The following evening was very different for Thorn’s family. Venus had been a bit concerned when she returned home to find Azalea missing, although the note she found put her at ease. However, that feeling of concern returned when both her children returned. Both looked like they had just completed a full marathon and both seemed very worried. This worry then spread to Venus when they informed her that the king was on his way to their home. This put her into a full-on panic and she immediately worked to make the entire willow tree presentable and the two younger deer went to make themselves equally presentable. Just as siblings had finished washing themselves in the river, a knock arrived from the door, followed by a decree from a very official sounding buck, “His Majesty, King Fir, demands an audience with Guardian-in-training Thorn!”

Venus was in the kitchen at the time of the decree, while Thorn and Azalea were finishing freshening up. When the two siblings joined their mother, they discovered four royal guards standing at the front door. Venus answered the door and was doing her best to greet the royal entourage while her son arrived. When Thorn did make it to the front door, Venus beckoned him closer. “Thorn,” she started with an extreme amount of tension in her voice. “The king would like a word with you.” Thorn could tell his mother was nervous and to be honest, he was too. Before him was a small group of royal guards, most of them much older than him and wearing much more elaborate armor than his. The guards were definitely intimidating, their features were hard set, and unwavering.

Thorn had only met pony royalty up to this point and he was barely able to hold his composure. Even though he’d just been with two immortal princesses just a while ago, meeting his own king put him right back into a nervous state. Considering he’d been helping to better relations between deer and ponies, he suddenly felt like he’d done something underhoofed. Like, maybe, he’d done something against his own people.

“You are Thorn, Guardian-in-training under Guardian Ironwood?” the buck at the front of the entourage asked.

Thorn nodded in response, his ears pinching behind his head.

The entourage, in synchronization, split down the middle creating a small walkway. The lead member of the group told Thorn to come with him and began to walk away from the willow tree. Thorn turned to his family, his mother looked confused and tense, while his sister watched from the stairway. It was clear she had no idea what was going on and it made Thorn feel all the worse. He owed her an explanation. Within the last day and a half she’d been subjected to quite a bit of drama with little explanation. He wanted to say something to Venus, something to comfort her; however, the combination of meeting the king and his mounting guilt kept him from saying a word. He merely gave his mother and sister an assuring smile before steeling himself and following after the lead escort.

The moment Thorn had cleared the guards, they had immediately turned to follow after him and the lead escort. There was no conversation and the only sound was that of the forest. Thorn was grateful for this. The rustling of leaves and the scuttling of squirrels, chipmunks, and rabbits gave him something to focus on before meeting the king. It definitely helped to keep his nerves in check. After a few minutes of walking, the escort stopped Thorn and instructed him to wait. They were just outside what looked like a field encircled by trees. Two of the guards from the entourage had broken away from the larger group and now blocked the entrance to the field, the rest of the entourage entered the field.

Left to himself, Thorn began to wonder what the king wanted with him. Did he want to ask him about the ponies? Then again... what if his opinion was less than favorable? Had Master Ironwood’s report painted ponies in a negative light? That thought sent Thorn’s mind into a very dark place. One he didn’t want to stay too long in. The best he could do was to keep himself calm, try to be as articulate as he could when he eventually addressed the king, and above all, be honest. Nothing good could come from lying to the king and if he was going to vouch for ponies, he’d need some amount of trust. What happened from there would be the king’s decision. Thorn affirmed that he’d do his best to paint the best picture of the equines that he met and interacted with, and relegated himself to waiting until he was summoned.

After a couple of minutes, the escort from earlier returned. “King Fir, will see you now.” The escort’s tone was direct and without much sympathy. Thorn wasn’t sure if he’d merely been heralding for so long that he didn’t put much effort into announcements or that’s just how one “heralded”. Regardless, Thorn made his way toward the two guards guarding the entrance to the field. When he was close, the two guards stepped to the side and gave Thorn clearance to the field. Before him was a small field with a few flowers scattered about. Around the perimeter was nothing but dense foliage and trees, meaning it was impossible to enter or leave unless they used the entrance Thorn was standing in. “Or if they were to fly in,” Thorn mused to himself.

As Thorn’s eyes trailed to the center of the field, they came to rest on a large imposing figure. The figure was a deer, without question, but he was much larger. He was easily a twenty point buck and his barrell gave the impression he was immensely strong. The additional wooden armor with what appeared to be living vines as adornments, continued to add to the buck’s incredible presence. The topper was the crown that rested on his head. The crown looked to be composed of wood as well with the addition of leafy vines curled around it and the buck’s antlers. The way they snaked around his antlers, it seemed that he embodied the old folklore. His antlers could easily be confused with tree branches. This was clearly his king. He’d never seen another deer like him before, but his very presence screamed royalty. While Celestia may have been imposing with the power she wielded. King Fir was imposing in pure presence and he was looking directly at Thorn with piercing amber eyes.

Thorn thankfully had the presence of mind to bow his head and cross a leg across his barrel, the traditional salute a Guardian used to address their liege. He held the position until he was told to rise.

“You may rise, Thorn,” Fir eventually said, his voice deep and commanding.

Thorn did as he was told and raised his head. As he did he made direct eye contact with his king. Fir was just looking at him, appraising him. Thorn felt a rising knot in his throat and his heart beat nervously in his chest.

“Do you know why you were summoned?” the king asked.

“N-no, my liege. I do not,” Thorn replied.

Fir nodded in understanding. He looked off into the forest as he began to speak, “Not long ago, I was approached by Guardian Ironwood. He told me of your disappearance the night before, then of the excursion both of you took this morning. He informed me of his initial doubts, then of how what he saw and experienced. Ironwood was keen to tell me of how welcoming our... ‘neighbors’ were to the both of you,” the king stated casually and with no hint of how he felt about the matter. No anger, no joy, no worry, just facts. His delivery of the facts had Thorn worried.

“Ironwood also explained your actions during the visit. He said you asked he give them a chance before he came to warn me. Tell me, why is that?” Fir asked as he fixed his gaze on Thorn once again.

Thorn flinched under the gaze. “Why do rulers have to be so intimidating?” he moaned to himself. He worked to find the words to best explain his actions, yet the pressure of addressing his king’s inquiries and a small amount of guilt was clogging his mental faculties and knotting his tongue. “I... uh...uh... because...” When he was with Celestia, he understood how she was feeling and her demeanor helped put him at ease. Here, he had nothing. Was he in trouble? Was the King interested in establishing communication with the ponies? Was he mad that Thorn had found them? He didn’t know. “I... I just wanted to return their kindness...My liege,” Thorn eventually stated.

“Why is that?” Fir pressed.

“Because... they cared for me and... I was scared of them, but they never...”

“Scared? Why?” the king interjected with a cocked eyebrow.

“Er-... It’s uh...” Thorn felt his face inflaming at the question. He wasn’t sure he could answer that question...at least not to his king. “It was their magic, my liege. It was beyond anything I’d witnessed before. I was intimidated by what they could do,” Thorn explained, hoping his king would accept a half truth rather than a Guardian-in-training still having a fawnhood fear plaguing him.

Fir looked at Thorn and gave a low grunt. “Continue.”

“Uh...yes. I was scared, but they never gave me reason to be so. They... they took care of me and were openly willing to answer any questions I had. Never once did they threaten me, or demand anything of me. When Master Ironwood and I went back to Ponyville, I thought it would only be polite to see they received the same kindness they showed me.”

Fir nodded again, holding the stoic look he had since they started talking. For a moment, nothing else was said. Thorn said nothing and the King was equally silent. The king of the forest just looked off into the distance. “I have one last question, Thorn,” Forest king said, breaking the silence.

Thorn swallowed hard before nodding that he understood.

Fir began walking toward Thorn, never once breaking eye contact with him. Thorn didn’t move but he felt his heart in his throat as his king approached. Fir stopped a few feet from Thorn, his glare bearing down on Thorn. “Very often, I seek the advisement of the Great Tree, my own advisors, and my queen to help me decide the best course of action for the kingdom. So far, I have spoken to all of them. My advisors do not know enough to advise me correctly and they doubt both your’s and Ironwood’s story. My queen is equally skeptical. The Great Tree is the only one who believes your story and believes I should act. It was also kind enough to inform me of our kind’s past involving ponies. How they have immense power, as you stated, and that we hid ourselves away out of fear.”

This got Thorn’s attention. His king knew of what drove ponies and deer apart? Normally, he’d take the king’s unwavering demeanor as a sign that this didn’t concern him too much, but the fact that the queen and the advisors had dismissed his story had him concerned. Had the king come to confront him about the truth? Was he worried that Thorn was spreading lies? Thorn began to worry, this wasn’t looking good for him.

“So, I find myself in the position of having no real information to go on.My closest advisors tell me that one of my Guardians is telling me odd stories.” Fir paused to release a small huff of annoyance. “I rarely seek aid outside my council, but I am hesitant to believe that a guardian who has no record of lying is going to start now. So, I stand before you, the source of this story, and I have to ask, ‘Is this story true?’”

Thorn held his gaze on his king as he answered,“Y-yes, my liege. On my honor, I swear it is true.”

Fir’s expression finally broke at this affirmation. He looked a little relieved and even a small smile crossed his face. “I see. If that is the case, I would like to ask something of you.”

Thorn nodded, “What can I do for you, King Fir?”

“I need you to prove the ponies exist.”

Thorn blinked in surprise. “I-...I don’t understand. You don’t believe me?”

Fir shook his head decisively, “You misunderstand. A trusted Guardian, his protege, and the Great Tree tell me that ponies are real. On the other hoof, my trusted advisors and the queen, my wife, believe I am being told a fantasized tale about a race from fawn’s bedtime story. I feel that this would not have been brought to my attention if it was not important, but with the coming winter season, I cannot spare the resources to handle this. However, this started with you, thus it must be you to finish this. I am giving you leave of your training and giving you authority to act as an emissary on behalf of the kingdom. If your claims are true, return with an emissary from their kingdom and bring them to me.”

Initially, Thorn felt mildly insulted that his and, by extension, Ironwood’s claims were being considered lies, but a part of his mind reminded him that he was attempting to convince his king, queen, and a council of advisors that an old tale told to fawns was real and happened to reside just outside the forest’s boundaries. Thankfully, by that same token, his proof was only a few hours away. “I understand, my king. I apologize for any inconveniences I have caused,” Thorn stated with a polite bow. “And I promise,I will prove my claim and act with the kingdom’s image in mind,” Thorn finished as he came out of his bow.

Fir smiled a little more. “Very well. I have to attend to the collections and some other affairs. In two days time, I will be back in the court and my advisors will be in attendance. At such a time, you are to present your proof. Understand?”

Thorn nodded, feeling that he finally understood why he had been called and that the king wasn’t angry, he was only seeking the truth.

“I anticipate what you have to show,” Fir said with a tiny smile. “But do know, if you fail to produce any evidence it will reflect negatively on you and your master.” The final words came with a hint of warning in them. Thorn understood what the king was suggesting. He knew what he needed to do and he would not fail.

Thorn again nodded that he understood. King Fir nodded in return and gave Thorn permission to leave and do what needed to be done. Thorn bowed one last time before heading back to the willow. It appeared as though he’d be seeing Ponyville much sooner than he has anticipated.Hopefully, when he explained this to his mother, she’d be in an understanding mood.

Back at the willow tree house, Venus was in the middle of grilling Azalea for information.

“So, you just went to see the Great Tree? That’s it? Nothing else?” Venus inquired.

Azalea nodded feverishly, “Yes, yes! I asked Thorn if I could come with him to talk to the Great Tree, then Thorn introduced me to the Great Tree.” Venus looked on skeptically, letting her gaze burrow into her daughter. Azalea looked on seeing that her mother wasn’t quite content with that response. She continued, “So after Thorn introduced me to the Great Tree, we talked for a bit and then the Great Tree said that we needed to meet somedeer and he...she...er- it, showed us this secret cave underneath the platform we were standing on. So we went underneath and there were these two ponies waiting there!”

The comment about ponies got Venus’s attention. Her motherly glare broke and she found herself wondering why her daughter was now talking about ponies. She never told her any stories about ponies and as far as she knew she’d only heard about ponies the night before. Perhaps she saw odd looking deer and assumed it was a pony. “Are you sure it wasn’t just odd looking deer, sweetie?”

“No, mother. They were most certainly ponies. Alicorns, in fact,” a familiar voice stated.

Azalea and Venus turned to see Thorn standing at the front door. He looked determined
“We need to talk. It’s important,” Thorn stated keeping his gaze as close to his mother and sister as he could. He then motioned for the two of them to follow him into the kitchen. They followed, Azalea mostly wanting to hear what happened with the King, Venus wanting some answers to why ponies were becoming a recurring topic all of the sudden. When they reached the small wooden kitchen table they gathered around the small circular table in the center, Thorn sitting adjacent to his mother and sister.

Taking a few deep breaths Thorn explained what had occurred between himself and the king, as well as the arraignment they had come too. Both does listened without interruption and when Thorn finished there was a long silence. Azalea looked excited and a small smile was growing on her face.

Venus was more conflicted. Part of her felt compelled to say something, anything to keep Thorn from pursuing this endeavor. Yet, the king and his escorts were at the house, and the king wouldn’t have come if it wasn’t important. She pondered on what to do, until Thorn spoke up again.

“I’m planning to go back to Ponyville. If I can talk with somedee-pony in high authority and see if they’ll send an emissary to talk with King Fir. I’m not sure how long I’ll be gone,” Thorn explained.

This got Venus to act. “Thorn, stop. Just stop,” Venus exclaimed, attempting to give herself more time to think of what to do. “I- I...”, she stuttered. “I... I don’t like this idea of you leaving the forest for an unspecified amount of time. Who knows what’s out there.”
Thorn nodded. “I understand, but this is something I need to do. I’ve put both my reputation and Master Ironwood’s reputation in jeopardy. If I don’t do this... it’d be bad for the both of us. I just need to do this.”

Venus wanted to counter that concern, but Thorn had a point. If he didn’t prove his claim, he’d never be taken seriously, nor would Ironwood. They’d be considered liars. Venus couldn’t argue that fact. Thorn had worked hard for years with Ironwood and the druids, he wouldn’t throw it all away on something as foolish as a lie. She saw little choice in the matter. She gave her son a nod, “Okay, Thorn. Do what you have to.”

Thorn gave a small smile. “Thank you, mother. I’ll go collect my things.” He stood up and began to head to his room.

“Hold it,” Venus interjected.

Thorn halted and turned to face his mother. She had a stern look on her face and she was making direct eye contact with Thorn. “I have one condition. You are to send no less than two birds to me everyday you are gone with an update of how things are going.”

Thorn nodded, as Venus began approach him. “And if I don’t get those birds, so help me, I will come find you and drag you back to this willow using every plant in my disposal, and ponies or not you will stay in this forest until I say other wise. Am. I. Understood?”

Thorn wilted under his mother’s gaze and the intense aura she was exuding. She was serious and she wasn’t making a threat. She was making a promise. He nodded meekly and added a “Yes” for good measure.

Venus’ gaze broke and she pulled her son into a gentle, yet firm hug. “Be safe. We’ve had enough loss in our family as it is. I can’t bear another.”

“I will. I promise I will, mom” Thorn replied as he hugged his mother. Azalea joined the familial hug as well. “So does this mean I might be able to make pony friends eventually?” Azalea asked in hushed but rather hopeful tone.

Thorn couldn’t help but chuckle. “We’ll see, Azalea. We’ll see.”

Author's Notes:

Hey, guys! Sorry for being gone for so long. The new year has not been too kind and I've been dealing with a lot. I haven't stopped working on this though! It's a bit shorter than usual, but I needed to get this chapter out of the way before continuing on. Things are going to start moving from here. I'm also planning something bigger with this story. I can't say much just yet, but I really want to have some fun with Equestria.