“APPLE BLOOM!” shouted Applejack, and they all ran in the direction of the scream.
As they ran, Philip noticed that Starlight was absent from the group, and asked Twilight, “Where’s Star?”
Twilight almost stumbled in realization. “She’s with Apple Bloom! They went to get more grapes because Starlight heard from Apple Bloom you liked them!”
They heard more shrieks coming from up ahead. Please be okay, thought Philip, I don’t want to see you hurt.
They came upon a clearing, where they saw a large grey wolf with a lighter face and underside had cornered the mare and the filly. Apple Bloom was trembling, but not nearly as much as Starlight, who looked like she was frozen in sheer terror.
The wolf growled at the newcomers, its tail raised and tilted back. It then noticed that while Apple Bloom was trying to surreptitiously edge towards the group, Starlight was still frozen.
It stalked closer, and then made to spring at the mare. Before it could, however, Philip tackled it from the side and pinned it by the scruff of its neck, snarling as he did. The wolf whimpered, whining as Philip’s fingers dug into its neck.
“Stop.” The wolf stopped struggling, glancing at Philip as he barked the command. “Sit, girl,” he said, letting the wolf up, and the wolf sat. “Stay.” The wolf stayed.
Philip walked up to Starlight, and nudged her. She started, then threw her forelegs around his neck and said, “Thou hast saved me once again!” He hugged back, while the others ran up to them.
“Thanks for savin’ us from that mean ol’ wolf!” said Apple Bloom, joining the hug.
Philip looked with a puzzled countenance at the wolf. “I don’t think she’s mean,” he said. “She was favoring her right paw. I think she might have been injured. Wolves normally travel in packs, but she seems to be alone. She must have been injured and gotten separated. It’s weird, too; normally wolves will go out of their way to help injured pack members.” Philip began to move towards the wolf, who was still sitting stoically. “Something else is bothering me, though,” he said, as he approached, “Wolves aren’t domesticated dogs; she shouldn’t have obeyed me.” He stopped about six feet from the wolf, and said, “Come here, girl!” The wolf got up and edged forward, head down and tail tucked under herself, her head lowered. The mares gasped. “Don’t worry,” Philip said, “her tail’s between her legs, and she’s grinning; that means she’s being submissive.” The wolf reached him, and he sternly ordered her, “Roll over.” He accompanied this with a push of his hand on the wolf’s head. She rolled over on her back, her legs splayed, throat exposed. He knelt down, and she placed a paw on his face and began to lick at it. He stroked the fur on her neck and behind her ears, while she continued to try to lick him. They both got up, and Philip said, “Come over here, Starlight; I don’t think she’ll hurt you while I’m here, as long as you move slowly.”
Starlight looked at him as if he were insane, but took a deep breath to steady her nerves. She cautiously approached the wolf, and as soon as she could reach it, she began to hesitantly stroke it behind the ears as Philip had. Philip kept hold of the wolf at first, then let go when Starlight was not looking. The wolf looked at her, and put a paw on her face, just as with Philip. Then, the wolf licked her face, and looked at Philip. “Good girl,” he said, smiling. “Both of you,” he added, looking at Starlight. She smiled, too.
“Now you,” said Philip, indicating the wolf, “should go see Fluttershy; she’ll see to your paw.” The mares looked at him with raised eyebrows, and then started as the wolf suddenly jumped up and ran off into the woods, in the direction of the Everfree Forest. “I don’t know how I did that,” said Philip, “but it looks like that wolf won’t be bothering you anymore.” Starlight smiled again. The other mares breathed a sigh of relief at the wolf’s departure.
“Well,” said Twilight, “that was exciting.”
Starlight nudged Philip and said, “I think you may have just helped me avoid a lifelong fear of wolves of all shapes.” Philip smiled and hugged her again. She hummed at the warm embrace.
“What do you mean, Starlight?” asked Twilight, puzzled.
“Imagine for a moment you’re Luna, Twilight,” said Philip. “You’ve gone your whole life as one of the most powerful beings in the known world.” Starlight blushed, and Philip chuckled. “Am I wrong?” She shook her head, and he continued. “Now, imagine that suddenly, and without warning, you encounter something nearly unstoppable, impossibly strong and totally bent on killing you because it knows nothing else. How would you feel?”
Twilight’s eyes widened. “Oh, goodness, I hadn’t realized! That must be terrifying!”
“It is not so bad now,” said Starlight, smiling at Twilight and then at Philip. “Perhaps if I learn more about wolves, I will be less fearful of them.”
Applejack looked thoughtful. “How’d ya know that wolf was friendly? And how’d ya know it was female?”
Philip smiled fondly. “She was wolf-grinning, and had her tail down; those are signs of submission in wolves. Rolling over to expose the throat and groin areas is a more extreme sign of submission. As for how I knew she was female, well, I noticed she had…female…pheromones.” Philip trailed off, looking in the direction the wolf had gone. “She smelled like a she, which is how I knew she was a she.” He had not wanted to admit it, but his nose was far more sensitive that it should have been. He knew no human should have been able to pick up such a subtle scent, but he had. He just hoped the girls wouldn’t be suspicious; they were his only friends, as far as he knew.
Rainbow grinned. “That’s some nose you’ve got,” she said.
“That’s probably how he knew you were a girl, too,” said Applejack.
“Hey!” said Rainbow, “you’re just as stallion-y as me!” The others just laughed, but inside, Philip felt a wave of relief at their teasing tone. It seemed they still trusted him. And why not; they had no idea humans did not have such acute senses.
As they returned to the tree, Big Macintosh let out a sigh and said to Philip, “Thanks fer savin’ mah sis.”
Philip patted him on the back and said, “It was my pleasure.”
“So what were you going to tell us before?” Twilight asked, sitting down.
“Ah,” said Philip, “that. While Mac and I were talking…Oh! Did I tell you?” He grinned. “I remembered something! I come from someplace with lots of grapes and olives, near a river called the Eurotas. I also had some sort of flashback where I was dressed up in bronze plate armor. I was in some kind of battle, and I remember being speared in the stomach and taking an arrow to my neck. I collapsed, and that’s about it.”
The group stared at him, wide-eyed. “Wow,” said Rainbow, “so you were in the army, huh?”
Philip nodded and said, “I suppose so.”
“Well,” said Starlight nuzzling up to him, “you’re certainly my hero.”
Philip smiled for a moment. Then his expression turned serious, and he said, “We need to tell Celestia that someone is impersonating one of her agents; a stallion saying his name was Stone Slab approached me and said he was investigating the werewolf, but he had no idea who I was and tried to get me to tell him where Luna was. The guy gave me a bad feeling, and so did his Griffon friend, who by the way was watching me from the trees. As if that wasn’t suspicious enough, he had meeting eyebrows, and we all know what that could mean.”
“Ya mean he was the were-thing that attacked the Princess?” said Applejack.
“Maybe,” said Philip, “but that alone isn’t enough; since Griffons have claws, the only way to really know is to see if he has fur under his tongue. Anything else is circumstantial.” He got up. “Well, I’d sort of like to get back to work, now that I feel rested.”
“Nothing fazes you, does it Philip?” said Twilight with a smile.
He shrugged. “Life’s too short to waste it worrying.” He looked off into the distance. “Time marches ever onward, grinding mountains down to nothing and pushing new mountains through the clouds. Volcanoes bury entire cities, only for more to spring up. Waves wash away islands, only for lava and earthquakes to make more. Species go extinct and new ones evolve; and lives begin and end while the sun and moon watch unchanging ‘til the end of days itself.” He sighed. “Now I feel kind of melancholy.”
Starlight looked at him, puzzled. “You sounded so sad just now.”
Philip smiled wistfully at her. “I guess I just know what it feels like to watch the world move around me while I just endure.”
She smiled. “Me too.”
They returned to the trees where they’d left off, and Applejack said, “Well, time ta get back ta work.”
Big Macintosh trotted up beside Philip and said, “Think you could buck a tree?”
Philip shook his head. “Not like you do.” He paused. “But I think I have an idea. Let me try something.” He walked up to a tree, and rested his forehead against it. “Think you could kick the other side? I want to get a feel for the force.”
Big Mac shrugged. “If that’s what ya wanna do,” he said. Big Mac bucked the tree on the opposite side from Philip, who closed his eyes as he felt the tree vibrate.
“Let me try that,” said Twilight, trotting over. She rested her head against a tree, and Big Macintosh kicked.
“Oww, owowowowow,” yelped Twilight, recoiling as if stung. She held her hooves over her horn. “How did you stand that, Philip?” she said, eyes watering.
“I guess I just have a harder head than I thought,” said Philip, “Here, let me try something.”
“What are you…oooohhh…ooohh, don’t stop, please,” said Twilight. Philip had grasped the base of her horn and was gently rubbing it, stroking and caressing the spirals.
“This isn’t something we should be doing in private, is it?” quipped Philip, prompting a blush from Twilight. She shook her head, and then held it still as Philip stroked it one more time.
“Better?” he asked her.
“Much, thank you,” she said, smiling at him.
“Alright,” he said, walking to another tree as Big Mac set his hooves back down, “let’s see if I can do this.” He closed his eyes, inhaled deeply, and struck the tree straight on with an open palm, in the place on the trunk where he had seen Applejack and Big Macintosh aim their kicks. To his astonishment, the trunk shook violently, and every apple fell from its branches.
“Whoo-hoo!” shouted Rainbow, “Go Philip!”
Big Mac was awestruck. “That was impressive, doin’ that with just one hoof…er, hand.”
The others applauded, especially Starlight Dream. Philip bowed, and they resumed their work, but with Philip striking trees with his palms. Once they were done for the day, Philip, Starlight and Twilight left for the castle. “Y’all come back tomorrow!” said Applejack, waving as they left. “With yer help, Applebuckin’ Season’ll be over afore the Starlight Ball!”
Philip smiled and waved as they walked, then turned to Twilight and asked, “When we get back, you mind telling me what the Starlight Ball is?”
Starlight spoke up. “The Starlight Ball was my idea. It will allow ponies to enjoy the night sky as never before. There will be dances throughout Equestria, and a large ball will be held in Canterlot. There will be stargazing, dances, and pamphlets detailing constellations and myths associated with them. ‘Tis my attempt at expanding the knowledge of nighttime amongst my little ponies.”
Philip smiled at her. “Just now,” he said, “you looked happier than I’ve ever seen you. I loved it.”
Starlight smiled back. “I love it when ponies enjoy my night.”
They continued on through the cool evening, walking silently side by side. Philip gazed at the natural beauty around him, smiling to himself at the golden color of the grass, the crimson sky, and the violet color the blood-red sun was dyeing the clouds.
The sun sank below the horizon as they neared Ponyville. As they walked, a stallion in the bushes looked on, hidden by branches and shadows, and muttered, “So there you are, Princess Luna. You and Princess Twilight will soon be ours.” Then he slipped away.
-HR-
“Is something the matter, Philip?” said Twilight. Philip’s expression had just turned stony.
“Yes,” he said, “There’s a stallion watching us in the bushes, and he seems to be after you and Luna. I’d bet money he’s a Talon, and worse yet, he knows about Starlight. We need to tell Celestia right away.”
Starlight and Twilight looked worried. “Let’s hurry back to the castle,” said Twilight.
“Hey Twilight,” said Philip, smiling slightly at her, “I think this would be a good time for me to try carrying you.”
Twilight shook her head. “I’d like to, but I don’t think this is the time for-EEP!”
As she was talking, Philip had picked her up and put her on his back. Twilight noticed Starlight already in Philip’s arms. Then she squeaked a second time as Philip dashed forward, the town dissolving into a blur as he sped along. Wow, she thought, he’s really fast!
They crossed Ponyville in a matter of minutes, and were nearing the castle when Philip stopped, setting the mares down gently. He frowned, and said, “I think there’s someone in your castle who shouldn’t be, Twilight; all the lights are off.”
He was right; there were no lights, and the sun had gone down by the time they reached the castle. Spike should have been there, but the structure appeared uninhabited. The crystal tree-building was dark, and quiet.
“I’m going in the back way,” said Philip in a soft voice.
“But there isn’t a...” Twilight trailed off as Philip jumped up to the side of the structure and began to climb to the balcony. Twilight had to marvel at his skill; he resembled an ape, certainly, but he did not look like he was so naturally suited to climbing such a structure. Despite this, he made it look effortless.
Starlight, meanwhile, approached the front doors. “Twilight Sparkle, do you know anything of combat magic?”
“I know several spells, but I haven’t actually had combat training,” said Twilight.
Starlight gripped the door handle, steely determination etched on her face. “It will do. Are you ready?” Twilight steadied herself, and nodded the affirmative. Opening the door slowly, Starlight tiptoed into the darkened castle with Twilight close behind.
As they trod silently up the stairs, they heard voices coming from a passageway to their right, and followed the sounds to the ballroom. The doors were similar to the front doors, but made of green glass instead of gold and bearing Twilight’s Cutie Mark in white and magenta. They nodded once to each other, and Starlight flung the doors open, shouting, “Reveal thyself, knave!”
“SURPRISE!!” shouted what looked like half of Ponyville. Starlight jumped three feet in the air, and Twilight just laughed as the lights came on.
“And here I thought Pinkie had forgotten,” she said, “What was I thinking? Of course she’d throw Philip a welcome party!”
The ballroom was large and ornate, massive crystal pillars supporting a balcony that stretched along the rim of the room; a pillar at the other end was circled by a set of stairs leading up to the second level. Green tapestries with a white tree design sewn in lined the walls, and the dance floor was golden with a violet star design. The room was filled with ponies of all shapes, sizes, colors and tribes, crowded in the center and waiting to surprise the guest of honor.
Starlight stood clutching her chest as her heart rate returned to normal…then suddenly flattened herself against a wall as Pinkie appeared abruptly next to her and shouted, “You betcha! I’d never let anypony into Ponyville without a Pinkie Pie Welcome-To-Ponyville Party. I just waited a little so it’d be a surprise!” She looked around. “Where is Philip, anyway? Ooh, ooh, did he decide to stay at Applejack’s and sleep there? Did he decide to sleep at Rainbow’s house? Did Fluttershy come by and ask him to sleep with her and be her teddy bear because she saw a scary shadow and…mph!”
Pinkie’s tangent was cut short when Twilight stuck a hoof in her mouth. “No Pinkie, I don’t know where Philip is.”
Pinkie suddenly looked crestfallen. “He didn’t leave, did he?” she said, tears welling in her eyes.
“No, Pinkie, I didn’t,” said Philip, jumping from the second floor and landing in a crouch amid the partygoers. Some looked worried, but others looked impressed. Then the pony Twilight had called the mayor trotted up to Philip.
“Mr. Philip,” she said, “I would like to formally apologize for suspecting you were a threat to our town, and welcome you for as long as you choose to stay. I am the mayor of Ponyville, Mayor Mare.”
Philip shook her hoof, and said, “I understand, Mayor Mare, I really do, but just out of curiosity what really convinced all of you I wasn’t dangerous?”
Two mares, a mint-green unicorn with a sea foam mane and a cream-colored Earth Pony mare with a pink and indigo mane walked up behind the mayor, and the cream-colored mare said, “We heard about what happened to Derpy; that was so nice of you to defend her like that.” The green unicorn was looking at Philip with a smile. “I’m Sweetie Drops,” said the cream-colored mare, “and this is my sister Lyra.”
Philip smiled. “It’s nice to meet all three of you.”
Suddenly, Pinkie Pie leapt out from under a nearby table and shouted, “Come on, everypony! Let’s PARTY!”
-HR-
The party was splendid and raucous in what Philip took to be typical Pinkie Pie fashion. There were games, cupcakes, pies, fruit punches, and several friendly faces. He joined in a game of pin the tail on the pony, and almost immediately after being spun around he was able to walk in a nearly straight line and pin the tail directly onto the pony in the poster. Despite this, he was uneasy; while he acted like he was having fun, every sense was on the alert for the Talons. He found himself looking at ponies and listing weapons that could possibly be hidden inside a top hat or a sun dress. While he could understand being on edge, he found his ability to identify potential threats both comforting and troubling. It seemed he was quite adept at more than just hand-to-hand combat, but the question was, why?
-HR-
Twilight found herself in a conga line with perhaps ten other ponies. It was moments like these when she could cut loose and have fun that made all the chaos and strife she endured worthwhile. She loved that the ponies around her had known her since before her ascension to royalty, because it meant that even though she was a princess now, she was still treated like Twilight Sparkle. When the conga line dissolved, she made her way over to a desert-covered buffet table. She looked to the side and saw Philip writing a letter. “Are you telling Princess Celestia about what happened?” she asked.
He nodded. “I thought we should let her know about that mystery stallion, not to mention Stone Slab and his Griffon friend Major Unibrow.” He rolled up the letter, and asked, “Could you give this to Spike as soon as possible? You can read it, if you want, I trust you as much as I’m sure she does. I’d rather you didn’t, though; I got a little…upset at the end.”
She nodded and he thanked her, and then went to get some punch. He didn’t look that upset, she thought to herself, looking at the letter. It was strange that he would need to tell her such a thing; usually when a pony was upset, Twilight could tell almost instantly that something was wrong. Perhaps it was because he was a human, but she had seen no sign on his face or in his bearing that indicated he was perturbed. She opened and read it. Just to check for errors, she thought.
$$$
To her royal majesty Princess Celestia,
I regret to inform you that our ruse appears to have failed. A stallion who was following us, and who is almost certainly a member of the Talons of Shadow has seen through Luna’s disguise; worse yet, from what I heard him say they appear to be after Twilight Sparkle as well. For your own safety, I would advise you to tighten security in Canterlot. I also recommend sending more Royal Guards to Ponyville to keep an eye out; Pike Line cannot hope to keep adequate watch by himself, no matter how well-trained he may be. I also believe that Luna’s disguise may now be useless, but I wish to hear your opinion as well, and the decision to drop the disguise is ultimately Luna’s.
I had a minor altercation, by the by, with some Pegasus bullies shamelessly taunting a young mare by name of Derpy Hooves. I attempted to help them to realize how unmanly unstallionly their actions were, but they would not listen to reason and I was forced to remind them that the truly strong do not need to attack those who are weaker than themselves. In doing so, however, I discovered that I have some skill in fighting; I was able to momentarily paralyze the wing of the Pegasus who had stolen Miss Derpy’s mailbag (please know that I only resorted to physical force when it became clear that they intended to escalate the fight). No one was injured, but I thought it prudent to notify you. Rainbow Dash, Pike Line, and Derpy herself will testify that I was merely defending myself and another (not that you need to hear this; I am only concerned others may take it the wrong way).
I feel I should also mention that a stallion by name of Stone Slab tried to bring me into ‘custody’ with regards to the werewolf issue. He claimed to be acting on your orders, but I am certain this is a lie; he was also in the company of a suspicious Griffon who had brown feathers, tawny fur, and a single eyebrow across his forehead (one of the signs of being a werewolf; the other two are curved fingernails and fur under the tongue). These two are to be watched, as they had no idea who I was and asked for Luna; I trust that were they your agents, you would have informed them who I was, though I could understand keeping Luna’s whereabouts a secret. This may mean nothing, but it may also mean that they are agents of the Talons. While I cannot be certain that he was a Talon or the Griffon a werewolf, the two seem to bode ill.
On a more personal note, I believe something may be wrong with me; I seem to strike fear into the hearts of animals, and I appeared to exert a suspicious power over a wolf earlier today (while your sister and your subject Apple Bloom are not likely to complain about this, it disturbs me greatly). I also appear to be incredibly strong, fast, and agile; I was able to leap twenty feet in the air, by Pike Line’s estimate, and I crossed Ponyville in mere minutes carrying Twilight and Luna (though neither is very heavy). In addition, I have an unsettling ability to squeeze through small spaces, which I used to gain entry to Twilight’s bedroom from her balcony. Don’t worry; I was just securing the castle because we thought someone had broken in (it was just a Pinkie Pie Surprise Party). I won’t do anything naughty with your faithful student!
Humor aside, I had a scare yesterday when Rainbow Dash asked if I could be the werewolf. I realized that I probably was (and I was in a building with your sister, Twilight and her friends, and three small fillies)! I cannot express how worried I was; I did not want to be a monster, so I immediately asked Twilight to use her spell to find out if I knew how to discover a werewolf. Imagine my relief to discover I was not. I still worry, however, that there is something evil in me. I cannot imagine a worse fate; I have grown fond of your sister as well as your student and her friends (platonically, of course), despite only having known them a short time. I do not want to put them in danger, but I would be devastated if I had to leave to protect them. I will ask Twilight to try her spell again later, however; regardless of what I want, I cannot allow myself to remain here if it might put anyone in danger.
I hope you do not think me a worrywart; I am actually rather happy, all things considered. Applejack has allowed me to earn money by helping with the apple harvest, and Rarity has offered to make me clothes. I hope you are well; I imagine that this issue with the Talons and the werewolf are adding to what is no doubt a titanic workload already. Please remember to rest properly, and feel free to drop by; you are quite pleasant to be around (again, platonically).
Yours,
Philip Oscar Johnson
PS: I found out my name!
$$$
Twilight looked at Philip in wonder. Oh my…I had no idea he was going through that, she thought. She was shocked; the ponies she knew would have reacted with panic. She herself could recall situations where she had become embarrassingly frantic over far less. The fact that he was able to keep his composure as he had was nothing short of astounding. To be afraid like that, and immediately think of our safety…
She smiled. “You’re no monster, Philip,” she whispered. He looked at her, and mouthed, “thank you”. She started, and then waved back at him.
-HR-
Philip, meanwhile, was talking to the mayor. “So, Miss Mayor, I thought it would be a good idea to give a speech to Ponyville and address any concerns they may have. I’ve heard them muttering a lot, and as nice as Ponyville is, mob mentality is notorious for turning good villagers into bad ones.”
The mayor nodded. “I’ve noticed it, too; I actually wanted to ask you if we could hold it tomorrow at seven-thirty in the evening.”
Philip smiled and said, “Tomorrow evening should do nicely.” They shook hands/hooves, then Philip went over to Starlight, who was looking lost, and said, “Care to dance, milady?”
Starlight was puzzled. “But this is not dancing music.”
Philip chuckled. “Sure it is, just not slow dancing. Let’s join that conga line; that looks fun.” Starlight smiled, and allowed Philip to lead her into the party.
The party lasted for what felt like hours of fun and games, but around midnight the guests began to leave. Philip told Applejack about the speech, and she told him she understood.
“We had a problem with Zecora, too, ‘til Twi and my sis let the town know she was okay. Ah’ll even be there for ya, providin’ it don’t take more’n an hour.”
Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Pinkie also offered to be there, as did Rarity, who told Philip she was making outfits for the ball in Canterlot and asked if he wanted one.
“I don’t think I’ve been invited,” said Philip with a half-smile.
“Nonsense!” said Starlight, “Of course thou art invited! Thou shalt be my personal guest!”
Philip blinked, and then said, “Okay, I suppose I am invited.”
Rarity gasped. “Oh my stars, I almost forgot.” She handed Philip a bundle, which turned out to be a new set of clothes, complete with shirt, pants and light jacket.
“Thank you Rarity, but…”
“Upupup! They are a gift, for being a wonderful po…ah, person. After all, we would have lost one of our Princesses without you!”
Philip smiled wonderingly at her. “I knew you’d want to give me something,” he said, “but it still makes me happy to feel so welcome. Okay then, if it’s a thank you gift, I suppose I earned it.” He chuckled. “I’ll keep my old clothes, though; I’m still going to need some money, and I want to help Applejack with her harvest anyway. Don’t want to get my nice clothes all sweaty, do I?” The mares all said goodbye and left, save for Starlight and Twilight.
When they were gone, the three friends returned to the castle library to wind down after the party. As they went, Philip made an effort to puzzle out his thoughts regarding the kindness of the ponies. They had accepted him so readily; perhaps too readily. It felt strange to be trusted, to have everything he said taken at face value. It was almost as if he was used to being regarded with suspicion, or even outright distrust. He hoped his memories would return soon.
As they settled down in the library, Starlight said, “Philip, something has been bothering me about last night. I told you about my dream, but you never told me about yours.”
“Dream? What dream?” asked Twilight, looking confused.
“I had a dream last night about a Talons member,” said Starlight, shivering. “He seemed to be choking me, and when I woke up I had a bruise around my neck as if the dream had been real.”
Philip nodded. “It was light,” he said, “but I could tell it was there. It was gone this morning, though.” Starlight looked relieved. Philip was glad; he felt strangely protective of his new friends, especially Luna.
“Oh my, Princess, I’m so sorry,” said Twilight, resting a sympathetic hoof on Starlight’s shoulder.
“Please, Twilight Sparkle, just call me Luna, or rather, Starlight while I’m like this,” said Starlight. “So, what about your dream?” she asked, turning to Philip.
“I dreamt I was the werewolf,” said Philip, “and I killed someone. At first it looked like Pinkie, then Applejack, then Fluttershy, then Rainbow, then Rarity, then you, Twilight, then you, Luna. I woke up covered in sweat.”
The two mares looked sympathetically at him. “I read the letter you wrote to Princess Celestia,” said Twilight. “Is this what that thing about being a monster was about?”
Philip nodded. “I like you girls, I really do, and I don’t want to hurt you in any way.”
Suddenly, he found himself in a huge hug, from both Twilight and Starlight. “You aren’t a monster Philip,” said Starlight as they let go, “Believe me; I would know.” She froze then. She appeared to be terrified of something. Philip had an idea of what; there could be nothing behind him that would frighten her, or he was certain he would hear it. So instead, he threw his arms around both mares and returned their hug.
“Thank you,” said Philip, holding them tightly, “that means a lot.”
He had been almost irrationally worried that they would hate him, and he could not help but wonder if he had been treated badly in the past. His memories thus far had given no indication of such a thing, but he had felt uncomfortable from the beginning with respect to the ponies of the village. He did not quite understand why, but something about villages filled with cottages seemed to give him a bad feeling, as if he had had bad experiences with them. He hoped that when his memories came back, the mystery would be solved.
“Now,” he said, letting go, “let’s talk about something else. I know!” He rummaged through the pockets of his clothes. “Let’s see what else is in my pockets besides my driver’s license.” He checked in the main pocket of his wallet. “This must be money,” he said, taking out a paper bill.
“Fascinating,” said Twilight, taking notes on a notepad.
Philip chuckled; that seemed like Twilight. He then looked through the compartments of his wallet and found another card with Library written on it. “Hope I don’t have any books checked out; hate to keep them over the deadline,” said Philip. Twilight nodded. He then checked his other back pocket and found a handkerchief, a small mirror with a small hole in one end, and a square of folded orange plastic.
“What’s that for?” said Starlight, looking at the mirror.
“I think it’s a signal mirror,” said Philip. He unfolded the plastic, and was surprised to find it was a garbage bag as tall as he was. “I think this could be used for signaling, too, or as a sleeping bag or rain poncho,” he said. Then, he looked in his left side pocket, and pulled out a knife, a set of keys, and a small box.
“What are these?” said Twilight, picking up the keys.
“They’re keys,” said Philip.
“They look so different from the keys here,” said Starlight.
“So what’s in the box?” Twilight asked.
“What’s…oh, this is an emergency fire starting kit,” he said, “I have waterproof matches, a flint and striker, and a fluid lighter.”
“Wow,” said Twilight, “were you expecting to get lost in the woods?”
Philip shrugged. “Luck favors the prepared,” said he. “Now, let’s see what’s in my other pocket.” It turned out to be a second knife, this one serrated (“for cutting rope, I think,” said Philip), and a small rectangular metal device. He opened the device to reveal pliers, a small saw blade, a third knife blade, a screwdriver, a can opener, a bottle opener, and a small ruler.
“Wow,” said Twilight, “you really are prepared.”
Philip smiled. “And I’m lucky, too. After all, I’m friends with the two of you.” Both mares blushed at that.
“I think we should tell Celestia about our dreams,” said Philip to Starlight, “so I’m going to write another letter, since I forgot to mention them in the last one.” He unrolled another scroll of parchment courtesy of Twilight, and wrote down all that he could remember of his dream, asking the Princess what she thought it meant. Starlight added the details of her own dream as well.
“Well,” said Twilight yawning, “I think I’ll turn in.”
Starlight yawned, too. “I will sleep as well, but only for a few hours. I must return to my normal sleeping schedule to raise the moon and bring forth the night.” Philip agreed that it was time to go to sleep, so they all went to their beds.
Later that night, Philip was lying awake on his mattress, unable to fall asleep. He was tired, but he was not sleepy; after about four hours of rest, he felt refreshed but fatigued, as if he needed avoid exertion for a while. He heard Spike’s snoring coming from Twilight’s room, and decided to check and see if Starlight Dream was awake yet. He found all three of his friends in bed, but Twilight Sparkle looked as if she had only just fallen asleep. A book was on the table next to her, and she was lying halfway on and halfway off her bed. Philip walked quietly over, and gently moved her onto her bed, where she rolled on her side. Philip tucked her in, and she sighed in her sleep. He smiled, but then stopped. Twilight’s position on the bed caused the right side of her neck to be exposed, and Philip could see the slight pulse of her jugular vein in the dark. The sight elicited a strange, visceral response that Philip could not explain, even to himself. It’s almost as if I wanted to…no, that’s silly. Just then, he caught sight of himself in a mirror, and was shocked by what he saw. When did my eyes turn red? This he thought, even as they changed back to their natural green.
He went to check on Starlight, and found her still sleeping. He sat down by her bedside as he contemplated waking her, but just then, Starlight stirred. She rose, and looked around her. Philip walked up to her and said softly, “Awake yet, Starlight?” She responded by wrapping her forelegs around his neck and trying to pull him onto the bed with her.
She nuzzled him, eyes closed, and mumbled, “Hug me, Sister; my stars are drinking tea again.”
Resisting the urge to laugh, Philip just hugged her back. I’ll let her sleep some more, he thought.
&&&
Philip’s eyes shot open, and he leapt out of his bed. Running in absolute silence, not even thinking about how he was doing it, he raced from his own room to Luna’s.
After tucking Luna in, he had returned to his own room to try and rest. However, an hour later he found himself still unable to sleep. Now he was wide awake, racing back to Luna’s room. He silently opened the door, and beheld the scene before him.
Tears were leaking from Luna’s slumbering eyes, trailing down her cheeks like liquid diamonds. Tiny whimpers came from her muzzle, and she stirred fitfully under the covers, muttering. Philip approached her carefully, and sat down on her bedside. He began to stroke her head and neck, humming a soothing melody. Her eyes fluttered, then she slowly opened them. She gazed sleepily up at him for a moment before jerking awake and putting on a fake smile.
“Philip!” she chirped far tooo brightly. “We were…ah…we were having a dream about…ah…our favorite tear-puller movie! Yes!”
“Tear jerker, Luna,” said Philip, “and I can tell you’re lying.”
Princess Luna sighed. She sniffled once, and then said, “I am sorry, my friend. I just…you recall what I had said about the nobles, correct?” Philip nodded and she continued. “They have become far worse these past few months. It is almost like it was a thousand years ago!”
“Luna…” said Philip.
“You should hear them!” she sniffled. “They seem to believe I am planning a rebellion! As if I would ever betray my sister a second time!”
“I know, Luna,” said Philip, “and I don’t think you should be around these nobles anymore. They sound like ponies who aren’t worth knowing.”
“But I want friends, Philip!” Luna choked out. “I wish to have ponies who love me for who I am! Who love my night and my moon as they are! It’s all I want…all I’ve ever wanted.”
“Luna…” began Philip, but before he could finish, they heard a bloodcurdling scream. They looked at each other, wide-eyed.
“I’ll wake Twilight,” said Luna. Philip nodded, and then rushed to the balcony and flung the doors open. He ran to the railing, and jumped to the ground, rolling as he landed to dissipate the force of dropping several stories. Looking up, he thought to himself that most people should have been grievously injured from such a fall. However, he soon shook the thought away; there were more pressing matters than his inexplicable durability.
Looking around, Philip surveyed a scene of utter bedlam. Ponies were running left and right. “What’s going on? What’s everyone doing out this late?” Philip roared. Lyra ran up to him.
“You’ve got to help us!” she shouted. “Please, there are Timberwolves running through the town! We woke up when we heard a noise outside and when we went out there were Timberwolves and I can’t find Sweetie Drops and…”
“Lyra, get inside,” said Philip firmly, “and tell everyone else to stay indoors as well. The wolves shouldn’t come into your house; they are wolves, after all.”
“Yeah, but what about…”
“I’ll see if I can find her,” said Philip. She thanked him and ran to her house. He watched her go, and then jumped up to the roof of a nearby building and ran towards the screams. He could not help but wonder what the problem was; a pack of wolves should not warrant such a disturbance, though it was strange that they were in the town. Wolves were not ordinarily this bold in approaching civilization.
Arriving at the town square, Philip saw five large creatures that resembled wolves, but appeared to be made of branches and twigs. They were growling at a group of ponies who were huddled together against the town hall.
What the…?
He jumped down onto a balcony on the town hall and pounded on the door. It quickly opened to reveal the Mayor wearing a nightcap and carrying a candle.
“Philip!” she shouted, “what are you doing on my balcony?!”
“No time, Mayor,” said Philip, “There are ponies in danger right outside town hall! I’ve heard of Timberwolves, but this is ridiculous!”
“Timberwolves!?” shouted the Mayor, dropping her candle and extinguishing it. “I’ll open the doors! See if you can keep the Timberwolves at bay somehow!”
Suddenly, they heard a high pitched shriek. Looking around, they saw a small, purplish-grey filly chased into an alley by three more Timberwolves. “Oh, no! Dinky!” shouted the Mayor.
Philip did not stop to think; he moved. Jumping off the balcony, he soared through the air to land right between the Timberwolves and the crowd and took another flying leap over them. Landing on the other side of them, he yelled, “Hey dogwoods! Is your bark worse than your bite?”
The Timberwolves growled at him, and he leapt over them once more. Then he ran down an alleyway, the Timberwolves following. He was alone; they probably figured he’d be an easy meal. These wolves were far too bold for Philip’s tastes.
Philip ran into the alley where Dinky had been chased to find her trembling on the ground, with the three Timberwolves. Leaping over them, Philip moved to stand protectively over Dinky. There were now eight Timberwolves closing in on him, and no one else was in sight. Now what?
Suddenly, one of the Timberwolves lunged. Dinky screamed and covered her eyes. The Timberwolf seemed to grin in midair.
Then Philip hammered it into the ground with his fist. Before the Timberwolf could rise, he flipped over it, grabbed its tail, and swung it like a club to knock the other Timberwolves out of his way. Slamming it into the ground once again, Philip grabbed Dinky and ran out of the alley, hopping over the felled foes.
He ran back out into the square, where the Mayor had opened the doors and ponies were flooding into Town Hall. Philip set Dinky down and said, “Get inside and don’t come out until an adult says it’s safe.” She nodded and scurried in amongst the other ponies.
Turning, Philip ran towards the alley, where the Timberwolves still were. “Catch me if you’ve got the phloem!” he yelled, and the Timberwolves pursued as he led them away from the crowd.
He stopped outside of Twilight’s Castle. “Now all I have to do is get Twilight and Luna and we can…”
“AAAAAHHH!”
“Now what?” yelled Philip as he turned towards the scream with a snarl. These Timberwolves are starting to tick me off, he thought as he rushed towards where the sound had come.
He arrived just outside of Carousel Boutique, where Spike was trapped by three more Timberwolves. He leapt over the beasts and landed by Spike’s side. “What are you doing out here?” he growled at the baby dragon.
“I wanted to make sure Rarity was okay!” he said. “And I figured, since I got away from Timberwolves before, you know, I could handle it!”
“Any chance you know how to beat these things?” asked Philip.
“No,” said Spike, staring at the Timberwolves. The ones chasing Philip had joined with the other three, and now eleven Timberwolves were surrounding them, growling and baring their fangs. “We’re dead,” said Spike, “I’ll never see Rarity…or Twilight…or Princess Celestia…I’ll never see them again,” he said, hugging Philip. One of the Timberwolves lunged, jaws gaping…
…and was crushed into the ground by Philip’s fist, the blow shaking the ground and creating a divot in the pavement. Philip released a feral snarl, and then threw Spike up to the balcony. “Stay up there,” he shouted, turning to face the Timberwolves.
One stepped forward, eyeing the man hungrily. Then Philip spoke.
“You’re wood pulp.”
The Timberwolf sprang at him.
His punch crushed it into splinters.
Another leapt at him, and he kicked it into a building on the other side of the street, its body dissolving into shattered twigs and broken branches as it flew.
One more charged at him, and he grabbed it by the snout quick as lightning. Swinging it over his head, he slammed it to the ground with such force the pavement cracked. The Timberwolf shattered, its body crushed.
Then, Philip ran straight for the rest of the Timberwolves. He flipped over two of them and grabbed them by the tails. Swinging them over his head, he brought each down on another two Timberwolves, crushing four with one move. He repeated the feat with the remaining Timberwolves, leaving nothing behind but piles of broken wood.
“That’ll teach you to mess with my friends,” said Philip, turning away. He heard a noise behind him, and turned to discover that the pieces of the Timberwolves were floating through the air of their own accord.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” he muttered, as the twigs formed a massive shape. Wooden fangs jutted from wooden jaws. Yellow eyes glowed in the dark. Hot, stinky breath blew over Philip as a gigantic Timberwolf lowered its jaws to eat the man in a single bite. “You do not run when you are beaten back, and you keep fighting when no fear is shown,” said Philip.
The jaws stopped. “You are not wolves,” said Philip, holding the massive creature’s jaws open.
“You are not predators,” he said, prying them wider.
“Είστε καυσόξυλα.”
“You are firewood.”
With a roar, flames filled the gaping maw of the giant Timberwolf, and as Philip released it the beast let out a howl. As it did, it stood up on its hind legs. This was exactly what Philip had been waiting for; he leapt straight for the left side of its chest.
He cocked a fist in midair, and hit the Timberwolf square over its heart. His fist left a hole in its chest as he kicked off from the beast’s torso. He pointed at the hole as he flew through the air, and flames erupted inside it. The Timberwolf’s howl could be heard throughout the town as the flames consumed it.
It let out a shriek, clawing at its own throat. Then, with a crash that rattled every window in the town, it fell on its side and whimpered. Philip rushed at it, drew back his hand, and clawed at its throat; he left a massive gash from which flames erupted as the Timberwolf’s veins filled with fire.
Standing over the massive Timberwolf, Philip snarled, “What are you? I know you aren’t wolves; no wolf would come into a town and terrorize its people unless it was rabid, and I know you aren’t rabid.”
There came a whimpering, and Philip glanced over his shoulder to see the wolf from earlier gazing at him with sad, soulful eyes. Her eyes seemed to beg Philip to spare the giant wolf. Turning back to the creature, he noticed it was looking at her and growling softly.
“Alright, if this is your pack member, I suppose I can show some mercy,” said Philip. He drew in a great breath, and then exhaled, willing the flames to die down. He left them burning just a little, however; he still had questions.
The Timberwolf’s mouth moved…and to Philip’s astonishment, he recognized speech.
“We are the Everfree Forest’s guardians; we protect it from malevolent trespassers. The ponies invaded too many times-have stolen from the forest too many times. They have no respect for nature; not like the zebra. She respects nature; she does not defile it. The ponies must pay for their insolence.”
“The ponies respect nature more than you know,” said Philip, “but I can see that a misunderstanding has occurred.” He reached out to the flames, willing them to die out fully. The Timberwolf breathed a sigh of relief as the fire left it.
“Thank you…we will need time to recover,” it said, burnt branches falling from it, “but in time, the ponies in cloaks will be made to pay for their crimes.”
“The ponies in cloaks?” asked Philip.
“They destroyed countless acres of plants,” it said. “They fouled the springs, and ran into the village when we tried to catch them. The Talons must pay. We will make them pay.”
“You’ve been used,” said Philip, scowling. “The Talons wanted you to believe they were from Ponyville, when they’re actually a group of criminals.”
“Are you sure of this?” asked the Timberwolf.
“The Talons of Shadow tried to kill one of my friends,” said Philip, gritting his teeth. “Believe me when I say I would love nothing more than for you to have caught them. They are as much my enemy as yours.”
“Then perhaps if we find them, you could aid us,” said the Timberwolf. “You have bested us in combat; we have never truly lost to a single foe, let alone one so small. You are a mighty opponent, fire-creature.”
“Philip,” said the man, “my name is Philip.” Turning to the she-wolf, he said, “So what’s her story?”
“We guard the animals of the Everfree,” said the Timberwolf. “We need no rest, and require only the fruit of the sacred trees for our sustenance.”
“Sacred trees?”
“The trees that bear the rainbow fruit. They are the source of our power, and we guard them jealously. Only once have we caught a pony stealing from our sacred grotto, and though we guard it more closely than ever, we often see them eating the fruits. They are stolen without us even knowing now.”
“These wouldn’t happen to be called Zap Apples by the ponies, would they?”
“Yes. Despite our best efforts, the ponies continue to steal them.”
“Actually,” said Philip, smiling now, “the pony who took your apples planted the seeds. Trees grew from those seeds, and that’s where the apples you’ve been seeing came from. That’s why you never caught her stealing them again; she’s been growing her own.”
“Truly?” gasped the massive creature, so that wind could be felt as it took in breath. A grin split its face, and it dissolved into scraps of wood. Some of the scraps continued to glow green, while others floated away in the direction of Applejack’s orchard. The glowing wood re-formed into a regular-sized Timberwolf, who said, “The grotto has truly grown! Our strength has expanded now, and the mare who stole our apples is to thank! Take us to her, if you can, so that we may pledge to protect her orchard forevermore!”
“I can take you to her granddaughter, she runs the acres now. You’ll have to explain to the ponies what’s been going on, though.”
“That is fine,” said the wolf, “but we will need your help, as they cannot understand us.”
“Alright,” said Philip, “let me get Spike, and we’ll go.” He jumped up to the balcony where Spike was.
“How’d you…what’d you…were you talking to a Timberwolf!?” said Spike, staring down at the creature still left there.
“Couldn't you see?” asked Philip. He hoped not; he did not want his pyrotechnical abilities to be common knowledge. He had not realized until just that moment, but controlling fire should not have been possible for him, and he feared the ponies’ reaction to it.
Spike, to the man’s relief, shook his head. “I had my eyes covered. I thought you were a goner!” He gestured to the Timberwolf. “So did you two talk to each other?”
“Yes, and there’s been a huge misunderstanding,” said Philip. He did not mind revealing this; Fluttershy could talk to animals, so it seemed unlikely that others would react badly to him doing it as well. “We need to go tell the town before they get torches and pitchforks and start a mob.”
“You really think they’ll do that?” asked Spike, raising his eye ridge as Philip picked him up.
“Yes,” said Philip, jumping to the ground and scaring the living daylights out of the Dragon, “so we should get to town hall right away. That’s where we’ll find everybody.”
“You mean everypony.” Spike shook himself, recovering from the fright quickly.
“Tomato, Tomato, Potato, Potato,” said Philip, alternating the long and the short ‘a’.
“Huh?” said Spike.
“Never mind, let’s just go,” said Philip, picking Spike up and leaping across buildings towards the Town Hall, the wolves following along.
“So, quick question,” said Philip, racing across buildings as the two wolves dashed down the street. “Why exactly did you act like you were going to eat that filly?”
“We wished to frighten the ponies enough that they would never harm our trees again,” said the Timberwolf, “though now we realize we have been duped.”
“You’re darn right you were,” said Philip.
When they arrived, they saw a large gathering of ponies milling about outside the town hall. Philip landed with a thud, and ran over to where Twilight, Luna and the other five mares were all standing, having an agitated discussion. Luna was posing as Starlight once more.
“You’re sure you haven’t seen him?” asked Twilight. The mares all shook their heads. Philip jogged up behind her and placed Spike on her back.
“He was checking on Rarity,” said Philip, sitting down beside her with a flop.
“What were you thinking!?” shrieked Twilight, levitating Spike off her back and plopping him down in front of her where she could look him in the eyes, and he her.
“I…I just wanted to be a Noble Dragon so I wouldn’t get greedy again and you wouldn’t make me go away,” he said, sniffling.
Her face softened immediately. “Oh, Spike,” she said, wrapping him in her hooves and wings, “how could I send you away? You’re my number-one assistant!”
“And little brother, apparently,” said Philip, smiling at them.
“How do ya figure that?” asked Applejack.
“How would you react if it was Apple Bloom?” countered Philip.
Applejack opened her mouth, closed it, then opened it again and said, “Ah agree with Philip; Spike’s Twi’s little bro, even if he ain’t a pony.”
“I guess so,” said Twilight, nuzzling the little dragon.
“And you must admit, it was rather valiant of him to rush to my rescue,” said Rarity, smiling affectionately at the young Dragon, “even though it was rather ill-advised.”
“This is all well and good,” said Starlight, “but what of the Timberwolves?”
“Apparently the Talons of Shadow tried to sic the Timberwolves on us by tricking them into thinking Ponyville was responsible for the senseless destruction they’d wreaked on the Everfree forest. The Timberwolves are its guardians, and when they thought ponies had destroyed the forest for no reason…”
“Okay,” said Spike, “I can see that, but why attack me?”
“You breathe fire, Spike; I’d be scared of you too, if I were made of wood.”
“That is it indeed.”
Several ponies shrieked as the Timberwolf appeared from the shadows, the she-wolf by his side. “The horror! The horror!” shouted a hot-pink mare with a blond mane, promptly fainting.
“Relax, folks, he just wants to say something to Applejack,” said Philip, getting up and stretching.
“Yeah?” asked Applejack, “What’s he wanna…HOLY CELESTIA!”
The Timberwolf had leapt at her and pinned her to the ground, where it proceeded to lick her face repeatedly.
“They’re extremely grateful for Granny Smith planting those zap apples,” said Philip, chuckling as she tried to fend off the wolf’s eager tongue.
Getting off Applejack, the wolf turned to Philip and said, “Please tell them we apologize for our assault on their homes, and that we no longer bear them any ill will; despite what may have happened many years ago, we no longer bear grudges.” It collapsed into debris, and floated back towards the forest.
“Well Applejack,” said Philip, turning to the mare, “I think the Timberwolves just grew a great deal of respect for your grandmother. Apparently Zap-Apples are sacred to them.”
“…Y’all speak Timberwolf?” said Applejack.
“It looks that way,” said Philip, “and they’re positively elated to hear that Granny Smith grew Zap Apple trees.” The ponies in the square all stared.
“So that’s all you talked about?” said Twilight.
“No, it also apologized for tonight,” said Philip, drooping, “and it said no hard feelings, so I don’t think they’ll be back, either.” The crowd murmured its relief, and began to disperse.
“Are you alright, my friend?” asked Starlight, “You look quite weary.”
“I’ll be alright,” said Philip, sighing to himself, “I’m just worn out, that’s all.”
They headed back to the castle, Philip looking up at the moon. It was getting closer and closer to being at the height of its glory, and Philip stopped for a moment to bask in its glow. He inhaled deeply, practically drinking in the moonlight. He found himself becoming less tired, as if the light was giving him strength. He puzzled on this for a moment, before hearing Starlight ask a question of Twilight as they walked on ahead, passing a pair of trash cans on the left and a dark alleyway on their right.
“What I don’t understand,” said Starlight, “is what the Talons hoped to accomplish by sending the Timberwolves into Ponyville. Why would they do that?”
Suddenly, Philip spied a dark figure darting out of the alleyway towards the pair, the glint of a knife visible under its cloak.
Dashing forward at full speed, Philip grabbed the lid off of a trash can as he raced past, on an intercept course with the cloaked figure. Bringing the lid up like a shield, he deflected the knife just as the figure made to stab Twilight’s neck from behind. Before the mare could gasp, Philip had pushed the figure away with his makeshift shield, putting distance between his friends and the would-be assassin.
The assassin lunged at Philip, drawing another knife, but this time Philip was ready. Spinning out of the way, he swung his trash can lid sideways, slamming the edge into the temple of the assailant with enough force to dent the metal. The assailant spun across the street into another alleyway, but when Philip dashed over to look, there was nothing there but the assailant’s knife.
Picking up the knife, Philip raced back to the two mares to find Twilight had erected a barrier around herself and Starlight. She opened a space to let Philip back in.
“Well,” said Philip, “I guess they were trying to draw you out so they could kill you in the confusion. What say we all sleep your room tonight, Twi? Maybe tell Celestia in the morning?”
“I think that would be a good idea,” said Twilight. She was shivering in shock, but her voice was even.
“And we should find Pike Line tomorrow and see if he’d be willing to get us a protection detail,” said Philip.
“I agree,” said Starlight, nodding curtly. “Hopefully then you will not need to save us all by yourself so much, and you can rest a bit.”
They hurried back to the castle. As they raced along, Philip had one thought racing through his mind; so long as the Talons were free, he would not rest. He could not afford to; if he lost his friends, he would lose the only thing in his life worth living for.