Exploration turns out to be much longer than expected.

by Totito30

Home sweet home.

J´zar had told Twilight that he preferred not to meet Celestia again. He excused himself saying that he was tired.

Indeed J´zar was, but the indecision he felt only made it worst. J´zar didn't want to think about it, but the subject just kept coming back to his head all the time.

"Okay then, I'll go" Twilight answered to J´zar's plea.

J´zar saw her depart in another blast of magic.

"So ¿what now? For us ponies, I mean" Rainbow Dash asked.

"I wish I could answer you, little mare" J´zar thought inside his head. Just then he remembered he had a report to give as well.

"I advise you to salute any other friends you might have" J´zar said, trying to get the mares off his back "I'm sure they are worried about you".

Saying various sentences of agreement, the mares departed towards the town. They didn't seem to notice J´zar wasn't following them at all, just staying behind. As soon as they were out of sight, he ran off to a nearby tree, slammed his back against the trunk of the tree and pulled out his radio. J´zar turned it on and waited.

"J´zar...¿you there?" the interferences made the words of Sp´hre almost unintelligible.

"Yes, Commander" J´zar answered.

"Good. ¿What is it? ¿Is Ix dead?" she asked.

"Yes he is" J´zar said, happy to give good news "But I do not know what to do now. I must admit this dimension has a certain allure in it".

"¿What's the special thing about it?" Sp´hre inquired yet again.

"Oh, nothing in particular" J´zar didn't knew exactly why was he hiding things "But it looks promising, with green fields and a lovely weather, at least for now"

"¡Well then, I guess we'll be glad to have you back!" Sp´hre spoke happily, not knowing that those words both calmed and terrified J´zar at the same time.

"J´zar out, Commander" he said, cutting the communication.

J´zar had his answers. He was leaving. He had to.

J´zar walked away from behind the tree, wandering into the town. He felt lost, as if a single piece of him was missing. Inside, he wanted to stay. Even though at the beginning of the trip he felt a certain dislike for the mares that were his partners, there are some things one can't go through without befriending those who accompanied you in them.

Just as he was starting to feel horrible, Twilight Sparkle reappered besides him in yet another blast of magical energy.

"Wow, we are like two squares away from the main plaza ¿what's wrong with me today?" Twilight told Spike (who was sitting on her back)as she gave a puzzled look around until she found J´zar "¡Oh, there you are!"

"Listen Twilight..." J´zar started saying. But suddenly he changed his mind. The fatalism that had traveled in life alongside him was now telling him that his departure was inevitable. No need to make it harder.

"¿What is it?" the unicorn asked before J´zar could rephrase himself.

"Oh, nothing, nevermind" the warrior hid up his lapsus "¿So? ¿What did the Princess say?"

"She says she wants to personally congratulate you" Twilight said "and asked Pinkie to set up a party"

"¿A party?" J´zar asked worried. He had never been fond of parties. Too much noise for his ears.

"Outdoors" the mare explained. J´zar sighed in relief. Parties he didn't like. Banquets were a different matter "¡The whole town is invited!" Twilight finshed.

J´zar felt his soul falling to the floor yet again. Sneaking out of a large dinner table would be very hard with everyone watching him. The gears of his mind were already working down a plan.

The preparations of the banquet kept the six mares busy as they worked on their respective responsabilities. J´zar saw Fluttershy teaching a few birds how to sing a cheerful melody as he walked past a bifurcation on the road. Curiosity got the best of him, and he approached the mare. The birds, perched on a branch of a dead tree growing in the small patch of earth between the two roads, stopped singing as soon as they saw J´zar approaching. Without any other warning, they spread their wings and flew away.

"¿What happened guys?" Fluttershy said. Since she was looking at the tree, she couldn't see J´zar walking towards her from behind.

"Hello" J´zar said when he was just thirty centimeters away from her.

The cream-colored mare let out something mid-ways between a squeal and a scream as she turned around.

"I'm sorry if I startled you" J´zar said.

"Erm...no...you didn't" Fluttershy curled up into a ball. Her fore and hind legs were almost touching due to her positon.

"¿What are you doing?" the warrior said curious.

Fluttershy muttered something so low and so fast J´zar didn't catch a single word.

"Ummm...yes, excellent work" J´zar said, unsure if the answer was logical "¿Mind if I sit here for a while?"

Fluttershy shook her head. J´zar sat on the ground at her side and let out a sigh. It was probably the last chance they would have to talk.

"¿Why are you so shy?" he asked. The nature of people's actions and feelings had always been an interesting topic for J´zar, and he was planning on expanding it to ponies.

Fluttershy remained silent.

"¿Is it because you are afraid of sounding stupid?" J´zar realized he asked because he felt pity on the mare "Please, tell me"

"I-I guess. Maybe" Fluttershy managed to say. She had changed position again. Now she sat on her hindquarters, putting her front hooves in the ground.

"In that case, let me tell you that you are a very smart mare in my opinion, regardless of what any other man or pony says" J´zar tried to comfort her "¡And I have never met before someone so skilled with animals!"

Fluttershy looked at him smiling.

"Thanks you" she said, rubbing her nose against J´zar's arm.

"Nevermind. It's my pleasure to help a friend" J´zar answered scratching her behind the right ear "But now we should get going. It's going to get late"

Flutteshy nodded and got up. She and J´zar started walking towards the town. When the mare and the man reached the main city, they couldn't keep going. The majority of the street was occupied by a massive table which was apparently designed to accomodate an entire town. Which was exactly what it was doing. There was nopony sitting at it, but the mares and stallions around it seemed to be very nervous about something.

Twilight Sparkle approached them.

"¡Oh, praise Celestia you didn't appear here late!" she said "J´zar's seat is up there, at the head of the table, right besides the Princess, and Fluttershy goes with the other five below them" Twilight finished explaining their positioning and ran away, evidently in a hurry.

The bystanders started to take their seats. Fluttershy was standing at the side of a small wooden coat hanger. She seemed to be talking with a flock of birds who where perched on the coat hanger. Shortly after, the birds emitted a symphony of chirps and from behind the throne at the head of the table appeared Princess Celestia, walking solemnly towards her seat. She took her seat and pronounced a formal speech on how prideful she was of several things. J´zar (like many other ponies) was bored by the speech. The only speeches which managed to captivate him where the ones about glorious battles and similar things.

But finally, the speech ended and the Princess took the first bite out of a delicious salad the royal chefs had made specially for that ocasion.

J´zar used his first opportunity to leave the table, saying he needed to relieve himself. He made a dash for the forest entrance without any pony seeing him. He found the white portal still hanging there. He took a last look behind his shoudlers to the town and took a step forward. A voice called for him before he could take the final step into the portal.

"¿J´zar?" said Fluttershy.

"¿Fluttershy?" the aforementioned was equally shocked "¿Why aren't you at the party?"

"I was returning the birds to their homes when I saw you over here" the mare explained "By the way ¿what is that thing over there? If it doesn't bothers you, of course"

"It's a portal to my dimension" J´zar said dejectedly.

"Oh. So you are leaving" Fluttershy hid her face behind her pink mane "¿Can I come?"

"No, you can't, my child" J´zar said hiding his sorrow with a smile.

"¿Why are you leaving?" she said, not able to hold the tears anymore "¿You hate us?"

"No. I like you six a lot" he affirmed "But my job is to fight corruption. And here I find none"

"¿Are you happier there?" the pegasus asked again, walking closer to him.

"Yet again, no. I am happier here" J´zar said "But there is people who need me at the other side. I can't be so selfish how to care only about me"

"Please ¿will I ever see you again?" Fluttershy cried out. She was standing just in front of J´zar.

"I will dream with you, and you will dream with me. So yes, you will still see me" J´zar smiled. He kneeled and hugged Fluttershy, surrounding her neck and upper back with his arm. Fluttershy hugged back, resting her head over the warrior's shoulder.

"Goodbye, Fluttershy" J´zar said. He smelled her mane again. It had the smell of fresh leaves and moist ground, the smell of mossy wood and rain water. The smell of the forest.

J´zar broke the hug, stood up and walked into the portal.

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Arriving on the other side, J´zar saw Zephir and Sp´hre standing a few meters away from him.

"¿So? ¿How was it?" the Commander asked.

"Not now, Commander" J´zar said gently but firmly "I must check the archives"

"¿Where the hell have I heard their names before?" he mumbled to himself.