An Alternative Beginning

Chapters

Chapter 1 - The Meetings
Chapter 2 - The Incident
Chapter 3 - The Reveal
Chapter 4 - The Uncertainty
Chapter 5 - The Collection
Chapter 6 - The Assault
Chapter 7 - The Discussion
Chapter 8 - The Confrontation
Chapter 9 - The Dragon Lord
Chapter 10 - The Reconciliation
Chapter 12 - The Arrival
Chapter 13 - The New Development
Chapter 14 - The Recovery
Chapter 15 - The Bust
Chapter 16 - The Oncoming Storm
Chapter 17 - The Maelstrom of Malice
Chapter 18 - The Aftermath
Chapter 19 - The Sessions
The Alternative Bad End
The Alternative Holidays
The Alternative Epilogue
Prologue - The Other
Chapter 11 - The Departure

Chapter 1 - The Meetings

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Chapter 2 - The Incident

[Helping Hooves Shelter - Twilight’s Room]

Twilight lay on her canopy-style bed early the next morning, fully enraptured by one of the books Gregory had given to her. She’d read many fantasy books and novels before and had gotten caught up in many of them, but none of them had the same impact as the human one she was reading. It was so engaging. She would even say it was more thrilling than the books she’d read up until now. “How could I have missed this?” Twilight asked herself.

Twilight sighed while turning the page. Of course, she knew why she missed out on this great literature: her fear and preconceived notions of humans. His knee-jerk reaction had caused her to miss out on so much potential knowledge. Even if Jason hadn’t come fully packed as it appeared Gregory had, what he could have told her about human accomplishments would have opened up so many possibilities.

Looking over at the clock hanging on her wall, she saw that it was almost seven in the morning, the time when she had promised to meet up with Gregory to show him around. Twilight bookmarked the page she was on, set it on the end table next to her bed for later that night, and went to her mirror. She slapped her cheek with her wings before growing determined. “Okay, Twilight, here’s the deal,” She said to her reflection to help psych herself up, “You’re going to go to Gregory’s room and properly welcome him to Equestria. You may not be the Princess of Friendship anymore, but being a good friend doesn’t require a title! Got it?” Twilight stared awkwardly into her reflection before she shook her head and moved to the door.

As she began approaching the bedroom where she’d let Gregory stay, Twilight spied a group of about five ponies peering into Gregory’s room. Confused, she inched her way closer as she began to hear the chatter among them. “See? See! I told you I wasn’t lying!” One of them, a younger earth pony mare, said to the others.

“Sweet Luna above, there’s more of them!?” A unicorn stallion whispered with a hint of disgust in his voice.

“What was the princess thinking, letting that thing in here?” A pegasus stallion added.

Twilight instantly frowned as she started marching to the crowd. However, the closer she got, the more her frown morphed into a scowl from the conversation. “I have half a mind to kick the freak out myself!” A unicorn mare said, lighting up her horn.

“You idiot! You can’t do anything to it,” an earth pony stallion said, putting his hoof on her and pulling her away from the door. “Did you forget about that horn from the trial? If we try anything to do it, whatever we try will happen to us! Remember the guard?”

“I don’t care!” The unicorn mare spat. “I lost my home because of that other human! We need to let it know that it’s not welcome here!!!”

Twilight had heard enough. She made her presence known by stepping on the stone floor loud enough to be heard. “And how will you be doing that?!” All the ponies jumped at Twilight’s tone. “I don’t recall breakfast being served in the halls. Do you ponies have a problem with our newest guest?”

The ponies looked amongst themselves before one of them, the pegasus stepped up. “Princess–”

“Stewardess, or just Twilight!” Twilight corrected. Despite the ruling of the tribunal, ponies insist on still calling her a Princess. It was something she hated as it felt like everyone was excusing her action or felt like her punishment was unwarranted, but it was anything but that. With Gregory, it was different, of course. He apparently knew her as a Princess, and he still didn’t know any better. It still hurt whenever he called her that, but she didn’t hold it against him.

“Erm, yes. Twilight,” the pegasus said before turning slightly and pointing towards the slightly open bedroom door with his wings. “Do you know what’s sitting in that room?”

“Yes, I do, as a matter of fact. His name is Gregory Graystone,” Twilight replied, “and as long as he’s in this castle-no, as long as he’s in Ponyville, he’s my guest.”

“But it’s a human,” the unicorn mare who had threatened to kick Gregory out said as she stepped forward and pointed towards the door. “It’s the same race as the one that ruined our lives. The one who’s coming again to take our bits from us soon!”

“Gregory, isn’t it? He’s here because I offered him a place to stay for a while and I was planning on showing him around.” Twilight walked to the door as the crowd moved behind her. Turning, she faced the little gathering. “Moreover, Jason and Gregory didn’t ruin our lives. We did that ourselves. Now, clear out of the hallway before I cut the breakfast hours!”

The ponies reluctantly complied with Twilight’s order, all turning and heading down towards the cafeteria all while muttering something Twilight couldn’t hear. Once they left, Twilight turned to Gregory’s door, suddenly a bit nervous when she fully realized that the door was slightly open. ‘Did he hear all that?’ she thought to herself, ‘we were awfully loud. Actually, it’s really quiet in there. Those ponies didn’t do anything, did they?’ Twilight’s rising panic got the better of her as she burst through Gregory's door. She frantically looked around and spotted a lump in the bed. The lump shifted to reveal Gregory sound asleep with a bit of drool coming out of his mouth. Twilight sighs in relief, then giggled a bit. He looked strangely adorable sleeping like that. Now that she wasn’t panicking, she got a good look at his facial features. He had a messy head of hair that she remembered had been a bit long the day before. His skin was a similar color to Jason’s own, a slight white-pinkish. She remembered from the day before that his eyes had been a strange piercing bluish green.

In the middle of her observations, a loud ring that came from the side of his bed spooked her. “GAH!?”

“Huh?” Gregory slowly opened one eye and looked around sleepily. He sat up and faced Twilight. “Oh, good morning,” he said tiredly, seemingly oblivious to the strange sound coming from his bed.

“What is that?!” Twilight shrieked while covering her ears.

“What’s what? Oh, this?” Gregory asked as he reached over and picked up a strange looking rectangular object. He looked at it and touched it without hesitation. The strange sound immediately stopped and he sat up, stretching. He wore a dark blue tank-top, if what Twilight knew about clothing was any good. She wasn’t too sure how to judge how fit and in shape a human was, but if Bulk Bicep was any indication it seemed as if this human was in pretty decent shape. “Sorry if it startled you,” he added as he stood and arched his back before grabbing a nearby brown bathrobe that was hanging on a hook next to the bathroom door. As he quickly put it on, he looked back at her and asked, “Am I late?”

“No. I was coming to get you,” Twilight said, having sufficiently recovered from the noise. “What was that racket that little rectangle thing made, and what is it?”

He raised an eyebrow and held the strange device up for Twilight to see more carefully. “It’s called a smartphone,” he replied. “More specifically, it’s a brand of smartphone called an iPhone. Haven’t you seen anything like this in the human world? It’s like a miniature computer. I can store tens of thousands of songs on it along with audiobooks and hundreds of thousands of books. The only problem is I need to keep the battery charged or else it will eventually stop working and I won’t be able to access the books. That racket you heard was my alarm. I tend to sleep heavily on more comfortable beds so I needed to set an alarm or else I wake up very late. Once I get used to it, I’ll start waking up on my own, but having an alarm is a good backup.”

Twilight gasped at his words and looked at the smartphone with scientific curiosity. “T-That’s impossible!!! Over a hundred thousand books on that device?! That’s more than what any library beside Canterlot can hold. What kind of magic lets you do that? And you said audio books? This thing can make sound?”

Gregory nodded. “It’s not impossible, and there’s no magic involved. Humans don’t have wings or magic. We don’t need it. We don’t care. All we’ve got’s imagination, new inventions everywhere.” He smirked, and Twilight got the impression that he was quoting something. He cleared his throat and continued, “It’s all science. Now, I can’t claim to know the intricate details, but this little device here has enough space to hold possibly every book written on this world. And yes, this phone can produce sound. Watch.” He began tapping it, making swiping and tapping motions with his fingers, Finally, he pulled out a white cord and connected it to what looked like a speaker. He tapped the phone again and sound began coming from said speaker.

An orchestral piece began playing. Twilight could hardly believe her ears. It was as if she was at a live concert. She could clearly make out several instruments, such as parts of the string section and a horn that came in later. The piece he was playing had a peaceful sort of ambiance to it. Even so, she couldn’t see them. She listened, enraptured by the entire piece, which lasted for about five minutes.

‘And, all this is done by science, not magic!’ she thought as the piece continued. ‘I never would’ve dreamed this was possible!’ A wave of guilt hit Twilight as once again, her actions in the mirror world and even more so with Jason continued to haunt her. ‘I missed out on such innovative devices and stunning orchestral pieces because of my fears. I wish I could take it back.’ Twilight shakes her head. ‘Come on. Twilight. Stop spacing out or he’ll get suspicious.’ She looked back to Gregory and gave him her best smile as the song finished. “That smartphone is truly amazing. And that song…I don’t know why, but it resonated with me.”

“I had a feeling it might,” Gregory chuckled as he tapped on his smartphone, unplugging it from the speaker and putting it back on his bed.

“Unfortunately, I was too focused on getting my crown back to analyze anything too closely in the mirror world,” Twilight explained. “I hope you won’t mind a research session about it later. For now though, I want to start your tour.”

Gregory nodded. “Oh, of course. I didn’t just bring this, but I do have some spare smartphones and some ebook readers, all full of books. Anyway, let me just put some other clothes on and I’ll join you.” He looked out of the window. “Say, what’s the weather supposed to be like today?” he asked. “I’d like to know so I know what to wear.”

“Not to worry. We’re scheduled for some clear skies for the rest of the week,” Twilight replied.

“Sweet. Perfect Cinco de Mayo weather,” he said, confusing Twilight further with whatever he was referring to. He began digging through one of his bags and pulled out some clothes before heading into the bathroom. “That’s one thing I wish our world had,” he said from the bathroom as Twilight heard the rustling of clothes. “Complete weather control. Our natural order isn’t something we really can control. It’s a lot like the Everfree Forest.”

Twilight frowned a bit. She remembered that Jason had said something similar at the trial. “O-Oh, well, the Everfree may be dangerous, but I bet it has its own perks. I’ll let you get dressed, then. We’ll start as soon as you are finished.” With that, she walked out of the room to give Gregory some privacy.

[Badlands - Changeling Hive]

Chrysalis marched through her hive with purpose and a little trepidation. After her drone had informed her of the latest news from Ponyville about the second human the night before, she’d slept on it before going to Jason about it. ‘Another human in Equestria again? Faust knows how well Jason will take the news. He’s going to be so pissed,” she thought. She made it to his room and an opening appeared in the wall. Jason was sitting in the center of the room in a meditative posture. It was something she’d suggested some time to help ease his mind, and judging from how he looked, it had appeared to work somewhat. He was in better health than he had been even a year ago. Chrysalis walked in and the opening behind her shut on its own. “Jason?”

“Hmm? What is it?” Jason said without looking back.

“I brought news from one of my drones in Ponyville,” she said.

“What about Ponyville?” he replied without opening his eyes. “We’re not due to collect payment until the end of the week.”

“Yes, I know,” she said, “But, there’s been a new development that I think you should know about.”

Jason glanced back at her with his good eye. He instantly raised an eyebrow when he saw Chrysalis. “Well, something big must’ve happened if you’re this shaken up,” he replied as he leaned back against his bed. “What? Did those merry gaggle of xenophobes get the band back together?” he asked with a slight sneer.

“Jason. I want you to promise me something before I tell you anything,” Chrysalis said in a tone she hoped was placating. “No matter how bad you think this news is, you can’t overreact.”

Now Chrysalis could sense that Jason's interest was truly piqued. He leaned forward. “Now, I don’t know if that’s fair,” he replied with narrowed eyes. “This is Ponyville we’re talking about. Just the name alone makes me want to drive my fist through a wall. I make no promises.”

“Just attempt to curb your worst instincts,” Chrysalis said. “I don’t have all the details yet, and–”

“Just tell me already!” Jason said impatiently.

Sensing his annoyance, Chrysalis sighed. “As of last night, another human has entered Ponyville.”

There was a long and pregnant pause in the room. Jason stared at Chrysalis with an unreadable expression. Slowly, he stood up before looking into a nearby mirror. Chrysalis swallowed a lump down her throat as Jason removed it from the frame and, without any warning, smashed it violently against the ground, all while wearing the same blank expression. The shards scattered all over the black floor, reaching one corner of the room opposite the direction where Jason was standing. Chrysalis felt the rage radiating from him like a furnace as he stepped toward her. “You knew about this for the entire night and you’re only telling me now!?” he demanded.

His anger was enough for her to take a half step back, but she gazed into his good eye with defiance as she replied, “Can you blame me?” she asked hotly. “Look what you did to that mirror. Those aren’t cheap, you know? And, that’s seven years of bad luck.”

“This. Is. Not. A. Joke!” Jason snarled, getting closer to Chrysalis. “Did you honestly think that if another human stumbles into Equestria that they wouldn’t be in danger?!”

“Excuse me for trying to avoid this reaction from you!” Chrysalis shot back. “As I said, I don’t have all the details. I have my drones watching him covertly. Other than a couple of ponies hovering outside his room, there’s been no harm to him.”

“Him? So, he’s male? Do you know his age?” Jason asked, breathing deeply in an attempt to calm himself.

“I only have you to go off of when it comes to human ages,” she said, “but from what my drones showed me it looks like he’s an adult like you around the same age range.”

“And you are one hundred percent sure that none of the ponies hurt him?” Jason asked.

“Right now, they’re all keeping their distance,” Chrysalis said, which earned a scoff from Jason. Unperturbed, she continued. “They believe that this human is under the effects of the Gjallarhorn as well even though he's strangely not. He doesn’t seem to know what happened yet, but I don't know how long that will last.”

Jason scratched his chin thoughtfully as he looked at the wall for a few seconds, then back at Chrysalis. “What about Sparkle?”

“Ah, yes, the former Princes,” Chrysalis said with a frown. “She’s currently taking him on a tour of the castle and asking him question after question about some items he brought with him. She seems to be getting along with him well.”

Chrysalis felt the rage building in Jason, more than she’d felt within him for a while. There was also another emotion she hadn’t detected from him since she’d known him: jealousy. She felt him quickly bury it deep down as he straightened and turned to face the changeling queen. “Get everything ready. We’re leaving right now.”

Chrysalis’ jaw dropped in surprise. “Are you serious?” she asked with astonishment. “ Even if we leave now, it is still a two-day trip.” Chrysalis flinched slightly at Jason’s look, a mixture of rage and determination wafted off of him which scared even her. Sighing, she rolled her eyes. “Fine, fine. Just go and inconvenience us all, why don’t you? I’ll make the necessary arrangements…”

Grumbling, Chrysalis left the room, leaving Jason to stare down at a broken shard of glass. He knelt and picked a larger shard up carefully, looking at his reflection through it. He traced his fingers along the scar on his face as he muttered softly, “...Never again…”

[Rock Farm - Pie Family Residence]

It was another productive day on the Pie family rock farm. Pinkie wiped her brow as she smiled down at the sparkling geodes she’d discovered during her first few hours of work.

She’d gone through a lot of change in the year, and unlike her friends, a lot of her changes had been positive. For one, her physical appearance had greatly changed. Her mane wasn’t as puffy as it was a year prior. Instead, she had straight bangs similar to the type she had after seeing her sins thanks to the Gjallarhorn. Not all of her manes were straight, however. The end of her mane had regained some of her traditional bounce which she tied into a ponytail. Her tail wasn’t curly anymore but instead was a bit wavy. Being on the rock farm for the past year also helped her get into better shape. The pudge she’d once had slimmed out. She felt a lot stronger than before, too. She wasn’t sure if she was as strong as Applejack yet, but she could now easily crack open geodes the size of Holder’s Boulder. Her mother had even said that she’d become quite a beautiful young mare who any stallion would be lucky to have. She couldn’t see it, but she thanked her mother anyway for the compliment.

Over the course of the past year, she had learned more about how to be a proper adult. Limestone had been right. Being on the rock farm had built up a lot of her maturity. She wasn’t the mare she had been even before the trial. She’d like to think she’d become a better pony than what she had been. There were a few things she still had to work through, but she felt like she was getting better. She learned the proper balance between her old persona and the hurdles of being an adult. She’d grown more mature but had still retained that spark that had made her Ponyville’s premiere party planner. She’d even planned the birthday parties for the birthdays of all of her sisters and her parents. Each party had been a bit more subdued than those she’d planned in the past, but they were still enjoyable.

When her birthday had come around, she’d been surprised to find that her entire family had planned a party for her in the style of her very first party. It had been the first time she’d cried from happiness in a while and she had enjoyed herself immensely.

During that year, she’d also grown closer to her sisters. Maud had been the sister she’d been closest with, but she grew closer to Limestone and Marble as well. She learned that Marble had developed a crush on Big Mac during that first year they shared Hearth’s Warming together. She learned that Limestone had actually secretly taken up crocheting after overhearing Applejack mentioning it at their first Hearth’s Warming. She learned much more than just those, and it helped them all grow as a family.

The biggest hurdle she’d had to overcome so far was accepting the fact that she had made a mistake and that Jason might not be able to forgive her for it. She had been so desperate to try and make things right at the trial that she’d defaulted to the only way she knew how to cheer people up and make them smile. However, she’d learned during her year at the farm and from traveling to the nearby farming town that there were other ways to make ponies smile than parties and playing foalish games. Giving out useful presents was one of the first ways she’d learned how to make ponies smile, and she’d learned more from there.

As Pinkie was coming back from the field with another haul, her hoof began to tingle. She stopped in her tracks while the tingling sensation began to move up from the hoof all through her body. It ended with a flick of her tail. Alarmed, she took off the harness around her and broke off in a full sprint back to the house. She burst through the door, scaring her family in the process who were all finishing breakfast before the day’s chores. Limestone turned to her, a scowl on her face as she hollered, “Hey! What’s up with you? You know Pa doesn’t like it when you slam the door!”

“Sorry, Pa. But, I have to go!” Pinkie quickly ran up to her room and came back down with a suitcase, stunning the family in the process.

“Where are you going, Pinkie?” Maud asked with the same tone she’d always used, albeit one mixed with some slight worry.

“I know you’re not going to like this, but I’m going back to Ponyville,” Pinkie replied.

Her parents and siblings all looked concerned at this sudden decision. There was silence as they digested what she’d said. Unsurprisingly, it was Limestone who spoke up, putting her spoon down and putting her hooves down on the table hard.“What do you mean you’re going back there? You finally stop being depressed and you want to go back to the cause?!”

“Why, Pinkie?” Marble asked softly.

“My Pinkie Sense flared up again” Pinkie explained, “and, no, I’m not just doing this as another whimsical impulse. This is serious. I haven’t had anything go off for a whole year. I don’t know what this one means, but it’s a big doozy. I really think I need to go back now.”

“But, you’re going to listen to it now?” Limestone asked skeptically. “Do you even know why? Or is this an excuse to see those rotten friends of yours?”

Pinkie sighed as she finished packing. “I would be lying if I said I wasn’t planning on checking up on them as well.” she said. “Some of their punishments might’ve put them in a bad spot. I spent a year getting better myself and I think I’m at a good place now. But, if you think differently, then I’ll ignore it.”

Cloudy Quartz slowly approached her daughter as she analyzed her. Pinkie stood up straight and gazed back into her mother’s eyes. Cloudy turned to Igneous with a nod. He returned it stoically. Cloudy turned back to her daughter and put a hoof on her withers. “You have our blessings, dear. But, we ask that you use caution.”

Pinkie smiled and went around the room, giving everyone a big hug and kisses on their cheeks. “I know, thank you, Ma. Thank you, everyone. I’ll write as soon as I can!” With that said, she quickly ran out of her home and to the nearest train station.

[Helping Hooves Shelter.]

Twilight was feeling anxious. Gregory was carefully walking behind her as she led him through the hallways. Every time they passed by the occasional pony, Twilight tensed up. She caught a few glimpses of some slight glares that many ponies sent his way, some of which sent shudders down Twilight’s spine at the amount of animosity behind them. However, Gregory seemed too enraptured by the castle tour itself to notice.

“So, here at the Helping Hooves shelter, we strive to aid each and everypony through their current hardship,” Twilight explained as they walked down the crystalline hallways. “We have all the up-to-date utilities needed for every pony’s comfort and convenience. Almost every room in the shelter is large enough to house a large family of ponies. Each room typically has a max capacity of eight ponies, with your room being an exception. We also have plenty of room for storage of any personal items. Also, we have everything for toiletries, silverware, utensils, and a fully stocked fridge. Right now, we’re coming up to the library.”

Gregory’s eyes widened in anticipation as they approached the doors leading to the library. “Well, I’m glad this castle can be put to good use,” he said as he looked down at Twilight. “Hey, on a brief subject change, I’ve always wondered something.”

“What is it?” Twilight asked.

Twilight watched as Gregory gestured to the tall corridor they were walking down. “This castle seems bigger on the inside than the outside. Is there some magical reason for that? Interdimensional magic or something?”

Twilight giggled as she opened the door. “You’re not the first to ask that. I’m still not sure myself, but I have a working hypothesis that when the Cutie Map grew bigger, so did the castle. Even before that, though, the castle seemed to respond to its occupants and shifted to accommodate them. It did spawn from the power of the Elements of Harmony, which came from the Tree of Harmony. So, technically speaking, you could say that this castle is alive.”

“Huh, so kind of like the TARDIS,” she heard him muttering.

She almost asked what he meant, but thought better of it. As they entered the next room, Twilight flew up in a dramatic fashion to display the library, spreading her hooves wide with a proud smile. “Behold, the library!”

Gregory raised both of his hands and began clapping, a gesture Twilight guessed was like a hoof stomp type of applause for humans. Only, he was looking at Twilight instead of the library itself. “Every time I hear about it, it boggles my mind that those wings can support flight for you, but I guess that’s magic for you.” He put his hands on his hips and looked around the library, whistling in appreciation. “I have to say, though, this is an amazing library. It might very well put the lost Library of Alexandria to shame!”

Twilight’s ears perked up at the mention of this Library of Alexandria. She resisted the urge to ask about it as Gregory walked over to a nearby shelf, picked up a random book, and opened it to look at the front page. A smirk formed on his face as he read the title. “Hmm…Plays Of Sir Shake Peer Volume 3. Never heard of him. Who was he?” he asked as he looked at the table of contents.

“Sir Shake Peer? Oh, he’s considered one of Equestria’s best playwrights,” Twilight replied as she flew down and landed next to Gregory. “His plays are very well known across Equestria. I’ve seen a lot of his plays performed before when I lived in Canterlot.”

“Well, I’d love to read or maybe even see some of his plays at some point,” he said as he put the book back with a carefulness that Twilight immediately respected. “Anyway, as much as I’d love to spend as much time in this place as possible, I don’t want to take up too much of your time. What else can you show me?”

“Right this way.”

Twilight held the door open for Gregory, but to her surprise, he pushed his hand against the door and gestured toward her. “Ladies first,” he said in a respectful tone.

Twilight smiled up at him. “Such a gentle colt,” she said as she walked in front of him, Gregory pulling the doors shut behind them.

They walked for a short distance down the corridor once again to their next destination. Soon they were standing in front of a double-arched doorway at the end of another hallway. She opened the door, revealing a massive storage space that had once been a space meant for a museum. “This room is where we store everyone's personal effects,” she explained. “As you can see, everything is neatly organized and labeled so that there’s no confusion about what belongs to who.”

Gregory looked inside the large room. “Oh, this place is really big,” he said, then his eyes widened when he heard an echo. “And it’s big enough for an echo!” he added with a gleeful expression. “Shame there isn’t a door to the outside. I could place my car in here before it gets damaged by any animals from the Everfree.”

“Well, I’d have to see how big this car of yours is to see if we can store it in the castle,” Twilight replied. “Anyway, let’s continue.”

The pair walked a little more as they entered another hallway with Doris on either side. “This wing of the castle is dedicated to recreational activity,” Twilight said. “We have games for foals, teens, and adults. There’s even a pool here somewhere. There are a few spare empty rooms here, too.”

Gregory looked around, then smiled. “If there’s a larger empty space here, that might be a cool place to set up my projector and have a movie night. Unless I see some other place…hmm…” Twilight watched as he stroked his chin thoughtfully.

Twilight arched a brow at his words. ‘Projector? I wonder what the human version of those looks like? Does it use film as we do? What other wonders do humans have? Oh, I’ve got to hurry this up so we can get to his car.’ Twilight cleared her throat, leading him down another hallway. They went upstairs to a massive domed room with a large telescope. “Here is the observatory. A nice quaint little spot for stargazing. The roof can retract and get an unfettered view of the sky.”

“I love stargazing,” he said as he walked around the telescope and took it in, keeping a respectful distance from it. “I could never get a good view of the night sky from when I was looking at your world through the portal. I have a map of our night sky and all of our constellations sitting in the car right now. That, and a planetarium projector. I’d love to compare some time.”

“I’d love to hear more about those later in our research session,” Twilight replied with some more excitement at the thought of comparing astronomical data between worlds. “But, I do have a question. Is that portal easily accessible to other humans? I only ask because it might be dangerous if it’s in the Everfree.”

“Oh, I think the portal shut down the moment I drove through it,” he replied. “And it wasn’t in the Everfree. It was in the castle’s backyard. I can show you where some time.”

Twilight internally sighed with relief. ‘Good. That means no more humans can get mixed up in our world and potentially get hurt,’ she thought, ‘but, that might also mean Gregory is stranded here like Jason.’

After another inner sigh, Twilight started moving again. The two walked down the hall until they reached another set of double doors. She motioned for him to stop as she opened the door slightly. “Right here is the cafeteria. It’s where we serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The kitchen is also beyond these doors. We have a dedicated staff that cooks and cleans this space so everypony can be fed. We’re not going inside as some ponies can be a little grumpy this time of the day. But, it is up to par, I promise.” Of course, that was another lie. Twilight didn’t want to chance another hostile reaction from the ponies inside. Especially in the morning.

Gregory peaked through the door and looked at the massive cafeteria within. After a few agonizingly tense seconds, he stepped back which allowed Twilight to close the door. “That is a big space, and I’ve never seen so many ponies before. But I have a question. Can I see the kitchen sometime?” Gregory asked. “I brought some food from home that I probably won’t be able to get here anymore and I’d love to also try making foods from my world for you all to try. You also mentioned a fridge earlier. I brought some drinks with me that I wouldn’t mind having cold. Either that or having one in my room. I’d pay for it after I get a job, of course.”

“I’ll – uh - see what I can do,” Twilight replied a bit nervously,” but that concludes the tour. Can we go and see your car now, please?”

“Hehe, you’re an eager beaver,” Gregory said with a good-natured chuckle. “Sure, let’s go.” Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a set of keys, one of which was attached to a black square of some kind. “Lead the way to the door and I’ll show you where I parked it last night.”

Twilight trotted down towards the castle entrance at a brisk pace as excitement washed over her. The pair made it to the door as Twilight held it open for Gregory, only for him to once again hold it open for her. Once outside, Gregory led Twilight to his vehicle. It was a dark red box-shaped vehicle of a type she hadn’t seen before. It had windows around it, most of which seemed to be tinted. It was made of shining metal. The wheels were unlike any she’d seen before, appearing to be made of some sort of thick rubber. In front was a small metal plate with six random numbers and letters stamped into it. On the very top was a black rack of some kind that Twilight assumed was for extra storage of some kind.

Gregory pulled up the key with the black square and tapped something on the square. This made the car chirp, earning a squawk from Twilight. She also heard a noise that sounded like CLUNK at the same time. Also, she saw two lights on the front flash briefly with a bright light she hadn’t anticipated. “Ah, sorry,” Gregory said as he gave Twilight an apologetic look. “I was just turning off the alarm and unlocking the doors.”

“Ah, I see,” she said as she slowly walked along, getting a good look at the car itself. She took in more of the details. The vehicle had four doors with a hatch in the back. On the two front doors, there were two small mirrors with the words OBJECTS IN MIRROR ARE CLOSER THAN THEY APPEAR written neatly on the bottom. The paint job was impeccable. Inside she saw more of his belongings, boxes and suitcases, and other objects.

When she rejoined Gregory, she looked up at him with curiosity. “So, do all cars have those noisy alarms? What are they even for? And for that matter, I did see that there were different types of cars in the mirror world. Why is that if they all do the same thing?”

“Whoa whoa whoa, slow down, let me get a word in edgewise,” Gregory chuckled, causing Twilight to blush in embarrassment. “Well, let me answer your last question first.” He opened up one of the car doors and stepped aside, allowing Twilight to look inside. “It probably doesn’t mean much to you,” Gregory began, “but the car in question is known as a 2017 Ford Explorer. 2017 is the year it was manufactured by our calendar, Ford is the name of the company that made the car, and Explorer is the name of the car type itself. There are other car companies on Earth that compete to get the most customers, companies like Chevrolet, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Tesla and more. Capitalism at its finest.” He gestured for Twilight to enter said door. As she did so and after he closed the door behind her, he walked over to the other side, opened the second door and got inside, closing that door as well.

He turned to her and continued his explanation. “This vehicle runs on a liquid fuel called gasoline, something I don’t think Equestria has. I have a few cans of spare gas in here and I have some instructions on how to make some homemade stuff, but once it’s gone, the car won’t run anymore. The instruction manual is in the glove compartment and you can read it anytime.” He touched a wheel in front of him. “This is what I use to steer the car itself. It’s sort of like a wheel on a boat. This controls the two front tires so I can steer. These buttons and levers control a lot of different settings, everything from the environmental controls to certain gears the car can drive in and the lights for driving at night. As for the alarms, yes, lots of newer cars on Earth have them. They’re a theft deterrent.”

“Hmm, I can see how all that noise would ward off thievery,” Twilight said, still reeling from all of the new information thrust at her, “but how would anypony take this monstrosity? It looks too heavy to pull.”

“Well, they can either steal the keys or they can do something called hotwiring,” Gregory explained. “There are ways to make this car start without a key if you know what you’re doing. Sometimes people don’t steal the cars. Instead, they break the windows and take what’s inside. It’s one reason why I was a bit hesitant to leave it outside, but you gotta do what you gotta do, I guess.”

A small part of Twilight felt some validation that humans did indeed have nefarious tendencies, but the voice was quickly shot down when she reminded herself that ponies were no better. Ponies had committed crimes in the past as well. Theft and other crimes had only been on the rise this past year in Ponyville alone. She shook her head clear of these thoughts and sat on her haunches on the seat, facing forward. “Alright then, let’s see this thing in motion.”

Gregory raised an eyebrow. “Really? I mean, I doubt your streets are asphalt like our roads are. From what little I saw earlier, they’re cobblestone or dirt, so the ride won’t exactly be smooth. And won’t ponies be a bit afraid of this?”

“As long as we go slow, I think we’ll be alright,” she replied. “Besides, I’d like to see what it’s like,”

Gregory’s face melted into a smile. “You ponies are too darn cute. Alright, I guess we can go for a small ride. But first, you need to have this on.” He reached over and pulled on a strange strap to Twilight’s right, then pulled it down over her and snapped it into place inside some other strange latch. “Gotta get that seatbelt on. Safety first. Sorry if it’s a bit uncomfortable. It wasn’t really designed with ponies in mind.”

Twilight nodded her head appreciatively. She recalled from her brief glimpses of cars in the mirror world that they could move very fast. Even if the seatbelt as he called it felt strange around her barrel, having some sort of protection felt reassuring.

Next, Gregory checked the mirrors that were inside and outside the car. When Twilight asked what he was doing, he explained that he was checking to see that no one was in the way behind him before putting the keys in what he said was called the ignition. With a turn of his wrist, the vehicle roared to life with a sound that caused Twilight to squeal in alarm. Even in the interior, the sound of the vehicle starting was alarming.

Unfortunately, the sound also caught the attention of some nearby ponies, who jumped back at seeing the car. Gregory began maneuvering some controls and then pressed his foot down on something in front of him. To Twilight’s utter astonishment, the vehicle, without any help from anypony, slowly began backing out of the awning he’d parked it under. When it was back on the grass, he pulled on a strange lever. Twilight heard a subtle shift in the humming from the engine as the vehicle began moving forward. He turned it so it wouldn’t hit the awning, and away they went.

The ride was a rather bumpy one, but Gregory seemed to try and find the smoothest path possible. They drove down a street that was mostly dirt and that was more or less a residential area of the town. Twilight marveled at how Gregory concentrated on the road and everypony around them. At one point, he had to press lightly on the center of his steering wheel, which caused a loud horn sound to come out of the front. This startled the ponies who had jumped out in front of the car and made them run.

Twilight’s mouth was open in astonishment during the entire brief drive. She’d always used hot air balloons, fancy blimps, or even trains to travel, but she had never considered something like this. It was like an advanced form of horse drawn carriage that didn’t need a pony to pull it. Gregory kept a moderate pace as Twilight watched the scenery pass by them in awe.

As they drove, the bumping caused Twilight to begin feeling a bit sick. Gregory must have noticed it because he touched something on the panel in front of him. To her surprise, cool air began flooding in from some of the vents. He then touched something on his door. The window beside her rolled down automatically. Twilight flinched from the sudden airflow before she tentatively stuck her head out while her mane flowed in the wind. She heard Gregory chuckle a bit when she did that, but she was too enthralled to ask what he was laughing at.

After a few more minutes. Gregory turned back toward the castle. During their entire drive, Twilight had been paying attention to the ponies around them. Many of the ponies didn’t seem to know what to make of the vehicle. The only reason there wasn’t any panic was that they presumably saw Twilight inside and giggling like a school filly.

After returning to the awning and parking the vehicle, Gregory turned off the car, got out, and opened Twilight’s door. He undid the seatbelt and helped her out. Twilight was as giddy as a filly when she got out.

“That was amazing!” she said with a wide smile on her face. “I mean, I thought I was going to get sick there for a bit, but the wind in my mane and the hum from the car was all wonderful. Can you imagine how this could revolutionize land-based travel? We might not need to commute by train anymore!”

Gregory chuckled. “Yes, yes you could,” he replied as he closed the door.

Twilight was about to ask some more of her burning questions until she noticed that they were drawing a crowd. The ponies themselves were slowly getting over their confusion and began to regard Gregory with suspicion and contempt. “I think that’s enough for now,” she said quickly. “We don’t want to freak anypony else out. Come on, I can go for something to eat. But, first, I have to make a note of my findings so far.”

“Oh! That reminds me! I have another gift I forgot to give you last night!” he said as he quickly exited the vehicle and ran to the back. He opened the hatch in the back and peered through some of the bags that were still in there. “Aha! Here we are!” He pulled out a mid-sized box and set it on the ground before he closed the car door and tapped his keys, causing another chirping noise to come from it. He lifted the box and carried it over to her. He opened it, showing her a large assortment of strange-looking cylindrical objects. “I brought a bunch of pens from my world. I know you still use ink and quills here, but these don’t need to be constantly dipped in ink. Watch!” He grabbed one of the pens, then grabbed a small slip of paper from his pocket and began writing on it. There were no ink blots that formed from the advanced pen, and the lines of the ink itself were more pristine than anything she’d seen before. “I bet you could recreate these easily!”

It took all of Twilight’s discipline not to scream out in joy. She graciously accepted the gift as the two went inside. “Thank you, Gregory. I’ve had so much fun today. But why do you head back to your room and I’ll come get you when it's time to eat.”

“I hope I can find my way back,” he joked. “I was hoping to see more of Ponyville, but you’re the expert here. I’ll see you later.”

As he waved and headed back down the corridor with an apparent spring in his step, Twilight looked around at the gathered ponies. She winced at their hate-filled expressions that were directed toward him when he wasn’t looking. Picking up the box with her wings, she followed Gregory in but not before giving the crowd a glare of her own. This caused them all to disperse. As she entered the castle, she sighed heavily. What was she going to do?

[Helping Hooves - Gregory’s Room]

Gregory slowly opened his eyes after a particularly wonderful dream. In it, he’d been sitting down with Applejack at Sweet Apple Acres taste-testing the difference between the apples he’d brought from Earth and the local apples. Since he’d brought a large number, he’d been able to give one to Big Mac, Apple Bloom, and Granny Smith. In the dream world, everything was still a cartoon to him with the exception of Twilight who appeared as her real self. The apples that he’d tasted in the dream already were exquisite and far surpassed anything he’d tasted on Earth before.

Just before they were about to taste Earth apples, he woke up after feeling the urge in the dream to relieve himself, the same urge he felt now. He’d had too much local apple cider to drink at dinner, which he’d had with Twilight in her room. They had eaten some rather delicious stew which contained potatoes, carrots, cabbage, peas, and other vegetables that had all been stewed in a savory vegetarian broth. They’d also had steamed rice, much to his surprise. There’d also been a few baked potatoes with butter and slices of warm, freshly baked bread and sliced cheese. They’d been given water and apple cider to drink. Gregory now realized just why Rainbow Dash was so addicted to the cider. He doubted that the Martinelli’s sparkling cider bottles he’d brought would compare.

During the dinner, Twilight had asked Gregory many questions about his world, and his world only. She’d been stunned to hear about the population of Earth is over eight billion people, had asked plenty of questions when she learned of humanity reaching the moon, and she’d nearly had an aneurysm when he described other methods of travel, such as airplanes, bullet trains and faster methods of naval travel. He’d gladly answered her questions. He hadn’t gotten a question of his own in edgewise, but he didn’t mind. There would be time later, after all, once he answered Purple Book Horse’s questions.

After using the bathroom, he walked over to his window and sat down in his camping chair, looking out at the night sky. His window faced east, and he saw the waning gibbous moon still in the eastern sky. The phases of the moon here might have matched the phases of Earth’s own moon, but the features on this moon did not. It looked a lot more uniform than the moon back on Earth. There were craters and mountains, but no maria like Earth’s moon had. He had no idea just how this universe had been created, but it wasn’t quite up on his list of priorities to learn. He could see a faint unicorn head outline on the moon itself, however.

The stars were brighter than anything he’d seen on Earth. The night sky didn’t have that purple hue it had in the show. Instead, he was greeted by the same inky blackness studded with bright stars that were all-too familiar to him. The constellations, on the other hand, were completely foreign to him. He made a mental note to ask if he could borrow an astronomy book so he could relearn his constellations. Navigating by the stars was a universal constant, after all, and he needed to learn how to not only survive in this new world but thrive.

The moonlight shone down on the lake, the ripples from the nearby waterfall causing its reflection to scatter and illuminate some nearby trees. A slight breeze blew across the lake as well. Gregory sighed in contentment as he took in the peaceful sight below. It was so relaxing that he felt himself starting to drift off. The window he’d left open let in a cool breeze that washed over him, blowing his hair back as he closed his eyes, a soft smile on his face.

Until a sound that shouldn’t exist began blaring, waking him up. He stood and looked out of the window. He couldn’t see his car from this angle, but he could still hear the alarm going off. Earlier that evening, before curfew had begun, Gregory had gone out for a brief walk in the backyard. He had gone into the water up to his knees, enjoying the cold refreshing water. During his brief stroll, he had found the metal pole he’d first pushed through the portal months earlier. Not wanting it to get lost, he’d brought it back in.

He rushed over to where he’d placed his car keys, grabbed them, flung on a pair of shorts and a hoodie, then grabbed the metal pole. He’d have grabbed one of his pistols but there was no time and they were packed away securely. If there was a wild animal out there trying to attack his car, he wanted to be prepared to chase it off. He didn’t want to kill it, since that would upset Fluttershy and he didn’t want to get on her bad side only one day in. He grabbed a flashlight and jumped out of the window after putting on some shoes and rushed towards the sound of the alarm.

As he continued to approach, he began hearing something else: panicked voices. They were indistinct at first, but as he continued running, he began hearing coherent sentences.

“What in Faust’s name is it doing?!”

“Shut it up! Hit it harder! Maybe that’ll dent it!”

“Sweet Celestia, somepony make it stop!”

When Gregory reached the corner of the castle, he turned on his flashlight and aimed it at the awning. In the light of the flashlight along with the lights from the alarm, he saw about seven to eight ponies, each of different races, all either holding their ears or doing their best to ignore the loud noise and hit his car. Only, to his astonishment, it seemed like their hits did absolutely nothing. Not even to the windows.

“Hey! Get away from my car!” Gregory shouted, approaching with his flashlight and metal pole raised. “What are you doing?!” He didn’t turn off the alarm as it seemed to be deterring the ponies who were trying to vandalize his car.

“Ahh! Make it stop!!!”

“It’s scrambling my brain!!!”

“I’m going deaf!!!”

Gregory watched on in utter confusion, unsure of how to proceed. However, before he could move, Twilight came rushing out of the castle with several night guards in tow. Unfortunately, they too were unprepared for the audio assault on their ears as well, covering their ears with their hooves. Gregory hit the disarm button on his keys and switched the alarm off. “Seriously, what in the actual he-heck were you ponies doing?!” he shouted, his control over his language almost slipping just a bit. “Did I seriously do something to make you want to destroy my car?!” He rushed over and looked over the car with his flashlight, looking to see what kind of damage it had suffered. However, strangely enough, he saw absolutely nothing. No dents, no scratches on the paint job, nothing. Slowly, he turned back to the group of ponies. “I’ll ask again. Why did you try and destroy my car?”

Gregory didn’t get much of an answer as many of his assailants were still recovering. Twilight and the night guards recovered quickly though as they were only subject to the sound for a few short moments. Twilight pointed to the group of ponies. “Guards. Place them under arrest for attempted vandalism!” she ordered.

“Alright, get up! You’re all coming with us.” The night guard said, placing suppression rings on the unicorn members, wing clamps on the pegasi, and shackles on the earth ponies

As they were being pulled away, one of them turned and glared at Gregory. “A-Ah! This isn’t over, you freak!” he shouted as the night guard carried him and the other ponies away. “We won’t let you ruin our lives again! Leave just like that other monster!!!”

Gregory frowned at that. ‘Ruin their lives again? Another monster? What do they mean?’ he thought. Slowly, he turned back to Twilight, only to see a look of utter fear on her face. “Princess? Hey, are you okay?” he asked.

Twilight flinched and shied away. She felt the all too familiar feeling of panic rising inside her. ‘No. No, no, no! Why did this have to happen?’ she screamed internally, ‘why would they do this? Did they learn nothing!?’ Twilight took a small breath, sighing. ‘Okay, think, maybe you can salvage this.’ Twilight shook away her anxieties and approached Gregory. “I-I’m sorry Gregory,” she said apologetically. “I didn’t account for other ponies' reactions to your vehicle. My guess is that they thought it was some kind of monster. Good thing it’s sturdy. We should get back inside and let the guards handle this.”

Gregory frowned internally. There was something in her tone and body language that seemed to indicate she was hiding something. He knew that the one pony had been shouting at him, not his car. As much as he didn’t want to believe it, he couldn’t help but think that Twilight was outright lying to him about something. However, he was too tired and cranky now to deal with this as an intelligent person should. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves before he said, “Before we go inside, I’d like to find a place to store my car inside where nobody else can get at it. I don’t care if it withstood attacks that would normally destroy it. I’d like to have it inside and away from prying eyes.”

Twilight nodded. “Right, that would be a good idea. There’s a spot around the back of the castle that nopony but the royal guard can use. I’ll notify them of your want to store your vehicle.”

Gregory nodded, got into the car’s driving seat, and turned on the lights, startling the ponies around him. He started the car and began backing up. “Just tell me where to go,” he called out to Twilight.

Twilight hovered in the air and gestured for Gregory to follow. They moved around the castle without incident until they came to a large set of double doors. They opened to reveal a large space that looked like some kind of warehouse to Gregory’s eyes. As the guards began moving some boxes away to make room for his car, Gregory watched as Twilight informed the guards stationed there of the situation. “We understand, Twilight,” one of them said, “however, we will have to inform the Princess of this incident as well. I suggest writing to her. It won’t look as good if she hears it from somepony else.”

Gregory saw a slight look of dread forming on Twilight’s face. “...Right, I’ll get right on it…” Twilight said.

Gregory, having just gotten out of his car and having locked the door, nodded. “I’ll bet Princess Celestia would love to hear about it,” he said as he got out of his car and locked the doors. “Anyway, thanks for the help, Princess. Same to you ponies, too. I’m sorry for the inconvenience. I’m gonna go back to bed.” He grabbed his flashlight and metal pole. “See you at breakfast tomorrow?”

Twilight nodded, wincing a bit as Gregory mentioned Celestia. “R-Right.”

“Same time? Seven?” Gregory asked.

“Yes, seven in the morning,” Twilight replied with a nod.

“See you then,” he said as he turned and headed back the way he’d come. He quickly found his still-open window, climbed in, and this time closed it. He quickly got undressed for bed and climbed in under the covers. As he began drifting off to sleep again and the adrenaline in his system began to slowly dissipate, he found himself thinking back to the events of the past few minutes.

Something had happened here. Something that Twilight wasn’t telling him. It was like she was afraid for him to know. He yawned, turned over, and decided to ask her about it very soon. Those were his last thoughts before drifting off to sleep.

Twilight sighed deeply as she made her way back to her room. Opening her door, she trotted over to her bed and buried her face into her pillow, letting out a loud scream in the process. It was one of the few times she was glad she didn’t have her alicorn magic. If she had, it was almost a certainty that everyone would’ve heard her. Moving the pillow, she turned around, lay on her back, and stared up at the ceiling. “There’s no avoiding it now,” she said forlornly, “if this happened once, it can happen again. It could’ve easily been Gregory on the receiving end of that assault. What was I thinking? I can’t hide the truth forever!”

Twilight frowned deeply as she sat up and walked over to her desk. Ironically, now she had the opportunity to try out one of the pens that Gregory had recently gifted her. It took her a little bit to figure out how the one she grabbed was used, but eventually, she held it in her wings. Without her magic to manipulate things, she’d become quite an expert on using her wings to grab objects. Ironically, she’d gotten so good she’d begun using them a lot like how humans used hands. She gripped the pen in her wings and began writing several letters. She didn’t like the fact that she was using a gift for such a reason, but she didn’t have time to get a quill and ink.

Dear Princess Luna,

I regret to inform you that an incident has occurred at the shelter. For reasons I cannot fully explain, another human has stumbled into Equestria. Don’t worry, he came under no harm and I was able to engage in a pleasant dialogue with him. His name is Gregory Graystone.

It also seems that, just like Jason Wright, he is a fan of the program that displays our lives. He hasn’t mentioned it to me yet, but he knows a lot about us already, so it seems like it’s a reasonable assumption to make.

Everything was going fine up until some ponies attempted to destroy his property a few hours before sunrise. I thought I could handle things and keep things from escalating, but now I realize that I was merely hiding from taking accountability. I know I don’t deserve it, but for Gregory’s sake I am formally requesting aid from the crown to help in ensuring his safety.

Your loyal subject, Twilight Sparkle

Satisfied with the letter, Twilight sealed it in an envelope and took out a vial from a drawer next to her bed. Popping the cork, she poured one drop of its contents onto the letter. The letter was instantly engulfed in flames before the embers flew out to Canterlot in a manner similar to how Spike’s flames worked. Twilight got another letter ready and she sighed again. “This is going to be a big headache. Dear Spike…”

Chapter 3 - The Reveal

[Golden Shores - Western Equestria]

Former Princess Celestia stood in the middle of the town square, looking at her little ponies with a look she never thought she’d display on her face a year ago: utter disgust. Using an advanced disguise spell to craft a pegasus persona for herself named Sunny Skies, she had been wandering Equestria with her former student Sunset Shimmer by her side. Both of them had been traveling from many different villages and towns in the kingdom. For Celestia, she was trying to determine for herself what kind of attitudes different ponies had towards other races. She and Sunset had noticed a bit of a worrying pattern. Smaller villages, like Golden Shores, had a higher tendency for ponies to mistreat those of other races, such as what had happened in this coastal town.

A family of five zebras had moved to town in the hopes of receiving a better job than they’d had before as well as a better education for their foals, two fillies and a colt. Even so, prejudice and fears of other races still prevailed among ponies and had resulted in the current situation. The town mayor, a unicorn stallion named Salt River, had only given the zebra stallion, a younger father named Juhudi, a job as a low paying overnight janitor in the local school. Kuaminika, Juhudi’s wife, had to get a job herself to help pay for their foal’s education.

It hadn’t been any better for the foals, either. All of them had been experiencing bullying behavior at school, and when they tried to tell the teachers about it they were summarily ignored. When they tried fighting back, they were given out of school suspensions while the bullies got off with light slaps on the hooves.

However, as much as her anger against the ponies gathered on the beach was, it was nothing compared to what Sunset Shimmer was displaying. The townsponies flinched back in utter fear as Sunset’s mane and tail were both ablaze with magical fire. Worryingly, it reminded Celestia of her alter-ego who she had kept suppressed for so long, Daybreaker. “What in the ever-loving FUCK is wrong with you pieces of shit!?” Sunset was shouting with a fury that reminded Celestia of her earlier days. “What makes anyone better than anybody else?! What, is it their stripes?! Is it their lack of magic, you xenophobic little bunch of bitches!?”

If there was one thing Celestia didn’t quite like about her time in the mirror human world, it was Sunset’s newly acquired vocabulary. It wasn’t like she’d made swearing illegal during her time as princess, but she hated their use. For Sunset, they never came out of her unless she was extremely angry like she was now. She could understand Sunset’s anger, of course. Walking up, Celestia said, as her Sunny Days persona, “My friend’s language aside,” she began, putting one of her wings on Sunset’s back to try and calm her, “she has a point. Faust above didn’t just create us ponies. She created every living creature on the planet. We’re all the same in her eyes. Why does that stop you from accepting others?”

The townsponies response was less than ideal. “Yes, Faust created all life,” the mayor said with derision, “but clearly, she valued ponies more. Time and again, you hear countless stories of how uncivilized and brutish the other races are. Even zebras have notorious pirate groups that raid and steal from anything that comes their way. Now, they are here taking what good fortune we have for themselves!”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “And are ponies any different? Does nobody here remember the damned Trial? Does anyone here remember what the horn showed?! How are any of you any different from those ponies?!”

“While I doubt the legitimacy of the word of a creature that aligns with one of Equestria’s most notorious villains,” the mayor replied, “we are nothing like those ponies in Ponyville. We gave the zebras a job and opportunity, unlike the former princess and her associates. So, why is there a reason for these complaints?”

“Job? Opportunity? Goddamn it, I call bullshit on that!” Sunset snapped. “Did you give them at least minimum wage? Did any of the worthless teachers step in when their children were being bullied? Sure, you gave them ‘jobs’,” and here, Sunset used her hooves to make air quotes, “but these two are much more intelligent than the jobs you gave them! In fact, they’re smarter than anyone else here!”

The mayor scoffed at this. “Well, if that’s true, they can take an aptitude test for better placement. Of course, you are required to show some documentation proving said intelligence. If not, then the zebras can simply wait to garner more experience and take the test when they are ready. We can’t go giving free hoofouts or going off the word of some stranger such as you two,”

Sunset turned back to Celestia. “And this is the mindset of most ponies we run into. Is it any wonder we’re quickly becoming hated by every other race on the planet?” She turned back towards the zebras. “I’m really sorry about this, you guys. Apparently, these useless ponies don’t believe in harmony and friendship for every creature.”

Juhudi gave Sunset a thankful look. “Your kind words to me and my tribe are more than what words can describe. We’d believed ponyfolk to all be kind, but clearly these ponies' hearts are blind.” He turned to the mayor. “Faust made us all equal in her sight, but you treat us like some sort of blight. All we ever wished to be was a member of your community, but now I see, the truth is clear, you wish for us to disappear.” He turned to his wife and children. “My dearest love, it’s time we moved on. These ponies are not a part of Faust’s Song.”

As the family of zebras left with Sunset and the former monarch, Celestia reached into her saddle bags and pulled out a bag of bits. “Juhudi, as compensation for all your family's hardships, please take these bits. There is an organization for non-ponies that's been making great strides in changing ponies mindsets. Creatures for Equestria. I believe they can provide you with more than enough aid. In fact, one of their establishments is in the next town over.”

Juhadi accepted the bits graciously, then turned to the still disguised former princess. “Our thanks again for everything. Tonight, a new verse of Faust’s Song we’ll sing.”

“We’re heading to that town anyway,” Sunset said, “so we can walk you there. I believe it’s called…” she paused as she took out a map out of her own saddlebag and looked it over, “Let’s see, here…Ironforge Bay. It’s a mining town, and from what I’ve heard, they have good schooling and you can get better paying jobs. The CFE has really turned that town around.”

Juhudi’s family all nodded their heads gratefully. “Perhaps I was too quick to judge. It seems not all ponies are sticks in the mud. You have helped us in our darkest hour. Your kindness shall be repaid, so you’ll neve be dour.”

“Not all ponies are like them, but from what my friend and I have seen, those are few and far between,” Sunset replied.

As the group made their way to the next town, Celestia could not help but to lament the state of her country. “Has all I’ve been doing as a ruler is enjoying the splendor I believed to be harmony? How could I be so blind?” Celestia mutters softly to Sunset.

“You want the honest truth? The answer is yes,” Sunset replied without hesitation. “Face it, all you’ve been doing is enabling. You acted more like a mother who spoils her children and less like how a princess should act. If you had a motto, it would probably be ‘Spare the rod, spoil the child.’ Ironically, that’s a human saying.”

Celestia tried to come up with some kind of rebuttal. However, she could find none and looked down in shame. “You’re right. As much as I don;t like to admit it. Equestria must change. The CFE has indeed made great strides. But, I believe there may be a way to help them.”

“We’ve been traveling Equestria for a year, Sunny,” Sunset said, using her fake name so as to not arouse suspicion from the nearby family of Zebras who were having a conversation in their own native tongue, “and so far, the majority of ponies in smaller towns are a lot like those in Ponyville. Back when I was in the human world, I learned that humans had made a study of different animals. There are ponies there, but just like Jason said, they’re only animals over there. Ponies are a herd and prey species in both worlds. We tend to fall to our baser instincts and fear predators. Ponies in some of the bigger cities are more tolerant, like in Manehattan, but that’s because they generally don’t give a fuck. I’m all for trying to help the CFE, but what do you suggest?”

Celetia looked down at her former student, who was quickly becoming the teacher in her eyes, and smiled. “I was thinking of seeing if there were any other open positions in the CFE for them.”

[Canterlot - Throne Room]

Princess Luna sat on the throne that had once belonged to her sister, looking down at the paperwork that her secretary, Raven Inkwell, had brought for her to read over and sign off on.

A lot had changed for Luna in the year since The Trial. Over the course of twelve months, she had actually grown in many different ways, one of them being physically. She was now as tall as her sister had been the last time she’d seen Celestia. Her regal regalia had to be upgraded because of that. She’d also grown fast in how much she had to learn about modern day politics. In the past, she had been content to let Cellie deal with it since it gave her a headache, but she realized now that was a horrible mistake.

With Celestia now gone, Luna had taken on the mantle of raising and lowering not only her moon, but the sun as well. At first, it was massively difficult for her, but eventually she grew used to it. She believed that it was due to this exercise of her magical power that she had experienced her new growth spurt.

Thankfully, she had the help of her nephew, Prince Blueblood. He sat on her old throne which had been reupholstered to better suit his nature. He wore regalia that was similar to Luna’s, only it was purple with the chestplate bearing his cutie mark. His crown was purple as well with a diamond gem in the center. He, too, was looking over some of the paperwork with a frown. “Another business on the verge of bankruptcy asking for a crown bailout,” he scoffed as he put one paper aside. “What, do those fools at Pine Cone Dairy think bits grow on trees?”

“Dear nephew, you and I both know that this is the result of us losing trade with the other nations,” Luna replied with her best patient tone. “That business in particular once used many donkeys as below minimum wage labor.”

“A shame,” Blueblood said as he grabbed a nearby quill pen with his magic and began writing something on it, “I did admire the cheese they made, but it’s for the best. Equestria’s good name has been tarnished and dragged through the mud for far too long.”

“It is a consequence of our foolishness,” Luna replied, “but if we are to bring back our former alliances, we must strive to show we are changing.”

Blueblood was about to reply, when he paused. He held up a letter in his magic, a small grin turning wide as he examined it. “Ooohohoho, this is quite rich indeed,” he said with a grin. “Dear aunt, I believe this letter is for you.”

He floated the letter over to Luna, who took it in her own magical grasp. On the front of the letter, she read the words URGENT! PLEASE READ! From Twilight Sparkle. Luna eyes the letter in intrigue. While she was initially disappointed with how Twilight, her friends, and all of Ponyville’s citizens acted with Jason, she did not feel it was right to completely excommunicate the mare that played a vital role in saving her. So, she began a series of dialogues through letters a few months ago. Through those letters, Twilight expressed how horrible she felt after the trial and that she and her friends were barely on speaking terms anymore.

Then came the economic depression. While some places like Canterlot hardly felt the blow, places like Ponyville fared very poorly. Thus, the support of the Helping Hooves shelter came into fruition. It was a noble goal to help those that Luna personally would’ve let rot. But, still, she would not turn down aid for the foals. However, in all their letters between each other, Twilight never wrote something with such urgency. As Luna read the letter, her expression turned grim. A deep scowl began to form by the time she finished.

Blueblood noticed this and tentatively addressed his aunt. “Auntie, you’re making that face again,” he said, “what’s happened? What has that failure of an alicorn written about now?”

“There’s another human in Ponyville.” Luna said bluntly.

Blueblood eyes widened in shock. “Another human? You mean different from Jason? Are you sure?” Luna floated the letter over to him. He took it in his magic and he quickly scanned through it. “Gregory Graystone? These humans sure have uninspiring names,” he replied as he put the letter aside. Turning to Luna, he asked, “What do you wish to do, Auntie?”

“We make for Ponyville immediately!!!” Luna said as she stood.

Blueblood was stunned by the ferocity in his aunt’s tone. “Right now? On such short notice? Wouldn't it be better to send a contingent of guards?” he suggested.

“We must show those villains in that town how serious we are about this human’s safety,” Luna replied with a snarl. “To think that even after the trial, ponies continue to cling to hate and xenophobia! I swear to Faust that if that human is hurt, there won’t be any leniency this time!!!”

“Or, we can go there and calmly pretend we are not slaves to our knee-jerk reactions and assess the situation?” Blueblood suggested again.

“Regardless, we leave now! Meet me at the castle gates!” With that said, Luna teleported out of the throne room, leaving Blueblood alone.

Blueblood sighed as he looked back at the stack of paperwork she’d left behind, then down at his own. “Well, at least it’s better than bureaucracy,” he said. He stamped on the floor three times, which summoned one of the castle servants. “Have my pegasus chariot made ready immediately,” he ordered. “I make for Ponyville.”

[Town of White Ridge, Thirty Miles East of Las Pegasus]

Spike stood just offstage as he watched the founder of the CFE, a young pegasus filly named Cozy Glow, giving a speech to the ponies in White Ridge who had gathered to hear her and the other people, as the CFE called every creature now thanks to Chrysalis’ suggestion a year ago. Everyone had something to say about their treatment from ponykind. Everything from the unfortunate death of Mildred due to lack of medical treatment to Gabby’s own mistreatment by many ponies in various towns around Equestria during her tenure as a mail delivery griffon was recounted.

Which is why today’s topic was going over creatures that have been wrongfully imprisoned. Cozy had accumulated many documents thanks to the crown and various cities that wanted to change. She cleared her throat as she spoke into the microphone.

“Hello, my fellow creatures of Equis. Thank you for joining today's meeting.” There was a round of applause from the gathered crowd as Cozy waved her hoof appreciatively. “Golly, you’re all the best. But, we can’t cheer just yet. Going over what I want to talk about today, I noticed something that was strange. In the various cities of Equestria with holding cells and make-shift cages, a lot of those occupants are several of our non-pony friends - the evil villains as the ponies would say. Actually, there are more non-ponies than ponies being held for minor charges, and the evidence against them is pretty flimsy at best.”

Many of the members murmured in agreement. “Take this case file from Manehattan for example. Three suspects - two unicorns and an abyssinian - were apprehended outside a bar for disorderly conduct. It was said that a fight broke out and the guards arrested everyone involved. However, we managed to talk to the cat. They were a tourist that got lost and stumbled upon the bar for directions. When the fight broke out, the cat was struck by accident, but the guards included them in the arrest. While the ponies were out on bail already, the abyssinian is still in indefinite holding pending a trial date. It’s been two months since the incident. Equestrian local trials normally take two weeks to occur!” Spike stated, causing an uproar of boos at the situation.

“I know. It’s horrible,” Cozy said with a sorrowful frown on her face before she stood taller and looked over the crowd with a determined expression on her face. “That’s why I’ve contacted the Manhattan chapter as well as others all over Equestria. We will be going to every precinct in every town and staging a protest. We will demand to review any case involving non-ponies and see if they are truly guilty or if there is another example of xenophobia and intolerance. In which case, we will not rest until they are free. Now, let’s get out there!”

The crowd went into a frenzy of cheers as they began to march to the White Ridge’s sheriff station. However, as Spike went to follow, he suddenly coughed up a letter. It was rough as he hadn’t done that in a year. After Cozy’s letter to Twilight, she’d actually listened and refrained from using enchanted fire to send letters through him, so this sudden letter came at a surprise to the young dragon. However, he hadn’t received any letters from her since then.

Cozy noticed that he’d stopped and came back to him. “Spike? Is something wrong?” She then noticed the letter in his claw and frowned in confusion. “Where’d you get that?”

“Hrk– I just coughed it up!” Spike frowned as he broke the seal and opened it, reading the contents of the letter. He already knew who was sending it but that didn't make the young dragon happy as he thought Twilight was coming around. “It’s from Twilight, but, no. These words can’t be right…”

Cozy looked over Spike’s shoulder and read along with him, mouthing the words as the two read the following:

Dear Spike,

I’m really sorry to be sending a letter like this, but I had no choice and no time. I have some rather upsetting news for you. Another human has arrived on Equis and is currently staying at Helping Hooves. His name is Gregory Graystone, and from what I’ve seen I think he knows about us in the same way that Jason did. He hasn’t told me the truth yet, however. I don’t know what to do here, so I’m asking you to ask Miss Cozy Glow if she’d be willing to come and meet with him. It might be worth it, especially since the ponies around here have already made an attack against him. Not him personally, but some of his property.

Spike, I know I don’t have the right to ask this of you after everything I’ve said and done to you, but I’m putting two other letters inside this one. One is for Prin Celestia and the other is for Cadance and Shining Armor. I just wanted them to know as soon as possible about this new human.

I miss you, Spike, but I know you’re doing good out there. I hear about it a lot and I’m proud of the dragon you’ve become. Please stay safe.

Twilight Sparkle

Spike could hardly believe it. “T-There’s another human in Ponyville?!”

“Golly! Depending on how you look at it, this could be very good and bad,” Cozy said thoughtfully.

“How can it be both? Wouldn’t it just be bad?!” Spike asked fearfully.

“What I mean is this is our chance to fix Ponyville’s horrible mistake after what they did to Jason,” Cozy explained. “Still, I imagine some ponies over there are still feeling sore about the Trial. We need to get there and help as soon as possible!” Cozy went back to the microphone and addressed her members. “Fellow CFE members. It has come to my attention that something completely unexpected is happening at Ponyville. Right now, there seems to be another human there. Someone different from Mister Jason Wright. His name is Gregory Graystone. It is our duty to give Mister Graystone the welcome Mister Wright didn’t get before. Spike and I will head to Ponyville while everyone else keeps working to free those creatures from imprisonment!”

“Pardon me,” a young unicorn mare said, stepping forward and raising her hoof, “but could I tag along?” Her name was Feather Duster, and she was one of the earliest members who had joined back in Canterlot. She was a dark green unicorn mare with a dark orange mane and tail and dark blue eyes. Her cutie mark was of a white feather. “I’d like to try and help if I can.”

“Of course you can!” Cozy said happily. “The more the merrier! If anyone else wants to come, I think there’s room for one more!”

“I’d like to come too,” a familiar voice said from the crowd. The young griffoness Gabriella, or Gabby to her friends, flew up from the crowd and landed next to Spike, putting a comforting wing around him. “I’d like to meet him, too.”

“Are you sure?” Spike asked, “I mean, you’ve been giving your testimony a lot lately about how you were treated by ponies.”

“Cranky Doodle’s here too,” Gabby said, looking down with a kind smile at Spike, “and his testimony is just as good as mine. Besides, I’d like to try and meet him. I didn’t get to meet Jason.”

“It’s alright if she comes, Spike,” Cozy said with a bright smile, “like I said, the more the merrier. It’ll also show Mister Graystone that we’re serious about the CFE’s goal of equal rights for all!”

Spike looked back at Cozy, then nodded. “I guess that makes sense.”

“Great!” She turned back to the crowd and waved with her hoof. “Until I get back, keep fighting the good fight! My friends and I are off to Ponyville!”

[Unknown Time, Unknown Place]

Gregory was walking towards Ponyville with a smile on his face. It was a gorgeous autumn day and the leaves that surrounded the Castle of Friendship were falling off of the trees. There was a nip in the air, and the entire town seemed to be decorated for the autumn months. He even caught glimpses of what looked like Jack-O-Lanterns on some houses.

Ponies were going to and fro about their daily lives as he approached. He even heard what at first sounded like shouts of merriment coming from a nearby commercial district. Curious, he made his way down to the source of the sound. However, as he approached, the sounds morphed from merrymaking to jeers and shouts of anger.

Turning the corner, he saw a group of ponies, all with various rotten fruits and vegetables in their hooves or magic, throwing them as hard as they could on a huddled human figure in what looked like tattered clothes. The leader of this band, which looked like Carrot Cake, held a large rotting pumpkin in his hooves which he hurled directly at the cowering human. “We told you before, and we’ll tell you again, don’t come back here!” he spat with a hatred that stunned even Gregory.

The human looked up, and Gregory gaped at his current state. This human had lightning shaped scars on one side of his face, one eye was milky white, his frame was pretty skeletal from possibly lack of nutrition, and his clothes were covered in dirt, sap, and rotten garbage. “P-Please,” the human croaked out with a whimper, “I-I just need some food to survive…”

“What’s going on here?!” Gregory shouted, and tried to move towards the man. However, he found that he couldn’t move. Looking down, he saw that his feet were still on the ground, but he just couldn’t move. “Stop attacking him!” he shouted, but the ponies didn’t react.

One of them, who Gregory recognized as Octavia Melody, held a bruised squash in her hoof. “Get your nasty smelling carcass out of our town!” she hollered as she hurled it at him, hitting him square in the head.

“Get out of here!” Gregory heard another pony shout. He saw Bon Bon throw some rotten cabbage at him. Next to her, Lyra Heartstrings hurled a rock at him with her magic which thankfully missed him.

The human tried to move away, but it seemed difficult with all the garbage and rocks being hurled at him. Finally, he managed to get to his feet. Running straight towards Gregory, the human at first didn’t seem to sense his presence. As the garbage and abuse was continuously hurled at the man, he stopped a few steps shy of where Gregory was frozen to the ground. He looked up at him and stood taller. The amount of scars on this man’s body startled Gregory. There were cuts that were festering and/or tied with torn patches of his clothes, he smelled like a sewer and looked like he’d been starved for weeks on end.

The man looked directly at Gregory with tears in his eyes. “This is but a taste of the terror that was unleashed on me, Gregory Graystone,” he said weakly, “and I’m not the only one.”

Gregory felt himself losing his balance as the scene around him, along with all the ponies around him, shifted and morphed. Suddenly, he found himself in a familiar looking hospital lobby. In fact, it was the same one that he’d seen in the episode Read It And Weep. There, he saw three equine creatures standing around. He recognized all of them quickly enough. The first was a unicorn stallion with a doctor’s coat on, the second was an earth pony nurse, and the last was Cranky Doodle. He found he could move, so he approached.

As he did so, he began overhearing the conversation. “…got to be something you can do for her!” Cranky was shouting desperately at the doctor and nurse.

The doctor shook his head and frowned. “The law is the law,” he said in a surprisingly stony tone, “this is a hospital for ponies only, and you’re not a pony.”

“We’re not that different!” Cranky said, a look of desperation in his eyes. “Surely there’s something! I can pay or work off my debt!”

“Even if you were a part of our medicare system, I still can’t treat her. I would be disbarred from practicing medicine,” the doctor said.

“I tried medicare, but they told me the same thing!” Gregory saw Cranky growing angry. “You were at my wedding, doctor! You too, nurse! I thought we were accepted into your community! Why are we so different?! Are we nothing but stupid, dumb animals to those bigoted minds of yours!”

The doctor’s frown turned into a glare. “I will not stand around here and be insulted by the likes of you,” he replied with a hint of anger in his tone. “I told you the reason I can’t treat her. If you’re desperate for medicine, try that zebra shamaness.”

“You know I can’t! Can’t somepony else help!? Maybe one of the town’s local guards??”

“They’re here to protect the town, not to run errands for every little thing,” the doctor replied.

“The most we can do is give you one of our older medical beds,” the nurse said. Gregory could see a bit of sympathy in her tone, but she also seemed a bit afraid of the doctor. “We’re upgrading and throwing the old ones out. They’re good beds.”

The doctor shook his head. “Nurse, we can’t do that, either. It’s standard policy.”

“Forget this!” Cranky said, stomping the ground hard enough to create a crack in the floor, “I thought you ponies were all about friendship and junk, but apparently that only applies to ponies. May Faust judge you!” With that, he turned, flicked his tail at the doctor and nurse angrily and stormed towards the door. However, he paused right at the door, turned towards Gregory, and said, “There is more to see.”

The scene once again shifted, and he found himself standing on the edge of a forest with Ponyville a short distance away. It was snowing lightly and there was a coat of white on the ground already. He caught a glimpse of the Castle of Friendship hovering above the horizon as well. As he looked around, he heard the sound of what sounded like a horse drawn carriage approaching from the forest. Turning, he saw a rather tall and beautiful zebra pulling a cart full of various books, potions, masks and more through the snow. The blue eyes and the golden jewelry adorning her made it clear to Gregory that this was Zecora.

He found himself suddenly walking beside her without any control over his legs. As they walked through the town, Gregory noticed the looks of hatred and derision thrown directly towards the zebra shamaness. Nobody made a move to even help her with her load, not even when she had to go uphill and then downhill multiple times.

Finally, she and Gregory reached the train station where finally some of the staff began loading her belongings onto the train, albeit begrudgingly for the most part.

As they did so, Gregory heard the sound of galloping hooves. Turning, he saw Princess Twilight running up. She got onto the platform, panting heavily as she looked at Zecora with pleading eyes. “Are…are you really leaving?” she asked in a forlorn tone.

Zecora stopped, and Gregory saw a look of cool anger appear in her eyes. Slowly, Zecora took a deep breath, calmed her features, then turned to Twilight with a neutral expression. “This town no longer welcomes me, so it is up north where I must flee,” she replied.

“I-I can talk to everypony else!” Twilight said with desperation in her tone, “I can-”

“No you cannot, for a princess you are no more,” Zecora replied, “so a new life for me is what’s in store.”

Twilight’s ears drooped and she lowered her head. Gregory could hear the sound of sniffling as she whispered, “I’m sorry…”

“It is not I who deserves those words,” Zecora said sharply, “say that to him who was left out of the herd.”

“H-He won’t forgive us,” Twilight said with a hiccup.

“And the decision is up to him,” Zecora replied, “for him to forgive you of your sins.”

“Will…you come back someday?” Twilight asked.

Zecora pursed her lips thoughtfully before she said, “The future isn’t set in stone, so perhaps back this way I’ll roam.”

“Where are you going, and what will you do?” Twilight asked.

“To Yggdrasil is where I will go, my knowledge there I will bestow,” Zecora said.

Twilight’s ears drooped. “Starlight’s new school…if you see her, could you tell her that I said hi, and that I miss her and I’m sorry? And if you see Trixie, could you pass along my apologies to her too for her mistreatment by me and everypony else?”

“For the sake of our friendship past, I will do just as you ask,” Zecora replied as the conductor began making last calls. “Farewell, Twilight, and I hope that someday you won’t let your prejudices lead you astray.”

“I won’t,” Twilight replied resolutely. “Goodbye, Zecora. I hope wherever you end up next is a better place than Ponyville.”

Zecora simply nodded, turned and headed onto the train. However, she paused, turned back to Gregory and looked at him with her piercing gaze. “Once more, this is only a simple glimpse of Ponyville’s multitude of sins.”

The scene shifted again and he was standing in the middle of Ponyville near the town hall. He saw a number of other ponies sitting around or walking to and fro. However, many of the conversations around quieted down when someone began walking into view. It was hard to tell at first who it was since the person in question was laden down with a ton of scrolls and books. However, the green claw gave it away.

Spike was carrying a bunch of different things and it was clear that he was having difficulties with it. However, when Gregory looked around to see if anyone else would help, he was shocked to see that the ponies seemed to be avoiding looking at him. Some even looked afraid.

It was then that Gregory saw something in the ground directly in front of Spike. A massive footprint that looked like it matched that of a dinosaur had been made deep in the earth. Gregory tried calling out to Spike to watch out, but like before, his cries fell on deaf ears. He watched as nobody else even gave him a warning. Gregory winced as poor Spike fell into the hole, scattering everything that he’d carried. And just like that, everyone seemed to go back to their daily activities. However, Gregory could hear a few ponies scoffing. “That’s what he gets for almost destroying Ponyville,” a random pony said with some derision.

Gregory ran down into the pit, momentarily forgetting that he wouldn’t be able to interact with the young dragon. When he reached the bottom, he could hear the sniffling and soft sobbing coming from the dragon as he slowly began gathering everything up once more. Climbing out, he began heading down the street again, hiding his tears behind the massive amount of things he was carrying.

He reached a familiar looking tree shaped library and opened it, walking in and setting all of the things down on the floor beside the desk. Twilight was sitting there, still a unicorn, reading over some book. When she heard Spike, she turned and looked down at what he had just put down. The first thing that the purple pony noticed was the dirt on the objects. “Spike! How did these things get so dirty!?” she asked, turning to the poor dragon.

“I…I tripped and fell. Sorry, Twilight…” he said apologetically.

She sighed. “Well, guess it can’t be helped. Go take a bath before you finish your chores,” she said in a surprisingly dismissive tone. “Chop chop.”

“Alright, Twilight,” he said as he trudged up the stairs, hiding his tears. However, halfway up, he turned and looked at Gregory again. “I didn’t mean to go on a rampage,” he said between sobs. “Everypony else started treating me like I was a dangerous animal for a while after that…”

Gregory’s instincts made him reach out to try and comfort the little dragon, but before he could do anything, he felt the ground underneath him give way. He screamed as he fell…

…right out of his bed and onto the floor with a massive thud. “Gah!” he gasped in pain as his head hit the floor. “God-fucking-damn it!” he shouted in reflex as he sat up and held the back of his head, which at the moment was throbbing with pain. He grabbed the side of his bed and pulled himself up, groaning in pain as he lay back down, waiting for the pain to subside. It was still dark in the room, and according to his phone, it was only around four twenty three in the morning.

Despite the window having been open before his little sojourn outside to protect his car, he felt like he was sweating. He lay there, panting and waiting for the pain to be tolerable enough so that he could go and splash some water on his face. About ten minutes later, he did just that, using his flashlight to see in the dark. Thankfully, when he checked, there wasn’t any blood, just a bump on the back of his head which he doubted anyone would see thanks to his hair.

It took him a while to calm down, and by that time the contents of the dream seemed to have faded away slightly from his memory. It had been a while since he’d had such a vivid nightmare, or even such a vivid dream. He hardly ever dreamt anyway. Mostly, he would go to sleep and his next memory would be of waking up.

He sighed, rubbed his face with his hands, then pulled the covers back up and closed his eyes.

When he next woke, it was to the sound of somebody knocking hard on his door. Groaning, his head still slightly throbbing from the fall out of bed, he sat up and looked at the door. “Yes? Who is it?” he asked groggily.

“I-It’s Twilight!” the voice of the purple alicorn said from behind the door. “You’ve gotta get up! The Princess is here to see you!”

[Helping Hooves Shelter - Cutie Map Room]

Twilight was extremely nervous as she and Gregory walked down the room towards the Cutie Map room. She hadn’t quite expected Princess Luna herself to come down along with Prince Blueblood and an entire platoon of Royal Guards. She tried her best to hide her fear, but it seemed that Gregory was too excited to really notice. Of course, it only added to her nervousness that he thought he was meeting with Princess Celestia.

Finally, they reached the doors to the Cutie Map room. The doors were closed, but the two unicorn guards who were standing at attention opened the doors with their magic. Twilight looked up subtly at Gregory as his exhaustion gave way to utter excitement. When he saw Princess Luna and Prince Blueblood, his expression seemed to freeze, but only for a second.

Princess Luna rose and faced the two. “Young Twilight Sparkle and Mr. Gregory Graystone, we are pleased that you could come. We apologize for the early hour, but we wished to meet you as soon as possible.”

Gregory looked between the two of them, then bowed his head respectfully. “Your Highnesses,” he said politely, “it’s an honor to meet both of you.”

“Urgh, another one,” Blueblood scoffed.

Gregory raised his head, looking between the two of them before asking, “How can I help you two?”

“We received some startling news from young Sparkle about an attempted assault on your health,” Luna replied gravely, “so we came down to ensure that you were well.”

Gregory looked a bit confused before a look of realization came over his face. He chuckled a bit. “Oh no no, nobody assaulted me. They tried to destroy my car, something I brought with me,” he clarified. “I drove it through town yesterday when I was showing it to Princess Twilight, and I guess it startled some of the ponies in town. I mean, I doubt any of them have seen a car, much less a human like me. No damage was done, but I appreciate you coming down personally to check, Your Highness.”

“Still, we shall endeavor to make your stay in Equestria comfortable,” Luna replied. “Two personal guards will be assigned to you so that last night’s incident is not repeated. Of course, if you feel the need to relocate, you can come with us to Canterlot.”

“Relocate? Well, I wasn’t exactly thinking about it, Your Highness,” Gregory replied. “Besides, I only got here a couple of days ago. I brought a lot with me that would take a while to move. I came a long way because I’ve heard a lot of great things about Ponyville. I’ve heard that it’s generally quiet and peaceful, something I prefer over a large noisy and busy city. Still, if things don’t work out here, I wouldn’t mind taking you up on your offer.”

“Wait, back up just a moment,” Blueblood said as he held up his hoof. “You mentioned that you doubt anypony in town has seen a human before. Has Sparkle not told you?”

Gregory raised an eyebrow. “Told me? Told me what?”

“Apparently not,” Blueblood said as he turned to Twilight, narrowing his eyes at the alicorn. “Miss Sparkle? Care to tell your guest what you’ve obviously been hiding from him?”

Twilight knew this was coming and she still wasn’t ready for it. However, she knew she eventually had to come clean. Turning, she took a deep breath and faced the confused human. “Gregory, I’m afraid that I haven’t been honest with you…”

Gregory frowned in confusion. “What do you mean, Princess?”

Twilight swallowed. “That’s the thing. I’m not a princess anymore–”

“Aha, the truth comes out,” Blueblood snarked.

“Wait, she’s not?” Gregory asked. He looked thoughtful for a few seconds before snapping his fingers and smiling. “Oh, I get it. Since you’re running the shelter now, you had to give up the title to help others. That’s fine. You don’t need a title to still be the embodiment of friendship. Heck, a lot of the ponies still see you as the princess.”

Every word made the lump in Twilight’s throat grow thicker. “They call me that because they are still clinging to an old and horrible mindset,” she said with a trembling voice. “You see, you weren’t the only human to come here. There was another named Jason Wright and we…” Twilight swallowed hard as the words seemed to escape her. “We abused and tortured him for the better part of three years. There was a trial that was publicized for the whole world to see which exposed our crimes against him.”

Gregory’s eyes went wide in alarm. He stepped back, and a look of realization passed over his eyes. “Wait…tell me something,” he said, “was this Jason Wright blind in one eye with lightning shaped scars running down his face, a bunch of bruises, wearing nothing but dirty and filthy rags and skinny as a post?”

Twilight winced as she nodded. “He wasn’t skinny when I last saw him. But, in his memories that he showed during the trial, he was. My friends and I, along with the rest of Ponyville, are responsible. Jason came back during the Grand Galloping Gala with an all-powerful artifact called the Gjallarhorn. With it, he exposed his mistreatment to the other rulers and the world at large.”

Gregory stepped back again, a look of disbelief passing over his face. “Wait, that dream last night was showing me actual events?” he asked with a tremble in his voice.

“We were unaware such dreams plagued you,” Luna said, “but it is safe to say that the Gjallarhorn’s magic was indeed informing you of what transpired. It stands to reason that you will get all the details soon enough if you do not wish to know from us.”

Gregory took a deep breath and exhaled. “I think…I think I might need to sit down for this,” he said. “Do you mind if I sit on one of those thrones, or is that not allowed?” he asked, pointing towards the empty thrones.

“It’s not as if the ones who were meant to sit in them are worthy of them anymore, so go ahead,” Blueblood said.

“Thank you,” he said shakily as he headed over to the nearest one, which happened to be Applejack’s, and sat down in it. “So…um…what exactly are you talking about?”

“I believe it’s better to just show you the key points of it,” Twilight said as she looked at Luna. The lunar monarch nodded as she produced a crystal with her magic. The stone glowed brightly and began to display visuals and accompanying audio of the trial.

To say that Gregory looked stunned was an understatement. He watched as Jason stood before all the rulers of the world. He saw the abuse he suffered at the hooves of ponies, even the ones that came from the Elements of Harmony, the so-called heroes and standard bearers of everything good in Equestria. He saw how Jason took events from the show and cleverly broke them down as more misconduct, as well as reckless and borderline criminal activity. He saw the punishments Jason laid out to everyone that wronged him. All the while, his features morphed between shock and disbelief at everything he’d seen.

Some time later, the projection ended, and the room was silent. Everyone was looking at Gregory now. Luna had a look of sympathy and sorrow on her face, Twilight a look of trepidation and Blueblood a look of anticipation. Everyone waited on baited breath to hear what words would come out of his mouth first. Finally, Gregory looked at them all. “You…you know about the show?!” he exclaimed.

Twilight nodded slowly. “Yes, although it doesn’t follow every aspect of our lives, the events that Jason did show were so shockingly accurate that it would be considered spying if not for the circumstances,” she said. “The worst part is how much we shattered Jason’s worldview. Everything we thought we represented was nothing more than a falsehood that we told ourselves. It’s why those ponies did what they did to your car. It’s the real reason why so many ponies are a part of this shelter now and why I am not a princess anymore…”

Gregory took in a deep breath, then exhaled. He looked down at the table for a while before looking over at Twilight. “Is that why you’ve also been only asking me about my technology and nothing about me as a person?” he asked with a hurt expression.

“Ohoho! Of course she would be asking about only that!” Blueblood chuckled. “Even when she was a unicorn in Canterlot and especially when she was a princess, she always prioritized knowledge over friendship!”

Twilight glared at the prince, but she couldn’t refute him. She turned back to Gregory. “It’s been a year since the trial,” she said, “and Equestria has gone through several changes. Ponies don’t know it yet, but our economy has been on the decline. Our allies all pulled away their trade agreements and support from Equestria. I would imagine that if nothing is done soon, Equestria could face a great depression that may lead to its end.”

“Just like in the show…” Gregory murmured, “only now Equestria’s ending even before Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were to retire and hand control of the kingdom over to you. Even before the eventual separation of the three tribes and the removal of magic from Equestria altogether.” He looked over at Twilight again. “Why…why would you do something so awful and heinous?” he asked with a pleading expression.

All Twilight wanted to do was run to her room and hide under the covers. She just wanted to hide from those hurt eyes. However, she didn’t look away as she replied, “I want to say it was because Discord used his magic on us; that he made us respond to Jason with fear and paranoia, but that wasn’t the case. Yes, Discord played a part in Jason’s suffering, but it wasn’t because he was looking to enact some cruel sense of amusement. He knew about my trip to the mirror world. There, I had a very negative experience with the humans there. I carried that foolish outlook back here. Discord brought Jason here to try and help me in his own way, but instead, when Jason came to see me, I rejected him. I wasn’t the worst, but I was the first. From there, everypony did their best to outperform my example. The things we did were downright illegal, but, make no mistake that it was our poor judgment and xenophobia that led to everything you see now.”

Gregory glared suddenly at her, causing Twilight to flinch away out of reflex. He then took a deep breath, calming his features. “So…you didn’t stay in the mirror world in the library on a bed of books. You didn’t bring the human equivalent of your friends together against Sunset Shimmer to win the Fall Formal princess election. You didn’t even befriend them.” He faced her with a harsh frown. “What was it about humans you disliked? What was so repulsive you shunned a fan of the show who just wanted to befriend you?”

“I-I thought humans were nothing more than cannibals that eat living creatures for their amusement,” she replied haltingly, “I wasn’t prepared and didn’t bother to learn the cultural differences. I merely stole the crown the first chance I got and left.”

Gregory quickly stood, glaring at Twilight once again. No words were spoken for a few seconds. Finally, he sat back down, trying once more to calm himself. “Alright…so let me see if I got this right,” he said. “Twilight goes to the human world, freaks out at seeing that we eat meat, something we can’t help due to our evolutionary pathway, and runs away after getting her crown. Discord, in one of his wildly misguided attempts to ‘help’, brings Jason to Equestria to have Twilight get over her prejudice, but it doesn’t work. Twilight then proceeds to ignores this Jason guy and when the ponies in town learn about this, they go out of their way to abuse, torture and make attempts on Jason’s life multiple times for three years. In those three years, he doesn’t leave because a part of Discord’s magic is still attached to him that keeps him from even considering leaving. Then, Jason tries to kill himself only to be stopped by you and the others. Discord sees this and erases your memories because you’re unable to comprehend the idea of someone killing themselves and because he failed and didn’t want anyone to know he screwed up. Jason runs away and is found after a suicide attempt by Chrysalis in the Everfree Forest, where he is taken back to the hive and plans his revenge by calling on whatever deity runs this world. He receives the Gjallarhorn and puts the Elements and Princess Celestia herself on trial. Because of this, you are all summarily punished and Jason leaves to live with Bug Horse. Am I missing anything here?”

“You’re forgetting the creation of the CFE.” Prince Blueblood said to Gregory’s confusion.

“CFE?” Gregory asked.

“Creatures For Equestria,” Twilight explained. “Jason’s trial inspired a pegasus filly named Cozy Glow. They are a group fighting for equal rights for nonponies. They’ve been making great strides during this year. Especially, since Spike joined up with her shortly after the trial.”

Twilight saw Gregory frown a bit at the mention of Cozy Glow. Standing, he began pacing the room in silence, the only sound heard were his footfalls. Twilight didn’t know what to say or do now. Once again, she’d been the key cause of a human’s shattering perception of them. He paused in his musings, came back and sat down before looking at the table which displayed a map of Equestria and the surrounding nations.. “None of this makes any sense,” he said. “No, that’s not it…it’s that I don’t want to believe it…” He looked up at them with a look of hurt that broke Twilight’s heart. “You were my heroes,” he whispered, “especially you and Applejack.” He pointed at Twilight when he said this, causing Twilight’s cracked heart to shatter. “Your friendship lessons might have been for little girls, but I loved watching them too. Your show was like a break in the clouds on a rainy day. I gave up so much to come here…”

Blueblood, having clearly reached his breaking point, glared at Gregory. “And, whose fault is that?” he asked. When Gregory looked up, Blueblood pointed a hoof at him and continued. “Since I am finding you humans to be of the intellectually challenged variety, allow me to break things down. We ponies are not obligated to adhere to whatever idea or premise you have of us. You’re disappointed that we don’t act out how you envisioned us or masquerade like good little actors for this mysterious and frankly intrusive show of yours? How presumptuous and selfish of you. Honestly, a lot of the issues with Jason and now youcan be avoided if you simply take two moments to consider your actions. Now, auntie and I have to waste resources safeguarding you. You know what, I grow tired of your presence. Auntie, I shall return to Canterlot now.”

As Blueblood stood and sauntered off, Gregory watched him go. When the door slammed behind him, he continued staring at it in silence for a few seconds. The silence was broken when Gregory made a scoffing noise. “No wonder fans of the show call him Blueballs.”

Twilight was aghast by this. However, she was even more surprised when Princess Luna snorted and made a whinnying sound of amusement. “Many call him that here, too,” Luna said.

Gregory gave a brief smirk, not taking his eyes off of the door. Slowly, he turned back and looked down at the Cutie Map. He studied every landmass and ocean. A half a minute passed in silence. Suddenly, there was the sound of shattering glass, only it came from Gregory himself. At the same time, a small portion of what looked like chaos magic came bursting from him only to quickly dissipate in the air. He didn’t seem to notice this, however, as he slowly turned back to the other two remaining ponies in the room.

“You know,” he began, and Twilight could hear the heartbreak in his voice, “now that I think about it, it makes more sense now. My desire to come to this world and leave mine behind wasn’t just naive, but impulsive even if I bought enough things to live comfortably. If Jason was affected by Discord’s magic, then I was too. Now, that pony who just left might be the biggest blowhard in the kingdom, but he’s got a good point. Even before I found that website, I admired you ponies. I loved the world and everything I saw. I suppose I just glossed over the negatives. That’s my fault, I guess. As the saying goes where I’m from, I once was blind, but now I see.” He paused for a bit before then slowly stood and looked down at Twilight. “I want to see the others, and after that I want to see the cave where Jason lived.”

“I can arrange that,” Twilight said, “but give me some time to notify my friends. There’s no telling how their mood will be when they see you. But, we can go to Jason’s cave now if you like.”

“Yeah, that’s fine,” he said. “Just let me get prepared and armed.”

Luna’s ears perked up at that. “Armed? What do you mean?”

Gregory snorted. “This is a world of dangerous creatures and magic. I didn’t come without means to properly defend myself.”

“Hmm, a wise decision considering where we are going. But, I shall also accompany you for added safety.” Luna said.

“As you like.” Gregory pushed the throne chair in and headed to the door. “I’ll see you at the front gates.”

[Everfree Forest]

It had taken Gregory a whole twenty three minutes to join Twilight and Luna. However, when the human came out, Luna felt unsure as to whether he needed guarding. He had changed his clothes, and now he wore large sturdy looking boots, a pair of dark brown pants with plenty of pockets, a black jacket that looked like it was made of leather, a long light gray scarf, a pair of dark black gloves and a satchel hanging from his back. Not only that, but he had several strange accouterments attached to him.

She might not have known just what the strange objects he had strapped to his belt were, but she knew what the two long knives were. There was also a larger metal object slung over his shoulder which he held in place with one hand. He had been tight-lipped about what exactly the strange devices he carried were, but he said that he wouldn’t use them on anypony else. They were only for self defense.

The trio walked through the Everfree Forest, and Luna noticed that Gregory’s features seemed to calm considerably when they entered. When she’d asked why, he replied that the forest reminded him of his old world’s own forests, a fact that disturbed her greatly. Just what kind of world had Gregory and Jason come from that they found the Everfree of all places a soothing place to be?

Eventually, the light that came through the forest canopy dimmed, causing Luna to illuminate the foliage with her horn. Luna and Twilight both took note of how alert Gregory was. He held a large black metal object in both his hands which was slung over his shoulder by a black strap. It was clearly made for human hands, and Gregory seemed to have experience in handling it.

Finally, they reached a clearing, and there, big as life, was the large cave that had been discovered only a few days after the Trial. Gregory immediately covered his nose with his scarf at the putrid smell that emanated from the cave. “Jesus Christ…it smells like a sewer threw up around here!” Gregory said as he swatted away at the insects swarming around.

“Yes, the smell is not the best in the world,” Twilight replied. “Although, Fluttershy would say that it’s the natural scent of the forest and you would get used to it.”

Gregory gave them a deadpanned expression. “Not the best? I bet even Hell itself would smell better! At least there it only smells like fucking sulfur!” Gregory snapped, making two alicorns around him wince. This was the first time he’d used foul language, after all. He dug in his small satchel and produced a small metal flashlight, which he turned on and shone into the cave. Nopony could see his mouth, but his eyes said it all. The scene before them was not a pretty one. There was dried blood, old feces, dirty looking scraps of cloth scattered everywhere, and even what might have been an impromptu fishing rod. “My God…three years in this shithole and he didn’t go insane? I wonder why he didn’t try and ask Zecora if he could stay with her?”

“My best guess is the chaos magic influencing him the same way for him not leaving Ponyville after the first week,” Twilight surmised as she adopts a forlorn expression. “I never came here until today. It’s just another reminder of my sins.”

“Sometimes facing our sins is both a relief and a curse. I still have trouble visiting my old castle.” Luna said with a sad expression.

Gregory stopped, walked over to Luna and hesitantly put a hand out, touching her withers. Unlike with the expression of anger he reserved for Twilight now, the one he gave the dark blue alicorn was a kindly one. “I think that you’ve punished yourself enough, don’t you?” he asked. “Even in the show, what brief glimpses I saw of you made you best princess in my book. Your sincerity and earnest behavior and strong desire to make things right is one of the reasons you were my favorite princess. No, sorry, not were. Are. The fact that you came running here after hearing about what happened earlier this morning personally says a great deal about you. I’ve gained a whole new respect for you, Your Highness.”

“Hmm, there is truth to this,” Luna replied, smiling at the human’s kind words, “However, it was Twilight who notified me of your situation the moment things went awry. I believe that is worth some praise as well.”

“I only did that after the incident,” Twilight said, looking at the ground. “I should’ve sent the letter the moment I saw Gregory. But, no more. I am tired of standing on my frogs. Starting here and now, I promise to make your stay in Equestria an enjoyable one. This,” Twilight gestured to the dilapidated cave with resolution, “will never happen again!”

Gregory gazed down at her with a small frown. Slowly, he sighed. “Words are one thing, Sparkle, and so far my trust in your words isn’t there anymore. You deliberately hid the truth from me about Jason Wright and used me to try and get information about human technology. Now, I will admit that a part of me really wants to trust you, but I’m going to need proof that I can.” He held up one finger. “I’m willing to give you one more chance despite everything I’ve heard and seen. One chance. No more. If at any time I feel that chance has been blown, I’ll take up Princess Luna’s offer to move to Canterlot and you’ll never see me again. Am I clear on this?”

“That’s more than fair,” Twilight agreed. “I know I got carried away with learning. That’s a part of me that will never change. But, I’m not going to betray your trust or use whatever idea you have of me to curry favor. I’ll take this chance to earn your trust and truly become your friend.”

Gregory slowly approached, removed the glove on his right hand and held out his hand towards her. “Then let’s shake on it,” he said.

Twilight nodded in agreement and reached her hoof up to his hand. No words were spoken as the two exchanged another hoof/handshake. As he released her hoof, he stepped back and put his glove back on. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to head back. I packed a good number of food items from Earth I won’t ever be getting ever again and I think now would be a good time for me to cook some for myself.”

The two ponies both nodded at the suggestion and began making their way back. However, as they were about halfway there, they all heard a rustling sound coming from the bushes just off of the path. A large timberwolf leaps out of the foliage. It growled at the three, flashed its wooden fangs and crouched into a pouncing position.

Gregory’s actions were immediate. He flipped something on the strange metal object he held and held it up so that the tip was facing the timberwolf’s head and the back of the weapon was held against his shoulder for support. “WEAPONS FREE!” he shouted, “COVER YOUR EARS! FIRING!”

Twilight had barely any time to react before a loud explosion filled the air, louder than thunder when it was nearby. She screamed and covered her ears as a second explosion rocked through the forest followed quickly by the sound of multiple pieces of wood falling to the ground.

Twilight and Luna slowly recover from the noise to see the timberwolf thoroughly destroyed on the ground. It was hardly recognizable as whatever struck it tore through its head and traveled down its body. It would have been a gruesome sight if not for the creature being made of wood.

Gregory continued holding his weapon towards it, almost like he was waiting for it to reconstitute itself like it normally did. However, when it didn’t, he backed away and flipped the same switch he’d flipped before.

Luna was the first to speak as she faced Gregory with an alarmed expression. “What in the celestial cycles was that!? It was as if a firework exploded in our proximity!”

“A-And, look at the timberwolf. It isn’t reconfiguring itself. What was that?” Twilight asks.

Gregory held up the metal object in his hand. “Think of it as a miniature cannon, only instead of confetti it shoots out bits of metal that travel at such a speed that they can tear through flesh.”

Luna frowned immediately at his words. “You speak of displaying honesty, yet you wield such weapons and neglected to tell us. I understand the need to defend yourself, but there is such a thing as an extreme.”

“Princess, timberwolves don’t exist in my world,” Gregory explained, “and neither do many other creatures that exist here. Hydra, sphinx, the list goes on and on. My world has absolutely no magic, meaning my species has had to claw its way to the top on our ingenuity and physical abilities alone. I came here under the assumption that I’ll never have that defense against magic that ponies have, so I decided to level the playing field with weapons of my own.”

Luna frowned. She saw his point, but she didn’t like it. “Your point is well taken,” she conceded, “but as long as you are a guest in our kingdom, your use of those weapons will be heavily restricted. You will only use these weapons against the creatures of the Everfree. I expect you to let my guards handle any ponies that may seek to do you harm. Bringing those weapons here, when they have never existed, may cause more harm than good. No one else shall know about them!”

“That was always my intention,” he said, “and I never intended to share this weapon technology with any nation to begin with.” He was about to continue, when something in the timberwolf wreckage caught his attention. “Hold on a moment.” He made his way slowly towards the timberwolf wreckage.

“Gregory? What did you see?” Twilight asked with a hint of worry.

“Not sure,” he replied as he dug through the pieces of wood with the tip of his weapon. “I thought I saw something glowing. Wait, I see-aha!” Slowly, he reached down with his weapon, pulled it back and swung at something. A glowing green orb flew out of the wreckage, through the air and landed near the hooves of both Luna and Twilight.

“What is this?” Twilight said, picking up the glowing green orb.

“By Faust! That’s a mana core,” Luna exclaimed in awe. “It is what Grogar used to bind the rogue magic into the wooden vessels for the timberwolves,” she added as a means of further explanation. “They are notoriously difficult to acquire, and as such are quite rare.”

“Can I hold it?” Gregory asked.

Twilight complied as Gregory inspected the orb. “Amazing, I only ever read text about these orbs. But, if they reside within timberwolves, and timberwolves never stay down, why was this time different? Did your weapon disrupt the flow of magic?”

Gregory slipped the mana core into his satchel quickly, lifted up his weapon and touched something on the side. A curved rectangular portion of it suddenly detached. He grabbed it and reached into the top, pulling out a golden dart-shaped object with a silvery tip. “I have absolutely no idea why it stayed down,” he said as he held out the dart. “I just fired two of these into its head.”

Luna reached out with her magic to try and carefully lift the metal dart, but when her magic touched it, she found that it had absolutely no effect on the dart. “My magic cannot grasp it!”

“Wait, really?” Gregory asked, looking down at the dart with curiosity. He slipped it back into the curved rectangular object he’d retrieved it from and snapped it back into place on his weapon, then reached down and drew out one of the long blades at his belt. “Try picking this up.”

Luna tried to do so, but with the same exact result. “How unusual,” she murmured as she came at the knife from a variety of different angles. “I admit, I am perplexed. I have never heard of such a thing being possible.”

Twilight stepped forward, a thoughtful look on her face. “Gregory, you brought these weapons from your home world, right?”

“Yeah, what of it?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

“And you said your world has absolutely no magic?” Twilight asked again.

“Yeah…what are you getting at?” Gregory asked.

“I have a hypothesis,” she said as she stared carefully at the knife from a safe distance, “and it could explain why those ponies earlier this morning couldn’t damage your car.” Entering her lecture mode, she cleared her throat. “Our world has magic and yours doesn’t. Perhaps it’s because of that reason that your weapon could so thoroughly destroy the magical bonds that bound the timberwolf together.”

“But if that’s the case, wouldn’t you have gotten hurt sitting in my car yesterday?” Gregory asked.

“Not necessarily,” she said. “The outside of your car is metallic, correct? Perhaps it has to do with that?”

“Hmm…there is an old wives tale back on Earth about fictional magical creatures being repelled by iron,” Gregory said, “so maybe you have a point. You’re the magical expert here, not me.”

“Perhaps this is a good avenue of study to embark upon, young Twilight,” Luna said.

“I’ll get started on it as soon as I am able, Princess. For now, let’s get out of here,” Twilight said in an anxious tone.

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Gregory said as he hoisted his weapon up and slung it over his shoulder before sheathing the knife. “Let’s go.”

[South East of Equestria - Siren Seas]

The Seven Stars, a large cargo vessel which belonged to the South Equestrian Trading Company, was making its way back to fairer shores after a long stint at sea. Most trade between Equestria and other foreign powers had ceased the moment the results of the trial were made public, but there were still a few private traders from foreign lands who were willing to do business with the SETC, albeit at a greatly increased monetary rate.

The ship was crewed by a number of experienced seaworthy ponies, all of whom were going to and fro on deck. Standing at the helm, the captain turned the wheel slightly while looking at his compass. From behind him, the ship’s bosun appeared. “Captain, we’re making good progress toward the mainland,” the bosun said. “We should be back before nightfall.”

“Good, good,” the captain said as he put his compass back in his jacket pocket. “This voyage marks the end of my seafaring day. The missus will be happy I’m back ahead of schedule.”

The bosun chuckled. “I imagine she’ll be extra happy, Captain. A mare gets mighty lonely waiting for her stallion while he’s away at sea.”

“You’re not married, so what would you know?” the captain said good naturedly. “Back to work, bosun.”

“Aye, sir,” the bosun said smartly, saluting and heading down the ramp to the main deck.

The captain put his hoof on the wheel and stared out at the open waters. He’d miss this, he knew, but his days of sailing were over. It was time he retired and lived the rest of his days fishing and spending time with his wife.

However, as the ship continued to sail, a sudden and frosty mist quickly descended upon the area. The crewm look around in confusion at the sudden mist and drop in temperature. “Why is is so cold all of a sudden?” one of them asked.

“Aye, and where did this mist come from anyway? It was clear a moment ago,” another crewpony observed.

The captain frowned, then looked over at a random pegasus. “You! Sailor! I need a view from the crows nest right away!”

“Aye, cap’n!” the pegasus said as he saluted and flew up.

The captain waited as the young pegasus looked through a spyglass all around. When he froze, the captain shouted up, “What do you see?”

“...”

“Answer me, sailor!”

The captain got his answer with a resound thud as the pony fell back on deck, looking completely frostbitten. Another crewmate shrieked out in agony as they came running in a panic. Not wanting things to dissolve into panic, the captain stomped on the deck. “Calm yourselves! What’s wrong with you? Can’t you see we got a situation– By Faust!”

The crewmate held up one of his hooves. The captain saw, to his horror, that it was frozen solid. Ice kept on creeping up his leg. The captain could only watch helplessly as the stallion looked up at him and whispered, “Help…me…” before the ice covered him completely. At that moment, a large wave hit the portside and sent the newly frozen pony careening towards the main deck. Screams were frozen on their lips as the stallion shattered into a thousand pieces.

The ponies all recoiled in horror at the grisly sight of one of their own being frozen to death in such a gruesome manner before everypony on board heard a low wailing sound. The temperature plummeted fast after that. The crew huddled together in a vain attempt to keep warm, but it was a futile endeavor. The masts had all frozen over before something shattered the ice. All the ponies were having trouble breathing as the air became thinner and colder. One by one, each pony fell over while succumbing to the cold. The captain tried to hold out, but he was soon down on his knees, the ice covering his hindlegs.

All the while, the same wailing was growing in volume. It was like a banshee that crept in old abandoned halls. Or, perhaps it was the dreaded siren’s call, coming to calm the captain and his ship. However, the captain would soon wish it was a siren. A figure slowly trotted toward him, each step freezing more of the ship. Before the captain’s eyes froze over, the last thing he saw was the glowing ghostly-like spirit bearing down on him with hatred and malice as cold as the storm that claimed his ship, and his life.

Chapter 4 - The Uncertainty

[Helping Hooves Shelter - Gregory’s Room]

Gregory lay on his bed, a warm fire roaring in the fireplace in front of said bed. He was full from the steak he’d fried up earlier outdoors using some of his camping equipment and a campfire for heat. Earlier that day, however, he had spoken briefly to Princess Luna about the guards she would be sending. Apparently, one would be a powerful unicorn guard and the other would be a pegasus with incredible speed and strength nearly comparable to that of an earth pony. They would arrive the day after and be given a room near him for his further protection. She apologized for Blueblood’s behavior as well and promised to speak with him.

Gregory stared up at the canopy above him, watching the light of the fire as it was illuminating the canopy. Now that he was alone, he had time to majorly think about what had happened. He had a lot on his mind, but he took a deep breath and concentrated on each thought individually.

First, he thought back on his last year on Earth. He recalled how the strong desire to go to Equestria had seemingly come from nowhere. However, after hearing about his human predecessor Jason being afflicted by Discord’s chaos magic and never once leaving the forest or even that disgusting cave, he now began to suspect that he, too, was afflicted by Discord’s magic. Or he had been, at least. Princess Luna had done a magical scan of sorts on him earlier and had said that all traces of chaos magic that had been inside him were gone, and recently too. It would explain just why his mind felt a lot clearer than it had just one day before. However, he realized that he really couldn’t pin the blame solely on Discord. It had been his decision to come to Equestria, after all. He’d taken the money he’d been given and had blown it all on coming on a one way trip to this world. He’d been an idiotic naïve fool. Even so, he was here now and he had to make the best of it.

He then next followed the train of thought revolving around Jason. Seeing his memories and his treatment from the magical recording had been shocking, to say the least. However, now that he had the time to process what he’d seen more clearly, in a sickening way it made sense. This world wasn’t a cartoon; it was real. Nobody here would be how he imagined. It was hero worship, plain and simple, that had brought him here. He’d heard and seen examples of the phrase “Never meet your heroes” plenty of times back on Earth, but even before he discovered the website and the portal, he’d always imagined that if he had ever gone to Equestria, he’d find that things weren’t as speciesist as they were here. After all, they were fine with Spike, that random mule in that early episode, Cranky Doodle and Matilda. Still, he doubted that Princess Luna would lie about anything like that, and he certainly couldn’t think of a reason why Blueblood would, either.

In a way, he could understand why Twilight would keep this from him. She had even outlined many of her failings for him at their first meeting, but it was more than those things. Twilight in the show had an intense fear of failure, and it seemed like the same could be said of this version. It was a phobia of hers, it seemed. However, the more he thought, the more he realized she had indeed been trying to use him to cover up her guilt. He’d basically been a replacement Jason Wright to her. However, despite being furious about that and being lied to, he’d meant what he said about giving Twilight a second chance.

His thoughts then drifted to the others. He still wanted to meet them despite everything, but now with the truth laid bare, he knew better than to raise them on a pedestal. He wouldn’t withhold the gifts he’d brought for them, but he wouldn’t go with the hope of becoming friends. After hearing about what they’d done, he couldn’t just brush their actions aside. Especially Applejack and Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash’s actions were nothing short of sadistic, cruel and barbaric to the highest degree, and he wasn’t too sure how she was a year later. Applejack’s actions were just as bad in his opinion. The Element of Honesty lying just so she could inflict the most damage was indescribably cruel. Even worse, when it was clear that Jason couldn’t move, she had Wynnona attack him. It was a miracle that dog hadn’t been put down.

The only other pony he considered giving a chance on friendship was Pinkie Pie. Had this been a month ago, he’d have ranked her as his fourth favorite after Twilight, Applejack and Fluttershy, but with the latter two kicked way off the list, he figured she’d moved up to being completely in first place. At least, for the time being. From what he’d seen, she was the only one who tried to make amends truly to Jason. It showed a lot about her character that she was willing to stand in the witness box in that open air arena to atone for her own actions when the others during that trial continuously denied their guilt spoke volumes about her.

Still, he knew now to keep one thing in mind, that being that everyone here were real individuals, not characters on a screen. He was honestly feeling like a real moron now, but he knew he had to make a new life for himself with what he now had. Of course, with Princess Luna having promised to expedite his citizenship paperwork and a stipend from the crown, his life was definitely off to a better start in this world than it had apparently been for Jason. Still, despite what he’d told Twilight about giving her a chance, he had a lot to think about considering the fact that he wasn’t sure he’d be able to find work in Ponyville if the actions of the other ponies earlier that morning were the norm.

Finally, his thoughts focused on the news that Cozy Glow was leading this Creatures For Equestria movement. That brought a frown as he tried to consider what sort of plan she might be conceiving. In the absence of the School of Friendship, which had apparently been put on hold thanks to this Trial, Cozy had taken advantage of the situation to gather power in another way. He hadn’t said anything to Luna about it since he had still been reeling from the discovery that objects from his world could disrupt magic, but now he had to think about it. Sure, his knowledge of the show was a moot point now, but he couldn’t just dismiss Cozy.

He knew he had to tell Princess Luna about her, at the very least so someone could keep tabs on her. Still, he knew that he needed a lot more information about this world. Information was key to making informed decisions. For all he knew, Cozy would be planning to try and aggravate racial tensions with this movement. Then again, this wasn’t his kingdom. He wasn’t a citizen yet. Part of him realized he had no legal obligation to report this, but that was quickly overrun by the moral obligation. Still, there were too many variables. He needed information, and fast.

“God…or Faust, I suppose,” he said aloud, “I’m not really a religious person. Never really was. But Lauren Faust, if you can hear me, I’d appreciate whatever help you can send my way…” With that being said, he pulled the covers over himself, put on his facemask, and fell asleep.

And dreamed. Once more, he dreamed about how Ponyville acted towards non-ponies, whether they had been temporary visitors or citizens who’d lived there until they couldn’t take it anymore. Here, he learned every single thing that the citizens of Ponyville had ever done to a non-pony through its entire history, starting from the time when zebra labor had been used to construct large parts of the town. The zebras had been paid, but well below what a pony would have been paid. That had led to an entire zebra protest which had only resulted in said zebras being fired and chased out of town.

Time and time again, Gregory witnessed the sins of Ponyville on display for him to see, even if it was something as small as a snide remark to a non-pony, he saw and witnessed it all. Unlike the dream before, he sat back and watched, well aware that he couldn’t say or do anything about it.

Near the end of the dream, he found himself facing a strange being in what looked like an endless forest with pools of perfectly circular water scattered everywhere. He wasn’t sure what to call this being since it continuously shifted between different forms. At one point, it appeared as a pure white alicorn with straight red hair and tail and a quill for a cutie mark. In the next instant, it changed to a pure white dragon with red spines and horns. Next, it’d be a white griffoness with red plumage. It shifted between all sorts of Equestrian species, but the coloring remained constant. White with patches of red.

No words were spoken between the two. None were needed. All the being did was smile warmly at him and nod.

Gregory woke at that moment, the knowledge of all of Ponyville’s xenophobic and speciesist actions against other races now fully ingrained within him. He looked over at his phone, only to realize that it wasn’t even twelve midnight. He got up and restoked the fire before going back to sleep. The last thought on his mind before drifting off was, Tomorrow…I really need much more information. As much as I can gather…

[The Crystal Empire - The Next Morning]

“Hurry up, Caddy, or we’re going to be late!” Shining Armor, Emperor Consort of the Crystal Empire, said in a hurried tone to his wife, who was still looking through her walk-in closet for a dress to wear.

Cadance walked out, carrying several different dresses with her magic. She floated them in front of her for her husband to see. “What do you think of these?” she asked. “Be honest. I want this grand opening to be special!”

Shining Armor groaned as he straightened his suit with his magic. “Caddy, the reason we’re cutting it so close is because you can’t make up your mind on what to wear. It doesn’t have to be something extravagant. Starlight’s just opening up a school.”

“It’s not just any school, Shining. It’s the Seeds of Yggdrasil!” Cadance exclaimed as she put down the dresses on their bed and lifted a few others out of the closet. “It’s a school for creatures all over the world! We can’t attend the debut of such an inspiring establishment looking indecent. Especially when it’s right next door to the Empire!”

Shining finished fiddling with his suit and approached his wife. Putting a hoof around her withers, he smiled. “I know, sweetie. It’s a big moment. A critical, life alternating moment that will change the future and leave a mark on history. I for one want Flurry to attend when she’s older. But that won’t happen if you can’t decide on something to wear.”

Cadance pouted as her horn glowed once more. A beautiful blue satin dress came floating out of the closet. In no time at all, she’d put it on and looked at herself in the mirror. Seemingly satisfied, she adjusted her crown then turned back to her husband. “Well then, my dear husband, shall we go get Flurry from the foalsitter and attend this life changing event?” Cadance teased as Shining rolled his eyes.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. “My Empress? My Emperor?” the voice of one of the crystal pony maids came from beyond the door, “The train leaves in a half hour. You asked one of us to let you know.”

“Thank you. Come on, my Princess.” Shining said while holding out his hoof.

Cadance graciously accepts. “Why, thank you, dear Emperor.”

The two picked up their daughter from their foalsitter and made their way to the train. The station was more crowded than usual as many were eagerly filing into it, going to the same destination as the royals. The Imperial Family had a suite all their own, and Flurry spent a lot of the trip staring out at the landscape with wide-eyed curiosity.

The trip lasted for approximately three and a half hours. The royal couple spent their time reading or playing with Flurry. At one point, they were given a light meal from the dining car. They watched as the frozen wastelands of the north began slowly morphing into greener plains of the unclaimed territory that existed between the Crystal Empire and Equestria.

Finally, at just half past one in the afternoon, the train reached a brand new station, one built to mimic the older train stations back when locomotives were brand new. Everyone disembarked and began making their way up a large stone pathway that had been constructed recently. They headed up a small hill until finally they reached the top. There, in the valley below, stood one of the largest feats of modern architecture and engineering since the construction of Canterlot. The Seeds of Yggdrasil, a school built in order to foster new understandings between each and every race on Equis.

Cadance giggled a bit as little Flurry Heart stretched out her hooves towards it, eyes wide with childlike curiosity. “I know, Flurry. This school looks like an ancient temple.” she said.

“I’m not surprised, especially considering the funding that went into the school from the other rulers. Each of them wanted a piece of their culture woven into the halls,” a nearby voice said. The assembled mass of creatures turned to see Starlight Glimmer, Trixie Lulamoon, and Sunburst walking up towards them.

Cadance was the first to approach. She wrapped her wings around the young magical unicorn prodigy. Starlight hugged her back. Ever since Starlight, Trixie and Sunburst had begun this endeavor, many letters had been exchanged between the two. Cadance was one of the first to put her full support behind the Seeds of Yggdrasil project, especially when Starlight outlined the complete purpose of the facility. “Starlight Glimmer…it’s wonderful to see you again.”

“Thanks for coming,” Starlight said.

“Thtar! Thtar!” Flurry shouted, reaching her hooves out to Starlight expectantly.

Starlight grinned and took the young alicorn foal in her hooves, hugging her. “Hey there, Flurry.” She turned next to Shining, who’d come to stand next to Cadance. “Emperor Shining.”

Shining held up his hoof. “Just Shining, please.”

Starlight nodded. “Alright then, Just Shining,” she joked, earning a snicker from Cadance. “I’m glad to see you.”

“Same to you,” Shining said as he took back Flurry with his magic and set her on his back. He turned and looked around at the gathering of various creatures. “You really managed quite a turnout for this.”

“Just means that other creatures take this as seriously as I do,” Starlight said. “I’d love to talk more later, but right now I’ve got to get up and give this speech.” She looked nervously at the mass of creatures, and not just ponies, but dragons, griffins, zebras, yaks and more. “Wish me luck.”

“You don’t need luck,” Cadance said reassuringly, “because you have a natural leader instinct.”

Starlight flinched. “And the last time I used it…I enslaved an entire village.”

“You’re not that mare anymore,” Shining replied. “Because of you, this place was completed in less than a year. Because of you, this crowd of various creatures are here to witness the opening of this new school.”

“Give yourself more credit,” Sunburst said from beside her, putting a hoof on her withers.

“Besides, you have us with you!” Trixie said, patting Starlight on the rump which earned her a glare from the aforementioned unicorn. “Oh…sorry.”

“Thanks, everyone,” she said as she straightened herself. She turned and headed to the front of the crowd with Sunburst and Trixie walking beside her.

“Those two make a great couple,” Cadance said with a chuckle.

“Which one?” Shining asked.

“Does it matter?”

Shining sighed. “Let them be for now, sweetie.”

Cadance was about to respond when there was a shrill whistle from nearby that rose into the sky. Everycreature turned and watched as a firework exploded high in the sky. Shining thankfully had enough sense to cover Flurry’s ears before it exploded. The last thing they needed was a crying foal. As the explosion subsided, Cadance heard somepony say, “And that’s how you get everyone’s attention.” A few moments later there was a smack followed by the same voice saying “Ow!”

Starlight stepped forward and faced the crowd, who were now all facing her. “Hello, everybody,” she said with a raised hoof in greeting. Cadance could see the nervousness in her face, but as she continued to speak, the nervousness began to subside. “A lot of you know me, if not personally then from the events of a year ago. My name is Starlight Glimmer. These are my closest friends. On my right is Sunburst, my oldest and one of my best friends. On my left is Trixie Lulamoon, otherwise known as the Great and Powerful Trixie. She’s also one of my best friends.”

Taking a deep breath, she looked out at the crowd with a sincere expression. “Just under a year ago, the world changed forever with The Trial. In it, we learned that Equestria is not the paradise it claimed to be. It’s rife with speciesism, xenophobia, and hatred of other races. We heard and saw examples of horrendous abuse by ponies against other races, especially one Jason Wright.” There were murmurings of agreement and some of the ponies in the crowd looked down, ashamed. “I was friends with the Elements of Harmony at the time of The Trial, or so I thought. Turns out they weren’t the friends I thought they were. I left them and the town that abused the only human in our world and came to the Crystal Empire to make a fresh start with my friends here. It didn’t take me long to grow restless, though. I needed to do something worthwhile.”

She sighed. “As bad as my former friends were, I believed in what I was taught. Harmony is something that was given to us by Faust herself. And it isn’t for ponies alone; it’s meant for every other race on Equis. So, one day shortly after arriving in the Crystal Empire, I brought these two over to where I was living and talked to them. Together, we came up with the idea of this school. I’ll admit, the idea came when one of us mentioned the School of Friendship that Twilight Sparkle was hoping to plan. However, it gave me an idea, an idea for a school for every race. One which would be a starting point for a new world. And so, I had a dream, a dream of a world where everyone views everyone else without looking at them through the lens of what race they are. The buildings behind me are the culmination of that dream. Everyone, may I present the Seeds of Yggdrasil school.”

She gestured to the buildings behind her. “Behind me is the hope for a better tomorrow. Here at the Seeds of Yggdrasil, or Yggdrasil if you prefer, we intend on having teachers from every race come from all over the world to inform not just ponies, but other races about the culture and societies of far off lands. From the savannahs of Zebrica to the Dragon Lands and all the way over from Griffonstone we will invite representatives to teach the younger generation of the world about various cultures and histories from around the world. Why, we even have Miss Zecora from the trial who will be teaching about the Zebrican culture. But we won’t neglect the basics. Like most other schools, we will teach universals like mathematics, reading and writing for our younger students. With the latter two, we will be teaching multiple languages for those who hope to become bilingual or more but for the most part we will be teaching everyone the Common Tongue.”

Starlight grinned as she turned towards the large structure and the others surrounding it. “So, before we go inside and explore, I should probably explain what each of those buildings down there is. Now obviously, the biggest building in the center is our main campus building.” She pointed to the massive structure at the center. The structure itself was a large circular building with a domed roof and four large towers at equidistant points around the circular structure of the main building. At the apex of the dome, a large spire, taller than the four other towers attached to the building, rose with a large pearl colored orb standing atop the spire itself. “As you can see,” Starlight said, “the campus design takes inspiration from many different ancient architectural designs, albeit with all the modern comforts we can provide, like indoor plumbing, magically self-sustaining heating and cooling systems, modern light fixtures and more. We were lucky that the land we built it on is geologically stable and that it’s unclaimed by any one nation. And for those of you worried about the safety of the building itself, this was built to last and built to modern construction code standards.” She turned to Sunburst. “Sunburst?”

The orange unicorn swallowed a bit nervously before clearing his throat and pointing down at the buildings. “The campus has what you’d expect from any other school. We have lots of large classrooms for various different classes and even a few labs for those who want to study with a more hooves-on approach. We also have a massive cafeteria and a kitchen with staff from many different kingdoms to cater to our students. The cafeteria also doubles as a meeting hall in the case of schoolwide meetings. One wing of the building is dedicated to the teacher’s office area where each teacher can receive their own corner to plan their lessons. There’s also a study hall and right next to it we have a vast library space. Right now, the library doesn’t have many books and scrolls in them, but each kingdom that helped fund Yggdrasil’s construction has promised to send copies of as many of their books as they can find or to even write books to store in the library for all to see. We’re really excited to fill all the empty shelves.”

“If we’re lucky, we might need to build an even bigger library,” Starlight joked, earning a laugh from most of the gathered creatures. She then pointed down to another building which resembled a massive ring with various pathways running underneath them. “That ring-shaped building there is our student dormitory,” she explained. “There are rooms available for about five thousand students. Each room will have a large and comfortable bed, a window, a desk, closet, bookshelf, a cabinet with a few necessities packed inside and a small bathroom complete with a bath, sink and toilet. The building itself has the same modern day necessities as the main campus. There are four moderate sized kitchens for those students who want to cook their own meals, one at each point of the compass. The kitchen itself is stocked with many different types of foods for each and every sort of creature as well as cooking implements of as many kinds as we could get. There are also four common areas, each with couches, tables and chairs, bookshelves for more books if need be and a large fireplace for the cold winter months up here.”

“What about those four towers attached to the main campus?” a random voice asked from the crowd.

Starlight smiled. “I was just getting to that. Those towers attached to the main campus building were actually Trixie’s idea so I’ll let her explain.”

Trixie brushed her cloak aside dramatically as she pointed towards the towers attached to the main campus,, each one attached to the building’s cardinal points. “Behold! The Great and Powerful Trrrixie’s brainchild!” she announced in her normal flamboyant way. “The faculty dormitory towers, where us teachers will be living! Each room will be much like those of the student rooms. We have enough room in all four towers for a maximum of one thousand teachers! Each tower has a common room for the teachers just like the one in the student dorms too! You can praise Trixie for her brilliance, now.”

Starlight facehooved before she lifted Trixie away before she embarrassed herself further. She looked over at Sunburst with a pleading expression. He nodded before he straightened up, turned and pointed to the very edge of the campus space. Where he pointed, everyone there saw a large circular stone wall with one large gate at the eastern side and one on the western side. There were large towers along the cardinal points of the wall, two at the gates and one larger one at the other two points. “The wall surrounding the campus itself, along with the guard towers and that large glowing orb on top of the spire, will be essential in keeping any wild monsters away from the campus, thus keeping the students and faculty who will be living here safe. The wall has been magically reinforced to be able to withstand even the harshest of winds and storms. At night, the orb will create not only light for students and faculty to see by, but a magic shield to keep dangerous creatures out as well. Nocreature can fly through it, and the only way in or out is through the east and west gates.”

“But the campus itself isn’t just those buildings!” Starlight exclaimed, showing a bit of her excitement as she swept her hoof around to the landscape within the walls. “We’ve made sure to include many different environments for students to walk through and enjoy. We have a large wooded area, a grassy plain, a lake for swimming and for fishing and more. We are working on the details of constructing a magma pool for any dragons who wish to swim in that instead of water.” Dragon Lord Ember, who was standing nearby, nodded in approval at this. “There have also been talks of starting construction of a nearby multicultural city, but those are just rumors for the present.”

“What an utterly atrocious concept!” a spiteful voice called out suddenly. Everyone turned to see a black-maned and gray-coated unicorn in red and black robes walking up with several unicorns flanking him, all with scowls on their faces. “From the way you talk, it’s as if you believe that this school will change the world! Well, I bring news for you, Miss Glimmer. This school was illegally constructed on Equestrian soil!”

Trixie leaned over to Starlight. “Starlight, who’s that?” she whispered.

Starlight frowned deeply as she glared at the stallion. “Chancellor Neighsay, what an unpleasant surprise!” she said with as much cordiality as she could stomach. “What is this about the Seed of Yggdrasil being illegally constructed? All of the funding was generously donated by the various rulers. There is no impropriety of bits.”

“This school was not sanctioned by the EES,” he replied with a sneer. “As the president, I have grounds to seize this property.”

“Just a moment, Mister Neighsay,” Empress Mi Amore Cadenza said as she stepped forward, looking at the unicorn with a calm and collected expression but putting a small emphasis on the mister instead of his title, “but this land does not belong to Equestria, the Crystal Empire or any other nation in the world. It’s neutral territory and as such it’s outside of any jurisdiction.” Her husband came forward with a document in his magical grasp which she grabbed with her own. She presented it to the unicorn. “I believe you’ll find everything in this document in order. It was signed by the leader of every world government who helped to fund this school, including Princess Luna herself. You can check for magical tampering if you wish, but the document is legal.”

Whether out of spite or to truly test the authenticity, the chancellor did just that. After a moment, a scowl formed on the disgruntled stallion's face as he floated it back to the Empress. “...Yes, it seems legitimate. However, as an official school officiate, it is my right to inspect these halls to see if things are up to standard.”

Starlight gave the unicorn stallion a flat stare. “Even if I were to entertain your clearly unbiased input,” she began, trying to hold back her sarcastic tone and failing, “I, as headmistress of this facility, have the right to allow whomever I wish to perform such an inspection. We’ve already had several renowned educational officials thoroughly inspect the grounds and they’ve given their approval. So honestly, there is no need to hear anything from you.”

The chancellor began to sputter. “Y-You can’t– I don’t– this is outrageous!” he finally managed to get out, “I will have you know that I personally gave the seal of approval for Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, the most successful school in all of Canterlot and Equestria!”

“You also denied several other schools that didn’t revolve around unicorn magic and unicorns themselves,” Shining Armor added as he stepped forward, glaring at the unicorn. “I know this because the EES commissioned the royal guards to forcefully shut down those establishments and arrest anyone that resisted!”

“The fact remains that your esteemed approval goes against everything this school stands for and it will not be tolerated,” Cadance added, “Now, would you would be so kind as to remove yourself from the premises? Your authority isn’t recognized here and you’re disrupting school proceedings!”

Before the chancellor could retort, Starlight’s horn glowed and Neighsay and his followers disappeared in a burst of magic. The other creatures cheered and applauded as Starlight smiled back at them. “Now, let’s head inside, shall we? There’s so much for you to see!”

[Ponyville - Later That Day]

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Graystone,” the guard said as she and her partner nodded politely at him. “My name is Swift Sprint and this is my partner Moonlight Star. For the foreseeable future, we’ve been assigned by Princess Luna to be your personal guards whenever you’re out in public.”

Gregory looked down at the two mare guards who were standing before him on the steps of Helping Hooves. He’d woken up about twenty minutes ago to Twilight knocking on his door and telling him that the guards that had been assigned to him had arrived along with the first of his regular stipend that the crown had hastily given to him. Swift Sprint was an eggshell colored pegasus mare with a fiery red, orange and yellow mane and tail, both of which were slicked back and tied up to better be prepared to fly on a moment's notice, and bright blue eyes. She wore the standard Roman-esque guard uniform as did her partner, a slightly taller and surprisingly somewhat muscular unicorn mare. Moonlight had a dark blue coat, white mane and tail, light green eyes and also wore the Royal Guard uniform.

“Well, I knew I was supposed to be getting a couple of guards,” he began, “but I wasn’t expecting any so soon.” He smiled down at them and held out his hand. “Gregory Graystone, Equestria’s newest human. You can call me Gregory if you like.”

Swift looked at his hand with a slight look of nervousness passing over her face briefly before her professional demeanor had returned and she placed her hoof in his hand. “As you like then, Mr. Gregory,” she said with a small smile of her own.

Gregory chuckled softly. “Just Gregory. Mister makes me feel old, and I’m only twenty seven,” he replied good naturedly as he broke the hand/hoofshake and held it out to Moonlight who silently took his hand with her hoof, giving it a vigorous shake. “Whoa there! You’ll shake my entire arm off at that rate,” he said jokingly as he shook his arm and massaged it after the unicorn had finished shaking it.

Swift chuckled. “Moonlight here grew up in a family of all earth ponies so she has had to exercise a lot to keep up with them, but don’t be fooled. She’s strong with offensive and defensive magic.”

“Judging by her handshake I don’t doubt it,” Gregory said. “Now, before I say anything else, I’d like to ask you both a few questions if I may?”

“Of course,” the pegasus said.

He nodded and looked between them. “Is there anything else you two want to tell me before I ask a few questions?” he asked.

Moonlight raised her horn, and it began glowing the same color as her eyes: light green. Her saddlebag opened and a large brown bag tied up with some black rope came floating out and over to him. He held out his hands and she placed it gently in them. He gasped at the weight of it. “We were instructed to give you this stipend,” she said. “There are two thousand five hundred bits in there.”

“Is that a lot?” he asked. “I’m not sure what that value comes out to.”

“It’s a rather good amount to live on comfortably for two to three months at least,” Swift replied.

“Wait, are you serious?” Gregory asked with a frown as he looked at the bag. “That seems like a lot…”

“Those were her majesty’s orders,” Moonlight replied.

“Sometime in the next couple of days you will also be receiving paperwork in the mail about Equestrian citizenship,” Swift added.

“Wow…that’s a lot to take in,” he said softly. “It doesn’t feel like I’ve earned that…”

“It was her explicit order,” Moonlight repeated.

He took a deep breath, exhaled, then nodded as he sat on the steps, putting the bag down. “Well, I gratefully accept, then.”

There was silence for a bit as the three stood around. Finally, Gregory stood and looked down at them. “So, I’ve only recently been made aware of this country’s experience with another human. I was shown the major highlights of the trial too. I’ve already had experience with the ponies of this town trying to destroy something of mine. Thankfully they failed and were arrested, but I just wanted to ask you both your opinion on humans and other races that aren’t ponies.”

Swift’s ears flattened but that was the only indication of the emotion that came from the question. Moonlight remained stoic, but it was her that answered. “What happened to Mr. Wright should never have happened to him,” she said stalwartly, “and my partner here and I won’t let that happen to you.”

“She’s right,” Swift said with a reassuring look and tone. “We have no problems with other races, either. I had a griffon friend once before The Trial. She joined the CFE after that, not that I can blame her. I’ll admit, I don’t know much about other races, but if The Trial taught me anything, it’s that I shouldn’t ever judge an entire race by an individual or even at all, for that matter. Princess Luna asked us many questions about our suitability for this job, too.”

“I imagine she did,” Gregory replied with a nod. “My next question is about this.” He reached to his side and retrieved one of his pistols and held it out. “Did Princess Luna tell you I brought weapons with me so I could defend myself?”

“She did,” Swift said, staring at the gun with some curiosity. “She also said that she’d ordered you to never use such weapons against anypony else.”

“And I intend to do just that,” he replied as he slid it back into its holster. “Did she tell you that my weapons can somehow disrupt magic?”

“She did say you killed a timberwolf,” Moonlight said as she stepped forward. “Did you?”

“I suppose I did, yeah,” he replied.

“Even though Princess Luna said she was there to witness it, I still find it hard to believe,” she replied incredulously.

“I understand that,” he replied, “and I still find it hard to believe too. And I was there. Still, while I won’t go walking around with my guns on me, I’d feel much better if I at least were able to wear my knives. If not them, at least my multitool knife.”

“We can communicate this to her Highness right away,” Swift said, “but for now we’ve been instructed not to let you have weapons on you while you’re in public.”

“Then what about this?” he asked as he held out a tall metal pole. “I’d like to use it as a walking stick.”

The guards looked at each other for a few moments before turning back to him. “You’re not planning on using it as a weapon, are you?” Swift asked.

“That’s not my intention, no,” he replied, “only as a walking stick.”

“Our orders are to be your shield between Ponyville and yourself,” Swift said. “If anything happens, we’ve been trained to be capable of diffusing tense situations. Please let us handle them.”

“You’re the locals here, not me,” Gregory replied, “I’ve no intention of trying to stir up trouble.”

“I appreciate that, and so does my partner here,” Swift said gratefully.

“Great!” He clapped his handsOkay, you know, I haven’t had a chance to fully explore Ponyville. Since I have some lovely guards with me, let’s go sightseeing.” Gregory said.

The guard ponies frown slightly at the request. “Are you sure you don’t want to see more of the castle?” Swift Sprint asked.

“To tell you the truth, sir. Ponyville is not a pretty sight these days and it can get depressing.” Moonlight Star said.

“I’ve heard that,” he replied, “but I’d like to see it at least once.”

The two mares exchange a glance before shrugging. “Well, he is the boss.”

“Follow us, sir.”

Gregory chuckled. “Just let me put this gun and the money in my room first before we leave. I’ll be right back.” He turned and headed back inside. Five minutes later he was back with a small pack on his back and holding the metal pole in his hand. “Alright, now I’m ready. Lead on, you two.”

The trio made their way away from the castle. The two walked on either side of him, keeping their eyes peeled as they began making their way towards the main town. The closer they got, the more ponies they saw, all of whom Gregory didn’t recognize. What he did recognize were the emotions on their faces. Now that he knew the truth about what they’d done to his fellow human, the various looks of fear and derision that were thrown his way made much more sense. That, and he actually noticed them. Of course, the only other time he’d been in Ponyville was when he’d driven Twilight around.

The first pony that he recognize as he and his new guards went further into Ponyville was surprising. He spotted a young yellow filly with bright red hair and a pink bow walking away from a nearby shop with saddlebags on her back. All he had to do was look at her cutie mark to know who it was. “Applebloom…” he muttered to himself.

Gregory started to approach, but hesitated. Blueblood’s words echoed in his mind again. He didn’t want to go making assumptions, but he felt it was rude to at least not introduce himself or at the very least say hi. However, before he could make a decision, the little Apple filly must’ve felt him staring as she turned in his direction. Upon seeing Gregory, Applebloom’s eyes widened. Gregory didn’t know what to make of that reaction so he put on his best smile and waved at her. “Hey, there young filly.”

There were a few moments of uncomfortable silence between the two of them. Finally, Applebloom asked, “A-Are you Jason Wright?”

Gregory shook his head. “Nope, not him. My name’s Gregory Graystone,” he replied.

Applebloom’s’ eyes widened further as she ran up to him. The two guards took up defensive positions, but Gregory stopped them. She skidded to a halt in front of him and looked at him with a frantic expression. “Listen to me, you gotta get out of here!” she said in a worried tone, looking furtively around at the nearby ponies. “I don’t know what you’re doin’ here, but it’s not a good place for humans. The last fella like you was–”

“I know all about Jason Wright,” Gregory replied, cutting her off. “I know just what the ponies here did to him and what they’ve done to other non-ponies. Princess Luna, Prince Blueblood and Miss Sparkle told me. But I also saw that not every pony here is like that.” He knelt so that he was facing her eye to eye. “I saw the part of the trial where you shouted at Applejack. I know that must have broken your heart, but it told me that not every pony around here hates or is afraid of other beings. You’re a good filly. You even just tried to warn me to leave. That tells me you’re a better pony than most of the others in town.” He then stood and gestured to the two guards beside him. “Besides, I have these two beautiful mares by my side to protect me in case anyone in town tries anything.”

“That’s very unprofessional to compliment your charges, sir.” Moonlight said despite the blush.

“But not unwelcome!” Swift said with a cheeky smile.

Gregory chuckled warmly at them before turning to Applebloom once again. “Miss Applebloom, I’m glad you tried to warn me. Thank you very much, and I will be very careful around here.”

Applebloom stared at him with a dumbfounded expression. Then, she looked at the ground, digging at it with her hoof. “Say, do you think things will ever get better again?” she asked in a small voice. “Ever since the trial, it feels like nopony is friendly anymore. My two best friends are gone and I’m still so mad at my sister. I know that Jason fella was doin’ what he felt was right, but was any of it worth it?”

Gregory took a deep breath. He took note of the despair, anger, then despondency that flashed across the young filly’s face when she said all of that. He took a seat on the ground and motined for her to come closer. She did so and sat in front of him. “I’ll be honest, Applebloom, I don’t know how things will go one way or another,” he replied. “It’s possible that things will start to get better, but from what I’m seeing and hearing it will take a while.”

“I hope it doesn’t take forever,” Applebloom said, looking down at the ground still, “I don’t like hatin’ my sister. She ain’t been the same…”

Gregory nodded. “Well, from the punishment I saw her getting, it looks like she’s had it rough,” he said softly. “I’m really sorry you had to go through this, Miss Applebloom.” He resisted the urge to reach out and hug the poor filly. Instead, he gave her a sympathetic look.

Applebloom looked up at that and locked eyes with him. “Maybe you can talk to her? It might help her out of her funk,” Applebloom suggested, a pleading look in her young childlike eyes.

Gregory pursed his lips thoughtfully. “Well, I don’t know…” he mused, looking up at his two guards who were still standing beside the still seated human. “What do you two think about it?”

“We’re not at liberty to advise such actions.” Moonlight said.

Gregory sighed. “Well, it might not be the best–”

“But, off the record, I think ponies are either too proud to admit fault or too busy sulking,” Swift added, giving Gregory a small smile. “A little initiative to solving the problem could be better for everypony. Redemption is a road we all can trot.”

Gregory nodded. “Redemption is a road we can all walk, huh? Maybe so, but the question here is whether or not I should stick my nose in the business of someone I don’t even know.” He turned back to Applebloom. “Are you really asking me for my help, young lady? You don’t really know who I am, you know?”

Applebloom’s features took on an uncertain look and it looked like she was thinking hard. Gregory waited patiently until she spoke again. “Um, can I think about it?” she asked sheepishly, “I don’t just want to spring this on my family.”

“Of course,” Gregory replied, “that’s not a problem. I’m staying at the Helping Hooves Shelter right now.” Slowly, he stood. “It was nice to meet you, Miss Applebloom.” He held out his hand to her.

Applebloom reached up and put her hoof in his hand as the two shook appendages. “Nice to meet you too, Mister Graystone,” she replied. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow, huh? I’ll let Twilight know you’ll be stopping by, then,” Gregory said. “See you later.”

“Bye bye.”

Gregory watched as one of his favorite ponies turned and scampered down the street, a bit more of a pep in her step. He smiled. “Well, I certainly wasn’t expecting to meet her today,” he said, “but I’m glad to have met her. Now, ladies, shall we continue? When we’re done, I’m heading back to the shelter to talk with Twilight.”

As the trio turned back and headed towards the Helping Hooves Shelter, Gregory felt the ground beneath him start to rumble slightly. He at first thought it was an earthquake. That was, until he turned around and caught a glimpse of something in the distance. He paused and narrowed his eyes to get a better view. He saw a dust cloud steadily approaching. Upon closer inspection, Gregory could faintly make out the form of a pony within the cloud who was running at top speed. “So…who’s that?” he asked as he pointed at the approaching pony.

“Get behind us, sir!” Moonlight immediately said, igniting her horn and stepping in front of him.

“Looks like trouble on the horizon.” Swift said, spreading her wings which had some sort of metal attachments on the end of them.

Gregory stepped behind the two, but he still held up his metal pole just in case something happened. He watched the dust cloud approach faster and faster. “Whoever it is is coming towards us. Let’s get out of the road,” he suggested.

However, it was too late. The dust cloud zoomed past the three as they shielded themselves. The three fell into a coughing fit until Moonlight dispelled the dust cloud with her magic. As the two guards looked around for the potential threat, Gregory stood gobsmacked at the pony in question.

The pony was a mare, at least judging from her initial appearance. She had a bright pink coat and mane that was straight with some curls around the end. However, it was her cutie mark that stood out, as he’d seen it plenty of times on the show. There, bright as day on her flank, were three party balloons attached to strings. The last part threw Gregory off as this particular pony should have had a mane and tail that wasn’t styled like that. “Wait a moment…Pinkie Pie!?” he exclaimed.

The pink party mare stared at Gregory with an unreadable expression. She slowly trotted around him, analyzing his every detail. Gregory stood there, unsure what she was doing. The two guards were ready to restrain her, but Gregory held up his hand to stop them. Finally, after seeming to examine every inch of him, even going so far as to gently touch him with her front hooves, the party pony sat down in front of him. Gregory was officially lost for words now as this was hardly how he thought meeting Pinkie Pie would ever go. However, he remembered the trial and how she had looked like Pinkamena there at the end. Even a year later, it appeared to have some effect on her. “You’re…you’re okay, right?” Pinkie asked as she looked up at him from her sitting position. There was a concerned look in her eyes.

“Um…yeah, I’m alright, if a bit dirty,” he said as brushed his clothes off of dirt, which caused him to sneeze. The dust hung in the air and he fell into a small coughing fit again. He grabbed his metal water bottle from his backpack and drank before he faced her again. He noticed how much more slender she was, but also how much more toned the earth pony mare was. He was no expert on pony standards of beauty, but he felt like she’d be a really good model. She could probably compete a lot with Fleur De Lis if she wanted. “So…how can I help you?”

Pinkie never took her eyes off of him, and they faced each other for a few seconds. Finally, Pinkie asked, “You know what you are and where you are, right?”

That question confused him even more, but he figured she had a reason for the question. “I’m a human and I’m in Ponyville,” he replied. However, a couple seconds later, he made the connection. “Wait, let me guess. Your questions have something to do with Jason Wright and that trial?”

Pinkie’s eyes widened a bit. Clearly, she hadn’t expected him to know at that moment. Slowly, she nodded before continuing “That’s the reason why I’m here. My Pinkie Sense was telling me something big was happening in Ponyville but I didn’t think another human would come.” She stood quickly and got on her hind legs. She put her front hooves on his shoulder and, with a pleading tone, said, “ Please…please don’t tell me you abandoned everything like Jason did to come here!” she said, her voice heavy with worry.

The guards moved forward but once more Gregory held up his hand. Slowly, he put his hands around her hooves, startling the young mare. The two looked at each other for a few seconds before she removed her hooves and backed away slowly a couple of steps. Gregory sighed and replied, “If by abandoning everything, you mean I sold almost everything I owned and came through the portal from my world to Equestria, then I’m afraid I did. But I didn’t come here empty handed. I brought a lot of things with me so I could make the adjustment easier for me. It’s a very long story as to how I got here.”

Pinkie’s ears fell and she looked up at him with even more concern. “Why? Why would you think leaving your friends, family and everything you know just to come here was a good idea?”

“I didn’t have any family when I left,” he replied.

Pinkie’s eyes went wide again. “What…do you mean?”

“Well, to make a long story short, my relationship with my parents was nonexistent,” he replied. “It was a pretty toxic one, to be honest. They often ignored me and left me alone for hours. They didn’t really care what I did. I haven’t spoken to them in years. I don’t consider them family anymore.”

Pinkie deflated a bit. “I’m so sorry…”

“It’s not your fault, so there’s no need to apologize for it,” Gregory said as he finally sat on the ground in front of her. “I don’t have any other family I was really close with, so I didn’t have a problem leaving family behind.”

“But what about friends and everything you knew and loved?” Pinkie insisted.

Gregory looked up at the sky. “Well, to tell you the truth, I didn’t have anyone I was particularly close to when I left,” he said. “Maybe the old librarian lady, but when I left, I’d said my goodbyes.” He looked back down at her. “My life back home had its ups and down, but I think deep down, I wanted something more, and when I found the portal to Equestria, that part of me just grew and grew until I couldn’t think of anything else. It was a hyperfixation for me. To me, this world, or the one I saw in the show, seemed like a paradise. Now I know better, and I’m not saying that because my thoughts were clouded by Discord’s chaos magic. Not that I’m pinning my decisions all on that, because that’s wrong. I made the conscious choice to come here, Discord’s magic be damned.”

Pinkie clasped her hooves together as she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “Right, Discord. He’s on my list,” she said. She put her hooves down and opened her eyes again, looking back at him. “So, will there be any more humans joining us?”

Gregory wondered what Pinkie meant by list, but since it wasn’t any of his business, he decided not to ask. “Well, I can’t be sure about other humans,” he admitted. “I don’t exactly know how Discord managed to infect the computer that I had when I saw that website. It’s not like I could find it on my other computers. If that was the only thing his magic affected, then I’d have to say no, since I brought the computer with me. And unless I miss my guess, I somehow got Jason’s old computer.”

“Yep, definitely not a coinky-dink!” Pinkie said as she stood up. As Gregory did the same, she pointed a hoof at him. “You’re supposed to be here, doing something important. I don’t know what, but I do know you’re meant to be here. I guess that means I got to help you out.”

Gregory raised an eyebrow. “I’m supposed to be here? How so? Is that a Pinkie Sense thing I didn’t see in the show?”

Pinkie shrugs. “I don’t know the specifics. You know, if you have a show about us, why didn’t you bring some fan based article about my biography from what was shown in My Little Pony?”

“I did, actually,” Gregory replied. “I brought that, and the entire show based off of this world. And not just that, but so much more. But it looks like we’re gathering a crowd,” he added, pointing to the ponies who had indeed been staring at the two as they talked, “so let’s make like a tree and leaf.” He pointed to the Helping Hooves Shelter. “Let’s head back there so we can talk more in private, Miss Pie.”

“Alright, I should check on Twilight anyway. Oh yeah, here you go.” Pinkie pulled a cupcake out of her saddlebag and handed it to Gregory. “I know you would probably want the full Pinkie experience, but I learned to be more considerate during this year.” She shrugged “Who knows, though? Once things get better, it might be time to bust out the party cannon.”

Gregory smiled and held up the cupcake. He wasn’t sure how she’d know, but the chocolate cupcake with green mint frosting and some chocolate sprinkles was one of his all-time favorites. It had been a recipe he’d brought from home so he could recreate it here. “Thank you for this,” he said. “Still, it’s good to see that some ponies are growing up. Come on, let’s head back. I actually brought a few things from Earth for you as a present.”

Pinkie gave him an appreciative smile as they headed to the castle. Behind them, Swift and Moonlight stood still with a look of bewilderment on both their faces. “What…in Luna’s name just happened?” Swift asked, turning to her partner.

“I think it’s better if we classify the pink one under a need-to-know basis,” Moonlight replied, still staring after the pink pony, “by which I mean we don’t need to know.” She straightened and began trotting after Gregory and Pinkie. “Now, let’s follow them.”

Chapter 5 - The Collection

[Canterlot - High Elm Estate]

Ink Blot trotted down the halls of her master’s palatial mansion. In one wing, she had a stack of fresh reports she’d received from numerous sources around Equestria. Sources that reported to her master and gave him information about various events around the nation and even a few outside as well. She always received the messengers, who would drop off their reports anonymously in the back of the house through a hidden slot. There, she would read over them, organize them quickly in terms of importance, and report them to the master of the mansion, High Life. She had already done the first two, and was now in a hurry to reach her master’s chambers where he spent most of his time looking over expense reports for his businesses, dealing with other visiting nobleponies, or some other business that wasn’t any of Ink’s own business to know.

Still, despite the major news she had read about in the reports earlier, she was nervous. It wasn’t often that news of the caliber she’d received was reported to her master. She wasn’t sure if he was having one of those meetings she was never to interrupt. Those types of meetings were hard to predict because they happened at random intervals, but thankfully for her, he would always attach a red handkerchief to the door handle whenever he was in one of said meetings.

As she approached his door, she was relieved to see that one was not attached. She rushed over more quickly now, raised her hoof and knocked on the door. “Who’s there?” the voice of her master called from inside.

“Sir, it’s Ink Blot,” she called in, before instinctively holding up the papers in her wing, “I have the daily reports for you.”

“Come in, then,” he said, “and make it quick. I have a private meeting with Duchess Honeycomb in a half hour.”

Ink Blot quickly opened the door, shutting it behind her quickly before facing the room. High Rise’s office was massive, a large rectangular space with a large window at the back of the room where his desk stood. There was a large comfortable couch on one side of the room and a fireplace at the other end with a roaring fire already burning brightly. Next to said fire was a circular table with four chairs around it. There was a large carpet on top of the old stone floor, a massive chandelier hanging above the center of the room and paintings on the walls around them. Old paintings which had been created by the greats. High Rise was sitting at his desk, a few papers floating in front of him and encased in his magic. He put them down and gestured her forward. “Come along, come along, I don’t have all day,” he said.

“Yes, sir, my apologies,” she said as she increased her speed until she was standing directly in front of the desk. She placed the papers in front of her, then opened the folder and grabbed the first report. “The first matter to report is a decrease in value among many of the residential properties in some of the newer districts in Canterlot and other major cities countrywide,” she said, placing the reports down in front of her master. “Many ponies are looking to sell before the market crashes, especially those ponies who live next to commercial districts. I have arranged many of the properties listed here in order of interest, starting with a neighborhood in Manehattan who’s hoping to sell and are very near one of your factories.”

High Life nodded. “Send these reports to Money Bags. She can make arrangements to purchase those properties. What else?”

Ink Blot picked up the next piece of paperwork. “There’s been a pushback from the CFE about unfairly imprisoned non-ponies all around Equestria,” she sad, “and a few were whistleblowers from one of your companies.”

“Leave them here and I’ll read over the in more detail later,” High Life said. “What else?”

“There’s been some incident in Ponyville that I think you’d be interested in learning about,” Ink Blot said.

High Life scowled. “Ponyville? That backwards hick town? Why would anything that comes out of that backwater interest me?”

“Well, one of our sources says that a group of ponies attempted to destroy the property of a newcomer in town,” Ink Blot said.

“So? Why would that matter to me?” High Life asked.

“Sir, the individual in question whose property was attacked is a human,” Ink Blot clarified, “a human who isn’t Jason Wright.”

High Life paused. He scanned her carefully as seconds passed. Finally, he spoke. “If this is your idea of a joke, I’m not laughing.”

“I’m not joking, sir,” she said as she held up the paper. “This came from Lambda.”

High Life grabbed the paper out of her grip with his magic and scanned the page carefully. His brow furled. “Well…this is certainly an interesting new development,” he said with a sudden neutral expression. He looked up at her as he stood. “Cancel my meeting with the Countess and send her some violets as an apology. Send out emergency invitations to as many loyal nobles as can come. Tell them to meet here, but discreetly. Have the kitchen cook us up the best banquet possible on the double.”

“As you wish, sir,” Ink Blot said. “What time should I tell them to be here?”

He took on a thoughtful look, then said, “Three this afternoon at the latest.”

“Right away, sir,” Ink Blot said. Turning, she walked out and began to make preparations.

By two, High Elm’s dining hall was packed with almost all nobleponies from the Canterlot nobility. There were even a hoofful who had coincidentally been in town when High Life had issued the quick invite. The table was set with a hefty amount of the best food and drink that money could buy. A few were absent, most notably Fancy Pants and Fleur De Lis, but that wasn’t by accident. When High Rise had told Ink Blot to invite loyal ponies, she knew that meant the ponies who were pushing back against the reforms Princess Luna had been pushing through. There was even one of the latest nobles to join. Filthy Rich, recently divorced and recently granted a title of nobility, had arrived and was mingling, speaking with a small grin to some of the single mares who had arrived.

After the plethora of servants had left them, High Rise, seated at the front of the table as was his right, stood, grabbed his wine glass, and tapped it with a spoon. The ponies around them all stopped and looked over at him. “Good afternoon, everypony,” he said cordially as he put the glass down, “and thank you for coming to this impromptu gathering. I do apologize if I interrupted any plans of yours, but I’d like you to indulge me just a bit more, if you would.”

However, before he could say anything, the door to the dining hall opened. High Rise, unused to being interrupted in so rude a fashion, almost shouted angrily at the newcomer until he saw who it was. Chancellor Neighsay, one of his most loyal compatriots, came walking in. This confused him slightly, since he was under the impression that the leader of the Equestria Education Association was up north dealing with some new school that had been built. He held back his anger and nodded. “Chancellor Neighsay, this is an unexpected pleasure,” he said as he gestured to one of the still empty chairs. “Please, sit down.”

“I shall not waste any of your time,” Neighsay began, “but it is my regret to inform you all that I was unable to disrupt the opening of the Seeds of Yggdrasil. Any attempt to gleam inside of the structure failed as well.”

High Rise raised an eyebrow. “Well, I do believe that I informed you that you’d fail in that,” he said with a smile. “Still, Seeds of Yggdrasil, eh? That Starlight Glimmer has a flair for the dramatic, if nothing else. Did you at least get a look at what it looks like from the outside?”

“Urgh, yes,” he replied, sounding disgusted, “and it’s completely gaudy. It looks like a group of primates put it together. Here…” Neighsay displayed an image of the school from his memory with his horn. Everypony in the room looked at it with various murmuring reactions.

“Hmm, I see your point, but it does have a charm to it,” Blueblood said.

“Surely, you jest,” Jet Set replied. “This school is an affront to everything we hold dear. The only prestigious school in the land has and will always be Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns!”

“But it’s not in Equestrian territory,” High Life reminded him. He liked making the older man flustered, just as he liked making beautiful mares smile. “Besides, didn’t I hear a rumor that the Gifted Unicorns school is losing students by the hoofful?”

“Clearly, they must be students of below average ramble or low nobleborn houses,” Perfect Pace replied with a smug grin. “It’s nothing to concern ourselves with at all. I know my foal is excelling nicely.”

“Well, you know what we should concern ourselves with,” High Life began, “is the appearance of a brand new human in our lands.”

This caught the attention of the room. High Life’s news clearly was new to them, which was unsurprising as he always had news before anypony else. The room was dead silent now. Finally, Upper Crust broke the silence. “Explain yourself.”

High Life shrugged. “Oh, nothing too big,” he said with a hint of mirth in his voice, “just that a human appeared in Ponyville recently and has already met with the former Princess of Friendship. She’s taken him in to her shelter already.”

“You’re taking this far too lightly!” Jet Set shouted before bending over in pain as his wife tended to him.

“We must stop this human and Jason Wright from ever meeting!” Filthy shouted. “One of them practically crippled our country and upended our way of life!”

“This coming from a stallion who just lost his wife and his so-called beloved daughter,” High Life said, sneering down at the new noblepony. He hadn’t wanted Filthy Rich to be one of the nobles, but despite his wealth and influence, High Life was only one pony, and many other ponies felt that Filthy would be an asset.

“You should heed his words, High Life,” Jet Set warned. “Look at what one of those miserable creatures has done to our country. What if this is the beginning of an invasion?”

“One human’s arrival does not an invasion make,” High Life replied. “Besides, you’re also forgetting about how these humans view our world. They believe this is a world where they can live in peace. They are naive, and we can use this naivety to our advantage.”

“How so?” one of the others asked.

“I plan on bringing a brand new proposal to the Princess,” he said. “A proposal about endangered species and their ability to live in our nation. After all, we can’t have this poor human being attacked, do we?” He grinned. “He needs to be protected. Guarded. Safe and far away from other ponies so they won’t attack him.”

“Why in Tartarus would we want them protected?!” Filthy asks in outrage.

“You’re not listening to me,” High Rise said. “Think long and hard about it. He would be guarded 24/7. He would have his needs met. He wouldn’t be able to do anything else other than enjoy his life. A life of luxury.”

The nobles still looked confused until Blueblood eyes widened softly. “A gilded cage,” he said in realization, “one where we have the keys. If we stoke the flames of guilt with those that actually garner sympathy for these creatures, Auntie won’t refuse. We could potentially have them locked away for ages.”

“You’re forgetting that we would essentially be paying for the apes upkeep out of our pocket!” Jet Set stated.

“Not if it comes for the CFN,” High Life insisted. “Ponies have been donating towards them. Not to mention the support from the crown. We could make it so they would pay for the cage we intend for the ape. If not, I have another proposal to place involving all those nonpony freeloaders.”

“What’s that?” Perfect Pace asked.

“All of these proposal won’t mean much. Auntie knows who the troublemakers are in this room. She’s never go for anything you would suggest and I doubt I would fare any better.” Blueblood said.

“Not if we create, or rather create again, the House of Lords,” High Life replied. “They were around before Princess Luna became Nightmare Moon. She’s more used to the idea than former Princess Celestia.”

“Hmm, a council under our power? That could work,” Fine Line said.

“And with Prince Blueblood’s recommendation, we can more easily convince Princess Luna,” High Life concluded.

“My aunt is no fool,” Blueblood replied, “but she could be persuaded.”

‘What if orchestrated the need for the House? And for the need to ‘protect’ all endangered species?” High Rise suggested.

“How so?” Filthy asked.

High Rise turned to him, finding that there was indeed some use for the mudslinger. “Are you still in contact with those ex-guard friends of yours?”

“Yes? But, Princess Luna has them heavily supervised,” Filthy said with some confusion.

“That won’t be a problem. I just need you to get a message to them,” High Rise said. Sure, he could do that, but if things went wrong, he would need somepony to blame. He’d deny it, as would everypony else in the room. “Just a harmless little message. Understood?”

[Rainbow Falls - Cloudy Lands]

The year away from Ponyville had been hard on Scootaloo in the beginning. She hadn’t really eaten much and only walked along behind her parents whenever they were showing her around. This went on for two months. Her parents tried their best to cheer her up by showing her some of the places where their adventures had occurred, but she was too forlorn.

Finally, their parents, desperate to try and help their daughter, sat her down in an inn and asked her to tell them what was bothering her. Scootaloo had never felt so angry in her life. She let loose a barrage of angry words, berating them on why they were suddenly caring about her now instead of before. Why had they just abandoned her? And now suddenly she was just supposed to pack everything up and leave everypony she knew and loved behind? Her two aunts. Her CMC friends. Everypony at school. It wasn’t fair. Why hadn’t they been there for her?

That seemed to really hurt her parents, but she was so angry that at the moment she didn’t care. She wanted them to feel what she was feeling. She wanted them hurt at that moment. After a few minutes of silence punctuated only by Scootaloo’s sobbing, her parents stood. Walking over, they knelt and started a long and heartfelt apology. They said that they kept her in Ponyville because they wanted her to have a stable life. They admitted that they hadn’t been the best parents but wanted to try and start again. There were tears from all of them that night and the three fell asleep on the floor, hugging each other close.

That night was the start of their family beginning to bond even more. They still traveled Equestria, but didn’t move around as much. She learned more about her parents in that year than she had ever known before. They traveled for four months after that, with her parents showing her the many places where they’d discovered rare plants and animals or took down creatures that were threatening pony towns.

Six months after her departure from Ponyville, however, Scootaloo got very sick. They were in a town called Rainbow Falls at the time and had sought out the help of the pony doctor there. However, the doctors weren’t able to help. Just when they were about to lose hope, Scootaloo’s mother remembered something. At the edge of Rainbow Falls, there lived an older reindeer doe named Dyani who was known throughout town as an eccentric doe, but with plenty of knowledge of herbs and medicines that nopony else seemed to know. Mane recalled that the townsponies considered her rather harmless and were fairly friendly to her.

In their desperation, they called on Dyani, who took Scootaloo and looked her over while her parents watched anxiously. Finally, the reindeer began using her own strange magic to create a curious potion that glowed light blue. After Scootaloo drank it, she fell into a deep sleep. When she woke twelve hours later, the illness had subsided.

Her parents tried to pay Dyani, but the reindeer declined, saying that she did it to help Scootaloo from her illness. With that, the two came to a decision. They decided to take a break from their adventures for the time being and settle down in Rainbow Falls. They had plenty of money from their adventures and could afford to live rather comfortably in the town. They quickly bought a cozy cottage near one of the waterfalls and sent Scootaloo to the local school.

Her parents both got some form of work despite their financial security. Mane Allgood got a job as a substitute teacher at Scootaloo’s new school while Snap Shutter started a job as a photographer, taking pictures of the local flora and fauna before selling them to ponies who wanted them as pieces of art in their homes.

Scootaloo still missed her friends, sure, but she made newer ones in town, including a couple of ponies who didn’t have their cutie marks. She fell into her CMC role and helped them discover their true talent, and soon those ponies had earned their own cutie marks.

She also learned that her mother had the same sort of flying troubles that Scootaloo was currently having. She would take her daughter out on many weekends to help her practice and bring out her strengths and build up her weaknesses. Dyani even helped, since as a reindeer she could fly in her own unique way. The reindeer crafted a glowing orange potion for the little filly that would slowly and permanently build up her own natural wing strength and give a boost to the pegasus magic inside her that was lower than most normal pegasi. And it seemed to be working. Currently, Scootaloo could fly, but only for a half hour at the most before she had to land and recover. Her mother told her that while it might take years to fly like most other normal pegasi, Scootaloo could do it.

Despite everything that had happened, Scootaloo’s main driving force behind her trying to learn more and more how to fly was the thought of Rainbow Dash and the many times her big sister figure had told her never to give up. It fueled her drive to succeed, mainly so that she could eventually see Rainbow and show her that the latter could overcome her injuries if she tried. She hoped to help Rainbow in the same way Rainbow had helped her many times before.

It was early evening. Scootaloo was running fast through a small patch of forest, panting and spreading her wings. With an effort, she took off and flew up slightly, dodging and weaving through the trees for about ten or so seconds before landing. She glanced up only to see a shadow figure quickly zoom past directly above her. She sped up, running and flying up briefly before spotting a large tree near the edge of the small forest which she immediately ducked behind. Panting heavily, she took a hesitant look back to see if there were any pursuers. The forest was eerily silent now, not even a breath of wind passed by overhead. Suddenly, a bush nearby rustled. She threw herself down flat on her stomach, watching with bated breath. To her relief, a dark gray bunny came out of the bush. It stared at her for a moment, then its ears twitched and it bounced away.

Scootaloo sighed in relief and relaxed. She was home free now. However, that was short lived as two figures proceeded to pounce on her. Her screams of terror quickly dissolved into uncontrollable laughter as her parents tickled her sides.

“Ooof. Too bad there squirt. You were almost home free,” Snap Shutter chuckled.

“Now, you’re at the mercy of the tickle monsters!” Mane Allgood giggled.

“N-No fair. Uncle. Uncle!!!” Scootaloo cried out in between laughs.

The tickle assault lasted for another minute before they . “Now, see right there, Scooty? That was how your mum and I got the jump on that raging cragadile by Whintale Woods,” Snap Shutter said.

“A little misdirection and ingenuity goes a long way,” Snap added.

“I still can’t believe you captured a cragadile,” Scootaloo said in disbelief. “They’re like the top three most dangerous animals in the Everfree Forest!”

“Nothing is impossible with teamwork on your side,” Mane Allgood said with a smile.

Scootaloo’s smile faded, her face becoming dejected as she looked down. “...Teamwork, huh?

“Is something wrong, angel?” Mane Allgood asked, her smile replaced with a concerned expression.

Scootaloo dug at the ground, sighing. “It’s just that…seeing how well you two work together, spending time here with me while laughing and playing…I just…it makes me miss my friends.”

“Scooty, I know you had a bond with that Rainbow pony, but she’s not the kind of pony you should be admiring.” Snap Shutter said.

“Your dad’s right,” Mane said softly, sitting down and wrapping the little filly up in her wings. “She hurt that human without any cause. Do you really want to be like her?”

“I know, and I’m not talking about Rainbow Dash,” Scootaloo explained. “I meant, my fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders. We just broke up. We didn’t even get to say goodbye.”

Mane looked up at her husband. The two looked at each other as if exchanging a brief but silent conversation. Mane then turned back to Scootaloo. “Scoots, your dad and I are sorry we took you away so soon. We just wanted what’s best for you. Maybe…maybe taking you away from them without warning was a bit harsh. We’ve been talking, though, and we think a year apart is too long. I think it’s time you see your friends again.”

“Really?” Scootaloo beamed.

“That’s right, little Scooty,” Snap said with a wide grin, “I think it’s about time to mend some fences.”

“We’ll start back tomorrow,” Mane said, “but for tonight, we’ll go out and have the best dinner possible.”

“...What about Rainbow Dash? Can I go and see her?” Scootaloo asked.

Mane’s smile faded at the mention of her. “My little angel, I know she was your idol, but look at what she did to that human. Rainbow Dash is irresponsible and reckless. Yes, I know she has her good qualities, but she’s not a good pony right now.”

“For the longest time it was our job to look after and help preserve all exotic creatures,” Snap added, gesturing to Mane and himself. “We didn’t have any fancy Elements telling us how to act. It’s simply how all ponies should be and Rainbow failed in that.”

“Loyalty doesn’t excuse cruelty,” Mane said, tightening the hug around her daughter. “I know you still have that signed picture of Rainbow Dash. The one you keep hiding from us. I know you still look up to her, but sweetie, she shouldn’t be your role model.” She paused, then looked at her husband. Slowly, she looked back at Scootaloo. “Tell you what, though, Dad and I will talk about letting you see her, but if we say yes, there will be some ground rules. We have to be there. No being alone with her.”

“Okay, thanks,” Scootaloo said in a somewhat downcast tone, but one with a hint of hope behind it still. As the three began heading back to their Rainbow Falls house, Scootaloo began to think.. ‘It’s been a year…maybe…maybe Rainbow’s different now. Maybe she learned a friendship lesson about not being mean to other creatures.’ With these hopeful thoughts in her mind, she followed her parents back. She had a lot to pack before leaving for Ponyville.

[New Hepsire - Northern Equestria]

Sweetie Belle’s year away from Ponyville had been less than pleasant for her when compared to Scootaloo’s. Her parents, who now lived in a small hamlet called New Hepsire which itself was about a five hour train ride away from Ponyville up north, had moved her back with them and given her a new room. They set her up in the local school and had tried their best to provide for her as best as they could.

Sweetie Belle, however, was miserable. Many things in town reminded her of her old home in Ponyville when she lived with her sister. The town, while smaller than Ponyville, was built with the same types of houses that existed in Ponyville. The ponies in town were friendly folk and soon Sweetie found that she was a minor celebrity because of her relation to Rarity. It wasn’t a pleasant experience for the little filly because all she could think about her sister now was that night when Jason had arrived at Carousel Boutique.

About a week after The Trial, Sweetie Belle’s memories were unlocked and she remembered that night. She remembered worrying about the strange creature that walked on two legs instead of four, she remembered how she’d tried to help Jason like she thought her sister would do, only to watch in horror as her older sister, one of the few ponies she thought the world of, threw Jason out and called him horrible names.

She remembered much more, too. She remembered the few times that she and Rarity had been out only for Jason to have come into town. She remembered Rarity standing between him and Sweetie while she and other ponies in town hurled garbage and rocks at the human, chasing him out with words of hatred that scared her.

She remembered much more than just Rarity’s dealings with Jason. Her heart had broken when she learned about Spike’s crush on Rarity and her own sister’s cruel actions against the young dragon. Sweetie liked Spike and now wished she and her friends had made more of an effort to play with him and make him feel included. She remembered things that The Trial hadn’t mentioned. She remembered how her sister had acted during the Gabby Gums incident and during the Sisterhooves Social.

The more she remembered, the more she grew to realize that Rarity wasn’t the mare she idolized. That didn’t mean, however, that Sweetie wanted to abandon her, either. She was family, after all, and family didn’t just abandon each other. She loved her sister, despite her faults.

It was early afternoon. Sweetie Belle was sitting on the porch of her new home with a forlorn expression. All the fillies and colts were out playing out in their yards. “At least some ponies are having fun…” she grumbled. The foals in the town had tried to make friends with her, but Sweetie had rebuffed them not too kindly. She didn’t want to make new friends at the moment. The pain of losing her old friends still hurt even after one year away from them.

As she watched, Sweetie saw something unusual. Near the road just outside her house’s gate she spotted a pegasus, earth pony, and unicorn. All three of them were fillies, had no cutie marks and were running around with a wagon and a flag. Sweetie instantly thought of her days as a part of the CMC and looked away from them, a feeling of forlornness passing through her.

From inside, Sweetie Belle heard her mother, Cookie Crumbles, calling out to her, “Sweetie! It’s time for lunch! I made your favorite, hay and noodle soup!”

Sweetie said nothing but continued to watch the group of fillies as the pegasus pulled on the cart. The other two fillies sat inside, laughing and squealing in delight as the pegasus flew above the ground. “...Scootaloo always pulled us around with her scooter,” she muttered, “heh, I bet she’d be jealous.”

Hondo Flanks, Sweetie Belle’s father, poked his head out of the door. “Sweetie? Your mom’s been calling you for the past five minutes. Are you okay?”

Sweetie said nothing still as she kept watching. “I wonder if the earth point filly has a farm?” she asked with a slightly bitter jealous tone. “I bet the unicorn has an older sibling who’s into fashion and clothes. They don’t have cutie marks, so are they in a club that hunts for cutie marks too? I bet they get into trouble just like we do.” Sweetie’s face fell further as she corrected herself. “...Just like we did…”

“Sweetie Belle. Your mom’s calling you, honey.” Hondo repeated, coming out to the porch.

Finally registering that she was being talked to, she looked back at her dad. “...Hey, Dad. I’m sorry, but I’m not hungry right now.”

Hondo came outside and sat next to her, putting an arm around the filly. “What’s wrong, pumpkin pop?” he asked.

Sweetie leaned against her father. He was warm and smelled like cherry pie like he always did since he worked on a cherry orchard. “I, well, I miss all my friends,” she finally admitted aloud. “I miss Rarity. I miss Ponyville!” She turned and buried her face into Hondo, starting to cry.

Hondo wrapped his front hooves around her and held her close, rubbing her back gently. At that moment, Cookie Crumbles came out as well. She came and sat, placing a hoof on Sweetie Belle’s back as the filly wept. After a bit, and after Sweetie was more or less done crying, Cookie asked, “Do you not like it here?”

She sighed and looked out at the small hamlet. “It’s fine, but my friends aren’t here.”

Cookie scooted closer to Sweetie. “Oh, Sweetie, we know the move was a bit sudden, but, with how everything played out during that trial…”

Cookie paused as Hondo picked up the rest. “We don’t like what them ponies did,” he said. “Everypony’s mad at everypony else in Ponyville right now, and we didn’t want you getting hurt. But, you sister…well, we can’t help but feel disappointed in her. We raised her better than that.”

“So, we can never see her again?” Sweetie asked as tears began to form. “I know she did something really bad, but we can’t abandon her.”

“We haven’t, dear,” Sweetie Belle’s mom replied reassuringly. “I’ve kept sending letters and a small stipend to help out. Her businesses have taken a hit. She already lost one store in Canterlot. The letter she sent me was wet with tears and alcohol stains. She’s struggling a bit. I’m starting to worry.”

“Well, I got a letter from her saying she’s helping make clothes and blankets for free for the homeless ponies. So, I think she’s changing!” Sweetie Belle said vehemently.

Hond and Cookie shared a glance before responding. “Alright, pumpkin pop. We should go see how your sister is doing. I certainly want to talk to her about her drinking,” Hondo said.

Sweetie hugs them both as she rushes inside. “Yes. thank you!”

[Ponyville - Outside Helping Hooves Shelter]

Gregory watched the heartwarming scene of Twilight reuniting with Pinkie Pie with a smile. Twilight was talking a mile a minute, asking things such as how she had changed, how her family was, how she was doing etc. Gregory noted that Pinkie, despite being more serious than he knew her to be from the show, was able to follow Twilight’s questions with relative ease. He could somewhat follow, and learned a lot about what had happened to Pinkie.

It hadn’t surprised him that she’d gone back home and worked on the farm. It seemed to have done her some good, at least according to Pinkie. He was happy to learn that their family was doing well, at the very least. He chuckled along with Twilight when Pinkie described some stories. He almost left, but Pinkie insisted that he stay, wanting him to hear about her home life as well. “It’s a good way to make a new friend,” she had said.

The minutes turned into a couple of hours, and soon it was almost lunchtime. The three of them, along with Gregory’s two guards, were sitting in the back of the castle, ironically enough near the same spot where Gregory had appeared in Ponyville. They were sipping on some tea and eating some small tea cakes when Gregory held up his hand. The two mares sitting next to him both stopped. “What is it?” Pinkie asked.

“Listen,” he whispered, tilting his head upwards and cupping his hand to his ear. “Do you hear a buzzing noise? Like insects?”

Twilight’s eyes widened in recollection. “Oh no! It’s time for the collection!” she exclaimed.

“Collection?” Gregory asked curiously as he stood and looked south. On the horizon, he saw a small wisp of black in the sky that seemed to be moving closer, and against the wind. “What the hell?” He quickly pulled out his phone, turned on his camera, and zoomed in. “Wait a moment…those look like changelings,” he said.

“The changelings are out in the open now?” Pinkie asked.

“Hold on,” he said, zooming in even more at a spot near the center. On the now shaky screen, he saw not one, but two distinct shapes approaching. One looked like a changeling, but a changeling that was bigger than the others. The second was being held by the first. He couldn’t see any clear details, but the black cloak that the second human shaped figure wore was all-too familiar. He put the phone down, staring at the oncoming hoard of changelings. “Jason Wright…” Suddenly he remembered the punishment that Jason had passed on Ponyville. “Oooh…that collection.”

Gregory saw Pinkie’s eyes widening in alarm as she glanced over at Twilight who was now grimacing. “...I guess we’d better go meet him, then.”

Gregory took a step forward, only to find himself stepping on something. Looking down, he realized that he’d stepped on the other metal pole that he’d sent through the portal. He reached down, quickly grabbed it, and turned towards the town. “I suppose it’s time we meet, too,” he said as he held the second metal pole in his hand beside the first. “I have a feeling we’re gonna have a long talk.”

Gregory, Twilight, Pinkie and the two Royal Guards headed towards the front of the castle only to see a crowd of ponies gathering in front of it. The changelings and Jason landed and some drones began setting up a large wagon to collect the bits. Gregory looked at Twilight. “Hey, I know about Jason’s condition of collecting half the bits in Ponyville, but does that include me?”

She shook her head. “You weren’t involved in The Trial,” she whispered, “so the rule doesn’t apply to you and the Gjallarhorn effects won’t compel you to donate any bits. Believe me, some ponies tried to refuse last year only for their bits to magically teleport in the bin regardless of their protests.”

He nodded, then looked around. “I understand.” He was about to say something else, when he heard Jason clapping. He turned his attention to his fellow human, staying out of Jason’s sight for the time being.

Jason looked around at the gathered ponies with a smile on his face. A smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Greetings, citizens of Ponyville,” he said in a pleasant but disturbing tone, “how’re we doing this fine evening?”

All the ponies wore expressions of contempt. One that Jason threw right back at them with a malicious grin. “...Just take our bits and leave!” one pony snapped.

Jason put his hand on his chest as if offended. “Come on now, that’s no way to greet an old friend,” he replied, seeming to be feigning hurt in his tone. “Besides, we have a lot to talk about this time around. So, while you all are being good little criminals and obeying your court order, I want to know one thing. Where’s Gregory!?”

“That would be me!” Gregory shouted, stepping out from where he had been somewhat hiding himself. He walked forward, much to the astonishment and horror of the ponies gathered around. He looked up at Jason, getting a good look at the scarred face of his fellow human. Seeing it in person really put things into perspective for how Jason had acted. He then looked next to him where Chrysalis stood. A part of him had somewhat found the changeling queen kind of cute in her animated form. In a realistic setting, she maintained that cuteness. “Hello there, Jason Wright. I’ve been hoping we’d meet.”

Jason remained silent as he slowly walked over to Gregory. The area around was so silent that his footfalls on the Ponyville street created echoes. Jason stopped, looking Gregory over with his one good eye. With a bit of anger and resentment in his voice, he responded. “I see you have acclimated well here. Let me guess, you found a website promising to come here and jumped at the chance like a true fan of the show, hmm? Did you get the famous Ponyville welcome?”

Pinkie briefly bristled at the comment. It had a faint implication of acknowledging her existence. However, since Pinkie saw that Jason still wasn’t looking at her, she instead greeted Chrysalis. “Hey there, Chrysalis. You’re looking well.”

“Hmm, and you’re decidedly less puffy and annoying,” Chrysalis responded with a slightly raised eyebrow. “Although I’m surprised I didn’t have to pry you off of Jason this time.”

“I’ve learned my lesson,” Pinkie replied.

“Well, what do you know? It can be taught,” Chrysalis replied mockingly.

Gregory raised an eyebrow, then sighed. “Come with me, Jason. There’s a lot we need to talk about, and I have a few things that I think you’ll be glad to have when I share them with you. Alone.” He then turned to Pinkie and Twilight. “I’m taking him to my room and I’d like it if we weren’t disturbed.”

“I’m not inclined to go anywhere near that castle, let alone inside,” Jason growled. “If you want to talk, Chrysalis will put a silence dome around us.”

Gregory took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. He looked up at Chrysalis and nodded. “That’s fine by me,” he said stalwartly. This Jason might have looked a bit older than he was, but he felt like he was talking to a child. “Still, you’re missing out on some delicious food I brought, but that’s your choice.”

“I’ll manage,” Jason snapped.

Once the silence dome was up, Gregory took in Jason’s appearance. He was slightly shorter than him, with dark brown wavy hair and a hint of gray in them. He had dark brown eyes, or at least one. The other was milky white with blindness and had a lightning shaped scar going down it. He was wearing a long black cloak, brown slacks, a pair of makeshift shoes and a gray shirt over the cloak. Slowly, he took his backpack off, reached inside, and pulled out a granola bar which he held up. “Want one?”

Jason merely stared blankly at the snack food before looking at Gregory. “Say what you have to say. I don’t want to miss the smelting of the bits. Seeing their hard earned money dissolve into liquid slag is cathartic.”

Gregory kept his face neutral, but he didn’t move. He finally put the bar back in the backpack, slung it over his shoulder, and focused all of his attention on his fellow human. “I’ve seen it all, Jason,” he began, “and not just the crimes against you. I’ve seen all that the ponies of this town have done since the very beginning some hundred or so years ago. I’ve seen things that sicken me. I’ve seen every vile act these ponies have done.”

Jason actually looked a bit surprised. “I guess the horn was stronger than I thought if you saw everything from that far back,” he said, “but it saves me the time of having to explain why you should leave here and never look back.”

“It took a while, but yes. I saw everything last night in a dream,” he replied, keeping out the fact that he saw the red and white being at the end of the dream. “Princess Luna and Prince Blueblood showed me the highlights of the trial, and the Gjallarhorn showed me the trial in its entirety. As for leaving, you made the last part very clear in how you worded your Ponyville punishment.. It’s up to me to decide whether or not I stay. For the present, I’m staying here. It’s not like I can drive my car on Equestrian roads, after all. And where would I go if I did leave? Griffonstone? You and I both know it’s a pigsty. The Dragon Lands? It’s across the ocean and barren. Yakyakistan? I’d die of hypothermia. With the changelings? We’ve both seen where they live, and if Chrysalis is still the queen, then her not-so-little Iron Throne hasn’t been destroyed by Starlight Glimmer yet.”

“You say all that like it's a bad thing,” Jason said, “but I’m doing pretty well with the changelings. Having an anti-magic throne helps me sleep a little better. Besides, I think you’re rushing to judgment too fast. Yeah, the dragons and yaks are a no-go but I believe the griffins would be a good place to live. Just needs a little elbow grease.”

“What they need is the Idol of Boreas,” Gregory replied quickly, “and you and I both know it’s at the bottom of the Abysmal Abyss.”

“Hey, you could always call one of the Princesses to fish it out of there,” Jason replied with a small smirk. “Besides, you seem to have that one on your thumb.” With that, he pointed to Twilight who flinched at the gesture. Jason turned back to Gregory. “She’ll probably bend over backwards trying to make amends. Which is why nothing she does from here on out will ever be genuine!”

“Now who’s being quick to judge?” Gregory asked calmly. He knew better than to raise his voice or risk aggravating a clearly distraught fellow human. “Who knows? You could be right. In fact, knowing Twilight as well as you and I do from the show, it’s more likely that you could be right. But you could very well be wrong. People can change. Look at Starlight Glimmer. Or how about Sunset Shimmer? Sci-Twi? Diamond Tiara? I’m not content to leave until I am absolutely sure.”

“Sure of what? That the ponies have a heart?” Jason said bitterly. “The only one I can vouch for is Sunset, but she’s more human now than pony. Starlight may have come around, but let’s be honest, she was sticking up for Trixie. I bet there’s still some resentment for the elements messing up her little socialism experiment. If you want any sort of decent life here, you should just come with me!”

Gregory didn’t reply at first. The memories of all he’d seen in the previous night’s dream came back to him. He could see how Jason’s argument was valid. Then again, however, he also remembered seeing the strange white and red being at the end of his dream. She had smiled kindly to him, and since the dream had felt more real than reality even up to that point, he felt like there was a purpose in staying. “I’m the kind of person who gathers information before making an informed decision.” He tapped his head. “The Gjallarhorn dream I got made your point perfectly clear. Even so, and even though I’m free of Discord’s chaos magic that infected me, I’m not quite ready to throw in the towel.”

Jason stiffened, glaring hard at Gregory. “Then I’m wasting my breath,” he said with a scoff. “You’re just gonna have to learn things the hard way despite the fact that there is living proof standing in front of you.” He turned and faced Chrysalis. With a nod and a slicing motion across his neck, the shield came down. “Goodbye, Gregory.”

Gregory watched as the shield was dropped. He saw Jason turn away, shaking his head and muttering to himself. He stood right where he had been, watching as pony after pony put their bits in the wagon. As they continued, Gregory decided to say one more thing. He called out, “Those punishments you gave the Elements of Harmony were great examples of an eye for an eye. I can’t argue with them, since as you said, the punishment fits the crime. Now, I can’t exactly say just how these punishments have affected them since I haven’t met them all yet. You’re probably thinking that I’m suggesting you forgive them, but I’m not. That’s your call, not mine. Still, I think that it’s probable that a couple of these punishments might be overkill.”

Jason whirled on Gregory, fire in his eyes as he replied, “Yeah, it is my call. And they will not get a break. I don’t get one. I wake up everyday and I have to live with what they did to me. Now, they will too.”

With that, he nodded to Chrysalis, who lifted her horn and fired a sickly green beam of light at the large pile of bits. The smell of smelting gold was immediate. Gregory, despite everything, was impressed by Chrysalis’ magic. Gold’s melting point was extremely high, he knew, so he knew better than to mess with the changeling queen. Seeing that he wouldn’t really get anywhere with Jason that day, he just sighed and watched as Jason spoke again. “Thanks for serving your community,” Jason said with a sneer, “you’ve all been gracious and I’ll see you next year.” Jason smiled at the scent of burning gold and despondent looks of the ponies. Chrysalis grabbed him and lifted him up effortlessly and the changelings began flying up into the sky, heading south.

Gregory’s frown deepened as he watched the changelings and Jason rise into the sky, flying southwards. He knew Jason was well within his right to justice, but to him this seemed more like an act of childish revenge. Still, he’d only seen Jason’s torment and hadn’t experienced it firsthand. He knew how torture had permanently changed people on Earth, so he held back his judgement. Even so, the demented smile on Jason’s face reminded him of DC’s Joker, and the burning of the bits reminded him of the scene from The Dark Knight where Heath Ledger’s Joker burned his pile of money. Still, Jason wasn’t much like the Joker. He took a deep breath and turned his head back to the now dispersing crowd.

However, as he did so, he spotted a group of ponies separated from the others. He recognized the four as being the other Elements of Harmony. They were all looking not at Jason, but at him. Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Applejack. All of them wore various expressions on their faces. Fluttershy and Rarity looked the most shocked. However, the latter quickly turned to disdain. Applejack had a look of shame on her face, but Gregory caught a grimace of pain from her. Rainbow Dash was the most concerning as she held a look of utter contempt for Gregory. Rainbow was the mirror image of Jason with her matching scars.

He held up his hand and waved, knowing that none of them would return it. Clearing his throat, he looked back down at Twilight and Pinkie. “Girls, let’s go back to the castle. I doubt I’ll be able to have any more conversations today. Besides, I have questions before I crash. Questions that need answering.”

“Yeah, that may be for the best.” Twilight said.

“Actually. I’ll catch up a little later,” Pinkie said. “I want to see how the other girls are doing. Maybe I can get a feel on how you can approach them.”

“Fair enough,” Gregory nodded down at the pink pony.

“Sounds as good a plan as any. Good luck, Pinkie.” Twilight said as she and Gregory headed back to the castle.

Gregory could feel the cold stares of the ponies from behind him on his back as he and Twilight headed back to the castle. He was exhausted, mentally and physically. It had been a long day, and bed sounded really good about now.

Chapter 6 - The Assault

[Saddle Arabia - Deep In The Sa’marea Desert - Two Hours Later]

The sun hung brightly in the sky above a vast and sandy desert. The heat poured off of the sand with wave upon wave, warping the surrounding area and making it appear, if anyone was watching, as if the sand itself were boiling. For as far as the eye could see, there was nothing but desolate sand. The sky was clear and blue, and there was no wind.

The only sign of any changes in the landscape was an ancient broken tower made of black and deeply polished stone. It was half buried in the sand. Whatever had once laid inside it was long gone, burned to ash or rotted away with the ravages of time.

Suddenly, the sand rumbled. A shockwave, barely perceptible, passed over. It briefly disturbed the sand but nothing more. It passed as quickly as a flash of lightning. There was silence for a good few minutes. Finally, there was an answering rumbling noise. The sand around the tower began to shift as a small, but oddly icy cold wind began to pick up. It began circling the tower itself, Slowly, a whirlwind picked up, the meeting of cold and hot air creating a massive vortex that scattered sand everywhere as it gained strength. The more time passed, the stronger it grew. Bolts of lightning flashed outward from it, striking the nearby sand more and more frequently. Dark clouds began forming above the tower, lowering the temperature considerably.

In an instant, the sand exploded and the tower disintegrated as a massive windigo burst forth from the sandy depths. The whirlwind immediately doubled in strength and size and the creature that had emerged took a step forward. It froze the once blazing sand around it as two more windigos emerged from behind the first, both raising their snouts into the air and sniffing.

The first one raised its head, took a deep breath, and let out a massive roar. Its companions lifted their heads and joined in the roar, adding theirs to the first.

With that, the three equine forms leaped into the air and headed east, leaving nothing behind but a vaporized and ice-covered tower and the desert in their wake. A tower that would eventually be buried by sand, never to be seen again.

[Helping Hooves Shelter - That Same Time]

Gregory’d had a quiet dinner with an equally quiet Twilight in his room later that evening. He’d wanted to ask her a few questions, but after seeing her face, decided to initially just hold off on them. However, halfway through the meal, Twilight roused herself and said that if he had any questions, she’d answer them. Caught off guard by this, Gregory’s first impulse was to ask if she knew anything about what had happened to Starlight Glimmer. She’d been one of his favorite ponies and he’d even bought a few kites for her, along with a few fantasy books I thought she might like.

Twilight's ears had flattened at the mention of her former student, and she’d looked down at her meal with a guilt-ridden expression. She explained that Starlight had left Ponyville with Trixie Lulamoon and had gone to the Crystal Empire. She’d then heard that the powerful unicorn and her two friends had begun construction on a massive project in the Unclaimed Lands between the Crystal Empire and Equestria. She was constructing a school for every creature around the known world and would be more of a cultural exchange type of school. Then again, she admitted she didn’t know much more, so her information could be wrong.

Gregory decided not to ask anything more that night. After the meal, Twilight had given him a weak ‘Goodnight’ before she slunk out. Gregory got ready for bed. He took a brief shower, changed his clothes, and crawled into bed despite the sun not having set yet.

However, despite his tiredness, his mind wasn’t tired now. Chiefly on his mind was the conversation he’d had with Jason. He went over it in his mind repeatedly, wondering if he’d said the right things. Now that he had time to think, he couldn’t help but feel that there was more merit to Jason’s words. He knew the man had gone through so much thanks to what he’d seen in his dream the night before, and a part of him wondered if he’d have been any better. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Not at Jason, but at the other ponies. Especially the Elements of Harmony he’d seen before returning to the castle. Again, he had yet to speak to them, but from what little he’d seen, it had appeared as if Rarity and Rainbow hadn’t learned a damned thing. He wasn’t as sure about Fluttershy or Applejack, however.

As for the rest of Ponyville, it seemed as if many, if not all of them, hadn’t learned a thing. He began wondering then if it was even a good idea to stay in Ponyville at all. Thinking back to Princess Luna’s offer to move him and his belongings to Canterlot, it sounded more and more tempting. He resolved that if he did have to go into Ponyville, he wouldn’t go unarmed. He was completely magicless and unprotected. He hated the thought of walking around armed, but with how the town had glared at him and Jason, he felt like there wasn’t any better option. Sure, he had his guards, but they were only two. What if a mob attacked him? They’d be overwhelmed for sure.

His mind continued to wander. He wondered about what was happening in the rest of the world. He knew that all had seen this trial and that trade to Equestria from these nations had been cut off. He had said certain things about other nations, but a year was long. Perhaps things had begun to look up for those places. Maybe he would be better off in a place like Griffonstone or even the Dragon Lands. Perhaps even the place where the zebras lived, whatever it was called in this world. Sure, the constant rhyming would take some getting used to, but it wasn’t a dealbreaker for him.

Would it be wrong of him to leave? Were the affairs of the ponies and their plight any of his business? Would he be in the wrong to walk away from this? He was just one human, after all. It wasn’t like he could do much of anything, and the ponies might be more than glad to see him go.

With that sudden realization, his train of thought halted. He sat up, staring out at the room. The sun hadn’t yet set, and light shone in from the outside. He slowly removed the sleep mask on his forehead and set it aside. He got out of bed, walked over to his camping chair, and sat down in it, staring out at the scenery before him. The wind gently blew across the lake, creating small waves that lapped along the shores, and tree boughs slowly bent in the wind. A few clouds moved past in the sky. “They would be glad to see me go,” he said softly.

He began thinking hard. Was he wrong to want to stay and try and help? Were ponies so stubborn and reluctant to change that anything he did would go in one ear and out the other? He felt his heart sinking at the prospect. Still, a slightly growing part of him reasoned with and fed his growing doubts. Yes, the ponies he once idolized were nothing like how he’d imagined. He had accepted that. But he also knew that not all ponies were like that. They might be a minority, but they still were out there. Maybe it would be better to start with them instead?

He was jolted out of his thoughts by a soft knock at his door. He jumped up, heart racing. Before he could say anything, though, he heard a young-sounding voice from behind the door calling out, “Hello? Mr. Gregory? Are you in there?”

The voice sounded familiar to him, but at the moment, he couldn’t place it. Slowly, he approached the door. “Yes, I’m here,” he said a bit hesitantly. After the attack on his car, he’d locked his door and window for better protection.

Another voice, also somewhat familiar, answered and said, “Are you okay in there?”

Gregory was surprised by the genuine concern in the young-sounding voice. He nodded, then replied, “Yeah, I’m alright.”

“Can we come in?” a third voice, this one unfamiliar, asked with a bit of a hopeful tone.

“Come on; he won’t let us in,” a fourth voice said. This one he knew immediately since it sounded like Button Mash from the canceled YouTube series called Button Mash’s Adventures. “Can you blame him?”

“Hold on, give me a moment,” Gregory said as he quickly threw a pair of pants over his boxers and a t-shirt. He walked over to the door, unlocked it, and slowly opened it just a crack to get a peek out at whoever was there. He was surprised to see about nine foals around his door, looking up expectantly. He saw the familiar forms of Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, Button Mash, Rumble, and a filly resembling Dinky Doo among them. However, his focus was more on Diamond and Silver. They looked concerned, while the other foals had varying degrees of surprise, curiosity, and concern on their faces. Even Button Mash was giving Gregory his full attention.

Diamond stepped back and raised a hoof, waving it at him in greeting. “Hi, Mr. Gregory,” she said politely, “My name’s Diamond Tiara. This is my friend Silver Spoon, and these are a few other fillies and colts.” She introduced Button Mash, Dinky Doo, Rumble, Snips and Snails, Toola Roola, and Coconut Cream. They all waved at him in greeting when being introduced.

Slowly, Gregory opened the door more, looking up and down the halls as if expecting something to jump out and get him. When he saw nothing, he looked down at the foals. “Well, it’s nice to meet you,” he said politely, “but isn’t it a bit late for you all wandering around? Where are the adults who are supposed to look after you?” He almost had said parents, but he went for a more generic phrase as he didn’t know some of their family situations.

Diamond’s face turned into a scowl. “They’re all having a pity party,” she said, “and they told us tonight we could have a sleepover anywhere.”

Gregory’s eyes widened slightly. “A pity party, huh?” He didn’t say anything, but he figured this had something to do with Jason’s taking of half the bits earned in Ponyville that year. Even so, he grew angry on the foals’ behalf. Who lets a group of foals loose? Today was bad for the adults in town, but these were just foals. Then again, he had no idea what childhood was like for foals. They could be teenagers for all he knew. He knew from his dream about Ponyville that Granny Smith was well over a hundred years old, so that they might have aged more slowly here. Even so, that was information to be gathered another day. Slowly, he knelt and faced the foals eye to eye. They didn’t flinch back as he asked, “Why did you want to see me?” He didn’t make it sound like some accusation because he was genuinely curious.

“We had nowhere else to go,” Rumble explained.

“We wanted actually to meet you, too,” Dinky added.

Gregory couldn’t tell why it happened, but what Dinky had said and how she’d said them warmed his heart. Slowly, he sat on the ground and faced them all. “Well, it’s nice to meet you all,” he said politely, raising his hand at them in greeting.

To his surprise, Button Mash trotted up and looked closely at his upraised hand in wonder. “Whoa…if I had these, I could play games much better,” he said.

“You and your games,” Rumble said as the young pegasus rolled his eyes.

Gregory couldn’t help himself. He chuckled as he replied, “Hands can do much more than just play games.” He snapped his fingers, drummed them on the crystalline walls, and made his middle and forefinger appear as legs on the ground as he made them walk before pulling them back. “And that’s just the beginning.” He stood slowly. “Do you all want to come in for a little bit?”

Diamond’s face lit up, as did the faces of the other foals. “Can we?” she asked.

Gregory nodded. “Sure, but there are a few rules. Rule one: please don’t touch anything of mine, for one. I won’t be able to get any replacements in this world, so I’d appreciate it if you respected that.” Diamond and the others nodded in agreement to this. “Rule two: don’t be too loud in here. I have two guards nearby who are probably already asleep, and I don’t want to wake them up. They’ve had a long day. And rule three…” he paused and considered. “Well, actually, I can’t think of anything else. So just don’t touch my things and don’t be too loud. Got it?” They nodded in agreement. Gregory stepped aside and opened the door wider. “Then come on in.”

The excitement on their faces shook his doubts about staying or going. They didn’t go away, but merely altered. Stepping aside, he pushed the door wide open and watched as all nine foals stepped inside, looking around. Most of them honed in on some of his belongings. He felt his worries melting away for the moment as he answered all of their questions about some of the things he’d brought. He started a fire as it was starting to grow a bit cool in the room. Soon, there was a roaring blaze and the firelight illuminated the room far better than the ever setting sun. His window looked eastwards, so he didn’t have the light of the setting sun in his window.

After a little while, one of the fillies, little Toola Roola, saw something on the still somewhat barren bookshelf. She turned to Gregory and pointed. “What are these?” she asked, pointing to a few books that Gregory had set there earlier.

He looked at the books she’d pointed to, and smiled. “Ah, these,” he said, reaching down and lifting the hardcover paper books up. “This is a book series written by one of the most famous human authors of my old world, J. R. R. Tolkien. There’s adventure, good versus evil, long journeys, and more. They’re good books.”

“A story? Mama used to read stories to me before The Trial,” Coconut said, “Can we read this story?”

Gregory noted that their eyes widened at that. Even Button Mash, who was looking at a portable gaming system he’d brought from Earth, looked intrigued by the notion. A sudden impulse came over him, and he pulled out the first book in the series. Setting the rest back down on the shelf, he headed back to bed, climbed into it and sat up against the back. Soon, he was inundated by the other foals as they climbed up onto the large bed, easing down into the cutest little ponyloaf form he’d ever seen. They all sat next to him, staring at him intently. Diamond was on his left and Silver on his right and the other surrounded him. Diamond and Silver were both looking at the book intently. Chuckling, he reached over, flipped on the lamp on the table, and opened the book. “Okay, is everybody ready?” he asked. When they all nodded eagerly, he cleared his throat. “The Hobbit, by J. R. R. Tolkien. Chapter One: An Unexpected Party. In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit…”

[Manehattan Express - The Next Morning]

Spike sat against one of the windows of the train as the scenery moved past him. His expression was focused outwards, taking in the landscape before him. He hardly paid any attention to the attendants that tried to get his attention. The thought of another human in Ponyville filled him with too much dread. What if this Gregory was hurt? There was already an attack of some kind, although the details left the young drake heavily confused. Still, attacking someone’s property was not okay in the slightest. Especially if it was speciesist motivated.

‘Why didn’t Twilight notify anyone sooner?’ Spike thought. Spike then heard a small clanking hit the table in front of him as he looked down and spotted a single bit in front of him. “Huh?” He looked up and saw Cozy looking at him with concern on her face.

“Hey there, serious dragon. Bit for your thoughts?” she asked.

He sank back into the chair and looked out of the window again. “Oh, hey Cozy,” he replied somberly, “you don’t have to give me a bit to know my thoughts.”

“Well, how else am I going to get your attention?” she asked. “You missed lunch because you were being all pouty. Are you worried about meeting the new human? We should be in Ponyville in the next hour.”

“I wish this train would go faster, is all,” Spike replied, turning back to face Cozy. “Every second we waste getting there could mean another Jason incident!”

“You shouldn’t worry too much, Spike.” Gabby said as she popped up behind him. “I mean, I’m sure the princess is on top of things.”

“Twilight isn’t a princess anymore!” Spike reminded her.

“But Princess Luna and Prince Blueblood are the acting rulers now,” Feather Duster said. “Do you mean to say that those two aren’t on top of things?”

“It’s not that,” Spike said with a shake of his head, “but do you think they have time to do anything for this other human with the state of affairs in Equestria right now?”

“Yes, there are some hardships,” Feather said, “but I believe our work outshines the negatives.”

“Yeah! We’ve been doing a great job,” Gabby said optimistically, “and while Twilight might not be a princess anymore, I’m sure she sent similar letters to everyone she knows.”

“I think you’re more worried about meeting with Twilight on top of everything else,” Cozy said.

“...Yeah, it’s been a year since I’ve last seen her or been in Ponyville,” he admitted. “I know from the letter and the shelter that she’s at least trying to be better, but I can’t help but think that she believes I abandoned her…”

“Golly, that is a lot to consider,” Cozy said thoughtfully, “but that just means you have to tackle this with the same attitude you have for helping the CFE. Remember our motto!”

“We have feelings just like you. We feel pain, you can too. Why bring hurt and pain when smiles and friendship have more to gain,” everyone said in unison.

“That’s right,” Cozy said with a smile, “now, we’re going to turn these frowns upside down and make a new human friend!”

“You remind me of Pinkie Pie,” Spike said, “I hope she’s doing better at least.”

[Helping Hooves Shelter - That Same Time]

Gregory walked down the halls, Moonlight and Swift both at either side of him as they headed towards the doors to the guard house where his car was now stored. Gregory wasn’t planning on going into town that day, but instead was planning on checking on his car before exploring the castle more in depth with his two guards by his side. He’d had breakfast earlier with Twilight before she had to go and deal with a few other issues, which gave him and his guards the time he needed.

“Sir, I have to ask, what exactly is a car?” Moonlight asked, a hint of curiosity in her voice as they turned a corner.

“It’s a vehicle humans invented that can go over long distances in a short amount of time,” he explained as they came up on the large guardroom doors. “I just want to make sure that it’s alright and that nobody’s touched it.”

“Didn’t Miss Sparkle say earlier that she ordered the castle guards not to let anypony else touch it?” Swift asked.

“She did say that,” Gregory said, “but right now I want to make sure. Especially after she lied to me.”

“I understand, sir,” Swift replied somberly as they reached the doors. She opened the doors with her wing. “Here we are,” she said.

Gregory took in the guardroom. It appeared just as he remembered it, only not that he was coming in from the other door, he saw a bit more. There were a number of ponyquins lined up against the walls, some with guard armor placed on them and there were places where weapons would have been placed as well, but those places were empty. Right in the corner, looking untouched, was his vehicle. He headed towards the car and unlocked it, opening it and looking inside. The car’s interior lights illuminated everything still inside. He was glad that this room seemed to have some form of air conditioning since he spotted some of the drinks he’d brought with him were still there on the floor in front of the backseats. “Seems like it’s all still here,” he said.

“You thought somepony would try and steal your belongings?” Swift asked.

“They already tried to destroy this car,” Gregory replied, “and you saw how the ponies out there reacted to me and Jason. I’m not a complete idiot. I’m the kind of person who prepares for the worst but hopes for the best.”

As I was looking around, I spotted something I thought I’d grabbed. There were two small black ninja swords that he’d bought a few years before to hang on his apartment wall for decoration. They were extremely sharp and very sturdy. He pulled them out and looked at them carefully. The two guards joined him. “What are those?” Moonlight asked. “Are those some small swords?”

“They’re called ninja swords,” Gregory said as he drew one halfway out, displaying it for the two to see, “and before you ask, I bought them a couple years ago to decorate the walls of my old place.”

“I see,” she replied as Gregory sheathed the sword. “I don’t think I need to remind you about Princess Luna’s orders about you keeping weapons on you when you’re in town.”

“No, you really don’t,” Gregory replied as he leaned both curved blades against the car and headed back inside to check the rest of his things.

“You really packed a lot, didn’t you?” Swift asked.

“As much as I wanted to bring with me,” he said as he climbed back out of the car. He closed it, grabbed both of the small weapons and slung them over his shoulder. “Alright, looks like everything’s where I left it.”

“Are you not gonna unpack everything?” Swift asked as they headed back towards the door.

“Not yet,” Gregory said, “not until I know for certain that I’ll be staying here for a long time.”

“Understandable, sir,” Moonlight said.

As they walked down the halls, Gregory let his mind wander. He thought back to the night before. The foals had really seemed to enjoy the story he’d been reading. They’d asked plenty of questions about the story after he finished the first chapter and Gregory had happily answered them. They begged to come by again, and he’d relented after they gave him the cutest pleading faces he’d ever seen.

It dawned on him then that there was so much resentment on either side because there was so little known about each other besides the trial. The idea began forming in his mind. Sure, it might have been a naive idea, but it was still one worth trying. He wondered what would happen if the ponies were to see another side of humanity. The creative and adventurous mind that gave birth to tales like Harry Potter and Tolkien’s masterpieces. If the ponies could experience that same wonder that many children of Earth had with those books, then perhaps there could be some actual change and there could be some understanding between both races. Of course, he still had his questions, but asking questions was hardly taking action. Who knows? Perhaps Jason would even come around when he saw what he saw in the foals during the reading session. He held out hope for that but wasn’t sure if it would even happen.

Breaking out of his reverie, he cleared his throat and looked down at his guards. “Hey, do you think Twilight’s too busy now? I want to give her a proposal of sorts.”

“What kind of proposal?” Swift asked, sounding curious.

“Well, last night I read a human fiction book to a bunch of foals in my room,” he explained, “and they absolutely loved it.”

Moonlight frowned. “That wasn’t a wise thing to do, sir,” she said, “especially with tensions being so high.”

“Yeah, that was a stupid thing to do in hindsight,” he replied, “but it gave me an idea. I have a lot of human books and other stories that I brought with me to read and show. I think that if I showed ponies these things, then perhaps the animosity might drop.”

“The Princess should be free at the moment,” Moonlight replied, “and I believe she will like this proposal of yours as she has been struggling to find activities for the occupants.”

“Ex-princess,” Swift Sprint reminded her companion.

“Right, I know,” Moonlight replied, “but I find it easier to still refer to her as such. Force of habit.”

“I suppose what she’s doing now could be considered princess-like,” Swift Sprint replied, “although I wouldn’t call her a princess in her presence. I’m pretty sure she’s still a bit sore about the topic.”

“Hold,” a new gruff voice said. Gregory and his guards turned towards the voice and saw a small number of guards approaching them. There were six ponies there, all stallions. Each were wearing the armor of the Royal Guard. Gregory saw two unicorns, two earth ponies and two pegasi. One of the unicorns, clearly the leader, walked up to Gregory and his guards, looking up at him. “Are you the human known as Gregory?” he asked in a professional sounding tone.

“Yes, that’s me,” Gregory replied.

The stallion nodded in confirmation. “The rulers felt it prudent to add additional guard detail after the human Jason Wright’s arrival,” he said.

“May we see some credentials?” Moonlight asked.

The stallion pulled out a scroll with a seal on it, one that Gregory now recognized as belonging to Prince Blueblood. “You’ll find everything in order,” the unicorn said. He then turned to Moonlight and Swift. “I was also told to ask you two to come with me for a short debriefing to catch us up to speed. I will leave three of my guards with the human.” The lead stallion gestured to the aforementioned three ponies, which consisted of two earth ponies and one pegasus.

Gregory didn’t react, but every instinct in him was screaming at him that something was off. He tightened on the straps of the two blades that were slung against him. “Hurry back, you two,” he said, giving them a friendly smile.

As his guards left, one of the stallions, the pegasus, addressed Gregory now. “Sir, do you know of all the passageways to safety?”

“You mean emergency exits and such?” Gregory asked for confirmation.

“Yes sir,” the pegasus said, “I believe you should familiarize yourself with them in case something does happen like a fire or such. Having an extra hoof guiding others to safety is never a bad thing.”

Gregory nodded. It was a good idea, he knew, but he hesitated. “Not a bad idea, but I think I’d like to wait until Swift and Moonlight come back,” he said. He knew that those two at least were handpicked, or hoofpicked in this case, by Luna, but with things that had happened recently, he wasn’t too sure he could immediately trust these new guards. “Hopefully their debriefing won’t take too long.”

“The captain will inform your guards and will be there at the first passage once we get there,” the pegasus replied, “so it will be better for time constraints if we move there now.” With a slight shift in his eyes, the two earth ponies subtly move to surround Gregory.

‘Press X to doubt,’ Gregory thought to himself as he kept his peripherals on the earth ponies while keeping his focus on the pegasus. These guards didn’t look as friendly as his own. “I see,” he said. “Well, before we go, I’d like to go back and use the bathroom in my room really quickly. If we’re going to be wandering, I’d like to not have to stop for anything, especially if time is a constraint.”

The three ponies all shared a look before seemingly coming to a decision. The pegasus turned and gave Gregory a hate filled glare. “Tch, you humans are always making things difficult,” he snarled. “Fine, we’ll do this here. Seize him.”

The two earth ponies took a few steps before leaping for Gregory’s legs. The pegasus drew a knife of his own and took to the air, charging at him. Gregory grunted as he dove out of the path of the pegasus, only to find himself right in bucking range of the earth pony. “Ah, shit…” was all he could say before the earth pony reared up and slammed into his chest, sending him flying against the crystal wall. He gasped as he slid down, coughing up a bit of blood and winded. He’d managed to move a bit so that he hadn’t caught the full brunt of the buck, but he knew he was at least bruised there. He was now out of the circle that they’d formed around him, at the very least. He turned and saw the three ponies slowly advancing on him. Having no other options, he stood as quickly as he could, drew the two blades he had, urned, and ran down the hall.

However, it wasn’t long before the three caught up to him. The pegasus flew in front of Gregory, bringing his knife up for a downwards slash that was clearly aimed for his head. Gregory barely managed to move his head out of the way before attempting to counter with a swipe of his own. The pegasus, however, was ready and easily parried the blow. He went for a stab at Gregory’s chest, but the human ducked and elbowed the guard’s exposed stomach. The blow managed to send the pegasus stumbling back as the two earth ponies took his place. Gregory faced them, his two weapons held up in a defensive position. He spat out blood and sweat poured down his face. “The hell did I ever do to you?!” he shouted, now angry.

“You’re not wanted here, you furless freak!” one of the earth ponies spat.

“Yeah, one stinking monkey is bad enough,” the other earth pony added.

“You think after putting my family out in the streets that we were going to be pals?” the pegasus finished, still brandishing his own blade. “Not a chance in Tartarus!”

Gregory took a deep breath. His chest hurt, but it didn’t feel like his bones were broken at least. He held his weapons up once more. “Pals? I don’t even know you! And besides, I didn’t have anything to do with what happened between you and Jason!”

The attackers didn’t reply, but instead moved to attack Gregory again. One of the earth ponies tried to buck at his leg, but Gregory sidestepped him and kicked out his foreleg, sending the pony sprawling. However, the other earth pony managed to tackle the human to the ground. Gregory used his taller stature to roll the two of them and tried to choke the pony out. He grabbed the stallion around the neck and applied pressure, not wanting to kill him but to just knock him out. The stallion struggled for air against Gregory’s grip before the latter caught a glint in the distance. Suddenly, Gregory felt a seering white hot pain on his left arm, forcing him to break the hold and drop the knives that were still in his hands. Gregory looked around and saw a bloody knife embedded in the wall while a new gash bled on his forearm. The pegasus quickly flew to his position with malicious intent in his eyes.

He dove out of the way, grabbing both knives again, but his pony attackers weren't finished. Soon, the pegasus lunged at him again, slashing this time at his face. Gregory reared his head back but he felt a fresh pain on his face which was right above and below his eye. He screamed, dropping the knives again and holding his hand up to his eye. He screamed as blood poured from the wound, making him temporarily blind in his left eye. Even then, he didn’t have time to rest. He tried to grope for his blades, found one of them, and opened his right eye. The pegasus was there, looking smugly at him while the other two earth ponies were advancing on him. He backed away as best as he could.

The pegasus was a little more confident now and lunged at Gregory again, looking to plant his hooves against the human’s throat. In desperation, Gregory screamed and swung his blade just as the pegasus flew by him. The blade connected with something and sliced through it cleanly. There was a splash of blood as the pegasus screamed in utter agony, tumbles down from the air and slamming against the wall. Gregory heard a sickening crunch before the pegasus slid down the wall onto the ground. His two companions lost their smug grins as the pegasus writhed in pain. One of his wings hung limply against his back in an awkward angle, but the other was clearly missing. Upon closer inspection, it was clear that Gregory’s blade had managed to sever the other wing clean off through most of its tendons, leaving said wing lying on the floor surrounded by blood.

It was a gruesome sight that made the remaining ponies sick. Seeing that they were distracted, Gregory charged at the two ponies and plunged his knife into the guard’s shoulder without hesitation. He quickly pulled it out, spun, and used the handle to bash the side of the earth pony’s head. There was a loud crunch and the pony collapsed, completely out cold. However, the other guard was on Gregory’s blindside and landed a strong buck against Gregory's chest once again. Gregory felt the wind leave his body as he flew a short distance and hit the wall again. The earth pony wasted no time lunging at the human and putting one hoof against his neck. Gregory tried to breathe, but couldn’t as the earth pony had cut off his airflow. He looked around desperately for one of his blades, but found that it was out of reach. He saw black spots beginning to form on the edge of his vision, and he briefly wondered if this was how he was going to die.

The earth pony reared up in order to smash Gregory’s face in with his free hoof. Suddenly, a blur slammed into the pony, knocking him away. Wheezing and taking in great gulps of air, Gregory tilted his head up to see Swift Sprint on top of the earth pony. She was giving him the same treatment he had just gone through. Moonlight was holding the second and still unconscious earth pony in her magic, glaring at him. Twilight was also there, looking horrified at the amount of blood on the ground along with tthe severed wing. Slowly, Gregory leaned onto his right elbow, pushed himself up with his good arm, then grabbed the nearer one of his blades, gripping it tightly as he glared with righteous anger at the three attackers.

“Gregory, s-stop! Y-you need medical a-attention!” Twilight stammered out, the sight of blood clearly making her queasy.

He whirled on her and she flinched in terror as his eyes locked onto her. He was breathing heavily and was extremely pissed. However, he quickly looked around. Swift was still pummeling the first earth pony, Moonlight held the second in her magic, and the pegasus was trying to crawl to his wing, whimpering and moaning. He suddenly felt the adrenaline rush begin to wear off and he dropped his blade, sending it clattering onto the floor below

The last sound Gregory heard before darkness overwhelmed him was Twilight shrieking, “GREGORY!!!”

[Klugetown - Later That Evening]

Klugetown didn’t belong to any one nation, as it was considered no-creatures land. The sun was already starting to set, and the Klugetown marketplaces were starting to shut down. Most stall owners tended to wait until the burning sun overhead was gone and for the air to cool down considerably before they began taking their stalls down for the night.

Among the crowd, two Abyssinian mollies were walking down the stalls, looking for some late night meal before heading home. The older molly was named Mimi who was heading down the street with her only daughter Ginger. Ginger was about thirteen and had lived in town her whole life. Her mother had moved to the town after being chased out of Abyssinia for having Ginger. Mimi loved her daughter very much and worked hard to teach Ginger about their culture and to keep her safe. In a town like this, lawless and unforgiving, young children were especially vulnerable to being kidnapped.

“Mama, can we get some sausages?” Ginger asked hopefully.

Mimi looked into her coin purse. There weren’t many in the pouch, but Ginger had been behaving very well lately. She smiled down at her daughter. “We can get one. Only one, though.”

Ginger nodded. “Yay!”

“If it’s sausages you two seek, then over here why not take a peak?” a deep male voice called out from nearby.

Mimi turned and saw a familiar face. Mpishi, their neighbor and one of the best cooks she knew, was waving them to his own stall. As they approached, Mimi could smell the tantalizing scent of meat roasting over a grill. “I have to tell you, that smells delicious,” she said, her mouth watering. “What kind of meat is that?”

“What other kind is there indeed? A fishy sausage, if you have need,” Mpishi replied.

Mimi chuckled and asked, “How much?”

“While normally I ask for ten, I think for you I can go down again, For five coins, two can be yours. I hope that makes your hearts soar,” Mpishi said.

“Can we get four at that price?” Mimi asked, unable to believe her good luck.

Mpishi simply nodded and put four fish sausages in a paper bag. Mimi handed him the aforementioned five bits, and gave two sausages to her daughter. The little Abyssinian kitten began eagerly eating heartily. As they did so, Ginger looked up and noticed a small piece of metal hanging from his stall in the shape of a horse. She raised her eyebrow and, with food in her mouth, she pointed and asked, “What ish dat?”

Mpishi looked up at the folded paper, smiled, then turned back to Ginger. “It is a talisman, young one, for it protects us from what we can’t outrun.”

“Hmm? What do you mean?” Ginger asked after she’d swallowed.

Mpishi looked at her, then back up at Mimi. “Perhaps, to celebrate our sale, we could engage in a rousing tale?”

Mimi almost sighed. Mpishi was known to have many stories from his homeland of Zebrica. Her daughter always ate them up and would go out and pretend she was on adventures afterwards. Still, her daughter had been behaving, and even she had to admit hearing about old stories from him was enjoyable. “Yeah, we have a bit of time.”

“Something new this time!” Ginger begged.

Mpishi chuckled and gave them both a stool to sit on. After they did so, the zebra leaned closer, grinning. “A new tale you wish me to tell? Well then, let all your fears be quelled. A tale of windigos I bring, for of their bitter presence we sing.” He lowered his voice as he settled into his storytelling mode. “In far off lands, in times of old, this tale of windigos is told. For zebras, twas a time of strife. Wars were too common, and disease was rife. Our tribes were scattered every which way, but more of that time, I cannot say. Our hatred was of a fiery sort, our anger hot, our temper’s short, until one day when the sun was high, a cold white windigo did fly among the warring zebrafolk and our anger it did evoke. The zebra wars did escalate, our minds consumed with endless hate until one day, tired and worn, one sounded the Gjallarhorn. Our ancient leaders came together and spent one month to confer the terms of peace that stand today. With that the windigos flew away. Since then, Zebrica has been at peace, and all hostility has ceased.”

“Whoa…windigos? I thought that happened only to ponies!” Ginger said in awe. Mimi nodded in agreement. She knew of the tales of the windigos attacking the so-called harmonious ponies before their nation was founded. Many knew it.

Mpishi shook his head. “Wherever hatred tends to brew, the windigos may attack anew. For on our loathing do they feed, so hark, for it only takes one seed.”

“He’s right, sweetie,” Mimi said. “Hatred can bring windigos, so don’t hate anyone.”

“Hah! You three believe that still?” a new voice came out from nearby. When the three turned, they saw a group of five assorted creatures standing nearby, grinning at them. Their leader, a large turtle-like bipedal creature, stepped forward. “Windigo’s are just some old story meant to scare children into behaving. Hatred brings them out? Please! There’s nothing about that story that rings true anywhere!”

“I would not be so quick to dismiss, for the world is vast and not full of bliss,” Mpishi replied, giving the young group a slight frown.

“Butt out, you old goat,” one of the group, ironically a bipedal goat-like creature, snapped as he tore off the talisman and threw it on the ground, shattering it.

Mpishi’s frown deepened. “You shouldn’t have done that, my friend, for now things here may come to an end.”

“Hah! Listen to this old bastard talking about old fairy tales,” another one said as he shoved on Mpishi’s stall, sending a bit of it falling. “Your precious statue couldn’t protect you from that, eh old stallion?”

Before anyone else could say anything, however, the ground rumbled slightly, like a wave had passed underneath them. Startled, Mimi grabbed her daughter and held her close. The five youths stood still and looked around, confused. Others in the area who were still working or who were putting their stalls away stopped and looked around. The streets were quiet as everyone listened. Half a minute passed with nothing happening.

Just as everyone began going back to what they were doing, there was a loud roar that came from the south. Another rumbling was felt and a shockwave of some sort flew through the streets, sending dust flying. Mimi held onto her daughter as a second roar, closer than the first but identical to it, was heard.

At that, the temperature around them began to plummet drastically. In only a clawful of seconds, Mimi could see her breath, something she hadn’t seen in years. Nearby, Mpishi snorted and rushed out of his stall up to Mimi and Ginger. “Take heed, my friends, and run with me! Some shelter over there I see!”

Mimi stood and began running after Mpishi. By now, the roars and rumblings were getting louder and others were beginning to panic. Buildings were shaking more and more and things were beginning to fall. Mpishi ran through the falling debris until they reached a large pair of basement doors, which he flung open.

However, before they could enter, the five youths from before shoved Mpishi, Ginger and Mimi out of the way, climbing inside before swiftly closing it. Mimi heard, to her dismay, the sound of a lock being thrown. Mimi rushed over and slammed on the door, the temperature now definitely below zero. “Let us in! Hurry!”

“This is our hiding place,” one of them shouted, “and there’s no more room!”

“My daughter’s out here! Let us in please!” she begged, tears streaming down her face. The wind had picked up and the screams of other creatures could be heard behind. Many were screaming in pain and for help while others were shouting out many various names.

“Come along, Mimi, they won’t be kind. They think nothing of leaving us behind,” Mpishi said, putting a hoof around her and pulling her away. “Another place of hiding we should seek before Faust’s face herself we’ll peek.”

Mimi was reluctant to leave, but one look at her now terrified daughter told her that she shouldn’t just be idle. She stood and began running again. By now she was joined by throngs of other creatures, running or flying for their lives. The latter, though, were having more and more trouble as an icy wind blew harder and harder with each passing second.

Mpishi turned down an abandoned alley, leading the two abyssinians through the crumbling buildings until he reached a small door. Turning, he bucked at it a couple times until it broke open. The three entered and Mpishi quickly began stacking crates up against the door. In the dark, Mimi’s nighttime vision picked up that they were in some kind of small storage room. She held Ginger close as she searched frantically for either something to burn or something to wrap her and her daughter in. It took a couple of minutes but she found a few dirty and ragged cloaks. “Mpishi! Over here!”

The zebra joined them about a minute later, following the sound of Mimi’s voice. Soon all three were huddled underneath the cloaks, trying to block out the cries of people outside and the roars of whatever was attacking the city. Poor Ginger was freaking out so badly. Mpishi began singing some old lullaby in the native Zebrican language, and that helped revive their spirits.

As the sounds of the screams lessened and the roars increased, the temperature dropped incredibly fast. Mimi was terrified that she and her daughter would die from the cold. Not wanting any of her daughter’s potential last memories to be of her panicking, she rocked her young kitten in her arms, humming along to Mpishi’s song. Strangely, she felt a bit of warmth coming from above them, and it revived her a bit.

Hours must have passed. Mpishi and Mimi took turns singing and telling stories to young Ginger to keep her and themselves from panicking. The warmth slowly increased. Finally, the roaring from outside stopped altogether. The three waited a bit, still telling stories and singing. An hour later, they removed the cloaks from where they were, only to realize that whatever warmth they had felt came from a nearby purple flame that had somehow caught a nearby crate on fire.

After warming themselves considerably by the fire, the three made their way back to the door. What they found was utter destruction. The entire city had been buried in ice and snow. The sky was full of clouds and snow was still falling, but gently now. The three wandered the streets, heading back the way they’d come. When they reached the first basement where they’d tried to hide, they found the doors wide open. Mpishi looked inside, and the look on his face told Mimi all she needed to know.

“What…what do we do now?” Ginger asked.

Mimi reached down and stroked her daughter’s head gently. “Everything’s going to be alright, sweetie,” she said. “It just means that we’re gonna be moving, is all.”

“Moving where?” Ginger asked.

“A land far south could be our salvation,” Mpishi replied, “For the hippogriffs have a peaceful nation.”

Mimi nodded. She didn’t want to stay here anymore, but hadn’t had the funds to move. Now, with the entire town destroyed, she had more than enough motivation. “Alright, sweetie. We’re going to move south.”

Chapter 7 - The Discussion

[Ponyville Hospital - Late Afternoon That Same Day]

Gregory’s first memory after slowly clambering back to consciousness was the smell of antiseptic along with a heart monitor beeping regularly. Groaning, he opened his right eye, then his left. The latter felt like it was covered a bit by bandages, but to his relief he could see some slight light from it. His forehead and cheek which were both above his left eye burned along with his left arm and he found it impossible to breathe without some sort of pain in his chest. Looking around with the only eye that wasn’t covered, he saw that he was in a very familiar looking recovery room, pretty much identical to the one that Rainbow Dash had recovered in during the Read It And Weep episode.

Quickly, the events before his passing out came back to him. He felt his anger rising, and in response the heart monitor’s beeping sped up. The pain in his wounds only increased at that, and he had to force himself to take slow, calming breaths. The heart monitor’s beeping slowly returned to its previous BEEP…BEEP instead of the BEEP BEEP BEEP that it had been doing while he was angry. Oh, he was still pissed off, but calmer rationality prevailed. It wouldn’t do him much good to get his heart rate up.

He looked up at the dark chartreuse ceiling, tracing the lighter patterns with his eye and letting his mind wander. He could still see the amount of hatred in all three of the ponies’ eyes when they’d attacked him. The revulsion was undeniable. He had no doubt that if he hadn't accidentally found his two small weapons in his car not half an hour before that he’d be in a much worse place and possibly even dead.

He quickly began going over his options. His most logical course of action would be to take Princess Luna’s offer to move to Canterlot, or it would have been had it not been for this attack. If Blueblood had been behind it, which seemed about half likely, he’d be in even more danger. From what he’d seen of Canterlot in the show, it was full of snobby rich folk who would ignore a cry for help from a kitten if need be. There were probably some good nobles, but he wasn’t sure about which ones he could trust, if any.

Staying in Ponyville wasn’t the best option anymore, especially since he now realized just who those guards had been. The earth pony guards had been part of the ones who had attacked Jason on Filthy Rich’s orders in the dream that the Gjallarhorn had shown him. He hadn’t quite recognized them at first but now that he was looking back, he knew now why his instincts had screamed at him that they were dangerous. At any rate, he knew that if he could do so, he would be pressing full charges against them and whoever had tried to attack him.

As he thought, his conversation with Twilight the night before the attack came back to him. He remembered that Twilight had mentioned that Starlight Glimmer had built a brand new school somewhere up north. A school for other creatures. Twilight had admitted that she wasn’t really privy to all the details about the school. Still, he remembered that the Gjallarhorn had shown just how Starlight had stood up to her friends regarding Trixie’s treatment by the Elements of Harmony and if that brief glimpse at her personality was anything to go by, he felt like he would be in a much better place at Starlight’s new school than in Ponyville. Hell, he might even become good friends with her, although with things being as they were, he resolved to be even more careful going forward. He resolved to at least send a letter of inquiry to Starlight and see just what the school was about. Perhaps he might even ask to come and see this new school.

Just then, the door to his room opened. Gregory slowly lifted his head up as the door was on the opposite side of the bed. Standing in the middle of the doorway, he saw a familiar looking nurse walking in. She was a somewhat plump earth pony mare, with somewhat pinkish fur, a purple and white striped mane and tail, freckles on her face, dark aquamarine eyes, and a white cross with four hearts coming out of the corners of said cross for a cutie mark. Her mane was tied up in a bun and she had bangs, and on her head was an old style nurse’s cap. She had a nametag attached to her chest area which read NURSE SWEETHEART. She was looking over a clipboard when she came in, but when she looked up, her eyes widened and she dropped said clipboard. “You…you’re awake already…” she gasped.

Gregory, not being in the best of moods, almost responded with a snarky reply, but held his tongue. “Yeah, I just woke up,” he said. He tried moving his head but the pain in his chest only increased and he lay back down, breathing in slowly.

The nurse came over quickly. “Please don’t move,” she said worriedly. “You’ve been out for a few hours. You might tear out the stitches. Also, you lost a good deal of blood and we don’t have any way to replenish it. The doctor said our blood wouldn’t work.”

Gregory paused. What she was saying made plenty of sense, now that he thought about it. When he did move, the pain in his injuries only increased, so he lay still. “Okay, that’s fair,” he said. He slowly turned to her and asked, “What time was I brought in?”

“Um…nine ten this morning, I think,” the nurse said.

“What time is it now?”

The nurse looked around, then saw something on another wall. “It’s 4:13 in the afternoon,” she replied.

Quickly doing the math, Gregory muttered, “I’ve been out for more than seven hours?”

Sweetheart nodded “You were…well, really bleeding a lot.” To her credit, unlike Twilight, she didn’t look like the sight of blood sickened her. Then again, he reasoned, she was a nurse. “The doctor tried his best to stop the bleeding, but his magic didn’t seem to be working on you part of the time. We had to stitch all your wounds closed manually. We didn’t know what kind of pain medication to use, either. Does it hurt?”

“Like a motherfucker,” he blurted out before he could stop himself. He quickly amended, “Sorry. Yeah, it really hurts. My arm, above and below my eye, and my chest feels like it’s been caved in.”

Sweetheart’s ears flattened at that. “I’m really sorry we couldn’t do more,” she said apologetically, and to Gregory’s ears, it sounded like she meant it. “We didn’t want to risk doing anything more to you.”

“That makes sense,” he said, “it’s not like you have a medical journal on humans. Thanks for what you did do, though. I’d like to see the doctor, if I can.”

“Oh, of course!” she said. “He’s been waiting for you to wake up. And you have some visitors, too.”

“Understood,” he replied. “Doctor first, please. If he’s available.”

Sweetheart nodded and galloped out of the room, leaving her clipboard on the table beside him. Barely a minute later, another familiar pony came walking in. Gregory first thought he was the same doctor who had treated Rainbow Dash in that Read It And Weep episode, until he saw the lack of a horn. His nametag read DR. GREYMARE. “Mr. Graystone,” he said in a professional tone as he picked up the clipboard with his hoof, “good to see you awake. How are you feeling?”

Once more, Gregory refrained from saying anything snarky as he replied, “My left arm and the spot above and below my eye feels like they’re on fire, my chest feels like it’s been crushed in, and it hurts to breath and move.”

The doctor nodded, picked up a nearby pencil, and began writing this down on the paper. “You received some pretty nasty injuries,” he said.

“What kind, and don’t hold back,” Gregory replied.

“Your left arm was pretty deeply cut,” the doctor began, “but the cut above and below your eye seems to have been more shallow. You do have a pair of bruises on your chest, but we took an X-Ray and from what we can tell, you don’t have any broken bones.” He looked back at Gregory. “We closed the injuries as fast as we could. We had to stitch them closed without anesthetic or pain killers, so I am sorry about the pain. Frankly, we don’t have any idea what we could have used and we didn’t want to cause any more harm to you. We almost used ketamine to help you sleep through it better.”

“Ketamine could have killed me,” Gregory replied. “In powdered form, it can cause seizures, psychosis, permanent loss of senses, brain damage, internal bleeding, and even death.”

The doctor’s face paled, and he quickly wrote that down. “Good to know.” He turned back to Gregory. “Any questions for me?”

“Well…not sure if you can answer this with any degree of certainty,” Gregory began, “but how long will I need to be here?”

The doctor frowned again, looking thoughtful. “I would recommend a few days,” he began, “but I received word from Princess Luna that she would prefer to get you out of the hospital as soon as may be.”

Gregory raised an eyebrow. “Keep me away from any ponies hoping to finish the job?” he snarked again before he could stop himself. Upon seeing the frown on the doctor’s face deepen, Gregory apologized. “I tend to get pretty snarky whenever I’m really pissed off.”

“I understand, sir,” the doctor said. “I can’t speak for other ponies in town, but my nursing staff and I are professionals. We’ve all taken the oath to do no harm, and we stand by that.”

“Good luck trying to explain that to Jason. Or Cranky Doodle for that matter,” Gregory replied.

The doctor looked at him in alarm. “You know about that?”

“The Gjallarhorn showed me,” Gregory replied. “I’m surprised you even want to treat the likes of me.”

The doctor looked guiltily away. “That was my twin brother who did that,” the doctor replied. “He’s quit being a doctor because of the ridicule. Your point is taken, though. We betrayed our oath and didn’t help either Cranky or Jason, and we’ve paid for that.”

Gregory was surprised by how sincere this doctor sounded. Even the nurse from before appeared to have been remorseful. This was the first time, aside from Twilight, Pinkie, and possibly Applebloom, that he’d seen any pony show any kind of remorse for what they’d done. He took a few slow breaths to calm himself. “So,” he said, quickly changing the subject, “the Princess said she wanted me out of here ASAP, huh?”

“Yes sir,” the doctor replied. “I’d like to keep you overnight, though, just to be safe.”

“You’re the doctor,” Gregory said.

Dr. Greymare frowned deeper. “I just want to be sure that the stitches will hold. We did the best we could, but you’ll probably have scars. One of my nurses told me that Princess-pardon me, Miss Sparkle-has promised to look for healing spells and potions that she can use to speed up the healing process. She’s outside waiting to see you, actually. She hasn’t left the hospital, the poor mare.”

Gregory lifted his hand and touched the still smarting cut above and below his left eye. Both spots were warm. He moved his hand down. “Visitors, huh?” He frowned. He didn’t feel like he could be friendly to anyone at the moment except maybe Twilight and his guards, but he knew he had to see them at some point. “Who is out there?”

“Miss Sparkle, your guards, Cozy Glow and some members of the CFE, and I believe I saw Prince Blueblood as well,” the doctor replied.

That surprised him. He remembered clearly that it had been his seal on the letter that had sent those false guards after him. Either Blueblood was a bigger idiot than he realized, or very bright. After all, who would suspect that the man behind the attack would show up to see the injured party? Whichever it was, he kept his thoughts to himself. It also surprised him that Cozy Glow wanted to see him. He wasn’t sure why that young filly of all ponies would want to see him, but he knew he had to be careful around her. “Alright, I think I can handle some of these visitors, if not all. But before I see them, I’d like to at least be sitting up. I wanna speak with them with a little bit of dignity at least.”

The doctor nodded. “I’ll try and help you up as best I can, sir,” he said.

It took about two to three minutes but eventually he was sitting up against a good number of white pillows. He saw then that he was indeed naked, at least his upper body was. There were a couple of heart monitor wires stuck to his chest. He thought he felt that he was wearing something under the bed, and when he checked he saw that the pants he’d worn while being attacked were still on. The doctor saw this and said, “We had to tear your clothes off to work on you. I’m very sorry.”

“Do you still have them?” Gregory asked.

“We’ll give them back to you when you leave,” the doctor promised.

“Thank you,” Gregory replied. “I’m ready.”

“Anypony you want to see first?” the doctor asked.

“I don’t have a preference,” Gregory replied.

“Alright. Would you like something to drink?” the doctor asked again.

“A glass of water, please,” Gregory said.

“I’ll have the nurse bring in some for you,” the doctor replied. “Again, I’m sorry we couldn’t do more, but we didn’t have the knowledge necessary.”

“You’ve done plenty, already,” Gregory said in as best of a reassuring tone as he could muster, “so don’t worry. I have a copy of a general medical book about humans with me somewhere I can loan to you sometime.”

“That would be nice to have, thank you,” the doctor said. “I’ll send one of my nurses back after the visitors are gone and check on you.”

“Could you send Nurse Sweetheart?” Gregory asked. He liked the plump pony mare. She might have been nervous at first around him, but even though it was probably her job, he appreciated being spoken to by another pony with respect.

“Of course,” the doctor replied with a nod.

“Thanks, doctor,” Gregory said.

With a nod, the doctor headed out. A few minutes later, Nurse Sweetheart came back in, pushing a cart which had a glass, a jug of ice water, a spoon and what looked like a small bowl of applesauce and a plate of some kind of gelatin. She placed the tray in front of him, opening its legs so that it stood in front of him. “The doctor said to bring you something to eat, too,” she said as she poured him a glass of water. “He thought something light would be best. I brought some applesauce and some strawberry gel treats.”

Gregory was a bit confused, mostly because he knew gelatin had meat products in it. He quickly dismissed it, since he also knew from a bit of research back on Earth that there could be vegan gelatin substitutes. “That’s more than enough, thank you.” He finally realized how hungry and thirsty he was, seeing as he hadn’t eaten since breakfast.

“Are you ready for your visitors?” Nurse Sweetheart asked.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Gregory replied, slowly reaching out to grab the glass with his right hand.

“I’ll let them know,” the nurse said, then pointed to a small remote on the end table. “Press the red button on that if you need anything.”

“Will do.”

Gregory watched her head out and waited. He took a sip of water, appreciating how cool it was going down his parched throat. As he was clearing his throat, the door opened again. The nurse was there, and behind her stood Twilight and Prince Blueblood. He felt his anger return, but he held himself back, at least for the moment. Maintaining a placid expression, he placed the cup down. “Hello,” he said, nodding politely towards them.

“Gregory! I’m glad you’re okay,” Twilight exclaimed as she rushed up and looked him over with a worried expression.

“For the most part, I’m alright,” he replied. “They haven’t given me any painkillers, so everything still hurts like a bitch, but that’s to be expected. After all, what works on ponies will likely kill me. Like ketamine.”

Twilight gasped at the thought. “Oh, of course! Why didn’t I consider that? I’m sorry.”

“Now, now Princess Troublemaker, you can’t fault yourself with a creature you met three days ago,” Blueblood said with a smirk. “After all, who knows what kind of pathogens he’s carrying?”

Gregory turned towards Blueblood, as if he had just spotted him. “Well, well, well, this is a pleasant surprise,” he said, not really caring now if his snark did come out as he locked eyes with the royal. “Come back to see whether or not your precious goons finished the job?”

Blueblood arched a brow at this. He was silent for a few moments as if in thought before breaking out in laughter. “Oh my Faust! That is too rich! I’m beginning to like you humans. You are delightfully naïve.”

“You don’t get to joke!” he snapped. “You dare show yourself here after trying to have me killed!?”

Blueblood continued laughing, which only angered the human more. When he was winding down, he looked back at Gregory with that same smirk on his face. “Hmm, alright. Let me answer that with a question of my own,” he replied, “and for that, I need to screen your bodyguards. You two may come inside.” At Blueblood’s words, the door opened again, and Swift Sprint and Moonlight came inside, shutting the door behind them. He faced them as he said, “Now, would you two explain how your timely rescue of your charge happened.”

The two mares threw up a salute. “Your Highness. I discovered those ponies had ill intentions when my magic interacted with the documents they presented as per protocol.” Moonlight said.

“And what did your magical scan reveal? Pay attention, Gregory; this is the moment you’ll be shown as an idiot.” Blueblood taunted.

“My magic revealed that the letter was enchanted to look like your seal,” Moonlight concluded. “After that, Swift and myself quickly subdued them and hurried to our charge.”

Blueblood clapped his hooves in response. “Fine detective work. Truly, auntie chose well. Too bad their charge is lackluster.”

Gregory raised an eyebrow at this. In a way, it did make sense. Magic in this universe seemed to be able to do a multitude of things. Illusion spells were pretty much a given in this universe, especially considering the fact that changelings existed. He rolled his eyes. “Fine, fine, so it wasn’t you, or so you claim. Whoever was behind this chose the perfect scapegoat, then, didn’t they?”

“Can I help it if I am the most desired stallion in Equestria?” Blueblood asked with a boastful tone, putting his hoof to his chest and sticking his nose in the air in that typical Canterlot noble fashion that he’d seen in the show. “It really is becoming a hassle.”

“No, but you can help it if you’re the most pompous little shit Equestria has to offer,” Gregory retorted. “Actually, I take that back. That’s an insult to shits taken everywhere.”

“Oh, your barbs are as horrendous as your disposition and visage,” Blueblood replied with a grin, “and here I am about to extend to you a special invitation.”

“If it’s coming from you, Blueballs, give me one good reason why I should accept,” Gregory replied. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Twilight looking more and more nervous, but he ignored her, focusing entirely on the prince before him. “You’ve done nothing but insult me since coming here, and while I admit that what you first said to me had merit, but if you’re going to continue and make an ass out of yourself, you can do me the pleasure of fucking right off.”

“I do believe I told you that we are not here to act on your expectations of us,” Blueblood said with a sneer. “If you have an issue with how I am treating you, then my only retort is to deal with it. I am a prince and I have duties, yet, here I am constantly making the commute to check on a guilt project. Does that seem fair to you? Is that how human royalty acts for your world? Perish the thought of humans having royals in the first place.”

Gregory’s scowl was growing with every word. “Nobody asked you to come check on me,” he snapped. “In fact, I would have preferred someone like fucking Rainbow Dash checking up on me to the likes of you. You want me to deal with it? I am a being of conscious thought, same as you. If you can’t treat me with respect or even with kindness, one of your tenets or harmony, then I reissue my previous comment: fuck off back to Canterlot where you can indulge in all that yor cozy lifestyle has to offer!”

“Well, as much as I am tempted to ‘fuck off’, I cannot,” Blueblood replied, “seeing as how the council has shown special interest in your plight and issued this mandate.” Blueblood’s horn glowed as a scroll appeared hovering in front of him. Blueblood cleared his throat, looked down, and began to read. “To Mr. Gregory the human. We the council express our deepest remorse for your recent assault. While we are working tirelessly with the crown to bring about the change Equestria desperately needs, we cannot stop every issue that pops up. We are a large nation after all. And, change takes more time than a simple year can provide. However, what we can do is offer you better security. As one of only two humans in the world, you and Jason Wright are considered an endangered species. Henceforth, you both fall under the Endangered Services Act. This law offers any endangered species the chance to peacefully thrive in luxury at our glorious capital. If it is possible, we wish to extend this protection to Jason Wright as well as yourself. We look forward to seeing you here.”

“The council sent a response?” Twilight asked in surprise, looking over the letter.

Gregory threw back his head and laughed. He could instantly tell just what was going on, and it amused him that they would consider him an endangered species. Not when he wasn’t endangered. “Hah! A gilded cage to control me, huh? Let me clarify something, seeing as how I see you to be of the intellectually stunted variety,” he replied, throwing back a variation of Blueblood’s words into his face. “I am not an endangered species. That would imply that there’s a chance I could repopulate my species in this world. Jason and I are both male, so I can see that a pony of very little brain like yourself can see the issue there. I can’t have progeny with any creature here, either. It’s simple genetics and it’s just not possible.. No no no no no, Jason and I don’t belong to an endangered species, but an extinct one. Unless you can summon some human women for us, we’ll die here without any children. You can tell those who are puppeting you that I am honored by their offer, but I prefer my freedom.”

Blueblood rolled his eyes as the letter poofed out of existence. “Hmm, well, that is your choice. However, I strongly advise you to visit Canterlot soon. Princess Luna would like another word with you. I haven’t the faintest idea why. Either way, I must bid you adieu. Pleasant dreams.”

“Don’t let the door hit you on the way out,” Gregory replied.

As Blueblood left, scowling slightly, Twilight’s eyes widened at his phrasing. She quickly turned and approached the side of the bed. Giving Gregory a pleading look, she said, “Gregory. I think you should go to Canterlot and take the offer.”

“Not happening,” he replied. “I won’t be held prisoner just for being who I am. I’ll die a free man if need be.”

“Sir, you’re looking at this the wrong way.” Moonlight said. “It’s clear that you’re too exposed here. Yes, Swift and I were able to intervene, but, what about the next time? At least in Canterlot, you’ll have Princess Luna's watchful eye with you.”

“In Canterlot, I would be kept in a gilded cage to keep me from doing something to upset the balance,” Gregory retorted. “Thanks, but no thanks. I prefer the fresh air. And let’s not forget that even without magic, I managed to hold my own for a while. I even cut a pegasi’s wing off and stabbed another earth pony.”

“Sir, are you conveniently forgetting the part where one of those earth ponies placed you in the hospital?” Swift reminded him.

“No, I’m not forgetting that,” Gregory replied, “but neither am I going anywhere.”

“Gregory, I think you should get some rest and reconsider the offer. It might be refreshing to tackle this situation with a calmer mind,” Twilight insisted.

There was something in Twilight words that caught Gregory’s attention. He stared into her serious expression for a time before it clicked for him. He made no reaction, however other than to take a slow breath. “Fine, fine. If nothing else, I guess a good night’s sleep will do me some good. But there was someone else who wanted to meet me. I hear that Cozy Glow is out there. I’d like to meet her first.”

“She opted to wait a little to let you rest,” Twilight explained, “and you should do so as soon as possible.”

“Fine, fine. I’ll sleep soon,” he replied. Just then he remembered something, a promise he’d made to the foals from the night before. “Oh, and when you go back to the shelter, would you go to my room for me? There may be a group of foals sitting at my door waiting for me to read a story to them like I did last night. Please let them know I won’t be able to for a while.”

“You read to them?” Twilight asked, a look of astonishment on her face along with curiosity. She approached. “What story was it? Was it one of the same stories you–? Wait, composure Twilight, composure. Alright, I’ll let them know.”

He chuckled. “I was reading a fantasy story to them called The Hobbit. I read the first chapter to them and they seemed to like it. I promised them I’d read that book and other stories from the same fantasy universe to them, but I can’t really do that now, can I?” He paused a bit, then looked at her. “Anyway, are you doing okay?”

“I’m fine. I’m just disappointed,” Twilight replied, looking exhausted, almost as if the weight of the world was on her shoulders. Then, a look of anger passed over her face. “This happened in my shelter. My shelter! I thought everypony still considered it a sacred place of harmony and friendship! But then the same awful ponies that hurt Jason came back to hurt you! Don’t worry, though, they will be punished for this! Ponies can’t abuse others freely anymore!” She finished her sentence with a stamp of her hoof on the ground.

“It shouldn’t have happened in the first place with Jason or with any other creatures,” Gregory said. “I learned a lot about Ponyville’s history from the horn. The beginnings of this town were shown to me. If you’re curious, look up a zebra uprising at the very beginning of this town’s history. Granny Smith might know. She was here over a hundred years ago. The problem runs deeper than you can even imagine. If Ponyville was like this from the get-go, imagine the rest of the country.”

Twilight nodded. “You’re right. Granny Smith might be a treasure cove of information. Sadly, I can’t go to the farm. We’re not on speaking terms these days…” Gregory saw a wave of guilt and regret passing over her face.

“Yeah, makes sense,” he said with an understanding nod, “although I didn’t see her in any of what the horn showed me.” Gregory turned to his guards. “Thank you for saving me. I know this is gonna sound cliché, but I owe you a debt I can’t ever really repay.”

“You’re welcome, sir,” Moonlight said.

“All in a day’s work,” Swift added.

“Think I’ll be getting into any trouble for maiming those ponies?” Gregory asked Twilight. “I did manage to permanently injure one of them, after all.”

“Self defense is a broad category,” Twilight informed him. “The guards came at you with weapons and you responded in kind. So, equal force measures are in play here. Besides, as bad as things have gone, it could’ve been worse. And don’t worry about Granny. I know a pony who she’ll be happy to talk with, provided she’s not there already.”

“If you mean Pinkie, I believe you,” Gregory replied, “but I think Granny already knows I’m here. Applejack saw me, after all. They all saw me.”

“We’ll get to them in time,” Twilight promised. “Get some rest now.”

After saying his goodbyes and being left alone, he slowly ate the food given him. It might not have been much, but it at least partially sated his hunger. The nurse came back after a while, took the tray away and helped him back into a sleeping position. She turned off the light and Gregory closed his eyes. Slowly, he drifted off to sleep, his thoughts leaning towards his former home world. It was with these thoughts that he fell asleep. And dreamed.

[The Dream Realm - Gregory’s Dream]

Gregory sat in the local bar and grill joint that he regularly visited during his last year on Earth. He was eating a cheeseburger and just watching the crowd with a bemused smile. All around him, the sounds of the townsfolk eating, laughing and talking could be heard. It was a familiar sound to him, and the smells were just as he remembered as well. The TV on the wall was showing a random football game and a group of burly loggers were cheering one of the teams on.

As he took another bite, the chair opposite him was suddenly occupied. He looked over and saw a beautiful looking human woman with dark blue skin, darker blue flowing hair, and wearing, of all things, a business suit. She was the spitting image of Vice Principal Luna, albeit with a more realistic look. Her eyes gazed at him with a piercing look. “Well met, Gregory Graystone,” she said.

“Nice to see you again too, Princess Luna,” he said, putting the burger down and wiping his mouth with a nearby napkin. “Nice look, by the way,” he added, pointing to her human form. “You look good for a human woman. Very attractive.”

“Hmm, yes. Dreams have a way of resonating with the subconscious mind,” she explained, looking at herself with a curious expression. “I was able to gleam this form from your unconscious mind. Does it better suit your expectations?”

“I did say you were attractive, didn’t I?” he chuckled. “Yes, you’re very sexy in this form.”

“O-oh, we thank you for the flattery,” Luna replied with a small blush and a stammer.

“Of course,” he replied with a nod before his smile slowly vanished. “ However, I would appreciate it if you didn’t look into my mind again, please,” he added. “I prefer not to have my memories looked at without my permission. It’s a breach of privacy for me.”

Luna smirked at the request. “I did not violate your mind,” she replied, “that’s not how my dream magic works. Your subconscious allowed me entry. You will find that creatures are more honest here as it is a place where the mind can roam free and express itself. That is the very essence of dreaming.”

“Hmm, it works differently for humans, so unless it’s an emergency like this, I’d appreciate you staying away,” he replied. “But where are my manners? Here.” He held up his hand and snapped. Instantly, a plate of French fries along with a small plate of salad and dressing on the side appeared. A glass of ice water showed up as well.

Luna looked down at the plates of food with surprise. Slowly, she looked up. “Astonishing. You are a quick learner, Sir Gregory.”

“I’ve had some experience with lucid dreaming,” Gregory explained. “In fact, this place is a bit too boorish for royalty. Allow me to change that.” With another snap, the scene shifted, and they were in a magnificent restaurant in a tall building overlooking a random city full of skyscrapers. They were sitting next to the window which overlooked a vast metropolis. Cars drove by below and people walked to and fro on the sidewalk. The night was coming on, and despite the bright city lights, the sky above was full of brilliant stars. His clothes had changed as well, and he now wore a well tailored suit. The food in front of him had changed as well to a well cooked steak, a baked potato and a side salad. For Luna, he’d conjured a plate of a mushroom Wellington, a bowl of well garnished tomato soup, a vegetarian lasagna and a side salad. They now each had a glass of water and a wine glass of dark red wine. The city outside spread out seemingly forever and was a conglomeration of different cities from Earth. New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and more.

Luna giggled as she took a bite of the Wellington before holding out the fork, looking at it then at him. “Food for thought, Sir Gregory?”

“Food of thought, Princess Luna,” he retorted with a chuckle as he held up a glass of wine. “Cheers.”

After the two drank the wine, Luna became more serious. “Firstly, we want to apologize for the attack. The assailants are in the Canterlot dungeons awaiting trial. You may appear as the defendant, but your presence is not needed for we have sufficient evidence already. But, the main reason for this meeting is that I want you to accept the offer provided by the council.”

“And why should I accept living in a gilded cage, Your Highness?” he asked.

Luna didn’t back down. She leaned forward and replied, “Because the ones in the council are the same ones behind the attack. Prince Blueblood is working closely to expose these ponies with me. We would like your aid as well.”

“Oh, well that makes it all the easier to answer. Hell no,” Gregory replied. “You expect me to work alongside that asshole? You’re asking a lot of me, Princess. He has insulted my intelligence, mocked me at every chance he can, and is all around a royal pain in the ass. I tried to treat him with respect when we first met, and he threw that back in my face.”

“That is a part of the act,” Luna quickly explained. “Blueblood plays the role of the entitled buffoon because that is what these corrupt nobles are to their core. He plays to their ego and works to ensnare them with it. He cannot break character in view of the public or else he’ll lose his advantage.”

Gregory frowned. He’d heard of other fanfictions playing with this trope, but he never thought much of it. Still, he had to know more. “Then prove it,” he replied. “Let him join this dream and prove it to me. Or if he’s still awake, prove it to me another way. I can’t work alongside someone I can’t respect.”

“Very well.” Luna’s horn glows before Blueblood appears in the Dream Realm. “Nephew. Sir Gregory wishes to parlay.”

At first, Gregory was surprised at how quickly Luna had catered to his wish. However, his attention was now on Blueblood. The prince, unlike his normal appearance, was a handsome young man with straw blonde hair and pure white skin. He was wearing a suit that mimicked the few bits of clothing he wore in reality. “Parlay? Nah, I just wanted proof,” Gregory said as he snapped, creating a third chair at the now larger table. An identical meal to what Luna was eating appeared in front of said chair. “Please, sit down and join us.”

“Thank you, Sir Gregory.” Blueblood said.

Gregory was almost taken aback. The tone Blueblood used was actually one of respect. Still, he couldn’t help but slam Blueblood with one more jab. “‘Sir Gregory’, huh? Well look at that! He can afford manners!” Gregory chuckled as the now human Blueblood moved to sit. He cleared his throat and added, “Just don’t slip when trying to figure out how your new body works. We wouldn’t want to cause a scene.”

“Yes, well. I mean no offense, but the human form is very awkward to say the least…” Blueblood replied as he looked over his hands, opening and closing them repeatedly with some fascination.

“And the pony form for me would be just as awkward,” Gregory said before snapping. His form shifted and he became a tanned alicorn stallion with light brown mane and tail. He had no cutie mark, but he stood and walked around a bit warily, spreading his dream wings and looking at them curiously.. “Yeah…very awkward. Then again, I probably did it wrong.” He raised his head, and his horn glowed bright blue. He was instantly himself again and he sat back down. “Anyway, your aunt has been telling me some very interesting things.”

“I am sure she has. You wish to know if I am being honest? Well, look at this.” Blueblood held out his hand which glowed. A screen formed in front of them and several memories appeared. Gregory watched intently as one memory showed Blueblood approach Princess Luna with a folder. It had the names of all the ponies in his club that also act as the puppet master for multiple incidents working to undermine Luna. “These ponies are Traditionalists in every sense of the word. They do not see the events of The Trial as anything out of the norm. The council is nothing more but paid sycophants catering to their whims.”

“What is this council meant to do, anyway?” Gregory asked, taking a sip of the dream wine.

“They are supposed to handle the issues that I cannot address,” Luna explained. “My sister’s last act was to compose elected nonponies for more representation. However, the nobles saw this as an opportunity to seize power.”

“So these nonponies are being bribed?” Gregory asked.

“More like they were in their employ from the very start,” Blueblood replied. “All of them are current servants of each of the club members. I must say it was very shrewd how they did it. With all the guilt from the actions of Ponyville, it was easy to take advantage and place in moles.”

“What we need is proof of their corruption,” Luna explained. “However, the House of Lords have covered their tracks well. We know they have documents of all their operations. However, we will need to do something drastic to get to them. That is why we want to enlist you. Your presence is another wrench in their plans. Another human after Jason is something they cannot ignore. I know you may not wish to be involved, but, the truth of the matter is that you were involved the moment you came here.”

Gregory snorted. “You need a mole of your own, is that it? Someone to get close to these nobles and gather their secrets and proof?”

“No, nothing like that,” Luna replied with a shake of her head. “Sadly, it is impossible for you to gain any sort of trust from them. They see other creatures as inferior. So, they will keep you at hoof’s length. What we shall do is utilize the CFE.”

“Well, far be it from me to throw a wrench into that idea, but I have information about the CFE you might want to hear,” Gregory replied, “More specifically, their leader Cozy Glow. There’s something about her you really need to know.”

“And what’s that?” Blueblood asked.

“In the show, Cozy Glow was in league with Tirek,” Gregory replied. “In the show, she joined Twilight’s School of Friendship and pretended to be friendly and kind, but in reality she wanted to harness the power of friendship. When that failed, she was sent to Tartarus by you and Celestia. I don’t know if she’s in league with Tirek now, but if she is, then she’s using the CFE for something nefarious. It’d be a good idea to keep a very close eye on her.”

“That is quite disturbing,” Luna said, frowning at this sudden news. “However, I think it is best that you show us this mysterious show that you speak so we can properly have a frame of reference before we do anything.”

“I suppose I could do that,” Gregory conceded. “Would you prefer if I showed my memories of the episode, or the actual show itself? I brought it all with me.”

“We would like to know all the relevant information please,” Luna replied.

“That didn’t quite answer my question, but alright,” Gregory said. He snapped and the screen that had been displaying Blueblood’s memories shifted and it showed Gregory’s memories. The three sat, ate, and watched the two part episode School Raze. Almost an hour later, the episode was over and Gregory dismissed the screen. “You need more information than that? And yes, Star Swirl was mentioned in part one, but that’s another story altogether and not relevant to the current situation.”

“While that was enlightening,” Luna said, “I would like to see the rest of this show in the future.”

“That will take a lot of time,” Gregory replied, “and we don’t have that. Back to the topic at hand, though. What is it you are hoping I can do? I should warn you that if I do agree to this, I’m going to have a few conditions.”

“What kind of conditions?” Luna asked warily.

Gregory held up his hands defensively. “Hey, I’m not an unreasonable man,” he said, “I’m willing to negotiate on a lot of what I want out of this. Let’s start with number one, which involves my living arrangements and is non-negotiable..” With that, he began outlining the conditions he wanted…

[The Same Evening - Sweet Apple Acres]

Pinkie sighed as she walked up the dirt road that led to the Apple family farm. It had been a full year since she walked along this path. “Everything feels so different now,” she muttered as she looked around the property, which unlike before had an air of gloom about the place. Before, the farm always had a feel of warmth that welcomed anyone. There was a soothing calm about the place that was mixed with the sensation of inspiring those on the farm to work hard. Nothing seemed physically different about the farm. The apple trees were still standing, the house and barn, along with the silos, were all still fairly well maintained, and the animals she passed looked well fed. Pinkie started recalling all the times she’d come here for parties, helping on the fields, or simply catching up with the Apples.

Now though? Pinkie didn’t know what to expect. There was a shortness of breath as trepidation set within her. Every step she took to the farm house felt heavy and slowed down. Finally, she reached the door and gently knocked. After a time with no response, Pinkie started to think it might be too late for a surprise visit. However, the distinct sound of barking could be heard, followed by multiple sounds of scratches. Wyonna, the Apple family dog, burst out of the doggy door with an excited look on her face. She saw Pinkie Pie and instantly went to greet her.

“Wyonna! How are you doing, girl?” Pinkie asked as the dog reared up and licked her face. “Hehe, I missed you too.”

“Ah haven’t seen her this wound up in a while,” a familiar voice said. Pinkie looked up to see Applejack standing in the doorway with a soft, yet melancholy smile on her face. “Hey there, sugarcube.”

“Hey, Applejack,” Pinkie said with a smile. She then took in the farmer pony’s current appearance and the smile faded. Physically, Applejack hadn’t changed to the party mare. However, her voice was tired and mirthless. There were bags under her eyes and the distinct smell of alcohol wafted off her. “You’re looking well,” she said.

“Thanks,” she said with a dry smile, “but ah know ah’m a bit of a mess, so ya don’t have to sugarcoat it.” She looked more closely at Pinkie, raising an eyebrow. “Yer looking different, though. Ah can’t really put a hoof on it, but ya seem less bouncy?”

“I wouldn’t use the word bouncy,” Pinkie replied, “but I did do a lot of thinking in my time away. How is your condition?”

Applejack took a seat next to her while drinking a sip from her cider. “It’s about as painful as the day ah threw it at Jason.” She smiled self-deprecatingly. “Ah got to say that ah did some good work. When the pain flares up, ah can’t rightly move. It feels like having an apple tree slammin’ into me. Y’all just caught me durin’ the downtime…”

“...I can’t imagine how that feels…” Pinkie said softly, solemnly dropping her head. Applejack offered Pinkie a sip of the cider, which Pinkie took gratefully. “Thanks.”

“Yer welcome, and don’t ya fret none,” Applejack replied in a reassuring tone, “ah mean, ya got off scot free. From the look of it, y’all had a better time than the rest of us. So, what brings ya back other than to catch up?”

“Oh, you know, Pinkie sense got to tingling and I got to running. I’m sort of glad that it did. I haven’t had a twitch since…” Pinkie paused as she was trying not to go back to the conversation of The Trial. With a heavy sigh, she faced her longtime friend and distant cousin. “AJ, did you happen to see Ponyville’s newest guest?”

“If yer talkin’ about that other human fella, then yeah, ah did,” Applejack replied with a guilt ridden expression “Ah got no plans on meetin’ ‘im, though.”

“Do you still not like humans?” Pinkie asked worriedly. “Is it because of Jason’s punishments?”

“Eeynope,” Applejack replied with a shake of her head, “ah got what was coming to me. So did the rest of us. Ah’m not going to meet ‘im because it would be better fer ‘im if ah don’t.”

“That’s no way to make up for things, Applejack,” Pinkie said sadly.

“Maybe,” the farm mare replied, “but what’s the alternative? Go up and say hi? Act like last year didn’t happen? If the horn didn’t let that human know already, then am’m pretty sure Twilight would have filled the fella in ‘bout The Trial. Frankly, ah wouldn’t come near me with a ten foot pole after hearin’ that.”

“But, seeing you girls might make him feel better,” Pinkie insisted. “Did you know there was another attack? A bunch of ponies pretending to be guards hurt Gregory pretty bad and he ended up in the hospital. It’s up to us to smooth things over. We’re the Elements of Harmony–”

“Stop!!!” Applejack’s sudden shout made Pinkie flinch and Wyonna yelp in alarm. “Just stop, Pinkie. If what yer saying is true, and ah ain’t callin’ ya a liar, then we’re the last ponies that should be doing anything. It's a darn shame, and ah hope the fella pulls through, but he should take this as a sign and leave! Ponies around here are just no good, mahself included.”

Pinkie looked down deep in contemplation. “Have you even left the farm in all this time?” she asked with concern. “Have you spent all year drinking cider and feeling sorry for yourself?”

“Seems like a good of a plan as any,” Applejack said bitterly, “and besides, ya should see Rares and RD. Those two were the last ponies ah’d ever peg as drinkin’ buddies, but they’re always at the local saloon every Friday.”

Pinkie’s heart sank at this. It hurt to hear that her friends would turn to the bottle to deal with their troubles. “Then, I guess I know where I’m going tomorrow,” she said with a sigh.

Applejack didn’t say anything for a bit, just nursed her drink and pet Wynnona. After a bit, she turned to Pinkie. “Do ya want a room to shake up? Ah don’t know if you've been there yet, but Sugarcube Corner closed down sometime after The Trial. Nopony wanted to go there anymore on account of Mr. Cake leading that mob. With the business droppin’, the Cakes took the twins and skedaddled out of here.”

Pinkie suppressed a shudder at the news as she hadn’t gone to the Cakes store yet, opting to spend her time with Twilight. “...No, I didn’t know that,” she said.

“...Yeah, them's the breaks…” Applejack said softly.

“Thanks for the offer though. But I’ve been staying with Twilight,” Pinkie said. There was a brief pause between the two mares as Pinkie spoke up again. “I would like it if you come with me to talk to Rarity and Rainbow. We don’t have to meet up with Gregory just yet, but we should try and work on ourselves first.”

Applejack let out a mirthless chuckle before taking another sip. “Ah don’t rightly know, sugarcube. The girls haven’t been the same, and ah get the feeling some of us ain’t too keen on patchin’ things up.” Applejack gave Pinkie the bottle as she ushered Wyonna back inside. “Ah know ya mean well Pinkie, but ah think you should just head on back home now. We ain’t worth the trouble.”

With those last words, Applejack heads back inside. Pinkie lets out another dejected sigh as she finishes the cider. “You girls are always worth it to me. I just have to remind you all.”

[Ponyville Hospital - The Next Morning…]

Gregory awoke with the sun shining down on his face. Slowly opening his eyes, he found himself staring at the ceiling of the hospital. Groaning, he pushed himself up, only to realize that unlike the day before he had done it without any pain. He looked down at himself. He was still half naked from the night before, but the bandages he’d had before were gone. Looking down at his left arm, he saw a nasty looking scar going down its length. Now that he saw it, he knew just how lucky he’d been. He could easily have bled out and died.

He reached up and touched his eye. The touch smarted a bit, but it didn’t hurt as much. It felt mostly sore whenever he touched it. His chest also felt much better. Slowly, he turned his legs around and pulled the blankets off. The wires that had been connected to the heart monitor were gone now, so he slowly pushed his way onto his feet. Fighting off the nausea, he grabbed onto the side of his bed for support while his body adjusted. Soon the nausea and dizziness vanished and he could walk. He explored his room and saw that while it wasn’t the same size as the hospital room that Rainbow had slept in during her recovery, it at least had a bathroom, which he used gratefully.

While he was in there, he got a good look at his face. The scars he now bore there were fierce. One cut had gone from the top of his forehead and had cut through his eyebrow. The second cut from the same swipe had slashed his cheek almost all the way to where his beard would grow if he let it grow. It looked like it had gone through a few weeks of healing all in a single night. It was still tender, but it only hurt if he touched it.

There were still two horseshoe imprints on his chest from when that one pony had bucked him. The outline was hardly visible, but it was there. He was extremely grateful that there were no broken bones.

He had just come out when Nurse Sweetheart came in with another tray of food. She had a panicked look in her eyes when she looked at the now empty bed, but when she saw him, she relaxed. “Sir, you shouldn’t be up yet. You still need time to heal. Healing magic can only do so much.”

“I thought there wasn’t anybody here who could do that?” he asked as the nurse gently nudged him back to his bed.

“Someone came in late last night and healed you,” the nurse said as she placed the tray on the bed in front of him. “She didn’t say who she was, but she was a very powerful unicorn who healed you. Unfortunately, she couldn’t make the scars go away.”

“I’m not upset about that,” he replied. “It’s a good reminder to myself.”

The nurse’s ears and tail drooped at that. “I’m dreadfully sorry,” she said.

“You don’t have to apologize. It’s not your fault,” Gregory replied as he looked over the meal. He had been given a plate which consisted of two slices of buttered toast, hash browns, scrambled eggs, a sliced apple, and to his surprise, a small bowl of cottage cheese. He also had been given a glass of orange juice. It all smelled quite delicious. “Thanks for breakfast,” he said.

“You’re welcome, sir,” the nurse said. “The doctor would like to see you at some point. He feels like you’re well enough to be discharged, and he’d like to talk with you before you go.”

Gregory nodded. “Please tell him I’ll see him after I’m done eating,” he said.

“Of course, sir,” she said, “please enjoy. Push the button when you want to see the doctor.”

After she left, he ate in silence, enjoying the first real meal he’d had. The food he’d had last night was alright, but it wasn’t too filling. He was just setting the tray aside after pressing the button when Dr. Greymane came in. He looked even more exhausted than the night before, but he walked over to Gregory’s bedside. “Good morning, Mr. Graystone,” he said, “I hope you slept well.”

“I slept like a rock, thank you,” Gregory replied. “I hear you think I’m well enough to be discharged?”

“That’s what I came here to check,” he replied as he looked over his clipboard and grabbed a pencil that was stuck behind his ear. “First, are you in any pain?”

“Only if I touch my scars,” Gregory replied.

“Hopefully that will go away,” the doctor said, “so my advice is not to touch them without need. Second, my nurse told me you were up and walking when she came in. How are you feeling in regards to walking?”

“I mean, I’m probably going to rest a bit more anyway,” Gregory replied.

“Excellent call,” Dr. Greymane said. “I can send somepony over to check on you, if you want.”

“If you think it’s a good idea, I’m alright if Nurse Sweetheart comes and visits,” Gregory said, “but I don’t want to tie up your staff just to make a housecall.”

“It’s no trouble at all, sir,” the doctor said, “and I’m sure Nurse Sweetheart wouldn’t mind. Third question, and I probably should have asked this last night so I apologize, but do you have any allergies we should know about?”

“None that I know of,” the human replied, “and if you’re looking to make some kind of medical record for me, I can actually save you the trouble. I had one made for me by my old doctor before coming here.”

“Understood, sir,” the doctor said, writing his answer down, “and if I have any other questions, Nurse Sweetheart can relay them for me. For the time being, I think it’s safe to say you’re free to go. Miss Sparkle and Miss Pie are both waiting to come help you back to the shelter.” He pointed towards a wheelchair that actually looked big enough for him. “The mare who helped heal you also gave us this. Hospital policy is that you have to leave in a wheelchair, but I would recommend you let Miss Sparkle and Miss Pie push you back to the shelter. It’s a long way to walk.”

“Alright, thanks for letting me know,” Gregory replied as he sat down in the wheelchair, which was quite comfortable and well padded.

When he reached the lobby, he saw Twilight looking anxiously in the direction of the door with Pinkie looking over a magazine. The doctor had been pushing on the wheelchair, but Twilight rushed forward and took the doctor’s spot. “I can take over from here, doctor,” she said as she put her hooves on the back of the chair, standing on her hind legs and beginning to push.

“Let me do it, Twilight,” Pinkie said, joining her friend, “I’ve been pushing and bucking rocks for a year. I can push it better.”

Twilight looked conflicted, but soon she got down and Pinkie took her place. After Twilight signed Gregory out, the three walked out and down the main streets of Ponyville

The walk back to the shelter was silent. Ponies gave him a wide berth, many giving him angry glares. Gregory heard angry words being spoken in his direction, but he ignored them. Soon, they were back at the shelter. He had to get up so that they could lift the wheelchair up the stairs since there wasn’t a ramp. Finally, they made it to his room, where he got up and walked to his bed. His two blades which he’d used to defend himself were there, as were their sheaths. He sheathed them both and placed them beside the bed. After the two ponies left, he went to his belongings, grabbed a pen and a notepad, and began to write…

Chapter 8 - The Confrontation

[Canterlot, High Elm Estate - Late Morning…]

Prince Blueblood quickly trotted through High Life’s house, his face a mask of seriousness. Ink Blot followed after him nervously. “Your Highness, please wait!” she begged, “Master High Life is in a private conference with Countess-”

“Yet another conference with another mare, eh?” Blueblood replied with a roll of his eyes. “Well, his little tryst will have to wait, unfortunately. I have news for him that cannot wait.”

Ink Blot shrank back from him and whimpered softly. They turned the corner, seeing Countess Flawless Gem coming out of High Life’s office. She was a young unicorn mare with a yellow coat of fur, bright green mane and tail, and a purple diamond for a cutie mark. She was dabbing at her mouth with a hoofkerchief, a look of satisfaction on her face. When she saw Prince Blueblood, she stopped and bowed. “Your Highness,” she said with a wide flank-kissing smile.

He turned and nodded at her with a haughty air. “Countess,” he said, “I take it that he’s in there relaxing after your conference?”

Flawless grinned. “I believe what he put on the table was more than satisfactory,” she replied.

He smirked. “I’ll bet it was. Well, I’ll see you later.”

“Feel free to call on me whenever you like, Your Highness,” she said, turning and sauntering away.

Blueblood smirked at the sight before the pony of the hour walked out. “Greetings, High Life,” Blueblood said in greeting, “I see you are enjoying the usual pleasantries.” Here he turned back and smirked. “Quite a catch there.”

“But of course,” High Life replied with a grin, “I always strive for the best, and she is one of the best. Please, come in. Would you look at anything?”

“A bottle of Leu Moon should suffice,” Blueblood replied as he entered and strode up to High Life’s desk where he took a seat. Ink Blot took the opportunity to close the doors behind the two.

High Life sat on the other end of the desk and rang a bell with his magic. Moments later, a maid came inside the room with the requested bottle and poured each stallion a glass. Blueblood took a sip and sighed contentedly as the two headed into his office. “Aw, Canterlot’s finest, wouldn’t you say?”

“I personally enjoy char-der-nay,” High Life said, before he focused more on Blueblood, “but I take it that this isn’t a social visit.”

“I’m afraid not, my good friend,” Blueblood replied, his smirk somewhat vanishing as his serious expression returned. “See these documents?” Blueblood raised his horn and produced a stack of papers which landed squarely in front of High Life. “These are medical reports for our resident human project.”

High Life lifted them and began reading them over curiously. His eyebrows shot up a bit, then he put them down. “Hmm, I see,” he said nonchalantly, “those former guards caused quite a bit of damage.”

“That is an understatement,” Blueblood replied, “I’m afraid our new human friend shall have permanent scarring. Did you know that those guards had relatives that are now homeless?”

“I know from The Trial that they would be the most agreeable to take the request,” High Life replied.

“Indeed. However, I dare say the guards went too far,” Blueblood said.

High Life took another sip while eying Blueblood. “Is that a modicum of concern for the ape I hear?” he asked

“Psh, perish the thought,” Blueblood said in a dismissive tone, “I’m merely stating that it is very counterintuitive to our plot if there’s no monkey for our cage. Then, there is the face that since those idiots used an enchanted guise of my seal, Auntie suspects foul play from us. We are the only ponies capable of providing the funds and moving the pieces.”

“It is of no concern, Blueblood,” High Life said lightly, “I can assure you that our tracks are covered and those ponies are set up to take the fall, including that upstart Filthy Rich. So your pretty little mane is intact.”

Blueblood looked at High Life for a while, then a small smile formed on his face. “Well, I suppose that’s alright, then.”

“Correct, my friend,” High Life replied, “so, did you give the offer to him?”

“That’s the second reason I came here,” Blueblood said. “He flat out refused. At least, he refused for the moment.”

“That’s inconsequential,” High Life said, “it just means he’s just as naïve about things as we thought. He presumably has on the same rose tinted glasses that poor Jason had when he first showed up. Perhaps we should send a member of the council to him and impress upon him that to accept the council’s offer would be a wise course of action.”

“Careful,” Blueblood cautioned, ‘if we push too hard, it will seem like we’re desperate. That may tip our hooves. These things must come naturally after all. Perhaps a few more gentle nudges. But, ones with less force behind them.”

“Hmm, I believe I may have a solution to that,” High Life said after a few moments of thinking, “After all, Ponyville has become a depot of desperate and bit-starved ponies that I am sure will lend us their ears with the right amount of incentive.”

“What are you planning this time?” Blueblood asked with a grin.

“The ponies of that hick town can be pretty persuasive,” High Life chuckled, “especially if a certain number are given some monetary incentive from friends in high places, if you get my meaning.”

“Use their words and not their hooves,” Blueblood said.

“Exactly,” High Life replied with a smirk. “That should make our wayward ape realize his folly.”

[Crystal Empire - That Same Time…]

Dragon Lord Ember found the temptation to chow on the walls of the Crystal Empire’s royal palace very hard to resist. Everywhere she looked there was a gem or jewel. The entire palace was made of the stuff. The streets, lamps, and more besides were all made of delectable and delicious looking crystal.

It had only been a short time since Starlight had shown her and many other representatives of other nations her new school. Ember hadn’t yet gone back home as there wasn’t much of a pressing need to. Nothing major had been happening back there when she received the invite to the opening ceremony. Besides, even though she was reluctant to admit it, this place was a welcome rest from the barren and desolate wastes that were the Dragon Lands.

She was currently walking down the hallways alongside Empress Cadenza, Emperor Shining Armor, Headmistress Starlight Glimmer, Trixie Lulamoon, and Sunburst. Above them, the young hatchling Flurry Heart was flying, babbling some nonsense that Ember couldn’t understand. The Empress was talking and pointing around. “…and this crystal painting here shows Count Shard,” she was saying, pointing to a large wall sized painting made of some sort of crystal. It depicted a tall emerald colored stallion in some fancy clothes. “He was the first crystal pony to lead the charge against Sombra and his minions before the Long Sleep. Sadly, he died during one of their first battles. Nobody knows what happened to his body.”

“Wasn’t he one of the first crystal ponies to try and learn magic?” Sunburst asked curiously.

“That’s right, but he never succeeded,” Cadenza said, “and through no fault of his own. Crystal ponies can’t really use unicorn magic, but they have their own magic. It’s a more subtle kind of magic like the kind earth ponies or pegasi have.”

Ember looked away, bored out of her skull. She’d only come on the tour to be polite, but she was now regretting it. She wasn’t the right type of creature for this type of tour. All she wanted to do was find the rumored magma chambers underneath the Crystal Mountains and have a nice long soak. Hot baths didn’t burn away dirt like a good lava bath did. They were nice, sure, but just weren’t the same. Bathing in water made her feel all exposed, which was strange considering she didn’t wear any clothes.

She came out of her reverie when she felt something landing on her head and grabbing her horns. “Hawn! Hawn!” Flurry Heart shouted with a giggle, wrapping her forelegs around Ember’s downward facing horns.

Cadenza raised her head, casting her telekinesis spell to gently remove her hatchling from Ember’s head. “Yes, dear, those are horns,” she said before turning to Ember. “I’m sorry about her,” she said, “she’s a very curious filly.”

Ember ran her claws along her horns. “Eh, it’s alright, she didn’t break them or anything,” the dragoness said.

“Hawn?” Flurry said, reaching out curiously for Ember again.

“Let me take her, dear,” Shining said, taking Flurry in his magic and cradling her in the crook of his right foreleg, rocking her gently.

“Daagin!” Flurry said with a smile, still looking over and pointing at Ember.

“Yes, dear, she’s a dragon,” Shining said, “but don’t stare. It’s rude.”

“I don’t care if she stares,” Ember said, “at least they aren’t stares of disgust.” Immediately, Ember knew that was the wrong thing to say. She saw the ponies look away with some guilt on their faces. “Ah, don’t listen to me,” she continued, “I’m just a bitter dragon.”

Starlight walked up quickly, looking up at the Dragon Lord. “You’re angry at what Equestria did and what Discord did. Nobody’s blaming you for that. We all understand here. We hate what happened too.”

Ember took a deep breath, exhaling shakily. “It’s hard not to be angry,” she admitted, “I mean, we literally wear our emotions on our sleeves, and we don’t even wear clothes! And hearing about how Spike was treated…he’s my friend! The first one I ever made, and he’s still a hatchling! And they made him a pet! A PET!” Flames began sparking out of her mouth and she took a few steps back, breathing in to try and calm her rage.

Starlight nodded empathetically. “I know, but he’s safe now. He’s not a pet anymore. He’s a full-blown citizen of Equestria. He’s helping with the CFE’s mission to bring change to that kingdom.”

“I know, but it still pisses me off,” Ember said without thinking. She gave the ponies an apologetic look. “Pardon my language.”

Just then, one of the palace maids came running towards the group, holding a slip of paper in her mouth. When she reached Cadenza, she paused and took the piece of paper out of her mouth, panting heavily. “Your Majesty…” she panted, trying to catch her breath, “hah…hah…I found…hah…this on your…hah…desk…” She held up the piece of paper towards Cadenza.

The empress took the paper in her magic and looked at it. A smile formed on her face. “It’s a letter from Spike,” she said as she opened the envelope and looked at it. There was silence in the room as she scanned the page. Ember noticed that her eyes widened and her smile faded, only to be replaced with a look of alarm. She turned to her husband who came over and read it as well. His reaction was similar, his jaw dropping slightly before closing again. After a while, Cadenza lowered the letter and looked at the others. “Well…Spike’s just told me some distressing news. Apparently, there’s been an incident in Ponyville. There’s been an attack. An attack on another human.”

Starlight stiffened at that, as did the other ponies. Ember held her cool as she looked at the worried expressions on the other ponies’s faces. She retreated into her thoughts, pondering this news. She’d never spoken to the first human she’d seen. She had only a brief contact with him when she’d gone to look in his mouth early on during The Trial. And now there was another one? Faust alone knew what might have happened to him at the hooves of ponies. “Is the human alright?” Ember heard Starlight ask.

“Spike says he was in the hospital but that he was discharged earlier this morning,” Cadenza said, “so it seems that this human is alright. He’s apparently been taken in by Twilight at her shelter.”

“Faust knows what kind of stir his presence must have made,” Sunburst said with a frown. “What else did Spike say?”

“Looks like he’s hoping somepony might be able to go and meet with the human and show that not all ponies are as mean as the ones who attacked him,” Cadenza replied. “If I could, I would go myself,” she continued, “but I have an empire to rule.”

“I can’t go, either,” Shining said, “and neither can Flurry-”

“I’ll go!” Starlight said, putting her hoof down hard.

Trixie turned to her friend in shock. “Starlight, are you sure? What about your school?”

“It won’t be really open until late summer for students,” Starlight replied, “and besides, I might be able to speak with him about an idea that I thought was a lost cause: a human teaching at my school.”

“That’s an excellent idea!” Cadenza said with a smile. “It would be a really big help if the ponies who attended this school got to know more about humans from an actual human.”

“My thoughts exactly,” Starlight said.

“I think I’ll tag along, too,” Ember said suddenly, surprising everyone there. When they gave her a questioning look, Ember simply shrugged. “What? Ponyville’s on my way back home anyway, and if Spike’s still there, it’d be nice to see him again.”

“That’s a fair point,” Cadenza said with a nod.

“Anypony else want to join us?” Starlight asked.

“Count Trixie out,” Trixie said with a shake of her head, “those ponies in that town don’t deserve to be graced with Trixie’s presence.”

“I’ll stay behind too,” Sunburst said, “there’s a lot of work to do with the school, and you know me, I like keeping busy.”

Starlight chuckled and nodded before turning to Ember. “Well, Dragon Lord, it looks like you and I are getting on the train to Ponyville. When should we start?”

“Right now,” Ember replied.

“Great! Meet you at the train station in half an hour?” Starlight asked.

“Eh, I’ve got a better way of getting there,” Ember replied, raising her wings and flapping them, “and besides, I don’t want to be on a train full of other ponies, present company excluded of course.”

Starlight paused a bit, then nodded in understanding. “I understand,” she said, “well, I’ll see you in Ponyville! I’m off to pack!” She lifted her head, and in a flash she was gone.

“Such a flashy mare,” Sunburst said.

“She gets it from Trixie,” Trixie replied, brushing her mane aside with a head flip.

Ember rolled her eyes, then turned to Cadenza. “Thanks for having me, but it’s time for me to go.”

“We understand,” Cadenza said.

“Have a safe trip back to the Dragon Lands,” Shining added.

“Sure thing.” So saying, Ember, Dragon Lord of the Dragon Lands, turned, spread her wings, and headed to her room to pack. It was long past time.

[Helping Hooves Shelter - That Same Time…]

“‘Where did you go to, if I may ask?’ said Thorin to Gandalf as they rode along. ‘To look ahead,’ said he. ‘And what brought you back in the nick of time?’’“Looking behind,’ said he. ‘Exactly!’ said Thorin; ‘but could you be more plain?’”

Gregory was sitting at his camping chair now, his book open to the end of the second chapter of The Hobbit. Sitting on the bed in adorable ponyloaf forms were the foals from before, and more besides. Apparently, Diamond Tiara had told a few others about the storytelling human, and about five more foals had shown up, including one he recognized. She had said that her name was Ladybug Sprinkle, but Gregory knew the form as the one that Ocellus had taken briefly in the first episode of Season 8 when she was startled by Silverstream. There were two others sitting nearby, having come by near the end. Cozy Glow sat against the wall, listening to the story with rapt attention even though she hadn’t heard the first chapter. Spike was sitting next to her, tail curled around himself as he too listened.

Finally, Gregory finished the chapter, closing the book and looking at the fillies and colts before him. “Alright, that’s enough for now,” he said with a smile, “but don’t worry. We can read more tonight, and maybe this time we can do it somewhere else instead of my room?”

“But your bed is so comfy,” Diamond whined, blinking up at him with wide puppy eyes, “can’t we do it here? Pleeeaaasse?”

If it had only been Diamond Tiara, then Gregory might have stood a chance, but every other foal in the place, minus Cozy and Spike of course, were giving him similar looks. Even Ocellus seemed enthralled by the tale and looked like she wanted to hear more. He took a deep breath and exhaled. “Fine, but only for the next chapter. I don’t think your parents would approve of a human reading to you.”

“You leave our parents to us,” Diamond insisted, “I’ll make them understand that you’re not a monster!”

Gregory smiled. It seemed that the foals here were the only ones who seemed to like him in a more innocent way. Sure, they liked the story he told, but they were still foals and had that innocence about them. It was one of the very few reasons that he hadn’t flat outright refused Luna and Blueblood’s proposal. “No matter what you say, I’m not as involved as you think,” he had said, “just because I’m a human doesn’t mean jack shit. If you’re seeing me as a means to an end, what makes you any better than the ponies who abused Jason for years?”

Back in the present, he looked at Diamond. “If you think you can convince your parents to let me read to you, feel free,” he said.

“Yay!” some of the foals shouted as they got up and stretched. Gregory saw a few of them shaking one of their hooves a bit.

“See you tonight!” Diamond said as the foals filed out.

“We’ll see,” he chuckled as he waved at them. Finally, they had all gone, leaving him alone with Cozy and Spike. He turned to them. “Sorry about all that,” he said, “but I promised those foals a story, and I don’t like breaking a promise. So, you’re the famous Cozy Glow I’ve heard about. Running an organization as big as yours must be tough.” He knelt to her level and gave her a polite smile. “Nice to meet you, Miss Glow.”

Cozy Glow smiled brightly at Gregory as she fluttered in the air. “Golly. It’s so nice to finally meet you as well,” she said.

“And young Spike, too,” he said, nodding at the drake.

“It’s good to see you too, Mr. Graystone.” Spike said with a smile. However, he frowned when he noticed the scars. “I wish circumstances were better.”

“Well, that’s certainly a fair assessment,” Gregory replied, “but I’m still pleased to meet you both. I’ve heard good things about how you two have spearheaded the CFE movement. It’s good to see the younger generation taking an interest in the future of this country.” He sat on the floor in front of them. “So, to what do I owe this visit?”

“Well, when we got the news that there was another human in Ponyville, we came as quickly as we could,” Cozy explained. “Before, with Mister Wright, I asked him to help spread our message, but he declined. So, I was really hoping you could join us instead. You can offer so much to the cause. You can show others that what they are thinking about humans in general is wrong.”

“Hmm…I can see how that might be a good thing,” he conceded, and in truth he was more tempted to join this group than accept Luna’s offer, if only to keep a close eye on Cozy. “Thing is, I’m only one human. One of eight billion. Are you sure I’d be of any help?”

“Well, I’m only one filly and we have members numbering in the thousands already,” Cozy said, “I’d say that counts for something. After all, it only takes one creature to stand up to what’s right.”

Gregory whistled, impressed. “Thousands in one year? Even after The Trial? That is quite impressive,” he said, “and you make a very good point. Still, it’s a big decision, and I assume it would mean I’d have to move around the world. I’d have to think about it, if that’s okay? Besides, I’ve received another offer from the council.”

“The council? I guess that makes sense,” Spike replied, “but joining us is way better. We can have our own adventures and meet new creatures and visit new places. You said that it’s great that we are working toward a better future. You can help us do it. It’s better than staying anyways. No offense, but after what happened, I’m surprised you’re still here. Being around all this negativity can’t be good.”

Gregory shrugged. “Not all of the ponies have been negative. The doctor and nurse who helped take care of me were pretty nice. I met Applebloom and Pinkie Pie, and even Twilight’s been nice enough. Most importantly, you saw how all those fillies and colts were listening to the story I was reading. They actually came here to check on me a couple days ago. Foals came to check on me. To me, that says a lot. It tells me that pony hatred of other creatures is taught more so than instinctive. Still, you have a tempting offer. There was a third option I have been considering, but I’m going to have to think long and hard about it.”

Spike and Cozy both nodded at this. “That’s fine,” Cozy replied, “whatever you do, we’ll respect it. Here, I want you to have this pamphlet. It details the goals we have for the year.” Spike produced the paper and gave it to Gregory.

Gregory smiled as he took the pamphlet and read it. However, his smile slowly faded as he read the agenda. “You’re looking to free those wrongfully imprisoned?” he asked, holding it up for them to see.

“Uh-huh,” Cozy said, “there’re so many creatures that are locked up right now due to bogus reasoning and false charges. We’re staging multiple protests in every city that holds these prisoners. Hopefully, we can cause enough noise to get the big ponies to listen. First the prisons here, then it’s off to Tartarus.”

Gregory immediately began to guess just what Cozy’s true goal was. Still, he held back his reaction and simply nodded in understanding. He had no proof other than the show, and that wasn’t good enough. “From what I’ve heard about Tartarus, it’s supposed to hold all of the worst of the worst,” he said, “so are you telling me that there’s someone or more down there that has been wrongfully imprisoned?”

“I wouldn’t put it past ponies these days to make up some excuse on why the creatures belong there,” Spike said, “but we just want to review their cases. We’re not trying to let the real bad ones out.”

“Yeah, I can understand that,” Gregory said, “similar things have happened back on my world. Plenty of people are wrongfully imprisoned.” He looked up at Cozy with a concerned expression. “May I ask you something? You can refuse to answer it, of course.”

“Go right ahead, Mister Graystone,” Cozy said.

He put the pamphlet in his lap and looked at it again. “From what I’m reading, it sounds like you have more of a personal interest in this. Do you know someone who’s been wrongfully imprisoned?” He made a big effort not to show that he knew just who Cozy might have had in mind. He showed concern, and not all of it was fake. He wasn’t sure if she was all putting on an act or not, but he had to play it safe.

“Yeah, but it’s not just for me or getting my penpal out,” Cozy replied without missing a beat, “I know there are a lot of families that want their brothers, sisters and parents free.”

He reached out and put a hand on Cozy’s head, running his hand through her mane gently. He saw the filly’s eyes widen a bit, then they fluttered shut as he scratched her behind the ear. Even if it had just been confirmed that she was referring to Tirek, he found it hard not to feel for her. She did seem genuinely concerned, but he also knew she was a master manipulator. He petted her head gently, never once imagining that the first chance he got to pet a pony would be with Cozy. “I’m sorry your penpal, whoever he or she is, is locked away,” he said softly, “and now I understand why you’re so gung-ho about this.” Continuing to run his hand through her Shirley Temple-like mane, he added, “I promise to think long and hard about it. I wouldn’t want to make a bad decision.” He gave her a warm smile.

“Golly, I sure hope not,” Cozy said as she gently stepped away, her tail slowly swishing back and forth. “Anyway, we’ll get out of your mane now. But, I would like to join in on your next story session. I bet human books are way better than ours!”

He chuckled. “I wouldn’t know about that. I haven’t read fiction here yet, but that’s on my to-do list eventually. And hey! If I do join your cause, think of all the headpats you can get. You certainly seem to be enjoying the ones I’m giving you now.” He pointed to her tail.

Cozy blushed slightly before quickly retreating out the door. Spike followed close behind while waving at him. “Later, Mister Graystone,” he said.

“Have a good day, you two!” he called back out as the door shut. He stood and stretched his back, then looked back at the pamphlet. His smile faded again. “Oh, Cozy…do you really want him out? Or are you just a pawn in his schemes?” He shrugged and put it down gently on his desk. “I need a walk.” So saying, he grabbed his metal pole, two small knives and a single pistol for protection, and went to find his guards.

[Outside Helping Hooves Shelter - Later That Evening]

After finding his guards and telling them his intentions, Gregory walked out with them on either side, heading down the dirt path of Ponyville. He sighed at all the closed business and just began walking aimlessly until an idea popped into his head. “Do you two feel like a walk near the Everfree?” he asked, “I could go for some quiet and be out of sight of other ponies for a while.”

Both guards paused in their stride. “You want to go through the most dangerous forest in Equestria?” Swift asked.

“Not through it, just alongside it,” he clarified. “I’m not in any hurry to meet another timberwolf, even if I can permanently kill them with this.” He patted the gun strapped to his side, one of his pistols.

“Those weapons do seem sufficient,” Moonlight commented. “I believe it will be fine as long as we do not venture too far before the moon rises.”

“That’s fine with me,” he replied before turning and heading towards the foreboding forest. As he walked, he couldn’t help but chuckle. “You know, you really should think about renaming that forest. Everfree just sounds way too cheerful. What about Mirkwood? Oh nah, that name’s already taken. Ah well, Everfree can do just as well as any other name, I suppose.”

As they continued to walk in silence, a sudden desire to sing something, anything, came over him. He had these desires at some points in his life, and the song that came to mind was one of his favorite MLP fan songs. “Be yourself, they say, but be assertive,” he began as they skirted the trees near the forest, “hold your ground but do not be unkind. I have sought to be both lamb and lion. Heartache is the thing I tend to find. Can I only have what I can capture? Will I be unheard unless I shout? Clamor overwhelms me and I wonder what is there to be so loud about?”

Clearing his throat, he sang the chorus, unaware that he and the others were approaching the cottage of the subject of said song, “Many are the musings of my shy heart, though precious few are spoken out aloud. How I wish to wrap them up in confidence and style and send them out like magic through the crowd. Then everyone would listen and I wouldn't be afraid; I wouldn't shrink away and disappear. I don't want them to worship me or care that much at all; I only want to know they know I'm here.”

He smiled a bit as the song lifted his spirits. Even if the mare in question wasn’t like her show counterpart, the song was one that helped him relax. Suddenly remembering he had an audience, he turned back to his guards. “Ah, sorry for that,” he said sheepishly, “I like singing.”

“That’s quite alright. I’ve missed spontaneous singing,” Moonlight said.

“That was a beautiful song,” Swift said,

“Thanks, Swift, and that singing wasn’t as spontaneous as you’d think, Moonlight,” Gregory replied. “That was a song from my world about Fluttershy called Shy Heart.” He then looked up and saw the view in front of him. “And apparently, it wasn’t a coincidence…” he added, pointing to the tree house in front of them. It looked like the one from the show, albeit with a more realistic appearance as everything else was. Unlike in the show, things looked unkempt and the grass was overgrown. The stream was still flowing, but it looked wild and untended to. The small bridge across the stream looked dilapidated and ready to fall. Gregory turned back to his guards. “Perhaps we should head back,” he said, “I’m sure she doesn’t need to see yet another reminder of her failure.”

No sooner had he said this than the door to her house opened. There she stood, Fluttershy, gazing out at the late evening air. There was a light coming from inside, and that was the only light visible. She looked around, then spotted Gregory and the two guards. She froze, locking eyes with Gregory, who felt more sheepish than before. “Or…we could be caught like this,” Gregory added softly before he raised his hand. “Hey there!” he called out so she could hear him. “Sorry for appearing without notice! I was taking a walk and wasn’t watching where I was going! I’ll head back to town now! Have a good evening!” So saying, he turned and motioned for his guards to follow.

“WAIT!” Fluttershy shouted, startling Gregory and his guards, who turned back only to see Fluttershy reaching out towards them with an outstretched hoof. Seeming to realize just what she was doing, she put her hoof back down and straightened. “Oh, um, wait. I’m sorry. I wasn’t expecting any visitors.”

“We didn’t expect to be gracing your property,” Gregory replied, “I’m sorry.”

“Oh, it’s quite alright,” Fluttershy replied before she tilted her head and looking at him curiously. “So, are you…?” Fluttershy let the question hang in the air.

“Yeah, I’m the new human everyone’s probably talking about,” Gregory replied.

Gregory saw a brief wince on Fluttershy’s face before she added, “Yes, um, it’s nice to meet you. My name is Fluttershy. Since you’re all here, why don’t you come inside?”

Gregory raised an eyebrow. “Wouldn’t we be intruding?” he asked.

Fluttershy quickly spread her wings and zoomed out of the cottage towards Gregory, landing in front of him and looking up at him expectantly. “Oh, no, no, no. I don’t mind at all,” she said with a rather unnerving smile. “Please, come inside. Discord and I was about to have some tea.”

“Well, since you’re offering, I wouldn’t mind,” Gregory replied, “but let me confer with my friends here first. After all, we can’t be too careful these days.”

“Oh, of course,” Fluttershy said as she flew a ways away to give them privacy

Huddling together, the two guards and Gregory spoke briefly in a hushed tone. “Is anypony else getting the creepy cat lady vibe?” Swift asked, “Because I sure am.”

“So it wasn’t just me, then?” Gregory asked with a nod. “I’ll bet you ten bits that she has some knitting sitting on a table in her living room somewhere.”

“Miss Fluttershy hasn’t seen many visitors in her cottage since The Trial,” Moonlight explained, “she’s also removed herself from most social interaction. I believe she is merely starved for attention. And, she has been known to be the most timid of the former Elements. We can indulge her for the time being.”

“And how,” a new voice said. The group turned to see Pinkie Pie making her way up the path.

“Howdy, Pinkie,” Gregory said with a wave.

“Sup, Gregory,” Pinkie replied with a wave of her own, “I see you had the same idea of visiting Fluttershy.”

“Well, not quite,” he said, “I just wandered around and made my way here. She invited us inside for some tea and we were just about to go in.”

Pinkie nodded. “Makes sense. Alrighty then, let’s get in there. But use some filly gloves, everypony. From what Twilight told me, Fluttershy is a bit desperate these days.” Pinkie then walked past them and straight up to her old friend. “Hey, Fluttershy.”

“Pinkie? You came by to see me?” Fluttershy asked, looking surprised.

“Well, yeah, silly,” Pinkie said with a smile, “I would’ve come sooner but things were crazy in town.”

“Ah, yes, with the collection,” Fluttershy said with a downcast look.

“Hey, don’t look so down,” Pinkie said, “after all, it’s over for now.” She turned back to Gregory. “Looks like you two are getting acquainted already. That’s good.”

“Y-yes,” Fluttershy replied, “I was just going to invite them inside for tea. Would you like to join us?”

“That sounds nice,” Pinkie said.

As they were heading towards her house, Fluttershy paused and turned. “Um, can I ask your name?” she asked.

“Ah, where are my manners?” Gregory chided himself before he faced her. “Nice to meet you, Miss Fluttershy. I’m Gregory Graystone.” He held out a hand towards her in greeting.

Fluttershy inspected the limb tentatively before holding out her hoof and watching Gregory close his fingers around said hoof, gingerly shaking it. Gregory saw some look of fascination passing over Fluttershy’s face, almost like the way Twilight’s face had looked when he’d shaken her hoof. “It’s nice to meet you too, Gregory.” Fluttershy puts her other hoof on top of his hand and begins pulling him inside the cottage. “Come along now. I don’t want anypony catching a cold.”

Gregory smiled. Her hooves, much like Twilight’s, had felt warm and soft. He’d held a horse’s hoof a couple times before when he’d worked on a farm, but pony hooves were different. He let her pull him in and he looked around. Unlike the outside, the inside of the cottage was actually quite clean. It looked about as good as it had in the show. “You have a lovely place here,” he said politely as he looked around, mostly looking for Discord.

“Thank you,” Fluttershy replied gratefully, “I strive to make sure Discord is comfortable. Although, it does take longer without help.” Fluttershy sighed, looking up at some empty perches and some carpeted shelves built into the walls, presumably for cats or other woodland creatures.

Gregory looked at where she was looking briefly before nodding. “This is a pretty big house for even two people,” he agreed, “but as long as you’re managing it, then I guess-Yipe!”

Before he could finish his sentence, Pinkie came up and threw an elbow at Gregory's leg. The human looked down at Pinkie, who was glaring up at him. “Don’t mention the critters or remind her they are gone!” she hissed.

“I didn’t say a word,” he whispered back before standing and looking around again, this time searching for a certain draconequus. “So, where’s Discord, anyway?” he asked louder.

Coming out of her reverie, Fluttershy pointed towards a set of stairs. “He’s upstairs resting on my bed,” she replied. “You can go and meet him while I get the tea ready. Try not to do anything strenuous with me. He doesn’t have a lot of energy these days. And, he’s going through some depression.”

“Oh, I wasn’t wanting to see him now; I was just curious where he was,” Gregory replied with a wave of his hand, “I wouldn’t want to stress him out if he’s resting. Let him rest up.” He looked at Fluttershy. “Is there anything I can help you with while I’m here?” he asked as he leaned his metal pole against the wall near the front door.

“Can you get the snacks out of the fridge?” she asked, “I’ll bring the tea.”

“Sure thing,” he said as he walked over to an older style fridge and opened it. Retrieving a plate with some small tea cakes on it, he brought it over to where Fluttershy was setting the tea set down. It was then that he encountered another problem. There was only one chair that would reasonably fit him, and that, he presumed, was for Discord. Still, he said nothing about it and instead tried his best to help Fluttershy while simultaneously not getting in the way. Finally, things were all set up. “You spread a very good tea set,” he said as he knelt at the table meant for someone much smaller than him.

“Thanks. It was something my mother taught me,” Fluttershy said before she looked back at Gregory. A look of realization spread over her face. “Oh dear. I don’t have a seat big enough for you,” she said worriedly.

Gregory waved his hand with a smile. “The same thing could be said back where I’m currently staying, but I can manage it. You don’t have to worry.”

“No, you could develop back problems sitting on the floor,” Fluttershy insisted. “Hold on a second.” She flew outside the cottage and came back with another chair. This one was decidedly larger than the one for Discord and was more than big enough for him. “You can use this one. It may be big, but that just means you’ll have more space.”

“Thank you,” he said gratefully.

Swift inspected the chair quickly and noticed some patches of fur on it. “Is this bear fur?” she asked, pointing at a tuft of brown fur.

It was Gregory’s turn to gently nudge someone for speaking without thinking. “Hush up about that,” he whispered.

“...Sorry…” Swift said with a downcast expression.

“Idiot.” Moonlight said.

Fluttershy’s face went red as she collected the hair and offered the seat to Gregory once again. The human sat down and leaned back, although he had to sit cross legged due to the size. As he was adjusting to the chair, Fluttershy turned her attention to Pinkie. “So Pinkie, I see you have a new look.”

Pinkie smiled at her. “Thanks for noticing,” she replied, “I’m trying out something different from the springy puffy mane.”

“It is very lovely,” Fluttershy commented, “but are you okay? Usually, when your mane is down like that, it means, um…” Fluttershy floundered, apparently trying to find the right words.

Pinkie beat her to the punch. “That I’m having another episode or a nervous breakdown?” Everyone around the table winced a bit at her bluntness, but Pinkie waved it off. “Don’t worry about that. I know it was bad, but I think those little tantrums I threw were signs that I need some more maturing. I like to think this style shows that I grew up from that silly party pony.”

“There wasn’t anything inherently wrong with your old persona, at least the one I saw in the show,” Gregory said, mentioning the show for the first time in front of either Pinkie or Fluttershy, “but when you first saw me, your first instinct was to make sure I was okay. You were worried about me. That’s one sign of maturity if I’ve ever seen one. I think whatever you’ve been doing this past year definitely helped. Just remember this: life is about constant growth. We will always learn more things as time marches on. Never stop learning, because the moment we stop learning is the same moment where we stop maturing. Refusal to learn leads to mistakes, some of them grave.”

There was a subtle twitch from Fluttershy when Gregory finished. His guards and Pinkie caught it, but they said nothing. Fluttershy was looking conflicted as she went to reply. However, a loud groan caught everyone’s attention. Fluttershy instantly perked up and set her tea down. “Oh my! Discord!!!”

With speeds that would make Rainbow blush, Fluttershy zipped up the stairs. The group blinked a couple of times before waiting for her return. Fluttershy went up and down the stairs a few times before staying upstairs for a longer period. Growing concerned, the rest of the ponies stood and headed to the stairs. Gregory looked at them in alarm. “Where are you going?” he asked, “shouldn’t we wait here? It seems a bit rude to just go upstairs.”

“Flutters wouldn’t just fly upstairs with no word to us. Something must be wrong.” Pinkie stated.

Gregory frowned. “Well, she’s your friend, not mine. If you want to check on her, that’s alright, but I was always taught that it’s bad manners to disturb your host if they have some matters of importance in their own house.”

“It’s completely natural for ponies to do this, sir,” Moonlight explained, “especially when they are close friends like Pinkie is with her.”

“I’m neither a pony nor a close friend with Miss Fluttershy,” Gregory reminded them, “but if you want to check on her, then please do. I doubt my presence would make things any better up there.”

“It’s fine,” Pinkie insisted, “We might need more helping hooves anyway, so come on.”

He sighed as he stood. “I think you’re making a mistake, but I’ll trust you,” he said as he joined them. The three ponies and solitary human made the climb up the stairs, coming to a landing with a few rooms. Gregory heard two pairs of familiar voices at one closed door. One was clearly Fluttershy’s, but the others was the all-too familiar voice of John de Lancie, AKA the one and only Discord, Lord of Chaos. And he sounded awful.

Pinkie approached the door and pushed it open. There, the group saw many bottles of painkillers piled on top of the dresser along with empty bowls and cups stacked neatly in the corner. Fluttershy was hovering over Discord who had a thermometer in his mouth. She was carefully studying Discord’s prone form as he lay on the mattress. The spirit of chaos had seen better days, from what Gregory was seeing. He was sweating profusely while an expression of pain adorned his features. There was a rag over his head, presumably to keep his temperature down. His constant groans were also worrisome as they sounded like a constipated cow.

“So this is the effect of Jason’s punishment,” Gregory murmured quietly to himself before he walked in behind Pinkie and the two guards. “He looks like he could use a nice cool bath,” he added, louder so that Fluttershy could hear him.

She turned quickly and saw that everyone was in the room. “Oh, would you mind running it?” she asked, “I don’t like leaving him like this.” She turned back to Discord, walked over and stroked his forehead with her hoof lovingly. “It’s alright. Momma and her friends will take care of everything.”

Gregory felt a shiver running down his back when Fluttershy said the word ‘Momma.’ Now he thought he understood something about Fluttershy’s current mental state. Discord, to her, was a replacement for all of her lost animal friends. She wasn’t a cat lady. She was slowly breaking even below that level. Slowly, he turned to look at his guards, wondering if they’d caught that feeling. The two looked more unnerved than he was showing. He knelt and whispered to them, “Would one of you go run the bath?”

“I’ll do it.” Swift said a little too quickly, zipping out of the room in a flash.

When she was gone, Gregory stood and walked over to the bed, getting a better look at the disheveled draconequus. Discord didn’t seem to notice him, though. Turning to Fluttershy, he asked, “If this is a bad time, we can leave,” he said to Fluttershy.

“Oh no, it’s okay,” she said reassuringly, “Actually, it’s good that you’re here. Caring for Discord’s condition is a lot easier with more hooves to lend aid. I’ve tried seeking help from other ponies but the moment I say it’s to help Discord, nopony even bothers to finish the conversation. They just leave…”

Gregory nodded. “I understand.” He reached down and, after removing the now warm and damp rag, put his hand on Discord’s forehead. “Yeah, he’s definitely burning up,” he replied, reaching down and putting a hand on Fluttershy’s withers. He wasn’t even sure why he was even bothering to ask, but something inside him said, “Listen, would you be open to me possibly asking Princess Luna if there’s anything she could do? Maybe they have better medical facilities in Canterlot. Or maybe there’s some way a devoted nurse could come by regularly. I don’t know if anyone knows much about a draconequus medically, but it might be worth a try.”

“That’s kind of you to suggest,” a deep but raspy male voice said from the bed, “but you’re forgetting who's lying here at the moment.” Discord opened his eyes and turned towards Gregory. “Ponies want nothing to do with me. That includes Princess Luna. She was always less tolerant of me than her sister. She believes my suffering is deserved. I can’t say that I disagree…”

Gregory turned back to him. “Ponies want nothing to do with me, either,” he said, leaning down and locking eyes with him. He pointed to his scar. “You see this? I got this courtesy of the very same guards who broke Jason Wright’s hands on Filthy Rich’s orders. I was treated by a very kind pony doctor, though. My nurse was also very kind.” He stood back up.

Fluttershy gasped at the wounds and immediately went up to Gregory’s side. “Oh my goodness, I can’t believe I missed those scars!” she exclaimed as she hovered in front of him, putting gentle hooves on his arm and eye. “How’s your eye? Are you able to see straight? Is the pupil damaged? What about your arm? Is there any nerve damage? Can you move your digits? I know I have a book on primate healthcare somewhere!” She began making her way towards a bookshelf in a corner.

“Calm down, Miss Fluttershy,” he said reassuringly, raising his left arm and flexing his fingers. “I was actually healed magically by a mysterious pony. These scars don’t really hurt much anymore. So I appreciate the concern, but I’m healing up nicely. I can see and my arm is perfectly fine.”

“See, Fluttershy? You don’t have to fret over every little thing,” Discord replied. “Now let’s stop all this serious talk and focus on my bath. I presume there is the right amount of bubble in the tub. And, the water is at the perfect temperature. I have delicate skin, you know.” Discord’s tone was light now, and he was focused on Fluttershy.

This impressed Gregory, guessing that Discord was trying to lift Fluttershy’s spirits with his own brand of humor. He leaned down towards Pinkie and whispered, “I guess laughter really is the best medicine.”

“It’s a certified Pinkie prescription.” Pinkie smiled.

He patted her on the back of her head briefly before he stood and looked back at Discord and Fluttershy, both of whom were smiling at each other, clearly amused by the joke. “If we’re in the way, we could head somewhere else,” he said.

“Oh, it’s alright,” Fluttershy replied quickly, “you don’t have to leave. You’re my guests. Let me take care of you.”

Gregory shuddered again, but didn’t let it show. Fluttershy was beginning to scare him. “We don’t really want to impose, right girls?” he asked.

Pinkie and his guards all gave hesitant nods. “Yeah, that’s right,” Swift, who had just come back from drawing the bath, said.

“As guards we must stay professional and knowing when we overstayed is vital,” Moonlight added.

“Fluttershy, are you okay?” Pinkie asked.

There was a certain wild look in Fluttershy’s eyes as she inched closer. “Of course, Pinkie, I've never been better,” she said with a fairly unnerving smile, “I just want to be a gracious host to you all.”

‘Are you doing this to overcompensate for what you did to Jason?’ Gregory thought to himself, resisting the urge to back away. He looked down at Pinkie. He knew that she was an expert on smiles, and the look of worry and fear on Pinkie’s face confirmed what Gregory had already suspected. Fluttershy was losing it. She was living in her own delusion, and it hurt to see a pony like her brought so low, even if it wasn’t surprising.

“Fluttershy! You’re not acting like yourself!” Pinkie shouted with fear.

Fluttershy waved a dismissive hoof. “That’s nonsense,” she said. “Maybe you can’t tell because you’ve been gone all this time. But, that’s okay. I am the same old Fluttershy.”

Before things could grow out of control, Discord intervened. “Hey, um, Fluttershy, could you go and check on my bath? After all, you’re the only one that knows how I like my bubble to heat ratio.”

Snapped out of whatever she had been experiencing, a modicum of sanity returned to Fluttershy as she sprang up “Oh! That’s right. I’ll be right back.” Fluttershy flew out quickly as everyone watched.

When she was out of earshot, Gregory turned to Discord. “Dude, I’ve got a piece of advice for you: run.”

Discord let out a rueful chuckle. “She’s been like that since she lost all her animal companion,” he said softly, “believe me, I’ve tried telling her but she won’t listen to reason. I believe an intervention is in order. But, it has to be from ponies she trusts explicitly.”

Gregory turned to Pinkie. “Well, Pinkie, looks like you’ve got your own work cut out for you.”

Pinkie looked back out the door, sighing softly. “Yeah…I really do…”

[Berry’s Cherries - Some Time Later…]

The impromptu tea at Fluttershy’s came and went without much incident. It was a quiet ceremony with hardly anyone talking. They were fretted over by the new overbearing Fluttershy until they left. When they did, Gregory suggested that they find a place to drink a nightcap before going back to bed. The sun was still up but it was at least an hour before sunset. Pinkie led them to the only bar in town, known to the locals as Berry’s Cherries. The bar was owned by Berry Punch, a pony Gregory knew fairly well as being a reasonably popular character in the show. She was reluctant to serve him, but the presence of the guards and Pinkie helped her ease up.

Soon the four were at a corner booth, nursing some small drinks. Berry had also provided them with a few things to eat, like a bowl of pretzels, some bread and butter, and a little bit of vegetable stew. Gregory noted that the bar was pretty crowded, but nobody else was really talking. He kept seeing the bar denizens staring angrily at him, but the presence of his guards presumably kept them from doing anything foolish.

Gregory’s drink was half gone (he’d ordered a light ale) and his mood was lifting a bit. He still had his wits, of course, since he had promised the foals that he’d read to them later. He was talking with Pinkie about random subjects. Currently, they were discussing, of all things, a lighter subject, which involved Pinkie telling a joke. “...so I said, ‘Oatmeal? Are you crazy??’ She put the wooden mug down and giggled slightly.

Gregory chuckled. “I always wondered what the rest of that joke was,” he said as he took a light sip of his ale, “and it makes perfect sense!”

Even his guards, who hadn’t been drinking since they were still on duty, were laughing softly at the joke. “I can see why you were the Element of Laughter,” Swift said before she took a bite of buttered bread.

Pinkie smiled. “I know a lot of good jokes,” she replied as she brushed her new mane aside, then blew at some stray parts of her mane that had gotten right in front of her mouth. “Ah, the one thing I don’t like about my new style is getting hair in my mouth, but it’s alright,” she said as she brushed it aside once more.

“Hey, I like your new mane style,” Gregory said, grinning down at her, “and hey, if I’m being honest, I think you’re much more attractive this way than the other way. Not that your old poofy look was bad, but I always found you with a straighter mane pretty gorgeous.”

Pinkie gained a saucy smile while flicking her mane as she turned to face the human sitting beside her. “Why, Mister Graystone, are you flirting with me already? We’ve only just met.”

He gave a smirk of his own, knowing she was having fun with him but deciding to have fun with it. “What stallion wouldn’t notice how attractive you are? Gorgeous mane, a body that could rival most models, very pretty eyes, and an infectious and warm smile? You’re the total package! I bet any stallion would climb mountains to court you.” He decided then and there that he liked Pinkie. Maybe not as a potential romantic partner, but definitely as a friend. She’d shown genuine concern for him upon their first arrival, had expressed sorrow when he’d talked about his family, had shown great concern for her friends, and now was doing this. Even if it was some harmless fun, it was a good excuse to laugh.

“Hmm, and what if I’m not looking for a stallion? What if I want something a little more…” Pinkie suddenly jumped up and planted herself in Gregory’s lap, rearing up and putting both her forelegs beside his head, making the human shrink back. “Exotic~?”

Gregory leaned forward so that his nose touched hers, never breaking eye contact. “Then I’d say you came to the right place,” he replied, cupping her cheeks with his hands. His hands maneuvered up to her mane. “If you wanted to sit on my lap, though, all you had to do…” he began scratching her behind her ears, “...was ask.”

Pinkie stiffened suddenly before melting into his lap, her head leaning against his chest. “No fair,” she pouted while looking up at him, “you’re supposed to be all flustered. Holy geodes, that feels good!”

He chuckled and brushed his hand through her mane. “I’ve always wanted to do this,” he admitted.

“Please be careful, sir,” Moonlight said worriedly, despite the fact that there was a small blush on her face and a larger one on Swift’s own, “we’re in public.”

“We will,” Gregory said while Pinkie’s tail began swishing back and forth. He looked down at her, smirking. “So ponies do swish their tails when they’re happy,” he observed, “that’s good to know.”

“Hey, I see that look in your eyes, mister,” she said as she gave him a playful glare and a boop on the nose with her hoof, “don’t go thinking we’re a bunch of dogs!”

He smiled. “Dogs? No no no, not at all,” he said, “I know better than that.” He began scratching her back gently.

“Well then—”

“PINKIE PIE!” A sudden gasp and cry sounded out from nearby. Pinkie’s eyes widened as she and everyone else at the table recognized the voice. They looked to the source to find Rarity and Rainbow Dash glaring daggers at them. But, more specifically her and Gregory. “I-I can’t believe this,” the pony said in an aghast tone.

Gregory watched Pinkie take in her long time friend's appearance. Her purple mane which was usually styled and pristine was now messy and unkempt with some strands hanging down loosely. The scarf she was wearing was hanging loosely on her shoulder. In her magical grasp was a half drunk bottle of wine. Everyone at the table could smell the stench of it all over Rarity. She was obviously drunk, evidenced by her bloodshot eyes and slurred speech. The same could be said about Rainbow. She stood on wobbly legs as she tilted side to side. A gentle breeze could knock her over. It almost hurt to look at Rainbow because she was a near perfect reflection of Jason with her scars. Pinkie’s face went from concerned to shocked to see the level of contempt aimed at her. Looking past them, she could see where they came from as several bottles littered their booth. Pinkie presumably didn’t need her Pinkie sense to tell something bad was about to happen.

“Um, hiya girls. How are you?” she asked cautiously.

Gregory looked between the two of them with a neutral expression. His arms were still around Pinkie, who was still sitting on his lap but had now sat up and was facing the two. He made no reaction to the two. His grip on Pinkie didn’t lessen, but it would have if she decided to move, which she hadn’t. “Can we help you with something?” he asked.

“We don’t need anything from you!” Rarity spat while pointing the bottle at Gregory.

“Pinkie. Why are you hanging out with the new human?” Rainbow asks. It was easier for her to speak now, but her voice was more raspy than Gregory remembered from the show.

The guards moved in front of the mares, blocking their path and standing at the ready. “Ma’am, our charge is merely enjoying the evening with a friend,” Moonlight explained, “there’s no need for any–”

“A friend?! You’re friends with one of them?!” Rarity gasped at Pinkie.

“Yes.,I don’t see the problem.” Pinkie answered honestly.

“It looks like you’re more than just friends with all that stuff you were doing. I guess you could not wait to replace us!” Rainbow stated banefully.

“Girls. You’re drunk. This isn’t how I want our reunion to go. Can we please talk about this some other time?” Pinkie asked.

“I’d say it’s the perfect time! Who knows when you’ll abandon us again!” Rarity shouted in an accusatory tone.

A flash of hurt spread across Pinkie’s features as Gregory stood up while still holding Pinkie in his grasp. “Okay, let me clarify something for you,” he said as he looked down at the two drunken ponies, “the two of us are just just spending some time getting to know one another, plain and simple. I don’t intend on monopolizing her time, but the two of us have both had a long day and we wanted to have a quick drink before bed.”

“Ah, so you’re trying to take advantage of her inebriated state?” Rarity growled up at him, “What else could we expect from your kind? Nothing but cruel monsters that take and take from good ponies!”

Gregory turned and gently put Pinkie back down on the booth, giving her a reassuring pet before he turned back to face the two. “I would never take advantage of anyone who is inebriated,” he stated calmly. He might have had a slight buzz, but he knew his liquor stronghold and had enough of his wits about him not to antagonize these two regardless of how he was being treated.

“No one cares! We don’t like you, and we don’t want you in our town, so do us a favor and crawl back to wherever it is you came from–hic!” Rainbow slurred.

“I’m unable to go back to where I came from,” Gregory explained patiently.

Berry Punch made her presence known by coming up and looking between the human and the two ponies. “If you’re gonna fight, please do it outside,” she said.

“I don’t intend on getting into a fight, Miss Punch,” Gregory replied.

“Good. I don’t need a brawl in my place. Again.” With that, she gave the two ponies a knowing glare before trotting back behind the counter.

“No, we’re not fighting,” Pinkie said desperately, “ee’re not fighting! Everyone can just sit down and have a good time or we can leave!”

Gregory took a seat and put a protective arm around Pinkie, giving her an apologetic look. “Do you want to get out of here?” he asked her.

Pinkie stared at her friends for a moment before she sighed. “Yeah, let’s go. It’s not worth it right now. I’ll talk to you girls when you’re ready.”

Gregory finished his mug, left the bits they owed for their meal and drinks on the table, grabbed his things, and then lifted Pinkie up in his arms, wrapping her up in them reassuringly. He turned to his guards. “Come on, ladies, let’s head back to the shelter,” he said as he headed to the door, cradling Pinkie in his arms while Swift took his metal pole in her wings.

As the group leaves, Rainbow turned around and berated them one last time. “You know what, fine! Go ahead and have fun with your cool new human pal, traitor! Everything wrong in Ponyville is because of them!!!”

Gregory could feel his shirt growing wet as Pinkie buried her face into his chest, sobbing softly. He held her tightly as they headed towards the door, stroking her mane gently and lovingly. “Let it out,” he said softly.

As the group headed to the tavern’s door, Rainbow and Rarity returned to their booth. Noticing that they were out of their regular drink, Rainbow called out to Berry Punch. “Hey-hic-we need another round over here!”

“Coming right up!” Berry said. Neither Rainbow or Rarity noticed the harshness in her tone.

“The nerve of Pinkie, associating with one of the creatures ruining us.” Rarity said, “I guess she’s too good for us now. I don’t get how though. Look at me, I’m a mess.”

“It’s got to be another ploy,” Rainbow spat, “It wasn’t enough for Jason to uproot everything we know and cherish-hic-He probably sent this other one to do some more damage!”

Berry Punch came into view with two bottles. “Might I make a suggestion hat might be a solution to your problem?” she asked.

“What?” Rainbow asked.

Before either of them could elaborate further, Berry took the drinks and poured them all over Rarity and Rainbow’s faces. Both mares shrieked in alarm while Berry’s features hardened. “Get off your drunken high horse and get out of my bar! Your tab has run out!”

Chapter 9 - The Dragon Lord

[Gregory’s Room - Later That Night…]

After Gregory, Pinkie, and Gregory’s guards returned to the shelter, the human had been greeted by a larger crowd of foals who had heard about his storytelling and were eager to listen. His room was too small to fit them, so Twilight, who had also wanted to listen to his storytelling, lent him the use of a larger room with plenty of couches and beds that the foals could use. Pinkie hadn’t left his side and had actually curled up on his lap while he lay on a bed and read to the foals. He brought the other foals up to speed on what had happened in the first two chapters of The Hobbit before starting the third. Cozy and Spike were there, too, along with Gabby and another pony from the CFE named Feather Duster. Gregory had to reassure Spike that the dragon in the story was only fiction and that it wasn’t a reflection on his species.

After reading two chapters instead of one, the foals were all tucked in and Gregory had gone to his room. Pinkie didn’t want him to go, and Gregory could see she was feeling very vulnerable, so he let her stay with him in his room while he turned on his computer. After he had logged on, he opened up a folder full of some of his favorite cartoons. Outside, night had fallen and as per the schedule there was clear skies. “So, what do you think?” he asked as they came to the end of an episode of Tom and Jerry.

“Pfft. This show is a riot,” Pinkie giggled, “who knew slapstick could be funny? But where are the owners?”

“Well, that’s really not the point,” Gregory explained, “it’s a show geared towards children, so a lot of things don’t need to make a lot of sense.” He chuckled slightly, realizing that the same could have been said about My Little Pony, but said nothing more. He ran his hand through Pinkie’s mane. “Are you feeling any better, Pinkie?”

“Yeah, this helped a lot,” Pinkie said thankfully. “The story was great too. You humans have such amazing storytelling skills. Are you sure you don’t have a cutie mark somewhere?”

He smirked at her. “Humans don’t get cutie marks,” he chuckled, running his hand through her mane more, scratching behind her ear, “and if I did, I don’t think I could show you where it would be. Assuming it would appear where I think it would.”

Pinkie let out another chuckle. “You’ve seen my cutie mark, right?”

“Well, yes, but humans don’t have flanks,” Gregory said, “and if humans did get them in the same general area, well, we tend to keep that part of our skin hidden with clothes all the time.” He gave her a grin, then chuckled.

“Well, duh, I can see that,” Pinkie giggled, “but that’s not what I asked. Have you seen my cutie mark? A simple question requires a simple answer.”

“I did answer, and I said yes,” Gregory replied, “I’ve seen your cutie mark in the show and in real life.”

“Then, in the interest of fairness. If you ever do get a cutie mark, regardless where it shows up– I get to see it!” Pinkie said with a mischievous smile.

Gregory laughed. “Alright, you’ve got yourself a deal, Pinkie. If by some miracle, I get a cutie mark, you will be the very first to see it regardless of where it shows up. You naughty mare,” he added with a chuckle.

“Naughty? Get your mind out of the gutter, Gorgy,” she giggled at him. “Why do you assume your cutie mark would end up somewhere naughty. Does that mean every time you saw my cutie mark, you were thinking of something naughty?”

“Gorgy, huh?” he chuckled good naturedly, “and not at all, but like I said earlier, you are very attractive…Ponkers.” He grinned.

“Yep, too bad I am out of your league,” Pinkie said with a playful smirk, “but who knows? Maybe your special somebody might crash into you one of these days.”

He reached out and booped her snout. “Eh, I’m not holding my breath.”

The two were silent for a bit, simply sitting in the room with the fire still roaring. “You know,” Pinkie began in a thoughtful tone, “I think you should show these cartoons to the rest of the ponies. Everything here is so serious. Ponies move around like golems. Some Tom and Jerry should be the right amount of kick in the pants these ponies need.”

“Maybe not Tom and Jerry,” Gregory said, “but maybe some other cartoon or movie. I wonder…” and with that he fell silent, thinking.

Pinkie got up and stretched her legs. “Alright, I’m going to rest up. I have to get up bright and early if I want to catch Rarity and Rainbow before they get drunk again!”

“Well, you sleep well,” he said, waving as he watched her head to his door, “and have pleasant dreams!”

After Pinkie had left, Gregory put his laptop away, then after changing into the normal sleeping clothes he wore, climbed into bed and fell fast asleep.

[Ponyville - The Next Morning]

“You know, I thought for sure Twilight said that the next week would be sunny,” Gregory said to his two guards the following morning as he wrapped his long black coat around him. Fog had formed around Ponyville the night before, and it was a little bit cooler because of it. It wasn’t really thick, but he couldn’t see Canterlot anywhere, and when he glanced at the Everfree, even he got shivers at the spookiness of a fog shrouded dark forest. He was walking with both his guards on either side of him, wanting to go and purchase a few food items for himself at the Ponyville market. There weren’t many ponies walking around, and those that were gave him cold angry glances.

“Always nice to see some friendly faces.” Swift said sarcastically.

Gregory sighed. “Let’s just get some things and go back,” he said. However, his expression changed when he saw a particular stand near the end of the marketplace street. “I’ll be damned,” he whispered. There, sitting and looking a little bit tired, was Big Macintosh. Next to him, he saw little Applebloom, yawning and putting her hoof to her mouth. He adjusted his direction and headed towards the Apple family stand. As he approached, he could smell various apple related dishes, such as apple pie, applesauce, fresh apple cider, and even caramel apples. There was a barrel of fresh apples there in general as well. As he approached, he raised his hand in greeting even though the two hadn’t seen him yet. “Good morning,” he called out politely enough.

“Howdy, Mister Gregory.” Applebloom said.

“Eeyup.” Big Mac said.

Gregory smiled. Even if Big Mac was a stalwart and quiet stallion, Gregory had expected a bit more of a reaction to a second human other than the pony’s traditional catchphrase. Still, he just walked up and looked at all of the various wares displayed. “Everything going alright over here?” he asked as he saw that an entire barrel of apple cider was for sale along with mugs of it.

“Well, we were trying to sell some product until this darn fog rolled through. Ponies are calling it now. How are things since the, um, incident?” Applebloom asked.

Gregory smiled ruefully. “You heard about that, huh?” He put his hand to his new scar on his eye. “Things are alright now,” he explained, “I was healed by some mystery pony, but the scars won’t go away. I have one on my eye, one on my arm, and an imprint of hooves on my chest. But nothing hurts much now and I’ve been told I’ll be alright.”

“Can I see them?” Applebloom asked. “I mean, the one on your eye is kinda cool. I bet Scoots would like that.”

“Applebloom!” Big Mac said in a warning tone.

“What? I’m curious,” Applebloom said, looking at her brother with an innocent look on her face.

Gregory shook his head. “I don’t think it’d be appropriate,” he said, “and while the scar on my eye might look cool, how I got it wasn’t really cool.” He opened his mouth to mention Jason’s own scars, but closed his mouth again.

Applebloom looked down in dejection. “...Right, sorry…”

Gregory knelt down, and unlike before, he reached out and put his hand on her mane gently. “Hey, there’s nothing wrong with being curious,” he said reassuringly, “but there are things that are a bit rude to ask. I’m not mad at you, little filly, and I forgive you. Maybe someday I’ll show you.” He ran his hand gently through her mane to calm her down. He was rewarded by Applebloom instantly relaxing and even pushing her head into his hand, almost instinctively.

“Eeyup.” Big Mac said appreciatively.

At that moment, Gregory noted a shadow flying overhead. It was moving in an erratic pattern as if it was a bird or some other winged creature looking for a place to land. He paused and looked up curiously. “Hey, what’s that?” he asked, pointing to the shadow which seemed to be growing closer.

“Stand back, sir,” Moonlight said. Beside her, Swift spread her wings and stepped in front of Gregory.

“Um, sure thing,” he said, moving back.

The shadow moved more and more until it seemed to recede back into the fog. After a few tense seconds, everyone relaxed. “Seriously, who in their right mind would start stunt flying in this fog?” Swift asked, retracting her wings, “I swear, ponies around here really have lost their marbles.”

“That wasn’t a pony,” Gregory said, “it wasn’t shaped like a pegasus. It looked more like…um, let me see…like…a dragon.”

“I suggest we head back to the castle. It’s best not to take any chances.” Moonlight said.

“Oh, come on, Moon. you’re being paranoid,” Swift said with a wave of her wing. “Besides, the dragons all left Equestria, remember? We haven’t seen them for a whole year. I bet it was just some pegasi doing some tricks or mail ponies doing a late delivery.”

“It didn’t look like a pegasus,” Gregory insisted, “but your eyes might be better than mine since you’re a pegasus yourself. Still, maybe we should head back quickly. If it is a pegasus, they have aerial superiority and can shoot lightning at me if they wanted. But before I do, just one question.” He turned to Big Mac and Applebloom before pointing to the barrel of cider that was for sale, “how much is that?”

“Five bits,” Applebloom said.

Gregory’s eyes widened. “Only five bits? For an entire barrel of cider?” he asked. “Isn’t that a bit cheap?”

“Ponies are struggling nowadays so we cut back on the price,” Big Mac said, “so don’t you worry about our finances.”

Gregory frowned, but reached into his bag. He brought out five bits and placed it on the counter. “Thank you, and I’ll definitely come back and buy more.” He walked over to the barrel and gently laid it on the ground so he could roll it back to the castle. “You two have a good rest of your day, and Applebloom?” He turned to the little filly and smiled, “I haven’t forgotten what you asked me to do. If you still want me to come and try and help your sister, just let me know what your granny says. I’ll abide by it.”

“Thanks, Mister Gregory,” Applebloom beamed.

“Much obliged,” Big Mac said.

Gregory gave them a polite nod before he began rolling the large wooden barrel down the street. He looked at it and could smell the delectable scent of apple cider wafting from it. “Phew, this thing is heavy,” he said as they headed back towards the castle.

The trio were halfway to the castle when the shadow reappeared, but much closer this time. Gregory had a few moments to look up before he felt a weight collide with him. “Fuck!” he shouted as he was flung back, the weight on top of him as he fell onto his back.

“Ouch!” a new voice said. The guards rounded on their charge as Moonlight’s horn glowed and Swift took to the skies. The newcomer, sensing the threat, shot up to their feet. “Back off, ponies!”

Gregory groaned as he opened his eyes and looked up. His eyes widened when he noted the appearance of the newcomer. She was a fairly slender light blue dragon with reptilian brilliant red eyes and downward facing horns. Her tail was swishing and there was a look of anger in her eyes. He recognized her from her appearance and her voice. Quickly, but still in pain, he stood and faced her. “Ember?!”

“That’s Dragon Lord Ember to you–! Huh? You’re not a pony,” Ember said in confusion as she turned to Gregory. She took a step closer, a curious glint in her red eyes before Moonlight and Swift barred her path. Snarling, Ember bared her teeth while flames leapt from her snout.

“Stand down, you two,” Gregory said, “or do you want to risk an international incident with the ruler of a foreign nation?”

“She came here unannounced and attacked a creature under royal protection,” Moonlight countered, not taking her eyes off of the snarling dragoness. “She’s the one at fault here!”

“If she wanted to kill me, I would be a scratched up and scorched mess right now,” Gregory replied. He looked back up and faced Ember, who he noted was about as tall as he was. “Still, I think an explanation is in order,” he added. “So, Dragon Lord Ember, what brings you to Ponyville?”

“I came here regarding an attack on the new human in Ponyville,” Ember replied, slowly calming down, “that, and Ponyville is on my way back home.”

Gregory raised an eyebrow. “Really? How’d you hear about the attack on me so quickly?” he asked.

“I was at the opening of the Seeds of Yggdrasil multicultural school when the pink Celestia got the letter from the purple winged Starlight pony from the trial,” Ember explained. “Unicorn Twilight wanted to use the train, but it was faster for me just to fly.”

Gregory snorted immediately. “Heh, so Twilight contacted Cadance?” he asked, guessing at the ponies that she was referring to.

Ember shrugged. “Who knows? All you ponies look the same to me,” she said matter-of-factly.

“Hey!” Moonlight and Swift hollered indignantly.

“Yeah, but I’m not a pony,” Gregory said, stepping forward.

“I can see that! I’m not blind,” Ember snarled.

“With eyes as majestic as yours, I don’t doubt it,” he said.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ember asked, narrowing said eyes at him.

“It’s a compliment, I promise,” he said honestly.

“Yeah, well, dragons don’t do compliments!” Ember stopped and looked at his eye and her frown deepened. “But I see the attack has already happened. Where are the ponies that did it?”

“I was told they’re in Canterlot’s dungeons awaiting trial,” Gregory replied.

Ember turned to the castle which was still shrouded in fog and nodded as she made her way to it. “Hey, where are you going?” Swift asked.

“To show those ponies how dragons deal out punishment!” Ember growled.

“Hold on a moment, please,” Gregory said.

Ember stopped and turned around, a look of what Gregory could only describe as righteous fury on her face. “What?!” she snapped.

“Far be it from me to tell you what to do,” Gregory began in as calm a voice as he could muster, “but the attack is over and the ponies are arrested and nursing the injuries I was lucky enough to give them. I think they’ve had enough punishment already, don’t you?”

Ember marched to Gregory’s face with a vicious sneer. “And you are fine with that? Those ponies tried to kill you and you want to let bygones be bygones.”

“Oh, fuck no!” Gregory retorted, “I want them rotting in a cell for what they did to me! Them and whoever orchestrated the attack! I managed to injure two of them, anyway.”

“Then, why are you sitting here?” Ember asked, gesturing to the fog-ridden town, “Why not go there and demand their heads? What’s to stop them from trying again? Just let me go and see your attackers. I get them to spill the beans.” Ember flashed her claws for emphasis.

Gregory raised an eyebrow. He had no idea why Ember was so insistent on helping him, a human she didn’t know, but he figured she must have some sort of reason. “Canterlot would be more dangerous for me than Ponyville,” he said, “and I was told I don’t need to go to the trial of these ponies. Although…hmm…” He paused and began thinking. He had been told that he didn’t have to go to the trial of the three ponies if he didn’t want to, but he wondered if it would make more of an impact if he did testify. “Maybe…I don’t know. I don’t know when the trial against them is gonna be. I’ll have to contact Princess Luna and ask.”

“You should face your attackers instead of doing whatever this is,” Ember replied as she gestured to the barrel of cider on the ground. “Hiding away breeds cowardice. I thought you would be more like Jason in that regard.”

He looked back at it, then back at Ember. “That’s like me saying that you would be more like Spike or that Spike would be more like you. I’m not Jason and I won’t be like Jason. Humans are all different. But you make a good point.” He turned to Moonlight and Swift. “Do either of you know when the trial is?”

“It’s scheduled for tomorrow,” Swift informed him.

“Tomorrow, huh?” Gregory looked in the general direction of Canterlot since the fog still shrouded it from view. Then, turning to Ember, he reached out his hand. “Alright, how about you and I both go to Canterlot together instead? I’ll buy the train tickets.”

“Train? I could just fly us over now.” Ember went over to Gregory and before he could protest, she grabbed him by the back of his shirt, unfurled her wings and took off with Gregory dangling by the collar.

“Hey wait! I’m not ready to go yet!” Gregory shouted up at her. “Put me back down!”

“What? I can’t hear you. There’s a lot of wind. “Ember smirked as she headed up further.

“I call bullshit!” Gregory shouted, “You’re a dragon! Your ears have to be better than those of a pegasus!”

“Does any creature ever tell you that you’re whining is annoying?” Ember glanced down to see the two guards giving chase. She chuckled to herself as she hovered in place.

“Well sorry for being scared,” Gregory replied, “because I’m slipping out of my coat and a fall from this distance would really do some damage! Just put me down and let me pack first!”

“Fine. make it quick,” Ember sighed as she landed once more.

Gregory breathed a sigh of relief, then looked at the two guards who had been racing after. “Okay…I guess today and part of tomorrow are gonna be spent in Canterlot. Let’s drop off the barrel in my room and I’ll grab some things before going.”

After Gregory and the guards returned to the castle and dropped off the barrel in his room, Gregory grabbed one of his backpacks, stuffed a few changes of clothes in, including a suit and tie for a court appearance, toiletries, his laptop, phone, chargers, and a few other things to keep himself busy while waiting. He did include a couple of knives and one pistol with plenty of ammo just in case, although he did doubt that he would need it. He also grabbed the metal pole before swiftly leaving.

Finally, he came back out. The fog had lifted by then and the late morning sun was shining down on them and the temperature was warmed. He asked one of the palace maids to tell Twilight where he had gone, but just in case said maid conveniently forgot, he slipped a quick note underneath Twilight’s closed bedroom door which asked that she tell the foals that he’d gone to Canterlot and wouldn’t be back for the storytelling that night as he was there for the trial. He came out, backpack secured and ready to go. “Alright, I’m ready, but don’t carry me by my clothes please,” he said to Ember, “I don’t want them ripped. I’ve got no way to replace them.”

Ember rolled her eyes before her tail snaked around Gregory’s waist. “You two can take the train. We’ll be going my way!” Ember said to Moonlight and Swift before taking off again.

“This isn’t what I thought people meant by getting tail!” Gregory shouted in alarm as they flew above the town, which quickly began to grow smaller as they flew. He quickly grabbed onto Ember’s tail for support with his free hand. “Well, Canterlot, here we come…”

[Changeling Hive]

Jason sat on the throne glaring into empty air after reading the report Chrysalis had just given him. Gregory had been attacked less than a day after Jason’s departure from Ponyville. In a sick and twisted way, Jason felt vindicated. Once again, ponies reacted as he thought they would to the presence of another human. He did give Gregory a warning after all. He had no earthly idea why his counterpart would want to stay if the Gjallarhorn showed him The Trial and all of Ponyville’s injustices before that. Still, just because he was right doesn’t mean he wanted to be right. Thankfully, Gregory wasn’t hurt too badly, just some scarring on his chest, left eye and forearm, according to Ocellus. “Heh, maybe we’ll be twins now,” Jason joked ruefully. The walls slid open as Chrysalis came strolling inside. “Chrysalis.”

“Jason,” Chrysalis responded with a nod as she made her way up to the throne. “Still brooding, are you? And in my throne, no less?”

“Me? No, never,” Jason replied sarcastically, “I’m just thinking about sending Gregory an I-told-you-so letter for his stupidity.”

“If it is any consolation,” Chrysalis said, “the ponies responsible are the same ones that assaulted you, Their trial is tomorrow.”

Jason looked mildly irked by that news. “Tsk. Sure, now they want to prosecute them after four years,” he said bitterly. “It’s nothing but grandstanding anyway. They’ll probably get a slap on the hoof and a pay cut.”

“Hardly,” Chrysalis replied. “My drones tell me Princess Luna has been making some strides despite the council hindering her. Besides, even if they somehow do get a lighter sentence, two of the attackers won’t be the same again.”

That caught Jason’s attention and he looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “How so?”

“It would seem that Gregory is more adept at fighting than you were,” Chrysalis chuckled. “He managed to sever the wing off a pegasi and rendered the limb of an earth pony immobile.”

Jason sat up with more curiosity. “Can’t those wounds be healed by magic?” he asked.

“Under normal circumstances, perhaps,” the changeling queen replied, “but whatever Gregory used seems to disable magic permanently. Is there something special about human weaponry you neglected to tell me?”

Jason leaned back on the throne. “Other than it being either plain steel or a bullet? No,” he replied, before a smirk formed on his face. “Heh, who knew that twerp had it in him? I think I want to go see this trial.”

Chrysalis tilted her head to the side as she smiled coyly. “Oh? Feel like a stroll through the capital of Equestria?” she asked cheekily. “Very well, we can go. There’s a local eatery I wanted to visit anyway.”

“You don’t eat food,” Jason deadpanned.

“Not true,” Chrysalis countered. “Yes, food doesn’t provide sustenance for changelings, but we can eat it to fill ourselves or as an indulgence. Regardless, you’re paying.”

“With what money?” Jason asked.

“The one you collect from Ponyville obviously.” Chrysalis’ horn glowed as several bags of bits were teleported into the room before falling on the floor with the familiar clinking of coins. “Voilà.”

Jason looked down at the bits in stunned silence for a bit before he turned and looked back at her. “Why would you take that and not melt it?” he asked.

“I understand your need to be symbolic and petty,” Chrysalis said, “but it’s still wasteful. Now that you seem to be in a better mood, I do have a suggestion regarding the bits.”

“What?” Jason asked.

“Instead of burning all the ponies' hopes and dreams, why not repurpose them into something positive?” Chrysalis suggested. “You can still spite the ponies by funding some charity or orphanage for non ponies.”

Jason crossed his arms and made a face. “Tch, Nnext you’ll tell me to meet with Cozy Glow and join the CFE.”

Chrysalis merely shrugged. “Hey, It couldn’t hurt,” she said. “My drones in the organization are telling me that her movement is legitimate. Some of them are even considering dropping their disguises and operating in the open.”

“I already told you that the filly is not what she seems,” Jason reminded her.

“Even so, events from that show of yours are wildly different from reality,” Chrysalis reminded him. “I was the big bad villain in the show yet I allow you to bathe in my presence. Rent free I might add.” Chrysalis closed the distance and placed a hoof on his shoulder. “You have to move on eventually. I believe now is as good a time as any.” She stepped back and smirked at him. “Now, I’m going to prepare for our teleportation to Canterlot. You’d better get ready too.” With that said, Chrysalis exited the throne room to let Jason stew on her words.

Jason, in turn, slumped back down on the chair as he sighed. “...Whatever…”

[Ponyville - Carousel Boutique]

Pinkie stood outside Rarity’s home with a determined expression on her face. She straightened and psyched herself up by slapping her hooves to her face. “Alright, Pinkie, it’s go time!” She said to herself as she extended her hoof and knocked at the door. She waited, but all she heard was silence. She knocked again with a little more force but once again there was no response. “What’s she doing? She’s usually up at this time. Hmm…” Pinkie stared at the door for a while. Finally going off a hunch, she reached out and turned the knob. The door opened with no resistance, eliciting a brief frown on the pink mare’s face. “Rarity never leaves the door unlocked,” Pinkie said worriedly. Walking inside, Pinkie saw the normally immaculate place was a mess. Clothes and ponequins laid around the floor and fabrics and sketch paper were torn to shreds.

Pinkie’s frown deepened as she followed the carnage up to Rarity’s room. “This is worse than I thought,” she said to herself while slowly opening Rarity’s room. “Rarity? Hello?” Moving further inside, Pinkie’s foot hit an empty bottle of wine. It was only now that she saw that the room, just like the downstairs, was in complete disarray. Several bottles littered the ground with empty tubs of ice cream scattered everywhere. The fabrics and paper had made their way up to Rarity’s bedroom as well and added to the mess. However, it was the sight on the bed that made Pinkie’s heart ache. Rarity had always been the mare of pristine beauty and poise. Now? She was the total opposite.

Her mane that she took such pride in was worse than Twilight’s was whenever she was having an episode, The same could be said for her tail. Her coat had dark patches on it due to some filth and dirt that hadn’t yet been washed. Her face was the worst as black tear stains and mascara ran down her cheeks and connected with some drool pooling on the sheets.

Pinkie took a few tentative steps to her friend and shook her shoulder. “Rarity?” The fashionista didn’t even stir. Pinkie shook her more forcefully. “Rarity, wake up!” she called again. Rarity grumbled a bit before turning away from the party mare, mumbling some incoherent gibberish. Pinkie sighed. “Alright, you forced my hooves.” Pinkie reached to the side and pulled out her party cannon. She stared at it with a soft smile, running one hoof up and down its bright blue exterior. “Hey there, old buddy,” she said, “do you mind helping me wake my friend up? You don’t? Great.” With a smile she tugged on the string and fired a burst of confetti over Rarity’s bed.

The effect was immediate. Rarity shot up into the air with a terrified shriek before she landed roughly on the floor. Rubbing her sore haunches, Rarity looked around the room for the culprit. She quickly spotted Pinkie Pie waving at her with the cannon, and she frowned. “Pinkie, what are you doing in my room?! Can’t you see it’s too early for parties?” she shouted.

“It’s already half past noon,” Pinkie said, pointing to the clock on Rarity’s wall.

Rarity followed Pinkie’s hoof, and her frown only deepened. “Well, that’s still hardly any way to wake a pony,” she grumbled. “I have a splitting headache now.” She held her head and moaned softly.

“You sure that’s not from the hangover from all the heavy drinking and ice cream binging?” Pinkie asked as she gestured to all the bottles scattered on the ground.

Rarity looked around and winced at the sight. “Ah, I was getting around to cleaning that,” she said, “but I was just too tired.”

“And the torn pieces of fabric and stretching paper?” Pinkie asked more gently.

Rarity got up and walked out the room with Pinkie following her. “I’ve hit a bit of a creative dry spell,” she said as she slowly and painstakingly walked down the hall, “and I must’ve released my pent up frustrations. It doesn’t matter. I can replace them.”

The two mares made their way to her bathroom as Rarity went into her cabinet. She took out some pills and poured herself some water from the sink. As she began swallowing the pills, Pinkie came up and looked her up and down in the light. “Rarity, you’re a mess,” Pinkie said worriedly.

“Oh, pfft. What? Am I not allowed to have a bad morning face?” Rarity snapped angrily back at Pinkie, “ I can take a break from my beauty regimen for a while, you know!”

Pinkie didn’t react, but instead put a hoof on Rarity’s back gently. “Rarity, come on, it’s me. I know you’d never let yourself go like this. What’s bothering you?”

Rarity downed the rest of the pills before slamming the glass down. She whirled on Pinkie and pointed at her with an accusatory glare. “Don’t pretend you care all of a sudden! You’ve been gone for an entire year! You’ve been spared Jason’s punishment and the scrutiny that came with it! My businesses have suffered because of The Trial! I’m barely staying afloat here!”

“What about your parents?” Pinkie asked.

Rarity pushed past Pinkie and stormed down the stairs to the main level, the pink mare hot on her tail. “I can’t ask them to support me,” she said as they walked, “How can I claim to be independent if I go crawling back to them when things go wrong? At least Sweetie isn’t here to suffer this as well.” Rarity paused as she glanced at Pinkie with a frown when she reached the landing. “Oh, what am I telling you this for? You don’t understand.”

Pinkie, a few steps away on the stairs, continued walking down the stairs with a placid expression on her face. “Is that it?” Pinkie asked in an even tone. “Do you feel jealous that Jason didn’t give me any punishment? Let me tell you something, Miss Rarity: in a way, he did. He broke my whole laughter-filled party loving world. He showed me how immature and thoughtless I’ve been! I had to look deep at myself and ask if this is how I want to keep going forward?”

“So, you’ve come back all grown up and made friends with the new human in town?” Rarity replied bitterly. “Careful, I’m sure Jason will notice. Since he’s the petty type, there’s no doubt he’ll get jealous as well.”

Now it was Pinkie’s turn to frown. “Yeah, I’m friends with Gregory, so what? That’s the one thing that’ll never change. But what about you? You want to blame Jason and Gregory for how bad things are, but you have to realize that what Jason showed the world at The Trial was our fault!”

“My fault?!” Rarity shouted, pointing at herself before pointing in the general direction of Fluttershy’s cottage. “It was Discord who–!”

“Discord didn’t make you throw Jason out into that rainstorm!” Pinkie shouted angrily, cutting Rarity off. “Discord didn’t make you call Jason a disgusting and filthy monster! Discord’s guilty because of his thoughtlessness and misuse of his powers, yes, but you’re guilty for your actions too! It was a knee jerk response, sure, but that doesn’t mean we can be ignorant of self control, and you know that! That’s why you’re drinking so much! You’re running away from your guilt!”

Rarity paused and sputtered, completely taken aback by Pinkie’s words and her tone. “I-I…You– He…” Her head finally drooped down in shame as she couldn’t find a rebuttal. Slowly, tears formed in her eyes as she sniffed, and unlike her normal over the top crying, the way she was crying now was full of self-loathing and guilt. “...You’re right,” she sniffed,, “I’m the one who made a mess of things. I’m the one who ruined my businesses. And, I’m the one that acted like a mule to Jason and then to you.” Fresh tears threatened to fall as Rarity wrapped Pinkie into a hug. Finally, the tears began flowing and she buried her face into Pinkie’s neck. “Oh, P-P-Pinkie. I’m so s-s-sorry. I’m a terrible pony!!!”

Pinkie relaxed and smiled kindly as she wrapped her friend up in as warm a hug as she could muster. “It’s okay. Rarity,” she said reassuringly, “you made a really big mistake, yes. but you’re not a bad pony for it.”

After a few more minutes of Rarity sobbing uncontrollably, she slowly began calming down and straightened up. She used her magic to grab a nearby tissue from the box and cleaned up where she had sobbed onto Pinkie’s coat. “Dreadfully sorry for messing up your coat,” she said apologetically as she wiped the moisture away.

Pinkie smiled again. “Don’t worry about it, it’s not the first time this week I’ve had to hold a crying pony and it probably won’t be the last.”

Rarity finished cleaning Pinkie up before she examined her friend. “There, much better,” she said before smiling. “You certainly matured this past year, Pinkie. I could learn a thing or two from your example. And you look magnificent, darling! You could be a model!”

Pinkie giggled, sticking her tongue out playfully at her friend. “Thanks, I’m glad you finally noticed,” she said before gesturing to the trashed room around them. “Do you need help cleaning up?”

Rarity nodded. “Yes, I would appreciate that very much. And after this, do you think it’s possible for you to arrange a meeting with your new friend…um…what’s his name?”

“Gregory Graystone,” Pinkie said, “and sure, I bet he’d love to meet you.”

Rarity smiled. “Thank you, darling.”

“Of course!” Pinkie replied happily. The two elements shared a real embrace for the first time in over a year as Pinkie inwardly cheered. Things with Rarity had gone much better than she had anticipated. After they broke their embrace, Pinkie and Rarity set to work cleaning the boutique. As they did so, Pinkie thought to herself, ‘Alright, next up is Rainbow Dash!’

[Canterlot - Fifteen Minutes After Gregory And Ember Left Ponyville]

Gregory landed hard on the ground with a grunt. He had been dropped about two feet from the ground and had to run a bit to steady himself before he fell to his knees. As he stood, he looked around and saw that they were in front of a large building with its doors wide open. Inside he saw two pony guards on alert and watching him warily. After standing, he turned back to look at the smirking dragoness who was now standing a few feet away and chuckling with her arms crossed. “Let me guess, dragons don’t do gentle?” he snarked.

Ember smirked at this. “Now, you’re catching on. There might be hope for you yet,” she chuckled.

“Is there anything you do that isn’t rough?” Gregory asked as he stood and faced the building that they’d landed in front of. “Hold on…isn’t this the same arena place where Jason’s trial took place?”

“It is,” Ember said as she looked at it with her hands on her hips. “I find it to be a good landmark in this big pony city. It’s also closer to the main capitol building. Now quit your stalling and let’s go. We can walk from here.”

Gregory hoisted the backpack up again and looked around, finally spotting the palace which hung over the side of the cliff where Canterlot was built. “Jesus…it’s a wonder that thing’s still standing,” he said as he began heading in that direction, assuming it was where Ember wanted to go.

“That’s pony architecture for you,” Ember said as she fell into step beside him, “It hardly makes any practical sense.” She tilted her head suddenly, as if hearing something. She looked up and chuckled. “Speaking of ponies, here come your guards.” Ember pointed up.

Gregory turned and saw that Swift and Moonlight were coming in fast, the former holding the latter in her front hooves. Swift looked exhausted but determined as she came in, landing on the ground hard after releasing Moonlight, who landed spryly on the ground. Swift was sprawled on the cobblestone pathways of Canterlot, panting heavily. “So…tired!” Swift gasped.

Moonlight, after quickly getting her bearings, turned and pointed a glowing horn straight at Ember. “That was completely uncouth and unwarranted action against our charge,” she hissed, “and if you were any other dragon, I would blast you back to your hoard!”

Ember rolled her eyes at the threat. “What? I thought you would be happy to see your charge seeking justice,” she retorted. “Besides, you could’ve taken the train that you ponies like so much.”

While this was happening, Gregory had rushed over to where Swift was still panting heavily and reached into his backpack. He retrieved his metal water bottle and knelt beside Swift, helping her up into a sitting position. “Here, drink some,” he encouraged, letting a small stream of water enter her mouth. “Slowly, now.”

“Hah…hah…thank you!” Swift panted gratefully as she took in gulp after gulp. When she’d taken her fill, she slowly stood and looked at the other three. “Well, we’re here a whole day early. What’s next?”

“I suggest reporting our arrival to Princess Luna,” Moonlight said, “I believe she can provide us with a room for the night. We’d best be quick about it though. I don’t wish to let other ponies see Sir Gregory before we enter the castle.”

Gregory quickly put the hood that was on his coat over his head. “I doubt that’ll really work,” he said, “since humans have a very unique shape, but it’s worth a try, I suppose.” He tightened his grip on his metal pole. “Let’s go.”

The walk to the castle was mostly uneventful. The only attention anyone around gave the group was mostly focused on the Dragon Lord rather than the hooded Gregory. The human took a few cursory glances at the city. From what little he could see, it sat on a large flat ledge that looked like it had been carved out of the side of the mountain itself. Had things been different, he would have asked the guards questions, but since they were attempting to be incognito, he kept his mouth shut. It only took them about five or so minutes to reach the main gates to the castle, where they were stopped by two Royal Guards. One of them stepped forward and held up a hoof. “Halt. State your business,” one of the guards demanded.

Moonlight stepped forward and cleared her throat. “We’re here to–”

“We’re here to see the pony princess!” Ember cut Moonlight off with her blunt response. The guards frowned at her attitude as they stiffened.

Gregory groaned slightly before he reached up and removed his hood, causing the guards’ frowns to turn into shock. “Just please go and tell either Princess Luna or Prince Blueblood that Gregory Graystone is here to testify in the trial tomorrow,” he said calmly.

The guards shared a glance before nodding. “Very well,” the same guard said, “you and your party please wait in the main hall while we inform our majesties.”

“Thank you,” Gregory said.

The guards led the group into the main hall where they directed them to a large bench where they could sit. Swift took the opportunity to rest a bit. Moonlight sat beside her. Ember spoke up at that, looking at Gregory with a stern countenance. “What’s with the cowering?” she asked with her arms crossed. “You should be more assertive. It’s your right to face your attackers.”

Gregory turned and raised an eyebrow at her. “Cowering? I just asked the guards to let Luna or Blueblood know about our arrival,” he replied. “Besides, there’s nothing wrong with a little bit of politeness. After all, I plan to face my attackers tomorrow anyway.”

“Yes, but you should keep that attitude at all times,” Ember said, pointing at him. “No slouching. Stand up straight and tall and firmly declare what you want.”

“What are you, my mom?” he asked with a smirk. “You make a few good points, but I’m going in there to show them that I’m not the monster they’re obviously gonna paint me as. I plan on being very well dressed and will answer truthfully. Basically, the whole shebang.”

“Humans carry armor with them?” Ember stared at Gregory’s current attire, looking him up and down. “It looks flimsy.”

“Armor? Nah, this isn’t armor,” he said, grabbing the coat he was wearing, “these are just clothes. You saw Jason at The Trial a year ago, right? He wore clothes. Humans wear clothes all the time in public. Not only because we don’t have fur or scales to protect us from the elements, but to protect our modesty. I didn’t bring armor with me when I came to this world, although thinking back, I probably should have.”

“Hmm, shame,” Ember said in a disappointed tone, “I would’ve loved to see you in armor. But, what’s modesty?”

Gregory paused and looked at her with both eyebrows raised now. “You’re kidding, right?” he asked incredulously.

“Would I ask if I was kidding?” Ember snapped back.

Gregory groaned. “Whoo boy. It means I don’t want to walk around naked,” he explained, “especially with what’s between my legs. I don’t want that showing.”

“Naked? And what is between you legs? Is that where you keep your weapons?” Without warning, Ember kneeled down to Gregory’s legs and tried to feel for any foreign object.

“Hey! Does the term sexual harassment mean anything to you dragons?!” Gregory shouted, stepping away from her.

“Urgh! You humans are starting to be more annoying than ponies with your customs,” Ember growled as she stood and looked Gregory straight in the eyes. “When our business is done here, you should properly explain yourself.”

Growing more frustrated, the human threw up his hands. “You know what, fine!” He looked her straight in the eyes as well and pointed at her. “You and me. Night on the town. Look presentable. I’ll find a Canterlot restaurant that can accommodate the two of us. You want the truth so badly, you’ll get it. Just don’t bite my head off when you learn the truth.”

Ember was about to respond before the hallway doors opened. The guards came out and approached them quickly. “Their majesties will see you now in the throne room,” the first one said.

Gregory turned and nodded to the guards. “Thank you.” He turned back to Swift and Moonlight. “You two coming?”

“Uh, not right now,.” Swift said, still looking exhausted, “I’m still beat.”

“Feel free to head in, Sir Gregory,” Moonlight said, “we’ll be here when you return.”

“Alright,” he said as they headed towards the open doors with Ember right beside him. There he saw Blueblood and Luna sitting in two thrones on the dais in the all-too-familiar throne room. “Good morning!” he called out, raising his hand in greeting.

“Good morrow to you, Sir Gregory. And…” Luna paused as her eyes landed on Dragon Lord Ember and shot up in surprise. “Dragon Lord Ember, we were not expecting a visit from you.”

“It is rather sudden and a bit uncouth,” Blueblood added, gazing down at the two bipedal creatures with a cool expression. “After all, we haven’t had time to properly set up for your arrival.”

“I came to see that justice is done against Gregory’s attackers!” Ember stated bluntly, crossing her arms.

Blueblood facehooved. “Urhg. This again,” he whined. “Has our word lost so much credibility that even foreign leaders feel the need to inspect us?” Blueblood turned to his aunt only to see her frowning at him. He exhaled, cleared his throat, and turned back to Gregory and Ember. “Well, your concern is appreciated. The perpetrators will face justice tomorrow.”

“And I want to testify against them tomorrow,” Gregory said. “Besides, I’d like to know who ordered the attack on me. They couldn’t have acted on their own.”

“That much is clear, Sir Gregory,” Luna said in agreement, “however, interrogation has proved fruitless. The ponies refuse to speak and have lawyered up as the term goes.

Gregory sighed. “Of course they have. Who’s paying for those lawyers?”

“I am afraid that violates attorney client privileges to disclose that information.” Blueblood said, looking over his hooves.

“Oh, right, that makes sense,” Gregory replied.

“Bah! Let me see them. I’ll get them to talk!” Ember stated firmly while cracking her knuckles in a threatening manner.

“I don’t think you’d be allowed in there anyway,” Gregory said before turning back to Luna. “Princess, I have to ask, are my guards and Twilight also going to be testifying? They were somewhat witness to the attack.”

“The guards reports are already in the case notes,” Luna explained, “but since you now wish to speak, you hold more of a firsthoof account than Twilight.”

“Understood,” he said, “and yes, I know I said before that I wouldn’t be testifying, but I think it’d be better if I did. This dragoness here really hammered that into me.” He gestured to Ember with his thumb.

“As is your right!” Ember responded.

Gregory nodded at her before turning back to Luna. “One more question,” he asked, “this trial…is it going to be broadcast live like Jason’s was or not?”

“This will fall under the standard purview of an Equestrian trial,” Luna explained. “The Trial of Jason Wright was a tribunal. That garners special requirements involving all the world leaders. However, there will be newspaper ponies present, so expect the news to travel fast once we have finished.”

“Yeah, that makes sense,” Gregory replied, “thanks for telling me. Anyway, now that we’re here, I should probably find a place to stay for the night.”

“The castle guest rooms are yours to use for the duration of your stay, Sir Gregory,” Luna replied, “We do not want any more incidents to occur.”

“Understood,” he replied, “and thank you. Also, do you know of any good restaurants in town?” He gestured to Ember, “This dragoness has questions for me, so I’m treating her to dinner tonight and answering her questions, and a place that won’t kick us out immediately would be nice.”

“Oh? What a surprise. I had no idea you humans work so fast,” Blueblood said with a smirk. “Well, if that’s the case, you should visit The Tasty Treat on Restaurant Row, the one run by those two Indimane ponies.”

“The same one that Rarity and Pinkie Pie visited and the one that Zesty ignored in that one episode, huh?” Gregory nodded. “Yeah, that sounds nice. I haven’t had Indian food in a while.” He turned to Ember. “That sound good to you?”

“Beats standing here doing nothing,” Ember shrugged.

He chuckled. “Alright, then how about after we get settled into our rooms we find this Indimane restaurant?”

[The Tasty Treat - Thirty Minutes Later]

Gregory and Ember both stood in front of The Tasty Treat restaurant, looking at it curiously. Unlike the somewhat sterile looking restaurants around it, this one was colorful and stood out from the rest of the restaurants. The facade was mostly orange with a golden roof on top. There were two widows on either side of the door, which had a very Indian look about them. Above said door, there was a wooden elephant in profile which was holding a spoon in its long nose. Gregory could smell various spices and other delicious smells emanating from the restaurant itself, along with the sound of various voices coming from inside. He turned to Ember. “Let’s head in,” he said as he walked up and pushed on it. The door, which was bright aquamarine with a five leaf clover window in the center, opened with a creak.

As they entered, the two saw that the place was crowded with a rush. A young unicorn mare who was nearby rushed up.“Welcome to The Tasty Treat. I’m Saffron Masala. How may I serve you two today– Oh!” Saffron gasped at the sight of her two guests. “My, what exotic guests we have. And, who are we serving today?”

Gregory removed his hood, revealing his human features to the Indimane mare in front of him. Smiling at her, he spoke. “I’m Gregory and this is Ember. Could we have a corner booth or table?” He looked around at the various ponies inside.

Saffron bowed and led them to the corner booth available. “Please, wait while I bring the menus. And, try the present treats as a small appetizer.” On the table was a fresh basket of muffins.

“Thank you, miss,” he said as he took a seat. He realized that it was the same booth from the episode where Pinkie and Rarity had sat near the beginning of said episode.

Ember took a muffin in her claw, but rather than eat it, she proceeded to rub it against the wall. “This place has a lot of different scents in the air. It almost reminds me of home.”

Gregory chuckled a bit as he remembered her doing something similar in Triple Threat. He then looked at his muffin, tore off a piece, and ate it. His eyes widened as an assortment of spices assaulted his taste buds. They weren’t overly hot, but they were delicious. He looked down at the muffin in awe. “I wonder if Derpy would enjoy this…?” He took another bite. “That’s really good!”

“Really?” Ember inspected the muffin before taking a bite. Her eyes lit up as she took another and then another until it was gone. “Hmph, not bad,” she said with a nod.

“I figured that dragons would like hot and spicy food,” he chuckled.

Saffron came back then with a small platter with two glasses of water and a glass jug of the same. She placed them down, then gave them both a menu. “Please take your time, and wave one of the wait staff down when you’re ready.” She bowed and headed back into the kitchen.

Gregory opened the menu and looked it over. “Well, no meat products. I’m not surprised, but I would have liked some curry-oh wait, they have curry. And rice? Nice!” He continued looking over the menu, sipping on his water and nibbling on the spicy muffin.

“Curry rice? What’s that?” Ember asked.

“It’s a popular dish consisting of curry, which is a blend of different spices, and rice, which is a grain that’s been steamed,” Gregory explained as he looked over the ingredients in said curry. “Hmm…no hay or anything like that…good! Humans can’t eat hay or grass. Still, it’s probably a good idea to look over everything else just to be safe.” He continued perusing the menu. “Hmmm…Curry Oatmeal with Tandoori Masala Roasted Zucchini…Vegetable Biryani…Spicy Noodle Soup…they’ve got a nice assortment of food items here.”

Ember looked over the menu once more before she put it down and spoke. “Alright, I want all of them.”

Gregory looked at the prices, then looked at the Dragon Lord. “Everything on the menu? Or just everything I mentioned?”

“You are treating a Dragon Lord, correct?” Ember grinned at him as she leaned back and crossed her arms. “You’d best go all out and provide the best experience. Don’t worry. I’ll pay you back.”

Gregory snorted, shaking his head in amusement. “Nah, today’s on me.” He waved down a nearby waitress. “I’ll have the curry and rice dish, please.”

“Would you like anything to drink?” the waitress asked.

“I’ll stick with the water, thank you,” Gregory said.

“Very good,” the waitress replied before turning to Ember. “And for you?”

“You have molten slag?” Ember asks.

The waitress looked a bit nervous, but shook her head. “Um…sorry, but we don’t,” she said apologetically.

“Urgh! Then, get me a glass of water and put whatever it is you put on the food in it!” Ember said a bit testily.

Gregory looked at the nervous waitress and gave her a small smile. “I know it sounds odd, but I’ll tip you well if you do what she says,” he said.

“Um, alright, I’ll let the chef know,” she said, writing it down before looking at both of them. “Would you like anything else?”

“Well, if it’s not too much trouble, could you get one of everything on the menu for my companion here ?” Gregory asked.

The waitress’ eyes widened. “That will…take some time to prepare,” she said.

“We’re willing to wait,” Gregory replied.

“Understood, sir,” she said, writing it down, “and anything else?”

“The lava cake for dessert sounds good.” Gregory said, “and that should be it.”

“Very good,” the waitress said, writing that down quickly. “The chef will have that out as soon as possible.” So saying, she turned and went quickly into the kitchen.

Gregory sighed. “I’m just glad the menu is small here,” he said as he took another sip of water before looking out at the crowd of ponies. Many were giving them various looks, mostly at the human. “Jesus Christ…” he groaned.

“What? What’s wrong?” Ember asked, looking at him curiously.

“Eh, I’m getting the stink eye from some of the ponies in this restaurant,” he said with a shrug, “but I guess it comes with the territory of being a human.”

Ember looked around and spotted the eyes of other patrons on them. Seeing the distress it was causing to her companion, she released a low growl with flames leaving her nostrils. The effect was immediate. Many of the gawking ponies ran out of the restaurant or buried their heads in their menus, more so the latter than the former. Turning back to Gregory, Ember flashed him a satisfied smile. “There! No more stink eye!”

Gregory internally sighed, trying hard not to chew her out. “Yeah, I can see that, thanks,” he said before he turned to face her again. “Alright, you have questions for me about humans? I’ll answer them, but don’t be upset about what you learn here.”

“So, what was that modesty thing you were whining about earlier?”

Gregory took a deep breath before replying, “That’ll take some explaining, but you asked for it.”

And so, Gregory spent the next few minutes carefully explaining the many different aspects of human society to Ember. He talked about a few things, such as what was appropriate to say and wear in public, how humans behaved in general, and how humans conducted themselves when dealing with others.

Ember had a better understanding after all of that, as well as a small blush over her azure scales for unintentional copping a feel on Gregory earlier. “Huh, there is a lot more to humans than any species I’ve met,” she said, “although I am curious about how you fight.”

“Well, there are many different ways a human can fight,” Gregory explained. “I took a few self defense courses when I was back on Earth. We have weapons that this world doesn’t have, too. I managed to use one to kill a Timberwolf a few days ago. I also used some of my weapons against the ponies who attacked me.”

“Well then, after the trial, how about you show me what you can do!” Ember declared.

He chuckled at that. “I’ve no doubt you’ll beat me in a fight, but you know what? I’d love to spar. I’m gonna need to get better at defending myself in this world anyway.”

“Good, tomorrow then,” Ember said with a grin. “I do have one more question. How do humans view dragons?” As she was asking, Saffron came in with the food as Ember licked her chops at the pleasant smell.

After Saffron left, Gregory pursed his lips. “That’s a complicated question,” he admitted, “especially considering the fact that where I’m from, dragons like you are only a myth and don’t exist. For a long time, dragons were described as evil beasts who kidnapped princesses and hoarded gold and treasure, but as time went on, many different stories described them in different ways. Many would write about them and describe them as noble creatures, ancient, strong and proud. Many works of fiction depict them as both monsters and as majestic beings. But just remember that humans don’t believe dragons are real, because on my world they’re not real.” He gestured to himself. “As for me? Well, I’ve seen the show that Jason told you about and I’ve seen only a few brief glimpses of the dragons on Equis or whatever this world is really called, so I’d have to learn more about them. But hey! I have a Dragon Lord right here! What’s dragon society like?”

“We value strength!” Ember said proudly, “strength in our bodies, flames, morals and ideals. Weakness is not accepted in dragon culture because weakness leads to submissiveness or death. We don’t do anything that deviates from the path of strength.”

Gregory surmised that the episode Triple Threat couldn’t have happened already since she hadn’t yet met Thorax. He even doubted that Thorax hadn’t even transformed yet, which threw him for a loop since Thorax and the other changelings had undergone the metamorphosis before the Storm King’s invasion which had apparently already happened. He figured that events of the show had been mixed up in this universe. He nodded. “Yeah, I can see that,” he said, “and valuing strength is a good thing, but what would you consider weak? Would, say, talking about your feelings be considered weak?”

“Dragons don’t do basically anything that ponies do,” Ember said with a wave of her claw, “like feelings or openly expressing hobbies or wanting to dress up like princesses. Everything must be solid as a rock and fierce as fire!”

“Heh, you sound like the fictional dwarf race,” Gregory chuckled before his expression changed to one of seriousness. “So…where does that leave your friend Spike? He’s a dragon, and while I only met him briefly, he’s not quite like how you just described dragons. He has his own strengths. Hell, he hasn’t even molted yet and he’s working in the CFE. He’s got hobbies that other dragons would laugh at.” He almost mentioned Garble and Smolder as dragons with unusual hobbies, but figured it would be rude to intrude on their personal lives, so he remained silent.

Ember went silent as she thought about her answer. “Spike’s the only small exception,” she said after a few moments of contemplation, “After all, he was raised by ponies which probably stunted his growth. But now that he’s free from their clutches, he’s doing fine work.”

“Yes, yes he’s doing really good work, but what if there are dragons in the Dragon Lands who have secret hobbies that might be considered weak?” Gregory asked. “What if there’s a dragon there who likes to do sculpting or some form of art?”

“If they are good at keeping it a secret, then fine,” Ember conceded, “but exposure is prone to mockery.”

Gregory nodded. “In a society like yours, at least the way you’ve described it so far, that’s understandable. Still, I’m pretty sure I have some hobbies that a dragon might think are weak, but I’m proud to say I enjoy those things.” He put his hand on his chest and looked at Ember. “To me, that’s another form of strength: being able to proudly say you love something even though you’ll likely get mocked for it. Well, there are exceptions to that rule, of course, but you get what I mean. But then again, I’m only one of eight billion humans from my world.”

“Hmm, well, you do have potential,” Ember said with an approving nod, “and if you are anything like Jason Wright, then I’ll reconsider my position, but only after you impress me tomorrow. Now, stop talking and eat!” With that said, Ember dove into her meal like she hadn’t eaten in days.

He smiled and grabbed his fork, digging in himself. As he ate, one thought passed through his mind: ‘Tomorrow’s gonna be an interesting day…’

Chapter 10 - The Reconciliation

[Ponyville - Rainbow Dash’s Cloudominium]

Pinkie stared up at one of her long time best friends’ house, a floating mansion in the sky made of mostly clouds. Despite the familiar setting, Pinkie felt a wave of trepidation passing through her. Taking a deep breath, she once more began to psych herself up for the inevitable. “Alright, Pinkie, you can do this. It’s just Rainbow Dash. Your longtime pal, compadre and fellow heroine…” Pinkie sighed as she looked down, digging slightly at the ground with her hoof. “A heroine that was disgraced last year, revealed to be a bully and–” She cut herself off and stiffened. “No! You can’t think like that!” She smacked her cheeks with her hooves and looked back up at the house. “You can reach her. Our friendship wasn’t a lie! So what if she might still harbor bad feelings for humans? You know she’s a good pony at heart. Now, get up there and bring your friend back!”

Pinkie climbed onto her bicopter and started to ascend to Rainbow’s house. The flight was short and sweet as Pinkie took a tentative step on the cumulus cloud, thankful she remembered to ask Twilight to perform the cloud-walking spell on her. Even if Twilight didn’t cast it herself and it was a unicorn guard who had to do it, it was still appreciated.

She slowly trotted up to the door, frowning at the mailbox full of bills and unopened letters. She picked up one of them to see that it was from her parents. In fact, she noted that many of them were from her parents. Setting it down, Pinkie moved to the door and knocked. There was a moment of silence before a raspy voice responded with, “Urgh…!”

Pinkie put her ear to the door. “Rainbow?”

“...Go away!” the familiar but much more raspy voice of Rainbow shouted, “just leave the mail at the door, on the floor, or wherever!”

“Rainbow, it’s Pinkie Pie. Can I come inside?” Various sounds of shuffling and bottle clank came from inside as hoofsteps came closer to the door. The party mare was greeted with the sight of Rainbow’s haggard form glaring back at her. She looked about the same as the last time Pinkie had seen her, only now her one good eye was bloodshot. Pinkie couldn’t tell if it was from lack of sleep or the heavy drinking or both. Her mane was disheveled and even now, she stunk of alcohol, but not to the same extent as the night before. “Hey, Dashie,” Pinkie said with a small smile.

“...Pinkie Pie…” Rainbow grumbled in irritation, “Whaddaya want?”

“I came to see how you were doing,” Pinkie said, her smile faltering a bit when she saw the state her friend was in. “You seemed upset the last time.”

“Upset? Nah, I was having a good time with my good friend Rarity until that human showed up,” Rainbow said in a snarky tone.

Pinkie could smell the lingering alcohol on Rainbow’s breath more strongly now and had to hold back her gagging. “So, are you going to let me inside?”

“Whatever,” Rainbow grumbled as she opened her door and allowed the pink mare to walk inside. Pinkie immediately frowned at the scene of Rainbow’s large foyer being littered with bottles. “I hope you don’t mind the mess,” Rainbow said in a sarcastic tone, “we had a big party last night.”

Pinkie’s ears perked up slightly at the mention of ‘we’. “Oh? Did you make some new friends?” she asked hopefully.

“Nope,” the pegasus replied, “it was a party of one. Me, myself and I.”

Pinkie’s ears drooped again at this. “Rainbow,” she said with concern, “all this drinking isn’t good for you! And look at this mess! It looks like you haven’t cleaned in years!”

“Hah! For your information, my folks come by every week to look after me,” Rainbow replied. “They clean up everything and restock my food and everything. Heck, I even have an allowance now! I don’t have to lift a bucking hoof!” Rainbow stumbled a bit when she lifted her left leg upwards.

Another sigh escaped Pinkie’s muzzle before she responded. “I want to talk about the things you said last night. I want to talk about Gregory and the things you said to him. I want to talk about Jason and the things we did to him! Look at yourself, Dashie! You’re not alright. You never leave trash around your home. You’ve lost yourself!”

“Pfft. First of all, I don’t remember what I said so it doesn’t matter bringing it up,” Rainbow scoffed dismissively. “Second. I don’t want to hear anything about any humans. Finally, I didn’t lose anything, Pinkie! This is me now, thanks to your human buddy. Take a good look.”

“Rainbow, you’re even worse than Rarity,” Pinkie said as she took a step forward. “You can’t hide away from your guilt by drowning it in cider.”

“Who's hiding!?” Rainbow shouted angrily. “What guilt!? I didn’t do anything! I was protecting the town! I was being a hero! Then all of a sudden here comes some bad guy with a sob story and everything gets flipped upside down! I get kicked out of the Wonderbolts and I can’t get my old job back!” Rainbow whirled on Pinkie and took an aggressive step towards her, causing the pink pony to retreat a step. “Now, Ponyville is a trash heap of homeless ponies!” Another step and another retreat. “Now all our friends have forgotten what loyalty means. Applejack never leaves her farm, Twilight’s stuck in that shelter, Fluttershy probably got eaten by parasprites since she never leaves the edge of the forest, and you, you bucked off for a whole year!” Rainbow stabbed her hoof into Pinkie’s chest, making the party pony tumble to the floor.

Pinkie pulled herself up and looked forlornly at Rainbow. “Rainbow. You know none of that–”

“Some friends you all are!” the pegasus snapped, cutting Pinkie off. “Rarity’s the only one that gets it.”

“Rarity woke up and realized her part in all this and she wants to change! You have to do the same!” Pinkie said.

“Tch, figures.” Rainbow cursed out something incoherent under her breath before she continued. “I don’t have to do anything! What’s the point of doing anything? Maybe getting kicked out the bolts would’ve been fine. Lightning looked fine when she got her revenge. Maybe I could handle all the bills and angry letters coming from Cloudsdale and its ponies. And maybe I can handle no longer being a hero. But look at me!!!” Rainbow gestured to her scars, damaged eye and immobile wings. “I can't see straight anymore. I can’t stand looking in the mirror anymore. I-I can’t fly…”

Pinkie saw the tears forming in friends eyes and moved to try and comfort her but Rainbow shoved her away. “Dashie-”

“Leave, Pinkie. Now.” Rainbow’s remaining eye blazed with fury.

Weakly, Pinkie tried once more. “Rainbow, you have to–”

“No! You have to leave! Go back to wherever you went and stay there!” Rainbow pointed to the door. “Don’t bother visiting! Don’t bother writing! And have fun laughing it up with your new human friend because we’re not friends anymore! Now get out!”

Rainbow shoved her towards the door and outside her home before slamming the door. Pinkie landed on the cloud’s bouncy surface. She wasn’t hurt by the fall, but seeing Rainbow’s angry tears and her slamming the door in her face felt a lot worse. Clearly, Rainbow was far worse off than any of the others. Pinkie knew that she wasn’t enough to get through to her. “I can’t do this alone,” she realized as she hopped onto her bi-copter, “I need to get the girls.”

With that, she headed down, heading off to the home of her next friend to try and help…

[Canterlot Throne Room - Day of the Trial]

Gregory was sitting on a custom chair in the Canterlot throne room, facing the gathering crowd of ponies who were filing in. His guards were on either side of him, guarding against any type of attack. The night before he’d slept on a heavenly bed in a spare room that resembled the one that Starlight Glimmer had slept in during A Royal Problem. His bed at the shelter was good, but the ones in Canterlot Palace were in a league of their own. Not even beds from Earth seemed to be able to compare.

Once more, he adjusted his tie and looked at his blazer. He was wearing some of his best clothes: a black blazer, black dress pants, a dark gray button down shirt, a dark blue tie and a pair of black shoes. His hair, which normally hung loose, was tied back and washed. He looked as professional as he could look. Despite his determination to have himself be heard, he was still nervous. “Goddamn it, this still doesn’t feel straight.” He let his hands fall onto his lap and sighed. “Ah well, I’m just glad that this suit didn’t get wrinkled.”

“You look very good, sir,” Moonlight said reassuringly.

“Who knew humans could clean up so well?” Swift added with a chuckle.

Gregory was about to reply when a gust of wind started everyone present as Ember flew in through the open window. Gregory had to suppress a chuckle at her performing a superhero landing, complete with her full armor that she wore in The Gauntlet Of Fire episode. Ember stood straight up with all the regal airs her title could afford her. She studied the courtroom and Gregory saw her frowning. “Where are the perpetrators?” she demanded. She took another glance at Gregory in confusion. “And why are you wearing that? It looks constrictive.”

“We’re in a courtroom, and where I’m from it’s impolite to wear anything that’s not professional in such a setting,” Gregory said. “Besides, I’d like to show these ponies that I’m not just some savage and have some manners.”

“Then you should wear armor,” Ember said, “I mean, how do you expect to fend off an attacker in those?”

“I don’t own any armor,” he replied, “and I have my own means of defending myself, and I don’t mean my guards.”

“If the peanut gallery is done with their comments, I’d like to continue,” Blueblood said, giving the two of them a sideways glance. “To answer your question, Dragon Lord Ember, the accused ponies are waiting to be brought inside the courtroom. Also, please keep the theatrics outside. I would like to attempt to maintain some form of decorum while presiding.”

Gregory looked at Ember, then pointed to the chair that was beside him. Unlike his, this one was specifically designed for a dragon. “Take a seat,” he said quietly before he fidgeted once more with his tie for a few seconds before facing the walls again, drinking in the stained glass windows which depicted many heroic deeds. Grumbling, Ember nevertheless sat.

Princess Luna nodded as everything settled down. When everyone was silent, she stood and faced the gathered ponies. “Hear ye, members of the court. I, Princess Luna and Prince Blueblood shall act as judges for this trial. The accused are to stand trial for their crimes against the defendant, Gregory Graystone for these list of charges that follow: Battery, aggravated assault, impersonating members of the Royal Guard, forgery of royal documentation, attempted abduction, conspiracy to commit murder, and finally, attempted first degree murder. Bailiff, bring out the accused!”

As the guards went to the doors, Gregory saw Blueblood’s eyes fall on all the members of the House of Lords who were seated in their own area of the throne room. Gregory saw Blueblood arching a brow at them, almost as if he were wondering why they were at the trial. One pony, a unicorn who looked particularly important, caught Blueblood’s gaze and sent a sly smirk back, which only made Blueblood frown all the more.

It was then that the guards returned to the room with panicked expressions. “Your highnesses! I bring grave news!!!” one of them said with an alarmed tone.

“What is the matter, bailiff? Where are the prisoners?” Luna asked.

The guards fidgeted under her glare as they swallowed a lump that had formed in both their throats. “T-The prisoners. They’re unresponsive, your highness.”

Blueblood looked confused while Luna narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean unresponsive? If they are resting then merely wake them! I care not how it is done. In fact, if they persist with this behavior, douse them with boiling water!”

“N-No, Princess, it’s not that kind of unresponsiveness,” the guard said nervously. “All manner of trying to rouse the prisoners are proving fruitless. After a few minutes of trying to wake them, we contacted the physician to check them.”

“And what is the diagnosis?” Blueblood asked, his eyes falling on that one pony again. The unicorn’s subtle smile grew longer.

“The prisoners are, for lack of a better term, brain dead, your highnesses!” the second guard exclaimed. “We suspect foul play at work.” A series of gasps erupted from everyone present.

Princess Luna immediately stood from her throne and looked at the other guards. “I want the castle locked down and everypony screened for questioning. Nopony is to leave the premises without my direct order. Move now!!!”

Many of the ponies begin to panic as more guards usher into the throne and begin lining them up. Gregory and Ember were included among this crowd. Gregory caught Blueblood moving down to intercept the unicorn he’d been exchanging glances with as the members of the House of Lords joined the lineup. He was close enough to overhear the conversation, which Blueblood started by saying, “High Life? What a surprise. I didn't peg you for these manner of activities.”

“Hmm? Yes, dear prince,” said High Life replied with a smile, “my associates and I came for the trial. These proceedings sometimes provide an interesting bout of entertainment. Clearly, I was not wrong in that assessment.”

Blueblood rolled his eyes, causing Gregory to smirk inside. Clearly, if Blueblood was acting, he could give those in Hollywood a run for their money. “I wish I could say the same…”

High Life gave Blueblood a look of understanding before he continued to the lineup with no interruptions.

As per Luna’s orders, the entire castle immediately went into lockdown. Everyone from the staff to the civilians were questioned. Even Gregory and Ember were questioned which only served to anger the Dragon Lord. It wasn’t much better with Gregory, but he held his tongue and said nothing about it as he was questioned. Gregory and Ember were taken to a smaller side room and an older and more decorated looking guard came to question them. He sat in a chair and faced the other two who sat in the same chairs they had been sitting in out in the throne room. “Alright, what do you two know of what happened to the prisoners?” the guard asked.

“Nothing of any value, sir,” Gregory responded honestly, “I haven’t seen the prisoners since they attacked me.”

“Why are you wasting our time?” Ember growled.

The guard sighed, then pointed to Gregory before he replied, “The ponies attacked your friend here. Given how vindictive humans can be, I’d say he’s the prime suspect.”

Gregory shook his head. “I only came here to testify against them and see that justice was done,” he said.

“Did you come here to testify? Or did you come here for revenge?” the guard asked with a challenging tone. “How can you explain that these same criminals go brain dead the moment you set hoof in Canterlot.”

“Urgh! How did this happen under your watch?” Ember asked, glaring at the smaller guard with a dangerous glint in her eyes.

“Calm down, Ember,” Gregory said before he turned back to the guard. “To answer your question, I can’t explain it, but as Jason said during the tribunal a year ago, humans don’t have any sort of magic. I never once saw the prisoners after they attacked me.”

“For all we know, humans could have a magic beyond our understanding,” the guard retorted before gesturing to Ember, “and if not you, your dragon cohort here could’ve–”

Ember quickly stood, sending the chair she was sitting on flying behind her. She let out a roar that made the guard shrink away in fear. Fire spewed from her maw as she spoke in a deadly tone. “If I wanted to get at those ponies, I’d do it with my two claws! There wouldn’t be a trial or any of this pandering nonsense! If the Dragon Lord wanted someone dead, then they would be dead! No tricks, just claws, teeth and flames! Don’t try and insulate that I would do anything so cowardly!”

Gregory immediately stood and put a strong hand on Ember’s shoulder. “Sit down, Ember,” he said calmly, “you’re not making this any easier on us.” He then turned to the guard. “I spent all of yesterday with Dragon Lord Ember then went to bed. I never left my room until this morning when my two guards escorted me to the throne room.”

The guard was about to inquire some more before they all heard a disturbance outside. The doors leading into the room flew open as Princess Luna and Prince Blueblood came inside. Behind them were two figures that Gregory wasn’t expecting. Jason Wright and Queen Chrysalis. “Guard, the questioning has concluded. Sir Gregory and Dragon Lord Ember are free to leave,” Princess Luna said.

“Well, this is an unexpected surprise,” Gregory said, looking curiously at Jason and Chrysalis, “what brings you two here?”

“I heard there was a trial involving a human,” Jason replied with a smirk, “and since it wasn’t me, I knew it was you.” He then pointed to Gregory’s scar on his eye. “Nice new Cutie Marks, by the way. We’re kind of like twins.” He chuckled before adding, “I believe there is an ‘I told you so’ somewhere here.”

Gregory put his hand to his eye and nodded. “Harsh, but not untrue. Anyway, it looks like I got dressed up for nothing.”

“Your highness, have you brought these two for processing?” the interrogator asked.

“No, they are innocent of the crime as well,” Luna quickly replied. “We believe the culprits were unicorns. Ones who, once again, used forgery to bypass the guards stationed with the prison to administer a high level mind wipe spell. Its potency renders all brain activity inert.”

“Oh, he’s feeling an assortment of emotions right now,” Chrysalis cooed, “like disappointment, indignation, rage, and a number of others.”

“Then perhaps it is another changeling attack?” the interrogator reasoned.

“Wrong again, little pony,” Jason said, “we were spectators for this little show like everyone else. Of course, I could always invoke the Gjallarhorn if you still have doubts.” The guard pony wisely kept quiet, bowed to the royals, and then left the room.

Gregory watched them go, then turned to Jason and Chrysalis. “Well, I guess I owe you two my thanks for saving me.”

“At least this human has some manners,” Chrysalis chuckled, looking at Jason with a smirk.

Gregory chuckled quietly, then turned to Ember. “Well, since now we have some extra time, I believe I promised you a sparring match?”

“Anything to get out of this boring place.” Ember stated.

Gregory nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. Well, let me get into some more comfortable clothes and we’ll find a place where we can duel.” He turned to Luna, who was giving him a look of shock. “Princess, do you have any kind of place in the palace or maybe in Canterlot where we can have a duel?”

“Are you done playing the fanboy yet?” Jason asked before he took a step towards Gregory. “It’s better if you accept the offer I gave instead of doing whatever this is that you think is helping.”

“I appreciate the offer, Mr. Wright,” Gregory replied, “but for the moment I’m going to pass. I’ll probably be leaving Equestria soon anyway, and I’d prefer doing it on my own terms. I’ve done things on my own terms for years now.”

“And, where will you go?” Jason asked. “We already discussed other locations and you shot them all down. You’re walking around in a fog, blind to all the dangers. You can’t possibly expect to get by like that.”

“If there is an issue with residence, I know some areas in the Dragon Lands he could stay, Ember interjected, “but that comes later. Right now, it’s time for that sparring match you promised me.”

“Sounds good to me,” Gregory replied, before turning to Luna. “Is there any place where I can spar with her?”

“If you’re truly considering it, there’s a courtyard where you can do this barbaric act,” Blueblood interjected.

Gregory chuckled, then turned to Ember again. “Courtyard it is.”

Half an hour later, Gregory and Ember were both standing in a smaller grass covered courtyard somewhere in the castle. He’d changed into something that would be better for fighting in, and Ember, despite her protests, was no longer in her armor. Gregory had insisted that to make things a bit more fair that the duel would only be performed using physical strength. No flying, any kind of weapons or magic would be allowed.

To his further surprise, he and Ember had gathered a bit of an audience for this little duel. Luna was there with a worried expression on her face, while Blueblood sat beside her, looking more amused than anything else. The stallion named High Life was also there, lazily chewing on some snacks. Jason and Chrysalis were also there, but standing aside from the rest of them. Gregory’s guards were also there, waiting anxiously for this duel to begin.

Gregory was stretching and limbering up as best he could. Ember waited impatiently, tapping her foot on the ground and watching the human. Finally, she said, “Is this some sort of human warrior ritual?”

“No, I’m just getting limbered up for our duel,” Gregory said as he bent down to touch his toes then stood back up and reached for the sky. “I’m nowhere near a doctor who knows anything about humans, so it’s best to be as prepared as possible.”

“Very well,” she said before she looked him up and down. “You should use that stick you had with you. Judging by your features, you have no natural weapons. Your skin looks soft and fragile. I doubt it would even tickle my scales without you breaking something.”

Gregory shrugged. “No natural weapons, no. Humans have had to use their brains to become the dominant species on our world. You make a good point, though. If you have no objections, then that pole should be enough.” He walked over to where it was leaning against the wall, grabbed it, then went back to the center of the courtyard, turning to the other members of the impromptu audience he had. “So, which one of you wants to be the judge of the battle?”

“Oh, I’ll do it,” Chrysalis said, swaggering to the courtyard. “It should be an interesting little distraction.”

“That works for me,” Gregory said before turning back to Ember. “You okay with that, Ember?”

“Fine, whatever. Let’s just start. I swear you scaleless like to drag your limbs with this kind of thing.” Ember said impatiently.

Gregory gripped the metal pole with his gloved hands. “Alright then, I’m ready whenever you are.”

Ember lowered herself slightly before kicking off and rushing Gregory. The human’s eyes widened as he put the pole up in time to block a punch by Ember. The force of it was still strong enough to knock him back. Ember, in turn, shook her claw a little while looking a bit confused. Gregory took that time to regain his footing. He charged and attempted a swing aimed for her head. Ember ducked underneath it while scoring a punch on Gregory’s exposed stomach. That made Gregory stumble back as Ember pressed forward. Gregory found himself on the back foot immediately as he did his best to dodge all her punches. What he couldn’t dodge in time, he was able to block, causing Ember to wince slightly from touching his pole.

Finally, with a little bit of luck, Gregory found an opening and thrust his metal poll at Ember, aiming for her stomach. She dodged, but the pole still hit her arm. She twirled around, holding said arm and wincing. Not letting her recover, he brought his pole down on her back, sending her sprawling. He rushed up, but she spun away and sprang to her feet, kicking out his legs from under him, sending him tumbling to his stomach. He hit the ground hard, tasting dirt and grass in his mouth. He spun to his left just as Ember swiped down with a kick that would have landed on him. Quickly and painfully, he came up and faced her again, pole in a defensive position. Sweat was pouring down his face now and he knew some new bruises were forming.

Ember pressed the attack, rushing at him with surprising speed. She seemed now to be aiming more for his metal pole, trying to swipe it out of his hands, but he would either dodge or hit her hands back so that she couldn’t get a good grip on it. Unfortunately, that didn’t last long as she finally got one claw around it and yanked him forward, but not without wincing more herself the longer she held onto it. He held on tightly as he lost his footing and she grabbed the other side with her free claw. Now it was a contest of strength and not skill. He pressed back with all his might, but Ember was much stronger than he was and she soon began to overpower him, pressing him against the nearest wall.

In an act of desperation, he leaped up and kicked Ember in the chest with his boots. Her grip fell away and she gasped and stumbled back, a look of surprise on her face. Meanwhile, he raised his pole again and struck her in the chest with the tip, sending her stumbling back even more. However, she dug the claws on her feet into the grass and launched herself up into the air using her powerful hind legs and did a flip, bringing her legs down towards him. He tried to use his pole to deflect it, and while it did just that, the force of her fall was enough for him to finally lose his grip on the metal pole.

Landing and regaining her footing quickly, Ember kicked the pole away and rushed towards Gregory, claws outstretched. Now weaponless, Gregory had to rely only on his self defense courses. Using her own momentum against her, he managed to flip her onto her back. She gave a surprised look at this, but had no time for more when Gregory moved to try and pin her down. However, she kicked her legs up and leaped to her feet, using her wings to help push her up. She spun around and using her tail, managed to trip Gregory. He landed heavily on his back, breath lost.

Suddenly, Ember was on top of him, one claw around his wrist and the other mere inches away from his neck, claws outstretched. The two stared at each other for a few moments, both panting. Gregory finally lay back and said, “I concede defeat. You win.”

“Excuse me, I believe I’m the judge,” Chrysalis interrupted. “There was hardly any carnage in this fight. I wanted to see more blood and bruises!”

“Chrysalis.” Jason said in a low warning tone.

Chrysalis rolled her eyes. “Fine, fine. Spoil all my fun, why don’t you? The Dragon Lord wins, I suppose.”

“Sweet Faust! Dragon Lord Ember, what are you doing?!” a new voice called out, one that Gregory knew immediately. Turning, he saw the familiar form of Starlight Glimmer standing nearby with a Royal Guard next to her. She was gaping at the scene in abject horror.

“What’s it look like? We’re sparring, and…” Ember got up and released her hold on Gregory. She puffed out her chest in pride while pointing to herself, “I won.”

Gregory slowly stood up, looking around. He spotted his pole, retrieved it, and leaned against it. He looked over at Ember and nodded in her direction respectfully. “Good sparring match. I’ve got to remember that dragons have wings and a tail they can use. Extra limbs and such.” He looked up at Starlight. “Nice to meet you officially, Miss Glimmer.”

Giving the Dragon Lord a look of wariness, Starlight approached Gregory. “You know me?” she asked before she looked like she remembered something. “Oh yeah, The Trial and that show of yours. That’s still more than a little creepy. But anyway, hello, it’s nice to meet you too, mister…?”

“Gregory Graystone, Miss Glimmer,” he said, holding out a hand towards her.

Starlight graciously accepts and gives him a firm shake. “You can drop the Miss Glimmer part. It makes me seem like a tightwad.”

He chuckled. “So…what do I call you?”

“You can call me Starlight,” she said with a friendly smile.

“Starlight it is, then,,” he nodded as he released her hoof. “What brings you to Canterlot? I’d heard you were building some kind of school up in a place called the Unclaimed Lands, so shouldn’t you be back there?”

“That’s right!” Starlight beamed with pride. “The school just opened and we will start classes in a few weeks. Since this is a multicultural school, perhaps you would be willing to teach at my school and share some of your human culture to with inquiring young minds?”

Gregory paused and began to think. Starlight was watching him expectantly as he thought. It was a tempting offer, he had to admit. Teaching young minds about human culture and helping them to avoid the thinking of the older generation sounded like a very worthwhile investment of his time in this world. He looked around at the rest of the gathered group, wondering what their reactions were.

“What a generous offer, Starlight,” Jason stated flatly.

“Jason?! You’re here too? Um, I wasn’t trying to offend…” Starlight said sheepishly. “Um, so would you like to offer any insight on human culture too?”

“No,” Jason replied quickly, “but I would like it if some changelings attended as well. If that goes well, then I might reconsider.”

“Well, it is a multicultural school, so I guess I can agree to that.” Starlight said.

“Got any changelings in particular in mind?” Gregory asked innocently, “some younger ones would be a better idea, I think.”

“No, I was thinking of sending grown adults to a school full of preschoolers,” Jason stated sarcastically before turning around and leaving.

“Looks like our time is up,” Chrysalis said with a chuckle before she turned and walked after Jason. “Do you think we still have time to catch that restaurant I wanted to visit?”

As the two left, Gregory turned back to Starlight. “Well, I have to admit, your offer is tempting,” he said, “so would you be alright if I asked you more about this school? I’d like to know what it’s gonna be like and how things will operate there, if I can.”

“Are we going back to that spicy food place?” Ember asked. When Gregory nodded, her face lit up. “Great! I want two of everything!” Ember turned and flew off, leaving no room for argument.

Gregory groaned. “She’s going to make me go broke,” he said before turning to Starlight. “I hope you like spicy food, because I think Ember found a favorite place here.”

“It’s alright with me,” Starlight said.

After saying their goodbyes, the three headed out towards Canterlot, not knowing that High Life was watching them from where he’d been watching the duel, a smirk on his face. He turned and headed back to his house.

[High Elm Estate - Later That Evening]

High Life sat contently in his study with a cup of tea on his desk. He took a tiny sip as a knock came at his door. “Enter.”

Ink Blot opened the door. “Master, Prince Blueblood is here to see you,” the pegasus said.

“As expected, show him in please.”

She bowed and turned, leading the prince of Equestria inside the study, closing the door behind her as she quickly departed. Blueblood looked at High Life with a wry smirk on his face. “Well, you’re looking quite comfortable,” the prince said with an amused tone.

“And should I not after a most entertaining display in the courtroom and the courtyard?” High Life asked in an amused tone. He took another sip of his tea and placed it down again. “Mmmm, you should really try this Saddle Arabian tea. It’s called Raindrop. It’s a delightful blend of jasmine with a hint of nutmeg and a pinch of sugarcube.”

“I’m surprised you managed to get some of their tea, considering the trade embargo,” Blueblood said as he took a seat and poured himself a cup of the aforementioned Raindrop tea, sipping on it. “Mmm…quite delectable, yes,” he added, “and while I can honestly say that the courtroom drama was over more quickly than I liked, I did find that duel between the Dragon Lord and the human quite entertaining. And very informative. He held his own longer than I expected.”

“Hmm, yes,” High Life replied with a small nod, “he’s decent…if you compare his skills to a foal waving around a stick at a general. You can tell he’s more of a brawler than a skilled professional. The only advantage he had was that pole of his.” He looked out southeast in the general direction of the Dragon Lands before saying, “Tell me, do you know why dragons are the most bothersome to contend against?”

“There are a number of reasons,” Blueblood replied, “for one, they are extremely long lived. They also have scales that are tougher than almost all of our best armor. They can also fly quite skillfully and can breathe fire.”

“Yes to all those points,” High Life said, “but they are most notorious for being magically resistant. Yes, they have magic - as minimal as it may be - but nothing short of several high level unicorns can even hope to challenge the younger, smaller ones. Never mind a full grown adult.”

“Every race on Equis has a hint of magic,” Blueblood agreed. “Us ponies have the most, which is why we can take a lightning bolt or two, but other races can’t despite their own minimal magic. And yes, dragons are the only other exception to that rule. What’s your point, my friend?”

“My friend, you should pay more attention,” High Life chided. “It was that staff that gave the human any sort of an advantage. Had he been without it, the dragon would have had him for lunch before any of us could blink. It’s been on my mind for some time since we got the report of the failed assault. How could this wayward vagabond from beyond the veil fight off three guards while severely crippling two of them? His inventory is something special.”

“Oh, I did notice that his pole or staff or whatever he bears did some hurt to the Dragon Lord,” Blueblood agreed, “but it’s not about the weapons. It’s about how they’re used. The human has some slight skill, there’s no denying that, but not enough to challenge a dragon, let alone us. Yes, he crippled two of those ponies, but it wasn’t enough. He’s only one creature alone in our world.”

“You’re arguing semantics when I am bearing facts,” High Life retorted before taking a sip of tea again and setting the cup back down before facing Blueblood once more. “I could care less of his skill. The weapons he has should not be able to disrupt the very magic in the air as he wields it. I felt the disturbance each time he swung that staff. It is like the weapon sucked all the magic out the air and whatever it came into contact with. Perhaps there is a way to acquire his items for ourselves?”

Blueblood took another sip of tea. “Hmm…yes, you have a good many points. However, he has currently refused the offer we gave to him. He seems as stubborn as his fellow human Jason, although I saw that he was actually considering that one unicorn’s offer to become a teacher at her so-called multicultural school. That would put him out of our reach. Him and his possessions.”

High Life let out a light chuckle. “Oh my sweet prince. Nothing is beyond our reach. But, this presents us with a wonderful opportunity to strike at the school. But, before we do that, there is another matter to address.”

Blueblood raised an eyebrow. “And what might that be?”

“Why, the culprit behind our brain dead prisoners, of course.”

Blueblood grinned. “So who did it?” he asked with a chuckle.

“Sadly, our newest member Filthy Rich is heavily implicated in this most atrocious crime,” High Life said with a sad shake of his head. “After all, it was him that ordered the guards to harm the other human beforehand. It stands to reason he would want them to try again with another. And it makes the most sense that he would silence them when they have failed.”

“That’s quite a shame,” Blueblood replied, “I did quite like the fellow. But I suppose earth ponies are the same everywhere. They do nothing but eat dirt. I wonder what will become of his wealth and his businesses? They’ll need looking after.”

“Well, I have recently been delving into the stock market,” High Life explained, “and it turns out that Barnyard Bargains has been bleeding investors for quite some time. The stock is steadily on the decline. The company could very well face bankruptcy if nothing is done. Who am I but not a loyal follower of harmony’s tenets as to not lend a hoof in that fine establishments need of aid.”

“Well, I suppose that the company must be saved,” Blueblood said, “after all, our economy needs all the boost it can get.” He raised his tea cup in his magic. “To the salvation of Equestria.”

High Life reciprocated the gesture. “To the salvation of Equestria.”

[Helping Hooves Shelter - Twilight’s Office - That Same Time]

Twilight was lost in reading when her concentration was shattered by Pinkie slamming her hoof on Twilight’s desk, causing the alicorn to jump up from her reading in a fright. “Gah!? Pinkie! What are you doing?” the alicorn asked, putting down her copy of Prince Caspian.

“Twilight, there’s no simple way to say this, so I’ll just say it,” Pinkie began before taking a deep breath and giving Twilight the most serious glare she could muster. “We need to get the girls back together!”

Twilight paused as she studied Pinkie’s serious expression. “I don’t know about that, Pinkie,” she said with a sad shake of her head. “It’s not like I haven’t tried reaching out to them, but The Trial is still fresh on everypony’s minds. And we were hit the hardest, obviously. I think it’s best if we–”

Pinkie slammed her hooves on the desk again, once more making Twilight jump in alarm. “What, Twilight? You think that it’s best to leave them to stew in their own misery some more? Look at how well that’s working. So far, I’ve only managed to talk Rarity out of her funk, but Applejack’s content with locking herself on the farm, Fluttershy’s a crazy cat lady with no cat, and Dashie’s wasting away up in her house and drinking herself into an early grave! We can’t reach them through letters or long winded speeches about friendship. We have to go there in pony and talk with them, be there for them, and help them overcome their sorrows!”

There was a bit of silence before Twilight weakly said, “...My speeches aren’t long winded…”

“Twilight,” Pinkie deadpanned.

Twilight raised her hooves in surrender. “Right, right. I hear you,” she said, “and you’re right. We’ve been sitting on our haunches long enough. We need to get them here and talk things out. I think we should go get Rarity and start from the easiest issue to tackle to the worst. Starting with Applejack, then going to Fluttershy and ending with Rainbow Dash.”

“That’s right! It’s time for an intervention!” Pinkie held out her hoof as Twilight nodded and bumped it with hers.

The two mares made their way out of the shelter and towards Carousel Boutique. Rarity was outside for once as they approached. She was busy doing some sweeping. Much to Pinkie’s and Twilight’s surprise, she looked much cleaner than she had before. She’d gotten a manecut and it was styled more or less similarly to how it had been before. Her boutique still looked somewhat run down, but the grass which had been overgrown around her place was now cut and sat in a few bags nearby. The graffiti that had been sprayed on her boutique was now washed away, and despite needing a new coat of paint, the dust buildup at her store was more or less gone.

As Pinkie and Twilight approached, Rarity looked up. “O-Oh! Twilight, Pinkie, hello there,” she said with a small smile, “Sure is a lovely evening for some well deserved spring cleaning, isn’t it?”

Twilight looked at the mess sadly. “Oh, Rarity. I should’ve made more of an attempt to visit you. Your boutique is in shambles.”

“Oh, don’t worry yourself about this, Twilight,” Rarity said with a smile, “and honestly, it keeps me out and about to make sure it stays tidy. It could be worse after all.”

“Rarity, it’s bad,” Twilight said somberly, “and that graffiti is clearly vandalism.”

“Twilight, that’s how it is all over town,” Rarity explained, “although, I do wish ponies found a more healthy and respectful way to express themselves…and yes, I know how that sounds coming from me.”

“We can worry about fixing ponies' attitudes later,” Pinkie said, “because right now, I want to fix us! Rarity, besides Rainbow Dash, have you talked to the other girls?”

Rarity pondered this for a moment before bowing her head solemnly. “...No,” she finally admitted, “I’m ashamed to say that I haven’t. Rainbow’s been my proverbial drinking companion for a while and I haven’t thought of any reason to visit anypony else.”

“Look girls, it’s clear we can’t handle our problems alone,” Twilight declared. “I’ve devoted all my time to running the shelter, but the truth is that I’m trying to make up for guilt as well. I even lied to Gregory about what we did to Jason. A lie of omission, but still a lie. I’m sorry I never came to see you or the girls, but we need to help each other if we want to move forward.”

“Oh my, careful Twilight. That almost sounded like the old friendship speech.” Rarity chuckled along with the other two friends, the aforementioned alicorn blushing ever so slightly.. “Alright, so I’m assuming we’re all going to have a big chat with one another. If so, who do we need to see next?”

“We can go to Sweet Apple Acres and then swing by Fluttershy’s on the way to see Rainbow,” Pinkie said.

“Oh dear, I’m afraid Rainbow may prove the most difficult to sway,” Rarity ruminated.

“We won’t know unless we all try. Now, let’s clean up here and head out.” Twilight said.

“Twilight, darling, will we have enough time to visit everypony else?” Rarity asked before pointing to the western horizon, “after all, sunset is almost here.”

“We can if we split up. I can get Fluttershy while you two go and get Applejack. We’ll meet up at Dashie’s place.” Pinkie said before she darted off toward Fluttershy’s house.

“That mare is something else…” Rarity said with a smile, “and she’s definitely a better pony than she was before. And that’s saying something.” She put her cleaning implements away and turned back to Twilight. “I can clean my boutique later. Right now, rekindling our friendships is more important. So let’s go see Applejack.”

As they walked towards Sweet Apple Acres, they saw Big Mac pulling a cart towards the barn. He spotted them and a frown came over his features as he unhitched himself from the card and walked over to them, stopping them just shy of the gate. He looked directly at Twilight, not with any anger or hatred, but a stern look as he said, “Sorry, Twilight, but know the rules,” the stallion said, “Granny says you ain’t allowed on the farm anymore.”

“I know, Big Mac,” Twilight replied, “and I have nothing but the utmost respect for your family, but ask yourself this: is Applejack getting any better on her own?”

Big Mac looked closely at her, like he was searching her eyes for something. Finally he shook his head. “Eenope,” he replied.

“Then you simply must let us through, darling, Applejack’s well being depends on it!” Rarity stated firmly.

Big Mac stared at both their pleading expressions for some time. These two were practically family at one point in time. They’d done a lot for the farm and helped the family more than once while asking for nothing in return. Big Mac slowly nodded his head as he spoke. “Y’all can come on by then. Make sure you let Granny know what yer doin’ before seein’ Applejack. Ah hope y’all can snap her out of this funk. Ah want mah sister back.”

Twilight and Rarity both gave the stallion a firm nod. “We won’t let you down, Big Mac!” Twilight said.

“Ah hope not,” the stallion said before he returned to his cart.

“That stallion deserves to meet a nice mare,” Rarity said as they headed swiftly up towards the farmhouse which neither of them had seen in over a year.

“Now’s probably not a good time to play matchmaker, Rarity,” Twilight admonished.

Rarity nodded. “Of course, of course. “As they approached the house, they saw Applebloom coming in from the direction of the old Cutie Mark Crusader clubhouse. Rarity waved over at her. “Applebloom, darling, it’s good to see you again.”

“Oh, it’s you. Hey, Rarity.” Applebloom said in a flat tone that made the unicorn wince.

The former fashionista unicorn took a deep breath before she faced the younger earth pony filly. “Darling, I know it might not mean much, but I’m dreadfully sorry for everything that’s happened. I wish I could take everything back, but maybe I can do the next best thing. Twilight and I came here to talk to Applejack and try and help her.”

“Y’all help yourself yet?” Applebloom asked. “Better yet, did you help Sweetie Belle? Is she back in Ponyville?”

Rarity lowered her head. “I’m sorry, but as far as I know, she’s back with our parents,” she replied, “but I can write to them and ask them to bring Sweetie here to see you.”

“So, she’s been gone for a whole year now and you haven’t written to her?”

Rarity lowered her head even more in shame. “Yes, that’s right,” she said quietly. She was starting to lose her momentum and all she really wanted to do was go back home, crawl into bed and maybe eat a bucket of ice cream. However, she stood back up, refusing to back down at the last stretch. “That changes today, though. When I get home, I’ll be writing a letter to her and sending it off posthaste.”

Applebloom gave her an incredulous look before huffing. “Yeah, well until ah see it for mahself, ya got nothing but hollow words.” Applebloom turned to Twilight next. “Didn’t Granny ban you?”

“Please, Applebloom, Rarity and I just want to fix things,” Twilight pleaded. “I know it doesn’t seem like much now, but we do want to help. If you want proof of that, let us talk with Applejack. All we want is one chance.”

“...Fine…” Applebloom replied in resignation. “Follow me to the house.”

The two mares and filly finally made it to the Apple farmhouse porch. Out of the corner of Twilight’s eye, she saw the curtain in Applejack’s room shift. Twilight hummed in thought as Applebloom opened the door and allowed them inside. Not much had changed in the Apple house since she’d stepped hoof in it last time. Everything was still clean and orderly, and there was a distinct apple smell that permeated everything. All in all, it brought back memories of happier times to both ponies. Walking further inside, Twilight and Rarity paused as they saw another familiar pony sitting in a rocking chair before them. Granny Smith was relaxing while humming the Apple family song to herself. Rarity and Twilight shared a glance before turning back and approaching the elderly mare.

Twilight cleared her throat and faced the old pony. “Granny Smith?”

“Hmm?” The elder mare said while rubbing her eyes and focusing on the voice. Once her vision cleared, Granny’s eyes narrowed in on Twilight. ”What in tarnation are yah doin’ here? Ah know ah banished you. Now git along off mah farm!”

Twilight steeled herself at Granny’s deathly tone. "It's about Applejack, Granny Smith, Rarity and I want to try and help her.”

Granny’s response was a disgruntled snort as she slowly got up from the chair. “Y’all want to help Applejack for a mess y’all caused? And how do yah fancy goin’ about doing that? Why wait till now to show yer face again?”

“It was mostly Pinkie's idea,” Twilight replied. “She’s been visiting all of us since she got back. I’m sure she’s been here as well.”

“She has, and she’s about the only one in the group I’d even consider hearin’ out,” Granny said. “Unlike the rest of y’all, she went and changed herself fer the better.”

“Yes, yes she did, and we couldn’t be prouder of her,” Rarity said, “ but we want the opportunity to change as well, and it's not something we can do on our own.”

“And how do ah know y’all won’t make matters worse?” Granny asked.

Twilight bowed her head and splayed her wings deeply before the Apple matriarch, the sight causing Granny to arch a brow. She may not have been a royal anymore, but this act was hardly suited for an alicorn. “I humbly ask the head of the Apple clan for her blessings to soothe the black mark I caused,” Twilight said. “We wish to help and be there for our dearest friend and your second eldest kin.”

Granny knew that pledge well. She’s seen it plenty of times when her family visited Day Court in Canterlot. It was a sign of deep respect and ultimate submission to the recipient. Granny sighed deeply before lightly brushing Twilight’s mane, gaining the alicorn’s attention. “Y’all knock that fancy-shmancy grovlin’ off, youngin,” she said. “I ain’t no princess or one of those prudes up in Canterlot. Ya made yer point.”

“Does that mean you’ll let us see Applejack?” Rarity asked hopefully.

Granny waved towards the stairs leading up to Applejack’s room as she said, “Go on then. Ya might be able to reach her better than we can. Faust knows that mare’s as stubborn as dirt on the underside of a hog.”

“Thank you, Granny Smith. We won’t let you down!’ Twilight said as both of the mares climbed up the stairs to Applejack’s room. They opened the door slowly as they peered inside the room. Applejack was sitting on the bed with a bottle of cider in her hoof and her back facing the door. “Applejack?”

“Hey, girls,” Applejack said without looking over at them, “I saw y’all walkin’ up the road. Ah guess Granny ain’t sore at yah anymore, huh Twilight?”

“Applejack. I think you know why we’re here,” Twilight said.

Applejack sighed and nodded. “Ah suppose so.”

“Darling, how have you been?” Rarity asked as the two mares took up on each side of Applejack, sitting carefully on the bed with her.

“Ah can’t complain none,” Applejack responded simply.

“Well, how’s your condition treating you?” Rarity asked.

“It’s nothing ah ain’t used tah by now.” As if on cue, Applejack clutched her barrel tightly while she dropped the bottle of cider, a look of pain on her face. Twilight and Rarity were instantly by her side as she started to wheeze heavily. After a few moments, the pained look on Applejack’s face lessened and she composed herself. “S-See? Nothing to it,” she said shakily and with a forced smile.

“Oh Applejack…” Twilight said sadly.

“Don’t you go givin’ me yer pity,” Applejack said bitterly, “Ah’m gettin’ what ah deserve. Ah’m a horrible pony and a disgrace tah the Apple family…”

“Darling, you made a mistake, a very bad one, yes, but that doesn’t make you a bad pony!” Rarity said, parroting what Pinkie said to her.

“Heh, tell that to Jason. Maybe he’ll find in his heart to forgive us,” Applejack joked harshly as she reached down to retrieve her bottle of cider, draining what little remained before slamming it back down on the bedside table.

“Applejack, we both know how you feel,” Twilight said. “You feel like you can’t move on from what happened last year. Hiding in your room and isolating yourself on the farm is just a distraction, just like how I threw myself into running the shelter.”

“And how I drowned my sorrows in late night bar benders with Rainbow,” Rarity added. “It’s not healthy and it solves nothing.”

‘What else is there tah do?” Applejack asked. “We can’t make amends. We can’t take anythin’ we did back. Why bother at all?”

“Because we owe it to ourselves to be better!” Twilight said firmly. “We were once the Elements of Harmony. We acted as heroes and role models for all of Equestria. Now, we need to do that again. But, this time, we do it for ourselves. Because we can be the best version of ourselves.”

“We must accept that those horrid little thoughts were a part of us,” Rarity added, “those nasty and callous sides of our persona are there. I know it isn’t easy. I once prided myself on my looks and generosity, but it’s that same pride that’s holding us back. I mean, look at Pinkie. She could’ve ignored what happened since she wasn’t punished at all, but she took what she did to heart and faced accountability. And now she’s all the better for it.”

Applejack chuckled softly at this. “Who knew that silly mare had in her to grow up and leave us in the dust.” her muzzle quivered as she spoke with a trembling voice. “...but ah ain’t Pinkie. What if I can’t…?”

“I seem to remember a certain Apple family saying,” Twilight said with a smirk before turning to Rarity. “What was it again, Rarity?”

“Oh, I know this one, darling,” Rarity said, and adopting the southern accent that she’d used once before when she’d tried to win that one stallion over years ago, she said, “I believe it was something along the lines of ‘Apples ain’t quitters.’” Rarity gave Applejack a coy smile.

“We can’t make you do anything, Applejack,” Twilight added. “If you feel you're not ready, then we won’t push you. But, if you truly want to change, we’ll be right outside your door.” Twilight gestured Rarity toward the door. The two got up and left the room, placing themselves on either side of the door and waiting.

“Do you think she’s come out?” Rarity asked with an air of concern.

Just then, the door opened again. The two ponies turned and saw Applejack walking out. She waved her hoof through her unkempt blonde mane and straightened her locks. She turned to Twilight and Rarity and gave them a soft reserved smile. “Alright, girls. What’s first?”

[Fluttershy’s Cottage]

Following her departure from Carousel Boutique, Pinkie rushed towards the familiar path towards Fluttershy’s cottage. In no time at all, Pinkie was fast approaching the pegasus’ property line. Nothing had changed since she’d come here and had unexpectedly met with Gregory. At the thought of her new human friend, she wondered how he was doing. She’d heard from Twilight earlier that morning that he’d gone to Canterlot to testify in the trial of those ponies who’d attacked him. She hoped things were going well for him, but for now she needed to focus.

Pinkie crossed the bridge, walked up to the door and knocked to announce her presence. “Fluttershy, it’s Pinkie! We need to talk!” the former party pony called out.

The timid mare in question poked her head out of the top floor window, looking down. When she saw who it was, she raised a hoof in greeting. “Oh, um, Pinkie. I-It is good to see you. Um, could you come back another time, though?”

“Sorry, Flutters, but I need you to come with me now. It’s an emergency!” Pinkie shouted.

Fluttershy seemed to look everywhere but to her friend, although she mostly looked inside before she replied, “I’m sorry, but I’m very busy and I can’t come out,” she replied, “but I’ll take a rain check with you, though. If that’s alright?”

Pinkie stared blankly at Fluttershy before she sighed, raised her hoof and opened the door. She marched up the stairs to Fluttershy’s room as she had seen movement through the screen. Opening the door, Pinkie’s eyes widened at the strange sight before her.

Discord was sitting in a customized foal style high chair with a bib and hat that only newborns would wear. However, from the look of distress on the draconequus’ features, Pinkie realized that it wasn’t his choice to be there. Fluttershy, on the other hoof, was busy trying to hide a stockpile of food, each with various labels of different animals. “Fluttershy…what’s going on…?” Pinkie asked slowly.

“Oh, um, I-I can explain,” Fluttershy stammered meekly.

Pinkie took a seat and looked at Fluttershy. Crossing her forelegs, she gave the butter colored pegasus her complete attention. “Alright then. Go ahead. I’m listening…”

Chapter 12 - The Arrival

[Helping Hooves Shelter - Later That Night]

The cutie map/throne room, one of the last places anypony in the room had ever thought they’d be in again, was once more lit up. The windows were clean and the memory gemstones that hung from the chandelier that had been made from the roots of the old Golden Oaks Library were illuminated with old memories of better times for the six. The cutie map wasn’t illuminated, however, and nopony in the room really cared.

Everypony except Twilight was sitting in their assigned thrones, looking down at the table in bitter silence. In front of the five mares sitting down were the various gifts that Gregory had given them, sitting neatly and untouched. Celestia and Sunset were standing to one side, watching as Twilight paced the room. There was a look of pure rage mixed with frustration on her face. The only sounds heard were the harsh stomping of the former alicorn princess as she paced around the purple floor.

At that moment, there was a bold knock at the door. This startled everypony, including Twilight, who paused as she turned to the door. Taking a deep breath, she said, “We’re busy! Come back later!”

“Not even if your Princess orders you to open the door?” a familiar but muffled voice said from behind the door.

Twilight’s eyes widened in alarm, but Celestia was the first to act. She raised her horn and unlocked the door. It opened, and standing there was Luna with a small contingent of guards behind her. When the princess of the night saw the former solar princess, her eyes widened. “T-Tia…?” she said in shock. She teared up a bit.

Celestia did the same as she walked over and hugged her sister, who hugged her back. “Hello, Lulu…” she said. “You really grew. You might even be taller than me.”

Princess Luna stood up straighter and looked back at her sister. “I might be taller, but you’ve certainly lost some weight. Not enough cakes on the road?”

Celestia’s blush crept up and she gave her sister a playful glare. “Shut up,” she said.

“Princess Luna…what are you doing here?” Twilight asked.

As the two sisters broke apart, Princess Luna turned back to Twilight. Her expression became somber. “I was just now made aware of certain events that transpired here,” she said. “The guards I assigned to him sent me a letter. Apparently, our newest human was chased out of town and is now on his way to the school made by Starlight Glimmer.”

“Starlight’s makin’ a school?” Applejack asked.

Twilight nodded. “It’s called Seeds of Yggdrasil. Spike and I talked a bit and he told me about it. It’s gonna be a multicultural school.”

“So that mare’s stealing your idea now, Twilight?” Rainbow Dash asked, only to receive a warning glare from Fluttershy. Rainbow’s ears flattened. “Sorry, sorry…force of habit. I’ll work on it.”

“From what Spike told me, she’s made a big improvement on my idea,” Twilight said.

“Back to the matter at hoof, young Twilight,” Princess Luna said, “I only received a few details of what happened. Can you tell me what has transpired?”

“I wasn’t here for some of it,” Twilight admitted, “but we got some firsthoof account details from one of the other adults here.” With that, she repeated everything that Spoiled Rich, now Spoiled Milk once more, had relayed to the group.

The Princess listened patiently, but everypony in the room could feel the growing wroth emanating from her even if she didn’t show it outwardly. When Twilight had finished, Luna took a breath and exhaled slowly. “It would seem that only a minority of ponies in this town have learned from their grievous errors in judgment in this town and verily across Equestria,” she said, “but then again, it has only been one year. Although I am surprised that this Spoiled Milk pony is one of them, considering the new crimes for which her former husband is being taken into custody.”

That caught everypony’s attention. They all knew Filthy Rich’s actions against Jason, and while legally they couldn’t do anything for that, the news that he was responsible for a new crime sent them all reeling. “What crime is that?” Celestia asked.

“The attack on the new human, Gregory Graystone,” the Princess said.

Sunset scowled at this. “What attack?” she snarled.

Twilight swallowed and told what had happened. Everypony in the room who hadn’t heard the details listened with rapt attention. When she finished, there was dead silence for a bit. Finally, the last voice anypony would expect to hear spoke up. “He managed to take down two former guards and permanently injure them? That’s…really impressive.”

Everypony else turned. Rainbow Dash was the one who’d spoken, and the pegasus looked thoroughly impressed. Princess Luna nodded. “And since these weapons he carries can damage magic, their injuries are permanent. Unfortunately, during their trial yesterday, it was discovered that their memories were wiped clean.”

Twilight’s eyes widened in horror. “What…? Who would do such a thing?!”

“All evidence currently points to Filthy Rich as the perpetrator behind these attacks,” the Princess said.

“Ah can’t believe our family used to do business with that stallion’s family,” Applejack spat.

“And I’m surprised they did, considering what Stinking Rich did to those zebras when they were helping build Ponyville at its founding,” Sunset said. All eyes turned to her. She pointed to her head. “Thank the Gjallarhorn. I saw every sin and crime against non-ponies when I entered the town earlier, including what you all did to Spike and those Pinkie Pie clones.” She glared at the ponies. “Guess not even clones of your friend were safe from your cruelty!”

This caused a fresh wave of guilt and regret to pass over the ponies. Celestia turned to Sunset and took on a stern countenance. “Sunset Shimmer, that’s quite enough,” she said, “you’re throwing oil onto a flame when you should be dousing it with water.”

“It’s alright, Princess,” Twilight said, “I know we deserve that and more. But I want you to know that we have taken steps to bettering ourselves. It won’t happen overnight, but I promise you this Sunset; we’ll be worthy of your friendship the same as our human counterparts sometime soon.”

Sunset arched a brow at Twilight and looked to the other elements, noting that all of them had the same expression and determination. It brought a small smile to her muzzle as she nodded. “Well, see that you do.”

“It’s a shame that we missed this new human,” Celestia said, “I was looking forward to meeting him despite the circumstances.”

“I’m sure we can visit him at the school. Although, it might be another day before we get there.” Sunset stated.

“I shall organize the transport for all of you,” Princess Luna said. “It will be good for you to reconnect with your wayward friend and see the boon of her efforts. Be ready by tomorrow morning at 8 A.M. sharp.”

This lifted the mood of the ponies there. Applejack was the first to speak. “Ah’ll go and pack fer the trip.” So saying, she grabbed the small packet of apple seeds that Gregory had given her in her teeth and headed out.

“I wonder if Discord will want to come?” Fluttershy pondered as she followed suit, grabbing the gift that Gregory had given her as well.

One by one, the remaining Elements, minus Twilight, exited the room to go and pack. Twilight, however, hesitated. She looked around at the throne room. “But…who will look after the shelter while I’m gone?” she asked.

“Fret not, young Twilight,” Princess Luna said, “I shall hire one of my most trusted ponies to come and look after things here whilst you are absent.”

Twilight still looked unsure, so Celestia intervened. “What about Raven Inkwell? She’d be perfect for taking temporary control of this shelter.”

Twilight brightened a bit at this, looking expectantly at Luna. The Equestrian princess nodded at once. “Quite. I shall see that it is taken care of posthaste.”

“I’m gonna go pack!” Twilight said, and with that, she grabbed the still unopened books she’d been given and rushed out of the room, leaving Princess Luna, Celestia and Sunset alone. But not for long, as a few moments later a sheepish Twilight came back in. “Um…Pr-Celestia, Sunset, you can stay here if you want. I’ll show you to your rooms.”

Celestia chuckled. “Thank you, Twilight.” She turned back to Luna and hugged her sister. “I’ll see you later, sister. Hopefully we can have more time to catch up.”

“I’ll keep a cake or three ready,” Luna said with a chuckle as she returned the hug. “It’s still so strange to hug you now that we are practically the same height.”

“But it isn’t unpleasant,” Celestia replied as she hugged Luna closer. Eventually, they broke the hug. “Have a safe trip back to Canterlot.”

“And you have a safe trip up north to the Yggdrasil school,” Luna said as she turned and walked towards the door.

As Twilight led Sunset and Celestia down the hallways, Sunset looked up at Celestia. “I wish we were here for longer. Maybe then I could go visit my friends in the human world.”

Twilight overheard that and turned. “The mirror portal is still open if you want to go through,” she said.

Sunset shook her head. “No, it’s too late right now. I’m tired and just need sleep. Maybe when we come back I’ll go through.”

Twilight nodded in understanding. “Of course.” However, in her mind, she had an idea. An idea that might start to make things right between her and Sunset.

[Seeds of Yggdrasil - Just Before Sunrise The Next Morning]

“Couldn’t humans have invented a more efficient way to get around?” Ember shouted down as she hovered above Gregory’s car which was moving slowly on the grassy plains where the train station had let them off.

Gregory looked out of the window. “There’s no way I’m leaving this thing behind!” he shouted back up at her, “and besides, I won’t be getting an opportunity like this much anyway! You have the wrong type of road.”

“I wish I could ride around in it!” Cozy said from nearby, “it looks fun!”

“It is. Right Starlight?” Gregory asked, turning to his only companion in the car.

Gregory wasn’t alone in the car. Starlight was seated in the passenger’s seat beside him. Outside the car, the others were walking or flying beside it since almost all of their belongings were packed in the car itself. Gregory’s group had been joined by Gabby and Feather Duster before heading onto the train the night before. “This is a pretty bumpy ride,” she said as she was jostled around in her seat.

“Like I said, you’ve got the wrong type of roads,” Gregory repeated, “and we’re heading up a hill so I have to be slow. Especially with all our stuff inside.”

“I should’ve just teleported,” Starlight grumbled.

“You’re the one who wanted to see what it was like in a car,” Gregory retorted.

“But it’s so amazing!” Starlight whined before an idea entered her head. “Hang on, I got it…” Starlight’s horn glowed before the dirt room in front of them became smoother. The car no longer jerked and shifted as they moved.

“Huh, I remember seeing that done in another MLP fanfic once,” Gregory muttered. “Thanks, Starlight.” He sped up and finally crested the hill.

When the group saw the massive walled campus down below, those who hadn’t seen it were struck dumb with awe. Even Cozy Glow landed and her eyes widened in astonishment at what she saw. Gregory got out of the car after turning it off and stood on the hill looking down and around the landscape. He took note of the high outer wall and the inner circular wall which seemed to double as student dormitories. The landscape too was one of unmitigated beauty, and not just the landscape inside the walls, which Gregory had been told were artificially constructed to accommodate other species and their native habitats.

The largest tower itself, just like Starlight had said, had a large glowing orb at the top. Its glow reminded him somewhat of the moon’s silvery glow, which made sense considering that Princess Luna herself had personally crafted the gem and imbued it with her protective magic. He could see that as the light of sunrise grew, the orb’s light dimmed, but even now there was a very slight glistening dome that came out from the gemstone and ended at the walls of the campus. The light itself seemed to cast a calming spell on him, almost like it was alive and assuring him that all was well.

Within the walls, he saw by the light of the protective gem a number of artificially created environments from around the known world. He saw an artificial forest, a small lake, some sandy area surrounded by a hill, a grassy plain, and even the beginnings of what looked like farmland between the outer wall and the inner wall. However, as impressive as the inside of the campus was, it was the landscape outside the walled area that drew his gaze more, because all around them lay the neutral lands between the Crystal Empire and Equestria.

Starlight had given Gregory a brief rundown of the entire land itself, which consisted of a few hundred square miles of unexplored and wild land. The land was known by many different names, such as The Wilds, the Untamed Lands, the Neutral Territories, the Unknown Lands, and more. Only a very small portion of it was ever explored, and that was because of the train tracks which had been laid from the northernmost portion of Equestria to the Crystal Empire. At one point, before The Trial, there were waystations along the railways where guards were stationed to protect the trains from monster attacks, but ever since the Empire broke off ties with Equestria, those waystations were abandoned by ponies and instead were manned by crystal ponies.

Just south of the walled campus was a massive and densely populated forest with a small but deep blue lake within its borders. Starlight had given him a map of the region earlier the night before and he knew that the as of yet unnamed lake was fed by a glacial river that came down from the Crystal Mountains. He saw the aforementioned Crystal Mountains to the north, their high peaks covered in snow that hadn’t yet melted from the winter storms. One peak stuck out and far surpassed any of the others in height and majesty. He guessed that it was Mt. Everhoof. There was a vast flat plain to the east with the southward flowing river that fed the lake. He even caught a glimpse of a large waterfall a ways up north.

When he directed his gaze south, he saw that the outward flowing river that came out of the lake flowed down into yet another lower valley with scatterings of trees and grasslands. There were some smaller mountain ranges below as well. The sun was almost ready to rise, but even in the early morning light he saw the sun had already peaked on these mountains. They had traveled quite far during the night, and just as Starlight had said, he couldn’t even see the Canterhorn where Canterlot was located. However, he could see the shining lights and gleaming crystals of the Crystal Empire’s main city far in the north.

The only other evidence of artificial structure came in the form of the train tracks and the large train station which stuck out like a sore thumb near the bottom of the hill. Aside from that, the campus and the distant Crystal Empire, there was no other sign of habitation. Starlight had explained that the land which the school had been built on was part of a vast swathe of neutral territory that no kingdom had laid claim to in any known time. Starlight, in a surprising moment of vulnerability, had admitted that she had almost created her village within the lands, even at the same spot where the school was, but had decided against it, remaining in Equestrian borders instead.

In an effort to distract Starlight from a clearly troubling memory, Gregory had asked more about these neutral lands. Starlight had explained that the land stretched from the borders of the Crystal Empire and Yakyakistan in the Frozen North all the way to the northern borders of Equestria. It was wild and untamed territory that no ponies had wanted to attempt to colonize due to it being so far from civilization. She’d said that the same could be said of the Undiscovered West, which Gregory knew about from his own incomplete map of Equestria. The neutral lands in the north hadn’t even been mapped out save for the lone stretch of railways that had led from the Empire to Equestria. There had been rumors of the forests being full of various monsters, especially timberwolves, leftovers of Grogar’s cruel experiments and mockery of life.

As they stood and stared, Cozy was the first to speak. “Gee golly…that’s a really big campus, Miss Starlight.”

“I’ll say,” Feather Duster added, clearly impressed.

“Is that a griffon tree down there?” an excited Gabby asked, pointing to the northern edge of the campus towards a particularly unusually tall tree.

Starlight nodded. “We had it imported from Griffonstone and we’re hoping that a few more will be showing up soon.”

“Good! We need those trees for when we preen our wings,” Gabby said approvingly.

“I remember seeing Twilight’s plans for her school, and this is definitely ten times better,” Spike said, sounding very impressed.

“Thanks, Spike.” Starlight then looked up expectantly at Gregory. “What about you, my new human culture teacher? What do you think?”

Gregory shook his head then looked down at the purple mare. “Honestly, I’m at a loss for words here. It’s hard to believe you got this done in a year.”

“We had plenty of help from other nations,” Starlight said. She looked at Ember. “The Dragon Lord here was kind enough to send some of her best to help with the building.”

“Dragons have more control over our fire than any smiths,” Ember said with a smirk as she landed next to Gregory and crossed her arms. “Our best built most of the wall and reinforced it with dragon fire.”

“Impressive,” Gregory nodded.

“The griffins have a special skill when it comes to building,” Starlight continued. “Griffonstone sent their best architects and they came up with a plan that I challenge any pony to beat.”

Gabby grinned. “I might be just a mail delivery griffin, but I’ve seen some really amazing buildings in my country!”

As the light from the sun continued growing, the gem on the tall tower finally blinked slightly and went out. At the same time, the sun crested the horizon, sending its golden glow across the top of Yggdrasil Tower. The first light of morning struck the gem and it reflected the sun’s light on the landscape below. The barely visible shield vanished, but according to what Starlight had told him, it still remained.

Everyone there eventually broke their eyes away when they heard the sounds of galloping hooves coming from below them. He looked down and saw three equine forms approaching. He smiled as he recognized a number of them. “Hey, looks like we’ve got a welcome committee coming up the hill. Looks like…Sunburst…Trixie…and is that Zecora?”

“Zecora is my Zebrican culture and potions teacher here,” Starlight explained, “and before you ask, that large forest to the south of us is a lot like the Everfree. It’s where she gets her potion ingredients from.”

“A potions master? You really went all out for this school,” Gregory said. On the long overnight ride to the school, Gregory and Starlight had sat up while she told him about her plans for her school. Unlike the one Twilight had made in the show, Starlight’s was more focused on academia of all sorts along with a good deal of cultural exchanges. He was both looking forward to and nervous to become a teacher there. He waved at them with a small friendly smile.

“Forgive me, but do my eyes deceive? Another human do I perceive.” Zecora rhymed as she and the other staff members got closer.

“Hello, everyone. I’d like you to meet our guests and the newest member of the faculty.” Starlight said. She went around and introduced everyone who’d come visiting, coming last to Gregory. “And this is our newest teacher, Gregory Graystone. He’ll be teaching about human culture and history from his world.”

Gregory nodded at them. “Hello everyone, it’s nice to meet all of you.”

Trixie was the first to approach as she circled Gregory with a curious expression. She looked him up and down before she spoke. “Hmm, you’re different from Jason,” she said, “but judging from those scars, you received a warm welcome from Ponyville, huh?”

“Trixie!!!” Starlight scolded.

Gregory chuckled dryly. “It’s alright, but she’s not wrong. I got these from when three former guards attacked me. I can tell you more about it later if you want, miss Great and Powerful.”

“Ah, someone who recognizes talent,” Trixie said proudly, “Trixie is quite pleased.”

Gregory chuckled, then said, “One of these days I’d like to see you perform. Starlight told me a bit about you on the train ride up here.”

“Yes, yes. Trixie is amazing,” Trixie replied with a flourish as she thrust her cloak back. “Fret not, the Great and Powerful guidance counselor shall always have her door open.”

Gregory smiled, then turned to Sunburst. “Hello there,” he said, “you must be Sunburst.”

“O-Oh, good morning,” Sunburst said a bit nervously, “Um, yes. I’m Sunburst. I work with attendance and administration. I’ve - uh - never actually spoken with a human before.”

“Well, I’ll be glad to sit down and talk with you anytime,” Gregory said. He then turned to Zecora. “Hello, Miss Zecora, It’s very nice to meet you.”

“The pleasure is all mine, good sir, but how do you know my moniker?” Zecora asked.

“I saw you in the visions that the Gjallarhorn showed me about Ponyville, and Starlight just told me your name,” Gregory said, not mentioning how she’d been a character in the show. “I hear you’re the potion’s master and Zebrican culture and history teacher at this school. Is it alright if I ask a favor of you?”

“A request you would ask of me? And what can that possibly be?” Zecora asked curiously.

“Would it be possible for you to teach me potion and brew crafting?” Gregory asked. “I’d like to try and learn.”

Zecora took on a thoughtful expression as she replied, “Hmm, that request is far from meek. Crafting brews are not for the weak. Even one single mistake can certainly leave a lot at stake. However, I see that you are quite eager, so my department of knowledge shall not be meager.”

“I appreciate that,” Gregory said, “and I know that mixing potions is dangerous. I won’t take the warning lightly.”

“Can we go inside now? I want to meet the other creatures. Maybe we can start a student charter here, if that’s alright?” Cozy asked.

Gregory chuckled. “Yeah, it is a bit chilly, and I’m sure Starlight and everyone else here wouldn’t mind some breakfast. I just need a place to park my car. Starlight, you said there was an empty storage house where I can temporarily park?” He got back into his vehicle and started it up, which startled the three newcomers, even more so when his headlights turned on.

“Whoa! What is that?!” Sunburst asked, running up to the car.

Gregory chuckled. “I’ll explain later. For now, I need a place to park it and then breakfast sounds absolutely lovely.”

“Alright, I’ll show you where to go,” Starlight said as she once more got into the passenger seat.

As Gregory slowly drove around the school, the staff members watched in awe. “That’s amazing. How is it moving like this?” Sunburst asked while trying to keep pace with the vehicle.

“It runs on a liquid fuel called gasoline,” Gregory explained, “although sadly it will eventually run out of that fuel since I doubt this world has gasoline. The other human world might, the one that Sunset Shimmer once lived in, but that’s another story altogether. I actually brought a couple books about how cars work if you and Starlight want to look at them.”

“Fascinating. I’ll make room in my schedule,” Sunburst said eagerly.

Starlight chuckled and told Gregory where to go. However, as they headed through the western gate towards the center tower where Starlight had said the storage space was, Gregory noted that there were a few creatures awake already despite the early morning hour. “Hey, are those yaks over there?” he asked, pointing towards a small group of quadrupeds running around.

“Yes they are,” Starlight confirmed, “we also have a few diamond dogs, griffins, dragons, and hippogriffs already here, with more who’ve written that they’ll be coming within the next couple of weeks. I think just about every creature you can name has promised to send a few students except for changelings. It’s been next to impossible to find them or extend any invitations to them.”

“Why not put out some kind of advertisement in some of the more open minded newspapers?” Gregory suggested, “or find someone to pass out fliers in Equestria?”

“That could work, but I doubt Chrysalis would be willing to let her changelings attend,” Starlight replied.

“You never know unless you try,” he saod. “I’m sure there are some who might want to come, especially if you make the promise to let them go undisguised. I don’t know much about changelings, but I can only imagine that it’s draining to be in disguise all the time.”

“I suppose it couldn’t hurt, but I’m not holding my breath,” Starlight said.

“I understand that,” Gregory said. “Still, you’ve accomplished a hell of a lot in a year, and that’s saying something.”

“Thank you.”

After a while, they passed through the inner gates and Starlight led him to an empty storage space on one side of the tower where he could park his car until they could have a more permanent space placed. Just as Starlight was opening the door to the storage area with her magic, Gregory, who was watching the yaks out of curiosity, saw a younger yak pause, then turn towards them. The yak began running towards them. “Oooh dear…is that yak charging me? She’d better not hit this car.”

Gregory took a closer look at the yak approaching then and saw that it was none other than Yona of the Young Six. The aforementioned yak narrowed her eyes at the car and pawed at the ground. Before Gregory could say a word, she took off at full speed with a yell. Thankfully, Starlight’s magic flared outward and caught the young yak moments before impact.

“Huh?” Yona said in confusion as she was floating in the air. She looked around before she saw Starlight. “Oh, hello Head Teacher Starlight. Yona was protecting school from metal monster!”

“Thank you, Yona, but that isn’t a monster. It’s a transportation vehicle. You know, like the steam trains,” Starlight explained.

“Oh,” was all that Yona said.

“So this young lady is one of the students I’ll be teaching?” Gregory asked after he parked his car inside and got out. He walked around towards where Yona was still floating and looked up at her. “Yona, correct?”

Starlight lowered Yona back on the ground. The yak looked at Gregory quizzically before responding. “You look familiar to Yona. What are you?”

“My name is Gregory Graystone, and I’m a human,” Gregory explained.

“Hooman?” Yona looked at him with her head tilted.

“Human. There’s a hyu in there,” Gregory clarified. “Nice to meet you, Yona.”

Yona inspected Gregory top to bottom before making an observation. “You skinny. You need more meat on bones like yaks. Yona know family favorite food to build muscle.”

“Oh? What’s that?” Gregory asked.

“Lichen soup.” Yona licked her lips at that and smiled in anticipation.

Gregory winced a bit. “Yeah…humans can’t eat lichen,” he said, “we’re omnivores, but there are some things we can’t eat, and I’m pretty sure lichen isn’t one of them.”

“Omnivores? Oh! Like griffin friend. He can help.” Yona moved behind Gregory and started pushing him. “We go see him.”

“Hey, whoa there! I can walk!” Gregory said in alarm.

“She’s right! You need more meat on your bones,” Ember called down from above, a look of amusement on her face.

“It’s way too early for this,” Gregory sighed. However, he let himself be led by Yona into the nearest doorway to the inside.

The group went further inside the school to a lunchroom where a few dragons and griffins were eating. “Welcome to the cafeteria,” Starlight said. “We have all the dietary needs for both carnivores and herbivores. Right now, we have the students on separate lunch schedules. We want to ease the two groups slowly so that they can get used to each other.”

“This is the biggest cafeteria we have,” Sunburst explained, “but there are two others which aren’t in use.”

Gregory inhaled and exhaled. “Even between worlds, the smell of a cafeteria never changes. Although this one smells nicer.”

“Of course, we only serve the best quality food here!” Trixie stated.

Gregory nodded, then looked at Starlight. “So, I saw the entirety of Jason’s Trial, and I remember that he mentioned that fish is the only source of meat available for meat eaters on this planet. Is that really true?”

“Not quite,” Sunburst explained, “it’s the only known meat safe for consumption by meat eating species in Equestria, yes, but there are other animals safe to eat, like hydra.”

“Huh…hydra meat. Do you have any here?” Gregory asked.

“Yona friend Gallus is eating some now,” Yona said, pointing to one corner of the cafeteria where a lone griffin was sitting and eating something. “Go say hello to Yona’s griffin friend. Yona will get pony friend also.” At that, Yona turned and ran out of the cafeteria.

Gregory looked in the direction where Yona had pointed. Sure enough, a young blue griffin was sitting and eating at a corner table. “That blue griffin, huh?” he said.

“Hey, Gallus!!!” Gabby called out, causing Gallus to nearly choke. She rushed over and pulled him into a hug, lifting him into the air with a wide smile on her face.

“Gabby!!!” Gallus choked out. She broke the hug and gave him a sheepish smile while Gallus glared at her. “What are you doing?”

“I’m here with some friends,” Gabby explained, “and we’re showing your new teacher around the school.”

“Hello, there,” Gregory said as he approached along with everyone else. As he did so, however, he caught the scent of the hydra meat. Instantly, he began to salivate. “Oh my God…that smells incredible…”

“Because it is,” Gallus said. “Roasted hydra steak with baked potato. You’d better get a tray before the dragons eat it all.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice!” Gregory said with a grin as he rushed towards the cafeteria line. Ember quickly followed behind him, managing to get in line before him, much to Gregory’s apparent consternation.

“So who's the string bean?” Gallus asked, gesturing towards the human.

“That’s your new teacher,” Starlight stated.

“New teacher, huh?” Gallus said, looking more closely at Gregory, who was now in a conversation with Ember about something. “Huh…what’s he gonna teach?”

“Human history and culture,” Starlight explained.

“Huh…” Gallus watched him briefly before turning away. “Well, whatever I guess.”

Gregory came back just then with a plate of a steaming steak and a baked potato with butter and a glass of juice. “Okay, if the smell is anything to go by, this is gonna be heavenly.” He sat down, Ember sitting beside him, and cut a slice before taking a bite. “And I’m in heaven,” he finished. “I bet I can make burgers out of this meat.”

“So, you’re a human like Jason Wright?” Gallus asked. When Gregory nodded, Gallus continued. “Why become a teacher?”

After swallowing his first bite, he turned to the young grifin. “Well, I figured I could do the most good up here, plus the first town I ended up kicked me out anyway.”

“From the looks of it, they used you as a heavy bag before tossing you out,” Gallus said, looking him up and down.

“Gallus, that’s rude!” Gabby scolded.

“It’s alright, Gabby. I’ll tell the story later, if my new boss permits it,” Gregory added, looking down at Starlight. “She knows the whole story.” He’d told her about the attack during their dinner at The Tasty Treat.

“We’ll see,” Starlight said, “and just call me Starlight. Don’t call me boss, please.”

“Got it.”

“Yona back with friends!” Yona called out as she came back, but not just with a pony.

Gregory looked up from his breakfast only to come face to face with a pair of purple wide and excited eyes. A bright purple hippogriff with dark bluish violet eyes and striped blue and light blue mane and tail. “Whoa there!” he shouted in alarm, backing off instinctively.

“Ooh! You’re new!” the hippogriff exclaimed. “Are you an ape? No, a monkey. Oh, oh! A hairless diamond-taur!!!”

“Um, yes, I’m new,” he chuckled a bit as the hippogriff moved closer once more. Gregory did a double take at her last words. “A diamond-taur? Oooh, mix of diamond dog and minotaur. No, nothing like that. I’m a human.”

“Oh, that’s even better,” Silverstream said excitedly before she landed and gave him an inquisitive expression. “What’s a human?”

Gregory couldn’t help it. Her enthusiasm and curiosity were infectious and he smiled. “I’m the same species as Jason Wright. I came to this world from another one. Humans are, well you were partially right about us being related to apes and monkeys. We evolved from them over millions of years, but I can go into more detail about that in class.”

“Alright, save the biology lesson for when class starts,” Starlight said with an amused grin. “I believe you two should introduce yourselves now.”

“Aye aye, boss lady,” Gregory smirked with a salute.

“Gregory…” Starlight groaned.

“Couldn’t help it, sorry,” Gregory chuckled.

“Oh, right, hehe,” Silverstream said. She turned to Gregory and smiled again. “I’m Silverstream of Seaquestria and Mt. Aris!”

“Pleased to meet you, Silverstream,” Gregory said, “I’m Gregory Graystone, your new human culture and history teacher.”

Silverstream squealed in delight before turning to the others. “Did you hear that? We’re going to learn about humans! Isn’t that great?!”

“Cool,” Gallus said with disinterest.

“That’s - uh - totally cool,” the pony said nervously.

Gregory turned, seeing yet another familiar face. Sandbar stood there, looking at him warily. “I take it you’re Yona’s friend too?” he asked.

“Oh, um, yes. The name’s Sandbar, dude…” Sandbar weakly offered a nervous hoof to Gregory.

Gregory took his hoof and shook it gently but firmly. “Am I scary to you?” he asked with a curious tone.

“What? No! You’re not scary. I mean, meeting new creatures is a little scary. But, you’re cool. Yep, totally cool. Hehe…”

He raised an eyebrow, but let it go. “Well, my name’s Gregory Graystone. I’m the school’s new human history and culture teacher,” he said with a warm smile. He let Sandbar’s hoof go. “It’s nice to meet you, young stallion. Where are you from?”

Sandbar retreated into himself as he began to sweat. “Um, Equestria?”

“I meant what city or town,” Gregory clarified.

Sandbar was growing more nervous until he suddenly brightened, like an idea had come to him. “Oh, I totally just remembered I kept my address in my stuff. Let me go check.” With that said, Sandbar quickly vacated the area.

Gregory watched him go, a sneaking suspicion growing in him. Slowly, he turned to Starlight. “He’s from Ponyville, isn’t he?” he asked softly.

“Yeah, I think he’s afraid of how you’ll react to that,” Starlight replied. “Don’t worry though. His parents were one of the ponies that disagreed with Jason’s treatment and moved away. He’s a good pony, but let him get used to you first. It’s best not to force a confrontation.”

Gregory nodded. “Of course, I understand that,” he said. “Still, I think it might be a good idea if he talks to someone about it. Best not to let it fester. But for the time being, I think I’ll enjoy this delicious meal.” He turned and saw that Ember was already more than halfway done with her steak. “Jesus Christ, hungry there?” he asked.

“What? Is that a problem? Meals like this must be eaten quickly before any other dragon tries to steal it,” Ember replied.

“Fair enough,” he said as he took another bite. “Seriously, this is better than any steak I’ve had before.”

Ember looked down at his plate and smirked. She moved her tail behind Gregory and patted his back. When the human turned around, Ember quickly swiped his plate. “See? You have to eat faster to ward off thieves!”

“Remind me to eat alone from now on,” Gregory said as he put his fork and knife down.

“Oh? Is the human quitting already?” Ember teased, “You’d rather go to bed hungry instead of fighting for your claim?”

“I think it’s been well established that you’d beat me every time,” Gregory chuckled good naturedly.

“Bah. You’re no fun,” she said before handing his plate back.

“Nah, I’m just a pragmatist,” he said as he took his plate back before turning to his two guards. “Which is why I asked these two to train me.”

"What good will pony training do against any other creature?” Ember asked. “At least with dragons, we stand on two legs like you. No, I’ll be training you.”

“Lucky me,” Gregory deadpanned.

At this time, Cozy Glow walked up to Gregory and pulled on his sleeve. “Say, Mister Graystone. I have a question.”

He turned and looked down at the little filly. “What is it?” he asked.

“I was wondering about that show you talked about and I want to know if I could see it? The one where we’re all in it.” Cozy gave him what Gregory felt was her cutest pleading look.

Gregory paused, looking down at the young pegasus. “I’ve hardly talked about it,” he said, “and I’m not sure if I should show you. It’s not accurate to real life anymore, but I don’t think I should.” He was aware now that everyone else at the table, including those members of the Young Six who were still there were listening in. Even Gallus was pretending not to be interested.

Cozy intensified her adorable look. “Pleeease!!!”

He pursed his lips. “I suppose there’s no harm in showing you events that have already happened,” he reasoned, “but that’s…about it.” He looked at Starlight. “I’m pretty sure the Head Teacher here wouldn’t appreciate me showing episodes that she’s in.”

“Actually, I would be very curious to see how accurate of a portrayal this show has of us,” Starlight said with a curious expression on her face. “It couldn’t hurt since it is technically fiction.”

“Trixie wants to see herself too,” Trixie added.

Gregory took a deep breath and exhaled. “Very well,” he said, “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to show an earlier episode or so to anyone here who’s interested.” He looked at Starlight. “Where should we watch it?”

[Badlands - Changeling Hive]

“Ah, a little time away from the hive does wonders for the complexion,” Chrysalis said as she walked through the ever changing halls of the hive with Jason by her side. “Even so, what was that saying you used? There’s no place like home.”

“We hardly went sunbathing,” Jason grunted. “All we did was antagonize the nobles in Canterlot.”

“Yes, such a relaxing endeavor,” Chrysalis smirked. “Tell me you didn’t find it funny when one of those stuffy flankholes tried to run you through with their precious family sword?”

“Yeah, they must have a short term memory since the horn is still in play,” Jason scoffed. “I hope his money can pay for that new scar.”

“And yet, the horn didn’t save that Gregory human from receiving injuries,” Chrysalis said.

“He wasn’t a part of the original stipulation,” Jason replied, “and besides, he only got those injuries for being an idiot. I told him to leave Ponyville, but he didn’t listen.”

Chrysalis chuckled. “Well, I should let you know that agent Ocellus told me that he did leave Ponyville. He went north to Starlight’s school.”

“Then have her go there as well as a new student.” Jason said.

“Why? From all I’ve heard that place is much safer than Equestria for a human,” Chrysalis said.

“Better safe than sorry,” Jason said.

Chrysalis sighed. “Fine, I’ll let her know,” she said, “but she’s going in disguise. I know that Starlight pony would say that she’d be alright with our changelings going undisguised, but still…” she shuddered.

“I know that sigh. What’s bothering you now?” Jason asked, leaning against a wall with his arms crossed.

“Oh, nothing. I’m completely comfortable with sending my drones into a melting pot of creatures run by Twilight’s dubious friends,” Chrysalis snarked back at him.

Jason deadpanned at her. “Sarcasm is unbecoming of a queen,” he said in an equally sarcastic tone, “but it’s not like she’ll expose herself.”

“And why do you insist on keeping an eye on that other human when you clearly don’t like him?” Chrysalis asked.

“He’s naive,” Jason said, “and he’ll get himself hurt.”

“So he’s a child to you, got it,” Chrysalis said.

“Whatever.”

Chrysalis was about to retort when she felt a sharp migraine. She stumbled a bit before collapsing on her barrel. Jason arched a brow and moved to her while she panted. “No. No. It can’t be!!!” Chrysalis shouted.

“What? What’s wrong?” Jason asked.

“My drones!” Chrysalis shouted in alarm, “The ones in the Dragon Lands! I can’t feel their minds! They’ve gone dark!!!”

“Were they discovered?” Jason asked in a grim tone.

Chrysalis shook her head vehemently. “No. The memories came rushing at me. They sent a distress signal before everything went blank.” She then froze, her eyes widening even more. “No…not them…they’re back!!!”

“Whose back? What’s happening?!” Jason was growing a bit worried now. He’d never seen Chrysalis like this.

Chrysalis jumped up and grabbed Jason’s shoulder with a tight grip, a look of sheer horror etched on her features. “The Windigos!!!”

Jason looked at her and there was silence for a bit. Finally, he took a deep breath and exhaled. “Well, fuck.”

[Seeds of Yggdrasil - Later That Morning]

“My Little Pony!” The show’s credits began to roll after the episode was over. The projector was displaying the show on an empty wall in a classroom and the sound was coming out of Gregory’s two portable speakers. There was a small crowd of curious onlookers who had come to see the My Little Pony show. It had taken Gregory a little while to set things up in the room where the showing had just finished, but eventually everything was ready. Those who came to see the showing of My Little Pony were Starlight, Trixie, Sunburst, Ember, Swift, Moonlight, Spike, Cozy, Gabby, Feather, Yona, Silverstream and Gallus. Zecora had politely declined and had instead decided to go to the forest to search for more of her rare herbs and roots.

Gregory didn’t want to show them shows involving Seasons 8 and 9, so he decided it would be best to show from some of the earlier seasons. He chose Gauntlet of Fire first, mostly to see Ember’s reaction, then The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone, and lastly, at Starlight’s insistence, he showed two episodes featuring Starlight, A Royal Problem and All Bottled Up. On a whim, he decided to show a fan song called Magic, mostly because Trixie wanted to see more of herself. Lastly, he showed them the two parter episode Shadow Play, mostly because he knew that Starswirl and the other Pillars still hadn’t returned. Gregory closed the window, showing his desktop background which currently was showing a picture of the Orion Nebula taken by the James Webb Space Telescope. He faced the others. “Alright, so I think that’s enough for now. We’ve been sitting here for a while. So…thoughts?”

What he got was an expected stunned silence from everyone. Even Ember didn’t have anything to say, at least at first. Then, Ember spoke. “I don’t sound like that!” She said flatly.

"My voice sounds a little hitch pitched,” Spike said. “It’s almost like a female is playing me.”

“Because that’s exactly what happened,” Gregory said. “Your voice in the show was provided by a woman. Although, from what I’ve noticed, Twilight’s voice along with Pinkie’s, Fluttershy’s, Rarity’s and Rainbow Dash’s are pretty much the same. Yeah, there are some differences, but not much.”

“Well, I can say the timeline nearly matches everything we’ve been through,” Starlight said. “That Royal Problem episode was close enough but there were some aspects missing from it. For example, Celestia did notice the flowers Luna left, but she brushed them off because she was tired. And, Luna didn’t just eat a banana. She ate the whole fruit bowl. But, how could they know about what happened in the dream?”

“I don’t know what to tell you,” Gregory said. “I could list a number of hypotheses about that, but it’s just speculation.”

“Hmph. Trixie did not appreciate that Shadow Play episode. She was nowhere to be seen in it. Oh, and Starlight portrayal was horribly underselled. She practically had the whole issue solved but Twilight refused to listen!”

“One of Twilight’s main faults is her tendency to hero worship and be blind to the truth in those cases,” Gregory explained. “Look at the incident when she hypnotized Ponyville with the Want It, Need It spell.”

“I guess it’s a good thing the Pillars are not here,” Spike said as he crossed his arms. “I doubt they’d adjust well after a thousand years.”

“Yeah, they wouldn’t,” Gregory agreed, “especially Starswirl.” He turned back to Trixie. “But you see just how much humans were fans of this show. That music video of you, Trixie, was just one fan animation of hundreds made by talented people.”

“Is there anything else in this show about us?” Sunburst asked. “Does it know our secrets? Or our personal diaries?”

“Not in so much details,” Gregory explained. “I know bits and pieces, but it’s not too intrusive.”

“What about our less than honest moments? Show us the ones where we are in a bad light.” Starlight requested.

“You mean like how you brainwashed the Elements of Harmony to do everything you said? Or how you tried to bottle your anger at Trixie so you didn’t lose her as a friend?” Gregory asked.

“Sure, let's go with those,” Starlight said.

“You’re a braver person than I would be in your shoes,” Gregory said.

“Hey, can we watch my episodes after hers?” Cozy asked with a grin. “I want to see if they got my talents right.”

Gregory frowned. “I’d really much rather not. Mostly because the events showing you won’t happen anymore, seeing as you show up at Twilight’s School of Friendship.”

“We aren’t curious because of arrogance, Gregory,” Starlight explained. “This is nothing more than a bunch of friends hanging out with each other. We want the same experience you had with this show. We are all past any hang ups or darker moments in our lives now.”

“Basically, she’s telling you to stop trying to coddle folks and play the show. We can take it,” Ember said with a huff.

He looked at them all, then slowly nodded. “Yeah, you’re right, I guess. Alright, I’ll show you more, but let’s take maybe a fifteen minute break to stretch our legs first, huh? I need to walk around for a little bit to get the blood flowing.” He stretched slowly. “Oh, and please don’t touch my computer. I can’t replace it.”

“You can use our break room if you want,” Starlight said. “We have a few gym machines for fitness.”

“I’ll have a look later,” Gregory said, “for now, I just want to walk and think.”

“I’ll go with you then. This is a good opportunity to show you some moves.” Ember said.

He chuckled. “Sure, let’s go.” With that, he headed towards the door. “You know, there are a couple other episodes with you in it.”

“As long as they depict how a Dragon Lord operates, we can watch them,” she said.

As the two left the room, Spike noticed Cozy lagging behind, the young filly looking at the laptop screen. “Um, Cozy, are you coming?”

“Well, I want to watch some more. I’m not tired yet. Maybe, the show has some version of the CFE we could use.”

Spike came over and sat next to her, looking at the screen. “Hmm, maybe,” he said. Nervously, he reached out and grabbed the computer mouse and moved it around experimentally. He had been watching how Gregory had maneuvered it between episodes. “Okay…let’s see here…” He clicked around a few times and by sheer chance managed to open a folder named MLP Clips. He scrolled down until he saw one that caught his eye. “9 Full Minutes Of Cozy Glow?”

“Oh? Cozy came and saw herself in the thumbnail. Her eyes widened excitedly. “Play that one. We don’t know how long the other videos will be so this is quicker!”

He nodded and clicked the video. The two watched as the video started with a clip of the Cutie Mark Crusaders talking to Cozy just outside their clubhouse. However, as the scenes continued, Spike felt himself tensing up. There was something about this version of Cozy Glow that sent shivers down his spine. When the video reached the point where Cozy was laughing maniacally after having Chancellor Neighsay locked up, he paused the video and looked at the little filly. “Cozy…I think we should stop.”

There was a brief pause as no sound came from the filly. However, Spike heard her speak in a low tone. “...Keep playing it…”

“Cozy, I think–”

“Keep playing it,” she repeated more loudly now.

Spike nodded and did so. The scenes continued, showing Cozy growing more and more maniacal. Spike noticed Cozy beginning to shiver at each instance she was on screen. She flinched when she saw how she strung the heroes along and how everyone seemed to hang off her every word. She winced when she saw how ponies much smarter than her were easily fooled by her adorable face and devious smile. It was near the middle of the video where Cozy started to cry. It showed her utilizing several magical artifacts while head Teacher Starlight and the creatures she just met were held hostage.

Spike reached over and pulled the young filly into a hug. “Cozy…”

Before she could respond, Gregory and the others came back. “Hey, it turns out Gregory forgot to get some…thing.” Starlight started to say, only to notice the computer was playing again and Spike and Cozy were watching it.

Gregory looked at the screen and saw the video that was still playing. He looked down at the young ones before he walked over, closed the video, and turned back to them. There was a moment of silence for a few moments. “So now you know,” Gregory said, “or at the very least, you know why I didn’t want you seeing certain episodes featuring you.”

“...” Cozy said nothing as she ran past everyone with tears flowing freely from her eyes.

Gregory ran after her. “Cozy Glow! Wait!” he called out, trying to catch her up.

Cozy flapped her little wings harder to gain some altitude and managed to outpace Gregory while flying through the halls. Gregory stopped running after her and quickly headed back to the group. “Did you find her?” Starlight asked in concern.

He shook his head. “No…” He looked down at Spike. “If you see her, could you let her know I want to talk to her?”

“That won’t do,” Trixie interjected, “she could get lost. Trixie suggests we form a search party!”

“Yeah, good idea,” Gregory said. “Let’s find her quickly.”

“Sunburst, go tell the rest of the staff to be on the lookout for Cozy Glow,” Starlight said, immediately taking charge. “Trixie, go and get as many students as you can find and ask them to help as well. I’ll lead the rest of us through the halls.”

As Sunburst rushed away, Starlight ran ahead, the others trailing behind. They spent a good half hour searching high and low all over the school. At some point, however, Gregory suggested that they split up to cover more ground. Starlight agreed, but made everyone promise not to hurt Cozy if they found her. With that, they all split apart. Gregory headed outside and looked around for any sign of her near the main tower. When he reached the storage area where he’d parked his car, he noticed that it was open whereas before it was closed. Slowly he approached, only to hear the soft muffles of a young girl sniffling and crying. He crept up and listened to whatever this girl was saying to herself. He heard the voice saying, “No, it’s not true. It’s not true. You’re different, Cozy. You’re not like them! I’m not that monster!”

He listened for a few minutes while she said some more similar things while occasionally hyperventilating and crying. He wasn’t sure why, but unlike the Cozy in the show, this one felt more genuine. Since he suspected that she thought nobody was around, he reasoned that she wasn’t putting up an act. Gregory’s heart went out to the filly. Even so, he had to be absolutely sure. He slowly stood up and walked towards the source of the crying. He saw that Cozy was curled up in a ball right on the hood of his car. “Cozy Glow?”

“...Go away…” she replied, her voice sounded pitiful.

Gregory slowly walked up. “Cozy…please talk to me,” he urged softly. He knew he was taking a major risk, but he also had to know if the Cozy Glow he was talking to now was similar in temperament as the one from the show.

“That–I’m different. I’m not like that! I’m not like them!” Cozy hiccupped.

He continued approaching, noting her use of the word them. “You're not like who, Cozy?” he asked gently.

Cozy trembled as she continued. “My parents. They act like that Cozy from the show. They always tried to teach me to be mean. To try and use my cutie mark to make others do what they want. I-I hated it. I didn’t have any real friends! They were all the same back home. So…so I ran away…”

In that moment, Gregory found himself presented with two choices. On the one hand, he didn’t know this Cozy very well, and all he knew about her was from the show. On the other hand, all he knew about her was from the show. Even so, she could be very well acting now that she’d been caught. He was torn. His experience in this world had left him somewhat jaded, he realized, but he also had to keep reminding himself that this was not the world from the show. If ponies like the ones he’d pretty much idolized could torment and torture a human, then why couldn’t the opposite be true of one of the show’s biggest villains.

He took a deep breath, exhaled, then made his choice. He took off his hoodie, walked up to Cozy, reached down, and picked her up. He wrapped her in his hoodie and held the stunned pegasus filly close. He gave her a small smile. “It’s okay now,” he said, running his hand through her mane gently to try and calm her down, “let it out if you need to.”

“D-Do you hate me now?” she stuttered.

The way she said it moved him. Looking down at the vulnerable looking filly, he shook his head. “No, no I don’t hate you,” he said, “I’m just concerned.”

“But, you think I am evil,” she whimpered. “That’s why you didn’t want to show us those episodes.”

Gregory felt a wave of guilt passing over him. “I have a pretty big flaw,” he said, “and it’s that a lot of the time I still expect things to be like the show. I didn’t want to show you because I was afraid things might end up badly or worse if I did. Still, I’ve decided that I’d like to learn everything about this world for myself instead of trusting the show. Besides, I don’t think you’re evil.”

“How can you tell?” she asked.

“Truthfully, because if you were like the Cozy from the show, you wouldn’t be crying when you thought nobody else was around,” he said. “I know what it’s like to have bad parents, too.”

“You do? What happened?” she asked a bit more curiously, wiping her nose with her hoof.

Gregory sighed. “Mine were the type who just didn’t care about me,” he said. “I could have stayed out all night when I was ten and they wouldn’t have cared. Sure, they fed me and kept a roof over my head, but they just didn’t care much else about me. They pretty much did the bare minimum.” He walked over to the back of his car, unlocked it, and opened it. He reached in and grabbed a small plastic bottle of Gatorade that he’d brought, opened it, and handed it to Cozy. “Here.”

Taking it, Cozy took a tentative sip before her eyes sparkled and she drank it down with gusto. “This is yummy!”

He chuckled. “I’m glad you like it.” He walked to the driver side door, opened it, grabbed a few tissues and handed them to her before closing and locking his car up again. “Use these, too.”

“Thank you…” She said while wiping her face. “Do you think the others hate me now?”

“I doubt it,” he said as he began carrying her back to the school.

“But you’re not sure,” she said nervously. “You’ve seen how ponies do things. They might chase me away like they did you.”

“If they chase you away, there are other ways you can help raise awareness for equal rights among races,” Gregory said, “but I seriously doubt that the ponies here hate you. Starlight made this school to help spread cultural awareness of every race on the planet. I don’t think she’d chase you out because of what the version of you in the show did. Remember, she was a villain too and she’s reformed now.”

Cozy looked up at him with wide eyes before a smile formed on her lips. “Golly, you’re good at this,” she said. “Do you have any foals? I bet they’re lucky you’re their dad.”

He smiled ruefully and shook his head. “No, I don’t have any children of my own,” he said.

Cozy stared at Gregory for a long time before she spread her wings and flew out of Gregory’s hoodie. She hovered in front of him, and with a new look of determination she declared, “Then I’ll be your daughter starting now.”

Gregory paused, looking at the hovering pegasus filly with a look of shock on his face. All he could manage to get out at that moment was “...What?”

Chapter 13 - The New Development

[Ponyville Train Station - Earlier That Morning]

Rainbow Dash was in a grumpy mood. It was just past seven in the morning, and she was sitting on one of the benches at Ponyville Station with the others, waiting for the eight o’clock train to show up. She absolutely hated mornings, but she’d made a promise to be at the train station, and she didn’t want to go back on a promise. Even so, she was still groggy.

Suddenly, a cup of steaming liquid was thrust in front of her. She looked up, only to see Pinkie holding said cup towards her. Rainbow could smell coffee coming from it. “Um…thanks,” she said as she took the cup and sipped the morning nectar. “Oooh…that’s the good stuff…” she said.

“Extra shots of espresso, too,” Pinkie said with a smile.

Rainbow looked up at her again, a small smile forming on her own face. “You didn’t forget…”

“My party room might be gone,” Pinkie said, “but I never forgot what was there.”

Rainbow was touched, and smiled wider as she took another sip. “Aah…delicious.”

Pinkie smiled at her, but just then she looked away. She tilted her head and a frown appeared on her face. “Um…Rainbow? I think somepony wants to see you,” she said with some uncertainty in her voice. “You too, Rarity,” she called to her other friend.

Rarity turned and gaped. “Mother? Father?! Sweetie Belle!?”

“Hey, there pumpkin,” Hondo said.

“It’s nice to see you again, dear. You’re looking a lot better now,” Cookie Crumbles added.

“Hey, Rarity,” Sweetie said in a subdued tone.

Rarity turned to her little sister, ears flattened. “S…Sweetie Belle…” she said, “I…It’s really good to see you again…” Her breath hitched in her throat as tears streamed down her cheeks.

“You too, I guess….” The silence returned again as neither said knew exactly what to say to one another. Sweetite sighed as she started to speak. “Rarity–”

Rarity slowly walked over and lowered herself. “No, Sweetie. You don’t have to say anything. I was the one who was stubborn and acted like a fool. I drowned myself in my sorrow and refused to accept accountability. Well, no more! Starting today, Rarity makes a change! For herself and for her family!”

Sweetie rolled her eyes but also smiled while shaking her head and embracing her sister in a hug. “You’re still a drama queen,” she said.

Rarity returned the hug properly. “Well, you can’t expect everything to change, darling,” the unicorn said with a smile of her own.

As Rarity’s parents joined in on the family hug, Rainbow watched. She looked back at Scootaloo, took a deep breath and walked slowly over to her. She saw Scootaloo’s parents and aunts move closer protectively to the filly, causing Rainbow to stop. She looked down at her former little sister and took a deep breath. “Scoots, I was a flankhole.”

“Hey, language!” Holiday admonished with a scowl.

“Even if it is appropriate,” Lofty added.

“I know, and I’m sorry for using that language,” Rainbow said to Scootaloo’s aunts and parents, “but I’m not sorry for the description of myself. That’s all true.” She turned back to Scootaloo, ears flattened. “I’m sorry I was a lousy role model. When ponies look up to you, you have to be there for them. You can’t mess up and let them down. Otherwise, they’ll think the behavior I was doing is okay, but it’s not. None of what I did and said was awesome or cool. It was mean. I’m glad you didn’t pick any of that up, Scoots.”

Scootaloo looked down and kicked at the dirt under her hoof awkwardly. “...Yeah, but the truth is I don’t know how I feel about humans. What happened to Jason was wrong, I know that, but it hurt knowing you did it. It hurt seeing how bad you were hurt. I don’t know what to think anymore…”

Sweetie Belle, who was coming over after her reunion with Rarity, said, “Is that why you said yesterday that the other human should leave Ponyville?”

Scootaloo shrugged. “Kinda. I didn’t want him to get hurt, honest, but him being there was making ponies crazy.”

“Scoots, those ponies were idiots too,” Rainbow said firmly, “they were acting cruel even when the other human was doing nothing wrong. It’s important to always follow what you know is right and wrong. If some adults are acting like jerks then don’t listen or follow them. Sometimes, you have to be your own mare!”

To everypony’s surprise save for Mane and Snap, Scootaloo’s wings began to buzz. She lifted off of the ground so that she was eye to eye with Rainbow, hovering in place like any other pegasus. “But how do I know what’s right and wrong anymore?” she asked, desperation in her tone.

“You got your parents and your aunts. They can tell these kinds of things. And if it still means anything, you got me. You can use me as an example of what not to do. Like I said, I messed up, and it takes a big pony to admit that. It's not an ego thing. And I promise I won’t ever let you down or steer you wrong. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!”

Slowly, Scootaloo landed. She looked at the ground for a few moments before she took a step forward. “I…I missed you…” she said, hiccuping and looking at the ground.

Rainbow meets her half way and pulls her into a hug. “I missed you like twenty percent more.”

With that, the tears came and Scootaloo bawled, leaning against her. Everypony else nearby couldn’t help but be touched by this heartwarming reunion. Everypony except for Scootaloo’s family. Their faces did soften, but not by much. Snap Shutter took a step forward. “Rainbow Dash,” he said firmly, “I admire what you said, but Mane and I, along with her aunts, need more than just your word before we can trust you alone with our daughter. Do you understand what I mean?”

Rainbow straightened herself up and walked right up to Snap Shutter. “Hit me!”

“What?” Snap balked while the others looked confused.

“I want you to hit me,” Rainbow confirmed, pointing to her face. “Do it as hard and as long as you like. Don’t worry about bruises, I’ve taken worse. I mean, you can’t do any more damage than this.” Rainbow gestureed to herself. “So, let them fly.”

“You’re serious? You want Snap to hit you?” Mane Allgold asked in disbelief.

“If you’re not satisfied with just him, you can hit me too,” Rainbow insisted, “I’ll do whatever it takes for Scootaloo. Even taking a few lumps. I probably deserve worse, but that’s the best I can think of right now.” Rainbow stood there with conviction.

Scootaloo’s relatives stood gobsmacked as Snap Shutter looked at his wife, sister, and sister-in-law. When the mares all shrugged, he walked up to Rainbow, who in turn, prepared herself. “Alright, I hope you’re ready!” Snap raised his hoof while Rainbow stiffened in anticipation. His hoof shot forward and Rainbow closed her eyes. She expected a rough smack or a proper punch with the blunt end of a hard adventurer’s hoof. Instead, she felt a light bump against her snout. “Boop.”

“Huh?” Rainbow said in confusion.

Mane Allgood snickered. “My husband, who’s wrangled with all of the dangerous types of monsters in Equestria, giving Rainbow a boop. I should have taken a photograph of that.”

“I took one,” Pinkie said, holding up her camera with a photograph coming out of the instant camera.

Mane looked at it, then smirked. “I want copies,” she giggled.

Embarrassment flushed over Rainbow as she exclaimed, “Hey! Get rid of that!!!” It was a very unflattering picture. Rainbow’s face was scrunched up in a ugly manner.

“O-Oh, it’s not so bad, darling. I think Pinkie got your good side.” Rarity chortles.

Pinkie turned and stuck her tongue out at the prismatic pegasus, “I’m not gonna get rid of it, Dashie! I’m gonna get it developed and blown up and give copies to Scootaloo, her family, and maybe even Gregory!”

“The human who left?” Sweetie Belle asked. “Hey, wait a moment, where are you all going?” she asked, looking mostly at Rarity.

“We’re going to visit Starlight’s new school. The other girls are getting their things in order. They should be here any second now.” Pinkie stated.

At that moment, Applejack showed up, but she didn’t come alone. Much to everypony’s surprise, the entire Apple clan was also there, including a stunned Applebloom who stared in shock at the sight of her Crusader friends. “S-Sweetie Belle…? Scootaloo…?” she stammered.

“Applebloom!” Both fillies exclaimed.

Applebloom ran to them and tackled her two friends, crying hard as she held her two friends close with her earth pony strength. “Yer here! Yer here!” she said over and over again, tears streaming down her cheeks.

‘Ah, ain’t that precious.” Granny Smith said.

“Eeyup.” Big Mac agreed.

Pinkie looked at each of the Apple family, but more specifically at the heavy saddlebags they carried save for Applejack. “Um…are you all packed up for something?” she asked. Her confused face turned into one of anticipation “Are you coming with us!?”

“We got some relatives near the school in the next town over. Ah figure since we’re out there, we can pay them a visit fer a few days when we come back,” Applejack said.

Scootaloo looked up at her parents. “Mom, Dad, can we go too?” she pleaded.

“Well, I see no harm in it. Plus, it’s a good chance to talk with some other species and their culture.” Snap Shutter said in agreement.

“What about us?” Sweetie Belle asked, looking up at her own parents.

“That’s fine with us, dear. It’s closer to our home anyways.” Cookie said.

“Better hurry and get your things, then,” Pinkie said, “the train will be here in less than an hour.”

[High Elm Estate - Later That Morning]

High Life was sitting calmly in his study again while drinking some tea. While the evening was peaceful, head to admit that he was unbearably bored. Setting up Filthy Rich to take the fall for the mind wiping was entertaining enough, but now he had nothing else to occupy his attention. And he was not in the mood to host another meeting with the short-sighted lords. He sighed deeply as he moved to start his day of monotony. A gentle glow from his pocket stopped him in his tracks. He used his magic to take the glowing gemstone out of his pocket. It was a two way magical communication device that was tied to his spy shadowing Cozy Glow and her organization. “Hmm, I am overdue with a check up.” His horn glowed as the image of Feather Duster was projected from the gemstone. “What have you to report? Please tell me it is something worthwhile.”

“It is, my lord,” Feather Duster said. High Life noted that she had a triumphant look in her eyes. “I’ve recently discovered news pertaining to our young filly activist. Information that will ground her silly little movement to a halt!”

High Life raised a curious brow at his agent. “Well, well, it is not often I hear you so self-assured,” he said, more than a little curious at this new development. “This must be good news then. Well? Out with it. You’re holding up my morning duties.”

Feather nodded immediately. “Yes my lord. It’s come to my attention that the little filly isn’t as virtuous as she had led on to others. In reality she’s a very clever manipulator that has ties to Tirek!”

High Life had to sit up as he leaned forward. “Does she now? That’s a very bold calm. Are you sure this information is accurate?”

“I’d stake my career on it, my lord,” she said with utter surety. “The human was showing more of that visual mirror of our lives to a number of creatures here, you know the one that the first human used during The Trial. It displayed events where our sweet filly almost rid Equestia of all our magic.”

“Do you have visual confirmation of these events?” High Life asked. “The spell I gave you doubles as a scrying spell. We can both see and hear everything she has said and done!”

“I have it right here, my lord.”

As Feather Duster replayed what Cozy Glow had seen, High Life found himself smiling. A rarity for the ever stoic and serious stallion. “Excellent work. Truly, you have done well, Feather Duster. Send me that copy immediately.” He chuckled as he thought back to some of the scenes. “That version of Miss Glow is one I could grow to admire. A shame she isn’t a unicorn.”

She nodded again as she replied, “At once, sir. However, I should note that what the filly saw had greatly upset her and she had to be comforted by the human.” Feather Duster said, showing Gregory and Cozy talking.

“Hmm, then it is a good thing she has a shoulder to cry on going forward,” he said with a dark smirk, because she’ll be doing a lot more in the coming days.”

[The Walls Of Yggdrasil - Late Afternoon That Same Day]

Gregory stood on the walls near the southern portion of the magically infused walls, looking out at the landscape surrounding the fortified school. The sun was shining brightly, there was not a cloud in the sky, and there was a soft cool breeze emanating from the south. None of which did anything to improve his mood despite the beauty of raw nature normally helping him.

The day was warm, but not unpleasant. His metal pole was leaning against the wall. He felt a bit more secure with it than without. One knife was attached to his belt and he had a pistol holstered on his other hip. Even though Starlight had assured him that the magical protection would keep him safe within the walls, he wanted that extra bit of insurance. The attack by those false guards had probably scared him more than he guessed, he had realized.

After Cozy’s declaration, he had taken her back to the others despite how afraid she was. Immediately, Starlight took her aside and had a few words with her. He couldn’t hear what was said, but he could tell that Starlight was trying her best to reassure her. When the two came back, Cozy looked a bit more relaxed. However, Gregory wasn’t really in much of a mood to show more of the show but did promise that he’d show more another day.

Instead, he asked Starlight just where he would be staying so that he could unpack. She’d led him to the northernmost part of the tower and up a flight of stairs to what could only be described as a suite. It was bigger than his own apartment on Earth had been. The room itself had a high ceiling along with two levels, a main level where the main living area was located and an upper loft where his bed was located. The bed itself was comparable to a king sized one, but soft and sturdy. It had comfortable looking light green sheets with an evergreen comforter on top. On either side of the bed were two end tables with lamps on either side, a wind up analogue alarm clock on one, and drawers on either side. The loft was against the southernmost portion of the suite itself.

On the main floor, there were a number of items of furniture, such as a large couch facing the large ceiling to floor windows which themselves faced east along with a door which opened onto a balcony overlooking the eastern portion of the school grounds. Directly across from the loft was a large fireplace with two other windows on either side, each able to be opened.

His room also had a large desk and chair directly underneath the loft. Unlike the one from his old room in the Helping Hooves Shelter, the chair and desk was able to fit him perfectly. It was here that he set up all of his electronics for the time being.

There were bookshelves built into the walls along the main walls where he placed the few actual books he’d brought with him. He also had a large dresser and a walk-in closet where he put his clothes. There was a medium sized fridge and freezer combo in a corner along with a small rectangular table with two chairs near one of the windows. There was a small kitchenette as well, with cabinets that had a few plates and bowls and silverware in them.

The bathroom, located on the southeastern side of his room, was a full sized one, with a sink, toilet, and a shower/bath combo. Next to the bathtub, a frosted glass window sat. It could be opened so that he could look out onto the school grounds. There was also a cabinet where spare toiletries could be placed. All in all, the room he had been given was one of the nicest ones he’d had, plus it was relatively close to that tower’s cafeteria and a small laundry room.

It would have taken him ages to carry everything up the stairs along, but he received plenty of help from those who’d watched the show with him. Cozy was the most excited, asking him question after question about what he was unpacking. He humored her and explained just what everything he had was. Soon, his belongings were all unpacked. The fridge was stocked with the meat he’d brought along with sodas and Gatorade and Powerade he’d brought. He’d placed any dry food in some of the empty cabinets in the kitchenette and set some of his other things aside to organize later.

Afterwards, he decided he needed time to decompress, which was when he asked to be left alone to go for a walk. His guards had protested, but Starlight had reassured them that as long as he was within the boundaries of the school, he would be safe. He’d wandered around, exploring the different parts of the school grounds by himself. Eventually, he’d found the stairs on the outer walls which led to the wall walk. It was there that he stayed for a while, leaning against the wall and just looking around at the landscape just outside of the walls. He sighed and rubbed his eyes. “What am I doing?” he muttered to himself as he looked up at the sky. “What the fuck do I do about Cozy?” He put his head down on the battlements and groaned. “Goddamnit…”

He’d barely been in this world a week, and he could feel the second stage of moving to a new place starting to settle in: homesickness. He leaned against the battlements and slid down, wrapping his arms around his knees and staring up at the sky. It was in this way that Ember found him. “What’s scoffing at your scales? Or is it tan your hide?” Ember asked.

He looked up at her. “Oh, hey,” he said as he slowly stood and brushed his backside off. “I just got a lot on my mind…” He looked out at the dark forest below them.

“You tend to do that a lot. Is that a human thing?” she asked.

“It’s a me thing,” Gregory said, “don’t just go assuming that everything I do represents my entire species.” He turned to her. “If I did that, It’d be no better than what Twilight did.”

“Fair enough. So, what is this ‘me thing’ that’s bothering you?’

He turned away and looked back at the forest. “Cozy Glow,” he muttered.

“Didn’t you find her and give her off to unicorn Twilight?” Ember asked.

He nodded. “That’s not the issue here,” he said.

“Then spit it out,” Ember said in frustration, “I’d rather not play a guessing game when I’m the one offering you an ear.”

He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. In brief, he recounted what Cozy had said about her now being his daughter. “It came right out of left field,” he finished, “and honestly, I’m at a loss here.”

“What’s there to be lost about?” Ember asked. “The filly claimed you as a parental figure. You don’t have any hatchlings of your own. I don’t see a problem here. Ponies getting attached is normal for them.”

He turned on her. “Do I look like a pony to you? I was raised by two useless parents who couldn’t be bothered to give a shit about me until they kicked me out at eighteen. I’m not parental material.”

Ember rolled her eyes. “And? Dragons go their own way once they molt. But if your parents were bad then you already know how to be better than them. Just do the opposite of what they did to you.”

“Knowing what not to do isn’t quite the same as knowing what to do,” Gregory argued back.

“Does any creature know how to be a parent?”

Gregory looked at her, studying her face. He was surprised by how calmly and directly she was speaking to him. He blew out a breath. “No, I guess not, but she did kind of spring this on me. Humans don’t go adopting on a whim most of the time.”

“Eh, it's your fault for being a comfort to her,” Ember replied. “Now you’re stuck with her. Of course, you could always tell her no and break her heart.”

“Are all dragons good at guilt tripping, or is that a you thing?” Gregory replied with a scowl, “because I don’t appreciate it.”

Ember smirked down at Gregory from where she hovered. “Oh? Is that a challenge? If you don’t like what I’m saying then we could always blow off some stress with a good spar,”

“You and I know damned well you’d beat me even now,” Gregory said, “and do you know just how it feels to lose?” He caught himself and sighed. “No, forget I asked that…” He turned away.

“Urgh, look, all I know is that the filly likes you,” Ember said, “she wouldn’t want to be near you if she didn’t see you as a kind creature. Stop overthinking everything and keep doing what you’ve been doing. It’s worked so far.”

He turned back to her. Her words struck a chord with him. He stood straighter. “I guess you’re right…huh, guess all I needed was a simpler view of things.”

Ember scowled at him. “What do you mean by simple?” she asked, baring her teeth at him.

Gregory couldn’t help it. He smirked. “Well, not everybody can have brains like yours,” he teased.

“I know, it’s a gift.” Ember smiled. “So no more doubting?”

“I’ll just do what I’ve been doing, but I’m still gonna be talking with her about it,” Gregory replied. He picked up his pole and looked at her. “So what brought you out here anyway? Looking for little old me?” he asked.

“I was a bit bored after the search. I figured I could teach you a thing or two about hunting.”

He pointed at the forest. “In there?” he asked.

“You see any other forests around here?” she replied.

He chuckled and looked back at it. “That might actually be nice,” he said.

“Of course it would,” Ember smirked, “you’ll need to start getting food of your own whenever this place isn’t stocked up. Maybe you could make a lesson out of it when you get good at it.”

“For omnivores, sure,” Gregory chuckled as he turned. “Let’s get a move on then. Sunset will be here in a few hours. This might give me an opportunity to clear my head.”

“Good call,” she said as she hovered beside him.

Ember allowed Gregory to bring his knives and a gun since he lacked the natural tools to hunt by claw. The Dragon Lord explained that she had scouted the forest earlier that day and found some prime locations to catch game. Ember informed Gregory of what they will be catching. A jackalope. A small rodent that bears a resemblance to a rabbit but with antlers on its head. “And they’re extremely delicious,” she finished, licking her lips.

“I’ve heard of them,” he replied, “they’re myths in my world, but I was under the impression that most animals here weren’t meant to be eaten. Hell, when the Gjallarhorn showed me that trial, I saw that even you looked disgusted when Twilight accused humans of being a cannibalistic species. And if a jackalope is a mix of rabbit and antelope, well, I know rabbits are at least off the menu.”

“They’re not intelligent like rabbits,” Ember explained. “You could even say they’re as far removed from rabbits as we are from, say, a worm. You can eat them and no one will raise a stink about it.”

He grinned, licking his lips. “Good. I’ve had rabbit and antelope meat from my world, both of which aren’t like the ones here. If jackalopes taste the same, then I bet they’re exquisite, especially in stew. I’ve got to find out if there are meat grinders here…” he chuckled as they approached the edge of the forest. He paused and looked up at the dense line of trees. His smile faded. “This place gives me the creeps.”

“Getting cold hooves? Or claws?” Ember paused her taunt as she looks down at Gregory’s boots. “What are those things called anyway?”

“I have feet,” he said, looking up at the hovering dragoness, “but you can’t see them right now for obvious reasons. And I’m not talking about the modesty thing. To answer your previous question though, I’m not getting cold feet. This forest just gives me a bad feeling. It’s like there’s some ancient evil inside.” He looked at his arm and shivered. “Jesus, I’m getting goosebumps.”

“Pfft, whatever,” Ember replied with a dismissive wave of her claw, “I’m a thousand times more intimidating than anything in this forest. Besides, do you think the other Twilight would pick this location for the school if there was something dangerous here?”

“Whoever founded Ponyville parked it right next to the Everfree Forest,” Gregory reminded her, “and that place has all sorts of dangerous creatures in it.”

“And they’ve survived and thrived for as long as it stands today,” Ember argued back, “so I fail to see your point.”

“My point is I have absolutely no magic, not like other creatures in this world,” he said as they walked into the forest, “and that makes me extremely vulnerable.”

“Again, you’re with the Dragon Lord. I won't let the big scary forest hurt you.”

He glared up at her. “Don’t patronize me,” he said as he pulled out his pistol. “Now then, where are these jackalopes?”

“Good, now, we’re talking about something interesting,” Ember chuckled before pointing ahead of them. “They should be over this next clearing. I suggest using the foliage as cover and staying quiet. They get spooked real easily.”

Gregory crept as stealthily as he could towards the clearing where Ember had pointed. As he did so, he drank in the sights and smells of the forest around him, trying to be as alert to anything that could be a danger to him. Despite Ember’s reassurances, he still wanted to be ready in case of anything.

The forest itself was dense, with thick foliage that was difficult to pass through without getting some of the dark purple, red or green leaves in his hair and on his clothes. The trees themselves had dark purple and green bark, most of which were mostly covered in moss. The undergrowth was overgrown with bushes, some with leaves or needles of a deep red hue, others with a dark purple and others with green or blue. Despite the multicolored nature of the forest, the colors that he did see were muted, almost as if the forest itself was sick.

The only other strange thing he noticed were the massive crystals that came up from the ground. They had a mostly blackish hue, but Gregory could see that there were a few that had a slightly glowing aquamarine tint coming from within. The blackness seemed to be creeping up from the ground towards the tips of these crystals. All in all, the forest looked somewhat familiar, but he couldn’t put his finger on why.

Since Ember could fly above the brush she made very little noise. He moved slowly and whenever there was a slight breeze he moved faster. After a while he came to the edge of the clearing and peered in. Jackalopes were bigger than he thought. They were about half as big as a lion. Quietly, he raised his gun and aimed it at the head of the biggest one he could see. He took a deep but silent breath and pulled the trigger which put the bullet directly into the jackalope’s head.

Ember arched a brow at the effectiveness of the kill as their quarry hit the ground. Going over to inspect it, she saw that the weapon Gregory had used on it put a clean hole through its cranium. “Huh, not bad. You killed it before it even knew what was happening.”

Gregory put his gun away and walked up to it. He kneeled and examined the creature more closely. “I need to be careful. I don’t have access to a way to replenish this weapon if I run out of ammunition. Looks like I’ll need to learn more about how to use my blades very soon.” He lifted the animal and slung it over his shoulder. “The only disadvantage is the loud sound it makes.”

“Yeah, you did scare off anything else for miles,” Ember acknowledged, “but at least this catch appears fat. It should last a couple of days. Now, let’s haul it back so I can show you how to skin it.”

“Roast jackalope…sounds good to me,” he said as he began carrying it out of the forest.

As they continued with their trek, Ember paused and sniffed at the air. Gregory noticed this and looked around as well. He soon noticed the distinct lack of noise coming from the forest. Everything had gone deathly silent save for their footsteps. He then caught a whiff of something foul. Foul and familiar. A second later the dragoness turned around with a growl. Gregory turned with her. Both of them spied a bush rustling a few feet behind before four timberwolves came walking out and baring their teeth. One of the timberwolves, which had silvery glowing eyes instead of the normal sickly green eyes, was almost three times as tall as the other two, who were still bigger than the timberwolf that Gregory had killed. All that Gregory could say at that moment was, “Oh shit…”

“They must’ve smelled the jackalope and come to steal it,” Ember hissed.

“Fuck, they can have it for all I care,” he replied, “nothing is worth being attacked by a timberwolf.”

“Idiot,” Ember whispered, “they won’t just settle for the jackalope now that they see us with it.”

Gregory ran through the possible scenarios. He’d been lucky before, but all he had was a pistol, and because he was still holding the jackalope, he wasn’t sure if he could be fast enough to drop it and draw the pistol, disengage the safety and get a good shot before they were on him and the Dragon Lord. “Alright, Miss Dragon Lord, what do we do now?” he asked, hoping she’d thought of something he hadn’t.

Ember grinned broadly as she crouched down, primed her claws, and flared her wings. “Now, I’d say we gather some firewood to cook our game!”

Ember pounced toward the first timberwolf in front of her, which happened to be one of the smaller ones. The hounds of bark were startled by the brazen charge, so much so that Ember managed to land a clean hook against the timberwolf in the middle of the back, destroying its head in an instant. She quickly whipped her tail against the barrel of the timberwolf on the left, tossing it hard against a nearby tree. She grabbed the last smaller timberwolf on the right by the neck and hurled it at the one that hit the tree. Taking a deep breath, she breathed hot blazing flames, reducing the wolf to ashes before turning to face the others.

The taller one with the silvery eyes gazed at Ember, not with anger so much as malicious intent. Gregory frowned. This one was different from the other two, and not just because of its height and eyes. There was a strange intelligence there, one that terrified him. He quickly released his grip on the jackalope and pulled out his pistol again. As he did this, the silver eyed timberwolf leaned back its head and released a howl. The brush around them began to move, and at once eight or so more of the green eyed timberwolves came out. Gregory cursed under his breath. He only had twelve bullets left, and he doubted that would be enough for them and any more that might show up.

He quickly looked back at the burning timberwolf to see if it was getting up. Said timberwolf was writhing around and shrieking in pain, but he had no time to keep an eye on it as another two began advancing on him. He knew he had to make every shot count since he didn’t have a spare clip. “Note for next time, bring some spare clips,” he said as he brought up his pistol and aimed at the nearest one’s head. He fired, and the timberwolf disintegrated immediately, becoming a mass of moss and wood.

This got the attention of the silvery eyed timberwolf, whose eyes flashed as it stared at Gregory. The timberwolf raised a hoof, and in the most sickening voice, actually spoke. The word wasn’t one that Gregory recognized, but the intent was now clear. He had become the main target.

“Shit!” Gregory swore again as three more approached him. His heart was beating hard and sweat was forming fast. He swallowed and took quick but careful aim at the nearest one. The bullet went straight through its head and it came apart like the first. He turned, aimed at the second one and fired again. However, he only grazed it, leaving it to retreat from him but not coming apart. In the back of his mind he quickly counted how many more bullets he had before he would be forced to use his knife. He’d already used four bullets, leaving him with nine more.

He could vaguely hear Ember nearby breathing dragonfire at other timberwolves, but he had his own to worry about, as more timberwolves were now surrounding him. He counted four who were surrounding him, including the one he’d grazed. They moved more quickly now, seeming to have gotten the idea that whatever he was wielding was dangerous to them.

He knew he’d run out of time, so he aimed and began firing once more, doing his best to make sure each shot counted. He managed to take out the one he’d grazed thankfully then dispatched the one next to him. This led to him having an opening, which he immediately took. The three remaining timberwolves roared and gave chase. He made his way back the way they’d come through the forest, hoping that his smaller stature and the denseness of this forest would give him an advantage so that he could get further ahead and be able to get two more shots off at them before they caught him.

However, this forest was their home, not his. They moved with a swiftness that was surprising considering their size. They kept pace with him, almost as if they were toying with him. Glowing green sap dripped from their maws and sizzled when it hit the ground. Adrenaline ran through Gregory’s body harder than it had ever done before, and he pumped his legs for all they were worth.

At long last, he breached the forest’s edge and made a break for it, then when he heard the timberwolves breach the borders, he turned, took careful aim again and took the shot. He cursed as he missed two more times. Seven more bullets remained, and he forced his hands to steady. The third shot was one of the luckiest shots he’d had as it went through the head of one and directly into the one behind it, making both of them collapse into wood. However, before he could get a shot off the other was on him, swiping at him and sending him flying. The gun flew from his grasp and out of his reach, landing in the grass somewhere.

He landed hard on his back, which knocked the wind out of him. He lay there winded before he felt a searing pain on his chest. Looking down, he saw that his jacket and shirt were torn open and was now being stained with blood. He screamed in utter agony, but he didn’t have time to crawl away as the remaining timberwolf was on top of him, glaring down at him with its sickly green eyes. Despite the pain, he felt a new wave of terror passing through him. He fumbled for the knife at his side and quickly pulled it out of its leather sheath. The timberwolf came down, its putrid breath making Gregory almost pass out from the overwhelming odor. It opened its maw and moved down.

Gregory acted immediately, thrusting the blade into its upper mouth with a scream of defiance. “GO BACK TO HELL!” he bellowed in fury.

The timberwolf screamed, but the scream stopped a few seconds later. The light went out of its eyes and it collapsed, half burying him in its body. He groaned as he tried to push himself clear of the rubble. Fortunately for him, the timberwolf had only partially landed on him. Slowly he stood, wincing in pain as he looked at the new gash on his chest. It went diagonally from the right side of his chest to to the bottom left side of his stomach. The cut didn’t look as deep as he’d thought, but it was still bleeding pretty badly.

Just then, there was more commotion that came from the forest. Ember was in a tussle with the silvery eyed timberwolf, and unlike the other timberwolves, dragonfire didn’t seem to affect this one as much. The silver eyed timberwolf had some singed wood, but that was about it.

Gregory stood and looked around for his gun and his pole which he had lost in the timberwolf attack. He found the pole first which was buried in a lone bush nearby. He grabbed it and used it to help him walk. He quickly looked around in the grass around him for his pistol. All the while, Ember continued to wrestle the strange timberwolf.

He felt the effect of the blood loss from his injury starting to affect him, but he did his best to push through it as he made his way around the area where he thought the gun had been flung. “When this is over, I’m getting that thing attached to an elastic band,” he said ruefully, “such a fucking cliché!”

“I think - hnng! - you should just carry everything with you from now on!” Ember shouted. She had to admit that this timberwolf was relentless. It was mostly resistant to her flames and it knew the terrain well. Flying would give her more of an advantage, but any other timberwolves this one summoned would simply gang up on Gregory if she did that. Grabbing and pushing the alpha away from her face, Ember launched it back toward the forest with a mule kick.

“I’ll remember that if I live through this!” he shouted back as he continued searching for his gun. However, when the silver eyed timberwolf raised its head and said something in that dark language, more timberwolves came out of the forest. The timberwolf said something else, and Gregory froze. It was almost as if he’d been commanded to stop. He turned towards the silver eyed timberwolf. It was looking at him with the eyes of a predator. He felt like he was lost in its spell. Without realizing it, he began stumbling towards it, almost as if in a trance. The pole fell out of his hands and tumbled to the ground. When he realized what was happening, he fought the urge to move, but his body wouldn’t obey. He couldn’t even scream for help.

The silver eyed timberwolf stood and loomed up in the distance before it said something again, causing the other timberwolves to make their way to it. Then it did something Gregory didn’t expect. To his complete shock, the silver eyed timberwolf began destroying the smaller timberwolves, all of whom just sat and let the taller timberwolf do that until there was nothing left of them but assorted pieces of wood. The wood began to glow in that same silver hue and swirled around the creature, attaching to the silver eyed timberwolf and making it even bigger. It reminded Gregory of the large timberwolf in Spike At Your Service.

As he continued walking towards the growing timberwolf, Ember turned and saw what Gregory was doing. “Hey! What in Tartarus are you doing?! Stay away from that lumberwolf!” she shouted at him. She called out to him a couple more times, but after seeing that her words were failing, she darted towards the entranced just as the newly formed massive lumberwolf raised its paw. Ember managed to push Gregory to safety, but the paw came down and scraped against her shoulder, leaving behind a nasty gash. Ember bit down a scream of pain as she rolled with Gregory in tow. They fell over each other until she was pinning him down. When she saw a slight silvery glow in his eyes, she slapped his face hard. “Wake up, human. This is no time for a nap!” she snarled.

Thanks in part to Ember’s slap and the eye contact with the lumberwolf being broken, Gregory quickly came back to his senses. He grit his teeth in pain. He tried to sit up, but the blood loss was growing worse. The ground shook under him as the lumberwolf walked closer. “Ugh…what happened…?”

“Does that noise maker have anything left?!” Ember demanded.

“Yeah…if I can…find it…” he said as he slowly and painfully tried to sit up. “YAAH!” he screamed in pain.

Ember looked back quickly and saw the lumberwolf approaching. Turning back she said, “This is gonna hurt, so hang on!” Ember quickly grabbed him in her arms and took to the skies to avoid another paw crushing down on them. She scanned the forest carefully for Gregory’s weapon and found it on the ground right behind the lumberwolf. Growling, she hovered in front of it as if to egg the beast on. Taking the challenge, the wolf opened its maw as gas began to build. The lumberwolf reared its head back and launched a toxic stream of smog at the pair. Ember waited until the last possible second before diving under the foul smelling fumes and sliding underneath the wolf before tumbling to Gregory’s weapon. She grabbed it and flew back up, making her way back to him and lifting him up. She steadied him against a tree and looked at him with fire in her eyes. “Listen to me, you can’t faint yet!” she shouted. “I need you to destroy the heart in the center of it with this thing. Wait for my signal!”

“Okay,” he said weakly.

Ember took off to the sky once more as the lumberwolf turned around. She grimaced at the aftermath of its toxic breath against the foliage. The attack left nothing intact as it was reduced to rotting slag. “Okay, don’t get hit by that.”

“I can barely move…” he said, feeling the effects of his adrenaline wearing off and the pain only getting worse.

“Just keep that thing aimed at the heart,” she replied, “I’m going to charge it!”

Ember glared at the lumberwolf before flying straight towards it. It met her charge and opened its maw again, fully intent on devouring her whole. Ember smirked at this as she launched a quick fireball into its open muzzle. The lumberwolf stopped in its tracks and whined horribly at the intense flames. It glared at her with hateful eyes and said something in that dark language it spoke. It was almost on top of Gregory.

Seeing her chance, Ember dove for the chest cavity where the heart was and pried the bark apart, giving Gregory a clear shot. “NOW!!!”

Gregory held up the gun, took aim, and fired. The lumberwolf paused in its thrashing, a look of shock spreading over its face. Not wanting to take any chances, Gregory emptied the rest of the clip into its heart, bellowing with every ounce of strength he had left. When he finished, he let his hand fall to the side. There was silence; the moments passing an eternity. Finally, there was a cracking noise like a tree falling in the woods. The lumberwolf began to slowly fall apart, its silver eyes dimming until there was nothing but eye sockets. After about ten seconds, the entire lumberwolf was gone, disappeared. Not in a pile of rubble, but into a pile of sawdust.

As the lumberwolf was disintegrating, the piece that was the lumberwolf’s head collapsed on his legs, burying them in sawdust. Something fell into his lap. Looking down, Gregory saw three glowing gems. One was a sphere the size of a softball and the other two were small oval shaped cut gems, each about the size of a marble. All three had that same silvery glow to them, albeit a bit weaker than before. He looked down at them, then slipped all three into his jacket pocket and with what little strength he had left, zipped it up.

Immediately after the lumberwolf was gone, the nasty timberwolf breath smell in the air vanished, and it felt like he was breathing sweet air. In fact, the oppressive air that he’d felt in the forest seemed to lift almost immediately. He heard distant roaring noises rise up before being instantly silenced. He leaned his head against the tree Ember had placed him against. Despite the intense pain he was feeling, he couldn’t help but spit at the pile of sawdust. “Go to hell, monster,” he said.

Ember walked up next to him, clutching her bloodied arm while managing a pained smile as she collapsed against the same tree he was leaning against. Her shoulder touched his and she looked over at him. “N-not bad. You’re so teaching me how to use that thing…” she said, nodding down at the gun.

“We’ll see…” he replied weakly.

Just then, he heard the sound of distant galloping hooves. He weakly looked towards the source, only to see a number of ponies running towards them. He pushed through the pain and lightheadedness to see who they were. He recognized Starlight Glimmer, Moonlight and Swift, along with a couple other ponies, a griffin hen, and a hippogriff male.

As they approached, he saw black spots forming on the edge of his vision. He spat out blood, then with his strength finally spent, he collapsed. Right before he lost consciousness, he caught a brief glimpse of the head of a white horse with a silvery mane poking its head out from the nearby trees, its dark blue eyes directed straight at him.

The last thing he heard was Starlight screaming his name in terror.

[Canterlot - Luna’s Bedchambers - That Same Time]

Blueblood trotted into her aunt’s bedchamber, a snifter of wine as well as a bottle of the same wine in his magic and his two personal guards remaining outside. He turned to them and nodded. “Stay here,” he ordered the two mares.

“Yes, your highness,” one of them replied with a salute.

The doors closed behind him and he looked over at his aunt, who was giving him a narrowed eyed look from her desk where she was looking over a few things. The two stared at each other for a while before Luna’s horn glowed. The entire room was bathed in a dark blue glow. The curtains were shut, the doors locked, and the magical silence spell was complete. The moment the spell was in place, Blueblood straightened, walked over to a nearby sink, and dumped nearly the entire bottle down the drain. “By Faust…” he said, “this is exhausting.” He put the snifter down on the counter next to the sink and looked back at his aunt. “Good evening, Auntie.”

“Hello, dear nephew.” Luna replied with a nod.

He pointed to one of the two chairs in front of his aunt’s fireplace. “Mind if I sit down?”

“Verily, you may sit.”

Blueblood walked over, the snifter still in his magic. He sat and stared into the fire. Taking a deep breath, she sighed. “I am so…so…sick of this,” he growled. There was frustration in his voice as he slammed the snifter down on the small table between the two chairs. “If I have to play the fool for those flank kissing sycophants one more time, I’m going to jump from the castle parapets!”

“Do not even joke about that,” Luna said. She stood and came to his side, putting a comforting wing around him “Patience is the only way to win here, nephew. Above all else, Celestia has taught you that much. Now, I believe there is a reason for your visitation besides venting your woes.”

Blueblood sighed as he nodded. “It’s about Gregory’s unfortunate banishment from Ponyville. I believe I know the cause of it.”

“Other than rampant bigotry and xenophobia?” Luna asked with an arched brow.

“Yes,” Blueblood replied. He lifted the bag he came in with and opened it. A few papers came hovering out. “You might want to sit down and bring out those reading glasses of yours, Auntie.”

Luna did just that as she took hold of the documents. They were documents from the Royal Canterlot Bank which showed a large number of bits being withdrawn from an account. The account of one Filthy Rich. She pushed her glasses down in alarm. “What treachery is this?! I ordered Filthy’s account to be frozen!”

“This was done before that, dear Auntie,” Blueblood said, “just look at the date.”

“Hmm, I see. But who would steal from Filthy and to what ends?”

“Bribe money, Auntie,” Blueblood reasoned. “Think about it: Jason Wright just collected half of Ponyville’s income a few days ago. The bits from a bribe wouldn’t be a part of the Gjallarhorn’s punishment. You know the old saying; Bits neigh.”

“Then somepony in Ponyville received the bribe,” Luna concluded, “but what was their deal for the bits?”

“My source actually spoke to one of the ponies at the Helping Hooves Shelter with some valuable information,” Blueblood replied. “I have the conversation that my contact recorded.” He lifted his horn and a frozen scene appeared in front of the two royals. It was from the perspective of an unknown unicorn standing in the Helping Hooves Shelter hallways. The pony was watching a conversation going down at a nearby open door. A random unicorn stallion was standing in front none other than Spoiled Milk, formerly Spoiled Rich. The earth pony mare was standing in a doorway, her daughter beside her with a downcast look on her face. “Watch.”

The scene began and the unicorn asked, “Excuse me, are you Miss Spoiled Milk?”

Spoiled looked at the speaker. “Yes…that’s me,” she said.

“Hello, my name is Risk Assessment,” the stallion said, “and I’ve come from Canterlot to try and help this poor town after the collection the other day. The pony I’m working for is willing to repatriate everypony who was robbed. Were you one of the ponies who were forced to give up half your bits?”

“I am.” Spoiled said in an unsure tone.

“And just how much were you forced to surrender?” Risk asked.

“Half my wages, everpony knows that. What is this?!”

“I meant specifically,” Risk said, “because if I know that, I can compensate you for what you lost. Every bit back in your hooves.”

Spoiled scoffed at this offer. “I’m not going to disclose what I make to somepony I barely even know,” she said, “so please leave.”

“My benefactor is an extremely wealthy but private pony who wants to help,” Risk said,

“What’s the catch then?” Spoiled asked, “because you aren’t fooling anypony. I can smell a setup when I see one.”

Risk smiled. “You’re very astute,” he said, “but I wouldn’t call it a catch. We just need you to help rid this town of a certain undesirable element.”

Spoiled narrowed her eyes. “This ‘undesirable element’ wouldn’t happen to be furless, stands on two legs and human would it?”

Risk nodded. “It’s clear he’s not wanted around here,” he said, “and my employer simply wish to remove him to an environment where he wouldn’t be in danger-”

“You’re lying!” a young filly’s voice called out from inside the room. A pink earth pony filly came into view, looking up at Risk with a scowl, “You just wanna hurt Gregory like those other ponies and everypony else in town when they hurt Jason!”

Risk looked down at the light pink filly. “Not at all, not at all,” he said, sounding mollified, “we just want to protect-”

“I like Gregory! He’s nice!” the filly shouted, interrupting the unicorn. “He reads us stories at night and stuff!”

Spoiled looked down at her daughter in surprise before she turned back to Risk. “I believe my daughter has made our stance very clear. We’ll have no part in whatever nonsense you and your employer are engaged in. Now, get out. You’re disturbing us.”

Risk simply nodded. “Very well, Ms. Milk. Good day.” With that, he turned and walked down the hall

The spell ended as Luna glared down at the empty space. “That was Risk Assessment. He works with the Treasury Department. It makes sense how he gained access to the funds. I believe he is also in league with the rest of your cohorts?”

Blueblood nodded, turned, and gave her a smirk. “Verily,” he said, doing what he always did to try and cheer his aunt up: imitate her archaic speech.

Luna returned the smirk. “Then that means we now have probable cause to open a case against the House of Lords. We can finally see what other manner of dealings they’ve done to undermine the crown. Begin preparations at once, nephew.”

He nodded, grabbed his empty bottle and snifter before splashing the wine on his face. “Okay, flankhole Blueblood is back,” he said, the smell of alcohol permeating the air instantly. He turned and began walking to the door with a bit of a wobble. “Gotta make it convincing,” he said with a chuckle.

Luna sighed, smiled, then dropped the shield. With the dropping of the shield, her smile instantly vanished and her countenance took on a stern tone. “Go sleep it off, nephew,” she said with some disdain in her tone, “we have much to do in court tomorrow.”

He raised the snifter and nodded. “Yes, Auntie,” he said as he opened the door with his magic. “Take me to my room,” he ordered his guards.

As the guards helped the “drunk” prince away, Luna watched him go with a disapproving scowl painted on her face. However, on the inside, there was a smirk. Celestia had definitely taught their nephew well. She closed the door and went back to her reports. “Let’s see…unusual weather reports…”

Chapter 14 - The Recovery

[Train To Seeds Of Yggdrasil - Later That Day]

Celestia sat next to the window seat of the car that she and the others who were heading to Starlight’s new school, paying close attention to everything that her former student was saying. Twilight was sitting opposite Celestia with Pinkie Pie next to the young alicorn. Sunset was sitting next to Celestia, also listening intently.

At the moment, Twilight was recounting every single interaction she’d had with the second human Gregory Graystone since his arrival to Equestria. Pinkie was sitting and listening as well, having volunteered to tell about her interactions after Twilight. More specifically, she was recounting the unusual story he had been reading to the foals at the Shelter before he was kicked out, at least, all that he had managed to read. “…and Thorin’s company made it all the way to Rivendell, where the Elf named Elrond read the ancient runes on the swords that they found in the Troll cave. One was named Orcrist and the other Glamdring. Then Elrond looked at the map of the Lonely Mountain and-”

“Geez, slow down,” Rainbow said from where she was sitting across the aisle from the four, holding her head with her hooves, “you’re giving me a headache. All these weird names and places…”

Twilight stopped and looked a bit sheepish. “I guess I went a little overboard,” she said, “but he gave me a copy of that book and a bunch of others that are apparently set in the same world. I haven’t read them yet, though.”

“…Can I borrow it when you’re done?” Rainbow asked hesitantly.

Twilight nodded. “Of course!”

Celestia smiled at the ponies in the car with her. “It warms my heart to see the changes you’ve made regarding our newest human visitor,” she said.

“Thank you, Princess– Oh, I mean, Celestia,” Twilight quickly corrected herself. “I have to say that at first my interactions were mostly out of guilt, but the more I spent time with Gregory, the more I grew to like his company.”

“He’s really nice and understanding,” Pinkie added. “He tries his best to make sure we’re happy and content. And he knows his way around a joke. Fair warning, he might try to compliment you on your looks.” Pinkie winked at that.

“Oh? He’s the flirty type? I know how to handle him then,” Sunset said, winking back. “Leave it to Pinkie Pie to be the best pony for representing harmony’s tenets. If the rest of you aren’t careful, you’ll be out of a job.”

“Yeah, yeah, poke fun at us. We deserve it,” Rainbow grumbled.

“It’s fine, Rainbow,” Celestia said, “the fact that you’re on this train now means that you’ve made the correct steps to moving past your issues. It’s never too late to correct mistakes and gain a friend.”

“I certainly would like his ear on human fashion sense,” Rarity said. “The gifts he left behind has sparked that feeling of inspiration within me again.”

“It’d be nice to have another partner to talk to and share a glass of cider with,” Applejack stated, “especially since Big Mac here said he bought a whole barrel.”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac confirmed.

‘I wonder what animals are like in his world?” Fluttershy pondered aloud. “Do you think they know how to gather food for themselves? Do they know how to find good shelter? Oh, what about avoiding deadly predators? Maybe Gregory knows a way back to his world so I can check– hmph!?” Fluttershy found herself silenced by a cupcake forcibly pushed into her mouth.

Pinkie had her hoof against Fluttershy’s muzzle. Her new look notwithstanding, she could still keep things in her mane, it seemed. “Relax, Fluttershy. Breath and enjoy the comforting cupcake. Let it ease your worries as it slides neatly into your stomach.”

Sheepishly, Fluttershy hid behind her mane, chewing on the cupcake before swallowing. “...Thanks Pinkie…”

“Yeesh, and I thought my Flutters was bad.” Sunset said with a chuckle, leaning into her former mentor who put a wing around the fiery unicorn.

“Sunset, perhaps you can share some of your experience in the mirror realm?” Celestia suggested. “I know it’s not technically the human world that Gregory and Jason came from, but it’s bound to share some similarities.”

Sunset looked around the car and noticed the eager faces of the ponies around her. She thought a bit about it and shrugged. “Sure, why not. Let’s start with this amazing thing called cellphones.”

“Oh! Gregory has one of those!” Twilight explained eagerly.

Sunset grinned. “Well, let me tell you more, then,” she said.

The rest of the train ride was filled with the many wonders of Sunset’s new home. She talked about how cellphones made writing letters obsolete, a fact that Twilight vehemently denied. Then there was the discussion about the different modes of transportation the humans utilized. Twilight explained then that Gregory had brought a vehicle with him called a car. Sunset nodded and told everypony more about those marvelous inventions. Next, she went on to discuss trains. None of the ponies ever thought of replacing the steam engine trains with electric ones that didn’t even require stallions pulling it. But the idea of humans flying in various air transports got Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo shouting in disbelief and awe. It got to the point where Sunset called upon a memory spell to display her claims. She showed them highways full of different shaped vehicles, an airplane taking off from an airport, a fast train riding across a road, computers, video game consoles, cell phones, shopping malls, parks, zoos, libraries, museums and more. The train was pulling into the station as Sunset concluded the last of her memories, which involved her showing them various famous websites from her new world.

“And that’s why the internet is more chaotic than Discord on his best day.” Sunset finished as they all got up and headed to grab their luggage.

“Wow. Ah never would think words would make ponies act all kooky,” Applebloom said.

“Yeah, that seems silly,” Sweetie Belle said.

“Girls, are you forgetting Gabby Gums?” Scootaloo asked. This caused the Crusaders to go silent.

“It mostly had to do with the anonymity these websites provide,” Sunset explained, noticing the fillie’s expressions and hoping to try and distract them, “but it also shows how some people lack maturity when they think there are no consequences.”

“Don’t I know it…” Rainbow said.

“So is that Christmas holiday like Hearth’s Warming?” Pinkie asked as she grabbed her own bag.

“Yeah, it’s celebrated in a similar way, but the origins are a bit different,” Sunset said. “It’s one of my favorite holidays in the world.”

“I must say that this land is quite pristine,” Rarity said as she surveyed the area where the train station was located. “I’m surprised no one has built a villa here.” She turned to Celestia. “Why hasn’t any kingdom ever tried to expand here?”

“Because none of the kingdoms within the continent could agree on what to do with the land.” Celestia stated. “The area was close to several other kingdoms and if one tried to lay claim here, then it could potentially be seen as an invasion. So the land was left mostly to the wilds. It’s a vast unexplored territory, too. No creature has really done much exploring in the Neutral Lands. Not only that, but there were some dark myths surrounding the land.”

“What kind of dark myths?” Twilight asked.

Sunset chuckled. “Oh, I can answer this one.” She turned to Twilight. “There are some old myths which say that before Grogar came south to Equestria, he lived in the Neutral Lands, hiding here while he was secretly experimenting with monster making. Some people think that he created the Alphas up there.”

“What are the Alphas?” Mane Allgood asked as she pulled out their own belongings from the luggage car.

“The very first monsters Grogar created,” Sunset explained. “He made them with special mana cores and the ability to create more of their kind.”

“Mana cores like this one?” Twilight asked, lifting up one side of her saddlebag and pulling out a green glowing orb with her wing.

Sunset’s eyes widened. “Where the hell did you get that?” she asked.

Celestia interrupted before Twilight could answer. “Luna told me about this,” she said. “Is this the same mana core belonging to the timberwolf that Gregory managed to kill in the Everfree?” Silence went through the crowd at that. All eyes were on Twilight as she slowly nodded.

“Can I see it?” Sunset asked. Twilight nodded again, and Sunset lifted the glowing orb with her magic, letting it land in her hoof and examining it curiously. “I’ve never seen a mana core in person,” she whispered, a tone of awe creeping into her voice, “it’s beyond anything I’ve ever heard of.”

“And they’re not to be played with,” Celestia admonished her former student, lifting it out of Sunset’s hoof with her magic and placing it back in Twilight’s saddlebag. “They’re very powerful, and not even I know the extent of their powers and abilities.” She looked at the others. “This land was once desolate and barren when Grogar was said to be here, but after his defeat, life returned to the land, or so the legends go. This happened before mine or my sister’s time, so neither of us know what actually happened. Still, no kingdom could really agree on what to do with this vast swathe of land between Equestria and the Crystal Mountains, so it was agreed to leave the land alone, partly out of superstition and partly out of no one knowing what to do with it.”

Twilight suddenly gained a downcast look. “Then The Trial happened and it made most of our allies rethink their position. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the other rulers helped build the school just to spite Equestria…”

“Perhaps, or perhaps not,” Celestia said as they all began heading down towards the school, the tall tower of which could still be seen along with the silvery light of the protective enchanted gem atop said tower. “Regardless of the intentions behind the school, the promise and potential it holds is far greater. I believe that this is the first step towards true harmony between all of Gaia’s species. And I wish to be a part of it.”

“That’s right. I know Starlight will listen to reason. She wouldn’t have made this school if she didn’t believe in friendship,” Pinkie stated.

“Eeyup.” Big Mac agreed.

As they continued walking towards the tower, Granny Smith tilted her head and looked a bit to the south. “Say, that fella that came by the farm was another human, right?” she asked.

“Yeah, why?” Twilight asked.

Granny Smith pointed to a group exiting a nearby forest. There, the group gasped at the sight of a heavily injured Gregory and Dragon Lord Ember being carried away on stretchers. Pinkie’s face contorted into abject horror. She dropped everything and immediately galloped toward the group. “GREGORY!!!” she shouted, her cry one of anguish and terror.

“Make way! Give us some room!!!” a nurse shouted out.

“What happened here?!” Celestia asked in concern.

“What’s it look like?” the nurse retorted with a no nonsense tone, “They were attacked by timberwolves and the human looks like he’s been poisoned by one of them! Now make some space!”

Complying, the group let the professionals take the dragon and human inside. Meanwhile, Starlight, Trixie, Spike and Cozy Glow approached the group who’d just gotten off the train. The school’s head teacher looked at the group with a blank expression, and in a half hearted tone she said, “Well, welcome to the Seed of Yggdrasil, I guess.”

[Seeds Of Yggdrasil Infirmary - Later]

Gregory’s first memory as he struggled to regain consciousness was of darkness all around him. He felt like he was swimming in a void even though his sense of touch told him that he was lying on a comfortable bed. He couldn’t hear or smell anything but he felt searing pain in his chest. He was confused for a few minutes, wondering just what had happened and where he was, because his last memory was of standing on the Yggdrasil wall looking over the dark forest below.

Slowly, his memory started to resurface. The jackalope, the attack of the timberwolves, the formation of what Ember had called a lumberwolf, being attacked, shooting at it, then passing out to Starlight’s horrified screams. He inwardly sighed. Two times he’d been seriously injured since coming to this world, and he was seriously debating now on whether or not he shouldn’t just sequester himself somewhere safe and just stay there. Hell, he even wondered whether or not he shouldn’t just take this Council’s offer even if it was a gilded cage. He had absolutely no magical abilities and was extremely vulnerable, if that lumberwolf’s ability to hypnotize him was any indication.

A few moments later he inwardly shook his head. Not only was that cowardly, but he knew that Ember wouldn’t allow him to do just that. It would be a stupid thing to do. Discord’s chaos magic influencing him or not, he’d prepared to come to this world as best as he could. Besides, he had agreed to teach at the school, and he hated going back on a promise.

Those thoughts faded away as he then thought back to his insanely stupid decision to actually show the show to these people. In a sick way, it was that event that led to Cozy discovering what her show self was all about. He cursed his ineptitude and foolishness for leaving his laptop turned on without just logging off. He had a password and everything, too. He decided then and there that it would be in everybody’s best interests to not show the cartoon to anyone again. He wasn’t in Equestria anymore, so he knew he couldn’t be forced to show anything, especially since he was technically in neutral territory. He’d done nothing but screw things up again and again since he’d come to this world, and he was beginning to get sick of it. The thought of just withdrawing into himself came to his mind unbidden. He’d been like that when he was with his ex out of fear of her judging him. Slowly, he realized that he had probably gone way too much the other way in an attempt to compensate. Sadly, however, the only other person he could talk to about this kind of thing didn’t seem too interested in talking. He was truly alone in this world, unable to relate to anyone and them being unable to completely relate to him.

He pushed down those thoughts and slowly, he opened his eyes. The room he was in seemed to be shrouded in a dark mist, which made everything look like he was wearing dark sunglasses. He saw some lights, but they weren’t exactly cutting into the darkness very well. He tried to turn, but couldn’t move much without a serious spike of pain through his injury. He settled for looking around the room as best as he could just by eyesight.

Unlike the Ponyville Hospital where he’d recovered from the first attack, this room was a bit smaller than the other. There was a single white door slightly to his left and a white sheet blocking the other half of the room. There was a lamp on a side table to his right. A chair sat next to the window where his ruined clothes now lay along with what looked like a clean pair of his clothes, his pistol, knife and his metal pole. He realized that he was probably naked underneath the covers.

The room was mostly silent, but the sounds that he could hear sounded far off and muffled. There was a clock somewhere in the room making a ticking sound and he thought he heard air from a fan, but that was it. The mists around the room seemed to get thicker with time. Blinking seemed to only shift the thicker and darker parts of the mist elsewhere in his vision. He felt a hint of anger washing over him, and his thoughts seemed to turn darker with each passing moment.

Time passed, and the mists darkened. He felt a cold creeping up his body despite the thick comforter around him. He tried to say something, but when he did, it sounded like he was croaking in a muffled tone. The chill only grew worse and it was like ice was forming inside his injury and only digging deeper. The urge to slip into unconsciousness started to grow inside him.

Just then, he heard noise from the door. Voices could be heard from behind it, one which sounded vaguely familiar but which in his exhausted state he couldn’t identify. The sound of hoofsteps approached the door.

When the door opened, the room was ablaze in nearly blinding light as a majestic creature stepped through the door. The pain in his chest increased and he began to convulse involuntarily. The hatred and malice that had been slowly building inside of him increased exponentially and directed itself at the blinding creature. He felt his mouth open and he spoke something, but it sounded like the same language that he’d heard the strange massive timberwolf speak. It sounded dark and guttural; even the most simple of words were full of hatred and malice even though he couldn’t understand them.

The glowing creature approached him, and he saw despite his convulsions that it looked like an alicorn. Her (he assumed it was a her due to the only alicorns he knew of being female) wings were spread wide suddenly and her horn lit up. He felt something surrounding his body and his convulsions stopped. A pair of the most beautiful magenta eyes he had ever seen suddenly became visible through the light.

It was former Princess Celestia, he realized. The words he spoke became a torrent of revulsion and hatred, but part of him, the real part, was in complete and utter awe at the majesty he beheld. He looked at her as a soft feminine voice began speaking in a reproachful tone. He couldn’t recognize the language, but it sounded ancient, full of the exact opposite of whatever language he had been speaking. Slowly, he felt the pain begin to recede from his chest and control over himself regained. As it did that, the blinding light receded, while at the same time the dark mists moved away. The pain vanished, and everything looked like it was back to normal.

He wasn’t paying too much attention to that, because there she stood, in all of her majesty and glory. Celestia, former princess of Equestria, immortal alicorn and Twilight and Sunset’s old tutor. In that moment, a random factoid he’d read somewhere came to mind. He remembered that Lauren Faust had once said that Celestia was the epitome of pony beauty, and he couldn’t deny it. Impulsively, he said, “...Gorgeous…”

Celestia, to his surprise, blushed slightly while at the same time a warm smile graced her face. “It’s been a long time since anypony has called me that,” she said, “thank you, Mr. Graystone.”

He realized what he’d said, and felt his own cheeks heating up. “Ah, sorry,” he said.

She waved a hoof slightly. “It’s alright, Mr. Graystone,” he said, “The timberwolf poison that infected you is gone and you’re still weak. You need some more rest.”

Gregory was about to reply when suddenly he felt the urge to be sick. Celestia seemed to sense this and lifted her horn. A bucket appeared from nearby and he felt himself being hoisted up. “Here,” was all she said.

Gregory opened his mouth and vomited a viscous black substance into the bucket. The more he vomited, the clearer and sharper his senses became. When he felt like he couldn’t upchuck anymore, he collapsed back, panting hard. The smell that permeated the room was as foul as the smell of the timberwolf breath. He watched as Celestia used her magic to pour him a glass of water and lift the glass to his lips. “Here. Go ahead and rinse it out,” she said.

He did so, spitting out the remaining black liquid out of his mouth. After she refilled his glass and he swallowed it all, he leaned back. “Thank you,” he said.

She put the bucket down and gently lifted the covers off of his chest. He was indeed naked, but she was good enough to only pull down part of the blankets. He had a brand new scar on his chest, but it looked fairly healed now. She gently put the covers back. “I’m sorry I couldn’t do more,” she apologized, “but timberwolf attacks are notoriously difficult to heal. That scar won’t go away, I’m afraid.”

Gregory shook his head. “You’ve done more than enough for me,” he said gratefully, “so thank you very much.”

Celestia nodded, then turned and looked at something behind the curtain. “Oh my, I see you have a roommate,” she said. Celestia lifted her horn and it glowed again. After a while, she pulled back the curtains and Gregory saw, to his astonishment, an unconscious Ember lying in bed. He gave Celestia a worried glance, but she smiled. “She wasn’t poisoned like you were,” she said in a reassuring tone, “so she’ll make a full recovery like you. Dragons have great healing capabilities.”

He nodded, a sense of relief washing over him as he gave Ember another look. Despite why she was unconscious, she actually looked pretty cute while she was sleeping. He wished he could get a picture of it, but knew better than to do that, especially to her. He looked back over at Celestia. “Thanks for healing me and her,” he said.

Celestia walked over to him and put a wing around him. “It’s the least I could do, Mr. Graystone,” she said softly.

Gregory thought he caught a hint of guilt in her voice, but decided now wasn’t the best time to bring it up. He gave her a small smile as he said, “You can call me Gregory.”

Celestia nodded at him. “Well, I believe you know who I am, but my full name is Celestia Sol Victus, but please call me Celestia.”

Gregory nodded. “Alright then, Celestia.” Just then he thought he caught a glimpse of weariness in the ancient yet youthful face of the former Princess. He frowned and asked, “Are you alright?”

She stood up straighter and her wings ruffled a bit. “Ah, yeah,” she said, “just a bit winded. I haven't had to use the Old Tongue in centuries.” She pulled a large chair closer and sat in it, facing Gregory. “I asked the others to wait outside so we could talk,” she added. “I imagine you have some questions for me, and I have a few for you, if that’s alright.”

“Of course,” Gregory said, looking at her with a serious expression. He placed his hands in his lap. “So, what questions did you have?”

“Let’s go back and forth,” Celestia suggested. “One question from one of us, then the other asks after answering.”

“I’m fine with that,” Gregory replied. “Go ahead and ask.” He gestured towards her and gave her an expectant look.

“Other than the most recent incidents, how has your stay been?” Celestia asked.

Gregory smirked. “It’s had its ups and downs,” he said. “Well, I’ll be honest, it’s been a damned rollercoaster. I probably should have stayed back on Earth, but I didn't, so now I guess I have to make the best of things here.”

“Surely, you have something good to say?” Celestia asked.

He shrugged. “I made a couple new friends, and the foals seem to have more sense than adults here. It’s like xenophobia is taught, not instinctive.” He held up two fingers. “That’s two questions, so I get to ask two now.”

“Go right ahead.”

He looked at her. “What just happened to me? I saw you glowing bright like a star when you first entered. Everything was dark and getting darker, and I said something in a weird nasty sounding language.”

Celestia nodded. “You were cut deep by a timberwolf,” she began, “and it released its poison into you. You were being slowly corrupted, although since you have no magic the transformation was faster than most. As to why you saw me looking like a star, that’s a bit more complicated to explain. In short, I raised and lowered the sun and moon for a thousand years, and that doesn’t leave a body untouched. You saw me like the timberwolves would see me.”

Gregory raised an eyebrow. “So what, I was turning into some sort of wraith?”

Celestia nodded. “Correct. What you vomited up was the poison, and I can’t sense any more within you. As for the language you spoke, it’s an ancient language that the timberwolf alphas alone can speak. It was created by Grogar and is full of malice. The language I spoke was ancient Gaian.” She looked closely at him. “Has that answered your question?”

Gregory nodded. “I’ll have to do some more research when I’m better, but for now it’ll keep. My next question is a bit simpler. What brings you here?”

“I wanted to visit the school as well as see if you are in good spirits after your exile. I am sorry for that.”

He sighed. “Yeah, I don’t know about good spirits anymore. I’ve made fuck up after fuck up since coming here, and honestly earlier I was debating just secluding myself away.”

“That was the poison talking,” Celestia said reassuringly. “It affects you and preys on your negative thoughts, amplifying them.”

“Well, it certainly did that,” Gregory agreed.

“So, what is the reason both you and Dragon Lord Ember were seen together?” A subtle smile begins to form on the former solar princess features.

Gregory chuckled. “Oh, she was teaching me how to hunt,” he said. “It was a good distraction from something that was bothering me earlier. We went into that weird forest, I shot a jackalope, then those timberwolves attacked us.”

“A jackalope? Whatever for?” Celestia asked.

“To eat, of course,” he said. “Humans are omnivorous, so we need meat to be 100% healthy. Ember told me that jackalopes are safe to eat, and since I have no access to the meats I’m used to, I need to learn to improvise.”

“I see,” Celestia nodded in understanding. “Omnivore. I believe that means you can eat both plant based and meat. May I see your teeth?”

“Sure, but didn’t you see Jason’s teeth at The Trial?” Gregory asked. “Oh no, wait, that was Ember who saw them. Sure.” He opened his mouth wide.

Celestia approached and peered inside his mouth. “Fascinating. There are fangs for ripping and tearing and molars for mashing and grinding. However, the fangs could hardly be considered sharp.” Celestia sighed after her analysis. “A shame ponies have become so insulated now. There’s hardly anything about you to feel threatened over. Oh, no offense.”

“Eh, I wouldn’t say that, but that’s a whole other conversation,” Gregory said. “Anyway, I lost track of who’s asking a question, so if you have anything more, go ahead.”

"It’s your turn,” Celestia replied, gesturing towards him. “I believe I had two once again.”

Gregory nodded. “Alright, well, I guess my next question is what have you been doing since you stepped down?”

“I’ve been traveling across Equestria and parts beyond with Sunset Shimmer. It’s been so good to travel more freely and see the world away from the castle.”

Gregory nodded in understanding. “The best way for anyone to rule is to see the world in person. That’s my opinion, anyway. Reports can only tell you so much. How has it been, traveling with Sunset?”

Celestia smiled wistfully. “It’s been like reuniting with an old friend. I am glad she has found her own path to walk.”

Gregory smiled. “Good for you. I’m glad you reunited with her.” He gestured towards her. “Your turn.”

Celestia looked a little hesitant before she asked, “Have you spoken with Jason?”

Gregory’s smile faded. “I have met him, yes. We spoke for a bit. He told me pretty much to get the hell out of dodge. Solid advice, and in a way I did.”

“I see…” Celestia frowned as she continued. “I suppose his feelings hasn’t change much after a year.”

“Well, it makes sense,” Gregory said, “I mean, ponies haven’t changed much. I mean, I know some have, but the majority seem to be the exact same as before. Maybe worse.”

“What is your impression of Jason Wright as a person? And how do you feel about his methods for justice?”

Gregory leaned back in the bed, staring up at the ceiling thoughtfully. “Jason as a person was like me, once,” he said. “Idealistic, naive, and hopeful. He’d already endured some hardships before he came here, so I suspect he saw this place as a world where he could begin again.” He looked at Celestia. “He’s a very deeply injured person, and I don’t just mean physically. Three years of absolute torment from the ponies he adored doesn’t just get swept under the rug. As for his methods for justice, if this Gjallarhorn is some kind of divine artifact, then he had to have done something right. Justice and revenge can be considered two sides of the same coin, after all.”

“That is more often true than I care to admit,” Celestia said softly. “I have one last inquiry though.”

“Go ahead.”

“Do you think you can try and become Jason’s friend? Perhaps one of his kinsmen can help ease the pain he is feeling.

“I don’t think that will be enough, even if he wanted to be my friend,” Gregory replied. “The impression I got of him was that he didn’t really want to be friends.”

“I only ask that you try,” Celestia said insistently. “Show him that someone cares beyond Chrysalis. I’ve no idea of their relationship. I hope to run into her and talk things out as well, but you are a vestige from your homeland. If anyone can form a connection with Jason, it’s you.”

Gregory took in a deep breath, then exhaled. “I make absolutely no promises about this,” he began, “but if the right circumstances present themselves, I’ll see what I can do.” He was about to say something more but just then he heard Ember stirring from the other bed. His head snapped towards her and he watched the Dragon Lord moving under the covers. When she opened her eyes and looked around the room, she saw him. He couldn’t help himself. He grinned. “Hello, Sleeping Beauty,” he said in a teasing tone.

Ember growled as she responded, “How is any creature supposed to sleep with your racket?”

“Hey, it’s not my fault we were put in the same room,” Gregory chuckled good naturedly, “just be grateful you weren’t poisoned.”

“Tch, of course I wasn’t,” Ember boasted, “Dragon blood burns as hot as our flames. Any poison in our system would fizzle out before any true damage could occur. You should be grateful I was there to help you after you got hypnotized. Seriously, you need to work on your mental defense.”

“Oh, please,” Gregory retorted, “it has nothing to do with mental defense! It was a magic spell! What am I supposed to do against that?! You seem to forget that I have no magic whatsoever!”

“You have that noise maker. Maybe if you were a better shot and didn’t miss, we wouldn’t be here right now.”

“I only have so many bullets for those things,” Gregory retorted, “so soooorry for taking my time, but every shot has to count!”

“Oh, please, I’ve seen a one armed half blind earth pony do better with a crossbow than you with that thing while three manicores was on him.”

“Bitch, do I look like a goddamned earth pony to you?” Gregory snapped back.

“Do I look like a diamond dog?!” Ember retaliated

“Alright, you two,” Celestia said, stepping between them with her wings raised, “don’t make me have to separate you both. It is with your combined efforts that you won the day. Now, I should make room for the others as they wish to see you as well. " Celestia started to move to the door as she softly mutters. "Ah, young budding attractions.”

Gregory frowned. “What was that? What did you just say?” he asked.

“Oh, nothing. Don’t mind this old mare.” There was a devious tinkle in Celestia’s eyes as she responded.

Gregory groaned. “Trollestia is canon…of course it is…” In his still somewhat tired state, he decided that some revenge was in order. “And who are you calling old? I bet you had stallions coming to court you constantly. I once heard you were described as the epitome of pony beauty.”

Celestia smirked. “Pinkie was right, you are a flatterer,” she said.

“Wait, he did the same thing with the pink one?” Ember asked. When Celestia nodded, she whirled on Gregory. “Do you use those flowery words to every female you meet! What’s your game?”

“What? I don’t say things like that to every female I meet,” Gregory replied, “I only did it with Pinkie before, and I was tipsy.”

Ember shot him a deadpan stare as she held up her claw. “The pink one and now Celestia? I bet you’d have done it to every mare in that town if they hadn’t kicked you out!”

“Oh hell no!” Gregory retorted, “I only do that to tease someone or catch them off guard as a little act of revenge if they tease me first! If I don’t think they’d react well to it I don’t do it!”

“Hmph, Spike told me about this courtship ritual known as teasing,” Ember said, “Why do it to mares you only just met? Are you building a hoard or a herd like ponies have sometimes?”

“A herd?! Of course that’s a thing here,” Gregory sighed.

Celestia chuckled, turned and opened the door before things could get out of hand. Immediately, a pink and blue blur shot into the room and onto Gregory’s lap. The human grunted in pain as he beheld the teary-eye visage of Cozy Glow. “Daddy! You’re okay!” the filly exclaimed in relief.

Gregory paused a bit, then took a deep breath, smiling down at the young weeping pegasus. He put his hand on her head and stroked her mane gently. “It still hurts a bit, but Celestia says I’ll be okay.” He wrapped her in his arms and hugged her. As he hugged her, he saw an equally distraught looking pink earth pony running in. Gregory looked up in surprise at Pinkie Pie as she stood next to his bed, standing on her hind legs with her front hooves on his bedside. “Whoa, Pinkie? You’re here too?”

“That’s right,” Pinkie said, a look of relief washing over her features. “Although, since this place is new, I don’t have any of my emergency medical supplies here. So you’ll have to make do with my winning personality.”

Gregory smirked. “Yes, I suppose I do, Pinkie,” he said, reaching up and running a hand through her soft mane with his free hand. He looked at the door, and saw a number of other ponies peering in. All of whom he recognized. “I see you brought the rest of the girls. And is that the famous Sunset Shimmer I see?”

“Flirting again. Who didn’t see that coming?” Ember snarked.

Gregory felt his eye twitch a bit in frustration. He turned to her fast. “That isn’t-” Gregory started, then stopped and took a deep breath to calm his temper. “Eh, never mind.” He waved them in. “Come on in, ladies. There’s plenty of room.”

“Hello, I wouldn’t exactly say that I am famous. It’s probably more like infamous,” Sunset said with a self deprecating smirk.

Gregory shook his head. “Eh, you’re a big fan favorite back where I’m from, so I’ll stick with famous. Anyway, it’s nice to meet a pony who might actually get some of my human references.”

“Of course,” Sunset replied. “like, I can totally tell you all the leet things happening over in my pad, ROFL.”

“Sick,” Gregory chuckled, “and I look forward to hearing about all the noobs you pwned.” He held out his fist towards her. “Pound it, sister.”

Sunset smiled broadly while bumping his fist to her hoof. “Yeah, you should check out my livestream. Flutters is a decent gamer if you can believe it.”

“You mean Shimmer Code? I’d love to see it,” Gregory said, “but wouldn’t me going to your world mean I’d become a pony or some other creature native to this world?”

“From what I learned, you’re from a different world altogether,” Sunset said, “so who really knows what you’ll come out as if you can pass through at all?”

“That’s not what I remember from what you said at The Trial, but I’ll take your word for it,” Gregory said, “you’re more of an expert on magic than I am anyway. And yes, I’m from a completely magicless world.”

“Ah. The Trial,” Sunset shrugged. “Honestly, I was mostly guessing when I said that. I may be something of an expert, but even I can’t grasp transmogrification through a dimension barrier.”

“Fair enough,” Gregory conceded, “still, it might be cool to go through and become a dragon.”

“Naturally, dragons are the best,” Spike said as Ember nodded.

“Yeah, I wouldn’t want to be a pony,” Gregory said, “no offense to the ponies here. I like having these things.” He waved his free hand while continuing to comfort Cozy who was still in his lap. “And besides, I’d love to be able to fly and breathe fire. That just sounds awesome.” He turned from Sunset to look at the rest of the Elements. “So…what brings you all here?” he asked, his smile fading when he saw them.

“We’re all here for you, darling,” Rarity explained, ears flattened. “I wanted to apologize for our first meeting. It was very uncouth even if I was a bit tipsy.”

Rainbow scoffed at Rarity’s words. “A bit tipsy? I’m pretty sure you drank most of our bottle. But, yeah, I’m sorry too…” She gave Gregory an apologetic look.

Gregory looked between them for a bit before he replied, “A simple apology is a good start, but for someone like me, it’s not enough. I didn’t appreciate you speaking to me in that manner, and Pinkie even more so. I’d like a lot more proof than just your words.” His features softened when he saw the two flinch. “Still, that doesn’t mean we can’t be on friendly terms at least.”

“We’re not asking for forgiveness overnight,” Rarity clarified, “We know that’ll take time., something that both Rainbow and I will gladly give if you allow us the chance. I do appreciate the gifts you left us. As repayment, I can make you some more clothes.”

“And if you are still feeling grumpy about us, you’re owed any free hits on us as hard as you want,” Rainbow stated.

“Now, wait a second, dear, I didn’t agree to that!” Rarity said horrified.

Gregory sighed. “I don’t hit anyone unless they hit me first, Miss Dash,” he said, “so I won’t be doing that.” His smile slowly returned. “Still, Miss Rarity, I appreciate your kind offer. I don’t exactly have an entire wardrobe with me, although I did bring as many of my own clothes as I could. And some of them are already ruined.” He indicated the ruined clothes that he had been wearing when he had been attacked. “I don’t know if you can pick them up with magic, though,” he added, “since it seems anything from my world is completely resistant to magic.”

“Maybe we can do a few tests when you get better,” Twilight said, walking up to the bed. Standing next to Pinkie, she gave Gregory her own apologetic look. “We’re all glad you’re okay, Gregory. I’m sorry I wasn’t there to stop those foolish ponies.”

Gregory looked up at her and nodded. “Thank you, Twilight, and don’t apologize. You can’t be everywhere at once.” He turned and saw a worried looking Fluttershy looking at him. “Hello, Fluttershy.”

“Oh! Um, hello,” she said, slowly walking up to him and looking him up and down. Gently, she reached out her wing and traced the new scar on his chest with her feathers. Her face turned sorrowful. “I’m so sorry…” she whispered. “Does it hurt?”

He smiled at her. “Don’t be sorry, it wasn’t your fault this happened,” he replied. “Besides, Celestia healed it for me, and it doesn’t hurt anymore. It’s a bit tender, but I’m sure like all scars it’ll be fine in time.”

She looked a bit relieved, but Gregory could still see the worry in her eyes. “I-If you need anything, let me know,” she insisted.

He nodded. “Of course, thank you.” He then looked past her to look at the one Element that he hadn’t yet met personally. The orange earth pony stood far back, ears lowered and avoiding eye contact with him. It was a bit unusual seeing Applejack without her traditional Stetson, but that didn’t bother him too much. He remembered how Granny had taken it from her in his vision of The Trial, and unless that one scene in the show with a closet full of Stetson’s was just done for comedic effect, he guessed that the hat she wore had once belonged to her father. He nodded politely in her direction. “Miss Applejack Apple, I assume?”

Sheepishly, Applejack trotted up to him. “Howdy there, partner,”

He smiled at her. “Nice to meet you, Miss Apple.”

“Applejack works just fine.”

He nodded. “Fair enough,” he said as he extended his hand to her.

Applejack reached over and gave him a firm hoof shake. “That’s a good grip you got. Those extra digits feel like little worms.”

“That’s an unpleasant way of putting it,” Gregory said, “but I suppose it makes sense. And thanks for the compliment. It’s been a while since I worked on a farm, but I’d like to think I kept in shape.”

“Good idea. Farm work ain’t for any slouches.”

Gregory was about to say something when he heard a chime coming from the clock. Six bells rang before stopping. The hour had struck. He watched as Applejack doubled over in pain, grunting as the Gjallarhorn punishment took a hold of her. He immediately scooted over, hoping to make enough room for her. “Put her up here,” he said.

Another groan went off as everyone turned to see Rainbow Dash in a similar. “Gah!” She groaned.

Gregory moved to the middle of his bed and patted both sides. “Up here with her, too!”

The girls complied and help their friends as they went through the daily pose of pain. “Easy, there, girls. We’re right here.” Twilight said.

Gregory, however, did something he wasn’t sure would help, but he did it anyway. He reached down and began rubbing their barrels. “Deep breaths, you two,” he said softly. He thought he caught a glare from Ember, but he was more focused on trying to ease the pain of both girls that he ignored it for the time being. His touch actually seemed to help, judging from the way he felt their bodies relax. The minute passed by, and he saw them both relax, lying flat on their backs. Slowly, he began removing his hands from their barrels. “Feeling any better?” he asked as he looked down at both mares.

“Define ‘feeling better,’” Rainbow groaned.

“It’s okay, sugarcube. It’s not as bad after a while.” Applejack stated.

Gregory almost said something about Jason, but stopped himself. That wasn’t his place to say. Instead, he cleared his throat. “Well, I certainly wasn’t expecting to be giving two of the Elements of Harmony belly rubs today,” he said in an effort to lighten the mood.

“I can’t imagine why. It’s what they deserve after all.” Ember said with a low growl.

“That isn’t for me to decide,” Gregory said, turning to Ember, “or you for that matter.”

“Yet, you still injected yourself,” Ember retorted. “That sounds like a decision to me.”

“The decision was to try and ease the pain at least once, not to stop their punishment,” Gregory replied.

“Easing their pain implies sympathy for their plight. A plight they put themselves in of their accord. Which means they get the full ounce of their just desserts.”

Gregory turned to her fully. “What they did is on them, I get that, but if I just ignore someone suffering, that makes me a monster. I refuse to do that, even if it’s a suffering of their own making.”

“Oh, what a gallant and self-sacrificing knight you are,” Ember mocked. “I’m sure the next pony that commits a crime will come trotting to you to give them a cupcake for beating down a non pony. Let’s just forgive and forget while pandering to their suffering because you feel bad for the wrong party!”

Gregory felt something inside of him snap. His expression darkened, a look of fury appearing on his face that terrified many of the ponies in the room. He raised a finger and pointed at her. “You don’t get to tell me what to do with MY FUCKING LIFE!” he bellowed.

A vicious snarl and flames left Ember’s mouth as she responded. “I SAVED YOUR FUCKING LIFE!!!”

“THAT DOESN’T MEAN YOU OWN ME!”

“SO HUMANS DON’T REPAY LIFE DEBTS NOW? GOOD TO KNOW!!!” Ember got out of the bed and stormed off to the exit. She practically ripped the door off of its hinges before slamming it back into place.

Gregory glared at the door, then looked at everyone else in the room. His heart was racing with fury and it took him a moment to calm himself. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to be alone now,” he said, his body trembling with barely repressed rage.

All the occupants complied with Gregory’s request, albeit, reluctantly and left the room save for Cozy Glow. “Daddy, are you okay?”

Gregory took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “I don’t know,” he said, looking down at the scared looking filly. “I’ve never gotten that angry before, and I’ve certainly never shown it like that. Sorry you had to hear all that. I don’t know what came over me.” He ran his trembling hand over his face.

“Golly, maybe you need some rest,” the filly said. “Having all of us pile in here after the attack so soon probably wasn’t very smart. I’ve heard that timberwolf venom makes creatures cranky.”

He snorted. “That was way beyond cranky, and that doesn’t excuse what I said to Ember.” He felt a wave of guilt pouring through him mixed with some nausea. He grabbed a nearby empty bowl and spat out some more of the disgusting black liquid. “Ugh…that tastes so foul.”

Cozy flew up to the tray and poured him a cup of water. “It’s okay, daddy. I think your dragon friend is just mad about something else. I’m sure she didn’t mean to yell too. Don’t worry, I can tell you’re sorry.”

He took the glass, thanked Cozy, and washed his mouth out before swallowing the rest. The anger inside him seemed to dissipate. “I’ll apologize to her soon,” he promised as he moved down further into the covers, “but for now I’m feeling tired, so I’ll try and rest.”

“Alrighty, then. I’ll be here if you need anything.” With that said, Cozy left the room carefully so as not to mess with the broken door.

When he was alone, he sat back up, walked over to his dirty clothes, grabbed his jacket, and removed the still glowing mana cores before returning to the bed. He stared at them for a while, the two small oval shaped cores and the pool ball sized one. The glow inside wasn’t as bright as it had been when he’d first seen them, but they were still mesmerizing. He wasn’t sure how long he was staring, but eventually he closed his hands around them, slipped them back in his pockets, placed the jacket on the bed, lay back down, and closed his eyes. It took him a while to fall asleep because of the guilt he was feeling at his actions towards Ember, and his last thoughts were about her and how to properly apologize to her before sweet oblivion took him.

[Seeds Of Yggdrasil - Hallway Outside The Infirmary]

“Man, that guy must have gotten a big dose of timberwolf venom,” Sunset said as the ponies gathered just outside the infirmary, “I mean, did you see his eyes when he was yelling at Ember?”

Celestia nodded. “It will take some time for any remaining venom to pass from his system, but he will be alright in the end.”

“I should try and talk to Ember and make sure she understands,” Spike said as he spread his wings and hovered. “I bet she feels just as bad for yelling, but her pride won’t let her back down.” Spike turned and flew down the hall in Ember’s direction.

“I still think it’s unfair that he turns into a dog whenever he comes through the mirror portal,” Sunset said, watching the young dragon head after Ember.

“Perhaps the mirror pool sees the loyal qualities of Spike and attunes him to the body that most represents those aspects?” Celestia suggested.

“Maybe,” Sunset said, “but I know my Twilight has a talking dog named Spike who sounds identical to yours. And when did Spike get wings?”

“He got them during his time away during his dragon molt,” Starlight’s voice sounded as she approached the group. Immediately, the hallway was filled with apprehension.

Sunset saw the look on Starlight’s face, then said, “And with that, I’m out. See you later, everybody.” In a flash of magic, she teleported away.

Celestia sighed as she too could see the rising tension. “I shall take my leave as well,” she said. “I believe you girls have something to discuss. Just try and be cordial. There are patients that need their rest.” Celestia’s horn glowed as she vanished in a burst of magic as well.

Twilight felt a wave of nervousness as she walked up to Starlight with the girls following behind her. Starlight, in turn, maintained her blank expression as she looked at each of them. There was silence for a bit. “So, the school looks good,” Twilight managed to get out after a few minutes, a nervous smile on her face.

“I know. That’s how it was designed,” Starlight said flatly.

“The interior is to die for, darling. I hope it didn’t cost too much,” Rarity said.

“It pays when other nations provide the funds to something they believe extends to everyone,” Starlight said. “You should’ve been there to see all the representatives. It was a huge affair. Empress Cadance, Emperor Shining Armor and Princess Flurry Heart came too Princess Luna could only send her contribution through a merchant.”

The girls could see that Starlight was going to keep up her indifferent attitude, so Twilight changed gears. “Look, Starlight, I know you’re disappointed in us–”

“That’s the understatement of the year,” Starlight replied, looking at them all with her same neutral expression.

Twilight winced at that but pressed on. “Starlight, we really want to apologize for–”

“For what?” she asked. “For being flankholes? Stubborn little foals? Sadists masquerading as the beacon of friendship and harmony? Am I getting close?”

Everypony winced at Starlight’s use of harsh language, but all Twilight could do was nod. “...Yes, Starlight. We are all that and more…”

Starlight sucked in air through her teeth while moving closer. “You know what hurts the most?” she asked, looking at each of the ponies for a few seconds each. “I believed in you. I believed in all of you. Sure, you had your quirks, like Rarity’s dramatics, Fluttershy’s overwhelming shyness, Rainbow’s brashiness and Applejack’s stubbornness. Heck, even Twilight’s intense love of books I could look past.Still, I ignored them because I thought you were the best ponies to help turn my life around. I felt so guilty over my past in Our Town. I felt so horrible about being who I was back then and nearly destroying everything that I didn’t believe no amount of apologizing or trying to atone would help.”

“Starlight.” Twilight tried to get a word in, but Starlight stamped her hoof down.

“I’m not done!” She snorted in an angry huff. “Then, I find out that the mares that took me in and offered their hooves in friendships turn out to be the biggest hypocritical mares on the planet! What? It’s okay for you to be horrible and cruel so long as it doesn’t happen to you?”

“No, it’s not but–”

“I actually thought what I did wasn’t bad in comparison to what you six did to Jason!” Starlight interrupted the alicorn once again. “For a few dark moments that day, I wished that I had succeeded in ruining your friendships! And why wouldn’t I? Every lesson I learned for you was a big fat lie! So why are you here? To apologize? To try and sneak your way into our school? What is it?!”

When Twilight flinched back, Pinkie walked forward. “Star? I know what we did shook you.”

“You didn’t do anything, Pinkie,” Starlight said, turning to the pink mare. “You at least left that hick town to get better, unlike them!”

“Yes, Star. I didn’t do anything. I didn’t do anything to help Jason,” Pinkie admitted, “and I got my punishment as well, even if it wasn’t from Jason directly. But I wouldn’t be here now if not for my family's help. That’s why the girls and I are here now. We can’t make amends without help. But it’s important that we are here seeking help and wanting to make things right with you. We may have forgotten all those lessons with Jason, but that doesn’t mean the lessons themselves were lies. I can’t force you to be friends with us again. I just want you to know that we’re going to do better.”

“Were we ever friends to begin with, or were you just tolerating me like you all tolerated Discord?” Starlight asked.

Pinkie grabbed Starlight's shoulders firmly as she looked dead in her eyes. “You were our friend. I Pinkie Promise that none of our time together was out of pity and regret.” She made the motions of her signature promise before continuing. “If that’s not enough for you, I’ll pray to Faust herself for the Gjallarhorn and swear on that!”

“You’ll forgive me if I don’t believe that the others here were my friends,” Starlight said, “but I do know you’re being more sincere than the others.” She pointed a hoof at Twilight. “I bet she only kept me around to make sure I didn’t do something stupid, like control your minds again.”

“Didn’t you do that anyway when Twilight gave you– Oof!” Rainbow grunted in pain when Rarity and Applejack elbowed her barrel.

“No, Starlight, I didn’t keep you around for being a potential threat,” Twilight insisted. “You’re an amazing unicorn. You’re far better than me when it comes to out of the box thinking and magic applications. Hay, you even beat an alicorn in a magic duel.”

“So I was a tool to you,” Starlight bristled.

“No, you were my better in every possible way and I was honored that you let me be your teacher,” Twilight replied, “even if there wasn’t much to pass onto you. Just look at what you’ve done here. I wouldn’t have even dreamed of anything like this for my school. We don’t have to be friends again. We’ll leave if our presence bothers you, but I want you to know that I have nothing but the utmost respect for you, Starlight.” Twilight finished with a deep bow.

Starlight flinched at her words and turned away. The girls looked slightly dejected as she began to walk down the hall before stopping. With a shadow casted from her bangs, Starlight spoke in a soft tone. “...I have some things to think about and talk with Trixie and Sunburst. Try not to make a scene while you’re here…”

Twilight offered a meager smile. “You won’t even notice us, Starlight.”

[Seeds Of Yggdrasil - Hallways]

Spike was flapping his wings as hard as he could down the halls. He was peeking in every room and asking any passerby where Ember was. One of the staff members said they saw her go into the gym and that there was strange clanking and banging going on in there. This news causes Spike to groan and headed to the gym. Standing at the door, Spike could hear Ember’s grunting and several slamming noises inside. Taking a deep breath, Spike steeled himself and headed inside. Saying the gym was a mess would be an insult to the word. Equipment was thrown about everywhere. Benches and desks were flipped over. And Ember herself had gone through several punches bags and was currently in the process of destroying another.

“Um, Ember?” Spike asked, but winced at her powerful punches. “It’s me. You friend, Spike.”

“What?!” Ember grunted out as she kept swinging.

Spike flinched at her tone. He hadn’t known her to be this angry before. He raised his claws in a disarming manner. “Um…I just wanted to talk,” he said.

“So talk. I’m not stopping you!!!” She hit the bag hard, making it swing harder.

Spike shook his head. “Ember, what happened back there?” he asked with concern.

“Nothing that concerns you!”

“Ember, you’re my friend, and I’m worried about you,” Spike said.

“I’m fine!” Ember threw a particularly hard punch, making the bag fly off the chain and into a number of different exercise equipment.

“No, you’re not,” Spike stated, flying up into her face and staring into her red eyes. He saw her eyes were almost glowing red with barely restrained anger and rage. “You’re definitely not fine.”

She returned his glare with one of her own. “Argh! Fine. You want me to talk about what happened?” She pointed back out of the door. “What happened is that the human back there is scaleless! He’s soft! But he wants to act like he can fix others. He can’t fight but he’s got the nerve to challenge my logic at every turn!”

“I don’t think he’s trying to undermine you,” Spike said.

“Then why is he so insufferable?” she asked, throwing her claws in the air in frustration. “He’d rather compliment ponies all the time instead of show some gratitude for the things I’m doing to help him. I’m the Dragon Lord! I’m taking time out of my lands to make sure nothing happens to another human. I saved his sorry behind, but he doesn’t offer me the slightest bit of thanks!!!”

“Ember, I’m sure he’s grateful,” Spike said, “but you might be making it hard for him to be friendly to you. You weren’t exactly kind in there. If it was me, I might not be as inclined to be grateful, especially if you were lording it over me. Let me ask you this, how do you rule in the Dragon Lands?”

“Did you forget from your time away?” Ember asked. “You know how dragons act, Spike. I have to be firm! I have to be sure of every decision I make and I can’t doubt myself. But then here comes the human questioning and criticizing everything I do!”

“Ember, you told me once that you solve your problems through feats of strength and fire duels,” Spike said, “but how does that help?”

“Tch, I can’t do any of that with him, Spike,” Ember snapped. “We had a sparring session and besides that weird stick of his, he’s worse than you.”

“Okay, that hurt,” Spike said, “but how have you been acting around him? Confrontational? He isn’t a dragon like us. You have to come to some kind of common ground with him.”

Ember facepalmed and dragged her claws against her muzzle in frustration. “Argh! You’re still hanging around ponies too much. Why can’t every creature just want to do things simple? You know dragons don’t do feelings! Why do I have to say out loud that I like him?!” Ember ranted before she realized what she said.

Spike paused, both eyes wide in astonishment. He lowered himself onto a nearby seat. “Okay…I was not expecting you to say something like that,” he admitted. “And do everything simple? Ember, listen to what you just said. That’s precisely what made the ponies the way they are. Looking down on other ways of living. Not everyone is going to be like us. That’s what this school is for, to help understand each other and to find common ground. Have you tried to understand him? Has he tried to understand you? If you really like Gregory, put in the effort, and don’t just expect him to fall in line like other dragons, which honestly isn’t something I can see working in the long run.”

Ember opened and closed her mouth for a time before taking a deep breath and blowing out a plume of purple smoke. “Fine, I get it. I’ll try this common ground thing. But he better at least thank me for risking my life to save him out there.”

“I’m not saying what he did was right,” Spike said, “but just remember he came from another world. If things in his world are like the human world I visited, then he’s going to think differently than you. Besides, I think he feels bad about things too. Celestia did say that the timberwolf poison would make him more prone to anger. Still, I suggest leaving him alone for maybe a day. You both need time to cool down.”

Ember took a deep breath and exhaled, clearly irritated. “Fine. I’m going to go find the other Twilight and tell her to fix this mess in here.”

“Or you could take responsibility and fix it yourself,” Spike said, “and I can help.”

Ember turned back and glared at the little drake before continuing out of the room. She went to pick up her scepter when she saw the blood red gem pulsating violently. “What the?” She took hold of the staff and instantly clutched her head in pain.

Spike walked out. “Ember, you okay?” He saw her in pain and rushed to her side. “Ember?!”

“I-It’s my subjects,” she said, “the dragons are…in distress?” Ember composed herself and focused on the Bloodstone Scepter. Her eyes widened again. “They’re coming here?!”

“Wait, what?!” Spike exclaimed. “How many?!”

A look of trepidation passed over Ember’s features. She slowly turned to Spike. “All of them!”

Chapter 15 - The Bust

[Gregory’s Bedroom Suite - Later That Night]

Gregory sat at his small dining table eating a late dinner. After he’d woken up from his nap and discovered that it was nighttime, he put on some of his ruined clothes and made his way back to his room with help from his two guards. Once there, he’d taken a shower, put on a clean pair of pajamas, started a fire, cooked up one of the steaks he’d brought from Earth on his small stove, sat at his small two person dining table, grabbed a soda from the fridge and began eating. The smell of sweet delicious meat permeated the room as he cut into the tender wagyu beef and took slow bite after slow bite.

He’d also managed to find a few potatoes in the kitchen a few flights down. The chef on duty at the time gave him a few, along with some butter, milk, salt, garlic, and even a few chives. He made some mashed potatoes from those ingredients. The chef had also given him a half dozen bread rolls, which he heated up in his small oven and buttered.

As he ate, he thought back with increasing guilt on his actions towards Ember. Ever since they’d met, he felt like they’d been at each other's throats. To him, it felt like she was trying to run his life and he had been fighting with her to keep control of himself and his life. Still, he knew there was no excuse for his behavior earlier that day, poison or no. He realized now that, in her own way, she was probably trying to help and that he’d probably royally screwed that up with his abominable behavior towards her.

He would have gone to see her and apologize in person, but Swift and Moonlight advised him to leave her be. An angry dragon wasn’t something he should really tempt fate with. “Let her come to you,” Moonlight had advised him with an agreeing nod from Swift. He realized belatedly that he should have thanked Ember for saving him and intended to do just that when he saw her next, along with a big apology.

He was about to take another bite of the mashed potatoes when he heard a brash knocking at his door. Confused, he put his fork down, stood and began walking towards the door. “Who is it?” he asked. It seemed a bit late for anyone to be visiting, but then again, perhaps it was a night owl.

“It’s me,” a familiar female voice said. Gregory’s heart stopped. The voice belonged to Ember. “Let me in.”

Gregory swallowed a bit nervously, walked over and unlocked the door, only for Ember to storm past him the moment he opened it. Instinctively, he almost said something snarky, but bit his tongue. When he saw her pause and sniff the air, he said, “Sorry, you caught me in the middle of eating a late dinner.” He walked over to his table, grabbed the knife and cut his steak, which he had barely started, in half. He placed it on another plate along with a healthy helping of mashed potatoes and set it on the other side along with a fork and knife. “Here, care to join me?” he asked.

Ember walked up and looked at the meat with a raised eyebrow. “What kind of meat is this?” she asked.

“Beef,” Gregory replied, “and before you ask, no, it did not come from a cow from this world. Cows from my world can’t talk and are acceptable to eat.”

Ember frowned a bit, but sat down and took a bite of the steak. Gregory saw her eyes widen and she began tearing into it with fervor. Gregory grabbed his soda and poured both of them a glass from it. She looked at the strange fizzing liquid with narrowed eyes. “Vhat’s zat?” she asked with her mouth full.

“It’s called soda,” he said, “and it’s a popular drink from my world. The flavor of this one is called root beer. And no, it isn’t alcoholic before you ask.”

She picked up the glass, sniffed at it experimentally, took a sip, flinched a bit, then took another. She licked her lips before she put it back down. Swallowing, she said, “Eh, not bad.”

“Glad to hear it,” he said as he took his fork and knife and cut into another piece of his dinner while Ember continued to use her claws. There was an uncomfortable silence as the two ate. The way they both ate was as opposite as black and white. She tore into her food like it was the last meal she’d ever eat in a long time while Gregory ate and savored the precious beef. His thoughts, however, were in a whirl. He felt a mixture of emotions just then, a wave of guilt at what he’d said to her mixed with some lingering anger and resentment at how she treated him arguing within himself. He kept his face as placid as he could.

Finally, Gregory put his fork and knife down, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and looked at her. She was grabbing the mashed potatoes with her claws and was scarfing them down. However, when she saw he had stopped eating, she swallowed what was in her mouth, wiped her face with her arm, and looked at him with a slight scowl. “What is it?” she snapped. “Do I have something on my face?”

Gregory shook his head. “No, but I wanted to talk to you,” he said.

“Good, because I wanted to talk to you,” Ember replied.

“Alright, then may I go first, please,” he asked. To his surprise, she acquiesced to his request. He took a deep breath and exhaled. “About what happened between us earlier in the infirmary, I want to apologize for what I said and how I acted. I was completely out of line, and I shouldn’t have said what I said. I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that. I’m sorry.” Ember was about to speak, when Gregory put his hand up. “Please let me finish,” he pleaded. Her mouth snapped shut and she looked at him as he continued. “I also want to thank you for saving my life out there during the hunt. I’d be dead if it wasn’t for you, and I’m sorry that I didn’t say it sooner. I really am grateful that you saved my life.”

There was silence between the two for a while, neither one of them moving. Gregory kept his eyes fixed on Ember, not looking away. She did the same, until finally, she took a deep breath and replied, “I’m sorry too…”

Gregory blinked once, then two more times in rapid succession. “…What…?”

“I said I’m sorry, okay,” she said a bit irritably. “Just be quiet for a second. Dragons don’t do this kind of thing.”

Gregory looked at her, then nodded. “I’m listening,” he said softly. He could see that Ember was sweating, and it somewhat reminded him of the time when she called out Spike in the episode Triple Threat. He decided the right thing to do would be to just wait and let her say her peace.

She took a deep breath after a few false starts. “I keep forgetting that while dragons are amazing, our way of doing things isn’t best for every creature in the world,” she said. “It’s frustrating, but I guess I saw a lot of dragon in you, which is why I wasn't as understanding as I could’ve been. I’ll try and find more common ground with you in the future.”

Gregory slowly nodded. “I…I appreciate that,” he said, “and I’ll try to do the same. You deserve that much. Is there anything more you want to tell me about your views on the ponies? I really want your thoughts and reasons. I want to know if I’m being a complete fucking idiot about this.” He was nervous to hear what she had to say, but also knew he needed to hear it.

“Oh, the ponies.” Ember looked down at her half of the steak then back up at him. “I guess it’s a matter of who proves themselves trustworthy and who doesn’t. Dragons take loyalty seriously, so when Princess Twilight and her group came around, I didn’t believe a word of them saying they changed. For all I know, they could be full of it or trying to curry favor with the other Twilight.”

Gregory nodded. “I completely understand, and now that I’ve had time to think about it, you’re well within your right to think that.” He reached up and hit the side of his head with his fist. “I think for me, it’s still sinking in that the ponies I once adored acted monstrously to a human who just wanted to be their friend.” He took a shaky breath and exhaled. “I tend to follow the motto that actions speak louder than words. If they’re truly repentant, showing it means more than just saying it.” Just then, he remembered something else he wanted to talk with her about. “There’s something else I think we should talk about.”

“That being?”

“The…flirtatious remarks I made earlier.” He watched a scowl form on her face. “I know it upset you, and honestly, I want to apologize for that too.”

“Good.” Her facial muscles relaxed slightly. “I never liked the idea of herding or hoarding. How can one share so many mates and keep the peace? Even the greediest dragons avoid that headache.”

Gregory pursed his lips. “I don’t know how it works in this world, but I do know in the past polygamy was common in my world more out of necessity than anything. I know that the times I’ve said flirtatious remarks I was under the influence of something, or at least one time I was, but-” he paused, something in Ember’s words suddenly highlighted in his mind. “Hang on, can I ask why me saying something flirtatious bothers you so much?”

"You're playing with the hearts of other females when you say flowery words but don't reciprocate their feelings,” Ember said. “What if you catch some creature’s attention, only to say that you were paying them a compliment or that you were kidding. You’ve done that other times besides being under the influence. So, that’s not a valid excuse. Either commit or knock it off!”

“I know it’s not a valid excuse,” Gregory agreed, “and now that I think about it, I don’t know those I’ve flirted with all that well. Back where I’m from, there can be good friends who can joke about that kind of thing in certain circumstances and not be romantically involved. Still, I guess part of my mindset here was that I seriously doubt I’d find someone who would seriously give me that time of day. I doubt I’d be attractive to creatures here. I’ll put a lid on that behavior.” He took his glass and began to take a sip.

“Eh, as far as pale, homey-looking, furless, tailless, ape-like qualities go, you’re not half bad,” Ember replied in a nonchalant voice. Gregory was almost sure there was a slight flush of pink over Ember’s cheeks before she caught him staring. “What?”

He was so surprised that his soda went down the wrong way and he began to cough hard. The cough turned into a laugh after a while. “Haha! Pale, homey-looking furless tailless ape! HAHA! Oh dear GOD!” He was doubling over now, wheezing as tears spilled down his cheek from how hard he was laughing. “Aaah…that was good…” He took his napkin and wiped his eyes and mouth. “Oh wow…”

Ember shook her head and chuckled a little. “You have a weird taste in humor.”

“Hey, if you can’t laugh at yourself, what can you laugh at?” he said. There was silence for a bit between them as Gregory took a few deep breaths to steady himself. Slowly, his smile faded again. He looked down at his half cut steak, and the darker thoughts that had been briefly banished from his mind began to resurface unbidden. He leaned down and rubbed his head. “Goddammit…”

Ember frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“I just…I know I need to change my way of thinking here, but it’s really hard,” he admitted. “I’ve completely fucked up every decision I’ve made since I found that website back on Earth. I’ve probably fucked up even more in ways I can’t see. I didn’t want this. There’s seriously a part of me that just wants to find a quiet place and just live away from everyone. Seems I keep messing up everything I do.”

“In the Dragon Lands, we usually brush off any mistake we make by being domineering,” Ember explained. “If you can look big enough and back it up, no one would call you out even if you’re dead wrong. Here, try this…” She puffed out her chest and started walking around. She looked at Gregory while pointing a single digit at him. “Hey, what are you looking at? Yeah, I came here on a whim, what of it? I’m here now, so you better just deal with it or go frolic in the grass somewhere!” Ember ended her little charade by crossing her arm and looking proud of herself. She looked back down at Gregory with a smirk. “See? Easy.”

Gregory watched her do this, then smiled a bit. “I see. I suppose that makes sense.” His smile faded and he shook his head. “Even so, I personally can’t do that. Even if I could, it wouldn’t feel right. I walked into this world expecting things to be the same, but surprise! It’s not! Everything I’ve done has backfired. I can’t just double down. I need to try and alter how I do things.”

“I think you’re still suffering from the poisoning,” Ember said as she sat back down. “You’re not normally so hard on yourself.”

“Poisoning or not, I know I've made some serious mistakes since coming here,” Gregory said. “I need to change and be more discerning. As for me being hard on myself, it’s not surprising. I used to be even harder and more judgmental of myself, especially back when I was dating my backstabbing and cheating ex girlfriend. She made me question everything I did, even if it was a romantic gesture on my part.”

Ember folded her arms in front of her chest. “Well, is that former mate of yours here now?”

“Oh hell no,” Gregory said with a brief flash of anger.

“And didn’t you say that actions matter more than mere words?”

“Yeah, I did,” he replied.

“Then you should quit all this talking and start making the effort,” Ember stated plainly. “Yeah, you’ve had some hardships since coming here, but you kept moving forward. That’s what makes you like a dragon in my eyes. Just remember how you are and go from there. You’ve got plenty of creatures here to help. Of course, none of them can compare to having the Dragon Lord by your side.”

Gregory was about to reply, but then he felt sudden nausea overwhelm him. He stood and rushed to the sink just in time to spat out a big glob of black goop into his soup. He stared at it as this was writhing and squirming before it slowly ceased moving. “Oh God…that just…that was nasty,” he said as he turned on the sink to rinse the quickly dissolving black mass down the drain.

Ember waved a hand in front of her muzzle in agreement. “Yeah, hopefully that’s the last of the poison. Listen, I got something else to tell you. I’m leaving the school in the morning.”

“How come?” he asked worriedly as he returned to the table.

“There’s been some kind of emergency in the Dragon Lands that’s made my subjects flee,” Ember explained. “They are all coming here as we speak. I need to go and meet up with them to establish a temporary home and find out what’s happened.”

Gregory’s eyes widened in alarm. “Wow…well, from what I’ve been told, the Neutral Territories are hundreds of miles in area, so that shouldn’t be a problem. Still, that’s terrifying.”

Ember looked out Gregory’s window at the night scenery as a brief flash of concern hit her features. “...Yeah, it takes a lot to make a dragon run away. Let alone all of them at once.”

Gregory nodded. “I understand. Just…please be safe, okay?”

Ember smiled broadly as she puffed out her chest again. “Of course I’ll be fine. Don’t forget who you’re talking to. I’ll be back before you know it.”

Gregory smiled a bit. “Sounds good. But since you’ll be leaving in the morning, do you want to watch a movie with me? And no, it’s not about My Little Pony.”

“You mean from that magic mirror you have? What kind of movie is it?”

He couldn’t help it. He grinned. “It’s a movie where dragons are one of the main focus. It’s called How To Train Your Dragon.”

“I see. So, is it about a dragon apprentice getting trained for battle?” Ember asked as she got to the bed as Gregory brought his laptop over from the desk where it was.

“No, because in this movie dragons don’t talk,” Gregory said before realizing what she’d just done. “Wait, we’re watching it in my bed?”

“Is there a more comfortable place you would want to go to?” Ember asked, giving him an expectant look while stretching out in his bed.

He opened his mouth, then shut it again, nodding. “Fair point. This bed is comfortable.” He got on the bed and placed the laptop next to her. Then, he went back, grabbed their food, and returned to the bed. “Alright, let’s begin, shall we?” He hit play.

[Manehattan - CFE Branch Office - The Next Morning]

The CFE Branch Office in Manehattan was located in a building that was being rented out to them for a cheap price by the owner, one Sterling Silver. It was a simple affair, having once been used as a boutique a year ago. All the trappings had been stripped and been replaced with posters of the mottos and slogans of the CFE. It was early morning, about seven AM, and the first employee there, a hippogriff male named Sharpclaw, was organizing files when one of his fellow branch members, an earth pony named Brute Force, came running in, a newspaper in his mouth. Sharpclaw turned and looked at his fellow CFE member with a smile. “Brute, good morning. You’re here early.” He noticed the wide eyed look on Brute’s face, and his smile faded. “What’s wrong?”

Brute put the newspaper on the counter in front of Sharpclaw, eyes wide with alarm. “...I have some terrible news, sir.”

Sharpclaw raised an eyebrow, then looked down at the newspaper. There, written in big bold letters on the front page of Manehattan Times, was the headline LEADER OF CFE FRAUD? Sharpclaw frowned deeper, then looked up at the burly brown furred stallion. “What is this?” he asked.

“It’s the latest headline of Manehattan Times,” Brute said. “It has detailed articles about Cozy Glow. She’s not who we thought she was. It says here that she’s an agent of Tirek!”

“I can see that, Brute,” Sharpclaw said as he picked up the newspaper and began to read the article, “‘Over the past year, the name Cozy Glow has been associated with the Creatures For Equestria movement, a fringe group of creatures who feel oppressed by ponies. She and various other creatures have been traveling through Equestria preaching about equality for all, and it’s likely she and her group have visited every major city in the country. However, an anonymous but reliable source has informed this reporter of a disturbing link between Cozy Glow and the imprisoned monster Tirek.’” Sharpclaw took a deep breath, then continued. “‘During The Trial one year ago, the human Jason Wright revealed to the world that his kind have been able to spy on our world through unknown means. Something he failed to mention, however, was that Cozy Glow was a part of the entertainment he claims to have seen of our world. It has also come to the attention of this reporter that a second human has managed to arrive in our world. He has shown that Cozy Glow has more nefarious purposes in mind for her radical group, including the release of Tirek, who is a known enemy of Equestria.’” Sharpclaw put the paper down, unable to read more for the moment. “What in Tartarus is this?!”

“It’s not some puff piece or slander campaign, sir,” Brute exclaimed. “They have authentic visual spells to back it up. Cozy’s been using us! The spell shows how she is an expert manipulator! She used this crisis to try and bring back the worst villain Equestria has ever known!”

Sharpclaw looked at the paper once more, then saw said visual spell. Pony newspapers could be enchanted to display magical visual recordings reporters had taken. He touched the image which showed Cozy and the young dragon Spike sitting in front of some strange device. The photograph came to life and he watched as the device displayed a strange simplified version of Cozy Glow acting in increasingly erratic and manipulative behavior. He stopped the image halfway through and put the paper down. “Okay…that’s…wow,” he began, clearly unsure what to say. He looked at Brute. “We’re gonna need to speak to her or send her a letter.”

“We have to act now, sir. I already saw many ponies and our members reading it. The whole city likely already knows about this. We have to cut all ties with her or else all of our members could be seen as conspirators in overthrowing Equestria!”

Sharpclaw scowled. “I’ll write a statement about this and I’ll send the newspaper to her via the dragon fire candle. Spike is always with her, so he should get the paper.” Quickly he grabbed the green candle and lit it.

“I’ll contact the Manhattan Times to prepare a statement as quickly as possible. We can have an interview ready in an hour.” Brute turned and hastily galloped out of the office.

Sharpclaw took the parts of the paper that were relevant to the article, rolled them up neatly, and held them over the green flame. Instantly, the newspaper went up in flames and vanished out of the nearest open window, on its way to its destination. He rubbed his face with his claws. Today was going to be a long one…

[Seeds Of Yggdrasil - That Same Time]

Spike was standing in front of the bathroom mirror in the temporary bedroom he’d been given while staying at Starlight’s school. He was brushing his teeth with a towel around his waist when he felt the familiar tightening in his stomach that indicated a message was being delivered to him through dragon fire. It was rare that such a means of delivery was used, and if it was being used, it was definitely an emergency. Judging from how tightly his stomach was being clenched, something bigger than a letter was coming through.

His cheeks puffed out, and he belched out green flames, followed quickly by a rolled up piece of paper. He caught it in his grasp and quickly opened it. When he saw the headlines, his heart sank. Quickly he rinsed his mouth out, tossed the towel aside, and ran out of his room, calling out for Cozy Glow.

He didn’t find her first, but instead found Gabby at a table with some of the other students. He ran up to her, panting heavily and slammed the paper down in front of her without preamble. “We’re in trouble!” he panted heavily.

Gabby arched a brow and read the paper. Instantly, her confusion morphed into horror as she read it. “T-This can’t be right. No, that’s not true! That’s impossible!!!”

“The Manehattan Times is a reliable paper according to Princess Luna,” Spike said, “and if the Manehattan branch already got wind of this, then the other branches aren’t far behind.” Spike looked back at the picture. “How did they get this picture? We were alone!”

“No! I refuse to believe this!” Gabby slammed her fist on the table angrily. “Cozy wouldn’t do this! She’s been helping so many creatures all this time.”

“I don’t know…” Spike said, a frown creasing his brow. “She seemed genuinely upset when she was watching that depiction of herself. Still, she wants to free creatures from imprisonment. Tirek’s been imprisoned because he’s as evil as you can get. Who knows how many others are guilty that would’ve gotten a free pass from our message?” He looked up at Gabby. “I don’t want to believe it, but we need to bring this out into the open now and figure out the truth.”

“We’re going to see Cozy now!” Gabby said as she and Spike flew out the room with the papers in his claw.

Cozy was flying slowly down the halls, talking to several students in the hallway and was in the process of giving them some fliers. Suddenly she heard the frantic flapping of wings from behind her. She turned and saw Gabby and Spike approaching her quickly. Spike landed next to her and put a firm claw on her. “Cozy, we have a problem,” he said, panting hard.

“What’s wrong, Spike?” Cozy asked with concern. “You’re all out of breath. You should try and pace yourself if you are going to exercise-”

Spike held up the paper before she could finish her sentence. “Read that!” he exclaimed.

“The paper? Sure, but I don’t see- ” Cozy felt her heart stop as she read and saw the pictures of her MLP counterpart. “W-Where did they get this?!”

“I don’t know!” Spike shouted almost frantically. “We were alone! I know we were!”

“No. no. no. It’s-it’s a lie. That– this isn’t me!”

“It doesn’t matter what the truth is,” Spike said darkly as he looked at the paper. “Ponies will latch onto this and believe it more than our message. Look at how they demonized us! They called us a fringe group!”

“There’s also this letter from the Manehattan branch calling for your removal,” Gabby said, handing her the letter.

Cozy only grew more numb as she read and the paper flew out of her hooves. She began to hyperventilate. “N-No…not now…I can’t…”

“Cozy? Cozy! Calm down!” Spike said earnestly.

But Cozy did not heed her friend's words. Everything was muted as a dull ringing grew louder in her ears. Cozy felt like she was suffocating. “I-If the branch in Manehattan sent this and that other me is in the paper, that means ponies and creatures saw it too. They’ll kick me out. They’ll hate me! I-I can’t– DADDY!!!”

Cozy flew down the hall with surprising speed as she headed to Gregory’s room. She flew past his stationed guards and burst through the doors. If she was in the right frame of mind, she would’ve questioned why Ember was sleeping next to him. Instead she leaped onto the bed, startling the two awake as she buried her face into Gregory’s chest and started crying. “Ah! What’s going on?!” Ember shrieked, sounding embarrassed as Spike, Gabby and Gregory’s guards came into the room as well.

Cozy didn’t stop crying, just continued clinging to Gregory tightly as she sobbed. Soon, she felt his hand running through her curly mane. “Hey, what’s wrong?” he asked in a gentle and soothing tone.

When Cozy didn’t move, Cozy heard someone giving the paper to Gregoty. “She’s crying because of this…”

Cozy heard him take the paper, then there was silence. Cozy heard her new adopted dad muttering something incoherently before he pulled Cozy off of him, lifting her chin to face him. “Cozy, talk to me, okay?”

“They’ll hate me. They’ll hate me!” Cozy became inconsolable as she babbled.

A look of understanding and clarity passed over Gregory’s face and he held her close, stroking her mane. She heard him saying, “Spike, you and Cozy were alone when you watched that video, right?”

“Yeah, there was no one with us in that room,” Spike explained. “I don’t know how they could’ve gotten a visual spell on that clip.”

Cozy heard Gregory make a humming noise. “Moonlight, you’re a unicorn. Can you think of anything that could explain what might have happened? Could someone have been invisible in the room? Here, look at the angle of the picture.”

Cozy looked up from Gregory’s chest with one eye and watched as Moonlight lifted the paper and looked at it with scrutiny. She took on a thoughtful face. “That’s possible. I can scan the room to see who was in there. But another possibility would be a scrying spell. It allows the caster to place a spell with audio and visual on a target from a remote location. All I have to do is scan Cozy for foreign magic.” Moonlight looked down at the distraught filly. “If she’ll let me.”

Cozy froze. She was afraid of magical scans. Her parents had submitted her to plenty of those before she ran away and they always made her terrified. Gregory looked down at Cozy, and any fear she felt about a magical scan evaporated at the reassuring look that he gave her. She nodded slowly. Cozy saw him smile, then he turned back to Moonlight. “Do it,” he commanded.

Moonlight did as instructed as her magic envelops cozy Glow as gently as possible. Cozy tensed, but she felt Gregory tighten his grip on her. She saw herself be surrounded by a light green magical aura, but it was a softer feeling than when she’d been younger. Suddenly, Cozy saw the aura change to a dark red color and she felt her heartbeat increase. The red aura wavered a bit, there was a sound of shattering glass and the magic aura returned to its light green aura. However, after a few seconds the magical aura cut off. Moonlight frowned. “I couldn’t zero in on the culprit,” she explained.

“Tch. There goes our lead.” Swift said.

Cozy felt Gregory tense. “I smell a rat. Has anybody seen that unicorn who came with you guys recently? Feather Duster, correct?”

“Not since earlier when you guys all left the room yesterday,” Spike said. “You don’t think that she had anything to do with this? She’s been with us since the recruitment phases of the CFE.”

“Or she’s been with you since the beginning as a spy,” Gregory explained. “You don’t think that Canterlot’s House of Lords would just leave you alone, did you?”

“The speed of which this story broke and the clear bias in the print certainly suggests their involvement,” Moonlight agreed.

Gregory took back the newspaper portion and looked at it more carefully. “Who owns the Manehattan Times?” he asked after a while.

“There’s no clear owner, but Jet Set is a big investor for it,” Swift said.

“Jet Set…he was the one who first assaulted Jason before the Trial started, correct?” Gregory asked.

“That’s right. He still has the scar from the Gjallarhorn,” Spike said.

Gregory nodded. “Swift, Moonlight, new assignment. Find Feather Duster and apprehend her for questioning.”

Swift and Moonlight shared a look. Moonlight turned back first. “We can find her, but you’re not allowed to question her. You’re a VIP, not a ruling authority.”

“I didn’t say I would be questioning her,” he replied.

Ember smirked as she cracked her knuckles. “I think my authority fits fine. But you have to be quick about it. My dragons are still on the way.”

“We’ll go tell Starlight. Something like this is definitely against international treaties concerning the school.” Spike said as Gabby nodded.

“Especially since we’re in the Neutral Lands,” Moonlight agreed. She turned to Swift. “I’ll scan for her magical signature. You do some discreet questioning. It’s likely she’s gonna make a break for it now that she knows her scrying spell is gone.”

“Treat her with every courtesy available,” Gregory cautioned. “Don’t treat her like garbage because Equestria can use that against the CFE.”

[Staright’s Office]

Starlight’s office was surprisingly sparse for the Head Teacher of such a large school. There was a desk, a chair, a wastebasket that was half full with discarded papers, and a window looking out onto the campus. The only piece of decoration that was currently in the room was a philodendron plant.

It hadn’t taken long for Feather Duster to be found. Half an hour after they had all gone searching for herMoonlight had discovered her near the exit to the school. There had been a short magical fight, but Moonlight had easily subdued her and brought her to Starlight’s office.

As Gregory watched Moonlight lift the sleeping spell she’d cast on Feather, his anger only increased. He was seething and almost seeing red. He was pissed not only at Feather Duster, but at himself. How could he have been so stupid? He had left the computer on when he should have logged it out at the very least. Nobody knew his password! One single slip up had caused an entire movement to be derailed.

Still, some doubt began creeping into his mind. Cozy said she wasn’t like the Cozy from the show, but did that mean she was automatically without faults? He quickly dismissed those doubts since he didn’t have any proof.

Cozy had not let go of him since he had gotten out of bed with Ember by his side. Now, he was sitting in the office with Cozy still in his lap, Ember next to him, and Starlight, Spike, Gabby, Moonlight and Swift in the room staring at the waking unicorn.

“Owww…! Hey! What’s the big idea?! Why am I tied up?” Feather Duster said as she tried to struggle. Calling upon her magic, she appeared shocked when it fizzled out. “My magic! What did you do to my magic?!”

“Simple, I got a hold over your horn.” Starlight said, gesturing to her glowing aura that was encompassing Feather Duster’s horn. “Barring any suppression rings, this method is the next best alternative. Now, you’re going to tell us why you were spying on Cozy Glow?!”

Feather looked confused. “What are you talking about?” she asked.

Spike tossed the newspaper down at the desk with the incriminating article about Cozy. “This article was sent by our Manehattan branch. It’s spreading lies about Cozy being some master manipulator crying to free the likes of Tirek! Cozy and I were the only ones in that room. This paper shouldn’t exist!”

“What does that have to do with me?” Feather asked, looking at the article with a scowl before looking back at the crowd of gathered creatures.

“You’re the only unicorn that was close enough to Cozy to put some spell on her to spy on the movement! Who are you working for?!” Gabby said, slamming her claws on the desk.

“What? You think I’m guilty because I am Cozy’s friend?” Feather replied angrily. “Or is it because I’m a unicorn?”

Moonlight looked at her dispassionately. “Why were you sneaking off this morning?”

Feather’s eyes narrowed. “I was going for a walk!”

“Then why did you attack me when I asked to talk to you?” Moonlight asked.

“Y-You startled me, that’s all.”

“A normal pony wouldn’t outright attack someone if they were startled,” Starlight said stoically.

“Ponies tend to have knee jerk reactions, remember?” Feather said. “I’m no different. It’s why I joined the CFE!!!”

Starlight frowned deeply as she moved closer. “Look, you can either come clean now or I’ll make you!”

“No, Starlight. That’s not what we can do here,” Gregory said. “That would give fuel to our enemies.”

“You got nothing on me that can say I did anything wrong!” Feather said, ignoring Gregory. “I’ve been a loyal friend and member of the CFE. I would never hurt Cozy.”

“Is that right? Well, I guess we are doing this the hard way.” Starlight said as her horn glowed.

“Starlight, no!” Gregory shouted in alarm.

Despite Gregory’s protest, Starlight magic produced a large screen of the school and its interior. It displayed several images of staff and students. It even showed the arrival of Gregory and shortly after, Cozy Glow’s group. The image then focuses on all of Feather Duster's movements. Particularly, the moment Feather Duster contacted High Life in Canterlot. “You’re not the only one that has a scrying spell in place.”

Feather Duster’s features went pale. “Y-You’re spying on your students!? You can’t do that! This is neutral ground!!!”

“It’s a failsafe that I had built into the school,” Starlight explained. “With so many different creatures, I have to ensure full safety for all of them. I got permission from all the other leaders and the students know this as well. It helps if there are any rogue changelings that haven’t moved over to peace like Chrysalis said.” Starlight smirked. “Now, care to explain to us why you are talking with one of the most influential ponies in Canterlot? Or should I send this to every news outlet before that? I’m sure the Princess would like a copy of potential treason in her midst.”

Gregory sat back down, a look of relief passing over his features. He’d been afraid Starlight would forcefully read Feather’s mind, but with what she’d just said, he felt better. He decided to apologize to Starlight later.

Feather looked around the room wildly, then her eyes locked on Cozy Glow who was still sitting on Gregory’s lap. Her features contorted into a look of utter contempt. “Your time has come, little filly,” she spat.

Gregory felt Cozy tense up and cling to him. He glared at Feather. “I suggest you answer the question,” he said.

“You made a lot of ponies angry when you tried to play activist!” Feather Duster stated before smiling. “I was sent to gather information and sabotage your little movement. It doesn’t matter how much you cry. Your little pals won’t believe a word from a pony!” She then turned and looked directly at Gregory. “And it’s all thanks to you humans.”

Gregory was seeing red now. He had never been this upset before. He didn’t want to do anything foolish, though, so he closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths before turning to Starlight. “Starlight, I think you should send this to Princess Luna regardless.”

“I was going to do that regardless,” Starlight replied. “I just wanted to make her squirm a little,” Starlight turned and gave Feather Duster a wicked grin. “With Luna’s new policies and all the recent courtroom drama, I’m sure you and your band of traitors are in for a grand old time.”

“Is there a place where she can be locked up until we can ship her off to Canterlot?” Spike asked.

“I suggest giving her a temporary spare bedroom,” Gregory said, “but under close guard.”

“What? Why?” Ember asked pointedly. She turned to Gregory and pointed at Feather. “She’s a criminal!”

“Yes she is, but if we treat her poorly, we’d only feed into the lies that other creatures are monsters and that ponies are the only good creatures around,” Gregory stated. “She should get decent accommodations and three square meals a day until she can be taken to Canterlot. But that’s my two cents on the matter. Ultimately, it’s not my call.”

“We can throw her into your car. Remember how I couldn’t get out with my magic and hooves without your help?” Starlight said.

Gregory shook his head. “No. Cars tend to get very warm and very stuffy when they’re closed up . It would be very uncomfortable. It’s a cramped space and the seats are not very comfortable for sleeping. And I don’t want her anywhere near that vehicle.”

“How about a broom closet then?” Starlight suggested.

“I suppose that could work,” he conceded, “either that or one of those empty warehouses. One that’s like the one I put my car in.”

“Alright, we’ll have your accommodations ready in a while, Feather Duster. Please be sure to write a positive review when you get back, and thank you for choosing Yggdrasil.” Starlight had a cheeky smirk on her face as she materialized a gag and put it over her muzzle. Feather Duster struggled in her bonds anew while yelling obscenities.

Gregory couldn’t help it. He snorted at Starlight's attitude. He stood, then looked down at Ember while still holding Cozy in his arms, covering her ears so as not to hear Feather Duster swearing. “You coming?”

Gregory took Cozy to her room so that the young filly could rest. She had actually fallen asleep in his arms as he’d carried her back, or at the very least had faked it convincingly enough. Even if she was faking it, he knew she needed some rest. Ember had walked beside him without saying a word. After that, Ember had said she had to go, so Gregory walked her out. The two were outside the main school gates. The sun was high in the sky now and it was almost noon. Gregory looked at Ember. He felt a lot better about whatever kind of relationship they had, but he also knew that they needed to talk a lot more. It must have showed on his face because Ember reached over and poked his forehead with one of her claws. “You’re doing it again,” she admonished.

Gregory paused, then forced himself to relax. “Yeah, guess so,” he said.

“Alright, what’s bugging you this time?” Ember asked, sounding almost exasperated. “Plots of revenge for your hatchling?”

He sighed. “There’s a lot on my mind, and some of it involves you and me.” He faced her. “There’s a lot we need to talk about when you’re not busy, but for now your main focus needs to be on your people. They need you a hell of a lot more.”

“Hmm, that’s true,” Ember said with a nod. “But if you do decide to go after them, don’t leave me out.” Ember smirked at him.

“You wouldn’t let me regardless,” he chuckled dryly. “You’d kick my rear, I’m sure.”

“Just as long as you know that. See ya, Gregory.” She spread her wings and flew up into the sky before he had a chance to respond.

Gregory watched her go, attempting to process what she just said. “Did she just…?” he trailed off, but he couldn’t help but smile. A genuine smile. That had been the first time she’d said his name and not called him just human or something else. He wasn’t sure why, but hearing her saying his name made his heart swell a bit. He watched her go, unable to look away. She didn’t turn around, but he still raised his hand and waved at her as she sped up, heading southeast. His stomach then decided to betray him and it growled. He smirked. “Okay, okay,” he said, looking down at the offending organ, “a late breakfast it is, then time to educate myself.” He still stared off after Ember until she was out of sight, then turned and headed inside to grab some breakfast.

[Canterlot - Princess Luna’s Office - Early Afternoon]

Princess Luna was sitting at her desk while going over her docket when there was a knock at the door. “Enter,” she said without looking up.

A guard strolled inside and bowed. “My Princess, you have visitors that have urgent news for you.”

“Urgent news? And who are these visitors? I told you that I cannot entertain guests come the afternoon and evening hours,” Luna asked without looking up.

“It’s your sister and her protege, your highness.”

Luna’s eyes widened abruptly as he said this. She looked up at the guard finally. “Send them in.”

The guard stood to the side as Celestia and Sunset came into the room. Even though Celestia had given up the crown, the guard still bowed in reverence to the solar alicorn. “Thank you, guard,” Celestia said gratefully, “although you don’t have to bow to me anymore.”

“I am merely honoring the great service you provided,” the guard said. “You’ll always be a princess in our eyes.” So saying, the guard turned and left, closing the door behind him leaving the two alicorns and sole unicorn alone.

“Devotion like that is hard to break. I bet you miss it all the same.” Sunset smirked.

“Yes, yes, the guards are loyal,” Luna said with a wave of her hoof, “but I doubt you came back so soon for worship. How is it you got here so quickly? It’s unlike you.”

“I apologize for that, Luna, We combined our magics to power a teleportation spell.” Celestia said apologetically, “we couldn’t drag our hooves on this. Someone has launched an attack on the CFE that could threaten their entire movement.”

Luna lifted a newspaper and slammed it down on the desk in barely restrained anger. It was the same newspaper that Celestia and Luna had seen earlier. “I saw,” she said. “It isn’t just the Manehattan Times, either. Canterlot Weekly has also shown this image and other newspapers will likely pick up on it soon. I’ve received reports that many ponies are all but up in arms. And guess where it’s worse than elsewhere?”

“Ponyville,” Sunset growled.

“I believe the term is bingo, young mare,” Luna nodded.

“It doesn’t surprise me anymore, sadly,” Celestia said in a disappointed tone, “however, the information we have isn’t the headlines. We have clear evidence that points to High Life of the Council of Lords as the main instigator.”

“That makes waaay too much sense, now that I think about it,” Sunset said. “He always struck me as a holier-than-thou asshole. I bet the CFE threatened the amount of mares he took to bed.” She looked absolutely disgusted.

“Nay, just the entire status quo of the noble houses,” Luna said. “Blueblood and I have suspected his ilk of foul play for some time. We’re currently following a lead on an exchange of bits that lead to the human Gregory Graystone’s exile, but it sounds as if you have something more concrete.”

“Bribery to get Gregory to leave Ponyville?” Celestia asked.

“Indeed, sister,” Luna replied, “but go on. What is this evidence you speak of?”

“We found his agent he planted within the CFE,” Celestia explained. “Thanks to some brilliant spell crafting by Starlight, we found that he doesn’t just want to undermine the movement, but the crown as well.” Celestia’s horn glowed as she showed Luna Feather Duster’s confession.

Luna watched without remark as the memory played out. She was genuinely curious as to why the young filly Cozy was sitting in Gregory’s lap. As the memory faded, a dark smile formed on Luna’s lips and her eyes temporarily became slits before returning to normal. “This is just what we need to put the House of Lords out of commission.”

“Is Blueblood still in the city? I would like to accompany him when he makes the arrest.” Celestia asked with the same smile as Luna.

Luna looked at her. “Cellie, did you forget the punishment Jason put on you? You cannot be involved in anything political. This is my domain now.”

“Who said I was acting as a political entity?” Celestia said. “I was thinking more in the lines of sitting at a tea party with my nephew as he invited some guests over. I don’t have to do a thing.” The coy smile never left as Celestia finished.

Luna’s muzzle stretched into a grin again. “Is that so? Well, that seems fitting.”

Sunset smiled as well as she rubbed her hoof together in an almost devilish fashion. “Oh, I like this deviousness you two have. I’m your plus one on this.”

“I shall inform Blueblood at once to begin preparations.” Luna said as she pulled out a parchment.

[Blueblood’s Estate- An Hour Later]

Unlike High Elm, the estate which belonged to Prince Blueblood, named Sunny Spires, had been constructed much more recently. It was rather extravagant and was closer to the palace than High Elm. It was rare that Prince Blueblood didn’t have guests because he was known to show off his opulent lifestyle.

He was doing just that with the members of the House of Lords in the late afternoon that spring day as they all gathered in his dining hall. The table was set with the best dishes and the maids were scrambling to accommodate everypony. There were multiple conversations going on as they waited for their host to begin his normally arrogant but sadly necessary speech.

When the last guests had arrived, Blueblood stood, lifted his wine glass and a spoon and tapped it loudly enough so that everypony in the room heard it. The maids, used to this by now, immediately left the room. When everypony had quieted down, Blueblood smiled. “Greetings, everypony,” he said. “Thank you for coming to my banquet tonight. Now, before I continue my speech, I’m sure you’ve noticed two empty seats near me that haven’t yet been filled.” He gestured towards it and a murmur spread through the banquet hall. “I have invited two special guests tonight and I wanted their presence to be a surprise. Please welcome back to Canterlot, after a year long absence, my aunt Celestia and her former student Sunset Shimmer!”

The doors were opened once more to reveal the aforementioned mares. Both were wearing gorgeous gowns as they walked in together. The room was silent as the two took their seats, Celestia directly to Blueblood’s right and Sunset by her side. She smiled at Blueblood. “Thank you for having us, dear nephew,” she said.

“Yeah, quite the shindig, too. You pulled out all the stops, huh?” Sunset said. She knew how these parties went, but she opted to be purposely impolite, mimicking the social gathering of those these nobles would call pleasants. Judging by the many pointed looks and uncomfortable shifting, she got the intended effect.

“Yes, I strive to be as welcoming and hospitable as possible,” Blueblood said before turning to Celestia. “How have your affairs been with your travels, dear auntie?”

“They’ve been most enjoyable and enlightening, dear nephew. Although, I will admit that I miss my days in the castle,” Celestia said in a wistful tone.

“And may I just say that we greatly miss you as well, princess,” Jet Set said. “It is nothing short of a tragedy that our esteemed princess was forced to relinquish the crown at the behest of that ape!”

There were many murmurs of agreement at Jet Set’s words. Perfect Pace, the young earth pony noble, added in his two bits as well. “Even so, everypony here saw the news about that monstrous filly leader of the CFE. Without her, that pathetic movement won’t last long.”

“Still, you have to give credit where credit is due,” High Life said, turning to Perfect and Jet. “That little filly created a nationwide movement at her age. It’s quite an accomplishment for somepony so young. Such a shame that her talents were put to waste.”

“I say good riddance!” Upper Crust shouted. The murmurs of agreement returned. “She’s nothing but a bleeding heart traitor. As if those nonponies hold any true value. They should be kneeling in gratitude for what they had.”

Zesty Gourmand nodded in agreement. “We’ve been more than generous,” the food critic agreed, “I know I was when I tried that zebra establishment.”

More murmurs of agreement were heard and the noise in the room crescendoed. Finally, Blueblood tapped his glass. “Yes. The recent events are why I decided to host this gathering. Well, it is more like a celebration. We’ve all tolled long and hard to get to this point. And now, our efforts are being realized. Isn’t that right Auntie?”

“Yes it is, dear nephew,” Celestia said in an agreeing tone. “I’ve always tried to be as accommodating as I could be when I was a princess. Regardless of that, even I have made several errors during my rule.” Celestia paused when there was an applause among the gathered ponies and voices of reassurances.

“You needn’t feel ashamed of anything, Princess. At our current progress, I’m sure you can be back on the throne where you belong in no time.” High Life lifted his glass of wine. The others copied his gesture, as did Celestia.

Celestia gave High Life a kindly smile before speaking.“Your words are as kind as they are fraudulent, High Life,” She turned to face the lord fully, “but I believe you may be misinterpreting my intentions.”

High Life raised an eyebrow. “How so, Princess?”

Her smile turned into a glare. “The error I’ve made was ever giving you rotten sycophants a modicum of influence,” she said darkly. “In your continual selfish greed and xenophobic tendencies, you’ve done nothing but undermine the core values that my sister and I have built into this once great country! You’re bleeding this country dry and give nothing back!”

Blueblood stood and stamped the ground. “Guards! To me at once!”

All at once the Royal Guards poured into the room with swords and spears drawn. “Nopony move!” the Captain of the Guard shouted. “By order of Prince Blueblood and Princess Luna, you are all under arrest for treason!”

“WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!” Jet Set hollered. The rest of the House of Lords exchanged frantic glances at all the armed guards.

“What, are you hard of hearing or something?” Sunset asked with a condescending smirk “This is a raid. You’re all busted.” Sunset kicked up her hooves on the table and put her forelegs behind her head in human fashion.

“On what evidence can you provide for this illegal arrest?!” Upper Crust demanded.

Blueblood smirked at them all. “That evidence will be brought up at your trial,” he said in a clearly amused tone.

“...I see. So, Feather Duster has been turned, I assume?” High Life said. Unlike his compatriots, High Life was as calm and stoic as he’s always been. He even had the gall to take another sip of his wine.

Blueblood turned to him. “I suppose you’ll have to see, won’t you…my friend?”

“Hmm, yes. I must say that this was well played on your part,” High Life said. “I never even suspected you of anything like this. You’ve always been the earnest fool that likes to flaunt his prestige. I should’ve guessed that it was an act. But, I suppose it doesn’t matter. You’ve won the battle, but lost the war.”

“And what makes you say that?” Sunset asked.

“That little movement is crumbling as we speak,” High Life said calmly. “It will take far too long to retract those papers thanks to the upcoming trial. Besides, ponies and non-ponies alike are already chomping at the bit for that filly’s head. I wouldn’t be surprised if some riots are forming right now despite the lateness of the hour. My view from a cell may not be ideal, but it shall be a good one all the same.”

Blueblood ignored him and turned to the Captain. “Captain Steel Forge, take them away.”

“At once, Your Highness!” the captain said before turning to his subordinates. “Magical suppression rings now!”

There were cries of anger as the unicorns had their horns put out of commission, the pegasi had their wings tied to their sides and the earth ponies had magic shackles placed around their hooves to diminish their strength. Soon, the three were alone. Blueblood then lifted the bell for the servants and rang it. When one of the maids entered, he turned to her. “Gather all of the servants in Sunny Spires,” he said, this time with one of the kindest smiles on his face. “There’s an uneaten feast here, and I’d hate for it to go to waste.”

The maid looked stunned by this and couldn’t speak for a while. Finally, she spoke. “Y-You’re Highness?” she squeaked.

He chuckled. “There will be some major changes around here,” he said, “and it starts with you and the other servants. Go and bring every servant in Sunny Spires here. This meal is for all of you.”

Without another word, the maid turned and ran out, an extra bounce in her step. Sunset got out of her chair and walked up to Celestia and Blueblood. “So, do you think High Life was bluffing? I hate how calm and collected he was despite everything.”

“I’ve had dealings with him on many occasions,” Blueblood said. “High Life may be younger than most nobles, but he is incredibly smart and very dangerous once you become his enemy. It’s very likely he’s planned some sort of backup plan, so we should watch out.”

“There’s nothing we can do about him now, but we can prepare for the eventuality of the riots.” Celestia said. “Come, let us return to my sister.”

[Silver Shoals - The Next Morning]

The first indication that anything was wrong in the retirement community was a sudden drop in temperature despite the island being near the southern border of Equestria. Even in the middle of May, the weather was warmer than it would be up in the north. The sun seemed to do little to alleviate the sudden cold and the breeze that began to pick up around the elderly residents.

When the breeze turned into a high wind and when clouds began covering the sun, the morning activities were either canceled or brought inside some of the larger buildings. The sky began darkening menacingly.

Among it all, a travel worn and exhausted griffin named Galen stumbled upon the town. He was exhausted and hadn’t eaten a thing in days. He had the bits for a meal, but any time he tried to enter a place to eat in this Faust-forsaken land, he was turned away and told various things like “Your bits aren’t good here,” or “Go back where you came from and stay there,” and various other cruel and heartless words like that.

He was desperate now, and as the wind picked up and the temperature dropped, he went from house to house, banging on the door and pleading for someone to let him out of the sudden storm. However, even in the community of older ponies, almost all of whom were over a century old, he was rejected. Frustrated, he turned and left the town, heading south towards a set of hills that marked the borders of Equestria.

The winds only increased and he pulled his cloak about him to try and shield himself from the icy wind. He was bitterly cold, his stomach felt like it was clenching tight around him, and he was angry. In his anger and frustration, Galen did something he hadn’t done since he was a kitten. He prayed to Faust for a miracle. He looked up at the sky, now covered with thick and dark clouds. “Faust! Please hear me! I know I haven’t been a good griffin. I haven’t prayed like I should and I’ve done things I shouldn’t. But please…please help me! I don’t want to die in this land! I’ve been chased out of towns, had garbage and rocks hurled at me, been insulted and more! Please help me! Don’t leave me to die in this forsaken-YAH!”

His prayer was interrupted when the ground underneath him gave way and he fell into a sudden small hole that had formed. He fell for a few agonizing seconds before he landed in a pool of water. A pool of surprisingly warm water. He splashed and sputtered as he flailed about before realizing that the pool was only a few feet deep and that he could stand. He looked around and saw that the water was illuminated whenever he moved around in it. There were some crystals in the cave that also glowed along with bioluminescent lichen on the walls.

He made his way to the shore, looking up at the sky. He was too weak to fly out and the hole wasn’t exactly a good enough shape for him to fly through, so he lay down to rest and curse his rotten luck.

As it turned out, his luck had never been so good. The sky turned black and snow began pelting down everywhere, covering the houses in thick blankets of snow. The winds increased and began buffeting the houses themselves. The power went out everywhere. Candles were quickly lit and fires were built, but with the increasing cold it didn’t help as much as it would have. Ponies huddled around their fires in fear as cracks formed on the windows. The younger ponies hung blankets in front of the windows that were cracking, but it only delayed the inevitable.

Then, they all heard it. A ghostly wail that sent a different type of chill down the spines of anypony who heard it. Those ponies who were watching the storm saw a ghostly shape in the sky, then the shape split apart, then those split again until the sky was full of the wraithlike equines. Everypony knew then what those creatures were, and their fear turned to utter terror.

The Windigos had come to Equestria.

Chapter 16 - The Oncoming Storm

[Yggdrasil Guest Quarters - The Night Before]

Twilight Sparkle sat at a desk in the room that had been provided for her and her friends, Celestia and Sunset. There were eight beds there in total, four on each wall, with a large window overlooking the western landscape of the school grounds. There were three desks lined against the wall, a shared bathroom adjacent to the room, and a large fireplace sitting against the northern portion of the wall. The fireplace was lit and burning well, spreading its warm ruddy glow through the room. Five of the beds were occupied, with one having a Shepherd Hound curled up next to their earth pony owner.

There were two candles lit at her desk as she read over an old manuscript that she’d brought with her from the Shelter Library. She was busy reading over it and examining the small green glowing orb that rested beside the book. The mana core that had come from the timberwolf Gregory had managed to kill still eluded any attempt at study. Its magic was unlike anything she’d ever experienced before. Without having any access to her magic, she couldn’t scan the item in question. She moved her wing down and picked it up, examining it further. The green glow matched the glow of a timberwolf’s eyes precisely. Part of her wished Celestia was here, or even Sunset. Both of them still had their magic, and from what Twilight had learned about Sunset, she was just as much of a magical prodigy as Twilight, albeit with a more hooves-on approach to the study of magic.

She put the mana core back down and folded her wing back. Since she’d lost her magic and some of her ability to fly, she had become quite skilled in using her wings as appendages to pick things up, something she wouldn’t have considered if she hadn’t lost her magic. She sighed, looked back at her manuscript and read over it once more. The words remained the same, but she still couldn’t decipher any new meaning to them.

Frustrated, she leaned back and looked out the window. The candlelight and firelight did nothing to hide the brilliance of the stars in the sky. The Neutral Lands were vastly unpopulated, so there were no city lights to marr the beauty of the heavens. She could see the wisp of Faust’s Braid flowing over the night sky much more clearly than she could have ever seen it in Ponyville. As she watched, her mind wandered. She had been trying to distract herself from what was really on her mind. And she was worried about a few people as well.

First, she was worried about Spike. He looked taller now than he had been before, healthier too. His wings were a new addition that she hadn’t expected, and a part of her really wanted to know how he got them, but she knew better than to ask, at least at the moment. She hadn’t said much to him since she and her friends had arrived. As much as she wanted to try and make amends with Spike, she realized that if she wanted to regain what was lost and even build up their relationship to something better than it ever had been, she had to be patient. She would wait until he was ready, even if it took her entire life.

Second, she was pretty worried about her relationship with Starlight Glimmer. The unicorn Head Teacher of this school was still hurting from what had happened at The Trial. It had hurt when she had called them out in the hall, but what had stung the most was when the unicorn had accused Twilight of keeping her around just because she might have been a threat. She thought back, and slowly it began to dawn on her that Starlight didn’t have too many friends. She might have been Starlight’s friend once, but that friendship was shattered at The Trial’s revelations. Once more, she felt guilty about her quick judgment of Trixie. She had no idea how truly distraught the showmare had been after almost losing Starlight as a friend. To be so upset as to commit…to commit…

She sighed. She couldn’t even consider such a horrific thought. Ponies didn’t think about such things, as the very action was so rare that it would have been such a major incident if a pony did take their own life. She had never heard of such a thing happening in her lifetime, and not only had Trixie tried to do so, but so had Jason. Both due to her own foolish actions.

Third, she was worried about Gregory. The way his eyes had seemed to glaze over with blackness when he had been arguing with Dragon Lord Ember was terrifying. It had made him look somewhat more demonic. The look of sheer anger on his face was actually worse than what she remembered seeing on Jason’s face. Celestia had reassured her that his anger would subside when the timberwolf poison was gone from his body, but she was still worried and scared. She had heard that he had been discharged and was recovering, however, so she decided to find him the next day at some point and see if he was alright.

Suddenly, she saw something fly across the night sky, briefly blocking the stars. She blinked, then looked around, searching for whatever creature had flown around. It was too dark to see, but she did spot something flying around. It wasn’t a bat but it was somewhat small. Curious, she walked to the balcony and opened the door, walking out. As her eyes adjusted to the dark, she saw a surprisingly familiar form. “S-Spike?”

Spike didn’t seem to hear her. He continued his flight, moving around with surprising ease and expert agility. She watched in awe as he performed aerial tricks that would have impressed Rainbow Dash had she been awake. This lasted for about ten or so minutes before he stopped. She could hear him panting, so she ran inside, grabbed the pitcher of water that had been provided for them, poured a glass, and carried both outside. “Spike! Here!” She waved her free wing at him.

Spike finally noticed her. A frown formed on his face, but he still approached, landed on the railing, took the glass and downed the entire thing. “Thanks,” he said as he gave the glass back to Twilight.

The alicorn spoke without thinking. “Y-You’ve really picked up how to fly. That was really amazing.”

Spike shrugged. “Gabby’s been teaching me how,” he said, “and there are a couple of dragons in our group who’ve been helping me.”

She looked at the empty glass, then back at him. She held it up. “W-Want some more?”

“Sure,” he said.

After she’d poured Spike another glass as well as one for herself, she sat down on one of the chairs. Spike was sitting on the railing, perfectly balanced and staring up at the sky. She joined him in looking at the sky. The night sky was bright from inside, but out here, the inky blue of the night was practically ablaze with twinkling starlight. She saw the various late spring constellations high in the sky, and a part of her wished she had her telescope with her. The two sat in silence for a while. “So, how’ve you been?” Spike asked after a few minutes.

Twilight released a breath she didn’t know she’d been keeping. “I’ve been alright,” she said, “better than some of the girls have been at least. But we’re back together again.”

“I saw that…” Spike fell silent for a moment. “...Did you ever explain how they were doing in your letters to me?”

Twilight let out a rueful chuckle. “You didn’t read them, huh?”

“Can you blame me?” Spike shook his head at the retort. “I’m sorry. I don’t want our first real interaction to have snark in it.”

“It’s okay,” Twilight said reassuringly, “I deserve it, after all. To answer your question, no. I lost touch with the girls while running the shelter. Typical of me, I guess, always throwing myself into work and never bothering to slow down and get the whole picture…”

“Ha, I bet that shelter was turned into a five star hotel with you running it,” Spike joked.

Twilight chuckled in response. “It certainly wasn’t easy given the clientele, but I’m sure to earn that five star review any day now.”

The two shared a good laugh before an awkward silence returned. Both Spike and Twilight were looking away from each other at the starry night sky while mirroring each other's movements by rubbing their shoulders. Finally, after a few more seconds, they spoke. “I’m sorry/I missed you.”

Spike looked at Twilight with a raised eyebrow. He gestured to her. “Mares first,” he said.

Twilight faced Spike. “I’m sorry for everything that happened to you and everything that I did to you, Spike. If I could spend a thousand years on the moon to prove it, I would. You’re my little brother, but I didn’t do enough to show that. I didn’t see the problem until it blew up in my face. I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness., but the thought of us being so estranged hurts more than facing any villain. So, I am well and truly sorry.”

Spike remained silent for a moment, looking into Twilight’s eyes as if he was searching for something. Finally, he spoke. “As…well, as weird as it feels to say, I did miss you, Twilight. I wasn’t lying about that. But as for forgiving you…” he trailed off, taking on a contemplative expression for a moment before continuing. “I can’t do that just yet. We haven’t seen each other for a year. I need…a lot more time than that. Not just with you, but with the others. Especially Rarity.” His face darkened briefly with hurt and anger before he calmed himself. “You hurt me a lot, Twilight Sparkle. You and the others. It still hurts whenever I think about it. Sometimes I have nightmares about certain times in Ponyville. Even so, I want…I want us to at least try and rebuild-no, not rebuild. Build something new between us. Something better.” He stopped and took a deep breath, chuckling and putting his claw on his chest. “Whoo…that was a lot…”

Twilight smiled a bit. “I’ll say,” she said, “but I hear you, Spike. I know the road to making something new will be long, but I’m glad we can walk it together.”

He smiled back slightly. “Well, maybe not physically together, but I get what you mean. I still have CFE things to tend to, and that takes me all over Equestria.”

“I hope things work out with Cozy,” Twilight said hopefully. “I read that paper. None of it was good. Especially if we take The Trial into consideration.”

Spike frowned slightly. “A lot of ponies will do anything to stop us,” he said, “and honestly? It looks like it might work…”

[Las Pegasus - The Next Morning]

The morning sun shone down warmly on the many citizens of the city as ponies went about their day. Most were on vacation there, visiting the casinos and bars to enjoy a pleasant time. In one particular casino, two twin unicorn brothers were sitting at a blackjack table, each looking down at the table with intense expressions. The dealer, who was a young but tired looking griffin, looked at one of the brothers. “Card, sir?” he asked, his claw on the pile in front of him.

“Indubitably, good sir.” Flim said.

The griffin placed a card down on the pile. “Three of hearts,” he said in a slightly bored tone. “That brings your total up to nine. Hit or stay?”

“Hmm, what do you think, brother of mine?” Flim asked his brother.

Flam discreetly checked a device on his forehoof before he looked back up at the griffin. “It’s in the cards, my good griffin. Hit us hard.” Flam said eagerly.

The griffin nodded and flipped a card. “Seven of diamonds. You now have sixteen. Hit or stay?”

Checking again, Flam shook his head. “Playing it safe this round, good sir. We’ll stay.” Flim said.

“Alright, you’re locked in at sixteen,” the griffin said before turning to a rather well-to-do looking unicorn couple sitting next to them. “And as for you two? You have twelve already. Hit or stay?”

The stallion looked at the cards, then smirked. “Hit,” he said.

The griffin pulled up the next card and placed it down. “Queen of spades. You went over by one, so you lose.” He turned to the Flim Flam brothers. “You two win the pot again.”

The two brothers shouted out victoriously as they hugged each other. “We’re cleaning house, brother of mine,” Flim said.

“Soon, we’ll have enough to jumpstart our next project,” Flam said.

“We’ll take Equestria by storm!”

“A triumphant return!”

“That is, if you two aren’t filthy cheaters,” the stallion beside them snarled angrily, glaring at them. His wife was also giving them a cold hate filled look.

The brothers stopped their celebration to address the couple. “Come now, good sir. We can’t all be winners. No need to throw out such a slanderous claim,” Flim said.

“It’s all in good fun in this perilous game of luck,” Flam added.

The stallion quickly grabbed Flam’s forehoof and raised it up for all to see. There was a strange mechanical device wrapped around it. “Luck, you say? Then what’s this?!” he demanded.

“J-Just a watch for the time,” Flam said.

“A watch. Really?” The stallion used his telekinesis to pull it off with a yank and examine it closely before either brother could act. “I certainly doubt it. Looks like you’ve been counting cards!”

Both Flim and Flam gasped dramatically at the accusation. “Can you believe it, dear brother?” Flim asked in an incredulous tone.

“I certainly can’t. Such words are uncouth in the presence of a mare. Especially without proof.” As Flam said this, his hoof moved too close to the table and he hit the button on top. A screen flashed as several numbers rapidly scrolled by until the exact number of the deck was shown. “Oh dear…”

The stallion looked more closely at the brothers. “Yes…it makes sense now,” he snarled. “I recognize you now. I thought I knew you from somewhere, but I couldn’t place it. You were at The Trial! Not only that, but I know you tricked my Honeysuckle out of her pearl necklace for some horsedung cure for her stiff neck!”

“Yes! I recognize them now!” the mare named Honeysuckle said, pointing at them with an accusatory hoof. “That worthless ‘cure’ of theirs did absolutely nothing to help!”

When the brothers both looked to the griffin for help, he just shrugged. “I don’t get paid enough for this shit,” he said dryly. “If you’re gonna fight, take it outside.”

The unicorn stallion grabbed both brothers by their collars and dragged them out of the door. The mare quickly followed until the four of them were out in the Las Pegasus Strip. The stallion threw the brothers to the ground none too gently, catching the attention of passers by. “Alright, cough up the necklace you stole from Honeysuckle!” he snapped.

“Come now, good sir,” Flam said nervously, “I’m sure there’s a more reasonable way to settle things. Right, brother?”

“Indeed, brother we–” Flim paused as a sudden chill crept up his spine. He shivered on the spot as cold breath left his muzzle.

The stallion didn’t seem to notice this. Instead, he wrapped a tight magical grip around their necks, cutting off their air supply. “I didn’t ask for excuses, runts!” he bellowed, his breath now visible thanks to the sudden drop in temperature. “Either give my wife back her pearls or I’ll take it out of your worthless hides!”

The mare, who did seem to notice what was happening, gently nudged her partner. “Um…dear? I think we should-”

“Quiet and let me deal with these idiots!” the stallion snapped back. His grip on the brothers’ necks tightened more. “So, are you gonna give back the necklace, or do I have to beat it out of-”

“RAAAAOOOOOORRR!”

Everyone stopped then. The stallion was so taken aback that he dropped his grip on the brothers, who fell to the ground, gasping for breath and drinking in gulps of air. The unicorn couple both looked up into the sky where the sudden roar came from. The northern sky was still clear, but the southern sky was dark with black roiling clouds. Lightning flashed and thunder rolled across the city as the clouds continued moving in at an abnormal speed. Honeysuckle grabbed her partner. “Cuff Tailor?” she asked in a shaking tone.

“Inside, love. Now!” the now named Cuff Tailor shouted as he took his wife’s hoof and pulled her back into the casino.

A steady flow of ice began to creep after the ponies. Despite closing the door, the cold unfeeling frost was undaunted. One second the couple was breathing a sigh of relief. The next, the mare let out a piercing scream of terror. Her husband was completely frozen solid. Flim and Flam mouths both flew open at the sight. Then, just as quickly, the mare joined her husband in a frozen tomb. The other patrons began running around in a panic. A harsh wind blew the door of its hinges and a violent gale of frost-bitten wind flooded the room. Flim and Flam ran away from it, but the ice persisted in chasing them down, freezing anypony unfortunate enough to get in its crosshairs.

The griffin who had been working the blackjack table, upon seeing this, spread his wings and flew above the chaos, watching helplessly as various ponies were encased in ice. Even pegasi who had the same idea as the griffin were captured midair and encased in the deadly ice. His expression, normally one of boredom and resignation, was now one of terror as he watched every single pony become engulfed. Then, he saw it. Two piercing glowing eyes that came in through the door. The pony shaped creature flew around the room in a circle, building up the ice in the casino. Eventually, every pony in the casino was frozen.

The griffin, however, was frozen in another way. He found himself staring into the cold emotionless eyes of the strange ethereal creature that now floated before him. The griffin held onto a frozen fallen table, nearly pissing himself in utter terror. The strange floating horse approached, staring at him for what seemed like an eternity. The wind blew around him faster and faster, and the griffin felt like he would pass out at any moment. Then, to his surprise, the creature turned away and moved out of the frozen casino, leaving the poor griffon unfrozen in a city of entombed ponies.

As he would later come to discover, every single pony in Las Pegasus was completely frozen, but every non-pony was left untouched.

[Yearling City - Baltimare Suburbs - Sugar Avenue Sweets]

Located south of Baltimare just across Horseshoe Bay was the Baltimare suburb known as Yearling City. It was one of the more prosperous suburbs of the smaller metropolis. Many different ponies from all trots of life lived there, including a family of displaced ponies from a now infamous town who now lived in a small one two bedroom apartment just above the shop where they worked.

Carrot Cake wiped his brow as he put the next batch of cakes into the oven. He sighed as he closed the oven and went back to his station. Unlike Sugarcube Corner, Sugar Avenue was a larger sweets and bakery shop was definitely more demanding than his old job. Of course, he didn’t own the shop and was only one of several employees who worked for their boss, an older and surprisingly small earth pony stallion named Tea Cup. It was the only job that would take him, especially after his appearance in The Trial. Fortunately, at least so far, nopony at the shop seemed to know who he was, which surprised him, or if they did they weren’t saying anything about it.

He was starting on the next batch of strawberry creme when he heard the angry sounding call of his boss. “Carrot Cake! Get your flank in here now!”

Carrot winced. He knew that tone well enough. Even after six months, he still hadn’t gotten used to it. He took time to wash his hooves and walked towards the office, the only part of the building aside from the storefront that was air conditioned. The diminutive earth pony was sitting in his chair, looking down at his desk at a few papers. Carrot knocked gently. “Mr. Cup?”

Tea Cup looked up at Carrot and glared. “Get in here and shut the door,” he snapped. Carrot did as instructed, and soon it was just the two of them. Tea motioned him forward, and Carrot complied again. Tea didn’t look away from Carrot, one of his hooves on a single piece of paper. “I’m not happy, Carrot. Not. Happy.”

Carrot felt his body go cold. Normally whenever he got a dressing down (which was more often than anypony else in the shop) Tea got right in his face, screaming and hollering abuse at him. Not this time. This time, it terrified the former owner of Sugarcube Corner to see his boss and landlord being so calm. He opened his mouth to ask what he had done, but all he got out was “U-Um, w-why?”

“Why what? Be specific, Carrot,” Tea gestured.

Carrot took a deep breath, then said, “Why are you unhappy?”

“Your slipshod performance makes me unhappy,” Tea said, getting up and walking to the window. He looked out at the street below, watching the various ponies going to and fro about their day. Without turning, he continued. “I’ve been generous with your constant screw ups ever since you started working here. Hay, I even let you rent out the apartment upstairs. However, your incompetence has cost me more bits in the past six months than the past four and a half years combined.”

“If this is about the fire, it wasn’t my fault!” Carrot said quickly. He felt the panic rising inside him. If he lost his job, he’d lose the apartment. His wife couldn’t work with him because nopony was around who could watch Pound and Pumpkin, so she had been relegated to a stay at home mom. “The stove was faulty, and-!”

Tea whirled around and glared. “Don’t give me pitiful excuses,” he said angrily. “I have multiple eyewitness reports that say you were the responsible party for that disaster! We had to throw away so many burned products because of that, not to mention the repair job!” He sighed, walked back to the desk and sat down. “Carrot,” he said in a strangely friendly tone, “I honestly don’t know if you’re a good fit for this store. We strive to uphold a standard of excellence here. Excellence, speed and consistency. I don’t know how you did things back where you’re from, and I don’t care, but we do things differently here. Perhaps you’d be happier elsewhere.”

Carrot was almost in full blown panic mode now. “S-Sir, nopony else will hire me! I applied at plenty of other places before I came here! Please don’t fire me!”

Tea sighed. “I’m such a bleeding heart sometimes,” he muttered before he turned back to Carrot. “You’re fortunate that we’re short staffed. Even a pony like you has some uses. However, I expect you to be on your best behavior. I believe I’ve been more than lenient with you, Carrot. If you are involved in any more…incidents…any damage will come out of your paycheck. You have one more freebie before that goes into effect. I suggest you think long and hard about it.”

Carrot sagged, defeated. “I…I understand…”

Tea nodded. “Good. Now, go home. We can handle things here without you.”

“B-But, I can still work the full shift-”

“I said go home,” Tea said with an insistent gaze. “We. Will handle. Things. Without you.”

Carrot slowly nodded. “Yes sir.”

Several minutes later he was opening the door to the apartment above the sweets shop. Unlike their last place they’d been staying in after they left Ponyville, this one wasn’t crumbling and didn’t have rats. Carrot placed his hat on the hanger along with his stained apron. From the kids bedroom, he could hear his wife playing with the kids. Despite himself, he smiled. He hadn’t heard her laughing much lately since they’d been forced to close the shop back in Ponyville. He walked over to the couch and collapsed onto it, breathing out deeply. Despite only working less than half a shift, he was exhausted. He hadn’t been this exhausted ever when he ran his own shop, but he couldn’t find another job anywhere. Who would want to hire a pony who was seen across the nation abusing and hurling trash at Jason Wright?

From the other room, he heard somepony walking out, then pause. Cup Cake rushed over and knelt before her husband. “Carrot? Are you okay, dear? You’re home early.”

“I’m fine…just tired,” Carrot said. “ Boss sent me home early…”

Cup Cake bit her lip, then straightened. “You want something to eat? We have some leftover potato soup from last night.”

“Sure…”

Cup nodded and rushed to the kitchen. Carrot heard some soup being ladled into a bowl. She came out and placed it on the small table in front of the couch along with some dry bread. “Here you go, hun.”

“Thanks…” Carrot sat up, took the spoon with his hoof, then began to slowly eat the now cold stew. It wasn’t anything special, but it was all they really could afford. He tried to sneak home a few scraps from work every so often. He dipped the bread into the soup and ate it that way. He took a sip of water after a while to wash down the soup and bread and put it down on the table harder than he meant it. “I hate this…”

“Hun?” Cup looked over from where she was dusting the furniture, a concerned look on her face.

“I said I hate this! I hate this town! I hate my so-called coworkers and insufferable boss! I hate this lousy apartment and slop that passes for food!!!” Carrot Cake slapped the bowl down to the floor in fury “We’re better than this! I’m a better chef than anypony that comes downstairs! We had a good thing back in Ponyville!!!”

Cup’s ears flattened at everything he said. “I-I know, dear,” she said, trying to sooth him, “but we have to think about the foals. Nopony will give us a chance, and we were lucky to get this job and apartment in the first place.” She knew better than to say anything more, especially since the reason why remained unspoken between them. Cup Cake knew better than to mention Jason Wright and The Trial.

A dark look flashed over Carrot’s features. “It’s all that human’s fault! He ruined our lives!”

Cup Cake had finally had enough. She stood and stamped the ground. “You really want to have this conversation right now, Carrot Cake? Fine! This isn’t Jason’s fault! You were the one who threw garbage at him! You were the one who did all of those horrible things to him in that memory! You led the mob! I am getting sick and tired of you blaming everypony else! And it isn’t just you! I caught him rummaging through our garbage and chased him off too! It’s our fault, so get it through your thick skull, grow up, and THINK ABOUT YOUR FOALS!” She was fuming now, eyes ablaze with anger, but not with hatred.

Carrot recoiled as if he'd been struck. Not even in the year since they’d closed Sugarcube Corner had she ever raised his voice to him, and his anger was briefly replaced with shock. Then, indignation returned. “How can you say that?” he asked. “I am thinking about our foals. I was doing it when that human first showed up. What? Was I wrong for wanting that thing away from our shop? I was protecting us.”

“He isn’t a thing!” Cup bellowed. “He’s a living, breathing creature that deserved much more than we gave him! You and I and the whole town abused him for no other reason than because we thought he was a monster! What did he do to deserve that?! NOTHING! He was desperate for food and shelter because NOPONY WANTED HIM!” She stared into his eyes, trembling in rage. After a few seconds, she turned away. “I can’t stand to look at you right now.” She began walking towards the twins bedroom. However, she paused in the doorway, and in a trembling voice, she said, “Protection of family doesn’t mean you abuse a helpless individual, Mr. Cake. We should have known better…” With that, she entered the room and closed the door, locking it behind her.

Carrot Cake fumed in slight anger. A part of him wanted to bang on the door and give his wife a piece of his mind, but he relented and stormed off outside the apartment instead. He went for a walk through the streets as he quietly contemplated the argument. They’d never argued at any point since they were married, but now it felt like everything was on a timer. It felt wrong. He never would’ve even considered his wife yelling at him. He let out a defeated sigh as he stopped and looked up into the sky. “It’s times like these that I miss you, Pinkie.”

Just then, a large and nasty smelling object hit the side of his face. Across the street were three unicorn teenage stallions pointing at him and laughing. “How does it feel, freak!? Have all the garbage you want! Didn’t you tell him that?” one of them called out before they ran away, snickering and laughing at Carrot’s misfortune.

Carrot glared after them, then just sighed. “I guess they know here too,” he said quietly. Carrot sighed again and decided to head back home to his wife. At the very least, he should apologize for letting the stress get to him. However, it was at that moment that a blistering chill entered the air. Carrot stopped when he saw his breath visible in front of his face. He began to tremble and shiver from the drastic drop in temperature. He looked back up only to see a thick blanket of clouds in the sky and snow falling. “It’s the beginning of spring. There shouldn’t be any snow for months yet!”

Then he saw it. Glowing cold blue eyes filled with malice looked at him out of the clouds. A ghostly equine figure that only seemed to have eyes for him slowly pushed out of the darkening clouds. He stood there shocked to his core at the sight of the creature as it let out a terrible wail while fierce winds followed it. A torrent of ice suddenly shot out from all directions and froze everything in sight. That finally prompted Carrot Cake to turn tail and run away. He pushed his lanky legs as hard as he could back to the apartment building and to his family.

Cup Cake was already at the nearest window, staring out in shock when Carrot came bursting through the door. She shrieked and whirled around. “Carrot, what-?”

“Get the foals. We have to run!!!” Carrot interrupted quickly.

Cup didn’t argue. She ran into the room and soon came back out with the twins. They looked groggy, but thankfully didn’t argue. Pound looked up at his parents. “Mama? Papa?” he asked, looked at the two adults with young innocent questioning eyes while rubbing sleep out of said eyes with his wings. Pumpkin only yawned and stretched.

“Cup, hurry! Pack up a few supplies and let’s head for the trains!!!” Carrot Cake said sternly.

Cup rushed to the closet and grabbed some thick coats for all of them. She wrapped her foals up in their coats quickly and tossed one to Carrot. She ran to the kitchen and grabbed as much food as she could, stuffing it into her saddlebags. She came running out and looked out of the window. Snow and ice were coming down hard already, and the streets, which were once full of ponies, were now empty. “What in Equestria is going on?!” she asked in terror.

“It’s–” Another horrible howl rang out as several more Windigos appeared.

The two young foals began crying at the noise, clinging to Cup Cake. “Mama! Mama!” Pumpkin said with tears streaming down her cheeks.

Cup put a hoof on both their heads. “Cover your ears as best you can, dearies,” she said as she wrapped scarves around them. She looked back at her husband. “Where did those things come from?” she asked.

“Just run!!!” Carrot screamed.

The family ran out of their apartment, scant belongings in hoof. Cup held both of their foals close while they ran down the street towards the nearest train station. The temperature continued to plummet while the clouds thickened. The sky was growing darker and the foals were crying out for their parents. Suddenly, Cup slipped on a newly formed patch of black ice, collapsing with a shout of pain.

Carrot Cake stopped and turned only to see his wife and foals on the ground. He looked behind him and saw the train and ponies evacuating. His gaze landed on the ghostly menaces fast approaching them. It was there he knew why they were being pursued as he remembered a key fact about Wendigos. They fed on hate. To be more frank; his hate. The hate he had for his situation. The anger at his wife for the argument. And especially the resentment and hatred he felt towards the human he thought was responsible for his misfortune. Carrot held his head down as he trotted up to his family and helped them up. When Cup Cake and the twins made to run again, Carrot Cake stayed behind and faced the malicious snow spirits.

“Carrot! Come on! The train’s right here!!!” Cup shouted at him. “What are you doing?!”

Carrot shook his head and looked back at his family with a fearful expression. “...Go on, get out of here, Cup. I can’t go with you…”

“Of course you can! What are you talking-?!”

“No, you were right, honey bunch. This is all my fault.” Turning back to the Windigo, Carrot ignored the increasingly desperate cries of his wife. He watched as the spirits opened their muzzles as ice began to form. Carrot chuckled ruefully before giving his family one last glance. “Tell Pinkie I–” His words were cut short as a hail of ice covered his form in an instant, leaving behind his frozen remains.

Cup was in hysterics as she was pulled into the train by a few other ponies. She kept on screaming his name in desperation. It eventually took four ponies to get her into the train, which began to move away. She could only stare out of the window blankly at where her husband was last, the damage done by the Windigos increasing in the suburb. What he had done finally hit her, and she wept, holding her scared and confused foals close to her.

[Ponyville - Early Afternoon]

Mayor Pen Sharpie sighed as he looked down at the paperwork on his desk. There was more here than normal ever since Filthy Rich was arrested for plotting the assault of Ponyville’s second human. The news about the CFE’s leader Cozy Glow didn’t exactly help things either. Pen hadn’t even known there had been a second human in the town until he received the news that said human had been chased out of town recently. Since then, the mood in town had seemed to only grow worse, especially when it got out that six mares who had been part of the Elements of Harmony had all left on an early train heading up north. Nopony knew why, but the fact that it had come only a day after this second human had left made the rumors spread like wildfire. Pen didn’t put much stock in rumors, preferring to keep his own thoughts to himself and to have all the facts at his disposal.

He was just looking over another report of the increasing homeless problem in the town which made him want to tear his pink and wink mane when his secretary came in. She was a pegasus mare named Fine Dictation. “Mr. Mayor,” she said, “there’s a pony here to see you.”

“I’m way too swamped to see anypony,” he said tiredly.

“She’s pretty insistent, sir,” she said.

Pen looked up at the mare. “She? Who is it?” he asked.

“Miss Milk, sir,” Fine said.

Despite himself, he smiled a bit. Ever since he’d taken over the mayorship of Ponyville a year ago, he and Spoiled Milk had been becoming friends. He’d been there when she’d broken down sobbing after her husband had divorced her and left her and her filly with nothing. She’d been there when he’d almost had a breakdown six months into his first term. He put his pen down and looked at Fine. “I guess I have a few moments to spare. Send her in.”

“Alright, sir,” Fine nodded and walked out.

Moments later, Spoiled Milk came in, and Pen could tell that something was wrong. She looked more upset than usual and it looked like she’d actually been crying. As she closed the door behind her, Pen stood and walked over to her. “Spoiled? What’s wrong?” he asked.

Spoiled moved closer and put her head against his neck. Stunned, he put one reassuring hoof around her and stroked her mane gently. “P-Pen…” was all she could get out.

“Hey, talk to me, what’s wrong?” he asked gently.

It took a few false starts, but eventually she managed to tell him what was wrong. Apparently, the human who had been staying at the Helping Hooves Shelter had been volunteering his time to read stories to some of the foals there, including her daughter. It had started the night after the Collection, and had continued on and off for the next few nights. Spoiled said that when she’d heard about it, she let her daughter attend because she hadn’t seen Diamond so happy before. However, when most of the other ponies living in the shelter had heard about it, they’d kicked him out and he’d left town. “A-And now she won’t listen to any stories I try to read to her,” she stammered out as she finished, “n-not even her favorites from when she was y-younger!”

He held her closer, letting the poor mare cry. His heart went out to her. He’d met Diamond Tiara a few times when he’d had her and her mother over for dinner. She was a polite filly, but he could tell that the events that took place after The Trial had affected her, especially the divorce of her parents and subsequent homelessness. “Shhh, just let it out, Spoiled,” he said softly to the crying mare.

After a while, she stood back up. Pen gave her some tissues and she blew her nose. “I-I’m sorry for bothering you,” she said, “but nopony else back at the Shelter would want to talk to me. They think I’m just a traitor because I defended that human. I didn’t even get a chance to thank him…”

He looked at her. He hated seeing her so down and upset. “Well…would you like to go and see this other human?” he asked.

She looked up at him in confusion. “But…I can’t afford the train ticket,” she said.

“I can pay for it,” he said reassuringly.

“But I can’t pay you back-”

“You don’t have to,” he said, “it’s a gift. You’re my friend, Spoiled. And, to risk sounding corny, I like to spoil my friends.”

She rolled her eyes despite herself. “Ha ha,” she said.

He chuckled, then reached into his desk. He pulled out a bag of bits and gave it to her. “Here. You and Diamond should take some time away from Ponyville. Go and take your daughter to see this other human. Heck, you can even take Diamond’s friend too if their parents allow it. I’m not hurting for bits.”

She gave him a grateful look. “Thank…thank you,” she said softly.

“Of course,” Pen said kindly.

Spoiled Milk was just about to say something else when there was a sudden dip in the room’s temperature. The window to the outside was open, so Pen immediately went to close it. However, he saw something unusual. His window faced the west, and he spotted a large mass of black clouds approaching. Spoiled walked up quickly beside him. “Pen? What is it?”

“I don’t know…” he said uncertainly, staring at the clouds. “Did we have a storm planned for today?”

“You don’t keep a schedule?” Spoiled asked.

“I do, but we were scheduled for sunny skies most of the day with some partly cloudy conditions later,” Pen said.

“Well, maybe it’s some pegasi acting as a rogue element?” she suggested.

Pen was about to reply, when he heard something. He held up his hoof to stop her from saying anything more. He tilted his head and aimed one ear directly at the storm. He closed his eyes and concentrated. Pen had always been told his hearing was his strong suit, so he focused all of it on the storm. When he heard the sound again, it was only slightly louder. His eyes shot open wide and he stared back at the clouds only to see an impossible sight: a retreating equine head that was bigger than anything he’d seen before. “What in Equestria…?”

“I-Is that a Windigo–?” Spoiled never finished as the specter released a powerful shriek that broke every window in Ponyville. “Gaah!?”

Pen was already on the move. He used his unicorn magic to pull Spoiled away from the window just in time for the shards to miss her. “Time to leave! Let’s get your daughter and anypony else we can and go to the train station right now!”

Spoiled took a moment to gather her wits before nodding. She remembered that Diamond was on a playdate with the other foals in the playground of the shelter. She ran out of the office and almost wished she stayed inside. All around her was nothing but snow and ice. The air was frigid and cold with a chilling bite attacking her skin and fur. The simple act of running was like working out on a treadmill set to the highest setting. But, the worst part about being outside was the other ponies. Most of the citizenry was reduced to nothing but ice sculptures. She didn’t have time to identify any of them as the howls grew louder as glowing eyes danced in the skies, giving chase.

Pen ran alongside her, shouting at anypony who was still around and kicking to evacuate the town. The remaining ponies were running indoors for the most part. Soon, they reached the Shelter and ran to the playground. There, the pair found a group of foals huddled underneath the jungle gym, including a terrified looking Diamond. Pen, with magic he never knew he had, threw a shield around the foals that was stronger than any he knew he could make. “Time to go!” he shouted above the wailing of the Windigos and the wind.

As they gathered the foals, Pen noted some ponies were holding up in the shelter instead of running away. He stopped and ran over to them as a group of them was using whatever they could to barricade the doors and windows. “What are you all doing? We have to leave!!!”

“We won’t make it five feet out there in that storm!” Thunderlane shouted back. “We need to hunker down here. This castle came from the Elements of Harmony. It will protect us until the princess can do something!”

Pen was about to reply when there was a terrible thundercrack. He looked up only to shield his eyes from the shards of crystal falling down, landing between him and the shelter. He saw two other bolts of hard blue lightning strike the exact same spot on the top of the tower, but nothing else happened. He gave Thunderland a hard glare. “Still think it’ll hold up!? Get your flanks moving! The shelter won’t hold you for long!”

“Come on, big brother!” Rumble shouted in agreement, “we gotta go!”

“No!” Thunderlane argued. “We’re staying here! We’re safe here. You all saw it. It’s suicide to try and run out there. Our wings would ice up. Your muscles will go numb and we’ll collapse. And that’s just from the adults. I’m not risking my brother’s life!”

Rumble glared at him. He came out from where he had been huddling with the other foals outside. “Tough! I’m leaving and that’s that!”

“Don’t fight me on this! Not today!!!” Thunderlane yelled back as Rumble flinched.

Pen looked down at the young pegasus, then back at Thunderlane. “You have no right to tell him anything more. Not after you kicked someone out where he had been welcomed in by Twilight!!”

“I’m his older brother!” Thunderlane retorted. “I know what’s best for him! Don’t you dare try and tell me anything when you don’t have any foals or siblings! If you want to risk your life, then go ahead!!!”

“I’m leaving, Thunderlane, and that’s that,” Rumble said before he turned and helped Diamond and Silver Spoon up. “Come on, let’s go.”

Having enough, Thunderlane flew out of the window and since Rumble had walked out of the shield Pen was making, grabbed Rumble by the scuff of his neck. The colt kicked and screamed but he could not free himself as Thunderlane flew back into the Shelter, found an empty room with no windows and threw him inside. He then turned to the other adults. “Gather all the other foals that misbehave and put them in here where they’ll be safe. The door looks from the outside.” The other adults hesitantly complied.

Pen snarled in anger and strengthened the shield he had around the other foals who had been playing outside. “Spoiled, we’re leaving with the rest. Come on!” With that, he began gathering the foals. He turned back once more to Thunderlane. “Faust have mercy upon thee, because they won’t,” he said, pointing to the Windigos. Soon, Pen, Spoiled, Diamond, Silver Spoon, Button Mash, and several other foals were running towards the train station, fighting the wind and the cold and trying not to slip on the ice.

The train station was in a state of utter chaos. Ponies were pushing and shoving other ponies to get on board. Pen and Spoiled kept the foals they had with them safe as best they could. Pen used his newfound magic shield to keep the other ponies from hurting his charges as they finally managed to get on board and find a car where they could all sit. Pen told the foals to cuddle up close to either him or Spoiled for warmth, and soon there were two small piles of foals surrounding both of them. The wind and snow buffeted the train around them until finally the whistle blew and they began to move. Pen watched as Spoiled looked out of the window at the town, a longing look on her face. He reached out and put a tender hoof on hers. “I’m sorry…” he said.

Spoiled let out a long tired sigh as she turned away from her long time home. “Ponyville was on the decline long before this mess. I suppose we were always fooling ourselves by staying here…”

He slowly moved to her side, letting the foals snuggle up to them. He pressed himself against her, put a hoof around her, and pulled her close. “Wherever we next go,” he said, “we will make it a better place.”

Spoiled looked up at him with a grateful smile. “Thank you…” She leaned against him and closed her eyes. “Thank you…”

[Canterlot - Throne Room]

Princess Luna could only watch out of a nearby window in abject horror as the massive and sudden storm that had sprung up in Ponyville completely and utterly razed it to the ground. Blueblood, Fancy Pants, Fleur De Lis and a few of the nobles who weren’t corrupted also watched wordlessly as buildings were torn asunder, trees were ripped up from the roots, and ponies were frozen in place. The former Castle of Friendship, as strong as it was, was also showing signs of being destroyed. Beside her, Blueblood was the first to speak. “Faust’s Mane…” His tone was one of despair and disbelief.

“Luna!” Celestia bellowed. “Stay focused! Canterlot needs you!”

Noblesse Oblige, one of the nobles who hadn’t been arrested, nodded quickly in agreement. “Oui, yur ighnez,” she said in her Prench accent, “ve must bé ready!”

“Yes, of course.” Luna shook her head and stood straighter before looking down at her fellow ruler. “Prince Blueblood, inform Captain Steel Forge that I want all ponies in Canterlot to move to the shelters. Make sure they turn on their armor enchantments to stave off this bizarre weather. Also, I want to know the point of origin of the storm. Perhaps our pegasi can quell it.”

Blueblood nodded, turned to his personal guards, and said, “Accompany me, and activate your own enchantments.”

“I’ll go to the mages to see about erecting some protection spells over the city,” Sunset said as she teleported away.

Fancy Pants looked at his wife, Fleur, and then back up at Luna. “What can my wife and I do to help?”

“Gather your personal guards and assist in keeping order while moving the citizens. The last thing we need is ponies running around in a panic and worsening the situation.” Luna stated.

“Eet eez too late fair zat, I'm afraid,” Noblesse said as she looked out of the window down at Canterlot. She turned back to Princess Luna and Celestia. “Ponees are already panikeng een le streets.”

“Tch,” Luna frowned as she turned to Celestia. “Come with me, sister. Our presence should sooth the frightened masses.”

“Very well,” Celestia said as both teleported out of the castle and into the sky above the streets. Sure enough, ponies were indeed running around in a fright. Thankfully, it was only blind running and not a full on riot. Celestia cleared her throat and channeled her magic. “Ponies of Canterlot; hear us!” she shouted using her Canterlot Voice.

“You must calm yourselves and head to the designated shelters for safety!” Luna added. “We know not what is the cause of these unusual weather patterns, but rest assured we shall discover the source!” Luna said.

“The Windigos are back, your Highness!” a male voice shouted from below. Looking down, the two sisters saw a group of ragged looking ponies, two adults and several trembling and crying foals. One of the adults was a unicorn stallion with a purple coat and a pink and wink mane and tail. He was apparently the one who had shouted. He was casting a dark red shield around the group he was with. The other adult was known to the sisters as the ex-wife of Filthy Rich. The foals were all huddling close to the two adults for protection.

Both the celestial sisters paled as silence reigned throughout the streets. In an instant, Celestia and Luna appeared before the pony in question with a stony visage. “Did you say the windigos? Returned? You’re sure?” Celestia asked in a deathly serious tone.

The unicorn stallion who had spoken looked ragged and worn, as did the other adult. He had one hoof around one of the foals. He flinched a bit at Celestia’s tone, but stood up straighter. “Yes, Your Highness,” he said stalwartly. “Ponies in Ponyville are being frozen in droves. We were lucky to escape.” He stumbled wearily, only to be caught by a worried looking Spoiled. “Forgive me…” he said, “I’m so tired…” and with that, he collapsed, much to the terror of Spoiled and the foals. The shield dissipated moments later.

Luna spotted some guards approaching and immediately pointed to the group. “Guards! Get these ponies some medical attention, now! Especially that unicorn! He looks like he needs it the most!”

The guards nodded and began gathering the group. As this was happening, Sunset appeared beside Celestia. “The mages are preparing some magical protection spells as we speak.” She then noticed the collapsed unicorn stallion. “What happened here? Who are they?”

“There were some survivors that just arrived from Ponyville in dire need of medical aid. They told us the cause of this storm. The old enemy of ponykind has returned…”

Sunset’’s eyes went wide. “Windigos? Wow…”

“The very same, young Sunset,” Luna said. “I never thought we would see them again.”

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “You’re kidding, right? They’re attracted to hatred. Mom always told me ‘Where there is hatred and bigotry there will the Windigos be.’”

“The Trial…” Celestia said with a modicum of shame. “Jason’s quest for justice revealed an ugly truth to the world, and the windigos caught wind of it.”

“Bingo!” Sunset nodded. “Frankly, I’m surprised they weren’t here sooner. Not after everything I saw when you and I arrived in Ponyville. I mean, the town has a long history of non-pony abuse!”

“Then their arrival was only a matter of time,” Celestia said ruefully. “I could almost laugh at the punctuality.”

“No time to think about that now,” Sunset said.

“Regardless, they’re here now and we must stop them,” Luna replied. “This isn’t like it was during the pre-unification era. Now, we have a means of combating them.”

“They are much more violent now than they were then, sister,” Celestia said, “or so it seems. Let’s just hope you’re right. Come along, Sunset. We must inform the others at the Seeds of Yggdrasil school so Twilight and the others can stop this.”

“If the Elements will even accept them anymore,” Sunset replied in a foreboding tone as the three teleported away.

[Outside Yggdrasil’s Walls - Later That Day]

Gregory and his two guards were walking near the edge of the forest where he and Ember had been attacked, observing the damage done. Now that he wasn’t in fear of his life, Gregory could take in the view of everything around him. The piles of wood that had once been the timberwolves were in a burnt out pile some distance away from the unusual forest. Moonlight had told him that the mana cores from the timberwolves had already been collected and a few of the bullets had been found, which had been promptly returned to him. Gregory had instead given them to Twilight and Starlight to study since they were useless anyway.

He kicked at one small branch that had once been a timberwolf and sighed. “All this, and we still didn’t get a jackalope,” he sighed, “but I guess we can get some more later.”

“Jackalope, sir?” Moonlight asked from nearby.

He smirked a bit. “Ember and I were hunting jackalope in that forest,” he said as he indicated the forest. “We should really name that forest, by the way.”

“Got anything in mind?” Swift asked, landing beside Gregory and looking up at him curiously.

“Yeah, actually,” Gregory said with a chuckle. “Briarwood seems fitting. Last time I was there, I saw tons of briars. That, and briars can be seen as foreboding sometimes.”

“Good name,” Swift replied, “but the forest seems cleaner than before. And those crystals in there are glowing.”

Gregory raised an eyebrow. “Really? Can you show me one near the edge of the forest?”

“Well…let me find one.” With that, Swift shot off into the sky with incredible speed, possibly enough to put Rainbow Dash to shame if she could still fly.

Gregory crossed his arms and smirked. “With speed like hers, I wonder why she didn’t join the Wonderbolts.”

“I asked her that once, and she said that she wanted to serve her princess and country first,” Moonlight replied as they waited for Swift to return. “And with how things are going for the Wonderbolts now, I doubt she’d want to.”

“What’s going on with the Wonderbolts?” Gregory asked.

“Well…many of their better members have either been disbarred or quit,” Moonlight said. “I heard Spitfire herself resigned in shame and hasn’t really been seen since then. Soarin tried to take over for her, but he left six months after Spitfire. The new captain is a mare named Fleetfoot and last I heard she was considering rebranding the Wonderbolts to the Blue Thunders.”

Gregory nodded. “Interesting choice. Kind of like the Blue Angels.”

“Blue Angels?”

“They’re a group of human pilots in my country’s Navy who perform daring stunts in their jets,” Gregory said.

“Navy?” Moonlight asked in a confused tone. “Forgive me, Sir Gregory, but why would flight be in a navy?”

Gregory chuckled a bit. “Sorry, it’d take a long time to explain. I’ll probably explain human flight and my nation’s military in my class.” He paused and sighed. “My class, huh?”

“Are you alright?” Moonlight asked.

“Not sure,” Gregory admitted. “I’ve never been a teacher before, and I don’t know what to cover. Human history, culture and technology is so diverse that it’s hard to nail down what to teach. There are eight billion of us on our world.”

Moonlight’s eyes widened. “That is…more than our entire world,” she said.

“Yeah, well, humans have been around for two million years, and our world for much longer,” Gregory said.

Moonlight was about to say something when Swift came back, a look of alarm on her face. Gregory was instantly on alert and put his hand on his pistol. She landed in front of him and looked up at her charge. Moonlight saw the look on Swift’s face and stiffened. “What is it? More timberwolves?”

Swift shook her head. “N-No,” she said breathlessly before grabbing her canteen and downing a healthy gulp before turning back to the other two. “I just saw something strange. I don’t know how to explain…”

“Start from the beginning,” Gregory suggested.

Swift nodded and began her explanation. “I was flying around the borders when I thought I saw one of those crystals. I flew down and whatever I saw seemed to move. I stopped and hovered there, but after a while it didn’t move for a while, I flew down again, but it moved again. So I stopped, and then I saw it.”

“It?” Moonlight asked.

Swift nodded. “It’s hard to describe what I saw. It looked like ponies but…wrong. It was taller than I think even Princess Luna and Celestia are. It was white with a silvery mane and it looked at me with this weird blank expression, snorted like a pony, and began moving to the edge of the forest. I came back here as quickly as I could.”

“Pony shaped and taller than the tallest alicorns?” Gregory said, pursing his lips curiously and stroking his chin, absently noting his need to shave. “Did this creature have wings or horns?”

Swift shook her head. “Not that I could see,” she said. “It was like an earth pony.”

“Like that?” Moonlight asked, pointing behind Swift.

She turned back and Gregory looked in the direction that the unicorn was pointing. His eyes widened in surprise as he watched a large horse standing nearby, giving the human and two ponies a curious expression. It looked disheveled and dirty with brambles in its mane, but other than that it looked healthy enough, if his limited skill with horse knowledge was any indication. Nobody spoke for a while. The light amber eyes of the white horse kept watching the three. Gregory felt like this horse was looking directly at him. Without looking away, he whispered, “That’s a horse…”

Beside him, he heard Moonlight gasp. “Horse? Those ancient creatures that look like ponies but who can’t talk?”

“Aren’t they supposed to be extinct?” Swift asked.

“Apparently not,” Moonlight said.

The white horse continued staring at the three, its tail swishing every so often to ward off insects. Its ears were swiveled towards the group. He didn’t know too much about horse body language despite his few summers on a farm where horses lived, but what he guessed was that this horse was surprisingly relaxed. It looked relatively strong despite its disheveled state. “I wish Fluttershy was here,” he muttered. “Do either of you have a rope in your saddlebags?”

“Sorry, no,” Swift said.

“I left mine in the room,” Moonlight said.

“Damn, so we can’t tie a lasso around it and try to lead it into the school,” Gregory said.

“Why would you want to capture it, sir?” Moonlight asked.

“Because that horse looks like it could use a good scrubbing, hoof clipping and fur trimming,” Gregory explained.

Moonlight looked back and observed them more closely. “I suppose it could.”

Gregory nodded. “Swift, go back and get Moonlight’s rope. Just don’t make any sudden moves. This horse might be relaxed now, but from what I know of them they’re skittish if startled.”

“I figured,” Swift said as she began to move away slowly.

This caught the attention of the horse who perked up and turned its head towards Swift. It watched her go slowly away, then looked back at Gregory. Gregory didn’t look directly into the horse’s eyes but didn’t stop looking away from it completely. Slowly, he took one step forward, not knowing why.

The horse had its attention on him even more now. Moonlight took a step forward and put her hoof on his leg. “Sir, what are you doing?” she whispered worriedly.

“I’m gonna try and see if I can gain its trust,” he said. Slowly, he reached into his bag and retrieved one of the granola bars he’d brought from earth. He peeled off the wrapper which he stuffed in his pocket before he turned to the horse, holding up the offering of a small snack. “Hey, you want something to eat?” he asked soothingly.

The horse looked at the bar in Gregory’s hand, then took a step back. Gregory stopped and backed away one step. The two stood there, looking at each other in complete silence with Gregory continuing to hold out the granola bar. Then, to Gregory’s delight, the horse took an experimental step forward. Neither he nor Moonlight moved. Minutes seemed to pass as the horse slowly made its way closer to Gregory. Finally, the horse was standing nearly next to the human, sniffing experimentally at the bar. After a few experimental nibbles, the horse took a bite.

Gregory took the opportunity to reach up slowly to stroke the silvery white but bramble filled mane with his free hand. In the time that the horse had been approaching, Gregory had taken note of the horse’s sex. He was a stallion, and if his limited knowledge of horses was any indication, a young one and strong too. He was surprised that this horse was being so calm. The stallion quickly finished one of the bars and looked at Gregory with an almost expectant look in its amber eyes. Gregory chuckled softly, pulled out another bar and fed it to the stallion.

After the stallion’s third bar, Swift returned with a rope in her mouth. She slowly landed and approached the group. She and Moonlight exchanged some brief words before they both tied a loop into the rope. “What should we do now?” Swift asked.

“Moonlight, hold the rope up with your magic and then the both of you back away,” Gregory replied, not stopping his gentle stroking of the surprisingly soft mane. He had been carefully pulling out branches, twigs, brambles and other miscellaneous foliage from the stallion’s mane. After the two pony mares did as he asked, Gregory pulled out a fourth bar, but took a step away from the stallion towards the floating rope. “You want more?”

The horse looked at the bar and took a step forward. Encouraged, Gregory took another step back, his free hand outstretched towards the floating rope. In about a minute, his hand was wrapped around the rope and he stopped. The horse was next to Gregory once more and beginning to devour the bar. While he was doing that, Gregory slowly and carefully slipped the rope around the horse’s neck. When the horse was done, Gregory gently began pulling on the rope. To his surprise and relief, the horse seemed to follow his direction, walking beside Gregory but looking at him expectantly.

He was about to reach in for another granola bar when a hay colored bar appeared in front of him, encased in Moonlight’s magic. “Here, sir,” the aforementioned unicorn said.

He took it gratefully and fed it to the horse, who accepted it and nibbled at it. It took them about ten minutes to get back because the horse was walking rather slowly, but the human and ponies patiently continued feeding the stallion. They walked through the gates with no problems while the guards watched in stunned silence. They walked past the student dormitories with no problems too.

However, when the horse was nearing the main tower, he stopped and his ears swiveled forward. His eyes widened a bit and he released a whinny, rearing up slightly before landing again. Gregory reached up and put a gentle hand on the horse’s cheek. “What is it, boy?”

“I believe he’s seeing or hearing that,” Moonlight said, pointing inside the gate.

Gregory turned and peered in. Moonlight was pointing to the large central tower where a group of miscellaneous creatures were clamoring. Standing in front of them, Gregory could see several familiar faces, such as Gabby, Spike, and a nervous looking Cozy Glow. “The fuck is going on?” he muttered.

Gabby saw them, spread her wings and flew over to them. “Hey you guys, guess you’re wondering what’s going on, huh?”

“I’ll admit a polite interest,” Gregory said.

Gabby sighed. “It isn’t good,” she said. “These creatures are members of the CFE branch closest to here. They’ve read the papers and they came on the early train here to protest against Cozy.”

Gregory shook his head in disbelief, then began making his way forward. The cries of the varied creatures began to slowly die away as they saw him and the strange equine creature he was leading. As if on cue, they parted for him and the horse, which was nervous now. All was silent as Gregory locked eyes on Cozy Glow, who looked like she was about to start crying. All eyes were on him and the horse now but he simply reached out to Cozy. “Cozy Glow, come here for a bit,” he said, and to his own surprise he sounded a lot like a parent in his tone.

“Y-Yes, daddy…” Cozy took tentative steps toward Gregory before flying to his lap.

Gregory wrapped his arms around her and he felt her relax in his arms. He sensed the angry stares from the other CFE members directed her way. “What’s been going on?” he asked. Nearby, the horse looked at Cozy, then lowered his head to sniff at the young filly, nickering slightly.

“Hey, get away from that traitor!” A random voice called out from the crowd.

Gregory lifted Cozy up in one arm, then turned to the voice. “What makes her a traitor?” he asked.

“Didn’t you read the paper? She’s been lying to everyone for an entire year!” another voice said.

“YEAH!!!” the mob agreed.

Gregory sighed, walked up to the front of the mob with Cozy in his arms and the horse in tow. He turned and looked at them. “And you believe the paper that ponies write to be fact?”

“This came from the Manhattan branch and Canterlot,” one of the previous voices argued. “It came from your device. It’s just like the Trial the other human showed us.”

“Yes, the papers got the images from the show,” Gregory agreed, “but do you know how they got these images?”

“It doesn’t matter how they got them,” another voice shouted, “what matters is that we’ve been misled. We believed in that filly. We thought she was different from the rest of the pony folk that abuse us. But, she’s been using us to free Tirek and other horrible creatures! How can our movement be associated with someone like her?”

“Her lies will ruin us!!!”

“No one will take us seriously now!!!”

“We were just her pawns!!!”

Gregory felt Cozy clinging more tightly to him. He frowned. “It’s not about the leadership; it’s about the message behind the movement,” he said more loudly now. “Besides, you need much more than the admittedly flimsy proof that these papers got. I have it on good authority that the show is not as accurate as you believe.”

“And how can we trust your word if you defend a liar?” another voice called out. “We had a good message, but what good will that do for us if the spokesperson manipulated us?”

“You still have a good message,” Gregory insisted, “and if you can’t trust my word, I know the word of a trustworthy pony in this school who can confirm what I’m saying.”

“There shouldn't be any ponies in this school! We can’t trust any of them. Didn’t the head teacher here admit her crimes during The Trial as well?” The mob was getting more and more rowdy. Cozy started to tremble in Gregory’s hands as tears resurfaced.

Gregory turned back to Cozy. “Cozy, tell me the truth. Have you been in contact with Tirek?” he whispered.

“Y-Yes, why?” Cozy asked. “He’s my penpal. He told me how he got betrayed and sent to Tartarus unfairly. I wanted to help get him out.”

“See? She admits it!!!” another member of the crowd shouted as the mob grew louder.

“Has it occurred to any of you that Tirek might have been the one misleading Cozy here?” Gregory asked.

This caused the crowd to go silent for a few seconds. After a while, there were some murmurs as some members of the crowd thought it over. However, someone then said, “That might be true, but how can we take anything she says as the truth? Why is she allowed to talk to a dangerous criminal?”

Gregory sighed. “She might have hidden the truth from you, but I don’t think she’s the same pony that the show portrayed her to be.”

Cozy looked up at the crowd. “I never lied! I was going to tell everyone what I planned to do, honest!” Cozy cried as her tears flowed more freely.

Gregory looked down at the crying filly in his arms and his face softened. He wiped her eyes with his sleeve before he said, “Cozy Glow, your heart might have been in the right place, but don’t forget that just recently Tirek tried to steal all of the magic in Equestria. Regardless of whether he was betrayed or not, he has to be punished for his crimes. I admit, I don’t know if he was betrayed all those years ago or if he was innocent or guilty, but his most recent crime isn’t something he can be let off the hook for.”

“But he told me he didn’t have a choice,” Cozy argued. “He said it was the only way he could get justice. You know, like how Jason did with The Trial.”

“Maybe he was wronged,” Gregory conceded, “or maybe he was lying. Tirek is over a thousand years old. None of us were there when it happened. We don’t know for sure. Celestia and Luna were, so you would have to talk to one of them about it. Cozy, you need more concrete evidence than someone’s word. You’re a remarkable filly. You’re a good leader and from what I can tell you have good intentions. But just like me, your good intentions can lead to disaster. You need to learn to be more discerning when it comes to these things. Forget Tirek for a moment and answer me this: do you believe in the cause of the CFE with everything you have?”

She nodded her head vigorously. “Yes I do!” she insisted.

“Tell the people here why you believe in the cause, then,” Gregory said, gesturing to the crowd.

She turned around in Gregory’s arms and faced the crowd again. “I genuinely want everyone to be happy!” she shouted in a tearful plea. “I’ve wanted to help others since I left my home because my family believed in hurting others to get ahead.”

Cozy’s words seemed to be having some effect until another member called out, “Isn’t it true that your cutie mark can influence others?”

Cozy swallowed nervously. “I-I mean, it helps me speak–”

“Then you could still be lying!” the member shouted. “Let’s put you under a lie detector. Or get that Gjallarhorn that was used in The Trial. Then we’ll know the truth!!!”

Gregory felt rage burning through him. The crowd was inconsolable at this point. However, before anything else could happen, several thuds could be heard behind the crowd. Everyone turned to see the dragons led by Ember landing in front of the school. The Dragon Lord wore a serious expression as she marched up to Gregory. “Where’s the other Twilight?” she asked. “I need to speak to her now!”

The horse near Gregory reared up and neighed at this sudden outburst from the dragoness, but Gregory quickly turned and eased the stallion. He turned back to Ember. “Last I heard, she was inside,” he said. “I think in her office.”

Ember nodded and turned to her subjects. “Alright, everyone get inside! We don’t have much time before they get here! Those of you that can still fight stay out here with me!!!”

“They? They who?” Gregory asked.

Ember pointed towards a growing storm off in the distance that was approaching the school at unnatural speeds. Gregory noted that it was a snow storm, but as he squinted, he could make out a shimmer of something in the clouds. The others noticed this as well and a wave of uneasiness waved over the masses. Suddenly, a ghostly wail echoed across the land as the temperature dropped. “Them!”

Gregory immediately recognized the sound and all color drained from his face. He took a deep breath, clung more tightly to Cozy almost protectively, then whispered, “Windigos…”

Chapter 17 - The Maelstrom of Malice

[Seeds Of Yggdrasil Hallways - Some Time Later]

The Crusaders all were sitting at a bench in front of one of the windows where they were watching whatever was happening outside. The sunny day had quickly vanished only to be replaced with the dark clouds that the Windigos had brought. They saw the silvery blue glow of a magical shield in place around the entire school. The skies in every direction were dark, only illuminated every so often by dragon fire as the dragons, led by Ember, led the defense against the attacking Windigos who were trying to break down the shield. Despite the shield protecting them from the wind, the snow still fell through and the ground was now coated in a thick layer of white.

Sweetie Belle sighed and turned back to her friends. “What’s going to happen to us now?”

Applebloom shook her head. She was just as confused as her friends. They’d spent their time while here visiting with the students and making some new friends. They’d even found a group of friends from other species, including a hippogriff, griffin, a young pony stallion they’d seen around Ponyville a few times, and a yak female. They’d spent some time with this group while they explored the school and had talked about their homes and things of that sort. The Crusaders had learned a lot and had promised each other that they would try and start coming to this school in order to learn more. Scootaloo was the most insistent on that.

“I wish I knew,” Applebloom said sadly.

“I wish I was back home,” Scootaloo said sadly. “Even if it wasn’t Ponyville, I did like it there.”

“I’d rather be anywhere else than here right now,” Sweetie said.

“I know what ya mean,” Applebloom said. “There’s no place like home…”

“…But it’s not the same without you two to play with,” Scootaloo said after a few seconds of silence. “I mean, I miss you two.”

“I miss you too,” Sweetie said softly.

“But what can we do ‘bout it?” Applebloom asked. “Ponyville isn’t a nice place anymore.” She had told them both about the changes in their former hometown, which had obviously shocked the two.

“I don’t suppose your families can move to where either me or Sweetie are living?” Scootaloo asked.

“Granny wouldn’t want to move,” Applebloom replied sorrowfully. “Not even if the farm got destroyed.”

“Mom and Dad have a shop they run,” Sweetie added, “and they won’t just pack up.”

Scootaloo’s ears drooped. “I figured…”

Just then, the three heard the sound of hoofsteps approaching from a nearby corner. The three listened curiously at the oddly sounding steps, only for them to realize it wasn’t hoofsteps at all. There wasn’t the familiar clop clop clop of hooves on the floor. The footsteps stopped and they heard the sound of someone taking a seat along with the sniff of a young sounding child. Curious, all three quietly made their way to the corner and peered down the other hallway. There they saw Gregory sitting at one of the benches with a young pegasus filly with curly blue mane. Applebloom recognized the filly as being one Cozy Glow, the leader of the CFE. Gregory was looking down at her, and she looked up at him with teary eyes. There was silence for a bit before she said, “D-Daddy…you hate me, don’t you?”

At this, the Crusaders almost gasped. Did Cozy just really call Gregory ‘Daddy’? What did that mean? They didn’t have time to think about it before Gregory shook his head. “No, Cozy, I don’t hate you.”

“Th-Then why did you s-say what you said earlier?” she stammered.

“About you hiding the truth from the CFE? Because you did,” he said.

“B-But they wouldn’t have understood!” Cozy shouted in what sounded like frustration. “They just see what bad he’s done!”

“Didn’t Tirek recently try and steal the magic of all the ponies in Equestria?” Gregory asked calmly.

Cozy slowly nodded. “Well…yes…but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t imprisoned unjustly before!”

“No, you may be right about that,” Gregory said, much to the shock of the Crusaders. They’d felt the effects of Tirek’s attack a few years ago and had been relieved to know he was back in Tartarus where he belonged. However, Gregory continued and said, “Still, he committed a crime against living beings. He has to pay for that crime. If you do something wrong, you get punished for it. Did he ever tell you why he was trying to steal magic from the ponies?”

Cozy froze. After a few seconds she looked down and shook her head. “I…I never asked…” she admitted. “But he’s my friend!” she shot back, looking back at Gregory. “Wh-What about other villains like Nightmare Moon! Or Discord! Or Starlight Glimmer! They got a second chance!”

“Cozy, I’m not saying you’re wrong about wanting to find the truth and help Tirek if he was falsely imprisoned,” Gregory said, “but if you want to be taken seriously again, you have to talk to the CFE and tell them the truth.”

“B-But I promised Tirek-!”

“Cozy.” The single word stopped her in her tracks. The Crusaders saw the pegasus look up wide eyed at Gregory in anticipation. The human crossed his arms and sighed. “Remember what I said earlier about Tirek possibly deceiving you?” She nodded. “Let me give you some advice. When you go into a situation like this, your best bet is to try and consider all the possibilities. Blind faith will get you in trouble if you let it. I’m not gonna say Tirek wasn’t imprisoned falsely, but you should try and think about the possibility that he was cast in Tartarus all those years ago justly.”

Cozy looked down at the floor, slowly wiping her eye with her front hoof. The two sat quietly for a while as the Crusaders watched, careful not to make a sound. Finally, Cozy looked back up at Gregory. “A-Are you gonna punish me?”

Gregory shook his head. “No,” was all he said.

“Are you mad at me? Are you gonna hit me?” Cozy curled up as if preparing to defend herself from a blow.

Gregory froze a bit and his eyes widened. “Why would I hit you?” he asked.

“My…first daddy always got mad whenever I did something wrong and punished me for being naughty,” Cozy said in a trembling voice.

“I would never hit a child,” Gregory said firmly.

That seemed to satisfy Cozy, who relaxed and looked back down at the ground. “Do you really think Tirek was lying to me?” she asked in a hopeless voice.

“I don’t know,” Gregory said, “but you should consider it a possibility.”

“But what if you’re wrong?” Cozy asked.

Gregory shrugged. “Then I’m wrong. Again, the information from the show could be wrong. It was certainly wrong about the Elements of Harmony. It was wrong about Ponyville. It was certainly wrong about Equestria Girls-”

“What’s that?” Cozy asked with some curiosity.

“I’ll tell you later,” Gregory said, “but the important thing is I can’t just go assuming things are the same here as they were in that show. Some things are exactly the same, but other things aren’t.”

“So…what do I do?” Cozy asked, looking desperately at Gregory.

“You really believe in this cause you created, right?” Gregory asked.

“I do! I said I did earlier!” Cozy replied.

“Yes, and you said why, but I get the feeling there’s more behind that,” Gregory said.

Cozy seemed to flinch at that. She looked back down. Finally, after a half minute, she said, “…I hate my old parents,” she said with a tone that made the Crusaders shiver. There was venom in her tone as she continued, “I wanted to be better than them! I wanted them to know that they’re pathetic!” She was hyperventilating now, and Gregory was rubbing her back. She calmed down and looked back up at Gregory, once more teary eyed. “I…I wanted to show them and myself that I could be better. So when The Trial happened…”

“You seized the opportunity,” Gregory finished.

She nodded. “But I really do believe in what I’m doing,” she said in an insistent tone. “I saw discrimination and hatred towards non-ponies in my old town. I once saw a crowd chase a griffin and her cubs out of town just for asking for a scrap of food! The crowd was led by my old parents!”

Applebloom was horrified by this, and judging by the looks on her fellow Crusaders’ faces, they were feeling similarly. Gregory, still apparently unaware of their presence, spoke again. “Did you know any of those griffins?”

Slowly, Cozy nodded. “I made friends with them…I hate my old parents so much! They’re complete flankholes!”

Applebloom almost gasped. If she had used that word, Granny Smith would have tanned her hide. Still, Gregory remained calm as he said, “Have you told the CFE this?”

“Why? Do you think I should?” Cozy asked.

“Right now, the CFE don’t quite believe that you really care about the cause,” Gregory said, “but if you have a more personal reason for why you’re doing what you’re doing, then it might get them to trust you more. A good leader can relate to their followers,but not manipulate them.”

“I-I wasn’t-!”

“That’s what they’re thinking right now,” Gregory interrupted her. “They want to put you under a lie detector, remember? You should be vulnerable with them to get them to even consider trusting you again.”

Cozy looked like she was considering these words carefully. Applebloom saw her slowly scooting over to Gregory and leaning against the human. “Will you help me?” she asked, sounding scared and vulnerable.

“All I can promise is that I’ll be there when you talk to them,” Gregory said.

“Th-Thanks, Daddy…”

Gregory was about to reply when he paused. He immediately turned in the Crusader’s direction. Too late, Applebloom realized that they’d been spotted. Cozy Glow looked past him and her eyes widened when she saw the three fillies. “You know, it’s rude to eavesdrop,” Gregory said sternly.

The three Crusaders walked up to the human sheepishly as they were unable to meet his gaze. “...Sorry, Mister Gregory. We weren't trying to be noisy,” Sweetie said.

Gregory crossed his arms. “I’m sure you weren’t, but you still should know better than that,” he said. “How much did you hear?”

“Pretty much all of it.” Scootaloo said.

Gregory sighed and turned to Cozy. “All of it, huh…?” He turned back to them. “Kids, you should really be with your families. I don’t know how long that shield will last against them, so you shouldn’t be wandering the hallways alone.”

Before the fillies could retort, a tremor echoed through the school. Gregory looked out of a nearby window to see several dragons and windigos flying past it. Concern began to mount as Gregory remembered that Ember was still outside. A set of hoofsteps sounded out as Twilight and the elements ran by them. Deciding that sitting down wasn’t productive, Gregory grabbed his metal pole and chased after them.

“Cozy, take the Crusaders somewhere safe!” he called back to the pegasus.

“Um, okay.” Cozy said.

Gregory ran down the hallway, his long trenchcoat flying behind him as he did so. He was hot on the trail of the six Elements, all of whom were wearing all-too familiar pieces of jewelry around their neck with the exception of the crown on Twilight’s head. He put his leather gloves on as he reached the last pony in the group, who happened to be Fluttershy. Still, he didn’t say anything as he ran past her. He patted his sides and found that his guns and knives were still there, although he didn’t know if they would help much.

Soon he had overtaken the ponies and ran past them, even Twilight. He rushed towards the front door and was met with the sight of Sandbar standing at the front, watching things going down with a look of trepidation on his face. Outside was a warzone of ice and fire. Dragons were flying through the air right outside the shield, unleashing torrents of flames upon their ghostly adversaries. The Windigos responded in kind while others were still trying to break through the shield. While the dragon fire was delaying them, they seemed to be infective in terms of destroying them for good. Anytime a dragon scored a hit against the hateful spirits, they would reform elsewhere in the storm they created. The windigos did not have this problem as their ice magic would cancel out the flames. A few unlucky dragons were even turned into solid ice. Gregory saw this and grimaced. He looked down at the earth pony. “You shouldn’t be here, Mr. Sandbar,” he said. “You should be trying to find a place to hide.”

“I-I know, but I want to help. I didn’t help before…not when…not when Jason was being hurt!” As he said this, a dragon fell to the ground with its wings frozen solid.

Before Gregory could say anything, Sandbar rushed out into the cold air. Suddenly, Gregory saw Sandbar’s hoove begin to glow a light green. A very familiar light green. The moment his hooves touched the ground, parts of it began to glow as swirling lines of green magic spread out from his hooves. Sudden tall vines began to sprout from the ground. Sandbar froze and screamed in terror as the vines launched into the air. Gregory froze in astonishment. This shouldn’t have been happening, but here it was! Earth pony magic!

The vines reached out towards the group of dragons fighting. They wrapped themselves around each dragon and pulled them back towards the school, passing through the shield as if it wasn’t even there. The vines retreated and deposited their charges on the ground. Still, Sandbar was in full blown panic mode now, backing away and rearing up in utter terror.

Moving swiftly, Gregory rushed over and grabbed the young stallion up off of the ground with a grunt. The vines vanished the moment his hooves left the ground. He leaned closer and shouted above the din, “Deep breaths, Sandbar! Deep breaths! Try and calm down!”

“Sandbar, what did you do?” Starlight asked in awe.

“He just used earth pony magic,” Gregory explained, “something that shouldn’t have happened for hundreds of years. Sandbar, in and out, deep breaths. Feel the flow of magic through you, alright?”

Sandbar stared a hole into both of his hooves as he saw a shimmering green aura around them. “I do…!”

“Ember!!!” Smolder called out suddenly as the Dragon Lord impacted the shield from the outside. She gritted her teeth as her body trembled from the ice that was half way up her arm. Smolder ran out next and began blowing her flames on the ice covered areas to thaw them.

Gregory gently put Sandbar down inside the entrance to the school. “Keep your hooves off the ground for now, until the green glow goes away.” With that, he turned and ran out into the schoolyard towards the exit, only to accidentally run into a young dragon who looked familiar. He turned and saw Garble standing there looking panicked, but holding something in his hand. A very familiar looking shield. Gregory pointed at the shield. “Give that to me, now!”

Garble complied and handed Gregory the shield. “What are you going to do? You don’t look like much.”

“No time to explain, just get back into the air!” Gregory shouted as he ran towards the school exit, He quickly slipped the shield around his left arm and when he made his way out of the school, he had to immediately raise his shield to block a nearby ice blast. Fortunately, Flash Magnus’ shield was so powerful that it deflected the blast immediately. He rushed around, looking for Ember frantically. However, what he saw instead froze him in his tracks.

There, flying above the crowd and looking down at the dragons, Jason Wright hovered. Both of Jason’s eyes, even the blind one, were glowing just like the Windigo’s eyes did, and he had a sneer on his face. His outward appearance was altered to a degree. His hair was white as the snow around them and his scars shined as if the lightning struck him and remained inside. Above all was his skin that took on an ocean blue hue.

Gregory took a deep breath, then shouted as loud as he could, “JASON!”

Jason looked at Gregory with indifference as he floated down to him. “I told you that you should’ve left.” His voice was eerily soft, barely above a whisper while his breath was visible.

Before Gregory could say anything, he felt himself being lifted up. He slid back onto something and saw, to his astonishment, that he was sitting on the back of the strange new horse he’d found. The horse seemed to be glaring up at Jason, and he whinnied in a warning tone. Confusion turned once more to determination as Gregory looked back up at Jason. “I did leave! I came here, damn it! The hell are YOU doing here now?! What happened to you!?!?”

“Now, that’s a funny story.”

[Badlands - One Day Ago]

The changelings were scrambling through the halls in a panic. “Get those nymphs out the nursery carefully. They must be evacuated above all else!” Chrysalis ordered as the drones nodded their heads.

“Do we know what the Windigos are doing now?” Jason asked.

“Sir. They’re circling around the castle. I suspect they are looking for entry inside,” a drone responded.

“But why are they here?” Chrysalis asked in frustration. “We changelings are experts at concealing emotion. The windigos are only a close second on the empath plane.”

“Can the magic dampening throne stop them if they go inside?” Jason asked.

“Maybe, but Windigos aren’t as simple as other magical creatures,” Chrysalis explained quickly. “They’re more like spirits, thus they have no physical ties to this world. They operate on instinct instead of intent. Something drew them here, but I don’t know what–”

Suddenly, a crackle went off. Jason and Chrysalis look up to see a portion of the wall begin to freeze over before several Windigos burst through. Chrysalis and her drones took up defensive position by her throne, hoping that the anti-magic would offer some kind of protection. As the windigos landed, the two groups entered a stared down. For a few tense seconds, nothing happened as the windigos appeared to be sizing the changelings up. Chrysalis gritted her teeth and flared her aura in a threatening manner. It wasn’t until the Windigos gazes fell on Jason did Chrysalis realized the problem. Her eyes widened in horror as she used her empathy sense to see that Jason was a beacon of hate and malice. “Jason! They’re here for you!!!”

Jason whips his head to her. “What? That’s ridiculous– Gaah!?” The momentary distraction gave the Windigos an opening as one of them flew straight into his body, knocking him away from the protective circle of changelings. As he hit the wall, more Windigos began to swarm him and enter his body as well. A gale of freezing wind emanated from Jason as he let out a silent scream, pushing all the changelings and Chrysalis away. Woozy, Chrysalis clutched her head and looked at what became of Jason in terror. He was floating in the air as the windigos circled him in a friendly manner. He was panting - his very breath freezing the air - as his glowing white eyes stared into Chrysalis before he shot out of the castle through the ceiling.

“...No…” Chrysalis whispered in disbelief and despair.

Meanwhile, Jason was soaring in the air as he stopped to look at his hand. Then, he turned his gaze north as a sneer appeared on his lips. With that, he turned to the other Windigos, and in a dark tone, said, “Follow” as he shot off towards his target.

[Outside Yggdrasil - Present]

Gregory frowned at Jason, who had retold this brief story with a casualness that contradicted the war zone around the school. “You came here for what purpose, then?” he demanded.

“I see everything so clearly now.” Jason lifts up his hand as frost begins to build. His gaze fell on a group of ponies behind Gregory as he continued. “The Windigos aren’t a blight or a plague. They are retribution. They seek out those who are unjust, those who hold hatred and punishes them. They sought me out because I share this feeling. And they showed me that I was still too naïve.”

Gregory reached down and whipped out one of his pistols. “The dragons have nothing to do with this!” he shouted. “Ember defended you in court! Why attack the Dragon Lands?”

“Dragons hold the sin of greed in their hearts,” Jason said with a dismissive wave of his hand, “but they are not who we are after right now. It’s them who must be punished. All of them!”

Gregory turned and saw the Elements of Harmony standing there. His body ran colder than before as he turned back to Jason. He urged his horse forward and he complied, standing between Jason and the Elements. “You would punish them when they’re actively trying to change themselves?” he asked, holding the pistol up towards him.

“What changes? Their hearts still carry conflict and malice. As does the rest of their kind. I let my past feelings spare them a more suitable punishment during The Trial. Now, I’ll correct that mistake.”

“You think a year is enough for true change?” Gregory asked. “You know it takes a lot of time to change!”

“They had a millennium to change!” Jason argued. “And still there is strife! Would movements like the CFE exist if there was a single good natured pony? No! You’ve no idea of the hatred they breed. It pollutes the very air. Now move. I must put an end to them!”

Gregory lowered his pistol. “No, I don’t know the true extent,” he admitted, “but I do know all of what happened in Ponyville. If that is but a taste, then I know there’s more. But still, I know there are good ponies around! Not all of them are like those in Ponyville! Hell! There are even some in Ponyville who aren’t like that! You saw how ponies like Starlight, Sweetie Belle and Applebloom reacted!”

Jason merely tilts his head to the side. “I should gleam a positive outlook to ponies as a whole from a former villain that struggles with right and wrong and impressionable fillies that will ultimately follow their parents' example? It seems you are still as much of a fanboy as I was, but it doesn’t matter. Last time, move!”

Gregory grit his teeth and raised his gun again. “I’ill use this if you force my hand! Just listen to reason and look around you. We’re at a school filled with many creatures. It’s led by Starlight - who is promoting equality and true friendship for every creature - it’s not at all what you think. You need to give them a chance–”

“Enough!” A gust of wind forces Gregory to cover himself before Jason appears in front of him. His fist met Gregory’s stomach as Gregory doubled over Jason’s arm. “I’m sick of your sanctimonious preaching!” Jason cocked back his free hand and knocked Gregory down with a right hook, sending him sprawling off of the horse. Gregory was quickly on his feet, thumb on the pistol’s hammer and aiming it at him. Jason rolled his eyes and scoffed, “Please, a gun isn’t made for threats. It’s meant for action!”

Gregory scowled, then shouted, “Yeah, you’re right!” He pulled the hammer back quickly and pulled the trigger. He saw Jason stumbling back. Despite himself, he felt a pang of guilt. He didn’t want to have to do this, but Jason was going to hurt the innocent with those he felt were guilty. Jason looked down at the blood leaking from a wound on his shoulder. “Don’t make me aim for some place more permanent,” Gregory said angrily.

In response, Jason narrows his eyes before flicking his hand. A windigo burst from the storm and flies at Gregory, the human narrowly dodging at the last second. However, the ghostly equine brushed past his hand holding the gun. Gregory winces at the cool contact, forcing him to drop the gun. In the next instant, Jason flicked his hand upwards and an ice dome covered the weapon. Jason now glares at Gregory as he freezes over the wound. Gregory took a few steps back until he bumped into something. Looking back, he found the horse.

The horse moved quickly, grabbing Gregory’s collar and pulling him back, sending him flipping back suddenly and landing once more on the horse’s back. Gregory pulled out his second pistol and held Flash’s shield up as the horse reared up before he turned and galloped away. He turned and aimed his spare pistol back at Jason, pulling the trigger again. Unfortunately, he missed wildly. Jason was more wary of the weapon now as he used several windigo’s to harden and block the bullets with ice.

The horse Gregory was riding seemed smarter than the average horse, as he weaved through the Windigos with expertise. Gregory pulled out one of his knives instead and began slashing at the ethereal creatures. To his surprise, anytime he struck them, they seemed to recoil in pain, but it wasn’t permanent. They seemed to be able to regenerate quickly. He looked down at the horse. “We might not have a choice,” he said solemnly to his brand new companion, “we may have to kill Jason.”

The horse seemed to understand as he turned back to face Jason. Gregory once more pulled out his pistol from its holster. “Don’t make me do this, Jason!” he pleaded. “You’re hurting innocents here! The students here haven’t done anything to you!”

“Everything holds malice,” Jason said stonily, “but I am after the ones who hold the most. Give me the ponies of this school. They will face my hatred and I’ll spare the rest.”

“Then you’re no better than the ponies!” Gregory shouted. “This isn’t justice anymore! This is revenge!”

“I’m tired of you!” Jason spread his arms out as the winds picked up and ice sickles formed in the sky. He launches at Gregory and the horse with deadly precision. The horse tried its best to dodge, but one of the shards stabbed into the flank. Gregory was luckier. He caught one of the icicles on his shield, but it was still hard enough to send him flying from the horse. The two tumbled back toward the entrance of the shield where Smolder, Garble and Ember ran out quickly and brought the two inside.

Gregory stood and held up his shield towards Jason, his spare pistol in his free hand. “Goddamn it…am I really gonna have to kill him?” he asked nobody in particular.

“What?!” Twilight’s sudden voice called out. “Gregory, what are you saying? We’re not taking anypony’s life!”

“I hope you’re right about that,” he said as he holstered his weapon and grabbed his discarded metal pole. He looked back outside.

There was a sudden flash as Sunset and Celestia appeared in a burst of magic. “Hey, everyone. Whoa!” Sunset said as she beheld the scene. “I guess it’s safe to say the Windigoss are here.”

“Is everyone well?” Celestia asked in concern. She notices the horse and her eyes wind in shock but she kept it down.

Gregory turned to them with a frown. “Welcome to the party,” he said sarcastically.

Sunset stared around, then locked eyes on Gregory’s shield. “That shield…”

“No time for that,” Starlight said, pointing back out at the magical shield surrounding the school. “Jason’s been taken over by the Windigos and is basically their leader now! He intends to punish every pony in this school!”

Gregory nodded, turned and rushed over to the injured horse who was lying on his side, injured flank up. “Can someone help me with him?” he asked. “This horse saved my life!”

“I can’t believe there’s a horse here before us,” Celestia asked in shock.

“You can gawk at him later!” Gregory shouted. “He needs medical attention now!”

“I’ll offer any aid I can, but we have no real records for this kind of animal.” Starlight said.

“Horses and ponies aren’t that different,” Gregory replied as he helped the stallion to his feet. The horse leaned his head against Gregory’s own.

Starlight shot Gregory a flat stare. “Oh, and I suppose this horse and the horses of your world are the same? Please regale us of all your knowledge since you know better.”

“Are we really doing this now?” Gregory asked angrily.

“Only as long as you keep that snarky attitude.”

“Hey!” Fluttershy stated, gaining everyone’s attention. “Please, we can’t fight right now.”

“Fluttershy is correct. Any negative emotion we have could feed the Windigos and make them stronger,” Celestia said, turning to Gregory. “I understand your concern, but try to remain calm. With as many creatures as there are here, I am sure we can help your friend.”

“Yeah…yeah…good idea,” Gregory nodded as he was already moving back to the school. “It doesn’t look too deep,” he said, “but we can’t be sure.”

“Hang on,” Sunset said as she galloped over towards the horse. She cast a spell that let her float up to inspect the injury. She nodded. “A simple healing spell should do it. We need to get him back to the infirmary, though,”

It didn’t take them to reach the nurse’s office. Sunset took over and led the horse stallion away, assuring Gregory that she’d help as best she could. Gregory collapsed against the wall and slid down it, sitting on the floor and staring up at the ceiling exhausted. Gregory felt his eyes get heavy and sleep slowly take him.

[A Few Hours Later]

When he opened his eyes again, he realized he had been moved to the infirmary bed somehow. Groaning, he sat up and saw that he was not alone. Curled up next to him, he saw the sleeping form of Cozy Glow. She was breathing slowly, clearly asleep as well. He slowly moved away, not wanting to wake her. Unfortunately, his moving around made her stir. When she opened one eye and looked up to him, he raised his hand. “Hey,” he said, sounding more sheepish than he meant to sound. “Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you.”

“Daddy!” Cozy said while hugging Gregory, causing him to wince. “Oops. Sorry.”

“It’s alright,” he said, slowly putting one arm around the young filly. “How long was I asleep? And how’d I get up here?”

“Oh, um, that was me,” a new voice said. Both Gregory and Cozy turned to the door to see a sheepish looking Sandbar waving at him. “I, uh, helped you to the infirmary beds when you passed out. I hope that’s cool…”

Gregory slowly sat up further and motioned for Sandbar to come closer. As he did so, the human said, “Thank you, Mr. Sandbar. But I’d still like to know how long I was out and what’s been happening since.”

“Hey, it’s just Sandbar dude. Mr. Sandbar’s my mother,” Sandbar laughed before realizing what he said. “Oh, wait.”

Gregory smirked. “Did you just call a teacher dude? And Mister Sandbar is your mother? Not father?”

“Well, yeah,” Sandbar replied with a shrug. “You seem like a chill dude, teach.”

“Daddy, school hasn’t started, so you’re not a teacher yet,” Cozy stated.

Gregory chuckled. “You can never start too early, but I hear you,” he said to Cozy before turning to Sandbar. “As for you, how are you feeling? Earth pony magic isn’t something you can really shrug off. At least, not from what I’ve seen.”

“It’s freaky to be honest,” Sandbar said with some trepidation as he looked at his hoof, “but I haven’t been able to do it since we got inside.”

“I’m not surprised,” Gregory said. “Earth pony magic has never been seen before. It actually never showed up in the show, at least not the show you were in. Frankly, I’m surprised that it showed up here at all. Thing about it is, from what I know of it, this magic helps earth ponies grow plants instantly. That’s all I really know about it.”

“Hey, look, he’s awake,” another voice said. The group looked back to the door to see three more faces Gregory recognized. Yona, Smolder and Sliverstream.

“Yeah, we can see that, Sliver,” Smolder said.

Another face poked through the door, and Gregory recognized it as belonging to a certain ‘pony’ teen mare named ‘Ladybug’. Of course, he knew better. This was Ocellus in disguise. He motioned for her to enter. “Hey, you can come on in too…Ocellus,” he said with a smile. With all that was happening, he figured secrets wouldn’t be needed.

“Y-You knew?” ‘Ladybug’ asked in surprise.

“I knew from the moment I saw you back in the Shelter,” Gregory said. “You show up in the show and use that exact disguise. A disguise you can drop now, by the way. You’re safe here.”

“P-Please don’t say anything,” ‘Ladybug’ begged as she entered the room slowly. “None of the others will ever let me live it down.”

“Cross my heart, hope to die, eat a thousand needles if I lie,” Gregory said.

‘Ladybug’ nodded appreciatively. “I’ll be keeping my disguise though. I’m not comfortable out in public undisguise yet.”

“Wait, you’re a changeling?” Smolder asked, glaring at the teen filly.

“Not the time, Smolder,” Gregory said.

Smolder turned back to Gregory. “I was told to guard you by the Dragon Lord,” she said with her claws on her hips, “so that’s what I’m doing.”

“Oh! That’s amazing. I always wanted to meet a changeling. But, I could never find any of you. How does your transformation work? Is it like us hippogriffs?” Sliverstream said, getting in Ocellus' face.

“Silverstream, don’t pester her,” Gregory said as he slowly swung his legs out of bed. Instantly, Smolder was by his side helping him up. “Now isn’t really the time. The school’s shield is still under attack by the Windigos, I take it?”

“Yes,” Smolder said as she handed him his metal pole, “Jason’s been throwing everything he has at the shield, but it’s pretty tough.”

“I should hope so,” Gregory said, “I’ve heard Princess Luna made it herself.” He leaned against his pole as he grabbed his overcoat and flung it on. “What else has been going on?”

“Pony teacher wanted us to call you when you wake up. Pony princess and her student came when you were asleep. They are making plans in meeting room.” Yona said.

Gregory straightened and gripped his pole. “Understood. Give me a moment.” After retrieving the belongings that had been taken off of him, which Smolder helped with, he faced the door. “I’m ready to go.”

He headed out, shadowed by Smolder who seemed to take her protection duties of him quite seriously. In one hand Gregory held his pole and in the other the shield once owned by Flash Magnus. He was armed again as well, but he hoped he wouldn’t need to use them again. Outside the windows, he saw the flames of dragon fire mixed with the icy blasts of Windigos firing back. He couldn’t see Jason, but he knew his fellow human was out there. Once he reached the meeting room, he didn’t bother knocking. Instead, he opened and strode in, Smolder right beside him. Sittig around a large stained oak table he saw Celestia, Sunset, Starlight, Twilight and her friends, Spike and Gabby seated at the chairs. As one, they turned to him. Celestia was the first to speak. “Good afternoon,” she said kindly, “I trust you slept well.”

“I did, thanks, but probably for too long,” he said, looking for a place to sit, but since the chairs in the meeting room weren’t made for a human, he elected to stand, leaning against his pole for support. “What’s going on?”

“We’re coming up with a plan of action to take down the Windigos. Obviously, they involve the elements!” Rainbow said excitedly.

“And what about Jason?” Gregory asked. “How will you deal with him?”

“It’s clear that the Windigos are possessing him. The elements already possess cleansing abilities. Once we get them, we can free him and banish the Windigos as well.” Twilight explained.

“Okay, solid plan,” Gregory nodded, “but you’re forgetting something.”

“And what’s that?” Starlight asked.

“One, whatever brought the Windigos back won’t be solved by magic friendship lasers,” Gregory said. “Sure, if they can cleanse Nightmare Moon or whatever it did to her then they could help Jason, but the root cause for the Windigos return won’t be solved by the Elements.”

“You are forgetting the old Hearth's Warming tale of how Equestria was founded,” Celestia said. “It was the bond of three ponies of each race that repelled them before. And that was without the elements. With the friendship of the bearers focused through the Elements, it should yield far better results.”

“I didn’t forget that story,” Gregory said, “but it’s now that same bond, now corrupted, that brought the Windigos back. A bond of xenophobia and fear against all other races. I hope I’m wrong, of course, but be prepared for them to return if I’m right.”

Celestia sighed deeply at this. “Unfortunately, that is correct. Hatred and xenophobia has seeded itself deeply in Equestria’s foundation. This event will likely serve as a grim reminder of why such feelings are better left abandoned. At least, we can only hope to change the hearts of ponies one day at a time. But, that is for the future. We must deal with this threat now!”

“Oh, I agree,” Gregory said, “but I did notice something during my little scuffle with Jason.” He reached down and pulled out his remaining pistol. “Even while possessed, this thing still works. I shot him in the shoulder with it. Seems even Windigos aren’t quite immune to my weapons either, although they’re much more resilient to it than a pony and maybe even a dragon.”

“Hey!” Smolder shouted, sounding a bit offended by that.

Ignoring the young teen, Gregory continued. “I really hope the Elements can cleanse Jason, because if not, and if there’s absolutely no other option, well…” he left the words unspoken, hoping the various creatures in the room got the message.

Sunset was the first. She sighed. “Yeah…I get where you’re coming from,” she said, “but we can’t do that unless there’s no other option.”

“I know,” Gregory agreed.

“No! That isn’t an option!” Pinkie said firmly. “We don’t do that, Gregory. If we did then what’s the point in any of our friendship lessons? What’s the point of this school? We’d be robbing Jason of everything, and we already took so much from him. If you use that on him, then we’re no longer friends!”

“You think I like the thought of killing him?” Gregory asked. “I might not have another choice, Pinkie!”

“The answer is still no! If you value our friendship, then please don’t bring this up again.” Pinkie pleaded.

He looked at the group of assembled creatures, and they could all see a heaviness weighing down on him. One that was almost unbearable to see. Slowly, however, the human put his gun back in its holster. “You’d better bring him back,” he said, and his tone was one of weariness, “because if you can’t, I’ll have to deal with him, and since I won’t be using this, he’ll kill me for standing in his way.”

“I know it’s a lot to put on faith, but the elements haven’t failed us yet,” Twilight said. “If hatred is driving the Windigos, then friendship can and will push them back into the shadows. Now, all we need to do is get out of here undetected.”

“Um, I might have a suggestion.” Ocellus said, still disguised as Ladybug. She shrunk back from the sudden attention before continuing. “We could distract Jason with changelings disguised as you while you get the elements.”

“And who are you, my little pony?” Celestia asked.

Gregory put a reassuring hand on Ocellus’ withers. “Her name’s Ladybug,” he said, not willing to give Ocellus away just yet. “She was living in Ponyville, but I guess she’s a brand new student here.”

Ocellus nodded, giving Gregory a slightly grateful look. “Y-Yes,” she said softly.

“That plan might work, but we’re sorely lacking on the changeling front,” Sunset stated.

Gregory pursed his lips. “I sincerely doubt that,” he said. “I’m sure there are a few disguised ones here. You think Jason wouldn’t be doing that? Remember, there are changelings throughout all of Equestria living peacefully and have been for years. I’m sure Jason and Chrysalis wouldn’t ignore this school.” He turned to Starlight. “Make an announcement and ask them for help.”

“On it. Reminder to give you a raise for the idea,” Starlight said as she teleported.

“And, while you girls retrieve the elements, Sunset and I shall go and aid the dragons. My affinity to the sun and Sunset’s phoenix magic may prove a boon against frost affiliated enemies.” Celestia said, standing tall.

“Now, that’s a plan I fully support.” Sunset said with an eager grin as her magic flared and the two teleported as well.

[Outside Yggdrasil]

“You took your sweet time,” were the first words out of Ember’s mouth when she saw Sunset and Celestia teleport into the fray. She looked absolutely exhausted, but with plenty of fire left in her as she brandished the Bloodstone Scepter like a club. “What kept you?”

“We have a plan in motion to defeat these spirits for good. For now, we’ll lend you our magic to stall them. Although you should retreat inside and rest.” Celestia stated.

“Where’s Gre-that human?” Ember asked, giving both of them a questioning but serious look.

“He is well and resting as you should be right now,” Celestia said. “I understand the pride of dragons but you’ll do no one good if you collapse in battle.”

Ember shook her head. “I’m the Dragon Lord,” she said, “and as such, I have a responsibility to my kind. To fight beside them, to protect them, and if it occurs, die with them. As…as my father has…” Her voice faltered a bit at that, but it was brief. She stood back up, spread her wings, and glared at the Windigos. “But I don’t intend to die. Not here and not now. If anything else, I need to get this back to that human,” With that, she held up a weapon in her free claw that both ponies recognized. It was one of Gregory’s guns. The same one that he’d dropped earlier and that had been frozen.

Celesstia frowned upon seeing this. “One of Gregory’s weapons?”

Ember nodded. “Yeah. I saw the human use it against the other one. It was able to hurt him despite the powers of the Windigos. It seems simple enough to use: just point and squeeze this metal thing here. I’ll use it to end this nightmare.”

“I would ask that you hold this line of thinking,” Celestia cautioned.

“Why? My flames barely slow these spirits down and my subjects are getting exhausted. We can’t keep up a prolonged battle!”

“Yes, but we have a plan in place that doesn’t involve killing anyone.” Sunset stated. “All we have to do is stall him until the girls come back with the elements.”

“Is that so?” Ember said, looking down at the fiery maned unicorn. “Hmm…okay. I won’t kill Jason. Yet. But if you fail, I will use this.” She waved the gun around before lowering it, spreading her wings, grabbing the Bloodstone Scepter in her claws and shouting in a tone that rivaled the Royal Canterlot Voice, “Keep up! Don’t stop!” She flew into the sky and rejoined her fellow dragons.

“To me, Sunset. Focus your phoenix magic on the flyers!” Celestia commanded.

Sunset nodded as both of their horns glowed. Sunset summoned wings of flaming feathers while Celestia’s prismatic mane turned blazing yellow like the sun. They joined the dragons in the air as the heat they generated distorted the cold and let out steam. Celestia turned to three Windigos circling a downed dragon and shot a beam of solar magic towards the equine form. One shot was enough to completely disperse all them with ease. She turned again to see one charging at her right side. Celestia lifted a wing and flapped it hard, sending a heat wave to cut through the air and the Windigo in one fell swoop. Five more Windigos banded together and shot frost at the solar alicorn. However, Celestia generated a dome of heat to block the beams before she expanded it and destroyed her attackers. She turned to see how her student was doing as a smile graced her features.

Sunset might have been a unicorn, but even now she was a force to be reckoned with. She blasted a nearby Windigo with white hot flames, making its ethereal form disperse. However, as the Windigos were ethereal, they would eventually reform, but it would take time for them to do so. She had no time to think as another Windigo flew towards her with incredible speed. Another blast of her phoenix fire, which she had been honing ever since she returned to Equestria, and the Windigo was dispersed. She turned back to Celestia. “This is tedious! You know this, right?! We can’t exactly permanently destroy them! They’re too powerful for that! I doubt any of us will last a few more minutes!” She blasted another larger Windigo moments later.

“We can hold them, Sunset! Don’t falter now.” Celestia said, bucking a Windigo that got too close.

“What do you think I’ve been doing?!” Sunset shouted back before she spread her phoenix wings, dispersing two smaller Windigos with ease. She turned and flew down, spinning as she did so. “Do a barrel roll!” she shouted with a sudden grin.

“I fail to see the use in such a maneuver,” Celestia said. “Is that from your exploits in the human realm?”

“Remind me to introduce you to modern video games when this is over!” Sunset shouted as she struck a Windigo in its barrel with a fiery red glowing hoof.

“You won’t get the chance,” a familiar voice said as Jason appeared before the two. “I see you two are getting in my way as well? I knew I was too soft on you during The Trial, Celestia.”

Sunset looked between Celestia and Jason. “Oh boy…” was all she could say.

“Jason, please. You must see reason and stop this madness!” Celestia pleaded.

“Oh, but I am,” Jason retorted. “I’m finally seeing reason for the first time in years. There is to be no more leniency for ponykind!”

“Those aren’t your words, Jason!” Celestia begged. “They’re the words of the Windigos controlling you and twisting your feelings!”

“These feelings are a product of your little ponies making,” Jason sneered. “Too long they’ve pretended to act as paragons of harmony when they are worse than scum. Too long have others suffered and labeled evil while they play the hero and victim. Your kind has thrown their arrogance and hate out into the world. Now, I am giving it back with interest. You’ll get to have front row seats. A fitting fate for an enabler like you.”

Celestia gritted her teeth and shot out a beam of solar magic. Jason countered with a flick of his wrist as a tornado of ice magic shielded him. The beam impacted against the whirling winds, but the defense held. Sunset used the distraction to fly above Jason and dive-bombed him. She spun counter to his direction and canceled out his defense before slamming into him. However, Jason broke apart upon impact, revealing that he’d substituted himself for an ice sculpture. He glided over to Sunset with his fist coated in ice as he scored a left hook on the unicorn. Sunset tumbled against the ground before she recovered.

“Damn, that was clever!” Sunset said with a frown as she looked at him, blood coming out of her nose which she wiped away with a hoof, spitting out a glob of it. “Come on, Jason! I don’t wanna do this! I helped in your defense back at The Trial, but you’re hurting innocent creatures here! And I’m not just talking about ponies!”

“What you fail to understand is that there are no innocents here,” Jason replied. “If that were true, would the Windigos even exist?!” Jason summoned more Windigos as they hovered behind him and opened their muzzles. He held his hands out as the ice magic from the Windigos flowed into his outstretched hands.

Sunset saw this and gathered her magic. Her wings took the shape of a phoenix as it hovered above her. Celestia joined her and aimed her horn at Jason while forming a miniature sun. The three looked at each other and fired their respective attacks. There was a flash of light as an explosion of ice and fire magic went off and steam shrouded the area. The shock waves knocked all the parties away. However, the Windigos stabilized Jason enough to minimize the damage. Celestia and Sunset were not as fortunate as they skidded across the ground, lying on their sides. Jason landed and stalked toward them as they struggled to stand back up. “You fight so hard to preserve the malice. A shame. I guess even over a thousand year lifespan doesn’t make one wise after all.”

A blue blur slammed into the ground between Jason and the two ponies, kicking up a shower of snow. Dragon Lord Ember stood there, baring her teeth in a threatening manner at Jason. In one hand she held her scepter, but in the other she held Gregory’s pistol, which she aimed directly at Jason’s head. “That’s enough out of you,” she snarled.

Jason saw the gun and tilted his head. “Do you even know how to use that?” he asked with a hint of amusement in his tone.

“Enough to know that this thing can hurt you,” she replied, “now back off!”

Unperturbed by the threat, Jason calmly walked up to Ember with his arms spread out. He stood at eye level with the gun and moved his head to the barrel. “Then do it. Try and quell the raging storm of malice and hatred. My life was never my own - from the moment I stepped foot here in this world - so it doesn’t matter if you pull the trigger. Nothing will stop us now.”

Ember then reached up and pulled the hammer back on the pistol. “At least the other human tries to find the good in others no matter how hard it takes to find it. You’ve given up.”

“He’s sadly still blind,” Jason said with a shake of his head. “He still clings to that show, believing in fantasy while I have lived in reality.”

“Is that what you think I’ve been doing since I got here?” a familiar voice called out from nearby. Everyone turned to see Gregory approaching, giving Jason an even look with his pistol in his hand, albeit not aimed at Jason. “If you think I’m blind to reality, need I remind you I’ve been nearly killed since coming here too? Why do you think I came here to this school? I’ve seen this world. It’s just like ours, full of bigotry, xenophobia, racism, but it’s also full of good people. I’ve met them. I came here because I believe in what this school is meant for.”

Jason just shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. You can’t see what I see. You claim to be enlightened, but what have you done since coming here? You moved from one spot to the next while still mingling with ponies of the show. What is your purpose then?”

Gregory walked forward, joining Ember in the defense of the fallen Celestia and Sunset. “When the fuck did I ever claim to be enlightened? I’ve made some serious mistakes since coming here. I’m nowhere near perfect. A lot of what I’ve done here has blown up in my face and made things harder not only for me but for others. And my purpose? I didn’t come here with one in mind. Same with you. Now that I know what it’s like, I’m just going to live the best life I can.”

“Your life won’t last long with that attitude,” Jason said. Unbeknownst to the pair, Jason flicked his index finger and middle finger upwards. Two Windigos appeared again and charged at Gregory and Ember, Ember managed to dodge hers and Gregory barely dodged the one coming at him. However, it was enough of a distraction as Jason slipped behind Gregory and put him in a chokehold while holding Gregory's hand with the pistol. Ice slowly started to freeze over Gregory’s limb as he winced.

Ember saw this and flew back down to aim her gun at Jason, but Jason positioned Gregory in the line of fire. “Let him go!!!” Ember roared.

“I told you both that it’s pointless,” Jason replied. “Nothing will stop the storm. Malice shall freeze over this forsaken world!”

“Not if we have anything to say about it!” another familiar voice called out. Everyone turned to see Twilight Sparkle and the other Bearers of the Elements standing there. Each of them was wearing the Elements of Harmony around their necks save for Twilight’s crown. She stepped forward and gave Jason an apologetic look. “Jason, words and actions can’t express how sorry I am at what I did to you, but I can’t just stand back and let you hurt innocent creatures.”

The girls hovered in the air as they were encased in the Elements of Harmony’s power. Jason hissed at this and maneuvered Gregory into its path. “Those worthless trinkets won’t do a damn thing!”

That’s when Gregory acted. He might have had one hand encased in solid magical ice, but his other one still held the metal pole in his free hand. He spun it and slammed it into Jason’s head. This was enough to loosen Jason’s grip on him. Gregory kicked Jason in the chest before turning and running away. He reached a safe distance before he collapsed. However, he had enough strength to turn back to the girls as a rainbow wave of energy came crashing down upon Jason. The elements shone brightly as those not using them had to shield their eyes. As the light died down and a blanket of mist covered the spot where Jason had stood, Gregory asked a question in a shaky voice. “Is it over…?”

Chapter 18 - The Aftermath

His question was answered quickly enough. The temperature began to drop faster as a dark human shape formed in the mist. Two pure white glowing eyes peered out and a dark voice, warped and evil sounding, said, “Not a chance in Hell.”

Sunset looked at the scene, then at the Elements, then locked eyes with Gregory. Both of them had the same thought. She was the first to speak. “Well…shit…”

None were more dumbfounded than the bearers. “W-What? Why didn’t that work?” Rainbow asked in a panicked tone.

“I haven’t the faintest idea, darling!” Rarity said in the same tone.

“Twilight?” Fluttershy asked. “What’s going on? What’s wrong with the elements?”

“I-I don’t know!” Twilight said, glancing at each of their magical jewelry. “The elements have always worked. Even when we were first corrupted by Discord, we never lost our connection to them or…” Twilight paused as a horrible realization hit her.

“Go on, Twilight.” Jason, still shrouded in mist, said in mocking tone. “Finish your little thought. I believe the answer is obvious. Why, take a closer look at those trinkets. Don’t they look dimmer? Has the light faded away like your friendship has this past year?”

As they stared at the elements, something unusual happened. Light began surrounding the gemstones, but moments later the gems went completely black. Each fell off of their bearers and fell to the ground. Upon seeing this, Celestia caught on as well as her ear splayed against her head. “Oh Faust…”

“B-But we made up! We’re back together again!’ Applejack denied.

Jason merely shook his head. “Yes, you are reunited once again,” he acknowledged, “but after The Trial, after all that’s been revealed, how can any of you claim to be harmonious? What time did you dedicate to repairing that broken bond from your own callous behavior you’ve dealt to me or what ponykind has dealt to the world?” The winds picked up again as Windigos reformed around Jason. “Is it any wonder the elements failed?”

“This isn’t good,” Gregory said grimly as he pulled out his pistol. “Time to run! Inside the shield, now!” He began shoving the ponies towards the gates while turning to Ember. “Ember, get your dragons inside!”

Ember nodded, raised her head and roared loudly. As one, the dragons all turned and flew towards the door. She aimed the pistol in her own claws at Jason. “Gregory? Do we use these?!”

“Gregory!” Pinkie called out as they made it through the shield. “You promised!”

“Aim and fire!” Gregory shouted. “Be careful! They have a nasty kick!”

Ember didn’t hesitate. She aimed and fired. Gregory did as well. However, a wall of ice formed around Jason, and the bullets embedded themselves in the icy shield. Jason, still partially hidden behind mist, simply said, “Those bullets might be effective against magic, but ice isn’t magic, is it?”

“Should have known it wouldn’t be that easy,” Gregory said as he turned to Ember. They exchanged a look, one that clearly said ‘Time to retreat.’

Ember, clearly not wanting to do so, nevertheless snarled and whirled around, grabbing Gregory’s collar and flying both of them through the door, which was quickly shut. He landed on his feet and turned towards the shield. The Windigos were pressed against the shield, attempting to get in. Fortunately, it seemed as if the shield was too strong for them. He turned to everyone else. “Alright, back inside,” he said. “We need a new plan.”

“I don’t understand. Is Jason right? Is it too late for our friendship?” Twilight said in a defeated tone.

“The Elements just fell off of us and the gems went dark, Twi,” Rainbow said despondently. “I’d say it’s beyond too late…”

“That ain’t fair to say, Rainbow,” Applejack said. “We just got together again. Of course we didn’t have time to mend the fences. We can’t let one bad thing ruin the bond we’ve built our whole lives!”

Rainbow sighed. “I hope you’re right,” she said softly. “My mind’s just all a jumble right now.”

Once everyone was back inside the school, Pinkie whirled on Gregory with a frown on her face. “You promised me, Gregory! What happened to trusting us?”

“This isn’t the time or the place for this conversation,” Gregory retorted.

“Any plan we come up with won’t work if we’re not all on the same page!” Pinkie said angrily.

“This coming from the mare who basically tried to blackmail me with our friendship to get her fucking way?!” Gregory bellowed in utter fury.

“Yeah, to get you to see reason!” Pinkie stamped her hoof on the ground. “What kind of heroes are we if we killed just because things get hard?”

Gregory stood taller, and his expression grew hard. “I didn’t see any other choice,” he said, and his tone was eerily similar to how Jason’s had been at The Trial, causing everyone else save for Pinkie to shudder in fear and worry. “The world is not the sunshine and rainbows you think it is.”

“Then it is up to us - all the creatures living in this world - to make it like that,” Pinkie said. “Saying that is just giving up and accepting things as they are now. If that’s the case, then the Windigos are right and the world should freeze over!”

The two stared each other down, neither relenting, before a new voice called out. “Stop! You have to stop fighting!” Everyone turned to see Cozy Glow with the students coming toward them. “That’s exactly what those evil spirits want!”

“Yeah!” Gallus stated. “I bet those ghosts are getting a nice feast from all the negativity you two are spreading.”

“We just need to calm down and think of a better way to stop those freaks!” Smolder said, slamming a fist into her palm and cracking her knuckles.

“Yona want to help any way Yona can. But friends fight no more!” Yona added with a stamp of her hoof on the ground.

“It’s better if we all take a breath.” Ocellus said.

“Now, let’s make up and put our heads together. There’s no I in team!” Sliverstream beamed.

Gregory took a deep breath, then exhaled. He turned back to Pinkie. “They’re right,” he said. “We need a new plan.” Gregory racked his brain with everyone else before looking at the students again. It was then that it registered who had finally joined the party. “Wait. you’re Smolder, right?”

“Um, yeah?” The dragoness said in confusion.

Gregory looked down at the shield he’d lifted from Garble, then back at her. A grin was plastered all over his face as he pointed at them. “Smolder, Ocellus, Silverstream, Yona, Sandbar, and Gallus.”

“Oh, are we doing introductions again?” Sliverstream asked excitedly.

“Do humans suffer from short term memory or something?” Ocellus asked gently.

“No, you’re coming with us,” Gregory said. “I have an idea now. It’s a longshot, but it’s worth trying before we try anything more drastic.” He turned to the former element bearers. “But first, I need you six to pair off with them. Smolder, you’re with Applejack. Yona, you’re with Rarity. Silver, you’re with Pinkie. Sandbar, you’re with Fluttershy, Gallus, you’re with Rainbow, and Ocellus, you stay close to Twilight.”

As the group began to head back outside, Twilight spoke up. “Gregory, I don’t feel comfortable putting Starlight’s students in harm's way like this.”

“Neither do I,” Gregory said, “but these six are prime Bearer material. If they became friends in the show, I think they can become friends here. They don’t have the baggage you and your friends have right now, and time is of the essence.”

“Wait, Bearers?!” Sandbar asked in alarm. “Whoa, whoa, whoa! Time out! Us?”

“That’s what I’m hoping,” Gregory said.

“So, we are banking everything on one chance?” Ember deadpanned.

“Unless you want to go back out there and try shooting our way out again,” Gregory replied with the same deadpanned expression.

“I don’t deserve to be a Bearer!” Sandbar shouted.

“I mean, I think being a bearer would be cool, but…” Gallus trailed off, unsure of what to say.

Gregory stepped in front of them and held out his hand. When they all stopped, he looked at each of them. “Look, I get it,” he said, “some of you are probably terrified out of your minds. Honestly, I can’t tell you to do this. You all have a choice. If any of you think you’re not up for this, I won’t blame you for walking away.”

“I don’t deserve to be one,” Sandbar said, looking down with an intense look of guilt on his face. “I…I was in Ponyville when Jason was there…and I did nothing…”

Gregory slowly walked up to the poor earth pony and knelt so he was at eye level with him. “Is that why you were so nervous when you met me?” he asked gently.

Sandbar rubbed the back of his head and looked away in shame. “…That’s why it won’t work for me. I’m not a good pony…”

“Let me ask you this,” Gregory said. “Do you feel guilty about it? Would you do anything to make things right if you could?”

“Well, yeah. But, I don’t know, doing it because I feel guilty doesn’t feel genuine enough.”

“No, you’re right,” Gregory said, “that’s why these six are going to tell you how they became friends in a single day and how they became the Bearers. Again, I won’t tell you that it’s your destiny or some stuff like that, but I will only ask you to do it. You have every right to say no. But before you do, at least listen to these six mares. Then you can make your decision. Does that sound good?”

The students all looked at each other with uncertainty before nodding their heads. Gregory nodded back and everyone exited the school once again. Not much has changed save for the snowfall through the shield having made the snow deeper. Jason stood a few meters away while staring blankly at them before speaking. “Have you decided to accept your fate or will you continue to hide?”

Twilight took over. She turned to the six young teenagers. “Alright, students. I know you might think friendship is hard, but making connections with others is easy if you let it. The first time I met the girls, I was determined to face Nightmare Moon on my own. Yet every step of the way, they stayed by me and helped me realize that friendship isn’t a waste of time.”

“Ah know it might seem a bit hypocritical comin’ from us,” Applejack continued, stepping up to stand beside Twilight, “and while makin’ friends is easy, keepin’ friendships is hard work. But it’s worth it.”

“There’s always going to be times when trouble strikes,” Rainbow added, stepping beside Applejack, “but that’s when you have to kick trouble right in the face and say ‘Not today!’”

“Of course, not everything is resolved with violence, “Fluttershy said, standing next to Twilight. “It takes a kind person to stop and look at everything from another's perspective. Then you’ll see that you have more in common than you first thought.”

“We all made that horrible mistake with Jason and with other creatures,” Rarity said, “but it’s never too late to change.” She turned to Sandbar then. “Darling, I know how you feel, and I don’t blame you for hating yourself or feeling unworthy. But you can’t let it get you down. You’ll end up like how I was this past year, and nopony wants that for you, especially your family.”

Pinkie was the last to walk up. “Friendship really is magic, and I don’t just mean literally. I was once friends with almost everypony in Ponyville, and I was always happy and smiling during that time. Having friends is priceless.”

“You’re all forgetting something,” Sunset said from nearby. When everyone turned, she stood and said, “Yes, a good friendship requires kindness, loyalty, honesty, generosity, and laughter, but one thing that you all must have is the empathy within to express the other five.”

Twilight’s ears drooped and she nodded. “Yes, if there was a seventh Element of Harmony, it would be Empathy. We all lacked that with Jason and with other non-ponies. Even…even with changelings…” she gave Ocellus an apologetic look.

“Empathy is a big part of being a good friend,” Sunset continued. “That’s all I have to say.”

The students then looked at each other after absorbing all the wisdom the bearers imparted. Silverstream was the first to speak as she turned to Ocellus. “I know I might have startled you when we first met, but I think it's really cool you're a changeling. And I really wanted to compare notes about our transformation styles,” Silverstream said to Ocellus.

Ocellus smiled slightly and nodded. “It’s alright, and sure, we can do that,” she said.

“Hey, Smolder, right?” Gallus said, looking at the orange dragon. “I saw some of your moves out there when you were fighting the Windigos. Those were pretty cool, and I’d love to see them again.”

“Eh, it was nothing. I don’t mind showing you. But I haven’t seen much from you, so you better bring something to the table.” Smolder said with a cocky grin.

Gallus returned the grin and said, “Sounds good to me.”

“Yona wants to know how pony made those vines grow!” Yona said excitedly, looking at Sandbar. “Yona has never seen anything like it.”

“Oh, um, I would love to. Just as soon as I figure it out myself.” Sandbar chuckled sheepishly.

“I wouldn’t mind giving you some pointers. And I think becoming friends with you all is great too. All your emotions feel right like a warm blanket.” Ocellus said. She took a deep breath and dropped her Ladybug disguise, revealing her changeling form.

Gregory looked at her wings and smiled. “Well, look at that,” he said, “looks like you got some new bling.”

Ocellus looked back, revealing that her wings, once black, were now bright red with sparkling white bits of light dotting them. “Whoa…” was all she could say.

“Okay, that’s amazing!” Silverstream said excitedly. “How’d you do that? Is that a changeling thing?”

“No, I think this is an ‘us’ thing. I never felt this way around others before.”

“I know what happened, and I’ll explain later,” Gregory said. “For now, though, it’s time.”

The elements all smiled at this and turned back to Jason. With renewed confidence, the students joined them as they marched towards the barrier with no fear of the Windigos. Jason’s visage bore a subtle frown as he saw the Elements of Harmony, still lying on the ground outside of the shield, gleaming and shining once more. However, instead of the former bearers bathing in their luminescence, it was the students channeling their might. The necklaces and crown began to glow and shift, reforming into brand new objects as they selected their new bearers.

Smolder’s, the Element of Honesty, turned into a golden ring with an orange circular gemstone in the center that looked like a draconic eye, appeared on one of the talons on her right claw.

Gallus’, the Element of Loyalty, also became a golden ring with a red gem emblazoned on it, this one with the appearance of a dark blue pair of wings. It appeared on Gallus’ right claw as well.

Sandbar’s, the Element of Kindness, became a golden bracelet around his right foreleg, a bright green tree seed blooming out of the ground emblazoned on the front.

Silverstream’s, the Element of Laughter, also turned into a golden ring which formed around a talon on her right claw, the gold band emblazoned with a bright purple tailfin connected to a pair of bright purple wings.

Yona’s, the Element of Generosity, turned into a gold bracelet as well with its gem being two dark green horns. It wrapped around her right forehoof.

Lastly, Ocellus’, the Element of Magic, retained its crown form. Only the gemstone that had once been a purple star changed into a bright red and multifaceted gem resembling a beetle with its wings spread. The crown molded itself around her horn, glowing brightly along with the rest.

With each member of the new Bearers now bearing their newly reformed elements, they turned towards Jason. It was Ocellus, surprisingly enough, who stepped forward. “Jason,” she said in a pleading tone, “You’ve done so much for changelingkind. I can’t thank you enough for you sharing your knowledge with our queen to improve our lives, but please…it’s time to try and let go.”

All the new elements somehow managed to glow more brightly than when any former bears wielded them. A brilliant cadence shone from each element. A light far brighter than any bearer that came before as the students hovered in the air. However, unlike with Twilight and her friends, the rays swirled around Jason like a tornado. Jason attempted to fire off some ice magic, but his shots fizzled out harmlessly from within the swirl of colors. He looked down at his hands as the rainbow particles were eating away at his blue tinted skin, returning it to its usual pigmentation. As the sparkles moved up his body, Jason’s cold demeanor became more expressive as he released a scream in anguish. The elemental rainbow dispersed all at once to reveal Jason back in his original form.

Gregory watched this from the side, in awe of what he was seeing. “Whoa…” he said. When he saw Jason collapse, he rushed over to his fellow human’s side and looked the semi-conscious human over. “Hey, you okay?” he asked.

However, before Jason could respond, ghostly tendrils shot out of his body, forcing Gregory to back away quickly. Gregory followed the translucent lines up in the sky to see that they were still attached to some Windigos. “Dammit!” Sunset exclaimed “You have to hit him again!”

“No, the elements are working,” Ocellus shouted. “It’s just that the Windigos are clinging to him. I can feel it! They latched onto his hatred!”

“Jason!” Celestia called out. “You must let it go! Free yourself from the bonds of hatred or else the Windigos will remain!”

Jason weakly lifted his head up to the group as a lone tear fell from his good eye. “…I-I can’t…”

“What?!” Both the old and new bearers exclaimed.

“Jason, you have to stop man,” Gregory said urgently. “It’s not worth it to wallow in that darkness! I know because I've been there before!”

Sadly, Jason shook his head. “I can’t. How can I? The pain is too much. I loved them. I loved all of them and they hurt me…”

Gregory took a step forward. “They hurt me too. I know they didn’t hurt me as much as they hurt you.”

“Then how can you say anything? You got hurt once and left. I was hurt nonstop for three whole years. Just…Just kill me.”

Gregory recoiled at that, knowing it was true, but he took another step forward, one hand outstretched. “I though that was the right call earlier, but it wasn’t,” he said, “I know you’re not lost yet.”

“You were so gung ho about doing it earlier, now you're chickening out…” Jason chuckled bitterly. “...I should’ve known. Nothing ever goes my way.”

“If I killed you, I would lose something in myself I could never get back,” Gregory argued. “Killing is a last resort.”

Jason merely put his head back down. Meanwhile, the tendrils grow thicker with each passing second. The Windigos began to squirm and thrash in the air as they grew larger and more grotesque. “We’re running out of time!” Sunset stated urgently.

Suddenly, the sound of buzzing could be heard from the south. Everyone turned to see a small contingent of changelings flying up towards them, led by a clearly exhausted Chrysalis. The changeling queen spotted what was happening and with what must have been her last bit of strength, made her way towards them. She turned and surveyed the scene before her eyes locked on Jason. “Jason…? Jason!?”

When Gregory saw the look on her face, he took a step backwards. He might not be able to help Jason, but he had a feeling she would. He called out, “Chrysalis! Help him!”

Chrysalis galloped towards the fallen human and slid to his form before gently turning him over. She winced slightly to the coldness of his body as she spoke softly. “Jason. Wake up, I’m here.”

Jason opened his eyes weakly as Chrysalis came into view. “…Hey Chrysalis…”

“Hey, yourself. You look like a mess,” she said, clearly attempting to look at him with a reassuring expression.

“…Heh…I hadn’t noticed…”

“Jason.” Everyone heard the changeling queen’s voice crack. The sight of her compatriot was clearly sending her emotions into a whirlwind. “Jason, I need you to let it go.”

“I-”

“I know it’s hard. Believe me, I know!” Chrysalis raised her voice. “When I lost my daughter, I could only think of revenge and nurturing my hatred!” She took a deep breath and calmed her voice. “I was in the midst of conducting yet another new scheme when I found you. Some nonsense about using the elements for myself. But, you convinced me that it would’ve flopped. You, in your own way, helped me start to resolve those issues. Believe me, letting my hatred for ponies go was hard, and it still is, but I know it’s better to do that than to let it fester.”

“Chrysalis…” Jason’s voice was weaker now.

The changeling queen didn’t let up. “When I first met you, you were nothing but a powder keg of negative emotions. It was so potent that more often than not, you made my drones fall ill. But please…pass all that anguish and misery, I could feel the positive emotions.”

Jason coughed slightly as he responded, “…You’re wrong. Anything good in me died a long time ago. Sometimes I wish you would’ve just left in that forest…”

Chrysalis looked up and saw that the Windigos were beginning to recover. She looked around with a desperate look on her face until her eyes fell on Ocellus who in turn gave her a nod. Seeing the bright wings on the brand new Bearer of the Element of Magic, she inhaled and turned back to the weakened human. “Jason, I know you feel like there’s no point to anything anymore,” she said gently, “but I want you to think about all the good that you have done. It was you that gave my changelings a fresh start. It was you that steered me away from another revenge ploy that could have put me in stone like you said. You’ve also shared human knowledge with us that’s improved our lives considerably.”

“The changelings are only happy because they are in disguise,” Jason retorted. “If they come out in the open, then they’ll face persecution. Even if that horn protects them, they won’t be accepted. They’ll be alone again. Just like me…”

Chrysalis sighed and took a deep breath. “Jason, look at me. I want to show you something.” He turned to her and waited. An instant later, Chrysalis’ form was encased in green flames. Her height increased while her form took on distinct features. Her front hooves were replaced by hands and working fingers. Her slender back legs grew from her equine limbs as she stood at the same height as Jason. Her chitin smoothed over into dark brown skin while her muzzle shrank down into a pair of lips and a nose. On her back were brightly colored similar wings to Ocellus’ that resembled bright blue wings more akin to a butterfly. She was wearing an outfit now that preserved her new human modesty, a pair of dark green pants and a warm looking brighter green jacket. Her eyes, however, remained the same.

Despite his weakened state, Jason stared up at the now human changeling queen in awe. “…How…?” Jason asked. “I thought you couldn’t morph into humans…”

“I couldn’t at first,” Chrysalis said, “but with enough time and practice, I was able to use your memories as a frame of reference. It took me months but here we are..”

“How did you even replicate clothes?” Jason asked.

“Oh, clothes are easy,” Chrysalis replied with a wave of her new hand, “but that’s not important. What is important is that I went through all this effort and time for you. To help you with all that pain and loneliness.”

“Why do this for me?”

“As if you really have to ask,you silly man,” she said with a small smirk. “I did it because I care for you. I did because despite your reasoning, you still aided my progeny. All of them - including me - have come to see you as more than just a benefactor. You are family, Jason.”

“…” Jason fell silent as he looked away.

Chrysalis laid hand on his cheek and gently pulled him back to look at her again. “Take it from me; hatred is a poison,” she said in a gentle tone. “I’ve carried it for over a thousand years and I’ve never been truly happy. But I was able to start ridding myself of it thanks to you. And now you must do the same.”

“How? How do I make it stop?” The sound of Jaosn’s pitiful voice made most of the ponies tear up while others looked down in sympathy. Gregory looked at him in understanding.

“Hatred is a powerful force,” Chrysalis said, “but there exists an even greater power that can banish it. Do you want to know what it is?” Jason nodded at her, his visage filling with something akin to hope, silently praying for his friends’ words to be true. Chrysalis smiled gently as she leaned downward. “Love, Jason. That force is called love. And I hold all the love in the world for you.”

Their lips met for the first time. A sparkling pink light began to form around Chrysalis’ horn as the two began to rise into the air, arms wrapped around the other as they deepened the kiss. Swirling bright pink light seemed to engulf them. The sound of magic only increased as the lightshow brightened.

The others watched, most remembering a similar incident where the same magic had been used, the wedding of Princess Cadance and Captain Shining Armor. Even Gregory had to look away as Chrysalis’ and Jason’s eyes opened, revealing nothing but blinding white light emanating from them. A heart shaped blast of magic burst from the two and it spread. Everyone who was enveloped in its glow felt a brief but powerful sense of joy and wonder and deep feelings of camaraderie and love. It might have lasted only a second, but the feelings would forever be engraved in their memories.

The Windigos seemed to be the only ones negatively affected by this. They screeched and howled as they were blown back by the heart shaped force field. Eventually, their sounds died away, leaving nothing but silence. No snow was falling, nobody made a sound as they all tried to process what had just happened. Jason and Chrysalis were standing on the snowy ground again, not taking their eyes off of one another. It was Gregory who spoke first. “And here I thought only Princess Cadance and Shining Armor could do that.”

Chrysalis turned to Gregory and, to everyone’s surprise, grinned at him. “I learned a thing or two from them,” she said in an amused tone. “After all, the sign of a good leader is learning from one’s failures.”

Gregory nodded, then looked around. “Yes, yes it is.” He turned back to the brand new couple, focusing on his fellow human. “How are you feeling right now, Jason?”

Jason took a breath and exhaled, his breath forming a small cloud as he did so. “Well, better,” he admitted. “I admit, being possessed by Windigos made me feel powerful, but I felt trapped at the same time.” He locked eyes with Gregory. “Now I kinda know how Nightmare Moon must have felt.”

Gregory chuckled. “Well, welcome back to the world of reality,” he replied.

“Good to be back,” Jason replied.

Just then, there was a sound of an echoing wail that made everyone freeze in place. The sound came from all around. Everyone looked and saw that the Windigos were still around. However, while they were still hovering in the air, they were streaked with some blackness that hadn’t been there before. “What’s happening??” Sandbar asked nervously.

Sunset replied immediately. “The Windigos have been corrupted by their possession of Jason,” she said. “They need to be completely purified.”

“Unfortunately, the only tool that can do that is long lost,” Celestia said, igniting her horn and facing the corrupted and wailing Windigos. “All we can do now is make a stand here.”

“Just one thing after another,” Sunset sighed.

“Chrysalis, you should take Jason inside the shield,” Celestia said, turning to the now human queen. “He looks too exhausted to do anything else.”

Chrysalis held onto Jason and supported him. “You don’t have to tell me twice,” she said as she quickly led Jason towards the open gate, the remaining changelings following her through the door.

“What can we do?” Ocellus asked as Chrysalis and the changelings left.

As Celestia tried to think of what to do, something in Gregory’s pockets began to vibrate. Confused, he reached in and pulled out the three mana cores. They were glowing much more brightly than before and were warm. “What the hell…?” he said in confusion.

The Windigos seemed to screech in pain even more as they were exposed to the bright light of the silvery mana core. Celestia, who was nearby, saw this and her eyes went wide. “Where did you get those?!” she asked in alarm.

Before he could answer, the three cores fired out a beam of light directly at the largest of the Windigos. To his and everyone else’s surprise, the Windigo began to evaporate, slowly disintegrating as its magic made its way towards the gems. The cores grew warmer, but he didn’t let go. He was unable to by this point Soon, he felt himself being lifted off of the ground but not because of the cores pulling him up. Now he was starting to be surrounded by magic, but unlike before with Chrysalis and Jason, this one was pure white. “Whaaat theeee heeell…?” he said, terror clear in his voice now. “I can’t let go!” he shouted as more and more Windigos began to vanish, entering all three cores and causing them to glow more brightly than before. He looked down frantically. “What do I do here!?”

“The mana cores are trying to reconstitute themselves now that they have a new influx of mana, Twilight explained quickly, “but since you can’t wield magic like us, the mana has nowhere to go. You need to find a conduit for the cores!"

He looked around wildly before he spotted the metal pole in his free hand. He looked at the cores, then at the metal core. Having no other options open to him, he gripped it tightly and stabbed it into the largest mana core fragment.

A second sun appeared in the cores immediately, hiding Gregory in a bright silvery glow. This glow outshone even the love magic that had come from Chrysalis and Jason. An explosion of magic spread from the light as Gregory screamed. Instantly, the remaining Windigos were gone, leaving nothing but the intense glowing aura that surrounded the now floating human.

Slowly, the light receded, and Gregory fell back to the ground, landing in the deep soft snow. Clutched in both of his hands was now a large white and silver metal staff with a glowing silvery white orb on the top, similar in color to that of the now vanished Windigos. He now wore two silvery rings on both of his middle fingers. Both were made seemingly of the same material as the staff with two glowing gems set in them. He lay in the snow, staring up at the sky with a seemingly unseeing look in his eyes. He was barely breathing too, but the cold air around him was enough to show air escaping his open mouth.

“Gregory?” Ember asked in astonishment.

He continued to lie there, completely unresponsive. However, something began to happen to him. His normally brown hair began to shift and became pure snow white. His eyes, still open, began to slightly change color. Whereas once they had been bright blue, now they lightened ever so slightly and became icy blue. Suddenly he took in a deep intake of breath and sat up quickly. He was still clutching the changed metal pole in his hands. He took in great gulps of air as he stared ahead. Everyone watched him, unsure what was going on or what had just happened. Finally, he slowly looked around. A look of confusion passed over him and he asked, “So…um…not to jinx anything again, but…is it over now?”

Celestia walked over and smiled at him. “It is, but I believe we should all head back inside.” She helped him up with a wing and supported him before turning to everyone else.. “There’s much to discuss.”

[Canterlot Throne Room - One Month Later]

The throne room in Canterlot Palace was packed, not only with the few nobles who had escaped what had now become known as the Spring Purge, but also with dignitaries from other nations and races from all over the world. Everyone was waiting for Princess Luna and Prince Blueblood to come out and address the various races represented. While some were speaking among themselves, the slight majority of others had their attention on the only two humans in the room. Jason, now wearing a suit based off of the ones Gregory had brought, stood next to Gregory who was also wearing a similar suit, one of the ones he’d brought from Earth. Both were sipping on some cider and talking quietly.

Gregory shuffled and, leaning his new staff against a nearby wall, straightened his tie once more before picking the staff up again and brushing a strand of his new snow white hair back. “Okay, I can understand why you’re here, being Chrysalis’ romantic partner and all,” he said to Jason, “but why the hell am I here? I’m just a teacher.”

“Right, and being one of the only two humans in an address involving all the races has no bearing at all,” was Jason’s snarky response.

Gregory held out his hand and the ring he wore on that hand began glowing slightly. A small and perfectly shaped and perfectly clear ice cube formed out of thin air in his palm. The gem stopped glowing after the cube had finished forming and he gave Jason a glare. “Don’t make me put this down your back, smartass,” he retorted.

Jason put up his free hand defensively. “Easy there, Frosty. I just thought it would be obvious.”

Gregory rolled his eyes, then placed the ice cube in Jason’s cider. “There, some enchanted ice that won’t melt but will keep your drink cold.” He made one for himself and placed it in his drink, then poured himself some more cider. “Wonder when this is gonna start?”

“I’m sure they want to give the other leaders some time to get here,” Jason replied. “The Windigos attacked a lot of places, remember? Chrysalis is still cleaning frost from the hive. It’s been rough for everyone.”

“Yeah, that’s true,” Gregory acknowledged as he slowly looked up at the tip of his staff, which now was a softball sized sphere glowing with the power of all the Windigos, who had now become nothing more than a memory. He took a deep breath and exhaled, then saw something out of the corner of his eye and turned. “Speaking of Chrysalis, here she comes now.”

The changeling queen was flanked by two drone guards. Strangely enough, she was not in her humanoid form but instead her normal equine one. However, this form had gone through more changes than anyone thought. The holes adorning her limbs were gone as if they had never been there before. Her chitin had a noticeable shine to it that reflected the light beautifully and she still wore the ever present and confident smile as she approached the two humans.

“I have to say,” Gregory said, “and I mean this in the most respectful way possible, but you look fantastic, Chrysalis.”

“Yes, I know,” Chrysalis said without missing a beat. “It has never been in doubt– the sheer radiance of my beauty knows no bounds.”

“Gotta love that overbearing confidence of her,” Gregory grinned, elbowing Jason playfully. “Just don’t let the Princess of Food hear you.”

“I thought Cadance hated that nickname,” Jason said.

“It’s through no fault but her own for having a name such as hers,” Chrysalis said with a smirk. “At least my subjects have taken a liking to it for obvious reasons.”

“Part of me regrets telling you that fandom nickname for her,” Gregory said, “but since I still haven’t met Cadance yet, I wouldn’t know how she’d react to it.”

“I would be more concerned about the two human representatives drinking before a meeting,” Chrysalis chided them both. “I wasn’t aware this was a party.”

“This is nonalcoholic cider,” Gregory replied, “so it’s not like we’re getting wasted.”

“It’s still a formal function, and if I can’t eat…” Chrysalis’ magic flared and the mugs of cider vanished, “...then neither shall you two.”

“Well you’re no fun, bug horse,” Jason replied. This caused Gregory to snort in amusement.

“Anyway, everyone has gathered and will be following after me soon enough.” Chrysalis shot Gregory a sly look. “Even a certain lord of the dragons has come to visit. I wonder what she will do after not seeing her little colt toy for so long~.”

Gregory once more created an ice cube and held it up. “Don’t make me put this down on your withers, smartass,” he said with a grin.

“Oh, so forward,” Chrysalis said in amusement. “I haven’t even done anything and you’re already wanting to get me all wet~.”

Gregory rolled his eyes, then turned to Jason. “This one’s a handful, I can tell. When’s the wedding and when are you gonna have kids?”

“As soon as you tell me when your first date’s gonna happen, I’ll let you know,” Jason quipped back. “Anyway, here they come.”

Everyone turned. Gregory was expecting Ember to be in armor, and of course she didn’t disappoint, although the armor she wore now was different than what she’d worn before. There seemed to be less of it, as if this was more or less formal armor than armor made for fighting. She still had the Bloodstone Scepter in her claw. Unlike the armor he’d seen her in before, now her armor was a deep crimson. Gregory raised his hand and waved at her.

“Sir Gregory, Sir Jason,” Ember greeted with a nod before sneering at Chrysalis. “Bug!”

“Her name is Chrysalis. What brought this on?” Jason asked the annoyed Dragon Lord.

Chrysalis, to her credit, ignored the death glare Ember was sending. “I may have done a little light teasing concerning her and the colt toy, nothing too bad,” Chrysalis said.

“You posed as me and Gregory and had us kissing in various locations all around Canterlot while screaming a fake love confession!” Ember snarled.

Gregory sighed, then looked at Chrysalis. “Come on, really?” he asked with a slight glare. “You’re older than all of us here. Pranks are only funny when everyone can laugh about it afterwards.”

“Please, some say mimicry is a form of flattery,” Chrysalis retorted. “Besides, I only wanted to speed things along.”

“Don’t do it again!” Ember snapped. “Half the reason we took so long was because the princess had to dispel that nonsense as a prank. Now be quiet. She’s about to speak.” Everyone then turned their attention to Princess Luna at the podium. Prince Blueblood stood near her side.

“My fellow Gaians,” Princess Luna said in her Royal Canterlot Voice. Everyone in the room went silent as they faced the princess and Prince Blueblood who stood next to her. She lowered her voice to normal when everyone was silent and continued. “I thank you all for joining us today for this state of address. I know we are all still reeling from the effects of the return of the Windigos and their subsequent attack, but now that a sense of normalcy has returned, I want to bring to everyone’s attention that what has happened should not have occurred!”

There were murmurs of agreement from everyone in the crowd before Luna continued. “It is a well known fact through Equestria’s very history that Windigos feed on negative emotion, particularly that of hatred. I have heard the rumor mill on what many believe is the likely source of this recent plight.” More than a few ponies turned their ire to Jason, and Gregory to a lesser extent. Luna saw this and immediately continued. “Yes, I suppose it would be easy to place the fault at Sir Jason Wright’s feet, but he is innocent in all this. The feelings brought about from The Trial is not what drew the Windigos here. That was nothing more than a victim of abuse seeking reparations for their pain. No, what brought those malignant spirits here was us.”

Several ponies voiced their disagreement more audibly now. “Preposterous!”

“We’re the innocents here!”

“It’s their fault!!!”

A few ponies were giving the two humans with some hatred in their eyes. “ENOUGH!!!” Luna shouted, blowing the dissenters to the ground with the force of her voice. As they began to recover, she continued. “Have you all truly learned nothing from this debacle!?” she asked angrily. “The only crime Jason has done is expose the festering hate that laid beneath a false visage of harmony! Had none of you noticed how much Equestria has been targeted in the Windigos’ wake? Silver Shores. Los Pegasus and - to my great horror and shame to say this - Ponyville!”

Twilight and the others looked down in regret and sadness at the mention of Ponyville. Ponyville had been completely destroyed, with nothing left. All of their former homes were nothing more than rubble. Sweet Apple Acres was gone, as was Carousel Boutique, the former Sugarcube Corner, Fluttershy’s house, Rainbow Dash’s Cloudominium, and even the last remaining part of Ponyville, the Shelter, had fallen once the ice had been magically melted. Nothing remained now but a blank area where nothing had begun to regrow, leaving many ponies who had once called the town home currently homeless.

“We all harbored hatred for a creature who only sought justice,” Luna continued. “We refused to acknowledge our shortcomings and accept responsibility. This can no longer stand. If we are to prosper in this world, we must abandon this arrogance that we are infallible! I know that change is not easy. I am a prime example of that. But this change must occur for it is our very future on the line lest the Windigos make yet another return and finish us this time. How many more gravesites will it take for us to take hold of this message? I say this to you all - nay - I bid this request from the depths of my soul to release this hatred of these two humans who stand before us. Release this resentment for other races. And let us truly, truly aspire to espouse peace and harmony!”

Nobody said anything for a while. Finally, a pair of clapping noises could be heard from one side of the room. Everyone looked to see that the two humans were the first to applaud. Soon, other races began to join in, followed lastly by the ponies. The throne room was alive with applause of every kind. Luna smiled as even the dissenters applauded as well. She looked to her sister, who was positively beaming at Luna for her passionate speech. “Well said, sister. Well said. I couldn’t have done better myself,” Celestia said softly but audibly.

Blueblood stepped forward and stood beside his aunt, looking up at her and giving her a warm and kindly smile before he too turned to the crowd. When the applause died down, he said, “There is much work to be done in the coming months and years, but know this: my aunt and I will work tirelessly to make sure this kingdom, no, this world, is one where anyone, any creature, can live in peace, harmony, and friendship. Equestria has been given a second chance, and we intend to use that chance to better our kingdom and the lives of every creature living here, not just ponykind!” The applause only doubled in noise and plenty of whistles of approval came up from the crowd.

[Ponyville - One Week Later]

What had once been a small and cozy town full of ponies was now a deserted lot full of damaged buildings and destroyed trees and gardens. There had once been the sound of ponies talking to each other even during the year after The Trial. However, now there was silence as the majority of the ponies who had escaped the Windigo’s attack had now been put up in temporary shelters in Canterlot. The rest had moved to other towns to begin anew.

Twilight Sparkle and her friends stood at the spot where the Ponyville Town Hall had once been. Jason stood next to them while Gregory watched from a few feet away, letting them have this moment. None of them spoke as they looked at the devastation around them with saddened hearts. Nobody spoke for a while.

“You know…” Rainbow suddenly spoke up, “I could always take naps because of how quiet Ponyville would be this time of day. It was never too distracting and the local chatter was pretty soothing.”

“Tell me about it, partner,” Applejack agreed. “Big Mac and I used to come to the hill overlooking the farm and listen to birds chirp away and feel the breeze blow through our manes. It was nice…”

“Oh, I know,” Fluttershy added solemnly. “The animals were always so friendly in the local park. I would always feed Mrs. Duck and her ducklings by the pond.”

“I found the market place the most enjoyable when gathering materials and listening in on the latest gossip trends,” Rarity added. “Did you girls know that Cloud Chaser and Flitter were both pining for Thunderlane? Such gossip would’ve been the talk of the town.”

“The best part of working at the Cakes was the morning. Smelling those fresh baked goods was like walking on clouds.” Pinkie said with a small smirk.

“Yeah, I can relate,” Rainbow smirked back.

“Especially considering you always had a cloud with you. Sometimes ah thought that you were hitched onto that thing,” Applejack laughed.

“Haha, remember the cloud walking spell?” Twilight asked.

“Oh, darling, please don’t bring that up,” Rarity whined.

“It was pretty funny until you fell,” Pinkie said.

“Yeah, and I saved the day with the sonic rainboom!” Rainbow cheered.

“And I can’t thank you enough for that, darling,” Rarity said in gratitude.

“There were so many dangers we faced here as well,” Twilight said. “Nightmare Moon. Discord. Tirek. To say nothing of all the wacky shenanigans that happen on a weekly occurrence.”

“Most of those we can thank our sisters for with their constant Cutie Mark Crusading,” Applejack said.

“It’s hard to believe it's all gone now…” Fluttershy said.

“Unfortunately, it is,” Gregory said as he walked up to stand next to Jason.

Jason nodded. “A part of me really won’t miss this place,” he said without any emotion.

The mood of everyone dropped a bit and everyone went silent for a bit before Twilight turned to Jason and said, “I wish you had seen the best of Ponyville, Jason. Maybe it would’ve turned out like the show.”

“Well, it didn't, so let's not focus on that,” he replied.

Twilight nodded as she reached into her saddle bag. She pulled out a plaque with golden letters and placed it on the ground. “Ponyville was our home,” she said as she stepped back. “We had a lot of good memories here, but we were ignorant to so many of its faults. Still, I don’t want to see the ponies we knew here forgotten, so I had this plaque made.”

Everyone stepped forward to get a good look at the inscription, which read: Ponyville; a town that tried to live in harmony but was lost in the storm. While the citizens have moved onward, we shall never forget the rise and fall.

Gregory raised his staff and struck the ground with it. The crystal on top brightened slightly and a small pedestal made of enchanted ice began to rise from the ground, lifting the plaque while also encasing it in said ice. The ice was clear and pristine and enchanted so it couldn’t be melted even on the hottest day. He looked back at the group. “This way, it won’t age and be weathered or lost,” he said.

Twilight gave Gregory a grateful nod. “Thank you, Gregory,” she said.

“Of course,” he nodded.

Jason gave a grunt as he began to walk away. Everyone turned to face him. “Jason…” Twilight’s voice called out, causing him to stop. Twilight took a deep breath and said, “I was wondering if you would attend the counseling session with Trixie later this week. Starlight thought it would be a good way to talk through everything.”

“…” Jason looked back with an unreadable expression. He stayed quiet for a time before he continued walking, heading back towards the train station.

“Let him be for now, Twilight,” Gregory said before any of them could move to follow. “He needs time away from you to think. Frankly, I’m surprised at how calm he’s being, considering this entire place used to be a town that tormented him.”

Twilight’s ears went flat, and she slowly nodded. “Yeah, you’re right,” she said sadly.

There was silence for a bit as they pondered Gregory’s words before he said, “Now, before we leave, I have a small proposal for you and your friends and your families.”

Twilight looked up with some curiosity now, as did the others. “What’s that?” she asked.

Gregory looked around one last time before turning back to Twilight. “Starlight has been considering creating a brand new town next to Yggdrasil,” he said, “and she’s looking for people to consider settling down there to help build the town and establish businesses there. Would you and your families consider it?”

That made the former Bearers of Harmony stop and think. They looked among themselves for a few minutes before any of them responded. Applejack was the first. “Ah’ve seen the lands on the visit to the school,” she said. “It’s a bit rough, but a little Apple family TLC can make all the difference.”

“Especially since Applebloom seems to now possess earth pony magic too,” Gregory said. “And who knows? Maybe you’ll get some in the future.”

Applejack snorted. “Maybe,” was all she said with a shrug.

“The area is way outside the borders of pretty much every nation,” Rarity said, humming to the idea. “I could make some clothes for the creatures without breaking my punishment. It will be free of charge of course. New students should look their best.”

“I know Mrs. Cake has been looking for a fresh start,” Pinkie stated, “ so I think that’d be just what she and the twins need.”

“Well…I don’t know what I could do to help,” Fluttershy admitted, “but I’d love to come too.”

“It’s a good location for stargazing,” Twilight said with a small smile, “and I can deliver some messages to Spike with little issue while he’s still there. I think we would like to relocate, Gregory. A fresh start for all of us.”

Everyone looked more or less happy, but Rainbow looked uncertain. They noticed this and gave her their attention. “I…I don’t know…” she said hesitantly. “What would I do there? I still can’t fly, so it’s not like I can do anything related to the weather.”

“Well, weather control is something I don’t think we’ll have there unless there’s a weather emergency,” Gregory replied. “Weather control isn’t harmonious. Besides, there’s always a chance you’ll get control of your wings back if you make a genuine apology, remember?”

“Yeah, there’s that,” she admitted. “I have to do something before that, but you can count me in too.”

“I’ll let Starlight know when we get back,” he said, “Now come on, the last train from Ponyville is leaving before they dismantle the train station and I don’t want to be late.”

With that, the group began walking away from the new memorial, leaving it to be enshrouded forever in ice for all future generations to see.

[Seeds of Yggdrasil - Later That Week - Trixie’s Office]

“I love my parents. I love them very much. But, I don’t know. I can’t seem to get them to listen to me about my issues.” Rainbow slumped into her chair as her words failed her. Around her were five best friends.

Trixie was sitting at her desk writing this down on a notepad with her magic, nodding in an attempt to be sagely. “Hmm, yes,” she said, “Trixie can understand when ponies don’t listen to what she has to say, but when was the last time you spoke to them since Gregory came to Gaia?” she looked at Rainbow looking over a pair of glasses. False glasses, of course.

“That’s the thing. I’ve been kind of avoiding them for like a month before he showed up…” Rainbow gave a sheepish smile as the rest of her friends deadpanned at her.

Trixie shook her head and removed her fake glasses. “Yes, Trixie can understand avoiding ponies too,” she said, “but if you really want to start fixing things with them you need to sit them down and talk to them. If you want, Trixie can offer you three a safe space here where you three can talk. Where are they now?”

“They moved from Cloudsdale to Vanhoover,” Rainbow said. “It was the only place that tends to forget certain events.”

Trixie nodded. “Yes, that does tend to be the case,” she said. “Still, you can’t avoid them forever you know? They are a big part of your past and you really need to work things out if you’re going to start moving on from the events of the past year. There can be no half measures here. As you have said, they’re pretty stubborn in their defense of you. You have to be more stubborn than you usually are to get through to them. Again, Trixie will offer you and your parents a safe space here where you can talk to them.”

“…I guess I’ll reach out to them…” Rainbow said.

“Good,” Trixie said before turning to a certain butter colored pegasus. “Now, Trixie wants to get to you, Miss Fluttershy. To put it bluntly - as Miss Pie has informed me - you were acting like a nut while you were coddling Discord. It’s clear you are using him as a substitute for your animals.”

“I can’t help it. He’s been so helpless without his powers.” Fluttershy said.

“Trixie can understand that, but let Trixie ask you something: if Jason Wright and Gregory Graystone can live a life without magic and turn out as well as they did, surely Discord can learn how to do so in time too,” Trixie said. “Miss Fluttershy, taking care of a friend who’s lost something isn’t a bad thing, but you may have a deeper issue than just losing your animal friends. Miss Pie told me you had Discord literally in baby clothes.”

“Uh huh. That’s right.” Pinkie said while folding her forelegs in a very humanlike way.

Fluttershy looked rather uncomfortable now, and looked around the room. She took a deep breath. “I…I don’t want to talk about it right now,” she admitted. “It’s something very personal.”

“This issue isn’t something that can be ignored, Miss Fluttershy,” Trixie insisted. “You’re bordering on very possessive behavior. Picture a crazy cat lady times one hundred. That's ten rows of ten felines!”

Fluttershy’s bottom lip began to quiver slightly. “I…I…”

“Trixie’s office is a safe space for you,” Trixie said reassuringly, “and your friends have all sworn to keep what is said here secret unless said otherwise. You can tell us anytime, but it has to come out eventually. The sooner you confide in everyone here, the sooner you can heal.”

Fluttershy took a deep breath, then exhaled. “I’ll try,” she said. For the next few moments, she tried to say what she wanted. Finally, a tear fell as she shakily admitted. “I…I’m unable to bear foals…”

The room went silent with shock. Even Trixie had a slightly stunned look on her face. She was the first to recover. “Please continue.” she gestured to Fluttershy.

Fluttershy whimpered, but relaxed slightly when Pinkie put a hoof around the trembling pegasus. Fluttershy relaxed and continued. “E-Ever since I was old enough to know better, I wanted to be a mother…I wanted to bring life into the world and love and cherish them. But…one day when I went to a checkup, the doctor caught something and asked me to take some tests. He told me that I can’t conceive…my world shattered that day…”

“And is that why you became an animal caretaker?” Trixie asked.

“That’s part of the reason,” Fluttershy said. “I really do love taking care of animals, of course. It’s what my cutie mark means. But I always saw my animal friends as sort of like my children in a way.”

“Fluttershy, why didn’t you tell anypony?” Twilight asked. “Maybe I could have helped. I could have asked the royal physician to look at you and see if there was anything that could be done.”

She shook her head vigorously. “I was ashamed,” she said. “I felt like I was broken. No stallion would want a broken mare like me…”

“Now that’s simply not true,” Trixie said. “You’re not broken.”

“That’s right!” Rainbow said emphatically. “You’re easily the best mare I ever knew. You patched me up and supported me throughout all my crazy stunts. And even when I was avoiding everypony, you still made time to come see me.”

Fluttershy took a deep breath and exhaled. She gave Rainbow a grateful, but saddened, look. “I still can’t help but feel broken. I can never have foals. It hurts whenever I think about it.”

“That may be true, but I know you inspired many foals as an element bearer.” Twilight said.

“Some inspiration I was,” she said with downcast eyes. “I failed to be kind when kindness was meant to be shown.”

“Hmm, Trixie can see the dilemma and she proposes that instead of focusing on the sordid past, you should look to the future,” Trixie suggested. “Trixie is certain Starlight is already considering bringing all of you onto the staff. You can help guide the young minds of this school. Plus, if you truly desire a foal, adoption is an option. There are a lot of foals that were left without their parents after the Windigo incident.”

“I know,” Fluttershy said, “I’ll think about it…it might not be a bad idea to give a foal or two a home…”

Trixie nodded as she looked at the others. “Trixie believes now would be a good time for a hug. Well? Go on.”

All six stood and walked over to each other, embracing each other in a group hug. Just then, the door opened as Jason walked inside the room. He scanned the occupants silently as he moved to a chair which had been tailored to human specifications and sat there waiting for him if he ever decided to show up. Wordlessly, he sat down. For a few tense moments, no one said anything as Jason hunched over and intertwined his fingers, glaring a hole into the floor. With a big sigh, Jason spoke softly. “…You know, during that first week in Equestria, I dreamed of a moment like this…” The girls all tensed up as Jason spared them a glance. “All of us together in one place, sitting and laughing, swapping stories from our worlds. For that first week, that hope kept me believing that things would get better if I just tough it out.” He picked his head up again as a flash of anger passed over his eyes. “But then the abuse started. The shunning, the shouting, the stoning, the flash mobs and the beatings. I really didn’t get it. How could this be the same world Susie and I used to watch? How could the characters we cherished be this cruel and heartless?”

Jason opened a folder that he’d walked in, took out one of the pages in it and looked down at it. Printed on it was a picture of him sitting next to the aforementioned little girl. He placed it down on the table. It showed her lying in a hospital bed with Jason sitting next to her bed. They were both watching My Little Pony on a hospital television. He sighed. “This was taken during one of the last times we both watched the show together, right before she took a turn for the worse. I remember the episode was one of her favorites. It was about the time Fluttershy took that class from Iron Will. She loved that episode so much. I never thought I’d see her again except in my memories.”

“How did you get it?” Trixie asked.

Jason sighed. “Sunset brought over a printer for Gregory’s PC, my old computer. He printed out every picture he found on it of me and Susie.” He smiled a bit as he looked at the paper. “I’m grateful to them both. It’s nice to have them.”

“She looks adorable,” Trixie said, “but Trixie feels there is more for you to say.”

“Yeah…” Jason shuddered as he put the picture back in the folder and put it down almost reverently. “Susie’s memory helps but even that became clouded after three years. It’s crazy to think that much time has passed yet everything still feels fresh and raw. The sadness was too much sometimes.” Jason gently traced his scars over his blind eye. “Then, when I finally reached the tipping point and I wanted to die, but was denied, the sadness left and the anger took over. I wanted nothing more than to destroy Ponyville and everyone in it. I wanted to raze it to the ground and give those bigoted hateful liars a taste of their own medicine.”

“And why didn’t you?” Trixie asked. “Trixie admits that when she used the Alicorn Amulet, it felt good to stick to the entire town for her mistreatment. Instead you chose to use that Gjallarhorn and take the elements to trial.”

“I wasn’t going to prove those xenophobes right and make them the victim,” Jason replied. “I wanted my story heard for the truth that it was. I wanted the entire world to see who the guilty party was. I didn’t want there to be a single doubt as to who did this to me. It felt right at first, being on the side of the morally just and passing down judgment. Then, showing up for the tribute of bits only to smelt it in my tormentors’ faces. It felt good for a while, but it didn’t last. I still felt hurt, resentful and bitter. Then, I went and got possessed.”

“Trixie was inside keeping the staff and students in the bunkers during that. What was that like?”

Jason took a deep breath, then exhaled before saying, “It was exhilarating at first, but it soon became terrifying. It was like every negative feeling I had was multiplied by a hundred. The sadness, the hurt, the anger and the hatred. It was all I knew and it was suffocating.” Jason stopped to wring his hands as he shuddered. “Having something drive your body with your hate as the fuel source puts things in perspective. I thought that with the trial over and the tributes that I can finally be happy, but I wasn’t. I thought with all the pain I suffered and survived that I was stronger, but I wasn’t. I thought seeing Ponyville reduced to a barren wasteland would make me feel at peace but it didn’t. During that last battle, there was a part of me that was actually hoping that Gregory would manage to shoot me and end my suffering. I was so lost that I felt like death was, once again, the only way out of that nightmare…”

“Trixie heard that Chrysalis confessed her feelings for you at the end of all that. Doesn’t that help lift your spirits?”

“It does. Believe me, it does. But the love I feel for her is constantly at odds with this emptiness now. All I felt– all I’m still feeling is emptiness…and she doesn’t deserve that…” Jason looked up to everyone with unshed tears in his eyes. “...I don’t want to feel this way anymore. I can’t deal with it. My name is Jason Wright and I need help.”

The six ponies shuddered at the mention of Jason’s suicidal thoughts. It wasn’t something that happened to ponies often and it was almost impossible for anyone to understand. Trixie, on the other hoof, gave Jason an understanding look. “Trixie remembers her own brush with death,” she said. “When Starlight saved Trixie, there was a part of her that resented Starlight for doing it, but Trixie learned to let that go this past year. It wasn’t easy, but if Trixie could do it, she knows you can too. It will take time, but anyone can heal.” Trixie looked at the girls and they all nodded their heads in silent agreement. “Trixie wants to propose a group hug again. Would you want that?”

Jason looked up at the ponies he once idolized then hated with all his soul with an unreadable expression. The girls themselves looked anxious but also understanding. He knew that if he said no that they would respect his wishes. Even so, he thought back to Susie and then to Chrysalis and how she urged him to attend, and the decision was made clear. He got up and took a shaky breath before he bent to one knee with his arms spread out. The girls took the invitation and slowly approached while tentatively hugging him from each side. Jason choked back a sob as he realized that he didn’t feel revolted or angry. He felt the same warmth he felt whenever Susie would hug him with a bright smile on her face. Finally, letting the tears fall, Jason slowly tightened the hug.

Trixie smiled at the display. “Trixie believes this is a good first step. There are many more to go, but the road to healing always begins with a good first step.”

Chapter 19 - The Sessions

[Seeds of Yggdrasil - One Month Later - Trixie’s Office]

“Trixie has to admit that she was not expecting you of all creatures to come see her,” Trixie stated to her new guest.

“Oh? I’m shocked,” the guest said, placing a paw on his chest. “You didn’t expect moi to come and visit this prestigious facility? Fluttershy won’t stop talking about it ever since she started working part time. Honestly, it makes me feel a bit left out.”

Trixie raised an eyebrow at her new guest/patient. “Oh? Is that the reason you’re here, Discord? Trixie is detecting feelings of abandonment.”

Discord turned away in a huff. “Please,” he said with a dismissive wave of his claw, “I am the Spirit of Chaos. I don’t feel abandoned. But my visit to your office was based more as a suggestion by Fluttershy.” Discord looked down in thought as a small smile appeared on his face. “She’s been doing a lot better now since visiting you, so you’re doing something right.”

“Naturally, Trixie excels at any endeavor,” the blue unicorn said proudly, “and Trixie believes that you are here for your issues as well. So, since Fluttershy is doing better, I take it she is no longer smothering you and using you as a replacement for her pets?”

Discord shook his head. “She’s slowed down on the mother hen act significantly since her last few visits. In fact, she plans on opening an orphanage in that new town over there.” Discord pointed toward the window at the newly constructed village down the road.

“In Haven City?” Trixie asked. When Discord nodded, Trixie continued. “Yes, Trixie can see it. It would do wonders for her other issues. But Trixie must ask about your other problems. How has a life without your magic treated you?”

Discord leaned back in the chair he was sitting in and looked out of the window. “It has been an adjustment to say the least,” he admitted. “I can thoroughly say now that I admire any creature that goes through life without a snap of magic to make things more convenient.”

“And what of the pain aspect? Has that constant discomfort made adjusting difficult as well?” Trixie asked tentatively.

“Fluttershy has helped with a decent work around for whatever the pain flares up. Some tea with muscle relaxers has been doing wonders for my back pain.”

“Hmm, and have you spoken to Jason about removing his punishments?”

Discord rubbed the back of his head as he chuckled ruefully. “Funny you should mention Jason. We, uh, met again not too long ago…”

“Really? And how did that go?”

“Well…”

[One Week Ago - Haven City - Fluttershy’s New House]

“Why are we here?” Jason asked in an annoyed tone. They were standing in the brand new town, or rather on the edge near the Briarwood. Fluttershy’s new house wasn’t like her old house. This one was a bit smaller and was mostly a temporary one until more permanent housing could be constructed.

“Quit your pouting,” Chrysalis admonished him gently. “We’re here because I’ve felt your emotions lately and you’ve been making good improvements with your former tormentors. So it’s only fair that you meet all of them. I mean, you were able to reconnect with Celestia.”

“That was Celestia. I doubt she couldn’t make friends on her worst day.” Jason looked down in thought. “I might’ve been unfair to her. Hell, I almost made her punishment worse by making her reviled for three years.”

“Of course, if you’re still not ready to see him, we won’t force you,” Fluttershy said, walking up to Jason’s left side.

“I must say, your old place looked a lot nicer,” Chrysalis quipped. “This is more…common.”

“I didn’t want anything extravagant or a reminder of what I lost. It’s better if we move on from everything.” Fluttershy said while opening the door to her home. “Discord? We’re here.”

“Coming Fluttershy.” Discord said from a distance. He approached the trio in full cleaning gear complete with an apron, gloves and a fishnet cap for his bare skull. “I was just getting some spring cleaning done to make the new place more presentable.”

Chrysalis took a look around to see that the new house was indeed spotless. “Discord as a house maid? I never thought I would see the day.”

“Everyone needs a hobby,” Discord said. “Cleaning just happens to be a new passion in my life now.”

“...” Jason said nothing as his body tensed up. He adopted the same emotionless stare he held at the Trial as he merely stared at Discord.

Noticing this, Chrysalis and Fluttershy shared a worried glance. “How about I make some tea and we have a simple talk about our day?” Fluttershy suggested.

“That sounds good. I have loads of stories to keep us entertained,” Discord said.

“I suspect I have a few of my own,” Chrysalis said with a smirk.

“I don’t doubt it,” Discord replied.

As the three moved further inside, Jason remained rooted in place. Chrysalis turned back in concern as the swell of emotions emanating from her partner made her come to his side. Jason spared her a brief glance and shook his head. “...Sorry, I can’t do this…”

“A-Are you sure?” Discord asked in an uncertain tone. “I know a good joke involving a walrus and a can opener. I heard it’s all the rage in the human world– Ompf!” Discord clamps his hand against his mouth as that was the wrong thing to say.

Jason turned to him sharply. “You honestly think a fucking joke is enough to make me say, ‘Oh, everything’s all hunky-dory now’, huh, dipshit?!” He took a harsh step forward, then stopped, took a deep breath, and took the step back. “Yeah, I’m not ready for this…”

Without another word, Jason turned back and left the cottage. Chrysalis sighed dejectedly as she followed him. Briefly, she turned and looked at Fluttershy and Discord. “Thanks for having us. All things considered, it was amazing we got him this far.”

“I know. We’ll get there eventually. Baby trots,” Fluttershy said.

[Present Day]

“...Yeah, we’re still a work in progress…” Discord said with a sigh.

“Hmm, Trixie will schedule another session with Jason. Until then, Trixie suggests that you keep working on yourself but also try and branch out with others in the village. You want to show every creature that you are changing for the better. You can’t do that while hiding away in the cottage. Now shoo, Trixie’s three o'clock is here.”

Discord nodded in appreciation as he left. Moments later, Rainbow Dash walked in. “Hey, Trixie.”

“Good day, Rainbow. How are you feeling?”

“I'm doing better than I have in a while. I finally worked up the nerve to chat with my parents.”

Trixie’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Indeed? Trixie is impressed.” She gestured to the chair that Discord had been occupying not a minute before. “Tell Trixie how that went.”

“Well, I finally sent a letter to them and invited them to my new place. They came by a few days later,” Rainbow said bashfully.

“Trixie is surprised by their swiftness,” Trixie said, “but it is to be expected if evident by how long you took to write to them. It’s about time, by the way.” Trixie sent a soft glare at the prismatic mare.

“Yeah, but they didn’t hold it against me. It was just nice to hear from me apparently.”

“Well? Don’t keep Trixie in suspense. How did the meeting go? Did you tell them of your concerns?”

“Obviously, but my parents can be pretty stubborn with their support.” With that, Rainbow settled in and began her story…

[One Week Ago - Haven City - Rainbow’s New House]

Rainbow sat calmly on her new couch as she looked constantly at her clock. The small analogue hoofwound device hanging on her wall read 2:45 PM. She was wringing her hooves nervously. “Almost three o’clock. You can do this!” The waiting was completely nerve wrecking and she found herself almost biting her hooves. She got up to straighten some things up in the living room. She didn’t have much yet, seeing as she lived in a two bedroom house in the middle of town and had the bare essentials for the moment, minus what she’d managed to get from her old house which included her entire Daring Do book collection. She went to swipe before there was a knocking at the door that made her stumble. “Ah! Coming!” Rainbow walked up to the door and stood in front of it for a few moments. “Alright, here we go,” she said in a whisper.

Rainbow opened the door and was immediately assaulted by two bone crushing hugs from both sides. “Rainbow! It’s so good to see you again, sweetie!” Windy Whistles said.

Bow Hothoof held his daughter close. His normal five o’clock shadow had become a full grown beard, and his mane and tail were longer than normal. “When we heard about Ponyville, we feared the worst,” he said in a trembling voice.

“Mom…dad…you’re crushing me…” Rainbow winced as the pain from her year old lightning injury flared up.

Rainbow’s parents immediately released her as Rainbow took in precious gasps of air. “Sorry about that, sweetie,” Windy said.

“Ah, but it’s nothing our little wonderbolt can’t handle,” Bow Hothoof said with a jovial laugh.

“Dad, you know I’m not a Wonderbolt anymore,” Rainbow reminded him.

“Oh, pish-posh dearie. You’ll always be one to us. Why, I bet they’re sorely missing you on the team,” Windy said.

“Bah, some teammates,” Bow said hotly. “I remember them leaving you high and dry at that stupid trial. If anything, you’re worth a hundred of any of those ponies. All they did was try and save face.”

“Yeah, about that…Mom, Dad, that’s part of the reason I called you both here,” Rainbow said with uncertainty.

“Oh! Did they offer your spot back?” Windy asked with a hopeful smile.

“Oh no! You’re not settling for anything less than commander of the outfit!” Bow said sternly.

Rainbow shook her head. “No, that’s not it. I’m–”

“Well, that’s for the best. You can do better with your talents. Maybe you can start a group of your own in this town?” Windy offered, cutting Rainbow off.

“No, that’s not what I–”

Bow spoke up again before Rainbow could finish. “Maybe you could join that daredevil squad. They use all kinds of machinery besides flying.” Bow said. “What were they called again? The Washouts?”

“I’m not working with Lightning Dust!” Rainbow declined vehemently.

“Oh, right. She was that jealous mare you helped get dismissed from the Bolts,” Windy nodded. “Good riddance to her. Maybe–”

“Will you both just shut up and listen to me for once?!” Rainbow hollered, causing her parents to flinch.

“Sweetie–”

“No!” Rainbow said sharply, not allowing anymore interruptions. “I talk. You listen, got it?!” Both her parents shared a look before nodding. Rainbow sighed in relief as steeling herself. “From the moment I tried to do anything, you guys have always supported me. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate that more than you could ever know. But you both have taken that support way too far.”

“What do you mean?” Windy asked.

“Remember that time the flight school principal called you in about a fight between me and Hoops?”

“You mean that troublesome colt that always bullied you? Yeah,. I remember giving that teacher a piece of my mind for insinuating you were involved in their delinquency,” Bow said proudly.

“That’s just it, I started that fight with some mean pranks,” Rainbow explained, not really wanting to remember that incident. “Yeah, they were bullies, but I wasn’t any better. Then there was the time you paid for my loan on my old house that one month. I was the one that lost the bits in a gambling ring, but you hoofed the bill anyway.”

“I don’t understand, Sweetie. Why are you upset about us helping you?” Windy asked in confusion.

“I’m upset because no matter what I did - even when I was dead wrong - you guys never saw fault in my actions!” Rainbow threw her hooves up in exasperation. “You always thought I was Faust’s gift to the world– that I could do no wrong. But all that did was give me this false sense of entitlement.” She took a deep breath and lowered her voice. “I love you guys. You’re the best parents I can ask for. But you can’t just always be supportive. You should’ve chastised me more. Punished me when I did something stupid. Twilight told me that I was acting like a socio-something when I would use lightning to prank others even though it was dangerous!”

“So, you want us to not support you anymore?” Windy asked.

“No, I just want more of a balance from both of you. If I had that, then maybe I wouldn’t be like this right now.” Rainbow gestured to her injuries to emphasize her point.

“Sweetie, you can’t possibly mean you’re okay with what that human did to you,” Bow said.

“And what about what I did to him?! I can tell you it’s far worse than this. And don’t forget that I did this to myself when I decided to throw another tantrum instead of taking my licks like a mare!” Rainbow panted heavily while trying to catch her breath. “I can’t keep doing stuff like that. I have to own up to any mistakes that I make if I want to be a better pony. Do you guys understand?”

Bow and Windy shared another glance before embracing their daughter in another hug. One that was much softer. “Alright, dear. We get it. It’s just that you are our pride and joy and we never wanted you to feel like you were not good enough for anything.” Bow said.

“But I guess we took things too far like you said. I guess stubbornness is a trait we all share.” Windy said.

“So, if I do something bad again, please don’t be afraid to call me out on it.” Rainbow said.

“We’ll try, sweetie,” Windy said, “but I’ll be honest, that’s going to be hard to do at first.” She reached over and took her husband’s hoof.

“Well, maybe not that hard. I mean, have you seen this place?” Bow gestured to the living room. “I love you, pumpkin, but even I can see a rush cleaning job like this. We gave you plenty of time to get ready before we came here.”

“What?!” Rainbow shrieked in disbelief.

“Yes, it’s true dear.” Windy agreed. “I can see that you didn’t bother to dust anything off. And, the dirt is still in the dust pan over there. If you leave it like that, you’re liable to spill it. And then there’s the decor. It’s a bit bland.”

Rainbow stared at both of her parents blankly before pulling them into a another hug. “Thanks, you guys.”

[Present]

“Hehe, only your parents would be so backwards like that. So, I take it they’ve been more stern with you now?” Trixie inquired.

“Yeah, they have. Sure, they still slip from time to time, but they’re making the effort to call out my horse manure.”

“And what about your relationship with young Scootaloo? Trixie remembers you telling her about how that young filly can fly a bit, now.”

“Yeah, we’re speaking again. We’re not on that same level of hero worship like before, but it’s more like being real sisters to each other now.”

“Have you been helping her with her flying?” Trixie asked.

“I’ve just been giving her some pointers like every other creature. She’s a natural like I always thought she would be.”

“And what about your relationship with the two humans?”

“Gregory’s pretty cool. We get along well. As for Jason, we’re just talking for now. Casual conversation for a few minutes a day. You know, foal steps.”

Trixie nodded. “Understandable. So, is there anything you’d like to talk about specifically for this session?”

“Eh, nothing I can think of off the top of my head. Things have been a lot better since the girls and I reconnected. And being a coach here is something I didn’t think I would like so much, but here I am. Anyways, I should get back to it. Little Crow Feet asked for some supervision on her tricks for pratice. See Ya Trixie.” Rainbow said as she walked out the door.

[The Next Day - Applejack’s Session]

“Good morning, Applejack,” Trixie said, looking at the earth pony mare across from her. “How are you doing today?”

“Right as rain, all things considered.” Applejack said.

“That’s good to hear,” Trixie said. “Trixie has to admit, she was there when you and your family helped raise that new barn on your new farm. What’s the farm called again?”

“New Acres. Something a little different but still has that Apple flare to it.”

“It does look a lot like the old farm,” Trixie said. “Can Trixie assume this is because of you and both of your siblings discovering your brand new earth pony magic?”

Applejack lifts her hoof as a pulse of green magic flows around it. “It certainly makes tending the farm a lot easier nowadays. We ain’t ever been this productive in years. Ah don’t even need to buck the apple trees now. All ah gotta do is simply tap it, and the apples fall right down.”

Trixie chuckled at that. “Trixie has seen some other earth ponies using their new magic here. What are you growing on the farm besides apple trees?”

“Whatcha talking about? Ain’t nothing changed about our produce. We’re still the best darn apple farmers you’ll ever know. Why fix what ain’t broke?”

Trixie chuckled. “Trixie has seen other farms around Haven City,” she said, “but whatever floats your boat. Trixie has to admit she enjoys your cider.”

“Darn tootin’. But we recently started bringing in the other farmers during cider season. Having more variety in different flavors helps with sales and customer satisfaction.” Applejack beamed.

“Pretty smart idea,” Trixie said. “Trixie hopes you haven’t been in competition with the other farms around town.”

“Oh, it ain’t like that,” Applejack said. “We work with the other farms to help keep Haven City fed. We get ingredients from other farmers and in turn we give them fresh apples.”

Trixie nodded, then sat up straighter. “Well, is there anything you’d like to talk about today?”

“Ah was wondering if you spoke with Jason yet? Ah wanted to invite him to dinner sometime.”

“Trixie hasn’t seen him yet, but he is scheduled to be here after you,” Trixie replied.

“Well then, ah’ll keep an ear out for him. Ah want to give him the real Apple family experience since we made up. Ah just hope he’ll remember to eat light.”

“Trixie’s sure he’ll remember,” Trixie said. “You said you made up. What do you mean?”

“Well, maybe not made up in the sense that we’re friends that had a spat,” Applejack conceded. “But more like we are now on amicable terms. And ah want to show him that Apple family hospitality we’re known for. Besides, the family is looking forward to talking with him.”

Trixie nodded. “Well, Trixie wishes you luck. Is there anyone else you’d like to invite over?”

Applejack chuckled at her tone. “Yer welcome to the shindig. But, we’re keeping it small as not to overwhelm any creature.”

Trixie smirked. “Trixie believes the term you’d use is ‘much obliged’. But Trixie was actually referring to another. Perhaps another creature who might make things a little less tense for him. A certain changeling perhaps.”

Applejack tipped her hat as she smiled. “Ah’ll talk to Spike about sending a letter.”

Trixie nodded. “Is there anything you’d like to talk about today aside from that? Anything that might be worrying you? Trixie notices that you have your famous hat back. How’d you manage that?”

“Chrysalis brought Jason by the farm one time when we were pickin’ apples on the south side. The three of us spent the afternoon just enjoying each other's company and pickin’ apples. Ah started hummin’ the family tune and - to my shock - Jason did the same. It turned into a little singalong that Granny caught wind of and joined us along with Mac and Applebloom. After that, Granny came by my room and just plopped it on mah head. She left with a smile and ah managed only one tear in gratitude.” She stood up just then. “That about covers it. Ah need to be heading for class now.”

“Teaching or going to class?” Trixie asked. “Trixie has heard that you and your friends are all attending the human studies class.”

“Yeah, but we’re sitting near the board so as not to embarrass the other students. Rarity is looking forward to the fashion line. But, today’s lesson is about agriculture.”

“Ah, then Trixie won’t keep you. Have a good class.”

“See ya, Trixie.” Applejack said as she left.

[Later That Day - Twilight’s Session]

“Trixie sees that you have a wider smile on your face than normal,” Trixie chuckled as Twilight almost floated into the room. “Let Trixie guess: either the human studies class was better than most, or you spent some time helping Professor Graystone with that strange new magic of his.”

“Oh, a little from column A and a little from column B.” Twilight said giddily. “It’s so rare that a topic no creature has heard of just pops into your hooves like this! Human culture is similar to ours in so many ways, yet it differs so much from the norm. It’s almost mind boggling.”

“Really? Human agriculture is that interesting? Tell Trixie about it.”

Twilight looked bashful at the question. “Well, I know how I was about human eating habits before, but knowing what I know now as opposed to back then has helped put things in perspective. For instance, did you know that since humans are omnivores, they can have a strictly plant-based diet? It’s called being a vegan. It’s all about getting the proper nourishment from the right plants. There are even some vegetables that pack more protein than meat.”

Trixie raised an eyebrow. “Really? Now that is interesting.”

“Oh! That’s not the best part! He even brought in samples of human food for us to try! Replicas of human meals that he made himself! Meals that herbivores can eat or meals that carnivores can eat!”

Trixie’s stomach rumbled at that, and now it was her turn to look bashful. “Sorry,” she said. “What kind of meals did he bring in?”

Twilight giggled as she said, “He brought in a few meat dishes. One was called a cheeseburger which he made using ground up hydra meat that he flattened into a patty. Imagine a hayburger but instead of a hay patty it’s made of meat! He also brought in shrimp salad, something called sushi, and he even made plant based meals that look like meat but aren’t! There were some really good salads and desserts, too! Pinkie went nuts for the last part.”

Trixie raised both eyebrows. “Note to self: find Professor Graystone and ask for some of these foods,” she muttered to herself. “What about column B?”

Twilight clapped her hooves like a school filly at that question. “Oh, learning new magic is always a joy. At first I was worried that utilizing all of the power of those Windigos would have negative effects on him, but it turns out that the mana cores on his staff and his two rings have the Windigos magic completely contained. My studies show that just about any magic can be filled into them and then used by other nonponies. Gregory has taken to calling anyone who uses this kind of magic a mage. I think it holds merit if any creature can wield this magic. We’ll be going on an expedition to get more cores to see if there are any other applications.”

“Trixie has seen him using his magic several times. He reminds Trixie of a foal having fun with a shiny new toy.”

“I’d imagine that a species that’s never wielded magic before would be excited about it as well.”

“You should have seen him during our latest session,” Twilight said. “He’s done some really inventive things with his magic, too.”

“Trixie has seen him use magic, and she has to admit he’s become quite good,” she said. “You must be proud to have him as a pupil.”

“I’m hardly his teacher,” Twilight said with a wave of her hoof. “Ice magic isn’t a forte of mine. That’s more Princess Luna’s department, but I have been giving him the basics of magic safety and supervision. There are a few spells that he can do that I do know and I’ve given some pointers for those. Although today’s practice session was interesting…”

[Training Grounds - Earlier That Morning]

Twilight reached the training grounds a few minutes ahead of schedule. These were grounds that had been recently constructed a couple of miles away from Yggdrasil. Newcomers to magic needed that sort of space. She looked around and saw that Gregory’s horse, who had been named Theophilus by his human companion, was grazing nearby. Upon hearing Twilight’s approach, he looked up quizzically, looking at the alicorn. Upon recognizing Twilight, Theophilus approached in a nonthreatening manner and began rubbing noses with the purple pony.

“Hey there, Theophilus. Nice to see you too,” Twilight said.

Theophilus blew air into Twilight’s nostrils, then stood up and whinnied. Just then, he froze and looked up. Just as he did that, Twilight heard a voice coming from above. “Look out below!”

Upon turning, Twilight saw Gregory in the air, coming down for a hard landing. To her surprise, he had a pair of what looked like wings spreading from behind him. Wings made entirely of blue glowing ice. He was struggling to maintain his balance and before she could say anything, he landed in a nearby patch of grass. He grunted as he landed hard, spinning until he came to a stop. He lay on his back, panting heavily. Theophilus galloped over and began looking over his companion.

“The wings are new,” Twilight stated.

Gregory sat up and turned to her. He grinned, then waved his hand as the wings vanished. “Well, on my way here I got to thinking,” he said as he slowly stood up. “Technically, any winged sapient creature on Gaia shouldn’t be able to fly because the laws of physics wouldn’t allow it. If that were the case, your wings would be massive. I did some research about how each winged race has some level of magic here to help with that, so I decided to try and create some wings to see if I could fly.” He brushed himself off. “Sorry for almost hitting you. I’m new to flying. Like brand new.”

“That’s amazing ingenuity, Gregory,” Twilight said in awe.

He smiled. “Thank you. Humans are known to be ingenious. We’ve had to be, as I’m sure you remember learning about during our Industrial Revolution lesson.”

“Oh, that lesson was invigorating,” Twilight said with a grin before her expression became more serious. “However, right now I’m more curious on how you handle magical channeling. Does your new staff and those two rings make it easier for you to craft the magic to your back or is it your mind projecting an idea of what to do and the mana cores acting on that impulse?”

He held out his hand palm down. The ring on his middle finger began glowing and a small swirling mist appeared on the ground, revealing what looked like a black hole in the center. Suddenly, his staff shot out of the mist into his outstretched hand. He spun it around before placing it on the ground. “We know now that I have internal magic that can recharge on its own,” he said, “but from all the practice I’ve done, it seems that the rings and staff not only speed up that recharging process, but can enhance and make my magic more powerful. I used my rings to help me make the wings you saw earlier. I imagined some bird wings as best as I could. Next thing I know, it felt like there was some kind of tugging on my mind and the wings appeared.”

“Hmm, if that’s the case, then I suggest taking breaks every now and then,” Twilight cautioned. “Mana exhaustion is a real and serious thing, so be careful.”

“I will,” Gregory nodded before his smile faded a bit. “Anyway, there’s something new that I wanted to show you, and it wasn’t the wings.”

“What’s that?”

He took a few steps back from her, then held out his thumb and forefinger. He spread both apart, and Twilight saw a small spark of electricity arcing from thumb to forefinger. There were a few snaps of electricity before he stopped, lowering his hand. “Electrokinesis.”

“You can channel other elements?” Twilight asked in awe before regaining a professional demeanor. “No, that does make sense. Especially if you can mimic all the Windigos abilities.”

“That was my guess,” Gregory agreed. “It explains a few things. Like why I can roar like a Windigo. But the ice part of these new abilities seems to be the strongest so far. The next thing I want to try is to see if I can actually create a rainstorm or snowstorm.”

“Do you have their sensory powers such as sensing malice and hatred?”

Gregory nodded. “I can sense emotions somewhat,” he explained. “I’ve been able to sense whenever Cozy is hiding something from me, like when she did something naughty. I can feel your emotions somewhat too. Curiosity, a small sense of pride, and what feels like excitement.”

“Hmm, we should do a field test to get a full range of these abilities. Good thing I brought extra quills!” Twilight beamed.

“Did you forget I gave you all of those pens from my world?” Gregory asked with a smirk.

“Well, no, but I ran out of ink for them. You wouldn’t happen to know how to refill them, would you?”

“Wow, used them already? I’m impressed.” Gregory chuckled and said, “I’ll ask Sunset to buy you some more pens from the human world and some refills. I think I may have downloaded some instructions on how to refill pens, but I’d have to look. Anyway, back to the magic lesson. What are we working on today?”

Twilight smiled. “Well, let’s have you run through the course again to see how you’ve improved since last time.”

He gave a salute, then began preparing.

[Present Time]

“Very impressive.” Trixie hummed in thought. “Trixie is curious about your standing with Jason? From what she can gleam from the sessions with the others, all of you are in more or less better standing with Jason than they were before. So Trixie must ask if you asked him to lift the punishments yet?”

“Things are better between us,” Twilight said, “but by no means are we at that level of trust yet. Besides, the girls and I agreed that we should keep going until the three years are up. We did a lot of harm and we shouldn’t get off after only a year even if we helped save Jason. It’s only fair. Maybe when our term is up and our relationship is stronger, but not before.”

“That’s a noble sentiment,” Trixie said. “Have you had any one-on-one conversations with him?”

“Nothing face to face. But, we’ve kept a correspondence in letters. He’s doing well and he says he may have time to visit later in the week.” Twilight’s cheerful demeanor fell a bit as she brought up another topic. “Speaking of letters, I sent one to my parents…”

Trixie’s ears perked up at this and she leaned forward. “Really? What happened with that?”

Twilight sighed as she elaborated. “It didn’t go over well. The topic was about Spike. I wanted to know if there was any chance that we could all start over and be a real family. But all I got from them as a response was all of Spike’s old belongings sent to our new home. I told Spike that I picked them up for him, but he’s always been smarter than most gave him credit for and called me out on it. I haven’t written them back after that…”

Trixie gave Twilight a sympathetic look. “You and Spike live together again, is that right? In that brand new town library that was built into a tree that some earth ponies grew?”

“Yeah, we were able to talk things out and move back in together, but there’s no more of Spike acting like a servant or a pet. We’re equal in running the library and everything else. He even has his own bedroom now. Plus, the new place feels just like my old home before that Tirek business. A big gaudy castle was never us.”

“Trixie is glad to hear it. Speaking of family, how has your relationship with your brother and his wife been?” Trixie asked.

“Nothing’s changed on that front. In fact, Shining’s closer to Spike than ever and Cadance is still the best sister in law I could want. We have a meeting with them later in the week too.”

“Good to hear,” Trixie said. “Trixie has been pondering on the punishments. Are you really okay with not having your alicorn magic?”

“As strange as this may sound, yes I am,” Twilight said. “Truth be told, I never wanted to be an alicorn in the first place. It was just something that was sort of thrust on me.”

“And have you talked with Celestia about these feelings? Trixie understands that she is the one that wanted you to take over her duties as the reigning Princess while she and Princess Luna were to retire.

“We talked and she understands my feelings. She never wanted to force any undue strain on me. Besides, I think she understands now that Luna would be the better choice to be acting ruler. Celestia had her term as a millenia long ruler. Who's to say Princess Luna can’t do the same? Anyway, I have to get back home. It’s reshelving day!”

Trixie noted Twilight’s cheerful demeanor at reorganizing books and deadpanned, “You need a new hobby.”

[Trixie’s Office - Cozy Glow’s Session]

“Well hello there, Miss Glow,” Trixie greeted as the little filly flew into the room, shutting the door behind her politely before flying over to the couch. “Trixie is pleased to see you. She’s glad you answered her request for a session. How are you feeling?”

“Golly, it seems rude to just turn you down. I’m feeling amazing! Today, Headmistress Starlight is planning a trip to New Hoofshire for all the students this weekend!”

“Really? That’s quite a round trip journey,” Trixie said. “You’ll be spending a few hours on the train all the way there. What are you planning to do there?”

“They have this new attraction of zapper bees in their zoo,” Cozy said excitedly. “If you feed them some zap apple jam, their sparks flash in different rainbow colors!”

“That sounds pretty fun,” Trixie said, “but Trixie also called you in to see how you are adjusting after some time away from CFE. Do you still feel down that you didn’t go back or have you been able to patch things up with them?”

“I was sad for a little bit,” Cozy admitted, “but then I remembered why I made the CFE in the first place. It’s always been about helping other creatures. It doesn’t matter if I’m not the spokesperson for it anymore. But, I did make up with all the branches. My daddy got Princess Luna to hold a meeting about that show about us and he was able to explain everything, so the branch leaders and the other creatures aren’t mad at me anymore.”

“Trixie is glad to hear that,” the blue unicorn said. “How has it been here at the school? Have you made plenty of friends yet?”

Cozy buzzed in excitement. “Golly, I sure have. I made friends with a hippogriff named Slipper, a Yak named Brune, two pony twins called Mabel and Dipper and, of course, the CMC.”

“Yes, Trixie remembers those little fillies. She is happy that they finally found their cutie marks. Trixie doubts she can take another apple sap incident.” Trixie chuckled a bit, then gave Cozy a more serious look. “Trixie has heard what your parents tried to do to you and is wondering how you feel about them now? Have you heard anything from them lately? You don’t have to talk about them if you don’t want to.”

Cozy rubbed the back of her curly maned head. “To be honest, I haven’t heard anything from them. And I don’t care much. I mean, why would I? I have a new Daddy now. One that’s kind, funny, and actually cares about me. So I wouldn’t go back even if they did come to get me.”

Trixie nodded. “How has life been living with Professor Graystone?”

“Every day is filled with love and adventure. The stories from his world when he reads them to me are so bizarre and wonderful. Like, the story of Cinderella. She’s a mare that finds true love because a stallion found her slipper. Oh, oh! Then, there’s the one about two dogs going on a date and sharing spaghetti.”

Trixie chuckled at that. “Sounds very unique,” she said. “Trixie is glad to see you’re happy.”

Cozy buzzed and smiled with pure joy. “I couldn’t be happier! In fact, Daddy’s letting my friends have a sleepover at our place tonight before we leave on our weekend field trip tomorrow! It’s gonna be so much fun!”

Trixie grinned. “Sounds fun. Is there anything else you want to talk about?”

She shook her head. “Nothing I can think of.”

Trixie nodded. “Well, feel free to come back to see Trixie if you need to.”

She lifted off of the ground. “I will!” And with that, she buzzed out of the room, a giddy and happy smile on her face.

Trixie shook her head and smirked. “Fillies…always so full of energy…”

[Trixie’s Office - Pinkie’s Session]

Pinkie came humming into Trixie’s office as she took a seat. Trixie herself shot the mare an incredulous look. “Trixie will never get used to you not bouncing everywhere you go.”

“Well, that mode of travel is a little foalish,” Pinkie explained, “but I tend to do it when I’m really feeling happy. So, what’s up doc?’

“Trixie believes she is supposed to ask you that, but Trixie is fine nonetheless.”

“Then, I’m fine too. In fact, I’m better than fine. Jason agreed to help prepare deserts for the party we’re having later in the week.”

“You and Jason have made remarkable progress. It’s hard to believe that during The Trial, he pretended you didn’t exist.”

Pinkie looks down sheepishly at that. “Yeah, I was a big mess back then, huh? But now things couldn’t be better.”

“What kind of party are you planning this time?” Trixie asked.

Pinkie leaned in as if to whisper to Trixie. “To tell you the truth, I’m just handling the decorations. This party was Ember’s idea.”

“Dragon Lord Ember? What kind of party is it?” Trixie repeated.

“A celebration and confession party for beating the Windigos. She’s finally decided to tackle her feelings for Gregory head on.”

“And she felt like a party was the way to go?” Trixie asked.

“You don’t think so? She wanted it to be like something humans would do because the dragon version of it is a bit intense.”

“Trixie is a bit confused, but she admits she knows only a bit about dragons, and about humans even less,” Trixie said, “so maybe it will work. Who all will be there and where is it taking place?”

“Just about everyone we know and right here in the cafeteria.”

“This is the first Trixie’s heard about this,” the unicorn said, “but a celebration is certainly long overdue.”

“You betcha. It’ll have Pinkie’s stamp of approval.”

“Well, Trixie hopes you have a good time,” she said.

“You mean we’ll have a good time. You’re invited too, you silly filly. Honestly, I thought Twilight was the workaholic.”

Trixie brightened. “Trixie wasn’t sure she’d be wanted there, to be honest.”

“With all the help you've been doing for the school, the students and us? Trixie, you really should know better by now.” Pinkie ducked underneath Trixie’s desk and appeared at her side. “You’re part of the group as well. Now, may I request a hug?”

Trixie looked a bit embarrassed, but sighed. “The Great and Powerful Trixie will oblige,” she said as she opened up for a hug.

The two hugged each other.

[Human Studies Class - The Following Monday]

Human Studies class was almost ready to begin. The students in the classroom were excitedly talking about not only their recent weekend trip to New Hoofshire, but about the party during the upcoming weekend. It was supposed to be a party of special magnificence, one celebrating the defeat of the Windigos. Everyone in the school and town was invited, and it was rumored that several national leaders had been invited, including Princess Luna and Prince Blueblood of Canterlot.

Twilight and her friends were all seated in the front, waiting for Gregory to show up. Twilight especially was eager to learn, especially since now she could put her misconceptions about humans away and learn from an actual human. Beside her, Rainbow was leaning back in her chair and groaning. “I hate being back in school,” she grumbled. “I’m too old for it.”

“Now now, Rainbow,” Applejack said in an admonishing tone, “that’s exactly what got us in that Trial mess in the first place, remember? Yer never too old tah learn a new trick.”

“I don’t mind learning something new, especially when it comes to human fashion,” Rarity chuckled. “I made some new clothes for Gregory out of those fabrics he gave me. Such fascinating material!”

“I like the subject of learning about different animals from the human world. Chinchillas sound adorable.” Fluttershy said.

“Okay, some of the lessons are pretty cool,” Rainbow conceded, “like when he told us about human powered flight.” She stretched her forelegs. “I’m really trying to learn, but I’ve never been one for studying. You know that.”

“Well, consider this a learning experience for you, Dashie,” Pinkie joked. “I can’t wait to learn what body shots are. Jason told me that they’re all the rage at human parties.”

The door burst open at that moment, and Gregory strode in. He wore his typical suit and tie from Earth along with a couple of bags. As he walked in, he said in a strange inflection, “There will be no foolish wand waving or silly incantations in this class.” At the last word, he turned to the students and gave them a glare.

The class went silent, a bit confused. There were several murmurs among the students. That was, until Cozy Glow snorted. “Daddy, you’re not Professor Snape,” she giggled.

Gregory burst out into a grin, then put his bag down. “That’s Professor Graystone to you, Miss Glow,” he said as he turned to the class. “Good morning, everyone. I trust everyone had a good time in New Hoofshire this past weekend?” There were several murmurs of approval and the tension in the classroom at Gregory’s unusual entrance subsided. “Good.” He began to unpack as he continued. “All this week, I am going to be going over a specific part of human culture. Human holidays and how they are celebrated.” He gestured to Pinkie Pie. “Since our resident party planner here is busy with a long overdue celebration, I figured it was time we all took a look at several popular human holidays. Some will be eerily familiar to some holidays celebrated on Gaia, while others will be new.”

Gallus raised his claw for a question as Gregory pointed to him. “By similar, are you talking about that creepy show about our world?”

Gregory nodded. “Yes. In fact, I will be talking about two popular holidays in Equestria that are celebrated almost identically to two famous holidays from Earth at some point this week. Any other questions before I begin?”

“Can we watch the show about us?” Silverstream asked.

“I plan on showing two episodes at least,” he said, “both being about Equestrian holidays with human analogue holidays.”

Pinkie Pie raised her hoof next. “Is mayonnaise an instrument?”

“I take it Jason told you about that Spongebob meme,” Gregory said with a sigh. “No, Pinkie. Mayonnaise is not an instrument. Horseradish isn't an instrument either. Now are there any serious questions?”

Pinkie sent him a fake pout. “You’re no fun. Anyway, continue.”

“Yeah, I got one,” Rainbow asked. “What’s this I hear about humans being able to fly? Do you have invisible wings?”

“No, normal humans do not have invisible wings,” Gregory said. “I’ll be going more into detail about human flight in a future lesson.”

“Will we be going over fashion trends in the early 2000’s of your yearly calendar?” Rarity asked.

“I’m pretty sure the syllabus mentions the general directions our lessons will go,” Gregory said, “but yes, I will be going over fashion. However, I could probably teach that for a year alone since there are thousands of human cultures.”

Smolder raises her hand nex. “Can we start now? So far, we’ve been here talking and haven’t learned anything,”

“Of course.” Gregory turned to the whiteboard, grabbed a marker, and began to write the words HALLOWEEN and CHRISTMAS on the board. “Today we will be talking about two of the most popular global holidays known as Halloween and Christmas. Now for the ponies here, think of them as the human equivalent of Nightmare Night and Hearth’s Warming.”

“What’s with the one that’s supposed to be like Nightmare Night?” Sandbar asked. “Why call it Halloween?”

“Good question,” Gregory said as he turned on his projector, then went to his computer. A Powerpoint presentation slide appeared on the whiteboard. “You all remember when I taught about human religions, correct? Halloween began because of a religious holiday that took place on November 1st called All Saints Day or All Hallows’ Day. October 31st was originally called All Hallows’ Eve. In fact, before I go on, both Halloween and Christmas started as Christian holidays but have since become what many have called secularized. The original purpose of All Hallows’ Eve was the beginning of the observance of Allhallowtide which was a period of time dedicated to the remembrance of the dead, including saints, martyrs, and Christians who had died.”

He hit the clicker in his hand and the slide changed, revealing an image of a jack-o’-lantern along with several human children in costumes standing in front of an open door with an adult handing out candy. “In modern times, Halloween is celebrated by children in costumes going door to door and asking for candy. This practice is called Trick Or Treating. Children will knock on the doors, and when the doors open children will say ‘Trick or Treat!’ That’s one way to celebrate, of course. Other ways to celebrate are lighting bonfires, visiting a haunted house, lighting a bonfire, or even bobbing for apples.”

“Are you saying that foals don’t have a figure to offer tribute?” Twilight said, thinking of Nightmare Moon’s tribute statue.

Gregory shook his head. “Nope. No statue of Nightmare Moon to dump candy by. Any candy they get, they keep.”

“I wanna start a petition to start celebrating Halloween now!” Pinkie blurted out.

“That’s your prerogative,” Gregory said. “Any other questions?”

“You got any cool costumes to show us?” Smolder asked.

“Yes I do,” Gregory said. “Before I left Earth, I bought several adult sized costumes. Ironically, one of them is a wizard costume and a fake beard. And I can see Miss Belle’s gears turning already.” He gave the unicorn a wink as he reached down towards a cardboard box that had been there before class started. He opened it and pulled out a gray robe, a pointed wizard hat of the same gray color, a gray cloak and a false gray beard and wig which he lay on the desk. “This costume is a replica of an outfit worn by a fictional wizard in a human story. Some of you might be familiar with Gandalf the Gray from when I read The Hobbit and from Lord of the Rings. This costume was worn by the movie counterpart.” He then pulled out a few others, which he described as being that of a devil, an astronaut, and a nurse.

“Oh, what about the human Hearth’s Warming? Tell us about that!” Silverstream said after he was finished.

Gregory began folding the costumes carefully as he said, “Christmas is a worldwide holiday that takes place on December 25th. It started out as a religious holiday which celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ.” He hit the clicker and the slide changed to show a picture of a Christmas tree with presents underneath, stockings with candy and presents in it, a table full of a Christmas meal and a house decorated with Christmas lights that was also covered in snow. “Now, I love Halloween, don’t get me wrong, but Christmas is by far my favorite holiday. It’s got so many traditions and means of celebrating it across the world that it’s hard to keep track. But the basic premise of the holiday is the same. Gift giving, good food, spending time with friends and family, and peace on Earth, goodwill toward men.”

“How is that different from Hearths Warming?” Twilight asked.

“Like I said, Christmas has a lot of religious connotations in many countries,” Gregory said. “Millions of humans celebrate Christmas in a religious way. They go to church on Christmas Eve, the day before Christmas Day and they celebrate something called Advent which I’ll talk about later. And there’s another more secular difference between Christmas and Hearth’s Warming.” He hit the clicker. An image of a white bearded man holding a glass in his hand appeared. “This is a fictional character called Santa Claus. He is very loosely based off of a real human called Saint Nicholas. The myth surrounding him is that he lives at Earth’s north pole with a group of small creatures called elves. Throughout the entire year, he, Mrs. Claus, and all of the elves make presents for good girls and boys all around the world. On Christmas Eve night, he gets into a sleigh pulled by twelve flying reindeer.” He then took a look at the flying reindeer sitting in his class. “You heard that right. Flying reindeer.”

The group of five flying reindeer looked a bit stunned by this, and they listened more intently as Gregory continued. “The myth goes that Santa Claus takes all of those toys and, in one night, delivers each and every present to good girls and boys all across the planet. He travels down chimneys and places the presents under the Christmas tree and in the stockings hanging on the mantle. Kids will sometimes leave out milk and cookies for Santa to eat, too.”

“Ain’t that breakin’ and enterin’?” Applejack asked.

“Don’t be silly, Applejack. It’s fine if they leave presents,” Pinkie said.

“Millions of children on Earth believe in Santa Claus,” Gregory said. “It adds to the magic of Christmas. And no, Twilight, I don’t mean literal magic, I mean that figuratively.” He gave Twilight a wink before continuing. “Think about this, Applejack. When you were a filly, didn’t you believe in something you know now to be a myth?” He was referring to the Great Seedling, but since Applebloom was in class, he didn’t want to ruin the magic for that young filly.

“And yer sure this Santy Claus ain’t doing nothin’ nefarious? He’s just leavin’ gifts? How does he know what somepony would want?” Applejack asked.

“All he does is leave presents behind and eat the milk and cookies left out for him, and he knows what each kid wants because children write letters to him,” Gregory explained. “He also has a list of every good girl and boy on Earth, according to the story.”

“So how does this Claus human know who’s been good or bad?” Gallus asked.

Gregory cleared his throat, then began to sing, “He sees you when you’re sleeping. He knows when you’re awake. He knows if you’ve been bad or good, so be good, for goodness sake.”

“So he spies on us?” Rainbow asked, a little creeped out.

“Listen, you’re missing the point here,” Gregory said. “You’re looking way too much into this. It’s a children's story. Human children find absolute joy in Santa Claus even if he isn’t real. It’s an extra level of magic they can experience. Who doesn’t love getting presents? Yes, if you look at it from an adult perspective, Santa Claus’s methods are extremely creepy and unnerving, but is that any less terrifying than Nightmare Moon actually eating foals on Nightmare Night if she doesn’t get candy? You know, cannibalism?”

All the ponies look at each other in thought before conceding to the point. “Yeah, that’s true. So, how does the rest of that song go?” Rainbow asked.

“I can actually play it for you,” he said as he pulled out his smartphone and tapped it for a bit. After a bit, music played from the speaker on his desk. A lively and strangely festive sounding song began to play. It lasted for a few minutes before ending. He tapped his phone again, facing the students with an expectant look.

“Hold up, what does he give the naughty foals? Nothing?” Spike asked.

“Naughty children get lumps of coal in their stockings,” Gregory explained.

Everyone present started to laugh. “Ha, that’s a riot,” Rainbow snorted.

“Oh, isn’t that a little mean?” Fluttershy asked.

“Well, it’s still a present, so I see no harm in it,” Twilight said.

“Again, look at it from a child’s perspective,” Gregory said. “What would you rather have? A toy train you can play with, or a lump of coal that makes you all dirty and isn’t fun at all? Yes, coal is useful for adults, but children wouldn’t want it. They would want toys.”

“Ah like it. It makes certain foals behave if they want somethin’ nice,'' Applejack said.

Gregory snapped and pointed at Applejack with a grin. “Exactly!” Gregory said. “It’s a method parents use to help keep children in line! Positive reinforcement goes a long way with children.” He paused. “Aaanyway, we’re getting a little bit off topic. Next, I think we should watch the episodes of the show featuring Nightmare Night and Hearth’s Warming Eve.”

[Yggdrasil Cafeteria - Friday Evening]

The party was in full swing. The cafeteria was crowded, not only with students, but with guests from all around the known world. Princess Luna and Prince Blueblood had indeed shown up, as had Empress Cadance and Emperor Consort Shining Armor. Other world leaders had arrived as well and were mingling with the crowd. Almost all of them had been fascinated to meet not only the new Elements of Harmony and Jason, but Gregory as well. He was wearing some more casual clothes as per the invitation. He had on a pair of black jeans, a sky blue t-shirt and an unzipped dark blue hoodie. He had spent hours of time at the party talking with national rulers like Queen Novo, Grandpa Gruff, and even Prince Rutherford. He’d even spoken quite a while with Prince Blueblood. His conversation with Princess Luna had been most interesting, especially since she had promised to send him several copies of rare tomes about ice magic to help.

Eventually, however, he began feeling a little bit overwhelmed. No, scratch that, he felt completely overwhelmed. He made his way to the door to the outside to get some fresh air after grabbing a glass of punch. He eventually found himself sitting on a bench that sat against the wall of the school, looking up at the myriad of stars. He sighed, taking a sip of punch and enjoying the peace and quiet. Until he was interrupted by the last creature he hadn’t expected to meet.

“So, you’re the other human my sister-in-law has been training in magic.”

Gregory turned to see Empress Cadance standing nearby, giving him a friendly smile. In one of her hooves she held a babbling Flurry Heart. He held up his hand and waved while at the same time he inclined his head toward her. “Hey there, Your Majesty,” he said with a polite smile.

To his complete surprise, Flurry Heart jumped out of Cadance’s grasp and flew up to Gregory, sitting in his lap and getting right in his face. He almost dropped his punch as the adorable filly began poking him curiously. “He…Hewwo!” she said in the most adorable childish voice.

Gregory grinned, put his punch down on the bench next to him, then reached out to take Flurry in his arms. “Well hello there, little Princess,” he said, “what’s your name?”

“Fwuwwy Haawt!” she said.

Gregory reached down and began scratching the adorable filly behind her ears. Flurry Heart’s eyes widened a bit, then she relaxed, snuggling up in his arms and closing her eyes. “She is…so adorable,” he said with a smile on his face. He felt himself tearing up, although he didn’t quite know why.

‘Geez, it’s enough to give you diabetes, isn’t it?” Jason said, approaching the group.

“Then I’ll die of adorabetes,” Gregory replied, giving Flurry a small tickle which made her giggle.

“Yes, happy and loved,” Chrysalis said, scooping the foal in her forelegs. “You’re just a little bundle of love, aren't you~?”

Gregory watched as Chrysalis played with the smiling adorable foal, amazed by what he was seeing. He then turned to Cadance. “So, when are you and Shining gonna have another foal?”

She smiled. “Can you three keep a secret?” she asked in a whisper.

“I mean, I can,” Gregory said, “but I don’t know about queen bug horse and her royal consort over here.” He gave both of them a smirk.

“You’re pregnant again, right?” Jason said in a deadpan stare.

Cadance smiled wider and nodded. “Twins this time,” she said.

Gregory looked at her a bit more closely, then he smiled wide along with her. “Congratulations!” he said. “Do you know if you’re having two fillies, two colts, or one of each?”

“It’s too early to tell yet,” Cadence said, “but we’re already coming up with names.” She looked at Gregory and Jason. “Any suggestions from you two?”

“Mike and Sully.” Jason said.

“Oh hell no,” Gregory said. “One of them should have the name Skyla Heart Sparkle.”

“Oh sure, pander to the obvious fan names,” Jason said, rolling his eyes.

“What, do you want me to suggest the name Sunny Starscout?” Gregory replied. “Or how about Izzy Moonbow? Hitch Trailblazer? Oh wait! Opaline Arcana!”

“I will hurt you.”

Gregory held out his hand, creating a small piece of ice in it. “I’m not playing these games,” he said. “You wanna go, your majesty?” He grinned at him.

“Bring it on, popsicle.”

“Oh trust me, I don’t just have ice magic anymore,” Gregory said, his smirk growing.

“What? Too scared to fight without magic now?” A green glow encompassed both of them as the two humans and lifted them in the air. “Chrysalis!”

“Shush. The little one is sleeping and your testosterone might wake her.” Chrysalis said without taking her eyes off of the sleeping foal.

Gregory smirked as they were both put down. He took his seat again, grabbed his punch and took a sip. “So what brought you all out? Needed fresh air like me too?”

“Something to that effect,” Jason said.

“Oh? What brings you all out here then?” he asked.

“We were invited. It would be rude not to show up. There’s no deeper meaning than that.” Chrysalis said.

“No, I mean why aren’t you inside?” Gregory asked. “I saw you three inside already. Did you follow me out here for something or just decide to get away from the party for a bit?”

“Oh, yeah. A certain blue dragon is looking for you. She wanted to meet you by the dance floor. You better hop to it. Dragons don’t do waiting, apparently,” Jason informed him.

“No shit,” Gregory sighed, leaning back. An intense feeling of apprehension and nervousness washed over him and out of him.

Cadance noticed this and slowly approached, gesturing to the bench. “May I sit down?” she asked. He nodded, so she did so. There was silence for a bit before she continued, “Is something wrong between you and Ember?”

“Wrong?” Gregory looked at her, then slowly shook his head. “No, nothing’s wrong.”

Cadence tilted her head as she studied Gregory. After a moment, a smile broke out as she let out a happy squeal. “Well? Are you going to keep the dragon lord waiting? Go, shoo shoo.” Cadence said, pushing Gregory to the door leading back inside.

Gregory turned to her. “I can’t just go up and say ‘Hi Ember, how’s the party been? By the way, I have feelings for you.’ It wouldn’t work.”

“If you both feel the same, then the rest comes naturally. But, if you get cold hooves now, you’ll always wonder what if.”

“No, no it doesn’t!” Gregory said, a wave of fear blasting out of him, hard enough for Chrysalis to feel it. “You don’t get it,” he added. “Dragons live for centuries. I’ll be lucky if I get forty more years of life. Not only that, but what about other issues?”

“Take it from the Princess of Love,” Cadance replied, “I get it. I wrote the book on it. My crown is based on it. Now get out there and quit overthinking things!”

With one last shove, Gregory stumbled through the door to the inside and onto the dance floor until he lightly bumped into something. “Sorry. A certain princess can be a little–” Gregory’s words died in his throat as he beheld Ember standing in front of him. She was out of her armor and wearing a sparkling red dress that brought attention to her surprisingly curvy figure. “--Pushy. Ember? What…what are you wearing?” he asked, stunned by what he saw. It just didn’t fit the image he had of her.

Ember smiled smugly at his reaction. “It’s a dress I had the dressmaker pony make. Spike gave me the idea from one of your human classes.” Ember smugness fell when she saw Gregory still gawking at her. “Well?! Say something!”

Gregory’s mouth was dry and he stood there stunned for a few moments before he regained his words. “...Sexy beyond anything I could have ever imagined…” was all he could say.

The fire died immediately as Ember blushed and looked away. “...I didn’t mean say something like that. You dork.”

He quickly recovered his wits, then took Ember’s claw and began pulling her away from the crowd, heading her outside. “I need to talk to you,” he said, “and I want to do it in private.”

“Oh no. I didn’t call you out here just to go somewhere else. We’re going to dance. You can say what you want right here.”

As Ember said this, the music started. Gregory looks over to the sound to see Pinkie and Vinyl Scratch at a mixing board. Gregory gave both ponies a playful dirty look before he turned to Ember. “Alright, that’s fair.” The music was a slow moving one, something he hadn’t expected the famous DJ Pon3 to play. He took one of her claws and put the other around her waist in typical human dancing fashion. As other couples formed and began to dance, he looked into Ember’s red eyes. “I thought dragons didn’t dance?” he asked, trying to tease and regain control of the situation.

“I never said that,” Ember retorted. “There are things dragons do just as well, if not better than others.”

He nodded and went silent for a bit. The music continued and he led the dance as they moved around the floor. The lights were dimmed a bit, which gave him the courage to pull her closer to him, letting her body press against his. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest. Finally, he said, “You know, our first meeting was pretty…well, what’s the word I’m looking for…? Unique?”

“Volcanic is a word I’d use.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, having a dragon fall on you would be volcanic, I suppose,” he said. “And we didn’t exactly get along well at first. At least, that’s how I saw it.”

“And how do you see things now?” Ember responded, moving closer.

He tightened his grip around her and ran his hand up her back gently. “Right now, I’d like to think we’re incredibly good friends. You’ve visited me more often than I would have thought. You’ve been training me in how to fight without using magic. You’ve been-MMPH!?”

Ember, getting tired of the emotional spiel, shot forward and captures Gregory lips with her own, effectively silencing him. The two held that position for a while before Ember pulled away with a breathless sigh. “Sorry, you were taking too long,” she said.

It took him yet another few moments to respond. Then, with a wide and happy smile, he grabbed her, pulled her back, flung his arms around her and kissed her again, harder and with more passion behind it. The crowd noticed this and began cheering. “Let’s give a big shout out to the new couple!” Pinkie shouted.

After a good ten seconds, Gregory slowly released Ember, breaking the kiss and looking at her with a wide smile. The two didn’t say anything for a while as the crowd went nuts. He leaned closer and, with a smirk, said, “Tastes like roasted almonds.”

In the background, Chrysalis and Jason watched the display with mixed emotions between the two. For Chrysalis, she smirked at the clear love Gregory and Ember had for each other and fed off the energy. For Jason, he stood with a more resolute expression. “That’s sweet of them, huh?”

“Yes, I was getting tired of them dragging their hooves about their feelings. Although, Gregory is out of her league.”

Jason snorted at the comment before turning to the changeling monarch. “You want to steal their thunder?”

“And how do you propose we do that?” Chrysalis asked as she turned to Jason. However, her voice died in her throat as Jason had gotten down to one knee and presented Chrysalis with a ring. “...W-What is that?”

“It’s a little something I picked up from the hive,” Jason said. “I hear it's made of a malleable material that changes with the wearer. Something that’s a tradition with your people, right?”

“J-Jason. I don’t know what to say,” Chrysalis said, stammering.

“I do. You’ve been there at my worst. You helped me even if you had goals of your own. You saved me at my weakest and brought a feeling I never thought I would have again. So…” Jason opened the case to reveal and onyx ring with gold trimming along the frame and a jade colored gem in the center. “Wanna get hitched?”

Overcome with emotion, Chrysalis morphed to her human form and took the ring, sliding it on her finger. “Yes, you droll little man! A thousand times YES!!!” Chrysalis ignited her magic and pulled Jason to his feet to embrace him in a deep passionate kiss.

Gregory noticed this happening, smirked, then nudged Ember. “Hey, look at those two lovebugs,” he said, indicating the human and changeling queen.

“LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE NEWLYWEDS!!!” Pinkie shouted even louder this time as more cheering erupted.

Gregory clapped hard along with the rest, his mouth hurting a bit from the smiling. “Those two are made for each other, one literally,” he chuckled.

Just as the music ended, Gregory felt something stirring inside of him. There was some sort of warmth passing through his chest. He put his hand on his chest, and at that moment he heard something. It sounded like drums being beaten. Then, a very familiar tune began playing, only the music wasn’t coming from the speakers. It came from all around them. He turned back to Ember. “Oh, I’ve got a couple of surprises for you,” he grinned as he stepped back. “First things first.” He clapped and a pair of icy draconic wings spread from behind his back. “Surprise!”

He flew up to the stage, landing rather gracefully. Vinyl gave him a nod and a grin before she and Pinkie took some steps back. He faced the crowd before he began to sing.

“Her scales match the sky like she’s a gift from above! My heart could soar right by her, I think I’m in love! She could spread her wings and tackle anyone down! Her wings must feel so nice when they wrap you around! Oh, I could say hi again when she’s in town! I’ll walk on air, then she’ll beat me right back to the ground! She said it herself; dragons don’t do friends! It’s only in my dreams, I’ll count on that until the end! My head’s in a whirl for my dragon girl!”

He jumped off of the stage and landed slowly thanks to his wings and pointed at Ember.

“Woah, oh! I shouldn’t try to deny that she’s the one, my dragon waifu! Woah, oh! Yeah, I’ll fight you if you stand between me, and my dragon-if you stand between me and my dragon waifu!”

He began walking up towards her, standing tall and giving her a warm smile as he sang more.

“Alright, now, there she is, this could be my one chance! I’ll smile wide and walk up with a taller stance! You might think, what could go wrong? I bet she’s cool! Wait 'til she raises up her fist, oh she can be cruel! How ‘bout it? I’ll say hi again when she’s in town! I’ll say a word, then she’ll beat me right back to the ground! She said it herself; dragons don’t do friends! Maybe you and I can be so much more 'til the end!Until the end! My head’s in a whirl for my dragon girl!”

He took her in his arms and both began flying in the air above the crowd.

“Woah, oh! I shouldn’t try to deny that she’s the one, my dragon waifu! Woah, oh! Yeah, I’ll fight you if you stand between me, and my dragon-if you stand between me and my dragon waifu!”

As the song ended, he landed and looked into Ember’s completely blushing face, leaned in and kissed her cheek. “I love you, Dragon Lord Ember,” he said.

She looked down, embarrassed, but above the cheering, he heard her say, “I love you too, Gregory Graystone…”

As the cheering continued, Jason couldn’t help but to get in one last dig. “Boo, that was corny,” he said with a smirk.

“Hey! We like corn!” Pinkie said.

The Alternative Bad End

[Seeds of Yggdrasil - Windigo Attack]

Jason overlooked the school with an emotionless expression. The Windigos’ assault was relentless as they constantly struck the shield. It held, and that bothered the malicious spirits. But they were nothing if not patient. Then, the fools mounted an attack against the malignant storm. First was the dragon remnants. They tried to fight ice with fire. Jason would have laughed if he could, but the dragons seem to have forgotten that the frost can burn as well. Then, the new Dragon Lord tried to face them again. She was quick, agile and fierce. Everything her father wasn’t. But he had fallen and so would his progeny. And yet, she was now nursing her shoulder that was covered in ice.

Then, came the other human. Gregory. The Windigos’ smiled inwardly as Jason’s hatred spiked again. Here stood a man with his little metal pole, small knives and gun, thinking he could quell the storm of hatred. Here was another human that lived with those foul equines and did not suffer nearly as much as he did. A human who had made friends with the elements. The same ponies Jason wanted to befriend but they spat in his face and introduce pain and torture while embracing another with their lopsided tenants of friendship and harmony.

“Hypocrites,” Jason spat softly. He would make them pay. He would freeze them all. They would freeze them all.

“Aren’t we all?” Gregory replied dryly.

“Why do you defend them? They hurt you too.”

“I’m not defending them,” Gregory replied. “I’m defending the others inside who have done nothing to you. Griffins, yaks, dragons, hippogriffs, and more. Those students inside don’t deserve this. I will defend them all, and die trying if I have to.” He had a determined look on his face, but even that couldn’t hide the terror that seeped into his expression every so often.

“Hmm, you got one part of that right…” Jason shifted his fingers upwards and suddenly ice ensnared Gregory’s feet, locking him in place. Jason moved towards him as a ball of ice magic formed in his hand. “You’ll just die.”

Gregory’s free hand went to his side quickly, pulling out the gun at his side. Reflexively, he aimed at Jason’s chest and pulled the trigger without any hesitation. The bullet sailed through the air, its trajectory straight and true. He fired again, then again. However, the wind picked up and the trajectory of the bullets was shifted slightly. But it wasn’t enough. All three still hit Jason, but not where Gregory had aimed.

One hit him square in the stomach, the other hit the hand with the ice magic, creating a brand new hole in his palm, and the last struck his left leg, going straight through bone.

Jason stumbled and fell to one knee, but he showed no outward expression of pain. Ember was at Gregory’s side instantly with his metal pole. She stabbed at the ice - its anti magic properties breaking its hold on the human - thus freeing him. Ember saw Jason preparing another blast of ice magic, but she quickly drew Gregory’s other pistol and fired. The shot tore through Jason’s other hand while taking three of his fingers. Again, Jason did not cry out in pain. He looked at his wounds oozing with blood with indifference as the pair approached him. Unbeknownst to either Gregory and Ember, the occupants of the school emerged as the storm weakened somewhat. At the same time, Chrysalis landed a few yards away.

Gregory’s face was devoid of all emotion as he stepped forth from the block of ice, kicking it away without so much as a second thought. He quickly aimed his gun at Jason again, only now he aimed at the head. Jason saw a look of pain pass over him as he mouthed the words, “I’m sorry,” before the emotions left his face. His finger tensed around the trigger and he began to pull it back.

“Hmph, I guess it never really ends,” Jason said. Gregory could detect the slightest hint of remorse in his tone before he pulled the trigger completely.

BANG!

Gregory turned away, shoulders slumped in defeat as he trudged back towards the school. Jason’s body lay dead on the ground as tears streamed down his emotionless face.

“NOOOOOO!!!!” two voices cried out. Chrysalis teleported to Jason’s side immediately, whereas a pink blur shot past Gregory and appeared beside Jason as well. Gregory winced as he turned back to see Chrysalis cradling Jason’s corpse while tears fell from her eyes. Pinkie was equally upset, her mane had lost all semblance of its puffiness and was now full on straight while her colors grew pale. It was as if the balance that Pinkie found over the past year had vanished in an instant.

Gregory walked back to the school with a blank look on his face. He wasn’t conscious of anyone else around him at the moment. His mind was still numb to what he’d done. He numbly looked up to see the school staff and the elements looking at the scene with varying degrees of horror. All the students looked ill. None of them had been exposed to death in such a manner.

The elements were all wearing faces of shock. Twilight stared wide eyed at the carnage, her sight switching from Gregory, to Jason’s motionless body and the weapon that did the deed. She even took a subconscious step away from it. Rarity fainted outright, but this time there wasn’t a reprimand for the dramatics or a fainting couch. She’d taken one look at the end of the conflict and passed out. Applejack dipped her head away in shame. The entire situation was just another grim reminder of her failings. Fluttershy had her hooves covering her muzzle in abject horror. Sure, she had seen dead animals before, but this was the first time a sentient creature had died before her. Rainbow looked like she didn’t know what to feel. She just stared in sheer disbelief at the scene. Then, Pinkie came before Gregory. She was trembling in barely restrained grief and anger. Her bangs covered her eyes, but Gregory could see the tears streaming down her cheeks. He was barely responsive as he saw Pinkie say something to him. However, he couldn’t make it out or ask what she said as the pink mare turned away from him.

Slowly, Gregory walked up to Starlight and simply said, “I resign.” He said it without any emotion and before she could reply, he stepped past her, walking slowly up towards the school.

Meanwhile, the Windigos had seemingly vanished, but the gray clouds and harsh winds were still present, reflecting the mood of everyone there. Chrysalis’ sobbing was the only sound that pierced through the whistling winds. She continued to sob while rocking back and forth with Jason’s body. Ocellus slowly approached her matriarch with Starlight close behind her. Starlight spoke up. “Chrysalis. I’m sor–”

“Shut up!” Chrysalis shrieked, her pitch matching levels of the Royal Canterlot Voice. “Don’t-don’t you say one more thing!”

Starlight nodded and wisely backed away. Then, out of the school came all the other changeling students and staff members. All of them surround their queen and - for all intents and purposes - their fallen king. Jason’s visage wasn’t one of pain, hatred or blankness. For the first time in years during his entire stay in Equestria, Jason Wright had a small smile upon his face. His horrid journey had finally come to a close and he was at peace. With one last baneful and sorrow filled glare, Chrysalis ignited her horn and teleported to parts unknown with the rest of her subjects.

[Some Time Later - Gregory’s Room]

Gregory was in his room, busily packing up his belongings. He was alone, as was his choice. He was almost packed and ready to go downstairs to find a new place to go. Then again, he reasoned, who would want to have a murderer living with them? Certainly not the ponies. They had their proof that humans were monsters. The griffins probably wouldn’t want him either. He didn’t know much about the Dragon Lands, but he felt they’d reject him too. He could potentially go to the human world where Sunset was, but he rejected the thought immediately. It was a world where he didn’t belong. He knew that the changelings would reject him outright because of what he’d done. Chrysalis would probably kill him on the spot, not that he could blame her.

He’d just closed the last of his suitcases when there was a knock at his door. He paused, and without looking back, he said, “Go away.”

The door opened to reveal Dragon Lord Ember. She stepped in and closed the door behind her before looking around at the packed bags. “So, Starlight was right. You’re leaving.”

“I don’t see any other option,” Gregory said sorrowfully. “I’m not wanted here.”

“No one said anything about you being unwelcome here.”

“Tell that to Pinkie Pie, the staff and all the students…” Gregory paused as he looked down in shame before resuming packing.

“And where exactly would you go?” Ember challenged as she went behind Gregory.

“I don’t know. I’ll figure it out once I leave.”

Ember walked around and slammed her claw down on the briefcase. “That’s moronic even for you. What? Were you just going to leave without even talking to me? You know you’re welcome to come with me to the Dragon Lands.”

“Ember, you were there, you saw everyone’s reaction. Even Smolder - a dragon - was in shock!”

“Maybe the weaker races were horrified, but this is nothing new for dragons!” Ember took a breath, then in a surprisingly calm tone, continued. “The shock was probably more from surprise if anything. And yes, I was there. I pulled the trigger too. We did what was necessary and stopped a threat. So what if the ponies have an issue with it? They’re the reason it got to that point. And now they’re mad because you had the guts to do what they didn’t?”

“It’s not about having guts or stopping a threat!” Gregory suddenly shouted with a glare. “I broke my promise. I murdered someone! Don’t you get that!? There’s nothing - no amount of justification or apologizing - nothing that I can do to ever change that. I’m supposed to be a teacher, yet I taught those kids that violence is a solution. That there is no such thing as redemption or second chances! Jason wasn’t even aware of his actions. He didn’t have a choice, but I took away all the choices he’ll ever make!!!”

Ember glared right back and took Gregory by the shoulders. “And letting all those innocent creatures die was a better option?! News flash, Graystone: we had no other choice! It was him or us! The magical pony artifacts failed! It failed because they failed to uphold their values! But, not us! Besides, it was the Windigos’ doing more than anything else. That thing wasn’t Jason anymore!!!”

“You don’t know that!!!” Gregory shouted angrily, tears threatening to fall.

“Then tell me differently! Do you know anything about possession or how to break it? Keep in mind we had a possessed avatar of hatred and spirits trying to kill us! Go ahead! Give me an answer!!!” The two stared each other down for a few tense moments before Gregory looked away from her. Ember let out a puff of smoke and shook her head. “Yeah, I thought so.”

“...Even if I had no way to free him, even if the elements failed, what I did wasn’t right,” he replied. “If I had waited, then maybe Chrysalis or Celestia could’ve done something. I don’t…” his voice trailed off, and finally, the tears fell, hot and stinging. He felt even more humiliated for crying in front of Ember, but he couldn’t hold back anymore. “I-I-”

“Celestia couldn’t save Luna without those trinkets,” Ember interrupted. “Even then, she was banished. Spike often told me that the elements were never consistent in solving problems. And if Chrysalis had a way to deal with the Windigos, she would’ve done that the moment they came back. We did the best we could with what we had. It saved this school and everyone here.”

His shoulders slumped at that and he looked at the ground. Tears continued to fall, hitting the floor. “It might have,” he conceded, “but I know I’m not welcome here anymore. I saw Pinkie shouting at me. I don’t know what she said, but it’s clear I don’t belong here.” Slowly, he looked around the room. “I don’t think…I ever did.”

“Then, you can come with me to the Dragon Lands,” Ember offered again. “Leave this behind for creatures that understand.”

He took a deep breath, then looked into Ember’s eyes. He saw a surprising amount of understanding in those crimson orbs. Reaching up, he put his hands over the claws that were on his shoulders and gave a squeeze. “You know I won’t really be easy to deal with for a while,” he said. “I doubt I’ll get better fast after what I’ve done.”

A small smirk formed on her lips. “Ha. My father always said that the kill only bothers you if you let it. In this case, it was self defense.”

He let out a long sigh. “I don’t want it not to bother me, because I don’t want to become a heartless killer.” His reason slowly came back to him and he stood up straighter. “I’ll have to live with what I’ve done and learn to deal.” He stepped away from Ember and grabbed his bags. “I’ve got to put these in my car and grab my new horse companion. I don’t want to leave him behind.”

The two went down the stairs in complete silence, both carrying his belongings. There was nothing more that he felt needed to be said. When they reached the bottom floor and stepped into the hallway, Gregory stopped. There, standing in the hallway blocking his way, were the Mane Six, Sunset, Starlight, Trixie, Sunburst, Celestia, and even Princess Luna. He looked at each of them, confused as to why they were there. He slowly walked towards them, stopping and looking down at Starlight first. “I guess this is goodbye,” he said.

“Gregory…” Starlight began with a tone of uncertainty, “I want you to know that it isn’t personal.” She paused again as she glanced at the former element bearers. “For most of us anyway. It’s just complicated.”

“I know,” he said. “Best not to have a murderer as a teacher.”

“Have you got all your affairs in order?” Luna asked.

“Except for one pegasus filly, yes,” he replied.

Luna gave a wince at this as Celestia answered, “I am afraid that Cozy is still in the infirmary. She was there when it happened and a filly’s mind is delicate. We want to ensure she is not stunted emotionally and bringing the cause of that turmoil may prove more harmful. We’re sorry…”

Gregory nodded. “Of course.” He looked over at Ember, then sighed. “Time to go, Dragon Lord. I’m not wanted here anymore.”

“No!” Fluttershy said. She stomped an angry hoof on the ground. “You don’t get to do that! You don’t get to make it seem like our feelings are a slight against you! We’re not the villains here! You didn’t trust us! You didn’t wait!”

“Knowing the devastation those weapons caused, I should’ve taken them away from you, Gregory,” Twilight said with shame in her voice. “We’ve dealt with situations like Jason’s before. It-It didn’t need to end in that way…”

“Gregory and I had this conversation already and I don’t feel like hearing it again!” Ember stated, marching up in front to defend her new mate. “What happened is not his fault. We did what we had too when no one else would or could. Blame your weakness before confronting others!”

“Is that what you think this is? Weakness on our part?” Rarity said angrily. “There was everything we could’ve done. We still had the Princesses. Or perhaps the changelings or Chrysalis could’ve reached Jason. But now we will never know that!”

“Tsk. Please, you’re all here now because of what you did to Jason. What you did to him is what led to his death. That’s why your little trinkets didn’t work because you six betrayed your creed!” Ember shot back as the former bearers flinched.

Luna walked up slowly, then turned back towards the others. “There is no point in punishing Sir Gregory here. His guilt at what he has done is punishment enough. He is not the first to take a life, nor will he be the last.” She turned to Gregory, giving him a sad and understanding smile.

Gregory saw the look in her eyes, and his eyes widened. “You do know…” he said.

Luna nodded, walking over and putting a reassuring wing over his shoulder. “I regret what I did every single day,” she said, loudly enough that everyone else could hear, “and I wish I could take it back. But I can’t, so I try to move forward.” She looked at Ember, then back at him. “You have help. Let her help.”

He looked at Ember, a small smile forming on his face. “Yes…you’re right…”

Gregory’s eyes swept through the former elements again. He noted that Rainbow and Applejack didn’t voice their own opinions. He figured it was due to their involvement in Jason's mistreatment since they are two of the worst offenders, but their eyes still held contempt for Gregory. What he couldn’t figure out was if that contempt was more from the guilt that they will never be able to make amends for their sins or the situation in general. Pinkie’s face was the worst however. She didn’t say a word, but her visage spoke volumes. Angry, Hurt. Betrayal. Gregory had broken his promise to her. And while Pinkie might not enforce her Pinkie Promise like before, Gregory knew that this promise meant more to her. He couldn’t say a word to her and turned away. He looked back at Ember, who had been helping with his bags. “Let’s go home, Ember,” he said with a broken tone.

Ember nodded, then turned to Starlight. “I’m pulling all dragons out of this school,” she said plainly.

“What?!” Starlight said in shock. “Why?”

“What, it's not obvious? Fine, I’ll dumb it down for you. I don’t want my subjects learning from this place because you’ll implant faulty ideals in the heads of my subjects. We dragons understand that, in the face of danger, you must be prepared to do anything for survival. It’s fine if the other species don’t get the concept, but to face ridicule and condemnation for saving lives is ridiculous! If the other nations want to stay, that's their choice.”

“Ember, come on,” Gregory said, “It’s time to go home.”

“Just one more thing before you depart,” Celestia said, gaining their attention. “Reports have come up in Canterlot about a number of ponies disappearing in droves. We believe they were changelings in disguise. Luna has tried to quell the panic, but it is evident that Chrysalis is making moves from the shadows. I caution you two to be careful. She won’t take this as well as we are.”

“Thanks for that, but your concern is not needed. A threat against Gregory is a threat against me and all dragons. If she wants a war, we will bring the fire and brimstone!” Ember snarled and tapped the Bloodstone Scepter against the ground to emphasize her point. Immediately, every dragon took to the skies above, several carrying Gregory’s otherworldly vehicle with them, and awaited their Dragon Lord’s command. “Dragons! Let us return home!” Ember said while securing Gregory by his waist and flying up ahead of the dragons.

Gregory took one last look down, heart sinking in more ways than one as he took one last look at the school. He sighed, then looked away. South. Towards yet another brand new home. He hoped that this time, things would start looking up…

[Changeling Hive - One Year Later]

Deep in the bowels of the ever shifting walls, several trots echoed through the halls of the Changeling castle. There was a platoon of drones marching through the castle as they were led by a changeling with emerald armor. His sharp dark blue eyes narrowed as they entered the throne room. “Commander Pharynx reporting, my queen.”

“Have you done what I asked?” Chrysalis said with her back to him. She was hovering in the air with her hoof gently petting a cocoon resting above her throne. Inside was none other than Jason Wright. Chrysalis had his body perfectly preserved and immortalized for many to see. He layed in his tomb with his hands crossed while wearing nice clothes. Chrysalis had foregone putting him in a suit as he would say he’d hate it.

“Our infiltrators are in position to move at your command.”

“Any difficulties?”

“No, my queen. Since Jason’s foresight already allowed us to blend in perfectly to pony society, we had no issue replacing key figures. We are poised to strike.”

“And the former elements, Starlight and Equestrian royalty? Have you replaced them already?”

Pharynx nodded. “They are trapped below in the dungeon. The anti-magic in the castle has made them docile and powerless.”

Chrysalis slowly removed her hoof and turned away from her lover’s resting place. “Do the dragons suspect anything?”

“The dragons have effectively severed all ties with Equestria and the Neutral Grounds. However, they have come up with a better system to detect us.”

“How so?”

“Whenever a dragon leaves the Dragon Lands and returns, they report directly to the Dragon Lord. From there, the dragons that left are doused in magical flames for ten minutes. Our disguises fall quickly to it and they are subsequently burned to death. If they attempt to flee, they are executed on the spot. Dragons have no issue with this as they can withstand the heat and they are not in disguise.”

Chrysalis scoffed as she responded. “So, the lizard thinks she is clever and fierce, does she? No matter. If we cannot slip the dagger in her sheets, we shall bare our blades at her doorstep.”

“If I may, my queen, I do not feel like a frontal assault is wise.”

Chrysalis loomed dangerously over her commander. “Are you questioning my orders?”

“No, my queen.”

“Do you think I'm a fool? Perhaps you surmised that my grief has made me mad?”

Pharynx stood up straighter and resolute. “No, my queen. Lord Jason Wright’s death was a blow to us all. I will gladly give my life to avenge him!”

“Good answer. But your concerns are noted.” Chrysalis began to walk outside to her balcony as her commander followed. In the courtyard was a massive force of changeling drones awaiting orders. Chrysalis scanned them all with a cold calculated visage before shifting her attention to the skies. The everpresent frog and frigid cold never left the skies of Gaia since Jason’s death.

A part of Chrysalis assumed it was the lingering effects of the Windigos. It made sense as there was hardly any harmony anywhere anymore. But she would like to believe it was also Jason’s spirit shrouding the planet in his presence. Chrysalis let out a bitter laugh. Jason would be stubborn like this even in his death. She looks down to her subjects and addresses them. “My Changelings! A year ago, we lost our precious king to the machinations of those foolish ponies. They preach harmony and friendship, but reveal their true colors at the sight of anything different. Then they reveal themselves hypocrites by refraining from punishing his killer and letting that dragon whore hide him from us!”

The changeling drones all hissed in disapproval. “Cowards!!!” a drone yelled.

“Indeed. So, how do we remedy this slight against us?” Chrysalis morphed into Ember as she continued. “We shall pit these two feeble nations against each other. Tensions between ponies and dragons are at an all time high. It will take much to have them at each other's throats.” She changed again into Princess Luna. “A few key infiltrators here and there to sow dissent will spark a bloody war between equine and reptile. And when both sides are weak, we shall deal the final blow!” She changed one last time to Gregory’s form. “Remember this wretched face for I want to see it in the throes of agony!!!”

As she turned, she shifted into her normal form, a wicked grin passing over her lips. The time had come to execute her plans.

[Hive Dungeons]

The captive ponies in the cells all looked miserable. The anti-magical properties of the prison cells not only kept them from fighting, but kept them low on energy. Luna’s and Celestia’s cells were larger and the magic drained from them was the only thing keeping the sun and moon from stopping in their motion. They couldn’t do much other than move around or sleep and eat.

Celestia looked over forlornly at her sister, who was lying in her bed, her head facing away from the door. She moved over to her sister and gently stroked her mane while she surveyed the rest of the dungeon. Beside the alicorn sisters were the former element bearers. While Celestia could not fathom why she and her sister were given free reign to move, she understood the sight before her. All the former bearers had all of their legs bound by changeling slime. The secretion was also adorning Twilight’s and Rarity’s horns as an added measure against usage of magic. All of them looked positively worn down and haggard. Before the solar alicorn could say anything to them, the doorway to their prison slid open.

Footsteps hitting the ground rouse many of the captive to attention as they beheld their warden in shock. Jason Wright smiled devilishly at them, but he was free from all his scarring like the day he first came to Equestria. “J-Jason?” Twilight asked weakly.

“I’m afraid not, Twilight,” Celestia said grimly.

“Ah, what gave it away?” ‘Jason’ asked.

“...Why are you posing as him?” Pinkie asked in a muted tone.

“T-That ain’t right!” Applejack grunted out.

“Have you no shame for your beloved?!” Rarity shrieked as best as she could. She saw Fluttershy shy away from the disguise and whimpered.

“Yeah! I thought of anyone, you’d have the sense not to disrespect the dead—”

“Finish that sentence, cur, and I shall make your stay far worse than it already is!!!” ‘Jason’ shouted, cutting Rainbow Dash off. He sighed while regaining his composure. “Now, I am sure you are wondering what’s going on? Why are we here? What’s become of Equestria in your absence?”

“Tch. The answer is obvious!?” Luna spat, raising her head. “You want vengeance. A pound of flesh for your loss. Retribution for Jason Wright’s demise.”

Jason stared blankly at the Luna diarch before responding. “Hmm, I can definitely see how you come to that conclusion given your present circumstance, but you’re not grasping the whole picture. You are not the object of my revenge, but a symptom of it. If I truly wanted revenge against any of you I'd simply drain you all of your love until you were nothing but a lifeless husk. Trust me. It’s not a pleasant way to go.” Jason said with no small amount of glee.

“Chrysalis. What happened to Jason was regrettable, but why would undue the work he has done for your changelings?” Celestia asked.

“I concur!” Luna stated angrily. “The changelings were fully integrated in our society. Perfectly concealed and free to feed on our love. Any attempts to find them were thwarted no doubt by your agents. But, it was Jason’s wish for their prosperity!”

Jason cackled. It sounded mad and hollow with hints of sorrow that unnerved everyone present. “Yes, that he did. His ideas were so much more sound and thought. He created the perfect means for my subjects – our subjects – and got his justice. Yet the lesson he tried to impeach upon the world was not learned. The hunts continued and the ponies remained stubborn to their innocence. But then, why isn’t he here right now? If you catch the guilty and expose them, then why do you still go unpunished? Why do you get to laugh as he rots? Why do you get to love while he decays? Is that harmony?! IS THAT FAIR!?” Jason leapt at the cage and glared down at the Princess. When the two didn’t flinch, he twisted his neck behind him as sickening cracks rang out. He looked at the elements who shied away from the display.

“Chrysalis–”

“No!” ‘Jason’ interrupted as he moved closer, realigned his neck to the right direction while he approached. “No, I don’t think that is fair at all,” ‘Jason’ continued. “There will be no more half measure. No more negotiations. True retribution. True justice starts now!”

“So, what then? Will you replace more ponies? Capture and feed on their love by force? If you seek to wage war with us then at least do so out of the shadows!” Luna declared with a stomp of her hoof.

Jason laughed again. “Oh, Princess. You know so little of me. Why would I waste my time fighting you vile ponies? The dragons are doing a fantastic job of that already~.”

At Chrysalis’ words, the dungeon went silent. “W-What are you saying?” Rainbow asked.

“Yeah, Ah know we're on the outs right now, but Ember wouldn’t go fussin’ on about war!” Applejack stated.

“Oh, you sad little sadists, I’m afraid you’ve been out of the loop for far too long. Here, let me enlighten you.” Chrysalis’ horn shot out of her head through the disguise and displayed several images. It displayed locations all over Equestria ranging from Manehattan, White Tail Woods, Rainbow Falls, Dodge Junction, Appleloosa, and finally Canterlot. All of them were burning. All of them had bodies of ponies and dragons alike strung about on the ground; dead. The ponies all gasped in horror before Rarity spoke. “You’re just trying to scare us into believing these falsehoods!”

“Yeah, you’re trying to manipulate us with fake memories and images!” Twilight said matter of factly.

“Am I? Well, I happen to have corresponding newspaper articles from trusted sources as well.” Her horn glowed again as she levitated several papers from multiple sources. “You can check from a glance the symbols of these fine establishments to know they are authentic. I believe the headlines say it all.”

“No…!” Luna gasped as she read each paper.” how could this be? Blueblood wouldn’t declare the dragons a threat!”

“Oh, he wouldn’t. But, you know that I can be very convincing.” Chrysalis said, morphing into the stallion in question. “It didn’t even take much to rally all the ponies into the idea with you xeonophobic tendencies and all.”

“Cadance wouldn’t allow this! Despite her feelings, she knew Blueblood and I were making progress in changing Equestria’s mindset! She would’ve seen through this ploy!”

“If she was still allied with Equestria, but…” Chrysalis changes into Luna this time. “Especially, when her dear sweet aunt denounces her as family and declares the Crystal Empire as an enemy state. Thus prompting Shining Armor to dismantle the train and all trade to Equestria indefinitely.”

Another mad cackle made the ponies sink further into despair. “No, how could you do this?” Celestia asked.

“Very simple if you paid more attention during your rule. But alas, you ponies insist on learning the hard way. Only this time the lesson will stick when all of ponykind is reduced to ashes. I imagine by the end of this year - and with how ferocious the Dragon Lord has been fighting - the Equestrians will soon enter the endangered species list.”

As Chrysalis began another bout of insane unhinged laughter, one of her drones enters the cells. “My queen! We have him.”

“Oh, excellent. I knew that lizard would leave him alone eventually. Is he finding his room accommodating?”

“He is thoroughly restrained as per your instructions, my queen.”

“Then, let’s not keep our friend waiting.” Chrysalis said as she morphed back into Jason’s form. He turned back to the prisoners and grinned. “I think you all should watch this.” She cast a spell that displayed a darkened room. A figure lay on the floor, a familiar bipedal form. He was thoroughly injured and bleeding from several deep gashes on his person and was barely moving. ‘Jason’ laughed as he left the room.

Everyone in the room stared in horror at the beaten form of Gregory Graystone as he lay there. The hovering magical screen showed him trying to move, but being weakened by whatever had happened to him, he seemed to be finding it difficult. Luna’s face was pale. “We should never have let him out of our sight…” she said.

“But, it makes no sense! How did she capture him?” Twilight exclaimed.

“Look, something’s happening!” Fluttershy said.

The door to Gregory’s cell opened as ‘Jason’ walked inside. Gregory had yet to raise his head while ‘Jason’ pulls up a chair. “Damn, you look like shit.”

Gregory didn’t move too much, only lifted his head. “Drop…the act…I know you’re…not Jason…” he said weakly.

“Oh, this isn’t an act. I’m not playing at your sanity. That’s too easy. I want you to know why this is happening.”

“I know…exactly why,” Gregory said, spitting out a glob of blood. “I killed Jason…and now you want to torture me…”

“Hmm, that’s good. I must say that it is hard to find prisoners that still retain this level of cognisance. It saves a lot of time.”

Gregory turned, and every pony in the room gasped at how he looked. He had bruises on his face and a black eye that had swollen his eye shut. “Humans…are tougher…than you think…” he said. “How else…would Jason have survived the pony’s torture for three years…?”

“Is that a challenge I hear? I do believe I am being challenged. Yes, you humans are a sturdy bunch. I wonder if you can measure up to Jason? Perhaps you can even surpass his record. I can’t wait to find out.”

Gregory scowled. “Jason would be so ashamed of you…Chrysalis…”

Chrysalis dropped her playful demeanor and walked up to Gregory. She looked at her nails before viciously slapping him across the face, leaving another gash. “Don’t speak as if you know him. You two were not friends. You two did not hang out. You know nothing. All you are is his killer!”

“I know he continued to offer me safety,” Gregory replied, recovering some of his strength. “And you think I don’t know what I did? Nothing you do to me can compare to the pain I feel every day knowing what I did.”

“Hmm, I can try my best. You see, there is always something more to take. You might think you are at rock bottom, but this is just the beginning. For instance…” Chrysalis snapped her finger and an image of Gregory standing over Jason appeared. He had his gun in hand as he pulled the trigger and a loud bang echoed in the room. “Your finest moment. A wayward human accepted as the pony’s champion, striking a threat, what a hero.”

“I see that every fucking night in my nightmares,” Gregory said with a heavy tone.

Celestia turned to Luna. “Is that true?” she asked breathlessly.

Luna hesitated briefly before nodding. “Yes. I never felt a nightmare with such intense emotions. I hold no doubts that if Gregory was a magical creature, he would spawn another Tantabus with his nightmares. I’ve done my best to mitigate the nightmare, but they are plagued with a guilty mind and I can only devote so many nights to Gregory alone…”

Celestia went to reply but Chrysalis spoke again. “Only in your nightmares? That hardly seem like proper recompense. After all, you get to wake up and enjoy peace from there, So, seeing this play over and over in your waking hours works out.”

“Enjoy peace? Hardly.” He sighed. “I get to live with the knowledge that I’m well deservedly despised.”

“Please, ponies arre fickle in their likes and dislikes. They would’ve rationalized your actions sooner or later.” Chrysalis scoffs. “Besides, you also get to live in the nonexistent bosom of the Dragon Lord,” Chrysalis sneered. “A faithful mate to have and to hold. A mate that will eventually chip away at your guilt and tell you everything will be okay. Does she mean nothing to you?”

“I’d say leave her out of this, but I know you’d stoop low enough to use her to torment me,” he spat.

“Hmm, is that not my right as a widow? Your actions torment me, yet you don’t see me crying the victim. I’ve always been more hands on. Now, I have a little present for you.” Chrysalis leaned closer and tapped her glowing horn to Gregory’s forehead. Gregory weakly grunted, expecting more pain, but looked surprised when nothing came. “Oh, that wasn’t the surprise. That little spell is there to make things interesting for this next part. Bring them inside!”

The doors opened again as nine familiar creatures filed into the room. Gregory stared up in horror at one figure in particular. “Ember? No, that’s not her!”

“Are you sure?” Chrysalis down at the captured Dragon Lord as she struggled in her bindings.

Gregory shook his head, as if he was trying to clear it. “What did you do to me?!” he demanded.

“I told you. Just something to make the game more interesting.Now, it’s time to play.” Chrysalis snapped her fingers and Gregory’s bindings left him. Before he could question, Chrysalis threw his pistol to him.

Gregory looked at the pistol, then back at Chrysalis. “What is this?” he demanded.

“Killing is making a choice. You chose to end Jason’s life. Now you must choose which life matters more to you; your lover or your friends.” Chrysalis said with a malicious smile.

Gregory began wavering and the ponies in their cells watched in horror as he picked up the pistol. He looked to see if it was fully loaded, then snapped the clip back in place. His eyes seemed to be glowing a bit now, but his teeth were gritted as if he was fighting back. Fluttershy couldn’t stand it. She turned away. “What is she doing to him?” she asked in a trembling tone.

“I don’t know. He’s just sitting there twitching.” Rainbow said.

“She’s attacking his mind.” Twilight deduced.

“Now for the rules,” Chrysalis sneered. “Option one. You love your mate, correct. All you have to do to stave off her death is kill these vile pony scum. You can do it all at once or one at a time. They were the ones who set us on this path, so there is no escape for them. Kill them - live with that pain - and I'll let you both go. Option two is a personal favorite though. Kill Ember and we’re even. Experience the pain you cause me and you can go back to harmony and friendship. Choose wisely now.”

Gregory’s hand began to move. The pistol was raised up, pointing at the false Elements of Harmony, then the false Celestia and Luna, then at Ember. He gritted his teeth, then did something that seemed to catch even Chrysalis off guard. “Even if…they’re just fakes…I’ll go…with option…THREE!” With effort, he put the pistol to his own head and pulled the trigger.

The room shifted and Gregory woke up with a gasp and shot back up. He looked around his surroundings, expecting to see heaven or even hell, only to find himself back in Chrysalis’ hive with gun in hand and his friends and lover still bound. “Come now, did you really think I’d make things that easy for you? Although, I must admit that option three is rather cowardly. You would leave your friends and mate to an uncertain fate? And creatures say I am cruel.” Chrysalis laughed. “Now, choose.”

With an even more valiant effort, he tossed the pistol away from him. “No…” he said, although he was clearly slipping.

Chrysalis appeared behind Gregory and whispered in his ear. “I will invoke every agony upon you. Every violation imaginable. And when your mind, body and soul is well and truly broken, then you will have my permission to die!”

He shuddered as she tore his clothes away, leaving him completely naked. His eyes were glowing a bit brighter now. They were a sickly green and his irises were almost gone. “Fuck…you…bitch…”

“Oh, I love it when they play hard to get. But let’s make things a little more exciting, shall we?” Chrysalis' horn glowed as Gregory suddenly found his gun arm slowly raising. At the same time, Chrysalis aura encompassed the ponies and Ember while spinning them in a circle. “It’s time to choose, Gregory. Either you pull the trigger now or I do it for you. Better hurry, this level of control gets tedious even for me. I might slip~.”

His expression turned to utter hatred, and the spell he was under seemed to falter. He seemed to be fighting to the last. Still, he was unable to resist for long. A single shot rang out. He looked at who he had shot, and screamed in horror.

Chrysalis grinned. “Good first choice! But the fun’s only just beginning!”

[Some Time Later…]

Bang. Bang. Bang. It was all Gregory could hear, all he could feel when he pulled back the hammer. His emotions were all over the place. He couldn’t tell what was real and what was fantasy. Everything was a big blur and he was finding his grip on his sanity slipping. He’d seen the ponies die over and over again. The tears didn’t come anymore, he was all dried out. He held on as best as he could, but he feared Chrysalis would win. In fact, he knew it was so.

He had failed. He was nothing. He knew that now. The loathing he felt for himself was just too much.

“Ahaha. This is great. It’s the final two contestants. The lover and the best friend. Who will live and who will die? But, first, let's hear from our lovely volunteers.” Chrysalis snapped her fingers as the mouth gags fell from Pinkie Pie and Ember.

“You foul oversize cockroach! I’ll burn you chitin to ashes when I get out of here!!!” Ember roared.

“Oh, quite the mouth on her. I wonder if you have had a chance to put it to good use yet?” Chrysalis asked salaciously.

“Gregory?” Pinkie asked in concern and fear.

“Everything is death,” he droned. “Death is the absolute. I am nothing but a monster…I will burn in hell for all eternity…”

“Stop this. He’s had enough!!!” Ember shrieked, tears threatening to spill.

“They will never forgive me. It’s what I deserve…I am a monster.”

“Hmm, he does seem rather down for the first session. But that’s all this is right now. Just the first of many more fun games to come. Now, let’s finish this up. I got another surprise for you. Come on, Gregory. You can do it. Pick one.”

He looked up in anguish. “Please…mistress…I can’t…”

“Ah, ah, ah. Your mistress gave you a command. Do it!”

Broken, defeated, he looked up with sorrow at the two. “I…I am…” he faltered. “It’s…”

“Gregory! Come on. Snap out of it!” Ember said. All her words did was get the gun leveled at her. “Hey, watch where you’re pointing that! It’s me, Ember!”

His hand wavered. Something clicked in his mind. A memory. He felt fresh tears falling. “Our…our future child shouldn’t hatch in this world…” he finally managed weakly.

Pinkie looked at the broken state of her friend and the heartbroken visage of Ember and let out a shuddering sigh. “Gregory. Look at me.” Gregory did so while also training the gun on Pinkie. “It’s okay, Gregory. I’m sorry I was angry with you. But I want you to know it’s okay. Go and live a happy life with your marefriend. Or, dragon friend. Sorry, I don’t know the term.” Pinkie stuck her tongue out as tears streamed down her face. One last act of optimism from the bubbly mare.

The tears continued pouring down his cheeks. “Pinkie…I’m so…so…sorry…” The pain of his resistance continued growing and his finger tensed. “I…I’m a monster…” With that said, his finger twitched above the trigger before pulling it back. The last shot seemed to echoe forever as pink fur was stained with red.

Gregory dropped the gun, looked to the ceiling, and screamed in utter despair as his friend died. The spell on him began to lift and he saw the carnage of all the six former Elements. He saw the look of horror on Ember’s face. His screams echoed louder.

Then, the screaming stopped. Gregory gasps as he fell on his hands and knees gasping for breath. The haze and despair was gone from his mind and he could think clearly again. He looked around to see Chrysalis smiling down at him as she gave him a round of applause. “Bravo. Bravo. What a good showing for this session.”

Realization donned on Gregory as he glared up at the queen. “You’re…sick!!!”

“Hmm, guilty. I told you that there was always something to take.”

“You’re not going to release me, are you?” he said.

Chrysalis smirked. “Unlike you, I’m a mare of my word. You and your fuck buddy will leave this place alive.” Chrysalis had a thoughtful expression. “If she was here of course. After what you experienced, It’s hard to tell what’s real and what isn’t.”

Despair flooded his soul as he looked at where Ember, or her illusion, had been. She was gone, as if she wasn’t there. The bodies of the six mares were still there, of course, but there was no sign Ember had been there. That was when he felt the snap. He began to make a gasping noise, which slowly became a chuckle. Then a demented laugh. He felt tears pouring down as he fell to the floor, laughing in his madness.

“Aw, aw, aw. I’d save that madness if I was you, after all…” Chrysalis snapped her fingers again and the room became lit. Gregory’s eyes widened in horror at the six bodies on the ground. All of them were random mares. All of them with bullets in their temples. “You’re going to have to explain to the families about the mess you made. Don’t worry though, I’ll let you rest now. Stew in that insanity before I come back for a fresher tomorrow. We’ll have loads more fun cackling in despair, sobbing in grief, and raging throughout the coming days. Have a good night, Gregory.” Chrysalis said gleefully as she exited the room.

The madness deepened, and he laughed even harder. “Dippy Duppy Murder Guppy! Time to die an insane puppy!” He giggled insanely as the real former Elements of Harmony, Celestia, and Luna, watched the human’s descent into madness.

Celestia felt tears of empathy flow down her cheeks. She couldn’t bear to see the human breaking like this, but she was physically unable to look away. This was all of their punishment. They would watch a second human be destroyed by this world.

[Outskirts of Trottingham]

“RAAHHH!!!!” Ember roared as she stabs her scepter down into the chest cavity of an earth pony stallion. He struggled and gasped for air until the life left his eyes and Ember removed her weapon. She nimbly ducks under a magical bolt before launching a fireball in retaliation. She was rewarded with the guttural screams of her fallen foe. She took to the skies as some pegasi flew overhead. She immediately gives chase while priming her claws. She raked down and severed the wings off of one of the ponies.

She was about to get the other two when Smolder latched onto a pony’s neck and ripped out their throat while Garble snapped the neck of the last one. “Report!” Ember ordered.

“We just finished wiping out a bunch of them in the north,” Grable said.

“We were heading to the east to regroup with the main force when we bumped into you,” Smolder stated.

“Then, let’s go. The sooner we’re done with this war, the sooner we go home,” Ember stated.

“Yeah, we wouldn’t want to keep you human friend feeling alone.” Garble joked. However, a glare from Ember made him quiet down.

“Are you sure we couldn’t bring him along? Those weapons of his could’ve helped a lot,” Smolder said.

“He is right where he needs to be and this is our war to finish.” Ember stated sternly. “I’ll finish this and we can have our lives together…”

The Alternative Holidays

[Seeds Of Yggdrasil - Auditorium - October 31st]

“So, what’s this movie called again?” Smolder asked. She and a lot of other students and some faculty of the school were all sitting down in front of a big screen and movie projector in front.

Gregory was busily setting up said projector and connecting it and a few large speakers that Sunset had brought from the human world to his laptop. Outside of the darkened room, a heavy rainfall had just begun and according to some pegasi and griffins who had flown above said storm, it was going to last for a few days at least. It might have been October 31st, but being so far north, wintery weather had already started, with the possibility for snow in the upcoming week or two. “It’s an older movie from my world called The Thing. It’s a mix of science fiction and horror. Fair warning, this movie is not for the faint of heart.”

“Pfft, oh please. With the amount of crazy we used to deal with on a weekly basis, I doubt any old movie can make us lose our nerve,” Rainbow Dash stated confidently.

“It’s rated R for a reason,” Gregory said. “Remember when I talked about movie ratings?”

“Hey, let her find out the hard way. Let’s see if the hardened Wonderbolt can keep that same energy. I know I’ll be winning that bet we got,” Jaason said from his position near the front right next to a human shaped Chrysalis. He held a bowl of popcorn in his hand which he was sharing with his fiancée. The bet he was referring to was one that came from an argument on who among the school was the most fearless. It was actually Jason’s idea to show a horror movie marathon and he’d gone to Gregory to see what sort of movies he had. It was just lucky that he’d downloaded a bunch of scary movies. They’d gone through the list of movies Gregory had until Jason pointed out a few terrifying human horror movies, including The Thing by John Carpenter. Gregory was a bit hesitant to show this particular one, but when he saw that the people were not gonna back down, he reluctantly agreed.

“Oh yeah?” Rainbow said in a challenging tone. “I bet you all the candy I’m going to score on Nightmare Night that this scary film is all hype.”

Jason smirked as he ate his popcorn. “Your funeral.”

Gregory smirked. “It’s just a good thing Fluttershy’s not here. She would not have a good time. I should have done The Nightmare Before Christmas, but you older people wanted true horror.”

“I do wonder how science will play into something with such an auspicious title,” Twilight said.

“I must agree that naming a movie ‘The Thing’ hardly seems imaginative,” Rarity said.

“It’s science fiction, my dear Twilight,” Gregory said, “so it’s best to suspend your disbelief. And Rarity, sometimes the simplest titles of human media are the best.” He finally finished setting things up, and the screen popped up on the large projector, showing his desktop, which showed an image of a very famous science fiction spaceship and several icons. “Okay, and we are up and running.” He stood and turned back. “If any of you for any reason want to leave, I won’t stop you. Like I said, this is a horror movie and not one for anyone who is easily frightened to watch.” When nobody stood, he sighed and hit play before walking over to Ember, sitting next to his girlfriend and sharing a bowl of their own popcorn among them.

The movie begins with a group of men standing on the continent of Antarctica. They were bewildered when a husky wolf ran up to them clearly distressed. “Ah, look at the cute little doggie. It’s too bad Fluttershy is missing this,” Pinkie said.

“I wouldn’t want her watching this movie,” Gregory replied, “now hush and watch.”

The scene continued as a helicopter landed in front of them as more human males came out with weapons trained on the wayward dog. “Ah don’t like the looks of ‘em. And what in Sam Hill is the thing they came out of?” Applejack asked.

“It looks like my bichopper but with more metal,” Pinkie said.

“Say, what kind of weapons are those? They’re longer than your pistols Gregory,” Starlight asked,

“Those are assault rifles,” Gregory explained., “and I’ll explain what they are later. Now hush and watch.”

Back in the movie, the men broke out into an argument that ultimately led to the humans defending the husky to kill the disgruntled men in self defense. Many in the assembly flinched in shock at the violent death in clear display. But, the real shock came when two of the researchers left for the Norwegian facility. There, the two men found an abnormally large ice tomb that appeared to have contained something ancient. The men also discovered a horribly disfigured corpse. The sight of the body made more than half the audience squeamish as a few more left the movie. The two men brought the corpse back for an autopsy.

“I should remind you, nothing you’re seeing has really happened to them,” Gregory said. “It’s all special effects.”

“W-Well, I give credit to the prop designer for their realistic effects…” Rarity gulped.

“Why were they trying to hurt that little dog? I take it back. I’m glad Fluttershy isn’t here,” Pinkie said.

Gregory sighed. He had been afraid of this. The movie had just begun, and the constant talking and questions was starting to get to him. Still, he remained patient as he said, “Just watch and maybe you’ll find out.”

“You might as well save your breath. Ponies are probably more curious than us. Just let them enjoy it how they want. We already saw the movie. I’m just here for the reactions,” Jason said as he noted several of the audience looking queasy.

“Yes, we have a standing bet to see who's left standing after this horror show,” Chrysalis said.

“Here for the lulz, got it,” Gregory said as he reached into the popcorn bowl only to touch Ember’s claw which was already reaching for popcorn of her own. He gave her a small embarrassed smile. “Sorry,” he whispered to her.

“What? Are you so scared that you need to hold my claw?” Ember teased. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.”

Gregory rolled his eyes at this and stuck out his tongue at her playfully as he continued watching. The movie continues as the Americans placed the husky dog in a pen with the others. The audience noticed how the husky sat motionless in the center while the other dogs gave it a wide berth. In fact, as the scene dragged on, the other dogs became increasingly more upset and afraid as they started barking wildly.

“I wonder what’s got them all upset?” Gallus pondered.

“I don’t think they like their new roommate,” Silverstream said.

Hidden from them all, Jason grinned in anticipation at what would be revealed soon enough. His smile grew as all the occupants let out a shriek of surprise when the lone husky’s face split apart. More screams erupted at the image of the bleeding and tearing flesh of the dog as it twitched in an unnatural manner. Some ponies fainted while others ran out of the room looking like they were about to hurl. The creature began spraying the other dog in strange fluids before tendrils shot out of its body and wrapped around the other dogs. The pen doors made escape impossible as the creature grew spider-like legs. One of the humans came to investigate only for one of the distressed dogs to knock him down. The man got back up to see something trying to escape. He quickly locked the pen before the alarm went off and alerted the other researchers. The humans converged to behold the horror of a disfigured dog glaring and roaring at them with an unnatural squeal.

“What manner of creature is that?” Celestia asked. Never in her long years of life had she ever encountered such a thing.

“I don’t know, but it stole our whole motif!” Chrysalis said in outrage. “At least changelings take other forms with more finesse.”

“Oh, it gets better, honey,” Jason said deviously.

“You’re evil, Jason,” Gregory said teasingly.

Back to the movie, the humans got over their shock and began firing their weapons at the monster with little effect. A stray shot killed a dog wrapped in tentacles before another human tackled the gun wielder down. Before an argument could break out, the monster sprouted arms from its back and attempted to escape through the ceiling. Finally, the segment ended with another human wielding a flame thrower and burning the creature alive.

“I think after this, I’ll show them a ridiculous comedy video,” Gregory said to Jason. “A palette cleanser, if you will.”

“W-What? Why? D-Do you think we’re wimps or something? This is–” Rainbow paused as she suppressed a gag and a shudder. “This is a monster movie marathon. We’re not some scared little fillies.”

“I’m feeling pretty scared right now…!” Sunburst trembled.

Gregory looked over to where Sunset was seated beside Celestia. She was just leaning against the wall in a remarkably human way, looking unperturbed. He locked eyes with his new rival in gaming and gave her a grin. She grinned back, then went back to watching the movie. The men take the new corpse to the autopsy room and discover that the thing was trying to replicate and copy the dog. Twilight took an interest in that as she spoke.

“Amazing,” Twilight said, taking some notes in her notebook. “It can replicate the mass of another organism. Its cells and genetic make up must be completely malleable.”

“Too bad it kills the creature it's trying to mimic. Another point to changelings being the superior shapeshifters,” Chrysalis stated smugly as Jason rolled his eyes.

Jason rolled his eyes. “This is a movie viewing, not an ego trip, Chryssi,” Jason said flatly. “Besides, I’d say the thing is better at causing dissension in the ranks.”

Jason was right, of course. The movie continued and displayed the growing distrust between the human researchers. The men soon found what the Norwegians dug up through their video logs and set out to the site. Once there, the audience gasped at the unusual circular structure buried in the snow. “WHOA! Is that a spaceship?!” Spike exclaimed. “So the thing is an alien?!”

“I did say it was a science fiction movie, didn’t I?” Gregory chuckled. “Now let’s watch, little drake. You and your girlfriend.” He smirked at Spike and Gabby who were sitting next to each other.

After deducing how the Norwegians found the Thing, one scientist played a simulation of how the Thing assimilated its prey with the computer reading a 75% chance of the researchers crew being infected. The more intelligent ponies in the room recoiled in shock at the implication of those readings, but then, everyone gasped out in horror at the number displaying how long it would take for the Thing to infect the entire planet.

“27000 hours! That’s just a little over three years!!!” Starlight shrieked.

“And I thought I was fast…” Rainbow squealed out.

“It still surprises me that Gaia years and Earth years are identical,” Gregory said quietly, “including leap years…”

The movie continued with a pair of men moving the corpse into storage. “Ah think they outta burn that thing and be done with it. There’s no way ah’d feel safe otherwise,” Applejack commented. Sure enough, as one man temporarily leaves the room and comes back inside, he sees the thing assimilating its next victim. “What the hay?!?!”

“I thought that thing was dead!” Gallus hollered.

“Why did it have to be tentacles?” Sunset said squeamishly.

“Yeah, that’s not the kind of hugs I like or endorse,” Pinkie gagged.

“For that reason exactly,” Gregory said.

“I’ve seen enough hentai to know where this is going,” Jason joked.

Gregory gave Jason a narrow eyed stare before he took off one of the slippers he was wearing and pointed it at Jason as he said, “I will send you to Jesus.”

The scene continued with the infected crewmate running out into the snow. It fell to its knees as the researchers surrounded it. The creature looked back at the men as it lifted its horribly disfigured and bloody hands. It released an unholy wail that no creature this side of Earth and Gaia would ever make. Taking action, a man burned the creature as it squealed in pain. The sound caused more of the audience members to run out as the creature collapsed to the ground and another man threw a stick of dynamite at it and blew it up. It was then that the crew gathered all the other corpses and burned them as well.

“Good. Given this creature's nature, it would be best to destroy all remnants of it,” Celestia praised.

“They should’ve done that from the beginning thus preventing the loss of their friends,” Ember said.

“But then we wouldn’t have a movie,” Gregory chuckled.

However, the distrust between the men grew as one of the scientists seemingly became unhinged and began sabotaging the equipment. He destroyed the helicopter and radios and killed the surviving dogs. Things escalated further when the mad scientist began firing upon his fellow crewmates, forcing the other men to place him in a makeshift prison. However, the man stated how he can’t trust anyone and told another to watch out for the others.

“Goodness! This situation is driving everyone mad!” Rarity noted.

“Put yourself in their position,” Gregory said. “Would you be able to fully trust anyone if this creature was imitating someone in your friend group?”

“Uh, didn’t we go through the exact same thing with the changelings?” Trixie reminded everyone.

“I wasn’t about to say anything,” Gregory said.

“You implied it,” Chrysalis said, “and like I said, changelings have more finesse in our disguises. Killing our targets tends to complicate matters.” Chrysalis noticed the odd stares she was getting. “What? We haven’t practiced those methods in thousands of years. At least during my mother’s tenure.”

“Wow, I wanna hear about that later,” Gregory said.

Back with the film, a doctor suggested a way to discern who was an imposter by gathering blood samples and comparing it to an untainted batch. However, the test never happened as the backup blood supply was drained away. Accusations began to fly amongst the men as only certain individuals could have ruined the samples given their access to the key and safe. One man became so distraught that he attempted to arm himself with a weapon, but was stopped and they relegated the authority to one man. They burned the blood and the newly appointed leader gives a logical speech about how not all of the crewmates are compromised.

“I can’t believe how bad it’s gotten so quickly,” Sunburst said.

“Fear and paranoia are powerful tools. I’ve seen kingdoms collapse from these very same feelings,” Celestia said. “At the very least, these men are approaching this with critical and sound thinking so as not to be too overwhelmed. Panic is dangerous as well.”

“It’s too bad we didn’t get to see that test play out. I wonder how they would’ve gotten everyone to agree to it. I doubt the Thing would submit to something that would expose its treachery,” Twilight hypothesized.

The movie continued with them noticing someone going outside until he found an article of clothing. They form a search party while asking the captive man if he’s seen anyone. The audience is then shown a morbid scene of a noose hanging from the ceiling while the prisoner casually asking to go back inside.

“Is that a noose?!” Smolder asked.

“Maybe he wants to play jump rope?” Sandbar offered weakly.

“I think it's best if we don’t read too much into this,” Ocellus shuddered.

Sadly, the search ended with the missing man found in the snow burnt to a crisp. The men offered theories as to what happened, but nothing was ultimately concluded. “Wait, does the thing know how to work the explosive now?” Spike asked.

“I think that human might’ve made a mistake. You’re supposed to handle those things with caution,” Gabby said.

“So, which is it?” Rainbow asked her human friends.

“I don’t know,” Jason gave a noncommittal shrug. “The filmmakers wanted their audience to come up with their own ideas about what's happening. That’s why this is a classic.”

“It is a pretty good film,” Gregory nodded, “and the best scene still hasn’t come up yet.”

The movie went on with two men investigating a shack with the lights on. However, only one of them came back when they discovered more clothing out in the open, thus making the rest of the crew suspicious of the now missing leader. The other men began arguing about leaving the leader to freeze outside when he came back. Eventually, the leader found another way inside and held up three sticks of dynamite before his other crewmates.

“No! Don’t turn on each other. That’s what the Thing wants!” Pinkie exclaimed.

“I think at this point any one of them could be the monster,” Starlight said.

“So what are they going to do? Are they going to fight each other?” Rainbow asked.

“Ah think it’s a mite more serious than a simple tussle,” Applejack said grimly.

The ensuing fight led to one of the men dying from a heart attack. The others got him to the medical bay and attempted to bring him back to life. However, right when a man was about to use the defibrillator, the formerly dead man’s chest cavity opened up to reveal razor sharp teeth. It chomped down on the man’s arms and bit them off as he screamed in agony. The Thing revealed another horrific transformation as the severed head of the man sat on a pillar of flesh and moved around like a snake. The sounds of vomiting and hoofsteps echo throughout the showing as more ponies left.

“Best…scene…ever,” Gregory said as the Thing transformed. He then turned to Ember, holding up the popcorn. “Want some more?”

Ember looked slightly put off at the scene but regained her composure. “Yeah, give it here!” She took the bowl and poured the whole thing into her maw.

Gregory smirked as he took a sip of his soda. He looked around the room, noticing that the auditorium was quickly becoming emptier. “At this rate, it’ll be a marathon of one movie,” he chuckled.

“As long as I win the bet, then I’m cool,” Jason said.

“F-Fat chance!!!” Rainbow said with resolve. “It will take more than some creepy, freaky head growing out of a stomach to scare us off!” As if to challenge her words, the scene continued with the original body’s head detaching itself from the rest as a man burns it. It grew spider-like appendages from its neck stump and tried to flee, but the leader burned it as well. Rainbow now looks thoroughly disturbed by this. “...Um…”

“And we’re still only at the midway point,” Jason chuckles.

“There’s more of this gruesome parade of body horror?” Chrysalis asked. “I am seriously considering getting your head checked out.”

“What, does that include me?” Gregory asked. “This is my copy of the movie, you know?”

“You both can share a room in the looney bin after this,” Sunset giggled.

“Bite me, Sunny,” Gregory snarked back at his gaming buddy.

Finally, the leader attempted to regain some order by proposing a new blood test, but only after everyone was restrained. When one man refused, the leader threatened him with a gun. One man attempts to attack the leader from behind with a scalpel. This caused the leader to spin around and fire, killing his crewmate with a headshot. The audience all looked on in dismay.

“Nooooo! Human Fluttershy!!!!” Pinkie wailed.

“Now you know why I refuse to share my weapon technology with the world,” Gregory said.

“...I don’t think a friendship lesson is going to fix this, Twilight,” Starlight said solemnly.

“I think you might be right,” Twilight agreed. “I hope they come up with some kind of solution before anyone else is hurt.”

Gregory was suddenly aware of a new weight on his lap. Looking down, he saw a trembling Pinkie Pie now curled up on his lap. Feeling a bit bad for her, he began stroking her mane reassuringly. “It’s only a movie, Pinkie,” he said softly.

“I know. I’m playing it up a bit, but it’s still so sad. Plus, I like my headpats,” Pinkie smiled.

Gregory smirked and ran his hand through her soft mane. “And I like giving them. It’s relaxing.”

Ember snorted in anger and pulled Gregory closer to her while giving Pinkie the stink eye. The pink mare seemed to get the message and went back to her seat with an awkward chuckle. “Hehe, sorry.”

“Relax, Ember,” Gregory whispered as he put an arm around her, pulling her close. “She’s just a friend.”

Back on screen, the leader finally began the test now that the crew and the dead bodies are properly tied up. The next few minutes were filled with nothing but pure suspense as the leader explained his idea. “I get it!” Twilight stated. “If the Thing’s components act independently from each other then it makes sense that any individual part doesn’t want to be destroyed. It’s a test designed to play against one's own survival instincts!” Twilight finished while clapping her hooves excitedly.

“Leave it to the book horse to look at this horrorfest scientifically,” Sunset chuckled.

“Shush! The test is starting!”

The leader then goes to each man and collects a blood sample. “Does he have to take that much?” Silverstream asked as she turned green.

“You can never be too thorough. I guess,” Gallus said.

With the samples collected, the leader heated up a copper wire. He took his sample first and stabbed the wire into the blood. Everyone sighed in relief when there was no reaction. The leader got to the man he’d shot and tested his blood, only for there to be no reaction, prompting one of the other men to snidely call him a murderer.

“I wouldn’t say that it was murder,” Ember said.

“Why’s that? He clearly shot the other guy,” Spike said.

“He shot the guy attempting to attack him from behind. Self defense.”

‘That’s true,” Smolder agreed.

“But he only did that because he was threatening everyone else with a weapon. And, he thought he was a thing.” Gabby reminded them.

“And the leader thought the others were the Thing since they tried to leave him in the cold. So, I’d say he’s justified,” Ember said.

“Regardless, a tragic misunderstanding can cost you dearly. Let’s hope the conclusion of this test will finally end this madness,” Celestia said.

“I don’t know about this test though. He’s already gone through half of them and there’s been no reaction. What if this doesn’t work?” Rarity asked.

“Wait for iiiit,” Gregory smirked.

One of the men seemed to recite Rarity’s concerns as he said the whole test is a waste of time and didn’t prove anything. The leader rebuked him and responded that the man was the only one that had access to the blood samples in the safe. By now, the audience understood the pattern to identify who was safe. The camera always showed the leader heating up the wire. Then, it panned to the target in question. The leader poked the blood sample. There was no reaction and the man was safe. All these steps were in its own shot. The audience relaxed a bit and figured that the man that tried to dismiss the test was the Thing. However, no one was prepared when the leader poked another sample that was in his hand and the blood let out a hiss of pain and shot out of the dish. Everyone save for Jason and Gregory jumped back in surprise before the now exposed thing shapeshifted again.

“No way! It was him!?” Rainbow shrieked.

“I thought for sure it was the doctor!” Starlight said.

“That’s what I love about this movie,” Gregory said, “it keeps you guessing.”

Once again, the transformation was a gruesome one. The man’s head began to swell as his eyeballs popped out of their sockets. Its skull cracked open and protruded outward. Blood flowed out like a river before the Thing burst out of its restraints. The leader fumbled with the flamethrower as it wouldn’t light while the Thing shot up to the ceiling. Another man tried to burn it, but he froze up when the Thing jumped back down in front of him. Its head split open like a Venus flytrap and a tentacle wraps around the man's neck and pulls him into its maw. The man screamed in pain as the thing hoisted him off his feet while biting his cranium. Finally, he tossed the man aside while the leader finally got his weapon to work and torched the Thing. It tried to flee by bursting through the walls, but it collapsed from the fire and the leader blew it up.

“Well - hehe - the test worked,” Twilight said while feeling conflicted.

“Why the hay did he freeze up like that?” Rainbow said.

“Cut them some slack, RD. This ain’t normal circumstances! The man’s head was just chewed up like Wynnona’s chew toy by another man’s head!” Applejack said.

“I’m just saying he could’ve done something other than stand there!”

“It’s called shock, Rainbow,” Gregory explained. “It can happen to anyone.”

“It wouldn’t happen to me,” Ember stated.

“I didn’t say it would happen to everyone,” Gregory chuckled, pulling Ember even closer and rubbing her shoulder affectionately.

After destroying the Thing, the leader proceeded to burn his wounded crewmate, knowing full well that he was infected and there was no saving him. The remaining audience members were saddened by this but didn’t leave despite there being only a third of the original occupancy.

“Wow, there’s more here than I expected,” Gregory said softly to Jason.

“Hmm, yeah, but they’ll be gone during the last legs,” Jason said confidently.

The test finally concluded with the remaining humans being cleared of infection, however, they soon realized that the prisoner they left in the shack. When three of them went to check on him, they discovered that he was missing. To make matters worse, he was attempting to build an escape spacecraft.

“You mean that guy was the Thing too!?” Smolder gasped. “When did that happen?”

“Maybe the same time the mysterious shadow figure drew that scientist outside,” Sandbar suggested.

“Yona doesn't like all these twists,” the teenage yak said, “It’s making her head hurt.”

“He definitely had to change sometime when they burned the first human Thing,” Gallus said.

As the men began to prepare more dynamite, one of the men spotted the escaped Thing running outside before the power in the facility went out. The generator was completely shot thus threatening to freeze everyone remaining. The leader quickly deduced that the Thing wanted to freeze itself so that it could be discovered by a different research team. The dire implications donned on each man as they realized there was no escape. They realized then that they had to ensure that the Thing didn't escape either.

“I must admire this creature’s cunning and adaptability. In a few short hours, it’s driven a wedge between these humans and claimed a few lives. I shudder to think what would happen if such a being was real and free upon Gaia,” Celestia said with a shake of her head. “At the very least, these men are intent on stopping the creature from causing more harm. I’ve only seen such valor within the royal guards of old.”

Gregory almost made a quip to Chrysalis about how this creature was more like a changeling than she thought, but thought better of it. Instead, he said, “This movie is good at showing the best and worst of us.”

“It’s just a shame,” Twilight said as the scene showed the men destroying the facility. “Imagine all the research they discovered, only to have to destroy because of an alien monster! Why did this Thing choose to harm anyone? They could’ve learned so much from each other.”

“Why do Timberwolves harm anyone?” Gregory countered. “We don’t know if this creature is sapient like us or if it’s more like an advanced form of animal.”

“To be fair, Timberwolves are mostly mindless. This Thing has shown to be just as intelligent if not more so than the humans. It has the ability to make conscious and cognitive choices. Yet, it chose violence. That makes it malevolent,” Chrysalis said. “Or, to repeat my original point, it has no class.”

“No class? When did you turn into Rarity?” Gregory teased.

“Oh, please. I am a queen, remember? It comes with the crown.”

The men moved to a sub basement with a number of explosives to finally put an end to everything. However, the Thing managed to ambush the doctor and proceeded to assimilate him without anyone the wiser. The last two humans put the finishing touches on the explosive until one of the men got distracted and walked away, leaving the leader by himself.

“Welp, he’s dead,” Sunset said bluntly.

“What? You don’t know that,” Rainbow said.

“Ah don’t know, RD. Every time someone is by themselves or goes sightseein’, that Thing gets ‘em,” Applejack said.

“Sunset’s seen enough human movies to see where this trope is going, I’m sure,” Gregory smirked, fistbumping his friend’s hoof.

“It honestly makes little sense to even separate at this point.” Rarity abolished. “I mean, they should know it's a death sentence by now.”

“Says one of the ponies who asked Twilight to stay behind when trying to deal with the Everfree attacking?” Gregory jabbed playfully, referring to one of the episodes of the show where Twilight got her new castle

“Pfft. She was in the safety of Ponyville with a good number of capable ponies. It’s hardly the same.”

“Capable like…let’s see…ah never mind, not worth it to list all the names I know,” Gregory smirked.

“Now hold on a minute there, partner. You can’t go comparin’ that show of yers tah real life. Are ya sayin’ mah brother can't handle an overgrown weed?” Applejack asked.

“Remind me to show you those two episodes, but I think he’s one of the more capable ponies I know,” Gregory replied.

When the leader noticed that he was all alone now, the floorboards began to shake and burst from the ground as something headed toward him. The leader managed to evade it, but a tentacle grabbed the detonator, pulling it away. As the movie began to reach its climax, the final form of the Thing emerged. It towered over the man with a head devoid of any eyes, but still possessing razor sharp teeth. It had three arms - one on the right side and two on the left - while a disfigured dog-like head burst from its chest. All the while it let out an inhuman roar. This revelation was enough to scare off the remaining audience members as more hoofsteps scurried out the room. The only ones still there were Celestia, Sunset, the school faculty, the students, the former bearers. Chrysalis and the humans.

“I guess the Thing is done with the disguises,” Starlight noted in a queasy tone.

“Why bother when there’s only one human left?” Ember said.

“Hey, the doggy-thing makes a comeback,” Pinkie said.

“Yes, and it’s somehow even uglier,” Spike gagged.

“And it looks like it's just us for the rest of the ride,” Sunburst stated, noticing the empty seats.

“Just a few more scenes to go,” Jason said.

Back to the film, the leader shouted back at the Thing in defiance with a final “Yeah, fuck you too!” before using a stick of dynamite to detonate the others, thus destroying the facility. After a massive explosion, the leader stumbled on a piece of debris, thoroughly exhausted from the whole ordeal. However, another researcher that went missing returned in full snow gear. He took a seat next to the leader who questioned where he went. The man responded by saying that he saw the Thing running outside and gave chase, but he lost him. The leader eyed the man with suspicion as he took a drink. Both men were now wary of each other before the leader suggested that they sit down in the rising heat and nearby fire. The film finally cut to black and ended.

“Ah, what!? That’s it? It ends like that?! But who's the thing?” Rainbow exclaimed,

“I think that newcomer is the Thing,” Sunset said. “Did you notice that the remaining guy’s breath could be seen, but the other guy had no breath shown?”

“He might be sitting in a warmer spot,” Pinkie offered.

“And didn’t that thing in the snow have frost breath?” Rarity reminded them.

“Ah, drake! I hate cliffhanger endings!” Spike said.

“And how dumb is it that they were just going to sit there in the fire!” Smolder said.

“Yeah, if it were me, I’d probably just burn the other man. Why bother playing when I'm in top form and he’s not,” Gallus said.

“I doubt that would be so simple since he supposedly got lost in the storm and had to make his way back,” Sunburst stated.

“I found it to be a fitting end, since it upheld the themes of mystery and suspense quite well,” Celestia praised.

“Well, we have more movies to watch,” Gregory said as he stood and walked to his computer.

“Hey, that’s right! Ha!” Rainbow shot out of her seat and pointed a triumphant hoof at Jason. “We’re still here after that horror show! I bet you’ve got nothing left to scare us now!”

“Let’s take a little break to stretch our legs and go to the bathroom first, though,” Gregory said. “And don’t underestimate the horror genre, Rainbow. You’re lucky I didn’t bring The Human Centipede series with me.”

“Yeah, next up is the Alien franchise,” Jason said with a devilish grin.

“Hehehe, this is gonna be fuuuun,” Gregory said in a singsong tone. As if to make his point, a loud crash of thunder could be heard from outside the darkened auditorium, causing most of the ponies in the room to jump. “But for now, take a break, stretch your legs, and we’ll get right back into it.”

[Seeds Of Yggdrasil - Late November That Same Year]

Cozy Glow woke up to one of the most delicious smells she’d ever experienced. Rubbing her eyes with her forehooves, she sat up, stretched, and yawned. Outside her window, she could see that snow had piled up a bit on her private balcony. Ever since she’d moved in with her new daddy, Head Mistress Starlight had authorized a brand new room to be built in her daddy’s teacher’s apartment, a room all her own. It was large, too, with a bed that she’d never outgrow, a desk in a corner, a closet for clothes she might need, and a private bathroom. She also had a balcony with a couple of chairs and a table that faced east. And now, that balcony was covered with freshly fallen snow.

She trotted over to her bathroom, got onto the stool in said bathroom, got in front of the sink, and began to brush her teeth. Her daddy had instilled into her a good habit of brushing her teeth every morning and every evening. After her required time, she rinsed her mouth out, washed her face, then began to brush her mane. Over the past few months, she’d been changing her mane style from the curls she had sported for years. She was now experimenting with wavy manes instead. She’d gone to see Professor Rarity a few times. The flamboyant mare was all too happy to show her some different styling choices, and for the months following Cozy had experimented. She’d found her latest choice to be the best one yet, and even better than that, her daddy loved it. He said something about her not looking like humans named Darla Dimple or Baby Doll.

Finally, she was finished styling her unruly mane. She cleaned the sink, put the stool away, and walked out of her room into the main apartment. The smell from before assaulted her nostrils and made her mouth water. She saw her daddy standing at the kitchenette busily making something. When he heard her, he turned and waved at her with a smile. “Morning, sleepyhead,” he greeted. He gestured to the kitchen table. “Breakfast is almost ready. Sit down and I’ll get you your plate.”

Of course, when she sat down and looked back at her daddy, she noticed he was cooking a lot more than either of them could eat, and that included a bunch of meat products. “Um, daddy, why are you cooking so much meat?” she asked.

“Oh, that’s for later tonight. It’s Thanksgiving after all. All this meat isn’t bothering you too bad, is it?” Gregory asked with concern.

“No, I was just curious. What’s Thanksgiving?”

“It’s a holiday from my home country,” he said, “and it celebrates the harvest. Ponies don’t seem to have a harvest festival, and I wanted to share this tradition with the world. Plus, I know Jason hasn’t had a traditional Thanksgiving meal since he came to Gaia. Oh, that reminds me, I’ve gotta thank Sunset for buying me a turkey from the human world.” He brought her a plate with scrambled eggs, toast with jam, and a few slices of hay bacon along with orange juice in a chilled glass. “Eat up.”

“Thank you.” Cozy beamed. “So, what do you do on Thanksgiving?”

“Basically, spend a big meal with those you love, say what you’re thankful for, maybe play some games afterwards, and go into a delightful food coma.” He chuckled. “But you need to get ready for school. I asked Ember to pick you up today since I asked for today and tomorrow off.” He smiled. “Tomorrow, I’m gonna fix this room up for the holidays.”

“Oh, don’t forget your double date.”

Gregory looked at Cozy and smirked. “That’s not until New Year’s, sweetie, but I won’t forget it.” He ruffled her wavy loose mane. “Now you’d better eat up and get to class.”

Cozy finished up her breakfast and headed for the door. “Bye, daddy, don’t forget to tell me all the juicy details and carry protection.” Cozy left the door before hearing a response.

“How do you even know about all that?!” Gregory exclaimed as he quickly chased after her. The tower’s large and wide stairwell was filled with the laughter of a filly and disgruntled human’s yelling after his adopted daughter.

Hours later, right as school was letting out, Gregory was setting a massive table in the main room of his and Cozy’s apartment. He had everything he needed for Thanksgiving all prepped and ready. The plates and tablecloth were custom made and themed for the holiday. He had a cornucopia on the table for decoration along with several candles for light and ambiance. He had a calming music playlist all set up as well.

He believed he’d made more than enough food for everyone, and he was exhausted. There were three large turkeys, several platters of mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, and for a main course for the herbivores, a surprisingly delicious tofurkey. Somehow, the tofu from Gaia was different. He’d also made several pies, including pumpkin, pecan, and apple pie. He hoped that the last one wouldn’t insult Applejack, but he wanted to play the part of a good host. He also had two barrels of New Acres cider he’d bought during cider season back in early autumn along with some various wines from the human world.

Finally, just as he was placing the last of the silverware down, he heard a knocking on the door. He straightened, fixed his hair and his shirt (he was wearing more formal attire, but not a suit) and went to the door, opening it. “Hello there,” he said with a warm smile as he stepped aside. “Please, come in.”

“The hell are you all dressed up for? It’s Thanksgiving, not a reservation,” Jason said. He was decidedly less dressed for the occasion. Chrysalis came in behind him holding a bowl.

Gregory smirked. “It’s my first Thanksgiving that’s not me sitting at home alone eating KFC,” he said. “I wanted it to be special.”

“Well, you’re in luck,” Chrysalis said. “Jason told me that you can bring dishes of your own. I brought my special recipe.” She opened the lid to show large slime coated grub worms.

He saw the bowl Chrysalis was holding. He then looked back up at her and accepted the bowl. “I’ll put it on the table, thanks,” he said while suppressing the urge to gag. “Do come in! You’re the first ones to show up.”

“Come on, Chryssi. The seats at the edge of the table are the best ones.” Jason said as they sat down.

Gregory placed the bowl down near the two, covering it back up so it was both not visible and so it didn’t lose any extra heat. Just as he stood back up, the door burst open and Ember strode in, tall and proud. He turned and saw that Cozy was flying in from behind, panting hard as she put her bags down. “Sorry, Daddy,” she said, “she flew all the way here.”

“Were you racing Chrysalis again?” Gregory asked his girlfriend.

“What do you take me for, a hatchling?” Ember huffed before she leaned in and whispered quietly, “She isn't here though, right?”

“Yes, I am, and I’ve already taken the best seat, so too bad for you, slowpoke,” Chrysalis called out as Ember growled.

Gregory and Jason exchanged smirks as they watched the two devolve into yet another argument. There was a knock at the door again, and Gregory went to answer it. This time, it was a group of ponies. Celestia, Princess Luna, Empress Cadance, Emperor Shining Armor, Flurry Heart, Sunset, and Prince Blueblood were all standing there. “Come on in!”

“Urgh, the commute here was dreadful,” Prince Blueblood complained.

“Nephew, I have told you already that using the royal escort would’ve cause too much of a scene,” Luna said in exasperation.

“Are you still acting like a royal snob?” Gregory asked in confusion.

‘What? I can’t travel comfortably to an important social gathering and leave a good impression? I see you are still uncivilized.”

Gregory opened his mouth, then closed it again. He sighed and smiled as he said, “Get in here, Bluey.”

“Thank you for the invitation. I am rather curious about this harvest holiday you humans practice,” Celestia said.

“Translation: She can’t wait to eat all the desserts.” Sunset whispered.

He smirked and nodded. “I made sure to make a lot of it.”

“We brought a specialty from the Crystal Empire,” Cadence said. She held out a basket of crystals of varying colors. “These are crystal bites. They are eidbile crystals with each color representing a different flavor.”

He took the basket. “Would you consider this a part of the main meal or dessert, then?” he asked.

“Hmm, I’d say it’s more of an appetizer.” Shining pondered.

“Then on the table it goes.” He turned, then looked over at them. “I do have some meat on the table, so sorry if that might be off putting.”

“We serve carnivorous delegates often, Sir Gregory. A little meat will not bother us.” Luna said.

“Glad to hear it.” He turned to Sunset. “Again, thank you for going to the human world and buying things for me. I appreciate it.”

“What’s Thanksgiving without a bird?” Sunset said as the royal entourage took their seats.

A soft knock at the door revealed the former elements, Spike, Gabby, Starlight, Sunburst, Trixie and Discord arriving next. “Hello, I hope we’re not too late,” Twilight said.

“Nope, you’re right on time,” Gregory said. “Come on in. We’re just about to get started. There’s only one more group of people I invited.”

“Oh, this is amazing! My first Thanksgiving! I brought some of Gilda’s scones! She’d like to know how much you like them!” Gabby said in excitement.

“I’ll let you know when I try them,” he said as he took the basket of warm scones from her claws. “Find a seat anywhere. I made sure there was enough room so that there wouldn't need to be a kid’s table.”

Discord felt someone jab his leg as he looked down. Fluttershy was gesturing to the bowl in his hands to Gregory. The spirit of chaos gulped nervously as he stepped forward. “I, uh, brought something to this little shindig as well. A simple quiche.”

Gregory looked at the bowl, then smiled at him. “Why, Q, who’d have thought you’d go for simple? Thanks for the dish. Come on in!”

Last, but certainly not least, the new elements of harmony showed up along with some of Cozy Glow’s new friends, more specifically the CMC. Gregory had invited the rest, but they couldn’t make it. It was a shame, since he was looking forward to seeing the two ponies named suspiciously after Gravity Falls characters. “Good afternoon, you guys.”

“Hey, so where’s the food?” Gallus asked.

“Gallus, don’t be rude.” Silverstream said.

“It’s already set up on the table, big guy,” Gregory said. “Take a seat anywhere you’d like.”

As everyone sat down, everyone couldn’t help but notice the blank stare Jason was sending Discord. The draconequus gulped under his scrutiny as he tried to make small talk. “So, how’s the weather by the hive?”

“Warmer and drier than here,” Jason said, pointing out of the large windows. Being so far north, Yggdrasil was already experiencing snowfall, and today was no exception. Heavy snow was falling outside as the day continued, and it was expected to continue throughout the week.

Gregory saw this, and took his spot at the head of the table, Ember on one side of him and Cozy on the other. “Before we begin eating, there’s actually a tradition some families have that I think would be a great way to start. Some families say something called grace, which is basically a prayer of thanks to God for the bounty before us. I know a lot of you believe in a goddess named Faust, so that would work. Anyone here want to do that?”

“I’ll do it,” Jason said. “Everyone bow your heads.” Everyone did as instructed as Jason began. “Dear gods above. We thank all of you for this meal we’re about to eat. We give thanks for mending fences.” Jason looked at the former elements with a smile. “We give thanks for new friendships.” He looks to Chrysalis and the other occupants before his gaze falls on Discord. The spirit of chaos started sweating profusely as he continued. “...We give thanks for second chances as they are few and far between, but necessary for peace of mind.” Discord let out a choke sob as a smile matched Jason’s own. “Amen.”

Gregory looked up, and smiled at Jason. “Good solid prayer,” he said. “Nice and short.”

“Leaves more time for eating and drinking!” Cozy shouted with a cheeky grin.

Gregory sighed. “Why the hell did I let you watch Lord of the Rings…?”

“Language!” the CMC all said.

He snorted, then gestured to the various dishes on the table. “Welp, don’t be shy. I made enough for everyone, I hope…”

“Hey, what’s that?” Spike asked, pointing to the worms.

“Meal Worms,” Ocellus said as she levitated a couple of worms to her plate. “They’re a changeling delicacy.”

Spike looked a bit apprehensive until Jason reached over and took a big bite of the worm. He looked at the dragon with a shrug, encouraging him to try it. Spike picked one up, looked it over and took a bite. After chewing slowly for a bit, he perked up and put a few more onto his plate. “Wow, this is good!”

“What do they taste like?” Gregory asked.

“Like chicken nuggets without the chicken,” Jason deadpanned.

“So basically chicken nugget batter?” Gregory asked.

“Just try it.”

Gregory shrugged, reached out with his hand, and a small ice plate formed underneath some. It floated over to him where he placed the small bit of grubs on his real plate. “I feel like I’m about to eat Klingon Gagh,” he said as he took a bite. His eyes widened in surprise as he chewed on them. “Well damn, these are pretty good. They taste nothing like chicken, but they’re definitely tasty.”

“Whoa, wait a moment, you made this all yourself??” Sunset asked incredulously. “Man, you must be seriously wiped out!”

“Well, I didn’t make all of it, since some of the guests brought food,” Gregory admitted, “but I did prepare most of it, but it’s all worth it.”

Over on the other side of the table, Gallus had a full plate of everything and was shoveling it down his throat. “Gallus, you might want to slow down a bit,” Silverstream said.

“Just remember, wine is for anyone over twenty one,” Gregory said as he popped one bottle open and poured some into Ember’s goblet.

“Ha. Is that in human years, dragon years, or pony years?” Ember said, sliding a goblet to Spike.

Spike reached for it only for Twilight to take it away. “No!”

“A year on Gaia and a year on Earth are the same length,” Gregory said, “and I won’t be responsible for getting children drunk.”

“Not physical years, you goof. I’m talking about biology. Dragons age slower, but mature faster.”

Gregory pursed his lips thoughtfully as he looked at Spike, who looked a bit upset at not being able to taste his first sip of alcohol. “Well…”

“Technically speaking, dragons can’t get drunk,” Discord said. “Their fire breath burns away at any toxins they may suffer. The worst that’ll happen is that little Spikey will hit the hay faster than any of us.”

“All the fun of drinking without the consequences? I call hax.” Jason mock pouted.

“Yeah, I’ve noticed I don’t get as drunk as I did before I got my Windigo magic,” Gregory said, “but I still get affected. Still, if what Discord says is true, I don’t see why Spike can’t have some wine. Although I doubt you’ll like the taste. Besides, I have two barrels of New Acres Cider.”

Twilight sighed before placing the goblet back in front of Spike. “Just remember to drink responsibly, young drake.”

“Yeah, sure, thanks,” Spike said rapidly as he licked his maw and downed the goblet in one go.

“Oh, yeah! Chug it down!” Rainbow cheered.

“Go Spike!” Pinkie exclaimed.

“When did Thanksgiving become a drinking contest?” Gregory sighed as he facepalmed.

“Oh, this is just the prelude for later on,” Pinkie said.

Gregory held up his hand and created small ice cubes. “Anyone want some enchanted ice that doesn’t melt in their drinks?”

“I’ll take some,” Celestia said. “I must say that this salad is scrumptious.”

“Yes, it is dear sister,” Luna said as Gregory floated ice over to Celestia’s cup, “but I believe you are looking forward to something much more sugary.” She turned to Gregory. “Tell us, Sir Gregory, what manner of desserts have you prepared?”

“Some traditional stuff, such as pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and apple pie, along with some cakes and ice cream.” He waited for the inevitable from Applejack.

Sure enough, Applejack stamped her hooves on the table. “How good would you say yer apple pie is compared to ours?”

“Seeing as I made some with New Acres apples and some with zapp apples, I’d say they’re alright,” Gregory replied. “I doubt I can compare with yours.”

“Uh huh. Applebloom!”

Applebloom zipped over to her sister's side. “Yeah, sis?”

“Mah tastin’ spoon, if you please?”

“We just started the main meal,” Gregory replied, “dessert comes later.”

“Uh bup bup bup!” Applejack was having none of it. “Bring it here, now! Iffin’ we’re gonna have this big shindig, we gotta make sure everything is up to snuff. Them’s our zapp apples after all.”

Gregory sighed. “Jesus save me,” he said as he grabbed two of the pies sitting on a nearby table. One looked like a normal apple pie, but the other had a hint of a rainbow color poking out from the crust. He could see Celestia looking at them with longing, but placed them in front of Applejack. “Thine pies, fair maiden.”

“Hmm, it looks alright, sis.” Applebloom said.

“Lookin’ and tastin’ are more different than a scarecrow and a dummy, sugarcube.” Applejack stated.

“I’ve gotta learn to keep my mouth shut,” Gregory sighed as he cut two slices for her, one from the normal pie and the other from the zapp apple pie.

Everyone waited with baited breath as Applejack scooped up a sizable chunk of pie and ate it. She chewed slowly, getting a sense of the flavor before swallowing and crossing her hooves. There was a pregnant pause as the farm mare sat there with her eyes closed. She turned to Gregory while opening her eyes and saying one word. “Acceptable!”

Everyone let out a collective sigh of relief. “While we are on the topic of dessert, I’d say I would like some of the sweet confections you’ve prepared. Oh, and a piece of that pie as well,” Celestia smiled.

“Great mother, here she goes,” Luna shook her head.

Gregory threw up his hands in defeat. “I might as well bring all the pies, cakes and ice cream to the table now.” He stood and began placing each dessert item on the table. “I bet all of you are gonna fall asleep during the movie later.”

“What movie?” Pinkie asked curiously.

Gregory chuckled. “Well, I have an entire library we can pick from. I have an idea, but we can discuss it.”

“We can choose a movie later,” Celestia said, her plate already piled high with desserts, “for now, let’s just eat!”

[Seeds Of Yggdrasil - Mid December That Same Year]

Gregory smiled proudly as he stepped back from his not so little project, wiping his brow as he did so. To his left, Theophilus looked back at the brand new custom built cutter sleigh with curiosity. Beside him, Big Mac stood and looked over the sleigh as well. The sleigh was built of freshly cut applewood and had been painted a dark but festive red with evergreen trim and white spiral designs painted on the sides. Inside, the cushions of the two person seat were made of strong but comfortable hydra leather and had very good back support. In front was a built-in tray with drink holders. The sleigh was already attached to Theophilus. There were sleigh bells attached to the corners, all silver.

“Thank you for your help, Big Mac,” Gregory said as he approached and climbed in, closing the door behind until he heard the satisfying click of the latch.

Big Mac nodded. “Eeyup,” he said. “Ain’t seen one of these around here fer a while.”

“Well, I’ve actually never ridden in one,” Gregory admitted as he tested out the seats for a bit before standing and getting out. “I’ve always wanted to, and now that I have a horse companion, I thought it might be cool.”

Big Mac nodded again. “I remember ridin’ with Ma and Applejack in one before Applebloom was born,” he said. “Pa would pull.”

“Sounds like a nice memory,” Gregory said. “I hope I can make similar memories with my loved ones.”

Big Mac smiled. “Wish ya luck,” he said. “I’ve gotta go back home. Lots of chores to do.”

“Thanks again,” Gregory said as he opened the large doors leading outside of the warehouse where he and Big Mac had been secretly building the cutter.

“Eeyup,” was all Big Mac said as he turned and headed out into the snowy midmorning day.

After he was gone, Gregory got back into the cutter, picked up the reins, and gently urged Theophilus forward. The large white stallion bobbed his head and moved out into the snow. Gregory felt his ride jostle a bit as the cutter hit the snow, but soon it felt much smoother, and he began his first ride in the sleigh.

Outside, the entire landscape was blanketed in a thick layer of white snow, only broken by the joyful sounds of laughter and children playing nearby. It was winter break for Yggdrasil and while some students had gone home for their holiday break others stayed behind, playing with their friends and family in the massive open space the school owned. He caught a glimpse of the CMC and Spike having a snowball fight with several other children, including Smolder. Thankfully, the dragons he saw were bundled up in thick warm clothes since they had less resistance to the cold. That had been one of Rarity’s busiest weeks, preparing clothes for the dragon students before the winter storms came.

Gregory rode around for a while, earning him some stares of curiosity as he tested the sleigh and how well it turned. He also paid attention to how Theophilus reacted, making sure he wasn’t hurt or anything. However, the pure white stallion didn’t seem bothered, so Gregory encouraged him to go at a leisurely trot.

A half hour later, he returned the sleigh to its resting place and unhooked his horse. As the two walked back to the stables where Theophilus normally slept, Gregory grinned. He had such a cool surprise in store for his girlfriend…

Several hours later, he was standing out next to the sleigh, waiting for Ember to show up. He had a nice big thermos of hot chocolate and two mugs in the sleigh waiting since he knew dragons didn’t do as well in the snow. He also had some thick warm blankets on the seat, along with a small wrapped box with his present inside. He adjusted his overcoat, a bright red ensemble with white fringe, a very festive look. He wore thick snowboots, a pair of black pants for cold weather, and a festive green Christmas sweater with a Christmas tree on the front and the words Merry Christmas sewn both above and below the tree.

Above him, he saw a bright blue speck begin flying out from the snow clouds. The snow had let up a bit, but it was still coming down. He smiled as Ember landed, seeing that she was wearing a thick overcoat and gloves. “You look cozy,” he chuckled.

“How do all you warm blooded creatures stand this cold?” Ember asked with a yawn. “I feel like I want to drop asleep right now.”

“Plenty and plenty of layers,” Gregory said as he gestured to the blankets. “And lots of hot liquid. I have hot chocolate in that thermos.”

“Tch. I’d rather drink a handful of lava. That’ll heat me up better.”

“True, but this thermos would be destroyed otherwise,” Gregory replied as he stepped into the sleigh and held out his hand for her to take. “Besides, hot chocolate tastes better. And just for you, I made it as scalding hot as I could.”

Ember snatched the thermos and drank its contents before getting in the sleigh. “So, this sledding is like lava surfing?”

He sat down, patting the seat next to him as he lifted up a few of the heavy blankets. “It’s a bit more leisurely,” he said. “Humans enjoy doing this during the holiday season. Come on, get under the blanket.”

“I’m not a hatchling. How do you think my subject would react to me snuggling in some sheet?” Ember huffed before she shivered.

“Well, unless you want to freeze, you’d best get under and get close to me,” he smirked, opening up the blanket for her.

“If you breathe a word of this to anycreature, I will end you!” She hissed before compiling.

Gregory chuckled, put one arm around his girlfriend, and covered the two of them in warm blankets. He grabbed the reins, turned to Theophilus, and gave a firm snap of the reins. Theophilus began trotting through the snow, letting the jingle bells on the corners of the cutter ring out their melodious sound. “I’ve always wanted to do this,” he admitted excitedly.

“What’s with the bells?” she asked, looking at the nearest corner at the silver bells.

“They’re called sleigh bells,” he explained. “They’re used to let other people know that you’re coming, especially if there’s a blizzard and a fog. Although it’s also a Christmas tradition now.”

“Seems pointless,” Ember said. “You’d have to be blind not to see the big horse pulling this contraption.”

Gregory held up his hand. The snow around them started to whip up and soon they were temporarily blinded by a brief storm before he released the spell, letting the snow fall normally again. “Like I said, it’s for communicating with others, and for safety reasons. Besides, can you hear anything else from our sleigh other than the bells? Snow has a unique effect of dampening sound.”

He then felt the same warm feeling coming from his heart, the same one that he felt before he sang to Ember. Suddenly, a few random creatures were prancing around his sleigh, harmonizing as music began to swell around them “Jing-a-ling-a-ling! Aaah aaah aah! Jing-a-ling-a-ling! Aaah aaah aah! ”

Gregory smiled as he began to sing.

“Dashing through the snow,
“in a one-horse open sleigh.
“O'er the fields we go,
laughing all the way!”

“Bells on bobtail ring,
“making spirits bright!
“What fun it is to ride and sing
“a sleighing song tonight!”

The creatures beside him harmonized with him as he sang the chorus.

“Jingle bells! Jingle bells!
“Jingle all the way!
“Oh, what fun it is to ride
“in a one-horse open sleigh!”

Nearby, the same creatures, most of whom were flying reindeer, harmonized again, “Jing-a-ling-a-ling! Aaah aaah aah! Jing-a-ling-a-ling! Aaah aaah aah!”

Gregory began singing again.

“Now the ground is white,
“so go it while you’re young.
“Take your girl tonight
“and sing a sleighing song!”

“Just get a bob tailed nag,
“two-forty for his speed.
“Then hitch him to an open sleigh
“and crack! We’ll take the lead!”

“Jingle bells! Jingle bells!
“Jingle all the way!
“Oh, what fun it is to ride
“in a one-horse open sleigh!”

He finished with a bright smile as the music around them faded away and the flying reindeer harmonized along with him one final time before flying away into the snow. He was panting a bit from the exertion. “Who knew that the magic of Gaia knew Jim Reeves?” he laughed.

Ember chuckled as she responded, “I will never get your silly human phrases. But, warn me next you decide to pull a pony spontaneous sing-a-long.”

“Hey, I love to sing. Can’t help it. But I’ll try.”

“Halt!” A voice suddenly said as Pinkie strolled up to the sleigh in a bulky uniform. “You’re trespassing on Sugarcube Territory. Let me see some identification.”

Gregory raised his hand and made a sweeping motion. “You don’t need to see my identification.”

Pinkie stared blankly at the gesture before smiling. “Alighty then, carry on, Obi-Wan. I’d just be careful continuing down this path.”

“Duly noted.” He turned the sleigh away, smirking as they headed towards a less populated section of the landscape.

“There they are, fire!” Another voice called out as the sleigh was bombard by snowballs.

Gregory lifted up his hand and created a shield that looked awfully similar to the diamond shaped shields that the human Rarity could create. “You have entered the territory of the Ice Republic, Sugarcube swine. Prepare to face immediate pelting!” Gregory and Ember looked passed the shield to see the former elements with several students behind them. Starlight was the one who address them.

Gregory smirked. “You do realize I hold dominion over ice and snow, right?” He raised his hand towards the sky. “And you have dared to attack my queen.”

“Ha! You are a mere novice at magic. I was born in it, molded by it. By the time I was six, I was a full fledge mage. You and your queen shall fall to our might!!!” Starlight retorted. Her horn glowed as several balls of snow levitated behind her.

He stood, looming over them. The sky above them began darkening with snow clouds. The wind began picking up and snow began falling harder. “For daring to attack my queen and I, I sentence you, to fall before the wrath of my storm!” He held out his hand towards them, and the wind struck them hard, but not hard enough to actually hurt them. The snowflakes blasted everyone else back several feet as he leaped out of the sleigh, landing in the snow which seemed to part before him. There was a smirk on his face.

Starlight returned fire by lobbying the boulders of snow at Gregory’s and Ember’s position. Ember was a bit sluggish from the cold weather and couldn’t dodge effectively. She wound up taking several shots that were quickly pinning her down. “Little help, ice man!”

Gregory brought his shield up between her and the attackers. He reached out and crafted a sword made of snow which he used to deftly block the incoming snowballs. He leaped up into the sleigh again as he shouted, “I have the high ground!”

“Yes, but we have an alicorn!” Starlight smirked.

“Oh shi-” he said before Celestia dumped a large snowball on Gregory’s unprotected head. “You’re dead, Sunbutt!” he shouted with a laugh.

“Many have made that same declaration and none have succeeded,” Celestia retorted with a smile.

“Thank you, mistress of the obvious,” Gregory laughed harder as he created a large wave of snow to direct towards the alabaster alicorn.

“Hold on, Gregory!” Pinkie said. She came sliding in on a surfboard while holding a modified leaf blower. She shot out snowballs like a grenade launcher to temporarily push Celestia back. “I told you to mind the path. You probably should’ve waited to hear the rest of my warning before pulling the Jedi mind trick. The Sugarcubes and Ice Republic have been waging war since noon. Anyone that comes along this path gets instantly drafted.”

Gregory looked at Ember. “Damn, guess we’re a part of this war now,” he said.

Ember got up as she scoops up some snow and formed it into a ball. Once done, it was the size of two beach balls that she effortlessly lifted above her head. “I want you to know I blame your singing for this!”

He crafted a snow sword for her, giving it to her, then held his own out. “For Narnia!” He laughed as he charged, making snowballs with his magic and shooting them at the Ice Republic and the Sugarcubes. “My Queen and I are our own team and will dominate you all!”

Pinkie gasped at this. “You would betray me? Then, you have chosen death!” She said with a mock glare before turning her snow blower on them.” What followed was a massive three way battle that left many creatures covered in snow.

At one point, Cozy came and joined Gregory and Ember’s team, using her small height and wings to dodge and weave while throwing. Soon, however, the sun began setting, and the battle was over. Gregory drove the sleigh back to its storage area, then after making sure Cozy was situated with her sleepover at New Acres, he carried an exhausted Ember back to his apartment.

Soon, both sat in front of a roaring fire, warming up after their long battle. Both of them held large mugs of piping hot apple cider in their hands. Gregory had placed Ember in his lap and both were underneath a thick warm blanket. Near the window, Gregory had placed a large well-lit Christmas tree, which was the only other source of light in the large room. He ran his hand up and down her back as he said, “Sorry about getting you involved in the snowball fight. I just wanted a relaxing sleigh ride.”

“It was fun, I guess…” Ember said softly.

He pulled her closer onto his lap, caressing her gently. “By the way, I have a Christmas present for you.” He pulled out the small wrapped box and handed it to her.

“What is it?” Ember said, shaking the present.

“Open it and find out,” he chuckled.

Ember did as instructed and opened the gift. “What’s this?”

Inside, was a small black box which, when opened, displayed a dark silver ring with a glowing blue gem on it. “It’s a teleportation and communication ring,” he explained. “I had it made with the help of some of the more magical friends. Hopefully, it’ll help make the journey from the Dragon Lands to here a lot more efficient.” He held up his hand displaying an identical ring on his ring finger. “If you want to see me or even communicate with me, just touch the gem and think of me, and you’ll be teleported within a meter of me. Or if you just want to talk to me, think about communicating and I’ll see my gem glowing and answer. The same goes for my ring. I can teleport to within a meter of you. I figure this is much faster than you flying all the way from the Dragon Lands.”

“Huh, I– thank you.” Ember looked down in contemplation before a sly smile adorned her features. “I suppose I have to give you something as well. But, first, where’s the bedroom~?”

He pointed to the loft where his bed was. “Right up there,” he said.

Ember slid off of Gregory’s lap and headed upstairs to the loft. After a bit, Ember called down, “Are you coming or what?”

He smiled, stood, and walked up to his bedroom, wondering just what Ember was planning. When he entered the room, he saw that Ember had her back to him before slowly and seductively took off her clothing. The moonlight highlighted her sensual curves as her dark red eyes seemed to glow with desire for him.

Gregory swallowed, suddenly feeling a bit nervous. The two of them had actually never gotten too intimate yet, and he was a bit scared. But his fear started to dissipate when Ember slowly walked up and began removing his hoodie. “Ember…”

“What? Don’t tell me you're this dense?”

He shook his head. “Oh, I read you loud and clear,” he said as Ember continued to remove his clothes with surprising gentleness.

That quickly ended as a predatory grin appeared on Ember’s face and she tossed Gregory on the bed. “Good. It’s a good thing Cozy is gone because I don’t plan on stopping any time soon.”

He swallowed nervously. “Oh, fuck…”

“Exactly.” She tore off the rest of his clothes and locked lips with him for a good ten seconds before breaking the kiss, looking into his eyes with lustful desire. “You and I aren’t sleeping tonight. I’ve been patient enough, and it’s time to claim what’s mine.”

And with that, their long night began.

The Alternative Epilogue

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Prologue - The Other

Prologue

Gregory Graystone’s arrival in Equestria was initially set off by events of his life back on Earth. That, and a number of coincidences leading up to his passing through the portal.

For him, it had started six years ago one December. He was twenty-two at the time, living in a cheap one-bedroom apartment and working as a swing shift employee at his town’s local grocery store, Shop Smart. He was underpaid and overworked, but he put up with it because he was in a bad place mentally at that time. He had a rather unhealthy diet, living from paycheck to paycheck on cheap prepackaged meals like ramen or cheap tv dinners, with fast food being a luxury for him. He suffered from depression, partly stemming from his poor childhood with neglectful parents and also partly due to his relationship at the time.

His girlfriend at the time was emotionally abusive towards him, but once more he put up with it because she would occasionally give him the affection he was craving from years of emotional neglect from his parents. He thought at one point that he truly loved her and was willing to spend the rest of his life with her, but as the years passed he began to resent her.

He learned that she was cheating on him during the Christmas season six years ago. When he finally confronted her and decided to break up with her, she turned everything around on him, blaming him for his lack of ambition and affection towards her. The men she’d been sleeping with were better at sex than he’d ever been, according to her. The morning after the break up, she packed her bags and skipped town.

He’d slunk further into his depression, blaming himself initially for his breakup. Finally, one of his coworkers, an older man who was one of the better employees at his store, confronted him and firmly told him that he needed help. The man, who was religious but not one of those outspoken types, gave him a card that directed him to a local non-profit counseling organization called Good Samaritan Ministries. He was placed with a counselor about fifteen years his senior named David.

Unused to sharing and talking about what was on his mind or in his heart, it took Gregory a few months before he finally began to truly open up to David. It started with a session where he’d broken down and cried, much to his later embarrassment, but it was from there that his healing began.

He began to learn better communication skills thanks to advice from his counselor. He began to accept that his ex had been a terrible girlfriend from day one, something he’d been denying for the three years they’d been together. He began to become more assertive in what he wanted, finally standing up for himself and formally requesting a switch from swing to morning shift at the store. The request was denied four times before he escalated it and managed to get his preferred shift and work days.

There were times when he would slip back into his bad habits, but whenever he did, David helped him to uncover the reasons behind his slips and would lead him into making conscious decisions on how to better prevent them from happening in the future. He was not perfect, by any means, but he felt that he was slowly getting better.

At the beginning of June of that same year, he was walking down the street of his hometown when he saw a Help Wanted sign in his favorite bookshop, Living Pages. He’d known the owner, a sixty six year old lady named Estelle, or Stella as she preferred to be called, for years and had spent many school evenings in said bookstore because he hadn’t wanted to go home. Immediately, he walked inside and applied for the position.

He’d gotten the job, which included a raise of about five dollars more an hour than what he had been making. He put in his two weeks at the store, then began his job at the bookstore. Compared to the loud grocery store, working in a quiet bookstore was heaven for him. Not only that, but he was given an earlier shift which meant that he had the rest of the day ahead of him after he clocked out at one thirty. He used that time to indulge in finding new hobbies for himself as well as keeping in shape. His town was located near several good hiking spots and a lake, so he found he had a love of swimming, hiking and camping near the lake’s shores. He also found a love for a few video games.

He also took the time to take some classes at the local community college. Nothing too strenuous but he took many different types of classes. Everything from Ancient Greek Mythology to The Bible As Literature and even an afternoon in person cooking class. He would take one class per semester so he wouldn’t need to take out a loan. He preferred not to have debt if he could help it.

He also took the opportunity to take a small vacation that first summer. He didn’t travel very far. He got a hotel at one of the beach towns about seventy miles west of town for one of the warmest weekends of the summer. He used the opportunity to relax and enjoy the water, the local community and the famous cheese factory.

When he was twenty-four, things began taking an unexpected turn for him. Late in September one year he was going through some book donations from a family who was moving away after their eighteen year old daughter had graduated high school. Some of the books in the donation box were some older My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic books for children. Gregory wasn’t quite sure why, but he found himself curious about the children’s show.

After work that day, he’d gone home and found the first two episodes online. From there, he was hooked. He spent as much of his free time as he could watching the show. Even so, he still kept to his schedule and would participate in the other activities he’d filled his life with. When he finally finished, he was a hardcore fan. He devoured any kind of media he could find. Online fan animations on YouTube, the comics, and fanfictions.

When he sheepishly admitted to his counselor his new fascination with the children’s television program, David didn’t judge. He said that his own twin daughters were fans of the show so he watched it with them. He himself wasn’t a fan, but he said that if watching the show helped Gregory to become a better person, then there was nothing to be embarrassed about.

The next event in his life that had led to his traveling to Equestria happened when he was twenty five. He walked into work one snowy February morning a half hour before his shift to see that the owner had bought a new computer for the shop. When he asked Stella about it, she said that one of the other store employees had found it for sale on eBay during an estate sale for a person declared dead and showed it to her. She asked him to set it up to replace their older one.

He spent part of his shift setting things up on the new computer, which, while it was a few years old, was infinitely better than the ancient clunker that Stella had. He wiped the browser history and installed the appropriate programs before transferring all the data from the old computer to the new one.

In August of that same year, however, Stella’s health took a nosedive when she suffered a major stroke. It broke his heart to see the once lively and smiling bookstore keeper bedridden and unable to care for herself without assistance. After his college classes for that summer were over (he’d been taking a karate and gardening class at the time), Gregory took on longer shifts in an attempt to keep the bookstore afloat, but at that same time, a real estate company contacted the store in the hopes of purchasing the property. He figured that the now bedridden woman would have no choice but to sell in order to help pay for her medical bills.

However, he surprised her by how fierce her negotiations were with the company, showing just how much life the older woman had left in her. In January of the next year, Stella managed to get a tidy sum for the store along with guaranteed work for those who worked for her. Gregory was saddened by the loss of a piece of his childhood, but he understood that Stella needed the money. She did, however, leave him with a few parting gifts, among them being the store’s computer. Since she was one of the few people in town he liked, he kept in touch with her even after his job was gone. He was happy to hear that she would make a full recovery, surprising the doctors. In just under four months, she was back on her feet. She got a new job as a librarian at the local library five months after her stroke.

He started his new job in February, two months after Stella sold the bookstore. This time he was working at the small bowling alley that had been built to replace the bookstore. It had meant a decrease in wages by two dollars an hour, but it was still something. And while it wasn’t as cozy as his bookstore job, he knew a few of his fellow employees and his new manager were all decent people. That was, until the manager was quickly replaced by a tyrant of a boss who seemed to make it his mission to make Gregory’s life a living hell along with all the former employees of the bookshop. Since there weren’t many jobs around town, Gregory had put up with it for two months before he realized enough was enough. He began looking for jobs in other larger cities with the intent of moving.

During this time, his job at the bowling alley became incredibly soul-sucking for him. The other people he’d once worked with at the bookstore who had also gotten the job because of Stella’s no-nonsense negotiations started quitting one after another, finding new jobs elsewhere in town or even out of town. He still went to see David, but thanks to the lack of staffing at his new store and the higher turn around rate, he had to cut back from once a week to once every two weeks for his meetings. David was there to lend a listening ear, and even encouraged Gregory to search for a new job if his old one was dragging him down. However, Gregory felt like he wasn’t financially stable enough to just up and quit. David helped him identify places in his life where he could temporarily cut back on spending so he could begin saving and get out of the job that was pretty much sucking the life out of him. Slowly but surely Gregory’s savings account began growing.

Finally, a year before he finally took the plunge and traveled to Equestria, his job and boss had both gone from bad to worse. Despite this, Gregory still didn’t have enough to live off of for even a month. That was when Stella, having heard about Gregory’s predicament thanks to a former coworker, came into his work one day and cut him a check for a substantial amount of money. When he tried to refuse, she actually grabbed him by the ear and berated him for not accepting help or even asking for it when it was needed. Gregory, feeling sufficiently chastised by her, sheepishly accepted the money and quit on the spot.

With his new amount of cash allowing him to live without a job for a year at most, he decided to first take a week off to just relax and recuperate from his job. He spent the first few days of his week off watching some of his favorite episodes of My Little Pony. As he did so, he began to wonder just what it would be like to live in the world of friendship and magic. The idea intrigued him, but he knew that it was just a fantasy. When the week was over, he began his job search in earnest, looking for places either nearby or in other cities in his state. Weeks passed, and then three months passed. Everything he tried fell through.

It was during one of these searches that he found the strange website, . It had mysteriously taken the top spot during his searches, and no matter what kind of antivirus program he ran, or which browser he used, it was always at the top of his recommendations. Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, even Yahoo had the website as a top recommendation. Finally, in a bout of frustration, he clicked on the link. His computer fan had whirred to life as the website loaded. For a while, he was afraid he’d broken his computer, but then the fan slowed down and the website appeared.

It was simply made. There was a darkened background showing an idyllic looking medieval style town with a mountain in the distance. Written in Comic Sans was a simple greeting and an invitation to, in the words of whoever made the website, “...escape your worries and your cares in the Land Of Equestria.”

It continued as he scrolled down, promising that he could meet the Elements of Harmony, Princess Celestia, and even the God of Chaos Discord, among others. When mentioning each character from the show, there were photorealistic representations of the ponies in question with brief character descriptions. The images were incredibly lifelike in appearance, which made him wonder who the artist was, or even if the art was made by AI like MidJourney or Stable Diffusion. The website itself was almost like an invite to some kind of amusement park.

At the bottom of the page was a link. Something about the link compelled him to click it, and it opened up Google Maps for him. The computer fan whirred to life once more, and it showed a strange location out in the middle of the local woods. When he zoomed in, there was nothing there but forest. He took a screenshot of the page, closed both tabs then went back to his search.

A week later, he had become so frustrated with his failure to find a job that he decided to take a drive to clear his mind. He liked going out into nature, so he drove out of town into the woods surrounding his hometown. On a whim, he found himself driving towards the same spot where he’d seen the location of this so-called Land of Equestria. To his surprise, there was an old abandoned road that headed up a hill. He’d never heard of the road before, so he decided to do a little exploring. Turning into the road, which wasn’t blocked off, he headed up a winding roadway which led up to an abandoned log cabin in the middle of the woods. But that wasn’t what attracted his attention.

Sitting in the middle of the overgrown front yard, right where it had no right to be, was a swirling vortex of light yellow mist. It was just hovering there, moving around like some miniature galaxy. After parking his car, he got out and approached it. As he did so, he noticed that the grass surrounding it had been flattened in a perfect circle with a radius of around five feet from the vortex. He couldn’t take his eyes off of it for a while before reality set in. This wasn’t normal, he’d thought. At first, he thought he was hallucinating, that was, until he grabbed a nearby fallen branch and held it up towards the swirling mass. When the stick passed the threshold, Gregory felt a slight tug, but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle. He pushed the stick in and out and the slight tug never let up. He pulled it back through and there was no sign of any sort of damage to it. When he let go while the stick was past the threshold, it hovered in midair for a bit before it slid through. When he looked at the other side of the swirling mist, there was no stick on the ground.

He tried something similar on the other side with another stick, this one a large thick branch that was a perfect walking stick, then a nearby rock, then some grass and finally a metal pole. Each one was pulled through after he let go of them, but he had the strength to pull them back out if he wanted to. While looking for something else to push through, he found an abandoned selfie stick lying near the cabin’s porch. That’s when inspiration struck.

As luck would have it, he had an older smartphone with him that would fit perfectly on the selfie stick. The battery only lasted about an hour, but an hour was all he needed. He attached the phone to the selfie stick, turned on the camera, began recording a video, and stuck the camera through. He moved the camera around while it was through the swirling vortex for a full minute before pulling it back. At one point while the phone was past the threshold, however, his hand accidentally touched the vortex. He felt a slight static shock from his initial touch. Aside from that, nothing else happened. After the minute was through, he pulled the camera back. To his relief, the phone was still operational.

The video started out looking out at a large lake with a waterfall falling into said lake. It was an apparently bright sunny day with not a cloud in the sky. When the camera moved to the left, however, he saw a sight that blew him away. There, sitting near whatever forest the camera ended up in, was a large tree shaped palace made of crystal. A very familiar palace. It glistened in the sunlight and he could see the massive star at the top shining brightly along with the purple flag on the right side of the castle. The two large spires and the tower were clear indications of what he’d recorded. He’d apparently recorded Twilight Sparkle’s Castle of Friendship, albeit from the back.

That wasn’t all. The camera caught a glimpse of something in the sky that made his jaw drop. At first, he thought it was a bird, but when it came flying overhead, he caught a glimpse of an equine figure. He’d captured footage of an honest to God pegasus!

The camera then moved right. He caught glimpses of more of the lake. The landscape on the other side of the lake was nothing short of paradise. Large snow-capped mountains, a large swathe of lovely woods, and in the lake the video had caught a glimpse of what looked like two ponies in a boat.

For the next half hour, he took more video on his phone. He’d zoom in before pushing the camera through, getting a better idea of the lay of the land. He saw that the objects he’d pushed through were sitting on the grassy plain wherever this vortex managed to end up. When the phone battery was nearly drained, he turned it off, got in his car, and reluctantly drove back home.

Aside from the minor incident with getting zapped by whatever the vortex, or portal as he began calling it, was made of, Gregory enjoyed looking through the portal at the scenery. Not much seemed to be happening, though, especially since the portal was right behind the Castle of Friendship. As he drove back home that day, a stray thought crossed his mind: Why not go through the portal to live in Equestria? After all, wasn’t that every brony’s dream? To make friends with the Mane Six and live a peaceful life among friendly ponies in Ponyville? However, he dismissed the thought as something silly. Sure, it might be a nice place, but his home was on Earth. It was a fantasy for him, after all. Besides, he reasoned, the portal was probably a temporary thing. He wasn’t ready to give up on the real world yet at any rate.

As the weeks passed and Gregory continued his search for a job, the thought of going to Equestria would sometimes come back to him. Initially, he put them out of his mind and focused on his job hunt, but as weeks without any successful job offers turned into months, and with the website being prominent more and more on his front page, the idea of traveling to Equestria began appealing to him more and more. Finally, the desire to see more of Equestria became stronger than he could resist. He gathered up his cheap laptop, a portable but high definition webcam he could connect to a usb and hopefully get live feed on the laptop itself, and something he could tape it to and traveled up to the abandoned house. To his relief, the portal was still there.

For the next three months, anytime he had free time set aside after doing his online job searches and video call interviews, he would go back to the portal and take more pictures and videos. He learned that the time of day between worlds seemed to match up. Anytime he came during the morning, the sun was rising, and anytime he arrived in the evening the sun was setting. Each time, the video showed the same view of the grassy area and the Castle of Friendship. He captured images and videos of the castle during the morning, then at evening and even at night. The images and videos of the moon he’d seen were phenomenal. It was larger in the sky than Earth’s own moon, and when he zoomed in, the surface was unlike that of Earth’s own moon. He watched the seasons change on Equestria, going from spring to summer in the span of those three months.

Finally, during his last autumn season on Earth, Gregory finally had enough. The itch to leave his town had grown to an itch to leave his world altogether. He made up his mind that he was going to travel to Equestria. There was nothing he wanted more in his life. His luck with finding a job in the modern economy had been lousy, and since he didn’t have a college degree, job hunting was a no-go, especially if he wanted to live alone.

However, he wasn’t a complete fool. He decided to broach the subject with David, but in a way that didn’t make him sound crazy. He talked with David extensively about taking time to travel and live as much on the road as he possibly could, seeing the sights and living life freely as much as he could. David listened, asked questions, and talked over Gregory’s feelings with him. Gregory had never felt this strongly about anything in his life, not even when he went to take college courses or explored new hobbies. He had lived in the small mountain valley town ever since he had bene born and he was aching to go and explore.

They spent a month’s worth of sessions discussing what he wanted to see. Gregory lied about what he hoped to see, basically explaining that he wanted to see the many wonders of his own country. David listened patiently to this as well. Finally, by the early part of November of that same year, Gregory was even more sure. David began helping Gregory plan for this new adventure of his, giving suggestions as to what sort of things he should buy to prepare. Of course, Gregory bought those, but he also bought more than that.

He might have been going to Equestria, but there were some modern technological amenities even he found hard to give up. If there was one motto he lived by, it was that fortune favored the prepared. He started by purchasing a number of pieces of technology he might need in the future. He started by buying a few portable solar panels that he could use to keep his tech charged just in case Equestria’s power grid couldn’t handle his tech. He tested them out and found that they worked pretty well, so he bought several more just in case his first broke.

Next, he bought a number of ebook readers and began to download many various books that he figured Twilight might like to see. Having worked in a library, Gregory had a particular fondness for the adorkable pony. She and Applejack were his two favorite ponies. He couldn’t wait to see the look on her face when he showed her an ebook and how many books he could keep on the small device.

He had planned to take the computer and his cheap laptop with him since both were decently small, but he decided to buy a higher end gaming laptop as well. He figured that he wouldn’t be able to come back to his world since the website, which he’d read more carefully since he first discovered the portal, said that the journey to the Land of Equestria was a once in a lifetime opportunity. At least that’s how it had been before the website updated and stated that the portal would shut the moment he stepped through with his ‘ticket’, whatever the ticket was. He also bought spare parts for each of his computers just in case. After all, there was no harm in being prepared.

He bought a large number of one terabyte flash drives next and transferred movies, television shows, ebooks, computer programs and more onto them so he could watch them and show them off to the Elements of Harmony. But most importantly, he downloaded the entire MLP show, along with all of the G5 media he could get his hands on, onto a special flash drive as well as his main laptop. He was hopeful that with this glimpse into the future, he could get Twilight and the others to avoid whatever had happened to make the tribes split apart again. He wasn’t as big a fan of G5, but now that he knew the kingdom of Equestria was just a walk away, he hoped to help with his foreknowledge.

He wasn’t a fool, however. He knew that Equestria was a lot more dangerous than his current world was in terms of wildlife. Ponies might have lived in harmony with nature, but that was due to their magic. Humans had no wings or magic, so they had to pretty much control their environment. Since he had no other way to defend himself, he knew he had to go armed just in case. He also realized that the medicine for ponies might not work on him the same way. After all, he couldn’t always rely on the Elements of Harmony to protect him. He had his pride, after all. So, he first decided to buy as much medication that he felt he needed. Ibuprofen, cough medicine and cold medicine were just some of the over the counter medication he bought. He also bought a hefty first aid kit just in case.

One thing for which Gregory had his father to “thank” was his love of guns. He’d taken young Gregory to a shooting range many times when he was old enough to shoot. Because of this, Gregory had a gun license. The only gun he owned at the time was a Smith and Wesson Model 19 Snub Nose along with a good number of bullets for the gun. However, he knew that wouldn’t be enough.

He started by buying a pair of one of the best handguns on the market, the Taurus GX4XL Toro. With that purchase he also snagged six spare clips and a decent amount of bullets for the pistols themselves. After that, he purchased a decent AR-15 type rifle with a good number of magazines and bullets for it. He also bought a pair of tactical knives just in case he ever ran out of bullets and needed another way to defend himself.

When he realized that the amount of things he was taking with him would be very hard to carry through on foot, he decided to take his car with him. When that was decided, he took it into the local car shop for a tune up. Thankfully, there wasn’t much wrong with it and the cost to repair them was pretty cheap.

He also decided to go in for a tune up of his own, heading to the local hospital for a routine physical. Thankfully, he checked out as healthy there. He got the same answer when he went to visit the dentist.

Now that he knew he was taking his car with him, he decided to get more for the trip. Unsure as to how the toiletries in Equestria would compare to those he needed, he bought a container of toothpaste along with a good supply of toothbrushes, shampoo, soap bars and several shower puffs for himself. He knew bathtubs existed in Equestria, so he decided to be prepared just in case the shampoo and soap made for ponies elicited an allergic reaction from him.

As the time for his departure, early May, approached, he began selling off his furniture to make more money that he could use to purchase more that he’d be taking with him. He sold a lot of his belongings, ironically, to Stella. Eventually, all that was left in his apartment were the things he would be taking to Equestria with him.

In the weeks leading up to his inevitable departure from Earth, he began using the money he had left to buy certain foods in bulk, such as some military MREs along with a large container of different types of freeze-dried meat products that he figured he’d never get again in Equestria. He bought steaks, hamburgers, bacon, ham, chicken, sausage, fish and more. He also bought some canned soups and three entire packs of his favorite ramen, each pack having twenty ramen packets. He also bought several packs of some of his favorite drinks and sodas, since he’d never have them again along with plenty of drink packets he could add to water.

Finally, he vacuum sealed all of his clothes, blankets and the futon he’d been sleeping on after selling his bed for the trip and bought a number of new clothes just in case. He had no doubt that Rarity would be interested in creating clothes for a new creature who wore clothes all the time, but he didn’t want to take advantage of her generosity.

He also bought a few gifts for each of the Mane Six along with Spike. For Twilight, he figured unfettered access to all of his books and the entire latest Wikipedia download would be gift enough, but he bought a spare physical copy of one of his favorite childhood book series: The Chronicles Of Narnia along with a copy of the Harry Potter series.. He doubted very much that she’d enjoy some of the more mature books from his world, like the Game of Thrones series or potentially even Lord Of The Rings, but he bought a spare copy of the latter just in case. He also decided to give her a few of the pens he bought so she could potentially recreate them in Equestria.

For Applejack, he’d bought a number of different types of apple seeds from around the world and printed out papers describing what environment they were best suited for along with instructions on how to best care for them. Not only that, but he bought a paperbound cookbook with various vegetarian recipes which featured apples as a main ingredient.

For Pinkie Pie, he’d bought a sweets recipe book as well as a large number of Earth candies and chocolates for her to try. He’d downloaded a few homemade recipe versions so that he could give them to her so she could recreate them.

For Rarity, he’d bought some of the best clothing material he could lay his hands on. He was no fashion expert by any means, but a quick Google search and some research along with advice from a former coworker who now worked in a clothing store was helpful in that department.

For Rainbow Dash, all he could think of for her was a few magazines showing off different types of jet airplanes for flight maneuvers. Not only that, but he downloaded various videos from YouTube showing off the maneuvers in perfect HD. He figured she could use them during her Wonderbolts routine, seeing as she was already in them.

For Fluttershy, he bought up a few National Geographic magazines which heavily featured exotic animals. He figured that she’d really enjoy them. He also found some songs from Earth she might have enjoyed singing and printed out the lyrics along with their music sheets. He also downloaded plenty of manga and placed them on one of the ebooks.

For Spike, he got a few things. He liked the little guy, and wanted to make his gifts special. For one, he bought a couple containers of rock candy for him along with instructions on how to make more. He also bought a full set of Dungeons and Dragons in the hopes of introducing it to Spike and learning it together with him, although he figured that the Ogres and Oubliettes game was pretty much the same thing. He also decided that he’d make a habit of letting Spike play some of the video games he’d be bringing along since he was the only one who had the digits for the controls.

Finally, the day for his departure came. All that he had in his house left to him was his bed, which he sadly couldn’t take with him. He’d pretty much sold off all of his belongings in preparation for the day when he’d move out. His car was packed with everything he needed. All the money he had left to his name was about five hundred dollars, all in cash. He had some money stashed away to take with him to Equestria, but not because he was planning on using it there. It was more as a keepsake. He filled up a few gas tanks just in case, then stopped at the local diner for one last meal. He ordered more than he needed from the restaurant, setting most of it aside for his first few meals in Equestria. After he paid for his meal and tipped the rest of his cash towards his waitress, he hit the road.

“Winter Wrap-Up! Winter Wrap-Up! Let’s finish our holiday cheer! Winter Wrap-Up! Winter Wrap-Up! Cuz tomorrow spring is here! Cuz tomorrow spring is here!” Gregory sang with a chuckle as he took one of the turns up the hill.

It was the evening of May 4th, a.k.a. his last day on Earth. He was driving up the abandoned road to the old log cabin where he’d first discovered the portal to Equestria. He had music playing from his stereo, specifically his MLP soundtrack. He was singing along to one of his favorite songs as he drove carefully up the road.

“God, I can’t believe I’m about to do this,” he muttered to himself as he continued his drive up the abandoned road. His heart was pounding hard with excitement. He was twenty seven years old and he felt like a kid at Christmas waiting in anticipation to tear into his presents. It was hard not to keep from smiling.

Of course, he knew that this wasn’t going to be all fun and games, after all. This was a real living world he was going to, not some cartoon show. The realism he’d seen through the camera was enough to tell him that. That meant that there would be things he’d probably need to do. Getting a new job would be high on his list of priorities along with getting some form of citizenship. He had no problems working around town doing odd jobs. He’d love a simple but rewarding job on Applejack’s farm, since he had experience working for a few summers on a farm when he was a teenager. He had some baking experience from his classes, so he wouldn’t mind working at Sugarcube Corner. Working with Pinkie might be a challenge, but he’d take hyperactive pink pony over bitter angry coworkers any day of the week. Hell, he wouldn’t mind having some kind of teaching job at Twilight’s School of Friendship. He hadn’t seen it during his jaunts up to the portal, but that just meant either he was too early or it wasn’t in view of the portal’s exit point.

As he drove, he began to wonder about the things about Equestria. He wondered if some of the fandom characters would be in Ponyville, like Fluffle Puff. He also wondered if Lyra was a human fanatic. Was Doctor Hooves/Time Turner the actual Doctor from the show Doctor Who? He also wondered if Equestria Girls was a thing in this world. He hoped that was the case because he wanted to meet Sunset Shimmer. That, and he hoped that he’d be able to request food deliveries from the weird human world.

He shook his head. “Not the time for that kind of thinking,” he said with a chuckle. “Gotta focus on my driving. I can learn all about it later! All our dreams and our hopes from now until hereafter! All that we’ve been wishing for will happen at the Gala! At the Gala!”

He resumed singing along with the songs on his playlist until finally he reached the part of the road where the portal was located. It was still there, just hovering like some magical black hole. Putting the car in park but not turning it off, he got out and approached. The portal seemed to have grown bigger since he’d last seen it. The swirling glowing yellow mists also seemed brighter than it had before.

Quickly, he pulled out his phone and a new and stronger selfie stick he’d bought. After he tapped record, he put the phone through, feeling the familiar tug he felt whenever he stuck something through. He held it there, moving it around for about thirty seconds before he pulled it back through. When he looked at the video playback, he saw that the sun was just beginning to set much like it was on Earth.

Now confident that he’d be okay, he walked back to his car, got into the driver’s seat and faced the portal. Now that he was actually here, he found himself nervous. He bit his lip as his mind raced. Was he making the right decision? Was it really worth it to leave his life behind? Was he really about to abandon everything in this world just to meet some fictional characters created by Lauren Faust?

He shook his head. “I’ve come this far,” he said with determination as he put the car in drive. “Bye bye, Earth!” Putting his foot on top of the gas, he took a deep breath, then slowly pressed down on the pedal. With a wide grin, he urged his SUV forward. “Geronimoooooo!” were the last words he ever said on Earth.

As his car’s bumper touched the portal, he felt his vehicle accelerate slightly. He continued forward until the portal was a few inches from his face. He released the gas and the car still went forward.

He wasn’t sure what he expected when he passed through. Whenever the camera would pass through, it would show just blackness before autofocusing after it reached the other side. However, for Gregory, the portal simply passed through him, leaving behind a slight tingle. He continued driving forward until he was long past the long staff.

Finally, he stopped the car, put it in park, and turned it off. He quickly stepped out and looked back at the portal. To his surprise, it was still visible. Until it began to shrink. Gregory quickly pulled out his phone and began to take video as, like water going down the drain, the yellow mist began receding. Finally, with a slight pop, the portal was gone, leaving nothing but an empty space. The only sign that the portal had ever been there was a ten foot diameter circle of flattened grass.

Gregory didn’t react for a bit. He felt his heart pounding heavily now. He’d just lost his only way back to Earth. A part of him was sad that he’d left his world behind. Sure, he had a rather mundane life, but it had been the only world he’d ever known. And now he was the first person to traverse the multiverse from reality to fantasy.

He turned away, looking up at the massive tree shaped crystal palace. In the setting sun, the crystal castle glistened. He couldn’t help but stare at its majesty and magnificence. It did have a bit of a dullness to it, but he figured it was some sort of trick of the light. “Beautiful,” he said, the word being engraved on his heart as the first ever words he had uttered in his now new home world. He swore that he’d never forget the word.

The evening breeze felt amazing on his skin, but it also felt chilly. Judging from some nearby trees, it must have been sometime around spring. Still, it was cold.

He got back into the car, started it once again, and began slowly driving towards the castle itself. He winced at the thought that he was damaging the lawn and promised himself that he’d properly apologize and help repair the tire track damage if Twilight complained. He somewhat figured that the castle didn’t have any kind of garage for cars, so he settled for parking right on the side underneath an awning made of crystal. He reasoned that at least there it would be somewhat safe from the rain. He reminded himself to ask Princess Twilight if there was a more permanent place for his SUV.

After he got out of the car, he began grabbing a few of his bags. He knew that the castle had tons of empty rooms from the show, so he had high hopes that there was at least a temporary place for him to stay for the night. If not, he was fully prepared to set up his camping gear until he got a job somewhere and a place to stay. He didn’t want to impose on the princess since it was her castle, after all. He grabbed his bag of clothes first and quickly changed into a pair of jeans, a dark gray t-shirt and a maroon hoodie left unzipped. He then grabbed his bag of toiletries, pulled out one tube of toothpaste, a toothbrush, a bottle of shampoo/conditioner combo, a bathtub scrubbing brush, and a towel.

Next, he grabbed his laptop bag so he’d have some kind of entertainment, although he doubted he’d use it since he hoped to get a tour of the castle the following day. He grabbed his phone, one of his pairs of wireless earbuds, and an ebook reader with some of his favorite books downloaded onto it. He grabbed one of his solar charger power banks as well as charging chords.

Finally, after having grabbed a sufficient amount of luggage, he closed and locked his car, setting the alarm just in case some stray animal decided to get too close. He lifted his bags and began heading towards the front of the building. He reached out and touched the side of the building. It was cool to the touch and smooth. He couldn’t believe that he was actually there. It still hadn’t quite sunk in for him yet, but he was actually at the Castle of Friendship. He was in Ponyville. In Equestria itself! And he was about to meet one of his favorite ponies in the whole world.

He reached the front gates shortly afterwards and got his first glimpse of Ponyville proper. His smile only grew. He didn’t see many ponies around, but the buildings he saw resembled those of a proper medieval town, albeit with the same color scheme as the show version of the town. All was pretty quiet at the moment. So peaceful and serene.

At that moment, he saw two younger ponies approaching the front doors. One was a smaller and chubbier unicorn with a grayish blue coat and an orange mane and tail. There was a pair of white scissors on his flank. The other was a taller and lankier unicorn with an amber colored coat, turquoise mane and tail, and a snail cutie mark. Gregory hid as he watched the two approach the castle doors quickly.

“Hurry up!” the smaller pony told his companion in a voice that Gregory recognized immediately. “And everypony calls me the slow one!”

“Hah…hah…I’m coming!” the second taller pony said in a deeper voice that Gregory also recognized.

“Honestly, you’re the reason we always almost never make it home in time!” the first pony said.

“Hey, you’re the one who keeps on stopping at the shops and…” the second pony’s voice trailed off as the two entered the castle, shutting the doors behind them.

Gregory smirked. Of course the first ponies he actually saw in this world would be the two troublemakers Snips and Snails. However, his smirk fell as he realized something. Their conversation implied that they were staying at the castle as their home. That confused him. He didn’t know too much about them, but he figured they would be living somewhere in Ponyville. What had happened? Had Twilight opened up the castle to be used as an apartment complex or something?

As he was wondering, he realized that he’d forgotten something in his car. He turned back, unlocked his vehicle, and rummaged through his belongings. He finally brought out the small cardboard box that he’d carefully placed in the back. He opened it and looked inside. He breathed a sigh of relief. The German made glass dome clock that had once belonged to his grandmother was secure with no cracks anywhere on the crystal dome. He carefully put the clock back inside the box, slipped it into his backpack and made his way back to the front of the castle.

Slowly, nervously, he made his way to the castle door. He climbed the stairs, feeling his palms begin to get sweaty. When he got to the top of the stairs, he straightened himself, wiped his palms on his pants, and looked at the door. It was just like it had appeared in the show, gold with two hearts split down the middle by the double door design. On either side of the door were two purple arched windows with three white stars on them. Like the crystal before, it seemed a bit dull and there were some signs that some cleaning had been done recently to it.

“Come on, Gregory, you can do this,” he said to psych himself up. He took a few deep breaths, and raised his hand to knock. He paused as he moved his hand back. Once more, he hesitated. This was really happening. He was really about to meet one of his favorite characters from a television show! “Fuck it!” he said as he knocked on the door.

He heard the sound of the knock echoing inside. A few moments later, he heard the clopping of hooves on the floor, nearly identical to how it sounded in the show. As whoever it was approached, they began speaking, and Gregory’s heart leapt in his throat. It was the voice of Tara Strong, AKA Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship!

“I've told you, Snip and Snails, that you can’t keep cutting it so close to lock-up time. These doors will be magically locked for the whole night–”

The door opened, and there she stood. Twilight Sparkle. Gregory saw her words dying in her throat as she stared up at him, slack jawed and wide eyed. Gregory was already smiling. He imagined that she’d never expected to see a human here. The only other humans she knew were her friends from Canterlot High, after all. From behind her, he heard a few other ponies gasp in what must have been shock, but he was still focused on the alicorn princess in front of him.

First impressions were essential, though. He needed to say the right thing when meeting not only one of his favorite ponies, but royalty. Still, he managed to flub that right away. “Wow. It’s you. You're Twilight Sparkle.” Inwardly, he tensed and his first reaction was to try to salvage his fuck-up. “I mean, I know you know who you are,” he added as he scratched the back of his head nervously. “I'm kinda a fan,” he finished as he chuckled in embarrassment. When the silence continued, Gregory did what came naturally to him when meeting new people, or ponies in this case. He held out his hand. “My name is Gregory Graystone.”

He watched with anticipation as Twilight looked at his hand, then back at him. Gregory suddenly had a feeling that something was a bit wrong at that moment. He saw Twilight begin to waver on her feet. She opened her mouth, but all that she said was, “...Oh…” before her eyes rolled back up in her head and she began to fall.

Gregory felt panic rising up in him as she fell. He dropped the bags in his hands and rushed forward, catching the purple pony before her head hit the floor. Gently, he set her down before he looked up at the other nearby ponies. “Someone help!” he called out. “I don’t know how to treat a pony!”

Two mares, at least he thought they were mares judging by their somewhat feminine attire, rushed over and looked down at her. One was a unicorn and the other a pegasus. Gregory backed away to give them space, watching worriedly as they looked over her. One of the mares, the unicorn, simply looked at the other and sighed. “Somepony get her some water.” One other pony, a unicorn stallion, walked through another door at the order.

“Will she be okay?” he asked as he looked with concern at Twilight.

He saw her tense up before turning. There was a look of apprehension on her face as she slowly faced him. “S-She’ll be fine Mr…Graystone,” the mare said, and Gregory heard a hint of fear in her tone. She turned to face him completely. “So…by the way, h-how did you get past the guards?”

“Guards? I didn’t see any guards,” Gregory said, confused. There were never any guards in the show, he knew, so why would there be any here? Had something happened that sparked the necessity for guards?

“O-Oh, I see,” was all the unicorn mare said before slowly turning back to face the Princess of Friendship.

The second attendant, who was fanning Twilight with her wings, suddenly said, “She’s coming to.”

Twilight groaned as her eyes fluttered open. The stallion came back, a pitcher and a glass in his magic aura. Gregory watched with fascination as he placed the water glass and pitcher down beside Twilight. This was his first time seeing magic being used in reality, and despite the situation, it was somewhat hypnotizing.

The pegasus grabbed the glass with her wings, lifted it to Twilight’s lips and gently poured it down her throat. Twilight grabbed the glass with her front hoof a few seconds later, tipping it up and swallowing fast. The older unicorn mare who had spoken to Gregory approached. “N-Not too fast, Miss. Sparkle,” she said with a nervous expression. “Take it slow.”

Twilight looked up at her, then over at Gregory. Her eyes widened a bit when she saw him, but she slowly nodded and began taking slower sips. Finally, the glass was empty and she poured another glass of water.

All the while, Gregory stood near the still open door to the outside, watching Twilight anxiously. He might have seen ponies fainting on the show, but this was no show. For one, the ponies here weren’t cartoons. They looked real. He could see the individual hairs on their furs, manes and tails. He saw their expressive eyes, which while not as big on their faces as they would have been on the show, were definitely exuding more intelligence than the average horse. He could see the individual feathers on Twilight’s and the pegasi’s wings. Just like in the show, Twilight’s wings had a slightly different shape than those of a normal pegasus. He took note of the exhausted expression on her face and the bags under her eyes and grew more worried. The last time he’d seen any version of Twilight like this was during the Princess Spike episode.

However, she stood straighter and shook her head. “I’m alright now,” she said a bit shakily. “I just need some sleep.”

“B-But what about our…um…guest?” the pegasus asked, giving Gregory a wary look.

Twilight looked at Gregory again. Slowly, a look of determination appeared on her face. “I’ll take care of him…don’t worry.”

The other ponies in the room looked a bit more nervous at that, but Twilight’s words seemed to mollify them a little bit. “If you say so…” the older sounding unicorn said before turning to the other ponies. “We have work to do. Let’s go, everypony.” With that, the other ponies in the main atrium, which reminded Gregory of the opening scene of the Party Pooped episode, scattered and headed down one of the perpendicular hallways, eventually leaving Gregory alone with the Princess of Friendship.

When they were alone, she turned to face him, giving him a smile. “So…you’re a fan of me?” she asked.

Gregory’s smile returned instantly. He couldn’t believe it. He was actually talking to one of his favorite ponies in the show! “I’ve heard a lot of good things about you,” he said, being vague as he didn’t know if telling her about the show would cause her to break or not. He did plan on telling her about it, of course, but not at the moment. “You and the other Elements of Harmony. I’ve wanted to meet you for a while, but never had the opportunity until recently.” Once more, he extended his hand towards her. “It’s really nice to meet you, your Highness.”

Twilight winced at that, and her smile became a nervous one as she slowly extended her hoof. Gregory could see that she was shaking a bit. He noticed that, unlike the show, Twilight’s hoof appeared more like the hooves from the G5 show. Then again, she did look like an actual real life pony, not some animation.

She put her hoof in his hand, he wrapped his hand around it, and the two species shook hands/hooves in greeting for the very first time.

Chapter 11 - The Departure

[Ponyville Train Station - Five O’Clock In The Evening]

Sweetie Belle stepped out of the coach car she and her family had been sitting in for the past few hours. She yawned and stretched, tired from having to get up so early to catch the train from New Hepsire to Ponyville. They’d made a few stops along the way, but she hadn’t really been paying too much attention, spending most of the trip dozing in between her parents. She was more or less wide awake now with excitement because she could finally see her friend Applebloom and reunite with Rarity.

Her parents were hoisting their luggage out of the baggage car nearby, including Sweetie’s own, when suddenly a voice from nearby called out, “Sweetie Belle? Is that you?”

Sweetie turned towards the voice. To her great astonishment and joy, she saw her old friend Scootaloo. She reared up and galloped over, tackling her fellow Crusader in the tightest hug she could give. “Scootaloo!” she shouted happily.

Scootaloo gave a slight chuckle, but her hug wasn’t any less tight. “Yeah, yeah, hug it up,” she said with a slight hitch in her voice.

After what felt like a blissful eternity, Sweetie Belle reluctantly released Scootaloo. “Were you on the train this whole time?” she asked once they were facing each other.

“I was in that car there,” Scootaloo said, pointing to the coach car which had been behind the one Sweetie and her family had been in.

“No way, I was in front of you!” Sweetie said, pointing to the car she’d just come from.

“Wow, talk about coincidence,” Scootaloo said with a small chuckle.

Sweetie looked for her parents and saw that they were talking to Scootaloo’s own. She turned back to her longtime friend. “So…how’s life on the road?”

“Mom and Dad actually bought a house in Rainbow Falls last fall,” Scootaloo said, “so we’ve actually been living there.”

“No road adventures?” Sweetie asked.

“We had some,” Scootaloo said, “but not since last November when we moved. What about you? Where did you move to?”

“Mom and Dad sold their house and moved to New Hepsire,” Sweetie said.

“Is it nice there?” Scootaloo asked.

“Yeah…but it’s not the same as Ponyville…” Sweetie replied sadly, her ears and tail drooping.

Scootaloo nodded, her own ears and tail following suit. “Yeah…I miss Ponyville too…”

“Kids, come over here for a bit,” Scootaloo’s father said. When Sweetie and Scootaloo came over, he continued, “We’ve been talking it over, and if my sister and her wife are still living in our old house, we can see if all of us can stay there for our visit.”

Scootaloo’s eyes brightened a bit. “We’re gonna go see Auntie Holiday and Auntie Lofty?” she asked eagerly.

Scootaloo’s mom nodded. “When your father last wrote them about a month ago, they were still living here. Let’s go see if they’re home still.”

“If they’re not home, we’ll find an inn to stay in,” Sweetie Belle’s mom said, “all of us together.”

“Yay!” Scootaloo’s shout of joy made her spread her wings and hover for a good ten seconds, flying around before she landed.

Sweetie saw this and was amazed. “Scootaloo, you can fly now?!” she asked in shock.

Scootaloo turned and buzzed her wings before hovering a bit. “Pretty awesome, right?” she said before landing, panting a bit. “Ah…I can’t fly for very long yet, but mom says I’m getting better! She says I’ll be able to fly like a normal pegasus someday if I keep practicing! I can’t wait to show Rainbow-!” she cut herself off, a look of sadness coming over her. She landed and her ears and tail drooped again. “Rainbow…”

“Scoots? You okay?” her mother asked, walking over and putting a wing around her daughter.

“...Y-Yeah, sorry, just got lost in thought,” Scootaloo said, perking up a bit, although Sweetie Belle could somewhat tell that the young pegasus was partially faking it. She moved and grabbed her suitcase, which had a few stickers of the Wonderbolts and some faded and half removed stickers of Rainbow Dash on it. “So…let’s go see if Auntie Holiday and Auntie Lofty are home!”

“We’re not quite done getting the baggage out, so wait a few more minutes, kids,” Sweetie’s dad said. The four adults turned and continued gathering their belongings.

As they did so, the two fillies heard the approaching whistle of a train coming in. Curious, the two looked down the other empty track and saw the Canterlot Express pulling in. They’d traveled on it a couple of times when they’d gone to Canterlot for school or for fun. Curiously, they watched as it pulled into the station. As they watched a small group of ponies coming out, Sweetie recognized one of them and gasped. It was Starlight Glimmer! She walked out and looked back in. “Did you really have to ask Princess Luna to have a glimpse at Twilight’s old Canterlot apartment?” she asked. “We almost missed the train.”

“I wasn’t about to pass up that opportunity to see that,” a male voice said from inside.

“Well, come on, let’s get moving,” Starlight said, gesturing to the baggage car.

Sweetie wondered who Starlight was talking to, but when she saw who the voice belonged to she froze. There, standing next to Starlight, was a human. It wasn’t Jason Wright, but the features were still similar. He had brown hair, bright blue eyes, and was about the same height as Jason. Unlike the first human she’d seen, this one looked much better. He did have a scar on his eye, but other than that, she couldn’t see anything else wrong with him. “That was a pleasant little trip back, though,” he said down to Starlight with a smile before turning back to the car and giving a small glare to somepony else. “Unlike before.”

The third creature came out behind them, looking fairly frustrated. Sweetie recognized her as the same dragon who had been at The Trial. Dragon Lord Ember, if she was remembering correctly. She had nothing except a strange purple staff in her claw with a red gem on the top. The dragon spoke. “I could have flown us back much faster,” she growled.

“Last time, I didn’t get to see the countryside,” the human replied. “I was too busy being terrified that I’d fall.”

“Don’t mock me,” Ember replied, “I wouldn’t have let you fall!”

Two other ponies, these in Royal Guard armor, came out behind and stood on either side of the human. One was a pegasus and the other a unicorn. The unicorn spoke first. “Dragon Lord, please remember that Sir Gregory is more fragile than most.”

Ember scoffed, reached out, and pinched the human’s exposed skin on his hand, making the latter wince. “He needs armor, is what he needs. I could have some of our best blacksmiths whip something up for him in no time out of the best metal our lands have to offer.”

“And how much will that cost me?” the human, apparently named Gregory, said as he walked to the baggage car. “You cost me a bunch of bits already. Who knew dragons could eat so much and still keep their figure?”

“I told you I’d pay you back!” Ember retorted, putting her claws on her hips. However, Sweetie could see the dragon’s cheeks turn slightly red.

The two fillies were watching from behind a nearby garbage can now as they watched Starlight and Gregory retrieving some baggage from the car. Gregory replied, “Yeah, I know you did.”

“Dragons keep their promises!” Ember replied before Sweetie saw her do something she didn’t expect. The dragon wavered a bit.

“Whoa, there!” Gregory reached out and grabbed the dragon to stabilize her. “Take deep breaths, alright?”

Ember frowned, but did as he said. Soon, she stood tall and proud again, holding her staff less like a walking stick and more like some sort of scepter. “Trains are no proper way to travel.”

“Well, excuse me for being born without wings or magic,” Gregory replied with a smirk, “but some of us shorter lived creatures value our lives.”

“Mister Gregory! You came back!” a childish voice called from nearby.

The two fillies looked towards the source and saw, to their amazement, Cozy Glow. Standing next to him was Spike the Dragon. The two were surprised at how much healthier the young dragon looked. He’d lost some of his pudge and actually looked somewhat taller. The young pegasus filly flew over and landed in front of Gregory, looking up at him with wide eyes. “How was the trial? Did those mean ponies who attacked you get their just desserts?”

That startled the young ponies, and Sweetie felt her heart sink a bit. Had ponies not learned their lesson with Jason? Had her sister been part of the attacking ponies? Her worries weren’t assuaged when the human shook his head somberly. “No, not in the way intended,” he replied. “Someone used magic to wipe their minds.”

Sweetie gaped and felt sick to her stomach. She’d been studying magic a bit back in Hepsire, and had read about many forbidden techniques, and mindwiping magic was one of them.

Cozy and Spike both looked alarmed at that. The young dragon frowned. “Will ponies ever learn…?” he asked in a somewhat bitter tone.

“Come on, now, Spike,” Cozy said reassuringly, “not all ponies are like the ones from Ponyville. Remember the ones from Manehattan? They donated a lot and came to our rallies!”

Spike perked up a little bit and shrugged. “Yeah…still, that’s just one city.”

“It’s a good start, Spike!” Cozy said.

Sweetie had to admit, she found Cozy’s enthusiasm somewhat infectious. So much so, in fact, that she came out from behind her hiding spot. Scootaloo, however, didn’t and instead whispered, “Sweetie Belle? Where are you going?”

Sweetie Belle approached the group of assorted creatures on the platform. The first to notice them was Spike, who’s eyes widened a bit when he saw the young unicorn. “Sweetie Belle? Is that really you?”

Everyone else turned to face the young filly, who walked up to Spike and put her front hooves around him in a surprise hug. Spike stood there for a bit before Sweetie felt him return the favor. “Good to see you too, Spike,” she said with a sincere tone.

“Same to you,” he said as he slowly broke the hug, “but what are you doing here? And-wait, is that Scootaloo?”

The young pegasus, having been spotted, came out and walked over to the group, but with a bit more reluctance than before. From behind, Sweetie heard the hoofsteps of hers and Scootaloo’s parents walking up. She heard her mother saying, “Well, this is a nice surprise. Good to see you again, Spike.”

“Hi, Mrs. Crumbles, Mr. Flanks,” he said.

“Good to see you, Spike,” Sweetie’s dad said, “you definitely look healthier than the last time I saw you.”

Spike smiled. “I feel a lot better than I have in a while,” he admitted. “I’ve been slowly eating fish more and more often.”

Sweetie saw the Dragon Lord nod in approval at this. “Fish are best when they’re roasted over lava pits,” she said.

Spike turned towards her and nodded. “No argument here.” He then turned to Sweetie and Scootaloo. “So what brings you two back to Ponyville?”

“We wanted to see Applebloom,” Sweetie replied. “I just hope she’s doing alright.”

“I don’t know how she’s doing, but I saw Sweet Apple Acres from a distance,” Spike said, “and it looks alright.” He turned and saw that the new human Gregory was moving away from the conversation along with Starlight, Ember and the two guards. Cozy Glow was following close behind them, eventually hovering next to Gregory and seeming to pester him with questions. “Hey, looks like I’ve gotta go now. It was good seeing you again,” he said to Sweetie.

“You too, Spike,” Sweetie said with a kind smile before the dragon turned and rushed after the departing group. As they left, Sweetie looked at Gregory. She wondered just how this human got to Ponyville and what had happened. However, one thing she did notice was the look that Scootaloo was giving said human. A deep frown. “Scootaloo? What is it?”

Scootaloo didn’t take her eyes off the new human. “He really should leave Ponyville,” she said in a low voice.

Sweetie turned back and looked at the human briefly before she turned back to the baggage car. She wondered if Scootaloo was right.

[Helping Hooves Shelter - Ten Minutes Later]

“Aah…home sweet home…ish,” Gregory chuckled as the group approached the shelter. “I swear, this castle is bigger on the inside than the outside.”

“Don’t I know it,” Starlight chuckled, “I spent months figuring out how this place was laid out, and even when I left I still hadn’t figured everything out.”

“Well, the place is probably a lot fuller than when you were last here,” Gregory said.

As if to prove his point, the doors burst open and a number of young foals rushed out, running straight to Gregory. In front, Diamond Tiara waved at the human. “Gregory, you’re back!” she shouted happily.

“Yeah, sorry for leaving so suddenly,” he said, “but I had some urgent business up in Canterlot.”

“We heard the news,” Diamond said. “It was all over the papers this morning.”

“Heh, I don’t doubt it,” Gregory replied.

Diamond was about to reply, when a voice from inside the shelter called out, “Rumble! Step away from that creature at once!”

Gregory looked past the foals only to see Thunderlane coming out of the doors, followed by a number of other pony adults.

“Big bro!?!” the colt exclaimed, “What are you doing here? And this is Gregory! He isn’t dangerous!”

Thunderlane came out and stepped in front of him, giving Gregory a glare. “He’s a human, and they’re all dangerous,” she snapped angrily.

“Shoulda figured,” Gregory muttered to himself quietly enough that nobody else could hear.

“Excuse me, Mister Thunderlane, but you’re wrong,” Starlight said stepping forward “I’ve spent the evening with Gregory and I can tell you that he is anything but dangerous.”

Thunderlane scoffed at this. “Yeah, right, like any of us would trust the word of somepony that steals Cutie Marks and betrays friendships. You’re just as bad as him. The only reason we even bothered to listen to you was because of Princess Twilight!”

“Yeah!”

“That’s right!”

“We lost a good Princess because of them!”

Thunderlane nodded along with the mob. “And, I hear he’s been taking my little brother behind my back, along with the rest of the foals. He’s probably been brainwashing them!”

“No! That’s not true. He’s been reading us stories from his world. They are really good!” Rumble tries to defend but the adults weren’t listening.

“See? He is brainwashing our foals!!!”

“Have you no shame?”

“You monster!!!”

“You’re welcome to sit in with us and listen if you think I’m doing anything wrong,” Gregory said calmly.

Thunderlane snorted and pawed at the ground while the rest of the adults gathered the foals away from Gregory. “No way! You’re not taking us or our foals! I’m sick of you humans coming around and messing everything end. You and your pal ruined my career, took my house and hard earned bits. You’re not getting my brother!!!” Thunderlaner snorted as he flared his wings and took off toward Gregory at high speed.

Gregory immediately dropped his bags and held up his pole to defend himself. However, Ember stepped in front of him and cocked her fist back. Thunderlane didn’t know what had happened until he was staring up at the sky from the ground. His vision was blurred and his hearing was shot. Gregory and his group looked on in shock as Ember scored a clean right hook on the stallion’s temple, effectively knocking him out in one punch.

“Tch, that was hardly worth the effort,” Ember growled while glaring down at the mob. All of them recoiled and took several steps back.

Gregory turned towards the other now startled and frozen adults who had been recently berating him and yelling at him. Lifting his pole he thrust it into the dirt ground which made the mob move more back. He gave them a stern look. “You know,” he began slowly, “I don’t really know what to say here. It says a lot about ponies that your younger foals are willing to befriend me and be nice to me when the vast majority of adults here are so stuck in their ways that they can’t see just how hypocritical they are.” He lifted a finger and pointed at each and every one of them. “Let me ask you this: have I ever lifted a finger towards anyone here or anyone else in town with the intent to harm you since I arrived here?”

“...” The mob said nothing but maintained their glares.

“So you can’t think of anything,” Gregory said in disappointment. “What about Jason? What did he do to you before The Trial? Did he take your foals? Did he hurt anyone in town? Did he do anything to earn the abuse and hate hurled against him? Did he do anything to get lightning hurled at him multiple times? What did he do to have garbage, rocks and deadly magic hurled at him by mobs of ponies? What did he do that earned him multiple sessions of ponies beating him with their hooves. Some of the ones who beat Jason are even here in the audience right now.” He looked at a number of ponies. “Tell me what Jason did before The Trial.”

“He was a freak of nature! Just like you!”

“He didn’t belong here!”

“Yeah, leave us alone!”

More and more of the crowd found their opinions, leaving Gregory to sigh in disappointment. The human felt a small tug on his shirt and looked down to see Starlight shaking her head at him. “You’re just wasting your time,” she said sadly, “Why do you think I left?”

Gregory nodded slowly. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Alright then, Headmistress Starlight Glimmer, I accept your offer. I’ll become a teacher at your school. I’ll pack up and leave as soon as possible.” He looked down at the foals and gave them an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, kids. Looks like we won’t be finishing The Hobbit after all.”

All the foals had tears in their eyes at this news. Spike snarled at this and marched up to the adults. “I guess nothing changed in the time I was gone. All of you are still just as hateful and moronic as you were last year. I don’t understand why Twilight is wasting her time on all of you!”

Gregory turned to Starlight. “Do you still know that book duplication spell from when you duplicated the Friendship Journal?” he asked quietly.

“Let me stop you right there,” Starlight said. “I’m guessing you want me to duplicate that book of yours, but it would be a waste of magic as these ponies will never let their foals have human literature.”

“Yeah, you have a point,” Gregory conceded sadly.

“Don’t feel too bad,” Starlight said, “you showed the foals something new and different. You showed them that the unknown isn’t something to be feared. At the very least the foals will grow to be better than the parents. Besides, I’d like your first activity to keep up that reading trend to your new students.”

He smiled at this. “That sounds like fun. Anyway, I’d better get to packing things away. By the way, where’s Twilight? I was hoping to let her know I’m moving on in person. A letter seems a bit…rude.”

“How would I know?” Starlight asked before frowning. “I can give you a little time to wait but I have to get back to the school as soon as I can. It’s kind of my home right now anyway. You should go get everything you have ready to move instead of worrying about her. Besides, she likes notes. She won’t mind if you explain what happened here.”

He nodded. “Understood. I just hope that the trains can handle my car.” He turned to his guards. “Can you two help me pack?”

“It’s no issue sir,” Moonlight stated.

“Hang on, that’s not in our job description– Oof!” Swift winced as Moonlight gently but firmly hit the pegasus on the back of the head. “I mean, fine…” she amended, rubbing the back of her head and giving her fellow guard a glare.

Gregory smiled. “It’ll be the last time we see each other, so I’d rather be with you two until the end.”

“You’re jumping the crossbow again, sir,” Moonlight said, “we’re coming with you.”

“Yeah, guards can request overseas assignment for VIPs,” Swift explained, “but since we’re still on the continent, it will be more like relocation. After all, the untamed lands aren't that far from Equestrian soil.”

Gregory took a deep breath and sighed with relief. “I’m glad to hear it. I’d hate to lose some good friends right after making some. Well, let’s not waste anymore time and get to packing, shall we?”

“This ought to be interesting,” Ember said as she followed them while heading into the shelter.

“I’ve always wondered what humans own!” Cozy said.

“Anything is better than staying here.” Spike said coldly, sending one last glare to the mob.

“Sad, but true,” Gregory said as he looked down at the drake. “Come on! I have a barrel of Sweet Apple Acre cider I need to pack into my car.” With that, the group headed into the Shelter to help Gregory pack.

[Fluttershy’s Cottage - That Same Time]

Pinkie sat patiently in front of Fluttershy as the timid mare fidgeted from the scrutiny. The pink mare was acting far different than what Fluttershy is used to or even seen from her before. Discord still was sitting in his high chair with a bemused and curious expression. If he still had his chaos magic, he might’ve summoned some popcorn for the impending show. Pinkie tapped her hoof impatiently as Fluttershy began, “You see, while taking care of Discord I realized something: he’s made up of different animals, so that would mean he needs a variety of nourishment to help sustain him. And I’d never inadvertently harm an animal by giving them the wrong foods.”

“Uh uh, but why the bib and high chair for foals?” Pinkie asked.

“Well, Discord was being fussy about me feeding him,” Fluttershy explained, “so I thought the high chair would make things easier. The bib is so that he would make a mess on himself when I was feeding him.”

Pinkie blinked once then twice and finally three times before turning to the spirit of chaos. Discord was struggling against the chair while blinking his eyes frantically. Noticing a pattern, Pinkie looked back at her friend. “Fluttershy, Discord’s blinking in mares code. He says you're taking things too far.”

“Oh, don’t worry about him. You know Discord can be a silly prankster.” Fluttershy flew up to Discord and rubbed his cheeks.

“I’ll be right back,” Pinkie said, leaving the room. She came back a moment later with a glass of water. “Fluttershy, you’re my dear friend and I love you very much, so, don’t take any offense to this, but…”Walking up to Fluttershy, she proceeded to douse her with its contents. While Fluttershy sputters, Pinkie dried her off by grabbing her withers and shaking her violently. “WAKE UP! YOU’RE ACTING LIKE A NUT!!!!”

“P-P-Pinkie! Please s-stop,” Fluttershy said through garbled speech.

“I’ll stop when you start acting like you have a brain again,” Pinkie replied. “Don’t you see what you’re doing? You’re not treating Discord like a friend or even like an intelligent creature. You’re trying to replace all the animal friends you lost! You did the same thing with Gregory when he visited earlier! It’s time to stop running!”

Surprisingly, Fluttershy held firm. “I’m sorry Pinkie, but you weren’t here for the part year. You’ve no idea how hard it’s been for Discord to cope with the loss of his powers and the punishment set on him. I know because I’m the best when it comes to treating other creatures. Don’t forget that it was me that helped reform him. It was me that was actually his friend.”

“Then, as his friend, you should consider what he wants instead of assuming it,” Pinkie replied without missing a beat. “Humans have a saying, you know. Assumptions make an ass out of you and me. I don’t really know what a donkey has to do with that saying, but you’ve haven’t been hearing your friend out.”

Fluttershy bristled at the comment and a rare moment of rage began to surface. “Discord is perfectly fine with my care!”

Pinkie, getting angry as well, walked up and poked Fluttershy against her barrel. “Then let him talk for himself. I want him to say it. If it is true that there is no problem here then I’ll leave it alone!”

“Fine!” Fluttershy walked up to Discord and removed the pacifier. “Tell her Discord.”

Discord looked between both of the mares. He looked torn, Pinkie could tell. Pinkie waited patiently as the draconequus tried to think. However, one look at Pinkie’s serious gaze made him relent. With a dejected sigh, Discord spoke. “...Pinkie’s right, Fluttershy…”

“Ha, see– wait, what?” Caught off guard, Fluttershy turned back to Discord with a confused look on her face.

“Fluttershy, you know I would never want to hurt your feelings,” Discord said, facing the pegasus, “but all of this constant care isn’t helping me. It was fine for the first few months, but you’re being so overbearing to the point of treating me like a prisoner and not as your friend.”

Fluttershy stumbled back as if she’d been struck. “N-no. I– you don’t know what you’re saying,” she said with a nervous chuckle.

“Yes I do,” Discord said as he began to remove the bib, folding it and setting it aside. He removed the tray in front of him and slowly pushed himself off of the chair, standing up straight and facing the pegasus. “Flutters, I know I’m no expert in friendship, but Pinkie’s right. You can’t keep using me as a replacement for what you lost. I should have said something sooner, but I just don’t like seeing you upset. However, this is going too far. Please, Flutters…it’s time that you faced the real world. Same with me.” He turned to the window. “It’s long past time. We really should face what we did instead of hiding from the rest of the world.”

“But I-I, you…” Fluttershy started to hyperventilate as she crawls into a fetal position. Tears fell down her face as she shuddered. “I-Im sorry. I-I didn’t mean to run away from that day. I knew somewhere in my heart that what was happening to Jason was wrong, but I just fled. Then, the guilt never went away. You’re right. I’m such a terrible friend and pony. I’m sorry!!!”

Pinkie exchanged a glance with Discord until both of them went to comfort their friend. “It’s okay, Fluttershy,” Pinkie said softly, hugging her on one side while Discord hugged her from the other side, “it’s never too late to fix things, and that starts with all of us talking through our problems and guilt. For that, I need your help in getting through to Rainbow. You’ve known her longer than all of us combined, besides her parents, but they can’t help her like you can. Can you do that? Can you help save our friendship?”

Fluttershy sniffled some more before nodding. “I-I’ll try.”

[Rainbow Dash’s Cloudominium - Half An Hour Later]

Twilight stood with her friends at the front door of Rainbow’s house. She had some mixed feelings about seeing the girls again. On the one hoof, it was great to see them all looking relatively well. On the other hoof, she knew that their scars ran deep and that it would take a lot more time than just one talk for them to fully heal. Although, she wasn’t expecting Discord’s arrival with Pinkie and Fluttershy. When she asked him why he was here, Discord only said, “I’m the biggest reason she’s in this mess, and it’s long past time I help put things right.”

“You share the blame for most of our predicaments right now.” Rarity huffed.

“Rarity,” Pinkie said in a warning tone.

“I know, darling. I am not excluding my portion or shifting blame. I am merely reminding him of his involvement affecting all of us as a whole rather than Fluttershy alone.”

“But he didn’t affect our minds,” Fluttershy replied in defense of her friend, “he just did something that he hoped would help Twilight.”

“No, Miss Rarity’s right,” Discord said, “I should have kept a closer eye on Jason. I made an assumption about how things would turn out for him and I was wrong.”

“Look, we can have this debate when we are all together, not outside where we have to repeat ourselves,” Twilight stated firmly. “Now, let’s head inside.”

Twilight opened the door and Pinkie noted that not much of anything has changed from her last visit. Bottles of cider still cluttered the ground along with the torn and damaged remains of Rainbow’s Wonderbolt memorabilia. “Oh, dear, and I thought I was having a difficult time,” Rarity commented as she kicked away an empty bottle.

“Poor filly probably lost the most out of all of us,” Applejack said. “At least, I still have my farm and family.

“Well, Rainbow has her family too, but not in a good way,” Pinkie said softly.

“What do you mean?” Rarity asked, “I’ve only ever seen Rainbow’s parents support her. Maybe they've helped her out more than we thought.”

Pinkie shook her head. “You saw how they were at The Trial. They defended her abuse of Jason. They can’t picture her doing anything wrong…”

“Rainbow? It’s me, Twilight. We’ve come to see you.” Twilight said aloud.

“...Twilight? How’d you get here?” Rainbow called out from upstairs. There was some shuffling and a door opening before Rainbow came downstairs. Her eyes went wide as she beheld everyone present. “What are all of you doing here?!”

“We’re here for you and to help you feel better,” Twilight said.

Rainbow scowled a bit as her eyes fell on Pinkie. The memory of their last encounter replayed in her mind. “Tsk. Pinkie, who told you to go and get everypony?” Her eyes landed on Discord as her frown deepens. “And, you brought Discord of all creatures? He’s just as responsible for what happened to me!!!”

“And it’s high time I did something about it,” Discord said.

“Discord isn’t solely responsible, Rainbow, and that’s your problem in all of this,” Twilight said. Since The Trial, you ‘ve consistently put the blame on everypony else but yourself. In order for you to overcome your pain, you need to accept–”

“Accept what!?!?” Rainbow shouted angrily, cutting Twilight off. “Was I the one that brought that human here? No. Did I rip him away for whatever stupid lesson that doesn’t help anything? No! Now, I’m a grounded pegasus! My career in the Wonderbolts is gone forever! I worked my whole life for that dream! You know that!!!”

Discord sighed and looked out of the window. “Yes, I’m the one who brought him here. I’m the one who thought that showing Twilight that humans aren’t all bad was a good idea. I’m the one who failed to keep an eye on things. To quote Jason, I fucked up.” This caused the ponies to wince at his foul language. He then looked up at Rainbow, “but was it me who struck a completely magicless and innocent human multiple times? Was it me who betrayed their element?”

“Betrayed my element?!” Rainbow snapped, giving Discord a hateful glare, “A strange monster comes along that nopony but Twilight has seen before, and using those clouds to chase him away was betraying my element? I wasn’t loyal to any human! I was loyal to Equestria and its citizens! But you can’t sit here and deny that you didn’t operate in your element, which was causing chaos!!!”

“Loyalty does not excuse cruelty and violence,” Twilight replied calmly. “Just like my wariness of humans didn’t excuse slamming the door on his face and creating a snowball effect of misery for him.”

“She’s right, sugarcube,” Applejack added, stepping forward, “maybe you can talk yer way into believing you were doing good. But, you know that is a big fat fib. and ah know a lie when ah see it. Ah used to be a pretty big one when ah was a filly. Ah suppose that much hasn’t changed. Ah went and suckered Jason in with a cheap shot then sicced Wynnona on ‘im. That was an awful thing to do, and ah see that clearly now. Ya got to see that what you did was wrong too.”

Rainbow said nothing but turned away. However, Rarity spoke up next. “It’s very easy to blame somepony else, but we don’t get that luxury, darling. We were supposed to represent the tenants of harmony, and like Princess Celestia said, we clearly weren’t ready for that responsibility. I know Jason said that harmony isn’t good, but I must refute that. Harmony is as good as we make it to be. And whether we admit it or not, we all failed quite miserably in that regard.”

“That’s why we have to take accountability for it now,” Fluttershy stated, “but we can’t be overbearing when it comes to accepting it. I tried to do that with Discord and that was wrong,”

“...So, what, am I supposed to smile and wave happily with my useless wings and busted eye?” Rainbow asked bitterly.

“Rainbow, I hate to say it, but those scars are from what you tried to do to Jason when he exposed us,” Pinkie said, causing fresh rage to flare up in the prismatic mare. “It’s the truth, Rainbow! Everything he said at The Trial was the truth. He had a right to face us for our wrongdoings, but you couldn’t handle it. Then, you go and try to hurt him for speaking up against his bullies!”

“I-I–he was taking everything from us!” Rainbow argued.

“No! He! Wasn’t! All he did was break down this stupid little bubble of perception we wore on our heads like an accessory!” Pinkie sighed as she continued. “Do you think I wanted to leave Ponyville? No, I didn’t. The first few months away were the hardest because I desperately wanted to make things right with Jason and to make him smile and to be his friend. Maud and Lime had to tie me down multiple times to stop from heading back. My idea of fixing things wasn’t healthy or right…”

“Ah guess you really were punished in a way,” Applejack said softly, giving her friend an empathetic look. “Ah’m sorry fer sayin’ or implyin’ otherwise.”

“Me too, darling. I‘m quite proud of the turn around you’ve made for yourself. We can all learn a lot from you.” Rarity gave Pinkie a soft smile.

Rainbow sat on her haunches while refusing to turn around. She felt several hooves on her back as Twilight spoke again. “Rainbow, think of it this way; you inspire foals everywhere to be the best version of themselves. Not just physically, but also morally. Can you honestly look at your actions toward Jason and say that they were something a good pony does?”

Rainbow shuddered as she spoke in a soft tone. “...No…”

“Think about poor Scootaloo,” Pinkie added, “she looked up to you for so many years. She might still. At least, if my Pinkie Sense is still accurate. Do you want Scootaloo to be a bully like she was bullied by Diamond Tiara for so many years? Is that the kind of example you want to set for foals everywhere?”

Rainbow shook her head as tears started to fall. “...No, Scoots knows better than that. Even with a cruddy role model like me.”

“Well…you might be able to tell her that,” Pinkie said reassuringly, “but you really need to admit what you did instead of blaming everypony but yourself.”

“What good would admitting it do?” Rainbow asked, drawing up any defiance she could, “Everypony already knows I’m awful! I don’t need to re-enforce it.”

“It doesn’t matter what everypony else knows; it’s what you know that matters.” Fluttershy said firmly. “I knew a filly that once stood up to three other bullies to defend me> And, I believe that same filly is still right here in front of me.”

“And that same filly abandoned a griffon who needed her just as much…” Rainbow said bitterly, looking down at the ground.

“We’re not perfect, Rainbow,” Twilight said, “and as fast as you are, you can’t be in two places at once.”

“But I should have been there for her too!” Rainbow shouted angrily, stomping the floor. “I lost a good friend…”

“That’s just it, Rainbow,” Twilight replied, “I think Gilda still wants to be friends. You just have to reach out to her. But, you got to accept your role in all of this before that. Otherwise, all meeting her would do is challenge your bullheaded attitude. Sometimes, it pays to humble ourselves.”

Rainbow finally turned around and faced her friends. She showed off her tears and dipped her as her body trembled. “...Will things go back to the way they were before?” she asked with at tremble in her tone.

“Sadly, no. But, that doesn’t have to be a horrible thing. All that means is a fresh start to make things better.” Discord stated.

“Look at me,” Pinkie said with a small smile, standing and turning around for Rainbow to see. “I’m not the same pudgy pony you remember. I feel more fit and happier than I have in a while. I like this change. Sure, deep down, I love to party and make ponies smile, but I know when it’s time to be serious and I know other ways to do it than a Pinkie Promise.”

Another shuffling sound could be heard as everyone looked towards Rainbow’s room. Tank came flying down the room and into Rainbow’s arm. He looked healthy and his shell had a slight sheen to it. The tortoise looked up at his master with a slow smile as Rainbow hugged him deeply. “Hey, Tank.”

Fluttershy looked at the tortoise and smiled. “Tank looks really healthy, Rainbow,” she said.

“Yeah, I guess I was stubborn at the time,” Rainbow replied, “but when Jason brought how I nearly could’ve hurt Tank, I made sure to only feed him what he needs.” Rainbow let out a chuckle, surprising everyone. “If anything, I think you're starting to put on some weight, little buddy.”

Fluttershy looked like she wanted to approach Tank, but paused and just sat there with a happy smile. “You’ve taken great care of him, Rainbow,” she said.

Rainbow looked up and sighed deeply. “You’re all right.” The words looked like they hurt for her to say, like she was giving up or accepting defeat. She pushed those thoughts down and continued, “I was the one that struck lightning at Jason when I could’ve heard his side of the story. I was the one that gave ponies the wrong idea about loyalty. I was the one that was too stubborn to accept her punishment and put these scars on myself. I was careless, stupid and reckless. I want to do better. I want to be better. I– Can you girls help me?”

The others all moved closer. “That’s why we came here, sugarcube,” Applejack said, “yer our friend through thick and thin.”

“Anything we can do to help, we will,” Rarity said.

“We’re all in this together, Rainbow,” Fluttershy added.

“It might take a while, but if I’m any example, we can all become better,” Pinkie said.

“We can do it, and I know this is gonna sound like me lecturing, but with the magic of friendship we can get through this,” Twilight concluded.

As the six wrapped Rainbow in a group hug, the dam finally broke and she began bawling. Discord watched this with a sad but hopeful smile. He held hope that perhaps things would become better. Different, but better.

[Helping Hooves Shelter - Half Hour Later]

“Ah’ve never seen anypony cry as much as you have,” Applejack was saying as the six approached the Helping Hooves shelter. It was almost sunset and the shadows were lengthening. The air was cool and there was a nice breeze in the air. “Yah never cried that much before.”

Rainbow gave Applejack a glare, but unlike before there was no bite to it. “Shut up, Applesmack,” she retorted.

Applejack only chuckled. “Alright, alright…”

As the group headed back towards the former Castle of Friendship, Rainbow’s superior pegasus eyesight spotted two ponies sitting in front of the Shelter’s front doors. She might have lost one eye, but her good eye still could see much better than other ponies. “Hey, who are those two ponies sitting in front of the doors?” she asked, pointing at the figures with her hoof. “One of them looks familiar…”

Twilight squinted her eyes before they widened in disbelief. “That’s Sunset Shimmer, Celestia’s first protege!!!”

“Which would mean that the other pony has to be Cellie in disguise,” Discord observed. “Not very homely I would say.”

“What in tarnation are they doing back here?” Applejack whispered.

“That would be me,” Twilight said. “I asked Spike to send a letter to them after the first attack on Gregory’s car a few days ago.”

Discord frowned while Fluttershy and Pinkie gasped. “Gregory was attacked again?” Pinkie asked.

“Is he okay?” Fkuttershy added.

“No, there wasn’t another attack. Truth be told, I haven’t spoken to him for a while,” Twilight admitted. “It was around that time that you came to me about helping the girls. Let’s go see what they want. I’m sure Gregory’s inside the castle anyway.”

As they walked forward, Sunset spotted them. She stood up and looked at the six. “Hello, girls,” she said with a slight bitter edge to her voice.

“Hello, Sunset.” Twilight turned to the mystery mare and bowed her head. “Princess.”

“You know you don’t have to call me that anymore,” the mare said in a very familiar voice. “However, it was very astute of you to glean my identity so quickly.”

“Pfft, please, I gave it away,” Sunset said dismissively. “She knew we left together.”

Ignoring her first pupil for the moment, Celestia could not help but smile a bit at the sight before her. “Quite the reunion from you girls. I sense a positive aura coming from you all.”

“Well, we’re not there yet, but I think this is a good first step.” Twilight beamed as her friends nodded.

“If you six are getting your act together, then maybe you can do something about the crazy ponies in this town!” Sunset exclaimed. “How is it that another attack happened inside your castle?”

“I wish I had a definitive answer that doesn’t admit to the inherent xenophobic tendencies of ponykind, but that would be a lie,” Twilight said, “but rest assured that the girls and I will have words about this. For now, I think Gregory would like to see some friendly faces.”

As the girls and Discord head inside the castle, some of them became uneasy. “Are you sure this is a good idea, sugarcube?” Applejack asked. “Ah don’t doubt that the fella wants to meet us, but it feels too soon.”

“We can’t put it off forever,” Twilight replied, “Besides, I think this is also good for us. It might not be the reconciliation we hoped for with Jason, but it would help with whatever gripes you may have about humans. Gregory has proven himself to be very friendly and levelheaded. You’ll love him.”

Thunderlane came up to them just then. “Welcome home, Princess Twilight,” he said with a smile that seemed off to all eight mares. “You’ll be glad to know we’ve taken care of an issue for you.”

“What issue?” Twilight said in confusion.

“That freak human won’t be causing any more problems anymore,” he said with a proud grin.

Twilight’s heart skipped a beat while the rest of her group looked pale. “W-What?”

“They kicked him out,” an older female voice said. Spoiled Rich came up and glared at the pegasus. “That human packed everything he had and left.”

“You did what!?!” Pinkie roared in anger, making eveypony flinch.

Celestia dropped her disguise in a flash of light as the ponies all gasp and bow to her. However, the stormy visage in her eyes showed she wasn’t her to be revered. “Explain yourselves at once!” She stamped her hoof on the ground, causing spiderweb cracks to spread out.

“I-I’m sorry, Princess,” Spoiled said fearfully, “a few of us tried to stop them, but they ignored us. I’ve been trying to comfort my daughter, but she doesn’t want to see me right now. All he was doing was reading books to our foals.”

“Human propaganda, you mean!” Thunderland shouted back at the earth pony.

“Enough!!!” Celstia shouted in her Royal Canterlot Voice, which sent Thunderland flying back. “Count your lucky stars that I’m no longer an acting princess, otherwise, I would have you all tried for unlawful assembly and harassment!” Celestia’s glare shut down any rebuttals Thunderlane had while the rest of his mob looked down in fear.

“H-He did leave behind a few things,” Spoiled said, “at least, that’s what he told me before he left. He said they were in his room and that they were gifts.”

Twilight wasted no more time as she bolted to Gregory’s room. The girls weren’t far behind along with Celestia and Sunset. The door was unlocked and Twilight burst through. She saw that the room was completely neat and empty save for a number of objects stacked on the bed. “Gregory?” Twilight called out, checking the bathroom in a fruitless effort to find her new friend. On the bed was a sheet of paper with her name on it. She took it in her wings and opened it.

With trembling hooves, she read the following:

Dear Twilight,

I’m sorry for leaving so suddenly, but I think that my presence in this town will only bring more problems. I think that my place is at Starlight Glimmer’s Seeds of Yggdrasil school. At least there I can do some good. Thank you very much for letting me stay here. It was an honor to meet you. I have one more gift for you. Maybe someday the foals can hear you read it to them. I hope things become better for you and your town.

Your Friend,

Gregory Graystone

Twilight looked on the bed. Sitting there, wrapped in plastic, were a number of books, including one that she recognized. It was the same one that Gregory had been reading to the foals. There were other gifts laid out on the bed, each with a hastily scribbled name on a piece of paper on top of them to indicate who they were meant for.

All except for Pinkie’s which had a short note on it as well. The former party pony hastily opened it and felt tears coming to her eyes as she read:

Dear Pinkie Pie,

I’m sorry for leaving without saying goodbye in person, but it’s probably for the best that I leave Ponyville. Still, I’ll always consider you a good friend. I’m sorry I never got the chance to give you your gifts in person, but I hope you enjoy them.

Your friend,

Gregory Graystone

[The Dragon Lands - Near Sunset]

Garble hovered quietly over one of one of the large creeks near his and his sister’s cave, staring down at the water intently. He kept his eyes firmly on the water, looking for any sort of movement aside from the normal rushing water. Finally, he spotted motion a few feet below. He dove down and swiped with his claws at the shape. He was satisfied to feel that he had indeed skewered something. He pulled his claws out and saw that he’d gotten one of the bigger fish in the creak. He grinned as he quickly flew back to shore and placed it in the bucket.

Nearby, he saw Smolder sitting on the creek’s bank, holding a large wooden rod with a string and hook attached to it. She looked over at him and smirked. “Not bad,” she said when she saw his haul, “but I’m still ahead of you.” She put her claw on her own bucket, which was more than halfway full as opposed to Garble’s which was only about a fourth of the way full.

Garble growled. “Hey, I’m doing it the way dad taught us before we got kicked out,” he said, “so tonight’s meal is gonna be so satisfying.”

“But I’ll be full,” Smolder said teasingly.

This made Garble angry and more determined to show up his sister. He was the older brother, dammit! He wouldn’t be outdone by his tea party loving sister! He spread his wings and flew over to one of the deeper portions of the creek where more fish would congregate. He looked down and waited.

Minutes passed, and he heard his sister shouting in triumph a few times as she presumably caught more fish using the method their mother had used whenever she went fishing. He grew more and more frustrated and impatient until finally he saw a huge shape moving through the water. He dove down and thrust his claws forward. Once more, his claws hit and dug into something and he was satisfied to see a large squirming shape below the water. He landed and lifted it up, revealing a fish that was almost three fourths his size. It was putting up quite the fight, but a few sharp jabs with his sharpened claws caused the large fish to slow down and eventually stop struggling. He carried it back and let it fall on the bank near his sister. “And that’s how it’s done,” he boasted, crossing his arms and grinning down at her.

Smolder looked down at the fish, then back up at Garble. “Not too bad, bro,” she said with an approving nod, “looks like we’ll be eating like kings, or dragon lords, tonight.”

“Who was it who said we eat what we catch?” Garble asked snarkily, looking at Smolder’s bucket, which was now almost full whereas his latest catch could fill both of their buckets two times over. “Besides, you’re still smaller than I am and have more of a gem hoard than I do.”

“You wouldn’t let your sister go hungry, would you?” the younger dragoness asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

“You have a feast fit for ten dragon lords!” Garble said, gesturing to her bucket, “and is that a tuna in there!? You know how rare those are here!”

“Well, I was gonna share it with you, but if you want to whine about it, I could always just keep it for myself,” Smolder said with a grin, grabbing said tuna and bringing it up to her mouth, opening it to take a bite.

Garble was about to reply when suddenly a sharp and icy cold breeze began to blow, startling him. He turned and looked in the direction of the breeze, wondering just what it was he felt. He couldn’t see anything, but something felt wrong. He heard Smolder standing nearby and grab her bucket. “You feel that too?” Garble asked.

“What was it?” the young dragoness asked.

“I have no idea, but something’s telling me we shouldn’t stick around to find out,” Garble said as he grabbed his bucket and hoisted his large fish onto his back. “Time to go home.”

As the two headed back towards their cave, Garble noticed that there were other dragons flying in the sky. This wouldn’t have been much of a shock to him except for the fact that they were all flying in the exact same direction: northwest. The same direction they were flying. As they flew, he noticed that other dragons were flying up from caves below, many carrying large bundles. He saw Maar flying up with a large sack over her shoulder. He flew over to her. “Hey, what gives?” he asked, gesturing to her sack, “where are you going?”

The look of fear on Maar’s face was one he’d never seen on the dragoness. “Haven’t you heard the news?!” she asked.

“What news?” Smolder asked, flying up beside her brother.

“The former Dragon Lord has fallen!” Maar shouted.

Garble’s blood ran cold at that. He never knew Maar to be much of a jokester, and the look on her face was anything but joking. Still, he found it hard to believe that the former Dragon Lord could have been defeated by anycreature. “What do you mean?” he asked.

“Torch fell in battle!” Maar repeated.

“We gathered that, but what exactly happened?” Smolder asked.

“I don’t have time to explain much,” Maar said, looking over her shoulder worriedly, “but from what I heard, some strange ice creatures came out of nowhere from the southwest. Torch fought them off as best as he could but they overpowered him. We’ve gotta get out of here!” With that, Maar sped off, heading towards the northwestern shores of the Dragon Lands.

Smolder and Garble looked at each other briefly. Their cave was nearby, and being dragons they didn’t want to leave empty clawed. Nodding, they dropped their buckets and sped off towards their cave.

When they reached it, both of them grabbed a large bag and began packing what things they didn’t want to leave behind. Garble stuffed his bag full of gems and bits and even his beat poetry drums. He heard Smolder in her room grumbling about something, but there was a hint of panic in her voice. “It’s gotta be here somewhere!”

As Garble was packing, he spotted his gorgeboard. Unlike those his friends used, this one was smaller and had an artificial look to it. He knew it was some kind of ancient shield of some kind, but it was ten times better than any of the gorgeboards his friends used. He quickly grabbed the ancient shield and stuffed it into the bag. He looked at the hoard he’d collected, upset that he couldn’t take it all with him, but the way Maar looked, he didn’t want to wait around.

He burst into his sister’s room, only to see her tearing through her own hoard. “Where is it!? Come ooon!”

“Smolder, we’ve gotta go,” Garble said, “hurry up!”

“Not yet! I can’t leave without one thing!” Smolder said.

Just then, Garble and Smolder both felt their cave rumbling. A wailing noise came from outside their cave, and even that sent shivers down both their spines. Smolder redoubled her efforts to find whatever she was looking for, but Garble could tell that whatever made those sounds was too close for comfort. He wrapped an arm around his sister and hoisted her up, grabbing her own bag. “Time to go!”

“Not yet! Let me go!” Smolder shouted angrily as she squirmed in Garble’s arms. “Wait! I see it!”

Garble stopped and looked down at his sister. “See what?” Smolder pointed at a corner of Smolder’s cave. There, sitting on a small flat rock, was a small tea set, one that looked like it had been made by ponies. Garble looked at his sister with a withering look. “Really?”

“Just let me grab it, you idiot!” Smolder snapped.

The roar came back again, only louder this time. Garble growled and released his grip on his sister. “Make it quick!”

After she packed the tea set in her bag, she spread her wings and made her way with Garble towards the cave’s entrance. “Well, hurry up! Time is bits!”

Despite himself, Garble rolled his eyes. “You’re the one who was wasting time over some silly tea set.”

“Like you didn’t grab your bongos!” Smolder retorted as the two zipped into the air to join the now larger group of dragons flying northwest towards the sea.

Garble was about to reply when the sound of howling came again. He covered his ears to block the incredibly loud sound. Curiosity got the better of him, and he turned. And what he saw made him almost drop all of his belongings in horror. Because he found himself looking at a creature surrounded by white clouds, a creature that looked like a transparent pony.

He turned away and began flapping his wings as fast as he could. “Fly!” he heard somedragon nearby shout in fear, “Torch has fallen! All is lost!”

“Where in Tartarus are we going?” Garble asked someone nearby.

“Can’t you feel it?” the dragon replied.

Garble was about to reply when he felt something. He had just adjusted his flight direction slightly, but the moment he did he felt like he was going in the direction towards safety. The direction towards the Dragon Lord and her Bloodstone Scepter.