RE: Eyes to the Heart - Book One Return of Magic

(Arden's POV)

It was a strange feeling, sitting before an audience like that. In the past, Arden had those who were curious about his unique level of empathy before, however, he could never look them in the eyes to speak of it. Now, he had an entire kingdom looking up to him because of what he had done. Because of what his eyes had done. And they all wanted to hear what he had planned for the future. They were waiting for his next step so that they could follow.

Arden should have fled that stage, he knew that, however, his heart was calm. His mind was set and his path forward was clear. Bridlewood would be the next step for his plan to revive magic and bring joy to these ponies.

"Hello, everyone," Arden greeted to the microphone while glancing at his companions that had been placed to his left while Queen Haven had been set to his right. "I'm grateful for the support I've seen to our ideas of peace. It fills me with joy to see all of Zephyr Heights so open to our ideas. And I'm grateful to see all of my friends being so welcome among you," Arden continued as one of the ponies in the crowd raised their hand. Arden gestured for them to speak.

"What are your plans for the next step of pony unity? We heard that you and your unicorn friend left on your terms Bridlewood. There was no support there for your ideas. But you seemed to have started the process there too based on the interview Izzy Moonbow told us," The pony inquired while holding their arm up.

"It is as Izzy said, I've may have planted the ideas there. But the state of unicorn society was much worse than Zephyr Heights. Unicorns don't have symbols or idols to look up to. Their hopes are waning. Therefore, I plan to reach out to them first. Before all hope fades and they are lost to despair," Arden replied confidently as the ponies seemed to take notes on his answers. Another pony stood up with their hand raised, Arden permitted him to speak.

"What will happen to the royal family once all ponies unite under one kingdom?" The second one inquired while holding a recorder forward.

"While unifying the races is our main goal. We will not remove the identity of each race. Bridlewood, Maritime Bay, and Zephyr Height will retain their territories and local governments. We wish to bring ponies together and to have all of you be proud of being different. Be proud of your faults and strengths. We will build a town where all types of ponies will live together, and the capital shall be placed there. Led by a council composed of all pony races and one appointed leader to spearhead measures and ideas for the council to vote. The laws decided by that council will be applied to all cities under our banner. And their upholding shall be ensured by the appointed leaders of each city. Therefore, if it is the wish of Zephyr Heights, Queen Haven can and will remain as its appointed leader," Arden replied with a strange amount of serenity and certainty that was the final goal.

There was a moment of silence. The ponies before Arden seemed shocked at the response. However, it wasn't a shock of opposition, no it felt like a moment of awe. Perhaps, could it be they had expected Arden to claim all to himself?

"I thank you for your kind words," Queen Haven intervened while speaking through her microphone. "And I am pleased to hear you remain true to your desire to bring us together in the most peaceful manner possible. So, I would like to take this opportunity to apologize one more time. To both you, and the ponies of Zephyr Heights, I'm sorry. It was wrong of me to be blinded to our history by the stories I was told without ever questioning their extreme descriptions and ideals. Perhaps, if I had done that, maybe we could have had a better situation than the one we currently find ourselves in," Haven explained while reaching for something in her pockets. "Therefore, as a sign of good faith, I wish to offer you and your company this. The pegasus crystal. I do believe it should remain in the hands of those willing to chase a brighter future for our kind," She added while taking the crystal to Arden and offering it.

Someone took the first step. This is beyond amazing. Arden celebrated as he got up and placed one of his hands under Haven's hand while the other closed her fingers over the crystal.

"As the ruler of this kingdom. You've already shown you're willing to chase that idea. I believe, that when the time comes, you should be the one to offer it to the cause," Arden replied while pushing the crystal toward Haven. The queen's eyes widened as she looked down at the crystal and then back at Arden. Then, in a sudden movement, Haven threw her arms around Arden and hugged him tightly. Arden reciprocated the gesture for a few seconds before breaking the hug. "Be proud. You moved forward."

"Please, I know I made a mistake. But my daughters seem to care for you deeply, even if they have only known you for such a short amount of time, do take care of them. Would you consider taking their hands? There is no need to bring an heir, I just wish to see their happiness. And that could be a way to show unity. As I am certain that the ponies of the land will designate you as our leader," Haven inquired with tears forming in her eyes.

"I am but one pony. But if your daughters feel so strongly about me, I won't turn my back on them. But there are others I also need to offer myself to. I could not have gone this far if not for their aid and support. Even if they were reluctant to do so," Arden said while turning to his companions. "Sunny, Izzy, Zipp, and Pipp I know this is sudden. I know I am far from the ideal partner or the best option out there. But I can assure you I will not stop chasing these dreams if it means I'll see your smiles. Would you chase these dreams with me? Would all of you chase our smiles together?" Arden asked while kneeling before the four mares with his head hung low.

Silence took over the conference. The photographs, the murmurs, it seemed as though no one dared to breathe. The magnitude of that question for the crowd and Arden was unmeasurable. The answer was obvious from the looks on their faces, but without a reply, all of the ponies present would remain frozen in time. Waiting for a reaction, a response, or even a slight movement felt like watching someone thread on thin, cracked ice. The moment the ice breaks, all of the reactions would pour in at once.

Arden waited with a smile on his face as he was certain of the response. Inside his heart, he knew what they felt. It was a confused and intoxicating flame, something that would stabilize and become a radiant light for all of them. Arden was also in that roaring flames state, otherwise, he wouldn't have the state of mind to make such a proposition. His heart and his mind could barely keep up. But they agreed that was the right thing to do.

Looking up, Arden had but half a second to react as Izzy tackled him before pushing her lips against his as Arden had his back against the floor. It didn't matter how much Arden could have prepared for that, his reaction would have been the same. Wide eyes with a strong flush of his cheeks as he slowly closes his eyes and takes in the feeling of Izzy's lips against his.

"Now we never have to be apart!" Izzy exclaimed while backing up with teary eyes and a huge smile on her face and let Arden's wrists go.

"I don't think I ever planned to leave you alone," Arden replied with a chuckle as he laid there with his eyes closed and a dumb smile on his face.

"Come on!" Rushed Izzy as she got up and pulled Arden back on his hooves. "You got to hear the others' answers!"

"Very true," Arden agreed while turning his attention to the rest of the group. "I can ask each of you, one at a time if it is what you desire," He added with a bright smile.

"Don't!" Exclaimed the other three with flushed cheeks and embarrassed looks as they failed to make eye contact with Arden.

"We get it. And I do," Sunny replied while stepping forth. "But you better not back off on the engagement. Especially when you asked the four of us at once," She added with a smile and pointed at Arden's face.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Arden replied while pushing Sunny's hand out of the way and giving her a peck on the cheek.

"That is supposed to be the other way around," Sunny retorted with a chuckle.

"A little surprise never hurt anybody," Arden replied before flinching as he got punched on his arm by a small pouting Pipp.

"You take too much of the spotlight!" Pipp grumbled while pouting.

"I would say I'm helping you expand yours," Arden replied with a laugh as Pipp just turned to the side and offered her hand. Grinning like an idiot, Arden took Pipp's hand and kissed it. But as Pipp was about to pull her hand, Arden grabbed her wrist and pulled her into a pose as if they had finished a dance. Pipp's head hung upside-down while looking at the reporters that had begun bombarding them with pictures. "See? Together, everyone stands in the limelight," Arden added before helping Pipp stand.

Turning his attention to Zipp, Arden quietly chuckled at the sight of the athlete's wings fully open as her body turned stiff. Arden closed in on her and took Zipp in his arms to carry her as a bride. "You probably hoped for something a bit more reserved, right? My bad. I went for it as to not lose the nerve later," Arden apologized while looking at the distressed Zipp.

"I'm supposed to be the daredevil! Why are you constantly making me flustered!?" Whined Zipp as she covered her face with her hands. "Is it always going to be like this?"

"I don't know. And that's probably the best part," Arden said with a toothy grin as he turned to the audience. "When we are finished with the mission of uniting everyone, we will hold the ceremony for the World to see!" He exclaimed as the mares gathered around him and the photographers continued their accidental photoshoot.

"You want me to be what?" Hitch asked in confusion as he turned to Arden. The conference had ended about an hour ago. And they were preparing for the travels ahead of them with clothes, rations, and other necessities.

"My best stallion. The one that stands by me during the wedding? I would probably need one for each bride. So, I would probably have to find three more," Arden retorted while putting on a set of clothes matching the theme of fantasy adventure.

"You only get best mares. Stallions don't stand by the groom," Hitch explained with a facepalm.

"That will make things difficult as I only know the queen and that competent soldier mare. Maybe I could meet some others to have there," Arden replied while putting on his cloak before securing the sword on his hip.

"What about your mother? Wouldn't you invite her to the wedding?" Hitch inquired as Arden turned around with a new holster added to his belt to hold the crystal horn.

"My mother isn't around anymore. So, that's kinda out of the table," Arden said while crossing his arms. "I could just ask the queen to get a handful of mares Pipp and Zipp are acquainted with, as well as Sunny and Izzy's friends to be there with me then," He continued while tapping his finger on his arm.

"Sorry," Hitch apologized while folding his ears and wincing at the response.

"Why? You didn't kill her. And you didn't know me that well, so no problem," Arden said while waving Hitch off. "Now, are you ready sheriff? Or should I call you captain already?" Arden added while coming closer and throwing his arm over Hitch. "There is a lot to do. And we are going to do it."

"Ready as I'll ever be," Hitch said with a tamed smile as they headed to the door.

Standing outside, two guards saluted them before gesturing them to follow. Arden complied with Hitch following close behind them. The guards guided them through the gilded halls of the castle until they had returned to the throne room. There Queen Haven and Arden's companions stood by the damaged table with a map of the land opened at the top of it.

"Good to see the clothes were properly recreated," Haven said while glancing up. "And the belt seems to be holding just fine."

"Thanks for the extra set," Arden replied while approaching the map. "So, what are you brainstorming about?"

"Planning the safest route to escort my daughters to Bridlewood," Haven explained while pointing at the road down the mountain. "This is that main path out of Zephyr Heights. But it is quite dangerous. Therefore, I do believe using another path hidden around this area of the mountains should be much safer for you to travel through," She added while pointing at another part of the map. "Pipp knew of this path in case of an emergency evacuation. So, she can be your guide."

"Why didn't I know about this?" Zipp inquired while looking at the area Haven had pointed out.

"Because I was afraid you would run away if you knew of this secret path," Haven replied with a sad tone. "But now, you're leaving with my blessing. And my apologies for not listening to you earlier," She added while resting her hand on Zipp's shoulder with a smile on her face. Zipp smiled in return before hugging her mother tightly.

Good. Family is among the most important things you have. Arden mused while looking at the two before turning his attention to the map. His eyes began scanning the paper for other types of information. The route going in is all well and good. But, we need more details. A meeting place for all the ponies we convinced to gather around. Where could that be? Um, maybe? Arden pondered while putting his finger on the image of the big tree in the valley between the three cities.

"Queen," Arden started while tapping his finger over the image of the three.

"You can call me mother now," Haven interrupted with a smile.

"Ok. But I'll save that for the more casual moments. For now, we are talking about an official matter," Arden replied with a smile.

"Fair enough," Haven replied while looking at the area Arden pointed on the map. "What about the Everblossom Valley?"

"That's what it is called? I think this would be the ideal spot to host the meeting of the three races/tribes," Arden proposed while running his finger towards Bridlewood, then back to the tree, then to Maritime bay, then back to the tree, then to Zephyr heights, and then back to the tree. "It is practically an equidistant spot from all pony capitals. The wide-open fields make it so sneak attacks won't work. The environment doesn't belong to any of the tribes, as far as I know. Therefore, it would be a neutral zone for all of us to use. Plus, it would make for an ideal place to build the capital for the newly united town I mentioned at the conference," Arden explained while circling the tree with his finger.

"It could work, but when would this meeting be hosted?" Haven replied while holding her chin. "You don't know how long it will take for you to convince the unicorns. And if they are in such bad shape as you claimed, it might take a while before we have any predetermined date."

"Well, I had the idea of having you arrive at Bridlewood slightly later than us. A small escort with enough to defend yourself but not overly packed as to show aggression or distrust. Once we convince the ponies of Bridlewood to meet you we could meet you halfway out of the forest. That way you could act as though you were eager to meet with the unicorn leader. That should make things tense for a moment, but if we play our cards right, we can have the unicorns as our allies before long," Arden proposed while scratching the back of his head. "As for the ponies of Maritime bay, we would have to be more cautious."

"You're right on that one," Hitch intervened. "I managed to talk them down and keep them more or less peaceful. But the amount of time we were taught to fear pegasus and unicorns got us hard. They aren't completely closed off to the idea of meeting one unicorn," Hitch said while pointing at Arden. "But they aren't exactly thrilled to have an outsider too. I left Sprout there to try and keep things calm and under control. But I can't guarantee that they won't have some defenses ready to meet you."

"Right," Arden mused while holding his chin and staring at the town of Maritime Bay. Arden's mind began reviewing what he had seen of the area from a distance before Arden's eyes widened. "Hitch, how attached to their city are the ponies of Maritime Bay?"

"I would say very attached. We had defenses set up all across the town just for the sake of protecting it against invaders," Hitch replied with a raised eyebrow.

"So, it would be safe to say you would rather stand your ground to protect it rather than run away, correct?" Arden proposed before Hitch nodded with a frown. "Ok. The town is built in front of a huge building that looks important. It sat on a hill. What is the name of that place?"

"Do you mean the Canterlogic Factory? It is the main source of our defenses and technology. A lot of ponies work there. And if there is ever a gathering, it happens in front of it. There is a lot of space in there and out there. Although, we use the outside for most announcements for the town, while the inside is used for display of new gadgets," Hitch explained while tilting his head.

"There is no town area behind the Canterlogic Building, right?" Arden inquired.

"No. It would be a safety hazard. A lot of gear and disposable waste goes back there to be processed. And beyond the waste processing area, there are just fields that lead to the farms," Hitch replied while pointing to an area north of the town.

"So, if we gathered all of the ponies of Maritime Bay in front of the Canterlogic factory, and arrived with a procession of both unicorn and pegasus tribes through the town area, you guys would be cornered, right?" Arden said with a smile.

"Pretty much. And there would be panic," Hitch agreed before his eyes went wide. "You don't mean to?"

"Appear with what seems to be an army of unicorns and pegasus ponies, scare the ever-living crap out of the locals, and then break their expectations with a proper peace greeting after talking to the Sheriff of the town himself? Oh, I do," Arden replied with a smirk. "Based on the panic we've seen from Izzy's arrival, the locals won't be able to retaliate against that many ponies. They will probably freeze and not attack. And without you to sound the alarm and mount the weapons, we won't have to worry about them. Plus, they won't be able to flee without losing their town. Meaning, they will have to stand their ground and allow us to speak," Arden explained with a smile.

"That is evil," Hitch said with a sigh. "But then again, they will probably need a reality check to realize how dumb the entire conflict is."

"And I am not in the mood to deal with any more bullshit on the war of the ponies lore," Arden agreed while leaning on the table. "I almost died the last time. I want to have my wedding and cherish a happy life with my wives," He added under his breath.

"You're different," Stated Izzy as Arden felt her hand touch his.

"Am I?" Arden inquired while turning his head to look at Izzy.

"Your confidence. And the way you act changed. I don't think it's bad. But, you're different from before the celebration," Izzy said while placing her hand on Arden's cheek. "Your sparkle is so much brighter now. It's almost like you're everywhere. But you're still here."

"And that's where I intend to stay," Arden said while grabbing Izzy's hand and closing his eyes. "But to get there, we have to get everyone back together," He added while looking at Izzy and then at the others.

"We at least know who is the head mare here," Sunny said with a smile.

"The what?" Arden asked with a tilt of his head.

"It's the name of the mare that is the closest to the pony that brought the herd together," Zipp intervened with her arms crossed. "Considering how she acted back when we met, I'm not surprised she ended up being the one."

"That's a thing?" Arden inquired while tilting his head at Izzy, who nodded in response. "Is that, like, some kind of hierarchy system among you?"

"Not that I know of," Sunny intervened before holding her chin. "But I've seen instances of the head mare using the proximity to manipulate the stallion."

"Ok. Something to be aware of," Arden mumbled while turning back to the table. "Alright, time to schedule our meetings with the unicorns."

(Zipp's POV)

The four mares sat together in the special bath reserved for the royal family. Normally, something no one would even consider, but in their current situation, all of them were technically part of the royal family now. The rest of the meeting went on without much effort and the details of the excursion were all but ready. Zipp's mother went out to begin assembling her entourage of guards, as well as recruiting ponies to make the pilgrimage to the Everblossom Valley.

Everything felt like a blur. A couple of days ago, leaving the town was but a dream for Zipp. And now, she was about to set out on an adventure to meet the other species and restore magic. Moreover, she was suddenly engaged to a stallion that she suddenly met by chance. As she grew older, more than once did Zipp laugh at the idea of love at first sight. But now, she had fallen in the same way as characters from fairy tales.

"So, Zipp," Said Sunny from her seat in the tub. "Do you always wrap yourself like that?"

"Pretty much," Pipp intervened while tapping away at her phone. Zipp glared at her little sister, who responded with a smirk. "She is bigger and more athletic. But she is also self-conscious. So, she wraps herself like that every day."

"It gets in the way!" Zipp protested while feeling her cheeks flush.

"Doesn't it hurt?" Izzy inquired while tilting her head. Zipp wanted to submerge in the water and wait for them to get out. "I mean, it's got to be tight in there."

"No," Zipp mumbled while hugging her legs. "I know how to do it so it doesn't hurt. Can we talk about something else?"

"Ok! Do you think Arden will be ok? He did get down bad just to get one town convinced to help," Izzy said while getting up from the water suddenly. Zipp looked away while covering her eyes. "I know he said he would be ok. But, what if he has to do that again?"

All the ponies in the room grew silent as they watched the ripples around their bodies. It was an uncomfortable subject, but everyone had to agree that the risk existed. There was no way around it, if Arden pulled another stunt like the night of the celebration, he could very well die. And that was not an acceptable outcome.

"Then, we need to pick up the slack," Zipp commented while hugging her knees. "He's been helping you two, and he's been chasing this magic restoration thing non-stop just for our sakes. He wants to bring everyone together for our sake. And, the ones doing the least here are us. I mean, he included us in his plans and gave us roles to help him, but the most dangerous parts, the ones that required us to step up and do something to cause change, that was on him. Unless we start to take initiative, unless we start taking action, he is going to continue on his reckless streak."

"I agree with Zipp," Sunny intervened as Zipp stared at the reflection on the water. "We take the lead on basic things, but when push comes to shove we are relying on him. And, I can see why he would take the lead too. I mean, I was about to interrogate you and your guards when we first met. I didn't do it because Arden advised me against it. And he had to convince me to do it. We might have been thrown in jail if I just started babbling about magic in front of you."

"That is very true. We would probably have tossed you in the castle dungeon," Pipp replied while placing her phone by the bath's edge. "Our lips were sealed on that topic, the only ponies that knew about our situation were the ones we worked with to create the special effects for our flights into the courtroom. We had to keep the lie going in case any spies were out and about to see how our kingdom was doing. After all, if the secret went out without the magic revival idea Arden brought forth with proof, we would have lost our heads probably."

"See? I was about to throw all cards on the table," Sunny complained while Zipp turned to Izzy who was still standing on the bath with her arms crossed. "No wonder he took everything upon himself to handle."

"I think I might be to blame for that one," Izzy commented while sitting back on the bath. "I mean, I left him behind and just entered Maritime Bay, got captured, and caused a massive panic on my first few minutes in town. All of that must have scared him and made him skittish about how the other races would react. It was one of the first things he mentioned was what were your stories about us and the Pegasus, right Sunny?"

"He did ask about it on our first meeting," Sunny agreed. "He went to confront Hitch head-first. Do you think he was already running damage control back then?"

"Based on how he acted this far, it is possible," Pipp intervened while Zipp kept staring at the reflections on the water.

"I don't think he is doing this because he thinks we are incapable. I think he did this so he would be in the line of fire. That way, the first one to be attacked or called out would be him, not us," Zipp concluded while raising her head. "I mean, based on what you told us, it sounds like he is trying to do what we've been wanting to do, but he is putting himself in the line of fire in case things go wrong. He gives us credit, but he also spearheads things so he would take the fall before us."

"So, how should we handle this?" Pipp asked while picking the phone back up. "We are getting some good progression here. We recognized we are lacking and all, but, what are we going to do about it? I mean, he is the leader of the entire thing now. And he is the symbol. If we take the lead, we might be seen as something bad."

"Yeah," Izzy agreed while crossing her arms. "Maybe, we could talk this out with Arden? Ask to leave some of the more dangerous stuff to us. Or rely on us more than he did in the past? I don't think he would be closed for a conversation on this. Although, we might need to be careful, since he might sweet-talk us into doing things his way as he did to the guards, to Hitch, to the Queen, to Zipp, and the town. I think he spits out ambrosia or something when he speaks," Izzy quipped while tapping her finger on her arm.

"Ambrosia? Ain't that a part of a myth?" Zipp asked while tilting her head.

"Yeah. It was supposed to be a drink so sweet and so delicious only gods were able to drink it," Sunny intervened with a teacher's tone to her voice. "It is said you could gain the favor of any deity if you managed to bring some to them. I think it would be a stretch to say Arden does something similar to ambrosia when he speaks, hadn't I seen him sway Zephyr Heights with, what? Two public meetings?" Sunny added while shaking her head.

"For someone without a lot of ground to stand on, he pulled some impressive feats with just words. Do you think he is from royalty somewhere? He handled the political side of the interview earlier as if he had done it before," Pipp asked as Zipp turned to the other two who seemed confused at the idea.

"I don't know. He just appeared in the woods one day. And he said he was from far away. Plus, I never heard of a unicorn royal family in Briddle Wood. Maybe, could they be somewhere else?" Izzy proposed while starting to float above the water.

"I don't think so?" Sunny countered while frowning. "I mean, in the books my father had. Depictions of pony royalty usually had a common trait of them possessing wings and horns. Even the six guardians of the ponies in the past had their leader with wings," Sunny explained while drawing circles in the water.

"Aren't we six in total now?" Zipp inquired without thinking. The other mares turned to her with wide eyes. "What? The four of us plus Arden make five, if we add Hitch we have six. Two unicorns, two earth ponies, two pegasuses," Zipp added while counting with her fingers.

"That's the same formation as the books my father mentioned!" Sunny squealed excitedly. "It's like we are bringing back the guardians of Equestria!"

It is kinda cool to make parallels to old legends. Zipp mused while looking at the excited smile on Sunny's face as she stared at the ceiling.

(Arden's POV)

Sitting by the fireplace, Arden looked back at the huge city behind them. It felt strange to look at it from that angle, it was even stranger to think that the entire place could be hidden by a carpet of clouds. Then again, a couple of weeks ago, Arden was riding on a bus. And now, he had to restore magic to a world filled with magic ponies. If he had a problem with a castle hiding in the mountains, he probably had some kind of problem.

Although going that far for a world he had become acquainted with was crazy enough in itself. And while sitting before the fireplace, Arden turned his attention to the rest of the group. Everyone seemed to be excited, save for Izzy who looked slightly gloomy by comparison.

Might as well speak to everyone now. Arden concluded while clearing his throat. The rest of the group looked back at him.

"Hey, can we talk? All of us," Arden asked while scratching the back of his neck. There was a brief moment of silence. Arden took it as an invitation to start talking. "I know that I proposed to all of you, save for you Hitch. But, I want you all to know, that, I, how do I put this? I think that marriage is the biggest step for a relationship. Something that is built upon by the members to create something bigger, something better. So, I want to work with all of you. I want to discover more. I want to see more. I want to get closer to you. So, I guess, I just wanted to say, that before we get to the ceremony, we should get to know each other. And, if any of you, for any reason, feel like I'm not the right choice. You can just say it. I don't mind it," Arden said as he felt his chest becoming lighter with every word that he managed to string together in a coherent sense.

"You're back!" Izzy exclaimed while lunging at Arden. "You're still glowing. But you're acting like yourself again!"

"W-what?" Arden said before holding his head as he used his other hand to pat Izzy's back. "I, I didn't leave. But, I think I get what you're saying. I feel like, it's like I was high on something. But, now, I-I feel like me again," Arden added while hugging Izzy tightly. "What did I do? I just proposed to all of you! I-I know how all of you feel. But, but, I just ran to the end. I didn't even ask if that's what you wanted! I put the pressure of a public proposition on you!" Arden continued while burying his face on Izzy's mane. "I'm sorry! I-I mean, I'm glad you felt strong enough to say yes. But still!"

"Whoa, there!" Zipp intervened. "That's one big flip. Did someone switch you off? What's up with you?" Zipp added with a mocking tone.

"I must say, it is a bit adorable to see that you're not a spotlight hoarder," Pipp quipped while taking a picture of Arden hugging Izzy. "This picture is amazing."

"Arden, no need to worry. It was obvious something was different. But, we agreed because we wanted to, not because of pressure or anything else. It is as you said, we wanted to do it, so we did it," Sunny reassured while approaching Arden and Izzy and caressing his mane.

"I think it's great that everyone here is on the same page," Hitch intervened while looking at the bonfire. "But, shouldn't we be worried about this? I mean, why did you change? A few hours ago, you were bursting with confidence and complete certainty, without any regret. But now? You're showing concern for your choices. What happened?"

"Maybe he got feedback from the town?" Sunny proposed. "I mean if Izzy and I felt what Arden wanted to tell us. And he felt what we were worrying over, what's to stop him from receiving feedback from the entire town? And, since everyone seems to be on his side, supporting him, his confidence got boosted? Making him more reckless? But, now that he is far from it, the connection was lost and he is back to his base level. Maybe lower? Like when you crash after drinking coffee," Sunny elaborated while scratching her cheek.

"That is an extremely thought out theory. You did not just come up with that," Pipp commented while looking away from her phone. "How long have you been thinking about this?"

"Ever since he woke up?" Sunny admitted with a meek smile.

"You didn't waste a second," Hitch muttered while poking the fire with a stick. "Since we have a solid lead on that. We know what to expect once you get out of that forest," He added before tossing the stick inside.

"So, it would seem," Arden replied while raising his head with a smile. "Thanks for that."

"No problem," Sunny said with a warm smile. "Now! Let's get some sleep. We got tents and everything now. So, we ought to be better off than before."

"Yeah, I guess everyone needs a breather," Arden agreed as he looked to Izzy, who had already fallen asleep while hugging him. "I'll take her to her tent."

It's good to have this many of us. I can't say I would have anyone else accompanying me. Concluded Arden as he approached his tent with a sleeping Izzy in his arms. You got your wish in many ways, Izzy. Next, we will get all of your friends' wishes to come true. Unity and magic, you're next. Arden mushed after putting Izzy inside her tent and glancing up at the sky. No need for shooting stars tonight. We're the ones seizing our wishes.

"STATE YOUR NAME!" Ordered an earth pony soldier donning armor and pointing a sword at Arden's throat.

It was a strange situation, to say the least. They had begun the day normally, they were partway down the mountains. The hidden path was much faster to descend and rise to the mountain when compared to the road they had taken the first time. One minute, Arden was following his friends down the path, and the next, a dense fog took over the area and he found himself lost. The air was cold, the hot sun that had created a slightly unpleasant heat seemed to have never existed. And there was a strange silence in the area. As if something was waiting to attack.

What's happening here? Arden inquired while looking at the ghostly vision, something similar to what he had seen at the Everblossom Valley. Taking a step to the side, Arden looked at where he stood to check if he had been inside a part of the vision. However, there was no one there, and the soldier's ghost followed Arden's movements with his sword. Can they see me?

"I said state your name! I will not be controlled by any of your tricks!" Stated the soldier as he threatened to move the blade closer to Arden. Arden pointed at himself while tilting his head, the soldier nodded in response as Arden felt a strong headache. "This is our territory! What do you think You're doing trespassing!?" Inquired the soldier as they tried to look imposing with their blade.

Arden was about to open his mouth when the sounds of screams came from behind him. Arden saw a wave of pegasus soldiers stampeding down the path towards them. As the soldier screamed with a legion of Earth ponies charging in opposition. And right as the two groups were about to collide with weapons in hand, Arden felt his hands being touched before blinking once.

"Thank the stars you're ok!" Exclaimed Zipp as she shook his shoulders. "Y-You're bleeding. Your eye is bleeding! Your nose too! Izzy! Sunny! I found him!" She exclaimed as Hitch and the others came rushing forward in a fog-free area. The heat of the sun struck Arden's face as he took notice of his left field of view being slightly darker and out of focus.

"W-what happened?" Arden asked while turning to Zipp.

"We lost you. You were right behind us. Then, you were just gone!" Zipp said with a worried tone as she desperately removed bandages from underneath her clothes and wrapped them around Arden's eye. "I just changed into them. So, these are clean. No need to worry about it. We need to get you to the unicorns ASAP."

"S-sure," Arden replied while shaking his head. "Listen, before that, what happened here?"

"Here?" Pipp inquired from behind the group. "This was a battle for territory with the Unicorns. There were fireballs and a lot of spells zooming around. Or, that's what the books tell us about the Widowed Slope."

"But, they were earth ponies. Not Unicorns," Arden said while holding his head. "I just saw it," He added while looking at the area with remnants of rusty helmets and ad a few rotten wooden handles, probably belonging to spears. Among them, Arden spotted a helmet that seemed in better shape than the rest. Arden took it in his hands, and then, he saw it. The same symbol from the ghost Soldier's armor. "This belonged to an earth pony soldier. Not a unicorn," Arden added before feeling his head aching once more.

"Arden, you're talking as if you saw it," Sunny said while approaching him and taking the helmet.

"That's because I did see it," Arden replied while looking around. "Or, I saw the beginning of this fight."

"Arden, that fight occurred two hundred years ago," Zipp intervened in disbelief. "You can't expect us to believe you were there. You wouldn't be alive."

"But, I saw it. It was like when I saw the village in the Everblossom Valley," Arden retorted weakly.

"There hasn't been a village in the Everblossom Valley for over two thousand years. And no one knows how those flowers are always in bloom. Even in winter," Sunny commented while crossing her arms.

"Maybe you're connected to more things than just hearts?" Izzy said while walking up to Arden and placing her hand on his face. "I'm not the smartest pony around. But, I know that there are different types of bonds. Maybe yours stretches out to other things beyond connecting with other ponies."

"Like, what? Connecting places across time?" Hitch asked while tapping his finger on his arm. "I don't know much about magic. But you did something just now. You just vanished. And that thing on your cape is shining. So, if I learned anything so far with you, is that when that thing shines, something magic-related is happening," Hitch pointed out while signaling to the beacon glowing through Arden's cloak.

"I see your point," Arden said while looking at the glowing horn. "I say we leave this place before anything else happens because of this thing.

"Agreed," The group said before they continued on their way down with Pipp as the leader of the caravan.

Different types of bonds, is that what that was? Arden pondered while looking over his shoulder to the area they had just left.