• Published 18th Aug 2015
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Trapped in the Mirror of Worlds - Silver_Wing



It was supposed to be a simple day of helping Grandma clean out the attic. Then that mirror fell on me. Now I'm stuck in some strange place, in a strange body, with no idea if I'll ever make it home...

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Renovations, Part Two

It had been two weeks now since we first started the renovations of the old Serenity Inn. It had taken a lot of work to get to where we were, and there was still plenty to do, but the place was shaping up to be an impressive Guild Hall. While I still hadn’t come up with an effective aerial guide for locating the Guild, I had managed to clear out a path through the Everfree to the plains beyond. It was a simple path, only wide enough for one cart at a time, but it worked well. It took about an hour by foot to walk from the Guild to the edge of the forest. The first half of the path, the end closest to the Guild, was lined with smooth cobblestone that once served as the roadway in when the place was still a working Inn. The rest of the path was just dirt that the Timber Wolves had managed to help me compact down and smooth out to an acceptable level.

The Timber Wolves had also helped me a great deal in clearing out the rest of the area around the Guild. We’d managed to take every small tree, root, and bush and pile it up out of the way. Anything that would make for good firewood or kindling we kept, making it into a neat stack behind the Guild for when we’d need it. The rest, we burned in a big bonfire along with the waste from the renovations.

The walls were fixed, the insides had been gutted, and now all we had to do was finish the roof, replace the windows and doors, and then paint it. After that, it would just be a half dozen trips to Canterlot for new furniture, then we’d be good to go.


It was getting late in the day and I was currently working with Sky Flare on one of the upstairs windows. Clyde and Gale had gone to Ponyville earlier that morning to get another load of shingles for the roof and seemed to be taking longer than usual to return.

“I’m sure they’re fine, Silver,” Sky Flare sighed at me as she caught me scanning the path to the Guild again, “Just relax.”

“They should have been back by now though,” I said, “They usually get back in time for lunch… It’s nearly dinner time now.”

“Maybe they got caught up?” she offered, “Clyde’s wagon has been through a lot, it could have lost a wheel or something. Whatever it is, I’m sure they’ll be back any minute now.”

“I hope you’re right…” I sighed. I didn’t like my friends being missing, but Gale and Clyde were both very capable ponies, so I’d have faith in their ability to handle themselves if something came up. That didn’t mean I liked them being late though.

Sky Flare smirked at me and pointed towards the entrance to the Guild. “And there you go,” she said, “Here they come now, safe and sound. And… Oh no…” She groaned and went back to work without another word.

I glanced back to the forest and felt relieved to see Gale and Clyde trotting into view, but it took me a moment to figure out what Sky Flare’s issue was. Coming along behind Clyde’s wagon, was a white Earth Pony with a blue mane and tail, and beside him, walked a green Unicorn with a yellow mane.

“Dawn!” I called out in surprise, “And Stalwart too?” A smile spread across my face and I hopped off the roof and flew over to greet them. “How’d you guys find us!?” I asked. I hadn’t seen Dawn or Stalwart in almost four months now, and I was quite pleased to see them both again. Part of me hoped Dawn had come to tell me that she could send me home now, but I had my doubts. It had only been a few months since we set out to see Equestria for ourselves, and I knew it was more likely than not, just a fools hope that she’d made enough progress, but it was on my mind nonetheless.

"Well, Celestia gave us news of you forming a guild," Dawn explained happily, "I could hardly believe it. What exactly are you going to do with it? Not go raiding dungeons I imagine."

She chuckled at me and I smiled. "Oh all the time," I laughed, "We'll be slaying dragons, rescuing Princesses, and all that fun stuff." Simple as it was, it was refreshing to speak with Dawn again. In all the world, she was the only person who could understand and share my worlds humor.

Dawn laughed at my comment, then I couldn’t help but notice Stalwarts confused expression.

"Why would you need to slay dragons?" he asked.

I shook my head at him and opened my mouth to explain, but Dawn beat me to it.

"It's a figure of speech Stalwart," she said, "I'll explain later." Returning her attention to me, she glanced to the Guild behind me and asked, "So, this is where you're going to set up? Bit of a hard time getting here I'll say that."

"You should have seen it before we cleared the old path out of here," I sighed and looked to Clyde apologetically, "Poor Clyde had a hell of a time getting here with that wagon of his the first time."

"Bit easier now," Clyde chimed in, "If you'll excuse me though. There's work needs doin'." He excused himself and headed for the Inn, pulling his wagon along as he went.

"Well, we were thinking of taking a small break from all the studying anyway," Dawn said smiling, "Thought we'd offer a helping hoof or two for a week if there's no issues?"

"I had to talk Dawn out of helping for longer," Stalwart chuckled, "She seems to lose interest in things as quickly as she gets them."

"Hey! I'm not that bad!" Dawn protested.

I couldn't help but chuckle at them. It seemed like their relationship hadn't changed at all, so I was happy for them. I had been worried about Dawn and how she would manage in Equestria, especially after all the things I'd seen, but it seemed like Stalwart had kept her safe and everything had been just fine for them.

Using a wing, I pointed to the Guild and smiled. "You're both welcome to stay for as long as you'd like," I said, "There's plenty to do, and the more help we have the better. Clyde's in charge of fixing up the place though, so he can give you a better list of what can be done that I could. Otherwise, Sky Flare or I can give you any other information you might need, or answer any questions you might have." I paused for a moment as I recalled the Timber Wolves and hesitated. Should I tell them about my wolves, or keep it a secret... Dawn probably wouldn’t care, but Stalwart was a Palace Guard, and he'd be sure to have something to say about my use of them... "We don't really have any rooms setup yet," I continued, "So you'll either need to sleep on the floor, or pitch a tent out here somewhere in the clearing. Just do not go into the forest." I pointed out the stone fence that bordered the Guild grounds and made sure that they both saw it. "Do not cross that fence there," I stressed, "Stay in the clearing, and you'll be fine."

I knew I’d probably have to tell them about the Timber Wolves sooner or later, but if they were only going to be here for a week, I might just be able to keep the wolves out of sight till they had left, hopefully.

Dawn nodded cheerfully and gestured to Stalwarts pack. "We've got our tent still, so we'll manage just as we always have."

Stalwart meanwhile, eyed the fence seriously, then looked back to me questioningly. I knew what was coming, but I let him ask anyway.

"Is that how you're keeping this place safe Silver?" he asked, "A bit of a barrier?"

I could hear the tension in his voice, but I knew how safe this place was now and I couldn't help but smirk at his concern. I shrugged his worry off and smiled. "I have a few other... Safety measures wandering around," I said, "Just make sure you stay inside the clearing, and nothing will happen to you."

Gale moved closer to Stalwart and nudged him, a knowing smile on his face. "Trust me, Stalwart," he said, "This place is safer than you'd think."

I'd have to ask about it later to be sure, but it seemed like Gale and Stalwart must have been old friends, or at least, must have known each other from their time in Canterlots military. Why else would Gale have allowed Dawn and Stalwart to follow them back from Ponyville? Neither of them knew Clyde, I knew that much, so Gale had to have been the one.

Dawn, ever one to follow her thoughts, started after Clyde without another word.

I shook my head at her then smirked at Stalwart. He simply sighed back at me, before following after Dawn.



With both Meadow Dawn and Stalwart Shield helping with the renovations, the workload just seemed to fly by. Dawn had her magic, allowing her to reach places everyone besides me couldn’t, and Stalwart had the strength to move the things only Clyde previously could.

It was nice to have Dawn around again for more than just manual labor though. I’d missed being able to talk about music, or movies, or any of the thousands of other things only she could understand. We’d reminisced for a while, then shared our adventures so far. It turns out Dawn had really been getting around. She’d seen all sorts of places and museums, and learned quite a few new tricks when it came to magic, but as I had first expected, she couldn’t send me home just yet... Still, I was happy for her, and for the progress she said she’d made, as it meant I might actually get home at some point.

In the week they’d been here, the roof was nearly finished and the rest of the windows and doors had been replaced. Dawn had been marking boards that were damaged, and Stalwart had been replacing them. Sky Flare, Gale and I meanwhile, tended mostly to the roof and outer walls, since we could fly.

I’d hoped to keep Dawn and Stalwart from running into my wolves while they were here, but, about three days in, Stalwart had confronted me about them. He had seen them at night, circling the Guild, but never coming near, and had asked about them at length. He was ever the Guardspony, and he knew that something was up. So, as I had with Sky Flare, Gale and Clyde, I introduced Stalwart and Dawn to them and asked them not to tell anypony about my having tamed them. Dawn, though she had been terrified at first, quickly fell in love with the Timber Wolves, even going so far as to say that they were cute. I laughed at that, and wondered how cute she’d find them if they still reeked like they used to. Stalwart was harder to convince, and kept a heavy air of suspicion around them. He had grown up with the stories of Timber Wolves devouring ponies that wandered too close to the Everfree, so his fears were understandable. Still, they’d both agreed to keep them a secret for me, and no other issues had arisen the rest of the week.


“Nearly done now,” I said to myself, “Some paint and a few furniture runs, and I think we’ll be in business.”

It was shaping up to be a nice day. The sun was warm, the skies were clear, and the wind was cool and refreshing. It would have been a great day for flying, but as life so often reminds us, there was still work to be done.

With a sigh, I went back to fixing the roof. I heard a rustling of leaves bellow me and paused to take a look, but there was nothing that I could see beyond the debris that still needed to be cleared away. I shrugged and attributed it to the winds and went back to work.

About a minute later, I heard Dawn yelling from within the guild. I couldn’t really make out what she was saying, but a moment later, I caught sight of a Pegasus dashing away towards the forest.

This Pegasus was brown, and surprisingly quick on its feet. I didn’t recognize him, and I did not like the idea of some random pony snooping around.

“Sky Flare!” I called out to her. She was on the far side of the roof, and was looking to me now after having noticed the intruder. “Make sure there aren’t any more, I got this one!”

She nodded at me and dropped to the ground to scout the area. I meanwhile, dashed off the roof and took flight. I wasn’t sure why this Pegasus wasn’t flying, but if he was injured or needed help, there were better ways to go about getting it than sneaking into someone else’s home.

I closed in fast, but not fast enough. The moment the Pegasus hit the tree line, he leaped into the air and gained altitude. He had something red flapping around him now I noticed, and I could see sticks and twigs clinging to him. He looked like he had had a rough night, but not rough enough to slow him down too much.

Moving above the Pegasus to cut him off, I forced him to stay low to the ground and glared down at him. “There a reason you’re spying on us, Pegasus!?” I barked.

“I uh… You see…” the Pegasus stammered, then fell silent.

I snorted in annoyance and shook my head. “Stop running and land!” I ordered, “Now!” If he was well enough to fly, he was well enough to follow the forest to Ponyville. That meant he had a purpose here, but what? Was he a bandit? A vandal? Or just some crazy pony living in the woods? I didn’t know what his reasons for being here were, but he was not leaving until I found out.

I caught Dawn’s voice calling to me from behind and ignored it. If she was in trouble, she had the whole of the Guild nearer to her than I was, not to mention my wolves, so I could stay focused on the matter at hand. I flapped my wings harder and, using my speed and the training Sky Flare hard given me, wove through the tree’s and cut ahead of my target.

“This is your last warning!” I warned sternly, “Land, or I will make you!”

The fleeing Pegasus stopped dead in his tracks at that, then began a slow descent to the ground. He wouldn’t look at me, so I made sure to watch his body closely, just in case he tried to bolt away again. Now that he wasn’t moving anymore, I noticed he had a long red scarf wrapped around his neck. It was surprisingly clean of any dirt or debris and I figured that was why he had been running on foot when I had first seen him. He must have left his scarf at the tree line and snuck closer to the Guild without it to keep it from getting dirty.

I glanced out into the forest as I caught the low growls of some of my wolves and motioned for them to stay where they were. Whoever this Pegasus was, I felt confident in my ability to handle him if things came to that.

“You mind telling me what you were doing now?” I asked sternly

The Pegasus remained silent and simply stared blankly at the ground.

I frowned heavily at that, but before I could ask in a way that would get his attention, I heard the sound of hoofbeats closing in on us.

A few moments later, I caught sight of Dawn through the brush. She was galloping up to us, huffing a little for breath as she finally caught up. “Howdy stranger!” she called cheerfully, “Why’d you run away from us?”

‘Howdy stranger?’ I thought, a little stunned, ‘He was just caught spying on us, and you’re all chipper?’ I sighed and shook my head at her.

“Aren’t you… Angry?” the brown Pegasus asked. His voice was barely a whisper, but I’d heard him clear enough to realize that he sounded frightened.

“Huh?” Dawn said, seemingly confused by his words, “Why should I be? I only just barely saw you and you dashed off! Did you do something that should make me angry?”

I couldn’t tell if she was trying the comforting mother approach, or if she was just that naive, but I moved closer and waited for the Pegasus’s reply.

“Oh,” he gasped, “You mean you don't know I was watch-” he cut himself off, then gave an awkward smile. "I mean…” he started again, more carefully this time, “I was just passing by and I couldn't help but notice all the ponies in the area! I was curious, and when I looked through the window I guess I was just caught off guard... Um..." He glanced at me for a moment, then looked back to Dawn and added, “That's it... Really!"

I shook my head at his obvious lie and sighed. One thing years in law enforcement had taught me, was to pay attention to a suspects wording very carefully. They almost always slipped up with their choice of words, especially when flustered.

"So, tell me then, Pegasus,” I said sternly, “If you really were just “passing by” why was your scarf hidden in the trees so far from you? And why are you all covered in undergrowth?"

I watched him visibly tense and waited for a reply. “Well?” I asked again.

"I... I saw all the mess around the building, and I didn't want to risk my scarf getting dirty...” The Pegasus explained, “Its special to me, you know?" He took a breath to calm himself then continued, "And so glad I thought ahead! On my rush to investigate the place, I tripped and fell down, getting myself all covered in undergrowth..."

Now that he was actually talking and speaking more than two words at a time, I noticed a vaguely Spanish sounding accent in the way he talked and shook my head. ‘What’s next?’ I thought, ‘German? Canadian? Or maybe Chinese?’ There seemed to be no shortage of accents going around and I was starting to grow curious if I’d heard the last of them or not. I shook the thought from my head and returned my focus to getting some answers.

"Most people would have just said hi." I said flatly. I frowned anew at myself and spoke again. "Er, Ponies. And if all you were doing was checking the place out because others were here, why run?"

"Please, just tell us,” Dawn said softly, “It really doesn't do you any good to keep lying." She smiled assuringly at him and waited patiently for his reply.

The Pegasus sighed. "You are right...” he said, “I'm sorry… The reason I ran away was because I... I actually was... Watching you for a while in secret... And then you saw me... " He trailed off, clearly not wanting to say anything else.

"Why would you bother watching us like that?” Dawn asked, “I know we're not exactly anywhere most ponies would be but... Why?"

"Because um...” The Pegasus stammered, “Ahh..." It was clear Dawn had struck a nerve with that question, but I was getting bored of this game. I wanted answers and beating around the bush like this was just getting on my nerves.

He glanced at me for a moment, then dropped his ears in apparent fright and looked back to Dawn. "I was waiting for a perfect chance to... Um..." He trailed off again and starting fiddling with his forehooves, "You know..."

"No, we don't know." I said sternly. There was more going on than this Pegasus wanted to say, and while I wasn’t angry with him, my patience really was wearing thin.

Eventually, the Pegasus sighed and looked to Dawn hopefully. "Look...” He tired, “It’s difficult for me to say... Couldn't you let me go? I didn't mean any harm... Honest..."

I wasn't entirely sure on the law's about trespassing Equestria. How harsh or lax they were. But as far I could tell, this Pegasus hadn't done much more than snoop around. I shook my head and let out a heavy sigh.

About then, Sky Flare landed nearby, with Gale close behind.

“Nopony else snooping around,” Sky Flare said, “Not that I can find anyways.”

“What’s going on now, Silver Wing?” Gale asked, “This the Pegasus that was found?”

I nodded. “Yeah, it is, and he’s refusing to do much more than waste my time.” I shook my head and started back for the Guild, “Gale, can you take care of this please? I have too much to do to sit around playing twenty questions all day…”

Sky Flare snorted, “Why don’t you want me talking to him?” Sky Flare asked, seemingly hurt by my having chosen Gale to deal with the intruder.

“Gale’s been sent here by Celestia to make sure things keep running smoothly, right?” I said, “So he’s the best pick for something like this. I don’t want this guy killed, I just wanna know why he was snooping around.”

I heard Dawn gasp at my words and sighed.

“Of course we’re not gonna kill him, gods…” she said.

“Well I’m staying,” Sky Flare said, “I wanna know what this sneak was doing here.”

“Fine,” I said, “Stay… I’m going back to work. Gale, if you can let me know what’s going on when you’re done, I’d appreciate it.”

“Yes sir.” Gale said sternly.

I was curious as to why this Pegasus was here, but I was not in the mood for games. This was a job for someone else, someone with more patience than I had right now, and as Guild Leader, I had the liberty of passing things off like this. That, and this being a potential crime, who better to look into it than Gale. It was literally one of the main reasons he was sent here, to make sure we stuck to the law of Equestria.

I returned to the Guild and got back to work, though it was short lived. About ten minutes later, I heard Gale calling for me from down below and sighed.

I looked down over the roof and saw Gale standing with the brown Pegasus off to his side. Sky Flare was standing by his other side with a heavy frown on her face, and Dawn wasn’t too far behind.

“Now what…” I groaned tiredly. I walked off the roof, and with one flap, stopped my descent just above the ground.

“So, what’s the verdict Gale?” I asked flatly.

“Well,” Gale started, then he laughed, “His name’s Winter Light. And he’s your number one fan, Silver Wing.”

“My what?” I asked.

“Long story short,” Gale explained, “He’s a mail pony. He was delivering some mail to Ponyville the other day when he overheard Clyde talking with the lumber ponies about the Guild when your name came up. Winter Light here was there when you came in second at the Canterlot Race. Even managed to catch wind of your feats during the demonstration you put on for Luna too. Apparently, he snuck into Clyde’s wagon to try and meet you. He had spent the night in the forest, and had just worked up the courage to introduce himself when Meadow Dawn startled him off.”

I was stunned. I’d gained plenty of female fans from those events, but never a male fanboy. Not that I’d noticed anyways. Sky Flare had always been good at keeping them at bay, so this was a surprise to me. Not just because he had gone to full on stalker levels of adoration to sneak into the Guild, but because he also had the dedication to spend the night in the middle of the Everfree Forest just to meet me. It was a good thing I had told the Timber Wolves not to attack any ponies that come here, or this Winter Light would have met a very unfortunate end…

I sighed and shook my head.

I couldn’t be sure if he was just young and idolizing me like teens did with bands, or if he wanted something a little more from me than that, but I didn’t have it in me to ask.

“How old are you, Winter Light?” I asked.

"M-me?” Winter Light asked, then quickly answered, “I'm twenty two years old!"

"You sure you didn’t mean two years old?" Sky Flare scoffed.

I glanced at her and frowned. "Well, I'm glad you're a fan I guess," I said, a little unsure what to say, "But there really are better ways to meet someone than by sneaking around their home. Next time, just come right out and introduce yourself, alright?"

He nodded, then lowered his head in embarrassment. "Yes... I'm sorry... Um..." He trailed off. It seemed like he wanted to say more, but he couldn’t seem to get the words out. He Glanced to Gale and spoke softly. "Um... Mr. Gale... About what we discussed...?"

"What's the point?" Sky Flare snorted, "He's going to say no."

Gale shook his head and looked to me seriously. "Winter Light here feels bad for what he's done," he explained, "As his way of apologizing and starting over, he had hoped he'd be allowed to stay here for a while and help with the repairs."

"Well, I'm pretty sure I know Sky Flare's standing on that idea already," I sighed, "But what do you think Gale?"

"Well-" Gale started, but Sky Flare cut him off.

"What does it matter what Gale thinks, Silver?" Sky Flare barked, "This is your Guild, you make the choices."

I looked at Sky Flare questioningly for a moment, then shook my head. I wasn’t sure why she was so worked up over me asking Gale's opinion, but I'd deal with her attitude later.

"I'll rephrase the question then," I said flatly, "What do you think the Princesses stand on this matter would be, Gale?"

I caught Sky Flare snort in annoyance again, but she held her tongue this time.

"Well," Gale began again, "I think they would allow it. Everypony deserves a second chance, and we've all made a mistake or two in our lives. So it seems unwarranted to clip his wings over something like this."

I nodded at his comment and agreed. "Alright," I said, "Winter Light, you can stay and help for now." Then I looked at him seriously and added, "But we will be watching you while you’re here."

"He's a sneak Silver!" Sky Flare barked, "You should drag the little Ratite out of here and dump him in Ponyville, not entertain his fanboy fantasies!"

"Hey, I gave you a second chance after knocking me out didn’t I?" I said, trying to make light of the situation, "You know how that turned out. Maybe Winter Light here'll be the same. Just give him a chance and see how things go, alright?"

She snorted in irritation and flew off, her parting comment of disapproval just barely reaching my ears.

I sighed and looked back to Winter Light. "Now..." I asked thoughtfully, "What can you do exactly? Do you have any skills or strengths?"

Winter Light was smiling practically ear to ear, and his eyes were wide with excitement. "Anything you need me to do!” he said quickly.

He looked elated to have been allowed to stay, and I smiled at the sheer joy he seemed to have now. ‘At least he seems helpful,’ I thought, ‘But we’ll see if that lasts the day.’

“I-I mean," Winter Light shuffled a moment then stood at attention to look more serious, "I'm a mail pony, and have some experience in helping with the weather... Although, not sure if any of those two traits would be too useful to you. I just want to help you anyway I can!"

"Well, you can start by tagging along with Gale for now," I said, "He says to give you a chance, he can be the one to keep an eye on you. " I looked at Gale and smiled, "For now anyways."

"We'll start with some cleanup duty then," Gale said, "Come on Winter Light, I'll show you around first, then we'll get to work."

“Yes sir!” Winter Light said sternly.

I watched as the brown Pegasus trotted off with Gale and sighed. ‘For a guy who says he’s in his twenties, he’s awfully… Childish.’ I thought. I heard a sound like something being kicked over within the Guild and sighed. ‘And speaking of childish, time to go see what Sky Flare’s problem is…’

I found Sky Flare behind the Guild, angrily stomping around, kicking over sticks and rocks as she paced about.

“So, what’s got your nickers in a knot, hmm?” I asked.

“My what?” Sky Flare started, then shook her head, “Nothing,” She stated, “I’m fine.”

“And I’m a Princess.” I laughed.

She frowned at me, then started for the forest.

“Oh come on Sky,” I sighed, “What’s the matter?”

She stopped and turned to face me. “I thought I was your second in command!?” she said angrily.

“That’s what I thought.” I sighed. I saw her glare deepen at my words and spoke quickly, “Sky, you are my second in command, but Gale has been sent here by the Princesses to make sure the overall wellbeing of Equestria is upheld. You made your thoughts on the issue with Winter Light quite clear from the start. And while I don’t like people sneaking around anymore than you do, sometimes people make mistakes.”

“So what, everypony should get a second chance no matter what?” Sky Flare scoffed.

“No,” I admitted, “But when their only crime is looking through a window and scaring the crap out of Dawn? I’d be more tempted to give him some praise than a boot to the butt.”

She snorted a chuckle at that and shook her head, finally seeming to get my point. “Fine…” she sighed after a moment of thought, “But I still don’t like him. And if he steps out of line, even once-”

“Then you can toss him to the curb,” I assured her, “But at least give him a fair chance, alright?”

“Yeah, yeah…” she agreed.

“Good,” I said, “Now, is there anything else bothering you? You’ve been good about it, but I know you well enough to know that something’s been bugging you the last few days. And don’t say nothing.”

She frowned at me then sighed heavily. “It’s stupid.” She admitted, then fell silent.

“What is?” I asked, “I won’t laugh, I promise.”

She looked at me for a moment then shrugged tiredly. “We haven’t spared or done any training since we got here,” she said, “I know we’ve been busy with the Guild and all, but we were doing it every day, sometimes two or three times before sunset. I…” She shook her head and continued, “Don’t you miss it?”

I smiled at her and let out a small sigh. ‘So that was it,’ I realized, ‘She’s suffering from sparring withdrawals.’ My smile grew wider and I trotted up to her.

She watched me unsurely, and as I came up right beside her, I unleashed my secret weapon. I swung my tail away from her, then whipped it back against her flank. At the last second, I snapped my tail back again, and with an audible crack, I struck Sky Flare square on the cutie mark with my tail like it was a whip. She’d done it to me so many times now, I couldn’t help but learn how to do it myself. I’d been practicing in secret for months, and had only just gotten the hang of it a few weeks ago.

Sky Flare yelped and bucked away from me with a start. “What the hay Silver!?” She gasped, “That hurt!”

“Oops,” I laughed, “Guess I don’t have the control perfected just yet.”

She frowned at me, then laughed and leaped for me with a playful strike.

She’d reacted as I had hoped. I leaped back and taunted her. “What’s this?” I teased, “A few weeks without practice and you can’t even land a hit? You get rusty way to fast Sky Flare.”

“Excuse me?” she snorted, “I’ll show you rusty!”

She leaped after me again and I took to the skies quickly.

“Hey!” I heard Sky Flare yell after me, “Get back here!”

“You’ll have to catch me first!” I called back, then I took off like a streak over the forest.

The stream nearby would make for a pretty good sparring area, and though I knew we both had plenty of work to do, an hour to spar wouldn’t be too much time lost. Especially if it would help to curb Sky Flare’s mood.



As had been our norm of late, we all gathered around a big campfire Clyde setup outside and ate our dinners as we wound down for the day. I had a few new bruises from my sparring match with Sky Flare earlier, as did she I had no doubt, but we were both quite content now. That was all she had really needed to calm down, a good fight, and we had several of those once we got to the stream.

Despite our lack of training these last few weeks, she really was getting quite good. I’d have to start teaching her more advanced techniques soon, and really work on fine tuning her ability to read and predict an opponent’s moves. I was really looking forward to her becoming a challenge. The better she got, the better I would have to be to keep her on her toes. At the rate she was improving, she might wind up being more of a rival than a student, one day anyway.

As usual, I sat with Sky Flare and admired the fire Clyde had built for us. I still had no idea how he did it with those huge hooves of his, but Clyde could make a fire faster than I ever could when I had been human. I swear he had flints in his hooves, he was that fast.

I watched as our newest addition started towards me, then stopped and turned for Dawn and Stalwart instead. It took me a second to realize why he had changed course so suddenly, then I remembered Sky Flare’s attitude towards him earlier and sighed. I glanced to her, but she seemed indifferent and simply relaxed contently by my side as she ate.

While not trying to eavesdrop, Winter Light and Dawn sat close enough I couldn’t help but overhear their conversation. So, I listened in, intent on learning more about this new Pegasus that had been found spying on us.

"Is she okay?” I caught Winter Light ask, “She seems a lot less energetic than what I saw earlier."

Stalwart laughed. "That's because I've been helping make sure she's actually working!” He said, “I'm sure she'll perk up once she's had a chance to eat."

"I haven't needed to work this hard in a very long time...” Dawn groaned, “I must be out of shape..."

‘How can she be that tired?’ I thought to myself, ‘She has magic to do literally everything for her…’

"Oh?” Winter Light said curiously, “Physically you look in good shape. I thought you would have an easier time than most of us, since you can use magic to manipulate the objects easier than us."

I smirked at his comment. ‘Glad I’m not the only one who thinks that.’ I thought.

Dawn flopped over onto the grass and shrugged. "I was used to desk jobs, phone centers, things like that,” she sighed, “Far more intellectual work than physical…"

"Phone centers?” Winter Light asked, “What's that?"

I half choked on a carrot when I caught his question.

Sky Flare patted me on the back gently and looked at me with a smirk. “Chew first Silver, then swallow.” She teased. I choked out my agreement and hoped Dawn had some form of a recovery lined up.

"It's something unique to my... Home," I caught Dawn reply hesitantly, "Basically if someone had a complaint or a question about something for a company, I'd be the one to handle that kind of thing."

‘Dawn…’ I thought shaking my head, ‘How have you made it this long without Stalwart finding out who you really are… You’re worse than I am when it comes to slip ups!’

I watched as Sky Flare glanced over at Dawn at her comment, and knew from her expression she was about to ask something, so I cut in to change the topic as best I could.

"So," I said as nonchalantly as I could, though loud enough to catch the ears of everyone present, "Once we get the Inn itself patched up and officially made into the Timber Wolves Guild hall, I think we should make a few additions to it. Like a storehouse or something, and maybe a central office of sorts. We’ll need an office if we're going to be in the business of helping other's after all, right? Any ideas on a location or possible designs guys?"

I really wasn’t sure if we needed a storehouse, or an office all that much, but I had to say something to try and give Dawn an out, and this was the best thing I could come up with on such short notice. Gale, Sky Flare and Clyde looked around thoughtfully. They took in the surrounding area and seemed to fall rather deep in thought over possible build sites and unspoken designs.

Stalwart was the first to offer an idea and he spoke it thoughtfully. "Are you looking at investing time to build such a building, or converting what space you have already?"

“Six a one, half dozen of the other," I said with a laugh, "I'd like to keep as much room in the Inn as possible for everyone. I have no idea how big this Guild's going to become, but we'll need enough room for guests and members alike. So, making a storehouse and a reception area from scratch will probably be the best way to go about it. Unless someone else has a better idea?"

"Are you accounting for each member or guest having their own room,” Dawn asked, “Or a combined barracks concept?"

"As much as a Barracks would save on space, I'd rather avoid it if I can,” I said, “I want this to be a home. A place for everyone to feel at ease and relax in their own way. Our purpose is to help others, not enforce some code or equestrian law. I don't want us to be some type of military division. We're here to help. And what helps others better than a family?"

I saw everyone nod thoughtfully and felt a little swell of pride rise up within me. I wasn’t really the leader of anything until we were in business, but it helped boost my confidence a little to know that everyone here seemed to agree with my ideals.

Sky Flare nudged my side, then pointed over to the far side of the clearing. “What if we stick that storage shed over there?” she said, “Back behind the Guild. We can keep our junk tucked away safe, while having it stay out of the way. We can also put an armory of sorts at the end nearest to the Guild, and maybe even a training grounds over there. You know, a sand pit, some practice targets, maybe a few obstacles. We’ll need those if I’m supposed to be training the ponies who join us how to fight.”

“Right,” I said, “That’s not a bad idea. You think you could you do all that Clyde?”

Clyde nodded. “Sure can.” He said.

“And what if, instead of just a simple office,” Sky Flare continued, “We made it a tower? The bottom would be used for records and serve as your office, while the top could be your room. You are the Guild Leader after all, so you should have a few perks.”

“I don’t need a tower!” I laughed, “I’m fine sharing the Guild with everyone else.”

“I’m serious,” Sky Flare insisted, “I mean, you are a Pegasus, aren’t you?” she eyed me knowingly and continued before I could say anything, “And what self-respecting Pegasus would live on the ground, when he could be up high. Besides, it’ll let you keep a better eye on the Guild. And it’ll help me and Gale find our way back here easier when we go out on supply runs. We’d be able to spot it above the trees and home in on it. It’d also be pretty clear that it should be the first place to go, if anypony else wanders by in the future.” She glanced at Winter Light and frowned a moment, before returning her attention to me to hear my thoughts.

I caught Winter Light raise a hoof and gestured for him to speak his mind. "I... Think that's a very good idea...” he added nervously, “Especially with the location of the Guild... Would help ponies to find the Guild for help..." He quickly lowered his hoof after that, and turned his head down to the grass, evidently embarrassed.

I glanced back to Sky Flare and shook my head. "Weren't you the one that was against making this place easy to find? Something about not wanting random flyboys coming to see what we were?"

Sky Flare shrugged. "I was," she admitted, "But I've changed my mind. We're here to help Ponies, right? So, we should welcome them if they stop by and see if they need help. And if they're just lost, well, we can show them out of the forest." She glanced at Winter again, then added. "And if they're spies or a threat... That's what we have the Timber Wolves for, right? Eating unwanted pests."

I sighed at her and waved her off. “You want to build a tower so you’ll have an easier time finding the Guild, that’s fine,” I said, “But I am not moving into it. I’ll use it as an office, but that’s it.”

Sky Flare smirked at me with a wild, almost challenging look in her eyes, then glanced to Clyde. “Think you can do that too?” she asked, “Build us a tower?”

“I can make you something.” He said nodding.

“Good,” Sky Flare grinned, “Anypony else have any ideas?”

I glanced to the others again, to try and gauge their opinions and see if anyone had any more thoughts, but I still couldn’t make up my mind on the whole tower thing. It may help Pegasai in finding the Guild, but so would a flag pole… I didn’t need my own room up and away from everyone. I liked my privacy sure, but that’s why we replaced the doors in the Inn.

"Not bad...” Dawn said slowly, “But the tower would be more expensive to build, trickier architecturally, and time consuming." She paused a moment, then looked at me seriously, "Do you plan on making that much of an investment?"

"And what's that supposed to mean!?" Sky Flare barked, clearly offended by Dawn's words, "He's trying to help ponies here! Asking him if he's wanting to make "that much of an investment" makes it seem like you think this is just some kinda fling!"

I waved a tentative hoof to calm Sky Flare down and sighed. I knew what Dawn had meant. She was worried about how much time and effort I wanted to put into all of this when the possibility that I could go home at some point was still a possibility. I could get halfway through the setup process then have the chance to leave. We hadn’t really gotten much of a chance to talk about all that these last few days Dawn had been visiting, but I’d already made up my mind. I’d treat this place as my life until I knew, one way or another, if I was ever going home to my own world again.

Sky Flare frowned at me and I smiled reassuringly at her. No one else but the Princesses would have understood what Dawn had really meant by her question. To everyone else, it would have come off as Sky Flare had taken it, rude. I’d have to try and smooth it over as no big deal somehow, while addressing Dawn’s concerns…

I thought for a moment, then looked to Dawn and spoke carefully. "While I can't say what life will bring for my, or anyone's future," I explained, "While I'm here, I'm going to live as though I'll be here forever. No sense avoiding all ties on the chance of change, right?"

I caught Sky Flare look at me quizzically, then shake whatever thought she had off and settle back down beside me.

I watched as Dawn nodded at my comment. She seemed to get what I had meant, and I sighed inwardly with relief at her understanding.

"Fair enough,” she said, “How you spend what you were given is your choice of course. I just wanted to be sure how much you were wanting to use right away like this. You have my support, as always."

She smiled and I shook my head at her semi-cryptic reply. ‘Subtle Dawn,’ I thought, ‘Subtle…’

"Who would take Silver's place if something were to happen?" Winter Light said thoughtfully.

I glanced at him, but he looked more lost in thought than anything.

"Excuse me?" Sky Flare growled.

I groaned aloud and put a hoof on Sky Flare’s back. I don’t know if he was stupid, or just really unlucky, but this Winter Light just seemed to have a knack for getting on Sky Flare’s nerves.

Sky Flare fell silent at my touch, and I caught her smile for just a moment at the contact.

"Nothing's gonna happen to me,” I said, “But if something did, Sky Flare would take over for me. Or Gale Stormrider if she was, for some reason, unable to.” I took a deep breath and sighed. “Now, as for the idea of a tower, I like it, as an office,” I stressed, “It could go right here in the middle of the grounds. That way the road would lead those coming by foot straight to it. I do like the idea of the storehouse too, and especially the training grounds. Not all of us are fighters, but those of us that are, could use someplace a little safer than the Everfree Forest to hone our skills."

"I'll start working on some design plans then,” Clyde said, “Should have them done within the week."

"Sounds great,” I said, “Thanks Clyde."

"I’ve got a few ideas for the tower I wanna run by you, Clyde," Sky Flare said, "So let me know when you get to those ones. And the training ground too."

Clyde nodded and I frowned at Sky Flare for a moment. She shrugged me off and I looked back to everyone else. "Anyone else have any more idea's or thoughts before we finalize these ideas then?" I asked.

“I may have a few suggestions for the tower as well.” Gale chimed in.

He’d been rather silent tonight, but I was glad he’d said something. I had been worried that he was uneasy after Sky Flare’s irritation this morning.

“Something else we’ll need to consider soon, is a Crest,” Gale went on, “An Emblem, or Coat of Arms. Something that can be used to identify the Guild and state who we are from a distance.”

That thought hadn’t crossed my mind until now, I realized. We’d gotten a name, and I had envisioned the use of the Timber Wolves as our Mascot, but a full-on Crest or Guild Emblem never crossed my mind. I had just assumed we’d use the Princesses Crest, since we were a part of their helping hand, but Gale was right. Every faction of the Military, or Police force had its own unique crest to symbolize who they were. Even individual towns and cities had their own Crests, so why hadn’t I thought of that before now?

I sighed at myself and nodded to Gale. “I’ll need some help with that,” I chuckled, “I can write decently enough, but I can’t draw for the life of me.”

“I think I can come up with something you’d like, Silver,” Sky Flare smirked, “Something that'll capture the look and feel of the Timber Wolves' ideals quite well.”

“Alright,” I said, “Take your time, and show me what you got when you think you’re ready.” I looked back to the rest of my friends and asked, “Anything else anyone can think of?”

One by one, I caught my friends shake their heads no and nodded. "Guess that's the plan for now then," I said, "For the future anyways." I laughed, then added, "For now though, let's just get some sleep. Come tomorrow, we can see if we can’t get this place back on its feet!”