Trapped in the Mirror of Worlds

by Silver_Wing

Aftermath

Slowly, I became aware of a dull throb in my head. With every beat of my heart, the throb became steadily more apparent, and as I dimly focused on that sensation, the pain almost seemed to spread until it filled my entire skull.

I groaned at the feeling and tried to raise a hoof to my forehead, but there was oddly warm pressure pinning it down. Experimentally, I tried to move my other foreleg, but it too seemed to be pinned down.

Not wanting to open my eyes I tried to sit up, but as I started to move, the same warm pressure made itself apparent on my chest as well.

Reluctantly, I opened an eye and glanced down. For a moment, all I saw was blinding white light, and I winced as it stung my disapproving eye. Gradually, the light and the pain it brought started to fade. I saw a blurred blanket made of something red draped across my right side, and a second blanket of black and white over my left. I blinked a few times and gasped in shock as what I was looking at became clear.

I was laying on my back, in my bed at the Guild. Sky Flare lay along my right side with her head on my chest, while Ivora mirrored her position along my left.

“W-what happened last night!?” I squeaked aloud in disbelief.

At my words, the two Mare’s laying with me began to stir and looked up at me with loving smiles.

“Do you not remember Silver Ving?” Ivora cooed. Her smile grew wider and leaned closer to my face, almost as if she meant to kiss me.

I sank back into my bed as far as I could and looked to Sky Flare for some sort of an answer.

She met my gaze and grinned. “We sure do,” She mused, “And here I thought dance moves were the only tricks you knew.”

“I-I-I,” I stammered helplessly, “D-did we? Did we really… U-uhh…” There was no way we could have done what I was thinking, no way.

“Did ve vhat?” Ivora asked innocently, though her smile betrayed a dark and mischievous air.

“I think what you should really be asking, is what didn’t we do.” Sky Flare added in a soft, purr like tone. She nuzzled into my chest and let out a contented sigh.

I tensed at her touch and realized I was missing my vest. I would have looked around the room for it, but Sky Flare’s touch on my bare chest had my full attention. I stared at her in disbelief. ‘We couldn’t have,’ I thought, ‘There was just no way! Even with how drunk I was! Someone would have stopped us! The Princesses, Breezy, Caspian! They wouldn’t have just let us…’ I shook the thought from my head and paused as I caught a snort of laughter slip from the two Mares atop me.

Looking down at them in a panic, I found them both to be grinning widely at me.

“W-what…?” I struggled to ask.

They remained silent for a painfully long moment, then they both burst out laughing and climbed out of my bed.

I was wholly lost. Why were they laughing? And why were they suddenly leaving? I had a thousand questions racing through my mind and nothing to answer them with.

They both laughed until tears filled their eyes, but finally, Sky Flare spoke. “You should see your face Silver!” She gasped out between gulps of air, “You’re blushing so hard! You’re nearly as red as I am! Why didn’t we bring a camera!?”

Ivora’s laughter renewed itself at Sky Flare’s comment and she sat down heavily as she fought to catch her breath.

“B-but,” I said, sitting up despite my heads throbbing protest, “Y-you were both… D-didn’t we… Y-you know?”

Sky Flare took a deep breath to calm herself, then shook her head at me. “Of course not!” She chuckled, “We weren’t that drunk Silver!”

“B-but you were…” I started, then fell silent.

“In bed vith you?” Ivora finished for me, “Why yes, ve vere.”

I looked from Ivora to Sky Flare and shook my head. I didn’t understand. My brain was just not up for this type of thinking in its current state.

Sky Flare sighed contently and explained with a victorious smile. “It was a joke Silver, you can relax,” she said, “It’s almost dinner time. You’ve been asleep all day. So, we thought we’d come wake you up.”

“Yes,” Ivora chimed in, “But vhat fun vould just knocking on your door be?”

“Exactly,” Sky Flare chuckled, “So, we decided we’d climb into bed with you and shake you till you started to wake up. Then we just waited for you to realize we were there and...” she looked to Ivora with a Cheshire grin.

“And vatch vhere your mind took you after that,” Ivora finished, “Impressive as you may be, I am not so easily vooed.”

Sky Flare gave me a parental pat on the head with one of her wings and trotted for my bedroom door. “Dinner will be ready soon, Guild Master,” she cooed over her shoulder at me, “You’d best come get it while it’s still warm. And no more sleeping, you hear me? Who knows what you’ll wake up to if you doze off again.”

She and Ivora shared another laugh and left my room, closing my door behind them as went.

Even with the door closed, their laughter still carried to me for several more seconds. They truly were twins at heart, I realized in dismay. Evil, sadistic twins! I’d have to get them back for this somehow, but now, it was all I could do just to stay upright.

I sighed deeply as an overwhelming sense of relief washed over me and let myself fall back into bed, then my body caught back up with me. Pain exploded throughout my head as my abrupt shift in position jostled my entire body. I groaned and grasped vainly at my temples as the worst hangover I’d ever experienced made its presence known with a vengeance.

“I didn’t have that much!” I whimpered wearily, “So why is my head killing me like this!?” I struggled through the pain and tried to recall the events of last night, but they were blurry, and I couldn’t get the order of things right. I’d had my first taste of the Dragon’s Kiss, then I danced with Sky Flare… No, we spared first, then we danced, I think… I shook my head to try and clear things up, but that only succeeded in making the pain I felt worse.

I groaned and laid still. “We danced,” I mumbled aloud, “The Ivora joined in… And then… I had another drink of Dragon’s Kiss?” Images of dancing flashed in my mind. Songs played in my ear and I saw a great many swirling smiling faces. Try as I might though, I just couldn’t put together the previous night, and with a sigh of defeat I stopped trying.

‘It’ll come back eventually,’ I thought, ‘That, or Sky Flare and Ivora will tell me all about it when I go for dinner...’ I sat up slowly, cradling my head as my change in position amplified my already intense hangover.

Carefully, I forced myself to my feet and swayed heavily to one side. Using one of my wings, I braced myself against my bed and breathed in deep, slow breaths. I felt terrible, and I pretty sure I looked just as bad. My whole body ached, and my head throbbed relentlessly. ‘At least you don’t feel like throwing up.’ I told myself. In fact, my stomach was about the only thing that wasn’t causing me grief at that moment, and I was grateful for it. Pain was one thing, but nausea was a whole different kettle of fish.

Glancing around my room, I spotted my vest draped over a chair and felt relieved to find it undamaged. I thought about grabbing it, but I just didn’t have the strength to get dressed right now.

Mustering what little strength I felt I did have, I staggered to the door of my room and leaned up against the wall beside it for support. I focused the magic of my bracelet on the handle and it opened with a soft creak. I’d never noticed the subtle grinding of the doors hinges before, but as the sound reached my ears, it felt like it split my head in two. I dropped my head low and winced in pain as the door sung open for me.

“Oho I know that look,” a loud and very cheery voice boomed from the room beyond, “Somepony’s ‘ad their night a fun and are payin’ the piper for it now, eh?”

I knew that thunderous voice all too well and nearly collapsed as Breezy’s voice echoed in my skull, but with the aid of the doorframe, I managed to stay standing. I waved a tentative hoof towards him, but he only laughed in response.

“Ey, I told ya not to have more an two,” Breezy chuckled, “You went an ‘ad what, four? You’re lucky you’re able ta see straight, let alone walk.”

“Four...?” I groaned weakly.

“Yep, four.” Breezy confirmed. He trotted over to me and helped me to a stool in the main room. “I warned ya,” he said, “But oh no, you’ll be fine you said.”

He chuckled loudly, and I couldn’t help but whimper as he clearly made no effort to lower his voice, despite being so close to me.

“Why aren’t Sky and Ivora hungover too?” I asked wearily, “Didn’t they have more with me?”

“Hay no!” Breezy laughed, “My Daughter ain’t no fool. She did ‘ave a second, but she stopped after that. Ms. Ivora stuck with just the one though. Was just you that went ta town on the stuff.”

“I blame your daughter…” I groaned, “She kept bringing me more…”

“Ya didn’t ‘ave ta take it,” Breezy stated, “Goes back in the bottle just as easily as it comes outta it.”

I dropped my head lower and gave up. I didn’t have the strength to argue. I took a few minutes to settle into my spot on the stool, then looked to Breezy hesitantly. “How bad was I…?” I asked with a sigh.

Breezy grinned wide at my question, but either from pity at the sight of my current state, or a rare moment where his sense of humor took a break, he just patted me on the back and shrugged. “You were fine, boy,” he said simply, “You ‘ad yourself a good ol’ time. Got most everypony that came dancin’ and laughin’ till Celestia raised the Sun too. My Daughter most of all. It’s good to see ‘er let loose like that. So you can take a breath and relax. Ain’t nothin’ happened I think you’d be too ‘eartbroken over.”

He didn’t seem like he was teasing me or setting me up for some twist of a joke, so I accepted his words and let out a deep sigh of relief. “Good,” I said tiredly, “I… Can’t really remember much more from last night than the odd image or two.”

“That’ll be the Dragon’s Kiss for ya,” Breezy said simply, “Ave enough of it, an’ you can lose a whole week if you’re not careful.”

“I don’t ever want to drink that stuff again…” I groaned.

“Vhat?” Ivora’s silken voice cut in, “But you had such fun! I have not laughed so much in years!”

I didn’t have the strength to look towards them, so I just left my gaze lingering on the floor below me as I listened to their hoof steps approaching.

“Me neither,” Sky Flare’s voice followed, “Though I gotta say Silver, I am a little mad at you.”

“What did I do?” I groaned. I knew there had to have been something. No way I got that drunk and didn’t offend someone.

“You’ve got a lot more tricks under those hooves of yours than you led me to believe,” she said, “When we spar, and you say you’re fighting me seriously, you’ve been lying.”

“What?” I said, looking up at her seriously, “No I haven’t.” I groaned a moment later as the sudden movement forced my head to throb even harder.

“Then explain last night to me,” Sky Flare said flatly, “You started taking on challengers and sent them all flying without even trying.”

“I did?” I asked. I thought about what she said, and gradually, images of different ponies coming at me came flashed in my mind, but it was all so hazy. It was like looking at an old projection film through a dense fog. I could make out a rough series of events, but the details were few and far between.

“Yeah,” Sky Flare continued, “You did. Some of them two or three at a time.”

“It vas a most impressive display,” Ivora added, “It looked as though you vere merely dancing, but no blow could land.”

I thought long and hard about what they were saying. Why had I been fighting? What had started it? Was it just for fun, or did someone try and start something? I struggled against the aftereffects of the Dragon’s Kiss to clear at least some part of my memory, then laughed weakly as things became less clouded. One of the Ponies at the party had seen the demonstration I’d done for the Princesses and had wanted to see if it was all just a show or not. He’d had a few too many drinks, and so had I, so I told him to come at me and find out for himself. He had, and I’d laid him out easily. After that, more Ponies wanted to try their luck in a friendly contest of skill. Drunk as I was by that point, I didn’t want to risk a poorly timed punch and accidentally hurt someone. So, I’d used my bracelet’s magic to carve out a small ring in the grass and turned the whole scenario into a game of King of the Hill. The ponies that came at me, did so with the intention of pushing me out of the ring, not fighting, so they were easy to redirect passed me with simple moves.

“I wasn’t fighting them seriously at all,” I explained, “I was just evading.”

Sky Flare frowned at me. “You did a lot more than just evade.” She said flatly.

“I’m still teaching you, Sky,” I explained, “But think about the lessons you’re on now. First, I taught you basic stances and the ideas behind what to do and when, and now I’m teaching you to read movements and redirect your opponent’s attacks, right?”

“Yeah, so?” She said.

“So, think about last night,” I said, “What did I do to all those people? And what was it they were trying to do to me? It was King of the Hill, so they were all focused on moving me out of that ring, right? I didn’t hit one of them. Not really anyway. All I did was use their own momentum and move their attacks around me, then trip them as they went by. Once they were off balance, all it took was a little shove and they went sailing passed. Most of them were as drunk as I was. Well… Maybe not quite as drunk as I was, but they weren’t thinking straight. And only a few actually had any fighting experience.”

Sky Flare furrowed her brows at me thoughtfully for a moment, then relented. “Alright,” she said nodding, “I guess that makes sense… But I didn’t know you could take on so many Ponies at once without actually attacking them back. I thought you were just toying with them, since you never fight like that with me.”

“I can’t,” I admitted, “I’m teaching you to fight like I do. And with my style, it’s better to play it defensively. I only attack when I have to, and usually it’s just to make an opening. I was literally just pushing drunk people over last night and having a good time about it. Those few that weren’t drunk, and actually knew what they were doing, were the only ones that I got even a little rough with. But none of us were taking things too seriously. It was just for fun and a good laugh.”

“What are People?” Ivora asked, a confused look on her face.

“Err,” I tensed, “I meant Ponies.”

“I’m sure did,” Ivora said, “But you said, “People”. Twice. Explain.”

“It’s just Silver being Silver,” Sky Flare said, waving her question off, “Blame it on the hangover.” She tried to laugh it off, but Ivora looked unconvinced.

“He said some rather odd things last night as vell,” Ivora continued, “Something to the effect of “I’m surprised I can dance in this body”.” She looked at me and tilted her head a little. “Vhat did you mean by that Silver Ving?”

“I did?” I said, “I don’t remember…”

“With how drunk he was last night, I wouldn’t be surprised if he thought he was a full-blooded Dragon,” Sky Flare laughed again, “Or even an Alicorn.” She trotted over to Ivora and nudged her to follow. “Come on, let’s go get Silver some dinner now that he’s up. We can pester him more once his brain’s working again.”

Ivora eyed Sky Flare suspiciously for a moment, then glanced back to me with a knowing air. “As you vish, Sky.” she said softly.

I mentally cursed myself and frowned at the floor. ‘Me and my big mouth…’ I thought, ‘How could I have let something like that slip?’ I knew why I had slipped up though. I’d been speaking with Sky Flare about myself and my world so much when we found ourselves alone together, that I was gradually beginning to make offhand remarks. Remarks I knew she would understand, but no other Pony would. I’d need to be more careful from now on, but I still had to fix this latest problem first.

“I’m a might curious as to some a your choice words myself.” Breezy said from behind me.

I’d forgotten he was there and tensed at his words.

“But, Princess Celestia asked me not to press ya for anything you do that may seem a little too odd,” he went on, “That being said… If there’s ever anything you want ta get off your chest, you feel free ta let me know, alright? Ol’ Breezy is pretty good at keepin’ ‘is secrets.”

I looked back at him and found him smiling at me, like a knowing parent would. I returned his smile but kept silent. Even if I wanted to tell him the truth right now, I couldn’t. The Princesses had set up their surveillance magic throughout the Guild, and while I wasn’t one hundred percent certain on how good this magic was, I felt it would be better not to underestimate its potential. That’s why I’d only been speaking about my world to Sky Flare when we were out in the forest at our training spot, far away from the Guild. I just couldn’t risk upsetting the Princesses.

Breezy waited a moment or two longer, then gave a bored stretch of his wings and headed for the doors that led outside. “Well, I think it’s about time I get my dear Lemon Bloom back home,” he said, “You keep your feathers clean, ya ‘ear?”

I chuckled tiredly at his comment. “Sure thing Breezy,” I said, “You too.”

He looked back at me and smiled. “Thanks again for getting’ my daughter outta Canterlot and feelin’ free enough to laugh and party,” he said, “You’ve no idea how worried I was gettin’ that she’d never take those first few steps towards ‘er own life.”

I stole a quick glance around the room to make sure that Sky Flare wasn’t in sight and nodded. “It’s been my pleasure,” I said honestly, “Well, most of the time.”

Breezy laughed. “I wouldn’t expect it any other way.” he said, then paused and he glanced back outside. “Ah, I’d almost forgot,” he added, “But you got somepony waitin’ for ya. He’s been eager ta speak with you all day now. Now that you’re up, I’ll send ‘im in.”

Before I could say anything to stop him, Breezy left the Guild hall, and a moment later, Winter Light came galloping in.

He raced straight up to me, his rapid hoofbeats echoing in my head like rolling thunder.

I winced at the sound and looked up at him as he skidded to a stop before me. He was tense, and looked either nervous or worried about something. I was too hungover to figure out which, so I waved a wing weakly in greeting.

“I thought about it a lot!” Winter said quickly, “And my answer to your proposal is yes! I want to join the Timber Wolves!” He seemed to grow embarrassed after voicing his words and dropped his head shyly before adding, “Please?”

I smiled weakly at him and nodded. “G-good to hear,” I said, “I’ll welcome you more officially a little later when everyone else is around, but for the moment, I welcome you to the Timber Wolves, Winter Light.” The sound of his hoofbeats still reverberated in my head and I really didn’t want to be sociable, but I knew I had to be. It was my job to be Guild Leader after all, and no one likes a jerk for a boss.

A wide smile crept over Winter’s face that almost seemed to stretch from ear to ear, and he visibly started to tremble at the impact of my words.

“Thank you!” He practically screamed out as his excitement seemed to hit its peak.

I winced at the volume of his cry and tensed as he looked like he was about to pounce on me, but by some unseen grace, he stayed in his place.

Winter shuffled his front hooves awkwardly for a moment instead, then lowered his head as he spoke further. “I-I will need three days before I can officially start though…” He said quietly, “T-to get my affairs in order... I-is that alright? If it isn’t, I understand!”

“T-take all the time you need.” I said through gritted teeth. Shakily, I waved Winter away as politely as I could, hoping he would get the message.

“Thank you very much, Guild Master Silver Wing!” Winter shouted in his excitement, “I will be back as fast as I can!”

With that, he took off at a full gallop and left me to my torment.

I leaned over the side of my stool and let my head drop to a nearby table as I fought not to weep at the pain Winter’s exit sent reverberating through my head. I knew I couldn’t be mad at him for being so happy, but that Pegasus needed a volume dial or something… And rubber horseshoes… Definitely rubber horseshoes.

I must have dozed off, because the next thing I knew, Sky Flare was patting my back with a wing.

“Dinner time,” she said softly, “Come on now, sit up.”

I groaned, and with a great effort of will, forced myself back into an upright position. A large bowl of carrot and oat stew was on the table before me, with a tall glass of ice water beside it.

“Ice?” I said, more than a little confused, “Where’d we get ice out here?”

“Ivora made it,” Sky Flare said, “Perk of having a Unicorn around.”

I nodded a weary agreement, then looked around for Ivora, but couldn’t see her. “Where is she?” I asked, though part of me was glad to be alone. Well, mostly alone.

“She’s around,” Sky Flare said, “I asked her to give us a few minutes to talk first.”

“Ah…” I said, lowering my head again, “What did I do…”

She chuckled at me and shook her head. “Nothing,” she said, “But you do need to watch that tongue of yours.”

“Yeah…” I said, “Got that message loud and clear…”

“So, think you’ll be able to keep your word tonight?” she asked.

“My word?” I repeated. I looked at her seriously, “My word about what?”

“You promised to show Ivora a Timber Wolf before she left, remember?” Sky Flare explained, “It’s getting late, and she has to head out sooner than later.”

“Oh, right… Timber Wolves…” I said, “I’d love to say no, but I’ll call them… Just… Give me a few more minutes of quiet first, please?”

She smiled at me and nodded towards the food she had set out before me. “Eat something,” she said softly, “It’ll help. We’ll be outside when you’re finished. Just don’t take too long, alright? It’s not polite to keep a Mare waiting.”

I sighed and nodded my head in understanding. I watched Sky Flare as she left, then turned my attention to the meal before me. I couldn’t describe it, but the food seemed almost to loom before me like some impassable obstacle. It felt like I was looking up at a great mountain and I was momentarily defeated by the thought of eating so much food in my current state.

I’d had to force myself to eat the food before me, and even then, I could only eat about half of it. I didn’t feel sick, but something in the back of my mind warned me not to eat any more just yet. I couldn’t be sure if it was just my imagination or not, but I didn’t want to risk it either way.

With a groan, I slid from my stool and stood shakily for a moment. My knees felt like they were about to give out, but miraculously, they held firm.

“One step at a time…” I told myself, “Just one step at a time…” My own hoof steps resounded in my head like gunshots, but I pressed onwards. I’d promised to show Ivora the Timber Wolves before she left, and short of divine intervention, I always did everything in my power to keep my promises.

The main doors to the Guild were open, and I stepped out into the dim glow of the porch. The sun had already set, but the lights from the night before were still up. Everything else besides the tables had been cleaned up already, and there wasn’t a trace of the party that had just rocked the Guild no more than twelve hours ago. I was impressed. In my world, a party like ours would have left a ton of trash and junk all over the place. The amount of people that actually cleaned up after themselves was painfully few, but here it seemed like everyone had great manners, and a strong respect for another’s property. That, or Sky Flare and the others had been hard at work all day cleaning up. Either way, I was just glad I didn’t have to walk through a minefield of litter right now.

“I vas beginning to think you vould not show, Silver Ving.” Ivora’s voice called to me from nearby.

“I said I’d show you a Timber Wolf, and I will.” I said, smiling tiredly I her direction.

She was sitting on a bench that rested against the outer wall of the Guild. Sky Flare was with her, but I couldn’t spot her Butler Caspian anywhere.

“Where’s Caspian?” I asked.

“He is preparing my carriage for our return trip to Canterlot,” Ivora said, “Ve must leave soon I am afraid.”

“Well, I’m sorry to have kept you waiting then,” I said, “I’ll take you to see the Timber Wolves now.” I looked around one more time, then glanced at Sky Flare. “I anyone still here?”

“Just us and Caspian as far as I know,” Sky Flare said, “Ivora is the only guest left. Gale took my parents back to Ponyville a while ago now, every Pony else left after the Princesses this morning.”

“Ah…” I said slowly. I caught Sky Flare’s emphasis on the word “Pony” and forced that term to forefront of my mind. “I uh… Hope none of them found my absence rude…”

Ivora laughed. “None thought anything but good things, of that I am most certain.”

“Hopefully our first few jobs will be as big a hit as our opening party,” Sky Flare chimed in, “I know quite a few Ponies who will be talking about last night for weeks to come.”

“Well, so long as they all found it fun, I’ll be happy,” I said, “Even more so when my head stops trying to kill me.”

Ivora smirked at my comment, then looked out towards the forest. “So, are ve to venture into the Everfree?” she asked, “Or will your Volves come to us here since we are alone?”

“Since we’re alone, I’ll call them here,” I said, “Otherwise yeah, I would have taken us in. Not everyone’s so keen on seeing them, you know?”

“I am sure.” She said, eying me.

‘Every Pony you idiot!’ I cursed myself mentally, ‘Stop saying everyone! Pony, say pony!’ I cleared my throat a took a deep breath, then attempted to howl as I usually did to call my wolves. I winced at the sound of my own voice and it cracked. It came out like a pitiful sort of wailing cry that reflected the agony I felt in my head.

“Wow Silver,” Sky Flare laughed, “Real majestic there.”

“Oh shut up,” I groaned, “You try howling with a hangover the size of Canterlot!” I sat down and looked away from them both in embarrassment. I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks and my embarrassment grew at the sound of Sky Flare and Ivora’s giggling.

After a moment I caught Sky Flare clear her throat, then a sweet, perfectly chorded howl rose from her lips. It started low, the rose in volume until it seemed to resonate with the cool night air. The pain in my head made me wince at her volume, but even still, I could appreciate the sound. She made my howls seem almost barbaric, while hers’ carried across the night like a song.

“Showoff.” I muttered.

She beamed a charming smile at me and shrugged. “We used to dress up as Timber Wolves when we were Fillies, remember?” she reminded me, “You don’t think we practiced our howls?”

“And they vill truly come when summoned in such a manner?” Ivora asked.

She sounded almost awed by the thought and I nodded. “It’s always worked for me so far,” I said, “Just give them a minute. They shouldn’t be too far.”

After a moment, a half dozen howls answered back in response to Sky Flare’s howl, then silence fell over the forest. As we watched the tree line, the familiar glow of green eyes started to appear in the distance. First two, the four, then a full dozen pairs of leering, ominous orbs surveyed the clearing, and us within it.

I heard Ivora gasp as my wolves began to silently creep out of the brush and into view. I watched her closely to see what she would do. Sky Flare had told me how enchanted Ivora had been by the thought of the Timber Wolves of the Everfree. How that ever since she’d caught a glimpse of one as a child, she’d always dreamed of one day seeing one again. And now, she had thirteen of them melting out of the foliage and stalking towards her. It was interesting to see the mix of wonder and terror grow on her face.

“T-they are magnificent,” She said in barely more than a whisper, “And there are so many.”

I did a quick head count and chuckled. “That’s only nine of them,” I said, “There are thirteen in total. They tend to stay half hidden to flank whatever they’re unsure about.”

“Flank?” Ivora repeated, “Do they find me a threat?”

“Not really,” I said, “But they’re not stupid either. They like to play things safe, even when I tell them everything is fine.” I focused on my bracelet briefly, sending out a reassuring wave of calm energy to my wolves.

Ivora glanced at me for a moment, then eyed my bracelet curiously.

I caught her glance and got to my feet quickly, trying to divert her attention from it. “Come on,” I said, “They won’t bite.” I forced myself to trot into the clearing to meet my wolves and smiled at them. “Everyone, this is Ivora,” I explained to them, “I know we’ve had a lot of peop-” I caught myself and resumed my sentence as smoothly as I could, “-Ponies coming and going the last while, and you’ve all been great about leaving them alone, but Ivora here is somepony I’d like you all to meet. So please, be nice.”

I looked back to Ivora and found that she’d not left the porch yet. Sky Flare was gently encouraging her with a wing and whispering something I could only assume was words of comfort. I spotted Caspian at the far side of the Guild peering out in terror at me and my wolves, and I fought not to smirk at him. It was hard not to laugh at their reactions, even though I knew the fear of Timber Wolves all to well from personal experience.

“They won’t hurt you,” I said softly, “I promise.” I looked to my wolves, who were all still creeping towards us and raised a hoof to halt them. “Kodama, could you come here please?” I asked, looking to one of my wolves. While they all listened to me, this one particular Timber Wolf always seemed to be at the head of the pack. He was always the first to howl back to me when I’d call them, and always seemed to be closest to me while out on patrols. Near as I could tell, he was their leader, their Alpha. Before I came along anyways. It was hard to give them all names, since they looked so similar, but Kodama was bigger than the rest. The wood that made up most of his body was also a darker and more weathered, so he was easier to identify at a glance.

Kodama came over to me and sat down, a hollow growl slipping out from between his slightly parted jaws.

“Oh calm down, you’re fine,” I whispered, “I know you’d rather be in the woods, but be nice for her, please?”

A creaked snort escaped Kodama’s nose and he started towards Ivora with his head high, looking like a friendly dog coming to greet a stranger.

Ivora took a nervous step back as he neared her, but Sky Flare held her in place with a wing. “It’ll be fine Ivora, look.” She walked out to meet Kodama and stood beside him. “See? He won’t hurt you.”

Kodama sat down beside Sky Flare and awaited Ivora’s response.

Tentatively, Ivora took a cautious step towards him and looked to me nervously. “K-Kodama?” she asked.

I smiled at her and nodded. “It’s a name for a type of tree spirit,” I explained, “It seemed a fitting name.”

“I have never heard such a name before,” she said, using the conversation to lessen her fears, “No doubt it is another uniqueness from where you are from?”

“Something like that.” I answered.

Sky Flare urged Ivora closer, and after a few painfully slow minutes, had finally coaxed her close enough for Kodama to sniff at her.

Ivora trembled in fear, but as more time passed without incident, she gradually started to calm down. She looked Kodama over closely, taking in every detail, though she never tried to pet him.

“I have never seen a Timber Volf up close before,” she said, more to herself than to any of us, “They are enchanting.”

Kodama let out a nearly purr like rumble from the depths of his wooden core, almost seeming to enjoy Ivora’s complement.

“You have no idea.” I chuckled.

“I truly never thought I vould ever see one again,” Ivora whispered, “My Father vould hear nothing of my desires to visit the Everfree, and my Mother-”

“M-miss Ebon Ivora?” Caspian’s trembling voice called, cutting her off, “Y-your carriage is ready to depart. And our escort has returned from Ponyville and is waiting. W-we should leave before it gets too late, lest your Mother and Father start to worry.”

I thought that was awfully rude of him, cutting Ivora off like that, but then I took his distance into consideration. I could barely make out Ivora’s whispered words, and I was no more than a dozen paces away from her. Caspian was five times the distance easy, and half behind a wall. So, in all likelihood, he wouldn’t have heard a word any of us had said.

Ivora sighed at Caspian’s words and looked longingly into Kodama’s eyes for a few moments longer, then stepped back. “I vould very much like to see you again when next I am here, Kodama,” she said softly, “If you vill permit it.”

Kodama let out a lazy yawn and laid down, seemingly indifferent.

“I vill hope that means a yes.” Ivora mused. She turned her attention to me and bowed her head deeply. “I truly thank you for allowing me to see your Volves, Silver Ving,” she said, “I vill return again vhen next I am able. And perhaps next time, I vill able be able to do more than simply stare like some school Mare.”

Sky Flare laughed at her friends’ words, and despite my hangover, I joined in as well.

“They take some getting used to,” Sky Flare said, “So don’t feel bad about just staring your first time. Next time, we’ll go for a walk with them in the forest. That should really get you comfortable around them.”

“That vould be vonderful,” Ivora said, “I look forward to it.”

Caspian didn’t come out from behind the Guild, and I frowned at him as Ivora trotted over to his side. I could tell he was scared of the Timber Wolves, but the excuse of Ivora’s parents worrying was clearly just a coward’s ruse to get them out of here sooner.

“Thank you guys,” I said to my wolves, “You can go relax in the forest, or out here if you’d like. Everypony’s gone now.”

They all murmured their responses, and while some simply laid down or sniffed about in the clearing, most returned to the forest and disappeared within it like silent wraiths.

I followed after Ivora, and found that her eyes never left my Wolves, not until sight of them was blocked by the walls of the Guild.

Sky Flare saw her friend off with a warm hug, and I bowed a polite farewell. Then Clyde, who had only just returned from his latest trip to Ponyville, turned around and started back, Ivora’s carriage in tow.

I had offered to take them back instead, but Clyde had simply shrugged and said it was no bother for him and left before I could say anything more. I was internally grateful for that. I still had a brutal hangover and all I wanted to do was sleep it off, but I’d never ask one of my friends to do anything I wouldn’t do myself. So, I had to make the offer and see where it took me, no matter how bad I felt.

As Ivora’s carriage disappeared out of sight, I dropped to the grass and let out a long sigh. “Can I sleep now?” I asked aloud.

Sky Flare laughed from above me and nudged me with a hoof. “Not quite yet,” she said, “You need to drag your sorry hind quarters back to your bed first. Can’t have the Guild master passed out on the lawn.”

“But it’s comfy.” I protested, though I knew she was right.

“Come on,” she sighed and nudged me harder, “Make it to your room at least, then you can sleep the night away.”

I groaned in protest but forced myself to my feet. At that moment, I caught a yelp from somewhere in the distance and looked at Sky Flare in confusion.

“Did you hear that?” I asked.

She nodded and looked around at the forest.

“I thought you said everypony had left?” I checked.

“They have,” she said, “It should just be you and me here now.”

I looked to my wolves, but they seemed indifferent to the noise. That was probably my fault thought. I had told them to ignore anyone who might come by due to the party.

There was a crash in the distance, like someone fighting their way through dense underbrush, then what I could only assume was a politer form of cursing.

“Blasted tree branches swatting at my snout!” A voice cried out, “If you were a spice, I’d toss you out with the trash!”

I glanced at Sky Flare quizzically, and she shrugged at me in turn.

“Hello?” I called out.

“Oy!” the voice called back, “I knew I heard somepony over this way! Can you give me a hoof and help my hefty girth outta this tangle a roots?”

“Hefty girth?” I said, glancing to Sky Flare.

She shrugged, and together we started for the section of forest the voice was coming from.

Using the light of my bracelet, we started our search for the source of the voice. It took us a few minutes, but eventually we came across a rather heavyset unicorn stuck on his back in a tangle of roots. He was covered in mud, with sticks and leaves strewn about his mane and coat.

“Oy!” he called cheerfully, “Names Landias! Mind getting me outta here?”

“Uh… Sure.” I said, a little surprised by his cheerfulness. If I was in his situation, I’d have been embarrassed to say the least, but he seemed to be chuckling to himself about it. I looked him over quickly and nodded for Sky Flare to get to his other side.

Together, we managed to loosen the roots enough for Landias to wriggle free, then helped him back onto his feet.

“Phew!” He said happily, “Got me out of a right pickle there!” He patted me on the back hard and my head reeled from the impacts. “Ooh, I know that look,” he said, “Somepony’s had a pint or two too many. Guess that means old Landias missed the party, eh?”

“You were a guest?” I asked, though that would be the only reason for someone to be out in the woods this close to the Guild.

“I was indeed!” Landias said with a laugh, “Or at least, I was supposed to be. Actually, a caterer if I’m to be completely honest.”

“Caterer?” I repeated, then looked to Sky Flare for answers.

Sky Flare furrowed her brow and thought for a moment, then nodded to herself. “We did have one caterer that was a no show,” she said, “A Mr. Oats.”

“That’ll be me alright, Landias Oats, at your culinary pleasure!” He chuckled and scratched the back of his head, seemingly embarrassed, “At least, I was supposed to be. See, I didn’t want to wait for the next escort run from Ponyville, so I figured I’d just make my own way here. Got lost on the way, and had my cart eaten by some right nasty rock with more teeth than I got knives. Spent the whole night wandering around, lost as a blind fly. After Celestia set the sun to rest tonight, I spotted some light over yonder and got stuck trying to make it there. Lucky you two found me when you did. Had some right nasty looking Timber Wolves stalking me for a while now. Kept herding me this way and that. Think I gave them the slip though.”

I sighed at his story.

“You went off on your own into the Everfree Forest? With a cart of food!?” Sky Flare scoffed, “You’re an idiot! You could have been killed! The escorts are there for a reason you know!”

Landias shrugged. “Might be an idiot, might not be,” he said simply, “Life’s too short to be worried about it. Besides, way I see it, that rock got a good meal, and as it’s my job to make others full, I’m happy the food didn’t go to waste.” He beamed a smile at us then looked over my shoulder towards the light of the Guild. “That being said though,” he went on, “I don’t fancy the thought of becoming a meal myself, so if the two of you would kindly lead me to wherever it is you came from, I’d be bubbly as a stew.”

“Bubbly as a stew?” I mused, then shook my head. “This way… We’ll get you out of here.”

“Great!” He said with a laugh.

I moved closer to Sky Flare and shook my head in bewilderment. “The Timber Wolves were probably trying to lead him to the Guild,” I whispered, “But he probably didn’t make it easy for them…”

“Idiot’s luckily to be alive,” Sky Flare scoffed, “The only rock thing with teeth I know of is a Cragadile. I don’t think even your Timber Wolves would want to mess with one of those.”

“Wonderful,” I sighed, “At least he made it here in one piece though.”

As we emerged into the clearing of the Guild grounds, I caught a whistle of awe escape Landias.

“So, this is the place eh?” he said, “A mighty fine setup I must say.”

“Uh, thanks.” I said.

“I don’t mean to be a mooch or nothing, but I don’t suppose you’d let me stay the night?” Landias asked sheepishly, “Had a bit of a rough day, if you know what I mean, and a warm meal and a bed sounds about as good to me as a Celestia Day feast!”

I nodded my head and forced a smile to my face. “We can give you a bed and a meal,” I said, “But leftovers are about all we got. Unless you want Oats and a few carrots.”

“Ain’t nothing wrong with leftovers,” Landias said, “Best not to waste food if you can help it. Though a place this big, how is it you only got oats and carrots for a fresh meal? Doesn’t your cook whip up anything more special than that?”

“We kinda just make what we can,” I laughed, “We all take turns making our food.”

Landias stopped in his tracks. “You mean you don’t have a cook!?” he gasped.

“Uhh,” I glanced at Sky Flare at his change in demeanor, then looked back to him and shrugged, “No?”

Landias scoffed. “That is unacceptable!” he cried out, “You can’t have a place like this and no cook!” He frowned at us both and shook his head. “I’ve been looking for a place to settle down at for a while now, and here’s as good a place as any. So, I Landias Oats will be your new full time cook!”

“W-what!” I stammered, “But we’re not looking for a-”

“You give me a chance to whip you up something better than Oats and a carrot and see if you think better of the idea then!” Landias cut in with a laugh. He pushed his way passed us and trotted towards the Guild, an eager skip to his heavy step. “Just give me a chance to show you what having a real horn in the kitchen can do for those weary taste buds of yours!” he laughed back at us, “You won’t regret it, I guarantee you!”

I looked to Sky Flare for help, but she seemed as stunned by this other Pony as I was.

“But we don’t…” I started, then gave up. I was too hungover to argue, and at worst, Clyde and Gale could take this Unicorn back to Ponyville in the morning.

“Well…” Sky Flare said reluctantly, “A cook would be nice I guess… But I don’t know about this Unicorn. He seems a little… Eccentric.”

“Honestly Sky, right now I don’t care,” I admitted wearily, “I just want to go to bed… If he’s not what he says, we’ll take him back to Ponyville in the morning, but for now, I just want to sleep.”

“Yeah,” Sky Flare said nodding, “You look terrible.”

I frowned at her.

She smiled indifferently at me. “Go get some rest,” She said, “I’ll keep an eye on this Landias tonight, and let the others know what’s up when they return.”

“Perk of being Guild Master, eh?” I joked, “Delegating the work to others so I can be lazy and sleep.” I tried to laugh, but the ache in my head just wouldn’t let me.

Sky Flare snorted at me and looked away, but I could still see the grin she was trying to hide.

Comments

[NecromanCREEEEEE]

Looks good, many mistakes, but the story came out just fine.

Also, because this has been bothering me for months now, since I first heard his name. Is the Winter Light in this story the same as in... Some less then SFW pictures? I mean, not the SAME same but same character? It's been bugging me to no end

[The Wind King]

8795154

Same question here.

[Mix-up]

This cook looks suspicious to me I would suspect that he is has taken the place of the read Oat.

[Silver_Wing]

8795154

8795337

Haha. Well, without having seen these pictures, I can't say for certain, however... If the Winter Light in those pictures is a Brown Pegasus with a Red Scarf, and a tendency to... Grow. The odds are pretty good that it's him XD
The owner of that particular OC is a very good friend of mine, and is also a fan of this tale, so Winter's found a place in this story. Also a few of my Lemons, haha

[Silver_Wing]

8795386

Unfortunately... Silver is a bit of an Idiot, lol >.<

[NecromanCREEEEEE]

8795557
XD Okay, been bugging me since I DO look at such pictures. I'm sure there are plenty of SFW ones but You can probably tell I haven't seen many of those. Anyways, great story, hopefully you sort out some of the errors soon. Can't wait for the next update.