Over the roar of the showerhead, I could barely hear a conversation downstairs. A very loud conversation. The two voices were uncomfortably familiar. I quickly cut off the water and reached for the towel, fearing I was starting to overstay my welcome.

“—can’t stay here, Lyra,” Bon-Bon’s voice cut through the air.

I quickly dried myself off.

“Where else is he supposed to go? He can’t walk outside in broad daylight!” Lyra shot back.

I threw on my boxers and jeans, scrubbing the towel against my hair.

“You should have thought of that before you let him stay!”

The t-shirt fell over my head as my arms slipped through the sleeves. My fingers combed through my hair, and my new, clean reflection stared at me with those same, old eyes.

Trouble in paradise?

“Can it,” I muttered as I threw open the door.

“Bon-Bon, that isn’t fair! He hasn’t had enough time to rest,” Lyra’s voice shouted from downstairs. “We can’t just kick him out.”

“Yes, we can!” Bon-Bon argued. “The Princess is coming today, and Twilight is starting to panic. Were you even here the last time that happened?”

“Th-That doesn’t mean he has to leave.” Lyra was losing her ground.

“Yes, Lyra, that’s exactly what that means,” Bon-Bon pressed. Their voices had calmed down, albeit slightly. “As far as everypony knows, he’s a criminal. What do you think is going to happen if we’re caught harboring him? Everypony’s going to think—”

Her voice trailed off as Lyra stared past her, frozen in a wince. She followed her eyes and found me waiting at the base of the stairs, trying to look anywhere but at the two mares.

“Oh.” The silence hung in the air, heavy and uncomfortable. I built the courage to meet Lyra’s eyes. Her lips moved, but opted to clamp shut as she couldn’t find any words. Bon-Bon dared to break the silence. “How much have you heard?”

“Enough,” I said to the floor beneath her hooves.

“Then you understand the situation?” It sounded more like a fact than a question. I took in a breath and sighed, nodding my head.

“Hunter, wait,” Lyra begged, stepping out of the dining room. “It-It’s not as bad as it sounds. You don’t have to leave just yet. Twilight doesn’t know where you are.”

“But she has an idea of where to look,” Bon-Bon interjected. “She came into the shop and asked where you were. I told her you’d normally be in the park by now or grabbing lunch, but that’s only going to hold her off for so long.”

“Wh-What?” Lyra asked incredulously. “Why is she looking for me?”

Bon-Bon rolled her eyes. “Seriously?” she huffed. “Maybe it’s all those rallies you held about him. Maybe it’s all the posters you made. Maybe it’s the fact that you’re the only pony in town that even cares about him!” She froze, realizing what she had just said. Her eyes darted to me, but rather than the usual daggers they had a wary look. “That… was out of line,” she admitted, the floor suddenly becoming very interesting to her. She prodded at it with a hoof. “My apologies.”

I started to say something, but all that came out was a defeated sigh. I shook my head and turned to Lyra. “I think I’ve overstayed my welcome here.”

“Just wait,” Lyra snapped. She glared at her housemate. “She didn’t mean it,” she challenged Bon-Bon, who refused to look her in the eye. With a satisfied nod, Lyra returned her attention to me. “Come on, Hunter, just think about this,” she pleaded. “If it’s really as bad as Bon-Bon said, you can’t go outside; you’ll get caught.”

“If I stay in here, we all get caught,” I countered, leaning towards her on the stairs’ guardrails. “And I’m not about to drag you two down with me. You’ve been through enough trouble putting up with me already.”

“I haven’t been ‘putting up’ with you,” Lyra said incredulously. “You’re my friend, Hunter. I’m not going to let you throw yourself out to the wolves.”

Well, if we’re being honest, I’m being thrown to the ‘wolves’ either way, I thought darkly. I suppressed a frustrated groan with a sigh and massaged the stress out of my head with a hand. “Alright. But I’m not going to stay here and get you in trouble,” I said with finality, looking to her. “What’s your plan?”

Lyra hesitated. She didn’t have a plan; I could see it in her eyes, but she was too stubborn to admit defeat. She turned to Bon-Bon, who had opted to rest in a chair as we talked. “Find Daisy or Noteworthy,” she said. “Tell them to get Zecora as fast as possible, and bring a wagon, too.”

Bon-Bon deflated and climbed back to the floor. “I guess it’s time for my early lunch break to end anyways,” she sighed in exasperation. She paused as she approached the door and turned back to Lyra. “I’ll send your message, to both of them if I can. In the meantime… just try not to attract any attention here, either of you.” The door closed softly behind her.

Lyra and I shifted under the uncomfortable weight of silence that filled the room. An inkling of fear flittered in the back of my mind. This could be the last time we see each other. The wrath of a Princess fed with misinformation was waiting for me in the town, and Twilight was bound to find me eventually. If Lyra’s half-baked plan worked, I’d be delivered back to the hungry maws of the timberwolves.

This very well could have been my last few hours.

The revelation hung over my head. I suppressed a nervous shudder and looked to Lyra. She laid on the couch in defeat, face buried into a pillow. My eyes flicked to the phonograph, its record still with the needle sitting patiently in the middle, and built up my determination.

This very well could have been my last few hours; I might as well make the most of it.

With the flick of a switch, the machine hummed to life. A song sluggishly pushed through the static, eager to play its soothing melody after being rudely interrupted.

I stole a glance behind me. Lyra pulled her head up from the pillow and looked at me tiredly. “That’s a little better,” I offered. I tried to smile, but it died before it ever touched my lips.

Lyra gave a weak smile. “You know, I was kinda surprised you knew how to operate that,” she admitted. “I bought it new from Canterlot. Are humans normally good with machines?”

“You could say that,” I chuckled halfheartedly, sitting down in the chair next to it. “My grandfather has one kinda similar from way back when. He always let me and my brothers take it out whenever we visited.” I reached over and flicked the switch, and the record came to a stop. “They don’t make these anymore back home; found better ways to record and play music. But it’s still nice going ‘back in time’ every now and then, you know?”

“You haven’t really talked much about your home,” Lyra pointed out. “At least, not outside of your stories. What was it like? How was your family?”

I hesitated, and a weak smile forced itself out. “Oh, I… They were great. Are great,” I corrected myself. “I could tell you stories all day about my father’s misadventures in cooking or the days I was in my mother’s class in junior high or how my brothers always find a way to get under my skin. But…” I shook my head. Memories were threatening to come back, along with the longing heartbreak that tailed them.

“Thinking about it all has been making me real homesick lately.”

Lyra didn’t say anything. For a moment, I thought that heavy silence was going to return, but she rose from the couch and gave me a bright smile. “Come on, let’s make some cookies.”

“What?” I asked in disbelief.

“Let’s make some cookies,” she repeated, already on her way to the kitchen. “It’ll be fun. And it’d be nice to give our friends something when they come to pick you up.”

I saw what she was doing; trying to give us something to do while we ignored the elephant in the room. But I couldn’t have been more grateful. “Right behind ya,” I chuckled, standing up from the chair.

Lyra hummed in thought from the kitchen. “Chocolate chip or peanut butter?”

I laughed. “You say that as if there’s a choice!”

I was down on my hands and knees, busy scrubbing the flour-covered floor. It looked like a tornado had ran through the kitchen… twice. A fine film of flour coated the floor and countertops. Eggshells and yolk were splattered around the sink. We even spilled a carton of milk, which we spent an appropriate time mourning over.

And we were laughing the whole time.

“I swear, this has never happened to me before,” I explained.

Lyra scoffed jokingly, “Oh, I bet you say that to all the mares.”

I struggled to suppress a laugh, but a snort managed to escape. We weren’t sure how it started. Lyra would pin it on me for accidentally bringing an early winter while attempting to open a new bag of flour, but I would place my bets on the moment she “accidentally” spilled a second teaspoon of vanilla on me. Regardless, the room was a mess, along with us. There were still splotches of flour matted into Lyra’s coat, and my shirt still smelled eerily of vanilla. Lyra suggested we clean as much as we could while our spoils of war were still baking in the oven.

The sweet scent of peanut butter chocolate chip cookies hung in the air, replacing that horrible silence we chased away with our laughter. Even as I scrubbed at the tiles, I found myself asking the universe to let this last just a little longer. Just a little longer to delay whatever plans fate had waiting for me. Just a little longer to stay here with my friend and laugh and joke and not have a care in the world.

The oven buzzed, and we decided we had cleaned enough. I went searching for some oven mitts, but a metallic clang cut my journey short. I turned to find that the tray had “magically” moved from the open oven to the countertop. Lyra hummed happily as the cookies drifted into the air and arranged themselves neatly on a small plate.

“That magic sure is starting to look convenient,” I joked. “Picking up a fresh pan of cookies without getting burned and moving them to a plate so quickly. The possibilities seem endless.”

It won a giggle out of Lyra. “Come on,” she said, trotting out of the kitchen with the plate following close by. “Let’s move this to the living room.”

She didn’t have to say it twice. The plate drifted down on the coffee table, and we threw ourselves onto the couch and dug in. They melted slightly in my fingers and burned my tongue, but the peanut butter and chocolate taste was addictive. I had to force myself to hold back after the fourth, telling myself I was spoiling my lunch. But as I looked to the clock hanging on the wall, I realized this might very well be my last lunch for a while. As the somber silence crept back in my mind, I allowed myself one more cookie to chase it away.

A trio of sharp knocks echoed throughout the house. Lyra and I froze, staring at the door. The curtains to the front windows were still closed. We had no way of knowing who had won the race for my fate.

“Go to the kitchen,” Lyra whispered. “Just in case. Use the back door if you need to.”

I nodded and moved, my heart racing. I stole a glance behind me from the dining room, and Lyra tried to give me a reassuring smile from the front door. The knocks rang out again. Lyra took in a deep breath and turned to the door, and I hid away in the kitchen, praying for a miracle.

“Oh, hey, Twilight!” My heart stopped. “Want a cookie? I just made them,” Lyra announced proudly.

“Oh, thank you! I would love one,” Twilight replied. Her cheery tone put me on edge, but I didn’t dare attempt to steal a peek to the front door. “So, have you been here all day?” Twilight asked through a bite of cookie. “I didn’t see you at the park this morning. You normally have your little get-togethers on Thursdays.”

“Yeah, I figured I’d have a lazy day,” Lyra explained. I noticed a faint waver in her voice. A part of me knew Twilight caught it, too. “I’ve been having a hard time coming up with new ideas, but I think I have something planned for later this afternoon. Ooh, thinking about attending this time?”

I crept to the backdoor between the kitchen and dining room, careful not to make myself visible from the front.

“You know, after everything that’s happened these last couple days, I think I might just check it out,” Twilight said, her voice dripping with ulterior motives.

I pulled open the door and stepped outside—

Only to nearly stumble into Rainbow Dash. We stared at each other in shock, not sure we were really there. A second ticked by. I slowly stepped back in, never taking my eyes off hers, and shut the door, switching the deadbolt as an afterthought. Maybe she didn’t see me.

There was a heavy thump as something rammed into the other side of the door. I cursed under my breath.

“What was that?” Twilight piped up from the front door.

“O-Oh, that?” Lyra stammered. “Well, I, um…”

“It’s here, Twilight!” Rainbow Dash shouted from the back end of the house. The front door slammed shut. I ran back to the living room to find Lyra standing on her hind legs and propped up against it.

“We have a problem!” she exclaimed.

“I noticed!” I shot back. I whirled around the living room, looking for something to defend ourselves with.

“I may have slammed the door on her muzzle,” she squeaked. “She’s not going to be happy about that.”

A hoof pounded on the front door. “Lyra, open this door now!” Twilight’s voice filled the house. “The Princess is in town and wants to see the human. Let us in, and you won’t be in any more trouble than you already are!”

“You’re not laying a hoof on him, Twilight!” Lyra shouted back. “You’ve given Hunter enough trouble. Just leave him alone!”

“I don’t think egging her on is going to help,” I pointed out worriedly.

Another wave of pounding from the other side of the door. “Don’t make us break down this door, Lyra!” Twilight warned. “I’m giving you to the count of three!” I stared at Lyra in desperation. The look she gave me wasn’t very reassuring.

“One…”

There was nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide.

“Two…”

We had nothing to defend ourselves with. This was it. This was the end.

“Three!”

Lyra and I stared at each other for one last second before it all fell apart.

The door exploded in a torrent of wooden fragments as a blue missile shot through. Rainbow tackled Lyra with her momentum and pinned her to the floor, leaving her in a daze. Twilight leapt inside, and her crazed eyes locked on me. Her mane was a frazzled mess.

“There you are,” she sneered. “Rainbow Dash, go get the rope and a taxi. This won’t take too long.” Rainbow cast an uncertain look between her friend and the unconscious mare beneath her, but with a brisk nod she darted back into the streets of Ponyville, leaving me alone with Twilight. “I’ve been looking all over for you,” she said coldly. “Princess Celestia wants to see you, now.”

This is your chance, the voice whispered eagerly in my mind. Twilight took a step forward. I took one back. After all she has put you through, after all you have suffered; this is your chance. Don’t let her steal this from you, too. Stand and fight!

My heart raced excitedly. I bolted towards Twilight, and she dodged to the side. Leaping over the couch, I vaulted over the guardrails to the stairs, ignoring the flare in my leg as I raced to the top. With a loud pop, Twilight appeared at the top in a spray of purple sparks, crouched low to pounce.

My body moved on its own, driving my knee into Twilight’s muzzle as I reached the top. She sputtered and fell back, giving me enough time to tackle her to the floor. I raised my fist, and it struck against wood as she disappeared beneath me.

Purple light flashed at the end of the hallway. Twilight’s horn ignited, and I barely managed to roll away as a beam of light erupted from her horn. The wall behind me groaned against the impact, a small dent molded in the drywall where the magic struck.

Her horn was charging again. I thundered down the hallway, hoping to reach her before the next blast, but she fired before I was ready. My legs flew out from under me as my chest took the brunt of the blast, and I struggled for a breath as I landed on my back.

Her hooves stamped across the wooden floor closer to me. I came back to my senses in time to see her standing over me. “We don’t have time for this,” she reminded me with a frown. “Are you ready to give up yet?” She relaxed slightly, but I still had some fight left in me.

I pivoted on the floor, sweeping my legs beneath hers and spinning to a prone position. She let out a surprised shriek and she fell and scrambled to recompose herself. By the time she was back on her hooves, though, she was already too late. I was low on all fours and lunged to tackle her.

She didn’t have time to react. My arm wrapped tightly around her neck, and I rolled us to the ground. She wheezed and kicked out against the open air, searching for leverage. Her head was locked in my arm as I pulled myself back to my feet, and her forelegs grabbed desperately at it as she dangled in my grip. My head was pounding heavily.

After all this time, the voice cooed. She finally found her Beast of the Everfree. Finish this.

“You just had to keep chasing me, didn’t you?” I hissed in her ear. “Why couldn’t you leave me alone?!” My arm tightened around her throat. She gave a panicked choke. Her horn ignited one last time, and my body felt as if it had burst into flames.

I stumbled back, numb to the world around me. Stars danced across my vision, and a sharp ringing drowned everything out. I kept my arm locked around the mare’s throat as best as I could, even as the world pitched backwards as guardrail pressed against my legs.

I fought for my breath as my back slammed into the first floor. Twilight fell out of my grasp as we landed, rolling to the couch that felt miles away. Everything felt so distant. The heavy crash of a door broke through the sharp ringing in my ears. My head rolled to the side to find Rainbow Dash helping Twilight back to her shaky hooves.

I had to move. The world shrank beneath me as I rolled to my hands and knees, and everything fell out of focus the moment I stood. There was shouting. Distant, but there. The world tilted back and suddenly lurched forward as I struggled to keep my balance. I stumbled forward and grabbed onto the coffee table for dear life as I fell on top of it. My breath was coming in shallow gasps again. I needed to focus; anchor myself back to the world before it all slipped away.

Something moved across my body, trailing around like a burning snake. It coiled around me tightly, binding arms to my body and my wrists together. I weakly thrashed against it, falling to the floor in the process.

An invisible force dragged me to the front door. Twilight walked next to me, exhausted, her horn faintly glowing. Rainbow Dash hovered anxiously over Lyra as we passed, prodding her shoulder testingly. A new wave of energy surged through me, and I kicked out, digging my heels into the ground as the wooden floor turned to well-trodden dirt.

An open carriage waited for us outside, painted a taxi yellow. The stallion at the front stared at me in shock and turned to Twilight, suddenly aware of his cargo.

“Town square, please,” Twilight requested tiredly. My bindings struggled to lift me with the invisible force and tossed me in the back. Twilight hopped in after me, and the carriage lurched to a start.

The carriage rattled with each rock and divot that struck its wooden wheels, and I felt every shake. I tried to sit up, but with a glare and a glow of her horn, Twilight pulled me back down by my restraints. I caught a hint of satisfaction in her eyes; she seemed to have found a loophole for her magic.

Ponies gasped as we passed by; some even cheered. The deeper we moved into town, the louder a murmur grew behind us. We were attracting a crowd.

Or a parade, the voice spat.

And Twilight has made us the guest of honor, I chimed in darkly. How sweet of her.

There was already a crowd congregated at the town hall when we arrived, and their numbers only grew as our followers flooded in. Two ponies stood on a raised stage, one of which stood out above them all.

Princess Celestia watched us quizzically as the taxi drew closer. I studied her, trying to read her thoughts. A part of me worried that she had forgotten our deal, or that she simply no longer cared. Our eyes locked for a moment, and hers seemed to ask for an explanation.

The crowd was antsy upon seeing me. The cheering began to spread for my punishment, and the pit of dread began to eat away at me. I was defenseless; nowhere to run or hide, even if I could.

I was ejected from the floor of the carriage and onto the stage at the Princess’ hooves. Twilight took her place by the Mayor’s side, brushing a few stray strands back into her mane. That glint of pride never left her eyes, and it made me sick in my stomach.

The Princess took a step back as I landed, regarding me with that same, confused look. “I must admit, I was hoping to see you under better circumstances,” she confessed, looking me over. “Is there a reason he’s… all tied up?”

“He was resisting arrest,” Twilight explained. “And he’s still dangerous. I didn’t want him to run away again.”

“Dangerous?” the Princess echoed. She threw me a cautious glance. “I thought he wasn’t going to be a problem,” she said, more directed to me.

“I wasn’t,” I growled, glaring daggers at Twilight. “Didn’t stop Twilight from making me one, though.”

“What was I supposed to do, pretend you weren’t still out there?” Twilight seethed. “After antagonizing all of us for so long? After stealing from my friends? Some ponies here can’t even sleep at night because they’re scared of you!” she exclaimed, throwing a hoof to the crowd. “And they’re all looking up to me to put an end to your reign of terror.

“You might have been able to trick Lyra and Zecora, you might have been able to fool some of my friends, but I know what you really are. You’re evil!” she declared, jabbing an accusing hoof at me. “And it’s high time you paid for it!”

The crowd cheered her on, and the conviction only burned brighter in her eyes. My vision tunneled around her as I grit my teeth. The nerve of her, acting so high and mighty after everything she had done to me. I stood to my feet, and the Princess put herself between me and Twilight, looking between us and the crowd as they cried for my downfall with a lost look in her eyes.

“Wait!”

Something ran into my side and wrapped her hooves around me. I nearly tipped over from the impact; the soft flutter of her wings was all that let me keep my balance. After shaking away the pink curtain that covered my eyes, I saw Twilight and the Princess staring at me and my assailant in shock. The crowd was silent.

“Please, you can’t do this to him!” Fluttershy pleaded. “You have it all wrong; he doesn’t deserve this!”

“Fluttershy?” Twilight spluttered, gawking at her with wide eyes. “What are you doing?”

“He isn’t evil! He’s not some terrible monster!” Fluttershy exclaimed, clinging to me closer.

“What?” Twilight recoiled slightly, her gaze flicking between us uneasily. “What are you talking about? After everything that’s happened, how can you really believe that?”

“He was just scared!”

“Of what?!”

“Us!”

There was a moment of silence as her words seemed to sink in. She took a shuddering breath and continued.

“That night, when he first showed up, I… I saw it in him. He wasn’t out for blood; he was looking for a way out. He was lost and scared and had no idea what was happening!” She let herself off me and put herself between me and Twilight. “And then, when we followed him into the Everfree forest, we fell from the sky and… and I got hurt. He actually helped me!”

“Then what about all of the thefts? Stealing from Applejack?” Twilight demanded, gesturing her hoof at me. “That wasn’t exactly ‘good’, was it?”

“He was starving!” Fluttershy countered with a frown. “I’m not saying what he did was right, but he was only doing what he felt he needed to survive! And besides,” she shot me a small smile before going on. “He defended the foals at the field trip a week ago. I was there, I saw how hard he was working to keep the foals and the rest of us safe from the timberwolves! I spoke to him, too! He isn’t a monster! He’s just… lost.”

A voice spoke up from the crowd. “She’s right! I’ve talked to him, too!” Daisy’s head poked up from the onlooking sea of uncertain faces. She pushed through the crowd with a courage I had never seen in her before and climbed onto the stage, taking her stand next to me. “He invited me and some other ponies to his place the night before the field trip. We talked and laughed and he told us stories about his home. He isn’t evil, trust me! We just need to give him a chance.”

Twilight looked desperately over the uneasy crowd, her support crumbling around her. Another mare broke from the crowd, and for a moment, Twilight seemed hopeful. But as Applejack trotted up to the stage and pulled her in close, she began whispering something in her ear. Twilight took a step back, and then another, looking as if something horrible had just dawned upon her.

Applejack looked heartbroken. She gulped down whatever fear was weighing down on her and looked to Celestia. “Princess?” she asked sheepishly. She pulled down her hat, resting it respectfully against her chest. “Ah think we may have made a mistake.”

The Princess rose a curious eyebrow. “Care to explain?”

She hesitated, turning to me and then the confused crowd behind her. With an absent nod, she cleared her throat and replaced her hat on her head. “Hunter ain’t the varmint we thought he was,” she opened, looking to her princess. “But… we never gave him the chance to prove it. When that storm rolled in from the Everfree, nopony knew what was going on. Rainbow saw him stumblin’ out of the forest while she was makin’ sure everypony was safe and indoors. We thought he was another crazy critter that lived there; figured he’d just go back after a while. But makin’ him out to be a monster and treatin’ him like that…” Her voice trailed off. I glanced up, and our eyes met. “We may have forced y’all to act like something you ain’t.

“Applebloom and her friends told me everything ‘bout the field trip,” she continued. “Hunter here threw himself in harm’s way just to keep ‘em safe. Hay, he even gave up his chance to go home just to make sure my sister could come back to hers.” The crowd murmured to itself behind me in confusion. Celestia and Twilight looked surprised, and the latter took a step back in shock.

“Ah think Hunter has some good in him; he’s just been down on his luck, is all,” Applejack explained. “If we give him a second chance, and if he gives us one, too, Ah think we’d all get to see that.” Daisy gave me a nudge and a proud smile, pulling me out of my surreal trance. Was this really happening?

“I see.” Princess Celestia kept her calm composure as the truth violently unfolded before her. She looked upon me with a new, softer regard, and her horn began to glow. “I don’t believe these are necessary anymore,” she said matter-of-factly as the ropes binding me unraveled themselves. I was speechless, looking between her and the mares that stood up for me.

“Twilight, could you gather your friends and the mayor and wait for me inside the town hall?” Princess Celestia requested with a warm smile. “I feel there are some things we need to discuss.”

“But-But, I…” Twilight sputtered.

“Now, my faithful student,” the Princess pressed, her smile faltering just a hair.

Twilight reeled back. There was a flash of light, and the mare disappeared in a shower of purple sparks. Applejack looked between me and the Princess uncomfortably before lowering her head and heading to the building behind us. Celestia stopped her with a hoof as she passed.

“Not you, Applejack,” she said softly. “I believe you have learned your lesson. You and Fluttershy are free to go.” Applejack hesitated, her eyes lingering to the building her friend disappeared to. But with a nod, she stepped down from the stage and vanished behind the anxious crowd. Fluttershy and Daisy stood their ground next to me, a slight tremor coming over them. With a reassuring smile from the Princess, though, they recovered and helped me back to my feet.

Celestia turned to the crowd, who watched her expectantly. The confusion in the air was overwhelming. Here they had arrived expecting for a monster to face trial. I supposed they were simply shocked as to who the monster came to be.

“My little ponies,” the Princess opened regally. “I am so thankful you have all gathered here today. Since the three pony tribes founded this great nation, Equestria has become a beacon of Harmony and acceptance, and I fear we may have forgotten our roots. This human has been torn from his home, and when he came to us in need, we turned our backs upon him, going against the very foundations of our nation. He has wrongfully fallen under many hardships here.” She paused, turning to me with sorrowful eyes. “And I fear I may have been among them.”

The crowd gasped as their princess gave me a short bow. “I can only hope you can find it in your heart to forgive us,” she said softly. The Princess rose and faced the gawking crowd. “Let it be known that on this day, Hunter the Human has been pardoned of any ‘crimes’ he has committed against this town, for we have unjustly committed crimes against him. If anypony objects, please speak now.”

The town murmured uncertainly amongst themselves, but no one dared speak out. With a satisfied smile, Celestia spoke again. “Then I am happy to conclude this impromptu trial. I hope everypony has a wonderful day.”

The crowd began to disperse, albeit hesitantly. I don’t think any of them were certain of what they just saw. Hell, even I was struggling to keep up with the turn of events. The Princess turned to me with an inviting grin.

“Could you join me for a small walk?” she asked hopefully. I looked to Fluttershy and Daisy for support, and they offered timid but reassuring smiles. Taking a breath to compose myself, I nodded and followed Princess Celestia as she stepped down from the stage.

I wasn’t sure how walking with royalty was supposed to work. I waited for her to speak first as I self-consciously overthought each step. Tiny rocks bit into my bare feet, but I restrained my winces of discomfort. Walking out in Ponyville in broad daylight was putting my nerves on end. The ponies’ gawking as we passed by did little to help; even less so when they bowed to the Princess. I noticed something was troubling her, but it wasn’t my place to pry. After all, she invited me for this walk; I could only imagine it meant she had something on her mind.

She sniffed at the air, and then sniffed again, slowly leaning closer to me. I respectfully inched away with a couple of strides. “Is that… vanilla?” the Princess asked, pulling her head away.

I blinked, and as memories slowly clicked back in place, I bit back a groan and inspected my shirt. “What? I thought I washed that all out,” I hissed to myself. Sure enough, the faint smell of vanilla lingered over a nearly invisible spot. The Princess regarded me with an amused and questioning smile, and I tried to hide my embarrassment behind a nervous chuckle.

“I was, um… making cookies with a friend a while ago,” I explained. “I guess baking never really was my strong suit.” If we weren’t walking, she might have suppressed a giggle with a hoof, but for now, her grin would have to suffice. “We still have some left over,” I offered, remembering the royalty that was my company. “Um, you can have some, if, y’know, you want.”

The Princess chuckled and nodded her head. “Thank you,” she smiled. “I might need something sweet after I speak with my student.” That somber silence began creeping back in, stealing away Celestia’s smile until it was all but gone. It seemed to be following me lately, and it loomed over our heads. I couldn’t find the courage to break it, and the Princess appeared to be struggling underneath its weight as well.

“Where were you this morning?” the Princess suddenly asked. “You weren’t at the hospital when I arrived. Was something wrong there?”

I nearly tripped. “What?” I asked, unsure if I heard her correctly. Did royalty have a sense of humor? “You’re… You’re joking, right?”

We paused, and she gave me a look of innocent curiosity. “It was difficult to find an explanation with the staff,” she explained. “They seemed a little… embarrassed when I tried to pry. I was hoping you could shed some light on the situation.” She leaned in slightly with interest, cueing me to continue.

“I was locked in the basement,” I continued cautiously. “Drugged to sleep most the time there. Woke up and found myself chained to the bed. I… honestly don’t remember most of it.”

Whatever smile was left on her face vanished as I spoke. She blinked in disbelief. “You weren’t,” she said, as if saying so would have made it true. I didn’t reply, and she shook her head. “No, you couldn’t have been. I told them not to…” Her voice trailed off. “Twilight wrote to me of her plans to move you in a cell when the hospital was done with you. I told her to keep you there, that I wanted to see you before any verdict was made,” she explained. “I didn’t want you to leave, but she wasn’t supposed to turn the hospital into a prison.”

She deflated slightly and continued walking. I followed next to her side, a small distance away. “This was never meant to go so far out of hoof,” she sighed. “I should have told my student of our deal; I hoped she would solve this situation more peacefully. She has grown up so well since I sent her here. All the friends she’s made, the lessons she’s learned; I thought they would have helped.” Whatever ghost of a smile that had formed as she reminisced disappeared from her. “Maybe she isn’t ready just yet,” she said softly, more to herself.

She straightened up, taking a breath to collect herself. “I intended for this to be a test for her, to see if she could forgive. It was wrong of me to use you as the test, though. That was my mistake, and you have my deepest apologies for it.” She paused expectantly, searching me for a reaction. I buried my hands in my pockets and kept my eyes glued to the ground, not wanting to promise anything I didn’t mean. She sighed in defeat, discovering I wasn’t going to reply. “Were you at least treated well?” she pressed.

“Besides the ‘chained to the bed’ part?” I asked, earning a wince from the Princess. I bit my tongue, hoping to not let any more venom slip out. “The staff was… alright,” I admitted, thinking of Redheart. “One of the nurses risked her job to help clear my conscious. That was nice of her.” I kicked a rock along the path with us for extra company. “The interrogations could have been better, though.”

Though my eyes were focused on the stone, I could feel hers boring into me, searching for answers. As memories from yesterday flooded in, I gave the rock a stronger kick than intended, and it veered off to the side, abandoning me with the princess of this world. “Didn’t know tickling could actually turn into torture after a while,” I said bluntly.

She stopped dead in her tracks. “They didn't.” I paused a few steps ahead of her, trying to look anywhere but at her incredulous eyes. She shook her head in disbelief. “Hunter, you have my word, this will not go unpunished; they will understand what they did wrong. Nopony should have to go through what you have during your time here.”

Something stirred in my chest; something I didn’t know how to react to. What was I even supposed to say to that? As satisfying as it was to hear that Twilight and her friends were going to be punished for what they did, it still didn’t change the discomfort in the air, in the eyes of the ponies watching us from the streets, from their homes. It still didn’t change the fact that it all happened in the first place.

The Princess seemed to read my mind. “Allow me to offer compensation for your troubles,” she said as we continued, although it sounded more like an order than a request. “Whatever it takes to make your stay here more comfortable. You have more than earned it.”

I couldn’t hold back the look I shot her. “My stay here?” I echoed in disbelief. I shook my head. “No offense, Your Highness, but I don’t want to stay here. I’ve got too many bad memories of this place. Isn’t there… I don’t know.” I tried to look anywhere but at her, and all that greeted me was the wary eyes of Ponyville. I shook my head and turned back to her. “Isn’t there somewhere else?” I asked, wincing at what I was about to say. “Somewhere without, well, ponies?”

Celestia frowned. “Please, I want you to understand, this was all one horrible misunderstanding; one I could not apologize enough for, but Twilight’s actions do not reflect the rest of Ponyville.” She gave a knowing smile and added, “Something I feel you have already learned.”

I hesitated, but figured I’d bite. “What do you mean?”

“You have found friendship here,” Celestia said, almost in wonder. “Despite the thistles of fear and hate my student has sown, you planted a seed of friendship, and it has blossomed beautifully; in the mares that stood up for you so bravely when everypony else stood against you; in a nurse from the hospital that imprisoned you.” She paused, then added, “In the ponies that have been following us since the trial.”

I hesitated. “What?”

We stopped again, and the Princess motioned her head back. I found a small group of ponies peeking around one of the buildings. They froze as we made eye contact, and Daisy, Noteworthy, and Fluttershy timidly ducked back behind the building. Lyra and Zecora lingered, offering nervous smiles and waves, as if they had been caught with their hooves in the cookie jar. The corner of my lips tugged up, and I waved back.

“How did you know?” I asked, not taking my eyes off them.

“You do not rule over a country as long as I have without knowing when you are being followed,” the Princess pointed out, turning to smile at our followers. She pulled in a breath and let it out contently. “They would miss you if you left so soon, and I feel you would, too.”

I hesitated, looking between her and my friends. A defeated sigh overtook me. “I would,” I admitted. “But I have to get back home, too. My family…”

The Princess extended her wing and rested it on my shoulder. “I know,” she nodded. “I will do everything in my power to help you return. I will send my guards out to the forest in search of this… space ship, I’ve heard?”

It took me a second to process what she said, and a small chuckle escaped me. “No, no, it’s not a ship,” I shook my head. “It’s… it’s a portal, I think. Somewhere in the Everfree.”

“Ah, my mistake,” Celestia smiled, retracting her wing. “Do you remember where?”

“I can’t say I do,” I admitted with a shrug. “It’s been so long. I remember… I think it was bright; a lot of colors flashing when I came through. You can’t miss it.”

“Well, that might complicate some things, but the information will help,” Celestia confessed. “Don’t worry, I will send my best to search for it. The Everfree is vast and dangerous; it will take time, but if you stay here, I can arrange an escort the moment I hear something.”

I sighed in relief. For the first time in a long time, I was starting to feel hopeful again. The promise of returning home never felt more real. “Thank you,” I smiled. “You have no idea what that means to me.” Celestia grinned, but it looked as if something was still troubling her. I decided to bite the bullet and ask. “Something wrong?”

She didn’t answer immediately, carefully trying to word it in her head. “Would you want to be present for my… talk with Twilight and her friends?” she asked. “Your input would be valuable. After all, you know more of what they did than me.”

I hesitated. The thought of sweet justice was tempting, but my eyes trailed back and found my friends again. There was a tug at my heart, and I let out a sigh.

“I would love to,” I confessed. “But I think I’d rather be with my friends right now.” A grin was creeping up on me. “It’s been a long day, and I think we have some celebrating to do.”

The Princess nodded solemnly. “Of course. Don’t let me keep you.” She took a step forward and turned to me. “Enjoy your time with your friends, Hunter,” she winked. “You’ve earned it.”

Author's Notes:

I know a lot of you guys were looking forward to seeing Twilight and her friends being punished, and don't worry; you definitely will. But for now, after everything that's happened to him so far, Hunter has more than deserved his break from them. I'm working on a side chapter, something along the lines of an optional bonus revolving entirely around it. If enough of you guys really want it, I'll post it, but only after a certain chapter. I want Twilight's punishment to be a bit of a surprise until then.

That being said, I know a lot of you guys have been asking for Rainbow and Pinkie to be punished specifically due to the tickle torture. To be honest, that kinda came out of the left field for me; last time I 'posted' that chapter, people laughed about it, not putting too much thought about it. I already have an idea for Rainbow, but due to you guys' demand for it, I'm starting to feel Pinkie's is a little lackluster.

So, if you all have any ideas, I'd be more than happy to hear them. I'm actually a little curious to know what you guys think can give Ponyville's Premier Party Pony a taste of her own giggling medicine. All of the punishments so far are revolving around the idea "losing something you care about" so they can understand Hunter's situation better. Unfortunately, jailtime won't be an option because of this, but if you guys have any ideas, feel free to share!