It felt like months had passed when you awoke the next morning, feeling not just refreshed but stronger than ever before.
Clearly making sure the dear forest maiden became yours was an excellent move on your part, her entire menagerie now supplied you with their very life, your intake not nearly enough to even be noticeable but given the number of animals she had it still gave you a steady income of energy.
Now however it was time to broaden your approach, with the Angel Bunny being a fallen angel at best now he was no longer able to snuff you out completely, and would instead in time be your most loyal pet, and with him came Fluttershy, always the package deal.
Over the day you conversed with the Yellow Pony and sure enough she took care of just about any pet in ponyville, being a voluntary assistant to the local vet as well, she took the less serious cases that just need special food or fur care. apparently she had to give a documentary promise to go to a real vet for anything more serious, probably a story behind that...
Your talks also revealed a side to her friends that was very interesting, apparently the six of them were Equestria's most successful defense. being able to stop nightmare moon and even Discord, the latter of which she didn't actually sound very happy about.
You also felt her connection to the everfree ripple at the mention, apparently the natural wild magic of the place was not too happy about the elements being a thing, and suitably grateful that your corruption was set to bring an end to their power.
Knowing that such a wellspring of raw might could be incredibly useful, you decided to continue catering to this wish of the forest, setting your sights on the other Elements, and most importantly, the Element of Magic.
Normally you would deem it wise to save that one for last, but you had an in with that pony, under the guise of looking to get yourself purified, something you would not so easily achieve again.
Furthermore her own mental defenses were shaken, her conflict with one Thunderhead in Manehattan, which she had admirably resolved, had still shaken the entire Kingdom, this unrest did not sit well with her, a fan of the status quo.
No, you had to go to her today, find another pillar upholding her mind's peace and strength and break it. Then you could lean back and take care of the other four with relative impunity.
The walk to the town center was also a good time to review your story, being befallen by the taint and ousted by the breezies was easy enough to claim, without any others around it was impossible to prove after all, but she would inquire about the source of that corruption and you drew a total blank on that front... eh, you could blame the everfree nopony really knows what's going on there.
You also got a glimpse of a pink pony gasping and disappearing suddenly, had Fluttershy not told you about her that might have made you worry about being found out.
Then you felt it, power, not in any raw or unrefined form but more a Beacon of Arcane energy, a powerful Unicorn mage's dwelling... in a tree?
As you got closer you subtly let your shadow extend to feel it out, the power was much older and even greater than that of it's current inhabitant... and it felt familiar... Starswirl! That damnable kooky Arcane Spellsmith created this tree, apparently force-growing a sapling into shape and replacing it's normal connection to the earth with a connection to himself. no surprise it was a library either... bookworms, the whole lot of them.
Your Dwelling on the matter was cut short though, the next greatest wizard in equestria had just opened the door.
"Hmm? Oh, hello Fluttershy, can i help you?"
"Oh, umm, n-not exactly me but... if it's fine... and not a bother... could you take a look at my friend here? he's not feeling very well."
"It's a he?"
"I get asked that all the time Miss... and i never answer because it's fun to keep them guessing... but i have an actual problem too... you can probably tell by looking at me... but i've been struck by magic corruption in the Everfree... and need help getting that cleaned."
Her horn lights up and her magic washes over you for a moment before she all but recoils.
"Oh yes, i can feel it, this is a very serious case too, come on in, i'll have to read up on that."
Of course she did... did i mention that Arcane wizards are without exception utter nerds?
As you entered you noticed something else, the inside was filled with her own Arcane power, centered around two hot points rather than just her though, looking for the other you found it in a... Gecko?
No, not a Gecko, a dragon, or rather a creature looking like a miniature Dragon.
"Who's that?" you asked as innocently as you could muster.
"Oh, that's Spike, a baby Dragon and my number one Assistant."
Hmm, she believed that to be true but you knew better, whatever Spike was, he was not a dragon, more like a magical construct that used a Dragon as a blueprint... you had to pry.
"I thought baby dragons are closely guarded by their moms in the volcanic lands?"
"Oh, no i hatched him from an egg about... ten years ago i think, it was my entrance exam into Princess Celestia's school for gifted unicorns."
So they still had that egg test... an unfertilized dragon egg that would sponge up the magic to be measurable, and this unicorn not only blew it up but used the genes of the not-mother to give her magical surplus form... and they were still connected, her being his lifeline and him being her safety vent... oh this was an opportunity not of Gold but of Platinum.
You could openly accuse her of conducting dangerous experiments by creating life, accident or not.
You could confidentially talk with spike and point out his makings, telling him that Twilight created him for the sake of herself alone...
Or you could let Twilight and him know the truth, informing them that their favourite Solar diarch knew the entire time and lied to them.