For a Phoenix Feather

The sun rose a few hours later, kindly not piercing the canopy above which gave him about an hour more of precious sleep than he would have otherwise. But, unfortunately, the temperature got high enough that it was uncomfortable to remain there any longer.

Vermillion opened his eyes as an errant ray of sunlight finally managed to land right in his face. He immediately grunted his displeasure as he was temporarily blinded by the rays of Celestia's star. He had long ago decided that the princess must be a morning pony. It was the only possible reason it would get so bright out so quickly.

He raised up to a sitting position and stretched, his neck popping a couple times as he twisted left and right. He checked to see if Twisted was awake, finally able to take in the small grove they were in with the sun now out.

The area was actually quite pretty for the forest in question, a few different varieties of flowers growing in spots around them and the trees in twists that, in the dark were terrifying, but in the sunlight gave off small glints from the sap that ran down their trunks. She was awake, boiling water over the fire she had nursed all night, though she seemed to be lost in her own world when he stirred.

She jumped a bit when the cracking of his neck happened, staring at him in shock before her body relaxed, "G-Geez.." She chuckled softly, rubbing the back of her head in embarrassed blush on her face, "Morning..."

"Good morning. Hopefully a better day, too." He gave a lazy smile as he wobbled upright to move over by the fire and plopped back down on his haunches. "What's the plan for breakfast today? Those stupid wolves made me miss lunch," his stomach roared, "and dinner." His exaggerated frown was mostly show. Mostly.

She watched him stumble a bit in a sleepy stupor, a small smile crossing her lips as she tossed him an apple, "Nothing cooked I'm afraid. Too long of a trip to bring everything besides the kitchen sink." She bit into her own apple, laying across her blanket and propping herself up on her foreleg, her eyes lazily falling on the crackling fire that she was beginning to wish had burned out now but her water had not finished yet. "By the way, want some coffee?" She paused to look over at him, her full vision back with the newly brought sunshine.

She was bruised around the 'wrist' of the leg she used to hold her apple now, almost as if she jammed it against something along with some small scratches along her body. Nothing serious and it did not even look like they bled. The only major issue was her wing, which she had bandaged and strapped to her body to keep it from involuntarily moving.

Still wary of his magic, he angled his head perfectly to spear the apple with his horn. After testing it a couple times, he found his headache suitably absent and lifted the fruit, sliding it off and catching the juice in his aura before slipping it past his lips with a satisfied hum. An eyebrow quirked up, then he took a bite, and the other followed.

"Where the hay did you get apples this good? They're never this sweet in Canterlot. Especially any the Guard dole out." He plopped down, munching another apple as he levitated his tin cup out of his saddlebags to pour himself some coffee. He mentally sighed as he wistfully imagined tea, or a good helping of creamer. Black would wake him up pretty well, though. The bitterness might compliment the sweet apple, now that he considered.

She got up after she had finished her apple before digging around in her bag, grabbing an old ceramic mug and pouring her own cup of coffee. Immediately after she grabbed a small burlap sack and dumped out about a weeks worth of creamer and sugar packets. She poured two packets of creamer and about ten packets of sugar into the bitter drink. She looked over at him before blushing a bit, 'Uhm.. Sorry. How rude. You want some?"

She chuckled softly before sitting down and looking over at him, "Oh, and Sweet Apple Acres grows amazing produce. You should try them in pies and other sweets! They're worth the bits the family makes you pay." She rubbed the back of her head with a laugh, "When I first moved here I got into the biggest argument with Applejack about their price but after I tried ‘em, well, you know."

He grinned knowingly as he levitated a stack of creamers over. He liked a little coffee with his cream and sugar. "Thanks. Sweet Apple Acres, huh? Lives up to the name. Might have to pay them a visit when we get back. If this all turns out well enough, I might spend the rest of my vacation in Ponyville. It's a pretty nice departure from the city and the guard." He dumped a gratuitous amount of creamer and sugar into his tin of coffee, swirling it around until it was nearly as pale as his coat. Perfection. A short sip rewarded him with a smooth, faintly bitter blend that complimented the apple perfectly. Still got it.

"It's definitely a stop worth staying for." She replied softly, sipping her coffee quietly as she looked at his bruise. She sighed and got back up, walking over to him and pulling a couple of medicines out of her bag. She gently smeared some sweet smelling medicine that stung for a moment before turning into a cool soothing sensation to rid him of the aches it had given him. That would explain why she could still walk on a bruised ankle.

She paused in her work before looking up at him, "Sorry for being so forward," she muttered, folding the medicine box back under her wing before beginning to pack up everything. They were burning daylight and the previous attack they had been through still seemed to be bugging her.

He gave a soft little laugh. "Oh come on, I wish more mares were that forward." A quick wink punctuated the teasing. "I have been meaning to ask, though. I don't remember either of us taking a hit during the fight. Plus this, tch, bruise is lookin' pretty hoof-shaped to me." He pointed to her wing and bruised fetlock. "You're in even worse shape than me."

She had a moment to consider. Shit.

She paused quietly before sighing, rubbing the back of her head with her hoof as she kept her back to him. She had really hoped his memory had stayed away until the trip was over so that a royal guard was not onto her. She slowly turned to him with a weak smile, "Well uhm.. I guess... I did that," she said quietly, her smile fading into disappointment and hurt as she avoided his gaze. "...When in dangerous or abusive situations this thing," she lightly flicked the metal triangle that was sitting on the ground next to her, ".. kinda triggers a "protection" mode. And it doesn't care who is friend or foe at that point. It felt threatened."

She sat there a moment, half expecting him to cuff her or call off their trip to find his feather to take her away for attacking him like that. She knew that his headache was its fault, too, though she could not be sure why or how it had reacted to his magic going out of control like that. "...It doesn't like being touched by other ponies... especially unicorns." She looked up at him, her ears back as she waited for his response.

He sat and digested that information, and compiled it with what he knew. First thing of note, ow, she could seriously throw a punch if it still hurt this badly. Two, if it was purely reactionary, that explains why the wolves sent her into a tizzy by the end. Three, if it only triggered in dangerous situations, then he had two plans for how to react if it "triggered" again.

Number one was to be prepared to defend himself from any and all threats and put his combative training to use. He wanted to keep her from hurting herself or him, and he did not want to hurt her, so the sword was not an option. Good old hoof-to-hoof for that.

Number two was to not be a threat. When he signed up for the guard, he did not do it so he could put his talents to use beating up on others, pony or otherwise. His sword would always be a sword to protect. He just hoped the damn hunk of metal around her neck could figure that out. Probably not, but hey, what was life without a little excitement?

He grabbed her by the tail with his magic and gently scooted her towards him before placing a reassuring hoof on her shoulder. "It's okay. I've taken worse hits than this little thing. You do throw a mean punch, though." His smile faltered as his humor fell flat. "I told you already, remember? I'm always good for listening to a friend. You wanna talk about it?" His tone had tinged towards humor a bit, but he squeezed in as much genuine tone into it as he could muster. His sarcastic nature was really working to his disadvantage right now.

She looked down a bit as her wing folded around her shoulders a bit. Could she trust him? She let her bangs fall in her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath before heaving herself back onto her feet. "My parents..." she said softly before walking through the camp, kicking a pail of water she had gathered over onto the firepit, the embers hissing loudly as a large amount of smoke billowed out of it. She was going to let him take that comment however he wanted but she was confident he would put two and two together quick enough.

She looked back over at him as the smoke cleared, giving a soft smile, "We should get going, shouldn't we? Eating away daylight, ya know." It took about thirty minutes to get everything put in proper order and to make sure the fire was completely out before they got back on the trail, the forest calling to them as they passed, though it took about an hour of walking before she was back to her cheery self again.

She pranced ahead of him, picking a lovely looking flower after making sure it was not poison joke and throwing it into her hair and sticking her tongue out at him, "Hurry up slow poke!"

He was quick to offer a smile and sarcastic response, but inside his mind was working furiously. He was no Starswirl, but he had plenty of pieces of information to work with now. Then he remembered a tidbit that probably should have lit off a dozen klaxons in his head.

On her nightstand, the photo: Discord. That cheeky bastard had to be involved somehow. Maybe the talisman was his idea of a prank, but the magic seemed much more malicious than anything he could recall from recent history. Where had she found it? It seemed like old magic.

The darkest thoughts, however, were of her last comment before breaking camp. He got the distinct impression that the demons ran far deeper than he had initially suspected. Duty warred with friendship for a moment before friendship browbeat it into submission with the help of a bit of logic.

If the talisman could strongly influence the wearer, then it could probably drive them to do something they would not otherwise do. Any actions under its influence, especially with it being stuck on her, would perhaps be beyond her control. But as he thought back to their encounter with the timber wolves, he remember how touching it with his magic had affected him. He had not felt anything force itself into his mind. Rather, it unchained his least flattering trait. The most volatile and unstable of his facets. Did it really control the wearer, or did it just let out what was locked away in a pony's heart?

And if that was the case, then deep down, was he really any better?

The rest of the day went off without a hitch, the dirt under their hooves slowly turning into gravel as they came closer and closer to the gorge and their goal. As they got nearer, the more she remained at his side, the fire ruby she had received in town from Ellie folded under her good wing just in case, though she was not about to flash the thing around in case diamond dogs were about. Now that was not a fight she wanted. As stupid as they were, they did not fool around when it came to gems.

She looked up at her companion who had been relatively quiet through the trip, which had begun worrying her. Maybe she had instilled trust in the wrong pony? Or maybe he was just thinking about everything that had happened since leaving Ponyville? She had already had her thoughts about this: she spilled her deepest secret to a stallion in the royal guard! Of course she was going to be nervous when he suddenly gets quiet. She shook her head and stared ahead, her hoofbeats slowing a bit as the scent of ash and the calls of birds began to be more and more apparent in their surroundings.

Vermillion was snapped out of his brooding by the birdsong. His smile returned and he offered her a nudge, easier with her proximity. Actually, he realized, she was walking closer than she had at any other point on the journey. The occasional, faint ruffle of her feathers was the only outward sign that she was anything but serene. Well that just would not do; he must have stayed all broody for too long. Easy fix for that.

A quick but light jab with his hoof was all that preceded his cheeky declaration of, "You're it!" With a wink behind him to her, he took off down the trail, determined to give her a reason to chase the gloom away. He could always rely on a bit of foalishness to bring a little levity to life.

Twisted blinked, watching him run off before smirking and taking off after him. "Oh, you're so on," she called after him, quite happy she came from a family of Earth and Pegasus ponies as she put the musculature from her father to the test. She was gaining on him. It took a couple zig zags before she tagged him back, immediately rearing up on her haunches and bolting the opposite direction they were traveling, making sure to stay out of phoenix territory while they were... horsing around.

He had mentally prepared himself to be challenging a natural athlete. A pegasus living out in the Everfree would have to stay fit, he reasoned. It was not the first time he appreciated the necessity of physical training for the guard, and probably would not be the last. That did not mean he would ever tell his superiors, however.

He immediately cut a path through the trees to cut her off, using a bit of telekinesis to silently lift leaves and twigs from his path to keep his travel as quiet as possible. He almost felt like using a bit of fieldcraft was cheating, but his opponent did have wings. All is fair in love, war, and tag.

A moment later he she skidded to a halt as he casually stepped from the bushes along the path and tapped her square on the nose. Instead of taking off, though, he simply plopped smugly onto his haunches and panted as he caught his breath. He shot her a victorious little smirk, even if he did not really think either of them won. "Feel a little better now? No more gloomy stuff, for you or me. I can tell we're close!"

She blinked again, her hooves buried in the gravel as he tapped her nose. Damn it. She grumbled a bit, rubbing it gently before sitting in front of him, shaking her head to pop her ears and saying, "Not bad. And I was more worried about you, gloomy butt!" She smirked a bit as she got back up and shook the rest of her body before stretching out her back, "But yeah. You're right. It's why I turned around; last thing we wanna do it upset the birds. Even a gem wouldn't fix that disrespect." She chuckled softly before gently shoving him, "That was cheating by the way."

He snorted in disagreement before standing again and waving his flank in her direction, claiming in faux offense, "My butt is hardly gloomy! I dare say it's one of my noteworthy features." He turned back to face her, an impish smile curling his features. "Besides, I wasn't gloomy, I was thinking. I was just really focused on it. Ponies always act like I'm all brooding and unfriendly when I get all contemplative." He gave a helpless little shrug. "Meh, buck 'em. I've got friends enough. Like you." His smile was once again warm and genuine, just like that night looking up at the stars.

She watched him for a minute before turning and clearing her throat, "Ahem. A-anyway..." she muttered, shaking her head as she felt her cheeks warm up, "We should go get clearance from our feathered friends.. If we do then we can stay there tonight and both of us can sleep at the same time. They torch just about anything hostile. The only thing we'd really have to worry about is a dragon, but not many are around this area this time of year."

She walked ahead of him, stretching her good wing and wincing when the other tried to do the same. Geez.. Had she broken it? Really? She groaned at the thought of being grounded for a month though she did not regret coming on the trip. She had made a good friend.

Noticing her wince of pain, old training bubbled into his thoughts. "Hey, hold still for a sec." She looked at him quizzically, but acquiesced. "Now I figured I'll give you the heads up before I do anything. I'm going to give your wing a look over and check it with my magic. Healing spells are definitely not my forte, but I still had to learn the basics of it along with traditional field aid." She could feel her wing tingle as he slowly extended his aura around it.

She gently removed the bandages from it to let him look at it, biting her bottom lip and wincing as he extended it to check it, "O-ow.." She muttered, her ears flicking back as she looked around the area. It was... strangely peaceful. Maybe they were closer than she expected? Most of the other animals tended to avoid this area when the birds were nesting so it felt both weird and how it should be. But why did she get a weird feeling in the pit of her stomach just standing here..?

Suddenly her ears shot up before she flipped around him and pinned him to the ground, wincing a bit as a large fireball shot past them overhead. As it passed over she panted softly, her eyes closed as she quickly flapped her wings, despite the pain in both of them now before she rolled off of him and slammed them into the ground, the pain growing as the flames dispersed.

She didn't have a lot of time before the next fireball shot out so she pulled the gem from her pack and offered it to him, "Levitate it into the sunlight!" she ordered, heaving the stallion back onto his feet with her shoulder, "Quickly!"

Confused by the sudden change in atmosphere, his mind hesitated for a moment, but his body did not, his horn catching the gem in his magic and lifting it up. A beam of sunlight pierced the canopy and ignited the crystal with brilliant light, a beacon for anything that looked their way. Not hearing the sound of impending immolation, he extended his magic further into his bags to prepare a few of the items he had brought with him for the inevitable encounter, all the while keeping the fire ruby aloft.

After a few minutes a very large flame colored bird landed in front of them, it's yellow eyes scanning over them before it spread it's wings with a loud screech. Twisted flinched a bit but bowed her head as it left, a relieved and pained sigh escaping her lungs before she looked at him, "He's allowed us to stay," she said softly as she started walking ahead of him. "Please keep it levitated until we find a place to camp. The others need to know we have clearance," she spoke softly.

He nodded his accord, soft rustling coming from his bag as he shifted items around and mentally checked off his list of preparations. They moved some distance away, the fire ruby floating from sunbeam to sunbeam to signal their intent and safe passage. Eventually, a suitable clearing for camping presented itself and they began setting up camp.

Vermillion levitated out a relatively long cord and set about tying the fire ruby it in, the tied to other end to a bough that extended over their heads, letting the crystal hang above them in the sun. Now that he could focus on other tasks, he immediately set about securing firewood. Phoenixes were comfortable around a healthy fire, so first step would be to make one to just the right size. The notes of his pre-trip research floated along next to him as he searched the nearby brush for suitable fuel.

She watched him leave as she set out her blanket and started making a shelter above it, trying to move her wings as little as possible, the feathers falling to the ground around her, charred and damaged. She sighed softly; this trip was fun even with the injuries. She had never been brave enough to come out here to this area around mating season alone.

After setting up camp and building a fire pit for his firewood she laid down on the blanket, using the other one she had as a pillow and closed her eyes. Today was exhausting and painful. Just another camping trip, she mused. She chuckled slightly as she heard his hoofbeats heading back just before she finally drifted to sleep.

He quickly set about building a fire of the perfect size. He had carefully chosen wood that would burn sweet smoke. The smell would appease their senses, and the fire would make them feel more at home. The fire ruby was the icing on the cake, although he still had one more card to play when the time came.

He finally got the first pieces arrayed and lit his horn, a jet of blue-white flame jumping from the tip of his horn into the bit and starting the fire. He laid out the extra firewood a short distance away, and carefully tended the growing fire. As he worked, he spared glanced towards Twisted where she rested.

As soon as he was satisfied that the fire would burn merrily without him, he made his way quietly over to Twisted. Without touching her, he extended his magic across her wings, a murmur escaping her lips. He paused for a moment to let her settle before resuming. There was some pretty severe bruising, and a bone or two might have cracked, but there was no significant break as far as he could tell. He quietly sat on his haunches next to her and prepared for the tricky part.

The combat medicine he had learned was mostly the kind pegasi and earth ponies used. Knitting together damaged flesh and bone was something very few unicorns had the fine control to learn, let alone master. He had, however, used his love of reading and experience with research to study alternatives. One such method relied less on conscious magical precision and more on the mental state of the caster. He tapped his years of experimenting with meditation and slowly lulled himself into a zen state of listlessness, birdsong fading to the back of his consciousness as he focused on the steady, inaudible thrum of energy in his mind and horn. It was like getting lost in reading. It would not truly heal injury, but as he let his mind find harmony it suffused his magic, and thus her wing. It brought a warm, comfortable numbness, like those moments as the mind awakens in the morning, and triggered the natural healing of the body.

He spent over a dozen minutes simply sitting there, holding the magic and letting energy flow from his core, through his horn, and into her wing. After roughly twenty minutes had ticked by, he sighed and slowly and smoothly stopped the flow of magic as he exhaled a deep breath. He felt almost bone tired now, the previous day's exertions and his abuse of magic over the past couple days leaving him weary. A quick rifle through his pack found a peppermint in his mouth, and after tending the fire for a few moments, he laid out his blanked and folded his scarf into a pillow, laying himself down facing the fire, and let his mind wander as he watched the dancing flames.

It didn't take long for the sun to completely set, the ruby above them glowing faintly from the firelight below. The forest was calm and mostly quiet  aside from the cooing of the birds above them and the rustling of branches, peaceful for once.

Twisted stirred just after sunset, yawning a bit as she opened her eyes and looked around drowsily, "Mmn... where..?" She muttered before her memory came back and she laid her head back down on her "pillow" and looked over at him, "Hey there..."

Having fallen into a light field sleep, he woke as soon as he heard her voice, offering her a yawn in reply. "Hey, how's your wing feeling?" He shuffled over to the fire and tended the dying embers, stoking them and adding fresh sticks to keep it burning. No sign of a phoenix yet, but it was getting pretty dark, so they were likely getting to sleep.

"It feels a bit better. The burns aches a bit but nothing to be done about that till we get home." She yawned in return of his yawn, burying her head into the blanket with a small groan, "Ughhh." She grumbled, shuffling over to her bag and grabbing a couple apples, tossing him one, then two. She looked up into the trees as she took a bite from her own, smiling a bit as a streak of fire flew across from one tree to the other, "Pretty birds."

He glanced upwards and caught sight of one as it swooped from tree to tree. Well, maybe they were not asleep quite yet. His eyes reflected the embers that trailed in its wake, serene wonder written on his contented features. "So how exactly do we convince them to come down to us?" he asked as he levitated a small foil pouch from his saddlebags and placed it near the fire. "I have a feeling they're rather picky about the company they keep. Are they even going to be awake for much longer?" He took a bite from one of the apples, eliciting a satisfied hum at the refreshing taste.

She looked over at him and smiled, "Well the fire was a good start," she replied, sighing in contentment as she watched a few of the other birds do the same as the one before, "and they like to eat flame poppies." She looked over at him before glancing around their campsite. No such luck. "Well..." She paused for a minute, thinking it through, "We could probably find some around here if you can use your horn as a light."

He gave her a conspiratorial grin as he shook the foil container. "Flame poppy seeds. I did a bit of research ahead of time." He cracked it open and faint wisps of smoke curled upwards. "These came from ember poppies in Canterlot. They're a domestic breed. Earth ponies grow them and unicorns nurture the seeds and cause them to bloom. A bit of spellfire should get the seeds right where they like 'em."

Twisted smirked a bit. "Then why ask?" She stuck her tongue out at him before looking over her wings. There were minor burns but the bruises and the cracking noise were gone. The only thing left was preening. She frowned. She hated doing that.

"Hey, I did my research, but I figured you have more experience. Should we try to do something now or wait until morning? I know most birds are morning critters, but maybe they like long nights and sleeping in like me." He laid back down dramatically to emphasize his point.

Twisted smirked a bit as she watched the birds move from tree to tree before everything settled down. He was probably right. Not to mention the off chance they get angry with them for waking them even if it is to feed. "Morning would probably be best. After all, Celestia has one. I gotta assume they're daytime birds." she chuckled as she relaxed on her blanket and idly began preening her charred feathers, sighing softly at the tedious work, "Well, looks like I won't be flying anytime soon but... It's not burned off at least?"

"Well, if something comes up on the way back, we'll be ready this time." He gave her a confident smirk. "In the mean time, we should probably get our sleep while we can. We'll want our energy up for the return trip." He shifted a few pieces of wood around in the fire and placed a few more on. "I'll make sure the fire isn't a problem. I'll tend it when I get up some time for a whiz later tonight." With that he rolled over, stretched, and got comfortable. "Rest easy, Twisted."

She now had plenty of time to herself to preen and take in their adventure up to this point, her thoughts accompanied by the occasional phoenix call and flash of fire overhead.

She yawned, picking the damaged feathers from her wings before settling in for the night. She watched the flames dance in front of her, almost calmed by them as she closed her eyes. What a trip this had been. She finally told somepony about her parents and he was a royal guard no less! But she did not feel scared of going back. He could have sent a message to his superiors and she would not have even noticed, though... An uneasy feeling settled in her stomach. Had he? She would not have blamed him if he had. He was laying around a campfire with a murderer.

She flinched as the word passed her thoughts. Murderer. Why couldn't she just rationalize it was the thing around her neck's fault? The cursed object glinted in the firelight as she opened her eyes to look at it. Why had she picked it up? She could have left it alone, maybe fallen in love and lived a long and beautiful life with her parents, but no. She had to be the curious little brat she always had been.

She remembered finding it. It looked so cool to her. Even when she got bullied for wearing it every day on top of her already usual beatings for her eyes and oversized bandana. She could not help how she was born so why did it matter to anypony else? She frowned, closing her eyes tight as she felt the anxiety boil in the back of her mind. No. Not now. Not tonight. She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, feeling the shiver slowly die down as she relaxed herself. Why were her emotions tied to the damn thing?

It was some time into the night when her thoughts were interrupted by a yawn. Vermillion groggily rose and wandered off into the brush nearby, and after the trickling noise had stopped he sauntered back over to the fire and added bits of wood, tending it and making sure it was still burning merrily. He glanced over to check on Twisted and noted that she was still awake, staring listlessly into the fire.

"Hey, I thought I told you to get some sleep." She did not immediately respond. "Well," he said, looking up, "judging by the canopy you weren't up stargazing, so you must have been up thinking, and I've seen that broody expression on my own mug enough to know that something's eating you." He made his way over to her, levitating his belongings over so they rested side by side facing the fire. "What's on your mind? Bit for your thoughts," he added with a grin.

Twisted jumped a bit when she heard him settle next to her, her eyes moving from the fire to him before she smiled a bit, replying, "Sorry... I kinda got lost." She shook her head as she stared at the fire again."Ya know..." she started, biting her lip as she paused, unsure whether or not to share.

Eh... Buck it. A little late to be sparing the details.

"...I didn't tell anypony about that," she said softly, her eyes falling to watch the ground. "I just wonder if I should have kept it to myself or not." she glanced at him to see his reaction, a soft sigh crossing through her lips. "I know you're royal guard... That has to be bugging you."

He paused for a moment. In truth, it had kind of bothered him a little, but he had anticipated something like this happening, so he had reached back to a fond memory and drew upon the strength someone special had granted him a long time ago.

"Well..." he began, "that's true I suppose. Plus I'm still a little foggy on the details. That being said." He abruptly stood, moving to stand between her and the fire. In a flash, his sword was out of its sheath and floating next to him. He saw a brief flash of gold in response, but pressed on. With a flourish, he brought the blade tip-down into the earth, firmly planting the sword vertically before him as he snapped to attention, eyes on the distant horizon.

"On my blade and my honor as a guard, I give you my oath. For your aid in my quest and your displays of valor, from this day forth you may always count me as both ally," he paused, his gaze meeting hers and his voice softening, "and friend. May you strike me down with my blade should I lie," he finished somberly, but with a smile.

Twisted stared up at him, feeling her face get hot before she coughed, clearing her throat and looking to the side, "W-Well... I... Uh..." she stammered, not really sure how to respond to such a claim. What the buck was she supposed to say? She buried her blushing red face into her blanket, whining a bit as her wings folded around her.

Yup. She cloistered.

Oh. Oh man. This is priceless. He had been as genuine as possible, but now she was all flustered. It was too cute!

He chided himself internally. This was not helping sort things out, amusing as it was. So he resumed his usual demeanor and plopped back down next to her, sword still planted before her. He could count the number of true oaths he had made in his life on his hooves, so to say he meant it would be an understatement. Now, he just had to give her time to figure it out.

"Now that that's out of the way, I'm pretty sure you know where I stand." Being cheeky never gets old.

She looked over at him through what remained of her feathers, pouting a bit. "Y-Yeah... But... If Celestia f-found out..?" She mumbled into her hooves, still avoiding his eyes. She still struggled to speak properly. He found that spot that just stopped her voice. Such a claim was new to her and she still could not work through it very well. Even coming from an aristocratic upbringing, no pony had spoken to her like that before.

"We'll cross that bridge if we come to it. Besides, I like to think I'm a decent judge of character, and you're somepony I'd like to keep around if I can. I only met her once when I finished training, but she didn't strike me as the type to just throw ponies away." He paused to let his words sink in.

"Besides, she was happy to help her sister after she tried to plunge the whole world into eternal darkness and started a war! Come on now, really. Plus she's probably very familiar with obscure magic. Actually, doesn't Princess Twilight Sparkle live in Ponyville? She's Her Highness's student and an expert on magic to boot. Guard rumor mill said she tangled with some big bad in the Crystal Empire a while back, lots of dark magic involved." He stopped to gather his thoughts again. "I guess I'm rambling now," he finished as he rubbed a hoof on the back of his head.

She smiled softly, shaking her head, "The princess... is looking into it but I couldn't tell her everything. I was scared." She paused, touching the object tentatively, "Besides, even Dissy doesn't quite know how to fix it." She sighed, pulling it to her chest as she reflected on what her friend had told her, "Something like... While this is from his era he doesn't exactly remember where it came from or what it was used for."

A few minutes of contemplation passed before she yawned softly, the sleeplessness leaving her as she closed her eyes and gently leaned on him, "Thanks," she mumbled, settling in for the night as she quickly drifted off against her trusted companion.

He stiffened a bit at the contact, feeling the heat rise across his muzzle, before he simply rolled his eyes and smiled, settling in himself to enjoy the rest of the night. He watched the flames lick up towards the canopy. He had always had a bit of a thing for fire, and the swirling patterns lulled him back to sleep, resting against Twisted as she rested against him. He looked over her one more time, briefly watching her rest peacefully for the first time since their departure, then decided he should be joining her and laid his head down, eyes sliding closed. The night continued on, the sounds of insects and the spitting of roasting timber the lullaby of the outdoors.