The trip back to Ponyville was uneventful. The Forgemaster retrieved his metals where he had left them at the site of the manticore fight. The entire time back, he reverted to his non-speaking self, despite all of the questions from the ponies and especially Twilight. As they neared the sight of the battle; Celestia was looking at the carnage the brutality of the with evident disgust.

As The Forgemaster neared the sight, his leg suddenly flared up in pain, but you couldn't tell it from looking at him, his pace didn't change and neither did his expression. He noticed the pain but refused to allow it to affect him. He was, however, certain that the pain signified nothing good, likely a poison. So he turned to Twilight and spoke for the first time since Celestia's interrogation.

"Twilight Sparkle, are manticores poisonous?" he asked.

"Why yes, in fact they are.” she answered, “Wait, does this have something to do with the wound on your leg?"

"Anti-venom?"

"We'll have to go to the hospital in Ponyville, they would have some. But if you are poisoned you can't be walking on that leg! Your heart pumping will just move the poison around more!"

"I'll make it. Faster."

With those few words uttered, he threw the bag of metals over his shoulder and continued down the path faster than he had before. All the other ponies had heard the conversation, and looked towards The Forgemaster with concern and sped up to match pace with the giant. Twilight, however, wasn't done with him.

"You can't be walking! Manticore poison is extremely dangerous! If you move, the poison will get to your heart faster and you'll die!"

"Happened yesterday. Walked all day yesterday. Not dead."

"Regardless, I can't let you move anymore." As The Forgemaster didn't stop, slow, or respond; Twilight knew she would have to force him to stop.

So she turned to the group and said, "Can somepony help him?”

No matter how timid Fluttershy is normally, she would always take charge if somepony, or in this case: some human, was hurt. So she flew next to The Forgemaster's head and tried to convince him, in a very quiet yet forceful voice.

"You have to stop or you might die. We can carry you with magic, or we can carry you with a stretcher. But you have to stop! Um, if that's okay with you."

He just kept walking forward but replied with, "Magic won't work. You're all too weak. I'm walking."

Fluttershy was used to dealing with un-cooperative patients and knew that the solution was an application of The Stare. But, she felt some trepidation with using it on another thinking creature. But a wave from the others gave her the courage to use The Stare on The Forgemaster. She flew directly in front of him, locked eyes, and commenced The Stare.

For a few moments he didn't react, as per usual. But after that small amount of time, he just walked away! He knew what she was doing, it was a rare gift, not very many people or ponies could simply glare at someone to get them under their spell. But, fortunately for him, he had met people before with a similar ability, became great friends with them, and learned how to resist it. He continued down the path.

"Fluttershy, don't do that to thinking creatures. You know why."

The other ponies were stupefied, though Twilight was confused; they had never seen a Stare from Fluttershy fail, but to see it reversed must have been truly shocking. This human was a truly hotbed for surprises: he killed a manticore one-on-one, he disrespected Celestia and lived, he fought Nightmare Moon and lived, he is poisoned but still walking as though it hadn't happened, and he resisted a Stare from Fluttershy! He continued down the path at the same pace as before. The other ponies had to run after him to catch up.

The Forgemaster kept walking. Not once looking back.