Dreamwalker's Tale: Project Greenwood

Clickety-clack. Clickety-clack. It did not even seem like the train moved at all. No, it was the landscape instead that brushed past the window in a blur of colors. Underlined with the monotonous rhythm of the wheels on the tracks. It was mind-numbing. Lured me in. I sat on my seat, soft and decently cozy. The entire car was empty, no other fellow travelers this time. It was a strange feeling, otherworldly almost. I was riding a ghost train.

The storyteller in me wanted to spin this yarn into something greater. A pony sat on a bench, alone and reminiscing. While his mind drifted, he failed to notice the train moving through the landscape where no tracks had been laid. Only once the blue sky fell away and was replaced by a much darker shade of blue did he look up and realize that the train had fully left the tracks behind, as much as the landscape itself and it now chugged along into the ether, spewing steam into nothingness. Where would his astral travel carry him?

However, my mind was preoccupied with other thoughts.

The entirety of the last week had been a bit of a blur. It was not the amount of work to be done that made it difficult to differentiate the days, but the lack thereof. Everypony had been so utterly busy. Even Spike, after his initial struggle with his role, found a balance and seemed content. Yet I remained within the camp of tents and watched ponies work their asses off. I tried to jump in whenever needed, wherever I could. I brought Hefty new tools when one broke. I rang the bell to signify that dinner was ready. I helped Spike prepare dinner in the first place. But all these tasks were menial. Nopony needed me to do them. It was just my bandaid to keep myself occupied. To stave off the feeling of uselessness.

It was better in the mornings. Right after waking up, when another nighttime with Luna had been busy with busting nightmares and helping dreamers cope with their varied issues. But over the course of the day, the mood would drag.

Late midday, early afternoon. Those were the hours when I grabbed the book Twilight had proposed and went into the ruins. Dawn joined our camp for meals and some socializing, but he very much preferred to stay in his lab for most of the time. I managed to catch him off-guard only once by sneaking around the place before our agreed-upon time. Not that it helped me much. He was busy. Concentrated. Doing arcane and alchemical research, I assumed. I understood little of what I saw. Glyphs similar to those covering his body. He drew them on paper, drew them in the air. With a buttery-yellow aura wrapped around his horn. Maybe his aura just changed every so often. Maybe that was his quirk.

I liked to believe that we learned from each other. But even I could not pretend that we got the same value out of our unspoken deal. We met up every day for a couple of hours. We sat down on that balcony on the first floor and read a few more chapters of the book. A bit of conversation prior and after and little bits and pieces in between. I asked about his travels. In reply, he told me of parts of this world I had never seen before. The lands of zebras and elephants. Mountainranges so massive that their size dwarfed the whole of Equestria. Oceans so deep that no light touched the ground. It was prime material for a mind like mine. My imagination spun wildly out of control with every little nugget he was willing to share. Even though he usually still remained somewhat cryptic about it. He never truly allowed me to pin an exact time or place on his journeys. He never told me when he had visited these places, or where they were. How far I would have to travel to see them for myself.

The nagging voice in the back of my head insisted that this was likely due to him just making this stuff up on the spot. But I doubted that. I could not imagine any sensible reason for him to lie about something this outlandish.

In return, Dawn asked me about my life in Ponyville. About Ponyville in general. About Equestria. About holidays like Hearth's Warming Eve and Hearts And Hooves Day. Or events like the Sisterhoof Social.

I was quite sure that I had gotten the better end of the bargain.

There was this line in the book. It quickly became a tad tedious in the first one, since our protagonist Cunning Can uttered it all the time, it seemed: It’s Cunning Can, not Cunning Can’t! As far as protagonists went, he was charming enough. His strength was his mind and his vast knowledge, even though Dawn seemed to get a great deal of joy out of poking holes into the story itself. I did not mind as long as he got any joy out of it at all, no matter which way.

But the amount of time we spent reading meant that we burned through the book quickly and a day before I left, I went back to Ponyville to buy new food supplies and fetch the other two books from the library. Dawn even ensured me that he would wait for my return. I knew that he meant the books, but I could not help and feel a little touched, because it still meant that he would remain here and wait.

He always seemed elusive. A little skittish sometimes, too. As if he was just a ghost or a fairy and could vanish at any given second.

Dawn remained very much an enigma to me.

Greenwood however progressed just fine, with or without my input. Aurora did a mighty fine job as an impromptu-amateur-architect. Graphite did some unbelievable Pie-stuff. I was convinced that it would take months for the first buildings to be raised. But it took just one week. I saw Hefty carry entire trees on his back. I saw Honey rip the branches and bark off as if the trees were bananas, ready to be peeled. And within one week, we had a proper carpenter’s workshop. A large building to allow these two giants space to move between workstations, tool benches and half-finished furniture. With an added upper story for them to live in.

Then they raised an entire barn. What once was a roof on stilts and served as our somewhat-rainproof supply depot was transformed into an entire, proper warehouse to store not just our food supplies, but any excess wood, stone and tools as well.

The barn, as we all quickly referred to it, was situated right behind the workshop. And once we had all our stuff carried inside and properly sorted, it looked… well, empty. It looked like we owned nothing. Our food supply, given how many mouths we had to feed, was the largest pile and it barely made a dent in one of the corners. It looked so sad in there. But both Hefty and Graphite assured me that we would need the space soon enough. And I was more than willing to trust the experts on the matter.

I wondered what I would find upon my return. I did not plan on staying away from the project for too long, but my trip would take a week, give or take a couple of days. Maybe Graphite’s workshop would be ready as well? And a house for Spike and Gabby? The workplaces had priority, obviously. But it was hard not to notice how Gabby sometimes sat closer to the fire to warm her pained joints. She was very much a force to be reckoned with, as were all griffons from a young age right up until they keeled over. But she was also old. And a dear friend of mine. It was hard not to care when she was in pain. I knew that she tried to avoid alerting us to it as much as she could, mostly so we would not start doting on her. She could live with Spike doing that. Because he did it all the time anyway.

I could understand that. Not wanting to feel like a liability.

I sighed and leaned my head forward. My horn made a dull sound as it hit the glass of the window, and soon after, my forehead rested against the cold glass as well. Every time I exhaled, a little patch in front of my nostrils got foggy. The urge to draw a smiling face in there was overwhelming, but I simply could not bring myself to lift a hoof.

It would be nice to have a bed at some point soon. Hefty and Honey even made public promises that they would build bed frames first, as soon as houses were ready. A proper bed and walls, a roof and a fireplace. Surely that would help.

My mind turned towards my current destination: Canterlot.

There was a big event coming up. The Blue Moon Charity Ball. Many ponies considered it an event exclusively reserved for the art community, which baffled not just me, but Luna as well. And she hosted the damn thing. Neither of us had any clue when, where and why this rumor started. The event was not that much different from the Grand Galloping Gala. It used the same rooms, even some of the same furniture and decorations.

But as much as Luna was Celestia's little sister and stood in her shadow, so too was the Blue Moon Charity Ball a little sister to the Grand Galloping Gala. Luna tried her hoof at getting back into the game, all prim and proper, but she lacked the patience for the nobility and their often strange demands and opinions. Thus her event only happened every three years, while the Gala happened each and every year. Plus, the Gala was just that. A get-together. A meet-and-greet. All the most important and most influential and richest ponies in Equestria, mingling for one evening, rubbing shoulders and making deals on the dance floor, toppling rival business empires at the buffet table and forging alliances in the gardens.

In my humble opinion, it was a snake pit.

The Ball was not that much better, obviously. That said, it being a charity ball meant that ponies in attendance were expected to give generously to whatever cause they had this time around. It severely lessened the appeal it had for most nobles and rich folk, like a bitter taste in their mouths. They were expected to do good? And they were not even allowed to brag about it? The outrage!

I sighed. I was really not looking forward to this. But I had to participate. The Gala would happen in roughly half a year and with my current financial situation, I simply could not wait that long to secure funding for the project. I needed to go there. Mingle. Rub shoulders. Whisper on the dance floor. Stroll through the gardens with ponies I probably had nothing in common with, aside from our general pony-shapes. And maybe the blood color. Maybe.

When I stopped by the castle on my way to the train station, Twilight was even kind enough to inform me what this year's campaign goal was. Apparently there had been some kind of lightning strike or weather incident in Manehattan. The Ball was trying to raise funds to repair the roof of the museum of natural history. After the whole thing burned down. And half of the lower floors as well. Twilight described it as this great tragedy and while I fully agreed that it was a shame, I had a hard time being as devastated by it as she was. I doubted any knowledge was truly lost. Not when I could walk down the hallways of our home and be surrounded by hundreds of books — in one shelf. And we had hundreds of shelfs.

I knew that the Canterlot Royal Archives were one of the largest libraries in all of Equestria. Though I had no idea how large. And for fifty years, Twilight had been collecting books. She had ordered copies of books from all over Equestria. She had copied books from even beyond the borders of our nation. Her library offered works of griffon poetry, historical accounts from the dragon lands, even some rare transcripts of stone tablets from the Forbidden Jungle. Her lab had just about any book on modern sciences one could ask for, including some written in ancient Yak.

Maybe the Archives were not the largest library in Equestria anymore. If they still held that title, it was only a matter of time until Twilight outpaced them. Our home was a repository of knowledge. Whatever might have gotten lost in Manehattan due to that fire: I was sure Twilight could replace it. By sending out copies of our own stock. And I suspected that was very much her intention. To create a place she could defend herself and ensure that no knowledge would ever truly be lost again.

I suspected something in her subconscious was at work here. How many of her battles could have been prevented, had she known stuff beforehoof? Had she known about the Crystal Heart before Sombra showed up. Had she known about the abilities of changelings before they became an issue. Had she known about the unique properties of Chrysalis’ throne.

I shook my head, tilted it to the side to press my cheek against the glass. I felt like my head was burning, so I embraced the coolness. And I got off-track again.

I would need to talk to Sunny.

Luna hosted the Ball. Her job that night would be the same ungrateful one Sunny had at the Gala. Welcome every guest. Every. Single. One. And once they had finally all arrived, she was allowed to mingle for about an hour or so. Which meant she would be swarmed by all the ponies who were just waiting to get a word in with a princess. And then she would need to excuse herself, because she also had to bid her guests farewell and thank them for their generosity. Their implied generosity. Which would take up the rest of the night.

I could totally see why she preferred to host the Ball only once every three years. Honestly, it was a mystery to me how Sunny did it every year. Less of a mystery why she was so bored by it, though.

The sisters shared meals. Breakfast and dinner. It was a necessity and a welcome respite. Because Luna slept throughout the day, and Sunny throughout the night. Luna was technically invited to every Gala. But her responsibilities and duties meant that she could rarely attend, even if she would want to to begin with. Vice versa, Celestia never attended the Ball, because she needed her sleep to be fit for her next day.

But I could make use of her invitation. And I was pretty sure that she was either allowed to pass it to me, or that Luna would not make a fuss about it.

That said, I had a sneaking suspicion that she would not just simply agree if I asked for it. That suspicion was not unfounded either. Her playful prankster nature would forbid her from simply giving it away as much as her care for my cause. So I needed a plan…

It was a familiar dance.

I had no words to describe just how much I loved every single move of it. The anticipation that upset my stomach, like a swarm of butterflies. The repeated checking and double- and triple-checking of everything I had prepared. Until I heard that telltale click of the lock on the door to her study. Until I felt that passive background tingle of magic recede as the protective charms were temporarily disabled. Even how I stared at her in awe when she entered the room felt so incredibly familiar.

Her high, regal pose. Her sleek, slender legs. Legs for days. Prim and proper appearance. Her eternally waving, ethereal mane billowing behind her in the same manner as her tail. Her regalia was shiny and perfectly in place. She was perfection to anypony else.

But I waited. I waited for a critical moment. My favorite moment. The moment when Princess Celestia closed the door, discarded her regalia and became just Celestia, a mare, a pony, my Sunny.

“Oh?” she sang with her melodious voice when she noticed me sitting by the lit fireplace. “What a pleasant surprise.” Ah, that slightly ominous smile of hers.

I smiled as well. “I sure hope so.” I tore my gaze away from her and for one last time, I pointedly looked over the arrangement I had prepared for us. A seating cushion large enough for her to be comfortable. A flat, small side table to host a wooden tray with two small clay mugs and a glass pot of steaming tea. A tube of lotion we usually used for massages, a bowl of warm water and a towel for the aftercare. The scene was set.

I looked back at her. Invited her with a widening smile.

“You will not take ‘no’ for an answer, will you?” she asked thoughtfully while her gaze temporarily drifted over to her massive desk. And the equally massive piles of paperwork on them.

“Well… no.” I grinned and slowly stood up.

She heaved a heavy sigh, but nodded and hooved herself over to fate. Her horn lit up and the door closed. She was still in the middle of removing her peytral and crown when I rushed forward and hugged her. “Sweet heavens, I missed you!” I blurted out as I nuzzled her neck, brushed my cheek along her shoulder and clung to her like a drowning pony to a plank.

I heard how she put the peytral and crown to the side, onto one of her shelves. She took the time to remove her golden horseshoes as well before she returned the hug. Her wings unfolded quietly and wrapped themselves around me as well and I could have melted into a gooey puddle of happiness right then and there.

“I have missed you too,” she whispered in return and squeezed me a little tighter.

We sat there for several minutes, just enjoying each other's closeness. Eventually though, I pushed myself away just a little, just enough to angle my head upwards and pull her down with a hoof. A proper greeting kiss. I had to fight hard to resist the urge. A tiny tilt would have been all it needed. I would be able to deepen the kiss. To gently trace the tip of my tongue across her lips, asking for entry, for permission. Judging by how little resistance she put up, I expected that she would have been more than willing.

I broke the kiss, just to place a quick peck on her nose. When her face scrunched up, I chuckled. “Hey there.”

Sunny smiled and returned the little peck on the nose. “Hey there yourself.”

We slowly disentangled yourselves from each other. “If you don’t mind, I’d rather do you some good now and let you work in peace afterwards, if that’s okay with you?”

She allowed me to lead her over to the cushion and she dutifully made herself comfortable on top of it. “I am intrigued by this setup of yours and where it is supposed to lead, especially if it will leave me in a state capable of working afterwards.”

She gave me a playful wink and I instantly felt the heat creep into my cheeks. “Right,” I muttered and cleared my throat with a cough. “We’re starting easy.” I poured us a cup of tea and we enjoyed the first few sips in companionable silence. “Lay on your side, please.” She followed the instructions, I levitated the water bowl over and placed her front hooves in it. A few minutes to soak, after which I did my best to take care of them to the best of my knowledge. But the water alone already seemed to help her relax, because a wistful sigh escaped her throat. It made me smile.

Once I was done with her forehooves, I repeated the process with the other pair. And once that was done, I held her legs up, levitated the bowl out of the way and to safety, where neither of us could accidentally spill the water all over the floor. It was mere coincidence that I held her hooves high enough that they were on level with my muzzle. I looked at them. Looked at her. Shrugged with a chuckle and placed a few kisses on them.

I was rewarded with a dainty giggle from her. “Do you adore my hooves so much?”

Her playful tone made me grin. “I adore every inch of you, love.” The urge was there once more. To simply follow what had become instinct by this point. To place a trail of kisses up her leg, to her hindquarter. To tease her by nipping at her cutie mark. To escalate things further from there, because by all means — it did not seem like she was about to stop me.

It was the third strike, really. My self-control was waning. But I remained firm for now and placed her hoof down again. “Onto your belly, love.” She complied. But I did notice how she winked at me. She was playing the long game. And there was no way I could win. I levitated the tube over, opened it and began to massage her. Her neck, her back, her wonderfully plush rump. I knew her usual spots. Where knots formed. How to best get rid of them. I knew her body.

The massage took maybe half an hour. Probably a little bit more. We had time, no reason to rush. I filled the air with her sighs and quiet moans as I pressed my hooves into her back, as I forcibly relaxed her tense neck, and especially once I took proper care of her hindquarters. I noticed how she restrained herself less once I worked my way down to the latter and it would have made me sigh in exaggeration, but I simply smiled and continued.

You won’t get me this easily, you ancient tease!

Every now and then, we took another sip. These short little breaks served us both well. It allowed her to relax further and probably get some much-needed water in, because I doubted that she drank as much as she should while Day Court was open. And it allowed me to rest my hooves for a moment before they had to go back to work.

In the final stages, I sat beside her haunches and really kneaded into her posterior. I was almost done when she spread her legs ever so slightly further and her tail swished just a tiny bit. Still, with me being this close, it was more than enough to let me know.

I looked up to her, but Sunny had her eyes closed and her head lay flat on a second cushion. Her wings rested on her back, calm, quiet, still. She was fully relaxed. She could have been asleep for all I knew. But a knowing, teasing smile played on her lips.

And I had to acknowledge that I was not strong enough to resist her lure for a fourth time.

I leaned over, my nostrils flared and I silently absorbed her scent, rich and mouth-watering and ready. Her tail swished again and without thinking straight — or at all — I dove at the opportunity. Quite literally.

I heard her faint gasp as I buried my muzzle in between her cheeks. Her muscles tensed ever so slightly as I traced my tongue greedily over her lips, only to notice how sopping wet she already was. And half a second later, she pushed her hip against me. Had she really missed me that much…? It was hard to believe. Hard to imagine. But flattering nonetheless.

I repositioned myself to gain even better access by lying down flat on my belly right behind her. It also allowed me to grab her flanks and spread them or knead them as much as I wanted, and I loved playing around with her plush rump.

Another gasp escaped into the air as I sucked her little winking knob into my mouth and caressed it with my tongue, only for it to retract. We’ll see each other again soon enough, I promised. I led my tongue around her entrance in agonizing slowness, one circle after another until I heard her quiet, needy whine. At which point I stopped and pushed in. Her legs tensed, they tried to close up, only to spread further a second later. I grinned as I pushed deeper and deeper into her, until I reached as far as I could. I explored familiar walls with my eyes closed, so that I could fully engross myself in my other senses. The ethereal hair of her tail tickled my nose when the occasional stray wave crossed it. Her scent filled my brain to a mind-numbing degree, yet I felt intoxicated, hooked, greedy. Scent and taste blended into one as I lapped at her insides, as I pushed just that smidge further to close my lips on her tender flesh and sucked.

I felt the intense cold of the marble floor on the heat that had emerged from my sheath. I tilted my body ever so slightly to the side so that the growth pressure had a clear path to escape to. A mistake, as it quickly turned out. I had been so focused on my experience of her that I had failed to notice how her hazy bedroom eyes, half-lidded and all, had reopened. She craned her neck just enough to see her target, and once her horn lit up, I could feel her magic wrap itself around my length. Soft, slow strokes up and down that made my breath hitch in my throat and a rumble bubble up at the same time. It only spurred me on to increase my ministrations, to pick up the pace.

I increased the speed of my tongue-work, she increased the pressure and speed of her strokes. We goaded each other, but I eventually won out. Not because I had more stamina. I most certainly did not. But I gave a desperate little whinny, involuntarily, as I felt my climax draw near. I did not wish to end it this way. I did not wish to end it at all. Neither did I have any intention of making a mess of the floor or worse still, the cushion. And I was not done with her yet. I insisted on her getting off first.

So she let off. Her magic faded. She laid down her head again to focus entirely on her own pleasure. And in a display of pure lust and gratefulness, I poured my everything into serving her.

Her stifled moans became louder and louder, until eventually her entire body was tense like a coiled spring. I grabbed her flanks, plunged deep into her one last time and when the first waves of her orgasm hit her, I retracted just enough to circle around her clit.

Tremors rocked her world. Her hindlegs spasmed. Her cry was drawn out and primal. Her wings shot wide open, displaying their full beauty and impressive size.

I only stopped once the waves started to die down. She breathed heavily. Her wings collapsed to the floor, still extended. Her legs fell down as well, still shivering from time to time. And within a few seconds, she wiggled her rump just a tiny bit.

I looked up and saw her grin. Exhausted, yes. But she grinned. Still in that playful, teasing manner. And I understood. My turn. She had already driven me wild earlier. It would not take much. I quickly fetched a condom from a nearby drawer. Her aides and seneschals, clerks and guards would probably die of embarrassment if they knew they were there. Even more so if they knew that they were there because they were needed in this room frequently.

I fiddled around with it for a moment. I had no idea why I was suddenly so clumsy, until I remembered that I had massaged her for half an hour and had more or less continued to do so while I enjoyed her taste. The issue was quickly resolved when her golden magic grabbed both my length and the condom and led one into the other without any further delays.

The thought that she might still be this needy was amusing. In truth, she probably simply tried to help me out. Fair enough, really. I stepped up, aligned myself and looked at her. “Ready?”

She nodded. “I’m still sensitive,” she replied, implying that I better take it slow at the beginning. As if I had not already known. I took a deep breath to somewhat calm down my rapidly beating heart and slowly pushed into her. Her walls stretched around me, embraced me, welcomed me like the familiar guest that I was.

“Oh f—…” I cut myself off, bit down on my lower lip as I pushed further and further. Everything was heat. All my senses seemed so fanatically transfixed on this one region of my body. Somehow.

Once I was buried within her as deep as I could go, I stopped. For just a moment, to breathe, to make sure I had a proper stand, to give her a moment to adapt as well. Once she gave her okay, I started moving again. And it felt heavenly, despite the protective layer between us dulling some of the sensations.

Well, at least it helped me not come as quickly as I would have without it.

Which was not much of a difference, seeing how riled up I had been already, but still. I cherished every second of this. “I’m close,” I grunted in an effort to restrain myself.

“Look at me,” she asked. I had my eyes firmly shut, so she repeated herself in a more demanding tone. That got my attention. It always did. As soon as I looked her in the eyes, those beautiful magenta pools full of love and desire, I was lost. “I love you.”

“I-I…” That was all I managed to reply as I was subjugated by my own little earthquakes. My hindlegs froze in place, my hips bucked on their on as I plunged into her a couple of times and in a moment of utter non-thinking, I tried to bite down on her back — only for her magic to grab my cheek and hold me back. I knew what she wanted. I had asked for it on so many occasions. She was surprisingly shy when it came to certain things. She preferred not to be loud, but her moans and gasps and grunts were what really drove me insane. And in a similar manner, she loved to hear me.

I had not much choice at this point anyway. A long, loud, desperate moan filled the air, the result of a voice that I barely recognized as my own.

Then I collapsed onto her back and a second later, I chuckled. “I’m not too heavy, am I?” I croaked with an exhaustion-laden voice.

“Do not worry, I am fine,” she replied. And goodness me, did she sound satisfied. It made me feel proud in turn.

I sighed in relief. It took a couple more moments until I found enough strength again to stand up and slip out of her. I discarded the condom while Sunny levitated the towel over. Not what I had intended it for, but hey. Plans rarely survived exposure to reality.

After cleaning myself up, I lied down again and quickly cuddled up to her. A deep sigh later, I finally remembered what was missing. “I love you too.” Sunny smiled warmly and we shared another kiss. “This… was admittedly not what I had in mind, but I’m not about to complain either.”

It was interesting to see her mastermind smile. “To be honest, it was on my mind the moment I stepped through that door. I had been stressed for the last few days and this was just the kind of relief I craved.”

The moment she stepped through that door. Huh. I chuckled and pulled her down for another kiss. “Happy to provide, then.”

A few minutes passed by in silence. Only the fireplace dared to crackle every now and then. The tea was gone. The massage was done. She seemed happy and relaxed. It would have been the perfect opportunity. But I felt tired. Exhausted. I would not have minded to take a nap right here, right now.

“Mind telling me what you were up to, then?”

Her melodic voice lured me back to the lands of the waking ponies. “Hm? Why do you suspect I was up to anything? Can’t I just do something nice for my love?”

She giggled. I initially thought her amusement stemmed from my half-assed ‘outrage’, but she simply grabbed the teapot in her levitation and gave it a little shake. Seeing how I did not understand, she explained: “You made your ‘I am up to something’-tea.”

I blinked a couple of times, my eyes swiftly danced around between her and the tea pot. “I did not—… I mean I don’t—… we never said—…” Instead of fumbling around with my words any further, I grabbed the pot myself, levitated it over and sniffed. I obviously knew what tea I had made. It was more a gesture to buy me some precious seconds before the realization hit me. “Shoot. I thought—… no, actually, I didn’t. I didn’t think about that at all, I just—… it was unconscious. Damn. And here I thought I was smart about this.”

Her giggle gained strength, increasing to a quiet, mirthful laughter. I could not help but admire her. Without her aura of regality, she was just herself. Sunny. A beautiful mare with such a pretty laugh. It never felt demeaning or cruel, it was always filled with warmth and joy. It made her shine. Eventually, she regained her composure and looked at me again. “So?”

I grimaced. Right. Great. So now it’s less of a ‘now or never’ and more of a ‘eh, might as well’. I sighed. “I wanted to ask for your invitation for the Blue Moon Charity Ball.”

She watched me closely, tried to pry more information from my expression without having to ask for it. It was a funny little game to her, one I did not mind. It spared me from having to explain everything in excruciating detail. “But you do not exactly get along with the Canterlot nobility, and they very much favor you staying where they do not have to see you as well.”

“I know.”

“You do not even like wearing a tuxedo,” she continued.

“I know!”

“Do you even have a tuxedo?” She raised her eyebrow.

I tried to hide as best as I could by half-burying my face on her side. “The one from our wedding?” She giggled again. “I don’t think they will remember the getup I wore, right? Even if they do, I don’t think anypony would mind. Right?”

It should probably have said a lot that she chose to remain quiet on that front. “And who will be your plus one?” she asked instead.

Well, that at least was a question I was prepared for! “I gave it some thought and I deemed it safest to go alone. For one, it will keep me focused on the task and avoid distraction. And it will allow me to claim that I did this on my own.”

“I see.” She tilted her head slightly. I could see the gears turning, but she was unwilling to share her thoughts just yet. “And what is your plan once you are there?”

It was clear at this point that she figured out that this was about Greenwood and that I was searching for investors. So I gave her the pitch. As much of it as I had right now. “Many of those stuck-up moneybags don’t really care about Equestrias future, bar very few exceptions. So, I’m aiming for the head. I intend to sell them a high-risk, high-reward business opportunity. Because they care about money. Oh, and fame. The other thing they care about: Bragging rights.”

“You do not have a proper speech yet, have you?”

I chuckled. “There’s still a couple of days left to prepare one. And I do intend to write up a few versions before the evening arrives. Sooo… can I have your invitation? Please? Pretty please with sugar-coating?”

She snorted when she noticed my terrible attempt at puppy dog eyes. But despite her amusement, she still quickly answered in a less than favorable way. “No.”

“What? Why?”

Within seconds, her grin grew to that of a clever predator. “What happened to ‘doing it all on your own’? Without us?”

She’s got a point, it’s her ticket, a snarky voice in the back of my head whispered, accompanied by a dark chuckle. I grimaced and tried to find a way around the issue, but there simply was none. She was right. If I truly wanted to claim ownership of this thing, full ownership, I had to do it on my own. Without asking for favors from her. “Fine.” My shoulders sagged, but my mind was already racing, flooded with ideas. Maybe I could trade with some noble. Maybe I could try to get all buddy-buddy with somepony so they would take me as their plus one?

“I offer you an alternative,” Sunny suggested.

My mind came to a screeching halt. Everything would be better than dealing with nobles. “Yes?”

She looked around her study and opened a drawer. The invitation I sought flew over to us and landed in front of us, right in the middle. And her hoof on top. “Be my plus one.”

I felt stunned for a moment. It was silly, really. Both my reaction and her offer. “Love, you don’t go to these things. They start when you already slip into bed and they take up the entire night!”

She smiled patiently. “You say that as if I do not already know that.”

This was silly. She was silly. “And everypony and their grandma would flock to you!”

“Which would be perfect to keep the vultures away from you, so you may concentrate on your task.”

Why was she arguing in favor of silliness? Sunny was silly. She was allowed to be silly, because she was just a pony. But right now, she was making Princess Celestia-decisions. It made no sense. I looked around the study as well, as if the furniture would provide me aid in my nonsensical battle. And funnily enough — it did. Her desk was still laden with mountains of paperwork. “Luna already told me how swamped with work you are lately.” I turned my attention back to her. “I can’t make you do the zombie-shuffle the next day.”

My love continued to giggle and be silly. She lowered her head and nuzzled me. “I think I am old enough to set my own bedtimes.”

Her workload did remind me of another thing Luna had said, though. “By the way, we will talk about you skipping proper meals later!” I quickly scanned the study again and noticed what I had failed to see before: A small tower of stacked plates, every one still bearing small crumbs of whatever meal they had held. Probably from the last two or three days.

“Do not switch the topic, love,” Sunny chided me softly.

I looked around in exasperation. Desperation. But the room offered no further ammunition. And I ran out of things to say. It was silly. Irresponsible. But she was right — it was her right to decide if she wanted to be irresponsible. “Fine,” I relented grudgingly.

“Yesss,” she exclaimed in giddy delight, waggling her legs in turn as if she were doing a little prance in place.

It was such an adorable display that I could not help but chuckle. “I will need to dress up for this, won’t I?”

She looked at me, looked me up and down as if appreciating something I was regularly unable to see. “You look smashing in a tuxedo.”

It was that appreciation that made me pause. Wait. “Was this your ploy the entire time? To get me to dress up again?”

Celestia slowly rose from her cushion. She gave her wings a few tentative flaps before they refolded on her back. She stretched her legs and shot me a knowing grin. “That was a marvelous massage and a well-crafted break, but I fear I must dismiss you now, love, for I truly do have a lot of work to do.”

I stood flabbergasted. After what felt like half a minute, I shook my head in disbelief and collected the little tidbits of clutter. “This isn’t over, minx!”

She purposefully strode towards her desk, putting on a little air of her usual regality. The tip of her tail brushed along my muzzle. “Oh but it is, my love. See you tonight.”

I huffed and puffed, but it was so much harder to be outraged when all I wanted was to lunge for her again. So instead I took all my clutter and left her in her study. I had a speech to prepare. And I should probably find out if my tuxedo still fit. And maybe I should arrange for a proper dinner, so she would not even think about ordering a meal to her study again.

As I walked down the castle corridors, I mulled over what had happened. Things had not turned out as planned, but it was a success anyway. One step closer.

Three days later and Operation: Scaredy-Cat was a go.

Celestia wore a stunning dress with a fire-gradient coloration. A new one, I was certain. And Luna, my poor little kitten, had dressed up in a pretty and revealing and pretty revealing black dress. It was form-fitting and accentuated her shape just right.

Every mare and stallion in this big, big ballroom looked pretty. Or handsome. And here I stood, with my old tux, feeling horribly out of place. But that was normal. I always felt out of place when one of my loves took me to any of these high-society, fancy-schmancy dinner parties or balls or galas or whatever else they called these things.

It inevitably made me miss Applejack. She felt like a fish out of water as well, every time. She still came to the Gala with her friends because they wanted to go and they wanted to have her there with them. But inevitably, Rainbow wanted to talk to a couple of Wonderbolts. Pinkie saw somepony. Rarity saw Fancy and Fleur. Fluttershy wanted to take a breather in the gardens, because of the crowd. It was still a shared night. We managed to get the group together again every single time. But at some point, everypony was on their own. And in those times, Applejack and I clung together. Neither of us knew anypony there. Neither of us belonged there. So we did what we could to stay out of trouble and have our own fun. Mostly by shamelessly gossiping and imitating some of the funny things we witnessed, like a particular noble wearing a bird's nest as a hat.

To this very day, I had no idea if that had been a fashion trend, a lost bet or an accident.

I shook my head slightly. It had been funny how Luna reacted when we showed up. She had been so convinced that it must be a joke. A prank of some kind. I would have told her before the Ball, had Sunny not explicitly asked me not to. And I would probably get my comeuppance next night, when we were together on dreamscape patrol again.

“Right, focus.” I sighed. My mind was frazzled. I wanted to distract myself from the task at hoof. Desperately. But it had to be done. Moreso, I had a plan! Step one. Psyche myself up enough to actually dare approach one of my targets. Sunny had been kind enough to give me a list of names and descriptions, so that I would not just run around like a headless chicken, bothering everypony in attendance. It was an oversight on my part. There were dozens upon dozens of ponies here. Yes, it was still less than at the Gala, but still… too many ponies to ask for help.

“Target acquired,” I muttered. Lady Emerald Pyre was, according to my list and evaluation, a ‘maybe’. There was no particular reason why she would support my endeavor, but neither did she harbor any ill will towards me. As far as Sunny knew.

Step two. Approach the target. Get rid of any cold sweat or trembling legs. Try to appear confident and friendly. Polite cough to get the attention. Craft a conversation starter. “Lady Pyre, may I tell you that your coiffure looks incredible tonight!”

Lady Pyre turned towards me as intended, and while she accepted the compliment with a welcoming smile, the warmth of that smile quickly drained as she took in my appearance. I felt incredibly uncomfortable, like I was on display for some scientist who already had his scalpel ready. I managed not to squirm in my own skin, but apparently something drew her ire. She raised her glass to me… and turned back.

I gulped. For a few seconds longer, I stood frozen to the spot. I dared to look around, like a sneak who wasn’t sure if he had been busted. A couple of ponies nearby took notice, but none of them matched the descriptions I had on my list.

I managed to unfreeze myself. Step three. Crawl back under Sunny's wing to recuperate.

As for The Undying Flame herself, she was doing fine. Her part of the plan worked out great. She was the center of attention, swarmed by dozens of ponies who all tried to get a word in. It would have been impossible for me to reach her, had she not seen my approach and decided to walk a couple of steps, at which point the swarm surrounding her simply absorbed me into their midst and I managed to sneak up to her side. She did not say a single word, did not ask if I succeeded or failed. Truthfully, she could probably see it written all over my face. She simply stretched a wing out ever so slightly to cover my back while she still engaged the crowd. And since she did not spare me much attention, neither did any of the ponies around us.

If I concentrated enough on it, their loud voices became background noise. And I could regain some strength simply because she was close. Her unshakable resolve. Her endless patience. Her calmness in the center of the storm. As the center of the storm.

I resisted the urge to nuzzle her. It would not do. Such a public display. It would only serve to remind the nobles around us of our relationship and its complexity, which they did not approve of. So instead, I merely touched her hoof. It was enough for her to understand. Her wing retracted. She chose to walk another few steps. And the swarm spit me out the other end.

I looked around, reoriented myself. The ballroom was packed. In the center, many couples twirled according to the rhythm of the classical orchestra playing timeless pieces. The buffet table looked inviting, but I did not trust my table manners enough. Servants of the castle carried trays with glasses around. Champagne, wine. I felt thirsty just looking at them, but quenching my thirst with alcohol was a stupid idea, especially for somepony who drank maybe one glass of wine in a year.

Step One. I spotted Lord Tambourine. I racked my brains about his first name, but I could not remember. And really, what did it matter? I had all the information I needed for my plan. So, with a heavy sigh, I gave myself a shove in his direction.

Step two. “Lord Tambourine! What a pleasure to meet you here. That is such a fashionable sash, is that from Carousel Boutique?”

I tried to be attentive. But the whole time the conversation dragged on, my mind was a panicked, screaming mess. It was a miracle I even got to the point where I managed to present my speech. Lord Tambourine himself provided me with the hook when he mentioned that his family had fallen from grace, it seemed. “Well, maybe we can help each other out, my Lord. This might be an opportunity for the both of us. You see, I am the leader of a group of plucky settlers who are currently reclaiming not just the Everfree Forest for Equestria, but also aim to establish a settlement of noticeable size near the ruins of the old castle. I am sure you have already heard of the many, many alchemical ingredients coming from the weird and strange flora and fauna of the forest, as well as the relics that are sometimes found in long-forgotten ruins within the deeper reaches. We already established a solid base camp. A few buildings are up and we secured not only the path to Ponyville, the nearest town to get supplies from, but also the general area of our camp as well. By magical means, crafted by Princess Twilight and myself. That said, it is strictly a private project. Mine, to be precise. And we could use some financial backing. Sheer determination and a decent float only get you so far. To really get the ball rolling, we would need a sizable investment. But of course, such an investor would see his commitment returned many times over. I have been told that the Everfree wood is of remarkable quality and that there might even be larger veins of gemstones or precious metals in the ground, just waiting to be found and mined. Even better, such an investor would have his name carried far and wide, of course. A new frontier town defeated the constant threat of the Everfree Forest and reclaimed the chaotic land for Ponykind — that would make for some nice headlines, wouldn’t it?”

Ephemeral. That was his name. Ephemeral Tambourine. No wonder it was hard to remember. Such an odd name.

I wanted to sigh so badly once I finished my speech. I had done it. The entire thing was out. He had not interrupted me at any point. He had even listened attentively from what I could tell. It looked so great, right before everything went downhill. Fast.

Lord Tambourine seemed a good pony at heart. Under layers and layers of noble-crust. He sounded honest and regretful when he rejected my proposal. Apparently, his family’s ‘fall from grace’ had to do with some financial investments of the recent past gone horribly wrong. He assured me that he would love to invest — once his family had recovered from a recent betrayal of trust. I cautiously asked for an estimation, already dreading the answer. And I was not disappointed. Years. It would take Tambourine years to recover what was lost.

I still thanked him. Wished him luck. And left.

Step three. Crawl back to safety to recuperate.

It took time to get back into the game after each and every defeat. Lady Pyre had just ignored me, for whatever reason. Maybe she did recognize my tuxedo and did not wish to associate with somepony who dared to wear the same clothes twice. Lord Tambourine had been willing to help, but unable to. Maybe I ought to tell Sunny about that later, she could probably nudge a few pieces on her chessboard to help a good pony out. Either way, it was an outcome I had not expected. It never even crossed my mind that somepony would be willing to help, but simply could not. It seemed to only further decrease my overall chances of success.

And even if I had success, it would still drain my battery considerably. Because it was not the rejection that frayed my nerves. It was the pressure of expectations. The weight the looming failure carried.

Worst of all, I needed investors. Plural. It was highly unlikely that I would manage to reel in a fish big enough to pay all the bills.

Rinse and repeat. The swarm swallowed me, Sunny comforted me, the swarm spit me back out. Step one. I managed to track down Miss Golden Key. Not a noble, but a very successful pegasus from Baltimare. She had her own fleet of freighters. She was a heavy weight not by name and title, but due to her deep, deep pockets.

Step two. “Miss Key? Lovely to make your acquaintance! My name is Dreamwalker. From what I’ve heard so far, you’re quite the savvy businesspony with an eye for opportunity and your success speaks for itself.”

Another conversation. Frazzled nerves. Internal panic. The conversation felt tedious, drawn out, moved at the pace of molasses. But! I managed to get the speech in. However, something just felt… off.

And as it turned out, there were a lot of things I had not accounted for, a lot of outcomes. Sunny had already remarked that Miss Key tried to get into the good graces of the Canterlot elite. I had accepted that at face value and not thought much of it — until I saw an almost wicked glint in her eyes, while her smile remained charming. At no point did she resort to any open hostilities. But she was well-versed in rhetorics. She did not need to strike to still hit a devastating blow. And she made her opinion quite clear.

Just another pony who disapproved of my involvement with their princess. And-or their princesses. I could not tell if it was the polyamory-angle that irked her so much, or that I, a peasant from no bloodline of importance and with no backstory of note, had managed to woo their beloved, untouchable sovereign.

She clearly just parroted the opinions of the nobility. But she did it with glee. Maybe as a demonstration to those she tried to impress. I was just a rung on the ladder. I was an opportunity for her, oh yes. Just not the kind I had hoped she would recognize.

I dutifully and patiently waited, weathered the storm until she finally dismissed me.

Bitch.

A single word from the back of my head. I found it hard to disagree, even though I had no appreciation for his crudeness. Instead I heaved a sigh and finally gave in. I asked one of the waiters for a glass of wine. Maybe it would at least help me calm down my nerves.

“Your operation seems to run smoothly,” an amused and familiar voice behind me gloated.

I sighed again. “Hey, Pristine.” She stepped up to my side, carrying her own wine glass in her magic. Her immaculate white coat was brushed to perfection, her cocktail dress was a perfect fit and her hair was done to impress. Yet none of that mattered, did it? In the end, she was just another pretty pony amongst pretty ponies. Everypony here tried to be so gosh-darn unique, they all tried to stick out and once everypony was special, nopony was.

Well, except me. Because I wore a decades old tuxedo.

And Sunny. Because she towered over all others.

“You’re having a bit of a rough night, hm?” she asked and bumped her shoulder into mine.

She tried that encouraging smile. And I wanted to reply in kind. But right now, I found it incredibly hard to smile at all. “Is my continued failure that obvious?”

“Pretty much, yes,” she nonchalantly replied and took another sip of her wine. I took a swig as well. “I overheard your pitch,” she belatedly added.

“It’s not bad, is it?” I asked. Because I slowly started to doubt myself. That was always easy to do for me, but right now, I was really losing faith in this whole endeavor. I could not even manage to get them to listen. Or to agree with me that this was worth it. Not even by twisting my own mind and perspective in an attempt to make this appealing to them. “I thought I would hit all the right spots to succeed,” I muttered.

“Well, you did it for me.”

I almost choked on my wine. “What?”

Pristine grinned and offered me a napkin. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not the Miss Moneybags you’re looking for. But I would like to propose a deal.”

I straightened my posture, my ears stood tall and focused on her, I nodded eagerly. And then I furrowed my brow as a stray thought entered my mind. “Are you even allowed to do that?”

Pristine giggled daintily. “You mean if mom allowed me to flaunt our business money like that? Yes. Because this is a business opportunity. You said it yourself. Even if you cringe whenever you call it that.”

“O-Oh. That obvious, huh?” I grimaced and tried to quickly move on. “So, let’s hear your idea, then.”

I envied her. Pristine grew up in this kind of society. She knew how to handle nobles, she knew her way around social traps and dangers, she could just flick a lever and be all business-like. “I want exclusive rights for Carousel Boutique when it comes to clothes. I am aware that there are limitations to what you can do and offer, so I thought of something like this: For the first ten years, I don’t pay rent in my shop. You do your best to keep the competition outside and in those ten years, I get exclusive contract rights.”

Business with Rarity's daughter? With Carousel Boutique? Heck yeah. That said, ten years was a long time. “Counter-offer: You don’t pay rent at all, you own the place. The land price will only go up as the town grows, and you would have a nice, lucrative piece right in the middle. We’ll make it five years and you don’t have to pay taxes.”

“Deal!” she giddily exclaimed.

We both laughed quietly as we shook hooves. “Okay, but seriously. We will need to check at some point if that’s even possible. But it is something I would be more than comfortable with!”

“Marvelous, darling,” Pristine replied in her best Rarity-impression. And she was terrifyingly good at it. “I still have places to be and ponies to meet, so I’ll see you around later?”

Our farewell was short, but heartfelt. Pristine was my first supporter. Investor. Whatever. She would not be able to carry Greenwood on her back. Not alone. But it was a first success. One I had desperately needed, if only for morale’s sake. And to further boost my morale, I decided to gamble with my table manners. I made a beeline for the buffet table, because frankly, my stomach would scare potential investors away by making me sound like a bear.

“Gotcha cornered!” somepony said. Behind me. Again.

How do they sneak up on you so easily? I wonder.

I ignored the snark from the backseat and turned around. ‘Gotcha’ was nothing any self-respecting noble would ever dare to utter. Not even in the dead of night in the privacy of their own homes, surely. Before me stood a mulberry-blue unicorn mare, roughly the same age as Arcana. Her mane was split down the middle, one side silver, one side purple. She watched me with vibrant teal eyes, a mischievous twinkle in them.

I could feel a scratching at the walls of my memories. I felt a vague familiarity with her face, but I could not remember a name or origin.

Well, she did not seem like the regular run-of-the-mill noble, that was for sure. And if she approached me in such a way, hopefully I was allowed to answer in kind. “How insidious of you to wait for your prey to approach the bait. And who, pray tell, might my captor be?”

She grinned and held a hoof out, which I gladly accepted and shook. “Periwinkle is the name, big game is the… game. Okay, that could have been smoother, but in my defense, I came up with that on the spot. Nice to meet you!”

“Dreamwalker,” I replied. “A pleasure. So may I ask what brings you to me?”

She nodded. “I heard rumors spread, possibly perpetuated by a certain princess of the sun, that there’s a business opportunity with a newfound village in the Everfree Forest.”

I sighed deeply. All manners were thrown overboard when I looked around for Sunny. She was hard to overlook. The swarm surrounding her had thinned considerably. Probably due to Luna joining in the festivities. For a brief moment, our eyes locked. And Sunny smiled. Tender and full of care. It was hard to begrudge her anything. She only wanted to help me. To see me succeed at something that was important to me. I sighed again, and smiled back. A curt nod. I would thank her properly later.

Then I returned my attention to Periwinkle, who had the patience of a saint, apparently. “Yes, there is a new village being constructed in the Everfree Forest. It’s a private project. Led by me, actually.”

“Great. I want in.”

I opened my mouth, and closed it again. “I—… Just like that?”

“Well, no,” she answered, and there was that twinkle again.

“You talked to Pristine, didn’t you?”

Just the way her ears splayed back a little as if her mom had just caught her with a hoof in the cookie jar was telling. And a bit adorable. “Maybe.”

“So I’m guessing you want something for your backing,” I assumed.

Periwinkle grinned and nodded enthusiastically. “Nothing much, really. I want the building. Just the building. But I want it built according to my plans and specifications.”

What a strange request. Maybe she was a noble after all? And tried to make Greenwood her summer house getaway or something? “You are an architect?”

“No, but you have one I could work with, right?”

“We do,” I admitted. “What kind of building would that be, if I may ask? Please don’t expect us to rebuild the old castle in your image, because that won’t happen.”

She giggled and shook her head. “No, no, no, don’t worry. I want a tavern. Well, an inn, to be precise.”

I tilted my head a little. I used both terms interchangeably in my Ogres & Oubliettes-games all the time. “What’s the difference?”

“In a tavern, you drink,” she explained with a smile. “In an inn, you drink, eat and sleep.”

Huh. The more you know. “I think we can do that, yes. We would need some larger structure for team meetings and such at some point anyway.”

“Great, we have a deal then!”

She positively glowed with happiness. And confidence. An almost roguish, charming confidence. “May I ask where your money comes from?”

“My parents,” she quickly answered without any hesitation. “They made it big in Las Pegasus a few thousand years ago or so, after some initial hurdles. Buuut, they don’t want me to stay there and be absorbed by ‘that kind of lifestyle’.”

A brief tremor ran through my legs and up and down my spine as a small flash flooded my mind with memories from several different cycles. It was quite distracting and I resorted to simply plunge in and pick the first piece that I could grab. “Gladmane?”

“Oh? You heard about that?” Periwinkle seemed genuinely surprised. To be fair: I was surprised as well. I had barely an understanding of who Gladmane was, aside from some big name in Las Pegasus. “I thought they covered it all up nicely. Well. Yes, he was embroiled in blackmail, gaslighting, extortion and much more nastiness, so whatever you heard is probably true. And once he was in prison and the dust settled, my parents took over his resort.”

“May I ask who your parents are?” At this point, I had a sneaking suspicion that I knew their names.

“Trixie Lulamoon and Starlight Glimmer,” Periwinkle replied. The moment my eyes went wide and I silently mouthed a ‘ohhh’, she suddenly grew a lot more suspicious. “You know my parents as well?”

And this time, I fully understood why that would make her suspicious. Gladmane had been a public scandal. He was a figure of note, especially in Las Pegasus, but in the wider high society as well. His fall from grace had been a whole media circus. Trixie however… Well, usually I recruited her for the Greenwood project. As an entertainer. She usually built a tavern. Or inn, rather. It was a hilarious twist of fate that her daughter now came to me to basically ‘order’ the same.

The issue probably lay with Starlight Glimmer. A name I was most assuredly not supposed to know and recognize. Because what she had done never made it into any tabloids. I wondered, though. Trixie was a traveling magician. Starlight, for all I knew, was a fanatic cult leader. But from what little information I had, it seemed they arrived in Las Pegasus together, already as a couple. I doubted that she would have done so without leaving her cult behind first.

Was it possible that Trixie had redeemed her?

I shook my head and cleared my throat. “Sorry, I, uhm, I heard of them. Trixie, to be precise. I’ve been a fan of her work. Well, when she was still traveling with her wagon.”

The throwback at least seemed to mollify Periwinkle and get her off my case. We continued to discuss the details of our arrangement for a while. I told her about the Everfree Forest in general, and Greenwood in detail. Specifically who else was already there, as it sounded very much like she was about to join our crew. She seemed strangely interested in meeting Spike, the assistant dragon of her mom’s former nemesis. And I would absolutely tell Spike of that description, as I suspected it would embarrass, flatter and amuse him in equal parts.

We ended our conversation with the exchange of contact information. The contract needed to be written up, sent, signed, sent back, all the legal mumbo-jumbo. The important part was: I had a second investor! Again, not exactly the biggest fish in the pond, but even if I failed to capture enough interest this evening, having two minor investors already bought me some time. Maybe enough to make it to the Gala and try again there. Even though I utterly despised the idea of having to go there. At least with this purpose in mind. Visiting the Gala with friends was an entirely different matter.

I happily reminded myself of step three. Returning to Sunny’s side. My confidence was boosted and with the swarm around her seemingly dissipated, maybe I had a chance of actually telling her what happened. As I arrived however, she quickly introduced me to her current conversation partner.

“Oh, perfect, you are right on time!” She greeted me. Sunny extended her wing and both pulled me closer to her side, and shoved me a little forward. “May I introduce you to Doctor Zalamero Caballeron?”

“Like—?”

Doctor Caballeron bowed in a respectful gesture. “Like the one in the books, yes. It is this circumstance that gave me my current wealth. If only I had understood the concept of royalties and the usage of my name and likeness sooner. But this fine lady here was so kind as to offer me insight at a time of financial struggle, which in turn convinced me to choose a different path. One that would lead me to less conflict with the law. And a certain pegasus.”

I stared for a good while longer. It really was him, it seemed. Once upon a time, I had ‘met’ him in a vision, caused by a temple trap in the Forbidden Jungle. Funnily enough, Sunny had been at my side that time as well. And here he was again, many years later. His gray-brown coat showed signs of his age, his mane was almost completely silver now, but he still radiated that suave smoothtalker-charm. “I… see,” I lamely replied. “Well, I am glad to meet yet another reformed villain of sorts.”

Caballeron chuckled and shrugged. “What can I say? But it all turned out well in the end, did it not? Your wife was also so kind as to relay your ‘pitch’ to me.”

I grimaced only slightly, due to my tremendous effort not to do it at all. From the direction this was going, Caballeron wanted to support me. And apparently, she had already influenced Periwinkle to come to me. Which would mean that out of my three wins this evening, two were actually hers.

I sighed internally and tried to shove that thought to the back to be dealt with later. Right now, securing Greenwood's future was all that mattered. “Did she now.” I still shot her a look though. I was grateful. A part of me was, anyway.

“Indeed! And let me tell you that I am more than thrilled to pledge my support for such an ambitious project.” And if that had not been bad enough, he threw a bunch of numbers around. It took me a moment to figure out what he tried to do: Gauging how much support would be required.

At that point, my eyes bulged a little. Those were some deep pockets. And if I had learned anything from nobles and those with wealth and power, then that nothing was ever without a price tag. “And what do you hope to get out of this?”

Caballeron grinned. “Well, in recent years I kept busy as a middlepony, finding good offers for certain demands. I am sure a developing settlement such as Greenwood has its needs, no? And with the Everfree Forest offering such interesting, yet exotic exports, surely there is a bit of a lack of connections and means of distribution, yes? I can offer to fix that. Or rather, I hope to insert myself in that position.”

Our own version of Mister Rich. I knew that trade had to be established somehow, at some point. Otherwise Greenwood would not be able to stand on its own legs. But I was out of my depth. I knew what he was talking about, but it was a field I had absolutely no knowledge in. A network of contacts. Suppliers, demands. Market value of relics and rare plants. It made sense that he had the proper knowledge for this job, with his background and all, but I had no idea if allowing him into this position was a smart move or not. So I looked for advice. I looked at the only pony I trusted with this. And she nodded.

My heart still beat in my throat when I turned to Caballeron again, but at least a decision was made. “I think we can work something out, yes.”

“Grand!” he exclaimed with a rougher chuckle and picked up a glass from a tray as a waiter walked past. And he drank a toast to us.

Two days later, I sat on my own desk in my own version of a study. I had to make due with one of the guestrooms, as this allowed me to actually work without distraction. And yet, despite this reclusive place, she still found her way to me. Not that I minded overly as I heard the door open and close. Her horseshoes clacked on the ground with every step she took, only temporarily muffled when she walked across the carpet in front of the bed. Then her head slowly appeared close beside mine, slowly emerging from the edges of my field of vision.

“It’s not nice to read somepony else’s letters, you know?” I softly chided her with a smirk. I was about to finish up anyway and it was not as if any of this was secret. I would send these out on my way to the station. The contracts were done, with some fine-tuning from Moondancer.

Speaking of the she-devil. There was something I needed to discuss with Sunny. I turned my head and kissed her cheek. “You survived Day Court?” She nodded while her eyes still scanned my desk for any juicy information. “Well, I’m happy for you.” I gave her a peck again.

“I was on my way to my study,” she explained, “but I wanted to say a proper goodbye. Your train?”

“Leaves in two hours,” I answered.

“And did you manage to secure all the funding you need?”

Her face betrayed nothing of what she had done. As was to be expected from a master manipulator. So I played along for a while. “Oh, yes. A lot more than required, actually.” I intoned it just right to peak her curiosity, as I implied that there was more to it. Maybe even more than she knew.

“Oh, really?” she feigned ignorance.

I sighed. “Yeah. Strange, how that came to be. Apparently, right after the Ball, two anonymous donations were made. Not to the museum, but to the Greenwood project.”

I was a little stumped to see her confused for a second. “Two?”

Either way, though. She still had more or less admitted to it. I could not hope to get any more out of her than that if she was unwilling. “Yes. I had Moondancer sniff them out. Because that mare can follow paper trails like a bloodhound. You lost a really good guard there, methinks.”

“Oh.”

It was such a simple thing. And it really should not have been as funny to me as it was. But her simple ‘oh’ just cracked me up. I laughed for a moment, pulled her in and hugged her, just to nonverbally make sure that she knew that I was not cross with her. Quite the contrary. “Love, I really do appreciate that you wish to support my endeavor. I do. But, like, really?”

She sighed and retreated a step. A quick glance to the side, to make sure that the door was properly closed. As one of the guestrooms, there were no guards currently stationed outside. Or anywhere nearby. She slowly removed her crown, and the rest of her regalia followed. “I know that you wish to do this on your own, and on your own terms. And I tried to let you as much as I can. That said, you have to understand that supporting Greenwood in its infancy is in the best interests of Equestria as a whole. You aim to reclaim the Everfree Forest, which has been a breeding ground for monsters of all kinds and a favored hiding spot for villains. Not to mention the chaos-infused weather that constantly leaves the boundaries of the forest and interferes with the weather of Equestria.”

It was a tantalizing sight. To see her remove her regalia always struck me as something appealing. But I managed to stay attentive enough to at least attempt a proper conversation. “So is that the reason why Luna supports it as well?”

Sunny giggled and shook her head, her mane billowing from side to side. “Maybe? I can tell you that we did not coordinate our efforts on this front. Honestly, I would suspect that her contribution is less of an Equestrian matter and more of a personal reason.” She walked a couple of steps backwards and sat down on the bed while I was still busy trying to decipher the most assuredly multilayered meaning of her words. “You can simply ask her this evening, love. I would appreciate some more time with you before you leave, though.”

I looked up and she patted the empty spot beside her. I smiled and got up. And without any innuendo at all, without any sexual tension in the air, I still knew that I would miss my train. Because even if we only cuddled, I would never get enough of that.

Ah well.

There would always be a next one.

I was in quite the chipper mood, I even whistled a little song as I walked towards Greenwood. Even the birds seemed to occasionally chime in. The torches lined the path, their chain unbroken. And in just a few minutes, I would see the camp. And I could bring them the good news. We had support from outside. We had financiers. Investors. Money was still a little tight, sure, but we no longer had to dread what would happen in three or four months.

I breathed in the fresh forest air and relaxed a little further. It was a great day. Actually, all those last days had been great. While I was not exactly a fan of traveling, by train or otherwise, it had been a much-needed recharge for my batteries to spend some time with Sunny and Luna, to watch them squabble and prank each other over breakfast and dinner. And to sleep with Twilight by my side, even if it was just that one night before I returned to Greenwood. We had discussed the whole evening away, talking about Cunning Can and Twilight's theories about what the fourth book would be about and her criticism of tired tropes the author used. But she also praised his innovations in other places as well.

I felt renewed.

“Incoming!” I heard Spike yell from somewhere above.

Knowing Spike as well as I did, I simply stopped walking. Ducking for cover would have been the worst possibility, as he was so used to calculating his flight path with what he saw, and not with what might be in a second. And just as expected, he landed right beside me with a dull thud.

“Hey there buddy!” I greeted him and already clung to his side.

“Ho, someone’s in a hugging mood!” He tried to pry me off with his claws. When that failed, he even grabbed me around my barrel and lifted me off the ground. And I made it into a little game by clinging to him with all my strength. And since he did not wish to hurt me, he was very careful. Which meant he could not employ his full strength to pry me off, which meant I won.

Only after his sigh marked the moment of his defeat did I release him with a chuckle. “So, what brings you out here? Aren’t you supposed to watch over the camp?” I asked him.

He grinned and opened his claw, presenting me with… a black strip of cloth? “It’s a blindfold, Dream. Just put it on already.”

“I—… what? Wait. Why? It’s a blindfold! We’re still in the Everfree, you know?” I retreated a step. While I did trust him, I was not so sure if I trusted him enough to keep me safe along the path no matter what came crashing through the undergrowth.

“You’ll see,” he replied.

I shot him a deadpan look. “Harr harr.”

Only then did he realize and snicker. “Oh. Right. Or you won’t. Come on, dude. It’s maybe two minutes from here, what—“

“If,” I quickly cut in, “you continue to say ‘what could go wrong’, I will bite you! Don’t jinx it!”

Spike's grin turned more wicked by the second. “Could.”

“Spike,” I warned him.

“Go.” He offered me the blindfold again.

“Ugh, fine!” I grabbed the stupid thing and quickly tied it behind my head. He made sure a couple of times that I was truly blinded and could not just peek under or over the cloth. “That’s a lot of hassle,” I muttered.

But Spike just snickered and helped me walk along the path, slow and steady. “Well, it’s worth it. Dawn helped us out a little and we wanted to surprise you with what we managed to get done.”

I heard a lot of hoofsteps around me. They rang the bell to inform whoever was not present currently and a minute or so later, Spike grabbed the blindfold and removed it with one quick pull. “Ta-da!”

I blinked to get my eyes accustomed to the afternoon light again and then looked around. My eyes went wide and my jaw went slack. “Dawn… what the fuck?!”