Everen was in what he guessed to be the ethereal plane, also known as the dreamscape, dimension of dreams. He looked around, pretty sure he knew how he got here, but not sure where the source was.
"Luna? Where are you?" he asked into the endless void of the dreamscape.
"I am here." Luna appeared as though a veil were being removed from in front of Everen. "Tis good to see you again."
"The feeling is mutual. I am curious as to why you pulled me into the ethereal plane." Everen said, staring at the alicorn's beautiful mane.
"Twas not I that brought you here. I came to discover how you had managed to enter the realm of dreams." Luna replied, looking around concernedly. "Alicorns alone have the ability to enter here of their own accord. All others must be taken in and guided by an alicorn or transform into an alicorn, or they will be forever lost in the endless veils of dreams."
"I wonder who brought me into the dreamscape then." the unicorn brought a hoof to his chin, unsure of who would go to the trouble of dragging him here.
"Tis fortunate I found you so quickly. I am exceptionally skilled at navigating the ethereal plane." Luna's eyes suddenly turned to a solid glowing white. "I will return you to your corporeal body, and try to find you sent you here."
"Thank you ever so much Luna. Please let me know if you find out who it was." Everen requested, questions flying through his mind faster than Kane during the Monday morning rush.
"Farewell Everen, and Beatrice sends her regards, she seems worried about you." Luna took flight, Everen moving away from her as he reentered the material plane.
Everen sat bolt upright, covered in a cold sweat. He looked around his room, making sure he was in the right place. Everen got out of bed, stepping into his boots and putting on his vest. He put Tsunami on his back and came downstairs to the aromas of Karilyn's cooking. Everen entered the kitchen and grabbed a few turquoise stones out of a bowl on the counter, feeding the dragon while Karilyn fixes breakfast. Everen sat down at the table once the food was ready, Karilyn serving him, and Milo, who had come downstairs while Everen was feeding Tsui.
"Ready for our date Everen?" Karilyn asked when they had both finished their meals.
"Yeah, lets stop by Pine's garden, and then we'll be off to the Jazz club." Everen replied, standing up.
"Alright, just hope we don't run into Cat on the way." she warned Everen, getting out of her chair as well.
"I know. I'll have to keep an eye out for her." the stallion moved to the door.
"I might help out with that." Karilyn began, a smirk forming on her face. "Or not, it should be interesting to see you flustered."
"I don't think you'll need to help. I can be very observant when need be." Everen said confidently, holding the door open for the mare.
"If you say so." she exited the house, flicking her tail at Everen as she passed.
They arrived at Pine's garden a short while later, no sign of Catalina on the way. Pine flew out of her tree, landing on Everen's other side and leaning into him. Her mane, which is generally messy, seemed a bit more tame than usual.
"Hey there Everen, time for our date?" the bat pony questioned, nuzzling Everen's cheek a little, and petting Tsunami as she did so.
"Yup, ready to go?" Everen shuffled a little, not used to having mares leaning on both his sides.
"Sure thing. Where are we going anyhow?" Pine giggled like a school filli, excited to be on her first date ever.
"The jazz club. I have no idea where it is yet though, so I'll need you two to guide me." Everen scratched the back of his head.
"Well it looks like you'll be relying on Kari then, cause I have no idea how to get there either." she started, nervously. "I rarely leave my garden."
"That's fine, as long as you know the way Kari." the unicorn looked questioningly at her.
"You're so feathering lucky I have a reason to go there every so often." the pegasus rubbed her forehead, at a loss.
"I know I'm lucky, I'm going on a date with two beautiful mares." Everen complimented, bumping into each of them respectively.
"Aww, thanks." came Pine, pulling her wings forward to try and hide her blushing face. Karilyn said nothing, just sighed in exasperation.
Karilyn led the way through the alleys and streets to the jazz club, in the same part of town as Raindrop's weather tower. They reached the entrance to the club and were confronted by a brown pegasus stallion wearing a suit and tie. His black mane was well groomed, with a streak of indigo in it, his tail was a little messier though. The stallion stared into the eyes of Everen.
"Hmm, I see." he said, looking at Everen.
"See what?" the unicorn inquired, detecting something odd about this pony.
"I see that you're a very different pony. Very curious, oh, but where are my manners." the stallion rambled, shaking his head to regain his senses. "My name is Blaxe J." he offered a hoof to Everen.
"I am Everen Shamrock." he replied taking the hoof and shaking it.
"Wait, 'J' as in the name, or the letter?" Pine asked, to the bewilderment of the black-maned stallion.
"You might just be the first pony to ask me that question." Blaxe said, staring into Pine's eyes. "'J' as in the letter."
"Does it stand for something?" Kari inquired.
"Not as far as you'll ever know." Blaxe answered, now staring at her now. He looked down at his watch, pushing button on the side of it. The watch began to glow with an eerie indigo light, Blaxe's eyes glowing the same color. "Well that sure is curious, I'm going to enjoy watching how this all goes. Cute dragon by the way."
"All what, what are you talking about?" Everen questioned, suspicious.
"Hm? Oh, never mind me, just thinking out loud." Blaxe responded, waving a hoof. "You can go on inside now."
"You're holding out on something, and you rest assured, I'll figure out what it is." Everen promised, poking the stallion's chest. "But for now I'm on a date, so I'll deal with you later." he led the way into the jazz club, holding the door for his dates. They all sat down in a booth together, Everen in between the two mares. Tsui climbing onto Kari's head and curling up. A moment later a zebra was passing by their booth, when stopped as he noticed Karilyn.
"Oh, hello Karilyn, good to see you. What's going on?" he greeted the mare, smiling pleasantly.
"Oh hey Zetern. I'm on a date with Everen here. He's our newest lodger." Karilyn waved at the pony, obviously familiar with him. "Everen, this is the other lodger I was telling you about, Zetern."
"Pleasure to meet you, Zetern." the unicorn said, looking curiously at the zebra.
"I bet you're wondering why I'm not talking in rhymes." Zetern expected this, having received the same question many times before. "It's takes effort, but I don't have to talk in rhymes if I don't want to."
"I never knew that, I'll keep that in mind." Everen nodded in understanding. "Why do you not like to speak in rhymes though?"
"I, have my reasons." he said, cryptically.
Everen didn't press the matter, he doesn't know this pony well enough to get an answer out of him.
"I'll be going then, time for me to get to sleep." Zetern made for the exit, yawning from a long night. "It was nice meeting you, goodbye."
"Goodbye Zetern." Everen waved his farewell, picking up a program saying what musicians were going to play for the day. "Hey, Note's up next. I didn't know he played here."
"Are you talking about Quarter Note? He's a good musician, don't know much else about him though." Karilyn sat back in the booth, closing her eyes as she listened to the band playing smooth jazz.
"He and I get along rather well." Everen commented, putting a hoof around Karilyn.
"Do you think we can meet him after he plays?" Pine asked, leaning into Everen.
"I'll see what I can do, but I can't guarantee anything." the unicorn leaned back into the bat pony.
The three of them sat there and relaxed for awhile, listening to the music. The band went backstage, and Note stepped up, holding his guitar. A plethora of applause erupted as he came onstage and sat down on a stool.
"Thank you, I'll be singing a new song for you today, I hope you like it." he began strumming his guitar and singing in some foreign language Everen didn't lyrics were soft and beautiful, and Note's voice took on a melodious tone. The song induced such a feeling of bliss that Everen almost forgot what it felt like to abandon those you love. He felt more at ease then he had in years. When Note had finished his song, Everen looked around to see most of the room in a relaxed daze, and those that weren't still mesmerized were cheering for the stallion onstage. Everen followed suit, cheering for his friend. Note went backstage to the disappointment of his fans, and Everen looked at the mares on either side of him. Karilyn had become too relaxed to even move. Pine, on the other hoof, looked eagerly at Everen, ready to meet Note. The two of them got out of the booth and made their way to the entrance to backstage, a gray security pony glared at them as they approached.
"I'd like to see Note, I'd say I'm his friend, but you wouldn't believe that." Everen took a step closer, preparing a carefully crafted plan.
"No, I wouldn't. You can't go in there." the bulky stallion put a hoof in front of the door.
"Do you think you can stop me?" Everen inquired, knowing the answer.
The guard looked Everen up and down and scoffed. "Most definitely."
"I don't think you could." Everen stated bluntly.
"Wanna bet?" the stallion asked.
"No." the orange-brown unicorn started, maked the guard raise an eyebrow. "Cause I don't like to take advantage of ponies." he finished, grabbing the pony's forehoof and shoulder flipping him. The guard hit the ground hard, and had the wind knocked out of him.
Everen opened the door and held it for Pine, and together they cantered in, leaving the guard behind. They found Note without too much trouble and moved over to him.
"Hello Everen, good to see you." Quarter Note greeted his friend, looking at him curiously. "How'd you get past the guard?"
"Oh, I, dealt with him." Everen explained vaguely, pulling Pine forward. "This is Pine Needle, she wanted to meet you."
"I believe we've met once before." Note closed his eyes in thought. "Ah, yes, I remember. I walked into her garden, and she threatened to rip my head off and lick up the blood."
"Oh, right, sorry about that, I was in a really bad mood that day." Pine chuckled nervously, scratching behind her ears. "And I didn't want anypony to get close to me then."
"What changed that then?" Note questioned, wondering what in the name of equestria could turn someone from threatening to tear off somepony's head, to openly searching for new friends.
"I met Everen." Pine elucidated, looking at the unicorn affectionately.
"Wow, how'd you manage that Everen?" Note asked, incredulous.
"I'm just good with ponies." Everen explained, shrugging. "I know how ponies think, feel, act. And I know how to get past anyones' walls."
"Well, that must be a useful skill." the caramel colored gentlecolt commented.
"You have no idea." Everen replied, grinning.
"Hey I'm going to go to the studio a little bit later, would you like to come with me?" Note offered, all too ready to spend some time with him.
"Sure just let me know when you're going." he accepted the invitation. "I'll get back to my seat now." he turned around and added in a whisper to Pine. "Before the guard recovers."
Pine giggled a bit and they left the backstage area, stepping over the body of the security pony. They got back into their booth and Karilyn looked at them.
"Where were you?" she inquired accusingly.
"We went backstage to see Note." Everen said nonchalantly, picking up the program again.
A few moments passed and Everen looked up from the program, to see Azure Streak sitting at a table not far from where he was sitting. Everen stayed calm, if he panicked it would draw unwanted attention. He looked left and right, searching for best way out.
"Karilyn, Pine, do you remember the story I told you? How I defeated Azure Streak?" Everen asked, ready to move at a moments notice.
"Of course, why?" Karilyn replied, thinking back to that morning.
"Look over there." Everen nodded in Azure's direction.
"Oh no." Karilyn's eyes widened in fear. "What should we do?"
Everen looked into her eyes, formulating a plan. "You knew who he was when I first mentioned his name. That says that he holds some renown." Everen grinned, his plan ready. "You can distract him somehow, appease to his ego. Me and Pine will make for the exit, I'll wait outside for you and Note."
"Note?" the pegasus stared at him, tilting her head slightly.
"I'm going to go with him to the studio." the stallion explained, realizing again that she wasn't there.
"Oh,okay." Karilyn looked down, a bit disappointed.
"You can come along if you like. I didn't intend to cut our date short." he put a hoof under Kari's chin, raising her head.
"I would like that." she stated, kissing Everen's cheek.
"Can I come too?" Pine asked, feeling left out.
"Of course you can Piney." Everen said, smiling warmly at the mare.
"Yay, thank you." Pine nuzzled Everen's cheek affectionately, wrapping her hooves around his neck.
"Alright, ready?" the unicorn asked the two mares.
"Ready." they said in unison.
Karilyn got out of the booth and moved towards Azure, creating a cleverly thought out plan to distract Azure. She reached his table, getting his attention. "Come here often?"
Everen and Pine moved to the door calmly. When they were outside, they moved to the side and waited a couple of minutes. Karilyn galloped out of the club a while later, looking rather alarmed. Note followed behind also at a gallop.
"What happened?" Everen questioned, noticing their haste.
"Azure tried to come onto me, even after I rejected him." Karilyn began to explain. "Note came in attempting to get him off of me, and Azure didn't take it well. We should start running."
"Let's be on our way then." Everen turned around and started galloping off in the direction of the studio, taking every covered road he saw, never running in a straight line for long. Everen smiled, remembering the old days, back in Mirudloc. It felt like old times running through alleyways with his friends. And he almost cried as he thought of this. When they made it to the studio Note opened the front door and let them all in, shutting the door behind him.
"Think we lost him?" Karilyn asked, worried.
"For now at least, he's very fast going in a straight line, but he doesn't corner very well." Everen elucidated. "I noticed that when I saw him fly off before."
"What exactly does that mean?" Note inquired.
"Oh, right. I forgot not everyone here knows the story." Everen cringed, it looked as though at this rate, everypony would hear his story before he found out what brought him here in the first place. "Can we go somewhere more private? If I'm going to tell you this story, I don't want anypony else to listen in."
"Sure, follow me." Note trotted off to the basement, moving into the nearest room. After shutting and locking the steel door behind them, Note took a seat in an office chair. "So, what's the story?"
Everen took a seat across from his friend, Pine and Karilyn taking seats nearby. Everen recalled the stories of how he got his cutie mark, and then how he saved the princesses lives at the Summer Sun Celebration. He told how he came to discover where Coldurim is and why he came here. They sat in complete silence for a few moments before Note spoke up.
"So you're only here to figure out what happened all those years ago, what are you going to do after that?" he asked, concernedly.
"I don't know. It depends on what I've unveiled." Everen answered, looking at the floor, his ears drooping.
"Well, we should hang out more, in case you're not going to be here much longer." Note replied, smiling.
"You, still trust me?" Everen rose his head, his ears perking up immediately.
"I don't see a reason not too. Yes you lied, but I believe you had good reason in this case." Note started, getting out of his chair. "I say we can still be friends."
"Thanks, Note. I'm glad to have a group of friends I can trust." Everen got up as well sighing in relief. "Shall we head upstairs?"
"Yeah, Remix'll be expecting me." Note made for the door and led the way to his usual room.
Remix was sitting in his chair, looking at the door expectantly. "That was an interesting story Everen." he said, knowingly.
"What?" Everen took a step back, wondering how Remix could've found out.
"Dangit Remix! I told you to take down those hidden cameras and microphones!" Note yelled, frustrated.
"Oh relax Note, I was gonna do that today." Remix sat back in his chair, smirking.
"Like hay you were! If you actually intended to take them down, you wouldn't have eavesdropped on us!" the musician continued, in an uproar. He looked back to see Everen's downcast face. "Don't worry Everen, Remix won't tell anypony. Despite his many faults, he is capable of keeping a secret."
Everen looked at the DJ for confirmation of this, he nodded in response and moved a hoof across his lips to show that his lips are sealed.
"Alright, so that makes four ponies who know my secret. Not including the three colts from last Monday." Everen sighed, wondering how many more ponies would find out before he found the information that brought him here in the first place.
"What three colts?" Kari stared at the unicorn incredulously.
"Sandy was one of them, the colt that turned out to be my cousin. He and his friends cataloged my cutie mark and the story of how I got it." he elucidated, massaging his forehead.
"Oh, them." the pegasus giggled, remembering when they wrote down her cutie mark story. "I know the colts."
"Pretty much everypony in town knows them." Remix clarified, looking at the vinyl record wearing headphones on his flank.
"They've recorded the cutie marks of a good portion of ponies in town." Note added, observing his own cutie mark, a musical note on a sheet of paper.
"Not me, I don't think I've ever met them." Pine chimed in, turning to show off her own cutie mark, an unidentifiable seed.
"But that makes sense, you make yourself rather difficult to approach." Note commented, thinking about his prior encounter with the bat pony.
"Oh, yeah. That's my fault." the mare scratched her head, feeling awkward. "Where could I find them?"
"You can find each of them at a different location." Remix began, getting her attention. "Sandy lives on the farm, Spear lives in Sugar Cane Bakery, and Ice can usually be found at Kane's coffee shop, helping out his older brother."
"I thought that he might've been Kane's little brother. With the similar appearance and same last name. I didn't want to say anything though." Everen said, marveling at the coincidence.
"Yeah, it's not hard to put two and two together." Karilyn laughed, looking around at the group of strangers. All but two of whom were brought together by one stallion. She saw a great friendship growing between them all.
"Is anyone else hungry?" Remix inquired, his stomach grumbling.
"Starving." Pine said.
"I could eat." came Karilyn.
"Sure, where should we eat?" Note asked.
"How about Sugar Cane Bakery, we could introduce Pine to Spear Mint." Everen suggested, wanting to take the lead on this one.
"Sounds good." Remix commented, having not eaten there in awhile.
"Alright, let's get going then." the unicorn opened the door, holding it for the others.
Remix locked the door and they all headed off towards the bakery, engaging in small talk as they went. They talked about Note's music, about recent dreams they'd had, about Pine's garden and how in equestria she manages it, about Tsunami and how Everen came to be her surrogate father. They shared laughs, opinions, secrets, and they had a grand old time. When they finally reached the bakery, Azure was standing at the entrance, and he spotted the group. His eyes widened in surprise and outrage, how had Everen located Coldurim, how long had he been here, how were these ponies trusting him? Azure lunged forward at Everen, intent to knock him out. But Remix was in front of the unicorn in an instant, knocking the pegasus aside like it was nothing. Azure recovered in time to land on his hooves, and he turned to face the group of ponies now surrounding Everen defensively.
"How can you protect that menace? He protects alicorns, and opposes our military!" Azure shouted, infuriated.
"He opposed you, and he defended those who couldn't defend themselves. How can YOU possibly villainize that?" Note responded accusingly.
"And how can you justify attacking alicorns who can't use their magic to defend themselves?" Remix added, glaring at the stallion. "There is no honor in a one-sided battle."
"But I guess you wouldn't know anything about honor though, would you." Karilyn spat, spreading her wings to further conceal Everen. "Born and raised a killer. How many helpless alicorns lives' have you stolen away?"
"People like you are the reason I hid away in my garden behind a terrifying mask for so long. I despise those with a foul moral compass that think they're in the right." Pine joined in, flying just above the others. She bared her fangs threateningly, ready to defend the first real friend she's had in years. "And I may have just met all of these ponies this week, but I'm prepared to protect them with my own life."
Azure backed up a bit, looking genuinely scared. "I'll be back for you, count on it." he flew off at top speed, back to the barracks.
"Wow, I can't believe you all just did that for me." Everen said, dumbfounded.
"Of course man, we'd be pretty bad friends if we didn't stand up for eachother." Remix grinned, satisfied with the situation.
"Still, thank you all for that. I don't know what I would've done in that situation on my own." Everen looked around at his friends, proud to know each of them.
"You would've kicked his flank like the last time you saw him." Karilyn stated, confident in her friend.
"Yes, but then the citizens would run me out of town." he turned to Karilyn, shaking his head a bit.
"Are we just gonna stand around all day? My stomach's eating itself over here." Remix chuckled, getting everyone to laugh.
Everen was the first to say something after Remix's joke. "I think things I'm going to enjoy the next few days."