Ascension, Abdication, or Abduction?

(October 26th: 10th Day Since Capture)

"...is ready. Could you please wake up?"

Neil groaned as the hazy transition between sleep and wakefulness slowly cleared away. Enough for him to recognize that the muffled sounds his ears managed to pick up were, indeed, soft-spoken words and not random noises. That, complemented by a gentle touch against his shoulder, was more than enough to drag him reluctantly into the waking world.

"Um, Mr. Neil?" The soft voice spoke again, sounding vaguely familiar though he couldn't place where from.

"Whassa fugs goin'..." Was his attempted response, only to find his muzzle's movement somewhat restricted? The urge to yawn also compounded that problem, as his muzzle opened as far as it could while wedged between his body and one of his limbs. Once that autonomous body function finished as best it could, so did he, "On?"

He cautiously opened his eyes, half expecting the morning light to blind him as usual. Instead, the world was surprisingly dark, something he was more than thankful for, given how off his body felt. His muscles felt sluggish like he'd stayed up far too long playing video games the previous night, only to get three, maybe four hours of sleep before work.

But that begged the question: Why would he be woken up that early? His mind shifted to the events of the previous night. Was it something to do with the Tantabus? In fact, why couldn't he see the mare talking to him? Why did the darkness surrounding him also feel off? Was he still in a dream?

"Um, sorry to bother you, Mr. Neil, but breakfast is ready." The voice informed him quietly, sounding both nervous and worried at the same time. Why? A mild hint of worry sparked in his mind as he wondered what would cause her to sound like that.

"I was wondering, along with the rest of the girls, that is, if you would like some while it's still warm?"

While the offer of food was always tempting, Neil's sore muscles felt rather apathetic to the thought of moving. His stomach, however, was quick to rail against the idea of lazing about. It went on the warpath with a threatening murmur that seemed to rally other parts of his body into wakefulness.

His bladder, chief among them, demanded his attention immediately. With his body rebelling against him, his desire to stay in bed had lost the short but brutal war. Now, it was replaced with the need to go to the bathroom.

He withdrew his muzzle from where it was stuck but was mildly surprised to feel his ears brush against... feathers. It wasn't a blanket; he was reasonably sure about that since he only felt his cloak on his back. Looking up in the not-quite-darkness, he could make out the faint lines denoting the separation between the various feathers on his wing.

'Huh, built-in sleeping bag. Where the hell were you in the streets, wings?' He thought before focusing on the desire for his wings to fold back into place, preferably without getting tangled up with his cloak. Once that not-so-strenuous task was complete, he automatically grabbed his cloak with his mouth, ignoring the distinct taste of grass and dirt, and covered his wings with the garment.

The entire time, a yellow and pink pegasus mare waited quietly near the circle of beds... 'Fluttershy', was the name mentioned last night. At least, Neil was pretty sure that was her name as he looked in her direction.

"What's for breakfast?" He asked, somewhat absentmindedly, as he dragged himself to the edge of the bed. He'd rather not admit it, but he was feeling starved. Besides the breakfast he had lost, his only other meal yesterday had been when Rainbow stopped his training for a single lunch break. Even though she mentioned getting him a Twilight-sized meal, it was slightly less than he had expected.

"Oh, Pinkie and Spike made us all pancakes with whipped cream, fruit, and syrup," She happily chirped before she paused, then added, "If that's okay with you?"

He may have had pancakes yesterday, but Neil wouldn't pass up the opportunity again. Whatever witchcraft ponies used in their cooking, Neil was more than willing to admit he had an addiction. His stomach showed its agreement with another growl of approval. He only hoped he wouldn't have to re-experience it later today.

Once he reached the edge of the bed, he firmly placed both front hooves on the crystal and lifted his front half, forcefully stretching his muscles and joints with a few faint pops. Only after that did he notice something below that made his heart skip a beat. Unlike all the other beds in the room, a faint orange glow emanated from multiple shapes on the floor surrounding his.

Two quick memories from yesterday flashed in his mind. The first was Twilight drawing something around one of the beds with her aura. Incidentally, that bed and the one he was currently lying on were the same. The second memory was from the middle of the night, during Luna's controlled descent amidst a glowing orange ambiance from... somewhere.

That only sparked more thoughts and questions. Why were they glowing? Was this what a ward looked like? And most important of all, what were they doing? Pulling his eyes from the glowing mystical shapes, he looked to the only other pony in the room for an answer. "Do you know anything about this?"

She was quick to respond, both verbally and non-verbally, as she shrunk into herself a little. "I don't, sorry. I think Twilight said it was a spell for chaos magic, but I'm not sure. I could bring her up if you want me to?"

A ward against chaos magic? As in Eris? Were they worried about her meddling while taking on the Tantabus? If that was the case, why only his bed? He couldn't remember seeing them around any other bed during the night.

But, the most important question on his mind was, why did she flinch? Was she worried he might do something if her answer wasn't good enough?.. Was she worried he might do something this entire time?

Neil shook his head. After only being awake for over a minute, he had far too many tangents running through his mind. Plus, the thought of dealing with a princess this early in the morning didn't sit well with him. "No need to bring her up here," He offered, lifting a single hoof and stretching as far as he could in front of him.

If she was lying and this was some sort of force field to keep him trapped, it would likely activate the moment his hoof reached the outer edge of the symbols. If it did, Neil hoped it would activate as a simple, solid wall without the painful shock or worse. His hoof neared the edge... and then passed over the invisible line without resistance. A small amount of relief swelled in his chest. He wasn't trapped in that regard, at least.

Nothing at all happened until he stood up from the bed and removed his final hoof. There wasn't a sudden flare of energy or, thankfully, a sudden feeling of intense pain to indicate his body had just been bisected. The orange glow stopped, leaving behind well-drawn symbols in black marker on the crystal floor.

That didn't stop Neil from hopping his back half over the perimeter like a startled jackrabbit, just in case. The sudden movement also inadvertently cracked his spine and hips with a few audible pops, followed by the clack of hooves landing on the crystal floor.

At least he was free from whatever ward that was, as Neil quickly looked over his cloak. Everything was covered, but the jump made it a little lopsided again, so he fixed it. He also noted that Fluttershy stood quietly to the side the entire time, watching him around her long pink bangs.

There wasn't much he could do about it, however. She already knew he was an Alicorn. The entire group of Elements knew after the events from the previous night.

Once his adjustments to his cloak were finished, he quickly shook his head to clear his thoughts and focused on the door. "We might as well get this over with," He offered begrudgingly, a little put off at the thought of eating with the entire group.

Without waiting for a reply from the Pegasus, he started walking towards the door.

Fluttershy gave him a slight nod from underneath her veil of hair and joined him as he walked by.

Neil was a little over halfway across the room when an errant glance caught sight of someone who made him pause. In between the circle of beds, sleeping at the center, was the one pony he wanted to see the least that morning. Luna was practically sprawled out on the floor, with only a few cushions propped underneath her for comfort.

The embers that had gone dormant after the Tantabus' defeat stirred to life once more. She had been the one to create that fucking thing. She had been the one to lose control and torment others with her mistakes. And now she was sleeping with a smile of contentment plastered over her smug muzzle?

Neil glared at the unconscious princess. He was sorely tempted to wake her and lash out against the mare again, but he didn't. Despite his annoyance, he couldn't help but pity her as well. He experienced a single graphic night under the tender mercies of the Tantabus.

She lasted under her self-inflicted torture for much longer- possibly even an eternity if a person's perception of time could be altered in a dream.

He probably would have spent more time glaring at Luna if not for the gentle hoof that pressed against his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Neil answered, a little louder than he meant to before he covered the rest of the distance towards the closed crystal doors.

As neither he nor Fluttershy had access to a working unicorn horn, Neil expected the doors to be quite heavy as he paused in front of them. To his surprise, instead of the hundreds of pounds of force he was expecting to use when he pressed a hoof against one of them, the door swung open with only the lightest touch.

He didn't waste any time pushing past the door and into the hallway, only holding the door long enough for Fluttershy to follow him through with a faint 'Thank you' before allowing the door to swing itself shut.

He was immediately met with another, more mild surprise, though a welcome one, as the sound of metal-clad hooves came up to him on his right. "Mornin' Neil. Or do you prefer Davidson now?"

Neil had a morning greeting, but it was cut short by an unexpected question. However, Bulk inadvertently confirmed that his vivid dream about Ponyville was truly a shared dream. Otherwise, Bulk wouldn't have learned about his last name. "Neil's good," He answered after taking a moment to regain his composure.

Bulk gave an affirmative nod, then fell in on his right side, which was standard procedure for the Pegasus guard.

After that, all Neil had to do was wait for Fluttershy to take the lead and direct them towards breakfast. However, after five to ten seconds of standing in the hallway, it was clear that the Pegasus mare was content to stand by and allow another person to lead.

Knowing that Neil shrugged and took the only path he knew, which led to the stairway going down to the first floor. Fluttershy followed quickly, staying at least a few body lengths to his left.

"Fluttershy, is there a bathroom on the way to..." He paused, trying to recall if they passed a dining hall or something similar yesterday, "Wherever it is we're going?"

"Oh, yes, there is." She answered, gesturing ahead of them with a hoof. "It's just down the hall from here."

That was good to know, though he couldn't remember seeing a sign or a label stating there was a bathroom yesterday. Mentally shrugging, he continued down the hall, trusting that Fluttershy would point it out.

"I would also suggest a shower," Bulk added, glancing at Neil's dirty cloak. "After all that movin' yesterday, we both could use one."

Neil didn't give Bulk an immediate answer. Still, after a surreptitious sniff as he nudged his cloak, he couldn't deny the accusation either.

It wasn't long after that before Fluttershy called their little group to a halt. By then, they had passed roughly ten unmarked crystal doors. As they were about to walk by the eleventh door, Fluttershy pointed towards it with a wing. "Well... this is the bathroom. Should I, um, wait for you?"

"There's no need for that," Neil quickly answered. He honestly didn't expect the shy mare to do anything untoward. But, after dealing with the nurses in the castle, he'd rather not have any mares nearby. Besides, it wasn't fair to let her breakfast go cold. "You can go have your breakfast while it's still warm. Just, where is it exactly?"

"Oh, sorry!" She quickly apologized, as if she had committed a heinous crime before telling him and Bulk. "We normally have breakfast in the map room."

"The map room," Bulk confirmed, giving the mare an appreciative nod. "Don't you worry, Miss Fluttershy, I'll get him there soon enough."

After giving his word, Bulk veered off from his flank and opened the unmarked door. With a quick farewell nod to Fluttershy, Neil entered the larger-than-average bathroom.

~~~

Twenty minutes later, a clean and refreshed, if slightly embarrassed Neil was escorted out of the bathroom by an equally fresh Bulk. When he entered the room made entirely of crystal, he had expected something bold and grand. Unfortunately, that was precisely what he received, just not in the manner that he expected.

Instead of, perhaps, private stalls bejeweled in opulence, he was met with yet another sizeable communal shower. Only this one was twice as spacious as the one in his infirmary.

To save time, he and Bulk shared the shower. Normally, that wouldn't be a problem. One does not play hockey without getting used to locker rooms and group showers. But Bulk insisted on scrubbing them both down. Even worse, he somehow wielded the bar of soap as if it were a cheese grater, making the entire process uncomfortable. The only upside was that he no longer smelled like stale sweat.

Sadly, there wasn't much to be done for his cloak or Bulk's armor.

So, adorned in his dirty cloak but otherwise cleaned and groomed, Neil stood before a set of green crystal double doors. They were twice as tall as the other generic doors throughout the castle. The crystal they were made from appeared to be soundproof as well since he couldn't hear anything coming from the room on the other side. But, thanks to the windows along the staircase looking into the map room, he knew at least three other ponies were inside.

All of whom, he recognized from yesterday's events, and now knew about his secret. Most importantly, there was food available.

With only a hint of trepidation, Neil took a deep breath, released it, and pushed open the door. No sound emitted from the hinges as the door swung open, allowing him to silently enter. Only the faint taps of his hooves against the crystal and the fact that Rarity had a perfect view of the door gave away his not-so-grand entrance.

Rarity was quick to react as he walked into the room. She daintily put aside the fork she held in her aura, only for a cloth napkin to levitate up to her muzzle simultaneously. After a few quick dabs, she called out to him. "Good morning Neil!"

Neil gave her a quick "Morning" in return, though he was slightly confused. Yesterday, Rarity had greeted both him and Bulk with elated professionalism. So why would she ignore his guard this morning? A quick look around revealed that Bulk was nowhere to be seen. His guard hadn't entered the room with him.

He was alone in the room, except for the three mares seated at the crystal table. It was not the worst situation he'd ever been in so far- but he didn't know what to expect. The table was fairly cluttered, with books, boxes, and plates stacked high with pancakes (two stacks were nearly triple the size of the others).

Unfortunately, he also couldn't just stand there all day, either. So he approached and claimed the nearest empty seat.

Thinking of it as a simple seat was underselling it a bit. Each place to sit around the table was no less than a crystal throne, each adorned with an emblem tied to a single pony. Looking up and behind him, he was mildly surprised to see he had claimed Rainbow's seat at the table.

He would have guessed Rainbow would have preferred a much firmer cushion unless all the thrones were as plush as this one.

His attention was drawn back to the table when the faint but distinct sound of crystal tinged beside him. Twilight's reddish aura was slowly dissipating from one of the giant stacks of pancakes placed right in front of him, along with an accompanying set of cutlery wrapped in a cloth napkin. Also, a white box with a pink envelope on top had been placed well within reach to his left.

Despite that, Twilight acted as if she was oblivious to everything but the open book she had propped up against her pile of academic texts. Her eyes darted back and forth over the contents, skimming it before flipping to the next page. She was still eating, but judging by the loaded fork floating by her side, it was a distant thought at most.

She appeared to be distracted, but Neil was still a little cautious. She was perceptive enough to pass his breakfast over to him.

Neil might have taken more time to gauge the princess' strange mood, but the scent of pancakes and fruit lured him and his stomach to the main reason he was there. He couldn't deny the dish looked good, with whipped cream and various fruits decoratively topping the stack and dark brown syrup drizzled along the sides. He was very tempted to throw etiquette out the window and just take a bite... But, he restrained himself and extended both wings from underneath his cloak.

He cautiously used his feathers to unwrap the silverware from the cloth napkin they were held in. It made sense to take his time and do things properly. That way, he wouldn't look like a complete idiot or, worse, garner looks of pity from the mares who weren't nose-deep in a book. It was during that task that Rarity decided to address him.

"Neil, if I may ask, how are you doing this morning?" She asked politely, in an apparent attempt to start a conversation.

Neil paused in his task, the fork partially withdrawn from its cloth prison as he thought of an adequate answer. "Tired, but fine. Why?" He asked in return.

"Well, as Rainbow so gingerly put it the day before, this was your first experience dealing with a threat to Equestria." Rarity admitted, sounding genuinely concerned. "I'm just a little worried about your well-being, Darling."

"Eh," He deflected as he removed the butter knife and transferred it to his other wing, "I wouldn't even call that shared dream thing a nightmare. Again, I'm fine," He stated with a hint of finality as he placed the still-rolled napkin and spoon on the table.

Thankfully, that seemed to... not assuage Rarity and Fluttershy's shared look of worry, but at least keep them from talking about that as he finally dug into his breakfast.

The moment from his first bite, both his mind and stomach were in agreement. These pancakes were glorious with their multiple complementary layers of sweetness, whether from the whipped cream, syrup, or the pancakes themselves.

All the while, there was a savory hint mixed in that he couldn't place until his fourth bite when he caught sight of something both small and pink in the pancakes. Some sort of shredded herb he couldn't identify, which he spotted multiple times now that he knew what to look for as he demolished his breakfast.

He was so lost in the flavors that he was surprised when his fork made a small but resounding crystalline 'ting' against his empty plate. That, along with a demanding growl for more from his stomach, broke him out of his breakfast-induced trance. He also didn't miss the faint but mirthful giggle from the mare directly on his right.

Rarity also caught it but wasn't afraid to air her thoughts as she teased him and Twilight. "Well, he can most certainly match Twilight's new Alicorn appetite- when she isn't distracted by a book, that is."

Neil had no urge to deny it, either, as he caught sight of her refined, teasing smile. He was still weirded out by the amount he could eat now, though even he paled in comparison to what he saw of the princesses. "If you think I'm bad, you should see Celestia. She can make an entire feast vanish in a blink of an eye."

Whatever Neil may have expected from that kind of comment, it wasn't the sound of a book being snapped shut. All eyes in the room immediately pivoted to Twilight as she slowly removed the thick text at the top of the pile and replaced it with the book she had just closed with a focused calm.

After a few seconds of uneasy silence, during which Twilight started reading her new book, Rarity spoke up, "I'm guessing there wasn't anything of use in that book, Twilight?"

"Not even a hint of what Princess Celestia asked me to find so far," Twilight answered with a hint of frustration. However, Neil was fairly sure the emphasis was directed at him as she scanned through the new book.

Neil had no interest in getting involved with or asking about whatever she was searching for. However, he was still curious enough to give the text a cursory look. Thankfully, the angle at which she propped up the new book allowed Neil to see the cover.

Unfortunately, while it had some recognizable cloud structures on the cover, it was written in nonsensical scribbles. At least, they were nonsensical to him. Twilight had already managed to skim three pages as she spoke.

Rarity must have sensed the end of that particular conversational topic as she quickly drew her attention back to him.

"Yes, well, if you're still feeling a bit peckish Neil, Pinkie left a box of muffins for you." Rarity offered, gesturing towards the white cardboard box he'd ignored. "Your invitation to tonight's party is sitting on top of it as well."

'Pinkie... Wasn't she one that knew about Halo lore?' Neil thought with no small amount of anxiety. He set aside the fork in his left wing and carefully picked up the envelope. "Why would she invite me to a party?"

"From the way Pinkie described it, tonight will be a bit of a victory soiree for the town," Rarity explained, allowing a hint of excitement in her voice. "Knowing her, everypony has received their invite by now."

'And since I was dragged into it like most of the town, I also received an invite,' He thought as he sliced open the envelope with his butter knife. Was that the best way to open it? Definitely not, as he noted a small amount of syrup on the paper. But it was good enough as he set aside the knife and pulled out a folded card.

Colorful was the first thing that came to mind, followed closely by festive. It was a hand- hoof-drawn card, and surprisingly well done since the waxy smell revealed it was done in crayon. Bits of confetti were also glued on the front. There wasn't too much written on the cover, but what little there was only increased his dread. It read:

To: Neil S. Davidson
From: Your friend Pinkie Pie!

How did she know to put an 'S' there? Not once, in all his time here, did he let slip his middle name. How did she know he had one, let alone the correct letter to use!?

Not only that but once he overcame the shock of his middle initial, he noticed a second red flag in her writing. She wrote his card in proper English. Instead of the weird accented 'i's ponies used in place of a regular 'i' or a proper 'e', she wrote both of their names normally, as he would.

With mounting unease, he opened the card. The inside didn't have any confetti, whether drawn or glued on. It would have looked rather bland if not for the rainbow of colors Pinkie used to write. Still, it had written instructions inside, explaining where to go in proper English again.

You've been invited to the We-Defeated-the-Tantabus-and-Luna-Doesn't-Feel-Guilty-Anymore Party!
Please show up by 7:30 PM.
Can't wait to see you there!

Ever so slowly, Neil folded the card closed, slipped it back into the envelope, and put it aside. Until then, Neil hadn't put much stock into the insanity theory. He didn't want to imagine himself tied up in a straight jacket, living some hallucinated dream life. But his brief interactions with Pinkie were pushing the envelope- hard.

Unless her close friends knew something about her that he didn't? Perhaps, but how could he ask without giving away this new information? After a few moments of silence, he found a reasonable way to ask. "You all know Pinkie fairly well, right? How did she know about all of that info on ODSTs? I haven't seen any trace of the Halo series at all."

"That's just Pinkie being Pinkie, Darling," Rarity reassured him as if she were discussing the weather. "But I must admit, Pinkie knowing such a grim aspect also surprised me."

Twilight, on the other hand, took a moment out of her reading to give him a commiserating look, "Please don't try to make sense of Pinkie. I did, and all I earned in the attempt was a migraine. She's, well, just Pinkie."

That admission did not bode well for his sanity.

Something about him must have hinted at his thoughts because Twilight put aside her book and looked directly at him. "Putting Pinkie aside for the moment, there was something else I wanted to discuss with you."

Neil was quick to grab hold of the lifeline she offered. Anything to get away from questioning his sanity. "And that would be?"

"I've been going over everything that was said last night," She admitted, and the brief respite he felt vanished as he listened cautiously to her words. "I still disagree with what you said to Princess Luna. Yelling at her like that could have given the Tantabus the power it needed to escape! But, she forgave you after the Tantabus was defeated."

"Twilight, I'm afraid Fluttershy and I only caught the end of Rainbow's speech," Rarity cut in, sounding slightly confused. "Before you continued off of what she said. Was what Neil said that divisive?"

This was much different from how Neil imagined his breakfast going. So, before Twilight could misrepresent his position and paint him poorly, he cut her off. "She was breaking down, the Tantabus was getting bigger, and I just learned she made the bloody monster. So yeah, I was angry, and I yelled at her; Pretty much told her to stand back up and get her weak ass back in the fight."

Fluttershy gasped loudly at the end of his explanation. Even Rarity went wide-eyed as she brought a hoof to her muzzle. Before Neil could comprehend why, however, Twilight interceded.

"That wasn't all you said, but it is an accurate enough approximation without going into the vulgar details," She accused. "Also, please refrain from using that language in my home. I don't want Spike to learn that sort of thing."

"It's best not to use such vulgar language at all!" Rarity seconded immediately before he could give his answer.

"I already try not to swear around kids, and Spike isn't around," Neil conceded before pushing Twilight for a reason behind this topic. "So why are you bringing this up?"

Twilight momentarily gave him a critical look before dropping that particular subject and continuing. "Both you and Luna said something that made me worried. First, we were all awake when Luna said, and I quote, 'The nightmare wrought upon him by the Tantabus was particularly savage.'"

"Yeah, and?" Neil asked, not liking where this was going. He did not want to think about that dream or what Celestia had almost done to him! "That's what the Tantabus was designed to do. You were standing next to me when Luna admitted that."

"I was also there while you were yelling at Luna," Twilight countered, her worried gaze locked onto him. "Asking if she was going to allow the Tantabus to molest every single innocent mare, stallion, and foal in Equestria. Neil, I don't mean to pry, but if you need help..."

Neil was genuinely shocked and surprised she went there, and he wasn't the only one. Whatever traces of disgust or disappointment remained in Rarity's and Fluttershy's eyes vanished, replaced with worry and just a flicker of naked pity in Rarity's gaze. More than anything else that emboldened Neil to shut this topic down as soon as possible.

"I'm going to be blunt. Whatever you think happened, you're wrong," He said with as much finality as possible. However vivid that nightmare may have been, it never reached that point. "It was just a nightmare, and the Tantabus is dead now, or unmade, or whatever happened to it. As far as I'm concerned, it's over and done with. So, drop it."

After his declaration, the table fell into an awkward, almost oppressive silence. All three mares still appeared worried, and Twilight and Rarity had something to say on the matter, but neither of them voiced their thoughts.

That, more than anything else, surprised Neil. Between Celestia's careful questioning and strict control, as well as the pushy Nurses during his first few days in the infirmary (until he managed to get his wings working), he had to fiercely guard his privacy. It was an odd and strangely relieving experience to know that some mares still respected his privacy, even if he had to be upfront about it in the first place.

Unfortunately, the silence was also getting to him. To distract himself, he turned to the box Pinkie left him. Whether genuine or just out of morbid curiosity, Neil was tempted to open it just to see what was inside. Before he could, however, Twilight shared an obvious look with Rarity as if to ask the prim and proper Unicorn to say or do something to neutralize the silence.

Rarity was more than up to the challenge. She politely cleared her throat, drawing his focus away from the mystery box and the entire room's attention. "Neil, if you don't mind me asking, where did you find your cloak?"

"I have no clue," He answered honestly since this felt like a relatively safe topic. "I asked Bulk to get something to hide my wings, and he got this for me."

"Well, I can assure you Guard-Stallion Bulk has fine taste," She complimented while focusing on the alicorn clasp. "If I'm not mistaken, that garment was made by Material Mirage, one of Canterlot's premier stallion clothiers. I can't help but wonder what happened to it?"

"What happened to what? My cloak?" Neil asked, suddenly nervous. He hadn't noticed any holes or tears that might have revealed his wings earlier in the morning. But, just as he was about to look over his cloak, Rarity answered.

"Well, yes. Yesterday, it was nearly pristine. And yet, this morning, it's covered in grass and dirt stains!" She decried, as if stains were a crime for merely existing. "I can only imagine what Rainbow put you through."

"Flight training," He and Twilight groused simultaneously, which was weird. Neil had to remind himself that Rainbow had been chosen to train him precisely because she had trained Twilight first.

"Well, it's unbecoming to wear such a fine garment in its current state. If you want, we can go to my boutique, and I can wash it for you?" She tentatively offered.

While not his first option, he could picture how out-of-place grass and dirt stains would look on a full tuxedo. If he stood out that badly, he wouldn't mind getting his cloak cleaned, preferably without leaving the castle. "Celestia just zapped it clean once. Would either of you know how to do that?" He asked, looking between Twilight and Rarity.

"As much as I would like to know it, such a spell is not part of my repertoire, as it were," Rarity admitted, looking slightly embarrassed about her lack of knowledge.

Twilight also shook her head in the negative, "I've never needed to know everyday cleaning spells."

Another silence started to settle over the table when Fluttershy spoke up for the first time since he had sat down. "Thank you for letting me stay for breakfast, Twilight, but I really should get back home. My animals are probably wondering where I've been all this time."

"Of course, Fluttershy," Twilight answered right away, putting aside her book. "You know you're welcome to stay here any time."

"I know," She assured Twilight as she hopped out of her chair. However, instead of walking by, she also paused at his chair. "And, um, I hope your day goes better than it did yesterday, Mr. Neil."

"Uh... sure?" He offered, somewhat weakly. He hadn't expected Fluttershy to focus on him, and he wasn't entirely sure how to respond.

It must have been enough because the yellow Pegasus continued walking until she pushed past the green crystal door and exited the room.

"As much as I would like to stay, I also have a few orders that need to be finished if I'm to show up at Pinkie's party tonight," Rarity admitted as she hopped out of her seat. "Breakfast was lovely, as always. Give Spikey-Wikey my regards?"

"I will, don't worry," Twilight promised before her smile grew slightly. "Unless you stop by the kitchen and tell him yourself?"

"Twilight! I wouldn't want to fluster the poor colt while he's working," Rarity accused as if Twilight suggested something scandalous.

"You and I know a few shattered crystal plates don't matter. After Prince Rutherford's visit, I've been experimenting," She explained with an odd gleam in her eye. "The castle somehow fuses plates, bowls, and glasses back together within an hour or two, negating any damage done to them. The same thing happens with the doors and everything else made out of crystal I've tested so far."

"That sounds quite interesting, but I really must be going if I'm to be on time." Rarity admitted before turning to him. "Neil, have you decided whether you would join me?"

As much as he disliked the thought of going out in public again, getting stuck inside, alone, with Twilight as she was now? He gave Rarity a quick nod and hopped out of his chair. "It won't take long, will it?"

"A single cloak won't take much time to clean," Rarity assured him as her horn lit up. Her aura pushed open the same door Fluttershy recently used. She also picked up the box and invitation Pinkie left for him and brought them to her side as she waited for him to join her.

At the very least, Bulk quickly rejoined him as they exited the room and then exited the castle.

~~~

The journey through Ponyville with Rarity at the lead was a far different experience than it had been with Rainbow. Where the Pegasus was content to fly ahead and speak about anything that came to mind, Rarity opted to weave through the streets with expert ease. Any pony that waved or said hello, Rarity would return the gesture. She also pointed out one shop after another as they traveled south, giving him a general description of each store, her favorite products they produced, and even the name of the owner or owners.

This included the quaint little Cafe at the end of Stirrup Street she mentioned the day before. It was smaller than Neil had expected, little more than a compact-looking, square corner store you'd expect to see in a bigger city. However, he could agree that the outdoor patio area looked rather quaint in an outdoorsy date kind of way.

He gave a mental apology to the owner, Savoir Fare, for the fact that he would not be visiting the Fare Cafe anytime soon.

After the Cafe, the streets quickly changed from shops and businesses into residential buildings. Homely-looking cottages to sturdy-looking homes surrounded him as they continued south, each with an excessive amount of colour that brightened up the streets like a rainbow. It was odd compared to the small city he grew up in, but knowing the town's inhabitants, it was fitting. Ponies came in all colors of the rainbow, so why not their homes as well?

The streets were also less packed, allowing him to hear the distant noises, laughter, and cheers coming from the town plaza on his left. Thankfully, Rarity seemed to be sidestepping that part of town, opting instead for the most direct route to her place of business. Soon enough, their small group passed the final block of houses on either side, and the packed dirt street abruptly cut off.

If Neil didn't know better, he might have thought this was the edge of Ponyville. However, thanks to the bright pastel, if oddly pointy, tents ahead of him mixed in with the trees, he knew this was a park of sorts. At least, that's what Rainbow said when they crossed over the river to the northeast of here. Still, he followed Rarity as she transitioned onto a narrower, lightly used path winding into the trees.

Less than five minutes later, Rarity stopped in front of a tall, multi-story building dressed like a dollhouse. Like the tents, it was also painted with pastel shades. But unlike the tents, it was more... gaudy wasn't the right word with its pastel pinks, purples, blues, and gold highlights. Dainty felt more fitting as he caught sight of an out-of-place, normal-looking closed sign sitting in the diamond window of the front door.

At the same time, Rarity turned around grandly. "Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where every garment is chic, unique, and magnifique!" With her slogan proclaimed to the world, her aura surrounded the door as she stepped aside. The door quickly opened on its own, revealing a fraction of the full picture inside, with even more swirls of pinks and purples and multiple golden mirrors built alongside a raised platform.

Neil couldn't deny the sudden blast of girlishness held under a single roof was giving him second thoughts about the whole thing.

Rarity must also have spotted it, as she quickly reassured him. "Please, come in. My small-town boutique isn't as prestigious as the Royal Seamstress, but I stand by my skills."

Against his better judgment, Neil slowly walked into the establishment. Once inside, he saw other items that added a small business feeling to the shop. By his count, there were seven slimmer, more mare-like mannequins stored either in corners or half-covered by curtains. Some wore nothing, but most had half-finished dresses hanging off their white frames. Directly to his left sat a rack of colorful, sparkling dresses that appeared complete. And finally, there were multiple stalls along the left wall, each outfitted with a counter, a mirror, and a...wash tub?

The front door closed with a firm but muffled click as Rarity entered her business shortly after Bulk. However, the second click caught him by surprise as he looked back. Rarity's aura had already removed itself from most of the door. However, a small patch was dissipating from what was a deadbolt. The open/closed sign was also left untouched.

"There, now we won't have any surprises." Rarity stated as she trotted by him.

Her horn lit up again as she passed, and for a moment, Neil wasn't sure what she was doing. But then, he heard the clasp of his cloak unlatch, and the familiar weight of his cloak pull away from his back. He watched nervously as his garment was lifted into the air and floated over to the closest of the four washtub stalls. Once his cloak was positioned over the wooden tub, the other half of the clasp was released, allowing it to fall while the clasp itself was placed on the counter.

"I'll start the wash in a moment, but first, I would like to start on your new cloak. One more befitting your... unique charm," She admitted, catching him entirely by surprise as she pointed a hoof toward the raised dias surrounded by mirrors. "Would you kindly hop up onto the platform?"

This was definitely not part of their agreement, as Neil stood rooted in his current position. "Why exactly do I need a new cloak? My current cloak is perfectly fine as is."

"It's fine enough, Darling, and there's no doubt the quality is top-of-the-line. But the brown and green? It just isn't you. I'm offering a cloak that would better complement your-" She paused momentarily as her eyes opened with a glimmer of imagination. "Idea!"

Her horn flared with the most prominent aura he'd yet seen from the Unicorn. Throughout the room, drawers started to pull out, and items began to fly about. Tape rulers of various lengths and colors, a set of pencils, a pad, pins, needles, thread, and even full-on bolts of cloth. They all sprang out of seemingly nowhere, some of which almost hit himself and Bulk. But the most out of place of them all was a single novel floating in front of a very inspired-looking Rarity with a shadowy figure on the back cover.

"Yes, this could work. Just a small dash of Femme Noir's classical styles to compliment your regal mystique, with the colors to match! Oh, I have to sketch this out," She rushed, as one of the pencils caught in her grasp attacked a nearby sketchbook. "I could do an entire line! The dresses, the coats. The veils? No, those would be too much Noir. Hold for just a moment, please!"

One moment, she stood near enough that he could almost read the text on the back of her book. The next, she darted through the showroom, around the open frame near the back, and vanished with some tools still trailing behind her. What wasn't needed immediately was set aside on the counters in her haste but still left out in the open.

Though he couldn't see her, the sound of her speedy retreat traveled through the walls. Eventually, her hooves emanated from the ceiling itself before they died off.

Looking away from the ceiling, Neil turned to Bulk, feeling both confused and slightly apprehensive about his experience so far. "So, am I the only one thinking she's a little... excessive?"

Bulk merely shrugged from his position near the door. "Miss Mirage was a touch more lively, believe it or not. Once she learned I was shoppin' for a larger stallion with a coin pouch to match, she was hankerin' to meet you for a full wardrobe fittin'."

That new piece of information didn't soothe his nerves. The thought of another mare even more excitable than Rarity desiring to meet him? With his already tumultuous morning, he didn't need any more surprises like that. "And you're only telling me about this now, because?"

"I figured you didn't want another pony knowin' about your wings, so why waste time telling you?" Bulk admitted with only a hint of embarrassment. "Was I wrong?"

He wasn't wrong. Neil would have avoided the mare like the plague just to keep his secret. "No, you're right. But, I'd still like to know about stuff like that in the future. There aren't anymore, right?"

"None yet," Bulk informed him, "But with the way some of those noble mares were looking, expect some invitations soon."

Before he could ask what Bulk meant by invitations, the speedy trot above their heads returned and retraced its steps back down to the main floor. Soon enough, Rarity gracefully passed through the open frame at the back, with a veritable armada of fabric bolts behind her and an even larger sketch pad held in her aura by her shoulder.

"Well, are you ready to look your absolute best, Darling?" She asked with a gleeful smile.

Cornered as he was, Neil didn't see an easy way out of this. And he knew Celestia could afford it. So, with some resignation, he opted to just get this over with as he nodded. "Just to make sure. This will help me blend in, and stay hidden, right?" He countered, emphasizing why he wore a cloak in the first place.

"Of course! Wearing an outfit that wasn't uniquely tailored specifically for you? I can't think of a worse way to stand out in Canterlot," Rarity explained as she shuffled the various bolts of cloth around. "With this, you will blend in and shine as you were meant to! Now, up on the stage, please."

Rarity almost convinced him, but she raised a major red flag at the end of her little sales pitch. "And if I don't want to shine? That's the exact opposite of hiding."

She was quick with a rebuttal to his worries, "Neil, if I may be so bold, every pony who's anypony in Canterlot is doing their absolute best to express themselves with the latest trends. Which pony would stand out more? The one wearing garments designed to express their inner beauty? Or the pony with ill-fitting garments?"

As much as he hated to admit it, that was true- for the Canterlot nobility, at the very least. Normal ponies still wore everyday clothes and work clothes, though that normally amounted to a light shirt at most, but usually less. Plus, being held in the castle all but forced him to bump into the nobility. After a moment of contemplation, he turned to his guard. "Any thoughts Bulk?"

"You were gettin' some pretty odd looks when we made our way to the Brass Bells," Bulk admitted with a slight shrug.

"... Fine. I would prefer subtle over shine, though," Neil stated as he hopped onto the raised platform and made his way to the center. He was acutely aware of Rarity's new viewing angle and what could be seen with a simple glance. So, without prompting, he sat down on his haunches and brought his front legs in close to prevent any visual mishaps.

"Of course! I always take my customer's taste into account," Rarity assured him as she glanced from one bolt of fabric to the next. "Now, let's begin."

Rarity was quick to unwrap a certain amount of orange cloth from the first bolt and hold it up against the left side of his body in various places with a critical eye. She held it beside his chest, hair, and face the longest before the fabric spun over to his right side, and she repeated the process. Only this time, Rarity's eyes were focused on the mirrors.

With a slight, negative shake, Rarity set aside the bolt and brought the next one forward. What came next was a flurry of cloth and colors as fabric after fabric twirled around him. Most joined the first bolt of orange in the largest reject pile. However, two more piles emerged in time, much smaller than the first. These held various shades of blues, purples, and a few pinks.

However, Rarity's most visceral reaction came with the first bolt of vibrant red. The moment she placed it against his chest, she didn't hide the look of revulsion on her face. Or the not-so-subtly muttered, Too Sombra, Before the multiple shades of red held in her aura joined the pile of rejects.

In total, it took between fifteen minutes and half an hour for Rarity to work through her supply of fabrics and jot down all her notes in the sketchbook. Once the last bolt, a thin, soft-feeling pale lavender cloth, was finally placed on the smallest pile. She flipped her book closed and slid the pencil she used inside one of the coils that bound the book together.

Over time, her horn had dulled in brightness as bolt after bolt was added, forming into a neat pile. Now, it regained some of it’s luster as she enveloped the smaller piles in her aura and lifted them into the air.

"Well, I think that should cover the basics. As promised, I'll clean and dry your cloak within twenty minutes. After which, I think I shall start on your new cloak. Until then, please take a seat and relax," She offered, waving her hoof towards the multiple stools throughout the showroom floor.

With that, she all but pranced through the open frame with an excited giggle and disappeared upstairs for a second time.

Now that he was in the clear, Neil finally allowed himself to stand properly. His body was inundated with several small cracks and pops as his legs and back shifted and stretched. After that, he hopped off the raised platform and claimed the nearest stool as his own.

If Rarity's estimate was correct, he had less than twenty minutes to waste. Overall, it would be a short wait, but he intimately knew how time could drag on with nothing to do. He didn't have a book to read, and he couldn't leave, either.

Bulk remained near the door, standing at attention, even if it was just the two of them now. Unless Neil found a compelling subject to talk about—chances were, Bulk would remain in guard mode.

That left his thoughts. More importantly, he left with a single, glaring question. What was the next important task on his agenda?

It was just his luck that the Everfree Forest was next to Ponyville. The same forest he needed to explore to find the Castle of the Two Sisters. This was the closest he'd ever been to his first and only objective of getting home, no matter how flimsy it may have been. Unfortunately, given the information he knew from books and what Rainbow had told him yesterday, he knew it was a perilous place to go.

Unbidden, a caricature of Celestia's worried voice wove through his mind, 'It's too dangerous for the unique, disabled, one-of-a-kind Alicorn stallion to go.'

Bulk would also veto any attempt to get close to the Everfree Forest; there were no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Unfortunately, that left an unanswerable question in his mind. When would he get another opportunity like this in the future? Knowing Celestia, the odds were against him. She'd keep him locked up in the castle or babysit him with an entire platoon of guards, removing any hint of privacy for his research.

No, if he was going to do something, this would be his best shot. He just had to find a way to distract Bulk and quietly slip away. Then he could go into the Everfree, find the castle, search the library, and find a way home. Nice and simple...

Thinking of simple things, didn't Bulk introduce one of his cousins during the shared dream? If he went that route, it would be, admittedly, a little underhanded. However, desperate times called for desperate measures, right?

Neil kept the idea in mind for now. If he thought of a better one, great. If not, at least he had one option. He hopped off the stool, hooked a wing around one of the legs, and dragged it next to Bulk before sitting down again.

"You didn't join me for breakfast. Are you hungry?" Neil asked as he swiped the box of muffins from Bulk's back. Surprisingly, there was even a hint of resistance as he grabbed the box, but not enough to prevent him from pulling the box away.

Bulk's eyes flickered off the open frame at the back of the room, to the box itself, then back to the open frame. "Maybe later. I'm on duty right now."

"That's entirely up to you," Neil said as he eased the box open. He expected to see a grab bag box where a person could find at least one appetizing item. Instead, he was met with six perfectly baked banana and chocolate chip muffins.

Before he could even comprehend that Pinkie had guessed his favorite type of muffin, the overwhelmingly sweet scent hit him. Even though he had just finished breakfast, his stomach was quick to demand more with a short grumble.

Before he devoured the whole box, he gave Bulk one last chance. "You sure?"

"I'm sure," Bulk confirmed, although he was tempted by the scent alone.

Neil made a split-second decision to keep two set aside for Bulk before digging into his second breakfast. After devouring his first glorious muffin in just two bites, he also remembered why he came over in the first place. "Hey Bulk, you said you have family living here?"

~~~

Rarity was true to her word in one regard. In less than twenty minutes, she came back down with his cloak looking even better than the day it was bought. He didn't know how she made the forest green look even more vibrant, but he assumed it was some sort of trade secret.

Either way, he could leave the boutique without fear with his cloak returned to him. Which he did.

Thanks to his short but informative chat with Bulk, he had the next stop on his list: Sweet Apple Acres. From what he was told, it was a reasonably expansive orchard to the southwest of Ponyville. Not only would they be able to go there without cutting through Ponyville again, but as an added bonus, their orchard butted up against the Everfree at multiple points! It almost felt as if Neil won the jackpot in that regard.

But after a brisk twenty-minute trot, a large, multi-story red barn slowly rose above the evenly placed apple trees, signaling just how close they were to the farm itself. Soon after, the trees ended as the white fence curved inward towards a large, welcoming arch that opened to the main property. The effect created a welcoming alcove, with potted plants evenly spaced along the entire fence. There was even an old antique bathtub and a few washbasins full of shrubs,all of which were well cared for.

Just off to the right of the gate sat a chicken coop, with almost a dozen chickens milling about near their home. A good thirty to forty meters behind that were four decent-sized sheds lined up side by side, all surrounded by hay piles.

To his left was a decent-sized vegetable garden and a well, shortly followed by what he originally thought was a barn. It still looked like one, with the main entrance covered by a pair of large barn doors. But judging by the multiple windowsill gardens and the stone pathways leading to both the large and small doors, he was starting to have second thoughts about that assumption.

Finally, a few hills beyond that, he caught sight of an orange building with prominent carrot-shaped decorations, even at that distance.

Overall, if a person added an ordinary-looking house between the barn and the carrot building, it would look like a very homely, down-to-earth place to live.

"Welcome to Sweet Apple Acres! It's not as big or as fancy as Orange Groves down by Manehatten, but my cousins hold their own," Bulk proclaimed.

"It's a pretty nice place," Neil agreed before voicing his main question, "So, do we wait here for someone, or can we just go in?"

"Go right on in," Bulk offered without a hint of doubt. "I can't think of a single pony that ain't welcome besides a pair of well-known swindlers, that is."

With Bulk giving him the go-ahead, Neil walked through the gate. The area was serene, if a little empty. The only sound came from the chickens happily clucking to his right and a rhythmic, odd wooden thunk that echoed out from the orchard to the west every minute or so.

It was only as they approached the smaller of the two entrances that Neil picked up a third sound- a faint, if constant wooden creaking that grew louder the closer they walked to the half-open, Dutch-styled door.

Once he was close enough to peek inside, there wasn't much to see. The walls were bare planks like one would expect from a barn, with a couple of framed family photos hanging to decorate the space. The floor was covered in somewhat dirty floor mats, likely from ponies walking in. Finally, dozing next to one of the windows was an elderly-looking, light green pony with gray hair rocking back and forth in an old, squeaky chair.

Looking back to Bulk, he made a knocking gesture with his hoof before shrugging. "Should we knock and wake her, or..?"

Instead of answering, Bulk walked right past the smaller door and slipped around the corner, heading towards the back of the barn. He didn't go far, only a few steps at most, before he stopped and waved a hoof at something. "Good mornin' Cousin!"

Somewhat curious, Neil followed. There was little in the way of decoration, besides a third door at the back of the barn. But, twenty-some meters away, another building had been previously concealed by the barn. A mid-sized structure, perhaps equal to three of the sheds combined, with an unbroken fence surrounding the only entrance to create a medium-sized pen. Inside the pen were four large, happy-looking pigs being fed by Applejack.

Once she finished emptying the bucket in her hooves, she set it aside, looked up, and hollered, "Well howdy Bulk! What brings you and Neil to the farm this fine autumn day?"

"Neil wanted to pass the time and see the farm," Bulk bellowed back just as loudly. "I'm guessin' that's Mac bucking in the orchard?"

'Bucking?' Neil mentally replayed that word as yet another distant thwack could be heard. What the hell did that even mean? Whatever it meant, he could only hope it wasn't a euphemism for fucking, at the very least.

"Eyup, there's a small section of Pink Ladies that are just starting to ripen up. Big Mac should have 'em all bucked by mid-afternoon," Applejack explained, making it sound even dirtier as she walked up to them. "So, anything in particular you want to see?"

He suppressed the first answer that came to mind, instead opting for the less crass and more accurate motives behind his visit. "Well, I did want to see the farm, but that isn't the only reason I'm here."

"Oh? You have some sort of business that needs doing?" Applejack asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Sort of," Neil answered, as he gave a side look towards Bulk. "You see, Bulk's been working every day since he was assigned as my guard. So, when he said he has family in Ponyville, I figured, why not give him a day off?"

"Well, that sounds like a mighty fine idea!" An older, crotchety-sounding voice spoke up from right behind him. Turning around, Neil immediately spotted the older green mare from the rocking chair. "Not often we get family drop'n by just to drop by. And who are you, Sonny?"

By then, she had sidled up to him, putting herself between him and the barn wall. "I'm Neil, Mrs...?"

"Aw, none o'that!" She lightly chastised while focusing her wrinkled eyes up at him. "My name's Granny Smith, but everypony just calls me Granny."

"Well, uh, it's nice to meet you Granny?" Neil asked, somewhat hesitantly.

"Nice to meet you too, Neil," She said genuinely before turning to her... daughter? However, judging by appearances alone, granddaughter was more appropriate. "Applejack, why don't you go ring the bell and call Big Mac for an early lunch?"

"Can do, Granny," Applejack offered before turning around and jogging towards a pole with a cowbell on it.

"Now, are you two strappin' young lads up for escorting this old mare to the kitchen for an early lunch?"

For the first time, it was Bulk's stomach that betrayed him. It gave off a noticeable rumble the moment Granny Smith mentioned food. "Sure thing, Granny."

With that settled, Neil and Bulk flanked the elderly mare and escorted her into the house to the sound of a cowbell ringing.

Once Granny Smith was escorted to the kitchen, both he and Bulk were shooed out. The kitchen wasn't a place for stallions as they were assigned to set the table. With his wings, the plates, glasses, and cutlery were easy enough for him to manage if he was careful.

Applejack entered the kitchen shortly after the bell stopped ringing. Without a word, she zipped through the dining area and straight into the kitchen. Soon after that, one dish after another started to flow out of the kitchen and onto the table. The first few dishes were warmed-up leftovers from either breakfast or the night before. But after that, every pot and pan looked and smelled as if they were freshly baked. How they were sending out dishes so fast, Neil couldn't guess.

The table was creaking under the weight of all the dishes by the time the third and final adult member of the Apple family appeared with heavy steps (from far enough away that Neil managed to hide his wings with ease).

Big Mac was a vibrant red Earth Pony that lived up to his name as he walked into the dining room. Neil offered a quick hello. Big Mac gave a silent nod in return before quickly taking stock of the situation and placing the last few pans in a manner that would still keep everything stable.

A few minutes later, the mares exited the kitchen, with Applejack holding the door for Granny Smith. As the elderly mare approached the nearest seat, she paused, giving him and Big Mac a slow, quizzical look before a grin spread along her muzzle. "He-he, I knew it! You are a smidge taller than Big Mac, even without your horn."

Put on the spot like that, Neil couldn't help but look around Bulk at the red stallion sitting two seats down, only to see Big Mac also looking his way. Seeing a pony that wasn't an Alicorn look at him without looking up at him was a little odd. But taller? That he wasn't so sure about.

Big Mac didn't seem to care too much about it either, as he shrugged with an "Eeeyup" and then started to dish up food onto his plate. Bulk and the rest of the Apple family followed suit, whereas Neil struggled a little. Without his wings, he was forced to resort to his hooves. He managed when it was something like a ladle or a serving spoon that he could pincer between his hooves. But he was forced to avoid everything else unless he wanted to risk causing a mess.

He tried to keep his problem under the radar while everyone else was busy, but Granny Smith quickly called him out once she was done serving her plate. "Havin' some troubles, Neil?"

Before he could answer, Bulk deftly snatched the serving spoon from his hooves and placed the apple dumpling onto his plate. "Nothin' we haven't dealt with before, Granny. One of the reasons I was assigned to Neil is his hooves and horn."

It was a little humiliating, but Neil recognized the save for what it was as he nodded along. Thankfully, his plate was mostly full by then, so he didn't need Bulk's help for much longer.

"Well, if yer havin' trouble with yer hooves, don't worry about the cutlery," Granny added as she watched Bulk place an apple fritter onto his plate. "Dig in and enjoy."

"Will do, Granny," Was all Neil said as he considered her words. Did she say it was okay to eat like an animal? As much as he wanted to keep his wings a secret, they itched to be used rather than having to eat like a dog. A quick look around the table showed that none of the others seemed to care, however.

So, forsaking some (but not all) of his manners, Neil joined in.

From the food alone, he quickly learned that 'Apple' wasn't just a name. For the Apple family, it was also a way of life. Apple fritters, apple cobbler, apple pie, fried apple slices, even apple dumplings. Every single dish had apples in it, one way or another. And, much to his surprise, all of them were good. Though his all-time favorite from the samples he gathered was decisively the apple turnovers.

As lunch came to a close, it was Applejack who broke the content silence of their meal. "Neil, I've been wonderin'. You said you wanted to give Bulk the day off for family, but he's your guard. What were you plannin' on doin' without him?"

"I don't know... wander around for a bit, I guess?" Neil answered, caught off guard by the question. Then again, Applejack knew about his wings and the real reason Bulk was assigned to him. "Maybe listen to Lyra if she's playing, or go read a book? As far as I know, I'm stuck here until it's time to go back to Canterlot."

As he answered, Applejack looked at him oddly- but only for a moment before Granny Smith cut in.

"Applejack, y'know you could always go with him if yer that worried," The elderly mare added.

"I still have chores around the farm that need doing, Granny," Applejack countered, sounding as if she had already had this discussion multiple times.

"I know, I know, I'm just sayin'," Granny acquiesced before attacking the same topic from a new angle. "Besides, judge'n by his size, he definitely has some Earth Pony in him, and I ain't gettin' any younger, y'know."

"Granny," Applejack grumbled as she passed her plate to a retreating Big Mac, who was clearly the smartest stallion in the room since he did not want to hear any part of this conversation.

Neil, being one of the core subjects, also felt like leaving. But, he was also morbidly curious enough to stay as Granny carried on.

"What? Can't a mare ask for some great grand-foals before she kicks the bucket?" She asked, confirming Neil's earlier thought that she was their grandmother instead of their mother.

"Not like this," Applejack stubbornly stated while meeting Granny's gaze. "Besides, even if we wanted to, estrus is over a season away."

"That just means you have plenty of time to practice!" Granny cackled before she turned to Neil. "Unless that ain't working for ya either?"

Up to that point, it had been both an enlightening and fairly entertaining conversation, knowing that some things stay the same. But Neil did not expect to have such a blunt question thrown at him like that, and answered accordingly as heat swarmed over his cheeks, "As far as I know, it is?"

"Granny! You know it's rude to ask about a stallion's virility these days," Applejack chastised the elder mare before looking at him. "Neil, I apologize for that. Maybe you an' Bulk should join Big Mac while Granny and I continue this privately."

Seeing the opportunity to escape for what it was, Neil quickly stood up from the table. "I wouldn't want to break any of your dishes, given... So I'll just step outside for some fresh air. Bulk, you don't mind helping, right?"

"Eyup, I'm on it," Bulk said, nabbing Neil's plate and placing it on his own.

With that established, Neil quickly exited the house. By that point, the mid-day sun was bearing down on the farm, making the day feel warmer than it should have during the autumn season. It was nice, in a way, to be able to lean against the wall as the sun warmed his cloak when compared to sitting hunched over in a dilapidated shipping crate within the shadows of an alleyway.

Unfortunately, the thoughts buzzing around in his head were the same. He couldn't quite tell how long he stood there, just thinking. He was thinking about how this would be his last good meal for quite a while when Applejack exited the house.

She looked to her left, toward the arch, first. When she didn't spot him, she looked to the right. Once she saw him leaning against the wall, she trotted over. "Once again, sorry about that, Neil. Granny can be a little in her ways at times."

"Eh, no worries," Neil shrugged the apology away, knowing exactly how she felt. "It's odd being in the spotlight, but my Grandma did something similar once."

"Oh? Was it as bad as what Granny just did?" She asked as she sat down with her back against the wall.

"Maybe? It happened during grad for my final year of high school. First, we had our school graduation ceremony in the afternoon and then our prom dance in the evening. During the ceremony, my grandparents wanted to meet my date for the prom, so I brought her over," Neil explained before reaching the finale of his story, "Everything was going fine until my Grandma pointed out that the size of her breasts could cause health problems later on in life."

"Breasts? You mean her teats?" Applejack asked before her eyes widened with a slightly panicked look, "Wait, was she carry'n a foal at the time? Was it yours?"

"Nope, she always had larger teats than most girls, that's all," Neil answered quickly before she traveled further down that particular path of assumptions. "She was kind enough to still dance with me at prom, but we went our separate ways after that."

"Oh. That does sound a little worse than what Granny did." After a few seconds of awkward silence, Applejack moved on to a different topic. "I also talked with Bulk an' Big Mac. After dishes they'll be heading off to finish the section of pink ladies together. You sure you'll be fine on your own?"

"Positive. I just have to follow the path, yeah?"

"Eyup, but be careful, though. Just because we had our big bad of the month doesn't mean Ponyville still can't get a little rowdy." She warned as she stood up, with a few noticeable pops from her well-defined muscles. "Anyway, I have some fencing that needs to be repaired."

And with those parting words, she was off, heading towards one of the sheds.

Neil, however, was internally cheering as he lightly pushed off the wall. Bulk deciding to enjoy the day with his family without any extra discussion was an added bonus he hadn't expected. Now, he could just leave and go wherever he wanted.

'After all,' He thought as he passed under the arch and turned onto the main road, 'All I have to do is follow the path... Into the Everfree.'

~~~***~~~

The past week had been a hectic one for Twilight.

It started well enough six days ago. She and Spike had been dutifully re-shelving the magical education section of the library when Spike received a missive from Princess Celestia. As the Princess' student, Twilight immediately paused their current task to read the letter.

It could have been a call for help against the next great threat against Equestria. Or, even worse, it could have been a surprise exam! Contrary to her predictions, it was a simple letter asking how she was doing and if she was willing to partake in two extra assignments.

The first assignment of the two, welcoming Prince Rutherford and his Yak delegation from Yakyakistan, was marked as a high-priority task. The second assignment may have been marked as low priority, but it was primarily a research project, something Twilight enjoyed immensely. Without considering the consequences, she promptly sent a letter accepting both.

And so, that's how she spent the following week after altering her schedules and checklists. First, she had to prepare for and survive welcoming Prince Rutherford and his Yak delegation from Yakyakistan. That had been a harrowing wake-up call in the realm of politics. Thankfully, Pinkie somehow managed to avert a war from starting (a first in recent history, much to Twilight's surprise), which should have led to a few days of peace and quiet and, most importantly, research.

Instead, the Tantabus sprung up, threatening not only Ponyville but also Equestria if it could escape into the physical realm. In the end, Luna managed to quell her feelings of doubt and self-loathing and prevent the threat from her creation. However, even a threat to Equestria couldn't resolve itself smoothly! A new Alicorn, known only to a select few (including Rainbow Dash, surprisingly enough), revealed himself.

Never in a million years would she have predicted a stallion could ascend. Then again, until her ascension, she never would have predicted any pony could do so. She didn't have much of an opportunity to interact with him so far, but what little amount of time she did made her concerned. He didn't appear to embody any aspect of friendship. He was distant, surly to the point of insulting most ponies around him, and lacked trust in anypony.

In fact, given his lack of a cutie mark, Neil didn't appear to embody any aspect of power. That was a conundrum in and of itself since she couldn't recall any pony reaching adulthood before earning a cutie mark. What did that mean?

Hopefully, he wasn't a burgeoning threat to Equestria like Sombra. Admittedly, they had similar appearances, but that was only a superficial comparison.

Either way, she had the opportunity to talk to him later at Pinkie's party. For now, she had a few hours scheduled for pure, unadulterated research. And such a challenging topic it was, too! Whether her search categorically fit into history or geography, she didn't know. But Princess Celestia tasked her with finding any trace of a country called 'Canada'.

So far, every attempt to find it over the previous week came up with nothing.

It vexed her in a challenging, almost pleasurable way. Her mind drifted to the moment in time when she would finally find the answer for Princess Celestia. Just herself, alone in the library, surrounded by the books that helped her find out what, exactly, Canada was... And the locked bottom-left drawer of her desk, which only she knew the contents of.

However, that kind of celebration was for later! Now she had to focus on finding the mysterious land of Canada...

~~~

Twilight groaned in frustration four hours later as she added the Esoteric Encyclopedia of Ancient Equine Nations to the ever-growing pile of books without any trace of the name Canada. As much as she wanted to push on, she needed a break to refocus, and a glass of lemonade would be the perfect solution... if she could leave her desk.

Looking around, there wasn't so much a book pile but a book fortress surrounding her. At least half of the books that were originally stored in the geography and history sections were no longer on the shelves where they belonged. Had she really gone through that many books already?

Apparently—she had. She shook her head and focused. With the exact amount of magic gathered in a fraction of a second and the correct formula locked in her mind, she released her spell. One moment, she was surrounded by books, and the next, she stood beside Spike's check-out desk. Blinking may be limited to line of sight, but it was much more efficient compared to teleportation.

However, her eyes fell upon the small bookshelf behind the counter. She looked over the specific books set on the special shelf with a nostalgic fondness. Whether for functional or sentimental reasons, Twilight couldn't find it within her to allow those particular books to be checked out. Most of them were damaged or burned and were recovered from her old home after its destruction. But a few were relatively more intact, like the brown and gold spine of Sunset Shimmer's inter-dimensional journal...

And just like that, an idea sparked in her mind. Sunset Shimmer was Celestia's student before Twilight. By all accounts, she was a well-practiced and powerful mage in her own right- perhaps even more so than Twilight had been at her age. She also had access to more esoteric tomes (that Princess Celestia locked away after Sunset's betrayal). Perhaps she heard about Canada in one of those books?

It was a long shot at best, but it was worth the risk as Twilight grasped the book in her magic and placed it on the counter. She flipped to the first unused page, uncorked the nearest inkwell, and grabbed one of Spike's recently used quills.

Dear Sunset Shimmer,

How are you doing in the human world? Things have been pretty hectic here in Equestria with my Princess duties and other assigned duties. Speaking of which, I've been tasked with finding any historical or geological trace of a country called Canada. Have you heard of it during your studies under Celestia?

Hope you're doing well,
Twilight Sparkle.

Once the ink was dry, Twilight closed the book, re-shelved it, and exited the library. It was hard to calculate the exact time of day, or night it was in the human world. If she was lucky, she would get a timely response. If not, she may have to wait until tomorrow to receive an answer from Princess Celestia's former student.

Either way, she had a glass of lemonade waiting for her in the kitchen.

Once her basic hydration was taken care of, along with a sugary boost in the form of a mid-day vanilla cupcake, Twilight returned to the library. At least, she tried to return to the library. She only made it halfway up the stairs before a wrench in the form of Rainbow Dash's frantic voice echoed throughout her castle and tore through her perfectly scheduled plans.

"Twilight, Neil's missing!"