Warm

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Epilogue
Chapter 9

Chapter 1

Time is a fickle thing. So relentless... so unavoidable. I've spent the better part of thirty years learning every aspect of time and space there is to know. I could tell you exactly when your story began... and exactly when it ended, just by aligning the timeline dilations. I'm sure you already know that I care for you... I know you cared for me as much as you did your own flesh and blood.

If I had it my way, I would have brought all of them with me and saved your timeline from the extinction it faced. What could have been, if all those billions of lives weren't so suddenly and so cruelly ended? Would humanity have found their way to the stars? Found purpose and life among the trillions of different worlds out there in the vast expanse of space?

Or would they perhaps have found the key to traveling dimensions as I have? Would they learn of Equestria's existence and find a way to come to our world? I find my thoughts drifting to these possibilities almost endlessly.

Time has a funny way of sneaking up on you before you've realized its there... and suddenly you've lost decades of your life chasing an impossibility...

Whatever happened to cause your species to wipe itself out, I will never know. You certainly weren't forthcoming when it came to that particular information, but then again, I can't exactly blame you. I've watched apocalypse after apocalypse and the death of a star. You'd think that after all the death and loss I've witnessed, I'd have grown used to it. Numb, even...

Sadly, it seems that I am still very much that scared little mare you found hiding in a cardboard box, shivering in the cold and mere days away from starving to death.

It's in moments like these where I start to seriously consider what you did that day. For four years, all you knew was death and pain... loss and grief. I should have been nothing more than food to you, yet you spared me. You went out of your way to save my life, and you even risked your own life to protect me.

You gave your life to save me. I've never forgotten that. I know that you believed that your death would allow you to be with your family again. Why else would you die for me? Was it because you loved me like you loved your own daughter? As you can see, these questions keep me up at night.

I didn't want for anything growing up. I had two loving parents and an amazing older brother. I had my books and I had the most powerful pony in the land as my personal mentor. Even when I moved to Ponyville, I still had all of that and the love of my best friends.

...So why is it so hard to just let you go?

I've had this argument with myself a thousand times, I'm sure of it. Each time I start to rationalize just why I should let you go and try to move on... I come back to the realization that... that I love you too. I have a father whom I love dearly, and I can't imagine life without him... but that time I spent with you was... I depended on you. I needed you. I loved you like my own father.

Maybe that's why losing you has broken me on a fundamental level. I can barely eat anymore. The cold sends me into a fit of shivers and turns me into a nervous wreck... and don't even get me started on loud noises. My timeline has been irreparably damaged by my own mistake of entering your world. That's all it really was, at the end of the day... a mistake.

It cost me everything; My friends, my family, and even my role as the successor to the crown. I can't manage to hold a conversation with my own parents anymore because they just simply don't. get. it. My friends... they try, but they don't know what I've been through... what we've been through. Even my brother, who I love implicitly... just can't understand.

So why is it so hard for me to regret walking into that portal to your world? I suppose the answer should be obvious at this point, huh? It's you. You are the one creature that I've met that lost so much, gave everything... and still held compassion in his heart for this broken little pony. Maybe it was fate that we met? Maybe it was luck? I'm not sure anymore, but I do know one thing.

I can't accept the past. I've tried. Celestia knows I've tried, for thirty years to accept what happened and just move on. Sadly, it just doesn't look like its in the cards for me. That's why, no matter what happens now, I'm going to fix the past. I know, I know. If you were here you'd probably just tell me to leave it. Maybe this is selfish of me... but then again, time is a fickle thing. Maybe after a few decades in my position, you'd do the same thing? There's only one way I can know that for sure.

Maybe it's not even selfish? This is a one-way trip, after all. I know that you didn't ask for this, Cooper... but I'm going to take back our past... even if it kills me.

I'll see you soon.

A flash of bright purple light appeared in the whitetail woods, just outside of Ponyville. Birds scattered and squirrels fled the scene as a lavender alicorn landed on the seared ground. Smoke slowly wafted from the earth as she stood upright, exhaling a steady breath as she reached her full height. Her eyes opened slowly, as if taking in the environment with a slow and steady, calculated gaze.

Twilight felt the smallest of breezes blow over her, ruffling her feathers slightly. As the last of the smoke dissipated, she looked up to the friendship castle just a few hundred yards in front of her. The serene warmth of the gentle spring sun seeped into her coat, making her sigh at the pleasant sensation.

"Almost forgot how nice that feels." She murmured, lost in her enjoyment for just a moment.

She soon walked forward, a heavy limp in her step as her severely scarred wither struggled to support her foreleg. As she passed through the calm woods and into Ponyville, she took note of the beautiful skyline and the rich colors that filled the air as the sun made its steady descent to the horizon.

She spared a cautious glance back and forth as she reached the edge of the forest and the castle came into view properly. She quickly found that the area was nearly completely empty, save for a few ponies out and about, living their lives as if everything was completely normal on a beautiful sunny day. Soon enough, they moved away from the castle or went back inside, losing their line of sight on the forest and the purple alicorn skulking out of it.

With one last cursory look over the area, Twilight unfurled her wings and quietly flapped her way up to the lowest balcony of the castle. Each flap sent jolts of pain down her wither as the muscles of her wings were still connected to the scarred tissue, but she managed to keep her reactions to a small wince with each flap. She soon reached the balcony and landed with a gentle *clop* against the crystal material. Letting out a huff from the small amount of exertion, she furled her wings back against her barrel and proceeded to open the door.

The familiar interior of the castle greeted her as if she hadn't been gone for decades, making her sigh a wistful sigh as the memories came flooding back into her mind. She could vividly recall the day she earned the castle and the hard fought victory she claimed from the monstrous villain, Tirek.

"If only it were just Tirek on the other side of that portal..." Twilight muttered to herself, her eyes falling to the floor as she limped further into the room.

Her room, while it didn't feel like it anymore, she couldn't deny the ultimate fact that this was indeed her room. She couldn't recall the last time she slept in her own bed, let alone spent any appreciable amount of time in the cozy little room. As she walked, her eyes were drawn to the full sized mirror across from the luxurious bed, covered in crimson sheets. As much as she knew she shouldn't stop, she couldn't help but freeze as she saw her own reflection looking back at her.

The grotesque scar that covered her entire wither stood out prominently against her coat, the gnarled pinkish skin contrasting horribly against her lavender fur. Her wings, for all they represented, were a cluttered mess of unpreened feathers, sticking out at odd angles or just outright missing from previous lapses in patience. She could feel every feather that was out of place, and the sensation felt like an itch that she simply could not ignore, however, she found herself unable to be bothered with preening anymore.

Her tail was in a state of complete disarray, with frizzy hair sticking out at odd angles or entire segments missing entirely. Her mane fared no better, having lost its normal straight composure and looking like a birds nest of split ends and greasy, matted hair. However, none of that bothered her. The gray streaks in her mane are what truly caught her eye. While her mane and tail still bore much the same navy blue color and streaks of fuchsia and purple, there were streaks of gray and white zigzagging along with them.

Her muzzle was wrinkled and old, and even the fur on her snout had started to take on a gray-ish coloring as the years had clearly taken their toll. The last thing to catch her attention was her eyes. They no longer held the light of a youthful mare, ready to do her very best and make the world proud. No, those eyes held a tired look about them. They reminded her of another pair of eyes she'd seen once before, and the pages of life's book closed before her as she turned away from the mirror with a shaky sigh.

"Guess it's been a while since I've seen myself... alicorns are supposed to get stronger and age with grace. Guess the decades of misery and using all my magic to come back here did more harm than I thought." Twilight dryly chuckled, before looking over to the mirror again.

At the top right corner of the reflective material, previously unnoticed, was a picture. Twilight felt herself drawn to the picture and quickly limped over to it, her eyes misting over slightly as she saw exactly what had caught her attention. She saw her youth, her friends, and most of all, her happiness. Seven smiling faces looked back at her without a care in the world, but all she could do was frown.

She had no more tears left to shed for the past, as they'd been shed long ago. She blinked back the wetness from her eyes and turned on her hooves, a determined crease forming in her brow as her ears perked up to the sound of her portal. A voice cried out in surprise, before gasping and laughing. She could hear his footsteps as he perused her castle, just a few dozen feet down the hall. The thought made her sick to her stomach. With only one goal left in mind, she limped forward, her target clear and her anger growing by the second.

Twilight pushed the door of her old bedroom open with her hoof before taking a few steps into the hallway. As with her room, she couldn't help the nostalgia that wormed its way into her heart over the sight of such familiar territory. Begrudgingly, she committed forward, ignoring the memories as best as she could while they flashed by one by one. Before she even reached the end of the hallway, there was a noticeable grimace on her face and her tail swished in agitation.

Only serving to compound said agitation, was the gleeful sounds of wonder and excitement from the voice carrying down the hall from the next room over. Twilight grit her teeth as she envisioned the source in her mind. Every detail she could recall of the man made her angrier and angrier, until her rage overwhelmed any sense of nostalgic melancholy she felt from her old home. Even so, she kept her hoofsteps as quiet as she could.

Her ears attentively flicked toward her target as she heard him walking over to one side of the room, no doubt to explore and peruse the new world he found himself in. Both his excitement, and her quiet skulking were interrupted by the sound of the portal warping two more times. Twilight felt her blood run cold in her veins as she heard her own voice speaking out from inside the room.

"Spike? Spike, where are you!?" She heard her younger self call out.

Twilight reached the doorway leading into the room, her ears perked up in apprehension as she distinctly heard the muffled sound of a familiar pair of boots on the crystal floor. Unlike the clopping sound her younger counterpart's hooves made, the noise was diluted and almost muted, as if years of wear and abuse had trained utter silence into his movements. Even so, she could distinctly hear his steps as he walked over to the open balcony.

"Four years... well I'm glad I get to see the end of that." She heard her younger self murmur.

Twilight couldn't contain the hitch in her breath as she peered through the slit between the semi-open doors, her eye falling on the sight of both her younger self, and Cooper. He looked exactly like she remembered him, from his ragged cloak, to his messy mop of hair, all the way down to his bloodied arm. The memories came back quickly, and this time she was unable to ignore them as the images of the wolf latching onto his arm and the sound of it snapping his bones like toothpicks almost made her reel.

Her own wither stung slightly as the memories continued, bringing her back to the moment she drove her horn through its hide, only for the wolf to tear half the tissue out of her shoulder and fling her to the side. Phantom pain stung like an icy needle against her scarred flesh, and despite herself, she found her chest heaving as she recalled the moment with perfect clarity.

The only thing to bring her out of her own mind, was the sound of a hammer being cocked back on a pistol. Her eyes snapped open as she glanced up again, finding that her target was behind Cooper and her younger self. A new wave of adrenaline fueled her system, and before the man could even utter a word, she shoved her way through the doors, alerting everyone inside to her presence.

Author's Note

Welcome everyone! So I hope you liked that one. It was a lot of fun to write and hopefully enjoyable to read. There's definitely a lot of drama, sadness, happiness, and more coming in this story. I hope you all stay tuned for it!

I do have a discord now if you'd like to come check that out, or if you'd like to support me on Patreon and see up to 5 chapters early, I've posted the links in the story description. Happy New Year everyone and I hope you'll enjoy this journey with me <3

Chapter 2

Gabe. Twilight could recall every detail of his face and the way he scowled at both Cooper and her younger self. The bloodshot iris was a memory that was seared so deeply into her brain that she couldn't help but see it every time she closed her eyes and tried to sleep. She could recall every article of tattered clothing he wore, and the bloodied rags wrapped around his left arm and legs, highlighting just how close Cooper had come to killing him before he ever made it through the portal.

Twilight felt the slightest hint of remorse at the sad state of the human before her, but that feeling lasted less than a millisecond, and righteous fury quickly took its place. Every night of misery and loneliness she suffered for nearly thirty years came rushing back as she stared at the sole cause of her torment. Rage filled her veins; rage for what this man took from her, rage for what he put her through, and rage for how his ideological beliefs turned him into a monster. It was enough to light a fire in her eyes.

She didn't wait for him to speak, or react. She knew full well that she held the attention of every creature in the room and her time was running out. Her horn sparked to life, instantly whipping the pistol out of Gabe's hand with a flash of purple. He grunted in surprise, reacting quickly as he tried to dive after the pistol, but it was all for naught. With her full magical might after thirty years of preparation, Twilight grabbed hold of his hand with her magic, the seismic forces compressing the appendage in a second. With enough force to crack a diamond, she crushed Gabe's hand.

Bones splintered and compressed into dust in the blink of an eye, so quickly that Gabe could only stare at the bloodied stump of a hand he once had, in shock, but he was quickly overwhelm with unimaginable pain. Lancing, crushing, searing, and tearing pain shot through his arm and brought him to his knees, tears forming in his eyes as he cried out in agony.

Twilight only gave him a few more moments to wail in excruciating pain before unleashing all of her magical might upon him. A beam of white hot energy blasted from her horn and completely obliterated Gabe within the span of a few precious seconds, reducing him to nothing more than ash and dust. Barely a scorch mark on the floor was left as almost all of the energy blasted through the wall and out into the horizon, fading away into the slowly setting sun.

Twilight stared down at the remains of the man who took everything from her, a sick sense of joy and excitement rushing through her system as she took revenge for the crime that was yet to happen. However in the moment, she felt her strength quickly waning, and with a shaky sigh, she collapsed to the floor. Her ears instantly perked up to the sound of confused voices and hooves on marble.

"T-Twilight?" Cooper hesitantly asked, rushing to her side.

Twilight sluggishly turned her head enough to look up at the human she just saved, a fond smile forming on her muzzle as she looked up into his eyes. He looked exactly as she remembered in her dreams every night. His messy mop of hair atop his head, his piercing brown eyes, and his pale, cracked skin all filled her eyes with comfort as she gazed at a long lost friend. Even the bandages and injuries on his arm were exactly as she remembered them.

"Been wanting to do that again for... thirty years..." She weakly chuckled.

"How... what is... are you... me?" She heard her own voice ask.

Twilight felt her gaze pulled down to the sight of her younger self. Much like Cooper, she was exactly how she remembered herself. Her coat was matted and dirty after months without a wash, while her ribs were clearly visible from the starvation she endured during that time. Her wither was covered in bloodied bandages, just like she remembered. She couldn't help but glance down at her own scarred wither, finding that the pattern looked like some sort of abstract painting that she couldn't be bothered to look at.

"I am." She answered, plainly.

"How... what's going on?" The younger Twilight asked.

"I don't have much time to tell you, but the simplified version of it is this: I'm you from the future. I came back to save you both from Gabe." She explained.

"W-wait, from the future? Y-you mean..." Cooper hesitantly asked, looking to the younger alicorn.

"I... I don't understand. I would never go back and alter the past! That's... wait... Gabe was supposed to kill us here, wasn't he?" Twilight's younger version asked.

Twilight only responded with a sad nod, "One of you, at least." She admitted.

Her alter ego frowned as the realization hit her. She quickly looked over to Cooper, who quickly came to the same conclusion.

"He was supposed to kill me... You... you can travel through time? A-and you used that to save me?" Cooper muttered, his brow furrowed in disbelief.

Twilight nodded, "I don't have long. A full explanation simply isn't possible... at least, not verbally." She said, turning to her younger self.

"W-what do you mean? Why don't you have long? A-are you okay?" Cooper quickly asked, his hand coming to a rest on Twilight's barrel.

Twilight let out a breathless sigh as she felt Cooper's hand against her coat for the first time in decades. She slowly glanced down at the point of contact between them, the feeling of his fingers registering just as she remembered. Despite all the hardship and all the suffering he'd endured, his hands still felt soft to the touch, a fact that she was made even more grateful for as she looked back up into his eyes.

"My timeline is gone now... that means I'm going to go away too." She explained, glacially moving her hoof.

Cooper's brow furrowed even more in confusion as he watched Twilight's slow and deliberate movement to place her hoof upon his hand, but he did not move or flinch as she gingerly placed the appendage atop of his. Cooper could feel the warmth and softness from the frog of her hoof as it pressed against the back of his hand, almost like a gentle hug against his skin.

"T-Twilight..." Cooper whispered, his thumb stroking through the fur on her chest.

"T-there has to be something we can do. I-I can get Princess Celestia and Luna here in a matter of hours." The younger Twilight asserted, turning to dash over to the piece of parchment on the table lining the wall.

"There's no point," Twilight stated, halting her before she could move, "What happens now goes beyond even them... come here." She instructed, gesturing to her counterpart.

Eyes wide and hesitation written all over her face, the young Twilight complied and laid down beside her. She stared into her eyes, finding a tiredness that she could only remember seeing in one other creature, but before she could get too lost in her musings, her older self spoke again.

"I'm going to give you all the information you need... but you need to let me touch my horn to yours."

Cooper looked over to the youthful version of the lavender alicorn as she slowly nodded and leaned her head down enough for her to reach. Sluggishly, and with clearly waning strength, the weathered mare laying on the floor craned her neck up until her horn touched her younger self's. A small flash of purple light sparked from the contact, before fizzling out and sending the younger alicorn reeling.

"Gah!" Twilight cried out, throwing her head back and clasping a hoof over her forehead.

"Twilight!?" Cooper exclaimed, reaching out to her.

"I'm okay. I'm fine. It just startled me, is all. That was a lot of information you just shoved into my brain." She replied, shaking her head before looking back at her older self.

However, much to her shock and horror, the version of herself she saw staring back at her was now semi-transparent, her body seemingly fading away from existence by the second. Cooper noticed less than a second later, and quickly clasped her hoof in both of his hands.

"Twilight!" He cried, panic forming in his features as he tried to hold her close to him.

"It's okay, Cooper... it's okay." Twilight whispered, her eyelids growing heavier and heavier.

"W-what's happening to you!? Twilight!" Cooper exclaimed, the fear growing in his voice as he frantically looked for any way to help her.

Twilight gave his hand a firm squeeze, halting the man in his place as he looked down to her, panic in his eyes.

"It's okay, Cooper... I want this... you two need to take care of each other... just like you have been." Twilight spoke, her voice coming out as a fraction of its usual strength.

Cooper and the younger Twilight shared a quick glance before looking back down to her, "But... you're dying." Her younger counterpart said.

"All part of the plan... it'll be okay. You have each other now... Twilight?" She replied, gaining the full attention of her younger doppelganger.

"Y-yes?" She asked, fearfully.

"You need to be there for him... he'll need you to look out for him and keep him safe in Equestria." She instructed, receiving a hesitant nod of acceptance.

Turning to Cooper, Twilight gave a sad smile, "And Cooper... I know you've already lost so much... and I know you were willing to die for me... but I need to ask you to do something much harder." She whispered, her voice having lost much of its strength.

Cooper quickly nodded, his hand unconsciously squeezing her hoof in an unspoken gesture of support.

"I need you to live for me. Live for each other... live for your family and your future... can you do that?" She croaked, her eyes watering slightly.

Cooper's mouth felt quite dry and the pit in his stomach only made the guilty feeling in his chest hurt that much more as he stared down at the fading version of Twilight below him. He opened his mouth to speak, but quickly found that his vision was blurring. He blinked through the blurriness, feeling two distinct streaks of wetness stream down his cheeks as Twilight came into his view once more.

"I... I was supposed to protect you..." He whispered, his own voice cracking.

Twilight smiled, "You did... that's why I'm here now... but this is where my story ends... you need to be there for each other. Promise me you'll be there for one another... please?" She asked, quietly.

Cooper sniffled as the tears continued to blur his vision. He quickly nodded, "O-okay... I promise." He whispered, squeezing her hoof tight in his hand.

"Good... thank you." Twilight trailed off, her eyes finally closing fully.

Both Cooper and the younger version of herself struggled to watch through their tears as Twilight's body simply continued to fade out of existence. She grew more and more transparent, until finally there was simply nothing there anymore. Cooper and the remaining Twilight sniffled and shed their tears as the last of the older Twilight disappeared from their very plane of existence.

The world around them faded to perfect silence, as the man and pony wept for the loss they'd just witnessed. Even though Twilight found her emotions horribly conflicted, she couldn't help the sadness that overwhelmed her heart as she watched herself die before her very eyes. The knowledge of just what she would do, and how far she would go for the man beside her filled her with a level of both surprise and fear.

Sadly, neither man nor pony had time to reflect on the death of the lavender alicorn for long, as the sound of hooves and scaled claws on crystal floors quickly reached their ears.

"This way! I think she's back!"

"Darling, whatever do you think that blast was?"

"If I know Twilight, it's probably another spell gone wrong."

"Well, I just hope she didn't hurt herself."

"Come on guys! She said she'd only be gone for a few minutes, and it's been almost half... an... hour."

The prepubescent voice of her number one assistant trailed off as the group rounded the corner, all of them slowing to a halt at the sight of the bloodied human and alicorn before them.

Author's Note

I'm sure not everyone will be satisfied with this, but we can't have time travel without consequences. I firmly believe that this is the only way for this particular story to progress without breaking canon. I hope it isn't too emotionally destructive for you all.

There is much still to come. I hope you all like what I have in store.

Chapter 3

Twilight stared at the group of ponies and dragon standing in the doorway, the tear streaks still clearly visible on her cheeks. For a brief moment of serenity, all of her friends simply stared back at her, their faces riddled with shock. It felt like a lifetime since she'd last seen them, and even despite the horrible tragedy she'd just witnessed and experienced, she couldn't help the relief and elation she suddenly felt in her chest just from the sight of them.

However, her relief was perilously short lived, as the brashest of the bunch flared her wings and dropped into an aggressive posture.

"Get away from her!" Rainbow Dash shouted, baring her teeth.

Twilight's forming smile was shattered into a look of confusion and hurt. Her brow furrowed as she tried to come to some sort of conclusion as to why her friend would suddenly become so aggressive with no provocation. She glanced to Applejack, hoping that the level headed earth pony would see that Rainbow was being irrational and snap her friend out of her sudden lapse of judgement, however, it was not to be. Much like Rainbow, AppleJack crouched down and pawed at the floor with one hoof, as if preparing to charge.

"G-girls?" Twilight weakly questioned, her voice laced with confusion.

"Twilight! Don't worry, we won't let that thing hurt you any more!" Rarity shouted, her horn igniting in a sapphire hue.

"Yeah! What she said!" Pinkie chimed in, suddenly standing on her hind legs and slamming her hooves together.

"Twilight! Can you teleport out of there!?" Spike questioned, his voice full of fear.

Despite the sentiment seemingly being shared amongst all of her friends, Twilight simply could not understand what was driving them to such hostility. She glanced over to Cooper, finding that he was simply resting on his knees beside her, his head hanging low as he stared down at his bloodied arm. Twilight mentally slapped herself as her eyes were instantly pulled down to her own bloodied and bandaged wither.

"Girls, wait!" Twilight exclaimed, but she was just a fraction of a second too late.

A blur of rainbow color rocketed forward in a flurry of rapidly flapping wings. Cooper didn't even bother to look up to see Rainbow as she barreled toward him at high speed. All of the rest of her friends prepared to charge forward and attack in their own way, but all of them were taken by surprise as Twilight suddenly dove in front of Rainbow.

Reacting with the agility and skill of a wonderbolt, Rainbow managed to bank right and roll to avoid hitting Twilight, but she was forced to miss her intended target and fly up higher to bleed off speed, lest she crash into a wall. Twilight, on the other hand, slammed into the floor just in front of Cooper, the impact making her yelp in pain as she landed on her bandaged wither.

"Twilight! What're you doing!?" AppleJack exclaimed, her eyes wide in shock.

"Stop!" Twilight shouted, her sudden spike in volume taking everyone in the room by surprise.

"W-what?" Rarity hesitantly questioned.

"B-but... Twilight, we're trying to save you!" Spike pleaded, frantically looking back and forth between Twilight and Cooper.

"Yeah, Twilight what gives!? I was about to save you from that monster." Rainbow chided from above, her wings lazily flapping to keep her altitude.

"T-Twilight, what's going on?" Fluttershy timidly asked, hesitantly stepping forwards.

"It's a long story, just... please. Don't hurt him. He's my friend." Twilight responded, making her friends all gasp.

"Friend? Him? Twilight, what even is he?" Pinkie questioned, curiously.

"And Darling, you... are you certain? You're clearly hurt and bleeding." Rarity protested, barely hiding the queasy look on her muzzle at the sight of so much crimson.

"Wait a minute..." Spike muttered, taking a few steps forward.

"Spike, don'tcha get too close now, ya hear?" AppleJack cautioned, glancing over to the drake.

"I know, I know... it's just... wait... Twilight, is that... a human?" Spike questioned, his brow furrowed in confusion.

Twilight gratefully nodded, "Yes. Yes, he is. Spike... girls... I have so much that I need to tell you, but you need to trust me... please." She pleaded, looking up to her friends.

Slowly but surely, her friends abandoned their aggressive postures and eased into a more relaxed stance as they silently observed. While they all still wore weary looks on their faces, they made no move or argument as Twilight turned back to Cooper and closed the distance between them.

As Rainbow landed back beside the rest of their friends, Twilight reached Cooper and nuzzled his cheek with her own. The gesture, soft and small as it might have been, was enough of a shock to finally snap the man out of his daze and bring his attention back up to her. A pair of piercing brown eyes slowly met her purple irises, noticeably bloodshot from the tears shed for the very pony standing before him.

"Cooper... are you alright?" She whispered, her face just a few precious inches from his.

The concern was clear in her eyes, and despite the agony and loss he felt from watching her literally fade away in front of him, Cooper suddenly found her words bouncing around in his head.

you need to be there for each other. Promise me you'll be there for one another... please?

As he stared back into the pools of purple staring back at him, Cooper found himself wanting nothing more than to keep his promise. He shakily nodded as his hand subconsciously reached out and cupped her furry cheek. Cooper idly stroked his thumb through the short furs on her face, brushing the damp spots where her tears had been shed.

"Y-yeah... thanks to you." He replied, quietly.

Twilight felt her heart swell with happiness at his words, and she quickly smiled.

"Thanks to both of us... we made it out together." Twilight replied, softly nuzzling against Cooper's palm.

The group of ponies and dragon watched from their side of the room, uneasy looks on all of their faces. As the two separated and faced the group of friends, AppleJack slowly stepped forward once more.

"Uh... sugarcube... ya mind explainin' what's goin' on here? What happened to you?" She asked, the concern clear in her voice.

"Before we go into any of that, I think we should get Twilight to a doctor. She's... bleeding." Fluttershy spoke up, directing everyone's attention to Twilight's wither.

The bandages wrapped all along her shoulder and wither were slowly turning red as they soaked in her blood, a fact that made all of Twilight's friends cringe.

"Yeah... we should probably go see a doctor before anything else." Twilight relented, turning back to Cooper once more, "I don't think our doctors will know how to help you, but they can at least x-ray your arm and make sure the bone is splinted properly." She offered.

Cooper nodded, his eyes falling on his rusty old AK laying on the floor just a few feet away. He bit his lip as he realized that he no longer had any ammunition for the rifle, and instead his attention was pulled to Gabe's pistol, laying between him and Twilight, and the rest of the ponies in the room. Following his eyes, Twilight frowned ever so slightly.

"Nopony is going to hurt you, Cooper. I'll make sure of that. You don't need to carry those weapons on you where ever you go anymore." She said, quietly.

Cooper let out a sigh, "I... I know. Still..." He trailed off.

Twilight nodded, "You're not going to move unless I let you take it, are you?" She half-smirked.

Cooper snorted, "You know me so well."

With a relenting sigh, Twilight ignited her horn and levitated the pistol over to Cooper, who gratefully accepted it and placed it in his pocket.

"Just promise me you won't use it on any ponies. If you get any kind of hassle, let me try to sort it out first. The last thing I want is ponies to have to experience being hurt by one of those." Twilight cautioned.

"You got it, Twilight. Let's go to the hospital before we both pass out from blood loss." Cooper dryly chuckled while pushing himself to his feet.

"Darling, what... what was that thing you just gave him?" Rarity inquired, her eyes squinting in confusion and concern.

"Nothing that I won't explain to you all once we get back. For now, I think I'd really like to go get something for the pain because... well, my wither is absolutely on fire right now." Twilight responded, offering a disarming smile.

"No it's not, silly. Your wither is bleeding, not on fire." Pinkie chimed in, much to the group's confusion.

However, to everypony's surprise, Twilight giggled at the somewhat tasteless joke, "Oh, Pinkie. I'm glad you haven't changed."

"Well why would I have? It's only been like, a day since I last saw you." Pinkie chirped, a beaming smile on her face.

Twilight's happy face fell somewhat at the response, but she quickly shook her head clear of the thoughts that were plaguing her and nodded toward the doorway. However, before she could even take a step forward, Rainbow darted in front of her, her hooves screeching to a halt as she almost bumped into the purple alicorn.

"Oh no you don't! That wither is beyond mangled. We're taking you to the hospital, ourselves. There's no way in Tartarus we're letting you walk on that." She asserted, forcefully.

Albeit with a moment of hesitation, the prismatic pegasus glanced up to Cooper, his imposing size making her shrink in on herself just ever so slightly, "Uh... t-that goes for you too, big guy. If Twilight says you're her friend, then you're our friend too." She proclaimed, standing tall, despite barely even coming up to the man's waist.

Cooper looked down at Rainbow for a few moments, his expression unreadable. The seconds passed in a tense blur, each tik tok of the grandfather clock at the end of the room serving to highlight the nervous, tense, and awkward atmosphere in the air as the man and pony stared each other down. Rainbow could feel a nervous bead of sweat begin to form on her brow as the seconds dragged on like an eternity.

"Thanks. I can walk just fine right now, but I'll keep it in mind." Cooper replied, holding his hand out.

Rainbow let out a small breath she was holding but stared at Cooper's hand curiously.

"Huh... it's like a minotaur's hand." Rainbow noted, before extending a hoof to meet the gesture.

Cooper's fingers coiled around her hoof and he shook with a surprising amount of gentleness. Rainbow smiled at the acceptance of her friendship as they both returned their respective appendages to their persons.

"Well, now that that's settled, can we get Twilight to the hospital?" Rarity curiously questioned.

"Ah'll go get the wagon. We'll get her there lickety split." AppleJack responded, turning tail and galloping out the door.

"Let's help Twilight downstairs, girls." Fluttershy suggested, quickly taking her place by her friend's side.

"Um... Darling... you're getting blood all over your fur." Rarity squeamishly noted as Fluttershy softly pressed her wither against Twilight's for support.

"It's not the first time. My animal friends get hurt very badly sometimes. It's more important that we get Twilight to the hospital. I can wash it out later." Fluttershy smiled, surprisingly uncaring for the blood soaking into her coat.

"I-if you say so, dear. Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash. I don't suppose you two could go inform Ponyville General of an alicorn and a... um, a thousand apologies, but what did you say he was again, Spike?" Rarity leaned down, looking to the purple drake.

"A human." Spike repeated, his voice all but filled with curiosity and confusion as he looked Cooper up and down.

"Right, a human. Rainbow, Pinkie, can you go tell the hospital staff to prepare for their arrival?" Rarity asked.

"Okie dokie lokey!" Pinkie beamed.

"On it!" Rainbow saluted, before darting out the balcony.

Pinkie quickly bounced after her, although she took the doorway and presumably left through the front door.

With the rest of the group having scattered to their respective tasks, Twilight smiled as Rarity came over to her other wither and supported her much like Fluttershy was.

"As much as I hate the sight of blood... Fluttershy is right. It'll wash out. We need to get you to a hospital, on the double, darling." Rarity announced, giving a slightly squeamish smile to her lavender friend.

"Thanks, girls." Twilight smiled, before glancing over to Spike.

"I'm coming too. Who do you think even went and got all of our friends in the first place?" Spike asserted, crossing his arms.

Twilight chuckled, "Fair enough. Let's go... before I pass out." She said, slowly moving forward.

Together, the three friends managed to make their way from the portal room of the castle and down the stairs. Spike and Cooper were both on either side of the alicorn as she struggled to not put any more weight on her wounded leg, both offering assistance as well whenever they could. Albeit with some minor difficulties, they managed to get Twilight down the stairs and lead her to the castle foyer.

"Spikey? Could you be a dear and go make sure AppleJack is outside and ready?" Rarity questioned, glancing over Twilight and Fluttershy to the small drake.

"You got it, Rarity!" Spike chipperly replied with a salute, before trotting off to the main entrance.

"I suppose it would have been easier to teleport down here... in hindsight." Twilight snickered, before wincing as she accidentally put weight on her foreleg.

"Oh, it's probably for the best, Twilight. We wouldn't want you to strain yourself right now." Fluttershy responded, placatingly shaking her head.

"Indeed, Darling. In your condition, you must conserve your energy." Rarity added.

"Last time you teleported, you passed out, and that was before you were hurt this bad. Probably not a good idea right now." Cooper offered, his sudden contribution to the conversation making both Rarity and Fluttershy pause.

"P-passed out?" Rarity repeated, her voice filled with concern.

"It's... a long story, girls. Let's just get to the hospital first." Twilight stated, her ears drooping ever so slightly.

"R-right. Once you're all better, you can tell us all about it." Fluttershy nodded.

With that, the ponies managed to assist Twilight out of the foyer and to the front steps of the castle, where they found AppleJack already waiting for them with the cart hitched to her barrel. Spike was standing on the last step, helping the orange earth pony mare to back up to the steps. Once she was set up in the most optimal position, Rarity and Fluttershy helped Twilight to the edge of the steps.

As Twilight was helped to the cart, she found her eyes pulled upwards to the sight of Ponyville and the sun slowly descending to the horizon. Her gaze fell on the dozens of ponies out and about in town, going through their daily lives and routines as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening. However, the peaceful visage was soon disturbed as ponies noticed her and the human standing just a few feet away from her.

Soft gasps filled the air and ponies froze mid-step as their eyes fell onto the sight of their wounded princess and the equally wounded human. A few fillies and colts exchanged hushed whispers of shock and horror at the sight of so much blood covering the lavender alicorn. Several of their parents covered their eyes and pulled their foals away as they stared on in fearful silence.

Twilight let out a hushed sigh at the fearful responses of the townsponies. She subconsciously glanced over to Cooper, finding that while he was surveying the town with a mixture of emotions on his face, there was at least a noticeable absence of fear or anger.

"Damn... they really do walk on clouds..." Cooper muttered.

Twilight followed his gaze to see a few pegasai sitting on a few of the scattered clouds. They were staring down at him, a mix of curiosity, confusion, and fear in their eyes. None of them were particularly fixated on him for long, however, as their attention was pulled to her as they noticed the blood all over her coat. Several audible gasps and shrieks of concern erupted from the clouds, mixing in with the townsponies' below.

Before Twilight could say anything to assuage their fears, AppleJack spoke up.

"Sugarcube, ya'llright?" She asked, her voice filled with worry.

Twilight quickly nodded, "Y-yeah. I'm okay. Let's go."

With that, Twilight climbed onto the cart, albeit with considerable help from her friends, and laid down on her good side. Spike quickly closed up the back of the cart once she was situated before hopping up and sitting down beside her. Once they were both settled, AppleJack nodded and broke into a slow trot, jolting the cart slightly before settling down as she made way for the hospital.

Rarity, Fluttershy, and Cooper walked alongside the cart, all three of them now covered in a measure of blood that stood out most proximately on Rarity's white coat. As the group headed through the center of Ponyville, the townsponies scattered and retreated to their houses as they passed by.

Within a few minutes, they reached the outer edge of town and the road leading up to the hospital. Twilight managed to sluggishly lift her head to look over AppleJack and see the building growing closer and closer. She could make out the figures of both Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie standing by the doorway, both flanked by an assortment of medical staff and doctors. She could recognize a few friendly faces, but many of the staff were ponies she couldn't even remember seeing before.

Oh wow... they really brought out the whole hospital staff for me, didn't they? I hope it isn't that bad...

Author's Note

Bada Bing, bada boom. Twilight's friends can be reasonable adults! Who would've thought!? Hope you guys enjoyed. I felt like this was a pretty reasonable way for the rest of the mane 6 to react upon seeing Twilight and Cooper in the state they're currently in.

Chapter 4

The nurses and doctors of Ponyville General trotted from their positions at the front of the hospital with haste as they saw their wounded princess come into view. Several ponies galloped over toward Twilight, rushing ahead of the slower hospital staff, but they quickly came to a screeching halt as they noticed the tall, bloodied man walking a few paces behind her wagon. If he was bothered by this reaction in any way, he didn't show it. His face conveyed a neutral expression of mild curiosity as he looked back at the ponies in front of him.

"What're ya'll waitin' fer? Twilight needs help. Now!" AppleJack barked, stomping her hoof on the ground to emphasize her point.

The harsh words, combined with the noisy *clop* of the strong earth pony's hoof against the ground, startled the hospital staff out of their shock. Several nurses shook their heads and apologized as they rushed over to the wagon. A few stallions carried a gurney up to the side of the wagon, allowing Rarity and one of the doctors to use their magic to levitate Twilight off of the back of the cart. With gentle precision, they gingerly placed her down on the gurney and proceeded to move toward the hospital.

"Damn... it's all different colors, too." Cooper muttered, prompting Rarity's ear to flick back toward him in curiosity.

However, before she could say anything, Twilight spoke up, "Wait. Help him, too. Cooper's hurt almost as bad as me." She ordered, weakly nodding toward the man standing a few paces away.

The hospital staff froze and glanced over to Cooper with a mix of emotions on their face. Most simply stared with confused expressions, their minds hastily trying to decipher just what creature they were even looking at, however, some stared with fear at the sight of the large human.

"P-Princess, what even is he?" One of the nurses quietly asked, leaning down to Twilight's ear.

"He's a human... and he's my friend. His name is Cooper. Treat him with the same care and respect you'd treat anypony else." Twilight instructed, giving Cooper a small smile.

"Cooper? So... that's your name?" Fluttershy inquired, turning to the man with a curious look in her eyes.

Cooper nodded but said nothing, opting instead to simply walk over to Twilight's side, much to the concern of the ponies carrying her. However, a reassuring nod from the alicorn princess convinced them to let their guard down enough for the human to walk alongside them as they carried her into the hospital.

As they reached the doorway to the entrance, Rainbow and Pinkie fell in line with the group.

"You guys alright?" Rainbow asked, looking to the princess and man with concern.

"Still breathing." Twilight replied, dryly.

While the ponies around her frowned in further concern from the joke, Cooper let out a small chuckle, "You'll be alright. It's just a fleshwound." He smirked.

"A fleshwound!? Sir, this is critical. We need to get her to an operating room immediately." One of the nurses exclaimed.

"We need to get her into the OR, stat!" A doctor ordered.

"You, sir. Just wait here. We'll get you checked out while they work on Princess Twilight." Another nurse instructed, halting Cooper in his step.

"A fleshwound... what in Tartarus." The first nurse scoffed.

"Tenderheart, quiet. She's fine. He was just joking." Another nurse rebutted.

Cooper glanced down at the snow white earth pony nurse in front of him. Her mane and tail were both a soft pink color and done up in buns that looked to be done up with efficiency in mind. Similar to the rest of the hospital staff, she bore a red cross on her flank, filled with one small heart and surrounded by four more in each corner. Her nurse cap was as white as her coat, and held the same image as her cutie mark.

"Why don't you come with me. I'm nurse Redheart. I'll get you treated." She offered, smiling up to the human.

Cooper frowned ever so slightly as he looked down at the earth pony, his good hand tapping against his thigh. He quickly glanced back to Twilight as the rest of the staff carried her toward an operating room down the hall.

"I'm not leaving her side." He stated, plainly.

Redheart nodded, "I understand, truly, I do... but you're hurt pretty badly, too. We should get you checked out, sir." She pressed.

"Yeah, dude. You're hurt, too. That's a lot of blood." Rainbow added, pointing to Cooper's bandaged arm.

"But-" Cooper tried to protest, but Twilight called out to him just before the nurses could carry her into the operating room.

"Cooper! It's alright. I'll be fine. Let them take care of you. I promise, it'll be okay." Twilight called, before the door shut and Cooper lost sight of her.

"Clearly you care about her, but the doctors need to be able to operate on her without any distractions. I promise that you'll be one of the first to see her when she's out." Redheart pleaded, giving Cooper a disarming smile.

Cooper continued to stare at the doorway after Twilight for a few moments, his expression unreadable. As the seconds ticked by, the ponies around him grew increasingly concerned, however just when Pinkie was about to break the awkward silence, Cooper let out a sigh and shook his head.

"Yeah... you're right. Okay." He replied, quietly.

Redheart felt a weight suddenly lift off her withers, and she quickly ushered Cooper to one of the trauma rooms just down the hall. While Pinkie opted to go back to the waiting room with the rest of their friends, Rainbow chose to stay with Cooper and nurse Redheart, taking her seat in the corner of the room as Cooper sat on the table.

"So... you're a... hue-man? Sorry, is that how you pronounce that?" Redheart asked, curiously.

Cooper nodded, "Human. My name's Cooper Slait."

"Cooper... Cooper." Redheart parroted, as if she were trying the name out on her tongue to see how it sounded.

"That's a really weird name," Rainbow observed, before blushing, "Uh, no offense." She quickly added.

Cooper quietly snorted to himself while Redheart moved over to the desk and procured a blood pressure cuff. She grabbed the instrument in her hoof and walked back over to Cooper's side before rearing up beside him and holding it up for him.

"Do you mind if I just take a few quick readings? I know it's not exactly a good baseline, but it's better than nothing." She inquired.

Cooper nodded, holding out his good arm and allowing her to slip the cuff up to his arm. She quickly squeezed the small pump attached to the device and scribbled down Cooper's blood pressure once she was finished.

"One thirty two over eighty six," Redheart muttered aloud, "Well, I'm not sure for a human, but for a pony that's slightly elevated, but still well within normal-" She started, but paused as Cooper chuckled.

"Considering how much blood I've lost, I'm surprised it's that high." He shrugged.

"Well... your heart-rate on the other hoof... is about ninety beats per minute. Is it a safe assumption to make that this is because of adrenaline and nerves from your current situation?" Redheart cautiously asked.

Cooper rolled his tongue in his mouth, "Honestly, can't say. It's been about five years since I last got my blood pressure taken. Don't know my resting heart rate. Probably." He answered.

Redheart nodded and quickly jotted down some more notes, before gently slipping the cuff off of Cooper's arm and returning it to the table at the other side of the room.

"Alright, I'm just gonna have Doctor Hooves come in and x-ray your foreleg so we can see what's broken and whatnot. Just wait here for a few minutes, please."

"Arm. Human's don't have forelegs." Cooper corrected, a tiny trace of a smirk on his face.

Redheart playfully rolled her eyes, "Yes, well, regardless. Doctor Hooves should be able to x-ray that and fix it right up in a few minutes." She responded, before trotting off to go get the aforementioned doctor.

Now left in the room by themselves, Cooper and Rainbow sat in slightly awkward silence as the sounds of a typical evening at a hospital filled the air. There was noticeably more commotion, due to the trauma team and most of the staff reallocating to help Twilight, but the typical sniffles, coughing, and rythmatic beeping of heart monitors echoed in the halls, nonetheless.

"So..." Rainbow trailed off, awkwardly rubbing the back of her neck as she glanced over to Cooper.

"Hmm?" Cooper answered, his gaze locked on the doorway.

"How exactly did you and Twilight... meet?" Rainbow questioned, looking to Cooper curiously.

Cooper's gaze fell from the doorway for a moment and down to the tiled floors of the hospital. Much like the walls, they were a bright alabaster color with a few black squares to break up the monotony of white and provide some needed contrast. The sight of so much white sent a small chill down his spine, making him ever grateful for the cloak still wrapped around his shoulders and back. However, he soon felt the gaze of the prismatic pegasus boring into him as she awaited an answer. His brow furrowed slightly as he searched his memory for the events that led to his friendship with the purple alicorn.

"I found her." He answered, eventually.

Rainbow let out a small breath at the response and quickly leaned forward with interest as she prepared her next question, "Where?"

"In a cardboard box... on the side of the road." Cooper replied.

Rainbow tilted her head to the side, "Wait... why was she in a cardboard box?" She pressed.

"Trying to stay warm." Cooper muttered.

Rainbow quirked an eyebrow, "Warm? Why? Was it cold where you guys were?"

Cooper felt his gaze pulled to the floor once more, the white coloration making a chill creep up his spine. However, before he could get too lost in the frigid sensation, the sound of hoofsteps on the tiled floors reached his ears, and he glanced up to see a mocha brown unicorn stallion trot into the room, followed quickly by Nurse Redheart.

"Mister... Cooper?" The doctor asked, politely.

"That's me." Cooper responded.

"Very good. I understand that your... arm, is injured. I'm here to take a look at it and see if I can repair the damage." Doctor Hooves stated.

Cooper nodded and turned slightly to allow the doctor better access to his arm. As the stallion approached, Redheart followed right behind him, dragging a tray with several medical tools and gauze. With his magic, Doctor Hooves slowly and gently undid the bandages wrapped around Cooper's bloodied arm. Slowly but surely, the deep lacerations and damage to Cooper's arm was revealed to the ponies before him.

"Hmm... I count at least six deep lacerations and some tearing... looks like it was compressed quite severely... what exactly did this to you, Mister Cooper?" Doctor Hooves asked, glancing up to the man as he removed the last of the bandages.

"I don't know. It was a wolf, but I'm not sure what kind...I think it was... maybe a Timberwolf but I don't know for sure." Cooper shrugged.

"A timberwolf? That's... odd. We usually see a lot more splinters with those kinds of wounds. I'm not... seeing any at all." Doctor Hooves muttered, his brow furrowing slightly.

Cooper raised an eyebrow, "Splinters?" He asked.

Doctor Hooves nodded, "It's not a problem. That only makes it easier for us to clean and treat this, if anything. From an external observation, I don't think any major blood vessels were lacerated, but I need to do an x-ray to confirm bone integrity as well. Just a moment."

Without another word, the doctor's horn illuminated in a bright orange light, and a ray of similarly colored illumination poured over Cooper's forearm. There was no sensation to the magical touch of the stallion, however, after just a few moments of idle speculation, Cooper's jaw dropped.

Slowly but surely, the bones inside of his arm started to shine through his skin. Blood vessels slowly came into view as well, some darker colored than others, but all of them bearing an orange hue, much like the doctor's magic. Cooper squinted in disbelief as his bones slowly came into clear view, as if he could see straight through his skin and straight into his arm's internal workings. He rotated his wrist in curiosity, his jaw dropping even further as he watched his radius and ulna rotate and cross over each other.

The twinge of pain he felt from moving his arm in such a way hardly deterred the morbid curiosity he felt from seeing his own skeleton working in real time. He could even make out the outlines of the muscles and tendons pulling and contracting his bones.

"Woah... dude, why do your bones criss-cross like that? That looks... really painful." Rainbow spoke up, cringing slightly at the sight before her.

"I think I remember that it's supposed to do that. Been a while since I read any kind of medical textbooks though." Cooper shrugged.

"Please try not to move, Mister Cooper. It'll interfere with the x-ray." Nurse Redheart instructed, politely.

Albeit with a heavy moment of hesitation, Cooper complied and returned his arm to its resting position. After just a few more seconds, Doctor Hooves cut off his magical output and smiled down at his work.

"Alright, now let's take a look here..." He muttered, scratching his chin with his hoof as he looked closely at Cooper's bones.

Nurse Redheart also closely examined the bone structure, a clipboard in her hooves and her eyes squinting in interest.

"You can see where the lacerations reach their deepest point, here." Doctor Hooves muttered, prompting Redheart to quickly scribble some notes down with a pencil held in her mouth.

Cooper raised an eyebrow at the unorthodox method of penmanship, but said nothing as Doctor Hooves spoke up again.

"Hmm... yes, I can see a few fractures right here and here." He stated, prompting more scribbling from Redheart.

"I'm pretty sure I heard the bones crack when the wolf bit me." Cooper explained.

"Understandable. Those timberwolves have quite a lot of bite force. More than enough to break bones or remove limbs. Honestly, you're very lucky. These are only minor fractures and should heal up nicely, provided you keep it splinted and try not to move it too much. We can work up a cast for your arm, there." Doctor Hooves offered, pointing to Cooper's forearm.

Cooper nodded, "No severed arteries or veins?" He asked.

Doctor Hooves shook his head, "Nope. These lacerations are deep but luckily they didn't cut any serious blood vessels. It'll leave a pretty nasty scar, but as long as you give it plenty of rest and don't go fighting any more timberwolves, it should heal up within a month."

Cooper nodded, "Alright. Can we just splint it? I don't really want a full cast."

Both Doctor Hooves and Redheart raised an eyebrow, "Are... you sure, sir? It's no trouble to put a cast on it and doing so would prevent any kind of accidental injury. A splint isn't really going to keep you from rotating your wrist. We really don't want those two bones to be rubbing or overlapping with each other if we can help it."

Cooper nodded, "Just give me a sling and splint it. I'll be fine."

Doctor Hooves looked unconvinced, "If... you're sure, Mister Cooper. Nurse, could you please go get the splint?" He asked, turning slightly to Redheart.

"Right away." She replied, trotting out the door.

"Now, are there any other injuries that you've sustained recently? I was instructed to give you a full once-over, so if there's anything bothering you at all, please let me know." Doctor Hooves offered, looking to Cooper expectantly.

"You guys got any pain meds?" Cooper asked.

"We can prescribe you something to help with the pain, yes. Although, due to your unique physiology, I don't know exactly what our medicine would do to you. I think it would be safest to just stick to the minimal amount of tampering we can do to get you fixed up, and then once we learn more about you, we can prescribe things like that in the future." The Doctor replied.

Cooper sighed, "Alright. What about sutures? Can you guys at least stitch this up?" He asked, holding out his bloody forearm.

"I was about to ask if you had an aversion to pointy objects." Doctor Hooves chuckled, good naturedly as he levitated some sutures off of the table Redheart wheeled in.

"Only if they're in the hands of somebody trying to kill me." Cooper answered, flatly.

Doctor Hooves's laugh quickly tapered off into an uncomfortable silence, "Uh... well, rest assured, I have no intentions to hurt you, Mister Cooper. I'm here purely to help you."

Cooper nodded, "I know. I think I have a few more cuts and bruises for you to check out though, if you can help me take this shirt and cloak off.

"Of course, sir."

With that, Doctor Hooves ignited his horn and gingerly removed Cooper's cloak and bloodied shirt. Even with his clothes on, he smelled ripe, but both ponies wrinkled their snouts as they smelled the unkempt body of the human sitting between them. Rainbow barely managed to keep from gagging while Doctor Hooves quickly cast a spell to block his nostrils from the scent.

As the last of the fabric was lifted from his person, Cooper's physique finally came into view. His ribs were noticeable on his emaciated figure, and there was a distinct yellowish-purple bruise on his chest. Rainbow gasped as she saw two distinct scars and burn marks on Cooper's back and shoulder, meanwhile Doctor Hooves's eyes went wide as he saw the welts and purple on Coooper's pale skin.

With a small grunt, Cooper reached up to his collar with his right arm and pointed to a smaller bandage just below his collarbone. Even though the bandages were clearly recently changed, it was obvious that the wound had bled quite a lot.

"This one was from the last guy that managed to stab me. That was... last week, I think."

Author's Note

Okay, so first off, let me say that I am not a doctor, nor am I medically qualified in any way. So if there are any nurses and such that know the right procedures for this kind of scenario and are cringing at my description, I apologize. Other than that, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and are excited for the next one.

Things are only gonna get more interesting from here.

Chapter 5

Several Hours Later

"I still think you should stay the night, Princess." Nurse Strongheart protested, for at least the dozenth time.

"I understand, and while I appreciate the concern, I would much prefer to sleep in my own bed tonight." Twilight responded, calmly.

Though she was heavily bandaged from her foreleg up to her wither, Twilight still had enough mobility to sit upright in her bed and glance over at the nurse hesitantly unhooking her IV. She glanced out past the window, seeing the nighttime sky of Equestria and the billions of little stars sprinkled all over the tapestry of black expanse above. Truly, Luna went all out tonight.

"Princess, those stitches will need to be cleaned and removed in one week's time. If you're adamant about returning to your castle for the time being, please at least allow a nurse to come by in a few days to check them and ensure the wound isn't getting infected." Doctor Horse offered, placatingly.

Twilight sighed, "Alright, I'm fine with that." She relented, laying back in her hospital bed.

"Thank you... now, as for your other wounds, like I was saying, those are mostly healed and scar tissue at this point. That said... I think we would be remiss to not address them at some point. I mean... I've never seen a wound like this on your flank, before... and you said it was a 'bullet' that did this?" Doctor Horse inquired, his brow furrowing as he attempted to remember the right term.

Twilight nodded, "Cooper knows infinitely more about them than I do, but yes... I was shot months ago. It healed with the help of my magic, but it's still scarred over."

"I see. I suppose we'll have to interview this 'Cooper' friend of yours more after you're both healed up. Speaking of which, I do believe Doctor Hooves should be done with him by now... wait, did you say you were wounded months ago?" He replied, slowly turning to Twilight with confusion riddled all over his muzzle.

"Like I told all the other doctors... it's a long story. One that I'd prefer to only have to tell once or twice. Cooper can also help explain it. Suffice to say, time passes differently in different worlds." Twilight sadly admitted, her eyes falling to the soft cream colored bedsheets beneath her.

"I... understand, Princess. We won't take up any more of your time. I know that you're tired. While... I have several reservations about you not at least spending the night here, I can't force you to stay. Just please come right back here the second you feel as if anything is off or any pain flares up anywhere." Doctor Horse replied, evenly.

"Thank you, Doctor. I promise, if anything changes, I'll be right back here in a jiffy." Twilight smiled.

Seeing the small smile on that bandaged alicorn's face managed to melt the cold, disapproving look on Doctor Horse's face, and albeit with a small sigh, he nodded toward the nurses in the room, prompting them to finish their duties and help Twilight into a wheelchair. With a quick 'goodbye', Twilight was wheeled out of the room and toward the waiting room where the rest of her friends were all apprehensively waiting.

The second they saw her lavender coat round the corner, all six of them rushed over to her, startling her slightly in the process.

"Twilight!"

"Darling!"

"You're okay!"

"How bad was it!?"

"I hope it's a quick recovery."

"You're gonna have some gnarly scars after this. You might even have more than me now!"

"Does it hurt?"

Twilight quickly recovered and smiled at all of her friends as they assaulted her with concern and well wishes.

"Thank you, all of you. I'm alright. Probably going to have some nasty scars, but the doctors say I'll be able to fly and walk again like it never happened. With some magical therapy, the scars should recede until it's barely a quarter the size it is now." She answered, gratefully looking up to all of her friends.

"Twilight, you had us all so worried. You were in there so long." Spike pressed, gently placing his claw on her hoof.

Twilight smiled lovingly down at the baby drake, "I know, Spike... and I'm so thankful to have friends and family like all of you. I promise, no more crazy, hair-brained adventures. I think I've learned my lesson." She chuckled, before rustling the spines atop Spike's scaly head.

The group shared a chorus of laughter and smiles at the scene, but Twilight soon found her attention pulled elsewhere as she tried to look over AppleJack.

"Where's Cooper? Doctor Horse said he should be out here by now." Twilight asked, quizzically.

"Right behind you." Cooper answered from behind, his shoulder leaning on the wall.

"Gah!" Twilight cried out, before craning her neck to look at the human who snuck up on all of them, "How... how did you get there so quietly?"

Cooper pointed down at his shoes, "Rubber soles. A lot quieter than hooves on tile floors, remember?" He smirked.

Twilight let out a small sigh that quickly turned into a laugh, "Yeah... yeah, I do remember. Are you okay?" She asked, quickly noticing Cooper's sling-bound arm.

"I've been better, but I've also been worse," Cooper shrugged, "Couple broken bones, contusions, bruises, malnutrition, early onset of scurvy... just to name a few."

Twilight and the rest of the ponies around him blanched at his list of injuries and conditions. However, the purple alicorn was also the first to recover and snort in amusement.

"Ah, so just another Tuesday." She smirked.

"Actually, it's a Thursday, according to the calendar." Cooper snarked, gesturing to a pin up calendar down the hallway.

Twilight simply stuck her tongue out at him as the rest of the group managed to recover from their shock and chuckle at the banter between the two of them.

"Well, you two sure do seem to be on the same wavelength right now." Pinkie noted, glancing back and forth between Cooper and Twilight.

"Are we gonna get that story ya'll promised us, now?" AppleJack inquired, glancing over to Twilight.

Twilight slowly looked back over to Cooper, her eyes asking the unspoken question that they were both thinking. Albeit with a hesitant nod, Cooper did give his affirmation, prompting Twilight to softly smile and nod to AppleJack.

"I do believe you're right, AppleJack. Let's get back to the castle first, though. This story is... well, it's a bit of a long one. Plus, I'd like to sleep in my own bed tonight." She replied.

AppleJack and the rest of the group nodded and proceeded to wheel Twilight out of the hospital waiting room. The second they breached the outside world, a soft chill sent shivers down her spine as a breeze of cool night air blew past her. Cooper shared a similar reaction, instinctively pulling his ragged cloak tighter to his person as he followed behind, just a few steps off to the side of the earth pony pushing the wheelchair.

"Are you alright, Darling? You look like you're shivering." Rarity quickly noted, looking to Twilight with concern.

Twilight nodded, "It's alright. I'm fine. Just got a bit of a chill. Let's get back to the castle." She suggested, an almost pleading tone in her voice.

"You got it, Sugarcube." AppleJack gave a winning smile as she pushed Twilight's wheelchair along.

The dirt roads of Ponyville made the rather short trek somewhat bumpy and jarring. While the wagon had something of a suspension to cushion the impacts of rocks and small potholes, the wheelchair Twilight was in had no such amenities. Fortunately, the commotion from earlier was largely gone in the wee hours of the night.

Few ponies were awake at the later hour, and even fewer were out and about as the moon's light cast a pale white glow on the town. A few thatched rooftops were occupied by night owl pegasai or the very rare thestral, and fewer than a dozen warm lights spilled from the windows as the ponies inside busied themselves with whatever task they were up to. The peaceful scene brought a feeling of relaxation and refreshment to the group after such a stressful day, with the exception of two.

Both Twilight and Cooper found themselves on edge as they proceeded toward town. More than once, Cooper heard a noise in the distance that made him snap his head toward the direction of the noise, or reach into his pocket for the pistol concealed there. Twilight fared no better, and with each snapping twig in the distant forest, her ears perked up and swiveled toward the sound.

Eventually, the aggressive alertness of the alicorn and human caught the attention of the rest of the group, but they all shared silent glances to halt any attempt to bring it up. Within a few minutes, they arrived at the castle steps, the brilliant crystal structure reflecting the moonlight enough to illuminate the surrounding area in dazzling displays of color and vibrance.

As they arrived at the entrance, both Rainbow and Fluttershy helped Twilight out of the wheelchair while Rarity used her magic to levitate it up to the top of the steps.

"Guess the castle needs a few renovations with handicapped ponies in mind." Twilight chuckled as her friends gently helped her up the steps.

Cooper watched from close behind, but kept his distance as he watched the friends work together to help Twilight. Despite himself, and the situation he found himself in, he couldn't help the corners of his mouth turning up in a tiny smile at the sight.

Once Twilight was at the top steps, she was gingerly deposited back into the wheelchair and wheeled inside. The group brought her into the foyer and toward the staircase leading up to her room.

"Looks like we gotta do this again. Maybe yer right, Twilight. There prolly should be a ramp in here, somewhere." AppleJack chuckled, prompting a snort from the lavender alicorn.

"It's fine. Here, there's no less than a dozen guest rooms down he-" Twilight began, only for Rarity to cut her off.

"I seem to recall somepony saying she wanted to spend the night 'in her own bed'." Rarity tittered, her horn glowing blue once again.

Twilight chuckled as she was helped out of her wheelchair once more and led up the stairs. Soon enough, she found herself back in her own room, her crimson bedsheets calling out to her like a long lost friend.

"Oh, Celestia... I've missed you." Twilight murmured, eyes wide as she looked at her bed.

"With how she's acting, you'd think she hasn't slept in it in months." Spike chuckled, oblivious to the sudden frown on Twilight's face.

The rest of the group instantly caught on to the pensive look in Twilight's eyes, and Spike soon found himself the only one laughing in an otherwise silent room. He awkwardly coughed and scratched the back of his neck.

"Uh... sorry. Lame joke." He muttered.

While Spike received no verbal response, he along with the rest of the ponies found their gazes being pulled, almost as if by instinct, toward the human standing behind them. The weight of the air felt unbearably heavy as they stared at him, finding his gaze to be locked to the floor.

"It's time I told you all what happened... I know this is going to come as a shock, but you have to believe that every word I or Cooper tell you, is the truth." Twilight announced, slowly turning in her wheelchair.

"Uh... of course, Sugarcube." AppleJack replied, politely.

"You all may want to take a seat for this." Cooper stated, simply.

Albeit with a moment of hesitation, Pinkie and Spike both quickly retrieved a few foldable chairs from the nearby closet and set them up for everypony to sit in. Once they were all seated, Twilight looked over to Cooper.

"Where to begin..." She mused, aloud.

"My story, or yours?" Cooper inquired.

"I think it'll be easier to start with mine." Twilight replied.

"Go ahead."

Twilight nodded, before turning to her friends once more, "Alright, so this all started when I went through the portal earlier today-" She began, before Rainbow spoke up.

"Why didn't you tell any of us you were going through that portal? Spike just showed up, freaking out about you being missing and all of us came as fast as we could. Why didn't you tell anypony else before just going through?" She asked, as gently as she could.

"Honestly surprised to hear that from Rainbow of all ponies." AppleJack playfully muttered under her breath.

Rainbow lightheartedly smacked AppleJack's wither with her wing, prompting a snort of amusement from the farm pony before Twilight continued.

"Yes, well... that was a mistake I quickly came to regret. Spike, how long was I gone before you got all the girls over here?" Twilight asked, looking to the purple drake.

"About half an hour. I went to go get them all after... I dunno, maybe fifteen minutes?" Spike replied.

Twilight sagely nodded, "I see... well, the only easy way to say this is to just say it. Girls, Spike... while it was only about half an hour for you, it was about six weeks for me." She responded, earning a round of gasps from the assembled friends.

"Six weeks!?" Rarity exclaimed.

"B-but... how!?" AppleJack added, looking back and forth between Twilight and the rest of the ponies in the room.

"How is that even possible?" Rainbow questioned, a disbelieving look on her face.

"Are ya' sure you didn't just hit your head and get a little confused? I mean... you definitely got hurt worse than just a head bump so..." AppleJack offered.

Twilight shook her head, "I know it sounds hard to believe... but time passes differently through the portal. That's why Spike was in such a rush to find you all... There's a lot more to explain, and that's before the older me shared-"

"Older you?" Pinkie questioned, cutting Twilight off.

"You mean like... a 'you' from the future? Like that one time you went back in time to warn yourself about a disaster the didn't really happen?" Spike pressed.

Twilight nodded, "Yes, Spike... although this time was much more serious. She was here when Cooper and I returned from the portal. She saved us from a man named Gabe. Then she shared her information with me... it's... difficult to process." She admitted.

"Wha'doya mean, Sugarcube?" AppleJack asked, gently.

"This version of me... she was older... much older. She's spent decades trying to find how to go back in time and stop Gabe. She succeeded at a great cost to herself." Twilight trailed off, a sad look in her eyes.

"What cost?" Fluttershy pressed, softly.

"She erased her entire timeline." Twilight answered.

Another round of gasps and shocked expressions ran through the group.

"H-how could she do that?" Rarity questioned, aghast.

"When you go back in time and change the past, you alter the future. She knew this... she knew that saving Cooper from Gabe would erase her timeline forever... nopony died from what she did... it's... as if they simply never existed in the first place. It's the reason time travel magic is so dangerous and outlawed..." Twilight trailed off.

"So, wait a minute. This 'future' version of you came back from who knows how many years from now, to save yer friend, Cooper-" AppleJack began, nodding to the aforementioned human, "-from another human named 'Gabe', destroyin' her entire timeline in the process?" She questioned, skeptically.

Twilight simply nodded.

"Then where is she?" Rainbow pressed.

Cooper and Twilight shared a sad look, "She's gone. Much like her timeline, she faded out of existence. It's... she simply doesn't exist anymore." Twilight explained.

The group shared a round of uncomfortable looks, "So... if'n yer friend Cooper here... died, after you came back through the portal... then that's what woulda happened to all of us? You'd have gone back in time and erased the future for 'im?" AppleJack asked, hesitantly.

Twilight shook her head, "I don't know... I'm still trying to understand the memories as they come but she transferred decades of knowledge into my head all at once. It's been difficult to sort through it all and remember it since they aren't really 'my' memories." She responded, sounding noticeably downcast.

Seeing the saddening features of their alicorn friend, the group quickly moved on to the next topic, "Alright, so tell us about the portal then. What happened to you?" Rainbow pressed.

Twilight nodded, "When I went through the portal, I thought I would be finding myself in another world much like ours or Sunset Shimmer's... what I found instead, was Cooper's world." She replied, turning to look at the human beside her.

While he hadn't said anything since the beginning of the conversation, the look on his face clearly showed that Cooper was struggling to keep the melancholy from consuming him as he thought back to his world. When it became apparent that Twilight was not continuing her story, Cooper nodded slightly and took a small step forward.

"My world was a decent enough place... until a few people decided that they didn't like a few other people. It started like any other war starts, I suppose. Resources... territory... Hell, just plain old hatred for your fellow man. Either way, it didn't take long before we found ourselves in a nuclear war." Cooper explained.

"Nuclear? What's that mean?" Rainbow asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Each bomb dropped was powerful enough to wipe out entire cities. In the span of a month, over two billion people died," Cooper replied, earning shocked gasps in response, "The next four years were... my planet was plunged into a global thermonuclear winter. The entire sky was blotted out by ash and dust... then it started snowing. Blizzards so bad that you couldn't see a foot in front of your face... snow piled fifty feet high... most of the population froze or starved to death in a matter of years." He elaborated, noting the now dead silent room before him.

"D-did you say..." Fluttershy began, looking like she was about to cry.

"Billions?" Pinkie finished for her.

Cooper looked to the pink party pony, noticing how her poofy hair had lost some of its volume, "Yes. That was four years ago. At this point... I don't think there's even a million of us left... all we do now is kill each other. Steal food... try to survive the freezing nights..." He explained, a somber look in his eyes.

"That... that sounds awful." Rarity stated, frowning.

"That... is where Twilight's been for the last six weeks... or for you guys... thirty minutes." Cooper sighed.

Author's Note

Now ain't that just a bombshell to drop on your friends? I hope I did a good enough job explaining what's going on with the other Twilight and how the timeline works. Trust me, we will go more into depth on this in the future. I just don't want to have to lore-dump about time travel just yet. Rest assured, explanations will be shared.

Chapter 6

An uncomfortable silence reigned over the group of ponies as they looked over to their alicorn friend in disbelief.

"So... you were stuck in... that for a whole month?" Rainbow asked, cautiously.

Twilight nodded, "Compared to Cooper here... I had it easy. He survived four years in that frozen wasteland almost entirely by himself." She explained, sadly glancing over to the man standing beside her.

"Wait, why didn't you just go back through the portal!?" Spike exclaimed, jumping out of his seat.

"Yeah. Why did you spend a month there if you saw you clearly went to the wrong world?" Pinkie added, tilting her head to the side.

Twilight sighed, "Like I said... I was overly excited. At first, I thought I had just calibrated the seasonal range wrong on the portal and was sent to a world like Sunset's but during winter. I saw this brilliant city off in the distance... buildings so tall that they kissed the skyline. No magic or cloudbuilding in sight... just ingenuity and determination..." She trailed off, a sullen look forming on her features.

"What... what did you do?" Fluttershy pressed, gently.

"I took off toward the city. Like an overly excited little foal, I galloped toward what I thought was a beautiful city, teaming with life... what I found instead, was the fractured skeleton of what used to be a great civilization." Twilight replied.

"But... why didn't you just go back to the portal?" Spike asked, a pleading tone creeping up in his voice.

"I was going to, Spike... but then I was shot." Twilight admitted, to a round of gasps from the group.

"Shot? By what?" Rarity questioned.

Twilight opened her mouth to reply, but Cooper surprisingly beat her to the punch.

"She was shot by a bullet... most likely from a rifle like the one I came here with." Cooper announced, looking down to the floor between them.

"You mean that metal stick thingy you left on the floor over in the other room?" AppleJack asked, raising an eyebrow.

Cooper nodded.

"Wait... how bad is that? Is that like getting shot by a magic bolt or something?" Rarity inquired, looking to Twilight.

Rather than reply, Twilight just looked over to Cooper. The silent question in her eyes prompted him to nod and clear his throat.

"Bullets are meant to kill. We've used them for hunting for hundreds of years. A well placed shot can kill just about anything on the planet from hundreds of yards away." Cooper explained, much to the shock of the group.

"Hunt? Ya mean..." AppleJack trailed off, an uneasy look forming on her features.

"Girls, it's like I told you about Sunset Shimmer and the humans in that world. They're omnivores. They eat meat to survive, just like griffons and diamond dogs." Twilight explained.

"Still kinda freaks me out that they were eating cows in that world... I mean, could you imagine eating Bessie from AJ's farm?" Rainbow asked, shaking her head in disgust.

"I'd buck the brains outta any critter that tried to eat Bessie. She's like family." AppleJack asserted, crossing her forelegs.

"None of the animals in those worlds are sapient, girls. I know it's hard to wrap your heads around, but in Cooper's world... only human's have sapience." Twilight explained, receiving even more looks of disbelief.

The ponies and drake found their gaze unconsciously being pulled toward the lone human standing before them.

"Nothing I've ever eaten could talk, if that's what you're wondering... and no, I don't plan to change that now." Cooper stated, simply.

A small wave of relief ran across the group before Pinkie raised her hoof as if to ask a question.

"Um... yes, Pinkie?" Twilight responded, curiously.

"So wait... if these 'bullets' are meant to kill... and you got shot by one... then doesn't that mean that a human tried to kill you?" Pinkie asked, a little uneasily.

Twilight glanced over to Cooper, gauging his reaction. While his eyes fell slightly, he kept his composure while the rest of the group quickly picked up on what Pinkie was implying.

"Yeah... doesn't that mean that some humans were trying to potentially eat you?" Rainbow questioned, a little aggression in her tone.

Twilight shook her head, but Cooper spoke up before she could respond, "Starvation does things to people... as much as I hate to say it... it's hard to have morals when you haven't had anything to eat in three weeks." He reasoned.

Rainbow frowned and slumped into her chair somewhat, a contemplative look in her eyes as she thought over Cooper's response. AppleJack, Rarity, Pinkie, and Fluttershy all shared similar reactions of deep thought as they pondered the hypothetical situation placed before them.

"Imagine not having any food for three weeks straight, and then you see a big, juicy apple suddenly appear before you, AJ." Twilight offered.

AppleJack nodded slowly, "I... I think I'd be mighty quick to take a bite after three weeks of goin' without."

"The only difference is that I was that big juicy apple..." Twilight sighed.

"But... if you said bullets kill creatures... then how did you survive one?" Fluttershy asked, timidly.

The rest of the group quickly nodded in agreement and concern, prompting Cooper to speak up once more, "It depends on where it hits you." He said.

"I was hit in my flank," Twilight explained, nodding toward the small scar just below her cutie mark, "It... was one of the most painful things I've ever experienced.

"Oh, Darling..." Rarity quietly muttered.

"I was so shocked and startled that I just teleported as high up as I could... I didn't take into account gravitational relativity and my location relative to the planet so... I ended up somewhere over the city. The sky was blotted out with clouds so thick that I could hardly see at all and... I got lost. I couldn't find my way back to the portal." Twilight explained.

"Oh..." Spike whispered, shrinking in on himself slightly.

"So... how did you two end up meeting, then?" Rarity asked, hesitantly.

"Oh! I know this! Twilight was in a cardboard box!" Rainbow exclaimed.

The rest of the girls looked to Rainbow as if she'd sprouted a second head.

"What?" Pinkie asked.

"A cardboard box?" Fluttershy parroted.

Much to their surprise, the sound of chuckling halted any more questions they had for the prismatic pegasus, and their attention was swiftly redirected toward the sound of the mirth.

"Yes, Cooper found me in a cardboard box." Twilight admitted, after composing herself.

"Why were you in a cardboard box?" AppleJack asked in disbelief.

"After doing what I could to heal the wound to my flank, I spent the next month trying to find my way back to the portal. I never managed to find it, only growing weaker and weaker as I slowly starved to death. There's no more grass there... it all died after four years in sub zero temperatures." Twilight roucounted.

"Darling... you must've had to have eaten something." Rarity offered, pleadingly.

Twilight shrugged, "Maybe a few things I scrounged from under the snow... but I mostly survived off of my magic. Although... since I wasn't even close to Equestria anymore, it was hard to regain my mana. Every spell I cast felt like it drained me of every ounce of magic in my body and it took so much longer to recover... by the end of the month, I was on death's door." She elaborated, a sullen look in her eyes.

"Twi..." Spike muttered, quietly.

"I crawled into that cardboard box because it was the only semblance of warmth I could find out there... then Cooper found me." Twilight turned to Cooper, giving a small smile.

The entire room followed Twilight's eyes and looked at the lone human as he suddenly became the center of attention.

"I heard her crying in the box from across the street... thought she was a child. Figured it was a trap but... I couldn't just leave her there." Cooper announced, quietly.

"Cooper took me in, gave me food and shelter... he saved my life more times than I can even remember. Girls, it is absolutely no exaggeration to say that the only reason I'm still alive is because of Cooper." Twilight explained, looking back to her friends.

"Why... why did you help her?" Fluttershy timidly asked.

"Didn't you hear what he said, Flutters?" Rainbow responded, raising an eyebrow.

Fluttershy nodded, "Yes, but you've already explained that humans are omnivores... that you need to eat meat to survive. I'm so thankful that you chose to help our friend, but I just don't understand why you decided to... especially if you were so hungry after four years of that life." She meekly explained.

For the first time since any of the ponies saw him, Cooper looked mildly uncomfortable with the line of questioning, prompting Twilight to lean over toward him slightly.

"Cooper, if you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to." Twilight offered, gently.

Cooper shook his head, "No, it's alright. Might as well get it out in the open now," He replied, before looking back to Fluttershy, "The reason I didn't just eat her was... because she reminded me of my daughter." He admitted, prompting a round of gasps from the group.

"Your... daughter?" Fluttershy asked, a horrified look on her face as the implication quickly registered.

Cooper sadly nodded, "My wife and daughter were both killed a few years ago... I... when I heard those cries from that cardboard box, I... for a second, I thought they were from my little Sarah..." He trailed off, his eyes falling to the floor.

"Sarah? That was your daughter's name?" Fluttershy quietly questioned.

Cooper simply nodded.

"What... what happened to yer' family?" AppleJack asked, as gently as she could.

"People came and killed them while I was out looking for supplies. I... I never found the ones who did it. Still having a hard time accepting that fact, if I'm being honest." Cooper admitted, his fist clenching ever so slightly.

AppleJack nodded solemnly, "I'm terribly sorry for yer loss. Ah know a thing or two about losin' loved ones and... even ah can't imagine losing yer wife and daughter like that."

"Yeah... that's awful, dude." Rainbow added, her ears splaying back against her head.

"Thank you." Cooper replied, his voice just a whisper.

Seeing the depressing turn of emotions in the room, Twilight opted to speak up, "After some time together, Cooper and I came across another group of humans that were building something of a settlement. Their leader was the man I told you about earlier, Gabe. He believed he was some kind of prophet, chosen to lead humanity back to peace and prosperity. Unfortunately, when the settlement was attacked, he blamed me and Cooper. We had to run away and... after being attacked by a feral wolf-" Twilight glanced down at her heavily bandaged wither, "-we managed to stumble onto the portal and find our way back here." She finished explaining.

Silence reigned over the group for a few minutes as they soaked in the events of the story they'd just been presented with. Mixed looks of disbelief, confusion, shock, and depression colored the faces of Twilight's friends, but soon enough, a voice cut through the silence.

"So... that attack... all those people that died... and this 'Gabe' dude... just happened in like... the last couple days?" Rainbow asked.

"The wolf was only a few hours before we came back through the portal." Twilight nodded.

"And Gabe... well..." Cooper trailed off, looking over to Twilight.

"That's where the part about the other me comes in. She came back from the future to stop Gabe from killing Cooper here in Equestria. Apparently, Gabe beat us to the portal and once we came through, he had us both at gunpoint." Twilight explained.

"I suppose this is where you explain the massive hole in the wall?" Rarity squeamishly replied.

Twilight nodded, "The future version of me had no reservations about killing Gabe. Every trace of his body is gone, down to the ashes... she really hated him." She admitted.

An uncomfortable silence spread over the group once more as they thought over the implications of what Twilight had told them. Much as they would have liked to outright dismiss the thought that their friend was even capable of killing, the events of the day made them all second guess that preconceived notion.

"Look, girls... a lot has happened in a very short amount of time. I can't tell you how much I appreciate you all coming to help me and make sure I'm alright... but-" Twilight yawned, her wings twitching as she felt her entire body relax slightly, "-I am absolutely exhausted. Would it be alright with you if I went to sleep, now?" She asked, politely.

Much to her relief, AppleJack met her question with a winning smile, "Of course, Sugarcube. You don't mind if we all stay in the castle with you tonight though, do you? Doctor's orders n' such."

Twilight chuckled, "I'd love nothing more than for you all to stay in the castle for the night... it feels like forever since we all had a sleepover."

"Then I think a sleepover sounds like a wonderful idea, Darling!" Rarity beamed, hopping out of her seat.

"I'll go make some snacks." Spike announced, before quickly darting out the doorway toward the kitchen.

"I'll go get our sleeping bags!" Pinkie cheered, before bouncing out of the room.

"I suppose I should go help Spike make some food." Fluttershy added, trotting after the purple drake.

"This is gonna be awesome! First sleepover with an alien!" Rainbow whooped, pumping a hoof in the air.

"He's not an alien, Rainbow. He's just from another dimension." AppleJack rolled her eyes.

"How is that like, not the same thing?" Rainbow scoffed.

However, before either of them could continue their argument, both of their ears perked up and flicked toward the sounds of grumbling stomachs from just a few feet away. Both Twilight and Cooper shared a bashful look as the earth pony and pegasus owlishly blinked at them.

"It's uh... been a minute since we've had any food." Twilight sheepishly admitted.

"Wait, why didn't they feed ya'll at the hospital!?" AppleJack demanded, quickly trotting up to her lavender friend.

"They said they didn't know what Equestrian food will do to my system. Since I'm from a different dimension and all... you know. Just breathing the air here might kill me from the germs or something." Cooper shrugged, although his stomach growled in protest.

"Wait, what!? Are you supposed to just starve!?" Rainbow questioned, sounding offended on his behalf.

"The doctors wanted to get some tests run before I eat any food. They only took a few minutes but it was going to be another couple hours before the cafeteria made dinner and I wanted to see Twilight." Cooper scratched the back of his neck.

"You deserve to have some food! If even half of what you told us is true, then you're basically a day from starving to death already! Besides, I've seen you without your shirt on. You're waaaaaaaaay too skinny, dude." Rainbow shook her head, trotting to the window.

"Where are you going, Rainbow?" Twilight asked, while the aforementioned pegasus opened the window.

"To get some food for the big guy. AJ, you mind if I swipe some apples from your orchard?" Rainbow asked, over her wither.

"Go right on ahead. Try to pick from the South field though. Those are the ones we're buckin' tomorrow, anyway." AppleJack nodded.

With a single flap of her wings, Rainbow darted out the window and dissapeared, leaving only a rainbow trail in her wake. Cooper stumbled slightly from the blowback created by such a forceful departure, but quickly righted himself before he could fall over.

"Jesus... guess she's gonna be gone for a while." Cooper muttered.

"Eh, she'll probably be back in a minute or two. The South orchard is the furthest from town but Rainbow's the fastest flier I know," AppleJack dismissed as she walked over to Twilight, "And what 'bout you? Those doctors didn't give you nothin' to eat after starving like that fer so long?" She questioned, sounding concerned.

"They offered, but I refused-" Twilight began.

"What?! Why in tarnation did you do that fer!?" AppleJack exclaimed.

"I wasn't going to eat before Cooper and I figured that he wouldn't have wanted to eat hospital food as his first meal in Equestria, anyway ." Twilight explained, calmly.

AppleJack opened her mouth to retort, but quickly thought better of it. Albeit with a heavy sigh, she nodded and conceded, "Alright, alright... but if'n Dash brings some apples back and he tries 'em, you'll eat too, right?" She asked, pleadingly.

Twilight nodded, "Cooper's gone a lot longer than me without food... As long he can eat our food without getting sick." She admitted, looking up to Cooper with a small smile.

"Aw, come on! They're apples! Any creature in the universe can eat apples." AppleJack dismissed.

"You're probably right... Sorry I didn't think of this before asking you to go through the portal, Cooper." Twilight apologized, looking up to the man beside her.

Cooper shrugged, "It was either starve there... or potentially starve here. At least it's warmer here."

Twilight smiled, leaning her head against Cooper's arm. The gesture, small as it was, said more than words ever could, and after a pleasant moment of contact, Cooper gently rubbed her wither, just above her good wing.

They were both startled out of the tender moment by the sound of flapping wings. Both Cooper and Twilight glanced up to the window just in time to see Rainbow dart back in, a whole bushel of apples held in her forelegs. Cooper's brow raised in surprise at the quick return of the rainbow-maned pegasus, but before he could voice his surprise, Spike, Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Rarity returned with an assortment of food laid out on a tray being held in the white unicorn's magical grasp.

The scent of freshly heated confections and pastries wafted from the tray, quickly reaching both Cooper and Twilight's nostrils. Both of their mouth's watered as the delicious smelling food was carted in toward them, along with a bushel of fresh apples who's fruity scent only served to further increase the growling of their stomachs.

"Sounds like ya'll're hungry. Let's try the apples first and then ya' can go to town on the rest of it." AppleJack offered, snatching an apple from Rainbow and hoofing it over to Cooper.

Cooper accepted the apple with a slight hesitation, almost as if he didn't believe his eyes. He gingerly grasped the offered fruit in his hand. The weight of it caught him off guard, and he took a moment to appreciate the heft in his hand, as the memories of what an apple felt like were long gone. His eyes slowly trailed over to Twilight, the unspoken question quickly registering between them.

"Go ahead, Cooper." She smiled.

With a nod, Cooper brought the apple to his mouth and bit into it. The crisp, smooth skin of the apple gave way to its sweet core, sending an explosion of flavor across Cooper's taste buds that made him freeze. The taste was indescribably delicious, and the fullness of it made his already salivating mouth go into overdrive as his teeth sunk all the way into the fruit.

A tear spilled from his tightly closed eye as he savored the first bite of his new life.

Author's Note

We call this "victory lapping" in the business. Hope you guys liked this one. Bit of a dialogue heavy chapter, and we still have a few more of these to go, but there is simply a lot to talk about. It's not every day an alien from another dimension shows up after saving your friends life and recalls the harrowing tail that led them here.

Chapter 7

Cooper leaned back in his chair as he finished the last of the hastily prepared cupcakes gifted to him by the eccentric Pinkie Pie. While the rest of the ponies in the room made idle chit chat as they ate their snacks, both Cooper and Twilight spoke not a word. They had hungrily devoured the plates provided to them, leaving not even a crumb.

"Well shoot, I think he likes yer cupcakes, sugarcube." AppleJack chuckled, patting Pinkie on the back.

"Oh, oh, oh! You liked them! But did you looooooooove them?!" Pinkie chirped, leaning forward so far that she almost fell off of her chair.

Cooper slowly nodded, "It's... I don't think I've ever eaten anything that tasted that good before." He admitted, his face still conveying a measure of shock from the tasty pastries.

Similarly, Twilight let out a dainty burp into her hoof as she sat upright in her chair, "I almost forgot how good your apples are, AJ. Thanks for letting us have some."

"Aw, don't even mention it, Sugarcube. Ah'm just glad that the two of you finally got some grub in yer bellies. Probably not enough to deal with a month without, but I do know ya'll ain't supposed to scarf down an entire buffet after goin' so long without." AppleJack replied.

Rarity nodded in agreement, "I remember reading about a stallion that was lost in the woods for six weeks before being rescued. He'd lost over half his body weight from starving but when they brought him food, he ate so much rich food that he passed away that same day. Granted, that was a particularly extreme case, but you two should be careful nonetheless."

"Baby steps." Cooper snorted in amusement.

For the first time in so very long, Cooper's stomach was full. It was a feeling that set him at ease and made his shoulders slump in relief. A wave of sleepiness quickly washed over him as he sat in the warm bedroom of his alicorn friend. Even the chair he sat on was designed in such a way that while it was clearly made with smaller equines in mind, it was still incredibly comfortable. Despite his best efforts, Cooper couldn't stop the tired yawn that forced its way past his lips even if he tried.

"Looks like someone's getting sleepy." Twilight smirked, before yawning as well.

"Yawning is contagious." Cooper responded, tussling her mane.

"But you were the first one to yawn?" Rainbow tilted her head to the side, although the urge to yawn was quickly forming in her chest.

"Exactly." Cooper shrugged.

Fluttershy giggled, drawing the gaze of everyone in the room, "I think that's Cooper's way of telling us that he's tired." She offered.

Cooper offered a gruff nod, receiving a round of 'oh's' in response.

"Well you can't go to bed like that, Darling. You should go shower. I know that a hot shower does wonders for me after a long day and I can't imagine how much relief you'll feel once you take one." Rarity suggested, a friendly smile on her face.

"Ah think that's Rarity's way of sayin' that you stink mighty fierce, partner." AppleJack chuckled.

"AppleJack!" Rarity defensively exclaimed.

"It's alright. She's right... been about four years since I took a shower... I know I'm a bit ripe." Cooper admitted.

"I, uh... didn't want to say anything in the hospital but... yeah." Rainbow sheepishly added.

"I imagine I don't smell particularly pleasant either. We should both go shower, Cooper. I have a guest shower down the hall or you can use mine. Whichever you're more comfortable with." Twilight offered, gingerly getting out of her chair.

"I appreciate it, but I'll go take the guest shower. Just need to find my way over there, is all." Cooper acknowledged, getting to his feet as well.

"Go right and take the third door down the hall. That's the guest suite and the shower is attached in the guest bathroom." Twilight instructed.

"Thanks." Cooper replied, heading out the door.

With the human now gone, the rest of the ponies and drake in the room turned their attention back to Twilight.

"Darling, do you need any help rinsing your coat? You know you can't get those bandages wet." Rarity offered.

"Also the doc said you shouldn't be using your magic for a few days to let it recoup." Spike added.

"Thank you, but I think I'll be alright-" Twilight tried to protest, but was quickly silenced by Rainbow zipping in and covering her mouth with a hoof.

"Twi, take it from the expert on getting hurt. You can use the help. At the very least, Rarity can take care of you with her magic." Rainbow said, the look in her eyes leaving no room for debate.

With a small huff, Twilight nodded and turned toward the bathroom, "Alright, alright. I'm not that stubborn. Rarity, could you help me?" She asked, looking back to the white unicorn.

"Of course, Darling. What are friends for?" Rarity beamed, trotting toward the purple alicorn.

"I'm helping too!" Spike declared, rushing over to Twilight's side.

With a playful roll of her eyes, Twilight accepted the offered assistance and headed into the bathroom.

"What should we do?" Pinkie asked, tilting her head to the side.

"We could go and see if Cooper needs any help. His bandages shouldn't get wet either." Fluttershy suggested.

"It would be pretty nifty to see a hue-man without all the clothes." AppleJack nodded.

"Better if you didn't, girls," Twilight called over her wither.

"Why not?" Rainbow asked, curiously.

"Human's... well, they have a certain aversion to nudity. It made sense on Cooper's world since his clothes kept him warm... but even in Sunset Shimmer's world, the human's all wear clothes. I think its a taboo to see each other unclothed." Twilight replied.

"But you've been naked with him the whole time. None of us are wearing clothes and he didn't say anything." Rainbow rebutted.

Twilight shrugged, but quickly winced from the strain put on her wither from even such a small movement, "Well we're all naked, but he isn't." She replied.

Rarity shrugged, "I... suppose that makes sense. Who are we to judge a creature for liking to keep his clothes on?"

"Well is he planning on sleeping in those nasty rags?" Rainbow asked, glancing back toward the direction Cooper was.

"It wouldn't make a lick of sense to get all cleaned up and washed off, jus' ta get back in the clothes he hasn't washed in four years." AppleJack agreed.

"We can wash them for him?" Fluttershy suggested.

"That sounds like a great idea. Rarity, do you-" Twilight began.

"I don't mind in the slightest, Darling." Rarity smiled, quickly turning to Fluttershy, "Fluttershy, dear. Would you mind asking Cooper for his clothes? We'll get Twilight in the shower in the mean time. It shouldn't take me more than a few minutes to get those clothes of his smelling fresh."

"Oh, of course!" Fluttershy beamed, her wings fluttering open and carrying her out the door.

"Now, with that all settled, let's get you cleaned up, girl." AppleJack smirked, closing in on Twilight.

"Thanks, everypony." Twilight smiled, before stepping into the shower.

Cooper stood in shower of the crystal bathroom, his clothes all laid on the floor beside him. The door was closed, but not locked, much to his chagrin, as there was simply no lock on the door at all. He managed to focus his attention on the foreign yet oh-so-familar sight of the hot and cold knobs in the shower. He slowly reached forward, his fingers curling around the cold knob, before twisting slowly.

Almost instantly, a spray of ice cold water shot out from the showerhead above him, completely dousing him in freezing water. The sensation felt like thousands of needles stabbing into his skin from all angles, and while his body curled in on itself ever so slightly out of reflex, he kept his gaze locked ahead, as if he couldn't feel anything.

After a few moments, he started shivering, the cold sapping his body heat more rapidly than he could replace it. Still, he kept his eyes locked on the wall, his face straining to remain as emotionless as possible despite the frigid cold. Finally, after several minutes of enduring the ice cold water, he reached forward and turned off the cold water. While his hand was already there, he grabbed the hot water knob and turned it on slightly, sending another spray of water over his back.

As the water was already cold, it took a few seconds for it to heat up, but soon enough, warmth seeped in through his skin and steam rose from all around him. His eyes fluttered shut as a shuddering sigh escaped him. Try as he might, he couldn't stop the tears that clawed their way out of his tightly clenched eyes and ran down his cheeks, only to be washed away by the water cascading down his body. The tension in his shoulders slowly withered away, and he was able to finally relax for just a moment.

Then a knock came at the door.

"Um, excuse me, Cooper?" A timid, yet oddly excited voice asked from outside the door.

Cooper's head snapped up toward the source of the disturbance, his hand instantly reaching for his rifle, only to find that it wasn't there. For a brief moment in time, all the warmth and water surrounding him vanished, only to be replaced with the bitter cold and frostbitten remains of his city. A blizzard raged around him, sending snow flying through the air and blocking out his sight. He could hear it: the sound of banging on the door. The cold wind blew through the doorway, sending a chill down to his spine and making him shiver once more.

Footsteps, two pairs. Boots on hardwood. They were coming for him. They were coming for his family. The light around him faded to darkness and he felt his throat dry up as his blood ran cold in his veins.

My... family...

The frigid whirlwind of frost around him suddenly vanished, leaving him alone in the shower once more, the hot water rushing over his back and chest.

"Cooper? Are you okay?" The voice asked once more, snapping Cooper out of his musings.

"Huh? What?" He asked, his voice cracking for a moment.

"Oh, um, I was just saying that Rarity would like to wash your clothes so you'd have something clean to wear tonight. Um... would it be okay if I took them to her for you?" Fluttershy's kind voice asked through the door.

Cooper's gaze drifted down to his filthy clothing, the harsh reminders of his injuries still clearly visible as red or copper stains all over the fabric on numerous locations.

"Uh... yeah. Yeah, that'd be alright." He called back.

"Okay! Um... do you mind if I come in to grab them?" Fluttershy inquired.

Cooper slowly turned until he was facing away from the doorway, "No. Go ahead." He answered.

The door opened with a quiet *creak*, revealing a soft yellow muzzle and stringy pink hair. With her eyes glued to the floor, Fluttershy meekly made her way inside and scooped up all of Cooper's clothing with her wings, her muzzle wrinkling at the smell. Just as she turned to leave, however, her eyes were pulled to Cooper's emaciated figure in the shower, and the dirt still practically caked into his skin.

"Um... you probably shouldn't... be getting your bandages wet." Fluttershy suggested, her eyes averting as Cooper looked over his shoulder to her.

Cooper slowly looked back down to his bandaged arm, finding that he was indeed soaking the bandages in water. A sickly crimson color dripped from his arm as the dried blood and caked on grime was steadily washed off. A further glance down revealed that the pristine cream colored tiles of the shower floor ran brown with a mix of blood and dirt that dripped from his person.

"Yeah... you're probably right." Cooper muttered, moving his arm out of the shower's spray.

"Oh, it's not a big deal. I'm sure Rarity can use her magic to dry that out and clean it up. Speaking of, I'll go bring these to her now. They should be nice, clean, and comfy by the time you're done." Fluttershy responded with a genuine smile on her fluffy face.

Cooper stared back at her for a few moments, his expression unreadable. However, as the smile slowly fell from her face, he shook his head clear and nodded.

"Thank you. I shouldn't be too much longer." Cooper replied.

"Oh, there's no rush. I can't imagine how nice that must feel after so long without. Take your time." Fluttershy chirped, before turning tail and trotting out of the room with Cooper's clothes in her wings.

Cooper stared after her for a minute, his mind elsewhere as he thought over the interaction. Eventually, he managed to return his attention to the shampoo and body wash on the counter beside him. Albeit with some fenagling due to his injury,
Cooper washed himself and cleaned the years of filth and blood from his body.

The shower lasted over thirty minutes.

When Cooper emerged from the shower, a towel wrapped around his waist as water droplets dripped from his clean skin, he walked past the bathroom mirror, pausing in his step. He looked at his reflection for what could've been the first time in years, and once again, he was struck speechless by what he saw.

His hair, long and unkempt, twisted and knotted several times as it cascaded down to his shoulders. His beard, thick and unkept, dripped as the knots and long hairs ran every which way. His eyes, tired and sullen as they might have looked, reflected with the deep brown color he always remembered having, even if he knew his eyes had seen too much. Slowly, he managed to peel himself away from the mirror and head into the bedroom.

True to her word, Fluttershy had returned Cooper's clothes and laid them out on the bed. After so many years of abuse and wear, the fabric of his pants was thin, barely being held together in some places, but noticeably brighter and vibrant than before. His shirt, while also bearing many of the same burns and cuts that his pants bore, was equally clean and vibrant compared to his recollection from only half an hour prior.

Lastly, his cloak was laid out on the bed, the deep bluish-green color standing out prominently against the white sheets covering the bed. While it was tattered, torn, and burnt in dozens of places, it still held its shape. Cooper reached out and stroked his hand against the fabric, finding that unlike what he was used to, it was actually soft to the touch. In fact, all of his clothes felt soft and warm to the touch. Even his boots, weathered and sole-less as they were, looked cleaner than he could ever remember seeing them.

Cooper slipped on his clothes one at a time, feeling the softness and warmth seep into his skin as he did. A small sigh escaped him as he dressed himself, the small act managing to raise his spirits once more. All the same, he pulled the pistol out from the dresser beside the bed and set it on the sheets.

Once he was dressed, Cooper turned and headed for the hallway. It didn't take long for him to pick up on the sound of laughter and mirth from down the hall, and so with a slightly quickened pace, he made his way back to Twilight's room. Subconsciously, he kept his noise to a minimum, ensuring that when he rounded the corner, none of the ponies or dragon present heard him coming.

"Gah!" Pinkie exclaimed, nearly jumping as he suddenly appeared in the doorway.

"Woah, dude, we didn't even hear you coming." Rainbow noted, looking up from the game of cards she and AppleJack were playing.

"Your, um... what do you call them again Twilight?" Rarity asked, gesturing to Cooper's feet.

"They're called feet, Rarity." Twilight responded from her bed, already snuggled up in her sheets.

"Ah yes, thank you, Darling," Rarity replied, before turning back to Cooper, "Yes, your feet make almost no noise at all, dear. Speaking of which, those boots of yours are certainly something else. I've never seen a design like them, but I do know when somepony needs a new pair. They're barely being held together. In fact... most of your clothes could due with a replacement." She offered, politely.

Cooper nodded, "Uh, yeah. I guess I'll need to get on that." He admitted, looking down at his clean but still ragged clothes.

"Come by my boutique any time, Darling. I'd love to whip up something for you to wear. Twilight says you humans are almost always clothed, so I imagine you'll need an entire wardrobe." Rarity offered.

"That's... very generous of you... but I don't have any way to pay you back-"

"Abubub, I won't hear any of that, Darling. You saved our friend's life. It's the very least I can do to thank you, and welcome you to Equestria." Rarity insisted.

Cooper looked at her for a moment before nodded gratefully, "Thank you."

"Think nothing of it, dear. Just come by whenever you can and I'll get your measurements." Rarity smiled, before a realization hit her, "Oh, right! Fluttershy said your bandages got wet. Here, let me dry them off for you."

Without giving him a chance to respond, Rarity closed the distance between them, her horn illuminating in her blue aura before slowly turning orange. Cooper felt heat radiating from the bony appendage into his arm, swiftly drying the moisture that still clung to him and his bandages. Within seconds, he was completely dry.

"There you go, Darling. Can't have wet bandages now, can we?" Rarity smiled.

Cooper stared down at his arm in shock, struggling to find the words, "Wow... t-thank you." He responded, quietly.

"As I said, think nothing of it, Darling." Rarity beamed, before trotting back toward Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie.

"Alright, got that letter sent, Twi." Spike called as he trotted in from the balcony.

"Thank you, Spike. I don't know about you, but I am exhausted." Twilight replied, rolling over slightly to take some of her weight off her wither.

AppleJack yawned, "I hear ya', Twi. Whatdoya say we all get some shuteye? It's been a long day."

"You don't have to tell me twice." Rainbow smirked, darting over to her sleeping bag on the floor.

The rest of the ponies in the room quickly followed, leaving Cooper and Spike as the only ones still standing. The purple drake nervously looked up to Twilight, then back to Cooper, twiddling his claws as if he wanted to say something. Eventually he opened his mouth to speak, but Twilight spoke up before him.

"It's okay, Spike. I'm alright." She said, her voice taking a motherly tone.

"A-are you sure?" Spike asked, looking up to her with fearful eyes.

"I am." Twilight smiled, reaching over with her good hoof and tussling his scales.

The sight brought a sad smile to Cooper's eyes, and as he watched Spike run over to his much smaller bed and curl up under his blanket, he couldn't help but feel the reminder of his loss creeping back up in his mind.

"You coming?" Twilight asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.

Cooper glanced up to Twilight, finding that she was laying on one side of her fairly large bed. There was more than enough room for him to climb in with her, a fact that was made even more apparent as she pulled the sheets open with her magic.

"I thought I was in the guest room." Cooper stated, simply.

"Not tonight. Tonight, I'd prefer it if you stayed with me." Twilight replied, smiling softly at him.

Cooper needed no second invitation and walked over to the bed. He crawled in with ease, the soft sheets sending a pleasant sensation across his skin. He quickly found himself spooning the lavender alicorn, his arm instinctively reaching over her barrel and his fingers resting on her chest fluff. Twilight let out a soft sigh at the contact, her eyes fluttering shut as she wiggled further into Cooper's embrace.

Even compared to the sheets, Twilight's fur was indescribably soft to the touch. A wave of sensations went through Cooper's digits as each finger was engulfed in her fur, completely bathing them in her sublime warmth. Her hair smelled of apricots, and felt silky smooth against his nose and cheeks. Whether it was subconscious or not, Cooper couldn't tell, but Twilight's tail soon wrapped around his leg. Even through his pants, he could feel how soft and stringy her hair felt.

"You clean up nice." Cooper murmured, inhaling her scent and squeezing her tighter.

Twilight giggled, "Thanks. You too." She replied.

"I think I could use a haircut..."

"I can arrange that."

"Hmm... goodnight, Twilight."

"Goodnight, Cooper."

The room faded to silence as its occupants fell to slumber's peaceful embrace under the beautiful stars of the night. It was the best night of sleep they'd ever had.

Celestia smiled as she sat down beside her fireplace, the golden glow of warm flames illuminating the room around her in a soft orange hue. She idly sipped from her cup of hot coco, the sweet chocolatey flavor washing over her taste buds and sending small rush of endorphins through her system. With her favorite book at her hooves, and her soft Yakyakistan rug to provide a shield against the cool tiled floors of her bedroom, she felt completely and utterly at peace.

She spared a glance out the window to see the brilliant sky of her sister's night, the sense of wonder and immaculacy from something so wonderful and otherworldly, filling her heart.

"Every time I see your work, I'm stunned speechless, sister." Celestia murmured, a soft smile on her lips as she looked back to her book.

However, before she could continue where she left off before her impromptu stargazing, a trail of green flames wisped in through the open window, swirling around into a vortex before popping into a small scroll with her regal seal on it. Celestia blinked at the scroll as it hovered in place, just a few feet in front of her face, before glancing over at the clock on the wall.

"It's a bit late for Twilight to be sending me a letter... she's usually asleep by now. Perhaps Spike wanted to tell me something and sent it, himself?" She wondered aloud, her horn lighting up in its golden light to accept the scroll.

Upon unfurling the scroll, Celestia's eyes focused on the small drake's claw-writing, a small frown forming on her brow as she read.

Dear Princess Celestia. Firstly, I want to start by saying that no matter what you hear in the coming days, I am alright. I made a rash decision, and it cost me dearly. Having said that, I am healthy, I am alive, and I am with my friends in Ponyville... A lot has happened and while I know this won't make sense until I see you in the flesh and explain it then, I'll try to summarize in this letter.

I tried to go through the portal to Sunset Shimmer's world. Something went wrong, and I was instead sent to a completely different world. This world was... hostile, to put it lightly. I was injured within minutes of my arrival and struggled to escape what would have been my killer.

Now's the part where it gets... confusing.

A human has returned with me from this world. His name is Cooper Slait. He saved my life... more times than I can count. While I can't be certain, I believe I spent somewhere over a month or two in his world. Time dilation means that while it was a month or two for me, it was barely thirty minutes for Equestria.

As I said, confusing. Regardless, I am in need of your help. Bringing Cooper back with me was a decision that I made my mind up on within the first week I met him... that said, he lost so much back home. He lost his family, his home... his world. I was hoping you could come over to the castle tomorrow and help me figure out how to help him adapt to his new life here. I know it won't be easy for him... but I owe it to him to help him in every way I can. As my friend and my mentor, I want to humbly ask you to help him as well. Cooper is a good man, regardless of what his world became.

I apologize for writing this to you so late in the evening. I know it's uncharacteristic of me, but I've only just managed to return from the hospital and get some food in my system. If you could, please come by Ponyville tomorrow. I hate to ask this of you on such short notice, but I don't know what else to do. Please, write back in the morning.

Your Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkle

Celestia nearly dropped the scroll from her magical hold as she read and reread the words written on the parchment before her. Her mind raced to comprehend the implications of just what her student was saying, and none of them were good. Having completely forgotten about her book and her hot coco, Celestia pushed herself to her hooves and trotted out of her room, startling the two night guards standing by, outside.

"Your highness!?" They both exclaimed in surprise, snapping to attention before her.

"I need my sister as soon as possible. Please, go get her and bring her to my room immediately. It's urgent." Celestia instructed, giving a grateful nod to the guards as they saluted and rushed off to complete their new task.

It only took the guards a few minutes to return, this time with Luna trotting along after them. The night princess wore a worried look on her face as she trotted into her sister's room, closing the door behind her with her magic.

"Sister? What is it? Are you alright?" Luna asked, concerned.

"I'm fine, sister... Twilight on the other hoof..." Celestia trailed off as she paced back and forth.

"What do you mean? What has happened to Twilight Sparkle?" Luna pressed, a worried frown on her face.

Celestia held up the letter for the lunar alicorn to scrutinize, "Read this." She instructed.

Luna quickly skimmed through the letter held out before her, her eyes slowly widening in shock.

"We must see her immediately." She stated, glancing up to her sister.

"First thing in the morning, sister. I'll have a chariot ready." Celestia responded.

Author's Note

So things are happening! Yay! We also get to see our first taste of just where Cooper's mental state is at this point. As you can tell, he's very traumatized by the events that happened over those four years. I'll just preemptively say that PTSD is a topic that I take very seriously, considering I have Army friends that have it. Based on what I've read and what I know, I tried to cover it well in this story. Of course, I don't think I could ever do the experience justice. That said, I hope you all enjoyed and are excited for the next chapter.

Chapter 8

The Following Morning

Twilight awoke with a small yawn, her eyes slowly opening to the early morning rays of sunshine beaming in through the windows of the castle. Crystalline refractions displayed all over the floor due to the glass pattern in the windows, creating a miasma of colorful and angular shapes that covered the sleeping bags of the five other ponies in the room. One by one, they slowly roused from sleep as well, their eyes blearily opening while content groans of wakefulness filled the air.

Twilight smiled at the sight of something seemingly so regular, yet the reminder of what she had almost lost was brought back to the forefront of her mind by the simple feeling of an arm wrapped around her barrel. With some minor effort on her part, Twilight managed to crane her neck around to look back at Cooper as he held her in his arms, his eyes still closed as his steady breaths washed against the nape of her neck.

"Cooper?" Twilight whispered, gently rubbing his arm with her hoof to wake him as peacefully as possible.

Much as she expected, Cooper did not rouse calmly, his eyes snapping open and his arm instantly filling with tension. However, that only lasted for a microsecond as his gaze fell on her, and he quickly relaxed.

"Hey, Twilight. You sleep alright?" He asked, his voice sounding much more refreshed than she'd ever remembered it sounding before.

"Like a million bits." Twilight smiled, laying back down and scooching just a bit more into Cooper's embrace.

The soft and warm feeling of her fur quickly registered with the man as he felt her back press against is chest, her proximity making the already unbelievably comfy bed just that much more relaxing and cozy. All the same, after a few more minutes, he released his hold on the purple alicorn and wiggled out from under her.

"How's your arm?" Twilight asked, sitting upright as well.

"Hurts, but not as bad as it did yesterday," Cooper replied, simply, "How about your shoulder?"

Twilight smiled, "Not bad. The medication the doctors put me on basically numbed the entire area unless I do something really stupid to hurt it again."

Cooper nodded, "Then try not to do something really stupid while it's healing." He smirked.

"Twilight never does anything stupid... well, except the whole portal thing... and that time with the smarty pants doll... and-" Rainbow began to list off from her spot on the floor.

"Ah think we get the point, Rainbow." AppleJack cut her off, leveling a frown at the prismatic pegasus.

Rainbow sheepishly chuckled while Twilight awkwardly rubbed the back of her neck, "I... may have made a few dumb decisions over the past couple years... but at the very least, I'm not going to go reinjure myself right after something this serious." She offered.

"Don't you worry none, Sugarcube. We've all made some dumb choices over the years. Ain't nothing to be ashamed of. Point is, you've learned from yer' mistakes better than anypony else I know." AppleJack replied, getting to her hooves.

"Well speaking of idiotic choices, skipping breakfast would certainly fall on that list. Pinkie Pie, would you be a dear and help make some of those pancakes you do such a fantastic job on?" Rarity spoke up, looking over to the pink party pony beside her.

"Okie dokie lokie!" Pinkie chirped, "Spike, come help me make breakfast!"

With a tired snort, the purple drake rolled over in his basket-bed, his eyes blearily opening as he slowly woke up, "Huh? Wass... breakfast?" Spike managed, before his cheeks puffed out and a fiery belch of green flames forced its way out of his mouth.

Cooper visibly tensed at the action, but the rest of the ponies in the room simply acknowledged the sudden fire breath as if it were nothing out of the ordinary. The fact that a scroll manifested out of the flames and levitated just a few feet in front of Twilight didn't seem to change that either.

"Oh, it looks like Princess Celestia got back to me already." Twilight said, taking the letter out of the air with her magic.

Cooper shook his head in disbelief at the situation he'd just witnessed, but chose to say nothing as the rest of the girls quickly circled up around the bed.

"Oh? What did she say?" Fluttershy inquired.

"Let me see..." Twilight replied, opening the scroll, "Dear Twilight. I have received your letter and while I am extremely alarmed by what you've recollected, I am at the very least thankful to hear that you are okay. Luna and I will be arriving in Ponyville before noon."

"That's only in a couple hours." Spike noted, glancing to the clock.

"I think we'd better prepare a brunch just in case." Rarity mumbled.

"Did she say anything else?" Rainbow tilted her head to the side.

Twilight nodded, "Please, do keep your new friend, Cooper, in the castle until we arrive. Luna and I are both extremely interested to meet a human, face to face. If what you've told me is true about him saving your life, then he already has my undying gratitude. It would be an honor to meet him. Your mentor, Princess Celestia."

"Sounds like she's really eager to meet'cha, Coop." AppleJack smiled, looking up to the human.

"You... wrote a letter about me?" Cooper asked, a puzzled look on his face.

"I sent it out last night. Considering what happened, it was important that Celestia and Luna know about you. Don't worry, they're both extremely kind and loving princesses. I mean, Celestia already loves you just from what I told her and she hasn't even met you yet." Twilight assured him, patting Cooper's thigh with her hoof.

"If you say so..." Cooper nodded, although everyone noticed just how unsure he sounded.

"Don't you fret none, Sugarcube. Princess Celestia and Luna are some of the kindest ponies in Equestria." AppleJack added.

"Yeah! Princess Celestia has kept the sun rising for what? Like, two thousand years?" Rainbow chimed in.

Cooper raised an eyebrow at the rainbow-maned pegasus but opted to say nothing and simply shrug.

"I guess I'll know when I meet them." He relented, getting out from the sheets.

With only minor fenagling, the girls managed to help Twilight out of bed as well, and together, they all promptly headed downstairs. While Cooper, Twilight, Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Rarity sat down in the spacious living room beyond the foyer of the castle, Pinkie, Spike, and AppleJack headed into the kitchen and set about preparing food.

As the trio worked in the kitchen, awkward silence reigned over the rest of the group, leading to excessive amounts of fidgeting, whistling, and leg-tapping. From his position in the kitchen, Spike warily looked on as he stirred some eggs in a pan over the oven.

"Make sure ya don't burn 'em, Spike." AppleJack teased, snapping the little drake from his thoughts.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I got it." Spike replied, moving the pan out of the fire for a moment to let it cool.

"Yer nervous, ain'tcha?" AppleJack questioned, following Spike's eyes.

"I mean... kinda hard to not be nervous. We hardly know anything about him and... I mean... if Twilight says he saved her life, then I trust her judgement but..." He trailed off, struggling to find the words.

"Ya feel like there's something... off with him?" AppleJack finished for him.

Spike nodded, "Yeah. I don't know. He hasn't done anything bad yet but... I just have this bad feeling. He's really jumpy and I don't want him to hurt Twilight." He reasoned.

"Oh don'tcha go worryin' yer scales off, Spike. Twilight can take care of herself just fine, now that she's back in Equestria. 'Sides, she's got all of us to watch out for her." AppleJack offered, gently patting the drake on the back.

"Yeah... I guess you're right. I just... can't stop seeing her covered in blood..." Spike mumbled, his eyes falling to the floor.

"Spike..." AppleJack quietly sighed, pulling the small drake into a hug.

"It... it was my fault, AJ... I bumped my elbow on the portal... she got hurt because of me." Spike muttered, tears forming in the corners of his eyes.

"Now don'tcha go blamin' yourself, Spike. It was a freak accident. Twilight doesn't blame you, and none of us do either." AppleJack reassured him.

"Thanks, AJ." Spike mumbled, returning the hug.

For a few seconds, the pair held onto each other as the sizzling of grease and eggs filled the air. Soon enough, however, another set of pink forelegs wrapped around both of them, squeezing them tightly.

"You didn't tell me we were having a group hug!" Pinkie exclaimed, shaking them back and forth.

"P-Pinkie! We weren't!" Spike protested.

"Land's sake, Pinkie! Put us down!" AppleJack exclaimed, although there was no bite to her words.

"Okay!" Pinkie chirped, setting them both down and returning to stirring some batter as if nothing had happened.

AppleJack adjusted her stetson, a wry grin forming on her muzzle, "Leave it ta' Pinkie to lift the mood." She chuckled.

"It's what I do best!" Pinkie beamed.

Even Spike found a smile forming on his face at the pink party pony's antics, "Heh, yeah, Pinkie. You sure do."

Breakfast was prepared within the hour, and a bountiful spread was laid out on the table for all of the castle's residents to eat. The aromas of sugary apple sweets, pancakes, cinnamon rolls, pancakes, and more wafted from the long dining table, filling the air and making everyone salivate. Cooper and Twilight, especially, given their circumstances, were practically drooling from the sight and scent of the delicious food laid out before them.

"Pinkie, AJ, Spike... I don't know how you guys do it but you always manage to make the best smelling food in Equestria." Rainbow complimented, licking her lips.

"I concur." Rarity concurred.

"It is quite delicious." Fluttershy added.

"Aw shucks, ya'll don't have to say all that. Ah'm just glad ya like it." AppleJack blushed.

"Oh! You should all try the blueberry muffins! They're fresh!" Pinkie called out, backing out of the kitchen with a try of piping hot muffins balanced on one hoof.

"That sounds absolutely delicious." Twilight smiled.

"Well what're you all waiting for? Dig in!" Spike beamed, his claws on his hips and his chest puffed out.

Without needing to be told twice, the entire group moved to various seats lined up along both sides of the table, their plates quickly filling with food from every pile on the table. A veritable cornucopia of sweets and crispy breakfast foods were piled onto every plate until a small mountain of food was held by each individual at the table. At least, every individual except Cooper and Twilight.

While the man and pony were positively famished and drooling over the sight before them, they restrained themselves and only piled a few of the lighter options on their plates. Rarity and AppleJack's warnings from yesterday echoed in both of their minds, much as they would have liked to pig out on the buffet before them.

Once they were all seated and prepared, Twilight addressed the group as a whole, "This looks amazing. Thank you. I can't tell you how much it means to be able to sit down and have a meal with all of you again." She said, kindly.

"What about last night?" Rainbow joked.

"Hardly sharing a meal, dear. Those was just some snacks. Now, let's eat. I'm starving." Rarity replied, her horn lighting up to pick up her fork and knife.

However, just before she or any of them could dig into their food, a knock echoed through the hall from the main doorway.

"Is that?" AppleJack trailed off.

"Well, they did say they would be here before noon." Twilight replied.

"Of course. I was just hoping we could eat a little before having to show proper decorum around two princesses." Rarity grumbled, quickly stabbing into her pancakes with her fork and knife.

"I'm pretty sure they can handle seeing you not acting like a 'lady' for one meal, Rares." Rainbow laughed.

"Absolutely not! I have a reputation to maintain." Rarity gave her an offended look.

AppleJack and Rainbow both chuckled at the frilly white unicorn's attitude, but their attention was quickly pulled to Pinkie as she hopped out of her chair and bounced over toward the front door.

"I'll get it!" Pinkie sing-songed, happily bouncing her way to the foyer.

"Uh..." Cooper muttered, his brow furrowing in confusion as the pink party pony hopped away.

"She does that. You get used to it." Fluttershy offered with a small smile.

Cooper hesitantly nodded as the front doors opened and an excited gasp reached their ears.

"Oh my gosh! Princess Celestia and Luna! What are you both doing here!? Oh yeah, Twilight and Cooper. Oh! Cooper! You two just have to meet him. Come right his way!"

Cooper cringed slightly at the mention of his name, but kept himself composed as the clip-clop of several pairs of hooves on crystal floor approached. Despite all the assurances in the world that he was safe now, he couldn't help the instincts built into his brain after those four years, and his grip tightened on the pistol in his pocket. Soon enough, Pinkie came bouncing in through the doorway, followed immediately by a burly pegasus stallion wearing a golden set of ornate armor. His eyes were a golden amber color, and his mane stuck out in a mohawk through his helmet, forming a plume of dark blue.

Cooper immediately found his eyes drawn to the pair of blades affixed to the stallion's wings. The guard, seeming to immediately pick up on his gaze, turned his head ever so slightly to meet Cooper's eyes with his own. While he carried a neutral expression, there was an undeniable level of tenseness in his amber eyes.

Just a moment later, a snow white unicorn mare walked in wearing much the same armor as the stallion. In fact, the only difference between their color palettes were their eyes. Hers were a brilliant sapphire blue, though they were somewhat hidden by her helm as she took up her place at the side of the door, opposite of the other guard.

Following in after her escort, Princess Celestia stepped into the room. While Cooper had been expecting her to be slightly larger than the rest of the ponies he'd seen, he was wholly unprepared for her to walk in, towering over everyone else in the room. Her horn, standing at almost a foot long by itself, nearly scraped the ceiling of the doorway as she entered, her alabaster white coat shimmering with reflected light from the windows.

However, much more impressive than that, was the long and flowing mane of multiple colors that she wore with an elegance and grace that seemed befitting of a goddess, let alone a princess. Much like Twilight, she also had a pair of wings attached to her barrel, though hers were noticeably longer and more defined. Her slender legs, muscular back and withers, coupled with the steely gaze she bore in her magenta irises made her undeniably beautiful, though slightly intimidating.

Last but certainly not least, to enter the room, was another alicorn of midnight blue. Much like her sister, Princess Luna strode into the room on slender legs and a well defined body that clearly showed centuries of strength and power. Her ethereal mane billowed in a non existent wind, with twinkling stars littering its entirety as if it were a backlit canvas with millions of tiny holes punched through.

Her turquoise eyes instantly focused on Cooper, though unlike her sister, there was an instant softness behind her gaze, as if she were suddenly relieved to see what she saw before her. The look only lasted for a second, as she quickly broke eye contact to follow her sister over to the end of the table.

"Princesses." Twilight greeted with a small bow. The rest of the ponies and drake at the table quickly followed suite, leaving Cooper as the only being to not bow to the solar and lunar diarchs.

"Please, Twilight. You know you don't need to do that anymore. None of you do. How are you?" Celestia replied, her voice as silky as a songbird on a gentle spring morning.

Twilight smiled, "Well... I've been better." She admitted.

Celestia nodded as she made her way over to Twilight's side. While there was a glowing smile on her face the entire way, the light in her eyes noticeably grew dimmer and dimmer as she grew closer to the young alicorn, and could see the extent of her injuries more clearly.

"I... I'm so sorry that you were hurt, Twilight." Celestia said, her voice filled with sincerity.

"Oh, there's nothing for you to apologize for, Princess... it was my own dumb decision and if it weren't for Cooper over there... well, I wouldn't be here at all right now." Twilight replied, nodding toward the human sitting across from her.

While it was obvious that he was already the elephant in the room from the very beginning, Cooper suddenly felt very tense as all eyes fell on him. However, he felt a bit of relief at the sight of such genuine gratitude in the eyes of the solar alicorn.

"Mister Slait, correct?" Celestia inquired, gently.

Cooper nodded, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Thank you... I cannot express my gratitude for your actions, enough. You've done a great service not only for Twilight and her friends, but for all of Equestria... and me, as well." Celestia humbly announced, a small waiver in her voice.

"We understand that you have come from a world that is vastly different to Equestria, and as such, have nothing to your name, here in Equestria," Luna suddenly spoke up, directing Cooper's attention to her, "If nothing else, we would like to offer you some measure of a reward for the great deed you did by bringing Twilight Sparkle back to us. The world of Eques would not be the same without her."

Cooper felt his throat dry up, but managed to nod in both agreement and appreciation for the gesture.

"Now, that does bring me to some of the questions we have," Celestia continued, turning to Twilight, "Just what in Equestria happened to you in that world, Twilight?"

Author's Note

Well Celestia and Luna were gonna come over and meet Cooper sooner or later. Might as well have been sooner, haha.

Chapter 10

Celestia strolled around the crystalline holographic projection of Equestria on the table beside her. Her eyes idly flicked back and forth from the many intricate details of her wondrous nation all perfectly captured in the miniature model before her.

Sitting across from her, her cheek resting on her hoof as her elbow supported her head, Luna's eyelids drooped as the sun climbed ever higher into the sky. Much as she would have liked to simply take a nap, the priority of hearing what Twilight had to say took precedence.

Both princesses' attention snapped to the door as Twilight hobbled in, Spike by her side. Once she was inside, she quickly whispered into Spike's ear. He gave her an offended look and clearly wanted to protest, but after a quiet plea from the lavender alicorn, he sighed and relented. Spike quickly exited the room, closing the door behind him and leaving Twilight alone with the two diarchs.

"What was so important that you needed to discuss with us in private, Twilight?" Celestia asked, her brow furrowing in concern.

"It's about Cooper. Well... more so about his family." Twilight began, a sad sigh leaving her lips.

Now much more awake, Luna turned to Twilight, "What do you mean? His family is gone, are they not?"

Twilight nodded, "They are... the problem is that... I don't know if Cooper will understand that."

Celestia looked at her for a few moments, a scrutinous look in her gaze, "You're worried that he will ask you to go back in time to save his family." She deducted.

A dejected look formed on Twilight's face as her eyes fell to the floor, "Yes." She admitted.

"Changing the past once is one thing, but if you were to do that again... it could serve to completely disrupt the time-space continuum." Luna responded.

"Regardless, even if you were to try, it's simply not possible." Celestia reasoned.

"I know that... the problem is... I don't think he does." Twilight muttered.

"What do you mean? Isn't it possible?" Luna asked, curiously.

Twilight shook her head, "The time dilation between universes is one thing... but there's another reason it simply isn't possible. A reason that the future me shoved into my brain and I can't stop thinking about it... but telling Cooper will absolutely break his heart."

"Sister?" Luna questioned, glancing over to Celestia.

"The portal was designed by Starswirl just a decade before his and the other pillars' disappearance. We didn't know most of its secrets when you were banished to the moon, sister, but... I learned much from the portal when I tried to find ways to bring you back." Celestia admitted, earning a look of shock from the lunar alicorn.

"So... what did you learn?" Luna asked, cautiously.

"Nothing good, sister... nothing good..."

Cooper stepped toward the center of town with an uncharacteristically soft look in his eyes. He walked with a steady gait, as if he were simply taking his time to enjoy the sights and sounds of a town that wasn't reduced to ashes. His enjoyment of the moment was dampened somewhat by the wide berth the local ponies gave him, many of them opting to hide indoors while he progressed through the town center. Luckily, the steps of his two guards managed to provide some much needed white noise to help drown out the quietness.

While Sky and Midnight were both excellent at maintaining their professional composure, they did share a few glances in curiosity as they followed Cooper like a shadow. He spent an odd amount of time simply looking back up at the sun, his eyes closed as he paused in his walk, making them both halt behind him as he enjoyed the sun's rays. Odd as it seemed, the guards found themselves biting their tongues in empathy for the creature who'd gone so long without even seeing the sun.

Eventually, Cooper lowered his head and continued forward, right into the market square. There were dozens of ponies out and about, buying and selling their wares or food-stuffs, their attention focused solely on the tasks before them. That all changed, however, as the only human in Equestria rounded the corner. Nearly everypony in the market street suddenly turned their heads toward Cooper, dropping whatever it was that they were doing at once.

While, to their credit, the ponies didn't immediately flee, a noticeable tension filled the air, as if one wrong move would send them all into a scattering stampede. Taking the sight of so many faces frozen in concern and fear, Cooper placed his hands in his pockets and proceeded forward in the least threatening way he could. Sky and Midnight quickly followed behind, their mere presence working to relax the nerves of the townsponies as Cooper approached them.

Cooper casually made his way through the street until arriving at a flower stand occupied by the three flower sisters. Sitting at the booth, nervously gulping as Cooper approached, was Roseluck. Her sisters were both hiding behind her or the tables covered in flowers that made up their stand.

"U-um... good morning, sir. How can I help you?" Roseluck managed to ask, her voice trembling slightly.

Cooper glanced down at the flowers, finding every assortment of floral beauty he could ever imagine. For a moment, he simply ignored the petrified tan coated earth pony mare as surveyed the bouquets of roses, lily's, petunia's, and more. The gentle, sweet scent of the flowers wafted up to his nose, and Cooper couldn't keep from leaning down slightly and smelling the roses as their bright red petals shown invitingly in the mid-morning sunlight.

Roseluck frowned slightly in confusion, her eyes darting to the pair of royal guards behind the human smelling her roses. Unfortunately, they both kept their expressions neutral, neither one giving any real response other than a mute shrug.

"Uh... would you... like to buy some roses, sir?" Roseluck asked, now consciously aware that all the ponies in the street were staring at her and this human.

Cooper finally glanced up at the small earth pony mare, her soft two-toned mane of red spilling over her shoulder and giving her a fair appearance. To say that she looked adorable would be an understatement, and Cooper instantly felt a wave of deja vu wash over him as the sight of Twilight looking up to him as they first met, superimposed itself over the flower mare before him.

"Uh, sorry. Got a little distracted there... it's been about five years since I saw flowers this beautiful. How much are they?" Cooper asked, standing upright.

At his pleasant and friendly demeanor, Roseluck's expression suddenly shifted to one of warmth and welcoming, "Oh, well thank you! The roses just came into season last week! Since we're still in late spring, we were a bit surprised that the lilies sprouted this soon, but they just bloomed yesterday! If you'd like, I can have a bouquet put together for you of both and some tulips for good measure. These ones just bloomed a few weeks ago." She explained, gesturing to each flower breed respectively.

Cooper nodded, "That sounds nice, but... do you have any white roses?" He asked, looking over the selection.

Roseluck pursed her lips, "Oh, I'm sorry, sir. Those don't bloom until Autumn. If these are for... a less than thrilling affair, I do have some peace lilies that just came into season." She offered, an apologetic look on her face.

Cooper nodded, "How much for two of those?" He asked.

"Those are one bit a piece, so two bits, sir." Roseluck smiled.

Cooper's brow instantly furrowed, "Two... bits?" He parroted, the confusion evident in his tone.

"Yes, is... that a problem, sir?" Roseluck asked, shrinking in on herself slightly.

Cooper pursed his lips and quickly turned to his guards, "Uh... what exactly is a 'bit'?" He inquired.

"Equestrian currency, sir." Sky replied.

"Basically a solid gold coin, stamped with her highnesses likeness." Midnight clarified.

Cooper's shoulders slumped, "Solid gold?"

Sky and Midnight nodded, leaving the man to adopt a defeated look on his face. He lethargically turned back to Roseluck, all the excitement and happiness suddenly drained from his entire body.

"I, uh... I don't have any bits. Sorry for wasting your time." He offered, before turning to leave.

"Wait, sir." Midnight spoke up, making Cooper pause.

Without giving him a chance to argue, the unicorn guard promptly trotted up to the booth and magic'd two gold coins out of a pocket in her armor plate and levitated them over to Roseluck.

"Uh, you don't have to-" Cooper began, only for Midnight to cut him off.

"It's no trouble, sir. Don't worry, we'll get you a steady income soon enough." She replied, cheerily levitating two of the peace lilies over to Cooper.

Albeit with a moment of hesitation, Cooper accepted the flowers from her magical hold. He gave a grateful look to the unicorn guard, to which she gave a small smile in return. With his business concluded, he gave a nod of thanks to Roseluck before departing with his guard escort right behind him.

"Come back anytime, sir!" Roseluck called after him, a cheery smile on her face.

As Cooper walked away, he couldn't help but admire the two lilies held in his hand. He idly stroked his thumb over the petals, feeling their soft texture against his skin for the first time in so long. It was enough to distract him from the ponies around him as they returned to business as usual.

With some minor guidance from the two guards behind him, Cooper soon found himself standing before a large magnolia tree at the edge of town. The Everfree forest loomed off in the distance, sending a slight chill down the spines of both equines, yet for Cooper, it was a much different feeling. Rather than nerves or fear at the sight of the foreboding forest, he felt a slight hint of nostalgia at the sight of wild and untamed woodlands.

While the guards both bore a sense of fear and dread at the proximity of the forest, they still managed to keep their bearings and military discipline as Cooper knelt on the grass just in front of the magnolia tree. He slowly and gently placed each of the lilies on the ground in front of the tree, his head bowed and his eyes downcast. It was immediately obvious to both mare and stallion just what he was doing, but they opted to say nothing, out of respect for their charge and the loss he was clearly still grieving.

"I'm not sure if you two can hear me... not sure if I'm even still alive anymore... recent events have been... well, magical feels like the right word, I guess. God... Sarah, I wish you could've seen this place... you woulda been off the walls at the sight of unicorns and pegasai." Cooper quietly spoke, his voice almost imperceptible to the guards standing a respectable distance away.

A soft breeze gently blew over the group, making the grass wave and the hair hanging down in front of Cooper's eyes, part for a moment. His tears could only be seen for a moment before the breeze died down and his shaggy mop of hair covered his face once more.

"I don't know if I can get you back... don't know if it's even possible... Even if it is, might not be me that would save you... protect you... look after you. It's all so confusing... I was never the smartest guy around... probably for the best since you had enough brains for the both of us, huh, Mia?" Cooper quietly chuckled.

He fell silent for a short while, his thumb idly stroking the soft petals of the peace lilies before him as his mind wandered. Both the pegasus and unicorn behind him slowly moved closer, each wearing a look of sympathy and concern for the man as he rested on his knees, his shoulders slouched and his head hung low.

"I need to talk to Twilight. I'll... she's smart. Hell... she saved my life... who's to say she can't save yours too?" Cooper finished, finally placing both lilies on the grass in front of the tree and sitting upright.

"Sir?" Midnight asked, worry in her voice.

"Just Cooper, please. Never been a fan of being called 'sir'." Cooper replied, quietly.

"Alright, Cooper... are you okay?" Midnight pressed, gently.

Cooper sniffled, quickly wiping the remains of the tears from his face, "Yeah. Yeah, I'm alright. Sorry about that."

"You don't have to apologize for anything, Cooper. It's obvious you've lost someponies very close to you." Sky comforted.

Cooper nodded as he got back up to his feet, "Yeah... heh... someponies..." He chuckled.

"Sorry, wrong terminology." Sky sheepishly apologized.

"Don't worry about it. If anything, Sarah would've loved that term." Cooper admitted, with a sad smile.

Author's Note

And so the world building continues. This story is going to have a pretty slow and methodical pace as it's a very "Slice of Life-y" story, so I hope you guys aren't getting too bored lol.

Some things will pick up soon, don't you worry about that. In the meantime, I hope you guys enjoy and continue to read :)

Chapter 11

The Next Morning

Cooper made his way down to the foyer of the castle, finding Twilight already waiting for him with both his guards standing at attention by the front door. Unsurprisingly, the lack of mobility her injury caused her, made traveling difficult for the purple alicorn, and as such, a wheelchair was procured for her the previous evening. She pouted as she sat in her chair, forelegs crossed as much as they could be without causing undue strain or pain on the injured appendage, but she looked adorable all the same.

"You know, Rarity can always just come to the castle to take your measurements. It's not like she's not willing." Twilight protested, the smallest hint of indignation in her voice.

Cooper snorted in amusement while his guards did their best to hide their own amused reactions from the princess before them.

"I know, but being outside is... pretty much exactly where I want to be right now. Plus it gets you outside for a bit too." Cooper reasoned.

Twilight opened her mouth to protest, but slowly and begrudgingly closed it, "Fine... you make a good point."

"Personally, I think resting in the castle is exactly where you should both be today, but that's just my input." Spike muttered, from his position behind Twilight's wheelchair.

Cooper rolled his eyes in mild amusement at the drake's words, but opted to let it be as he turned to the pair of royal guards standing on either side of the door.

"Ready to go, Cooper?" Sky asked.

"Yeah. Let's get going." Cooper nodded, prompting the pegasus stallion to open the door for him.

With that, the group stepped out into the sunlight, Midnight leading in the front, Cooper right after her, Twilight being pushed along by Spike just behind him, and Sky taking up his position at the rear. Midnight used her magic to help Twilight's wheelchair down the stairs, an act which she was very grateful for, before the group proceeded into town.

Much like the previous day, there was a lot of hustle and bustle in town as ponies went about their daily routines. The sight of their princess in a wheelchair did halt many of their activities and redirect their attention to her as she was slowly wheeled past, but the majority of the ponies still stayed at a distance. A few more worried denizens of town approached and voiced their concern for their princesses well-being, but a smile and assurance that she was fine, all but put an end to them. A few of the ponies she knew better did still approach and voice their shock at her condition, but it was hardly as accosting as the previous day.

Soon enough, the quintet found themselves arriving at the front door of Rarity's boutique. The building resembled a carousel from the outside, and held something of a lavish chair that the entire group could appreciate. The white walls bright, vibrant purple accents all over the building certainly made it stand out among the more subdued houses around it.

One thing that immediately stood out to Cooper, however, was the size of the building. While the castle and hospital were noticeably closer to the size of building that he was accustomed to from Earth, the rest of the buildings around were notably short in comparison. Carousel Boutique, while standing at two stories tall, was just barely over what would qualify as a single story as far as he could tell.

Despite his reservations at the smaller size and potentially cramped nature of the building, Cooper bit his tongue while Sky reached the front door and politely knocked. A few moments passed before a muffled 'come in' reached their ears, and the guard opened the door. They all funneled into the structure, Cooper noticeably having to duck to avoid hitting his head on the door frame. Once they were all inside the building, Cooper took notice of the immediate entrance, and just how much higher the ceiling was than expected. There was more than enough room for him to stand upright without crouching, a fact that he was immediately grateful for.

The interior of the building was furnished with a soft carpet that held a swirling texture of white and violet. Red walls that were covered with velvet curtains framed gold stands where poniquines were set up in a miasma of different styles and fashions. Cooper's eyebrows raised at the sight of what passed for pony fashion, his curiosity getting the better of him as he slowly approached the closest outfit.

A bridle and saddle adorned the nearest poniquine, the ladder covered in gold lacing and accented with white frills that hung over the hindquarters of the pony it was supposed to be worn on. Cooper found his mouth opening slightly in confusion, but before he could utter a word, the snow-white unicorn mare who owned the place came strolling around the corner.

"Oh, Twilight! Cooper! It's so good to see you! How are you feeling?" Rarity asked, a chipper tone in her voice as she sipped at a cup of tea held in her magic.

"Doing better every day. Thank you, Rarity." Twilight replied, returning a modest smile.

"I'm makin' sure she gets plenty of bedrest and food." Spike chimed in, popping out from behind the wheelchair and giving a salute.

Rarity giggled into her hoof, "Oh, I'm so glad to hear that. My little Spikey-wikey is taking care of his big sister." She gushed.

While Spike blushed and twiddled his thumbs at the nickname, Twilight playfully rolled her eyes before nodding toward Cooper.

"Ah, Cooper, dear! Are you here to take me up on my offer? I have a few ideas that I think you'll absolutely love!" Rarity smiled, turning her attention to the man still staring at the poniquine that caught his interest.

Upon noticing just where the human was staring, Rarity's fur slowly took on a tinge of red while she managed to force a smile on her face.

"Uh... what's this-" Cooper began.

"Oh that! Nothing dear, just something left out for a certain customer that left a few minutes before you arrived. Nothing to worry about. Why don't you come over here and I can take your measurements?" Rarity hastily asserted, putting on a very unconvincingly forced smile.

"Uh... yeah, sure." Cooper relented, walking away from the suspicious poniquine and over toward the fitting area Rarity was waiting in.

"Right this way, Cooper. Onto the stand there and I'll get my measuring tapes." Rarity enthusiastically explained, her horn lighting up in a blue hue and bringing the velvet curtains down to cover the poniquine Cooper had been staring at.

Breathing a small sigh of relief, Rarity turned her attention back to Cooper as he stepped up onto the stand, the three mirrors surrounding him to make it appear as if there were four humans in tattered clothing, awaiting her. With practiced ease, she used her magic to open several drawers and gather her measuring tapes, cat-rimmed reading glasses, and a pencil with paper to take down her notes. While Cooper was still fascinated with the sight of such ordinary objects being floated through the air as if they weighed nothing at all, he kept his amazement to himself as Rarity approached.

"Alright, Darling. It's about time we got you out of those rags, don't you think?" Rarity smiled, donning her glasses as reached Cooper's side.

"I.... did have one thing I was hoping you could do for me." Cooper muttered, making Rarity pause.

"Of course. What is it?" Rarity questioned, curiously.

"This cloak... it was a gift from my wife... do you think you can salvage it?" Cooper asked, doffing the ragged cloak with his good hand.

Rarity gingerly took the garment from his hand with her magic and eyed it critically. The overall structure of the cloak was still in tact, but the fabric was torn at the hem in a number of places, as well as littered with burn holes and a few other, smaller holes that she couldn't quite place the cause of. Even after giving it a wash and once over just a couple evenings ago, it was obvious that the clothing was barely able to even be considered clothing anymore. Even so, one glance up at the hopeful look in Cooper's chocolate eyes was all she needed to nod in affirmation.

"Well, it certainly won't be easy, but I can absolutely try to save this. It... may be a tad shorter when I return it to you, but it will be the same original fabric. I have a few tricks up my sleeve that just might work." Rarity offered, with a warm smile.

Cooper smiled ever so slightly in gratitude, "Thank you. You... have no idea how much that would mean to me."

Rarity shook her head as she levitated his cloak over to a table near the kitchen entryway, "Think nothing of it, dear. As I said, you saved one of my best friends. Fixing some of your clothing is the least I can do. Now, speaking of clothing, I must ask that you remove as much as you are comfortable with so I can take accurate measurements. I understand that you don't wish to be 'in the buff', so to speak, but the ensemble I'll make you will fit so much better if you let me get precise measurements." She explained.

Cooper pursed his lips before glancing over to Twilight.

"If you aren't comfortable with that, then it's no trouble, Cooper." Twilight assured him.

"I can bring the curtain down to give you some privacy while I work, if you'd like?" Rarity offered.

"Well... I am pretty underweight right now... I don't want to outgrow them too quickly." Cooper reasoned.

Rarity rubbed her chin in thought, "That's a fair point, Darling. That said, I can make you an ensemble with adjustable sizing. That way, as you grow back into a healthy weight, you can gradually size up the clothing to match?" She offered.

Cooper frowned for a moment, before shrugging, "If you can do all that, then alright." He replied.

Rarity practically beamed, "It would be my privilege, Cooper. Now, let me give us some privacy and I'll get these measurements done in a flash!"

The velvet curtains quickly fell around them from a small flash of Rarity's horn, concealing them both from the rest of the room's view, though their silhouettes were still plainly visible. As soon as they were granted the privacy of the curtains, Cooper removed his shirt and pants. While Rarity was certainly shocked at his battered and emaciated physique, she kept her composure and dutifully set about measuring his body.

"I'm kinda surprised you can make clothes for a creature like me." Cooper noted, while Rarity measured his arm length.

"And why's that, Darling? Do you doubt my skill?" She teased.

Cooper snorted in amusement, "No, no... I just figured that you wouldn't have any practice making clothes for something that walks on two legs instead of four." He explained.

Rarity giggled into her hoof, "Oh, Cooper. You're hardly the first biped I've met in my life. Why, Spikey-Wikey walks on two legs too and I've made him at least two or three tuxedos by now." She tittered.

Content with her reply, Cooper simply nodded and allowed her to continue her work. She worked swiftly and professionally, managing to take all of his measurements in a matter of minutes while respecting his personal space and boundaries with the utmost care. Soon enough, she was finished, and with a quick flash of her horn, she helped Cooper re-dress himself and lift the curtains up for him to leave the stage.

"Alright, I've got the measurements, and I do believe I have a few ideas brewing in my head that I think you'll absolutely love, Cooper." Rarity beamed, hopping down from the stage to go convene with Twilight.

"Not too stressful?" Twilight asked, giving Cooper a half-smile.

Cooper shrugged, "It's fine. She's a professional."

Rarity held a hoof to her chest as she practically swelled with pride, "Why, thank you. I do try to put on something of a professional performance when taking measurements. Now, if you'll just give me a few days, I can have something astounding whipped up for you." She replied.

"As long as it isn't something too flashy, I'll really appreciate it, Miss Rarity." Cooper humbly responded.

Rarity dismissively waved a hoof, "Oh, please, Darling. Just call me Rarity. You're a friend of Twilight's and that makes you a friend of mine."

A few more goodbyes and words of thanks were shared between the group before Twilight, Cooper, Spike, and their guard escort exited the building. Rarity happily waved them off before closing the door behind them and resuming her work.

Now with their main task for the day finished, the group made their way toward the center of town, small conversation flowing between Twilight and Cooper.

"Sorry if Rarity was a bit overly giving. She's always been that way. It's just how she is." Twilight apologized.

"It's alright. Just wasn't used to it, is all." Cooper replied, glancing down at her.

"Whatdo'ya mean 'overly giving'? Is that even a thing?" Spike chimed in from behind.

"Some creatures aren't too fond of gifts being thrust onto them, especially after not being able to trust anypony for a long time." Sky explained, surprising the group with his sudden contribution.

"So you can talk when we're out here." Twilight noted, rubbing her chin as she squinted at the pegasus guard.

"Of course we can, Princess. It's just that we don't want to disrupt our charge while they're going through their daily routine." Midnight explained.

"Not to mention, Princess Celestia is usually stuck in really stuffy meetings with nobles and government officials from other countries, so in those circumstances... yeah, we tend to keep our mouths shut." Sky shrugged.

"I can see that. They get chattier when there isn't something super important going on." Cooper acknowledged.

"That's a good way of putting it." Midnight smiled, as they reached the fountain in the town square.

"So when you guys are off shift, what do you like to do?" Spike curiously asked, glancing at the guards.

"Depends on the day. Usually I like to go for a nice, relaxing flight through the clouds or maybe do some more dynamic flights through obstacles if I can find them." Sky listed.

"Sounds like you'd get along with Rainbow Dash." Twilight chuckled, prompting a gasp of excitement from the guardstallion.

"You think so!? I've been wanting to meet her ever since the young Flier's competition where she pulled off that sonic rainboom a couple years ago." Sky excitedly responded, surprising even Midnight with his sudden shift in temperament.

"You were there for that?" Spike questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, yeah. Basically half of Cloudsdale was there for that. Even if I wasn't, you didn't have to be at the coliseum to see that beauty. It was visible for miles." Sky explained, at a much more manageable volume.

"I see. Well, I could introduce you two, if you'd like?" Twilight offered, barely suppressing an amused giggle.

"Really?" Sky grinned.

Twilight nodded, "Really. In fact, I think she'd be very happy to meet a fan like-"

The water in the fountain suddenly exploded out, sending a geyser of liquid straight into the sky and raining down all over them. Immediately after, streamers and confetti rained down on all of them, and the rest of the ponies in the square suddenly stopped what they were doing, turning all of their attention to the spectacle that was happening before them.

"SURPRISE!!!" Pinkie suddenly shouted, popping out of the fountain with her party cannon still half submerged.

The soaking wet pink party pony beamed as her party favors fell all around the ponies and human, although, that didn't last for long.

While the rest of them saw streamers and confetti, Cooper saw snow. Bleak, whiteness encapsulated his entire world, surrounding him with a bitter chill that threatened to freeze him solid, should he let it. The sound of gunfire echoed in his head, and suddenly, he was back on Earth, bullets whizzing by. He was too stunned to move, let alone speak. Even through the chaos and frigid cold, he could hear a voice, calling out to him.

"Daddy!"

That was all it took, and without so much as a word, Cooper bolted in the direction of the voice. He rushed past houses and wrecked cars, leaving a trail in his wake. He heard voices calling out to him, but they were so muddled and faint that he paid them no mind, his mind completely focused on the danger his daughter was clearly in.

Bullets whizzed past him, the frigid air stung at his skin like needles, poking ever square inch of his body, and the raw, primal hunger he felt in his stomach could only be matched by the urgent need to save his family.

"Cooper!"

Mia's voice cried out for him; a bloodcurdling shriek that made his pupils shrink to pinpricks. With all the strength and power he could muster, he pushed himself even faster, rushing past the houses and past the charred remnants of the town until he reached the frozen tundra ahead. He didn't hesitate or slow down at all, instead simply rushing through the frozen greenery and into the forest that had to be the source of his family's cries.

On and on he ran, his legs carrying him like pistons in a motor running at maximum speed. Blood pumped through his body as he moved, snow stinging at his eyes while sweat poured from his body. He kept running and running until he finally couldn't keep running anymore, and with his chest heaving in exhaustion, Cooper slowly came to a stop beside a tree. He panted for breath, his hands on his knees as the taste of iron filled his mouth and his lungs burned in his chest.

Eventually, he looked up, only to find that he wasn't in a tundra at all. All he could see was green. Even worse, he had no idea where he was.

Author's Note

Uh oh.

Chapter 12

Upon coming to his senses, Cooper stumbled back toward the way he thought he'd come from. However, it was almost immediately clear that the vegetation was too dense and random to give him any real clue as to the path he traveled to get there. His head swiveled back and forth, looking for any kind of trails or roads that he might have missed, but his efforts proved fruitless as he simply found himself surrounded by thick forest.

With drops of sweat dripping from his brow, Cooper glanced up to the sky, finding the sun still rising toward its apex.

"I can't have gone too far..." He muttered, shaking his head.

The vivid images of the frozen tundra reapeared in his vision as he closed his eyes, making him clench them shut in frustration as the screams of his loved ones echoed in his ears once more.

"Mia... Sarah..." Cooper grunted through grit teeth.

It took a few more moments for him to refocus on his current objective of returning to Twilight and Ponyville. He hastily put together a plan, following the sun's path in the sky and heading due North, based off of it its position. However, before he could walk so much as a hundred feet in the woods, he heard leaves rustling behind him.

Cooper spun on his heels and whipped out his pistol, aiming at whatever could be behind him, but found nothing. Only more of the same greenery greeted him as he hastily scanned the area for any signs of life. He heard a few distinct bird calls off in the distance, but aside from that, everything appeared normal before him. He hesitantly lowered his pistol before turning back around and heading forward.

Cooper was startled by the sight of a zebra just a dozen paces ahead of him, her head tilted to the side and a curious look on her face. She wore a series of golden rings around her neck and forelegs, as well as a set of golden ear-rings that dangles from her fuzzy ears. Her deep cerulean eyes appraised him with a sense of wonder and intrigue, but she said nothing as Cooper's first instinct was to aim his pistol at her and migrate his finger to the trigger.

"Fuck... Jesus." Cooper muttered, lowering the pistol and clenching his chest with his left hand.

"I'm sorry if I startled you. I was just passing through." The zebra replied, giving him a gentle smile.

Her voice was deep and melodic, much like the rhyme she spoke in. The very sound of her voice eased Cooper's nerves somewhat, allowing him to catch his breath as she slowly approached.

"It's... alright. Just been a long day, is all." Cooper replied.

The zebra looked up at the sky, tilting her head to the side in slight amusement, "I'm not sure you should speak so soon. It is not even noon." She replied, giving him a smile.

Cooper raised an eyebrow, "Uh..."

"I've seen many creatures in my travels, old and new, but I've never seen a creature as strange as you." She stated, giving him an appraising look.

Cooper pursed his lips as he slowly placed the gun back in his pocket, though he kept hold of it in his hand, "I'm a human... I doubt you'd have seen or heard of my species since... I'm the only one here." He explained.

"That is quite a shock, to be a bird, without a flock. I am saddened to hear of your situation. Could you tell me what has caused such separation?" She asked, giving him a look of genuine concern.

"First, can you tell me why you're speaking in rhymes?" Cooper replied, placing one hand on his hip.

The zebra chuckled, "Ah, my apologies, I know some creatures aren't used to Zebrican methodologies. We rhyme in our speak, to keep our minds from growing weak. It is a practice that goes back centuries, as far as our species' memories." She explained.

Cooper slowly nodded, "You know what, a rhyming zebra is probably the least crazy thing I've seen since I got here so I guess it's fine." He replied.

The striped equine giggled into her hoof, "Tell me, do you have a name, or perhaps know from where you once came?"

Cooper sighed, "The name's Cooper. Cooper Slait. How about you? Do you have a name, miss 'rhyming zebra lady'."

She nodded, "Zecora is my name. It was the first thing I could ever claim."

"Zecora? That's an interesting name." Cooper remarked.

"When it comes to the matter of a name, you and I are very much the same. I have never met a creature like you, though it is a pleasure to say 'how do you do?'." Zecora replied, holding out her hoof.

Cooper eyed the offered hoof for a moment before releasing his hold on the pistol and taking her offered hoof. He gently shook before quickly returning his hand to his pocket and grabbing the pistol once more.

"I was on my way to make a new brew, but I would be remiss to not offer to help you. Are you by any chance, in need of somewhere to go? I live only a brisk walk away, you know?" Zecora offered.

Cooper owlishly blinked at the offer for a moment before glancing up at the sky once more. He let out a low sigh as he struggled to get any sort of bearing on his location.

"Alright, I guess that'd be fine. I don't suppose you know how to get back to Ponyville though, do you?"

Zecora nodded, "I can show you the way, but please, come with me for a short stay." She replied.

Cooper sighed but relented and nodded for her to lead the way. She happily took the lead, directing him in the opposite direction of the forest that he had been going. Cooper followed after the strange zebra, his guard still noticeably up, but his entire body much less tense than previously. After nearly ten minutes of walking through the dense and confusing terrain of the forest, Cooper soon arrived at Zecora's home.

From the outside, the structure appeared as nothing more than a rudimentary hut with some glass windows and tribal masks or trinkets posted up all over the outside of the structure. Cooper raised an eyebrow at the nature of the little dwelling, but opted not to say anything, lest he offend the kind zebra offering to take him back to Ponyville.

Zecora opened the door with a flourish, extending her foreleg and bowing her head ever so slightly as she ushered Cooper inside, "Please, do come in. Would you like water, tea, or gin?" She asked.

Cooper froze mid step, quickly turning his head to look down at the little zebra with a shocked expression, "You have gin?" He responded.

Zecora nodded.

"It's been almost five years since I've had any alcohol. I'll... take you up on that... maybe mixed with something though." Cooper responded.

"Hmm... I do have some green tea that I made this morning. For almost two hours, it's been warming. Would you like tea mixed with Gin and tonic? It's a brew from my home, and the taste is quite iconic." Zecora offered.

Cooper shrugged, "That... sounds like it might actually be pretty good. Thanks." He replied.

Zecora gave a quick nod and trotted off into her home to get the necessary ingredients. With her heading inside, Cooper now had the opportunity to take in the décor and design of her abode more readily. Sitting in the center of the hut, almost as if to act as a centerpiece, was a large cauldron sitting atop a decently sized fire pit. More masks and trinkets from the zebra's homeland were littered all over the ceiling and over other parts of the living area, making the otherwise empty space look quite full and furnished.

Cooper could see a decently sized bed at the opposite end of the single room, though more of the wall was clearly hollowed out to add extra room for the bed. Cooper's gaze drifted over to the walls, finding dozens and dozens of bottles, flasks, or what appeared to be mixing glasses on shelves that absolutely filled the walls. If the giant masks and trinkets weren't enough to make the room feel full, the bottles littering every inch of shelving space almost made it feel cramped.

Lost as he was in his observations of the home, Cooper didn't fail to notice the zebra as she worked in the kitchen-area. He quietly followed in after her, his head tilting to the side ever so slightly as he watched her preparing the drinks. While a large part of him was concerned about the possibility of Equestrian gin being a completely different brew, and much less drinkable than Earth gin, the clear liquid he saw Zecora pouring out into the cups before her gave him some measure of comfort.

At least it isn't radioactive green or something... Cooper thought to himself.

What captivated his attention far more than the drinks, however, was the mare before him as she effortlessly handled bottles and flasks with her hooves. Cooper's brow furrowed as he focused entirely on watching her work, her magical hooves somehow gripping and releasing object as small as mixing spoons.

"You are not a very trusting creature. I assure you, this is not my first time doing this procedure." Zecora teased, smiling at him over her wither.

Cooper snorted in mild amusement before holding up his hands in mock surrender as he slowly backed away, "Sorry. Just... not used to seeing you guys doing things with your hooves. I saw Twilight and her friends doing it but their hooves look more... I don't know, squishy? Yours look more like actual hooves from back home." He explained.

Zecora raised an eyebrow, before glancing down at her hoof, "I have never noticed anything special about my hoof. Perhaps you can shed some light with some proof?" She inquired, curiously glancing back up to Cooper.

Cooper awkwardly scratched the back of his neck, "Uh... nevermind, it's kinda hard to explain. Is... all this stuff yours?" He questioned, clearly attempting to change the topic of conversation.

Zecora smiled as she finished mixing the drinks and hoofed one over to Cooper, "Indeed, these are reminders from my home. I still remember playing on the beach, rolling around in the sea foam." She fondly recalled.

Cooper absentmindedly nodded as he took the offered drink. He glanced down at the liquid, finding that it now bore a light brown coloration inside of the wooden cup. He hesitantly brought it up to his nose to sniff the concoction, finding that the scents wafting from the drink were immediately familiar.

"It won't bite, I swear. You watched me make it from right there." Zecora teased, pointing to the spot Cooper was standing just a few moments earlier.

Cooper gave a reluctant nod, "Yeah, I know. Just... been a minute since I've smelled gin. Can't believe you guys actually have this stuff." He replied, before taking a small sip.

The fresh, piney flavor with hints of citrus and spice hit his palette instantly, making Cooper softly sigh in satisfaction. Hints of green tea were clearly present in the flavor, along with the slight bitterness of the tonic. There was no mistaking it, the drink was exactly what he hoped it was, prompting him to take another, longer sip of the beverage.

"Call it a suspicion, but I believe you have been suffering from some malnutrition. Don't drink too fast, as your tolerance won't be what it was last." Zecora cautioned.

Cooper nodded as he wiped a small amount of excess from his lips, "Yeah, good point. So... out of curiosity, why do you live out here in a hut instead of in town with everyone else?"

"The forest reminds me of home. It is much like the place I used to roam." Zecora replied, nodding slightly.

Cooper snorted in amusement, "Would you believe me if I told you that it kinda reminds me of my home, too?"

Zecora tilted her head to the side in curiosity, "Oh? Is that so? Please, continue. I am sure you have many stories within you."

Cooper sadly chuckled and nodded, "Well, it used to, at least. Now it's just a frozen wasteland. There used to be forests and green all over the damn place. Now all you see is white... white and gray." He reminisced, taking a swig of his drink.

"It is clear that your world has become quite depressing. Your arrival here must have been such a blessing." Zecora responded, a soft look in her ocean blue eyes.

Cooper's gaze fell down into his drink, almost half of the amber liquid gone, "Yeah... Twilight really did save my life." He muttered, frowning slightly.

"Ah, Princess Twilight. Meeting her was quite a highlight. She's a good friend, though were she hurt any worse, I fear she might have met her end." Zecora shivered at the thought.

"Yeah... she was pretty messed up when we got back... wait... oh shit! Twilight!" Cooper exclaimed, jumping out of his seat.

"What about her? Was it something I said, er..." Zecora started, hopping out of her chair as well.

"No, not you. I ran away from Ponyville and left her behind. She's probably worried sick about me right now. I need to get back to town as soon as possible." Cooper instructed, placing the cup on the chair arm and heading for the door.

"The Everfree forest is a dangerous place. Your tracks would be impossible to retrace," Zecora stated, trotting after him, "I said I would show you the way, so please, follow me and let's not delay."

Cooper opened the door and stepped outside, ensuring to hold it open for his zebra host. She quickly trotted ahead of him and headed for a narrow path that zig-zagged off into the brush around her hut. Cooper quickly followed behind, and soon enough, they were hastily making their way through the forest.

Within twenty minutes of seemingly easy navigation for the eccentric zebra, the forest around them began to thin, allowing them to see much easier. A trail of sorts materialized before them, allowing for much easier and faster travel, the closer they got to Ponyville. Cooper glanced up to see that the sun was slowly starting to head down toward the horizon, indicating that he'd been gone for at least a few hours. He shook his head and continued walking alongside Zecora, hopeful that Twilight wouldn't be too distraught or scared for his sake.

Not another ten minutes of travel passed by before they both heard some commotion coming from straight at the end of the trail. While there were many voices speaking over each other, one voice distinctly stood out among the rest to Cooper's ear. It was Twilight's voice, and she was absolutely furious. Without so much as a word to his zebra companion, Cooper ran toward the source of the commotion, quickly finding himself at the edge of the forest and in front of a large field of plain grass that separated the town from the woods.

"-and what do you do?! You set off a bucking canon right in front of us!? What the hay is the matter with you!? You have no idea what that sounds like to us! You have no idea how much that sound terrifies us! Now my friend is in the bucking forest, and it's all your fault!" Twilight's booming voice echoed over the open field, allowing Cooper to hear every word.

As the town of Ponyville came into view, Cooper saw dozens and dozens of ponies all standing around in the field, most of them circled around Twilight and Pinkie, as the former practically screamed at her. The rest of the ponies were organized in something that could have resembled a search party, if it weren't for the fact that more and more of them were moving in to attempt to separate the seething alicorn from her earth pony friend.

"Princess! Stop! It was an accident!" Sky exclaimed, having to fight with all of his strength to restrain Twilight.

"She didn't realize it would cause Cooper to run! We need to focus on finding him!" Midnight added, also using her magic to hold Twilight down.

Even in her weakened and injured state, Twilight was a force to be reckoned with. Less than a week of recovery was all it took, it seemed, for her to regain most of her earth pony strength. Across from her, being consoled by no less than half a dozen ponies while she bawled her eyes out, was Pinkie. The party pony's usually fluffy and poofy mane was limp and flat against her head. Tears streamed from her tightly closed eyes as she profusely apologized again and again for her transgression. The sight alone was enough to make Cooper's heart sink.

"He's back!" One of the townsponies shouted, pointing at Cooper and turning the entire crowd's attention back to him.

Instantly, Twilight's mood shifted, and her attention shifted toward the human standing not even a hundred paces away. Suddenly, all hostility and anger left her eyes, hope and excitement taking their place in a heartbeat. She teleported away from the crowd, reappearing just a few feet away from Cooper in a flash.

"Cooper!" Twilight cried out, flinging herself at him and wrapping her forelegs around his waist.

Cooper gave a start at the sudden appearance of the lavender alicorn, but quickly accepted the hug and returned it with one of his own. He dropped to a knee as he pulled Twilight close to him, his arms wrapping tightly around her as she cried into his shirt. Cooper ran his hand through her fur, quietly whispering into her ear as he held her close.

"It's okay, I'm alright. I'm here." He whispered.

"I was so worried... you just ran off and... I..." Twilight choked up, harsh sobs wracking her body.

Cooper continued to gently run his hand down her back while he held her close, the rest of Ponyville slowly and cautiously approaching as Twilight continued to cry into his shirt.

Author's Note

Now that's just a whole can of worms that needs to be aired out now, isn't it? Twilight has a lot of issues to work through, herself. It doesn't take four years to traumatize someone.

Chapter 13

The Next Day

"I'm telling you, it was just a one-time thing. It won't happen again so I don't need to be babysat all day by you two." Cooper groaned, stepping out through the front door of the castle.

Both Sky and Midnight kept an extremely close proximity to either side of their human charge as he exited, almost comically struggling to fit through the doorway. Once outside, they finally gave him a smidgen of breathing room, but continued to keep themselves close in case anything unexpected happened once more.

Despite her protests, Twilight did not attempt to stop Cooper from leaving in the morning. An assurance that he would only be gone for a short spell and allow his guards to escort him, was enough to stay her grievances for the day. Said guards were quick to jump at the chance to watch over him, both hovering more protectively than ever before. While their eagerness to be at his side was somewhat heartwarming at first, Cooper quickly found himself growing annoyed at just how overly protective the pair of guards were being.

"Sir, with all due respect, you took off and ran into the Everfree Forest. No sane creature would do that so we can't afford to let you out of our sight in case a loud noise scares you off again." Sky replied, literally pressing his barrel against Cooper's thigh.

"Princess Twilight was utterly distraught when you ran off. We're not trying to make you feel bad, but she was about ready to tan our hides when we failed to stop you. We can't let something like that happen again." Midnight chastised, also pressing her barrel against Cooper's other thigh.

Between the two ponies sandwiching him, Cooper struggled to make any kind of decent pace while he walked into town.

"It's just a forest. Yeah, it's a little creepy, but it's nothing I haven't seen before." Cooper rolled his eyes.

"Sir, the Everfree Forest is the most unnatural place in Equestria. The clouds move on their own, the animals don't need anypony to take care of them, there are monsters in there, and so much more. It's a miracle you weren't injured or eaten by something in there." Sky replied, a small shiver making its way down his spine as he continued to match Cooper's pace.

"I think you're being a bit dramatic. Yeah, there are probably some big animals in there but you're making it sound like there are vampires and zombies all over the forest." Cooper responded, raising an eyebrow as he glanced down at the overly protective pegasus.

"There could be! You never know!" Sky exclaimed, casting a quick glance to the aforementioned forest.

Cooper let out a long sigh of defeat as the guards on either side of him appeared to be far from budging on their stance. Loathe as he was to admit it, the company of two individuals who were happy to chat with him, did raise his spirits slightly. Years of solitude made for a poor conversation partner, after all.

So it was with much annoyance and a very small amount of amusement, that Cooper made his way into town with the two pony guard escorts practically gluing themselves to his hips. The simple task of going out to buy some ingredients for cooking, which was his one and only goal for the day, proved to be quite an amusing sight for the rest of Ponyville. As they reached the market street, all eyes in town immediately looked over to the human and his guards as the trio moved from stall to stall like an amalgamation of three creatures fused together into one.

With a small bag of bits he'd borrowed from Twilight, Cooper managed to purchase a his ingredients one by one. While he was trying his best to keep it a secret, it was immediately clear to anypony with even a small history of baking, that he was gathering the necessary ingredients for a cake. Flour, baking powder, eggs, sugar, and even a cup of freshly made frosting from the local café corner made up the bulk of the morning shopping. Despite it's appearance and namesake, Cooper avoided Sugarcube corner as he was made well aware of a particular pink resident in said structure.

While he did harbor some feelings of annoyance for the pink party pony, Cooper struggled to find any kind of anger in his heart for her. As he thought back on the previous days' events, he kept coming to the same conclusion.

It wasn't her, it was me...

Cooper waged a mental war with himself, attempting to justify his actions as reasonable in the face of such a sudden and unexpected surprise, yet he kept coming back to the simple facts of the matter. He'd overreacted and nearly ran himself into the ground, not to mention ending up in the middle of a forest he didn't know, with no supplies or equipment.

The survivalist in him cringed at his hasty and foolish mistakes, but the reasonable man in him knew that there was more to what had happened. Even if she was the spark that ignited the fire in his mind, Pinkie was not the source of what drove him into the forest. Rather, that was something that he knew he would have to address eventually, lest his next reaction be more fight than flight.

With his head dipped in thought over all of these implications, Cooper failed to notice the approaching form of a snow white mare with a curly purple mane until she was just a few paces in front of him.

"Oh, Cooper! There you are!" Rarity exclaimed, excitedly waving her hoof at him.

Cooper looked up in surprise for just a second, his features almost adopting a sense of anxiety at the sudden introduction, but he was able to quickly dispel any inappropriate expressions before anyone could notice. He gave a small wave to the fashionista as she trotted over to him.

"Morning, Rarity." Cooper greeted, politely.

"And what a good morning it is to you as well. Would you like to know why?" Rarity beamed.

Cooper tilted his head to the side, a look of confusion forming on his face, "Uh... why's that?" He hesitantly asked.

"Because I've finished your ensemble!" Rarity cheered, a bright, beaming smile on her muzzle.

Cooper's brow furrowed in disbelief, "Already? But you said that it would take at least a week or so... It's only been like, two days..." He replied.

Rarity shook her head, "While I did quote the time table for this little wardrobe as 'a week or so', I was hit so such inspiration that I simply could not stop myself. I worked almost through the entire night after taking your measurements, as well as the entirety of yesterday. Why, I think I made you an outfit for every day of the week." She proudly explained.

Cooper shook his head in amazement, "Wow... that's... you didn't have to do all that for me, Rarity." He responded.

Rarity dramatically stomped her hoof on the ground, "I'll hear none of this nonsense from you, Cooper, my dear. I wanted to do this for you, not just as a thanks for saving my friend, but also as a gift to welcome you to Equestria. Come along to my boutique, won't you? I would absolutely love for you to try them on." She offered.

Cooper glanced back down at the two pony guards beside him, finding both to be giving him equal shrugs of indifference.

"I would offer to fly your groceries back to the castle for you, but..." Sky awkwardly trailed off.

Cooper rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah, I know. Then you can at least hold them while I try on these clothes."

"I've got your bags. It's no trouble." Midnight kindly offered, taking hold of all the groceries with her magic.

"Thanks," Cooper replied, before turning to Rarity, "Alright, let's see what you've made." He announced.

Rarity clopped her hooves together in excitement and spun around to lead the way, "Follow me, Darling. Right this way."

With that, the snow white unicorn lead the group of guards and man back to the familiar sight of her boutique. Just like the previous outing, the carousel-like exterior was a strange sight to Cooper's tired eyes, but he kept any thoughts to himself as he was ushered inside by the fashionista. Unlike the previous outing, however, there was a distinct lack of any poniquines laying around with mockups of attire or the beginnings of a dress, anywhere to be seen. It was as if Rarity had completely emptied the foyer, save for the stages where she took measurements or held small runway modeling shoots.

As alien as the rest of Ponyville was to Cooper, there was something oddly familiar about the boutique's interior that had failed to manifest the previous time he visited. This time, however, a small memory found its way to the surface of his mind. The thought of his daughter riding on a carousel at the pier, made him freeze in his step. His eyes slowly fell to the floor as the beautiful memory of that summer day made itself know. The sun glistened off of the rippling waves crashing into the sandy beach below, while children played and the sounds of merriment filled the air.

Though, try as he might, he couldn't see his daughter's face. He tried to squint to see her better, but it was to no avail. For whatever reason, her face was simply a blurry amalgamation of features he knew she had but couldn't properly place. He watched her slowly bouncing up and down on the carousel, another feminine figure sitting beside her while he rode in the place behind them. Laughter and happiness filled the air just in front of him, yet he couldn't feel it. He could see the warmth and color of the memory just before his very eyes, but he could not touch it.

"Cooper!" Rarity exclaimed, waving a hoof in front of his face.

Cooper gave a start and shook his head free of the memory, glancing down to Rarity to find a worried look in her beautiful sapphire eyes.

"What?" He asked, his voice nearly choking up.

"Cooper, Darling, are you alright? You were just standing there for quite a while, completely staring off into space. I've been trying to get your attention for nearly a minute now." Rarity explained.

Cooper shook his head, "Uh, sorry. Just kinda got lost in thought for a second, there. Did you bring the clothes down?" He asked, in a hopeful bid to change the subject.

Thankfully, Rarity didn't appear to pick up on his lies, and instead turned toward the stage with a small flourish.

"Of course. They're right here. What do you think?" She asked, trotting over to the clothing rack.

Cooper followed after, carefully examining the fabric of the first outfit to meet his eyes. Much to his surprise, the design was something he was immediately familiar with: a flannel. The long sleeves, soft fabric, and elegance of the pattern, were immediately appreciated as Cooper ran his hand over the material.

"Wow..." He murmured, relishing in the softness of the fabric.

"Do you love it?" Rarity impishly inquired.

Cooper slowly nodded, "I... love flannels... used to wear them all the time before... before everything happened." He replied.

Rarity gingerly placed a hoof on Cooper's thigh, "I... can't imagine what you've gone through... I hope that this evokes good memories, as opposed to..." She trailed off, an apologetic look in her eyes.

Cooper quickly shook his head of the sad thoughts plaguing his mind and turned to give Rarity a grateful smile, "It does... thank you." He replied, taking the flannel off of the rack.

Rarity positively beamed as Cooper removed his tattered, nearly threadbare shirt and donned the flannel, buttoning it up until just the top button was left undone below his collar. He looked down at the accompanying pair of jeans on the rack and removed them as well. The fabric was surprisingly stretchy for a pair of jeans, leading him to the assumption that these were most definitely not 'work' jeans and better suited to casual wear or aesthetics.

Ever the professional, Rarity levitated a privacy curtain over for Cooper and gave him a few minutes to shed his pants and underwear before trying on the replacements she made for him. He ensured to keep the pistol hidden in his old pants, only transferring it to his new jeans once he was sure even Rarity couldn't peak over the curtain to see. Quick enough, he was dressed in his new attire, and Rarity removed the privacy curtain to allow the rest of the room to see him.

The comfortable fabric of the jeans and flannel were like a constant warm hug, wrapped around his entire body, making Cooper sigh in content as he reveled in the comfort the clothing provided. The fitment was absolutely perfect, while leaving material fastened away that would allow the flannel and jeans to size up as he put weight back on. He was so taken by the masterful work of the fashion pony that he didn't noticed the pair of socks and shoes being levitated toward him until they bumped into his shoulder.

"I took the liberty of working with one of my colleagues down at the horseshoe store and we put together a little something that hopefully will be to your liking. She did the work on the soles of the shoes while I did the fabric that makes up the body. Granted, hoof-er, footwear was never my forte, but I hope it'll suffice as something to wear while we fix those boots of yours up. I know AppleJack knows a thing or two about making a set last, so I was hoping you'd leave them with me and I could take them over to her later today or tomorrow." Rarity kindly offered.

Cooper took the pair of shoes and stared at them for a few moments, his jaw dropping ever so slightly. While the design was certainly crude in certain aspects, namely the shape of the actual shoe being more square and angular as opposed to the usual 'rounded off' design he was used to, there was something undoubtedly charming about its design. Whether that was the dark brown fabric choice or the black accents that complimented the design, he couldn't say, but he found himself gratefully accepting them all the same.

"Wow... y-yeah, that's fine." Cooper agreed, taking off his worn out boots and socks.

Within a minute, he slipped the second of the pair of shoes onto his feet, finding that the interior was extremely comfortable. Despite his initial reservations about the usability of a pair of shoes designed by a species without feet, he was quickly coming to like the new set of footwear.

With that complete, Rarity stepped out of the way, allowing Cooper to turn to his pony guard escorts to find them both nodding approvingly at his new attire.

"That looks really good on you." Midnight complimented.

"Yeah, now we just need to get you a mane-cut and you'll be a real hit with the mares." Sky joked, giving a friendly smile.

Cooper snorted in amusement at the response before running a hand through his shaggy mop of hair, "Yeah... I guess a haircut wouldn't be a bad idea, huh?"

"I know we passed a salon on the way over here. We can probably get you an appointment if we head over there next." Midnight offered.

Cooper nodded in agreement, but before he could say anything, Rarity chimed in, "I can deliver the rest of these to the castle if you'd like. I would also highly recommend taking a day to go to the spa. Aloe and Lotus do phenomenal work, as well as grooming if you're in need of a trim. Oh! Before you go, I need to give you one more thing! I can't believe I almost forgot!" She blurted out, scrambling upstairs.

It only took a minute for her to return, barreling down the stairs with Cooper's cloak held in her magical grasp. She came to a screeching halt just a few feet away, huffing and puffing from the exertion.

"Whew... sorry about that... anyway, this was quite a challenge but I am quite proud of the final result.

Cooper inspected the cloak with the utmost scrutiny. While it was clearly still the same cloak, a part of him struggled to believe that it could be, given that all of the holes, tears, burns, and cuts were completely repaired. Even the color of the cloak looked nearly new, save for a few area's that were stained more heavily than others. The bluish color stood in stark contrast to the white pony standing just beside the garment, her brilliant blue eyes looking up to him expectantly.

"It's... perfect." Cooper mumbled, gently grabbing the fabric in his hands, almost as if to see if it was actually real.

If Rarity's smile could possibly get any wider, it would have split her face, "Oh! I am so happy to hear you say that! I spent nearly three hours working on the cloak alone! I was starting to think I'd never be able to get some of those stains out."

Cooper slowly shook his head, "I... this is amazing... thank you, Rarity." He responded, giving a soft smile to the unicorn mare.

Rarity blushed at the praise before igniting her horn once more, "Oh, I'm just thrilled that you like it. You'd best get going if you plan to get that mane-cut today though. I know that the salon gets pretty busy around this time of day." She tittered, shooing Cooper away with her magic.

The lighthearted shove prompted an amused snort from the human as he headed over toward the exit, "Alright, alright. Again, thanks for this. It means more than I can say with words." He relented, stepping outside after Sky and Midnight.

"It was a pleasure to make them for you, Cooper. Just let me know how the rest of the ensemble fits!" Rarity chirped, before closing the door behind them.

With the goodbyes concluded, Cooper turned around, only to find both his guards standing defensively between him and Pinkie Pie.

Author's Note

Rarity was a surprisingly fun character to write. I feel like this kind of generosity would be warranted and she would be the type to get really inspired and just commit to a full 24 hour session of work without sleep. As for the rest of the characters here, I hope you guys enjoyed. There are many more things to come.

Chapter 14

Cooper blinked in surprise at the sight of the pink party pony suddenly standing before him. While both his guards were already between the two of them, it became immediately apparent to him that Pinkie was less than ten feet away, yet she hadn't done anything other than quietly look up at him, her straight mane cascading down her face.

"Miss Pie, Princess Twilight has all but demanded that you keep your distance from Mister Slait." Sky informed her, his wings flaring out slightly.

"I... I just-" Pinkie tried to speak, but was swiftly cut off by Midnight.

"Miss Pie, I'm sure that Princess Twilight will get over what happened soon enough. However, right now... it's probably for the best if you just keep your distance." Midnight advised.

"B-but... I..." Pinkie replied, trailing off as more tears formed in the corners of her eyes.

Despite the situation she caused not even twenty four hours prior, Cooper couldn't help but feel his heart break at the sight of such a bubbly, happy-go-lucky pony absolutely absorbed in despair and sadness. Her bright ocean blue eyes brimmed with tears that made him frown in concern.

"Miss Pie, I think it's time for you to leave. There will be a time to fix everything, but I don't think that time is right now." Sky stated, gently.

Pinkie looked like she wanted to argue, to say something to counter the guard's statement, but it was just as clear that she was at war with herself. Every time she opened her mouth to refute, she closed it not a moment later, a contemplative look on her face. When it became clear that she was going nowhere, Pinkie let out a dejected sigh and sadly nodded. She slowly turned around and trudged off, her hooves barely lifting off the ground.

"Wait." Cooper ordered, freezing her in her place.

Both Sky and Midnight turned around and looked at Cooper as if he'd grown a second head, but Pinkie glanced over her wither with a look of hope in her tear-stained eyes.

"Sir, I don't think-" Sky began, only for Cooper to silence him by holding up his hand.

"I appreciate that you guys are looking after me... but what happened wasn't her fault. At least... not this time, it wasn't." Cooper replied, stepping past his pegasus and unicorn guards.

Much as they appeared hesitant to accept what was happening, both Sky and Midnight allowed Cooper to walk past them and approach Pinkie Pie.

"C-Cooper?" She asked, a pleading look in her eyes.

Cooper got down on one knee, bringing himself to eye level with the normally poofy pink pony, "You think you can manage to not blow shit up in my face like that again? I don't do well with surprises. You ponies might love them but I sure as Hell don't."

Pinkie slowly nodded, "I-I promise I won't ever surprise you like that again... I was just... so excited to see a new friend in town..." She trailed off, her gaze falling to the ground once more.

Cooper gently placed a hand on her wither, making her eyes snap up to him once more, "Alright... I forgive you. Just... don't do that to me again, please... I've got a lot of bad experiences with shit blowing up all around me."

The look of despair and depression on Pinkie's face disappeared within a millisecond, a look of relief and happiness taking its place so fast that Cooper was hardly prepared for what came next. Pinkie darted forward, wrapping both her forelegs around his back and squeezing him closer as she practically sobbed happy tears into his shirt.

"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you! I promise it won't ever happen again!!!" Pinkie cried, nuzzling her cheek against Cooper's collar.

Cooper hesitantly returned the hug, consciously aware of the many eyes that were quickly falling on the scene he was a part of. He stroked his hand through Pinkie's mane, finding that somehow, someway, the curls and poofiness of her mane had returned in the time it took her to dart over and hug him. As much as he didn't want to admit it, there was something utterly adorable about the little equine as she held onto him as if her life depended on it.

"Alright, I think that's enough of a scene for now." Cooper announced, gently patting Pinkie's back.

With a few sniffles and hiccups, Pinkie pulled away, nodding as she did so, "Y-you're right... thank you so much, Cooper. I promise that I won't ever scare you or Twilight like that again."

Cooper gave a half smile, "Thank you, Pinkie. I appreciate that. I'll try to talk to Twilight too. It don't make a lot of sense for her to be mad at you over me when I'm not." He offered.

Pinkie's lip trembled, "Thank you... I really hope she forgives me... I've never made any of my friends that angry before... not even Gilda, and she was really really mad at me when I wasn't even the one pulling those pranks on her." She explained.

"Don't worry. Twilight's a reasonable gal. She'll come around," Cooper replied, getting back to his feet, "Now, I have a haircut that I need to go get, so I should be going."

"Okie dokie lokie. Thank you, Cooper!" Pinkie smiled, trembling on her hooves for a moment.

Cooper raised an eyebrow at her sudden bout of jitters but before he could say anything, she darted forward and wrapped her forelegs around him again, hugging him tightly once more. The hug only lasted for a few seconds, but Cooper was immediately assaulted by the warmth and sincerity behind the gesture. Before Sky or Midnight could step in and separate her by force, Pinkie withdrew and give him another gentle smile.

"See you around, Cooper." She offered, before trotting off.

"See ya' around, Pinkie." Cooper murmured, giving a small wave as she departed.

"Are you sure that was a good idea? She can be a bit... overly eager and Princess Twilight was very adamant about-" Sky began, only for Cooper to cut him off.

"I know, and it's fine. I'll be alright." Cooper replied, standing upright again.

"If you're sure..." Midnight hesitantly relented.

"Now, about that haircut..." Cooper trailed off, glancing around for the building in question.

"The salon is just down the road, but are you sure you don't want to go try out the spa like Miss Rarity suggested?" Midnight replied.

Cooper shook his head, "It's a nice suggestion, but I'm not really... the spa type."

"What do you mean by that? What's wrong with going to the spa?" Sky asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Nothing wrong with 'em, just not my cup of tea is all." Cooper shrugged.

"But the spa is so relaxing. You get to lay down in a hot tub, be waited on, have an expert mare or stallion massage your withers and croup. Not to mention the zucchini's they give you. Those are delicious." Sky prattled off, a dreamy look appearing in his eyes.

Both Cooper and Midnight raised an eyebrow at the stallion guard's antics, "Uh... right, well... while that sounds real nice and all, I'm not too keen on massages at the moment." Cooper replied.

"Let's just go to the salon and we can try to get the hair cut there. We can worry about massages and hot tubs once Cooper is more settled in Equestria." Midnight suggested.

"That's a plan I can get behind." Cooper nodded.

Sky shrugged, "You're the one missing out, not me." He replied, falling in line with Cooper and Midnight as they headed in the direction of the salon.

With little chatter between them, the group was able to make its way through the town and to the salon in a matter of minutes. As they arrived, Cooper took note of how the interior resembled a salon from the nineteen fifties, with bowl-shaped blow-dryers that covered the heads of nearly a dozen mares all sitting in their chairs. The complete lack of any stallions in the building did little to assuage Cooper's growing hesitancy.

"Welcome to the Ponyville Salon! I'm Saffron Swirl. What can I do for you?" A meridian red mare with a swirly white mane greeted, looking up from her counter at the front.

"We're here to get Mister Slait a haircut." Midnight explained, politely.

The mare looked up to Cooper, taking in his shaggy mop of hair with a critical eye, "Hmm... can't say I've ever worked on a creature like you, but... I think we can make it work. Gonna have to shave off quite a bit there. How long's it been since you last got a trim, sir?" She asked, curiously.

"Five years." Cooper replied, flatly.

The mare blanched, "Well shoot... this is a hair emergency. Let's get you into a chair, honey." Saffron instructed.

With a flourish and barely a moment of time for him to reconsider, Cooper was quickly rushed over to one of the empty chairs at the far side of the room. His much larger frame was clearly going to be an issue for the comparatively small chair that he sat on, but it was still comfortable enough for him to sit in without arching his back too much. The mare quickly wet his hair and brought out a pair of scissors to trim his beard.

An apron cape was quickly thrust upon him, and his beard was similarly rinsed with warm water. With expert precision and skill, Saffron trimmed his beard down until it was just an inch or so in length. Long, scraggly swathes of hair fell from his cheeks and covered the floor around him. Once Saffron was satisfied with his beard trim, she lathered his beard in shaving cream and pulled out a razor from her drawer. She swiftly but carefully shaved his face until the last remains of his beard were removed.

With that finished, she covered his neck and cheeks with a warm, wet towel, ensuring not to cover his mouth with the moist fabric. While that was sitting, she pulled her scissors back out and trimmed Cooper's hair. She kept his hair relatively long, but took nearly six inches of scraggly, greasy, and clumpy hair off. Once she was happy with the length, she added shampoo into his hair and washed it in, carefully avoiding getting any of the suds into his eyes.

After a quick wash, followed by an addition of conditioner and subsequent wash, she combed through his hair, straightening out the knots and curls with expert precision. It took a few minutes of rooting through the tangles and such, but eventually, she managed to clean his hair up and straighten it.

Once she was happy with it, she sat his chair upright and placed the blow-dryer over his head. Less than a minute in the chair managed to add significant volume and sheen to Cooper's hair, after which, the blow-dryer was promptly removed.

All in all, the entire process took less than ten minutes, but the results were undeniable. She held a mirror out in front of Cooper's face, giving him a look at himself with his new look.

"What do ya' think, honey? I can go a little shorter if you'd like." Saffron inquired.

Cooper stared at his reflection for a few moments, his jaw dropping ever so slightly. For the first time in half a decade, he could see his face, and the features he'd long forgotten. His cheeks, hollow from years of malnutrition, combined with his pale skin gave him a nearly ghoulish appearance, but the hair atop his head was styled in such a way that he looks years younger. His piercing brown eyes appeared more vividly than he could ever remember without a shaggy mop of hair obscuring them and getting in the way.

Cooper dryly swallowed as he saw himself as he was before the Armageddon. Try as he might, he couldn't help the memories of his past life that came flooding back. He quickly closed his eyes and shook his head to clear the thoughts away, lest his tears start flowing freely in such a public place.

"You don't like it? I can try-" Saffron began.

"It's fine, really. Better than fine, to be honest. It's great... It's just... been a while since I've seen myself like this." Cooper replied, earnestly.

Giving him a soft smile, she brushed the excess hair off of him and helped Cooper out of the chair. She hastily led him over to the front desk once more, where Sky and Midnight had been watching the entire time.

"Alright, that'll be fifteen bits for the mane-cut and trim, sir." Saffron sweetly informed.

"This should cover it." Midnight replied, stepping forward and levitating twenty bits out of her armor.

"This looks like a bit more than fifteen." Saffron observed as she accepted the payment.

"For doing such a good job." Midnight gave her a nod.

"You could say that again. Cooper looks like an entirely different creature now. Much more respectable looking." Sky noted, giving his own nod of approval.

"Well thank you very much. I take pride in my work," Saffron replied, turning to Cooper, "So that's your name, eh? Gotta say, it sounds pretty exotic."

Cooper shrugged, "It's nothing special. Compared to where I come from, all you ponies have unique and exotic names."

Saffron shrugged, "I guess it's just a matter of perspective. Regardless, it was great to meet'cha, Cooper. If you need another haircut- preferably sooner than five years from now- feel free to stop by and ask for me." She beamed.

Cooper returned a small smile, "I will. Thank you."

With that, the trio exited the salon and headed back toward the castle of friendship in the center of town. While there were still several odd looks from the townsponies they passed along the way, the return journey proceeded in what was essentially peace and quiet. It was clear to both of the guards that Cooper wasn't in much of a talking mood, though his spirits did appear to be genuinely higher than before.

Soon enough, they arrived at the castle and entered, prompting Spike to come down the stairs with a curious look in his eyes.

"Oh, you guys are back. I'll go let Twilight know." He announced, turning right around and scampering back up the stairs.

With just the three of them in the foyer, Cooper was the first to speak up, "I don't think I'm gonna be going out anymore today. If you guys are gonna be attached to my hip all day, can you at least help bake?"

Midnight and Sky raised an eyebrow at the sudden question.

"I have quite some baking experience under my hooves." Midnight replied.

"I can at least not set the kitchen on fire... mostly since it's made out of crystal and crystal doesn't burn." Sky sheepishly admitted.

Cooper shrugged, "Good enough. Why don't you two get out of that armor and help me out then. I don't need you bumping into everything while we try to make this." He responded, heading toward the kitchen.

"Um, we're really not supposed to-" Midnight started.

"I know, and I'm asking you to do it anyway. Either that, or just sit outside the kitchen and stay out of the way." Cooper cut her off.

As the human headed straight for the kitchen, both pegasus and unicorn were left slightly stunned by his sudden offer. Albeit with nearly a minute of hesitation, Midnight trotted after him, unclasping her helmet as she did. Sky was quick to follow, and within a few moments, both of them were stripped of their armor. They placed their respective bundles of equipment on the floor outside of the kitchen before trotting in.

Cooper did a double take at their appearances as they entered, his brow furrowing in confusion. While their facial features and species were identical, both Sky and Midnight were completely different colors than just a moment prior. Midnight's coat was a dark gray, and her mane shown like ebony black in the sunlight filtering through the crystal windows. Only her sapphire eyes maintained the same color and vividness as before.

While Midnight was notably darker than before, Sky was much more colorful. His coat was a deep crimson red, and his golden brown mane appeared much more voluptuous than Cooper would have thought possible under his helmet. Much like Midnight, his amber eyes were unchanged, which was arguably the only feature that made him recognizable to the human.

"What?" Sky inquired, tilting his head to the side at Cooper's reaction.

"How... you guys are different colors..." Cooper muttered.

"It's an enchantment on our armor. The guard is all about conformity and uniformity, so our armor gives us all the same color." Midnight explained as she levitated Cooper's groceries onto the counter.

"How... how do you tell each other apart?" Cooper asked, curiously.

"Officers get a dark gray coat, just like Mid's natural color," Sky explained, "As for the rest of us, we kinda just recognize each other after a while." He shrugged.

Cooper opened his mouth to ask more questions, but quickly decided to let it go and pointed toward the bags on the counter, "Alright, let's just get to making something for Twilight." He ordered.

"Ah, so this is a project for the Princess." Midnight noted, quickly levitating the ingredients out of their bags.

"Just a little something to thank her for letting me stay here." Cooper explained.

"Si-Cooper... you know she wants you to be here, right? You saved her life. She's made it clear that you don't owe her anything." Sky offered.

Cooper stared down at the counter and the gathered ingrediants for a few moments, almost seeming to pointedly not respond. Eventually, he looked up to the two ponies before him.

"Think you can mix the eggs and flour while you get the oven started? I've never used this one before so I don't really know how it works." He asked, looking to Sky and Midnight, respectively.

Sky and Midnight shared a quick look, "Uh... I'll get the oven started." Sky offered.

"Guess I'll mix the eggs and flour, then." Midnight added.

Author's Note

Sometimes a little trim can completely change a person. Hope you guys liked this. Little bit of character development and such. Sky and Mid needed it, and well, Cooper can always use it lol.

Chapter 15

One Week Later

Cooper walked down the main street of Ponyville with Twilight at his side and his two guards behind him. While the sun was brightly shinning down on them, and the air carried a gentle warmth to it, Cooper still appeared to have a damper on his mood, as his hands rested in his pockets and his gaze lingered on the ground. Several ponies waved to the group- mostly to Twilight- but he ignored them all the same. Sensing the obvious smog in the air around her friend, Twilight bumped his thigh with her flank.

"Something on your mind, Coop?" Twilight inquired, looking up to him curiously.

Cooper shrugged, "Nothing really. Just thinking." He muttered in response.

Twilight frowned slightly at his short response, "Are you still upset over the cake? Cooper, I told you, it's okay that it wasn't very good. You haven't baked in half a decade! Hay, I didn't think you ever baked before in the first place." She offered.

Cooper rolled his eyes, "I'm not pissed about the damn cake, Twilight. That was a week ago, anyway." He sighed.

Twilight pursed her lips, "Well then what's eating at you? I'd have thought that getting to go for a walk with me for the first time since we made it back would be a welcome distraction, but you've been kinda upset the whole time." She offered.

Cooper shook his head, "I'm not upset. I'm just thinking."

"Thinking about what?" Twilight asked, curiously.

"About why you keep asking so many damn questions." Cooper snarkily responded.

While both Sky and Midnight blanched at his crass response, Twilight laughed at the blatant disrespect, "Well duh? I'm trying to get you out of your funk. For a creature that hadn't seen the sun in four years, you haven't seemed to want to go outside much this past week."

Cooper shrugged, "Just... haven't been in the best of moods."

As the group reached the town square of Ponyville, the rest of the ponies around them quickly took notice of their local princess and human guest. A small following of chattering and whispering voices filled the air around them as the town's denizens observed them. While he didn't notice their quiet conversations about him right away, Cooper most certainly felt the eyes of dozens of ponies on him as he walked beside his closest friend.

"-could help out if you want. Just making a suggestion." Twilight finished.

Cooper did a double take, only just realizing that Twilight had been responding to him as his attention focused elsewhere. He found himself unconsciously clutching the pistol in his pocket as if his life depended on it, and slowly eased his hand off of the grip as he let out a sobering breath.

"Cooper?" Twilight pressed, stopping in her tracks to give him a worried glance.

"I-I'm fine. Just still adjusting, is all." Cooper responded.

Twilight opened her mouth to reply, but a friendly voice with a distinctly southern drawl called out to them before she could.

"Howdy, ya'll!" AppleJack called from her stand.

It was at that moment that Twilight realized that they were only a stone's throw away from the familiar famer pony, and she quickly broke from her worries about Cooper to greet her friend.

"AppleJack, good morning." She politely offered, trotting over to the apple stand.

Cooper followed suite, finding his gaze pulled to the rest of the ponies at the stand with AppleJack. A large, burly red stallion with a plowing yoke over his withers, stood just beside the orange earth pony mare. While ponies were small creatures compared to a human, the stallion absolutely towered over the rest of the town, his head coming up to Cooper's chest. Even with little time in the alien world, Cooper could tell that the stallion was absolutely massive by pony standards.

Beside him, on the complete opposite side of the spectrum, sat a bright yellow filly with crimson red hair making up her mane and tail. Most notable on her, was the giant, adorable bow fixed to the back of her mane, making her cute appearance somehow even more charming. He was instantly smitten with her before even speaking a word to the cute little filly.

Arriving at the stand not a moment later, Twilight greeted the apple clan with her usual friendly demeanor. However, despite her warm greeting, it was immediately clear that not all of the Apple family were happy to see her.

"You come to cuss out mah sister, too?" The little yellow filly questioned, no small amount of hostility in her voice.

Twilight's ears instantly splayed back against her skull while AppleJack quickly grabbed her sister.

"AppleBloom! What did Ah tell you!? Don't you go talkin' to Twilight like that!" AppleJack scolded, making AppleBloom's ears splay back as well.

"No, it's okay... I deserved that. I still haven't seen Pinkie since I lost my temper and I need to apologize." Twilight admitted, her eyes galling to the dirt.

"Eeyup." The massive red stallion nodded.

"Big Mac! Hush up! Both'a ya'll. Land's sake," AppleJack exasperatedly exclaimed, before turning to Twilight, "I'm real sorry about them, Twi. I know you've been through a lot so I know it wasn't just you tryin' to hurt her. Pinkie can just make ya want to scream sometimes."

Twilight quickly shook her head, "Thank you, AppleJack, but they're right. I've been meaning to talk to Pinkie and apologize for a few days now but I haven't seen her. I don't suppose you know where she is right now, do you?" She inquired.

AppleJack shook her head, "I'm afraid I don't. Haven't seen her the last few days. You can try Sugarcube corner and see if she's with the Cakes." She offered.

Twilight nodded, "Then that's where I'll go." She resolutely declared, turning on her hooves.

"You, uh... you go ahead. I've already talked to her and it sounds like this is something you two need to fix in private." Cooper replied, making Twilight freeze in her tracks.

"Wait, then what are you going to do? Knowing Pinkie, there'll probably be a lot of crying and making up so this could take the better part of the day." Twilight responded.

Cooper shrugged, "Uh, I don't really know... might just keep walking around for a bit."

"If ya' need something to do, we always need a helpin' hoof over at Sweet Apple Acres." AppleJack suggested.

Cooper raised an eyebrow at the suggestion, but was quickly cut off by Twilight as she gasped in excitement.

"Oh! That's it! Cooper, I think I know what'll help you get out of your funk. An actual paying job would be phenomenal for you!" Twilight exclaimed.

Cooper's eyebrow only raised even higher, "Are you saying I'm a financial burden?" He inquired.

Twilight blanched, "What!? No! It's just that you've been kind of upset the past week, and I remember reading that males tend to be more goal oriented while females are more emotionally oriented, so I figured a job would be an excellent way to give you a daily goal that could help boost your mood." She hastily explained.

Cooper snorted in mild amusement, "I know. I'm just messing with you." He relented.

Twilight's cheeks puffed in irritation at the teasing, but she shook the indignation off and looked over to AppleJack within a matter of seconds.

"So do you think you would be able to give Cooper a job for a little while? Nothing too strenuous or physically demanding, of course- his arm is still in a sling- but maybe something that could help him get his strength back up?" She asked, making the farmpony purse her lips in thought.

"Hay, Twi'... we've got work that even a filly can do," She replied, before turning to Cooper, "If ya' don't mind the sun, and walking around all day, we could really use the extra help loading the baskets with apples after we buck 'em off the trees." She offered.

Cooper's face was quickly washed with puzzlement, "Bucking... the apples off the trees?" He questioned.

AppleJack nodded, "Sure as cinnamon goes on Apple Pie, Sugarcube. It's how we've always harvested the apples from our farm for generations."

Cooper slowly nodded, "So... you buck the trees and the apples just... what, fall off all at once?"

AppleJack nodded, "I can tell yer a bit unsure, so what'doya say we pack up here and head on over to the farm. I can show ya' firsthoof."

Cooper glanced over to Twilight, finding her already giving him an encouraging smile, "Go ahead, Cooper. There's no mare I trust more than AppleJack to look after a friend."

"What about you guys?" Cooper asked, turning to his guards.

"We-" Sky began.

"You can both come with me. AppleJack is probably the only pony I'd trust to look after him." Twilight cut in.

"Princess, we're tasked with guarding Cooper." Midnight protested.

"And as the ranking princess here, I'm asking you to please come with me instead. You two have been Cooper's shadow for the past couple of days. You aren't in trouble over that incident with Pinkie, I promise. Also I'm sorry for yelling at you both." Twilight apologized, genuinely.

Sky and Midnight shared a look, before glancing up to Cooper. He gave them a shrug in response, prompting them both to turn back to Twilight.

"If... that is what you wish, Princess." Sky responded.

Twilight smiled, "It is. Thank you," She replied, prompting the two guards to form up at her sides, "Try not to work too hard, Cooper." She teased.

With a hesitant nod, Cooper glanced back over to AppleJack and the rest of her clan, "Alright, I guess I might as well do something instead of sitting around in the castle all day." He relented.

AppleJack smiled, "Glad ta' hear it, partner. We were just finishing packing the wagon so I could take it back to town. Big Mac here'll run the stall until sundown and then we'll come back to help him pack it up for tomorrow." She explained.

While the rest of the group seemed happy or at least accepting to the arrangement, one party in particular looked Cooper over with a scrutinous gaze. AppleBloom slowly circled the human, her eyes squinted as she took him in as if she were appraising him.

"I dunno... he's awfully skinny. How's he even standing without breaking a leg?" She asked, glancing up to her big sister.

"AppleBloom!" AppleJack barked, stepping toward her little sister with a frown, "Apologize to him right this second! You don't go off spouting nonsense like that right to somepony's face!" She scolded.

Despite the jab at his appearance stinging slightly, Cooper found that the way her tail instantly tucked between her legs, and her ears splayed flat against her skull, made it impossible to stay upset at the little filly. He quickly held a hand up to halt the advance of the outraged older sibling.

"Ah'm sorry..." AppleBloom muttered.

"It's okay. She does have a point... I'm not exactly apple bucking material... not quite strong enough to kick a tree hard enough to make the apples all fall off." He offered.

AppleJack let out a sigh, "I appreciate that. She's just a filly and blurts things out when she knows she shouldn't," AppleJack replied, giving a pointed look to her little sister, "Having said that, I didn't want you to be buckin' apples in the first place. Those hands of yer's are great for pickin' apples up off the ground. I would just have you pick them up and load the baskets with whichever apples miss them." She elaborated.

Cooper gave a nod of understanding, "Ah, gotcha. I can do that."

AppleJack gave an appreciative nod, "Alright then. Mac, you've got the stall. AppleBloom, go to the wagon and finish tying down the empty barrels. I'll come hitch myself to it in a minute." She instructed, making both her siblings salute before returning to their respective tasks.

"Care to join me, Cooper? I might actually need a hand with the harness on the wagon. It's old and a bit of a pain to tie up these days." AppleJack asked, looking up to Cooper.

"Sure thing," Cooper replied, before turning to Twilight, "I guess I'll see you later tonight."

Twilight smiled, "Looks that way. Hopefully Pinkie and I will be back on good terms by then," She joked, before a slightly more serious look appeared in her eyes, "Just try not to work yourself too hard, okay Cooper?

Cooper nodded, reaching down and tussling Twilight's mane, "Don't worry about me, kid. You go make up with your friend." He smirked.

Twilight bashfully batted his hand away with her wing, her mane already a mess of loose ends sticking up at every odd angle. She blew a raspberry at him before trotting off toward Sugarcube corner, waving goodbye over her wither with her other wing.

"She sure has healed up quick." AppleJack noted, nodding toward the retreating alicorn.

Cooper nodded, "Something about alicorns and magic making them heal faster. I'm sure she explained it, but I was never one of the smart types."

AppleJack chuckled, "Given what you've been through, I find it mighty hard to believe that you ain't at least street smart." She replied as she started strapping herself to the wagon.

"I was a bit of a survivalist before everything went to Hell... need a hand with that?" Cooper asked, noting the way AppleJack struggled to tighten the harness.

"If ya' wouldn't mind." She sheepishly replied.

Cooper kneeled down and helped tighten the straps as best as he could with only one good arm. With some minor finesse, he was able to get the orange earth pony mare strapped up and ready to go.

"Still not sure how much help I'll be with only one good arm but I can try to pick up my fair share of apples." Cooper stated as he stood beside her.

AppleJack shook her head, "Don'tcha worry, partner. We won't work ya' too hard," She replied, before looking over her wither, "AppleBloom! You ready to go?" She called.

The adorable little yellow filly popped up from her spot behind the wagon, "Ready!" She dutifully responded, before hopping up onto the back.

With that, the sister siblings waved goodbye to their brother and headed back toward Sweet Apple Acres, Cooper walking beside them. The journey progressed in a mostly awkward silence, both AppleJack and AppleBloom struggling to come up with any kind of conversation topics while Cooper simply gazed back and forth, as if he were searching for something. Soon enough they were out of town and slowly making their way down the dirt trail that led to the front gate of the farm, the hundreds of apple trees along the way proving to be a welcome sight.

"So, did you have apples back on yer' world, mister Cooper?" AppleBloom suddenly asked, prompting both Cooper and AppleJack to look at her.

While AppleJack opened her mouth to speak, Cooper beat her to the punch, "Yeah. It's been a long time since I had any, but from what I remember, yours taste better here." He replied.

AppleJack let out a quiet breath she didn't even realize she was holding, a small weight leaving her chest as conversation finally blossomed between their small group.

"Well we do make the best apples in Equestria, here. We've been sellin' them for generations, all the way back to the foundin' of Ponyville!" AppleBloom excitedly explained.

Cooper's eyebrows raised with interest, "Wow, that's really something. So you guys have been selling apples for a long time then, huh?" He inquired.

AppleBloom beamed, "Oh, absolutely! Granny Smith has taught us all everything there is to know about apples. You should try some zap apple jam when the season comes around. You'd love it."

Cooper tilted his head to the side, "Zap apple jam?"

"It's a long story, Cooper. Besides, we're here and I have a feelin' we can talk more about it later tonight." AppleJack suddenly announced, prompting both Cooper and Applebloom to look over to the white fence beside them.

Much to Cooper's surprise, they were standing at the end of a long dirt road leading to a quaint farmhouse and classic-style barn. Every inch of the structure oozed 'country', even down to the red paint used on the walls. The sight made a small flash of nostalgia flare up in Cooper's heart, and despite his good spirits the way there, he couldn't help the sad feeling forming in his chest.

"Whew, home sweet home." AppleJack noted, smiling at her property.

"Bet I can beat'cha back to the barn." AppleBloom declared, leaping from the back of the wagon.

"Now hold yer' horses there, AppleBloom. It's not a race..." AppleJack trailed off, before breaking into a gallop, bringing the wagon with her.

The elder earth pony mare left a literal dust trail in her wake, prompting a small coughing fit from her sister as she rushed back to the barn.

"Hey! No fair! You cheated!" AppleBloom cried after her, galloping as fast as her little legs could carry her.

Cooper snorted in amusement at the display, taking his time to walk after them and watch from a distance. By the time he reached the barn, AppleJack was unhooked from the harness and a panting AppleBloom was standing beside her, irritation clear on her little face.

"I told you, that's cheatin'!" AppleBloom pouted.

"I don't recall you givin' a countdown, missy." AppleJack teased, rustling up her little sister's mane.

Playful laughter and pleas to stop echoed from the duo as they shared a moment of sisterly bonding. Soon enough, Cooper walked up to them, just in time for AppleBloom to break free from her older sibling, laughing and giggling all the while.

"Alright, now that we've made it, we should get to buckin' those trees." AppleJack announced, upon noticing Cooper's arrival.

"On it!" AppleBloom saluted, rushing into the barn.

"Follow me, Coop'." AppleJack ordered, trotting toward the trees.

Cooper followed behind with a small shrug, and soon they arrived at the first of a whole orchard of trees, all of them rich with apples. Bright red and juicy, the sweet fruit hung just a few feet out of reach, but that was soon to change as AppleJack approached the trunk of the tree. AppleBloom arrived a few moments later, somehow balancing several stacked baskets on her back. She quickly deposited them all around the tree in seemingly random areas before backing up and giving her sister room to work.

"Alright, now this is how you do it." AppleJack stated, before turning around and bucking the tree.

All of the apples instantly fell from the branches, most of them landing in the baskets seemingly placed all over the ground, save for a few stragglers that rolled away.

"We just need you to pick up the ones we miss. Normally Big Mac carries the baskets back but I'll do that when we clear enough of this section." AppleJack explained, looking up to the man before her.

Cooper's jaw was still slightly dropped from what he'd just witnessed.

Author's Note

Welp, it was about time Cooper got himself a job. AppleJack's farm is only the most logical place for him at this point, after all. Hopefully nothing too crazy will come from him being present here...

Chapter 16

Several Hours Later

Cooper wiped a bead of sweat from his brow as he picked the final apple from orchard grounds. Dozens of baskets were filled to the brim with ripe, juicy apples, completely filling the barn and front yard. As AppleJack carried the last of the baskets in on her back, depositing it on the ground just as Cooper walked over to her side and tossed his apple onto the pile.

"Hoowee! That was great work out there, Cooper. We got the entire orchard done in one day. Usually it takes at least two. I knew those hands'a yers would be great for this." AppleJack announced, taking her hat and wiping her own brow.

While there was a distinct soreness present in Cooper's body, most specifically his back, he couldn't deny that the feeling of finishing a hard day's work was quite nice, especially in the evening sun as it made its slow descent down the horizon.

"Great work out there, mister Cooper. Ah' didn't think you'd be as much help as you were but we got a lot more done today than expected." AppleBloom beamed, trotting up to Cooper's other side.

While the compliment was a little backhanded, Cooper simply smirked and nodded at the little filly, "Glad I could be somewhat useful."

"You were a hay of a lot more than useful, partner. I think a proper reward is in order for yer hard work today. Tell ya' what, Granny Smith is making some of her famous crabapple Rangoon's tonight for supper. I think we'd all be mighty honored if you'd join us and shared a meal." AppleJack offered.

The offer, generous and heartfelt as it was, made Cooper blink in surprise, but before he could utter a response, AppleBloom practically bounced in the air from excitment.

"Oh! Crabapple Rangoon's?! They're amazin'! Oh, you gotta stay and try em', Cooper. You just gotta!" AppleBloom pleaded, giving him puppydog eyes.

As if the offer itself wasn't tempting enough, the sight of the little yellow filly looking up at him with those big, bright eyes made it impossible for him to say 'no'.

"Alright, alright. I'll stay for dinner. Should probably tell Twilight though..." He replied.

"Good choice, Coop'. Don'tcha worry none. Twilight knows yer in safe hooves over here. We usually invite anypony in for dinner if they help out on the farm, so she's probably not expectin' you anyway." AppleJack explained.

"Ah can't wait! I'ma go wash up and get ready for dinner." AppleBloom announced, bolting away from Cooper and AppleJack.

"Don'tcha go gallopin' inside the house now, ya hear!? Wipe yer horseshoes off first!" AppleJack called after her, before shaking her head, a mirthful smile on her face, "She's full of energy, that one."

Cooper snorted in amusement, "She seems like a typical kid, just bustling with energy."

AppleJack nodded, "Yep, she's always out with her friends, tryin' to get her cutiemark. I swear, the shenanigans that filly gets up to would put most adult ponies to shame."

Cooper slowly nodded, "Cutie... marks? I think I remember Twilight talking about those... aren't those the emblems on your guys' flanks?" He asked, curiously.

AppleJack beamed, "Yessir, they are. As you can see, mine's a trio of apples. Ah don't think I need to go into detail as to why." She chuckled.

Cooper shook his head, "No, I guess I could piece that together pretty quick. Your whole family is pretty much all apples, aren't they?" He asked.

"Not all, but most of us. We've got a few cousins here and there that have special talents that have nothin' to do with apples, but we still love 'em all the same. A cutie mark ain't nothin' but a sign of what yer good at. Nothin' more." AppleJack explained.

Cooper nodded in understanding, "I see... so how do you know if your cutie mark is going to be something you really want? Does it just... always happen like that?"

AppleJack shrugged, "In my experience, these things always work themselves out... but anyway, enough about cutie marks fer now. AppleBloom will talk yer ear off about 'em at dinner anyhow. Would'ya mind heading back into town with me to get Big Mac and bring the stand back here? No heavy liftin' or anything like that. I'd just appreciate the company for a bit. Big Mac is great and I love him to pieces, but he doesn't always make for the best conversation." She chuckled.

Finding himself with little else to do in the meantime, Cooper gave a noncommittal shrug, "Eh, why not?"

The walk back to town went by quickly, and though some pleasant conversation was shared between them, the majority of the short jaunt was spent in peaceful silence. Unfortunately, despite the gentle breeze blowing the warm, sunset air over them, Cooper couldn't help but continue to glance back and forth, searching for some sort of threat that never appeared. AppleJack gave him a concerned look as they reached the bridge leading into Ponyville, her ears flattening against her head as Cooper subtly checked under the bridge.

"Uh, you alright there, Sugarcube?" She asked, the worry in her tone conveying her point well enough.

"Y-yeah, sorry. Just an old habit." Cooper sheepishly admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.

AppleJack gave him a warm smile, "Well ain't nothin' to fret over. Ah promise there ain't nothin' under the bridge that's gonna getcha."

"Yeah, thanks." Cooper responded, giving a quick nod.

With that, they quickly found themselves standing before the Apple family stall. Big Mac was nearing the end of the tear-down process for their cart, and glanced up as they both arrived.

"Howdy, Mac. How was the stall today?" AppleJack inquired, giving her brother a friendly nod.

"Decent enough. Sold all our apples fer the day." Big Mac replied, simply.

"Well I'm glad to hear it. You ready to head home?" She asked.

Big Mac nodded, "Eeyup."

"Then let's get movin'. Help me pack up the stall, will ya, Cooper?" AppleJack prodded, moving to assist her elder sibling with the packing.

With a small shrug, Cooper moved in and assisted in whatever small capacity he could, given his injury. With the three of them working together, the regularly lengthy task of tearing down and packing the stall was finished in less than ten minutes. With that accomplished, the trio made their way back to the farm in peaceful quiet as the twilight hour approached.

Big Mac was nearly completely silent the entire walk, opting to respond with simple gestures such as nods or grunts of affirmation, while AppleJack provided the majority of the conversation. Though Cooper continued to scan the surroundings, his posture tensing every so often as he saw shifting shadows in the fading sunlight, he was noticeably more relaxed than the previous journey. It was a change that AppleJack was happy to mentally note as they arrived back at Sweet Apple Acres.

Once Big Mac and AppleJack finished off-loading the cart, the siblings escorted Cooper back to their family home. The quaint little farm house stood at two stories tall, though for him, it might as well have been one and a half. Cooper ducked in through the front door and immediately found himself in a spacious living room, furnished by a cozy set of chairs and a well worn couch. The red coloration of the décor blended quite well with the worn hardwood floors and walls. Overall, the interior of the house seemed like a perfect midwestern abode.

"Granny! We're home! Brought some company for supper!" AppleJack called out.

"AppleBloom told me! Come on over fer supper! The Crabapples er' done." A creaky voice called out from the kitchen, somehow carrying an even deeper southern accent than the apple siblings beside him.

"We'll be right over." AppleJack replied.

Cooper followed after the orange earth pony and her brother into the dining room, finding a rustic looking table with four small chairs sitting around it. AppleBloom was just finishing with helping set the table as Granny Smith deposited the crabapple rangoon onto the lazy suzie. Said granny was a clearly elder mare with deep wrinkles that drooped all over her aged face. Her lime green coat did little to hide the wrinkles coursing all over her leather-like skin. The short hairs of her snout were grayed and aged with time, much like her snow white mane and tail.

However, despite her weathered and aged appearance, there was an undeniable kindness in her warm ginger eyes. She looked over to Cooper with the kind of smile that only a grandma could muster, and somehow, he found himself instantly put at ease just from the look in her eyes.

"Well, howdy there. You must be that fella, Cooper. AppleBloom's been singin' yer praises all evenin'. Said you helped pluck up a whole bushel a' apples an hour. Normally it takes us a day and a half to get them all." Granny Smith greeted.

Cooper nodded, giving a small smile in return, "Thank you. Just trying to be helpful."

"Aw, don't be so modest, Coop'. You were mighty helpful. More so than even Ah' expected." AppleJack complimented.

Cooper gave a small nod of thanks while Big Mac and AppleJack took their seats at the table. He awkwardly looked around at the only available seat as Granny Smith took the seat at the head. When it was clear where he was intended to sit, Cooper took his respective seat, though the chair was notably small compared to his large frame. The chair creaked under his weight, but held firm, much to his surprise.

The spread in front of him looked absolutely delicious, and Cooper instantly found himself taking in the scent of freshly baked apples and other vegetables. A Caesar salad was prepared, laid out in front of him, alongside a bowl of green beans and mashed potatoes. All in all, the dinner looked and smelled incredibly delicious, making Cooper's mouth water just from proximity.

"Well, don't wait too long now, it'll get cold. Dig in!" Granny Smith announced, a chipper tone in her voice.

"You ain't gotta tell me twice!" AppleBloom chirped.

"Let me get som'a that rangoon before Big Mac eats it all." AppleJack ordered, gesturing for the food from her little sister.

"Ah only did that once." Big Mac frowned.

"And we didn't get to eat anything that night. Ah'm not taken' any chances, no more." AppleJack teased, scooping some fritter onto her plate.

"Lemme get the mashed taters'. Ya'll know my teeth ain't what they used tah be." Granny Smith chided, grabbing said mashed potatoes from Big Mac.

"Once you get some salad, gimme the bowl, Coop'." AppleBloom said, glancing over to Cooper.

Cooper nodded and scooped some salad onto his plate with the provided utensils before acquiescing and passing the salad bowl over. Each respective foodstuff was passed around the table in quick succession, and before long, all party's plates were fully loaded with all types of food. The orders and instructions quickly quieted down in favor of chewing and voicing quick words of approval at the taste of the dinner.

Cooper found himself focusing on the food in front of him until most of his plate was cleaned. The taste was everything he'd ever hoped for, and the texture was amazing as well. However, as the meal progressed and the delicious food was consumed by all, the idle chitchat soon returned. Cooper's ear perked up on several topics of conversation, though most of them seemed to center around the pursuit of AppleBloom's cutiemark. Though he found himself still slightly confused by the mere concept of a cutie mark, he couldn't help the nagging feeling of nostalgia he felt from hearing a young voice describing her day.

"-and then we tried to get our cutie marks in fishin', but... well, Scootaloo lost all the bait we bought so we had tah try to improvise. That didn't go so well.." AppleBloom trailed off with a chuckle.

"Well shoot, Ah don't know why ya'll were even tryin' fishin' in the first place. It ain't like you were gonna eat any of it." AppleJack chuckled.

"Yeah, ponies don't eat fish, silly." Sarah said, giggling in her seat.

Cooper's eyes snapped over to the familiar voice of his daughter, his jaw falling ever so slightly. Mia walked in with a glass of wine in one hand and a bottle in the other. She daintily walked over to Cooper's side, ignorant or unseeing of his wide-eyed look. She leaned down and kissed his cheek, her soft lips sending a shiver down his spine as their velveteen texture registered on his skin.

"M...Mia?" Cooper whispered, so quiet that even he could barely hear it.

"So, how was school, honey?" Mia asked, looking down to Sarah.

"Ooh! Today was great. We went to a petting zoo and I got to pet a llama!" Sarah chirped.

"You did!? That's amazing, honey. What was that like?" Mia inquired.

"It was soooooo soft and fuzzy! I want one!" Sarah smiled.

Mia snickered as she placed her hand on Cooper's shoulder, "Oh, I don't know about that, sweetie. You're gonna have to get dad's approval for that one." She impishly smirked, glancing at him through out the corner of her eye.

"Daddy, can we? Can we, pleeeeeeeeeeeeease!?" Sarah begged, clasping her hands together.

Cooper dryly gulped, his mind racing in circles to comprehend what he was seeing. He looked over to his wife, finding her conveniently looking away from him as if the wall were suddenly the most interesting thing in the world. He looked back to his daughter to find her giving him puppy dog eyes that no parent could possibly hold out against. He closed his eyes and shook his head as a small smirk found its way onto his face.

"Maybe-" He began, but was swiftly cut off by a gasp from his wife.

"What's that?" Mia questioned, pointing to the window.

Cooper followed her finger to the window in question and squinted as thin trails of white smoke appeared in the distance. The city of Houston obscured much of the view he had of the surrounding area, tall buildings and the like getting in the way as usual. However, there was something odd about the smoke trails. They didn't appear to be trailing overhead like the usual flights that passed by every few hours.

Rather, the trail appeared to be converging on the city from multiple directions, almost as if they were arcing toward Houston. Cooper's eyes squinted as he watched the somewhat deliberate approach of the unidentified objects, his mind reeling as he remembered just what they were. Before he could say anything, however, they arced downward into the city and speared into the center of town.

Several brilliant flashes of light nearly blinded him, making him wince, but that paled in comparison to the complete and utter quiet that followed for several seconds. It was as if the entire world was stunned silent by the sight he'd just beheld, but that silence was soon smashed to a million pieces as an ear shattering crack and boom suddenly hit the window, blowing the glass out and showering Cooper in tiny glass shards.

The hot wind whipped at his skin, sending a burning sensation through to his very core, but he could not look away as the orange, red, black, and yellow mushroom clouds appeared off in the distance. His eyes stayed wide open, scared utterly still as the sight of utter Armageddon filled every corner of his vision.

"Cooper?" He heard Mia say.

"Coop'?" He heard another voice ask.

"Cooper!" AppleJack called, startling him.

Cooper blinked several times as he looked back over to the Apple family all sitting at the table with him, various looks of concern on their faces.

"You alright, Coop'? You spaced out for a few minutes there." AppleJack pressed, giving a disarming smile.

Cooper dryly swallowed, his mind still reeling from the sights he'd witnessed. The terrible sound of the explosions still echoed in his ears over and over as he desperately tried to focus on the table in front of him. The rest of the Apple's gave him increasingly worried looks as he failed to respond for a few seconds.

"Cooper, are you feelin' alright?" AppleBloom inquired.

Cooper glanced up from the table, his heart beating fast in his chest. It took all of his strength to keep from breaking down, but he took a sobering breath and spoke up, regardless.

"I... I'm sorry. I have to go." He announced, pushing out his chair.

"Go? Ya barely even ate anything yet?" Granny Smith replied, a puzzled look on her face.

"Yeah, you didn't even try the Apple Fritter we made fer desser!" AppleBloom exclaimed.

However, despite their arguments, Cooper quickly exited the dining room and made his way out the front door. AppleJack hopped off of her seat and followed after him, her brow furrowed in concern and slight offense.

"Coop', what the hay's gotten into ya? We were just talkin'. Where are you going?" AppleJack questioned, following after him as he left through the front door.

"I just... I can't be here right now." Cooper responded, only turning back for a moment.

"Whatdo'ya mean? What's wrong with here?" AppleJack pressed, some hurt slipping into her voice.

Unfortunately, Cooper failed to respond, and simply walked faster until AppleJack had to maintain a comical pace to keep up with him. After less than a minute of pursuit, she gave up and came to a halt, watching as Cooper quickly left Sweet Apple Acres and headed in the direction of Ponyville. As the darkening skies grew blacker and the moon rose in the horizon, AppleJack frowned.

"What in Tartarus is with him?" She asked aloud.

"Dunno." Big Mac replied, walking up beside her.

"Was it something we said?" AppleBloom worriedly asked, glancing back and forth between her siblings and the retreating form of Cooper.

"Ah don't think so, sugarcube... Ah think Cooper's just a bit more hurt than we all realized..." AppleJack muttered.

Author's Note

So this was a difficult chapter to get out. I hope I did the scene justice here, but hell, unless someone with actual PTSD comes in to critique me, I won't know for sure lol.

This story will definitely have moments like this going forward. Trauma is quite a fickle thing, after all. Always wants to rear its head at the worst possible times.

Chapter 17

The Following Day

Twilight nervously shook her head as she trotted towards Sweet Apple Acres. Her wings ruffled slightly as she passed by Big Mac's stall in the market district of the town. While he didn't appear to see her, just one look at the stallion told her all that she needed to know about how he was feeling.

There was a slight crease in his brow, one that only after years of knowing the stallion, could Twilight identify. It was a crease that only ever surfaced on his brow when he was genuinely upset or angry, though as a stallion of few words, he'd never opt to speak his mind against whatever had slighted him. Unfortunately, Twilight knew all too well what, or rather who had slighted the stallion's family.

Cooper's return the previous night caused a bit of a stir in the castle, but after having known the Apple clan for years, Twilight could tell that something was definitely off when Cooper came back with an empty stomach. Combine that with his 'more agitated than usual' appearance, and the fact that he arrived well over an hour earlier than she expected him, and Twilight knew for certain that there was trouble afoot. His guards had followed him to his room, where they stood vigilantly at his door until their shifts ended, neither one offering any explanation as to the previous day's events.

So it was with a heavy heart, and a bundle of nervous butterflies in her stomach, that Twilight approached Sweet Apple Acres. She could just barely make out the unique pattern of Cooper's footsteps on the familiar trail from the previous night. Alien as they were in the sea of horseshoe shapes, she found an odd comfort in knowing that he was still here, and his presence in her world was not just a dream or hallucination.

Soon enough, Twilight was snapped from her revelry by the sound of hooves bucking against wood. She looked back up to see AppleJack in her orchard, nearly a dozen trees already bucked and devoid of their apples as she worked. Assuming that her friend was working hard as always, Twilight hopped over the fence and trotted over to her.

"Hey, AppleJack." She greeted, trying her best to sound polite.

"Howdy, Twi." AppleJack responded, wiping the sweat from her brow, though she didn't turn to look at her.

"Umm, is everything alright, AJ?" Twilight inquired, noting the absence of her friends bright green eyes.

"Just peachy." AppleJack grunted, before cocking her legs and bucking another tree.

Twilight winced at her tone, before letting out a sigh, "Alright, look. I know Cooper probably offended you all last night, but could you please tell me what happened? He was unusually quiet about it when he got home last night." She offered.

AppleJack let out of huff before finally turning around to look at the lavender alicorn properly, "It ain't his fault... least, I don't hold no grudge or nothin'. Bit offended at how he just left without hardly a word, though I guess he's got a lot goin' on inside that head a' his."

Twilight sighed, "I'm sorry he did that, AJ. He's... losing his family was really hard for him, especially the way he lost them. I think when he was here with you and your family, seeing how much you all care for and love each other it... well it may have got to him a bit."

AppleJack raised an eyebrow, "How do ya' figure?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Twilight tilted her head to the side.

AppleJack shook her head.

"He misses his family, AppleJack... and seeing you with your family, I'm assuming all laughing, joking, telling stories, and generally having a great family time, just reminds him of what he lost." Twilight explained.

AppleJack gave a slow nod, "Ah... Ah guess that does make sense, don't it... what were their names?" She asked, gently.

"His wife was named Mia and his daughter was named Sarah." Twilight replied.

AppleJack's brow furrowed slightly, "Mia... Sarah... ya know, come to think of it, I guess I do remember him muttering those names a bit. Thought he was just talkin' to himself but he seemed wide-eyed and focused on the window."

"The... window?" Twilight questioned.

"Yep. He was lookin' out the window like there was something spookin' him mighty fierce. It took all three of us to finally get his attention back to the present and as soon as we did, he just got up, said he had to go, and left. Didn't even try a bite of Granny Smith's crabapple rangoon." AppleJack elaborated.

Twilight nodded, "I see... again, I'm sorry for how he acted. He's not the type to do things to offend somepony on purpose, I promise you that. I know you don't have to, but if you could find it in your heart to give him another chance, I promise that this time I'll make sure he doesn't have issues like that again." She offered.

AppleJack scratched her chin in thought for a few moments as her gaze fell the grass between them. After a particularly pleading look from Twilight, she clicked her tongue in her mouth and let out a small huff.

"Ah'd like to get to know 'im better. If it'd just be the three of us, ah think that it might go a bit smoother. So, alright," AppleJack replied, noting the excited look forming in Twilight's eyes, "-but I want an apology. Not to me, but to Granny. I can understand that he's goin' through some real hard times, but that ain't no excuse to treat her like that." She added, cutting Twilight off before she could start celebrating.

"I don't think that'll be too much of a problem. I'll see if I can get Cooper to come by and apologize some time today or tomorrow. Sound good?" Twilight offered, a hopeful smile on her face.

AppleJack nodded, "Sounds good to me, Twilight."

Cooper walked with his hands in his pockets, his brow furrowed as he recounted the previous night's affairs to his guards. Both Sky and Midnight gave him raised eyebrows as he finished his explanation, the trio soon arriving in the center of town.

"So, you had another episode?" Midnight asked, gently.

Cooper shrugged, "If that's the word you wanna use, I guess."

"That's twice in just as many days. Are you sure you don't want to talk to somepony about this, Cooper?" Sky offered, trotting alongside him.

While the guard forgoing his usual position at Cooper's flank was unexpected, it was not particularly out of character for the stallion as he grew more and more relaxed around him, at least, that's what Cooper told himself.

"We're talkin' about it right now, aren't we?" He rebutted.

Sky gave him a deadpan look, "Alright, but you know what I mean. Not with us, more like... somepony who specializes in helping with these kinds of things. After everything you've been through, it isn't the worst idea." He offered.

Cooper shook his head, "It's fine. I'm just still getting used to not having to watch my back everywhere I go. Not to mention, a whole new dimension and all that... kinda surprised I've kept it together as well as I have, to be honest."

"Cooper, that's not particularly inspiring to hear..." Midnight frowned.

"I told you guys, I'm fi-" Cooper began to reply, but a voice quickly cut him off.

"Watch out!" A young, feminine voice cried out, prompting Cooper to snap his head toward the source of the voice, while Sky and Midnight instantly took up defensive positions around him.

What none of them expected, however, was for a small pegasus filly with an orange coat to blast past them on a a scooter, two ropes trailing behind to small wagons that were filled with two more small fillies. One of them, Cooper instantly recognized, making him freeze, but even as time slowed down and the yellow blur that was AppleBloom blew past him, he could feel the glare in her eyes.

Unfortunately for the trio of fillies, their warning was not out of curtesy, but rather out of fear, as they barreled into a stack of hay piled outside of the building right beside Cooper and his guards. All three fillies crashed into the haystack, two of them plunging head-first while the small white filly managed to land on her rump, leaving her head sticking out of the hay. A few groans and grunts of annoyance left the group as two of them struggled to free themselves, their hind legs dangling and struggling for purchase on the hay.

Without hesitation, Midnight ignited her horn and levitated the trio of fillies out of the hay and down to their hooves in front of Cooper. While the pegasus and unicorn landed gently on their hooves, AppleBloom crossed her forelegs and pouted as she was deposited on her rump.

"Are you three okay?" Sky asked, gently.

"Woah... what they heck are you, dude!?" The orange filly suddenly pressed, her adorably tiny wings buzzing in excitement.

Cooper nearly took a step back from the shock of the sudden turn of mood for the little orange pony, but her sentiment was quickly matched by the white unicorn filly beside her.

"Oh! Rarity was telling me about him! He's a hyue-man! He saved Princess Twilight!" She exclaimed, her voice squeaking in the cutest way physically possible.

While two of the fillies absolutely melted his heart, Cooper couldn't help but feel a weight settle on his chest as his eyes fell on AppleBloom once more.

"Hey there, AppleBloom." He greeted, quietly.

Both the orange and white fillies looked over to their friend, confusion written all over their faces, "Wait, you know AppleBloom?" They asked in unison.

"AppleJack invited him over for supper... then he just stormed off after barely even havin' any." AppleBloom replied, giving him the stink eye.

The other two fillies shared a look, "So... was that why you've been so upset today?"

AppleBloom simply nodded.

"I know... and I'm sorry. I was actually on my way to your farm to apologize right now." Cooper offered, sincerely.

Despite the frown she still wore, AppleBloom at least looked up and met Cooper's gaze, "Why did you run off? We worked really hard on that dinner and you just..." She trailed off.

Cooper hung his head low as he sunk to one knee, bringing himself more at eye level with the little fillies, "It was rude... I know. I've just... got some issues I'm trying to work out. I didn't want to make a scene at your family's home... guess I did anyway. For what it's worth, you have an absolutely lovely family, AppleBloom. They just remind me of my own family so much that I... well..." He trailed off.

Whatever hostility that was still there in AppleBloom's eyes quickly evaporated as she remembered Cooper's story, "Yer family... ah get it. It's okay. Thank you for apologizin', at least." She responded, with a small smile.

Cooper returned the gesture with a half-smile of his own, "Thank you for being understanding."

Cooper offered his hand, to which AppleBloom quickly shook. Once that was finished, the two other fillies quickly interjected.

"You didn't tell us that you had an actual alien over last night!" The orange filly balked.

"I would've come over if I'd have known that!" The white filly cried.

"Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, it's not like ah had time to go tell you. Ah was busy with chores and the stall." AppleBloom rebutted.

The now named friends of AppleBloom both rolled their eyes at her response, "Still! You could've come and got us! We were at the clubhouse until dusk!" Scootaloo protested.

Seeing the inevitable infighting between the group of fillies about to get worse, Cooper decided to step in, "It's not her fault. We were pretty busy with the chores and dinner." He offered.

"You helped with the chores?" Sweetie Belle tilted her head to the side.

"Whichever ones I could. I can't buck a tree like AppleJack, but I can pick up the apples that miss the buckets pretty quickly." Cooper smirked.

"You've got hands like a minotaur. I'll bet." Scootaloo chimed in, glancing at Cooper's hands.

Cooper chuckled, "Yeah, I've heard that before... so where were you three all headed in such a hurry?" He inquired.

"We were on our way to the park to go watch Rainbow Dash practice her routine for the Wonderbolts!" Scootaloo proudly exclaimed.

"The... wonderbolts?" Cooper tilted his head to the side.

"Do you not know who the Wonderbolts are?" Sweetie Belle questioned.

"Or course he doesn't. He's an alien. What'dya expect?" AppleBloom sassed, giving her friends a deadpan look.

"They're the most awesome group of daredevil flyers in Equestria! Second only to Rainbow Dash herself, but as soon as she becomes a fully fledged member, she'll be running the 'Bolts in no time!" Scootaloo beamed.

Cooper playfully raised an eyebrow, "If they're second to her, why does she want to join them?"

"Well, uh... obviously because... um..." Scootaloo's bravado quickly faltered.

"Maybe the Wonderbolts and Rainbow Dash are both equally awesome?" AppleBloom suggested.

"Meh, I dunno... Rainbow Dash is the most awesome pony around... but the Wonderbolts are full of awesome flyers too... alright, I guess we'll call it even for now." Scootaloo relented.

Cooper chuckled at the filly's mental gymnastics, "Alright, so you guys were going to watch her practice, then. Hope we didn't keep you too long. You were in such a hurry that I'd hate for you to be late."

"Nah, we're actually pretty early. I just wanted to get there before anypony else so we could get the best seats in the house." Scootaloo explained.

"Ah, gotcha. Well don't let me stand in your way. You kids go have fun." Cooper smiled, getting back to his feet.

Just as he turned to leave, however, Sweetie Belle leaned over to Scootaloo and whispered into her ear. A sudden look of realization and excitement formed on Scootaloo's face within seconds, and she promptly leaned over to AppleBloom, whispering the same message she'd just been given. History quickly repeated itself, and suddenly all three fillies darted in front of Cooper, wide smiles on their faces.

"You know, now that we think of it, do you wanna come watch Rainbow practice too?" Scootaloo offered.

The tiniest squeak of excitement escaped from Cooper's left, and he glanced over to find Sky doing his absolute best to keep a straight face.

Cooper raised an eyebrow, "With you three?" He inquired, looking back over to the three fillies.

"Uh huh!" The three of them nodded in unison.

"Hmmmm..." Cooper crossed his arms as a skeptical look crossed his face.

AppleBloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo all stared back at him with baited breath, while Sky practically shook in place. After nearly thirty seconds of letting his guard suffer, Cooper finally spoke again.

"Well, I was about to go apologize to your sister, AppleBloom-" He started.

"It's okay. Ah forgive you and I'll talk to AppleJack once we get back." AppleBloom cut him off.

Seeing as there were no other loose ends for him to tie up for the day, Cooper subtly glanced over to his pegasus guard, finding a set of puppydog eyes looking up at him.

"Well... I know Sky really wants to meet her... alright." He relented.

"Yes! Finally!" Sky cheered, his wings flaring as he leapt into the air with excitement.

The trio of fillies giggled at the guarstallion's antics while his fellow guard gave him a teasing smirk. Cooper simply shook his head as the stallion quickly fell back to the ground, his hooves colliding with the ground with a soft *thud*.

"Uh... hehe... ahem... very good, sir." Sky responded, regaining his professional attitude as quickly as possible.

"You are such a dork." Midnight teased, making a hint of red appear on the stallion's white fur.

"Alright, now that that's out of the way, let's go see Rainbow practice. I've heard she's really fast but I haven't had a chance to see for myself." Cooper stated, bringing the group's focus back around.

"She's not just fast, she's the fastest pegasus in Equestria!" Scootaloo cheered, her little wings buzzing in excitement as she bounced in place.

Cooper chuckled, "I guess I'll just have to see for myself. You guys want to lead the way?" He inquired.

"This way!" Scootaloo replied, hopping back onto her scooter and securing her helmet.

AppleBloom and Sweetie Belle quickly followed suit and clamored into their small carts just before Scootaloo took off, her wings buzzing in a flurry of movement that sent the whole trio flying down the street.

"Uh... think we should hurry after them?" Midnight asked, slightly dumbstruck at just how fast the fillies had disappeared into the distance.

"They said they're just going to the park." Sky responded.

"Well three kids running around like that could get themselves hurt... Can one of you look after them while the rest of us catch up?" Cooper asked.

"I can track them. Just follow me." Sky replied, unfurling his wings and taking to the air.

"Thanks." Cooper replied.

With that, the man and his unicorn guard followed along at a leisurely pace while their pegasus over-watch followed the three fillies to the park. The trek through town was swift and pleasant, and within a few minutes, all parties were in the center of the park.

"Alright, so when is Rainbow supposed to show up?" Cooper asked, glancing skyward.

"She should be here any second..." Scootaloo replied, glancing back and forth into the air.

A sound akin to a jet engine quickly ramped up in the distance, making Cooper's hair stand on end. He glanced over in the direction of the sound, only for a flurry of blue feathers to blitz past him, a rainbow trail in its wake. He was so shocked by the ridiculous speed of the prismatic pegasus that he didn't even notice the three fillies and stallion guard cheering in adoration.

Author's Note

Nothing like three adorable fillies to break you out of your funk. Surely nothing bad will come of this. Surely...

Chapter 18

"Heya, Cooper!" Rainbow grinned, banking around and coming to a halt just a few feet in front of him.

Cooper owlishly blinked at the pegasus hovering in front of him as if nothing were out of the ordinary, "Uh... wow. You're really fast." He complimented, his mind drawing a blank on how else to reply.

"The fastest in all of Equestria!" Scootaloo cheered, bouncing in place.

"You know it, Scoots." Rainbow beamed, holding her hoof out for the smaller pegasus to bump.

"Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh." Sky muttered to himself, practically vibrating in his armor.

"So, did'ja come to watch the pros at work?" Rainbow questioned, giving Cooper a cocky smirk.

Cooper crossed his arms and nodded, "From what I've been told, you're a talented flier. So far, I'd be inclined to agree."

Rainbow did a quick backflip in the air, "Hay yeah I am! I've got a whole routine planned for today so you're gonna love this!" She explained.

"So... awesome..." Sky quietly groaned to himself.

Having picked up on his guard's utter turmoil and test of self restraint, Cooper rolled his eyes and gestured to the prismatic pegasus while looking over to his guard, "You know, if you want to meet her, you can do that now." He offered.

Rainbow raised an eyebrow before glancing over at the pegasus guard to find him smiling widely at his charge, "Oh my gosh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" He exclaimed, before darting over to her, "HelloRainbowDashI'mSkyandI'msuchabigfaneversincetheyoungflier'scompetitionincloudsdalewhereyoudidthesonicrainboom!" Sky greeted in one breath.

Rainbow blinked a few times as she processed the sheer volume of words that were shoved into her ears, before her signature cocky smirk returned, "Well thanks. I knew I had fans all over the place, but I didn't think even the royal guard were a part of my fan club."

"You have a fan club?" Midnight asked, curiously.

"She does! So far it's just me, but we're growing by the day!" Scootaloo piped up, a beaming smile on her face.

"It's just... such an honor to meet you. You've been an inspiration to pegasai like me that want to be the best." Sky offered, giving his most heartfelt look of gratitude to the rainbow-maned pegasus.

Despite herself, Rainbow did blush slightly at the praise, her wings fluffing about slightly as her tail swished in happiness, "Aw, shucks... thanks. I'm just glad that I can help motivate anypony else to be the best they can be."

"This is all super touching and stuff, but can we get to the flying now? I wanna see a sonic rainboom!" Sweetie Belle whined, snapping everyone's attention back to her and AppleBloom.

"Uh hehe, fair enough. You down to watch the most awe-inspiring, death defying, dare-devilingest stunts you've ever seen!?" Rainbow dramatically exclaimed, puffing her chest out as she looked back at Cooper and his guards.

"I can't wait!" Sky cheered.

While Midnight rolled her eyes at her fellow guard's antics, she kept a smile on her face and nodded, "I suppose it would be interesting to watch."

"It's what we're here for, isn't it?" Cooper added, prompting a hoof-pump from Rainbow.

"Aw yeah! I'm gonna knock your socks off. Watch this!" She enthusiastically ordered before bolting straight up into the sky.

Cooper was knocked slightly back by the backblast of such a sudden and violent departure, almost making him lose his footing. He tilted his head skyward as a rainbow blur of motion darted high into the clouds. A small hole appeared as Rainbow punched right through the cloud and higher into the air, disappearing from sight. A few moments later, she punched back through the cloud so hard and fast that the entire fluffy object disintegrated into mist that trailed after her as she headed straight toward them.

With her wings flapping as hard and fast as they could, Rainbow continued to dive until the last second, her wings suddenly flaring as she banked upwards and just narrowly missed the small crowd below. The mist trailed after her quickly evaporated into a fine spray of water droplets that formed a temporary rainbow overhead that lasted for a few seconds. A chorus of 'ooh's and ahh's' escaped the lips of the gathered voyeurs as Rainbow gained altitude once more.

Using what was left of her speed, Rainbow banked back around into a wide loop, arcing toward the group as she flapped her wings again and again to gain more speed. She swerved in and out of several trees that lined her path, almost as if they were obstacles placed there specifically to test her agility, before banking back upwards into a massive loop-da-loop.

"Oh wow! She's amazing!" Apple Bloom cheered.

"I told you!" Scootaloo beamed.

"Oh, what's she doing next!?" Sweetie Belle questioned.

As Rainbow finished her first loop, she came down low to the ground. Her wingtip just barely kissed the tall grass as she zoomed through the park to the lake in the center. She left a trail of ripples from the tip of her wings that disturbed the surface of the water ever so slightly, before suddenly bolting straight upwards. The backblast of her sudden ascent sent a geyser of water shooting into the air after her, but she was long gone before even a drop could have a chance of touching her.

The aerial display was as intense as it was spectacular, and even Cooper found himself quickly mesmerized by the acrobatic prowess of the rainbow-maned pegasus. She continued her dance across the sky, pulling turns and maneuvers that were previously thought impossible, wowing her crowd all the while. All too soon, it came down to her final move, one which she gained considerable altitude to even attempt.

"Oh wow, she's going really high up!" Sweetie Belle chirped.

"She must five thousand feet high..." Cooper muttered in disbelief.

"She's gonna do it!" Sky exclaimed with giddy excitement.

"Gonna do what?" Midnight raised an eyebrow.

"A sonic rainboom!" Scootaloo cried, the anticipation in her voice dwarfing even Sky's excitement.

"A sonic rainboom... what, is she gonna break the sound barrier?" Cooper scoffed, rolling his eyes in amusement.

"Yes! Here she comes!" Scootaloo replied, wholly ignorant of the disbelieving look Cooper gave her as she continued to stare after Rainbow Dash.

Meanwhile at the apex of her ascent, Rainbow wiped a beam of sweat from her brow and cracked her neck.

"Alright, Dash... you've got one chance to really wow this alien and show him what you're all about... don't screw it up now."

The self pep talk, while offering little actual encouragement, was all she needed to veer downwards and propel herself forward with a single flap of her mighty wings. Rainbow's speed instantly increased as she dove toward the ground. Gravity could only move her so fast, however, so as she quickly reached terminal velocity, she pumped her wings faster and faster, pushing herself as hard as she possibly could.

From their position on the ground, Cooper and his entourage could see the faint form of conical atmosphere forming at the tip of Rainbow's hooves. Faster and faster she went, her body threatening to tear through the sound barrier with each passing second, and still, she only flapped harder. Cooper found his jaw dropping slightly as the speed of the little pegasus went from quick, to fast, to blistering.

Her altitude dropped as she plummeted toward the ground at a speed untouched by most living things. The sight made both Cooper and Midnight nervous as the saw just how quickly Rainbow was running out of room to pull up, should she need to. On the other side of the fence, Scootaloo and Sky were bouncing in place and cheering as their anticipation reached a fever pitch.

Rainbow waves of energy coalesced around the tip of Rainbow's hooves, the sight threatening to blind anyone looking directly at her. That was the last thing Cooper saw before she finally broke the sound barrier, her sheer speed sending a ripple of rainbow energy blasting outwards in all directions, while the explosive sound erupted from behind her.

Rainbow banked up at the last second, her agility at such speed surprising even her as she effortlessly regained all of her lost altitude in a matter of seconds, quickly finding herself back in the lower troposphere. However, while she cheered and whooped for herself, a much different scene played out down below.

All ponies were startled slightly by the sound of the sonic rainboom, but Cooper remained motionless. He stared up at the sky, his eyes blinking in disbelief as he watched the smoke rising from the burning buildings in front of him. He heard the crack of gunfire as men rushed through the burning settlement, shooting and killing as they went. Screams echoed in the distance, making him wince, but none of it compared to the cold chill that sent a shiver down his spine.

"Cooper!" Twilight cried, snapping his eyes down toward the pony beside him.

Cooper stared down at her, his mind struggling to process just what to do. He knew that they were cornered. He knew that there was no way out. He'd failed. His only task in this god-forsaken world and he couldn't even manage to protect her. He failed her, just like he'd failed them...

"Cooper, are you alright?" Twilight asked, her head tilted to the side in confusion.

Just as he opened his mouth to respond, Cooper glanced up, finding a horrible sight that made his blood freeze in his veins. Through the snow and wasteland before him, he saw Gabe, standing there with a pistol in his hand, aiming right at the back of Twilight's skull.

"Abomination..." He heard Gabe mutter.

Without thinking, Cooper leapt forward, tackling Twilight to the ground and shielding her with his own body as Gabe fired again and again, bullets whizzing all around him. Despite his positioning, Cooper didn't feel the stinging, burning sensation of being shot, instead, he felt wetness. He slowly glanced down, finding that somehow, someway, every bullet missed him entirely, but all found their target in Twilight. As he stared down at her, eyes wide in shock, blood oozed from the many new holes all over her barrel. He desperately tried to apply pressure to the multiple new wounds all over her barrel, the crimson fluid covering his hands in red.

Cooper couldn't breathe, let alone speak as he stared down into Twilight's sapphire eyes. Wait... that wasn't right, Twilight had purple eyes. Cooper's brow furrowed in confusion as Twilight stared back at him, her expression quickly morphing into one of shock and confusion.

"Cooper!?" He heard, though this time, the voice did not come from Twilight, instead it came from behind him.

Cooper blinked, and suddenly it was no longer Twilight laying under him, but rather, the snow white fur and golden armor of Midnight greeted him, though her face carried the same shock and confusion he'd seen mere microseconds before. Her helmet had fallen off from him suddenly tackling her, and the magic creating the illusion of color slowly drained from her features to reveal her charcoal colored coat and black hair.

"Cooper!? What's going on!?" AppleBloom cried out, desperately trying to pull him off of the mare beneath him.

"I-" Cooper began, choking on his words.

"Are you okay? Why did you just tackle Midnight? Mid, are you okay?" Sky pressed, stepping over to their side.

"I'm okay. Cooper, what was that? Why did you do that?" Midnight questioned, the confusion still evident in her voice.

Cooper glanced down to find that he was practically laying on top of his guard, as if he were trying to shield her from something. Albeit with an awkward moment of tension, he got up to his knees, giving her enough room to squeeze out from under him and get back to her hooves.

Cooper slowly looked down to his hands, finding that they weren't covered in blood at all. He shook his head and shakily got to his feet, his eyes blinking rapidly as if to attempt to process what had happened. When it became abundantly clear that the ponies around her were all waiting for an explanation, Cooper found himself coming up empty.

"I... I'm sorry. I thought..." He trailed off.

Midnight grabbed her helmet and re-donned the protective equipment, her coat quickly taking a white shine just a moment later. She walked over to Cooper's side just as Rainbow touched down beside the group, her head tilted to the side in confusion.

"What's going on with you guys? That was probably the best sonic rainboom I've done yet. Where's the cheering!?" Rainbow indignantly questioned, wholly ignorant of the tension in the air.

"I, uh... I need to go." Cooper declared, turning to leave.

"But, Cooper!" AppleBloom protested.

"Wait, yeah- what do you mean? Where are you going?" Rainbow added, bolting over to Cooper's side.

"I can't... I just need to think." Cooper replied, hastily turning and walking away from the group.

"Cooper!" Rainbow tried to protest, but a wing shot out in front of her, halting her pursuit.

"Best to let us handle this, Miss Dash. What he's going through... I think I've seen it once before." Sky stated, before re-furling his wing.

Rainbow opened her mouth to protest, but as she finally took in the rattled appearance of Cooper and his guards as they hurried away, she didn't protest. Even she could tell that something was definitely amiss compared to just a few minutes prior.

"Well that was weird... what got into him?" Scootaloo asked as the trio departed.

"What happened, exactly?" Rainbow pressed, turning to the three fillies before her.

"I don't know. One second he was having a good time, and the next, he was tackling his guard." Sweetie Belle explained.

"Do ya' think she said something to offend him?" AppleBloom questioned.

"No way! She didn't say a word. It was like the sonic rainboom just set him off." Scootaloo shot back.

Rainbow raised an eyebrow, "The sonic rainboom made him tackle his guard?" She repeated.

"That's what it seemed like to me. Everything was fine and then as soon as the 'boom' hit us, he just freaked out." Scootaloo responded.

Rainbow's brow furrowed in thought for a few moments. Her prolonged silence made the three fillies beside her all tilt their heads to the side in curiosity, but before they could voice their forming questions, Rainbow spoke up.

"I think I need to go talk to Twilight real quick. I'm sorry but practice is done for today, girls." Rainbow announced.

A chorus of 'aww's' rang out from the trio of fillies, but Rainbow held firm despite the adorable protests.

"I know, and I'm sorry girls. I just really need to go see Twilight right now. I think we'll try to do this again, same time tomorrow. Sound like a plan?" She offered, in a bid to make peace.

"Okay." The three fillies agreed.

"Oh! We can spend the rest of the afternoon trying to get our cutie marks." Sweetie Belle suggested.

"Now there's a plan! What should we go try?" Scootaloo replied.

"How about acrobatics!" AppleBloom offered.

"I like it! Come on, girls! I'm gonna need a ring of fire..." Scootaloo trailed off as the three fillies made their exit.

Rainbow smiled at the youthful energy of the bunch before spreading her wings and taking to the skies once more. Having seen the lavender alicorn earlier that day, she knew where to find her, and promptly made her way over in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres. It took the prismatic speedster less than five minutes to make it over to the South field of the farm, where she easily found AppleJack's orange coat sticking out against the soft green grass of the orchard. Standing just a short ways away from the apple farmer, was none over than the princess of friendship herself.

Rainbow banked toward the duo and came in for a landing, her flapping wings catching the ears of the alicorn friend long before she ever touched the ground.

"Rainbow?" Twilight inquired, glancing up as she came in above them.

"In the flesh." Rainbow smirked, landing just beside Twilight.

"Afternoon, Dash. What brings you over here? Ah thought you'd be busy with the cutie mark crusaders for another hour or two." AppleJack noted, giving her friend a nod of greeting.

"Well, that was the plan. The three of them are gonna go crusading some more and try to get their cutie marks doing... something that's totally not dangerous, I'm sure." Rainbow quickly replied.

"That's why you stopped your practice routine? That doesn't seem like you. Even without a crowd to put a show on for, you've always been the type to finish your whole routine." Twilight noted.

"Well, that does kinda bring me to the reason I'm here," Rainbow responded, giving Twilight a slightly apologetic look, "Twi, can I ask you a quick question about Cooper?"

Twilight's gaze immediately hardened, "Oh no. What happened? Where is he?" She quickly questioned.

"He's fine, he's fine. His guards are taking him back to the castle, I think. I just wanted to know something about him real quick." Rainbow replied, in a bid to calm her alicorn friend before she could lose her temper again.

"Right, right. Sorry. What do you want to know?" Twilight responded.

"Well... those... 'guns' that you said you and Cooper were shot at with, back over in his world... were they... ya' know... really loud?" Rainbow asked, as gently as she could.

"Excessively. Cooper told me that every time a bullet is fired, it breaks the sound barrier, much like your sonic rain...boom..." Twilight replied, her voice trailing off as she realized just what had transpired.

"Uh... right... so, is there a reason that after hearing my sonic rainboom, that he'd tackle one of his guards to the ground?" Rainbow finished, giving what she hoped was a disarming smile, though her nerves shown through easily enough.

Twilight pinched the bridge of her snout, "I can think of a couple reasons... ugh... I need to go see Cooper."

Author's Note

Well that's certainly not good. Poor Cooper can't even enjoy a little airshow without the demons from his past making themselves known. How will Twilight deal with this?

Chapter 19

The Following Week

At the local café in Ponyville's main street, five mares sat around their favorite table, a delectable spread of lunch laid out before them. However, much as the group would usually be devouring their food, there was a distinct lack of appetite this beautiful spring morning. All five mares stared off in random directions, almost as if they were trying to avoid the purpose of their gathering in the first place. Finally, it became too much for the orange earth pony to bear, and she spoke up.

"Ah'm callin' a meetin', ya'll." AppleJack announced, gaining the attention of her gathered friends.

"Whatever for?" Fluttershy inquired, nibbling on her sandwich as she looked up to the farmer pony.

"I think the answer to that one is pretty obvious, darling." Rarity replied, nodding toward the castle in the distance.

AppleJack nodded in agreement, "After last week, I think we'd be darned foals to not address what's happenin' with Twilight and Cooper."

"Yeah... it's starting to get really concerning." Rainbow admitted.

"Ah don't think I have to remind ya'll of the trouble that came from when Pinkie spooked 'im and he ran off into the forest. Now just the other day, Rainbow spooked him and he tackled his guard like he was tryin' to protect her from something." AppleJack recounted.

"Not to mention Twilight and how she reacted when Pinkie startled him." Fluttershy added.

A chorus of agreement rang out from the group as they looked over to their pink friend, who was sipping on a smoothie in a much more subdued manner than any of them were used to seeing.

"Oh, it's okay, girls. Twilight apologized to me for it. There's no hard feelings between us over that." Pinkie responded.

"Regardless of that, don't you think she reacted a bit too harshly, darling?' Rarity pried.

"Twi's gotten mad at'cha before, but never as much as I heard. Pretty sure ah' could hear her screamin' from Sweet Apple Acres. AppleJack chimed in.

Pinkie seemed to deflate even further into her seat, "Yeah... I know."

A sad silence overcame the group as they thought over the predicament they found themselves in. All of their minds drifted to the inevitable conclusion that they were all dreading within minutes.

"After everything that happened to the both of them in that other world... ya think it's a safe bet that..." Rainbow trailed off.

"There's something wrong with the two of them?" Rarity finished.

"I don't know if I'd use the word 'wrong'... but yeah, something like that." Rainbow sighed.

"I don't think it's unreasonable to think that the two of them are completely traumatized by what happened." Fluttershy stated.

"Then how do we help them? Twilight is one thing, but Cooper is another animal entirely. Quite literally, even." Rarity responded.

The group's collective brows dipped in thought as they all pondered over what they could possibly do to help their friends.

"A party is out of the question." Pinkie muttered.

"Well... not necessarily. Maybe just not a 'surprise' party." AppleJack snorted.

Pinkie dryly chuckled, "Fair point."

Rarity cleared her throat, directing all eyes over to her, "I hate to say it, I truly do... but perhaps some kind of intervention is in order." She suggested.

"For both of 'em?" AppleJack raised an eyebrow.

Rarity shook her head, "I don't believe we'll be getting through to Cooper any time soon. He's just been through too much and we all know so little about him in the grand scheme of things. He may very well take it the wrong way if we try to intervene in his life like that so soon. Twilight, on the other hoof..."

Rainbow squinted slightly, "So... what? We take Twilight and give her an intervention? What does that even mean? Like... are we trying to get her to confess to something?"

AppleJack rolled her eyes, "No, Dash. We're trying to get the both of 'em to go to therapy. There ain't nothin' to confess to. Rarity's got a good idea though. The two of them are mighty close after what they went through together. If we can help Twilight, she'll be on our side to help Cooper. At least that way, we've got the pony he trusts most, on our side." She explained.

"That... sounds like a pretty good plan." Fluttershy smiled, hopefully.

"Why, thank you, Fluttershy." Rarity beamed.

"So how do we separate them? Twilight's been practically attached to Cooper the whole last week. Even more than after I scared him." Pinkie noted, still sounding somewhat downtrodden by the situation.

Once more, the group collectively dipped their heads in thought as they pondered over the pink mare's point. It took some time, but eventually, it was Fluttershy that spoke up.

"Well... what if we called in some help?" She suggested.

"Some help from whom, dear?" Rarity tilted her head to the side.

"Well... the princesses seemed like they'd be willing to help when they last saw him." Fluttershy offered.

"The princesses? What exactly could they even do? I mean... aside from like, just ordering Twilight back to Canterlot without Cooper. I don't think either of them would even go for that." Rainbow replied.

"Plus Ah don't feel right sending a letter to Celestia about Twilight behind her back. I feel like that could backfire on us mighty fierce if we aren't careful. Those two share everything." AppleJack added.

"Well what about Princess Luna?" Fluttershy offered.

"Luna? What could Luna do to help?" Pinkie questioned.

"She could ask Twilight to go somewhere and we could meet her there to talk with her. Or better yet, she could help Twilight with her nightmares. She's been much more irritable lately, and I'm sure that's got something to do with a lack of sleep." Fluttershy reasoned.

AppleJack scratched her chin in thought, "That... that's actually a darn good point, Flutters. Ah can't imagine goin' through what Twi went through and not coming out with some terrible nightmares."

"Then it sounds like we've got our plan." Rainbow announced, smacking her hooves together.

"Anypony think they can get Spike over here?" AppleJack inquired.

All eyes subconsciously drifted over to Rarity, who blushed slightly at the sudden spotlight she was forced into. After nearly thirty seconds of all ponies staring straight at her, she finally sighed.

"Just because he has a crush on me doesn't mean I want to lead him on and use him whenever I want something." She huffed.

AppleJack and Rainbow both raised an eyebrow.

"Oh hush, you two. I'll go get Spike over here. Give me twenty minutes." She relented, getting out of her chair.

As Celestia sat on her throne, a bored look on her face as the noble before her droned on about some manner of government expansion or other issue that she couldn't be bothered with paying attention too. As had become custom during her reign over Equestria, Celestia tended to tune out the more mundane nobles as they usually only came to day court to complain over issues she had little to no actual control over.

"-and so that's why I think my manor should be able to expand out into the neighboring property, your highness. It was ours until my great great great grandmare sold it to those griffons next door." The noble finished, waiting for a response.

Just as Celestia opened her mouth to reply, a swirling vortex of green flame whooshed in through the window, spiraling into a puff of smoke that revealed a letter. Her eyes widened slightly as she immediately recognized Spike's dragon breath, and without another moment's hesitation, she took the scroll out of the air with her magic.

"A thousand pardons, Jet Stream. I've received an urgent letter that I must attend to. I will look over this issue as soon as I can. In the meantime, could you reschedule with my secretary, Raven?" Celestia said, quickly unfurling the scroll.

"Of course, your highness." Jet Stream replied, bowing slightly before exiting.

"I'll go tend to that, Princess." Raven added, before heading after the noble.

"Thank you, Raven." Celestia nodded, before opening the scroll and reading its contents.

After less than a minute, her brow furrowed as she rose from her throne and turned toward the exit. The two guards at the base of the staircase making up her throne immediately fell into step as Celestia made her way out to the hall leading back to her and her sister's shared section of the castle. They quickly arrived at Luna's tower and ascended the staircase leading to her bedroom.

Upon arriving, Celestia politely knocked several times on the door, prompting a loud snort and groan from the night alicorn inside. Celestia suppressed a snicker at her sister's very unprincess-like behavior as she waited for her to open the door. She didn't have to wait long, and as Luna opened her bedroom door, her groggy eyes greeted her with a frown.

"Sister? What is it?" Luna questioned, before yawning.

"I'm sorry to wake you, sister, but I've just received a letter from Twilight's friends. They want you to see it, specifically." Celestia explained.

The sleepiness in Luna's eyes quickly vanished as she took the letter with her magic and read through it. Her eyes darted back and forth as she read the letter, a look of concern slowly weeding its way onto her face as she read. Finally, once she was finished, she looked up to Celestia, finding a questioning look on her sister's face.

"Well, what did it say?" She asked.

"You mean you didn't read it?" Luna tilted her head to the side.

Celestia shook her head, "It was addressed to you, sister, not me."

Luna pursed her lips, "It appears that Twilight has been suffering in her slumber recently. No doubt due to the events she survived when she went to Cooper's world. I regret to admit that... I haven't entered her dreams to help her yet. This is something I must rectify immediately." She admitted.

Celestia gave her sister a disarming smile, "It's alright, sister. You can't be everywhere in Equestria at once. I'm sure Twilight would love to see you tonight."

Luna nodded, "Thank you. I will visit her tonight and ensure her rest is not disturbed by nightmares of the event..."

Celestia smiled and nodded, though, at the pensive look still on her sister's face, she frowned, "What is the matter, sister? You look as if there's still something else on your mind."

Luna sighed, "Well... the truth of the matter is... nevermind, sister. It's rather... personal."

Celestia opened her mouth to protest, but quickly thought better of it. She gave her sister a small nod and turned away, "Very well, sister. I wish you a good rest. I'll see you tonight."

Luna smiled, "Thank you, sister. I will see you tonight."

With that, the solar alicorn and her entourage departed, leaving her lunar sister alone once more. With her solitude now restored, Luna looked over the letter once more, her brow furrowing even further in concern.

"I am sorry, Twilight Sparkle... I've been so busy trying to enter Cooper's dreams that I didn't stop to think about how you might be fairing after everything. It's gotten so bad that even your friends are greatly concerned for your well-being... I will rectify this tonight." She declared, before setting the letter down and making her way back to her bed.

As night fell over Equestria and the gentle star-lit sky covered the world in darkness, Luna stepped out onto her balcony, her horn alight to raise her respective celestial body. Similarly, her sister finished lowering her blazing sun just moments earlier, prompting the lapse into darkness that Luna was so accustomed to. The sisters shared a few words about their days before the elder of the two headed to her room for sleep.

With her solitude restored once more, Luna headed to her bedroom, where she sat on her haunches, her eyes closing in concentration. The spirals of her horn illuminated in white light as she entered the dream realm, soon finding herself in the mysterious world of dreams that floated by in bright white bubbles. She slowly glanced back and forth as her eyes squinted in a search for a specific dream, and within a few moments, her practiced eyes found the dream in question.

Luna trotted over to Twilight's dream, finding her starburst cutie mark glowing inside of the little bubble. A distinct red hue surrounded it, giving much credence to the claims of her friends, much to Luna's disappointment.

"It seems your friends are right, Twilight Sparkle. I wish that weren't the case... but for now, I can at least rectify this nightmare." Luna quietly said to herself, before entering the dream.

Upon entering the nightmare, Luna was immediately greeted by white, and cold. A bristling wind hit her coat, making her feathers furl in discomfort. Her fur bristled in the frigid wind, and her eyes stung ever so slightly as she squinted in the harsh wind to see what was in front of her. She could just barely make out the jagged shapes of a city off in the distance, against the fog of the blizzard around her. Sending out a small pulse of energy with her magic, she quickly found Twilight off in the direction of the city, and promptly headed that way.

Unfurling her wings, Luna took to the air and quickly make her way over to where she knew Twilight's approximate location to be. She landed atop a snow covered rooftop, her ears quickly perking up to the sound of lightning ahead. Her ears splayed back and she winced as the thunderous sound assaulted her over and over in rapid succession. Each acoustic blast trailed after a flash of light off in the distance, making Luna's heart race as a primal instinct of fear took hold of her.

Only through her centuries of life, could she overcome the instinctual desire to flee from the sounds that raked at her ears and make her skin crawl. She managed to find the reason for her visit just a few hundred feet in front of her, her purple fur standing out slightly against the white around her. With her mission now clearly before her, Luna took to the sky once more and softly glided toward Twilight.

Her hooves landed in the snow with a distinct crunching sound, but that was easily drowned out by the sound of Twilight sobbing. Luna found her heart breaking at the sounds and sight before her, but in spite of the many questions she felt forming on her brain, she quickly got her answer.

Held in Twilight's forelegs, his body limp and covered in blood, lay Cooper. The human was clearly dead or dying, just from the sight of him, and even though she'd only met him once, Luna couldn't help but feel her stomach sink at the sight of the human dying before her.

"Cooper... please... no." Twilight whimpered, hugging his head against her chest.

Luna watched from her position, tears threatening to spill from her eyes as the pain in Twilight's voice reached her ears. She quickly blinked them back and shook her head, breaking her mind free to do what needed to be done. Her horn glowed in a bright white light, quickly enveloping the world around her, including Twilight. The smaller lavender alicorn gasped in shock as she realized that something was happening to her, but before she could speak, Luna's magical spell exploded outward, wiping the entirety of the nightmare away and leaving only a blank white slate for her to sit in.

Twilight owlishly blinked as Cooper's body disappeared before her very eyes, and she blinked away the last of her tears, she finally looked up to the world around her. She slowly turned around to find Luna, giving her a warm smile that seemed to radiate relief upon seeing her.

"P-Princess Luna?" Twilight asked, incredulously.

Luna nodded, "Indeed. It appears I have done you a great disservice by not coming to your dreams sooner, dear Twilight.

Twilight glanced around quickly, "A dream... of course... huh... I should have realized sooner." She sighed, shaking her head slightly.

Luna frowned, "You don't seem to be very relieved that this is merely a dream, Twilight Sparkle... I believe we have much to discuss."

Twilight gave a sad nod, "I'm guessing you've heard about how I've been acting lately, haven't you?"

Luna nodded, "Your friends have expressed concern about your behavior lately. After what you've been through... it's not hard to imagine why."

Twilight sighed once more, "Yeah... I know. Things have been getting worse with both me and Cooper, haven't they?"

Luna chewed on her cheek, "From what I've heard today... yes, they have. I wish to help you both, but your friends and I appear to share the sentiment that Cooper isn't going to take our advice or help easily."

"I figured as much... it's not that he doesn't want help or anything... he's just gone so long without anypony else in his life. I don't think he wants to trust anypony or let them in. Not to mention the fact that loud noises send him into flashbacks and I've almost lost him once already." Twilight explained.

"I received the report from his guards... Twilight, you know that we can't have him running around having flashbacks every time something startles him. As much as I don't want to say it... Cooper is dangerous. Our scientists have analyzed his weapon and determined that it could be replicated within just a few decades by our enemies. That's not even considering the fact that he's twice the size of a pony in his already emaciated state. I want to help him, I do... but I need your help to do that, Twilight." Luna offered

Twilight pursed her lips as her eyes fell the infinite floor below her. For some time, her silence was the only response Luna received. Eventually though, she did respond.

"What do you need from me?"

Author's Note

Looks like an intervention is in order. I wonder how that'll play out...

Chapter 20

"I wish to show you exactly what it is that I have been observing the last week." Luna announced, looking down to Twilight.

Twilight's brow furrowed slightly but she nodded her head, prompting Luna to illuminate her horn. A bright white light beamed straight ahead, as if tearing a hole in the fabric of reality itself, just in front of them. Without a word, Luna stepped into the new hole in the dreamscape she'd created, and albeit hesitantly, Twilight followed suite. Together, they arrived in a misty plain, full of vibrant yet blurred colors that were speckled with millions of tiny white lights that littered the sky.

Twilight found herself staring up in amazement at the sight before her, but before she could get too lost in her awe, Luna politely cleared her throat, making Twilight look back at her. There was already nearly thirty feet of distance between them, indicating that Twilight had been taking in the view for far longer than she thought. With a sheepish smile, she quickly trotted over to Luna's side, and the duo progressed forward.

"Wow... so this is the dream realm?" Twilight asked, looking up to Luna.

Luna smiled and nodded, "Indeed it is. This has been my domain ever since my return." She explained.

"So, what exactly do you want to show me in here?" Twilight inquired.

"This." Luna answered, nodding her head toward an orb just ahead of them.

Unlike the thousands of white lights surrounding it, the little orb of light before them was riddled with imperfections in its shape and texture. While the others were perfectly round and brilliant in their coloration, this one was grayed and brittle. Cracks riddled its surface and the light emanating from it was duller than any of the others. Without even speaking, Twilight immediately knew it was Cooper's dream.

"Cooper?" She whispered.

"Indeed. This isn't even the worst it's looked since he arrived. Do you know what a nightmare looks like, Twilight?" Luna asked, curiously.

Twilight mutely shook her head.

"A nightmare makes the dream turn red or black, depending on the severity of the dream. The texture becomes hard and angular. Spikes form, almost as if the dream itself were becoming a manifestation of the dreamer's defense's trying to protect itself from what's hurting them..." Luna trailed off.

"But... this doesn't look anything like that." Twilight noted, confusion written all over her face.

"Indeed. That is where my hesitation lays, Twilight Sparkle. In all my years, and all the dreams I've tended to, I have never seen anything like this. It's as if the edges were sheared off and dulled from time. The light, so bright and vivid once upon a time, has faded to barely a flicker. The only thing that I can possibly gleam from this dream is that Cooper has had nightmares so often, and for so long... that he's simply become accustomed to them." Luna explained.

Twilight's withers sagged as her eyes fell to the nonexistent floor below them, "How awful..."

Luna tentatively stepped over to the dream, gently leaning forward, as if to examine it more closely, "I have tried, many times in fact, to peer into Cooper's dreams... they usually only last for a few minutes before he wakes up."

Twilight nodded, "He has been an extremely light sleeper ever since I met him. The smallest sound and... well, he's up and ready to fight."

Luna sighed, "Every night has been like this for him... except one." She stated, slowly glancing over to Twilight.

"One? What do you mean?" Twilight pressed, walking over to Luna's side.

"When you sent that letter to my sister, the night of your return." Luna replied.

Twilight scratched her chin in thought, "But... why was that night different? Was it just because he was finally in a comfy bed?" She wondered aloud.

"I cannot say. However, as you can imagine, news of a human in Equestria was certainly startling to me. The timing of your letter was also perfect, as it came just in time for me to enter the dream realm and seek out Cooper for myself. I was able to find and enter his dream on that first night, albeit for a brief amount of time." Luna elaborated.

"You did? What did you see?" Twilight inquired.

Luna bit her lip, her sudden hesitation making Twilight wince, "That bad?" She asked.

Luna regretfully nodded, "I couldn't see much, being only able to view his dream for a few minutes... but there was much death. It's... it was not pleasant." She admitted.

Twilight sighed, "I figured as much... so... how am I supposed to help you to help him? If you can't even enter his dreams, then what can I possibly do? I can't even enter the dream realm like you can." She pressed.

"I need you to remember if there was anything notable you did that night. Anything at all. I believe there was something that helped Cooper stay asleep long enough for me to briefly enter his dream. I want so badly to help relieve him of his nightmares, but unless I can keep that bridge open long enough to make a connection and handle what is causing the nightmare, I simply cannot help him." Luna explained.

Twilight's brow furrowed in thought as she sat on her haunches. Her mind struggled to recall anything of any particular note that first night, but within a few seconds, two things stood out to her.

"Well... all of my friends spent the night there with us... though, I don't know if that helped or hindered anything. Cooper seemed kind of hesitant and untrusting of them that first night." She recalled.

"I see... anything else?" Luna pressed.

"Well... um..." Twilight blushed, "I may have... um... asked him to sleep in my bed... with me." She sheepishly explained.

Luna raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"He just held me and we snuggled for the night... but I do remember him relaxing and actually falling asleep after a little bit." Twilight offered.

"So... is it possible that he was able to sleep more peacefully that night because of his proximity to you?" Luna inquired.

Twilight sheepishly shrugged, "I... don't know. I would assume that it might have had something to do with it but I don't know for certain." She replied.

"Well, there's only one way to find out." Luna declared, her wings flaring ever so slightly.

The Following Morning

Twilight walked toward her friends at their usual brunch spot at the local café. The waiter was just delivering a round of refreshing drinks and appetizers for the girls, and the sound of jubilant laughter filled the air the purple alicorn approached. She overheard Rainbow and AppleJack laughing about some inside joke that only the two athletes of the group would understand, while Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity all gossiped about what they saw at the spa the previous week.

However, all of their mirth halted as they noticed her approach. Five sets of eyes instantly darted over to her, silence reigning over the table as even the chirping birds held their breath.

"Uh, hey, Twi." Rainbow lamely greeted with a small wave.

"Darling? Are you alright?" Rarity asked, giving a worried glance to her purple friend.

Twilight took a small breath before meeting her friends gaze, "Luna visited me last night." She stated, not in any kind of accusatory way, but more as if she were just stating a fact.

The group's combined expressions mirrored one of sheer guilt, but they kept their mouth's shut and held Twilight's gaze, all waiting for her to continue. When it became apparent that she was waiting for them to reply, AppleJack was the first to break the awkward silence.

"Uh... how'd that go, Sugarcube?" She inquired.

Twilight sighed, "Mind if I sit down with you all?"

"Of course, Twilight. You're always welcome to join us." Fluttershy kindly offered, pulling out the chair beside her with her wing.

Twilight gratefully accepted the offered chair, taking her seat with the smallest of winces as she moved her foreleg in a way that sent a twitch of pain up her mostly healed wither.

"Yer' looking better an' better every day... you should be good as new in less than a week." AppleJack noted, looking to Twilight's scar.

"I am healing faster than expected... but that's beside the point. Girls... why didn't you just talk to me?" Twilight asked, looking to all of her friends.

Though it was subtle, there was an undeniable level of hurt in Twilight's voice that made all five of her friends wince. Guilty looks quickly spread across the group, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie being the first to look away in shame.

"Darling... you have to understand, it wasn't that we didn't want to..." Rarity trailed off, looking to AppleJack and Rainbow for help.

Being the most level headed out of the bunch, AppleJack took it upon herself to reply, "Shucks, Sugarcube... we don't want to hurt yer' feelings none... we were just worried 'bout you."

"Yeah... after the incident when Cooper ran off into the woods-" Rainbow began, only for Twilight to suddenly cut her off.

"I said I was sorry for that!" She cried, suddenly drawing the eyes of everyone else at the café.

Twilight held her head in her hooves and let out a long, drawn out sigh of sadness as the rest of the ponies observing her slowly went back to their meals. As for the rest of her friends, however, there was a noticeable smog of tension in the air that made it difficult for any of them to even look away from the lavender alicorn, let alone speak. Eventually, Twilight did break the silence, though the melancholy in her voice stung almost worse than her previous anger.

"I'm sorry... I know I haven't been right since I got back... I know you were all just trying to help." She stated, her eyes falling to the tablecloth between all of them.

Without waiting for permission, Fluttershy scooted over to Twilight's side and gingerly wrapped a wing around her, hugging her close. The contact, while warm and comforting, didn't do much to break Twilight out of her mood.

"Twilight... we know you went through a lot... that's why we went to Luna to see if she could help." Pinkie explained, softly.

Twilight nodded, "She did help me... I was having another nightmare last night and just when I thought it was at its worst, she showed up and helped me. I do appreciate it, girls... I do. It's just..." She trailed off.

"You don't like us goin' behind yer' back to do it." AppleJack finished off for her.

"Yes," Twilight agreed, "I know I'm just being irrational and moody, and I'm sorry for that... it's just how I've felt since I woke up."

"And that's perfectly understandable, Darling. I promise you, if we'd known it would bother you so much, we never would have done it." Rarity offered, kindly.

"Yeah. Whatdo'ya say we make a promise to not go behind each other's backs like that again?" Rainbow suggested.

"That would mean a lot to me, girls." Twilight smiled.

"Then let's make it official." Rainbow declared, sticking a foreleg out.

The rest of the girls all similarly stuck their forelegs out into the center of the table, "Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." They all recited, going through the motions and poking their eyes with their hooves.

"Ouch." Rainbow muttered.

"Ah always forget to close mah eye when I do that." AppleJack chuckled.

Much to the group's relief, Twilight giggled at the humorous act, prompting the rest of them to laugh along with her. They quickly found themselves in much higher spirits and better moods within seconds. It was as if nothing had ever happened between them in the first place.

"So, Darling. If you're willing to tell us, what exactly did Luna say to you last night?" Rarity inquired.

While her mood did somewhat diminish, Twilight kept the smile in her eyes as she looked over to her friend, "Well... that's actually the other thing I wanted to talk to you guys about." She replied.

"Oh?" Fluttershy inquired.

"Yeah... I think I might need your advice, girls." Twilight responded.

"With what, Darling?" Rarity questioned.

"Well... Luna wants me to help her get into Cooper's dreams to help him with his nightmares as well." Twilight explained.

Looks of shock plastered the entire group.

"Well... Ah was hopin' she'd talk to you and get you to convince Cooper to get some help, but just jumpin' into his dreams so soon? Ah feel like that might be a bit hasty." AppleJack thought aloud.

"I told her the same thing, but she was adamant about helping him with his nightmares. As far as she can tell, Cooper hasn't had a peaceful night of sleep since he got here... er, save for one night, at least." Twilight replied.

"Just one night?" Rainbow tilted her head to the side.

"That sounds awful." Fluttershy cringed.

"When was the one night he didn't have a nightmare?" Pinkie asked.

"It was... the first night he got here... Luna thinks that it was because he was snuggled up with me that whole night." Twilight sheepishly explained.

"Heh, snugglin' on you helps him sleep. Imagine that." AppleJack teased.

"Snuggling with somepony you love is a great way to reduce stress and sleep better, I've heard." Rarity nodded.

"Alright, so... it sounds like you've already got a plan figured out then. Just spend the night with him and have Luna do her thing while he's asleep. Sounds easy enough to me. What do you need our advice for?" Rainbow asked, curiously.

"Luna wants to help in any way she can... and she thinks that if I don't tell him about her abilities, that things would go smoother with her dreamwalking. The thing is... we all know how Cooper is right now... he's jumpy, and untrusting. Having Luna enter his mind while he's asleep, could completely backfire and make him feel less safe than ever. Not to mention there's the whole 'going behind his back' thing." Twilight sighed.

"Hehe, sounds a bit familiar, doesn't that." Rainbow awkwardly chuckled.

"Well, it seems to me like you've only got one choice, then." AppleJack shrugged.

Twilight raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"Tell him the truth. You two went to Tartarus and back, together. Don't start spoilin' that trust now by lyin' to the fella." AppleJack elaborated.

"But what if that makes it so that Luna can't get into his dreams because now he'll be expecting her?" Twilight asked.

"Darling, he trusts you, doesn't he?" Rarity rebutted.

Twilight nodded.

"Then he'll trust your judgement. He knows you only want what's best for him." Rarity smiled.

Twilight considered the advice for a few moments before looking up to the group with a determined smile on her face, "Thanks, girls. I don't know what I'd do without you."

That Night

"So... you want me to spend the night with you?" Cooper asked, a confused look on his face.

"Y-yeah... that's the most basic part of it, but yes." Twilight replied, blushing slightly.

"So... just so I understand this correctly... your princess... Luna, she can enter dreams?" Cooper slowly stated.

"That's correct, yes." Twilight nodded.

"And last night she came into your dream and asked you to help her see into my dreams?" Cooper finished, raising an eyebrow.

Twilight nodded once more.

"And what if I don't want someone else looking into my head?" Cooper crossed his arms.

Twilight sighed, "It's not like that, Cooper. She can only see dreams, not thoughts-"

"Dreams are thoughts, aren't they?" Cooper interrupted.

"While... technically correct, there's a distinct difference between dreams and thoughts. One is a conscious part of your brain, the other is unconscious. I could get into the subtle differences between the two and explain it but we'd be here all night just talking. Just, please trust me on this? Luna herself has even told me that she can't see anything past a pony's current dream. Any thoughts they have in their head stay private. She would never violate somepony's privacy like that." Twilight elaborated.

Cooper held Twilight's gaze for almost a full minute, his lips pursed in thought as he pondered over what she'd said. Twilight quickly found herself worrying that Cooper was simply going to reject her offer outright, but breathed a small sigh of relief as his posture relaxed somewhat and his gaze softened.

"Alright... I'll trust you. So why does she want to get into my dreams so bad? Is it just because I'm the new weird alien and she's curious?"

Twilight shook her head, "It's... more personal than that. Cooper... she knows that you've been having nightmares ever since you got here." She explained.

Much to Twilight's shock, Cooper laughed, "Since I got here? Twilight, I don't think I've had a decent night of sleep in five years."

While his reaction was jarring, Twilight had come to expect such reactions from her human friend after their time together. However, she still had a trump card up her sleeve.

"That's not true. You've had at least one good night's sleep." Twilight rebutted.

Cooper raised an eyebrow, "I have?"

"The first night when we got back here... when you were holding me that whole night." Twilight replied, blushing a bit more.

Cooper rolled his tongue in his mouth as he thought over Twilight's words. He struggled to recollect the night in question, but he did recall sleeping better than he could remember on that particular night.

"Alright... that might be true... so what? Are we just going to cuddle for the night and hopefully I'll have a good night's sleep?"

Twilight beamed, "That's the plan!" She exclaimed, before trotting over to her bed and hopping on the mattress. She quickly pulled book out of the shelf with her magic and levitated it over to Cooper, "Want to read a bit together before we go to bed?"

Author's Note

Book horse snuggles always solve the world's problems. Now here's hoping she doesn't accidentally make things worse...

Chapter 21

Luna impatiently tapped her hoof against the invisible floor of the dream realm. While she typically found the quiet, peaceful nature of her surroundings to be relaxing and soothing to work in, the longer it took for Twilight's dream to appear, the more nervous she got. She took to pacing back and forth, her ears flicking toward the twinkling sounds of dreams as they slowly floated past her. Several of them bore the red color of a nightmare, but despite her convictions practically begging her to go to them, she held firm.

"Twilight will be asleep soon... she has to be. It's only ten thirty, relax, Luna... oh, but so many poor fillies and colts are having nightmares tonight." Luna muttered to herself, gazing up to see the veritable sea of dreams slowly floating past her.

As much as she wanted to go to them and ail their terrors, she knew that if she were to do so and abandon her task of looking out for Twilight's dream, she would surely miss her opportunity and all her time would be wasted.

"I wish there weren't so many foals in distress..." Luna whimpered, biting her lip as yet another nightmare flitted by, the scene of said foal running away from some shadowy monster playing right before her eyes.

Thankfully, she did not have to wait any longer, as Twilight's dream finally materialized before her. Much like it usually was the past week, Twilight's dream instantly turned into a nightmare, and Luna wasted no time at all as she dove into the small orb. She arrived to find Twilight standing beside Cooper, a small army of faceless figures all shouting and firing what appeared to be rifles much like Cooper's at the duo. Twilight desperately tried to fend them off with her magical blasts, as well as defend both herself and her human with shield magic, but the impacts of the incoming bullets were simply too powerful for her magic to contend with.

Just before Twilight's shield could shatter, Luna descended upon the dream, her horn glowing a brilliant white as she blasted away all of the shadowy figures. Twilight looked up, a look of immense relief on her face as she witness the night princess saving her from her fate.

"Luna! There you are. So this is a dream, then..." Twilight stated, her brow furrowing slightly as she began to recall just why Luna was visiting her.

"Indeed, Twilight Sparkle. I will need your help to enter Cooper's dreams. I assume he is holding you as we speak?" Luna questioned, smiling down at her younger peer.

Twilight nodded, "I don't know if he's fallen asleep yet... but he was holding me when I fell asleep."

Luna nodded, her horn igniting and turning the world around them into a swirling vortex of black and white, "Then we have no time to lose. We need every second we can get in his subconscious if I'm to put a stop to his nightmares."

The dream quickly turned into an inky mix of colors that spun and twisted until a single point of light appeared in the center. Without hesitation, Luna leapt into the center, quickly disappearing out of sight. Twilight followed suite, and after simply blinking her eyes, she was standing beside the lunar alicorn, among the rest of the dreams in the realm of slumber.

"You know... I don't know how you ever got used to that... feels so weird." Twilight shook her head.

Luna smirked, "I would say that you get used to it, but the truth is that you do not. Even now, I still get a little dizzy if I jump into multiple dreams in one night."

Twilight chuckled, "Well then, good thing we're only going into one dream tonight."

"Indeed. Hopefully it should appear before us any moment now." Luna muttered, leaning forward slightly as she scanned the many dreams appearing before her.

As if on an invisible conveyer belt, dreams appeared from nothing just a few yards in front of them, before merrily bobbing their way over to the night princess, almost as if they were called to her by their very nature. It was a serene experience for Twilight, to see Luna work, firsthand. Yet her admiration of her fellow alicorn could not last long as the object of their attention appeared before them both within a matter of minutes.

"There!" Luna cried, pointing to the jaded, jagged form that could only be Cooper's dream.

Without giving her an opportunity to hesitate, Luna rushed forward, grabbing Twilight with her magic and pulling the librarian-turned-princess after her. Twilight gasped in shock as she was dragged over to the dream, but she had no time to even voice her opinion as Luna dove into Cooper's dream, dragging her along in as well.

The first unfortunate thing to register in Twilight's mind, was the bitter cold. Biting and stinging, even through her coat, the falling snow clung to her and chilled her to the bone. Twilight found herself shivering almost as if by memory, but her gaze was swiftly pulled toward the sound of yelling in the forest ahead of her. As she stepped forward, the crunching sound of snow under her hooves sent a distinct shiver down her spine, and for just a moment, it wasn't a dream at all. It was as real as it was just a couple weeks prior.

"Twilight Sparkle, come! This way!" Luna called, using her wing as a makeshift windbreak against the bitter chill.

Twilight, despite her mind still reeling from the moment of remembrance, nodded in compliance and trotted along after the dark alicorn. The sound of voices quickly grew louder. The duo trotted toward the voices as the cold wind slowly rose in intensity, pelting them with snow that sent chills straight to their bones. For Luna, it was a minor inconvenience that only made her fur bristle slightly in the wind. For Twilight, on the other hand, the experience was nothing short of Hell.

Each gust of frigid wind sent a chill through her that made her nearly whimper in pain as the harsh memories of the frozen wasteland blinked into and out of her vision. The crunching sound of snow under her and Luna's hooves made her ears stand on alert, constantly flicking back and forth as if she fully expected someone to come out of the blue and attack them both. Finally, her coat, bristling and damp as it already was, did nothing to keep the cold from sinking into her very skin. Within minutes of entering the dream, she was shivering and trembling, jumping slightly with each sound that she couldn't quite see the source of.

"Are you alright, Twilight Sparkle?" Luna asked, glancing over her wither.

"Just... fine." Twilight replied through chattering teeth.

At her response, and the utterly miserable way the young alicorn looked, Luna paused in her step and turned around to face her, "These memories haunt you almost as much as they haunt him, don't they?" She asked, though her words were more of an observation than a question.

Twilight paused, immediately going to shake her head, but quickly found that Luna was right. Her eyes fell slightly as she let out a shaky sigh, "It's just... fresh, is all." She replied.

Luna nodded, sadly, "I am sorry for asking you to come with me. I can return you to your dream, if you wish-" She began.

"No," Twilight interjected, "No, don't do that. I'm here for a reason. Let's find Cooper... he's had to live like this for half a decade..." She muttered.

Luna looked like she wanted to protest, but as Twilight trudged past her, her mind seemingly bent on helping her human friend despite the trauma, she found herself unable to dissuade the younger alicorn, and promptly followed after her. It didn't take long for Luna to catch up with Twilight, and soon enough they found themselves arriving at what appeared to be an desolate and barely standing house. Twilight recognized it instantly.

"This is Cooper's house." She announced.

Luna glanced over to her, then back to the house, "I see... this must be where he lost his family." She noted.

Twilight nodded, "Let's get inside. I have a feeling that he's in there."

With a nod of agreement, Luna led the way to the front door of the snow covered hobble that was Cooper's house. While her hooves crunched the snow beneath her for the entire journey thus far, she quickly found the snow thinning out, and eventually giving way to a small walkway that had been meticulously shoveled of the white powder that covered the world around them. They both soon found themselves at a quaint front door, though Luna couldn't help but notice how tall the door was compared to typical pony infrastructure.

She raised her hoof to knock, only for a scream to halt her movement. She quickly glanced over to Twilight, but one look confirmed her suspicions that the scream was most definitely from someone familiar. It was masculine in nature, though calling it a scream simply wouldn't do it justice. If anything, it was more like a wail- a wail of despair and utter emotional turmoil. Luna could see it in Twilight's eyes; there was only one reason they could be hearing a scream like that.

Quickly but quietly opening the door with her magic, Luna headed inside, followed closely by Twilight as they entered the abode. They found themselves in a dark entrance way that led to a boarded up and dimly lit living room, though there were several broken slats and windows that allowed white light to pour in. On hesitant legs, the duo of alicorns progressed into the house, finding themselves almost immediately greeted with a sight that made both of them pause in shock. Twilight, for her part, was expecting to see the image before her, but Luna, sadly, was totally unprepared for the horrendous sight ahead.

Sitting in the center of the living room, covered in blood that was not his, was Cooper. His back was turned to them, though from the additional body in his grasp, it was immediately clear that he was not alone. The worst part about the sight, sadly enough, was not the blood or the clear signs of a struggle, no. It was the fact that the body was so small and feminine compared to Cooper, that made both Twilight and Luna's hearts break.

"Wake up, baby... please... just wake up... Daddy's got you." Cooper whimpered, holding his daughter's lifeless body in his arms.

While Twilight had shared hundreds of long conversations with Cooper over the months they'd known each other, never, in all her time with him had she heard such despair and grief in his voice. The tears streaming down his face and the utter destruction in his heart from his loss, made his voice sound like nothing more than a desperate plea that simply wouldn't be answered.

Both frozen in place by the shock and despair they bore witness to, Twilight and Luna didn't know what to do or what to say as they stared ahead, mere voyers in the moment of Cooper's worst trauma. Eventually, Luna managed to pull her eyes away from the downright horrifying sight of a man holding his own dead child, and look over to her smaller counterpart. While it was to be expected, Twilight appeared even more distraught than she was. Tears streamed down her lavender cheeks, and even despite the cold, she trembled in anguish from the sight before her.

"Cooper..." Twilight whispered, her lips trembling.

She moved to step toward the human before her, but a navy blue wing quickly blocked her path. Twilight looked over to Luna, finding her slowly shaking her head.

"Please, be patient, Twilight Sparkle. Rushing in to comfort him is a sure way to startle him out of the dream. If we are to help him, we need to approach slowly." Luna whispered.

Twilight gave an understanding, if a bit sad, nod, and backed away slightly. She allowed Luna to slowly and methodically circle around the room, before following after her. The path they took allowed them to quickly come into Cooper's field of view, though it was clear that he was still far too involved in his grief to notice them. Eventually, they managed to circle fully around him in the living room, taking great care to avoid stepping on or over the body of Cooper's wife, in the process.

Once they were standing in front of him, though with nearly twenty feet of distance between them, Luna took the lead and politely stepped forward.

"Cooper?" She asked, gently.

Her voice was soft and gentle but the mere thought that he wasn't alone made Cooper snap his attention up to them. His eyes were bloodshot and weary from the tears he'd shed, but there was also something else in those eyes that made Luna pause: hate. For a brief moment in time, all the hatred and loathing in the universe beheld her from those chocolate eyes that were more red than brown, but just as soon as it appeared, the moment left. Luna took a moment to hold Cooper's gaze, finding that despite everything, he quickly recognized who she and Twilight were.

"So... you can enter dreams..." Cooper muttered, looking down to his daughter's body.

Whatever was left of Sarah quickly vanished into dust, fading away from Cooper's grasp. The rest of the room followed suite not a moment later, leaving the three of them standing along in and infinite white light.

"Cooper!" Twilight cried, no longer willing to say nothing.

She galloped toward him and nearly tackled him in a bear hug, tightly wrapping her forelegs around his back and squeezing him close. Cooper, for his part, returned the gesture, holding her tight to his chest as the tears spilled from her tightly closed eyes.

"I... I knew you found them like this but... I-I just never realized how awful that was to see firsthand... I'm so sorry, Cooper." Twilight mumbled, her muzzle buried in Cooper's neck.

"I... I heard the gunshots... I wasn't fast enough." Cooper replied, hanging his head low as he held Twilight in his arms.

"Cooper... there was nothing you could do. It wasn't your fault." Twilight responded, shaking her head.

Cooper sighed. Much as he wanted to protest, he knew that arguing with Twilight was a pointless endeavor, especially over something that was nearly half a decade ago. Even so, he found that he appreciated the little purple pony's candor and care so much that it nearly moved him to tears. However, there was another alicorn nearby, and it only took one glance from Cooper for her to decide that it was her turn to weigh in.

"I am truly sorry for the loss you've endured, Cooper... Had it been possible, I would have entered your dreams much soon than this to dispel any nightmares lingering from your ordeals." Luna offered, softly.

Cooper snorted, "To be honest, I think I much prefer this. If you had just appeared in my dream without me knowing beforehand... I probably would've reacted poorly."

Luna chuckled, "Tis to be expected, given your history. I'll admit... I'm not surprised Twilight told you of what would be transpiring tonight, though I feel as though I must clarify that I only have your best interests in mind. If the dreamer knows that I am going to try to enter their dreams, they tend to sleep more restlessly, and wake up easier. I also understand there is something to be said about boundaries being crossed, but I assure you, I would never snoop through your mind, even if I could." She explained.

Cooper nodded, "I get it. Still... kinda coming to terms with this all being real, but yeah..." He trailed off.

Luna giggled, "I understand. It is quite interesting for any creature the first time."

With the mood of the group now considerable lifted, Twilight finally parted from Cooper and moved back over to Luna's side, though it was clear that she was happy to stay in Cooper's arms as long as possible. Something of an awkward silence quickly took over the group as they stood around each other, all unsure of what to say next. Luckily, Luna was the one to break the silence for them.

"I believe that we've done what we set out to do for tonight, though I would ask your permission to visit your dreams more often, Cooper. Again, purely as a way to help you sleep better, now that you're here in Equestria." Luna announced.

"I... guess I'd be alright with that. Thank you, Princess." Cooper replied, giving a small nod of thanks.

Luna smiled, "Right, well with that settled, I do have one last thing I wish to give you before I depart for the night, Cooper."

"What's that?" Cooper and Twilight asked at the same time.

Luna chuckled, "Well, maybe two. Firstly, this is a shared dream now, so you two may spend the rest of the evening in this dream together. Secondly, and I truly do hope that this helps you..." She trailed off, nodding toward something behind them.

Both Cooper and Twilight turned around to see that Sarah and Mia were standing behind them, both alive and well. Luna watched on as Cooper's jaw worked to move, but no sound could be made, only for Sarah to rush into his arms, prompting laughter and happiness to positively fill the air. Hugs and kisses were shared among the family, and Twilight was included as if she had always been a part of them.

With that, the lunar alicorn turned and made her exit, a soft smile on her face after a job well done.

Author's Note

Dream honse did a good deed. Yay!

Chapter 22

Cooper softly sighed to himself as he poured a cup of coffee in the gentle warmth of the early morning sunshine. Even though the coffee maker was situated in the kitchen, he found that the pleasant sensation of the sun's rays made the time spent outside all the more worth it. The smell of fresh coffee wafted to his nose, making him smile, and he wasn't the only one.

"Mmmhhh... that smells wonderful." Twilight murmured, before a yawn forced its way past her lips.

Cooper nodded, "I never used to have a taste for it... but it's grown on me." He replied, gently cupping his mug in his hands, savoring the warmth.

"Mind if I get a cup?" Twilight asked.

"Help yourself." Cooper answered.

"I would ask if you brought the creamer out here but I already see that you did." Twilight teased as she retrieved a mug from the kitchen with her magic and poured herself some coffee.

Cooper shrugged, "I didn't feel like making two trips."

"Fair enough," Twilight giggled, "So, you sleep as well as I did?"

Cooper smiled, "You know what... I think I did." He said, taking a sip of his drink.

"Well you two are certainly up early." A familiar voice spoke out, prompting Cooper and Twilight to glance back over to the doorway.

Spike smiled at the pair as Sky and Midnight walked up behind him, both adorned in their royal guard uniforms, save for their helmets. Their normal coat colors shown under their armor, giving them a much different appearance than Cooper was used to seeing on them.

"Had a good night's sleep for a change." Twilight responded, smiling.

"Well that's certainly good to hear!" Spike cheered.

"I imagine a certain princess had something to do with your good night's sleep?" Midnight teased.

Twilight chuckled, "Yeah, Luna came and saw us last night. It was really nice of her to help both of us with our nightmares." She noted, giving a confirmatory nod to Cooper.

"While... it's definitely something I still need to wrap my head around... it was nice of her to help with that..." He replied, a fond smile on his lips as he recalled his wife and daughter.

"Well that's great to hear. Hopefully she can continue to help you both sleep better." Sky offered, kindly.

"Fingers crossed." Cooper snorted.

"So what's the plan for today? Going out anywhere or are we hanging out in the castle again?" Sky asked, curiously.

Cooper shrugged, "I was gonna head out to see Zecora again, actually." Cooper replied, shocking almost all of the creatures present.

"Zecora? I didn't even know you knew her." Spike responded, tilting his head to the side.

"Uh... when I had my little... episode... I saw her." Cooper explained.

"She lives out in the Everfree Forest... are you sure that's a good idea to go out there, sir?" Sky asked, cautiously.

"Not that we want to get in the way of you and a friend spending some time together, but the Everfree is pretty dangerous. It's a miracle you weren't hurt worse the first time you went in there." Midnight offered.

Cooper nodded, his lips pursed in thought before he took another sip of his coffee.

"Well, I think it's a great idea. Zecora is a great friend to have and I'm happy to see you socializing, Cooper." Twilight beamed.

Cooper snorted in amusement before sipping his coffee once more, "Yeah, I guess that's the scientific way of putting it."

"So... I guess we're going into the Everfree then?" Sky asked, no small amount of dread in his voice.

"Looks that way, Sky." Midnight replied, comfortingly patting his wither.

"After I finish my coffee." Cooper smirked, taking yet another sip of his drink.

Cooper walked through the soft rays of morning sunshine with a surprising amount of happiness on his face. While most ponies had grown used to seeing him frowning or grimacing everywhere he went, he finally wore a soft smile on his face. It was noticeable enough for his guards to snicker to themselves while they walked through town toward the forest.

"You ever seen him this happy, Sky?" Midnight asked, teasingly.

"Can't say I have... and it's to go to the Everfree Forest... yaaaaaay." Sky rolled his eyes.

"You know, you don't have to come with me if you're so scared." Cooper playfully rolled his eyes.

"Oh no you don't. You're not getting rid of us that easily." Midnight replied.

"No why would I wanna do tha-" Cooper began to reply, before a young, feminine voice called out to him.

"Cooper!" Scootaloo called, waving excitedly as she buzzed her scooter over to him, both Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom tied to her.

The trio came to a screeching halt just a few feet in front of Cooper and his guards, all three fillies quickly rushing over to him.

"Are you okay!?"

"We haven't heard from ya' since that incident with the sonic rainboom!"

"Are you feeling better now?"

The three voices questioned him at once, their adorable voices quickly speaking over one another, making it almost impossible for Cooper to discern what they were saying. He held up a hand to slow the torrent of prepubescent gibberish being slung his way, gradually getting the three fillies to quiet down and let him respond.

"I appreciate the concern, but I'm alright, girls. Thanks." Cooper announced, earning looks of relief from the trio. Naturally, the obvious following questions made Cooper's nerves fray slightly.

"What happened to you?" Scootaloo questioned.

"Yeah! Are you two still friends?" Sweetie Belle asked, glancing back and forth between Cooper and Midnight.

"Everything's fine between us, fillies." Midnight chimed in, making all three of said fillies glance over at her.

"But he tackled you for like, no reason!" Scootaloo exclaimed.

"And that was because he thought he saw a Rock swooping down to get me and tried to protect me from it. He's a very kind human for that." Midnight explained, pointedly ignoring the confused look on Cooper's face.

"Really?" Apple Bloom asked.

"A Rock?" Sweetie Belle tilted her head to the side.

Sky nodded, "You fillies probably haven't seen one yet, but trust me, they're nasty. Big ol' birds that want to gobble up anything smaller than they are." He offered.

While the explanation was sufficient for two of the crusaders, Scootaloo immediately adopted a scrutinous look as she pondered over what was told to he.

"Now hang on... if this 'Rock' was swooping down to get you, why didn't Rainbow Dash notice it and kick its flank?" She inquired, seemingly pleased with herself for finding the hole in the older pony's logic.

"Well she was a little busy with the sonic rainboom, now wasn't she?" Sky grinned.

Scootaloo opened her mouth to protest, but quickly closed it. After taking a moment to consider the response, she weakly spoke up once more, "W-well, why didn't anypony else see it? I didn't hear anything about a Rock from anypony else in town, and none of us saw it that day."

"Well, honey, that's because the Rock was flying low to the ground. Ponies aren't going to be able to see it with all the tall trees around Ponyville, now are they?" Midnight sweetly replied.

"Yeah, not to mention how fast those things are. Why, that one was in and out of our airspace within a matter of seconds. It's a miracle Cooper even saw it at all to begin with!" Sky exclaimed, making all three fillies look up to the tall man with wide eyes.

"Wow!"

"That was really heroic of you!"

"First you save Princess Twilight and now you save your own guards... that's so awesome!"

The three fillies immedaitely circled around Cooper, singing his praises for saving his own guard from such a monster. They didn't even notice him mouthing 'thank you' to his guards, followed by a quick wink and smile from the pair.

"Oh! Cooper, we were planning on trying to get our cutie marks in jungle navigation! Do you wanna come with us?" Scootaloo questioned, freezing midair while her wings buzzed with excitement as she slowly sunk to the ground.

"Jungle navigation?" Cooper raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah! Scoot's parents do all kinds a' explorin' and subdoin' dangerous critters." Apple Bloom replied.

"It might run in her blood!" Sweetie Belle added.

"And if it's in my blood, maybe it's in my friends' blood too!" Scootaloo finished, as if they'd practiced their little speech.

Cooper slowly tilted his head to the side as he looked up at the surrounding forest, "Uh... where exactly are you guys planning on finding a jungle?" He asked.

"Well, there ain't any jungles nearby, but the Everfree Forest is basically a jungle all by itself!" AppleBloom explained.

"Yeah! There's all kinds of monsters, and creepy trails, and plants that don't grow anywhere else in Equestria!" Scootaloo added.

"Just like a jungle!" Sweetie Belle cheered, her voice squeaking in a way that made Cooper's heart melt.

"Fillies, you really shouldn't go into the Everfree. It's dangerous in there." Sky protested, glancing to the aforementioned forest.

"Besides, what would your sisters say if they knew you were going into the Everfree? They'd have half a mind to tan your flanks if they knew you were going somewhere so dangerous." Midnight chastised.

"Hey! We've been in the Everfree plenty of times!" Scootaloo rebutted.

"Yeah! I went in by myself when I was just a foal and met Zecora when nopony else would!" Apple Bloom defensively explained.

"You know Zecora?" Cooper asked, looking down at Apple Bloom with slight surprise.

"Well a'course I do! She's a great friend! She helped cure my cutie pox and ah always try to go see her whenever she's in town." Apple Bloom replied.

"Huh..." Cooper brought his hand to his chin and scratched it in thought.

"Uh oh." Midnight mumbled.

"I don't like that look..." Sky muttered.

"I'm actually heading to Zecora's right now. There's no way in Hell I could let you kids go into the forest all by yourself, but if you want to come to Zecora's and do your adventuring right in her area, I'm sure she'd be happy to have you all." Cooper suggested.

"That sounds perfect!" Apple Bloom beamed.

"I'd love to go see Zecora!" Sweetie Belle smiled.

"I was actually gonna suggest we go and see her after we were done exploring anyway. Let's go see Zecora!" Scootaloo cheered.

"Cutie Mark Crusader Jungle Navigation Experts Go!" The trio cried out, clapping their hooves together in a team hi-five.

Cooper snickered and shook his head at the display while Sky and Midnight both shared concerned looks with each other.

"Cooper? Are you sure? They're just fillies and... if they get hurt in the forest, you'll have to answer to AppleJack, Rarity, or Rainbow Dash..." Midnight quietly cautioned, so as not to let the trio of fillies overhear.

"That's why I want the faster of you two to go tell their sisters what we're doing and where we're going." Cooper replied, just as quietly.

"And if they don't want their younger sister out in the Everfree?" Sky pressed, already unfurling his wings to take flight.

"Then come get them and take them home," Cooper shrugged, "But I don't think they'll mind too much."

"If you say so..." Sky hesitantly replied, before flapping his wings and heading off into town.

The sudden flight of the pegasus stallion was enough to snap the crusaders from their celebratory dancing and turn their attention back to Cooper.

"Where's he goin'?" Apple Bloom asked, curiously.

"He's just heading off to go run an errand for Cooper real quick. He'll be back by the time we make it to the forest." Midnight replied, before turning back to Cooper and nodding in the direction of said forest, "Ready when you are."

Cooper nodded in thanks, "Alright, let's get over to Zecora's house." He announced, leading the way.

The three fillies quickly fell in line, Scootaloo riding her scooter while Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle trotted along behind. The curious minds of the little equines had absolutely no shortage of questions for Cooper as they slowly made their way through town, ranging from all manner of general questions about humanity, to more personal questions that narrowly avoided being just a tad 'too personal'.

"-so, I heard that you almost ate Princess Twilight when you found her in that box!" Scootaloo exclaimed, looking back at Cooper with a mix of awe and slight fear.

"You almost ate her!?" Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle squealed.

Cooper chuckled as he slowly shook his head, "No, no. I mean... the thought did cross my mind for a minute, but as soon as I found out she could talk, I took her back inside and gave her some of my food." He explained.

"Even though you were basically starving already?" Sweetie Belle questioned.

Cooper nodded, "Yeah... just didn't feel right when I saw her. She was so thin..." He trailed off.

"Why didn'cha invite her to come on down with ya'?" Apple Bloom asked, curiously.

Cooper shrugged, "I did offer, but she said she had some things she had to take care of. Apparently being a princess doesactually come with responsibilities. Who'd have thought?"

The trio of fillies giggled at the response as the group reached the edge of the Everfree forest. The trail leading into the forest was partially obscured by the trees looming overhead, adding the eerie vibe that filled the air of the forest, itself. While Midnight shivered slightly in her armor, Apple Bloom trotted ahead as if there was nothing out of the ordinary, followed closely by Cooper. It was only when the man and filly were nearly twenty feet into the forest that they both realized they were the only ones walking and turned around to see the rest of the group.

"Uh, ya'll coming?" Apple Bloom questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Albeit with a noticeable gulp, Sweetie Belle took a step forward, only to halt as Scootaloo spoke up, "Uh... w-we were just waiting on Cooper's other guard." She offered.

"Y-yeah! We don't want to leave him behind." Sweetie Belle quickly agreed.

A smug look quickly formed on Apple Bloom's face as she stared her friends down, "Ya'll are still scared of the forest, ain'tcha?"

"No!" Both fillies cried out in protest.

"Midnight, what about you?" Cooper spoke up, looking at his guard, curiously.

"Well somepony has to stay with these fillies and make sure nothing bad happens to them." Midnight replied, though her voice was ever so slightly shaky.

Before Cooper could reply, the sound of flapping wings filled the air and Sky landed with a *thump* behind Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle.

"Whew, I made it just in time. I was really worried I was gonna have to go into the forest looking for all of you all by myself." Sky chuckled, trotting up to his fellow guard's side.

"Well, looky there. Looks like we're all here so you two should have no problem followin' us to Zecora's house." Apple Bloom smugly teased, taking immense satisfaction at the fearful looks her friends gave her.

"It'll be alright. Come on. Just stay close." Cooper instructed, turning and heading further along the trail.

The rest of the group quickly -albeit fearfully- fell into step behind him, and the group made their way into the forest. It became apparent almost immediately that while Cooper had been in the forest before, that he did not remember the path to Zecora's house particularly well, prompting Apple Bloom to take the lead in directing them all there. With her knowledge leading the path, they were able to find the familiar shape of Zecora's hut in the dense forest within ten minutes.

As they approached on the outskirts of the grove leading up to the striped equine's hut, they were all surprised to find her not twenty paces away, in the middle of a pond, no less. However, rather than swimming or bathing in the water, she was resting on to top of her head, almost as if she were meditating. What truly confused Cooper more than anything else, was how she was balancing on her head on top of a wooden stick.

Cooper's jaw dropped slightly at the seemingly impossible physical act for an equine body, but Apple Bloom was barely fazed by the incredible show of balance and skill.

"Zecoraaaaaaaaa!" Apple Bloom cheered, happily trotting over to the zebra in question.

Unfortunately, such a sudden and loud exclamation from the little filly startled the zebra from her concentration, making her lose her balance and quickly fall into the pond with a splash. While the initial reaction of the trio of fillies was to wince at the sight before them, Scootaloo couldn't help a small chuckle at Zecora's expense.

Breaking out of the water, her mane slickened against her face yet a frown still visible all the same, "Apple Bloom! What did I tell you about surprising me! I was as calm as a tree! Now my heart is racing toward an early tomb." Zecora chastised, glaring at the source of her embarrassment and impromptu bath.

"Uh, sorry, Zecora. Ah was just excited to see you again, is'all." Apple Bloom sheepishly replied, an apologetic look on her face.

Though her ire was still there, Zecora's glare quickly softened as she got out of the pond, "It is alright. You just gave me quite a fright," She replied, brushing her soaked mane out of her face and nearly doing a double take at the sight of Cooper, "Ah, Cooper, welcome back to my abode! It is good to see you remember the road." She greeted, a warm smile forming on her face.

Cooper returned the smile as he kneeled down to be more eye level with her, "Good to see you again too, Zecora. Sorry we startled you."

Zecora dismissively waved a hoof, "It is quite alright. Just the sight of you has made my day that much more bright." She responded.

Sky and Midnight quickly shared a look while Cooper smiled and chuckled at the compliment.

"So, think you have an afternoon to spare?" He asked.

Author's Note

What's that? A certain zebra is very happy to see a certain human? Now I wonder what that could mean...

Chapter 23

"It is a treat for you to come out to see me, but if I may ask, what brings you out here with these three?" Zecora asked, gesturing to the CMC as they practically pranced around her in excitement.

Cooper shrugged, "The three of them want to try to get their cutie marks by exploring a jungle. They figured that the forest is about as close to a jungle as they could find, so they tagged along with me when I told them I was coming to see you.

Zecora blushed ever so slightly as she looked away, "I see. Well, thank you for coming to see me. As for these fillies, we'd best make sure they don't get any injuries. The forest my be my home, but to three unwitting foals, there can be many perilous tolls."

Cooper nodded, glancing back over to Sky and Midnight, "Think you two can help keep an eye on them so they don't go off and hurt themselves?"

Sky and Midnight gave a quick salute before trotting over to the fillies.

"So what'doya gals wanna start with first? Explorin'? Navagatin'? Critter tamin'?" AppleBloom excitedly questioned.

"Oh! We should start with creature taming! I'm sure there's a manticore somewhere nearby. Fluttershy says there's always one or two that come nearby Zecora's hut this time of day." Scootaloo replied, her wings buzzing in excitement.

"Then it's settled! We'll go catch us a manticore!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed.

"Now now, fillies. I'm pretty sure that even if you were adult ponies, a manticore is a bit out of your wheelhouse. Let's try to stick to something a bit less... deadly. How about a toad? There's a few over there." Midnight pointed out, nodding toward a few toads, frogs, and other amphibians near the pond.

"Nah, that's boring." Scootaloo dismissively waved her off.

"Yeah! We aren't gonna get our cutie marks in tamin' wild critters by tamin' frogs and toads that Zecora practically knows already." AppleBloom added.

Cooper quietly leaned down and over to Zecora's ear, "This is like, the third time I've heard ponies mention 'knowing' animals. Can they... like... talk, or something?" He asked, cautiously.

Zecora giggled into her hoof, "No need to fret. There are no sapient animals just yet. That said, many of them do have personalities that are quite unique. Fluttershy knows them quite well, even though she herself is quite meek."

Cooper nodded, "Okay... just making sure."

As he stood back up to his full height, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom turned to make their way further into the forest, but were quickly cut off by Sky landing in front of them. The guardstallion towered over the three little fillies, halting them in their place.

"Now come on, you three. You know that a manticore is ridiculously dangerous. Why don't you start out with the small fries first, and once you're sure you can do that, then we can move on to the bigger animals. Sound good?" Sky suggested.

Scootaloo opened her mouth to protest, but Zecora quickly interjected, cutting her off, "If you'd like to learn how to tame beasts such as a manticore, there are several others you must tame before. Jumping into the deep end can lead to a swift and gruesome end." She sternly announced.

At the mention of a 'gruesome end', all three fillies shrunk somewhat. Despite being clearly intimidated by the possibility being explained to her, Scootaloo tried to put on a brave face, "B-but, frogs are so lame!" She pouted, wholly ignorant of the sad croak from a few feet away.

Zecora walked over to the little filly, giving her a gentle smile the whole while, "Now, little Scootaloo, I was once like you too. That being said, many of the zebras from my home that didn't head good advice... are dead."

The sobering reminder made Scootaloo audibly gulp while Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom shared a fearful glance.

"Zecora's right, girls. You wanna take on a manticore, that's fine. You just need to work up the skills to doing that first. I know how hard it is to wait for something you want... God, I know... but you don't need to rush this. You're still barely kids. Not even teens, yet." Cooper added, crossing his arms.

"Teens?" Scootaloo tilted her head to the side.

"Oh, yeah... uh... what's the pony world for that..." Cooper muttered, scratching his chin.

"I believe what Cooper's trying to say is that you three don't have your cutie marks yet. I can understand wanting to get them, but let's not do something really stupid that could get you all hurt or worse, trying to do it." Midnight chimed in, giving Cooper a supportive wink.

Albeit with quite a bit of grumbling, the trio of fillies reluctantly agreed to stave off their grand plans to capture and subdue one of the most vicious predators in the Everfree, and instead focus on taming some of the wildlife around Zecora's hut. As the three of them spread out to look for different animals to tame, the four adults split into groups to better watch over them. Sky went with Scootaloo, while Midnight went with Sweetie Belle, and finally, Zecora teamed up with Cooper to watch over AppleBloom.

Throughout the late morning and early afternoon, the three fillies tried their hoof at taming frogs, toads, squirrels, badgers, butterflies, moths, a few stray birds, and even a racoon that came through, but none found any luck.

"Ugh! This is hopeless!" Apple Bloom groaned, sitting on her haunches and holding her head in her hooves as an earthworm simply slithered away, wholly ignorant of her nearly five minute session of trying to tame it.

While Cooper was struggling not to laugh at the sight before him, Zecora put on a sympathetic smile as she walked over to Apple Bloom's side, "Taming wildlife is not for everyone. Why don't we head in for lunch and for now, call this one 'done'?" She suggested.

As much as AppleBloom didn't want to admit defeat, the grumbling in her belly made it all too apparent that she was hardly in an argumentative mood with food on the line.

"Oh, alright. Some lunch does sound pretty good right about now..." She muttered.

"Sweetie Belle! Scootaloo! Come on back for lunch!" Cooper called out, cupping his hands around his mouth.

The trio of man, earth pony, and zebra made their way back to Zecora's hut, finding Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo arriving just as they did. Sky and Midnight smiled proudly as they corralled the little fillies into the homely little hut, and soon enough, Zecora had lunch prepared for everyone. While daffodil sandwiches and mushrooms were a delightful treat for the ponies of the bunch, the shamaness made sure to prepare a meal of diced lettuce, tomatoes, and surprisingly, grilled chicken. The smell reached Cooper's nose long before the sight reached his eyes, and his mouth watered from the scent of freshly grilled poultry so close.

While Cooper was shocked at the sudden offering of meat from the zebra, he said nothing aloud, lest he say something to scare the cutie mark crusaders as they devoured their meals. A subtle wink and nod from Zecora was all the assurance he needed to dig into his food, though he made sure to check for any pink inside the chicken in case it wasn't quite cooked enough.

Even though Sky and Midnight were well aware of Cooper's dietary needs, he still ate separate from them, opting to stand in the kitchen as he ate his food, keeping it out of sight of the three little fillies in the dining room just a few feet away.

"Hey, Zecora?" AppleBloom asked, suddenly.

"Hmm?" Zecora inquired, looking up from her own salad.

"What's that smell?" She replied, tilting her head slightly to the side.

Cooper nearly choked on his food, but Zecora was quick to answer.

"It is another brew. Why? Does the smell offend you?" She asked, teasingly.

AppleBloom shook her head, "Well, no... but it smells really familiar. Ah'm not really sure how to place it." She shrugged.

"Eh, don't worry about it. We've got bigger fish to fry!" Scootaloo exclaimed, thrusting a hoof skyward.

"Yeah! Creature taming is just not working out. I think we need to move on to jungle navigation." Sweetie Belle added.

"You fillies want to go navigating through the Everfree?" Sky groaned.

"Maybe it'd be better if we just navigated around here, hmm?" Midnight offered.

"Ugh, but that's so boring!" Scootaloo groaned.

While he was thankful for the change of topic, Cooper finished his chicken as quickly as he could, all the same.

"Well how about we supervise you three while you try to navigate? Zecora? You know the paths and everything here in the forest the best. Do you think if we kept it within a few hundred hooves that you'd be able to lead the way back if we got lost?" Midnight asked, looking at the zebra, curiously.

Zecora nodded, "We will not get lost under my watch. There isn't much for me to botch."

With their plan finalized, the group finished their lunch and made their way outside. The crusaders gleefully galloped ahead, making Sky and Midnight chase after them to keep on their tracks, while Cooper and Zecora walked up behind them at a more leisurely pace. Once they were deeper into the forest and the terrain became unfamiliar, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle slowed down and attempted to navigate with their rudimentary compasses and maps. The fact that the maps they had were of the White Tail woods and not the Everfree Forest didn't even seem to register on the excited fillies' minds.

While Sky and Midnight followed closely and guided the fillies whenever they had a question, Cooper maintained a fare distance behind them. Zecora, almost as if hearing his unspoken question, stayed right by his side, her tail flicking back and forth every so often.

"I, uh... thanks, for the chicken." Cooper acknowledged, quietly.

Zecora smiled, "I had a feeling you would enjoy it. I've been preparing it for quite a bit." She replied, equally quietly.

"How... did you know that I-" Cooper began.

"That you eat meat?" Zecora asked.

Cooper nodded.

"It was an easy enough feat. You have teeth, sharp as a knife, suited to take a creature's life." Zecora explained.

"And... that doesn't bother you?" Cooper questioned, cautiously.

Zecora chuckled, "My homeland was a place of strife and death. I watched many a creature, take their last breath. I spoke with Fluttershy about the chicken you ate. It was a conversation that kept us both up late." She explaiend.

Cooper raised an eyebrow, "You had that chicken cooked up in about ten minutes... how'd you do it so fast?"

"With some herbs and proper broiling, you can cook the meat quick and easy, free of spoiling. ." She chuckled.

Cooper gave her a deadpan stare, "You know, one of these days, I'm gonna get you to say a sentence and not rhyme. You can't rhyme everything, I know there's a way."

Zecora laughed out loud while Cooper's deadpan look quickly morphed into a smirk all of its own.

"That would require you to speak at length with me. I've become quite good at it, you see." She smugly grinned.

Cooper playfully rolled his eyes and tussled her mane, making the zebra laugh as a blush formed on her face once more. Before either could continue their conversation, however, Sky called back to them.

"Hey, Zecora! I think we're about as far into the forest as we want to be. We're gonna start spreading out a bit now." He called, directing both of their attention back to the trio of fillies and duo of guards ahead of them.

Zecora responded with a nod, before glancing back over to Cooper, "This has been quite a fun talk. Perhaps we should do it again sometime. Maybe while going for a walk?" She offered.

Cooper smiled, "Sounds like a great idea. Maybe sometime later this week?"

"Consider it a date. I cannot wait." Zecora beamed, her tail excitedly swishing back and forth as she trotted up ahead.

Cooper chuckled and shook his head while Zecora charged on ahead, making her way over to the cutie mark crusaders. For the next several hours, they helped the fillies navigate their way around the forest, finding paths through the dense brush and terrain that none of them had ever seen before, save for the zebra herself. The time passed swiftly, and soon they grew bolder, wanting to travel further and further away from the safety of Zecora's hut.

However, despite how they pleaded with her, Zecora had an iron will when it came to handling fillies, and she was able to swiftly deny any and all attempts to delve further into the Everfree. Though they were dejected, the three fillies still found entertainment in their exploring, limited as it may be.

It was only when the sun began its descent down the horizon that Cooper told the group that it was time to head back, and though there were many a protest from the cutie mark crusaders, he held fast against their assault of puppydog eyes. With some minor corralling, and some assistance from Zecora and his guards, Cooper was able to move the group back to the friendly territory of her hut and prepare for the trek back home.

However, despite the joy, merriment, and admitted disappointment in their fun being spoiled so soon, none of the ponies or human noticed the pair of glowing green eyes observing them from afar.

Author's Note

So this chapter was difficult to get out. Hopefully it turned out better than I thought when I wrote it. Regardless, some very interesting things are at work here. In case it isn't obvious, Cooper is completely oblivious to Zecora's flirting with him. I'm sure this won't come back to bite him later...

Chapter 24

Cooper strolled back toward Ponvyille with his guard escorts and the cutie mark crusaders as the sun began its descent toward the horizon. The trio of fillies bounced excitedly around the tall man as they prattled off about their exciting day of adventure and cutie mark crusading. Both Sky and Midnight chuckled at their antics, the sight of three fillies literally bouncing and prancing with joy bringing a smile their faces even despite their guard training. Even Cooper couldn't keep from grinning at the three adorable fillies as they prattled off about how much fun they had and how they couldn't wait to do it again the next day.

So it was in high spirits that the group exited the forest, just in time to almost run right into AppleJack and Twilight as the pair of mares approached.

"Oh, Cooper! There you are." Twilight smiled, trotting over to him.

"Apple Bloom. There you are. You have fun?" AppleJack asked, trotting alongside Twilgiht.

"Boy did I!" AppleBloom beamed, rushing over to her sister, "We identified over thirty different kinds'a snakes, frogs, bugs, and birds after navigatin' our way through the Everfree." She explained, a wide smile on her face.

"You, uh... you did what now?" AppleJack questioned, a hint of concern creeping into her voice.

"They were supervised, don't worry. Zecora and I were watching them the whole time." Cooper chimed in, earning a thankful sigh of relief form the orange farm pony.

"Psshh, as if. Cooper was too busy making googly eyes at Zecora." Scootaloo teased.

Cooper rolled his eyes, much to Twilight and AppleJack's amusement, "I was not making 'googly eyes'. We were just enjoying each other's company and talking while watching all of you." He replied.

"Cooper and Zecora sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Sweetie Belle sang-songed, prompting Apple Bloom and Scootaloo to quickly join in.

Cooper let out a groan, again, much to Twilight's amusement, "So I take it you all had fun?" Twilight asked, in a bid to take some fire off of Cooper.

"It was great! We're going back out again in a few days!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed.

"Yer what now? Apple Bloom, we've got a harvest to handle in two days. Ah can't have you runnin' off into the forest then." AppleJack chastised.

"Actually, the plan wasn't for these three to come into the forest. Zecora invited me back for tea and these three rugrats decided to invite themselves." Cooper clarified, crossing his arms.

"Awww, come on, Cooper!" Scootaloo pleaded.

"Yeah! Let us come with! We wanna see Zecora too!" Sweetie Belle cried.

"Oh, please!" AppleBloom begged, clasping her hooves together and giving both Cooper and AppleJack her best set of puppydog eyes.

AppleJack merely raised an eyebrow while Cooper stared straight up into the sky, avoiding her gaze as best as he could, lest her adorable charms work their magic on him and make him acquiesce. Luckily, Twilight stepped in to stop the begging before it could become too powerful to resist.

"Okay now, fillies. Let's see about asking your sister's tomorrow. It's getting late and you all need to get home soon anyway." She diplomatically cut in.

A chorus of "awww's" and "pleeeeeeeeeease's" echoed from the three fillies, but a stern look from AppleJack finally sealed their metaphorical coffins. With a sad, dejected sigh, the cutie mark crusaders nodded in acceptance and bid each other their farewells, before heading their own ways back home.

"Alright, time to get you back home, AppleBloom. I'm surprised you ain't plum tuckered out. Yer usually about to fall asleep this time'a evenin'." AppleJack noted, playfully tussling AppleBloom's mane.

"Yeah, yeah..." AppleBloom muttered, only to yelp in surprise as her big sister nuzzled her muzzle under her legs and flopped her onto her back.

"Aww, don'tcha get in a sour mood, 'Bloom. You'll get to play with your friends again soon. Promise." AppleJack offered, giving her sister a friendly smile.

Albeit with a moment hesitation, AppleBloom nodded in acceptance and laid down on her sister's back, "Alright, alright... let's just get home... I'm hungry." She muttered.

AppleJacjk chuckled as she looked back to Cooper and Twilight, "Welp, I need to get her home. We still on for dinner, Twi?" She inquired.

Twilight happily nodded, "We sure are. I'll see you at the castle, AppleJack." Twilight replied.

"Alright, ya'll. See ya' in a bit." AppleJack responded, giving a parting wave before trotting back off in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres.

As they watched her head home, Cooper tapped Twilight on the wither, redirecting her gaze up to him, "Wait, did I miss something? AppleJack's coming over?" He questioned, curiously.

Twilight nodded, "She wanted to get to spend some time with you, one-on-one, so to speak." She explained.

Cooper cringed, "Even after..." He trailed off.

Twilight nodded, "Even after what happened. I talked to her and she understands that you were having an issue and needed to get some space asap. Like I said, there's no pony I'd trust more with a friend than AppleJack. She's extremely understanding."

Cooper gave a slow nod at the news, a grateful feeling in his chest for the second chance he was being given, though questions still remained, "What about the rest of her family? Big Mac? Granny Smith?" He pressed.

Twilight quickly shook her head, "Don't worry about them right now. Put simply, if you want to win them back, win AppleJack back first. Which, I know you'll do because she's an understanding pony and she already likes you. She wouldn't have trusted you with AppleBloom if she didn't." She elaborated.

Cooper reluctantly relented, allowing them to drop the subject and head back toward the castle. As they walked, both Sky and Midnight fell in step on either side of them, taking their usual positions once more.

"So, did you have a good time with Zecora?" Twilight asked, pryingly.

Cooper raised an eyebrow as his hands found their way into his pockets, "I did. It's weird as hell listening to her rhyme all the time, but it kinda grows on you pretty fast. She's really nice, too. Lot chattier than I expected, especially since she has to come up with those rhymes on the spot." He explained, while they made their way into town and approached the bridge leading to the town square.

"I thought as much. Zecora is a wonderful mare. She's always been super kind and helpful whenever we've needed help. I am really glad that she's made a friendship with you." Twilight nodded, giving a warm smile.

Cooper smiled in return, "Me too. She's really laid back and relaxing to be around... kinda reminds me of..." He trailed off, his soft smile fading away as his minds drifted back to his family.

"Cooper? You okay?" Twilight asked, gently.

"Hey, uh... after dinner... I was wondering if I could ask you about something." Cooper replied, looking back up to Twilight.

"Um, sure. Of course, Cooper." Twilight responded, though the look in Cooper's eyes made her hesitant.

While there was nothing bad or even particularly different about the gaze Cooper levied at her, Twilight could just barely sense the faintest hint of fearful longing in his eyes, as if he wanted to say more but was simply afraid to voice himself. The sight made her nearly pause in her step, but before she could say anything or pry any further, Midnight spoke up from in front of them.

"We're here, Princess." She announced, snapping her attention back to what was in front of her.

They were just outside the front gate of the castle, making Twilight quickly wonder just how quickly they'd made their way back as the walk itself felt as if it'd only lasted a few minutes. All the same, she quickly shook her head clear of the thoughts making her question her own sanity and fixed Cooper with a friendly smile.

"Alright, AppleJack should be over for dinner in about half an hour. Think you can get cleaned up and presentable by then? Spike's making lasagna." Twilight announced.

Cooper snorted in amusement and nodded, "You sound just like my mom." He teased.

"Well somepony has to baby you. Now come on, you smell." Twilight blew a raspberry as she trotted off ahead, prompting Cooper to follow after her, an amused chuckle leaving his lips.

Cooper managed to shower quickly and dress in a more comfortable set of clothing Rarity created for him lounging around in the castle. The pants were made of a breathable blue fabric that stretched and adjusted to his quickly growing waist size, while the shirt was just a plain white t-shirt that Cooper found himself wearing more and more when he was just relaxing in the castle.

Meanwhile, Twilight helped Spike prepare the table and dinner, ensuring that their was enough food for the three of them, Cooper's guards, and AppleJack. Said guards were quick to decline any offered dinner until their shift was over, but after an insistant plea from the Princess of Friendship, they both acquiesced and removed their armor.

As the hour finally came, there was a polite knock at the door of the castle, the reverberations echoing through the halls and easily reaching the ears of the little drake finishing the salad.

"I'll get it!" Spike announced, quickly rushing over to get the door.

The sound of the great oak door creaking open reached the ears of the ponies and human present in the kitchen or dining room, along with the friendly greeting Spike gave to AppleJack for what could have been the thousandth time.

"-come on in! Dinner's just about ready." Spike finished, ushering the farmer pony inside.

Cooper looked up from his seat on one of the chairs as AppleJack entered the dining area, her hooves clopping on the crystal floor and altering him of her approach long before she came within view. At first glance, there was nothing out of the ordinary with the apple farmer, but there was still an undeniable level of tension between the two as neither greeted the other right away. Finally, after a moment of awkward silence, Cooper got out of his chair and cleared his throat.

"Uh, hey, AppleJack... Good to see you again." He offered, politely.

AppleJack gave a firm nod and what she hoped was a disarming smile, "Good to see ya' again too, Coop'."

For another awkward moment, they both just stood there, neither sure of what to say or do. When the silence became nearly unbearable, AppleJack began walking toward the kitchen, only to halt as Cooper raised a hand.

"Wait, uh... just... real quick, I need to apologize." Cooper stated, taking a step forward.

AppleJack quirked an ear and tilted her head to the side, but said nothing. Taking that as permission to proceed, Cooper continued.

"Uh, for just running out at dinner with your family... That, uh... it was a shitty thing to do and I'm sorry for that. I was just... going through some things." Cooper lamely explained, awkwardly stuffing his hands into his pockets as he shuffled from side to side.

While each second that passed by was unbearable in its own right, AppleJack mercifully didn't keep him waiting long for a response, and a soft smile soon graced her lips.

"Thank you, Coop'. I really do appreciate that, an' I wantcha' to know that there ain't no hard feelin's. AppleBloom had quite a bit to say on yer behalf and I know you've been through the ringer. I really do appreciate the apology, though. Means a lot to a country gal' like me." AppleJack replied, clearing the air of tension between them almost instantly.

Cooper gave her a relieved smile, "Thanks. I'm glad to hear that." He responded.

With the tension nearly completely gone from the atmosphere, the two turned their attention back toward the kitchen, and the pair of violet eyes peeping at them. Twilight beamed a wide smile as she observed them, leaving her post to walk over and greet her friend.

"Oh, I just knew you two would make amends right away. I'm so glad you came over, AJ." Twilight announced, giving a quick nuzzle to the farm pony.

"Ain't nothin' to it, Twi. I'm just glad we were able to talk it out. Now, how's about that dinner. What'cha got in that there kitchen smells mighty delicious, and I'm starvin'." AppleJack replied, removing her trademark stenson and placing it on a nearby coatrack.

"Dinner will be ready in just a minute. In fact-" Twilight replied, turning to the kitchen as she heard the oven ding, "-looks like it's ready right now." She announced.

Twilight quickly turned around and made her way back into the kitchen. Within a few minutes, she had all the food levitated over to the table and prepared for everyone to sit. Sky and Midnight also helped in setting the table, but opted to sit right across from each other at the far side of the table, far from the rest of the group. While their distance was slightly confusing to Twilight at first, the subtle gestures they made toward each other, along with the way they looked into each other's eyes, quickly clued her in to why they wanted to be separate from everyone else.

Much like Cooper's first dinner with AppleJack, idle chit-chat and friendly conversation quickly filled the air. As the food was consumed, words of praise for the chefs were said, along with several second helpings, and even thirds, in AppleJack's case. While Cooper was quiet for most of the night, the few interjections or witty jokes he did make, made the entire table laugh or nod their heads along in genuine agreement or interest. The air felt light and warm, and before any of them knew it, hours had passed and the moon was high in the sky.

"Welp, it's gettin' pretty late, an' I gotta get up to get AppleBloom to school tomorrow morning." AppleJack announced, hopping out of her chair.

"Of course. It was great to have you, AJ." Twilight smiled, levitating the plates into a stack.

"Let me help with that, Princess." Midnight offered, her horn lighting up as she prepared to take the stack of plates from Twilight's magic.

"Oh no you don't! I got this!" Spike declared, quickly grabbing the stack and heading toward the kitchen, "You just keep making googly eyes at each other." He teased, making both Sky and Midnight blush.

While the two guards managed to turn a shade darker, Cooper and Twilight fixed their attention on their apple branded guest as she retrieved her stenson from the coatrack.

"Thanks for coming over. This was... nice... real nice." Cooper said, sticking his hands in his pockets once more.

"Shoot, Ah'd love to do this again sometime. Ya'll're a riot when ya wanna be, Coop'." AppleJack chuckled.

Twilight giggled, "I agree. We just need to get you a bit more out of your shell, Cooper. Don't worry though, we can invite the rest of the girls over for dinner later this week. I know Rainbow wants to see you again and Rarity is dying to know how her clothes are holding up." She offered.

"Sounds like a plan." Cooper smiled.

"That reminds me. Ya' seen 'Shy lately? I ain't seen hide nor hair 'a that filly in days." AppleJack noted, as she donned her hat.

Twilight rubbed her chin, "You know what... now that you mention it... I don't think I've seen her either. Maybe we'll have to stop by and see how she's doing?" She suggested.

"Hay, why not bring Coop' over? I'm surprised she ain't all over him, what with 'im being an alien critter and all." AppleJack laughed.

"To be fair, 'shy' is literally in her name... maybe you should just let her come to you at her own pace." Twilight reasoned, glancing over to Cooper.

"I think I remember Zecora talking about her. Her cottage is on the way to her hut. Maybe I'll just stop by to say hi next time I go to see her." Cooper shrugged.

"Sounds like a plan to me. Now, I'd better get goin'. Thanks again for the supper, Twi. You too, Spike!" AppleJack hollered.

"You're welcome!" Spike called back from the kitchen.

With that, the apple farmer departed, leaving Cooper and Twilight alone with their guards while Spike cleaned up in the kitchen.

"Um, we're gonna head back up to our rooms. Unless you have anything else for us, Princess?" Sky inquired.

"No no, you two are fine to to do whatever you'd like. I don't think Cooper has any plans to go anywhere else tonight." Twilight joked, playfully elbowing Cooper's leg.

"Not at the moment." Cooper shrugged.

"Alright then. We'll see you both in the morning." Midnight replied, before turning tail and heading back to her room.

Sky quickly followed, though both Twilight and Cooper noticed how the pair of guards did not appear to split up as the reached their hallway. In fact, they appeared to enter the same room together. Chuckling to herself at the obvious actions before her, Twilight turned around, but before she could head anywhere, Cooper spoke up.

"So, uh... about that thing I wanted to talk to you about..." Cooper announced, freezing Twilight in her tracks.

"Oh, um... of course, Cooper. Here, lets head up to the map room and discuss it there." She suggested, quickly remembering the look in his eyes.

With a nod, Cooper led the way to the map room, and within a few minutes, they were both situated around the crystal map table.

"Alright, so what's up?" Twilight asked, curiously.

Cooper took a moment to collect his thoughts, and with each passing second of silence, Twilight felt a knot grow and twist in her stomach. Her mind raced with the possibilities that could make him so hesitant to speak to her, each one filling her with more dread than the last. Finally, when the silence became too much to bear, Cooper spoke.

"I want you to bring my family back through the portal."

Author's Note

Dun dun duuuuuuuuuuuuuun.
Well that's certainly a bombshell to drop on Twilught now isn't it? I hope that it doesn't seem like Cooper's leading Zecora on only to suddenly decide he wants his wife back. In case it hasn't been clear, he has no idea she's into him. He's very dense in this regard.

Chapter 25

A nervous bead of sweat dripped down the side of Twilight's cheek as she stared back at Cooper, her concern growing with each passing second of silence between them. When it became clear that Cooper was waiting for an answer, she took a deep breath and slowly turned away from him.

"Cooper, I... I can't." She replied.

"What?" Cooper's voice reached her ears, and even though she couldn't see him, she could feel the despair in his gaze.

"Cooper... what you're asking for, it's... it's not possible." Twilight answered, squeezing her eyes shut.

"But... w-what are you talking about? How is it not possible? You already did it once to save me." Cooper shot back, taking a step forward.

Twilight grimaced at the hurt in his voice, "If it were possible, I promise you that I would have already saved them."

Much to her surprise and hurt, Cooper scoffed at her response, "What the Hell are you talking about, Twilight? Why isn't it possible? I'm standing right here!" He asserted.

Twilight turned around to face him, and though her own eyes were growing cloudy with tears that threatened to spill forth, she found that Cooper was already crying. Two streaks of tears ran down his cheeks as he stared her down, his nostrils flaring as his fists clenched.

"The way the future version of me saved you was only possible because of the conditions that led to it. Cooper, I'm so, so sorry... but I can't save your family..." Twilight trailed off.

"Twilight, what are you talking about?" Cooper exasperatedly questioned, "You've had time to recover, haven't you? I haven't even brought it up because I thought that you needed time to get your strength back. It's not like I'm asking you to do it right now for Christ's sake!"

"It isn't about when you want me to do it, the timing is irrelevant. What you want me to do simply isn't possible at all-" Twilight tried to explain, before Cooper cut her off.

"Why not!?" Cooper shouted, startling the purple alicorn. Taking a quick breath, Cooper composed himself as well as he could and spoke again, in a much calmer voice, "Why... not?"

Twilight felt her forelegs trembling slightly. The conversations she'd dreaded for weeks had finally come to pass, and despite every fiber of her being screaming at her to simply avoid the topic or run away, she knew she couldn't do that, not to Cooper.

"Cooper... it's so hard to explain-" She began.

"Try me." Cooper demanded, taking another step toward her.

Twilight gulped before letting out a quiet sigh. For a few moments, she failed to meet his gaze, but eventually, she managed to look back up to him with tear filled eyes, and speak.

"Cooper... how much do you know about time?" Twilight asked.

Cooper gave her a skeptical look, "I don't know... probably not much." He admitted.

Twilight gave him a thankful nod, "Then please understand that what I'm going to tell you is the truth. I would never lie to you, you know that... right?" She asked, hopeful, yet fearful all the same.

Cooper slowly nodded, "Yeah... I know."

Twilight took a deep breath, "Okay... to explain this, I have to explain how the portal works, as well as the knowledge that the future version of me shoved into my head... Cooper, she spent thirty years trying to find a way to bring you back. Whether it was in my world, your world, or somewhere in-between... she spent three decades trying to find a way- any way- to bring you back."

"Okay, so what? It'll take time? Longer than I'll live to see? Is that it?" Cooper questioned.

Twilight shook her head, "Actually, no. I have all the knowledge already, thanks to her... Cooper, what she found is that timelines- rather, dimensions- exist much like a solar system in the galaxy. Think of our timeline as a solar system, flying through the galaxy at impossible speeds. Are you following me so far?"

Cooper nodded, "I wasn't the biggest scientist, but I get the picture."

"Okay, good. Now, Cooper, I need you to understand that the first pony to figure this out was Starswirl the Bearded. He discovered it nearly eleven hundred years ago, and that was the basis for the portal that I used to go to your world. The way his spell works, is that it opens a wormhole between two dimensions if they are close enough together and can reliably maintain the connection... only so many dimensions are ever close enough to do so." Twilight continued to explain.

"Okay... can we get to the point, please?" Cooper pressed.

Twilight sighed once more, "Cooper... I saw the data on the portal... your dimension entered a stable orbit for exactly one day."

Cooper's brow furrowed, "So... what? Can't you just go back in time to that day?" He questioned.

"Cooper, you're forgetting about the time dilation between our dimensions." Twilight corrected.

"Time dilations... wormholes, can you put this shit into layman's terms?" Cooper exasperatedly demanded.

Twilight winced at his tone, her entire being seeming to deflate as she prepared to tell Cooper the news she'd been dreading for weeks, "Time passes faster in your world than in ours... that means that while it was six weeks in your world, it was only thirty minutes here. Your world entered our dimensional orbit less than a minute before the connection was established. Cooper... even if I did go back to that day, and enter your world... at best I'd only arrive a few days before I did in the first place."

Cooper recoiled back as if he'd been struck. His jaw worked but no words came out as the truth of the matter came crashing down all around him, "But... y-you could just go back in time once you get there, couldn't you?"

Twilight shook her head, "The amount of magic I'd need for a time travel spell would be astronomical. Unicorns and alicorns get our powers from Eques, itself. We're tethered to her, as a constant source of our strength... if I were to try to time travel in your world, I just wouldn't have enough power to do it."

Cooper's hands migrated to the top of his head, and he quickly began pacing back and forth as he tried to come up with any sort of rational reason to the contrary of Twilight's claims. Sadly, he knew very, very little about time travel, and it quickly became apparent that he was simply grasping at straws.

"You said that it's like an orbit, right? That means that it comes back every so often, right? So doesn't that mean that there was a point before a few weeks ago when my world was reachable?" Cooper pressed.

Twilight sadly shook her head, "I-I'm sorry Cooper... but the last time your world was within range was over three hundred years ago... due to the time dilation, that means that if I were to go back to the last time your world was within range, and try to go to it... it'd be hundreds of thousands of years in your world's time. Mia and Sarah wouldn't even have been born yet."

Cooper leaned against the wall behind him, his legs slowly giving out under him as he sunk to the floor. He held his head in his hands as the reality of the situation fully dawned on him.

"Mia... Sarah..." He whispered, his vision a blur through the tears.

"C-Cooper?" Twilight hesitantly asked, tears of her own falling to the floor.

Cooper quickly wiped the tears from his eyes, "I... I don't... there has to be a way. I can't accept that." He stated.

"Cooper, please..." Twilight pleaded, placing her hoof on his shoulder.

Much to her surprise and shock, Cooper recoiled from her touch, "Don't give me that! There has to be a way! There has to!" He shouted, startling Twilight back a few feet.

"I want there to be a way so badly! I want your family here too! I want you to be happy... but I can't do it, Cooper... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Twilight responded, her ears laying flat against her skull.

In the silence that followed, neither human nor pony moved a muscle, each staring at the ground as their minds reeled from the conversation they were having and its implications. However, that silence only lasted a minute as Cooper got to his feet.

"Cooper?" Twilight questioned, worriedly.

Pausing at the door, Cooper held his head low, "There is always a way... I'm going to get Mia and Sarah back... with or without your help." He announced, before opening the door and heading out.

"Cooper!" Twilight cried, tears of hurt spilling from her eyes.

Without so much as a glance back in her direction, Cooper stormed off, Twilight quickly following behind him.

"Cooper, where are you going!? I'm sorry but there's nothing I can do! Don't you think I want to help you? I want to bring your wife and daughter back almost as much as you do!" Twilight shouted, hurt, anger, and frustration boiling over in her voice.

Cooper refused to respond, instead continuing to walk away as if Twilight simply weren't there.

"Cooper, please!" She screamed, her voice echoing off the walls.

Whether intentional or not, Twilight's sudden spike in volume in the otherwise silent castle halls quickly roused the pair of guards assigned to watch over Cooper. Midnight peeked her head out from her room downstairs, her ears flicking toward the source of shouting as Cooper and Twilight came down the stairs. Sky quickly popped out from behind her, already donning his breastplate.

"What in Tartarus is going on?" Midnight muttered, making her way toward the staircase.

The guardsmare quickly got her answer as Cooper reached the bottom of the staircase, Twilight hot on his heels.

"-I know you're upset, but running off to Celestia-knows-where is not going to help anypony! It's just going to get you hurt or worse!" Twilight exclaimed.

"Princess, what's going on?" Sky questioned, trotting up to Midnight's side.

Paying little to no mind to the guard's question, Twilight continued to plead with Cooper.

"You're not going to find anypony else to do what you want because it simply isn't possible! Magic has limitations and so does the fabric of the universe!" Twilight cried.

"Woah, woah, woah. What in the hay are you all talking about? Cooper, let's just hang on for a second." Sky suggested, quickly flapping over to Cooper's side.

While the pegasus stallion walked side-by-side with the human for a quick spell, it became apparent almost immediately that he wasn't planning on stopping.

"Cooper, come on. I can see you're angry, but let's just talk this out." Sky insisted, quickly moving in front to halt Cooper's advance.

He reared back on his hind legs and placing a placating hoof on Cooper's chest to stop him, however, none of the ponies present were prepared for Cooper to grab Sky's foreleg and shove him aside with all his might. The guardstallion hit the ground with a resounding *thud*, making him wince. Twilight and Midnight both gasped at the sudden hostile action, but before a word could be said, Sky was back on his hooves, darting over to Cooper once more.

"Coop', that's enough!" Sky grunted, this time using both forelegs to physically push Cooper back.

Unfortunately, the only move Cooper was capable of was escalation, and he brutally shoved Sky aside, throwing him to the floor with a *crash*.

"Sky!" Midnight exclaimed, quickly rushing to his side.

Sky moved to get up once more, but paused as he glanced up, finding the barrel of a pistol in Cooper's hand, pointed straight at his skull.

"NO!" Twilight shrieked, firing a bolt of magic that smacked into Cooper's hand, knocking the pistol away, but firing a shot off in the process.

As Fluttershy made her way from her quaint little cottage, she continued the pep talk she'd been giving herself ever since that afternoon.

"Okay, Fluttershy, you can do this. Just go to Twilight's castle and properly introduce yourself to Cooper. Of course he'll ask why you haven't come to see him sooner... and you'll have to explain that you've been outright terrified of him ever since you laid eyes on him, but surely he'll understand... right?" Fluttershy muttered.

She paused in her step, just across the bridge leading to the town square, a heavy sigh escaping her lips.

"Oh, who am I kidding? Cooper's going to be so offended that I didn't even come to see him after Pinkie scared the daylights out of him... some element of kindness I am..." She mumbled, her head hanging low.

For a few moments, the only thing to accompany Fluttershy in the quiet evening was the gentle breeze, making soft whistling sounds against the thatched rooftops of Ponyville homes. However, she was soon alerted by the sound of hooves clopping on the ground, making her glance up to see a familiar orange farm pony just across the bridge.

"Fluttershy?" ApppleJack inquired, trotting over the bridge.

"Oh, um... hello, AppleJack." Fluttershy greeted, giving a small wave.

"What're you doin' out this late? Ah thought you didn't like being out past sundown." AppleJack noted, tilting her head to the side slightly.

"W-well, I was actually on my way to Twilight's castle." Fluttershy replied.

AppleJack gave a nod, "And?" She pressed, knowingly.

Fluttershy blushed and hid behind her mane, "And to... say hello to Cooper." She admitted.

AppleJack snickered, "Shucks, Shy'. You don't have to be all bashful 'bout it. Coop's not so big an' scary once ya' get to know im'."

Fluttershy let out a sigh, "I know, I know. There was just something about him that scared me when we first met him. I tried not to think about it too much because I was just so worried about Twilight and how hurt she was."

AppleJack nodded in agreement, "Don't remind me... I don't ever want to see anypony hurt that bad ever again... least of all, one of my best friends."

Fluttershy shivered, "I know nature is cruel and scary... and I didn't show it when I helped Twilight to the hospital... but I don't think I could stomach seeing one of my friends' blood all over me again."

AppleJack quickly walked over to the shy pegasus's side and pulled her into a hug. Fluttershy gladly returned the gesture, nuzzling her friend's cheek as they both tried to push the awful memories out of their minds. Once she was satisfied that they both felt slightly better, AppleJack pulled away, giving her friend a small smile.

"Well ah promise ya' that Coop's not as bad as that thing that did that to Twilight. He's actually a real decent fella. You won't regret talkin' to im'." AppleJack offered.

Fluttershy gave a determined nod, "You're right, and I shouldn't be hiding away in my cabin anymore. I'm going to go say hello to him." She announced.

"Atta girl, 'Shy." AppleJack smirked.

They both continued to stand in place for the better part of a minute, prompting a deadpan look to form on AppleJack's face.

"You want me to walk you over there?" She offered.

"Yes please." Fluttershy sheepishly replied.

AppleJack playfully rolled her eyes before turning on her hooves and leading the way back over the bridge, "Alright, yer lucky I just came from over there ten minutes ago. If I'd have made it across the bridge before runnin' into ya', I'd be more'n half way back to the farm." She chuckled.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I don't want to inconvenience you-" Fluttershy began.

"Now what did me'n the rest of the girls tell you, 'Shy? You ain't never a bother, nor an inconvenience. Come along now, Twi' and Coop' prolly ain't even finished washin' the dishes yet." AppleJack chuckled.

Fluttershy positively beamed at the kind words, but just as she got a pep in her step and followed after AppleJack, a terrible, horrible sound raked at her ears. Both ponies wince as their ears splayed back against their skulls, and the sound that could only be described as a loud *crack* echoed past them.

"Buck's sake! What in the hay was that!?" AppleJack exclaimed, glancing back and forth.

Fluttershy, who had darted into a bush just a few feet away, shakily poked her head out, her eyes darting back and forth to find the source of the terrible noise.

"I-I-I d-d-don't... know..." She replied, through her nervously chattering teeth.

AppleJack squinted as she looked ahead. Dozens of lights turned on in the small town, indicating that they weren't the only ones who heard the sound. Her gaze moved down the street and finally to the castle of friendship just down the road outside of the town square. AppleJack wasn't sure, but for the briefest of moments, she could barely make out a shadowy figure darting into the woodline behind Twilight's castle. Then, the screams reached her ears.

"We gotta move!" AppleJack ordered, following her still slightly ringing ears toward Twilight's castle.

The orange farm pony galloped full speed to the front steps of the castle, finding the front door already open and light spilling out to the world outside. Fluttershy flew in right behind her, her fears momentarily forgotten under the premise that her friends might be hurt. However, as they both reached the doorway, they were treated to a sight that made them both queasy.

Sky's white fur, enchanted with his armor, ran red with blood spilling from his wither, just a precious few inches from his neck. Midnight was desperately trying to apply pressure with her hooves and magic, while Twilight did her best to keep the stallion calm.

"Twi! What happened!?" AppleJack cried out, rushing in to help.

"We need to get him to the hospital. I'm going to teleport us all there. Don't worry." Twilight announced, her horn lighting up.

"Wait! Twilight!" Fluttershy cried, making her pause.

"What? What is it?" Twilight pressed, quickly glancing back and forth between the grimacing stallion next to her and her shy pegasus friend.

"What is this?" Fluttershy questioned, holding up the pistol in her wing for all to see.

Author's Note

Uh oh.

Chapter 26

The Next Day

Twilight paced back and forth in the waiting room of the hospital, her brow deeply furrowed in concern. She found herself wearing a thin trench into the floor as she pondered over the situation the previous night. Across from her, snoozing away after having been woken up and dragged over to the hospital with her the previous night, was Spike. Beside him, an equally yet more restrained Midnight sat, her eyes glued to the spot on the floor just before her. Her armor was forgone, making her look like any ordinary civilian.

Sitting across from them, was AppleJack and Fluttershy, both noticeably perturbed from the events of the previous night.
For the tenth time in just as many minutes, Twilight paused and opened her mouth to apologize to Midnight. Fortunately, she was spared yet another instance of not having the right words, by the door opening behind her. A nurse walked out, her pink mane tied up in a bun just like the last time Twilight had seen her.

"Nurse Redheart?" Twilight inquired, quickly making her way over to the nurse.

"It was a bit of a doozy, but we were able to stop the bleeding and patch up the wound. He's stable and resting in his room." Nurse Redheart explained, giving a soft smile.

"Oh, thank Celestia." Midnight sighed, sinking into her chair slightly.

"I'm so relieved to hear that. May we see him?" Twilight pressed, curiously.

Nurse Redheart nodded, "Just try to keep it to two of you at the most, Princess. We don't exactly have the huge fancy rooms they do up in Canterlot." She replied with a chuckle.

"You two go on ahead. 'Shy and I can look after Spike for ya'." AppleJack offered.

"Thank you so much, AppleJack. You're the best." Twilight replied.

"Don't mention it, Sugarcube." AppleJack nodded as Fluttershy sat next to Spike, draping her wing over him like a blanket.

Midnight quickly hopped off her chair and made her way over to the door, falling in line as the nurse pony led her and Twilight down the hall. Soon enough they arrived at the designated room and were allowed entry. Upon walking inside, Midnight and Twilight saw that the extent of the damage was confined to Sky's wither. The entirety of his shoulder was covered in bandages with some bloodied spots around the place he was shot, but otherwise, the stallion looked completely fine.

"I'll leave you three alone. A doctor should be along in about twenty minutes to explain what we found." Nurse Redheart announced.

"Thank you, Nurse." Twilight gratefully replied.

As the nurse left, Midnight quickly rushed over to Sky's side. She held his hoof in her forelegs as she looked over his injuries.

"Hey, big guy... you okay?" She asked, the concern bleeding over in her voice.

Sky nodded, "Yeah... honestly, my ears were ringing so bad that I didn't even realize I was hurt at first." He chuckled, before wincing.

"Try to take it easy... no sudden movements as that can make it hurt a lot more." Twilight suggested.

"You got it... Princess." Sky responded, laying his head back against his pillow.

For a few moments, their was only silence in the air as Twilight's gaze fell to the floor once more. Midnight and Sky could feel the tension slowly building in the air as the unspoken question of the day quickly filled all of their minds.

"So..." Sky trailed off.

"I am so sorry that Cooper hurt you... I just... I still can't believe it, myself." Twilight muttered, shaking her head in defeat.

"Oh, it's not that bad. I've been hurt worse-" Sky began.

"No, you don't understand," Twilight cut him off, "-Cooper shouldn't have had that gun in the first place... it's my fault you were hurt like this." She admitted, sinking to her haunches.

"Princess... what are you saying?" Midnight pressed.

Twilight let out a heavy sigh, "Cooper wasn't supposed to have that gun... I-I lied to Princess Celestia and Luna when they were here. They think they have the only gun in Equestria... Truth is, they have the safest gun in Equestria."" She explained.

"You... lied? To Princess Celestia?" Midnight parroted, her eyes wide in shock.

Twilight shamefully nodded, "I did..."

"Why would you do that?" Sky pressed.

"I... thought I was protecting him. Cooper hasn't had anything to protect himself aside from his weapons for years... it seemed like a good idea at the time. I trusted him to never use it unless it was a truly life or death situation... but the way he's been acting lately? I should have done something before it came to this. He needs help... I just wish that I had acted before you could get hurt." Twilight elaborated, her head hung low.

Sky and Midnight shared a look for a moment before the latter turned back to Twilight, "Princess... what was it that you and Cooper were arguing about last night?" She questioned.

Twilight shook her head, "It was... Cooper wants me to do something that isn't possible. I tried to explain that to him but he just... couldn't see that. I guess I don't blame him for that but... I don't know, everything is so much more complicated and confusing now."

"What exactly did he want you to do?" Sky tilted his head to the side, "I mean... what could possibly drive him to get that angry?"

"He wanted me to bring his family back." Twilight admitted, her wings drooping slightly as she said the words.

Both Sky and Midnight winced at the explanation and its implications.

"Yeah, fair enough... still pissed at him for shooting me, but I can at least see why he was so upset." Sky acknowledged.

"The fact of the matter is... as much as I wish she wasn't... Princess Luna is right. Cooper is dangerous... but right now, he's scared. I need to find him and bring him back." Twilight declared, firmly.

"Do you have any idea where he could have gone?" Midnight questioned.

"I have one or two... but I need to be sure before starting a search party again." Twilight replied, slowly taking to pacing across the room once more.

"I'll help you search." Midnight offered.

"I can't ask you to do that-" Twilight began, but paused as Midnight held up a hoof, silencing her.

"He's my charge, Princess. It's my duty to protect him, even if he's a danger to us just as much as himself." Midnight explained.

"I may need to smack some sense into him when I get out of here but I'll help as soon as I can." Sky offered.

"No chance. You just rest and recover. That was a nasty wound and I'd prefer if I never had to see you covered in so much blood ever again." Midnight shook her head.

"Aww, you do care about me." Sky teased, receiving a raspberry blown his way from Midnight.

"Even after... what he did... you still want to help him so readily?" Twilight asked, slowly.

Sky and Midnight both nodded, "Cooper isn't a bad human... he's just hurt. I think we can help him get over what happened to him but... well, it's gonna take more than just a hug and well wishes." Sky admitted.

Twilight allowed a soft smile to form on her face as she looked over Cooper's friends, the thought of how willing they were to forgive him and help him, warming her heart considerably.

"That truly does mean a lot to me, but I think the best thing you can do is stay with Sky. I know you care about him more than just as a comrade." Twilight replied, making the dark unicorn blush.

"Are you sure, Princess?" Midnight asked, uncertainly.

"I am. There's a chance Cooper could come back on his own, too. It'd be better for him to have a friendly face around f that happens." Twilight replied.

The group shared a soft smile, but they were soon distracted by the sound of voices from down the hallway. Twilight's ear cocked back toward the source of the noise, the rest of her head following as more and more voices echoed through the halls.

"What's... going on out there?" Midnight wondered aloud, slowly walking around Sky's bed.

"I'll go look." Twilight offered, trotting over to the door.

"I'll come with you. Sky, just hang out in here, will you?" Midnight called over her wither as she followed Twilight out the door.

"Wasn't planning on going anywhere!" Sky called after them.

As Twilight and Midnight entered the hallway, the voices instantly became more clear, and the panic filling them all the more evident. Sharing a quick look, the duo of mares took off toward the front lobby of the hospital, where the commotion appeared to be coming from. Just a few seconds of trotting down the hall passed before they arrived at the front, the voices now nearly deafening as what sounded like dozens of ponies shouted over each other.

As the lobby came into view, Twilight saw that her estimation of the number of voices was, if anything, an underestimation. Nearly the entire town was crammed into the relatively small hospital lobby. The staff were desperately trying to maintain order, but the crowd appeared to be nearing angry mob levels of panic and anger.

As quick as she could, Twilight spotted AppleJack, Spike, and Fluttershy all trying their best to calm the crowd alongside the hospital staff, to no avail.

"What are you all even yelling about!" Spike called.

"P-p-please calm down!" Fluttershy squeaked.

"Will ya'll just quiet down!" AppleJack shouted, though even her voice was drowned out.

"AppleJack! What's going on!?" Twilight cried, rushing to her friend's side.

Upon seeing and hearing her alicorn friend rushing over to her, AppleJack turned to acknowledge her, "Ah have no idea! One minute there wasn't hardly anypony here! The next, the entire town was at the door!" She explained over the shouting.

Before Twilight could press further, several voices cried out in recognition, "There she is! There's Princess Twilight!"

"Where!?"

"There!"

"She knows what happened!"

Twilight nearly scrambled back as the entire focus of the crowd suddenly shifted from undirected angry shouting to an entirely focused crowd all directing their grievances and fears straight to her. She tried to hold her hooves up in a placating matter but the gathered ponies didn't quiet down at all. Instead, they continued to barrage her with questions.

"What happened!?"

"Is it true that he can control lightning?! What else could that thunder have been!?"

Feeling her ears splaying against her skull, Twilight quickly cast several spells to amplify her voice. Seeing the inevitable coming, her friends quickly covered their ears as Twilight took a deep breath.

"QUIET!" She screamed, so loudly that the glass windows nearly shattered.

The loud mob before her was startled silent by her sudden spike in volume, most of the ponies present rubbing their ears and wincing as all they heard was ringing.

"Now, one of you, tell me what in the hay is going on right now!" Twilight demanded, stomping her hoof into the floor to emphasize her point.

Through the crowd of ponies, Twilight saw some movement, and quickly enough, a mocha brown coat and silvery grey mane came into her view. Mayor Mare stepped in front of the crowd, politely clearing her throat as she fixed Twilight with an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry for everypony just showing up like this, Princess. Town Hall was an absolute mess this morning. Everypony in town heard what I can only compare to a lightning bolt come from your castle last night. Dozens of ponies saw you rushing one of Mister Cooper's guards to the hospital and they wanted answers. I told them that I would head over to ask you myself but... well, the majority of them wanted to hear it for themselves." Mayor Mare explained.

"Ya mean this ain't even all of 'em?" AppleJack raised an eyebrow.

"Afraid not," Mayor Mare shook her head, before turning back to Twilight, "Is he alright?" She asked, softly.

Twilight gave a quick nod, "Cooper's guard is okay. He's in his room, making a full recovery right now."

Mayor Mare let out a small sigh of relief, "That's good to hear. I do wish him a speedy recovery. Now... could you please explain what exactly happened?"

The rest of the crowd quickly murmured in agreement.

Twilight bit her lip as she looked over the crowd of ponies surrounding her. Even with the shield of her title and friends there, she felt completely exposed and vulnerable. The question heavy in all of their eyes only made the pit already forming in her stomach just that much worse.

"Well... there was a misunderstanding." Twilight explained, vaguely.

"What kind of misunderstanding ends with a royal guard needing to be rushed over to the hospital for medical attention and half the town being woken up by something they all describe as lightning?" Mayor Mare inquired.

"Well..." Twilight tried to stall, her mind racing to come up with some suitable explanation.

Even though they helped rush Sky over to the hospital alongside her, Twilight could see the same question in both Fluttershy and AppleJack's eyes. Even Spike looked at her with, his expression practically begging her to tell him what had happened.

"It was Cooper, wasn't it!?" One of the ponies in the back called out.

Twilight's eyes went wide and her entire body tensed at the mention of Cooper, prompting Mayor Mare to instantly pick up on her reaction.

"That seems like a 'yes' to me... is he alright? Where is Cooper?" She asked, glancing around the room.

Twilight nervously gulped as the dozens of ponies in the waiting room similarly searched amongst themselves for the lone human in town.

"Twilight..." AppleJack said, snapping her attention back to her, "It's alright to tell the truth. None of us wanna hurt Cooper none. Ah've been tryin' to piece together what happened all night and nothin' makes any sense." She offered.

Twilight wilted under the gaze of the pony meant to represent the element of Honesty, her wings sagging as she slumped to her haunches. Try as she might, she simply couldn't rationalize lying to the crowd. As much as she loathed to admit it, Cooper was a danger. Thankfully, his weapon was no longer in his possession, but the concept of him using any of the other tactics she'd witnessed on any of the townsponies made her sick.

With a heavy sigh, she addressed the crowd, "What happened was a misunderstanding between me and Cooper. He wanted something that I can't give him, and he... didn't handle it well. When his guard tried to keep him from leaving, he tried to force his way past."

Mayor Mare cocked an eyebrow back, "That much noise and blood for just trying to force his way past a guard?"

Twilight shook his head, "No... No, the truth is... Cooper still had a weapon from his world. It caused the sound you all heard and the injury that Sky received."

A chorus of gasps ran throughout the crowd. Though many of them were fuzzy on the details, the entirety of Ponyville knew of the weapons from Cooper's world and the injuries they inflicted on Twilight while she was in his world. Even the prospect of such weapons being present in Equestria- in Ponyville no less- gripped many of them with fear. Seeing this, Twilight quickly continued.

"There is good news! He doesn't have the weapon anymore. I think... I think what happened was an accident. He's been having flashbacks and... after what he's been through, it's not hard to imagine why. Cooper is dangerous, I know... but he's also in danger. He ran away last night after what happened and I need to find him. He wasn't alright when he left but I think that by now he's realizing what he's done and either going to come back and admit that he's made a mistake... or he's going to hide and run away." Twilight explained.

"You mean you have no idea where he is?!"

"He could be anywhere in Ponyville!?"

"I have to go make sure my foals are safe!"

Just as quickly as it arrived, the mob of ponies filtered out of the hospital waiting room and headed back to their homes. Some were still shaken with the news they'd heard while others simply chose to ignore it and return to their business as usual.

"That's certainly a lot of news... I hope you're sure about Cooper, Princess. I'll have to alert the town guard and have them step up patrols. Hopefully we can get him to peacefully return as you said." Mayor Mare announced, quickly bidding Twilight goodbye and heading out with the tail end of the mob.

As Twilight turned back to her friends in the waiting room, a trio of filled that managed to sneak their way into the crowd quickly beat a hasty retreat before regrouping near their clubhouse.

"Cooper's missing!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed, still slightly shaken from the news she'd heard.

"I can't believe he hurt his guard like that... that just doesn't seem like him at all." Scootaloo mentioned, raising an eyebrow as she observed Apple Bloom pacing back and forth.

"It just don't make a lick a' sense." Apple Bloom muttered.

"What doesn't?" Sweetie Belle inquired.

"All of it! Coop's a good pon-er... human. He's got issues, but that's just cause' of what happened to his family! We can't just let him run off to Celestia knows where!" Apple Bloom declared, stomping her hoof on the floor.

"You heard Twilight, Apple Bloom. Cooper did hurt his guard. That part isn't up for debate." Scootaloo rebutted.

"An' ah don't buy it. Something else must've been goin' on! You both saw how he was actin' when Rainbow did her sonic rainboom. It scared 'im. Same thing happened when he was havin' dinner at my house. Something spooked 'im and he just... went back into his past. Ah'd bet that whatever happened just reminded him of that and what happened was just an accident." Apple Bloom countered.

"Even if that's true, what can we do about it? You heard Twilight. He's gone. Nopony knows where he is." Sweetie Belle counter-countered.

"Maybe not anypony, but Ah think there's a certain zebra that Cooper might just have gone to." Apple Bloom declared.

"Zecora? You know... they were kinda giving each other... the look." Scootaloo replied, waggling her eyebrows.

"There could also be a chance that he's just gotten himself hurt in the woods and needs a rescue." Sweetie Belle excitedly chimed in.

"-And you know what it means if we find him and rescue him from whatever pit he might have fallen into!?" Scootaloo practically bounced with excitement.

"Missing human rescue cutie marks!" The trio gasped in unison, "Cutie Mark Crusader rescue squad, go!"

They clopped their hooves together in a three-way high five, before hurriedly trotting out the door.

Author's Note

Oh the innocence of youth. Hopefully nothing bad will happen to any of them...

Chapter 27

The trio of fillies trotted toward the Everfree Forest as fast as their little legs could carry them. While the rest of town appeared to be busy either preparing a manhunt for Cooper or just going about their daily tasks as if nothing were wrong, the cutie mark crusaders were fillies on a mission. They quickly reached the edge of town, just a stone's throw away from the entrance to the foreboding forest.

"I should've brought my scooter..." Scootaloo muttered, finally slowing to a trot as the rest of her friends huffed and puffed beside her.

"Yeah, that would've been easier, huh?" Sweetie Belle shrugged.

"It ain't like we're gonna make it far in the forest with a scooter anyhow. Now come on! We need to get to Zecora's as fast as possible." Apple Bloom ordered, breaking into a canter.

"We're going as fast as we can, Apple Bloom! No need to rush into the Everfree without catching our breaths." Sweetie Belle protested.

"The longer we're out here, the more lost and hurt Cooper could be in the forest! We've got to get to him as quick as we can!" Apple Bloom rebutted.

"And we will! Just slow down a second, Bloom. You're starting to scare us." Scootaloo interjected.

Apple Bloom let out a quiet sigh, "Ah know... I'm sorry. I just don't want anythin' bad to happen to 'im."

Seeing the dejected look forming on her friend's face, Sweetie Belle walked over to her side and put a comforting hoof on AppleBloom's wither.

"And we won't let anything bad happen to him. Promise." She smiled.

Apple Bloom returned the smile, much to both Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo's relief.

"Alright, let's head in there, then." Scootaloo announced, glancing back to the entrance of the forest.

It was a strange sight every time they saw it, but this time in particular, the forest looked especially large and menacing through their tiny filly eyes. As they trotted into the forest, the branches and leaves quickly obscured the daylight from passing through, making the world around them plummet into darkness. Even with the sun high in the sky, they could barely see a hundred feet ahead, but they pushed on regardless.

Walking side by side, the trio of fillies unconsciously moved closer together as the sounds of wildlife in the forest reached their rapidly scanning ears. A snapped twig here, rustling leaves there, and strange howling noises that were so faint, they weren't sure if they'd heard them at all, raked at their ears. All three fillies' fur bristled as the eerie nature of the forest closed in around them.

Luckily, the walk to Zecora's hut was a rather short one, and soon enough, the crusaders saw the familiar sight in the distance.

"Oh thank Celestia..." Sweetie Belle mumbled.

"C'mon! Maybe Cooper's already there!" Apple Bloom called, trotting ahead.

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo quickly trotted after her, all three of them reaching the entrance to Zecora's hut in a matter of minutes. Apple Bloom pounded on the door several times, nervously glancing back and forth all the while. It didn't take long for Zecora to open the door, but when she did, she was startled as all three fillies quickly rushed around or in-between her legs, into her hut.

"Cooper!?" Apple Bloom called out.

"You here!?" Sweetie Belle added.

"You can come out now! We're not going to hurt you!" Scootaloo hollered.

When they received no immediate response, the three fillies looked back at Zecora, finding a question gaze in her eyes.

"Apple Bloom, what are you and your friends doing here, talking about doom?" Zecora questioned, looking them over curiously.

"Zecora! Cooper's missing and we're trying to find him!" Apple Bloom exclaimed.

"What do you mean!? He hasn't been seen!?" Zecora gasped in shock.

"Not since last night. There was some kind of fight between him and his guard or something and apparently he really hurt him, so Cooper ran off while Twilight had to take his guard to the hospital." Sweetie Belle explained.

A look of determination immediately formed on Zecora's face, "If it is true, what you say... then we must not delay. Come with me and let's make haste. There's no time to waste." She announced, turning on her hooves and heading out the door.

The crusaders quickly galloped after her, the three of them trotting out into the Everfree. As soon as they were all out of the hut, Zecora turned to Apple Bloom and gave her a critical look.

"Do you have any idea where Cooper might be? Any thoughts on where he would flee?" She pressed, ears scanning quickly for any sign of noise as they walked back to one of the thin trails making up the forest.

"Ah have no idea. That's why we came here! We overheard the mayor and Twilight talkin' at the hospital and a buncha ponies were there. It was hard to hear everything. We thought he might've come to you." Apple Bloom explained.

"We do know that nopony has seen him since." Scootaloo offered.

"I think I overheard a few ponies talking about making a mob to hunt him down though..." Sweetie Belle added, making Zecora freeze.

"A mob?!" Zecora exclaimed.

"Uh..."

"I thought pony folk were past their fearful behavior. I see now that it was all just a big joke." Zecora muttered, an angry frown forming on her face.

"It was only a few ponies! Most of the town wants to either get Cooper back to Twilight or they just didn't have any real interest in what was going on." Sweetie Belle hastily clarified.

"Ah think most ponies were more concerned because of how hurt Cooper's guard was. He was... really hurt, Zecora. Ah didn't see it but apparently there was a lotta blood." Apple Bloom explained.

After taking a moment to consider the explanation she'd just received, Zecora let out a heavy sigh, "If we're to get answers to our questions, we'll need to find him. Any suggestions?"

The three fillies shook their heads.

"Then it's the basics that we'll start. Cooper fled from Twilight's castle, am I correct on that part?" Zecora questioned.

"As far as we know. That's where the whole thing happened with Cooper." Scootaloo replied.

"Then that's where we'll start. We can follow his tracks as long as they're not too far apart." Zecora replied, instantly turning to head to Ponyville.

With their destination settled, the trio of fillies quickly fell in line behind their zebra leader and headed back into town. With her expert navigation skills in the familiar territory of the Everfree, Zecora managed to get them all out of the forest and back into town within ten minutes. Almost everypony in town was exactly where they'd left them, prompting a small sigh of relief from the fillies, knowing that no angry mobs had been formed just yet.

They quickly made their way to the castle at the edge of town that could been seen for miles. Most ponies in town gave a friendly wave to Zecora as she passed by, but contrary to her usual demeanor, she didn't return the gestures, prompting several ponies to frown in confusion. While she hid it well on her face, it was plain to see from the way her tail angrily swished back and forth that Zecora was agitated.

Luckily, nopony accosted them too much as they made their way to the castle, and soon enough they arrived at their destination. Twilight could be seen, standing alongside Mayor Mare in front of a crowd of ponies that were most likely being prepared to go looking for Cooper as a search party. While Zecora regarded them with a quick nod, she didn't pause for a moment to join them, instead opting to go right to the castle steps. Upon reaching them, she lowered her head nearly to the ground, squinting her eyes as she looked for any sign of Cooper's tracks.

Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle also quickly started scanning the ground, their eyes darting back and forth as they looked for any clues. Unfortunately, they had little idea of what they were actually looking for, making their efforts more for show than anything else. Fortunately, Zecora knew exactly what she was looking for.

"There you are... you couldn't have gone too far." She muttered, standing upright.

"Did'ja find somethin', Zecora?" Apple Bloom questioned.

"I have found his tracks. His shoes left very distinct impacts." Zecora replied, before turning to Twilight.

"Wait, where are you going?" Scootaloo questioned.

However, Zecora did not respond to her, instead, she called out to Twilight.

"Princess Twilight! I've something to highlight!" She shouted.

Twilight paused in her organization to look over to the source of the voice calling out to her. Upon seeing just who it was, she quickly broke from the group before her and trotted over toward the zebra. The rest of the crowd and the mayor followed suite, though they stayed at a distance so as not to crowd her.

"Zecora? What is it? Did you hear about Cooper?" Twilight inquired, curiously.

Zecora nodded, "I have found his tracks. Luckily, his shoes make imprints that look like a yaks." She explained.

A look of relief washed over Twilight's face, "Oh, thank Celestia. I've had so much on my mind that I didn't even think to look for tracks! Zecora, you're amazing!" She praised.

"Think nothing of it. We'll find Cooper in just a bit." Zecora replied.

Twilight quickly turned back to the rest of the search party behind her, "Alright, did you all hear that!? Zecora can track Cooper!" She called.

A chorus of cheers and excited shouts ran through the gathered ponies while Mayor Mare walked over to Twilight's side.

"Sounds like we shouldn't delay. I'll have the town guard standing by in case he comes back before you find him." She announced.

Twilight gave a grateful nod, "Thank you, mayor. Hopefully we'll get this sorted and it'll all be behind us by the end of the day."

With that, Twilight ushered her group over to follow after Zecora as she led the way. She was so lost in her excitement that she didn't even notice the cutie mark crusaders joining the crowd, seamlessly blending in with everypony else around them.

"Apple Bloom, are you sure we should be going? It looks like Twilight and Zecora have this handled pretty well." Sweetie Belle questioned, giving a friendly wave to some of the adult ponies that walked around her and her friends.

"It was our idea to go and get Zecora in the first place. We have a right to come along to look for 'im. 'Sides, the more eyes we've got lookin' for him, the sooner we'll find 'im." Apple Bloom replied.

"Looks like we may have had the wrong forest anyways." Scootaloo muttered, directing the rest of the group's attention to their guide.

From their position in the crowd, the three fillies could easily see that Zecora was leading them all straight to the white tail woods. While they all breathed a silent sigh of relief upon seeing that Cooper hadn't ran straight into the Everfree again, their relief was short lived as they saw AppleJack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy rushing past them. They ducked into the crowd, watching as the five mares trotted back to Twilight.

"Twilight!" Rainbow called out, zipping in from the sky.

"We're here to help ya'll look for 'im." AppleJack announced, trotting up alongside the rest of her friends.

Twilight paused mid-step, while the rest of the ponies in the group continued to follow after Zecora. The trio of fillies managed to blend in and stay undetected by their elder siblings, much to their relief.

"You... you guys are?" Twilight asked, shock in her voice.

"Of course we are! Cooper's your friend, and that makes him our friend too!" Pinkie beamed.

Twilight held her gaze for a few moments before darting forward and wrapping Pinkie in a tight hug. While she was momentarily shocked by the sudden hug, Pinkie eagerly returned the gesture.

"Even after what I did to you... thank you." Twilight murmured, just loud enough for Pinkie to hear.

"Friends make mistakes sometimes... but that's why we're all here. We're going to get your human back, Twilight." Pinkie replied, smiling despite the tears welling in her eyes.

"Yeah! We heard that Zecora's tracking him. Looks like he must've ran into the white tail woods, somewhere. We'll find him, don't worry about a thing, Twilight." Rainbow gave a quick salute.

"Thank you... I don't deserve friends like you." Twilight gave a sad smile.

"Now don'tcha even start spoutin' nonsense like that. You're our friend, and you deserve us plenty." AppleJack chastised, throwing a foreleg over Twilight's wither.

"We're always happy to help you however we can, Twilight." Fluttershy offered, gently.

"I'd think that by now you'd understand that you're stuck with us, darling. No amount of drama or trauma will change that." Rarity smiled.

Twilight smiled back at all of her friends, tears streaking down her cheeks. She gave a thankful nod before stepping back from the group.

"Okay... thank you, and good luck. I hope you find him soon." She offered, prompting a look of confusion from her friends.

"Uh... aren't you coming along?" Rainbow questioned, tilting her head to the side.

Twilight let out a sad sigh, "I want nothing more than to come along with you all... but I've been summoned." She replied, levitating a scroll out of her saddlebag bearing Celestia's seal.

"Summoned?" What the hay does that mean? Since when does Celestia 'summon' you?" AppleJack raised an eyebrow.

"She's never summoned me before... but because of Sky's injury..." Twilight trailed off.

"She summoned you because you lied to her about Cooper's weapon." Fluttershy whispered, though her voice was loud enough for all of them to hear her.

Twilight simply nodded while the rest of the group adopted looks of fear and unease.

"I don't suppose the punishment for lying to royalty is simply a stern talking to?" Rarity asked, gently.

"She can't be mad mad, right? I mean... you're her prized pupil. Her number one protégée!" Pinkie exclaimed.

"The wording of this letter doesn't leave much to the imagination..." Twilight muttered.

"Ah don't understand. How do the princesses even know how Sky was injured? Or that he's even injured in the first place?" AppleJack questioned.

"Apparently the hospital sent an emergency notice straight to Canterlot, both because of the severity of the injury... as well as the fact that it happened to a royal guard." Twilight explained.

Rainbow Dash let out a groan, "Oh, great... that means it's suddenly a military matter now."

Twilight sadly nodded once more, "Obviously it's not something major like an act of war... but news like Cooper's guard having the exact same type of injury that I explained to Celestia when she was here doesn't leave much up for interpretation. Naturally, the news reached her this morning and she sent a letter to me while I was trying to organize a search party with Mayor Mare..." She explained.

"That's outrageous! She's going to call you back to Canterlot right now!?" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

"But what if Cooper needs you!?" Pinkie cried out.

"Can't she do this once ya find 'im?" AppleJack pressed.

"No... I'm afraid not. On the bright side, she's not calling me to Canterlot... she's coming here. Both of them are, actually." Twilight explained.

"They're both coming back to Ponyville? Right now?" Fluttershy questioned.

As if to answer her question on queue, a golden chariot approached off in the distance, the sun's light reflecting off of it's shiny frame and clearly showing it's arrival. All of Twilight's friends could easily see the six pegasai pulling the chariot, their snow white coats denoting exactly who and what was coming to Ponyville.

"Looks like they'll be here any minute... I should go prepare for what's about to happen." Twilight morosely muttered, turning to head back to the library.

AppleJack quickly galloped in front of her and cut her off, "You say that like yer' gonna get punished somethin' fierce. This is Celestia and Luna we're talkin' about here. They love ya' to pieces, just like we do. Worst case here is ya' get chewed out. It ain't nothin' to fret over." She offered, quickly.

Twilight sighed, "While normally you'd be right... I don't know this time though... I've never outright lied to them before."

"Well, they don't know for sure that you lied to them yet, right?" Pinkie offered.

"Pinkie's got a point. It's not like those medical ponies told her that you lied to her on purpose or anything." Rainbow added.

"That's a good point! For all they know, Cooper just hid that weapon from you. It's certainly more palatable than 'oh yes, Princess, I lied to your face without blinking'." Rarity chimed in.

"Actually, that was pretty much exactly what I was going to say." Twilight replied.

All of her friends facehooved at the same time.

"Twilight, why would you say something like that to them?" Rainbow deadpanned.

"They deserve to know the truth. Also, I'm not blameless in this... I knew Cooper had the gun. Now I have to own up to it. I appreciate you guys trying to help me out, really, I do... but I have to do this. As a princess... and as their friend... I owe it to them to tell them the truth." Twilight responded, walking past her flabbergasted friends.

The chariot landed just in front of the castle ahead.

Author's Note

So this was a tough chapter to get out. Had a really hard time with the series of events that led here and making everything work bit I think we're alright now. I hope you guys enjoy this one. There's still much more to come.

Chapter 28

Twilight watched from her balcony as the rest of the search party and her friends headed off into the White Tail woods. She let out a sigh of resignation before turning around to face Princess Celestia and Luna. While she was normally ecstatic to see her former mentor, this meeting brought anything except joy. Anxiety, fear, anger, frustration, and sadness waged war with each other to claim the forefront of Twilight's mind.

"Twilight, please take a seat." Celestia instructed.

There was nothing hostile about her tone, nor the way she politely gestured toward Twilight's chair at the head of the cutie map, but Twilight winced all the same. The silent tension in the air made even the most gentle and polite of requests sound like angry demands, but Twilight obeyed all the same. She quietly walked over to her throne and took her seat, the pair of diarchs continuing to stand across from her.

While she would have almost preferred to face the metaphorical music alone, Twilight found a small relief from the fact that Midnight came in from the hospital mere moments after she'd arrived. She was standing guard by the door, alongside another guard Twilight hadn't seen before, though it was obvious she wanted to return to the hospital. Even with the small support structure she had, Twilight could feel the pit in her chest forming into a gaping chasm with each passing second of silence. Fortunately or unfortunately, the silence didn't last long, and Celestia addressed her once more.

"We've received a very concerning report from the Ponyville General hospital, Twilight." Celestia began, giving her former student a concerned gaze.

"I know." Twilight replied, quietly.

"Twilight, where is Cooper?" Luna asked, firmly.

Twilight slowly shook her head, "I don't know. I've been trying to find him since last night." She replied, honestly.

"Is he still armed? Does he have access to any more weapons?" Luna pressed.

Again, Twilight shook her head, her horn igniting as the pistol was levitated over into view of the princesses, "This was the only weapon he had. He doesn't have any others and no means to get any more, either."

Luna and Celestia both frowned as the gun was placed on the cutie map in front of them.

"This is what injured Corporal Sky?" Celestia inquired, almost sounding disappointed.

"I can certainly see how he managed to hide it from us earlier. It's size must be misleading." Luna surmised.

"I don't know how it works exactly, nor do I know how lethal it is compared to what Cooper's rifle was capable of, but it can absolutely kill a pony at close range." Twilight explained.

Celestia and Luna both nodded, "I see... thank you, Twilight. We'll have this brought back to Canterlot for analysis." Celestia acknowledged, nodding toward the other guard in the room.

Said guard quickly trotted over to the table, levitating a box in her magic. She similarly picked up the pistol in her magic and placed it in the box, before trotting back over to her post at the door.

"Now that the tool has been dealt with, we need to address the next issue." Luna announced.

"Cooper?" Twilight guessed, already well aware of the answer.

"Yes. Although, as we don't know where he is, that point is moot at the moment. For now, can you explain what happened last night? The details we received only explained the injury Corporal Sky sustained, not what led up to it." Celestia explained.

"We'll expect a report from Sergeant Midnight as well." Luna added, glancing back over to the aforementioned guard.

Midnight tensed slightly from the sudden acknowledgment, but remained at attention as the sisters returned their attention to Twilight.

"First, let me start by saying that what happened was an accident-" Twilight began before being swiftly cut off by Celestia.

"Twilight, dear, we're not just here to punish Cooper or throw him into a cell once he's found. We need answers. We're actually both quite worried for his well-being." Celestia explained, much to Twilight's surprise.

"You... you're not?" She asked, in disbelief.

Luna quickly shook her head, "No, Twilight. While... this has been a serious incident, and we both expect to speak with Cooper after he is found, we are more concerned than anything else. If he had killed his guard... we'd be having a much different conversation." She added.

Twilight winced at the implication, "I understand... I'm sorry for keeping that information from you." She apologized.

Celestia sighed, "While I am... disappointed that you lied to us, I can't say I'm terribly surprised. Trauma changes a pony... and Cooper became the only creature you could trust or rely on in his world. It's understandable that you would lie to protect him. I'm assuming he only allowed us to take his other weapon because he had this one on his person the entire time?" At Twilight's nod, Celestia sadly shook her head, "It pains me to think what kind of trauma a creature must have gone through to feel so utterly unable to be at peace."

"We've made good progress with helping him reintegrate into a society of sorts, but... well..." Twilight trailed off, her withers sinking as she recalled the previous night's events.

"What caused all this, Twilight?" Luna questioned.

"It was the conversation I was dreading since the future version of me pushed all that information into my brain." Twilight explained.

Both Celestia and Luna instantly frowned as they immediately understood Twilight's plight.

"He asked you to save his family." Celestia stated.

Twilight nodded.

A twinge of guilt ran through Luna as she thought back to the dream realm and the pleasant dream involving his family she'd left Cooper with.

"When I explained to him that what he wanted was simply impossible... he didn't take it well." Twilight explained, her eyes downcast.

Celestia and Luna shared a look.

"And that led him to almost kill his guard?" Celestia questioned.

"I don't believe he was trying to even hurt Sky... I think he just..." Twilight trailed off, struggling to explain her thoughts.

"Princesses?" Midnight asked, from her post.

All three alicorns in the room quickly turned to the guard, "Yes, Sergeant?" Luna replied.

"I... have an idea of what happened, if you'll hear it." She offered.

Celestia and Luna nodded.

"While I expect to see it in your report, we might as well hear it now." Celestia responded.

Midnight trotted over to the princesses, "When Sky and I intervened, Cooper was storming out of the castle, Princess Twilight hot on his heels. Sky tried to deescalate the situation, but Cooper was in no mood for that. He tried to storm past us but Sky tried to stop him. Twice." She recollected.

"Twice?" Celestia parroted.

"He tried to halt Cooper once, but he just threw him aside. Sky got back on his hooves and tried to stop Cooper again, but he threw him aside again. The second time, when Sky got back up, Cooper drew his weapon..." Midnight , though her pursed lips and furrowed brow made it clear that she still had more to say.

"Go on." Luna pressed.

"There was... something... off in his eyes. It was like he wasn't all there, anymore. I think... he may have been having a flashback again when Sky was trying to stop him. After having the last of his hope dashed by the knowledge that there simply isn't any way to bring back his family and Sky trying to physically restrain him and... well, it's not a hard stretch for me to imagine that he completely flashed back to a traumatic event like when he lost them in the first place." Midnight elaborated.

Luna frowned as her head dipped in thought, the memories of Cooper's dream and the loss of his family quickly coming back to her in an instant. She was quiet for some time, prompting Celestia to progress the conversation without her.

"Sergeant, there's more you haven't told us yet, isn't there?" Celestia pried, softly.

Midnight nodded silently, "This... isn't the first time this has happened, Princess." She stated.

Celestia and Luna's eyes both widened, "What?" They asked in unison.

Twilight quickly interjected, "This was the first time somepony was hurt... but Cooper has had flashbacks more than once. I didn't want to alarm you so I didn't include it in my letters. We thought that he was getting better but... it seems as if he's only been getting worse." She sighed.

"I want to help Cooper, truly I do... but if he's experiencing flashbacks of those moments back on his world... he is extremely dangerous. We have to find him and get him to the proper medical facilities-" Celestia began.

"You are not putting him in a psych ward." Twilight growled, surprising both Celestia, Luna, and Midnight with her sudden tone.

"Twilight-" Celestia tried to speak, but was cut off yet again.

"No. Youre right that he needs medical help and psychological evaluation, but if you think for even one second that I'm going to let anypony stick him in an insane asylum, you're wrong." Twilight declared, firmly.

"We have no intentions of doing so!" Celestia exclaimed, "I was simply going to suggest exactly what you said. My concern is that Cooper is dangerous, Twilight. Whether you want to admit it or not, he is. You can't let your personal feelings get in the way of protecting the ponies you preside over." She sternly asserted.

"I'm not... but I just..." Twilight trailed off, the wind leaving her sails by the second.

"You care deeply for Cooper, that much is clear. Having said that, you needn't take a threatening tone with us, Twilight Sparkle. We want the best for everypony involved. Please don't forget that." Luna offered, taking a slightly more gentle approach.

Twilight's ears splayed back against her skull as her gaze fell down to the floor, "Y-you're right. I'm sorry... it's just... Cooper is very important to me. I wouldn't be alive without him." She muttered.

"We know, Twilight. Don't forget that we are grateful to him as well. He brought you back to us. We're not against you or Cooper. We just want to help, but for us to do so, you have to work with us." Celestia offered.

Twilight gave a shaky nod, "O-okay. Thank you."

Celestia and Luna smiled.

"It's okay, Twilight. Now, we should really focus on finding the poor human, don't you think?" Celestia asked.

"Right. Yeah... Zecora was tracking him. Last I saw, she was leading the search party into the White Tail woods. I'm sure Zecora is good at tracking but... Cooper spent almost five years learning to hide and evade others... I need to go and help them look." Twilight replied.

"You go with Zecora and the search party. We will stay here for the time being in case he returns. If Mayor Mare hasnt yet, we will alert the town guard. Plus an extra pair of eyes can't hurt." Luna suggested with a quick wink.

"Thank you both. You won't regret this." Twilight smiled, galloping over to both alicorns and giving them a hug.

Celestia and Luna happily returned the gesture before Twilight rushed to the exit and departed.

As Twilight rushed past her, Midnight gave a pleading look to the princesses. It took just a moment for Celestia to give her a small smile and nod, prompting her to bolt out the door as well.

Celestia and Luna shared an amused chuckle at the display before turning and making their way over to the balcony. From there, they had a perfect view of the town and the small lavender blur that was Twilight as she galloped out to the White Tail Woods.

"Found anything yet!?" A stallion called.

"Nothing yet!" A mare replied.

"I'll check over here. If we spread out, we can comb the forest and have it completely checked within a few hours." Another suggested.

The congested trails of the White Tail woods were littered with ponies, all spreading out and searching every crevice, behind every tree, and under every rock in search of Cooper. At the head of the pack, was Zecora, her muzzle just a few inches off the ground as she carefully scanned for any trace of Cooper's trail. The sound of galloping hooves momentarily broke her attention from the ground, prompting her to look over as Twilight trotted over to her.

"Zecora! I'm here. Tell me you've still got his tracks." Twilight called, huffing and puffing from the exertion.

Zecora sadly shook her head, "I'm afraid the trail has come to an end. Cooper has eluded even me, something I must commend."

Twilight let out a quick huff, "It's okay. We followed him this far. He can't have gotten too much further. Is everypony already spreading out and searching the forest?" She pressed.

Zecora nodded, "Your friends went on ahead. They're moving to the end of the woods, in case that's where he's fled."

Twilight's wings flared out, "Alright, perfect. Let's go find Cooper."

That evening

"We've been searching the forest all day!" Sweetie Belle whined.

"We've got to be getting close at this rate!" Scootaloo exclaimed.

"Ah reckon we've got an hour of sunlight left at most. So let's just keep searchin' for about thirty more minutes, and after that, we can head home for the night. Ah'm sure that if we don't find him by then, some other pony will." Apple Bloom, ever the diplomat, suggested.

"Ugh, my hooves hurt." Sweetie Belle complained.

"Well so do the rest of ours, but do you hear us complaining?" Scootaloo shot back.

"You've been using your wings to take the weight off your hooves this whole time! And Apple Bloom's an earth pony! Her hooves are stronger than mine!" Sweetie Belle defensively rebutted.

"Girls! That's enough! We ain't gonna find Cooper or get any closer to gettin' home by fightin'. Now come on and let's just focus. We've gotta be close, we just gotta." Apple Bloom interjected, physically putting herself between her friends.

While there were still some quiet grumbles from the other two fillies, they both acquiesced and fell in line as Apple Bloom led them along the trail they'd been following for several hours. With the sun hanging low on the horizon, long shadows were cast over the landscape, making the blood orange light of the sun appear to stretch on against the hillside. A gentle breeze was slowly picking up in the West, rustling the leaves of the trees and sending a few falling to the ground below.

The trio of fillies continued on until the sun reached the horizon, just barely kissing the edges of the Macintosh mountains off in the distance. Despite their best efforts, and covering nearly the entire forest in just a few hours, they sill hadn't found Cooper. It was as if the human completely disappeared, leaving all three of them to scratch their heads in confusion at how he managed to evade an entire town searching for him.

"Alright, ah think we should start headin' back now. It's startin' to get dark." Apple Bloom acknowledged, shaking her head.

"You sure? We can still look for a few more minutes." Scootaloo offered.

"We're not gonna find anything in a couple more minutes that we didn't already find over the last several hours." Sweetie Belle protested.

"Alright, alright, fine. Big baby." Scootaloo rolled her eyes.

"Am not!" Sweetie Belle cried, her voice squeaking in indignation.

As her friends descended into bickering once more, Apple Bloom let out a sigh, before her ears suddenly perked up on a sound just a few dozen paces away. She glanced over in the direction of the noise, her eyes squinting as she searched.

"Hang on a minute, girls." She ordered, directing both of their attention to her.

"What?" Scootaloo asked.

"Ah think I heard somethin'..." Apple Bloom trailed off, her eyes scanning the woods before her.

For a few moments, the three of them searched the woods in front of them, finding nothing other than trees and greenery. That quickly changed as they all saw it: movement.

"There!" Apple Bloom exclaimed, pointing at the distinct figure they'd seen moving in the treeline.

"Cooper!" Scootaloo called out.

Just as soon as they saw it, the figure darted away, further into the woods, prompting Apple Bloom and Scootaloo to charge in after it. Sweetie Belle glanced back and forth from her friends to the rest of the ponies heading back off in the distance, before sighing heavily and galloping after her friends.

The three of them darted into the woods as fast as their little legs could carry them, leaves crunching under their hooves as they moved through the twisting, turning chase. The figure was much, much faster than them, managing to nearly completely disappear in the dense vegetation that filled the forest. Still, Apple Bloom's sharp eyes managed to keep sight of it as it tried to evade them. Further and further they galloped into the forest until all they could see was the trees and plant life surrounding them on all sides.

They eventually managed to run out into a small clearing, their hooves coming to a skidding stop as a small gorge opened up before them. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo all stared down at the impressively deep hole in the ground before glancing up once more to see the shadowy figure disappearing into the deeper forest.

"Cooper, wait!" Apple Bloom cried out.

"How did he even jump over this thing? This gorge is huge!" Scootaloo exclaimed, gesturing to the gorge in front of them.

"Ah don't know... maybe it was 'cause he got a runnin' start?" Apple Bloom offered.

"Cooper couldn't just jump over this, even with a running start. Are you even sure that thing was Cooper at all? That could have just been a fox for all we know." Scootaloo suggested.

"Does a fox run on two legs, Scoots?" Apple Bloom deadpanned.

"Um, girls?" Sweetie Belle spoke up, prompting both her friends to glance back over to her.

"What is it?" Scootaloo questioned.

"Well... do either of you know where we are anymore?"

Author's Note

Dun dun duuuuuuuuuun...

So this one was pretty hard to get out. Had to do some rewriting to make the plot make sense. Hopefully there's nothing too confusing or ridiculous going on. Very exciting times ahead. Hope you guys are ready.

Chapter 29

"Hello!? Can anypony hear us!?" Sweetie Belle called.

"We got off the trail! Can anypony else help us get back!?" Scootaloo shouted.

"It's no use, gals. We're too far away from the trail for anypony to hear us." Apple Bloom dejectedly muttered.

"It probably also doesn't help that the forest is so thick over here. Even if somepony did hear us, they probably have no idea where our voices are coming from." Scootaloo acknowledged.

"Well we can't just stop trying! The sun's already set and it's going to be night time within the hour. We went from trying to find and rescue Cooper to being lost and needing a rescue, ourselves." Sweetie Belle pouted.

"Ah'm sure if we just keep on heading back in the direction we came from, we should be able to get back on the trail sooner or later. The White Tail woods ain't that big." Apple Bloom suggested.

"Uh, are you forgetting the fact that whatever you saw led us on a wild goose chase and we took so many twists and turns to get here that we don't even know which direction we came from?" Scootaloo rebutted.

Apple Bloom frowned at the point her friend made. She opened her mouth to refute it, but quickly found herself coming up empty. Albeit with a sigh of resignation, she looked over to Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle.

"Alright, so what do you think we should do then? 'Cause I'm right outta ideas." Apple Bloom replied.

"Well, the sun always sets in the West, right?" Sweetie Belle inquired, sticking out her tongue in thought.

"That... is true. So..." Scootaloo trailed off, glancing up to the sky.

What with their position in the forest, the trio of fillies could not see the sun itself, nor the surrounding landmarks, but they could barely see the faintest hint of light shooting by above them. The rays of light were just barely perceptable, but they were undoubtedly there, making all three fillies' spirits rise.

"Okay, so if the sun is setting over there..." Scootaloo trailed off once more, pointing in the direction of the light.

"Then that means that West is that way!" Sweetie Belle chirped.

"-An we know Ponyville was to the East of the White Tail woods!" Apple Bloom exclaimed.

"Then we just need to go that way!" The trio cried out in triumph, all three of them pointing their forelegs in the same direction.

"Sweetie Belle, you're a genius!" Scootaloo cheered.

"Come on girls! We have our destination!" Sweetie Belle beamed.

"Looks like that forest navigatin' day with Cooper and Zecora came in handy afterall." Apple Bloom chuckled.

"Haha, it sure did." Scootaloo agreed.

With their spirits renewed, the cutie mark crusaders headed East, in the direction they were now sure held their home. While the forest was still thick and difficult to transverse, they moved with a small pep in their step, especially as the evening sky grew dimmer and dimmer. Previously long shadows cast from the many trees around them crawled up higher and higher until the ground was bathed in darkness. The only light illuminating their path came from the errant rays of sunshine that lingered as the orange ball of fire made its last dive over the precipice of the world.

A cool breeze picked up, rustling the leaves of the trees and making branches sway back and forth. Already long and dark shadows moved and creeped forward in the ever darkening forest. Sounds that were previously easily ignored suddenly sounded louder, and more intimidating. A snap here, a crack there, creaking and groaning as trees swayed in the breeze made all three fillies tense. Their high moral and good moods quickly shifted to fear as they proceeded further toward the direction they believed to be home, but as they continued on, doubt grew in their minds.

"Um, are we sure we're going the right way?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Of course we are. We're going East, right?" Scootaloo replied, though it was clear from her tone that she wasn't very sure, herself.

"We were, but... I dunno, it's gotten too dark for me to see anymore. I don't know which way the Sun set anymore." Apple Bloom responded, nervously glancing back and forth at the long shadows around her.

They tried to put the growing doubts out of their minds and focus on simply moving toward the town, but a loud *snap* made all of them freeze. Three pairs of eyes, pupils shrunk to pinpricks in fear, all slowly glanced over to the direction they'd heard the noise from. Their ears were perked up and angled straight forward, and the fur on their bodies bristled as they searched for whatever could have made the noise.

For a time, they could only see the shadows and trees before them. Throughout their walk, the forest hadn't opened up much, making it difficult to discern if anything was watching them. An owl hooted off it the distance, making all three of them wince, but they stood stock still otherwise, their senses working in overdrive to detect what could have made such a loud snapping noise.

As the seconds turned into minutes, and no monster came, the three fillies let out a sigh of relief.

"Whew... I thought there was something there for sure." Scootaloo noted, keeping her voice down.

"Me too. That was a really loud snap." Sweetie Belle added.

"Let's just get out of here. This ain't even the Everfree and this place is givin' me the creeps at night." Apple Bloom replied, stepping forward.

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo followed suite, the three of them moving their attention to the task of progressing through the woods once more. It was only after their eyes were elsewhere that the wooden form began to move again, stalking them as quietly and patiently as it could. Glowing green eyes finally opened once more, finding the trio of fillies in a matter of seconds with its superior night vision. It was almost too easy to track these three.

"Alright, I think that's everypony." Twilight announced, glancing over the last of the stragglers returning from the search party."

With the sun completely gone from the horizon and darkness taking over the world, Twilight found herself back at the entrance to Ponyville. While she didn't like it, searching for Cooper was already a difficult task, but searching for him in the dark was nearly impossible. Without tracking spells that would take expert, specialized unicorns from Canterlot to employ, the odds of finding the human were virtually nonexistent.

"We'll resume the search in the morning, Princess. I'm sure that if he doesn't come back and get spotted by the guard in the night, we'll find him soon enough in the morning." Mayor Mare replied, offering a sympathetic smile to the lavender alicorn.

"I'm surprised Rainbow didn't spot him from the air. If anypony would've seen him, it would've been her." Twilight shook her head.

"You've said it yourself, he's very good at hiding, Princess." Mayor Mare offered.

Twilight let out a quiet sigh, "I really wish he wasn't right now."

With that, Twilight turned around to find Celestia and Luna walking over to her, both with concerned frowns on their faces.

"No luck?" Celestia inquired.

Twilight shook her head, "Not yet. We're calling the search for the night and picking it up at first light. Times like these, I really wish you could just keep the sun up until we find him." She sheepishly suggested.

"Regrettably, I Cannot do that, Twilight. You know why." Celestia shook her head.

"Worth a shot." Twilight sighed.

"Is there not any night guard presence in Ponyville? I could have some thestrals fly in from Canterlot to aid with the search. Their natural night vision would make it much easier to find Cooper at night." Luna offered.

"That would be wonderful, Princess." Twilight gratefully accepted.

"Well then it looks like there's nothing more for us to do ton-" Mayor Mare began.

"Twilight!!!" Rarity's voice cried out, suddenly capturing the attention of all three alicorns and the mayor.

The shrill nature of the fearful cry told Twilight all she needed to know about the nature why Rarity was calling out for her. The news wasn't good. In fact, just from the sound of her friend, Twilight knew without a shadow of a doubt that the news was downright horrible. Images of Cooper's corpse laying somewhere in the forest instantly flashed through her mind, making a pit form in her stomach as she heard the beating hooves of her approaching friend.

Only, there was more than one pony approaching. As Twilight's eyes fell on the snow white fur of her unicorn friend, she was surprised to see AppleJack galloping alongside her, and Rainbow Dash flying in above the both of them. The trio of mares quickly reached all of the princesses, sweat dripping from their fur as they panted for breath.

"What is it? What happened?" Twilight questioned, her tone conveying the urgency she felt in her heart. Over and over, her mind went back to the images of Cooper lying dead on the ground just like in her nightmares, "Did you find Cooper?"

AppleJack quickly shook her head, "We ain't found 'im yet. We've got worse problems, though." She replied.

"Worse? What's happened?" Celestia questioned.

"Sweetie Belle is missing!" Rarity exclaimed.

"Apple Bloom too!" AppleJack added.

"And her aunt's haven't seen Scootaloo either." Rainbow finished.

Loathe as she was to admit it, Twilight felt the briefest flash of relief wash over her as she learned her greatest fear was not yet true. She fought the urge to let out a sigh of relief, knowing full well that her three friends were all worried sick about their sisters. She quickly put her mind to work, thinking of all the possible locations the three fillies could have gone off to.

"Did you look in their treehouse?" She inquired.

"Of course we did. That was the first place we looked when we realized they were all missing." Rarity replied.

"Ah talked with Granny and Big Mac and they said AppleBloom hasn't been home since this mornin'. She was at the school but ain't nopony seen her since then." AppleJack explained.

"Who have you talked to? Surely somepony has to have seen them." Twilight reasonded.

"We've only asked around since the search was called off. We didn't know they were missing until half an hour ago." Rainbow responded.

Twilight frowned at the answer before glancing over to the dispersing crowd of ponies that made up the search party. Almost all of them were already gone or home, but a few stragglers still hadn't quite made it out of the town square just yet. She noticed a particular pegasus stallion trotting away, his light blue mohawk standing out against the pale moonlight shining down on him.

"Thunderlane!" Twilight called, galloping over to him.

Thunderlane gave a start at the sudden call, turning his head and giving Twilight a quizzical look as she rushed over to him.

"Um, yes, Princess?" He asked, turning around to face her.

"Did you see the cutie mark crusaders by any chance?" Twilight inquired, hoping beyond hope that her hunch was wrong.

"The CMC? Oh yeah, I saw them when we were heading out to the White Tail woods. I thought they were with their sisters, so I didn't think anything of it." Thunderlane replied, wholly ignorant of the dread in Twilight's eyes.

"Oh... t-thank you, Thunderlane." Twilight muttered, turning around to her friends.

While Thunderlane gave an awkward and slightly worried wave and trotted off, Twilight trudged back to her friends, her wings drooping at her sides as she thought over the implications of what she'd just been informed.

"What'd Thunder say?" Rainbow asked, snapping Twilight's attention back up to her.

Twilight nervously gulped, "A-apparently they were in the search party. Everypony saw all of you and thought that they were just with you so none of them mentioned it." She explained.

"What!?" The three mares shrieked.

"We've gotta go look for 'em! The White Tail woods ain't no Everfree, but there's still plenty a' critters that could hurt them in there at night!" AppleJack exclaimed.

"What were they doing in the search party!" Rarity gasped, glancing over to the woods.

"I don't know. They must have slipped in and blended in with the crowd. I'm sorry girls... I didn't see them." Twilight apologizzed.

"Well we've gotta go find them! They're still out there in the woods somewhere!" Rainbow exclaimed.

"Let's get a move on!" AppleJack agreed.

"We'll speak with the mayor and get the search party reorganized. You go with your friends." Celestia ordered, giving a determined look to Twilight.

"On it." Twilight replied, turning tail and galloping toward the woods, Rainbow, AppleJack, and Rarity on her hooves.

"I already told Pinkie and Fluttershy about Scoots and the others but they don't know where to look yet. I'm gonna go tell them to head to the White Tail woods again." Rainbow announced.

"Go. We'll meet you there." Twilight responded.

With that, Rainbow banked away and sped off into the distance, disappearing into the night within a matter of seconds. Meanwhile Twilight, AppleJack, and Rarity continued to gallop until they were out of town and reaching the entrance to the woods. They slowed to a trot, and eventually came to a stop as they reached the trail that led into said woods.

"Alright, Rainbow should be back any minute with Fluttershy and Pinkie. Once they're here, I suggest we break into teams of two and search the forest one trail at a time. Rarity and I can put out a lot of light with our magic as well, so even if they somehow don't hear us, they should be able to see us." Twilight explained.

"Sounds like a plan. I just hope Pinkie or Flutters brings a lamp. It's mighty dark out tonight." AppleJack noted, glancing to the sky.

While the moon was high in the night sky, there were hundreds of clouds present, blotting out the otherwise bright light of the night. It wasn't difficult to see outside of the forest, where there was still a decent amount of light permeating the air, but the shadows from the tall trees made the forest a dark and imposing prospect, even to grown mares. Luckily, the three of them didn't have to wait long with just the shadows to keep them company, as the sound of beating wings and galloping hooves quickly reached their ears.

"We're here!" Pinkie cried out, coming to a screeching halt just a few paces away.

"We came as fast as we could." Fluttershy added.

"Passed the town square again in the process. The Princesses have at least a hundred ponies and guards all gathered up and heading this way. They're bringing lanterns and flashlights." Rainbow quickly explained.

"Good. That's great news. Let's head in and get a head start. Pinkie, I don't suppose you have a lantern or something?" Twilight inquired.

Pinkie promptly fished a full-sized lantern out of her mane and quickly lit it, casting all of them in a warm orange glow.

"No idea how she fits so many things in there but I'm not complaining." Rainbow scoffed.

Twilight smiled, "Pinkie just being Pinkie. Alright, let's split up into teams, girls. Three teams of two. Fan out and lets cover as much ground as we can."

With their instructions made clear, the group quickly broke up into the aforementioned trio of pairs. Fluttershy followed Rarity onto a trail heading to the Northern side of the forest, while Rainbow and Pinkie Pie headed south. Twilight and AppleJack headed straight ahead into the center of the forest, Twilight's horn casting a bright lavender light that illuminated all of the trees and trail around them.

"Apple Bloom! Sweetie Belle! Scootaloo!" AppleJack and Twilight called out.

Though it was to be expected, neither could quite hide their disappointment as their calls were met with nothing but silence.

Author's Note

Well this is certainly an interesting development. I wonder what will happen next?

Chapter 30

As the three fillies continued to walk through the dark forest, their fearful eyes trying desperately to find anything of some sort of familiarity, an owl hooted off in the distance. The terrain they were moving through was so thick and difficult to maneuver in that they had to move in single file while holding branches out of the way for each other. After nearly ten minutes of trekking through the thicket, Apple Bloom grunted in annoyance as a branch Sweetie Belle was holding snapped back and hit her on the snout.

"Ow!" Apple Bloom exclaimed.

"Sorry, Apple Bloom. It slipped out of my hooves." Sweetie Belle hastily apologized.

"It's alright. My muzzle just hurts now." Apple Bloom muttered, rubbing her muzzle.

"Hey, do you girls see that?" Scootaloo asked, pointing ahead of them.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle both squinted as they followed Scootaloo's hoof to try to see what she was pointing at. Off in the distance, just ever so faintly obscured by the dense vegetation around them, was what appeared to be light.

"I think that's somepony coming to find us!" Scootaloo chirped, excitement filling her voice.

"Well what're we waitin' for? Let's get outta here!" Apple Bloom breathed a sigh of relief.

The three fillies quickly trotted toward the light, their hooves pounding on the dirt and plants in their way. As they approached, the light grew brighter and brighter, until it was clear as day that there was some sort of flickering flame casting the light.

"They must've brought out lanterns to look for us." Sweetie Belle thought aloud.

"Hey! Over here!" Scootaloo called, just as they finally made their way into a clearing.

All three fillies skidded to a halt as they finally managed to get some breathing room from the claustrophobic forest. However, their elation was perilously short lived as it became immediately apparent that the light they saw did not belong to a rescuer at all. In fact, the light was cast by a small fire that flickered in the small breeze that managed to wisp between the trees and into the small clearing.

Before any of them could question what a small and hastily made fire was doing out in the middle of the woods, a twig snapped ahead of them. All three fillies immediately tensed as they glanced in the direction of the noise, their fur bristling as a wave of fear washed over them.

For the second time in just as many seconds, they were utterly shocked as Cooper walked out from behind a shrubbery across from them, a small pile of sticks held in his arms. He didn't appear shocked by their presence at all, in fact, he regarded them with a look of familiarity as if he knew they were there long before he saw them. With what little they knew of the man from his past before arriving in Equestria, it wasn't a stretch to assume he had.

"Cooper?!" The three fillies exclaimed in surprise.

Cooper nodded toward the trio of fillies as he continued to walk over toward his small fire without a word. They quickly followed after him, three pairs of eyes sharing confused looks as they reached the fire. Cooper set the pile of sticks down beside the flames, taking a few of them and adding them to the pyre to ensure the burning did not cease. He gently cupped the outside edge with his hand and blew into the blaze, making flames lick upward into the sky as they consumed more wood.

"Coop'?" Apple Bloom questioned, tilting her head to the side in confusion.

Albeit after a moment to ensure the fire did not sputter out and die, Cooper looked up to her as he sat down beside the source of warmth and light.

"Hey, girls." He replied, quietly.

"Cooper, what are you doing out here?" Sweetie Belle questioned.

"Ponies are saying you hurt one of your guards for some reason." Scootaloo added.

"Then you ran off outta town and everypony's been lookin' for you all day!" Apple Bloom exclaimed.

As the three fillies rattled off their questions, Cooper nodded along, his eyes falling to the flames before him. His gaze lingered there for a while, long after the questioned had finished and he realized the three were waiting for answers. He eventually let out a quiet sigh and met their gaze once more.

"It's true. All of it." Cooper admitted, earning a shocked gasp from the fillies.

"What? But why?" Scootaloo pressed.

"Why would you hurt your own guard?" Sweetie Belle added.

Cooper's eyes fell back down to his hands, "I'm dangerous..." He admitted, more to himself than anyone else.

"Dangerous?" Apple Bloom parroted.

Cooper was silent for a moment, as if he was struggling to find his words. When he finally did respond, his eyes stayed on his hands, his head hung low.

"You know how hard it is to keep a fire going?" He asked.

"Um... what?" Scootaloo squinted in confusion.

"Fire needs three things to burn. Fuel, air, and heat... I got really good at making fires after the bombs fell and we lost everything... needed some way to keep Mia and Sarah warm." Cooper continued, ignoring Scootaloo's question.

"What does that-" Sweetie Belle began, but halted as Apple Bloom held up a hoof to silence her.

At her questioning look, Apple Bloom quickly whispered, "Hang on. Let 'im talk for a second." She instructed.

"I guess life's a lot like fire. You just need three simple things... something to live for, something to die for... and something to kill for." Cooper muttered, tossing another twig into the flames.

After a moment of silence, Cooper continued, "I had all three for a time... then I lost them all. I really started to wonder why I lived and they didn't after a few years... why I continued to live despite everything... then I met Twilight." He explained.

"Princess Twilight?" Sweetie Belle parroted, raising an eyebrow.

"She gave me all three after I lost them... I didn't think I'd ever hold anything but love for her in my heart, especially after everything we'd been through... and then I wind up here and think that somehow, someway... everything is gonna be alright. It's a fuckin' magical wonderland for Christ's sake. Of course they can bring them back..." Cooper trailed off, shaking his head in defeat.

"Bring... who back? Your family?" Scootaloo pressed.

Cooper silently nodded.

"So... you asked Twilight to bring yer family back an'... she couldn't?" Apple Bloom surmised.

Cooper nodded once more.

"She couldn't bring them back? But Twilight is a genius! If anypony can bring them back, it's her!" Sweetie Belle protested.

Cooper mirthlessly chuckled, "My thoughts exactly... instead, she told me the truth... it can't be done. If she can't bring them back... no one can. They're gone, forever." He stated, his voice rife with melancholy.

The three fillies before him shared a sad glance with each other.

"So... then what happened?" Scootaloo pressed.

Cooper took a deep, shameful breath, "I... didn't take that news well... lost my cool and stormed off. She was trying to get me to calm down... see reason... I didn't want to hear it. I tried to storm off but Sky got in my way and tried to get me to stay. I don't... I don't know what got into me..." He responded, holding his head in his hands.

"Cooper... what did you do?" Apple Bloom pressed, gently.

Cooper continued to stare ahead in silence, his head in his hands and his eyes squeezed shut.

"Cooper?" Scootaloo questioned.

"I shot him! I just... I was just so angry and I didn't think and I shot him! For Christ's sake, I put a bullet in his neck!" Cooper suddenly exclaimed as tears leaked from his tightly closed eyes.

At his sudden outburst, the trio of fillies recoiled back slightly, but quickly closed back in as they saw the state the man was in. Before Cooper could protest, he felt a pair of forelegs wrap around his arm, and a small furry body press against him. As he sniffled and opened his eyes, he looked down to see Apple Bloom's face just a few inches away. She gave him a warm, disarming smile, before nuzzling her cheek against his shoulder, a gesture that made his heart melt even despite the pain he was feeling.

Following Apple Bloom's lead, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle both similarly cuddled up to Cooper. Scootaloo mirrored Apple Bloom on his other shoulder, nuzzling and pressing her side against his, while Sweetie Belle climbed into his lap. She nuzzled against his chin, her fuzzy ears flicking against his cheek as she tried to wrap her forelegs around his chest, a task that she could only half-acomplish.

"It's okay, Cooper. It ain't your fault." Apple Bloom reassured him, squeezing him just a bit tighter.

As Cooper felt the three fillies snuggling against him, it was all he could do to wrap his arms around them and pull them in closer. He let out a few shuttering breaths as the tears subsided, though he still struggled to find the words to express his feelings after everything. Luckily, Apple Bloom was more than willing to speak first.

"Sky is alright. He had to go ta' the hospital, but they said he's fine. You didn't hurt 'im too bad, 'Coop." Apple Bloom offered.

"I can't imagine being told that there was no way I could get my family back, especially after everything you've been through and how much hope you must have had when you went to Twilight to ask her. I can't say any of us know what you're going through... but you aren't a bad human, Cooper." Sweetie Belle offered.

Cooper slowly shook his head, "I'm... dangerous... I've already hurt one of my friends... what if I snap again and hurt someone else? What if I hurt one of you? I could never forgive myself..." He muttered.

"We don't have all the answers... but we do have some knowledge on how it feels to be different or feel like you don't belong." Scootaloo added, nodding toward her blank flank.

Cooper snorted in amusement, "Yeah... yeah I guess you three do have some knowledge about that." He replied.

"Besides! Half of Ponyville was out here in the forest looking for you all day! They weren't angry with you, they wanted to help you." Sweetie Belle added.

"Yeah! We were out here all day lookin' fer ya'!" Apple Bloom chuckled.

"I'm sorry for making you all waste your time. I didn't want to be found." Cooper replied, quietly.

"Well duh? We knew that, otherwise somepony would've found you way sooner." Scootaloo teased.

"Cooper, why don't you wanna go back? I'm sure yer guard ain't mad at'cha. If he knew why you lost it, he'd understand, I'm sure." Apple Bloom offered.

"Yeah!" The other two agreed.

"It's not that simple." Cooper replied, taking the wind out of their sails.

"Why not?" Apple Bloom asked.

Cooper was silent for a moment, as if he was struggling to come up with the proper response. When he did reply, his answer came slowly, with a hint of bitterness to it.

"Back on my world... we used to send people to prison for doing what I did... a rabid dog would be put down for biting people in the street... it doesn't matter how bad that dog was abused. It's no different here... 'cept I'm the rabid dog... can't trust myself to not lose it." Cooper muttered.

"Coop..." Apple Bloom dejectedly murmured.

"I thought I could control it... thought I could settle in and get over it... but I don't think that's in the cards for me. Every little thing sets me off and I can't risk hurting anyone else. Not Twilight, and especially not any of you." Cooper announced, a determination filling his voice as he sat upright.

Now looking down at the three fillies, he fixed them with a stern look, "You three need to go home... you need to go home and stay far away from me." He instructed.

"Coop', that just ain't true!" Apple Bloom argued.

"It's how it has to be." Cooper affirmed, shaking his head.

"Well... even if we wanted to, we don't know how to get back. We kinda... got lost in the forest looking for you." Scootaloo admitted, a sheepish look on her face.

Cooper let out a long sigh, "Figures... look, there's gotta be at least two thirds of town looking for you three. I can take you back to the trail, and you'll probably be found in about twenty minutes."

"You know how to get back?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"It's not that far. Besides, I know how to navigate when everything looks the same." Cooper shrugged.

"Well... what about the rest of the ponies in town? Are you just gonna run away from them too?" Apple Bloom pressed, a slight accusatory tone filling her voice.

"I'm not running away from anything. I'm just trying to keep you all safe." Cooper responded.

"By running away from us." Apple Bloom shot back.

"It isn't that simple-" Cooper began.

"It sure seems like it to me! There are dozens of ponies in town that would help you in a heartbeat!" Apple Bloom exclaimed.

"I'm dangerous! I can't control myself and if it happens again, I don't think whoever I do it to will survive." Cooper countered.

"If yer so dangerous, then why haven't you hurt any of us?" Apple Bloom questioned.

Cooper rubbed the bridge of his nose with his hand, "Apple Bloom, you're too young to understand. This isn't something that I can control. You've just been lucky so far, which is exactly why as soon as I take you all to the trail, you're going to stay there until help comes for you." He instructed.

"Ah ain't too young to understand when somepony needs help. You need help, Coop', you just ain't ready to ask fer it. AppleJack gets the same way when somepony tries to tell her she can't do somethin'. It ain't weakness to ask for help. It's just... what anypony would do." Apple Bloom reasoned.

Cooper held her defiant gaze for a few moments. Both Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were too invested to speak, let alone move, and they awaited his response with bated breath. However, rather than a response from the man before them, a distinct voice in the distance made them all turn their heads away.

"Sweetie Belle! Scootaloo! Apple Bloom!" Twilight's voice rang out through the trees.

It was still far enough away that they could barely hear her, but there was simply no mistaking the voice calling out to them.

"Looks like Twilight's here for you guys. You'll be safe if you just head straight ahead, that way." Cooper announced, pointing directly ahead toward the woods in front of them.

"Coop', I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we ain't leavin' you." Apple Bloom declared.

"Yeah! We spent all day looking for you!" Scootaloo added.

"Besides, Twilight cares about you! How can you leave and not even say good bye to her?" Sweetie Belle protested.

Cooper sighed, "Why don't you kids get it... I'm doing this because I care about her. Because if I stay, I'm just going to cause more problems then I'd fix. She has enough to worry about without me losing it and killing one of her friends or worse..."

"You keep sayin' that like we don't get it. Thing is, we do. We just don't agree." Apple Bloom smugly explained.

"Come on, Cooper. Why don't you just give it one more shot? Now that we all know that you have this problem, we can make sure that it doesn't happen, or at least prepare for when it does." Scootaloo suggested.

"Yeah! We already know loud noises set you off. Ponyville is a pretty quiet town for the most part anyway." Sweetie Belle offered.

Cooper's shoulders slumped slightly, "You three really aren't going to leave without me, are you?" He muttered.

"Nope." All three of them answered in unison.

"-And if you try to ditch us at the road, we'll just call Twilight over and she'll just poof over to you with her magic." Scootaloo teased.

Cooper snorted and shook his head in mild amusement. Try as he could, he simply could not hold any kind of anger in his heart for the three adorable little fillies. He slowly looked up, past them to the forest beyond, his ears perking up as the familiar voice of Twilight rang out once more.

"Girls!? Are you out here?!" She called out.

So close, yet so far. A thousand things he wanted to tell her rushed past his mind, but every reason he could think of to stay away fought against them. He waged a mental war with himself, trying desperately to find any justification to stay away and not come back, however the longer he thought about it, the more he longed to see the lavender alicorn again. Truth be told, running away from the only one he could consider family any more was less and less appealing by the second.

"Fine... you three win." Cooper conceded, shaking his head.

"Woohoo! Cutie Mark Crusader Missing Creature Finders!" The three fillies cheered.

Cooper snorted in amusement at their spontaneous title choice. He got to his feet, allowing all three fillies to hop off of him and form a semi-circle in front of him, beaming smiles on all of their faces. The adorable sight before him brought a smile to his hardened heart.

He only just barely heard the growling behind him.

Author's Note

Hopefully this shows some redeeming qualities for Cooper, given all that's happened. Let me know what you guys think.

Chapter 31

Twilight trotted on the trail she'd been following in the woods for the better part of an hour. She could hear dozens of other voices calling out in the dark for the three little fillies she'd come back out to find. Though it was dark, the combined output of light from so many lanterns and illumination spells cast by the unicorns of town, made it easy to see a fair distance ahead. All the same, she'd ventured off ahead for her own reasons.

Though she wouldn't admit it to any of her friends, Twilight found herself much more concerned with Cooper's well being over the well being of the cutie mark crusaders. A guilty feeling welled in her chest from her lack of concern for the three little fillies, but she couldn't help it. Her priorities simply lied with the human she'd spent the entire day looking for already. Perhaps it was just an excuse to keep looking when everypony else had called it a night, but she took the new search party forming as a sign that she just might be able to find him this night.

"Sweetie Belle!? Scootaloo! Apple Bloom!" She called. A few moments passed before she added, "Cooper!?"

The moon's light cast long shadows that spilled from the overbrush onto the trail, covering it in a spiderweb of black. More than once she caught herself staring at a particular splotch of darkness, the shape and contours of the shadows looking just a bit like Cooper, before she moved closer and found that it was just a trick of the light.

Though she was hesitant to admit it, she felt as if someone or something was watching her. It was a feeling she'd practically lived with in the wasteland of Earth, but even after all this time, the fur on the back of her neck stood up. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was being followed; stalked, like prey. It made a pit form in her stomach, but still she pressed on. The goal of finding Cooper was infinitely more important than feelings that may or may not have any basis in reality, or so she told herself.

She heard rustling in the shrubbery to her right, making her pause. Her horn lit up in a lavender light, illuminating the entire area in with intense brightness, allowing her to easily see into the thicket before her. Nothing. She pursed her lips as a gentle breeze blew overhead, making several trees rustle and shake in the wind. Letting out a quiet sigh, she cut out the spell and turned her head back to the trail, intent on progressing forward.

Then she heard it: a scream. It was a bloodcurdling scream so full of terror and utter fear that that there was no doubt in her mind that it could only belong to one of three little fillies. Her head snapping toward the source of the scream, Twilight's horn ignited once more, illuminating the world around her. Suddenly, the quaint forest wasn't quite so quaint anymore. Where there was once merely branches and leaves as far as the eye could see, there were now dozens of pairs of glowing green eyes.

Though timberwolves weren't uncommon in the Everfree forest, Twilight couldnt recall ever seeing any in the White Tail woods, making her nerves fray ever so slightly. Still, the scream replayed in her mind, reminding her that whatever she saw in front of her, there was at least one little filly straight ahead in much the same predicament. It took her no time at all to make up her mind. Charging up her horn, Twilight quickly blasted the first few timberwolves away, turning them into a mass of splinters and charred wood.

While normally, the sight of one of there brethren being obliterated would scare the rest of the pack off, things appeared to be anything but ordinary with this particular group. Nearly a dozen of the wooden wolves charged at her, wholly uncaring of their brother's demise. Twilight quickly unfurled her wings and leapt back, avoiding the snapping jaws of the closest wolf while firing a beam of energy straight into its face, blasting it away. As she landed, her hooves skidding on the dirt trail, another timberwolf lunged at her, trying to bit her throat. She just barely managed to duck under the attack, a spell shield conjuring in her mind as the beast barely missed her.

A magenta shield comprised of pure magic appeared right in the middle of the timberwolf, severing it in two. Twilight quickly turned and fired another bolt of magic at the next nearest wolf, blasting it away. Taking out that wolf gave her just enough clearance to dive through and avoid the swinging claws and snapping jaws of the next several wolves. Without hesitation, she dove forward, her wings flapping just once to propel her at high speeds. With a quick spin and flare of her wings, Twilight swept her horn across the squad of timberwolves, a wave of lavender magic blasting out like a shockwave and obliterating them all.

Now panting slightly from the exertion, Twilight turned back toward the direction she heard the scream from. She knew she had precious little time to waste, her wings already unfurling to take her above the treeline, but a quick glance upward made it clear that there was simply no way to see through the dense forest skyline. Not willing to risk the possibility of missing the filly due to the tree cover, Twilight charged on ahead, her hooves pounding into the dirt.

The going was slow and tough, as the forest was just as thick at its base as it was at its canopy. Still, Twilight progressed as quickly as she could, the sounds of a struggle reaching her ears as they swiveled around like radar dishes. She could hear branches snapping, creatures huffing and puffing, scratching, growling, and then, another scream. This time, however, it froze the blood in her veins.

"Cooper, no!" A voice that could only belong to Apple Bloom cried out.

Twilight darted forward through the brush as quickly as she could, her limbs straining against the thick foliage. More than once, she took a branch to the face or scraped her foreleg against thorns sticking out of a plant she couldn't be bothered to dodge. The sounds of struggle became clearer and clearer as she moved, eventually becoming so clear that they were practically being screamed into her brain. With her chest heaving from the exertion, she pushed as hard as she could until finally breaking through a clearing.

Whatever she expected to see upon breaking through the brush, Twilight did not have a chance to rejoice or despair, as the moment she broke through into the clearing, a pair of wooden jaws latched onto her foreleg. Lancing pain shot through her limb, all the way to the bone as she gasped in shock, her eyes darting down to the timberwolf with its teeth sinking into her flesh. She tried to scream out in pain, but the breath was stolen from her lungs as she was quickly and harshly yanked down to the ground.

"Twilight!" Apple Bloom cried out, shock, fear, and concern filling her voice.

Though she was crippled by pain she'd only felt once before, Twilight grit her teeth and focused on the voice crying out to her. She could only glance to the side for a moment, her eyes widening in shock as she witnessed a sight that made her blood run cold. Just across from her, between several timberwolves and the cutie mark crusaders, was Cooper. His broken arm was being used as a chew toy by one of the wolves, while another two sank their teeth into his thigh and calve. All the same, Cooper fought on, his free hand clenched into a bloodied fist, riddled with splinters as he continued to punch and kick at the wolves he could still reach.

Among several piles of wooden remnants that were once timberwolves, all three fillies were unharmed, though they were clearly terrified by the sight of Cooper fighting so desperately in front of them. Blood splattered onto the ground in front of them, some of it splashing onto Sweetie Belle's coat, the crimson fluid running a stark red contrast against her snow white coat.

With no time to think, Twilight immediately ignited her horn, a blast of magic firing off and obliterating the wolf chewing on Cooper's arm. Just as she tried to fire another shot off, however, yet another timberwolf leapt onto her back, tackling her to the ground. Flaring her wings up to protect her neck, Twilight felt the stabbing sensation of wood punching through her fragile wings and into her back. The sickening sound of hollow bones snapping filled her ears as agony washed over her entire body. She cried out in pain, tears spilling from her eyes as the wooden teeth sunk deeper and deeper.

Though he was still fighting to free himself from the two wolves still affixed to his leg, the cry of pain that reached Cooper's ears instantly registered with him. Between the magical blast that killed the wolf biting into his arm, and the unmistakable voice of his closest and most trusted friend, there was no doubt in his mind: Twilight was in danger. Already filled with adrenaline and rage at the beast's attempt to kill and eat three little fillies, Cooper felt an overwhelming rush of fury fill his body as he was finally able to sit up and see Twilight being attacked by two wolves.

His teeth gritting so hard that he nearly cracked them, Cooper reached over to his side with his fractured arm, stinging, burning pain searing into him the entire time. He grabbed hold of a rock that had previously just been out of reach and swung as hard as he could. The impact, while agonizing for him as his own fracture broke even more, completely smashed the head of the closest timberwolf, killing it instantly.

Cooper cried out in pain and dropped the rock, his arm screaming in protest from the treatment he'd subjected it too. He had no time for a reprieve, however, as the last wolf chewing on his calve lunged forward, intent on sinking its jaws into his throat. Cooper managed to duck back just in time to avoid the snapping jaws, but the impact allowed the timberwolf to take the high ground, its jaws just a few precious inches from his face as its claws dug into his flesh.

"Cooper!" Apple Bloom cried, galloping forward and quickly turning to buck the timberwolf in the snout.

Though the timberwolf was quick to react, turning to take a bite out of Apple Bloom's hind leg, Cooper managed to react quickly, grabbing its lower jaw with his hand and pulling its head down. The act gave Apple Bloom a perfect shot on the very top of the wolf's head. She cocked her legs back and bucked as hard as her little filly hooves could. Being an earth pony, her strength was still enough to snap the wood connecting the timberwolf's head to its neck. The beast quickly slumped down, limp, on top of Cooper.

He swiftly pushed the dead bundle of sticks off of his chest and pushed himself to his feet, wincing and gritting his teeth as blood dripped down his thigh to the ground below. With only one mission on his mind, Cooper sprinted forward as quickly as his battered and beaten body would allow, quickly closing the distance between him and Twilight. She was still on the ground, screaming in pain as the wolf on her back bit into her again, just barely shy of her spine.

With every last ounce of anger, strength, and hatred he could muster, Cooper tackled the timberwolf on her back so hard that the creature splintered into pieces from the impact with the ground. With her neck no longer in imminent danger of being snapped, Twilight quickly focused a spell at the tip of her horn, blasting the last wolf off of her foreleg and into a thousand pieces.

With the threat finally over, Twilight panted for breath. pushing herself to her hooves as the cutie mark crusaders quickly rushed over to her side.

"Twilight! Are you okay!?" Sweetie Belle exclaimed.

Upon seeing the blood all over her back and foreleg, all three fillies squeamishly looked away, only one of them maintaining the wherewithal to look over to Cooper.

"Coop'!" Apple Bloom gasped, rushing over to his side.

Her attention promptly ripped to the man just a few feet away, Twilight followed as quickly as she could on just her three legs, ensuring to keep weight off of her injured foreleg. As she arrived, she quickly looked over Cooper while he rolled onto his back, her eyes going wide as she saw the extent of the damage done to his body. His left arm was mangled and bent at an unnatural angle, while his pants were soaked with blood. Worse of all, however, was the wooden steak that stuck out of his chest.

Slowly sitting upright, his face contorted into a grimace of pain all the while, Cooper fixed Twilight with a weary, yet grateful look.

"Hey Twilight..." He greeted, grunting in pain as he accidentally put some weight on his broken arm.

"Cooper, I-" Twilight began, only for Cooper to cut her off.

"Don't. Please... don't apologize or anything... it was my fault. My fuckup... I'm poison to be around." Cooper muttered, his eyes falling to the ground.

"That's not true and you know it, Cooper. There are four ponies right in front of you that care enough about you to run blindly into the forest to find you." Twilight assured him, giving a soft smile.

Cooper held her gaze for a few moments, the barest hint of a frown still on his face, before he finally chuckled and lowered his head in acceptance, "I guess that's true... looks like I really screwed the pooch on this one. Didnt think a piece of wood would do me in." He relented, looking down to the wooden steak sticking out of his chest.

Twilight snorted in amusement before her horn lit up in a bright white light, "Not this time." She said.

The injury on her foreleg slowly healed until there was no damage left at all. Her back was similarly healed within a matter of minutes. Cooper's eyes widened in amazement as he watched his own injuries heal and repair themselves until there was simply nothing wrong anymore. Even the piece of wood sticking out of his chest simply vanished into thin air as if it had never been there to begin with. After a short wait of just five minutes, all of the wounds inflicted on both of them were simply gone, as if they'd never happened in the first place.

"Damn... didn't even know you could do that." Cooper muttered in shock, patting his chest where the wood previously was.

"I've only done it once before. It's an extremely high level medical spell... it's one that tends to take quite a lot of magic out of an alicorn, so I've only ever kept it as a last resort in case me or one of my friends were seriously hurt." Twilight smiled.

"If you could do that, why didn't you do that for Sky after I..." Cooper trailed off.

"Like I said, that spell takes just about everything out of me. You hurt Sky, but the bullet hit him in the wither. We had to get him to the hospital... but I knew that there was a good chance he'd be fine. You... hesitated, when you pulled that gun on him." Twilight explained.

Cooper frowned, his eyes falling to the dirt once more.

"It was as if for a brief moment in time, just before you could do something you could never forgive yourself for... you realized and stopped yourself. I know you've been having flashbacks and struggling ever since we got back here, but... Cooper, I think that if you let me, I can get you to ponies that can help you. Really, truly, help you." Twilight continued.

Cooper pursed his lips as the three fillies behind Twilight slowly closed in around him.

"Cooper... we know that you did a bad thing... but you're not a bad human. In fact, I think you're one of the best humans ever." Sweetie Belle offered.

"Yeah! You took on like, six timberwolves by yourself to protect us!" Scootaloo added.

"No evil, good for nothin' human that's beyond helpin' would've done that." Apple Bloom smiled.

Cooper looked up to the four ponies before him, a mix of emotions going through his mind as he took in their words. Albeit after a minute of contemplation, he finally allowed the barest hint of a smile to form on his features.

"Alright... let's get back to town. I've had enough of this forest for one night."

Author's Note

So I'm sure some people will have issue with this, but I think overall I'm pretty happy with how this story has gone. At the end of the day, that's all that really matters. Just a couple of chapters to go until this one's all done.

Chapter 32

The walk back to the trail went swiftly enough, and within a few minutes, the group found themselves on the walking trail leading straight back to Ponyville. One of the groups searching the forest found them within a few minutes, prompting a quick message to end the search to be spread through the ponies still out.

Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Rarity all bolted straight for their respective siblings and pulled them into tight hugs as they arrived.

"What in the hay were you thinkin'?" AppleJack chastised.

"Don't ever scare me like that again!" Rarity admonished.

"You could have gotten seriously hurt!" Rainbow exclaimed.

All three fillies sunk in on themselves as they were chastised by their older sisters.

Cooper quickly tried to pacify the situation, "It's my fault. Don't be mad at them. If I hadn't done what I did, they wouldn't have come into the forest after me." He explained.

"You are another story entirely, mister Slait. Regardless, your actions do not justify them going out and so recklessly putting themselves in danger." Rarity harrumphed.

"Besides, I'm sure Twilight has an earful for ya' when you two get back to the castle." AppleJack teased.

"Just don't go running off again. Twilight called in literally the entire town to find your flank." Rainbow asserted.

While their sister's attention ire was directed at Cooper, the three fillies tried to make some point in defense of the human. However, as soon as they opened their mouths, they were quickly silenced.

"I ain't hearin' nothin' from any of ya'll! Yer all in trouble for this! The whole town was worried sick about'cha." AppleJack stated.

Dejected looks quickly formed on all three fillies' faces, and even though they felt righteous indignation in their veins, AppleJack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash could hardly stay mad at them.

"Listen, we're just glad you're all safe. Let's just get you all home." Rarity offered, diplomatically.

"Tell ya' what. If ya'll behave the rest of the way home, I'll get all three of ya' a slice of Granny's apple pie tomorrow. How's that sound?" AppleJack offered.

All three fillies immediately brightened up, "Awesome!" They cheered.

With that, the group headed home, and before long, Cooper, Twilight, the cutie mark crusaders, and almost half of Ponyville were walking on the trail leading back into town, approaching on the main road. Celestia and Luna were both standing by with a plethora of guards, all prepared for the arrival of the only resident human and the foals that were missing. Though Cooper couldn't see it from the distance he was, Celestia and Luna allowed small smiles of relief to form on their faces. With the danger passed, and the return of their fellow alicorn assured, they both turned and made their way to the town hall.

As they entered the town, several ponies that were still home for the evening poked their heads out of their windows or peeked out from their doorways, their eyes wide in concern and interest as they saw Cooper walking back into town amongst Twilight and the search party. Hushed whispers soon filled the air as the townsponies funneled out of their homes and followed the search party as they arrived at the town square.

"Princess, there you are. I see you've managed to recover mister Slait, as well." Mayor Mare greeted, bowing her head slightly as Twilight approached the town hall.

"Cooper came back on his own volition. He also saved not just my life, but the lives of these three fillies as well." Twilight announced, gesturing back to the cutie mark crusaders.

"What do you mean? What happened?" Celestia questioned, stepping down from her spot at the top of the stairs, her composure momentarily breaking as concern filled her mind.

"A pack of timberwolves attacked. There must've been a dozen or more of them." Twilight explained.

"Timberwolves?" Luna parroted, her brow furrowing in concern.

"They're never out in the White Tail woods. They stick to the Everfree, don't they?" Mayor Mare asked, tilting her head to the side.

Before Twilight could reply, another voice from the crowd spoke up. The deep melodic tone of her voice caught Cooper's ear in an instant, and he quickly turned to see Zecora as she stepped toward him.

"Usually, it is as you say. However, timberwolf packs can migrate by the day. Any tree can spawn them, whether it be Evrefree bark, or a White Tail stem." Zecora explained.

"Zecora?" Cooper asked, quietly.

Much to his surprise, Zecora quickly nuzzled his thigh, "I am glad you are alright. You gave me quite a fright." She replied, giving him a soft smile.

Despite himself, Cooper couldn't help the soft smile that formed on his face as he looked down into the deep blue pools of Zecora's eyes. As the two shared a quiet moment, Mayor Mare's head dipped in thought while Celestia and Luna shared a look of concern over the news they'd just received.

"It is... unprecedented for timberwolves to spawn in the White Tail woods. We've always understood them to be creatures of chaos, formed by Discord's magic in the Everfree. How can they be appearing somewhere else so suddenly?" Luna pressed.

"I've seen it with my own eyes. There's more than one forest from which they can arise." Zecora firmly asserted.

"If that's true... then we'll have to have the town step up it's guard presence in the woods. Ponies use those trails every day. We can't have timberwolves just appearing and attacking anypony going for a stroll on their day off." Mayor Mare acquiesced.

"To be fair, it is pretty much unheard of. Even I wasn't expecting to run into them in the forest." Twilight chimed in.

"What happened, exactly?" Celestia pressed.

Twilight nodded, "I was able to deal with the majority of them by myself, but one of them managed to catch me off guard. Then another jumped on my back and was about to finish me off..." She trailed off, turning to Cooper, "That's when Cooper, having already been stuck in the middle of fighting three of them by himself, came in and saved me. He put his life on the line to protect not just me, but all three of these fillies as well." She elaborated, gesturing to the cutie mark crusaders.

"It's true. Coop' saved us from the timberwolves before Twilight found us." Apple Bloom spoke up.

"It was awesome! One second we were all just sitting around a little fire, and the next, Cooper was fighting off three timberwolves with his bare hands! He punched one so hard in the snout that it's bark broke off!" Scootaloo excitedly added.

"One of them was about to bite me but he just dragged it away by its tail and threw it against a tree!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed.

"Oh! Then there was the one that jumped on his back and tried to bit him, but he grabbed it and threw it against a tree!" Scootaloo prattled off.

"That timberwolf shattered!" AppleBloom exclaimed.

"Just like the one he tackled to save Twilight!" Sweetie Belle squeaked.

Hearing the heroic deeds accomplished by the lone human of the town, the gathered ponies all turned to him, their faces awash with awe and newfound respect for him. A sentiment of gratitude and grace quickly filled the air, as several ponies stomped their hooves in approval at the actions they'd heard.

"I must say, that's quite a tale. I'm so sorry you were all in any danger in the first place." Mayor Mare offered, dipping her head slightly.

"There was no way you could've known. On the bright side, I think we've taken care of the issue so there shouldn't be any more of them. Still, we should have guards present, just in case." Twilight replied.

Celestia and Luna both nodded in agreement, before the former walked over to her student. At Twilight's curious gaze, Celestia quickly pulled her into a tight embrace, her wings wrapping around the lavender alicorn as she held her close.

"How bad?" She asked, her voice just a whisper.

"Princess, I-" Twilight began.

"I know the residue of an alicorn healing spell when I see it, Twilight... how badly were you both hurt?" She pressed.

Twilight cringed at the questioning, but did not shy away from her mentor. Albeit with a moment of hesitation, she slowly let out a long sigh.

"We... were both on the verge of death." She admitted, just loud enough for Celestia to hear her.

The alabaster alicorn holding her only tightened her hug for a moment before sluggishly releasing her, a sad look on her face.

"I am so sorry you were hurt again, Twilight... after the last time I thought... I couldn't bear the thought of you being hurt so badly again." She explained, her voice just a fraction of its normal strength.

Much to the solar princess's surprise, she felt Twilight gently nuzzle her cheek, "It wasn't your fault. Neither time was. Those are both on me. Good news is, we're all here and we're all okay." Twilight offered with a smile.

Celestia found a smile tugging at her lips as well, and after a moment to process what her student said, she returned the gesture, before turning to Cooper, "And I do believe I have you to thank for that, Mister Slait." She announced, dipping her head in thanks.

Cooper quickly shook her head, "Please, don't thank me, princess. Twilight's the one that came looking for my sorry ass... well, her and these three." He gestured at the three fillies just a few feet away from him.

All eyes darted to Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo, along with their respective sisters.

"We've already torn 'em a new one. Don'tcha worry none about that." AppleJack quickly announced.

"While we are very glad to see all of their safe return, we can't help but wonder what led to them running off after a creature they hardly knew in the first place." Luna pondered aloud.

"You kiddin'? Princess, Cooper's probably Apple Bloom's favorite creature in town." AppleJack chuckled.

"Scootaloo too. Even I'll admit, for an alien, he's not half bad." Rainbow Dash chimed in.

"Agreed. Sweetie Belle just adores him." Rarity tittered.

"Rarity!" Sweetie Belle whined.

"Even after what happened with him and Corporal Sky?" Luna replied, curiously.

The joyous, happy atmosphere around them quickly dissolved as the memory of what happened quickly refreshed in everyone's mind. Cooper in particular, found his gaze falling to the ground below, shame filling his heart. However, that painful silence was broken shortly thereafter by the sound of two sets of hooves walking. One was noticeably missing a hoofbeat, as if the owner of said hooves were hobbling along on three legs instead of four.

Dozens of pairs of eyes darted toward the source of the noise, while several more ponies made a small clearing in the crowd. Cooper looked up to see that the source of the approaching noise was Sky and Midnight. The crimson stallion was still bandaged up around his wither and neck, and his foreleg was held in a sling, forcing him to walk on three legs instead of four. Beside him, her wither pressed against his to take any extra strain off of him that she could, was Midnight, her dark gray coat standing out even in the late hour.

"If it's all the same to you, Princess... I think I'd like to weigh in on that." Sky announced, giving the deepest bow he could muster.

"Corporal, what are you doing out here? You should be resting in the hospital!" Celestia protested, concern bleeding into her voice.

"No need to worry there, Princess. He was just discharged." Midnight explained.

"So soon?" Luna pressed.

"It wasn't like he hit anything vital. Besides, I'm made of stronger stuff than that." Sky chuckled.

Albeit hesitantly, both princesses gave a small nod to the stallion, allowing him and his partner to walk over to Cooper until they were standing just a few feet in front of him. Though his gaze lingered on them throughout their approach, Cooper couldn't help but hang his head low and bring his eyes down to his own feet as Sky finally reached him. A tense and somewhat awkward silence hung in the air over the two as the crowd waited with bated breath for what would be said. Eventually, it was too much for either to bear.

"Listen, Coop-" Sky began.

"I'm sorry for what-" Cooper also began.

Both of them paused for a moment, before a light chuckle escaped both of them.

"Sorry, you go ahead." Sky relented.

Cooper gave a grateful nod, "Thanks... I want to apologize... not just to you, but to everyone. I... haven't been myself for a long time now and... I guess I didn't want to accept that. I didn't want to accept a lot of things these past few weeks, if I'm being honest." He announced, just loud enough for the crowd to hear him.

Though Sky wanted to speak up, it became quickly apparent that Cooper still had more to say, so he waited patiently for him to finish.

"Five years ago, I lost my home... my world... my friends... all I had left was my family and then... then, they were taken from me too. I spent a long time fighting just to survive... I don't think I ever expected to make it to someplace like this. Friends, food, warmth, comfort... having it all now just... makes me wish that they could be here with me." Cooper continued.

Sky and Midnight nodded for him to continue, their eyes filled with empathy for the man before them.

"When Twilight told me she couldn't bring them back... I snapped. A part of me that so desperately wanted to believe that it could be done just... couldn't handle hearing the truth. As much as I miss them... as much as I love them... my family is gone. There's no changing that now. It's just something that I have to accept. When you tried to stop me from leaving, I wasn't myself... all I could see was the snow... and the death. I didn't even fully realize what I'd done to you until hours later. So I'm sorry... I'm so sorry for hurting you... I don't want to hurt anyone anymore... I'm so tired of living that way." Cooper finished, his shoulders slumping slightly, as if a massive weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

When he was finished, only silence hung in the air like a thick smog. The ponies around him all stared, a mix of emotions covering their faces. The quiet breeze blowing over the town was the only source of noise in all the noiselessness, though it didn't last for long. Once more, the sound of hoofbeats filled the air, and just as Cooper glanced over to see the culprit, he felt two warm, lavender forelegs wrap around his chest.

"I am so proud of you, Cooper. I know that was hard to say, but it shows just how much you've grown and how much you're willing to grow for your friends." Twilight whispered, nuzzling her cheek against his shoulder.

Much to his surprise, Cooper heard another set of hoofbeats, and before he could respond to Twilight, he glanced over just in time to see Sky and Midnight close the distance between them as well. Sky wrapped his good foreleg around Cooper's back, his fuzzy cheek nuzzling against Cooper's chest, while Midnight hugged his opposite shoulder from Twilight. The sudden group hug made Cooper's heart beat faster in his chest, and before he knew it, three little fillies joined in as well, followed quickly by their big sisters, and then their friends. Soon enough, the entire town square was huddled around the only human in Equestria, their hooves wrapped around him in a display of friendship and love.

"Apology accepted." Sky said, squeezing just a bit tighter.

Cooper couldn't help the smile that slowly wormed its way onto his face, even through the tears threatening to claw free from his tightly closed eyes. As he choked back a sniffle, he quietly whispered, "Yeah... Sarah would've loved this place..."

Author's Note

Now ain't that just the most adorable and heartfelt ending ya' ever did see? I hope you guys enjoyed this story. There's still a little epilogue coming up that will tie up any loose ends and wrap this story up in a neat little bow but for now, that's it for Cooper's journey. I hope you guys enjoyed and I truly appreciate you sticking through to the end with me <3

Epilogue

One Month Later

The sun was shining high in the sky as Cooper stepped out into the light. The marble buildings around him only increased the effect as the bright materials reflected the brilliance of the midsummer afternoon. He had to hold his hand over his brow to shield his eyes from such brilliant light, but after a few moments to acclimate to the change in brightness, he smiled and breathed in the warm summer air.

"Man, it's nice to be outside again." Cooper commented to nobody in particular.

A few more moments in pleasant silence passed before Cooper saw his small entourage round the corner and come into view.

"Heya, Coop'." Sky called, waving with his wing.

"Hey guys." Cooper called back, returning a small wave before trotting over to the trio approaching him.

Twilight quickly galloped ahead and leapt into Cooper's open arms, hugging him tightly as she nuzzled her cheek against his, "It's so good to see you! How are you? I missed you these past few days."

"I've been doing alright. The team Celestia put together here has been really helpful." Cooper replied, gently setting Twilight back down on the cobblestone road.

"Everypony's missed you back in Ponyville. The cutie mark crusaders have been asking when you were coming home almost every day." Midnight teased.

Cooper chuckled, "Well I've been looking forward to seeing them too. How's everyone else?" He inquired.

"Good. All ready and waiting for you to return. Pinkie wanted to know if you'd be alright with her throwing you a 'welcome back from your therapy in Canterlot, we hope you're feeling a lot better now' party, at least, that's how she described it." Twilight explained.

Cooper playfully rolled his eyes, "She can throw a party if she really wants to. I don't think it's really necessary, but I know how much she loves them. I've only been gone a week, though." He replied, shaking his head.

As they continued to converse, the group turned and headed toward the train station down the street. The normally busy streets of Canterlot were somewhat quiet and quaint on such a lovely day, making it much more relaxing for the journey home.

"I know, I know. She's just made it a point to ask you ever since the first time." Twilight replied.

Cooper nodded, "Yeah, I get it. I do appreciate it though. Who's all invited?" He asked.

"Who do you think?" Sky snarked.

"The whole town?" Cooper replied.

"Just about. Save for a few ponies that couldn't make it. She did send letters to the princesses so there's a good chance that they'll be there too. Word on the street is that you've made great progress and they're eager to see it for themselves." Midnight added.

"Yeah... I didn't think much of it at first but... pony therapists are actually pretty good." Cooper admitted, sticking his hands in his pockets.

"Do you want to talk about what happened a little?" Twilight pried, gently.

"Not too much to talk about if I'm being honest. Just the usual coping mechanisms and 'learning to move on' script. Honestly, I'm just glad to get some fresh air again. Spending all that time indoors made me miss it." Cooper replied.

"Well that's good to hear, because we do have a little surprise for you." Twilight replied, smiling innocently up at him.

"You do?" Cooper raised an eyebrow.

"Just a little something waiting for you at the train station." Midnight winked.

Giving the trio a raised eyebrow, Cooper snorted, "I assume you aren't going to tell me until we get there, are you?"

All three ponies shook their heads.

"Yeah, figured. Alright, lead the way." Cooper relented, shaking his head in amusement.

With that, the group made their way through the streets of Canterlot, quickly arriving at their destination within just a few short minutes. The lack of ponies out and about meant that the streets were uncharacteristically easy to traverse, a fact that Twilight was grateful for as the train station came into view. Dozens of ponies could be seen waiting for the next train to arrive, their luggage all packed and seated along with them. However, in the sea of pastel, there was a single equine who's color palette was comprised of only black and white. Her striped fur stood out against the monochromatic ponies around her, and her signature mohawk quite literally stood out above the rest of the manes around.

Cooper nearly paused in his step as he saw Zecora waiting at the train station, her ocean blue eyes scanning around as if she was looking for something. When they locked eyes, Cooper saw nothing but elation and excitement as she quickly galloped over to him.

"Surprise!" Twilight cheered, clopping her hooves together as Zecora and Cooper met again.

"Cooper, my friend! It's so good to see your time here is at an end!" Zecora cheerily greeted, quickly rearing up to wrap her forelegs around Cooper's waist.

Happy to return the gesture, Cooper kneeled down and pulled the zebra into a tight hug, squeezing her tightly as her naturally floral scent reached his nose.

"It's good to see you too, Zecora. I missed you." Cooper said, smiling as she nuzzled his neck and cheek.

"How are you feeling? How are the issues with which you've been dealing?" Zecora asked, gently as she slightly pulled back.

"Better... not perfect, but then again, I don't think I'll ever be back to a hundred... still though... doing better." Cooper replied, giving a half smile.

Zecora nodded, "I am glad to hear that. How was the facility that you were at?"

"Not a mental hospital, thanks to Twilight," Cooper snickered, "-but it honestly wasn't bad. Just a little boring on some occasions."

"Considering that Princess Celestia only required that you attend these sessions for a few months until the docs give you a clean bill of health, I think it's going pretty darn good." Sky chuckled, patting Cooper on the back.

Cooper nodded, "I know. I'm lucky to have friends like all of you. Thanks, guys."

"Aww..." Twilight gushed, "Group hug!"

With her magic, Twilight swiftly squeezed the group together into a group hug, not that any of them were opposed to it in the first place.

With the emotional moment concluded, the group headed over to the edge just as their train arrived. The train horn sounded loudly, signaling to all who were waiting that it time to board or depart. A gaggle of ponies made their way off the train, many of them pausing to look at Cooper in shock before continuing on with their trips or business. Once the train was sufficiently empty, Twilight led the way on board, prompting the rest of them to follow after her.

The lavender alicorn found their seats quickly enough, and once they sat down together, she notably allowed Zecora to sit beside Cooper. Soon enough, the train was filled with ponies all heading out with them, and the horn sounded once more, signaling their immanent departure.

"So, how'd you like Canterlot?" Twilight asked from the seat across from Cooper.

"Honestly, it was a little busier than I was prepared for at first. Guess it was probably a good thing I didn't go outside much, after all." Cooper chuckled.

"Eh, you'll get used to it. Besides, only a few more trips up here, right?" Sky teased, playfully elbowing Cooper in the ribs.

"Yeah, just a few more trips. Still though, I'm glad you all came to pick me up. You didn't all have to come." Cooper replied, tussling Sky's mane.

"We were happy to. We all missed you... some maybe just a tad more than others." Midnight replied, giggling behind her hoof.

Raising an eyebrow, Cooper followed Midnight's gaze to find that Zecora was smiling up at him, her tail swishing back and forth as she observed him.

"Because of what happened, you still owe me a date. I don't mind if it's a bit late." Zecora teased.

Cooper held her gaze for a moment as a smile slowly broke out on his face. He couldn't help but chuckle at the rhyming zebra beside him.

"Alright, fair enough. Any place in particular you want to go?" He inquired.

"I can think of a few... but anywhere is fine, if it's with you." Zecora smiled.

Author's Note

Ayy, we did it. We did the thing! I hope you guys have enjoyed the story. It has been a lot of work and I am really happy with how this one turned out. A lot of love went into this and I think I'm really happy with where we ended up.

If you would all like to see a man recovering from his trauma slowly bond and fall for a lovely little zebra, perhaps this series can become a trilogy down the line. Who's to say? Maybe you all are? Let me know!

Massive thank you to my patrons. You guys made this possible and I cannot overstate how much I appreciate your support.

As promised, here's a list of all you beautiful people. This story wouldn't happen without you.

AngelDeLaMuerte10000

Nosruto

ElderDragonPhoenix(EDP)

McK

Jerrybeansman

Jason

Mavrick

Nani

Timmoths

Sleepless

Russell

Karl

HeroLevel_EPIC

SgtAwesome97

Daniel Gonzalez

SamTheAce

Tomat Past

Perhaps a horse

Namlej

Nekusar

Darth Satais

Yun Lang

Wade

Gomical

Jesús Eduardo Del Valle López

Todd howard

SigmaTrooper

Zarrtack

Erinnyes

Chapter 9

Over the course of an hour, Twilight recounted the entire story of her journey into Cooper's world. All the trials and tribulations were explained in full detail, lest the princesses miss something important. After just a few short minutes, both Celestia and Luna had to take a seat, as the gory depictions Twilight gave left them both slightly weak in the knees.

As she got to Cooper's arrival into the story, Twilight encouraged him to join in and speak for himself, to which he hesitantly agreed. He told the tale of how he found her and their journey together through the frozen remains of what was once his home planet. Eventually, the rest of Twilight's friends continued eating their food while Cooper explained, though their ears stayed angled toward him the entire time.

The group managed to absorb the princesses into their brunch with minimal difficulty, and within a few minutes, they were all peacefully eating the buffet before them. Celestia and Luna, though their appetite was somewhat diminished upon hearing the particularly nasty details, filled their plates with as much food as they could and ate while they listened attentively to Cooper's story, only interjecting to ask for clarification at certain points.

Soon enough, brunch was reduced to nothing more than empty plates and full bellies, and as both survivors finished their tale with the events of the previous night, the royal alicorns wore looks of utter disbelief. Once Cooper and Twilight were done, a pregnant silence hung over the air like a thick fog, dissuading anyone from commenting on the harrowing story.

"And all that... happened in just thirty minutes?" Luna asked, finally breaking the silence.

"Thirty minutes here. It was more like a month and a half over there." Twilight replied.

"And... you said that this happened because their was an accident with the portal?" Celestia inquired, a puzzled look on her muzzle.

Twilight nodded, "I'm not certain but-" She began, before Spike suddenly cut her off.

"It was my fault." He said, startling nearly everyone in the room.

"What?" Twilight owlishly questioned.

Spike shrunk slightly under the gaze of the entire room, "It... it was my fault... when the portal started and startled me... I fell and hit my elbow against the panel... that must've changed the destination." He explained, shyly rubbing the elbow in question.

"Spike, I'm sure there's no way that-" Twilight began.

"I see... the portal was always extremely sensitive," Celestia acknowledged, before turning back to Twilight, "My faithful student... I wish so badly that you had told somepony about this before just going ahead with it. You almost lost your life a dozen times over." She chastised, although it was clear from her tone that she was not angry or even disappointed.

All the same, Twilight frowned and held her head low, "I know... and I'm sorry, princess. I let my excitement get the better of me and well... to say I've learned my lesson would be an understatement." She replied.

Without another word, Celestia got out of her chair and made her way over to the smaller alicorn. She gently leaned down and nuzzled her cheek, her wing unfurling to wrap around Twilight and softly pull her into a hug. Twilight gladly accepted the gesture, returning the nuzzle and hug with her good foreleg as best she could.

"I'm just glad you're okay now." Celestia smiled, upon pulling away.

"And we have you to thank for bringing her home, safely." Luna added, giving a nod of thanks to Cooper.

Cooper returned the nod with a curt one of his own, "She saved my skin a few times, too."

"We understand you went to the hospital last night. I apologize for invading your privacy, but we asked the doctors to tell us more about you before we arrived this morning." Celestia stated, an apologetic look on her face.

"While your list of injuries is extensive, I'm glad to say that it doesn't look like you have any serious aliments at the moment... aside from the injury to your arm, that is." Luna offered, with a small shrug.

"Better than bein' dead." Cooper replied, idly tapping his hand on the table.

Celestia and Luna both cringed ever so slightly, "Quite... regardless of that, as we understand it, you are in need of a home?" Celestia offered, in a clear bid to change the subject.

Cooper shrugged, "I figured I couldn't stay with Twilight forever."

"You can stay with me as long as you need, Cooper." Twilight asserted, firmly.

"Of course. We are in no hurry nor have we any desire to separate you two. The bond you forged through the adversity of your journey is plain to see, and we are proud to see how much you've grown in such a short time, Twilight Sparkle." Luna responded.

"What we were trying to say is that we are happy to welcome Cooper to Equestria. As far as we can tell, he is nothing short of an upstanding creature to whom, we owe a great debt. One I fear can never be repaid." Celestia continued, giving a grateful nod to Cooper.

"Although... I do have one concern... a concern I believe my sister shares." Luna announced, her brow furrowing ever so slightly.

"What concern is that?" Twilight asked, before Cooper could even speak.

"Well... these 'guns' you mentioned... they sound incredibly dangerous and deadly. If they can nearly kill an alicorn before she even knows what's hit her... the implications are quite frightening if they were to get into the wrong hooves." Luna admitted.

"Twilight, no weapons were brought back from this human world, were they?" Celestia pressed, turning back to her student.

Twilight subtly glanced over to Cooper, the unspoken look in his eyes conveying everything he wanted to say to her in an instant. Her eyes fell to his hand, and the way it was oh-so-inconspicuously placed in his pocket. She could see the outline of the edges of his knuckles printing in the fabric, and after so much time spent with the human, she knew exactly what he was doing.

With a nervous frown, Twilight looked back over to Celestia and Luna, shaking her head, "No, Princess. Well, there is one but it's not exactly functional anymore. Cooper used the last of his ammunition to save me from the wolf." She explained.

Celestia nodded slowly, "I see. Could we inspect this weapon? We trust you when you say it is safe, but we would like to see it for ourselves." She replied.

Twilight nodded toward Cooper, "It's his rifle, princess. You'll have to ask him." She stated, plainly.

Taken slightly aback by the sudden redirection, Celestia and Luna both slowly looked over to Cooper, finding him giving a thankful look to the smaller purple alicorn across from him.

"Mister Slait? Would it be alright if we were to inspect this 'rifle' of yours?" Celestia asked, politely.

Cooper nodded, "Yeah. It's rusted all to hell at this point but it's upstairs in the guest room, laying on the floor by the bed. You can't miss it."

Without missing a beat, Celestia turned to one of her guards, "Sergeant, could you please bring the weapon down to us?" She asked.

With a quick salute, the unicorn mare left her post and trotted up the stairs toward the guest room. Once she was out of sight, Celestia turned back to Cooper and gave him a disarming smile.

"Thank you. I can't tell you how much we appreciate your patience and cooperation with us. We just want to make sure that these kinds of weapons cannot fall into the wrong hooves." She offered, placatingly.

Cooper nodded, "I get it." He replied, quietly.

Less than a minute later, the guard came trotting back down the stairs, Cooper's rusty AK held in her magical hold as she entered the dining room once more.

"Thank you, Sergeant. We'll take this back to Canterlot for some analysis." Luna nodded.

"As a gesture of good will, we could have our scientific teams clean and restore the metal. Rust removal is a simple enough spell." Celestia offered, as she inspected the rifle.

"How long are you planning on taking it for?" Cooper inquired.

"It shouldn't be any more than a few days. We just want to have some of the senior scientific committee examine it and ensure it can't hurt anypony." Celestia explained.

Cooper raised an eyebrow, "It's out of ammo." He stated, simply.

Celestia and Luna shared a look, "We understand that... but there are certain percautions we have to take with the introduction of a new and deadly weapon to Equestria. Surely you understand? A weapon that can kill or wound an alicorn would be our enemies' greatest treasure. As I understand it, the ammunition can be manufactured. With sufficiant time and resources, some creatures could manufacture that ammunition." Celestia elaborated.

"It'll be alright, Cooper." Twilight interjected, seeing the increasingly confused and frustrated look forming on Cooper's face.

"Yeah, you'll get it back in just a few days." Spike chimed in, clearly trying to be diplomatic.

Cooper let out a resigned sigh as he sank back into his chair slightly, "Alright. Fine." He relented.

Celestia and Luna both let out a small breath of relief before their faces lit up with smiles, "Thank you, Mister Slait. We promise you, as the rulers of Equestria, that this will be returned to you in better condition than it was received. You have our word, as Princesses of the Sun and Moon." Celestia announced, bowing her head slightly in thanks.

"As another gesture of good will, we would like to offer you protection while you are here in Equestria." Luna added, making Cooper raise an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" Cooper asked, skeptically.

"As I understand it, you've had to depend on your weapons to protect yourself for years. As much as we can assure you that it will be returned to you, there will still be a time when you are without. In that time, and possibly beyond, we would like to bestow upon you a guard detail." Luna explained.

Cooper looked over to Twilight, finding her giving him the same look of uncertainty and confusion he wore on his face, "A... guard detail?" He asked.

Celestia nodded, "We would like to station two royal guards here to provide protection for you while you stay in the castle. Equestria... regrettably, isn't the safest place in the world. The Everfree forest in particular, can be an unruly and dangerous place. Having a pair of royal guards by your side to provide protection and guidance would be a way to help... ease you into our world." She added.

Cooper nodded slowly, "Or a way for you two to keep close tabs on me... like a bird in a gilded cage." He stated.

Both Celestia and Luna gawked at the blatant remark, and they weren't the only ones. The entire table stared at Cooper, aghast looks on all of their faces. The air instantly filled with tension as the rulers of Equestria owlishly blinked at the human sitting across from them, a neutral expression on his face.

"C-Cooper-" Twilight tried to speak, but he simply stood up, cutting her off.

"If there's nothing else, I think we're done for now. I'll be upstairs." He announced, before turning to leave.

"M-Mister Slait!" Celestia tried to protest, but he simply ignored her and walked out of the room.

Both guards turned as if they were going to attempt to stop him as Cooper passed them, but a quick look from the lunar princess halted their movements, and they allowed him to leave unmolested. Once he was gone and out of sight, the table shared mixed looks of offense and confusion.

"Before any of you say anything, please... give Cooper time. He's... he's been through a lot and he doesn't trust easily. Honestly, it's a miracle he's been as cooperative as he has been so far." Twilight announced, though her voice sounded noticeably dejected.

"But like, that was totally not cool of him." Rainbow pouted, crossing her hooves.

"I must agree with Rainbow, Twilight. Politely refusing the princesses offer is one thing, but outright accusing them of something and storming off? That's beyond rude." Rarity huffed.

"I simply don't understand... we are being genuine with our offer. I understand he's been through quite a lot, but we only want to ensure his safety." Celestia mused, her brow furrowed in thought.

"It certainly wasn't the reaction I was expecting... but then again, Mister Slait is nothing like any kind of creature I've ever seen before. I suppose it should have been expected. Maybe we should have worded it differently?" Luna wondered, glancing to her sister for support.

"If you'll let me go talk to him, I'll see if I can convince him. Just... like I said, please be patient with him." Twilight offered, unsteadily getting out of her chair.

"You're in no condition to be walking on that foreleg!" Spike protested, leaping out of his seat to halt Twilight's advance.

"I'm fine, Spike... but I need to talk to Cooper." Twilight reasoned.

"Ah can carry her upstairs." AppleJack offered.

"That'll be a bit of a rough ride, Darling. I can handle it." Rarity rebutted, her horn igniting as if to prove her point.

"That will not be necessary." Celestia suddenly announced, standing up.

"Princess?" The table collectively asked as a whole.

"You've all done such a wonderful job looking after Twilight after what happened. I'd like to help with the situation I've caused." Celestia explained.

"Don't you mean 'we'?" Luna teased.

Celestia playfully rolled her eyes, "Yes, 'we'. Although I think the fewer ponies that try to approach him, the better. Would you mind if I saw to this without you, sister?" She asked.

"By all means. I still haven't tried the cinnamon rolls." Luna replied, levitating one of the sugary sweets over to her plate.

"Thank you, sister. Now, Twilight, let's fix my mistake." Celestia declared.

"Princess, it's not your fault. Cooper's just-" Twilight began, but Celestia swiftly shook her head.

"No, Twilight. I should've been more aware of how the offer would look to someone like him before making it. I'll take you to speak with him, but I also wish to apologize. Hopefully he'll be willing to give us a second chance." Celestia stated, finishing with a hopeful smile.

The hope in Celestia's smile was infectious, and Twilight soon found herself smiling and nodding to her mentor. A moment later, Celestia's horn flashed with golden energy and they were both suddenly upstairs. Twilight glanced down the hall to see that they were just outside of her room, and the door was open. A swift glance inside confirmed that Cooper was nowhere to be seen, so she headed toward the next most likely place he could be.

With Celestia's magic taking all of the weight off of her bad foreleg, Twilight was able to make her way over to the guest suite she'd given Cooper with relative ease, and within a minute, they were outside the closed door. Twilight tepidly knocked a few times on the door, her ears flicking forward at the sound of a sharp intake of breath in the room. Her brow furrowing in confusion, Twilight knocked again, prompting the muted sound of Cooper's feet on crystal to reach her ears just before he cracked opened the door.

"Hey, Twilight." Cooper greeted through the crack, his eyes somewhat downcast.

"Cooper, are you alright?" Twilight pressed, the worry clear in her eyes.

"I'm fine... sorry about that." He apologized.

Twilight gave him a sad look, "Cooper, I'm not the one you should be apologizing to."

Cooper nodded, "I know." He admitted.

"She wants to talk to you too. Is it alright if we come in? Nobody else, just you, me, and her." Twilight offered.

Cooper scratched the back of his neck, a hesitant look crossing his face. However, he was wholly unprepared for the puppy-dog eyes Twilight gave him. His shoulders slumped slightly as he stared her down, the downright adorable look threatening to melt his heart in seconds.

"Fine... when did you learn to weaponize cuteness?" He snorted, opening the door fully.

"Just now." Twilight beamed.

Cooper playfully rolled his eyes, but as the door completely opened, he saw the flowing mane of Celestia as she appeared in his vision. He froze for a brief moment, his body tensing, but he quickly relaxed. Said solar princess gave him a soft, disarming smile as she saw him.

"Hello again, Mister Slait. May we come in?" Celestia asked, politely.

Cooper nodded, "Yeah. Come on in."

Quick enough, Celestia and Twilight were in the room, standing across from Cooper as he leaned against the wall.

"So... about downstairs..." Twilight trailed off.

"Please, allow me to start," Celestia asked, "I would like to apologize for making that offer knowing what you've been through. I understand that trust is not an easy thing to come by in your world, and I should have thought of how you would perceive the offer before making it." She apologized, deeply bowing her head.

Cooper blinked at the sun princess for a few moments, his eyes wide in shock as he processed her apology, "I, uh... thanks. Sorry for how I reacted down there... never been good at receiving gifts." He admitted, awkwardly rubbing his neck.

Much to his relief, Celestia perked up and smiled at him instantly, "Oh, think nothing of it, Mister Slait-"

"Cooper. Please, just call me Cooper." Cooper interjected.

"Of course, Cooper. Thank you. I just want you to know that the offer is still on the table should you change your mind. If not, there are no hard feelings. I simply wanted to help make your transition to Equestria as painless and stress free as possible." Celestia replied, smiling warmly at him.

Cooper's gaze fell to the ground for a few seconds as he seriously considered the offer. He eventually glanced up to Twilight, finding her nodding encouragingly at him. With her approval and enthusiasm, he finally nodded.

"Alright, alright. But the second they become a pain in my ass, I'm sending them back to you." He relented.

Celestia giggled, "I assure you, these guards are two of my finest."

Cooper walked down the stairs just as the last of Twilight's friends finished funneling out of the front door. Pinkie gave a friendly wave goodbye before turning tail and trotting toward Sugarcube corner. Once she was gone and the door closed, Cooper glanced over to see Twilight sitting down on one of the couches, Luna and Celestia by her side while Spike fetched some water from the kitchen.

"You must conserve your strength, Twilight Sparkle. With injuries as substantial as yours, you should be resting." Luna chastised, a disapproving frown on her face.

Twilight sighed, "I know... just didn't think that walking down the stairs would be so taxing." She half-heartedly chuckled.

"Just rest now, Twilight. You'll need to heal before you can start to push yourself." Celestia comforted.

"You okay?" Cooper asked, walking up beside Celestia.

Twilight nodded, "Yeah. Just a bit out of breath." She replied, looking up to him with a half smile.

"Try to take it easy. You can't walk on two legs like I can. You need that forth one." Cooper smirked, tussling her mane.

Twilight snickered as Celestia and Luna shared amused giggles from the sight before them.

"So I take it you all had a good chat upstairs?" Luna inquired, looking to Cooper.

Cooper and Celestia nodded, "I think we came to an understanding. We'll have to be much more direct and candid with Cooper in the future to prevent misunderstandings like that from happening again." Celestia acknowledged.

Luna gave an approving nod, "I'm glad to hear that. Although, if its the same to you, I think we should be getting back to Canterlot, sister. The guards have their orders and their charge understands that they're only here to protect him." She stated.

"Correct you are, sister," Celestia agreed, turning to Cooper, "I won't pressure you to befriend them, but I would recommend getting to know them. We personally hoof-picked your guards because they're fantastic at their jobs. Plus, it is always nice to see their real personalities shine through the mask of the royal guard every now and again." She tittered.

Cooper gave a non-committal shrug, "We'll see. I guess it couldn't hurt."

Celestia smiled, "That's all I ask. Now, my sister and I must return to Canterlot, but your guards will be with you whenever you leave the castle. They're both originally from Ponyville, so if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask."

Cooper nodded, "I'll keep it in mind."

"Thank you, Cooper." Celestia replied, before turning to leave.

"Before you go, Princesses... there's something I'd like to discuss with you." Twilight suddenly stated, pausing both alicorns' steps.

"What's that, Twilight?" Celestia asked.

"It's... a bit private. Could you both wait for me in the map room?" Twilight hesitantly asked.

Celestia nodded, "Of course. We'll be waiting for you in there, Twilight." She said, heading toward the map room.

Luna quickly followed suite, and the pair of alicorns quickly departed, leaving Cooper and Twilight alone just as Spike came around the corner with a glass of water in his claws, and both royal guards falling in behind him. The little drake brought the glass to Twilight, who gratefully accepted it and drank the chilled ice-water down while the two guards stopped just before Cooper, both snapping to attention. They both saluted for a moment before their hooves landed back on the floor in perfect sync.

"Corporal Crimson Sky, reporting, sir." The pegasus greeted, his amber eyes directed right into Cooper's.

"Sergeant Midnight Shadow, reporting, sir." The unicorn announced, her sapphire irises practically beaming up at the human before her.

Cooper owlishly blinked at the two guards in front of him, "Uh..."

"You should tell them to relax." Twilight offered, noting the guards' posture.

Cooper's brow furrowed ever so slightly as he looked back over to the guards, "Uh... relax?" He hesitantly ordered.

Instantly, both guards adopted a much more relaxed posture, their legs spreading slightly and the tension in their bodies noticeably dissipating.

"Thank you, sir." Sky responded.

Cooper raised an eyebrow, only for Twilight's giggling to catch his attention, "What are you laughing at?" He asked.

"They were at attention. All you did was tell them they could assume a more casual posture around you. It's always funny to see when the guards stop being so uptight and rigid." Twilight explained, as she sluggishly got out of her chair.

"With all due respect, Princess, we are required to show the utmost discipline and professionalism while on duty." Midnight offered, politely.

Twilight nodded, "Oh, I know. Its just funny to see that you guards aren't always just marching and staring ahead like machines. My brother always said that the guard wasn't that strict about that kind of thing but I rarely saw any of you just relax."

"Captain Armor isn't as particularly strict on professional bearing at all times as the last captain of the guard, Princess." Sky bowed his head, ever so slightly.

Twilight playfully rolled her eyes, "Of course he isn't. Anyways, tell Cooper about yourselves. All he knows are your names and a brief summary of your time in the guard." She instructed as she gingerly hobbled toward the map room.

"Twilight, you shouldn't be walking on that foreleg!" Spike protested.

"I'll be fine, Spike. Here, if you want, you can give me a hoof over to the map room." Twilight smiled, allowing Spike to assist her.

As the alicorn and drake departed, leaving Cooper alone with his guard escort, the comparatively tall human stared down at the pair of ponies with a mix of emotions on his face.

"Uh... you guys can go ahead and tell me about yourselves." He offered.

Sky nodded, "Well, I was born in Cloudsdale but raised in Ponyville. After graduating school, I ended up doing security guard work in for a few years before being recruited into the guard. I've been in Canterlot ever since." He explained.

Cooper nodded, "And you?" He asked, looking to Midnight.

"Of course, sir. I was born and raised in Ponyville. My birth parents were... unfortunately killed in an accident when I was just a foal. I was adopted by a pair of thestrals and lived with them until I was old enough to enlist. I've been in Canterlot as a member of the guard for the past two years." Midnight explained.

Cooper gave her a sad look, "I'm... uh, I'm sorry to hear about your parents." He offered.

Midnight shook her head, "Thank you, sir, but it's okay. That was years ago and I honestly don't even remember them. I was barely a year old when it happened." She replied.

Cooper gave an understanding nod to the mare, before an awkward silence filled the air between them.

"So, uh... are you two just gonna follow me around all day?" Cooper inquired.

"We'll only stay close to you when you leave the castle to ensure your safety. When you're here, we won't crowd you unless you ask for us." Sky responded.

"Alright. Well what if I wanted to go for a walk? Stretch my legs?" Cooper questioned.

"We'd just follow along behind you, sir." Midnight answered.

"Are you sure you want to go around town already, sir? Not to police your activities or anything, but considering you just got here, it might be a good idea to just take a few days to rest and recoup after what you've been through." Sky suggested.

Cooper's brow creased as his gaze fell to the floor between them, "To be honest... sitting around like this is starting to make me a little anxious. I kinda want to stretch my legs a bit." He admitted.

Sky and Midnight both gave a quick salute, "Very well, sir. Whenever you're ready to head out, we'll accompany you." Sky announced.

Cooper nodded toward the door, "I was thinking of just going for a little walk. Nothing crazy." He assured them.

"Lead the way, sir." Midnight replied.

With that, Cooper headed toward the front door, although just before he could reach out for the handle, a sapphire aura enveloped it and opened the door for him. He glanced back over his shoulder to see Midnight's magic fizzling out from her horn as she released her hold on the door, allowing him to exit. He gave a small nod of thanks before stepping out into the light.

Instantly, brilliant, bright warmth engulfed him, and the pleasant smell of spring filled his nostrils as a gentle breeze passed by, rustling some trees nearby. Cooper tilted his head back and closed his eyes, allowing the sun to bathe him in its light, and for just a moment, he felt the weight lift from his shoulders.

Author's Note

Now who are those two guards I wonder... If you've been reading my work for a while, then you will recognize my oc's Sky and Midnight! They're precious and I've been wanting them to cameo in another story of mine for a long time now. This felt like a good way to do it. Hope you guys enjoyed. Things will start moving along here shortly, don't fret.