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Groaning quietly as my capacity to process reality returned, my eyes didn't stop rolling around in my head for several seconds and I felt things I was not expecting. Why exactly I felt like I had a large bar pressed against my stomach as if I were draped over something, I couldn't say. My head just lolled around a little as I hung there, getting my dizziness back under control. I didn't really even want to think about why I felt like I had a full body sunburn or got singed by a campfire flare up just yet. Fix dizzy brains first, then maybe aloe vera. Ugh.

I slowly opened my eyes as the world began spinning less. I was expecting things to look upside down with my current position, though I was not expecting to discover I was on a sturdy tree branch a fair distance from the ground. Deciding to wait for my head to properly stop spinning before trying to move, I just let myself hang there.

While my head gradually finished settling down, I heard Twilight yelling up at me, growing louder as she galloped towards my unusual perch. With care, and some wincing at how uncomfortable it was getting to be draped over a branch like I was, I repositioned into a more stable and comfortable position as I leaned back against the trunk.

"Vojin! Are you alright up there?! Please tell me you're not hurt!" Twilight said, sounding a bit panicked.

I looked down at her, frowning as I waved and called back down to her, "I'm alright. No idea how that happened though. Could I trouble you to levitate me back down, Purple Angel?"

She quickly settled her spell over me, looking relieved, and I smoothly descended from the tree to sit on the ground in front of her. The billowing aura of her magic fading from her horn as I let myself just lay back in the grass and stare up at the branch I was just on.

"Well, I guess I now have my own first time teleportation story, don't I?" I said with a quiet sigh, looking up at Twilight with a bemused expression.

Twilight smiled and gave a faint giggle as she lay down on her belly next to me, "I wasn't expecting you to land in a tree but I see you got the singed look just fine. How do you feel?"

Stretching up a hand, I tenderly brushed her cheek with the back of my fingers, chuckling lightly, "Other than knowing I just need to try again, I feel the phrase 'extra crispy' is quite fitting right now."

"Extra crispy? What makes you say that?" Twilight asked curiously.

"Just another Earth saying. It came from a place that sold cooked chicken and one of the ways they prepared it was actually called extra crispy due to a crunchy coating it had. Although most anything overcooked or burnt around the outside could also qualify. Like me, for example..." I replied, smirking a little.

Twilight nuzzled my cheek, "Well, I'm just glad you weren't really hurt. Often, when unicorns try teleporting themselves for the first time and wind up far off the ground like you did, they get injured from the resulting fall. And you see why I refused to let you cast it until we were in a safe enough space in case you overdid it like this. I'm actually surprised you teleported yourself almost half a mile and landed in a tree."

"Am I going to be allowed to forget this happened anytime soon?" I asked her, smirking as I looked into those lovely purple eyes of hers.

Twilight leaned down and gave me a peck on the lips, grinning, "Maybe you will, or maybe I'll be sure to bring it up whenever I deem it amusing."

I sighed dramatically, drawing another giggle from her. The way her eyes danced as she laughed always seemed to leave me unable to look away. Rolling to my side, I wrapped her in my arms and pulled her against my chest, the two of us nuzzling briefly before simply enjoying the cuddle. She held me snugly with a wing, her legs tucked in against herself.

Despite the rather inglorious landing and discovering the meaning behind a unicorn saying about teleportation being strange the first time, I felt myself slowly grin wide at having actually accomplished my first self-teleport. Plenty of room for improvement, but I had just stepped into a whole new world of spells and applications. For now though, maybe a bit more practice and only trying to teleport across several yards until I stopped missing my target or was left disoriented.

We relaxed together for a few minutes, intending to review soon and I'd make another attempt, when I began feeling a presence not far away. I had found my martial training in detecting the presence of others had been amplified a bit as I gained strength in unicorn magic. I was trying to teach Twilight, though I knew it was a process of years. Taking my time, I let my senses find the direction and anything else I could discern.

For whatever reason, the feeling I got was scrambled and constantly shifting. The direction seemed to be in the vicinity of Fluttershy's cottage as well, which left me a little concerned. I kept trying to get a better sense of the presence, but only found it continuing to shift. Whatever it was, it was a strong entity to catch my attention from so far away. Finally deciding it wouldn't hurt to check on Fluttershy on the off chance something was wrong, I disentangled myself from Twilight and started getting up.

She complained a little at being disturbed when she was so comfy, looking up at me after a moment with a small pout, "Awww... Can't we cuddle for a bit longer?"

I chuckled softly at the adorable look she directed at me, grinning, "I'd love to, Purple Angel, but I sense something not far away. A very odd presence but a powerful one, in the direction of Fluttershy's cottage. Mind if we go check on her, just to be safe?"

Twilight got to her feet and stretched a little, nodding, "I was wondering why you got up so soon. If you think we better check on her though, then let's get going. We can't nap the whole day away, after all."

"Well, we could but between my studies and your set of duties as a princess things will need our attention eventually. Maybe we could come up with a time stop bubble spell of some kind that we can cast and just snuggle for a few hours whenever we want and not worry. Hmm...actually, we might be able to eventually with the two of us casting." I grinned as we started walking across the large field towards Fluttershy's cottage on the far side.

She laughed softly in amusement, grinning up at me as she fell into step beside me, "I think we'll have to look into it. At least we could manage a time dilation effect. You're still a lot of studying away from time spells though, so we'll have to save it for another time."

The walk across the field took us a few minutes, transitioning into more of a meadow as we neared the cottage. Just as we crested a hill and laid eyes on it, I felt how strong the magic presence was. Nothing looked amiss as we neared Fluttershy's place though and I was trying to figure out why I sensed something so scrambled and always shifting coming from there.

I slowed my walk a little as we crossed the small bridge in front of Fluttershy's cottage, Twilight staying with me as she looked around cautiously. We reached the door shortly and still didn't notice anything, so I knocked as I started to think I might be mistaken somehow.

Fluttershy called from inside, soon opening the door and looking at Twilight and I with a bit of surprise. She smiled softly after a moment though, voice quiet as ever, "Oh hello, Twilight. Hello, Vojin. What brings the two of you to my cottage?"

"I hope we're not interrupting anything, Fluttershy. I just detected a strange presence coming from your cottage and thought it wouldn't hurt to check on you, just to be sure nothing was wrong." I replied.

She seemed further surprised and a little confused, "I haven't noticed anything strange, or at least I don't think anything strange has happened. Well, maybe nothing strange that wasn't just Discord trying to make me laugh. He's visiting today for a late lunch and conversation. Would the two of you like to come inside? We already finished eating but I can make you something. It's no trouble, really."

Twilight smiled and shook her head a little, "Oh no thank you, Fluttershy. We had lunch earlier, but since Discord is here, would it be ok if he meets Vojin?"

"I know a bit about Discord. Now there's a character I've been wanting to meet for a while. Though we can come back later if you want to enjoy his visit between just the two of you, Fluttershy." I said, quite curious how Discord would react to me or what sorts of tricks he'd try to pull. Him visiting Fluttershy also explained the unusual presence I was sensing.

Fluttershy just smiled a bit more brightly and stepped aside, waving us in with a hoof, "I think he's going to love meeting you, Vojin. I don't mind the extra company at all. Please come in, both of you. This is the first time he's visited since you came to Equestria and I haven't had a chance to tell him about you yet."

We entered her cottage, our steps thumping quietly on the wood floor as we made our way inside. Once she shut the door, Fluttershy led us towards the dining table where she was having tea with Discord.

As I considered how he would react, I also wondered how I should react towards him myself. I figured with how off the wall he always seemed, maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to mess with him a little but eventually dismissed the thought as it was Fluttershy's home and Discord was her guest. Another time, it might be fun to see if I could trick him into letting me stretch him like taffy until he was thin enough to be rope to twirl around. Despite his often irritating social tendencies, he was always enjoyably kooky to me, after all.

"Discord, we have some visitors and you really should meet Vojin. He's from another world." Fluttershy called out to Discord softly, though somehow her voice carried well.

We heard Discord's voice call back before we rounded the corner, "Another world? Fascinating! I do hope your visitors have a sense of humor. So many of you ponies are just so unappreciative of my wonderful comedic style. Though you get a pass my dear Fluttershy. I simply can't bring myself to play tricks on you anymore. Have I mentioned again that I'm sorry for filling your fridge with tomato sauce and having it burp explosively when you opened it last month yet?"

That made Twilight and I glance at each other in surprise, though I couldn't help the grin at the mental image that gave me. The sight that greeted me upon laying eyes on the self-styled master of chaos was not something anyone would forget for a lifetime.

Discord was juggling what seemed to be one of his legs, part of his tail, a wing, and his head. He suddenly froze, dropping himself on the floor as his eyes widened as he stared at me in surprise. His head landed on the floor upside down, then a flash of light and he was back to his version of normal.

"A human?! Why, I haven't seen one of your kind in several thousand years! Has the rift expired so soon? Oh, I am just so excited!" Discord exclaimed, tying his neck in a knot for whatever reason.

"You've met humans before?" Fluttershy asked, looking quite surprised.

"Oh I certainly have! It was most entertaining to see their reactions to my lovely chaos realm. So confused! And to think they had as much magic as unicorns but not able to see how nice I had made things back then. Such a shame." Discord went on, appearing next to me with several flashes as he blinked around to look at me from different angles.

Once he had stopped and stood in front of me, I held out a hand with a smirk, "So good to finally meet you, Discord. How has life been treating you now that you've reformed a little?"

The grin that appeared on his face was delighted as he grasped my head in his paws and shook it vigorously, "Quite well, my good human! How in Equestria are you familiar with me already? Has my wonderful self been made famous on Earth after all this time?"

After a second to regain my senses after having myself throttled a bit, I quirked a brow at him and chuckled slightly, "Not to disappoint you but nobody on Earth knows about you outside of a cartoon show. Long story. How exactly have you met humans before?"

Discord flashed back to his seat at the table and daintily picked up his tea, without the teacup, calmly drinking as if he were holding a cup despite it still sitting on the table in front of him as he flashed a grin, "Oh, it was quite a long time ago, even before I was imprisoned in stone all those years ago. Dreadful experience. So very boring. The humans I met though were such silly things. Calling me a trickster god most of the time. Rather accurate, of course! They all seemed to be magicians or wizards of some kind and now and then one would discover how to open a dimensional portal, finding themselves here. I traded some magic with a man at one point after I was most impressed by his wonderfully chaotic ideas. He was positively, delightfully insane! We discussed a few things and I learned that apparently, Earth was falling under a great mana rift that was sucking away most of the magic on Earth to I don't know where! Such a rare event, they are... I always wondered how long it would be until another human appeared, though you seem to be a bit early. Has the rift already faded?"

Twilight and I glanced at each other, not knowing anything about a mana rift. I turned my eyes back to Discord, a little confused, "I didn't come here intentionally. Kind of an unexpected event, really. Another long story. I also don't have any idea what you're talking about. What is a mana rift?"

The perplexed look on his face said a few things, though when one of his arms flashed above his head to scratch idly at the base of one of his horns, the whole thing seemed even more absurd, "No idea what a rift is and didn't come to Equestria on purpose? Well those rifts usually last more than ten thousand years. But whatever! You simply must tell me what brings you by today while I am visiting with dear Fluttershy."

"Twilight and I were not far away doing a bit of magic practice. I sensed a strong and unusual presence in the direction of Fluttershy's cottage and we decided to check on her just in case something was wrong. It would seem it was you that I sensed. You know, you give off a very scrambled presence." I replied with a lopsided smirk, finding his behavior refreshing, though the jury was still out on how much one could take for an extended period.

"A scrambled presence you say? Oh, whatever has become of me?! There was a time I was told I seemed absolutely chaotic!," he held the back of a paw to his forehead in a mock swoon.

"You're more scrambled than eggs in a pan, I'll give you that. Besides, isn't chaos rather scrambled? Regardless of the words used, you're still nuttier than a forest of walnut trees. And rather entertaining." I said with a chuckle.

Discord grinned in delight, his eyebrows lifting up and continuing an inch over his head, "Oh goodness! Me rather entertaining? I do believe you have a sense of humor! And chaos IS fun when scrambled, or stirred up, heavily mixed, confusing, incomprehensible, totally bananas, and chock full of hiccuping pickles!"

Twilight, Fluttershy and I watched him emphasizing each word with increasingly exaggerated displays of them. He actually reached up and out of thin air, pulled down a pickle with a mouth that was the size of a large watermelon, which promptly began hiccuping for a couple seconds before it flashed away again. Glancing at both Twilight and Fluttershy, I could see they were a little lost. All I could do was chuckle quietly with a lopsided grin.

"Well, I suppose you have a point." I replied, just taking it in stride best I could, knowing it was just how Discord was.

Fluttershy poured some tea for Twilight and I as we all sat down at the table and enjoyed some conversation. Occasionally, Discord and I even traded a bit of banter. Earth also had a lot of wildly strange things that I guessed gave me a small bit of preparation for dealing with the master of chaos. I enjoyed the chance to stop trying to be coherent and let some of my stranger thought trains have a run. It went on almost an hour.

"I suppose Twilight and I should get back to magic practice. It has been a rather bonkers sort of experience meeting you, Discord. Thank you for the tea, Fluttershy. Twilight and I will see you tomorrow for lunch as planned." I said with a smile as Discord put his body back together after demonstrating something he called a 'noodle dance' that doesn't really have words to describe accurately, though pasta was involved. Animated, colorful, plaid, paisley and polka-dot pasta.

Fluttershy smiled and got up with us, moving to give Twilight a hug first, then one to me as I kneeled to make it easier for her. Discord had one of his paws hop across the table and hover in the air, which I shook as if he were standing in front of me, mostly adjusted to his more simple quirks by now.

"I'll be looking forward to seeing the two of you tomorrow. And I know you said you're not ready for a pet just now, but I'm really excited to help you find one when you are, Vojin." Fluttershy said, a little more enthusiastic since I mentioned I was thinking about possibly seeking a pet in the near future during the earlier conversations.

"Well, I'm sure you'll have a little friend that will work well for me, Fluttershy. I'll let you know when I think I'm ready." I told her, almost tempted to indulge one of her great passions without waiting.

Twilight smiled, "It was really good to see you, Fluttershy. And I think you're getting better, Discord."

The master of chaos grinned, puffing up a little, though it was a somewhat uniform inflating like he was part balloon for a moment before deflating again, "You must thank dear Fluttershy for that. She somehow makes me want to be a better friend. Ta ta!"

Twilight and I finished our goodbyes and trekked back across the field to where we were practicing earlier, still having plenty of time in the day. I hoped to have mostly gotten a handle on self-teleportation by the time we finished.

"So what did you think of Discord?" Twilight asked, glancing at me as we walked.

I smirked, letting out a short laugh, "Very strange. Certainly a character I could appreciate having around, though maybe not too much. He seems to be a lot to take after a while."

"Well, ever since Fluttershy helped him realize he could enjoy friendship, he has been doing better. He still likes to annoy and frustrate us a little much at times, but it's not as bad as it used to be. Although Pinkie Pie seems to get under his skin, rather than the other way around. I still haven't really figured that out yet." Twilight noted, looking thoughtful.

"It sounds like he's really trying to be a friend, at least in his own way. Pinkie probably frustrates him because she's almost impossible to upset or get anything but enthusiasm out of." I added, feeling the peacefulness of the open field seeping into me again after the past hour's strange moments.

Once we got back to the area we had been practicing earlier, Twilight stopped and looked up at me with a smirk, "Are you ready to try teleporting without surprises this time?"

Grinning back at her, I chuckled slightly, "Willing to and ready to are different things, I fear. Any advice now that you've had time to think about what I was doing wrong?"

"Well for starters, you were thinking of two destinations at once, if I have it right. You know how subtle things can be sometimes, but you also overcharged the spell a little and gave yourself a little too much distance as a result. And don't forget to include your intended orientation. Think you can adjust from that?" Twilight smiled, looking at me hopefully.

I nodded, returning her smile before turning a little and focusing on a spot in the grass a few yards ahead of myself as I gathered the magic I needed more carefully. The billowing white aura covering my hands as I held them a few inches apart in front of myself again, working to lock my mind into the spell.

A flash and momentary sound happened as I cast. My head was spinning a bit again, though I managed to stay standing. Once I had a moment to clear my head, I straightened and turned around to look at Twilight. She was a several yards away now and clearly looked proud, which told me I was fairly successful. After a moment, she walked over to me, smiling the whole time.

"You almost had that one right on target, Vojin. I'll bet by next week, you'll be capable of teleporting yourself almost on demand. Try it again a few more times and see if you can actually land on the spot you were aiming for." Twilight said, beaming at me.

Leaning over, I kissed the top of her head and brushed my fingertips over her cheek before straightening again, "I'm just fortunate to have a good instructor. How much energy do you think I've burned?"

She giggled softly, showing me a sly smile, "Not too much. With some more practice, it should be fairly efficient like I cast it. I'm still wondering about what kind of reserves you actually carry though. Sometime soon, we should try to see what you're capable of in more extended, strenuous casting. It's always important to know how much you can really draw upon so you don't cast something you suddenly have to undo, only to find you ran out of magic in that moment."

"Think trying to levitate something massive or a lot of things at once would do it?" I asked her.

"I think it could, although with your magic being on a similar strength with mine, I'm not sure if we would have enough to levitate. We could always try the lightning spells you're ready to start learning, now that you can teleport. They tend to draw a lot of magic until you master them enough. Now try teleporting again. I want to see you teleport back to me as soon as you can cast it again, ok?" Twilight said with a relaxed smile, looking eager to see my progress.

With a nod, I went through the process of casting teleport on myself again. Another flash and moment of sound, I was several yards away again, almost on target that time and turned around to look at Twilight. I was a little less disoriented but still let my head clear for a second before starting to cast again.

In a flash and moment of sound, I reappeared next to her again, though I promptly fell over both from being dizzy and landing a little tilted. Landing on my side with an 'oof' as she turned around, giving me a patient smile and rolling her eyes a little. I propped my head up on my hand, elbow on the grass as I gave her a sheepish grin. "I think I was forgetting orientation again..."

Twilight giggled warmly and kissed my cheek, "At least you were sweet enough not to land on me. A few more times and I think that's enough for today. You've been doing really well."

"Well, I guess a few more times it is. Is my teacher impressed with her student?" I gave her a cheeky grin.

She giggled a bit more, "Very impressed. You won't get any reward if you don't get it right though, so let's see you do it again."

I quirked a brow, a little curious as my grin slowly grew, "A reward, you say? Why teacher, whatever do you mean to reward me with if I pass your test?"

Her eyes danced as she gave me a look out of the corner of her eye as she turned to one side, "You won't find out unless you pass my test. You wouldn't want to disappoint me, would you?"

"Well then I will try harder! Please tell this humble student what he must do." I said, trying not to chuckle at the impromptu game we fell into.

"I want you to teleport yourself to the top of that hill, then back here without moving your body. Quick as you can." Twilight said as she pointed with her hoof, her eyes now half-lidded as she grinned, fighting a laugh of her own.

"Yes teacher!" I replied, already gathering magic again as I turned my eyes to the hill she indicated.

I teleported myself onto the grass on top of the hill, almost right where I intended as I remained stretched out on the grass. My eyes turned a bit to look at Twilight again, seeing her watching intently as I gathered my magic again for another move.

A flash and moment of sound once again, I was laying next to Twilight again. Almost smooth in my landing, only a moderate level of disorientation this time as I learned how to adjust my mind to the effects.

Twilight's eyes danced even more as she turned to look at me more directly, leaning down a little and looking into my eyes with a sly grin, "Very good. I think you passed this time. Would you like your reward now?"

"Yes teacher." I struggled not to laugh even as I started to feel pleasantly anxious, feeling I knew what she would reward me with.

She hummed as her grin widened before pressing her lips to mine, slowly leaning more into it as she started to make out with me. Her hoof pressed against my shoulder and she pushed me onto my back, following me down until she was partly laying on my chest, off to one side a little as she deepened the kiss.

My arms wrapped around her soon after, pulling her closer. A hand against the back of her head as we continued, occasionally letting our tongues dance together. Minutes passed as we enjoyed each other's company. She stroked my cheek with a hoof as my other hand traced her spine, eventually pulling back again and smiling at each other, feeling relaxed.

Smirking a bit mischievously, I rubbed noses with her, "Is it a bad time to mention I've got a crush on my teacher?"

Twilight giggled faintly, "Only if my 'student' doesn't mind me having a crush on him."

"Shall we make up for lost cuddles from earlier, Purple Angel?" I asked her after we stared into each other's eyes for a minute or two.

Her smile broadened and she quickly nuzzled into my neck and settled in a little closer, letting out a contented sigh. Her answer was obvious as the sun is bright and I nosed into her mane a little, giving her a tender squeeze before taking a slow deep breath of her scent that still reminded me of lightning and learning.

***

The next day, as we were walking towards Zecora's place after having lunch with Fluttershy to pick up some tea that Twilight loved, I found myself thinking about the looming shadows of the future again. Twilight and I tried not to worry about it too much, but it was hard not to think about sometimes It was going to be a trying time for this peaceful land. Again hoping Equestria could hold onto the tender innocence it was thriving in.

While I made one more mental cycle through different exercises and techniques I could practice in hope of being as prepared as I might be, I started to get a strange feeling. Like we were being watched as we strolled along the path in the Everfree Forest. It was faint though, and didn't give much impression so I let it sit in the back of my thoughts.

The Everfree Forest had quite a reputation of being a scary place, though for myself, aside from creatures like cragodiles and timber wolves, not much different from Earth's forests. Birds still chirped and leaves still rustled in a pleasant natural backdrop as Twilight and I made our way through the somewhat dim light under the forest canopy.

Eventually, we saw Zecora's place come into view. The assortment of tribal masks she had decorating her place always gave me a quiet smile for the interesting look it gave her hollowed out tree home. Once we reached the door, Twilight knocked lightly.

A brief moment after, Zecora opened her door with a smile, "Ah, now my friends have come to me, looking to obtain some special tea. I trust you are both well this day, nothing troubled you as you made your way?" Zecora beckoned us inside and closed her door.

"We had a nice walk along the path, Zecora. How are you doing today?" Twilight replied, watching as the zebra went to a shelf and picked up a small bag of what was likely the tea for Twilight.

"My days are relaxed as they usually are. Might I ask you both stay a bit, having come this far?" Zecora said, her rhyming speech was always pleasant to listen to.

Remembering the tea she shared last time, I smiled, "Do you have some of that minty soothing tea available, Zecora? It was very nice last time we stopped by."

She gave a soft laugh, looking at me and then Twilight, "It will be easy to provide such brew. Is that same tea alright with you?"

"It sounds lovely. Were you able to find that darkthistle yet? I can still bring you some. I know it's a bit rare, but Princess Celestia can always have some sent to me. It's no trouble." Twilight replied.

Unexpectedly, Zecora sighed quietly, sounding a bit unhappy, "I fear the herb that I sought, but it is not so easily caught. I found a large plant just the other day and discovered timber wolves bar my way."

"They been giving you more trouble lately?" I asked, raising a brow.

Zecora set out the pleasant minty tea for us at the small table, frowning a bit, "Not so much as it might sound, but strangely there have been far more around."

Twilight looked at her with concern, "Are you feeling safe out here? You know you're always welcome to stay with me or the other girls if you needed to. Any idea why they've been so active?"

"I thank you for the offer you suggest, though hope I'll not need to make such request. The wolves have seemed active of late, but a reason why I still debate." Zecora said before sipping her tea calmly.

"Do you think they're becoming a more pressing threat to Ponyville? We can always call in the Royal Guards to drive them off again if it's getting bad enough." I spoke quietly, taking a whiff of the tea's aroma before having a sip myself.

"I cannot yet tell if they would depart the Everfree, though currently their number has begun to worry me. Usually they are only a sparing few, but now large packs could be after you." Zecora intoned, genuine worry in her eyes.

Twilight thought for a bit, sipping her tea before frowning, "Zecora, do you have any ideas on why they've been more common? And have they been acting any differently than usual?"

She looked at her tea for a moment of thinking before looking at us again, "I fear they have been appearing more angry, and their tracking is starting to keep up with me. In my home, I am quite safe, but departing for supplies, my nerves now chafe."

That made me frown deeply, staring into my tea for a long moment before leveling my eyes at her firmly, "Zecora, you're coming back to Ponyville with us today. Something doesn't feel right and you're one of the stealthiest ponies I've met. If they're starting to notice when you're out and about when they are usually oblivious, along with seeming unusually agitated, I'll not let you be out here alone. I won't force you to come with us of course, but I feel like you need to come with us for the time being. It'll be best to travel together anyway. We can help you pack your cart and bring what we can."

Zecora seemed to sag, nodding slightly before looking back at me, "To be honest about this situation I am in, I confess it is an argument I could not win. Even though things started growing worse rather slow, the rate it has worsened has left me a tomorrow I do not know."

Twilight touched my hand with her hoof, giving me a faint smile of appreciation before turning back to Zecora, "I'll send a letter to Celestia and let her know about the timber wolf problem getting worse. Hopefully, we'll be able to calm everything down fairly soon and figure out why they have been gathering so close to the edge of the Everfree Forest."

The three of us were mostly quiet as we sipped our tea, glad it was a calming brew even more than before. I thought back to the presence I'd felt, like Twilight and I were being watched as we were on our way over. It seemed perhaps there was more going on than a passing sensation and may have been one of the wolves eyeing us from a distance.

We helped Zecora get her cart ready and loaded with the things she felt she needed to bring once we finished the tea. I was glad she understood and didn't argue, as difficult as it is to be forced away from one's own home. Twilight and I mostly just loaded the cart with whatever Zecora brought us just outside the door. The zebra gave a heavy sigh as she hooked herself into the cart, giving one more mournful look at her home before we started walking down the path back to Ponyville. I was now on high alert, keeping Twilight between me and the cart.

"Twilight, if you will kindly indulge me, I'd like you to teleport my sword to us. The tag spell should still be active, right?" I said quietly, not detecting anything but constantly scanning my eyes around, watching the trees around us. I had started placing a minor tag spell on my sword every few days as another method to practice with a different form of spell. It was intended for me to teleport it myself now and then once I had learned how to do so reliably to practice remote spell sensing, though now it was a helpful safeguard. My intuition was giving me some warning signs not long after we departed for Ponyville.

"Just give me a second..." Twilight replied cautiously, sounding just as troubled as I was.

Her horn glowed for a second as she searched out the tag spell and my broadsword flashed into view before us soon after. She levitated it over to me and I took it in hand, pulling it free of the scabbard. I slipped the scabbard into a free spot in Zecora's cart and rested the flat of the blade on my shoulder as we walked, taking some comfort in being armed now.

A few minutes later, I began feeling like we were being watched again. This time, it felt like several sets of eyes were following us and my hope of being lucky enough to pass without trouble was looking increasingly unlikely.

As the sensation of eyes felt closer, I nudged Twilight with my free left hand, voice low, "We're being watched, Twilight. If we do encounter timber wolves, I want you to focus on keeping Zecora and yourself defended. Do that so I won't have to worry about the two of you. I'll handle the rest, alright?"

Both of them glanced nervously at me and Twilight gulped, but nodded, her own voice as low as mine, "I will, Vojin. Should we run for it or stop?"

My eyes were back to scanning the trees, "Don't try running unless I tell you to. They aren't natural, but still might be encouraged to chase you if you start to run. I haven't had a chance to study them yet. What do you know about them and their origins?"

Twilight's voice was fearful, but she pushed through it, "N-not natural. Nopony is quite sure how long ago they appeared but it dates back to a time when necromantic magic was still getting some exploration by fringe unicorns. Who made them is unknown as far as I know, but they broke free of their enslavement spells and killed their creator. They have no known weaknesses and rebuild themselves within a few minutes of being smashed apart. Most spells tend to slide right off of them, even being able to break through most shield spells with a little time. Permanently stopping them requires entrapment and a high level banishing spell to disperse the magic that they're made of. They....they feed on...living creatures. Drawing out life energy as they bite and tear, even though they don't actually consume the bodies of their victims. M-maybe I should try to teleport us back to Ponyville."

"We're still too far away, Twilight. You know that. Alicorn strength or not, you could only manage it for yourself, but not all three of us. We'll be back in Ponyville before you could charge up enough magic to do it at this range. What spells have been found not to bounce right off? Focus on counters, it helps fight the fear." I told her, the feeling of being watched was starting to give way to detecting the unsettling presence I guessed was a pack approaching us from behind and to one side.

Twilight's voice shook a little but steeled herself a bit more every time I spoke calmly, "W-well, you can hit them with kinetic force that isn't purely made of magic. Like levitating a rock and hitting them with it. Fire magic works, but it causes an explosion most of the time and isn't going to be good for us in close quarters. I-If you cut or break off part of them, it still takes a few minutes for them to pull it back to themselves. I only know two kinds of shield spells I could use that would keep them at bay indefinitely, but I can't move while they're active. The shields also don't allow other spells to pass through them, so they're only good for defense."

"Take care when they have gotten near, even a scratch from them will make you fear. I once made a most narrow escape, when through a cut on my leg did my life they nearly take." Zecora added.

"Alright. Twilight, gather magic to yourself either for a shield or other spell that can be useful, but focus on the shield first. I'm more prepared to fight than the two of you. The presence I feel nearby is numerous and close. I don't think we're going to reach the edge of the forest without trouble, so please remember to shield yourself and Zecora first. Be good to have some transmutation spells in my repertoire but I'll make do. And don't you dare argue with me about this Twilight, but if I tell you to, you will teleport yourself and Zecora to Fluttershy's cottage. I can do some things easier without you here to distract me. You should have more than enough time to charge up the magic energy for that far with just the two of you. You can then teleport yourself to the library and send Celestia a message if necessary. Is that understood?" I stroked my fingers against her mane as I practically ordered her on what to do.

Twilight gasped faintly in fear, meeting my eyes briefly when I glanced at her before returning to scanning the trees. She looked terrified, with tears in her eyes but she didn't argue. I could only take it as her acquiescence. My eyes narrowed as I detected the smell of timber wolf breath, guessing I'd hear them shortly.

It was faint, but I heard the sound of slow steps crunching leaves nearby, giving me a gauge to how far away the timber wolves were. They were at best only thirty feet away and clearly stalking us now. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw signs of movement and starting to pick out numbers, frowning as it looked like close to a dozen or so. Large packs indeed.

"Alright, I can see them now. Do not react until I do, then stop and shield immediately. Do not try to assist me if you have to drop the shield. I don't think they know I spotted them yet so keep walking as if everything is normal. The closer we get to town, the safer all of us are. We will be alright. Let me do the fighting. I am your Guardian, after all." I spoke calmly, forcing my voice to remain steady so Twilight and Zecora could stay calmer and not panic.

Inside, I was extremely nervous. Magic-resistant, highly dangerous, and several of the large aggregations of random bits of forest shaped like a wolf. Some things I could have lived without going through, but I'd be damned if they were going to so much as touch Twilight as I brought my sword down from my shoulder, holding it in a more ready position. I was also really glad I was wearing my combat boots today. If they were going to move on us, it was going to happen soon.

Then whatever held things back suddenly broke and the timber wolves launched into a rapid charge straight for us as they howled out their attack. I spun to face them as Twilight and Zecora huddled close as the dome-shaped shield of purple-pink light went up over them. I waited the brief moments it took for the pack to run forward, spreading out to surround us even as they rushed in to attack.

As the first came in range, my broadsword brought it's power to bear as I half sliced, half smashed one's head so hard it shattered the full body. Following my momentum, a steel-toed boot smashed another apart that was jumping at me right behind it's fellow. I knew it was unlikely I'd escape unharmed against so many as I whirled, deciding to maintain my momentum as my sword slashed diagonally through another misshapen wooden torso, shattering a third and looking to cause as much damage as possible.

Thankfully, glimpses of them as I whirled gave me the assurance that Twilight's shield spell was holding them back easily and told me they were safe enough for now. Freeing me to focus more on my attackers. One slipped a bit close for comfort and ripped a gash in my sleeve as I dodged and gave it a thrust kick to send it flying even though it didn't break it. A sideways leap and spin landed a boot heavily on the back of a head and shattered another.

My blade flew up in an arc and hacked away two front legs, still trying to keep up the whirling momentum but remain close enough to the cart that they couldn't fully surround me if I could prevent it. A stomp crushed the head of the one missing it's front legs and took that one out of the fight. I had to throw one to the side as I brought up a hard kick in the opposite direction, unable to do much to either as I was pressed harder, not sure how much time I had before the five flailing against Twilight's shield spell would be distracted from me.

The wolves were moving a little more together now as they found their prey wasn't going down easily. Most of their lunges now came in pairs, driving a hammer fist laterally to knock one back as a kick shoved another on the other side. I clipped off a rear leg as I dodged one jumping at me.

I snarled in pain when one managed to graze me with it's claws across my thigh before I could knock it away. Twilight gasped but didn't call out, she knew enough not to distract me. The cold burning sensation hurt immensely, but the adrenaline rush kept it at bay for now. I could distantly sense there was a magic element to it, something dark that lingered in the wound. My sword split open another head and the wolf shattered, three legs not giving it enough speed to avoid my attack. I feared my leg wound would soon cause me to slow down as well. If I lost speed now, I was not going to win and the cold burning sensation was already getting stronger.

Dodge, cut, twist, another kick sending one away for a few moments. Despite the set of gashes across my thigh being shallow, the magic of these abominations was draining me. I managed to duck under one as it leapt and chopped both left legs away. It was dramatically less threatening with little mobility. Slamming another one down to the ground, I stomped it's neck and it shattered.

The last three trying to force their way through Twilight's shield came after me then. Five and a half left to get through but I could feel my physical strength fading and knew my speed was going down now. With a bit of desperation, I rapidly pulled up my magic and teleported a dozen feet away on the path, only halfway pulling it off as I was forced into a diving roll before getting back to my feet. The dark magic residue in the gashes on my thigh were furiously raging with pain now, apparently not reacting well with magic use even as I gathered more magic again. My sword cleaved through another head at the same time another wolf tore its claws roughly across the left side of my ribs, moments later making another teleport about twenty feet or so away this time.

My right leg threatened to buckle from the blazing pain that was overpowering the adrenaline in my system. Breathing was suddenly difficult as the fresh, much larger gashes in my ribs were burning nearly as bad. I didn't have time to stop though, no time to lose focus as the remaining four raced after me, seeming to sense me getting weaker.

Again they leapt at me, giving me another manageable shot at another head as I crashed through a wolf with my sword and put it down. I cried out as I felt claws rake my chest and over my shoulder, still managing to avoid snapping jaws. Gathering my magic was difficult now as I managed another teleport back the other way again, crashing roughly on the ground and scrambling back to my feet as the remaining three whole wolves stalked towards me more cautiously now. They either saw I was getting weak or were looking for an opening now. I felt my blood leaking over my body, getting the sense they weren't slowing naturally like they should have and hoping the dark magic residue in the gashes wasn't preventing the bleeding from stopping.

It took great effort now, but I gathered magic enough for levitation and raised a decent-sized rock, then a few more, and began making them spin around in a circle together, getting them moving fast enough to be cannonballs in the air. I knew I wasn't going to be fast enough to dodge multiple wolves again. Directing the ring of rapidly circling stones at the three starting to circle me.

I caught one timber wolf across the hindquarters and tore off its back half, shattering it and leaving the other two distracted just long enough to smash a second. The last one was able to dodge several of the stones and tried to rush at me again. The flying ring of stones caught it quickly though, smashing through a leg to stumble it long enough for another stone to smash through it's head.

The last one was the wolf I'd lopped the left legs from, not taking chances as I began panting, smashing it with a flying rock to the head. As my magic dropped though so did I, my sword falling from my hand and collapsing to my knees. The cold burning sensation raged in most of my body now, seeing my three sets of gashes were bleeding a lot more than they should be.

Twilight yelled at me, her shield coming down as she raced to my side the instant the last wolf shattered, "Vojin! Talk to me! We have to get you to the hospital! Vojin, talk to me!"

I groaned, my strength was still leeching away. Whatever dark magic powered those timber wolves, it was doing a number on me. After giving a rather weak cough, I began falling to one side before Twilight caught me with levitation. My eyes looking back at her, voice unsettlingly quiet, "Are you...unhurt, Twilight?"

Tears were rolling down her face now, looking like she was trying not to start sobbing outright as she nodded, "I'm fine, Vojin! Both of us are fine! Stop getting hurt protecting me so damn much! We need to get you to Ponyville Hospital! You're turning so pale..." She brushed my cheek with her hoof, yet I could barely feel it.

Zecora appeared beside us then, looking very troubled and holding up what seemed to be a potion in her ankle joint, "Please, my friend you need to drink, this potion of mine will make the dark magic shrink."

"Twi...you'll... have to... help me... strength... fading..." I gasped, discovering my arms were too heavy to lift now.

She quickly took the potion from Zecora and levitated it to me, ripping off the cap along the way and tipping it to my lips as she nudged my head back a little. The swirled blue liquid poured into my mouth, managing to swallow it slowly but unable to taste anything. It wasn't a lot, just a few swallows and it was gone. I felt warmth starting to spread from my stomach, though my strength wasn't returning.

"Please, Twilight, it takes some time though my potion works, but we must run before the rousing of those jerks." Zecora said softly, glancing frequently towards the various scattered bits of timber wolf.

Twilight nodded and quickly got up, levitating me easily along with my sword which she slid into the scabbard stuck in Zecora's wagon as the zebra got back in the harness of her cart. Moments later, they began moving quickly as they could down the path, Twilight keeping me levitating alongside her, a steady run as they raced to the edge of the forest.

I could feel the warmth still spreading through my body, noticing I stopped losing strength. It still seemed I would be a while before recovering, hoping Zecora's potion would give me my strength back soon. It still felt like my gashes were bleeding a lot though. The thought of how close to dying I might be crossed my mind briefly but I pushed it away again. I didn't want to think about it anymore, instead turning my mind to how I could apologize to Twilight for scaring her so much. My head was swimming as she kept me aloft while she ran.

Soon, they broke through the line of trees and ran towards Fluttershy's cottage not far away. Twilight showed no signs of slowing down, yelling out to Fluttershy when she was close enough, hoping she was home just then.

Just as we got close, I heard the door open as Fluttershy rushed towards us, "Oh my gosh, Twilight! What happened?"

Gasping for breath, Twilight managed to get her words out, "Attacked by timber wolves, Vojin fought them all, must get ambulance fast."

"Oh no! Keep heading for the hospital! I'll fly there as fast as I can and try to meet you along the way with the ambulance!" Fluttershy then leapt into the air, flying fast as she could.

Zecora slipped out of her cart at that point, knowing it would be fine where it was until I was taken care of and she ran alongside Twilight. Racing along the road in Twilight's magical grip, I could only stare at the passing blurs of scenery. I still felt the warmth of Zecora's potion, but wondered why I wasn't gaining any strength. Maybe it just stopped one from being drained by the magic residue of a timber wolf.

I saw the wood fencing beside the road that ran along one edge of Sweet Apple Acres around the same time I could hear Applejack yelling, seeing her running towards us from her orchard and leaping the fence before running alongside Twilight.

"Twi! What happened?! Vojin looks a fright! If y'all are trying ta get ta the hospital, ah'll meetcha a little further up with mah cart! Ah can run a sight faster than ya, Twi!" Applejack said as smoothly as running allowed.

Twilight was firmly focused on not stopping, sounding almost unable to talk with how out of breath she was, "Hospital! Cart please!"

"Ah'll be meetcha further up!" Applejack said, putting on her full speed as she rapidly powered beyond Twilight's nearly exhausted pace.

Less than a minute later, the sound of a wooden cart could be heard thundering towards us and I was able to see Applejack heading our way. She stopped and turned the cart around just as Twilight reached her.

Wasting no time, Twilight hopped right into the back and levitated me with her. Zecora waved Applejack on, telling her to get going and not wait for her. Applejack dug her hooves into the ground and took off. Her speed was much better than Twilight's even when Twilight wasn't already exhausted, leaving the blur of things flying past the cart more pronounced.

My head was spinning a little more as Twilight gasped for breath while starting to work on slowing the flow of blood now that she didn't have to run and levitate me at the same time. It would have been foolish to slow down with the chance of the timber wolves getting up and catching us again and she was nearly out of breath by the time we exited the forest. I thought about the amount of time I had been bleeding and how the dark magic residue had seemed to be making it worse before I took the potion. My whole body was feeling more like it was floating beyond just Twilight's levitation keeping me from being bounced around in the cart.

"Vojin! Can you hear me? You're going to be ok! You have to be ok!" Twilight was frantic, tearing shreds of cloth from my clothes and holding them firmly to three sets of gashes with her magic.

I found myself lacking the strength to turn my head or whisper, but nudged her with our link and rested my eyes on her, trying to let her know I was still with her. Everything felt so heavy at the same time it floated around, my entire body felt distant. All I seemed able to do was send her some comforting emotion through our link as even my eyes finally closed, too heavy to keep open.

"No, Vojin! Don't sleep! You can't fall asleep right now! Please wake up! Stay with me!" Twilight nearly screamed, struggling through fits of crying.

My eyes just wouldn't open anymore but I kept nudging her, letting our link ground me even as I felt like I was trying to float away. She was my lifeline in that moment as even my sense of my own body wavered, sensing rather than feeling her hoof caress my cheek and moving towards her presence. I could feel her energy holding me, slowly surrounding me further as I let her pull me close and wrap herself around my awareness.

As even sound started to fade to a vague whisper before vanishing entirely, her voice yelling at me to stay, it was the feel of her energy wrapping me up, safe and welcoming, that became almost everything I knew right then. I even lost track of where my body went, feeling like my spirit was curled up with Twilight, safely held in her love and I didn't want to go anywhere. She felt distraught but also seemed to know I was there and tightened herself around me, seeming to beg me to stay there and I shared her emotion, not wanting to leave.

I lost all sense of time as I stayed snuggled into the ethereal space I seemed to share with her, doing my best to comfort her fears. All I knew, all I could feel, was Twilight and her love for me keeping me safely secured, trying to comfort me even though I forgot why I was afraid or why I was held so snugly by her. Feeling equally like we were snuggled up together on a lazy morning or playfully chasing each other through the park, my spirit danced with hers.

***

Gradually, I started to become aware of sounds again. A distant noise, some sort of steady beeping made itself known. It wasn't long before feeling began to return to my body and knew I was waking up. I felt sore and the places the timber wolves had raked me with their claws stung in quiet throbs.

After a minute or two, I felt mostly back in my own head and was able to open my eyes. My head was tilted a little to one side and the first thing that caught my attention was purple feathers and fur right next to me. A faint smile came to my lips at seeing Twilight right next to my bed, her head against my chest and having pulled my arm over her neck and shoulder as she breathed softly in slumber.

I carefully moved my arm to pull her a little closer, despite feeling so exhausted. It wasn't hard to tell I was back in Ponyville Hospital again. It was dark outside the window and I had no idea what time it was. Taking a slow, deep breath to try to wake up my mind a little more before turning my eyes to Twilight again.

Whispering softly as my fingers began to stroke the fur on one of her forelegs, I tried to rouse her gently, "Purple Angel... Twilight... Can you please wake up for me...?"

She stirred slowly, nuzzling me faintly as she did. After several seconds, she froze before slowly lifting her head. Her mane was a mess and her eyes looked terribly bloodshot, heavy streaks ran along her cheeks after what must have been a heartwrenching amount of tears. In my eyes, she was as beautiful as I'd ever seen her just then, guessing she had stayed at my side the entire time.

Twilight looked into my eyes, starting to tremble as her hoof came up to my cheek, a shaky smile was all she could manage as she watched me quietly. My strength wasn't much improved, but I slowly brought my other hand to the hoof at my cheek, holding it there as I looked back into her eyes. The emotions we shared through our link were a firestorm of relief and love.

It took a minute or two before she finally found her voice, "V-Vojin... You came back to me..."

The faint smile on my face grew a little more, my voice quiet still but stronger, "I always will, Purple Angel... Though I never left..."

She gave a weak laugh, visibly losing the worry and fear she probably had for however long I was out, her hoof caressing my cheek, "I...I could feel you... Even when the doctor said you wouldn't make it, I could feel you. Only Celestia and Luna really believed me when I told everypony you were still alive..."

"I'm...sorry for... for scaring you so much, Purple Angel. Can you forgive me?" I pleaded quietly, tears beginning to blur my vision.

Twilight began to tear up herself, shaking her head slightly, "No...don't you go apologizing. You protected me and Zecora and you still came back to me after you shouldn't have been able to. T-They said that...y-you were...th-that...too much blood... Vojin, they said you were gone when we got to the hospital! I still felt you but they said you were gone! I screamed at them to put you in a room! To believe me when I said you were still with me! They didn't believe me until Princess Celestia arrived and told them the same thing! Vojin, you...don't ever do that to me again!"

Her voice shook, somehow ending in a screaming whisper before she buried her face against my chest again and began to cry. I could only wrap her in my arms and hold her close, having no words just then. It was obvious she had been through a lot while I was wrapped up in her love, not having any real idea how long I was unconscious. She cried against my chest quietly for at least several minutes, my own tears falling as I joined her after a while.

Once both of us were able to let out enough of the heartache to make it was manageable again, I nudged Twilight a little after I glanced at my hospital bed briefly, "Purple Angel, there's just enough room to squeeze together. Come up onto the bed with me. Please?"

Twilight gave a weak smile as I shuffled against the bedrail on the other side, making space for her. It was a fairly tight fit, but not much different a position from how we usually slept and she quickly snuggled against me, though continued to keep her head up and her eyes on me, looking a little calmer.

"By Celestia, I missed you so much. You've been asleep for over three days...," she said quietly.

My fingers stroked her mane softly, "And you stayed watching over me the whole time, didn't you?"

She nodded a little, to which I gave her a tender smile before nudging her to lay her head down with my fingers in her mane. Without much resistance, she settled down again with a faint sniffle. Giving me a small squeeze and a nuzzle before settling.

"I'm still really tired and it's late. Let's just get some rest before proving the doctors wrong in the morning, ok?" I said softly, prompting her to plant a kiss on my skin briefly before snuggling a little closer and nodding.

Twilight was laying a little lower than usual because of the wounds on my upper chest, but that was fine with me. I brushed my fingers against her mane idly, hoping to soothe her to sleep first but I was exhausted myself. The two of us seemed to drift away at the same pace.

***

Morning came in it's time and Twilight's stirring brought me out of my sleep. She was still snuggled against me, slowly stretching a little before her head lifted to look into my eyes again. I could see the chance to rest had removed most of the bloodshot look from her eyes, telling me she actually slept rather well. I still felt weak, though not as bad as last night.

I brushed her cheek with the tips of my fingers as I met her eyes. There would be time to sort through things later, giving her a warm smile that drew out one of her own as she leaned into my touch. There was a glimmer of desperate relief still in her eyes, making me think I needed to ask what happened after I blacked out.

My voice had a morning roughness to it as I spoke softly, "You look much more rested, Purple Angel. Were you able to sleep much before I woke up?"

Twilight's eyes flashed briefly with stress and worry, pausing before she replied, "...no... Not really. I probably passed out less than an hour before you woke up last night. I was so worried about you that I only slept when I passed out beside you. I've barely left your side, just a couple minutes at any time, and only when one of the Princesses or my friends could be here. I just... I-I just..."

As her eyes began filling with tears again, my fingertips touched her lips to hush her before stroking them delicately over her cheek again before cupping my palm there, giving her a faint smile, "We can talk about it after I get out of here or at least later today if I have to stay for a while. I'm sorry I worried you so much, Purple Angel."

She turned her head and kissed my palm before pressing her cheek against it, nodding and taking a steadying breath. The tension in her body was slowly fading, though I sensed she still needed a decently-sized release of worried stress at some point.

We both looked towards the door as we heard it open and Nurse Tough Love came in, probably for a scheduled check as she made her rounds. She gave us a brief smile as she came to the side of my hospital bed, looking over the monitor and IV before reviewing my chart again.

"You're very lucky, buster. I don't know how, but you wouldn't quit. Everypony on the staff thought you were a lost cause when you came in. Princess Twilight pulled every bit of clout she could on us to make us keep treating you before Princess Celestia arrived and clarified why we needed to keep trying. With as much blood as you lost...well, you're very lucky. Miss Zecora's remedy took care of the timber wolf magic before you arrived. It probably saved your life, alongside whatever kept you holding on. I don't know what exactly humans can endure, but your vitals were undetectable for a few hours after you arrived. I've never seen anything like it in my whole career as a nurse." Nurse Tough said gently as she looked at me, then turned to Twilight, "And I do apologize again for our lack of understanding about the magic link. Until Princess Celestia arrived, we couldn't fathom anything other than what it initially appeared to be."

Twilight nodded a bit, "I know, Nurse Tough. I already forgave you and the rest of the staff. It's easy to see how it could come across as hysterical denial. Swift Bandage isn't too traumatized, is he?"

That made me quirk a brow at her, starting to wonder just what she had to do before Celestia made it to the hospital. I didn't wait long though, as Nurse Tough Love shook her head gently, "He'll be alright. I gave him a few days of quiet duties and an extra day off to relax. I'm still impressed you had him embedded in the wall like that without hurting him. I know you said you mixed a shield with the force spell, but I don't know how you pulled it off so fast. Really, he shouldn't have kept arguing with you like that and giving you some time. Either way, Dr Hoofmeister will be along in an hour or two. Maybe longer if the surgery he's performing requires it. Unless you have some questions, I'll let the two of you have some privacy. You know how to call me if necessary."

"Thank you, Nurse Feisty. Sorry to visit under such circumstances." I gave her a sheepish grin.

Nurse Tough rolled her eyes a bit, giving me a smirk, "Well if you're feeling good enough to start making jokes, you're certainly on the mend. Take care of yourself, buster. Don't come back for at least six months this time or I'll give you a damn bath in iodine!"

"Yes ma'am!" I quipped, seeing her smirk even more before bowing her head a bit and leaving the room.

Twilight tapped me on the nose with her hoof lightly, eyeing me with a slightly grateful smile, "I'm glad to see you making jokes too, Vojin. I really missed hearing them, even if they can be cheesy sometimes."

I caught her hoof in my hand and raised it to my lips, giving it a kiss and smiling, "Ah, but cheesy jokes can sometimes get the biggest laughs! Surely you haven't forgotten Pinkie's standup routines. She could probably make an actual block of cheese groan with some of her jokes."

She giggled slightly, music to my ears, "I know, I know. At least you have some really good intellectual jokes now and then. I like those ones the most. Do you mind if we just snuggle and maybe nap until the doctor arrives though? I'm honestly not feeling very talkative right now and just want to be close to you."

"You know you have but to ask, Purple Angel. We can spend all day snuggling if you want. I'm still trying to get my strength back and you've had little sleep. Actually,I don't care if it's here or at home, but I'm snuggling with you for the rest of the day. I'll ask you about what happened after I passed out at some point tomorrow, ok?" I returned, giving her a small squeeze and pulling her a little closer.

Twilight opened her mouth to say something for a moment, then closed it and nodded before laying her head back down on me. She sniffled faintly as she hugged me around my waist, even adding her wing into it, and getting settled. She was just as soothingly warm and soft as always.

It was easy to guess telling me what took place was going to make her cry again and would probably be best handled at home. Not to mention, I really did want to just spend the day curled up with her after the mess we went through. Smiling a little to myself at feeling drowsy rather swiftly from the feel of Twilight latched onto me, giving me a warmth that was more than physical.

Sleep didn't come back right away for me, though Twilight's breathing told me she was quickly getting there. I pushed away thoughts of wondering about the seriousness of things for later, her soft breathing and warm embrace soothing me away.