We made camp by a river and soon set about preparing for night. I waved Meril over and gestured to the mare we'd rescued. She'd muttered her name was Sunny Smiles but other than that mainly just stared off into space.
"Can you take her to the river and clean her up a bit? Who knows how long she's gone without a bath. And maybe do something to make her mane look better. I think that's a sore spot for her and maybe it'll help her adjust faster."
She nodded and approached her as I helped Gem set up the tent. When we were almost finished Grip slapped a claw onto my shoulder.
"Never really got to tell you, but that was fine work you did with that witch. Of course, I was in the process of picking the lock as she was talking but you did it faster. Thanks for that though. Who knows what she might have done if she'd noticed me."
"No problem. I just decided to take matters into my own hands."
I felt a jerk on my left claw and looked down to see Leaflet looking it over and muttering to herself.
"Can I help you?"
"That was some form of magic, I'm sure if it! How did you learn how to do that? What spells were those!"
I pulled my claw away.
"Sorry but that information is private. Not going to tell you."
She frowned and huffed.
"Come now, if you were willing to use magic in front of us it can't be that much of a secret."
"I was desperate. But the fewer people that know, the better. So please, don't tell anyone."
I raised my voice so the others (who had been eavesdropping) could hear.
"Same goes for you all. Keep my secret and you keep you tongues."
Everyone shifted awkwardly as they realized they'd been discovered and went back to their tasks. Once I was done setting up I flipped back to the survival section in my spell book. After a brief search I found what I was looking for. A basic perimeter spell. What it would do (apparently) was notify the caster whenever something (living thing. Not plants or dust) crossed the perimeter. The word was "Termina" (perimeter) and you just had to draw a circle around your camp and say the word. Simplicity itself.
I got a stick and drew a wide circle around our camp before saying the magic word.
"Termina."
The circle glowed before returning to normal. I stepped over the line and back in. Nothing.
"Did it not--"
Suddenly I... felt... a buzz in the back of my head. Like my skull was vibrating slightly. I looked and saw that Meril had returned with Sunny on her back.
"Good! Hopefully this will ensure we don't have any 'surprises' tonight."
I returned to the fire as Cinders set the cauldron on to boil.
"Drake, if you keep bringing people along we're going to run out if food. In fact, where's our new friend going to sleep? I don't have room for her. No one else does unless you and Gemlight have extra room."
Gem poked her head out of the tent.
"We have room!"
Cinders nodded and I looked over at Sunny. She looked a whole lot better now that her fur wasn't matted down with filth and dried blood, and her mane was clean and untangled. It was very short from all that the witch had cut off, but Meril had helped style it somewhat. She still had the eyepatch I'd given her and all the scars from her time as a captive. On her flank I saw a picture of a large sun with small, white clouds beside it. She still looked spacey and scared, but seemed happy to be clean. Cinders began to stir his soup before saying,
"So, Sunny Smiles, where are you from?"
Sunny flinched as Cinders continued stirring the pot.
"W-what?"
"Where are you from? Before the whole 'incident.'"
She rubbed a foreleg against her shoulder as she bit her lip.
"C-Canterlot. My parents live in Canterlot."
"Are they some high and mighty nobles?"
"N-no. My dad, Greenhouse, is a gardener. My mom, Pretty Penny, works at a big department store."
Leaflet looked up.
"The same Greenhouse and Pretty Penny who are the uncle and aunt of Compass Rose?"
Sunny looked baffled.
"How... how do you know Compass? She's my cousin?"
Leaflet held up her map.
"She's one of the best cartographers I know. I often frequent her shop. Anyway, if your parents are who I'm thinking of, Compass mentioned she helped them move about a year ago. Apparently they couldn't stand to stay in Canterlot for 'personal matters,' which I now know, and moved to some backwater named 'Ponyville.' Dreadfully unoriginal name if you ask me."
Sunny looked down in shock and I spoke up.
"Guess I know where I'm taking you after this whole adventure is over."
She gave me a dumbfounded look.
"W-what?"
"Well I promised to take you where you want to go, so I figured you'd want to see your family again."
She nodded before touching her mane and then sliding her hoof down to rest under her eye.
"B-but. Will they even want to see me? Look at me. I'm... hideous. I'm covered in scars and missing an eye. What if my parents don't want a daughter that looks like this?"
Gem hopped onto the log beside her and hugged her.
"If they love you so much that they need to move cause they miss you so bad, they'll be too happy to see you to care."
Sunny grew a small, strained smile as she heard that. The first smile since we'd freed her.
"Dinner's ready."
I turned just as Cinders began ladling soup into a bowl. As we ate the soup, I couldn't help but wonder what the reunion between Sunny and her parents would be like. Although, there'd probably be lots of crying however it turned out.
With dinner done and everyone getting sleepy, we all made for our tents. As I got into my bedroll with Gem immediately hopping in beside me, Sunny stood nervously in the entrance.
"If you want to sleep by yourself you're welcome to use my coat as a blanket."
She nodded but before she could Gem grabbed her and pulled her over to the bedroll. With her beside Gem and Gem pressed against me, it was a little cramped, but not awful.
"No way, Sunny! You're not sleeping on the ground after you just got rescued. You're sleeping in relative comfort tonight!"
Sunny nodded mutely and turned over as I extinguished the lantern.
(Meanwhile, a ways away.)
Six mares set about setting up six brightly colored, individualized tents. As one pink mare bounced towards the others, a certain white unicorn asked her purple unicorn friend a question.
"So, Twilight, darling. Why did we need to come to this dreadful place? The humidity is absolutely ruining my mane."
Twilight smiled as she closed her book.
"Sorry about your mane, Rarity. But deep in this jungle is a temple that holds an enchanted amulet that Starswirl the Bearded gave to the ponies of the jungle. It allows the wearer to understand the language of animals!"
Pinkie squealed as she popped up in front of Twilight.
"So you're saying I can finally really real foreal tell what Gummy is really absatootaly saying?"
Twilight nodded which caused Pinkie to cheer and leap high in the air. Rainbow Dash flew down and hovered beside her.
"You said there'd be treasure too! I've had my eye on a signed Wonderbolts uniform for a while."
Twilight laughed.
"Well, there probably will be treasure. But the real treasure is that this amulet will allow me to learn about magic that's been lost to the ages! Princess Celestia will be so proud of me!"
The other ponies laughed at their studious friend before heading into their tents for the night.