They released Lotus early the next morning, after a night of strangely restful sleep on an otherwise threadbare cot.
The various burned ponies were already gone, moved to whatever proper hospitals would continue treating their wounds.
At least the nurses didn't honor the threat to keep that strange ring around her horn for days or even weeks. Once she promised to be careful with her magic, they let her go.
Gus and Iron were both there to retrieve her, along with an earth pony wearing an oversized hat.
"Already met your friends. My name's Applejack," she said, extending one polite hoof in her direction. "Twilight sent me to make sure you found your way to the castle."
"Lotus Cinder," she took the offered hoof, shaking it once. "Not afraid to see a kirin?"
The mare laughed, adjusting her hat. "Forgive me, miss. But you ain't even close to the strangest thing I've seen in Equestria. But I would be mighty grateful if you don't go burnin' everything during your visit."
"Lotus is very good about keeping her flames under control, unless you startle her or a spell happens unexpectedly." Gus wrapped one foreleg around her shoulder, grinning. "Try to avoid loud noises and you'll be fine."
Applejack glanced once between them, eyes narrowing. "I hope that's a joke, ‘cuz Ponyville ain't the quiet little town it used to be. If anything strange is gonna happen to Equestria, odds are it hits here first."
Iron Feather stepped in front of Gus, shoving him back with one leg. "The griffon is joking, Miss Applejack. Lotus has shown nothing but discipline and restraint during our time in Equestria. She's no threat to you or Ponyville."
Applejack flicked her tail in the other direction. "That's good to hear. I may not have trouble with a new creature in town—but not all of Ponyville is so welcoming. Especially with the troubles Equestria's been having the last few months. Everpony knows somepony who burned in all those. Just because Searing Gale never made it this far don't mean we don't have relatives."
Lotus retreated from her, tail curling around her hindleg. "I don't know if it helps—but I'm not even supposed to be a kirin. Searing Gale didn't burn me, but she did transform me to look like this. She took my whole life away."
Technically speaking, Lotus liked the new life she found, and where it might lead. But that didn't make stealing the old one any less cruel.
The mare shrugged. "I didn't mean to make you think I'd be judging you for things you ain't done, Miss Lotus. But there are other ponies in Ponyville who might take comfort from that news. Hard as it is to believe, there are still ponies who can't see past how a mare looks."
They set off together along a dirt road, between fields and orchards and rolling cropland. One pasture seemed filled with dairy cows, scattered and grazing in the grass. Applejack waved as they passed, tilting her hat to one near the fence.
"Mornin', Betsy. How's the new heater workin'?"
Others might be a little confused to see a farmer talking to their animals. But Lotus had grown up on a farm and spent her life around many other small farmers. She didn't even slow down.
"Like a dream, Applejack. Stayed nice and toasty through the night. Some of the girls worried it might be related to that... whatever happened. Was that fireworks?"
Lotus turned in place, watching with mouth agape. There wasn't some other pony hiding where she hadn't noticed. The cow was clearly talking to her.
Granted, the creature didn't seem terribly interested in Lotus, or much of anything else. The other grazing cows barely gave them a passing glance. They had important eating to do, apparently.
"Afraid not, Betsy. But the princess got things taken care of before any danger could come to Ponyville. There's no need for any worry."
The cow flicked her tail, then lowered her head to the grass. "Right then. I'll let the girls know what you said, when I get the time."
Only Gus could match her shocked, horrified reaction. He said nothing, though if it were possible, he looked as though he might be turning green under his feathers.
"Sorry about all that," Applejack said, as they resumed their trek. "The girls provide all the milk and cheese for Ponyville's needs. I try to stop by and have a chat after anything strange happens, so they know not to worry."
Lotus nodded along. "No problem. I just..."
"They talk," Gus whispered, flabbergasted. "Cows can talk here?"
Applejack turned, tilting her head to the side. "Sure do. Most don't have a whole lot to say. They're simple folk, who spend their days doing what they like most. A pony can respect that kinda dedication."
Lotus and Gus said nothing for the rest of the trip. She caught Iron glancing at her more than once, with something dangerously close to smug satisfaction on his face. He didn't have to say which moments in their Earth kitchen he was thinking of.
Ponyville itself looked more or less the same as what she'd seen from the sky. Dozens of thatch roofs packed around dirt roads, wide enough for a cart drawn by a pony at most.
Some streets had light poles rising at about head level, though she couldn't say whether they were electric or magic.
The town was almost totally dominated by a single blue structure, rising larger than any other. Not even the Saudis could build something this audacious.
"You ain't the first one to have that reaction," Applejack said, glancing back at the two of them. "About everypony thought that when it first showed up."
"How'd you do it?" Gus asked. "This town has dirt roads. How'd you grow a single piece of crystal in exactly that shape?"
"Magic," she said, grinning back. "Twilight might be able to give you the details. But she's a mite busy with the whole saving the world thing."
"Right." Gus trailed off again. He fished a GoPro from his satchel, somehow intact despite everything he'd dragged it through over the last few days and wrapped it over his head with an elastic strap.
If the earth pony minded the camera, she didn't say so.
Iron Feather fell into step beside Lotus as they entered the city, adjusting his dented and scorched helmet on his head as he went.
"My escort?" she asked, teasing. "The Royal Guards aren't going to let me out of their sight, like the Svalinn?"
"Your bodyguard," he said, almost as quickly. "Captain Inclination had a word with command after the crash. I wasn't there for it, but I'm pretty sure I know how it went. Were there any soldiers watching your bed?"
She'd been too exhausted to notice small details like that initially. But later in the evening... "I guess that's an improvement. I'll take a bodyguard."
Applejack glanced over her shoulder at them both. "Nothing to worry about in Ponyville. We've got our own princess, and the Elements of Harmony to back her up. I'm sure we'll be getting around to catching that evil sorceress sooner or later."
Ponyville wasn't a dying town, not like so many little places Lotus had visited in her youth. The narrow streets were packed with ponies, and they all seemed to know each other. Many gave Applejack a friendly wave as they walked in or stopped long enough for her to introduce them to the newcomers.
"These three are staying with Twilight for a little while," she said, nodding in their direction. "Might be seein' em around."
The first ponies—a white unicorn standing beside a gray earth pony, shared a nervous glance, attention fixed on Lotus.
"I've never seen a unicorn quite like you before, Lotus. You do seem... a tad familiar."
Applejack spoke before she could, tail flicking sharply in annoyance. "Probably because Searing Gale cursed her. This here's her first victim, Miss Octavia."
Lotus tensed reflexively as she said it, ears folding backward. She was the first victim. But that didn’t mean she thought every kirin was monstrous.
"Oh!" She gasped, looking away. "Apologies. That was rather crass. I hope you enjoy your time in Ponyville!"
The two scampered off, leaving them alone on the street-corner.
Applejack remained there for a few seconds, lowering her voice so only they could hear. "Sorry if you get that a little more. But ponies see someone who looks like you next to every headline, and they'll think things about you you don't deserve. I'll set 'em straight, don't you worry."
Compared to the angry mob some part of Lotus expected, an earth pony asking a few questions seemed downright tame. Lotus shrugged. "That's why we have to stop Searing Gale. If it wasn't for her, everyone else wouldn't be terrified of me."
"Just means they don't know you," Iron said. "It's a small-town thing. When everypony knows everypony else, they're always a little suspicious of strangers."
"Hate to admit it, but..." Applejack nodded. "I've been guilty of that sort of thinkin' myself. But if you can give Ponyville a chance, I'm sure she'll give you one right back."
Applejack introduced them to another dozen ponies along the way. All reacted with a little wariness, at least until Applejack spoke for her. Having the mare along to witness for Lotus's character seemed to be all ponies needed.
Maybe Lotus could've fallen in love with a place like this the way she did with Hono. But how long would ponies watch her like that? Maybe they thought she planned to ignite their exceptionally-flammable houses?
Then they reached the castle. It wasn't a pony who waited to greet them, but another creature Lotus hadn't believed could exist—a dragon.
This one was somewhat less imposing than her imagination suggested, standing at about half her height and covered in purple scales. At least his teeth and spines looked sharp.
Other than Applejack, he was also the first person not to look at least a little nervous as she approached.
"This must be Lotus Cinder, Gutsy the Griffon, and Iron Feather," he said, scribbling something onto a scroll in his other claw.
"Gus," her friend said, exasperated. "It's Gus. Still a griffon, currently."
"Currently?" the dragon raised an eyebrow. "Are you actually a changeling?"
"He's not," Lotus said, before Gus could extend that argument any further.
"Well... I'm Spike." He stuck the quill away behind an ear, extending a claw up towards Lotus. "Spike the Dragon, Princess Twilight's Number One Assistant and also bestest friend ever."
She took his claw with a hoof. Unlike with ponies, Spike had digits to grab, and so his claws pressed into her scales.
The dragon let go, beaming. "Those scales feel a lot like mine! Is it the same on your back?"
He reached for her, and might've found out, except Applejack caught him with her hoof, pushing him gently back. "Maybe later, Spike? Isn't Twilight waiting?"
"Oh! Right." He spun in place, hurrying towards the door. "I can take it from here, Applejack! Thanks for going out for them!"
The mare nodded towards Lotus. "The princess will take good care of you. If you're ever out the way we came in, stop by Sweet Apple Acres. We'll show you what Ponyville hospitality really looks like."
She slipped away back to the street, leaving them on the castle steps with the pint-sized dragon.
At least the castle was suitably impressive. Nothing she'd ever seen on Earth quite prepared her for the unbroken interior of semi-luminescent crystal, extending up into the air like a skyscraper.
The ground floor looked the way Lotus imagined a functional palace might in a country that still kept a monarchy—half museum with lots of art behind fences or glass, and half doors covered in signs not to proceed into where the actual hard work of governance took place.
They ascended past one of these ropes, along the sweeping ramp up the center. More rooms scattered along its length. "Twilight said you were a different kinda pony," Spike said, conversationally. His legs were too short to move very quickly, so their progress was slow. "What kinda pony are you?"
"A kirin. I think we're half pony, half dragon. I haven't been one for that long, so it's still new to me."
Spike jumped, grinning back at them. "I knew it! Those are dragon scales! And it explains why you've got all that fire. I can do that too, see!"
He leaned back, exhaling a burst of brilliant green flame. Her companions retreated, jumping back in surprise. But Lotus only leaned closer, fascinated.
It flashed before Lotus in an instant, carrying a shimmer of underlying magic. Spellfire. The same method the Alicorn used to send you that reference material. No wonder this pony so values him.
She'd made it almost two whole hours without hearing that voice, she'd almost started to think it was gone. But no—it would be too easy to explain it away as a mere stress response to the airship attack. I'm losing it. You're not real. Searing burned the spellbook.
"That was awesome!" she exclaimed. "I can't... actually breathe fire, not like this. But yours is cool!"
"Of course it is. You wouldn't believe how many ponies don't appreciate my magic. It's even worse now than it used to be...
"Anyway, your suite is just up here. We usually keep important visitors from all over the world here. They like bringing their own servants and guards along, so there should be plenty of space."
They stepped inside one of the nearby doorways, into a suite that would've felt more at home in some impossibly luxurious hotel. Multiple rooms all made from crystal, though many were lavishly appointed with fine carpets, expensive furniture, and crystal turned slightly opaque for privacy.
Only a single master suite, with a huge bed overlooking a window with a view of Ponyville beneath, then several smaller rooms up near the front.
Not one of them had pony guards waiting to monitor her, either. Spike led them through the huge halls, opening wardrobes and doors one at a time. "Plenty of room for all your stuff, but... you don't really seem to have much."
"Yeah," Lotus said flatly. "Gus and I lost... basically everything we owned at this point. Except for his cameras."
He turned toward her at that moment, angling the GoPro directly in her face. "And be lucky I did, or we would not be on speaking terms."
The dragon made another scribbled note onto his sheet. "Just let me know if you need anything and I'll get it taken care of. You're the guest of a princess. A princess that's... waiting to meet you, Lotus. Just you. Gut—Gus and Iron, you can stay here. I doubt it will take too long."
"Just her?" Gus asked. He moved towards Lotus, wrapping one foreleg around her shoulder again. "You know we both came from another world together. I probably know more about it than she does."
"You came from..." Spike scratched something else onto his notes. "I don't think that's what this is about. Twilight loves getting into detail about magic and science stuff. But that's not what this is."
Iron Feather stiffened. "I was told I'd been assigned as her bodyguard. Orders came from Princess Luna herself! I don't think I should..."
"This is Twilight Sparkle's royal castle," Spike said, exasperated. "If there's any kinda threat that can get through the spells around it, you won't be able to help."
Iron grunted, then lifted the helmet off, settling it loudly on a nearby crystal table. "Fine. If that's what she wants. Don't get into any trouble before coming back here, Lotus."
Lotus followed Spike back outside, then up the ramp the rest of the way. At least the dragon seemed more energetic as they ascended, tiny steps coming in a rapid, scampering gate.
"I'm sure you know about the war," Spike said. "Or it would be, if she had an army. It's just one evil sorceress, but she has enough monsters that she can attack almost anywhere. Been a nightmare since she got out of her book."
Lotus nodded. "I know... a little about Searing Gale."
That little voice came to her mind again. Better than any creature ever could. You see the way they act. You know why this war was necessary. If only one tribe can survive, it will be ours.
Despite the clarity of those words, Spike showed no sign he'd heard them. Exactly like the spellbook, if it still existed.
"I don't know exactly what Twilight wanted to ask you," he went on. "But she's been working on ways to trap Searing again since she first escaped. She didn't tell me, but that's probably what this is about."
"Anything I can do to help," she said. "But I'm no princess of magic. I've only been studying it since I was transformed. Before that I didn't even know it existed."
They passed through more huge corridors, until they reached a set of closed wooden doors. Spike opened one, leading her into a study.
Lotus had visited her fair share of offices and libraries before. None she'd ever seen could come close to this. Two floors of private bookshelves, a half-dozen chalkboards and study tables and shelves covered in strange machines.
Whoever owned the place kept it just on the verge of too cluttered to move, forcing them to dodge carefully between precarious piles of books interspersed between the shelves.
"Twilight!" Spike called, voice echoing through the library. "Sorry we ran a little late, but we're here! I brought the kirin."
There was a bright flash of light and magic, and suddenly a pony stood beside Lotus. She was only a little taller—maybe Iron Feather's height, though built far leaner, elegant instead of muscular. Like Princess Luna, she had a set of feathery wings along with a horn.
"Princess Twilight Sparkle. But there's no time for formalities, so just call me Twilight." She took one of Lotus's hooves, shaking vigorously. "You're Lotus Cinder, the friendly kirin. Right? I hope that's right. These are some rare books I'd rather not see you burn."
"That's me," she said. "I promise not to burn anything."