Everfree Guardian

Manchester, England -- 2007

Silence. Among the brisk Spring night in Manchester, England, a dull silence accompanied the occasional nocturnal cooing of an owl or the chirping of crickets. Such peace lulled the notion of sleep to all of the suburban inhabitants of the neighborhood citizens. Rows upon rows of buildings were blacked out, lights flicked off as late-night workers turned in after a hard day at their jobs. To them, it was just another night, another day, coming and going.

Further along the trail of houses lies a path leading into the forest. A single driveway that stretched a quarter of mile inward until it landed upon a house, lonely and old, atop a low hill. A family of one mother and two children, a boy and a girl, lived within this house. The boy, Nathan Schmidt, had just breached the peak of his teenage years in the sweet sixteen mark of age. The girl, Maya Schmidt, was only an adolescent, a child of nine years. As with every house on the block, it, too, was blackened and without light, but unlike the other homes within the suburbs, this one was not quiet or peaceful.

"Oh, little Nathan...~ Where are you...? WHERE ARE YOU?!?!"

A loud crash came from the first story as the teenage boy jerked up from his seated position on the floor. Both he and his sister were in his room, the elder sibling watching Maya doodle and color on the notepads she had splayed out in front of her. Hearing the obvious sound of something being kicked over, the fear of a wrathful parent made him clinch up. Looking back at Maya as the footsteps drew near the staircase leading up to the second story hallway, Nathan scooped her up, covering her mouth as she began to protest. Opening his closet, he knelt down besides the dresser inside and gently stuffed his sister behind it. Before Maya made a noise, her brother put a finger to his lips.

"Mom's angry, Maya. Count to one-hundred, QUIETLY, and don't come out of this closet no matter what you hear."

"B-But-"

*CRASH*

Both children turned to the door as it rattled on its hinges. Something was thrown towards it from outside the room. Turning back to his sister, Nathan placed one of the caps hanging on the dresser on her head.

"You know how mom is when she's like this. You know what to do, sis. Close your eyes and cover your ears. I'll deal with her and come get you, okay...?"

The soft voice of his little sister came out in a slight whimper as another bang shook the door, this time coming from the rasping knocks of the bulldozing mother looking for them.

"Open this door! OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW!!! NATHAN!!!"

Nathan turned back to Maya, tucking her into the corner and leaning back out of the closet. Grabbing the doors, he gave her a small smile as he gently closed them.

"Trust me..."

Maya sniffled as the closet was left in the pitch blackness, the doors only opened by a crack when they were drawn closed. Nathan, turning away from it, noticed his door was about to come down. One of the hinges was giving away, and it won't be long before his mother broke the door down. Taking a breath, he reached under his bed and grabbed a wiffleball bat. He didn't want to hurt his mother, deranged as she may be, but at the same time, he had to defend himself. The only thing this cushioned bat was capable of was knocking out the older woman if he got a good swing in, but that was difficult when she was always right on top of him. Rubbing his neck, his thumb passed over a few marks, making his cough and clear his throat when touched. Gripping the bat by its handle, he steeled himself as the door finally caved, and his mother, Elizabeth Schmidt, stormed in.

"C'mere, you little scum!!"

Elizabeth was on him immediately, grabbing at his shoulders as he fought against her, shoving her back as she hollered at him.

"You think you can hide from me?! Not only did you lock the door, but you try to HIDE from me?! You're not allowed to do that to your mother! WHERE DID YOU HIDE MY PILLS!?!?!"

Nathan swung for the fences as she dove for him again, cracking her at the ribs and side-stepping her as she collapsed. Backing away from her, she hissed at him as she rose to her feet.

"You! How DARE you hurt your mother!"

"I don't have your pills, mom. You come here every time they go missing and you end up finding them someplace else, usually where YOU left them."

"LIAR!!! I KNOW YOU HAVE MY PILLS!!! WHERE ARE THEY!?!!? WHERE ARE THEY?!!? I NEED MY PILLS!!! WHERE ARE THEY?!?!?"

Nathan cringed as his mother's shrill screech nearly burst his eardrums, swinging once more as she raced towards him. She caught the bat as it neared her chest, striking her son across the cheek and drilling the handle of the bat into this stomach. Beating him down to the floor, Nathan covered up his vitals and his head as Elizabeth continued to pummel him for minutes on end. Soon, the elder woman tired out, so much so that she began to calm herself. Dropping the bat, she spat on her son's side as she stormed past him, leaving the room to search for her medication in the lower floors. Groaning, Nathan pushed himself up, bringing himself to a sit and rubbing his side. His mother really thrashed him hard this time. The bat was cracked to the side and he was sure to get some bruising from those swings. Shaking off the pain, he kicked the bat back underneath his bed and walked towards the closet. Opening it up, he uncovered Maya from her hiding spot, her eyes opening when he did so. She took one look at him and dove for his abdomen, snuggling into his belly as she began to sob lightly. Nathan took a labored breath as he wrapped an arm around her, petting her head as he glanced out the window.

Elizabeth was getting more aggressive. Ever since his father, Michael, walked out on them, she'd all but given up on life. Like any other broken woman, she resorted to medication and drugs to dull the ache of a shattered heart, but it only led her to change and morph into the violent and delusional woman she was tonight. As such, her drug-ridden state wasn't fit to keep the house in shape. She paid the bills, sure, but Nathan was doing most of the chores and housework while she wasted away. He was also the one to teach his sister about the many lessons he's learned, good and bad. She needed to be prepared for the road ahead in life. One day, they would leave this place behind, and Maya needs every lesson she could learn to be ready.

Sighing, Nathan rested himself up against the wall, closing his eyes as he would feel sleep come to him easy, considering some of those blows may have connected with his head. He'd hoped he didn't have a concussion. Right now, the last thing Maya needs is for him to be in a coma. She'd be all alone with their mother. That was something he'll never let happen. He'd sooner run Elizabeth through with something sharp than let her even graze Maya.

With that thought lost in his mind, Nathan felt himself go limp, a hand still on his sister's head as they both fell into the warmth of slumber.

Everfree Forest, Equestria - 2011

Nathan awoke in his bed with a startling jolt to his psyche. Being thrust from his dream after a slow ascension from it back to the waking world put his body in near panic mode. Sitting up quickly, he glanced around, finding himself not in the home he once knew, but the one he built in a whole new world, he drooped over the side of his bed slightly, clearing his throat as a cold sweat drizzled down his cheeks.

Slinging his legs over the side of his bed, Nathan stood up, staggering a bit before lazily walking towards his kitchen. Turning the tap for cold water, he doused his face in a shivering splash of it, waking himself up and fully registering where he was, and what he had seen.

What he had... experienced...

No... No, his mind was... His dreams were never that vivid before. It never felt real like that before. The tension, the fear... the beating...

Nathan could feel the phantom pain of the areas on his body where he had been struck. Elizabeth... his mother... How long had it been since he'd even remembered her name? Maya, too. His little sister...

Leaning over the sink for a moment, he glanced up at a mirror, seeing only a partial image of his face. Just like his body, it, too, was riddled with mangled tissue and skin, a tone of color that was slightly greyed from the natural tan the rest of his body had. Spitting out a bit into the sink, Nathan turned his head the other way, looking up at his calendar.

Sunday... He had work off today, which means he didn't need to go stumbling into Sweet Apple Acres as he was. Rubbing the side of his head, he pushed off his sink and began gathering up the usual supplies he usually took when going out into the Everfree towards Ponyville. He grabbed his guns and what sparing ammunition he had left. A little while ago, he had dug up one of the caves leading to the Diamond Dog tunnels. The stench of rotting corpses didn't deter him as he had burrowed in and found his broken pistol. Now, it sits and rests next the two magical flasks, never to be used again, but not forgotten. With just three ranged weapons and a knife, he knew he didn't have to be worried about the dangers that lurk within the forest. He's learned enough about the monsters that tread these grounds that a few well-placed shots can dismantle and kill them all for good.

Nevertheless, he felt he needed something else. Something he was about to handle and swing at those who get too close.

Turning to the corner of his house, just behind his couch, Nathan walked over and picked up something that was tossed behind it. A steel-made multi-tool the side of a baseball bat. One end had a hammer's face on one side and the blade of an axe on the other. The other end of the tool had a broken wrench on it, the thinner end cleaved off and sharpened into a fine stabbing and slicing weapon. How he didn't try using this thing before, much less notice it, was beyond Nathan, but with it added to his inventory of things to defend himself with, he felt safer engaging close quarters with a Timberwolf, or god forbid, a Manticore.

Weighing it in his hand, Nathan slung it over his shoulder as he walked out of his house, and towards the exit to his cavern.

"There you go, little mousey."

Fluttershy smiled as she placed the tiny rodent in her palm on the floor, the creature limping slightly on its hind leg before turning and making its way towards its hole in the corner of the room. Two other mice, one noticeably smaller than it, were waiting for their companion to return to them. Having injured its leg, Fluttershy had taken it to cater to it, to bandage and splint its leg as best she could for something ten times less her size. Keeping her smile as the mouse reached the two awaiting it, she leaned forward, rubbing the rodent over its back lovingly.

"Now, you stay off that leg and do everything like I told you, and you'll be back on your feet in no time."

She watched as the family of mice retreated back into the hole. Just as they did, Fluttershy's closest companion, Angel, came scampering up to her, a letter stamped and sealed with a star-shaped insignia tucked in his mouth. Taking it from him, Fluttershy curiously opened it. The star shape had an almost identical color to Twilight Sparkle's Cutie Mark, but... what was odd was the fact that she sent a letter to Fluttershy through the mail. She almost never does that. She usually teleports messages to her or comes and tells her anything she needs of Fluttershy in person. Opening the letter, she slowly widens her eyes at the frantic scribbles of her Unicorn friend. Twilight was obviously panicked. Either things didn't go as planned for something she was expecting to happen, or it didn't happen fast enough. There were some legible writing here and there. Key fragments that told the message all on its own.

-- Four o'clock.
-- Princesses.
-- Sugarcube Corner.
-- Bring the Everfree Guardian.

Reading those tangible sentences over and over again, Fluttershy slowly lowered the note, blinking to herself as she glanced up at the clock, seeing it was three fifty-five. Taking a deep breath, she leaned back against her couch, taking a page from Applejack's book... and swearing.

"Oh, buck..."

"Agh...!"

Nathan pressed himself against a tree as he had finally reached the end of the Everfree Forest. Just as he did, his vision began pulsate and waver, flickers of orange and blue flashes discoloring everything as his head pounded with pain. Some of it lessened enough for him to look up, and sitting on the bench ahead of him was... another human.

"Wha- Rrgh--!!"

He groaned in pain as another wave of painful flashes came, and it all stopped. Taking a breath, Nathan stood upright, looking ahead at the bench. No one was there, now. What was once sitting there was now gone, leaving him alone with the occasional gust of wind blowing by.

"What the hell...? Am I losing it...?"

He rubbed his eye as an odd glow was coming from his backpack. A soft blue and orange hue, separated but meshing as their light shined through the seams of his bag. Unaware of it, he ventured on towards Fluttershy's cottage, hoping to visit her before heading into Ponyville. Just as he reached the bridge to cross over to her house, the door to her house flung open and a splotch of yellow came speeding out at him. Having only a split second to react, Nathan wasn't able to defend himself before he was tackled to the ground. Groaning as his face was buried in Fluttershy's stomach, the Pegasus mare whined at the recoil of the collision, rubbing her head as she got off him.

"O-Ow, uh... I'm sorry, Nate... wait..."

She paused, staring at him for a moment. After a few seconds passed, she gasped as he got to his knees, clasping her hands at his cheeks and squeezing them together.

"NATE!!! Thank goodness! I was just about to come and find you! Quickly! We have no time to lose!"

She hovered into the air, pointing towards Ponyville.

"There's something really important that we have be at in Sugarcube Corner! I just got a letter telling me to bring you!"

She bit her lip, hoping he'd buy that there was something wrong. Looking at her, then to Ponyville, Nathan grabbed his multitool and followed her as he ran alongside her. The blaring ceremonial horns made them pick up the pace. Ducking and weaving around Ponies as they came into town, Nathan was quick to have a path open for him. He's been around long enough for Ponies to know when not to step in his way, and if he's running like a bat out of Hell, then there must be something seriously wrong. Stopping only to see where Fluttershy went, he turned to his right to see her stopping before two...

"Oh... Oh no..."

Royal Guards. Shit! How did he not realize?! What would be so important that Fluttershy would bring him here at a time like this?!

The yellow Pegasus sighed as she landed before them, taking a breath and smiling.

"Phew, we finally made it..."

She made to walk forward to the shop, but stopped when she spotted Nathan standing so far back. Flicking her ears, she eyed the guards standing with her, motioning him to come with her. The guards' eyes turned to Nathan as he took a step back, his grip on his weapon tightening as one of them held up a Rune to his mouth.

"Contact. Everfree Guardian is in sight. Do not engage."

Nathan heard buzzing from all around him, little sparks that sounded like crackles of channeled lightning fizzling outwards from location to location. Glancing at the rooftops, he spotted more guards staring down at him, some posted in alleyways and one even back the way he came. Tensing up, his nerves tightening and muscles twisted in alarm, Nathan put the multitool away and drew out his shotgun.

"Goddamn it, Fluttershy! I trusted you!"

He pointed the barrel at the closest guard who was stupid enough to take a step towards him.

"FUCK you, and FUCK your monarchs!!"

"NO!!!"

Fluttershy flew towards him as the guards all around him readied their spears. The two standing at the door to Sugarcube Corner panicked as well, seemingly more informed at the fragility of the situation regarding the Guardian. The first one pulled up his Rune again just as Fluttershy hugged onto Nathan from behind, keeping him from engaging the Royal Guards.

"All units, stand down and retreat! I repeat, stand down and fall back to Canterlot. Extreme numbers and assertion will irritate the Guardian. We do not need blood spilled before the Princesses."

The two looked at the others expectantly, some of them hesitating to move before flying or marching away from the location. A few stubborn ones stayed for a few seconds longer before following that order, leaving Nathan to slowly lower his shotgun. Taking a few breaths to steady himself, he turned around to face Fluttershy.

*slap-!*

The hit was light and the pain was almost nonexistent, but Fluttershy felt all the emotion in that very gently and feeble slap to her cheek.

"What the hell are you thinking?!"

"Nate-"

"You actually thought it was a good idea to bring me HERE? To them? Why? You know what this'll lead to!"

"Nate-!"

"There's a REASON I stayed hidden in the Everfree, and that's because your government wants to skin me alive!"

"Nate!!"

"Half of Canterlot wants me DEAD, and YOU brought me to their RULERS! Are you TRYING to get me killed, or has your time in Ponyville been so goddamn lax with caring for annoying, shitting animals that you've gone fucking BRAINDEAD?!"

*gasp-!*

Nathan paused as his mind calmed and the red in his vision faded. With his heart slowing down, he realized what he had said. Not only had he insulted Fluttershy, but he insulted her animals. A thing that's very personal for her. Staying frozen for a long while, eyes locked on each other, Nathan opened his mouth to mutter an apology.

Only to have a hand grab him by his chin and force him to eye level with the usually shy Pegasus mare.

"What? You want to repeat that?"

Nathan stayed stock still as Fluttershy's "stare" was being used at full strength. Her mane darkened her face, and those giant adorable eyes of hers were glowing and slitted.

You remember back when Gilda was around, and that everyone had a certain rule for picking on Fluttershy? There's another rule pertaining the shy mare that also teeters to the opposite end of that spectrum. You don't make Fluttershy cry, and you sure as shit don't make her genuinely angry.

Because a pissed off Fluttershy is something not even Nathan could take on, and he knows this from experience. It's just as bad as a sexually-frustrated Fluttershy.

All in all, this beast of a woman is a powdered keg just waiting to be blown sky high, and the fuse for that bomb can be cut extremely short if you insult or threaten anything she holds dear.

Her animal friends are extremely high on that list.

Raising his hands up, Nathan gulped as he shook his head.

"Good. Now, you're going to listen to me and you will not talk until I'm done. Understand?"

He nodded as best he could in her grip, almost feeling a wave of relief when Fluttershy's "stare" lessened.

"You've told a lot of vague stories about where you're from. You never described what your life was like, but you always told us about the life around you. Earth, humanity, the many different nations and government. One thing you always mentioned in every story was how they would react to us Ponies. To you, we are alien, and to you, we are an opportunity. You say you crave power, and gain it through knowledge, and that includes through any foreign life your government gets its hands on. I'm not going to lie and tell you Equestria is different. We aren't, but if there's one difference between your kind and mine is that WE don't catch and kill alien life just to throw them on an operating table."

Fluttershy pointed to Sugarcube Corner.

"I brought you here without telling you so I can prove that. There is either one or all of Equestria's current Princesses behind that door. You WILL meet them, Nathan Schmidt, and you will see for yourself that I'm right."

"... And... if I say no?"

Fluttershy's "stare" hardened once more as she pulled his face closer to hers, the full affect her powerful ocular magic having the desired effect. Nathan felt a shiver go down his spine, a very familiar and paralyzing fear seeping into his core. Seeing the message was received, Fluttershy let him go, watching him sternly as she pointed towards Sugarcube Corner. Shuffling past her, he turned and strode to the door, depositing the weapons he had with the guards when instructed to.

Struggling to keep himself in check, Nathan entered Sugarcube Corner at Fluttershy's side, looking around at the familiar setting he had rarely stepped into since that mess with the Griffon.

"Seems like that was only just yesterday..."

"What?"

Nathan glanced at Fluttershy, shaking his head as he walked further into the sweet shop.

"Nothing, nothing. Just... The last party I went to in this place was with that girl you all were welcoming. Hopefully, this one doesn't end like that."

Fluttershy's disdained look softened at the reminder of what happened with Gilda. How broken both of them were when they either came out or were found in the bathroom.

"I remember that. I still can't believe Gilda would do something like that. She's one of Rainbow Dash's closest friends back when she was a filly."

"Rainbow Dash? The blue Pegasus friend of yours?"

"Mm-hmm. When she saw Gilda in the bathroom, she initially blamed you for what happened. She was... Well, you can imagine how angry she was."

"Angry? Fluttershy, I'd expect anyone to be on a warpath after finding your friend like that, no matter what the situation was. Did she ever find out what really happened?"

Fluttershy nodded as they passed by the front counter, heading to the party area where everyone attending the brunch was mingling.

"Yes. Applejack told her not long after you told us. She... took it even worse, but she doesn't blame you anymore for that. She realized you were just defending yourself."

"In hindsight, I probably should have focused on leaving the bathroom and getting back into the crowd rather than fighting Gilda. I know I went overboard with how I dealt with her."

Nathan rubbed his head as a small bout of that strange vision sent a sharp pang through his head.

"Ugh... I don't really know what happened, then. One moment, Gilda was on top of me, then the next... I don't think it's too farfetched to say that Applejack's assessment of me wasn't too far off."

He brought his hand down as the pain waned and his vision returned to normal.

"Post-Traumatic Stress... Can't say that's too surprising..."

He shook his head as they made their way through the crowd of Ponies, eventually stumbling onto a nervous purple Unicorn. Upon seeing them, Fluttershy's attitude brightened.

"Twilight, there you are."

"Fluttershy?"

The Unicorn turned to the duo, exhaling a breath she had been holding in. With a smile creasing onto her face, the two mares shared a short hug.

"Ah, so glad you could make it. I was beginning to think you'd forgotten."

"Well... I was a bit tied up on the way here."

Fluttershy glanced over her shoulder at Nathan, opting Twilight to look towards him as well.

"Oh! You're the guy we met back at Zecora's hut."

"You mean the one you broke into and trashed?"

Fluttershy elbowed him as Twilight's smile turned sheepish.

"Eheh, yeah. We're... sorry about all of that. I didn't really believe any of the gossip up until that point. I took all of what we saw in there as evidence of the stories told around Ponyville, and was primarily focused on getting Applebloom back."

"Applebloom? I sent her back home before she even GOT to Zecora's."

"Wait, what?"

Nathan rolled his wrist as he walked to the side, looking into the party room as he spoke.

"Yeah, she tried to follow me in, but I caught her just before she went into the Poison Joke herself. Luckily, there weren't any monsters left on the path she took to chase me, so I turned her around and sent her back to Sweet Apple Acres before making my way to Zecora's place."

"O-Oh... We were wondering how she got there when she went into the Everfree the last time we saw her that day."

She giggled a bit to herself before holding out a hand to the human.

"Anyway, we didn't formally introduce ourselves when we first met. My name is Twilight Sparkle. What's your name?"

Nathan took her hand into his own as he faced her.

"Nathan Schmidt. Sorry if I seem a bit on edge right now. Little miss secrets over here decided to lure me here without telling me what the hell was going on and I almost got into a scrap with the guards outside because of it."

Twilight blinked at him, then looked to Fluttershy for answers.

"I'll tell you later, Twilight. Anyways, what's going on here? I thought all of Equestria's Princesses were going to be here."

The three began walking towards the party, meshing in with the crowd as they ventured for a specific table near the back.

"Oh, you mean Princess Luna and Princess Cadence? Some emergency meeting came up back in Canterlot that required their attention, so they couldn't attend this brunch today. Princess Celestia is still here, though, and I'm excited for all of you to meet her."

Fluttershy tilted her head as she eyed Twilight.

"I thought she already met us."

"She has, and she's read about you in my letters, but this is the first time she's spent any real time with you. I want you all to make a good first impression."

"Well, I'm sure you have nothing to worry about. I mean, this isn't anything overly formal. It's just a casual get-together, right?"

"It's... not you I'm worried about when it comes to meeting her, Fluttershy."

Twilight nodded towards Nathan as they went along, the two getting slightly ahead of him as he slowed a bit. His mind began pulsing again, his vision flashing orange and blue like a few seconds ago, but more intensely. Rubbing his head, Nathan looked up towards one of the empty tables, that same human figure from before sitting down in one of the chairs.

The figure was female, and had characteristics that were unlike anyone from his prior dreams. Judging by the way she was sitting, she was as tall as him, if not a little shorter. She had long, raven-black hair, a darker skin complexion, and was dressed in a striped tank-top and skin-tight sweats. Her eyes were directed at him, and glowed with that alternating blue and orange light.

"Naaaaathaaaannn..."

The vision flashed away before he could respond, making him stumble slightly as the pain faded once more and his vision returned to normal. Looking around, the figure was gone, and he was left with the Ponies walking around him.

"Was... That was..."

He rubbed his eyes, groaning at the strain they were facing from this small series of hallucinations. Shaking it off, he turned back towards Fluttershy and Twilight, catching up with them as they got to the table they were looking for. Mr. and Mrs. Cake were there, too, addressing the guest of honor for the brunch.

"A-Anything else we can get for you, dearie-- I-I mean, esteemed guest?"

"Everything is fine, Mr. and Mrs. Cake. I must say, this tea is quite delicious. Might I request the recipe for it to serve back in Canterlot Castle?"

"B-But of course! Q-Quick, Carrot, it's on the top shelf near the back counter."

"I'm on it, honey bun."

Carrot Cake sped away from the table, much to the amusement of their guest. Approaching the table, Fluttershy and Twilight took a seat near her while Nathan placed himself in between them. Looking past the purple Unicorn, Nathan caught his first sight of the grand ruler of this land.

Princess Celestia. A mare taller than the rest by a large margin. She easily doubles everyone around her in height, and her "assets" match a mare of her size. Nathan thought that he had grown used to the good looks and nice bodies of every person he came across in this world, but holy shit. If somepony like Rarity can make a stallion swoon with just the bat of an eye, this Princess could do it with a mere glance.

Her coat was a pure white while her mane and tail flowed with some sort of magical power. Shades of pink, purple, blue, and green swirled within the veil of that magic, giving a sort of ethereal appearance to her grace. She had the usual royal ornaments he had been expecting from someone like her, but what caught his eye was the fact that she had BOTH a horn and wings rather than one or the other. Was she some kind of super Pony or something? If she held the traits of all three types of Ponies seen in Equestria, then calling her the "most powerful Pony in Equestria" may not be too far off from the truth.

Her attire consisted of Roman-styled clothing. Namely, it was a ceremonial dress that was as white as her fur, though had demarcations in certain areas like the sleeves and the shoulders. Overall, he had the beauty and authority of a true Goddess, though Nathan hardly believed she was one. Like anypony in this land, if she bled, he CAN kill her. It'll just be really difficult to do so if it ever became necessary.

"Haven't met a person for three seconds before you're trying to figure out a way to end their life?"

Nathan jolted slightly as he turned towards Fluttershy, seeing the figure from earlier was sitting in her place.

"How do you do it? How do you hold it all inside? Your face is covered so it never reveals your pain? No one would know the guilt you feel, never know your darkest and deepest thoughts."

She reached out, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"The cracks are forming, Nathan. The sins are seeping in, and the memories that haunt you are returning."

Nathan's vision flashed once more, and the figure was gone, replaced with a worried Fluttershy.

"Are you okay...?"

Nathan turned his head away from her, his arms slumped onto the table as he stared down at his hands.

"I... Yes. I'm fine..."

Fluttershy knew he was lying, but didn't bother to call him out. Not now, not in front of the Princess. Speaking of which, it seemed her attention was now on them, having finished her fun with the Cakes. Eyeing both her and Nathan, she started with her as Nathan was recuperating from... whatever had perturbed him.

"And what about you, dear? Fluttershy is your name, correct? I understand from Twilight's letters about you that you enjoy taking care of small woodland creatures near the Everfree."

"Yes. I love to take care of animals."

"As do I, Miss Fluttershy. As Princess, I care about all creatures, great and small."

She turned her eyes to Nathan, shifting some to address him fully.

"And you must be the one I requested to join us. The Everfree Guardian, I presume?"

Nathan rubbed his head again, glancing towards the monarch of the Kingdom. He looked back down, nodding his head.

"Agh... Yeah, that's me. Nathan Schmidt."

"Well, Nathan Schmidt, I would like to say firsthand that I appreciate your efforts in protecting my little Ponies."

"Erm, sure, though I wouldn't say I did it in the most noble of ways."

"Perhaps not, and would it be any other circumstance, I would have had the guards outside arrest you for crimes against Ponykind. Murder by itself is a capital offense. One of the worst in a land meant for harmony and peace. You should find comfort in knowing that such things do have loopholes. Self defense and acts of heroism can be excusable, given the right situations. Your escapades at the Everfree Mountain and within the tunnels of the Diamond Dogs prove your innocence against such charges."

"I..."

Nathan brought his hand down, doing a double take at the table before turning his seat to face the Princess directly.

"Really?"

"Of course. Despite who we are, Mr. Schmidt, there is no reason to think that crime cannot exist here. From trivial thievery to genocide, it has all happened within the borders of Equestria before. Many Ponies have been found guilty and very few have been pardoned by myself or my sister. Trust and believe that I pardon you as well. Without you, the Element Bearer of Generosity would not have returned to us, and the rest of the Elements of Harmony would have returned with grave injuries from the Everfree Mountain. Your actions in the latter have also freed my Ponies from the greed of the Dragon hatchlings. As much as the Canterlot Council sought otherwise, I found this enough to pardon your actions, and will continue doing so as long as the incidents fall within these circumstances."

Nathan drummed his fingers on the table, humming to himself as he glanced to Twilight.

"Canterlot Council, huh? I've been hearing a few things here and there about them. They really want to get their hands on me, according to the local Press. It's one of the reasons I didn't want to meet you, actually. I thought you fell in with them and wanted to get at me to see what I was."

Princess Celestia took a sip of her tea, shaking her head lightly as her smile fell to a straight frown.

"Heavens, no. I wouldn't dare such a thing. When the Dragons first crossed into Equestria, we did not capture and perform unorthodox procedures on them. Nor did we excite conflict with the Griffons or Yaks. We welcomed those who chose to take our hands instead of closing theirs as fists. Just because you are not native to this Kingdom, or even this planet, does not mean we will not extend the same courtesy to you. Nothing means more to me than the well-being of all my subjects."

Nathan felt a nudge on his back, and he didn't even need to look to see that Fluttershy was grinning triumphantly. He did, however, hear her move and close in on his ear.

"I told you so- EEP!!!"

Fluttershy felt back as his finger jutted her nose, booping her back into her seat and having her blushing like mad as she held her muzzle. Taking a breath, Nathan finally relaxed himself and grabbed a drink from the table.

"I'll be honest, Princess. It's good to hear that. At least, now, I won't have to hide away in the Everfree anymore. I can get out of my old dump of a house and build a new one up on the surface."

"The surface?"

He nodded as he took a sip of his drink.

"I live in a central chamber connected to a series of tunnels that span the entire Everfree Forest. My house sits on a patch of land in the center surrounded by glowing water, and underneath that is a portal going up to the mountain. It's not the best place to live in comfort, but it's been a good hideout for me to survive in."

"I see. Well, if you're not opposed to living outside of the Everfree, perhaps near its treeline, I am more than happy to provide you with the funds needed to buy a house. In fact, there's one just southeast of Ponyville over the abandoned bridge."

"You talking about the bridge that's just six blocks from townhall passed the shopping district?"

"Yes."

"Dude, that house is destroyed."

Celestia choked on her tea for a moment, coughing a few times before spinning to Nathan.

"Excuse me? But that house had been structurally sound for years."

"You ever hear of termites? I put my hand on one support beam and whole thing just fell apart in front of me."

"Oh... Well, I... don't have a place a residence currently open for purchase, then..."

"Eh, don't sweat it. I can always get more lumber and rebar to work with at the shops and build another house out there. It's better than the caverns."

*COUUUGH--!!! HAAACK--!!!*

Everyone paused as the sound of a deathly serious cough came from Celestia's direction. Looking over her side, Nathan spotted a golden cage with a strange and sickly looking bird inside. Every time it coughed, it seemed to be shedding a few more of what little feathers it had.

"What the hell is that...?"

Celestia turned around, smiling as the bird balanced itself on the rail inside the cage.

"Ah, Philomena, my pet. You're awake. Do say hello to our gracious hosts."

*HWWWUUUAAAAKKK--!!!*

"What the fuck is a Philomena?"

Celestia giggled as she took the bird out from the cage, holding it in her palms as it continued to cough and wheeze its life away.

"She is quite a sight, isn't she?"

"It looks like a beaked Grim Reaper shit itself back to life. Are we sure it's healthy, or is it really old?"

"Oh, she's perfectly healthy. Here, hold her for a moment."

Nathan took the sickly Philomena as Celestia offered her. Holding her in front of him, he eyed the bird as it stared back with that dumb, cross-eyed stare.

"She's in mint condition. She's just going through a phase where she must renew herself by shedding all of her feathers and growing them back in a blaze of glory. In fact..."

Celestia pointed to the last feather on the bird, which had steadily began pluck itself from the bird's body. As it fluttered to the ground, the bird collapsed in Nathan's hands, then-

*FWOOOOSSH--!!!!*

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!"

Everypony except Celestia stood up in a panic as Philomena burst into flames, covering Nathan's hands in the same fire. Racing to and fro, he threw Philomena away as he began patting down the fire licking at his sleeves. Fluttershy and Twilight were quick to help him, grabbing anything to douse the fire as Celestia gave a hearty laugh at the whole thing. Of course, the fire from her pet was harmless. She just enjoyed the prank as it unfolded before her. Soon, Applejack came running over with a barrel of water, dumping it all on Nathan and putting him out while the fireball that is Philomena hovered into the air, coating a sphere of ashes her body was burned into. In a flash of golden-orange light, the bird was reshaped into something that matched the majestic beauty of its owner. Coughing and gagging on the floor, Nathan crumbled onto his side as he took in gasps of air, not noticing the renewed bird fluttered down next to him. Landing on a stool above him, a bright red eagle-like creature peered down at him, chirping a few times before pecking him in the arm.

"Nuuuuoooooh..."

The creature tilted its head to and fro before flying down and landing on his side. Philomena, now standing tall and covered in little ember-like feathers, curiously pecked and tittered against Nathan's hood. Celestia almost fell back from laughing, standing up and walking over to the two. Lowering her arm, Philomena jumped onto it, perching herself with her talons as Celestia looked down at Nathan.

"Eheh... Uh... Are you alright?"

Her response was a raised finger flung her way from up underneath him. She snickered some more as her cheshire grin fell back into a standard smile.

"Yes, yes. Such a process is not uncommon for a Phoenix. This majestic and magical bird that appears healthy and happy with bright burning feathers, every once in a while, she must enter that sickly state you saw a few moments ago, and then burst into flame. It then rises from the ashes, fresh as a daisy. All just part of the normal life cycle of a Phoenix."

Fluttershy awed at Philomena as she preened herself. Meanwhile, Applejack was kneeling down next to Nathan, checking to see if he was wounded. Celestia only shook her head.

"A Phoenix's flame is not harmful to others unless intended. It's how we're able to touch and hold her. The mystic fire is a Phoenix's defense mechanism, but it can also be a source of comfort, and it seems little Philly here decided it was a good time to play a trick on you, Mr. Schmidt."

She lowered her pet to Nathan's side, allowing Philomena to hop onto him again.

"Say you're sorry, young lady."

The Phoenix looked up at her owner, then glowed with a radiant heat that dried the clothing on Nathan's body and evaporated the water around him. Looking back down at him as the glow faded, she pecked the side of his face as he groaned. Princess Celestia took Philomena off of him, a small smile still present on her face as a guard came to her side and whispered something in her ear.

"Oh? Is that so?"

The guard nodded, pointing to the door. Outside, a carriage had arrived for her to take back to Canterlot. Unlike the one she came in, this one was decorated with a darker color scheme and an emblem of the moon along the side. Seeing it, Celestia nodded, dusting off her dress as she folded her hands at her waist.

"Well, if I must. Apologies, everypony. It appears the meeting my sister and niece are attending is requiring my attention, so I have to cut the party short. Royal duties call, but I thank you for a wonderful time. We must do this again."

Most of the Ponies agreed as the guards made their way to the door. With Her Highness following after, the guard standing with her collected what she left behind, tailing after the Princess to the carriage after dumping Nathan's things off with him. As the doors careened shut, and the carriage took off, Twilight closed her eyes and smiled in relief.

"Phew... Thank goodness. I don't know for sure how things went with the Princess today, but at least there were no grand disasters."

A stifled sniffle made her double-take to the Everfree Guardian, who had begun to silently sob as he didn't leave his crumbled fetal position. Applejack gave a worried glance to him, tilting her head to see his shadowed face better.

"Uh, y'alright, sugarcube?"

He let out another sob as he reached out, taking a bottle of Cider that fell onto the floor in the panic and just now rolled into his reach. Popping the cap off, he suckled on the cap, drinking in a hefty portion of alcohol before almost busting out crying.

"I hate this goddamn store...!"