The Nine

Cornered with my magic disabled. I was basically dead. I could only hope they would not destroy my body so that I could reclaim it. I watched the three feathery bullies advance, one with wings aflare, one with horn poised to gore, the third bare of any extraneous extremities. I closed my eyes, braced for the end. Instead, I heard a strange vacuuming sound. I looked up, right into the face of my nightmares.

“Why did you have to come back? I was fine grieving by myself” I said to him.

“Come now” he said. “Would I have saved you if I was still feeling unsound?”

“I guess not” I pondered. “How long have you been back?”

“Not long. I just got back from Canterlot.”

“What were you doing there?”

“Stopping the war.”

“I suppose you were showing Celestia the reason why?”

“Indeed. I think she understood.”

“What did you tell her?”

“I didn’t tell her anything. I just showed her something.”

“And that was?”

“The Beast of Words.”

“What is that?”

“My charge. He is an omniscient being that is prone to violent mood swings, so I must keep him locked away so he doesn’t destroy the universes.”

“And where is he?”

“A blank universe.”

“And you just took Celestia there?”

“Yeah, what about it?”

“Do you really think that was a good idea?”

“I was insane. I wasn’t thinking.”

“I’ll believe that. Well, thanks for saving me and all, but where did they go?”

“Down. Into the depths of Hades, Hell, and Tartarus. Lava too.”

I couldn’t help myself. I crushed him in a big hug. “I missed you so much.”

“I’d love to say I did too, but I was more than a little psycho, so I didn’t have much on my mind.”

“Always so literal” I said with a grin.

He chuckled, but then I realized something. “Rarity!”

“What about her?”

“No time! Come on!”

“Race you there!”

“You’re on” I said, hoping that would spur me toward the boutique just that much faster.

When we entered, the machine was going crazy. I quickly dashed upstairs, and calmed the machine down.

“This seems like something I’d keep locked away in my basement. If I had one, that is” Kiqo said as he entered.

“Yeah, yeah. Mad scientist blah blah blah. Now, Rarity, are you alright?”

“I’m fine, dear. It was quite painful while you were away, though. That machine would just not stop beeping.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re alright” I said, turning. “Holy haybales! Kiqo, what are you doing?!”

“Watch and find out” he said, removing the baby from its tube.

He encased the dragon in a thin, smooth stone, much like a shell, then reinserted it into Rarity. He then removed the tubes and sewed her back up.

“There” he said. “Problem solved.”

Rarity got up, moved around, and then grinned. She hugged Kiqo, and planted a firm kiss on his cheek.

“Oh, thank you so much! It was just horrible being unable to move. Although, this won’t be much better, what with all this added weight.”

“I could get you a wheelchair.”

“That would be wonderful, darling!”

In a flash of light, Kiqo summoned a wheelchair, and Rarity took her seat.

“Comfy, though rather drab.”

“I’m sure you’ll find some way to spice it up.”

“What about the stairs?” I asked, finally shaken from my stupor.

In another flash of light, the stairs became ramps.

“Great. Just great. You appear out of nowhere, save my life, and rid me of my overloading work in just a few swift gestures. Are you a miracle worker?”

He chuckled. “No, I’m just that awesome.”

“Right. Sure you are.”

We three shared a laugh, and Kiqo and I walked back to the library to sleep. We could sleep in peace thanks to one pony who saved the town.

Ace

Who knew my Path would ever come in handy? I never expected the world to need a Knight, let alone one of Heart, even if mine was now Filled. Still, I took up the sword the town blacksmith had forged for me, and I used it to strike down the invading griffins. The fine sword cut through them like butter, and I was soon surrounded by blood, guts, and feathers. It looked like what used to happen in Kiqo’s bathtub when his cat caught a bird. I looked around, feeling like some god of war. It seemed that most had fled, probably an order from the Emperor himself. I heard steps behind me, and turned to face whatever adversary came next. That adversary was Rainbow.

“Dude, talk about a bloodbath.”

“Yeah, I know. But, I didn’t want to be one of the ones in the pile, so I had to turn them into a pile, if you catch my drift.”

“Yeah, I understand, but still. I didn’t think you had it in you to kill this much.”

I turned to her. “Yeah, neither did I.”

“Holy horseapples! What happened to your eye?”

“I don’t know. Usually I can’t see my own eye.”

She gave me an evil glare. “You’ve got a slash running from your forehead to your cheekbone. How could you not notice that?”

“Is it going over my eye?”

“Yes, which furthers my question. How could you not notice you were half blind?”

I waved a hoof in front of my bad eye. Couldn’t see a thing. “Well, this sucks.”

She facehoofed. “Do you not remember that we have two intensely magical friends?”

I chuckled. “Forgot about that.”

We trotted over to the library, and knocked on the familiar door. It magically opened, and we entered.

“Nice” Kiqo said, glancing over my wound. “Want me to fix that?”

“No, I want you to make it worse. Of course I want you to fix it!”

He hushed me. “Not so loud. Twilight’s sleeping.”

“Why isn’t she a spirit like you?” Rainbow asked.

“I think she was running on pure adrenaline. She tuckered herself out caring for Rarity.”

“Yeah. We saw her when she was doing that. She looked terrible.”

“Well, come on in. Can’t have you out there in the fray.”

“Can’t you just heal up my eye and let me be on my way?”

“I’m afraid it’s a bit more complex. I can heal the scar, but your eye is forfeit.”

“Why can’t you heal it?”

“I never really looked into serious healing spells, ones to heal lost body parts.”

“Why not?”

“I always knew I’d have an alternative solution.”

“I am not going to be your guinea pig.”

He grinned. “It’s funny that you say guinea pig, ‘cause that’s what I tested on originally. Come on in, have a seat at the table, I’ll get you fixed up” he said, walking back inside.

Rainbow and I exchanged worried glances, but followed him nonetheless. We sat at the table, and he soon came back with a rattling bag.

“What’s in the bag?” Rainbow asked suspiciously.

“Scrap parts.”

“Don’t tell me you’re going to make me into a cyborg” I said with a groan.

“Alright, I won’t” he said, but continued in his eye making.

“Could you at least stop the bleeding first?”

He looked up, then smiled sheepishly. In a flash of light, I felt the blood stop. A few more flashes of light, and I could see.

“Could I get a mirror?” I asked, and Kiqo spoke a mica covered slab up just for me.

I admired my new eye in the mirror, noting its smooth shell that hid all its wiring, and the central light receptor and surrounding color ring. That color ring was now pointless, since it wasn’t a muscle, but it made everything seem at least a little bit more natural.

“Well, it may feel a little bit strange, but at least I can see” I said. “Thanks, man.”

“Don’t sweat it, dude” he replied. “Just try to take care of it.”

I laughed. “I’ll try.”

We said goodbye, and flew back home for a night’s rest.