Vital Mender

       "Come on!" I shouted over my shoulder as I bounded around the trees and other foliage. "I want to make it all the way to the base before sun set. You said the colors are prettiest when the sun is setting."

       "I know, and we have plenty of time to get there. I also told you that the path gets more dangerous as we get closer to the mountain." my dad retorted.

He was right of course. I slowed my romp to a careful trot. As his longer stride brought him along side me we walked up the gently increasing incline. I looked up over at him, his dark blue coat, and short orange mane standing out against the greens and browns of the forest that I blended into quite well. The sun was getting lower in the sky, but through the forest I saw a break, we crossed the treeline into a wide open clearing at the base of the mountain. The clearing was not what I had expected, instead of a grassy field I saw nothing but a big gray stony floor.

My dad turned to me with a warm smile. "We made it, just like I told you."

As he started loosing his pack to make camp he suggested I check the treeline for firewood. Levitating a few small sticks at a time I began carrying wood to where my dad was finishing the tent. After the tent was constructed he made a ring of rocks. Next he looked at the pile of wood I had slowly been building, with a chuckle he trotted out to the woods. Returning with several large log chunks floating about him in his silver telekinesis.

"Did I not do it right?" I asked ears and eyes drooping.

"You did just fine sweetie, we need big and small pieces to make a good campfire." he reassured me while placing the wood next to the fire ring. Then he stepped around the wood, and patting me on the head he said. "I hope you don't plan on looking down for too much longer, you're going to miss the sunset."

Looking up and saw the most beautiful pink and orange hues swirling together heralding the beginning of night. the beauty slowly faded into darkness then the darkness was beset by thousands of tiny lights filling the sky with shapes. He was so right, the city lights of Canterlot really did drown out many of the beautiful colors of the sunset.

"Are you hungry?" my dad asked, snapping me out of my awe fueled daze. I blinked then looked over to see him holding out a toasted daisy sandwich. The fire crackled beside him giving off a strangely familiar warmth, this was my first time camping out overnight, but with him and the fire I wasn't scared. Even in this unknown place I felt just as safe and warm as I did in our living room curled up by the fireplace. My dad smiled as I finished my meal, lifting a small plastic box out of his pack he floated it over. Opening the box he reviled two slices of chocolate cake. "Happy birthday Vi" he said hoofing me a plate and a piece of the yummy substance. I had all but forgotten about the cake,

because we always ate it when we got home.

This year was special though, every year for my birthday my dad would take me for a hike towards the mountains. Every year we would get a little closer, but we always turned around before we got to the base so we could make it home before dark. Then we would have cake with mom. This year though we went more than twice as far as any other year, going going all the way to the base of the mountain. My dad has always told me stories about how he climbed to the peak of the mountain and he would add that we would someday climb that mountain together. My mom vetoed that idea of course saying it was far too dangerous and difficult climb a little filly like me. I told her that one day I would be all grown up, then we could all three go to the top of the mountain together. Since then my dad has taken me for a hike every year on my birthday. This year however, my dad said I am finally old enough to camp out in the woods.

We had a great night, my dad told stories we made s'mores, and talked about how I would be going to intermediate school next year. Finally we reluctantly crawled into the tent. As I snuggled into my sleeping bag across from my dad's I couldn't help the excitement tugging my mind away from sleep. It was so beautiful, pristine and quiet out in the woods. I just wanted to stay out there forever.

We got up early the next morning and started packing up camp, it would take us all day again to hike back to town and catch the train home. So by eight that morning we were on our way, me with my little saddle bag of snacks and a bit of water, and dad with his big saddle bags and backpack. It was a cool morning and I was still so excited that I started bounding around trees, and then back towards my dad. And just like yesterday he told me to be careful, that there are still plenty of rocks around to slip and fall on, and that I should wait until we were further from the mountain. I reluctantly slowed my pace to a slow canter waiting for him to catch up.

Then all of a sudden I heard a thud and a  groan then leaves falling. I spun around and saw my dad sprawled out on his side with leaves settling around him. I rushed towards him with a shriek, and asked if he was OK. He didn't answer. I shook him violently, no answer. I had no idea what was wrong or why he wasn't getting up. I looked all around and called for help, but there was probably nopony around for miles. I looked back at my dad this time I noticed that one of his back legs was bent all funny, and it started getting these big purple bruises on it. I tried lifting with all the magic I could muster and finally got his bags off of him. But even without the extra weight I was not even remotely close to being able to lift a full grown stallion.

I sat down next to him, took a deep breath, stood back up, and thought through everything he had told me all those times we hiked together. All of those weird survival things that I thought I would never need. He said if you ever break a limb in the woods you should send a magic flair into the sky to call for help. I charged up my horn and fired off the strongest pulse of magic I could muster, which didn't even clear the tops of the trees. Next I tried to make a splint for his leg, like I had seen on an episode of Macgyhoof, but I didn't understand how it should fit on his leg.

Eventually I just lay down next to him pouring every ounce of my strength into my horn. I have no idea what I thought I would be able to do, but I just kept wishing over and over to be able to do something. When I opened my eyes it was like the world was glowing an odd blue. I slammed my eyes shut and rubbed them with my hooves. I slowly eased my eyes open again, and everything was still an eerie blue translucent glow. I pulled my hooves up to cover my eyes again, but I could still see. I could feel my hooves on my eyes then I saw these strange thin white things in front of my eyes. I flailed my hooves around, but those white cylinders moved at the same time. Finally I took a deep breath and slowly moved my hoof in front of my face, the white stick moved perfectly with how I was moving. Then I realized, this must be my leg bones I thought back to school when I teacher had told us about our bones, and how they are inside our body holding us up. I lowered my forelegs and then I looked at dad.  All I could see was a bunch of unfamiliar shapes, but I could still see the outline of his body. That's when I noticed the leg that had looked funny. I could see one of the bones in it was in two pieces. I stared at it for a few seconds. Then I focused on the bone with my telekinesis and it slowly seemed to melt back together. All of a sudden my vision suddenly got darker, and darker, eventually going black. I could feel a burning in my head and on my flank as I fall over into the leaves.

When I woke up I was my bed the sun streaming in the window. Was I just dreaming? I couldn't have been, could I? I rolled over dropping my back hooves onto to ground, and standing up. I felt a bit wobbly, as I made my way down the hall. As I walked past the kitchen on my way to the living room I heard my mom gasp. She rushed up and all but tackled me into the wall with a hug. She looked at me with tears welling up in her hazel eyes. Slowly a warm smile spread across her muzzle as she started telling me that she was so proud of me. I just hugged her back and smiled, but I still had no idea what was going on. I guess he heard the noise and my dad came trotting down the hall a huge goofy smile on his face. “ Well there you are sleepy head.” he said. I looked over at him, and then back at my mom.

“What's going on?” I asked. They just blinked and looked at each other.

“You don't remember?” my mom asked softly.

Puzzled, I said “Remember what?”

Both pair of eyes floated over to my flank. I looked down to see a bright blue star on my hind quarter . Suddenly everything clicked, I had my cutie mark! My dad explained that he fell off an embankment and hit his head, and when he woke up I was laying beside him asleep with my newly formed blue star.

“What about your leg?” I asked.

“My leg?” He answered cocking his head to the side.

“I guess I imagined it.”

“No, please tell us what happened sweetie” He said.

After explaining what I remembered to them, my dad told me about how he woke up and carried me out to the train, and then home. I had slept most of the day, and the sun was already low in the sky. My dad said that I must have really exhausted myself by using so much magic before I passed out.

“And that's how I got my cutie mark, and how I knew I wanted to be a firepony medic. In closing I would like to say that tye time we have spent together here at the Canterlot firepony academy has taught us so much about ourselves, our friends, and about our destinies. I greatfully accept this honor of valedictorian of the class in the one thousandth year  of the Celestial reign. I wish good luck to all my fellow classmates where ever you may go, Celestia be with you all. Thank you." I bowed and stepped off the stage with my diploma.