If Zachery had to describe the disguise Rarity had made him, he would detail it as being itchy, yet well made. The very... creative getup covered him completely and layered in such a way that it slightly distorted his form. The cloak and robe ensemble was made from a random assortment of miscellaneous cloth Rarity found on the yacht. Which was just a nicer way of saying that Rarity had quite literally, and savagely torn up bed sheets and curtains to make his disguise. Watching her work had been awe inspiring as it was the most violent display of creation he had ever seen. He had never seen Rarity work in such a rage induced way. Then again, considering what they had to do regarding Applejack he couldn't fault her misplaced aggression.
They excluding himself had to act friendly towards Applejack as their every move was closely watched by the many inhabitants of the cruise ship. They couldn't yell at, avoid or straight up reject her in front of the general public without it becoming a much bigger issue both on the small ship and once they docked in Equestria. They had enough issues as it was and creating more was something none of them wanted. So, Twilight told them to swallowed their anger and betrayal and issued a schedule were they took turns being with Applejack as not to create suspicion. As Applejack and the unlucky pony of the day pretended to be just the best of friends, the rest of them avoided her like she was the living embodiment of the plague.
He didn’t like it.
Not for the reason of felling sympathy for Applejack. Far from it. He knew unquestionably that if Applejack was a soldier of any division, of any city, and had the gall to leak such information. Information which was so sensitive that the highest ranking officers demanded secrecy, because they knew it would cause mass panic and injury? And then, from what Twilight said, to have the direct consequences of her actions ‘tear Equestria apart’?
Well, the execution laws may be heavily debated among civilian and martial circles, but they were still law. In that instance, Applejack would be hard pressed to find anyone willing to put their own honour on the line to drag her away from the talons of the law. Even if she was pardoned all she would have to look forward to was exile. There was nothing more hated then a person who would sacrifice the wellbeing of the group for their sole benefit. Even if it was a crime done in a moment of irrational passion.
No, the reasons for why he didn’t like this situation was purely selfish. For one, the days that he spent on the yacht were excruciating. He couldn’t leave his tiny, pony-sized cabin not even at the deadest hours of night to stretch his wings. The chances of him running into a pony or any other such creature that could identify him had been much too high. All Zachery could do was stew in his own thoughts as Rarity angrily and vocally took his measurements and as Twilight desperately tried to think of a plan B.
Which brought him to the second reason why he didn’t like the way they had been dealing with Applejack’s betrayal.
Zachery’s thoughts were briefly put on hold as he hunched farther forward as a train attendant, the same attendant that walk past them five times already in the last hour, tried once again to look under Zachery’s large hood. The attendant giving him once last look of curiosity left in defeat, and Zachery shifted in his seat to glace out at the fast moving Equestrian landscape. Specifically at the large mountain range and the castle who, despite its bright colouring, very appearance placed a horribly sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. The very same mountain the train was making its way toward.
Canterlot, they were going to Canterlot, and every fiber of his being shivered at the thought. He felt nauseated. He knew it was irrational. The possibility of Canterlot having the same characteristics of any of the slave market towns that his history books spoke of was impossible. Canterlot wasn't a city during the Demon Kings rule, and even if it was it would have been a less than a memory now. Hell, even if Canterlot had somehow stood the test of time it would be infinitely different now. The nature of Fare, for how stagnate its perpetual farm life is, was much more different then it was even ten years ago.
That train of thought was horribly soured as he remembered that the Demon King's direct descendants were still alive, currently ruling Equestria, and more than certainly remembered his hellish teachings. To add to and already terrible situation, he was mere moments from meeting both princesses in their own castle and as a direct consequence of that would be completely vulnerable to their impulses.
Under the large sleeves of his disguise his nails bit into his palms and threaten to draw blood. It was a terrible coping mechanism but it was better than suddenly excusing himself whenever he felt the need to jump out a window and find a hole to bury himself in.
A very vocal part within him despised Twilight for this sudden change in plans, and making him sweat like this. Yet, the more rational side of him argued in Twilight’s defence. More so when it took into account how much she hated her choice and how because of it she still couldn't look him in the eye. He knew that Canterlot was far from her first choice and that it was genuinely the only choice she had.
Twilight's first plan to have him stay in Ponyville had been shot to hell since the leader of the Equestria-wide anti-human militia was there. Twilight’s second plan was to hide him in some other outlying town and therefore avoid all confrontation with the paranoid and panicked. She thought, surely all of Equestria couldn’t be filled with militia. All she had to do was find just one place where the severely corrupted misinformation on humans had yet to reach.
That idea was equally shot to hell the moment they had docked on Equestria’s shore. When they saw the port town dressed from ears to hoof in makeshift amour they all knew this problem was much larger than originally thought. To make matters worse the joyful mask they used around Applejack caused the passengers to believe that everything was just fine among the elements. So fine that they just had to tell everyone about the Princess of Magic's grand return.
They could only watch in horror as the ponies getting off the yacht with smiles splitting their faces happily told the ponies on the pier how, since Princess Twilight and the elements were back in Equestria, everything was fine. All they had to do was wait for them to come off the yacht, address them and then answer their many questions. When the crowds snapped their attention to the yacht Twilight was the only one who didn’t take cover.
Twilight’s resulting meek wave did not calm them down.
Twilight had to teleport them bags and all off the yacht and into a port town hotel she had prepared beforehand. She immediately teleported away leaving them in an angry flash of purple, and after a few tense moments she came back seven train tickets in mouth. On the resulting train ride to Canterlot Zachery learned three things. One that the journey to Canterlot by train was a day-night-day journey. Two the train carried an up-to-date newspaper on what towns the militia was protecting, and three that Twilight had a surprisingly imaginative vocabulary when it came to swears. He had heard a new one each time Twilight crossed off a town on the newspaper due to militia activities. Despairingly, he lost count somewhere around thirty-seven.
Now a day later their train was climbing the mountain to Canterlot, and his nails dug deeper into his palms with each slight bump the train made. Suddenly he was filled with the worst case of Déjà vu.
The tension in the car raised to a crescendo as a mare walked in, the bell in her mouth lightly chiming with each hoof step. She gently place the bell on the floor and addressed them in the same light airy tone that her bell made. “In a few moments we will be in Canterlot thank you for riding the Friendship Express. I hope you enjoy your stay.” Not feeling the pressure in the cart the mare picked up the bell and trotted out a soft jingle following her.
Once he could barely her the bell Twilight got out of her booth to address them. “Okay, listen up!” Twilight stated, briefly staring into each of their eyes. “The second that this train stops I’m teleporting us into Canterlot Castle." She looked to him regret reflecting in her eyes with each word she spoke, "Zachery that’s the large building with gold and purple tops we saw when coming up to the mountain. Make sure you and your luggage is close to me when we stop, I-I want to do this before we get attacked by the militia.” Her eyes began to lower as spoke him, “I can't possibly express how...”
Twilight finished weakly her eyes staring straight at the floor, and with a laboured breath she continued, "Please, give me one more chance to make this up to you. I know how this looks believe me I do, but allow me to show you that all ponies are not like this. That the militia that you saw are just scared and mislead because of the lies of a pony they wrongly put their trust in."
From the edge of his vision Zachary could see as Applejack flinched at Twilight’s words. Applejack hesitantly opened her mouth in what would be the first time that she tried to explain herself after her disastrous explanation on the yacht.
“Twilight, I-”
“Applejack. No.” Twilight snapped harshly cutting Applejack off. Her horn flashing angrily as she lost her tempter, “I don’t want to hear it, or anything else you have to say. Don’t you see that this can’t be fix with an apology? Why can’t you just-” Twilight pause huffing as she agitatedly kneading a hoof against her eye. Slowly she lowered her hoof and looked straight into Applejack eyes. Her face scrunched in indecision between righteous fury and pleading sorrow, “Can’t you say anything, anything at all that can justify what you did? Just tell me one reason why I should trust you.”
Applejack looked at each of them, her eyes pausing briefly at his own. With her ears as low as her head she spoke, “I'm sorry Twilight. There is nothing ah can say, and no reason ah can give that can excuse me. No matter how much ah want to make it up ta you.”
They stayed silent as the train car was overcome with darkness as the passed through the last tunneling leading up to Canterlot. For the briefest of moments the Twilight’s horn weakly illuminated the shadows revealing the misery and betrayal on Twilight’s face. Something, she had refused to express since the day they had entered the yacht. Just as the image appeared the bright light of day flooded back into the cart as the streets of Canterlot were opened up to them, chasing the anguish on Twilight's face away.
“Get close the train is going to stop soon.” Twilight said levitating their bags towards herself. Her face now as blank as the tone she had addressed them in.
Zachery felt as the train slow, its wheels hissing as it came to a stop. Then interior of the train car disappeared in a flash of blinding purple light and he had to resist fidgeting as the feeling of being thrown through time and space encompassed him. Until Twilight had done so he had never been teleported. Of all the things humanity was able to copy in terms of magic from ponykind teleportation was not one of them.
It always ended up with people coming out... wrong on the other side. As such he couldn’t help but check himself for injury once the teleportation was over, even if the last time had left him unharmed. In this instant he was momentarily too distracted to react properly to the spear jabbed inches from his face. All he could do was stare not so blankly at the glaring gold plated stallion holding the incredibly sharp weapon at his face.
“Halt what is your business here!” The stallion yelled shifting on his hooves. Zachery's eyes shifted from the spear to the stallion himself and tried to put a name to his appearance.
Gold plated armour and a blue toothbrush-like thing sprouting from his helmet. Day guard. The bipedal stance that the Day guard adopted was awkward to say at the least. Zachery could see how much weight the guard was putting on his spear to balance himself out, and the way that the legs trembled every so often from stress reinforced how unbalanced the guard was. Briefly he was reminded of his fight with Applejack.
So was this a normal stance that ponies took to stand up to something larger than they were? Well, it was good to know that ponies were this unused to facing something that was bipedal. Now only if he could calm down enough to dissipate the black haze of magic swirling within his sleeves.
His salvation came in the form of Twilight yanking the pole arm out of guard's grasp and throwing down the marble hallway. Twilight angrily spun on the guard and shouted so loud that dust shook from the corridor's ancient walls, “Guard, you will stand down!”
The guard's widen and he quickly fell into a bow. “Princess Twilight, you’ve returned!” He raised his head the barest hit of sheepishness gracing his face as he spoke. “The Princess asked for your urgent presence in the throne room the moment you have returned.” The guard hesitated, “Forgive me for my forwardness last night a thief was caught prowling the castle. The whole guard is on edge after the thief came so close to escaping. Having somepony dressed as... foreign as your guest show up so suddenly-”
“Being on edge is not an excuse to use excessive force!" Twilight replied much of the sharpness of her voice dying away, "A lesson that I have learned the hard way." The sober tone in Twilight's voice waned and she addressed the guard once again looking much like the leader that she boasted to be, "Have some servants bring our things to our room. I need to speak to Princess Celestia as much as she needs to speak to me.”
The guard tensed at Twilight’s words, and slowly he replied as if his very words could shatter the walls of the castle, “Princess Twilight I think you are mistaken. Princess Luna wishes to speak to you. Princess Celestia had taken ill not long after your departure and has been confined to her bedroom ever since.”
To Zachery it was surprisingly unnerving seeing Twilight suddenly fall apart. Her posture swiftly dropped from a regal princess to a shuttering child.
“What do you mean Celestia’s sick? How can she get sick? Alicorns don’t get sick!” Twilight exclaimed shoving her face inches away from the guard’s.
“I-I don’t know how she got sick!” The guard quickly explained, "Princess Luna said that Princess Celestia caught an illness that only affects alicorns. I do not know anything about it other than that the affected alicorn must be quarantined. Only Princess Luna knows about-” The guard didn’t get to finish as Twilight was already running toward the throne room.
“Twilight wait!” Rarity unsuccessfully called out for her, “How can that mare be so stubborn! Zachary come with us. We need to talk some sense into her, and explain your situation to Luna. Right now Luna is the temporary ruler of Equestria and she needs to hear about you.” Rarity sighed agitatedly rubbing her forehead. “Leave for a couple of months and everything goes to-” Rarity shook her head of those thoughts. “You know what? We’ll deal with this later. Come on!” With that she took off in a sprint.
Zachery jogged after them trying not to trip or get lost in the many hallway they ran past. It would have been nice if they remembered that he couldn't really move inside of his ridiculously itchy getup. Yet still he was moving faster than Applejack who seemed to trying to melt into the pristine walls. He snorted, he shouldn't be thinking about her now. He needed to memorize the path that Rarity was leading them down. It was always good to have a clear escape route especially when going into an unknown and possibly volatile situation.
For example, turning a sharp corner to find large assortment ponies whom of each leaked nobility and pride standing in front of large golden double doors. Zachery’s heart leaped into his throat at the sight of the mob of ponies in front of him, and with his head up and his eyes facing forward he breathed.
He was not afraid of the ponies in front of him. Even though the sight of their adorned hooves rising and striking the ground in annoyance choked him. Even as his mind wondered to the thick rope of the tapestry hanging innocently around them, and how easy it would be for them to have him drawn and quartered...
The sharp pain from his tightening hands brought him back to reality. A reality where the ponies by the door looked too weak to raise a teacup towards their own lips, and were if things did turn sour he had studied the path they took here. There were glass window lining the halls and more than enough ways for him to escape. If the situation somehow deteriorated that far. They didn't know what he was, but he knew what they were. All he had to do was watch as this confrontation unfolded, and hope that Rarity could stop her mad dash before she injured herself.
Rarity stopped just before she ran head first into a heavily decorated mare that for a split second froze in fear as Rarity screeched to a halt. The mare composed herself enough to glare at Rarity, and with narrowed eyes was about to denounce her before she paused and actually looked at Rarity.
Like a particularly decorated switch being flipped a wide pleasant smile spread across the mare’s face. “Oh how wonderful! We were so worried about you when we saw Princess Twilight enter the throne room alone. My, what would we do without you all?” The mare said inching closer to Rarity smiling sweetly while daintily pawing at the air in front of her.
As he finally came down from his previous panic high, Zachery found that he had to force himself from bringing attention to himself by snorting. He hadn’t see such blatantly fake acting since his first school play.
“My name is Flawless Emerald. You must have heard of me, yes?” The now named Flawless Emerald said, her ridiculous eyelashes fanning at each element before stopping abruptly at him. Flawless Emerald stared at him, and he could see the gears in her head moving as she took in the stylish mishmash of overlapping cloth. “Who-”
“Well!” Rarity exclaim forcing the mare’s attention away from him and back at herself. “Flawless Emerald it was absolutely marvellous speaking to you, but we must speak with Princess Luna. So if you would just excuse us.”
“Oh, I would love too! Once you ask some questions of course.” Flawless Emerald said her voice taking on a more irked tone. “Questions Princess Twilight rudely ignored before Princess Luna even more rudely kicked us out of the throne room.”
“Look lady we don’t have time for this kind of stuff.” Rainbow Dash said hovering down in Flawless Emerald's face, “So why don’t you step aside and let us do our job.”
“Oh, excuse me.” Flawless Emerald said her nose rising high in the air, “I must haven been mistaken. I thought your job was to save Equestria in time of need. Not run away and hide while our country tears itself apart, but I digress.”
“We just got back! It’s not our fault you guys couldn't chill for a couple of months!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed her forehooves raised in exasperation.
“Chill! How could we chill we there are humans running around kidnapping foals and laying their eggs in unsuspecting travelers?” Flawless Emerald snapped back, "They are replacing our foals with their own parasitic spawn and you want us to chill?"
“Oh for the love of…What is wrong with you?" Rainbow Dash shouted, the aggravation she felt transiting into her wings and sent manes and cloth bellowing in the resulting breeze. "Where would you even get something like that anyways?”
“F-from Sir Macintosh and the Ponyville Knights of course.” Flawless Emerald said taken aback from Rainbow Dash’s outburst.
Rainbow Dash landed stiffly on the ground, her shoulders shaking as she collected herself, “Of course, where else from?” Rainbow Dash quickly spun around and walked away from Flawless Emerald, past Rarity, past the straight haired Pinkie Pie, past Fluttershy’s muted form, past himself and up to Applejack the farthest person away from the commotion at the imposing double doors. She walked right up to Applejack’s face and Zachery found himself straining to hear her voice.
“You want to fix the mess you made right?” Rainbow Dash snarled under her breath, her hoof striking the ground carpeted marble, “Well don’t you?”
“More than anything sugar-” Applejack trailed off as she visibly shrank under Rainbow Dash’s hard glare, “More than anything Rainbow Dash.”
“Well than tell them.” Rainbow Dash said her body tensing and nose flaring with each word she spoke, “Tell them way Equestria is tearing itself apart over a creature that hasn’t stepped in Equestria in thousands of years, and is no threat to us. Tell them about everything you did. About everything you said and the lie you told straight to Twilight’s face. Just don't speak Zachery's name. Not until we can figure something out.”
Applejack visibly paled at Rainbow Dash words, “Rainbow Dash I can’t-”
“Yes. You. Can. If you can break our trust you can put some decency back into your element by telling the truth.” Rainbow Dash snapped holding Applejack’s gaze for a second longer before turning around and walking up to the throne room doors and Flawless Emerald. “If you want the truth the Element of Honesty will be happy to give it to you. Now, move.”
Flawless Emerald scurried out of the way letting Rainbow Dash pass her, who only paused to call back to them, “Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, bed sheets and curtains come on already!”
Zachery gave one last look at Applejack as she stood wide eyed and panicked as she was swarmed by Canterlot’s elite and a few stray reporters before closing the doors behind him.
“What do you mean I can’t see Celestia?”
His attention was forcefully grabbed by Twilight’s loud exclamation. Zachery followed the direction of Twilight’s glare up an unnecessarily large stair case to a dark purple and blue throne. The inhabitant of said throne froze him by the doors.
She was big. Bigger than Twilight. He had heard Pinkie Pie describe Luna as being larger than themselves but he didn’t realize how much bigger that was. While Twilight only came up to his chest Luna not counting her sharp, sharp, horn easily came up to his neck. It was especially disturbing when he took into account that Celestia was supposed to be even larger than her sister. Then again, shouldn’t that be expected when taking into account who their father was supposed to be? From what he knew for the report on the Griffin encounter he was standing in a room with the direct hell-spawn of the Demon King. A fact he was reminded of when she trained her ancient eyes on him.
Ancient, but somehow not malicious.
“…Twilight,” Luna said outright avoiding Twilight’s question if favour of observing him. “Who is that?”
Twilight spun around her face twisting form worry over Celestia to realization of how maybe running to the throne room without introducing her findings, or the results of her mission was a bad idea. Now cornered by Luna on one side and her largest failure as a princess on the other Zachery could see as Twilight started to sweat.
“Um, Princess, well Luna that is to say…” Twilight started her words becoming more and more fumbled.
“Twilight Sparkle you are now a princess of Equestria. Thou cannot be muddle in your actions and intentions.” Luna said, turning her dark blue eyes away from him to address Twilight. “Who is it have you brought within our courts during these trying times?”
Twilight shifted on her hooves before throwing a glance towards the stoic guards standing at either side of Luna’s throne. “I first want to say that this is definitely the most classified thing I have ever been a part of. I don't want to insult you but I must know, can they be trusted?”
Luna looked at Twilight one delicate eyebrow raised. “My guards are to be trusted. I hoofed picked them myself.”
“I know that really I do, but,” Twilight expression changed and Luna's eyes widen. “Are you really sure that they can be trusted. Completely, with absolutely no hesitation?”
Luna’s eyes flickered back to him and he had to force himself to stay still in the face of her intense gaze. It was one thing staring down Twilight it was a totally another thing being stared down by Luna. Where Twilight lack in confidence, power, and wisdom, Luna did not, and Zachery found himself slowly edging toward the offensive.
“My guards are to be trusted and this place is secured.” Luna replied her tone holding a certain finality as she restricted her gaze to him. “Twilight Sparkle, who is this?”
Twilight didn’t answer her immediately instead she turned to face him or rather the door behind him. Her horn lit up and he heard the click of them locking shut. Twilight sighed heavily, before turning her attention to him. “Zachery, can you remove your disguise. Please.”
He did not hesitant pulling off the mass of intruding cloth off. If he needed to fight or more than likely flight his movement could not be hindered. With his arms and legs freed he stood straight and fell back into his standard easy smile as he saw Luna's jaw open while she looked over him.
“Luna.” Twilight said gesturing at him her voice clear as she tried to radiate determination, even as her hoof started to shake. “This, is Zachery. He is a human we found on the Forsaken Islands. The only human we found. We brought him here because his injures," She faltered here, "these injures were so severe that they would have caused him to die if he stayed there. We need too-”
Twilight stopped speaking as Luna had teleported from her throne and now stood inches from Zachery's face. He froze as Luna stared intensely at his face. Her eyes where wide with disbelief and he swore that she had stopped breathing. The sudden teleportation and invasion of space had been too much, and this time he couldn’t keep himself from reacting when she moved a hoof towards his face.
He quickly stepped back a hand shooting out to grab the princess’s forearm stopping her advance. His nails dug into Luna forearm not hard enough to hurt her, but hard enough for her to blink away the haze of shock from her eyes.
Luna pulled her foreleg out of his grasp and stepped back quickly putting distant between them. She stared where he had grabbed her before lowering her hoof and speaking, “We- I apologize for my forwardness. It is just- you must understand. I believed your species to be extinct. To see one of your kind alive and walking around-” Just as the amazement was breaching on Luna’s face it was quickly chased away with despair. “Oh no.”
Twilight quickly looked between them from his painfully strained smile to Luna’s growing horror, “Princess- Luna! What’s wrong?”
“Twilight Sparkle,” Luna said turning to look at Twilight, “you must understand that you could not have come to Canterlot with this news at a worst time. You must leave quickly before news of your guest spreads around these grounds.”
“Is this about the ponies outside?” Rainbow Dash asked before beating a hoof against her chest, “You don’t have to worry about them. It would be a cold day in Tartarus before I let them get to Zachery.”
“Rainbow Dash your words are noble, but I worry not about the ponies outside this throne room’s door.” Luna replied for a spilt second glancing hatefully at the double doors. “Let us come away from the doors I fear I have some grave news to tell you.” Luna voiced before walking further into the throne room causing them following behind her. Just before reaching the stairs leading up to her throne she stooped, and with a nod that Zachery could see was more to herself than them she spoke. Her eyes stayed trained to the stained glass sun and moon décor displayed over her sole throne.
“Twilight,” Luna began, “You asked why you couldn’t see Celestia, did you not?”
Twilight stiffen from Luna’s sudden addressing of her. “Yes, I did. If Celestia is sick because of a rare alicorn sickness please let me help. I can't sit back while she is in pain not when there is something I can do to help her."
“Twilight I’ll have you know that if this was a mere sickness you would be the first pony I would turn to for help. With your knowledge, and how attune you are to magic I believe you would have cured Celestia easily. However,” Luna turned to look at them her face the painfully grave, “In all my thousands of years of life I have never seen such a sickness such as the one that ails my sister.”
“Pardon me Princess,” Rarity interrupted, confusion clear in her voice, “The guard said you knew about the illness and that regular ponies had to stay away from her.”
“That is true, I did say such a thing.” Luna answered her voice calm and even as she addressed them, “Another truth is that I lied about Celestia’s true condition to many of the guards, and Equestria as a whole.”
Twilight gaped, and her eyes swam with disbelief before focusing back at Luna, “Princess, how could you-!”
“You would have done the same if you were to behold witness to the ruin which is my sister’s mind!” Luna snapped her eyes flashing pure white as thin dark wisps of storm clouds swirled at her head. The storm lasted breath too long, and Zachery found he had to force himself still as the power of the Demon King’s daughter churned angrily mere feet away from his being.
Just as he was ready to evacuate the throne room hopefully taking as many of the ponies who were on his side with him the storm lessened. He saw Luna's strain as she forcefully dispelled the clouds around her. She panted softly as the glow from her eyes faded away and revealed her natural dark teal eye colour.
With a heavy exhale she once again addressed them. “Forgive us. These past months have been very taxing on us, yet that does not give us the excuse to how they say 'blow up' on you.”
Twilight was the first to recover, and she plaintively spoke up to the still straining princess, “Luna, what happened to Celestia?”
“Twilight I do not know the manner of the sickness that has befallen my sister. As I say this I do not know how to bring her back.” Luna said her eyes rapidly blinking as the smallest glimmer of moisture threatened to fall. “However, I do know this. The pony which came to me for help, the pony that has kept us up at night with her dark muttering, the pony that I had to seal within her own room for the safety of those within and outside this castle, that pony is not my sister. My sister…my sister has never and will never wish the death of thousands to fulfill her own goals. My sister is does not lust for the blood of the innocent or… or the death of foals. If you gain anything from my words Twilight know this, it has been a fortnight since my sister has inhabited this castle.”
Twilight ears fell flat against her head, “…the death of foals…Celestia would never…!” Twilight trailed off as Luna’s words registered. The beings of tears lined her eyes as she whispered, “What did this sickness do to Celestia?”
“That,” Luna said her eyes quickly flickering to Zachery, “is something I will tell you without an audience.” Luna’s gaze fell on the bandages warped around Zachery’s neck and stilled at the twin dark bands burned onto his wrists and up to the mostly healed burns that snaked up his arms, “It seems that we both have much to speak about.”
Twilight flinched under Luna’s asking stare. “Y-yes we do.” Twilight turned back to face them, “Can you girls bring Zachery to our suite. I think I am going to be here for a very long time.”
Fluttershy who had seen the look Luna had given Zachery returned Twilight’s uncomfortable look with a glare. “I suppose you will.” Her face lost its distained by the time she turned to look at him. “Come Zachery you must be tired, and I have to look at the burns on your neck,” She expressed putting a hard emphasis on the word neck. With that Fluttershy gently nudged him toward a side door avoiding the gathering just outside the large throne room doors.
The last thing he saw from the throne room was Twilight’s low hanging head and the growing worry on Luna’s face. The last thing he heard was Luna’s asking voice.
“Twilight, how did Zachery get so injured?”