Minty Image

by mintgreenconspiracy

Optional Chapter 2-3: Wysteria's chapter

The next day didn't bring much good news and, in fact, it did exactly the opposite, bringing only more trouble. When, in the early morning, the skies were filled with a sea of odd flying bug ponies, and the air filled with the buzzing of their wings. They were the strangest things, that looked like a cross between a pony and an insect (well with the strangest and tinyest muzzles), and they lacked the warm smiling faces that characterized the ponies of Ponyville ponies, as well as their warm friendly attitudes and faces, opting, instead to keep a mean and surly demeanor.

To say that events were any better in Ponyville would be to deceive oneself, as they were no better than those in Unicornia (and if anything, might have even been worse.) The only difference was how quickly everyone figured out there was a problem (It didn't take Puzzlemint to figure out this one -- what with the bugs accosting all ponies in sight, and definitely when they were not afraid to use force, even if not necessary.)

"Nopony is to feed, and all ponies are to be taken alive!" Ordered Captain Raphanus, reminding his men of their unconventional orders (normally raids were conducted against the fluttering ones, but usually none of them were taken alive.) "This order comes straight from Prince Vladímir and any changeling that disregards this order is to be sent to be liquidated!" (Another unconventional order, the forces of the hive were never prohibited from feeding before -- except for those places corrupted by the fluttering ones, or traitors from the hive.)

The ponies of Ponyville, who very quickly began to smell a rat, and immediately took the most logical course of action: panic. However, running was futile (a G3 pony escape a trained changeling warrior?... Forget about it!), and ponies in Ponyville weren't all that good at hiding (a blue earth pony with yellow hair, and an ice cream cone for a cutie mark tried, unsuccessfully, to hide behind a potted fern.)

Some were caught in the streets, others fled indoors, only to discover, much to their dismay, that trained changeling warriors don't knock! (They simply bash doors off their hinges instead of knocking -- not that it would have made a difference, G3 ponies didn't normally lock their doors -- frequently preferring to push them open to using the door knob.)

"Do not let anypony escape!" The captain exclaimed. "Lord Vladímir does not permit failure!" He hissed, pointing towards the Cotton Candy Cafe. "Leave no stone unturned." He said, laughing heartily. "How pathetic. They simply run, or hide piteously -- they don't even consider the fight option. I almost feel sorry for these creatures!... Almost!!"

"Hello." Cotton Candy said anxiously, standing behind the cash register, and greeting four -- rather large changeling drones. "So." She said, in her squeaky voice. "Would you like some rainbow berry tarts, or maybe, would you prefer something to drink?" She gestured subtly with her shoulder as all four warrior stood there distracted by her statements (probably staring at the seventies jukebox that sat unused in the corner by a window.)

"No!" One of the warrior drones stated mindlessly. "You are to be taken to Prince Vladímir for judgement. And he shall decide your fate!"

"Well gee!" She stated, waving the bottom of her hoof at the drone's face, with a smirk as Sky Wishes snuck out a back window -- unnoticed by the drones. "How about a free sample?" She said, holding out a plate. "And maybe I can regale you with one of my stories, and maybe we forget this whole business, and be friends?"

"Incorrect, we feed on love and friendship!" The drone retorted. "And feeding has been explicitly prohibited for this operation by direct order of the prince! So please, do as you have been instructed, and turn yourself in for judgement."

Cotton Candy sighed. "I hope Skywishes is right about her special wishes working this time! Heck, this had better work overwise everyone's in big trouble!" She said quietly, mentally turning her head to the fleeing earth pony. "Here's hoping your special wishes allow us to get out of this one!" She muttered, as the changeling drones carted her away.

Meanwhile, back at Wysteria's place...

"What's going on out there?" Wysteria asked herself, as she heard frantic shouting nearby, and endless amounts of loud buzzing. "Maybe I should see what's going on?" She asked, before freezing at the door, still unable to face Ponyville, in her current state -- she just couldn't do it! She just couldn't leave! She was too self conscious! She thought, beginning to cry in terror. She didn't know what it was, but whatever it was, it sounded bad!

Outside she could hear frantic knocking, and Daisyjo's voice -- which was shaking in terror. "Wysteria we really need to go!" She shouted nervously. "There are ugly, mean bug ponies everywhere. And they are taking everyone!!!" She shouted, her voice getting ever more frantic. And before long, struggling could be heard outside, and a scream from Daisyjo.

"Oh no!" Wysteria said to herself, in dismay. "Daisyjo's in trouble!" She shouted, fear for her friend finally overcoming her insecurities as she bolting out of the house. "I'm coming!" She shouted, terror present in her voice.

Before her stood her friend Daisyjo, being carried away by weird bug ponies with tiny muzzles. The moment Daisyjo saw her friend, her eyes went as big as saucers. "Wysteria? Is that you?" She said, hardly recognizing her friend.

Wysteria just nodded sadly -- turning to the bug ponies. "Umm..." She said meekly. "Could you please let her go?" She asked politely.

"Negative!" The changeling drone replied. "She is to be brought to Lord Vladímir for judgement. Please surrender yourself, alicorn, for judgement before the prince's great black throne."

Daisyjo responded. "What are you talking about, she's not 'alicorn'! She's Wysteria!" The pony said, increduously -- angry at the disrespect being handed to her friend.

The drone responded mindlessly. "Very well then, Wysteria, the alicorn, please submit yourself to Lord Vladímir's noble judgement." He announced, motioning the changelings that currently restrained Daisyjo forward.

"Please stop." Wysteria asked kindly. "Please stop being such a meanie!" She begged, shuttering and cowering as the changelings moved forward, fearing what they would do to her. But instead of the inevitable crash... nothing happened...

Wysteria removed her hooves, uncovering her eyes. Had something happened to the monsters? Indeed, it had, as two drone's wings were bound in multiple places by ten or twenty foot flower stems. And another got a face full of dandelion seeds, causing them to run blindly into a building. A fourth was crying out in pain, as their legs and lower body were completely covered in brambles.

What was happening? Were the flowers responding to her emotions? Rediculous!... Absurd!... Right?

The drone with the brambles still attached, rose back to his hooves, gritting his teeth. "All changelings in range please come to our aid! A nascent alicorn has revealed herself, and is resisting Vladímir's righteous judgement! Drop all other quandaries and give aid." He said, as a large group of changelings chasing Skywishes ceased, allowing her to continue chasing after two kites.

Half of the changelings in Ponyville descended on the horned pegasus. "Please surrender to the noble judgement of Prince Vladímir, alicorn, you are greatly outnumbered." They chanted, each in order, as they were attacked and neutralized by the army of flowers, that Wysteria didn't even know she had.

Wysteria frowned. "What are you talking about? And what did we ever do to you?" She cried, stamping her hoof on the ground in a temper tantrum -- going temporarily feril. After a few seconds, the ground where her hoof stamped was now a giant crater. What was happening to her? The earthquake toppled half of her pursuers over, the other half were tangled in ivy that grew out of the crater.

"Daisyjo please run!" Wysteria cried, as afraid of herself, as she was the bugs. Daisyjo nodded sadly -- leaving her friend hesitantly, and only after much cajoling from Wysteria -- as she started to gallop away, frantically.

Behind her she heard crazed laughter. "Oh wow!" Cried a disembodied voice. "When the K -- Prince sent us here, I thought it was going to be another boring mission, with all kinds of mediocre queries, and meaningless busywork!" The voice said, like it was crying due to how much laughing it was doing. "But apparently, instead, I get to take on a princess!" It said, their enthusiasm apparent in their voice.

Wysteria went pale. Endless scenes of her 'princess training' came to mind, and her slow isolation, as her list of acceptable places, people, and things got ever shorter. "p...p....please -- " She stammered. "Don't call me a princess please." She begged. "I just wanna be me." She cried, her innocent smile returning.

"Heh..." The middle aged changeling stallion with the greying mane exclaimed, as slowly began to seemingly materialize out of thin air. "And I wanna be king, but we don't all get what we want." He said, levitating five long needle like objects in his magic. "And face it girl!" He shouted, sharply. "You are a deity of Equestria and that makes you a princess!" He said, crossing his front legs (the flapping of his wings keeping him upright.) "Like it or not!"

'Princess': the word hurt even worse the second time. It reminded her of Spike. "You were the first to touch the flower, and that makes you a princess -- whether you like it or not."

"Nooooooo!" She shouted, feeling the rage growing -- for some reason. What was this horrid feeling?

"Yessssss!" The changeling mocked, readying his first needle. "But since you are in denial!" He hissed. "I'll give you till I run out of these needles to wake up and fight..." He smirked. "And then I start hitting organs." He reiterated, with glee.

The first needle whizzing by, seemingly aimed poorly -- despite the training of the assassin --, missing her completely.

She gasped in horror. Trying to run -- only to find that the changeling was already right in front of her route of escape.

The changeling shook his head, angrily. "Too slow!" He exclaimed, wrinkled his nose. "Are you kidding me? Where is that deity like speed? Your super pony strength?" He frowned, feeling deprived of his epic victory. After a few seconds his demeanor changed, giving into a hellish rage. "Do you mock me, princess?" He asked, feeling very disrespected. "Or are your powers still asleep?" He asked, teleporting by her head, and wispering in her ear. "What will it take to wake you up?" He asked, returning to his original position, and sending the second needle flying -- which missed her by a lot less (apparently the first shot had been intentionally wiffed.) "Next one will be closer still!" He said, voicing a certain amount of agitation.

In the distance, Skywishes was being chased by an oddly feline changeling.

"Please stop!" Wysteria begged. "What have we done to hurt you?" She begged to a shrug from the assassin. "Why are you being so mean?"

The changeling smirked, sending the third needle flying, which missed her by mere inches.

"Wysteria! Wysteria! Wysteria!"The assassin remarked, his smirk turning into a sadistic smile -- his fangs showing. "This is my job!" He remarked, shrugging his withers, once again held upright by the flapping of his wings. "Oh and it's fun!" He said, sharpening his next needle on a rock. "Got to get these things good and sharp!" He remarked, taking a careful look at his needle.

Wysteria felt herself beginning to become frantic, she felt a tide of anger growing in her head. "STOP!" She shouted, her eyes growing crazy. "CEASE THAT THIS INSTANT!!!" She demanded, growing ever more angry by the moment.

In the background, Skywishes, wrestled in the changeling's magical grasp, trying to pull her first kite out of a tree.

"The princess begins to stir." The changeling hissed. "But she still refuses to do anything!" He announced rhetorically. "What shall we do?" He asked the princes, with a smirk. "Oh I know!" He exclaimed, enthusiastically. "I'll make her madder!" He shouted, with glee, sending another needle flying. "Oh and princess!" He said, his tone turning serious. "If I don't get a fight... well... then I will be extraordinarily disappointed -- and then I'll have to take my disappointment out on you friends!" He smirked, as Wysteria winced, causing the needle to miss -- if she hadn't have moved then it would have hit her dead on,

"You...You...you... you knock that off!" Wysteria stammered, shaking violently, feeling a new emotion -- blind rage. "Or you'll be sorry!" She exclaimed, her pupil color beginning to change from green and blue to a blood red color -- a eerie red aura beginning to materialize around her.

In the background Skywishes managed to grab hold of her kite. And mouthed some words very deliberately.

"Last chance princess, next one takes off that tumor that you call a wing!" He said, setting the fifth needle to fly. "I suppose the prince said to take everypony alive," he said, with a shrug. "But, of course, our kind has an inherent hatred of Celestia and Luna, so maybe he wouldn't mind..." He said, his voice containing a mix of sadism and anger.

The needle grazed her wing causing a very small cut -- causing Wysteria to cry out in pain.

"Heh!" He exclaimed, sounding like he'd finally had enough. "Apparently you won't wake up," he said, turning to her, and speaking sternly -- his eyes growing wide. "So I'll have to take my disappointment out on your friends!" He said, looking at Skywishes, in the distance.

All Wysteria could feel was blind rage, and another new feeling for her -- hatred...

The changeling sent a sixth needle flying -- aimed straight at her wing. An apple tree sprang up in an instant to take the blow.

"HOW DARE YOU THREATEN OUR FRIENDS, AND HURT THIS BEAUTIFUL FLOWER!!!" She bellowed, feeling her body begin to float.

The changeling smiled manically. "It's coming!!!" He exclaimed, readying his seventh needle.

"What am I thinking!" Wysteria exclaimed in her head -- her eyes returning to normal, and the aura receeding. Suddenly feeling like her symbol was on fire -- as it glowed strongly.

The changeling chucked the next needle, which was aimed at her heart. It never even came close as she disappeared into a puff of smoke...

"Nuts!" The changeling exclaimed with disappointment, stamping his foot. "We'll have to finish this later!"

********

All arround Wysteria smoke billowed and swirled, not that she could hardly notice, as she had passed out from the horrible burning pain that was emanating from her mark some time before. She awoke, sometime later, to find herself in the middle of an odd apple orchard, somewhere.

"Where am I?" She asked herself, looking around -- none of this looked familiar at all. A narrow river passed through one side of the orchard, and a vast mountainous desert extended into the distance.

"Oh dear!" She said to herself, in puzzlement."Where am I? This looks nothing like Ponyville, and I don't see Breezie Blossom, or the woods anywhere!"

She began to fret, and that caused her to feel slightly sick. "Ok... Wysteria relax!" She exclaimed to herself, taking a moment to center her mind. "I just need to find someone who can give me directions back to Ponyville!" She exclaimed, taking solas in that fact, at least. "I'm sure that if I look real carefully I'll find someone, as I'm sure that someone lives around here! I mean there's always some random house around somewhere." (She said, thinking of some of the odd houses and cottages that could be found even fair distances away from civilization -- sometimes even in the middle of the woods.)

And over the ridge, in the distance, she could see, what looked like some buildings.

"Oh maybe someone lives over there, and they can tell me where I am!" She said, galloping over with glee.

In fact, she was in luck, as she could see a mare stallion approaching.

It appeared to be a brown earth pony stallion (she could tell by the shape of the face) with a pickaxe symbol.

Wysteria gulped, continuing to feel self-conscious about her wings and horn. "Maybe I should hide these?" She thought to herself. "No!" She thought, shaking her head, and gathering his confidence. If she was ever going to get over her self-consciousness about her horn and wings, then she would need to face him.

"Um... excuse me sir." She said, cautiously approaching the brown stallion, wearing a fine vest and pretty non descript farmer's hat, which was currently being used to hide his wispy blond mane, which had begun to go white. "But I'm looking for Ponyville, and I was wondering if you had seen it."

"Howch dare they throw me ohut of the schaloon without giving me schome water to drinhk!" He said, his empty toothless mouth opening, his lips covered in salt, as he stumbled around, drunkenly -- his voice as much full of agitation as bemusement.

Wysteria frowned, maybe he didn't hear her. But she hated so to shout! But she might have to. She tapped like she did back at the promenade intro. "HEY!!!" She shouted -- her voice echoing off into the distance --, stamping her hoof -- the whole orchard rattling and shaking with each tap.

"Woah!!!!" The stallion shouted, as he was thrown up and down by literal waves of earth. "Schomepony need schomthing?"

"Ah yes I -- " Wysteria started saying -- having finally got the stallion's attention --, before the eyes on the stallion went wide like saucers as he glanced back and forth continuously between her horn and wings -- his usual clueless expression replaced by an expression of mortal terror, and a folding of hooves.

"Ah'm scho schorry Princshesch! Ah'll schober up I promish!" he shouted, drunkenly, as he started to waddle and scrape his way back towards the buildings in the distance, making like he was Paul Revere. "It'sch hard to believe but A Princshesch is in town!"

"Oh dear!" Wysteria said, crying again -- feeling utterly defeated, her efforts to fight her self consciousness coming crashing down in front of her face. "It's my ugly wings and horn!" She sobbed. "I have to hide them!" She exclaimed, starting to formulate a plan. "They scared that poor man off..."

********

"Oh Horse Apples!" Braeburn screamed to himself mentally. Just what had he gotten himself into? The prince princess still laid there, weeping her eyes out. What was he going to do? He was sure that she was probably not going to be happy with him.

There was only one thing to do. The only thing Braeburn could do! He bowed low -- as low as he could, lowering his front legs, and crouching his head against the ground in a full bow. "Ah'm terribly sorry yer majesty. Ah didn't know that yah were ah princess, and ah apolergize for causin' ya to crash into the side of a mountain, ah promise that I didn't mean ta!"

Unfortunately this didn't seem effective as the princess seemed to cry worse. "Please don't call me that! I just want to be me!" She bauled, sounding more desperate. "Being a princess is horrible!"

"Ok!" Braeburn thought to himself. "Ok! new plan! I bow and scrape lower!" He thought, bending down to a full kneel. "Ah'm terribly sorry majesty! I didn't mean ta chase ya halfway to Mount Canter, and fer mah im-pew-dance, ah apologize! Ah promise ta do everything in mah power ta make up fer my misdeed's against yer majesty!" He said, hoping to ingratiate her majesty.

Yeah pretty much as effective as before (if not even less so.) Yup... Even less so! She appeared to be bauling even worse, and her voice sounded even more desperate than before. "Please don't call me that! I'm not a princess! I just want to be me!" She said, begging more fiercely, her voice growing ever more desperate.

Ok! Braeburn was in deep! He was up to the tip of his cowboy hat in trouble. Ok! new plan. He would bow and scrape all the way till he was laying flat against the dirt -- bowing as low as he was anatomically able. "Ah'm terribly sorry for hogtieing y'all and ah wish to make amends in any way I can! Ah promise, yer majesty! Please fergive yer foolish subject, and ah -- "

The mare sounded even more upset, and desperate -- her pupils starting to change from green and blue to a blood red. "Why are you apologizing! Why do you hate me! Why do I have to be a princess! Why can't I just be me!" She shouted, thorns slowly growing from the ground. "Why do you want to force me to be a princess!"

Braeburn shook violently, apparently apologizing wasn't helping, and apparently she didn't want to be called what she was -- no matter how much he was trained to call her a princess or a deity. Therefore, only one option remained. "Ah'm terribly sorry! Ah didn't mean ta upset you, yer m...! Please fergive meh! Ah have a reunion to attend, in fifteen moons, and ah don't wanna be squashed like a bug! So what can ah do to make it up ta ya!"

She looked on in puzzlement -- vacillating from anger to complete confusion, what was he talking about? "Why do you think I would 'squish you like a bug'?" She said, her voice filled with a mix of sorrow, offense, and confusion.

He frowned. "Cause I chased ya half way to Mount Canter, hog tied ya barrel with a five hemp strand hangin' rope, an' caused ya to get squished against a wall!"

She looked at him shivering in fear, and frowned -- starting to shiver herself. "Please don't do that! I don't mean any harm!" She cried, bauling some more -- but alot less desperately. "I'm scared!!" She cried, in utter confusion and desperation. "Why's everyone afraid of me!?" She asked, never experiencing this before... ever! "Why does everyone hate me now!? Is it these horrible wings and this miserable horn!?" She said, falling down onto her plot, with her legs jetting out in front of her perpendicular to her barrel, and her tail running out the opposite direction -- her face cupped in her hooves, which distorted slightly to bend to the contours of her face.

Braeburn frowned, apparently he wasn't the only one afraid, apparently the princess was alone and afraid as well. And he couldn't abide a mare being left alone, afraid, and vulnerable like this! No! This offense to her would be corrected! "Ah'm terribly sorry pri -- " He swallowed the word that came from every fiber of his being, and forced himself to use another, his body shaking violently in opposition to the act. "ma'am. Ah didn't mean ta upset ya!" He said, leaning in, with a smile. "And I apologize fiercely pr -- " There it was again... "ma'am for being un-neighborly towards y'all. So could ya forgive me?" He asked, putting his hoof out for her to bump in a traditional greeting.

"Ok." She said, her pupils quickly returning to normal, but the rest of her eyes remained a blood red (from all the crying), and her face was still covered with tears and filled with sorrow. She reared up onto only her back legs, standing there effortlessly, her legs standing at a one hundred and eighty degree angle to her barrel. She reached out her hoof, the joints in her front legs bending all unnatural like, and cupped her hoof around his -- her hoof distorting to facilitate the motion. And she shook his hoof up and down -- bending his leg and hoof in relatively uncomfortable ways. A smile slowly started to creep up her face. "Oh I'm so glad we can be friends now!" She said, her good spirits returning. "My name is Wysteria! And what is yours."

Braeburn smiled. "Mah name is Braeburn, it's nice to meet you pr... Wysteria!" He said, leaning in again to give her a nice close smile (his body still shaking from the swallowed use of the word 'princess'.) "An' ah'm glad to meet you." His smile quickly turned into a frown as he recalled that he had some tough business to attend to. "Ah'm terribly sorry pr... Wysteria, but I need ta know why ya went an' stole Poncho's poncho, and Sombrero's sombrero!" He said, sternly. "Oh... An' all that bread?" He said, pointing to the bread that now lay scattered across the plains.

"Steal?" She said, her face showing fear and confusion. "I didn't steal these! I went to borrow them to hide this horrible horn, and these miserable wings, " she said, her voice sounding confused. Didn't they read her notes? "But they weren't home and so I left a letter explaining that it was an emergency, and that I was borrowing them for a couple of days!"

Braeburn looked on in awe. So that was what that weird graffiti was all about. "An' what about the bread pr... Wysteria?"

Wysteria frowned. "Well I went and grabbed a bunch that was lying out, and asked the man behind the counter if I could purchase them from him." She said, grabbing some kind of a tri-fold bag from somewhere and brought out weird slips of paper with some really weird looking faces on them that looked like a mix between a monkey's face, and a minotaur's face (and hairless to boot! -- Well except for it's bizarre mane! -- It was so disgusting and ugly, It almost made Braeburn want to throw up!) "But instead of answering my question, he started yelling at me, and started chasing me saying I was a thief or something." She said, crying again. "I didn't mean to steal anything! All I meant to do was purchase it, but instead I scared him for some reason. And then I got scared and ran away! I'm so sorry!" She said, starting to cry again.

Braeburn sighed, this pony really needed help. Not just was she scared, and alone, but also, apparently, utterly broke because whatever varment gave her that 'currency' stuff needed to be sent to the hoosegow.

Braeburn frowned, oh he was going to regret this but...

"So what brings you to town pr... Wysteria?" He said, with an honest smile.

"I don't really know. I was at home, and then these nasty bug ponies attacked, and then everything disappeared in smoke, and then I appeared here, and I don't know where I am!" She said, starting to cry again. "I'm scared!" She reiterating, crying into her hooves some more.

Braeburn frowned, apparently the changelings were back to their old games. And apparently they attacked her town no less. "Could I get the name of your town?" He asked, reading the map of Equestria in his mind.

She nodded. "Yeah, I come from Ponyville." She said matter of factly. "And I, actually, came into town to see if you could give me directions back home."

Braeburn frowned, and shook his head on the inside.It wasn't that he didn't believe her story -- it was the only thing that made any sense. It was more that he didn't believe the town she claimed to be from -- that part was absurd. Most likely the mare's town was attacked (not something that was unreasonable, as he had heard rumors, from the sheriff, of some of the movements of the changeling forces, as of late) and the stress probably caused the poor thing to ascend (believe you Braeburn, those wings and horn were bizarre, but one hundred percent authentic!) And, guessing by how she felt about both her wings and her horn, she was an earth pony -- so if her magic were to activate unpredictably like Jackie's friend Twilight's tended to do, then she might be a little confused -- especially if this was a long range teleportation, which tended to scramble the caster's mind among other things (including drive the caster into the ground.) And what was he even talking about? He was a gardener, not a wizard! All he knew is that the dear wasn't lying, that she was an Alicorn, and she couldn't possibly be from Ponyville! Course it still begged the question of why Ponyville? And how had she heard of the town? Maybe a letter to the town was in order, because maybe pr... Wysteria had relatives in Ponyville.

Question still remained though of where she should stay until Sheriff Silverstar could return and they could get to the root of this enigma.

"So pr... Wysteria. Do you have any place to stay until I can get a hold of someone who can help you get home?" He asked, though he suspected, by the innocence of the mare, that he already knew the answer.

She nodded,with an innocent smile. "Actually, I was just planning to ask all the nice ponies of your town until one let me stay with them for a few days."

Braeburn frowned, and shook his head, vigorously -- terrible idea! Even though she looked kind of like a stallion, an innocent mare like her was an easy mark (especially once somepony figured out that she was really a she), and even Braeburn had to admit that some of the fine ponies of AAAAAPPPPPLLEEEELOOSA were actually not, at all, as fine as he boasted they were! Plus, then, there was the whole matter of them thinking she was a thief again -- he'd rather she not experience frontier justice first hoof, thank you. He frowned again, gulping slightly, granny was probably going to skin him and send him to the glue factory for this (he knew if his mother probably would if she was still on this plane), but sometimes a stallion has got to do what a stallion has got to do. "Well if you need somewhere ..." He said, skillfully avoiding the 'p' word! "ta stay Wysteria, then y'all can stay at mah place fur a spell." He said, removing his hat and using his magic to adhere it to his hoof, lowering it to his chest for a spell.

"Thank you." She replied innocently. "That's very nice of you." She said, smiling gratefully, but only for few seconds, before it quickly started to sink. "But if I stayed at your place, then wouldn't I be a bother?"

Braeburn quickly swallowed a chuckle -- if that had been a problem, then she'd have already been one a long time ago, what with him having to chase her halfway to Mount Canter. Of course he wasn't going to let her know that, though, as the she seemed fragile enough already. "Nah! No trouble at all." He said, with a smile. "Course we're going to need to return Poncho's poncho, and Sombrero's sombrero!" He said, counting the 'stolen items' in his hooves. "Oh and that bread." He said, with a wink, remembering the bread suddenly.

Wysteria looked at the poncho, and sombrero, longingly, before looking back at her wings -- a self conscious expression forming. "But -- " She started saying, until Braeburn put a hoof to her muzzle, nodding knowingly.

Braeburn smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry." He said, taking off his coat. "Ya'll can borrow my coat and hat." He said, sticking his hat, as best as he could, over her horn -- it was kind of a rough fit, especially with how large her horn was, and he was sure ponies would ask why she was wearing her hat at quite that angle.

But the trickier business was trying to figure out how to squeeze his vest over her wings. "Could ya -- " He said, grunting at the vest refused to get anywhere remotely near her back, let alone her front. "Maybe -- " He said, at the wings sprung back, sending him flying a couple of feet. "Fold your wings?"

"Fold?" Wysteria said, with a confused expression. "These wings can flap, but I don't think they fold..." She said apologetically -- blushing slightly.

Braeburn looked at her cross eyed. What did she mean don't fold? "Ya mind if I take a look?" He asked, to a nod from the alicorn (oh his mother was probably rolling in her grave again.) First off, the wings were connected at the wrong dang position -- on her back, over her withers instead of on her upper flank where they should be (that already meant that her wings weren't going to fold like Jackie's friend Fluttershy -- let any other pegasus in Equestria --, that's for sure.)

He gave a light press at various points in the wings, looking for where the joints were, until he could figure out where you folded them at (this would have been easier, had he been a pegasus.) He found the wings only bent slightly (to about a ninety degree angle or so) in the outermost third of the wing -- right under the finger like tips, which themselves jutted straight out perpendicular to her barrell and perpendicular to her legs -- and in the conch shaped bump at the base or her wings, basically making Wysteria's wings natural position -- that's right! Straight out from her back like a tower.

"Ummm... Wysteria..." He said, blushing with embarrassment. "Ah can hide those wings, but it ain't going to be comfortable!" He said, already contemplating what he was going to have to do. Ah think we should visit mah friend Poncho first, so's we can get you into something a little more comfortable." He said, bending her wing tips into their lowest possible position, and bending her wings at their single pivot as low as they would go -- effectively trying to wrap her wings around her barrell, instead of folding them -- as Wysteria gave an uncomfortable expression, which alternated between pain, discomfort, and it tickling.

********

"Now Wysteria!" Braeburn cautioned to the purple alicorn with the wisteria cutie mark. "When the other ponies look are you, they're gunna think you're a stallion." He said, with a sly wink. "Just don't talk, and let them think that!" He said, formulating his plan. He would tell them that his cousin had dropped in unexpectedly when he was in Dry Gulch looking for the thief, after the thief got away, and that he was going to be taking care of 'his cousin' for a few days. It was the perfect plan! Ponies would start to ask tough questions if he had a mare staying with him, but nopony would even bat an eyebrow if his stallion cousin was staying with him.

"Braeburn! Amigo! Come ins!" Poncho said, with enthusiasm. "It looks like the hombre gave you some troubles!" Poncho said, grabbing a chair -- and taking a careful look at all the bruises, bumps, and scrapes on the earth pony stallion. "Please have a seats!" He said, motioning at a couple of chairs that he kept near by. "So did ju manage to bring back my poncho?"

Braeburn smiled mischieviously, pulling the poncho out from his saddle bag. "Here it is!" He said, to great relief from Poncho.

"So didju manage to catch the thiefs?" Poncho asked, looking at Braeburn anxiously -- worried about a repeat visit later.

Braeburn frowned. "Nope! The thief got away while ah was chasing him through Scorpion Canyon, but I doubt he'll be back." He said, with a smile. "Ah scared him off pretty good."

Poncho winked back. "Ju lying." He said, with a wink, and a smile. "I cans tell by how much snot the thief knocked out of you." He said, whistling at a couple of Braeburn's bigger scrapes. "Though I guess you're probably right that he's done stealing from us, now that he's at Dry Gulch," He said, with a smile. "So I guess that he's their problem now." He said, noticing something moving just outside the door -- Braeburn brought a friend? "So ju going to introduce me to your friend?" He asked Braeburn, with a smile.

"Well actually." Braeburn said, blushing slightly. "That's mah cousin, an' I was hoping you could try h... him out for a poncho," he asked, as politely as he was able, holding his hat to his chest solemnly.

Poncho smiled eagerly. "Certainly amigo." He said, motioning Wysteria in. "Come in amigo! Any cousin of Braeburn's is a friend of mine!"

Wysteria stepped in slowly, and nervously, not sure what made her most uncomfortable, her wings, the way her wings were 'folded', or the how the tacky vest was, very poorly, keeping them hidden.

"Wow!" Poncho said, whistling slightly. "Jour Cousin is huge!" He said, looking 'the stallion' up and down. "I think he mights be bigger than your giant red cousin -- what was his name -- amigo?" Poncho said, stamping his foot slightly.

Braeburn smiled. "Macintosh..." He said, finishing the old stallion's sentence. "Though we ahl call him Mac!" He said, with a smirk. His face turned serious. "Now Poncho," he said to the stallion, as sternly as he could. The stallion nodded back. "can you keep a secret?" He said, walking over to Wysteria -- putting one hoof on the vest, that he had lent to the alicorn.

"Sjur!" Poncho said, with a smile. "I won't breathe a word to anyone."

"Ok!" Braeburn said, sternly. "But remember y'all promised!" He said, reminding the stallion of his word, and unbuttoning his vest -- which was immediately sent flying against the ceiling by the sudden, and rapid unraveling of wings.

"Wow!" Poncho said, with a bemused expression. "Mudj be the black sheeps!" He said, with a smirk. "Now let's get you fitted for that ponchos amigo!" He said, pulling some measuring tape from the wall. "So tell me hombre what's your name?" He asked, as Wysteria turned to Braeburn, diligently following his instructions to her.

"He's kind of shy." Braeburn replied. "So I'm sure he wouldn't be surprised if he isn't ready to speak yet."

Poncho smiled. "Of course." The pony replied, with a suspicious smile. "But with wings like those I would understands." He said, sticking out his tongue and winking slightly. "So Braeburn what's his name."

"Um it's um..." Braeburn said, searching for a name. 'Fuji Apple', 'Jack fruit', 'apple flower', 'apple bud', 'White Cherry', 'Mandrine Orange', ... "Um..."

"You ok hombre?" Poncho said, quirking his eyebrow. "You need the doc to look atju head?" He said, walking circles arround the apple, and leaning in to get a close look at all the bumps and shiners on the earth pony's head. "How many hooves ams I hjolding up?" He asked, holding up one hoof.

"No! Ah'm fine!" Braeburn said, smacking the stallion's hoof back.

Poncho's face held a concerned expression. "Then what's his name?" Poncho asked, pressing the issue. "You having trouble remembering amigo?" Poncho asked, with worry showing on his face, looking up at down, again, at all the doozies on Braeburn's head -- resisting the urge to whistle at some of them.

At this point Braeburn's apple pride began to emerge. "Ah can remember his name just fine! It's Wysteria! Poncho!" He said, immediately puckering his lips, and slamming his mouth shut. Dang it! That's the one piece of information he didn't want to give out.

"Wow! That's a mare's name!" Poncho said, ribbing Braeburn slightly. "Guess that's why ju didn't wanna say his name." He said, turning to Wysteria. "I bet ju got beat up a lot in the schools before jour growth spurt a amigo?" He asked, looking at Wysteria with a mischievous smile.

Now was Wysteria's turn to shoot her mouth off. "Well actually I was well liked in school, and everyone wanted to be my friend because Flowers! Flowers! Flowers!" She said, with enthusiasm jumping up onto only her back hooves and throwing her front legs up.

Poncho fell back, in utter surprise at the tone of her voice, falling to his flank -- suddenly staring right between her legs. "That ain't no hombre! That's a seniorita!" He said, on the verge of fainting.

"Ah cain explain." Braeburn said, with a nervous twitch. "You see..."

"No need amigo." Poncho said, regaining his composure. "I knew jour mother when I was just a young stallion." Poncho said, with a smile. "And I figjured that she wouldn't --"

"No, your wrong!" Braeburn proclaimed. "That's mah cousin!" Braeburn lied, hoping desperately to dissuade the stallion of what he just saw. "And she's he's just staying with me for a couple of days."

Poncho nodded, winking cattily. "Uh huh amigo." He said, pulling up to Braeburn's left, and putting his hoof on Braeburn's shoulder. "And is it normal for jur stallion apple cousin to be a pegasus mare widj a flower cutie mark?"

Braeburn gulped. "She's... um... mah... mah... mah cousin... in law... to ... um... Cousin Apple Bud!" He lied poorly. "Yeah that's right!" He said, his eyes darting around the sides of his eyes at mind blowing speeds.

Poncho winked, giving up the issue for now. "Well I suppose ju...r cousin can't choose he loves! Right Braeburn!" He said, tapping Braeburns bruised ribs with his shoulder. "Don't worry, Braeburn!" He said, with an honest smile. "Jur 'cousin' is in good hooves!"