Blood Moon

Chapters

Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six

Chapter One

A thick mist slithered through the Everfree Forest like a serpent prowling through the night. Shadows clung to the trees and choked the underbrush beneath the stalwart luminance of the crescent moon. Innumerable stars bathed the firmament with the subtlety and grace of an artist’s masterpiece. However, while most of Equestria enjoyed the peaceful stillness of Luna’s demesne with a calm serenity, the dead silence of the Everfree was all but tranquil.

An unnatural darkness clung to the fog that permeated the forest floor. It was like a moss or a fungus that drained away whatever moonlight was snatched by the canopy and strangled the natural orchestra of the woods. There was not a single cricket serenading its obnoxious cousin, the cicada, or the gentle hoot of an owl hunting for its breakfast. There was no wind. There was only darkness – and silence. Cold, dead, silence.

Then the howling started.

A lithe form exploded from the bushes and galloped through the underbrush. Her pale coat was almost white beneath the dim moonlight, and the dense fog parted in the wake of her mad dash. She clenched her wings tightly against her barrel as she weaved through the foliage.

Fluttershy panted heavily. Each hoof-fall was a crumpled leaf or a broken twig – a blinding flare alerting her pursuers. A ravenous snarl came from her left. She darted to the right and dove under a fallen log. The loud snap of a branch (or jaws) ignited a burst of speed – as much as she dared, for fear of harming her precious cargo.

She glanced at her saddlebags. While the left was nearly empty, save for some emergency supplies, the right bag contained a small furry body. Fluttershy shifted her weight mid-stride and ensured the bags were firmly centered. Another growl. From the right. Dodge to the left. Another snap. Glowing green eyes – hunger, malice - glinted in her peripherals.

Fluttershy whimpered. She knew they were trying to herd her. They were probably forcing her into a dead-end where she would be cornered against a rocky out-cropping of the forest. Then they would close the circle, nip at her fetlocks, and then the alpha would lunge and te—

No, bad Fluttershy! She steeled herself and vaulted over a camouflaged hole. A yelp squeaked behind her followed by several cracks and a thud. Now was not the time to think like that. Fluttershy knew this forest almost as well as the Whitetail Woods. All she needed to do was find Zecora’s property and she could lose them with her wards. Yes. That’s the plan. Find Zecora, escape the timberwolves, save the baby badger, and be home for breakfast. Shouldn’t be too hard…

A snarl rumbled in front of her, and Fluttershy scrambled to a stop before a set of wooden jaws – with very sharp teeth – snapped inches in front of her muzzle. The timberwolf’s sickly green eyes burned with hatred, and Fluttershy nearly retched from the acrid stench of rot and decay that saturated the creature’s breath. She leaped back on reflex, barely avoiding a swipe of its claws, and darted into the bushes.

It howled. Though she could no longer see it, the awful sound still sent shivers down her coat. If the Everfree was truly as unnatural – as cursed – as ponies said, then the timberwolves personified the very essence of the forest’s foul magic. Fluttershy always hated dealing with them. They were cunning and always hungry.

The chase continued for several minutes. Her breaths were ragged and the howls closer. Sweat drenched her coat. Fluttershy was no earth pony. By now she would have tried to hide in the underbrush, but there was no hiding from a timberwolf’s nose when they had your scent.

Fluttershy was sure she stank horribly at this point.

Where in the world was Zecora’s hut!? Surely she hadn’t passed it already. It was left, left, right, loop at the tree, follow the path a hundred feet, and another right… Right? She should be almost there…

Fluttershy rounded the corner and came muzzle-to-muzzle with the largest tree trunk she had ever seen. It was nearly twice as thick as she was tall and stretched a dozen body-lengths in each direction. She ran to the side but was blocked by a growl and a pair of green eyes. Fluttershy yelped and galloped to the left. Another pair of eyes greeted her. She gulped.

Maybe she didn’t know the forest as well as she thought…

She turned around, back against the fallen tree, and willed the quivering in her hooves to stop. Three massive timberwolves, all two or three times her size, lumbered out of the trees. She scrunched her nose in revulsion at their stench and gagged. Fluttershy glanced to her sides, where another pair emerged.

“G-get lost, you b-big meanies!” Fluttershy stamped her hoof and glared. “H-haven’t you eaten enough tonight?!”

The center – and largest – timberwolf snarled and snapped its jaws. It sprayed spittle and rotten plant matter across the ground. Fluttershy eeped and fell to her haunches. She trembled and frantically searched for an avenue of escape, yet she was surrounded on all sides. Teeth, hate, and hunger met her at every angle.

Fluttershy whimpered and sniffed as she unbuckled her saddlebag. She held it close in her hooves with her passenger pressed against her chest. The pegasus let out a quiet sob as she curled around the saddlebag and pressed against the trunk of the tree with her back facing the wolves.

“I’m s-s-sorry, g-girls…” Fluttershy cried. “I’m afraid I won’t be able to make it to our picnic tomorrow…”

Fluttershy closed her eyes and waited.

Snarling.

And waited…

Barking.

And waited…

Rot and decay.

And… Thud.

Fluttershy flinched as the ground shook. She shivered while a low rumble, like thunder, emanated above her. Why were they taking so long? Were they really so cruel as to torture her like this? She slowly opened an eye, craned her head, and gasped.

A massive white paw, bigger than her head, ground into the dirt just two hooves from her face. Razor sharp claws, black as obsidian, dug into the dirt like trowels. It was not the rotting detritus and branches of a timberwolf - but a real paw. It was white as snow and almost glowed in the dim moonlight.

Fluttershy turned to face the timberwolves and furrowed her brow. They were still snarling and barking, but most had stepped back into a defensive posture. She looked up and gawked at the massive thing that stood above her. Silvery-white fur covered the enormous bipedal body that towered above the timberwolves. Fluttershy realized, to her astonishment, that the thunder was actually the creature growling. Thick drops of spittle landed on the ground. Hands, armed with the same dagger-like black claws as its paws, clenched at its sides. She couldn’t see its face, but she could practically feel the primal ferocity radiating from the beast. It was an animalistic fury that dwarfed the bloodlust of the timberwolves, and if Fluttershy could sense it…

The alpha snarled and snapped its jaws. The beast standing above Fluttershy replied with a growl that reminded her of grinding boulders. Finally, the alpha stepped forward in defiance of the newcomer.

That was its final mistake.

The beast’s leg muscles coiled like bands of iron before it vanished. A white blur flashed and wind buffeted her mane. Fluttershy shook away the strands of hair to see the alpha gone as well – replaced by a sizable hole in the foliage and several broken branches.

The pack was thrown into chaos. They barked, yipped, and snarled as they tried to discern the location of their leader and their adversary. One of them turned their hungry gaze on Fluttershy.

A deafening roar pierced the night.

It was unlike anything Fluttershy had ever heard. Not even the dragon she faced all those months ago could compete with its power. The sound rolled like thunder, but was stuffed with so much anger and hunger that it shook the ground and felt like a spike of ice in her heart. The other timberwolves whimpered and their leafy ears pressed against their wooden skulls. One bolted toward the trees. It made three steps before exploding in a shower of wooden shrapnel and kindling.

Fluttershy gawked. She nearly missed it with a blink. The moment the timberwolf tried to flee, the creature bolted out of the trees and slammed into the wolf with the force of a train. Wood buckled, bent, cracked, and splintered like bones. The creature never slowed. It galloped into the trees on the opposite side of the clearing with the same fluid – and deadly – motion as if the timberwolf was never there.

Fluttershy’s heart hammered against her ribs and it struck again. It was like a bolt of lightning armed with claws and rage. The timberwolves, with all their ferocity and cunning, could never match the speed and strength of the greater hunter. Each time they tried to escape, the creature would strike with just as much brutality and destruction.

Only one timberwolf remained. It whimpered and bounced on its front paws. Fear flickered in its magical eyes as it scanned the trees in search of its tormentor. The wolf’s gaze found Fluttershy and it snarled. She gasped as it pounced. However, it hardly flew six inches before the creature’s massive front paw shot out of the shadows and snatched the timberwolf by its hind leg. The timberwolf slammed into the ground and scrambled to get away, but the paw held its grip. Claws sunk deep into the wooden flesh.

The creature emerged from the trees. Fluttershy could only just make out the color of its coat and its bipedal stance in the darkness. It lifted the timberwolf by its hind leg and watched it dangled. There was something in the creature’s eyes… It was hunger and the intensity found only in a predator, yes, but there was something else… Something--

It grabbed the timberwolf’s throat with its free hand and raised the wooden construct above its head. The creature snarled – its massive teeth glinting in the moonlight – and it pulled. Fluttershy trembled as the timberwolf’s whimpers and whines grew frantic. Wood cracked. Bark splintered. Sap drizzled onto the ground. It flailed and writhed, but nothing could escape the monster’s titanic grip. She pressed her hooves over her ears as the beast unleashed another roar. It was joined by the sharp crackling of lumber being rent apart. Finally, the beast tossed the two halves of the timberwolf on opposite sides of the clearing.

A shower of sappy splinters rained on Fluttershy and she held back a retch. The clearing was silent except for the creature's rumbling breath. Its soulless crimson eyes swayed across the clearing and its nostrils flared. The beast’s gaze fell on Fluttershy. She shielded her eyes with her wings and trembled. However, the gruesome death she was expecting never came. Fluttershy peeked through a wing and saw the monster drudge off into the dark. It stumbled around like a drunk pony, shoulders slumped and legs crisscrossing every other step. The monster snarled at the shadows, as if daring – no, demanding – something else to come out and fight it.

Fluttershy squinted at the figure as it shambled away. It must have been a trick of the light or her own fears altering her perception, but it looked smaller now. She blinked. The creature was smaller. A series of sickening snaps and a deep muted growl assaulted her flattened ears. Fluttershy watched in morbid fascination as the creature morphed and twisted. Its limbs and muzzle shortened while the torso became narrower. It was still bipedal, but was only about twice the height of a pony. Finally, after stumbling about for a moment, the creature collapsed to its knees and fell onto its face.

Fluttershy eyed the prone figure from several body-lengths away as her heart slowly calmed. Several moments passed. Her gaze shifted between the mutilated remains of the timberwolves and the strange creature lying several yards away. She bit her lip and whimpered.

“Oh dear… ohmygoodness ohmygoodness… What do I do now?”

She looked down at her charge. The baby badger trembled in her forehooves, but was otherwise safe. Fluttershy sighed in relief before strapping her saddlebags onto her barrel. Then she turned her gaze toward the strange and terrifying creature. The silence of the forest had returned - broken only by her throbbing heartbeat.

Several more moments passed before Fluttershy worked up the courage to stand. She shuffled her hooves, taking care not to step on any errant twigs, and made her way over to the thing’s resting place. It was sprawled out across the gnarled grass and vines and, much to Fluttershy’s relief, appeared to be out cold.

It was nothing like anything she had ever seen. The silver-white fur was gone, replaced by a peach-colored skin everywhere except for its head. A dark brown mane hung over its neck while a very thin coat of brown fur covered the creature’s back and limbs. Fluttershy inspected its paws and frowned. The razor sharp claws, with a grip that could shred timberwolves like paper, were gone. What replaced them reminded Fluttershy vaguely of Spike’s claws, except the ends (fingers?) were much longer and looked far more fragile.

Fluttershy poked its side with a hoof. It groaned and she squeaked while backpedaling several paces. She was relieved that it was alive – and even more so that it was in no shape to attack and eat her. The pegasus hummed thoughtfully.

“Poor thing must be exhausted…” Fluttershy whispered. “I don’t care if you helped me just to eat me yourself. You saved me and this poor dear, and it would be very rude of me to just leave you here all by yourself for when the timberwolves reform…”

Fluttershy pressed her muzzle against the creature’s side and gently shifted her head beneath its barrel. She gritted her teeth and heaved the creature onto her back with a grunt. Once she was satisfied with her footing, Fluttershy hobbled into the dark with its back feet dragging through the dirt.

“Now... Where was that path?”

Author's Note

Special thanks to PeerImagination for editing this for me!

Let me know what you think in the comments. Constructive criticism is welcome.

Chapter Two

Fluttershy stumbled into her cottage in the dead of night. She squashed her muzzle painfully against the door as she held it open. Her mane, matted and sticky with sweat, blinded her to the darkness of her living room, but that was far from her mind.

The creature was still draped over her back. Its weight dug painfully into her spine, but she sighed in relief as she crossed the threshold. Her legs quivered and she breathed in ragged gasps. Left-front. Right-back. Breath. Right-front. Left-back. Almost there.

A skittering across the floor boards made Fluttershy’s ear twitch. She hoped her abrupt entry didn’t wake up too many of her animal friends. Angel was already cranky enough in the morning. Several mice chittered worriedly at her feet, but she was forced to ignore their words to put more focus into where she stepped.

Finally, after several agonizing moments, Fluttershy collapsed to her knees at the foot of her sofa. She rolled her shoulders, deposited the creature onto the furniture, and quietly whimpered. Her back clenched with spasms and her legs felt like they had been implanted with hot coals.

Fluttershy laid on the floor of her cottage. The darkness of her living room seeped into her screaming muscles and left behind a sobbing numbness. She blinked away the tears and sweat – unsure if the caliginosity in her vision was due to lack of oxygen or because she never bothered lighting a candle. There was a shrill ringing in her ears that morphed into an angry hammer pounding the inside of her skull. Even the piercing agony in her side, which had felt like a knife lodged in her ribs, had turned into a dull ache.

Something prodded her cheek. Fluttershy blinked several times, cleared her vision, and focused on a white blob that sat in front of her muzzle. Angel scowled at her, but she could see the concern in his eyes. The white rabbit gestured between her and the sofa with his paw while raising an incredulous eyebrow.

Fluttershy opened her mouth to speak, but all that came out was a raspy croak. Angel nodded understandingly and hopped out of sight. She laid there, trying to catch her breath, when he returned with a glass of water balanced on his head. He gripped the glass in both paws and slowly tipped the edge against her lips.

She tried to lean forward and suck down as much of the water as she could, but Angel kept the flow at a steady pace. Fluttershy sighed when the feeling in her throat returned. Then she leaned forward and nuzzled the rabbit.

“Thank you, Angel.” Fluttershy whispered. “I’m sorry I was gone for so long. I found a baby badger about to be eaten by timberwolves, and you know I couldn’t just leave him there.”

Angel pointed to the creature currently snoring on her couch and scowled.

“Well, you see…” Fluttershy blushed. “I was running away from the timberwolves – almost got away, too – but they kind of… cornered me. B-b-but this umm… Actually, I have no idea what he is… Anyway, he jumped in and saved me. The poor thing though was absolutely exhausted from chasing them away. I couldn’t leave him lying in the dirt, so I decided to take him home.”

Angel pinched the bridge of his nose, scrunched up his eyes, and sighed. He squeaked, chittered, and glared at Fluttershy.

“I know that…” Fluttershy replied as she slowly climbed to her hooves. She winced as her legs protested. “But it wouldn’t have been right. Barry worked out, didn’t he?”

Fluttershy limped to a cabinet near the fireplace while Angel sighed in defeat. The rabbit followed closely as she pulled out a quilted blanket with her teeth. She tip-hoofed back to the sofa and draped the blanket over the creature’s body. It moved suddenly and Fluttershy jumped back with a frightened squeak, but the creature merely grabbed the edge of the blanket with its spidery fingers and folded its limbs against its chest.

Fluttershy exhaled slowly, but the breath grew into a deep yawn. Her eyelids drooped and her head sagged. Maybe she could rest her eyes for just a mom—

Thumthumthumthump!

Fluttershy jolted awake with a snort. She looked down to find a smirking Angel looking up at her with a raised eyebrow.

“Oh, thank you Angel…” she yawned again. “I better get this little one into bed, too, before I turn in for the night.”

She untied her saddlebags and gently lowered them to the floor. Fluttershy reached into one with a wing and fished out the baby badger. It was curled up into a little ball with its chest rising and falling in gentle slumber. The pegasus deposited the badger into an empty animal bed along the wall.

Fluttershy trudged up the stairs to her bedroom, and Angel followed on her fetlocks. Her eyes were half-closed, so she did not appreciate the wonderful craftsmanship of the incline that carried her jelly-like legs, and her clouded mind was too focused on her destination to bother with the journey.

She nudged her bedroom door open. It was pitch black except for the sliver of moonlight that peered through her window. This went unnoticed, however, as she made the trek to her bed with her eyes fully closed. Fluttershy felt the soft fabric of her blankets and toppled forward into the soothing embrace of the bed.

She was asleep before she hit the mattress...

… And awoke with a jolt and a shrill cawing in her ears.

Fluttershy peered blearily through her tousled mane at the window. A haze of orange light soaked through the dreary grey haze of dawn. The searing pain running through her body from the previous night had dissipated into a numbing ache. It was like her limbs were turned to stone.

She attempted to rise. Her legs would have thrown tantrums if they could do more than twitch morosely. Fluttershy gritted her teeth and stretched out her hooves to either end of the bed. They burned, convulsed, and popped.

Fluttershy yawned wearily, shuffled her hooves beneath her barrel, and pushed herself into a standing position. Her legs quivered, but resigned themselves to their task. The pegasus gingerly stepped onto the floor and slogged to the bathroom.

A blotch of yellow and pink greeted her. She opened her eyes and her reflection stared back. Her eyes were bloodshot and her mouth was drooped into a scowl. The reflection grew blurry as her eyes sank almost closed.

She grunted and trudged to the bathtub. Fluttershy fumbled for the lever for a moment and warm water flowed into the basin. Steam wafted into the air and formed hypnotic patterns that mesmerized Fluttershy's half-coherent mind. Her eyes drifted back down to the water before she rattled her head.

She knew this was going to be a long day.

The yellow pegasus climbed down the stairs thirty minutes later. Her coat and mane were puffy and damp, but there was a firmness in her step that the water left behind. Freshly preened wings folded neatly at her sides while she hummed a soft tune. She tip-hoofed down the steps, careful not to disturb her housemates, and sneaked toward the kitchen.

She passed the sofa on the way. The creature's limbs were splayed out like vines, and the fingers of one hand brushed the floorboards with each rumbling snore. It was lying face-down on the couch with the quilt covering its back. Fluttershy peeked over to get a better look, but its shoulder-length mane shrouded most of its face. She could, however, see several faded lines that crisscrossed the creature's arms and legs. Some were long and thin while others were like off-colored splotches the size of bits.

Fluttershy frowned and hummed in thought. She took care of enough aggressive animals to recognize what the markings were, but she could not place the shapes. They reminded her of claw and bite wounds, but they didn’t look quite right.

She pushed the thought from her mind and set to her morning chores. A large bag of organic animal feed sat in a corner of the room beside a tall stack of clean clay bowls. Fluttershy gripped the scooper in her mouth and filled them. Dozens of tiny feet pitter-pattered across the floor and heralded the quiet stampede of Fluttershy’s animals. They huddled and scurried around her hooves as she served their meals.

“Now, now, little ones,” she admonished them gently. “There will be enough for everyone. You’ll just have to wait your turn.”

A few minutes passed before each of them were fed and watered to her satisfaction. She quickly found Angel and gently nudged him on the shoulder.

“Angel, I’ll be heading into town in a bit. I need you to keep an eye on our guest while I’m gone. Send Mr. Robin to find me if anything happens, okay?”

Angel snapped his legs together and gave her a stiff salute.

“Oh, you are such a sweetheart!” Fluttershy cooed while patting his head. The rabbit’s salute faltered as he grumbled and blushed.

Fluttershy tip-hoofed her way across the living room, gave the creature a curious, yet wary look as she passed it, and exited the cottage without a sound.

Fluttershy trotted down the path to town. She hummed a gentle tune while her wings fluttered in the cool morning air. Her hooves hit the dirt with a steady clippity-clop, and a passing bird was all too willing to add his song to her rhythm. The yellow pegasus breathed the sweetness of flowers and tang of morning dew, then released it with a content sigh. A honeybee lazily drifted by, buzzing a happy hum, laden with pollen for her sisters. Celestia’s sun swaddled her mane like a warm blanket while the fresh morning dew cooled her hooves.

She looked up, squinted in the morning sunlight, and scanned the sky. A half-dozen stray clouds floated overhead. Must have snuck in from the Everfree, Fluttershy thought. Her keen pegasus eyes caught the distant cloud structure of Rainbow Dash’s house, despite the obstacles.

It was about twice the size of her own cottage. Greco-Roman columns lined the outer walls of the “courtyard” while a waterfall of spectra spilled over the edge and dissipated into vapor. The sun caught the edges of the columns’ capitals and made them appear they were made of bronze. Fluttershy smiled before she spread her wings and took flight.

She landed between two of the columns a minute later. A cloudsteel mailbox stood proudly on her right. Fluttershy trotted past it, up the walkway, and stopped in front of the door.

Fluttershy pressed her hoof against a miniature thunderhead and a shrill buzzing reverberated through the house. It continued for several seconds before it faded away into a muffled hum. A familiar, raspy voice answered a moment later with an unintelligible shout. Fluttershy brushed a lock of her mane out of her face and waited patiently.

Rainbow Dash opened the door. Her eyes were bloodshot and half-lidded, and her mane looked like a tie-dyed chicken’s nest. She blinked once - twice - and finally registered Fluttershy’s presence.

“Huh?” she tilted her head sleepily. “Flutters? Wha-ahhhh…” she yawned. “What are you doing here this early? Is everything alright?”

“Oh, yes. Everything’s fine,” Fluttershy replied. “I’m so sorry for disturbing you, Rainbow. I know you were working late last night, but… Well… On second thought, nevermind. Forget I--”

“Oh no you don’t.” Rainbow snatched her in a one-winged hug before she could get away. “You wouldn’t come over unless it was important. How ‘bout you come inside. Had breakfast yet?”

“Well no, but--”

“Then let me whip something up for the both of us. I think I’ve got some leftovers that are still good…”

Fluttershy nervously tapped her hooves together as Rainbow set two plates of reheated grilled asparagus on the table. She took an experimental sniff and smiled.

“This actually smells pretty good, Rainbow.” Fluttershy gripped a fork between her primaries and speared one of the stalks. “What did you do with it?”

“Bah, it was nothin’,” Rainbow Dash grinned and plopped onto a stool. “A little lemon, melted butter, salt, pepper, and you’re basically done! My dad used to make this a lot when I was a filly. It’s one of the few things I learned how to cook for myself before I moved out.”

“It’s good.” Fluttershy nodded happily after she swallowed.

“Thanks.” Rainbow Dash shoveled several stalks into her mouth and gnashed them into pulp. “Ho, wa bri’ ya eer?”

“Well…” she curled her lip in thought. “Last night I was in the Everfree For--”

Fluttershy was cut off by a violent coughing fit from Rainbow. She forced the asparagus down before giving Fluttershy a reproachful look.

“What have I told you about going in there by yourself, Flutters?!” Rainbow gritted her teeth. “And you’re telling me you went in there at night?! What were you thinking?!”

“I was thinking, Rainbow Dash,” she narrowed her eyes, “that there was an animal that needed my help. Emergencies don’t wait for convenient and safe times. Sometimes danger is unavoidable. I’m sorry for worrying you, but I have to do things like this sometimes.”

Rainbow Dash closed her eyes and exhaled slowly through her nostrils. “Fine. I’ll be telling your aunt about it, though.”

“I’ll be telling her myself when I come in on Monday.”

“Whatever.” she waved her hoof dismissively. “Now what were you saying?”

“Right. Well, I was rescuing this baby badger from timberwolves--”

“Of course you were.”

“-- And, well, I was having a tinsy bit of trouble getting away. Fortunately, this other creature jumped in and helped. It chased off the timberwolves, but passed out right in front of me! I couldn’t leave him there, so I carried him back to my cottage. He’s sleeping on my couch right now.”

Rainbow Dash nodded and rested her head on her hoof.

“Well, here’s the thing…” Fluttershy took a breath and steadied her hooves. “I’ve never seen an animal like this before. It was able to scare off an entire pack of timberwolves with no problem. I know I’ve dealt with Barry, and even manticores on occasion, but I don’t think even they could do what this thing did.”

Fluttershy retreated behind her mane. “I’m… Well… I’m a little scared, to be honest. I know it’s dangerous. I can handle dangerous. But, I’m not sure what I could do if it decided to go on a rampage.”

“Flutters…” Rainbow frowned and placed a hoof on her fetlock. “You’ve scolded dragons into submission. One critter from the Everfree shouldn’t be that hard.”

“You didn’t see it, Dashie…” she shivered. “You weren’t there. You didn’t see the anger in its eyes. It moved so fast I could hardly see it. A-and its roar!”

“Okay, okay!” Rainbow gripped her friend tighter. “I get it. There’s a big scary monster in your house. You want me to keep an eye on it for you?”

“If… If it’s not too much trouble.” Fluttershy squeezed Dash’s hoof in turn.

“No trouble at all.” she smiled. “Just let me finish up here and I’ll head over to your place.”

“Oh thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Fluttershy jumped over the table and wrapped her hooves around Dash’s neck in a tight hug. “I won't be long. I just need to head over to Twilight’s and see if she knows anything about it.”

“It’s no problem, really.” Rainbow blushed and looked around the room. “Alright, enough of the sappy stuff. You head over to Twilight’s. I’ll handle everything else!”

“Right!” Fluttershy beamed and released her stranglehold. “I’ll get out of your mane. See you later!”

Fluttershy hopped off the table and trotted toward the door. Rainbow Dash merely sighed with an exasperated smile and shook her head.

“Coming!” a voice called out from behind the wooden door.

Fluttershy waited patiently beneath the boughs of the Golden Oaks Library. She glanced over her shoulder and saw several ponies milling about the market square. Applejack waved excitedly from her stand on the opposite side of the clearing. The yellow pegasus gave a timid smile in return.

She was saved from making a further scene when the door creaked open. Spike stood in the threshold. His slitted pupils focused on Fluttershy and he curled his lips, revealing two rows of razor sharp, rock-crushing teeth, in a friendly and boyish grin.

“Hey, Fluttershy!” Spike stepped to the side and stretched out his clawed hand with a flourish. “Good morning! What brings you here so early?”

“Well…” she cleared her throat as she stepped inside. “I was wondering, I mean, if Twilight’s not busy. If she is, I can come back later… but I really needed to ask her something.”

“Nah.” Spike waved his hand dismissively. “She’s just finishing her morning coffee. Go ahead into the kitchen. I still need to finish my morning chores.”

“Okay. Sorry for bothering you.” Fluttershy nodded before quietly walking across the library’s main lobby and toward the kitchen.

Twilight sat at a table. Her keen violet eyes skimmed over a folded newspaper in front of her while she nursed a steaming mug floating in her magic. She glanced up at the soft clickity clack of Fluttershy’s hooves and blinked in bemusement.

“Oh, hello, Fluttershy!” She gave a polite smile and pushed away the newspaper. “Why are you here? Err, I mean… Not that it isn’t good to see you. Have you eaten breakfast?”

“Oh, yes.” Fluttershy nodded. “I ate a little while ago. I hope I’m not bothering you. Am I?”

“No.” Twilight shook her head and rose to her hooves. “Of course not. I just wasn’t expecting you today. Everything all right?”

“Yes.” Fluttershy half-nodded, but stopped. “Well, no… Maybe? I’m honestly not sure. I was hoping you could help me with something. If that’s alright with you. I don’t want to interrupt any plans you have today.”

“No. Spike and I just planned on doing some light cleaning. Saturdays are usually slow, what with foals putting off their homework until tomorrow. What did you need?”

Fluttershy described the events of the previous evening to the unicorn. She made sure to omit certain details that would otherwise burden her friend with unneeded worry, however. Her tail twitched nervously as she remembered the encounter with the timberwolves and the mysterious creature.

“I see…” Twilight hummed as she trotted into the lobby with her mug drifting behind in her glow. “Can you describe this creature for me again?”

“Well…” Fluttershy pawed the floor. “I didn’t get a good look at it while it was chasing off the timbewolves. It was really big, covered in white fur, very strong, and very fast. There were moments I could barely see it while it was moving. But, after the timberwolves were gone… It… changed.”

“Changed… How, exactly?” Twilight hummed as she skimmed her bestiary tomes.

“It shrunk quite a bit. It’s still really big… Almost as tall as the Princess, but it was bipedal, like Spike or a diamond dog. It also had hands like a minotaur, but the fingers were thin, long, and spidery. Most of its fur disappeared except for a thin coat. You can actually see its skin underneath.”

“Did it have hooves?”

“No. Paws.”

“Hmm…” Twilight squinted her eyes as several books leapt off the shelves and orbited her head. “It sounds like some sort of primate, but I’ve never heard of a shapeshifting primate before.”

“Do you think… Do you think that what I saw was its real form? Or maybe it just picked a different shape?”

“Unlikely. Most shapeshifting requires some form of concentration. It should have reverted to its natural state when it fell unconscious. I’ll keep looking, but I really should see it for myself in order to accurately identify it. Who knows, it could be a brand new and undocumented creature from the Everfree! This could be an amazing opportunity. Only Celestia knows what we could learn!”

At that moment, several miles away in the palace on Mount Canterhorn, Princess Celestia sneezed.

“Sister, are you well?” Luna tilted her head between bites of her supper.

“Yes, Luna. Just allergies, I think.”

“You should really be careful, though,” Twilight continued. “If this thing could chase off a pack of timberwolves, then it could easily hurt you. I know you are good with animals, but even the best caretakers can become a statistic if they aren’t careful.”

“Don’t worry, Twilight.” Fluttershy hid her nervousness with a smile. “I’ll be fine.”

Oh, I really don't know about this...

Fluttershy walked on the path back to her cottage. Her knees shook with every step and her wings clung firmly to her barrel with stress. The normally calming aroma of wildflowers and buzzing of morning insects brought her no comfort on her infinite trek back home. She bit her lip nervously but soldiered on regardless of her fear.

It was not until she crested the top of the bridge that she sighed in relief. Fluttershy narrowed her eyes and squinted – daring them to be wrong – but they didn't budge in their report. She smiled.

Good. She nodded. It's still standing. Hopefully, that means he's still asleep.

Fluttershy quickened her pace into a trot and crossed the bridge. A few seconds after her hooves hit the dirt, her ears twitched at the sound of beating wings. She was only slightly startled when Rainbow Dash landed in front of her with a thud.

Rainbow's eyes were wide and twitched side-to-side almost imperceptibly. There was a minuscule twinge in her tail, and her wings were half-spread as if to take to the air again. She met Fluttershy's gaze and she knew.

“He's awake, isn't he?” Fluttershy's ears drooped.

Rainbow nodded.

“Has he done anything yet?”

“Not... really.” Rainbow glanced over her shoulder to the cottage. “It just got up, wrapped the quilt around its waist, and it's just... I dunno. Looking around, I think? It's so weird looking, though. What is it?”

“I have no idea... I thought Twilight might know something, but all she could figure out is that it might be some sort of primate.”

“What... Like a monkey?” Rainbow tilted her head. “Doesn't look like any kind of monkey I've ever seen.”

“There's more to primates than just monkeys, Rainbow.” Fluttershy fought the urge to roll her eyes. “But that's not important right now. You said he's just... Looking around?”

“Yeah. Just wandering around your kitchen. Not touchin’ nothin'.”

“I imagine he's in an unfamiliar environment and is just confused. I...” she gulped. “I should probably go check on him.”

“I'll come with you!” Rainbow Dash puffed out her chest.

“No.” Fluttershy shook her head. “We don't want to make him feel like he's being cornered. He might turn aggressive if threatened. I'll go in first and get a read on him. Just... Stay outside the door?”

“Are you sure?” Rainbow narrowed her eyes.

“Positive.” Fluttershy put on her most assured smile, but her fidgeting wings gave away her anxiety.

“Okay...” Rainbow sighed. “I'll be right outside. If anything happens, I'll be there before you know it and deck him in the schnoz!”

Despite the incredulity of Rainbow Dash's claim of being able to hurt something that could rip apart six timberwolves without breaking a sweat, her words bolstered Fluttershy's courage enough to resume her journey to the door.

She took a breath.

Then another.

… And another.

And slowly lifted a hoof towards the push latch. She pressed it forward and the mechanism retracted with a click. Fluttershy eased it open – wincing at the deafening squeak that she paid no mind to earlier that morning – and stepped inside.

Fluttershy froze at the sight of it.

The creature towered above her at more than twice her height. Its head barely brushed against the wooden beams of her roof. A dark brown mane fell across the creature's shoulders, even as the quilt she draped over it last night was now wrapped around its waist. Lightly furred legs bent slightly as the creature turned to face her.

A chiseled jaw, like stone, framed a mostly hairless face. Thick brown stubble shadowed its cheeks and grew into long wiry strands along the chin and jawline. Eyes, icy cold and sharp as broken glass, bore into her own. There was not an ounce of fear in them – but neither were they friendly. They were calculating – curious – like a pony observing a particularly interesting insect. Fluttershy suddenly felt very, very small.

The creature moved its arm and Fluttershy nearly bolted out the door. It stopped, then moved more slowly. A picture frame hung loosely between the spidery digits of its hand. He placed it on a nearby shelf with something akin to reverence, and he lowered the hand to his side.

The creature's lips peeled back, revealing an assortment of teeth. Some were broad and flat like her own, but they were bracketed by two sets of sinister canines that sent an icy shiver down Fluttershy's back. It opened its mouth, showing a tongue soaked with saliva, and she braced herself for another one of those terrifying roars.

Instead, it spoke.

“Can you understand me?”

Author's Note

Special thanks to my editor PeerImagination for catching all the little things and and for letting me bounce ideas off of him. Let me know in the comments what you think. Constructive criticism is always welcome.

Chapter Three

Fluttershy stared and gaped at the creature. It spoke. It actually spoke. She couldn’t believe her ears. The creature that had swooped in like a vengeful hurricane and saved her from the wrath of the timberwolves – that she had driven herself near to exhaustion in order to bring to safety – and had slept on her sofa was in fact not a creature at all. It was a person.

He stared at her for a long moment and frowned. The ape-thing folded its arms across its chest and crinkled its eyebrows.

"Ti les... gia tóra?" he tilted his head.

Fluttershy blinked and matched his facial expression. She willed her legs to stop shaking and focused on the last phrase. The pegasus did not know the individual words, but the tone and inflections sounded familiar. It reminded her of the brief snippets of Ancient Pegasopolin she heard in school.

"Nunc intelligis?" he gesticulated. The sudden movement made Fluttershy raise her cackles, but she held her ground. Fluttershy was reminded by the flowing and somewhat musical language that Twilight often used when she read from her spellbooks. She had explained it as an old unicorn language.

It occurred to Fluttershy that he was trying to communicate with her. The words of his first phrase suddenly made much more sense.

"Drêogan êow--” he began again.

“I-it...” Fluttershy interrupted the tirade with a whisper. “It was the first one...”

He stopped and narrowed his gaze on Fluttershy. She shrunk back and hid behind her mane, but she could still see his face past her hair, and she was sure he could still see her as well. Instead of lashing out, as she half-expected, he grinned.

“Ahh,” he hummed in a rich, yet gravelly voice, and spoke with an untraceable accent, “you speak Terran, although you might call it something different... Perhaps Common or Basic?”

“Umm...” Fluttershy quivered beneath his attention. “It's c-c-called Equestrian... We're sp-p-peaking Equestrian right now.”

His icy eyes twinkled and he smirked. “Of course it is...”

Fluttershy glanced nervously around the room.

“Perhaps,” he started, “you can tell me how I arrived here? I have a few questions...”

“Well…” Fluttershy pursed her lips. “How much do you remember?”

The creature hummed as he paced across the room. Fluttershy stood transfixed by his gait. One leg stretched in front of the other and he simply fell onto its support. His movement was controlled and fluid-like. She noticed the distinct lack of a swishing tail that would have otherwise provided him balance, but instead saw the subtle swing of his arms and the straightness of his spine that countered his top-heavy frame.

He leaned against a wall and scratched his face with his long fingers.

“I bethink…” he closed his eyes, “I bethink walking, or maybe I was working… Then there was a… commotion… I think I tripped? Yes, that sounds right. Then it was dark, and I was running. I recall trees and… you.”

The creature’s eyes snapped open and bored into Fluttershy’s. She eeped and flinched away, but the attack never came. Fluttershy slowly met his eyes and saw… concern? Fear? A heartbeat later it was gone - replaced by a cold and calculating gaze.

“I suppose I passed out on you…” he glanced at the sofa, “and you brought me to your hearth?”

“Well, yes…” Fluttershy ruffled her wings. “I couldn’t just leave you out there, especially after you…”

“‘Twas nothing. I am grateful all the same, lass,” he waved her off.

“Oh, alright. So… Umm… What are you, exactly?”

“Eh?” he quirked an eyebrow, “You’ve never heard of…? Well for now, let’s just say I’m a sojourner. Ain’t much special about me worth knowin.’ Now, what about yer friend out there? Are ya gonna invite her in or let her impersonate a lawn gnome all day?”

“What?” Fluttershy blinked. “How did…?”

“I’ve got good ears.” he grinned.

“Oh, that’s interesting…”

“What?”

“Umm… I said th-”

“What?”

Fluttershy blinked. A moment passed as the creature stared. His face was like stone, but his eyes twinkled with mirth.

“Rainbow!” she poked her head out the door and gave her friend a reassuring smile. “It’s alright. He seems safe. You can come in now.”

Rainbow Dash prowled into the room with her tail swishing, wings twitching, and her ears flattened. She glared at the creature through squinted eyes. He met her stare and turned the corner of his mouth in amusement.

“So…” Rainbow sized him up while Fluttershy glanced nervously between them. “What the fudge are you supposed to be?”

“Just a traveller that seems to have wandered off the beaten path a bit. You can call me Lyall.”

Lyall… Fluttershy rolled the strange word around in her head. A strange name for a fascinating new creature.

“Well…” Dash brushed her bangs aside, “The name’s cool enough, I suppose. Not as awesome as mine, though, but I guess helping Fluttershy out last night makes up for it. Name’s Rainbow Dash, fastest flier in Equestria and future Wonderbolt!”

“Greetings, Miss Dash,” Lyall replied as he folded his body forward and held a hand against his chest. Fluttershy clamped her mouth shut to avoid gawking. “And you seem to have answered my first question: ‘where the bloody hell am I?’ Equestria, eh? Has a nice wholesome ring to it. Are there only equines here?”

“Mostly just us ponies,” Fluttershy replied. “Although there are a few gryphons and donkeys. There’s also a baby dragon that lives in town.”

Lyall raised an eyebrow. “A dragon, you say? I’ll have to check that out. Oh, and before we continue this conversation… Miss Fluttershy, do you happen to have anything to eat? I am famished.”

“Oh, of course!” Fluttershy jumped and trotted to the pantry, “Umm… Is there anything in particular you would like? I’m afraid I don’t know what you can or can’t eat…”

“Anything without hay or grass should be fine!”

Fluttershy opened the pantry and peered through its contents. No hay or grass… she pondered. Fruit should be alright. He looks like an omnivore, so maybe some eggs and fish jerky.

She pulled out a few apples and sat them on the counter, then retrieved a skillet from a cupboard and placed it on the stove. The yellow pegasus hummed a soft tune to herself as she sliced some onions, peppers, and greens with a knife pinned between her primaries. Her dextrous movements saw several eggs and the vegetables cooking in the pan on top a thin layer of oil. Fluttershy sliced several apples and placed them in a wooden bowl once the mixture was sizzling.

A few minutes later and the pile of steaming scrambled eggs and greens sat beside several strips of fish jerky. She gently shifted the plate onto a cloth and balanced it, and the bowl of apple slices, on her wings before carefully walking back to the table. She set the plate in front of him and the bowl in the center.

Lyall’s eyes lit up at the spread. “My appreciations, Miss Fluttershy. Though, I am curious. I assume you are herbivores, yes? Why is it you have a stock of lutfisk?”

“I…” Fluttershy blinked. “I don’t know what that word means… Do you mean the fish? Well, I do a lot of veterinary work for the local animals, so I try to keep a supply of meat for my more carnivorous friends. Dried fish is cheap and easier to store.”

“Also,” Rainbow kept her eyes away from the fish, “We’re not complete herbivores. We still eat dairy and eggs and stuff. Just no actual meat.”

“Interesting…” Lyall hummed. “So, you were saying, Miss Dash, that these Princesses - these alicorns - control the celestial bodies?”

“Totally! Celestia moves the sun and used to move the moon before Luna, her sister, came back from her cosmic time-out or whatever. You must have heard of them, though, right? Everypony’s heard of Celestia, at least!”

“I can’t say I have,” Lyall smirked. “I’ve been to many places. Most people have their own ideas on how the heavenly bodies move across the sky. Lord knows I’ve heard some interesting theories. Now, you’ve mentioned these timberwolves. Are there any other less-than-pleasant critters wandering around beyond those trees?”

“Timberwolves are really the only ones you can’t reason with.” Fluttershy explained. “The others will generally leave you alone as long as you leave them alone. There’s cockatrices, manticores, hydras, and cragodiles, and we know there’s at least one pair of Ursas.”

“I’ve heard of the first three. They are, however, mostly legend where I come from. Never seen them for myself, though, so I couldn’t say for sure. The other two… I’m assuming cragodiles hold a resemblance to crocodiles, and Ursas are some sort of bear?”

Fluttershy nodded. “Yes. Cragodiles are like very big and heavily armored cousins of alligators and crocodiles. Ursas, though… Nopony really knows much about them besides that they’re magical. Imagine a giant bear, bigger than a house, that looks like it's molded from the night sky. We’ve only ever seen an Ursa Minor. That was about a year ago. It was big enough to squash houses, and Twilight says the adults - called Majors - are a lot b-b-b-bigger…”

“I suppose we’ll just have to walk the other way if one pops out of the bushes, aye?” Lyall grinned.

“Nah, I could totally take one on!” Dash said before stuffing a slice of apple in her mouth. “Be-gulp-sides… Didn’t Twilight say that the Ursas hibernate for like… centuries? I don’t think we’ll see one anytime soon.”

“Ahh... That is a shame. They sound like quite a sight.”

“By the way…” Fluttershy met Lyall’s eyes. “I wanted to ask, if that’s alright I mean… What do you plan to do now?”

Lyall hummed in thought. “To be honest, I’m not quite sure…”

“Don’t you want to go home?” Fluttershy tilted her head. “I’m sure you have friends and family that are worried about you.”

“I’ll be fine…” Lyall grunted dismissively. “I am honestly not sure if going home is an option for me, however. I am from a long ways. Conventional travel won’t really cut it.”

“Why don’t you ask Twilight?” Dash jumped in. “She can probably magic something up with that egghead of hers.”

“Maybe…” Lyall shrugged. “Ain’t no rush, though. There’s a great big world out there, Miss Dash. Why not see some of it? I’ll think of it as an extended holiday, and if your friend can’t find a way for me to get home… Well… I’ll get over it.”

“Oh…” Fluttershy frowned. “Okay…”

She didn’t understand. Didn’t he have something to go back to? Fluttershy looked more closely at the creature. He didn’t seem that old. Lyall was old enough to possibly have children, but young enough to still have parents around. It was possible he didn’t have any friends, but it was unlikely. Even Fluttershy, shy as she was, still had Rainbow Dash and Zephyr when she was growing up.

“By the way…” Lyall cleared his throat. “I had one more question…”

“What’s that?”

“Mayhap I can have some trousers?”

Princess Luna sighed morosely as she trudged down the hallway. He hooves clacked against the tile with a steady rhythm as braziers licked at the darkened walls with waves of orange and red.

She sighed again, but it grew into a yawn. Luna stepped in front of one of the large glass windows along the hallway. Light from the fading sunset glittered on the steel wiring that crisscrossed the window pane and draped Luna in a shadowy cage. She pushed a lock of semi-ethereal hair away from her eyes and squinted down at the city.

Canterlot snuggled deep into the descending blanket of twilight. Street lamps flickered like fireflies from Luna’s perch. She could see the distant specks of ponies trotting the roads. Luna knew, from experience, that most of them were heading home for the evening. Others strolled along the walkways, dressed in fine clothes, and meandered to one of Canterlot’s many high class restaurants or other venues.

Luna pulled herself from the window and continued down the hallway. She passed a thestral night guard. He stooped into a bow and Luna nodded. The Night Princess stepped into a cozy room.

The room was illuminated by the glistening radiance of a crystal chandelier and accented by candlelight. A wooden table, two body-lengths long, sat in the center of the room with a half-dozen chairs. It was covered by an egg-white tablecloth and an assortment of dishes filled with food. Pastries, pastas, greens, and a variety of fruits were arranged in a beautiful ensemble of color.

“Good evening, Luna.” Celestia smiled up from her seat on the opposite side of the table. “Did you sleep well?”

Princess Celestia held a steaming cup of tea in her golden aura of magic. Her crown sat beside her on the table while her pale prismatic mane drifted in an unseen astral wind.

“Good evening, sister.” Luna yawned and took her seat at the table. “I slept soundly, thank thee. The curtains thou recommended worked splendidly. That, combined with the silencing enchantment I put up, let me sleep like a foal.”

“I'm glad to hear that. What are your plans for tonight?”

“I do not believe I shall hold court this evening,” Luna sighed. “Too few ponies are willing to fare to the palace at the late hour. Mayhap I shall con more tonight.”

“I'm sorry to hear that, Lulu.” Celestia set down her tea cup and poured her sister a mug of coffee. “Is there anything I can do?”

“I don't know if there is anything thou canst do.” Luna grabbed the mug with a thankful nod. “Either the peasants will come or they shant. We cannot force them to stand before us.”

“Hmm...” Celestia tapped her chin with a hoof. “Perhaps we just need to find your market.”

Luna tilted her head and blinked. “Prithee, sister. Why doth we need to go to the market? Surely a servant would be better suited for the task.”

“No, no...” Celestia shook her head. “I mean we need to find a demographic – a niche – that you can appeal towards. Most of the ponies I see in a given day in my court are the nobles and their hangers-on. It is very rare that I get to see commoners that aren't exorbitantly wealthy. I try to make myself available to anypony that wishes an audience, but unfortunately the nobles that flock around me tend to block anyone out that isn't part of their circles. There is not a lot I can do, but maybe you can do something.”

“What would that be?” Luna raised an eyebrow as she filled her plate.

“The nobles are obviously trying to avoid you. You're an unknown, and they don't know how to work with you. However, you can use that to an advantage. You can hear the voices of the ponies I can't. I imagine if you can appeal to the lower and middle classes, learn their concerns and try to address them, they will flock to your court.”

“But Celestia...” she said while slicing a chunk of pineapple. “I have already conned many of the tomes thou gave me. None of them have helped me understand the common ponies outside of their broader history. Should I send an agent to bring ponies in at random for an audience?”

“No, I do not believe that will be received well. Luna, dear, I am going to give you the same advice I gave Twilight...” Celestia grinned. “Get out of those dusty old books and make some friends.”

“But Tia… What if… What if they don’t accept me?”

“Then that will be their problem for not seeing what a wonderful mare you are. Besides, I am sure you will do fine. The world is a much different place than it was a thousand years ago. Many superstitions have died out, and ponies are on average far more accepting of new things.”

“Whither dost thee ween we should start?”

“Hmm…” Celestia pondered. “I would skip Canterlot for now, but there’s also Fillydelphia, Baltimare, Manehattan, Vanhoover, and Ponyville. We can draw up some fliers, if you like, and I would recommend taking a couple of your Night Guards along - just in case. Equestrian cities are some of the safest in the world, but no city can be totally scrubbed free of crime.”

“This… sounds feasible. Thou need not trouble thyself with those fliers, however. I would like to do them myself. Maker knows it has been forever since I have practiced any of mine art.”

“When do you plan on leaving?”

“Methinks three days will be sufficient.” Luna said as she finished off her breakfast and coffee. “Well, I must be off. I wish thou a pleasant evening, sister. I will guard thy dreams with diligence.”

“I know you will, Luna.” Celestia smiled as her younger sister trotted out the door with purpose in her step.

Author's Note

Special thanks to my editor, PeerImagination, for all his hard work! Stay tuned for a one-shot coming up in the next couple of weeks, and remember to check out my Patreon for some cool stuff!

Chapter Four

Fluttershy waved as Rainbow Dash flew back to town. She didn’t need Dash’s comforting presence now that she was sure that the creature - Lyall - didn't mean any harm. Hopefully, Dash would remember to tell the rest of the girls to postpone their picnic.

She turned to face Lyall, who leaned against the counter with his arms folded over his chest, and craned her head to look him in the eyes. He responded with a cocked eyebrow.

“I’m s-s-sorry I don’t have any… umm… pants for you to wear.” she mumbled, “I can see if my friend Rarity can make you some. I’m sure she would love the challenge. You can k-keep the quilt until then, i-if you want, that is. I don’t mind if you don’t.”

“Thank ya, lass.” Lyall nodded. “I’ll make good use of it. Won’t your seamstress friend need my measurements, though? From what ya and Miss Dash told me, walkin’ on two legs seems to be a tad of an oddity ‘round these parts.”

Fluttershy frowned. She hadn’t thought of that, and she doubted she could take Lyall on a casual walk through town. There was no telling how the crowds would react to him.

"Hmm…" She bit her lip and thought. "Oh, I know! I could take your measurements, if that's alright. I do a lot of knitting in my spare time, so while I might not be as good as Rarity with a needle, I could at least take your measurements."

Lyall stared at her for a moment and nodded hesitantly. “Alright… Sounds fair enough…”

Fluttershy darted to her knitting cabinet and fished through her needles and spools of yarn. She pulled out a long strip of measuring tape. Then, with the tape wrapped loosely around her neck, she trotted back to Lyall.

It had been awhile since Fluttershy took measurements for clothing, and she had never done it for a bipedal creature before, so the process took several minutes. Lyall, thankfully, had tailoring done before and was able to guide her. She pinned the tape between her primaries and jotted down the numbers with a pencil gripped in her teeth.

"I'll bring this to Rarity later," she said as she stowed the tape. "Until then… Umm… I guess just make yourself at home…"

“Your hospitality has been laudful, Fluttershy, but I would rather not impose.”

“Oh, it wouldn’t be a bo--”

“I insist,” Lyall cut her off. “Now, I believe you and Miss Dash mentioned a much tamer greenwood than the one you found me in. You called it Whitetail, aye? Come hence, lass. Let’s see what we can find…”

Fluttershy stared in bewilderment as Lyall marched out the front door.

“O-oh…” She slumped her shoulders. “O-okay… Oh dear…”

She trotted out the door and found Lyall standing on the path leading away from her cottage. He faced away from her with his hands braced on his hips. Lyall craned his head slowly in every direction, took in the sights of the meadow, and ended his survey with a pointed stare into the dark depths of the Everfree.

Fluttershy paid careful attention to the animals that scurried in her garden. Wherever Lyall tread, the critters fled and hushed. They cowered in their burrows and the shadows of the foliage. The more aggressive animals - the badgers, bobcats, and even Harry - growled menacingly at Fluttershy’s guest. Their raised hackles, the sharp glint in their eyes, and the bristling of their fur spoke a single thing to Fluttershy:

You do not belong here.

She bit her lip and decided she would give them an extra treat before bed.

Lyall turned to Fluttershy, oblivious or indifferent to the animals’ behaviors, with a confident grin and an adventurous spark in his eye.

“Oh, how I’ve missed this…” he said and gestured to the landscape.

“M-m-missed what?” she replied, following his hand.

“The clean air. Can’t ya tell? This place has hardly been touched by the grubby hands of industrialization. Cherish it while it’s here, lass. This will all be an urban sprawl before ya know it… Where did ya say that forest was, again?”

“It’s, umm, on the other side of Ponyville. We’ll have to walk a ways. It might be better to go around town.”

“Oh?” Lyall said as he walked beside Fluttershy. “Why is that?”

"Well, I'm a teensy bit afraid of how the townsponies would react to you. They might be a little frightened. Not that they should be frightened, that is. You’re not that scary. I mean… What I meant to say is… Ohh…”

“Ahh…” Lyall nodded understandingly. His smile had grown… weary. “I suppose that would be the case. People will always be afraid of new and different things - things they don’t understand.”

“I’m sorry…” Fluttershy mumbled. “It’s not your fault… Ponies can be skittish sometimes. I know I can. We just need a chance to warm up to new things. I’m sure if you give it a chance, you’ll make all sorts of friends in Ponyville!”

"Eh," he grunted noncommittally.

“... I understand.” Fluttershy’s wings drooped.

“Hmm?” he quirked an eyebrow.

“I know how hard it can be to make friends. Pretty much the only friend I had was Rainbow Dash before Twilight came along. I knew Rarity a little, but we weren’t very close. I’ve never been very good at… talking to ponies. It’s hard knowing what to say and when to say it. Nopony ever really teaches it to you, and foals aren’t very forgiving when you mess up…”

"Aye… Y'know, I once heard it said that the entire world is a stage. Everyone in it is merely actors playing their parts. So everything we say and do is part of a grand script. Sometimes, though, you might lose your script or never get one in the first place. What do ya do then? Ya jus’ have to pull up your britches and make your own. It might take a few tries to find the right lines to go with everyone else’s, but the beauty of it? Your part in the great play is your own. Not a damn soul can tell ya what to say, how to say it, or what to do with your time. It’s your life. Live it as ya please.”

“That is… an interesting way of looking at it. I’ve never thought about it that way before.”

“Hah. I’ve got me moments.”

Fluttershy and Lyall passed the walk in idle conversation. He told her stories about the interesting animals he had seen in his travels. Lyall had scaled cliff faces where goats walked beside him almost as if by magic, and he sat underneath bronze sunsets as herds of buffalo - in the thousands - rolled across the desolate plains like rivers. There were jungles teeming with far more life than could be counted, and oceans filled with unfathomable depths. She interjected occasionally, comparing some things with their own sights in Equestria, but she kept returning to his previous comment.

“Cherish it while it’s here, lass… This will be an urban sprawl before ya know it…”

She looked at the plains, the trees, the rivers, the lake, and the distant mountain where Canterlot shone like a landlocked lighthouse of splendor and nobility. Fluttershy tried to imagine all of it replaced by filthy streets, dingy brick buildings, and the clamoring of industrial work. Her wings sagged as she looked at the sky, clear and blue and beautiful, and imagined it choked by black smog. It was a terrible thought that sent a chill down her back.

It was not something she wished to think about.

An hour later and they stood at the edge of Whitetail Woods. Birds chirped and the sweet scent of wildflowers filled the air. A brook murmured somewhere in the distance. Fluttershy looked at Lyall and smiled.

“Well… Here we are!” she beamed. “Whitetail Woods, the safest forest near Ponyville!”

“It’s beautiful, and it’ll be perfect. Methinks I can hear a stream over yonder, so that will be a good spot for me to set up camp.”

“Do you… Need any help?” Fluttershy rubbed her leg with a hoof.

“Nay. I can build a basic lean-to in my sleep, and I know how to forage. I’ll be fine. I’m grateful for yer kindness, though.”

"Oh, okay… I'll make sure to bring you some extra food just in case, though. Which, reminds me - I think I'll head back to town now if that's alright with you I mean."

“Ya get along now, Miss Fluttershy.” Lyall dismissed her with a wave of his hand. “I’ll mayhaps see ya on the morrow.”

Fluttershy frowned as Lyall jogged into the trees, and it wasn't long until he disappeared from her sight entirely. She sighed mournfully and walked back to town. Tomorrow she would stop by with a gift basket with food and supplies, but for now, she needed to speak with a certain white unicorn.

“My Lady. We’re about to make our descent toward the city.”

The wind swept Luna’s face as the chariot soared beneath the clouds. It purred in her ears like a slumbering manticore while the chariot glistened under the moonlight. A skyline of stone, steel, and brilliant light loomed before her.

Two thestral stallions beat their leathery wings relentlessly against the wind and pulled Luna across the sky. Sweat coated their fur and they glowed eerily under the starlight. They wore black, silver, and purple armor that hugged their barrels, neck, and upper legs. A set of bladed gauntlets were strapped to their armor - easily accessible with a flick of a hoof.

“You may take us thither, Corporal!” Luna yelled over the wind. “Bring us to the town square. That will be a good place to address the townsfolk.”

“Aye, My Lady!” they saluted and banked downwards.

The skyscrapers glowered at Luna as they approached. She had seen pictures and was told of their immense size by Celestia, but no words did them justice. Luna swiveled her head in every direction as the chariot was swallowed by the metropolis. Towers of brick and steel looked down upon her like adults eyeing an underhoof foal.

Luna had never seen such marvels of engineering. Even the sturdy towers of Castle Circadia in the Everfree Forest, once wonders of architecture in her own time, were puny in comparison. She was surrounded by titans crafted by the hooves and wings of mortals, and Luna felt very small.

She peered over the railing. Crowds of ponies darted to and fro like ants or water droplets in a massive river. The stream was a trickle near the edge of the city, but it was chaotic as they pierced the center. Pegasi weaved between the buildings like swarms of bees. Rushing. Hurrying. The crowds were manic with urgency - with purpose.

The city was like a great machine, ever moving and producing.

Hopefully, Luna thought, she wouldn’t break the gears.

It was progressively more difficult to navigate the air traffic as they flew. Many recognized the royal seal on Luna’s chariot and wisely pulled aside, but there were far too many air-drawn carriages, civilian chariots, and pegasi that clogged the lanes. Luna snarled as traffic slowed to a crawl.

“MAKE WAY!” she thundered.

The city roared back like a defiant animal.

Luna growled and ground her teeth. "Corporal! Is there any way to bypass this mess?!"

“It will be a tight squeeze, My Lady, but we can try.”

“Make it so.”

The chariot dropped like a stone. Luna yelped and wrapped her hooves around the railing as several rows of traffic flew past her. Her teeth rattled as the transport jolted to a stop and surged forward.

Her guards spun and wove through the lanes. Luna blinked and saw the mob of irate commuters as a barrage of flaming pitch thrown by distant catapults. Zipping pegasi were arrows cutting through her path like bolts of lightning. The roar of the crowds thundered like the drums of long-forgotten wars.

A griffin, armed with spear and talon, nearly clipped the edge of the chariot but was pushed aside at the last second by a burst of telekinesis.

Towers and parapets closed in around her. The enemy surrounded them. They glared and snarled from their posts. Steel flashed in Luna’s eyes, and she readied a spell that would turn their fortifications to dust.

Light shined from below. There! The command post! They congregated in the hundreds, like swarming ants, no doubt to stand united against the Sword of Equestria. Luna abandoned her spell and bolted up in the chariot. She unleashed a warcry that thundered across the battlefield. Surely their resolve was broken by her awesome power.

She heard the cheers of the soldiers charging in her wake.

She felt the fire burning in her veins.

She heard her name cried out.

“-rincess Luna! Princess Luna! Are you alright?”

She blinked.

Luna blinked again and looked at her drivers. They stared at her inquisitively - worryingly - with creased brows and curled frowns. She glanced over the side of the chariot and saw a churning mass of ponies shouting and hollering. Some peered at her curiously while others stomped their hooves with exuberant faces.

“Wait…” Luna shook her head violently. Where was she? This was… Manehattan, yes? She was in Manehattan, not the Battle of the Tartarean Gates.

“Princess?”

“... We’re fine.” She straightened herself and eyed the crowds. “Tell us, Corporal, why are they cheering?”

“I would presume that they saw our dramatic entrance. We had to do some first-rate maneuvering in order to navigate that traffic jam. That plus your… mmm… vocalization… probably caused quite a sight.”

The crowds, once halted by Luna’s rippling entrance, returned to their normal flow of traffic. She saw islands of activity in the sea of chaos. Ponies dressed in elaborate costumes posed dramatically on street corners, or played music with a variety of instruments, while onlookers gawked. Luna saw groups of ponies dressed in matching vests or shirts prowling the square like sharks. A pony drifted from the herd, or foolishly made eye-contact, and was swarmed by them with warm smiles that didn’t quite reach their eyes. They bowled them over with rapid barrages of words that left their quarry dazed.

It was a trifling matter to collect voluntary donations in exchange for their free merchandise and samples once they adequately paralyzed.

Her ears pressed against her skull from the cacophony of noise. Lights from magical projections flashed across every building - all screaming for her attention. The heat and musk of hundreds of ponies squeezed together was stifling, and she was glad for her perch on the chariot lest she get whisked away by the herds.

“‘Ey! You in the buggy! Yer blockin’ da hoof-traffic!”

Luna glanced down and saw a middle-aged stallion grumbling as he trotted past. He never glanced up to see who he was addressing and never acknowledged Luna beyond whatever inconvenience she caused him. Her ears drooped and her drivers scowled as he pushed past.

“Mayhaps we should get this over with,” she sighed.

Luna rose to her full height and inhaled.

“Citizens of Manehattan!” she boomed across Press Plaza. “Come one and all, for We - Luna, your Princess of the Night - have graced you with Our presence!”

The roar of the plaza fell into a dull rumble as many of the ponies stopped and eyed Luna with raised brows. Many spared her only a glance before going on their way.

“We have come to con yourselves and your fair city,” her voice thrummed over the crowd. “Come and regale us with tales of thy livelihoods. Showest us thine culture, and bask in the glory of the Night Princess!”

Something cold and metallic flicked against her nose. She scrunched, cross-eyed, and looked down at her hooves where a shiny bit sneered up at her. Luna scowled and picked up the offending piece of currency. The Princess scanned the crowd, but only saw the indifferent current of ponies going about their evening with practiced urgency.

Luna peered through the crowd again and squinted at the shifting kaleidoscope. She grinned and flagged down an earth pony stallion in a business suit.
“You!” Luna called out. “Smartly dressed merchant with the bit cutie mark! Verily, you can tell us about this great city!”

Her smile disintegrated as the stallion trotted past, even away from her, without sparing a glance. His discipline reminded her of a royal guard; his gaze never wavered from his path. He was alone in a sea of ponies, like a single jutting rock in the stream.

Luna felt much the same.

She spotted another pony. This one’s gaze wandered around the plaza as she took in the sights. The unicorn mare levitated a black box that hung from her neck and aimed it at the massive hourglass suspended over the plaza. It flashed with a bright light, and the mare dropped it to its resting place.

“You! Mare!” Luna yelled. “What are you doing here? Can you tell us aught about Manehattan?”

Her eyes drifted over to Luna before snapping away. “No, sorry. I don’t want to buy anything. Can’t chat. I need to hurry to the tour stop before they leave!”

“B-but…” Luna deflated. “Oh… Fie!”

"Hey!... You up there on the soapbox!" a scratchy voice called out. "What's all that get-up for?"

Luna squinted and looked around the chariot for the origin of the voice, but its owner was nowhere to be found.

“Down ‘ere.”

Luna looked down at the pavement beside the chariot. A filly, hardly taller than the wheel, looked up at her with a raised eyebrow. She had a burnt orange coat and a short, dirty, and purple mane that covered one eye.

“What do you mean, child?” Luna replied as she leaned closer.

“Are ya supposed to be some sort of new street act or somethin’? That why yer talkin’ and dressin’ funny?”

“Act?” Luna snorted. “Nay! We are not some two-bit actor playing parlor tricks! We are Princess Luna, Diarch of the Night! Prithee, little filly, why dost every mare and stallion scurry about like pismires on some great mission and barely acknowledge the pony beside them?”

The filly eyed Luna and her guards curiously before blowing a lock of mane out of her face. It settled back to its spot. “Most of ‘em gots places to be, see, and anypony who’s local knows not to talk or even look at the blokes prowling around the Plaza like alleycats. The tourists learn pretty darn quick after they walk out the other end forty bits lighter. That’s how they reel ya in, see. As soon you meet them in the eye, they’ve got ya!”

“Art thou telling us that these… these vipers are placing compulsion hexes on our subjects?!” Luna snarled.

“Nah, nah!” the filly backed up nervously. “It ain’t anythin’ like that! At least, I don’t think it is. They just know what to say an’ how to say it… You sure ya ain’t Celestia in a cozplay or somethin’?”

“We are not our sister!” Luna bellowed.

“Alright! Alright! Sheesh… Well, if ya are the Night Princess that the Press talked about last year, then what are ya doin' all the way over here? Shouldn't ya be livin' the high life up in fancy Canterlot or somethin'?"

“Fie! Canterlot abounds with naught but fainéant coxcombs and strumpets! ‘Tis not a worthwhile place to con the demesne after our thousand year absence. Thus, we have decided to see the land with our own eyes!”

“I’ve got no idea what that first part was, but I prolly agree. So yer takin’ a tour, basically, yeah?”

“Verily,” Luna nodded.

“Well, this don’t seem like the best way to do it. Ya stick out like a sore hoof, ya see, with yer chariot and guards and giant friggin’ wings and all that crud.”

“Truly?” Luna ruffled her wings and blushed. “But should we not stand out among the rabble? We are a Princess and an Alicorn, for Maker’s sake!”

“Maybe,” she shrugged, “but it’s hard to see how us little ponies live when yer standin’ on yer pedestal all high and mighty-like.”

"... Thy words have merit, child," Luna said after a moment of thought. "We will take them into consideration. Prithee, what is thy name?"

“Babs Seed, at yer service, Your Princessness!” she smirked. “But you can call me Babs if ya like!”

“Very well, Babs.” Luna smiled. “We suppose we shall try to speak to other ponies for a little longer. May thine eve be splendid and thy dreams sweet.”

“Uhh, right back at ya, Princess!” Babs nodded before vanishing into the crowd.

Another two hours passed with very little progress, but Luna did not mind it so much now. Her thoughts churned from the conversation with Babs. She needed a way to experience Equestria from the level of her subjects, and not from atop a silly chariot where she would have bits thrown at her like she was some sort of urchin.

The evening grew late and, despite the decreased traffic, there were still many ponies out and about - much to Luna’s satisfaction.

“Come, gallants.” She turned to her guards. “The eve grows late, and we must begin our duties in the Dream Realm. Let us retire.”

“Very well, My Lady. I reserved a hotel room while you were speaking with the civilians. They were a bit flustered about the suddenness of the visit, but we managed to find a room to meet your standards.”

“Excellent work, Corporal.” Luna smiled approvingly. “Remind us to inform Captain Nightingale of your stellar performance tonight.”

“Thank you, My Lady.”

The thestrals broke into a short trot. They flapped their wings vigorously and ascended into the air with the chariot. Luna waved at the ponies and settled into her seat.

Luna sat in front of the window overlooking the Manehattan skyline. The opulent furnishings of the hotel room surrounded her, forgotten, as she stared at the city. Ponies skittered like ants through the streets, despite the late hour, and Luna smiled. A pegasus flittered past her building occasionally, but otherwise, Luna remained undisturbed.

She sighed and closed her eyes. Luna heard the distant rumble of the city from her perch. It was unheard of a millennium ago for so many ponies to be active at this hour, but this (from the brochure that she had acquired) was the City That Never Slept. So many gears needed to be maintained and polished in order for the great machine to run. It was an interesting cycle, Luna thought, that ponies had to stay awake at night in order to maintain the lights that allowed them to work at night in the first place.

Luna focused on the steady heartbeat of the city. She swayed to its rhythm, and the tension in her shoulders rolled off of her, one tweaked muscle at a time. The breathing of her guards, who stood on either side of her, was slow and calm. Her own breaths matched theirs, and she stood on the precipice between consciousness and sleep.

A world of glittering stars drifted past her and she fell into the Dream Realm like a comet through the cosmos. Globes of light danced in all directions that carried fuzzy images and distorted sounds while Luna drifted through the eternal expanse.

Luna dove into her work with a patient diligence. Hundreds of dreams - hundreds of minds, souls, and hearts - lay before her on the tapestry, and she held each one with care. Time had little meaning in this plane, so she could afford to work as she pleased.

A filly dreamed of a flowered meadow, frolicking in its boundless greens, while an old stallion mourned a long-departed love. She conjured a small rabbit to play with the filly and fond memories for the stallion to reminisce. Luna’s lip curled as a foul stench assaulted her nose. The dream of a young mare fleeing a pack of shadows in a darkened alley shot past Luna’s gaze, and she quickly fired a beam of magic at the sphere.

A masked figure in a cape leaped from the rooftops and landed between the mare and the shadows. The figure gave her a reassuring smile and assumed a heroic stance before the specters. Luna nodded approvingly and sent the dream on its way.

The Night Princess flew further into the dreamscape. A surge of magic spread out from her like a wave across the expanse and touched every dream. Nightmares were subdued, fears were placated, and good dreams were made all the sweeter. Luna stopped, however, when her magic rebounded from one corner of the realm. She blinked and found herself hovering outside the dream.

Luna frowned as she examined the sphere. Silvery bars surrounded it like a mesh and repelled a casual probe into its surface. She pushed and prodded further to find that while it did have some give, the dreamer’s mind was heavily fortified. A turbulent storm growled inside the cage, and Luna creased her brow. One of her subjects was in distress in her realm.

She would not allow it.

Luna’s eyes flashed brightly with magic, and the Dream Realm vanished.

She was running.

Luna’s legs pumped against the pavement. Each breath was steady - controlled - as she fought to keep her heart rate in check. Rain battered her and caused her hair to become matted against her face and her clothing soaked. She brushed her hair aside with a hand and turned to face her pursuers without breaking stride.

A bolt of magic - no, plasma - screamed through the night. She ducked and narrowly escaped the bolt’s trajectory. Her jacket smoked, and Luna smelled the acrid stench of burnt ozone.

The police - no, invaders - screamed for her to stop. Yield. Obey. Surrender. She did none of these things. Three bolts of plasma blasted the pavement beside her and melted it into slag. A horrible whine raked the inside of her skull, and she dove to the side.

Ten feet away, where she once stood, a gaping hole in a car yawned back at her. The torn steel and plastic was jagged and glowing white while its atomized remains scattered into the wind. She looked back to her pursuers and, even though she could not see their faces, she knew they were growing tired. They were weak, slow, and clumsy.

She was not.

A blur of motion and she was sprinting down an alleyway. The thuds from her boots thundered across the walls and the stench of the city lit her way through the dark. Several soldiers followed - eager to corner their prey…

But they were in her territory now.

Left at the dumpster and over the fence. Boarded windows and the desiccated remains of the city blurred past. She dove underneath a crate, where the warped scar of an orbital bombardment never fully healed, and slid out the other end.

KABOOM!

Luna’s ears rang as the shredded remains of the dumpster splattered the alley behind her. A roar filled the sky and a blinding light flooded the area. She looked ahead, and the wall of a three-storied building loomed before her.

Luna sprinted faster.

A wall of fire chased her like a charging dragon, and she sprinted faster.

Bullets bit into the pavement like teeth, and she sprinted faster.

She heard thick boots gaining ground, and she jumped.

The ground fell, and Luna grabbed onto the second story window. Her fingers dug into the stone, cracking the mortar, and she pulled up with all her might. She vaulted past the window, the third floor, and landed in a roll onto the roof.

Luna rose to her feet. Lightning flashed. Another figure stood in front of her.

His body was encased in a black mesh that was chiseled with defined and compacted muscles. A metallic helmet with a breathing mask clung to his head. The figure carried a belt around their waist filled with compartments, a sheathed combat knife, and holstered pistol. He carried a large rifle strapped to his back. Luna felt a pair of soulless eyes staring at her from behind the pitch-black visor.

“You are the one known as Ice Wolf, correct?” the figure said with a voice that sounded like the rain’s hiss.

“Aye, and you must be Captain Agares, methinks?” Luna replied, sneering, with a voice that was not her own.

Agares nodded. “You are carrying something my employer requires. If you surrender it, I am authorized to take you in alive.”

“Yeah? Well good luck with that, traitor," she growled while adopting a wider stance. Luna raised her hands, open-palmed, towards her opponent.

“Very well.”

Agares twitched, and Luna saw the edge of a monomolecular blade slicing through the rain - aimed at her neck. She slid back, narrowly sidestepped a blindingly fast thrust, dove for Agares, and unleashed a roar that silenced the sky.

Luna gasped and bolted from her seat in the hotel room.

“Princess?” Her guard looked at her inquisitively. “Are you alright?”

“I…” Luna panted. The blade. The fire. The soldier and her… tumbling off of the rooftop. She could see it, plain as day in her mind’s eye, like a memory… but not her own. “I… We… We are not sure.”

Author's Note

Special thanks to my editing team: PeerImagination, ARTL, and WhoHacks, and everyone in the Fimfiction Discord!
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Chapter Five

Fluttershy tip-hoofed into Carousel Boutique and allowed the door to close behind her. A bell chimed loudly when it shut, and she flattened her ears as it echoed through the house. Rarity was nowhere to be seen, so Fluttershy looked at the dozen ponyquins on display. A yellow sundress with white lace and a wide-brimmed hat bathed in the sunlight in front of the window. The phantom tartness of lemonade clung to the roof of her mouth, and her ear twitched at the echo of a buzzing bee. Suit jackets and ornate gowns of summer and fall colors lined the displays of the showroom.

She was eyeing a sun hat that reminded her of her mother when Rarity’s voice called from the back room.

“Give me just a moment, darling. I’ll be right with you!”

“Oh, it’s okay.” Fluttershy said. “Take your time.”

“Oh! Fluttershy? Is that you, dear?” Rarity asked as she poked her head through an open doorway. “Please come in and make yourself at home. I just put a kettle on.”

Fluttershy stepped into the back room and peeked at her surroundings from between a curtain of hair. The room doubled as a small kitchen and lounge. A sofa sat in front of a glass coffee table with a collage of fashion magazines and scattered coasters spread across it. On the opposite end of the room stood a small icebox, a stove, and a cabinet decorated with a spring motif.

“So, what brings you here, darling?”

“Well I was hoping you could make something for me, if it’s not too much trouble, that is,” Fluttershy said as she crawled onto the sofa. “Well it’s not actually for me, really. It’s for a friend.”

“A friend, you say?” Rarity smirked as she set down the tray with the teapot and cups. “Well I am glad you are branching out in your social circles, dear. Celestia knows it would be good for you. Now, what can I do for this mysterious friend of yours?”

Rarity filled their cups while Fluttershy continued.

“He’s, well, not really from around here. He’s not a pony, and doesn’t have a whole lot of fur, so I imagine he wants something to keep himself covered up to keep warm and so he doesn’t get a sunburn.”

Fluttershy pulled a notebook from her saddlebags and handed it to Rarity. She opened the book and peered at the first page of notes and rough diagrams through a pair of horn-rimmed glasses. Rarity pursed her lips and hummed.

“How peculiar… Is your friend a Minotaur, by any chance?”

“No.” Fluttershy shook her head. “He’s a… well… We’re not exactly sure what he is. Twilight thinks he might be some sort of primate. Now that you mention it, he never actually gave us a straight answer.”

“Has Twilight met him?”

“No… Just Dash and I. You see, I didn’t know he could talk until this morning. I found him in the Everfree last night and brought him home, but since I had never seen anything like him before, I wanted Dash to be there… Just in case.”

“You know, dear… I’ve always thought you and Rainbow Dash looked positively adorable together. She’s always so protective of you. It’s very sweet.”

“Rarity…” Fluttershy sighed and rolled her eyes when Rarity wasn’t looking. “Rainbow is like a sister to me. We practically grew up together. She’s nice and all, ‘awesome’ as she would put it, but that would be, well, weird.”

“Oh, very well…” Rarity huffed. “What about this new friend of yours? How did you meet him?”

“That’s, ummm, a bit of a long story, and I’ve told it so many times today…”

“Pleeeeease?” Rarity batted her eyelashes.

Fluttershy sighed. “Alright.”

She described her ordeal in the Everfree Forest for the third time that day. As Fluttershy recalled the details, she was surprised to discover that they did not frighten her as much as they did when she told Rainbow at breakfast. Perhaps, as she shared the experience with her friends, the trauma was slowly became easier to bear.

“...And that’s what happened.”

“Celestia’s mane…” Rarity gasped. “That’s so… so… so…”

“Terrifying? Horrible? Reckless?”

“...Romantic!”

...What?

“But Rarity…”

“Honestly, darling, it sounds just like a breezie tale! A rugged monster rescues the fair maiden from a pack of beasts but is injured in the process, and then the maiden must nurse him back to health in the intimacy of her own home. Then the maiden and monster fall in love and live happily ever after!”

“That’s a very lovely image you have, Rarity, but there’s just one itty-bitty, tinsey little problem with it…”

“And what would that be?”

“Lyall didn’t want to stay at my cottage. He, well, decided to camp out in the White Tail Woods.”

Rarity blinked once.

Twice.

“Drat.”

“I think he just values his privacy.” Fluttershy ruffled her wings. “That’s something I can respect. Some creatures are just more solitary than others, even for their own kind. L-like me. The best thing I can do is make him more comfortable and give him room to stand on his own two feet.”

“Very well. Let a mare fantasize. I’ll see what I can do for this outfit. I must say, the design is quite retro… almost archaic, even. I may need to order something from out of town, but I should have it ready by the end of next week at the latest.”

“Thank you, Rarity. I really appreciate it.”

Luna sat on her chariot with a pensive frown. The wind tugged at her mane while the skyscrapers of Manehattan slowly faded behind her, but Luna’s thoughts clung to the last dream of her evening vigil. She remembered the heat of the flames searing her back as she ran in an alien body, and she remembered being swept away by the vivid memories the moment she stepped into the dream. Knowledge of concepts and words she had never encountered swam through Luna’s mind, but even as the morning dew evaporated—so did the memories.

She rubbed her temple and groaned. The vision was far too vivid to be a dream or a nightmare. It had to be a memory - and a recent one at that. Nothing from her studies matched what she saw, nothing. Luna creased her brow as she tried to make sense of it.

She banished the thoughts and focused on more immediate concerns. The filly from yesterday raised an interesting point. In order to fully understand the lives of her subjects, she had to immerse herself into their activities. Luna needed to step down to their level and live as they did.

“Sergeant.”

“Yes, Princess?” The stallion glanced behind him.

“We may have an idea. When we get to our next stop, we need to land our chariot somewhere inconspicuous. We are to venture into the city in disguise and spread word of Our arrival. Mayhaps with a different perspective we shalt procure a better reception. What dost thou think, mine guard?”

“Excellent idea, Your Highness. How will you advertise your debut?”

“With these!”

Luna pulled out a small cardboard box from a set of saddlebags on the floor of the chariot. She levitated it into the guard’s face, and he reeled back to blink the object into focus. The box was a happy orange with a rainbow twisting across the face. A gryphon, covered head to claw in prismatic feathers, grinned on the front with two drenched paint brushes.

“Gryphola… Really, Princess? Crayons?”

“Verily! Tis almost like sticks of charcoal, yet they produce color liken unto paints! Truly a marvelous invention of this new age. However, We were told by Our sister that many of our little ponies seem to have developed a taste for consuming such useful tools. We tried one ourselves and did not see the appeal, so please restrain thyself, Sergeant, or We shall have thee court martialed for substance abuse!”

“Understood, Princess.” The guard focused on their flight while his comrade fought to keep his stony expression in check.

Pinkie Pie prowled through the bright streets of mid-day Ponyville, guided by the faint tremors in her back. She hummed a cheerful tune as she pronked stealthily past the marketplace. Roseluck waved at her and wished her a good afternoon, but Pinkie only returned an ecstatic grin, because she was on a mission.

Her tail twitched and swayed like a rudder in the cosmic waves of n-th dimensional space. A familiar tug pulled her from town and a hop to the left brought her just outside the White Tail Woods. Pinkie’s right hoof popped, the curl on her mane wobbled, and her left cutie mark twitched, so Pinkie knew she was needed - that someone needed a friend.

“Helloooooo?~” Pinkie hollered into the forest as she pranced between the trees. “My Pinkie Sense told me someone was out here all alone and I thought that was weird because it was someone and not somepony. Like, it’s not unusual for ponies to come out here, but they’re not normally by themselves since they’re having a jog or picnic with friends and if someone is out here all by themselves then they might not have any friends to have picnics with and that’s just so sad, so I came out here to say ‘hi!’ and see if you want to be friends!”

A whiff of smoke tickled Pinkie’s nose and it carried her through a dense thicket. She trotted over a taut wire made of bound grass, wondered why someone would leave something like that out for somepony to trip over, and stumbled across a small shelter of large leaves and branches formed into a rough lean-to.

“Anybody hoooooome?” She poked her head inside. “I would throw you a housewarming party, but I don’t think I could fit many ponies in here… and I’m honestly not sure if this is up to code!

“Twitch-twitch. Twitchy-twitch!” Pinkie squealed and backpedaled several paces.

A tall figure landed like a cat upon the grass where Pinkie had stood a second ago. Blue eyes met her own. But while hers were warm like bath water, his were like cold scissors that popped balloons. Scars crisscrossed and blotched the creature’s lightly furred torso and limbs, while rough hands clenched a long, sharpened stick. Pinkie blinked and found the splintery tip an inch away from her snout.

“Oh, you are home!” Pinkie giggled and ignored the sharp implement that was shoved in her face. “I was worried because I wasn’t sure how long I would have to wait, because you see, I just hate waiting since I have to sit still and occupy myself. Normally, I would just sing a song, but sometimes I have to hide and wait for the guest of honor for a surprise party and you have to be quiet or otherwise it won’t be a surprise anymore, but then the excitement of waiting for the surprise is enough to keep me occupied while sitting still. What’s your name?”

The creature stared at Pinkie. All was silent except their breathing, like the forest had dropped everything to observe them. Pinkie felt the hairs on her neck prickle as the creature’s eyes bored into her own, and she wondered if he was challenging her to an unspoken staring contest before he replied.

“Lyall.”

A muscle spasmed in Pinkie’s back-left hoof. She pursed her lips and furrowed her brow in thought. Lyall’s pupils narrowed by the barest margin, much like when Gummy had one of his moments, and Pinkie couldn’t help but wonder what was going on in his head.

“Well how do you do, Mister Lyall?” Pinkie beamed. “My name is Pinkie Pie, but all my friends call me Pinkie, though if everypony is my friend does that mean my name is just Pinkie? What counts as your real name, anyway? Is it what you go by, what you know it is, what your parents named you, or is it what everyone else calls you? Lyall is a funny name, by the way. Lyall, Lyall, Lyall! Lyyyyall… Lyaaaaall… Lyallllll…”

“I’m curious, lass,” Lyall interrupted. Pinkie noticed he had lowered his guard, but had backed up several feet. “What brings ye disporting into this greenwood and my camp? I was not expecting… visitors.”

“My Pinkie Sense told me there was someone new nearby, but not new in town as it usually does, so I decided to start pronking and see where I landed. Then, what do ya know, my twitchies brought me here to your front lawn! Though I wouldn’t really call this a lawn per se, but it’s a good analog. What you really need is some nice decorations like a welcome mat, a lawn gnome or two, maybe get rid of those trip wires, some scented candles. No, scratch the scented candles. Those are always a fire hazard. I learned that the hard way during Twilight’s housewarming party. I wonder if they make scratch-and-sniff candles? A plate of cookies would be good for guests, too. Celestia knows they’d need a pick-me-up after just finding this place, but guest snacks are no fun unless you’re sharing with them, so what are your favorite flavors?”

“Forgive my lack of hospitality,” he replied coolly. “But I am neither prepared nor particularly willing to entertain guests.”

Lyall walked past her and sat in front of the smouldering fire. A large pile of reeds and grass lay at his right. Many of them were pulled apart into long fibrous strips and twisted like twine, and were laid out in an overlapping grid on his left. Pinkie plopped down on the opposite side of the fire as he picked up a handful of materials.

“That’s super duper okay! We don’t have to have your party here. I have lots of secondary locations to choose from! There’s Applejack’s barn, Sugarcube Corner, Twilight’s library, and umm… What other cliches are there? Anyway, whatcha doin’?”

“I am making a net. I have a few snares set up in the brush to catch small game, but I’m hoping to catch something bigger with this. If not, ‘twill be perfectly serviceable for fishing.”

Pinkie blinked and stared as Lyall pulled the grass fibers apart and spun them into long cords. His hands danced in a blur, and he soon had several feet of the natural twine laying at his side. She thought about what he said and wondered what kind of games one could play with nets and trip wires.

After a moment of thought, Pinkie decided it didn’t sound very fun.

“Say, you’re pretty good at that!”

“Thank ya, lass. I’ve done this enough times to where I don’t necessarily need to think about it. It lets my hands wander and my mind focus.”

“What other kind of stuff can you do?”

“I’ve picked up quite a few skills in my travels. Only some of them pertain to surviving abroad. What about you, lass? What is your trade?”

“Oh, I know lots of things! I can bake, run a register, do accounting, build things, blow things up, sing, dance, but my number one special talent is making ponies smile!”

“‘Tis an admirable calling. There is far too much ruth in the world, so it is good that someone can devote themselves to curtailing it.”

“Thanks… I think. Did you know that you talk funny?”

“Bah, it’s you moppets that noise about, making up new words when there are ones that are perfectly acceptable.”

“Tee-hee! Now what about that party?”

“I will have to respectfully decline, lass.”

“Aww… Well if you ever change your mind, come look me up! Just ask around Ponyville for me and you’ll find me. Anyway, I better let you get back to your arts and crafts. Buh-bye!”

Pinkie pronked away, slipping between a leaf and a rock, and found herself in the back of the cart of a very startled Big Mac. She shimmied out of the produce and giggled as she trotted back to town.

Meanwhile, on a rock just outside Lyall’s field of vision, a raisin muffin sat with a single lit candle perched on top.

Author's Note

I apologize for the incredibly long wait. I recently moved to California where I'll be working in an agricultural program for the next several months, so I only have a couple hours of free time a day right now. Special thanks to my editor, Peer, for putting up with me, and let me know what you think in the comments!

Chapter Six

Fluttershy hummed a soft tune as she trotted through the tall grass. She held a covered wicker basket in her mouth. Her mane snapped into her eyes from an errant breeze, but she flicked it aside with her wing.

She stepped under the shadow of the first tree and ventured into White Tail Woods. Birdsong drifted through the leaves and Fluttershy continued with an extra spring in her step. A butterfly fluttered past her nose, a mouse scurried around her hoof, somepony screamed, and the scent of flowers tickled her nose.

Fluttershy blinked... and she galloped into the trees. She slid the basket's handle over her head and leaped over a fallen log. The trees blurred past as Fluttershy wove through the underbrush. She skidded to a halt in a small clearing and looked up.

A brown and green net was suspended several meters above the ground, and Fluttershy could see something squirming inside and rocking the net like a pendulum. Fluttershy stepped forward and a crunch made her flinch. Crumpled parchment, stained black from a broken ink bottle, was pinned beneath her hoof. Fluttershy looked up at the net and squinted.

“H-hello?” Fluttershy yelled softly, “Is somepony up there?”

“Fluttershy?” a familiar voice replied. “Is that you?! Help!”

“Twilight?!” Fluttershy gasped. “Ohmygosh! Hold on, I’ll be right up!”

Fluttershy placed the basket on the ground and flew up to the net. Twilight was dangling upside down from the trap. Her legs were tangled in the netting and her face was pressed into her saddlebags at an uncomfortable angle.

“Are you okay?” Fluttershy asked as she hovered at eye level. “How did you get up here?”

“I don’t know! I was just, uhh… out taking a walk when the ground just exploded out from underneath me! A-and, and, I think I have a cranial injury!”

“Let me see…” Fluttershy reached for the saddlebag.

“My horn hurts, and I can’t see!” Twilight slapped her away with a flailing hoof.

“Twilight…” Fluttershy scowled.

“Oh Celestia, I think I’ve gone blind! How will I read? How will I learn new magic? What if Celestia decides to replace me as her student?! What if--”

Thwap!

“--ow!”

“Oh, I’m sorry Twilight…” Fluttershy whispered as she lowered her tail, “How clumsy of me. Are you okay?”

Twilight blinked as the net stopped swaying. Her saddlebags were dislodged, letting Fluttershy see the bemusement and embarrassment on Twilight’s swollen face. The area around her eye was red and inflamed, and Fluttershy thought it gave her a half-finished Neighponese look - if not slightly more purple than usual.

“Oh dear!” Fluttershy gasped. “Oh my… Hold on, let me try to get you down.”

Fluttershy hovered to the net‘s anchor on the tree. She inspected the knot that held it firm and frowned. It was too taught to untie, but her eyes lit up as an idea came to her.

She wrapped the rope around her foreleg and bit it at the knot's base. Fluttershy tasted the tanginess of reeds as she tore through the fibers. The rope broke with a snap and Fluttershy was yanked through the air by her forelegs. Twilight screamed, and Fluttershy beat her wings like a hummingbird.

They slowed to a crawl, and Fluttershy heaved through gritted teeth. Her wings burned, but her friend was no longer free-falling to the forest floor. Fluttershy lowered Twilight to the ground. She landed beside her with an exhausted plop.

“Ugh. Thank you, Fluttershy,” Twilight groaned as she untangled herself.

"Oh, it's no trouble at all. I couldn't just leave you up there."

Fluttershy sat in front of Twilight. She stretched her aching wings as an awkward silence congealed between them. Twilight pawed the ground and averted her gaze.

“So…” Twilight rubbed the back of her head. “What brings you out here?”

"Well, I was just bringing Lyall some food. I thought he might need a little something extra while he's still getting settled."

“Really? What did you bring him?” Twilight leaned forward. She levitated a crumpled parchment and broken piece of charcoal up to her face.

“Mostly dried fruits and veggies. I also packed some of my supply of dried fish. He seemed to like that.”

“I see… Go on.”

“It was kind of odd, really. He had a strange word for it. I think he called it ‘lutfusk’ or something like that?”

“Can you spell it for me?”

“Uhm… L, U, T,... Err, Twilight?”

“...U, T,... Yes?”

“What are you doing out here?”

Twilight paused and looked up from her parchment. She blushed and forced a laugh.

“Funny thing, actually. I was just on, uh, a nature walk. Bird watching! And I got caught by this net! This is probably somepony’s awful excuse for a prank!”

Fluttershy fought to keep her eyebrow from doing its best Applejack impression. She drew a long breath and smiled.

“Oh, I’m glad to see you taking an interest in my animal friends and nature, Twilight, and I’m glad this visit of yours has absolutely nothing to do with a member of a completely unknown species living an hour or two’s walk away, but if you wanted to know more about local wildlife you could have asked me to introduce you.”

Twilight flattened her ears and kicked the ground. “But… I… Thanks, Fluttershy.”

“Now, why don’t you join me while I go visit Lyall. I can introduce you two. Just remember to be on your best behavior.”

“R-right! Of course!”

Fluttershy trotted into a small clearing with Twilight drudging behind her. Dirt and a few foxtails clung to Fluttershy’s legs, but Twilight stumbled out of a bush like something a cat rejected on a midnight stroll.

Twigs and leaves poked out of Twilight’s tangled mane. Fluttershy saw that though the swelling in her face had gone down, it had been replaced by several cat-scratches caused by thorn bushes. Mud also caked her barrel and forelegs.

Fluttershy felt terrible for her friend’s mishaps, but it wouldn’t do to fix her up now. They still had to get back to Ponyville, after all, and anything Fluttershy did would be futile.

It’s not her fault. Fluttershy reminded herself. Twilight’s not used to this kind of hiking. I’ll clean her up when we get home. Just have to give her a supportive smile.

“Alright.” Fluttershy grinned. “I think we’re almost there. A little bird told me he saw something new move in around here. I’m pretty sure it was Lyall.”

“Okay.” Twilight panted. “Good. I could use a break.”

“Wait.” Fluttershy wrinkled her nose. “I… think I smell smoke.”

“Is that what that awful smell is?”

“... And something else. Uhm, wait here, please, Twilight. If you don’t mind, that is.”

Fluttershy crept forward like a cat, taking care not to scratch herself on any twigs. She moved past a copse of trees, and she scrunched her face at a familiar stench.

Lyall sat in front of a fire with his back toward Fluttershy. He stoked the flames with a long branch while rotating a spit with his other hand. Fluttershy's ear twitched as he hummed a low tune. She closed her eyes and focused on the sounds. Though she couldn't understand the words, the rhythm reminded her of rolling waves.

“Ye gonna skulk back there listenin’ to me ballads, lass, or are ye gonna join me?”

Fluttershy eeped. She didn’t realize he had stopped humming. Lyall remained at his spot by the fire, facing away from her, and completely at ease with her presence.

She slinked forward, ears flat and tail between her legs, and stopped a few paces behind Lyall.

“Umm, h-hello,” Fluttershy mumbled.

“What brings ye out here, Miss Fluttershy?”

“Err, well, I was just bringing you that extra food I promised and coming to see how you were settling in. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Ahh, is that what I smell? Come closer an’ let me see it.”

Fluttershy stepped beside Lyall and avoided looking at whatever was cooking on the spit. Her nose wrinkled instinctively from the scent, but she kept focused on her companion. Lyall took the offered basket and inspected the contents.

“Yes, this is good. It will keep. Who’s yer friend, by the by?”

Twilight squeaked from her hiding spot in the bushes. Fluttershy gaped as Lyall met her eyes. He smirked at her surprise, his facial hair wrinkling from the movement.

“H-how did you know she was there?” Fluttershy asked, head tilted curiously, as Twilight extracted herself from the foliage.

“Ya smell like the wilds, lass, an’ I got a whiff of parchment and ink comin’ from the brush. Last time I checked you don’t find that stuff growing out here. Twilight, I presume?”

“Yes. How do you know my name?” Twilight asked as she squinted at him.

“Your name’s been mentioned ‘forehand. I just put two an’ two together.”

“Rainbow and I mentioned you yesterday when we were talking.” Fluttershy looked at Twilight. “We, well, thought that if anypony could get Lyall home... it would be you.”

“Oh.” Twilight blinked. “Well, I’d certainly welcome the challenge. I’m afraid I can’t promise anything, though. Frankly, we still have no idea what you are or where you’re from.”

“There’s no reason to be hasteful, lass. Methinks I am the first of mine kind to travel these lands, and I don’t believe I would be able to accurately describe mine home in relation to yours.”

“Okay, then. Would you be willing to answer a few questions I have?”

“I suppose,” Lyall replied as he shifted some of the coals.

Fluttershy sat between them as Twilight pulled out her stack of parchment and stick of charcoal. She failed to restrain her grin while she made herself comfortable and levitated the supplies in front of her.

"So, I've done some research and I can't seem to find any records of creatures that match your description. Can you tell me what you are and where you're from?"

“Well, considering I’m an anomaly to your lands, I doubt knowing what I am will help ya much, lass, but I’ll indulge ye. Mine kind refer to ourselves as Man, little unicorn. We are as united as we are fractured - as noble as we are savage. Woodlands and mountains are as much our home as desert and plains. We build cities, sow fields, make families, an’ kill each other over greed and ideas.

“As for who I am. Well, I’m just a traveler of sorts. I go places, see things, and learn new skills. I seem to have found myself here in this land, so I suppose I’ll stay here for a spell. You can call my Lyall.”

“I see... “ Twilight hummed as she scribbled. “And what is your current occupation?”

"Well, recently I got into the business of being an independent courier and investigative consultant. Now, as ya can see, I'm more of a woodsman. Suits me better, methinks. Nice an' quiet."

“That’s actually really interesting!” Twilight beamed. “Can you tell me more about that?”

“Simply put, I was good at finding things, and finding out things, that are hard to get.”

“Oh, like Daring Do?”

“Aye, let’s go with that.”

“Okay, next question!” Twilight paused to flip her paper. “Does your species have any innate abilities or magic?”

“Depends who ya ask,” Lyall began. “Men are both physical and spiritual creatures, though most of us have deadened ourselves to the latter part of our nature. We’re an industrious race - always building things to make our short and hard lives a little easier, and the occult is nothing more than a flight of fancy to most. Those who do stay attuned, however, know that the supernatural is more than myth and legend. The magic of mankind is ancient, primal, and often sinister. People who delve into its secrets are most often servants of some higher power or are seeking power for its own sake.”

“And what about you?”

“I’ve seen some things, but I am no sorcerer, if that’s what you’re wondering.” Lyall chuckled.

“Haha, okay. Next question…”

Luna trotted down the well-lit sidewalks of Baltimare. Her two guards, much taller than her now, stood at her side as she navigated through the crowds. The two thestrals had foregone their armor, favoring matching pairs of Haywaiian shirts, straw hats, and sunglasses.

She marched between them, wearing the disguise of a unicorn filly, while carrying a saddlebag full of flyers. Luna’s short-cropped mane was dark blue, almost raven black, and her coat was a sleek and silvery cerulean that matched her eyes.

“Your Highness?” whispered one of the thestrals.

“Yes, Sergeant?” Luna glanced up at the guard.

“I’m afraid I must voice my concern over this plan. We have no armor and weapons, and you are vulnerable.”

“Nonsense. This is naught but an illusion, and Our magic and strength are fully accessible - even now. Your concern is noted, but We have full confidence in your abilities. Methinks that these streets are safe enough, but you would be more than a match against any petty vagabonds or bandits that waylay us. Now shush, you art meant to play the role of the doting uncle taking thy niece on a holiday.”

“Yes, Princess.”

“Now let’s tarry!” Luna shouted and galloped forward with her guards on her fetlocks.

Luna skidded to a halt beside an earth pony stallion. “Greetings, galla-Ahem. We-I mean… Hello, mister!”

The stallion blinked and looked down at Luna with a smile. “Well, hey there, hon. What are you doing out this late?”

“I’m working on a project for school, and my daddy’s brothers offered to help me out. So we’re running around town handing out these!”

He leaned down and squinted at the flyer.

“Ahh… Princess Luna, huh?” He looked at Luna. “Isn’t she that new alicorn that appeared after the Summer Sun Celebration last year? I was wondering what happened to her.”

“She’s not a new alicorn! Princess Luna is Celestia’s younger sister, and she was gone for a thousand years!”

“Ain’t that right? I remember the papers saying something about that… Didn’t she try to conquer the world or something?”

“Not… exactly.” Filly-Luna diverted her eyes. “She and her sister made up, though, and she doesn’t want eternal night anymore!”

“Well that’s good, hon, but why is she coming here?”

“The Princess wants to get to know her subjects, so she’s been traveling around Equestria and visiting all the big cities. She’s gonna be here at midnight! Please, mister, won’t you come? It’ll mean a lot to her… and me!”

“Well… I’ll have to think about it.”

“Thank you! Make sure to tell all your friends!”

Luna galloped away from the stallion with her disguised guards quick on her heels. There was a spring in her step as she handed out several more fliers. The ponies of Baltimare weren’t overly excited, but they were at least curious, for which Luna was thankful.

A large crowd caught Luna’s attention, and she stopped in front of what appeared to be a large amphitheater of sorts where ponies milled about in strange costumes. There was also a long line in front of the entrance with several dozen ponies waiting anxiously to get in. Luna pursed her lips and prodded a unicorn in line.

“Excuse me, miss, but what’s going on?”

The unicorn turned, and Luna eyed her strange attire. She was wearing a full-bodied suit made of brown fur with a layer of rubber skin along the belly. Her hooves were covered in boots shaped like clenched fists, and a paper monkey mask covered her face. A red beret completed the eerie ensemble.

“Oh, hi!” The unicorn shouted over the noise of the crowd. “You mean you don’t know? It’s Apecon!”

“Prithe- I mean… What’s that?”

“Huh… You must be really out of touch!” The unicorn pulled up her mask, revealing cyan fur and bright golden eyes. She wore a jubilant grin. “We’re all here in support of our favorite comic book series. See?”

She levitated a booklet from a saddlebag and floated it to her. Luna took it in her magic and examined it with a critical eye, and sure enough, there were several apes on the cover. Two gorillas, two orangutans, and two chimps. They were all dressed in camouflage jumpsuits and riding in some sort of mechanical chariot. Each one carried a black metal stick that shot fire from the tip, and the one in front was biting a thick cigar between his teeth while wearing a stylish pair of sunglasses and red beret. At the top of the page were six angry red and forest green words:

Our Macho Gorillas: Freedom is Firepower

“That’s Commander Jon Johnson!” The unicorn pointed at the beret-wearing gorilla. “He leads his team across the world fighting irredeemable evil with his ingenuity and his gun Ripper. That’s Borris, the one with the big muscles, and Serge, the suave-looking one.”

“Aren’t you a little old for comic books?” Luna flipped through a few of the pages.

“Pfft. Maybe, but then so are all these ponies! Comic books are just a medium. What really matters is the story it tries to convey. Yeah, on the surface it does seem excessively violent and dripping with testosterone, and you might think only colts might enjoy this, but dig a little deeper and you see a lot of great storytelling, compelling characters, and usually some sort of moral at the end. The stories about the Freedom Six might contain a lot of action, but the elements and messages are universal… Never give up in the face of overwhelming odds, protect those who cannot protect themselves, and sometimes you just have to get rough in order to solve a problem. Yeah… Friendship and harmony are preferred, but there are times when diplomacy just won’t work…”

Luna nodded, but she started to tune the unicorn out. The idea was compelling, if a bit avant-garde, but it was something Luna could agree with. It was a sentiment that modern Equestria seemed to lack - and sometimes reviled - but she remembered a time when the realm was young and threats lurked behind every shadow.

“... Mind if I keep this?” Luna finally interrupted the unicorn’s tirade.

"... Huh? Oh, sure! No problem. I'm actually planning on getting a signed copy tonight! You should totally check out the convention when you can."

“... I might.” Luna smiled and floated a flyer to the unicorn. “Only if you promise to come to this, too!”

“Princess Luna, huh? She sounds pretty cool. I’ll be there!”

“Cool! Bye, and thank you!”

Princess Luna paced nervously behind the curtain. She was glad she had gotten permission to use this amphitheater for her event, and that she didn’t need to make the manager cancel any others. While it was nice being respected, Luna didn’t appreciate the groveling; it reminded her of too many bad memories.

She took a few deep breaths and stepped onto the stage. The murmurs stopped and several dozen pairs of hooves stomped politely as she approached the podium.

“Good eve, mine subjects!” Luna projected her voice. “How farest thou?”

A few ponies in the front relaxed their grimaces and unflattened their ears, and a few ponies replied positively. Luna opened her mouth to speak again, but her train of thought ground to a halt. She had no idea what to say to these ponies. There were so many staring at her, and the lump in her throat threatened to crack her practiced smile. A fire engulfed her stomach and made her queasy.

“Umm… We are glad you are all are having a splendid evening. Verily, mine hast been quite gay!”

Luna’s ear twitched, and she thought she heard a few snickers in the crowd.

This is going to be a long night.

Author's Note

Thank you all for the long wait. This winter has been very busy for me with a new job, trying to start my own business, and getting ready to go to California again this summer. Special thanks to my editor, PeerImagination, for putting up with me and my snail pace. If you enjoy what you read, drop a comment and an upvote! If you didn't enjoy it, drop a comment anyway! Constructive criticism is always welcome!

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