Evergreen Heart

Chapter 21
Must be Tuesday.

It was a morning like any other in the shining city of Canterlot. Ponies went about their business with little care, until the morning paper arrived. That's when the gossiping began, the conspiracy theories came out, and a couple of unhinged ponies started pronouncing the end times on street corners while standing on soap boxes.

Willow Vine was lying on a bench in the Canterlot park, reading a book and doing her best to pay no attention to any of it. A nearby tree provided some shade from the sun as it crept across the morning sky. Occasionally she would glance about before returning to her story. The park itself was relatively quiet with only the occasional groups or individual pony passing through. Most often they were parents with their kids. The bench creaked slightly as another pony sat down beside her. She instantly knew who it was without looking up from her book.

“It seems we may have a problem Zizix.”

“I assume you are referring to the phenomenon last night general? It’s in all the papers.”

“That was no mere phenomenon Zizix, that was one of princess Luna’s great spells. The same spell that she used in the border skirmish of sixty seven AD against Dragon Lord Pyroclastic.”

“I’ve never heard of that battle.”

“Few have, because there were no survivors to tell of it. That spell obliterated Pyroclastics forces in a single stroke.”

A mare and er foal passed them by. The little colt was running after some butterflies, laughing all the way. They both sat silently until the pair had passed out of sight.

“Wait, if there were no survivors then how do you…”

“You know better than to ask such questions Zizix.” he interrupted her. There was an edge to his voice that brooked no arguments

“...Yes sir.... So, what do we do? Does this change our plans?”

“Yes and no. Things will still go ahead as planned, but we will have to resort to more, devious tactics.”

“More devious than usual you mean?”

“Naturally. We will ensure that the night princess is out of the way when we strike. And we will need to acquire some, leverage.”

“How sir, and what leverage?”

“Do not worry about that. You have one task and one task only, and it is crucial. If you fail, then win or lose, we are both dead. Victory is life, failure…”

“Is oblivion, yes Sir.”

“I trust you have already located them?”

“Celestia keeps one near her throne. The other I have not yet been able to locate, it’s definitely in the palace, so it’s just a matter of time. Thanks to my comings and goings as a noble I will be able to scout and map the layout of the palace in detail and create a map from memory. With those plans in hoof I will be able to devise an optimal approach as well as several exit strategies and contingencies. I should be able to secure both and make my escape amidst the chaos without any problems.”

“Good, you have until the end of harvest season; so be thorough. It will take at least that long to get everything else in place unseen. But once things are in motion there is no more room for error or delay. Remember that.”

“Understood sir.”

“Celestia is shrewd. No official blueprints of the palace exist anywhere. She must have destroyed them right after its construction was finished to keep its secrets out of enemy hooves.” He mused.

“I, could use some backup, just in case Sir. As a contingency.” She suddenly spoke up.

He was silent for a moment as he studied her.

“Do you doubt your own skills Zizix?”

“No Sir, but as you always remind me, it never hurts to have a backup to your backup. Layers within layers, plans within plans.”

“I do keep saying that don’t I. Very well, I will send Thrax to assist you. But no more, lest you draw attention to yourselves.”

“Of course Sir, and thank you.”

“You can thank me by succeeding, Zizix. The future of us all depends on it.” He said as he got up off the bench and casually walked away. Nopony paid either of them any attention. Just as planned.

***************

“♫ Sharing kindness, it’s an easy feat, and magic makes it all complete. ♫”

“Trixie swears, if you do not desist with that song, Trixie will hurt you.”

“Oh come on, I’ve always sucked at singing because I didn’t have the voice for it. But now thanks to this form I can alter my voice and actually sing without shattering every piece of glass within a mile.”

“And yet you use this talent to sing the most annoying songs possible.”

“It’s not that bad.”

“Its insipid.”

“You are just jealous of my gift.”

“Trixie might be, if you actually sang something worth listening to.”

“Fine, fine I’ll sing something else. Everypony is a critic these days.” I said with a smirk.

“And none of these ‘cartoon’ themes you kept going on about yesterday.”

“Hey, some of those are darn catchy.”

“You said yourself they are aimed at colts and fillies.”

“Doesn’t make em any less awesome.”

“You are an eternal child.”

“Guilty as charged. I’d rather be childish on occasion and enjoy myself than try to be an adult,” I said whilst making air-quotes with my hooves “and be miserable all the time.”

It’s kind of true, I embrace my inner child as much as I can. Just because you are technically an adult doesn’t mean you have to give up everything you enjoyed when you were a kid. Comic books and cartoons are a perfect example. But I digress.

We kept on bantering all the while we walked. It still surprised me how quickly we had gotten to this level of familiarity and interaction. I’m not usually very good at making friends, yet Trixie and I got along quite well. I dare say I got along better with her than I do with Zecora. And in a fraction of the time. Maybe its because of the danger we faced last night. They do say that such shared experiences create strong bonds between people. Well I for one have no objections to that. As I said before, Trixie is a nice girl when she lets go of her haughty stage persona. Though she can be a bit of a nag. But then we all have our pet peeves. Apparently my choice of songs is one of hers. But if I’m totally honest, it’s kinda fun trying to get a rise out of her.

“By the way Trixie, there's something I've been meaning to ask.”

“What’s that?”

“Do you know any illusion spells.”

“A few minor ones, the smoke and mirrors spell for example. What do you need an illusion spell for though?”

“Can you cast one on my eyes, make them look like a normal pony?” I said whilst pointing at my glowing green orbs.

“Trixie can certainly try.” she said as she charged her horn.

A flash and a zap later and I blinked one eye, then the other.

“Did it work?”

“See for yourself.” She said as she conjured up a small hoof mirror.

I peered into it, and found two regular sky blue eyes staring back at me.

“Nice work. They look perfect.”

“The great and powerful Trixie accepts your praise. By all means, tell us more.”

“Whoa, watch where you swing that ego Trix, you might hit somepony.”

“S-shut up, stupid.” She said with a blush. I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Stop laughing at Trixie.” She said self consciously.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable.”

She glared at me for a little while before she relented. “It’s alright.”

I gave her a gentle bump with my hip and we both smiled. No harm done.

“So how long does the illusion last?”

“It’s a simple spell that doesn't require a lot of energy. It will fade in half a day or so unless actively dispelled before then.”

“Can you teach me how to do that?”

“Trixie doesn't know. Your magic isn’t like a pony after all. But Trixie can certainly try to teach the basics.”

“That’s all I ask.”

We had made good time after we set out late this morning. I had once more assumed my earth pony disguise as we traveled. I wanted to attract as little attention as possible today. None of us had really slept all too well after last nights adventure. I suppose we could have stayed another day and recuperate, but frankly neither Trixie nor I really wanted to stick around any longer than we had to.

It’s not like we felt unwelcome, on the contrary. After we returned Melody Star to her parents and witnessed their tearful reunion they practically threw themselves at our hooves ( or feet in my case ) and showered us with thanks. I really didn’t feel comfortable with two ponies prostrating themselves before me and singing their eternal gratitude. Luna looked about as uncomfortable as I felt, begging them to rise and waving away their thanks. Claiming we only did what was expected of us. What was right to do. And she was correct of course. Even Trixie looked embarrassed by the attention, and she will be the first to admit she will normally bask in it any chance she gets.

Still there was no mistaking the gratitude and admiration in Swift Wind and Peachy Plums eyes when they looked at Luna. I could tell that despite her embarrassment, Luna was touched. And It will do her reputation a world of good if the story spreads across the populace. It’s time for them all to start seeing Luna for what she is. A valiant defender who stands watch during the night so that ponies may sleep in comfort, instead of a shadowy monster to be feared. Saving a young fillies life will go a long way to mending her reputation. Just have to give it time I suppose, her day will come. And I must admit I’m looking forward to this year’s Nightmare Night. It will be the first time Luna will appear in public since her return. I’m glad that’s one event I won't miss.

Luna had left half of her troops behind, before teleporting herself and the others back to Canterlot. She would have liked to stay, but duty and all that. Personally I think she just wanted to get away because the unceasing shower of gratitude was making her feel embarrassed. Trixie and myself had said our goodbyes to everyone less than an hour after we got up this morning. As promised I did help Peachy with her vegetable garden, despite her protests. She kept insisting we owed her nothing after saving little Melody. But we made a deal, and was going to stick to it. Not in the least because I have my own reputation to work on. And sticking to my promises is a good first step.

I was snapped from my thoughts by Trixie talking to me.

“Sorry what was that? I was kinda lost in thought there for a moment.”

“Trixie was wondering if you would mind answering a few more questions.”

“What about?”

“Well Trixie is curious about you. About the world you came from and those that live there.”

“I suppose I can answer a few more questions.”

“Great. So what are you creatures like?”

“Well…. I suppose we aren’t that different from ponies. We are a social species. We have families, friends. We laugh, we cry, we love. We read and write books, make music; we go to school, and when we’re older we work jobs. Life on my world is not all that dissimilar from Equestria. Though ponies are a lot more peaceful than humans. While most humans are normally very peaceful on average, we can be rather aggressive or territorial at times. I suppose it’s a trait we inherited from our ancient ancestors.”

“I see, sounds a lot like griffons to me.”

“You know, the princesses said the same thing to me once.”

“Is there anything you miss from your world?”

“Lots of things. Most of all I miss my family and my dog.”

“You have dogs in your world?”

“Oh yes. A lot of creatures that exist in my world also exist here. Cows, chickens, dogs, cats. Though Equestria also has a lot of creatures that are only found in mythology on mine. You yourself would be considered a creature of myth.”

“How is Trixie a myth?”

“You are a Unicorn. Unicorns do not exist in my world. They are creatures of myth, described as wild woodland creatures of grace and beauty who can only be tamed by a virgin, and whose horn is said to be able to make poisoned water potable and cure any sickness.”

“Hah, what rubbish, nopony can tame Trixie, virgin or otherwise.”

“Yeah it’s pretty much a load of nonsense, but they got one thing right.”

“What's that?”

“That unicorns are very beautiful.”

Trixie blushed furiously. “W-what? Are you f-flirting with Trixie?”

“Just making an observation is all.”

Oh don’t give me that look. You can’t deny that these ponies are beautiful and cute as a bagful of puppies.

“W-well, keep your opinions to yourself, stupid.” She said as she trotted past me. And it could just be my imaginations, but I was fairly certain she put just a bit more sway into her steps.

“Well, time for some more singing.”

“This song better not be stupid.” she grunted, but I had already started singing.

“♫ Pink fluffy unicorns, dancing on rainbows. Pink fluffy unicorns, dancing on rainbows. ♫“

That’s when she conked me in the head with a pinecone.

*****************

Luna entered the private dining room she and her sister used. After everything that happened she was looking forward to a good meal and a good day’s sleep. She had just been served a plate of eggs when the double doors swung open to admit Celestia.

“Good morning to thee my dear sister.” She greeted her.

“You can leave out the good part Luna.”

“Oh? Has something occurred?”

“Don’t play innocent with me Luna.” She said agitatedly as she tossed a newspaper on the table. On the front page was a picture of the moon, a beam of light shooting downwards.

“That picture was taken last night by a tourist in Manehattan, and it’s not the only one. I hear reports from all over Equestria of ponies witnessing the same. This was your doing was it not?”

“Well of course, we are the mistress of the moon once more after all.”

“Then would you care to explain why in harmony’s name you felt it necessary to use that particular spell last night. What could have possibly warranted that?”

“We were simply doing a bit of pest control sister. To keep our citizens safe.”

“Pest control? Pest control! I would hardly classify the use of a quantum level spell pest control. Just what in the world is going on Lulu?”

“If thou would just calm thyself a moment sister then perhaps we can explain in detail.”

Celestia sat down stiffly and motioned one of the servants for a cup of tea. “I am listening.”

Over the course of breakfast Luna told Celestia of what had transpired the night before. She explained how she caught the distress signal from Trixie, and rallied her guard. How they had fought the spider swarm, then followed them to the nest to retrieve those victims who were still alive. And how she eradicated the nest afterwards with the Stella Magna spell.

“So you see dear sister, pest control. We simply used the most expedient way to destroy the nest and prevent further harm to our beloved subjects.”

Celestia rubbed her eyes with a hoof. “Luna this is serious. Your actions caught the attention of nearly everyone. I received messages from the rulers of every neighboring kingdom and more.”

“Every one?”

“Every, single, one.” Celestia said as she summoned forth a stack of scrolls bearing various royals seals.

“Queen Marijani of Zebrica.” She said as she tossed a scroll on the table in front of Luna. Instead of ribbon it was held together with a string of colorful beads.

“Goddard Gudrun, King of Griffonia.” with a flourish she added a roll of dark parchment with an intricate wax seal.

“Dragon Lord Torch.” A scroll that had more in common with a throw rug of rough animal hide joined the others.

“Fujiwara, Empress of Neighpon.” she continued, and a delicate scroll of bamboo joined the pile.

“Sultan Tarak Majid of Saddle Arabia.” A silk wrapped scroll joined the rest.

“I even received a missive from the Caribou King, Isbrytare, demanding to know what was going on. Equestria hasn’t had contact with their kingdom since his father, King Glaciäris passed away four-hundred moons ago. Do you see how serious this is?”

“What… what do we do?” Luna asked uncertain.

“For now, you, do nothing, while I run damage control.”

“But..”

“Lulu, please. Please understand, I’m not angry with you. On the contrary, I commend your efforts in protecting our citizens. But you can not use spells of that magnitude so recklessly.”

“We were not being reckless sister.” She said hotly.

“Poor choice of words on my part, please, forgive me. But my point is that such powerful spells will draw unwanted attention and cause unrest with the other rulers.”

“They have nothing to fear from us.”

“You and I know that, but they don’t see it that way. You must understand, the world today is not like it was a thousand years ago, their lands are not as peaceful as Equestria. Some of them have been in conflict with each other, on and off for centuries. And now, after a millennium, a powerful player has returned to the field. To them you are an unknown factor to whatever plans and political machinations they have going on. They are bound to be on edge.”

Celestia sighed. “Add to that the fact that some of their subjects are superstitious sort, especially the caribou and the Zebra. Seeing the effect of your spell could be interpreted as a sign or omen by some of them. And not always a benign one. Even some our own more, excitable citizens are causing a ruckus. Until things settle down I need you to lay low.”

Luna didn’t like it, but she could not deny that Celestia had a point.

“We see your point sister, however, we refuse to just sit in the shadows and do nothing. We want to do more, play an active role in the lives of our subjects again. We want them to see that we have changed, that we are not some powermad boogeymare of yore they need to fear.”

“I understand Luna, but you must take it slow. You have only been back for a short while. Give everypony some time to get used to you again. Why not make an official appearance at the gala next month? It will give you a chance to mingle with ponies. In the meantime I will give a statement to the papers and tell them your story of what transpired last night.”

Luna nodded. “Alright Tia, we shall play it thy way for now.” She did not mind Celestia dealing with the papers, she never did like journalists.

“And should you feel the need to leap to some pony’s defence again, please try to be less overt, okay?” Celestia said with a smile and a wink that took the sting out of the rebuke.

Luna gave her a smile back. “Alright sister, now if you would please excuse us, we are in need of sleep.”

“Of course sister, pleasant dreams.”

As Luna left the dining room her thoughts returned to her sister's words.

‘Less overt my dear sister? Oh I can certainly manage that.’ she thought with a sly grin.

*****************

‘Welcome to Ponyville, the friendliest town in Equestria.’ The sign read. Huh, I wonder when they put that one up. The simple road sign was sitting next to the main road into town, about a hundred yards out. It had taken us the better part of the day to get here. Fortunately the last leg of the trip proved to be dull and uneventful.

“Well, we’re here.” Trixie said and swallowed hard.

“Nervous?”

“Trixie? Nervous? Don’t be absurd…… okay yes, I’m so nervous I’m about to toss my cookies all over this sign.” she said whilst prancing on the spot.

“Hey hey hey, calm down Trixie.” I put a reassuring hoof on her withers. “It’s going to be fine. I’m with you. Just have to slip into something more comfortable.”

As I said so I assumed my centaur form. In this form I was about a head taller than Trixie and would certainly catch ponies eye before she did.

“Alright, let's go find the library. If anypony knows what happened to your stuff it’s probably Twilight.”

We casually strolled into town as if nothing was out of the ordinary. The town was relatively quiet with most of the hustle and bustle centered around the market square where most of the populous was doing their afternoon shopping. At first none of them seemed to react to us, but once the first few caught wind of our presence a murmur spread through the crowd. Some looked confused, others scared, and a few looked angry. None of them actively got in our way though, so we chose to simply ignore them for now. It didn’t take long for us to reach the Golden Oak library. A short rapp on the door saw it swiftly answered by Spike.

“Oh hey, it’s you.” He said as he saw me.

“Hey Spike, how is the coolest dragon in Equestria doing today?”

“Ah shucks, I’m doing great.” That’s when he noticed Trixie and his demeanor changed, “What’s she doing here?”

“She’s with me Spike.” Trixie gave a silent wave of her hoof by way of greeting.

“And you are hanging out with her because...?” he asked while giving her a distrustful glare.

“Because she’s a friend, so please don’t be rude to her, she’s not as bad as you think. And if you let us come in, you’ll eventually come to see that too.”

He seemed to mull it over for a moment. “Alright you guys can come in, but no funny business.”

“Scouts honour, Spike.”

“What?”

“Nevermind, it’s just a stupid expression. Is Twilight around?”

“Actually she’s out for a bit. She should be back later.”

“Then I guess we’ll wait here, we have something to ask her. Or perhaps you know?”

“About what?”

“My wagon.” Trixie replied, “Do you know what happened to it?”

“That broken thing? I dunno, you’ll have to ask Twilight.”

I sighed. “I suspected as much. Thanks anyway.”

“Soooo… how did you two meet up?” Spike asked as he went to make some tea.

“Long story, if you have the time we can tell you all about it.”

“I got nothing better to do, so spill.”

“Well… we met up on the road after I Left Canterlot. You see what happened was….”

So we told Spike of our adventure. To say the little drake was surprised would be an understatement. It also earned Trixie some respect. Spike even went as far as to offer her an apology for his part in the whole debacle that led to the ursa minor incident, even though all he really did was stand up for Twilight. But hey it made the little guy feel better and it cleared the air between him and Trixie, so it’s all good right? After that we just talked about nothing important for some time. Eventually Spike and I got into another comic and cartoon debate. Oddly enough even Trixie joined in on the argument. I had honestly expected her to try and ignore us as we got into this. Boy was I wrong. Turns out she used to be an avid reader of Professor Weird, who is kind of like the pony version of Doctor Strange. I swear the multiverse is just crazy sometimes. Anyhow, that was the scene Twilight walked in on.

“And that, is why Transformers are awesome.” I said vehemently.

“Sentient golems that change into everyday objects in order to blend into society and fight some secret war over resources? What nonsense.” Trixie scoffed.

“I hate to agree with her, but that does sound ridiculous. The Power Ponies are way cooler. Besides, what sort of name is Optimus Prime? That’s just weird.”

I let out a gasp “You are speaking great heresy young dragon!”

“Am… I interrupting something?” Twilight asked mildly confused.

“Twilight, you’re back.” Spike said as he got up and gave her a brief hug.

“Hey Twi, we were just having a passionate debate about our favorite fictional characters. “ I said by way of greeting.

“I see…. and what is she doing here?“ she said while waving a hoof at Trixie.

“She’s with me, and she’s also why we’re here. We have a question.”

“What kind of question?”

“The great and powerful Trixie demands to know what you have done with her wagon, Twilight Sparkle.” Trixie said as she got in Twilight’s face.

“Whoa there nelly. What did we talk about earlier?” I said as I unceremoniously pulled Trixie back by the tail. “What Trixie means, is we were wondering if you perhaps know what became of her wagon after she fled Ponyville.”

“Well, it was pretty wrecked so we had it recycled.”

Trixie’s face fell.

“What about her belongings?”

“Oh, those we kept in storage. A few ponies wanted to chuck it all in the trash, but I figured Trixie might want some of it back at some point.”

Trixie’s face lit up with new hope. “See what did I tell you?”

She let out an overly dramatic sigh. “Yes yes, you were right, Trixie was wrong.”

She then turned to Twilight. “Trixie would.. like to start over with you, Twilight Sparkle.”

Twilight smiled slightly. “Well, I guess I can do that much.”

“Now can you take Trixie to where her belongings are kept?” Trixie said with gusto, getting in Twilight’s face once again, but this time out of enthusiasm instead of anger.

“Yes?” Twi said uncertainly.

“Great! Let’s go.”

“You two go ahead, I have something else to do. Meet you back here later?”

“Sounds good to me.” Trixie said, practically dragging twilight out the door. Spike just watched the whole scene with a bemused expression.

“Catch you later Spike.” I said as i stepped outside too.

“Where are you going?”

“To keep a promise.”

***************

“Ah told you this was a bad idea.” Apple Bloom grumbled as they made their way back to the cutie mark crusader clubhouse.

“Yeah yeah.” Scootaloo sighed.

“Why is it we always end up covered in tree sap when we try these outdoor activities?” Sweetie Belle moaned.

“The cutie mark crusaders covered in tree sap, is it tuesday already?”

“Who said that?” Scootaloo asked, whipping her head around to try and pinpoint the origin of the voice.

“That would be me.” I said as I stepped out from the shadow of an apple tree.

“Aeron!” Apple Bloom yelled excitedly.

“In the flesh, bark, whatever… yeah it's me.” I said with a shrug and a grin.

“When did y’all get to ponyville?”

“Earlier this afternoon. I figured it was high time to make good on that promise I made you all those months ago. I hope this isn’t a bad time.”

“Nah, just give us a moment to clean up.” She said as they pulled out some buckets of clean water and started washing the sap, pine needles and leaves out of their fur.

“That looks painful.” I said as I watched them pluck the needles from their fur.

“You kinda get used to it. Considering how often this seems to happen to us.” Scoot said.

“What were you girls doing anyway?”

“Hang gliding , but we sort of crashed into the trees.”

“That explains the sap. Are you girls sure you should be trying such dangerous sports?”

“It's fine. We’re tougher than we look.”

“Can't argue with that.”

Sweetie Belle was the first to finish washing up. While AB and Scoot continued to scrub and pluck she cautiously walked over to me.

“Can… I ask you a question?” she said unsurely.

“Of course you can, Sweetie belle. So long as you don't ask me to explain where foals come from. I ain't touching that question with a ten foot pole.”

“Nah we already know the answer to that one.”

“Really?”

“Fluttershy explained to us where baby animals come from, and that it works pretty much the same for foals.”

“Huh.” that was surprisingly mature. “Well alright then, what’s the question?

“Why do you look like that?” she waved a hoof at me.

“What? You mean like a centaur?”

“Uhuh.”

“Is that what it's called?” Scoot said.

“Thats right.” I replied.

“Sheesh Sweetie Belle, you really are a dictionary and a walking trivia book.”

“I am not.”

“Come on girls don’t argue alright. And to answer your question Sweetie, It’s for convenience mostly.”

“How is it convenient?”

“Well, unlike you girls I can't grab things with my hooves. Whatever natural abilities you ponies have for grasping things doesn't work for me when i take on a pony shape, so i use this form instead. Since it gives me hands.”

“Hands?” Asked Apple Bloom.

“These.” I said while wiggling my fingers a bit

“They kinda look like claws.”

“Sort of, but unlike claws I don’t have sharp nails or talons like Spike does.”

“It kinda look like a Minotaur's, your upper body I mean.”

“We have a few things in common, they and I.”

“Is that what you looked like before you became a plant creature?” Scootaloo asked.

“Sort of. My original species is bipedal, much like minotaurs. Except we have feet instead of hooves.”

“What are feet?”

“Like what spike has, but again without sharp nails.”

“I see.”

“What do you eat?” Sweetie asked.

“Parasprites mostly. When I feel the need to eat that is.”

“No no, I meant before.”

“Oh you know, pretty much anything. Humans, as my original species are called are omnivores.”

“Wait, so that means that aside from vegetables, you eat meat, right.”

“Yes that right.”

“Uhm.. what sort of meat?” Scootaloo asked cautiously.

“Well…. Humans tend to eat a lot of different meats. Cow, Chicken, Fish, Horse, Game…”

“Wait, back up. Your species eats pony meat.”

“Some of us do, yes.”

“Have… have you ever…”

“Honest answer? Yes, yes I have.”

They tensed up.

“Girls, relax. I’m not going to eat you. You have to understand, in my world, animals are not like they are in Equestria. They aren’t sapient like you all are. They can’t talk or think like you can. And I would never eat another sapient species. Besides, you girls are way to adorable to eat.”

“You promise not to eat us?”

“Pinkie promise. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” I said as I went through the motions. That seemed to seal the deal and they visibly relaxed. After all a Pinkie promise is pretty much akin to a holy oath.

“After all I came here because I wanted to be your friend. It wouldn’t do for me to eat my friends right? That is, if you still wanna be friends.”

“Of course.” they chorused.

“Great.”

“Hey mister Aeron?”

“Just Aeron is fine Sweetie. Calling me mister makes me feel like an old man.”

“Okay, Aeron, do humans have cutie marks?”

I shook my head. “No we sadly don’t. I wish it were that easy for us. You girls are very lucky you know.”

“No we’re not, we don’t have ours yet.” Apple Bloom said sourly.

“But you will get them eventually. And you will know what your special talent is. Humans can spend their whole life without ever discovering their special talent. I envy you girls because once you get your cutie marks you will know exactly what you are good at.”

“Well so far we seem to be no good at anything we try.” Said Scootaloo.

“Yeah we keep tryin’ and no matter what we can’t seem to get our cutie marks.” AB sighed.

‘Should I… ah what the heck. I’m sure it will be fine’ I thought.

“Have you girls ever considered that you might be doing it wrong?”

“Wrong how.” Sweetie squeaked.

“Think about it. A cutie mark signifies what a pony is good at right. It shows you what a pony loves to do.”

“Well sure, but there’s lots of things we like to do. How does that help.”

“Think of one thing, one thing that makes you feel good when doing it. The one thing you love doing more than anything in the world, even when you mess up you just try it again and again until you get it right. Something that you do when you feel sad to cheer yourself up, or something you do because it gives you a rush. Or simply because it makes yourself and others feel good. That is what you should focus on. Finding your special purpose isn’t simply about being good at something, but about feeling good about something. Once you find that, and you nurture it, that’s when your cutie mark will appear for sure.”

They stared at me for a moment.

“That’s actually pretty good advice.” Apple bloom said as she rubbed her chin with a thoughtful look in her eyes.

“You mean sappy advice.”

“Nothing wrong with a bit of sappiness once in awhile Scootaloo.” I grinned.

“For somepony without a cutiemark you give some pretty sound advice.” Said a voice behind us.

“Oh hey Big Mac, what brings you here?” I said as i turned around and spotted the big red stallion.

“Ah came to collect Apple Bloom, it's supper time.”

“Already?” She asked.

“Eeyup.”

“I guess you girls should run along then.”

“Aww but we wanted to talk some more.”

“We can do that tomorrow.” I said with a smile.

“Hey, maybe you could help us find our cutie marks.”

“We’ll see girls. Now run along, go on.”

“So how long were you standing out there big guy?” I asked once the girls were gone.

“Long enough to hear ya make that Pinkie promise.”

“I suppose this is the part where you tell me you’ll snap me in half if anything happens to them.” I said jokingly.

He said nothing.

“Don’t worry big guy, I’d sooner die than let anything happen to those three.”

“Ah’ll hold ya to that.”

“I’m a big brother myself. I know what it's like to worry about your little sister.”

“That so?”

“Eeyup. You have nothing to fear from me. As a matter of fact, I’d like to help out if I can.”

“Help how?”

“With some honest work and a touch of magic.”

“You’ll have to ask granny ‘bout that.”

“I can do that. Would it be alright if I dropped by tomorrow to discuss it?”

“Eeyup.”

“You mind if I linger here for a little while longer? It’s so nice and peaceful here in the orchard. I kinda just want to enjoy the sunset for a bit.”

“Nope. Take yer time.”

“Thanks big guy.”

He left without another word. Leaving me standing near the crusaders clubhouse. I watched the sun set slowly behind the trees. Enjoying the final rays of the day. I let my senses wander for a bit as I stood there. I could feel the life energy within the trees all around me. So calm and gentle, and for a moment i felt almost perfectly content to just stand there forever. Eventually the sun vanished beyond the horizon and I started my trek back to the library.