I looked around the room, trying to determine just how best to call on the Ponies. Should I go row to row? Should I pick randomly? Should I ask them to line up like they do at cons? I threw caution to the wind and inhaled. "I'll go through each row starting to my left and answer one question per Pony before I answer second questions. Does that sound fair?"

Celestia spoke up as well. "Just know that some of these questions you might ask might not receive a satisfactory answer since there is our national security to think about. Also, we are all open to being asked questions as well."

Most of the Ponies in the crowd nodded in understanding, so I pointed to the first Pony. "Miss Heartstrings?"

She put her hoof down and stood. "So…I have to admit, this is a lot to take in," she said nervously. "But I'm sure a lot of Ponies want to ask this: have I ever shown up in this…show?"

I nodded. "Miss Heartstrings, not only do you and many others in this room appear in the show, but there's a fan theory about you that you might find interesting."

"What's that?" she asked, sounding more intrigued.

"The fact that the version of you in the show believes that humans exist," I replied. "Before you ask more, let me explain. In one of the earlier episodes, there was a brief glimpse of you seated as you normally do. Well, fans of the show saw that and formed a theory that you sat like that because that's how humans sit. In fact, stop by my house sometime when I'm home. I'll show you a very famous fan animation starring you later."

She had a smile on her face. "I can't wait." She moved to sit down, but stopped and looked back up at me. "Thank you, my friend."

As she sat down, Sweetie Drops stood next. Her agent persona was partially gone, I could tell. "Jethro, I want to say thank you for everything you've done to keep this town safe. But may I ask about something that Eris showed us?"

"Of course."

"When she was showing us small portions of the show, the last one showed Twilight Sparkle, but she referred to herself as 'Princess'. What does that mean?"

I went quiet at that, faking a thoughtful look. Fortunately, I was saved when Celestia spoke up and said, "I'm afraid that is a crown secret, Miss Bon Bon," she said. "Feel free to ask another question."

Sweetie Drops nodded in understanding, then said, "I don't have any other questions, your Highness. Thank you."

Next up was Derpy. She put her hoof down and stood. She focused on me, and I was struck once again by how beautiful the mare was, wall eye or no. "Um…how far ahead into our future have you seen?"

"Well, Miss Derpy, you have to understand," I started, "that a lot of the events in the show are more than likely now going to either happen differently or not at all. But I assure you that this information is being put to the best use possible. I'm afraid I can't go much more into detail. I'm sorry."

She smiled. "I understand. If there was a potential for a major invasion or something to that effect, the fact that you're here has already altered the flow of time and any future potential shown in this show."

I grinned, and I saw a few Ponies give her a startled expression, as if they didn't expect her to be so smart. But I knew better, and so did my friends. "Correct."

Cheerilee was next. She gave me a knowing nod before standing and asking, "Is it also a crown secret as to the origins of those five human mares who went around helping Ponyville and will we see them again to thank them?"

I turned to Celestia. She stood and spread her wings. "I'm afraid I can't tell you exactly how those human women came into our world, but what I will say is that they arrived in our world of their own volition to help Jethro and, by extension, us Ponies despite never having met any of us. They risked their own lives to help a man who was wounded trying to protect them. They are as kind, generous, honest, loyal and full of laughter as the Bearers of Harmony who sit beside me. As to whether you will all see them again, that remains to be seen. And if you do, you might not quite recognize them."

"Thank you, Princess." Cheerilee sat down.

The next one to ask a question was an older Donkey with a light brown coat and a curly darker brown mane. "Hello, sir. My name is Matilda."

I nodded with a smile. "Hello there, Miss Matilda."

"This might seem like a strange question since I'm guessing most will be about this television show you mentioned," she started, "but how are you doing? You've been through so much already, and it's surprising you haven't cracked under the pressure."

She was right, it was a strange question, one I didn't expect. I inhaled deeply. "I'll be honest, I'm barely hanging in there. There's nothing more I want to do right now than to go back home, crawl into bed and snuggle with Zecora for the foreseeable future. But it wouldn't be fair to you or anyone else here if I didn't make things perfectly clear."

I heard Zecora gasp a little at the mention of her name. Matilda nodded sagely, then replied, "I think I speak for Ponyville when I say if you want to talk to any of us, we'll be willing to lend an ear."

I smiled, a wave of emotions washing over me as plenty of other Ponies nodded in agreement. "I…I appreciate it much more than you know."

The moment, however, was ruined by the scoffing sound coming from Spoiled Rich. To her credit, though, she didn't say anything else. The next Pony to ask a question was one I recognized as Berryshine. "Um, I hope you don't mind if I ask the Princesses something," she said.

"Go ahead and ask, my little Pony," Celestia said kindly.

She nodded, then asked, "Earlier, you called Jethro a Knight of Equestria. I remember being taught that in school a Knight was something that happened rarely. Don't take this the wrong way, but why him?"

Celestia turned and gave Luna a nudge. Luna stood and faced Berryshine. "Sir Jethro Bethridge has proven himself time and time again to be of a noble heart. And before anypony says anything else, my sister and I know what he did in his anger towards Eris. We were unable to blame him for his actions, since behind them was an honest desire, no matter how hidden, to protect this town. Nopony is perfect, I can personally attest to this. But it brings joy to my heart that you can look past the faults of a Pony and a human and give us a second chance."

Berryshine smiled. "That's the definition of true harmony, Princess." She took a seat, as did Luna.

The next Pony to ask a question was a young stallion with an hourglass for a cutie mark. I'd heard about the fan theories about Time Turner being the Doctor, but I seriously doubted it. I'd once dropped the phrases TARDIS, constellation of Kasterborous and Gallifrey around him, and he denied knowing anything about them. Still, I liked him. He was a stallion of science. "I'm not sure if you can answer this with any certainty," he said, "but do you think other of these television programs of your world could be real worlds somewhere in the multiverse?"

I heard Twilight gasp from behind me. It was a terrifying and intriguing thought, I wouldn't deny it. "I'm afraid I can't answer that with any certainty, no," I replied. "There's a theory among my people, albeit one I don't subscribe to, that once a person thinks up a world, that world actually springs into existence in reality somewhere. I personally don't think this is true. It flies in the face of what little I do know about the science of the multiverse."

Filthy Rich was next. He stood. "You mentioned that your species has weapons far beyond our own capacity. You're not planning on introducing them here, are you?"

I shook my head. "As the only representative of the human race on your world, I will keep any human weapon in my possession and I won't allow anyone in the world access to it. I might introduce you to other technologies instead that might benefit your world, but anything that's a weapon is something I will keep close to my chest. Your weapons and technology are behind those of Earth, and I'd rather not start an arms race that could destabilize this world."

He nodded and sat down. I was glad that Diamond Tiara and Spoiled had no questions. The next Pony to ask a question was a blue Unicorn mare. I recognized her as Minuette. "Has any event in the show you told us about happened since you came here?"

I nodded. "Yes, for the most part," I said. "A few I participated in, and one of them is where I actually got these." I spread my wings behind me.

An older Earth Pony mare with a lime green fur, caramel striped colored mane and tail, purple eyes, and a gavel for a cutie mark, was next. I knew her less from the show and more from real life. Her name was Lady Gavel, and she was the town's local lawyer and judge. "If I may saddlebag off of that previous question," she started politely, "how did you receive your wings and your magic?"

I turned to Celestia once more, and she instead nodded at me to continue. I brought one wing in front of me, examining it. "As the princess said earlier, my coming to Equestria was a complete accident. But I didn't come alone. Turns out, when whatever summoned me here pulled me into your fair world, it brought along a companion. Her name was Athena. She was herself a displaced spiritual entity of incredible power. She used what little of her own power she had left to help me. She brought my Earth house with me, along with any of the comforts my house possesses. She also inhabited my body and began making changes to it so I could live in your world without pain or suffering. She told me normal humans are unable to live in your world so she changed things about me so that I could. But she accidentally changed more than what she said she had. So now I have wings, magic, and Earth Pony strength. And I will put all to good use in defending this town."

Satisfied, Lady Gavel sat back down. Next, a beautiful young Earth Pony mare with a yellow mane, striped green ponytails, emerald green eyes and three apple fritters for a cutie mark stood next. I'd seen her occasionally around town and learned her name was Apple Fritter. Applejack had once told me she owned a place in Appleloosa called The Dancing Way where Appleloosans had barnyard dances every weekend. Apple Fritter removed a Stetson from her head and asked, "Pardon me for asking, but you do know that other places in the world saw what Eris did, right? What are your plans for dealing with that?"

Once again, Celestia took the reigns on this question. "There is a plan in motion to smooth over relations with each nation affected by Eris' actions. For security reason, I won't go into further detail about the specifics, but just know that I and my sister are doing all in our power to make sure things don't get out of hoof."

The more questions were answered, some hooves went down. Presumably because their own questions were in fact greatly similar or identical to the ones being asked. Vinyl Scratch was next, and as she signaled to Octavia, who was acting as her translator, suddenly I realized that I could also understand Pony Sign Language, or PSL. I watched carefully, forming the words she was saying in my mind. Before Octavia could translate, I held up a hand. "I'm no medical expert, but stop by my house sometime and I can help you look into any treatment humans have for it."

Vinyl looked stunned, then slowly began signaling, You can understand me?

I nodded then made a few motions with my hands and replied, I understand a fair bit of Equestrian languages.

Vinyl removed her shades and gave me a look I didn't recognize at first, but which I quickly realized was one of joy. Her reddish-purple eyes said all I needed to know. She finally had someone else she could talk to about things. She gave me a nod of gratitude, then put her shades back on.

Octavia was next. "Pardon me for asking this," she said, "but now that you are a Knight of Equestria, what will you do with this title?"

"That's easy," I replied, "I'll use it to defend my new country. I'm a full-blown citizen of this kingdom now, and with the responsibility I now have as a Knight of the Realm, I will use my magic, strength, and training to the best of my ability to ensure the security of this lovely land and all the Ponies and other creatures who inhabit it. And before anyone starts calling me things like 'Sir Jethro' or 'Sir Knight' or anything like that, I'd ask that you don't. I'm the same Jethro you've all seen around town. I don't want to be treated any differently just because I have a title."

As Octavia nodded and sat back down, I faced the next Pony. "How about you?"

Golden Harvest, also known to the fandom as Carrot Top, stood. "A lot of us are still unclear as to how Eris escaped her prison."

Before I could say anything, Sunset Shimmer stood. "I can answer that better."

I cleared my throat and stepped beside her. "Everyone, I'd like to introduce Miss Sunset Shimmer, former magical apprentice to Princess Celestia. She has just recently returned to Equestria after ten long years." I put a gentle hand on her withers and looked down at her. "I'm right here, Ms. Shimmer, in case you need support."

She looked up at me with a sad but appreciative smile. "Thank you," she said before turning to the crowd. "As Jethro here said, I was once the magical apprentice to Princess Celestia. I'll try and keep this story short, and if you all want to hate me because of it, I wouldn't blame you. I grew impatient with what the Princess was teaching me. I got greedy and wanted to learn more. After I saw something I wasn't ready to see, I ran away, but not before I stopped in front of Eris' statue. I was so full of anger and rage that it affected the statue and some of her own magic seeped into me before I ran away. For ten long years I lived in another land and I started to hate the Princess. I wanted revenge, and the idea came to me that releasing Eris would hurt the Princess…would…" she looked down, tears forming in her eyes before she suddenly knelt and shouted out in a voice full of pure anguish, "I'm so sorry! This is all my fault! I released Eris! If it wasn't for me, none of this would have happened! Don't be mad at Jethro, be mad at me! Hate me!"

The stunned silence of the crowd only made Sunset's cries of anguish all the louder. Celestia stood quickly and approached, but I beat her to it. I wrapped my arms around her tightly, and Celestia also put a wing on her back, then looked back towards the crowd. "Before you judge her too quickly, I wish to point out that Eris did corrupt her and influenced her decisions. She was as much a victim in this as Jethro was."

I heard murmurs from the crowd as I held Sunset closer to me. She was whispering, "I'm so sorry…I'm so sorry…"

"Celestia's right," I whispered gently, "you are a victim too, Ms. Shimmer."

After a few minutes, she sniffed and looked up at me with her glistening green eyes. "How…how can you be so…forgiving?" she whispered. "I shot you and released Eris…"

Reaching up, I poked her nose. "We both screwed up plenty because of this, and these other Ponies have given me a second chance. I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't do the same with you. My advice though, don't waste this chance. At all."

She nodded fervently. "I won't."

I smiled, stroked her mane a bit, then stood and led her back to her seat. I turned back to the crowd. "Alright, next question?"

I continued to answer question after question for at least another hour. Most of them were related to the show, such as how much of Equestrian history I knew based off it (I told them about certain events like the origin of Hearth's Warming and what lead to Nightmare Moon, among other bits of history), but others were actually directed at the princesses as well as the rest of my friends.

After I answered one other question, I heard Spoiled say something under her breath. She'd been surprisingly silent during the hour, but what I heard caused me to paus and turn back towards her. This had to stop too, and I had a sudden inspiration as to how. "Could you repeat that for the class?" I asked.

Spoiled whirled on me. "Gladly!" She stood and walked up to the stage, eyes wide with barely restrained fury. The group on stage looked like they were about to approach but I held my hand out to stop them. She raised one hoof and jabbed at my chest. "You might have everypony else fooled here with your oh-so noble act, but you and I both know how much of a fraud you really are! All of you freaks from Everfree are the same!"

I saw Luna about to yell at her, but I held up a hand again. "Could you elaborate, Mrs. Rich?"

She spat in my face. "Don't you dare start with me! You're not worthy of the title Knight, and I will not rest until I prove it!"

I kept my face placid, not wanting to give her any sort of material to use against me. She glared angrily at me, huffing a bit. There was something about Spoiled's words that told me there was something more to her hatred of me and perhaps her behavior in general. I bowed to her politely, then turned to Filthy, who had a stunned and embarrassed expression on his face. "Mr. Rich," I said, "I would like to cordially invite you, your wife, and your daughter to dinner at my house on November 30th. I will be my honor to provide an excellent meal and all the hospitality in the world."

That seemed to surprise him even more, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Spoiled's expression change from fury to shock and disbelief. Even Diamond Tiara looked completely stunned. Filthy Rich's surprise morphed into a kind of understanding. "We would be delighted to come, Sir Bethridge."

Spoiled was tongue tied. She looked absolutely pissed now, but one glare from her husband kept her from saying anything else. She stuck her nose in the air, turned around and flicked her tail at me rudely before returning to her seat. The room was completely silent for a while until I turned back to the crowd. "If you don't mind, I know it's a bit early but I would like to take a little break. Say…ten minutes? Feel free to stretch, talk among yourselves etc."

And with that, many of the seated Ponies stood and stretched, turning to their neighbors. I turned back to the others on stage and my exhaustion must have been clearly visible because Zecora was immediately by my side, pressing herself against me. "You look positively wiped out, darling," Rarity said as she too approached.

"I'll be alright," I said. "I just need a long night's sleep. If I can."

"I have a brew that will help you," Zecora said gently.

I kissed her and smiled. "Thank you, dear."

From behind me, I heard three sets of hooves clopping on the stage. Turning, my heart sank once more when I saw the Cutie Mark Crusaders walking up. In the center, Scootaloo stood, still with the look of grief and despair on her young face. That was a look I recognized, and judging from the look on Applejack's face, so did she. I knelt and faced the young filly. "Scootaloo?"

She looked down at the floor, opening her mouth to speak, but closing it afterwards. Sweetie Belle was rubbing her back while Apple Bloom looked at me. "She wanted tah ask somethin' in private," the young Apple said.

I nodded in understanding, then reached down and put a hand on Scootaloo's back. "Let's go outside for a bit, alright?"

Scootaloo and I walked silently back to a backdoor and stepped out into the windy afternoon. We both sat against the building, and I removed my jacket, placing it around the young filly to keep her warm. "Thanks…" she said softly.

"Anytime, sweetie," I said gently. "So, what did you want to ask? And take your time."

Scootaloo looked down at the ground, pawing at it with her hooves. The dust that she disturbed flew into the air around us and headed east. She and I just sat there for a bit while she got her thoughts in order. Finally, she turned and looked at me. Her eyes were bloodshot and puffy. "Did…my parents show up in the show?"

I didn't take my eyes away from her. She deserved that much. "Yes, they did."

That did it. The poor filly's tears returned anew as she jumped towards me, her grief replaced with rage as she weakly hit my chest over and over again. I fell back and grabbed her hooves. "If it wasn't for you, they'd be alive! They died because of you! I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!"

She kept on repeating this over and over as she struggled against my strength, her tiny wings buzzing behind her. Finally, it looked like she'd gotten all of her anger out and it was only grief that remained. She collapsed onto my chest and sobbed into it. I held her tightly, stroking her purple mane and said, "Scootaloo, I'm so sorry…"

She sniffed and looked up at me. "No…I'm sorry," she whimpered. "It's not your fault…I don't hate you…I just…"

"You're looking to blame someone, right?" I asked.

She nodded. "How did you know?"

I looked up at the passing clouds overhead. "Scoots, I lost three people special to me years ago. My parents were killed in an accident, and my first girlfriend died from a deadly disease. I know how you're feeling. You want to look for someone to blame. Anything to make the hurt go away, right?" When she nodded, I continued. "When my parents were killed, I wanted so badly to be angry at someone, anyone. The anger in my heart kept the pit in my stomach away for a time, but it wasn't permanent."

She sniffed again, and I brought out a handkerchief, wiping her eyes and letting her blow her nose into it. "Does…it ever stop hurting?" she asked.

I was immediately reminded of the Ranger fanfiction where Shane was talking to Pipsqueak in one of the later chapters. I stroked her mane gently. "Not for a while, but you're not alone in this, Scoots. I'm here if you want to talk, and I know at least four others who've lost family members, one being a fellow CMC member and the other being your aunt. Don't be afraid to talk to somebody who gets it. I'm always available, and I know Applejack and your aunt are too. We know how it feels to lose someone you love."

"I'm…I'm scared," she said. "What's going to happen now? I'm…I'm a damned orphan!"

I wrapped my wings around her immediately. The fact that she was so distraught that she was swearing "You have plenty of Ponies around you who love you and care about you. You're a key member of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Out of all the fillies and colts in town, you three are my favorites."

"You're just saying that because of the show, right?" Scootaloo asked, sounding a bit bitter.

I shook my head. "Not at all. You three inspired so many people back on Earth to look for their own talents, even if humans don't get cutie marks. A lot of humans never find their talents and are stuck in jobs they hate just to survive, but you and your friends inspired so many humans."

"I…that's so…insane," she said. "I don't know what to think."

"I know it's a lot to take in," I said, "but it's the truth. You are one awesome filly. Twenty percent cooler than a lot of the other fillies and colts around town. If I had a daughter, I'd want her to be as awesome as you. You're a strong girl."

"I don't feel strong…" she replied softly before nuzzling her face into one of my wings.

"I know, sweetie," I said as I tightened my wing hug around her, "and it's okay to cry. I cried a lot when my parents and my first girlfriend died." I sat up and leaned back up against the building, wings and arms still wrapped around her.

She clung to me tightly. "I'm still sorry…for what I said earlier…I don't hate you."

"It's alright. A bit of advice, though: don't hate anyone else, either. Hatred is corrosive, as one of my movie heroes Tony Stark says." I brought her closer.

"How do I do that?" she asked.

"I know it's hard, but talking does help," I said. "Spending time with friends who care also helps. I remember when my own parents died my girlfriend spent time with me, and that definitely helped to ease the pain a bit. You have a lot of Ponies here who you can relate to."

She and I lay there for a bit, her clinging to me with an almost desperate strength, and me hugging her and stroking her mane affectionately. Finally, she looked up at me. "I…I'm feeling a bit better. Thank you."

"You're welcome, I'm glad to hear it. You want to head back inside, or do you want to head back to your house?"

She shook her head. "I don't wanna go home today…"

"Too many memories?" I asked. She slowly nodded. "I understand. If you want, you can stay at my house for the night, or maybe with one of the other Crusaders. I'd suggest Apple Bloom's house. That way, you can talk to Applejack. She knows how you're feeling too, and can help."

"I…I'd like to go to Apple Bloom's house," she admitted softly.

"I'll talk to Applejack about it," I promised. "And the offer to stay with me is always open. I have plenty of nice rooms just lying empty with some of the most comfortable and bounciest beds in Equestria." I chuckled a bit. "Trust me, I've tried them."

That did it. Scootaloo smiled a little bit. "Thanks, Mr. Knight."

I smiled back. "Just call me Jethro, okay? Come on, let's go back inside. Break's almost over." I stood, still holding the young filly close, and walked back inside.

There had been another hour of questions before Celestia put a halt to it after seeing my utter mental exhaustion. As promised, I had pulled Applejack aside and talked with her about Scootaloo. She readily agreed that a night with her friends would be good for her, and she promised to listen to Scootaloo if she wanted to talk.

When some of the others had asked me what my plan was by inviting the Rich family over for dinner, all I said was, "There's an old saying on Earth, 'Kill them with kindness.' I don't want her to have anything on me that she can try and use to do harm to me or any of my friends."

Pinkie Pie had come up to me a little bit after that and had actually asked if she could throw a Thank You For Saving Equestria and Congrats on Your Recovery party. I had told her that a party might be just what the town needed, but I suggested that it might be a good idea to give it a day or so. However, I also added that she was the Party Pony, and it was her decision since she knew how to make Ponies happy better than I did.

For a while after that, I was surrounded by many other Ponies, all of whom were asking me if I was alright and if I needed anything. I was touched by their words and thanked them all.

By the time I got out of there, it was early evening. Celestia and Luna had to return to Canterlot, but gave me each a warm hug and cheek nuzzle as a farewell, as well as a promise to visit soon to check on me. And with that, they both flew away in their chariots. After that, I said my goodbyes to my friends, then headed back home with Zecora, Scarlet, Mica and Gemini, the latter two of whom went straight to their rooms when they got home. Scarlet, also exhausted, had said good night, hugged me close, then went to her room.

"Fuuuuck! That was such a long day!" I said as I collapsed into bed.

Zecora climbed into bed beside me, pressing her body close to me and kissing my head lovingly. "I'm so proud of you, my love," she said.

I turned onto my back and Zecora was immediately on top of me. Just the sight of her lovely face gazing down at me with her beautiful smile, those ocean blue eyes, and her mane which now fell to either side of her face, was enough to help push away my anxiety and fear. "Thank you, dear. And thank you for being there with me."

She moved closer and kissed me deeply. "I would never have been anywhere else." She lay her head on my chest and nuzzled it under my chin. "I love you too much."

"I love you too," I said as I scratched behind her ear. "And I owe you."

"It's a shame you're too tired," she said, and her tone had shifted to become sultrier. "I know just how you could repay me." She looked up at me with teasing bedroom eyes before giggling. "But I know better. You need some sleep, and I have just the remedy for stress." She got off of me, to my dismay since I was really enjoying her being there, and headed out of the room for a bit. About five or so minutes later, she came back with a tray and a glass in her hand which had a light brown and fizzy looking drink inside.

I took it and sat up, looking at it curiously. "What's this?"

"A potion of my own making have I brewed. Drink it down, and it will help you snooze."

I chuckled, and took a small sip. My eyes widened as I tasted root beer. "What the…how did you manage to recreate root beer flavor!?"

She closed the door, turned down the light, got back on top of me and snuggled on my lap in her Zebraloaf. "Remember when we were on Earth and you let me take a sip of your soda that first night? I remembered tasting a very similar drink after mixing together a few of the herbs at my hut. I know you like that flavor, so I mixed it into this drink to help it go down easier."

I smiled happily and eagerly drank the prototype soda. I wasn't sure just what she'd done, but it tasted nearly identical to root beer. The fizz was even correct.

When I finished I put the empty glass on the nightstand beside me and lay back down. To my delight, Zecora snuggled back into the same position and allowed me to stroke her mane. After a bit, she asked, "Are you still worried about young Scootaloo?"

I took a deep breath and nodded. "She's hurting a lot right now. She's just lost her mom and dad, and with them dead, she's scared about where to go. I doubt she'd want to go live in Westfield away from her friends." Just then an idea came to my mind, and I smiled eagerly. "I just had an idea…"

Zecora looked up at me. "Would you care to share?"

I nodded. "Sure. So, here's what I'm thinking: tomorrow morning, I'll go down to Town Hall…"