The Travelling Argument

The rest of the group dropped off to sleep except for Evening and Valhalla.

Evening looked over at all her sleeping companions. "Sleep well, friends. You earned it."

"You did... good, Evening... I'm proud of you," said Sky as she slowly drifted into dreamland.

Evening blushed. "Thanks, Sky. I tried my best."

"Shh... we're sleeping... go back to sleep, Sky," whispered Willow.

Evening looked over at Valhalla curiously. "Why are you still up?"

"I thought a study of the stars would be welcome tonight. We have a very beautiful evening," answered Valhalla as he looked at the sky.

"Oh, okay."

A few hours pass and the wind begins to pick up, making the trees rustle loudly. Valhalla was still studying the stars when a whisper begins to creep around the group.

"Far over the foal mountains cold,

To dungeons deep and caverns old."

Valhalla looked around confused. He saw Evening bolt to attention, quickly holding her staff out at the trees around the area.

"Halt! Who goes there? Approach to be recognized!" whispered Evening harshly.

"What was that? Is there somepony out there?" asked Valhalla.

Evening ignores his question and continues holding her staff threateningly, but the low voice continues.

"We must away, 'ere break of day,

To find our long forgotten home."

"This is you last warning! I, Evening Flash, of the Celestial Order will protect my friends by any means necessary!" threatened Evening a little more loudly.

"Of harm, you have nothing to fear,

For that is not my purpose here."

Willow turned in her sleep. "Evening... keep it down... Sky is still recovering."

Evening plants her staff on the ground and looks around for the source of the voice. "Then what is your purpose?"

"Evening Flash, the watchful guard, who has yet to learn that life is hard.

Willow Leaf, the kind healer, who thinks that none are positioned beneath her.

Sky Runner, ever the thief, whose suffering will thankfully be brief.

Valhalla, he who turned away, the one who would lead in dismay.

Maboo, the bard who makes good sound, and who brings joy to all around.

But there are others to join your band, before you all will make your stand.

These are the words I bring to you, rest assured they will come true."

Evening kept searching for the voice. "Who are you? Why do you know so much about us?"

"My identity I can not say,

For there are many who wish me away.

As for you, my little mite,

You are those who will make things right."

The voice disappeared as Willow sat up with a yawn. "Evening... who are you talking to?"

"You didn't hear any of that?" asked Evening with disbelief.

"I believe I heard the same voice, though not quite as clearly. What was said, Evening Flash?" asked Valhalla.

"It spoke like it knew us. All of our virtues and flaws... and that we're collecting people to right some wrong... I don't know. We need somepony smarter to understand it," answered Evening.

"I see... I cannot say I understand myself, only recently getting mixed up in all this, but I will meditate on it. I will see you all in the morning." Valhalla walked off and found his own place in the grass to sleep.

"It's time for you to get some rest too, Evening. I will stay to watch the camp for the rest of the night," said Willow. "Sleep well."

"Good night, Willow." Evening put her staff to the side and let her guard down, dropping onto the soft grass and falling asleep herself.

A few more hours passed. It was just before dawn when Willow walked over to Sky to check on her wing. Sky is shaking and her wing is visibly misshapen under the bandages. Willow gasped as she got a closer look. "Oh no... there's no way... What did you get into, Sky Runner? This is beyond my abilities."

Sky shifted in her sleep and slowly opened her eyes. "Whuh... wha?"

"I'm sorry, did I wake you? How does your wing feel?" asked Willow.

Sky rubbed her eyes and stared at Willow curiously. "I'm sorry, what about my wing?"

"Nothing... How are you feeling? Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, like a filly... but it's still super early, why'd you wake me up? And why are you looking at me like that?" asked Sky, slightly disturbed at the panicked look Willow was giving her.

Willow looked at Sky even more disturbingly. "Like what? I'm not looking at you any different!"

"Willow... you're kinda freaking me out. Come on, what's wrong? You can tell me."

"Your wing, it's twisted out of the bandages! There's no way it should have been able to do that! Not unless-" Willow paused as the thought came to her. "-it was a magical injury."

"Oh yeah, that thing," said Sky with a sigh. "I guess I'll come clean with ya. This injury... is very magical. The wounds on this thing were done with a cursed weapon, so I can't heal the damage. All my wings are now is a pair of gliding surfaces," Sky was doing her best to suppress her tears. "It's okay though, really! I've made my peace with it! It's not like I ever wanted to see Cloudsdale or anything anyway!"

Willow looked at her friend compassionately. "Oh, Sky... I didn't know."

"It's okay... you weren't meant to be psychic. It wasn't your fault either! It happened ages ago, months before we even met, so don't sweat it... I wasn't that good at flying anyway."

Willow sighed. "You're right... I should just come to grips that I haven't mastered my art yet."

Sky smiled awkwardly. "Would it make you feel better if I told you that I spent months tracking down almost every doctor in Canterlot, and none of them could help? It's okay. You're a great cleric, you've saved my bacon now more times than I can count! So thanks for all your help."

"Perhaps you should allow Valhalla to examine it. A zebra can bring experience to the table that most ponies can not, especially considering the cursing and enchantment of weapons. I would not hold hope, but do not give up," said an anonymous voice.

The two ponies looked where the voice had come from and saw that Swift Blade had returned. The rest of the group had also began to wake up.

"Oh, it's you," said Sky with a roll of her eyes. "Couldn't hurt, I guess. Still, I've seen your type before. You know your way around a pony's anatomy, but not too much about healing, huh?"

"Only the basics to make sure I'm still alive. Besides," Swift pulled out her hidden blade and gave it a stroke. "My job is making sure my targets stay in the land of the dead, not the living."

Sky swallowed her fears. "Right... So who are you here to take down anyway? I don't think we were properly introduced."

"Not you, if that's what you were wondering. It doesn't matter, my job is done," answered Swift. I" take the name of Swift Blade, and I kill ponies for a living."

"Well my name's Sky Runner! I'm a th... museum curator who likes to collect artifacts!"

"Yeah, and my flank makes the world go around," said Swift sarcastically.