The Dining Room was thankfully small, but still shows off the wealth of Equestria with it's beautiful room design and it's solid gold table. The table itself could roughly seat eight ponies. Gilded Spear walked over to the table, still carrying me on his back. I wanted to ask them why it was necessary to carry me, I was fine being bound and dragged, but I did not want to anger them. If they think humiliation is punishment enough, I'll grit my teeth and bear it.
"Sugar Hoof, good morning." Princess Celestia said with a smile.
What is she happy about? I accidentally destroyed her nation's greatest defense. "Good morning, Princesses."
"How do you like your room?" She asked, never taking her eyes off of me.
"It's certainly a lot different than what I was expecting." I said, evenly.
Gilded Spear got onto his stomach again and I jumped off, I was about to jump onto a chair myself when I felt Princess Celestia's magic circle around me.
"Here, let me..." She placed me gently onto a chair on the opposite side of the two royal sisters.
"Thanks, but for future reference, I can move around fine on my own, and I have no intention of escape." I said gently but firmly, hoping that she would not be angered.
Celestia pretended to not hear me, and instead asked a different question, "How old are you, Sugar Hoof?"
"I've been told I'm roughly two years old." I said, inwardly groaning.
Her smile was gone, so I added, "Despite my youth, I am still perfectly qualified to defend Equestria, as per our agreement."
"Oh, I know you are." She said before forcing the smile back on her face.
Gilded Spear sat next to me a bit too closely, he smiled whenever I looked at him. It was like Celestia' smile, forced, nothing was funny, nobody was happy, they pretended they were.
"You did not ask for me to attend breakfast just to smile at me awkwardly, did you?" I wish I was better at biting my tongue.
"When was the last time you were examined by a doctor?" She asked.
"I have spent my life studying healing magic, I've never needed a doctor since I myself am one." I replied too firmly.
The door opened and in walked a cream colored unicorn mare.
"Sugar, this is Doctor Care, she's going to examine you before we eat." Celestia explained.
"Goodness ... you're a small one, aint'cha?" She said softly.
"Very," I started before looking her in the eye and saying, "What do you need me to do?"
"Just sit still, my magic will take care o' the rest." I could feel her cream colored magic circle around me and into me before she ceased her examination hastily.
Her hoof went to her mouth as she said, "Oh my ..."
"Pray tell, what have you found, doctor?" Luna asked loudly.
"His heart is using everfree magic to contain the magic from the elements." The doctor explained, "And it looks like the everfree magic inside of him grows stronger by the second!" She said alarmingly.
The two sisters knew this already, "You're sure it is everfree magic containing harmony?" Celestia asked.
"His magic matches every example of everfree magic I've ever heard of. There's nothing else it could be." She replied.
"You're getting it backwards, the everfree forest is filled with life magic, the same magic I've spent my life mastering."
"You have experience with the magic in the everfree?" Celestia asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Of course," I explained, "Any life wizard could tell that the everfree forest is just the result of life magic left unchecked."
Celestia looked into my eyes and asked, "Seeing that you have experience in this regard, do you think it's possible to fix the everfree?"
I looked at the table in thought, "Of course, the forest just needs it's life magic levels balanced, and it needs a deep cleaning."
"A deep cleaning and it's life magic levels balanced," She lowered her head to better be eye level with me. She looked like she wanted me to continue.
"Life magic doesn't naturally do that unless there's just an infinite source of it spewing out more, and I'm sure that some creatures have taken refuge in the deepwoods." I said, explaining myself.
"After breakfast, you and Gilded Spear can get started on it," Said the solar princess before turning over to one of the other guards. "Have a chariot set up outside for them, and pack some lunch for them as well." The royal guard gave a salute and left the room.
Luna straightened her back and looked at Doctor Care, "What of his age, is he truly two?"
"This is no average colt, Princess. His bones, muscles, heart, and even his eyes radiate magic." She said, hiding her face behind her hair a bit.
"I asked of his age, doctor." Luna replied snarkily.
"I'd say ..." She looked at me, causing me to raise an eyebrow, "His body is well developed, but he's closer to a new-born than a two-year old."
The Princesses looked at me, shock in their eyes. "Is he truly that young, surely you jest?" Luna asked.
"He's as developed as a grown stallion, but he's only ... a week old? A week and a half?" The doctor replied.
"Impossible!" Luna shouted, "He speaks perfect Equestrian, and can understand and cast complex magic that some high level unicorns likely couldn't comprehend."
The doctor began shaking a little.
It's been roughly two weeks since I wound up on this planet... Did it truly give me a new ... I stopped as I realized what that meant.
It wasn't a long range teleportation and transformation effect, it was a rebirth effect, and it used my human body as it's catalyst. When it exploded ... I'm dead ... My consciousness given new life on another planet. My head fell into my hoof as I thought of this.
"Thank you doctor." Celestia said.
I'm just a new-born here... an infant, with the mind of an elder wizard...
Celestia said something to one of the cooks in the next room but I wasn't paying attention. I could hear Gilded Spear walk away for a second, and when he came back, I saw a green baby bottle fill my vision.
On instinct, I summoned a shield, informing my wardens of my ability to cast magic even without the use of my horn.
The two princesses stood up and the guards got into a position that could be described as 'combat-ready'.
I had no intention of drinking milk from a baby bottle, I may be in the body of a new-born, but I was still me! I wrenched the bottle from Gilded Spear's hoof and set it on the table with my magic before I hopped out of my seat and went to the door.
"Sugar Hoo—" Celestia started before I cut her off.
"I still plan to deal with the everfree," I said, looking over to Gilded Spear, now sitting down on the carpet. "I'll be waiting outside in the chariot for you, if you aren't there in thirty minutes, I'll climb down the mountain without you or the chariot."
The door wasn't even locked as I left, and the guards didn't even try to stop me.
"Are you sure he's just a week old?" Gilded Spear asked, and the doctor just nodded.
"He's willing to put the everfree forest back to normal. We should be thankful for that." Celestia said as one of her staff brought out a plate of haycakes for Gilded Spear. His mouth watered at the sight of them.
"Eat well, you will need your energy for today." Celestia added.
"Right ... the everfree forest." Gilded Spear didn't like the idea of entering the most dangerous forest in Equestria, but ... the princess ordered him to, and he wouldn't let her down.
"Gilded Spear, I told them to pack lunch for both you and Sugar Hoof, but they will also pack some baby food as well." Said the solar princess.
"You know he won't eat any of it, sister." Luna added.
"While he works on the everfree, I want you to help him, not just with the everfree, but talk to him as a friend." Celestia ordered.
"What should I talk about, Princess?" He asked.
"He knows a great deal about the magic in the everfree forest, and magic in general, try asking him about that."
"Yes, ma'am." He saluted.
"Every hour he works, I want you to try to get him to take a break."
He looked uncertain, but nodded anyway.
"We need him to open up a little, and to do that, he needs to focus on something other than his magic and his work."