I got this done early and decided to put it up now because I'm probably not going to make my usual Sunday update deadline. NeverTardy.jpg

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Sitting up proved to be difficult. Apparently, the doctors had used a paralytic on him when they misinterpreted his transformation. The drug's effects were annoying, but harmless, and wore off quickly. Reman was surprised he hadn't burned through it it a few minutes. Upon standing, the Imperial noticed the room seemed a little drafty.

Thankfully, Princess Celestia levitated a pair of pants from her saddlebag, she must have realized being naked was considered indecent in his culture. The look she gave the Imperial, however, told him that it was probably because most ponies only came up to his waist, which would have made it awkward if he ever bumped into one.

“Why did your healers stitch my wounds closed?” They didn't look that bad, Reman had certainly taken worse.

“A precaution, we wouldn't want an infection setting up, would we?” Celestia must have tried to play parent to her subjects. “Besides, we don't get injuries like that very often, I didn't want to deny them the unique experience.” They had experimented on him, Reman would have been furious, had he not noticed a distinct lack of surgical scars. Reman untied one of the useless stitches, the new holes not even bleeding.

“Whoa, Whoa! What are you doing?” The Princess of Night didn't know why he was reopening his injuries.

“They itch, a lot.” Even as a boy, he hated getting stitches. With all the practiced skill of a surgeon, he removed every offending thread he could reach, which still left his back.

“That seems like an awful lot of trouble for some itch relief.” Luna still didn't understand.

“I can take pain, I've been stabbed, cut, partially hacked up, sometimes all three at once, and didn't complain about it.” Both the Princesses' eyes widened, not really expecting that, and certainly not expecting him to say it with a straight face. “But I can not stand itching” Reman emphasized the last word, mostly for effect. The Princesses still looked at him with wide eyes, surprise was the likely cause, and eyed his scarred body in a new light. The Alicorn sisters jumped when they heard Reman's stomach growl. “That reminds me, you did mention food earlier, right?” The Imperial wore a sheepish smile.

“Yes, right this way.” Celestia motioned to the wall behind her, with the quick press of a hidden button, a portion slid out from the rest. Reman blinked a few times, that had been perfectly concealed earlier, he would never have found that on his own.

Their pace down the surprisingly empty hallway was fairly slow. Reman very briefly wondered about the staff, he knew he had seen at least one maid, but not a soul now, even the guards seemed absent. The Imperial knew better than to really believe that, though. He knew when he was being watched, usually, and the quiet hoofsteps he heard didn't lend any help to his stalkers. For fun he cast a predatory smile over his shoulder, followed by a small wave. The resulting steps were stammered and the Imperial had so suppress his laughter.

“Here we are.” Luna motioned to a set of tall, mahogany doors. When they opened, Reman was greeted by the sight of a dining hall that put the Blue Palace's to shame. The table could easily seat eighty, not including the ends, and was seemingly carved from a single piece of rosewood. The chairs were finely cushioned and, wait, why did they have chairs? Reman cast a glance to the two ponies with him, neither seemed to have the right physiology for sitting in that manner. “Something wrong?”

“No, nothing at all, Princess.” The response was effortless, he'd lied to royalty before so much, deception was nearly second nature.

“Please, just call me Luna.” The little Princess smiled, “I try to be friendly, so formalities aren't necessary.” The Imperial quirked a brow, humility was a new trick, he considered ceasing his comparison of these Princesses with the ruling class of the Empire. Princess Celestia decided that there had been enough pre-dinner smalltalk.

“So, Mr. Hungry, what sounds good to you?”

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As much as Glade tried to sleep, her body wouldn't allow it. She kept rolling around, trying to get comfortable, but each time she came close, something made her snap back to reality. Her muscles were eager to move, her body desired physical activity. Pegasi hate having to stay grounded for any amount of time, her anxiety only compounded by the layer of bandages over her wings. She resigned herself to boredom, allowing her mind to wander.

Of course, her thoughts drifted to recent events, most specifically, her trip through darkness and the mare she'd met. The rational part of her mind wanted to dismiss the dream as just that: a fantasy forged by her sleeping brain. But her gut said otherwise, things just didn't add up. Whoever, or whatever as the case may have been, that she had seen, spoken to, the mare was, Glade had no idea of how to describe her, nor where she could have dreamed her up.

Why had she called Glade 'mortal'? Doing so implied the unknown mare was immortal, but only the Princesses lived forever. How did roses grow where there is no soil? Glade didn't see any in that darkness. The stranger seemed to know what was happening, something Glade certainly didn't, how could she have made her up?

Everything about the mystery mare was strange. Even her Cutie Mark made no sense! Moons were usually associated with magic, a common mistake: stars are with astronomy, and Glade was certain the mare wasn't a Unicorn. The Pegasus thought back, the mare was a Unicorn, no, wait, she was Pegasus, no, an Earth pony! Glade was giving herself a headache, she just couldn't wrap her head around the mystery mare.

Then came the word 'Reman'. Glade didn't know what that was, but the strange mare had used it like a name. Whoever, or whatever, this 'Reman' was, she seemed to know it. Perhaps 'Reman' could shed some light on the situation. Questions with no answers led only to more questions, it seemed.

Glade groaned and rolled onto her stomach, she almost miraculously fell into blissful sleep.

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Celestia didn't bat an eye when Reman requested venison, and then elaborated on what that was. Luna, however was completely blindsided by it, the Imperial had no idea how she missed the sharp teeth. For some reason Reman felt bad about surprising her like that.

“Relax, Luna, it doesn't change anything, it just means I’m a little different.” For once, Reman's words failed to help calm the dark blue mare.

“But you kill animals and... eat them.” The little Princess was shaking slightly, Reman and Celestia both picked up on it. “I can understand when you can't control yourself, but you consciously do that, it's unsettling.” Reman had instilled fear in little pony, he almost smacked himself. He always hated when his little sister got scared. He also remembered the lengths he went to in order to alleviate those fears.

Reman of Cyrodiil, lone adventurer, werewolf, warrior, a man who escaped death more times than he cared to remember, did something he never thought he would ever do again.

He started to sing.

“Our hero, our hero claims a warrior's heart.” The Princesses looked him like he was insane.

“I tell you, I tell you, the Dragonborn comes.”

“With a voice wielding power of the ancient Nord art.”

“Believe, believe, the Dragonborn comes.”

“It's an end to the evil of all Skyrim's foes.”

“Beware, beware, the Dragonborn comes.”

“For the darkness has passed, and the legend yet grows.”

“You'll know, you'll know, the Dragonborn's come.”

The Imperial finished his song, which had just the desired effect: Luna couldn't keep herself from laughing. Celestia was having difficulty not following suit, her hoof raised in front of her mouth to hide her giggling. Like a charm, Reman's horrible singing voice calmed the fears of a younger sibling, for once, it wasn't one of his.

He felt a slight pain in his chest, and for a moment thought he was transforming. That worry was replaced by confusion, but briefly so. While watching the sisters laugh, he was reminded of home, not the Dwemer storehouse, but the farm in Kvatch. Luna's laugh reminded him so much of Arriana's, he discreetly wiped a hidden tear.

“So, I take it you're going to be rational about this?” Reman couldn't help but chuckle a little, the laughter being infectious.

“As long you don't try to take a bite out anypony, then there shouldn't be any trouble.” The Princess was still panting, trying to catch her breath.

“But, that's a no to the deer meat, right?” What could he do, the man was hungry.

“Actually, Reman, we have some in a freezer, we keep it handy for when we have Griffon diplomats visiting.” Princess Celestia was starting to grow on him, not as fast a Luna, but still making good progress. The group finally took their seats, each tired of standing. Reman had barely pulled his chair up to the table when Celestia whispered into his ear. “By the way, I saw that little tear you wiped. It might not mean much, but you looked pretty sad, if there is anything I can do to help, just give the word.”

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Summer Glade was greeted by the sweet smell of roses. This place wasn't dark anymore, now appearing to be around noon, if Glade had to guess. She was in front of the same clearing from before, but no mystery pony.

“I hadn't expected a visit so soon, I’m flattered.” Glade almost jumped out of her skin. She whirled around, and there was the mystery mare, a smile, as sweet as the roses that surrounded them, plastered on her face. “Child, do have need of me? It's not as though I dislike you visiting, but you did arrive unannounced.” The maternal mare didn't show any worry, despite her question's phrasing.

“I'm having trouble understanding...” Glade's voice trailed off, but she waved her hoof in an all-encompassing gesture. The strange mare giggled.

“Child, sometimes events and meanings reveal themselves and their meaning mustn't be revealed by another.” The mystery mare smiled. “But, if you must learn, I'll answer one question, so long as the information can't be revealed by somepony else, just so you don't leave emptyhoofed.” Glade seized the opportunity.

“I want to know who you are.”