after they got over you being a gryphon.”

She nodded, her expression becoming contemplative. “...yeah, I suppose I would be a strange sight to someone on your world,” she said. “I can only assume I'd get about the same reaction that you would've gotten if you'd ended up in the Empire... and believe me, Peter, as bad as things went for you here in Equestria, you should be thanking your ancestors that you didn't wind up there instead.” She looked away for a moment, letting out a sigh. “But still... more than anything else, I want to get you home. Back to your life, back to your family, back to a world that doesn't seem to have it in for you. Even if I'd miss you.”

The brief look of shock that crossed her face after her last sentence told me that she hadn't meant to actually say it aloud. I put my hand on her claw comfortingly. “I would miss you too, you know,” I told her. “And if I'm being honest, part of me wishes I'd be able to bring you with me. It just... really wouldn't work out- either I'd have to keep you hidden, or risk you being spotted and potentially attacked or captured. There's enough humans back home who'd want to exploit you for me to not even remotely want to take the chance.”

“They can't all be like that, though.” Her eyes looked into mine. “No species with you in its number could.”

I felt myself blushing a bit. “No, not all of us. I think a lot of humans would love to meet you. It's just that there's enough of us who'd do anything and hurt anyone to get their hands on you for their own benefit....” I shook my head. “I'm not going to see you in another cage, Sveti. Not a pony's cage, and not a human's cage.”

She let out a deep sigh. “Not really fair, is it?” she murmured. “Don't get me wrong, Peter; I'm thrilled that we might be able to get you home, but....”

“Yeah. I know.” I ran my fingers through her crest. “I just don't want to think about it for a little while. Twilight said it'd take her some time to research the whole thing, so there's no point in worrying about it too much anyway.” I got out of the chair and helped her to her paws. “Why don't we move up the decoration timetable a little and get it started now? It'll give us extra time to wrap Ensemble's presents.”

“You know what? That is a superb idea.” She smiled up at me as we headed for the staircase.

(-)

“Happy early Hearth's Warming Eve, Ensemble.”

She opened her eyes to see a number of familiar shapes standing around her bed. The entire embassy staff had gathered around her, each one of them holding a small, colorfully-wrapped gift. “Oh... hey,” she murmured weakly, giving them the best smile she could manage. “It's great to see all of you.”

“It's good to see you, too,” Sveti said quietly. “We were all worried about you. How are you feeling?”

“Really, really sore.” She laid her head back down on her pillow. “But I'm lucky to be alive, aren't I? The doctors said so.”

“I know.” A sad frown crossed the griffin's beak. “Ensemble, I'm sorry that this happened to you. We almost lost you because of something you had nothing to do with. I don't-”

“Miss Windwhisper... no.” She shook her head. “I don't want you to blame yourself. This was nopony's fault except those griffins who wanted to take Mister Collins from us.”

She felt long, slender fingers stroke her mane, and turned her head to see Peter gazing down at her. “I still angry you were hurt,” he told her. “Not going to let happen again. Us, the Princesses all doing things to secure the embassy. Also going to protect your family, just in case.”

She blinked, feeling a cold pit of fear form in her stomach. “They're... not in danger, are they?”

“No. We being careful, just in case.” He gave her a reassuring smile. “I like your parents. Good ponies.”

“Oh, you all got to meet them? That's nice. Where are they now?”

“They're in the guest wing, resting,” Sveti answered. “They told us they'd been in here with you since you got out of surgery. We told them we'd spend some time with you so that they could go get some sleep without having to worry.” The hen smiled. “Since it looks like you won't get to come to our Hearth's Warming Eve party, we decided to bring one to you!”

She felt tears spring from the corners of her eyes. “That's... that's so good of all of you. Thank you.”

The hospital woudn't allow them to bring in any food for her, which meant that she'd miss out on the wonderful dinner they'd had planned, but the rest of the staff seemed determined to make it up to her with gifts. She wasn't sure who'd let slip that she was an amateur painter- though she suspected Welder had gotten wise after having to scrub spilled paint off a wooden floor a time or two- but she now had an easel, a selection of quality brushes, and even a little wooden pose figurine; she'd also received a nice new bathrobe, some bath sponges and soaps, and a pretty silver locket. None of her friends would tell her which of them had chosen what gift, which was okay with her; she appreciated the group sentiment more than she could say.

Eventually, though, they had to leave, and each said their goodbyes and gave well-wishes before heading. Quick Service was the last to go, and before he headed out, he turned towards her. “You know, Ennie,” he said quietly, “Peter actually took off his pants to use as a bandage for you before he went to get the medical supplies.”

“Wow.” She blinked in shock; the human was almost ridiculously body-shy, and it was a rare thing to see him without both a shirt and pants; even at bedtime he was always covered from the waist down. “He... actually went nude for me?”

“Not quite; he was wearing some undershorts beneath them. But they didn't leave too much to the imagination.”

“And I didn't even get to see?! And you did?!” She glared at him. “I am so jealous of you right now.”

The smug grin he gave her made her wish she had the strength to throw a pillow at him.

(-)

“So how did you two enjoy the play?”

Cadance trotted alongside Peter and Sveti as they made their way out of the theater. “I loved it,” the griffin answered. “I mean, I've heard the story plenty of times, but to see it portrayed like that made it feel more 'real'. And that was some powerful illusion magic at work there to make it look so believable.”

“Not believe my eyes,” Peter chuckled. “Felt like I was there. Glad I not somehow disrupt magic.”

“Twilight was right to tell you not to worry about that.” Cadance smiled. “The magic only surrounds the audience; it doesn't touch them.”

“Should know trust Princess Twilight about magic.” The human grinned; Cadance didn't find herself nearly as disturbed at the show of teeth as she would have expected from some descriptions... they were sharp, yes, but after having seen the fangs of changelings far too closely for her comfort, the squared-off incisors he bore were hardly intimidating to her. “I do have question, though,” he continued. “This story, Hearth's Warming Eve, is it....” He seemed to consider for a moment. “Need word, means 'story that stands for way of life'.”

“An allegory?” Cadance volunteered.

Peter glanced askance at Sveti, who nodded. “That sounds about right,” she told him.

“Okay. Allegory. Sorry, Princess Cadance, but Sveti learned how read my mind, so I check with her on new words.” He gave the hen a playful grin before turning back to her with an eyebrow raised. “Is this story that?”

Cadance gave a slight shrug. “Truth be told, it could be. The Unification happened thousands of years ago, even before the Princesses came to power, and there aren't many records from that age remaining. We do know that windigoes are a real thing, though.” She shuddered. “The Hearth's Warming Eve fable could just be a cautionary tale to not let hatred and strife rule your heart.”

“Huh. Sort of like holiday story from home.”

“Really? I'd love to hear about that sometime. Learning about other cultures is a hobby of mine.”

“I tell you it, then. Maybe at dinner?”

“That sounds like-”

Cadance paused at the sound of rapidly-approaching hoofbeats, and looked behind her to see a member of the Night Guard cantering purposefully towards them; the bat-winged stallion stopped before her, bowed respectfully and then whispered three sentences into her ear... and her eyes went wide. “I understand, Corporal,” she said. “Thank you.”

He nodded and turned to leave, quickly vanishing into the crowd. Both of her friends had looks of confusion on their faces. “Do we want to know?” Sveti asked.

“Yes, you definitely do. This is something I'd prefer to leave until after dinner, but since it concerns you....”

The hen let out a deep sigh. “Don't tell me someone has it out for Peter again.”

“No, Sveti. Not Peter. You.”

That brought the hen up short. “Me? What about me?”

“Follow me. This shouldn't be discussed in public.” She led the pair away from the crowds and into a small lounge that was fortunately empty; she sealed the door against intrusion and eavesdropping. “The guard was sent by Aunt Luna to alert me that there was a resolution introduced in Parliament that concerns you specifically, Sveti.”

Somehow the griffin managed to grow pale even through her plumage, which was quite a trick. “How does it concern me, Princess?”

“A contingent of senators has gotten word of the intrusion into the Embassy and are demanding an investigation... and they're also demanding that you be charged with aiding and abetting a foreign power to attack Equestrian soil.” She saw the griffin stare at her in disbelief. “Now I'm certain that this demand is completely without merit; they have no evidence that you were in any way complicit with the attack.”

Peter raised a hand. “Princess Cadance... what happen, anyway, if Sveti called guilty?”

“Peter, I assure you that it wouldn't happen-”

He spread the fingers of his hand in an apparent gesture to hear him out. “Please. Just say.”

“She... she could either be imprisoned, or deported and magically forbidden to ever set paw on Equestrian soil again.” She saw his hand immediately move to press gently against the back of Sveti's neck. “But Peter, please, realize that the chances of that actually happening are almost zero. I'm sure that Aunt Luna and Aunt Celestia are already drafting a response and mobilizing friendly senators to counter the motion. It's obvious that Aunt Luna wanted me to tell you now so that the news didn't blindside you later.”

Peter lowered his head, his face contorting into a grimace. “I tired of this,” he murmured. “Why they attack us, Princess Cadance? Who out there feel so in danger from me that they need do all this?”

“I don't think it's directed at just either you or Sveti, Peter. There's something more going on... politics has never been my strong suit, but there's without a doubt something happening behind the scenes. You two just happen to be pawns in it all.” She reached up to pat his forearm comfortingly. “Please... don't let it ruin the holiday for you. Parliament has Hearth's Warming Day off anyway, so it's not like anypony can do anything.”

“Glad for government slowness for once,” the human muttered, the slightest of smirks crossing his lips. Next to him, Sveti chuckled, and Cadance herself couldn't quite suppress a giggle. “Okay. Guess it make sense, not worry too much. Can't do anything about, anyway. Sveti... we just not think about for now, okay? I want enjoy today, not worry.”

The hen gave him a slow nod. “You're right. I trust Princesses Celestia and Luna to be able to handle this. Ancestors, you'd think I'd be used to political intrigue by now... but being on the receiving end of it? Not really all it's cracked up to be.”

“That's why I gave up reading those silly Con Mane books. Unfortunately, in reality there's a serious lack of well-dressed secret agents to swoop in, solve the problem and trot off with the mare in distress.” She giggled. “So come on, or we'll miss the cast party.”

She ushered the two out of the lounge, following them back out into the halls and towards the backstage area. And as she watched them walk together, how easily their paces matched and how close they stayed to each other, she felt lucky that they couldn't see the silly grin that crossed her face. Shining was right, she thought. They do make a nice couple.

(-)

“So, hang on, lemme get this straight.” Rainbow Dash set her sandwich down. “This guy, this 'Santa Claus'-” she had a bit of trouble with the foreign name- “gets on a sleigh with nine reindeer, who can fly. Without wings. And he literally flies around the world giving presents to human foals, all on one night.” She snickered. “And you say that our world is weird.”

“Dash, he did say it was jes' a story,” Applejack reminded her. “Kind've a weird story, sure... I mean, an overweight feller in a red suit makin' toys up at the top of th' world?”

“Well I, for one, find it to be a marvelous tale,” Rarity said. “Such an exemplar of generosity and kindness this 'Claus' fellow is!”

Fluttershy smiled. “I couldn't agree more, Rarity. I wish I could do something like that to make others happy.”

“Yeah, it sounds super-duper fun!” Pinkie Pie was bouncing in her seat. “I mean, imagine it! Woosh! Here's a toy for you, little human! Woosh! And one for you too! I don't think I'd be able to limit myself to one day a year for that!”

“So this 'Santa' guy gives stuff besides books? Whoa, what a concept.” Spike shot Twilight a look, getting a sheepish grin in return.

“Oh, Spike. Reading is good for you!” The alicorn gave Peter an appreciative look. “You know, I would really love to hear more human stories and fables. They're always a great way to look inside a culture.” She turned a thoughtful gaze towards Sveti. “And I could say that about griffins as well. We don't see many in Equestria, even here in Canterlot, and your common pony doesn't know much about the Empire or its citizens at all.”

“Yeah, and apparently there's some places here that think griffins are animals.” A scowl crossed Dash's face.

Twilight blinked in surprise. “Dash-”

“Twilight, just a moment.” Rarity raised a hoof. “I daresay that I understand Dash's sentiment completely, given what happened to dear Sveti before we made her acquaintance. The treatment she and Peter have received from some ponies is utterly shameful.” She gazed down at the table for a moment. “And I will freely admit that I am not without my own biases. When I read of the White Plains War, or the minotaur clan conflicts, a little voice in the back of my head says 'at least we ponies are above all that'... but I think that little voice has been shamed into silence as of late.”

“An' I'll admit that the way some ponies have been actin' has made me flat-out disgusted.” Applejacked looked over towards Twilight. “There's gotta be somethin' we can do 'bout it.”

“Girls, please.” Rarity blinked in surprise when Sveti spoke up. “I appreciate the thoughts, honestly, but I don't want to see today brought down. It's a holiday to spend with family and friends, after all, and since... and since I don't have family to be with, it makes my friends that much more important to me. So let's just focus on the good things today, alright?”

“Oh my goodness.” Rarity had never felt so low. “Sveti, you are absolutely right, of course. This isn't the time or place for such a discussion.”

“Yeah....” Dash looked just as upset as Rarity felt. “Not cool of me to bring that up here. I'm really sorry.”

“Me too,” Applejack put in. “Y'all deserve this, you an' Peter both.”

Spike got out of his chair and walked over to the griffin. “Hey... I'm really sorry about what happened with your dad, Miss Windwhisper. I never got to know my parents; my egg was found abandoned, and nopony even knew it was hatchable until Twilight went magi-crazy during her entrance exam-”

“Spike!”

“...heh heh, but anyway.” Spike didn't look back at his caretaker's aggravated glare. “I'm not gonna say I really know what either of you are going through, but I just want you to know that these ponies here-” he waved a claw at the others at the table- “are practically a family to me now. So, y'know, don't be afraid to talk to your friends if you're feeling down, you know?”

“That's right!” Pinkie had somehow gone from her seat to hanging a foreleg over Peter's shoulders without Rarity having seen her move; to his credit, the human looked only mildly surprised. “One of the biggest things to learn from Hearth's Warming Eve is that we all need each other! So just remember who means the most to you and be there for them, and they'll be there for you too!”

The glance that Peter and Sveti shared would've been missed by most ponies, and likely escaped the notice of nearly everypony else at the table, but Rarity had an eye for such things. And that glance told Rarity that, at least between the two of them, they already knew what Pinkie Pie had told them.

The amount of willpower it took her to not outright squee at the sight was staggering, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Cadance give her a split-second smile that all but shouted "I know, right?!".

(-)

“Sveti, before the two of you head back to the Embassy, could I speak to you alone privately for a moment?”

Sveti turned, caught by surprise by Twilight's words. “Um... sure, Princess,” she said uncertainly. “Peter?”

The human gave her a smile. “I wait by door.”

Once he'd left, Twilight approached the griffin with what seemed to be a reluctant expression. “Sveti,” she said quietly, “I was informed just a few minutes ago about that motion in Parliament. I'm honestly sorry that this is even happening; sorry, and angry.”

“I appreciate it, Princess. We're just trying to get through it, just like everything else.”

“I admire the both of you for that.” Twilight leaned in conspiratorially. “I still have a couple of aces under my mane that I have yet to play. One of them I don't want to talk about just yet... but another involves something I can do for you.”

“What is it?”

“Sveti, what I'm about to do could very well be illegal, and would certainly put our cause in a bad light if it were to get out, so I need you to be discrete about this. And by 'discrete' I mean that I absolutely do not mind if you lie about it if asked.”

Sveti blinked in shock; she never would've expected to hear something like that from her. “What is it you want to do, Princess?”

“We've finished a translation of Peter's language, and have constructed a magical translation matrix based upon it. I can imprint that matrix on your mind and give you a working knowledge of that language. Now, the matrix isn't entirely polished, so you'll probably have to work with him a bit to iron out things like proper pronunciation, and I can't guarantee that every sound will be reproducable easily with your vocal structure, but... I think that you and him being able to speak in his language could be a benefit, given the situation.”

The hen didn't even know what to say for a moment. She had to agree with Twilight, though- it was both something best kept secret, and a significant advantage. “That's... extremely generous of you, Princess. Are there any drawbacks to the spell?”

“The imprint itself is only a temporary construct; it'll fade after a month or so. But your brain will build upon the framework as you use the language so that you remember it. The more you practice and speak the language, the better the learning will take hold.” Twilight smiled. “Aside from that, however, the spell will have no adverse affects. It's the sheer complexity of the spell that keeps us from using it more commonly.”

“So I suppose it'll be Peter's turn to give me language lessons.” Sveti grinned. “Thank you, Princess. I truly appreciate this; I understand the risks you're taking here.”

“I trust you, Sveti. Much more than that snake pit of nobles in Parliament who are pushing this measure of theirs.” Twilight's expression softened. “Also... consider it my Hearth's Warming Eve gift to the two of you. I know I've made a lot of mistakes since all of this started, and I'd like this to be a way to make up for them.”

“We've all made mistakes since this started, Princess. But I won't turn down a gift like this.” She considered for a moment. “Does this take long?”

“No, not at all, barely more than a minute. It's just that the spellform is complex and multi-layered.”

“To be honest, I think Peter knows more about unicorn magic than I do at this point, so I'll have to take your word for it.” She grinned. “What do you need me to do?”

“Just hold still, close your eyes and do your best to clear your mind. It's going to feel a little unusual, so I'll need you to remain calm.”

“Okay.” She did her best to follow Twilight's instructions, and after a moment she saw the dim glow of magic through her eyelids. And then something strange happened- knowledge began to simply appear in her mind, as if she were recalling something she'd learned without remembering the act of actually learning it. The process didn't take long at all, but she knew when she opened her eyes again that it was going to take a little while to get used to the sudden expertise.

Twilight had a wide smile on her lips. “There, done. Give it a try.”

“Okay. Let's see, then. This is me, giving it a try....” She blinked, one claw reflexively reaching towards her throat. Peter's language sounded weird coming out of her beak; a couple parts of it were sounds she'd never made before in her life. It took a bit of effort to get her mind to switch back to Equish. “I think this'll take some getting used to,” she murmured.

“But still, nicely done for a first try!” Twilight gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder. “Let me know how you do. I'd love to have language lessons myself, but my schedule really doesn't permit it right now. Maybe sometime next spring, depending on how things are going, if Peter's amenable?”

“I'll ask him how he feels about it, if you like.”

“I'd appreciate that.” Twilight leaned forward and gave her a light hug. “Happy Hearth's Warming Eve to the both of you, Sveti, and to your staff as well. I hope Ensemble has a quick recovery and is back in the embassy soon.”

A broad smile crossed her beak as she returned the embrace. “Thanks. You too, Princess, and thank you for everything you've done. As we griffins like to say, health to you, kin and clan.”

It was actually difficult for Sveti to keep to a normal, casual pace as she made her way to the main entrance, where Peter waited for her. She couldn't wait to start speaking to the human in his own language.

She quickly found out, though, that it would have to wait a little while.

(-)

“To our first Hearth's Warming Eve in Canterlot.” Wisk raised her glass. “A time for us to rely on each other and face the future together.”

Four glasses of cider clinked together over the center of the table. Stout Hooves took a long gulp from his, then glanced across the table. “You know, colt,” he said, “your spirits have definitely improved since you got your new job.”

“Well, I can't help it. I feel like I've finally found what I've been missing in my life.” Farris Wheel set his glass down. “Though I kind of feel like a foal because of how long it actually took me. All that time I wasted with... you know who.”

“Sweetie, we agreed that we ain't going to think about him anymore. It's just us, what we did, and what we're gonna do. And what we're gonna do right now is order.” Wisk set her drink down and closed her menu, signalling for a nearby waiter.

“Are you ready to order?” he asked in a voice that was friendly enough, if a bit haggard.

“We sure are,” she replied. “I'll have the broiled beet platter with alfalfa and passagedale cheese, and a side of haysticks.”

The waiter scribbled the order down on his pad. “And you, sir?” he asked Wheel.

“Um... I'll have the double soyburger with La Marena cheese and red peppers, with hayfries.”

“You like it with a bit of a bite, I see!” The waiter looked towards Stout. “You, sir?”

“I'll have the alfredo with broccoli and baked bread as the side; my brother will have the egg flower soup with dandelion and also baked bread.”

“Oh, I'm sorry, we're out of the egg flower soup. You must have come in just before we put that up on the notice board. Can I interest you in something else?”

Strong's ears flicked around a few times, his lips moving silently. “What?” Stout asked. “I thought that stuff gives you gas.” When Strong snorted and gave him a look, Stout laughed. “Okay, okay. He'll have the Prench onion soup and pumpernickel bread.”

“Very well.” The waiter finished taking the order and removed the menus, then trotted off.

Wheel fiddled a bit with his drink coaster. “So, um, Stout,” he said. “Y'know, I always meant to ask about....” He gave Strong an aside glance.

“About Strong being mute?” Stout shrugged. “It's not as if it's some taboo subject, colt. He was born without vocal chords, that's all. Magic can heal a lot of wounds, but it can't replace something you weren't born with.”

“Well, if we're talking about it... how long did it take you two to come up with that little ear-language?” Wisk asked.

“Four years. Mom and Dad both had to work long hours to keep a roof over our head, so I spent most of my free time watching Strong; since he couldn't speak or cry, we had to be extra careful to keep him away from anything harmful, because we probably wouldn't know right away if he got hurt. I had the idea for him to flick his left ear for 'no' and his right ear for 'yes', and it just grew from there. Of course, his ears aren't the only part of it.”

“Yeah, I've seen his mouth moving too,” Wheel said. “So I guess you're sort of reading his lips?”

“Sort of, right. Ears alone can only express so much.”

Wheel smiled. “Yeah. I never paid much attention to it before, but... it's really interesting.”

Eventually dinner was served, and Wisk basked in the quiet camraderie, enjoying her meal with her friends. Wheel told them more about his newborn acting career, how he was already starting up classes to help him with various types of acting, from drama to comedy. “Mister Revue says that I've got a pretty good singing voice,” he said, “though I do need some training to make it as good as it can be.”

“You know, all the years I've known you, I ain't heard you sing once. Not even while taking a shower.” Wisk grinned.

“I never thought to try!”

“Well, maybe we'll get a performance out of you soon, hm?”

He gave her a bashful smile. “...maybe after a couple of those classes.”

“Attacolt.”

With their meal finished and paid for, and a fairly generous tip left for the waiter, the group trotted back out into the cold Canterlot streets... only to run into a sizable crowd streaming towards the Arts District. “What the hay is going on?” Wisk wondered.

“Protest!” somepony nearby answered.

“Another one? They were going on for a week a while back; I thought that was all over and done with!”

“This one's different!” The pony disappeared into the crowd.

Next to Wisk, Wheel frowned. “They're heading towards the theater,” he said, barely audible above the noise of the crowd.

“Well, colt.” Stout craned his neck to see over the crowds. “I know you wanted to avoid that area tonight, but if you want to find out what's going on....” He flicked an ear in that direction meaningfully.

“I, um....” Wisk could see an internal battle being played out through the young stallion's expressions. “Oh, rut it all,” he muttered after a moment. “Let's go see. We can just stay with the crowds so we don't stand out.”

So the four of them melded into the steady stream of ponies heading along the street. It was hard for Wisk to make out any individual conversations in the crowd, but she picked up the words “griffin” and “attack” a few times. Her confusion only grew until she reached Equinox Square, one block away from the theater, and saw a number of ponies standing on the edge of the fountain there, holding up newspapers and shouting.

“GRIFFIN ATTACK LEAVES PONY IN HOSPITAL”, read the headline.

“...and this is why our treaty with the Empire is a farce!” one of the ponies on the fountain's edge called out. “We've done everything we could for them shy of getting involved in their terrible war, and how do they thank us? By almost killing one of us!”

“Close the Embassy again!” another shouted. “Send all the griffins back to their homeland until they agree to end their war! Show the Emperor that we won't stand back and let him harm our families!”

“This mare could've been your daughter, your wife, your mother!” yelled a third. “Who's to say it won't happen again? Will you let a bunch of warmongering hybrids endanger your loved ones?!”

A number of ponies in the crowd began calling out in response.

“I heard that griffins used to eat ponies!”

“You can't ever trust a predator!”

“They've got no business being in our country!”

“What... what the hay is this...?” Wisk murmured. “Are they really doing this on Hearth's Warming Eve?”

“I don't like the look of that crowd.” Stout fixed his gaze on a rather large group of ponies who were growing increasingly agitated at the words of those on the fountain.

“You ain't kidding. They almost look like they're ready to riot.” And it almost looks like those ponies up there are trying to get them to do just that, she added mentally.

Ahead of them, Wheel seemed to almost be lost in a trance, slowly making his way through the crowd. “This... this is wrong,” he said. “I have to do something.”

“Wheel? Sweetie, what are you doing? I don't think it's a good idea to get too close....” She tried to go after him, but the crowd proved impenetrable to her, frustrating her attempts to catch up to him even as he seemingly nonchalantly wound his way between the milling ponies. “Wheel!” she called after him.

“What's gotten into that colt's head?” Stout wondered.

“I don't know! I....” Something made her come to a halt, her words dying in her throat as her attention locked on to the young stallion. She was hardly alone; Stout, Strong, the crowd and even the rabblerousers on the fountain had similarly gone quiet as Wheel climbed up on a nearby pedestal, opened his mouth...

...and began to sing.

“I've only ever seen the world
Through this pair of eyes
But even though, there's certain things
I've come to realize

“Because what I see is you and me
No two faces are the same
Each of us a separate one
In mind, spirit and name

But I won't let that stop me from
Being friends with anyone
I know that the form you see
Is just a single part of me”

He hopped down from the pedestal, approaching the crowd, and stopped in front of a pair of ponies- a unicorn mare and a pegasus stallion- and began to sing directly at them.

“Long ago, the pony tribes
Had fear and hate between us all
But Hearth's Warming Eve has taught us that
We needed to tear down that wall

In this big world, there's many places
A thousand different kinds of faces
But look behind their eyes and see
They're so much just like you and me”

He began to trot along the line of ponies at the front of the crowd, and from somewhere Wisk swore she began to hear music as the sea-colored stallion continued his song.

“And everyone deserves to be a friend
Open up your mind and see
How someone else's world can be

Everyone deserves to be a friend
My heart tells me it's just unfair
To judge you by the form you wear”

Wisk found herself swaying to the strange, sourceless music that she was certain she heard. Wheel turned away from the crowd to face the ponies still standing on the fountain, all of whom were staring at them in shock, one of two of them not even aware that their mouths were hanging open.

“Ponies have a special place
In this world we've come to call our own
But there's others who are also proud
To call this shining jewel their home

Zebras, griffins, minotaurs
Donkeys, cows, buffalo too
They've all come to Equestria
To make their fondest dreams come true

It's up to us to help them grow
And every one of us should know
To not let the bad outweigh the good
And welcome them as ponies should”

Wheel moved back towards the crowd, and several of the ponies stepped out to encircle him.

“Because everyone deserves to be a friend
I won't let distrust or fear
Decide the ones that I keep near

Everyone deserves to be a friend
Stand with me, we'll start today
And show them the true pony way”

The stallion reared up on his hind legs, forelegs spread out in a wide stance.

“Let your bad feelings disappear
And say it now for all to hear
If you want, then I will be your frieeeeeeeend”

The music that Wisk wasn't quite hearing faded as Wheel dropped back down to all fours, and everything went utterly silent for a moment as everypony recovered. It was one of the ponies still standing on the fountain's edge who dared break the stillness. “...well, that still doesn't mean we should trust griffins-”

“No, he's right!” somepony in the crowd shouted. “We should be better than this! Celestia trusts griffins to be good visitors; otherwise she wouldn't let them into Equestria!”

“Yeah, we can't judge all griffins on a few! What if others judged us based on King Sombra?!”

“Ponies are nothing like griffins!”

“And then I said 'Oatmeal? Are you crazy?'”

The cacaphony that rose up within the crowd went mostly unnoticed by Wisk as she cantered up to a dazed-looking Wheel. “Sweetie, are you okay?” she asked him, gently pressing her shoulder to his to support him.

“I... I'm not sure....” The sea-colored stallion shook his head as if to clear it. “That was... really strange.”

Then he looked back towards the square and froze in place, his body beginning to shiver against hers. She followed his gaze and saw something that made her breath catch in her throat for a moment- Sveti and Peter were standing at the far end of the square, mostly unnoticed by the crowd, both of them staring directly at Wheel. At that distance she couldn't make out their expressions. “Um... Wheelie?” she said quietly. “Maybe... maybe you ought to go talk to them now. I'm pretty sure they saw what just happened.”

His shivering only increased, and he broke the gaze to stare down at the ground. “I... I can't, Wisk. Not now, not... not like this. I can't, I just....” He shook his head slowly. “I can't.”

“Go easy, colt.” Stout came up to Wheel's other side to support him as well. “It's fine. Some other time, then.” He glanced over at Wisk. “Guards'll likely be here soon, checking out the disturbance,” he told her. “Might be for the best if we all head home.”

“Yeah... I guess you're right.” Gently, she helped guide Wheel away from the square and back towards their rented rooms.

(-)

“Damn it all, Farris. I waited for years to see you finally grow a spine... and you choose here and now to do it.”

Next to him, the stuffy noblestallion sniffed disdainfully. “I could have told Summer Breeze that leaking the story right before Hearth's Warming Day was ill-thought at best.”

“Well, the saying is true. Make something idiot-proof and somepony will come along with an improved model of idiot.” He shrugged. “I'm tired of playing foal's games. It's time to get more direct.”

His “partner”, for lack of a better term, flinched. “I'm still not sure I like your plan. Blueblood may be a coward who leaves behind more yellow puddles than a leaky cider keg, but he's still a member of the upper crust. Using him in this operation of yours feels as though it crosses a line.”

“Relax. What would the Princesses do to him? If they had the hocks to seriously punish him, they'd have done so for nearly spearing our dear visitor.” He looked out the window at the crowd, already being dispersed by a squad of insistent Royal Guards. “Have you ever noticed how easily ponies overlook things that are in plain view?”

“All the time! Why, just last weekend, one of my servants left out a perfectly good pot of tea....”

He easily tuned out the noble's moronic chatter, letting it become background noise as he considered his next move.

Talk about a night of surprises.

I mean, I understood by then that this world played by its own set of rules that were nothing like on Earth, and that magic here permeated almost everything. But what had happened by the fountain that night defied even the loose expectations that I'd developed. According to Twilight, ponies were connected via a weird form of magical empathy called, fittingly enough, “Harmony”- and in times of conflict, high emotions or large-scale cooperation, that Harmony sometimes came to express itself through one or more ponies, in what they usually called a “song moment” or “musical number”. Twilight, of course, had a more complex name for it that Sveti didn't understand well enough to translate for me.

All of that was strange enough, but to have seen Farris Wheel of all ponies stepping up to sing about tolerance and resisting racism... well, I didn't know how to feel about it. I wasn't going to forgive him or the rest of Big Top's old crew for what they'd done to Sveti and I- but I wasn't so blinded by hate as to ignore that he'd defused what could have been a very nasty situation. And Twilight had assured me that the Harmony effect only amplified a pony's deepest feelings, which meant that it couldn't have been an act meant to garner sympathy. Sveti and I hadn't discussed it yet, but I could tell that her feelings about the event were as torn as mine.

Sveti herself had ended up being the source of the second surprise that night. Twilight had somehow managed to put together a spell to give the recipient a basic understanding of the English language, and under the reasoning that it'd be beneficial for us, had cast that spell on Sveti. Thus I'd spent the remainder of the night giving her an impromptu language lesson, staying up until three in the morning doing nothing but letting her try out her new knowledge; I found it both interesting and amusing that her English seemed to have a fairly thick nordish or icelandic accent to it, which thinned a bit as she got better at speaking.

Finally, with both of us spending more time yawning than talking, we agreed to call it a night so that we could be up at something resembling a normal hour in the morning. “Ancestors, this is tricky,” she murmured in the pony language. “How did you even manage to learn Equish without any magical help when this is what you were starting with?”

“Well, I had a couple of good teachers,” I replied in English, with a grin. “Though I wish I was as good at speaking it as I like to think I am.”

“You do fine. Though... I do kind of like listening to you speak in English, now that I can understand it.” She cocked her head to the side. “Why call it that, though? Was it named after a country or something?”

“Right. England, specifically. Pretty long-lived empire that became a democracy.”

“So humankind has had empires too?”

“Oh, at least half a dozen through our history. We've tried almost any sort of government you could come up with. Monarchy, theocracy, despotism, democracy, republic, fascism... you name it, there's probably a country back home that's tried it.”

“Huh. My homeland has been an empire for all our recorded history. Emperor Drottin is the thirty-sixth in his line, and came to power when his mother abdicated because of poor health.”

“And gryphons never chose to try something else?”

“Oh, there's always been advocates for changing the government... but we're a traditionalist society, and change doesn't really come easy for most of us.”

My reply was cut off by yet another yawn. “...okay, yeah. Bed.” I managed to pull myself up from the chair and helped Sveti out of hers. “We'll pick this back up in the morning.” I smiled. “Happy Hearth's Warming Day, by the way.”

“And happy....” She paused. “Err, rather... Merry Christmas, I think it was?”

I gave her a grin. “You got it right. And thanks. Sleep well, Sveti.”

“You too, Peter.”

(-)

“I had the weirdest dream last night. Oh, and thanks.” Sveti took the mug of coffee that Peter handed her, grinning at his curious expression. “I dreamed that I was singing, in English. I can't remember what exactly I was singing, unfortunately... but I was up on that fountain in Equinox Square, singing to a crowd of humans.”

“Humans, huh? Interesting dream.” They'd agreed that he'd only speak English to her when no one else was around, but seeing as how the rest of the staff had headed to their homes for the holiday, there was no worry of being overheard. “Last night must have made an impact on you, too.”

“Part of it is probably my brain sorting out the sudden new language skills. But the rest... yeah.” She took a sip of her coffee, feeling the hot liquid flow down her throat. “What do you think, Peter?”

She knew she didn't have to elaborate; his expression was as easy for her to read by now as any griffin's, and she could see the same feeling of thoughtful confusion on that flat, bare-skinned face that was running through her own mind. “You know... I'm not sure,” he said. “Is it wrong of me to still be angry at them for what they did?”

“You're asking the wrong griffin. I can't give an unbiased opinion myself.” She let out a quiet sigh. “I was okay with not thinking about them at all, but I suppose that's not very healthy, huh?”

“Probably not.” He ended up having to trade a new word with her- “psychology”, one that his knowledge of Equish and her English translation spell both lacked. Once again Sveti couldn't help but enjoy building her understanding of her friend's language. “So yeah, any psychologist would probably say that we need to overcome our feelings and move on.”

“We don't put a lot of stock in psychology in the Empire,” she chuckled. “But I guess you're right. It's just something easier said than done.”

“Well, I think we're allowed to put it off for a little while, at least.” He set his mug down on the table and stood. “I can think of something else to do while we work it out.”

“What have you got in mind?”

His reply caught her by surprise. “I want to get you familiarized with the handgun.”

And so it came to pass that the two of them spent the holiday morning training Sveti how to effectively use a weapon from another world. He couldn't allow her to actually fire it- there was no place to safely do so- but he drilled her on how to handle it, unload and reload it, how to aim, and when to fire, as well as when not to. Her claws were actually a little sore when they finished the lesson; she wasn't used to using them to hold and manipulate something so extensively. “Okay,” he said once they'd sat back down in the study. “When do you put a talon on the trigger?”

“When you want to fire, and never before.”

“And when do you fire?”

“When you're sure of your target, sure of your background and sure that it's necessary.”

“Warning shots?”

“Are stupid.”

“Shooting to injure?”

“Is a bad idea. The target might not be incapacitated and could still be dangerous, not to mention the shot could miss and hit someone else.”

“Then what do you do when you're sure of your target and need to kill?”

“Fire three rounds into their center of mass. Don't be afraid to keep firing if needed.”

He nodded, a ghost of a smile on his lips. “Now... if you had to, do you think you could?”

She looked at him for a moment before lowering her head. “...I'm not sure.”

“Good, honest answer.” He rubbed her shoulder. “Sveti, that night we escaped... that was the first time I'd ever fired a weapon at anything living. If you'd asked me that question before then, I'd have given you the same answer. Now I know that you understand what that weapon can do, how to use it properly and when not to use it at all. I'd trust you at my back with it anyday.”

She felt herself blushing. “I just hope I don't ever have to do that. I'm no warrior.”

“Neither am I, remember?” He shrugged. “We're in over our heads. It's best to have every option we can open to us.”

“And you're sure you still don't trust yourself with it?”

“Not until we work out some way to keep me from having a reaction to magic being used on me.”

“I understand.” Carefully, she placed the weapon back in its case, which she closed and locked, and together they put it back in its secured spot in the study. “Do you think I might have a chance to actually fire it?”

“I'd like for you to, though only a couple rounds, so you can know what it feels like. If we were back home, I'd take you out for a day at the firing range, let you take as much time as you want.”

“That sounds like it'd be interesting.” She chuckled. “Hm... it's only quarter past noon. You know what I'd like to see?”

“Hm?”

“I'd like to see another drawing from you.”

“Heh. Sure, why not?” he grinned. “If it's not too windy, we could even go up on the roof.”

“The roof? Why?”

“Because, my dear griffin, in all the time I've known you I've hardly ever seen you fly. So I want to do a sketch of you in the air.”

She couldn't keep the grin off her beak. “Alright then. Go put on your coat and grab your pad; I'll meet you up there.”

She was only waiting a couple of minutes before he came through the rooftop entrance. His drawing pad and pencil weren't the only things he held in his hands, however; she recognized his music player as well. “Going to listen to some music while you sketch?” she asked.

“No, actually I thought you might like to instead.” He smiled, holding out the small device for her. “I'm trying not too use it too much because I won't be able to recharge it forever... but I think I can justify this to myself as helping you with the language.”

She smiled warmly at him as she carefully took the player in her claws. “I think I'm not going to try to argue you out of it.”

He quickly showed her how to use the device, then took a seat with his back against the entranceway door- which handily protected him from the slight but chilly breeze- and set his pad against his knees. She snapped her wings out and gave a few strong flaps to get airborne, then hovered in place for a moment. “What do you want me to do?” she asked.

“Enjoy yourself!” He grinned. “Just fly. I'll come up with a pose.”

So she did, tracing lazy swoops and turns in the empty sky, letting her instincts handle the task of flying while she listened to the strange yet enjoyable human music stored on the tiny device she held in her claw. The experience was so relaxing, so all-enveloping, that she completely lost track of time and was only broken out of the spell by catching Peter waving up at her from the corner of her eye. She gave him a sheepish grin as she came to a landing. “Sorry,” she said. “How long were you trying to get my attention?”

“Five minutes.” He ruffled her crest. “I don't mind, though. It was a lot of fun watching you up there. I'm sort of jealous I couldn't join you.”

“I'd loan you my wings if I could. Ancestors know I don't put them to use as much as I should.” She shook them out, causing a couple of loose feathers to go sailing into the breeze. “Guh. See? And I've been slacking on my preening, too.”

“Do you want any help with that?”

She actually stopped for a split-second, taken aback by the offer, before she remembered that Peter very likely didn't understand the cultural significance it held to a griffin. “I, uh... well....” Come on, Sveti. He only wants to help. “...sure. I'd appreciate it.”

Unsurprisingly, he caught her reaction. “...did I say something wrong?” he asked.

You promised him you'd be open with him, she chided herself. “It's, um... not wrong, no. Just sort of... well, if a tercel offers to groom a hen's wings out of the blue like that, especially if they're well-acquainted, it's... err, often an invitation for her to get to know him a lot more intimately.”

He stared at her blankly for a long moment before realization crossed his face. “You mean-”

“Forming the beast with four wings. Right.” She ran her claws through her crest. “Ancestors, why can't I talk about this like a normal adult hen?”

“I, uh... I think I get it.” One of the more notable things about Peter's face was that, without anything covering the skin, it was really easy to see when he was blushing. “This is one of those 'griffin rules', isn't it?”

“Yeah. I mean, I'm not angry; there's no way you could've known. It just, uh... kind of caught me by surprise.”

“Understandable. I'm just glad you're not upset.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “Come on, let's get back inside. Even with this coat I'm getting chilly up here.”

“Fair enough.” She gave him a grateful smile as he opened the door for her, but it wasn't until she was back on the ground floor that a realization struck her: While he'd been embarrassed when she'd told him the cultural implications of his offer, he'd neither apologized nor taken it back. But before she could reflect on what that meant- or let him go through with his offer- she heard a bell chime. “Someone's at the front door,” she said.

(-)

“You're sure you want to go through with this?”

In front of her, Aircolt Wind let out a slightly-annoyed sigh. “Sarge, that's the fourth time you've asked me that,” he said quietly, leaning against the legrest of his wheelchair to look back at her. “I'd think you didn't want to do this if you hadn't volunteered.”

“I just think it's a bad idea,” Air Sergeant York told him.

His eyes locked onto hers. “Sergeant, permission to speak freely?”

“Go ahead.”

“What the hay is going on with you? Ever since what happened in Ponyville, it's like you're a completely different pony. Everypony in the unit thinks so, even the ones who were agreeing with you about Peter.”

“I don't-” She fell silent when she heard the front door unlatch, and looked up as it opened slowly to reveal Sveti Windwhisper on the other side, gazing at them both with reserved friendliness.

“Err... what can I do for you?” the griffin asked.

Wind's response was immediate, giving York no time to speak. “I'd like to talk to Peter Collins, if I could.”

“Who...?” She paused, glancing inside at something, then nodded. “Come inside, please,” she said, pulling the door open wider and gesturing with a claw for them to enter. York pushed the wheelchair past her, feeling almost immediately the toasty warmth of the reception area against her hide; her pegasus resistance to the cold didn't prevent her from appreciating the warmer air.

Standing a few feet away from the door was the creature that had dominated York's thoughts for months. It was just hanging up a coat, looking over its shoulder at them, its expression obviously pensive despite the alien shape of its face. Slowly it turned towards them, clasping its hands behind its back.

And then it spoke.

“Um... hello, Aircolt Wind. You look well. Who is your friend?”

Its words were a bit halting, its accent fairly thick, but still York found herself taken aback by how well it spoke. She knew she shouldn't have been surprised; she'd been told it could talk, and had even been receiving language lessons from Princess Twilight... but to hear it speak Equish so clearly just felt odd, somehow.

“This is Air Sergeant Peppermint York. She's my immediate superior, and she volunteered to help get me here today.”

To her surprise, the creature gave her a smile. “Hello, Sergeant. It's nice to meet you.”

“I, um... likewise,” she murmured.

Sveti made her way to the creature's side, her gaze focused on the pony in the wheelchair. “Aircolt Wind?” she asked. “Are you the guard who Peter injured?”

“I am, yes, Miss Windwhisper.” He raised a hoof. “Please, don't be alarmed. I'm not here to start any sort of trouble. I just wanted to talk.”

The creature nodded. “Okay. Either of you hungry? We about to have lunch.”

“I wouldn't turn down a sandwich,” Wind chuckled; York simply shook her head.

“I'll get something for us, then,” Sveti said. “Peter, why don't you show them to the study?”

“Okay.” The griffin loped off down the hall, and the creature showed them into a small, cozy room with a small fireplace along one wall; the yeti- or the “human”, she'd been told- warmed its hands before the fire for a moment before taking a seat. York parked Wind's wheelchair next to an overstuffed reading chair on the opposite side of the room, then took a seat, trying to force herself to relax. “Aircolt Wind-” it began.

Wind raised a hoof again. “Please, just Wind. Or Swift. Whichever you like.”

“Okay. Wind... I know you were in hospital for long while. Asked for permission to visit several times, was denied; was told might hurt your healing.”

“You were?” Wind seemed genuinely taken aback. “I don't know why you were told that, Mister Collins-”

“Just Peter. Please.”

“-Peter. Sorry. Nopony ever told me you wanted to see me. I would've agreed.”

“Oh.” Things went quiet for a short while. “Was wondering why you were in hospital so long.”

“I'm allergic to a common ingredient in most healing potions. It's really a problem sometimes, seriously. Healing magic works a lot more slowly, so I was stuck in the hospital for a while.”

“Is it blisterwort?” Sveti accompanied her words into the room, carrying a small tray on her back, which she set onto the table before lifting a plate laden with sandwiches and bringing it to Wind. “We have a few leftover sandwiches from dinner last night. There's hay and dandelion ones, and a couple of soybean and tulip ones as well. I warmed them up for you.”

“I love tulips. Thanks.” He gave the griffin a wide smile as he picked up one of the sandwiches and took a bite. “Oh, after so much hospital food, this tastes wonderful. So how'd you guess the allergy was blisterwort?”

“When the embassy was still running, one of the staff that worked here had the same allergy. We kept a note by the medical supplies telling not to give her any of the potions we kept at claw just in case anyone forgot, or if a new staffer hadn't been told. Thankfully she never ended up needing medical attention.”

“Oh, well, that's good. If her allergy was as severe as mine, things probably would've gotten serious.”

The creature nodded. “So... Wind, can ask why you came by today?”

“Well, for one, I had to get out of that hospital, at least for a little while, or I was going to go stir-crazy.” He grinned as both the creature and Sveti chuckled. “Two... well. I wanted to know more about you, Peter. About how you ended up in Ponyville in the first place before what happened. It's been hard to get a straight story out of anypony, and Princess Twilight told me at one point that I should just ask you if I ever got a chance. So I decided to make a chance happen.”

The creature and the griffin gave each other a glance before the yeti spoke. “There things... Princesses not want me to say,” it said. “But can tell rest.”

York really didn't want to be here for this, but she couldn't think of an excuse to leave that wouldn't sound utterly hollow- she had promised Wind that she'd stick around in case he needed help- so she had no choice but to sit and listen as it spoke. I just need to keep my mind firm, she thought. Don't let whatever magic it uses get to me.

But she really had no choice but to listen to the creature's tale, and as she heard it lay out exactly what had happened to both it and the griffin, she slowly began to feel her resolve crack. This can't be true. It can't be! This doesn't happen in Equestria! The ponies I protect don't do things like this!

“You're lying,” she found herself saying.

The creature went silent instantly, and the griffin's eyes narrowed. “What?” she queried, an edge already in her voice.

“You're lying. You have to be lying. Damn you to Tartarus, what is it you do that makes ponies believe you so easily?! You even had me feeling sorry for you!” She leapt out of the chair, coming to hover at eye level with the creature barely a foreleg's length from its face, staring into its eyes, completely ignoring the angry squawk coming from the griffin.

“Sarge, what the buck?! Stand down!” she barely heard Wind yelp.

“You had better back the pluck off, Sergeant,” Sveti practically growled in her ear, having taken to the air herself to hover right by the yeti's side.

“I want an answer.” York clenched her teeth, glaring into the creature's eyes, waiting for it to make a move.

Instead, it glanced between her and its griffin companion, and then uttered five quiet, carefully-spoken words.

“I will show you proof.”

Her anger was pushed aside for the moment by confusion, and she dropped to the floor, stepping back a couple of meters as the creature raised its arms to tug its loose-fitting shirt over its head, then tossed the clothing onto the chair and turned to show its back to her. And what she saw on its back made her gasp in shock- a thick, livid scar decorated the bare skin over its shoulder blade, almost as long as her fetlock. “That....” she stammered. “How does that... prove anything...?”

“Peter got that scar from Big Top,” Sveti replied. “Top whipped him during one of the 'shows'. Since magic can't be used on Peter, and the other ponies in the sideshow didn't have proper medical training, the wound scarred over permanently.”

“...no, that....” York shook her head in denial. “That can't be from a pony. A pony wouldn't do that.”

“Sarge, I thought you'd said you'd read the reports,” Wind said behind her.

And she had, but she had thought them to be fabricated at Princess Twilight's behest to buttress her insane support of the creature. If everything she'd read had been true, though... “No. No. It can't. It can't. You're twisting things around, you monster.”

She felt a hoof on her shoulder and turned to see that Wind had pushed his wheelchair up to her; he stared into her eyes with a mix of confusion and disgust. “Sergeant York, Peter didn't do anything wrong! What happened was an accident; I already forgave him for it! Why do you hate him so much?!”

The stallion's words hit her like a brick wall. Claustrophobia and nausea threatened to overwhelm her, and her vision swam as she spun around and flew towards the entranceway, ignoring the shouts behind her as she flung the doors open and soared into the air. She knew all too well what she'd done now, and she knew what she had to do.

(-)

“I have to say that I'm very surprised by this.” Shining placed the form on his desk, looking up at the mare sitting across from him. “I think this is only the fifth time I've seen this form filed in the entire length of my service.”

“I hadn't intended for it to be escalated this high, sir,” came the response.

“Ordinarily it wouldn't have been, Air Sergeant. But when a guard with your exemplary service record files for discharge completely out of the blue, it raises eyebrows and brings questions.” He placed his forehooves together, leaning forward slightly. “Sergeant York, I believe I understand what this is about.”

The neutral mask she was trying to maintain began to crack. “You do...?”

“Yesterday the precinct received a complaint about you. Well, officially it was deemed a 'complaint', but it was more like a statement.” Shining pulled another form out of his desk. “The signatories are Sveti Windwhisper, Peter Collins and Aircolt Second Class Swift Wind.”

“Why... why do you say it was like a statement?”

“Because all three of the signatories asked that the complaint not bring about any sort of punishment for you.” He watched the mare read over the form with tired-looking eyes. “Now herein lies the problem, Sergeant York. I still hold the title of Captain of the Royal Guard, but it's now purely ceremonial; I'm no longer your commander, and while the staff still listens to what I have to say, I can only influence decisions, not make them. And this-” he tapped the complaint form with a hoof- “is not going to help things with this.” He motioned to the discharge form. “These can be denied, and it's entirely possible that your commanding officer will see what you've written on this form as cause for reassignment to a place like, say, the Badlands.” He saw her cringe; it was an unpopular assignment for a reason, and while it was rare for commanders to use it as a punishment detail, that fact didn't keep the enlisted ponies from thinking of it that way.

“...I could desert,” she murmured, not lifting her eyes from the forms.

“You could. But if something like that was truly on your mind, you'd have done so already.” He gave her a flat look. “Sergeant, I'm of two minds about you right now. I admire your service record; three citations for individual bravery, at risk of injury to self. A number of favorable reviews from superiors and subordinates alike. Not one single black mark on your record in the six years since you enlisted. But on the other hoof, what you freely admitted to in this discharge request- collusion with a civilian official, divulging Guard operational data to an unauthorized agent... Sergeant York, a strict reading of protocol would see you put in prison for this.” He gave her a moment to speak, but she made no move to do so. “And while I find the second part abhorrent, a part of me wants to do anything I can to save the first.”

Now she looked up. “...what do you mean?”

“What I'm going to do is this.” He picked up both forms from the desk, then opened a drawer and placed both of them into it. “These can stay in there for a while,” he told her, closing the drawer. “And I can ask Lieutenant Crash to temporarily remove you from your current position in the chain of command and transfer you to a special assignment that's come up. It's something I think you can perform well, and it just might give you a better look into exactly what happened with Peter and Sveti, should you allow it.”

“What is it?”

“A security detail. Recent events have convinced the Princesses that the other four ponies formerly of Big Top's sideshow- Farris Wheel, Silver Wisk, and the brothers Stout and Strong Hooves- may now be the targets of reprisal from unknown parties for what happened in Equinox Square on Hearth's Warming Eve. We need one of the Guard to be on-call and near to them in case actions are taken against them, and it wouldn't hurt to have somepony familiar with the methods of who we're up against.”

“So... this is an undercover assignment?”

“More or less. They'll know you're with the Guard, of course, but you'll be keeping a low profile and sticking to civilian dress.”

She gazed at him for a moment before sighing. “I don't have a choice, do I, sir?”

“You always do. But this choice involves whether or not I open that drawer again, whether you get that general discharge you want or end up seeing the wrong side of a prison cell. Oh, and one more thing.” He leaned forward again. “Should you choose to volunteer for this assignment, there's one extra request I'd like to make.”

“What is it, sir?”

“These four ponies you'll be watching over? Talk to them. Maybe you'll learn some things from them.” He leaned back in his chair. “I'll assume you know where Lieutenant Crash's office is. I'm sure you'll find him there.”

“...yes, sir.” The mare hopped down from the chair and trotted out.

Once the door to his office closed, Shining let out a long sigh and rubbed his temples with his forehooves. I hope this pans out, he thought. I'm taking a gamble with her, but I think this will get the job done while just maybe saving us somepony who I think could make a fine officer someday if she'd just break free of her prejudices.

And in the meantime.... His horn lit up, and his desk drawer opened; one of the forms he'd placed inside levitated out. Princess Celestia needs to see this.

(-)

“Stallions and gentlemares, I thank you for attending this special session of Parliament. I trust you've all had a pleasant holiday?”

Celestia looked around from her podium at the assembled nobleponies and politicians, some of whom looked like they were still blinking sleep from their eyes. Noting their varied responses, she gave them all a bright smile. “I'm pleased to hear it. I apologize for the early start so soon after Hearth Warming Day; a certain matter has come up that I feel requires immediate resolution.” She glanced to her left side. “Penfold?”

“Your Highness.” The stallion cleared his throat. “Her Royal Highness, Princess Celestia, has filed a motion- hereby known as Motion 12-993-12- to table and nullify Motion 12-979-12, introduced by Senator Rune Speaker.”

Celestia serenely observed the assembled parliament as Penfold read off the legalities and procedures. Even these ponies, who thought themselves so inscrutable and unreadable, were all but open books to her ancient, practiced eye; she didn't need to have read the Hearth's Warming Eve roll call to know who had voted for that previous motion. Of course, she had read it- she was nothing if not thorough.

Finally, Penfold had reached the end of the traditional- and frustratingly time-wasting- procedures. “As is customary and enshrined in the laws of Equestria, the pony who wishes to table a previous motion, and the pony who introduced that motion, will each be given twenty minutes to provide arguments for their side. As the author of the more current motion, Princess Celestia is granted the choice of whether to speak first. Your Highness, do you wish to do so? Please answer 'yea' or 'neigh'.”

“Neigh. Senator Speaker may speak first.”

“Very well. Senator Rune Speaker has the floor for twenty minutes, beginning two minutes hence.” Penfold turned over a small hourglass as the well-dressed unicorn made his way to the center of the hall; the older stallion dutifully waited for the aide to turn over a larger hourglass and nod.

“My fellow ponies,” he said, his stentorian voice carrying through the room. “things are not well for our feathered and furred neighbors to the northeast. Their White Plains War has severely hurt their economy, their society and their populace. Like good neighbors should, we have done our best to support them- but while they are happy to take our food and supplies, they reject any and all offers from us to resolve the conflict! They outright laugh at our attempts to bring peace, calling us 'weak' and 'soft'! We ignored their effrontery with the patience that we ponies are rightfully known for, but now we've seen a new low from the Griffin Empire- an armed attack on Equestrian soil, which almost cost one of our citizens her life!”

Celestia watched dispassionately as the senator made his case- that the attack was likely part of a greater plot to either trick or coerce Equestria into providing greater support, or even joining the war themselves. No mention was made of Peter or the likelihood that the attack was aimed towards securing his superior technological knowledge for the Empire's benefit; it was unlikely that the senator simply didn't know or at least guess, so it was likely that he didn't want to attach the human- and his increasing popularity- to the situation.

“And finally,” the blowhard- the esteemed senator, she chided herself- said, “we come to the matter of Sveti Windwhisper. Is it coincidence that this attack took place not long after she returned to Canterlot? Why does she remain here, aside from providing upkeep for an embassy without an ambassador? Justice demands that she be investigated and tried to the fullest extent of the law, but perhaps it would be more expedient to simply close the embassy, save our taxpayers' hard-earned bits, and send Miss Windwhisper home where she belongs!”

There were a few assorted cheers and some stomps of applause amongst the senators- something of a breach of decorum, but then again Celestia had sprung this on them rather early, and not many of them were of the early-bird variety. With a self-satisfied smile, Senator Speaker ceded the floor.

“Princess Celestia, are you prepared for your rebuttal?” Penfold asked.

She nodded slightly. “I am.”

“You may begin, Your Highness.” The stallion tapped a small crystal on the side of the larger hourglass, and a simple spell drew every last grain of sand back into the upper bulb, then released them to begin flowing again.

Celestia quietly cleared her throat, then raised her head and projected her voice to be clear and understandable to every last pony in the room. “My little ponies,” she said, “Our friends to the northeast are indeed in dire straits. And I will freely admit that griffins are a proud species, and might sometimes be considered stubborn. Then again, I would say that we ponies can be the same way, in some situations; I need only mention 'the Appleoosa bison incident' to prove this point.

“But to suggest that the attack on the embassy is part of some grand plan to subvert Equestria's safety and security? And to insinuate that Sveti Windwhisper- a griffin who has undergone a string of tragedies and difficulties, no small number of them at the hooves of ponies, and yet remains a friend to us- is some sort of agent for the Empire... without proof? Senator Speaker, with all due respect, you have provided nothing that resembles evidence to back your claims. Yet you would have us deport a young hen to a nation where she has no surviving family, no home, simply due to conjecture.

“And allow me to address the attack itself. We have no evidence that it was ordered by Emperor Drottin himself, rather than a rogue agent within his government. If, as you say, we are having a hard time having our voice heard by the Emperor, then what do you believe reclosing the embassy and forcibly evicting his people from our lands would do for that? The Griffin Empire and the Principality of Equestria have been allies for close to five hundred years, even if our relations have been somewhat strained at times; I see no reason to endanger that history without solid, incontrovertible proof. Therefore I must object to Senator Speaker's measure, and indeed any action that seeks to sanction or punish any innocent griffin for the actions of his or her government.

“Speaking of proof... I have a signed statement from a pony whose identity must be protected for the time being, stating that there has been a concentrated effort to discredit both Sveti Windwhisper and Peter Collins- and that members of the very nobility of Canterlot have been part and parcel of this effort.” There were a number of shocked gasps from the assembled ponies, and not all of them were from surprise. “To say that I am appalled by this information is to put it extremely lightly. I have officially brought this document to the attention of the Internal Affairs department, and I have little doubt that they will unearth the identity of all those involved in this plot. And should it be discovered that this plot risked damaging our relations with a neighboring country... I do not wish to use words such as 'sedition' and 'treason' lightly, but I do assure everypony that the Crowns will pursue the maximum penalties allowable by law for every individual found to have taken part in this conspiracy.”

Her words appeared to have their desired effect. She hadn't come out and said it, but the implication had certainly been picked up by the politically-savvy ponies- should anypony be found to have voted for Senator Speaker measure as a part of the smear campaign, they would be held culpable. And it wasn't beyond anypony's knowledge that the most severe punishment for treason was banishment from the nation.

Once she'd given up the floor and returned to her seat, the vote on her motion was taken. Unsurprisingly, once the anonymous votes had been tallied, her motion won by an astounding majority. The politicians looked singularly relieved when she introduced her second motion- early adjournment of the session, and it seemed that Senator Speaker could barely keep himself from galloping out of the building.

Luna was waiting for her in the briefing room. “There are still times when you surprise me, sister,” the lunar alicorn chuckled once the door had been closed and magically warded.

Celestia couldn't quite hide a smile. “What do you mean?”

“Such boldness! Such quick decisiveness! A ploy that I myself would have been proud to concoct. Quite different from your usual habit of careful deliberation.”

“One of the many things I learned from you, Lulu, was the value of striking while the iron is hot.” She took a seat at the table next to her sister. “And this windfall that was dropped on our backs was too valuable to keep in reserve. We need to project the image that we are both willing and capable of moving quickly to counter this problem.”

“A fine explanation, but not the only one.” A grin crossed Luna's muzzle. “Our little ponies may not be able to see through your mask of serenity, but your sister always has been- and I could see your satisfaction at finally scoring a victory against those manipulative little fetlock-biters.”

Celestia kept her face as calm as could be for ten seconds... and then let a broad smile curl her lips. “You're damned right I felt that.”

(-)

“Blast it! This wind is going to blow away all my notes!”

Next to Twilight, Dash snickered. “C'mon, Twilight, what'd you expect in the Everfree Forest in the beginning of March? You know the saying, 'In like a manticore, out like a lamb'.”

“Ugh.” Not wanting to contaminate the area with magic if she could possibly avoid it, Twilight resorted to using rocks to pin down her various parchments on the small table. “I wish you could do something about the wind, Dash.”

“Not in the Everfree, I can't. This place is crazy.” The pegasus glanced over at the tall biped nearby. “Peter, were you serious, what you said about your world? The weather is like this everywhere?”

He nodded. “No weather control on my world, Dash. Wind goes where wants, rain falls where wants.”

“Ugh. That'd drive me nuts.” Dash shook her head. “So Twilight, why the hay did you drag all of us out here again?”

“There was no 'dragging'! I brought Peter because he's the nexus for all this, Sveti because she's his friend and protector, Zecora because she's the best guide to the Everfree in all of Equestria, and you... well, you just ended up tagging along. Don't you have anything else to do?”

“Nope.”

Twilight let out a long-suffering sigh and gave the others a glance. “...well, okay then,” she murmured, glancing back down at her map. “Peter, could you stand... right there?” she asked, pointing at a nondescript area of dirt in the clearing.

He complied. “This where I first came to Equus?” he asked.

“Precisely. Or, well, at least to within an estimation of twenty paces, which is close enough for our purposes here.” She smiled. “I'm hoping that the spell I'm about to cast will manage to slip through the barrier between our worlds and provide an anchor at the point where you left yours and entered this one.”

He nodded; she could tell he was doing his best to keep a neutral demeanor, but by now she could see the subtle excitement in his posture. “Could let you open portal back?” he asked.

“That's the goal. I'll have to see what happens first.” She consulted her notes one last time, then stepped away from the table to stand near the human. “It's going to be another powerful spell, though not quite as much as last time, so please try to remain calm.”

“I will.”

“Zecora, are we clear?”

The zebra closed her eyes for a moment, her ears flicking back and forth. “I sense no other creatures near which could do us any harm. But should that change, rest assured that I will raise alarm.”

“Great. This shouldn't take very long. Ready, Peter?” When he nodded, Twilight lowered her head to point her horn at the ground beneath his feet. Magic shot forth, tracing wild lines and curves along the dirt, until a runeshape the size of a comfortable living room surrounded the human. With the channeling focus set, Twilight turned her magic towards Peter himself, careful to regulate it just as she had with the last casting, and the spell struck him silently. Her physical eyes watched as the thin, white beam shone against his chest, but another sense entirely followed her spell as it left her world.

She stood there, as still as any statue, for several long minutes, until the runeform finally lost its charge and faded into a series of scorches in the dirt. Her head fell, her eyes closed tightly and a deep frown on her lips. “Um... Princess?” she heard Sveti ask hesitantly. “What... what happened?”

Twilight stood there for another long moment, letting what had happened process in her mind... then opened her eyes to look up at Peter, allowing herself the smile she'd been holding in. “Success,” she declared. “I have a beacon on Earth, and I can track it.”

Peter's jaw dropped, his eyes wide in surprise; Dash and Zecora both looked thrilled... but Sveti's expression seemed conflicted between joy and sorrow. “Are... are you saying we can finally get him home?” the hen asked.

“Two months. Maybe even sooner than that, depending. But I'm confident that with the beacon in place, I can find a way to open a portal to Earth.” She gave Peter the brightest smile she could. “It's entirely possible that I could have you home before the end of spring... and even set up a stable gateway between our worlds.”

“Give me a test reading on resonators one and two.”

“Resonator one is at forty-three-point-five thaums; resonator two... shows no variance.”

“Excellent. Three and four?”

“Four has no variance, Your Highness; three is off by zero-point-two negative.”

“Adjust the alignment crystals. I want to get as close to perfect equilibrium as possible. This is an extremely delicate centering operation and I want everything as close to perfect as we can manage.”

I honestly had no idea what most of what they were talking about actually meant, and judging by Sveti's occasionally bewildered looks, she wasn't doing much better than me. But I could tell that the ponies' preparations were extremely painstaking and that they wanted their equipment- which looked for all the world like something out of a 1950's mad-science movie- to be running in top form. This wasn't the primary effort to open a portal back home for me; that wasn't going to happen for at least another month by Twilight's calculations. What I was presently standing in the middle of this “clean room” for was, if I understood the explanation, a sort of “portal hop” procedure designed to allow any subsequent portal to be opened from here rather than having to brave the Everfree Forest. Knowing all too well what sorts of dangers lived in that place, I was entirely happy to lend myself to the effort.

“Resonators are synced, Princess,” one of the ponies said. “No detectable variance.”

“Excellent.” Twilight checked something off on her clipboard. “The runeshape is ready; I ran a test on it myself three days ago. Everything should be ready to-”

“Hold on!” one of the other ponies called out, before gingerly bending down to pick up something off the floor. “Who left this here? It could bear latent magical charges if a unicorn was levitating it recently!”

“What is that, a flower?” Twilight trotted over to have a look. “No, it looks like a boutounniere or something. Able, please take it out of the room and dispose of it. We'll find out who left it here later, and have a good long talk about clean-room protocols.”

“At once, Princess.”

As the mare complied, Twilight returned to her station. “Peter, this time the magic will be traveling 'around' you, in a way, rather than through you, so it shouldn't affect you nearly as strongly as previously. But please be sure to tell me if you feel or sense anything unusual, okay?”

“I will.” I couldn't help but fidget a little, being in the center of all this; all of the strange equipment and magical objects seemed to almost crackle with arcane energies that I couldn't comprehend. I just had to trust that Twilight and her team absolutely knew what they were doing.

Off to my right, Sveti grinned. “Don't forget to smile for the birdie, Peter.”

“Oh ha ha.” I had to smile at the corny joke.

“Alright, I think we're ready,” Twilight announced, checking a number of readouts on various machines. “Gosh, I am absolutely excited about getting this underway. Remove the safety interlocks and open the conduits.”

With a loud electrical-sounding crack, a number of the tall, silvery spires around me began to spark and hum. Thin lines of light began to trace their way along the complicated shapes that had been drawn along the floor, culminating in a four-foot-wide circle in the center of which I stood. I probably would've considered it beautiful if I didn't have a vague idea of just how much magical energy was coursing around me.

Twilight checked a reading and nodded in satisfaction. “Power to stage one emitters in three, two, one....”

The outermost set of metal poles began to hum louder, more and more energy sparking up and down their lengths. One of the technicians manning another workstation looked up. “I'm seeing predictable phase arrays,” he announced.

“Acknowledged.” Twilight leaned over and placed a forehoof on a very large lever. “Stage two emitters activating... now.”

The hum only got louder as the inner ring of poles began to increase their charge as well. The shapes on the floor around me looked almost like bright neon lights now, glaring but not blinding. Twilight seemed to regard everything as going fine, so I did my best to relax. “Thaumatic capacitors to one-zero-five percent,” she called out.

The excessively large number caused some of my resolve to break. “Isn't that a bit high?” I asked.

“Don't worry! These go to one hundred and eleven!”

I wasn't nearly as comforted by her words as I would've liked, but still I held onto that trust that she knew what she was doing-

crack

-my heart seemed to stop for a moment as something on the floor gave off a subdued flash. I felt a strange energy begin to tingle along my skin, as if I was at ground zero of an oncoming lightning strike. “Twilight?!” I shouted.

“Wait... what's going on? There- there's thaumatic leakage in the runeform! It's an open circuit!” The alicorn began flipping switches. “Shut it down! Somepony get him out of there and shut it down!”

Alarms began blaring. “Shutting down,” one of the technicians called out. “Attempting shutdown... it's not- it's not shutting down!”

The light that had been issuing from the shapes along the floor began to glow brighter around the outer edges, flaring up into something almost solid-looking; the way that the air buzzed around it made me fearful of making contact with it. Twilight's horn lit up, and a streak of magic came towards me, probably her attempt to pull me out herself- but the moment her spell hit the circle of light around me, it exploded in a shower of sparks.

“Princess! What's going on?!” Sveti yelled.

“I don't know! This shouldn't be happening!” She glanced down at her instruments. “Re-engage the interlocks! Shunt all thaumatic energies into the reserve crystals! We have to stop this cascade before-”

The light had been steadily making its way along the runeshape all the while, and I watched in growing horror as it finished, the thick wall of blue-white light now forming a circular cage around me. It began vibrating subtly, ripples appearing along its surface, and as that vibration increased in sound I realized it was building up towards something that was highly unlikely to be beneficial to me. “Somebody help!” I screamed.

“Peter! Princess, I'm getting him out of there!”

“Sveti, no! You can't just wade into the field; there's no telling what it might do to you!”

The vibrations reached a crescendo, seeming to echo inside of me somehow, every last cell in my body moving in symphony with it. I felt a strange energy burn through my limbs, running through my heart, spine and brain, overwhelming me.

And then everything went white.

(-)

“What happened?! What the buck just happened?!”

Finally, far too late to do any good, the interlocks kicked in and the shunts began to drain magical power from the runeform and emitters. After a hoofful of seconds, the bizarre shield that had emerged from the rune shuddered, then broke like a soap bubble in the wind with a loud crackle. And when Twilight's vision cleared, what she saw terrified her:

Nothing.

“Peter? Peter!” Sveti was frantic. “Princess! Where is he?!”

Twilight couldn't move, couldn't even breathe for a moment as her mind struggled to understand what happened... and then her intellect recovered. “Somepony get the Princesses now!” she ordered. “Nopony touch anything else until they get here! The fastest way to understand what happened and reverse it is to have Celestia and Luna helping!”

The three minutes it took for a pegasus guard to alert Celestia, and for her and Luna to make their way to the clean room, seemed to take forever to Twilight. The thought that she could have accidentally caused the death of an innocent creature, of a friend, left her feeling like somepony had encased her heart in ice... and the forlorn, bereft expression on Sveti's face as she stared at the spot where Peter had been made it exponentially worse. And yet I find myself hoping that she doesn't turn around, because I don't think I could look her in the eyes right now without breaking down, she thought.

Finally, the doors to the room flew open, and both Celestia and Luna charged into the room. “Twilight!” Celestia called out. “Tell us what happened, quickly.”

Fighting the urge to babble everything out at once, she forcibly ordered her thoughts and gave the royal sisters the most brief and succinct summation she could manage. “And you tested this apparatus three days afore?” Luna queried.

“Yes. I brought the capacitors up to one hundred and ten percent to ensure that nothing would fail, then double-checked every last part of it for any sort of damage or overloading.”

“Her checklist was exceptionally thorough, Princesses,” Able Assistant offered from nearby. “If there had been any kind of fault in the system, Princess Twilight would've found it.”

“Then we have on our hooves the mystery of what happened.” Celestia turned towards the large runeshape, her gaze resting on the young griffin hen that still sat completely unmoving nearby; the alicorn approached Sveti, gently placing a wing over her shoulders. “Sveti,” she said quietly, though loud enough for Twilight to hear, “do not mourn Peter yet. The forms of magic employed here are powerful, but to simply kill a living creature is against their very nature. Also... Peter has proven himself a survivor when the odds were highly stacked against him, and I would not assume his streak is over quite yet.”

Luna paused just a moment to lightly brush her wing against Sveti's side in a show of sympathy, then continued on to the machinery. “Twilight Sparkle, you said that you witnessed a failure within the runeshape itself. Indicate its location for me, if you would.”

“Here.” Despite the fact that she knew the runeshape was completely discharged and safe, she still found herself stepping gingerly over its lines as she led the lunar alicorn to where she'd seen the spark. “That point, right there,” she said, pointing a hoof at the scorched-looking area. “That's where it happened. I can't think of a single reason it would have failed there.”

Luna bent down to examine the point closely for a moment, then raised her head, taking in the entirety of the runeform. “The complexity of your work is quite frankly astounding, Twilight Sparkle,” she said quietly. “As is your diligence. Indeed, there should have been no failure... but I suspect that the fault is not yours.”

Twilight balked, raising a forehoof in surprise. “...what do you mean?”

“I require more proof to be certain. Bring the apparatus back into operation, at one-third the power you previously utilized.”

The technical team went through the run-up sequence quickly, and soon the equipment was humming with energy again, though much more quietly than before. The damaged portion of the runeform sparked heavily. “...I see,” Luna said softly. “This was no failure of the runeshape itself. This portion was sabotaged.”

“Sabotaged?!” Twilight repeated. “But who....” She went silent for a moment. “There was a boutounniere found in the room. Nopony in the science team would've worn one, let alone left it lying around in a clean room.”

“Show it to me,” Celestia commanded.

Able galloped out of the room, coming back a moment later with the accessory in her mouth; Celestia took hold of it with her magic, raising it up to look at it carefully. “...isn't this Blueblood's?” she murmured.

There was a rustle of feathers, a gust of wind powerful enough to ruffle Twilight's own wings, and a tan-and-white blur that streaked out the doors. Twilight let out a gasp of shock. “Sveti?!” she called out.

(-)

“...where the blazes is my favorite boutounniere?” Blueblood pulled open yet another dresser drawer, pushing clothing left and right. “Silk Tie! Have you seen my boutounniere?! I can't be seen without it tonight; I'm going to a play, and everypony who's anypony will be there!”

“No, Your Highness, I've not seen it,” the stallion replied.

“Ugh. If I find out that Silver Sparks has 'borrowed' it again, I'll clip his tail hair and wear that instead! He'll-” he thought he caught something moving outside the window, but dismissed it as his imagination- “he'll regret thinking he can take liberties with my wardrobe! I'll show him just how-”

crash

He barely had time to register that the nearby windows had been smashed open before something large, tawny and very angry slammed into him, taking him clean off of his hooves and slamming him into the floor. He barely heard Silk Tie give out a terrified yelp and gallop away before strong claws and sharp talons were at his throat, and a pair of furious golden eyes glared into his.

“Where did you send him?!” the griffin practically snarled.

“I- I don't-” He batted ineffectively at her claws with his forehooves, trying to pry her off of him.

“Don't give me 'you don't'! I know you hate him! What did you do to the runeform?!”

Terror and confusion battled it out inside of his mind. “I don't know what you're talking about!” he wheezed. “Runeform? What....”

“Don't you even try to play innocent! They found your boutounniere in the room! I swear to every last one of my ancestors, if you don't tell me where Peter is now, I will pull your horn out of your skull and shove it so far up your plot that it'll come back out of your head!”

“I don't know! I didn't do anything!” He knew that the only thing keeping him from wetting himself was the fact that he'd just used the bathroom a few minutes ago. “Let me go, you beast!”

“Sveti. Please stand down.”

The griffin froze, her head slowly turning to look back at the door. Blueblood followed her gaze to see Celestia slowly trotting into the room, her eyes fixed on them. After a moment, the hen turned back towards Blueblood, releasing his neck from her grip and staring at her claws as though she'd never seen them before. “...what am I doing....” she whispered, backing away from him with a haunted expression.

“Auntie!” He was still too dazed and sore to stand. “This- this beast just attacked me! I demand to know-”

“Blueblood. Silence.” There was something in her tone that made him immediately clamp his mouth shut. “I want an explanation for this,” she said; her horn flared, and a small object appeared next to her.

“My... my boutounniere?” He blinked in bewilderment. “I've been looking for it for an hour; where did...?”

“This was found in one of the clean rooms in the science wing. Specifically, where a test was being performed in order to send Peter home. That test was sabotaged, and now Peter is missing.”

“What...?” He couldn't believe what he was hearing. “You... you can't possibly think that I....”

He fell silent again at the look she gave him. “Follow me,” she commanded.

As quickly as decorum would allow, he fell into place behind her as she cantered out into the hallway. Across from him, he saw the griffin do the same- but the look in her eyes was vacant, her head lowered and her beak trembling slightly. And only at that moment did it strike Blueblood that something very, very bad had happened, and he was under suspicion for having caused it.

I have the sinking feeling that I won't be making it to that play tonight, he thought ruefully.

(-)

“Since Shining is back in the Crystal Empire, I have Majors Tulip and Rime examining the guard logs and canvassing every guard who was on duty in this section of the castle over the last two days.” Twilight glanced over at Luna, who was standing near the runeshape, pouring a thin stream of magic into its center. “Luna says she might be able to work out what happened. She's been at it since you left, Celestia, but I don't dare interrupt her to see how it's proceeding.”

Celestia nodded, pleased that Twilight had matured past her monomaniacal tendencies and had learned to delegate. “Blueblood insists he had nothing to do with this,” she replied, glancing back at her wayward nephew; he was pressing himself into a corner of the room with a dedication such that, were it possible, he would probably have melded with the plaster by now. “And truth be told, I am inclined to believe him... if for no other reason than I don't believe he possesses this level of initiative.”

“Then what-”

Twilight's words were interrupted by a shout from Luna. “Eureka!” she declared, staring at a tiny rift in space that floated at about eye level at the point where the human had disappeared. “I have discerned Peter's location! He is....” Her voice trailed off, and her expression fell. “Oh no,” she murmured.

“Luna?” Celestia approached her sister. “What's wrong?”

The lunar alicorn looked back towards Celestia with a truly haunted look on her face. “He has been sent to the Astral Plane,” she replied.

Sveti looked up at them. “...is that bad?”

“The Astral Plane is the realm of the mind. It is not meant that a physical body should inhabit it.”

“What could happen to Peter there?” Twilight asked.

Luna shook her head. “The explanation would require time we do not possess. Suffice it to say that we must retrieve him as quickly as possible. The task falls to me.”

“Princess, I want to help,” Sveti said quietly.

The alicorn gave her a gentle smile. “Would that I could allow it, but there is naught you nor any other mortal could do to help. Even mine sister would be nearly powerless there. Only I have the knowledge and skills required to effect a rescue.”

Celestia nodded in understanding. “I know the risks you're taking. Be careful, Lulu. Please.”

Luna smiled appreciatively, then pointed her horn towards the still-floating rift. A streak of void-black magic streaked from its tip, striking the rift and widening it into a portal of sorts, shaped like the iris of a cat's eye and just as black. Without a moment's hesitation, Luna flew into it, and it snapped shut behind her.

Celestia let out a quiet sigh. “Well, there is little we can do now but prepare for their return,” she said, not allowing herself for even a moment to contemplate any alternative outcome. “I'll explain to you just why Peter being trapped in the Astral Plane could have disastrous results... not just for him, but for all of us.”

(-)

It has not gotten any easier since the last time I had to do this.

There were a number of advantages to traveling through the Astral Plane in a mentally-constructed avatar, rather than one's own body. Chief among them was the inability to feel physical sensations- something that Luna particularly yearned for as she “flew” through the strange, substanceless void. To call it “cold” would be an attempt to apply physical laws in a place where they had no reign; temperature did not exist in this place, nor did other niceties such as gravity and air. Even she, who could stand upon the moon and endure the void of space without effort, had to expend no small amount of magic to protect herself from this place, lest its latent energies attempt to invade her body and erode the very forces that bound the fibers of her being together... and the form-fitting shield spell did little to remove the sensation of bone-aching chill all around her.

Things would have been different if she weren't also psionically shielding her mind, and that was how she knew Peter was likely still alive. The Plane will have constructed a pocket realm, of sorts, for his survival, she thought, deftly evading a streak of mental energy. Such as it has done for every pony who braved this place without mental shielding... until we ceased all such research and forbade its pursuit.

It didn't take her long to pick up the human's unique mental signature, orient herself on it and proceed what she arbitrarily designated as “forward”. While she couldn't sustain herself indefinitely, it wasn't a worry for her own safety that brought her to move as swiftly as possible. Time is a malleable concept here, she told herself, but it must still adhere to basic rules; therefore the situation is likely not yet unsalvageable. But haste is definitely called for.

She didn't know how long it took her to home in on Peter's location, but she did know when she came close. What appeared to her eyes as an enormous silvery bubble, suspended in nothingness, loomed before her, shimmering like a giant globule of quicksilver even though there was no light around for it to reflect. Satisfied that she'd found her target, she concentrated, focusing her magic to open a hole in the sphere for her to traverse.

Gravity reasserted itself the moment she moved through. When her hooves hit soft, grassy ground, she looked back to find the tear she'd created gone, and a lightly-forested area in its place. In front of her she found what appeared to be a strange road, made of a flat black material with a pair of yellow stripes painted along its center. Is it roads such as this that carriages like Peter's traverse upon? she wondered, as she took to the air, following the road away from where she'd entered. It wasn't long before she came upon a rather ordinary-looking dwelling situated not far from the road, with what appeared to be an intact version of that very same carriage parked on a small path that branched off of the main road.

Luna came to a light landing on the dwelling's front lawn and trotted onto the porch, looking through the windows set into the front doors but seeing no one present. Carefully, she unlatched the door with her magic and pushed a door open, poking her head inside. “...Peter?” she called out, keeping her voice low.

As if brought into existence by her call, the human walked into the living room, glancing up at her for a moment- then freezing in place, the small plate of food he was carrying falling from his hands to crash into the floor unheeded as his eyes locked onto her. “...you can't be here,” he said, his voice flat, as if he were stating an indisputable fact.

“Peter Collins, you must listen to me.” She trotted into the house, noting how he instinctively stepped back away from her. “Time is short and your very existence is in danger in this place.”

“No. Shut up. Just shut up and leave. You're not....” She saw his shoulders slump as a pained expression crossed his face. “You're not... supposed to be real....”

Carefully, slowly, she approached him. “Peter?”

“I thought....” He waved a hand around, indicating the house itself. “I thought I was back home. I thought it had all been a dream. I... wanted to believe it.”

She could understand all too easily. “But you noticed inconsistencies, did you not?” she asked. “Things which are odd or out-of-place.”

“Yeah, like... no wind. No other houses nearby. Or the fact that this is my parents' place, not mine, but they're not here.” He picked up a small device from a nearby table- one of the strange communications devices he called a “phone”- and tapped at it with a fingertip. “This works, but there's no signal.” The understanding she gained from that concept was almost dizzying, and she was forced to shove it into the back of her mind in order to keep her attention on the problem at hoof. “I... ignored it, at first. Stupid. I should've paid more attention.”

“Peter, I will not fault you for wanting to-”

“Just save it, alright?” He looked up with her with a scowl that didn't last for long before worry overtook it. “...is Sveti okay?”

She found the clear concern in his expression heartwarming. “She is. She worries for you.”

“Okay.” He couldn't quite hide his look of relief from her. “If I'm not home, then where am I?”

“This realm is known as the Astral Plane. It is a dimension of mentality, of thoughts and dreams... and of nightmares. Here is where I watch over the dreams of my little ponies as they sleep.”

“Yeah, and others.” She tried not to wince at his tone. “So I'm stuck in a dream, then?”

“No. When the test apparatus malfunctioned, you were apparently caught in a transplanar rift that brought you here in your physical form. What you see all around you is 'real', for want of a better term, but it has been constructed from your own mind.”

He opened his mouth to speak, then stopped for a moment. “...constructed 'from'?” he repeated. “Not 'by'? So I'm not the one who actually made this?”

She couldn't quite keep a small smile from her lips. “You are perceptive, and correct. The Astral Plane is... not 'sentient', per se, but it is reactive to the will and power of an awake mind. However, it is also dangerous in that it reacts much more strongly to dark emotions such as anger, fear and hate than more benevolent ones. No living mind can remain completely free of those emotions forever, and it is only a matter of time before the Astral Plane conjures something from those emotions, which will in turn cause the creature to feel them more strongly, causing a feedback effect- and, eventually, the death of the creature.”

He stared at her for a moment, then asked a surprising question. “How the hell do I even understand you so well? I'm sure that I didn't know a couple of those words, and yet... I did.”

“As I said, this is a realm of thought. The imprecise nature of language is negated here- it is our minds that speak to each other. You merely perceive it as vocalization.” She glanced back towards the door; something was darkening the skies above them. “We are running short on time. Already the Astral Plane is reacting to your emotions; there is no way to know what it may unleash upon us. I must return you to the rift as soon as possible.”

He stared at her for a moment, then nodded. “If I'm in danger, then I need to know what you're capable of here.”

“Very little.” Despite herself, her wings drooped slightly. “The nature of magic is different here; I am incapable of any powerful spells, external or internal, and my body has lost the inborn defenses that I have gained over the centuries. In short... I am as vulnerable as you here in this place.”

“...I see.” After a moment, he walked slowly towards her; she watched with a mix of impatience and curiosity as he approached-

THWACK

-and then found herself sprawled on the wooden floor, dazed and sporting a sore muzzle. Stars swam in her vision for a moment before she could focus, and when she looked up, she saw Peter standing over her, shaking his fist loosely, a couple of his knuckles already reddening from the impact. “That was for the dream with the pony on the plate,” he told her... and then reached down with his other hand to help her up.

After a moment, she raised her foreleg and allowed him to pull her to her hooves. “Fair enough,” she said. “Now let us be off.”

Unfortunately, her primary escape plan was already infeasible. The entire landscape in the direction she had come from had become a grey, roiling wall of instability, slowly but inexorably advancing towards the house. “Blast,” she murmured. “The point I entered from would have been easiest to use for escape. We will need to seek a weak point in this worldlet's boundaries in order to make good our exit.”

The human was staring at the advancing barrier with an unmistakable expression of fear. “...okay, yeah,” he said quietly. “Good idea. How do we do that?”

“I shall cast a tracking spell that can detect emanations from the Astral Plane. We will need to move quickly, though....” She glanced at the carriage still sitting on the thin path. “Is that functional?”

“I didn't check.” He pulled what appeared to be a small keychain from the pocket of his pants, then pressed two small button on a tiny black fob of some sort; each press was followed by a loud clicking sound from the vehicle. “Passenger seat is on the right side; get in and belt in.”

She'd seen the carriage examined enough times in the castle to have a general idea of how to get inside. She pulled at the door's handle with telekinesis as she galloped towards it, managing to get herself settled into the surprisingly comfortable seat, then waited as she watched him retrieve something from the vehicle's rear- the very same weapon he'd had when he'd first appeared on Equus. She watched as he quickly strapped the holster to his leg, then entered the vehicle and pulled a long strap with a buckle over himself, sliding the buckle into a receptacle sticking up next to the seat. “How did you know that your weapon would be there?” she asked.

“I didn't actually think about it. I just expected it to be there.” He put a key into a small opening near the control wheel, then turned it; the vehicle's engine roared to life. “I thought I said to belt in.”

“...yes, of course.” The procedure itself was simple enough, but her physiology made it tricky; it took her a hooffull of seconds to secure herself with the belt. As soon as she'd gotten the buckle latched, he moved a lever in the center of the front compartment, and the vehicle lurched backwards; as soon as it was on the larger road, he moved the lever again, and with a roar, the carriage sped down the street.

“Tell me what we'll be up against here,” he said.

“I cannot. It is your mind that this pocket of pseudo-reality has attuned itself to, so whatever may come from it will be based upon your thoughts and memories. Which means we may well see dangers from your world presented to us... which means I will need you to advise me as to the nature of any threats we encounter.”

“Yeah, okay.” He tapped a hand against his weapon. “Is this going to be effective against them?”

“I would believe so, at least at first. On other occasions, adversaries proved vulnerable to ordinary weapons and spells, until they grew to such power that we could not hope to combat them and were forced to withdraw.”

“Other occasions?”

“Yes. Many hundreds of years ago, ponykind researched the Astral Plane. We discovered its dangers firsthoof, and further exploration was proscribed... but not before several lives were lost. And the loss of those lives only exacerbated the problem, to the point where three generations passed before it could be remedied.”

The road became a series of sharp curves going up a steep hill, and Peter slowed the vehicle to navigate them safely. “What problem?”

“The shock of a living mind meeting its demise is a powerful thing. When those ponies died, the mental energies created all manner of phenomena, all of which were inimical to physical creatures. Tears were rent in the boundaries of the plane, weaknesses which could only be patched but never repaired, and to prevent further damage- and danger to our own plane- Celestia and I banned all further research into physically entering the Astral Plane and destroyed all the accumulated documentation of our efforts. To the best of our knowledge, no other civilization on Equus has been able, or even interested, in duplicating that feat.” She gave him a serious look. “Were you to meet your death here, there is no telling what could manifest... and with the knowledge of how to combat such things lost to the ages, and scant few unicorns alive today with the magical skill, let alone knowledge, to do so....”

She left the rest unsaid, but he understood, remaining silent for a moment. “So how'd I end up here?”

“The runeform that Twilight Sparkle created was sabotaged. As Canterlot- though it was called a different name then, and had not yet become this nation's capital- was the site of the previous experimentation with the Astral Plane, it is not impossible that an old tear was reopened by its energies.”

“Sabotaged? You've got to be fucking kidding me. Who the hell has it out for me and Sveti?!”

“We do not know yet.” She felt a scowl cross her face. “But rest assured, Peter Collins, that when the malefactor is found, he or she will come to severely regret it. Far more than your life or mine was endangered by this foalish action.”

“Great. I hope we live long enough to see that.”

The road had just straightened out again when a small red symbol lit up on the strange cluster of gauges behind the vehicle's control wheel. “What is that?” Luna asked.

“Low fuel warning.” Peter frowned. “I'd have sworn there was more gas in the tank than that.”

As the vehicle turned a corner, a small, strange-looking building came into view. “And what is that?” she asked.

“Gas station.” The frown on his face grew. “This is a trap, isn't it?”

“Indubitably. This worldlet would use your own suspicions and fears against you, to force confrontations.”

“That's lovely. Why isn't it doing the same thing with you?”

“Because I can shield my mind from it. Effectively, in that manner I am invisible to this place.”

“And I'm going to figure that you'd do the same for me if you could.”

“Indeed.”

“Well.” He drummed his fingers against the wheel. “Let's go fall into the trap, then.”

(-)

There was an advantage to this whole situation, I had to admit to myself. If this place couldn't pick up on Luna's thoughts, then all it had to go on was mine- which meant that I'd be much more able to recognize threats if and when they showed themselves. And while I wasn't dumb enough to believe that the alicorn would actually try to sabotage me, I still didn't trust her to not try to manipulate me somehow to her own advantage, and having the upper hand in knowing what was going on let me feel like I had control over my own survival rather than depending wholly on her.

It was paranoia, pure and simple, and I recognized it as such. But while I'd come to understand ponies well enough to deal with them at least somewhat rationally, and Twilight and Cadance came across to me as regular ponies who just happened to be alicorns, Luna and her sister were on an entirely different level- trying to confront them mentally was like an eight-year-old playing chess against a grandmaster. And while I understood that they weren't just looking for some excuse to throw me in a cage somewhere, I couldn't bring myself to trust creatures that had literally thousands of years of experience in getting what they wanted from others.

The gas station loomed ahead, well-lit but disturbingly empty as we drove up. I noticed something odd as I cut the engine- the pump looked normal in shape, had the usual long hose and nozzle... but there were no gauges, no credit card slot or receipt printer. “Is there some weird kind of conservation of detail going on here?” I wondered as I got out of the car.

“Of a sort.” Luna stepped out onto the pavement as well. “It will not bother with extraneous details if it deems them unimportant or likely to hinder you.”

As I passed the pumps, I noticed that the hoses didn't have the usual manufacturer printing on them either. “Yeah, I see. Can you fill up the tank? I'm going to look inside the shop for anything useful.”

“Aye.” I supposed she'd been telling the truth about the whole “minds speaking to each other” thing after all- she hadn't needed me to explain how to refuel the car. As she was busy with that, I walked into the attached convenience store to look for anything useful. Unsurprisingly, it was vacant, the register unmanned and the aisles empty. Visions of every last horror and zombie movie I'd seen crept through my brain as I spent a few moments checking the likeliest areas for anything that could be helpful, only to come up empty. Is it worth taking any food? I wondered, picking up a candy bar from a nearby display, only to find that Luna had been right- while the front of the packaging was just as I'd expect, the back was completely blank. No, probably not- I don't want to be here long enough to get hungry. Maybe I'll grab a couple of bottles of water for me and Luna-

Out of the corner of my eye I saw something moving. A door opening, a long metal tube swinging out from behind it, a jet-black hand gripping a wooden forestock-

“Shit!”

BOOM

Half of an aisle and most of the front counter were turned into high-speed confetti by the blast of buckshot, but jumping away from the door had saved my skin. I stumbled into a soda display, cans tumbling every which way as I pulled my handgun free and fired three hastily-aimed shots, my breath catching in my throat even as I did so, realizing that what I was firing at wasn't human.

The first shot went wide, putting a hole through the cheap plywood door. The second hit the thing's right arm, the porcelain-like substance shattering, and the third struck it in the sternum, sending a spiderweb of cracks along its silvery skin. Bereft of its right hand and unable to pump the slide, the thing grabbed the shotgun's still-smoking barrel in its remaining hand, intending to use it as a club; still trying to regain my balance, I brought my weapon to bear, planting one foot behind me to steady myself.

Or at least that had been my intention, but a rolling soda can picked that moment to get underfoot, and I went ass-over-teakettle to slam into the floor, my head thwacking against the hard tile, sending stars swimming across my vision. I'd managed to keep a hold of my weapon, but it felt heavy in my hand as I struggled to raise it up, seeing a silver blur raise a brown-and-grey blur-

CRASH

-and then something large and metallic slammed into the thing at high speed, sending it sailing through one of the windows with a sound not unlike a cannon going off. When my vision cleared, I found Luna standing at my side, one silver-booted hoof raised towards me. “Are you hurt?” she asked, concern in her voice.

“Smacked my head on the floor, but I'm alright besides that.” I took her hoof and let her pull me to my feet, needing a moment to lean against her until my sense of equilibrium returned. “...thanks,” I told her; I still didn't like or trust her, but she'd saved my life with her quick thinking.

“You are most welcome.” She seemed pleased for a moment before looking around. “What manner of weapon causes such damage as this?” she asked. “Your firearm is hardly capable of this.”

“I'll show you.” I led her outside, where I discovered what had attacked me- and couldn't quite suppress a shiver. “It's a goddamn mannequin,” I said, looking down at the hollow humanlike form partially shattered on the concrete.

Luna glanced up at me. “You seem rather perturbed by this.”

“I... I had a phobia about mannequins when I was a kid, alright?”

I expected a laugh of some sort out of her, and was surprised when none came. “I understand irrational fears better than most, Peter Collins,” she said. “But in this place, you must face them given form and substance, and the tools to do you harm.”

“Yeah, I sort of figured that out when it shot at me, thanks.” I had to pull the shotgun out of the wreckage of the energy-drink display cooler she'd thrown at the thing. “The handgun fires solid lead slugs,” I told her, unloading a shell from the shotgun to display for her. “This weapon is called a shotgun. It fires lead shot, about twenty or so small pellets.”

She studied both the weapon and the shell. “It seems as though it would be ineffective at any great distance,” she remarked.

“Yeah, but inside of about fifty or so meters it's going to make a mess of things.” I placed the shell back in the magazine and leaned the weapon over my shoulder. “I want to see if there's any more shells inside. Is the car fueled up?”

“Aye. I had been coming to inform you of such when I witnessed the attack.”

“Great. Grab a couple of bottles of water; I'll only be a minute.”

The room the mannequin had come from turned out to be a manager's office, and inside I scored a jackpot- two boxes of 12-gauge shells, one of them missing five of the promised twelve, which had probably been loaded into the shotgun previously. Twenty-three rounds, then, I thought, and forty-two for the handgun. Let's hope I don't have to burn through it all.

Luna was standing by the car when I came out; she was staring down the road. “Peter Collins, we should be on our way forthwith,” she said as I approached. “I hear activity not far from here.”

“Right. Let's go.” We got back into the car and buckled up, and I pulled back out onto the road, happy to put as much distance between the station and us. “Seems to be getting late,” I commented, glancing up at the sky.

“This is a simulacrum, unbound by what rules of reality would hamper it. More likely, this worldlet seeks to impose darkness upon us for greater tension and fear.”

I sighed. “You know, this is probably just payback for all the times I said I'd do better in a horror movie than the usual protagonist.”

Luna surprised me with a chuckle. “So much easier to evaluate a situation from without than from within. So far I feel you have managed adequately.”

“Flattery will get you nowhere.” I smirked, though maybe it was a little less hostile than before. “Are you sensing any other tears we can use to get out of here?”

“None close enough for me to detect. For now we must continue along the road set before us.”

So that's what we did for a while- I wasn't sure how long; the clock on the radio was blank. I could see the alicorn giving me pensive looks out of the corner of my eye, and after a couple of minutes she broke the silence. “Peter Collins-” she began.

“Just Peter.”

“-Peter,” she corrected herself smoothly. “I have wished to apologize to you for some time for my actions.”

I would've glared at her if I didn't need to keep my eyes on the road. “Right. You think you can just apologize for invading my mind, twisting my dreams around, doing God only knows what to my subconscious mind?!”

“I-”

Whatever she had to say was cut off when a blinding light hit us from behind. I reflexively hit the anti-glare switch on the rear-view mirror and saw two sets of headlights racing towards us. “Oh, hell, they get cars too?!” I groaned.

“They gain on us quickly! Cannot your vehicle go faster?”

“I bought this thing for my workday commute, not for street racing!”

Try as it might, the little four-cylinder engine couldn't hope to outpace the sports cars that were racing up behind us; some part of my mind noted that they were replicas of the white '96 Corvette I'd had my eye on before I'd ended up buying the Escort. One of them hung just behind me as the other roared up along the right side of my car; I could see that the window was rolled down, and something blocky and silver was pointed towards us-

BANG

The .50AE round from the Desert Eagle smashed through my passenger-side window and obliterated a fair amount of my windshield, but jamming on the brakes had saved Luna from getting her head taken off. The anti-lock brakes kicked in, keeping me from spinning out, and I pulled the wheel to the right to slam the car's nose into the Vette's rear panel with just enough force to send the other vehicle out of control. Its tires squealed across the pavement as it spun out, careening sideways off the road and tumbling out of view in the tall grass.

The other pursuer didn't seemed fazed by the fate of its friend, immediately zooming forward to try the same trick; I managed to cut it off with a well-timed swerve, but I knew it could pull the same trick I did. “Luna!” I shouted over the wind. “The shotgun! Aim for the wheel!”

She understood, and her magic immediately seized the weapon from the back seat, pointing it out the shattered window. I swerved wide to the left, and the other driver took the bait, the Corvette's engine roaring as it came up to overtake us-

BOOM

Luna's shot was off, decorating the front end and hood of the car with holes and blowing out a headlight, but missing the tire. Still, it was enough to get the car to back off for a moment, and I waited to hear the follow-up shot- but all that graced my ears was a repetitive metallic clicking. “Peter!” the alicorn said. “It will not fire again!”

“Pull the foregrip back until it stops, then forward again!”

I heard the harsh click-clack of the action being worked, the faint tink of the spent shell hitting the door frame- and then another thundercrack, followed by a harsh scraping sound as the now-tireless front left wheel of the Corvette threw sparks into the air. Amazingly, the car was able to keep pace with us for a few moments, actually starting to gain some ground despite its damage, and I saw a silvery arm raise another gun to aim it towards us-

BOOM

- but Luna's third shot peppered the windshield with buckshot, and the arm slumped, dropping the handgun onto the road as the car began to pull itself to the side. By the time it had run itself off the road, it was almost gone from my rear-view mirror. “Jesus, that was close,” I muttered, easing off of the gas so that I wouldn't go sailing over the next curve in the road. “You alright?”

“Mostly.” She turned her head to return the shotgun to the rear seat- and I saw several long red lines across the side of her head and neck.

The sight bothered me for some reason. “Shit, you're bleeding.”

“The wounds are superficial.”

“You're lucky you didn't lose an eye. Hell, you're lucky you didn't take that bullet to the skull.”

“That would have been....” She looked at the windshield, missing a large chunk where the bullet had gone through, and most of the rest of the right side a mess of spiderwebbed safety glass. “...detrimental,” she finished.

“Yeah, no kidding. Let me find a safe spot to pull over and I'll give those cuts a look.”

“There is no need to-”

“The hell there isn't. I'm not taking any chances; you're my only way out of here, and they're obviously gunning for you. That shot wasn't aimed at me.” I pointed at the hole in the windshield.

She shot me a withering glance. “Your concern for my well-being is heartwarming,” she said, packing more sarcasm into that last word than I thought possible.

I had to admit that maybe I was being a bit more hostile than was warranted. “Okay, look,” I said. “We'll have that conversation when we pull over.”

“Very well.” She leaned against the door, looking out through the shattered window, the wind blowing into the car not seeming to disturb her ethereal mane.

Something occurred to me, and it was always in my nature to give credit where it was due. “Oh, one other thing.”

“Aye?”

“That was some good work with the shotgun, all things considered.”

She gave me a brief smile and a nod in reply.

(-)

She couldn't help but wince as he rubbed the alcohol pad across her wounds; it had been a while since she'd felt actual physical pain. “Hold still,” he chided her. “It's bad enough that I can barely see what I'm doing.”

The small light that illuminated the inside of the vehicle likely hadn't been designed for making medical treatment easier, nor were the seats meant for an ad-hoc triage station. Peter apparently wasn't letting that stop him, however, and she marshaled her willpower, keeping herself as still as a statue while he treated her. “This would be easier if I had my flashlight,” he murmured. “But it doesn't look like there's any glass stuck in the wounds. Bandages are out of the question, though- I don't think they'll stick to your fur well enough to be useful.”

“So long as my wounds are clean and free of foreign objects, they should heal well.” She watched as he climbed out from the rear seat, returned the first-aid kit to the trunk of the car, then resumed his position at the steering wheel and started the car again, pulling back out onto the road. “Now,” she said, as quietly as she could above the sound of wind coming through broken glass, “about that conversation.”

He nodded, taking a moment to quaff some water from the bottle set at his side. “Yeah. Listen. I know how this whole 'dream-delving' thing is your job when it comes to ponies, but where I come from, that sort of thing gets called 'mind rape' for a damn good reason.”

She recoiled from the implication. “It is nothing like that!” she shouted at him, barely able to keep herself from using the Royal Canterlot Voice. “It is my sacred duty to defend and succor my little ponies, and the friends of this nation as well!”

“That gives you no right to go trotting through my head, twisting my dreams around for your own purposes!”

“What would you have had me do?!” She glared into his eyes. “We knew almost nothing of you, Peter, save for that you had killed three creatures with a weapon we could not comprehend, and had all due reason to hate ponykind for what had been done to you!” She watched him struggle to make an argument for a moment, only to fall silent and fix his gaze on the road ahead. “I did not enter your dreams to violate them, Peter- only to gain a better understanding of you.”

“Yeah? Then explain the Pony Meal dream.”

Now it was her turn to look away. “...it was a gambit of desperation. I sought to gauge how you regarded ponies on an instinctive level- would you consider them prey? I could think of no better way than to invoke your basest instincts and see your reaction.”

“Yeah, well, I hope you got what you wanted, because I felt like shit after that. I thought my mind was starting to turn against me there.”

“I am sorry, Peter. Truly I am. I had no wish to violate you in any way. My actions were performed in ignorance and fear, well-meaning but unintentionally harmful... can you say you have not been in the same situation?” She saw the tiny slump in his shoulders that told her she'd hit a soft spot, and felt guilt wash over her. “...forgive me,” she said reproachfully. “I meant not to-”

“No. You're right.” She watched his hands open and close on the steering wheel. “God, it's just....”

“What?”

He was silent for a moment, obviously thoughtful. “If I'm being honest, you just scare me.”

She let out a quiet sigh. “A reaction I am all too familiar with from my subjects.”

“I'm not just talking about the whole 'spooky darkness' thing. It's you and your sister both. You're thousands of years old, you have powers and magic that are worlds beyond just about every other creature on this planet... and apparently you went crazy a thousand years ago and tried to cause eternal night, and Celestia banished you to the moon for a millennium. And honestly, I can't tell which half of that story terrifies me more!” He glanced over at her, and she could easily see the wariness in his expression. “I don't understand you, I can't comprehend you, and you could do pretty much anything you wanted to me and I'd never stand a chance to resist. I feel like an ant under the eye of a titan.”

“Also a reaction I am all too familiar with from others.” Luna took in a slow breath. “I have been told that you have no such creatures as my sister and I upon your world; that all of humanity is, within small variances, essentially the same. To see 'titans' such as us, and the power that we hold, must be unnerving.” She leaned forward, just a little, not wanting to disturb his personal space. “But underneath this armor, this spectral mane, this power... I am but a pony. A pony with a wider perspective, a greater understanding of history and the forces that move this world, certainly- but I am not some unknowable alien entity, toying with lives without care or comprehension of their value.” She let her eyes lock onto his. “I do care, Peter. It is not often I am able to show such, due to the decorum that my position demands... and I suppose it does not help matters that I am not often comfortable expressing myself.”

Was that the trace of a smirk on his lips? “I sort of picked up on that.”

“Quite.” She didn't quite suppress her smile, but it was one that didn't last long. “Peter, what has been done to you is horrible, inexcusable. I am truly sorry for all the suffering you have known at the hooves of ponies... including mine. I understand better than most the feelings of alienation and isolation you must have felt.” She looked out through the window for a moment, noting how a thick wall of trees had closed in on either side of the road; in the encroaching darkness, they looked particularly foreboding. “I would be your friend, should you allow it, Peter,” she continued. “There are few souls here in Equestria who can truly sympathize with feelings such as what we have experienced.”

His gaze returned to the road, and he seemed about to answer- but something ahead of them caught his attention. “...the hell is that?” he wondered.

The vehicle's bright lights illuminated a long, solid-looking wall ahead of them, completely blocking off the thin valley they were in; in the center of the wall stood a formidable metal gate, and a number of steel barricades stuck up from the road, obviously meant to trap the wheels of approaching carriages. Peter gave her an inquiring glance. “Luna?”

She concentrated, and at the very edge of her awareness she felt a slight tugging sensation. “I sense a tear beyond that gate.”

“Then it looks like we're walking from here.” He brought the vehicle to a stop just in front of the first wheel-trap, shutting it off but leaving the lights on. “Grab the shotgun.”

She was quite honestly surprised. “...you wish me to carry it?”

“I can't use two guns at once, and you've shown you can manage with it. Do I need to give you a rundown on firearms safety?”

“Neigh. I am well-versed in the use of an arbalest, and I surmise that the basic precautions are the same.”

“I, um... I guess so.” The somewhat confused look on his face was mildly amusing, but soon enough both of them turned their minds to what lay ahead of them- a small door set into the wall next to the gate. “It's another trap, isn't it?” he asked.

“Without a doubt,” she replied, before spinning around to lash out with both hindlegs; the door was torn from its hinges by the power of the kick, clattering loudly as it landed. “Let us not keep our hosts waiting,” she said, striding confidently through the doorway.

His quiet murmur of “I think I'm starting to like her style” did not escape her ears.

There came a point where I couldn't tell if I was trapped in a horror movie or an action movie.

Oh, there was plenty of horror, at least for me. Apparently not happy with exploiting my fear of mannequins- after we'd brought down sixteen of the damned things, anyway; it was getting harder and harder to be afraid of them after watching Luna gleefully fill them with buckshot- the place had decided to attack my baser instincts and start trotting out something that looked like a spider crossed with a xenomorph from the “Aliens” movies. Almost the size of Luna, matte-black, slimy and capable of skittering out of almost any dark place imaginable, though definitely not immune to bullets- but despite now toting a veritable hand-cannon of a firearm after having emptied my Taurus, I was finding myself running low on all the ammunition I'd managed to scavenge earlier, and Luna was similarly almost dry.

“Putting these things down is not the easiest task to accomplish,” the alicorn murmured, lifting the last four shells from my hand- she must have had fine control over her magic to manage that without actually touching me with it- and sliding them into the shotgun's magazine.

“Yeah, no kidding. If they were actually alive it'd be different, but we're basically putting holes in empty shells.”

“With my ability to use magic so limited, I for one shall not complain about the efficacy of these weapons.” With the weapon fully loaded, Luna let it hover just above her shoulder, barrel pointed down towards the floor. “Though I certainly wish I possessed my scythe at the moment.”

I paused to glance at her. “I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you have a scythe, but... you have a scythe?”

“Indeed. One I crafted myself, well before the founding of Equestria, when these lands were not nearly so tame. A haft of enchanted obsidian, and a moonsilver blade whose edge may never dull, capable of cutting through the thickest armor. It saw much use before ponykind was able to secure itself a safe home.”

“Hell, I might actually like to see that.” I finished loading what rounds I had remaining into the Desert Eagle magazines- never hurts to consolidate your ammo when you've got the chance; half-empty mags make Peter a sad panda- and tucked the two spares into the back of my pants; my holster wasn't designed for them. The empty magazines I left on the small table as I got up. “Okay, breaktime's over. Let's get moving.”

Surprisingly, we weren't set upon the moment we left the small room we'd taken refuge in- in fact, the long, darkened hallways, lit only by Luna's magic and the occasional flickering fluorescent lamp, were disturbingly empty. “Okay, this is making me a little nervous,” I said, fighting the urge to have my weapon pointed at the nearest shadow at all times.

“Aye, I understand the sentiment.” As we cleared a corner, one of her ears twitched. “Do you hear...?” she whispered, coming to a halt.

I stopped beside her, straining to hear. “...no, I don't-”

tink-tink-tink tink tink-tink

It sounded like knives being dropped on concrete, distant and arrhythmical, echoing along the halls. “...what is that?” I questioned, my voice as quiet as Luna's.

“I... do not know. Let us proceed, cautiously.”

It was a tense few minutes in complete silence, broken only by the clinking of Luna's shod hooves and my own feet on the dark floor. I wanted sorely to believe that this place had already run out of inspiration and was resorting to cheap jumpscares, but I certainly wasn't going to bet my life on it. “Are we getting closer to one of those tears?” I asked.

“Incrementally. I would like to proceed faster, but incautiousness in this situation is ill-advised.”

“Well, so long as we're making progr-”

SCREEEEEEEEEE

In a heartbeat, Luna and I both had our weapons pointed down the hallway we'd come along. “This is seriously starting to fracture my calm,” I growled.

A tight frown decorated Luna's muzzle. “Aye. Perhaps haste is called for.”

Both of us turned... and froze. The light coming from the alicorn's horn illuminated... something crawling out into an intersection in front of us. It looked for all the world like a naked, emaciated man, skin so pale as to be nearly white, bones jutting awkwardly underneath. From what should have been its hands sprouted a set of claws longer than its forearms, metal gleaming in the light, each producing that light tink sound as the creature settled its weight on them.

And then it turned its head, and a pair of jet-black eyes far too large to be proportional to its head caught the light from Luna's horn, reflecting it back at us like those of an animal's. Slowly, its mouth opened wide, lips parting past where ears would have been on a human's head, revealing a maw full of tiny, glistening teeth and a tongue that snaked back and forth as though possessed of a mind of its own.

BANG

The instant my gunshot sounded out, the creature moved, dodging the heavy bullet with a jump onto the wall; its claws screeched across the stone, then stretched out towards me as the thing leaped in my direction.

BOOM

Black holes opened in the thing's body as the shotgun blast knocked it off-course, causing it to slam back-first into the opposite wall, leaving a smear of some dark substance behind- but the creature showed no signs of pain, practically springboarding off of the wall and landing nimbly further down the hall, where it skittered out of sight with the sounds of its claws echoing around us.

Luna racked the shotgun's slide. “What manner of creature is that?!”

“The kind we run from! C'mon!” We ran past the long gouges the claws had made in the thick rock wall; I wished more than anything that I could ride on Luna's back, but the risk of me disrupting her mental shield spell- and the place getting access to her thoughts and fears, which probably outranked my own by ridiculous degrees- was one I wasn't going to take unless it was absolutely necessary. “Dammit,” I muttered as Luna led me down one corridor after another. “Fuck this place, fuck my life, and fuck that all-night creepypasta bender I went on last summer!”

Luna led me through one corridor after another, all of which looked the same to me, and I had to trust that she was leading us towards another of those tears. I was so intent on scanning the corridor ahead of us for threats that I didn't immediately react to her coming to an abrupt stop-

“Peter! Down!”

-and ended up dropping into a feet-first slide under what seemed to be a retracted shutter, the razor-sharp claws being swung towards my face instead slicing through the air just above my head. As I rolled onto my side, I saw the thing hanging by its feet from the shutter's handles, starting to swing back up; Luna didn't have a shot from her position without risking hitting me, but I had a much better angle.

BANG

The .50AE round blew a fist-sized hole in the thing's belly, the force jerking it about- and sending the shutter rattling down out of the ceiling, slamming closed between Luna and I. As I climbed to my feet, I heard her shotgun sound off once, twice... and then silence. I engaged the Eagle's safety, tucked it away in the back of my pants- stupid, I knew, but the thing wasn't going to fit in my holster or any of my pockets- and then slid my hands into the shutter's handles, pulling upwards, only to find it locked securely in place. “Luna?!” I called out.

“Peter! Are you unharmed?”

“Yeah, but I can't open this thing! What about you?”

“I am untouched, but the creature has run off again. Stand away from the barricade.” I did so, and heard her hooves slam against it- but aside from a slight rattle, the blow had no effect. “Blast,” I heard her growl. “It is proof against my strength! I will attempt to use the shotgun-”

“No. Save the shells. I get the feeling this place wants us separated now, and if you couldn't make a dent, the shotgun probably won't either.”

She was quiet for a moment. “...agreed. But how will you make your way without light? I cannot cast an illumination spell on you.”

Now that my eyes had adjusted to the darkness, I could see a faint beam of light a short distance away. “I think I see something that'll help. Can you tell me what direction you think the tear is in?”

“Were you to stand facing this barricade, 'twould be almost directly to your right.”

“Okay, got it.” I had a fairly decent sense of direction, and tended to be good with mazes; I just had to hope that this place would play by those rules. “Let's both head that way and hope that we can manage to meet up again.”

“Very well. Please be careful, Peter.”

“Yeah, you too.” After I heard her hoofsteps fade, I turned and headed towards my sole remaining source of light- a small tactical flashlight, left lying on a dusty metal chair, that attached neatly to the Eagle's Picatinny rail. So this means I have to hold up a four-pound handgun just to be able to see, I thought, but the alternative is to try to fire this behemoth one-handed while I hold the light in the other, and I think I prefer my wrist unshattered, thanks.

Now that I had a way to see where I was going and a general sense of where I should be headed, I started forward.

(-)

Blast and hellfire. This manner of creature is what humans invent as a pastime? “Creepypasta” indeed!

Luna had truly grown weary of the creature by this point. Her shotgun, now bereft of ammunition- save for one shell reserved for extreme need- and serving the much less advanced role of a basic cudgel, was fairly coated with the monster's “blood”, but whatever physical damage she managed to mete upon it served only to stun and dissuade, not stop. She could only be hopeful that her own difficulties meant that Peter was proceeding relatively untroubled.

After a particularly long hallway that was thankfully empty, Luna found herself in a peculiar-looking small room, lined on both sides with mostly-empty shelves- though the small, half-empty box of shotgun shells she found did not go unappreciated as she filled the weapon with them- and a solid-looking door with an inset glass window. She tried the handle to find it locked, and she was just contemplating how else she might get it open when she saw light and movement on the other side of the room beyond it.

“Peter!”

The human was standing behind an identical door, having found a light source of some sort to attach to his weapon. She saw him catch sight of her and bang on his door, calling out something to her- but whatever sound he made didn't make it to her. She tapped the door and shook her head, indicating that she couldn't get her door open.

He seemed to be in the middle of contemplating what to do when a light inside the room between them snapped on, and what Luna saw within made her breath catch in her throat- it was Peter, or a copy of him, secured to a reinforced steel chair by a series of metal clamps. This other-Peter was unconscious, head hanging down as much as the thick leather strap across his forehead would allow, only shallow breathing showing him as alive at all.

Then she somehow heard humming through the door, the sound of which made her freeze in place, her eyes going wide.

Is that... my voice?

A different door opened, and into the center room stepped a copy of herself, humming the very same lullaby she'd sung for Peter in his dreams after he'd been captured. She nonchalantly approached the unconscious other-Peter with what looked like a rusty toolbox in her magical “grip”, setting it down on a table next to the chair and opening it, never faltering in her humming as she took out what looked to be a small rotary saw, its wicked-looking teeth caked in dried blood. With a soft click and a hum, the saw began spinning, the loud noise somehow not drowning out that humming as other-Luna raised it up, bringing it towards other-Peter's head.

bzzzzzzssssshhhhhhrrrrrrkk

Luna was no stranger to blood and gore, but the sight of the unconscious copy's head literally being sawed open, blood splattering around the room- somehow not touching her duplicate- left the alicorn feeling nauseous. Once she'd finished sawing a circle around other-Peter's head, other-Luna took hold of his hair with her magic and tugged upwards- revealing the duplicate human's brain, glistening in the light. Other-Luna set the saw down on the table and retrieved a scalpel and a set of tongs. “Hmm,” she said. “I will need to excise some troublesome things. Like this.” The scalpel plunged into the exposed brain, neatly cutting out a section. “Free will? This can only cause issues; out it goes.” She tossed the bit of meat aside. “Self-determination? Unsuitable for my designs. Hostility, anger, this annoying tendency towards self-defense... farewell.”

With that done, other-Luna picked up a small toy figurine of an earth pony, rotating it around a couple of times. “What better way to ensure your compliance than to force you to care for the very ponies who have so tormented you?” she murmured, before plunging the toy into other-Peter's brain. The process was repeated for a tiny toy unicorn, pegasus, and then alicorn. “Hmm, but that might not be enough,” other-Luna mused, looking into the toolbox. “Ah, yes! This will help to seal the deal.” She retrieved a different toy this time- a small, perfect replica of a griffon hen. “One who has gone through the same trials as him, an outsider to our culture, but familiar enough with it to bridge the gap.” She turned the figurine around, examining it from every angle. “He will come to trust you, depend on you... even love you. An invisible leash with which to yoke him.” With far more force than was necessary, she jammed the small toy into the vulnerable brain before her.

SLAM

Luna hadn't quite meant to kick the door open so hard that it literally stuck into the wall, but it suited her purposes well enough. The copy of her looked up, her expression more annoyed than anything else. “And what do you think you are-”

BOOM

A shotgun blast to the head from fetlock-length range seemed an adequate way to express Luna's opinion of her double's actions. The copy disintegrated into ash, as did the duplicate of Peter still strapped to the chair; Luna racked the shotgun's slide, listening with no small satisfaction as the spent shell rattled about on the floor, before turning to the far door. A small button on the handle released the lock, and she opened it to find the human huddled in a nearby corner, staring listlessly down at the floor, his handgun cradled in both hands. “...Peter?” she asked quietly.

He glanced up at her for a moment, then back down.

“You... wished not for me to see this, did you?” She sat beside him, noting with some consternation how he flinched away from her. “This... this is the deepest of your fears, is it not? Not of my world or its many dangerous creatures, not of the forces of magic which are still alien to you, not of the ponies who did you harm, not even myself or my sister directly... but that what you feel for Sveti Windwhisper was forced upon you by me as a means of control.” He remained silent and motionless. “Peter,” she said, her voice pleading. “I understand that you do not trust me, but if you believe only one thing that I tell you, let it be this: I did not. I tell you now, I swear upon my very soul, that your feelings for her are borne from nothing and nowhere but your own heart.”

Watching his shoulders slump and his head lower felt like a dagger of ice had been plunged into her chest. “I believe I understand better now,” she murmured. “You value your freedom immensely... but here you are, subject to creatures you do not understand, believing yourself bound with invisible strings and unable to even know when they are being pulled. I am not unfamiliar with that feeling, Peter.” She lowered her head to look him in the eyes. “But you know that you have friends, those whom you can trust to watch out for you. Those whom care for you. We shall see you through this, and see you home safely- not for our own designs, not for what can be gotten from you, but simply because it is the right thing to do, and no more than what you deserve.” She stood again, letting her voice become firm. “And those friends await your safe return, Peter Collins- Sveti Windwhisper most of all. Now will you stay here and allow this place to defeat you, or will you get back on your feet and show me what you are capable of?”

He looked up at her, his expression slowly hardening in anger- but not at her. “Okay, yeah,” he said, pulling himself up. “Sad-panda time is later; right now, we've got an exit to find. Think you can get us there?”

“Indeed.” She brought him back into the center room, resolutely ignoring the splattered blood, searching around for anything useful. A tall cabinet in the very back proved interesting. “Peter,” she said. “Look at this.”

“Oh, hell yes.” He fumbled with what looked like a lock of some sort for a moment- then drew his handgun and smashed the thick glass pane with the butt of the weapon. From inside he pulled what appeared to be a strange fabric harness which he quickly donned, slipping the handgun into a holder under one arm, and then he withdrew what was obviously another firearm, roughly the size of the shotgun but with a much more slender barrel, and a magazine set behind the grip and trigger. He checked the magazine, pulled a small lever on the side of the weapon, and grinned. “Always wanted to use one of these,” he said, retrieving several more magazines and tucking them into his harness, and giving her two full boxes of shells which she quickly stored within the void of her mane. “Okay, Luna, truth time. Have we got a real shot at that tear?”

“Aye, but we must move quickly.”

“Okay then. Let's get back in the game.”

(-)

CRACK CRACK CRACK

Going into a combat situation with a weapon I'd never received formal training on? Stupid.

“Fall, abomination!” BOOM

Going into said situation with an armed alicorn I'd previously punched in the face now watching my back? All things considered, maybe not so smart either.

CRACK CRACK CRACK

Storming into a rainy, nearly pitch-black night, wandering around what looked like an abandoned military base, knowing that that refugee from the Internet's collective nightmare was still out there somewhere? Suicidally insane.

And yet as I emptied the magazine of the rifle, fumbling just a little with the somewhat-awkward bullpup configuration as I reloaded, I found that I couldn't bring myself to care. This entire place was insane- how else could I explain the fact that I was playing run-and-gun with armed mannequins and rejected stand-ins for Starship Troopers? Let alone the fact that I'd given my handgun to Luna, who was quite simply having the time of her life with two exceptionally powerful guns?

“Peter!” I heard her call out from a little ways ahead. “Come hither! I espy a way out of this place, and a route to our destination! We need only-”

thwack

My blood seemed to freeze. “Luna?!” I shouted, already running as fast as I could to where I'd heard her voice. “Lu- shit!”

By the time I realized what I was seeing, my rifle was already shouldered and I was staring through the reflex sight at a downed alicorn and a clawed creature already reaching up to drive its blades into her vulnerable flesh.

I was just a hair faster. My first shot took it in the side of the knee, and it dropped into a crouch, trying to prepare to jump away- but I wasn't letting it, each consecutive shot keeping it off-balance and driving it away from Luna as I made my way towards it, until I unloaded a three-round burst into its groin to knock it on its ass, rushed up before it could recover, then stuck the rifle's barrel into its mouth and emptied the rest of the half-full mag into it, turning its head into a dark splatter on the ground... which I smeared under my shoe for good measure, before turning back to Luna.

The alicorn was just starting to get back to her hooves, sporing a wicked-looking welt above her left eye- but aside from that and a set of shallow scratches on her barrel, she was unhurt, and I found myself letting out a breath I hadn't known I was holding. “You okay?” I asked, wanting to help her up but worried that touching her would disrupt her magic.

“Aye,” she murmured, looking around. “Where is...?” She saw the mess I'd left on the ground, and nodded in satisfaction. “Well done,” she said. “And thank you.”

“Let's save all the thanking for when we get the hell out of here.” I glanced back the way we'd come, seeing far too much movement for my liking. “Please tell me we're close to that damn tear,” I half-begged.

“That platform, there.” She pointed with a wing. “I should be able to open the tear from that location. It will take some time.”

The platform she was indicating looked like a half-finished helipad, basically a metal overhang jutting out from a rock cliff. A number of girders and mostly-unmarked crates were stacked haphazardly on it, most low enough to serve as cover from an attack. But it was what was marked on one of the crates near the front that made my jaw damn near hit the ground.

“M134D-T ROTARY MACHINE GUN W/PEDESTAL MOUNT”

“Holy shit, it's my fucking birthday.” I turned. “Luna! While you're working on that tear thing, can you help me with this?”

Thankfully, the alicorn was exceptionally good at following the helpfully-enclosed directions while I kept the hordes at bay with my rifle's dwindling ammunition reserves, thankful that the ramp leading up to the platform was a natural chokepoint. Just as I was loading my last magazine, I heard Luna shout “Finished!”, and turned to see what was undoubtedly the most beautiful thing ever to grace my eyes- a mounted minigun, hooked up to its battery and ready to fire, with the included fifteen-hundred-round ammo box already attached.

“Luna, I swear I love you right now,” I said, laying the rifle down next to the minigun and taking a firing position. “Cover your ears, because this thing is gonna be loud.”

“I shall.” She returned to the edge of the platform to concentrate on her spell; I turned back towards where we'd come from, and saw that the area was absolutely crawling with those alien-looking insectoid creatures. I knew what was happening- that the place was simply pushing me into employing violence so that it could feed on my feelings of aggression- but I honestly didn't care. I had a goddamn minigun, I had a whole mess of targets in my sights, I had some anger to work out, and I had the perfect one-liner to use before I squeezed the trigger.

“I hope you all packed your umbrellas, because I'm bringing the FUCKING RAIN!”

BRRRRRRRRRRRRTTTT

Everything caught in the red stream the tracers left behind disintegrated. 7.62x51mm rounds tore through the crowds with ridiculous ease; all I basically had to do was select large groups and more or less tap the trigger to watch the pieces fly. Casings and links spilled from the weapon even more heavily than the raindrops, spilling across the wet metal beneath me, and with the loud report overwhelming my ears it took me a moment to realize I was laughing like a maniac the entire time.

Eventually- and all too quickly for my tastes- the weapon emptied, and the few shapes still moving didn't pose much of a threat. I stepped away from the minigun with a satisfied sigh, snatched up my rifle and turned towards Luna- who was staring at me, her horn still glowing. “I want one of those,” she said, tilting her head towards the gun.

“Yeah, well, if you're a good Princess, maybe Santa Claus will leave one under your tree.” Even if the understanding trick didn't tell her what I was talking about, I was sure that Twilight had relayed my Christmas folktale to her heads of state, and the amused smirk she gave me proved me out. “Now when the hell can we get out of here?”

“Two minutes, perhaps less.” She glanced back at a shimmering circle hanging a good distance away from the cliffside.

I looked at it, then back at her. “Well how the fuck am I supposed to get to it?”

“With the proper care and preparation, I should be able to shield myself from your magic-absorption property long enough for us to escape this worldlet.”

“You can do that? The shielding thing, I mean.”

“Aye. The spell I use is specifically designed to resist draining and degenerative effects and should be sufficient. It will not be easy, but it needs be done only for a short while, in order to protect both of us from the Astral Plane itself long enough for us to return home.”

“Great, finally. Think you can pull it off?”

“If I am given the chance to-”

FWOOSH

Both of us turned towards the sound, which resembled nothing so much like the sky sighing. The thick rainclouds in the distance were blown apart by a violent burst of wind, showing the just-rising morning sun- and something was approaching rapidly from that direction. And when I realized what it was, I had to resist the urge to let out a groan.

“Do you think that I'll allow you to return to Equestria and endanger my ponies?!”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Luna give me a flat look, and I turned to scowl at her. “It's a valid fear, okay?!” I shot at her.

The dark-coated alicorn turned back to my mind's representation of her sister. This version of Celestia was much angrier looking, dressed in a full suit of golden armor, her wings tipped with bladed gauntlets and her boots lined with spikes. “Perhaps we might be able to reason with her-” Luna began.

The sun seemed to shimmer in the distance, and a magical aura surrounded Celestia's horn- and almost instantaneously became a blindingly-white beam of energy that sliced across the end of the platform behind us, easily cutting off the corner.

“-or perhaps not!” Luna spun around. “Peter, onto my back, now!”

Half of me wanted to ask about those preparations she said she'd need to do. The other half of me was more interested in not catching a sun-powered laser to the face, and so I practically vaulted myself onto her back- and heard her let out a hiss of pain at the same moment that I felt the familiar light-tingle sensation of magic hit me. I had barely gotten a grip on her mane- without sparing a second to wonder how that even worked- when she galloped up to the end of the platform and spread her wings, gliding off just ahead of another lance of light. In desperation, I raised the rifle one-handed, sighted down the reflex sight as well as I could, and emptied the last magazine at Celestia... to no effect; little flashes of light showed that she was literally vaporizing the rounds before they even reached her. “More proof that violence is your only path!” she shouted.

“Dammit, I wish I'd saved the minigun for her,” I groaned, tossing the rifle aside.

“It would have had no effect, I am certain.” There was an edge of pain to Luna's voice. “This place aims to prevent our escape and will no longer allow resistance. We must evade until we can escape.”

“Goddamn overpowered bullshit. I hope you're fast!”

Despite her obvious discomfort, she grinned back at me. “Allow me to show you. Hold on tightly!”

And damn if she didn't show me. I suddenly felt as if I was holding onto a fighter jet instead of a pony, Luna's quick rolls and turns keeping her just ahead of Celestia's solar laser as it sliced and diced the landscape far below. One beam got close enough to where I could smell burned hair and couldn't be sure as to whether it was hers or mine, and I swore that I saw a few of her outer feathers actually leaving a smoke trail- but all that left my mind when there was a bright flash of light and I saw a deep-black hole suddenly floating in the air. “Luna!” I yelped. “There's our ticket-”

FWOOSH

And then suddenly there was Celestia, directly between us and the opening, pure hate in her eyes as she lowered her head to point her horn at us; the tip began to glow-

BOOM

I hadn't seen that Luna had been levitating the shotgun beneath her as she flew, so the blast took me by surprise as much as Celestia. Unfortunately the shot did little more than jerk the white alicorn's head back slightly- and without missing a beat, Luna spun the weapon around and slammed its stock into Celestia's muzzle hard enough to shatter the polymer, then turned herself around and delivered a twin-hoof buck to the sun alicorn's chest. That actually managed to budge Celestia, driving her back a few feet, just enough for Luna to get clear of her and speed towards the opening. Yet despite the fact that we were closing in on it at considerable speed, it wasn't growing as large as it should have. “Oh hell,” I breathed as realization struck. “It's closing!”

“I am aware! Hold onto me as tightly as you can; present no part of yourself to the wind!”

I all but plastered myself against her in response, sticking my head into her strange substanceless mane- and finding that, although my view was blocked, I didn't actually feel anything against my face, and I could breathe without any problem. “Okay, now what-” I began.

THWOOMCRACK

I was fairly sure that I'd just felt her break the sound barrier- and if I hadn't been clinging to her, my neck probably would've followed suit very quickly. But before I could comment on that, I felt something strange slither its way around me, covering every inch of my body that wasn't pressed against Luna, feeling like nothing so much as wet plastic wrap. “Do not move!” she commanded, her voice straining. “And do not attempt to look about! The mere sight of the Astral Plane through unguarded eyes can drive mortal minds to insanity!”

I was perfectly okay with following that directive- the weird, ghostly starscape that made up her mane was one hell of an in-flight movie, and was doing a fair bit to calm the feeling of rising fear in my gut- but there was something else worrying me. Almost my entire body felt like I'd stepped into a disused meat locker, a sort of pall-like feeling of cold, but several places where I was touching Luna seemed to be heating up, especially my hands where I had them pressed against the sides of her neck. I felt the alicorn tense up beneath me, and after a moment a scream of pain came back towards me, along with the by-now too-familiar smell of burning hair-

-but before I could do or say anything, something took Luna's legs out from under her, and I tumbled off of her back... and onto a cold, hard marble floor. It took a moment for my vision to adjust to the sudden light, but soon enough I could see that we'd both come to a crash-landing back inside the clean room where all this had started.

“Peter!”

And then everything was honey-colored and furred as Sveti practically tackled me, her forelimbs wrapping around my head and my arms reflexively doing the same around her chest. “Thank the Ancestors,” she sobbed, pressing her beak against the side of my neck. “I was so worried about you. Are you hurt? That smell....”

I took a moment to check over myself- no wounds I could feel, but I'd lost the harness I was wearing and everything else I'd gotten from the worldlet. “I'm okay, but I don't know what was going on with Luna....” She let go of me enough for me to look behind me, letting me see the medical ponies that were approaching- and when my eyes reached Luna, I froze in place. “...oh my God,” I murmured in a small voice.

The lunar alicorn was sprawled on the floor a few feet away, her eyes half-closed, her teeth clenched as gasps of pain passed them. Smoke rose from several burn marks all along her sides... and on the sides of her neck, where I'd been holding on to her, a pair of hand-shaped burn marks had scorched her hide away down to the muscle. Celestia was standing above her, the white alicorn's horn shining brightly as she poured magic into her sister's body, while a number of medics opened boxes packed with vials of liquid, tubes of paste and other supplies. I staggered my way to my feet, Sveti close behind as I unsteadily made my way to the fallen Princess's side; the medics who were coming to treat me objected, and I shooed them off. “No, dammit, I'm fine,” I told them, pointing at Luna. “Help her!”

Luna's eyes flickered open as I spoke, and she raised her head slightly, wincing at the movement. “You... are unharmed, Peter?” she asked in a voice tinged with pain.

“Yeah. Yeah. What....” Realization struck me. “Oh, hell... that's what happens if a pony keeps using magic while I'm touching them, isn't it?”

“When it's a large amount of magic, it seems." Twilight was levitating a number of complex-looking devices as she approached. "I'm amazed you weren't burned as well... maybe she directed the effect towards herself to protect you. Celestia? Will she be alright?”

“Yes.” I couldn't keep from letting out a sigh of relief at that single word. “Here in the physical plane, the wards that protect her body have reasserted themselves... but the healing will, and must, be somewhat slow; even we alicorns are not immune to the dangers of overly-rapid regeneration. I expect it will take her two weeks or so to fully recover.”

“God damn. It was only a couple of minutes, too....” I shook my head slowly. “Can't you give her something, or...?”

“Rest easy, Peter. This is not the worst off I have been.” Luna managed a smile as she looked up at me. “Certainly you understand by now that I am no neophyte when it comes to physical conflict.”

“...yeah. I picked up on that.” I slowly dropped down on one knee, doing my best to not look at the horrible-looking wounds I'd left on her. “I'm sorry,” I told her quietly.

Her eyes looked into mine, and I swore I could see all the wisdom of the ages in them. “As am I,” she replied.

We didn't have that weird understanding thing going on that we'd had in the Astral Plane, but at that moment I grasped every shade of meaning in those simple words. “Yeah,” I said, nodding slowly. “Look, uh... maybe we can talk more about the whole dream thing later, alright? Just to, uh, settle things. And maybe Sveti and I can see that scythe of yours too, because I think that'd be a good conversation piece. You know, after you've healed up and all.”

“Aye.” Luna laid her head back down and closed her eyes, wincing as one of the medics carefully applied some kind of cream to the edges of her wounds.

I stood, with Sveti still at my side- her gaze locked in horrified fascination on those burn wounds- and started to head for the back of the room, where Twilight was motioning for me to join her... then I stopped and looked over my shoulder. “Oh, yeah, one other thing,” I said.

Luna's eyes opened again, and one of her eyebrows arched.

“Everything else aside, Princess... that was actually kind of fun.”

The slightest of smiles crossed her lips. “Aye. 'Twas.”

Having said everything I could think of to say, I left the downed alicorn to her sister and attendants. Sveti switched to a three-legged stride, one of her claws coming up to grasp my trembling hand, and I squeezed it gently in thanks.

(-)

“...how is she doing?”

Celestia lowered her cup of tea as she took a moment to watch the activity in the clean room. “She's healing as expected,” she told Peter. “I don't doubt that she'll be holding Night Court and her monthly astronomy conferences again soon.”

“Good. Glad to hear.” The human glanced over at his griffon companion, who had scarcely taken her eyes off of him the entire time the three of them had been in the “prep room” adjacent to the clean room. “Princess, not mean disrespect, but wonder why you wanted talk to me.”

“It's quite alright, Peter. I simply wanted to thank you.”

He gazed at her for a moment over his coffee cup; Celestia was both mildly amused and somewhat confused at how naturally his hand held it. “What for?” he asked.

“For what you did for Luna while you were both within the Astral Plane.”

“For... wait. She rescued me, Princess. Why you thank me?”

“From what she's told me, Peter, that rescue was not nearly as one-sided as you say.” She settled her teacup down on the table. “She told me about your encounters, the weapons you used. About how you and she fought together, and the fears you faced.” She saw a split-second expression of confusion cross Sveti's face; the hen was a perceptive one. “You say you are not a warrior, and I believe you. But you are a fighter, a ferocious one when pressed, and it says something significant about you that you have only shown the full measure of that ferocity in defense of my sister's life. For all that some ponies have called you a monster, I have seen you act as all but one.” She gave him her warmest smile. “So yes, Peter. Thank you. Thank you for fighting so hard to bring my sister back safely, and thank you for caring for her welfare, especially given your previous history.”

He returned the smile, looking down demurely at the table for a moment. “Luna, I understand each other better now. And I owe her my life. She is true warrior.” He looked up at her with a curious expression. “You, her do much fighting in the past?”

“Long ago, yes. They... are not fond memories for me. I never had the passion for conflict that Luna has.”

He nodded. “Did what had to, though? Can respect that, Princess.”

“So much of life is about that, as no doubt you understand.” She poured herself a bit more tea and dropped a pair of sugar cubes into it, watching as the steam curled its way through the air. “Luna also told me of what you last faced before escaping the Astral Plane,” she said. “Now, please understand that I am not angry. In fact... I am ashamed that you came to see me as so threatening, so unforgiving. Perhaps some of our problems could have been avoided if you had seen me as somepony you could trust.”

“I not able understand you then, Princess. After Luna and I talked... maybe I see a bit better.” He leaned back in his chair. “Still... I sorry for all that happened.”

She shook her head. “You have nothing to apologize for. We've all made mistakes, suffered from misunderstandings. I believe there is much we could all learn from what's happened, to make ourselves better creatures... and that's a far better result than some others that could have come about.” Motion from beyond the nearby window caught her attention; Twilight was waving at them from the clean room. “Well, it seems that Twilight is ready for us,” she said, setting her teacup down again. “Let's go ahead and see about getting your path home ready.”

There was an almost imperceptible slump of Sveti's shoulders at those words, and Celestia felt her heart go out to the young hen. Be strong, she thought. If all goes well, you won't be losing him. He'll come back to you. And I feel sorry for whatever would choose to put itself in his way.

Twilight spent no small amount of time reassuring Peter that they'd rebuilt the runeshape from scratch and run it through a full-power test just that morning. Though she would never show it, Celestia was furious that somepony had put so many at risk out of a callous desire to harm Peter; Twilight had instructed the Guard to prioritize discovering the saboteurs, and Celestia knew it would only be a manner of time until they did. She had largely abolished rule by fiat long ago, but this was one of the few times she wished she still had the ability to pass summary judgment on a citizen of her nation. Luna had already agitated for immediate petrification.

Eventually, Twilight had the apparatus prepared and Peter was once more standing in the center of the runeform. “Able, calibrate the gateway stabilizers to my Earth-side beacon spell,” she said.

“At once, Princess.” The assistant went to her workstation, flipping a variety of switches and glancing repeatedly at an entire line of gauges. Celestia spent a few moments idly wondering what changes access to human technology would make to all of this; with the ability of magic-like screens to display data, electric “brains” that could calculate things much faster than even the most acute pony mind....

“Princess Twilight?” Able Assistant's voice couldn't quite hide her concern. “I think you had better have a look at this.”

Twilight quickly made her way over, and stared hard at a gauge that Able pointed at. “...that can't be right,” Celestia heard her former student murmur. “Recalibrate it.”

“I have, Princess. Five times. It's not the instrumentation.”

“But that means....” Twilight glanced over at Peter, who was watching the proceedings with a visible expression of worry. “No, it can't be,” she said, turning back towards the entrance of the clean room. “Sergeant Beryl!”

The pegasus in question came to attention. “Princess?”

“Prepare an expedition to the Everfree Forest. Airborne carriages with the standard precautions for Peter. I'll be contacting Rainbow Dash, Discord and Zecora and asking them to be ready to meet with us at our usual gathering point at the edge of the Everfree in four hours from now.”

“At once, Princess.” The guard immediately left to follow his orders.

“Twilight?” Celestia trotted over. “What's wrong? Why are you involving Discord in this?”

Twilight's eyes ran over the instrumentation one more time, as if desperate to find something that wasn't there. “Celestia... we can't make contact with the beacon spell I placed on Earth.”

(-)

It has to be a localized problem with our beta point in Canterlot. It has to be.

Non-Princess Twilight would have paced a torus-shaped groove into the dirt waiting for everyone to arrive. The training she'd had since her ascension kept her from doing so, but it didn't do much to alleviate the worry she felt. There was absolutely no logical reason for the science team to not be able to reach that beacon spell; the clean room had been completely voided of latent magical energies after the planar breach, essentially scrubbed clean of all traces of magic. Nothing should have been interfering with any attempt to re-establish contact with the far end of the “tube” that connected Peter with his homeworld.

It's okay. It's going to be okay. We'll just bring him back to his entry point, re-establish the connection from there and use a different beta point. No big deal. At most it'll add another month's wait before we can open a portal and get Peter home. What's a month?

And yet she couldn't shake the elevating sense of worry that was plaguing her mind. Even despite her training, she was practically prancing in place by the time the carriage bringing Peter showed up, with Sveti flying close behind; to her surprise, Zecora arrived carefully balanced on Dash's back shortly after. “That guard you sent to come get us sure seemed like he wanted us moving in a hurry,” Dash explained. “So Z didn't mind me giving her a lift.”

“Indeed.” The zebra bowed her head as she approached. “The need for our help was easy to see. So let us bring Peter into the Everfree.”

The need to move quickly was definitely present- it was already mid-afternoon, and nopony wanted to be stuck in the Everfree at nightfall- so it wasn't long at all before they found their way back to what Twilight had designated “Zone Alpha”. She quickly teleported in the thaumatically-insulated package of probes and asked Peter to set them in a circle in specified spots; she wanted the purest reading she could get, and Peter would drain any latent charge from whatever he touched. “Alright, that's everything,” she said once the equipment was set up. “Now where the hay is Discord? I need him!”

“Oh, Twilight! You don't know how long I've waited for you to say that!” The draconequus literally pulled himself out of Twilight's shadow, a bouquet of flowers clutched in one strange paw and a small velvet box in the other; he was dressed in a tuxedo and bowtie. “I knew you'd eventually give in to your feelings! What Fluttershy and I had was nothing; I was saving myself for you! I-” He glanced around at the assembled creatures, all of them staring at him in various stages of confusion and amusement, and sighed. “...oh. I see how it is. You just want something from me, don't you?” He threw the bouquet and box over his shoulders; the box opened on impact, releasing the four scorpions that were inside. The small arachnids skittered off into cover. “And I was saving those for Fluttershy, too,” he murmured, before turning back towards Twilight. “Well! I'll be sending the Crowns the dry-cleaning bill for the tux. In the meantime, what do you need?”

She fixed her eyes on his. “If you're done clowning around, we have a serious situation that I need your help with. I can't get in contact with the beacon I placed on Earth, and I know you know a thing or two about dimensional boundaries, so I want you on hoof to observe and consult with just in case.”

“Oh, well, I'm all about pushing boundaries.” He pulled out a small collapsible camping chair and a glass of lemonade from somewhere, settling himself in, still wearing the tuxedo. “In your own time, Princess,” he said impatiently, twirling his claw.

Twilight repressed a sigh of irritation and instead turned her attention to the probes. “Okay, here goes everything,” she said beneath her breath, channeling her magic into the point in the center of the probes. She felt the energies travel down the “tube”, twisting away from what she knew to be her reality, towards a world completely different from hers...

...only to slam into a metaphysical barrier as solid as any brick wall.

Discord's glass dropped to the ground as he visibly winced. “Ow. Who put that speed bump there?” he wondered. “I thought you said this was a clear road, Twilight!”

“That... that didn't happen before!” she countered. She sent a second, more powerful pulse along the path, only to have it hit that same barrier. This time, Peter winced, wrapping his arms around himself. “Peter?” she gasped. “Peter, what happened?!”

He was exceptionally pale. “I... not know. Felt like... like sledgehammer to my soul.”

“Oooh. Now that's some interesting stuff.” Discord got out of his chair, flying a slow circle around the human. “Something's definitely different about you. New hairstyle? No, no, the same boring old mop. New eye color? ...no, too much to ask for, I guess. Hmmm.” He glanced over at Twilight. “What's our dear boy been up to, Princess?”

She gave the avatar of Chaos an abbreviated version of what had occurred the day before, leaving out what had happened in the Astral Plane itself. Once she'd finished, Discord stroked his goatee. “What a crazy, unpredictable development,” he said, turning towards Peter. “I love it! If half of what I've heard about you is to be believed, you've just been a fountain of chaos ever since you came here. I've honestly been dreading the time when you leave... and now it looks like you don't have to!”

Twilight froze in place. “...what do you mean?”

“Oh, here, let me demonstrate for the poor unfortunates who can only perceive four dimensions.” He pulled off one of his horns and stretched it out as if it were made of rubber. “Let's pretend that this is Peter's connection to his homeworld. A little stretched-out, sure, but it's doing its job just fine. But then, somepony went and threw our little human into the Astral Plane- in three-dimensional space, that'd be aaaaabout right over here.” He stretched one end of the tube about four feet away, forming a three-point line and causing it to quiver with the strain. “And since we have an anchor point here in Equestria... it's sort of like a rubber band being pulled over a hinge. Eventually something's got to give, and it can't be the hinge.” The far end of the tube seemed to break off of whatever was holding it in place, floating aimlessly about.

“Oh no....” Twilight stared at the thin tube in horror. “The connection's been severed? But how can that be?! Peter still has his magic-draining ability; where is it going?”

“Oh, it's still going down the tube. Not out of it, though.” Discord snapped his talons, and the floating end of the tube began to bulge. “There's no 'there' for it to go out to; the void between dimensions is really just that- a void. And magic avoids a void.” He snickered at his own joke, glancing around to see no one else joining in; he cleared his throat. “No appreciation for humor. Anyway... the problem dear Peter has is that he's already had this siphon going for a while, so it's sort of like dealing with momentum.” The end of the tube continued to swell until it seemed to reach its breaking point. “Eventually, though, that little 'tube' is going to have taken all it can take, and all that magic is going to push back the way it came.” The tube deflated, expelling a stream of brightly-glowing sparkles through the other end.

An expression of pure horror crossed Sveti's face. “...through Peter?!”

Discord paused a moment, looking at the griffon in confusion, then frowned. “...oh. Oh my. That... that's a good point. Say, Peter, your atoms wouldn't happen to be encased in crystalline quadrahedral carbonite, would they?” He studied the human's blank expression for a moment, then shook his head. “Then... um... well... I guess look at it this way. You'll... be going out with a bang?”

“...what?!” Dash took to the air, zooming up to Discord's face to glare at him. “That isn't funny, Discord! Did you expect us all to laugh at a joke like that?!”

“This is no joke, Rainbow Dash. For once I'm being deadly serious.” He turned towards Twilight with an almost frighteningly uncharacteristic somber expression. “Whoever sabotaged that runeform of yours didn't just strand Peter here, Princess. They doomed him.”

Everyone else turned horrified eyes towards the human, who had turned back towards the spot he'd first entered Equus, one arm reaching out. “...one month,” Twilight heard him say, his voice flat. “Was just one month.”

He fell to his knees, slamming both fists against the ground. Sveti immediately ran to him, wrapping her forelimbs and wings around him, keening softly; Dash dropped onto her hooves in shock. “It's not fair,” she half-whispered. “It isn't fair, Twilight. He was just about to get home! And now he... he....” She shook her head. “If I ever get my hooves on whoever did this to him...!” She went silent, trembling with impotent rage, trying to fight back the tears that shimmered at the edges of her eyes.

Zecora laid a comforting hoof on the pegasus's shoulder, her own cheeks wet with tears. “I echo Dash's sentiments; I'm nothing more than stunned. Princess Twilight, truthfully... is there nothing to be done?”

“You've got your work cut out for you, Princess.” Discord said. “You're working against basic laws of nature. But if I can help....”

She glanced back at him. “You would?”

“Of course. I know during my history I might have seemed a little... callous, but I've always hated death. There's nothing more static, more boring. More... final.”

Twilight closed her eyes for a moment, her mind seeming to spin around in bewilderment. Just two days ago she'd been preparing for the scientific and cultural event of a lifetime; contact with an entirely new species on an entirely new world! But now thanks to the misguided actions of some malcontents, not only had that opportunity been lost... but an innocent living creature- her friend- had been given a death sentence.

“...I'm not going to let this happen,” she said quietly, raising her head. “Sergeant Beryl!”

The normally dour-looking pegasus broke out of his depressed expression. “Princess?”

“Bring Peter and Sveti back to Canterlot, then have the Lambda and Epsilon science teams assemble and await my orders. I'm going back to my library in Ponyville to find any information I can on transplanar ruptures and magic dampening; I'll send directives from there.”

“Yes, Princess.” The pegasus saluted, but Twilight was already in the middle of her teleport.

(-)

Applejack couldn't describe the atmosphere inside the library any better than “angry silence”.

Not that she could blame anypony, honestly. After Twilight had gathered them all together, given them an overview of what had happened over the past couple of days, and asked- begged, really, if she was being honest- for their help in researching a way to save Peter, nothing that wasn't absolutely critical to that research had been said, the only sounds to grace her ears coming from the turning of pages and the occasional cough or sniffle. Twilight had a half-dozen tomes spinning around her like a strange turnstile, pages flipping each time one of the books passed her eyes, while the rest of the Bearers, Spike and Zecora sat around the large table in the middle of the library, each of them with a list of words and phrases to search for. She paused in her reading as she came across one of them, taking a pencil in her mouth to make note of the book's title and author and what page she'd found it on, being as careful with her mouthwriting as she could so that the eggheads in Canterlot would know where to look.

She set the pencil down, and took a quick moment to look around the room. She'd seen serious, contemplative looks on the faces of Rarity, Fluttershy and Zecora before, and Spike was no slouch when it came to researching something he found important... but to see Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie each bent over an enormous book, a hard-as-stone expression on the pegasus's face and a nearly blank one on the earth pony's....

It hurts, she realized. This is hurtin' all of us. Just knowin' that a pony done this t' Peter, it makes me feel ashamed, an' like I oughta be out kickin' some teeth in rather 'n sittin' here with a book. But what else can I do? The Princesses have prob'ly already got the Royal Guard lookin' fer the culprit, an' I won't feel the least bit sorry for the jerk when they git their hooves on 'im. She could feel the anger building up in her, her teeth grinding against each other and her heart speeding up in her chest... and with a deliberate effort, she forced herself to let it go. Gettin' angry won't do nothin' fer Peter. He needs the help of his friends, and th' only thing we kin do fer 'im right now is find information that th' eggheads kin use t' save 'im.

She completely lost track of time as she leafed through page after page, fighting fatigue and eyestrain, until a wide yawn popped her jaw and a glance out the windows showed that the sun had already set. Twilight had apparently heard the yawn. “Girls,” she said quietly, “I think we've done all we can do here tonight. Thanks so much for your help; I'm going to take everything we've got to Canterlot for the science teams to look at.”

Twilight approached the table to take their notepads- AJ noting with some pride that she'd produced five neatly-written pages of references- but stopped when she got to Pinkie Pie. “Pinkie, let me have your book and notes, please,” Twilight said.

Pinkie put a hoof down on her notepad. “I'm not done yet.”

“Pinkie, I think we've found just about everything we can hope for tonight-”

“No.” The party pony wouldn't look up from her book. “There's gotta be something in this book. Or another one. I wanna keep looking.”

“Sugarcube, I know ya wanna help,” Applejack said. “But it's late and yer as tired as th' rest of us. We can come back at it in th' mornin', bright an' early-”

“If you wanna quit, AJ, go ahead. I'm not gonna.”

“Uh... h-hey, c'mon, Pinks.” Dash put a hoof on her friend's withers. “It's great that you're so dedicated, y'know, but AJ's right. Staying up all night isn't going to-”

“I... I don't wanna stop, Dashie.” Pinkie flipped a page of the book in front of her. “Petey needs us! What if there's something on this next page that'll save him?! Or the next book? If I stop now, I might miss it! And he'll... he'll....” Tears started to roll down her cheeks. “I'm not gonna let it happen!” she said. “I'm not gonna let some meanie take one of my friends away from me like that! There's gonna be a way to save him, and we can get him home, and then he can come back with more friends, and then he and Sveti can be together like they ought to be, and I can throw everypony a party, and... and....”

She broke down in tears, laying her head on her forelegs and sobbing quietly. Everyone else in the room gathered around her, trying to comfort her. “Pinkie,” Zecora said gently. “To carry on with tired eyes could mean that you might miss the prize. A good night's rest for me and you will let us face this task renewed.”

Pinkie sniffled heavily, lifting up her head. “I... I guess you're right, Zecora,” she said. “I just don't wanna let Petey down.”

The eight of them went to the door. “Dash,” Twilight said quietly. “Would you...?” She tilted her head towards Pinkie.

“Yeah, you bet. C'mon, Pinkie, I'll help you home.” Dash trotted carefully along with the despondent pink mare leaning heavily on her shoulder.

As the rest of them headed home- Fluttershy insisting politely but firmly that Zecora stay at her cottage for the night so that the zebra wouldn't have to traverse the Everfree in darkness- Applejack found herself trotting next to Rarity for a moment. “Poor Pinkie,” the earth mare murmured. “She's takin' this really hard.”

“I shan't blame her.” Rarity's gaze wandered across the ground in front of her. “I'm so... so furious right now. Peter's done nothing to deserve this fate! Who could do this?!”

“All I'm sayin' is, once they find the jerk, they better not let me get inside 'a kickin' range, 'cause bad things 'd happen elsewise.” Applejack scowled.

“Save me a spot in line behind you. I expect it would be a long one.” Rarity shook her head slowly. “This is a nightmare. How could all this happen in just two days? Poor Peter. Poor Sveti.”

“Yeah. This must've been a kick in th' face for both of 'em. Mah heart's out to 'em.”

Eventually their paths parted, and with wishes for a good night's rest, Applejack and Rarity went their separate ways. After the long and quiet walk back to Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack found Big Mac waiting for her in the living room. “Granny an' Apple Bloom are both asleep,” he told her.

“So how come yer still up?”

“Wanted t' know what was goin' on. Princess Twilight don't pull ya away from the farm like that anymore 'less it's somethin' important... and judgin' by that look on yer face, it was.”

The emotional turmoil and physical exhaustion must've taken more of a toll on her than she'd thought, because with hardly any persuasion from Mac at all, Applejack found herself spilling out all the information she'd been given. Her brother's expression would've seemed as stoic as ever to anypony else, but AJ could read him like a book- he was getting as angry as her. “Ain't right,” he rumbled once she'd finished. “Lousy Canterlot politics is what that is. Dun care if th' common pony gets trampled in their little jamboree.” He looked up at her. “T'morrow I'm comin' wit'cha to th' library.”

She blinked in surprise. “Ya are?”

“Peter an' Sveti are a part of our family now. Even if they weren't, after what they did t' save that filly in th' Everfree, don't we owe 'em whatever we can do t' help? If readin' a bunch of books is what we gotta do, then count me in.”

She gave him a proud smile. “Awright then. Be up bright an' early t'morrow.”

“Always am.”

She was asleep almost as soon as her head hit her pillow, but one thought remained in her head: Whatever it takes, we are gonna save Peter.

So this is what it feels like to be a dead man.

Above all else, I simply couldn't wrap my head around how absurd the situation was. Everything I'd survived- landing on Equus in the first place, the timberwolves, the sideshow, all the running and hiding, my own suicide attempt, being pulled through a dimensional tear into a literal world of nightmares- had come to this: Being told that I'd become a ticking time bomb, that my unalterable magic absorption property had consigned me to an eventual death by magical explosion. It wasn't as though I could just go somewhere that didn't have magic; the stuff covered the damn planet, even the Everfree, for all that its natural systems resembled Earth in most other ways. Twilight had been able to tell me that I wouldn't “go off” for at least a couple of weeks, but beyond that she would have to take measurements to be sure. She had offered to set up quarters for me in another “clean room”, and while I appreciated the show of generosity, I needed to be somewhere familiar- and the embassy had low enough levels of ambient magic for Twilight to consider it acceptable in the short-term.

Sveti sat on the other end of the couch from me, her head hung low. She was terrified of touching me now, fearful that her own inherent magic might cut seconds off of my life's timer. She couldn't bring herself to look me in the eyes, nor I her, she apparently as certain as I that one glance would reduce us both to crying again. I wanted to “man up”, to try to be the rock of solidity she needed at that moment, but my psyche had been so shredded by all that had happened that I couldn't muster the intestinal fortitude.

“Peter,” she said quietly.

“Hmm?”

“I... I want to apologize for how I've been acting lately.”

“I.. what do you mean?”

“It....” She went quiet for a moment, and even without looking at her I knew she was trying to organize her thoughts. “I've wanted to get you home since I knew how you got here, but... once I realized that it was finally going to happen... some small selfish part of me started wanting you to stay, terrified that you'd return to Earth and never come back.” She sighed. “And now... and now you can't go home anyway, and....” I saw her shake her head out of the corner of my eye, choking back a sob. “It's just like what I did to Dad, all over again! I thought I was better than this. You deserve better!”

“Sveti-”

“Peter, this isn't one of those things where you can say 'It's okay' and we move on. I've let you down; I've failed you on the most basic level. I put my selfish desires ahead of what was best for you. Maybe if I hadn't been so upset about the idea of you leaving....”

Her voice trailed off at the touch of my hand on her shoulder; she tried to move away, but I followed her, keeping my contact gentle but insistent, and after a moment she surrendered herself to it. “Sveti,” I said quietly, “you haven't failed me. You never have. If I was going to hate you for the part of you that wanted me to stay... then I'd have to hate myself for the part of me that was going to ask you to come with me.”

She looked up at me in shock. “You were?”

“Yeah. Even knowing what could happen... I hated the thought of leaving you behind. It's hard to even imagine not having you with me now....”

Now it was my turn to trail off, and I let my hand fall onto the couch. Both of us sat there in silence for a moment, until she broke it. “I would have gone with you.”

“I know. That doesn't give me the right to ask.”

I felt her weight shift on the couch as she leaned towards me, gingerly laying one wing over my back. “Yes, it does,” she murmured quietly into my ear. “You have the right to ask whatever you would of me. I can accept or refuse, of course, but you and I have been through too much together for there to be walls between us anymore. Especially... if I have to lose you.”

I looked up to see her gazing at me, the feathers beneath her eyes wet with fresh tears. I put an arm out towards her, only to have her glance at it fearfully. “Sveti,” I said, “I'd probably have to hug a hundred thousand gryphons to match the magic I absorbed from Luna. You're not going to make any real difference. So....” I stretched my hand towards her a little. “...please?”

I actually saw her resistance break, and she almost flung herself at me, burying her head against my chest and wrapping her forelimbs around my stomach. “I'm sorry,” she keened. “I'm so sorry. I just... I... it hurts. It hurts, Peter. I don't want to lose you. You're all I have.”

“Shh.” I stroked her neck gently. “Sveti. Listen.” She went quiet for a moment, apparently waiting for me to say something, but I stayed silent for a little bit longer. “What do you hear?”

“...your voice?”

“Besides that.” I very gently pressed her head against my chest for emphasis.

She caught on. “Your heart.”

“Right. And... so long as that keeps going, then you haven't lost me yet. Do you understand?”

At this point I couldn't tell which one of us I was trying harder to cheer up- but I couldn't keep a small smile off of my face when I heard her give a half-hearted chuckle. “Peter, that... that is the sappiest, the... the corniest, the most greeting-card-bait thing that... that has ever made me love someone.” She jerked a little against me, and a strange sound escaped her beak. “...and great, now I have hiccups,” she groaned.

“C'mere.” I laid out on my side on the couch, and she curled up in her typical catlike fashion alongside me, resting her head on my chest. I pressed the palm of my hand against her back, just past her ribcage- my best estimation of where her diaphragm would be- and began rubbing in gentle circles. “How's that?” I asked.

“It- hic- it's pretty nice,” she murmured in reply.

“It doesn't seem to be helping the hiccups, though.”

“I'll put up with them if it means you keep doing that. Hic.” She settled against me, her eyes closing. “Why can't we just have this, Peter? Why does the world seem so out to get us?” She sighed. “Ugh. Listen to- hic- listen to me and my persecution complex.”

“I think it just might be justified.” I rested my cheek against her head, lightly pressing my fingers into her furred hide. “Sveti?”

“Mmh?”

I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I didn't tell you what it was that got to me the most when I was in the Astral Plane, did I?”

“No. Hic- gah.” She shifted herself a little. “I... had a feeling there was something you hadn't told me, but I didn't want to pry. I would like to hear about it if you want to share, though.”

She listened attentively as I described what had happened in that room with the recreations of myself and Luna. “That... that possibility really got to you, didn't it?” she asked quietly. “I know we'd talked about it before, but if that's what it really felt like to you....” Her claw pressed against my side, rubbing lightly.

“It's been in the back of my mind since I found out what Luna had done.” I sighed. “I just... couldn't get past the thought that what I feel for you was planted in my mind.”

She nodded slowly, then arched her neck to look up into my eyes. “Do you believe Luna told you the truth when she said she didn't?”

I nodded. “I'm not sure either of us could've lied to the other in that place. I'm still not happy about how she entered my mind like that, but.... now I understand better what she was thinking, at least.”

“I'm glad.” Her claw gently stroked my back. “I don't blame you for being worried about having your thoughts manipulated, honestly.”

“It isn't just about me, Sveti. You deserve better than manufactured emotions. The last thing I want to do is hurt you.”

She leaned back again, this time to give me a wide smile. “I have no worries about that,” she told me, tapping my chest lightly with a talon. “Like I said before, I know what's in here.”

I smiled, letting silence fall for a minute or two, during which she settled her head against my chest once more. “It sounds like your hiccups are gone,” I noted.

“Don't take that as an excuse to stop rubbing my back.” I could hear fatigue creeping into her voice, and the combination of her warmth and softness and everything I'd been through during the day were starting to catch up to me as well.

“Sveti?” I murmured.

“Hm?”

“...I'm scared.” My voice wasn't nearly as strong as I would've liked.

She raised her claw to gently run her talons through my hair, and I closed my eyes, enjoying the feeling. “I know,” she said quietly. “It's okay to be. Just remember that you have me to talk to when you're feeling overwhelmed; I'll always listen. I couldn't do anything less for....” She gently laid her wing over my side. “...for the one I love.”

She couldn't have missed how my heart sped up at those words. I laid my head against hers, resting my hand between her shoulders. “I love you too,” I whispered into her ear.

She made a soft, happy sound into my chest and snuggled up against me, and there in the warmth of her feathers and fur, it wasn't long before I dropped into a deep, dreamless sleep, blissfully free of my troubles.

(-)

“...Ennie?”

Quick Service followed the strange sound he'd heard into the pantry, where he found Ensemble huddled in the corner, weeping uncontrollably. “Ennie!” he exclaimed, scrambling to her side. “What happened?! Are you hurt?”

She waved him off with one foreleg, the other wiping at her eyes. “Just... just leave me alone, Quick,” she sobbed. “I don't want to see anypony right now.”

“Ensemble, this isn't like you.” He sat down next to her. “C'mon, talk to me. What's going on?”

She stared up at him in confusion. “You... you didn't hear about what happened to Mister Collins?”

“...what?” He blinked in surprise. “I had today off; I just got back to the embassy. I was looking for a snack to take up to my quarters when I heard you. What happened to Mister Collins?”

He listened in dawning horror as Ensemble related what she'd been told- that Peter's connection to his homeworld had been severed, obliterating his chances of going home, and that due to some complex magical issue, the magic Peter had been absorbing was now building up and threatened to kill him once it reached some as-yet-undiscovered limit. “...sweet Celestia,” he murmured, leaning back against a shelf full of bags of flour. “How could... how could this happen?”

“It's because of stupid ponies.” Ensemble crossed her forelegs over her chest. “They've been out to get Mister Collins and Miss Windwhisper for so long... and now they did this.” She shook her head, turning teary eyes towards him. “What is wrong with us, Quick?!” she demanded.

“What...?”

“With us ponies! We practically lord the whole 'love and tolerance' thing over other species, and then a creature like Mister Collins comes along and we flip the buck out like he's already got his teeth on our throats!”

“Ennie, we're not all like that. What about you and me? I mean... our feelings for him are pretty much the opposite of that.”

“Well, yeah, but... we're not exactly the norm, though, are we?” She sighed, slumping down a little. “Maybe we might've had a chance with him if he hadn't been so abused by ponies. I doubt he'd find any of us attractive now.”

“Maybe you would've had a chance. I don't think he's attracted to other males, either.” Quick chuckled, putting a comforting foreleg over Ensemble's shoulders. “But honestly... I really would like to see him and Miss Windwhisper together.”

Ensemble nodded slowly. “I know. I feel the same, really. But... hey, let a mare dream, huh?”

“I wanna dream, too.” He blew a raspberry at her. “I just hope Princess Luna hasn't been peeking in on my dreams. That could get a little embarrassing.”

“Oh, you.” Ensemble snorted, then sniffled. “Ugh. My nose is running from crying.”

“Here.” Quick pulled his hoofkerchief out of his shirt pocket and gave it to her.

“Thanks.” She blew her nose loudly. “I'll put it in with the laundry,” she told him. “You're a sweetheart; there are times I wish you didn't only prefer stallions. You'd be a good catch.”

“There are times I wish you were a stallion, so we're even.” He chuckled. “Okay, Ennie. We know what the problem is, so we need to do what we can to help. Where's Welder and Niche?”

“Welder's in bed already, and Niche is still out on a date with some stallion she met last week. Right now it's just you and me running things behind the curtain.”

“Okay. Well, it's too late in the day to make dinner, but we can prep the makings of a fantastic breakfast tomorrow. I'll go to that griffin shop- it should be open for a while yet, I think- and pick up something special. Do we have enough eggs for Prench toast?”

“Yes, I picked up two dozen the day before yesterday. We might be getting low on cinnamon, though.”

“I'll get some of that too, to be safe.” They walked up out of the pantry and onto the main floor. “So where are Miss Windwhisper and Mister Collins?” he asked.

“They were in the study, the last I saw them.” She led him towards the room, and quietly pulled the door open enough for both of them to peek inside- only to find the human and the griffin curled up against each other, fast asleep on the large couch.

Quick felt a large smile spread across his lips. “Oh, that's a sight,” he murmured.

“Isn't it?” Ensemble was smiling just as widely. “Turn down the lantern; I'll get a blanket for them.”

Always ready to live up to his name, Quick Service was swift to comply, dimming the lantern so that it gave just enough light to see by. He watched as Ensemble retrieved a thin blanket from a nearby closet and, with a deft movement of her head and neck, gently opened it and placed it over them. Neither of the creatures on the couch stirred in the slightest. They must have been exhausted, he thought. Couldn't really blame them.

Once he and Ensemble had left the room and closed the door- and Quick had hung a “do not disturb” sign on the latch- they discussed their plan, then separated to get everything started. Quick felt a burning sense of purpose as he headed outside into the evening Canterlot streets, his steps a little faster than usual. Two creatures I care about are hurting, he thought. What sort of friend would I be if I didn't do all that I could to make things better?

(-)

“...I don't think I've ever seen this many ponies in the library.”

Spike poured another cup of cocoa from one of the many canteens that Sugarcube Corner had generously donated once the Cakes had found out what was going on. The drinks were going quickly; the library was naturally a touch on the chilly side during this time of year, not to mention that cocoa was just a natural fit with reading. Not that any of the numerous ponies present were reading for relaxation or personal pleasure, it seemed. “How did everypony find out about all this?” he wondered.

“Might kinda be my fault.” Applejack set down her cup. “I told Big Mac what was happenin' last night, and he wanted t' help, naturally. And then we had to tell Apple Bloom that we were both leavin' th' farm fer a bit, and... well, y'know how she is when she wants t' know somethin'. I didn't give 'er all the details, but enough so she knew it was important.”

“I had a similar situation with Sweetie Belle,” Rarity admitted. “And it's likely that either of the girls told Scootaloo, and any number of their other friends. And then... well, it might as well have been posted up on the town notice board.” She took a sip of her cocoa. “Not that I'm complaining in the least, mind you. This turnout warms my heart.”

Spike looked out at the group of ponies, each of them intently gazing at books of different sizes and designs, on occasion writing notes down. “Yeah,” he agreed. “I'm glad that everypony is looking past what Peter is and seeing what he's done.”

He'd just started on pouring out the seventh canteen of cocoa when something at the front door caught his attention. A pair of ponies were standing in front of it, forming a sort of blockade against another pony standing outside; he strained to hear what was being said. “...lot of work to do here, and we don't need a klutz like you making a mess....”

“But I want to help!” Spike immediately recognized the voice from beyond the door as Derpy Hooves's. “I like Peter and I want to lend a hoof!”

“And if he needs something broken, knocked over or dropped on somepony's head, we'll come get you,” one of the blockade ponies shot back. “So why don't you fumble on back home-”

“Hey.” Another voice came from the eastern side of the library, and a stallion trotted towards the door; it took Spike a moment to recognize him- Ember Flare, the unicorn who'd been praised by the Mayor for getting help when Peter and Sveti were defending the little filly who'd been lost in the woods. “Let her in,” the unicorn told the two ponies blocking the door. “We should be letting anypony who wants to help do so.”

“You want Disaster Hooves flopping around in here?” one of the ponies snorted. “We should just save her the trouble and light the place on fire ourselves.”

The other one snickered. “Yeah. And weren't you one of the ponies saying bad things about Peter before he came to town, Ember? I remember hearing Rainbow Dash giving you some noise for that.”

“Yes. Yes, I was. And you know what? I was wrong. I was wrong and stupid, and now I want to make up for it.” He gave the ponies a critical look. “Now imagine how you'll feel if you're wrong about Derpy, and if she really could help. Do you want to take the chance?”

Both of the ponies at the doorway gave each other an uncertain look, then reluctantly stepped back, letting an upset-looking Derpy through. Ember immediately placed a comforting hoof on her withers. “C'mon, Derpy,” he said. “I'll get you one of the books off the stack and a copy of the keyword list. And some cocoa, too, if you want.”

“S- sure. Thanks, Embie.”

Spike had a cup waiting for the unicorn, and watched as Ember brought it over to the storm-grey pegasus, along with a book and a list. Everything settled back down after that, with the turning of pages and scratching of pencils on paper being the only sounds to greet Spike's ears for a while. It was when he was moving around to collect empty cups that he stopped by where Derpy was seated, and was about to take her cup, when he noticed that her eyes were moving independently across the pages, and she was moving through her book much faster than most of the other ponies. For a second he thought she was just skimming, until he saw her eyes repeat their movements twice, and then she took her pencil in her mouth and wrote down two notes. “Hey, um, Derpy?” he asked.

“Yeah, Spike?”

“Are you... are you reading both pages at once?”

“Yep! I taught myself to read something different with each eye when I was transferred to the mail-sorting room for six months. It helped me get through the queues faster, and then I could get home to my girls sooner.”

“That's actually kinda cool,” he told her, giving her a smile. Next to her, Ember grinned, while the two ponies who'd tried to keep Derpy out of the library gave each other sheepish looks.

“Thanks, Spike!” She returned his smile with a brilliant one of her own. “Say, could I get more cocoa?”

“You got it!” The dragon immediately made his way back to the checkout desk to get another cup for his friend.

(-)

“Well, I bet you're happy.”

Peppermint York spun around at the familiar voice behind her, to find Swift Wind standing a few paces away from the flower cart she was browsing through. She couldn't read the expression he was giving her. “Happy?” she repeated. “I'm not sure what you... hey, when did you get out of the wheelchair?”

“Come on, York, don't tell me you didn't hear what happened with Peter.”

“I, uh... I haven't heard anything, actually.” She trotted towards him, offering an uneasy smile, but his expression didn't change. “I'm not really 'in the loop' anymore.” It was the honest truth; since she'd taken on the protection “assignment”, she'd had no briefings or communication with her command structure- she'd been effectively cut off.

He stared at her for a moment. “You really don't know, do you?”

Her smile dropped. “Aircolt, I don't appreciate being jerked around. What are you talking about?”

He motioned for her to follow him, and she did so, until they stopped in a nearby quiet alley. “Word's gotten around that somepony sabotaged an experiment Princess Twilight was performing,” he told her. “Ponies are saying that Princess Luna nearly died, that the sabotage could've destroyed all of Canterlot... and that Peter is going to die because of it.”

It felt to York as though her entire body- her heart, her brain, every last muscle and nerve- froze for a moment as she processed what she'd just been told. “Sabotage...?” she found herself repeating.

“Yeah. I guess somepony out there hates Peter even more than you do. So I suppose you're not going to have to worry about him being around much longer, right?”

Only a part of her mind registered the disgust on his face and in his voice, and how surprisingly painful it felt. The rest of her was caught in a mental freefall. “This... this isn't....” she mumbled. “It's not what... how could they....”

She numbly cantered by him, barely aware of how his expression had gone from contempt to confusion. “...where are you going?” she heard him call after her.

She didn't have an answer for him; she didn't even have one for herself. But when she found her wings taking her back to the apartment building where she and her wards were staying, she knew what she needed more than anything- a friendly ear to talk to. So she flew up to her floor's entrance in search of the four ponies who were the closest thing she had to friends anymore.

(-)

“Excuse me, ma'am? Are you lost?”

She stopped, turning towards the junior-ranked Guard who'd queried her. “Ahh, yes, miss,” she said. “I'm looking for-” her eyes flicked towards a duty roster hanging from the wall- “Lieutenant Whitebreeze.”

“The Lieutenant isn't in today, I'm afraid.”

“Oh, dear. When would it be best to return?”

“Tomorrow at eight in the morning, ma'am.”

“Thank you. I'll be back then.” She turned, headed around the corner towards the exit stairwell- and then around yet another corner out of the Guard's eyesight. It was a trivial matter to find Lieutenant Whitebreeze's office, open the unlocked door, and levitate a small note onto the desk inside. The job done, she made her way back to the stairwell and towards the exit, ensuring that her borrowed, simple dress still covered her cutie mark, and that her sunglasses hid her eyes.

Goldenrod Honeydew was not a mare to take foalish chances. She had worked too hard, sacrificed too much, to acquire and solidify her position of power; she wouldn't risk losing any of it through her own mistakes, let alone those of others. And whatever lunacy Silver Star's “advisor” is putting in his head, I no longer want any connection with him, she thought. And while it pains me to stoop to siccing the Guard on somepony of our social circle, this scheme has gotten far out of hoof. To risk the safety of our nation with such a ridiculous, ill-considered plan! Power may be an end that justifies many means, but there are limits!

As much as she was loathe to admit it even to herself, what would come next was more or less out of her hooves. While she had a small number of well-paid plants inside of the Canterlot Guard ranks- anypony in her position would have the same, and there was no guarantee that any of hers didn't also work for one or more other members of the nobility- she didn't have nearly the influence it would take to direct the investigation that her “anonymous tip” would doubtlessly spark... which was why she was taking great pains in covering her tracks, personally completing this task rather than delegating to a servant or aide who might later spill the oats. If you're going to stir up the cows, take care not to get caught in the stampede, went her reasoning.

It was only when she was safely back to her estate, seated on her favorite easy chair with a cup of tea at her side, that Goldenrod felt it safe to relax- as much as somepony in her position could relax, at least- and wait for the other horseshoe to drop.

(-)

“I want to make sure that I have this straight.” Shining dropped the clipboard with the security logs onto the desk. “Somepony posing as a janitor managed to get through three checkpoints and into a high-security area?”

“A security breach we haven't seen the likes of since the Changeling invasion.” Major Winter Rime leaned back in her chair and placed her forehooves together. “I've interviewed the three guards who were stationed at those checkpoints. They all remember this guy; they examined his credentials... and for reasons none of them can explain, they let him pass into areas he had no business going into.”

“Despite all of our guards being issued charms to detect mental manipulation magic.” Shining dropped his rump into his chair, letting out a quiet grunt. “What could influence a pony's mind but not trigger those charms?”

“Not much that I'm aware of. Certain Zebrican rhythmic villanelles can induce a hypnotic state without magic, but the subject usually remembers the state afterwards. Certain special talents in ponies might have a similar effect....” She frowned.

Shining was on the same mental track. “You said the janitor was a unicorn?”

“Yes, sir. He didn't match our description of Big Top, but....”

“...but if he's a showpony then he might be able to disguise himself well enough to fool casual observation.”

“Oh, buck me.” She slammed a hoof down on the desk. “That stallion's got a stone pair if he's been here in Canterlot this whole time.”

“And if he has, that means that somepony's been harboring him, wittingly or otherwise.”

“Well, that only leaves us thirty-five thousand or so homes, businesses, estates, shacks and outhouses to search. Where do we start?”

knock-knock

Both ponies turned towards the door. “Come in,” Shining called out.

The door opened, and a pegasus stallion in lieutenant's regalia stepped in. “Captain, Major,” he said, “this note was apparently left on my desk yesterday. I found it when I came on duty this morning.”

Major Rime took the note, unfolded it and read it, then laid it down on the table and chuckled. “Well, if this isn't convenient, then I don't know what is,” she said.

Shining levitated the note up and read it as well, then pinched at his nose with a hoof. “Yeah, no kidding. But it's a lead.” He glanced back at the pegasus. “Lieutenant, bring this note to the justicar's office and request a search warrant, then organize a response team. I'll be there in half an hour to head it up.”

“Yes, sir.” The lieutenant saluted, then left.

Rime looked across the table at him. “Going to lead the team? That's a little off protocol.”

“Protocol can bite my rump; I'm angry. This sorry waste of hide has been making the lives of innocent creatures miserable for far too long, and if he's the one who sabotaged Princess Twilight's test... well, that's a big red line to cross. If we can finally nail him to the wall, I want to be there.”

They were just standing up when another knock came from the door; behind it was the sergeant-at-arms, who saluted smartly. “Captain Armor,” he said, “Air Sergeant York has requested to see you as soon as possible. She's in Meeting Room Four.”

He couldn't quite repress a groan. “Now? Is it important?”

“She seems to think so, sir.”

“Alright, alright... I'll give her five minutes to explain herself. Major, do me a favor and make sure that the watch schedule for the Griffin Embassy is still being followed; Sergeant, you're free to return to your duties.”

He left the office and headed to the meeting room, where he found the Air Sergeant waiting for him; her appearance brought him up short- the mare looked absolutely haunted. “Sergeant, I'm on a timetable,” he said.

“I understand, sir, but I have something I need to say to you.”

He took a seat at the table, opposite of her. “Let's hear it.”

“Sir, I've heard about the sabotage.”

“You and everypony from here to Las Pegasus, it seems. I'm beginning to wonder if anypony in this Guard understands the value of confidentiality.”

She seemed completely unfazed by his sardonic quip. “Sir, I want to change my part of our agreement.”

He frowned. “Now, Sergeant, we had a deal that was extremely favorable to you-”

“I know, sir. I want to drop my condition of anonymity during testimony.”

“And that- wait.” He just barely kept himself from doing a double-take. “You insisted on that condition because you didn't want to be a target. Now you've changed your mind?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Why? And make it brief.”

“Because I've come to realize that I helped enable this, Captain. I let my feelings override my sense of duty, I violated my oaths, I provided support to a movement that obviously no longer has the safety of our nation and its citizens as a priority- if it ever did- and it is my responsibility as a member of the Royal Guard to do all that I can to see that the perpetrators are brought to justice. We both know that the courts give more weight to open testimony than anonymous depositions.”

“So you're willing to risk repercussions to testify openly, should a trial occur.”

She took in a slow breath, then nodded. “Yes, sir. I am.”

“Alright.” He offered her a slight smile. “I'm glad to hear this, Sergeant.” He stood, but paused as a thought came to mind. “Your wards- they've heard of the sabotage as well?”

“Yes, sir. They found out about the same time that I did, from a different source.”

“And their reactions?”

“Bad. Farris Wheel took it particularly hard. I didn't think that colt could get so angry.”

He nodded. “And... how do you feel about this, Sergeant?”

Her gaze drifted to the table. “Captain, I would crawl to Peter Collins's feet and beg for his forgiveness if I thought I deserved it. I never wanted anything like this to happen.”

“I see.” He did his best to keep a neutral expression. “You might yet have a chance to make a good difference in all this, Air Sergeant York. In the meantime, return to your duties.”

“Yes, sir.” She still bore the same morose expression as when he'd first entered the room, but her movements were maybe just a touch more lively now. But that was all the thought he could spare towards the mare- he had preparations to make.

(-)

Silver Wisk had never seen Farris Wheel so angry.

The young stallion had been in various states of fury since they'd gotten the news about what had happened with Princess Twilight's test. She'd never heard so many variants of profanity come out of his mouth, either, nearly all of them combined with Big Top's name; the colt was certain that he'd had something to do with it, a theory that Wisk found both plausible and terrifying- because the very thought of Top being somewhere in the city made her want to hide in a corner and wet herself.

Wheel's anger had faded by the time the pair had made it to the embassy building, but instead of the usual fearful trepidation he showed when it came to interacting with anypony connected with Peter, instead there was a sad determination in his eyes. The young stallion let out a quiet sight before raising a hoof to pull at the doorbell cord.

A young-looking mare in a well-tailored maid's outfit opened the door in short order. “Hello! Can I help you?” she asked.

Wheel managed a pleasant smile. “Yes, miss,” he said. “I'd like to speak to Mister Collins, if I could.”

There was a nearly-instantaneous drop in the mare's smile, almost too fast to see. “Who may I ask is calling?”

“Farris Wheel and Silver Wisk.”

This time the smile left the servant's face permanently. “I'm sorry, but I don't believe that will be possible-”

“Ensemble?” a familiar voice from inside the building. “Thought heard doorbell. Who-”

Wisk froze in place as Peter's face came into view, the curious expression on it quickly hardening into disdain as the human realized who was at the door. “...what do you want?” he said carefully, his tone flat.

Wisk noted that he was dressed in shorts and a sleeveless shirt and wearing a pair of strange padded gloves on his hands, his bare skin dripping with sweat; he must have been doing something physical, probably exercising, before coming to the door. Next to her, Wheel lowered his head a little. “Peter, I know Wisk and I are probably two of the last ponies you want to see right now,” he said. “But after hearing what happened with Princess Twilight's test and... and what that means for you, I felt the need to tell you how sorry we are that this all happened, and that we never did anything to help you when we could.” The stallion paused for a moment, but at the human's continued stony silence, he went on. “I also had something I wanted to give to you and Sveti,” he said, before moving his head to grab something out of his saddlebags- a bound booklet. “I've been writing a play, with the help of Encore Revue, as sort of an allegory of what happened with the sideshow. It's not quite finished; once it is, the Royal Culture Board is going to help us get it produced and shown in every small town and village we can... but I'd like for you and her to have a look at it.” He went quiet for a moment as Peter wordlessly took the booklet. “Peter, I know we can't ever undo what we did, or make up for it... but because of what happened, now I'm in a place where maybe I can help stop it from happening again. And I'm going to do everything I can to do that.”

With that, Wheel turned and cantered away. Wisk remained a moment longer, offering a quiet “I'm sorry” to the human, before practically galloping after the stallion. “Wheelie?” she called out.

He came to a stop at a nearby intersection. “Sorry, Wisk,” he said. “I just... I think I used up a lifetime's worth of courage to do that. I had to go before I ended up in tears or something.”

She leaned against him gently. “Do you think they'll read it?” she wondered.

“I don't know.” He let out a quiet sigh. “I guess it doesn't make a difference either way. I don't have a right to expect them to accept anything we do to try to make up for it all, but that doesn't mean we can just not bother trying.”

“I guess that's true.” She gave him a smile. “That's a pretty wise outlook, Wheelie.”

“I've been doing a lot of thinking lately.” He went quiet for a moment. “I would've liked to have waited until the play was finished to give it to them, but....” He scowled.

“Yeah. I know.” She nuzzled him lightly. “I don't know where that waste of horsehide is right now, but I hope the Guard finds him, locks him up and throws away the dungeon.”

(-)

“Sir? Captain Shining Armor wishes to speak to you.”

Oh, Tartarus. Silver Star swept the salt licks on his desk into an open drawer and slammed it shut. “Is he in the foyer?” he asked the servant.

“Yes, sir.”

“I'll... I'll be down in just a moment.”

“Very good, sir.” The servant's hoofsteps faded down the hallway, and Star quickly rubbed at his face with a fetlock, glancing into a wall mirror to make sure he didn't look out-of-sorts. Reluctantly, he trod his way down the hall and into the foyer, where the Captain of the Royal Guard- and the Emperor-Consort of the Crystal Empire, if news reports were to be believed- waited patiently for him; the large, alabaster-coated stallion was bedecked in a dress uniform laden with medals and ribbons. “Mister Star, I'm sorry to interrupt your day,” the Captain said, with perfect formality- but something in his eyes seemed to snarl no, I'm not. “But I'm afraid that we've received a tip that something... untoward has been going on in your estate, with enough proof that the Guard has acquired a search warrant for the premises.” He levitated a small, folded parchment out of a pocket of his uniform and onto a nearby table. “You'll find it in order, I believe. But rather than barge in with a full compliment of the Guard, I thought it better to get your cooperation.”

Star's eyes flicked down at the warrant, reading up to the point where his name was elegantly written. That scheming, herdless son of a manticore sold me out, he thought. No wonder he didn't show up at my signal last night! Blast, all my papers are just waiting to be found; why didn't my contacts in the Guard warn me?! “Right... well, as a law-abiding citizen, I'll always cooperate with the Guard,” he said, trying to keep the quavering out of his voice.

“I'm glad to hear that.” The Captain trotted by the table. “Sir, why don't you show me to-”

Star's horn lit up.

crash

The table slammed into the larger stallion's side, and in a blind panic Star raced for the hallway. All I have to do is get to the red folder and incinerate it, he thought. Everything else I can explain away, but that one has to go. I'll just-

thump

He slammed into something he couldn't see, that shimmered as his face plowed into it. He let out a soft groan as he slid down to the floor and crumpled into a pile; from where he lay, he could see a quartet of sapphire-blue hooves trotting casually towards him. “Mister Star, that was... ill-advised,” Captain Armor said, his casual tone not quite hiding an undercurrent of anger. “Assaulting a member of the Royal Guard is a felony. Don't assume that your position makes you immune to consequences.” A magical aura seized at the front of Star's shirt, hauling him to his hooves. “Is he worth those consequences?”

Star shook his head in an attempt to clear it. “...he?”

“You know who I'm talking about, Mister Star. Him. Your 'advisor', perfectly described in our search warrant. I might add that harboring a wanted fugitive is also a felony... let alone aiding and abetting an act of sabotage against the nation.”

And suddenly everything fell into place in Silver Star's mind, and he realized just how badly he'd bucked things up. “...I don't know where he is,” he said numbly.

“Are you seriously going to try to protect him-”

“I'm telling the truth!” Something broke inside him, and he slid back down onto the floor. “I don't know where he is; I don't even really know who he is. He just... showed up one night, talking his way past my personal security and all my staff, and started telling me how he could help....”

“Help what?” Armor pulled him up to his hooves again. “You're not going to gain anything by protecting him.”

Star closed his eyes for a moment, doing his best to pull himself together. “I want my lawyer, Captain,” he said gruffly. “I'll say nothing more without her present.”

“Very well.” The Captain stepped away; Star heard a multitude of heavy hoofsteps echoing through the hall. “In the meantime, we'll be executing that search warrant. I'm afraid we'll have to take you into custody, since you did attack me.”

Silver Star stood in stone-faced indignation as he was forced to undergo the humiliating act of being hobbled and horn-capped like a common criminal. As he watched the guardsponies begin methodically searching through his home, he found that he couldn't decide who to be more angry towards- the Royal Guard, the Captain, that miserable stallion he'd called his “advisor”, whoever had ratted him out... or himself.

(-)

“Stallions and gentlemares, the problem we have before us is as follows.” Twilight tapped her pointer against the chalkboard. “Our subject, Peter Collins, previously served as an anchor point for an inverse Trotskan-Bayenski funnel effect. Unfortunately, due to a detour through the Astral Plane in his physical form, his link to his origin point was lost.” There were a few quiet murmurs in the small group before her. “This has formed a sort of 'thaumatic reservoir', which- due to continued magical absorption at a 5:7 Hackamore ratio- will eventually reach saturation.”

Several of the ponies in the group raised their hooves, and Twilight pointed to one of them. “Princess, wouldn't that result in a catastrophic backlash that would most likely be fatal to the subject and potentially destructive on a rather large scale?” the stallion asked.

“That's exactly right, Professor Snaffle,” Twilight answered. “And that outcome is what we're trying to prevent. What I need from you fellow scientists and scholars is a way to do so.” She saw more hooves raise, and pointed to another. “Scholar Uma?”

The mare spoke up in her lilting Neighponese accent. “Princess Twilight, has anypony discovered how long it will be before the backlash occurs?”

“For obvious reasons, we've been unable to perform direct magical probing. But utilizing calculations developed with... an expert in the field-” she didn't want to mention Discord directly- “we estimate that we have two months at the most, and possibly as few as three weeks. Are there any more vital questions?” When no more hooves raised, Twilight smiled. “Then let's begin.”

What came next was ten hours of full-spectrum brainstorming and idea-tossing. There were few ideas that Twilight would leave off the table- she would not consider any form of mutilation or surgical implantation for Peter, nor could she bring herself to completely isolate him in a “clean room”, as for it to make any real difference, they would have to all but imprison him in solitary confinement for what could be years, or even the rest of his natural life. She would only resort to that if it was truly necessary to save his life, and if he consented to it.

Finally, when just about everypony's voice was hoarse from speaking despite the generous amounts of ice water provided, they'd come up with half a dozen or so potential solutions, one of which Twilight considered the most likely candidate. “Mister Pyrite,” she said, “I happen to like the idea of some sort of wearable object which could coax out and contain the thaumatic backlog while also absorbing any ambient intake caused by the Trotskan-Bayenski effect. The problem is, while there are plenty of types of gems that would make suitable magical reservoirs, I'm not aware of any materials that could serve as a suitable semiconductive conduit. Everything I can think of is either an insulator or a complete conductor, or simply too toxic to anything living for our purposes.”

“Hmm.” The elderly stallion tapped his bearded chin with a hoof. “I can only think of two materials. Gold-pressed latinum, which is prohibitively difficult to create, or murium, an alloy which the Griffin Empire is known to use for various magical charms but will not sell to outside powers at any price.”

Magical charms.... It took a supreme effort of will for Twilight to not simply teleport out of the room immediately. “The Diarchy of Equestria thanks you for your time, my esteemed colleagues,” she said, perhaps a touch more quickly than she would've liked. “You'll be well-compensated by the Crowns for your time and effort, and I personally appreciate all you've done to help a friend of our nation. Should any papers be published as a result of this discussion, rest assured that you'll all be credited fairly.”

The instant after she'd ushered them out the door for their assistants to help, she vanished in a burst of purple light.

(-)

“I had a wonderful night tonight.” Neat Niche smiled at her date, blushing a little. “I've never had a stallion treat me quite the way you have.”

He grinned, lightly brushing against her side. “Well, that's a shame,” he replied, “and one I'm glad to have corrected.”

“Ah, you're so sweet,” she giggled. “But really, thanks so much for the night out. I didn't realize it had gotten so late!”

“I'm sorry if I kept you out past your curfew.” He smiled, looking down the street; Niche could see the Embassy just around the corner. “You won't be in trouble, will you?”

“No, no. I had the entire day off. I'll just want to be quiet; everyone inside is probably getting ready for bed by now.”

“Ahh, I see. Well, I'll do my best not to wake anypony.” He winked, his lazy eye wandering off a little as he did so.

Again she giggled. “How did a simple mare like me get your attention, anyway, Smartie?”

“Let's just say you caught my eye.”

She gave him a playful grin. “Really? Just one?”

He chuckled, looking ahead once more. “At first.”

“Aww, sorry, Smartie. I didn't mean any offense.”

“I know, I know.” He smiled. “None taken.”

They stopped at the Embassy's staff entrance, where Niche fished her key out of her purse and slid it into the lock. “Thanks for seeing me back, Whip Smart. Do you think we can go out again sometime next week?”

“I imagine I can clear some space on my calendar.” He leaned over to nuzzle her lightly. “See you soon, Niche.”

“See you soon!” She turned, opening the door and turning to enter; she saw a dim glow light up behind her-

thwack

Pain shot through her skull as it was slammed into the doorway, and she fell in a heap; she was only dimly aware of being dragged into the building before consciousness left her.

Sveti laid the booklet down on the coffee table before leaning back on the couch with a contemplative look on her face. “I don't think I'd feel so badly if it wasn't so good.”

“Yeah, I know,” I sighed, staring down at the bottom of my cup of orange juice. “I mean... I've heard of this Encore Revue guy, and part of me wants to believe that he's the one who did the hard work, but... there's a lot of heart in that play.”

She sat quietly for a moment, looking out the window at the city, bathed in lamplight and moonlight. “I don't feel ready to forgive Wheel,” she said quietly, “but... I'm not sure I can hate him anymore.” She glanced back at me. “Big Top is a cruel scumbag, but you were spared a lot of what he could do.”

“I remember you telling me how good he was at intimidation and persuasion.”

“Yeah. He was... maybe better at 'keeping me in line' than I'd like to admit, and not just by hanging my father's fate over my head. And you saw what he did to that minotaur, Cobalt.”

I shuddered a little at the memory. “Yeah. He was just... gone. The lights were on but nobody was home. Twilight told me that his body had shown signs of years of abuse.”

“And minotaurs are exceptionally tough, mentally as well as physically. So whatever it is Big Top did to Cobalt, it had to have been severe.” She took a long drink from her apple soda. “So now I'm wondering what he did to the ponies who worked for him.”

“Can that excuse them just letting us rot in cages?”

“I'm not looking to excuse them, just... understand them.”

I sighed again. “...yeah,” I murmured, running my fingers through my hair. “What do you think?”

“Remember me telling you that I was working with Wisk when you were first in the hospital?” she asked; I nodded. “Ancestors, I hated her at that point, but thinking back on it... she stuck with it even through my hostility and her abject fear of Princess Twilight. I think I actually threatened to kill her at one point... but she still stayed on.” She let out a slow breath through her nares. “So, right, I guess 'what I think' is that I don't know what I think. You?”

I needed a moment to organize my thoughts. “I guess... maybe we can at least give them a chance. If nothing else, I don't want to go to my grave hating someone who wants redemption without offering a shot at it.” I saw the look that came over her face, and I immediately reached over to hold her claw. “I'm just saying- facing my mortality makes me want to look past myself, think about the world around me. So... maybe we can't forgive them right now, but we can be a bit more open to them, at least.” I squeezed her claw. “But I know what you've lost because of them... your feelings are what matter most to me.”

Sveti closed her eyes for a moment. “I'm thinking of what Dad would tell me now. He was never a believer in revenge, and he always tried to see the best in others. I think maybe that's how he ended up with a pony... he wouldn't let that stop him from loving someone.” She leaned against me as I put my arm around her. “I think you're right. We can give them a chance. A careful one, of course, but... I think Dad would say that someone who's truly sorry for what they've done should be given the chance to make it right.” She chuckled quietly. “Now I know why Dad hated reading me typical bedtime stories when I was a cub. Life really isn't nearly as black-and-white as they make it out to be.”

I nodded, before catching myself starting to yawn. “Speaking of bedtime stories....”

She snickered, falling in beside me to walk me to my quarters. “Right, I forgot how early you were up this morning. Let's talk about this more tomorrow... and maybe we can find out why Farris gave us a copy of his play with what looks like his own personal notes written inside. Besides that, we should-” She stopped abruptly, tilting her head. “...did you hear that?” she asked quietly.

I went still as well. “...no, but your hearing is better than mine.”

“I thought I heard a door close or something downstairs. I suppose Niche is back.”

“Kind of late for her to be getting in. I hope she had a good night.” I grinned; the young mare had seemed excited about her date. “It's hard not to tease her a little... she's almost like a little sister.”

“You know, I feel the same way.” She chuckled. “Well, we'll ask her how everything went tomorrow.” We stopped in front of my door. “In the meantime, good night, Peter.”

“G'night, Sveti. See you tomorrow.” I headed into my quarters, changing out of my clothes and into my usual sleeping attire before quickly getting under the warm covers. “Can't wait for spring,” I murmured as I laid my head on the pillows, settling in for sleep.

I was just dropping into sleep when I just barely heard something odd outside the room- a brief thud, and what almost sounded like the squawk of a bird. I almost dismissed it as my imagination, but something at the back of my mind started to ring an alarm bell, and after about ten minutes of lying there waiting for sleep to come I found myself lumbering back out of bed, throwing a robe on, and going back out into the hallway. “Sveti?” I called out softly. “Everything okay? I thought I heard something.”

All I heard was silence. It could have easily meant that she'd gone to bed herself, or had headed downstairs for a snack... but there was still that faint but insistent feeling that something was wrong, so I headed for the lounge. “Sveti, are you in here?” I asked. “I thought I heard-”

The sight of the gryphon lying on the couch, tied up securely and staring at me with a look of panic as she tried to call out to me through a beak tied shut with a strip of cloth, greeted my eyes. My brain had just registered what it was that I was seeing when I caught a hint of motion to my left, reflexively turned to look-

thwipCRACK splat-

-and my world became pain.

(-)

“I remember telling the four of you to let me know when you were heading out somewhere.”

Wheel let out an exasperated sigh. “York, it was just a spur-of-the-moment thing! It's a twelve-block walk through one of the nicest neighborhoods in Canterlot.”

“I don't recall a nice neighborhood keeping you from getting pelted with eggs two weeks ago.” York shook her head. “Look, I'm not trying to be your nanny, but I need you to work with me. That's all.”

“Wheel, go easy. The mare's just trying to do her job.” Wisk shot the stallion a glance. “And she wouldn't need to be out here with us at this hour if you hadn't gone and given Peter the master copy of your play.”

Again, Wheel sighed. “Like I said, it was spur-of-the-moment. I was in a rush and I didn't notice I'd grabbed that copy to give to him. And I wouldn't be bothering them about it now, but I need to bring it to Mister Revue first thing in the morning; it's got the final revisions in it. If they're upset about me coming this late, I'll apologize.”

Wisk glanced over at him with a peculiar expression. “Am I talkin' to the same Farris Wheel who would've bolted if either of them had said 'boo' not too long ago?” she wondered.

“Yeah, just like I'm talking to the same Silver Wisk who's tagging along because she's got nothing better to do.” He stuck his tongue out at her, getting a chortle in reply. “It's different now, Wisk. It isn't just about me anymore.”

Wisk gave him a warm smile. “Yeah, I know.”

Most of the windows of the embassy were dark when they arrived, but there were still a few lights on. “Great, maybe somepony's still awake,” Wheel said, picking up his pace. “I'll just ask whoever answers to swap my master copy with this regular one and we'll be back home in ten minutes. If I'm lucky I might not even need to bother Peter or Sveti.”

York watched as the young stallion trotted up the stairs and tugged at the doorbell rope... and almost immediately frowned. “That's weird,” he said.

York raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“The other time I rang the bell, the string pulled back and I could hear the bell from out here. Now....” He motioned towards the pull rope, a small length of which hung limply out of the ornate steel box that housed it. “And I didn't hear anything.”

Wisk sighed. “Hay of a time for it to break,” she muttered, heading up the steps as well. “Buck it, we ain't got all night... I'll knock.”

Despite her words, the mare seemed somewhat hesitant to follow up, needing a moment before rapping her hoof against the thick door. The three of them waited for a good two minutes before York let out a quiet groan. “I don't want to be out here until midnight or something,” she said, turning to her left. “You two stay here in case somepony comes out; I'm going to take a quick flight around the building to see if there's another entrance with a bell, or a good window to knock on, or something.”

She lifted off the ground, flying about a pony's height above the cobblestone at a somewhat sedate pace as she began a circuit around the embassy's perimeter. The only other door she could find- a service entrance, most likely- was closed, with no visible bell or other way to call for somepony. She spent a moment gazing at a new-looking dent in the frame, wondering how it might have gotten there, before she shrugged and gave up the job as hopeless, deciding to return to the main entrance and the two ponies waiting there...

...except that they weren't.

“Oh, for buck's sake.” York's hooves clopped against the staircase as she landed. “They couldn't wait for me?”

She waited on the stairs for a minute, fluttering her wings impatiently- she was starting to need to visit the little filly's room- before realizing that the door was now just slightly open. “Ugh,” she murmured. “Okay, it's practically a breach of general orders, but I'm not technically on-duty at the moment... I'm going to go see if I can use their bathroom.”

She pushed the door open to let herself in, closing it against the cold air outside, listening as the metallic click of the latch echoed through the foyer. “Hello?” she called out. “Wheel? Wisk? Anypony?”

There was a rustling sound of some sort around a near corner, and York reflexively went to look. She only realized her mistake when a face she'd only previously seen on wanted posters greeted her- followed quickly by the business end of a crossbow.

“I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to come upstairs,” Big Top said.

(-)

Sveti's quiet groan at seeing Big Top lead in yet another pony at crossbowpoint was muffled by the gag tied around her beak. This time the pony was Sergeant York, the mare who'd gone running off after being yelled at by Aircolt Wind; the guard looked somewhere between bewildered and angry, gazing around at her fellow prisoners as Top quickly bound her wings and hobbled her legs with strips of curtain fabric. So much for the cavalry, the griffin thought morosely. If Top hadn't taken my alarm-triggering charm....

Across the room, Wheel and Wisk stood next to Peter, the stallion staring at Top with a mix of terror and hatred while the mare carefully did her best to bandage Peter's destroyed eye with the cloth napkin and strips of tablecloth she'd scrounged; the human was literally sitting on his heels, his hands bound behind his back and tied to another strip of cloth around his ankles, with part of a blanket tethering him to a wall fixture so that he couldn't get more than halfway to the door or window. Wheel had been proactive enough to try to kick the door open while Top had gone back downstairs, but between the unicorn's spellwork and the door's reinforced frame- the building was built to withstand a siege- he'd been completely unsuccessful, as had his attempt to throw a table through the window. What was worse was that, with the soundproofing enchantments in place, no one outside would have heard a thing. If only Top hadn't been able to tie Peter up, she thought, he could've broken Top's spell and gotten us out. But Top knows his knots even just using his hooves, and Wisk couldn't get any of them loose.

“This little gathering has gotten larger than I expected,” Top said once he'd finished binding the guard's limbs. “But I'll do my best to be a gracious host.”

“What you want?” Peter's voice was tinged with pain, and Sveti found herself struggling against her bonds yet again in a reflexive effort to run over to him; she could only be thankful that Wisk had gotten the bleeding under control.

York craned her neck to get a better look at the human, and let out a sharp gasp, visibly shocked by the streak of blood that ran down his shirt and pants leg. “Sweet Celestia! What did you do to him?!” she demanded.

“I just returned a favor.” Top's horn glowed, and his glass eye popped out of the socket, spinning in midair briefly before he slid it back in. “I'll admit that I've been anticipating that for a while... and yet I'm surprised at just how good it felt.”

Sveti couldn't quite understand whatever it was that Peter muttered in English, but it certainly sounded profane. “You've got a lot of nerve,” York growled. “Do you seriously think you're walking out of this situation a free stallion?”

“The fun is in finding that out.”

Top's seemingly unflappable confidence had the griffin's stomach twisting in knots in worry. Just what are you planning, you plucking maniac?! she wondered.

Top lifted a crystal jug of water off of the table, threw the lid aside and took a long drink from it. “You know,” he said as he returned the jug to its spot, “I should just get this over and done with. I know better than to hang around here. But now that I've finally got you here in front of me, Mister Collins... the desire to redress some wrongs committed against me is almost overwhelming.”

“Oh, you want blame me.” Peter snorted.

“Shouldn't I? You took my eye, you cost me my show... because of you, I became a wanted fugitive.”

“Because of me. Right. Nothing to do with you being psychopath.”

Top's eyes narrowed. “You should be a little more careful of whom you call names, Mister Collins. You're in a poor position here.” He levitated his whip into the air. “You aren't the only one here I could demonstrate my displeasure upon; you would do well to keep that in mind.”

The human gave Sveti an almost imperceptible glance and went quiet, though he didn't bother to disguise his anger. York, however, apparently found it safe to continue the conversation. “Don't be a fool, Top,” she said. “This whole scheme of yours is falling apart; you're not going to get out of this city. Do you think any of your little helpers are going to sacrifice themselves to save you?” She snorted. “Turn yourself in now and you might at least see a tiny bit of mercy from the courts, even if you don't deserve it.”

Top scoffed, giving the guard a condescending glare. “You must think me an idiot. If I unleashed Tirek onto a kindergarten field trip and threw the Crystal Heart into Tartarus, I don't think it'd make a difference in any sentencing at this point.” He paused a moment, looking her over. “But you do seem rather well-informed,” he said. “Royal Guard, I presume?”

“Air Sergeant Peppermint York of the 21st Canterlot Pegasus Wing. And I am ordering you to release us and surrender yourself to the authorities immediately.”

Top burst into laughter. “That's rich!” he guffawed. “You actually sounded like you expected me to untie you right here on the spot!”

“No, actually, I didn't.” York's gaze hardened. “I'm just required by protocol to say something like that. Now I'm free and clear to beat the psychopathy out of you.”

“Oh, goodness. That's a bit of a violent streak you have in you, my dear Sergeant. What would the Princesses say?” The stallion's tone was mocking, then switched to something much more smooth, almost seductive. “Now come on, Sergeant. Is this monster worth your life? Think of all the grief he's caused the ponies of Equestria. Think of that guard he nearly killed. And now because of him, you're here, tied up with your life in the balance. This world would be much better off without him, wouldn't it?”

Sveti watched with growing horror as York's eyes seemed to lose their focus, her pupils shrinking as Top talked. Peter didn't seem to know what was going on- but somepony else did. “Sergeant!” Wheel shouted. “Snap out of it! He's trying to get into your head!”

The exclamation seemed to be enough, and the pegasus shook her head rapidly. “...what the buck...?” she murmured.

“Colt, you are seriously trying my patience lately,” Top growled, pointing the crossbow towards the sea-green stallion for a moment, before letting out a sigh and lowering the weapon. “But I suppose trying to convince the Sergeant is useless anyway; she'd simply complicate things. I have a better plan in mind.”

Sveti struggled against her bonds, trying to get at a strip of cloth that hung from the makeshift rope restraining her wings, but wasn't quite able to get her talons on it. Peter spoke up. “What you do with rest of staff?” he demanded.

“Three of them are sealed in their rooms, probably still fast asleep. As for little Niche... well, it seems she hit her head on something and had to lie down for a while.” Sveti tensed, a low growl escaping her throat. “Unfortunately for her,” Top continued, “she's just a little too inconvenient to my plan for me to simply leave her around.”

Wheel paled. “Top, you... you can't be talking about....”

“Killing her?” The complete lack of change in Top's expression terrified Sveti; he might as well have been talking about the weather. “Well, you see, it'll be the two of you who have sunk to that level.”

A confused look crossed the younger stallion's face. “...what are you talking about?”

“Nopony will know just what set Farris Wheel and Silver Wisk off- maybe an argument, maybe just the wrong word at the wrong time. But with your natural earth pony strength, you overpowered your hosts and the Sergeant here, and murdered them. Then poor little Niche stumbled across you when she returned from her date, and in your rage you pushed her down the steps; the fall proved fatal for the young mare.”

Wisk stared at him incredulously. “...you think the Guard will actually believe that?!”

“Well, it's the only story they'll have. Unless you think they'll believe that one lone unicorn got around their surveillance, managed to catch all of you by surprise, and systematically slaughtered everyone but his former employees.” Top chuckled. “Even I have a hard time believing that.”

“Seriously?” York snorted. “After everything you've put together for all this-”

She was cut off by Top's uproarious laughter. “Put together?!” he managed to get out between guffaws. “Oh, my dear, flattery will get you nowhere!”

“But....” The guard seemed baffled. “Everything that's been going on... the protests, the maneuverings in parliament....”

Top broke out in a fresh bout of laughter. “Sergeant, if I could manage that level of coordination with everything I've had to work with, my plot would be seated firmly on the Golden Dais right now.” He waved a hoof. “This isn't some grand scheme that I painstakingly assembled and guided step-by-step; I'm not some omnipotent storybook villain, tugging strings everywhere.”

“Then how...?”

The stallion put a hoof to his chest. “My dear, I am simply a storyteller. All I did was make suggestions, give advice, and convince ponies to do what it was they were itching to do anyway, whether it was depose an upstart Princess or get rid of a dangerous creature. And maybe I made up a rumor or two from whole cloth... but I imagine you've seen how eager ponies are to believe those.” He shrugged. “All I did was point ponies towards their goals. They're the ones who made them come about.”

“You controlled ponies' minds! You tried to control my mind!”

“I did nothing of the sort. If I could manage that trick, I could just command you to kill everyone else here.” He chuckled. “All I do is work with a pony's latent emotions. If I really made you want to get rid of our two-legged friend there, it's because somewhere deep in your heart, that's what you want.”

A look of horror crossed York's face, followed quickly by shame, then anger. “And to think, for all that time, I thought he was the monster,” she murmured, casting a glance at Peter. “I was so obsessed with protecting ponies from him. I should've been protecting him from ponies.”

“Well, you know what they say about hindsight.” Top glanced back as the clock on top of the mantleplace chimed. “Ahh, half-past. And this room faces East Amble Avenue, which suits the next part of my plan....” His horn lit up, and the window facing the street opened- and then Top's magical field surrounded Sveti, and she let out a horrified squawk as his magical field lifted her off of the couch. “Farewell, Sveti Windwhisper,” he said. “Give your father my regards.”

“No, stop-” Peter shouted.

And then everything was moving, air rushing past her as she was thrown through the window. She screamed in terror into her gagged beak as she tumbled about, everything a blur around her; she heard fabric tearing, the bonds around her wings pulling hard enough to crack bone-

-and then there was impact, and then nothingness.

(-)

I stared at the window for a moment before turning my gaze towards the stallion who'd just flung the female I loved out through it. I didn't even flinch as I heard a dull thud from outside, or at the smug grin Top gave as he closed the window. “Like father, like daughter,” he said with a casual air, turning back towards us. “And, I suppose, like father's lover too.”

I would've expected to be in a state of rage, to be straining at my bindings so that I could twist the damned pony's head off like a bottlecap. But what I'd just seen pushed me past even that- I'd hit a state of tranquil fury, the rage filling my heart but leaving my head full of cold logic- even the pain in the open hole that once was my left eye barely mattered. Big Top needed to die, before he had a chance to kill anyone else, but that wasn't possible as things were; I had to stall for time, wait for an opening of some sort. Wheel and Wisk were too terrified of Top- or too conditioned by him- to make a move, and York was just as immobile as I was. I kept working at the cloth tied around my wrists, my mind working as well, and not just on escape plans.

Wheel, to his credit, wasn't so cowed as to hide his anger. “You... you killed her!” he shouted. “You killed Sveti! How could you-”

He flinched as Top pointed his crossbow at him. “Remember your place, colt,” the unicorn said quietly, his voice laced with threat. “I'm only leaving the two of you around for my own purposes.”

Wisk laid her foreleg over Wheel's neck, both of them glaring at Top. I realized that I couldn't depend on them to keep Top talking, and gave York a subtle glance; she seemed to catch on. “What... what did you do to her father's lover?” she demanded.

“Black Quill? Well, I might have been the one to convince her to leave Canterlot for a few weeks to 'give him some room to grieve for his daughter'.” Top chuckled. “And I might have mailed her the issue of Equestria Daily with her lover's death on the front page. Three days after that, they fished her body out of the river not far from Companion Bridge... I suppose she couldn't handle the idea of being responsible for her lover's death.”

The stallion turned to the floor mirror at the far end of the room, and his horn lit up; the color of his coat shifted, and he trotted around in a circle, peering at the mirror intently. After a few moments, his horn flared once more, and the color changed back. “Is... is that magic-sensitive dye?” Wheel ventured.

“A classic stage technique. Helps a pony play multiple roles, disguise himself for a date... or avoid notice from the Royal Guard.” He turned away from the mirror with a frown. “It hardly seems like a challenge, sometimes. You know, Mister Collins... we may have our differences, but I imagine you understand what I mean when I say that ponies are complete and utter idiots.” He looked at me for a moment as if waiting for a response, one which I couldn't come up with at that moment; he pressed on regardless. “Like I said before, if I'd been running my little gambit with the control Sergeant York here apparently believes I had, we wouldn't be having this conversation- you'd either be in a dungeon or a grave. But that being said, it was easy to point ponies in your general direction and 'let them loose', so to say.”

“You're pretty quick to insult your own species,” I replied.

“I wouldn't if they didn't deserve it.” Top turned away from the mirror to look at me. “Be honest with me, Mister Collins. A survivor like you, unafraid to employ violence when needed... don't you feel like a timberwolf in a cage full of foals? Of course, they don't trust you- you're the 'other', which means they fear you instinctively. I have the advantage of being part of the herd, implicitly trusted.” He sighed again. “In a way, I'm almost sad that our little game of cat-and-mouse is over. For all the trouble you've caused me, you're also the only real challenge I've had in a very long time.”

I wasn't having any luck loosening my bonds- I should have figured that a pony with a history in traveling entertainment would know how to tie knots- so I racked my brain for more questions to stall for time. “Did you actually sabotage Twilight's experiment?” I asked.

“Mmh-hmm. Risky, I know. A wanted pony walks into the seat of power, right under the noses of hundreds of ponies who'd like nothing more than to lock him up and throw away the dungeon?” Top's smile grew. “Luna's teats, I hadn't felt so alive in years. One of the guards was close to catching on; I had to think on my hooves for a story that would allay his suspicions.” He broke out of his reminiscent trance to look back at me. “Entirely worth it, I think. After all, letting you just trot on back home without punishing you for what you'd done to me? Unacceptable.”

“And you put thousands of lives at risk just to get at me?”

He snorted derisively. “In Canterlot? Nothing of value would've been lost.”

I had to shut myself up in order not to tell him just what I thought of his priorities; York seemed about as disgusted, but picked up the slack nonetheless. “Just what is your special talent supposed to be?” she asked. “Nopony ought to have abilities like yours.”

“Like I said, I'm a storyteller. My stories make ponies feel things. My parents pushed me into being an entertainer, but I decided that it was more fun to play with ponies than play for them. Of course, it was all bargain-store meaningless tripe until I found myself in Canterlot, where the first time I saw....” He trailed off for a moment. “Ah, but that would be telling, wouldn't it? Let's just say I made a few 'friends' in high towers.”

York snorted. “And then... what? You left it all to go from town to town in a traveling sideshow?”

“Heh. Not by choice, at first; my first exodus from Canterlot wasn't what I'd call 'amicable'. But once I got the show going, I started to like being a big fish in a small pond. I made sure to keep tabs on a few contacts in the big city, though... much more useful than I'd expected. Now that I'm back in my old stomping grounds, I think I'll hang around a while, see what sort of opportunities are open to me now.” He glanced at the clock again. “And don't think that I don't know what you've been doing. You think you've kept me talking to buy time; I've just been enjoying myself watching you two squirm around trying to get loose- and I'll admit, it's been cathartic to be able to tell somepony just what I've been doing since our last time together. But if the guard schedule my 'friend' acquired for me is accurate, then it's time for me to move on to the next step.” He brought his crossbow to bear on me.

I glared at him. “What are you going to do, throw me out the window as well?”

“If only I could. But no... somehow one of the Everfree Yeti's former tormentors managed to get their hooves on a crossbow, and fired it at Mister Collins. Unfortunately for him, the shot hit him in the belly, condemning him to a slow and painful death.”

Wisk quailed. “Top, no. Don't do this! Just... just trot away!”

“Sorry, my dear, but I'm committed now. Just ask the street pancake that used to be a griffin.”

Wheel took a step forward. “You can't do this, Top! I can't let you!”

“I don't know where you found that spine, colt, but I suggest you put it away before it gets you killed.”

I pulled as hard as I could against the fabric binding my hands, to no avail.

“You're going to end up a lawn ornament, Top,” York practically snarled. “Maybe in Discord's old spot, even!”

“Keep talking, Sergeant. You're up after him, you know.”

Tears streamed down Wisk's cheeks. “Top! No! Please, no! For Celestia's sake!”

“I've enjoyed our time together, Mister Collins, but alas, it must come to an end.” Top brought the crossbow up before his face, looking through its sights. “I do hope your last thoughts are of how much I enjoyed all of this.”

I wracked my brain for some heroic maneuver, some last-ditch escape... and came up empty. I'm sorry, Sveti. Looks like this world is going to kill me even sooner than I thought.

Top's magical field crept onto the crossbow's trigger.

“No!”A sea-green blur filled my vision.

thwipTHUNK

I felt an impact against my body- not from the sharp end of a crossbow quarrel, but from a pony's back. I looked down to see Wheel half-sprawled against me, the quarrel buried in his chest, bright red blood streaming from the wound, and I realized with a cold feeling that it had gone into his heart.

The young stallion stared down at his wound for a moment, then back up at his murderer. “Y- you're a... bad p-pony, Top....” he wheezed, one forehoof reaching towards the bolt... but before it even made it there, Wheel's body began to slide down towards the floor, collapsing onto his side, his eyes wide and glassy.

“Wheelie?! Wheelie!” Wisk rushed to the stricken pony's side, cradling him gently in her forelegs. “Oh sweet Celestia, no! Wheelie! Please, talk to me!”

“Wheel?!” York stared in horror at the scene. “He....”

“Damn it all to Tartarus.” Top was loading another quarrel into his crossbow when I looked up at him. “This completely ruins my scenario.”

Wisk's head practically snapped towards him. “You... you don't even care! Wheelie was with you almost from the start; he gave you the best years of his life, and... and you murdered him and you don't even care! Peter was right- you are a psychopath, you miserable little-”

THWACK

Wisk went down like a sack of rocks from the impact of the crossbow's butt against her temple, the blow delivered with enough force to crack the weapon's stock. “Shut up,” Top growled. “I'm trying to think.”

I found myself reflexively trying to reach out towards the two ponies on the floor- one dead, the other half-unconscious and bleeding from the head- despite my still-bound hands. Next to me, York looked like she was trying to kill Top through sheer force of hate; she'd given up struggling, though, and I could see she'd made no more progress on her bindings than I had on mine. Impotent rage shot through my mind, though I still made every effort not to show it. I glanced around for anything that could help us, some kind of miracle-

-and saw in the mirror that the door was very slowly opening, just far enough to reveal a single golden eye... and a glimpse of grey metal.

Somehow, through self-control I never knew I had, I managed to hide any physical reaction. Big Top was positioned between me and the mirror, my body blocking his view of the door, which meant he hadn't seen what I had- and I only needed a moment to come up with a plan. “You know, Big Top,” I said, keeping my voice as neutral as I could, “there's a saying where I'm from that applies to this.”

“Oh, is that so.” The stallion's tone couldn't be more disinterested. “I'll humor you. What is it?”

I replied in English, “I'm going to fall to my right at the end of my next sentence.”

He turned to me with a quizzical expression on his face. “And just what does that mean?”

“It means 'goodbye, Big Top'.”

thwump

I flung myself to my right as hard as I could, my momentum more than enough to knock York out of the way as well. An instant later, the door swung open, revealing the gryphon in the hallway beyond, rearing back on her haunches with something clutched in her claws.

BANG

My Taurus sounded like a cannon in the small room, immediately setting my ears to ringing as I rolled over onto my back. Top had sprouted a red hole in his side that was already leaking blood; he staggered unsteadily, dropping his crossbow- but he didn't go down, his shocked expression quickly twisting into anger and his horn beginning to glow with a flickering light, his magical field reappearing on the stock of his own weapon.

click

click

I turned to shout instructions to Sveti- to find that she was ahead of me, one claw yanking back on the slide to eject the dud round- exactly like we practiced; I am so damn proud of you- before returning to the grip, and a talon sliding back into the trigger well.

BANG BANG

Two more holes opened in Big Top's chest, and he stumbled back to collapse in a heap, his spell dissipating into sparks of magic and the crossbow once more clattering to the floor. His expression of shock turned into terrified realization, and his mouth worked as if he were trying to speak- but the only thing that came out from it was a stream of blood, and after a moment his head dropped to the floor, his eyes rolling back and his movements stopping.

Sveti carefully limped her way to me on three limbs, keeping the weapon pointed away from anyone still living, until she got to my side and put it on the floor next to me- and then flung her forelegs around me in a weak but heartfelt hug. “How... how did you...? I thought....” I babbled, not even sure I could believe my own eye.

“I'll tell you later. Let me get you loose.” The way she winced when she reached behind me to cut my bindings told me that her escape from certain death hadn't left her unharmed, and the way her left wing hung limp against her side worried me, but her injuries didn't keep her from cutting my bonds with her talons. I had to resist the urge to throw my arms around her in the tightest hug I could manage out of fear that I'd aggravate whatever injuries she'd suffered; I was just getting to my feet when I heard a sharp gasp from her. “Oh, ancestors....” she breathed.

Wisk had recovered from her blow and was weeping silently into Wheel's mane, her forelegs cradling his head. As much as I'd hated them, seeing them covered in their own blood, Wheel's eyes staring sightlessly into nothingness, I couldn't help but feel a lump in my throat. I stayed quiet as I helped Sveti untie York, and the pegasus staggered to her hooves. “I'll... bring the Guard,” she said quietly, gazing at the carnage around her for a moment before turning towards the door, stopping for a moment to look over her shoulder. “Miss Windwhisper, does the Guard have your consent to enter the building?” When Sveti nodded, York immediately cantered out of the room, followed quickly by the sound of rustling feathers as she took flight.

Wisk looked up at me despairingly as Sveti and I approached. “He... he only wanted to make things right,” she sobbed, tears mixing in with the blood that coated the side of her face.

I knelt down in front of her, looking at the fallen stallion; after a moment, I reached out and closed his eyes with my fingertips. “He did,” I said quietly. “Sveti, Wisk, stay here; I'll go get the medical supplies.”

It only took me a few minutes to retrieve our first-aid kit and bring it back, needing to be careful because of my loss of depth perception and dizziness from onsetting shock, and while I treated Sveti and Wisk, the gryphon told me how she'd survived her fall- part of the cord of fabric that had been binding her wings had gotten caught in the second-floor eaves as she'd fallen, slowing her descent and diverting her fall into the first-floor wall instead of the ground. She hadn't escaped unscathed; her wing was broken, as were at least two ribs, and there was some spectacular bruising under her fur- but she'd found that the servant's entrance hadn't closed properly because of a cracked frame, letting her make her way back inside and head to the study where we'd hidden my weapon. "You don't know how surprised I was to be alive when I came to," she said, before she gazed sadly at Wheel's body for a moment. “...I'm sorry I didn't get back in time to save him,” she quietly told Wisk.

Wisk shook her head. “There's only one pony that deserves blame. And....” She glanced back at Top's corpse. “And you did what needed to be done.”

It was only a couple of minutes later when the Guard arrived, at least a dozen heavily-armored ponies swarming into the building and taking charge of the situation. Following them were a quartet of medics who immediately went to tend to Sveti, Wisk and I; all of us were deemed emergency cases, and stretchers were rolled in to bring us to the hospital. As we left the embassy, we saw Neat Niche's still-unconscious form being brought out on a stretcher as well. “How is she?” I asked the medic who was wheeling her along.

“She should be alright,” came the reply from the white-robed stallion. “She took a nasty blow to the head, but earth ponies are tough; she's stable, and she'll probably just need a few days of medicinal potions and healing magic to get her back on her hooves.”

I let out a sigh of relief and laid my head back down on the extra-large stretcher they'd brought out for me, and began the long and arduous process of coming to terms with everything that had just happened.

(-)

“I've said all I'm going to say, Captain.”

Silver Star stared at the guardspony across the table from him, while his lawyer sighed and shrugged her shoulders. “Perhaps a break is in order, Captain Armor,” Judicata said. “We've been at this for hours.”

“Maybe you're right.” Captain Armor got up from his seat, fixing Silver with a stern glare. “You can wait here while we're gone,” he told him. “If you need something, knock on the door and a guard will attend to you.”

With that, the other two ponies went towards the door of the interview room. “Judy,” Silver called out.

The lawyer stopped and turned. “Yes, Mister Star?”

“I pay you a lot of money for results. I expect a return on my investment.”

“...yes, sir.” Silver could just hear her mutter “Mom was right; I should've been a judge” as she trotted out, with the Captain right behind her; the door clicked shut, leaving him alone at a cheap table facing what looked like a mirror- but he'd read enough guard-procedural pulp novels to know one-way glass when he saw it. He studied his reflection for a moment, noting his tired eyes, the bags underneath them, his unkempt mane, the bright pink pony standing right behind him-

“Gah!” He nearly fell out of the chair as he spun around, finding the almost offensively pink mare standing in the room where she hadn't been a moment ago.

“Hi!” she said. “I'm Pinkie Pie! And you must be Silver Star!”

“Wha- what are you doing in here?!” he demanded, putting a hoof to his chest in an attempt to slow his speeding heart.

“Well, I just sorta wanted to talk to you! You see, Peter Collins and Sveti Windwhisper are my friends, and as their friend I want to do everything I can to make things okay for them!” Her bright smile fell. “And I heard that you were one of the ponies that was doing a lot to make them unhappy, and I wanted to ask you to please try to make things better so that they can be happy again.”

He stared at her uncomprehendingly for a moment. “...is this a bucking joke?”

“Well, no! I mean, I do like to tell lots of jokes, but this isn't one! My friends are really important to me, and I'd never joke about things that are this important!” She reached up and pressed her hooves against his cheeks. “So can't you be a nice pony and tell the truth about all those meanie meanie-pants ponies who were making my friends so sad?”

He roughly pushed her away. “I think it's pretty low of Captain Armor to rope one of the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony into trying to guilt-trip me into a confession, and I will be notifying my lawyer of this blatant- and likely illegal- maneuver.”

“But... but Mister Star....” She seemed much more confused than offended. “I really don't think you understand. Sveti and Peter are nice ponies- well, not ponies; I dunno why we use the word 'ponies' like that anyway, it doesn't seem very inclusive....” She trailed off for a moment, then shook her head violently; Star could have sworn he heard the faint sound of a cowbell. “But like I was saying, they're really nice! They've had a whole lot of bad things happen to them, and some of it was because of other ponies, and that makes me really sad because ponies are supposed to bring joy and happiness into the lives of others. I mean, that's what Harmony is all about!” She gave him a brilliant smile. “So just think how wonderful it would feel if you went back out onto that stand and told everypony the truth, so that Petey and Sveti could get back to being happy and not have to worry about more mean ponies trying to make them sad.”

Ordinarily he would have at least tried to use some sort of tact in dealing with a celebrity, even one as low-profile as Pinkie Pie, but the pink pony's sickeningly saccharine demeanor was rubbing him entirely the wrong way, and between that and the proceedings earlier in the day he found his manners to have been worn threadbare. “Miss Pie, I am going to tell you this slowly and carefully, so that even the cotton candy between your ears can readily comprehend,” he said, locking his eyes onto hers. “I. Do. Not. Care.”

She froze in place for a moment- literally; not even a hair of her mane moved. “I... I don't understand,” she said quietly.

“I deal with a great number of things, Miss Pie, most of them far too large and complex for a mare of your... limited capacities to grasp. Many of these things are important to the security and economy of this great principality. If in the course of serving this great country of ours, circumstances should arise to where some random griffin or misplaced yeti suffer temporary setbacks... well, the needs of the many do outweigh the needs of the few.”

An unidenfitiable expression flashed across her face for an instant, so quickly that he decided that it must've been his imagination. “But... but they almost died...."

“But they didn't. And I'm sure that they'll come through all the stronger for it, or whatever other pithy phrase applies. They may conduct their own affairs, and I will conduct mine." He turned away from her, returning his gaze to the one-way window and their reflections in it. “And as for you, Miss Pie... you can show yourself out the same way you came in.”

A peculiar look of sadness crossed her face- as if she was feeling sorry for him instead of herself. “Are you suuuuuuure that's what you want?” she asked.

“Quite sure. Goodbye, Miss Pie.”

“Well, okie-dokie, Loki! But there's just one teeny-tiny problem....”

The overhead light flickered for just a fraction of a second, and it took him a moment to realize that the reflection in front of him had changed. The mare's impossibly poofy mane had dropped down to hang limply against the side of her head, and her bright blue eyes had turned as hard and cold as a Stalliongrad winter. She leaned forward to whisper into his ear, her voice menacing and low.

“...you're talking to the wrong Miss Pie.”

(-)

“Sir! I think you'd better return to the interview room immediately.”

Shining looked up from his cup of coffee. “What is it, Private?”

“The suspect is calling for you.” The junior guard shifted uncomfortably. “Or, err... crying, really.”

“Crying?” He slid out of his seat, being sure to bring his coffee with him; he had a feeling he was going to need it. “Alright, let's go.”

It turned out that the private hadn't been exaggerating in the least. Silver Star was curled up in a corner of the interview room, tears streaming down his face as he glanced around in what looked like utter fear; his lawyer stood a short distance away, confusion evident in her expression. “What happened?” he asked as he trotted closer.

The lawyer opened her mouth to reply- only to be cut off by her client. “Captain! I'll talk! I'll talk!” he practically wailed. “Anything you want to know, I'll tell you! Just keep that pink maniac away from me!”

Shining stopped short. “...that what?”

The lawyer shook her head. “Mister Star, I strongly advise against this. Just give me a few minutes to-”

The noble's head swung to face her. “Judy, you're fired. Get out.”

Judicata stood there for a moment in stunned surprise, before tossing her head disdainfully and trotting for the exit. “That's it, I'm going to go visit my brother Punch,” she muttered. “Maybe entertainment is the career path for me.”

Once she'd left, Shining turned towards the other stallion. “You're sure about this?”

“Yes! I'll testify, I'll sign a confession, I'll wrestle a timberwolf if it'll keep that mare away from me!”

“Very well....” Shining understood absolutely nothing of what was going on, but he was not one to question good fortune; he went back to the door of the interview room and the guard at her station next to it. “Corporal, summon Lieutenant Arrow to this room; have him bring a deposition kit.”

The corporal complied, returning a few moments later with Lieutenant Straight Arrow, who was levitating a pad, quill and inkpot- as well as another small, colorful object. “Captain, I brought you one of the cupcakes from Brass Bolt's birthday party,” he said. “Angel cake with rainbow sprinkles!”

“...cupcakes...?” Silver Star froze for a moment- and then there was the sound of liquid on tile, and an acrid odor.

Shining groaned. “Corporal,” he called, “summon the janitor.”

(-)

“Hi, Twilight!”

Twilight smiled at the cheery pony on the other side of the counter. “Hello, Pinkie,” she replied.

“How is everyone over in Canterlot? Is there any new news? Because if it was old news, then it'd be olds, not news.”

“I haven't found out anything new since yesterday, Pinkie. I only know that all three of them are in stable condition.”

“Oh. Okay. That's good, at least. I hope they get my get-well-soon cards soon! Because if the pony who's getting well gets well before the card gets there, then they can't know you wanted them to get well when they were still getting well!" There was a moment of silence between them before Pinkie spoke again. "So did you want a snack? We've got some great brownies today!”

“No thanks; I just had lunch. I actually stopped by to ask you something.”

“Oh, oh, I know! 42! The answer is 42!”

Twilight blinked in confusion, then chuckled. “What question is that supposed to be an answer to?”

A puzzled look came over the pink mare's face for a moment before she shrugged. “I dunno. I'll have to get back to you on that.”

“Heh heh. Okay, Pinkie.” She let her smile fade after a moment. “Pinkie, I just had a meeting with my brother a few minutes ago. He says somepony in Canterlot is accusing you of telling him horrible stories in order to get him to testify about something.”

“In Canterlot? Well, that's silly, Twilight! I've been here at the counter all day! Well, except for my break, but how could a pony get from here to Canterlot in fifteen minutes aside from teleporting?”

“Well, I've seen you do some inexplicable things, Pinkie... but the reason I have a hard time believing it is that it just sounds completely unlike you.”

“You're right! It does! How could Ponyville's premiere party pony petrify a perpetrator with scary stories?” Pinkie shrugged. “I think that Mister Star just had an attack of conscience, and his mind made up something to justify his change of heart.”

It was a surprisingly insightful thought from the normally silly pony, and Twilight let it roll around in her brain for a moment before smiling and nodding. “Well, it does seem impossible that you even could do something like that, let alone would,” she said. “Still, in the interest of fairness- can other ponies verify that you've been here all day?”

“Sure! We've had plenty of customers, and Mr. and Mrs. Cake have been working around the store all day too.”

“That should be good enough, then. I'll ask around town for statements from a few of the townsponies just for incontrovertible proof to debunk that nonsense. Thanks, Pinkie.” Twilight trotted back out of Sugarcube Corner, but something was nagging at her mind; it was five minutes later when she realized what it was.

When did I tell her Silver Star's name?

Rarity had done an exemplary job of sizing the suit for me and following my specifications; it fit even better than the one I'd worn for my interviews coming out of college, and was appropriately subdued for the occasion- and she'd thoughtfully included a matching eyepatch for me as well. The suit also did a good job of protecting me from the cold of the grey, overcast morning, the thick cloud deck organized by the local weather team according to their pre-planned schedule, but in my mind also giving the funeral of Farris Wheel a respectfully somber atmosphere.

It had been a somewhat small affair. Apparently his parents couldn't be located and he'd had no known siblings or extended family, but the crew of the theater where Wheel had been working had attended, and while there hadn't been an invitation for anyone to speak for him, judging by the many teary eyes it was plain to see that he was missed by those he'd worked with. Also there were Silver Wisk and the two Hooves brothers- the stallions had been trying to console the weeping mare, without much success- and, to my surprise, Aircolt Wind and Sergeant York.

I stood in front of the simple gravestone that marked his final resting place, with Wisk next to me. She'd apparently cried herself out, gazing forlornly at her friend's memorial in silence along with me for a little while, before she spoke in a voice that was more of a croak than anything at first. “I wish he'd never met Top,” she said quietly. “Wheelie had so much potential... but he wasted it in that sideshow.” She looked up at me. “I know we did wrong by you and Sveti, Peter; I can't ever excuse it. But Farris Wheel wasn't a monster.”

I let out a soft sigh. “I know, Wisk. I guess after seeing just what Top was capable of, I understand a little better how he kept all of you in line.” My eye returned to the gravestone. “Even if I still wanted to hate him... he didn't deserve to die.” After another long moment of quiet, I turned to face her. “What are you and the brothers going to do now?”

“Stout and Strong want to get out of Canterlot, and I don't blame them.” Wisk offered up a humorless chuckle. “They say they've got relatives in Ponyville they'd like to catch up with. You've been there, haven't you? What's it like?”

“It's a really nice place. A little... odd, but they'd probably do well there. Sveti and I would probably move there if we didn't have the embassy to run....” I shrugged. “But yeah, I imagine they'd be fine.” I considered for a moment. “What about you?”

“...I don't know.” Her voice was small, defeated. “Wheel... was really all I had. Stout and Strong could always take care of themselves; they stuck with us because of what had happened, not out of any need. But Wheelie was like a kid brother to me....” She paused. “No. He was like a son to me, the one I never had, and I wanted to help him succeed. Now that he's... gone....” Her voice broke, and she took a moment to collect herself. “I don't know what to do with myself.”

I understood that feeling all too well, but before I could think of what to say in reply, someone else beat me to it.

“Wisk.” Both of us turned at Sveti's voice; she was carefully making her way towards us, her movements somewhat hindered by the bandages wrapped around her midsection and wing. Just like every other time I'd seen her since we'd gotten out of the hospital, I found myself fighting the urge to pick her up and carry her wherever she needed to go. “Look,” she said, gazing at the mare with a neutral expression. “I know you and I have not had the best history, but... in the interest of new beginnings, I can offer you a position in the embassy. We have room in the budget for one more employee, and we wouldn't mind having a good cook on staff.”

Wisk stared at her in astonishment for a moment, then lowered her head. “I... I couldn't, Sveti. After all that's happened-”

Sveti surprised both Wisk and me when she reached out to gently place a claw on the mare's withers. “After all that's happened... you're a mare who lost someone that you cared for, because of the actions of a maniac. I know how that feels, Wisk.” A small but gentle smile crossed Sveti's beak. “I want to erase Big Top; I want to destroy as much of his legacy as I can. It's too late to do that for Wheel... but I think I can find it in myself to do it for you.”

Mare and hen stared at each other for a moment... and then Wisk broke down in fresh tears, resting her head against Sveti's chest and weeping. I knelt down next to the pony to lightly rub her back. “I'm sorry,” she sobbed. “I'm sorry. I wish I could take it all back.”

“I know, Wisk,” Sveti murmured. “I know. But we have to move on; what's done is done. This may be where we've buried Wheel, but... let it be the place where we bury Top, too.”

“...yeah.” Wisk slowly stepped back, nodding in agreement. “You're right. Wheel's the one who we ought to carry along with us.”

With that, the three of us turned and left the gravesite, Sveti and I on either side of Wisk as comforting presences. As we approached the small group waiting at the edge of the road that ran through the cemetery, we heard a quiet exclamation-

“The Badlands?!”

The speaker turned out to be Swift Wind, the question directed- along with an incredulous look- towards Peppermint York. Both pegasi were decked out in smart-looking dress uniforms; I took a moment to try to figure out how they were made to accommodate wings, seeing some cleverly-disguised buttons within reach of a pegasus's mouth. “What about 'Badlands'?” I asked, not familiar with the term.

Both guards turned towards me. “Sergeant York says that she's going to be transferring to the Badlands once the inquiry is done,” Wind told me. “Willingly!”

Sveti and Wisk both winced, but I still didn't see the significance. “What's bad about that?” I asked.

“Trust me, there's a reason that only seven ponies have actually volunteered to transfer to the Badlands in the last twenty years.” Wind shook his head.

“Eight ponies, now,” York chuckled.

The stallion gave his superior a disbelieving glance before turning back to us. “It's hot in the morning, freezing at night, and the barracks are a bunch of tents. It's dozens of miles away from anything aside from sun-baked rock and cacti. Most ponies in the Guard think getting assigned there is a punishment detail.”

Sveti frowned slightly. “I know you're worried about reprisals after you testify, Sergeant, but... isn't the Badlands a bit overdoing it?”

“It isn't just because of that.” York's smile faded. “There's a few border towns out there that the Guard protects; even though they're within the borders of Equestria, ponies are actually in the minority of the population. I decided... that if I'm going to leave Canterlot, I might as well go somewhere where I can learn to work with other species.”

I looked her in the eyes. “This is about what Big Top did to you, isn't it?” I asked quietly.

After a moment, her gaze lowered to the ground. “If I'm being honest... yes, a large part of it is,” she admitted. “I want him to have been wrong about me, Peter. I don't want to be the pony he tried to bring out of me. The way he just seemed to reach into my head and pull out those resentments I thought I'd given up....” She shook her head and looked back up at me. “If nothing else, it'll be my penance for what I've done. A year out in Tartarus's backyard to make up for the half-year I spent trying to make your life miserable.”

“Look, Sergeant, I'm alright with you just testifying against the nobles you were working with; that in itself is enough for me. But if this is what you feel you have to do... then I wish you luck.” I gave her a smile. “Maybe come see us once you get back. It sounds like you'll have some stories to tell.”

“I'll do that.” She raised a hoof, and I shook it gently; she did the same with Sveti after. “In the meantime... could I get someone to send me a letter when Wheel's play comes out? I doubt I'll get a chance to see it before my tour is over, and I'd like to know how it is without having to wait half the year.”

“Yeah, I'll do that for you, Sarge.” Wind smiled.

“Great, I'd appreciate it.” Her ears pricked up when she heard the ringing of a bell echoing across the cemetery “That's the two o'clock chime... I suppose I'd better go get ready to make my initial deposition for the inquiry. This is going to be a long week.”

The rest of us wished her good luck, and she took to the air, heading off towards the center of the city. Wind excused himself a few moments later, quoting a need to return to the guard barracks, and we exchanged goodbyes with him before he also soared off, leaving just myself, Sveti, Wisk and the two Hooves brothers at the wrought-iron gate leading into the cemetery. “Wisk tells us that you two want to move out to Ponyville,” Sveti said to the stallions.

Strong nodded. “Canterlot isn't our kind of town, not by a long shot. We're both kind of surprised the two of you are staying after everything that's happened, even considering the embassy.”

Sveti chuckled. “If it wasn't for the embassy, we might be catching the Friendship Express to Ponyville with the two of you,” she told them.

Stout broke out in a silent laugh, reaching over and nudging Wisk with a forehoof; Strong snickered. “Told you, Wisk,” he said. “You ought to come with us. Why stick around this lousy city? What do you have here now, aside from a part-time short-order cook job?”

“Well, um....” Wisk glanced back at us. “Sveti... offered me a job in the embassy.”

“She did?” The brothers looked at each other in shock; Stout's ears and mouth moved for a moment. “Yeah....” Strong said. “My brother says he's honestly surprised, and so am I, really. You've got a good heart, Miss Windwhisper... there's a lot of ponies who couldn't find it in themselves to show that sort of forgiveness.” Stout caught his brother's attention and made a few more movements, and then a smile crossed Strong's face. “He also says... that he hopes you and Peter have a long and peaceful life together.”

It wasn't long before the twins and Wisk excused themselves- the stallions to start packing for their move, the mare to get some rest- leaving Sveti and I alone. Her fur was warm against my palm as I rested my hand on her back, and she leaned gently against me; I could feel the gentle rise and fall of her breathing, and after almost having lost her, I found myself cherishing every last sensation of her existence. “How is your wing feeling?” I asked.

“Sore, but tolerable. I'm probably going to take another dose of potion and a nap when we get back to the embassy.” I saw her glance at the sling holding the wing immobile while it healed. “Funny that I never flew much while I had two working wings, but now I'm aching to get back into the skies.”

“Yeah, I can imagine,” I chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck right at the point where fur became feathers; she let out a quiet sigh and closed her eyes. We both stood silently for a moment before I spoke again. “I wish we'd given Wheel more of a chance,” I said. “I mean... he gave his life for someone he thought hated him. That doesn't feel right to me.”

“I understand.” She reached up to rub my back. “I do sort of feel the same way. I just... maybe it's selfish of me, but I'm grateful to him for what he did. I just wish it hadn't cost him his life.”

“It isn't selfish.” I let out a soft sigh. “I guess there's nothing we can do now but move on, and give our support to his play once it's released. Let it be his legacy.” I gave her a smile, lightly patting her crest. “Oh, and also... I'm proud of you for what you told Wisk.”

“Well, it was true. When I saw her holding Wheel's body....” She went quiet for a moment. “I think she's suffered enough; don't you? I just want to move on with my life. I'm tired of hating.”

My smile grew, and I gently caressed the side of her neck. “You know what? A nap sounds really good right now. Let's go home.”

It was a long and quiet walk back to the embassy, the contemplative silence helping me to sort through my thoughts, and I sensed that the same was true for Sveti, judging by her expressions. When we'd gotten back to the building- and checked in on Neat Niche, who was resting comfortably in her quarters with permission from her doctor; Niche had insisted on being allowed to return to her “home away from home” and “family away from family”- we notified the rest of the staff that we'd be getting some rest and that they were free to do as they liked until dinner, and that we were likely to be bringing in another staff member in the near future. When they found out that Sveti meant to hire Wisk, the others were surprised- but readily accepted the gryphon's rationale, and promised to give the mare a warm welcome.

It didn't take me long to get changed into a pair of light pants and and slip into bed, but unfortunately once I'd dozed off I ran into the same problem I had been nearly every night since Big Top's attack on the embassy- nightmares. In some sort of attempt to come to terms with what had happened, my mind insisted on replaying everything that had happened that night, only even worse... in my nightmares, Niche died from her head wound, Sveti never survived her fall out the window, and Wheel had never come to my defense, leaving me to die miserably from a crossbow shot to the gut. It seemed like almost every night that I woke up at least once in sweat-soaked terror, and the lack of meaningful sleep was starting to wear on me. There were points where I was in all seriousness considering asking Luna to start visiting my dreams again just so I could get a full night's rest.

This time, though, it wasn't the nightmare that awoke me, but a gentle yet insistent claw shaking my shoulder. “Peter,” Sveti said quietly. “Please, wake up.”

I forced my way back to consciousness to find the gryphon standing over me, looking down at me with concerned, tired-looking eyes. A quick glance at the wall clock showed that I'd only put my head on the pillow an hour ago. “Huh...?” I groaned. “Oh... sorry. I was having a nightmare.”

“I know. I could tell.” She ran her talons through my hair. “I... I've been having the same problem myself.”

“I thought you'd been looking tired.” I gave her a comforting smile, gently patting her claw. “I don't think anyone can blame either of us.”

“Mmh.” She nodded slowly, her eyes gazing down at the bed. “Peter... I know this might sound a little strange, but I... I think I'd sleep better if I was with you. I was actually coming in here to ask you if I could when I found you having your own nightmare.”

It was telling that I saw less of an issue with being half-naked in bed with a non-human creature than I did with being half-naked in bed with a fully-naked Sveti. At a base level I knew it was a ridiculous thing to be concerned about, what with her going unclothed pretty much every moment of the day, but with how close we'd become, the intimacy of this situation was much more pronounced. All the same, I quashed any concerns; she needed me to be there for her... and truthfully, I needed her, too. “Okay,” I said, pulling the blankets back. “I apologize in advance if I wake you up, though.”

“Likewise.” She climbed into my bed, and I drew the covers over her; she laid her uninjured wing over me in return, snuggling into my bare chest. “Your skin is so warm,” she murmured.

“I think you've got the market cornered on warmth, though,” I teased, ruffling the fur on her back lightly. “Hang on... let me take this eyepatch off. I've been trying to get used to sleeping with it on, but I'm not quite there yet.”

I slipped the patch off and laid it on the bedside table, and when I turned back around I found Sveti gazing sadly at my missing eye. “It still hurts me to see that,” she said. “I've always loved your eyes....”

“Well, I've still got the spare.” I smiled. “And besides... considering what I could have lost-” I rubbed her cheek- “one eye doesn't seem so bad.”

She pulled me against her in a tight embrace, letting out a quiet chirring sound of happiness and tucking her head up under my chin. And I didn't mind the sharp beak that was pressed against my throat, because I knew as an absolute truth that its owner would give her life for me... and that I'd do the same for her.

That knowledge did as much as her gentle warmth to lull me into a comfortable, dreamless sleep.

(-)

“...and after a thorough review of the evidence, Your Highnesses, the prosecutor's office has declined to press charges against Sveti Windwhisper. We find that her actions were well within the limits of defense of self and others, that attempting to notify the Guard instead of returning to the scene could have resulted in further deaths, and that no other resolution to the situation was realistically within her grasp.” The unicorn stallion looked around at the assembled nobles and politicians. “While we are naturally predisposed to finding peaceful solutions to all situations, we recognize that this is not always possible.”

“Thank you, Just Cause.” Twilight smiled before turning her gaze to the assembly. “Unfortunately, the prosecutor's office still has a large amount of work ahead of it, as do a number of other departments. Our preliminary investigations have uncovered a shockingly wide conspiracy, directly at odds with the safety and security of this nation and its citizens and allies. To say that your Princesses are disappointed would be understating it mightily.” She turned towards where her “guest of honor” was seated; Silver Star had been given freedom from any restraints, mundane or magical, but under the gazes of Celestia and Luna he might as well have had chains over every inch of him for all the unwillingness he showed towards moving a muscle. “Mister Star, you've willingly agreed to testify before Parliament. But before I begin my line of questioning, I have one thing I'd like to ask you- not as Princess to subject, but as one pony to another.” She gave him the most neutral look she could manage. “Why did you do it, Mister Star?”

The stallion sat sullenly in his chair, saying nothing.

“Mister Star,” Twilight said, “I will remind you that you Pinkie promised to answer all questions put to you today.”

That broke him out of his reticence. “You, Princess Twilight. I did it because of you.”

“Because of... me?”

“Your ascension was a mistake. We trust Princess Celestia with the very underpinnings of our world, but how she could select some... some bumpkin like you to become royalty is inconceivable! You know nothing of how politics works in this city, nothing of its deepest traditions and culture, and you dismiss this Parliament and the nobility as no more important than a common street-sweeper! It would have been better if you'd gone back to that speck of dirt called Ponyville, and somepony with some notion of what this nation needs had been given that power instead. You're not fit to rule.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Twilight saw Luna open her mouth to speak- only to stop from a nearly-imperceptible shake of Celestia's head; Twilight was thankful for that, because she knew just what she had to say. “Is that what you believe, Mister Star?” she asked, careful to keep her voice and expression as calm as she could. “That I'm unfit to rule because I don't understand traditions or politics, because I don't have or value the 'noble bloodlines' you cherish so completely?” Rather than wait for an answer, she advanced towards Star. “Would you tell me that you would do better in this position than I have, Mister Star?”

He leaned back in obvious surprise and discomfort. “I... I, well, that is to say, perhaps not myself, but there are a number of other nobles-”

She cut him off with a raised forehoof. “Well. In that case, let's take note of what resulted from the plan that you and certain other nobles- who no doubt represent the 'cream of the crop' in your mind- formulated.” She came to a stop in front of the table Star was seated at, staring directly into his eyes. “You enlisted the aid of a complete psychopath, a wanted fugitive, whom you allowed to spread harmful rumors about an innocent creature. You and your cabal of nobles maneuvered to politically isolate Peter Collins, to persecute Sveti Windwhisper- even conspired to frame one of your own, Prince Blueblood, for your plan to disrupt my research... a plan, I might add, could have resulted in the death of myself and everyone nearby, reopening old breaches into a parallel plane, and even the utter destruction of Canterlot itself.” She paused for a moment, both to take a breath and to let everything she'd said sink in. “As a result of your actions, Farris Wheel, a promising actor and playwright, lost his life. As a result of your actions, a young filly by the name of Dewdrop nearly lost hers. As a result of your actions, there has been untold needless suffering and conflict that could have been avoided otherwise. You let petty jealousy and short-sightedness gallop roughshod over everything this nation stands for.” She reared up and slammed her forehooves down on the table, her stern look becoming a furious glare. “And you dare tell me that I am unfit to rule?!”

The stallion shrank away from her as if she'd turned into a timberwolf, and she had the strangest feeling that her mane might just be starting to catch fire; she set all four hooves on the floor, taking a short break to regain her composure. “Ahem. My apologies for that outburst, stallions and gentlemares... my feelings got the best of me. Rest assured that it won't happen again.”

Keeping that promise over the following four hours proved more difficult than she'd thought. Though he'd promised to answer every question put to him, Star was a master of doubletalk; every last response seemed designed to shift blame away from himself, to paint ideas as coming from his co-conspirators or Big Top, and to show himself as somepony caught up in events out of his control. That little tactic lasted until Air Sergeant Peppermint York was brought in to testify, and her pointed and detailed testimony about their meetings and the directions he'd given her were nothing short of a sledgehammer blow to his wall of lies. By the time Celestia called for a recess, Star's defiant, confident demeanor had completely collapsed, and his head hung so low as he was escorted to his temporary quarters that his nose was nearly scraping the floor.

As soon as decorum allowed, Twilight teleported into the science wing, where two creatures she was far more eager to work with waited for her. “Wow,” Peter said quietly, looking her over with his remaining eye. “Rough day, Princess?”

“I take it that the first day of the inquiry was less than enjoyable,” Sveti added, sympathy clear in her voice.

“Oooh, I don't even want to think about it right now.” Twilight shook her head. “If those nobles give either of you half the headache they've given me, I... I don't know what I'll do, but it won't be pleasant!” She stopped stock still, then sighed. “I'm thinking about it! Argh. Could you two excuse me for just a few seconds?”

When both of them nodded, she concentrated, and teleported herself away to the apex of Mount Kimblemarejaro, and then let out a frustrated scream- amplified by the Royal Canterlot Voice, and thank Celestia for teaching me that- that echoed across the rocky crags and shimmering glaciers.

They're probably wondering why I have snow in my mane now, was her first thought after she returned and saw their confused stares. “Sorry. I just needed to get that out of my system someplace where I wouldn't burst any eardrums.” She gave them both an apologetic smile. “So! Peter, I have what I hope is going to be some fantastic news for you.” She turned. “Able?”

“Right here, Princess.” Able Assistant carefully carried a gleaming metal tray on her back, on which were laid a number of varied objects; the unicorn grasped the tray in her mouth and placed it on a table. “We've ensured that all of these components are magically inert.”

“Excellent. Thank you, Able.” Twilight turned back to her guests. “Peter, I'll need your help with this step,” she said. “I want to do as much as possible to keep this device magic-free until it's ready for use, and you're the only one who can manipulate the pieces without any sort of trace magic leaching through.”

“Okay. Tell me what need to do.” He flexed those impossibly dexterous fingers; Twilight caught both herself and Sveti staring.

Am I blushing? Focus, Twilight, focus! “...ahem! Yes. Let's begin.”

She explained the source and purpose of each piece as she had him assemble the device. “Those two pieces make up the shell; they're solid silver, and can be treated with with any normal tarnish remover you can find in markets. The hinges will click together, just like that. That next piece is a crystal from the caverns underneath Canterlot; if you've heard about when Cadance was abducted before her wedding, that's where the Changeling Queen kept her. This crystal has been specially carved to serve as a sort of focusing dish, to reflect magic on one side and concentrate it on the other. Set it in the left side of the frame there; the clasps will hold it in place.” She smiled. “And now this, the pièce de résistance, as Rarity would say: A framework of murium, to conduct incoming magic into a central area.”

“Murium?” Sveti repeated. “Has Equestria developed that? The Empire wouldn't sell a flake of that for all the bits in Fort Hocks; they only give that to....” The griffin paused, then grinned. “...you got it from the charm those soldiers who tried to take Peter left behind, didn't you?” she asked.

“I can neither confirm nor deny that, Miss Windwhisper.” Twilight’s eyelid dropped in a quick wink. “As the Empire has not officially acknowledged any attack on the embassy, the Equestrian government has received no actionable requests to return anything that may or may not have been left behind.”

The pair of humored- and grateful- grins she got warmed her heart. “And now, the most important part of the assembly,” she said, carefully lifting a small bag onto the tray with her mouth. “These gems have been enchanted to act as thaumatic batteries. The murium assembly will hold the gem until it’s taken in all the magical energy it can hold, then pop it out with an audible sound.”

Peter blinked as realization crossed his face. “Princess Twilight... you make this to pull magic out from me?”

“Aww. You ruined the big reveal! That’s the part I like best.” She stuck her tongue out at him playfully. “But you’re exactly right; the purpose of this apparatus is to both prevent further magic from being drawn through you and to deplete the accumulated magic at a safe and constant rate. And you can thank the folks in Ponyville for a lot of difficult research that gave me a great basis to work with in the design once the methodology was settled. They saved me as much as a month’s worth of cross-referencing and cataloging.”

At her assent, Peter finished assembling the small pendant- barely larger than a coaster used for drinks- and then slipped it over his head and let it hang by its chain around his neck. “How is that?” Twilight asked. “Not too heavy, or uncomfortable?”

“No, it not bad at all,” the human replied. “But is safe to take off, sometimes? Not think want to sleep with it.”

“According to our calculations you should be fine having it off for things like sleeping and bathing, but I have a test in mind to make sure. Could you have a seat in this chair, Peter?” He complied, and Twilight teleported in a trio of stands topped with thaumatic “weathervanes”, usually used to find leaks in “clean rooms” and other places where magical stability was needed. She carefully placed the stands around Peter in a triangle formation at about one pony-length distance.

“Princess?” Sveti asked. “How exactly does this work? I mean, if that crystal reflects incoming magic, shouldn’t it only work with magical energy that’s physically in front of him?”

“That’s... a really technical issue that deals with metaphysics and the frequencies of physical matter. Suffice it to say that this apparatus will repel magic from all around him, rather than let it flow through him and into the backlog.” Twilight looked down at the nearest sensor and smiled. “And it looks like it’s doing its job! There’s almost zero thaumatic flux in your vicinity. Now let’s leave the medallion on for a few minutes to check its rate of absorption, and while we’re waiting on that I’ll fill you two in on what you can expect during testimony.”

It took her only about five minutes or so to give them an overview of the procedures they’d see at play- there’d be no intense cross-questioning, but pretty much anypony in Parliament would be allowed to ask questions, though neither of them would be obliged to answer. “This is a Parliamentary inquiry, not a trial,” she explained. “Think of it as a fact-finding procedure of a sort. We’re primarily looking to formally discover what happened, and how it affected those involved. I’ve got a few surprises in store, but I think you’ll find them to be good ones.” She smiled. “Peter, could you remove the amulet and set it on that tray, then open it for me?”

He did so, and Twilight carefully took a thin metallic rod with a long gauge set inside of it off of the nearby table, then touched the end against the gem inside the medallion. She then checked the sensors set around the human to find them indicating a small magical draw towards him. “Yes!” she exclaimed, almost forgetting herself for a moment. “The medallion is pulling thaumatic energy from the reservoir at a steady and acceptable rate, and without it touching you, your magical ‘draw-in’ is at the same rate it was before you used it.”

Sveti stared at her with an expression of mixed incredulity and hope. “...you mean it works?” she asked.

“It works! We’ve found a way to drain the thaumatic reservoir safely, without harm to Peter!” She took in a deep breath to calm herself down for her next sentence when she suddenly found herself in the tight embrace of griffin forelegs.

“Thank you,” Sveti whispered. “Thank you, Princess. I... I couldn’t have....”

She seemed to remember herself and began to pull away, a look of shock crossing her face, and Twilight stopped her with a comforting hoof and a gentle smile. “It’s okay. I understand.”

Slender fingers laid themselves against Sveti’s shoulder; Peter’s face was a mask of utter relief. “Princess,” he said, “I not able say how thankful I am. This has been....” He shook his head slowly and let out a long sigh. “I was scared, I can admit.”

He glanced between Twilight and himself, and she couldn’t quite hold back a giggle. “I’m not sure how things work on Earth or in the Griffin Empire,” she said, “but here in Equestria it is entirely acceptable to hug a princess.”

The human broke out in laughter as he knelt down to wrap his arms around her neck. The embrace was astonishingly tender from a creature with such considerable natural strength, and the gentleness of those hands and fingers.... Sveti, you are a lucky hen, she thought. “Okay, go ahead and get that amulet on again,” she said, watching as he once more slipped it over his head. “Now, I do have to be the bearer of a couple of pieces of less-good news. Nothing enormous, mind you, but you should know this.” She took a seat on the stool nearby. “Firstly... this process of draining the magical backlog is going to take quite some time. We’re projecting somewhere along the lines of five to six years, potentially longer. Fortunately, the gems you’ll need for the amulet are plentiful and easily enchanted; I’ve already taught several unicorns employed by the Crowns how to do so, and Rarity and Ember Flare in Ponyville also volunteered to learn the process in case you should happen to need more while you’re there. As Rarity’s special talent is finding gems, she’ll be very helpful if that need arises.”

Peter smiled. “Please say ‘thanks’ to them for us.”

“I’d be happy to.” She returned the smile. “And the second bit of news is probably self-evident, but I’d rather it be clear. With you in this state, I can’t use you as a focal point for any attempts to locate my beacon spell on Earth. Any magic I used on you would simply feed the reservoir and undo everything we’ve worked for; a sufficiently-powerful burst of magic could possibly cause unarrestable backflow, and... well, that’s what we’re trying to avoid.”

Peter nodded slowly, though there was still a trace of sadness on his face. “I figured.”

“But!” Twilight raised a hoof. “That’s not the only avenue open to us. This is a priority issue to the Crowns, Peter; finding you a route home is important to us, and we still sincerely hope that we can one day establish a permanent link between your world and ours. It may take a long time, but we’re committed to this.”

He nodded again with a slight smile. “I appreciate that.”

“As far as I’m concerned, you two deserve nothing less than everything we ponies can do for you.” She glanced up at a wall clock. “Darn, I guess I’d better get back to the Parliament building or I’ll be late. Any more questions before I go?”

“I have one,” Sveti replied. “How long will these gems likely last before filling up?”

“Depending on the quality of the gem and the power of the unicorn enchanting it, anywhere from three days to a week. Nearly-full gems should become slighty warm to the touch and glow dimly in low light. And like I said, they’ll pop free inside the housing when they fill up.” Twilight sighed. “Believe me, you two, I’d much rather stay here and talk than go back there. But we’re going to get this done, so help me Faust. The guards outside will guide you back to your quarters; I’ll see you when it’s your turn to be interviewed.”

After a final goodbye wave, she was gone in a flash.

(-)

“Please state your names for the record.”

“Peter Collins.” “Sveti Windwhisper.”

Celestia watched as Twilight turned to face the assembled ponies. “Stallions and gentlemares, I’ve called these two individuals to testify so that you all can see how the events that have befallen them over the past year have harmed them- events caused by our own kind, through either malice or ignorance, antithetical to our deepest-held beliefs in Harmony and the magic of friendship.”

It was undeniably painful for the Sun Princess to hear their stories again- but it was the pain of a wound being reopened in order to clean out infection, so that true healing could begin. She could actually hear the occasional weeping or muffled sob from the assembled ponies, stallions as well as mares utterly taken aback by what they heard- but apparently not all of them were so affected. “I have a request,” came a stern voice from near the back; a unicorn stallion- one Amber Aura, if she remembered correctly, a conservative sort who had an unfortunate record of voting against many bills and motions meant to aid earth pony farmers- stood against his desk. “Have the human creature remove his eyepatch. I still have a difficult time believing a pony would actually do such a thing.”

“That might not be advisable,” Twilight answered. “The wound is... not pleasant to view.”

Aura’s frown deepened. “Then let us see it, and gain the full impact of what happened.”

Twilight glanced askance at Peter, who nodded in assent. “Very well, then,” the alicorn replied. “I’ll ask that the squeamish look away until this demonstration is over. Peter, if you would?”

One of the sets of doors leading into the hall opened as Peter was removing his eyepatch. A series of gasps and exclamations of shock rippled across the assembly- but a filly’s shout drowned it out a moment later. “Momma?! What happened to his eye?!”

Celestia grimaced inwardly. It seems the delegation from Broncton has arrived early, she mused, worried of the mental impact that the sight of the empty, scarred eye socket would have on the young foal; Peter seemed to have the same thought, and scrambled to get the patch back on. But rather than back off in disgust, the filly immediately galloped into the room as fast as her little legs could carry her, up to the desk that the human and griffin were seated at. “Peter! Sveti!” she exclaimed, practically throwing herself into Peter's arms and leaning over to nuzzle Sveti as well. “I missed you both so much! Peter, what happened to your eye?!”

A bemused-looking mare made her way down towards the center of the hall. “I, uh... I apologize, Your Highnesses,” she called out. “I didn’t mean to interrupt anything, but my daughter isn’t very big on decorum.”

Mild laughter moved through the hall. “It’s quite alright, Miss Dustmop,” Celestia replied. “The exuberance of youth at play.” She looked to the young filly who was gazing unhappily at Peter’s eyepatch. “My dear Dewdrop,” she said, “I understand that you’re happy to see your friends, but if you would, please have a seat at that table there with your family and the others.” She pointed at a wide table with a number of empty seats. “All your questions will be answered as soon as possible.”

“Okay, Princess Celestia.” After one more quick nuzzle for each of her rescuers- and a playful ruffle of her mane by Peter- the filly was escorted by her mother to the table where the rest of her family, and a small number of other Broncton residents, were seated; once everything was settled back down, Twilight smiled again.

“Stallions and gentlemares of Parliament, and honored guests,” she said, “these fine ponies from the town of Broncton have come here today to tell us a story. A story of a frightened, lost creature that nonetheless saved a life in peril, a life that was placed in danger a second time by fear and ignorance. That time, two noble creatures- both of whom had known abuse at the hooves of ponies- risked their own lives for her.”

Twilight proceeded to lay down the tale of Peter’s rescue of Dewdrop from a dangerous stream, then her kidnapping as part of a plot to frame Peter for eating her, and then her subsequent rescue from timberwolves at the edge of the Everfree Forest. There was a barely-detectable undercurrent of anger in the Princess of Magic’s voice as she spoke of the actions of the Ponyville ponies, and an expression of disappointment and disgust showed through the cracks in her calm facade- but Celestia couldn’t blame her in the least; she herself was incredibly upset that her little ponies would resort to such things. Are we so insular now, she wondered, so unaccustomed to anything outside our routine, that this is how we react to anything we might deem threatening? And are we so assured of the inherent goodness of our own kind that we simply ignore the actions of those like Big Top, and assume good intent where we should suspect ill? I hope there will be a good many conversations between ponies once this inquiry is reported in the media.

But her heart was warmed by the kind words that Dewdrop and her family, as well as Corporal Red Crescent and Captain Hammer, had for the young hen and her human companion. Dustmop had no shortage of critical words for the ponies who had done the pair wrong, her blazing anger a sharp contrast to the restrained political tones typically used in Parliament, and countered with the glowing admiration she had for her daughter’s saviors. “As far as I’m concerned, Your Highnesses,” she said, “Peter Collins and Sveti Windwhisper are better examples of what a pony should be than quite a few ponies I could name, and I sincerely hope that my foals grow up to be like them.”

The testimony went on through the day, and by the time Parliament was ready to break for the evening, a fair number of its members looked like they desperately wanted to go home and have a good cry. Even Amber Aura, for all his gruffness, had taken a decidedly more conciliatory tack. “I have to admit,” he said, “that having this situation shown in such a close and personal way... has affected me. I suppose it is easier to rationalize away our malefactors when the harm they cause is little more than an abstract notion, but....” He stared down at his hoof for a moment before looking back up. “Mister Collins, I feel the need to ask you this... do you believe that you can forgive ponies for what has been done to you?”

Peter was silent for a moment, seemingly organizing his thoughts. “To say ‘forgive ponies’ is... not right,” he answered. “I not hold all ponies responsible for what happened. Some did wrong, yes... but some of those tried to make right, after. Some... gave much to try... even everything.” His gaze flicked towards the attending audience, and Celestia traced it to Silver Wisk, who watched him with a sad smile. “Mister Aura, I not able say ‘I forgive ponies’ because I not blame ‘ponies’. Only want those who attacked me and Sveti be called out.”

Aura nodded slowly. “That is entirely understandable,” he said as he returned to his seat.

Twilight tapped a hoof against the floor, signaling for attention. “Stallions and gentlemares, before we adjourn for the night, I have one more thing I want to show. This arrived just this morning from Ponyville, and I wanted to save it as a surprise for our two friends.” Her horn lit up, and an easel materialized next to the desk where Peter and Sveti were seated; something wide was set atop it, covered by a thin purple sheet. Twilight’s magical field tugged the sheet away, revealing a hoof-made cardboard greeting card, almost two bodylengths in width, with “THANK YOU” written across the top, while the rest was completely covered in writing in numerous different styles, from foalish scrawled crayon to elegant ink script. “The citizens of Ponyville made this for Sveti and Peter,” Twilight explained. “They wanted to show their support for two friends who were facing a possible tragedy. Each message written on this card is from somepony whose life has been touched by them, even if only lightly.”

Celestia turned her gaze towards Peter and Sveti, finding them both staring at the giant card with wide eyes and slack jaws. The surprised joy on their faces felt like honeyed balm to her soul. It is a small thing, she thought, but they deserve whatever happiness they can find after all they have undergone.

Parliament adjourned shortly after, and as she headed towards the throne room for the final nightly briefing and the hoof-over to Luna’s Night Court, she spared a glance at the departing nobles- specifically Amber Aura, who looked much less confident and self-absorbed than he had in the morning. Good, she thought with a mental smile. I want my ponies to think about all of this, to question themselves on how they see others. I want those who were involved with tormenting Peter and Sveti to see the harm of their actions up-close; I would much rather rely on a guilty conscience to bring in more confessions than a direct threat of punishment. I know that many of my little ponies will do what’s right when they truly understand what wrongs they have committed.

And for those who will not... well, they will have no right to complain when their punishment is compounded.

(-)

“I beg thee forgive my tardiness.” Luna followed her words into her antechamber, excusing her guards with a glance, before stopping in front of Sveti and Peter seated on one of the comfortable couches along the sides of the room. “There were... difficulties with the reform discussions in which I was engaged this afternoon.”

Both of her guests stood, and Sveti gave a small bow while Peter nodded in a somewhat respectful manner. “Politics as usual in Canterlot, Your Highness?” the hen asked.

“As usual, aye.” She couldn’t quite help letting out a quiet sigh. “But I am certain that neither of you is interested in hearing tales of property laws and tax codes, nor of the generations of self-centered nobles who crafted an absolute beast of legalese excrem-” She caught herself. “Again, I beg thy pardon. I should not, as mine sister might say, ‘bring my work home with me’.”

Peter gave her a sympathetic smile. “I remember a joke from home,” he said. “Our word for politics-” he said something that sounded like pah-lee-tyx- “come from two other words. ‘Pahlee’, means ‘many’, and ‘tyx’, means ‘ticks’.”

Luna burst into laughter. “So true!” she guffawed, holding a hoof up to her lips to try to stifle her mirth. “I must remember to share that quip with mine sister. She is a wise and fair leader in many ways, but she would herself admit that the intricacies of lawmaking are not amongst her strengths.” After a moment to get the chuckles out of her system, she shook her head. “I do appreciate the levity, Peter. As you have asked, allow me to show you and Sveti some interesting artifacts from the early reaches of Equestria’s history, and even afore. The two of you have waited more than long enough for this.”

There was little fear of thieves attempting to steal her personal collection; between warding spells, traps and guards, the various objects she kept for sentimentality or potential need of use were as safe as if they were in a vault. But despite the plethora of history contained within, ponies seldom asked to partake of the displays aside from the occasional archaeologist or researcher- so it was something of a personal pleasure for her to be able to guide two friends through it, and give first-hoof accounts of the many battles, rescues and friendships involved.

Many modern ponies would have been unnerved, maybe even somewhat frightened by tales of conflict in Equestria’s past, but the two creatures before her seemed completely enthralled. It made sense to her; griffinkind had a long and distinctive history of martial readiness, and if the human weapons she’d seen- and used- in the Astral Plane were any indication, Peter’s species was no slouch in that department either. It felt undeniably nice to have her stories and remembrances appreciated, and she found herself resisting the irrational urge to prance a bit as she brought them to the centerpiece of her collection. “And here is a weapon that did much to secure the peaceful era that Equestria enjoys today,” she said. “I named it Evening Crescent, but it gained many other names from those few enemies who saw it in battle and lived to tell the tale- Foeharvest, Star Edge, Raven’s Call, Nightchill.” She touched a hoof against the magically-reinforced glass of the display case housing the long-hafted, silver-bladed scythe.

“This is incredible,” Sveti breathed. “I’d read about Raven’s Call in history classes, that Empress Einfrid sent a quarter of the Fourteenth Legion against you alone to take it during the Crystal Incursion, only to see just sixteen survivors return empty-clawed. I never thought I’d get to see it with my own two eyes.”

“Aye. I remember that battle.” Luna pursed her lips. “I took no joy in slaying your kin, Sveti Windwhisper. Indeed, I was furious at the Empress for wasting so many noble lives for a mere trophy. She was bound to have known that Evening Crescent would have reduced her to ash had she ever tried to use it.”

“I know, Your Highness. Griffin history doesn't recall her fondly; we call her the Scarlet Fiend for a reason.”

Peter raised his hand. “How many griffins in that fight?”

“Eight hundred, give or take,” answered Luna.

“Eight hundred... against you. And you kill all but sixteen?”

“The battle was not as one-sided as you seem to envision.” Luna’s eyes swept across the other relics in the hall. “I was at the height of my power, yes, but I was also in possession of no small number of powerful magical weapons aside from my scythe, and quite familiar with the terrain. And I did not leave the battle unscathed.”

The human seemed to absorb this for a moment before his expression became contemplative. “Sounds like old battle in human history,” he said. “Fifteen hundred solders held mountain pass from one hundred fifty thousand invaders for two whole days. This was long time ago, when humans had only bronze spears and shields.”

Luna’s eyebrow raised. “Astounding. How did the invaders break through?”

“A traitor. He showed invaders secret pass to flank defenders. Most died and battle was lost, but invaders eventually were stopped, forced to retreat and lost many soldiers on the way.”

A smile crossed the lunar princess’s lips. “Thou’rt quite studied on your history.”

“Not as much as would like....” Peter’s own smile was sheepish. “Saw film about battle, heard was very wrong, looked up facts. Found them interesting.”

“ ‘Tis far better than naught. Would that many of mine ponies held such interest.”

Sveti snorted playfully. “All the stories about griffin history I’ve been giving you, Peter, and now I find out you’ve been holding out on me? I expect to hear more about this battle later.” She gave him a light shove against his side.

Luna’s amused nicker was cut short by the approaching hooffalls of one of the Lunar Guard; the thestral bowed her head respectfully and leaned upwards to whisper. “Your Highness, the committee has reached an impasse again and requests your input,” she reported.

It was a difficult thing to resist, the urge to facehoof right then and there. She opened her mouth to reply that she would be along shortly... and then caught sight of the two creatures- her two friends- that stood patiently by. “No,” she said, loud enough to be heard by everypony. “Sergeant, you may tell the committee that their Princess is indisposed, and that they may either resolve the impasse themselves, or they will be disbanded and replacements found forthwith.”

The barest shadow of a smile crossed the thestral’s lips. “At once, Your Highness,” she said, before delivering a sharp salute and leaving the hall.

Peter had a somewhat concerned look on his face. “Something wrong, Your Highness?”

“I had left a committee tasked with rewriting a rather problematic tangle of tax code afore coming here, as part of a greater effort at legal reform, with the assurance that my assistance would not be required for at least a number of hours. It has barely been two and already they once more find themselves unable to make progress!” She snorted in frustration. “ ‘The best and brightest among us’, my rump.”

“Tax code?” Peter repeated. “Is as bad here as home, I guess?”

She paused a moment, sizing him up. “What do you know of tax codes?”

“Was law clerk back home, had plans to become lawyer. Tax codes not specialty, but am familiar.”

“A lawyer?” Luna couldn’t keep a grin off of her face. “Why, my dear human, I’d no idea you were hiding such a dark and sordid past.” He and Sveti both laughed at that. “I wonder... if t’were possible for me to clear a path through legal and procedural ‘red tape’, I believe it is called... wouldst thou be interested in a paid position within the Equestrian government as an adviser on legal matters?”

She had their attention now. “You sure I able to help?” Peter asked. “Had four years in school, yeah, but only two years on-job experience.”

“Which grants you more qualification than half of the buffoons on that committee.” Luna locked her eyes on his. “Peter Collins, I am at wits’ end. I do not wish for this project to take another twenty generations! There are a fair number of ponies with true intellect upon whom I could call for help, but this legal system has been in place for such time as to practically be no less an edifice than this castle itself!” She motioned towards him with a hoof. “Yours is a uniquely outside perspective, one that could bring fresh ideas and concepts to the process. And it is not as though our legal code is some royal secret.”

Peter and Sveti shared a glance. “You know,” the hen said, “I’ve noticed you’ve been getting sort of bored at the embassy since we got all of the major repairs and cleaning done. I know you’re the type who likes to stay busy.”

“You know me too well.” Peter chuckled. “Okay. Let’s say I interested. Need to know specifics on position.”

Relief flooded through the alicorn’s mind. Perhaps now we might make some headway! she thought. “I shall have terms of reference drawn up during Night Court, and delivered to the embassy upon the morn. There will be regular meetings and conferences, but much of your time would be spent studying legal decisions and legislation from a variety of periods in Equestrian history, which can easily be done within the embassy.” She paused a moment to consider. “Though this might bring up one difficulty.”

“What that?”

“There might be objections to having you on the payroll of the Crowns twice- both as a member of the embassy staff and as part of a task force on legal reform.” She shifted her gaze towards Sveti. “If Peter were asked to resign from his embassy position, would he not be at risk of eviction?”

The pair shared another glance. “Oh, well... we’ve already come up with a solution for that kind of scenario,” Sveti answered.

“What would that be?”

“I was a little worried about some parliamentary trick kicking Peter off the payroll, so I went over the treaty with Princess Twilight a while ago. Since I’m the de-facto administrator of the embassy, I’m permitted to have immediate family or a domestic partner live with me in my quarters. The treaty doesn’t specify species.” She chuckled. “Even though nothing like that happened, recently... well, Peter and I have been cohabitating for about a month now.”

“I see.” Almost against her own will, she found herself re-examining the pair. Are they...? she wondered. No. Not yet. But it is likely simply a matter of time... perhaps Cadance would be interested in a betting pool. “Then I can foresee no potential issues. Now, I believe our tour has come to an end, but as that would leave me bereft of an excuse to avoid that execrable committee... perhaps I might entice you both to attend an early dinner with me?” She smiled hopefully.

Peter and Sveti gave each other one more askance glance, and then both of them nodded. “Sure!” they replied in unison.

Luna felt the grin spreading across her face and focused her considerable will on controlling her reaction. Mustn’t shout out “huzzah”. Mustn’t shout out “huzzah”. Mustn’t shout out-

“Huzzah!”

...drat.

(-)

rrrrrrrrrrrrinnnnnnng

I let out a grumble as I blindly reached over the warm, furred-and-feathered mass next to me in order to grope around for the alarm clock; my fingers finally made contact with it, and I caught the damnable little hammer between my fingers to keep it still until my thumb could find the lever on the clock’s back to shut it off.

“Gmmmh... time ‘s it?” the sheet-covered mound next to me murmured.

“Six-thirty. You’re the one who set the alarm, remember?” I gave her a playful prod.

“Dun remn’d muh.” She let out an exhausted chirrup and buried her head against my chest. “Ten m’ min’s.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle, even as I gently rubbed the back of her head, noting how comforting it still felt to do so. Though we’d started sharing a bed during our respective bouts with nightmares, once those had ended after a couple of weeks and we’d gone back to our own beds, I’d found I was having trouble sleeping for an entirely different reason- I’d missed having Sveti with me. But though it was obvious that she felt the same way, she was apparently as self-conscious about asking to resume the arrangement as I was, which meant another half-month worth of nights spent restless... until Sveti remembered her out-from-left-field contingency plan and sprung it on me as a just-in-case course of action.

It was a blatant, flimsy excuse for us to start sharing a bed again, and I didn’t give the slightest damn that it was. Sveti and I were a couple, now, even with our hesitation to actually admit it- the embassy staff had taken to buying us little “his-and-hers” knick-knacks; it was that obvious- so why were we both beating around the bush in actually talking about it? We both knew we slept better together, we knew how each of us felt about the other, we were so familiar with each other by now that she knew I sometimes talked in my sleep and I knew she flexed her wings during vivid dreams... so why not just go all-in?

Deep in my mind, I knew the issue we were both dodging- intimacy.

I could readily admit to myself that, had Sveti been a human woman, I’d have already propositioned her. And the fact that she was a gryphon wasn’t what was holding me back; she was not some mindless animal, whatever her physical body might resemble- there was an intelligent, loving mind behind those golden eyes, a mind that felt the same things for me. And it wasn’t any sort of fear of commitment that kept me from making a move. What troubled me the most was the idea of disappointing her, and not just in the ways the male ego usually worried about... were we even physically compatible? Could I actually hurt her, or her, me? Did she even have any experience at all? Aside from one question she’d once asked me, I didn’t recall us ever talking about the subject of previous lovers.

I looked at the lightly-snoozing gryphon laying against me and debated how I’d even phrase the question. “Sveti, have you ever slept with a male of your species?” “Sveti, are you experienced in bed?” “Sveti, have you ever had a Tab A in your Slot B?” I had to fight the urge to slap myself for that one. Okay, how about something actually mature, like “Sveti, I love you and I want to share myself with you, so can we talk about how we might be able to let that happen?”

“...say som’thin?”

My blood turned to ice; I had a habit of murmuring what I was thinking when I was tired, and Sveti’s hearing was sharp enough to pick it up. “I, um, said... that your ten minutes are up,” I sputtered.

“Ohh.” She rolled back a bit, trying to untangle herself from the sheets. I could see her face now, with her puffy, half-closed eyes and bleary gaze; I’d learned early on that this gryphon was not a morning hen. Her nares flared as she took in a deep breath. “...do I smell coffee?”

“You’re asking me?” I chuckled. “Do I need to remind you what a joke my sense of smell is compared to yours?”

“Well, if you had a beak....” Her smile faded as a contemplative look came over her face for a moment, and then she shook her head. “Anyway! That’s definitely coffee. You have twenty seconds to get on your amulet, shirt and slippers before I drag you down the stairs by whatever part of your body is in reach.”

Her cocky grin disappeared when my playful push had the unintended effect of rolling her off of the bed in a squawking wad of sheets and feathers. My laughter hardly slowed when she jumped back onto the bed a moment later and tackled me onto the mattress, then hit me upside the head with a pillow a few times while cackling. “That’s what you get, you wicked creature,” she teased, before letting me up. “Now come on, I really need to get some coffee in me.”

As I’d suspected, the staff had gotten up early as well and put together breakfast for Sveti and I before we left for our trip. I’d never liked oatmeal until I’d tried Silver Wisk’s cinnamon peach mix, but now I found my mouth watering the moment my nose caught its scent- and I could tell that Sveti was similarly anticipating the apple-smoked sausages waiting for her. “Good morning, you two!” Wisk said as we tromped our way into the kitchen. “Hot nourishing breakfast for the traveling pair. It ain’t fun to go abroad on an empty stomach.”

“It smells wonderful, Wisk. Thanks.” Sveti gave the mare a smile.

“You know, I’m going to get you to give up that oatmeal recipe of yours someday, Wisk,” I chuckled as I took my own seat next to Sveti.

“Pfft. Good luck with that.” The mare pushed the food cart around the table, setting out plates for the rest of the staff; as if on cue, Quick Service and Neat Niche came downstairs as well. “Morning!” Wisk called out. “Where’s Ensemble and Welder?”

“Ennie will be down in a bit,” Quick replied. “Welder’s probably going to sleep in; he likes to do that on weekends.”

“Oh, right, I forgot. I’ll put his plate in the coldbox.” As Wisk went to do that, Niche and Quick took their seats and dug into their breakfast, and the light conversation that sprung up was joined by Ensemble a few minutes later. Most of the talk was about what Sveti and I planned to do on our trip- which, quite honestly, we weren’t sure about ourselves; we didn’t have any sort of agenda aside from “get out of Canterlot for a while”. This of course brought plenty of suggestions for things to do from the staff.

“We’re only going to be in Ponyville for a couple of days,” Sveti explained. “It’s just... a time for us to reflect on what’s happened over the last year, and to thank the town for all the support it’s given us face-to-face. We want it to be more of a calm, relaxing trip than going out looking for fun.”

Wisk nodded in understanding. “Well, in that case,” she said, bending down to pull something out from the curtain-covered bottom of the food cart, “it’s probably a good thing that I packed this.” She pulled a large wicker picnic basket out of the cart and placed it on the table. “Because there’s nothing that beats a nice, quiet picnic to reflect on what you’ve been through and what you’ve gained from it.”

Sveti and I shared a glance, then both of us broke out in chuckles. “Thanks, Wisk,” I said. “A picnic actually does sound like a great idea; there’s some nice places out by Whitetail Woods for picnicking, I’ve heard.”

“That sounds like a treat!” Quick smiled. “Your bags are by the door and your carriage to the train station will be arriving at eight sharp, so go get ready now!”

A hot shower, a warm farewell and a quick carriage ride brought us to the station with a few minutes to spare. This trip to Ponyville went much more smoothly than the last, and in no time at all Sveti and I were standing in the small town, getting warm greetings from the residents as we walked around. It felt great to reconnect with these ponies who’d shown us so much support, to thank them and let them know that their efforts were truly appreciated, and by the time the afternoon rolled around we’d talked to a good half of the town’s population and gotten more hugs than I could count. “If you had given notice that you were coming, I would’ve gladly organized something for you,” Mayor Mare told us as we sat in her office for a short break and conversation.

“We sort of wanted to avoid that, actually,” I responded. “Pulling ponies away from their jobs and lives just to talk to us. We’d rather make the effort to come to them today.”

“After everything this town did for us, it seems the least we could do in return,” Sveti added.

The mayor gave us a wide smile. “Well, we here in Ponyville care about our friends. And I know I’m far from the only pony who’s glad to see things are finally looking up for the two of you. If you ever decide that Canterlot isn’t the place for you, you’d always be welcome here.”

The offer gave us something to think and talk about, and after a happenstance meeting with the Hooves brothers- now employed as delivery ponies at the Quills & Sofas shop; apparently this town went through a lot of both- we took a long, leisurely walk along the outskirts of Whitetail Woods. “I could wish that Equus had vehicles like yours,” Sveti said. “That way we could live here and travel to work.”

“Or, y’know, if I had wings, we could just fly back and forth,” I chuckled.

She laughed. “Maybe not so much! It’s a four-hour flight each way. Not every creature with wings is like Rainbow Dash, you know.” She brushed against my side. “But... yeah, I do sort of like the idea of having a home with you, you know,” she said, a light blush showing through her plumage. “One of our own, rather than living in the embassy. Not that it’s bad there, mind you.”

“Yeah....” I found myself finding the idea of making a home with Sveti even more appealing than I’d expected. “I mean, this place may be kind of crazy sometimes, but... it’s really nice here. I can see why Princess Twilight prefers it to Canterlot.” I reached down to run my fingers along her crest.

“Mmmh.” She lightly brushed my back with her wingtip as we walked. “Oh, look, that seems like a good spot to set down the basket,” she said, pointing ahead; I followed her gaze and saw a nice open field with ankle-high grasses, surrounded by a variety of trees.

“Looks good! Let’s set up.” We sat down on the soft grass with a lone spruce tree to our backs and opened the basket, finding it packed to the top with food and drink. “So what sort of home do you think you’d like to have if we lived here?” I asked.

“Ooh, that’s a question. It’s so different down here than from what I’m used to.” We started an involved discussion about what sorts of homes Ponyville had, or what we might have constructed for us if we had the funds. It didn’t seem long at all until all the food was eaten, our conversation had played out, and we sat beneath the late-afternoon sun with her head on my shoulder and my arm around her waist. “It’s hard to believe it’s been a year since we escaped from that sideshow,” she murmured.

“I know.” I ran my fingertips along the back of her neck gently, drawing out a soft sigh from her. “It’s been one hell of a year. I’m honestly surprised I survived it.”

“I’m not,” she replied, looking up into my eyes. “As much as you try to tell me otherwise, you’ve got the heart of a warrior in here.” She put her claw on my chest. “It was a year ago that this heart took pity on a caged gryphon and gave her the keys to freedom. I don’t know where I’d be- or even if I’d be- if you hadn’t done that.”

“You’ve repaid me for it a thousand times over.” My hand slid along the side of her neck to cup the bottom of her beak gently. “Look at where I am now, Sveti. One year ago I was frightened and alone, powerless and unable to talk to anyone. Now? I don’t have to run anymore. I have a home, a place in this society, friends and a good job. And... I’ve got someone to love.” My fingertips traced a path down along her throat. “All because you stood for me when I had no one else.”

The claw that was on my chest slid down to rub against my side, the talons catching against the bottom of my shirt and tugging up gently. I could see her leaning forward, her nares flaring as she breathed deeply, her eyes seeming to shimmer in the sunlight. “Peter....” she half-whispered, her beak trembling slightly. “I’ve... wanted to ask you something for a while.”

I felt my breath catch in my throat. “What?” was all I could get out.

“I’ve, um....” She seemed to search for words for a moment. “Peter... I love you, and I know you love me as well. And, you know... there are, um... physical expressions of love, right? And, um....” Her claw slid under my shirt. “I was wondering if... you and I could, maybe....”

I heard a rustle of feathers, and her eyes widened in fear a split-second before something heavy slammed into both of us at high speeds.

I found myself sprawled face-down in the grass with a face full of dirt and a hand full of feathers- I hoped they weren’t Sveti’s- struggling to catch my breath through the painful throb the sudden impact had left in my side. I staggered to my feet and found Sveti curled up a few feet away... and between us stood an entirely too familiar sight.

The tercel who’d nearly killed Ensemble during the first attack on the embassy was staring back at me, talons digging into the ground as he prepared himself to launch himself at me again. Questions of how he’d found me and what his intentions were fell away as he leapt; as his wings spread, I spotted an open patch in the feathers of the left one, a part of my mind noting that I might have handicapped him even as I jumped to the side, his claws catching only empty air. I managed a serviceable shoulder roll and clambered back to my feet, my fingers hitting a small rock and grabbing it and I stood, intending to fling it at my assailant when I saw something else in the air behind him-

thwip

-and recognized the shape of a crossbow held in the claws of a second airborne gryphon almost too late, instinctively throwing myself to the side and just barely evading the crossbow bolt-

crash

-no, the syringe that had been fired at me. Another goddamn abduction attempt, I realized, even as I hurled the rock at this second attacker, only to have it- her?- veer sharply to evade. “Sveti!” I called out, risking a glance back to see her getting back on all fours; I was relieved to see that she didn’t seem to be badly hurt.

“Peter?!”

I made sure to speak in English so our assailants couldn’t understand. “Gryphons! Call for help!”

“...I can’t! It was in the basket!”

Ah, shit. The picnic basket had been obliterated when we’d first been hit, its contents scattered in the grass, and the emergency charm we’d brought in case we needed help- a disc-shaped device small enough to fit in my palm- was nowhere in sight; finding it while under attack would require a miracle. “Get to Ponyville!” I shouted.

“I’m not leaving you!”

The female gryphon was just landing beside the male, pulling something out from the harness wrapped around her midsection and placing it into her crossbow. “This isn’t a fight we can win!” I replied, even as I threw myself into a sprint, charging towards the attackers. “We need help!”

Sveti hesitated for half a second- and then the choice was taken from her when yet another shape swooped in on her. Thankfully Sveti saw it coming and braced herself for impact, which sent both gryphons tumbling along the grass.

Part of me ached to run back and help her. But I knew that the hen with the crossbow was the primary threat- I wasn’t immune to tranquilizers, and me going down to one left Sveti in a one-versus-three scenario against what were obviously trained soldiers. While she’d had some self-defense training since the first attack, she wasn’t a skilled unarmed fighter, and the other gryphons would know exactly what she was capable of.

I, on the other hand, was still completely alien to them.

The hen with the crossbow had gained a noticeable look of worry as I charged her, trying to rush the reload of her weapon while the tercel next to her moved to intercept me. I anticipated another leaping tackle, and when he obliged with outstretched wings and claws, I dropped down and slid under him, forgoing an opportunity to get in a good kick on his unprotected underside so that I could slam my foot into the hen’s crossbow instead.

snap

I’d hoped to completely break the thing, but whatever wood it was made from was strong- but I’d delivered just enough force to crack one of its limbs, which rendered it just as useless for firing. The hen let out a frustrated squawk and let the weapon drop to the ground, jumping back from my follow-up kick aimed at her head, and I scrambled back to my feet before her partner could get at me. “Come on, you overgrown pigeons,” I taunted in Equish. “You gonna let a monkey win?”

The tercel took some serious umbrage to that, letting out something between a falcon’s cry and a lion’s roar as he charged me once again. I waited until he was just beginning his jump towards me before I lunged forward, meeting his chest with my shoulder; the impact sent us both sprawling, him with likely bruised ribs and me with a stinging shoulder and a couple of light scratches from where his talons had caught my skin.

I risked a glance back at Sveti as I got up and saw her still wrestling with her assailant; every time she got clear to try to get airborne, he was back on her, trying to restrain her. Against my better judgment, I turned my back on my opponents and rushed towards Sveti, hearing the attacking hen shout something behind me as I ran- probably to her partner, but why did it sound so angry?- to help my love. I grit my teeth and put as much speed as I could into my sprint when I saw her attacker slash his claws across one of her wings, making her cry out in pain. “Sveti, hold on, I’m coming-” I began.

thwipthwipCLUNK

Something wrapped around my ankles, binding them together, and I fell to the ground hard. I looked back to find bolos tangled around my feet, and the hen who threw them rushing towards me with another of those syringes in one of her claws, obviously looking to deliver the dose personally. Rather than try to pull the bolos loose, I yanked my feet out of my shoes, which gave me just enough freedom of movement to get my legs free- and by the time the hen was on me I was back up; I kicked the still-tangled shoes towards her, catching her by surprise and making her drop the syringe as she instinctively brought her forelegs up to protect her head.

This fight’s going on too long, I thought as I spun around once more to head for Sveti. All I’ve got going is luck, their unfamiliarity with what I can do and what are probably orders to take me relatively unharmed. The first two can’t last and the third might get tossed aside if I’m enough of a pain in the ass. Get Sveti in the air and going towards Ponyville, then make a run for the woods, and hope I can evade well enough to last until help arrives.

As I closed in on Sveti and her opponent, I could hear the woosh of wings behind me and knew that pursuit was closing quickly- which prompted me to do something utterly stupid. Just as Sveti once more got clear to try to fly off, and her attacker tried to restrain her again, I jumped, both legs forward, in my best attempt at replicating every last drop kick I’d ever seen watching professional wrestling as a kid. My heels slammed into the tercel’s side hard enough for me to feel at least one rib crack, and the soldier tumbled across the ground. “Sveti! Go!” I screamed.

She did, juking past the other hen and spreading her wings as I squared off against the tercel who I’d recognized; he completely ignored Sveti as she dashed along the ground, wings spread- and the injured one dripping blood- and leaping into the air....

...only for a fourth soldier to glide in behind her.

“Oh for fuck’s sake!” I growled, doing my best to get around my opponent, only to have my arm snagged by both of his claws, his talons piercing through skin and drawing blood. I whirled on one heel, smashing my other elbow into his head and laying him flat, almost falling myself before I could regain my balance. I turned once more-

THWUMP

-and took the entire weight of the hen to my midsection as she slamtackled me. I collapsed, clutching at my gut and trying desperately to draw in a breath, and felt one of her paws drive itself into my back, pinning me down. “Sveti....” I wheezed, trying to raise my head up enough to look around- and saw her caught in a gryphon version of a half-nelson by the latest arrival, this one a female as well.

“Peter, I’m sorry, I couldn’t....” I heard Sveti call out.

The tercel who’d first attacked me limped unsteadily in my direction as the hen holding me captive yanked me up to my knees, holding me up roughly by my hair as she stood at my side. The male glanced towards his compatriot that I’d dropkicked, still clutching at his chest and groaning loudly, then at me.

Then he balled his claw into a fist and slammed it into my already-abused stomach.

The hen holding me growled something at him, though she didn’t loosen her hold in the slightest. He snarled something in return before turning back towards where Sveti was held; a wicked grin crossed his beak, and he spoke a single word. And while I didn’t understand what was said, the look of fear that crossed Sveti’s face, followed by her captor drawing a small hidden dagger from her armor, made the meaning frightfully clear.

Kill her.

I moved, like I never had before, twisting away from my captor and slamming the edge of my hand into her unprotected throat, actually feeling her windpipe cave under the blow. She suddenly forgot all about restraining me as she fell back onto the ground, clutching at her neck and letting out a weak gurgle; before the tercel in front of me could react, I lunged forward and drove my fist into his face, careful to avoid the sharp edges of his beak. As he stumbled, I practically fell on top of him, rolling him onto his back and running my palms along his chest, looking for- there!- and finding the hilt of an identical dagger hidden in his leather armor. As I stood, I drove the heel of my foot into his groin, getting a high-pitched scream from him as he curled in on himself... but I was already moving again, the pain of my abused abdomen ignored for the moment, my vision starting to blur and darkening around the edges but determination driving me on.

The hen holding Sveti captive caught sight of me as I charged, and actual terror crossed her features for the slightest of moments- and then she raised her own weapon and brought it down. Only a last-second movement saved Sveti from taking the dagger in her neck, the weapon instead carving a line down her back and slicing across the base of her already-injured wing; she let out a cry of pain as she fell to the ground, trying futilely to press her claws against the wound. The soldier drew her knife back again, prepared to plunge it into Sveti’s defenseless back.

shhhnk

Flesh parted before metal, and the soldier let out an agonized cry as my stolen dagger sank through her forelimb just as she was about to stab Sveti. The hen fell on her back, clutching at the weapon stuck in her limb, but I ignored her as I staggered my way to Sveti’s side and knelt down next to her. The wound in her back was bleeding badly, and her wing hung limply at her side, but she was still conscious. “Oh my God, Sveti....” I gasped. “Can you stand?”

“I- I think....” She slowly made her way to all fours. “Gah... Ancestors, that hurts....”

“We need to get out of here. There might be more of-”

“Peter!”

thwack

I didn’t even see the tercel’s fist coming until it was connecting with the side of my face. I felt my jaw crack from the blow, and I went down like a sack of potatoes, groaning weakly and holding a hand against my head. I heard Sveti growl something in her native language, followed by a meaty thud and a yelp as she went down as well. “Sveti....” I mumbled, my mouth not wanting to work properly. “Run... get out of here....”

I felt a large claw grab hold of the front of my shirt, talons ripping through the fabric, and the tercel hauled me up into a sitting position with my amulet almost touching his chest. I could see a lump already forming on his head where my elbow had struck, and his face was contorted with pain and hatred. “You miserable sack of minotaur scat,” he snarled in Equish. “I should gut you right here and now for what you’ve done.” He drove his fist into my stomach again as if to express his displeasure, and I fought the urge to vomit, retching weakly as bile burned at the back of my throat. “But some plucking egg-sucker of a politician wants to get his claws on you, alive, and my honor depends on making that happen.” He reached into his leather chestpiece and pulled out something horribly familiar. “So let’s take a trip together, shall we?”

“No... wait....” I rasped, but it was too late; his talon pierced the small gem within the teleportaion charm he held in his claw. My vision went white as agony lanced through me; an impact like a sledgehammer struck my chest a half a moment later, and I knew nothing more.

(-)

A blood-curdling scream cut short almost as soon as it began, coupled with what almost sounded like a gunshot, brought Sveti out of her pain-filled daze. The world seemed to sway around her as she struggled to stand, agony and dizziness threatening to send her into unconsciousness, but she clamped her beak down on her cries of pain and forced herself to move.

What she saw in front of her when she finally got her eyes focused made her want to be sick. Peter and the tercel that had struck him were both splayed out on their backs, feet-to-hindpaws; Peter was unconscious, twitching madly, his skin clammy and coated with sweat. Shards of his amulet were scattered across a large burn mark in the center of his chest, a few embedded in the skin but none deeply. And opposite of him, the body of the tercel lay at the narrow end of a cone-shaped area of blood and gore, with a small smoking hole in his own chest. His eyes were rolled back, and clutched in a death grip in one claw was a spent teleportation charm.

Realization and terror struck Sveti all at once. Oh, Ancestors, the amulet! The teleportation spell must have overloaded it! But then-

There was a rustle in the grass not far away, and she tore her gaze away from the sight before her to see one of the soldiers- the other tercel- limping towards her, knife in claw. He was obviously injured, but she was even more so, and she knew she’d stand a candle’s chance in a blizzard in a direct fight.

It didn’t cow her in the least, though. “Don’t you dare touch him,” she growled, raising her uninjured wing in a threat display.

The soldier let out a pained snort. “You’re no threat. Stay out of the way if you’d like to continue breathing.”

She began to sidestep around Peter to try to get an angle of attack, only to nearly tumble over one of the other soldiers- the hen who’d had the crossbow, now laying lifelessly on the grass, her eyes wide and unseeing and her purple tongue hanging out from her beak, her claws still clutched around her throat. Sveti could see a small pouch hanging on her side, and a pair of long glass vials with needles attached still in it- the knockout syringes, she realized. Pretending to trip and stumble over the corpse, Sveti yanked the pouch free as she rolled- and let out a weak screech of pain as her wound complained at the movement. “If you want to take Peter,” she growled through her clenched beak, “then you have to go through me.”

“Fine, if that’s the way you want to play it.” As he spoke, Sveti quickly dropped one of the vials onto a leaf, folding it over and then pressing her claw against it; the crunch of breaking glass seemed deafening to her, but he didn’t seem to catch it. As quickly as she could, she scooped the folded leaf up, disguising the action with a stumble that wasn’t quite as faked as she would’ve liked. “Have to give you credit for being tough,” the tercel remarked as he advanced towards her. “A pity you never joined the ranks; you might’ve done well.” He closed in on her, his expression becoming flat as he reached towards his chest.

Throwing the broken vial seemed to take every ounce of her flagging strength, but it proved worth the effort as shattered glass and tranquilizer splashed across the soldier’s face. “Gah- my eyes!” he snarled, dropping his half-drawn dagger to press his claws against his face. “Oh, you plucking little-”

shhhnk

The needle clutched in Sveti’s claw sank easily through the thin leather protecting the base of his neck, and the force of delivery proved enough to set off the automatic injector inside the syringe, sending the tranquilizer into the tercel’s bloodstream. His stream of curses quickly turned into incoherent mumbling, and within half a minute he collapsed onto the ground, his eyes fluttering closed. Sveti fought the urge to fall over right next to him, pulling together what little strength she had left, starting to turn towards Peter once more.

“...not bad.”

Now she did fall over, almost lacking even the energy needed to turn her head towards the source of the voice. The last of the soldiers, the one who’d stabbed her, had managed to pull the knife from her own forelimb and wrap the wound in an emergency bandage of some kind; she gingerly held the limb off the ground, but otherwise didn’t seem terribly hampered by the wound. The bandage is probably enchanted and coated with healing agents and painkillers, Sveti realized with an inward groan.

“Why are you even fighting us?” the soldier asked. “The Empire needs that creature; we need what he knows, what he can teach us. Haven’t you been paying attention to the news, or have you been too busy romping around with ponies?” She spat in disgust. “We could finally win the White Plains War with what that creature knows. We could finally put Equestria in its place! Have you forgotten your duty as a citizen of the Empire?”

“My duty,” Sveti replied, trying her best to keep her voice from breaking, “is, first and foremost, to him. My honor is him. My life is him! And I will die before I let you put him in a cage!”

The contempt that showed on the other hen’s face slowly faded away, replaced by a flat, impersonal expression. “So then your death will be for him,” she said.

She took one step forward.

FWOOOSH

Something large soared past overhead, so quickly that it was gone by the time either griffin could look up for it; its passing brought a burst of wind that rustled leaves and grass and almost toppled Sveti over on her side. The soldier drew her dagger with the claw of her uninjured forelimb, looking around in a panic as she held the weapon close. “The pluck was that?!” she exclaimed.

A moment later, something flew out from the treeline, crossing the face of the sun and casting a wide shadow over the field. The soldier let out a screech of horror and Sveti felt her beak drop open as the form swooped in for a landing- a manticore, scarred and ferocious, slammed down all four paws onto the field as it slid to a halt. Its burning yellow eyes narrowed as they took in the sight of the two griffins, and lips parted to reveal sharp fangs as it let out a guttural growl.

The soldier turned and fled, knife tossed aside, three legs pumping for speed and wings flapping wildly to get lift. As she gained altitude and distance, the manticore simply watched with a derisive snort before turning its attention to Sveti, who was hobbling across the field towards the creature. “Get... away,” she murmured, fighting off her body’s attempts to faint with pure willpower. “Get away... from him. Don’t... don’t hurt him.” Her hind legs abruptly gave out, leaving her to pull herself forward painfully with her claws. “Don’t hurt him... please....”

The creature stared down at her for a moment, then at the unconscious form of Peter; it lowered its massive head towards him, and Sveti’s blood went cold as she waited for the snap of bone between teeth....

...only to see it nuzzle him gently, a deep rumbling purr coming from its throat.

She stopped in her tracks, uncomprehending, until her gaze wandered along the manticore’s side and spotted a trio of broken sticks poking out from the creature’s hindquarters. Wait, no, she thought. Not sticks... crossbow quarrels! This is the manticore who attacked the sideshow the night Peter and I escaped! Her breath caught in her throat for a moment as her gaze shifted back to its eyes, catching them focused on her once more. “...you remember Peter, don’t you?” she asked quietly. “You remember that he rescued your cub? Did you hear him and come to protect him?”

That massive head tilted to one side curiously... and then in a single fluid move, the manticore reached out with a forepaw, slipping it underneath Sveti before she could even react and gently pulling her closer to Peter. The creature snuffled quietly, nudging him with its nose, then turned its head towards the nearby forest and let out a short growl.

A second manticore, this one much smaller and still showing the gangly proportions of youth, came running out from the treeline, its barbed tail waving back and forth wildly as it moved until it came to a stop next to its- mother, Sveti realized. The cub peered curiously down at the unconscious human, directing a squeaky-sounding roar at him, before its mother nudged him a little ways away with a gentle push of its snout before returning its gaze to the hen.

“I... I have to get help for him,” she said, without any idea if the beast could understand a single word. “He needs help.”

The yellow eyes stared at her a moment longer, then returned their gaze to the human. Sveti turned her head, craned her neck and let out the loudest signal cry she could manage; even if no one in the area recognized it, hopefully at least someone would come to investigate what made it. The signal charm is a lost cause, she thought, gazing at the carnage that had been wreaked across their former picnic site. I’ll never find it in this mess....

The sound of feathers rustling in the wind made her look up, and she saw a blue speck in the distance. “Oh, thank the ancestors...! Rainbow Dash!” she cried out.

The blue speck quickly approached, eventually resolving into the familiar form of a multihued-maned pegasus; Dash halted in midair as her wide eyes took in the sight before her- dead griffins, an unconscious human, two manticores sitting peacefully, blood and carnage everywhere. “Sweet Celestia...!” she breathed. “Sveti...?”

“Dash! Get help! Please!” Her voice cracked as she held Peter’s limp form against her.

Dash seemed to move faster than the sound of her voice, and as she flew off, Sveti felt the last vestiges of her willpower evaporate, her head coming to rest against Peter’s as she sobbed in pain and fear.

(-)

“Sveti will live, I’m most thrilled to say.” Zecora slid the last of her empty vials into her traveling bag. “She’s dosed with a mixture to take pain away, and to close and clean wounds sustained in the fight.” Her brilliant blue-green eyes looked up at Twilight. “But I worry for Peter... will he be alright?”

The alicorn met the zebra’s gaze silently for a moment before turning away. “I....” Twilight’s voice cracked. “I... no. No, he won’t.”

Dash blinked, her mind refusing to process those words for a moment. “Wha- what do you mean ‘no’, Twilight?!” she demanded. “Why?! Why won’t he be alright?!”

“The griffins tried to teleport him away again, Dash! The spell... it overloaded his amulet. We haven’t got the materials we need to make another, and even if we did....” She paused for a moment. “The spell caused a backlash. The magic he’s built up is unstable now, and it’s only a matter of time before....”

“Before...?” Dash shook her head. “No, no, no! That can’t be right, Twilight! Call the Princesses, call Discord for buck’s sake!”

“I already did, Dash! None of them can do anything!”

“I’m gonna stuff that draconequus so far up his own miserable...!” Dash flew towards the makeshift tent that had been put up for Peter and Sveti- only to find Discord floating out through the flaps, his bizarre face more serious than she could ever remember seeing it. She didn’t let that stop her, though. “Discord!” she growled. “Who the buck do you think you’re fooling? You can stop this!”

His mismatched eyes locked onto hers. “No I can’t, Rainbow Dash.”

“Don’t give me ‘no I can’t’! You’re the avatar of Chaos itself! Snap your talons or whatever and just change everything around!”

“I can’t, Rainbow Dash.” Discord’s tone was as flat as his expression. “I can change nearly anything I want to... on this plane of existence. All that magic is sitting beyond the boundaries of this place, a bubble in an ocean even I can’t swim. And chaos magic used on Peter just gets absorbed into that like everything else.” With a soft sigh, he looked away. “I actually wish I could do something. It’s just... it’s just such a waste. Sometimes I don’t know how you mortals get through a single day without going crazier than me....”

With that, he floated by her, his expression and posture dejected. Dash felt like somepony had dropped a bucket of ice water in her heart as she turned towards the tent again; after a moment, she spotted something in the distance- a flat platform being carried by a quartet of Royal Guard pegasi, with a pair of earth pony Guards sitting on top. They landed next to the tent, and the two earth ponies quickly trotted into the tent. “...what’s going on?” she wondered aloud.

“They’re taking Peter to the cairn.” Twilight came to a stop next to her.

Dash blinked in confusion. “The what?”

“When we were investigating how to stop the backlash... as a precaution, I developed a plan for the possibility of failure. We constructed a cairn- a small underground bunker, of sorts- designed to draw away a massive amount of magic in a short amount of time and dissipate it into a number of leylines.”

Dash stared at her friend incredulously. “So- so what? You’re just going to stick him in a hole in the ground?! Are you giving up on him?!” Dash heard the flapping of wings and turned to see the platform being pulled into the air by the pegasi, with both Peter and Sveti loaded on it. “Did he go through all that just to die while we stand around and do nothing?!”

“Dash! This is the only thing we can do! We have at most maybe a couple of hours before the backlash begins, and if it does so while Peter is out in the open, the damage could be devastating!”

“But that-” Dash looked between Twilight and the departing platform, already a good distance away. “It’s not right! This isn’t right, Twilight! You’re telling me I’m just supposed to stand here while an innocent creature- our friend- dies in front of all of us?! We’ve fought Nightmare Moon, we beat and then reformed Discord, we practically trampled Sombra... but we can’t save one innocent creature?!” Dash slammed her hoof into the ground. “I can’t accept that, Twilight! I can’t!”

Twilight’s head lowered. “I can’t either, Dash. But....” She went silent.

“We hear tales of great heroes, their victories hard-won.” Zecora followed her words up to the two ponies. “But sometimes, even heroes see their efforts undone.” Tears began to drip down the striped fur of her cheeks. “Even when they do all that they can for a friend, they are left to, regretfully... witness that one's end.”

“But... but...” Dash couldn’t find any more words, and the icy feeling in her chest stayed with her even through the mass teleport Twilight used to bring her, Zecora and a hoofful of other ponies near where this “cairn” had apparently been dug. It looked like some sort of giant clay jar buried in the earth- and “buried in the earth” was a terrifying phrase to the pegasus- and Peter was being carefully brought towards it by an armored earth pony, with a heavily-bandaged Sveti close by his side. The human seemed to come awake as he neared the cairn, and the griffin immediately leaned in close to speak to him in Peter’s strange language.

They had just a moment to clasp hand and claw together before the earth pony began to help Peter into the cairn. He was shivering violently, his entire body soaked in sweat, and he huddled up in a ball as he watched the four pegasi Guards pull a thin lid with two heavy-looking clasps over the cairn. Twilight’s horn lit up, and the clasps locked themselves around the cairn’s rim. With everything settled, everypony moved a respectable distance back, and Princesses Celestia and Luna made their way to stand by Sveti, their quiet words of comfort lost on the seemingly catatonic griffin.

It was a couple of minutes that seemed like an eternity before Rainbow dared to speak again. “...what happens now?” she asked.

“I... I don’t know.” Twilight didn’t even seem to be blinking as she watched the cairn. “There’s no data on this phenomenon, no history. It could take seconds or hours-”

khwoooom

Something that wasn’t physical seemed to strike Dash in her very core, a jolt that raced across her nervous system like the remnants of a lightning strike. Everypony in the area seemed to react to it. “...it’s starting,” Twilight whispered.

A deep rumbling seemed to start up from everywhere around them, just within Dash’s hearing, gaining intensity with every second, and after a few moments there was a second sound from the cairn that made her ears splay back-

-oh sweet Celestia he’s screaming-

-both noises growing in intensity, and a glance towards Sveti showed a look of pure anguish in her eyes that broke Dash’s heart in two; the griffin’s body twitched as if she were fighting an urge to tear the lid off of the cairn and throw herself in the human’s arms.

Then, for ten seconds, everything went dead silent and utterly still, and Dash found herself scarcely daring to breathe. Is it-

SHAH-THWOOM

It felt like being hit by an invisible explosion, pure force slamming into Dash- not enough to cause injury, but more than enough to take her off of her hooves. There were various cries of distress and fear as everypony managed to stand back up. “Is... is it over?” Dash whispered.

“I....” Twilight’s face scrunched up in concentration. “I think so. Celestia? Luna?”

The royal sisters shared a glance, and then Celestia nodded. “It seems to be,” she said. “Let us wait a minute or two more to be sure.”

After three minutes had passed with no further magical activity, Celestia gave the word for the cairn to be unsealed. Twilight’s horn immediately lit up, and her magic popped both clasps open; the pegasi returned to lift the lid, and Dash found herself rushing up to look inside as soon as it came up... only for her heart to seemingly stop for a moment at what she saw.

The cairn was empty.

Dash heard a quiet whimper next to her, and she turned to see Sveti staring into the cairn as well, her expression utterly defeated. The pegasus opened her mouth to say something... but words crumbled like ash in her mouth, and felt just as flat. What could she say to this poor griffin who’d had everything she loved taken from her? “I’m... I’m sorry, Sveti,” she whispered after a moment, gently brushing her wing against the hen’s shoulder in a show of sympathy.

Sveti didn’t move, hardly even blinked, even as both Princesses Celestia and Luna came to offer their condolences, and Zecora performed some sort of ceremonial chant over the cairn while the lid was placed back over it. Dash watched as Twilight gently placed something at the griffin’s side. “Sveti,” she said quietly, her voice choked with emotion, “I’m truly sorry for this. We’ll find out what happened, and whoever’s responsible will be called to account. You can stay here for however long you need. I’ve left you another signal charm; if you need help, just use it.” She lightly touched the hen’s back with a hoof. “He’ll... he’ll be missed by all of us. I’m sorry.”

And after a short while, only Sveti and Dash were left in that lonely field in the middle of nowhere, the late-afternoon sun shining down on them as though it were just another day- but Rainbow Dash knew better. This day had seen the loss of one of the bravest, toughest creatures the pegasus had ever known, and a crushing blow dealt to a young hen who’d already had been through far more than she could ever have deserved.

And, realizing that there was nothing else she could possibly do for Sveti aside give her the time she needed to grieve, Dash too eventually took to the skies and headed towards her home, to try to do what she could to return to her own life.

(-)

A chilly wind ruffled the feathers of Sveti’s wings, waking her from the uneasy light sleep she’d fallen into. I must have fallen asleep, she realized, blinking as she looked around; the sun had set, and a three-quarters-full moon was just above the horizon, filling the field she was in with soft white light. A few fireflies danced through the air, their bellies winking a soft green as they signaled each other with messages only they understood.

Some part of Sveti’s mind noted that anything could have come upon her as she was sleeping, but the rest of her simply didn’t care. What do I even have to live for now, without Peter? she thought, fresh tears springing to her eyes as she gazed down at the cairn once again. The one thing I had left in this world, taken from me by my own species. She let out a choked sob. If only we hadn’t come here... if only I hadn’t asked him to! I’m sorry, Peter, I’m so sorry....

She closed her eyes again, remembering the last words they’d shared.

“Peter, don’t move. The amulet....”

“I know. I think I can actually feel the magic building up inside of me. It’s weird....”

“Peter... I don’t want this to happen. I don’t. I don’t want to lose you!”

“Sveti, I promise you- if there’s any way for me to come back to you, whatever it takes... I will.”

She didn’t know how long she was lost in her grief, but when she looked back up, the first thing she noticed was a lot more fireflies in the air around her; it almost seemed as though she were in her own constellation of gently-flashing green stars, swarming around her.

Then she realized something. Not around me... around the cairn!

The insects were slowly gathering on the lid of the cairn, one after another landing atop it, until eventually the entire thing was covered in dozens of the little creatures, turning it into a brilliant, glimmering emerald disc. Sveti found herself enthralled at the sight, watching as the fireflies began to glow almost in sync with each other.

Then she felt something beneath her paws, a deep, rhythmical thrumming that felt like the heartbeat of some impossibly large beast. The entire area around her seemed to brighten ever so slightly, awash in a pale green glow, as the wind picked up just a little. She found herself frozen in place, confused but not afraid, feeling somewhere deep in her soul that something was about to happen and that she needed to be here when it did.

After another minute of watching the area grow brighter, and the wind become gentle gusts, she felt as though she were somehow approaching the crescendo of an unheard symphony. The fireflies began to glow all at once, their light nearly blinding, and the rhythmic thumping beneath her sped up to a staccato beat.

chooooom

Something passed by her, through her, like a warm summer wind flowing through the very essence of her being, leaving her with a feeling of being loved and comforted by some powerful yet gentle force. It lasted for only a moment, fading from her body, and when Sveti came back to her senses, she thought that she caught the scent of cinnamon trailing through the air. The fireflies were already dispersing, the calming winds carrying them off until they became nothing more than tiny green specks in the distance, leaving the stunned hen alone with her thoughts, the rustle of the grass, and a faint, almost inaudible noise that resembled claws on a tile floor.

tik tik tik tik tik

Something that Celestia had said to her a long while back popped up unbidden in her mind. “The forms of magic employed here are powerful, but to simply kill a living creature is against their very nature.” I remember... she’d said that when Peter had first been pulled into the Astral Plane. She stood stock still for a moment, the thought chasing itself around in her head.

And then realization hit, and she practically threw herself at the cairn, her talons scraping against the lid as she struggled to get leverage, the complaints of her still-healing wounds ignored in her frantic efforts. Finally, she managed to get a clawhold, and tugged as hard as she could, pulling the lid open far enough to see inside.

From within the cairn, a pair of storm-grey eyes gazed back at her.

(-)

“So you must be Sveti Windwhisper.” She held out a claw, and the other hen shook it uncertainly, worry plain on her features despite a credible effort to hide it. “I’m Gunfrid Stormcry. Did you not get the letter telling you I was coming?”

“No, no, we did. It’s just....” The younger griffin let out a quiet breath. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Stormcry. Things have been hectic for us here, and the letter didn’t give us much time to prepare.”

“I’m afraid that was deliberate.” Gunfrid gave her a slight smile. “The diplomatic corps wants an honest look at how things have been handled.”

“I see....” Sveti looked behind her, then stepped aside as a young-looking earth pony stallion appeared beside her. “Mrs. Stormcry, this is Quick Service; he’ll bring in your baggage.”

“Good morning!” the stallion said. “We have two rooms available for you; let me get your baggage, and then I’d be happy to show them to you so you can choose which you prefer.”

“I would appreciate that; thank you.” Gunfrid was pleased to see that this Quick Service lived up to his name quite well, stacking the heavy suitcases on his back with no complaint and hauled them up to the second floor with practiced ease. She decided upon the corner room for its more airy feel and the fantastic view of Celestial Valley it afforded; Quick carefully laid out her luggage for her, describing the amenities and the meal schedule that the embassy held to. “Thank you, young stallion,” she said once he was finished. “I believe I’d like to get started immediately by speaking with Mrs. Windwhisper.”

“Of course, Mrs. Stormcry. She’s waiting for you in the study; I’ll show you there right away. Would you like a beverage?”

“I would. Peachberry jasmine tea, if you have it.”

“We do!” Quick opened one of the doors that lined the hallway. “Please step inside and I’ll have it ready for you in just a few minutes.”

She did so, finding Sveti waiting for her in a plush chair facing a fireplace with a warm, roaring fire within; the younger hen immediately stood to come greet her. “How was your trip, Mrs. Stormcry?” she asked in Griffinic.

“Just ‘Gunfrid’, please.” She clasped the other hen’s claw firmly. “And it was... well, boring, all told. Though there are worse conditions.”

“I can imagine.” Sveti waited until Gunfrid took a seat before returning to her own. “I’m sorry for the haphazard welcome, Gunfrid, but like I said, the way events have been rushing along has honestly caught us by surprise.”

“You don’t need to apologize.” She waved a claw. “We’re all playing catch-up these days. We’re not used to Celestia pulling such bold moves.”

“She, um... may have taken recent events personally....”

“And I will not blame her in the slightest. I’ve heard enough about what’s happened to piece together the rest.” Gunfrid chuckled. “We in the diplomatic corps are not neophytes in assembling fragments of information.”

There was a knock at the door, and after Sveti called for entrance, Quick opened the door and pushed in a drink cart with a tea set and a coffeepot and mug on it. “Would you like service, Mrs. Stormcry, or do you prefer to brew your tea yourself?”

“I’ll take care of it, young stallion. Thank you.” Gunfrid smiled as Sveti dismissed the servant. “He’s a professional one, for his age,” she said, once the door was closed again.

“He prides himself on it. It’s hard to find his like.” Sveti looked away for a moment, pouring herself some coffee and mixing in various ingredients. “I really would like for him to stay on, Gunfrid. I was hoping that we might negotiate some agreement to keep the current staff on; if you give them a chance, you’ll find them dedicated-”

Gunfrid raised a claw. “There won’t be any negotiation needed,” she replied. “Sveti, I’m an old hen, and I do not welcome unnecessary difficulties. Replacing staff who are obviously competent and dedicated to their jobs- so much so as to stay on after two of their number were victims of violence- ranks very high on the ‘unnecessary’ scale to me. I will need to have griffins on my own personal staff, according to provisions in the treaty, but I don’t think I’ll have too much difficulty finding some who’ll be willing to work alongside your current employees.”

Shock crossed Sveti’s face. “...you’re sure?” she managed to get out.

“Very.” Gunfrid let a small smile cross her beak as she took a sip of tea. “Oh, that’s quite good! Now, Sveti, I know that you’ve been more or less cut off from the Empire since your father’s unfortunate passing. Let me tell you this- what’s happened since then has caused something of a stir in the circles I frequent.”

“It... it has?”

“The Emperor’s abandonment of relations with Equestria didn’t go over too well with the diplomatic corps; we knew we needed the support of the Crowns. So we independently kept contact with some trustworthy ponies to try to keep informed on what was happening over here. And when it turned out that Arnfrodr’s daughter had turned up alive, claiming to have been kidnapped and held captive by a pony, we took notice. And then your story started getting more and more complex- your entanglement with the never-before-seen creature called the ‘Everfree Yeti’, your placement as the embassy’s caretaker, your altercations with Equestrian nobility. Unfortunately, we weren’t the only ones who took notice of you and those near you.”

“I’d figured.” Sveti stared down into her coffee for a moment. “I’d wondered just who it was that managed to secure soldiers and jump charms and organize what was essentially a hostile incursion; I knew the Emperor himself wouldn’t green-stamp an operation like that.”

“I’m afraid I can’t give a name, but rest assured that that particular individual has been... solved.” She gave the younger hen a meaningful look. “The Emperor was less than pleased that vital assets were being diverted and a crucial alliance threatened for the sake of crass opportunism. The individual who thought up that crazy plot had some strange ideas on how payoff versus consequence works. Astounding, what some griffins will do to advance themselves.” She shook her head. “But I’m getting off-course. Sveti, we kept close watch on how you handled the stewardship of the embassy, and all of the controversy that ended up surrounding you. And for a young hen with no real formal diplomatic training, thrown into a situation like that, you performed admirably. When the first incursion on embassy grounds happened, and one of your pony staff was nearly killed, we were terrified of the likely backlash- but not only did you manage to weather that storm and help keep things under control, but your staff chose to remain out of loyalty to you and your companion.” She took another sip of her tea. “You don’t pluck your primaries in the middle of a flight. The staff you’ve gathered together are assets, strong ones, and the diplomatic corps would much rather keep them than disrupt things just to put more griffins in the building. The only caveat is that it’s against the treaty for the Empire to pay non-citizens directly, but I have an idea I can present to Princess Celestia that should neatly fly by that problem.”

“...thank you.” It was an obvious look of relief on Sveti’s face. “Those ponies are practically family to me now. I wasn’t looking forward to sending them away.”

Gunfrid smiled. “Oh, speaking of your companion... I was hoping I’d have the chance to meet him. I’ve heard quite a bit about him.”

“Really? Well, certainly. Right now he’s probably in his ‘inspiration room’ working on one of his sketches. He said he wanted to stay out of the way when you arrived.”

She pulled on a nearby bell cord, and a moment later Quick opened the door. “Yes, Miss Windwhisper?” he asked.

“Quick, please ask Peter to come here. And tell the rest of the staff to forget about packing- Mrs. Stormcry has asked that you all stay on under her administration.”

A wide smile crossed the stallion’s face. “At once, Mrs. Windwhisper!” he said, before closing the door.

Gunfrid took the opportunity to relax in the comfortable chair and enjoy her tea before the door opened once more and a tercel strode through. She gave him a smile as she stood from her chair and extended a claw, which he clasped firmly. “Good afternoon, Mrs. Stormcry,” he said in slightly-accented but perfectly serviceable Griffinic.

“And good afternoon to you, Peter Collins. Or should I call you Petr Windwhisper?”

He chuckled. “Peter is fine, thank you.”

“And please, call me Gunfrid.” She returned to her seat, watching as Peter took his place next to Sveti. “Amazing. Aside from your rather striking eye color, I wouldn’t be able to tell you apart from any other tercel.” She took a moment to refill her teacup. “I have to say that it was a stroke of genius, making part of your settlement with the Empire a demand for official recognition of your identity and dual citizenship. No griffin would dare risk an attack on you now since the Empire would be forced to safeguard your rights as one of its own.”

“Well, Princess Celestia’s terms on the whole collaboration thing pretty much shield me from that, but yeah... like we say back where I come from, that’s icing on the cake.”

Gunfrid chuckled, filing away that little idiom for later use. “An absolute power play, the whole collaboration proposal. I’d expect nothing less from Princess Celestia; offering to share incredible technology and concepts with all allied nations... provided they’re not involved in any hostilities with any other allied nations. Quite frankly, at that point the White Plains War had taken on such a life of its own that I’m not sure it could’ve ended any other way aside from costly victory for one side and crushing defeat for the other.”

Sveti chuckled. “Of course both sides complained about outside interference, but it wasn’t hard to see that both the Empire and the Cervinae Confederacy were happy to take the excuse to stop fighting without losing face.”

“And as a mother who has two sons and a daughter in the military, I was beyond happy to have that excuse provided.” Gunfrid set down her teacup. “Peter, let me say that I’m honestly impressed by how well you’ve managed all you’ve been through. You and Sveti are quite the couple. I don’t suppose either of you has met my other daughter, Gilda? I know she’s been spending her time in Equestria.” Both of the other griffins shook their heads. “Ah, a pity. She’s always been the blackbird of the family, generally being a troublemaker. I’m tempted to drag her here by her tail in hopes that she learns something from good examples like the two of you.”

The conversation continued for a little while longer, until Gunfrid caught herself yawning. “I think it might be time for me to go take advantage of that comfortable-looking bed,” she chuckled, getting out of her seat. “And then we’ll start planning out what needs to be done to return this building to being a fully-functional embassy of the Griffin Empire.” She opened the door of the study, then paused a moment as she looked back at the pair. “And by the way... congratulations to the both of you,” she said, giving Sveti a meaningful look.

The other hen blinked, and then blushed. “Um... yes, thank you very much,” she replied.

She couldn’t help but chuckle to herself as she made her way back to her temporary quarters. It may have been a decade or two since Gunfrid Stormcry had served as a biomancer in the Imperial Reserves... but she still knew an expectant mother when she saw one.

(-)

And so that’s the story of how Equestria’s first human came to be who and what I am now. Though, well... most of what I didn’t experience myself came from what I heard from others during it all and after, and some of it I just sort of made up as being what I think probably happened. But you can’t deny that it makes for an interesting story, right?

What happened in the cairn that night? To be perfectly honest, I have no idea. I don’t remember much of anything between the cairn being closed and Sveti opening it again... but for a week afterwards I kept having a recurring dream of a white alicorn with a red mane standing by me with a wing over my back. I asked Princess Luna about that dream, but she said that I probably wouldn’t understand- though I heard her mumble something like “Mother hasn’t lost her touch”. Princess Twilight thinks that the teleport charm that soldier used on me twice left some sort of magical imprint on me, and that when the magic sort of reassembled me inside the cairn, it used that as a kind of template. Princess Cadance thinks it was more the fact that I spent so much time with Sveti; Rarity insists that it was the power of “true love”, and even if I do have to laugh at that, I like to think that maybe she’s closer to the truth than she knows.

Yeah, it’s been an adjustment suddenly being a different species. I mean, I had to relearn how to talk due to having a syrinx, let alone other things like flight or heightened senses, or... well, natural reactions when a female of the species goes into a heat cycle. But despite all that, I think I’m still the same person I was before. Maybe a different-shaped container with a new interface, but what’s under the feathers up here on my head still maps out as Peter Collins.

...what? Ha ha ha! Was everything peaceful after that? I wish! Sveti and I are just destined to lead “interesting” lives... that’s actually a curse in one of the cultures where I come from. “May you live in interesting times.” The wedding saw an actual stampede happen; our honeymoon almost sparked a riot in Neighagra when our friendly manticores decided to come visit. Sveti and I actually have a picture of the two of us and the manticores standing at the edge of the falls; the cub was sticking its tongue out. Even flight lessons with Rainbow Dash ended up with Fluttershy saving my life- not that she’d ever call it that, the sweetheart that she is. But I wouldn’t trade a minute of any of that for anything in the world.

So what exactly happened afterwards? Well... that’s another story in itself, and honestly, I’m pretty tired. It was a long flight before the storm forced me to take shelter here- that’s what I get for not checking weather schedules along my route- and I’m still not a very strong flyer. I’d like to get some rest so that I can get an early start tomorrow once the storm is cleared; I’ve got a mate and cub waiting for me back home.

And believe me, as drastic as adjusting to being a new species was, it was a walk in the park compared to becoming a father.

Have I given up on going home? Let me put it this way... I haven’t given up on seeing Earth again. Neither has Twilight, and she tells me she’s making strides every day towards narrowing down how to regain contact with her beacon spell. I honestly think she can do it, too. But... Equestria is “home” to me now. I have a home and family here. And as much as I miss Earth, even if I were still human I couldn’t just leave all of it behind to go back permanently, and I wouldn’t expect my family to just pull up roots and adapt to an entirely different world. But... one day, I’d like little Androder to meet his grandparents and uncle.

I’m glad you enjoyed the story. Thanks again for the drinks. Until we meet again, as we gryphons like to say: Health to you, kin and clan.

“I can’t believe this still works. And you kept the battery charged! I’m seriously impressed, Princess. Okay, talons crossed, here goes nothing.

“...oh my God. Oh my God. It’s working! I’m getting a signal! How long did you say this would last, Twilight? ...okay, I know the odds are against it even working, but I’m going to try to place a call. My account’s probably closed; I’ve been gone for years, but....

“...it’s going through. Holy shit. It’s ringing! It’s actually ringing! My parents must have kept my account active hoping I’d call- hello. Hello? ...Mom? Mom? Mom! Mom, you need to let me get in a word edgewise here; I can’t talk for long!

“Yes it’s me, Mom. Look. You want proof? Okay. Let me think... right. Do you remember back when I was eight, that day when Barkley threw up all over your brand-new Persian rug and you made him stay in the doghouse for a week? Well, um... that was actually me who threw up on it. Yeah, eating a bowl of Cocoa Puffs with chocolate milk and three scoops of sugar probably wasn’t the best idea.

“I know, Mom, I know. Look... I can’t tell you where I am or why I couldn’t call until now. It’s really complicated, and you’d never believe me. I can just say that there was honestly no way I could get in contact with anyone until now. I’m just surprised as hell that this call actually got through. ...yeah, I figured you’d kept it paid just in case.

“It’s gonna be a little while longer, but... yeah, I’m hoping I can come home soon, Mom. But listen. I need you to listen, Mom; this is serious. A lot of things have changed with me, and... well, it’s gonna take some getting used to. And a lot more’s going to be changing soon. Yeah, I know I’m being cryptic, but like I said, this stuff’s impossible to explain right now. I just need you to know that things are going to start getting really weird soon- you’ll know it when you see it. There’s probably going to be a lot of confusion and panic, and I want you to know ahead of time that there’s nothing to be afraid of... there’s going to be a lot of adjustment to be made, but once things shake out, it’ll be amazing.

“Hang on just a second. ...we’ve got how long, Princess? I thought you said... huh. Okay, Mom, it turns out I’ve actually got a little bit longer to talk than I thought, and... there’s someone I want you to meet. She’s really important to me. Hold on.”

“...hello? Mrs. Collins? My name is Sveti. I’m your... I think the term for it is ‘daughter-in-law’? Yes. ...yes. We would’ve invited you if we could have; I know how important family is. Peter’s told me a lot about you and the rest of his family, and I’m looking forward to getting to meet all of you. I’m... maybe a little different than the type of, um, woman you might’ve expected your son to end up with, but honestly... he means the world to me, Mrs. Collins. I just wanted to tell you how proud you should be of him; he’s been through more than you can imagine, but he’s shown such strength and gentleness, it... I haven’t even got words to give it justice. I just needed to thank you for raising such a wonderful individual. And... do you know how adorable he is when he’s blushing? Heh heh, that’s true, that’s true.

“Okay, um... we still have a little time before we have to end this call, so there’s one other who’d like to talk to you, Mrs. Collins. Just a second. …here you go, Andy. Just like I taught you.”

“...hello? ...Nana?”