Back on Duty

After a quick, refreshing shower Greg found an unexpected guard pegasus in front of his door. The sight was unusual enough in this part of the Castle to make the man pause and blink in surprise. There were a couple of guards at each entrance to the corridor, but they kept well away from the Princess' quarters to give the royal sisters some semblance of privacy.

Before he could ask, however, the guard saluted with a wing. "Sir! The Princess says to tell you to meet her in the Gardens!" he proclaimed.

Yes, 'proclaimed' was exactly the right word. The colt seemed younger than most, so Gregory guessed he was new and, as such, still a bit awed at speaking directly with the Princess.

"Relax," Greg said in as calm and nonchalant a voice as he could manage. "Why don't you show me the way?"

The guard saluted again and, armor clanking as he walked, fell in step just beside the human.

"You're new here, aren't you?"

"Sir! Finished basic training in Fillydelphia last week. Got transferred here yesterday!"

Greg almost chuckled, but managed to suppress it. He glanced over at the pony's stripes, or lack thereof. "Let me give you a piece of advice, um, private. What's your name?"

"Comet Roll, sir!" came the reply.

"Okay, Comet Roll. I know you got this drilled into you every day in training, but now you're here, you can relax a bit, okay? The Princess is not impressed by heroic feats of attention and protocol. She won't grade you on your ability to hold your bladder. You'll have a much better time if you take it easy. Especially, there's no need to shout."

"B-But sir! The drill sergeant-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Discipline and exemplary service and all that. Commendable, but take it down a notch. You can do polite and respectful without shouting all the time, no?"

The guard looked decidedly uneasy, at least from what Greg could see. The helmet hid his ears, so a major clue was lost, but the way Comet Roll's eyes darted around and his feathers rustled and his gait became stiff, told enough of the story.

Greg stopped and turned to face the guard. "Here, let's try this instead."

He held out his hand towards the colt who eyed it uneasily. After a few moments' thought, he sat on his haunches and lifted a hoof up into Greg's palm to shake.

"Nice to meet you, Comet Roll," Greg said. "Come around the offices someday in the afternoon for a muffin and a glass of cider. Mrs. Nutmeg makes some of the best muffins in the city and we get cider straight from Sweet Apple Acers. I'll introduce you to everyone."

The colt didn't know what to say. His mouth opened and shut a few times, until he finally remembered to put his hoof down again. Then he blushed a little. "Um, I'll t-think about it, s-sir."

For a moment Gregory contemplated offering Comet Roll an ear-scratch, but the poor guy already looked like a fish out of water. Enough cultural shock for one day, Greg decided.

"Okay, let's go see how the Princess and Blossom are doing."

It was an assumption that Celestia would be with the mare, but Greg couldn't imagine any circumstances under which she would leave the poor girl with someone else, even Luna. He wondered how their examination with the doctor had gone and whether Blossom was starting to trust Celestia despite the horn. Maybe she even told more of her story.

The rest of the walk passed in silence, Greg lost in his thoughts and Comet Roll too nervous to ask anything. It wasn't far in any case, and soon they emerged into full sunlight. Not quite summer yet, but neither was it far off, Greg thought to himself. He saw the Princess sitting at one of the stone tables on the grass. At first he didn't see Blossom, but as he continued to walk Greg spotted the pink mare examining a nearby flowerbed. She didn't appear to have noticed him approach, despite the heavy stride of Comet Roll and the clanking of his armor.

Celestia heard it and turned around to give them both a smile and a wave. This made the guard slow down and Greg glanced over his shoulder to see the poor guy just staring in disbelief.

"Come on. You've met Princess Celestia, right?"

Comet Roll started to shake his head, but turned it into a nod. "Um, s-she- uh, Her Majesty was at the r-reception ceremony..."

Greg didn't wait for the colt to catch up and went forward. He came to stand beside the Princess and put a hand on her withers. "Blossom looks like she's doing well. How did it go with the doctor?"

The Princess shook her head sadly. "Not as bad as I had feared, but not well." They both watched the mare, who was sniffing one of the early blooming flowers. She seemed completely engrossed.

"Dr. Sherbert was only able to perform a superficial examination. She seems healthy, but I did not dare allow him to take her blood. As it was, she was beginning to get agitated. Perhaps if you were there..."

"I will, next time. Besides, she looks fine. Maybe we should give her some time to adjust before-"

Greg didn't get much further, because the mare spotted him and called out: "'egg!" A moment later she was galloping for him and the man crouched down to catch her just in time to keep her from toppling him. She threw her hooves around his waist and gave his face a few licks, before simply laying her head against Greg's arm and closing her eyes.

"See? I told you I'd be back."

Blossom just nodded.

"Did you have fun with the Princess?"

This time she shrugged and Greg decided not to press further.

"I have been thinking, Gregory," Celestia went on once the immediate excitement was over. "If Blossom had been forced to work in a mine, then we should be able to find it, provided we can figure out what sort of a mine it was."

Greg nodded at that and peeled the mare away from himself.

"Blossom, sweetie? Can you tell me what kind of stuff you were digging out in that mine?"

Her expression fell immediately and tears pooled up in her eyes. The sight was heartbreaking, but he had to insist.

"Don't worry, we'll never send you back. You're safe here, okay? We just have to find out who did this to you so we can stop them."

The mare sniffed a little and closed her eyes shut. Greg, his legs starting to hurt, sat on the grass and patted Blossom's side. She gratefully folded down into his lap.

"Take your time, sweetie. Do you remember what kind of rocks you had to dig up?"

Blossom took a deep breath and let it out. Then she took another. "R-Rocks," she said quietly. "Just rocks."

"Do you know what color?"

"W-White. White rocks."

Greg's mind raced as he tried to imagine what different ores might look like.

"Some sort of limestone?" he asked Celestia, who was frowning a little in thought, her eyes unfocused. "Her coat was covered with a very fine powder last night."

Celestia spoke up, still staring into the distance. "I do not remember any limestone quarries near Baltimare. Let me think. There are coal and copper mines. I believe there is also a gold mine further north, beyond Fillydelphia"

Greg idly stroked Blossom's muzzle as he waited for Celestia to work her incredible memory.

"If she came from the west, then there would be, let's see, two coal mines, several rock quarries, a silver mine... hmm, that would make it quite a stretch for her to run without being spotted around Ponyville."

"What if she came from the south?"

Celestia shook her head. "No mines and then you reach Dodge City and Appleloosa and then there is just the Badlands. I do not think Blossom crossed the Badlands alone. And before you ask, if she came from the east, by ocean, she would have been found in Baltimare, I have no doubt."

"Is it possible this is a new mine, one we don't know about? What else makes a fine white powder?"

The mare in his arms stirred and Greg looked down. She was obviously following the conversation and it was making her quite uncomfortable. He opened his mouth to put a stop to it, but Blossom spoke up.

"G-Great, big, square r-rocks..."

Celestia brightened up. "That sounds like marble or granite slabs!"

"One of the rock quarries?" Greg suggested.

"Exactly! Or, if the operation is indeed hidden, then it cannot be far off. I will have the clerks examine paperwork of all mines in the Foal Mountains range for anything unusual and I will send a pegasus wing to search the area by air for anything we do not have in official records."

Greg grinned in relief. It sounded like whoever was running a slavery operation in Equestria would soon meet justice.

"Um, s-sir? Ma'am?" Comet Roll spoke up suddenly. Greg almost jumped and Blossom squeaked in alarm. They had both forgotten he was even there.

"It's okay, it's okay. Just a guard. No horn, see?"

The mare watched the pegasus with wide, fearful eyes, but at least she didn't panic.

"Yes?" Celestia asked.

"Ma'am, I'd like to- uh, I'd like to volunteer for the assignment, ma'am!"

"And why is that, private?" Celestia asked. She sounded a bit stern, but Greg saw the happy little twinkle in her eye.

Comet Roll nearly cringed back a little from the question, but his training won out and he straightened up. "Because it's wrong, ma'am! What they did to Blossom was inequine and I want to help apprehend the perpetrators! I grew up in Fillydelphia so I know the lay of the land, ma'am!"

The Princess smiled beatifically and inclined her head. "I will make sure you are on the team, private. Thank you."

Her gratitude was unexpected, it seemed, and Comet Roll suddenly blushed. He looked down and mumbled: "Jus' doing my duty, ma'am."

"Celestia," she corrected gently. When the guard looked up in shock, she repeated: "No need to be so formal. Please call me Celestia."

Greg gave the poor guy a wink. "Told you," he said.

The Princess stood up, stretching. "I will go and have the clerks begin searching. Comet Roll, please find the captain of the guard and bring him to the throne room in ten minutes."

This was more familiar and the colt saluted with his wing. "Yes, ma'am! I m-mean, Celestia. Um, right away, Princess!"

He was only too happy to fly off and leave his embarrassment behind.

The Princess giggled to herself. "So stiff and formal when they come out of training, don't you think?"

"Yeah. Don't worry, he'll find his hooves."

"I will look for you after court."

"Deal."

Blossom seemed perfectly happy to just sit with Greg in the grass, but he soon grew bored. He tried to come up with something to do which wouldn't stress the mare overmuch but still help with her rehabilitation.

"I know! Would you like to come with me and meet a few ponies?"

The mare probably wouldn't budge from his side, but there was such a thing as being polite. She was already cringing a little, but the brave little thing managed a nod.

"Good girl!"

He patted her once more on the back and got up to his feet. At least, Greg thought, he didn't have to keep looking at her all the time. Her muzzle pressing against his thigh was a sure giveaway that she was following. Hopefully she would grow out of it in time, but for the moment Blossom simply had to know he was there at all times. Why him, though? Blossom wasn't much for conversation, so Greg had some time to think as he led her deeper into the Canterlot castle. After all these years he had a pretty good feeling which corridors to take to avoid meeting ponies, so it was just the two of them. It kept coming back to her forced labor in the mine. It made sense to Gregory that humans would be running that show. After all, who else had all those centuries of practice owning slaves?

Of course, that raised questions of how they got to Equestria, but the Princess could look into that. Maybe there were reports of humans 'getting lost', although it would be strange if Celestia had known that and not told him. On the other hand, the fear Blossom displayed toward unicorns didn't fit this picture. Greg was aware that some, especially the Canterlot elite, thought themselves above other races, but going as far as enslaving them? If it had happened, the idea must have come from Earth. Pony history had no such thing. Correction - there were some examples, like Sombra, but those were universally reviled. The image in his mind didn't seem right, but it was the best Greg had for the moment. Humans were rare in Equestria, so the mine must be run by a mix of unicorn and human slave drivers. Of those, maybe some of the humans at least weren't too bad, so Blossom had learned to associate 'human' with 'safety from unicorns'.

Looking down at the mare, Gregory wished he could ask her about it and she would answer, but the best he could do at the moment was make her cry. It would need to be a slow process, especially since she might have been in there for years. 'Since she was small', she had said. The mare looked about twenty-ish, perhaps a year less now that she was clean. Had she been enslaved at ten? Less?

How would that make sense, though? The portal to Earth had only opened some eight or so years ago and surely the human influences didn't start from day one?

An idea occurred and Greg stopped so he could talk with Blossom face to face. She tried to keep her muzzle pressed against his leg, but Greg cupped her with his hands and crouched down to be on her level.

"Blossom, sweetie, I'm sorry about this but I just need to ask you one question, okay?"

She was already starting to breathe faster and her ears went back in apprehension. Greg didn't have to look to see how her tail was slipping further between her legs.

"Did you spend all your life in that mine? You said you... started when you were little, but was it just the mine or were there some other places?"

The mare sniffled and tried to push forward to hide her face in Greg's chest. He held her gently, but firmly. "It's okay, it's over now, but I really need you to tell me."

"F-Farm," she blurted out. "There was a f-farm... H-he yelled..."

Greg blinked in surprise. "He? Who was he?"

"M-Master..."

By now the poor thing was trembling and Greg didn't have the heart to continue. He mouthed 'Master' and 'farm' to himself silently. Perhaps Celestia would be able to make something of it, otherwise they'd just have to keep chipping away at Blossom's life story.

He let the little mare push forward and put his arms around her withers. She sobbed a few times into his shirt while he patted her back.

"Good girl. I'm very proud of you, Blossom," he murmured.

Luckily she didn't go full waterworks and just heaved a deep sigh. It was an encouraging sign. Perhaps in a few more days she would be able to talk about her experiences without breaking down completely. In either case, it was time to make her forget about the whole thing with a few bribes. Greg knew exactly where to go and what to do. He rubbed his hands together.

"Okay! Let's go to my office and see if Mrs. Nutmeg has a muffin for us, right? Would you like a muffin?"

Blossom looked at him curiously, but she didn't seem as enthused as he had hoped after the morning's 'Inhalation of the Pancakes'.

"You don't like muffins?"

The mare blinked and scrunched up her muzzle. "Mu-Muffins?" she asked.

"Oooh, you don't know what muffins are?! Well, my girl, you're in for a treat then!"

One of her ears lifted up in definite curiosity. She shook her head slightly in answer. Greg booped her nose and straightened up.

"Well, let's get going then. It's not far."

There were a number of unicorns working in the Office wing, so Greg kept a hand in Blossom's mane for moral support. They might pass one or two in the hallways and he hoped she wouldn't simply bolt. All he needed was to get the mare to his office and have one of his coworkers bring in some muffins and tea. Once Blossom had something sweet in her, he might even be able to make a few introductions. Getting her used to all kinds of ponies, that was the key. If she could be bribed with sweets then Greg would use that to its full extent!

His office only had the one comfy, reclining chair, so Greg magnanimously let Blossom have it, while he dragged around the other, harder stool from the corner. He didn't have much use for it, but sometimes he would interview ponies and so it had to be available. Blossom had spent the first five minutes watching Greg catch up on some paperwork, mostly comments and suggestions on the new legislature he was writing, and had been fidgeting with her hooves for the rest of the time.

Boredom was good, Greg decided. It meant she might not be as scared of everyone if it was her own idea to go and mingle. He changed his mind about keeping Blossom in his office and tentatively decided to include the staff room in that plan. First, however, Greg had to finish reading through the third set of notes, these coming directly from Celestia herself. His concentration was interrupted when the little pink mare cleared her throat. When he looked over, she was staring down at her hooves with her ears flattened, but her eyes flickered up to him every now and then.

"Mmm-yes?"

"Y-You s-said muffins..." she muttered accusingly.

"Oh! That's right!" Greg feigned forgetfulness. "Well, let me finish this page and then we'll go look for some!"

This cheered her up and Blossom nodded happily. She went back to examining the office with its shelves and shelves of books and scrolls, and the few copies of famous human paintings on the walls. There were no windows, but the mare didn't seem perturbed by that. She'd been stuck in a mine, Greg remembered, which made him press his lips together in anger.

He scanned over the last few lines and circled a couple of items to take a closer look later. Then he put his pen down and Blossom looked over, ears lifting up in anticipation. When he stood up, she quickly jumped from her chair.

"Now, a couple of my friends are unicorns, you're not going to be scared of them, are you?"

Aannd down went the ears. Blossom lowered her gaze to the floor and took a shuddering breath. "No," she said, whispering so Greg had to strain to hear her.

Despite her obvious unease, he wasn't too worried. It was around time for the lunch break, which meant that most ponies would be out of the offices. He walked over to the door, opened it, then stuck his head out into the hallway. It seemed empty enough. When he stepped outside, Blossom plodded after him. She peered around the edge as if expecting a monster to jump out at her, but eventually she managed to put a hoof outside. Greg took another step and waited while his ward checked both ways for danger. Once she was out, he reached back and gently pushed the door closed. Blossom hurried to press herself against his legs.

"Sweetheart, you're gonna have to give me some room, or I'll trip and fall on you."

She squeezed her eyes tightly shut, took a deep breath, then stepped sideways. As a small reward, Greg reached his hand down and Blossom gratefully pressed her muzzle into his palm. He made sure to walk slowly, so as not to startle the skittish creature, but the small staff room wasn't all that far and he couldn't hear any conversation coming from it. Hopefully that meant it was empty.

Well, nearly empty. Star Bright was sitting on one of the couches, staring off into the distance and munching on what looked like a rose petal sandwich with too much mayo in it. When he noticed his human coworker he waved and smiled, but didn't speak up with his mouth full.

"Hey, Bright," Greg greeted.

Blossom gave a frightened squeak and hid behind his legs. Just to be sure, Greg leaned down a little and put his hand in her mane. The mare was trembling.

Seeing this, the unicorn scrunched up his muzzle and put his sandwich down on the side table. "Um, what's the matter? Who is that?"

"You'll have to excuse Blossom, Bright. She's a bit scared of unicorns. Just- don't make any sudden moves, okay?"

His eyebrows climbed in surprise, but the colt nodded. "Sure thing, Greg. What's uh-" He lowered his voice, as if that would prevent Blossom from hearing. "What's wrong with her?"

Greg didn't want to go into details, because it would most likely remind Blossom of her ordeals, whatever those were.

"I'll explain later. Just do me a favor, no sudden moves and no magic, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, of course."

Only then did Greg turn around. He cupped Blossom's muzzle with both palms and lifted her head up so she was looking at him. "Don't be afraid, sweetheart. Star Bright is a very nice pony, you don't have to be afraid of him." She wanted to shake her head in denial, but Greg gently kept her from doing so. "Trust me," he whispered.

Blossom took a deep breath, then pulled her face away from Greg's hands. She peered cautiously around him at the new pony, who waved back.

"Say, Bright," Greg said without looking, "are there any of Mrs. Nutmeg's muffins left? I kinda promised Blossom she could have one."

The colt had to think for a moment, before answering: "Oh, yeah, there's one or two left. You want one too?"

"Wait! Don't move yet."

He had guessed correctly that Bright had been about to jump from the couch and go fetch them. "Blossom, would you like the nice unicorn to go get us some muffins?"

It was a struggle. On the one hand, she really wanted this muffin, even if she didn't know what it was. Greg, having learned a few tricks from Celestia, had really talked them up on their way to the offices. On the other hand, however, there was the scary unicorn.

She swallowed, but then gave a slight nod.

"Okay, go. Just move slowly."

There were a couple of faint clicks as Bright slid from the couch and then the sound of his hooves retreating into the adjacent kitchen. It was rudimentary, just a few hot plates for ponies to warm up their lunches or make coffee, but it did have a fridge and a water cooler. All magical, of course.

Blossom tensed up when Bright came back, awkwardly shuffling on three legs as he was unaccustomed to carrying things without the use of his magic.

"Here, bring it over."

He kept his hands on Blossom while Star Bright hobbled his way to his side. The mare shrank back from the sight of the horn, but she didn't flee. Maybe she was slowly getting over her fear, or maybe it was Greg's touch that helped her. She stared at the colt, who smiled a little nervously and proffered the box, as if to shield himself behind it.

"H-Here!" he offered.

The smell did its magic and Blossom's nose wrinkled when she caught a whiff. It was Mrs. Nutmeg's famous chocolate chip and vanilla muffins, perfect for the task.

"Go on, you can take one."

She stretched out a slow, trembling hoof while Bright brought the goods closer. Finally Blossom could reach and snatched one.

"Just act natural," Greg told the unicorn. "She's a bit shy."

"You don't say?!"

"Okay, a lot shy. I'm trying to get her used to other ponies."

"What in Tartarus happened to make her like this?"

"Long story. Later."

Blossom didn't seem to be paying any attention to their conversation. She sniffed the pastry in her hooves and tried a ginger, exploratory nibble. Greg could pinpoint the exact moment when it hit her tongue, because she almost smiled. Well, her lips twitched a little, but that was all he could see before the mare crammed the whole thing in her mouth. It was gone in seconds.

"See? I knew you'd like it." Poor thing must not have had many sweet things to eat during her captivity, so Greg didn't mind indulging her a little. "Want another one?"

There was one last muffin in the box Bright was still holding up. Blossom looked at it with shiny, eager eyes, but then glanced at Greg's face, as if suspecting him of a trick.

Unfortunately for her, she was right. "All you have to do is ask. Don't worry, Star Bright is a gentlecolt, he won't say no."

The unicorn in question caught up on Greg's plan and a slow smile spread across his muzzle as well. He pulled the delicious treasure away. "Well, I am kinda hungry. You better hurry up, uh, Blossom."

The mare looked down, blushing a little and pressing her barrel against Greg's hand where he was holding her.

"Come on, he won't bite."

"Mm-phm-mh an-another?" she mumbled.

Bright glanced at Greg to gauge if this was sufficient and the man nodded. He offered the box once more. The muffin was snatched and devoured in the blink of an eye.

"Thanks," Greg whispered to the colt.

"Yeah, no problem. I'll just go put the box back on Mrs. Nutmeg's desk. I still got a sandwich to finish."

It didn't seem like much, but it was progress. Blossom hadn't been afraid of the unicorn, at least not after that first muffin. That had been pure embarrassment. Shy was good. Shy was tons better than her being scared for her life.

"Come on, let's go and sit for a minute."

With her belly slightly filled, Blossom was a lot more biddable. She followed Greg to the couch and even jumped up, even if she did make sure to keep Greg between herself and Star Bright's spot. Once settled, she leaned against his side and tried to hide her muzzle under his arm. Greg obliged. Blossom deserved to feel safe, especially after what he guessed she'd been through.

Star Bright came back soon and sat on the far side of the couch. Then the colt bit into his sandwich again. He chewed, swallowed, then asked: "So, what's this all about? You helping Celestia with some special school or something? Y'know... 'slow' ponies?"

"No, nothing like that. It's... a long story and I don't wanna remind Blossom. Thanks, though. She's really scared of unicorns and this right now was good progress, I think."

Bright inclined his head. "Yeah, anytime. You saved me from that angry mare the other day, so it's only fair."

"What happened with her, then? Did she come back?"

The clerk chuckled, his grin not entirely nice. "Yeah, but she came to Mrs. Nutmeg to complain."

"Ouch. Big mistake."

They both laughed at the mental image. Nutmeg was a nice mare, most of the time, and an excellent cook, but she didn't like ponies complaining. She especially couldn't stand what she deemed 'frivolous' complaints.

"Anyway, I'll probably be taking a few days off, until me and the Princess figure out how to help Blossom. In case anyone asks."

"Yeah, I'll let everypony know."

Greg heard voices from the hall, which signified the end of the lunch break. Ponies were coming back to work and the place was going to get pretty crowded soon.

"Well, I think me and Blossom will go find some lunch. Nice chatting with you!"

"Same!"

For a moment Greg thought the mare had fallen asleep, but he patted her withers a few times and she stirred.

"Come on. You hungry?"

She gave this some thought, then nodded silently.

"Let's go find Princess Celestia and grab some lunch."

Blossom cast another fearful look at Bright, who smiled and waved back, then gratefully followed Gregory out the door. They went away from the arriving ponies so he didn't have to distress her any more.

"See? Ponies are nice, even unicorns," he pointed out. "Pretty soon we'll have you back to your normal, happy self."

He said it hopefully, more for his own sake than Blossom's, but it felt like it could be true. Greg leaned down a little to give Blossom's ears a scratch while he planned the least populated route to the Royal Dining room.

"Let's hope Celestia found some clues about the mine. I have a feeling you weren't the only pony there, were you?"

Blossom flattened her ears and shook her head.

"Yeah, that's what I'm worried about. This is going to be quite a mess, something tells me."

Greg shook his head sadly and let out a sigh. Memories of his early career, abuse cases, were starting to surface and he didn't like it much. He'd have preferred never to have to deal with these sorts of things again, but he wasn't about to shy away from it either.

Blossom apparently needed him.

Still the question burned: why him? Why a human?!

"Uhm," the mare cleared her throat, "'egg- Greg?"

"Yes?"

"Um, I n-need to... go."

Yeah, he had almost forgotten about that problem. Greg sighed. "Okay, come this way. We're near the guest rooms anyway..."