A Different Kind of Quest.

Niy'ka's arrival had not gone unnoticed in Ponyville. Despite the early hours of the morning, nearly every pony in the town had come out to investigate the disturbance. It took some clever words and persuading by Stampede but eventually the crowd dispersed, giving Niy'ka and her six pony companions a chance to move around the back of the library to talk.

“You know if I had not met him before... I would have said everything you have just told me was a lie,” said Niy'ka, scratching the side of her head. “But... since this is Bardac we are talking about...” She ended her sentence with a simple shrug of her shoulders having settled down on the grass.

Twilight gave a small nod. “It... is some story, I know,” she said before looking around at her friends. While they were used to long nights... stress was clearly evident in the bags underneath their eyes. Even Rarity wasn't complaining about laying in the dirt behind the library with a cup of coffee between her hooves.

“Princess Luna has saved us a lot of time by contacting you directly, Niy'ka” said Stampede, nursing his own cup of coffee. “Time is of the essence now so I have to ask you now. Are you willing to give your blood?”

Niy'ka looked down at the seven pair of eyes looking up at her almost pleadingly. “I don't think any dragon has ever been asked to give their blood before...” she pondered, scratching underneath her chin now. Her tail thumped in thought behind her. “I do owe that idiot and dragons always pay off their debts.”

“Don't I know it,” muttered Applejack. “We'd be mighty grateful to you if you did. He's countin' on you.”

It took Niy'ka a few minutes to make up her mind. “Alright. I'll give some of my blood to save him but on one condition,” she said, holding up a claw. “I want to see him with my own eyes. As much as I believe your stories, I am not going to be one hundred percent convinced until I do.”

There was a collective release of breath from the group. “How are we going to get Niy'ka to the Crystal Empire?” asked Fluttershy, looking up at Niy'ka but not meeting her eye, she was still nervous around fully grown dragons. “Your wings would freeze if you tried to fly there and it's far too far for you to try and walk.”

Niy'ka extended her wings, examining the thin membrane. “I have heard stories of the Frozen North and what it does to my kind,” she said, shivering at the very thought. “What did you have in mind instead? I don't think I would fit on those strange... contraptions you call trains.”

“We could always try teleportation?” suggested Rarity. “An alicorn or two would surely have enough power to teleport a dragoness.”

“That... could work,” agreed Twilight, “What do you think Niy'ka? Besides Spike I don't think any other dragon or dragoness has ever experienced teleportation. We'll have to get you to Canterlot first to talk to the princesses but I doubt they'll say no to helping.”

“It would not be the weirdest thing I have done,” said Niy'ka, slapping her tail on the ground. “Let's give it a shot.” She laid eyes on Twilight. “If it were not for his intervention with the Diamond Dogs. My hoard would still be under threat.” Even ponies knew how important a hoard was to a dragon, it was worth their lives.

Clearing his throat, Stampede addressed the group. “We also need to decide who's going with Niy'ka. Given Bardac's condition, I doubt it'll be a good idea to bring everypony with us.” He paused and gave his golden band a small tap. “I'll be with you up until we enter the Empire, then I'll hoof you over to Aela so I'd say no more than three of you.”

Rarity took a small sip of coffee. “It's obvious to me who should go. Twilight and Pinkie Pie,” she said, nodding her head slowly. “Out of all of us, you two have the best relationship with him.”

“I second that,” said Applejack, holding her hoof up in the air before letting it drop back down. “I'd love to go but I got a barn full of chores to be catchin' up on...”

Rainbow Dash sighed heavily, “Weather duty.”

“Some of my animals are sick,” said Fluttershy sadly. “I'd hate to leave them any longer than I have.”

Twilight shook her head and smiled warmly. “I'm sure he'll understand,” she said confidently. “What about you Rarity? This'll be a good chance to get to know him a little better.”

“I don't doubt that,” Rarity murmured but she didn't sound convinced. “Well, I am a little light on work at the moment. I suppose a little vacation to the Crystal Empire wouldn't hurt.”

Lifting his hoof up, Stampede spoke into his golden band, “Captain Stampede reporting in. We've made contact with Niy'ka. She's in Ponyville and will be en route to Canterlot as soon as we can. Princess Twilight and I, along with two guests will be joining her.”

“Excellent work Captain,” replied Princess Luna, “Though why are you returning to Canterlot? You should be heading to the Crystal Empire.”

“There is a small matter of how, Princess,” said Stampede, “We've come to the conclusion that the only safe way to get a dragoness to the Crystal Empire is to teleport them directly to the front gate with the help of a minimum of two alicorns. Miss Rarity came up with the idea and Miss Niy'ka has agreed to it.”

There was a long pause before Luna spoke again, “An interesting prospect. I know time is of the essence but please allow us at least an hour to prepare the citizens of Canterlot for Niy'ka arrival. I'll be in contact soon.”

Stampede put his hoof down and got to his hooves, stretching out a little. “Princess Luna has given us an hour to get ready. Please use the time wisely.” He advised. “Also... as you are all probably aware. It seems the changelings now answer to Bardac. Do not be surprised if we encounter Queen Chrysalis.”

“We've already had a changeling deliver a message from her,” said Twilight and with a flash of her horn, produced the letter for Stampede to read. “I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it for myself.”

“I need to get home,” said Pinkie Pie, hopping to her hooves before trotting in place. “I need eggs! I'll be back in a hour!” She shot off in a cloud of dust.

“She is a fast one,” admired Niy'ka, craning her neck to watch the pink blur weave through the streets until she was out of sight. Turning her attention back to the remaining ponies, she asked. “You seem to be taking this all rather well... am I wrong?”

“That would be a mixture of shock and fatigue,” grunted Stampede, cracking his neck from left to right. “How long it takes to go depends on the pony.”

“It's not like we're used to what he gets up to but compared to what we saw in Canterlot...” Applejack added, shivering hard. “Princess Luna's still helpin' us get over those nightmares.”

Everypony could only murmur in agreement.

Meanwhile in Canterlot, Luna was working hard preventing a nightmare of her own. Irritatingly curious nobles were the last thing she needed while trying to get her guards into position. If it wasn't for the blunt, yet surprisingly gentle words from Light Flight hovering nearby, it would have taken her far longer to get everypony where they needed to be. Luna could have chosen a better place... but the large area outside Canterlot Library was the first place that came to her mind in the short time she had.

“Everypony is in position,” reported Light Flight, landing next to her with a rustle of her wings. “I have pegasi ready and waiting outside Canterlot to show Niy'ka the way in.”

“Excellent. Ah, right on time,” said Luna, looking up just as Celestia came into view over the buildings. “Good morning sister.”

Celestia landed gracefully, her hooves barely making a sound against the stone path. “Luna, Captain,” she said with a smile. “A good morning to you both. I trust all is well here?”

“We've just finished,” replied Luna, looking up to Raven who was stationed just outside the library doors. “We have about fifteen guards stationed in the roads leading here and a further seven pegasi watching the skies.”

“And one changeling,” added Light Flight, pointing over to a small alleyway. A single changeling sat, unmoving and unblinking. “He or she has been there since we arrived. We've just been ignoring it for the time being.”

Celestia followed Light Flight's hoof and spotted the changeling. With a warm smile, she rose a hoof and gave a single wave towards the changeling. It took a second but surprisingly, she received a single wave back. “Interesting...” she murmured to herself.

Light Flight shook her head slowly. “I still can't believe we're just... letting them in,” she said, “I know you've given us our orders Princesses but I can't help but feel uneasy about all this. Not after what happened.”

Luna tapped her hoof on the ground, “I understand your concern Captain, we all feel uneasy,” she said soothingly. “Please trust us when we say if the circumstances were any different, this would not be happening.”

Just then, Celestia's horn lit up in a puff of green smoke. A small scroll appeared in front of her. Grabbing it in her magic, Celestia peered curiously at the written content. “Ah, they have finished their preparations in the Crystal Empire.” She took a moment to look around. “Are we ready to call for Niy'ka?”

“About ready as we'll ever be. We've got no idea how the nobles of Canterlot will react to a dragon flying over,” Light Flight replied. “Knowing about one and actually seeing one... we'll just have to see.”

Luna nodded in understanding. “Beyond locking all the nobles in their home... which did cross my mind... there is little else we can do,” she said, lifting her hoof up to her lips. “Captain Stampede. We've secured enough space outside Canterlot Library to give Niy'ka enough room to land.”

“Roger that,” replied Stampede, “Princess Twilight will teleport the others and I to your location when Niy'ka takes off.” Even through the band, an almighty gust of wind could be heard. “Correction. Niy'ka has taken off.”

Luna looked to Light Flight and gave a sharp nod. “Understood,” she said. “We'll be expecting you shortly.”

Light Flight saluted and took off in an instant to join the pegasi hovering just beyond Canterlot's borders.

No more than two seconds later, a bright flash of purple light filled up the street. “Celestia, Luna!” called Twilight, waving enthusiastically with her wing. “Thank you so much for being able to help on such short notice.”

“Well it's not every day that we get asked to try something new,” replied Celestia, greeting the three with a serene smile. “I trust all went well in Ponyville?”

“There was a disturbance when Niy'ka arrived,” said Stampede. “But apart from that it went smoothly.”

“You'll be surprised what Ponyville is used to,” said Rarity, giving her mane a quick bounce while leaning against her three suitcases. “Princess Celestia, you were there not long after when we had that little parasprite incident if I recall?”

Luna shuddered from horn to tail. “Those beastly creatures have existed for as long as Celestia and I. I fear nothing will eradicate them,” she groaned.

Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie was busy rummaging around in a large woven picnic basket she'd brought with her, the scent of freshly baked bread started to gather attention as she took out several small boxes one after the other to make sure they weren't damaged in the teleport. “Good, nothing's damaged,” she murmured, breathing a sigh of relief before packing the boxes away again.

“Has there been any news on Chrysalis's movements?” asked Stampede, ignoring the rumble in his stomach from the smell of fresh bread.

“None at the moment,” replied Luna, stamping her hoof just enough for the sound to echo. “Even Flitter, the young changeling sent in her stead is having trouble contacting her after their conversation in the hospital.”

“Despite this, there has been no reports of anything coming out of the ruins of Mount Everhoof,” added Celestia. “What ever they are doing in there, it's working.”

“Captain Stampede mentioned we may run into her in the Empire,” said Rarity, feeling a slight chill up the back of her spine. Looking behind her, she saw the changeling sat in the alleyway that had caught the eye of Celestia not long before they arrived. “I wish they wouldn't stare. It's enough to put a mare off her breakfast.”

“It is a possibility,” agreed Luna, looking over to the changeling with contempt. “I know this will be a difficult order to follow but ignore her to the best of your abilities.” She made sure to look squarely at Pinkie Pie when she spoke.

“And... Swift Wing?” asked Twilight hesitantly.

Celestia sighed heavily, “While part of me would love to say that Swift Wing's death was avoidable... I know I'd just be lying to myself if I continued to think that way.”

“Swift Wing attacked Bardac with an outlawed technique, banned even before the start of my banishment,” added Luna. “The suffocation vortex. A tornado combined with innate pegasi magic to draw all air out from the eye.”

“Forgive me for the slight change of subject princesses,” said Rarity with a small bow. “But how are the two of you faring in all of this? This is... a lot to deal with.”

“Your concern is appreciated Rarity, but do not worry yourself,” Celestia answered with a warm, caring smile. “Luna and I are just relieved we have such dependable ponies like yourself, your friends and our royal guards to turn to when we need help.”

“It is as my sister said,” added Luna. “You all have done much for Equ—” Luna's words were interrupted by a thunderous roar in the distance. “It seems our guest will be arriving any minute now.”

“That was quick,” pondered Twilight, “Then again the flight speed of a fully grown dragon hasn't really been documented. I wonder...” Her mind started to whirl with questions and opportunities... before they were snuffed out like an old candle by Celestia's amused look. “Hehe... sorry.”

About a minute later, Light Flight landed at speed and skidded to a controlled stop near the group. Her hoof swung up into a salute. “Niy'ka has entered Canterlot air space,” she reported. “But just as you thought Princesses, the nobles are starting to kick up a fuss.”

“Let them,” answered Luna firmly, stamping her hoof on the ground. “Come to think of it, this is a military matter. They can bray as much as they wish. They are lucky they got as much warning as they did.”

“Oh oh! Here she is!” Pinkie Pie called out, bouncing on her hooves as a colossal shadow loomed over them. “Hi Niy'ka!”

Niy'ka landed with a heavy thud in front of her pony escort. “Hello pink one,” she replied, focusing her gaze on Celestia and Luna. “Princess Luna. Princess Celestia. Anything I should know before we undertake this little... experiment?”

“For starters, the Crystal Ponies have never encountered a dragon before. Not counting the one Bardac summoned before his crash landing in the Empire and Spike who is a... fair bit smaller than yourself. I cannot say for sure how they'll react when they see you,” said Celestia. “The ponies of Canterlot and Ponyville are directly in the path of the dragon migration so they are a little more used to dragons of your size.”

“Secondly, there is a barrier that surrounds the Crystal Empire, protecting it from the savage Frozen North. It is powered by the crystal heart,” added Luna. “To tamper with either is a severe offence.”

“Is that all?” asked Niy'ka, chuckling loudly. “Here I thought there'd be an entire scroll's worth of rules to follow.”

“My other concern is how Queen Chrysalis will react to you if she makes an appearance,” said Celestia, not hiding the sigh in her words.

Niy'ka waved her claws dismissively. “Let me deal with Queen Chrysalis my own way,” she growled. “I heard changelings have quite the nice crunch to them.”

Luna flared her wings. “Nay. As we have instructed our ponies, leave Chrysalis be,” she said, the warning clear. “Do not misunderstand us. As much as we would love Chrysalis to be out of our mane for good. We gave our word to Bardac that nothing would interfere with that particular matter. Chrysalis is his responsibility alone to deal with.”

“Alright alright,” snorted Niy'ka, a thick plume of smoke erupting from her snout. “No eating the changelings.” She huffed loudly. “So, what are we waiting for?”

That instant, a puff of green smoke erupted from Celestia's horn, curling and forming into a scroll that she took in her magical grasp. “That,” Celestia pointed out. Unfurling the scroll, she carefully read the contents. “Perfect. It looks like Princess Cadence and Shining Armor have chosen a spot for us to teleport to.”

“What spot would that be sister?” asked Luna, leaning in to have a small read of the scroll as well. Though when she did, her eyebrow rose. “Really... That's the spot they chose?”

All Celestia could do was chuckle. “Bardac crash landed there on a dragon. It seems fitting that we are to arrive with a dragon also. It is also the closest spot outside the barrier to the hospital,” Looking up Niy'ka, she added. “Now Niy'ka. This will require quite a bit of power from Luna, Twilight and I to make sure the teleportation works. I assure you it is completely safe and will not hurt. A teleportation can either success or fail by not happening. No in-between.”

Meanwhile Luna started to guide Pinkie, Stampede and Rarity closer to Niy'ka, making a triangle close to Niy'ka's legs. Luna herself stood on the left side of Niy'ka, just under the shadow of her wings. “Twilight,” called Luna. “Stand on her other side, like me. Celestia will be at the front.”

Following Luna's instructions, Twilight stood underneath Niy'ka's wing and started to power up her magic. She watched as the purple glow of her horn as soon joined by a deep blue and golden aura. The three colours started to combine, growing in size until they peaked over the top of Niy'ka's head. Then, with an anti-climactic pop, the teleportation activated.

In the time it took Niy'ka to blink, the stone buildings of Canterlot were replaced with the sprawling white fields of the Crystal Empire's farm lands. To her right was an immense impact crater, one that even herself would have trouble making. To her left stood the barrier to the Empire and the three ponies... and a changeling waiting for them. Niy'ka frowned, put her claws to her chest and unleashed an almighty belch of fire and smoke. “I feel like my stomach is back in Canterlot,” she said matter-of-factly. She also didn't feel all that cold... until an icy blast found its way under her wings.

“You get used to it,” said Stampede, giving his body a shake before heading towards the barrier with the group following close behind. As the barrier opened wide enough for them all to enter, Stampede came to a stop in front of a tired looking pink alicorn. “Princess Cadence. Good morning.”

“Good morning to all of you,” replied Cadence, looking to Twilight and mouthed 'later' to her. “I hate to hurry things along since you've just arrived but if you would Niy'ka, please follow Captain Stampede and Captain Rampage to the hospital. Doctor Pin Prick will be waiting for you. Captain Rampage will point him out.”

Niy'ka just nodded her head and looked down to Stampede... who was now joined by an equally large earth pony. The only real way to tell the two apart was one was slightly darker than the other and their cutie-marks were different. “Brothers?” she asked before shrugging her shoulders and following the two at a quick pace.

“Remind me to thank Niy'ka as soon as possible,” sighed Cadence, giving her head a shake. “Bardac is still in surgery but should be out any minute now. We needed her at the hospital as soon as possible.”

“It's okay.” soothed Celestia, giving Cadence a small nuzzle. “Time is of the essence.”

All Cadence could do was smile wearily. “We... haven't had much sleep since the incident,” she yawned.

“Understandable,” said Luna, looking towards Aela with a smile. “Aela Ress. It is good to see you again.” She then cast her eyes to the cheerful looking purple changeling next to her. “Is this Flitter?”

“It is,” replied Aela tiredly.

Four more pairs of eyes instantly turned to face the changeling. Who just gave an enthusiastic wave in return. “Hi there!” she squeaked.

“Hi Flitter!” replied Pinkie Pie, waving her hoof energetically. “I'm Pinkie Pie! This is Rarity, Twilight, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna!” she reeled off at high speed. “The big blue pony you saw earlier was Stampede and the big scary looking dragon was Niy'ka!”

Surprisingly, Flitter barely blinked but her smile grew wider and wider. “It's nice to meet you all!” she said, looking at them all in turn. “I'm here to serve Bardac while my mother is busy inside the mountain.”

“I'm sorry darling,” said Rarity, wiggling a hoof against her ear. “Did you just say 'serve' Bardac?”

“Oh yes!” giggled Flitter, nodding her head a few times. “The life debt of the Queen extends to all us changelings.”

Twilight was just about to pull out a notepad when she was sideswiped by a purple and green blur.

“Twilight!” gasped Spike, wrapping his arms around her side. “Am I happy to see you!”

All Twilight could do was turn and wrap her wings and forelegs around him. “Spike. I'm so glad you're safe,” she murmured, nuzzling the young dragon.

“Oh yeah,” shivered Spike, “When Bardac tells you to stay behind... you stay behind.” He pressed his muzzle into Twilight's chest.

“Where's my brother?” Twilight asked, still holding Spike tight as she looked around.

“He's in the north wing of the Empire,” explained Cadence. “He wants to keep a close an eye on the mountain ruins as possible.”

The sound of thundering hooves derailed any train of thought from the group as Rampage came skidding to a halt in front of them. Catching his breath, he swung his hoof up in a salute. “They're wrapping up General Strongarm's surgery now,” he said. “They'll be waking him up soon.”

“Thank you Captain,” said Cadence with a tired smile. “Please go and join Shining Armor in the North Wing. He should be by Grey Lag's old hut.”

Rampage gave a bow and left at a trot.

“Is there anything we can do to help Cadence?” asked Celestia, taking a step forward. “You only need to say the word.”

“We would be happy to lend a hoof,” chipped in Luna, stepping up next to her sister. “In times of great unrest, we ponies need to stick together.”

“That goes for all of us too!” said Twilight, looking at Rarity and Pinkie who nodded in agreement.

Stepping forward nervously, Flitter asked. “Is... there anything I can do? That the changelings can do?”

“I never thought I'd hear a changeling offering to help,” said Twilight, doing her best to hide the surprise in her voice.

“In anyway I can!” replied Flitter, her wings buzzing with excitement.

“Come,” said Cadence with a smile. “We can discuss this more at the hospital. I'm sure we could all do with a nice, hot drink while we're there.” Taking off at a canter, Cadence lead the group to the hospital. By the time they had reached the entrance, Pin Prick, Niy'ka and Stampede were waiting for them.

“Ladies, princesses and young dragon!” called Pin Prick, bowing as much as his old back would let him. “Welcome to Empire General.”

Laid down by the front of the building, Niy'ka held up her left foreclaw, a small bandage wrapped between two of her toes. “I don't know whether to be impressed or disturbed with how fast they managed to find a place to draw my blood,” she said, looking down at Pin Prick with a hint of what looked like respect.

“You were a fantastic patient!” Pin Prick admired. “Though I have to confess you are not the first dragon I've had the pleasure of working on.” Giving his horn a knowing tap, he turned to Cadence. “Doctor Marble is just making sure he is stable enough to be woken up. He should be on the second floor, intensive care ward three, side room eight right at the end. Niy'ka should be able to see through the window. I have a few more patients to see but I will be with you as soon as I can.” With a quick bow, Pin Prick headed back into the hospital.

“How shall we do this?” asked Stampede, taking a quick look at himself, Celestia and Luna. “I don't think the room will be large enough to accommodate us all.”

“Aela, Flitter and I can wait outside,” said Cadence. “We'll have plenty of time to see Bardac when he wakes up.”

“Sounds reasonable,” agreed Rarity. “What do you think Pinkie... Pinkie?” Looking around, the pink pony was no where to be seen.

Pinkie Pie was already halfway up the first floor before the others had realised she'd gone. With her basket of baked goods in hoof, she put on a burst of speed and finally skidded to a halt in front of ward three. After a quick hoof wash, she pushed open the door and made her way quietly to side room eight. The door was open.

Inside was lit only by a single lamp and the soft glow of the medical equipment surrounding the bed and the rhythmic beep of a heart monitor filled the air. Stood next to the bed was a tall, slender minotaur carefully monitoring the readings of the machines around her. When she heard the hard clack of hooves behind her, she turned with a tired smile. “Yes?” she asked kindly. “Can I help you?”

“Hi, I'm Pinkie Pie,” Pinkie said quietly, putting her basket down and giving it a nudge towards the corner of the room. “Is Bardac awake?”

“Ah, Pinkie Pie. I was told to expect you and guests,” replied the minotaur. “I'm Dr Marble. I'm afraid Bardac hasn't woken up yet but he should do soon.”

Pinkie Pie approached the bed and reared up, placing her front hooves on the frame at the end of the bed. All she could do was swallow the lump in her throat as she looked down at Bardac. His chest, torso, right arm and both legs were wrapped in heavy bandage and gauze, in some spots it was already started to bleed through.

“Your friend is quite remarkable,” Dr Marble admired, flipping the sizeable chart in her hand. “But his treatment has only just started.”

All Pinkie Pie could do was nod her head slowly, she couldn't take her eyes off Bardac. The slow rise and fall of his chest and the occasional twitch of his left hand. She didn't even look behind her as the others slowly filtered their way into the room.

The room was quiet for a few minutes before the large head of Niy'ka nudged open the window next to where Celestia stood. Staring in, she let out a small breath through her snout. “You ponies must be important to him, enough that he would throw away his life without a second thought,” she said quietly.

Pinkie Pie slowly moved off the bed and walked around to Bardac's left side. Resting her head on the bed, she slowly nuzzled at his fingertips. “Come on everypony... smile smile smile... fill my heart up with sunshine... s-sunshine...” she sang softly, tears flowing freely down her cheeks.

Rarity and Twilight joined Pinkie Pie by the edge of the bed, comforting their friend while they looked on in silence. Until a low, soft groan pierced the silence. The bed creaked and groaned as Bardac started to twitch.

Pinkie Pie felt his fingertips move against her muzzle. Her ears snapped up but she didn't dare make a sound. Instead she carefully placed her hoof against the palm of his hand and when she felt them close around it, she whispered, “Bardac?”

On the other side of the bed, Dr Marble was checking his vitals. His heart rate had increased... though not by much. “Bardac? Bardac can you hear me?” she asked, looking down just in time to see his eyelids start to open. “That's it. Open your eyes if you can.”

Slowly but surely, Bardac's eyes opened... he blinked once, twice... then slowly looked around the room before finally resting his gaze on his left hand where he had hold of Pinkie's hoof. After what felt like forever, he squeezed her hoof, “...Water...” he croaked.

Pinkie Pie disappeared in the blink of an eye, the door swinging wildly back and forth. Dr Marble looked behind her at the sink, raised an eyebrow... then shrugged and looked back down at Bardac. “Do you know where you are?” she asked.

Bardac gave a slow nod of his head, looking slowly around the room again until he laid his eyes on Niy'ka through the window. His dry lips cracked when he gave her a small, genuine smile and a small wave... though all he could manage was a slight waggle of his fingers.

The door swung open as Pinkie Pie returned slightly out of breath and with a cool bottle of water grasped underneath her foreleg. “What? Hospital water is icky!” she said to the confused looks she got. Unscrewing the cap, she poured a cupful into the mug on the stand next to Bardac's bed, stuck a small straw into it and carefully hopped up onto the side of the bed, holding the mug and straw to Bardac's lips.

“Just enough to wet your mouth now,” said Dr Marble soothingly. “We have you hooked into an IV drip so you won't dehydrate.” She gestured to one of the thin tubes connected to inside of Bardac's left elbow. “You won't be moving anytime soon I'm afraid so we've had to fit you with a catheter.”

Bardac swirled the water around his parched mouth before swallowing it. He could feel his throat crying out in joy. “A... what?” he asked, suddenly aware of the slightly uncomfortable looks of all the ponies around him.

Twilight cleared her throat and approached the bed and leant in to whisper in Bardac's ear, praying that he would simply accept it for what it is. “I hope you can understand why they've done it,” she finished, a slight blush on her cheeks.

Bardac's eyebrows threatened to disappear into his hairline when he listened to Twilight's explanation. He looked over to Dr Marble, one eyebrow lowering but the other stayed high. “And the... other?” he coughed.

“Bedpan,” answered Dr Marble, considering what she had read about Bardac. She found that he was taking it a lot better than she expected, though this might be a different matter.

“Wonderful...” Bardac muttered, closing his eyes with a groan. He was quite familiar with bedpans in his earlier days before he'd learnt his restoration magic. A long and somewhat uncomfortable silence followed as Pinkie Pie hopped down from the bed.

A small knock on the door drew attention away from Bardac. “Excuse me,” said a small, brown unicorn. “It's time for Bardac's potion.” He was pushing a small cart with a large, glass vial on top. The liquid inside swirling a rather unpleasant bile green colour.

“He has to drink... that?” asked Rarity, “It looks positively ghastly!”

“I'm afraid so,” answered Dr Marble, picking up the potion to give it a shake. Turning to Bardac, she grimaced. “While we have managed to fix what is fixable... we have had to remove a lot of bone that was too far gone from your body.” She gave the potion another shake. “Those bones however helped by supplying your DNA to make this work. In short this will regrow your bones. However, there's no other way to put this except... It will hurt.”

Bardac looked at the potion, then down to his body, it felt like lead. He tried to move his legs and while he could feel his muscles responding... the limbs just didn't move. The same could be said for his right arm. “Interesting...” he murmured, flexing the fingers on his left hand. A flash of orange and the potion shot into his grasp. Popping the cork with his thumb, Bardac necked the potion in one. The smell, the taste... it was like he had just been hammered head first into the wrong end of a horker and judging by the looks of the ponies and minotaur around him, they'd just gotten a whiff of it too.

A few seconds later and Dr Marble was starting to wonder whether the potion had actually worked... Bardac was showing no reaction. “Bardac, are you feeling anything?” she asked, leaning in, only to see his eyes snap open and the potion bottle in his left hand exploding into tiny shards.

Celestia and Luna saw it first. It was something they had never seen on Bardac's face before. Pure panic. Their horns ignited and Bardac's bed was surrounded with a swirling gold and blue shield. They saw Bardac open his mouth and while there was no sound... the entire hospital shook on its foundations, their shields cracked under the strain but thankfully held.

“I expected him to last a little longer than that,” Luna said, concern plastered all over her muzzle. “We've experienced first hoof the punishment his body and mind can take.”

“How does that relate to the fact the hospital felt like an earthquake just hit it and there's now a shield around my patient's bed?” asked Dr Marble, checking on Bardac's vitals. Despite a highly elevated heart rate, all his other vitals were normal. “With all due respect Princesses, was there something you were forgetting to tell me?”

“His voice is connected to a powerful magic called the Thu'um,” explained Twilight, her wings giving a slight rustle. “The best way to think about it is like the royal Canterlot voice... just, several times more powerful.”

“My apologizes, Dr Marble,” said Celestia, bowing her head slightly. “Bardac has demonstrated a high tolerance for pain in the past. We were not expecting such a strong reaction to the potion.”

“The first minute or so are usually the worst,” murmured Dr Marble, keeping a close eye on Bardac through the shield. She saw his heart rate start to stable again while his breathing seemed to calm. “I would not wish this potion on my worst enemies.”

Celestia and Luna tentatively lowered the shield around Bardac, earning them a small thumbs up from the Nord. “Are you okay Bardac?” asked Luna, “That looked painful.”

All Bardac could do was clench and unclench his jaw, his body felt like thousands of ants were crawling through his skin, his limbs were as heavy as lead and even if he wanted to, he couldn't find the energy to speak. His thumbs up however turned into a single fingered salute, much to the amusement of Dr Marble.

“He's fine,” snorted Celestia, she knew enough about hands in general thanks to the minotaurs and dragons to know what it meant. “We shall leave him in your capable hands, Dr Marble. Please let us know if anything changes.”

“I will Princess,” said Dr Marble, bowing slightly. “I hope you'll enjoy your stay at the Crystal Empire.” Though a small knock at the door caught her attention. What followed drew a sharp gasp, “Chrysalis? Oh my... what happened to you?”

Chrysalis simply held her head up high without a reply and limped slowly into the room, ignoring the many stares that were aimed in her direction. She looked exhausted, her chitin was cracked in several places and she was sporting a bloodshot eye, the chitin around the socket a few shades darker than the rest. Eventually she reached the sink, turned the tap on and stuck her head underneath it, gulping down the clean, refreshing water as though it was her first drink in days.

There was a long and uncomfortable silence before Celestia spoke up. Her voice was devoid of all emotion as she said, “They're getting stronger, those which come from the gates.”

The tap was turned off as Chrysalis rose her head and licked her lips. “Nothing my children and I can't handle,” she muttered before turning her attention to Bardac. “You look like shit.”

“You are one to talk,” Bardac groaned with the barest hint of a chuckle. While the initial hit of the potion had waned, it felt like his entire body was being slowly tenderized from the inside out by many thousands of needles. “Is the volcano secure?”

Chrysalis helped herself to a banana from the bowl by Bardac's bed, chomping down half in one bite, peel and all. “About as secure as it can be,” she replied with a shrug. “The gates are surrounded by several tons of rock melted together. It won't hold them forever but it should give us a few days respite.”

“Good, once I get out of here we will start putting together a plan to take down the gates once and for all,” Bardac said, doing his best to try and not scratch at the tubes in his right arm. “How long will I be in here for?”

“If everything goes according to plan, we should have you back on your feet in a week,” said Dr Marble, though she did waggle her pencil at him. “However, if you even think about trying to get up any earlier, all you'll do is damage your body even more. Now, is there anything you will need?”

Bardac looked around slowly and after a minute or two to think, finally let out an exasperated sigh, “I am going to need food... lots and lots of food...”