You are immediately aware of the smell that wafts through the air when you first stir. It's a light, calming scent that is reminiscent of wood. It has none of that otherworldly menace and presence that the road had. You open your eyes and find yourself on a comfortable and wide bed, lying on your side. It's so soft and comfortable that it can be difficult to be motivated to move when you first experience it. The fact that you are still feeling a bit tired can help you come to a decision.

"You're awake!" Well, if you didn't have a cheerful dragon chimera scuttling up to you. "Are you alright?" Bright Spark pats you down, as if to check for anything wrong. This reminds you that you went to sleep as a pony, and as a pony you remain. "You look alright."

You sit up slowly until you're up on your haunches. "Good... morning? What time is it?"

"I dunno." Bright shrugged helplessly. "Time is more of a human thing. How are you feeling?"

"Better. Shit!" You hop to your hooves. "We need to... Where are we? Are there any phones? He's going to be so pissed at me."

"He wouldn't do that." Bright tilted his head. "He likes you."

"That doesn't mean I shouldn't call him." You hop down to the floor with a clop, your legs holding steady. "What happened? With the wolves, I mean."

"I'll get someone better at those kinda stories." Bright races for the door, grabbing the knob and throwing it open. "She's awake!" he shouts into the hallway beyond, scampering out of sight with the tick-tack of his claws on the marble floor.

You barely get your snout out the door before others are coming at you. Renaldo is racing down the hallway with the rapid clops of his hooves. "There you are, m'lady. Savior of the day." He bows the moment he gets close. "Are you well?"

"I..." You hesitate, about half a dozen changelings peering at you with so much intensity. "need to call home. Nick must be worried."

A kindly lady with a warm smile reaches to ruffle your hair. "Poor thing. Are you feeling well enough to stand up properly?"

Oh, right. You rise to your feet, straightening your clothes in the process. "Does that help?"

"Certainly does. This way." She waves you along and starts down the hallway. "The rest of you can wait for her to come back." Was it the way she said it? They obey without fighting it, leaving you two, plus Bright Spark, to walk along. "I heard you had quite the time out there. Thank you for helping."

"I missed... how that worked out." She's moving energetically, but too fast for you to keep up with. "What happened?"

"I've only heard what they've gushed about." She stops in front of a door. "I'll tell you when we come back. Past here, we shouldn't be talking about that sort of thing."

Oh, normal world. You nod at the nice lady and pass through the door, popping out into the world in what seemed to be a house, a large one at that. "Is this... a mansion?" Stately pictures hung along the new hallway. "The last one was a candy store."

"We don't get to decide where they care to be." She pushes ahead of you, determined to get somewhere. "They made those decisions a long time ago. Just don't think the outwards appearance tells you much about the holder." She descends stairs into a main foyer and points to where a phone lays on a desk quietly. The fact that this telephone still has a rotary dial shows how old-fashioned it is. "Go ahead and make that call. I'll get you some tea." She bustled off, still smiling gently.

You dig out your own phone. "Wait..." You realize at that moment that you could just use that phone. Outside of the freehold, it had a signal and was ready to work. Still, that felt rude, after she went through all the effort of showing you to the house phone. You pull up Nick's number, but dial it on the old phone, swirling your finger in circles to get it to make the call with brief clicks of old-fashioned technology.

"Hello?" Nick sounded confused. That kinda made sense, thinking about it. You were calling from a number he didn't know. It was amazing that he answered at all.

"Nick, it's me."

"Holy crap!" You can hear something slap down. "They said you were working overtime with some kinda project. You alright? They're paying for this, right?"

"It's been a day..." And maybe a night? You look around, but see no clock to help answer that question. Right, phone. Ugh, maybe after the chat. "I'll be home as soon as I can, promise. Sorry for the worry."

"I'm just glad you're alright." He sounds it, relieved. "You need anything?"

"Just take it easy. I'm alright." Sheesh, the idea of having a worried boyfriend at home was... entirely a new thing. Still, it's kind of nice knowing he was thinking about you, even worried. You just have to stop being a source of worry. "I'll be home as soon as I can."

"Sure sure... Your phone break?"

Dang it, almost got away with that. "No, it's fine. Long story, kind of stupid, but they gave me a phone and I feel awkward not using it."

He bursts into laughter, his tension broken. "Wow. You really do live up the nice angle, don't you? Just 'cause someone hands you a phone doesn't mean you have to use it. Still, glad you're alright. See you when you get home."

"Looking forward to it." You set the phone down, which is what hangs it up. Ah, old phones... "All--" Nope, there she is, coming towards you with a tea cup held in her hands. "You didn't have to."

"But I wanted to." She thrusts the cup towards you. "You weren't drinking while you were sleeping. You're probably very thirsty."

You accept the cup. "Appreciated." It tastes of soothing berries, warming your insides, and reminding you that, yep, you're actually pretty thirsty, so you keep right on sipping.

"I had a feeling." She pats you on the back. "Want to head back, or should I bring them out here?"

"That's a choice?" Still... "I've had enough in there for now." You let her rush off and gather your friends, Renaldo and Jimmy. There are others with them. You can recognize the baroness, even if she's human at the moment. She's also at the front of the procession.

"Good to see you look alright." She waves towards the front of the manor. "This is a safe place, so get on with it."

"M'lady." Jimmy folds an arm cross his chest. "Perhaps we should inform her what happened first?"

The baroness frowns. "Fine, you have a point. Once you did... what you did, we had the fight put back into us. We lost two, but they lost at least that many dozen, and we were still going. The big fella you saw called their retreat. Even things like that have a point where the price is too high for what they want." She slaps a hand on your shoulder. "Now, kindly, do you know what oath you were breaking? I'm guessing not, but no harm in asking."

Jimmy's face is hard and stoic. "To lose even one is a tragedy, but we could have lost more. What is it you did?"

"I'd love to hear that." She waves over your form. "But I'm guessing she has no idea."

You really don't, and say as much. "Did it glow?" They look confused. "That symbol." You point to your rump, where that icon had appeared a few times. "Did it glow?"

"Your friend's trying to get your attention." Renaldo is waving at something not there.

You bring Bright Spark back into view with a little pony magic. "Phew! You can see me." He relaxes with a dopey smile. "It glowed, yes yes. I saw it." With your vision put that way, you can see the changeling nature of the others. They were all changelings there, except one girl that was keeping to herself. She was unchanged, still human.

She catches your gaze a moment before looking away. Did she notice you noticing her?

The baroness nods with a foot tapping. "I don't think your friend is lying. I was paying more attention to not having my people be chewed in half! She owes me for this... Now! You and your friends probably have things to do."

That was a dismissal if ever you heard one. "Sorry, but what's your name?"

"Hm?" As if the very idea just hadn't clicked to her. "Oh, Patricia, on this side." She waggled her fingers towards the front door. "Baroness on the other, house Fiona, if that means anything to you." It did not, and she seemed to recognize that by your expression. "Good! It means certain stereotypes will have no place in that head at least. When you get back, tell that Viscountess what we did."

Jimmy spots your phone, still held in one of your hands limply. "Might you use that?"

Geraldo shrugs. "We don't have a car, or anything else. The viscountess will pay you back if we go straight there."

For magical fae creatures, they had no phones. No phones meant no access to any ridesharing apps. At least ponies didn't have that limitation. "Alright." You swipe it open and get to requesting a ride. This also lets you see the map. you're still in Florida, barely, right on on the northern border. "We went a little bit away... How would you get back if I wasn't here?"

Geraldo laughs at the thought. "Well! In that case, we'd have to get hiking, again. On the bright side, it'd mean the path would stay clear a moment longer, with us having walked it twice. Now, as much as I love a good hike with good company, I feel the viscountess is already beside herself wondering if we got you into trouble."

Patricia snorted at that. "I can imagine... Come back, when you're not on her clock."

"Sorry for being nervous." It was the 'coon pooka. "Better nervous and alive than the alternative, right? Some of us... didn't get that choice." The mood dimmed. "Hey, don't be like that. They wouldn't want us pouting up the place."

Talk resumed, but your two companions were already walking you out of their circles. Their mourning was their business.

Geraldo nudges you in the side as you go. "We don't have to go straight back."

Jimmy grunts. "Geraldo. The viscountess awaits our presence."

Geraldo throws up his hands. "I'm sure she is! But we came a long way, and almost paid the final price, mate. She won't hold it against us if we have a little fun while we're at it."

Jimmy waves at where your phone vanished into a pocket. "It is, ultimately, your choice and your power. Physician, we are at your mercy, as we were to start."

What power, all yours to use and in the manner of your own choosing. You could take them to the candy shop and the viscountess, or go somewhere else, with the blessings of one of you, and the permission of the other, even if he seemed to favor the candy shop idea.

On the other other hand, Nick was waiting for you. Then again... you could just go straight home, introduce Nick to the fellas, and just unwind from the excitement, a perfectly valid option...

But you had to pick one, and quickly. It'd be awkward to change it once you're in the car.

Author's Note

The vote was pretty clear on this one! You all knew where you wanted to stir. What awaits us in the barony ahead? Let's find out! Note, I write this part first, then the story, then the next part.

An unwinding chapter, I think. No sudden drama, but the choice is yours. Where to?

A big thank you for voting. I really appreciate the interaction between reader and myself. Where do we go?https://forms.gle/fnQi9HGaAp92hnNh6

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