//------------------------------// // Chapter Thirty Two // Story: Mare In The Everfree Forest // by MoonLily //------------------------------// Sweet Tea and Night kept the drinks flowing to the others keeping them all happy and busy. I watched as the foals ran off laughing causing one of the teens running off after them. I felt myself squished as the Empress had found me causing her and Luna to get into a disagreement. I slipped out from between them as I sighed feeling my shoulders were sore. I could tell most ponies were drunk as the booze the twins had pulled out were the strong ones. The ones I only used when I wanted to get a noble drunk for a night to get something out of them. I got up to my hooves feeling them shake causing me to sigh. I slowly moved to the wall so I could prop myself up against it. I made my way down the room and past a bunch of happy ponies. I found myself now squished between the wall and Sweet Tea. “Tea what are you doing?” “Red said you couldn’t walk without help” she had a smile on her face as I felt my hooves give out. “I just kind of wanted a quiet place to be right now. my head is killing me” I gave her a soft smile. “I and Night made up a room for ya! we were going to move you from the medical wing. you couldn’t see the world from that room and it was sad.” I felt her help me through the room to another large ballroom. This one had a wall of glass that overlooked Canterlot. They had a pile of large pillows and blankets in front of the window with some wax warmers in the room. Glancing around I noticed some crystals were around the room with some books. “Dose Celestia know you two put this together?” “Does Luna count?” “Let me guess she caught you two stealing pillows?” “Yes, she didn’t come outright and caught us. She took her time as we were almost finished when she caught us.” Tea huffed as I walked over to the pile curling up between the larger ones. As I was finding the right spot I felt the weight of a blanket draped on top of me. “I got the blanket” I heard Night whistling. I chuckled as I looked over at them. “Thank you, you two. Now go enjoy yourself. You should really try the wine. It's what your grandmother used when she wanted to prank or get information out of the nobles. it really makes ponies have loose lips when it comes to private stuff. you can also find out what they hate or are scared of” I smiled as their faces lit up. “I always envy your spy life and now we can live it” They ran out of the room with me chuckling. I nestled myself more into the pillows feeling all the weight off of my hooves. I settled in for the night watching as the wind started to blow the leaves around. “So how are you feeling?” I looked behind me noticing Discord floating around holding a drink in his claws. “Better that I am not on my hooves” I kept my eyes on the window “Can you answer a question?” “Sure” I could see he was simply floating around messing with his drink. “Why did you let me attack you all those times?” my head turned to stare at him. I watched as he placed a tea cup with dark liquid in front of me with small candies in the shape of stars. “I didn’t know you were the niece I was looking for. I thought you were some crazed mare in poorly made armor who could put up a fight. Then I thought you were some sort of necromancer or a necromancer used their magic on you.” I could see his eyes watching me as he patted my head. “So that night in the library?” “I noticed your coat shifting and your eyes changing. Stars are the only ones that I know who looked like a pony on fire. Their eyes are also a single color, when I had you against the wall I tested your magic a bit. That is how I knew you were what I was looking for. I was also confirmed when I saw you with Void and the gift your parents left” he smiled as he pointed to the items he placed in front of me “These are items only stars can eat or taste. they will taste awful to normal ponies. These should make you feel better” I watched as he placed a cup of tea and some little star-shaped candies sitting in front of me. I could hear ponies shouting with cheer or they are shouting because they got into an argument. I sighed as I looked at him. “Your family is large” “Yes, they are” I looked to the window as I was thinking. I felt a smile forming on my lips as I looked up at Discord. “Have you ever wanted to embarrass the princesses?” his ears went up as he turned to me. “Whhhhyyyy?” he leaned his head down as I kept smiling at him. “Celestia is afraid of chickens. If you want baby pictures and real teenage embarrassing photos of Cadence ask Jr for the photo album with the name Soltic on the side of it. He was the one who raised her. Their all pictures of paintings that were made thousands of years ago. Luna now I am not going to say because it would drag me into it” I could see he was thinking laughing before disappearing. I let out a nice sigh as I had a moment to myself. Leaning over I picked up the cup sipping on it. “DISCORD!!! HIDE THOSE PHOTOS OR I WILL TURN YOUR LOVE LIFE INTO HELL!” I gulped as I heard Cadence use the royal voice. I did not know she could do that and it kind of scared me a bit. “SILVER!” I could hear both the empress and Luna shouting. I folded my ears as I leaned over sipping from the cup as it was on the floor. it was a nice vanilla coffee flavor. I tried one of the pieces of candy and noticed it wasn’t sweet at all. It had a nice subtle fruit flavor. I could hear more ponies shouting and cheering as the door opened and shut quickly. Looking at the window I noticed Luna walking in. She was silent as she moved closer slipping her silver shoes and regalia off before climbing into the pile of pillows. “Are you okay?” turning my head back I could feel her hooves around my waist. “You scared me” she huffed as I felt her head resting on my shoulder. “Sorry about that. The party got a little to wild for my taste at the current moment. If I wasn’t so injured I would probably be drunk alongside them” “What would you have done drunk?” “Something incredibly stupid as I always do” a smile formed on my lips as I laid my head down on the pillow. I could feel her resting her head on top of my neck with her wing wrapped around me. “You're going to wake up this time right?” “If I don’t you can always get Selene to yell at Solis to send me back. she has a very powerful voice”` “Really? I thought she was soft” “Think again Luna” I let out a yawn as I closed my eyes for the night. it was peaceful like the last time. it was restful and undisturbed. I was woken up by a pony shaking my shoulders. I moved a bit but reluctantly I opened my eyes staring at one of the grandchildren yawning. I could see most of them had books in their hooves causing me to smile. “I didn’t sleep for a month did I?” “No the others are still sleeping” I chuckled as I rubbed their heads. “So do you want old grandmother read you a story?” “We want to read you a story!” “Well then you all pick the book and I will sit here and listen.” I gave them a smile as I stay sitting up listening to them fight over the book. I kept quiet as they finally found a book and they all slowly read them to me trying their best. They only stopped when the door opened up and Luna walked in. “Oh am I missing something?” “No they were reading me some stories” I chuckled as they stared at her “Alright little ones I think you need to go wake your parents up. The way you always wanted to do it” I smiled watching them stare before bolting out of the room cheering. “You do cause chaos” “Says my mare friend” I had a grin on my face as I felt her lay beside me “I hope you don’t mind if I stay in here. I do love the view” “I have a better view from my bedroom” “I don’t think my hooves can handle stairs Luna I also meant the window” “fine I can bring the bed down and we can stay in here till you can go up the stairs. That reminds me Red says we need to get you up and walking.” “Since I have to walk do you want to go somewhere safe and magical? I looked up at her as she looked down at me. “And what is safe and magical in your mind?” “I have a wagon in Hallow Shades. It has a book, I think that we need for the fight. It also holds my old knight commander armor that you made for me as well. It also holds the items you made for Necro as well” my eyes noticed her face turning into shock. “You know he going to want you to have an army of medical ponies with you” “I think having you and Jr with me will keep him calm” I could see the skeptical look on her face. leaning over I kissed her cheek causing her to calm down “At least I am having you come this time” “True, but Hallow Shades was destroyed” “that's what you all think” I could feel the grin sitting on my muzzle. Now all I needed to do was convenience Red. “No” “but I will have Luna and Jr with me Red” “No going to Hallow Shades is like going into another world!” I groaned as Red was in the middle of helping most of the elements and Celestia. “Hallow Shades was destroyed” “No, it's not princess. Hallow shades were overtaken by the forest that was in front of it. in order to get to the village, you need to follow the lights and if you don’t you will be teleported back to the train station. you have animals like deer with glowing spots and bunnies who having glowing footprints. It's one giant magical world” “I need stuff from my wagon Red” “NO! I do not want you thinking of the fight. I want you to focus on healing. At this point, I would rather deal with more injuries that Luna inflicts on you in the bedroom than you being stupid!” I could see he was huffing and panting. I lifted my hoof patting his head. “Okay” “I’ll get what you need mother. I think I know what you want” “My armor, that trunk in the corner under the old crystals. There is also a wooden box a dark one with a wooden tube attached to it. I need that as well. the box holds an old book given to me when I was about nine or ten. It's mostly parchment paper between two large pieces of wood. the tube has a couple of pages in it. the book is magical and it's better if you see it once I open it” I could see he was staring at me in shock. “Alright one Hallow Shades delivery. I am shocked Red just doesn’t let Midnight do” “NO SHADOW SURFING! Damn it Jr her horn is still cracked! I am not sure what the magic will do to her there!” “I’ll be in the room” I got to my shaky hooves and started my slow walk back to the room tripping over my own hooves for a few times.