Author's Note

Another update so soon? Well that's because I said twice a month so here it is! TWICE IN ONE MONTH! Honestly though, I am just glad that I did it for once. I really hope I proof read it enough.

Act 8 - A Night in the Woods

The sun was beating down hard on the orange mare as she went about her chores. With it getting so close to winter Celestia started to raise the sun a little earlier. to help let the snow gather from the weather pony's work. Which to Applejack just meant that she had daylight as she started her day.

After the first hour she was't worried. Leo has shown up early the first time sure, but she told him that coming that early was't necessary.

Then after two hours she started to think maybe he slept in. He did after end up having to take the last train back. So she figured she'd let him sleep in. After yesterday if she had to go through what he did, she wouldn't be able to get out of bed either.

After three hours however, she stopped making excuses. Hoping that Big Mac and Appleboom would be able to handle things until she got back she went out looking for Leo.

As she wandered through Ponyville she asked the pony's she knew if they had seen Leo at all. Most just shrugged and said no. A few mentioned the paper, apparently it had talked about the trial that took place yesterday.

Knocking on Twilight's door and being let inside by Spike, who invited her to sit down for a late breakfast.
"So Leo didn't show up for work today? That's not good.." Twilight said as she ate her pancakes.
"At first ah wanted to believe it was just because he came back so late, but the hours just kept ticking by. Ah never did see where he's living now that he moved outta Rainbow's place."

Coming back inside after getting the mail spike sits down and starts eating his breakfast as he reads the paper. Placing the letters before Twilight. Who shuffles through them, before teleporting them away somewhere.

"I mean, we should just check his place out. he most likely would be there. If he was still in Canterlot for some reason I am sure the Princesses would have sent a letter."

Spike hiccups as he gasps and chokes on a pancake, quickly catching his breath back he looks at the two mares. "Hey guys, I think I found a clue." He slides over the paper, the second page having a whole spread titled. HUMAN SENT TO ROYAL COURT : Nuisance or Threat? "Ya that's a clue alright"

"I was there, Leo apologized and didn't even complain about leaving their home. I can't believe Rainbow Dash would say this." Twilight started reading over the paper for the fifth time since they left the breakfast table.

"Ah know Leo wasn't her favorite person but, this is a bit much. We are trying to get folks to like him, er or at least tolerate the guy." Applejack added, looking at the ground.

"Aggressive,abusive behavior toward himself and others? I mean sure he was rude but this is blowing it out of proportion." Twilight added with a huff. "I mean the whole thing about him being an alcoholic turned out to be true, BUT SHE DID'NT KNOW THAT YET." Taking a deep breath, and calming herself. "Let's just hope we get to Rainbows house before Leo really does something stupid... if he hasn't already."

Finally making it to the house they notice nothing is wrong with it. So they go up and open the door to see Rainbow Dash sitting at her kitchen table. Slowly eating a bowl of oats. "Hey don't you guys knock?"

"Sorry Dash we thought, well. Have you seen Leo today?"

"No? why would I? I have been home all day, took a sick day." She grumbles going back to her oats.

"Oh? Sorry your feeling under the weather there Sugarcube." The two mares each took a seat down at the table.

Without wasting another second, Twilight dropped the paper down over Rainbows bowl. "This is why we are here, we guessed that as soon as Leo saw this he would have come straight over and well, been himself."

"Why?" She said, somewhat dejectedly. "He can't read Equestrian."

"What?" The two mares said in succession. "But can't Non read?" Twilight asked.

"Yeah, but only because I taught him. That's actually how we started hanging out. He was embarrassed, so - You now what it doesn't matter." She said changing her attitude and moving the paper so she could back to her oats.

"That don't excuse the things you said about Leo!" Applejack said. "Why would you even say those things? I mean this interview had to happen before we went to night court? You basically lied!"

"Well I was right, well more then I was wrong so, whatever." The mare finished her bowl and goes to get up and leave the room. Before she can, a purple glow pulls her seat back up to the table. "I know last night was rough for you with what happened with Non, but Leo is MISSING. You understand? I know he isn't the nicest stallion, but this could ruin any chance he has for getting any better." Twilight looked at Rainbow as her magic let go. "I know you are right about some of the stuff you said but." The look of anger left as she softened up, "Can you blame him? I mean you heard the same story I did yesterday right? When he hit rock bottom he had nopony to help him. No friends. I couldn't imagine." She stops as takes the paper back from the floor and folds it neatly in-front of her at the table.

"I know you and Non are having a disagreement right now. You too didn't say a word to each other the whole train ride back. We will be there for you if you need it, but just imagine for a second right now if we weren't." Her words slowly reaching the Pegasus. "Imagine you had no pony, and Non just, left." Rainbow started to shake her head hard. "Stop, I don't want to hear this."

"Even after you shared a love song, and knew you were meant for each other he still jus-"

"I SAID STOP!" She says crying, covering her head as she places her face on the table. "That might be happening" She whimpers, covering her ears.

The other two mares look at each other then back to Dash. "What?" "What are you talking about Non loves you?"

"Didn't you hear him last night? When he yelled at Leo? He said he wants to go home. To his REAL family." She sobbed into the table. "Then last night that's all he talked about, and I got mad and we-" She stopped herself as she went back into the table.

"Rainbow, I am sure Non just wants to visit, take the chance to see those he cares about. I don't think he would just leave you." Twilight said trying to comfort her friend.

"You don't know that. What if he goes back and decides he doesn't want me anymore." She cries, the other two mares at a loss for how to comfort their friend. "It took so long before he was willing to-" She hiccups "Be intimate with me. Even AFTER the song. What if that was all because he didn't have a choice and now. Now he HAS a choice again." Her two friends hug her as she weeps. Consoling her as she lets her emotions out.

Leo is getting really sick and tired of these living plants. After crawling out of the maw of the fifth one that has tried to eat him today. Lucky for him he was to big for them to clamp down onto. Unlucky for him he was unable to sleep at all over the night due all the creatures that kept turning up. So he was indeed, very tired.

It seemed all the little squirrels and birds wanted to meet this new lumbering creature. Although, it didn't look like Leo wanted to eat them, they kept a distance after he swatted a few chipmunks away from waking him up.

"Damn crazy forest, I feel like I am going in circles."

Twilight and Applejack hug Dash again before they leave her house. Dash's eyes red and still wet, but she's smiling. "Now make sure you talk to Non when he gets home tonight. Not just yell and kick him out again." Applejack says as she lets go of the hug.

"Yeah, I- I will." She nods. "And I'll talk to the paper about running a retraction about, some of-" A glare from Twilight changes her words. "Okay, okay, All of what I said about Leo." She starts to rub her hoof against her leg as she looks at the ground. "Thanks for being here for me, I really needed it, and good luck finding Leo."

"We will always be there for you." Twilight says as she goes to give a goodbye hug to her friend. "Whenever you need us. I am sure Leo is at his house, where else could he be at this point, right?" She lets go as the two leave to check Leo's house next, Rainbow closes the door.

Once the two are out of ear shot, Twilight sheepishly looks at Applejack and says "I really hope Leo is wrong about relationships.". Which gets a nod from Applejack, "I still can't believe y'all didn't tell me about that before the trial."

Meanwhile in the Everfree. Leo thinks about how all he wants to do is sleep as he continues to walk in what he hopes is a straight line. The creatures in the Everfree kept coming up to him. Curious about the creature they haven't seen before. He would Shoo them away, but he didn't get violent with them. He was just making it clear he didn't want them on him, or near him. He was really surprised with how intelligent they seemed, he could have sworn he saw the chipmunks nod when he told them to stop climbing on his back.

Wandering around probably isn’t the best idea, what did that drunk of a scoutmaster used to say? Find water and follow it down stream. Or was it upstream? Dammit, why didn't I pay more attention?

Turing to the small mob of critters Leo asks. "Uh, do you guys know where a stream might be?" They nod and start to slowly lead the way. Holy shit I am in a damn fairy tale

Twilight and Applejack make it to Leo's home, and they have been staring at the outside of it in silence for a few minutes now. Seeing the writing as clear as day across the outside they can't help but feel disgusted anypony would do this. The two finally start to walk closer and call inside but no answer.

So they let themselves inside so they can hopefully find Leo. Instead inside near the desk they find a pile of vomit on the floor, and his clothes neatly folded on top of the desk.

"Oh sweet Celestia, What happened?" Twilight starts to freak out. "Did a bunch of ponies really, no I refuse to think that."

"Now Twilight, lets not assume the worst. Now I am no detective but it doesn't look like there was a struggle." She sits next to her friend as she tries to think of another solution.

"I failed the Princess, She asked me to make sure that Leo after the trial. That Leo could still make friends, that he'd have the chance to do better. She wasn't certain that it was possible but, she wanted us to try. It hasn't even been a full day and I failed. I should have taken the train back with him, I could have done something."

"Enough of that." Applejack shook her friend, "As far as we know he's just passed out in a dumpster or somethin. Until we find out there will be no more failure talk, ya hear me?" With a nod the mare gets back up, and quickly adds. "So where do we go next?"

"Ah got an Idea, how about we ask Fluttershy to ask some of her critter friends? Maybe they have seen him walking around?"

Back in the Everfree.

Why the fuck is there a gay sea serpent in the lake?

And when I called him gay it only laughed and said he was indeed very happy. As well as a homosexual. He offered to help me get back to town which was cool. Then he went on and on about his hair, and then left, what? Whatever he probably was so absorbed in himself he forgot, besides I don't think I could look myself in the mirror if I rode a gay water dragon back into pony town. What has my life become?

Leo was one thing he really didn’t want to be right now, and that was sober. Checking his pockets again he had the same things that were always there. Front left keys, useless. Front right pocket, a dead cellphone and his old wallet. Why do I keep this shit? Coat pockets, bits, and some crumbled paper. Why do I always stuff receipts into my pockets? Wait, they don’t have recites here.

He pulls out the paper and sees a napkin with something scribbled on it. Its definitely a note, but he can’t read Equestrian. “How did I get this?” He shrugs as he puts it back in his pocket

Making it to Fluttershy''s cottage in record time, the two mares run into her house to see her and Pinkie talking over a nice smelling cup of tea. "Fluttershy, we need your help. Somethings happened to Leo."

Pinkie turns her head dropping her tea cup. "What? Whats happened to him this time?"

"He's lost and his place was trashed, we need to know if any of the critters saw where he went or what happened?"

"Oh, my. Okay, Angel go and ask every creature outside, if they saw anything bring then in, please." The small pet rabbit salutes as he hops off on his mission. Then shortly returns with a little birdy, with a very interesting story to tell.

Well definitely missed work. And getting chased by wolves was not how I saw today going.
Stupid wolves made of wood.

Leo was fast but not fast enough. He gets pinned by one of the timber wolves. Instinct takes over again as he pushes against the wolf and kicks at it. Once his kick lands the wolf yelps gets off him.
Without wasting a second another timber wolf jumps toward him, he manages to kick the next one square in the maw as it tries to pounce on him and the thing splinters apart.

"Woah, that was unexpected." Leo manages to get to his feet, three other wolves circling him. Now hungry for revenge on their fallen pack mate. Then two jump, one behind the other in front. Without enough space to move, Leo decides to try and swing at one. The large log that made up the maw of the one jumping at him connects with his swing. cracking it. the wolf falls to the ground and whimpers as moves toward the other. The one from behind lands straight on his back, making him face plant into the dirt. Its claws manage to tear through the shoulder on his jacket.

Pushing up from the ground he knocks the wolf off and manged to get a solid hit on the top of its head with both hands locked together, splintering that wolf. The other two seeing they are out matched decide to leave, having lost fellow hunters, they decide to move for easier prey.

“Wow, even the dangerous animals are meek. Why was I worried?” Leo pants as his habit of talking to himself seemed to get worse the longer he was in the Forrest.

Manticores and cockatrices my ass.

He continues following the river upstream. And eventually runs into twilight and co. Who are excited to see him alive still. The first thing out of Twilights mouth was, "How did you survive in the Everfree by yourself all night?"

Thats when one of the left over timberwolves jumps out and they yell at Leo to get away. Knowing better Leo decides to step up.

“No worries, they are all bark!” He laughs. The others just stare at him shocked.

"What are you doing your gunna get yourself killed." He swings and catches it mid jump as it goes for him. The sound of wood snapping is heard as the head rolls off the wolves body. and the torso falls to twigs on the ground.

Twilight starts asking him all sorts of questions and wants to run strength tests and the like on Leo as soon as they get back.

He also tells then was honestly surprised anyone ended up looking for him. Aside from the whole ‘falling into old habits thing’. He ends up talking about how he went to a bar before coming back to Ponyville. Then getting run out of town in the middle of the night. They ask him who ran him out of town. He simply says it was dark, and he couldn't see them. Having talked with them about his night which reminded Leo of the odd note. Then he asks Twilight what the note in his pocket says.

“Oh it’s.” She clears her throat and she gets a little blush on her face. As does the other two mares. “It says, 'Nice chatting with you tonight, send me a letter sometime stud.' Then her address, then it says ‘And next time you get me all *cough* Gingered Up, don’t leave me hanging. XoX Cherry”

“Gingered up? What does that mean?”

“Well uh,” “You see when a mare” "oh my" The mares tried to explains through their blushing.

“It means you get her tail to flag~” Pinkie says, poking Leo in the tummy. “Naughty~ Naughty~” She wiggles her eyebrows.

“Flag? What? Wait you mean she.” That pale look comes back to Leo’s face. “DO NOT TELL NON, OR RAINBOW.” He said a little louder then he meant to. As he starts to walk back toward town again. “OR ANYONE FOR THAT MATTER.”