“Dear friends, would you care to reminderate me why we’re heading into the Everfree Forest? I dare say this locution gives me the heebie-jeebies.”
Clover looked at the earth pony mare, her chocolate brown coat contrasting sharply against the fluffy white mass that she called a mane. From a distance one could have easily mistaken her for a cup of chocolate pudding, which fittingly enough happened to be her cutie mark. Despite her age, there was just as much a spring in her step as always, the same as she was when Clover met her twenty-five years ago.
Aside from Supreme Chancellor Puddinghead, the group consisted of several other ponies: Star Swirl led the path ahead of them, while to their side was Smart Cookie, a stallion with a tan coat and brown mane, his flank adorned with a book that had a very prominent bite taken out of it. Pansy trailed the group, and hovering above them was the familiar regalia of General Hurricane, his golden armor contrasting sharply against his dull grey-blue coat and duller grey mane. Though the looming canopy prevented him from hovering too far above the ground, he remained stalwart as he soared overhead, dutifully scanning the area.
“We already told you three times,” said Smart Cookie. His voice was dull, droning, and held very little inflection. “It’s a diplomatic mission.”
Puddinghead’s mouth scrunched up into a solid, contemplative look. “Hmm... Yes, yes, I do believe I remumble something like that. A perfectly cromulent explanation. So what’s the diplomacy for, again?”
“We’ve made contact with another civilization,” said Clover. “Master and I were going over the plans to build a castle at the Tree of Harmony’s location, when we crossed paths a deer scout.”
“A dear scout?” said Puddinghead. “Who is the scout dear to?”
“A deer scout,” Star Swirl intoned. “Cloven-hooved ungulates of the family cervidae. In the classical era, they were known for shunning civilization in favor of their forests and savannas. I’d never thought they would bother with building a city, but apparently I was mistaken.”
“To be fair, it didn’t sound like they built their city when we asked,” Clover added. “It sounds to me more like it was grown.”
“Indeed!” said Star Swirl. “We’ve surmised that the deer posses a higher understanding of alchemy, allowing them to shape the otherwise untamable forest to their needs. Empress Platinum is busy negotiating new legislation with Lord Advisor Rimewind, so she has asked me to join the other Council members in her stead.”
“Why these deer would build a city out in the middle of damn woods is a mystery to me,” Hurricane grunted from above. “But they’ve got to be good at something if we’re all meeting them out here.”
“This isn’t about prying something you want out of them, General,” Clover remarked. “This is about establishing good relations. That’s how Equestria was made, wasn’t it?”
“The realities of politics aren’t as simple as you think, soldier,” said Hurricane. “Until you’ve led an entire people, it is my humble recommendation that you keep your mouth shut.”
Clover smirked, pressing his lips together tightly. “Mmph. Aff you wiff, srr.”
Hurricane shot Clover a glare. Before he could open his mouth to berate Clover, however, a bizarre sound interrupted them both. It sounded like the chiming of a mechanical clock, paired with a hollow wooden whistling that sounded oddly like the cry of a common cuckoo.
Everyone stopped in their tracks. Clover joined the others, turning to face Puddinghead. She was holding up her right foreleg, staring at a strange, tiny clock that was tied around her fetlock. A miniscule hatch had opened up near the top, and as he squinted to see it, Clover could see an even tinier wooden bird poking in and out of it.
“What in Tartarus is that, soldier?” said Hurricane.
Puddinghead beamed. “It’s a cuckoo wristwatch! A strapping young stallion bestovered it upon me the other day. Very useful for keeping track of the time, don’t you know.”
Clover paused, rubbing his chin. If that stallion is who I think it is, there’s definitely a reason for his gift. “Did he tell you what it was for?”
“For telling time! Wasn’t that obviated before?”
“Right, I figured that. I’m just wondering if there’s anything more to it,” said Clover.
“I have a question.” Clover’s eyes drifted over toward Smart Cookie, who had raised his hoof to get the Chancellor’s attention. “What’s a ‘wrist?’”
“Something bipeds have,” said Clover. “More-or-less analogous to the fetlock.”
“Wow!” said Pansy. Her eyes were wide, sparkling gently with curiosity and wonder. “I didn’t know you knew so much about exotic creatures, Clover.”
“I think you’ll find I know quite a lot of things,” Clover replied. As he met Pansy’s eyes, he couldn’t help but be transfixed by their gaze. Even with the tiny wrinkles of age that had just begun to form beneath them, they were just as clear and bright as they had always been.
A sudden rustling of leaves snapped Clover out of whatever it is he had been thinking about. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, and before he could react, a massive red blur leapt out of a nearby bush, snarling with the feral hunger of an apex predator. It flew towards them, claws sharpened, tail poised to strike with the lethality and precision of a venom-tipped spear.
Then, just as quickly as it had pounced, the beast was met in the air by an even faster motion. A flash of pink and yellow darted past Clover’s vision, and the sickening crunch of hooves against bone forced his eyes shut as he flinched from the impact. When he opened them again, Pansy was standing before the motionless body of a manticore, blood seeping out of a massive blunt-force wound inflicted on the center of its head. She grimaced, breathing through gritted teeth, and furiously scrubbed her front hooves against the grass, rubbing away the stains of blood until they were wiped clean.
Finally, she exhaled, turning to meet the others. A mild shiver ran down the length of her body. She looked at the others and asked, “Is everypony okay?”
Clover glanced around the forest, noting the atonished gapes coming from all of his companions. All except Hurricane, who simply regarded Pansy with a swelling posture and a prideful smile. Come to think of it, that’s the first time I’ve seen that hardass smile in decades.
“You... you killed a manticore,” Smart Cookie stated plainly. “With your bare hooves.”
Pansy’s eyes darted back and forth, her face seeming to shrink as it retreated further beneath her mane. “Um... maybe?”
“You’re damn right she did,” Hurricane boasted. “Or do you mean to suggest that you expect anything less of my most trusted lieutenant?”
“Um, really, it’s not a big deal,” said Pansy, rubbing a hoof against her foreleg. “I was just... doing what anypony would do. It’s really nothing special.”
“Nothing special?” said Puddinghead. “Preposterous! That was absolutely incredulous! I’ve never seen such a display of strength and ferocity!”
“Um, w-well, maybe, but—”
“A-hem!”
A very exaggerated throat-clearing turned Clover’s attention to his master. “As much as I hate to interrupt,” said Star Swirl, very clearly not meaning it, “we did not venture into the Everfree in order to discuss matters of combat prowess. We are here on a mission, and I would much prefer that we do not allow ourselves to become distracted from it. Now, let us make haste. We are expected to meet with the deer king before sundown.”
Star Swirl didn’t even bother waiting for a response. He turned and trotted away, leaving the others to follow after him. As the group trailed behind him, Clover turned to face Pansy, slowing his pace just enough to walk by her side. As he turned to face her, Pansy pointedly avoided making direct eye contact.
“You alright?” said Clover. “You look like pretty shaken by what happened back there.”
Pansy hesitated, leaving a gap in the conversation before she replied. “...I’m fine. I’m a soldier. It’s what I do.”
Clover set his eyes on Pansy further, feeling his lips curve downwards. The cool Everfree air filled his lungs with a melancholy scent. “Pansy, I know for a fact that you haven’t been involved in any real fighting for more than a quarter of a century. It’s okay if you’re not comfortable going back to that.”
Another pause. Pansy’s eyes drifted upward, towards the forest canopy. Her irises twinkled with longing, reaching up towards a sky that couldn’t be reached through the raking branches. Her eyes then turned downward to meet Clover’s, and she said, “most of my job since I was promoted to lieutenant has been bureaucratic, you know.”
Clover raised an eyebrow. “Bureaucratic?” Hard to picture her as a quill-pusher.
“Yes,” said Pansy. “I do sometimes relay orders to the Legion in pony, but for the most part I organize things from behind a desk. I...” Her eyes drifted away, her ears folding back against her head. “...well, I like it better that way. It’s a lot less stressful when you don’t have to constantly worry about screwing up in front of dozens of pegasi. But even then, I never expected to have to see blood again.” Another shiver ran down her body, one that forced her eyes shut. “Not after the unification.”
“Pansy. Look at me.”
“...Yes?”
Clover smiled again, meeting Pansy’s eyes another time. It was unlike the way he usually smiled, with not a hint of sarcasm or sardonicism to be found. “In all my life, you’re easily the strongest pony that I’ve ever known. I want you to remember that.”
Pansy smiled back, a slight flush appearing on her cheeks. “Thank you, Clover. That means a lot.”
“We are here.”
Star Swirl had stated it plainly, but when Clover looked to see where they had arrived, ‘plain’ was the absolute last word that came to his mind.
The city before them was not merely impressive. It was a marvel of alchemy, a settlement of massive redwoods that had grown organically into hollow trunks that towered into the skies, surrounded by spiraling ramps of living wood and overhanging paths of connecting branches. The tree-buildings glowed with an inner light of brilliant gold, the same color of the living lanterns, each buzzing with hundreds of fireflies that made it their home. And in the front of the city was a great pair of golden gates that extended seamlessly into the two trunks surrounding it on either side, as though they too were a tree whose bark had been turned into gold.
Standing in front of the gates was a small party of antlered deer, each of which bore ruddy brown colors and simple wooden armor — save for the deer in the front, a stag with a coat of pristine white and gleaming golden necklace embedded with a red, heart-shaped flask.
I know it’s most likely alchemy-related, Clover thought, but a part of my mind wants to say ‘booze.’ Knowing them, that’d probably mean wood-grain alcohol.
The stag approached Star Swirl, his hardened eyes scanning the elder wizard’s features. After a moment’s pause they softened, and a smile crossed his face. “You must be the fabled Grey Wanderer,” he said, speaking of one of Star Swirl’s many names and titles. “It’s a pleasure meet you, our kind have heard many tales of your sorcerous feats. I am Prince Aspen, and this is our city of Thicket.”
Star Swirl gave a short bow, his bells jingling lightly in the gentle forest breeze. “Likewise, Your Highness. I am pleased that you would have us here today.”
“It’s no trouble at all,” said Aspen. He motioned briefly to the golden gates, the city beyond beckoning with its splendor. “Come with us, I will be happy to introduce you to my father.”
“I look forward to it,” Star Swirl replied.
Aspen turned toward the party of deer behind him, and gave a quick nod of his head. Two of the deer moved back towards the city entrance and pulled the gates apart, holding open the threshold to Thicket’s interior. As the group of ponies followed Aspen’s lead, Clover took one last glance at the forest behind them, leaving behind the beasts and horrors of the Everfree as they entered the verdant homeland of the deer.
————————
The royal palace made the rest of Thicket look absolutely quaint by comparison. It was a structure seemingly composed of a single, massive tree — yet instead of growing straight upwards like all of the others, it grew forwards, backwards and outwards as well, creating an immense castle of towering trunks, branches, and roots that dwarfed anything seen before in Equestria. The entire palace inside and out was coated in a thin layer of pristine white bark, its surface reflecting the light in such a manner that it almost appeared to shine under its own power.
The throne room was no exception, the massive linear hall extending inwards towards a pair of magnificent thrones, beneath a web of branches tipped with gilded leaves that covered the ceiling with their golden luster. As Clover drank in the surroundings, he couldn’t help but feel insignificant in comparison to it all — even though he knew otherwise.
Sitting on the left throne was a slender white doe. Unusual for her kind, she sported a mane atop her head, a golden-blonde river of locks that cascaded over her body. Clover couldn’t tell if it was merely a trick of the light, or if her mane was flowing and billowing in a nonexistent breeze.
Beside her on the right was a much larger white stag; though he possessed a similar slender build, he easily stood taller than any other deer had seen, almost twice the height of a pony from the top his head to the tips of his hooves. His height was further augmented by a truly impressive set of antlers. They at once stood above and circled his head, weaving and branching together in a pattern not unlike that of the branches that hung between the city’s myriad tree-homes.
As the group approached the two royal deer, the armored deer escorting them parted, allowing Aspen to lead the rest forward. The older stag stood up from his throne and scanned the approaching group, his expression remaining unreadable. Clover reflexively dropped into a bow, a gesture that was mimicked by all of his companions — all save Star Swirl, who stood as tall as ever.
Aspen gave a short bow, and gestured back towards the ponies behind him. “I have brought you the diplomats as you requested, father.”
The king’s mouth subtly curved upwards, into a shape that was only barely recognizable as a smile. “Excellent,” he said, turning to face Star Swirl. “And I am to presume you are the Grey Wanderer, chosen to represent your people?”
Star Swirl stepped forward. “That I am, Your Majesty,” he said. “I was chosen on behalf of Empress Platinum to represent the city of Canterlot. With me are General Hurricane and Supreme Chancellor Puddinghead, and our wards. Together we speak on behalf of the Equestrian Confederation, a proud union of all of ponykind.”
There was a pause as the deer king regarded the others. His eyes drifted across the room so subtly that it could hardly be noticed, yet when they slid past Clover he could feel the weight behind their gaze. Finally, he spoke, “I welcome you to our lands, travelers. I am King Cedarborn, son of Gallanthorn, Lord of the Golden Thicket. Since the Time of Oaks, I have ruled this land alongside by my beloved Queen Gladeroot.”
The Queen’s expression at first remained unchanging. She glanced over the gathered ponies, drifting at first from the two pegasi, to the two earth ponies, before finally resting on Star Swirl. A gentle smile crossed her face. The gilded leaves above glittered and shone, their brightness reflecting off the surfaces of her eyes. “You are the first to come to our realm in more than a thousand years. I believe that your presence shall be remembered as a pivotal moment in our history.”
Clover felt the faintest sensation running down through his eyes, from the golden light of the leaves above. Did she use some kind of magic just then? he wondered. In truth, he couldn’t tell, as no part of what he felt stood out from the radiance of the halls.
Star Swirl turned to face Gladeroot. The two held each other in their mutual gaze for seconds. Star Swirl then bowed his head, removing his hat and holding it to his chest. “It is an honor to meet you, my lady. Your people are lucky to have someone so beautiful as their queen.”
Cedarborn raised a single eyebrow. The hairs on the back of Clover’s neck bristled, and he struggled to restrain himself from standing upright. Oh dear Mithras, no. Keep it in your cloak, you old fool!
The Queen’s smile widened slightly, the subtle shift almost blinding the others with its brightness. “I am flattered, Wanderer. It is no small compliment, hearing such things from the Great Wizard spoken of in song and poem. Dare I say your feats are things of beauty in themselves.”
A slight flush appeared on Star Swirl’s cheeks. “Nay, I am but a humble scholar. You, on the other hoof, shall always be my lady.”
A loud clearing of a throat turned Clover’s attention to Aspen. “Pardon my speaking out of turn, father, but I believe we should be discussing the lodging arrangements of our guests. Would you agree?”
Cedarborn frowned, leaving a palpable silence in the air. “...Yes, you are correct. If you would, please escort the ponies to their guest quarters. The evening is approaching, and we must ensure that they are well-rested before negotiations.”
Aspen gave a nod as he stepped away, motioning for the ponies to follow. Star Swirl gave one last parting glance at the queen as he followed, leaving Clover and his companions to trail after him. A hot breath poured out of Clover’s nostrils, carrying with all of the tension that had clogged his lungs moments prior.
The group continued through the halls of the palace, through a twisting maze of passages that only the deer understood. Though Puddinghead kept the others occupied with her idle chatter, Clover was far too busy dwelling on his own thoughts. There were so many ways he could imagine the meeting going wrong, and many of them seemed likely with his master involved.
Eventually, they were escorted to a circular common room high atop the western end of the palace, where a set of several doors each led to individual bedrooms. As each of the other ponies departed to their own rooms, Clover stayed behind, turning to look Aspen in the eyes.
“Thanks for the save. That could have been bad.”
Aspen’s eyes narrowed. “That is the only favor I will grant you. You would do well to keep your master’s impulses restrained.”
“Understood,” Clover replied without protest. His every movement felt heavy, and as he entered into his own room, he didn’t hesitate to drop himself on the bed. The living wooden frame of the bed creaked beneath his weight, and Clover fixed his stare at the gnarls and knotholes on the ceiling.
Well, isn’t this just off to a fine start...
————————
“Hello? Are you here, my lady?”
“...”
“Hello? My lady? Gladeroot, are you here?”
“I will admit, you are a bold one, Wanderer. No other deer in these lands would speak to my wife so casually.”
“You! I-I-I mean, Your Majesty! What are you doing here!?”
“Do not think I am unaware of your intentions, Wanderer. Need I remind you that you are acting as the representative of an entire nation?”
“...”
“I will ask of you now, halt your advances at once. If not for your own sake, then for the sake of your people.”
“...”
“...Alright. If that’s the way you’ll have it, I understand. Farewell.”
...
....
.....
*Crack-THOOOOOOOOOOM!*