Back on Duty

The dizzy spells seemed to be getting worse, despite Celestia's incessant ministrations. The Princess was starting to look very worried even as Gregory tried to assure her that he would be fine. By late afternoon he couldn't even sit up to accept a glass of water by himself and the mare had to lift him up with magic.

"S'fine..."

"No, it's not, Greg!" Celestia countered. "This is worse than I thought. Maybe it works differently on humans?" She put the empty glass back on the bedside table and climbed up to take her place at Greg's side once more.

He had to admit that her presence was infinitely comforting. He had also been glad to hear when one of the guards came upstairs, asking the Princess what to do and she sent him - Greg thought it was Glory Tail - to fetch the air carriage from Canterlot.

Unfortuntately, he was in no shape to travel, but having the option nearby to use as soon as he felt better gave him peace of mind. He'd been a little sad when the guard had obeyed instantly and trotted away before Greg even had a chance to see him and say hello, but there would be time to catch up with everyone once he was back in Canterlot. They had to be especially vigilant this far from backup, Celestia had explained, so the guards took turns patrolling and resting.

A warm muzzle brushed his cheek and Greg put a hand on her ears for some relaxing scratching. It was amazing how well that worked to relax both him and the mare.

The weakness seemed to be passing, or at least that's what Greg dared to hope as the dizziness subsided.

Celestia had given him very small doses of the potion to help him through the withdrawal. It wasn't enough to put him to sleep, but it was probably what was making him so weak. The stuff was probably a muscle relaxant or something.

"Try to sleep, love," Celestia said. "I'm sure you'll feel better once you wake up."

"Don't wanna. I slept through most of the past week. Or was it two?"

Celestia just shrugged her wings. She was right - the potion was making Gregory tired - but he wanted to stay awake and enjoy her presence for as long as possible. He managed to lift his head a little so he could look at her face, which never failed to make him smile.

Celestia stared back. "Mm? What's wrong?" she asked.

There was that faint feeling of unease again. Gregory had ascribed it to the situation, but now he was starting to wonder. He'd seen nothing to worry him since Celestia had arrived. Why did he feel like something was missing? The house was making him uneasy. It belonged to Silvermane, who was trafficking with both pony and human slaves. Perhaps it was the vibe or something, which was putting Gregory off.

"Celly?"

"Mm?"

"When the carriage gets here, take me to Canterlot. Even if you have to knock me out and tie me down, I wanna get out of here."

She looked uneasy, but eventually she gave a shrug. "We'll talk about it."

"No, I mean it! I-"

A wing feather pressed against his lips. "Shush. Rest. We'll talk about it."

There was no disobeying that voice, so Greg just nodded. He was about to close his eyes when movement caught his gaze. The mare he saw in the doorway made him gasp and try to push Celestia away.

"You!"

As soon as the maid saw him looking, she ducked behind the wall. Greg pushed at the warm, white body sprawled over him until the Princess lifted herself. "What? What happened?"

To his surprise, Greg found he had enough strength to lift himself up, if not quite enough to try standing. The hallway outside the room was empty.

"I saw that maid! She was here when I first came!"

Celestia blinked a few times in confusion, then smiled. "Oh, Dusty."

At his incredulous, confused stare, the Princess sighed and laid a careful hoof on Greg's shoulder. "She knows the place and has agreed to help with cooking and cleaning. Don't worry, she has a magic blocking ring."

It hardly made sense that Celestia would trust one of Greg's captors with freedom like that.

"What if she escapes?!"

"I told you, we're in the middle of nowhere. Besides, I put a spell on her which'll let me know if she ever tries to leave. Don't worry." The Princess raised her voice. "You can come in, Dusty."

Careful hoofsteps announced her entrance as the maid came in. Once inside, the carpet muffled the sound of her walking. She looked quite abashed and more than a little bit scared as she approached the bed.

"See? It's fine. You won't hurt Gregory, right Dusty?"

The maid vehemently shook her head. "Never, mm- Princess! I swear!"

Celestia nodded in satisfaction and her mouth quirked up into a pleased little smile. "And you won't try and escape, right?"

"I c-can't..." Dusty said and angled her head the other way. Greg could see a thick band of yellow around the base of her horn, nearly hidden by her mane.

He relaxed a little. Of course Celestia would know what she was doing and he had complete faith in her. It had just been a little unsettling to see the maid just freely walking around the house.

"Well, okay. I guess. Didn't you put her under arrest?" he asked.

The word made Dusty grimace and look away while Celestia answered: "Well, yes and no. I told her if she repented, I'd put in a good word for her at the trial. She'll be punished, but she was only acting on Silvermane's orders, so I don't think a prison sentence. We'll see."

That was right, Gregory remembered. Celestia always preached forgiveness and redemption, so it made sense that she would practice it as often as possible.

While he was thinking what to say, Dusty spoke up again: "S-Sorry for how I treated you, Mr. Gregory." She still wasn't meeting his gaze, choosing instead to look at the carpet between her forehooves.

"It's fine. You weren't too bad. I'm just glad that Spring Morning isn't around anymore."

At the mention of the name Dusty looked up sharply at Celestia, her eyes full of fear. Whatever the Princess had done when she burst in must have been pretty bad, Greg guessed.

"Well..."

"W-Want me to cook something for you, Mr. G-Gregory?" the maid offered.

Greg shook his head. The dizzy spell seemed to have passed and the excitement did wonders to clear his head, but he didn't want to risk being sick again. "Thanks, but no. Actually, what I want to do is take a walk. It's still early." A glance through the open window confirmed it. The sun was still in the sky and the evening was nice and warm. Suddenly Gregory didn't want to be in the room anymore. "And then I'd like to say hi to Vanilla Pop and the others."

Celestia inclined her head. "Okay. Let's go on that walk and then we'll see how you feel. It's a good sign. Maybe you will be well enough to travel by tomorrow."

He grinned at that news and the alicorn smiled back.

"Um, I'll go now," Dusty announced as she left them alone.

The extreme fatigue was gone, but now Greg suffered from frequent attacks of nausea. They seemed to come after exerting himself, so Celestia urged rest. The only issue was that Gregory had had enough of rest to last him a lifetime and would much rather just power through the dizzy spells. The mare insisted as she kept feeding him minuscule amounts of the potion.

Grudgingly Gregory had to accept that she knew what she was doing, because it was slowly getting better. Unfortunately, his improving physical condition did nothing for his peace of mind. He still felt deeply uneasy about something, even while Celestia reassured him everything was alright and they would be home soon. Perhaps the most normal Greg had felt in the past couple of days was that time Vanilla Pop walked in on the two of them in a rather compromising position. Maybe it was a good thing that Greg couldn't see the guard's face.

Celestia had had him lie on his belly with his face in the pillow so she could give him a hoof massage. It would improve circulation and speed up his recovery, the mare said, but Greg felt she just wanted to feel him over. Not that he could blame her. Pretty soon he was sporting a large tent and it was only sheer luck that he was facing down, into the bed. That was when Vanilla Pop had walked in. At first Greg didn't know who it was and feared it might have been Dusty, but the guard cleared his throat and started to apologize profusely. Celestia just giggled and Greg froze in shock at being seen practically naked and with the Princess all but lying on top of him. There had been something Vanilla Pop had wanted to say, or ask, but Greg couldn't blame the stallion for completely forgetting all about it in that situation. He just kept apologizing and, Greg presumed, bowing all the way out.

"You should have fixed that door!" Greg had said. "At least then they'd knock!"

Celestia just chuckled again. "Don't worry, love. He didn't see anything. Would it be so bad if he did?"

She had a valid point, but there was such a thing as propriety. They'd had this discussion when Greg had first arrived in Equestria and both had agreed that it wouldn't be very polite to rub their relationship in her subjects' muzzles. They all knew, of course, but it was a different can of worms to keep blatantly making out in public.

Maybe that little embarrassment was the reason all the guards tended to avoid meeting Gregory and Celestia. He would have liked to catch up, but between his dizzy spells, his weakness and the guards avoiding him, Gregory had no choice but to wait for a better time.

Soon, Celestia kept promising.

"Is the carriage here yet? Let's just go home and be done with it," Gregory pleaded.

The Princess looked uncomfortable for a moment, then gave the man a pleading smile. "One more day, please Gregory? I'm still worried about you. Tomorrow you'll be completely off the potion and then we'll go, okay?"

Maybe she was putting it off so she could keep him to herself for a while longer? Like a kind of impromptu vacation? Gregory tried to convince himself of that, but it didn't quite work. Surely if she just wanted them to spend some time away from Canterlot and the hubbub of court life, she'd have said so and taken them somewhere else.

They were still staying in Silvermane's mansion, which didn't do Greg's disposition much good. He'd rather be done with the whole sorry mess, even if he had to pay for a hotel or an inn out of his own pocket.

Celestia saw how he felt about the whole thing and opted to take his mind off it by means of a very warm, very aggressive kiss. Gregory had no choice but to respond in kind. For the next minute or two all he could think about was the long, flat tongue in his mouth. He'd keep it up longer, but he had to breathe. Despite that the mare kept licking his face while he gasped.

He caught her gaze and saw deep lust, which matched his own.

"I- I think you're-" Celestia began, pausing to give his cheek another lick. "You're well enough?"

All Greg could do was nod. He'd already gripped his belt and was struggling with the buckle. Celestia was lying on it, but she hadn't noticed. As she kissed him again, Greg forgot about it as well and put his hands on her barrel.

The fur was just as smooth as always and the man slid his fingers down to her flanks, where he dug them in. The touch made the mare moan right into his mouth before pulling away. She smiled. "I love you!"

Gregory opened his mouth to say the same, but then he suddenly saw it in her eyes.

It couldn't be.

Except everything fit together. It explained it all: the potion, the nausea, the delays.

"W-What's wrong?" Celestia asked nervously when his expression changed.

Greg's heart, already racing from excitement and lust, speeded up even more until he thought it would explode. He could feel the rush of blood and the tingle of adrenaline. He let go of Celestia's flanks and brought his hands up to his face.

He would only get one shot at this.

Before the mare could react, Greg bunched his fingers in a fist and struck right at her horn, as hard as he could.

"W-EE-" the Princess began to shriek, but he hit her again and she just went limp. The horn was extremely sensitive, especially to blows from the side. It was the only way to negate her magic without his own.

For a minute it was all Greg could do to just lie there, struggling to get his breathing under control. It wasn't until the unconscious Celestia stirred and groaned that he remembered himself. Once she woke up, would she have her magic back right away? If so, what could he do about that? He tried to remember.

There had been a time when, during their passionate tossing on the bed Celestia had smacked her horn against a bedpost. She couldn't use magic without a headache for a good several hours after that. It was the best idea he could come up with on short notice. Hopefully his punch had done much the same and he had a few minutes to figure it out.

The mare was still a lot stronger than him in his weakened state, so that was the next urgent thing. Greg's eyes landed on the sheets and he slid out of the bed. His breath came in short, almost panicked pants as he rolled it up into a tube. It was too thick. There was no way for him to tie a knot.

Almost whimpering, the man looked at the pony who stirred again and tried to open her eyes. He didn't have a lot of time. He quickly unrolled the sheet and ripped it in half. Luckily it was thin linen and didn't offer much resistance. He tore it apart again. He was left with a long, thin strip, which he hurriedly wrapped around Celestia's fetlocks. That took care of forelegs and Greg tied a crude knot with shaky hands. He tore another strip from the sheet and did the same for her hind legs.

There was just enough of cloth left to bind all her legs together. It wasn't perfect and she'd probably be able to get free, but it was good enough if he watched her closely.

The mare was definitely waking up by now, whimpering and growling, so Gregory looked around for a weapon. Any weapon.

There! The smashed door had split and a plank was hanging loose. It wasn't exactly a club, but it would do in a pinch. Greg tore it from the frame, twisting it a few times to get it free, then hefted it above the prone mare.

Her eyes opened, blinked a few times, then focused on him. "W-Wha-?"

"One sign of a spell and I'll whack you again!" Greg threatened.

Ignoring him, Celestia lifted her head and he made good on his threat. He hit her horn, but not too hard. It made her gasp in shock and fall back down.

For a moment Greg was worried he'd smacked her too hard, but the mare began whimpering and flapping her wings.

"STAY STILL!" he ordered, nearly knocked from his feet by her flailing limbs.

In the moment of silence he listened intently, hoping there wasn't Dusty or someone else on their way to see what all the noise was about. Any one of them would be able to subdue him with no trouble.

"H- H-" the Princess worked her mouth to get her tongue to work once more. "How?" she asked hoarsely. "How'd you know?"

That confirmed his suspicion and a huge weight was lifted from Greg's shoulders. If this really was Celestia and he'd made a terrible mistake-

It had been a chance he'd been willing to take and the right one, obviously, now.

"Look at me. Look me in the eye!"

The mare did as he commanded and Greg inspected her eyes. Now that he knew what to look for it was patently obvious.

"You did a good job, but I guess you never saw Celestia from up close. She has tiny flecks of gray in her irises. It's not just solid magenta."

Celestia - or rather her imitator, closed her eyes and heaved a sigh.

"And you used too many contractions!" Greg went on, triumphantly. "It's hard to spot, but she almost never does. I guess you didn't hear her talk enough. I am. You are. We will!"

All the mare did was grunt in what sounded like annoyance. She refused to look at him.

"So I guess Vanilla Pop is a traitor as well?"

The mare shook her head, but the motion was subtle. Obviously her head hurt a lot and Greg was pleased about that. He hefted the board and considered smacking her again, just to be done with it. Surely she'd be out cold for a few hours and he could try to make for a town or a village.

"Ventriloquism spell," the mare said finally. "I can do voices. That's why he was always out of sight."

It made sense and now that Greg thought about it he realized he'd never actually seen the guard.

"What about Dusty?"

The Princess - the fake Princess - shrugged with her wings. "Silvermane's servant. She obeys me."

"What are you? I know a little about the changing spell and you shouldn't be able to keep it going when I hit you. How are you doing it?"

She just barked a laugh. "Somepony will come and find you, and then I'll have you. And I won't be gentle, either, you stupid ape."

"I asked you a question!"

Greg mock-swung the board and the mare tried to jerk out of the way. Despite her brave words, Greg could see how she was nervously licking her lips and how her wings rustled. Probably a pegasus originally, he assumed. The reaction looked unconscious, which meant she was used to having wings.

"Fine. It's not like you'll live to tell anypony. Not after this!" She closed her eyes in concentration and Greg gave her horn a light tap, which nevertheless made the mare gasp in pain.

"No magic! I'm warning you, a single glint and I'm whacking you as hard as I can!"

She grunted in annoyed response. "Fine. I'm changeling. Happy now?!"

All Greg knew of her race was the tidbits he'd learned about Glowbug back on Earth, which wasn't a whole lot. From what Celestia had said, they were the ones who originally invented the disguise spell - or maybe it was something they could do naturally, which would explain why it didn't vanish when the changeling had been knocked out. They also fed on emotion, which would explain why he'd felt so weak and drained lately, even after going off the potion. Greg forced his anger down. The problem now was getting away. Sure, he could smack the creature unconscious and run for it, but there was no way of knowing how long she'd be out. Too soon and she'd raise an alarm and get him caught before he made it to safety.

Hit her too hard, on the other hand, and she might never wake up again. It was probably no less than she deserved, but Greg wasn't about to simply kill another sentient creature. Not unless it was the only choice. An idea struck him and he looked at the bedside table. There was the brown, nearly opaque bottle with no label. He reached over and picked it up.

"You're gonna drink this, or I'll smack you until you're out cold and pour it down your throat, understand?"

The mare glanced at the makeshift club in his hands, swallowed, and nodded. Her ears went flat in defeat.

The mixture had made him sleep, surely it would do something similar for a pony. It also left his muscles feeling like wet noodles. That would take care of the changeling, at least for a while. Maybe someone would find her, but probably not for a few hours. The last few days Celestia - or rather the impostor - had spent most of her time with him and there hadn't been any interruptions.

With that settled, all Greg had to do was think up what to do about Dusty and possibly some others in the house. The best way would be to sneak out. That would give him until they found the unconscious changeling, or until she woke up.

Or was it 'he'? He'd kissed the thing, which made Greg's stomach twist up.

He suddenly realized that he was standing still with the potion in one hand and the plank of wood in the other. The creature was watching him warily, waiting to see what he would do. At least she wasn't trying to get free from the makeshift bounds.

"By the way, what really happened to Spring Morning?"

The mare rolled her eyes. "I am Spring Morning, idiot. I've been in disguise all along."

It was all getting too complicated and Greg just gave up. If Spring Morning had always been a changeling, Celestia and Luna would know what to make of it. Right then, he just wanted to get out of the house.

"Open up!" he commanded.

The changeling glared for a few moments, but then her ears lowered and she exhaled in defeat. Her mouth parted. Gregory kept his hold on the plank and put the bottle against the mare's lips. He tilted it up, but his hand was shaking and he spilled a little around her muzzle. He watched her throat closely and it looked like Spring Morning was swallowing obediently. That was good, a relief that he didn't have to force her.

Very soon after that, her eyelids began to droop. She seemed to be having trouble keeping her head upright and her wings were unfurling. It could still have been an act, though.

Greg got a brilliant idea. He dropped the empty bottle and threw the remaining blanket off the bed. Then he hurried to the wardrobe and took out some fresh bedclothes. They went in an oblong pile in the bed. There was a dull thump and he looked just in time to see fake-Celestia's eyes close. The noise had been her muzzle hitting the carpet. He should have thought about this step earlier...

It took some doing to get the heavy pony up in the bed, but there was no choice. Gregory was winded by the time he had the changeling settled with her head on the pillow. Was she faking the effects of the potion? Gregory keept a close watch on her face and suddenly slapped his hand on her rump as hard as he could. Not even a flutter of an eyelash. Surely if she'd been awake, there would have been some kind of a reaction. Reassured, he pulled a new blanket over her and the bundle of cloth he'd arranged. He inspected the effect from the door and almost smiled to himself. It looked exactly like two people in bed, sleeping.

It should buy him some time if one of the others came to check. Surely they wouldn't bother the changeling sleeping with her captive human. For a moment he considered leaving the wood behind, but it was the only real weapon he had, so Greg opted to keep it in his hand. He was fully clothed, which was a relief, so nothing was really keeping him there. He cast a critical eye over the scene once more and nearly cursed out loud. The empty bottle was on the floor. He hurried over and put it back on the nightstand. He still wasn't absolutely sure what it did, but he hadn't had a single dream since his kidnapping and Greg was pretty sure it wasn't due to changeling magic.

That was probably why the changeling had insisted he keep taking it. She must have worked out the smallest dose which would keep him from dreaming and alerting Princess Luna. The story about getting addicted to it and having to be weaned off was just a lie. His lips pressed together as Gregory went over what the impostor Celestia had told him and mentally marked it all as lies. Everything seemed in order, so he walked to the door and listened. No hoofsteps. He poked his head outside and looked both ways, but the hallway was empty. His best bet, Greg decided, was the back exit into the garden. The guards - or rather, Silvermane's goons - kept to themselves in the front rooms.

After that, it would be a different problem to find habitation.

Actually, Greg reconsidered, he didn't need to find habitation. He just needed to stay hidden from his captors for long enough so the effects of the potion completely wore off and he dreamed. Undoubtedly Luna would find him.

Surely they hadn't stopped looking for him that soon, right?

Once Luna and Celestia - the real Celestia - knew where he was, at least the general area, they would probably rush over. They could figure it out from there. The plan decided, Greg slipped out the back door, looked around the garden to make sure no one was in sight, then sprinted for the nearest wall. It was head high for him, but filled with adrenaline as he was, Greg had no doubt he could easily scale it.

Freedom, at last!

Gregory sat down heavily on a fallen log to catch his breath. He'd tried running, but couldn't keep it up for more than a few minutes. Now he was walking as far as he could and then waiting for the spots of lights to vanish from before his eyes. Distance, that was the key. No doubt Spring Morning's pals would search the area in some kind of pattern once they discovered him gone, or when the changeling woke up. He also had to assume that they'd be able to fly, so staying in the trees and keeping an eye out on the sky was a must. As he waited for his panting to wind down, Gregory kept looking up and behind.

They might also use magic to track him, but since he didn't have a way to defend against that, Greg had opted not to spend too much effort on worrying about it. Distance was the obvious thing, so he focused all his energy on that.

His breathing gradually slowed and Greg got back on his feet. Time to move on. The sun was on his right as it descended, which meant he was going south. Closer to civilization, hopefully. At least the forest wasn't too thick, so it didn't take a lot of effort to walk. There was very little undergrowth and the ground was fairly even, which was just as well. His legs already felt like lead pipes and his muscles were burning with fatigue. Apparently he wasn't completely recovered yet, but Greg was still determined to do what he could. He paused to take a look behind him and then pushed forward. The trees seemed to be thinning out up ahead, which was both a blessing and a curse. The going would be easier, but he would also be much more exposed.

Moments later Gregory recognized a road of hard-packed dirt. It didn't look like a major thoroughfare, nor could he see any travellers in either direction, but it made him a little more hopeful. He contemplated walking on the road, but changed his mind and stayed in the trees. He still wanted cover in case any pegasi were looking for him. The makeshift club had been left behind in the garden behind Silvermane's manor. It would only have been extra weight. If a pony tried to catch him, Greg would just have to rely on his fists. Hopefully they wouldn't expect that.

The going would be a bit slower off the road, but it was worth it. Greg looked in both directions. To the West, the road seemed to curve back north, the direction he had come from, so he picked East and set off at a brisk walk. It was late afternoon, which meant only a few more hours and then he'd find a hiding place. Greg considered possible dangerous fauna, but he knew the wildlife in Equestria was a lot nicer than on Earth, at least in the populated areas. The truly dangerous stuff was in the Everfree, which was a lot further to the Southwest, and maybe in the Frozen North, which was in the opposite direction.

Despite the burning in his limbs, Greg was happy and relieved to be out of that house. He'd escaped all by himself, which felt good and filled him with confidence, and soon he'd be back in Canterlot. Hopefully, by now, Celestia had dismantled Silvermane's operation and had put everyone responsible behind bars. Spring Morning and her lackeys might escape, but it was a trade Gregory was willing to make.

He slowed down and stumbled to a halt. His lungs were burning again and his vision was swimming. There was no convenient place to sit, so Greg just slid down under a tree and leaned against the trunk. Still no sign of pursuit. Maybe he'd done a good enough job on Spring Morning, or whatever her changeling name was, that she'd sleep until next morning. The disguise of them in bed together should also keep any others away.

Despite his cautious optimism, Greg watched the sky to the north until he felt he could stand again. He took a deep breath and headed onward.

A flash of color through the trees...

At first he dove for cover, afraid one of Spring Morning's goons had overtaken him and was lying in wait, but the splotch of color was too large for a pony. Houses! Gregory couldn't believe his luck! He caught another glimpse of white and red through the trees. A few cautious steps forward revealed that it was indeed a building of some kind. The sun was on its last rays and some of the windows Greg could see already had lights in them.

It was a small village, but in that moment it was more welcome than a palace. Relief masked the pain and he stumbled to the road. He wanted to get there as fast as possible. Footsteps turned to a halting run and sweat poured into Greg's eyes, but he wanted the ordeal over as soon as possible so he pushed forward.

A plain, brown-colored pony - an earth stallion - was walking down the street and froze in place as he spotted him. Even at the distance Greg could see how his eyes widened in fear and the stallion hurriedly pushed locks of red mane out of his eyes before taking a step back.

"No... Don't-" he gasped out.

Of course the stallion couldn't hear, but Greg slowed and focused on gulping down as much air as he could. Everything hurt, but he really didn't want to collapse so close to his goal. As he came nearer, the stallion finally saw in what shape he was and his look of fear changed into one of concern. Humans probably weren't a common sight in this part of Equestria, but he must have heard of them and knew they were connected with Canterlot and the Princesses.

He still approached cautiously, letting Greg walk most of the way before asking in a hesitant voice: "W-Who are you? What are you d-doing here?"

Greg shook his head and stopped. He fought for breath. "Police... Sheriff-"

The pony looked afraid once again and looked at the road in the direction from where Greg had come. "What? Is there danger?"

Rather than struggling for breath, Greg let himself sink to his knees. His legs wouldn't hold him anymore, but that was okay. Surely the village ponies would take care of him and they wouldn't let Spring Morning take him.

"They're after me," he managed. "Silvermane's man- manor. I was being held pri- prisoner."

Each word made the stallion more agitated. "That place in the woods?!"

Rather than repeating himself, Greg just nodded. "Send- pegasus. Message. Canterlot- to Celestia. Name's Gregory."

Finally concern won out over fear and the stallion stepped closer. "Okay, okay, I'll get the sheriff. Come on, let's get you inside, you don't look so good."

The commotion was attracting more attention and several other ponies were looking at them from the village. The stallion shouted for torches and help, before slipping under Greg's arm to support him upright.

"Thanks..." was all he could say.

The stallion just grunted and started walking slowly forward. It took significant effort, but Gregory got his legs under him and his hands on the pony's back. He could make it to a house and then he could rest.

"We'll get you some water and a place to rest up. Then you can tell the sheriff what's happened, okay?"

"Sure... Thanks."

Gregory was hardly aware of another village pony joining them and nuzzling from his other side. He swapped one hand to the newcomer. It meant he was walking nearly bent double, but it was welcome support. He looked up and tried to see where they were taking him.

One of the houses was larger than the others and there was a sign out in front. The Inn, Gregory guessed. He focused on the door like a lifeline. He just had to make it that far...

Gregory woke up with a start, looking wildly around the room before remembering where he was and why. He fell back on the pillow with a soft sigh. Even scant seconds after waking, he'd already forgotten his vague, unsettling dream, but he knew he'd had one. Hopefully it had been enough for Luna, but even if not, his message to Celestia had to be on its way.

He didn't remember climbing the stairs, but a glance at the window showed Greg that he was on the first floor. It looked like a typical guest room in a small village inn. The ponies must have gotten him up there and put him to bed. For some strange reason Greg was glad they hadn't undressed him.

He considered just lying there for a while longer, but too much had happened. He had to make sure the letter had been sent and that there'd been no pursuit. Gregory rolled over and sat up on the side of the bed. It was low, so his knees came nearly up to his chin, but he was used to this by now. What he wasn't used to was the ache.

All his muscles protested the movement. Everything was sore!

He wasn't sure he could stand without falling over. As an experiment, Greg held a hand out in front of him. It wavered up and down no matter how hard he tried to keep it steady. Hopefully the fatigue would recede as he started moving about, otherwise Celestia would have to carry him out. That would be a bit embarrassing after having escaped on his own. Greg rested for a few more minutes, then braced himself and stood. Tried to, at least. At first he underestimated how hard he'd have to push and he barely lifted himself up from the bed a few inches before falling back with a quiet grunt.

The second attempt was better, but this time he put too much effort in and nearly fell on his face. Only a hand thrown at the last second against the wall kept him from toppling. It was getting better, now that he was moving once more, but Gregory still held on to the wall as he made his way to the door. He paused before he opened it, listening for any familiar voices. If Spring Morning or any of her thugs had followed him here, Greg didn't want to walk right into them. There was no sound, which was encouraging, so Greg switched his hands on the wooden frame and reached for the door handle. The hallway was empty, but now that he was out of his room the man could hear sounds coming from the lower floor. Pots clanking, soft talking and the sound of water being poured. That last reminded him that he was parched and Greg made his careful way to the stairs.

He kept his hand on the wall but he needed its support less and less with each step. There was a handrail, but it was placed too low to be really useful to him. Greg gritted his teeth and stepped from step to step as slowly as he could. His legs still jerked uncontrollably every now and then, but he was able to keep his balance easily enough. The ache came back in force at the unaccustomed exercise but Greg just ignored it. He'd have to get into better shape, he resolved. One measly potion and a couple of weeks in bed shouldn't be able to wipe him out this completely. True, he'd pushed himself far beyond his limit during his escape, but that still wasn't very encouraging.

The trip to that place near Baltimare had been worrying enough, but this was just ridiculous. Greg resolved to start walking more. It wasn't as if there were no places around the Castle. The gardens made for a very pleasant stroll. With that decision firmly established, the man finally reached the common room. There was a gray-haired old pony sitting at one of the tables and middle-aged, orange-colored mare behind the counter, washing glasses. The sound of cooking pots was coming from an open door which led to the kitchen, judging by the smell.

Both ponies looked up and the old-timer gave a small start even as the mare flashed Greg a smile. "Relax, Gramps," she said soothingly. "It's just one of those humans from Canterlot, nothing to worry about."

"Humph," the older pony grunted. "Thought it was a minotaur for a second there."

Gregory chose to ignore that. The old guy probably wasn't trying to insult him. Instead he addressed him as politely as he could: "The name's Gregory. Has anyone sent that letter to Princess Celestia?"

The stallion looked blank, but the mare at the counter seemed more informed. Her smile widened and she nodded. "Yep! The mail-mare took the job, special. It means no post today, but that's fine. Everypony understands!" A moment's thought reminded the mare of her manners and a blush graced her muzzle. "Oh, my name is Apple Leaves and that over there is Gramps. We just call him Gramps."

"Nice to meet you both." Gregory inspected the mare for a moment. The color was familiar, not quite orange although it was close, but one he'd definitely seen before. The mane was green, which threw him off, but the name matched and the apple cutie mark all but confirmed it.

"You're related to the Apples in Ponyville, right?"

Her smile widened. "Yup! So you know Applejack?"

"I've met her a few times, yes."

"Well, as far as I'm concerned, that makes you practic'lly family, right? Sit down and have some breakfast!"

Of course the mere mention of food, combined with the smell wafting from the kitchen was enough to make Greg's stomach growl and he gratefully sank into a chair. There was no back support and it was a little too low, but he was still glad to rest his legs for a while. The older pony, Gramps, watched him for a bit longer, but then shrugged a little to himself and picked up his newspaper again. While he waited, Gregory looked out the window, but he couldn't spot anything worrisome. If there had been any pursuit, there would probably be some commotion, at least. He began to hope that his escape had gone unnoticed the previous day.

Spring Morning would be waking up soon, Greg guessed, but with so much time having passed, she might not have any idea in which direction to look. She might try the nearby villages, but Greg hoped one of the Princesses would arrive before that. Or, failing that, the townsponies wouldn't just give him up. He felt a lot better about his chances now that he knew one of the Apples lived here. The entire family was well-known for their unscrupulous honesty. His thoughts were interrupted as Apple Leaves slid a plate before him. There were fried eggs, some potatoes and a thick slice of bread, still steaming. It immediately made his mouth water and Greg barely paused to thank the mare before picking it up and biting off a good chunk of the freshly-baked loaf.

The mare seemed pleased at his enthusiasm and went back to the counter to fetch him a pitcher of water and some coffee. It was one of the best-tasting breakfasts Greg remembered having and he wolfed it down without a single pause.

When he was done, feeling much refreshed, Apple Leaves waved a hoof to get his attention. "Would you like some more? We got plenty!"

A thought which had been trying to make itself known finally rose up and Gregory suddenly felt embarrassed. "Actually... I don't have any money. Um..." He hadn't even considered it last night. The most important thing had been to get away and find safety, but this was an inn and they had a business to run. "I'm sure the Princess will pay my bill when she gets here, though!"

The mare just giggled, hoof covering her muzzle. "Don't worry about none of that, Mr. Gregory. What kind of ponies would we be if we didn't offer hospitality to somepony in need?"

Once again Gregory was reminded that this was Equestria, not Earth. He relaxed a bit. "Well, fair's fair. I'll make sure to send money to cover my bill."

"There's really no need-"

"Please, I insist."

Apple Leaves just shrugged a little to herself. "Well, as you wish, sir."

The barmare was taking the empty dishes back to the kitchen when the front door opened, making her pause and look back. "Oh, hi sheriff. I'll be right out!"

Gregory inspected this new pony. He didn't remember him from the last night, but the stallion had obviously seen him, because he headed right over and joined Greg's table. He was an older stallion, with streaks of gray in his otherwise black mane and an impressive moustache. The hat and the vest with the star badge completed the picture and confirmed the pony's job.

"Feelin' any better?"

"I do," Greg said cautiously. "Sorry, I don't remember your name."

The sheriff just inclined his head in acknowledgment as he gave it: "Silver Spur." Seeing the alarm on the man's face, he waved a dismissive hoof. "I'm not related to Silvermane, if that's what you're thinking. That stuck up, condescending, 'holier-than-thou' good-for-nothing doesn't own everythin' around here!"

There was obviously some bad blood there, but Greg was glad to hear it. If the sheriff disliked Silvermane, he was a lot less likely to betray him. "I see. Well, my name is-"

"Gregory. Yeah, you said. Our dear ol' Princess' plaything, right?"

This was just as unexpected and Greg couldn't help blushing. "Well, I-"

The stallion started to chuckle and reached over the table to place a hoof on Greg's hand. "Don't fret it. That filly needs some diversion. B'sides, they say you're a damn fine lawyer, too."

Shock turned to amusement at this pony talking about Celestia as if she were some young filly. Funny how she'd wanted to experience that side of her on Earth, and here it was, practically on her doorstop, if only she'd known where to look. Then again, whatever he said now, the sheriff probably wouldn't act this way to Celestia's face. Or maybe he would? Greg inspected the old pony's face. Sheriff Silver Spur's opinion wasn't shared by the majority of Equestria's populace, though, but Greg had a good idea where to take the Princess for their next vacation.

"Anyway, you should send some people over to Silvermane's manor. There's some criminals hiding there and you should grab them before they get away."

The stallion's grin faded and his muzzle twisted into a grimace as he shook his head. "Sorry. No can do."

"If they have something on you-" Greg began.

"Nah, 's not that," the sheriff explained, waving a hoof expansively. "It's that I don't have ponies. It's just me and the deputy in this nick o' the woods and he spends his afternoons working on 'is farm. I sent a pegasus to Vanhoover, but I don't reckon we'll get any backup for some hours yet."

"Well, provided they don't immediately run away and spend some time searching from me in the forest instead, you should be able to get them. Just be careful, there's a changeling."

This was news to the sheriff, but he hardly showed it on his muzzle aside from a slight widening of eyes and his breath catching for a moment. "Changeling, huh? That complicates things."

"The one disguise I do know is a unicorn, blue coat, gray mane, but she's not old. Something like a book for a cutie mark. Goes by the name of Spring Morning. She might be in Canterlot guard armor." That last was still worrying Gregory. Was there a real Spring Morning somewhere, or was that entire character a changeling's fabrication? "Oh, and she was able to fake being Celestia, so..."

"Sheesh, really complicates things!"

"I know. Sorry."

The stallion shook his head. "Not yer fault. I'm still hoping the mail mare reaches Canterlot and we get some help from there. I don't mind telling you, this is way beyond my pay grade."

Gregory murmured a thank you to Apple Leaves who'd brought a couple of mugs to the table. He glanced in and caught the smell of strong cider.

Silver Spur saw his hesitation and gave the man a bright smile. "Drink up. You look like you need it."

For a moment Greg thought about asking for something non-alcoholic, but maybe the sheriff was right. He'd just been through an ordeal and maybe getting tipsy would take the edge off his aching muscles. He leaned back, remembering just in time that the backrest wasn't there, and held up his mug.

"To beating the bad guys."

The pewter mugs clanged together and the sheriff gave a curt nod at the toast. It was surprisingly smooth and sweet, with only the slightest tinge of alcohol and a very strong aftertaste of apples. If Greg had to guess, it was Apple Leaves' or her family's work. The drink put him in mind of that Grand Galloping Gala when Twilight's friend had brought a barrel for her and her friends and Celestia insisted he try it.

"Dunno what sort of magic those Apples have, but I sure can appreciate it!"

The sheriff's remark broke him out of his memory and Greg smiled faintly. "So, what do we do next?" he asked.

The stallion pointed a hoof. "You do nothing but rest. I'll round up some folks and we'll take a look around the village, see if we can catch any of those criminals skulking around."

It sounded like a plan quite well fitted to Greg's current abilities. He looked around the room. The old pony was still reading his newspaper and Apple Leaves was polishing the counter with a cloth.

"Well, I'll be here if you need to ask me more questions."

The sheriff gave him a simple nod and left Greg to his thoughts.