The Draconsteed

*Wham*

Applejack landed on the far side of the barn. She was visibly dazed. Saphear and Fluttershy rushed to the farm mares aid.

"OHMYGOSHAREYOUOKAYI'MSOSORRYIDIDN'TWATCHMYSTRENGTHPLEASEDON'TBEDEAD!" Saphear exclaimed.

"Applejack, can you hear me?" Fluttershy said while she set to work checking her friend for injuries. Applejack stirred slowly, her breathing was labored and her eyes were spinning in their sockets. She tilted her head towards Fluttershy and said, "Cock-a-doodle-doo."

Saphear breathed a sigh of relief. She carefully lifted the mare and gently set her across her back.

"Fluttershy, could you show me to the hospital? I want to make sure I didn't cause any serious damage." Fluttershy simply nodded as the two set out for Ponyville.

The sun had begun to set by the time they reached Ponyville General Hospital. The staff had immediately admitted Applejack. She had a slight concussion and a sprained hoof. Twilight arrived quickly with a few ponies Saphear didn't recognize. At least not at first. It wasn't until Rarity walked in that the others identities clicked into place in her mind.

I knew they looked familiar! How could I forget about the Elements of Harmony? Bah, stupid useless brain! Never recognizes important information until it stares it in the face.

Saphear snuck away while everypony was fussing over Applejack. She left the hospital and made way for the only place that she felt at home.

The Everfree Forest.

Now, Saphear hadn't technically lived anywhere in years. She only had two places where she spent most of her time. One was  the Everfree Forest, the other.... she didn't like remembering. Pain always seemed to follow Saphear. It followed her as faithfully as her own shadow. Constantly hounding both herself and everything around her. Hence she would relocate every few days, to keep disaster to a minimum.

Ponies are already starting to get hurt. It's only a matter of time before pestilence and famin come..... I have to leave....

Saphear wept as she stalked her way through the forest. She wanted to stay but the risk of her staying, keeping a demon inside Ponyville, was too great. Especially with a Tartarus gate so close. No, she had to leave, there was no other option. A scream roused her from her thoughts. A pony was running, behind her a large manticore gave chase.

"R-RUN!!" The pony screamed as it darted past her. Saphear didn't care, she needed something to vent her emotions on, and she just got a volunteer. She planted herself directly into the manticore's path. As it neared she drew back a paw. Her heart retained a steady, calm rhythm as it came close enough for her to feel it's breath on her face.

*CRACK*

Her paw flew threw the air like a whip. Her claws tore open the side of the manticore's face, nearly taking one of its eyes as it smashed through several trees. She made her way towards the manticore's still body and checked if it was still alive. It's breathing was faint but steady.

Good, just unconscious. I've enough blood on my claws without adding mindless animals onto the list of the lives I've taken....

Saphear started to walk off only to find the pony from earlier embracing her. Now that she could get a good look at it she saw that it was a small pegasus filly. Her bright mane was somewhere between a dark pink and a light purple, her orange fur was matted with sweat and mud. The small filly pressed herself tightly against Saphear's side as she shook from the terror she had just been in. Saphear's instincts kicked in as she pulled a wing from one of her pouches and wrapped it around the filly. Pulling the small, panic-stricken body close. She started to sing to help calm the filly's nerves.

Forma lleya lisami,

Fascineya sephami,

Ferme ello anyarei,

Sopha neya mi

Sleeping now so calm and mild

safe and sound my sweet young child

in my arms till the morning blooms

Her lullaby had done it's job. The one verse had put the small life curled so delicately in her side to sleep. Not wanting to wake her, Saphear wrapped herself around the small filly and the two slept as the sounds of the Everfree lulled her to sleep.

A persistent nudging in Saphear's back forced her to awaken. She immediately regretted opening her eyes when Celestia's sun burned it's image into her pupils.  She slowly lifted her head as she searched for the one who had roused her from her slumber. She was immediately greeted by Twilight Sparkle and her friends as they crowded around her.

"Five more minuets." Saphear said as she lazily put her head back around the life she had in her care.

"What were you doing out here!?" Twilight shouted, her voice dripping with agitation and concern.

The moment Saphear heard the volume of Twilights voice she whipped her long tail out and tightly wrapped it around the unicorns muzzle.  Her friends started to protest but Saphear shot them a firm glare that kept them frozen in place. Keeping her eyes on the Element bearers, she slowly lifted her wing and revealed the still sleeping filly nuzzled closely into her side. Everyponies eyes went wide when they saw the small sleeping filly. Everypony backed down as Saphears sudden actions started to make sense. With a nod towards Twilight, Saphear released her grip.

"Let's get her somewhere more comfortable before we get into a discussion." Saphear's vioce was barely above a whisper.

With everypony in agreement, Twilight levitated the filly out of Saphear's protective hold and they started off  towards the library.

The group sat in a circle downstairs. After a minuet, Twilight came down and joined everypony.

"And just WHAT were you doing with Scootaloo in the forest, HUH!?" Rainbow Dash had no problem getting right into Saphear's face.

"Calm down, Rainbow, I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable explanation as to why she was in the forest with Scootaloo, right Saphear?" Twilight said while taking a seat next to Rarity.

"I was leaving Ponyville." Saphear deadpanned.

"Right, like leavin-WHAT!?" Everyponies jaws dropped.

"I was going to leave Ponyville, head for some other place when I ran into Scootaloo in the forest. Or rather, she ran into me.... with a manticore behind her." Everypony gasped.

"She ran behind me and I took care of the manticore. When I turned around the poor thing was absolutely petrified. Once I got her calmed down she went right to sleep. I didn't have the heart to wake her so I watched over her all night."

A long silence fell over the room. Rarity was the first to break it.

"Well if you really wanted to leave, darling, we wouldn't stop you. I doubt we could if what you told us about the manticore was true, but that still leaves us with a question. Why were you going to leave in the first place?" With that statement, all the eyes in the room were focused on Saphear.

Saphear sighed heavily. "Look, it's not that I want to leave. I have to. Things follow me, strange things. The longer I'm hear, the more bad things are gonna start to happen."

"Oh yeah? Well what kinds a things?" Rainbow asked, still suspicious of her.

"It'll start small. Accidents, some unruly animals and ponies. The longer I'm here the worse it will get. Ponies will start getting hurt in the accidents, the animals will get violent, and the ponies will start to give in to their.... darker desires. Eventually things will get really bad. The accidents, the animals, and the ponies will get....." Twilight was the first one to pick up on what Saphear was implying.

All at once the lanterns flicked to life in their brains. Everypony except Fluttershy, who hid in the corner with  a soft squeek, had a hard look adorning their faces.

"Saphear, if you will excuse us, the girls and I need to talk." Saphear simply nodded as they left to speak in the kitchen.

"She's lyin'! No way she took out a manticore all on her own!"

"Ah dunno, RD, I think she was tell'n the truth."

"But Applejack, darling, if she was being honest with us, then why would those horrible.... things.... happen if she stays?"

"Ah dunno, Rare. She's tell'n the truth but she ain't done told us everythang."

"Your all just being silly-fillies! My Pinkie Sense hasn't gone off once around her!"

"Isn't it obvious!? She'd probably do those things herself! Or maybe she's a spy!"

"U-um girls? I don't think she would do that."

"Right, she risked her life fighting a manticore to save Scootaloo. Though how she managed to accomplish such a feat without getting a scratch on her is perplexing."

"Um, that's not why I think she wouldn't do it."

"Watcha talkin bout' there, sugarcube?"

"W-well, when I first found her, she was sitting on the hill next to my cottage. She was watching the sunrise and..."

" and what, darling?"

"And she was singing. It was one of the saddest song's I've ever heard. When she finished she just layed down and started bawling."

"And what the hey does that have to do with anything?"

"Shush, RD, let Fluttershy finish."

"W-well, when she first started crying I thought it was because she was hurt. After she calmed down she told me about how she missed her family. I thought it was out of place with the song she was singing but with what she said earlier, I think I understand what she was singing about."

"An what was that sugarcube?"

"...."

"Sugarcube?"

"I... I can't say..... It's something she should tell you."

Saphear watched as the group came back into the main part of the library. She half expected them to kick her out. What surprised her ,though, just might have been worse. Once everypony returned to their seats, Twilight asked the question that only Saphear and Fluttershy knew the answer to.

"Saphear, when Fluttershy met you, what was the song you were singing about?"

The question hit Saphear like a rampaging dragon. A torrent of memories flooded Saphear's mind. Sunny days and warm summer nights. Laughter and smiles and sweet, passionate moments spent together. Loud music and a quiet wedding under a bright full moon. For a second, she was alright. Then the rest of her memories hit her. Memories of fire, of screaming.

Memories drenched in blood.

Saphear's scream shattered the window behind her. She fell to a heap on the floor as she gripped her head in her paws. Red tears poured from her eyes. Her breathing was short and ragged. After a minuets she finally gathered enough air to let out another scream.

"EMERUAD!!!!!"