It was late in the evening as Thorn arrived at the edge of the Everfree forest. He had his chest armor on, along with with a moderately sized rucksack on his back. His helmet was stored in the sack along with his hammock and a few personal effects. So far, he’d made this trek twice today, but this trip felt more important than before. He was here to find an emissary. Who that might be, he wasn’t sure. Hopefully, Twilight would be able to at least get the ball rolling in that regard. He also hoped she was home. She could teleport, so it was possible she could be home at any time.

He took a glance across the forest’s edge to confirm his location. Based on the multitude of apple trees before him, he’d ended up at Sweet Apple Acres. He could see the red and purple farmhouse off in the distance, but all the lights in the farm looked to have been extinguished for the night. “Guess the Apple family is already asleep. Best not disturb them,” Thorn thought to himself. He went back to scanning the area. He found the path that led from the farmhouse and into the town. With a bounding leap, he made his way into the orchard and eventually onto the path into Ponyville. As he moved through the many apple trees, he began to wonder what might happen should things go positively. What would other deer do when they learned ponies were real? Would they be tolerant of their existence? Would they be scared? Shocked? He wasn’t entirely sure, but if the Great Tree had faith it’d work out for the best, then so would he.

As Thorn arrived in the town, he noted that there were few homes with lights still on. Considering the sun was just a barely visible on the horizon, it wasn’t a surprise that many of the residents were either in bed or preparing to head to bed. He hoped Twilight was still awake or that Spike was at the library. The actual idea that either might be preparing to go to sleep spurred him to move a little faster.

As Thorn darted through the cool night air of Ponyville, his mind flipped to a particular mare. He recalled her request for tea and... he couldn’t help but feel he should really take her up on the offer. While it wouldn’t fully repay the kindness she had shown to him, at least, it’d be a start. In fact, he began to wonder what the best way to repay her kindness would be. He didn’t know what she liked, what she was interested in... Well, he had a good inclination that she liked animals, but he wasn’t sure how he could use that. Thinking on it, he barely knew a thing about the mare. Perhaps it wouldn’t be a bad idea to maybe get some information from her friends. Not like he was short on options. He sorted the side objective away for when he wasn’t in the middle of something important. Maybe if he could get ahold of Twilight tonight he could squeeze in a few non-intrusive questions. With that stored away for later, Thorn continued his way through the town.

After navigating the town more, Thorn came upon his destination, the Golden Oaks Library, and was delighted to see that there was still a light on. Better yet it seemed to be coming from the upstairs room. Thorn let out a relieved sigh, it would seem the fates were smiling upon him today. He made his way toward the library and gave a few light raps at the door. He waited patiently as he heard someone approaching the door, who it was, he wasn’t sure, but he secretly hoped it was Spike. No offense to Twilight, but his nerves wouldn’t let him remain calm when she was near him. He preferred to have some time to get accustomed to her presence.

Thorn was relieved when the door opened to reveal Spike. “Oh, hey, Thorn,” the dragon greeted. “What are you doing here?”

“Hello, Spike,” Thorn responded in kind.” I apologize for intruding, but I was curious if I could talk to Twilight.”

“Oh, she’s not in right now, but I think she should be arriving soon,” Spike replied with a cheerful enough tone. “You can wait inside for her if you want.”

“Well, at least it gives me time to prepare for when she arrives,” Thorn thought to himself before answering Spike. “If it is alright with you.”

“It’s no problem. Could I get something while you wait?”

Thorn prepared to turn down the offer, but a loud, gurgling moan spoke for him. Thorn looked a bit abashed by the rather undignified sound and got a little red in his cheeks. “Perhaps... a small snack,” Thorn requested meekly.

Spike waved it off as he began to head to the kitchen. “No problem. I think we got some chopped fruit in the fridge.”

Thorn cocked an eyebrow. “In a what?”

Spike turned from the kitchen doorway to give the buck an incredulous look. “Yeeeah. It’s the thing that keeps food cold.” The dragon’s tone suggested he was talking about something obvious, but upon seeing the deer’s perplexed look it dawned on him that Thorn might not actually know what a refrigerator was. “Have you never actually seen a refrigerator?'

Thorn shook his head dismissively. “I’ve never heard of such a thing. Can I see?”

Spike looked like he wasn’t sure how to respond, but shrugged anyway. “Um, sure. It’s in here.” He motioned for Thorn to follow him into the kitchen. The buck obliged and followed Spike to find him standing before a large white and metallic rectangular creation with two chrome handles on the front. Thorn watched as Spike pulled the door open and was greeted with a blast of cold air to the face. Looking on, Thorn saw that there were a variety of foodstuffs stored within, many of which were perishable, yet were still very fresh.

“Amazing. Such impressive technology,” Thorn said in an awestruck tone.

Spike smirked at the buck’s amazement over something as simple as a refrigerator. “Yeah, I guess it is pretty impressive.” Spike reached in and pulled out a small bowl filled with an assortment of chopped fruits. He took it over to a small dinner table and placed it on the table for his guest. Looking over the assortment caused Thorn's stomach to put in a formal protest for sustenance. Thorn was more than willing to oblige in his stomach’s demands. He offered his thanks to the dragon and placed his rucksack on the ground before he began to slowly pluck fruit pieces from the bowl.

As he took a bite out of a succulent piece of a granny smith apple, Spike asked a question that had been on his mind since Thorn arrived. “So what do you need to talk to Twilight about?”

Thorn finished the apple slice he had in his mouth before giving his response. “I need to talk to Twilight about meeting Princess Celestia. My king is interested in having words with an emissary.”

Spike perked up at this.“Whoa. Really?” He asked with an impressed tone.

Thorn nodded definitively. “Yes, however, I am afraid my time is short. As soon as I can talk to the princess, the better.”

Spike nodded in understanding. “Yeah,” he replied looking toward a clock hanging from a nearby wall. “Well, I think Twilight should be here soon. I don’t know about seeing the princesses, though. I’m pretty sure Twilight is on the last train from Canterlot until morning.”

Thorn frowned, both because it meant he still had to wait, but also because Spike had used another word he was unfamiliar with. “Oh... I see. Is it possible to get to Canterlot tomorrow?”

Spike prepared to answer but halted as something seemed to stop him. “Um,I’m not sure, but I think Twilight has a copy of the schedule around here. I’ll go get it and some parchment. I bet if we send Princess Celestia a letter, you could probably get an audience with her early in the morning.” Spike then took his leave of the kitchen to hunt down the previously stated items. This left Thorn to feast on a few more slices of fruit while contemplating how he was going to persuade the princess to assist him. While he didn’t think the princess was going to be against sending an emissary, she seemed like a very reasonable ruler, but he did not want to assume she would simply agree. He was still representing his kingdom and deerkind. He had to conduct himself in a manner befitting a Guardian. Thorn considered a variety of ways to present before the princess. He knew he had to be official and conducting himself in a similar manner to how he would present himself to his king would probably be a good template. She was a ruler and should be treated as such. He began to formulate some ways to best way to go about negotiations, when Spike reentered the room with one claw grasping a rolled up scroll. His left arm held multiple scrolls along with a quill and inkwell in his claw.

Spike put the writing materials on the table before handing the schedule over to Thorn. “I checked the schedule. The first train to Canterlot leaves at eight in the morning. So if the princess agrees to see you, you could probably have an appointment with her the next morning.” He finished with a confident smirk before quickly adding, “Give or take a few extra minutes to travel to the castle.”

Thorn let out a content sigh. “Thank you, Spike.” This would make things much easier, but he still had to make a good introduction as well. Best he made a good impression. Thorn took hold of the parchment and the quill Spike had supplied and began choosing his words very carefully. After a small amount of consideration and a little assistance from Spike, Thorn began writing his letter.

Dear Princess Celestia,
I would like to firstly apologize for the short notice of this letter. After our discussion under the Great Tree, things escalated quite quickly. King Fir came to me to inquire about my time spent amongst your citizens. After discussing my excursion, he tasked me with proving that your citizens exists. However, with the upcoming winter coming, there is a short period which he can assemble court to discuss anything. As such, my task requires a great deal of haste. If you are able, I’d like to discuss the potential of an emissary returning with me to meet with King Fir. My hope is that both our races may be able to come to some sort of agreement, in time.

My deepest thanks,
Thorn

Thorn finished his letter and looked over it carefully. He didn’t notice any real problems and he felt there was an adequate amount of professionalism and it sounded official. Aside from patrol reports, he didn’t really write many letters. He hoped that it was good enough for the princess.

With the letter looking as good as he thought it could be, he came upon his next obstacle. “How am I going to get this to the princess? If this palace is far away it’ll take time for it to arrive.” He looked to Spike out of the corner of his eye and another thought crossed his mind. “Their technology is pretty advanced... Maybe they have some sort of advanced mail delivery system?” It was worth a shot.

“Spike, is there a way to get this letter to the princess tonight?”

The dragon smiled brightly and puffed out his chest. “Sure there is, and you’re looking at him.”

Thorn blinked in confusion. “I’m not sure I understand.”

Spike kept his chest puffed out as he explained. “Well, you see I’m not like most dragons. I can send messages directly to Princess Celestia with my fire!”

Thorn blinked again, but this time in astonishment. “That’s... fortuitous.” He looked at the letter before him. “So... you can send this to her? Will it arrive quickly?”

Spike nodded enthusiastically. “About a minute or so, but yeah she’ll get it tonight.”

“Excellent,” Thorn responded as he rolled up his letter and passed it to the dragon. “Thank you for your help, Spike. I hope I can return the favor.”

Spike chuckled and gave a dismissive wave, “Don’t worry about it. Anything to help out.” With that he took a deep breath and exhaled, releasing a plume of vibrant green flames that devoured the letter. The remnants of the letter hung in the air for less than a second before flying out the nearest window. Thorn watched the spectacle with extreme interest and continued to watch as the soot flew off toward Canterlot at a remarkable speed.

“Amazing” was all Thorn could say about what he had seen. He turned back to Spike with a happy smirk. This was going better than he had expected. He assumed it’d take him longer to get an audience with the princess, but it looked like he might be able to speak with her the next day. “How long do you think it will take her to respond?”

Spike tapped his chin in thought, “Eh... a few minutes. The princess is usually pretty quick in responding to the letters Twilight sends.” Spike gave a reassuring thumbs up. Thorn assumed it was a positive gesture.

Thorn nodded and let out a sigh of relief, it seemed the easy part was out of the way. Now he just needed to wait. Thorn was preparing to say his thanks when he heard something from the lobby. “Spike! I’m home.”

The voice was familiar and Thorn immediately put a name to the voice. While he was okay with Twilight’s arrival, he was looking for her after all. However, his heart was less than thrilled. The minute he heard her voice, Thorn’s heart jumped and began to thump hard in his chest. “Calm down,” Thorn chided himself. “Just breathe and focus.”

Spike was the first to head out and greet Twilight, meeting her in the middle of the library’s foyer. Thorn lagged just slightly behind the dragon and held back in the kitchen doorway.

“Welcome back, Twilight,” Spike greeted along with a leg hug.

Twilight returned the hug with her free foreleg. “Happy to be back, Spike.” She broke the hug and took off the saddle bag she was carrying. “Anything happen while I was gone?”

Spike nodded before, “Yeah, we got visitor.”

Twilight looked curious. “A visitor?”

“Yeah, it’s Thorn.”

Twilight flinched at the unexpected news. “Thorn? He was here?”

“Actually, I’m still here,” Thorn interjected as he stepped out from the doorway.

Twilight looked up to see Thorn and she did her best to break her surprised. “Oh, hello Thorn. I didn’t expect to see you so soon.”

Thorn chuckled lightheartedly at this. “Yes, I wasn’t expecting to return so soon either.” He approached slowly as he continued, “It would seem word traveled faster than expected. My king confronted me about your town and your proximity to the kingdom.”

“Oh, that’s good,” Twilight responded with excitement in her voice. “So, is he willing to discuss relations between kingdoms?”

Thorn shook his head, “I wish it were that simple.” Twilight’s expression shifted from excited to confused. “While my king has heard of my outing earlier today and our initial meeting, he wants proof that I am not creating a fantastical story to get his ear.”

“Wait, he doesn’t think you’re telling the truth?” Spike interjected in an incredulous tone. “Why would you lie about this?”

Twilight prepared to interject, but Thorn spoke up first. “It is because ponies have been long regarded as a myth or a tale told to fawns to keep them from venturing deep into the forest,” Thorn explained calmly. “While there are those who advocated for me, there are others who think I’m attempting to make a myth sound real. My king has not accused me of lying. He merely wants proof so he can make an informed decision.” Thorn kept his tone calm as he spoke. It was easy to see how such a thought could come about, but he also wanted the young dragon to understand why his king asked what he did.

Spike flashed a quick look of realization before swapping to a more bashful expression. “I... guess that makes sense,” Spike admitted. “Just seems ridiculous that somepo- er deer would try something like that.”

Thorn gave an uneasy smirk. “There... have been a few deer who have boasted about deeds or... said they’ve seen things that they couldn’t prove.” Thorn’s ear flattened as he continued, “The only reason King Fir is giving me this chance is probably because I have two significant figures backing me. Without them... I doubt I’d still be considered a Guardian-in-training at all.”

Twilight spoke up for this, “Who else supported you? I know the Great Tree seemed eager to reestablish relations, but who else offered their support?”

Thorn smiled fondly, “My teacher. Master Ironwood. You weren’t here, but I brought him here this morning to show him I wasn’t making up where I disappeared to the other day.”

Twilight blinked before flashing a small smirk. “He must be a good teacher.”

“I’d like to think so,” Thorn replied with a fond smirked and subconsciously rubbing his shoulder.

Spike prepared to add his own statement, but gagged instead. Thorn and Twilight both looked to the dragon in confusion. Spike let out another hurking gag before giving his chest a few whacks with his fist.

“Are you okay?” Thorn asked in concern.

“Yeah, just need to... *hurk*” Spike put a claw to his mouth before releasing a loud belch that was accompanied by a large plume of green flames. Twilight flinched slightly, but Thorn was caught off guard and jumped back into a defensive position.

Spike let out a short second blech before giving a quick apology, “Sorry, there was a slight hiccup there. Should have warned you.”

Thorn was partially confused until he noticed a small scroll resting on the floor. How the flames managed to not set the library on fire was a mystery to him, but based on how magical the flames were it was possible there was something he just didn’t understand. Either way, it was impressive. Twilight used her magic to pick up and unfurl the scroll, but after a moment of reading it, she stopped. She looked up from the letter and floated it over to the buck. “This is addressed to you, Thorn,” she stated in surprise. “You sent a letter to the princess?”

“Yeah, he asked for me to send it off earlier,” Spike interjected before coughing once more.

Thorn took the letter from Twilight’s magical grip. “My apologies. I just wanted to get in contact with her as quickly as possible,” Thorn stated solemnly. “As I mentioned before, my time is short and Spike was willing to offer his assistance in the matter.”

Twilight snapped back to Thorn and began to wave her hooves dismissively. “No, no, no! It’s fine. I was just surprised is all,” Twilight stated frantically. “I’m glad Spike could help get the process started.” Spike smiled pridefully at the remark. “So what does the letter say?” Twilight inquired while pointing to the letter in Thorn’s hoof. “I didn’t read too much of it.”

Thorn looked down at the letter and read it aloud to Twilight and Spike. “Dear Thorn, I am surprised to hear from you so soon, but I am happy to see that King Fir is willing to discuss negotiations. I understand that you have a short period of time to accomplish you goal and I would be happy to accommodate. I have opened up a slot for you tomorrow morning at 11am. We can discuss having an emissary return with you. I look forward to our discussion tomorrow. Present this letter to the guards and they will escort you to me. Princess Celestia.”

Thorn smiled. This was amazing, he was making surprisingly good progress. He still needed to meet with the princess, but so far things were going well. Now he just had to get on this... “train” and get to Canterlot... and make his way to the castle... through the capital.... of ponies. His stomach twisted into a knot and his heart regained speed. Before Thorn’s thoughts could corrupt him further, he forced himself to breath evenly and focus on what needed to be done. “When did you say the first ‘train’ left, Spike?” Thorn asked a little shakily. His heart was still thumping at an accelerated rate and it was clearly showing in his speech.

Twilight and Spike seemed to notice the buck’s odd tone and a new quantity of sweat on his brow. “It said the first train leaves at eight,” Spike answered, before he noticed Thorn’s odd state and asked his own question. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, I just had a rather... distasteful thought,” Thorn stated sourly. “There is no need to worry.”

Twilight and Spike shared a quick look, but did not press further. “If you say so,” Spike responded with a bit of hesitation. “The schedule said the first train will be leaving at eight in the morning.” Spike finished before he let out a deep yawn. Looking to the clock hanging above the kitchen door, he noted it was nearing close to eleven. “Wow, it’s late.”

Twilight and Thorn both took a glance at the clock as well. They both mutually agreed that it was getting pretty late... for Spike. Twilight excused herself so she could put Spike to bed. It was only a few short minutes later when Twilight returned. She apologized for her temporary absence, to which Thorn waved her off. “It’s nothing to apologize for,” he stated with a light chuckle. “It sort of reminds me of my little sister. She used to try and stay up with me during my night study sessions.”

Twilight smiled. She recalled when her own brother would put her to bed when she stayed up too late studying. “Well, good to know you are looking out for her,” Twilight stated sincerely before changing topics. “So... we should probably get you a place to rest for the night. I’ll get you a-”

“Oh, that won’t be necessary,” Thorn interjected with a dismissive way of his hoof. He returned to the kitchen to collect his rucksack. When he returned, he opened it to reveal his hammock bundled within. Twilight was momentarily confused before she recalled Thorn’s demonstration the night before.

“Are you sure?” she asked with a little confusion. “I’d be more than happy to lay out a bed for you.”

“I appreciate it,” Thorn started before he shook his head. “But would not want to impose any further. I can set up outside.”

Twilight looked over the buck with incredulous scrutiny. Was he really planning to put up a hammock late at night and sleep outside? Based on the look on his face, it looked like it. “I really don’t mind you staying here, Thorn. You are more than welcome sleep here for the night. Plus I’d be happy to escort you to Canterlot,” Twilight offered again with a friendly smile.

Thorn prepared to counter the alicorn again, but realized it’d be better to stick with some...pony who knew the layout of the town and the capital. Plus, it’d be nice to know what a “train” looked like if he was to take one to the capital. “Very well, I am grateful for your hospitality. All the help has been a great boon in an otherwise hectic time. I am eternally grateful,” Thorn stated solemnly before giving a short bow of his head.

Twilight smiled nervously. While it was a nice, she still wasn’t completely comfortable with overly formal gestures. “Oh, that is really not necessary. If anything, I owed you for saving Fluttershy and me in the forest.”

“But it is necessary,” Thorn stated as he came out of his bow. His tone serious and unwavering “You and your friends have been so helpful, and even now you offer your help in ensuring I will not be dishonored... I owe you quite a bit of gratitude and more.”

Twilight hesitated momentarily before offering an outstretched hoof. “How about we just call it even?” she replied jovially.

Thorn looked to the offered hoof. His heart was still moving at an accelerated rate, but the casual conversation had been gradually bringing his heart to a more calmer level. He took the offered hoof and shook it, “Very well.” The buck gave a genuine yet slightly uneasy smile as he shook the hoof. “Thank you, Twilight. I really do appreciate all of this.”

The two broke the shake and Twilight offered to help set up Thorn’s hammock for the night. Thorn accepted and the two scouted out a small outcove in the library usually used for reading. The outcove held a small wooden bench that was attached to the back wall. With Thorn’s magic, the small reading bench was absorbed into the tree and two small, but thick, wooden hooks formed from the sides. This allowed for the hammock to be hung and Thorn’s sleeping accommodations were secured for the night.

While Thorn was perfectly content with his simple hammock, Twilight felt as though she should offer something a little more comfortable. “You know, we have a spare bed,” she offered politely. “I don’t mind pulling it out for you.”

Thorn prepared to offer a rebuttal when the memory of the hospital bed came to mind. The softness of the mattress combined with the warm sheets and the fluffy square thing were so nice, so comfy. The idea of experiencing that again was very tantalizing. “That sounds...-” Thorn shook himself, “That sounds like a very kind offer, but I will be fine with just my hammock. Thank you though.”

Twilight gave the buck a curious look. “Are you sure? Can I at least get you a pillow?”

Thorn found himself reconsidering. It’d be a bit much to ask his host to bring out a bed when he had his own... but a pillow... that wouldn’t be too much of a big request, right? Thorn hesitated a moment to weigh the decision, but ultimately accepted the offer for the fluffy head rest. Twilight nodded before heading off to collect the pillow from a nearby closet. When she returned she informed Thorn that they’d be waking up early the next morning to catch the train.

“That’s fine. I’m accustomed to waking up early. The trip from my home to Froaise is quite far,” Thorn stated as he took the pillow and placed it in his hammock.

Twilight cocked an eyebrow. “How far is it?”

“About two hours worth of travel for me. Closer to four if you use the trails,” Thorn stated with a nonchalant shrug.

The alicorn’s expression changed from inquisitive to shocked. “And... you just run that distance? Regularly?” Twilight asked incredulously.

Thorn shot Twilight a confused look. “Of course. How else would I get there?”

Twilight opened her mouth to say something, but quickly shut it. After a few moments of silence, she found the words she wanted to say. “It’s... just really surprising. Not many ponies could do that kind of trek on hoof, especially through the Everfree Forest. It’s very impressive,” she stated in amazement.

Thorn looked over Twilight and smiled slightly. “Thank you. I could say the same for your technology and magic.” Thorn chuckled lightly. “Even your strength and ability to fly is amazing.”

Twilight chuckled as well. “I’m sure we can learn a bit from each other, Thorn. At least, that’s my hope.”

Thorn gave a sheepish smile. “I hope so too.”

The two shared a quick smile before the two broke to get some sleep. “Good night, Thorn. I’ll be sure to set an alarm for tomorrow,” Twilight called out as she slipped into her bed.

“Understood. Good night, Twilight,” Thorn called back as he stowed his armor and snuggled into his hammock. After a few moments, all the inhabitants were neatly tucked into bed and preparing to be embraced by the thralls of slumber.

However, Thorn found himself unable to go to sleep immediately. His heart was still thumping in his ears and his mind was a cacophony of reoccurring thoughts and varying scenarios. He wondered how well the talk would go. He wondered what he would say when he met Celestia again. What good could come from this discussion. What could be. Then how the trip back to Froaise might go. For a while, Thorn just sat in his hammock and thought. Every possibility ran through his mind and rested him away from sleep. At some point, he became acutely aware that his thoughts were keeping him from falling asleep. Naturally, this caused Thorn to try and silence his beating heart and his racing mind, but both felt like an attempt in futility. However, after taking some deep breaths to slow his heart and forced himself to meditate to clear his mind, and he eventually slipped into slumber.

Thorn awoke after having a rather pleasant dream. Part of his mind wanted to return to slumber so that he might enjoy the fluffiness and comfort of the pillow. He could easily catch a few more moments of slumber. However, a reminder of what he needed to do today roused him from his hammock. He groaned as he got out, and spent a moment working out his joints. Once he was limbered up, he took a look outside. The sun was barely a glimmer over the horizon. “Huh... guess I got up a bit too early,” Thorn thought to himself. “I wonder if Twilight is awake.”

Thorn carefully made his way to the upper floor of the house and was quickly greeted with the sounds of light breathing and raspy snoring. Upon nearing the top of the steps, he saw Spike was hanging out of a small basket on the floor. Peeking a little to the right, he saw a large open area that held a small table with a vanity mirror and a bed with two small tables on both sides. In the bed lay Twilight, still sleeping.

He could awaken Twilight and Spike, but he felt that might be a bit unnecessary. “Maybe a nice run to -...” he stopped the thought when he recalled who he was meeting later. “Perhaps best to avoid sweating.” This lead to a secondary thought that prompted Thorn to do a quick sniff of his body. After a quick whiff, Thorn immediately determined what he needed to do ... bathe... or at least splash some water on his body. Just something to get the stink of body odor off of him. Only question was where to find a source of water to wash up in.

Thorn pondered on what to do. “Hmm, this home must be drawing from a water source somewhere. Maybe I can track the source through the roots.”

Thorn left Twilight and Spike to slumber, and quietly made his way to the library center and prepared his spell. He took a few deep breaths before closing his eyes and felt the room fall away from him. He let his magic flow from his antlers and through his hooves. Soon the magic began to sink into the tree and with each deep breath he felt his magic reaching below the ground and into the roots. He felt that the tree was pulling from something from deep underneath. Unfortunately, that didn’t offer any form of accessible water for him to use, but he did notice something peculiar. It seemed that there was something within the tree that wasn’t part of its anatomy. Whatever it was, it was cylindrical and long. It ran from a separate room of the house to location below the floor Thorn was on before exiting the home alltogether. “What is that?” Thorn wondered. “I’ll have to ask Twilight about that later.”

Thorn released his magic and let out a sigh. “So, no water nearby... hmmmm. Maybe, there is a stream or lake around here.” Thorn took another glance out the front door window. The edge of the sun was just setting the sky ablaze in orange. “Hmmm, it is still pretty early. If I can get to a high point I should be able to see if there is any water sources around.” With his new plan in mind, Thorn set out to scour the town.

Thorn made his way outside the treehouse, doing his best to close the door without making too much noise. The town was still in the throes of slumber, with the streets being completely empty and not a single light looked to be on in any of the homes before the buck. Although, he did smell a heavenly aroma wafting through the streets. What it was, he couldn’t tell, but it smelt delicious. Despite his curiosity, Thorn forced himself to stick to the plan.

Looking around, there didn’t seem to be any viable means to get a better vantage point, so he turned his gaze back to the Golden Oaks Library. It was a tree... as well as a house and municipal building, but a tree nonetheless. Surely, it had a few branches that could allow him to move upward. Looking around the tree it seemed like there was a path to move upward, but it looked risky. Not all the branches were within jumping distance and some of the branches didn’t look like they could hold his weight. Using magic was out of the question as that would easily wake Twilight and Spike.“Okay... lack of vantage points. What’s the next option?” Thorn pondered. “I can’t go before the princess smelling like this... actually, I really should have washed up before heading into Twilight’s home... ooooh! Her pillow probably smells! Argh!” Thorn face-hoofed at his own stupidity. “Need to think these things through.” With a quick sigh, he brought himself back to focus. He’d find a way to make amends later.

Thorn turned to look to the far side of town, toward Sweet Apple Acres.“Hmm, there must be a water source near Applejack’s orchard if it is doing so well, but that’s on the other side of town.” Thorn groaned in frustration as his options seemed to be dwindling. “Ugh, I need to find something to-” Thorn stopped mid-thought when he heard a peculiar sound emanating behind him. It sounded like flapping wings... but it sounded too big to be any normal sized bird. Given his current location, logic dictated the next logical answer. Thorn turned around and looked up to see a cyan colored pegasus with... a rainbow colored mane? “Okay... wasn’t expecting that... Why do I feel I’ve seen that color pattern before?”

Thorn looked at the pegasus, who seemed enraptured with Thorn for some reason. After a moment, Thorn gave a meek wave and a greeting. “H-hello?”

The pegasus landed in front of Thorn and began to look him over with an appraising look in her eye. The buck was immediately on guard. “What is she doing? Sizing me up?” Thorn watched as the pegasus continued to investigate him. She worked her way around him taking in the details of his form and more than once, glancing toward his antlers. “Can I... help you?” Thorn eventually asked in concern.

The pegasus looked up at Thorn after giving him a thorough look over. “Well, AJ said you were a bit strange, but you are so much weirder face to face.”

Thorn cocked an eyebrow. He wasn’t sure if he should insulted by the comment, but since he had been getting odd looks since his first arrival to Ponyville, so he let it slide. “I’ve been receiving that comment quite a lot recently,” Thorn responded with a nervous chuckle.

Not wanting to squander what little time he had, Thorn attempted to excuse himself. “Well, if you will excuse me I need to... make preparations,” Thorn stated with a cordial bow and began to head into town; however, before he got two steps forward, the pegasus shot in front of him at an impressive speed. So fast, that had Thorn blinked, he would have assumed she had somehow teleported.

“What kind of preparation?” the pegasus pressed. “You’re not up to something are you?”

Thorn flinched at the odd accusation. “Why would be up to something?...” Thorn halted his train of thought as he realized that the streets were still void of any life aside from himself and the rainbow maned pegasus. On top of that, the sun was just barely over the horizon. “Perhaps it makes more sense than I initially suspected.”

“I assure you I’m not up to anything malicious,” Thorn assured the mare. “I simply have an appointment with the Princess and... I’m... trying to make myself a little more presentable.”

“Really?” the pegasus asked with cocked an eyebrow. “So what were you looking for to make yourself ‘presentable’?”

“She’s very suspicious of me. I suppose my half answers aren’t the best.” He didn’t want to mare to suspect him of anything so he answered more truthfully. “I was just looking for something to wash up in,” Thorn replied with mild embarrassment in his voice.

This response caused the mare to look at Thorn with a perplexed look. “What?” Thorn asked reflexively.

“You’ve never heard of a shower?” the mare offered.

Thorn returned the look. “What does rain have to do with anything?” Thorn countered.

The Rainbow's perplexity turned to befuddlement. “Rain?... Wha?” She shook her head as if the shake the confusion from her head. “No, I mean like in a bathroom where you bath.”

Thorn’s perplexity broke as he began to realize what she meant. “Showers in the bathroom? They can do that?... Well, they can make rooms feel colder so, maybe it’s not that big a stretch... What magic lets it rain in the bathroom?.... Unless,” Thorn halted as he recalled the odd cylinder that snaked through Twilight’s home. They all led to a single room from the underwater source. “Oooh, that’s how they do it...” At that exact moment, Thorn realized his goal was actually closer than he initially expected. “I’m an idiot.” Thorn let out a long sigh of frustration. “I wasn’t aware that was possible,” Thorn reluctantly admitted.

The mare looked on at the buck for some time. “Seriously?” was a the word that finally slipped out.

Thorn rubbed the back of his head with a hoof in embarrassment. “I’m... uh.. not entirely familiar with pony technology. I thought you... meant rain... inside a home,” Thorn replied with a warm blush.

Rainbow just stared at the buck for a moment as Thorn did his best to avoid eye contact. Eventually, the silence was broken by a snicker that quickly grew into a hearty chuckle and ended in an uproarious guffaw. “Oh my gosh,” Rainbow exclaimed in between laughs. “You were serious! Ahaha!” The laughing fit was so strong that Rainbow Dash keeled over clutching her stomach.

The laughing did little to alleviate his embarrassment. “Is it really that funny?” Thorn asked with a hint of frustration in his voice.

“Yes!” Rainbow blurted out when she had room to catch a breath.

Thorn was half tempted to walk away from the laughing mare to pursue his hunt for a means to clean himself, but a new, yet not unfamiliar, voice called out to him. “Thorn, what are you doing out here?”

Thorn turned to see Twilight stepping out of the library and moving towards him. She was preparing to address him, when she noted the presence of a particular laughing mare. Her initial confusion grew as she approached until she eventually she inquired, “What is she laughing at?”

Thorn’s ears fell flat against his head as his annoyance became more apparent. “Me,” was his quick response, all agitation noticeable by tone alone.

“What?! Why?!” Twilight inquired incredulously.

Rainbow Dash attempted to explain her reason for laughing, but each attempt to explain only instigated another bout of laughing. What little Twilight could pick up between chuckles answered very little.

Thorn took a deep breath and did his best to banish what annoyance was lingering in his mind. He managed to banish a good amount of his annoyance and write off the whole thing as a humorous misunderstanding, but he couldn’t remove what annoyance he felt for having his ignorance mocked.

“Rainbow, stop laughing!” Twilight scolded the mare, stomping the ground with a hoof to accent her point. “It couldn’t have been that funny.”

Rainbow picked herself off the ground, wiping a tear from her eye. “It actually was pretty funny,” Rainbow replied with a final chuckle. “He thought that showers were rain storms th-that happened in bathrooms!”

Twilight scrutinized Rainbow before switching to Thorn, who had a look of both embarrassment and frustration. Admittedly, she saw the humor in it as well, but made sure not to laugh. “While it is a little funny, do you think it deserved that kind of reaction?” Twilight asked with disapproval.

“You had to be there, Twilight,” Rainbow replied. “His face was priceless!”

Twilight groaned, her disapproval being ignored entirely. She shook her head and asked Thorn to come with her so he could get cleaned up. “Oh, come on, it was funny,” Rainbow pleaded as the buck and alicorn began to walk away.

“It was still rude,” Twilight chided. “Thorn is basically a dignitary for his kingdom and he is going to be presenting himself to the princess very shortly.” Subtly, she noticed that there was a smell lingering in the air. While it wasn’t completely offending to her nostrils, she was able to easily identify it as perspiration. “I’m sure he just wanted to be presentable for his meeting.”

Rainbow stopped her chuckling as she noted the very serious tone Twilight had taken. “Wait, for real?”

“You thought I was joking?” Thorn chimed in.

Rainbow flinched slightly and gave a nervous chuckle. “Ah.. hehe... yeeeah. I kinda thought you were up to something shady.”

“Why?” Twilight asked in a mixture of confusion and curiosity.

“Well, he was standing in the middle of town, at the break of dawn, and looking around a lot. He looked shady,” Rainbow replied. “I mean, what would you think when you see...” she gestured to Thorn with a hoof. “Something that looks like him, standing in the middle of town looking around all worried, you’d think he was up to something.”

“I... Rainbow...ugh,” Twilight put a hoof to her face and let out a sigh. “Never mind, I need to get Thorn ready to see the Princess.” She turned her attention Thorn and resumed escorting him to her home. “I’ll show you how to use the shower.”

Rainbow quickly flew in front of two of them and requested, “Okay, okay, wait!” She held up her forehooves, begging the alicorn, and, moreso, the buck to stop for a moment. “Okay, look. I didn’t believe you when you said you had an appointment with the princess. I’m sorry. I kinda jumped to some conclusions, but...” Rainbow rubbed the back of her head as her eyes darted around in thought. “I’m sorry for assuming the worst. Can I make it up to you?” Rainbow offered her hoof to the buck.

Thorn was a bit surprised by the gesture. His initial impression of the mare was a little less than stellar, but Rainbow seemed genuinely apologetic and Thorn could somewhat understand how his ignorance could be construed as funny from her perspective. While the pokes were a bit annoying, he was here to build bridges, not burn them. There was no point in holding a grudge over something so petty. Thorn took the mare’s hoof and gave a small chuckle. “No hard feelings,” Thorn responded with a sincere smile. “I look forward to meeting again and under better circumstances.”