WARNING The following chapter contains Reman explaining lycanthropy to Alicorns, viewer discretion is advised.

But, seriously, the conversation is pretty one sided, point out any mistakes you find in it.

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Reman was only half-surprised to find that they didn't cook his meat. Luna's little episode had proven that he was, indeed, in a land of herbivores, but he wasn't complaining. In truth, he found the taste of raw venison appealing, and went wonderfully with the salad they provided along with it. The only thing that would have improved the meal was wine, something this place seemed to have an appalling lack of.

“I still don't see why you couldn't have just had vegetables, you can certainly pack them away.” Luna was still on that subject, despite the mutual efforts of Reman and Celestia.

“As I’ve said, Luna, my body requires meat to function properly.” The Imperial had never been asked questions of this nature. Scratch that, he'd been asked those in Valenwood, he almost shuddered. “If I don't get the I nutrition I need, my injuries might stop healing as quickly as they do.”

“Oh, right, that would be bad, wouldn't it?” Reman caught Luna looking at one of his scars, a bad one at the junction of his neck and shoulder.

“Very bad.” Celestia felt it was time to focus on her. While subtle when dealing with visiting diplomats and negotiators, she was direct with the lycan, a fact Reman enjoyed. “So, my bipedal friend,” She began. “What exactly causes you to transform? Glade didn't do that before, and the process doesn't look natural, not by Equestrian standards, anyway.”

“I was expecting this to come up.” Reman took a deep breath. “You see, Nirn, my world, exists in a rather unique way. It rests directly between the Voids of Oblivion, and Divine Planes of Aetherius. Nirn's entire existence is the balance between these two realms.”

“That doesn't answer her question.” Luna piped. Reman held up his hand.

“You didn't let me finish.” Luna huffed once. “As I was saying, Nirn exists in a fragile balance between Oblivion and Aetherius. Power is held in this struggle by the Divines and the Daedra. For this, the Deadra are the only things that matter. Of these Daedra, there are sixteen Princes, who wield god-like power. But don't be confused, Daedra are genderless.”

“Then why are they called Princes?” Reman would have gotten mad, but he still owed Luna for that mind reading incident.

“Because a male term is the more gender neutral option, like if you found a stray dog, you'd probably call it by a male name before you checked.” Reman noticed Celestia's horn glowing, she must have been taking notes. “Alright, where was I? Oh, yeah, the Princes like to mess with mortals, so they cause things to happen for their amusement, sometimes good, sometimes very, very bad. One such Prince is Hircine, the Great Huntsman.

“Before recorded history began, Hircine, for reasons still under speculation by scholars, created lycanthropy.” Reman paused to take a sip from his glass, grape juice for lack of alcohol. “Before you interrupt again, Luna, I'm about to explain. Lycanthropy is a disease containing several strains and sub-strains, Glade's and my own force us to turn into wolf-like versions of our normal selves.” Reman shook his head. “Princess, before you ask, yes, there are a number of cures.”

“You can return Glade to her old self?” Celestia wore a look of relief.

“No, I can't.”

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“Child, I hate to disappoint, but Reman could tell you that, he has a history with me, after all.” The mystery mare chuckled. “But, for the sake of friendly relations, you can call me...” The mare looked around briefly. “... Rose. That's an acceptable name in your culture, correct?” Glade didn't get what this mare, Rose, wanted from her.

“So then, Rose, who or what is this Reman?”

“Wouldn't Reman be able to answer that better than I could?” Rose smiled, as though her answer made sense. “Oh, don't look so mad, I promised one answer, and one you have already received.”

Glade wondered why this was happening to her. A previously unknown monster tearing up the Festival, her getting sick, and now Rose, a mare with weird magic, whom Glade couldn't describe in detail if her life depended on it, and some mystery pony named Reman.

“Don't be so hard on yourself, child. You had nothing to do with this, you were merely protecting those you cared for from danger.” Rose's voice broke Glade from her thoughts. Glade knew she hadn't spoken a word, yet Rose had answered. Just who was this pony? “You'll get your answers in good time, child, rest assured.” Rose started walking, a path cleared itself for her, she stopped briefly to wave Glade to follow.

The two mares walked for what seemed like hours. Perhaps they didn't move at all, time didn't appear to exist here. The air was sweet, almost unbearably so, Glade didn't like this place, she felt like eyes were upon her at all times. Just as she thought this walk was pointless, something Rose did to annoy her, they came to what must have been Rose's intended destination.

Before them rested a large pool of mirror-like water. Its surface unbroken, the water seemed unnaturally peaceful, the roses that grew everywhere here refused to even grow near the thing.

“This is something most mortals never even dream of seeing, you should feel privileged.” Glade didn't get what the big deal was, it just looked like shiny water to her. “Mortals never appreciate what they don't understand.” Again with the mind reading. “You won't, either, because there is no way to tell you, mortals don't have words to describe it, something such as this must be observed.” Rose touched her hoof to the surface.

Ripples spread out from the point of contact, unusually large for such little pressure. Glade and Rose's reflections rippled with it, until nothing could be seen. The waters settled slowly, clarity returning to the images its surface displayed. Glade was amazed to see that the pool showed Princess Celestia, seated in the royal dining room, her sister to her right and... something just opposite of Princess Luna.

“Tell me, Summer Glade, do you see that creature sitting next to your Princess?”

“What is that thing?” Glade couldn't take her eyes off of the strange thing.

“Dear child, that is the only person capable of helping you right now.” Rose said that as though Glade knew her meaning. The Pegasus didn't need help, she'd be up and running in a few days. “Being grounded is the least of your worries at the moment.”

“Just what is that supposed to mean?” Rose didn't answer, she merely gestured to the pool.

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“I can't cure her, but I can help, unfortunately it's going to be dangerous.” Reman did know of a way to help Glade control herself, but he didn't like it. “That's the best I can do.”

“How dangerous could it be?” Luna didn't understand how tough Reman was, to him, dangerous meant lethally so.

“We'd have to get Hircine's attention, and there lies the danger.” The Imperial took another drink, wishing could settle his nerves. “Hircine is a hunter, and is only impressed by great accomplishments in that area. We'd have to kill something your people consider invincible to even have a chance.”

“What are your chances?” Celestia was considering it, that was a start. “I don't want to put anypony in unnecessary danger.”

“I’d say our chances are pretty high, if we make a good kill.” Maybe he could contact one of them, Sheogorath did owe him a favor. “But, it'd have to be strong, and really tough.”

Celestia thought deeply, considering as many possibilities as she could. Reman was glad to see that she was, though the Imperial was scared beyond belief. What he wished to do had been successfully performed once, and even then, it was by an extraordinary individual. Beneath the table, Reman's legs were shaking.

“Killing some powerful creature would give this Hircine a reason to cure Glade?” Luna asked, her seat gave her a vantage point under the table, and she was curious why the seemingly fearless Imperial was discreetly cowering.

“It would get his attention, well, we probably already have it. This isn't Nirn, I knew that the moment I saw your sister over here.” Reman pointed to Celestia. “Nirn has some pretty weird things living on it, but winged Unicorns aren't one of them, to my knowledge, at least.” Celestia didn't know if she should be offended or not. “It would take something powerful to pluck me from my world and place me somewhere else. I'm guessing Hircine was behind it.”

“Why would Hircine do something like that?” The Princess of Night didn't like these Daedra, they sounded cruel.

“Luna, it isn't the place of hounds to question their master. If Hircine was behind this, his reasons aren't mine to know.”

“Hound? You're not a dog, and you certainly don't act like anypony is your master.” Reman liked the little blue mare, make Luna a blonde, young Imperial, and she could be Arriana's twin. The lycan was surprised at how easily he thought of the mare as a younger sister, to be honest, they acted almost too similar for him not to.

“Luna, that's something werewolves call ourselves. We really are just Hircine's hunting dogs.”

“But, don't you have a choice? I mean, you have a mind, nopony can force anypony else to do something they don't want to do.” Luna wasn't going to stop asking difficult questions, and Reman didn't enjoy what he was about to say.

“You see, even in death, a werewolf can't escape Hircine. Instead of whatever afterlife one deserves, if they suffer from lycanthropy, their soul will spend eternity in Hircine's hunting grounds.” Reman tried to hide it, but his voice sounded hollow. The answer was difficult, not because he tried to sugarcoat it for Luna's sake, but because Reman didn't want to accept it himself. “But, for some, that's enough. For them, chasing prey for all of eternity is just what they want.”

Celestia watched this in silence, Reman had made her decision for her. Though Luna may have seen the strange creature as a pony who could succeed through trial after trial, Celestia saw him differently. The Princess saw a broken man, one that had been beaten at every turn. How many times had he searched out a lead in his quest to cure himself, only to find a dead-end? Celestia didn't want to know, but she had an idea.

While she was against it, she would allow the lycan to carry out his plan. In Reman's eyes, Celestia saw hope, as though he had found the one way to bring an end to his suffering, however low the chances. The Princess also saw a golden opportunity. This was not an chance for business, but one where Celestia could get a few laughs. Despite what Reman believed, Celestia hadn't been taking notes.

She'd been writing a letter.

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Bonus points to whoever can guess Rose's identity.