Miracle Worker

by Dragonfire2lm

Chapters

Book One Part One
Book One Part Two
Book One Part Three
Book One Part Four

Book One Part One

Author's Note

ACT 1 renamed Book One Part One to better fit the new extended story line.

Book One Part One

Ow... Ok Who's the prick that shined a torch in my face?

Wait, where-

The panic set in as soon as her vision returned along with a healthy dose of fear. Gone was the sound of convention attendants and the chatter of hundreds of voices, replaced the howl of a blizzard raging in the distance and clanking shudder of heavy machinery. A city with houses and tall towers comprised of black, jagged crystal surrounded her and in the distance she could make out several small equine-like creatures chained to a massive wooden valve or wheel of some sort as they continuously moved round in a circle to keep it in motion.

She looked around frantically, only to be smacked in the face by her bright orange hair and flinched as the metal ring on the end of her braid hit her cheek. The cold metal snapped her back to her senses and she looked down to find herself still in her Mercy Sigrún outfit, though something felt off. The outfit felt heavier, the fur and fabric out of the costume had more weight and padding to it and the metal armor the protected her bust, as well the metal wrist guards, the fancy winged headpiece and her wings felt like actual metal and there was a noticeable weight on her left hip. She looked down to see the hilt of the costumes short sword was no longer a plastic replica.

"The Fuck?" She exclaimed only to be startled again, this time by her own voice. "I-why do I sound like-?"

She forced herself to keep standing as she trembled in fear and the full weight of the situation sunk in. The abrupt change in both appearance and location was far more than she could handle. She instinctively smiled as a reflex to her rapidly rising stress levels.

Her mind reeled as she forced herself to move, her steps unsteady in her knee high, fur trimmed black boots. Tears threatened to spill down her face and she felt a lump forming in her throat as she used every ounce of strength to keep what was left of her composure from breaking. She was lost, confused and very much out of her element as she walked further down what could only be identified as a street from the frequent appearance of recognizable buildings carved out of the same crystal as the rest of the area.

The few inhabitants that weren't doing some form of labor simply stared at her with blank expressions as she passed them by, She noticed many looked malnourished or showed signs of a poorly healed injury or lack of sleep. Her selfishness and fear warred against a strong desire to help and much to her surprise, she knew how to help them.

Knowledge of healing spells, recipes to heal to the sick and nourish the weak sprung to the forefront of her thoughts and as she observed the very real slave labor happening in front of her, she paused and blinked as she realized something important.

For the first time in my life, I can actually do something other than just offer emotional support, I can help people...

I can be useful...

She patted herself down and pulled out a small cylinder with bright yellow button on one side. She pushed it and the cylinder expanded into a familiar staff. She gripped the Cadacues Staff in her left hand as she felt the warm tingle of her magic awaken and flow into it ready to be used. A part of her wanted to go to work and begin healing the populace but that was out weighed by the oppressive atmosphere of the situation. She spotted a palace that towered over the other buildings and stowed her staff back into it's leather pouch on her hip.

"It would be best not to play vigilante," she muttered to herself and frowned. "Am I still an Aussie if I sound German? wait, I'm Mercy now, do I go by her name or mine?"

She sighed and massaged her forehead to relieve herself of a rapidly forming headache. Magic gathered in her fingertips, the pain faded away and she quickly realized she had cast a spell to heal herself. The answer of why she did so quickly made itself known.

"And to top it all off, I'm a Valkyrie! Fucking great!" she commented sarcastically and started walking towards the palace with an added "Fuck this shit!" for good measure.

As she headed closer to the large crystal palace she noticed several ponies clad from head to hoof in steel plate armor with a decorative black mane on the helmet. Their movements were precise and synchronized as they patrolled in the streets in groups of two. She watched them from an alleyway as they briefly interacted with a young mare looking after a group of foals as they laughed and played nearby and unlike the adults, they were brightly coloured and lacked the tired, washed-out look of the older ponies. She paused and felt that the proper term for these equines was indeed Ponies, Crystal ponies if her instincts were correct. She could tell the foal sitter was stressed and frightened as she responded to the armored ponies with short, curt replies and eventually, the armor wearing ponies left and the mare relaxed.

They must be guards, just what on earth is going here? Everyone is either starving or wounded yet there's infrastructure to have guards and those foals are perfectly healthy!

With her curiosity fresh in her mind, the Valkyrie continued on wards,only to be stopped not five minutes later by some guards. Now that she was close to them, she could sense that there were a stallion inside each set of armor and that they weren't moving under their own power.

The ponies within the metal suit were out cold.

"Halt, this area is restricted." the guard one her right droned in flat monotone.

"I just need to speak to whoever's in charge-" She began but was interupted by the guard on her left.

"Your failure to obey has been noted, your travelling privileges have been revoked, we will now escort you to your new post," the guard stated and added. "Obey or you will be presented to King Sombra for punishment or imprisonment."

"Wat." She said flatly.

"Your compliance has been noted," the other guard droned. "Follow and Obey."

The Valkyrie was left extremely puzzled as she followed a guard with the second marching behind her.

The fuck?

She found herself shoved into a dimly lit mine. Ponies with muted colours and of varying ages worked tirelessly with pickaxe in mouth or hoof to chip away at the rock. She silently observed as a mare dug out a blue, faintly glowing crystal from the rock and shuffled over to a minecart to add the crystal to the pile of matching shards already inside.

She looked around nervously, uncertain of what to do. Should she help the miners? Should she start working alongside them? Maybe she should try to escape?

The sound of a pick striking the stone wall rang louder than the rest as an elderly stallion grunted as he tried to pry out a large gem with his pick. He heaved and with a final tug, the gem came loose with a scattering of pebbles. The cave rumbled as cracks appeared and rocks loosened from where the gem was embedded and before anyone could react, the exit was blocked and everything became shrouded in darkness.

She pulled herself up from the cold ground, she hissed in pain as blood tricked down her face from where a rock left a gash over her left eye. She stood silently for a moment as her magic healed the wound and once her mind was cleared from the pain induced haze, she wiped away the blood with a wrist guard and took stock of the situation.

I'm healing thankfully, the damaged eye doesn't matter, born blind in that one anyway.

We're trapped, no light and limited air. I can fix those with an air purification vortex designed to heal smoke inhalation.

...Good, now to check...Some outside force is keeping these ponies alive despite their injuries, Eh I'll take what I can get, time to get to work. I have a distinct feeling that I should be scared shitless right now but I'm not.

Must be the newfound magic and medical knowledge I have, either that or I'm so stressed out I no longer give a shit.

Whatever works.

She pulled out her staff and with a thought and the press of a button a stream of golden, glowing magic flowed towards the nearest pony and healed their injuries in a matter of seconds. The pony, a young mare in her early teens, groaned as she came to. The pony and Valkyrie stared at one other for a moment before the mare spoke.

"What did you do?" the pony asked as the medic moved on to heal another downed miner and as soon as the teen noticed the use of magic, immediately protested against it.

"Stop! Using magic is forbidden, if the king finds out-"

"So you want everyone to stay like this?" the healer drawled. "A life of constant pain and suffering which I am amending in seconds?"

"Well, no but we don't have a choice!"

"Alright, why don't you fill me in while I work, not like I have anything else to lose." the human turned Valkyrie replied with a sigh.

"Alright everyone," she said as she finished healing the last miner. "We need to dig our way out and when we do I'll gladly turn myself over to King Sombra alright?"

"Just like that?" a pony asked. "Why?"

She sighed and fiddled with her braid as she explained. "I uh, don't have anywhere to go and from what you've all told me, my best bet is to prove my usefulness and hope I get a job as a servant in the palace, I'm certainly exotic enough to catch his interest, magic or not."

"Nopony who's entered the palace has been seen since!" a middle aged mare replied fearfully. "You should just escape while you can."

"And go where exactly?" the Valkyrie snarked.

The conversation was interrupted by the shifting of rock by the exit. With the loud rumble and clatter of stone the exit was unsealed and two guards marched in.

"Leave the tunnel in an orderly fashion and await further orders," one of the guards droned and as ponies filed out he added. "Your obedience has been noted."

As she followed the ponies out, she heard a deep male voice barking orders.

"I want this area closed off for future inspection and restoration!"

As her eyes adjusted to the outside world she saw that individual giving orders matched what she had been told by the miners.

This was King Sombra. As the king took notice of her and walked over, she steeled her nerves and waited for shit to hit the fan.

"I take it you are responsible for casting magic illegally?" He asked as he observed her.

"Yes I'm-" she began but the king, despite the fact that his muzzle only reached up to her shoulders, proved to be intimidating as he locked her in his telekinetic grip.

"You will be taken to the palace for questioning," he growled. "If you try to flee your life will be forfeit, am I clear?"

"Ok." she squeaked.

"Good," he stated and turned his attention to the miners. "Return to your homes immediately! You are to remain on standby until further notice."

The ponies bowed in acknowledgement and began to shuffle away once the king turned his back and started walking to the palace with the new arrival in tow. For her part, the Valkyrie remained silent as she floated behind King Sombra. The fear and stress of the situation was starting eat away at her again but with, deep calm breaths she kept her frazzled emotions in check and found a distraction by staring at the king's red, fur trimmed cape.

Don't think about it, don't think about-Mum's left all alone, who will-
Don't think about it, look at the cape. It looks nice, looks fluffy and-I have no way to goHomeWhatDoIDoNow?

Don't think about it! I mean who cares if ICan'tGoHomeAndI'mStuckInABodyThat'sNotMine-

I dunno what to do...

The loud boom of a door opening pulled her from her thoughts just as she was unceremoniously dumped into a dark room and bound to the floor by black, crystalline chains shackled to her wrists. She stumbled and quickly found it easier to sit cross-legged on the floor than to try and stand with the weight of the chains.

The sound of metal hoofbeats rang throughout the mostly silent room as the King walked in and stood staring down at her.

"What are you?" he asked in a clipped, no nonsense tone.

"My name is-"

"I don't care about your name," he snapped. "What are you?"

"A Valkyrie..." she meekly replied.

The king paused and hummed in thought.

"I am unfamiliar with such a creature, explain." he demanded.

"I-um, I'm an entity that traditionally serves-and is an extension of- a higher power. Valkyries often watch over many aspects of combat, they can even decide who lives and dies on the battlefield and are most well-known for taking the souls of warriors they deem worthy to feast alongside the gods in the afterlife." she said, able to keep her voice steady despite her fear.

"I see..." King Sombra mused. "What is the extent of your magical capability?"

"Healing," she automatically replied. "I have spells for nearly every kind of ailment and situation that would require medical assistance."

Wait I do? she thought. Holy shit...I'm a doctor, a legit magical GP.

"You could prove useful, if what you say is true," the king stated. "Very well, I present to you a challenge and should you win I will give you a place within my court, lose and you will be tried for unlawful use of magic. Understand?"

"Yes, your majesty." she replied.

"I've no doubt you've seen the state of my workers, fragile things that they are and so if you can see to restoring the health of my subjects, you win," he said and grinned wickedly. "You have one week. This should be a simple task, if your skill is as great as you claim it to be."

The Valkyrie stood outside the palace as the doors closed behind her. She looked around helplessly as guards marched past on their patrol around the crystal covered streets.

The fuck do I do now? How do I even begin to approach this-this challenge? she thought in confusion.

"Um, excuse me." voice said and the Valkyrie looked over to see the teen aged mare from before trying to get her attention. The young pony had a washed out purple coat, brown mane and tail and green eyes with a symbol on her flank that was a snapshot of a tapestry being woven into creation.

"Yes?" she replied.

"I just wanted to ask um, did the king give you a challenge?" the young mare asked. "If you need some help getting around I could, help you..."

"Oh thank god, Yes I could use some assistance."

"Great!" the mare brightened up considerably. "My name's Fable Weaver, I'll take you to a quieter part of town while you tell me what you have to do."

"One week?" Fable replied in shock. "How are you going to pull that off?"

"Well, First I need to be sure what I'm capable of, once my limits are known there are a few ways i could complete the task, provided I could get everyone into a single space for a time." the healer replied. "I seem to be, shall we say Equipped with a multipurpose spell that could do the job, but if what happened in the mines is anything to go by, I'm not an endurance caster."

"What do you mean?" Fable asked

"I spent about five minutes in total healing everyone and by that time I was starting to lose concentration and I'm sure if I kept going I would've likely put my body through some serious strain." She explained.

Knowing all of this automatically is weird, weird but useful She thought.

"Oh, so what we do?" Fable asked.

"Hm, what do you people do for food?" the Valkyrie asked.

"We used to have lots of things, Crystal Berry Trees, Cloud Sheep Milk, Stone Folwers and Snow Folwers for eggs and Wheat Stone." Fable explained. "Now we just have unprocessed wheat stone, the king says it's more efficient."

"No one is looking after the other crops or livestock?"

"No, we all take turns to check on them but we haven't been able to harvest anything for months," Fable replied. "It's a good thing all our produce can last without spoiling for a long time. But you're welcome to take what you need though, whenever the king gives out a challenge the pony can do whatever they want to complete it as long as it doesn't interfere with the workers in the mines or those working on the grinder."

"I have a recipe in mind, what time does everyone get off work?" the Valkyrie asked.

"Midnight, why?" Fable asked.

"I'm going to take a look at these crystal berries and wheat stone...."

When they reached the orchard, both of them could see the impact King Sombra's takeover had on the land, trees went unharvested, buckets filled with hundreds of shiny crystal berries stood by a half filled wagon, waiting to be delivered.

"I can pull the wagon!" Fable offered. "There's a wheat stone farm not far from here that has a lot of cooking supplies and stuff for a bakery the family runs, I'm sure they wouldn't mind us using them!"

Fable went to hitch herself up to the wagon while the doctor went and examined one of the berries. She hummed in satisfaction at her findings and looked over at the berries still hanging on the trees.

I'm going to need all of them for this to work, I know a spell that used for the safe transport of critically injured patients,
I wonder if I can just tweak it... she thought and concentrated, the spell formula ran through her head and with a few alterations and the application of her will, the berries were surrounded by a blue aura.

Tink!

The fruits moved as one and floated off the trees and into the empty barrels.

Tink!

The barrels turned blue and floated onto the wagon. with a clunk they landed safely and the Valkyrie sighed in relief as a sense of discomfort made itself known in her forehead and back. She was mentally strained and only had enough presence of mind to simply blink at what could be described as flavor text that popped up in her line of sight.

* You learned Blue Magic!
* Gravity is yours to command with this levitation spell, turns the target blue.

"Nope, not dealing with this right now," she muttered and turned her attention to Fable, who was staring at her in awe. "Which way to the wheat stone farm?"

"This way!" Fable squeaked and scrambled to turn the wagon in the right direction.

Midnight had arrived and as the tired, hungry workers shuffled towards their homes, something caught their attention. the central plaza was filled with tables laden with bowls filled with a warm mixture made of wheat stone and crystal berries that resembled porridge. At the back of the proceedings was a giant pot with more of the mixture being stirred by the bipedal figure many had seen around town that day.

"Free food! Get a hot meal here!" Fable shouted at the top of her lungs while the Valkyrie kept a close eye on the magically infused mixture. Her hands and arms were sore from the constant casting she had to do for the mixture to be potent enough to actually heal anyone but she pushed past the pain, there was too much at stake now.

One by one, ponies shambled in and tried her cooking, upon expressing delight and happy hums from tasting the fruits of her labor, others were tempted to try it out and soon she had the entire place packed and then some as every pony from all around the city congregated to try her food.

Hours later, she saw the signs of the magic taking effect, wounds both old and new gradually healed and sickness and malnutrition vanished in an instant. Though there were still many that needed her attention, she felt satisfied at the head start she had been able to give herself.

The next six days were busy as she and Fable, along with the other miners she had rescued, worked to prepare food for the workers, it was repetitive work and the Valkyrie felt the eyes of the king on her every time she set up shop in the plaza but the flavor text summed up her thoughts nicely.

* Despite everything, it's still you!

At the end of the final day, she was escorted to the palace by guards once again and was led to the throne room. There King Sombra sat waiting on a large black crystal throne, just as intimidating as the first time the two had met a week prior.

"Your solution to the task I gave you was certainly creative," Sombra mused. "But effective, it appears you are of use to me after all."

"Happy to be of service, your majesty." the Valkyrie replied quietly.

"You are now The Crystal Empire's Royal Healer, as in accordance to the law you shall report to the servants quarters and respond only to your new title, Understood Healer?" the king stated curtly.

"Yes sir."

"Good, you start tomorrow, dismissed."

Book One Part Two

Three Weeks Later...

The newly appointed Royal Healer quickly got used to a busy and rather strict schedule, she was given an office attached to small, yet cosy bedroom and quickly discovered that sleep was more of a suggestion than a requirement for her day to day life. The work was fulfilling in some areas and often frustrating in others.

"Healer!" Somepony called out in one of the palace's many halls. "We have an emergency!"

The Valkyrie, dubbed 'Healer' by practically everyone in the empire darted out from her office, staff in hand. she had traded her braid for a simple ponytail and her winged helmet was left abandoned on her desk.

"What is it?" she asked and took notice of the scene before her. It was one of the palace maids, she was barely supporting her fellow staff member, a new recruit judging by the white ribbon choker around the mare's neck. Healer quickly eyed the older mare and spotted a black ribbon around her neck, denoting her as one the king's personal servants.

"What happened?" she asked the maid as the metal wings on her back opened up and allowed large golden feathers made of magic to slip through gaps in the metal as she used the wings to quickly glide to the pair.

"We were assigned to clean the library and she bumped a shelf and..." the panicking maid rambled as Healer inspected her unconscious companion.

With a flick of her wrist the doctor channeled magic into her staff and it locked onto the unconscious and concussed pony, with an extra amount of focus, Healer saw a life bar showcasing the pony's health and name above her head and watched it like a hawk as it rapidly went from 30HP to 100HP. The mare stirred and Healer repeated the process with her worried friend, just to be sure.

When both ponies were on their hooves, she reached into a pocket on her belt and pulled out a small notepad and enchanted quill.

"I'll write a note to the king, hand it to the guards and make sure you both avoid any strenuous work or heavy lifting for the rest of the day," Healer instructed as she handed one maid a piece of paper and quickly began writing on a second. "Give this to the kitchen staff, you're both dehydrated and stressed, get some good food and clean water in you for goodness sake! And tell everyone else to do the same!"

"Yes ma'am!" the maids squeaked in unison and walked away. Healer sighed and walked back into her office where one of the foal caretakers was waiting for her.

"So sorry about that Miss Song, let's check your stats shall we?" Healer asked as she returned to her desk.

Her office was simple with black, crystal flooring like the rest of the palace but she had the benefit of having a nice wooden desk, a chair and a few filing cabinets, some shelves and a large chest of draws for anything she could ever need for her various appointments and duties. Across from her sat a middle aged mare with a faded white coat and dull red mane with purple eyes and a heart shaped harp for- as healer had learnt they were called-a Cutie Mark. With her magic focused and centered around her one good eye, Healer was able to view the health bar of the pony in question and thankfully the flavor text provided additional details.

* ACT> Check
* Heart Song
* 75/100HP
* Status: Stress induced cold.
* A kind pony that tells stories using her songs, though right now, she better get some rest lest that flu turn into something worse.

"Miss Song, I would advise you to take a few early nights and get some extra sleep, if you get worse you could spread it to the foals and we can't have that can we?" Healer asked.

"I can't! Without me taking care of the foals during the evening, the other caretakers don't have enough time to prepare food for themselves and the children, not to mention getting the young ones to take their nightly baths, getting them too sleep....I can't afford a night off!" Heart Song protested.

"What If I found you a replacement?"Healer asked.

"You'd have to ask the king, he keeps us all on a very tight schedule so..." the mare replied and Healer sighed.

"I'll see what I can do," the medic stated and scribbled out a prescription on her notepad. "For now, try and get some rest, I've written a small list of things you could eat to help with the stress as well as a few instructions for the caretakers who take the day shift, just in case this becomes a long lasting issue."

King Sombra gave her flat from behind his desk.

"No, there is nopony else who can cover her shift, she'll just need to endure it." he stated.

"Permission to speak freely?" Healer asked and the king paused in consideration.

"Granted."

"What if she gets worse?" the doctor asked seriously. "I've been working to patch up everything from scrapes to broken bones over these past few weeks and we don't have the staff to treat a cold if it turns into an epidemic and what of the foals? Some of them may not have the strength to simply fight it off, even with my help."

"I run this Empire on a tight leash," Sombra growled. "If she cannot perform her duties then somepony else will have to work double to pick up her slack and still be capable of performing their own duties the following morn."

"Well, I could cover for her," Healer stated. "True, I would be in a rush to return to the palace in the morning but I wouldn't be burdened by sleep deprivation at least, if you allow it of course."

"Are you certain you will be able to perform your daily tasks?" Sombra asked. "If you fail both you and Heart Song will face the consequences."

"I know, your majesty," Healer replied meekly. "I'll do my best not to let you down!"

I have no clue what I'm doing! she thought nervously as dozens of foals ran, played and laughed around the large house she'd walked into. The last worker for the day shift had given her simple instructions to entertain the foals, feed them and ensure they slept soundly throughout the night but as she looked around at the small herd of young ponies, she felt increasingly more nervous.

"Excuse me everyone?" she said as she tried to get the attention of the rambunctious children. the cacophony of noise reminded her of a very loud classroom. So she breathed deeply and decided to simply be louder.

"HEY!" she roared and every colt and filly stopped what they were doing and turned to look at her. She noticed quite a few were a bit frightened.

How do I- Ah I know! she thought and cleared her throat.

"Hi, I'm the new Royal Healer, I've volunteered to look after you tonight while Heart Song gets some much needed rest." she said.

"Will she be ok?" one filly asked.

"Will you tell us story too?" A colt called out.

"Yes, she'll be fine and yes I will be telling you a story, but first, why don't we all have tea first?" Healer replied.

"Tea tastes yucky without sugar." a colt grumbled and several other children voiced their agreement.

Oh right, they usually use different terminology here don't they... Healer realized and covered up her blunder.

"Why don't we have dinner instead then?"

With full stomachs the foals gathered around Healer as she sat on the floor with her legs crossed, ready to tell them a tale and she grinned as she knew exactly which story to tell them. She only hoped she could do it justice.

"Alright everyone, I'm going to tell you a story about Ponies and Monsters....Long ago two nations ruled over the earth, ponies and monsters...."

A story of a foal trapped underground in the kingdom of monsters, how they chose to befriend each every one despite the danger they faced. The children hung on to her every word completely enthralled by the epic tale and many of them laughed at a few of the funnier voices Healer was able to pull off. Though to her disappointment much of Undertale's dialogue was sadly paraphrased as she couldn't quite remember the exact lines.

Some however, she remembered perfectly.

"Pony," she said regally with a hint of sadness. "It was nice to meet you, goodbye."

With a flourish she pulled out her staff and wielded it like a weapon and swung it down just in front of the first row of foals, who gasped in front along with the others.

"What then?" one of them asked.

"A strange light filled the room, twilight was shining through the barrier. The pony felt their journey was finally over and they were filled with Determination," Healer said. "The king would not show mercy, nor would he accept it as he had a duty to his people, to claim the last pony soul and free all of monster kind. So the fight for the fate of all ponies and monsters, began."

Hours later the excitement of the story had worn the children out and with the foals asleep in their beds, Healer began the long, lonely task of keeping watch over the foals. She sat on a cushion she had scavenged from a nearby closet, her staff in hand just in case something went wrong and as had been the case the past few weeks, the flavor text summed up her thoughts.

* The thought of doing a good job looking after the foals fills you with Perseverance.

When the first caretaker for the day shift arrived, Healer informed them that the foals were still asleep and wished them a good day's work just before she bolted from the building and ran to the palace. Her gear weighed her down but she scrambled into her office just as Fable, her personal assistant, wandered in with a yawn.

"Did you have fun looking after the foals?" Fable sleepily asked.

"Yeah," Healer replied. "Any overnight incidents that need my attention?"

"Nope but the king wants your help looking over the guards today, he wants you to make sure the stasis spell is still holding." Fable replied.

Healer sighed.

"Reschedule any appointments meant for today to tomorrow, I'll head to the barracks now."

"Alright, will you still be cooking dinner for the staff tonight?" Fable asked.

"I'll try to." Healer replied as she walked out.

She walked down the crystal halls as her empty stomach protested at her lack of breakfast. The absence of food was resulting in mild nausea and a small headache, but she ignored it and kept going. Her trek landed her in the barracks training area, the only space large enough to comfortably have every guard in the Empire stand at attention as King Sombra watched on from a balcony.

"Healer, You orders are to scan each and every guard to ensure my stasis matrix still has its hold on them, am I understood?" the king barked.

I just have to keep doing what I can to remain useful, don't think about the 'what if's' and just do your job. She thought.

"I'll see to it at once, your majesty." She replied and walked over to the first guard in the front line.

* ACT> Check
* Crystal Guard #1
* 150/150HP
* Matrix Array Condition: Stable.

She moved to the next guard. As the hours passed, the work became repetitive, mind numbing and boring but she did it without complaint but as she reached the final row, her concentration wavered yet she pushed on wards despite the growing migraine and the pain in her back.

* You feel unwell but the knowledge that someone else will go down with you if you fail now fills you with the perseverance to keep going.

* You reach the final guard, he's stable as well.

She breathed a sigh of relief as she turned her attention to the king.

"All of them are stable, your majesty." she stated, her voice steady despite her condition.

"Good," he stated gruffly and peered down at her. "You're dismissed for the rest of the day, return to your chambers."

That caught her off guard. she could only nod in response and kept her composure until she was out of sight. Once she was in the clear, she slouched and shambled back to her quarters. She stepped into her office to find Fable working on some embroidery on a blue piece of cloth.

"I told the others they'll have to feed themselves tonight." the mare stated as Healer plopped down onto the large cushion she kept stowed away in the corner of her office.

"No I can still cover the dinner rush." the Valkyrie protested.

"You don't look too good, anything I can do to help?" Fable asked and put down her work as she glanced over at the medic.

A knock sounded at the door, Healer groaned quietly and made to go answer but Fable was faster. On the other side of the door stood a maid wearing a grey ribbon, a sign of an experienced member of castle staff. she wheeled in a food trolley laden with various dishes.

"His majesty asked me to give this to the Royal Healer," she stated softly. "Enjoy your meal ma'am."

As the maid left, Fable and Healer stared at the food.

"Can I have some?" Fable asked as Healer walked over to the cart.

"After I eat," Healer grunted and began to pick and choose bits and pieces of the various dishes to pile onto a spare plate. "I guess I impressed him or something..."

"He's been making you work almost non-stop ever since you landed the job, I think you were overdue for a reward."Fable stated.

"If you say so." the Valkyrie grunted as she wolfed down her meal.

That evening Healer walked down to the kitchens in a much better mood. When she entered she noticed many of the regular staff were already there, preparing the kitchen to cook meals for the themselves and the rest of the palace staff now that the rush to cook the king's dinner was behind them.

"I take it I have you all to thank for my wonderful surprise brunch?" Healer asked.

"Of course Ma'am. What the king says, goes after all." a pastry chef replied.

"I just wanted to thank you all, so I got you these," Healer said and pulled out a large basket filled with crystal berries. "I heard your supply of these was getting a bit low."

"Thank you," the chef replied. "You'll be coming in next week to help cook for the foals right?"

"Well given that they'll be getting their first annual check up from me, it would rude not to have something to give them for their good behavior," Healer replied with a shrug. "Might as well pitch in where I can."

"How did you convince the king to let children into the palace?" another cook asked.

"I just suggested that it would be more efficient to have then come here instead of the other way around." she replied with another shrug.

"You're not scared of him?"

"A bit," Healer admitted. "But if I don't do what I can to help the Empire, what would be the point of having me around?"

With her goodbyes said to the kitchen staff and a sleepy Fable, Healer walked into her modest bedroom utterly exhausted. Feeling mentally and physically drained for the first time in weeks, she fumbled with the leather belt and leather straps to remove the blue shield and the metal wings it was attached to from her back. The strange metal contraption landed on the floor with thunk and she felt as if a weight had been lifted.

There was the sound and feel of displaced air as a large pair of golden wings, made of solid, glowing magic unfurled from her back. Healer jolted with newfound alertness as she realized they were a part of her, she could feel them, wings! The magical appendages were just as much a part of her body as her arms or legs.

.....The Fuck? Was the only thought her scrambled brain could process.

Healer sat on her bed in shock at her newly discovered wings. As the minutes ticked by the shock gave way to exhaustion and her tired mind gradually accepted the new appendages as a part of herself and she mentally filed away her curiosity about for later.

Besides she had work to do in the morning, which much to her annoyance, arrived far to quickly for her liking. With a groan she got up and looked down at the metal wing armor she had taken off the previous night. Too tired to really care she ignored it and shuffled over to the vanity, she had to crouch to see herself in the mirror but soon she had her hair presentable and with a quick check of her clothes to ensure nothing was out of place, Healer wandered down to the servants mess hall.

A small gathering of tired and slightly frazzled ponies waited her, each one wearing coloured ribbons that showed where their place was among the palace staff. The hall was mostly silent with only the sound of ponies eating their morning meal and Healer quickly grabbed her tray of food and found a quiet corner away from the rest of the palace workers to eat in peace.

Fable plopped down next to her a few minutes later. Wordlessly they ate as Fable hoofed over a file, Healer paused her current mission of inhaling her food and opened the file up to revel her orders for the day. She sighed and stored the file away in her inventory and returned her attention to her food.

She growled a warning when Fable attempted to steal some of it. Fable huffed and smiled in amusement as the mare kept to her own plate of food. When she wasn't looking, Healer slipped an untouched portion of her meal onto Fable's tray and left to begin her duties for the day.

As she walked she began to make a mental checklist of things she could do to improve the lives of the palace staff and she inwardly groaned as she realized she would have to forego sleep to make it work. She sighed in resignation. A piece of parchment and of all things, a ballpoint pen appeared in her hands and she began jotting down notes as she walked.

I don't exactly sleep much these days anyway. She thought and went on with her day.

By the time night had fallen, Healer patrolled around the palace halls one time in search of any in need of assistance or advice. As she passed the door to he King's office, she noticed the light was still on. The metaphorical gears in her mind whirred at what to do, her nervousness rising like a tidal wave but with a deep breath and no small amount of fear, she knocked on the door.

She heard King Sombra grant her entry and walked in to find him still working hard with a mountain of papers and several stacks of books organised around him. The king looked at her and in the silence the medic summoned a thermos of tea and a couple of tea cup from...somewhere.

She found she had the capacity to summon items that she needed in the heat of the moment after realizing on her second day at work that she missed using ballpoint pens and had no clue how to use a quill and inkwell, only to find a pen already in her hand. Now it just came naturally, such providing a hot drink for herself and the tired king as they both spent a good deal of the night pouring through books and papers, deep in a discussion of magic.

The palace was abuzz with activity, jittery maids and other servants darted here and there in a frantic effort to complete their daily tasks while down in the palace kitchens the chefs worked to provide food for both the staff, the king and the dozens of foals that were now being guide on a personal tour by the king.

"You will see here we have the royal armory, wherein my dutiful guards are fitted with their armor and in the case of the Empire coming under attack, they will be given weapons to defend it." King Sombra stated as he looked over the crowd of frightened and wide-eyed colts and fillies.

Healer stood at the back of the group, her golden wings half open in a relaxed posture. She looked genuinely interested in the tour and she appeared to be the only one who was.

"Any questions?" He drawled, though he knew full well who would actually have any motivation to ask.

As if on que, Healer raised her hand as a mix of confusion and curiosity danced across her features. Sombra nodded in her direction and the doctor voiced her question.

"How exactly do the guards function?" she asked. "I've noticed they seemed almost autonomous in nature."

"Magic." was Sombra's curt reply and Healer looked crestfallen.

"Oh...."

The king wondered if perhaps he should sate her curiosity at a later time. He found her reactions to almost everything confusing and interesting all at once. The ponies of the Empire were fearful, skittish things even before he placed his spell on them to keep them complacent and the arrival of the Valkyrie was nothing but a boon to solidify his rule as she worked to ensure his subjects would be more efficient in their tasks than ever. Yet the way she had adapted to life here was astonishing and Sombra found himself taking the time to give her challenge after challenge just to see the limits of her abilities.

Each challenge, be it healing the kingdom or overseeing a key aspect of it's economy she passed, sometimes by the skin of her teeth and each victory made the king wonder something.

Why wasn't she afraid? She was bold enough to bring valid concerns to his attention yet considerate enough to offer a hot drink or a warm meal when she found him still in his office in the early hours of the morning when she came in to recieve her orders for the day. It puzzled him to no end at how well she had adjusted and fit in to Palace life despite it only being two months since she had first arrived.

Everypony else feared him and they had every right too. So why was she being so nice to him?

The tour ended as it had began with a bunch of scared foals and one ever curious Healer. The King stood in front of his throne as he addressed them.

"That marks the end of the tour, I leave you all in the capable hands of the royal healer."He stated and walked back to his office. He unlocked the door with a spell and upon stepping inside, a red crystal jutted up from the ground and sat waiting for him in the corner of the room.

"Sombra...How goes your progress?" a feminine voice cooed from the crystal.

"We are ahead of schedule Mother, if work continues at this pace we will have a functioning gateway to The Void by the end of the year," he stated. "Soon our people will be free."

"Good, continue your work," his 'mother' stated. "The Umbrum will soon be free...."

A knock on the door drew his attention and Sombra waited for the red crystal to sink back into the ground before he acknowledged the disturbance.

"What is it?" he asked gruffly and turned towards the door as it opened and Healer stepped inside his office with a rolled up scroll in hand.

"Forgive my intrusion, your majesty but the foals asked me to give you this." she explained and handed him the scroll.

Sombra rolled his eyes and opened it to find crude drawing of some kind of robe.

"What is this?" he demanded. "I don't have time for trivial nonsense."

"The foals noticed during their check up last month that I didn't really have a uniform so they decided to draw a design and asked me to give it to you for approval." Healer said.

"Hm...I'll think about it," Sombra grunted. "Return to your duties at once."

"Stop fidgeting," Fable chided Healer as the crystal pony helped her into her new uniform. "You don't want to tear it and ruin all my hard work do you?"

"Sorry," Healer replied meekly as she sat on a stool. "I'm just nervous, the king asked me to oversee the miners working the re-opened tunnel today. what if it caves in again? what if everyone dislikes me and doesn't ask for help? Do you realize how many things could go wrong-ow!"

Healer rubbed the spot on her upper arm that Fable had pricked with a pin as the mare made the final adjustments to the robe that served as Healers uniform.

"You'll be fine, it's been what four months? You're well liked by everypony in the palace, you have the ear of the king and things are finally starting to look up for us. You're doing great so far." Fable replied as she sewed.

"I highly doubt I'm that important." the Valkyrie stated.

"The king certainly seems to think so," Fable commented. "Doesn't he actually ask you for advice now?"

"Well sometimes yes but he only follows my advice if I can convince him it will benefit the empire in some way."

"From the looks of things you've been successful a few times right?"

"I never thought I'd have to get good at explaining things via speech..." Healer admitted with a smile. "I find it easier to just write things down."

"If the palace gossip is anything to go by you're doing something right." Fable stated.

"Wait gossip? What are they saying? Is it bad?" A very concerned Healer asked and Fable chuckled.

"No, nothing like that, just that the ponies have noticed the king doing small things to make life easier and that you two have been spotted talking late into the night," the young mare explained with a grin. "Keeping a secret are we?"

"King Sombra has a habit of staying up late to do more work on the guards stasis field or the empires schedule, things like that," Healer replied in tone reminiscent of a lecturer. "He's been showing me how it all works and I've been helping with improvements. I understand the theory behind most spells but I can never pull off practical application unless I reverse engineer one of my existing spells to produce a similar effect."

"Oh right, you spend most of your evenings in the royal library don't you?" Fable asked.

"I just started reading all night to have something to do when everyone goes to bed," Healer replied. "It's productive at least, so that's something."

"Alright, I'm done, stand up and let me have a look at you." Fable stated and stepped back as the Valkyrie carefully stood up in fear of ripping the material.

She was wearing a long purple robe, with white sleeves and a white collar reminiscent of a turtleneck top. the robe was plain and simple with room for her wings to fully extend and comfortable enough to go about her duties unhindered. Healer had a sneaking suspicion that the outfit was alluding to something but she didn't really mind.

"You look great!" Fable said and hoofed over a pair of white shoes. "Here I had a friend make these to go with it."

"Huh, comfy." Healer commented as she slipped the shoes on.

"I thought you might say that, you complained a lot about those boots of yours," Fable replied with a cheeky grin before a questioning look overtook her features. "Say, do you know how to use those wings of yours?"

"Nope, I do have a free day coming up, so I was going to practice then. Wanna watch?"

"Sure!" Fable happily said.

"You can do it Healer!" Cheered Fable as Healer flew for the first time.

Sombra watched in fascination as the Valkyrie slowly and shakily flew around one of the palace's towers. Her nervousness was as clear as day yet every few seconds the king would catch her gaze drifting over to him and... He wasn't sure what to call her expression, embarrassed? Determined? Both? Yet he kept watching and one thing became clear.

She was trying to impress him. With this knowledge King Sombra thought back to her now increased workload, her sincere desire to make his job easier even if it caused her no end of stress or inconvenience.

Her attitude with the palace staff showed yet another side of her, a creature Tartarus bent on preserving the well-being of others, even if it meant disagreeing with any and all under her care.

As Healer touched down with the grace of a fledgling bird, Sombra felt she was ready for one final test and regardless of the outcome, he would be one step closer to achieving his dream.

She is loyal, she is powerful and intelligent. If anyone can aid in giving my kind a home in this world, it's her, the king thought and walked over to her. It is time she knew the truth.

"Impressive Healer, for a first attempt. Clean up and see me in my office, I have an important task for you." He ordered and made his way back into the palace as his Royal Healer shared a look of confusion with her assistant.

As he stepped into his office, Sombra couldn't help but notice the changes it had undergone since Healer's arrival nearly six months ago. The room was larger due one the medic's many useful spells, sported a second desk, a bookshelf stacked with reference tomes and a chair for when Healer would spend night's plowing through paperwork on his behalf.

Sombra walked over to a more discreet addition, a small compartment built into the floor with the lid indistinguishable from the wooden floor of the room. Keyed to his magic, the lid slid back to reveal a large wooden chest, nearly as large as the king himself, which Sombra carried in his magic and set it in the center of the room.

As the compartment it was hidden in closed shut he sighed, the reminder of his aggressive takeover staring him right in the face as he opened the chest and set about carefully arranging the crystal shards that lay within. With a careful, delicate use of his magic, the pieces slowly came together in the middle of the room, first was a leg, then two, a tail and more until a pony took shape.

The terrified face of Queen Amore stared back at him as the last shard fell into place. A knock at the door heralded Healer's arrival, Sombra let her inside without a word and waited for her reaction, his face a mask of calm and neutrality.

"That looks like the Crystal Queen, forgive my confusion but what did you do?" she asked and marched over to the queens'petrified form, a hand glowing green as she scanned the remains of the Empire's former ruler.

"Can you revive her?" He asked curtly and she blinked owlishly.

"I can try," She replied and looked over the Queen and muttered something about souls. Eventually she stopped and frowned in confusion. "That's different."

She went into an explanation before Sombra could ask for clarification. "My magic revolves around the soul, in combat I can summon an opponent's soul into this plane of reality to immobilize or damage them but I also need a soul to be present for my healing abilities to work and this...Her soul is somewhere else. She's only mostly dead from being petrified for so long, so if we can track down her soul I'd be able to bring her back perfectly fine."

"How curious, you won't ask why she's in this state?" Sombra asked.

"It's not that hard to figure out, from my time spent wandering around the Empire, the stories from various crystal ponies and what facts I've been able to dig up from the library, you need the crystal mines for something, asked Amore for help, she declined you so you took over. You uh, don''t seem the type to simply go after power for power's sake,"Healer replied. "I can't figure out what you need this all for though and I just figured it wasn't my place to know."

"Indeed that was the case when you first arrived but your eagerness to please and cooperation in convincing the citizens of My Empire to accept the transition of power has made you a most valuable individual. To that end, I believe it is necessary for you to understand my plan to ensure your full cooperation towards it's completion," Sombra explained and began to pace around the room as he talked. "I was not born into this world but created, a hybrid of pony and umbrum magic given form as a young foal. I was raised in an orphanage here in the empire and throughout my youth I was ostracized as being different from the joy filled crystal ponies of this place."

"Furthermore they hold a festival to protect the empire using a powerful artifact and this proved...incompatible with the umbrum side of my heritage but alas I would not discover the truth for many moons when in a fit of rage I fled the empire and ran head-long into a blizzard where I was soon found by a talking crystal."

"Wat?" Healer replied flatly.

"Strange, I know but it was my mother, the queen of the Umbrum herself who was using what little power she had to communicate with me via the crystals scattered about the region. She spoke of how a war long ago had left the Umbrum trapped within the Void yet now they seek freedom, they seek peace and despite my arguments Queen Amore refused to accept the notion of coexistence," Sombra growled. "I trapped her with the intent of releasing her once my vision has been brought to life! An empire where pony and Umbrum walk together in peace for the first time in centuries!"

"That is admittedly a noble goal, though you could have...done things differently?" Healer sheepishly said as she watched Sombra warily.

"Hm...You words ring true Healer but I have done what I must, I only took the throne when all other options failed," The king replied calmly, though a hint of regret still seeped through. He regained his composure and stored the remains of the Crystal Queen back in its chest and returned the large wooden chest to where he had stored it. "Come, now you know the why of my endeavor it is time I showed you the how and why the crystal ponies spend so much time in the mines."

Healer's expression was one of sympathy and trust as she wordlessly followed him out of the office.

He walked at a steady pace to the throne room and cast a spell on the throne room floor to reveal a hidden stairway that spiraled deep into the earth with fork in the path at its end. Sombra walked down the right path as Healer, who had chosen to glide down the stairs, darted forward to catch up to him and soon she hovered beside him.

"You seem to have grown quite accustomed to those wings," he idly noted. "They suite you."

"You really think so? I'm honestly trying not to crash right now," she replied with a grin. "Sustained flight is a bit trickier than imagined but I'm getting there. This is good practice at least!"

"I find it hard to believe you're having trouble with this, you seem fine to me." the king noted.

"Ah, well the mechanics of flight are all fine and good but when you grow up with one set of instincts and suddenly most of what your body perceives as normal is thrown out the window by a pair of wings. Well let's just say I'm having trouble getting over the idea that I'm flying and not say, falling with style." Healer explained.

"In that case you're doing well, for a first attempt." Sombra commented

"Eh, talking with you is a welcome distraction, distractions help." Came her simple and honest reply.

The pair continued their conversation as they walked and eventually the subject to magic studies.

"You spend your nights reading correct? I've been curious as to why," He asked. "It's more than a simple fascination with magic, so what exactly are you trying to do?"

"I've been trying to get home, I-I don't how or why-" Her wavered as she spoke and began to fiddle with her robe's sleeves. "I just-"

She smiled, it wasn't happy as it was more of a creature baring its teeth than an expression of joy. Judging form how quickly it appeared and how fast she was to correct herself, the king deduced it was a reflex, a defensive mechanism.

"I've left friends and family behind, I just want to find out why I'm here or who sent me here so I can ask them if they could send me home." she explained.

She took a shaky breath and squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. the underground hallway went silent, save for the sounds of her raged breathing as she tried to calm down. Sombra stood patiently as Healer regained her composure over several minutes until finally she muttered an apology.

"Sorry, you didn't need to put up with all of that...I just wanna go home..." she said in a small voice.

"You will, The Void is a place between words once we create a gateway there to free the Umbrum, we can use the same method to send you home, " the king stated confidently. 'I'll make sure of it."

"Are you sure?"she asked meekly. "I don't want to be any trouble."

"You have been nothing but a boon to me and my Empire, it would be a discredit to all your hard work if i couldn't repay you properly," Sombra stated. "I may not be a pony in the traditional sense but I value loyalty and respect when I see it."

"Thanks...I don't really know what else to say" Healer admitted.

"No matter, we're here." He replied and motioned to a large stone door with a picture painted onto it. drawn in golden ink, it depicted ponies fighting against thinner, taller equine like creatures with flowing manes, tails and fang filled maws. above the battle a wolf watched from atop a cliff with the sun at its back while a four winged dragon floated above as if to descend to the surface to quell the fighting.

"There is a debate concerning what the mural depicts, either a battle of the war between Umbrum and ponies or a grim warning of what is to come should the Umbrum be released," Sombra explained. "If it is a warning, then it is my duty to see it never comes to pass. The Umbrum will know peace!"

He pushed the door open to reveal a large cave fit to house several full grown dragons. A massive marble archway lined with gold and studded with emeralds rested atop a gargantuan rune circle that had been carved into the stone floor. Large metal tubes were positioned around the circle as powdered crystal cascaded from each one to slowly fill and eventually power the massive example of runic spell work.

"A rune circle powered by raw crystal linked to an archway stepped in enchantments pony kind hasn't seen in millennia! With this I will create a doorway into the Void, free the Umbrum and have them walk as citizens in a new era for The Crystal Empire!" King Sombra announced.

Healer smiled in encouragement, her perseverance to help him plain as day on her face.

With her by my side I can make my dream a reality Sombra thought as they watched the makings of a new era.

With her by my side, I can do anything

Hours later, when Healer had retreated to the library for the night and the palace staff dismissed, Sombra was back in his office and conversing with his mother.

"She has proven to be a capable individual, I have told her of the plan and we have her full support. With her working to maximize efficiency with the well-being of the crystal ponies in mind we should have the gateway ready before the year is done." he explained.

"Perhaps we should ensure her loyalty, she could be useful to us once the initial influx of Umbrum begin and it would be wise to have her assist you for as long as she is able." The Umbrum Queen suggested.

He sat in silence as he thought about the idea, about his promise to help her return home. The two suggestions clashed not only in his head but in his magic, his horn sparked in a flash of pain a burning sensation began to spread throughout his body. He growled and tried to wrestle his magic into submission, fueled by the hatred of his condition, he smothered the conflict with a burst of dark magic and the pain faded to a hollow ache.

"The sooner I am free, the sooner I can see to your health my son," The Umbrum Queen cooed. "Your Royal Healer could be of use in helping me do so, together we could help you, together we could make you whole."

"What must be done?" he grunted.

It had been a few days since the successful flying attempt, the sight of Healer hovering, flying or gliding around the palace quickly became a common sight and even increasing the medic's efficiency in doing her day to day tasks. As the Royal Healer's assistant, Fable Weaver was responsible for the general well-being of the Valkyrie as well as keeping her to a less self-destructive work ethic which didn't turn the empire's resident displaced into a grumbling, short tempered mess the morning after a night long reading binge in the library.

The young crystal mare had everything set up for a nice, quiet breakfast in Healer's office with a bowl of oatmeal, some toast, a crystal berry muffin and a pot of drinking chocolate set aside to put the normally tired and unresponsive Healer into a more agreeable mood.

Fable did not expect her friend to burst into the room a panicked mess. Healer had ignored the basics of grooming as her orange hair hung loose to reach halfway down her back, her robe was a crumpled mess and the crystal pony could see that whatever had worked her friend up into this stressed out state had to be remedied as soon as possible.

"What happened?" she asked and Healer grinned nervously.

"The king asked me to marry him!" her friend exclaimed in a panic. "I dunno what to do! Help!"

"Isn't that a good thing? Did you give a reply?" Fable asked.

"I told him I needed time to think about it but- Him! Me! married! Why?!" the Valkyrie rambled and began to pace around the room. "What if I mess up? He's my boss so it's bad enough but my husband? This is just- I don't- What do I do?"

Fable walked forward and guided her friend to her large cushion. The two sat down and the crystal pony found herself wrapped up in hug, a rare sign of trust and affection from the frazzled woman.

"I...Don't handle change well, I need to be eased into it or I uh, freak out," Healer admitted with a reflexive grin which slowly vanished as she continued to talk. "Back home I looked after my mum, she was injured in an accident at work and needed me to run errands and help her around the house and stuff...Before I was sent here I was at a gathering, a festival so to speak all dressed in the costume you saw me in when I first arrived my friends had saved up money to send me there and we were all going to meet up for the first time ever, heh...they even raised enough money to hire a nurse to look after mum while I was away and one minute I'm shopping for gifts for my friends and next I'm here with no way to get back."

"I threw myself into my work hoping I could find a way home or find someone who could send me home, you know?" Healer said. "I don't know what to do anymore this too much, too soon."

"So...Would marrying the king help?" Fable asked.

"I guess, I mean I respect him enough that we could get along without any issue and I'd have more authority in the Empire...it might help?"

"It would be good for the Empire at lest, then you'd have more time to find a way home right?" Fable suggested. "How about we take break from all of this and head over to my place for a snack?"

"Ok..." Healer replied softly.

I've spent months trying to distract myself just so I can make some semblance of progress towards a way home Healer thought as Fable helped her to her feet. Maybe this is the opportunity I need to really get somewhere with all of this. I guess marrying King Sombra wouldn't be all bad, it'll be a beneficial political marriage at least. Once the Empire can function without me I can put all my effort into getting home...

I just can't lose hope. I have friends here, Sombra promised to help me.

I can get through this!

* The thought of seeing your loved ones again fills you with perseverance
* Healer LV 1
* 200/200 HP
* FILE SAVED!

Book One Part Three

The Palace was a flurry of activity as ponies scrambled to prepare for the up coming wedding, their coats almost sparkled with their newfound hope that the bride-to-be had restored over the last few months. The hope of being free, the hope of living happily, they had morphed into the hope of finally returning to something that resembled normal and with Healer to temper the King's harshness the crystal ponies had every right to embrace that hope.

The future Queen of the Empire waited nervously on a balcony overlooking the Empire, a security matrix had triggered with two ponies flying swiftly towards the Empire. She still remembered the earth rumbling shout of their voices that blasted it's way over from the frozen wastes.

"KING SOMBRA THE CROWN OF EQUESTRIA DEMANDS YOU'RE SURRENDER FOR THE MURDER OF QUEEN AMORE!"

She'd been terrified and all the King had done was ask her to oversee the rest of the wedding preparations while he went to negotiate with ponies he called "The Princesses of Equestria." That had been two hours ago, she started pacing as she kept watch for his return, Fable was handling things and given that the young mare had insisted Healer leave things to her, the Valkyrie was left to wait and wonder as fear and worry clouded her thoughts. Romantic love wasn't a driving factor in her panic or at least not in the sense most understood, it wasn't a physical attraction to King Sombra it was much more simple, less primal and more beautiful.

She cared for his well-being, she respected him and all she wanted was for him to live happily, to be safe, to find peace and she didn't care if that was something that she was a part of not.

She felt he deserved that after everything that he'd been through and she'd be she was lying if the thought of leaving him hurt a bit but if it was for his sake, she would. Which was why she waited, right now he needed her, right now she had a place in his life and as much as the idea of marriage terrified and excited her, she would get past whatever fate through her way.

Fate decided to throw her a curveball.

There was once a maiden who traveled to a festival that celebrated stories and the games people created around them. She like many others was dressed in an elaborate and intricate costume as they browsed the stalls selling all kinds of wares and shared their love of certain stories with one another.

The maiden did not join the revelry and chose to enjoy the festival by quietly observing others, she had travelled from far away to join in the festival and saw no reason to talk to people she might never see again for despite her love for many stories she was a bit shy. Just as she took in many colourful artworks of a nearby stall she was blinded by a bright flash of light-

And the maiden found herself in a far off kingdom of another world. Fear quickly dug its way into her heart as she realised she had no way to return home! The maiden stumbled through the unfamiliar streets as a new horror made itself known, not only was the maiden stranded in this new world but she had been transformed into the character her costume was based on. She walked around a city made of black, shiny crystal in a haze of despair as the maiden lost hope and direction in this strange new land.

Only to stumble upon one of city's inhabitants. The creatures that walked, talked and lived in the city were not people, but ponies of many colours. As the maiden watched the ponies from the shadows she noticed many were sick or injured and thanks to her new form being gifted with the magic to heal the ponies, she knew she could be of use and sought to seek an audience with their king. The Unicorn King of the Crystal Empire was a strict ruler who kept his subjects bound to his laws with dark magic and forced them to follow a schedule for almost every aspect of their lives. So when he laid eyes on the maiden, the selfish king saw only a tool that would increase the efficiency of his workers and the maiden, alone and afraid was all too eager to find a new purpose.

The king was wary of the maiden, although he could he see the potential in having her work for him he knew her magic could be used to bring harm to his empire just as much as it could help it and so he issued a challenge to the maiden.

"You have seen the state of my subjects, fragile things that they are and if you can restore the health of all my subjects, you win," the king declared and grinned wickedly. "You have one week. This should be a simple task, if your skill is as great as you claim it to be."

And so the maiden worked tirelessly as she discovered the usefulness of her new magic but soon realized that trying to heal everypony alone would not work. With an idea in mind the maiden sought help from a young mare and together they cooked up a feast of magical food for the entire empire and the maiden found her place in the king's court.

The months flew by and the maiden's willingness to adapt to her new situation puzzled the king to no end but it also drew him to her like a moth to a flame. Week after week the king demanded more of her to test the limits of her resourcefulness and perseverance until one day, she began to assist him with his daily duties of her own free will and the king released he truly cared for her. The maiden had learnt to see past the king's serious and gruff nature and truly both understood and appreciated the sheer amount of work he did to run the empire. Through that end she grew to care for the unicorn king and when the king asked her to marry him, she agreed as it would bring joy to both them and the empire.

But alas all was not well, the king had ascended to the throne by murdering the Crystal Queen and the two princesses of the neighboring kingdom sought to avenge her death. The king received word of the princesses coming to overthrow him the night before the wedding and left to confront the two princesses in a duel.

For all his power the king was defeated, turned to shadow and banished to an empty, magic less realm known as The Void. Upon his defeat the empire he ruled and the maiden he loved were banished with him.

She found herself in a bleak space where the only colour that existed was shades of grey and though there was light, she couldn't pinpoint its source for the sky above and world in front of her was heavily obscured by a dense, white fog. The Maiden called for help as she wandered and to her horror, found the subjects of the empire all of which had been turned to stone. The Empire she had started to call home, if only until she could find a way to return to her world of origin was as grey and empty as The Void around her.

In a desperate search for answers she wandered the streets and soon a gold speck in the distance caught her eye and she followed it. The speck turned out to be a magnificent golden phoenix that roosted atop the library it looked down at her from the roof and much to her surprise, began to speak.

"You re lost too, Young One?" it asked and not trusting her words, the Maiden nodded.

The golden bird flew down to perch upon her left shoulder as it spoke. It told her of this empty place, a space between worlds that only the divine or the dead could safely inhabit. It spoke of being a lore keeper and one who watched over time itself, one of a pantheon of nomadic gods that traveled across stars and countless worlds to give their boons to many a young developing society.

It called itself Sage.

In return the maiden spoke of her home, of being torn away from all she knew and her studies into magic in the hope of one day returning home. The old bird felt pity for her plight and offered to help. The pair traveled cross the grey expanse until they found a large, foreboding tower alight with glowing runes. Within this tower was a library the likes of which the maiden had never seen and with Sage's instructions and guidance began to expand her knowledge of magic even more.

For countless moons teacher and student studied, practiced and expanded their skills. The Void hindered their magic and made casting difficult but that only spurred them on to overcome the challenge to continue their research. As time wore on the maiden asked the bird how much time had passed since arriving in the tower.

"You're magic shields you now, you have grown powerful enough to no longer worry about the passage of time, return to your books and scrolls my student, we have time a plenty." He replied and with trust in her friend, the maiden returned to her work.

More time had passed and the question lingered in her mind, so yet again she asked and again her friend told her not to worry and with each time her question was answered the same way, her irritation grew until finally she demanded Sage tell her, that she needed to know.

With a heavy heart, Sage relented.

"A hundred years have passed since you stepped foot into the tower..."

The maiden fled.

Horror flooded Healer's mind as she ran, her situation, the supposed "truth" Sage had told couldn't be right! How could a hundred years without her knowing, she didn't-they weren't-

She lost steam and slowed until she stood in the middle of nowhere, the mist and endless grey expanse did nothing but enhance her sense of grief and guilt. Denial waged war with reason as her emotions flared and she just didn't know what to do anymore! With an anguished cry she fell to her knees, sobbing and spitting curses at Sage, at herself, at anyone.

"You poor thing, being left out here like this. I shudder to imagine what kind of horrors would try to harm you in this state." a new voice, male and suave said as Healer caught movement in the corner of her now blurry vision. She looked up nd saw a small, black fox with almost mesmerizing red eyes looking at her in sympathy.

"My name is Fox," the canine said. "Why don't you tell me what happened hm? There's no need to rush."

The Maiden was charmed, enamored even with the mysterious black fox as she told him of her situation. To ease her pain, he showed her a window that was but a glimpse of the world the Empire once resided in. She watched the world continue on without her, a land ruled by two princesses who held dominion over night and day. The Maiden was enraged, here were the two that had cost her everything, her home, her loved ones and the continued safety of an entire kingdom! She seethed in rage as she ranted and raved, had they realized the prices she was now paying for their actions?

Fox was happy to aid her, he encouraged her, trained her and instilled her with knowledge of spells to tear the mind and rend the soul of any foe. With her new power, she watched, waited and clung to her rage and grief. But as she watched, the rage diminished as she grew to understand the princesses and as she saw the youngest succumb to darkness and the eldest's reluctance to stop her the Maiden saw the weight, the price of her eventual revenge.

As Nightmare Moon was banished Fox tried to spur her on wards to revenge to right some perceived wrong but the Maiden refused. There was no point to vengeance, to bring harm to others when countless more would be affected, when innocents would be the ones to pay the price.

Hollow and empty the Maiden left Fox to his own devices and wandered the void. For her there was no purpose, for her there was no point and for she had nothing to cling to, nothing to strive for, no one to help or to help her. After many weeks of aimless walking, the Maiden reached the edge of a cliff.

Healer had bound her wings with black chains and peered over the edge of the cliff. She wobbled slightly, her footing unsure as she stepped towards the plummet that awaited and she stopped at the very edge, the last vestiges of her true self screaming at her to stop. She paused, she could hear the hollow hum of the Void, what passed as air stifled everything from her magic to her very sense of self. her memory of who she was all but gone in the haze of hopelessness. The words she vaguely remembered as flavor text danced across her vision.

* 1/200 HP
* Are you really going to give up?

The question gave her pause as the metaphorical gears in her mind creaked to life for the first time in what felt like eternity.

Is that what I'm doing? I'm not, I don't know...Maybe this would be better?
Why should I care?

* You've done nothing but care for your whole life, why stop now?

The fuck?! Who the hell-?

* Behind you.

Healer stumbled back away from the cliff and turned around to find, of all things, a plushie sitting on the ground. It was a winged unicorn toy the size of a house cat with small cherub style wings, a blue mane and a matching tuft of blue hair on the end of its lion like tail and cloven hooves. To her surprise, the toy stood up, tail wagging madly like a dog's and the black, shiny beads for its eyes seemed to glint with barely contained joy.

Something about it seemed familiar and the doll appeared to have sensed that as it "spoke" using the flavor text.

* Finally! I was so tired of being unable to help you!
* [REDACTED] are you ok? Do you remember me?
* It's me, your imaginary friend!
* Arbiter.

She had a feeling of vague recognition, like this small, talking toy was important, necessary even. Healer walked forward and sat down near the doll, it climbed up into her lap and gently, she hugged it. For the first time in over a century, she felt safe.

She didn't remember everything about this strange creature but she knew his words rang true, she knew it was someone she could trust, an undying link of years spent warding against nightmares, of bringing peace, of joy and hope. She had a feeling she had a long way to go, but at least she wouldn't be alone, not anymore.

* Despite everything, it's still you.
* 50/200 HP
* FILE SAVED!

The Maiden, with hope in her heart once more set off with her new companion in search of a way home.

"So what are you exactly?" Healer asked as she held the toy in her arms while she walked.

* I'm a wandering god, it's kind of a long story.

"I have time."

* There were once four of us Wisdom, Adversity, Death and...Fate.
* We all traveled from world to world bringing about new eras both good and bad. For Eons we all had our place and our way of interacting with mortals and immortals alike.
* For Wisdom, they were his students.
* For Adversity they were his allies or respected rivals.
* For me they were lost souls in need of guidance, or a friend.
* For Fate they were her kin, her family, her love.
* Fate grew tired of the cycle, of death and violence but she understood it's necessity. unwilling to take part in the cycle she split her soul, her very essence into three pieces and we gods left behind did our best to honor her demise and fill the role she left us.
* We saw this world and we thought we saw... a piece of Fate and once we saw what was going on with other people being pulled here for something, the others got curious.
* I warned them that this world wasn't able to sustain our true forms but we all missed our friend...
* When they tried to enter the world, they were broken into fragments, Wisdom was shattered into seven pieces and Adversity split into eight and both were scattered cross every realm connected to the Void.

"Uh...What's the Void, is that this place?" Healer asked.

* Did you red the scroll?

"What scroll?"

* I keep telling her she needs to put a bell on them. Ok here's a spare I have.

The doll puled a rolled up scroll out of his tail and handed it to her.

Welcome To The Void!
- By Ammy (Pronounced Am-me or Ah-me either works.)

If you're reading this then through some stroke of bad luck, you wound up in The Void!

Who'd you piss off to get sent to this dump, I wonder?

The Void is a realm between Equestria and any other universes linked or close to Equestria. Within The Void are smaller pocket dimensions that function as either 'sealed evil in a can', like the pocket that housed The Pony of Shadows or The Umbrum or King Sombra upon the banishment of the crystal empire.

Some of these pockets are gateways to other worlds, a back door so to speak. However these back doors are One Way Only.

The Void itself is a grey, lifeless expanse constantly shrouded in mist, magic is heavily suppressed, mortal creatures are turned to stone because of this.

The Displaced, the dead/undead and the divine are resistant to the magic suppression, it takes more magic to use spells and abilities.

Overexposure to the Void can impact the soul, erasing one's identity and resulting in mental illness or complete loss of sanity.

There is only one creature native to the Void, referred to as The Arbiter, please be mindful of any plush toy resembling a winged unicorn with cloven hooves and a lions tail, The Arbiter consciousness spans multiple forms and realities and though it is a benevolent creature it is advised to keep your distance.

Note: prior research on the Void indicates the figure of a white wolf guiding individuals back to their world of origin, others report of bribing her with food to be a success.

"Oh that explains alot- wait the king's in here, is he ok?"

* He's been sealed away elsewhere, you can't save him yet.
* Do you understand what I am now?

"A fragment of a god of death stranded here because his friends made a mistake?"

* For the most part, I was born with an ability to naturally separate my soul so this is just par for the course.
* But Sage and Fox, they don't know and please don't tell them, Void Overexposure has been enough for them to go through anyway.

"Alright..But you said you were my imaginary friend back there, you look like him sure but..."

* I was watching you, you reminded me so much of Fate that I thought maybe you had one of her fragments but then, something pulled you into that Empire, I wanted to help you, as she would have. so I gave you one of my fragments and left this one here in the Void waiting for you, that's how I'm able to talk to you and as long you have a fragment of me with you, I can talk to others as well.

"So you're my guardian angel in a sense?"

* I guess I am.

"So what do we do now?"

* You wanted to learn how to cook right?

* I need to go and check on Sage, he's been gone for a while.

Healer looked down at the familiar plush toy sitting her lap as the dense fog of The Void swirled around them.

"You won't be gone long and Fox is still here so I'll be fine," she reassuring replied as the toy got up to leave the simple picnic the small group was enjoying.

Fox halfheartedly grunted a reply, too focused on a strange piece of technology he had scavenged. Healer smiled as Arbiter sighed and set off to look for their wayward friend.

The medic returned to her plate of food happily listening to Fox mutter in the background. It was only when he fell silent that she turned around to ask if he'd learned anything that she began to grow nervous.

Fox and his trinket were gone with the quickly vanishing red wisps of a teleport spell to indicate he'd even been there in the first place. Healer quietly and carefully looked around as if expecting her friends to reappear at any given moment and the longer she waited the more frantic she grew.

Calling for help revealed nothing and her magic spiked alongside her emotions. She feel The Void chipping away at her as her sense of time, even her sense of self became lost in the sea of fog, the hum of the Void's essence blending with the heartbeat that roared in her ears and her rattled breathes. Healer felt heavy, trapped in a daze as visions of death and phantom pains assaulted her mind a body. The fog shifted into mist as it pressed down on her, the deaths of all she knew danced within her head until she didn't remember where she was. Her emotions shut down as her body severed the link between her emotions and her magic to prevent her power from escalating further, despair and confusion gave way to curiousity and logic as she studied what she was seeing.

These are other worlds connected to The Void, no it's more than that these...are other versions of the world I was sent to.

Is this what my future holds? Wait what's-?

Why? Why must everything I care about die?

There was nothing but death. All she had was death, as The Void surrounded her she saw nothing but The End. The End of wars, The End of lives and The End of good and evil alike.

"I need to do something," she muttered. "Need to heal, need to save...Need to-to."

Something licked her cheek and the sensation broke her hazy state of mind as something within the medic snapped back into place. Everything felt lighter even as her wings and head throbbed with pain and despite the tears she hadn't noticed before were blurring her vision Healer could make out the form of some kind of animal staring at her curiously. She wiped away her tears and blinked in confusion at the white wolf that was in front of her, the ornate crimson markings adorning its body seemed familiar and Healer had a strong feeling of deja-vu, as if she had seen- or rather had met this wolf before.

The wolf was calm, yet appeared as it walked up to her and whined sadly.

"I'm ok, really. I uh, I guess you're stuck here too?"

The wolf nodded and tilted its head side as if it wanted to ask a question.

"Do I remember you? I'm... not sure," Healer admitted. "My mind's a bit of a mess right now and as you saw I don't exactly do well when left alone."

"Oh God," she groaned. "I'm getting worse!"

The wolf nuzzled her and barked, tail wagging madly as if the beast was trying to cheer her up.

"Thanks but if I don't have more than just a bad case of separation anxiety when i get out of here then I'll be happy," she stated. "Say, what's you're name anyway?"

The wolf whined uncertainly and Healer quickly shook her head.

"No, you don't need to tell me your true name! I'm the one indebted to you!"

The wolf grinned, nuzzled her again and the medic laughed as the creature growled playfully.

"A-alright! You can tell me jeez!" she relented. "For a goddess, you sure are pushy when it comes to helping people huh?"

The wolf barked as it draped itself over her lap.

"Huh, I know that name that's-Holy shit I remember!" Healer laughed.

"You're me and I'm you!" Healer exclaimed. "We have the same family but we're from different versions of Earth!"

"Wait...How'd you end up here though? Why do I even know you?" Healer asked.

The wolf huffed softly, she looked tired, sad even.

"You were turned into a wolf god and you were summoned here by a prayer so you're trying to prevent something bad from happening...You could go into more detail you know." Healer stated and the white wolf whined in frustration.

"The Void Queen? Never heard of her and I know about everything in this place."

The wolf barked.

"You're looking for her? So she's in trouble then, sorry I can't help but hey, if I ever get outta here I'll see if I can learn anything about her."

Another sad whine from the wolf removed her good mood.

"Yeah, assuming I remember this conversation when I get out I'll help but you are right, with how things work here I doubt I'll remember this, most days I don't even remember who I used to be before all this," the medic replied. "That's why I keep busy in here, you know. I'm well aware that one of the symptoms of Void Overexposure is an unhealthy fixation on something but as long as I have someone or something to care for or something to work towards then things are bit easier to handle."

"Besides," she added as she watched Arbiter drag Sage and Fox back to her in his light blue magic. "I suppose caring a bit too much about others is better than going completely nuts huh?"

"So why are you teaching me about souls again?" Healer asked as she sat down across from Arbiter. "I'm sure Sage has a relevant book for me to learn the same thing."

* Come on now, you can't learn everything from books.

The plush toy chided.

"I can try..."

* Ha, I know you will.
* But anyway, what am I? If you can answer that you should be able to understand why I'm teaching you today.

"Well... you're an entity that inhabits several bodies all controlled by the same mind over different worlds and timelines. You can literally be anywhere and any when and due to your ties to the cycle of life and death you're too powerful to interact with worlds directly but you also have more than enough wriggle room to nudge events in your favor. Um is that right?"

* Correct! so can you tell why that qualifies me to teach you about souls?

"Uh, you interact with them a lot and... oh, I'm an idiot. Your job is to judge souls." Healer replied.

* Pretty much, as The Grand Judge of souls and former God of Death I know first hand what makes a soul so important.
* Souls house the self, everything that makes up a single living thing is encased in the soul and linked to the body its a part of. When you tap into your magic you are tapping into the well of power within your soul, just as non magical creatures tap into their will to live or prior experiences when faced with danger.

"But my magic has a limit, wouldn't a soul have limitless energy due to the fact that there are limitless possibilities across all timelines?" she asked. "Assuming of course that every soul is bound to their other selves in other worlds or timelines right?"

* A soul does have infinite energy but since it does house the ego and everything else that makes up a living thing,
that energy is tempered or limited by the physical limitations of the body and the limits imposed upon the self through societal norms, upbringing and so on, a psychological barrier so to speak.

* And where exactly did you hear about other timelines?

The doll's face shifted to a stern expression and Healer shrugged.

"I got bored, read a lot of the more complicated spell book Sage keeps."

Arbiter facehoofed.

* Time manipulation, really?
* I suppose it can't be helped, Sage encourages learning for the greater good after all and I guess this would be a good time to teach you of the dangers of powerful souls and time travel.

"It's not like I'm going to use the spells!" she protested.

* I know but.... Imagine this universe is a giant spider web and every living thing is a spider weaving their own web within that web.
* Most of the time strands will cross over one another with little consequence, others will only affect the web some time later and you have small groups of spiders working together on the same section.
* Then you have some that choose to work alone, either by finding their own corner or destroying the work of others to leave their mark on the web.
* Finally imagine that web being repeated and altered by the placement of the strands at different intervals or some strands being cut off. those copies are other timelines, other instances of the same world but... different.
* What do you think would happen if you could observe the web in it's entirety?

"You could see how everything works and use that knowledge for your own means right?"

* Yet doing so is dangerous, say one spider used all that knowledge to get all the other spiders to follow their pattern and ignoring the rest, that's not how the web is supposed to work as it relies on the multiple, smaller webs for structure, eventually either the web will collapse or the other spiders will rebel and try to return things to normal.
* Plus, if one pattern is repeated on other webs enough times, it will ripple across the strands to affect webs that have yet to form.

"So you're saying that every timeline is unique and shouldn't be messed with for the sake of keeping reality in perfect harmony or something?"

* Pretty much.

"And you exist in every time and place to keep that balance in check?"

* Yup.

"What does that have to do with souls?"

* A person can exist in multiple worlds or timelines, so too can their soul.
* If multiple versions of the same soul went through the exact same thing, it could have an effect of versions of that soul that were supposed to live differently, like deja-vu or very rarely, they remember what happens in those other timelines.
* Domino affect basically, that's why time travel has a whole bunch of laws that only allow you to travel forward and backward your own timeline and not jump to another one.

"But that is possible right?"

* Well, if you're dumb enough to drastically change history, if a higher power picks you as a solution that can't be fixed by those native to the timeline- like Ammy or if you were born with that ability- like myself then yes, you can timeline hop.

"So you can't acquire the ability to timeline hop?"

* You can gain memories from other versions of yourself but no, unless you could break the limitation of how much magic you can tap into, then timeline hopping is all but impossible.
* And to clarify, parallel worlds are a different matter entirely.

"Well no kidding, timelines are multiple instances of the same world but parallel worlds are worlds that share similar building blocks or events with one another yet occupy a different space, though it can be tricky to differentiate the two."

* Well portals between worlds can naturally form, for one but you'd need to rip a hole in space-time to make a connection to another timeline.

The two sat silently for a while, moving and fidgeting every few moments to create some kind of noise that wasn't the endless hum of The Void.

"Hey um, I was just wondering...."

* What is it?

"What am I like in other timelines? Are there other Healer's stuck in here too?"

* Yes...

"Did you help them like you did with me?"

* Their fates were already sealed by the time I noticed them I'm afraid.

"What happened?" she asked quietly.

* Those girls, lost everything and were preyed upon by a dark entity that corrupted them.
* That's all I'm allowed to say, sorry.

"So is that why you helped me? Just to, I dunno, get a "happy ending" or check another saved timeline off your list?"

* There's something you need to understand, this isn't the first time this version of you has been sent to The Void and this isn't the first time we've had this conversation.
* I've stood by your side for thousands of years and at first, I was just doing my job.
* At first I never bound a piece of myself to your soul to help you..
* But I grew to understand you, to care about you and after failing so many times, I understood what I was missing.
* I didn't need to save you, I wanted to.
* And here we are.

"Is that why I felt like I've met you before and not just because you look like something I used to own?"

* Yeah but don't worry, I'm not doing all of this just because I can or because I have to.
* I want to see you happy, so to that end I'll be whatever you need me to be and I'll do everything I can to help out!
* Just don't ask me about the future, I don't want to spoil it for you!

Despite being a stuffed toy, Arbiter looked to be smiling as his tail waged happily. Healer stared at him as she processed the information, she practically feel his compassion and loyalty. She looked back at what little she could remember about her time before and after being banished to The Void and smiled nervously as she fiddled with the hem of her robe.

"Can, um... Can I call you dad?"

For centuries she learnt, played and bonded with her new friend, even going as far to find the two that deceived her and forgive them, together they were trapped but the Maiden understood they needed companionship as much as any mortal.
Finally she had her friends, she had hope and the promise of saving her King for his safety and his happiness were all she wished for.

For centuries she clung to memories of her time in the Crystal Empire until it nearly consumed her. For centuries her friends pulled her back from the brink of madness.

As sunlight shone through the Void, she knew the wait was finally over.

The Maiden was filled with determination.

Book One Part Four

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