The Forest Pony

by EverfreePony

Chapter 10: Horsing Around

A white hoof slowly meandered over the many lines and flourishes etched into the golden suit of armor, trailing over the occasional dent or scratch.

It stopped on a particularly large groove just below the left shoulder plate. Celestia released a quiet gasp, the memory of an axe speeding towards her flashing before her eyes.

She shook her head, trying to stray her mind from the path it hopped onto. The boisterous merriment of soldiers in what would be their last hours. The clash of steel and breaking wood on the battlefield. The dimming eyes of the bodies beneath her hooves. Her hooves.

Enough!

Celestia snorted and shivered, glaring at the armor with disdain as her reflection in the helm’s ruby centerpiece stared back. The princess swore the blood red doppelganger smiled maliciously for a split second. Blinking once and focusing on the gemstone, she absentmindedly tightened her grip on the metal and was met only with her own distorted face, her breath clouding the ruby.

Time seemed to slow down around her, the alicorn still grinding the golden plate between her hoof and pastern. She waited. And waited. Her breathing quickened, her nostrils flaring. And yet, nothing happened. Slowly, Celestia shook her head and forced her muscles to relax.

She sighed and lowered her hoof, duly noting the dent her ferocious touch left in the soft metal. Though gold made for more than decent enchanting material, allowing the caster to compensate the metal’s weakness with magic, the charms still needed to be replenished periodically. Her horn lit, she scanned the spellwork woven into the plates. A few of the runes flickered with residual magic, most didn’t react at all.

The princess took a few steps back, regarding the suit with contemplation. It gleamed in the light of a single torch, a ray of sunlight in the darkened armory. It looked welcoming in a way. In the end Celestia shook her head, opting for not putting it on. “At least not yet,” she muttered to herself. The wards on it had to be recast and adjusted, a good amount of polish was required and the flank plates ought to be refitted to accommodate for her… larger stature. She snorted bitterly.

Stomping over to a selection of her finest weapons, she gazed at them longingly. Each and every one filled her with memories of bloodsoaked victories. Each a step closer to peace and her absolute position on the throne, paid with the lives of innocent ponies. She sat herself quietly before the gilded rack, dust bunnies scattering away from her. The moist air, filled with the distinct scent of iron, fawned upon her nostrils.

Celestia shook her head and stood up, popping her joints in the process. Should she be caught off guard bare-hoofed, she couldn’t count on the immediate help of any of these. The princess turned around, about to proceed to the door, when a little shimmer caught her eye.

Her gaze followed the light of the torch to a trunk lying on the floor beside a smaller set of armor. The princess trotted over, gingerly placing the silvery suit out of her way, and shoved the lid aside with her magic.

There, on a pile of spare steel plates, lay a thin, sleek dagger. Its simple blade seemed to radiate all colours and none at the same time, Celestia’s eyes transfixed by its sheen. She lit her horn, the weapon promptly mirroring the blazing mix of gold and orange.

Raising it to her eye level, the princess turned it in her magic slowly, inspecting every little detail. It was far more utilitarian in nature than her own ornate weapons, designed purely for its deadly purpose and not show. Its crossguard was almost nonexistent, its hilt slender and short, ending in two thin silvery strings.

It was the kind of weapon hidden amongst a pony’s feathers during the day—be they assassin or lone mare travelling a quiet street—and pressed against another pony’s throat at night.

It had to be Luna’s, as she was the only other pony allowed entry in here, Celestia reasoned. Did the moon princess order such a weapon for herself? And did she carry another one on her this whole time? Celestia grimaced, turning the dagger around once more.

She bit her lip. It might make for a good back up plan should everything go astray. A shudder ran down her spine as she slipped and tied it between her feathers, the enchanted blade blending in instantly. It was incredibly light, only the cold radiating from the metal letting her know it was still there.

Folding and extending her wing a few times to make sure the dagger stayed where it should and didn’t scratch her side by accident, Celestia took a deep breath and discarded her regalia on a nearby stand.

She poked her head out the door, surveyed her surroundings and, spotting nopony, quickly exited the room. With a flick of her horn the torch inside dimmed and the portal blended seamlessly into the wall, leaving behind no trace of its existence.

With a deep breath leaving her lungs, Celestia made her way to the training grounds. Her bare hooves shuffled through the sawdust and dirt of the tiltyard, the princess twitching and wiggling, the frogs of her hooves not used to such tingly sensations.

The sun hung just above the horizon, casting the yard in a streaked array of golds, oranges and shadows, the sunlight stopped by the claws of the many spires and towers. The alicorn trotted forward, unfazed by the show of light, until she reached a small group of half dozen guards.

All of them immediately snapped to attention, six hooves shooting up to their helmets as one. “At ease, soldiers!” Celestia stated evenly, her gaze drifting over the two Solar and three Lunar Guards, till her eyes stopped on the last stallion. “Captain Armor, before we start, I’d like to have a word with you. Privately.”

The unicorn nodded and stepped forward, a flash from his horn immediately covering him and the princess in a bubble of semi-transparent magenta magic.

Celestia nodded approvingly, a small smile gracing her lips as she looked over his work. Shining Armor removed his helmet and brushed away the sweaty bangs of his blue mane clinging to his forehead. “I apologize for taking so long, Celestia. I was overseeing the construction of the Equestria Games stadium when your messenger arrived. I left as soon as I could. So, what is the emergency?”

“It is a tangled mess of fortunate and less fortunate events, Shining. How much information has Raven given you?”

“Mostly just reports of unruliness in the guard, to the point where ponies’ lives may be in danger. Oh, and the fact that you want to practice your self-defence, of course.”

Celestia nodded slowly, chewing her lip lightly. “Alright, that’s one way to put it,” she concluded. “I’d emphasize that mainly Lunar Guards seem to be involved, as far as our investigation goes.”

“Understood. Do you want me to…” He motioned to the guards outside the barrier, all stood perfectly still.

“No, no need to replace these soldiers for the training, if that’s what you wanted to suggest. It seems mostly the younger ones are supporting this budding rebellion. Possibly that is even an unnecessarily strong word to describe the situation.”

“I see. Princess Luna won’t train with us?”

The alicorn froze and narrowed her eyes, examining the stallion closely, giving him a stern look. “No, at least not for the time being.”

Shining gulped and backed an inch, but his face morphed into a mask radiating with a sense of cool professionalism. “Alright, Your Highness. I see you have decided to take no weapon with you. No problem. The soldiers are ready for a training in hoof-to-hoof combat, and I’m working on preparing a magic obstacle course for you if that’s alright.”

“Splendid. Now, shall we start?”

Shining Armor saluted her and dissolved the barrier, then coated both the princess and the five soldiers in a thin sheet of magic. It wrapped around them like a blanket and disappeared, an occasional spark of red magic among their hairs the only sign of its presence. Celestia shivered as her own charms activated, scanning the intruding spell. Deeming it harmless, they faded again.

“Just a quick spell to protect you from receiving any actual damage. It also tallies up the hits and will keep the wearer down once a damage threshold is crossed,” Shining explained, seeing the princess look herself over curiously.

Receiving an affirmative nod from Celestia, the captain turned to his subordinates. “Soldiers, to your positions and wait for my signal. Her Highness wants you to do your best. Do not let her down!” The ponies nodded, four of them splitting and trotting off into one corner of the tiltyard, with the largest bat pony staying in the center.

Celestia looked his hulking frame up and down, noticing his plating clung to his bulging muscles for dear life. Two tiny leathery wings stuck out of his back, strangely stiff and unmoving.

“Earfluff is in fact an earth pony who had decided to join the Lunars. They are still trying to make his armor’s glamor work properly,” Shining whispered to her. “Though don’t let yourself be fooled, he is as swift and light on his hooves as any true thestral.”

“Understood,” the princess whispered back and trotted into the center of the yard, face to face with Earfluff. They bowed and backpedalled slightly, giving each other a wider berth.

Shining Armor glanced between them and smiled, hopping over the fence lining the arena. Rising his hoof, he levitated a small whistle to his lips.

His hoof went down and with a sharp, ear-splitting whistle, the fight began.

Large ears folded back and apparently unfazed by the sound, her opponent charged forth. The princess staggered, barely dodging his trampling hooves. He pivoted on his front legs, rising a shower of sawdust and dirt, and aimed right back at Celestia.

She sidestepped slightly from his expected trajectory and he immediately corrected his course. His legs danced and tiptoed as she hopped and skipped away, the stallion chasing her in a mad dash.

Rolling away from him, Celestia winced at the sawdust prickling her skin. She bit her lip, chancing a glance at the other guards around the yard. All still in place. But Earfluff was barrelling at her again.

He was drawing nearer and nearer, each stomp shaking the ground beneath her hooves. She glimpsed at his swiveling ears and tiny wings fluttering on his back in excitement. She pranced away from him, picking up her pace into full gallop. Her hooves dug into the ground, reserves of long unused power springing to life.

Tufts of wood shavings flew into the air as she sprinted away, racing around the arena and the unmoving guards. Earfluff charged counterclockwise. Celestia looked up, knowing full well they’d collide.

Then, she stopped. Her opponent fueled in even more speed. They were four lengths away. She crouched down. Three lengths. One. She jumped.

Spreading her wings, Celestia glided above him. Moving as if in slow motion, she noticed his confused face turning towards her with a string of saliva flying from his mouth, a tidal wave rippling through his muscles as he skidded to a stop.

The princess flew over his torso and landed beside him. Grabbing hold of his tail, she yanked her head back and took to the air once more, her legs bucking into his exposed knees from behind.

He folded to the ground with a howl, Celestia staring at him for a moment. Her chest heaved, but a smile had found its way back on her lips. And then it quickly fell.

A quick glance revealed at least two empty corners of the yard. Her ear twitched and she rolled to the side, avoiding a pair of golden horseshoes to the head. She twisted her hind hooves, planting a buck below the guard’s jawline. He tumbled to the ground, his form cast in the shadows of the remaining guards circling above like vultures.

Celestia gulped, the two thestrals and one pegasus charging down at her. She curled into a ball, clutching her hooves over her head. A soft whimper leaving her lips, her horn surged, bathing the yard in a blinding white glow.

Slowly unfurling from the fetal position, the princess stood up, noting the golden helmet rocking at her hooves. She sighed with relief as she looked over the stirring guards, all of them sporting just a few bruises and minor burns. She offered the Solar Guard a hoof, pulling him back up, when Shining Armor galloped to them.

The soldiers gathered around him, showing little signs of tiredness as they saluted him. Celestia gazed at them and hung her head, muttering, “I apologize, I did not mean to do that.”

“Do you want to take a break, Your Highness?” Earfluff offered, earning a glare from his captain.

Celestia smiled at the large pony. “Thank you for the sentiment, but I believe I can fight on. Keeping an eye on all my opponents is what I need to remember. And furthermore, I need to keep my magic in check.” She tapped her horn and trotted back to the center of the arena, the rest of the soldiers moving reluctantly to their positions.

---

Another stallion bit the sawdust, a swelling bruise the shape of a hoof on his cheek.

Celestia panted heavily, trudging to the fence. The soldiers groggily clambered back up on their hooves. Parts of their armor and some teeth were missing, Shining Armor’s spell failing to take the stress anymore.

“Princess Celestia!” The addressed alicorn turned and removed a sweaty lock of mane from her eyes, smearing mud over her face in the process.

Kibitz was running across the yard, flaps of his red coat flailing behind him and his limp mustache hopping up and down with each step.

The princess sighed and rolled her eyes, waiting for the embodiment of annoyance to come closer. Shining Armor and the other soldiers just glanced at him, then returned to the bucket of coffee they had ordered quite a while ago.

“Princess Celestia!” the old stallion repeated, glaring daggers at the alicorn. “You are in some serious trouble, Your Highness!”

“Oh, is that so?” the princess said, a mock gasp escaping her lips.

“Do you have any idea what that is?” he shrieked, pointing a hoof to the sun still suspended just above the horizon.

“Seems like sunset to me.”

“Yes, Princess, I know what a sunset is. And I also know that it shouldn’t last a few hours!” He stomped his hoof, shoving his pocket watch in front of Celestia’s dirty muzzle.

“Oh…” The princess blanched, her eyes shrunk to pinpricks. “I shall deal with it immediately. Just consider the night a few hours shorter! Captain, you and your ponies are dismissed,” she called as she took to the air, shooting off towards her balcony.

Unnoticed by her, a guard, barely old enough to be called a stallion, galloped into the yard. He looked over the row of ponies before him and waved around a scroll of paper. “I bear news from Trottingham garrison! Where can I find the commander-in-chief?”

“Over there, boy.” Kibitz pointed in the direction of Celestia’s quickly disappearing form.

“Better get running, plenty of stairs to get there,” one of the guards remarked with a smirk, trotting away to catch up with his retreating comrades.

The messenger just sighed and his rear plopped to the ground, the colt gazing up at the towering spires and the white silhouette atop one of them.

Hopping over the gilded railing, Celestia looked over the sprawling city of Canterlot. More than a few ponies already took to the streets, some just confused, looking at the frozen sunset. Others, apparently, enjoyed the prolonged romantic evening with their cameras or in the parks. A few tired complaints about ‘not enough beauty sleep’ were carried to her on the breeze, the princess chuckling lightly at that.

Despite the confusion of her little ponies, it was a serene, beautiful sight. The many ponds and canals of the city shimmered with the sun’s golden glow. Even the tiniest waves sent specks of light fluttering across the marble mansions and spires, coating them in hues of red, orange and purple. The colours flowed through the city, as if dancing on an invisible breeze.

Now she understood why Luna refused to lower her moon so long ago. There indeed was a certain enchanting beauty to just stopping time. Sighing, Celestia lit her horn and channeled her magic through the deep space and to the glowing orb, letting it slip below the horizon. The moon ascended to the sky a few minutes later.

---

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Luna folded back her ears and looked up, shivering as water dribbled down her neck and back, soaking into the lab coat clinging to her form. She stood next to Hedvika under a small overhang, the green mare pressing her canteen against the slimy, moss-covered wall where a small spring spewed forth.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The princess snorted as three more droplets hit her muzzle. Pawing at the ground, she stepped back into a small clearing, Hedvika still occupied with gathering every last drop of water. She blinked a few times, her eyes slowly adjusting to the crimson hues of sunset that bathed the glade. Settling down into the velvet grass, she gently removed the wilted cornflower from her coat’s lapel and maneuvered it into her braid.

Forcing her wings open, she unbuttoned the lab coat and, yanking at the sleeves with her teeth, she slid out of it. Hopping around a few times, Luna giggled and ruffled her wings, feeling the fresh evening breeze in her feathers. Stalks and blades caressed her chest and sore legs as she waded into the tall grass of the clearing. She bent down and poked at her limbs, trying to spy the damage the too tight, chafing sleeves may have done to her.

She paused, the flesh suddenly feeling much firmer to the touch. Examining the appendage closely, she noted it was much more defined than before, her musculature now visible underneath her fur.

“Strange,” the princess muttered, flexing her limbs and prancing in place. The warm feeling of magic flooding her muscles followed immediately.

“May that be a possible side effect of using so much earth pony magic?” Luna startled, turning to the dragon hanging just above her head. His tongue slipped out and wiggled, pulling back some loose orange hairs scattered around his snout.

“Could be. I wonder if similar results would follow after exercising more unicorn and pegasus magic,” Luna mused. “Had a good snack?” she added, motioning around her own muzzle.

The dragon hopped down next to her, wiping away the rest of the orange fur. “Just a meeting with one squirrel. Turns out, it was faster, though only barely.” He snorted and rubbed his snout, licking at it once more.

“Sure.” Luna smirked, gently running a hoof down his scales. He froze under her touch for a moment, then, purring quietly, inched closer to her. The princess smiled, carefully caressing the wiggling ball of blue scales and hair.

“To be honest, I’m surprised you didn’t leave us, Princess.” They both turned to Hedvika trotting up to them.

“Leave you? How do you mean?” Luna cocked her head, eyeing the pony up and down. The green mare cast her just a glance and picked up the crumpled coat at her hooves with a sigh. She rolled it up messily and made a few futile attempts to push it into her bags, the fabric refusing to fit in more than halfway through, sticking out every which way.

“Sev, if you may?”

The drake hovered over to Hedvika’s back. He fumbled with the saddlebag for a moment, his tiny clawed hand groping inside, the bag bulging and deflating as if it were breathing. “It feels like something is clogging it,” he grunted, bending inside.

A strong gust of wind from inside knocked him up and to the ground. A threadbare pit helmet flew out the bag on the breeze, plummeting down to Luna’s hooves. The upper body of a beige mare followed out the bag, her hooves stretched forward. She froze mid-jump, now face to face with Hedvika straining to support the weight.

“Well, this is awkwa—” the pony remarked, her words silenced by a green hoof pushing her back to the bowels of the bag mercilessly.

“Do you think this was hers?” Luna mumbled around the pit helmet’s rim, perplexed.

“Most probably, I think she’d hate to lose it.” Hedvika took it in her hooves and dropped it after the pony, making a show of pushing it down.

“That was… definitely unexpected,” Luna said, her face contorted into a mask of confusion.

Sev rubbed his neck and climbed back up, pushing the lab coat in with ease. “I swear, that thing is going to open up a black hole one day,” he remarked, gazing inside. Luna and Hedvika joined him, met with the sight of a swirling vortex of darkness and darker darkness. “I’ll go and see where the coat went. Hopefully it’s gonna be somewhere better than last time.” He dove into the bag nose-first, disappearing completely.

“Where was last time?” Luna asked, still peering in.

“Never really mentioned it, but he returned after three days with his hair dyed neon pink. Along with him arrived a sack full of lobsters and socks.” Hedvika shrugged, gently closing the flap.

“That sounds peculiar to say the least… though pray tell, where have you gotten such a thing in the first place? Artifacts capable of magic oscillation were banned a few hundred years ago exactly because of how dangerous they were. Especially those messing up the spacetime.” The princess gave her a curious look, the smaller mare shrivelling slightly under her gaze.

“Eh…” The unicorn rubbed her hooves together, “let’s say I found it during one of my scavenging trips into some old ruins.”

The princess just rolled her eyes, but decided not to push the matter further. “Anyway, we have strayed away from topic. Why do you think I would have left you?”

The unicorn shrugged, her teeth creeping out to chew at her lip. “I’ve been dragging you around the whole day, expecting you to run off when everything seemed to be safe and sound. Turns out, it seems most ponies aren’t after your neck. So, you could have left if you wanted, back to the life you lived.”

“And risk running into the conspiracy aiming to end my life? Or ruin my sister’s investigation?” Luna shook her head. “Besides, I am glad to finally take a break from all the bureaucracy and whining nobles… and ponies staring at me.”

“Then consider what I said as a mere test of your determination.” The green mare rolled her shoulders. “Also, judging eyes are indeed something you don’t need to fear here in the Forest… nobody here cares if you are a monster or not.” Hedvika’s voice wavered slightly, the mare shaking her head.

“Want to talk more about… whatever burden is on your mind?” Luna offered, laying a hoof on her shoulder.

“Not really anything more to speak of,” Hedvika muttered. “I have a less than tame dragon on my hooves, cannot control my anger at times and my stupid actions have hurt my friends. So, I removed myself into the Everfree. The end.” A quiet growl resonated from within her throat. “Alright, and the fact that Timberwolves interest me also played a role.”

Luna sighed, but offered her a comforting, if a little forced, smile. “Could the dragon magic by any chance affect your psyche?” She rubbed the back of her head. “What you have done to that fillies back in Trottingham wasn’t really the action of a… normal pony.”

“In other words, you are calling me a madmare.” Hedvika chuckled, quickly motioning with her hoof to stifle the rising counterargument. “I don’t mind, you aren’t the first to title me as such and I doubt you’ll be the last, but at least you are polite about it.” She sighed. “I have been thinking about the possibility of the magic somehow messing with my brain… and found out that nopony knows how to test that.” Hedvika shook her head, removing a stray lock of mane from her eyes. She pulled out her dagger, polishing it nonchalantly on her scarf.

An awkward silence befell them, the princess giving the younger mare a worried look. Hedvika just shrugged, still rubbing the dagger on the red fabric as she turned her head to the skies. “Ever seen a black stork? Quite a gracious creature.” She motioned upwards to the large bird gliding overhead.

“Beautiful.” Luna looked up and smiled as it circled above them, her hoof simultaneously stopping Hedvika rubbing the blade. “And if I’m to stay here with you, let me teach you how to properly wield a weapon. I’m afraid otherwise somepony will get hurt, sooner or later.”

“Fair enough.” Hedvika swiftly pocketed the dagger. “And I believe I have promised to teach you about the earth pony ways.” She looked the princess up and down, flinching slightly as she did so. “Oh… Though thinking about it, I reckon maybe teaching you how to survive would be far more useful. Are you up for it?” she said, reaching out a hoof.

“That indeed sounds reasonable.” The princess smiled and attempted to shook the offered hoof. Only to find her own leg glued to the ground. She bent down, releasing a startled yelp. A puddle of a dark tar-like substance enveloped her up to her fetlocks, foul smelling bubbles popping all around her. She looked back up at the biologist. “What is the swear word you use?”

“Chickencoop?”

“Chickencoop!”

---

“Tea? Coffee? Anything else you want, Miss Inkwell?”

“No, no, it’s alright. Thank you, Ms. Scroll.” The petite mare looked at the gaunt unicorn archivist, smiling. Adjusting her glasses, the secretary bent back down to the seemingly unending stack of files before her.

“Still haven’t found a trace of her?” Ms. Scroll asked, giving her a sympathetic pat on the back. “Should I take a look into the zebra citizens of Equestria, just like Her Highness requested the last time? So I could be at least of some help.”

“That would be lovely, thank you. It is true that we don’t know for sure if this Miss H. Greenlock is a pony.” Raven sighed and nudged her glasses up her muzzle once more. She pulled closer another manilla folder, this one thick as a brick. “I just cannot understand how is it possible that there are so many Greenlocks. Still better than all the ‘Night Wings’ among the thestrals though.”

The older mare nodded and disappeared among the many aisles, leaving Raven alone in the dim room. The quiet and the still air were almost suffocating. The secretary shivered, moving closer to the small lamp before her—the only island of warm light in the sea of shadows cast by the many pillars and dusty shelves.

A shiver ran down Raven’s spine. Rubbing her hooves together and curling up in the aged armchair to preserve her heat, she reached for the next folder, one conspicuously thin. Opening it up, her eyes widened immediately. She skimmed through the two attached files back and forth, her eyebrow rising higher and higher with each page turned.

“Have you found anything?” Ms. Scroll called, the secretary jumping in her seat, raising plumes of dust along with herself.

“I believe so…” Raven said, running a hoof down the few reports. “Found a pony and apparently a dragon, although a lot of the information has been redacted.”

“Redacted? May I take a look?” Ms. Scroll took the paper in her magic, levitating it away from her face. “Golly, I’m starting to really need glasses!” she exclaimed when the report hit a wall a good few lengths away from them.

Raven’s red magical field took over, levitating the file back. “There, I can read it for you. Now, where was… oh, right there. ‘At Baron Whey’s request, the Supreme Court of Canterlot declares this information endangering the principles of Harmony as the citizens of Equestria follow them. As such, the documents are now subject to maximum confidentiality and were moved for safekeeping to…” Raven lifted her head, looking at the trembling pony before her.

Ms. Scroll adjusted her tie uncomfortably, uttering through the panic welling in her throat, “Whoever this pony you are looking for is, they surely have crossed paths with the wrong stallion. Baron Whey is not to be toyed with. I urge you, dear, don’t search further than you need to.” Her voice shook, tears threatening to flood her eyes.

The secretary shivered at the fear radiating from the pony like fever. “I have to, Ms. Scroll, Her Highness’ personal orders.” She lit her horn, levitating a small paper to herself and hastily scribbling down a few lines. “I’ll notify the bureau and ask them for permission to view these documents,” she said, teleporting the letter away.

“Do as you think best, child,” the archivist whispered somberly, a little unsteady on her hooves as she massaged her temple.

They both jumped as the sound of a door slamming echoed through the archives. Heavy horseshoes thundered on the aged tiles, a guard skidded to a stop before them and fell into a small bow. “Miss Inkwell, Her Majesty requires your presence immediately.”

“Oh, of course.” Raven turned to the older mare, motioning to the documents. “May I borrow these for a while? I’ll have them sent back to you once I had made copies.”

“Definitely, darling. Anything for the Crown. But as I said, be careful.” Ms. Scroll shook her hoof, leading the two ponies to the exit. “Farewell.”

“May I carry these for you, Raven?” the guard offered, motioning to the folders in her magic as they descended the stairs.

“No, thank you, I think I can manage.” The mare frowned, giving the stallion a sideways glance. He didn’t seem to pay her any mind, his eyes trained forward once more. She shook her head, looking forward as well.

Ms. Scroll watched them till they rounded a corner, disappearing in the darkness. Sighing, she hobbled back inside with popping joints.

---

A high-pitched wail sounded into the inky black skies, followed by muffled sobs. A few birds stirred in the treetops, and a few Timberwolves took the sound as their cue to howl at the rising moon. Amid it all, one blue alicorn writhed on the ground.

Biting her own hoof and fighting back tears, she slowly stood up and looked herself over. The corners of her mouth dipped down at the sight of patches of pink skin and tufts of blue fur dotting her legs.

“I don’t think I have ever seen anyone walk right into the fruiting body of a bubbleshroom, especially not without noticing,” Hedvika mused, wiping her tweezers off the black goo and blue hairs on the grass. “Though if you didn’t insist on getting rid of it, you’d have done us a great service, spreading all these spores.”

“Well, it was quite a sticky situation!” Sev snickered, rolling on the ground.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Luna grumbled, rubbing her hoof on the other.

“Sure thing, we stick together, after all.” Sev hopped over to her back, giving her a wink.

“I swear to the stars that if you make one more pun, I will personally send you to the moon!” Luna exclaimed, her words gaining a tinge of the Royal Canterlot Voice.

“Well, that’s not too far.” Sev giggled, tapping with his tail on the crescent moon emblazoned on her flank.

Luna’s face turned deep purple, the dragon quickly retreating to the branches above. “Will you kick me so hard that I’ll see the stars?” he called from above, giving her an innocent grin.

The princess groaned, then with another glance at the dragon, a lone giggle escaped her throat. Soon she broke into a bout of laughter, Hedvika joining her merrily after a while.

The green mare was also the first one to quiet down, the alicorn following suit when she noticed her serious expression. Sev fluttered to the ground, facing the same direction as Hedvika’s ears. He licked his muzzle. “Good, wind blows in our direction. Do you want to go closer?”

Hedvika smirked. She lowered herself to the ground, slowly creeping to a nearby bush. She reared up, leaning on the tangled pillow of twigs and leaves. Luna followed her example and stepped next to her, peeking over the bush.

The princess strained her neck, but all she could see were glimpses of a rather large clearing. “What is—” she stepped forward, her hoof meeting only loose dirt. She pawed at the bush for support, her momentum tipping her down the small cliff.

She rolled between the branches and leaves, stopping with her mouth plowing through the ground of the glade. Spitting out the moss and decaying wood, and rubbing her tongue on what remained of her hoof’s fur, she slowly stood up and kicked away the bush still in her grip.

“Princess?” Hedvika’s voice reached her through the foliage. “Stay where you are. We will get to you once it’s safe.”

“Safe? How do you mean?” Luna called, looking around the clearing.

“Eh… you’ll see. Consider it a crash course on survival.” The princess huffed and ruffled her wings a few times, the evening breeze slithering over her skin. Her moon shone brightly, illuminating the circle of trees lining the glade, as well as the occasional tuft of grass, bathing it all in a soft white light. But despite its beauty, the resulting shadows seemed to claw at the ground with their dark, twisted appendages.

Luna shuddered, a stronger gust of wind getting through her coat. Misty tendrils slowly crept into the clearing, enhancing the cold the wind and dewy grass instilled on her.

The mare looked around and up to the sky once more, spotting but a slight glimpse of a pony-like figure flitting between the treetops. She shrugged, when another movement passed through the corner of her vision. She spun around. The mist seemed to stir slightly on the far end of the glade, a few white spots dotting Luna’s vision in the same place.

She blinked a few times, hoping they’d go away after a little while. “Probably just gazed too long at the stars,” she muttered to herself, rubbing her eyes. “Probably so, the positioning looks exactly like ursa minor.”

“Take a few steps back and assess your surroundings,” Sev’s voice echoed through her ears. She twisted around, spotting nobody. “And don’t just count on your sight.”

She backpedalled slightly and tapped her chin, looking the clearing over once more. Remembering Hedvika, Luna perked up her ears and scanned the forest for the tiniest sounds. She shivered as the breeze rustled through the velvet fur protecting her lobes, tickling. Clearing that sensation to the back of her mind, the princess focused again.

Quiet scurrying greeted her from the grass at her hooves and she quietly stalked around the glade, turning her head this way and that, till a barely audible rumbling reached her ears.

Instinctively, the princess raised her head, and, despite the gesture was generally seen as extremely indecent, she curled up her upper lip and sniffed. A plethora of smells flooded her senses, the mare stumbling back slightly at the sensory overload.

The foul aroma of the decaying wood and leaves still permeated the air, but it was now mixed with subtle hints of other scents. Her mind sorted through the various flower fragrances, noted the presence of a few bats and the modicum of scent of a young mare somewhere above her head. And then, there was something almost spicy, piercing her muzzle mercilessly. Ambient magic. Lots of it. Such amounts usually lingered in abandoned libraries or alchemist laboratories, but Luna never heard of such a large arcane presence in a forest. Still, this was the Everfree, where anything was possible.

Turning around, the princess gently drew the air in and out her lungs, trying to fully determine the direction of the phenomenon. And there it was. Right in the spot where the floating constellation of ursa minor still seemed to linger. Then, it moved.

Luna’s jaw dropped wordlessly.

Pulsing with a dark blue tinge, and fading to nothingness in the next second, there stood a hulking mass the rough shape of a bear. Ears falling slack, the princess stood frozen on the ground. Her hooves sprang back to life first, the alicorn scampering away and into a nearby ditch.

The ursa turned and growled, revealing its glowing white teeth. Its body lit up with dim blue light, its silhouette now easy to discern against the darkened trees. Luna peeked up from her spot, only to swiftly retreat when the bear turned in her direction.

She curled into a ball, hooves clutched to her chin. Her breath held in, her ears scanned the clearing.

Sniff.

A shiver ran down her spine at the wet, wheezing sound.

Sniff sniff sniff.

Luna raised her hoof to her mouth, nibbling on it.

Sniff sniff sniff.

Now she was furiously biting at it. A quiet growl froze her in place.

The princess flattened herself against the ground, unmoving. The soil around her shook and crumbled, streams of wet dirt falling in her eyes and nostrils.

The trembling slowly diminished and Luna dared look from the ditch once more, her ears catching just the faintest thuds of heavy paws stomping away.

Wiping her brow, the princess stumbled back up. Her muscles going slack, she spread herself eagle between the turfs of grass.

“Tired?” Sev bent down to her, his snout almost touching her muzzle.

She just nodded. “Seems like you have managed to completely turn around my inner clock. Though almost meeting your teddy bear has woken me up significantly.” She stifled a yawn.

“Sure.” Sev smirked and continued, “Anyway… we won’t make it home tonight, so we can as well stay here.” Luna shivered slightly, looking in the direction of the bent trees and snapped branches dotting the ursa’s path. She gulped audibly. Sev continued, “I don’t think it’s coming back. And well, we are not staying on the ground.”

“Where then?” Luna asked, pawing at the ground as she looked at the trees around. “I don’t think my wing is back in shape to carry my weight that high. Can’t we climb instead, on that tree, for example?” She motioned to a large patulous oak.

Sev raised his head, looking the tree up and down. “Do you want to get blown up?” he asked plainly.

“Uh… no? Why—” Sev’s raised claw silenced her.

“Do you see that little red and orange spots over there?” He pointed into the treetop. Luna squinted her eyes, nodding after a few seconds. “That’s feathers of a molting phoenix. When their renewation cycle nears an end, they are in a rather sorry state. Beak distortion, weak legs and wings, collapsing lungs… you get the idea.”

“Yes, I have seen my sister’s pet in such a condition. It is unfortunate for the bird, but what exactly is the problem?” she cocked the head quizzically.

“Well, normally after shedding all they feathers, phoenixes burst into flames as you sure know. Fun thing is that when you scare them before they molted fully, the reaction is far more stronger. Hedvika found out when she tried to examine one of them closely..." The drake chuckled. “You should have seen her, missing all the hair on her face.”

Luna stifled a giggle, her ears noting the distant irritated huff above her head. “So, climbing is out of question. How am I supposed to get up there then?”

“I’ll carry you. If I may, Princess?” He stretched out his clawed hand. The alicorn nodded and turned, letting him hop on her back. Gently grabbing hold of her wings, he moved and extended them from her primaries to tertiaries. “Now, hold ‘em like this.” A shiver ran down her spine as his talons dug into her flesh. “Ready?”

“Ready,” Luna called. She yelped as Sev dashed up with one powerful flap, her wings folding against her sides reflexively. The drake grunted, gripping her tighter.

They dipped down slightly, the princess forcing her feathers to extend. Their flight leveled, Luna relaxed, feeling the tips of her hooves rustle through the darkened sea of treetops just below them.

Sev tilted his wings, circling the glade before dipping back underneath the canopy.

They touched down in the crown of a large tree, Luna gingerly balancing her hooves on the rough bark. She made a few careful steps, her legs slipping left and right.

“Get back near the trunk, I don’t want to see you falling… again,” Hedvika called. “Sorry about that cliff, by the way. I didn’t want to attract the ursa to you by hopping down as well.” She waltzed over to the princess, moving with as if she was just going for a stroll on a beach.

“So much for teaching me how to survive,” the princess muttered and steadied her hooves on the bark, all for naught.

Hedvika caught her swiftly, holding her by the shoulders. “I’ll have to start teaching you properly.” The alicorn staggered slightly, the green mare giving her a thoughtful look. Her amber orbs met Luna’s turquoise. “Easy now, Princess,” she said, gently maneuvering the alicorn back up. “Do you know how to dance?”

Luna nodded carefully. “Of course.”

“Good. I don’t,” Hedvika said. “But it should work anyway. It’s all about finding the right rhythm, I guess. Now, push your left hind hoof backwards. Gently. See if it doesn’t slip.” Luna wavered, but her hoof moved ever so slightly. “Now, right front. Good. Right back. Fine. Left front. Repeat.” Hedvika slowly lowered her hooves from Luna’s shoulders, moving forward herself.

The alicorn inched her way backwards, swaying from side to side, till her back hit the trunk. She grabbed it with her hooves, hugging the rough wood.

“Very nice,” Hedvika remarked and patted her on the shoulder, Sev giving the princess a warm smile. “Now, time to hit the hay.” The biologist reached into her bag and pulled out a rolled-up blanket, throwing it to the alicorn. Luna caught it in her mouth, almost falling down in the process.

Hedvika gazed at her long enough to know that she’d stay standing, then fished the fairy tale book from her pocket. “In case you wanted to read a little before sleep.” She hoofed it over and walked away to one larger branch and lay down, strapping herself to it with a sturdy strap of leather. “Night.”

Luna eyed her curiously but said nothing, lying down where the trunk and twisting branches created a small platform. Wrapping herself in the blanket, she ran a hoof up and down her mane, loosening her dishevelled braid. She froze when she touched the top of her head, cold sweat budding on her forehead. “Hedvika, do you know where the hat—”

“It’s in my bag,” the mare called. “I was wondering when you are gonna notice you lost it. Do you want it back?”

The princess released a sigh of relief and settled back into her blanket. “It’s alright, I think it’s safe with you.” Hedvika just hummed in response and slumped down against the branch.

Luna looked at her dark form for a while, a gentle smile on her lips. She glanced at the fairy tale book lying at her hooves, in the end opting to crack it open for a while.

“Can you read it out loud?” Sev nestled behind her and curled up, waggling his tail. “Pretty please?” He cocked his head and gave her the largest puppy eyes she has ever seen.

---

“I give up!” The messenger slammed his head against the ornate wall, looking up at at least three more dozen doors to knock on, not to speak about a few more floors of similar size to go.

“A letter for the commander-in-chief!” Slam. “Deliver it directly to her hooves!” Slam. The plating of his helmet dented, curling outwards, but he paid it no mind.
“Seven hundred fifty-four stairs up and down!” He groaned, his helmet fell apart, and so did the stucco on the wall.

“What’s going on, Private?” The colt startled, turning to the approaching officer.

He blanched, a knot forming in his throat, and he barely forced his hoof into a salute. “C-commander?”

The large stallion glared at him. “What are you doing here at such a late hour?” he barked, advancing a few steps closer. The messenger backed against the wall.

“I was tasked with delivering an urgent message to Her Highness, sir.”

“Her Highness is not to be disturbed at such a time, Private.”

“But I—” the younger pony whined, on the verge of tears.

“No buts, Private!” The commander frowned, his eyes narrowing on the scroll. “Give it to me!”

The colt held back a sniffle, hoofing over the letter. The guard snatched it with his magic, his eyes quickly gliding over the few lines.

His trimmed eyebrows shot up theatrically. “Oh, interesting…” He tapped his chin. “This could indeed interest Her Highness. I will make sure to deliver it to the right hooves.”

The colt’s ears shot up, eyes gleaming and a sheepish smile creeping to his lips. “Will you? Oh, thank you, thank you!” The messenger squealed and jumped around his neck, tackling the baffled commander to the ground in a tight hug.

Author's Note:

The next chapter should be out in early September. See the story progress chart for more information.

Questions or comments?
Please report typos in the form of PM.
My earnest thanks go to the mighty MV for his editing services.

Comments

[EverfreePony]

9760856
Without spoiling anything: She goes there when she has to. Right now, she has openly decided to take a “vacation” of sorts as explained in the chapter. Story-wise, it’s gonna be just a couple more chapters.

[rikithemonk]

OK,

I Just caught up and I have to say that its a very well done story. Its rather unique in that the power levels of the princesses are extremely Nerfed. While not normally my cup of tea, It does put a very intriguing slant on things and does make the story much, much more interesting.

A very interesting take on the two sisters and their portrayal. I also like the supporting cast and feel the Author has done very well fleshing out their personalities.

I very much am looking forward to more.

Well done.

The Monk
"Knowledge is power and power corrupts, so study hard and be evil." - Reykan

[EverfreePony]

10189103
I’m glad to hear that you have enjoyed the story so far!

The next few chapters are being worked on, but with life and the pandemic getting in the way, it’s been lately a bit tough for me and my editor to coordinate our efforts efficiently.

“The Sun is also a warrior
Knowledge can also destroy
Nor can the kindest will
Preserve you from the kill
Not all of wisdom brings joy.” - Leslie Fish