Ascension, Abdication, or Abduction?

(October 26th: 10th Day Since Capture)

As Neil walked along the gravel road, he did so with a light hum from his chest and a small skip to his steps as a chipper song by TheFatRat played in his head. For the first time in quite a while, he was alone and feeling pretty happy with himself. There were no guards nearby to babysit him or all-powerful princesses to keep him locked up in his gilded cage. He was free to do what he wanted and go wherever he pleased, so long as he did it quickly.

Which was why he was currently trotting along the road heading towards Ponyville.

Even if he considered the times when he was left alone to do research, he hadn't felt like this in days. As he thought back over his entire time in Equestria... He couldn't remember ever feeling this happy. One memory that came close was the content, almost euphoric desire for Equestrian cooking, whether fresh or not.

The only other activity that came to mind was his brief stint of gliding, but even then, that was more of a rush and an elation at the fact that he could fly. Not to mention the almost addictive feeling of correctness as the air flowed over his wings. And yet, another part of him railed against it. Flying under his own power wasn't right; It wasn't human at all. He had to follow his true dream and fly as a pilot, right?

The more he thought about it, the more he reaffirmed his positions. He'd never been truly happy in Equestria, not once, until now.

That's why he took a right when a slightly smaller, lesser-used road appeared. As far as he knew, it would curve around the edge of the Everfree and meet up with the eastern road he had taken with Rainbow the previous day. The ponies back at Sweet Apple Acres might think he was heading back to Ponyville to relax, but he had another objective in mind.

Along the way to her secret training spot, Rainbow had pointed out two smaller paths leading into the Everfree Forest. The first led to a home deep in the forest owned by a pony named Zecora. The second, however, threw him for a loop when she said it followed the outskirts of the forest to Fluttershy's home.

Why one of the most timid ponies he'd ever met would live near a forest that instinctually sent shivers down his spine, he couldn't understand. But in the grand scheme of things, it didn't matter, as the first path was his main focus. Rainbow told him a group of foals called the Cutie Mark Crusaders used it occasionally to visit Zecora. And, if it was safe enough for a group of foals, it was probably safe enough for him.

He wouldn't have to worry about anything- unless he diverged from the path.

After a quick ten-minute jaunt, where he studiously avoided looking at the forest on his right, the smaller path merged into the eastern road. He could already see the unpaved dirt trail cutting straight into the forest in the distance. Sooner rather than later, he would finally take his first hopeful step towards the journey home.

As he veered onto the unkempt trail, he only hoped it was the right path. Now that he was facing the bowels of the untamed wilderness that was the Everfree, the unease at the back of his neck grew with each prickly hair that stood.

'Another thing to add to my list of unknown bullshit about the world,' He thought, ignoring his instinct and walking forward. He could understand the locals having an ingrained reaction like that if they grew up with horrible stories about the forest. However, he didn't have that excuse as he slowly progressed. Twenty feet, ten, five... the moment he crossed the threshold and entered the forest, something unexpected happened.

As if a switch had been flipped in his head, the tension in his neck muscles and the impending feeling of doom vanished. It was intriguing and a little worrying in its own right, as a mild sense of giddiness? replaced it. Either way, without the baseless fear weighing him down, he found his steps much lighter as he travelled into the forest along the path.

Not to say the forest itself suddenly looked like sunshine and rainbows. Living in Saskatchewan all of his life, Neil only had a little experience with forests. The Everfree was unlike anything he'd ever seen before. He was used to tall, narrow pines, aspens, and the occasional, more normal-looking poplar trees. He didn't recognize any of these moss-covered trees, with their thick dark brown or brown-gray barks. They stood tall while also twisting in unusual ways.

Reaching into the dense canopy and blocking most of the sun while vines hung limply from their branches. The remaining foliage was forced to survive in quasi-shadowy lighting that enhanced the unsettling atmosphere. Judging by the leafy bushes and weed-like plants, they not only survived, but thrived in the environment. Each plant coalesced to create a thick underbrush of dark greens and silvery blues that stood out in the otherwise dark crevices. He even spotted groups of orange and red shelf-like fungus growing along fallen tree trunks.

The only indication that he was travelling deeper into the forest, beyond the passing of time, was the overall dimness of the light. Presumably, the canopy was becoming thicker, which allowed even less light to pass through. As a consequence, everything became darker. The shadows cast by the trees elongated, crossing the path more frequently. At the same time, the many twisted limbs around and above him seemed to appear more shadowy and alive, almost as if they were preparing to pin him into the ground, like-.

He shook his head. There was no need to think about that when he was surrounded by a whole new biome of flora and fauna... But, now that he thought about it, there weren't many animals around him. At most, he was surrounded by the occasional hum of insects like the buzzing of beetles. But so far, he hadn't heard a single bird singing or the scuttle of a small creature in the underbrush. It was rather odd...

Neil pondered that thought for a fair distance before he spotted something even odder: a beacon of light filtering through the nearby tree trunks. It wasn't enough to lure him off the path, but he was heading in roughly the same direction, so there wasn't much need to. A few minutes later, the trees thinned enough to reveal a clearing.

It was a reasonably uniform circle, roughly house-sized if he had to guess. The outer half of the clearing was taken up by prairie grasses and wildflowers, precisely what he would expect to see along the untamed outskirts of his home city. But in the center, as if acting like a small, life-giving pond, was a large patch of flowers.

It was very intriguing, to say the least, as he looked upon the waves of petals. Each was light blue except for a line of darker blue running down the center. Was there something about the clearing that prevented the trees from growing, thus allowing the flowers to grow? Or was there something unique about the flowers that acted almost like Penicillin against the trees?

Without thought, he took one step and then another, angling away from the path as he slowly approached the clearing.

Another oddity he noticed was the lack of insects anywhere near the center of the clearing. He spotted a few small, black, fly-like bugs and even a few bees flying around the outer circle but quickly brushed that aside. For some reason, he was far more focused on the blue flowers- what they would smell like and, most importantly, what they would taste like.

He was halfway through the outer ring before some critical thoughts reached the forefront of his mind. 'Why do I want to know what they taste like? Why did I leave the path? And why am I still walking towards the flower patch!?'

A part of himself didn't know why he needed to force his legs to stop moving. But he managed to halt himself with only three feet remaining between him and the blue flowers. Now that he was thinking more clearly, something about these flowers held him enraptured.

There was an urge to go into them, to sniff and nibble on just a few petals in the name of science. Almost as if he was enchanted, like a DnD trap. No matter how hard he tried, the fact that he couldn't pull away his gaze only cemented his opinion.

The best he could do was slowly walk around the flower patch, making sure he moved no closer to the danger but unable to move away. During this time, he tried to think of anything that described the flowers, whether from Rainbow or the books on the Castle of the Two Sisters he skimmed. Nothing came to mind.

He might have been on his second, or maybe it was his third, lap around the flower patch when a small amount of terrifying providence made itself known. He could not look at the source, but he definitely heard the unmistakable growls of a creature nearby. Whether that was the cure for his plight or the shock to his system he needed to break free, the blissful giddiness in his head vanished.

Neil tore his eyes away from the plants and shifted onto the... four plants? growling from the other side of the clearing. Each plant was crouched down on all fours as if threatening to pounce at him at any moment. Except, as far as he could tell, they weren't made of flesh and fur. No, their dog-like bodies were made almost entirely of sticks and bark in various states of mossy decay. The only thing not made of plant matter was their eyes, each glowing like a luminescent firefly nestled in the otherwise empty socket.

Rainbow's gloating also played through his head, identifying the creatures before him with some manner of disbelief. 'There's also timberwolves, but me and AJ handle 'em easily enough.'

Timberwolves. Neil assumed she meant regular wolves, but of course, nothing could ever be that simple in fucking pony world! Even worse, the wolves had placed themselves between him and the path. He was essentially cut off from safety if, and that was a big if, the wolves would give up the chase if he managed to reach the path. Even in his head, that plan sounded stupid as he took an unconscious step away from the pack.

All four wolves sprung into action like Neil had stepped onto a trapped pressure plate. Two plant monstrosities charged to the right, and the other two, including the largest wolf, charged left to avoid the patch of blue flowers entirely. That gave him just enough time to turn and run, allowing instinct to guide him as he headed deeper into the forest.

He didn't have the luxury of looking back and seeing how close the wolves were. His sight was focused, darting to his left and right to find the path of least resistance when available. And when it wasn't, he bulldozed his way through the underbrush. Bushes, weeds, and thorns? None of that mattered as he quickly accrued multiple shallow cuts and scrapes.

What mattered was the sound of thunks and cracks as rotten wood chased him. Even worse, though it was only his ears tracking his pursuers, he could tell they were gaining on him. It wouldn't be long before they were nipping at his heels. He needed something- a distraction, an obstacle, anything!

A growl came from behind him and to his left. Neil instinctually juked to his right, plowing through a patch of thistles as the snapping of fragile wood slammed into the ground. Even then, he resisted the urge to look back. Was that one less wolf? He hoped so as he shifted to his left, aiming to slip between two-

Pain erupted from his back right hoof as what felt like dozens of small wooden spikes pierced through his skin and fur into the muscle beneath. With a roar of anger, pain, and fear, Neil forcefully ripped his leg out of the wolf's jaw as he continued forward. Besides a minor stumble, Neil managed to weave between the two trees as another conglomerate of wood tried, and failed to pounce on him as it smashed into the tree on his right instead.

Two wolves down and two to go. Even then, Neil knew he was at a disadvantage now. He could feel multiple shards of wood grinding in the wound each time his back hoof made contact with the ground, sending multiple jolts of pain up his spine. Reminding him of his dire situation, along with the unknown amount of cuts and scrapes covering his chest.

He was frantic, looking this way and that, trying to find an escape route. And if not that, then anything that could act as a deterrent for the wolves still thumping and barking excitedly through the underbrush behind him. Did they smell his wound? Could they smell his wound? He didn't know as he pushed off with his back legs and leaped into the air.

His injured leg almost collapsed from the pain as his muscles spasmed, but it held, allowing him to soar over a fallen log. Judging by the scrabbling of multiple monsters behind him, he might have gained some much-needed ground. But, it wasn't enough since the wolves were still on his trail.

He wasn't going to give up his brief respite, though, as he scanned the surrounding area. Not to look for the path of least resistance but a proper escape.

Nothing stood out as he looked from left to right. However, whether it was dumb luck- or the fact that he should have been paying attention to where he was going, he burst through the treeline. His chosen path suddenly came to an abrupt and steep-looking end, with the ledge of a cliff not even five feet in front of him.

Neil's first instinct was to try and stop as he dug his front hooves into the dirt. However, his forward momentum wasn't so easily diverted as his hooves slipped over the edge. For a moment of abject terror, Neil felt as if the world had slowed down. He could see the ground below, a veritable field of stone boulders and torn-up dirt, with the odd thick tree standing upright, almost as if there had been a landslide recently. Unfortunately, said the landslide was at least fifty feet below his current height.

There was no way he was going to survive that kind of fall- Whumph!

A sudden strain against his back pulled him back into reality, and he noticed that he wasn't falling- fast at least. He also felt the familiar, addictive feeling of air flowing along his feathers as he glided forward. Gathering his wits, Neil locked his wings in place, just like Rainbow taught him before another catastrophe could happen.

Unintentional as it was, he couldn't deny the sudden elation erupting in his chest and overriding his previous terror. The chase had been far too close, but in the end, he had won. The sky had been his unintended escape, and as far as he knew, plant wolves couldn't fly. Now, his only problem was finding a place to land.

The landslide might have cleared a decent chunk of tree cover in the surrounding area, but that still left large swathes of shattered rock, some of which looked relatively jagged and sharp. However, there was one rather large, somewhat round boulder that looked ideal.

With little else to choose from, he slowly banked towards it.

Neil still had to circle it twice before he bled enough of his elevation away to land on the rock. When he did, he made sure not to put much pressure on his injured leg, which was still painfully throbbing. Now that he had a solid stone underneath his hooves, he immediately looked over his injury.

It wasn't pretty but, it also wasn't the worst thing he'd seen—thanks to the internet. He found himself to be somewhat befuddled to see not just wooden shards sticking out of the wound, but an entire upper jaw made of wood anchored into his flesh by its teeth. He couldn't help but poke it, only to hiss in pain as he moved the teeth still wedged deep into his leg.

Neil knew he had to remove it at some point; otherwise, it would likely get infected. But, for the moment, he just wanted to sit and rest. So that's exactly what he did as he spun around on his three uninjured legs and plopped his butt down while facing the cliff.

Pacing along the edge of the cliff, looking both pissed off and disgruntled by their posture alone were the four timberwolves that chased him. He knew it was them not only due to the one larger wolf but also because one of the smaller ones was missing half of its upper snout.

Neil released a smug snort at their frustration. It may have been close, but he still snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. Literally, given the jaw embedded into his leg. "That's right, you Pussy Ass Bitches! I won, and you lost; now fuck off!"

They must have heard him clearly because the largest one paused. Though Neil couldn't see it, he felt the wolf's glare. But, they couldn't do anything. They were stuck at the top of the cliff, and he was sitting on top of a boulder. He was perfectly safe as the larger one resumed its movement and walked by one of the smaller ones.

Only to swipe its paw and push the smaller wolf off the cliff.

Neil watched in confusion as a second and a third wolf followed the first to their deaths, each shattering into a hundred or more wooden shards against the rocks before the larger one finally took the plunge.

'What the fuck?' Was all he could think after watching the murder-suicide of an entire timberwolf pack. Why would they do that? It made no god-damned sense at all...

Only to feel a searing pain in his leg as the upper jaw tore itself out. "Fuck!"

He could still feel some of the teeth wriggling inside the wound, trying to remove themselves on their own somehow. In response, his leg spasmed in extreme pain as his front hooves clamped down on the wound. Without the jaw and the majority of teeth to staunch the bleeding, a small amount of red flowed through his fur and stained the top of the boulder.

Even worse, he tracked the jaw as it half flew, half crashed over the shards of broken rock until it finally vanished near where the timberwolves fell. As if they were powered by some sort of necromancy, Neil watched as the shattered pieces of wood merged together again and reformed with other pieces into the rough shape of a body. The process took minutes, but soon enough, all four wolves were standing, fully formed as if nothing had happened, including the large one that looked particularly smug.

By the time the teeth stopped moving, the pack had already covered most of the distance between the base of the cliff and the boulder he was currently resting on.

Neil's recent good feelings vanished like smoke in the wind, leaving only the thought that, at the very least, the boulder was eight to ten feet taller than the surrounding rubble- too tall for the wolves to climb, he hoped. But even then, that meant his only option was to wait and outlast the wolves.

If he could even outlast them. For all he knew, they survived on photosynthesis and used the corpses of animals they killed as fertilizer. If that was the case, he was screwed…unless he somehow unlocked the secrets of flight. He now had plenty of time to learn, so long as he didn't make a mistake and fall into the waiting jaws of his hunters.

'Could this day get any worse?' He complained mentally, unwilling to taunt the larger wolf in case it thought outside of the box for a second time that day.

As if to answer his silent plea, the sound of wooden claws scrabbling against the side of the rock answered him. Shortly after, a pained growl followed as gravity dragged the creature back down into the ground. It wasn't much, but Neil took some delight from the creature's pain after its failed attempt.

It became almost rhythmic as the wolves repeatedly attempted to climb the rock, only to constantly fail. Scratching, cracking, and finally frustrated growling, only to repeat. He didn't know how much time had passed as he sat on his boulder, but it was long enough for most of the blood in his fur to darken and dry and his wounds to start scabbing over.

However, the sound of an out-of-place yelp quickly caught his attention. Enough for Neil to slowly spin in place, then slide up to the edge for a quick peek. A substantial part of him was expecting to pull back to avoid an attempt to bite his face off or some other sort of trap. Instead, one of the three smaller wolves (the one that bit his leg judging by the blood still staining its upper jaw) was just standing there stiffly.

It didn't even look up at him as he reached the edge. No, instead, its gaze was transfixed on the gap between the boulder he was on and a large rock that had split in half at one point. Perhaps during the landslide, after slamming into the boulder he was sitting on? Either way, there was something very peculiar about the wolf as it stood there whimpering. Even weirder, the other three wolves were nowhere to be seen.

It wasn't until the wolf's shoulder stiffened that Neil noticed the subtle colour difference that had crawled up its leg and was now converging over the timberwolf's entire body. Strangely, Neil's first thought was of the three trolls in the Hobbit movie. Why would it change now if it was allergic to the sun? Perhaps there was something in his blood? But if that was the case, wouldn't the change start from the wolf's muzzle? It was clear whatever had caused the wolf's legs and body to lock up started from its feet.

The hopeful part of Neil thought there might be a time limit for a wolf to last before it had to reattach or rejuvenate itself somehow. Maybe there was an evil tree they had to connect to and recharge from, like a cursed roomba dock? That would also explain why the other wolves ran away.

Whatever the case may be, Neil watched as the lighter shade of brown slowly crawled up its neck and finally across its entire head. The ethereal green specks in its eye sockets simply vanished as if they were little candle flames that were snuffed. If the timberwolf could die, Neil was pretty sure that was the moment it did as the transformation finished.

Now, he was all alone with an odd-looking statue of a wooden wolf. At least, that was the thought until he heard an odd chirp from below. Instinctively, Neil looked down, only to see an inquisitive-looking chicken staring up at him with red eyes.

It gave a confused series of clucks as it looked at him for quite a few seconds... before its beak somehow curved into an unnerving smile that caused the hair at the back of his neck to stand on end. It revealed multiple small, sharp, and pointy-looking teeth that did not belong on a chicken.

Neil's first instinct was to move away from the edge, but just like the blue flowers earlier that day, he couldn't look away. Unlike the blue flowers, however, he wasn't feeling hazy or befuddled. He also noticed when the pain from his leg simply vanished, as if the bite had never happened.

By that point, the chicken started to cluck in an almost cackling manner before it took a step out from between the crevice. Its head might have been that of a chicken, mostly. But the rest of its green, almost slimy-looking scaled body was not. With its scaled wings and tail with red spikes, Neil was reminded of a twisted version of Spike in a way. It was as if this creature was some sort of hybrid...

Not that Neil had much time to think such things. He was thoroughly panicking as he lost feeling in his shoulders and hips. It was clear that this thing killed the wolf, and the same thing was happening to him. He tried to pull away, to move, anything! But he couldn't, transfixed on those large, evil red eyes.

'Fuck, fuck, fuck!' Was all that tore through his mind as his chest stiffened, and it became harder and harder to breathe. Any second now, only his head would be left unfrozen as he took a deep breath and held it. Hoping, praying for a miracle to appear, and save him from his fate as his neck stiffened up-

A glass jar full of yellow liquid shattered against the side of the boulder, splashing everywhere, including the small reptilian monster, as it gave a terrified squawk.

The shift was immediate as Neil felt the monster release its mysterious hold over him. His eyes immediately tried to look in the direction where the jar came from, but he couldn't see far enough. Even then, it was too late, as he felt his ears stiffening. The last thing he heard before the sounds of the forest vanished and his vision became black was an oddly lyrical female voice.

"Begone, foul cock! Flee, and find a new lair to flock!"

~~~

Only for his senses to return to him immediately, as Neil found himself submerged in some sort of thick, warm liquid with the viscosity of syrup. His muscles felt sore and stiff, but his limbs were no longer frozen as he lashed out to orientate himself or, better yet, find the surface! Whatever he was in, he quickly found out it was relatively small.

All four of his hooves slammed into the side of the container with a wooden thunk, revealing it was barely large enough to fit him inside. This included his back right leg, which sent a welcome jolt of searing pain up the limb- confirming he wasn't dead just yet.

He would be soon, however, if he didn't find the surface. His lungs weren't burning yet, but he also didn't want to experience drowning as both of his front hooves felt further and further along the wooden wall. His right hoof was the first to feel the lip, and he quickly hooked his wrist over the edge as he pulled himself up and over.

His entire nasal cavity felt like it was clogged with the muddy gunk covering him, leaving an unpleasant, slimy, almost chalk-like taste at the back of his throat. Thankfully, whatever it was, it didn't act like glue since he was able to part his lips and gulp down one deep breath after another of fresh, valuable air...

Only to have his entire head assaulted with a stiff and coarse feeling towel. Whoever it was, they sounded similar to the voice that yelled moments ago as she muttered, "A stallion traveling alone in the Everfree? You must have a brain the size of a pea."

As she finished her scathing rhyme, the towel pulled away. Neil could still feel a trace of slime on his fur and up his nose, but he could at least open his eyes. A single mare took up most of his sight, though she wasn't like any pony he'd seen before. Her coat colour was strikingly similar to his own, but unlike his at the same time, with multiple darker stripes covering her body.

The oddly patterned pony also had a thing for gold, judging by the numerous loops she wore around her neck and hanging from the base of her ears. She also looked at him like an errant child lost in a supermarket.

Glancing to his right, he found himself in a relatively large, if roughly hewn, wooden interior. He was inside a house somewhere, though he wouldn't say it was built to any standard. The walls curved and shifted, with many African-esque masks hung in odd places as decoration. Shelf space was also plentiful, though most of the shelves were carved into little nooks and crannies and taken up by bottles and jars. To put it bluntly, it felt almost like he was inside a tree.

But if that were the case, then the tree had to be as massive as a redwood, which would then collapse because most of the support would be carved out to make this kind of living space. It was very odd as Neil turned back to the pony, now wielding a fresh, if just as stiff-looking, towel.

"If you're done gawking at my abode, perhaps you can say why you turned down the Everfree road?" She asked as she scrubbed the back of his head and the half of his neck that wasn't submerged.

However, Neil wasn't interested in answering questions- not when he had far too many of his own that needed answering, as they all jumbled out. "What was that thing? Are you the one who scared it away? Do you have some more of whatever that was?.. How am I still alive?"

Her drying paused for a second, perhaps two, before answering. "The foul beast you looked upon was a cockatrice. Its evil gaze turns victims to stone in a minute or thrice," she informed him before throwing the second towel into an empty basket along with the first.

"I was out gathering herbs when I heard your boorish, gloating call," She continued, as she walked up to a small alcove stocked with nothing but coarse-looking towels. Without pausing her rhymes, she started loading them onto her back. "Worried, I followed the source of the voice, only to witness an Alicorn's fall. Without thought, I threw my Everfree repellent, and overwhelmed the cockatrice with a smell most unpleasant."

"Now you awake inside of my home- safe within the depths of the Everfree loam," She intoned. Once she had enough towels, the mare returned to the wooden tub he was currently occupying. With expert ease, she unfolded one towel after another with her lips, then placed them on the ground between the tub and a large cast iron pot. "But first, before you leave, we need to clean you of my potion. Tracking it around my home would be an impolite notion."

By that point, Neil knew without a doubt that the mare's rhyming was intentional. There was no way anyone could accidentally end their sentences like that, again and again, by mistake. However, he couldn't deny that her style of talking was also soothing, especially with her strange, almost African accent. So much so that Neil only felt a small bubble of panic when she mentioned finding an Alicorn in trouble.

Then again, he just woke up, without his cloak, in a wooden tub filled to the brim with warm blue-gray slime after a near-death experience. Was he subconsciously latching onto the mare's voice for support? Or was she yet another trick he had to worry about messing with his mind? He wouldn't put it past this mind-fuck of a forest as his eyes slowly narrowed at the mare.

"Who are you?" He asked, unable to hide the hint of suspicion in his voice.

"Most ponies know me as The Wanderer, The Zebra, The Shaman, etcetera," she offered, continuing to coax him out of the tub with slow, calming gestures. "But, my friends in Ponyville call me by my name, Zecora."

Zecora. That was the name Rainbow mentioned, for better or worse, meaning he was relatively safe for the first time since he entered the forest. Unfortunately, his witness-free escape was also compromised now. It was a small price to pay in the grand scheme of things if it meant avoiding being turned into a permanent statue.

"Yeah, Rainbow mentioned you live in the forest," Neil admitted as he dragged himself out of the tub. He was a little self-conscious about his exposed wings, but there wasn't much he could do about it (as always seemed to be the case). A second quick look around Zecora's home didn't reveal the location of his cloak, either.

Once he removed himself from the tub while also favoring his uninjured legs, Zecora unfolded one of the remaining towels on her back and went to work without a word. His neck, shoulders, sides, and back were all scrubbed to remove most of the potion sticking to him. She also seemed to avoid certain areas like his wings, though she wasn't averse to brushing them aside with her hoof to clean underneath. Thankfully, she ran out of spare towels sooner rather than later, well before she could reach anywhere sensitive as the last one was thrown onto her growing pile.

"Good, now quick, into the pot. I promise you the water is room temperature instead of hot," She informed him before the barest hint of a playful grin revealed itself. "...Unless you wish to remain covered in dragon snot?"

Snot. He was drenched, head to toe, in dragon snot. His throat tightened, and an overwhelming sense of nausea passed through him as his mind focused on what, exactly, he had been bathing in. He braced himself, fighting against the urge to puke for a second time in just as many days.

Zecora must have seen the obvious change in his expression and stance because she was quick to supply him with extra, and in Neil's opinion, unwanted information: "Dragon saliva helps break down jewels, rocks, and metals. This helps ensure their elemental meal settles. Dragon mucus has a similar property, which leeched the petrification magic from your stone body. Complain all you want about my ingredient choice, but by being alive, there's much to rejoice."

Neil did not comment; instead, he did his best to ignore the potion still covering him in places and wait for the nausea to pass. Once it did, however, he was quick to heed her instructions and make his way to the large metal cauldron. To Zecora's credit, the cauldron was three-quarters full with what appeared to be regular water once he dipped a hoof in without any negative reactions.

Zecora chose that time to collect the remaining towels and add them to the now overflowing hamper. Then, she threw a long-handled scrub brush on top and dragged the entire thing out the front door with her mouth.

By then, Neil had climbed in and fully submerged himself. During this time, Zecora returned and placed two planks over the steps leading to her front door. It was a little confusing why she would do that until she butted her head against the wooden tub and pushed it over the planks and out the door with little effort. As she passed through the door, her tail swished aside, grabbing the door handle and exposing an unexpected amount of vibrant pink flesh as the door closed.

Doing his best not to think about the parting image Zecora gave him, Neil cleaned himself up using his front hooves and wings to scrub himself down as best he could. Thanks to her previous work, he only needed a light scrubbing to remove the remaining sticky feeling from his hair and coat. Unfortunately, his tail, wings, and a few unmentionable places required far more work.

Once that was complete, he stepped out of the cauldron and onto the two remaining towels Zecora left for him. Looking over himself, was it the best job he'd ever done? The poor state of his wings was answer enough, with a definite no. Whether it was the petrification process or the cure, his feathers looked even more dishevelled than when he lived on the streets.

If Bulk could see him now, the Pegasus would balk at the overall state of his hair and tail. Neil couldn't care less, as he focused on his back right leg and the amount of blood that was oozing out of the bite wound. Without the slime to help act like a poultice, he was bleeding out again, though not nearly as fast as it did when he was sitting on the boulder. He was thankful for that as he hobbled over to the alcove where Zecora kept her clean towels.

Neil hoped she wouldn't mind, as he grabbed one with a wing, unfolded it, and quickly wrapped it over his leg to staunch the blood flow. He hissed as the additional pressure caused even more pain but knew it was for the best as he returned to the towels on the floor and sat down.

As much as he wanted to leave, Neil knew he was in no condition to do so. Adrenaline was the only thing that allowed him to run on his injured leg. Without that, he was little more than an unhappy meal delivering itself to the nearest timberwolf pack, or something equally bad. No, he had his chance, and he fucking blew it all because he fell for those stupid, idiotic flowers!

Neil spent at least five minutes fuming at himself and holding the towel in place before the door opened, revealing Zecora with only an empty hamper held in her mouth. A hamper she promptly tossed aside (and somehow landed upright next to the steps) when she noticed the blood-stained towel around his leg.

"You failed to mention an untreated injury!" She scolded as she rushed down the steps. Once she was by his side, she gently brushed aside the hoof holding the towel in place, and started to unwrap it. "How did you earn this in the Everfree?"

"It's only a wolf bite. Besides- Ouch!" With the towel unwrapped, she lifted his leg even higher to look at the wound. "Easy with the leg... You didn't ask."

"Asked or not, you can do without the petulant inflection," She stated pointedly as she wiped away some of the excess blood with a cleaner part of the towel. "Left untreated, a timberwolf's bite can lead to massive infection."

Each pass along his bite caused a moderate jolt of pain, which left him clenching his jaw with each twitch of his leg. However, he waited it out. He didn't know much about first aid beyond the basics, and she seemed to know what she was doing. Sooner rather than later, she folded the dirty towel and lowered his leg onto it like a pillow.

"I see at least one tooth left inside," She informed him, before heading towards another small alcove dominated by jars and small wooden boxes. She pulled a white box with a red cross on it from the shelf and made her way back. "It would be best for you to lay on your side. I'm sorry to say, but you're in for a painful ride."

Reluctantly, Neil did as asked. First, however, he ensured his tail properly covered everything private as he extended his injured leg. He expected a similar amount of pain from when she was cleaning his wound. However, with the way she braced one hoof just under his knee and the other firmly gripping his hoof to keep his leg in place, he was proven wrong when Zecora leaned forward with a pair of tweezers in her mouth and grabbed onto the largest shard still poking out of his leg.

His leg immediately jerked back. At least, it tried to, as he felt the jagged wooden tooth tearing at his flesh as Zecora carefully pulled it out. Somehow, she managed to hold his leg firmly in place, if one discounted the pained spasm of his muscles.

"Fucking hell!" Neil cried, shocked by the sudden spear of pain impaling him. It hadn't hurt nearly that much when the damned wolf bit him! Even worse, it was a continuous pain as over an inch of rotten, serrated wood was pulled out of the wound. Despite the pain, she expertly manipulated the tweezers with her lips and chucked the tooth aside.

She did this again and again, carefully checking every puncture wound with the tweezers and removing every shard of wood she found. In the end, she had a collection of nine full or partial timberwolf teeth before declaring him splinter-free. Afterward, she poured a sap-like purple potion (which she claimed to be a disinfectant) on a large leaf, pressed it firmly against his leg, and then wrapped the entire thing with a bandage to hold it in place as it burned.

Throughout the entire ordeal, Neil couldn't deny his eyes were watering. From the pain alone, this was one of the worst injuries he'd ever experienced. Including the one time he accidentally spilled a pot of boiling water on himself as a kid. When the burning finally started to subside, Zecora must have felt his muscles beginning to relax as she placed his leg back down and released her hold.

"Now that the worst has passed, I'll make us some tea," She told him as she placed everything but the tweezers back into her first aid kit. "Maybe then we can both relax, and you can tell me about your folly in the Everfree?"

Neil didn't answer one way or another on the matter. He shifted into a more comfortable seating position that didn't expose him as she pushed the large cauldron aside to reveal a well-built fire pit. After that, she set up a grate and placed a dull silver teapot on it, which was well-blackened on the bottom. Lastly, she picked up an old-fashioned striker in her hoof and somehow squeezed her hoof hard enough to create sparks with it.

On the fourth attempt, the pre-placed kindling caught fire. With her work done for the moment, Zecora put the striker back and sat on the opposite side of the fire, her eyes watching him expectantly as the fire happily burned between them.

Neil opted to watch the fire, but even then, he felt Zecora's eyes on him. It felt like she was trying to piece together why he was in the Everfree, with or without an answer. 'Would it be bad to tell her?' He mentally asked himself as he weighed the pros and cons of such an action. 'Best case scenario, she might act as an escort to the castle without telling the ponies of Ponyville?' Even in his head, that sounded farfetched.

On the other hand, he couldn't think of a consequence that would balance out his most optimistic notion. Not after all the time and resources she spent to unpetrify him and clean his wounds.

His mental debate continued for a minute or two before he finally gave in. "I was looking for Celestia's old castle."

She looked at him skeptically over the fire as she responded. "Did you risk the monsters hidden in their crannies and nooks, just to give the old castle ruins a look?"

Yes. It was both a simple and obvious answer. But it also painted him as an idiot without explaining in detail what he was looking for and why he was looking for it. He was unwilling to share his status as a human-turned-pony with anyone.

He must have been taking too long because Zecora spoke up again. "Most would call it stupid, some would call it brave. I'll simply point out that your quest almost led to an early grave. If you need some help, tell me what you crave," She proposed, before her eyes narrowed slightly, "Unless you're trying to play me as a knave?"

He understood the first two lines but was puzzled over where her accusation came from. If not for her, he would have been petrified, which was close enough to death? It still left him feeling a little unsettled, whether he was actually dead or not. "I'm looking for ancient history and information about Roam," He finally divulged to her.

"You attempted to traverse forest and brook, just to find a specific book?" She asked, her skepticism evolving into a fully incredulous look. "Why not ask Princess Twilight? She would give you access to her library if you were polite."

Neil felt the sudden urge to facepalm at Zecora's solution for obvious reasons. "I'm sure Twilight has a nice library now that she's a Princess, but I've looked through the library at Canterlot Castle already. I need something with older books and information, like the old castle in this forest."

"Twilight copied every single book in the castle that was traceable," Zecora countered, not at all phased by his explanation. She was more focused on the teapot that was starting to percolate as she moved it closer to the edge of the grate and further away from the flames. "After that, she sorted them into her library and made them safely available."

... If that was true, then his main reason for escaping into the Everfree, besides vanishing without a trace, became invalid. If it was true. "And how would you know that?"

"For a good friend and a favour paid, I helped cart to Ponyville all the copies she made." She explained as she stood up and made her way over to the towel alcove. Instead of opening the closet, she opened a cabinet with plates, saucers, glasses, and a complete tea set. With practised ease, she took the latter item, biting down on the serving tray with her mouth before returning to the fire.

Neil stayed silent during her work, both annoyed and somewhat pissed off. Whether it was at himself for being a god damned idiot, or Zecora and Twilight for invalidating the reason he came here in the first place, he couldn't tell.

Whether or not Zecora noticed his sudden change in mood, he didn't know or care. She moved from one alcove to the next, gathering one ingredient after another until her back resembled one of the many shelves in her home. Once she collected everything she needed, she sat back down and prepared two cups.

At the very least, this allowed him plenty of time to reign in his temper.

However, after she poured the hot water, it didn't look like any tea Neil knew about. It looked more like a vegetable broth, with what appeared to be red watercress leaves floating on top.

Zecora must have noticed his dubious look as she passed him one of the saucers with the cup sitting on top of it. "This tea is made from a watery herb called manticore's mane. The taste is unpleasant, but it should help numb the pain."

'In other words, more herbal medicine,' He mentally groused as he took hold of the small plate with his wing. As much as he disliked the thought of drinking it, Zecora hadn't done anything malicious to him. Quite the opposite, which was why he took a sip once after allowing the tea to cool down.

As she warned, the taste wasn't great. It was like drinking the most bitter stalk of celery he'd ever tasted, making it bearable, but definitely not something he would enjoy.

At least it wasn't as bad as the day's old salads he rationed in Canterlot.

"Once you're finished, we'll make a trip to Ponyville that's long overdue," Zecora offered before taking a sip of her own cup without any hint of distaste on her muzzle. "Does that sound fine to you?"

With the exact location of the old castle still a mystery to him, and an unknown number of monsters between him and the knowledge he was looking for... Twilight's library seemed relatively safe in comparison. If she actually copied every book available, there wasn't much of a choice, was there?

Resigned to the fact that he was going back to Ponyville, Neil took a massive gulp of his tea to finish it faster.

Hopefully Bulk and the others had yet to notice his disappearance?

~~~

Neil's second trip through the forest, for the most part, was uneventful.

True to Zecora's word, the tea soon took effect after he finished, dulling the pain in his leg to the point that he could walk on it. After that, she was even kind enough to return his cloak as they exited her abode. It wasn't all smooth sailing, however, as she hooked herself up to a cart with the intent of hauling him back to Ponyville.

After a terse discussion, Neil's stubbornness actually won out over her pointed rhymes. Still, Zecora took the cart along anyway, stating she needed it to carry supplies for the return trip home. At least, that's what he assumed with her somewhat cryptic way of speaking.

The only significant interruption came roughly half an hour into their walk when Neil caught sight of a very familiar clearing in the forest. He froze, his muscles tense as he preemptively prevented himself from being pulled off the path by the alluring blue flowers. Strangely, the enticing feeling that drew him off the path earlier that day never came.

Zecora was confused by his reaction. But, after some digging, he caved and explained the events that led up to the moment she found him. She found his explanation fascinating and pointed out that he was the first she heard of to have such a reaction... He didn't know how to feel about that. Perhaps it was something that only happened to humans?

Either way, this led to Neil asking why she was out in the forest, which Zecora was more than willing to answer as they continued. It seemed that her entire supply of dried mountain berries had vanished without a trace. It was a little late in the season, but she still found a small amount of berries here and there that weren't already eaten or too rotten as she scoured the nearby cliff ledges. That's when she heard him yelling defiantly at the timberwolves and went to investigate.

In the end, if not for Zecora misplacing one of her ingredients, he'd still be a stone statue sitting on top of a rock. With that unsettling feeling, Neil fell into an uneasy silence as they continued down the forest path...

The silence lasted for at least half an hour before Zecora broke it. She transitioned to a three-legged gait, slowing her walking speed slightly as she pointed to an odd-looking bush. The plant's most striking feature was its long, almost dagger-like silvery leaves, which he hadn't noticed before. "We're almost there, looking at the sword-leaf hedge. It only grows within the boundary of the Everfree's edge."

Hearing they were almost out of the forest was welcome news to Neil. Zecora's painkiller tea was starting to wear off, and her offer to ride in the cart looked even more tempting by the minute. The only reason he was still walking was pure, bullheaded stubbornness to prove a point.

Before he could respond, another sign that they were reaching the forest limits echoed through the trees as a familiar, raspy voice. "...You mean we have to wait? Neil could be hurt right now!"

The voice was too faint for Neil to understand what was said, but he recognized it. If Rainbow was somewhere nearby, the others probably were, as well. He couldn't help but muffle a groan at the implications, as he and Zecora followed the path as it lazily curved around a copse of dense trees. It was the only thing blocking sight between them and the entrance to the Everfree.

As expected, when the curve ended and the path straightened out, Neil spotted a group of ponies huddled together just outside of the forest entrance. Rainbow was the most obvious pony since she was the only Pegasus hovering three to four feet above the group. The distinct mix of colours left no doubt in his mind as to who was looking for him. His guard, Bulk, was also there, standing off to the side and scanning the forest.

At least, the stallion had been watching the forest until his stoic eyes locked onto Neil and Zecora. "Princess! I'd say our missin' pony ain't missin' any longer," He called out, gathering everyone's attention while also pointing.

As one, the entire group of mares paused whatever they were doing, looked over to Bulk, and followed his hoof down the path. "See! I told you he was fine," Pinkie cheered amidst a sudden cloud of confetti.

The next moment, Neil was forced to stop as he was confronted face-to-face by a prismatic mare who looked mostly relieved but with a hint of annoyance underneath the surface of her red eyes. "Dude! I flew all over Ponyville looking for you, and you've been in the Everfree this entire time? Are you crazy? You can't even fly yet! What if you ran into a manticore or a pack of timberwolves?"

"I did," Neil stated, not wanting to deal with her overprotective bullshit as he ducked his head and walked underneath the hovering mare.

"You did?" Rainbow asked, sounding confused, worried, and strangely enough, excited all at the same time. Still, she remained hovering in place instead of confronting him about his answer.

He used that time to try to catch up with Zecora, but the zebra mare sped up upon seeing the group waiting at the Everfree entrance. The rescue group also split apart in that short amount of time, with Twilight trotting up to meet Zecora halfway.

"Zecora! I'm so glad to see you," Twilight greeted with a hug once the two mares met along the path. "We weren't sure if Neil went into the Everfree, but thank you for watching over him."

"Twilight, it is good to see you," Zecora stated, gladly returning the hug with a slight chuckle, "And this time, you brought the entire crew. Besides the stallion's propensity to cuss, there was little to no fuss."

Before he could listen in to more of their conversation, Rainbow chose that moment to zip in front of him once more. This time, she was considerate enough to hover at the same speed he was walking. On the other hand, her upright, almost standing posture left her in a very risque position with little coverage. More so when she starts enacting moves to show off her martial prowess.

"You really ran into a pack of timberwolves? Were you like, wham! Pow! As you bucked the hay out of 'em?"

"Something like that," He begrudgingly admitted, trying to focus on the mare's upper half. He was more focused on surviving his encounter. Still, he thought he managed a few strikes with his back hooves, at the very least, while running through the forest like a spooked deer.

"Awesome," Rainbow told him before she started reenacting all the times she had taken on a pack of timberwolves (with Applejack's help on occasion). By the time he finally exited the forest, he had listened to three of Rainbow's clearly exaggerated tales. She was halfway through the fourth when a nearby shriek interrupted the Pegasus.

"Neil! What in the world happened to you?" Rarity asked, devastated, as she all but galloped to his side and began studying him. "Your mane, your tail, your moderately well-groomed coat!" She decried, somehow pulling a hoof-full of each and giving them a close examination.

"This is a disaster," She stated, far too emotional for the situation before she not-so-casually peeked under his cloak without asking. "And your wings!"

"Yeah, yeah, so he's been in a scuffle," Rainbow scoffed as she landed beside the distraught mare. "You're making a big fuss out of-" Only to pause when she looked under the portion of cloak Rarity was holding for her. "What happened to your wings?"

"Not just his wings, Darling, but everything else as well. This is the worst! Possible! Thing!" She cried as she stood up dramatically on her hind legs, only to swoon and fall onto an oddly familiar chaise sofa that wasn't there a second ago.

Since Rarity was no longer holding onto his fur with her hooves, Neil promptly put some distance between himself and the two mares. Incidentally, this put him closer to Bulk, who wasn't acting as he usually would. "It isn't that bad. Zecora just gave me a potion to soften things up a little," He admitted, trying to play things off as if he was talking about a new shampoo.

Unfortunately, by that time, Twilight and Zecora were well within hearing distance. "As unflattering as the description may be, I can do little but agree," Zecora spoke up, "My treatment made his fur a little more loose, after being turned to stone by an angry lizard-goose."

"You ran into a cockatrice?" Rainbow asked, fully shifting back to worry. "Didn't you listen to what I said yesterday?"

Before he could answer, Bulk spoke up, drawing attention to the one thing the mares hadn't noticed yet. "Not only that, but Neil's leg is bandaged up tight."

Whether Bulk intended it or not, he brought on another flurry of activity as Rainbow, Twilight, and Fluttershy all encroached to look at his injured leg.

Bulk also walked up but did so in a way that felt off. He was distant but also professional as he addressed Twilight. "Princess Twilight, if I may suggest, Neil shouldn't be walkin' right now. He should be restin' in the cart, if Miss Zecora don't mind haulin' him the rest of the way?" He suggested, turning to the shaman.

"There's no need for the question," Zecora answered with a nod, "That's exactly what I told Neil, though he refused my suggestion."

"And as I told Zecora, I can walk just fine." Neil countered, though it fell on deaf ears as Twilight's aura surrounded him, lifted him above the small group surrounding him, and gently placed him in the cart.

"You really shouldn't be walking if Zecora says so. What if you hurt your leg even more?" Twilight lightly reprimanded before she looked towards Bulk. "Do you mind joining Neil and ensuring he stays in the cart to rest?"

"Of course, Princess!" Bulk saluted before fulfilling her orders with a flap of his wings. Seconds later, he landed in the cart, making the limited area a little cramped with two prominent stallions taking up space.

Applejack also chose that moment to approach the cart, "I can haul the stallions to the castle if you want me to?"

"Thank you for the offer, Applejack," Zecora said before pulling at one of the straps with her mouth. "By chance, do you know when Applebloom will be back?" Their conversation soon dissolved into common, everyday topics as they switched positions.

But Applejack wasn't the only mare to approach the cart. Rarity also made her way up to the side he was closest to. She didn't stay for long, however, just long enough to impart a few words before trotting over to Pinkie, "Don't worry at all, Darling. Once we get to the castle, I'll have you looking like your proper self in no time. I also have your new cloak ready!"

With Neil held in place near the front of the cart, there was little choice when it came to seating. However, Bulk chose to sit down and brace his back into one of the back corners. Once the stallion was properly seated, Twilight finally released her hold.

'Fan-fucking-tastic,' Neil mentally groused as he withheld the urge to swear at the mare. Manhandling or not, he needed access to those old books on Roam. And to get access, he had to play nice. Without a word, he stiffly sat down, taking care not to put undue pressure on his injured leg on the off chance it might rile up the surrounding mares.

It wasn't long after that before the cart started to move. Most of the mares were walking, or flying in Rainbow's case, as a group about ten feet ahead. The conversation they were having was quite animated from what he could tell. He couldn't hear everything, but from what he picked up, they asked Zecora about what happened in the forest and got her side of the story.

Neil was more than willing to fume in silence with his less-than-polite thoughts as they turned onto the larger road heading toward Ponyville. The sound of gravel crunching under the cart's wooden wheels was the perfect cover for the rare growl that escaped his throat.

Unfortunately, Bulk had a similar thought as he shifted closer to Neil's position. "Sooo, there a reason you abandoned me on the farm? Or did you just want to get rid'a me?" He asked, low enough that only Neil heard him.

This topic wasn't something Neil wanted to deal with. However, with nowhere to go, he audibly exhaled his frustration and composed himself enough to answer. "You've been working nonstop for over a week, Bulk. I just thought you needed a break, and I needed to do something in the forest."

"Was that somethin' in the Everfree so important that you needed to go alone?" Bulk countered almost immediately.

"Yes," Neil stated authoritatively. "If you knew where I was going, there's no way in hell you would have let me go into the forest! It's just my god damned luck that I-"

Neil found himself unable to continue talking due to the golden hoof somehow holding his mouth shut.

"I don't know what's in that crazy head'a yours," Bulk accused with a flicker of genuine anger in his otherwise stoic eyes, "But don't you dare say I wouldn't be willin' to go wherever you need me to go. I ain't no coward."

Neil quickly brought a hoof up to Bulk's and pushed. However, no matter how much force he put into the gesture, the golden hoof didn't budge an inch or let go until the Pegasus finished speaking.

"Really?" He snarked, ignoring the fact that he could only speak due to Bulk's charity. "You'd go into the Everfree with me? Isn't it your job to stop me?"

"As your guard, my job is to go where you go for your protection," Bulk told him after a few seconds of tense silence. However, his eyes softened slightly as he added, "As your friend, I would'a helped if you just asked."

Neil opened his mouth to say something, To tell the bastard lackey he had no friends in this fucked up world, but the words caught in his throat. Some part of him vociferously vetoed giving even a hint of his origins, and he'd regret it the moment it was out in the open. Another smaller, more trusting part of him also acknowledged that it may have only been a week, but Bulk was always in his corner when he needed it.

Hadn't he managed a reprieve from the castle for a night just because Bulk thought he needed a break? In the end, Neil shut his mouth, and looked away, watching the various types of apple trees as they passed by.

The silence lasted significantly longer before Bulk released an audible sigh. "After today, though, I don't know what's goin' to happen."

Neil didn't feel like talking. But he also couldn't deny the small spark of curiosity brought about by such a statement. Without looking, he asked, "What do you mean by that?"

"I wasn't there when you needed me, was I?" Bulk countered sadly, "Not just an injured leg, but turned to stone? They'll throw me back in ‘boot if I'm lucky, or they'll just throw me out'a the guard if I'm not."

What was there to say about that? 'I won't let them fire you!' or perhaps 'I'm sorry I got you fired. Do you want to be my freelance bodyguard?' Both sounded pathetic in his head as the cart continued to roll on.

No matter how he looked at his situation, he fucked up.

~~~***~~~

After the events of the previous night, Celestia found her attention being diverted throughout the day. Whether it was meetings in the castle, Day Court, or her scheduled appearance in Restaurant Row to boost the local economy, her mind kept drifting. If not for the Elements of Harmony and the brave citizens of Ponyville, what would Canterlot look like at that very moment?

Would the Tantabus' reach be strong enough to cover the mountain after breaking the veil of dreams? Or would it still be contained only to Ponyville at that point? What exactly would it have done to her country? Even more importantly, what had it already done to her sister?

And why did the surprise embrace of the Tantabus' amorphous, pillowy flanks feel so strangely good?... She knew the answer to that last thought but refused to engage with it or any other libidinous thoughts. It had been more than a century since her previous herd. If she were truthful to herself, her estrus cycles over the last decade had been pure Tartarus to work through.

Plus, with Neil now in the picture... She was not looking forward to this upcoming spring.

A few days of autumn remained, and the entirety of winter stood between then and now, giving her a brief glimmer of positivity. A solution to Neil's problem was sure to be found by then. It was only a matter of whether she liked the results and if they managed to help the poor colt. If not... she could only hope he settled into whatever path Harmony had laid out for him.

Sighing wistfully, she looked out the window of her office, which was perfectly aligned so she could watch her sister's Moon during its slow journey through the sky. Even with a clock, she still preferred the old ways of judging time. Using the celestial object's position within the sky, it was a little after eight at night. Pinkie Pie's celebration would still be ongoing for a few hours. As much as she wished to be there, she had been forced to decline her invitation that morning. There was just too much work to do.

With that thought, she turned away from the window and returned to her desk. An appropriations bill for S.M.I.L.E. sat there, waiting for her approval. As much as she agreed with the agency's goals, monster attacks had drastically fallen over the last couple of centuries. In addition, with the Elements of Harmony living in one of the few remaining hot spots of monster activity, there was even less need than normal.

She dipped her quill into the bottle of ink sitting at the corner of her desk and went down the list. The current salaries for all of her remaining agents? Approved. A repair and restock request for equipment? Approved. An increase in funds for recruitment? To her recollection, it would be another two or three decades before most of her agents would reach retirement age. Denied.

Her magic washed over the paper, instantly drying the ink as she set the bill on top of her completed pile. She then pulled the next piece of paper from the pile that towered over her completed paperwork and looked it over. Her eyebrows rose in mild surprise, not expecting to see a guard transfer sheet for the final position of Neil's guard detail, pre-approved by Captain Buckler herself. Her new Captain made their views on Neil very clear from day one.

Was Captain Buckler approving this to avoid the same mistake she made with Bulk Order? Or, perhaps there was something else going on below the surface? The form itself looked standard, and the information listed was also up to par. The mare in question held the rank of Corporal, making her equal to Squall Rider. She had been hoping for a more experienced guard to fill the position, perhaps an officer, but with Calm Waters this could work...

Before she could delve into more details, the doors to her private office opened without a knock or any hint of a request to draw her attention. Celestia was caught off guard by the sudden intrusion but acted calmly as she placed the paper aside and looked up to find her sister radiating royal stoicism.

"Luna, I wasn't expecting to see you for another hour or two," She admitted as her sister walked in and closed the door behind her. "Tell me, how was the party in Ponyville?"

At first, she remained silent. But once the doors to her office closed with a distinct click, her demeanour sagged, revealing her true emotions, something reserved only for their more private moments. "The party was fun, and though I wish to have stayed longer... There is business to attend. I presume you were planning to stay awake until we could talk?"

"You presumed right, Lulu, and there's much to discuss, I think. After reading your reports on the Tantabus and seeing the creature for myself..." Celestia dropped her mask, laying bare her own worry and desire to know. "Why would you force yourself to suffer an affliction like that, night after night?"

Luna's tired eyes met her own as her sister slumped into the smaller chair normally reserved for Raven. "Because I felt it fitting to punish myself for my past misdeeds."

Luna's admission immediately raised her hackles. She had been banished, forced to live alone for one thousand years on the Moon! Not only was it harsh, but Celestia felt it was an undeserved punishment since Luna was also a victim of Nightmare Moon. Celestia opened her mouth to say as much, but Luna cut her off.

"Before you berate me for my stupidity," Luna stated in a self-deprecating manner, "Know that Neil already did so during the confrontation with the Tantabus. If not for him and Princess Twilight Sparkle correcting my path, the battle would have been lost due to the depths of my despair."

That did not ease her mind in the slightest. She knew how venomous Neil's vocabulary could be from previous outbursts. "What did he say to you, exactly?"

Instead of answering, Luna closed her eyes and gathered magic around her horn. Within seconds, a wispy illusion appeared over her office doors, revealing the plaza of Nightmare Ponyville from her sister's point of view. In the background stood the Alicornified Tantabus, taking up most of the skyline.

Celestia even spotted herself, little more than a small, white pony, floating in the background as she did her best to harry the giant monster to admittedly little effect... A less than adequate showing from this perspective, she was willing to admit to herself. Perhaps she should talk with Raven tomorrow and schedule some light combat training.

Even though the image was frozen, it was clear that Luna was barely standing. The strain of the dream with an entire town's worth of ponies, let alone a monster trying to break free? It was obvious her sister was drawing on her last reserves.

Catching her sister's eyes, she nodded. The image started moving, and the sound of loud, deep rumbling washed over the entire room. Within seconds of the illusion starting, a jarring clang caught her attention as a cage flipped up on the giant machine. After that, Neil quickly removed himself from the machine and jumped down, landing next to Luna and Twilight.

With the strange helmet on, she couldn't see Neil speak, but she could hear him as clearly as he yelled above the noise created by his machine. "So because of a fuck-up one thousand years ago, you decided to repeat the same damn mistake and create that fucking thing? To torture yourself? How does that make any fucking sense!?"

Celestia gasped. A harsh slap to her sister's muzzle would have been kinder than that! But still, the illusion played on as Luna spoke. "You're right... How can I forgive myself? I am no better now than I was then. My creation is about to turn the world into a living nightmare!"

"Like hell, it will! What? Are you going to give up now? Are you going to allow that Thing to molest every single innocent mare, stallion, and foal in Equestria? Or are you going to man up, learn from your stupid fucking mistakes, and put that piss ass monster in its place!?"

The image froze afterward, with her sister nodding to his words strangely enough. "Harsh, but true. If not for his words shocking me out of my anguish, I might not have been in the right place of mind to listen to Princess Twilight's uplifting follow-up."

Celestia had to remind herself she wasn't there at the time, and if Luna took no fault with his words... She took the time to cycle through his outbursts a second time, doing her best to ignore the vulgarity and focus on the overall message. Even if she hated to admit it, there was some truth underneath, most notable his worry for Equestrian citizens. However, one choice word stood out to her, giving birth to a spark worry in her chest.

"What did Neil mean when he accused the Tantabus of molesting our little ponies?"

Luna's response didn't ease her mind when she gave a forlorn sigh before explaining. "The Tantabus was designed to create a nightmare from the dreamer's deepest, darkest fears. Mine is to relapse and become Nightmare Moon once more. Every night under the Tantabus' control, I would do just that. From that point forward, it would become the Nightmare's worst fear, failure. The Elements would show up and defeat her. Neil's worst fear on the other hoof, is us."

The illusion morphed, replacing Ponyville with a slimy, decrepit-looking stone passageway. The image was frozen, revealing Luna as she darted through a passageway flanked with torches but little else. As she looked closer, she could pick out well-carved marble underneath the fungus and muck. Not only that, but the size and shape of the blocks were similar to the stones used to create parts of her castle.

"Luna, what do you mean by that? I could partially understand Neil being afraid after your first meeting, but I see no reason why he would be afraid of me?" And yet, a part of her knew that wasn't exactly the truth. His unconscious reactions around her spoke volumes compared to his words and short temper, and those had started before Luna's introduction.

"I do not think Neil's fear of me stems from that incident. No, it's what we could do to him that makes him terrified of us." And without further warning, the image unfroze with the point of view following directly behind dream Luna...

Celestia felt like she was going to throw up.

Even then, she could not remove her eyes from the scene until it abruptly transitioned to pitch darkness. She had heard her own voice saying such playfully cruel words. Watched her own body prepare to do an unspeakable act against the poor stallion with pure, raw arousal...

Luna's horn released its magic, dispelling the illusion to reveal her double doors once more. "His paranoia feeds into his fear that we will chain him down, and use him for our own enjoyment against his will. In a way, I can not blame him. Thinking back on the day he was found, from his point of view he was captured by our guard. Now he's under our strict watch in the castle, is he not?"

"Yes, but to protect him from such a fate!" Celestia yelped before she took a moment to compose herself. "Imagine if the changelings had found him before we did? Their Queen would be using him to breed a larger and arguably stronger army with an alicorn as a sire."

"You and I both know that," Luna affirmed, "But does Neil know? After the events of today, he clearly does not trust us enough not to do such things to him."

Events of today? Celestia hadn't seen anything that would suggest something else happened after the Tantabus. She gently placed a hoof against her brow. Much more of this, and she knew the added stress would cause a headache. "What happened today? I haven't received any reports out of the ordinary."

"Princess Twilight told me of the day's events. Neil gave his guard a reprieve to visit with family," Her sister informed her, "A kind gesture at face value, which he then used to sneak off to our old castle in the Everfree. For what reason, I do not know. Nevertheless, after some misfortune with the Everfree wildlife, he was found and returned to Ponyville before I awoke and attended Pinkamina's victory celebration."

The veins under her hoof, near the base of her horn, pulsed as her blood pressure spiked. Of all the stupid, idiotic things a stallion could do! Wandering into the Everfree alone, without access to his magic, proper flight training, or even his guard? He could have gotten himself killed or worse!.. But if she considered his reading materials, it made a strange sort of sense. He was obsessed with history, whether it was the Princesses, the formative years of Equestria itself, or ancient kingdoms predating her kingdom.

Unfortunately, it was a fool's errand. She knew first hoof that Twilight had scoured the old castle for every book available and diligently made a copy to place in her own library. Her student had originally planned to move the originals, but she had suggested otherwise. It was best to keep those old books stored on their enchanted shelves in the Everfree. If Neil wanted access to those old tomes, however, all he had to do was ask...

Which was something he normally wouldn't do because he just didn't trust. Were all ponies from his homeland just as paranoid? It seemed like such a sad existence...

Celestia refocused her mind. "At the end of the day, Neil returned safe and sound," She said under her breath in an attempt to quell the depressing thoughts fuelling her burgeoning headache.

She then looked to her sister, "You've had more time to think about this newest development," She conceded, "What would you suggest as a solution?"

Luna closed her eyes and took a moment of silence before offering her thoughts. "It's clear to me that Neil is chafing against his restrictions, not unlike a rambunctious colt trying to escape his Dam's overly cautious gaze," She stated, giving Celestia a knowing look. "If it were up to me, I would offer Neil a position that gives him both the freedom he desires and enough responsibilities to keep him safe and protected, similar to what you did with Princess Cadenza."

"That was my original thought," Celestia admitted as she removed her hoof from her brow and placed it on her desk. "Neil would have years, possibly even decades, to learn about Equestria as an ambassador after his coronation, with all the rights and protections that entailed. At the same time, we could find and establish relations with Canada and reveal if Neil's fears of experimentation were accurate or not."

She paused, not fighting the urge to snort due to his absurd reaction. "Instead, he blatantly refused any position of power in the kingdom, citing his lack of citizenship specifically. Without a crown granting him that privilege, it could take up to a year if he even applies for citizenship at all!"

"Then we must think of something else, and soon, lest Neil attempt another scheme that ends in a worse outcome," Luna urged as she stood up from her chair. "Unfortunately, I also have Night Court to attend. If my court is as barren as it normally is, then I will ponder on the situation."

Gathering magic to her horn, Luna gave her a small smile. "Have a good night, Sister."

Celestia managed to get a quick "You too, Lulu," Before Luna disappeared in a brief, blue flash of magic. A brief check of the wards after revealed her sister to be in the throne room, likely ordering her lunar guards to receive petitioners for the night. Hopefully, she would have a few legitimate ponies in need of help, instead of the nobility trying to slip already failed legislation past her.

But that wasn't her main concern, as she once more focused on Neil's situation. Given what she just learned, something had to be done quickly. But what was the problem? The avenue she used for Cadence was shut to her; that much was true. And she refused to bend the laws of the land to expedite Neil's citizenship on his and her behalf. There was also the obvious question of whether or not he would agree.

An aching pulse of dull pain enshrouded her forehead. If only his age lined up with his apparent lack of maturity. Then, she could have adopted him, similar to what she had done with Cadence. But no, their initial medical scans revealed his age to be just a touch over two decades...

That line of thinking was a path less traveled. Without citizenship, her government couldn't officially hire him. He could work, but he would have to apply for a permit and get a job in the private sector. Both would reveal his tribe to the general population, which Neil was sure to veto. He could remain a guest of the crown almost indefinitely, but sooner or later, the nobles would notice and start prying.

Judging by Bulk's reports, he was already catching the eyes of some noblemares. She would have to inform her staff and keep her eye out for any surreptitious digging. More so from the various embassies established in Canterlot. She could only imagine the flurry of accusations if the Minos or Griffonstone ambassadors learned of the sudden existence of an Alicorn stallion...

But, now that she thought about it...

A sudden spark of inspiration took hold. An avenue that allowed Neil both his independence and the protection of the Equestrian government blossomed into her mind. But to properly sell the image...

With a playful smile, she reclaimed the application for Neil's V.I.P. guard detail in her magic and reread the form. The corporal may not have been the best fit, and Captain Buckler could be playing politics, but this was an opportunity Celestia couldn't pass up.