Elben Tränen - The Tears of the Elf Ponies

Princess Luna stared off the balcony, her eyes reflecting the light of the moon as she raised it into the sky. Her sister, standing behind her, stood in silence until her work was complete.

Once the moon was held high and Luna's magic faded, her sister walked to her side, frowning. "Luna, please tell me you didn't..."

"She threatened me sister. Threatened you. I have no other choice. I will defend myself and that which I love, by any means necessary." Luna turned, closing her eyes. "I have fought long and hard to forgive myself. I faced my nightmares and drove them back. The Tantabus' shadow haunts me no longer." She opened her eyes partially, staring into the shadowed room. Her sister couldn't see her eyes, couldn't see the terror lurking in them. "Now, only her shadow remains cast over me..."

"If you'd just left it to me, Luna, you wouldn't need to ever see her again." Celestia trotted over, stomping her hoof loudly. "Now tell me, who are they and when will they attack. I must warn Twilight and Schänder. I will not lose any of those I hold dear; not you, not her. Do you understand?"

Luna looked over, eyes wide. She let her surprise fade, then shook her head. "They are a unit I put together to combat Elf Ponies, after I learned they were still roaming around Equestria. Like you, dear sister, I have been silencing that which would destroy our magic. And, in doing so, I keep your hooves, as well as mine, clean."

Celestia took a step back, pained. "I... I haven't been forced to kill an Elf Pony in many years, Luna. I grant them sanctuary in villages well away from other ponies."

"A foolish act of kindness, sister... One of your havens has already been exterminated."

Celestia felt anger boil into her heart. "Luna, you-"

"I did what I must, sister." Luna interrupted, walking back towards Celestia. "You never could make the hard choices. You're kind and benevolent, remember? I am the one who must do the more... deplorable things." Luna shook her head, sighing. "The Elf Ponies have no chains in your havens. They are free to come and go, infecting Equestria. There is a reason I named Schänder what I did. In the Lunar tongue, Schänder meant Defiler, sister. Schänder will bring about the death of magic itself, if left to wander. Had I not been defeated by you all those years ago, I would have killed her once she'd served her purpose. She is too dangerous to let live."

Celestia was speechless. She was still furious at Luna for killing those ponies she had promised safety, but she couldn't refute her sister's logic, as much as she wanted to; Elf Ponies were a genuine danger to the entirety of magic.

"When will they attack, Luna?" Celestia sighed out, her tone that of defeat. "I won't ask again."

"And if I refuse?" Luna looked over to her sister with a smile. "I won't, however... Because it doesn't matter." She looked back out into the night, admiring the moon and stars. "I wouldn't have told you if there was anything you could do. If it matters any, they have been given orders to be careful to not harm your pupil or her friends. However, the unit struck yesterday. I am merely waiting for a report."

~~~

Schänder stared up at the sky from her place high in Twilight's castle. She had taken a love to being in high places. She had spent so long underground, buried away from the world, that now she wanted to see as much of it at once as possible. She placed her hooves up on the windowsill, taking a deep breath of fresh air. The sun was just beginning to set, a sight she found almost as beautiful as it's rising.

"Hey. I brought you dinner." The mare blinked, turning around. Twilight's dragon, Spike, was in the doorway, holding a small tray of food. He still looked at her hesitantly, as if she was dangerous. Which, she supposed, she was.

She used a Limb, lifting the meal from Spike's claws, setting it on a nearby table. She gave him a smile and nod, silently showing her thanks.

"You really can't talk, huh?" This wasn't the first time the dragon had attempted conversation with her. Normally, he would chat for a time, get nervous about being around her, and leave politely. Schänder was glad for the company, regardless. She shook her head from side to side, climbing up onto the bed near her food.

"How come? Why didn't you just get your tongue put back in with magic?" Spike climbed up onto the bed with her, sitting across from her. Schänder noticed the distance he kept, but didn't let it bother her.

'Lost parts cannot be added again by magic. Too complex.' Schänder wrote onto the wall behind her, just big enough for Spike to read. When they had first met, the dragon had been frightened by how harshly she had slashed her words into the wall. She had since learned to have a gentler touch around him.

"Oh. Sorry." Spike rubbed his arm, looking to her tray nearby. "You gonna eat?"

Schänder smiled and drifted the tray between them. The meal was simple, a handful of veggies, along with a daisy sandwich and some ice cream for dessert. Schänder split the veggies, keeping the sandwich and offering Spike the ice cream, which he heartily took to.

"Hey, thanks!" He scooped in a big spoonful, making Schänder tilt her head. He was eating dessert before dinner? What a strange creature. Schänder turned, looking out the window again, watching the moon rise. It was Luna's time; a fact that made Schänder furious. She swore vengeance on the Dread Princess, but here she was, pampered in a castle, rather than seeking revenge. She sighed, stamping out those feelings of rebellion. She had seen what anger did to her. She hadn't liked it. Time passed with the only sound being Spike, noisily eating the ice cream. Schänder gave a small sigh, keeping her eyes on the moon.

'Spike, why do I frighten you?' Schänder wrote into the wall without turning from the glowing satellite. It was the first time she had ever directly approached the topic of the dragon's fear. A long silence filled the room and Schänder closed her eyes. 'It's okay. You don't need to' A choking sound make Schänder cut off abruptly. She whipped her head around, staring, wide eyed, as Spike grabbed at his throat, his eyes wide in terror.

Schänder screamed, slamming her Limbs against the walls, making as much noise as she possibly could. She moved Spike off the bed, just as his choking stopped. He still gripped at his throat, eyes wide, seemingly unable to breathe. Schänder laid him down on the floor just as Twilight burst in, her eyes snapping to the baby dragon.

"Spike!" Schänder felt herself pushed away with magic, her eyes going to the Princess. Twilight was staring at her with narrowed, cautious eyes. "What did you do?"

The accusatory tone made Schänder flinch, her ears folding back. She didn't hesitate to explain to Twilight, slashing the words swiftly into the floor. Twilight read, looking over to the dragon. She moved to his side, examining his symptoms with a clinical air. The dragon was unconscious now, foam leaking from the corner of his mouth. His body still spasmed, his muscles contracting violently as they tried to deny the intrusion into his body.

"He's been poisoned..." Twilight muttered, fear creeping into her eyes. "It's bad. Really bad. Spike, hang on... Spike!" Twilight gave the dragon a light shake, but she had no idea what to do. Fear hit her like a truck. Tears welled in her eyes and she collapsed. "Spike, no! Don't do this to me!"

Schänder moved closer, looking down at Spike. It must have been in the ice cream. She closed her eyes, focusing on her Limbs.

Spike twitched, a small reaction to the large procedure Schänder was about to perform. Solidifying only a part of her Limb was complicated. Doing it inside another creature, near impossible. However, Schänder had practiced; it was one of the few tests Celestia's scientists had performed that she had actually enjoyed. She had learned to use her abilities to help ponies.

She shifted the dragon's insides, bringing the bile in his stomach up and loosening his throat forcefully. Spike let out an impulsive gasp as his airway cleared, taking in a massive breath through his unconscious state. Schänder rolled him over, pushing the bile up out from his stomach, taking the poisoned food with it. She scoured his intestines as well, just to be safe.

Spike's throat filled for a moment, before the bile rushed out, spilling onto the ground opposite Twilight. The Princess snapped her head up at the sudden evacuation, then looked over to Schänder. "Are you...?"

Schänder ignored her unspoken question. She still had work to do. Using multiple limbs, she began to stimulate Spike's organs, such as ensuring his lungs received air. As she was about to move on to helping his heart along, the organ suddenly slowed to a stop.

Panicked, Schänder nearly sliced a valve in her haste to wrap a Limb around his heart. She gently squeezed, pumping his heart for him, stimulating the flow of blood until the organ began to work of its own accord again. Sighing in relief, she helped his heart maintain it's pace as she began to filter his blood, a complex process for which she needed to open up cuts under Spike's scales to begin.

Over the course of several grueling minutes, Schänder filtered the old blood out, making way for the new. If Spike were conscious, he would have felt his limbs going numb one at a time as Schänder filtered out his blood, before returning them to semi-normal status. She began to massage his muscles, trying to work the poisoned blood out of his system, expelling as much of it from his body as she could. All ten Limbs went to work, aiding the ailing dragon in many different ways.

It was a long, arduous procedure; Schänder felt herself nearly slip and injure the dragon more than once. When dealing with somepony's insides, even the slightest error could prove fatal. It was, she grimly admitted, much easier to kill than to heal. Maybe that was why it came so naturally to her.

Finally, she was confident she had cleared away most of the poison. It wasn't all of it - not even she could perform miracles - but she had hope that Spike's natural immune system would be able to take things from here. She looked up to Twilight, who was sitting on her haunches, watching Schänder in stoic silence. Schänder offered the Princess a smile and nudged her head towards Spike.

Twilight seemed to understand, moving to the dragon's side. She began checking him over for any of the small cuts Schänder had made to filter out the bad blood, healing them one by one. The dragon was still trembling and running a very high fever, but the situation wasn't nearly as grave.

Schänder suddenly realized how exhausted she was. The procedure had taken all of her concentration. She had needed every ounce of her awareness to control her limbs with the precision needed to fix the damage to the baby dragon. She felt her legs tremble, but before she fell, Twilight was there, supporting her with a wing.

Schänder looked over, meeting the Princess's stare. Twilight was silent, guilt filling her gaze. She helped Schänder to her bed, gently levitating her up. As Schänder relaxed, Twilight moved Spike to the bed as well, laying him somewhere more comfortable for the time being.

"I owe you an apology, Schänder." Twilight sat down again, her expression serious. "I immediately accused you of doing something to Spike; that in itself was wrong enough. But I also lied to you when we first met." Schänder's ears pricked, but she didn't respond, letting Twilight continue. "I was terrified of you. Celestia had told me what happened below her castle and I was scared you would do the same thing here, in Ponyville."

Schänder's ears folded back, her gut twisting. She looked down to the bed silently, but Twilight kept going. "However, I was mistaken in that fear. Or, at least, misguided." Twilight looked over to Spike, smiling warmly. "You probably saved Spike's life today... Even after I accused you of harming him. You've no idea how much this means to me, Schänder." Twilight smiled, returning her eyes to the Elf Pony. "Before, I told you I was your friend out of fear. Now, I say it with confidence and no guilt in my heart. Thank you, Schänder. I see now why Celestia cherishes you so much."

Schänder felt her heart lighten. She smiled, maybe even blushed, growing slightly bashful. No one but Celestia had ever praised her. Never thanked her or told her they cherished her. She felt wanted again; a feeling that filled her with joy. However, Twilight continued still.

"However, since you didn't poison Spike, we need to wonder who did..." Twilight trotted over to Schänder's food tray, which was spilled over the opposite side of the bed from where the Elf Pony and dragon were resting. "I'm confident that poison wasn't meant for Spike, Schänder. Somepony is trying to kill you."

~~~

Spike groaned as he woke the next night, his whole body aching. It was just before sunrise, filling the room with predawn light. All around him were his friends, some asleep and others keeping vigil. Twilight, looking like she hadn't slept in days, gasped when she saw his eyes open. "Spike! Spike's awake!"

Everypony began to gather; waking up or dropping whatever they were doing to go to the little dragon.

"What... happened to me?" Spike asked, only vaguely remembering the burning pain in his gut and the terror of not being able to breathe.

"Somepony was trying to poison Schänder, but got you instead." Twilight said softly, her brow drawn together with worry. "Are you feeling okay? Schänder was concerned you suffered some brain damage... You were gone for a while there, Spike..."

"Gone...? You mean..." Twilight nodded gravely.

"Schänder said your heart stopped beating for a minute or so... She was worried about you."

"Schänder was?" Spike asked curiously. Twilight nodded, nudging her head over to the window. Schänder was there, staring out at the rising sun with a smile on her face.

"Dear, stop being so melodramatic and come on over. I'm sure Spike would love to thank you for saving his life." Rarity said, looking over to the Elf Pony.

"Yeah, seriously! You're a hero now, Schänder." Rainbow drifted just off the ground, smirking. "How does it feel?"

Schänder didn't answer, just watching the sun rise with a gentle smile. She sighed, leaning herself against the edge of the windowsill, taking the pressure off her side. Spike went to talk, but jumped when a force touched his side. Invisible Limbs tucked in his blankets, making sure he was comfortable.

"Thank you, Schänder... I'm sorry for being scared of you. You're a really nice pony." Spike said, closing his eyes. "Thank you so much."

Schänder felt a warmth spread in her. She'd never been told she was a good pony, not even by Celestia. Even if her Auntie had never said it out loud, Schänder knew she was an abomination; the progenitor of a race that shouldn't be. Could she really be a good pony?

Looking into the distance, she stared towards the faint Pull she felt at the back of her mind. She had always wondered what that feeling meant and now she understood. Out there, somewhere, others of her kind were looking at this same sunset. Somewhere, out there, they were being Pulled to her as well. They were linked through their Limbs, bound together by the power of their minds. Schänder wondered to herself if they felt the same way about themselves.

Did they wish to be more than monsters?

~~~

Luna ground her teeth, staring at the Captain of the Anti-Elf unit. "So, not only did you fail to kill Schänder, you nearly killed the Princess's baby dragon instead?" The Captain had the good sense to lower his eyes, adopting a posture of regret.

"I'm sorry, Your Royal Highness. We-"

"Your Majesty." Luna corrected. The Captain looked confused for a moment, before Luna took a step forward. "When We are alone with you, you are to address Us as Your Royal Majesty, fool!"

The Captain quickly recovered. "Y-Yes, Your Royal Majesty." His subordinate in the corner shifted, moving forward and offering a roll of parchment, wrapped in a magic aura. The Captain accepted this, offering it to Luna with his head bowed. "We failed with poison, but other methods still are available. With your permission, we would like to use some of your power and deal with this Elf personally."

The Princess levitated the scroll up, examining it silently. After she was finished, she rolled it up again. "This is not per your usual norm, Captain. Who developed this plan?"

The subordinate, a unicorn Luna knew as Crimson Fire, stepped forward, bowing his head. "It was my idea, Your Royal Majesty. I felt a more direct approach was needed to deal with the progenitor of those foul monsters."

Luna tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. "You harbor a particular dislike for the Elf Ponies, it seems."

"Yes, Your Royal Majesty. I was... affected by one of them when I was only a colt. My first foal turned out to be one of those... things." He spat the word, snarling. "My wife died giving birth to it. I tried to give it a chance, but the beast was just so... wrong." Crim's eyes grew steely. "It lived in the Haven our unit destroyed last week. I personally saw to it that the monster payed for killing my wife."

Luna took all this in with a silent, solemn nod. "Very good... You are promoted." She looked back to the Captain, who was opening his mouth to speak. With a shimmering of her horn and a slightly raised eyebrow, she displaced a part of the stallion's brain. The Captain twitched violently where he stood, began to drool on himself, and toppled to the side. He convulsed for several seconds before growing still.

"Congratulations, Captain Crim. We admire your forward strategy. All this cowardly poisoning and back-alley murder never sat well with Us. Our enemies should lament their decision to stand against Us before death takes them." Luna walked around the corpse of the former Captain, nodding her head to Crim. "While We understand that Schänder is no weak adversary, We will not tolerate repeated failures. Your ex-Captain's fate will seem pleasant compared to what will befall you if you should accept this trial and fail Us. We give you this chance to step down now; accept and you will make an oath to serve Us well."

Crim nodded without hesitation. "I accept, Your Royal Majesty. I won't let you down."

Luna smiled, stepping back. She had been ready to incinerate Crim, had he refused. "Very good. We look forward to your service, Captain Crim. You may go." Luna looked down to the corpse, sighing. "And get one of your new troops to clean up this mess." Luna turned, departing. She needed to pass through several hidden passages before she found herself anywhere she traversed regularly. Sighing, she quickly let the mask slide back on; the facade of the dutiful younger sister to the False Princess of Equestria.