moĭ drug
The creature before Twilight was huge. It was built like a Minotaur but taller and somehow more intimidating. It even needed to crouch to squeeze through the door to Zecora’s hut.
The Unicorn jumped away from the doorway landing next to Applejack.
Without thinking, Twilight summoned a shield around the whole group while Rainbow Dash moved to the front to protect her friends. Applejack kept well back to protect Artemis and Holly from the monster.
“What have you done with Zecora?” demanded Dash. “If you hurt her you’ll be sorry.”
The creature just stood there dumbfounded. Twilight was reasonably sure that her shield spell would keep it at bay for now, but she had no doubt that if it wanted to it could shatter the barrier like glass.
The little standoff lasted longer than anypony was comfortable with, all the while the monster stared unblinkingly at Twilight.
“How long should we wait before we tell them?” Holly muttered, perhaps louder than she had meant to. “I say we wait for the mouthy one to make her move.”
To everypony’s, surprise the giant cracked a wide grin revealing rows of sharp, pristine teeth.
“It would be a good idea to lower your barrier Ms Sparkle,” Said Artemis. “Else Butler will think you are keeping us hostage, and I am sure you do not want that”
“You know this thing?” said Rainbow Dash, shocked.
“Yes,” said Holly, positively radiating smugness. “Still think we’re pushovers?”
Dash stammered a few times trying to think of a good rebuttal but with Butler present, she wisely decided that it was a bad move.
Twilight released the barrier slowly before dissipating it entirely, but everypony stayed where glued to the spot. Artemis and Holly however were not ponies. Applejack didn’t seem to be in a hurry to be anywhere near the giant so Holly was forced to dismount and approach on foot.
“I see, Twilight, you look quite impressed, now you have met my honoured guest.”
Zecora stood in the doorway of her hut, the light coming from inside casting eerie shadows about her.
“Zecora, what’s going on here?” asked Twilight, still in a state of shock.
“My dear, you need not look so stark, now lest not stand here in the dark. Into my house and I shall explain, and even help you out again.”
The monster was still standing between her and the hut. She slowly edged round the creature keeping good distance between it and her. All the while, keeping her eyes locked with the creatures. Holly and Artemis were close behind, followed by AJ and Dash. Finally, the creature ducked back into the hut through the low doorframe. The wood creaked in protest but eventually yielded allowing the giant inside.
In the light of the Hut, Twilight could see that the creature looked a lot like Artemis and Holly, only much taller. The blood on the bandages was dry, clearly a few of days old and the linens smelled of Lavender oil and honey. Zecora must have soaked the bandages to fight infection.
The giant struggled to move through the interior of the hut, an action made infinitely more difficult by his injuries.
Zecora was preoccupied, rummaging through her shelves, muttering to herself in her native language as she went. Twilight wanted answers but she knew that Zecora had her own way of seeing things. Instead of pressing with the questions that were on her mind, the unicorn instead turned her attention toward the other occupants of the room. Rainbow Dash and Applejack were keeping as far away from the gargantuan creature as possible. Artemis and Holly, on the other hand sat close by, Artemis even seemed healthier since arriving. An awkward silence dominated the room and it was little surprising that it was Holly was the one to break it.
“I’m happy you’re alive and everything Butler,” she said “but it’s late and this looks like it’s going to be a long story.”
The giant let out a deep sigh “It’s good to see you too Holly. I was hoping that you would at least be surprised to find me here.”
“It is indeed good to see you again old friend,” said Artemis “but Holly has a point. How did you escape the clearing and end up here?”
The giant shrugged “The last thing I remember is hitting the ground before I woke up here covered in bandages. Seems I made a new friend while unconscious. Looks like you had a similar experience.”
“I’m so sorry Butler,” said Holly. “I couldn’t keep Artemis safe. We couldn’t reach you in time, then we were caught and I bunt all my magic--”
The giant interrupted her before she could continue. “You’re both alive, and from the look of that bruise you went down fighting. That’s more than I managed to accomplish. Besides, I’m sure it was just a misunderstanding.”
Twilight certainly didn’t like the look the giant was giving her. She quickly glanced at Rainbow Dash to make sure she wasn’t about to try anything. Thankfully, she seemed more than willing to keep silent.
Zecora returned with a jug of water and a pouch of seeds. Silently she handed both to the monster, who downed them in one mouthful.
“So then Twilight my dear,” said the zebra “who is it you have bought here?”
Twilight rapidly explained what she knew about the creature’s arrival, leaving out everything that she had learnt in Canterlot for the moment. Her story led up to that morning, when she had returned home to find that Holly had fallen ill in her absence.
Zecora waited for the story to end before commenting. The zebra wordlessly trotted over to Holly, placing a hoof on her forehead.
“This is a problem indeed, but I have none of what you need. A wound of flesh I could coat with gauze, but this sickness has a magical cause.”
“What does that even mean?” mumbled Holly, brushing Zecora’s hoof from her brow.
“It means we’re at a dead end,” Twilight answered with a groan “She can treat your cuts, maybe even the bruise, but your illness isn’t something herbs and potions are going to fix.”
Twilight took a moment to comprehend the situation. For the moment, she would ignore Zecora’s relaxed attitude to treating Holly. Either the giant had told Zecora about its friends, or creatures like these did exist in Zebrica. The problem remained of what to do with Holly now.
“How much did you tell Zecora about us Butler?” asked Artemis, breaking Twilights train of thought.
“Just the Usual, name, rank and serial number,” answered Butler. “I figured that she wasn’t with the LEP. I’m not someone they would be likely to forget.”
“They’re not even Fairy,” Holly muttered. “We’re not sure exactly what they are.”
“We told you, we’re ponies,” corrected Rainbow Dash
“And I told you, I won’t accept that.”
“Regardless,” Cut Artemis before the argument could escalate. “Holly and I agreed to cooperate, they would have figured out we were different species eventually anyway.”
For what felt like the hundredth time, Twilight, Artemis and Applejack all explained their side of the story to Butler while Zecora did what she could to treat Holly’s injuries. Twilight more or less understood that Artemis and Butler were the same species, though personally she couldn’t tell the difference between them and Holly.
Once Artemis’ story was over, the giant filled in the blanks. It seems he regained consciousness around the time Twilight had teleported Artemis and Holly to the library. Apparently, he had awoken covered in bandages and his broken bones already mended.
“I will admit that I was surprised when I found I was being treated by a talking zebra,” Said Butler “but I suppose I’ve been through worse. Though honestly, part of me is still hoping that this is all a dream.”
“No such luck today I’m afraid,” said Artemis casually.
It’s almost as if he doesn’t care that his friend is alive thought Twilight.
Artemis appeared deep in thought for a moment before asking, “Miss Sparkle, do you trust us?”
The question threw Twilight for a moment giving the others a chance to answer for her.
“Ah guess so,” said Applejack
“Of course we don’t,” said Rainbow Dash.
“I’m not sure” answered Twilight eventually. “You haven’t done much to convince me. Then again, you haven’t tried to attack anypony since the night you arrived.”
The elf Holly rushed to her friends defence. “Believe me, I understand your concern. Artemis has a shady past, even by Human standards. But he has never let me down, and he has saved my life more than I can count.”
Twilight thought about all the lessons she had leant since arriving in Ponyville. Unsurprisingly her mind instantly landed on her lesson regarding Zecora. Never judge a book by its cover. Someone may look unusual, funny, or scary, but you have to look past that and learn who they are inside. Real friends don't care what your "cover" is. It’s the contents of a pony that count.
The next lesson on Twilights mind was the lesson that Applejack and Rarity had taught her.
It's hard to believe that two ponies that seem to have so little in common could ever get along, but I found out that if you embrace each other's differences, you just might be surprised to discover a way to be friends after all.
That lesson reminded her of Little Stronghart and the Bison tribe. She vaguely wondered how Appaloosa and her friends were doing since they last met. Thinking about them reminded her of another lesson.
Friendship is a wondrous and powerful thing. Even the worst of enemies can become friends. You need understanding and compromise.
All of her past experience told Twilight she should give the creatures a chance. Even so, she couldn’t shake the feeling that it was a bad idea. I will see where this goes thought the unicorn then I will decide if I trust them.
Twilight slowly nodded for Artemis to continue
“Miss Zecora, how extensive are Butler’s injuries?”
“The worst of it will be healed soon, but he should rest another moon.” chimed the zebra. She turned and locked eyes with Butler. “If you cause yourself to strain, you will end up here again.”
“By moon, I assume you mean a month,” said Holly. “We can’t sit around for that long.”
“Do not worry Captain.” The human got to his feet and straightened the tattered remains of his tie. “Now then, to business, Miss Sparkle, I find myself in the mood for some acorns.”
Twilight waited for Artemis to explain what he needed. From what she understood, Holly possessed magic of her own and acorns were the key to unlocking that power. What she didn’t understand was why the acorn needed to come from her library.
“I told you,” sighed the human in frustration “your library is the only oak tree anyone knows about that is near the river. Holly needs an acorn from an oak tree by a bend in a river, and she needs to pick the acorn herself or else it won’t work. The full moon isn’t really a necessity, though it is fortunate.”
The plan was to transport Holly back to the library for the acorn, while Rainbow Dash and Applejack kept an eye on Artemis and Butler, though Twilight had the feeling that if Butler were at full strength then they wouldn’t be able to stop him.
Rainbow Dash had voiced concerns about Twilight being alone with Holly. Though looking at her now, Twilight was sure she would be enough to restrain her.
“Alright, let’s get this over with,” said Holly impatiently.
Twilight closed her eyes and found the centre of the energy in her body. Motes of light encompassed her and her companion as she built enough power for the spell. She felt light headed as the magic was released and she found herself standing outside her own front door.
Holly managed to keep her feet, and while she didn’t look well by any standard, she managed to hold her stomach in check.
“Well, that’s the worst part over,” complained Holly. “Now I just need to climb a giant tree, grab the acorn, and get down without breaking my neck. What could be easier?”
The full moon shone through the branches of the colossal tree casting eerie shadows upon the pair. The rustle of leaves and the creak of the branches was almost deafening in the silent night air. Even the smallest noise would give them away, and while they were not breaking the law, Twilight was sure that Celestia would want a very good explanation for what she was doing, and honestly? She wasn’t sure there was one.
Holly stared up at the tree with an expression of dread. She briefly toyed with the idea that she could recover her wings from inside, but flying in her condition broke more than one rule from the LEP handbook and in simple terms was a bad idea. Instead, she decided to try the old-fashioned way and climb by hand. Her first attempt was doomed to fail from the start when she noticed that the trunk of library-tree was devoid of handholds. After only four feet, the elf slid pathetically down the tree trunk like a cat down the curtains.
“Well, I’m out of ideas,” said the elf in attempt to regain some dignity “what have you got?”
With a sigh and a role of her eyes, the unicorn levitated the ground under Holly’s feet. Even though it was only about an inch thick, the disk of earth was solid enough to support Holly’s weight without a problem. Slowly, the platform rose through the lower branches until Holly was high enough to search for an acorn without straining herself.
Far below, the unicorn remained silent, her eyes and horn emitting a faint glow in the shadow of the tree. Her face however bore an expression of concern. “Can I ask you something?” she asked after a few moments of thought.
“You can ask whatever you want,” replied Holly “answers, however don’t come cheap.”
The unicorn didn’t seem to take the hint. “You just found out that your friend is alive, but neither you nor Artemis has even reacted. I would have thought that you would at least seem happier.”
“I’ve lost friends before,” said Holly, pushing a branch aside. “It comes with the job. I’m happy he is alive, but I don’t have time to think about it now. As for Artemis, he may not show it but I’ve never seen him happier. But you can never tell him I said that.”
Holly’s eyes fell upon a small seed, its hard shell shining in the moonlight. Instinctively, her hand shot out to grab it before she remembered what she was standing on. She lost her balance and fell over the side of the platform. Her heart stopped in her chest as she tried to grab a branch for support. Unfortunately, in her disoriented state she missed. Lances of pain shot through her as her wrist connected with one of the branches lower down.
Back on the ground, Twilight saw Holly loose her footing. She immediately summoned another platform for her to stand on. Without a layer of earth however, this platform only served to slow Holly’s fall. The elf hit the ground with a thud and collapsed clutching her wrist.
Twilight rushed over to where Holly had landed and found the elf laughing hysterically. In the hand she was clutching against her chest was a single acorn.
Artemis stood in the clearing, rubbing his temples. He was certainly feeling the effect of sleep deprivation now. Once Holly and Butler were better, he would be sure to get a goodnights rest.
The clearing was the perfect place to perform the ritual. The full moon provided plenty of light for them to see by while the dense forest would protect them from prying eyes.
In the centre of the clearing Butler was preoccupied with removing his bandages, much to the annoyance of Zecora who had only applied fresh linins an hour or so before their arrival.
“I really am sorry about this Zecora,” apologised Butler for what felt like the hundredth time “but if Holly tries to heal me with the bandages on, the cotton will fuse with my skin.”
The zebra muttered something that sounded like why I even bother, before storming off to sit at the edge of the clearing out of everyone’s way.
Though he hated to admit it, Artemis was unsure that the ritual would even work in this world. Whatever magic bound the laws of the people was unlikely to exist here. It is possible that the book controlled the ritual. In that case, so long as Holly had the book with her the Ritual would still work.
Though he would never admit it to Holly, and he really hated to admit it to himself, Artemis had never fully understood how the laws of the book were bound to each fairy. Only that it was a spell cast around the time The People were driven underground. Perhaps this would prove a good chance to find out.
A flash of light followed by the smell of ozone signalled the return of Holly and the unicorn.
The first thing Artemis noticed was that Twilight was supporting Holly’s weight, while Holly herself was holding her right arm at an awkward angle. The second thing Artemis noticed was that Holly’s wings had been tucked neatly into Twilights saddlebag.
“What happened?” asked Artemis with an expression of derision rather than concern. Fearing that Holly had been stupid enough to try to fly when she could barely stand
“I fell out of the libratree,” said Holly “but not before I got this” she showed the acorn, grinning smugly from the tips of her pointy ears.
“I think she hurt herself,” said Twilight with a more appropriate level of concern.
Holly’s wrist was defiantly broken but only slightly and soon it wouldn’t matter. Instead, Artemis pushed the broken bones back into the correct position. The unicorn looked to be in more pain than Holly at the sound of crunching bones.
“Careful,” she said with a wince as the bones popped audibly back into place. “Aren’t you afraid of hurting her?”
“She’s had worse,” replied Artemis with a shrug. “But if I don’t reset her broken bones then they won’t heal properly, and then I, or more likely Butler, will need to break it again so it can heal correctly.”
The unicorn looked horrified at the notion of willingly harming another creature, even for beneficial reasons. I did specify that I did not want to break her wrist again. Grumbled the child’s subconscious. Am I that cold that she thinks I would enjoy it?
There was nothing to be done about that now. Once Holly’s wrist was set, Artemis called Applejack over and together they helped Holly over to Butler in the centre of the clearing.
Butler lay in the middle of the clearing on a pile of dry leaves. It was the first time Holly got a good look at the extent of his injuries and honestly, he was lucky to be alive. His shirt and trousers covered with holes where his bones had been forced through his skin. Even though Zecora had managed to heal his broken bones, the punctures that they had made still bled freely.
It amazed Holly that Zecora had managed to carry Butler to safety, let alone tying bandages and resetting bones, but it probably wasn’t a good idea to question anything in this crazy world.
Applejack set Holly down next to Butler and then backed off to let her work. It was clumsy work trying to prepare the ritual with only her left hand, not to mention her fever.
“A thought has occurred Holly,” Said Butler suddenly. “Root once said that the standard time to heal injuries is seconds, and that healing injuries after a few minutes becomes dangerous. I am also very aware of the fact that I have the record for healing time at around twelve hours, and the effort of that healing aged me significantly. What’s to stop that happening to me this time?”
“The difference,” said Holly trying not to break her concentration. “Is that this time your injuries aren’t fatal, and that they have already started to heal. All I’m doing is helping you along. My injuries, on the other hand are going to prove more problematic.”
It wasn’t the first time that Holly had doubted this would work. Even if the ritual was successful, her injuries were extensive and complex. The ritual would ensure that even after healing her injuries her magic reserves would be full. The worry was that there was no way of knowing how much damage the healing itself would cause.
“How much room are you going to need?” asked Artemis.
“At least ten meters,” answered Holly after a moment pause. In situations like this it was better to be safe than sorry.
Holly muttered the words of the book as she dug the hole for her acorn. While not actually needed, Holly hoped that the words would be enough to tip luck in her favour.
She didn’t need to open the book to remember the words. Every fairy knew them intrinsically.
Even Butler mumbled along, mostly fighting nerves.
“From the earth thy power flows,
Given through courtesy, so thanks are owed.
Pluck thou the magic seed,
Where full moon, ancient oak and twisted water meet.
Then bury it far from where it was found,
And so return your gift to ground.”
Artemis was preoccupied with trying to convince a rather flustered Pegasus to give Holly space to work, an activity which was doing nothing to help his headache.
The stubborn mule refused to let Holly out of her sight even for a moment. Artemis couldn’t wait to see the look on her face when she found out about Holly’s shield ability.
Thankfully, Twilight seemed to understand the dangers of magic enough to heed his warnings.
The Unicorn seemed concerned to be sure. Fortunately, her curiosity outweighed her good sense.
Applejack and Zecora stood silent.
“Exactly how powerful is Holly’s magic anyway?” asked Twilight nervously.
“Fairy magic doesn’t really work like that.” Artemis answered. “I’ll explain later in depth. For now you will need to trust me when I say that neither me, Holly or Butler mean you any harm.”
The mare seemed like she was about to voice her concern, but she never got the chance.
To say something exploded would be an understatement as the initial shockwave alone uprooted several trees and tore deep gouges in the forest floor.
How Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Zecora managed to stay standing was beyond Artemis’ comprehension. At least it would have been if he could see them. Unfortunately, one of the uprooted trees had been the one he had been standing behind. Had it been Butler, the young sapling would have bounced off his frame like a toothpick. For Artemis, however the tangle of springy branches was more than enough to have him sprawled on the ground like a confused turtle.
I will never enter another forest as long as I live. Luckily, the sapling had also caught Twilight on its way down. After a bit of struggling and a lot of help form those less encumbered, Artemis managed to regain his feet.
The boy genius was met with a spire of green light reaching thousands of feet into the air. Clouds were drawn to the spiral of energy like moths to a flame. At the base, the outline of Holly could clearly be seen, her right hand resting on Butler’s chest while her left pressed against the ground.
“I thought you said fairy magic wasn’t powerful” said Twilight accusingly
Artemis couldn’t understand it. He knew that major healings made magic unstable, he had even seen Holly total a van trying to heal bullet wounds, but he had never seen anything to explain what was happening. Instead, he just stood there dumbfounded as the wind tore at his already tattered suit. Thankfully, he wasn’t the only one. Zecora, Rainbow Dash and Applejack all seemed to be in the same boat. Only Twilight seemed to be keeping a level head, barking out instructions.
“Zecora, keep everypony together while I see what I can do to fix this”
The sight of the lavender unicorn charging into the magical anomaly was just absurd enough to bring Artemis to his senses. More importantly, his knowledge of magical theory was enough to rival even Foaly. If anyone were going to be able to help Holly then it would probably be him
Twilight ran into the energy spire using a force field to protect herself from the worst of the debris. After a boulder that was bigger than she was bounced off the barrier like a pebble she began to question the nature of anomaly. It seemed that the closer she got to the epicentre the more powerful her magic became. Whatever power Holly possessed, it seemed that it could indeed interact with her own. Under other circumstances it would be an amazing discovery warranting further study, but right now all she could think about was her safety.
It was slow going. The unicorn was fighting against unnatural winds. Even with her barriers increased strength, loose boulders and trees pounded against it like bucking mule. If not for the protective film, even the smallest stones could prove fatal in the maelstrom. Even worse was the lack of solid footholds. Every step put her more at risk of injury. She almost lost her footing twice, each time her hoofs dug deep furrows in the ground as she tried to hold herself steady.
About two metres away from the epicentre the winds evened out and eventually stopped all together, but the noise remained.
That wasn’t to say that it was any safer there. The air was filled with magical eddies and currents that travelled unpredictably. A few had brushed Twilights forelegs causing a mild electric shock and a nasty looking burn.
It was about this point that Twilight realised that she had no idea what she intended to do, and a further examination of the situation only increased her concern.
The human known as Butler appeared to be unconscious, but was also speaking gibberish, whereas Holly stared with unblinking eyes seemingly frozen in place. A large amount of eddies were concentrated around her face and wrist.
I don’t know what I can do to help them she reasoned but I can try to contain the maelstrom before it causes any more damage
She reached for her magic, the extra power granted by the vortex already making a noticeable difference to the amount at her disposal.
“DON’T DO ANYTHING!”
The words broke her concentration enough for the spell to fail. Behind her, trudging through vortex was Artemis, The green light casting eerie shadows across his already ghostly features.
“What the hay do you think you are doing?” Twilight yelled over the din
“You mustn’t use magic,” he answered, “don’t do anything to interfere”
“You said yourself this wasn’t normal. If we don’t do something, who knows what will happen. We need to try to contain the storm before somepony gets hurt.”
“We won’t be harmed in here,” said Artemis almost casually “at least not seriously”
The words sounded insane but Twilight knew them to be true. The burns she had suffered had already healed completely. A glance at Holly showed that the bruise on her cheek had started to recede along with the many cuts across Butler’s chest. Holly’s glassy stare still bothered her, as well as Butler’s mutterings.
“Will they be alright?” she asked, concerned
“Almost certainly. Technically they are both unconscious so as horrific as it may look they can’t feel a thing.”
Twilight didn’t understand how that was possible. “But Butler’s talking. How can he be unconscious?”
Artemis looked frustrated at the questions but answered none the less.
“Magic shuts the brain down to avoid causing damage. It’s just checking that everything is working properly. I believe he is currently speaking Russian.”
Twilight had no idea what Russian was but if Artemis said it was ok then she would trust his judgement. Even so, it wouldn’t hurt to make sure, but as she moved towards the pair, Artemis blocked her path.
“You mustn’t touch them.” he said sternly “magic is raw energy, it will travel along the easiest path. If we try to move them, we will become part of this mess. There is no telling that Fairy magic would do to you.”
“So we do nothing?”
“That is all we can do.”
It was plain on the human’s face that he didn’t like the idea any more than she did, but it seemed that there was no choice.
The maelstroms colour slowly shifted from green to blue. The edges started to recede and the wind died down, eventually stopping all together. Before long the only thing still inside the storm were Holly and Butler themselves.
“My best guess is that the acorn was charged with whatever magic was used to grow your library,” said Artemis as soon as he didn’t need to shout. “I should have thought of that.”
All that was left of the maelstrom were a few blue sparks dancing between Holly and Butler and a loud crackling sound.
Water rose from the sodden ground and evaporated immediately shrouding the immediate area in dense steam.
A single bright flash and the Crackling stopped. Artemis didn’t wait for the steam to clear. He was by his friend’s side as soon as he deemed it safe.
Holly had slumped forward in place and was resting in an awkward heap on the forest floor.
Artemis rolled her over and found she was breathing regularly. The bruising on her cheek had also disappeared and her fever was non-existent. Twilight had little experience with Human expressions, but she could tell Artemis was relieved.
Holly awoke to find a purple unicorn staring at her. At first, it was a jarring experience, until she remembered the events of the past few days.
Nearby she could hear Butler groaning as he regained consciousness himself.
“I swear, every time I get healed it gets more unpleasant,” he grumbled.
“It’s better than the alternative,” replied Holly.
“Holly, are you feeling alright?”
Artemis’ concerned tone was reserved only for emergencies so Holly immediately knew something was wrong.
The explanation didn’t take long though it was still cause for concern. Under normal circumstances, she would have suspected that Artemis knew what would happen all along but just this once she didn’t say anything. Even now, she could not be sure if these ponies were trustworthy. For the first time since they met, the only ones Holly could trust with complete certainty were Artemis and Butler.
In fact, she had seen something similar happen before. Back before Holly joined the LEP, Foaly had the idea of charging oak trees with magic to increase the yield of each acorn. The LEP even performed an hour-long lecture on the subject at the academy. It had taken a full team of medical warlocks working around the clock to reassemble the test subjects afterwards. Holly counted herself fortunate that Equine magic was relatively harmless.
Holly got to her feet and was happy to find that she was no longer dizzy. For the first time in days, she could think clearly.
“We should go,” she said at last “if the anomaly was a big as you say it was someone would defiantly have seen it.”
She walked over to Twilight and retrieved her wings from the saddlebags. After a quick once over to check for damage she found them in pristine condition.
“I have something I want to find first. I’ll catch up.”
A rainbow coloured streak signalled the arrival of the rest of the group.
“Now wait just a minute.” Said the ruffled Pegasus “I don’t know where think you’re going, but you’re coming back to the library with us.”
Holly simply smiled. It was the same smile that Root wore when interrogating suspects. It didn’t mean that Holly was happy per say, more that she was about to make somebody very, very sad.
She extended her subconscious to the place at the back of her skull where her magic resided. Slowly the tips of her fingers and toes started to shake. Before long, they were shaken out of the visible spectrum all together.
The Pegasus before her wore an expression that was a perfect mixture of anger, confusion and shock.
Eventually all of Holly had disappeared. The last thing to go was the Cheshire cat smile. She allowed it to hang in the air for a few seconds before taking flight into the night sky.
Artemis was laughing internally at Holly’s display. He was close to an outburst of emotion but that simply wouldn’t do in front of strangers.
Rainbow Dash looked furious and the expression was priceless.
“H-how did… But she… what?”
“Don’t worry so much,” said Artemis. “She will be back before the sun has risen. Where else is she going to sleep? Miss Sparkle, Miss Zecora, it appears my associates and I owe you a debt. A gesture of goodwill for services rendered.”
“There is no need to thank me, little one. In fact, meeting Butler was almost fun. But I would guess that Twilight still, would like your gesture of goodwill.”
All eyes were on Twilight as everybody present waited for a response
“I would like you to stop lying to me,” she said finally “no more half-truths or non-answers.”
It came as no surprise that the unicorn had noticed his answers were entirely truthful.
After a nudge from Butler, Artemis reluctantly agreed on condition that some answers would be restricted for the sake of the LEP.
The sun had started to rise in the eastern sky.
“Con sarnet,” swore Applejack “we’ve been out all night. Ah better get goin’ back t’ the farm.”
“It would be best for us to get under cover as well,” agreed Butler
The group turned to leave the forest for what Artemis hoped would be the last time, but there was something left to try.
Turning to Zecora, just low enough for her to hear,
“Asante, Mganga.”
Pausing only long enough to see the expression on her face he promptly turned and left, leaving behind a somewhat surprised and very impressed Zebra.
Time to find out how far this rabbit hole goes, he thought. `Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe, All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe. he hummed to himself.
Holly flew low through the forest. It had been a long time since she had been able to fly freely, even longer since she flew without a helmet, the cold night air filling her lungs to bursting point.
It didn’t take long to find the tracks the search party had left, and eventually found her way to the stream.
She felt energetic after the healing. More importantly, her magic had been supercharged. It felt similar to the magic cocktail No1 had used a few months back. Best of all was that shielding didn’t even make a dip in her magic.
The banks of the river were still soft from flooding. Mud sucked at Holly’s boots as she landed, nearly pulling one clean off.
The indentations where she had been pinned to the ground were still clearly defined. Nearby, something glinted in the dawn light. Resting, half buried in the mud was her pistol, and she had never been happier to see it.
Luna sat on her pedestal in the Canterlot throne room, performing the pony equivalent of drumming her fingers against the arm of the chair.
She seriously wondered why she bothered holding the night court at all. Nopony ever came to the castle in the middle of the night, much less to seek her counsel. What had started as a gesture of goodwill to the citizens of Equestria had rapidly turned into a chore she dreaded every evening.
The Alicorn was seriously considering calling it quits. Even the guards opted to their stand watch outside rather than be in her presence.
It’s because they hate you
The thought came from the back of her mind bringing with it a fresh migraine.
“No, they do not.” She said through gritted teeth
Why do you think Nopony comes here? They fear you, as well they should,
“Enough! You are nothing, a bad memory, and I have not needed imaginary friends since I was a filly”
I see no real friends around, foal.
None the less, the voice subsided. Unfortunately, the migraine did not which in turn did nothing to fix her rapidly degrading mood.
Without warning, the gold plated doors to the throne room creaked open. Luna made a mental note to oil the hinges before then next night court.
“Princess Mi Amore Cadenza” announced the steward.
“Cadence? Welcome home young one.”
Princess Cadence looked radiant as ever. Her coat still maintained its healthy glow and her mane perfectly groomed.
Luna quickly hopped down from the throne to greet her niece. While she had been born many years before Luna had returned to Equestria, Cadence was the first to openly accept her. Rather than fear her past, Cadence didn’t even seem to care. To her the only thing that mattered was that she had a new aunt.
That wasn’t to say that it was easy for either of them. After Luna returned, she had pretty much gone into seclusion for a whole year, refusing to leave her room for days at a time. The only ones that ever came to see her were Cadence and Celestia. Indeed, without Cadence’s support, Luna may never have left the castle at all. It was with her encouragement that Luna journeyed to Ponyville for the nightmare night celebration and sought the bearers of the elements of harmony. It was incredible that somepony could offer so much and ask for nothing in return.
In her haste to greet her beloved niece, Luna had forgotten all about her migraine. The sudden motion was almost too much to bear.
“Are you alright, Luna?” asked Cadence
“We… I am all right child. Tis an old annoyance but not cause for concern.”
“Have you been having your headaches again? I thought the elements of harmony had destroyed Nightmare Moon. I don’t understand how she is still affecting you. Perhaps I should find the physician.”
Even hearing that name aloud made Luna cringe. “That will not be required.” She said firmly “The elements of harmony broke the hold she had over me and allowed me a second chance. It was enough for me to regain control, but that part of my mind still exists, and I fear it always shall. But enough of the past, you are still young, you should be looking to the future. Tell me, how is your husband?”
“I’m doing just fine ma’am”
Luna turned to find Shining Armour walking through the open doorway. She was surprised to see he already wore his guard uniform. The violet plates catching the light in the throne room in all its splendour.
“Captain Shining Armour, reporting for duty” he said, snapping a salute.
“Thou hast just retuned” Said Luna, confused. “Why not rest a few days and get settled.”
Shining shook his head. “I made a visit to the apothecary as soon as I returned. He said I am fit and ready for duty at once.”
Shining Armour looked exhausted. Luna had a sneaking suspicion that he had ordered the apothecary to mark him fit for duty. He certainly didn’t look it.
“Shining, thou arte a crowned prince of Equestria now. Nopony shall think badly of thee for taking some time to recover.”
Luna regretted her choice of words almost immediately. Shining looked physically hurt by what she said. Had obviously yet to recover from the wound his pride took at the hoofs of the changeling queen.
“I was a guard long before I became a prince,” he said, doing his best to hide his feelings.
“My title is of no consequence. My vows to protect house Canterlot comes first.”
“Perhaps Princess Luna is correct, my love” offered Cadence, resting her hoof on her husband’s shoulder “we have been traveling all day, why not wait until the morning?”
Shining would never risk arguing with Cadence. He agreed at the very least to get a good night sleep.
He left the throne room with his head hanging low. Luna even thought she heard the sound of Shining’s helmet being thrown across the palace grounds.
“Hath he been like this since you left?”
Cadence’s expression sank slightly. “During our honeymoon he seemed happy, but whenever he thought I wasn’t looking he would be working on new safety procedures or tactics. I even thought it would be nice to stop in Ponyville for the evening and visit Twilight, but Shining was adamant that we return to Canterlot as soon as possible. I fear he still blames himself for what happened”
“Tis probably for the best that you did not rest in Ponyville” said Luna, solemnly
Luna quickly explained what had happened over the last few days.
“Shining will not like the idea his sister watching these creatures without a guard team protecting her.,” said Cadence as soon as Luna Had finished.
“There is a small contingency in the town. They have orders to follow Twilights instructions and protect the element bearers at all costs.”
“And what are these Humans like? Are they dangerous?”
Memories of Luna’s past flooded back and none of them good. She truly did not know how to answer that question. The Humans she had met before had been mostly primitive and aggressive, but not one had ever run away. The fear she felt in the creatures eyes was genuine, so much so she was not entirely convinced they were the same monsters she had once known.
“I hath not passed judgement on them yet” she said after some thought. “Tia returned from their last meeting in something of a bad mood, but I believe she is willing to give them a chance. Perhaps it’s high time I made an official visit to Ponyville to meet these Humans first hand.”
“I fear Shining might insist on accompanying you if it is made official”
The concern Cadence had for her husband was all the convincing Luna needed. She agreed to be subtle for her sake, at least until she could answer with certainty that the Humans were safe.
“As for Shining Armour, you must not let him dwell on his mistake. Nopony believes he was responsible for what happened. He walks a dangerous path of self-destruction. If he is allowed to continue, he risks becoming bitter and cold.” Luna caught her reflection in the window and wished somepony had given her the same advice.
“Believe me, I know,” she added sadly.
Cadence glanced around to make sure Nopony was eavesdropping before wrapping her hooves around Luna.
“I missed you so much, Aunt Luna.
A/N, welp here it is. the biggest chapter yet and its about time too. a big thanks to my prereader who has nagged me for almost a month to get the chapter finished. now to business. to thank everybody for their hard work and support, and to celebrate reaching 30 green pinkies, i will be taking suggestions for what i will be calling "a grand day out" until i have something better. this will be a small chapter that you the fans can submit ideas for in the comments section below. here are the rules
1 no clop. this is still essentially a kids book, so keep it clean (same goes for gore etc)
2 this may not be cannon to the actual story. it is intended as a side story that can either be funny or sad but is not central to the plot. if i like the idea enough then i will make an exception
3 try not to involve main characters from the show. i know its hard, but some people i already have plans for. again if i like the idea enough i might just change my plans to include it.
4 finally. don't expect too much. this is intended to be something i can do in an afternoon. not a whole section of the book. shot and sweet is key.
once again thank you to all the fans that have pushed me past the mile stone. now lets try for the fifty
any problems with the story or questions etc as usual. peace out
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250700
Mine was: Why didn't I think to check for this earlier?
254075
When writing, I want to say contractions are fine when used as dialogue. I'm not sure though, as it's been a while since I've taken any kind of class that actually covered that.
Anyway, I'm writing, so I'll fave this to come back to it later much easier than my read later list.
Whoo, supercharged holly. And Zecora speaks Swahili? I guess that does seem rather logical...
Royal kidnapping? The situation seems perfect. Like what happened in the first Artemis Fowl book. I mean hey an entire kingdom has it's princess held hostage, who knows how much they'd be willing to trade?
891514 very good. and yea there is a story about that. when they did the bridle gossip episode they were going to make her speak Swahili but didnt have time to hire an translator. by coincidence i decided that would be the logical language for zebras speak. i was surprised to find out my guess was correct.
892082 would that it were. but sadly his days of kidnapping are mostly behind him. i did think of that for a while but it would be out of character for Artemis at this point and i dont think Holly will let him
This fic better be good, or I will so be sending Butler after you *shakes fist*
916698 i have always said that so long as one person keeps subbed then i will keep writing, but if you want to voice an opinion then go for it. i would rather have loads of people telling me im bad, that way i can actually improve it. though its almost worth making it bad just to meat Butler
918411 I agree, the best advice is negative advice, as it helps you improve. I freaking hated when my fic got almost 0 negative comments when I know it wasn't great, and barely got more positive likes over dislikes
the problem with Artemis, is he's a fucking difficult character to write. The best of the actual series was the first 3 because they all use the "Artemis vs Far more powerful group, creates epic plan and wins with an ace in the hole he hid from everyone until the end" that is the only way to do Artemis Fowl well and its fucking hard to do. The problem here is you don't seem to be doing that, and for that, Ill make Butler only wound you.
919362 dont worry i have that covered. though for the moment i just need to set up first. i have some big plans for the future of this book. and yes Artemis is a bitch to write. its a combination of good and evil that is a challenge to write. thankfully, Butler acts as a sort of morel guide so it will get better now he is back
Need more chapters sir.
Since you seem to want negative comments. YOU WILL NEVER BE COLFER!
your doing surprisingly well at writing them though.
1107237 it is true that few men will ever be Colfer, but i can dream. it is an honor to add to a story that i enjoyed as a child and continue to read as an adult. oh and to everyone else reading the story im back in the UK and will continue writing ASAP
ARTEMIS FOWL!?
YEAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!
I ALREADY LURVES IT , AND I HAVEN'T READ IT YET!!!
I has now readsed it, and i says, that THIS IS FUCKING AMAZING!!!
1315621 thank you
its always nice to know my poor excuse for writing is being enjoyed. once again i am sorry to everyone else that the next chapter is taking so long, i have been away and had my mind on other things but im back and working on it again now.
1323604 WRITE.
We all want you to write more. 
NOW! 
2310168 Lol point taken. Been a rough few months but even so its not right to keep y'all waiting. writers block still hitting me pretty hard so what ill do is cut this chapter short for all of you, about 3k or so and finish the rest later.
weird so far ive found more than a few inconsistancies like for example in this chapter holly goes to find a acorn but just a few chapters back you state that she still has that sealed acorn pendant that foaly made in the book
920808 dude, you should do like, more, like now dude
Well, this has piqued my interest. Can't wait to see how it turns out!
AND NOW WE RUN!!!
Well, I just finished reading what's done up to now, and I really like the book!
... One thing though, and tell me to edit this out if you want me to, but I have a crossover of Hetalia, Artemis Fowl, and Harry Potter going on. If you need something to tie you over until this story updates, this might help. http://www.fimfiction.net/story/41559/my-little-hetalia-marauders-are-leprecon
AND NOW WE RUN!!!
Well... an MLP crossover with one of my favorite series... I know what I'm reading tonight!
But until then... it will have to wait...
Please continue this. The story is awesome. And if your not going to continue cancel it.