The caste that binds us

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3

Chapter 1

"Here's hoping at least something there's gonna fill you up." The man let his eyes drift off past the small campfire to the yellow furred equine laid out on it's side. Seemingly asleep, a small assortment of fruits and greenery lay before it's muzzle.

"Less you go and die on me." His eyes tracing along it's body and across the lightly stained bandages wrapped around it's side and wing, Whatever the hell you are. Distant howling letting him know that nothing be free, especially when taking a claimed meal from what he called demon dogs.

He casually throws a few more small pieces of timber into the fire just as something scurries up his back without him even acting surprised, but perhaps annoyed. The object perches upon his shoulder, using it's tiny claws to grab hold of the man's ear in order to get his attention, which it does to the entirely disgruntled stare of the now turned head.

"Don't you ever sleep?" The man gives the small furry creature a once over, "Squirrel". His response comes the same way it did the day before and as so for the last month with two wet acorns plopping onto his shoulder. "At first I thought I was just getting crazier but I'm starting to finally believe that you're making fun of me somehow." His head turns back to the fire with his eyes locking onto it's reflection instead.

Fear. Is the first thought that comes to the man as he stares into the unexpected teal eyes of the equine he rescued from the demon dogs. He needn't move his eyes to catch the signs of anxiety nor the instinctual act of trying to look as small as possible. Yet just as it started, the breathing started to slow and it slowly, but surely, seemed to start stretching back out. Well that was quick he thought until his eyes shifted to his shoulder, and the rampant chatter directed not to him, but the injured creature.

Reserving himself to part furniture part spectator, he shifts his head somewhere in between the two in order to keep watch in more subtle ways. His eyes shift between speaker and listener after having decided to let his brain partially shut down once the squirrel started doing charades. The yellow furred equine let out a small gasp, or that is what his brain tried to grasp towards, just as it had when he heard a girl scream before he found it.

With teal once more connecting with brown, if he hadn't already let preconceptions fall to the wayside he might of flinched when it smiled. If he spoke he didn't know what he would say. If he smiled he highly doubt his would come across nearly as warm or not forced. Instead he slowly closed his eyes and dripped his head in unison, letting his lapse in defense and awareness show his gesture of mutual trust.

"Leave it to a demon dog to greedily take in weakness what was given in trust." The man calmly states, much to the widening eyes of the yellow creature as the snarls begin just beyond the edge of campfire light. While both the squirrel and equine seemed entirely focused on the yellow eyes shining from the fire's light, brown were instead on the red stains of the bandages. "They're gonna keep hunting you down."

He takes notice of it craning it's neck to look upon it's own bandaged side, sniffing the bandage before looking back into the concealing dense flora. It knows what they're after, and could not help but wonder what it would do next. He could do little to conceal the surprise in his face as it seemed to try and put some distance between it and himself. While their eyes no longer met, he shifted his towards what it's were fixed on, and watched as yellow followed teal. It's trying to lead them away?

He nary lands a thought of the sheer lunacy in the situation before he is forced to come back to reality, his hand going pale from the amount of pressure needed to squeeze whatever material the demons dogs were made of. He gives quarter for only a second before tightening his grasp once more as the yellow equine begins to stand back up from falling, a demon dog struggling to escape after it's instinctual lunge.

His eyes narrow before the struggling yelps begin to dim, only to feel the pressure of two spots on his side. Looking over his vision is eclipsed by two large teal eyes, watery and balls forming as they shift from his towards the dimming yellow of it's would be killer, and finally back to his own. "You would ask that I spare it even when it would not grant the same?!" his voice stern with the ridge between his eyes poised only for the equine to lightly push back with it's hooves on his side and then reapply as tears started to flow.

"I don't know whether to consider you kindness incarnate," shifting his eyes back to the ever brightening yellow glow, "or suicidal." sparing the demon dog's life through throwing it with mild force back into the underbrush. He then reaches down and picks up, while it's utmost standing height reaching up to his abdomen, the surprisingly light equine and and gently places it over where he had been sitting. He reaches down and grabs some of the fruits and places it in front of it. "Eat."

The equine seems to carefully scan the various objects before it's stubby muzzle, letting it's eyes hang on what he could only describe as a reinforced coconut, before settling on something like a kiwi instead. "Hopefully not as bitter as the ones back home." Only barely able to stifle a snicker as a bitter expression even constricts the equine's eyes shut. "Guess not."

He once more takes his seat by the fire, his ears perking to the small random cracks and crunches moving farther away as the ones he can feel in his encased feet come ever closer. Torn and tattered through rough terrain and no proper material to repair, he reaches down towards a carrying sack that bares only a ripped insignia laid also on his shoulder plate for something as the equine also takes notice of an encroach.

"Stay calm." He does his best at a kind tone, which much to his surprise seems to work as the equine seems more interested in the contents of his sack. "Just looking for the toll fee." His rummaging causing the equine's ears to flicker with a tilted head before he pulls something wrapped in a giant leaf. "Here we go." only to look up and over past the equine who then turns it's head.

He never knew how to describe it beyond just calling it a lion. Having encountered quite a few during the past several months he knew this one was long in it's years, and territory. While never one to submit he was also never one to stay where he wasn't welcomed, and through the fish he unfolds from the leaf in his hand, his presence was tolerated.

Yet before he could do his normal toss and catch with his furry landlord his eyes widened to the smaller equine getting up and moving over to it without a care. His mind yelled to pull it back while his instincts easily overpowered and forced him to stay put. Much like equine and squirrel, lion and equine seemed more than amiable with the long sloppy lick and subtle purring. The moment, less cute and just downright disturbing to him, didn't last long when both peered back to him.

"More I see and hear the less I wanna understand." His fingers grasp tempo to tempo as he gives a light groan, the hot breath on his forearm taunting his concealed eyes. No sooner does his hand lower is his entire face enveloped in the mane of the lion, roughly grinding the side of it's neck over the side of his head. Leaving a renowned case of bed head and a near brain shattered empty gaze, the lion leans down and takes it's supposed payment, leaving from whence it came with nary a sound.

"What in blue hell." He whispers, his hand grasped still over his mouth as if in mock shock with the only sounds that of a girlish giggle and a cackling squirrel. They both quiet down when he takes both hands and slaps the front of his head, letting the palms massage that which has yet to fully process even the first month here. His massage is interrupted with a gentle tug.

"He marked you so that the other manticores know not to attack you." The equine says in a hush feminine voice, her ears flicking as she tries once again to get the creature's attention, "Oh I hope he didn't get anything in your eyes."

"How." His voice struggling to find the right tone to convey the sheer confusion that now takes hold.

"How what?" the equine questions back.

"How are we speaking the same?" letting his index finger switch between them a few times.

"Animals are my special talent." she casually, but not callously, informs him. "It allows me to talk to and understand them, and they me." Having sensed his concerns, "You're still speaking the same as you always have so don't worry."

Taking a deep breath, he slowly lets it out as the equine before him patiently waits. "Sounds like magic." he grumbles under his breath, the flattening of the equine's ears showing little is lost in translation, "I'm Joseph." extending his hand.

Deciding to let the subject rest for now, "My name is Fluttershy." she extends her hoof as he takes hold, giving a gentle shake. "Are all of your species like you?" letting her eyes move about as she takes in all that he is.

"Quite the loaded question there." His lips unable to hold back the slight smile at finally having something to talk to again, "Which I will answer by the time we are able to get you back to your own kind." before adding, "I've only been here three to five months but I've never seen anything such as yourself in this forest."

"Ponies don't come this far into the forest." she softly remarks as a hint of guilt aligns her muzzle, "I came here trying to find a special flower so that Zecora could make a cure." tiny beads beginning to form in her eyes before she wipes her foreleg across them. "But I got hurt and couldn't fly away when the timber wolves chased me."

"Timber wolves? If you mean those dog like creatures I've just been calling them demon dogs." he gives no effort to hide his distaste, "They're the only things so far in this forest that I've seen kill just to kill." shaking his head, "Ain't like the rest in here."

"Twilight told me that they're closer to elementals than animals and is why I can't communicate with them." she attempts answers only to beg more questions, "Twilight is one of my best friends who lives in the library at Ponyville." upon even more.

Putting the growing mountain of questions away until later, he tries to focus on something that spoke of more importance, "You said you were looking for a special flower for a cure?" looking Fluttershy over, "Are you sick?"

"It's my little angel." she lowers her muzzle, "He's very sick and if we can't find a cure for him he won't..." tears running down and off her muzzle, "They said it's gone now so I came deeper but then I got hurt and..and.." the words she refused to accept forced to the very tip of her tongue before she feels gentle pressure press over her backside.

"What does the flower look like?" his voice, almost entirely different than anything he'd used prior, catches her entirely off guard as if something new had just talked to her. She seems to fumble with her words before his sets the stage once more, "Take your time."

"I-It's wh-white with light blue h-highlights on the tulip tips and center." her eyes closed as to recite what she had forced herself to memorize with very little time before rushing into the forest, "I-in the lunar light it.."

"Illuminates in a turquoise shimmer?" His interruption making her eyes fling open along with putting her two front hooves on his knee's to heave herself up and closer, emotion overtaking her normally timid nature or current injury. "You've seen it?!"

Putting aside his normally aversion to such lack of personal space, "There was some near a waterfall some ways from the way I came. With a steady pace we can reach it and be back here in maybe four rotations." his index pointing up to the brightening sky.

"Oh..." she slowly climbs back down in seeming defeat as her demeanor returns to what it had been, "He..only has three...eeep!" her startled cry erupting from Joseph suddenly standing up. "I-I-I'm s-sorry.." thinking she had done something wrong only to watch as he reaches one arm after the other behind the opposite shoulder, letting the think carpet on his back drop to the ground.

Her curiosity gets the better of her with her moving around only to watch him start tearing wide shreds of the colorful fabric. "What is that and why are you tearing it?" the closest thing she could compare it to was expensive gowns that nopony would ever purposely rip.

"It's called a cape. Where I'm from it's often used to bare the insignia of one's nation." his words barely audible over the loud shearing of the thick fabric, "This one bore my family house." his leaning back allowing her eyes to clearly make out the symbol.

"Then why would you destroy it..." her words are soft and cautious, while not having sensed any anger the current actions of her new found friend somewhat frightening her nonetheless in regards to something so personal.

"Because if we're going to make it there and back in two days we need to go faster than your injury will allow you to." the next tear finally ripping next to the symbol. "And while back home I would surely get laughed at until the end of time, I need to make you a improvised saddle if I am to carry you without injuring you further." pausing just before the tear is about to split the symbol in half, "Besides if I save it in spite of what's in front of me then I don't deserve to wear it." with the final tear giving him what he needs.

Her teal eyes wander over the torn stretches as Joseph searches around for adequate timber before slowly narrowing. "I still don't understand." she openly asks, not really expecting the kind of answer about to be given.

"A pony trying to lead away predators while injured, only to plead for their lives when they considered her own forfeit." his tone reminding her of Rainbow Dash when stating the obvious, "Should learn to accept being dealt what she herself deals out." Going to work using the straps, long and short timber, and a few pieces of vine he finished his saddle, "Might have to laugh at myself though."

Her raised hoof, as if back in flight camp, is solemnly ignored as instead Joseph walks over and takes a look at her bandages. "Going to change these with one of the last fresh ones that I have on me okay?" He gives her only enough time to nod halfway before he quickly, but carefully, changes old into fresh with the former left on the ground.

He walks over to the now smoldering fire, digging deep with his foot dig down to the damp soil several feet around it before going back to his improvised saddle. Looping the straps around his shoulders and waist, "We better start moving or else we'll not make it there before end of the coming nightfall."

While hesitant, both before and then once she realized she had to somewhat prop her front forelegs over his shoulders to get comfortable, she pushed all aside if it would save her little angel. "I'm readyyyeeeeeeeee!"

Several hours later;

On any given day she would lavish soaring at such speeds. Doing airborne flips, zips, and rolls whole not having a care in Equestria. But for one cyan pegasus the day wasn't just any given day, nor were her eyes up in the clouds, but down towards the thick forest below as she had been since the sun first crept above the rise on her second day in the one place she didn't wanna be.

"Where the hay are you Fluttershy." Rainbow Dash grumbled in agitation wrapped in worry. Her mind started to roll back to the day before, when she and her other friends had went to Fluttershy's cottage to support her after Twilight delivered the news the day prior. But you weren't there her thoughts raced like they did into the forest, to Zercora's as they assumed she had made a last ditch effort. But you still weren't there. Her eyes narrowing at herself when her other friend's cried out for her to wait as she took to the skies and haven't looked back since.

Her internal conflict becomes clouded like her vision as light puffs of smoke smolder above the distant tree tops. She holds back any thought of victory as she descends below the canopy, letting her instincts take over less any timber wolves or manticores are nearby. When satisfied of her surroundings she soars further down, drifting in and about each thick trunk until the smoke's origin comes into full view, much to her instant worry.

"Timber wolves, Manticores, and.." her short trot about is brought to a standstill as is her hopeful expectations. "Pony." Her breathing intensifies as does her heart rate at the thought of what might of happened to her best friend. Unable to contain her emotions any longer she stomps the ground with all her might, kicking up the pushed pile of leaves beneath along with some wayward cloth, the stained blood immediately catching her eye.

"Fluttershy!" Rainbow whirls about calling her friend's name. She calls forth several over as she zips about the greatly disturbed campsite, almost failing to take notice of the upturned foliage revealing tracks belonging to nothing she'd ever seen. Following the new tracks she cannot help but finally take notice that of all the tracks, it was the most prominent, and seemed to always follow hoof prints.

"You better not of hurt my friend you...whatever you are!" her agitation only growing as another revelation comes to her mind, "How can something smaller than a manticore be so much heavier!" the smaller in size but more compact prints making little sense to her.

Her tracking comes to a rest when one of the exotic prints seems even deeper than the others. "So what did you...do..." her ever rising eyes taking hold of a path of destruction leading away from the campsite, and deeper into the Everfree.

What it was, how dangerous, or where it was going mattered only up to the point that she spotted the small secondary yellow feather just a little ways into the path's course. "If you think you're getting away..." her anger giving her strength in pursuit.

Elsewhere;

"Ah don't know what ah'm gonna do first." Applejack surmised under a highly scrutinized stare towards the Daring Doo action figure encased along the balloon carriage railing. "Hug em or yell at em."

"First thing we need to do is get all of us out of this dreary forest." Rarity chimed in as she too stares at the Daring Doo action figure just as it rotates, "Then we get your rope." her lowered pitch getting Applejack to nod.

"First thing we need to do is find them, make sure they are okay, and like Rarity said get back to Ponyville safely." Twilight's monotone, as she concentrates her magic on the Daring Doo figure, "We can worry about the rest after."

"So who's gonna tell Dashie that we had to break into her cloud house?" Pinke's high pitched voice, at the helm, merrily asks without a response, "You sure I can't ask about the shrine in the closet?"

"NO!" comes three unified, if somewhat mortified, voices.

Chapter 2

"What's suicidal mean?" Fluttershy casually asks having gotten in rhythm with her living carriage.

"It means having lost or given up on the value of one's own life." Joseph's reply replacing the casual banter of the past few hours with awkward silence, "I guess without context it can leave a rather sour taste in one's mouth."

"It's...okay." her voice a little less casual, "A lot of ponies think something like that about me."

"May I ask why?" His encouraging tone keeping the door crept open a crack.

"They think it's strange that I use all my bits to take better care of my friends than myself, or that..." her voice going even lower, "..I'm not proud of being a pony." before raising in her defense, "But they're wrong! I love being a pony because it lets me help all of my friends that nopony else can understand how to."

He remains silent as his brain tries to reprocess what she said, remaining sure he's missing something important, taking care to slide extra low under a low hanging fallen tree.

"Like when they find out about you after we go back when this is all done." her voice even more firm than before, "Some will say you're dangerous and might hurt me." and confident. "But I know my friend's would never try and hurt me." Slamming her foreleg down as hard as a feather on his shoulder, "And I have some yummy fish for you when we get back so don't let me forget."

"Rather surprising since you seem like the type that others gravitate towards in friendship." He observes, taking the hint from how she interacted with the squirrel, lion, and even himself.

"Oh no. That's Pinkie Pie." She almost cheerfully corrects.

"Who?" He mentally adds the name to the list for later.

"One of my best friends." She replies with subtle pride. "Twilight, Pinkie, Rainbow, Applejack, and Rarity."

"Sounds closer to a family rather than just friends by how highly you speak of them." Looking back taking notice of the nod and ever so often cringe in her expression, "We're resting." getting hesitation before an even stronger nod. Slowing his pace instead of how he'd normally just slam to a stop, he can feel the chill rise up his legs as he bends down to let his cargo safely get off.

After a few minutes of trying different sitting or laying positions, she finally decides to just lay down with her hind legs stretched out to the side in order to give them and her flanks their much needed rest. Looking around at their current surroundings she is somewhat in awe at how different the forest is slowly becoming. "Does it keep becoming like this farther in?"

"Like what?" His own observations apparently not so observant.

"Tamer." she looks around with a smile until she looks back from where they came, and taking in what would appear like a path made by a stampede of manticores. "How do you do that?"

He looks in the same direction as Fluttershy, his reaction being a sigh and the rubbing of the back of his head.

"Oh no I didn't mean it like that." quick to notice his downed spirits, "Sorry..." lowering her muzzle.

"Don't worry." He looks about for a sturdy place to sit, finding solid foundation in a decent sized rock, "I guess you could call it my special talent." His words instantly catching Fluttershy's attention. She eagerly awaits him to say more only to tilt her head when he instead reaches down and grabs hold of two rocks that fit well in each of his hands as he called them. She watches in amazement when both are encased in a blue hue, and seemingly absorbed into his hands.

"What did you do?" She stands up and goes to inspect his hands as he leaves them open palm up.

"A good friend just told me that I can convert mass and add it to my own without increasing my volume." The quick spasm in his hands surprising Fluttershy but dismay from himself. "He was quick to make a joke that had I just absorbed mass then I'd want to stay away from spongy." his solemn stare into his hands robbing them of their laughter even if neither found it funny to begin with.

"Whats wrong?" Fluttershy steps even closer in concern. "Don't you like your special talent?"

His hands lightly flexing before taking notice of the downed look on his companion, "Complicated."

Plopping her flank down on the soft soil, "Once we get back maybe we can ask Twilight for the help of the princesses."

"Princesses?" The status chimes a not so soothing memory, "You're kind is governed by a Monarchy?"

"Well a Diarchy, and Twilight is the personal student of Princess Celestia." her ears flicking when she looks up, "Her special talent is magic." letting a warm smile adorn her muzzle, "I'm sure she will love meeting you."

Before the current theme causes him to say something that might complicate things further, "So going back to your question from earlier, let's say that you're special talent is flying." He points towards her uninjured wing, "You can fly really fast and for very long periods of time and not get tired like others." His explanation striking uncanny resemblance to someone she knew.

"Oh that sounds just like Rainbow Dash." Fluttershy notes to the surprise look from Joseph, "Her special talent actually is flying. She's the only pony I know who can do a sonic rainboom." the memory eliciting a smile across her muzzle.

"Well that just might work out then. So take this Rainbow Dash. She can fly better and faster than other ponies right?" waiting until he sees her nod to continue, "But have you ever seen her hit her limit?" continuing after another, if hesitant, nod. "She got tired and had to rest right?" The final more solemn nod comes as she never liked seeing her friend so spent.

"I didn't." His tone, returning closer to what he had used when she had first heard him talk, caused her ears to fold back.

Fluttershy narrows her eyes as she thinks back to flight academy, and what the instructors constantly warned about trying to go past one's limit. After a few moments she raises her ears and looks straight into Joseph's eyes, "How bad?"

Her answer comes in silence with the raising of his arm as he lets his fingertips lightly touch the tattered cloth across his chest.

"Let me see." she moves forward only for his other hand to lay across her back with ample pressure to impede her as his head slowly shakes back and forth in denial.

"We need to..." His words never finish as a cyan blur barely misses his now ducked head, much to his annoyance.

"Rainbow?" Fluttershy questions in surprise before the blur begins to loop back around, "Rainbow stop!"

"You better get away from her you creep!" Rainbow yells as she comes in for another pass, her front hooves stretched out in offensive as the creature tries to put some distance between it and her friend.

"Rainbow I said..." Can you fly?!" Rainbow interrupts Fluttershy before noticing the bandage over her wing, "Crap." quickly turning her head to the strangely docile and casually postured creature, "You better stay back whatever the hay you are!" while puffing out.

Fluttershy, knowing too much was on the line to risk either getting injured, trotted out from behind Rainbow and in front with her back to Joseph. "Please calm down." she keeps her eyes soft as she was never good at stern gazes.

"Calm down?" Rainbow not having any trouble as her expression becomes rigid, "Calm down?!" moving almost muzzle to muzzle, "You take off in the middle of the night into the Everfree only to be kidnapped by some strange creature that I've never seen that can cut a path through the Everfree like a train and you want me to calm down?"

"He's taking me to the flower to save angel." Fluttershy pleads with her expression in the hopes of convincing Rainbow, "He said he saw it not far from here near a waterfall and we have to reach it by nightfall or else we won't make it back in time!" her voice growing in worry and pitch by the end.

"And you believe it." Rainbow's expression burrows into her, "Just like that?"

"Yes." she replies with no hesitation.

"Why?" Magenta searches teal.

"I don't know." the answer causing Rainbow to give an exasperated stare.

"I know you're trying to protect me and I know I shouldn't of left like I did but I didn't know what to do!" Tears beginning to flow as her soft but high pitched voice quivers, "I g-got hurt and he bandaged and p-protected me a-a-and then when I told him Angel was sick he even hurt himself to get us here in time." using her foreleg to try and wipe her eyes and nose, "W-we're so close a-and..." the gentle pressure of a cyan hoof on her shoulder causing her to go silent.

"Okay." Rainbow's new tone unknowingly reinforcing what Fluttershy had said as the latter's muzzle instantly brightens, "But!" before going back to neutral, "You're on your own when Twilight goes nuts over your new animal friend."

Fluttershy looks down with widening eyes at the prospect, "Better feed him some extra fish..." her attention along with Rainbow's drawn behind them as they notice the lack of patience in Joseph's eyes. "Oh sorry!"

Joseph kneels down as Fluttershy trots over and saddles up much to the infernal struggle plastered all over Rainbow's muzzle. As both man and pony peers over to the cyan speedster she falls to the ground, almost in hysteria as she pounds a hoof into the dirt.

Joseph slaps an open palm against his face before shaking it, standing up as Fluttershy once more assumes her prior position, both failing to hide their annoyances as they start they journey once more.

"pffffff....ahhahahaha.." Rainbow struggles to her hooves before wiping a tear away, "Oh Pinkie's going to have a blast with this thing." Jumping into the air to unfold her wings and take flight, barely able to contain her snickering as she flies shotgun deeper into the Everfree.

"Ahhahahahahaa"

"Rainbow!"

Several hours later in Canterlot;

"Did you sleep well Luna?" Princess Celestia pleasantly inquires as she sits upon her throne, her horn aglow.

"No." Princess Luna not so pleasantly replies as a yawn escapes her muzzle, her horn glowing in unison.

"Please tell me you didn't stay up all day," Celestia playfully chastises, "again."

"It is not our fault that everything of interest happens in the day!" Luna almost whines.

"Oh it can't be that bad." Celestia surmises, "Didn't you have fun during night court?" forced to take a sip of tea less Luna catches the etching of her smirk. "Why today I had the loveliest time negotiating contested deed lines." almost choking on her next when her eyes catches the glare of her sister.

"We had one request." Luna nearly hisses, "On directions to the laboratory!" only to send Celestia into a coughing fit.

Taking a moment to wipe her muzzle, "Oh you know during these fall months things slow down." Celestia smiles towards her closed eye muzzle in the air sister, "Once the seasons cycle you will be overrun once more." only for green flames to pull her away.

She hesitates to open it, a small sigh escaping from her muzzle instead.

"Worry not sister." Luna leaves all misgivings behind, "We shall watch over gentle Fluttershy during her mournful nights." having known her sister, while not publicly able to show due to favoritism, requested to be informed when Fluttershy's Angel passed.

"I know." Celestia slowly unfurls the scroll, "I just wish I could do the..same..." Her eyes starting slow until they begin to zip back and forth as she steadily rises to her hooves, the change in demeanor lost to none in the throne room.

"Sister?" Luna's eyes are wide as Celestia floats the scroll over for her to read. "Three days?!" her eyes darting back towards her sister, "And now all of the bearers are considered missing having gone in after her."

"Guards!" Celestia commands with Luna trotting at her side towards the large double doors, "Ready our chariots and inform the barracks a search and rescue into the Everfree is being mounted."

Everfree;

"This is..." Rainbow leads off.

"Wonderful?" Fluttershy almost prances in place before the clump of flowers before her.

"Yeah that." Rainbow looks back to the lumbering Joseph, as her timid friend called it, with it looking very put off by being so close to the top of the waterfall's edge, "But I was thinking anti climatic!" only to notice the aghast stare of her friend, "But still wonderful?"

"I'm just thankful that we can finally go home." her ears slowly flattening with a soft sigh. They raise once more when she notices Rainbow moving awkwardly slow until she stands next to her, facing away from whom stands behind.

"Why's it hanging back to far?" Rainbow whispers to Fluttershy.

"Maybe he's afraid of heights?" Fluttershy surmises, "He isn't harming anything by standing back there."

"Not like the whole cliff is just going to suddenly crumble." Her eyes taking note of him having stopped when they passed the final step down before a long outstretch of the cliff. "Sides the heroes of the adventure are supposed to stand together like in Daring Doo." her train of thought interrupted when she turns her head back to a wide smile.

"Told you." Fluttershy's smile still rattling her cyan friend.

Rainbow only stares back at her friend as it finally dawns on her, "No."

"Whats wrong with admitting that you like him?" Fluttershy almost deadpans, "You admitted to liking Harry the Bear after all of those play dates."

"You said you wouldn't mention that around anypony!" Rainbow quickly defends with burning cheeks.

"But he's not a pony." Fluttershy innocently states.

"But he can understand what you just said!" Rainbow retorts before embarrassment mixes with agitation, "You did that on purpose!"

"Wouldn't have to if you wouldn't hold your feelings back." Fluttershy lowly mumbles as she slides off her bandage, putting to work her attempts at making something to carry all of the extra flowers in hopes of replanting closer.

Rainbow drags both of her hooves down the front of her closed eyes in frustration before flying back towards Joseph, "If you repeat anything you've heard I won't forgive you." she states with a hardened expression as her foreleg extends towards him.

Joseph, having done his best to not look annoyed at the one sided conversation, seemed rather amused at the attempt made by the cyan pegasus. Whether as some form of payback or stupidity, he reaches forward and plants his hand on Rainbow's mane and gives it a gentle rustle with a smirk across his lips.

"You're lucky nopony else is..." Rainbow is cut off as she is swung to the side before her teeth are given a jolt, she is about to erupt in anger when the deep growl of a timber wolf fills her now twitching ears. "Aw crud." before being shoved back towards Fluttershy.

"Look out!" Fluttershy barely has time to scream before a timber wolf alpha lunges towards Joseph just as he pushes rainbow back. The act costs him the time needed to try and defend himself as the alpha sinks it's teeth into the back of his neck. "No!!"

"Hey get off him you overgrown matchsticks!" Rainbow growls as she jets forward, only to be stopped when Joseph gives her a bout of insanity in the form of a disgruntled shake of his head, raising of his flatten hand towards her.

Fluttershy is able to get to Rainbow's side in time to watch Joseph reach over and back to the one biting his neck, tearing it and some cloth off. He then seems to nonchalantly rip his arm sideways through the jaws of the timber wolf trying to bite through it in futility. He stares into the darkness once behind him, slightly turning his head to speak to the only one who could understand.

"I..Oh..." Fluttershy, shaken by the situation, starts to tremble. "Rainbow he wants..." the sounds of dozens of howls only adding to her hesitation, "No! We're not leaving you behind!" her brow furrows, "Are you sure? You promise?" her deep sigh and hesitant nod signals her lift into the air by an also hesitant Rainbow.

"So whats the plan?" Rainbow inquires as she lifts them both into the air, already showing some strain in her voice, "Cause two days of flying is not making this look too good." Her height allowing her a frightful glimpse into what had been waiting in the darkness. "Fluttershy tell him...!"

"He promised." Her reply hushed under her breath as she is able to see the same. "That he'd be okay."

Rainbow pushes aside her misgivings on the promise as she takes them into the highest nearby tree she can find. She barely lands, looking back to see Joseph begin his mad dash as well for the treeline when something hits her alongside the head. "Tell me you have the flowers?!" before the look of horror erupting across her friend's muzzle instinctively causes her to take to the sky.

"Rainbow come back it's too dangerous!" her scream far too slow to catch what soars away.

Don't cramp up on me now dangit! She forces herself into a dive, her muscles having long since screamed in surrender from carrying only light cargo moments before. Whether by intention or instinct she forms tunnel vision on her target, as if she were a bird of prey.

She never intends to touch down, as she needs the speed to lift back up less her wings entirely give out on her. She barely cranes her neck, latching the pouch into her teeth as she is forced to clamp down out of pain and sudden pressure of forceful downward impact. As pressure above is traded with bone chattering jolt from below she forces herself back onto her hooves, prepared to stare down..."Why'd you come back?!"

She knew he came back to help her, and for that she was grateful, even if her new found situation left her with even fewer options. How the hay am I going to get enough lift! her frustrations grew out of knowing behind her only lay deeper into the Everfree, the washed out canyon serving only to drive her glide away, not to, safety. She is brought back as the outstretch they now stand upon starts to give way to the impact, and now pressure, of massive weight.

"Hope you got a plan dude." She jokes, out of trying to cope with the situation, before taking the pouch once more into her muzzle. She looks up, as he turns about, only for her to almost drop the pouch at being startled in fright.

Having made a mad dash back he had left his backside open as several timber wolves had latched on to try and drag him down, succeeding in only tearing and pulling off what barely kept his tattered apparel together. His upper body now bare bore several things that were all ignored. Instead, the glowing volcanic fissure like rupture going down diagonally across his chest took centerpiece.

Her muzzle tightens once more having not expected the sudden pressure against both her chest and, had in any other circumstance enraged her, buttocks after the sudden loss of any on her hooves. Her eyes widen as she is sent with surprising velocity high into the air towards the treeline from whence she had made her mad dive. Against the sudden pain and numbness, she flings her wings open and tilts to try and slow down.

"I got you!" Fluttershy cries out with hooves outstretched, cushioning the still rough impact into the tree. The distant echo of rocks impacting in the canyon below causing them both to flinch as each rings out, the loudest making the timid one's embrace tighten.

With pouch still in muzzle Rainbow reserves her efforts to trying to comfort her friend, less she give in to the severity of the yipping, scratching, and small shakes the tree they find themselves trapped in. "We're going to get out of this." She says to herself.

"Ah think ah see em!"

"Oh I ever do hope that they are...Get away from them you ruffians!"

"Pinkie, get us closer! I think they're injured...Pinkie?!"

"Take this you big meanies!"

The boom and frighten yelps below are almost enough to break up the frown on Rainbow's muzzle. "Once we save Angel I pinkie promise we'll come back and make this right." Only to receive a gentle nod alongside her neck, "I'm sure the girls will help."

"Hold on we got you." Twilight calls out as she encases them both in her magic, lifting them through the strain across her brow from the tree to the miniature semi rigid airship. No sooner are the pegasi set down are they enveloped in hugs and manes.

"Inform the Princesses that the bearers have been located!" A lunar guard loud command causes two of six to yell in surprise, where three are too tired to react against the still tightening grip of the normally chippy party pony.

"How did they get out here so darn fast?" Applejack openly wonders. "Twi was and Rainbow were both going at it nonstop and it took us days to get his far out." as the airship slowly begins to set down, with no pony at the helm. "Ah got the feeling.."

What were all of you thinking!" Princess Celestia's hard voice rings out, much to the sudden alertness of all ponies inside, "Lt., check them for injuries while Princess Luna's attachment finds their way here." only to raise it even more, "No pony is to venture out past our perimeter less in pairs. No exceptions!" her ears twitch to the distant yip of a retreating timber wolf.

The loud cackle sends any lingering predator back away from the ever growing entourage around the six bearers as they are all checked for injuries. "The Bearer of Kindness and Loyalty are injured, but not severely. The Bearer of Magic and Loyalty are also being treated for physical and magical exhaustion." The Lt. states in monotone.

"Thank you, Lt." Princess Celestia softens her voice when giving thanks, but hardens it once more. "I wish to speak to the Bearer of Kindness, alone." The tone and words causing the one in question to shrink down even at the behest of her friends trying to mount verbally in her defense, "Now." The finality of her statement gives way to Princess and Bearer moving away together.

"I'm grateful that aside from slight injury, you've been found in good health." Princess Celestia begins with a mother like softness, "But I am very concerned on the severity that your actions almost cost not only of your own, but Rainbow Dash and the others as well." slowly leading towards one of disappointment. "Do you understand what could of been lost my little pony?" ending in between.

Fluttershy hangs her muzzle while giving a gentle nod, "I know.." The display pinging against the Princess's heart as much as the thought her little ponies being lost to the wilds of the Everfree had. "..that it's my fault Joseph fell."

"Joseph?" Princess Celestia tilts her head, making sure both ears pivot towards the hushed little pony. "And what do you mean by fell?" concern lining her voice as she knew not all of their world held names like their own, "Was there another with you?"

"Sister!" Princess Luna touches down near her sister and Fluttershy, taking a moment to scan and acknowledge those present, "It appears we should be ever thankful to of found all safe and sound." before noticing the worry in her sister's eyes. "Has something happened?" trading her gaze from her sister to the utterly devastated Bearer of Kindness.

"Joseph saved me from the timber wolves.." Fluttershy's speech, much like her mood, low and hushed. "H-he showed me the f-flower a-and Rainbow found us a-and helped." Less the all too recent memory pushes her back into a more emotional state, "But the timber wolves came back...a-a-and..." words slowly replaced by sniffing when a white wing lays over her.

"Shh, my little pony." Princess Celestia trades looks of concern with her sister over a great many implications such sparse information could mean, "We need to understand before we can properly act.." another silent nod gives way to the royal sisters touching their horns to the forehead of their subject, an act ended as quickly as it began as Celestia takes to the sky once more.

The sharp and concerned jerk of Fluttershy's muzzle upwards elicits another wing upon her in hopes of soothing what need not start, "Worry not, dear Fluttershy." Princess Luna's eyes never leaving her sister's flight, "Concern, not anger, fuels her urgency."

Princess Celestia;

Princess Celestia nudges her head back at the approach of several royal guardponies, signalling for them to not follow. While her gratitude for that which saved two of her subjects conflicted with her lack of information on why and what, she refused to ignore the facts before her muzzle. Having seen the magic it possesses, she held some hope that it might of survive the fall if her assumptions proved true as she descends to the base of the ancient waterfall.

She lands on top of the raging white water, letting her wings fold back alongside her using her magic to keep herself dry. While the violent current drowns out all noise, she cannot help but feel somewhat soothed like she had as a young filly, once more standing in her former home front. Her eyes, however, search not through the past but all around the present in the hopes of something never before seen.

She lets her foreleg slowly lift, dragging her hoof through the surface of the water in contemplation. While never one to enjoy the force that somethings had to be used, she could neither escape the the subtle enjoyment in the challenge. Letting her eyes close, her wings unfurl once more as her horns begins to rapidly increase in golden glow. I need to know.

Her eyes shoot open the moment her hoof harshly slams into the water, her magic forcing all of the water to immediately be pushed out and above. With vision no longer impaired she scans about her, ignoring the underwater cocoon as the raging river merely begins to flow over the expanded barrier. She floats down to the smoothed bedrock after he eyes catch something, setting herself down in what could only be described as a small crater.

"If you survived then where are you." Princess Celestia narrows her eyes not in contempt but contemplation as she looks all around for signs of a trail, her barrier having ignored all but the water. She levitates upwards as water rushes down, her mane still flowing as her magic wards away the raging torrent.

The slight twitch and rotation of her left ear serves her an answer, careful not to turn her head or even eyes as she weighs her options. She finally turns her body to face that which impedes her sights to further within just as she teleports one of the large first aid kits they had brought with them. Once more, as if she is actually stepping across the water, she comes just to before the spit of the vapor.

"I know you may not understand me." Princess Celestia addresses just loud enough to hopefully pass through the roar of water, swearing she can almost see the outline of the creature inside. "But I too believe in dealing out what has been dealt." using her magic to gently but firmly cast the large first aid kit into the unseen hollowed cave beyond.

She tilts her head as strange tearing noises echo out from behind the raging downward vapor, still unsure if to venture inside or wait for it to come out. Her head straightens when the vapor that concealed the creature merely annoyed it instead, having ventured forth to stand on one of the larger smooth boulders that lined the base. She couldn't help but take note that it had used the bandages not for it's body, but of tethering back together it's strangely familiar attire.

Taking care to let her diplomatic side take helm, she softens her posture, leading the same from the being before her. "While your actions have shown qualities that I do admire I am ill afforded the luxury of making proper judgement where we stand." Her hopes in understanding through the tone of her voice lost with the shrug of it's shoulders, letting assumptions fall to that of a minotaur.

Princess Celestia internally sighs before nudging her head upwards, keeping her eyes locked on the creature's. She narrows them in frustration when it just shakes it's head back and forth and crosses it's arms. She in turn nods her head up and down, lifting and pushing down with more force her foreleg. The futility of the situation comes with it using it's hand to point between them, and then crossing it's forearms in an x, before pointing back to itself and then out towards deeper into the Everfree.

Her answer comes through using her magic to illuminate an astral projection of a downtrodden Fluttershy, head muzzle held low as tears dripped down off it. She neither smiles on the outside or in, but she preferred enticing the guilty conscious of a good being over forcing it against it's will as if it was a bad one.

She takes the exasperated stare of the creature as a good indication, nudging her head upwards once more, her golden hue encasing them both when it flings it's arms out like minotaur diplomats over conceded agreements. The momentary strain her slightly widened eyes give off precede her surprise laced tone, "What in Equestria are you made of?!"

Chapter 3

"Any of y'all happen to know just what the hay is going on?" Applejack absentmindedly questions after witnessing Princess Celestia disappear down into the waterfall's blackened abyss. The lack thereof in words summons the answer for her, much to the southern drift of her brow.

"I'm sure whatever it is the princesses have it under control." Twilight, while still quite loopy from magic exhaustion, left her attention not of where Princess Celestia had gone, but been. "I think she got it even worse than I did."

"The poor darling's nerves are most assuredly shot." Rarity quietly observed with her magic glow going all over something she had seen cast upon the rocky ground. "Now who would waste such fine fabric and lop it around!" Her being too innocently wrapped up in the new acquisition to notice the small jolt of cyan at her side or the subtle pink against her light blue.

"Mind if I have a look Rarity?" Twilight's curiosity getting the better of her, energy or no, as the ripped foreign patterns catches her eye.

"Oh! Well sure darling." Rarity gently lets pink overtake blue as the ragged strips, now free of timber, are pulled away. She does, however, watch intently as Twilight slowly slides, reshuffles, and aligns the strips over and over again.

Pinkie's hoof momentarily stops one of the strips from being reshuffled, "Can I play?". She tilts her head as the expression returned from Twilight shifts from frustration to light grin, giving her own in return. "What are the rules?"

"We need to match up all of the symbols perfectly." Twilight, having long since found the lack of energy haphazard to any puzzle, is perfectly humble enough to resign herself to game master rather than player in her current situation.

Having suffered enough to her own nerves through the past few days, Applejack was rather submissive to the giggles, playful commands, and innocent observations behind her. Her grin, ever slow to spread, has less trouble receding when she takes notice of the one among them to never stay still, is doing just that. "Hey Rainbow you alright?" letting a chuckle accompany the words.

"Yes." Rainbow returns slow and bland, taking no heed to the light clops approaching her left side.

Applejack plops down beside her. "Ah shouldn't have to tell ya."

Forced to grind her front hooves in partial circle below her, her voice starts in a low grumble. "Think they can put it back together?"

"Hey y'all think you can muscle that there rug back into one piece?" Applejack yells back behind her, quick to gain the immediate attention of player, decipher, and weaver extraordinaire. "Ah don't know Rainbow was asking."

Silent nods serving her answer before turning back towards Rainbow. "They said yea but ah never took ya for the type to like something fancy like that."

"Not mine." The frustration of how to answer without hurting any pony having already passed weighing down her mood even more. "And we're gonna give it to Fluttershy when it's done." Her answer catching Applejack off guard, who takes a moment of silence.

"Ah...don't understand." Her words hinge against the tone of a request much more personal than she expected. "This was Fluttershy's?" Letting her eyes carry from cyan to butterscotch not far ahead, eyes widened in considerations and confusion.

"Her friend's." Rainbow dryly replies before rising to her hooves.

"But ah don't see..." Her throat instinctively catching the last word with her eyes slowly moving from the muzzle down Fluttershy, the solemn wing of Princess Luna now draped over her, towards the blackened abyss where Princess Celestia disappeared. Before she can will it her hooves carry her with subtle haste to the ever rising commotion from behind as cyan carries forward.

Rainbow gets rather close, having perhaps not paid attention to where she had gone if she took notice of the watchful eyes of royal guardponies, but perhaps just didn't care. Perception, rather than inattention, saves her any unneeded drama as Princess Luna silently nods for her to come closer with the retracting of her wing.

The presence, even if silent, of one of her friends is not lost with the slow rise of Fluttershy's muzzle. She keeps her own, like the air around them, but lets a small gentle smile cross her muzzle. She closes her eyes less she loses the the hard worked for dull edge she'd prepared for what would be brought up from below.

Of the only pony whom she'd shared her most sacred of sanctuary, of the same that yet another she would have to lay down upon, she took solace. "I goofed." If for only a moment.

"What?" Fluttershy opened her eyes as she turned her head towards Rainbow.

"Pinkie, Twilight, and Rarity may have been playing with the cape as you called it." Lifting a foreleg to run the inward bend down the front of her head and muzzle, "Aaaaand I may have chosen a bad moment to tell AJ why Princess Celestia..."

"But you told them it was okay because they didn't know right?" Her expression of self disappointment most likely matching that of her friend who refuses to look her in the eye as each takes blame for the situation. She slowly turns her head only to first connect with distant green, causing a chain reaction of turned heads and flattened ears.

"Oh..." unable to hide the hurt in her voice or from nearby dark blue ears.

"Twilight Sparkle. Rarity. Applejack. Pinkie Pie. Please step forth and join us." Princess Luna uses just enough volume to carry over behind her less the turning of her head interrupts the intense focus her eyes, cast in an almost invisible magical hue, direct elsewhere.

As distant clops etch closer the sound itself distorts through the loss of volume as subtle ground vibrations take over. Twelve eyes all turn to face each other as days of worry and lapse in information collide in another folly of soft apologizes and gentle hugs.

"We're sorry." Twilight once again apologizes four fold, "We...um.... didn't know that somepony else had..." Having to look towards the ground as she search for the right word, only to realize it was still missing. "..or..that we were making light of...of..."

"Joseph." Fluttershy's soft words gives only a few answers, but begs much more. "And you didn't." making sure that none of her friends took the blame that only she could be responsible for. "Thank you for trying to put it back together after he had to destroy it." The words bringing back the sour memory and sullen mood.

"But why would somepony destroy such lavish tapestry?" Rarity's tone and context keeps the question from coming off as anything other than innocent curiosity.

"Oh it wasn't for sitting or trotting on." Fluttershy's words catching her friend's attention. "He wore it on his back but He had to tear it up to make a harness for me to ride on." Only to cause them to slide towards confusion.

"Yer telling us ya rode yer friend through the everfree?" Her rigid brow expressing her frustration causing a similar chain reaction among the others as the more they were told the less sense it made. "Ah gotta admit the more ah'm told the less ah'm sure of."

"I know..." The somber tone from the timid pegasus pulling the others from their convoluted imaginations.

Applejack quickly adopts an apologetic tone and expression. "Ah didn't mean anything bad by it sugarcube."

"I know." Fluttershy mimics the same, "I was just sad because I felt the same way."

"Confused?" Pinkie's high pitched voice cuts through the awkward silence.

"How to help him." Fluttershy's replies softly, "I think his special talent hurt him somehow." Her words helping to keep attention off the now flattened ears of cyan, "I told him maybe Twilight could help because I don't know a lot about magic."

"Was..well what I mean to ask is..." Letting the side of her foreleg rub the back of her head as her brain fought to picture all the clues together, "Was Joseph a pony?" her voice pitching high enough to almost squeak at the end.

"We have absolutely no idea what it is nor from what land it heralds." Princess Luna, having let the bearers converse until the very thing that had caused the royal sisters cause for concern came to subject, takes helm.

Twilight's expression becomes somewhat rigid as the idea of something not a pony having magic as a special talent batted around her brain, serving to constrict her contemplative demeanor into something else. "But..."

"But we concede that it does appear to have everything that Bearer of Kindness has stated." Princess Luna eludes out of need to sway and control, "Culture above that of mere nomadic structure. An expertise of a form of magic that no longer exists in our own lands." perhaps as much of herself as to those under her care. "And hopefully an continued agreeable disposition."

"Continued?"

"Lieutenant!" Princess Luna decides to drop misconception to the ground before her as the officer lands, "Inform the rest of the Lunar and Solar guards that Princess Celestia is returning along with an unexpected guest of unknown origin." Although somewhat oblivious to the reason behind the silence beside her, "The situation is one of diplomacy with Miss Fluttershy acting as official royal liaison until certain conditions can be met." her answer comes in the lack thereof. "Miss Fluttershy?"

"C'mon Fluttershy I'm sure Princess Celestia made sure he's okay." Rainbow distant voice echoes about.

"But what if she doesn't know how he's hurt?" Fluttershy musters out through the clattering near one of the chariots, "Or he's acting like you again and is playing it off?"

"Hey I do not play anything. It's called being tough!"

"Well Harry..."

"Oh for the love of...here!"

The light impacts of hooves and possibly feathers usher the hastened return of the pegasi.

"Ahm rade." Fluttershy mumbles through the latch held in her muzzle even against the rather infuriated silent stare of Rainbow once more at her side. She merely stares forward towards the darkened abyss of roaring water as her fellow bearers behind her can only give nonchalant shrugs towards Princess Luna.

"We...have heard tales of your dedication to injured animals of the Everfree." Princess Luna alines her tone between surprise and admiration. "We can only hope such dedication is reciprocated in the same earnest." The hesitant, but humble, nod causing a small grin to spread over her muzzle as she herself hoped for the best outcome ahead.

Fluttershy stands alert as the first glimmer of golden hue fights off the darkness before them. While somewhat curious as to why Princess Celestia took the harder upwards thrust out of the deep water cut canyon instead of teleportation she pushed it aside when she caught the glimpse of her friend. She held herself even as Princess Celestia finally landed all hooves on the edge of the abyss, pulling her rather annoyed cargo to roughly the same inland before letting him drop a mere few feet, much to her widening eyes.

"....aaaaand there he goes." Rainbow nonchalantly states against the shocked expressions not only from the unexpected loud impact, but sudden disappearance of said precious cargo back into the abyss.

Quick to turnabout and crane her head over the edge, Princess Celestia, more adjusted to the weight of said cargo, easily lifts him back up and over solid land once more. She herself keeps her hooves on the reflective rocky surface as she brings him in further, only to stop his descent few inches from the ground in hesitation. Lifting him back into the air, he is lightly swung back and forth in unison of her head sway several times.

Trotting forward in defeat, she brings him far enough that all are able to see the guilty embarrassment laced expression across her muzzle. His however...

"Good luck..." Rainbow nudges Fluttershy before backing away.

...gravitates elsewhere.

Perspective change

"I'm half a mind to think you did that on purpose." Joseph directs his ire towards the large white equine that had transported him back up from below. When the routine communication breakdown forces him to adhere to what he sees instead of hears, he resides himself to face value. "But I guess only half." before letting his ears pick up the ever louder clopping coming his way.

Fluttershy comes to an abrupt stop just before Joseph, quick to drop the first aid kit to the side before giving a quick lunge death hug for her once thought dead friend. Or she might of, had a mere few disapproving expressions of how she was conducting herself as royal liaison from several royal guard not overwhelmed the numerous supportive ones.

The final approach, but a few mere feet, brings back age old memories of tormenting laughter and disapproval with each step. By the time she reaches her friend's feet her own brings only the familiarity of a pony who hid herself away from her own world.

"You seem nervous." His eyes slowly scans not the pegasus before him, but of those like her not far behind. His slow turning vigil gives way to a small nod with one returned before moving onwards. "As do they." Giving little heed to Fluttershy lowering the kit.

"W-well i-it's only because..." Her words pushed to a stall when Joseph without warning lets his knees bend, as if no longer able to hold weight, only to come to rest with his buttocks resting below with his elbows on top. Her ears flicker to the shuffle and vocal commotion behind her before letting them lay back in disapproval. "You did that on purpose."

"Why are you afraid?" His tone, while smooth and gentle, refuses to mince words.

"I-I just h-have a lot depending o-on me." She gives short stutters and refuses to look him in the eye as she instead fumbles with the simple locking mechanism on the kit, until a wayward hand leans in and gently clips it loose.

"Are you in some kind of trouble?" His question comes alongside his renewed searching behind her despite the light shake of her head, making note of the armor clad equines among a few other untidy things. His stare comes to an end when it meets the conflicted eyes of Rainbow Dash, who seems to jerk forward before a guard impedes her approach. Such details, if perfectly hidden from expression, seek only to pull his attention away to a most unsavory memory.

"Was Rainbow Dash able to get the flowers to safety?" His hands remain hanging and relaxed.

"S-she has them with her now. B-but the princesses w-wanted to.."

"Then we should make haste less the sickness does the same." His words of haste breaths none even of himself.

"I...I don't think...that you can leave until the Princesses say so."

Making sure to retain his smooth approach. "Then perhaps it is time that we parts way so that you may return home to take care of that which almost served to meet your own."

Her eyes begin to form small beads in the corner as motherly and royally contracted artistry obligations continue to make internal struggle lost none on the one before her.

I'm sorry. He knows from past experience only to think, but never say.

Her watery eyes scan over the tattered cloth and bandages that now barely conceal it's upper abdomen, before taking notice of his seemingly unfocused stare towards the ground. She nervously turns her head towards the princesses who, like herself, are slightly put off by the seeming breakdown compared to what they saw through her memories.

Without looking up, he slowly lifts his left hand to point to the far right. "Princesses?"

"Y-yes the one who brought you up was Princess Celestia, and the one beside her is Princess Luna." She softly answers while some of the further out guards seemed to show disapproval through shifting postures, expressions, or snorts. "They're really nice." her partial smile once more chastised from some form of displeasure from behind.

He lets his fist tighten, if only for a moment, before relenting once more to the compass that has failed only to cushion his fall. Instead, while quite unsure if considered rude or demeaning, he reaches forward and plants his open hand upon the timid pegasus's mane. He neither scratches or rustles before retracting as he stands straight once more, his feet moving along with his eyes to the right.

"Joseph?" Fluttershy, having not seen such behavior so far, pushes aside any reservation as she trots to catch up. "Joseph whats wrong?" Ignoring even the not so subtle impact, and possible coronary band injury, of a royal guard who finds defenses no fancy armor can provide.

"Joseph!" She gives one last call before being forced away from his wake.

He noticed the Princess Celestia yell out, seemingly for the others to get clear, as the one called Princess Luna vanishes from her side as well. Still, with neither a raised arm in attack or defense, he just continues his casual stroll closer to a mere few feet away.

His eye sight gives way even as he can feel the heat striking across his skin, the ringing of his ears giving him a serenade of a simpler time demanding pause to his now simmering trek. The pain, he would have to admit, was humbling of a situation that in memory as viewer harmed him far more.

"Never expected to once more be the blood that the demon dogs follow." His voice etches out with the same grit as the not long ago back at a simple campfire.

The slowly focused image of a wide eyed Solar Princess staring at the brightly glowing volcanic fissure across his now barren chest almost gives him reason to chuckle as smoke and retina continues to dilute. His forearms running parallel, having at the moment of painful impact outstretched for his true purpose of making his short journey, remain wrist up fist clenched.

"Don't worry princess. One like yourself could never grant me something of such pride." His soothing tone, disturbingly lacking in expected malice, brings her eyes up to finally meet the genuine smile that ushered it. "But congratulations nonetheless on leaving your mark."

"I surrender."