Verve

Venturing into the forest once more meant the loss of precious time; but foraging and scouring the wilds for food simply wasn’t an option. For one, only Pumpkin knew the local plants - Arin hadn’t the faintest clue besides some shared plant breeds between his old world and Equestria. He always found it strange that they had no language barrier. And that a world could be so similar, yet so different.

Fireflies were still buzzing in the not-so-freezing cold, sparkling to life. The fauna here leaned more towards the extreme, which was curious. Even more so once Celestia’s eyes wandered the trees.

“Strange. This is typical growth of the Everfree Forest, though not as heavy - in fact, the trees are almost glowing. And what’s also offputting are the buzzing wildlife. It’s snowing and chilly, yet…”

Arin felt odd; a strange sense he felt before. Like they were being watched. But it only made him worry a little, as no strange creatures roamed this part of the woods. Not to his knowledge; most stayed in the much more ambitious forests south. These were common teachings; even he knew the Whitetail Woods were safe.

...Regardless, he made an effort to withdraw Sonata, plainly missing Nocturne’s soft weight at his side. The quivered arrows on his back were fitted with a less luminescent blue fletchling, from uncommon birds in Erenorn. These mockeries of the blue Princess would never come close in strength nor aptitude, as they lacked the latent magic an Alicorn’s feathers had.

Celestia noticed the anxiety, her own danger sense kicking into action. Still, nothing came to challenge them.

After a brisk walk in the dark, with only Pumpkin’s own lantern hitched to her tail to provide light, the Cabin came into view. If you could call it that. It seemed more like a congregation of roughshod buildings thrown together in a heap, with only one familiar looking door set in the front. Several lanterns were lit across the way with varying colors in flames; the sconces a bright contrast to the endless midnight. It was roughly three stories tall, with a few sets of staircases leading up to inaccessible doors.

“Did… Vee build this?” Arin asked, worried about the looming death trap in front.

“It’s a-a um… magically built house. The outside doesn’t matter so much a-as the inside. Onyx can realign and change rooms to fit our needs, but the rooms s-still have to um… exist, to be added.”

Pumpkin approached the center door, turning the handle to let herself inside. After breathing in a nervous, bone-settling gasp of course - after all, she also wanted to convince Vee to rejoin them. With a click, they were now left outside in the cold without her.

Not more than five shivering minutes later, she threw the door open - bursting out into the snow.

“Vee’s gone, and her bag isn’t here!” she squeaked, bouncing on her hooves nervously.

Arin raised an eyebrow at that, crossing his arms. “Really? Are you sure? She could have just gone upstairs to be left alone. That’s what I’d do in a bad mood.”

Tempest’s keen eyes scanned the snow, frowning. “No, Pumpkin is right. Look. No feather trail, no hoof prints - nothing. Either she made an effort to pick up after herself, or she’s exceedingly late. By all accounts, if she knew the way back, she would have arrived first. The forest isn’t that thick nor is she that daft to injure herself.”

The sleeping bag covered pony had begun to cry again. Tempest, feeling a bit more open with her new ‘friend’ - was quickly bum rushed into a hug by the tiny mare. She sighed, pinching her septum for a moment. She had just calmed the little mare down with her words not more than a few hours ago, and she was already a mewling mess.

“T-Tempest, we have to find her! I-I know Umbra i-is important, but…” The tiny mare sniffled, looking up to the taller pony with desperation. Caught between a rock and a hard place, Tempest found it hard to respond. A search effort could take precious hours they didn’t have. But, telling Pumpkin no may split her from the group. She was already tempted to run after Vee, as the autumn pony traveled with them earlier.

A crack of a distant branch caught Celestia’s attention, as she turned to the wild brush on their right. Just as she did, a rope landed around her neck - and tugged hard. The Princess yelped, and the remaining trio immediately went quiet as all eyes fell to the place she once stood. It was so fast, that Arin could only spot her pink tail vanishing into the brushline.

“Celestia?!” He called - why did she jump in the bush like that? No, wait - she didn’t jump. His sense of danger went wild. Finding himself dashing into a tight patch of leaves after her, he reached for an arrow - but a rope found his hand first. Just like that, he vanished to - leaving Tempest and Pumpkin standing solo.

“We’re not alone…” Tempest spoke quietly, dropping into a crouch - poised for action. Pumpkin made to reach for the door to her home, but an arrow pierced the knob in half. It cracked and dropped to the floor, broken and pointless.

“Show yourselves, or I’ll burn down these woods to ash!” Tempest barked, horn crackling with valuable magic energy. Pumpkin shivered behind her protective legs, mewling quietly in fear.

Several sets of cloven hooves broke the clearing - followed by a set of hooves and a pair of angry legs, as Arin fought at the strange vines that had sprouted around his hands. Celestia was wild eyed with confusion and fear; not expecting to find the long lost Court of White Tail still alive in these well-established woods. Her own horn covered in strangling green vines, and her wings pinned with a tight rope around her barrel.

“By the order of the Circlet of Antlers, we order you to stop! Desist with your threats, or we’ll kill the tall one!” An extremely sharp pair of antlers settled under Celestia’s throat, much to the fear of Arin and the remaining unmolested ponies.

“I’ll wring your fat necks before you do!” he yelled, before being roughly tugged to the ground by two sets of rope. More deer had appeared, fully surrounding them all. Bows were hoisted and aimed, deadly arrows nocked and primed to fire on Tempest.

With little options left, she raised herself from the battle position, closing her eyes to surrender. A duo set of ropes slung around her neck, as a bolt of magic - from glowing antlers no less - collided with her cracked stump of a horn. It, too, was enshrouded in vines.

Pumpkin, a whimpering, quivering mess - didn’t even need a rope. A tall buck, mistaking her for perhaps an overly large foal - hefted her by the scruff of the neck and set her on his back. She squeaked, the deer standing just a few inches shorter than the Princess. More so on equal height with Tempest, who shrugged off any attempt to grab or handle her roughly.

“Speak your business in the Feywilds of the Autumn Court,” came the demanding buck in front; he bore a green jerkin complete with a slitted hood; designed to let his heavy antlers spring free, while also providing optimal protection from attack. On his side, he carried an elegant rapier, fitted with thin green emeralds on the base. This signified him as some sort of leader, as the other bucks - and a doe or two - only bore simpler blades.

“We are mere travelers heading through to the western lands. Free us, as we mean no harm to your kind,” Tempest stated bluntly, maintaining eye contact with the tough buck. He frowned, looking at the shack… house, thing behind her.

“Strange for travelers to bring an entire house into our lands. Trespassing in the Autumn Court - and possessing unsanctioned property - is strictly prohibited. You will stand trial; your ilk are not allowed to roam the Feywilds. You have the rights to silence and the permission to speak to the accuser - that being the Circlet of Antlers, King Aster. Additionally, you may accept your guilt and instead be interned in the Court’s Prison, for a sentence no greater than one year - not including an additional four years for building on claimed land.”

“Are you kidding? We did nothing wrong! What, simply walking through some woods is a crime? I don’t see any signs!” Arin demanded, making it to his legs. Celestia shushed him with a tilt of her muzzle and a stern look, and he quickly went quiet.

“I have no clue of your kind, strange being. Regardless, you are in the company of ponies. And as such, you will be tried as one. You will all stand trial with the pegasus we captured, not too long ago. Perhaps you will be able to answer our questions.”

Being roughly handled was something Arin had experience with, but even such - they had no right to imprison them. In fact, these lands belonged to Equestria; but they didn’t seem to acknowledge that, nor accept it. And if they realized they captured the Princess, or if they had ill wills - things may turn out poorly for them.

His struggle over, he was thankfully allowed to keep close to Celestia’s side. Even with the antlers removed from her throat, speaking wasn’t an option. Too many captors, too many ears. Instead, they exchanged quiet looks between each other. Perhaps one of the best traits about Celestia was how well she could sense emotion. Through his eyes, they spoke.

‘Are you sure?’ his gaze questioned. She nodded back.

‘Vee.’ Her looks shifted between the house, and Pumpkin. It was true; Vee was captured as well. If anything, a quick conversation with this ‘Circlet’ could just set them free. It would be best not to resist, and follow along for the moment.

They were quickly stripped of any possessions - blankets, sleeping bags, hiking bags, Arin’s bow and quiver - and set along in ropes inside a small herd of extremely quiet deer. Their hooves barely made a noise in the chilling snow, as Arin shivered. No wings, no soft Princess feathers to hold him - once more, he was forced into freezing in the winter air.

The ponies, with their warm fur, fared a little better. Pumpkin was the most comfortable, as one of the blankets was tossed over her body on the buck’s back. Wasn’t she like, twenty something years old? Why did she get special treatment? Sure, she was a bit on the short side - and a quivering coward who cried at… well, anything. But she didn’t look like a foal. Wait, when was the last time he saw a pony foal, excluding toddlers? Has he ever seen one?

Okay, she did act like a filly at times, though. Perhaps that’s why they had mercy on her.

Their new journey through the forest was full of strange wonder. Maybe it was the constant cool darkness seeping into the trees that traced soft magic through the air, or the ever present wildlife that made nests and homes - but it was simply bustling. Like they stepped into another world all together, though the snow definitely dampened it. The creeks and ponds were heavy with willows guarding the waters, the occasional sight of soft gold or autumn leaves becoming more apparent as the chill of the Lunar Plane seemed to be receding. Though it was still night, the world seemed to glow with a new energy.

He stopped shivering so much, as they stood before a giant, ornately carved wooden gate - so beautifully constructed with supple curves and sweet mahogany, that even Celestia felt a bit envious. The grand walls beyond were a stark, silvery white - cut with marble and held aloft by gold trim, running up into spires of ruby topped pillars and heavy gold banners. Color and life flourished here, well maintained gardens bushy with leaves and flowers that nearly hummed with an otherworldly beauty.

Pumpkin took in the realm around her, in absolute awe. The soft fall colors were breath-taking and inspirational, her shaking coming to an end.

“It’s beautiful…” she said dumbly, gates breaking apart to reveal the city that lay within. Canopies and colors sung with a verbose intensity as townhomes roused into the night sky; pointed roofs and cloud-scratching pillars illuminated softly by glowing blue and green gems, lofted by nothing more than simple magic. Nature and craftsmanship fell into one, as walls were bound not by nail and board, but by vine and colorful leaves - the shimmering gold windows of joyful light striking over the nearly immaculate roads beneath them.

Hundreds of deer lined the streets, purchasing goods and minding their business in the moonlight. After all, the end of the sun didn’t mean the end of the world. Needs were soon to be met, wants would be quenched - and life would carry on, against the chilling cold.

All of this… was just a few days' travel from Canterlot. A society hidden beneath the leaves of canopies and branches of trees.

Arin looked to the standing alicorn, in mild shock. ‘Did you know about this?’

Celestia shook her head, soft rose eyes settling on his. ‘I had no clue.’

Their journey into the realm of the Autumn Court wasn’t entirely peaceful, either. The mere presence of the small group brought astonished eyes and looks from the crowds, hushed whispers lining the streets. Some of the elder deer even threw despising glares at the group, a testament to their knowledge of ponykind.

The town moved onwards regardless, breaking into garden districts and fairgrounds; Arin simply wondered where they could scrounge up their food with all this open land. Surely there was some form of cultivation to sustain… all of this. An entire city couldn’t survive without ample supplies of farms and forage, after all. Had they simply not noticed the farm land on the way in?

Tempest looked around the expansive city in moderate confusion; she had much the same thoughts as the rest of the group. How did an entire civilization filled with potentially thousands of deer, go unnoticed?

It all seemed to click for Celestia, as her gaze settled on a maple tree. Red and bright, but entirely out of season. She didn’t speak, but shot another look at Arin. As if to say ‘we’re not in the same Equestria anymore’.

Their journey through the deer stronghold led them to yet another trade district, this one faced with dozens of brick and mortar stores and buildings that gleamed with dim, sparkling lights to catch the eye; settled behind another smaller wall of the city. Nothing too intense - but still beautiful. Patios and walkways above spanned across these more regal storefronts, the occasional sight of floating gardens trailing ivy and shade across the white-stone grounds. Another set of gates stood before them, perhaps even more stunningly beautiful than the first - as several clicks of latches and bolts shifted the gold-trimmed doors free of their roots.

The courtyard to the deer’s castle was stunning. Marble statues of deer lined the path forward; strange text lining the plaques with history and names undecipherable to all but Celestia, whose long life included the short history of the White Tail’s kind. Yet even with her knowledge, only a dozen sparse words made any sense at all - and those were few and far between.

The imposing castle beyond had massive, branch lined windows that bore stained glass, much like Canterlot. Its curving gold trim wrapping around meticulously cared for trees and structures, supporting both the walls and life above. Fountains were placed on either side of the dominant flora, feeding tree and root alike as they formed natural creeks that darted beneath walls and leaf with little issue. Frogs bounced across fronds, snapping up errant fireflies.

The doors to the castle weren’t nearly as large as Canterlot’s, but held twice the meaning. And perhaps the entire structure was a bit more modest in size than Celestia’s home, but that was the only place where the pony made structure excelled. This was jaw dropping; the beauty of it left Celestia’s home far in the dust.

Arin was extremely tempted to ask if the deer were hiring. Pumpkin, too, also wanted to move in immediately and set up shop. Tempest was… mildly impressed, but felt like the beauty gave little room for security. Celestia wanted to rip down Canterlot and rebuild it with the aid of White Tail architects. Actually, she’d like to just rip down her castle in general. Maybe every creature in existence would stop trying to claim it then.

Entering the Castle proper, hearth and hall were lined with a multitude of colors that flooded the eyes. The moonlight did little to stain the spirits of the deer within, but the appearance of a small group of ponies did. An apparent maid doe darted into a side hall, peeking curiously behind a silver lined cleaning cart. A robed deer simply gawked at the group, as they were led to the left - down the castle corridors and a set of stairs, to a slightly less beautiful dungeon.

Still better than Celestia’s dungeon. Did they have to outdo her on everything?

The Castle - perhaps not built to house many prisoners - only had one ornately decorated cell, with six sets of wall-hanging bunks on the wall. Bunks? They were more like beds, as not a single coin was spared in comfortable accommodations for any less than wanted guests. There was even a small fireplace, locked behind iron bars and fed from the other side, along with two slits in the wall for food to be pushed in from the kitchen. A daring criminal could formulate an escape, if they so desired - but it wouldn’t lead to much luck.

Staring blankly at a wall, eyes just barely cracked open, was Vee. Pumpkin jumped from under her blanket upon seeing her, squeaking adorably.

“Sister!” she called, nearly falling off the buck’s back. Seeing the pony wiggle for her kin, he gently hefted her body by the scruff - and set her down, as the cervine party’s leader opened the gate with a flash of his magic.

Darting inside, Vee snapped awake as Pumpkin’s soft hooves laced around her - squeezing her in an adorable reunion. A smile formed on the Pegasi’s cheeks, caring wings wrapping tight around the little mare.

“D’ohoho, I didn’t hear you come in, Smol-fry. I…” She paused, flicking a single tear from her purple cheeks. She hadn’t cried in well over seven hundred years! She wasn’t weak, she…

She missed her. Burying her nose into Pumpkin’s bare mane, the other ‘guests’ were quickly shuffled inside the cell’s warmth. The vine’s on Arin’s hands were snapped away - along with the other mare’s vines - as they stepped inside, leaving them locked behind bars.

“I’ve missed you, Vee! Gosh, i-it’s only been a f-few hours, but…” Her hug tightened, breathing in her familiar coffee scent.

“Hours?...” Vee questioned, tired eyes falling onto her little Sister. “Smalls, it’s been… weeks. Weeks since I’ve been stuck here, without coffee. I…” She looked to her blurry hooves, several hundred years of sleep exhaustion fighting so desperately to tug her to the comforting abyss. Vee looked pale, sickly even. Her feathers were an unpreened mess, and she looked nothing like the odd, bubbly pegasus she once was.

Celestia, upon taking her in, approached. “Vee, I don’t mean to intrude on this moment, but… are you alright? You look like you’re about to collapse.”

She didn’t speak at first, only tiredly blink at the pink-maned Princess. Instead of chirping in her usual chipper tone and calling her some variation of fry, her voice came in a small, slow gab.

“No, I’m not Celestia. I’m anything but. I can barely move anymore. I can hardly blink. I… I don’t want to sleep. I can’t.”

Pumpkin’s worried eyes settled on Vee, eyebrows raised in fear. “Vee, y-you never told me… you’ve never told anypony. Why won’t y-you rest?”

The Pegasus blinked slowly, her frown deepening as the bags under her eyes threatened to rip her head to the pillow.

“Sorry Small-fry. I can’t tell you. It’s not something my little Sis should worry about.” From that point onward, Vee went entirely too quiet. Her gaze settled on the floor, her mind a sluggish mess. Arin noticed an untouched plate of food next to her; cheese, berries, buttered bread and simple foods… yet she looked half starved. Not as bad as Celestia, not by miles. But it definitely wasn’t healthy.

Pumpkin, perhaps noticing this - seized a berry in her hooves and offered it to the once indomitable mare. Vee hardly reacted, only stared at the berry.

“No Pumpkin. I need coffee. I honestly can’t live without it. Please… talk to them. Convince them. They won't listen to me. They’ve never listened.” Tempest seized a bunk across the room, staring quietly at the gathered group of misfits.

“We’re in the Feywilds proper now,” her voice came, after a moment. “But how, is the question. Surely the Prime isn’t this split and weak?”

Celestia turned away from the sad moment developing before her, bowing her head. “With the Lunar Plane’s magic falling over the world, it’s likely that it weakened the fabric around this plane, too - dragging it ever closer to ours. If this persists, this… Kingdom, could appear in Equestria properly. And if that happens, then our worlds will cross, and the Fey will cease to exist. That is the best explanation I can come up with.”

“Wouldn’t that put you at odds with the deer, or something? I don’t think I read anything about them when I studied your history.” Arin rested his much too cold bones by the fireplace, happy to be free of his ropes and binds.

“Indeed. Well over three thousand years ago, before my Sister and I had fully formed and led Equestria, the White Tail existed here in these woods - and the Red Tail Deer, another species all together, housed in what is now Hollow Shades. Perhaps not wanting to challenge pony kind to war, their very species vanished, nearly all at once - save for a scant few deer that became wild and free. They lost their sentience, and turned partly into the animals they once were. This wasn’t the first time a Kingdom had fallen from the map, as something much similar happened later on, at Umbra’s beckoning. This is all that Starswirl has taught me, and few books exist on the matter.” Celestia began to pace the room, thinking of her next course of action.

The Princess was always a step ahead. But only when something surprised her, did her plans fall through. “The Fey’s laws differ greatly from the Prime. The few ponies who could ever enter this section of the Fabric could only do so with the help of Breezies. A day here could be as little as minutes, or as long as years in the Material Plane. Perhaps we’re lucky that the White Tail’s realm slows time, rather than speeds it up. At least, from what Vee said.”

“How… wouldn’t that affect the day and night cycle, here, or?...” Arin questioned. Celestia could only shrug her wings.

“That… I wouldn’t know. It’s hardly explored. We only know the basics, from the Breezie’s side of the realm. I believe the Feywilds are supposed to thrive in a land of eternal twilight - abundant in sun and moon both. From the looks of it, this very well may not be the case anymore.”

“You need to channel essence from the Feywilds to manipulate the flow of time, heal wounds, grow plants, and control storms. Among many other spells, as well. If the Feywilds crumble, I doubt Equestria will survive long,” Tempest said, seizing a pillow to drag under her head.

“Wait, you’re just going to sleep?” Arin questioned the wine-colored mare, who blinked her eyes at the question.

“Oh please, let me just… open up my eyes, and do nothing important for the next several hours. Or better yet, attempt to escape and have a quiver of arrows launched into my back. We’re caged, at the command of frankly unaware deer that may not even recognize their world is falling apart around them. Our only option is to rest and stand trial. Hopefully, this court is a wise one, and let’s us go with little hassle.”